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daisychainsandbowties · 1 year

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(trying to find the right poses)

What would you say are the preferred lightsaber forms of our dearly beloved disaster trio? (and also Mary and Shannon)

For me, I can see Beatrice switching between the elegance of Makashi and the unbreaking wall of Soresu (the little overachiever would of course be more than capable of using more than one form) (and that fight in chapter 2 of LB had total Soresu vibes from Bea).

And Ava, who is always so aware/absorbed/active in the Force, I can see leaning more into Niman to compensate between use of the force and the actual physical demands of the form. Or maybe Ataru, because of how she already automatically leans into the Force to enhance her natural movements, it wouldn't be too much of a stretch for her to take it further in her lightsaber form (and also the little energizer bunny isn't exactly the type to stay contained. she totally has ketamine-gremlin-yoda vibes)

Lilith, I can see with Forms V or VII (or both, considering her proficiency with a blade). I can see her leaning into the physicality required for Shien/Djem So, as well as the practicality of it for both saber and blaster combat. But also Juyo, for the aggressive chaos and sheer strength of body, mind, and will it requires to sustain (and I cannot unsee the parallels between her and Maul).

What do you think?

oh you are wonderful for getting me thinking seriously about this. i trained in kendo for years as a kid, so usually i meld that and my karate to write (sword)fighting scenes, but this is giving me so much more to work with.

so, thinking on the lighsaber form of the star wars au cast:

Mary would definitely use form 5. probably both variations. she fought extensively during the Clone Wars & would have seen the value in a lightsaber form that prioritised deflecting blaster bolts over duelling.

she wouldn’t have gravitated towards Soresu, i think, because she is naturally more aggressive than that, and she wants options available to her for initiating conflict, as opposed to responding to it. Shien is excellent for fighting in battlefield conditions. like Soresu in its emphasis on deflecting blaster bolts, but also more assertive - often redirecting those bolts into other opponents, or environmental hazards.

the Djem So side of things she would be less, but still somewhat, practiced in. she'd see the value in aggressive close combat duelling tactics, but ultimately her preference is for Shien. Djem So is her go-to for fighting other lightsaber-users though, because it offers a solid set of options, but relies less on the kind of wild acrobatics that many other Jedi employ.

she is not so accomplished at Djem So as in Shien, mostly because she’s not a natural duelist, specialising in battlefield command, usually fighting among Republic Clone Troopers. Mary also, even before Order 66, carried and used a blaster in addition to her lightsaber.

Shannon: Soresu. Shannon is a very Obi-Wan Kenobi/ Luke Skywalker character. she’s dedicated to the beliefs of the Jedi - she is about balance, harmony, hence why she has a green saber - and Soresu exemplifies the Jedi philosophy.

it is also incredibly useful in a variety of situations (all about exposing minimal targets to the enemy, thinking of Luke practicing en-route to Alderaan); it’s resilliant and adaptable, and as a diplomat - probably one of the few Jedi who were called in to deal with complex scientific issues (read: the time when Shannon ended up in a star wars equivalent of the movie “Alien” along with Mary, back in their early days together) Shannon would have favoured Soresu as a defensive form.

she’s a self-sacrificial sort of person, too, and you can see Soresu in the way that she defends Ava from Crimson in chapter 1 (an echo of Obi-Wan in A New Hope). i think she almost took Niman after mastering form 1 back in her padawan days, but something (Mary) changed her mind about spending 10 years studying it.

Bea: oh! i definitely think that Bea is melding different forms together (certainly she’s borrowing aspects from her Jedi and her Sith training).

so yes, she uses Makashi on the Sith side of things (because it is Lilith who retrains her in the lightsaber after she is tortured; she has to adapt to her shattered elbow, which will always be weak. hence why Makashi - a (frequently) one-handed fighting style - is an ideal style for her to fall back).

i think she is trained in Soresu, but she had to abandon it - again, because of her injury - though she retains the tactical instincts of that style, despite adapting to a more aggressive outlook. Soresu requires too much dual-dexterity.

instead of Soresu, Bea picks up Ataru. the force-assisted acrobatics and the fluidity of it suit her perfectly - plus the aggression. she’s all about sliding through an opponent’s space, slipping past their guard, or simply coming at them from an angle they don’t expect. the combo of Makashi - THE duelling form - and Ataru would i think be Potent. both elegant, but Makashi playing into her calculating, strategic side - all about the footwork and controlling yourself AND your foe - plus the explosive power of Ataru and also its use of the Force, which, as we all know, Beatrice is incredibly powerful with. bringing out the blunt-force side of her fighting instincts. i think the ch 2 pit fight showcased her ability to balance aggression with manipulation, and also to come at her opponent with vicious speed and end the fight swiftly and efficiently (a hallmark of Ataru)

Lilith: you’re totally right. i think 100% Lilith would use form 7 - and Juyo specifically. she’s not trained in the same way as others, & i think was pretty swiftly thrown into battle after mastering form 1 and being taught elements of Makashi (which she later perfected, just because she could) but in her heart she’s a form 7 practitioner.

it requires both immense aggression, a level of viciousness, and also a focus on emotion and domination. i think from what we see of Lilith’s fighting style she is MUCH more brutal than Beatrice (her fight style resembles Kenpo karate)

Juyo is described in one of the novels as a form filled with “malignant grace” <- could we describe darling dearest Lil any better?? in ch. 2 her leaping attack really exemplifies the sudden volatility of form 7.

it also requires a lot of internalised Force energy, which, considering Lilith’s unique relationship with the Force (and her augmentation with magick) would be ideal for her. it also LOOKS messy, but it is, in fact, astonishing grace hidden inside of staccato movements. considering Some Plans i have, that would suit Lilith perfectly - yes, she seems like an untamed thing, but she is in fact as deft and calculated as Beatrice, and Juyo allows her to use her fury to her advantage, and also her overwhelming physical prowess, because she really IS probably the most physically adept out of all of them.

Ava: i think for Ava i spoke in ch 1 about her being absolutely angelic with the lightsaber, and also Ava knows physics. she loves acrobatics and she ADORES aerial acrobatics, specifically - particularly aviation and ship manoeuvers. she knows g-forces and how not to pass out while pitching and rolling in atmosphere.

so i think she is a pure Ataru practitioner. form 4, with its focus on acrobatics and dynamic movement, would appeal to her desire to move and to fly and to be rooted anywhere but into the ground. it is also incredibly offensive (a good echo of Ava’s ‘i’m more of a punch-first type girl’ comment). and it DOES emphasise the force, but specifically for movement.

i think Ava, depending a lot of Shannon’s incredibly Force-abilities, would lean into the more embodied side of the Force - speed, agility, and a no-holds-barred offence would absolutely suit Ava - though, of course, Ataru is really incredibly dependent on the practitioner’s strong connection to the Force, which early-star wars au Ava does not have.

but yes the quickness of it, the jumping and the almost phasing through space with Force-enhanced speed, all of it would suit Ava. i think, probably, she will have to adjust eventually to learn some techniques for dealing efficiently with blaster-bolts and projectiles. i think also there’s an extent to which Ava’s use of Ataru is tempered somewhat by her training in Soresu, from Shannon. i think she leaned into the beauty and the ferociousness of Ataru, but now that she doesn’t have her Master anymore there’ll be an element of melding those styles together, learning to protect herself because Shannon - who always, always protected her - has stood between Ava and her death for the last time.

#wn star wars au #avatrice star wars au #GREAT question for real this really made me think about these guys #can't wait to hand in this part of my thesis so i can get back to writing #knightsofrayx

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ecoamerica · 2 months

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hereliesbitches--me · 11 months

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:V: A New Hope:

:V: A New Hope (Star Wars):

Hey there, and thank you for checking out my verses!

My Star Wars verse is primarily an independent story that's obviously influenced by the events within the canon universe. My characters are primarily alien; thus they are able to be adapted both into the prequel movies as well as the modern Rey saga movies. I primarily set the story within the Skywalker storyline but am more than happy to adapt it over. Here, you'll find the general info about each character, the antagonist, and the major story plot points which we can integrate for interactions. Enjoy the read! ❤

▪︎ The Prequels: The Skywalker saga

( Taking place from the clone wars all the way to the fall of the Empire)

♡ The Jedi that never was: Rosie Valentine

Personality:

Once kind and painfully optimistic, Rosie is still young and has grown paranoid and jaded because of the stress of being alone as a young mother. She is distrusting and overprotective of her lone cub, a haggler that will use her influence in the force to persuade others in getting what she needs. Once her walls come down and she begins to trust you, it can be seen that she really is just a tired and scared girl. She’s grieving the father of her child who promised her safety and trying to navigate the world that wants to hunt her down. Her family among the jedi have been killed, her homeworld of Atrolize has been overtaken and used for its resources and its civilians taken hostage as slaves or breeding cattle for their versatile genetics and the abilities that come with it.. Her father, the senator, was assassinated like many others who wanted a movement for peace in order to end the war. She suffers in a void of loneliness and grief she doesn’t know how to handle while burdened with the responsibility of being a parent and teaching her cub how to survive. When relaxed, she can be affectionate and snarky like any feline, and incredibly protective of her allies. Spite her or wrong her in any way however, can result in her blatantly resorting to eating you or completely crippling you. At this point she is not averse to killing for the sake of self preservation.

She is a jedi no longer – really, she never was.

Abilities:

Duel Saber wielding

Style: Ataru, Shien/Djem so, and Jar’kaiSlowed aging

Force healing /Draining (Able to heal others or herself, usually in extreme cases by stealing the lifeforce of another if she lacks the energy herself)

Animal Bond

Force push/Pull (Rosie is able to take on much larger weight using the force than she would by her raw physical strength alone. Under enough stress, she would be able to hold down an escaping ship for a period of time or hold up the weight of crumbling infrastructure on top of her just long enough for people to escape)

Force Scream (an involuntary attack when she has become enraged and overwhelmed, it normally comes in the shape of an outburst of grief or panic while trying to protect someone else. The use of it can burn her out as its not measured in the power she puts behind it)

Kinetite (Force lighting, instead of uncontrolled streams of lighting , it is concentrated into a solid ball of energy which can be thrown, then expels the energy upon impact with a surface. Can be deflected back with the use of defensive force abilities)

Lesser Force Destruction (a weaker variation under the same concept, Rosie is able to concentrate a mass amount of energy within herself and then expell it in an anergized wave strong enough to send people flying, but it cannot burn anyone the way a true sith could)

History:

Rosie is of a race of anthropomorphic animal beings known as Atrolians. Born in 46 BBY, Her father was a senator that represented her people, this was her initial meeting with the jedi order. Vassago, an ancient jedi master in league with Yoda (hailing from a naturally force inclined race known as seraphim), is good friends with Senator Roland, and sees the force potential early within his young daughter. Because of the growing unrest behind the scenes of politics and world affairs, coupled with the fear of what his emotional daughter could do with her untrained abilities, Roland deems his 8 year old daughter would be safer in the hands of the jedi and his oldest friend. Rosie is then recruited into training as a youngling, to eventually become a padawan under vassago – despite the council’s concerns regarding Rosie's unnaturally strong pull between the light and dark with her emotional ties.

