ARIANA GREENBLATT & HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN on set of 'Ahsoka' | 2023

i realized something as i was falling asleep yesterday: if i want people to like the au i'm making, i need to actually share what the hell's happening in my brain. therefore

Blotted AU Masterpost!

I've mentioned the Blotted AU a bit here, but I've barely gone in depth about what it actually is. In short, it's a Batim/Batdr rewrite AU inspired by Epic Mickey. It roughly merges the concept of the Cycle with the early game story of Epic Mickey, ideas from Ink Machine and Dreams Come to Life, and the story of Dark Revival. The general plot is that the cast from Bendy and the Ink Machine are all dragged into the Cycle by the Ink Demon and now have to survive as a team.

Before I go in depth (and it's gonna be long i apologize), here is the google doc where I wrote down every idea dump I had for it, a cast list with their roles and brief history in the au, and a rough timeline. It won't be any better of a tl;dr for this post since it's a barely organized mess that only makes sense to me, but if you're interested in seeing how the au developed over time, feel free to give it a read! A lot of the idea dumps ended up being about Sammy whoops (he's my favorite).

~*~*~

The rewrite starts off when Joey commissions the Ink Machine from Gent. Originally it was to cut down on animation costs and time, but when he realizes he could make 3D actors with it, he starts to experiment.

His first attempt that lives is Ink Bendy. His disfiguration and uncannily human appearance is immediately met with hostility and rejection, and Joey basically crams him back into the machine to try again. Unbeknownst to him, that creates the Cycle and Bendy never actually died. The rejection and isolation along with being trapped in a realm that mimics the fleeting glimpse of the real world he could've lived in started brewing up his very negative feelings towards Joey and humans in general.

Joey tries to make Bendy again, but the only surviving clones are the Wandering Sin Bendy and Concept Bendy, both of which are "scrapped" like Ink Bendy. Once he accepts that Bendy won't work, he tries with the Butcher Gang. A lot more clones survive, but they all end up horribly disfigured and mutilated. All of them are thrown into the Cycle.

His attempts with Alice Angel make incredibly humanoid creatures (original Lost Ones minus the dead employee bit), and that leads him to try creating an actual human with the Ink Machine. Everyone is really concerned about his actions and the ethics behind it at this point, and they get Henry to try and stop him. Naturally, Joey ignores them, makes a secret room for it, and continues his experiments.

After numerous failures that end up creating the population of the Cycle, Audrey is born in 1941. Joey discovers the joys and struggles of being a single dad working an executive position until 1946, when the Ink Demon finally gathers enough power over the Cycle to control the Ink Machine. Joey Drew Studios floods with ink, and every employee in the building is dragged into the Cycle.

Nathan Arch inherits the studio rights and adopts Audrey like Joey's will requests. A lot of her childhood with Joey is forgotten due to normal childhood amnesia, but she still goes by Audrey Drew. Her life is relatively uneventful and she gets hired as an animator in Archgate Studios like normal.

Meanwhile, in the Cycle, the studio employees quickly have to find shelter from the hostile toons. After finding refuge in Artist's Rest, they start pushing back against the Ink Demon's relentless aggression. It turns into a war of survival, with each side fighting to trap or destroy the other.

The animators start losing the fight when Sammy gets his eye torn out by the Ink Demon. The ink from the wound creates a mental connection between the two, and he's slowly corrupted from the inside out. It culminates into the Ink Demon puppeteering him, forcing him to lead the toons into the animators' base. A massive fight breaks out that kills most of the studio employees, and the Ink Demon consumes Joey's soul to permanently kill him.

Besides Joey, the employees who died are reincarnated as toons or Lost Ones, dubbed "conversion death." Usually their memories of their past life are blocked off, allowing their original personalities to stay but creating a blank slate for the Ink Demon to control. Conversion killed toons can keep memories from their past human life, but they never keep all of them. They can also regain their human memories again, but the process is usually very confusing, drawn out, and painful, with the memories coming back as visions accompanied by migraines.

Sammy was conversion killed after the fight that killed Joey. He was made into the Ink Demon's second in command, complete with receiving a fraction of his power as shifting through walls and manipulating his ink appearance. Susie and Norman were conversion killed during the fight, and they became Twisted Alice and initially a Lost One respectively. Norman's body was incredibly unstable and needed mechanical implants to survive outside of the Puddles, resulting in the Projectionist.

Henry steps up in Joey's absence and leads the surviving few to the Gent workshop after a few days of living precariously without safety. They switch their focus from fighting against the Ink Demon to surviving, now locked in a defensive stalemate with the toon forces. During the time, Thomas uses the familiar tech and supplies to create the signal towers, sealing off the workshop from the toons.

During the stalemate, the animators still had to brave the studio to gather food and materials. Jack, Wally, Shawn, and Daniel did most of the scouring, and Allison and Thomas only ventured out whenever they needed more supplies for his machines. While on those missions, Daniel was conversion killed into Buddy Boris, Jack's left arm was slashed and corrupted, and Allison and Thomas were conversion killed together into Allison Angel and Tom.

Boris forgot everything from his past life, but still shows sympathy to the animators. He lets them stay in his hideout he made if they need to and helps them evade the other toons. Allison and Tom forgot most of their past, but they remembered that the Ink Demon was dangerous and the animators weren't. They quickly went back to their side as soon as they could.

In 1963, Wilson disappears from the real world after finding out what the Ink Machine does in Archgate's museum honoring Joey Drew Studios. In the Cycle, he picks up where Thomas left off on the development of technicolor to combat the toons, along with trying to create his own ink life. He succeeds at both with the creation of the Keepers and technicolor ink, and the war flares back up.

Eventually, he uses the technicolor to gravely weaken and imprison the Ink Demon after a large fight. Henry is against his actions and torturous experiments on the Ink Demon, and he leaves after getting into a massive argument with him. To everyone else, he completely vanishes, but he instead takes up residence with Boris.

In 1973, the Ink Demon escapes from his physical prison Wilson trapped him in. He starts to recover from Wilson's treatment, but still can't get past the mental prison of Dapper Bendy he trapped him in. On the anniversary of the studio's disappearance, Audrey is lured into the Cycle by the Dark Puddles. Most of the story here follows Dark Revival's, with Allison finding her after a Piper raises the alarm, Audrey discovering Bendy and accidentally shocking him with her power, the Ink Demon getting released periodically from his toon prison, and Audrey finally making it to the Gent workshop.

When the Ink Demon's toon prison destabilizes, he acts a lot more aggressive and automatically treats everyone as his enemy. He kills anyone he can get his hands on, which included an overjoyed Sammy that ran straight to his death. He calms down after Audrey shows him kindness as Bendy, and he especially calms down when she shows him that same level of kindness and additional sympathy both as Bendy and the Ink Demon once she learns what had happened to him.

However, during that, Sammy took the death extremely badly, believing that he was killed because he didn’t free him, and does everything he can to earn his forgiveness again. Along with suffering through memory flashes of his past life, he tries to sacrifice anyone he can get his hands on, which includes the other toons that once trusted him. They reject him as their leader and start forming isolated groups, with some of them becoming Amok and their followers, the Ink Jets, the Demon Followers that still fight against the animators, and colonies of Butcher Gang clones. Alice wanders the studio alone, and the Projectionist stays in his designated area.

Sammy gets imprisoned after trying to attack the Gent workshop in a desperate attempt to please the Ink Demon. During his imprisonment, he regains most of his memories and starts to question how genuine his loyalty was to the demon. Audrey finds Henry shortly after and brings him back. Henry explains the full history of the Cycle to her, including what Joey did and the revelation that she's not human.

I'm still unsure whether or not I want Wilson to create a big scene with Shipahoy Dudley, and if he did, he would permanently die like Joey. However, I do want Audrey to deescalate the situation between the Ink Demon and the animators. His problems all came from Joey, and the other workers did nothing and were against his actions with the Ink Machine. Once he calms down and stops, he'd release everyone who isn't native to the Cycle back into the real world.

The ones who died in the Cycle revert back to mostly human in the real world. Some traits from their previous forms carry over like scars, Alice and Allison keeping their horns for example. They'd have to readjust to living like humans again along with revoking their legal death status.

~*~*~

and that's it! if you made it this far congrats you're a trooper

i'm still working on it and i wanna make stories for it like i did with sammy already, so praying to the motivation gods that i can get enough brainthoughts to write

now that i have the explanation done i can go back to posting cryptic nonsensical stuff about it

Do you think one could follow the Jedi Code/Lifestyle in real life as a positive manner of living or do you think it only works in Star Wars? I asked this on r/Mawinstallation and the answers I got were either:

''The Jedi code is oppressive so no'' ( this was the most upvoted answer )

''The Jedi code works but only for the Jedi''

''The Jedi code requires the force to work and since the force doesn't exist in the real world, the code cannot work''

And finally, I got only a single reply that said

''Yes, the Jedi code does work in real life, that's the entire point of Star Wars''.

What is your take on this?

This is going to be sort of a long, roundabout answer, but the short version is: In the finer details, we're not space psychics, but as a general idea? Yes. First of all, what even IS the Jedi Code?  Are we talking about the whole “there is no emotion, there is peace”/”emotion, yet peace” meditation mantra, which we should point out is nowhere in the movies or TV shows, but is entirely in the novels and comics supplementary material?  Are we talking about a more generalized idea of Jedi philosophy?  And what, precisely, does that mean?  I mean, what’s oppressive about it and what scene evidences that that’s what the Jedi taught? Second, there are two talks that George Lucas gave that I think really illustrate this view of emotional navigation and how that impacts Star Wars and the Force: There’s the writers meeting of The Clone Wars where he talks about the light side and the dark side and there’s an Academy of Achievement Speech from 2013 where he talks about joy vs pleasure:     “Happiness is pleasure and happiness is joy. It can be either one, you add them up and it can be the uber category of happiness.     “Pleasure is short lived. It lasts an hour, it lasts a minute, it lasts a month. It peaks and then it goes down–it peaks very high, but the next time you want to get that same peak you have to do it twice as much. It’s like drugs, you have to keep doing it because it insulates itself. No matter what it is, whether you’re shopping or you’re engaged in any other kind of pleasure. It all has the same quality about it.     “On the other hand is joy and joy is the thing that doesn’t go as high as pleasure, in terms of your emotional reaction. But it stays with you. Joy is something you can recall, pleasure you can’t.  So the secret is that, even though it’s not as intense as pleasure, the joy will last you a lot longer.     “People who get the pleasure they keep saying, ‘Well, if I can just get richer and get more cars–!’ You’ll never relive the moment you got your first car, that’s it, that’s the highest peak. Yes, you could get three Ferraris and a new gulf stream jet and maybe you’ll get close. But you have to keep going and eventually you’ll run out.  You just can’t do it, it doesn’t work.     “If you’re trying to sustain that level of peak pleasure, you’re doomed. It’s a very American idea, but it just can’t happen. You just let it go. Peak.  Break. Pleasure is fun it’s great, but you can’t keep it going forever.     “Just accept the fact that it’s here and it’s gone, and maybe again it’ll come back and you’ll get to do it again. Joy lasts forever. Pleasure is purely self-centered. It’s all about your pleasure, it’s about you. It’s a selfish self-centered emotion, that’s created by self-centered motive of greed.     “Joy is compassion, joy is giving yourself to somebody else or something else. And it’s the kind of thing that is in it’s subtlty and lowness more powerful than pleasure.  If you get hung up on pleasure you’re doomed. If you pursue joy you will find everlasting happiness.”  –George Lucas And how I like to compare that to The Hijacking of the American Mind by Robert Lustig, MD, MSL, which is a book about how corporations have hijacked our pleasure centers to make us focused on reward over pleasure.  It talks about the exact same concepts, with only slight word adjustments, but otherwise might as well be verbatim: “At this point it’s essential to define and clarify what I mean by these two words—pleasure and happiness—which can mean different things to different people.     “Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary defines “pleasure” as “enjoyment or satisfaction derived from what is to one’s liking”; or “gratification”; or “reward.” While “pleasure” has a multitude of synonyms, it is this phenomenon of reward that we will explore, as scientists have elaborated a specific “reward pathway” in the brain, and we now understand the neuroscience of its regulation. Conversely, “happiness” is defined as “the quality or state of being happy”; or “joy”; or “contentment.” While there are many synonyms for “happiness,” it is the phenomenon that Aristotle originally referred to as eudemonia, or the internal experience of contentment, that we will parse in this book. Contentment is the lowest baseline level of happiness, the state in which it’s not necessary to seek more. In the movie Lovers and Other Strangers (1970), middle-aged married couple Beatrice Arthur and Richard Castellano were asked the question “Are you happy?”—to which they responded, “Happy? Who’s happy? We’re content.” Scientists now understand that there is a specific “contentment pathway” that is completely separate from the pleasure or reward pathway in the brain and under completely different regulation. Pleasure (reward) is the emotional state where your brain says, This feels good—I want more, while happiness (contentment) is the emotional state where your brain says, This feels good—I don’t want or need any more.     “Reward and contentment are both positive emotions, highly valued by humans, and both reasons for initiative and personal betterment. It’s hard to be happy if you derive no pleasure for your efforts—but this is exactly what is seen in the various forms of addiction. Conversely, if you are perennially discontent, as is so often seen in patients with clinical depression, you may lose the impetus to better your social position in life, and it’s virtually impossible to derive reward for your efforts. Reward and contentment rely on the presence of the other. Nonetheless, they are decidedly different phenomena. Yet both have been slowly and mysteriously vanishing from our global ethos as the prevalence of addiction and depression continues to climb.     “Drumroll … without further ado, behold the seven differences between reward and contentment: Reward is short-lived (about an hour, like a good meal). Get it, experience it, and get over it. Why do you think you can’t remember what you ate for dinner yesterday? Conversely, contentment lasts much longer (weeks to months to years). It’s what happens when you have a working marriage or watch your teenager graduate from high school. And if you experience contentment from a sense of achievement or purpose, the chances are that you will feel it for a long time to come, perhaps even the rest of your life.Reward is visceral in terms of excitement (e.g., a casino, a football game, or a strip club). It activates the body’s fight-or-flight system, which causes blood pressure and heart rate to go up. Conversely, contentment is ethereal and calming (e.g., listening to soothing music or watching the waves of the ocean). It makes your heart rate slow and your blood pressure decline.       - “ Reward can be achieved with different substances (e.g., heroin, nicotine, cocaine, caffeine, alcohol, and of course sugar). Each stimulates the reward center of the brain. Some are legal, some are not. Conversely, contentment is not achievable with substance use. Rather, contentment is usually achieved with deeds (like graduating from college or having a child who can navigate his or her own path in life).       - “Reward occurs with the process of taking (like from a casino). Gambling is definitely a high: when you win, it is fundamentally rewarding, both viscerally and economically. But go back to the same table the next day. Maybe you’ll feel a jolt of excitement to try again. But there’s no glow, no lasting feeling from the night before. Or go buy a nice dress at Macy’s. Then try it on again a month later. Does it generate the same enthusiasm? Conversely, contentment is often generated through giving (like giving money to a charity, or giving your time to your child, or devoting time and energy to a worthwhile project).       - Reward is yours and yours alone. Your sense of reward does not immediately impact anyone else. Conversely, your contentment, or lack of it, often impacts other people directly and can impact society at large. Those who are extremely unhappy (the Columbine shooters) can take their unhappiness out on others. It should be said at this point that pleasure and happiness are by no means mutually exclusive. A dinner at the Bay Area Michelin three-star restaurant the French Laundry can likely generate simultaneous pleasure for you from the stellar food and wine but can also generate contentment from the shared experience with spouse, family, or friends, and then possibly a bit of unhappiness when the bill arrives.       - Reward when unchecked can lead us into misery, like addiction. Too much substance use (food, drugs, nicotine, alcohol) or compulsive behaviors (gambling, shopping, surfing the internet, sex) will overload the reward pathway and lead not just to dejection, destitution, and disease but not uncommonly death as well. Conversely, walking in the woods or playing with your grandchildren or pets (as long as you don’t have to clean up after them) could bring contentment and keep you from being miserable in the first place.       - Last and most important, reward is driven by dopamine, and contentment by serotonin. Each is a neurotransmitter—a biochemical manufactured in the brain that drives feelings and emotions—but the two couldn’t be more different. Although dopamine and serotonin drive separate brain processes, it is where they overlap and how they influence each other that generates the action in this story. Two separate chemicals, two separate brain pathways, two separate regulatory schemes, and two separate physiological and psychological outcomes. How and where these two chemicals work, and how they work either in concert or in opposition to each other, is the holy grail in the ultimate quest for both pleasure and happiness.”                                – Robert Lustig, MD, MSL And then lets add in what Dave Filoni has said about the Force and the core themes of Star Wars:     "In the end, it’s about fundamentally becoming selfless moreso than selfish.  It seems so simple, but it’s so hard to do.  And when you’re tempted by the dark side, you don’t overcome it once in life and then you’re good.  It’s a constant.  And that’s what, really, Star Wars is about and what I think George wanted people to know.  That to be a good person and to really feel better about your life and experience life fully you have to let go of everything you fear to lose. Because then you can’t be controlled.        “But when you fear, fear is the path to the dark side, it’s also the shadow of greed, because greed makes you covet things, greed makes you surround yourself with all these things that make you feel comfortable in the moment, but they don’t really make you happy.  And then, when you’re afraid of something, it makes you angry, when you get angry, you start to hate something, sometimes you don’t even know why.  When you hate, do you often know why you hate?  No, you direct it at things and then you hate it.  And it’s hard because anger can be a strength at times, but you can’t use it in such a selfish way, it can be a destroyer then.        “These are the core things of Star Wars.“  –Dave Filoni So, the core things of Star Wars and the Jedi teachings (because Jedi teachings are basically almost word for word how GL described how the Force works) can very much be a reflection of real world teachings and ways to live by, because all of the above are about how GL viewed the world and what he wanted to put into his movies. Further, Jedi teachings are basically just reworded Buddhism + Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.  And both of those are very livable by our real world standards, if you so choose.  GL was very much about how SW had themes that were meant to be picked up on by the audience and even DF has said this:  “ Jedi have the ability to turn the tide, to make a significant moment, to give hope where there’s none.  That’s their ultimate role to play, to be this example of selflessness.  And that’s what makes them a hero, when no one else can match that heroic thing.  And then our job is to emulate that, to use that example, and further our own lives.” --Dave Filoni Ultimately, the Jedi are specifically focused on disciplining themselves (which GL has said is the only way to overcome the dark side, in that TCW writers’ meeting), probably to a degree most of us wouldn’t have the room to devote to, but that doesn’t mean that the broader strokes aren’t meant to be applicable to our lives or don’t echo real world teachings.

