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coe-lilium · 4 years

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TroS reaction (1st view)

Necessary premise in bullet points:

- I liked TFA when it came out and still do but as I dug into the franchise/canon (Disney only by choice) my enjoyment of it became more lukewarm. Came out of it dreading a potential Reylo but liking the two charas on their own.

- went into TLJ worried I’d hate it, came out with it being my favorite saga movie and sold on the Rey-Ren connection, whatever road it would’ve taken. Loved the “Rey’s powerful on her own/bc the Force wants to set Kylo’s wrongs right”. It felt good after two years of being bombarded with “this fucking Mary Sue can have any power only if she’s connected to powerful men of the saga, she has otherwise no right in being powerful” in forums spaces.

- went into TroS non-spoiled, wary of Palpatine return but relatively hopeful if soured about the “JJ our lord and saviour pleease save us from evil evil Jonhson” (HA!). The rumors about lore from the tv series being featured into the movie had me excited.

That said, here goes: [SPOILERS FOR THE ENTIRE MOVIE, ENDING INCLUDED, RIGHT OFF THE BAT]

I didn’t like it. I really hope to warm up to it more in future views, there’s absolutely stuff I liked or even loved, but as it stands now it was overall a massive disappointment on many sides and -worst of all- threatens to retroactively ruin my enjoyment in other previous stories.

First, the positives:

- Parentage notwithstanding, Rey was good. Her rage, her fears, her good heart, her commitment to the fight and the training, her longing for guidance… truly, if the bloodline revelation hadn’t retroactively ruined my investment in the character and themes I’d have fully, 100% loved her even if every single other part of the movie had been the same.

Except for a brief war flashback to Starkiller game abilities (I lolled) I wasn’t even troubled by all the new abilities or their scope. Movies’ been inventing new powers since the beginning and the Force does what the Force wants. Again, fuck the genetics “twist”, garbage stuff.

- Kylo, next to… 95% that involved him? TLJ did a great job selling him to me and surprisingly this movie added to that instead of retconning it away. More competent but still stupid and petty from time to time. I’m glad he came back, glad he choose right and glad he was allowed more time on the right side than Anakin. I love redemptions and he was portrayed as wavering the entire trilogy, I don’t even really care that it could’ve done better. I’m happy for him and his family, that’s all. The kiss got a laugh out me but not a malicious one, I was kind of running out of reasonable reactions by then.

I’m just conflicted on how I feel about his death. Back when TFA was released I wanted him to survive to face what Anakin didn’t: justice (the kid-friendly setting prevented a death sentence anyway), atonement and growth from there, I still wish it happened and maintain that a different pacing would’ve allowed it. On the other hand, I’m also kinda okay with him dying. He righted at least a bit of his many wrongs, he saved a person he cared for, that his parents cared for and that could help the galaxy much more than he ever could and he was at peace. It was a good death.

- Kylo’s vision/illusion of Han. A surprise but a very pleasant, well acted one. Would’ve I maybe liked Anakin more, as Ben idolized him so much and for all the wrong reasons and because I love that disaster? Yes. Does Han work much better in the economy of the movie and trilogy story and do he and Ben have a much rawer relationship and history? Absolutely. I am a teeny tiny bit baffled as for why Luke didn’t also show up, but the actual scene was good enough I forgive it.

- Rey and Kylo bond and connection was one of the saving graces of this mess and I utterly loved it. Both actors worked their asses for for all their scenes and it payed off, oh if it payed off. Their DSII duel was perhaps a tad long but great nonetheless (Republic era Jedi jumps!), the hurt and the sense of absolute loss and grief they both conveyed -and shared!- after Leia’s passing was incredible, Rey regretting the near kill and softly going “I would have stayed, had you renounced the dark side”. She cared, yes, but not to the point of ignoring the horrors (something Anakin never quite understood). The “dyad” stuff was a bit overkill, just call it a force bond, we can see it’s freaking powerful, but the Force Skype and sharing of objects that came with the package, that I loved. Surprise lightsaber, Ren fuckers! :D Bet Anakin and Obi Wan were really jealous, that would’ve come in handy during the war.