As a padawan, Rosie specialized in duel wielding sabers which could be connected at the hilt to form a double ended saber. Her fighting form specialized in utilizing her inherent animalistic abilities of her species, thus she is most efficient in Ataru, Shien/Djem So, and Jar’kai with her duel sabers. Being a big cat creature possessing strong legs and a prehensile tail, Rosie equally utilizes her natural physical attributes in battle against enemies as well. Her tail allows her to wrangle the limbs of her opponent to throw them off balance, while her thick claws on her feet and hands could easily tear through skin and leathery armor with ease. Being a feline makes her incredibly agile, which makes her throw her weight around and bounce off surfaces to confuse her enemies.

Despite her efficiency in close combat, her control on the force was not up to par. She was easily overwhelmed by heavy negative emotions when she became frustrated or distraught, which could often trigger a suffocating outburst that hurt allies and foes alike. Accidents led to a fear of using the force, to which vassago gently coaxed and encouraged her to let emotions flow. Unfortunately, the state of the galaxy escalating into the clone wars did little to help her case. Because of her instability, despite her age, Rosie remained a padawan under Vassago well into the clone wars. Her eventual salvation by chance came in the shape of the enemy, a bounty hunting mandalorian they crossed paths with while providing aid on a planet holding back pirates and droids. Rocky, the mandalorian, sought after the young padawan he felt an impulsive attachment to in an attempt to befriend her. Going so far as to remove his helmet and meet her in secret. Rocky, a seraphim like her master, promised her safety and encouraged her to escape this war that was not her own to fight. She was too young to be burdened with the responsibility of a peace keeper for a galaxy that doesn’t seem to want peace. She deserved better. The mando’s promises struck her in the place of longing, and she agreed to go with him. With the support of her master, she abandoned the jedi order to escape with the Mandalorian and his brother in arms… Which saved her when Order 66 was executed only weeks later.

Grief stricken by the crippling sensation of death and pain that overtook her, it traumatized her, however there was no way of returning home.

Traveling with Rocky, Guts, and their third brother Erron, Rocky taught her the essential survival skills in utilizing her force abilities, being able to scrap and rebuild, and fight the street way if she wanted to survive. All was well for months until she wound of pregnant;

The breaking point of the brothers. Erron, feeling Rosie had imposed herself into their lives and his brothers in arms took her wellbeing as more sacred than their own, broke off without a word. Much to the grief of Rocky and Guts.

Months later, Mia is eventually born on the ship and cared for deeply between the three of them. Deeming it unsafe to lugg around an infant on mercenary missions, Rosie and Mia were left on a safe base established on a thick forest planet that would keep them well hidden from the empire even if they had come looking. Mia was 2 years old when her uncle Guts and Father went on a recon mission, but her father had not returned home. Without Rocky, Rosie had no choice but to strike out on her own, unwilling to burden Guts with the needs of herself and her daughter when she felt responsible for tearing the brothers apart to begin with. At the time, her master had been killed in order 66, but Vassago’s strong connection both to the force and his padawan allowed him to linger to her and continue her training in truly mastering the force from both the light and the dark side

Pets:

Silus (an Anooba)

Kordath (A Massif)

♡ The Cub: Mia Blagrove

Personality:

Happy-go-lucky, optimistic, mischievous, likes shiny things, loves being groomed and fitting into tight spaces she doesn't belong. She likes talking and hunting small animals. Not the biggest fan of training but she knows she has to if she wants to be strong like her mom.Abilities:Force Persuasion Animal Bonding Force Push/pull A crossbreed between a Seraphim and an Atrolian, Mia is predominantly feline while bearing the body feathers of the seraphim like her father. A combination of two highly force sensitive beings means Mia has a powerful predisposition to use the force – fortunately, unlike her mother, she is more inclined to positive happy emotions and uses her abilities for harmless antics. Mia, like the kitten she is, often gets herself in trouble by going into places she is not supposed to. Including baggage and cargo bays or pulling off wall panels and crawling into the cozy space among wiring. Her need to make friends means she perfected her art of force persuasion to get what she wants or to at least make people stay and talk to her. She is a fearless little warrior in the making with a weakness for salty meat, sweets, or shiny things. She is naive and her mother often keeps her only a tail length away with their tails knotted together.

♡ A Mando far from home:

Rocky Blagrove

Personality:

Sensible, patient, charismatic and a natural born leader. He’s fairly easy going and hides his emotional pain well under the guise of being laid back. Rocky is the understanding friend despite the cold streak he can turn into when on the job. He doesn't hesitate to kill, but he does have a moral standing about killing innocent civilians or children. He runs by the rule that if you raise your arm first it's a death sentence. His most notable quality is the smile gun : if you're upset, he shoots up a finger gun and compels you to smile. His own smile, if you saw his face, is infectious. Its a real shame he stopped taking off his helmet

Abilities:

Flight (wings)

Plasma resistance (his feathers and wings, at least in terms of his outer feathers, are resistant to the super heat of a plasma blast and have some durability against low caliber bullets. Beskar makes up for the weaknesses)

Air Manipulation (utilizing the force to manipulate the air around his wings provides extra propulsion needed to shoot through the air beyond simple takeoff and gliding)

Deadly marksman

Blade specialist

Adept close range combat

History:

Born 56 BBY, The prodigy child of his family clan, Rocky would meet his future brother in arms, Erron, after the boy was found and taken in with the other mandalorian children in training. Naturally talented with the force, he hails from a species of winged aliens known as Seraphim, who utilize the force to manipulate the air around their bodies and wings to make them superior fliers and fighters even in the air. By extension, they have an affinity for animals, but they excel most as warriors.

Trained since he was a child and expected to become the next clan head, Rocky's flaw was own dislike of the burden of responsibility– he played the part until he was 17, old enough to break off on his own with all he had learned from his guild. Taking with him an adoptee he's call his brother, Erron. Together the two of them made a name for themselves as Skeiron and Big mouth in the Galaxy as elite bounty hunters, with Guts (a mandalorian of a separate guild who has also broken off on his own) joined their brotherhood as the armorer and weapons master. All was well for the three men, up until Rocky took a fondness for a jedi padawan in the middle of the clone wars.

His action to take Rosie away from the battle and teach her among his brother causes a severe rift, primarily with Erron who envied the attention Rosie received from his brother and despised her for being a jedi, until Erron finally completely abandoned their little guild without a word upon Rosie's pregnancy announcement. Heartbroken, but responsible for paying a new life for his future child, Rocky keeps it together with the help of Guts. Rocky never believed in the by the book formality of traditional mandalorian traditions, especially in regards to showing his face or the requirement to force a child or partner into the life of a mando by extension of being with them. He holds true to the honor system of battle, but that is about the limit to what he follows

▪︎ His "Death"

3 years following the end of the clone wars and the rise of the empire, Rocky and Guts follow a bounty hunt that unknowingly leads them into a crossfire between imperial clones and a group of fallen jedi taking refuge among civilians that are caught in the crossfire. Rocky, with his ultimate undoing being his morally obligated heart, abandoned the bounty hunt to aid in the civilians evacuation and the hopeless jedi. The decision, without Guts to help him, fatally injured Rocky as the masses overwhelmed even a sharpshooter like himself, but provided a good enough distraction to allow the imperial targets to escape. Bleeding out, Rocky was saved only because of the Jedi who were able to heal his condition to a manageable state, however he required nurturing and augmentation provided by the civilians.

Unable to find his brother, only his blasted helmet and scraps of broken armor in a puddle of blood, Guts can only assume the worst fate for his brother and returns to give Rosie the bad news.

Rocky remains in the care of locals for nearly a year, unable to contact his brother or his family with his communicators damaged from the battle. He lost an eye, a leg, an arm and a few fingers that have all been replaced by beskar steel recycled from his previously damaged mandalorian armor. When he was finally strong enough to move on his own, Rocky returns to the safe base he and his brothers established for their family, only to find it raided and burned down. With no other evidence to point to life, Rocky relives the second devastating blow to his heart and completely hides in his armor to separate himself from the world. Unable to really live and unwilling to die, he takes to never removing his helmet or armor and joins the rebels against the empire to avenge the death of his family

Rocky specializes in training of new recruits, but primarily scouts out Intel and useful allies to recruit. He has lost any hope of finding his brothers in this endless galaxy, though he hopes to hear circulating rumors at the very least. He's melancholic but without seeing his voice, his charismatic confidence is infectious.

♡ The Lone Wolf Survivor:

Guts

Personality:

Introverted, painfully loyal to a fault, self sacrificing , but a brutal mercenary when it comes to battle. Guts does what he must to get the job done but he has an inherent soft spot for women and children, especially those caught in the middle of the galactic mess. Guts usually keeps to himself, not usually one who starts the conversation but maintains it by only keeping up with vital information. For all his gruffness, Guts is very well capable of being compassionate and gentle despite what may be perceived as stoicism when hes hidden behind his helmet. Above all else he honors his brother's memory by taking care of his niece and Rosie. Nothing matters more to him than family

Abilities:

Weapons specialist

Armorer and Engineer

Sharpshooter, beskar sword wielder

Loth wolf shifting

Heightened sense of smell, hearing, taste, and eyesight

Superior strength to his build

History:

He was born within a prestigious mandalorian clan, one of the last bastions of loth wolf shifters long believed to have died off. His father is the clan head.

Like most children of mandalore, his childhood was one of harsh instruction and training from the moment he was capable of walking and wielding a weapon. As the only son of the Clan head and the future heir, he was treated with excessive cruelty from his father to assure his son would surpass all other children within his rank and older. To be the best warrior the clan had ever produced to take his father’s place.

Guts, then named Vessten, excelled beyond expectation with a talent for not only combat, but the engineering of weapons and armor as well. It was in his adolescence that his mother Diandra,the clan armorer born within the clan just as his father had been, refused to see her boy destroyed any further by his father and escaped the clan with her son.

Guts, always loyal to his mother far more than his father, continued his training and honing his skills as taught to him by his mother. Excelling in the realm of bounty hunting, earning the title of Black hound, he would eventually go off on his own and form his own small guild with his future brother in arms, Rocky(Skeiron) and Erron(Big Mouth).

Guts had served in the same role as his mother before him, as the group's armor and weapons specialist on top of serving as a heavy artillery warrior. Interpersonally, Guts was a constant voice of reason and logic in comparison to Rocky’s laid back nature and Erron’s impulsive arrogance. He is haunted by a level of guilt for his inability to pick a side when tension formed upon Rosie’s addition to the group. When Erron left, He did attempt to find him for a short while, until he decided Rocky and Rosie needed him more. When Erron was ready to show himself, he would do so

Upon Rocky's death, Guts vowed an oath of protection to Rosie and her cub in honor of his brother, with an underlying love he secretly held for a woman he could never have. Guts regularly travels the cosmos on bounty detail and returns to bring a wage back for Rosie and Mia, wherever they may be hiding at the time.