Summer Of Whump Day 13 [Forgotten/Sacrificed]

Ω

 Omega did dream this time, now safely beyond the edge of death’s veil.

 She was moving very fast, and she could feel a thundering heartbeat beneath her touch. Steam and rusted metal filled her vision, and she got the sinking feeling that she was being chased. Footsteps pounded against the metal floor, never faltering, never slowing down. As she rounds a corner, the dream shifts.

 Now, she’s in a small, windowless room. The walls look like they are made of stone, and the ground she is sitting on is hard. She can’t move her wrists, and her vision in her right eye is poor, like she’s squinting that eye. She’s leaning against something smooth, soft, and breathing. She can hear the sound of that same heartbeat, now slower. She hears a sound, a muddled voice it seems. It sounds concerned, but she can’t make out what’s being said. Omega blinks, and the dream is changing again.

 Now she’s flying, a cool mist of cloud rolling over her skin. Someone is holding onto her waist, their grip tight like they’re afraid to fall. Something is on her face, a mask she thinks. The world tilts upwards, and she sees stars. The vast expanse of space is before her now, and although she is not in a ship, she doesn’t feel afraid.

   Omega’s eyes slid open slowly, the weight of sleep threatening to close them again. The room is quiet, the sound of soft snores occasionally disturbing the calm. She shifted a bit, wincing at the ache in her neck. That was going to take some getting used to. No more turning her head quickly.

 Hunter’s chest rose and fell in a calm rhythm, and she takes a moment to bask in the fact that they were all alive and okay. The events of yesterday were still fresh in her mind, and Omega doesn’t feel like risking a nightmare by going back to sleep. So she simply lays there, content to just exist in the moment. Their lives are so full of action and danger, so the break is welcome.

 The embrace she’s in right now is so comforting. She feels like nothing in the world could possibly harm her here. Smiling, she snuggles into Hunter’s chest, resting her eyes but not quite falling back asleep.

 “Honk!”

 Her eyes fly open.

 She feels Hunter shift, hears him grumble and crack an eye open. She holds still, not sure if she wants him to wake up and see what Pillow is doing in here, or if she wants him to get more sleep because she knows he needs it.

 He sleepily scans the room, then closes his eyes again, shifting his arms so that she can use them as pillows if she wants. Omega wants to settle down again; it’s just Pillow, he’s not a threat! Yet something keeps her awake and alert. She stares at the door, an odd feeling forming in her chest. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and tentatively reached out with the Force. Her connection with it is strong, but she is untrained, and thus it takes her a minute to actually figure out how to do what she wants. She starts small, feeling the soft glow of life that comes from everyone in the room. Then, she pushes outwards, searching for life beyond the confines of the room.

 She finds it, but it isn’t just Pillow that’s roaming the ship’s abandoned halls.

 This time, there is no questioning whether or not she want’s Hunter to get up. She shakes his shoulder, fear entering her eyes. The man wakes instantly, looking at her in concern.

 “What’s wrong?” Hunter asked.

 “Crosshair’s coming!” Omega whispered.

 Hunter gets up as soon as the words leave her mouth. Omega tries to reach out to Pillow as Hunter rouses the others, to communicate with him across their bond. It’s all she can do; her injuries prevent her from moving too much. She feels Pillow’s emotions, he’s full of excitement and pride. He doesn’t understand the danger he’s bringing their way.

She projects her own emotions into the bond. Fear, hurt, concern. She feels confusion ripple through their connection. She sends the feelings again, stronger this time. She feels a flicker of understanding, then a wave of nearly overwhelming guilt.

 ‘It’s too late.’ Omega realizes. ‘He’s already figured out where we are.’

 “Hunter?” She whines, shivering a bit. Crosshair had spared her before, but she has no idea what sort of mental state he’s in now. “’m scared.’

 “It’ll be okay. We’ll protect you.” Hunter soothes, lifting her up and handing her to Tech. “Get her back to the ship. We’ll cause a distraction.”

 Omega leans against Tech as the younger clone takes her from Hunter. His presence is a source of comfort, and she hides her face in his chest. He has his plastoid armor on, so he isn’t as soft as she would like, but she knows he needs it, especially right now.

 Soon they were moving, Tech darting down the hallway one way while the rest of the group goes the other way. They hadn’t been running for very long before the sound of footsteps became audible. They were too fast and close together to be Crosshair’s, so the duo is only mildly surprised when Pillow comes around the corner. He honked loudly when he spotted them, rubbing against Tech’s leg. He let out a series of short, sad honks, his way of apologizing. Omega could feel his sincerity through their bond.

 “It’s okay Pillow, you didn’t know Crosshair was trouble. Think you can get us out of here?” She asks, reaching down to pet the amphibian.

 Pillow bobbed his head and started off down the hallway he’d just come from. Tech hurried after him, relying on the sound of Pillow’s soft honks when they ran into a patch of corridor that didn’t have any functioning lights.

 Suddenly, Pillow yelped, falling back into Tech and Omega. The sudden weight tripped Tech, which caused him to drop Omega. She yelled in pain, her back flaring with white-hot agony. She grit her teeth and pressed her forehead into the cold, dusty floor, trying to find something to focus on aside from the pain.

 She lifted her head when she heard the sound of slower, heavier footsteps. She could just barely make out Crosshair’s form as he approached, a sharp coldness rolling off him in waves.

 She’d always wondered why Kamino had seemed so cold after the order had gone out.

 He raised his rifle, aiming at Tech. The downed clone was unaware of the danger, the force of Pillow being kicked into him having knocked his senses loose for a minute. Fueled by fear, Omega jolts to her feet, tears slipping down her cheeks as her melted muscles and blistered skin were agitated.

 “Don’t hurt him!” She said, stepping in front of Tech. The barrel of the blaster sits right in front of her heart. If he fires, even a stun round, she’ll be dead.

 “I’m the one the Kaminoans are interested in. A Force-sensitive clone is much more valuable than a rouge enhanced one, right?” She asks, praying that she’s right, and that her life can be used as a bargaining chip. She can hear Tech coming back to himself, and she knows that she needs to hurry.

 “If you let him go, I’ll go with you willingly. We can be gone before the others give you trouble, just- just don’t hurt Tech!” Omega pleads.

 Crosshair doesn’t speak, and for a moment Omega thinks that he’s just going to shoot her and kill Tech anyways. But then he lowers his rifle, and she hears his gruff voice.

 “Let’s go.”

 She sighs, her body quivering as she tries to step forward. She wobbles, her body not ready to support her weight in motion yet. Before she can fall, Pillow is there, ducking down and nudging her onto his back. He looks at her questioningly, like he’s asking her if she’s sure she wants to do this.

“Go, Pillow. We don’t have a choice.” She says softly, collapsing onto his broad back. His rapidly increasing size had been a nuisance when it came to sleeping and feeding him, but now she was infinitely grateful for it.

 Pillow whined but obeyed, galloping after Crosshair. Behind them, Tech had realized what was happening.

 “OMEGA!” He cried. “No,no,nononono! Crosshair get back here!”

 Pillow looked back, honking sadly, but didn’t slow down. He understood that what they were doing was dangerous, and it probably wouldn’t end well, but if he tried to escape, they wouldn’t get very far. Rusted metal and sparking wires flew by as he raced down the corridor, Omega holding on for dear life as they followed behind a sprinting Crosshair.

 Soon, they reached an opening in the ship. It was a jagged hole, torn open by some weapon during the war. Crosshair spoke into his comlink as Pillow slunk behind him, taking care not to cut himself on the sharp metal. On his back, Omega twitched in pain, crying quietly into Pillow’s neck.

 “I need a pick up at my coordinates. I have two captives with me, one human, and one…” He looked at Pillow, who glared at him, “overgrown lizard.”

 Pillow snorted and stomped his foot, looking over his shoulder when the movement caused Omega to whimper. Crosshair looked over at her as well, his eyes widening a bit when he saw the state she was in. Blood was soaking through her bandages, and in the light of the early morning, he could see the bruises on her neck.

 “And get the medical bay ready. One of the captives requires medical attention, and we need her alive.” He adds.

  Pillow nodded, agreeing with the armored human. He didn’t like the man, hated him actually, but at least he wasn’t being stupid. Warm One was hurt bad, and she reeked of fear and pain. He licked her head, trying to bring the human fledgling some comfort.

 He was so close to being ready to metamorphosize. He just needed a bit more energy and time, and then he’d be able to help Warm One. He’d bust them out of whatever confinement this human was going to put them into.

 He’d save her. He’d save her, and then he’d destroy anyone who had dared to hurt her.

Let’s Do It Again |  Anakin Skywalker x Fem!Reader | Slight NSFW!

Note: Inspired by the song Do It Again by Pia Mia, Chris Brown, Tyga. I listened to the song on the bus and then wrote this quickly. It’s really just a short oneshot not really corrected either, sorry xD

Fandom: Star Wars

Warnings: Alternative Universe, A/B/O, Slight NSFW, Anakin Cheated

Summary:  His memory of the night was fuzzy, but Anakin knew three things. Firstly, he had sex with someone else than his lover Padmé. Secondly, that person was an Omega. And finally, he fucking marked the stranger.

Word Count: 1′555

If you want to be tagged in my stories send me a pm with the fandom/character name! Or comment on the fic :)

Masterlist

Anakin fucked up. That may not be pretty specific because he fucked up often, but most of the time, he was able to fix it. This time... 

He wasn't so sure. 

He breathed in slowly, the strong smell of flowers, alcohol, and blood still lingering around him. He cupped his face with his hands and sighed. 

"I messed up." 

And it was the truth. Him lying naked in a bed that wasn't his, the iron taste of blood in his mouth, he fucked up big time. He marked someone. And it wasn't Padmé. God fucking dammit. 

To be fair, he was really drunk yesterday. Wouldn't everyone be after finding out that the parents of their supposedly future wife didn't want them to mark their daughter? Well, after those devastating news were thrown at his face he got shitfaced and then met that woman. 

God, his mind was so blurry he couldn't even remember her face, much less her name. But she had breathtaking pheromones and feisty claws. He remembered her whispering into his ears that she wouldn't let herself be suppressed by him and then her dragging her fingernails across his back, drawing blood. 

He had never met such a kinky woman. Not that he often had the chance with him being part of the Jedi order and him usually not hanging out in the underworld of Coruscant. 

But damn, that enchantress, yes, he could call her that because he was literally swept away by her pheromones and the sweet words of hers in his ears.

He sighed again, guilt gnawing away at his heart. Padmé had told him she would convince her parents to change their minds. She would take care of it. So that they would be able to finally make their relationship official. But now he had gone and done it. 

He loved Padmé with his whole heart however there was a stab in his chest after this night, reminding him of the fact, that somewhere out there was another Omega who belonged to him, and he couldn't stop himself from growling lowly. He couldn't suppress his instincts. 

Right now, he hated being born as an Alpha and being so stupid. If he were a good Jedi, he would have meditated to calm himself down but instead, he had gone out of the Jedi temple to visit the lower levels of Coruscant to get drunk, meeting the potential doom of his and Padmé's relationship. But he would fix this mess. 

Let's just never meet that woman again. I can go without her, an Alpha is able to live without the one they marked. I'm sure she would not dare to search for me in the Jedi temple. The general public does not know that the order allows Alpha and Omega relationships, I should be safe. His pounding heart slowed down a little. It would be fine. 

But first, he had to get rid of the stranger's lingering scent.

-

Anakin was successful. Successful in removing the scent of the Omega he had marked and successful in hiding his mistake. At first, he wanted to tell Padmé, but he couldn't. His pride wouldn't let him. 

If he told her, it would be proof that he was unsuited for her as her parents had said. But he couldn't acknowledge that. It would break him, would remind him of the fact that he and Padmé were born into different worlds. 

He was raised as a slave and marking a stranger wasn't such a big deal on Tattooine. For Padmé who became Queen of Naboo and then a senator... Not only were the customs on Naboo different but she also held an important position. 

If it came out that her future husband had already marked another Omega... It would not only damage her reputation it could also potentially ruin her career. 

So he tried to forget that one night, tried to ignore the growing impatience he felt, the pent up desires, and the Alpha in him telling him to find his Omega to mate with her again. 

But it was hard. Really hard. 

He found himself way too often in sweaty bedsheets, in his pants the proof of a wet dream about the stranger from that night. 

The guilt ate him alive, and he drifted away from Padmé, feeling uneasy around her, always paranoid that she found out what he had done. 

And it slowly dawned on him that he couldn't save their relationship anymore, because the moment he had let the other woman kiss him that night, his and Padmé's love had already been doomed.

-

They broke up. 

In the end, Anakin couldn't deal with his guilty conscience anymore. He told Padmé everything. And he was able to see how her heart shattered. 

He expected her to be angry, to curse him but she held no contempt in her eyes. After he had explained to her what happened that night, or at least what he could remember, she was silent for a long time. 

When she opened her mouth, he flinched, expecting a scream or shout but only a whisper left her lips: 

"Leave." 

He said her name and wanted to continue but she interrupted him, again telling him to leave,  her voice slightly breaking. Her utter rejection hurt him too. 

Of course, he couldn't expect forgiveness for his actions, because he cheated, but he had hoped to... He couldn't even say what he hoped for. 

He didn't deserve any of it. 

So he stood up, looking at her sitting on the couch of her apartment. "Padmé..." He knew she would cry after he left, therefore he hesitated, uncertainly reaching out for her, but she swatted his hand away. 

"Go! Anakin, leave, and don't you dare come back!" 

He left. 

But he was sure that he had left his heart with her that day.

-

Eight months later, he stepped off the spaceship that brought him to Lothal, his former Master, and his padawan in tow. 

Ahsoka sighed contently after looking at the vast grass plains. 

"It's peaceful here, I like it." 

Obi-Wan seemingly wanted to agree but got interrupted by the landing canon boat ships, and the three Jedi turned to the arriving clones. 

"Generals." 

Captain Rex saluted, and Anakin nodded at him. 

"The 707th squad should arrive soon." 

The clone's eyebrows knitted, Anakin watched him and asked himself why Rex seemed worried. Then he remembered the rumors Ahsoka mentioned during their flight here. 

The 707th's general was supposed to be a strict Jedi who held no mercy for the enemy and whose actions were often deemed too violent to be a Jedi's by the council. 

His padawan beside him stiffened too, and Obi-Wan stroke his beard in deep thought. 

He clenched his fists. He wouldn't let anyone of his troop get hurt. They would do their jobs here and then leave immediately. 

He didn't care whether the rumors about the Jedi were true or not. He just wanted to go back home to Coruscant so that he could try to call Padmé once more. He needed to talk to her one more time, he was sure that she would listen to him no- Suddenly five canon boats appeared on the horizon. 