- Finn was now fully invested in the cause, at ease, visibly happy to be with his friends, ready to bond and reach out, quick to plan, to act and to adapt to the situation, brave but cautious and calculating. I wish it was given a bit more focus, but I loved he found other young FO defectors. Also fuck yeah, he’s force sensitive and his ability is used, not just thrown in as a useless wink. Jedi Finn in future material, c’mon!

- Poe’s also grown. He was probably going to have more screen time with Leia had Carrie not died but there was nothing to be done for that. I’m not as happy as for previous 3 charas for the backstory retcon I’ll tackle in the negatives.

- Jannah was cool, the addiction of other FO defectors a welcomed one and the scene were she and Finn excitedly went over their “I broke free” moment was adorable. Good bean, I’d read more about her and her company.

- A bit lot annoyed at Bloodline being kinda tossed outta the window but getting Leia with lightsaber was nice. Give me some ancillary material to deal with the clash and I’ll fully forgive it.

- Jedi! MY GIRL AHSOKA MY MAN KANAN! I mean, I sure wish they were in a better movie, but hey, recognition for something more than the OT? No slandering of the Order but all of them collectively kicking Sidious ass once and for all? I’ll gladly take it. Anakin, my dude, I’m sorry your sacrifice was next to nullified but it was good to hear you again ;_; I didn’t hear Ezra’s voice anywhere so I can still hope he’s alive, well and with the Ascendancy teaching all their Navigators. “I am all the Jedi” remains a terrible line.

And now, oh boi. Here comes the long list of annoying - bad - stinking shit stuff:

- If I wanted to watch a 2 and half long videogame cutscenes I’d have done that in the comfort of my home without spending money for tickets. Go to level x to retrieve related macguffin, move to next level to get next macguffin and so on and so on. I liked close to everything in the DS II sequences, but what would’ve that dagger pointed at if the wreckage had fallen even a little bit differently?

In general, many plot points gave me the feeling they were stolen from the tv series and badly executed, like a mockery (or incompetence?). Case in point: Hux betraying the 1st Order out of personal, spiteful hate? Potentially good! The execution? A poor man’s Rebels Agent Kallus, already over in little more than 5minutes.

- Palpatine himself is a poorly, ridiculously poorly executed Maul resurrection storyline from tcw and rebels.

Because Maul was 1. explained and 2. got a good, long arc that made you forgive the undoubtably contrived ass-pull it took to bring him back while Sidious is just… there. You gotta accept it because the writer said so.

How did he survive? We don’t know and fuck you if you expect an explanation (they really had the absolute galls to have him say the iconic/meme line from Rots and apparently it was supposed to be enough?!) How could he “have all Sith reside inside me” when canon’s clear that Sith do-not-get-to-retain-their-individuality-in-the-Force, do not work well together (lmao) and he as an individual never gave a shit about the Sith except when they could serve his own personal desires? His entire approach to the rule of two and other Sith stuff is “fuck that noise, everything in the galaxy exist to serve me”. He’s fine dying as long as “the Sith rule”? Who IS this character, because he’s not Darth Sidious (as presented in Disney’s own canon, mind). Oh, you wanted explanations? FUCK YOU, screams the movie.

The mess gets somehow salvaged in the end as he comes to his senses and siphon the life out of Rey and Ben to de-rotten/revive himself to rule in person, now *that* was in character. Was he actually lying his ass off the entire time waiting for the moment he could siphon them? Hopefully but who the hell even knows.

In the end it just wasn’t worth bring him back. A holocron, a different Sith, even a hive-mind of old records/tainted wraiths of Sith (perhaps wearing Palps face to buy the old empire aficionados loyalty, idk) would’ve been better than “actually, Anakin suffered nearly his entire life and sacrificed himself for barely more than 25 years of peace and it still wasn’t enough to rid the galaxy of the monster who destroyed his and countless other lives”. But Johnson was the one shitting on beloved characters legacy and accomplishments, uh? Surely at least he’s got company.

Ian was clearly having a blast, so there was… that? And the initial sequence being legit creepy and the Sith storm or whatever the fuck was that. That can stay, it was cool.