Guts deals with heavily bottled emotions and guilt ; He struggles heavily in showing emotions and using the right words to show support and comfort. Oftentimes he is more of a man of action to show his care, which gives way for him to meet many people in his travels

The Antagonist:

♡ The Tyrant Warrior: Balrog

The father of Guts and the leather of the loth wolf guild, Balrog is a scourge to some and a messiah to all those his guild has recruited and empowered from the poverty left behind by war. The guild has grown in number and power that proves to be a nuisance for even the empire and the first order, well known for their cruelty to their enemies and the iron fisted hold they have on shipping lanes and planetary trading posts. Nobody passes through territory without payment in goods or useful information – all those who don’t comply are typically met with a grizzly fate of fire, dismemberment, cannibalization, and heads showcased on pikes to mark off territory points.

Temperament wise, Balrog is cool and collected, proud and confident in his skill that very little phases him. His inner circle is composed solely of loth wolf shifters to preserve their heritage, but all other clan members are treated with the same kind of brother and sister in arms love. Among his clan, Balrog takes no excuses, but he is compassionate and kind to his kinsmen. He sees to it that his people are taken care of across the galaxy, and offers a hand to those suffering to empower themselves by joining his league (if he sees potential strength that could be utilized by the clan).

Outside of the clan, Balrog is a bloodthirsty creature of malice to anyone deemed an enemy. He does not take shit from any group, and is quick to make exampled of them for all others to not make the same mistake. With Loth wolf’s inherent skill and connection to the force, it makes him an exceptionally formidable enemy with the combination of combat skill , lethal weaponry, and dark force abilities to aid him.

The betrayal of his late wife and son prove to be a sore point from him ; He is still determined to find the traitors and reprimand them – but most importantly, to keep them where they belong.

♡ The Wolf in sheep's clothing: John Shaw

A shady lothwolf shifter that had no place in the clan, John (preferring to go by “Shaw”) simply goes with the winning side that offers him the best deals in terms of lifestyle and payment. He has no loyalty, but his sociopathic specialty of masking makes him surprisingly charismatic and ideal for negotiation and spy work. This charismatic nature hides his underlying sadistic pleasure in the suffering of others and his narcissism.

On the surface, John goes where the money goes and he likes the little pleasures he can gain from the galaxy’s suffering. You usually find him in the slimy city underbellies from planet to planet, gambling and swindeling crooks out of their wealth and drowning in the warmth of a sex worker.. Or whatever poor thing he can rob, rip, and dip. Having force abilities does help a lot in the persuasion aspect..

After all, who’s gonna fuck with a giant dog man?

♡ The Imperial Daughter:

Pandora

A Child born within the empire’s rule, she is the product of an admiral’s lust with an atrolain slave that was later harvested and indoctrinated into the empire, as is often the fate of many like herself. An incredibly intelligent tactician with a skill for language, combat, and negotiation, Pandora rose through the ranks quickly from her growing youth. With a controlled, nearly emotionless deposition, it made her a favorable cadet among the high ranking officers for a woman who would not argue, yet one who shined in times of urgency and combat.

Currently serving as a vice admirable on board a ship primarily staffed by many of her halfblood brethren, her ultimate goal is to take a shot at the rebllion and mandalorian brigade that proves to be a thorn in the empire’s side. Show the empire just what atrolians can be beyond simple body guards or sex slaves.

Appearance wise, Pandora is an albino that stands at about 6’3, bearing subtle canine features in her large pointed ears, eyes, claws, teeth, and a thin layer of white fur that covers her body. She had a tail as a child that was hacked off in training , deemed as liability in combat. An event which she resents, and continues to be reminded of from the tail nub that was left behind.

PLOT POINTS TO EXPLORE:

Pre order-66 where Rosie is a padawan training with other younglings or taking part in the clone wars

Rosie is traveling the galaxy in a desperate attempt to avoid the inquisitor's tracking and the empire's tyranny with her adolescent/toddler force-sensitive daughter. For her species, Rosie is the equivalent of a late teen/early 20 year old mom learning to survive entirely on her own. She takes up mercenary/Bounty hunting work on the neutral planets she makes her temporary home on, which could lead to crossing paths with your muse either as the target, the client, or perhaps a rival hunter

Rosie herself is still a powerful force user, even if she was not promoted to the rank of a Jedi. That being said: she is adept in lightsaber fighting forms, she knows how to find and make a lightsaber, the use of the force for both practical and impractical reasons, and she still possess her former jedi master in the shape of a force ghost who continues to train her in using both aspects of the light and dark side of the force. With the Jedi order destroyed, despite her negative feelings for the order, padawan and surviving jedi were still family to her. She is capable of teaching another muse survival skills , fighting skills, or how to hone their connection to the force

Mia, her daughter, is fearless and will attempt to make friends with anyone because her mother keeps her hoarded up and suffocates her with worry and overprotectiveness. Downside is Mia tries to make friends usually by harassing someone with questions, or by taking something shiny and making them chase her for it. She is still a kitten at the end of the day and possess kitten mannerisms that do get her in trouble. Your muse could be a victim of her antics or have a secret friendship with her while her mother is often out trying to hunt. Maybe your muse is a neighbor or an ally that occasionally comes by to help Rosie get a break, or maybe you just really think this kitten is cute

Please teach Rosie it is okay to learn to be her own person. She is more than just a mother, there is more to life than just fighting and worrying about tomorrow.

Rosie strains in the heavy pull of the dark and light sides of the force as her emotions rule her abilities just as much as they fuel her. Her love for her daughter serves as her light, but when she is in danger or her limits are tested, Rosie is capable of great destruction and misuse of her abilities for selfish personal gains.

The current state of Rosie’s homeworld Atrolize has been degraded under the rule of the empire, their species subdued to slave labor and breeding cattle because of the species genetic compatibility with any humanoid species in the universe. Anyone who becomes handicap or fails to pay their debts becomes sold off as a slave – which can mean hard labor, the life of a concubine/prostitute , or an exotic pet to trade among the wealthy. When Rosie is seen in the streets on more criminally inclined planets, its not uncommon for someone to ask a price to buy her off or buy her time. Lets see how your muse feels about that

Rocky “died” after taking heavy hits from clones while trying to help civilians and jedi escape. He was on death’s door but was saved by the jedi, ultimately. I wouldn’t mind a scenario of a muse being one of those that nursed him back to health. Be it a jedi, padawan, or a native civilian

After assuming his family was murdered by the empire, Rocky took fully embrace the Traditional mandalorian code he had long ago abandoned in his time of mourning. He never takes off his helmet, and has taken fully to aiding rebels in unraveling the empire one step at a time. Rocky often trains the newest rebels in close and ranged combat, leads recon missions or targets possible allies, and takes bounty jobs on the side to pay for the maintenance of his own weapons and armor.

Guts was a brother in arms to Rocky who bears the burden of feeling responsible for his brother’s death. In honor of his brother’s memory, he still returns to check on Rosie and Mia to bring supplies and credits to help them. Bearing an unrequited love for Rosie, he struggles with these emotions and the burden of his own bloodline as a lothwolf shifter. Given that his father Balrog is determined to bring him home, he desperately avoids his destiny by throwing himself in danger. A fellow mando companion or a friend in general to provide him someone to talk to about his struggles would be nice. Though, obviously, being seen with him is a dangerous game as your muse may become a target to force him back home to his clan.

Balrog is the clan leader of a mandalorian cult composed of his surviving lothwolf shifters, along with an amassed army of new mandalorians willing to follow him in their path of retribution for the deeds done against them by the Empire. Their loyalty to Balrog knows no bounds and the mandalorians prove to be a power that even torments the empire as they control trade routes, pilfer what they deem is a necessary tax to go through their territory, and take over arms, armor, and drug smuggling in their region. Balrog considers himself the leader of a new world order of mandalorians now that the old ways are simply inefficient given their enemies. This in itself can be a major point for any kind of character targeted for trying to stand against them or for simply being in the way.

John is a self serving lone wolf that travels the galaxy taking the worst kind of moral work that gives him the best pay. For all intent and purpose, john is a selfish sociopath but at the very least he’s funny and may hassle your muse either as a target or coworker. Or maybe your muse targets him because of the high bounty on his head. Any which way, he’s an adventurer if you want a little corruption on your muse.

Following the fall of the empire and the gradual recovery of the universe, the rebellion is still needed against the first order… Mia, now a fully grown Atrolian, has taken the Jedi skills taught to her by her brother to run reconnaissance detail and the training of new recruits against this well known threat. Though she is only slightly younger than Luke and Leia, her species has put her in what is the equivalent age of a young adult.

▪︎ The Sequels: The Rey Saga

( Taking place during the era of the first order, Onwards)

♡ A Rebel at Heart: Mia Blagrove

♡ The Old Warcat: Rosie Valentine

Unable to part with her daughter knowing Mia has taken to fighting a war way over her head, Rosie begrudgingly puts her exhaustion aside to make sure these brats don’t get themselves kid. Luke Skywalker sure as hell isn't the last Jedi and someone needs to teach these new generation brats some humility. Who better to do this that a war cat?

Plot Points:

Mia is a young woman at the time of the first order rising, similar to the age of her own mother when the clone wars took place. She has become a formidable opponent given her tall agile stature, her force abilities, her flying capabilities with her wings, and her unyielding nature when it comes to justice and doing what is right. As soon as she was old enough, Mia ran off and joined the resistance to face off against the rising threat of the first order. Here, she takes on stealth and recon missions in a similar fashion, She is fearless and inspires hope in others with her strong presence. Being who her mother is, Luke Skywalker is no longer the last jedi. Being part of the rebels leaves open a large window in which she can meet muses varying from first order agents, rebels, or even planet natives as she travels around the galaxy

Rosie suffers empty nest syndrome and goes against her better nature to follow her daughter into a war that has nothing to do with them. She has grown harsher, more tired since her master’s ghost deemed his teachings maximized and left Rosie to become the teacher of a new generation in a new world. While still only a young woman in terms of her species, the stress of being a mother and a warrior has given Rosie an older appearance. She aids in humanitarian work, as a healer for rebels, or as a heavy hitter sent in emergency situations. Where Mia can be found, her mother is usually not too far behind.