They were all colored completely black, giving them a slightly intimidating appearance. They flew at a dangerously high speed, and it only took a few seconds for them to reach the landing platform. 

Suddenly, Anakin's intestines churned. A fiery heat crawled up his torso and then his neck, and a raspy sound escaped his throat. His instincts rang the alarm bell, and his senses spread quickly. The force called out to him, and a strangely familiar and addictive scent entered his nostrils. 

No, no, no, don't tell me...!!

His fists clenched. Obi-Wan suddenly turned his head around to watch him surprised, a small blush on his cheeks. 

"Anakin...", his tone warning him as he retreated from the side of his former padawan. 

Ahsoka next to him subconsciously bared her sharp Togruta teeth. 

"Master", she growled, also stepping away from him, his sudden Alpha pheromones too overbearing. 

His padawan was an Alpha herself but he had always oppressed her when it came to their pheromones. 

However, that didn't mean that she wouldn't fight him. But right now she seemed to know that something had ticked Anakin off, so she could only stand protectively in front of Obi-Wan, the only Omega in their company right now, who seemed to be disturbed from his former student's sudden pheromone release.

The clones around them were unaffected since all of them were Betas. 

Anakin only partly registered the distress of his former Master and his padawan as he was concentrating more on the newly arriving clones and the owner of the scent that had burned itself into his nose. 

"It's her", he groaned and it was partly a sigh but also a moan, proof of the arousal that flared in his chest right now. 

The woman was here. His Omega was here. 

Suddenly his Pants felt a lot tighter. 

The door of the last black canon boat ship opened, silky h/c hair danced in the winds of Lothal and black Jedi robes swayed slowly with every step their owner took. 

A smirk painted the woman's lips and although there was a 200 meters distance between them, he could somehow still understand what she said: 

"Let's do it again, Alpha."

Storm of the Republic

Chapter 25

AO3 Link | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25

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Summary:  When Tup murdered General Tiplar during a battle, Anakin Skywalker and Captain Rex dispatched Ahsoka, Fives, and Yara to solve the mystery that was plaguing the Clone Army. Meanwhile, Senator Padme Amidala contacted Commander Fox, Commander Tori, Riyo Chuchi, and Dipper to help her continue investigating the death of Palpatine, suspecting that Dooku was behind the evil plot. But when Dooku send an ISB agent to stop them, the team had to race against time to search for the truth, which could alter the course of the galaxy.

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Massaging her daughter’s hair with her fingers, Tori hummed a cheerful tune as Frieda was sitting inside the bathtub, splashing water with both her tiny hands. With two candles lighting up the room, the guest bathroom had a sweet scent, which comforted the clone commander.

Curling herself inside the warm, foamy bathtub was a privilege that Tori had, and it would be the last time she could enjoy a bath like this. Usually, she had to take an open shower with Frieda and her sisters and she had to be quick about it. Now, she could take as much time as she needed without rushing through her relaxation.

It was difficult for her to sleep through the night, despite the long journey from the base. She found her queen bed to be soft, unlike her stony bunk bed. Tori and Friedahad to share with Rex, who does everything he can to drive her crazy. She could even recall the time where Rex placed a dead spider on her pillow, which pissed her off the entire day. He apologised eventually, but that didn’t stop her from cussing at him.

It’s been a while since she felt peace, though she’ll have to go back to Anaxes once the mission was done, where she had to deal with Rex and the rest of the 101st Battalion, who always created chaos whenever they had the chance. Flover, especially, would put a dead rat in Dipper’s helmet, which caused him to scream until the other units could hear them.

Flover was also the reason Tori would get a headache whenever they’re in the battlefield, as the blue-haired clone would rush towards the enemies, which unfortunately became her hubris in the Battle of Coruscant. Tori wasn’t there, but she wished Flover was still alive. As mischievous as she was, the commander felt odd without her presence. Even Dipper missed her.

“Mama,” Frieda spoke, holding a rubber ducky in her hands. “Are you okay?”

“I am, baby,” Tori replied, focusing on her daughter. “I was just thinking, that’s all.”

“What are you thinking about, Mama?”

“I was thinking about your Aunt Flover. She would have loved you very much if she was still here.”

“Who’s Aunt Flover?” the little girl asked. “And where is she?”

“Well, Aunt Flover was one of my vod’ika, and she had blue hair and loves to joke around with the others, especially Uncle Dipper. She and Uncle Dipper were like cheese and crackers. Unfortunately, Aunt Flover died in a fight six months ago, and I miss her very much.”

Frieda hung her head low as her smile disappeared. “Mama, what will happen if you die?”

Tori blinked as she hugged her knees, wondering what she could answer. She was no stranger to her daughter’s odd questions, but this one struck a chord in her mind. There were many speculations about life after death, but the commander wasn’t sure what to believe in. But she can’t leave her daughter hanging. Frieda will feel as if she had done something wrong.

“There are many beliefs about what happened after death,” Tori tried to answer. “Some believe that you become one with the Force, some also believe that you either go to the Garden or the Pitfire based on your actions, and some believe that you’re resurrected into another life. The truth is, there is no right or wrong answer to what happened after death. There’s just many possibilities for you to believe, that’s all.”

“Well, what do you believe, Mama?”

“I believe that if I die, then I just fade into oblivion, that’s all.”

“Will you be forgotten, Mama?” cried Frieda. “I don’t want you to disappear forever. I can’t live without you.”

Tori stroked her puffy wet cheeks, smiling. “As long as someone keeps my memory alive, then I’m never truly dead. I wish I could live forever, but that would be impossible. We all have to go, eventually.”

“Do you know when you will die, Mama?”

She shook her head. “No one knows when our time is up. That’s why we shouldn’t take life for granted. In order to be happy throughout your life, we should appreciate every moment we spend with someone we love, whether it’s big or small.”

“Then I will never forget you, Mama,” Frieda promised, as she climbed on Tori’s lap and hugged her. “I’ll do everything I can to remember you.”

Tori hugged her back with tears in her eyes. The last thing she wanted was to make Frieda an orphan. The latter had survived in the streets for a while and Tori does not want her little girl to go through that hardship ever again. Tori had to make sure she lived to see the last day of war.

As she cradled Frieda with her arms, there was a thunderous knock on the door. “Are you done?” Fox shouted. “You’ve been in there forever.”

“Damn you, Foxy,” she cursed, as she got out from the bathtub, with a five-year-old in her arms. “I was having a wonderful moment just now.”

“Whatever, just get changed,” ordered the Marshal Commander. “We have a mission to complete. Also, it’s Fox, not Foxy.”

“Oh please. I bet you were also soaking in the bathtub with Riyo too.”

Silence filled outside her bathroom door. As Tori and Frieda wrapped themselves with a fuzzy towel, Fox finally spoke after a few minutes. “Just hurry, goddamit.”

She snorted, draining the tub. If he can have a nice, romantic moment with Riyo, then I’m also entitled to have a bubble bath with Frieda as well. God, what a sly, cunning fox.

Walking out of the bathroom door, they headed inside their room and changed into the same outfits they wore yesterday, except it was dry cleaned by Padmé. Despite sweating underneath the pink dress, Tori felt as if she had just bought them from a store.

She also wore the same white ribbon as well and applied makeup on her face to look pretty. Those makeup set belonged to Padmé, but the latter was happy to let her use them. Her foundations and powders, however, don’t match her skin, so Tori just put on her eyeshadow, eyeliner, and a hint of lipstick instead.

Her cat eyeliner may not be perfect, but Tori could raise her head as she glanced at her reflections in the mirror. Who the hell gave me permission to make me this beautiful?

“Tori, are you done?” Fox banged on the door. “Come on, we have to get going.”

“I’ll be there, Foxy,” she complained. “It’s not like I’m late, anyway.”

“5 minutes or I’m leaving you behind.”

“I hate you,” she blew a raspberry, as she lifted Frieda with her arms and rushed towards the living room, where everyone was geared up for a stealth mission.

Commander Cody Week - Day Three: Valor

Sooo two things. One, this is a day late because I had an eight hour shift yesterday and the muse didn't want to come after that. And two: I literally couldn’t help myself and combined several of the prompts from both Day Three and Day Two.

-how Cody gets his scar- -acting as a protector- in -desperate circumstances- -wielding a lightsaber- that just so happens to belong to the person Cody protects.

TW: Injuries are sustained...maybe not graphic, but if you don't like reading about this, best not to read.

Cody was going to kill Kenobi. Well, if they survived this mess, that is. It was supposed to be a simple infiltration mission, but turned out to be a trap. Wooley and Cody stood shoulder to shoulder, covering the rest of the unit's backs as they frantically tried to find the General. They were in a tunnel system where they’d heard rumors of a new secret weapon. Was there a weapon? Maybe. They’d only gone far enough for their escape route to be cut off before droids began filing out of the woodwork and appearing around every bend. At first it had been manageable, until they got to the extraction point. They were completely surrounded, and the droids weren’t taking prisoners.

Comms spiked as the jamming from the droids wavered. A choppy, though intelligible message connected to Cody’s internal comms.

“Commander Cody! We’ve got an extraction team ready to get you guys the hell out of there!”

“Negative, soldier. The zone is hot. It would be a massacre. They’re waiting for anyone else who comes into this trap!”

The hesitancy in the brothers voice was apparent as he tried to argue with Cody.

“But sir! We’ve got to get you and your men out of there!”

“I know that, trooper. You’ll need to scramble a fighter squad to cover any gunships you send in and it was my understanding that you’re in the middle of a battle!”

Wooley dragged Cody down as an ion cannon charge flew over their heads, crashing into the wall of the tunnel and causing the entire structure to shake. Cody tumbled to a stop, pulling a bead on the super battle droid, and quickly dispatched the largest threat to their group. Wooley groaned as he moved to get up. All of them were feeling a little beat up. They just had to make it back to the other group. A squad of B1 droids rounded the bend where the super battle droid sat smoking. The hunk of metal would slow them down, but not enough to keep them there indefinitely. Cody reached down and hauled Wooley to his feet, the disoriented trooper didn’t object and the two of them rejoined the unit around the bend. Two troopers immediately peeled off the group and started covering them and keeping the droids at bay.

“How close are they?”

Waxer breathed out as soon as they were close enough. The entire tunnel system shuddered again.

“Too close. Someone set charges here. We can collapse the tunnel here and slow down this group of droids. It’ll give us time to regroup with General Kenobi.”

Two troopers immediately moved and started setting the last of their charges. Wooley picked his weight off of Cody and Charger reached over to help Wooley regain his balance.

“Are you alright?”

Wooley nodded tightly and set to checking the charges on his blaster.

“Just took a knock to the head trying to keep the Commander from losing his.”

Cody nodded his thanks and then recalled the two troopers currently firing down at the advancing war machines.

“Alright men, from here on out we aren’t stopping for anything. We haven’t had any communication with General Kenobi since comms went dead, and that usually means he’s in trouble. Move out!”

All the men quickly set up pace while one of them started tracing General Kenobi’s comm unit. The two with charges finished and handed Cody a remote detonator. With an unspoken agreement, the stragglers turned and booked it. Cody waited until he heard the first couple units pass into the tunnel behind them, heralded by a few laser bolts hitting the tunnel walls around them. He hit the button and the tunnel shuddered for a third time, this time the supports in the tunnel behind them began straining under their weight while the entrance collapsed onto the droids. The dust settled behind them as they continued moving. The sounds of blasterfire became louder and they rounded a corner into another group. They were crouched in a defensive manner around some prone figures. A pang went through Cody when he recognized General Kenobi was one of the figures. His men immediately went to bolster the defenses, ignoring the lasers to the best of their abilities. Kenobi had been on the right track, the entrance to the maze was directly in front of them, being blocked by at least a full squad of droids. A brother was crouched next to Kenobi and Cody crouched down next to him, trusting the rest of the unit to keep the droids occupied.

“Is he alright?”

General Kenobi was unconscious and Cody wanted to growl in frustration. Their big gun was out of the fight, leaving the rest of them extremely vulnerable.

“He will be, though he’s not waking up anytime soon. Or fighting. He was caught in a collapsing tunnel not too long ago and he might have internal injuries.”

The cry of a brother in pain pulled the attention of the medic away. Cody nodded his dismissal and motioned Wooley over.

“We’ve got to punch through these droids, do we have anymore poppers?”

Wooly shook his head and Waxer pulled a brother out of the direct line of fire as the medic worked to stabilize and ensure that the trooper would live.

“We used all of the explosives. Our best chance is to have the extraction team ready to pick us up the second we blast through the entrance!”

A blaster bolt hit the wall close to where Waxer’s head was and he crouched low.

“So you’re telling me we’ve got no more artillery? Nothing that’ll thin the droids out?”

The medic snorted and motioned to the unconscious form of the General.

“Well unless you have some magic ability to get our Jedi back on his feet, then no. This would be a lot easier with his lightsaber.”

Waxer and the medic both stood, taking their weapons and swapped out brothers who’s blasters needed their battery packs switched out. Boil, who’d gone with the General crouched down next to Cody as he reloaded his blaster. He wordlessly handed over Kenobi’s lightsaber and rejoined the throng. The wounded trooper groaned slightly, but shifted his weight up so that he could take potshots.

“You got an extra blaster, Commander?”

Some droids were starting to file in from a new direction. It was all or nothing. Cody handed over his blaster, and fingered the button on Kenobi’s lightsaber. All clones had training in Beskad, so it wasn’t unreasonable that Cody use the one tool that had a chance of getting them out. His comms crackled to life again.

“Commander! Are you close to the extraction point? We’ve got a group making a run for your position. You’ve got...be...fzzt...ready!”

Mind made up, Cody stood and strode past the defensive line of brothers, igniting the lightsaber when he got clear. The droids stopped firing as their central processing unit tried to make sense of what they saw. Cody opened an internal line to all of the brothers around him.

“Be ready men, we are getting out of here. Wooley, grab General Kenobi. Charger, you’ve got Hotshot.”

The men all tensed as Cody raised the blade in a salute. Cody took a deep breath, and charged. The lightsaber had been heavier than expected, but the weight balanced well in his gloved hand, and he met no resistance as he slashed through the first three droids. He spun around and kicked high, knocking the head off of one droid. The droids scrambled backwards and started trying to train their blasters on him. Cody didn’t let them and stabbed out with the lightsaber, slashing through the weapons of some droid. Laser fire filled the air around him, and Cody kept moving. The straggler droids would be taken care of. He burst out of the tunnels, his HUD immediately compensating for the light from the sun. The momentary distraction was all it took for the droids to get him off balance. The field between them and the final extraction point was positively surrounded by droids. Cody faltered and a metal fist connected with the side of his helmet, pain exploded from the side of his head as the plastoid shattered. Cody reacted on pure instinct, spinning with the deadly energy blade and slashing through the offending arm. He’d just been punched by a kriffing super battle droid. Blood dripped down the side of Cody’s face and he grimaced. Another fist connected right in his blind spot and he went sprawling. The lightsaber deactivated as he hit the ground roughly. He distantly wondered how it did that, but turned his attention quickly back on the hopeless situation in front of him as he scrambled to his feet, raising the cylinder and igniting the blade once again. If droids could laugh, he was sure they would be. Another metal limb connected with his ribs on his blind side and he slashed blindly, taking the heads of two droids that had gotten too close. The circle of droids all trained their blasters on him and Cody frowned, blood washing into his mouth from the head wound. Where were they?!

He didn’t have to wonder long. Boil and the rest of the unit burst out of the tunnel raining blasterfire on the assembled droids, causing more panic. Cody burst into action, ignoring the protest from his ribs and carved a path to the extraction point just as some well placed shots from bombers and fighters above heralded the arrival of their ride. The troopers poured out of the tunnels, miraculously avoiding being buried as the tunnel finally gave in to the weaknesses it had gained from the earlier explosions.

The droids pressed in as the gunship dropped down to hover doors open. A fizzy noise and Cody barely made out what the pilot was saying through the now damaged comm system in his bucket.

“Get your men out of here, Commander!”

Cody made a quick gesture to the gunship and then placed himself close to the gunship as the men piled in. He swiped at any droids that got to close, growling in an almost feral manner. A pair of hands hauled him into the gunship and he thrashed. He had to keep the men safe, had to get the General to safety, had to.... The hands gently pried the saber from his grip as the gunship soared up into the atmosphere, doors sliding shut.

“Commander! Cody! We all made it. You can stand down.”

The medic was gently easing Cody’s helmet over his head, and Cody tried to slap the hand away, missing since the blood was still making seeing on his left side difficult.

“Tend to the General first!”