- Poe, the latino character, got retconned from former Republic pilot (a backstory established before TFA came out and faithfully respected ever since) into a smuggler and gang member. Classy. What does Lucaslfilm have a story group for if not for stopping stuff like this from happening? Bonus Zorii being used for a “no homo! homo? no homo?” wink wink and for generally being a poor man Solo’s Qi’ra.

- The movie makes you worry for a character death three (3) times in a row only to immediately backpedal on it. The survivors are grieving, the scene is sober… and then suddenly! they’re alive! isn’t it wonderful? let’s insert a comical scene now that we’re at it! Sigh.

- The whole Threepio stuff was a contrived waste of time in a movie already full of more relevant plot treads that could’ve put that screen time to better use.

- Rey’s parents apparently aren’t assholes anymore bc they sold her into slavery to protect her from Sidious, which is… supposed to make it alright, a sacrifice in the name of love? If they had been shown trying to give her to a trusted person and then she was kidnapped that wouldn’t had been their fault, just unfortunate, but the movie shows them leaving their 5yo daughter with her in-all-but-name slaver so??

- Rey Palpatine… Rey. Palpatine. Gesù Cristo benedetto che minchia mi è toccato di vedere. That hurt. That was so hilariously over the top bad I just…I started laughing. On top of the entire thing, thank you so, soo much for validating all those fucking assholes who demanded Rey be connected to a powerful man in the saga to accept her powers and value, you hack. Jedi were never about power of blood and then you went and reinforced the very opposite. She ain’t powerful bc the Force recognized her as worthy to stop evil and chose to aid her anymore, she’s powerful bc grandfather was. Lovely stuff. Hilariously, now she has a lot more legit “Mary Sue” traits than before.

- Rose’s sidelining was a blatant bow to her and her actress haters whims. If in VIII she jumped at the chance of action, now she was fearful and “had to stay behind” studying maps. Fuck that noise.

- Even if she rejected it, underline is that the Skywalker line is wiped out and the Palpatine one thrives. I… just… wtf wtf wtf. A final “Just Rey” would’ve been more powerful -because now it would’ve been reclaimed- and less corny and in poor taste than a Palpatine taking on the Skywalker name. I’m not sure if Sidious is more offended or if he’s laughing his ass off in space!hell. Probably the 2nd. Bad.

- The final scene on Tatooine. It rang so empty because the planet brings warm memories only to the audience, not the characters. In-universe, that place brought nothing but misery to the Skywalkers: Anakin and Shmi were brought there as slaves and lived as such for years, Shmi was tortured to death and Anakin began his descent into the dark for crying out loud. Luke had to hide and saw his relatives murdered. Leia had no connection whatsoever to the place. The mera idea of burying Anakin Skywalker lightsaber into the sands of Tatooine and considering it a way of paying respect is… I don’t know, hilariously in bad taste? Rey, dear, what did you have personally against the guy? Put those sabers to rest on Naboo! Ah, but we can’t truly acknowledge the PT now, can we? Wack.

- It’s not TroS complete fault, that “honor” mostly sit at TFA’s feet but for all its omages, copies and almost slavish references, from a in-universe point of view it’s like the OT barely occurred.

The same evil man has been defeated (until next time?), the Republic must be rebuilt from scratch, a evil military is all over the place and must be dealt with, the Jedi Order has to be rebuilt… it’s depressing. A new evil taking advantage of the empire leftovers would’ve been one thing, but Sidious? He’s been effectively winning nonstop ever since he was elected Chancellor. He had all the power, all the influence, all the control and he maintained it all even as a rotten corpse in exile, the entire galaxy marching on his tune, controlled by his strings. And as the cherry on top of the cake he even managed to wipe out the family that could’ve, should have been his undoing! He effectively destroyed the Skywalkers. He outlived every Jedi, every survivor, every clone. I hate this. It’s sickening. I can’t even be happy Rex was on Endor anymore.

In general, the best word I can find for this movie is: coward.

So blatantly desperate to please, to be “forgiven”, to reference every single irrelevant thing -except the PT and the TV series in a intelligent way-, to throw fanservice after fanservice after fanservice no matter how nonsensical from all over that crossed the “corny” to wander into embarrassing territory many times over (Maz giving Chewie a medal outta nowhere? Come the fuck on now).