Depending on what happens in the prequel verse, there can be a point of involvement with Rocky which can lead to paths crossing between the family by chance. Any previous connection with any of the character can be a major emotional moment for how the muses deal with Rosie, Mia, or Rocky being whiplashed by the discovery that they’re all alive

Self explanatory but Mia would have issues in trying to unravel planetary corruption. Rosie has decided assassination is always a good option

#mobile verse #:V: A New Hope (STAR WARS):#star wars rp #scifi rp

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ragnarlothcat · 2 years

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1/? So I have this idea (& it’s kind of sad tbh!!) that anakin growing up in the temple didn’t have a lot (or any) friends. & even as a knight the same can be said- like he has a small group of people that he loves unconditionally & is fiercely loyal to but he isn’t mr.popular. But anyway! My idea is that it takes a while for Obi wan to realise this. Obi wan is definitely aware that the first few years for anakin in the temple are difficult. Because of his upbringing he’s wary of strangers, he’s

2/? quick to anger & super defensive & prickly since he’s coming in late & therefore behind his peers & feels like he has to prove himself but I feel as if Obi wan thinks this situation will rectify itself as time goes by & anakin no longer feels as if he’s going to be kicked out of the temple for not progressing fast enough etc. But in my mind, because anakin doesn’t interact with his peers & isolates himself from them from the beginning &continues to do that as time goes on, they just come to

3/? accept that he’s a loner. & I don’t mean it’s malicious or he’s bullied but I definitely see a situation where he gets along with people his age but isn’t necessarily friends with any of them. Obi wan only starts to become suspicious when anakin is in his late teens maybe because this was the time that as a padawan Obi wan used to be trying to sneak out to the lower levels to go drinking or making out in the room of a thousand fountains & anakin just doesn’t seem to be doing that?? For a

4/while Obi wan thinks anakin is just incredibly good at sneaking out (but Obi wan has seen anakin on undercover missions & the boy doesn’t understand the word subtle so he’s definitely confused how he’s never once caught anakin stumbling back to their apartment drunk). So yeah. By all means, anakin SHOULD be popular. He’s tall, good looking & is like the Jedi version of a jock when it comes to athleticism, but he spends all his free time hanging out with Obi wan or at the temple’s hangar,

5/ tinkering with droids or bothering plo koon with questions about djem so (shout out to plo koon! I love him and I feel like he’s one of the few masters who is patient and kind enough to see past anakin’s mercurial nature to the kind hearted boy beneath!) tldr: anakin was and continues to be the super intense loner kid ✌️ps I hope you don’t mind these long head canon asks. You seem to get a lot of them & I genuinely love reading your answers/thoughts about these characters. I appreciate you!

Oh this is a bit sad! The worst thing is I think you might be right. I've mentioned before I haven't read any of the Star Wars books but from what I've been able to glean from fanfiction and other people's tumblr posts, Anakin didn't have a lot of friends growing up. I imagine a lot of factors would have contributed to that, but it sounds very lonely.

And I agree, Anakin has lots of things going for him. He's very passionate and capable of great kindness. I often write him as friends with Aayla but I don't really know what I'm basing that on other than my desire for Anakin to know more than three people.

I appreciate the Plo Koon shout out, always, he is absolutely one of my favourite characters. I think Anakin ends up with a decent relationship with a lot of the other Jedi (until he very abruptly does not)? He, Obi-Wan and Luminara work together and that seems pretty fun. I assume everyone likes Kit Fisto. But maybe that only happened once Anakin was knighted? I can definitely see Anakin's padawan years being a bit isolated. Especially since Obi-Wan wasn't his friend yet, he was still his master, and that's a different dynamic.

Anyway I love when you send me these head canons, they're so interesting to read! I do have one fic on the go that is a deep dive into Anakin's character and some of his struggles which makes this especially valuable to think about. So thank you so much, this is a delight 🥰

#asks #anon #anakin skywalker #i had this tagged as obikin for a second but we didn't quite get there!#also i think with a nudge anakin and mace could have gotten along great #i have a soft spot for their relationship

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tinyphantomsalad · 4 years

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🖋

YOU FUCKIN READY?!?!?!

Okay so little background here:

I have a multitude of OCs, mainly from playing SWTOR and stuff and falling down that rabbit hole during quarantine, it’s all set within the star wars universe about 3000 years before TPM- but I digress

Nakosta ‘Nicky’ Startrader

(all my characters have that last name because that’s how it works in-game- i’ll link a post over on my swtor blog @thrn-shn talking about what the name means to Nicky and my other ocs)

I’d assume you need a basic understanding of Star Wars for this lmao

Nicky was born in the outer-rim on a planet that functioned through an inherited monarchy, Nicky was the first born son and set to inherit the throne- now, because of how the politics of it all worked (haven’t exactly figured that out yet) the planet was completely neutral and did not take part in the Republic or Empire’s war. This means that the Jedi only found Nicky when he was five years old.

In his culture names are precious, and that when you are born the name your are given is merely the beginning of your existence, everything you build from there is chosen by you, and the name you show to the world is the one that you have created for yourself and is often held in higher esteem than the one you are born with, but they are still kept secret unless you reveal them as an act of trust and acceptance.

Names are extremely important in his culture, so much so that revealing the name you recurved when you were born is an act only for those you consider family and/or a spouse. Nicky was given the name Nakosta, and he understands the weight of giving someone his real name, and so goes by Nicky to everyone else.

At first his mother refused to give him to the Jedi, stating that as the first born son he was in line to inherit the crown, but eventually conceded when Nicky was in the palace gardens one day and began lifting rocks without moving, swirling them around him until one stray rock hit a guard, almost killing them. Realising how dangerous he could be without the proper training she sent him with the Jedi and that’s where he learned under his first master.

Nicky was extremely powerful from a young age, not unlike his biggest rival and best friend Mar’keo (I’ll add a link when i do the other characters lol) and while they trained as different factions (Nicky being a Jedi Knight and Mar’keo being a Jedi Shadow) they were as close as brothers.

For a long time Nicky was afraid of his power, knowing the violence it caused and the fear of hurting people with it. He can’t remember a lot of his childhood, but he does remember him hurting someone, and his mother sending him away. This caused him to touch the dark side as a padawan, under the training of his first master, who refused to teach him after that, knowing how easily he could slip into the dark and how Nicky had welcomed it.

Tython is very special to Nicky, it was his home before anywhere else felt like it (apart from his ship and crew- and later Odessen) and he knew he would fight and bleed and die before anyone took it from him

Nicky loves to read, ironically, from being the loudest and most boisterous child- he has several holocrons on lightsaber forms, and another three on flora and fauna. He likes to keep it all organised in his room on the ship. He has a pretty hefty paper/flimsy-bound collection that he shares custody with Mar’keo, mainly old stories from different planets they’ve visited.

He hates blasters with a passion. Hates them, Trii’va (another oc i’ll link) likes showing him the newest model and he has no idea what she’s talking about but if she’s excited that’s all dandy.

Not many people know this, but he actually mastered the Artaru form with a shoto and a lightsaber before he became a Knight, and then switched to Djem So, it freaks his crew and the gang out one day when Kel’katis (ANOTHER oc i’ll link to) and Nicky are sparring and nobody thinks a Jedi Knight with one blade can beat a Sith Marauder with two lightsabers- but low and behold he is still just as proficient with his shoto as he used to be. Kel doesn’t talk to him for a week because falling on your ass in less than thirty seconds is embarrassing Nicky-

He has several, very prominent scars, and a few scattered all over from years of war, one that he doesn’t like to talk about is one he got when he fought Darth Malgus (the first time) across his back, it’s a single, clean line across his shoulder blades that still hurts, even years later

he has a tattoo!!!! it’s tiny, and behind his ear, it’s a symbol from his homeworld usually given to nobility after they come of age, but since he left very young his mother insisted that he have one, to remind him of his heritage and his family.

Nicky was not born with the name Startrader (i’ll link to the post when i do it)

#swtor #my ocs #star wars ocs #oc: Nakosta Startrader #swtor oc #jedi knight #kotet #kotfe #onslaught #star wars the old republic #Jedi Knight oc

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darth-ceivous · 7 years

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Star Wars fanfic idea #1

Jedi!Satine Kryze au part 1 (pre original trilogy)

Just an idea I had, What if Satine Kryze were a Jedi? and this is what I would think would happen. You can interpret this story however you see fit, these are simply my ideas and still needs some work (like what would Mandalore be like under dutchess Bo-katan? What would their child be like? Where would Siri Tache be in all of this?). This is just part 1, part 2 will deal with the original trilogy and made separately so as not to make this post too long.

So let's say Satine was force sensitive and some Jedi went all the way to Kalevala to pick her up as a baby and she was raised in the Jedi temple on Coruscant. she would fit right in with their ideals and be a model Jedi initiate/padawan and would most likely never be told of her true heritage, only that she is Mandolorian.

She would eventually meet and befriend Obi-wan Kenobi (exactly when and how I don't know) but they would be very close to one another as their relationship forms. Sometime later on she, her master (also not sure who it would be), Obi-wan and Qui-gon go to Mandalore and meet Dutchess Bo-Katan Kryze (I feel it would be either her or someone else in the Kryze family) and may find out about her true lineage. (I know nothing about the Mandalore civil war so help me out here).

After that ordeal Satine and Obi-wan’s relationship expands and he asks if she wants to leave the Jedi order so they can be together, Satine thinks about this and declines, declaring she wants to first create peace in the galaxy and asks if he would help her do so, he agrees but they end up telling each other how much he/she loves him/her and have a secret romantic relationship with each other which by accident creates a force bond.

As for combat I think she would most likely have a green lightsaber and use either form III Soresu (the defensive-only style Obi-wan uses), form V Shien/Djem So (similar to form III but with offensive moves) or Form VI Niman (jack of all stats, easy to use and apparently used by Jedi who don't focus on lightsaber fighting) style of lightsaber combat. The force bond she formed with Obi-wan on Mandalore allows them to perfectly sync up their movements and fighting styles becoming a very powerful duo in battle.

The prequels happen and Satine helps Obi-wan raise/teach Anakin. Anakin sees them together and be like: are you dating? Both would be NO but Anakin just knows they're totally in love and teases them non-stop. Then Anakin gets Ashoka and the whole thing starts all over again and thus Anakin, Ashoka, the clones and some other people start joking about their relationship and put bets on whether or not they're in love, going to be in love and so on. I mean come on Obi-wan and Satine would totally act like a old married couple and everyone would see it.

Eventually the clone wars happen and Satine would get her own clone troopers to command (who they are and what they're named is up to you) they get along well as they have Mandolorian backgrounds and because she treats them well. (If you want she could wear Mandolorian armour in battle). She would most likely not have a padawan because she doesn't think kids should be fighting in wars (though this is up to you). At some point Padme notices her relationship with Obi-wan is more than friendship and manages to get the truth out of her but Padme tells her of her relationship and marriage to Anakin.

Anakin might not fall to the dark side as Obi-wan is also going through the ‘secret relationship‘ angst but let's say he does. Obi-wan goes to Utapau with Satine as back up and they defeat Grevious, then order 66 happens and they have to escape. Now it's Obi-wan and Satine vs Darth Vader on Mustafar. The fight would go differently but Vader still ends up in a suit. Or he doesn't and becomes a suit-less Vader. Padme gives birth to Luke and Leia, I see one of two outcomes:

Obi-wan and Satine adopt Luke and take refuge on Stewjon or Tatooine, the least likely places the empire expects them to be (unless Vader knows Obi-wan is from Stewjon) and raise him along with their child until the events of a new hope, though I doubt this would happen.