Waxer appeared in Cody’s right side periphery. Helmet off and held to the side.

“Commander, General Kenobi is stable, and Sharps here needs to stop the bleeding from your wound.”

Frowning, Cody tugged off his helmet, ignoring the protests of the medic as the broken plastoid scratched at his face.

“Do what you need to, Sharps.”

The medic in question pulled a crate over and directed Cody to sit on it, immediately going to clean the wound with what they had on hand. Cody couldn’t help but fidget, and the medic seemed to get what was going through his head better than Cody himself, because he angled Cody so he could see the Jedi General, laid out on a stretcher. Wooley slumped to the ground next to Cody and passed the General’s lightsaber back up to Cody.

“He’ll be so confused when he can’t find it again.”

Wooley slid his helmet off to display a nasty purpling bruise near his temple. Neatly mirroring Cody’s own new injury.

“We lived to fight another day. And we protected our General.”

Waxer’s quiet words assuaged the tense anxiety that had creeped in so soon post-battle. Cody sighed, once again resisting the urge to put his head in his hands, instead hissing as the medic apologized about something that Cody paid no mind his face went slightly numb and some of the haze left his mind. His men were safe, his general was safe, and they would continue to fight.

OOoof so that was REALLY long. Whoops. Well when the muse sings, you listen to the tune I guess XD @jate-kara @commandercodyweek

Oh and I forgot to mention but in yesterdays spiel, Helix is someone else's OC...I just borrowed them cuz I hadn't thought out my own medic character yet and the 212th doesn't have a canon one....

Bad Batch opinions, so spoilers below!

So what really stood out to me about this episode was seeing Order 66 from a new perspective.  We’re so used to seeing is from the perspective of people whose whole lives are directly changed by it.  We know it as a tragic, world ending event.  But for so many other people, it was just a kind of confusing blip in the war, and then the Republic was the Empire before anyone could do anything about it.  That’s what we got to see yesterday.  For the Bad Batch, it was just something really weird that happened on the mission, and then they got back in the ship, went home, and went back to work.  It was super unsettling to see lives just go back to normal, knowing as an audience how many people were just murdered.  It was terrible, but it was a great choice.

I loved the opening with Kanan (although I was freaked out to hear his full grown man voice lmao.  It was fine when he was scared or shouting but the rest of the time it was so disorienting.)  Aaaand all of his issues in the Rebels era make extra sense now.  I was just happy to see him, overall, I love him dearly, and it was a really good setup for the story as a whole.  Also, visually, the scene on the cliffside was really compelling.  Gorgeous composition and lighting, I was wowed.

The visuals overall were really really stunning.  The lighting, the texture, and action, the shot composition, all of it.  So good.

As for complaints, I think they leaned into ‘Wrecker is dumb’ jokes a little too heavily.  I think they started to show a little bit more variety in his character towards the very end of the episode, but I sincerely hope he’s there for more than yelling and not understanding what’s going on.  All of the archetypes were pretty strong in this episode, often a little too much so, but I hope that’s just a first episode thing and the characters will get more nuanced as we go on.

And of course, I’m sure you’ve probably heard it at this point but if you haven’t, there’s also the problem with whitewashing the clone models, which was already a problem in TCW, but was worse in TBB.  They really don’t look like Temuera Morrison at all, both in skin color and facial structure.  I can overlook it in a case like Crosshair’s, where his face shape is extremely stylized, but for characters like Echo, Hunter, and Tech, there’s no real reason for them to look like white guys when their original model wasn’t a white guy.  I get that the creators wanted them to look different from the other clones, but there are plenty of other, better ways to make them visually distinguishable.  But on a more positive note, you can check out some of the Batch’s redesigns from really cool artists like @nibeul and @ollovae3 !  Go give them love their art is awesome.

I’ve heard a few people say they don’t like villain Crosshair and honestly, I couldn’t disagree more.  Like full respect to that opinion but I am so excited for villain Crosshair, both in a superficial sense because I like sniper villains, but also in a deeper, character and plot sense, I’m really pleased with the decision.  Especially because it’s not just because Crosshair was being a jerk, it was genuinely out of his control.  I’m excited to see the Batch struggle with losing a friend, especially with them assuming it was his choice and not the chip.  But I’m more excited to see Crosshair’s perspective, and I really desperately hope they go into it.  What he’s going through right now is truly terrible, and they absolutely need to show us the emotional and mental fallout on his end.  I really hope they do, even if it’s only later in the show.  I really really hope we get to see that.

Also, I LOVED Tech in this episode.  After a year of seeing fan content that made Tech out to be the ‘sweet little smart baby UwU’ of the batch, it was such a gift to see him how he actually is.  I loved his self assurance, his irritability, his quips and commentary, all the things that make him a very real person, and also the fact that he is an absolute beast in combat?  The man’s a force of nature.  He just runs around putting bombs on people, he rode a firing droid into battle, he is unstoppable.  I love him.  Again, like Wrecker, I’d like to see some nuance in his character, but it’s only the first episode, there’s time for that.

On that note, combat is one of my favorite parts of animated media, and dear Lord that COMBAT.  I think the training room sequence was obviously the best example, and just, *chef’s kiss*.  It was well paced, well shot, and creative.  I’m still reeling from the moment that Crosshair shot the knife into the droid’s head.  Spectacular in every sense.  Good crap.

And finally, on Omega, I just love her and am excited to see more of her.  I can feel the found family trope brewing here and I cannot wait.

An y w ay s those are my opinions that nobody asked for, I really enjoyed the episode and can’t wait to see more, all in all I’m just pleased to have a new Star Wars installment :)

Smokey brand Reviews: Force Sensitivities

I love Star Wars. I have since i was a kid. It just missed the Trinity of my Childhood, Spider-Man, Godzilla, and Transformers, by inches but i hold it in high regard. I’d say that it’s only a step behind the big three, along with the Alien franchise. I enjoy both franchises for a lot of the same reasons; Expansive lore, impeccable world building, and fantastic characters. I have a strong emotional connections to all things a galaxy far, far, away so the past few years have been difficult to witness. Under the “guidance” of Kathleen Kennedy, i watched my space wizards and cyborg warlocks, decline considerably. I saw all that creativity and inspired storytelling fall by the wayside in favor of identity politics and ego driven agenda.

Then, The Mandalorian dropped and everything changed. There’s been an infusion of quality, a resurgence of the creative, and one of the things to come out of this brand new inspiration is Star War: Visions. Visions is an anthology series of original stories, created by some of the top anime studios in Japan. That, alone, is enough to pique my interests. I love anime and the world Lucas created, lends itself to the medium almost effortlessly. It finally released yesterday and i was able to check out all of them, twice. Is this thing everything i dreamed of? Kind of? Sometimes?

The Duel

The first of the shorts presented and easily the most visually striking. This thing is a CG animation, usually kind of wonky but not so much with this short. I’m more a fan of traditional cell animation but Kamikaze Douga does a fantastic job with the new computer flavor. That expertise is put on full display with this Kurosawa inspired epic, an irony not lost on me. Old Kurosawa films like Yojimbo and Seven Samurai were direct inspirations for Star Wars so seeing it come full circle like this, is very rewarding. Overall, i liked this entry. It’s a great introduction for the anthology and delivers a strong viewing experience.

Tatooine Rhapsody

True to it’s anthology nature, the very next episode delivers something completely different than the last. This entry, made by Studio Colorado, is traditional animation with a heavy, heavy, influence from Leiji Matsumoto. One can definitely make the argument that this is what Interstella 9999 would look like if i had a Star Wars skin and i wouldn’t fight you about it. That’s kind of the art direction being leaned into with this short, that Captain Harlock/Galaxy Express 9999 look. I’m a sucker for that classic aesthetic so i kind of loved it. Didn’t care for the music but seeing a stylized Boba Fett was a real treat. This one is the most original of the anthology, so far from the overall Star Wars theme, and i think that hurts it some. As it’s own thing, though? Fantastic.

The Twins

This one is top tier for me and not just because it’s the first entry from Trigger. This one is good. It’s the first to really nail that more kinetic feel of the prequel lightsaber duels and, if you know anything about Studio Trigger, of course it would. These people gave us Kill la Kill and Brand New Animal. In fact, the overall look of this thing has shades of both Dead Leaves, Gurren Lagann and Promare all over it. It reminds me a great deal of the conflict between the Solo twins in legends. This thing is beautifully animated and tells it’s story with with skill. That said, it’s to one of my favorites. I love Trigger but this one, i think, doesn’t really live up to the Star Wars standard. Still, there is a lot of cool sh*t in here. Kyber powered Sith armor is something to behold, for sure.

The Village Bride

This one is the one for me. I f*cking LOVED this entry. I think it’s the nest of the lot for a lot of reasons. This thing feels the most like a Lucas or Filoni entry into the franchise. It delivers u to an alien world where we get to see the people interact with their surroundings. It delivers a personal conflict juxtaposed against a very real, very, worldly danger. It grounds us with great characters and does so with a beautifully rendered style. For me, The Village Bride is everything i want in a Star Wars story and i need to see more of these characters, more of this world, more of F, herself. She’s f*cking amazing! The Lady Jedi does some sh*t with her lightsaber that left me in awe. Kinema Citrus animated this one in the style of Katanagatari and it really works for this style of narrative.

The Ninth Jedi

This one is real special. It feels right at home in a Clone Wars narrative or something from the Old Republic. I adore the look of this one. Its one of my favorites, after The Village Bride and Lop and Ocho, but is far more action oriented than those to. This one focuses on lightsaber duels and delivers the best of the anthology, in my opinion. This f*cking thing goes hard to deliver that visceral, aggressive, fancifal style you see in the Prequel films  but completely stylized in this wonderfully fluid animation. The overall narrative is pretty simple but loaded with potential and i hope we get a continuation in the inevitable second season of Visions. Production IG really did their thing with this entry and i really hope it becomes something more.

T0-B1

If Astro Boy took place on Tatooine, you’d have T0-B1. This thing really leans into Tezuka’s style and is all the better for it.  I can’t say i really enjoyed the overall narrative but the look of this thing really stays with you. It’s incredibly distinct from everything in this anthology mostly because you don’t see the Tezuka style all too often nowadays but this entry definitely has more heart than most of it’s contemporaries. I was surprised by how much emotion was packed into this little cartoon and can definitely recommend it on the strength of that, alone. While not one of my favorites, i can definitely appreciate what Science SARU delivered.

The Elder

I didn’t like this one. The pacing was too slow and the characters were forgettable. I kind of hated the overall aesthetic and the narrative told was one we’ve seen from this universe a few times. That said, it has a dope ass lightsaber duel toward the end. That’s really the only good aspect of this short, in my opinion. Interestingly enough, this is the second entry from Trigger which makes it incredibly disappointing because they usually kill it. They did not kill it with this one. Not at all.

Lop and Ocho

This one was my second favorite of all nine shorts. It is the most “anime” of the lot and really leans into that genre with gusto. It also feels a lot like Star Wars as far as narrative is concerned. Similar to The Twins, this is a story of forced sensitive sibling, clashing over ideals, told through the crossing of their blades. It’s definitely interesting to watch, especially considering our heroine is an anthropomorphic bunny, something you don’t see too often in the Star Wars universe. I really enjoyed Lop and hopes she garners enough popularity to explore her character further in either a second season of Visions or an actual series dedicated to her personal journey. Geno Studio really impressed with this one.

Akakiri

This one might be the weakest of the lot, until you realize what you’re watching. All of these stories focused on Jedi and their perspective on the world but Science SARU went in a different direction. This is the story of how a Jedi falls. It’s an amazingly emotional watch once that revelation is delivered, putting everything before into perspective. It’s deftly told and works, for the most part, but i feel like this one needed an extra few minutes to develop fully. Still, as the booked to a rather excellent anthology, Akakiri does it’s job well.

The Verdict

This thing is pure Star Wars. It's everything that made Lucas' magnum opus fantastic. Some of these entries hit harder than others, my favorite being The Village Bride, but the overall content in this anthology is f*cking spectacular. I love the different animation styles and how these bite sized stories are told. Some of them take a great many liberties with he world rules whole others are fantastic homages to the genres that make up the Star Wars skeleton. Visions is work of love and passion. These shorts are made with care and not only revere the franchise which came before, but really lay the ground work for potential future exploration, which is what Star Wars has always been about. I still think Mando is the best thing to come out of Favreu's era, so far, but Visions is something very special and is a fantastic example of what can be coming next. If you love Star Wars, you'll love this show. If you left the fandom over Kennedy and her polarizing rhetoric, Visions is a great point to jump back in. Star Wars: Visions is f*cking exceptional and everyone should check it out if they can.

BnHA Chapter 259: Jakku General Hospital

Previously on BnHA: We chilled with Hawks and Twice, who filled us in on the various different facets of Pliff’s plan to fuck over the world. For starters there are like a dozen new bad guys who are each heading different Pliff regiments, just in case anyone forgot that this is a literal army we’re dealing with here. Hawks also reminded us of the fact that Twice can clone basically any one of the bad guys as many times as he wants now, so that’s a nicely terrifying thought to sit and mull over. We learned that once Tomura is done powering up, the villains intend to attack all over the country simultaneously and basically destroy society as we know it. Oh and also kill all the heroes of course. But I think we already knew that. Anyway, so the one bright side in all of this is that Twice naively let it slip to Hawks where Tomura was currently undergoing his Frankenstein procedure. And so the chapter ended with basically all of the heroes in Japan launching a surprise attack in the mountains of Kyoto, while the kids waited on standby to help with the evacuations. And I know that doesn’t sound very safe, but... well... shit.

Today on BnHA: A quiet morning in the Kyoto suburb of Jakku. All is peaceful -- or so it seems. Little does the elderly CEO of Jakku General Hospital (a stand-up citizen, philanthropist, and caretaker of orphans all across the country) know that lying in wait just outside his doors is a group of wicked and immoral HEROES ready to -- okay lol you know what, I can’t. Not sure what I was really going for there anyway. So! Meanwhile in the woods outside the ol’ villain hotel, a second group of heroes led by Edgeshot and featuring several child heroes in training, including KAMINARI WHO WAS LITERALLY JUST BORN YESTERDAY AND SHOULD BE AT HOME IN HIS NURSERY WATCHING PAW PATROL AND NOT OUT HERE IN THE WOODS WHERE HE IS IN TERRIBLE DANGER, is gathered and ready to attack the League’s main forces. So things kick off with Death Arms apprehending the traitorous Slidin’ Go, while elsewhere the heroes bust into Jakku General Hospital to capture Ujiko. Show of hands, who here thinks this is going to go smoothly? ...Yep. Yeah. That’s what I thought.

okay guys, before we get started I’m gonna answer a couple of relevant asks from last week. first:

I’m almost hesitant to talk about this, because I’m paranoid that Viz and co. could pounce on these sites again at any moment, and so I feel like this sort of thing is better left to private messages and discord servers. but I guess one little mention of it won’t hurt. so the site currently doing the scanlations is readheroacademia.com, which has been around for a while. and there are several other sites which also host the new chapters and have all of the old chapters archived as well. kissmanga is a big one which I know a lot of people use, but my personal favorite is readmha.com (idk, I just feel like its layout is... cleaner? if that makes any sense)

also do keep in mind that all of these sites are pretty ad-heavy, so I wouldn’t recommend visiting without a good adblocker at the ready (I generally use Chrome on both desktop and mobile, and have uBlock Origin and Disable HTML5 Autoplay enabled on my desktop browser). that being said, I’ve never had any issues myself

good question! I was actually thinking about doing a weekly follow-up post on Sundays after the official Viz translation comes out, but obviously I did not end up doing that last week lol. so now I’m thinking it might be easier for me to just post any subsequent thoughts/remarks in the following week’s chapter recap, since I’m already committed to doing those anyway and so it makes it harder to flake out

so that said, my one follow-up thought about chapter 258 is that the fan scanlation seems to have mistranslated that whole “AFO’s resurgence” part. in Viz’s version Hawks was instead saying that the PLF’s plans would “throw the world into chaos and enthrone Shigaraki atop the rubble.” and he then referred to Tomura as the second coming of All for One. sooooo, pretty much exactly the opposite of the other translation lol. this is a big blow to my continued effort to search for evidence that AFO is gonna come back and be the final villain, but I am still not deterred. we will continue to fight on until AFO either actually dies, or does come back like I keep predicting he will! please try to work with me a little better here, AFO

one other thing, instead of “New World Movement”, Viz used the same “Vanguard Action” regiment name that was used during the forest training camp arc. Caleb said that the wording (“kaibyaku koudou”) was exactly the same. so I’ll be using that too moving forward. I guess that means that Pliff is still on the menu though, pity

anyway so let’s get started now

so it’s a house... no, holy shit, wait, it’s the house!