The cartoon series had twenty time the guts of this movie and I vehemently wish for Filoni to take the helm of the entire creative team in a very near future.

#tros spoilers #sw tros #star wars #star wars spoilers #tros negative #the more i think about sidious the more it sickens me #tros negativity

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zargsnake · 3 years

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My crime lord OC, Glagret, a.k.a. Knightkiller

Usually, the “secondary evil name” trope is a Sith trick (or tradition?), as with Vader, Sidious, and Tyranus. But some Sith only use one name (Maul), some Sith use a secondary good name (Revan), and sometimes non-Sith partake, too (Kylo). The titular Knightkiller is not a Sith, but her dual identity is still the core of the drama and mystery of the story.

I wanted her to be an interesting and unique woman villain, and I wanted to write about a character who is inhumanly old, and the weird, incomprehensible pain that such a long life would bring. Many other fantasy worlds have dwelled on this topic (it’s like the main theme of The Silmarillion), but I wondered if I could make it work in the human-centric, family-tragedy-oriented world of Star Wars. Hopefully her relationships with Willo, Tila, and the Jedi Order express that eerie struggle.

Though her moral parallel to Vader is obvious, her main inspiration, and really the whole story’s, was Count Dooku. Spoilers if you haven’t read the latest chapter:

I was thinking about how twisted and backwards Dooku’s behavior is (if you follow my other blogs you’ll know that trying to understand the confusing and relatively unpopular narrative of Attack of the Clones is my main purpose in life). They don’t really explain his motivation in the movie, though they do set it up as a mystery or a trick (“He’s a political idealist, not a murderer,” so the Jedi believe).

You can definitely work backwards from the fact that he’s Christopher Lee, and a similar character to Saruman, and therefore indirectly granted the extremely thorough lore of Tolkien. Why should any other writer have to work so hard again, anyway? To horribly paraphrase, Saruman was trying to stop the rise of evil by learning more about it, but he read too many bad books and that turned him evil, too. In the movies, this is simplified a bit into a character who is ruled by logic, who sees with his prophetic orb that Sauron’s victory is inevitable, and chooses the winning side. I can see the cursed scholar and hopeless pragmatist in Dooku, too.

But the far more twisted aspect of Dooku’s descent, the one which inspired Glagret, is Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon was Dooku’s student and a fellow iconoclast; they seemed to have far more in common with each other than, say, Anakin and Obi-Wan do. Dooku invokes Qui-Gon when he’s trying to win over Obi-Wan, and his words show grief and yearning (“I wish he were still alive. I could use his help right now”).

But Qui-Gon was killed by the Sith. And Dooku joins the Sith. He replaces Maul as Palpatine’s apprentice, and steps into the role that murdered his own beloved friend and son-figure. How could he do this?

You could say that Palpatine tricked Dooku. But the more sickening and heart-breaking explanation, in my opinion, is that Dooku knew exactly what happened. The Sith, the objects of all the scary fairytales from his Jedi childhood, are back, and they’ve taken away the person he cared about most in the world. But instead of fear or anger, instead of wanting revenge, he takes the exact opposite reaction. Unnatural, indeed.

I tried to explain this backwards “logic” through Glagret’s conversation with Tila. From her strange spiritual and philosophical point of view, since the death match killed her Willo, then the death match is the most powerful and worthy thing in the world, the thing most in tune to the Jedi’s own mighty Force, which she will always believe in. I think Dooku felt the same -- since the Sith killed his Qui-Gon, they are clearly the more powerful side (nevermind that Maul lost the next one). And if might makes right, a lesson his cruel galaxy and strict upbringing has taught him, then his choice is clear.

The other aspect of their fall, of course, is that the wicked side has money. I think Dooku comes from a wealthy family, and Glagret works her butt off to get the sponsorship of Senator Dinv. The cynical reading is that all their morbid “logic” is a smokescreen for their real, though perhaps unconscious motivation, simple greed. I like this reading quite a lot. I also gave Glagret this dry obsession with “fun” to echo Star Wars’ raison d’être, to make money out of entertainment. (“Fun is the one thing that money can’t buy” is one of my favorite song lyrics because of its mournful, bitter attitude toward something meant to be light. Glagret has the same attitude but the opposite view.)