Obi-wan and Satine give Luke to the Lars family, but Owen is not as antagonistic to Obi-wan as Satine explained what happened to them and Anakin. Owen and Obi-wan end up on friendlier terms because of this and Owen allows them to train Luke as a Jedi provided that it’s safe.

They go to Mandalore and seek protection under Bo-katan and her people, Obi-wan takes Satine’s name to avoid detection and in accordance to Mandalorian tradition. Their child and Luke would be raised Mandalorian meaning we’ll get Jetpack wearing, blaster-wielding Mandolorian Jedi in the OT

Although I think Satine would work in the rebellion finding force sensitives and other Jedi who escaped order 66 because no way is she gonna willingly sit on the sidelines while the empire grows.

Again these are simply my ideas that still need work and you don't need to agree with all of my ideas. And if someone does decide to write this, give a link as I would love to read how this alternate universe would play out. Anyways laters!

#star wars #star wars au #obitine #jedi!Satine #the clone wars #prequel trilogy #star wars fanfiction #fanfic fuel #fanfic ideas #Fanfic #mandalore #fanfic inspiration

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ecoamerica · 2 months

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youtube

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

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afrikanza · 6 years

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11 Interesting Facts About Tunisia

Tunisia is the northernmost country in Africa. It is bordered by Mediterranean Sea to the north and east, Libya to the southeast, and Algeria to the west and southwest.

Facts About Tunisian Culture, Geography, and History

The following 11 captivating facts gives you a tip of the larger magnificent iceberg that awaits you to unveil should you dive into experiential exploration of Tunisia on your own.

11. Tunis is situated on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. The area commonly called the old city of Medina.

Tunis is a beautiful city famed for its warm and magnificent weather. It is a land of great ancient architecture that blends Arabic, Italian and French artistic creations.

Tunis is home to one of the oldest Medinas in the Arab world. Tunis medina is buttressed by a fortress wall fence created to guard it against enemy attacks. Medina of Tunis has over 700 historic monuments that dates back to the Almohad and the Hafsid periods.

It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site with most of these monuments comprising of fountains, mausoleums, mosques, madrasas, and even palaces.

10. Though it is relatively small in size, Tunisia has great environmental diversity.

Tunisia is the smallest country in the Maghreb region comprising of a population of about 12 million people over an area of 163,610 square kilometers. However, its small size doesn’t diminish its status as a spectacular jewelry etched on the sands of the expansive Sahara desert.

While it shares the Sahara desert with so many Arab countries in the north, it has its own shades of unique climate that includes the temperate Mediterranean climate that makes it conducive for olives to grow.

This environmental diversity makes it attractive and habitable by Western tourists – not so hot, yet not so cold – and still not far off Europe.

9. The Sahel, a broadening coastal plain along Tunisia’s eastern Mediterranean coast, is among the world’s premier areas of olive cultivation.

Olive is one of the most appreciated plants in the Mediterranean region. Its extract, the Olive oil, is revered by world’s culinary experts and nutritionists for its unique healthy properties.

The Sahel olive growing region covers about 6,600 square kilometers and extends through three governorates – Sousse, Monastir and Mahdia. Sahel region is not only popular with olive farming but also covers the highest number of pristine beaches along its coastline.

It is home to almost 14% of Tunisia’s population of 12 million people.

You may also like: Top 10 Best African Beaches

8. Tunisia has only ever had five presidents.

Tunisia has had 5 presidents since its independence from France in 1956 with Habib Bourguiba as Prime Minister who eventually become its first president on July 25, 1957 upon its proclamation as a Republic. He was later succeeded on by his Prime Minister Ben Ali in a coup d’état of November 7, 1987.

Ben Ali was overthrown by a civilian uprising (the ‘Arab Spring’) on On January 14, 2011. Fouad Mebazaa took over as acting President overseeing drafting of the new Constitution which paved way for election of President Moncef Marzouki on December 12, 2011 as the president.

On December 21, 2014, the current president Beji Caid Essebsi took over after defeating Marzouki in a General elections.

7. Tunis is currently the only town in Tunisia to be equipped with a metro (“tube”) service, which is more like a tramway.

Known as Métro léger de Tunis, is a network of light train system. Currently, it operates 14 lines with the longest line stretching 15 kilometers. The passenger services commenced in 1985 after completion some time later in 1984.

6. Tunisia has served as a popular location for some of Hollywood’s biggest films, among which include Star Wars, Jesus of Nazareth, The English Patient and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Tunisia’s tradition of theater entertain is almost two millenniums old. This is evidenced by the famous Amphitheater of El Jem in the city of El Djem built around 238 AD. Many films have been captured within and around this amphitheater.

Matmata is another great location for film-shooting. The Hotel Sidi Driss in Matmata is where Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was shot in 1976. Two of Call of Duty Finest Hour’s missions were shot in the outskirts of Matmata.

Related: Top 10 Must See Places in Tunisia

5. In the Matmata area of Tunisia, people still live in underground houses.

Matmata is a small town in southern Tunisia inhabited by the aboriginal Berber-speaking people. These traditional underground homes became essential as a way of people escaping the strong heat from the desert.

These underground houses are created by digging a big open pit. Once the pit is dug, its walls are caved in to create houses (troglodyte houses) and rooms. One large pit can form a small underground village comprising of 5 to 9 families.

4. The most venomous spider in the world can be found in Tunisia.

Tunisian rocks and sands harbor quite a number of biting insects. Some of these biting insects include spiders.

Some spider bites have proved so severe that they cause serious bodily effect. Thus it is important to take care when you receive a strange bite that you hardly know its source.

3. In Tunisia, women can pass on their names and nationalities to their children.

Tunisia is one of the most liberal countries in the Maghred region in as a far as women rights are concerned. There have been various law reforms to bridge the rights gap between men and women. Recently, Tunisia passed law that allows women to pass nationality to children.

Other than nationality, women can pass their family names onto their children (in some ways recognizing single parents). The law also allows women to equally inherit property from their parents.

2. Traditional Tunisian cuisine reflects local agriculture. It stresses wheat, in the form of bread or couscous, olives and olive oil, meat (above all, mutton), fruit, and vegetables. Couscous is the national dish, and most people eat it daily in simple forms.

Kosksi (Couscous) is Tunisia’s staple cuisine. Kosksi is of Berber origin. It comprises of semolina, vegetables and meat (preferably, lamb meat). Djerba is a common type of Kosksi whereby dry meat or fish is steamed or seasoned together with vegetables. The dry meat is preserved with olive oil.

Other popular cuisines include pasta (the most popular Tunisian cuisine) which is largely influenced by Italian presence, Chackchouka (whose ingredients include potatoes, soft-boiled eggs, onions, tomatoes, garlic and spices, prepared with olive oil).

1. The city Kairouan is the fourth most important city in the Islamic world after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.

Kairouan is one of the most ancient cities in the Maghreb region. It was founded in 670 AD by Uqba ibn Nafi. It is the capital city of Kairouan Governorate in northern Tunisia.

It hosts the the holy Mosque of Uqba. It was a center of Islamic teachings, Quranic learning and Sunni scholarship in the entire Maghreb. It is currently a UNESCO World Heritage site

Worth a read: North African Countries

A final look at Tunisia

Tunisia is a tiny Maghreb country famous for its olives, pristine beaches and fair weather. It is also home to some of Islam’s ancient monuments. If you are olive lover or beach-goer, Tunisia is a place not to miss on your travel itinerary.

The post 11 Interesting Facts About Tunisia appeared first on Afrikanza.

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djemsostylist · 1 year

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Having recently watched the Star Wars films again, I decided to also tackle the books again as well. I've read most of what Star Wars has to offer, but there are a few I haven't made it to and a few I feel like I don't appreciate the way I should.

I started with the novelization of The Phantom Menace by Terry Brooks, and I'll be honest when I say I didn't expect much. TPM as a movie was boring, and I figured the novel wouldn't be much better.

I was wrong. I was so wrong, in fact, that I'd say I highly recommend it. See, my chief problem with the prequels is a two-fold one: 1, George wrote a truly horrible story, and 2, George hired truly atrocious actors to be the leads. Ewan McGregor not withstanding, the actors he hired were barely able to handle the script he gave them, let alone bring something more to the characters.

Anakin's fall should be slow, steady, bit by bit and then all at once. He should be Anakin, of course, but he should also be Vader. Because that is the thing about Anakin--he was always Vader. He didn't have a nightmare once and wake up Vader, after having been a good man his whole life. Vader's selfishness, his single-mindedness, his fear, his fixations, his rage, and his desire for power and control were always a part of Anakin, as much as his supernatural ability with flying and machines and his visions of the future. Anakin could be kind, he could be selfless, he could be decent, but all of these aspects of Anakin were always entwined with Vader. And as time goes on, it becomes harder and harder to hide the Vader, to pull on Anakin's face and plaster on Anakin's smile and pretend that the fire that rages always is banked, is controlled, is not waiting to consume. So when he takes those final steps, when he kills Mace and kneels before Palpatine and takes the Temple, we should have seen it coming. Not because we've seen the original trilogy and we know that Anakin is Vader, but because we've seen the Vader in him all along. Because this was always how his story was going to end. He was always going to be Vader, forever.

The problem is that the movies don't really give us that, particularly in TPM. I think George sort of wanted to show this kid's super innocence, and it came across as grossly naïve and also almost cloyingly sweet. The Anakin we get in TPM has no hints of Vader, no darkness, no intensity, none of the vices which will plague him for a lifetime. He's sweet and innocent and pure, in a way that's almost annoying its earnestness. He has little to no agency in his own story--he isn't even a POV character. And Padme, who will one day become his future wife, views him with the same sort of feeling one would expect for a 14 year old girl and a precocious little moppet--she thinks he's cute and childish and that's about it. She likes him certainly, but so does everyone he encounters, because he's a caricature of childhood innocence and naivete. There's nothing to him.

Anakin in the novel comes across as older--I'd put him at 12-13, to the movie's 9. (The book does state that he is 9, but I teach 9 year olds--even an incredibly precocious one would not come across like Anakin). In this Anakin, we see shades of Vader. He lives in a constant state of hyper awareness of both his abilities (which he is fully aware of, unlike in the movie where he seems not to notice his skills at all), and he wrestles constantly with a gnawing fear of losing everything he loves. This Anakin is quiet and thoughtful, and though kind and outgoing, is also prone to fits of rage or moments of utter stillness. When Watto is screaming in his face, Anakin sort of checks out, blank faced and staring until Watto exhausts himself and forgets to scream, ostensibly because he knows that arguing is useless, but also because, I think, he isn't sure what will happen if he fights back. He dreams of a life in the stars, but he can't see a future without his mother. He knows that he has abilities others don't, and he knows enough to keep them to himself. He saves the life of a Tusken Raider in the desert because he feels its pain, but he also beats the shit out of a teenage Rodian (a young Greedo as it would happen) because he is mourning the loss of Padme.