THE NEW TODOROKI HOUSE OH MY GOD. ahhhhh lol what the fuck is this. Todofeels coming up to slap me in the face out of nowhere?! here I thought we were gonna just dive right into the Shigaraki raid and the resulting carnage

I’m... not really sure how I feel about this? like, right now I’m not trusting anything Horikoshi does lol. “quiet beginnings” you say? this is just a sneaky new way to bring me more pain. isn’t it

(ETA: I guess “quiet beginnings” also summarizes the other activities of this chapter pretty well. also is that Natsuo’s girlfriend??! at first I thought it was Rei, but those look like quirk-related ears? so Natsu then really is living his best college life huh.)

oh hey everyone it’s a brand new character!

(ETA: wait, is he actually quirkless? or is that just another LIE. you big LIAR.)

I’m so curious what the kanji is for this latest name. can’t wait for Caleb to enlighten us. I wonder if it’s “shi” as in “death”, just like with Tomura/AFO’s name. and no idea at all what “Maruta” means. basically I just want to know if there’s some pun or something, since yet again he’s obviously using a fake alias here

(ETA: so someone informed me in an anon ask that this is a reference to Unit 731, which was a Japanese unit that undertook lethal human experimentation during WWII. basically the people who conducted the experiments referred to their human subjects as “logs” to dehumanize them. and the Japanese word for log is, you guessed it, maruta. so that’s an extremely powerful and disturbing association for this name, and it’s obvious now why Horikoshi went with it.

that said, the anon said that some people were really upset by this name choice, and while I guess I can understand that, I also think that’s kind of the point, though? like, it’s supposed to be horrifying. anyone with a human conscience and any kind of empathy whatsoever should be horrified. and atrocities like that shouldn’t be forgotten, and I actually think that for someone born and raised and living in Japan like Horikoshi to be making a reference to this is fairly ballsy. because my understanding is that, like a lot of Japan’s other war crimes, it was more or less hushed up by the government afterwards, and isn’t really taught in schools or mentioned in history textbooks other than in passing. so while I can understand people maybe finding it disrespectful, I don’t think it was meant as such. it seems to me that if anything, Horikoshi wants people to look into it and be educated about it. and again, obviously he’s associating it here with easily the most reprehensible and morally sickening character in the entire series, which is fitting I think. anyway so those are my thoughts on that.)

anyway, guess what guys? looks like we’ve got ourselves another Star Wars reference! let’s just hope this particular Jakku doesn’t wind up as wrecked as its namesake when all’s said and done. it’s gonna be a loooooong day

you guys. Maruta is such a nice guy

he’s a philanthropist! and he runs orphanages all over the country! wow! what a great person!! and nursing homes as well, where residents presumably die on the regular (of old age and other natural causes no doubt), at which point they are presumably cremated, and I wonder who runs the cremation facilities? I’m sure whoever it is is definitely on the up-and-up

and “quirk-based community healthcare.” I wonder if they’re selective about who they treat based on what their quirks are. all the better to make sure people with particularly strong and/or unique quirks get the specialized treatment they need!

anyway. see, this is more like what I expected. some super dark shit, and finally some answers to a few long-established questions as well, but not without a price. that price being the churning feeling in my gut right now lol. oh man. well I just ate, so that might have something to do with it. but I tell ya, nothing makes you vaguely queasy like trying your best not to think about a massive conspiracy to kidnap and torture innocent children in the pursuit of ultimate power! so anyways I sure do hate this!

fffff like, really hate it. I HATE IT SO MUCH

[reluctantly goes ahead and slides AFO down one notch on my list of people I need to see die the most] well there it is. we have a new champion

so now we’re cutting to a hero briefing!

y’all is that THE SHERIFF. PLEASE. IT’S BEEN SO LONG. BUDDY I MISSED YA

so Nao says he had one of his guys go undercover to investigate, and they found that this hospital’s blueprints included a giant suspicious unlabeled place that nobody knows anything the fuck about

oh my god. you guys. forget Tomura, could that also be where they’re keeping the Noumus?? omg. omg omg omg. omgggggggggggg. omg

-- AHHHHHHHHHH

IF THE NEXT PANEL ISN’T JUST A CHORUS OF EVERYONE IN THE ROOM ALL SAYING “WHAT THE FUCK” SIMULTANEOUSLY, I’M GONNA DEMAND SOME ANSWERS, BECAUSE LET ME TELL YOU, HAVING ALREADY KNOWN ALL ABOUT POOR JOHN-KUN AND ALL THIS FUCKED UP SHIT MYSELF, I STILL AUDIBLY SWORE OUT LOUD. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? I’M GONNA DO IT AGAIN TOO, BECAUSE WHAT THE FUCK

come on, is Pixie Bob the only one of you here with normal human reactions or what?!

RIGHT?! YOU ALL ARE LOOKING AT A TINY MOUND OF FLESH WITH VEINY BULGING EYES JUST OGGLING BLANKLY OUT FROM ITS EXPOSED BRAINS. NOT TO MENTION IT’S GOT TWO OF WHAT VAGUELY RESEMBLE EARS, BUT WHAT I’M PRETTY SURE ARE ACTUALLY NOSES?? AND A SEVERED SPINAL CORD TAIL DANGLING OUT FROM BEHIND. ALL OF WHICH IS PLASTERED TOGETHER LIKE A LUMPY MOLD OF CLAY ATOP TWO CHILD-SIZED LEGS, which are wearing fucking sneakers, with fucking velcro and shit. fuck. fuck

lol Nao

oh yes, not difficult at all. I’m sure he’ll come along real quietly. hey, let me know how that one works out, okay

“we have the trauma of Hosu and Kamino still haunting us.” thanks for that reminder. gonna have another city to add to that list real soon aren’t we. preemptive r.i.p. Jakku

oh man you guys. can you feel this tension building up

interesting how he says “destiny.” I wonder if that’s the actual dialogue. at any rate this overconfidence is terrifying and I would really like for you all to stop jinxing shit my dudes

-- WHAT DID I JUST SAY

holy shit. please tell me this is a separate group from the Endeavor group we saw at the end of the last chapter

but that doesn’t make any sense though, because this group has Midnight and Kamui, two of their deadliest and most efficient capture specialists. not to mention Edgeshot the literal ninja who can break into anywhere. so this really should be the vanguard here based on what I’m seeing, but if that’s the case why are the eighteen-year-old Tamaki and the sixteen-year-old Toadette right there with them?? can we not, you guys. can we not

fucking shit. at least they’ve got Ms. Joke there too to back them up. if we actually get to see her quirk in action I can die happy. and so, presumably, will the villains

so the “hospital team” (is that the Endeavor team??) said they’re gonna eliminate the villains’ warping ability, which presumably means John-kun. do they even know it’s him that does it?? they don’t seem to actually know who Ujiko fucking is so I have my doubts?

on the bright side though, it seems like this Midnight team is actually going to be raiding the mansion, and won’t be involved in the hospital raid. but on the less bright side, the mansion is arguably almost as dangerous. :/ that’s where Twice is!! and probably most of the League! but at least they don’t have a dozen Noumus in the basement just waiting to be unleashed

god. people, if we don’t get moving on this action soon I am going to give myself a damn heart attack. this is way too much suspense for a chill Friday night

son of a bitch that guy behind Toadette is Honenuki, I just realized. what the fuck, U.A. ?? “hey kids! guess what! we’re going on a field trip!!” ...

-- NO!!!!!!

IT WILL NOT BE ALL RIGHT!! DON’T YOU LIE TO THEM!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!! Tamaki, fine, okay, he’s experienced, and arguably more powerful than half the people there. Toadette, she’s just a kid, but she also tried to kill Tokoyami back during the joint training arc and I’m still not sure how I feel about that so whatever! Honenuki is probably the most responsible person in this entire group so fine. Tokoyami needs to be there to have a lot of angst about Hawks

but Kaminari. Kaminari fucking Denki. no. no, sir. excuse the fuck out of me. how fucking dare you. he is a five-year-old boy in the body of a high-voltage adolescent. and he’s maybe, just maybe, more powerful than anyone else in this fucking group but that still doesn’t give you the right to put this little baby boy RIGHT ON THE FRONT FUCKING LINES!! holy shit! HIS BLOOD IS ON YOUR HANDS!! I DON’T LIKE ANY OF THIS

OH MY GOD

RIGHT?!?!? omg omg omg omg omg

he’s literally wailing “I miss class 1-A” so loudly that it’s echoing all the way through the forest. see now that’s why you DON’T TAKE KAMINARI WITH YOU ON YOUR SECRET STEALTH ATTACK MISSION!! would somebody please point me towards whoever’s fucking idea this was so that I can go kick their fucking ass please and thank you

and here are the rest of them oh my god

Momo, Mina, Jirou, and Kiri at the forefront. okay, fine. this, I do like

so Edgeshot says they’ve surrounded the villains on all sides. man, no wonder they’re so worried about their warping capabilities. this is basically their one chance to capture all the bad guys in one fell swoop. I guess it makes more sense why all their capture specialists are in Edgeshot’s group, then

now I’m starting to wonder exactly what task lies in store for the Wonder Trio’s group, though? because they said evacuation, but is that really all there is to it? it’s no secret that Bakugou, Deku, and Todoroki are the three strongest interns they have. so you’re really expecting me to believe that they put baby Denki there on the front lines and yet plan on keeping their heaviest hitters in reserve? Nao is there more to this plan that you’re not telling us

oh shit Endeavor wants to know where his adopted chicken son is at

it genuinely does warm my heart to see Endeavor worrying about Hawks. I’m glad Hawks has at least one person out there who actually gives a shit about him. even if that person is mister father of the year here. the plot thickens

I wonder if Enji would actually die to save Hawks, if it came to that. which I’m not saying it would. but we all know some fucking shit is about to go down so I’m just having these thoughts here okay!

Nao always looks so tired nowadays. man

so he clearly does know who Endeavor’s talking about, though. one of these days I’d like to get a clearer understanding of what exactly Naomasa’s rank is and how high he is in terms of clearance, because the idea that he’s actually privy to more information than the number one fucking hero is kind of bonkers to me, ngl. this guy is literally just a detective, right?? not even a commissioner or anything. and yet he’s involved in everything. I used to suspect that he might be the traitor lol, and while I’m pretty sure by now that’s not the case, I’m still curious as to exactly what his deal is. does he even have a quirk?? anyways

so now Endeavor is hmphing and stomping off, and meanwhile there are some closeups of Mic and Aizawa

is that a whistle. do you guys think Mic could literally kill a man with his voice. shit. why do I kind of want to see it happen

as for Endeavor, I wonder if he was the one who made sure that his son and his friends weren’t on the front lines with the rest of them. sometimes it’s good to have some influence in these things

looooooool as if on cue

well. that sure doesn’t sound like he intends to keep them out of harm’s way. does he really have that much faith in them??

serious question, why exactly are all of the heroes seemingly so confident that this is going to work? it scares me because it makes me feel like in spite of Hawk’s intel they still don’t have a clue what they’re truly up against

so now we’re cutting to some random street somewhere and WOULD YOU LOOK WHO IT FUCKING IS

Slidin’ Go Suck An Egg. oh how I hate this man

look at him

I hate his stupid face!

OH SHIT

TRAFFIC CONE MAN, ARE YOU FINALLY GOING TO REDEEM YOURSELF FOR NOT RESCUING KACCHAN ON THAT DAY TWO YEARS AGO BECAUSE YOU WERE AFRAID OF A LITTLE SLUDGE? BECAUSE I’M HERE FOR IT! IF YOU WANT TO JUST GO AHEAD AND SNAP HIS NECK, I WILL TURN THE OTHER WAY AND ACT LIKE I DIDN’T SEE, I PROMISE

wow, Burnin’s team really is just evacuating people

I mean they’re obviously going to run into a Noumu, and just like that they’ll be in more danger than anyone, but at least for now it really does seem like the minds behind this raid wanted to keep them relatively out of danger. so yeah, for now I’m gonna chalk that up to Endeavor’s influence that they’re here rather than in the forest with the rest of their class

and here comes the hospital team!

well that answers my question about Nao’s rank. so he’s not even a chief. that really is fucking ridiculous but whatever

and why do I feel like this poor undercover subordinate is mere seconds away from becoming the first casualty in what I think is about to become the most violently snafued situation we’ve seen in this manga to date. like this shit is going to make Kamino look like the fucking state fair. fuck

...

I really wish I could believe that he was about to go down and it really was going to be just that easy

HERE WE GO!!

(ETA: so then they do know that he’s the guy who made the Noumu? including the one that nearly took him out in Kyushu? and they’re still acting like this is going to be a walk in the park? ?? what??)

knock knock, who’s there, JUSTICE

YESSSSSSS

(ETA: sure hope Endeavor’s light here doesn’t go summoning any darkness. welp.)

YOU’RE UNDER ARREST FOR CRIMES OF BEING TOO HORRIBLE TO EVEN FUCKING CONTEMPLATE, LET ALONE JOKE ABOUT! YOU SON OF A BITCH, GET FUCKED

oh my god. we’re really just gonna end it like that. well I guess next chapter we can all play a fun game of “let’s all count the pages until everything goes horribly wrong.” won’t that be a laugh. 10 to 1 the Noumu really are in the secret room and they’re all gonna be set loose by next week’s cliffhanger. remind me to have “Into the Trap” by John Williams cued up and ready to go lol

Story-arcs of The Clone Wars

Yesterday I was talking about Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and how to watch this series (And Rebels) to catch up and understand Ahsoka’s appearance in The Mandalorian.  Since TCW was an anthology series its episodes frequently jumped around in chronological order (The very earliest episode doesn’t come out until the second season, and the pilot movie is technically third) and so there’s a thousand-and-one different “proper” ways to watch the series.  Some say to watch it in straight chronological order so that you get the full story, others say to watch it in production/release order since that’s the way it was meant to be experienced, and some have their own personal mishmash based on story-arcs.

Throughout the series they frequently had three- and four-part story-arcs that formed what were essentially mini-movies (This is what they did for the original theatrical release).  Quite often these were among the best episodes of the series, and they contributed the most to the ongoing storylines that built towards what happened in the movies, what came next in Rebels, and which are now being followed in The Mandalorian.

I can’t give a final ruling on the overall order to watch the series, but what I can do is give an overview of the various individual story-arcs.  My takes on their quality, how accessible they are to new viewers, and where they fit in the story.  I will be covering them in release order from beginning to end, skipping over the standalone and two-part episodes.  I won’t do season seven as it is still recent, and that is the climax to all of these arcs.

So, with no further ado:

Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008): The pilot movie, which had a theatrical release.  As I said, this was composed of what were originally the first four episodes of the show, and I find that the enjoyment is a lot better if you view it that way instead of as a single whole.  As an introduction to the series it serves functionally well: It introduces Ahsoka Tano and it features almost all of the main players of the series (Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Padme, Count Dooku, Asajj Ventress, Rex, Cody, etc.).  Quality wise it’s “Okay”.  I disliked it when I first saw it back in 2008, but when I rewatched it a few months ago it was a lot better than I remembered so it’s possible I was just in whiny “It’s not REAL Star Wars!” mode back in 2008.  If you’re watching it with somebody who doesn’t like ‘cartoons’ or is an Original Trilogy purist this may not be the best place to start since it doesn’t present the best first impression, but if they’ve got an open mind or are interested in the series it could work.

Malevolence Arc (Season 1): Three episodes of the first season revolving around the Separatists’ new superweapon, a powerful ion canon aboard the dreadnought Malevolence.  The first episode shows them discovering the weapon, the second disabling it, and the third episode shows their attempts to finish destroying the ship itself.  There are numerous references and homages to the original Star Wars film and the effort to escape/destroy the Death Star.  This arc has some great character work (Jedi Master Plo Koon is heavily featured and he is a heavy fan favorite, plus a personal favorite of Dave Filoni) and some light debates on the worth of the life of a clone.  However, this early the show is still working out its kinks so there’s a few points where characters fundamentally misunderstand the whole “Jedi shouldn’t have attachments” philosophy, and the supposedly competent military commanders make baseline errors that come close to sabotaging their own forces.  An adequate jump-on point for the series, just bear in mind that it does get better.

Nute Gunray Arc (Season 1): A very loose three-part arc, it follows a different primary cast each episode as one group initially captures Separatist leader Nute Gunray, another transports him, and a third tries to recapture him after he escapes.  Each episode of this arc is very different tonally from the one before, it starts with a semi-comical Jar Jar Binks episode, the middle is a military action story, and the conclusion is a much more intimate military action, almost horror story.  Jedi Masters Luminara Unduli and Kit Fisto appear in parts two and three.  The episodes themselves are good, but I would recommend against this being your first exposure since their loose connection means they don’t really build to anything as a whole by watching them together.