Anyway I think the Dooku stuff is more interesting and unique, but once that has been revealed then Glagret turns into yet another Vader parallel (I just can’t help myself!) with the “From her position of such great evil, she can do good, it is never too late, blah blah blah.” My only note about that part is another name origin, since “Glagret” of course comes from “regret.” She seems to want to move forward, but regret will always drag her unhelpfully into the past.

In the waning days of the Republic, can we trust a person like Glagret?

(Btw I haven’t thought of a name for her species, so if you’ve read this far and have an idea please hit me up!)

#star wars #star wars oc #glagret #knightkiller #crime lord oc #dooku fandom read this and also leyr burnridge

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bonesaldente · 4 years

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Ferocious I Darth Maul x Reader

PART II OF CALIGINIOUS

Chapter 1: An Unlikely Reunion

ao3

warnings: violence, you already know the drill

word count: 3900+

This directly connects to S5E14, 08:36 (Eminence) There will be a bunch of cuts in this chapter because of... reasons. You have been warned

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Allies.

There is something extremely satisfying about the word which marks the first concrete step towards his ultimate goal of power. Power and… revenge.

These days, nothing drives Maul quite as much as his seething hatred for Kenobi, for the man who has taken everything from him: His legs, his future, and lastly, his one outlook on a life filled with more than just selfishness and hatred - a life spent with you by his side, the only person to ever make him feel something akin to… love?

He didn’t pinpoint the emotion back then, foolishly believing he would still have time. Sure, he had used the word, but never as his own feeling - when he dared use such a word, it was possessively, as all things he ever felt.

The difference seemed futile, up until there was nothing there anymore, nothing to love, nothing to hate, even. All there had been was himself.

“The Black Suns have their lair on Mustafar. We should-” Pre Vizsla’s attention is pulled away from the sentence he was in the middle of constructing and to a small group of people approaching from across the Death Watch camp. In their middle walks a woman, the only one not clad in Mandalorian armor, wearing a hood and an intricately composed mask that obscures the lower half of her face in the place of a helmet. The strategic placement of Mandalorian warriors around her makes it obvious she is not a member of the Death Watch and not entirely trusted either.

An expectant grin sneaks on Vizsla’s face, and the woman tosses a blood stained linen bag in his direction.

“His head, like you asked.” Her voice is leveled and distorted by a voice modulator.

“Never one to disappoint, are you?” Vizsla remarks, picking up the bag and taking a look inside, though Maul’s focus remains on the woman whose eyes are glued to him. It is not unusual for him to catch people’s attention due to his vibrant skin tone, but typically, fear makes them look away right after.

With a wave, the Death Watch leader dismisses the Mandalorians surrounding her and beckons her closer while pulling out a sizable pouch of credits.

“Your payment, like we discussed.”

Finally, the woman’s eyes move back to Vizsla.

“Next time, don’t ask for their head. It’s messy.”

The Mandalorian barks out a laugh and his seemingly constant amusement in non-laughable circumstances is already beginning to irritate Maul.

“Maul, allow me to introduce you; This is Spectress, a mercenary we hire to take care of the Duchess’ political friends; Spectress, Lord Maul-” Maul scowls in distaste at the Mandalorians borderline mocking use of the title, “is our newest ally.”

There is something unnerving about the way Spectress is staring at his face; the force is tickling the corners of his brain that harbor old memories of a time before Kenobi. Quiet voices whisper into his ear, ghostly fingers tracing his skin.

With his mind, Maul reaches out through the force, and all of a sudden the woman’s force signature hits him with the strength of a ship jumping to hyperspace.

The aura surrounding her has changed, matured, but its essence remained the way it had been ten years ago. When he looks into her eyes that are hardly visible under the hood, all doubt vanishes.

It is you - These eyes are the same ones he’s seen for a decade every time exhaustion forced his eyes shut, boring into the deepest corner of his mind and filling it with such longing, such yearning, that some days, he would try to use pain to keep them open, keep himself out of sleep’s tempting hands, for sleep brought the nightmares.