And speaking of Padme, their relationship in this is intense. In the movie, Padme pays about as much attention to him as you would expect, given their age difference. It would be weird for her to be as immediately smitten and attached, and likewise Anakin's interest in her seems childish and unremarkable.

In the story, their connection and mutual interest is instant and intense. From the moment they first meet in the junkshop, they are almost always together, and Padme is as fascinated and drawn to him as he is to her. (Which, coincidentally, fits much better if she is 14 and he is only a little younger). They spend all their time together, and are often lost in deep conversations. Anakin can't stop thinking about her, and she doesn't seem to mind when he holds her hand or tells her that he is going to marry her someday (with a flash of foresight). He sees visions of her in his future, leading an army, older and sadder. She seems to have difficulty leaving him (when she climbs on the Eopi to leave, she doesn't make eye contact and refuses to look back) and Anakin is devastated by her loss. He ends up beating the shit out of Greedo for an unrelated offence, and doesn't even seem to realize what he's doing until Qui-Gon shows up to pull him off.

Later, when he finds out the truth about Padme being the queen, she goes out of her way to find him and make sure he still feels the same about her as he did before. She promises him, on the ship when he gives her the Japor carving, that she will never forget him, the way way she feels about him--even makes a callback to his assertion that they will one day be married.

And this works. It works in a way the movie doesn't, because you get these two people who are both more mature, more grounded than anyone else their age, and they immediately share this intense, overwhelming bond that sort of takes both of them by surprise. It makes sense then, why, meeting years later, they are just as instantly drawn back together.

(In my version of the Clones, with an exaggerated timeline, Anakin and Padme would be on Naboo for close to a year, carefully working to bring about an end to the blockade and invasion, Anakin being trained by Qui-Gon on the dl, and they'd grow ever closer. I'd probably even have their first kiss maybe, during this time--she'd be almost 15, he'd be almost 14 (assuming he's almost 13 when we meet him), and this would enforce their bond.)

My point it, that in the novel, Anakin is intense, smart, deeply connected to the Force, and already aware of his abilities, though not in control of them or truly aware of what they mean. He is kind and thoughtful, but he is also prone to rage and fear, and he struggles with both. He is already terrified of loss, and he struggle with it throughout the novel itself. He also has the intensity that Vader has, the fixation--he's obsessed with Padme from the moment he meets her, and though his obsession is reciprocated, it doesn't make it any less intense. The Jedi, too, are concerned about his rage issues in a way the movie doesn't make clear--so much so that in the book they not only defer making a decision about his training on Coruscant, they expressly forbid Qui-Gon from training him. It's the rage as well as the fear that give them pause.

Overall, the novel sets up an Anakin (and a Padme really) that are believable for the people who they will become. There is an obvious through-line from Anakin to Vader, and it makes for a more cohesive character overall. And having Padme be just as drawn to him from the beginning also helps--their relationship has never been sane or healthy, and that is the point. Two early teens sharing an intense bond that only strengthens with time makes a lot more sense than randomly falling in love with the weird teenager you first met a cherubic child.

I'm curious to pay attention the through lines of this as the novels go on. Up next: Rogue Planet and then The Approaching Storm. (collecting all the novels year ago really was a stroke of genius).

#star wars #anakin skywalker #djem reads star wars #padme naberrie #this is gonna take a while lol

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djemsostylist · 1 year

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Star Wars--It's a Mixed Bag

Star Wars has been a part of my life for about as long as I can remember. In fact, it's safe to say I can't remember a time when I didn't love Star Wars. And Star Wars isn't always the easiest franchise to love--its got its highs, but it also has its lows. There are popular views among fans about "the right order" to watch the movies in, or the best and worst, and I've waffled for a long time on both. But I think I've settled both on a watching order and a ranking that is unlikely to change.

The Watching Order: OT and then Prequels. Simple as that. Watch 4-6, then watch 1-3. It tells the story the way it's meant to be told--no need to go back to go forward.

The Ranking:

A New Hope>Empire Strikes Back>>>>>>>Attack of the Clones>>>Phantom Menace>>Return of the Jedi>>>>Revenge of the Sith.

This ranking will be controversial I realize. But this latest watch through, I decided to do three things:

Watch it as though I didn't have all the knowledge of the EU behind me

Watch it as though I hadn't watched these movies 100 times

Apply the same standards to all the movies.

I think we tend to think of the Prequels as bad and the OT as Good, and I think in general it tends to affect the way in which fans rate the movies. But I think that if we forgive it in the OT then we have to forgive it in the prequels, and if we aren't going to forgive it in the prequels, we can't forgive it in the OT. And so, let us begin.

The Explanation

A New Hope: This movie is about as flawless a movie as you can get. The narrative is tight and well told, with enough background that a viewer would not feel totally lost, but without wasting so much time in exposition that the movie drags. Scenes are snappy and quick, and don't linger overly long, but instead move smoothly from one to the next, drawing you deeper into the story and the characters, and inviting anticipation of what's to come. The characters are introduced quickly and succinctly, and while they certainly aren't overly complex, the story does an excellent job not only of establishing the characters and their motivations, but also of their relationships and connections to each other. We need no more than two lines of dialog and interaction to know that Vader and Leia know each other, have a history, and also hate each other. We need less than 5 minutes to understand Luke's frustration with his small town life, and his uncle's fears that his dreams of more will lead him down the same doomed path as his father. A New Hope isn't complex, but it's the better for it I think. The story and characters are solid, the set pieces are excellent, the editing is sharp, the music and sound design are spot on, the costumes and designs feel both real and believable, and while perhaps the acting and dialog aren't top tier, they are solid and they work. ANH combines all the elements that you want in a first movie of a franchise. It creates a world that you desperately want to know more about.

Empire Strikes Back, then, is an excellent sequel to ANH. It gives us back the characters we love, but a little older, a little wiser, a little more connected. It sets up beautifully the changed state of their relationships, both with each other and with the Alliance, and it does an excellent job of moving plot along while also establishing the changes that have happened and are yet to come. As with ANH, everything from story to sets, to characters, to music is excellent, so much so that even minor quibbles don't really seem to matter (it will forever bug me that they didn't uncuff Han before he went into the carbonite, thereby making his hand position actually make sense but-). You can feel the changes in the characters since last we saw them, but we don't feel like we have lost time. The new characters introduced add to, rather than distract from, the main cast, and as with ANH, it leaves you wanting more.

Return of the Jedi is a terrible movie. It's so terrible in fact, that I rank it below two of the prequels. Mostly because, this isn't really a movie. It's a series of loosely connected stories that are joined hapazardly, and it's also the first time we start to see a lot of what I will call "Georegisms" really settle in. This movie feels like a movie, and not in a good way. Characters move rapidly across space with little respect for travel time, they show up "just in time" and many of the plot pieces are so disjointed they have virtually no impact at all on the greater plot. Jabba's palace is a waste of nearly an hour of screen time, and does little to establish anything beyond "Luke got a cool new outfit and is a Jedi now", and I'd argue that that could have easily been done in a way that actually had a bearing on the story. The rescue itself does nothing for the other characters, and their actions have no impact on the rest of the story. Instead we are forced to endure an endless parade of decreasingly attractive puppets while John Williams has entirely too much time to explore far too many instruments. In a time when I'd like to have seen us establishing Lando's position in the military, Luke's training, or even how Leia has dealt with the fallout of ESB, we instead spend almost an hour doing...nothing really. The briefing around Endor feels much like a superhero round up (oh hey, look what other cool guy is here!) and then we are forced onto Endor, where George gets to fulfill his love of overly long chase sequences and funny little characters in funny little costumes for about, again, an hour too long. Not to mention the majority of Endor is pointless and borderline nonsensical--why do the Ewoks have a human dress they give to Leia--and why is she cool going along with it when they have a life or death mission? What are Page's commandos doing while Luke and co are chilling in the Ewok village--and why couldn't they have defeated the Imperial ground troops instead of a fuzzy band of bears? The space battle is fine I guess, though a bunch of capital ships just sort of moving around is less exciting than you'd think, especially interspersed with shots of a new Admiral we just met and care nothing for. The best part of Jedi is, of course, everything to do with Luke and Vader, which takes up all of 25 minutes and it constantly fighting for screen time against shots of Ewoks exploding AT-STs and various classes of Star Destroyers sliding by each other in space while rebel pilots we don't know scream into the camera. If Jedi has a plot beyond "give everyone else something to do so that Luke can do a thing with Vader" it might have gone somewhere, but as it is, I'd advise watching a Luke/Vader cut and saving yourself a painful two hours. (Seriously, the speeder bike chase is like ten minutes of the same trees over and over again while things explode and we're all forced to wonder if Luke and Leia wore those hideous helmets in anticipation of this ride, or if they were all supposed to wear one and Han said "fuck you".) The stuff with Luke and Vader is excellent, but I don't know if 15 minutes of good is enough to outweigh everything else. Also notably, is that while neither Carrie Fisher or Harrison Ford have ever been what one could call excellent, in this movie their acting becomes a curious mix of catatonic nothingness or forced overacting that renders much of their interactions either empty or downright embarrassing.

This leads us then, to the prequels, and to why I chose to rank 1&2 before 6, and 3 after it.

The Phantom Menace is a boring fucking movie. It just is. The plot is basically "a planet gets invaded so some people leave one planet, go to another planet, pick up a kid, go to another planet, go back to the original planet, and then it's done." The characters are--thin at best. Qui-Gon is excellent, though I think we can give that one to Liam Neeson for delivering each line like it matters and actually being one of the few people in the prequels who is capable of acting. But his character is also decently written, and he brings a necessary gravity to the movie. The other characters are fine I guess, if boring and mostly unremarkable. Obi-Wan spends the movie googling things, Anakin is a precocious kid, Padme is...Natalie Portman doing her best? But nothing happens and the stakes have never been lower, and any chance to do anything interesting or different sort of results in either a wacky hijink, an overly long chase scene, or just outright silliness. We do get the best version of the droid army here, before George decided to George them up, but even the last battle is just...empty. Controversial, I know, but the Maul saber fight is not good. It feels like dance fighting, not sword fighting, and it feels both contrived and silly. I feel like they asked Ray Park to do a few sick aerial cartwheels and added in a few flourishes and then John Williams went ham on the track and they called it a day. It's lacklusted and uninspired and the fight tells me nothing about the participants involved. Which is sort of the whole point of a saber fight, but I digress. Also, this movie is full of missed opportunities, namely ones to show relationships between the characters or characters competency--the fact that Anakin helps win the Naboo space battle bc he tapped a few buttons accidentally is criminally stupid. We know Anakin can fly, we know he can use the Force and has a preternatural gift--why would he spend the whole time being like "oops, what's this button do?" I mean the answer is because George made him 9 when he should have been 12-13 and have been training with Qui-Gon for a year on Naboo during a protracted siege but that is an argument for another day. This movie ranks 4th because while it's boring it's not offensive, and it has, at the least, an overarching plot that doesn't feel like George wasn't quite sure how to fill in the rest of his time when Luke and Vader weren't on screen.