Ryloth Arc (Season 1): Three episodes towards the end of the first season showing the different stages of the Republic’s attempt to liberate the planet Ryloth from Separatist occupation.  Here is where the arcs start to pick up a little bit of steam: Each episode shows a different stage of the invasion and focuses on different characters, but unlike the Gunray arc they are all still the same story.  The first episode focuses on Anakin and Ahsoka trying to break the Separatist blockade so they can reach the planet, the second focuses on Obi-Wan Kenobi attempting to destroy ground-based weaponry so they can land their forces on the surface, and the third focuses on Mace Windu leading the attack on the Separatist capital.  This is the first arc to really try and show the cost and effects of war: Ahsoka loses a lot of men in the first episode and struggles with that guilt when they need to attack again, Obi-Wan needs to circumvent civilian hostages and human shields that the Separatists are using, and Mace needs to ally with the local resistance and try to forge a partnership despite their admittedly not-identical goals.  These aren’t the individually best episodes of the entire season, but it’s probably the best arc of the season.

Children of the Force Arc (Season 2): The three episodes that open season two.  This introduces Cad Bane, a bounty hunter hired to steal a Jedi Holocron so that Darth Sidious can get a list of Force-sensitive children the Jedi have found and can kidnap them to raise as his evil lackeys.  The first episode is a heist episode, the second an action retrieval episode, and the third a chase episode.  I will admit to not liking this arc as much as others seem to, because the main characters keep making ridiculous decisions that only make sense if they have literally forgotten other parts of the story (For example, a Holocron can only be opened by somebody using the Force, so the Jedi initially don’t believe that anybody would bother trying to steal one because it would be useless to them.  This requires them to just forget the existence Count Dooku, a former Jedi who is leading the Separatists and who would love to gain their secrets).  However, despite not being my personal favorite, this could serve as a good intro if you wanted to start here.  Cad Bane recurs in several future episodes so it’s a good introduction, and it features a large portion of the primary cast.  It also has good action, and several bits of character development for Ahsoka, Anakin, and their relationship.

Geonosis Arc (Season 2): A four-part arc (Some people actually include the preceding episode as well to make it five episodes, but I don’t), this is in my opinion the first really good arc and starts to show where The Clone Wars is going to excel as a series.  This follows the Republic re-invasion of Geonosis (The planet from Attack of the Clones) after the Separatists have somehow managed to overwhelm the forces left there after the film.  The first episode is straight military action, often described as being like Saving Private Ryan and other WWII films focusing on the Normany invasions.  The second episode is military espionage, a sabotage mission.  The third (Believe it or not) switches over to a zombie episode and goes straight horror.  The fourth stays horror, but instead of zombies it’s paranoia from spreading mind control.  Barriss Offee is introduced here, and her master Luminara Unduli returns.  The cast semi-rotates throughout the four episodes, with different Jedi ‘sets’ being primary in different episodes.  It gives a perfect highlight of all the different characters and shows some excellent development as well (Including just how much Anakin’s fear of losing those he cares about can cloud his judgement, and how this can push him towards morally questionable actions).  If you want to include the episode prior to this arc as well, that one is a political thriller based on the Alfred Hitchock film Notorious.  As I said, I don’t really count it as being in this arc, but it does set up the plot so others do count it.

Mandalore Arc (Season 2): This arc introduces a whole new faction to the series: the Mandalorians.  The planet Mandalore itself has renounced its violent ways and its leader, the pacifist Duchess Satine Kryze, leads an alliance of 1,500 neutral worlds that want to stay out of the clone wars.  However, there are rumors that the Duchess is actually in league with the Separatists, and apart from the rumors there have also been attacks by people wearing Mandalorian armor, so Obi-Wan is sent to figure out what’s going on.  He and the Duchess have a history that is separated by their opposed political views.  The first episode shows Obi-Wan on Mandalore looking into the subversive group Death Watch, the second episode shows them all journeying to Coruscant to speak with the Galactic Senate, and the third tries to expose a Separatists conspiracy on Coruscant itself.  This is the first arc with Obi-Wan as the primary focus for all three episodes, though Anakin and Padme do join in parts two and three.  This arc could serve as an intro if you wanted to enter the series here, since the Mandalorians will grow into a major part of the series and will intertwine with Obi-Wan’s personal arc for seasons to come.  For those looking to get background on The Mandalorian, this is also where we start learning things about their culture that show up in the live-action series.

Boba Fett arc (Season 2): The three-part finale to season two.  Boba Fett -- still a child keep in mind -- infiltrates a Republic cruiser with a group of clone cadets in a plot to kill Mace Windu in revenge for Windu killing Jango Fett.  He has a group of bounty hunters helping him, and when Windu survives the original assassination attempt things spin further and further out of control.  I honestly don’t have much to say about this arc.  It’s not bad, but I find it kinda forgettable.  It’s got some good character scenes, and a few good action pieces, but other than that....eh.  Despite this, this arc could also serve as an entry to the series since it builds off the Attack of the Clones film more than it does any previous episodes of this series.

Nightsisters arc (Season 3): Here is where the series takes a hard left turn.  This arc focuses primarily on Asajj Ventress, Count Dooku’s assassin.  Darth Sidious feels that Ventress is growing too powerful, and Dooku may be thinking of using her to help overthrow him, so he orders Dooku to kill her.  Ventress survives, and escapes back to her people: the Nightsisters of Dathomir.  They accept her back, and help her try to get revenge on Dooku.  First through a direct assassination attempt, and when that fails they trick Dooku into accepting a new apprentice that they have brainwashed to betray him at their command, Savage Oppress.  This is the first arc to focus primarily on one of the villains (None of the heroic main cast appear in its second episode at all) and when it ends both Ventress and Oppress are alive and working independently as new factions in the plot.  This changes the status quo for the rest of the series, and introduces a new plot thread as well: The return of Darth Maul, the brother of Savage Oppress.

Mortis arc (Season 3): Another three-part arc, this is the first real foray of Star Wars into straight fantasy, and the first attempt of this series to address the Prophecy of the Chosen One.  Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka find themselves on a mysterious planet with properties they cannot explain, populated by ‘Force Wielders’ of immense power and who represent the Light, the Dark, and the Balance.  Almost all of the sci-fi trappings around the Force are dropped, these people are clearly wizards/angels/demons.  It gives a lot of character focus on the three leads, directly addressing their hopes and fears and their destinies.  It’s so different from the rest of the series that it may not function as a good introduction, but it gives such a good presentation of each character I heavily recommend against skipping it.

Citadel arc (Season 3): This is a military rescue arc, with Anakin, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan attempting to rescue a Jedi Master and a naval officer who have been captured by the Separatists, and who have vital military information that could change the course of the war.   This is where you can first begin to really see The Empire growing unseen within the Republic, as the officer is in fact Captain Wilhuff Tarkin (AKA Grand Moff Tarkin, the villain of the original Star Wars film).  Throughout the arc Tarkin and the Jedi have several debates about politics, the military, and the current war, as well as what the Jedi’s role should be in all three.  At this point I think we’re past “introductions” to the series, as the series becomes ever more tightly interwoven over the remaining seasons.  Tarkin will return as an antagonist in the future, and the cracks between Anakin (And Ahsoka) and the Jedi really start to widen.

Calamari arc (Season 4): The season four opener, this is a Water arc, which I have to applaud the franchise for finally doing.  The water world of Mon Cala falls into civil war when the Quarren ally with the Separatists against the Republic-aligned Mon Calamari. We get to see Jedi Kit Fisto, an amphibious Nautolan, at home underwater while our air-breathing main cast are in scuba suits and helmets.  Unfortunately, when the underwater fighting spills out of control the Republic needs to bring in the also-amphibious Gungans to fight and I find this part of the story ridiculous (They’re the only other amphibious species with an army?  The Republic has never had to fight on a water world before, so they don’t have any widely available submersibles?  Come on).  Despite this contrivance, I very much like that the series finally addresses how different species require different environments.  The Separatists use shark people on this planet, as they would be useless on other worlds but this is the perfect locale for them.  The arc doesn’t have much of a story impact for later, it’s self-contained action/adventure.

Umbara arc (Season 4): One of the best arcs of the series, this arc (As reviewer SF Debris put it), “Puts the ‘war’ in ‘Star Wars’”.  A four-part arc, the focus is almost entirely on the Clone Troopers of the 501st, who are normally under Anakin’s command but are being transferred to Jedi General Pong Krell when Anakin is recalled to Coruscant.  Anakin only appears in the first episode, and none of the Jedi main cast appear in the other three episodes except for holo-communications with Obi-Wan.  All the episodes are filled with intense action, but the series also finally really digs in to what it means to be a Clone, and the morality around using them for battle.  ALL the props for Dee Bradley Baker who spends all four episodes talking to himself as dozens of different clone characters.  They debate loyalty, duty, training, the values of their own lives, and the value of a system that claims to stand for freedom but which doesn’t offer it to them.  These concepts had been touched before in individual episodes which also focused on the clones, but never to this extent or depth.  I consider this arc one of the stand-out entries of the entire Star Wars franchise.

Slaver arc (Season 4): To be honest, I’ve never quite been able to get a good grasp on this three-part arc.  After a village full of Togrutas (Ahsoka’s people) are kidnapped by slavers allied with the Separatists, Anakin, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka go undercover to locate and rescue them.  I suppose it’s an okay arc, but it just never clicked for me.  Nobody seems to recognize the problems with forcing Anakin --  a former slave -- to go undercover as a slaver.  The slavers sometimes try to pull a “Slavery is actually moral because the strong are supposed to dominate the weak” speech, but it never comes close to working on Anakin (Again, he is a former slave) so there’s never any tension of “Oh no, will he decide the villain is right and betray his friends?”.  Individual parts of the arc are well done (There’s a hilarious part of the first episode where Obi-Wan is getting his ass kicked, only to reveal that he was just playing along to buy time and just effortlessly mops the floor once he knows he can stop pretending) but as a whole....eh.

Deception arc (Season 4): A four-part arc, Obi-Wan has to go undercover as an assassin in order to infiltrate a Separatist criminal plot.  To do so, he stages his own murder and then impersonates the assassin.  You really see Anakin start to come apart in this arc, he’s a hair's breadth from just executing the ‘assassin’ when he catches him, and he is barely holding on to any of the Jedi teachings in his anger.  Ahsoka is likewise conflicted, and though not as completely overcome as Anakin she likewise questions their responsibilities in this case.  Obi-Wan faces the standard moral quandaries of being undercover: How far does he go to retain his cover when it comes to harming innocents?  How much harm does he let the other criminals do before interfering?  This is one of the arcs where each episode has its own type as they progress, from Prison Episode to Fugitive Episode to Planning Episode to Crime Episode.  Cad Bane returns, along with several other criminal characters.

Ventress/Oppress arc (Season 4): Some classify this is as two separate two-episode arcs, but I view them as one.  The first two episodes focus on Asajj Ventress (No Jedi characters appear at all) as she first tries to re-assimilate to the Nightsisters, but they are soon wiped out by the Separatists in revenge for their plot against Count Dooku in season three.  Ventress escapes with no personal goals or direction, and eventually falls in with a group of bounty hunters.  The last two episodes follow Savage Oppress on his quest to find his brother, Darth Maul, guided by a magic amulet from Mother Talzin of the Nightsisters.  Maul is living in madness on a junkyard planet with a mechanical spider’s body grafted to his torso to replace the legs Obi-Wan cut off in The Phantom Menace.  Obi-Wan attempts to stop their mutual rampage, and Ventress shows up for her own revenge against Oppress, but they are overpowered and barely manage to escape.  This arc mainly serves as set-up for later arcs in season five, which build to the climaxes for the series.

Season five gives a slight shift from the earlier seasons: there are only story-arcs in this season, with no standalone episodes at all.  Five four-part story-arcs fill out the entire season.

Onderon arc (Season 5): The planet Onderon has allied with the Separatists, but there is a pro-Republic underground fighting a guerilla war against the government.  The main cast are sent to Onderon to train the resistance, without involving the Republic forces in an internal matter.  Apart from the bizarre Prime Directive issue (The Republic is literally at war with the Separatists, I do not see any logic in saying they can’t ‘interfere’ in an internal matter of a Separatist planet) the arc works very well showing the main cast working from a very different angle from usual.  They need to focus on being undetected and secret, taking into account public opinion around them and the effect their efforts have on the civilian populace.  They cannot just fight the war themselves, they have to train the locals to take over so that they can leave and return to the primary war.  Saw Gerrera is first introduced here, and Lux Bonteri returns from earlier in the series.  This arc helps lay the groundwork for Ahsoka’s storyline at the end of this season in particular.

Youngling arc (Season 5): A group of Jedi children trainees come together to gather their first Kyber crystals, and subsequently get entangled in pirate raids and the larger war before they can return home.  Ahsoka is present as their chaperone.  This arc is almost “filler” since it really doesn’t have much of an effect on the larger story.  To some viewers it was a fun arc that remembered that Star Wars isn’t just about war scenes.  To others it was a waste of four episodes in a season that was so tightly packed it didn’t have any episodes to waste.  For me...it’s better than a lot TV shows which introduce child characters where they really don’t belong, but I agree that it didn’t need full four episodes dedicated to them.  A two-parter would have worked just as well, with the other two episodes free for another small story.

Droid Commando arc (Season 5): R2-D2 is added to a special droid commando unto being sent into Separatist space.  Despite following this same group for the whole arc, each episode is a very unique and distinct story.  Almost avant-garde for some of them.  Like the Youngling arc it’s not that critical to the later stories, but it tells its own story.

Maul Mandalore arc (Season 5): Here is where, as they say, shit gets real.  Maul decides that if he cannot rule the galaxy as a Sith Lord, he will will take power from the shadows as a Crime Lord.  He and Oppress first try to take over a pirate gang, and when that fails (partially due to Obi-Wan) he joins up with Death Watch, the Mandalorian extremist group trying to take over Mandalore.  Obi-Wan travels to Mandalore to help Duchess Satine against what he thinks is just a Death Watch takeover, unaware of Maul’s involvement.  Simultaneously, Darth Sidious has sensed Maul’s growing power and is unwilling to have another player in his game, so he personally travels to Mandalore to deal with the situation.  This arc is big.  Several long-time recurring characters are killed off, and it had some of the most standout lightsaber duels of the entire series.  This arc, and one other from later in season seven, is probably the most influential towards what happens in Rebels and The Mandalorian.

The Wrong Jedi arc (Season 5): Did I say that the last arc was where shit got real?  Well, now it’s realer.  There’s a bombing of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, and Anakin & Ahsoka are investigating.  However, it looks like it may have been an inside job by a Jedi, and Ahsoka herself is framed as the bomber.  As Ahsoka is accused, imprisoned, and eventually a fugitive, this arc finally shows what the audience has known was coming all along: The Empire isn’t just coming, it’s here.  The institutions of the Republic have been corrupted, and with the rationales of “it’s temporary” and “we need security” the freedoms and liberties that the entire clone wars were about have already been wiped away.  Even the Jedi are not free from this corruption (Although personally, I very much disagree with the way the episode seems to accept the villain’s motivation speech as correct.  It’s the only real flaw in the arc).  This arc originally served as a pseudo-series finale since the series was cancelled after season five, and though I’m happy we got more, if it had to end here it would have been monumental.

Season six (Also known as “The Lost Missions”) is composed of the episodes that had been competed before the show was cancelled after Disney purchased Lucasfilm.  It’s about half the length of a full season, and returns to the earlier mix of different-sized arcs.

Fives arc (Season 6): The four-part arc that opens the season, this finally addresses the point that has been looming over the series from the beginning: How could these stalwart, heroic Clone Troopers betray the Jedi they have fought side-by-side with for years when they receive Order 66?  Clone Trooper Tup snaps and murders a Jedi, and this leads to an investigation amongst the Jedi if his is an isolated incident, or some sort of Separatist plot.  Fives accompanies Tup back to Kamino for treatment, and is drawn deeper and deeper in as the Kaminoans seem more interested on covering things up than actually figuring anything out.  The conspiracy widens more and more, until Fives believes that it is galaxy-wide and manipulating them all.  This arc continues several of the moral and ethical questions surrounding the clones from earlier in the series, and moves the series firmly more towards the inevitable film storyline instead of the clone wars adventures themselves.  This is another one of the arcs where each episode has its own tone, from the “No one gets left behind” military mission, to the rogue patient plot, to the paranoid conspiracy pursuit.