“Allow me to speak to this Spectress,” he briefly weighs the name on his tongue, “privately.”

Vizsla looks taken aback by his sudden interest in their accomplice, but complies and gestures to a vacant tent. “I will make the preparations for Mustafar, then.”

As soon as the fabric of the tent falls back into place behind Maul, you whirl around and force him to back into a table, pressing a knife to his neck.

“What kind of game is this?” Your eyes are wild, hood having fallen off in the maneuver. “I will not fall for some mind tricks!”

“There is no trick,” Maul’s voice remains calm, though he can’t cover up the small tremble in it as he slowly moves a finger to push away your blade at his throat, but you don’t budge.

“It is me. I survived Naboo and-”

“Impossible! I saw you die! I saw you die over, and over, and over again,” the pain in your voice is evident even through the modulator, and it sickens Maul to his stomach to think that he is the cause for your pain.

“Kenobi…” He can’t fight the growl that accompanies the name whenever he utters it. “Kenobi almost killed me, but I lived, discarded like trash, abandoned. But I made a promise to not leave you alone,” he stops when he sees your hand shaking and your head turn away from him.

Ever so carefully, he extends his hand to graze the small part of exposed skin right under your eye. “And I will keep that promise.”

Your wide eyes meet his, and your hand slowly moves to your nape, preparing to unlatch your mask, finally let him see the face he has been longing to see for so long.

Maul holds his breath, eyes never leaving yours, when suddenly-

“The men are readying for takeoff to Mustafar, we will leave in less than an hour time,” Pre Vizsla bursts through the entrance of the tent unannounced, causing both Maul and you to jump apart like you had gotten an electric shock.

“Vizsla,” Maul does his best to control his aggravation and not show just how much he would like to choke him in this very moment. “Might I propose a deal with… Spectress?”

He leads the man out of the tent.

“If we intend to utilize the underground for our machinations, employing someone with ties to the criminal world will be useful to us.”

“You suggest we keep her in our ranks?” The man does not look convinced.

Maul’s tone is insistent when he answers. “Now more than ever, it is crucial that our plans remain hidden from the eye of the republic. To ensure that-”

“She doesn’t leak information to outsiders, we keep her close to us where we can keep an eye on her!”

Maul’s eyes flutter shut in annoyance at being interrupted, though he forces himself to put on a diplomatic facade once more.

“Precisely.”

An offer like the one Pre Vizsla is presenting you with right now is not something that would ever be appealing to you - under normal circumstances, that is.

You glance at the man who claims to be the person you’ve lost a decade ago. There are questions swirling around in your head, doubts that you have yet to eliminate; you are not convinced that Maul might actually be alive, and, furthermore, stand right before you. But at the same time, you have no way of finding out the truth if you leave now, so perhaps, a more permanent position among the Death Watch would be an adequate exception to your rule of complete independence - solely a means to an end, of course.

The Mandalorian still looks at you expectantly. He doesn’t understand your dislike of allegiances and commitment: The man praises nothing above honor and the way of the Mandalorians.

“With an appropriate compensation for my efforts,” you accept, “that can be arranged.”

The flight from Zanbar to Mustafar is not too short to make you regret your decision to get more involved with the Death Watch - yet. The ship is also not big enough to get the privacy you need to confront Maul, if it really is him. All you get are stolen glances from across the cockpit and more questions in your head that is already buzzing from the events of the day. Who is the second zabrak and why, in the name of the maker, is he so big? You’ve met enough zabraks to know that they do not grow much taller than human males do, and this one exceeds the height of seven feet, almost hitting his head when he entered the ship before you.

Your fingertips tickle with the naive desire to truly reunite with Maul; in your head you know it could still all be a trick played on you by Darth Sidious to lure you out of the hideout your identity as Spectress has become. In your heart, however, you can only see the man you’ve missed so, so much that your heart still hurts just thinking about the first few years after his supposed death.

The ship lands on the uninviting planet with a dull thud and immediately, Maul leads the way out along with the other zabrak and Vizsla.

“Wait,” you speak up, causing them to stop in their tracks.