Attack of the Clones gets a lot of hate. In fact, in all my years in the fandom, it gets possibly the most hate of all the prequels, and I think it's largely because of Hayden Christensen and sand. Look, I'm not arguing that he is a bad actor. He and Natalie Portman as two of our leads is a baffling choice that I think only George could truly justify, as both of them lack charm, charisma, and the ability to, well, act. But Hayden does at least try, and I'll give him that much. If we are willing to overlook Harrison Ford, surely we can forgive Hayden for slogging his way through terrible dialog and what I can only imagine is, at best, minimal directing. Where Attack of the Clones shines for me is that it, first and foremost, has an actual plot, with scenes that flow naturally from one to the other, without jumping through a series of clips that connect in a fashion that only vaguely resembles normal linear time. It's a contrived plot, certainly (and I'll write a post soon on the changes the prequels needed to be good), but it's more of a plot than Jedi, and each part does, at the least, have a bearing on what comes after. And sure, the dialog is cringe and the acting is bad, but it's honestly not that bad. There is a germ of something brewing in the Anakin and Padme scenes that works, where you can see what he was going for, even if it didn't come across quite the way he wanted. And while sure, there are the ever present too long chase/fight scenes, AotC at least has good set pieces--the Coruscant chase scene is made watchable by the fact that it's on Coruscant, meaning that it's interesting and exciting with each turn, and not just an endless series of deciduous trees. And while the arena battle again drags on, if we are forgiving Jabba's palace and the Rancor, I'd argue we have to forgive this too. And there are plenty of interesting characters (the Kaminoans, Dexter, the various Jedi we meet for the first time, the rest of the Separatists, Dooku), we get our first big Jedi battle, and of course, we meet our clones. It's certainly not a perfect movie (if I never watch the Yoda/Dooku fight again it would be too soon), and the acting isn't stellar, and the droid factory scene gets longer with each rewatch, but I'll be honest that it keeps my interest a lot more than Jedi ever did.

Revenge of the Sith is last, and it's hard to put into words how truly terrible this movie is without explaining how you could fix it, so I'll keep it simple. This is a movie where Things Happen because the Plot Said So, time ceases to have all meaning, characters are thin sheets of flimsiplast which change shape at whim, there is payoff for no setup, and having Bail Organa be some random dude who gets named dropped once(!) and seen like, twice and then just gets Leia because he happens to be the only other adult in the room over three feet tall is criminal. This movie explains nothing, expects even less, and exists merely because "one day Anakin Skywalker became a Sith Lord and killed all the Jedi here have some Wookies". It's insulting at it's least, and baffling at it's worst, because it wouldn't even really have been hard to tell this story, except that Lucas seems determined to not do that for reasons that I will never fully grasp. It's bad. The final battle with Obi-Wan and Anakin is the best part of the movie only until they go outside (bc then it just turns into spectacle for spectacle's sake), their dialog in the hallway still makes my heart twinge, and I like the beginning space battle. Mostly. The rest exists I guess, but even Matt Stover trying his very hardest couldn't quite make the mess in that movie makes sense.

So there you go. The best and the worst. Star Wars has a hold on my brain which I think will never quite go away. At it's best, it's the very best, but at it's worst, it almost defies belief.

#star wars #a new hope #empire strikes back #return of the jedi #the phantom menace #attack of the clones #revenge of the sith #djem reads star wars #okay i know technically this is me watching #but you know #tags #whatever #anyway i love this stupid franchise fuck me

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djemsostylist · 1 year

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So, I've fallen down the Star Wars rabbit hole again. I suppose it was inevitable--give me enough time, I always end up back to Star Wars somehow. I don't think I'll ever quite manage to fall out of love with it.

It started this time bc my parents got a new tv, and I wanted to watch A New Hope on the big screen. Managed to track down a version of the original theater release, and watched it. And then, well--if you give a mouse a cookie...

So I'll probably be obnoxiously posting about Star Wars here for a while. I have a lot of thoughts (when do I not) but especially this time around. My plan (though we know those hardly ever pan out) is to do a post on the movies (or three or five or ten) and them move into an exhaustiveish review of the EU.

As always, Disney is out, as is anything Del Rey churned out post Vong War really. But I'll do all of Bantam bc it's great and probably a little too much prequels, and we'll see where the wind takes us, yeah?

#star wars #djem reads star wars #again #back on the bullshit as ever lol

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djemsostylist · 3 years

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I feel kind of awkward because i've asked you several things in only a fw short weeks but.... do you think it's necessary to read Children of the Jedi and/or the rest of the Callista trilogy? I heard some things about it and I'm not sure if I'd want to read it. My original plan was to read everything but I don't want to read something that might turn me off. (So far I've read the thrawn trilogy, jedi academy, and half the x-wing books)

@agents-of-fangirling

Dude, feel free to ask whatever, I love talking about this stuff lol. And sometimes it's better when people ask and give me an excuse to spew rather than just like, blabbering for no reason😂 .

So, you ask an interesting question. Technically no, you don't really have to read it. I know it has a bad reputation, and lots of people hate it for a variety of reasons.

That being said, I LOVED it. Frankly, the Callista trilogy was better than the Thrawn Trilogy (which tbh I don't even think I finished--I found them painfully boring) and Jedi Academy, which I did like. But I seriously LOVED Callista. Her story was fascinating, and she's one of those characters I literally can't get out of my head, you know? Like, I think about her at night when I can't sleep sometimes, I've crafted an entire future story for her, I write constant fanfic. I do ship Luke/Mara as an endgame, but as a story, I actually find Callista's story and their romance and love far more compelling.

And look, there is some dumb stuff. It's Bantam era Star Wars okay? There are cockroach people and Jedi hutts and they seriously fight the Wampa who attacked Luke in ESB. But story wise, I just find the whole thing better. Luke and Mara's romance I found tepid and boring and I actually liked them far better once they were together and written by like, anyone other than Zahn. Who fucking sucks btw, I really hate that dude. Except Survivor's Quest, that wasn't awful weirdly. It's like someone injected him with personality drugs for that writing.

I actually have a three part fanfic I've been working on for Callista that of course I've never published but I seriously do love her. And if you're worried about the "Luke put her spirit in the body of his hot student" it's like, very much not that. She does take the body of one of Luke's students, but it's heavily implied funky stuff starts happening that's makes her actually start to take on the form of her old self. And there's some fascinating stuff about her not being able to touch the force and the way the dark side affects her--it's just ALL good.

So I guess my answer is--yes, you should. Bc they are GREAT. and far better than Zahn. Who sucks. Also x-wing books are aces, as are the Jedi Academy trilogy. I've literally read the entirety of Bantam, so feel free to keep bugging me. Hope you don't mind if I answer publicly, but I'm essaying and I'd like to preserve for my blog. If you want me to stay private, just let me know!

#star wars #djem reads star wars #callista #children of the jedi #bantam era #timothy zahm #barbara hambly #now i want to read these books again lol

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djemsostylist · 7 years

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Do you know what I think about a lot? So, Luke gave Mara Vader’s lightsaber, which is kinda weird if you think about it considering Mara actually knew Vader and kinda loathed him and he barely registered her existence and Luke and Mara weren’t even technically like, for real friends at the time, but whatever Luke’s a giant cheeseball and Mara was already hopelessly in love so she just rolled with it and like, idk it makes a sort of sense and I dig it. But the thing I don’t get, the thing that keeps me up at night, is how the fuck she wields that thing. Like, I have it okay, and I am not a small person. Like, I’m fairly tall and solid and my hand barely fits around it, it’s longer than my damn forearm, and it’s heavy. Which like, it makes sense cause Anakin wasn’t a small dude (and I know Hayden Christensen is tiny but lbr you can’t convince me Vader is all suit) so of course he built it him sized, but Mara is like, not a big person. She is like, tiny, and sort of fine boned and I’m not saying she can’t hold her own or nothing but just like, logistically. How the fuck does she even hold it? I mean, she fights Makashi, which means mostly one handed, and I just. That’s a lot of lightsaber is all I’m saying.

#djem reads star wars #these are the things that keep me up at night tbh #star wars #luke skywalker #mara jade #mara jade skywalker

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djemsostylist · 6 years

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So Mara can't hear the mynock batwhateverthefucks so Luke is all "hold my hand and you can use me to hear them through our force talking bond thing" but apparently she still can't so they have to touch foreheads instead for it to work like, WTF are they, cell phones? Instant data transfer devices that only work when their brains are close enough? But yet literally like 3 minutes ago they were having full on force conversations across a dingy bat cave, but like...How the fuck does the Force even work in Zahn land?

#djem reads star wars #zahn whining

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djemsostylist · 7 years

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I think the most interesting thing about reading Star Wars has been the journey that I’ve taken with the Big Three--that is, Han, Luke, and Leia. As a kid, they were all I knew about Star Wars. And honestly, I don’t think I really thought about them much, beyond thinking they were cool and wishing I could wield a lightsaber. As a tween/early teen, I read mostly Rogue Squadron, and I started to be disappointed in them...they seemed to distant, and honestly kind of boring? As a teen, I read the NJO, and then...well, to be frank, I hated them. They were distant and useless and they let down their kids over and over again, and the war went on without them, and really what was the point?

I recently re-read the NJO, and then I started (and am almost finished with) a huge read through of the entirety of Bantam, and suddenly, I get it. Luke, and Han and Leia are imperfect--and I think it’s why I hated them so much as a teen. I wanted them to be the infallible heroes I had known as a child, and I wanted to them to stay magnificent for me. But when I read them as an adult, it’s like, I dunno. They still fucked up. Badly. Leia and Han were terrible parents, and Luke failed his niece and nephews. They made terrible decisions. None of them were what they should have been. But it’s because they are people. It’s like when you realize your parents are people, and they fuck up, but they do the best they can.

Leia isn’t a mom. She’s a politician and a leader, and she loves her family, but they aren’t her priority. Leia is a Tully, but her house words are “Duty, Honor, Family” because family matters but family dies. Duty is eternal. Han wants to be a dad--he does. The problem is Han isn’t quite sure how to relate to these child/adults who ask questions he can’t answer and can do more at 8 then he can contemplate at 50. And honestly, Han’s main problem is that he loves Leia too much. It’s not that he finds her infallible, but he can ignore her flaws because he needs her. Push comes to shove, and he’ll choose Leia over his children, every time. I don’t think its a stretch to say he can’t live without her. Han’s pretty far down on Leia’s priority list, but she’ll still choose him over the kids too. This isn’t because they don’t love their children--they do. But I’m pretty sure Han and Leia never really felt like the kids were theirs--they belonged to the galaxy, and they were so independent and thoughtful--they didn’t need Han and Leia to do things for them, but they still needed them. But Leia had a galaxy to run and Han can’t sit still (especially if Leia needs him) and so the kids get left to their own devices.