Clovis arc (Season 6): This is another one of the arcs that never quite clicked for me.  Rush Clovis returns from earlier in the series in the hopes of reforming the Banking Clan and bringing ‘honor’ back after it has been corrupted by the greed of the clone wars.  However he was previously a Separatist, and despite their explanation of how it’s okay I keep thinking at every scene that they should arrest him for treason, not let him continue to operate in the Republic government.  Plus, when has anybody ever viewed banks as Honorable Institutions with Good Old Ways?  I do believe that it is possible for a bank to act honorably and treat its customers fairly, but not that banking itself is some sort of Ancient Honorable Institution.  Maybe if season 6 had a full complement of episodes I wouldn’t mind this detour, but since it was cut short I begrudge every wasted episode.

Yoda arc (Season 6): Another pseudo-series finale, these are the final episodes of the season and would have served as the end of the series if season seven had not been revived.  Yoda goes on a vision quest to try and parse out so many of the mysteries of the clone wars and the manipulations of the Dark Side.  Like the earlier Mortis arc, these episodes are straight fantasy as Yoda faces the ghosts of people from his past and his own internal demons.  They make an effort to address what it means when people say that the Jedi have become corrupted by fighting in this war, and they try to reconcile their peacekeeper philosophy with serving as soldiers.  The arc ends on the depressed-yet-hopeful note which is the mantra of Star Wars of this era, as the Empire’s rise may be inevitable but there is still hope for afterwards.

D23 EXPO 2019 - DAY 1 - DISNEY+ PANEL

On the first day of Disney’s D23 Expo this year, Disney hosted a huge panel on their upcoming streaming service, Disney+, which is set to launch this November. Here’s everything you need to know from the Disney+ panel.

THE MANDALORIAN 💫

The trailer for THE MANDALORIAN has finally been released!💫 The Mandalorian is the upcoming live action series set in the Star Wars universe, taking place after the events of Return of the Jedi and before the Force Awakens, following a lone Mandalorian gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy💫 Pedro Pascal is the Mandalorian, and the show also stars Giancarlo Esposito, Carl Weathers, Taika Waititi, and Ming-Na Wen.  The first season will consist of 8 episodes and each episode will be released on it own this November when Disney+ launches (aka the season won’t drop all at once).

OBI WAN KENOBI SERIES CONFIRMED🌟

After many rumors & reports, it has finally been confirmed at D23 by the man himself & Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy: Ewan McGregor is in OFFICIALLY REPRISING HIS ROLE AS OBI-WAN KENOBI IN A SERIES FOR DISNEY+!😱🌟 McGregor of course portrayed the role of the wise Jedi originated by Alec Guiness in the Star Wars prequels, and there were talks of an Obi-Wan standalone film for years, following the character after the events of Revenge of the Sith but before A New Hope. However, after Solo: A Star Wars Story, Disney & Lucasfilm have said that they’re taking a break from producing standalone Star Wars movies and seem to have shifted focus to TV series. The Obi Wan series will likely take place between Episodes 3 & 4, following a middle-aged version of the character. That’s all we know so far & honestly I’m THRILLED! Obi Wan is one of my absolute favorite Star Wars characters & I’d love to see it! I saw the news break when in line for a ride at Disney and screamed “YES!!” Click here to see a video of the announcement

LADY AND THE TRAMP MOVIE TRAILER🍝

The trailer for the live action Lady & the Tramp movie is here! Tessa Thompson and Justin Theroux voice Lady and the Tramp, with Janelle Monae as Peg, Ashley Jensen as Jock, Benedict Wong as Bull and Sam Elliot as Trusty. Lady and the Tramp will be available to stream on Disney+ the day the service launches on November 12th🐶🍝

NOELLE 🎄

The first trailer for “Noelle”, a Disney+ original Christmas movie has been released! The film follows Noelle (Anna Kendrick), the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Claus, who goes on a journey to find her brother after he runs away from taking on the role of Santa Claus. The movie also stars Billy Eichner and Bill Hader. Noelle will be available to stream on Disney+ the day the service launches on November 12🎄

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL: THE MUSICAL: THE SERIES🎶

It’s not a remake, it’s not a sequel or spin-off of the popular Disney Channel movie from 2006. “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” is a mockumentary series based on the High School Musical films, following “a group of students at East High who stage a performance of High School Musical for their winter theater production, only to realize that there is as much drama that happens offstage as there is onstage.” It’s a bit weird to imagine, but the trailer helps clarify exactly what it is (a fake reality show about kids who put on a High School Musical show in East High). The show will be released on Disney+ when it launches on November 12🎶

The World According to Jeff Goldblum🌍

The World According to Jeff Goldblum is an upcoming National Geographic show for Disney+, and follows famous actor (& internet sensation) Jeff Goldblum, as he explores & learns about various things in the world. It’s pretty much self-explanatory & everything we need in life. The more Goldblum the better. The show is going to be available when Disney+ launches on November 12🌍

LIZZIE MCGUIRE💘

HEY NOW - LIZZIE MCGUIRE IS COMING BACK!🤩💘Hilary Duff is officially reprising her role from the hit 2000s Disney Channel show, in a sequel series that follows Lizzie as a millennial 30 year old living in NYC! The show will have the same animated Lizzie persona from the original show! This is what dreams are made of! I was OBSESSED with Lizzie McGuire growing up - I CAN’T WAIT!😭 No details on when it’ll be released or if any of the other actors from the show are reprising their roles just yet. Who else is excited??🙋🏼‍♀️

3 NEW MARVEL SERIES: MS. MARVEL, SHE-HULK, AND MOONKNIGHT

As part of the Disney+ panel held yesterday at Disney’s D23 Expo, the company announced that THREE more new Marvel TV shows are in the works for the company’s streaming service!

Ms. Marvel⚡️ A while back MCU head Kevin Feige teased that Ms. Marvel will be introduced to the MCU at some point, most likely after Captain Marvel. since the characters are connected, and it looks like that was true! A Ms. Marvel TV show is in the works for Disney+, following Kamala Khan, a young Muslim Pakistani-American girl with superpowers! She will have a TV show AND will be in the movies😭

She-Hulk💚 Disney also announced another TV show is in the works for Disney+ following SHE-HULK! She-Hulk is Bruce Banner’s cousin who acquired a different version of his Hulk condition…

Moon Knight🌑 It seems to me there were rumors & demands of a Moon Knight project for a while & Disney has just confirmed that they’re indeed producing a TV show based on the character! Marc Spector is a former US Marine & boxer who left the military to become an international mercenary but is granted a second chance at life by an Egyptian goddess after a near-death experience, but he is also granted enhanced strength and durability, & so decides to become a vigilante crime-fighter. Sadly it doesn’t seem like the Netflix Marvel shows will be making the move to Disney+ with more seasons, they weren’t even brought up. But Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, and Moon Knight are currently all set to be in Phase 4 of the MCU (2020-2021 release), along with many other Marvel shows on Disney+ that were previously announced including The Falcon & The Winter Soldier, WandaVision, What If, Loki, & Hawkeye. Unfortunately no casting news for the new shows, but we did find out that Wyatt Russell is joining The Falcon & The Winter Soldier where Sharon Carter will also be making an appearance, Kat Dennings is returning to the MCU through the WandaVision TV show reprising her role from the Thor movie.

(image below from The Wrap)

Here’s the other little bits of news you need to know from the Disney+ panel!

 Gina Rodriguez (Jane the Virgin) is producing a show for Disney+ called “Diary of A Female President” following a young Hispanic girl who grows up to be President🇺🇸

A new Muppets show is coming to Disney+ called “Muppets Now” - it’ll be a short form unscripted variety series coming in 2020🐸

The upcoming seventh season of Clone Wars will hit Disney+ February 2020💫

Pixar is developing a series of shorts for Disney+ called “Forky Asks A Question”, following the new character Forky from Toy Story 4 as he asks important life questions like “what is love” and “what is cheese”. Some other Toy Story characters are likely to appear🍴

It was previously announced that a new show would be coming to Disney+ that’a set in the Monsters Inc universe, and now we know “Monsters At Work” will take place place 6 months after Monsters Inc, following a new graduate from Monsters University who goes on to work at Monsters Inc. The voice cast from the original are returning to reprise their roles👁

A new Phineas & Ferb movie called “Phineas & Ferb The Movie: Candace Against the Universe” is coming to Disney+, wherePhineas & Ferb travel across the galaxy to rescue their sister Candance “who has been abducted by aliens & has found utopia in a far-off planet free of her pesky little brothers💥

Kristen Bell is executive producing a new reality show for Disney+ called “Encore!” & it’s “about everyday adults who previously used to do high school theatre being able to go back to their roots and do a show again”🎶Click here for the trailer

A game show called “Be Our Chef” is coming to Disney+ food challenges with the winning dish being served at Disney World🍽

Guests at D23 got first looks at 3 other Disney+ movies:

a coming of age movie called Stargirl starring Grace Vanderwall

“Timmy Failure Mistakes Were Made”

& “Togo” a film about an Alaskan dogsled team

Check out my main account on Instagram @thearabkhaleesi​ for more!

Hey! Long time reader, first time asker but I read your post yesterday about supplementary material enriching experience. I’ve seen all the movies, I’m loving The Clone Wars and I enjoy playing Swtor but that’s all I have experienced. Do you have any recommendations as to where to start with supplementary material? Are the graphic novels you reference on that marvel comic subscription do you know? Thank you for your posts, they are always so interesting!

Hi!  Thank you for the kind words, I’m glad you’re enjoying the blog!  And I love doing “where to start” posts!  Keep in mind that a lot depends on what you happen to like (if you’re more of an OT fan or a PT fan or an ST fan, if you like certain characters more than others, etc.) but I think the basic places to start when moving on from the movies are:- The Clone Wars TV show.  As you’ve said, you’re already watching this one but it’s still my #1 recommendation, because it sets up so much of the galaxy and the way things operate in the Republic and is just really good.  Finish this one first, as it introduces you to so much you’ll need down the road–a lot of the Jedi characters that will then break your heart when you watch Order 66 happening in Revenge of the Sith, getting invested in Ahsoka Tano and her role in Anakin’s life, getting more time spent with characters like Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padme Amidala, some trippy arcs like the Mortis arc that are fascinating for Force Woo, and a lot of stuff will come up in other shows, comics, and books!- Star Wars Rebels TV show.  While it’s about an entirely new group of characters, it has a lot of recurring familiar characters–like James Earl Jones reprises his role in voicing Darth Vader, you learn the fate of Ahsoka Tano here, you get to see some of the clones again, you get a look at what it’s like for Jedi under the thumb of the Empire, you’re introduced to the Inquisitors, you get to see the politics of the Rebellion as the show goes along, you get a better look at Mandalore, etc.  This is another show that will help form the foundations of other stuff.- Star Wars Battlefront II game.  You can play it or just watch a movie version of it on YouTube.  Yeah, the game got a lot of crap for the shit EA tried to pull with it, but it’s turned into a really great piece of media and the story itself is absolutely fantastic and will only take about 2 hours to get through, but a) it’s a great story with great characters (I LOVE IDEN VERSIO SO MUCH) and b) it does a great job at showing a lot of what happened after Return of the Jedi but before the Empire truly gave up.  This establishes a lot of the final fight stuff, like the Battle of Jakku and its importance (aka, that’s all those ships that Rey is scavenging at the beginning of The Force Awakens) and what Operation Cinder is and the epilogue helps lead into what the First Order is.- The Star Wars titular comic + Darth Vader volume 1 (by Kieron Gillen) comics.  These two are meant to be read concurrently, so I recommend them together, and they do an absolutely incredible job of filling out the space between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back.  They’re telling fantastic stories (including some really powerful stuff about Vader finding out the name of the Death Star pilot is Skywalker) while also giving some really great insights into the characters, adding depth to the story of the movies, and made me fall in love with the characters all over again.  This Vader tends to be a little more mysterious, Gillen liked keeping the mystique to him (which appeals more to some, so if that’s your jam, read these first!), the feeling is very much in tune with the original trilogy in that sense.  Same for the heroes, they feel very OT!- Darth Vader: Dark Lord of the Sith by Charles Soule comics.  You can read the Vader comics in either order, but I generally like suggesting this one to go second (release order is always good, imo) despite that this is my favorite of the comics.  Set not long after Revenge of the Sith, this is a comic about Darth Vader adjusting to his new life and about the bigger, overarching story of the psychological look at a character who cannot admit what he’s done wrong.  On the surface, it’s about him hunting down Jedi and trying to raise his wife from the dead, but in the macro sense, it’s about this guy who cannot admit that he had other choices, even when the Force is literally throwing those other paths in his face.  Great Vader content for him being powerful and terrifying, while also being an absolute human disaster garbage bag.- Age of the Republic comics by Jodie Houser.  If you like the prequels at all, these comics are stellar.  There are eight of them, four for the main heroes, four for the main villains, and they’re a single issue each, where there’s a short look into their lives at various points, all which illustrate really thoughtful things about the characters, whether through their actions or even sometimes comparisons with other issues in the series.  (ie, reading the Obi-Wan one and Jango Fett one really highlighted how each of them dealt with this young person they were taking care of.)  They were just REALLY GOOD STORIES, too.- Star Wars Adventures by IDW Comics.  These are cuter stories and set all across various eras, from the PT to the OT to the ST to occasionally other areas, but they’re always just absolutely CHARMING.  They’re pure delight to read, they tend to focus on moments that are just really fun, so it’s easy to think of it as a kids’ comic, but instead I think they work best at showing some of the more hopeful moments of Star Wars without being too fluffy.- Poe Dameron by Charles Soule comics.  These are SO GOOD, they really add so much to Poe’s character and they also do a great job of fleshing out that time between the New Republic still working to stabilize itself and when we know the First Order is coming.  But mostly it just really makes you like Poe as a character, it captures his sense of charm and swagger while giving him an actual character arc, as he learns to be a leader.- Kanan: The Last Padawan comics.  You need to see Rebels first (or at least the first two seasons, enough to make you care about Kanan as a character) but then this is a gorgeous, beautifully told story.  It’s half about the current days with his new found family the Ghost crew (the cast of Rebels) and half about his history as a Padawan in the Jedi Order, how he was apprenticed to Depa Billaba, how he watched her die, how he had to live in the galaxy that wanted him dead just for being born the way he was, how he was being hunted for it, and how he survived.  It’s really, really good!- Forces of Destiny animated shorts.  You can find them all on Disney’s YouTube channel, they’re these 2-3 minute long stories about the women of the galaxy far, far away (with occasional appearances by others) and they’re pretty light-hearted fare, they’re meant to impart messages to kids or just be bite-sized content, but they’re pretty wonderful and it’s nice to see the women of SW get some attention.- From a Certain Point of View book.  For the 40th Anniversary of A New Hope they put out an anthology of short stories, telling the various points of view of different side characters and adding depth to everything that was going on.  Not all of them are super great, you can feel free to skip ones if you’re getting bored, but there are some MUST READ ones, especially the Qui-Gon, Yoda, and Obi-Wan ones.  And the Admiral Motti story had me in absolute tears from cry-laughing while reading it.- Bloodline by Claudia Gray book.  It’s a really good Leia story, but it’s also a book that does a lot to cover what’s going on with the New Republic still struggling to establish itself, why Leia isn’t part of it by TFA, and more on how the First Order came to be and why people stuck their heads in the sand about it.- Thrawn by Timothy Zahn book.  While there’s some dissonance between Zahn’s version of the character and the character from Rebels, I think you can make them fit together, and this book really is one of the best of canon material.  It’s fun and zips right along and introduces some new characters and sets up some really interesting backstories and just fleshes out the Imperial stuff and gives us Eli Vanto.  ALL THINGS I LOVED.FINALLY:  The above is aimed at a general list of things that I thin pretty much anyone would enjoy, it’s meant to cover most of the bases as best I can, but if you have a favorite era or a favorite character, feel free to run straight to anything that involves them.  There’s a lot of good Legends stuff (as always it’s hard not to recommend the Revenge of the Sith novelization or Wild Space, but that’d just muddle the line between canon and Legends), but I’m sticking with canon right now because it’s easier and there’s so much good stuff and it’s less confusing that way.All the comics are available on Comixology (and there’s never been a comic I hated by any means, though, admittedly some of the mini series can be kind of bland, anything that ran for at least 20 issues is a good bet, and most of the comics are THE BEST of the supplementary material), and if you don’t mind waiting a couple of months for Disney+ (or Googling for streaming sites) the animated properties are all really worth watching.  Sometimes they take a bit to get going, but I’ve fallen in love with every single one.These might not end up being your favorites (some of my favorites–like the Aftermath books or the Join the Resistance books–are ones that I wouldn’t put on a list for new-to-supplementary-material fans, because they’re a little too distanced from established characters) but they’re great places to start getting a feel for whether or not you like this kind of thing!  :D

Anxiety

Say you’re young. A teenager. Everyone is either intended to be the kindest people in the world, the most judge-y in the world, or a painful fall down the middle of the two, holding out their love and respect for a certain kind of person. Say you’re a teenager whose brain is consistently going, always loud and static-y. Say you’re a teenager with a brain like mine who has to deal with the wishy-washy teenagers of the hallways and streets, the kindest and meanest and the most confusing people in my own world. Say you’re like me and you have no idea if anyone has ever actually truly cared about you.