“I am familiar with the Black Suns and I have a reputation among the crime families. If I speak to them, they may be more inclined to listen.”

Vizsla crosses his arms in front of his chest, but nods eventually. You can’t help but search Maul’s gaze, and it’s only after he steps to the side that you pass them and take the lead in approaching the Falleens.

It is clear they are hostile, just by the amount of men they have gathered in front of their castle.

“A battalion, brother,” rumbles a deep voice behind you. Brother? That would explain some things, though you still wonder how Maul would have been able to find his family, if he never even knew who they were, let alone where they were. But this is a mystery to be unraveled at a later point in time, as you now reach the Falleens.

“We wish to speak to your leaders,” you declare loudly over the sound of the Mandalorians’ jetpacks. Through the modulator, your voice always sounds more certain than you yourself feel, covering up small trembles and certain emotional inflictions.

The man chuckles darkly. “It’ll be your funeral.”

You tilt your head. “We’ll see.”

He leads you to something akin to a throne room, dimly lit, just like the entire planet.

You post up at the very front of the small group, enjoying the look of recognition that flashes over the Falleens’ faces.

“Mercenary… Why do you come here?”

Maul speaks before you get a chance to reply. “We seek an army.”

“Fools. We are none of your trade,” he gestures to you condescendingly.

“My trade,” you start insistently, “knows a good deal when it sees one.” You wait for the words to sink in before you continue. “And cooperation will be your best option.”

The man only scoffs, foolishly ignoring your advice.

“Dispose of them, keep their ships and weapons. Give me that one's sword, and I want her mask hung on my wall.”

Your group does not falter and the yellow zabrak picks up one of the approaching men, throwing him onto the long table, while Vizsla points his blasters at the other.

Menacingly, the men around the table start rising from their seats. Before you know what is happening, a hand- Maul’s hand - wraps around your wrist and pulls you to the floor with him, thus allowing the other zabrak to throw his lightsaber - double bladed, you note - effectively decapitating all leaders except the one standing closest to you.

Once the weapon has returned to his brother’s hand, Maul pulls you back up, the gesture reminding you of the times you’ve been sparring with him, and going even further back, when you first agreed (against your will, back then) to work with him.

You gulp down the emotions and refocus your attention on the last Falleen in the room.

“Congratulations, it seems you have been promoted,” you comment coolly. “The decision is up to you.”

The man looks three shades lighter and slightly nauseous, but he forces a diplomatic smile.

“After careful consideration, we will join you.”

Flying back to Zanbar is a… much more pleasant endeavor than the flight there. The first steps toward the liberation of Mandalore are taken and the few other death watch warriors on the ship are visibly content with the success of the mission.

You, however, have the incessant urge to space everyone aboard, just so you can finally, finally, get a word alone with Maul. It feels so very unnecessary to act like you were strangers just to keep up an image, when you thought him dead less than 24 hours ago.

If only the ship had even one room that allowed for some privacy… How could you be so fortunate and so unlucky at the same time?

When you depart the ship, Vizsla looks like he is about to try and engage Maul in yet another conversation, but you decide you have waited long enough.

“Lord Maul, a word?” You quickly cut in.

The Death Watch leader raises his eyebrows in surprise, but you sign for Maul to follow you.

There is hardly a place that isn’t bustling with Manalorians, but you know where they won’t be.

A small sigh of relief escapes you when you see the familiar metal of your ship and you finally face him once you’ve made it to the ramp.

You take a deep breath, then push back your hood, practiced fingers easily finding the familiar latch. With an almost inaudible hiss, the mechanism holding your mask in place releases and you push it under your chin.

His eyes widen, but you don’t let yourself soak in his softening gaze.

“Explain.” You demand, unmodulated voice sounding strangely raw even to your own ears.

His mouth opens but it takes a bit until actual sounds come out.

“I… it took nightsister magick and my brother to find me. And even then, I was - I was damaged, hardly functioning. Mother Talzin repaired my mind,”

“When?” You interject sharply, selfishly feeling neglected when he was alive all this time while you were busy mourning, hiding from Darth Sidious as well as the Jedi who saw your face on Naboo, and then having to survive as a criminal in the outer rim.