Luke, he tries. He really does try, and he does love the kids--he truly does. And the kids--they adore him. Seriously, every time he shows up in any of the books, the kids literally jump him. Anakin climbs him like a tree, and the twins demand an arm, or if that isn’t available they just cling to his legs. And when he’s around, they insist he do everything--read with them, play with them, listen to them, etc. And I think it’s because he’s the one who gets them, really gets them.

Leia spends a limited amount of time with the kids--usually when they are together it’s in the same room, but they are usually quietly doing something while she works. If she brings them on vacation, they have a nanny/Threepio to watch them. Threepio or Winter put them to bed, cook them dinner, arrange their lessons, take them on day trips. She locks her office, and her bedroom door. She isn’t the sort of mom you jump on and shower with thoughts and ideas and love. She’ll take your macaroni necklaces, but she won’t wear them. She is a hug twice a day mom.

Han spends time with the kids, but its all actions. Playing in the pool, getting Jacen to run laps, teaching Jaina to memorize star maps. He connects with them the only way he knows how--by feeding their interests. Jacen likes animals? Bring him a cool snake. Jaina likes flying? Bring her a hyperdrive. But Han gets tired too, and on more than one occasion, he needs peace, because, honestly, the kids are overwhelming. They ask a lot of questions, they need a lot of attention, and they are always getting into everything. And Han, despite his best efforts, he doesn’t really get them.

But Luke. Luke gets them. He tinkered with things, like Jaina does. He understands droids and machines, like Anakin. He has deep, almost overwhelming empathy, like Jacen does. And like all the kids, the Force is a part of him. He can’t just touch the Force--everything he is is the Force. As Obi-Wan said--”It surrounds us, penetrates us, binds the galaxy together.” It’s not an other--it’s an essential part of who he is. Luke can no more imagine life without the Force than he can imagine life without breathing. It’s a part of everything he does. He trusts it, relies on it, manipulates it. It’s as easy as breathing. That’s what it is to the kids too. It’s their whole life, their everything--and Han and Leia don’t get it. Han has no Force ability, not even the barest latency like some non-Force users we know have (Jaina’s husband is an example). Leia has the Force, but she’ll never really trust it. She’ll never give herself over too it, not completely. (Bantam did a fantastic job, by the way, of explaining why Leia becoming an eventual Jedi Knight makes no sense. The Force will always have Vader in it, and Palpatine, and Leia will never, ever be able to forget it.)

So Luke understands the kids, and he knows them, and he loves them, but he can’t raise them. Because Luke isn’t really sure what his role his. Luke fights the Empire, but he doesn’t hate it. He doesn’t have the hate to drive him, and though he cares about the galaxy, he isn’t exactly into rebuilding it. He sees Leia’s place in the government, and he respects it, but it’s not for him. He forms the Jedi Academy, but he isn’t really a teacher--the Force comes too naturally to him for that. He isn’t a general, isn’t a politician, the only thing he really is is a Jedi, and the thing is--Luke has no idea what that means. Is it what his father was--a hero who saw too much and fell? Is it Yoda and Obi-Wan, tired old men who gave up on the galaxy? Is it his sister, who leads without the Force entirely? Is it merely an addendum to his name? Luke experiences, essentially, what I think many late 20-early 30 somethings experience--an existential depression, if you will. What am I? Who am I? What do I do when I can do anything but nothing really drives me? What if what I do is not enough? Do I matter? He’s crashing because he doesn’t know, and he looks at the kids and he doesn’t know how to help them. He can answer their questions and calm their fears and teach them control, but he can’t help them with the future, because he isn’t even sure really what the future is.

I guess what I’m saying is, Bantam was a curious look into what happens when your heroes--your parents, the people who are supposed to know everything--turn out to be just people. When higher level adults are just adults who lived longer. Luke and Leia and Han are people--flawed and imperfect and sometimes awful, but they’re people. It’s why I love them so much. It’s why I love Star Wars, honestly. Because it’s a story of family, and people, and generations. To quote Matt Stover “It is a story of love and loss, brotherhood and betrayal, courage and sacrifice and the death of dreams. It is a story of the blurred line between our best and our worst.”

#star wars #luke skywalker #han solo #leia organa solo #leia organa #djem reads star wars #bantam era #actual solo children #idk what else to tag this #this is really long and rambly but i wanted to get it out #seriously bantam has been rough but ive loved every minute of it tbh #what a ride

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djemsostylist · 7 years

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Okay, like, honestly all props to Mara Jade. She like, she was in love with Luke for like literally ten years, and he had no idea. She literally went to the academy every week basically for ten years, and made of the flimsiest excuses ever (oh just found some granola bars you might want, just found some random intel that is not useful to you at all) because she just wanted to see his face and Luke, god bless him, just assumed she visited a lot because they were friends and he likes visiting his friends to look at their faces too because he is the densest and cutest motherfucker in the universe, and it like, it literally took them mind bonding for him to be like, “wait you LIKE like me?” and she was like “yes, for the love of god” and then they got married and like, idk I respect that.

#queue-t #mara jade skywalker #luke skywalker #star wars #djem reads star wars

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djemsostylist · 7 years

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When FanBoys Write

I made a post a while back about why Tim Zahn, despite being the first EU Star Wars author, was not the best Star Wars author. At the time, I was mostly talking about personal taste–having made it through only the first and part of the second of the Thrawn trilogy books, my dislike of Zahn was mostly that he was boring, his characters lacked feeling, and I wasn’t hugely fond of his view on the Force.

I’ve since read 16 books which followed the Thrawn Trilogy, plus an additional 12 that came chronologically before (although were published after) and I have just started the first of the Hand of Thrawn Duology. I am not quite 6 chapters in, but I already hate it. Loathe, actually, might be the closer word. It’s not just bad…its insultingly awful, and it makes me eternally grateful that he never wrote for Del Rey.

See, I’ve read a LOT of Star Wars books. At this point, I’ve read close to 80 Star Wars books, written by 20+ authors, and somewhere around 10 (?) or so comic series. I’ve read a lot of Star Wars. Most of the these books span a variety of years, and cover a variety of subjects. Some I’ve loved, some I’ve hated, some have left me mostly bored. The one thing about all the books, however (and again, it should be noted that I do not include any of the post NJO books here as I never finished those series plus they actually invalidate everything I’m going to say here fuckyoutroydenning), was the amount of, I guess you could call it respect, the authors had, not only for each other, but for overall plot and character, and an overarching idea.

Like, Bantam was not one big plot, like the NJO. Each author sort of did their own thing, had their own special OCs, invented their own alien species, focused on their own plots. But they never invalidated anything done by other authors, they never made their OCs equal in importance to any of the actual main characters, and they played nicely in the playground. Take Stackpole, who’s books are mostly written about Corran Horn. Corran is an OC, and those novels do center around him and his life. But he doesn’t interact much with the mains (yes he goes to the academy but he’s mostly unremarkable and leaves pretty soon after and Luke has to save his ass). Corran could be called a “Mary Sue” except that he’s not really, because ultimately…he doesn’t really matter. If you never read Rogue Squadron or I, Jedi, you’d literally miss nothing. Also, he’s literally written as a mediocre everything, so…

Then we have Zahn. His OCs are the coolest, nicest, smartest, best, most awesomest people in the universe. Talon Karrde? Basically Han, but better. A smuggler with a heart of gold, who helps people and saves the New Republic and is friends with Jedi and runs a huge spy network and has the best intelligence/hackers ever. Grand Admiral Thrawn, who’s basically Vader, but better. Smarter, more intelligent, a master planner, a perfect tactician–but he was ignored because he was an alien, sadface. Mara Jade (who I do love and adore) is like, I mean, she had red gold hair and a dancer’s body (this is an actual Zahn quote I don’t make this shit up) and is also the Emperor’s Hand, like she was hand picked by him to serve and like, she is super smart and strong and a spy and a smuggler and like, she could defeat Luke Skwyalker. And literally, reading HoT, within five pages, I feel like I watched Zahn walk in, and just sweep his hand across the desk, and knock everything the Bantam writers have done to the floor so he can continue the story the way HE wanted.

Luke has spent the past 16 novels grappling with his Force use and his place in the galaxy. And while he isn’t totally sure of his place, he certainly is sure of one thing–he is not afraid of the Dark. He has gone up against countless Darksiders and truly evil people–and he emerges himself, every time. In fact, just three books prior, he was literally willing to Obi-Wan himself to Kueller just because he couldn’t bring himself to use the dark to strike him down. But suddenly, he’s grappling with the Force and having visions of the Emperor laughing at him. Oh, and he apparently never flies X-wings anymore, despite the fact that again, like three books ago he successfully piloted/bailed out of a crashing X-wing, and a major plot point of the Black Fleet books was him trying to get used to flying an E-wing because Ackbar wanted him to upgrade, and he liked his x-wing better.

Or we have Leia, who has fought countless fights to maintain the Presidency (she has been Chief of State for the majority of Bantam) including, again, just prior to this, overcoming two votes of no confidence, an Imperial plot, and a Corellian conspiracy, only to suddenly resign in HoT and turn to the presidency over to Gavrisom, some senator we have literally never heard of, despite spending almost 20 books with actual members of the inner circle of the New Republic who apparently don’t matter.

Or, I dunno, Mara, who left Karrde behind to start her own business (and have a fling with Lando along the way) only to have her suddenly back with Karrde, and when Leia asks why, Karrde (and god I hate this word) like literally steps in front of Mara to mansplain about how her business was actually Karrde’s business and she was just like, trying out being a leader for a while because she will probably take over Karrde’s enterprise someday actually (and I can’t wait for the wanky explanation of how she wasn’t actually sleeping with Lando it was all part of a long con).

Like, you can literally feel the fanboy rage as he forcibly puts things back the way he wants. We aren’t even two pages in and we’ve got Pellaeon rubbing one out to Thrawn’s perfect memory, Leia is vacationing on Wayland with the Noghri, and Karrde is already popping up to save the day twice while Luke grapples with how much Force is too much????

It’s like, I know people complain about fanboys, but honestly, until Zahn, I never felt it in Star Wars. At least, not from the materiel. The majority of the books were written by men, but I never really really felt it, ya know? Like, yeah, I definitely appreciated having women write (Hambly in particular wrote some really poignant moments I don’t think could have been eloquently captured by a man (the whole thing with Cray Mingla turning her dying boyfriend into a robot but saving his face and hands I don’t think would have been the same if written by a dude)) but we got plenty of great characters, prior plots were always respected, and character development as a whole continued–it never went backwards. But with Zahn, you get the overwhelming feeling he’s pissed someone wanted to play in his playground and mess with it, because they just don’t understand.

#star wars #the expanded universe #writing #djem reads star wars #luke skywalker #timothy zahn #he is seriously the worst

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