My brain is at war with itself. Every action is questioned, every smile is picked apart. I’ve changed my hair so many times because I hope the change will appease the voices in my head, but it never seems to. It’s temporary happiness before everything washes over me in a tide of stale appeasement and empty smiles. That’s when the static rises.

That’s not to say I’m not happy. I’m very happy. I’m happy almost all of the time. It’s springtime, I go to a school I love, there are people I love! Maybe that makes this more difficult to deal with, but at least I’m not consistently depressed, right? But the voices in my head tear apart my friendships, my happiness, until I wonder if my happiness was just something I wanted so badly that I pretended for a while.

The voices in my head, they tell me things all the time. They tell me that my best friend hates me. Yes. Hates me, my best friend, who I know for a fact loves me just the same. Common sense has no room in my brain. The voices say that my biology teacher is done dealing with my low grades, that my family wants nothing to do with me. They tell me that I’ve deserved every horrible thing to happen to me because my toxic traits make everyone else miserable. They make every mildly inconvenient thing, a temporary heartbreak, a bad grade, seem so much bigger, something I’ll never recover from. My constant need for validation, my fear of not having my feelings (platonic or romantic or anything else) reciprocated, I’m told that these things will push everyone away. It’ll be my fault when I’m crying at 3 a.m. because my favourite person stopped talking to me. The most interesting—and perhaps the most horrible—part of all this is the fact that the voices in my head are my own voice, overlapping and varying in intensity. It’s like looking in a mirror and shouting abuse at yourself every single day. It’s like someone cloned you, and all the clones of you hate you and long to sabotage every possible relationship and friendship you could ever have. It’s like hating yourself with a strange, twisted intensity that you’ll never understand. I can’t be close to someone without doubting them once or twice. I can’t be in love or love someone in any way without my own voice saying that I’ll never be loved back. That I’m not worthy of being loved back. Nothing I ever do will ever be worth a paragraph of kind words, nothing I ever do will make my past mistakes better. When someone truly and completely loves me, I don't deserve it.

Then there are the panic attacks. Yeah. Those. The worst one I’ve encountered since the eighth grade was in December, and it happened to start in the middle of my mathematics midterm. I remember that feeling of my body hollowing out, my mind going, my breath hitching then speeding up. I remember the tears that ran coldly down my cheeks, the lack of feeling in my fingers, the shaking hands, and bouncing leg. The hyperventilating. I’d gulp down air then spit it out through my mouth, I’d swallow fear and breathe out pure and unadulterated panic. I closed my eyes and shook my head back and forth and tried to focus, but every problem seemed more and more complicated. Every face I saw when I looked up seemed terrifying, with black eyes and annoyed looks at the panicking girl with nowhere to go. When I got out, I waited for my friend in the hallway on bouncing toes. I needed someone, anyone, to hold me, to tell me it was going to be okay. I needed someone to calm me down, to help me get oxygen in. When she came out, I walked quietly. I did hand movements to stimulate my breathing, but every movement made me dizzy. I used the handrail to help me get down the staircase. I tried to explain but no words would come out beyond a tattered sentence of stammering and gasps, and I had choir practice. So I left. I almost walked straight into practice, where I could hear the synchronized voices singing a tune I barely seemed to recollect, but I barely made it to the wall of the hallway outside before my legs gave out. I sat curled up in a ball and tried to steady my breath. I must have sat out there for five minutes before I got the energy to stand up. When I got in, singing steadied me. Singing alone helped me get a breath in. And when we stopped, my brain immediately kicked up again. The dizziness and nausea and the fear came in waves. Everyone kept looking and looking at me and touching me and I had no room to shrink away, to run. Everything was so loud, everything was so terrifying.

The panic attack continued for almost the entirety of the forty minutes we had for lunch. After choir, I collapsed at the lunch table in a sobbing, hyperventilating mess. I tried to breathe, I tried to stop crying (that was more of an involuntary thing I noticed afterward), but nothing worked. My friend, a different one, grabbed my arm and took me outside. I eventually ended up laying down on the pavement and gasping in the cold air. All I could think of was the fact that I didn’t finish my math exam. My parents would be so disappointed in me, how dare I think it was okay, how dare I not finish, why couldn’t I have just tried harder?

I made it out of that situation okay. I still catch my breath when I think about it; when I think about how I just completely fell apart. I always wondered if the maths exam was what caused it or if it was just a catalyst after some built-up sadness and fear and anger all balled up into one perfectly-wrapped (with a bow) breakdown. Nothing has been as bad as that, but I can say that the hyperventilating gets more and more common these days. My most recent attack was yesterday. I collapsed in a heap in the hallway and the tears came. Everyone was looking at me and touching me and my hands were shaking so badly I couldn’t feel them. I covered my ears because I could hear people asking if I was okay, and they were all standing over me and they looked like they were going to grab me, so I shut my eyes. 

I had a momentary relief when my best friend showed up and hugged me as long as he could. He whispered quietly to me and murmured “you’re okay” until I relaxed. After he left I relapsed and ended up in the bathroom, shaking. I eventually dried my tears and was okay after that. 

But these attacks happen almost every week now. Sometimes they’re barely anything, other times I start crying and make sure to keep my head down so one sees. Sometimes they’re academically related, other times they’re a bit closer to home. If I make a joke and it’s taken in the wrong way even playfully, I completely fall apart. I shatter into a million pieces and then I’m put back together again only to wonder if it was better when I was just silent. Sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it saying anything at all. After all, when I only ever seem to say the wrong thing, why bother?

I’m human. I’m a teenage girl who’s gotten her heart broken, who’s dealt with unrequited crushes, who’s read books and watched movies about love and relationships so much that they’re all I think about sometimes. I hope by the time I get one of those, I won’t doubt every “I love you”. I hope, when I’m loved by someone, that I’ll believe them. I hope I love myself enough to love someone else without completely relying on them. To everyone I’ve ever loved, I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I loved you so completely that it meant ignoring every issue of my own because I didn’t want you to notice I had them in the first place. I’m sorry I laid my love on you so intensely, I promise if I could do it again, I would try not to. For me, whatever this is always felt like a dealbreaker. If anyone ever found out about this, I’d never get the girl or guy I’ve always dreamed of. Because who would want to deal with this mess?

I was told by an adult once that they think I have anxiety, but no more than the girl down the street. I have to say, that’s incorrect—unless the girl living down the street has anxiety, then it’s a different story. All the same. This isn’t just getting stressed for a test. This isn’t just worrying a little. This is an unfortunate circumstance that I’m stuck with. Someone asked me what it was like, living with this. I’ll give it in the simplest words I can.

Living with this is like living with an old TV in your head, and it only has two channels. One is a cop show that analyses everything in your life and the only conclusion that’s ever reached is, “Nobody wants you around, the boy you are head over heels for will never feel the same way, nor will anyone else. Your family wishes you were more like your brother” and so on, so forth. The other produces a noise that increases in volume with every word you hear, every touch you feel. Living with this is living knowing that nothing will ever be silent until you go emotionally numb (which has happened to me once or twice). And if you’ve experienced this before, I hope to god that you’re getting the help you need. We all need a little bit of that.

Hi, yesterday I read an online discussion about whether Anakin should had been given the rank or master or not. It seems that most people agree that he didn't deserve to get one yet because he was childish, arrogant etc. What are your thoughts on this?

Did he deserve it? Absolutely! Was heemotionally stable enough to handle that situation well? Probably not.

 Why Anakin deserved the rank of Master?

He arrived at the Temple older than most and yet excelled at all     his lessons.

He was hard-working student.

He was loyal and respectful to his teachers.

He was the most successful general in the Clone Wars.

He was respected by his men.

He commanded the Republic’s darling: The 501st Legion.

He was a war hero.

He was brave and selfless.

He cared about saving lives.

He understood how the galaxy worked better than most member of the     Council.

He was a great teacher

He killed a Sith Lord. *keep this one in mind. It’ll be important     later.

He saved the Republic.

He was brilliant strategist.

He saved countless planets.

Most of the missions he was in were successful.

He helped protect the Jedi Temple.

He shown more faith in his fellow Jedi than the Council did.

But why Anakin didn’t get the rank of Master?

The Jedi Council had abias against Anakin from the very beginning. The feared his power anddistrusted him, no matter what he did. Because they couldn’t control himfrom birth of Anakin’s impulsive nature they were always suspicious of himand what he was going to do. Because he dared to challenge their views, theydeemed him not ready to be promoted. Basiclay, they didn’t like him so theydidn’t trust him to be their kind ofJedi Master, which leads to another problem:

There was not propersystem in place to promote/demote Jedi. it was extremely arbitrary. If Yodalikes you and you kill a Sith, then is instant promotion for you. If Yoda doesn’tlike you and you kill a Sith than you’re untrustworthy.

Obi-wan was a padawan,his Master died and he killed a Sith apprentice by himself. Then, he basically gavea middle finger to the council by deciding to train Anakin no matter theirdecision. What he gets for that? He’s gets the rank of Knight and the honor oftraining the Chosen One. Sounds fair, right? Obi-wan had been through a lot andproved himself a capable Jedi, so why not?

Ten years later,Anakin gets made a Knight because there’s a war going on and every padawan oldenough is being knighted so they can go be generals. A position opens up in theCouncil and Obi-wan is immediately made a Master and a Member of Jedi Council. He earned it by being a lot of successfulmissions in the past 10 years.

Now we have jediKnight Anakin Skywalker, who was in the same missions with Obi-wan Kenobi (as apadawan), who proved himself over and over again, who saved them over and overagain, who trained one of the most capable padawan the Jedi Order has everseen, who just killed a Sith Lord,who saved a member of jedi council, the Chancellor and the Republic. He doesn’tget a promotion because they don’t trust him because he too close to Chancellor.

Now, who put those twotogether, who allowed the chancellor to influence Anakin for over 10 years, whoused that friendship and forced him to betray the Jedi Code by becoming a spy? TheJedi Council! All the reasons they use not to give Anakin the rank of Mastermean nothing because they are completely arbitrary. They are the masters ofdouble standards.

You might say: theyknew Anakin was unstable, so they were right not to give him a promotion. But thething is, they knew and they did NOTHING. In fact, they made it worse. They hada problem with him being a Master but they had no problem putting an unstableman in a extremely stressful situation. Besides, what if he was unstable? He wasa kid thrown into a war, forced to play general. Of course he wasn’t okay. Thatdoesn’t mean he didn’t deserve thepromotion.

 Anakin deserved the promotion and help fromhis teachers and “friends”. He got neither. if the Council had denied Anakinthe rank of Master because they were worried about Anakin’s well-being then I’dagree with their decision. But, in the end, they were only against it becauseit was Palpatine who suggested it, because they didn’t trust/like Anakin andbecause they decided to use somewhere else. Ultimately, Anakin’s mental healthhad nothing to do with their decision.

Another thing inAnakin’s way of becoming a Master was the fact he never successfully trained apadawan into knighthood (we all know who fucked that one up :/). Anyway, it’ssomething that could be used a reason against him being made a Master, since aMaster needs to prove themselves by training a padawan. Which is incrediblyunfair to Anakin, imo, because it was the council’s dumb actions that preventedhim from completing Ahsoka’s training.

 Why Anakin REALLY deserved the rank of Master?

I saved the best forlast :P The reason Anakin absolutely deserved being granted the rank of master isbecause he didn’t want it. He wanted respect and recognition? Of course! Heearned that. But a rank was never a main goal for him. He become a jedi becausehe wanted to save his slaves. He stayed after Shmi died because he wanted tohelp save the galaxy from the Sith. He stayed after he found out Padmé was pregnantbecause he wanted to save his wife and child.

 By the time Anakin was“offered” the position he was getting ready to leave the Jedi order for good. Theonly reason he was interested in the position after it was put on the table wasbecause it’d have given him access to the Temple’s vault where he believe hewould find a way to save Padmé. Everything he did, he did so he could savePadmé so he could leave the Jedi Order.

Anakin was understandablyupset by the Council’s decision because it prevented him from saving Padmé andit was incredibly unfair to him.

The fact Anakin wasmore interesting in saving lives then in accumulating titles tells me Anakinwould’ve been a great Jedi Master. And the fact the Jedi Council couldn’t seethis because they were blinded by their own hypocrisy and arrogance tells meexactly why they failed to save the galaxy and themselves.

Just because a groupof “wise” man says “this is the right decision” doesn’t mean it is. And beingemotionally unstable doesn’t render all your accomplishments meaningless. That’s why the “anakin was whiny/arrogant so he didn’t deserve it” is such a bullshit argument.

HONOLULU VOLCANICS AND MONT BLANC…..SNOW IN THE SUMMER TIME

HONOLULU VOLCANICS AND MONT BLANC…..SNOW IN THE SUMMER TIME - http://keywestlou.com/honolulu-volcanics-and-mont-blanc-snow-in-the-summer-time/It is going to snow today. On top of the Honolulu Volcanics. A series of volcanoes in the Pearl Harbor area on the island of O'Ahu. The weather man predicts 12 inches of snow and winds of 100 miles per hour. No time to be up there. Snow can fall in the summer near high peaks. I know from experience. Some 15 years ago on one of my European trips, it was July. Warm. I was staying in a swiss chalet half way up Mont Blanc. On the Italy side near Courmayeur. When I woke, I walked out onto the balcony. Had to blink. Could not believe what I saw. Snow everywhere. Above me, at my level, and below. It was winter! A blanket of white. By 11 am, the newly fallen snow at my level and below had melted. Summer again. I have visited Courmayeur several times. A place God created. One of the most beautiful my eyes have seen. Surrounded by Mont Blanc. Spring, summer, fall and winter there is always ice and snow on the upper levels of Mont Blanc. I sight to behold. The height and snow. What a combination! Mont Blanc is part of the Alps. It is "mighty." Height 15,777 feet. The highest mountain in the Alps and Europe. Courmayeur is near the French border. Italy and France are connected by a seven mile tunnel which goes through Mont Blanc. On the French side is Chamonix. I have visited Chamonix each time I I have been in Courmayeur. Two totally different flavors. One French, the other Italian. Physically and people wise. The Italian people warm. The French cold, distant. The buildings though built differently are each beautiful. Florida's Governor DeSantis is a Donald Trump clone. He wants to be President. He is authoritarian. Could be a Hitler in the making. He is in the process of creating a "civilian military force." Florida's own. Under control and direction of the Governor. He argues the civilian military group will exist to help the Florida State Guardsmen and assist in specific state emergencies. I fear he bullshits us. The civilian force will be his personal army. DeSantis says he does not want "to be encumbered by the federal government." A civilian military is not uncommon. Twenty three states have such in one form or another. I am not aware if any have ever been used. If so, I would suspect infrequently. The State would have to pay the bill/expenses of a civilian military. It was reported yesterday that DeAntis is in the process of having 4 new anti-vaxxing laws created. Strange devious ways to get around federal laws that would prevent such activity. Somewhat like Texas has been doing with everything. One item would be Florida not having to adhere to federal OSHA laws. Florida would set up its own. Floridians would pay that bill also. I smile. Florida's senior population is conservative. Tight. Understandably. They will follow DeSantis till they recognize the bill is getting heavy. Then DeSantis may be out. I am not sure that time will ever come, however. With all the things DeSantis has done and is now trying to do, I worry he might want to withdraw from the Union and run Florida as a separate entity. Don't laugh. There is no reason for a civilian military answerable to him. Never forget, Hitler wanted the Gestapo. We live in strange times. Anything is possible. The New York Times published this morning an interesting article by Eugene Robinson: On Voting Rights, Democratic Senators Need To Face Reality. Robinson's position strong: "This is a demand, not a request.....Calls for voting rights for all Americans." Robinson asserts "the right to vote should not be a partisan issue. But it is." Republicans don't care. They forget that what goes around, comes around. If problems cannot be reasonably solved by legislative action, I fear Civil War may be possible. It could happen again. Syracuse/Florida State in basketball this afternoon at 4. An ACC opening game. Syracuse 4-3 and Florida State 5-2. Florida State a slight favorite. I will be in front of the TV set beginning at 4. Enjoy your day!