Sincere eyes never leaving yours, he responds.

“A month or so.” You bite down on your trembling lip, wanting to remain vigilant but unable to stop your suspicion from disappearing.

Maul still stands at exactly the same distance as when you started talking, so as to not scare you off, you presume, but now you stupidly want to close that distance.

You notice that his hand is shaking when he slowly reaches out and, at last, grazes his gloved fingertips against your cheek.

“Believe me, I never stopped thinking about you.”

“I -” You are interrupted by a loud clunk from the ramp.

Already, you know who it is, but on instinct you still spin around with your blaster raised.

Staring back at you with wide eyes is what looks like a reflection of yourself some years back.

You look back at Maul, seeing the way he freezes upon seeing her.

“Is that… that’s not … Is it?”

For a moment you don’t understand what he is getting at, but then it clicks in your head, at about the same time that the young woman behind you understands the implication.

“You guys were- Oh, no no no-” She waves him off, cheeks tinted red.

“Loa,” you point at the girl, “Is my sister. I tracked her down some time after… Naboo.”

The girl still stares at Maul for another moment, before she picks up the crate she was carrying earlier.

“I was going to stock up on supplies,” she says meekly, “so I’ll just … leave you two, and… yeah, I’ll just go.”

Moving down the ramp, her body is shaking with a cough that pulls at your heartstrings.

Your face must have betrayed you, for when she is out of earshot, Maul asks:

“Is she sick?”

Your eyes flicker to the ground while you try to find the words to explain her condition.

“She was a slave in one of the spice mines on Kessel before I found her, and she’s had breathing difficulties ever since. And sometimes, she gets very weak, or faints.”

You despise the pity in his eyes. “But she is strong. I’ve taught her to defend herself, and she has grown up to be a remarkably cunning, honorable woman.”

“She must be,” he mumbles, “With you as her teacher.”

Maul is unsure of how to interpret your actions. Do you still yearn for him the same way he has been longing to be with you again all this time? Or have you moved on from your past, including your time with him, and outgrown the need for his companionship?

He wants to run his fingers along your face, that, while more mature, still looks exactly how it appeared in his fevered dreams on Lothor Minor, safe for a few small scars here and there. Your eyes still hold the same intelligent sparkle that they did ten years ago, but now something else, wisdom, perhaps, lurks behind them as well.

How does one proceed under these circumstances? Maul is a refined schemer, a crafty intriguer, but matters of the heart are not his forte, and understanding emotions other than rage and resentment is not something he was ever taught - or even had a desire to learn. Until you, that is.

His thought process is cut short when the deafening sound of several ships approaching the Death Watch camp catches both of your attention.

“Those are Pyke ships,” you remark with curiosity and Maul catches himself staring at your face instead of the ships.

“We should probably…” You trail off and he snaps out of his immobility.

His hearts ache when you secure your mask once more, already missing seeing your full face when you speak.

The Pykes joining his army this easily is a welcome surprise, and so is Pre Vizsla’s sudden keenness to further the assembly of it.

The Hutts, however, evidently aren’t so eager, which the knife floating inches away from his head indicates.

Bounty Hunters start closing in from almost every direction, and a shootout ensues. Maul watches you in the corner of his eye, ready to use the force to pull you away from any danger: With no protective armor and unable to block the blaster bolts, he worries you might be at risk, though a quick observation proves the opposite to be true; bodies fall to the ground all around you, and your movements are quick enough for shooters to fail at targeting you.

Still, the growing number of enemy fighters forces the small Death Watch squad to retreat to where their reinforcements are waiting.

The Mandalorians do a decent job at pushing back against the bounty hunters, but a sudden attack from the ceiling catches Maul off guard and pushes him to the ground. Two bounty hunters attack from their hide, one accompanied by an Anooba that instantly jumps onto Maul, causing him to drop his lightsaber.

He attempts to wrestle the beast off him, but its snapping jaw restrains his mobility severely, even rendering him unable to retrieve his lightsaber using the force, until through someone else, the Anooba is sent flying through the air with a pained squeak. He looks up, only to see you already fighting the zabraki woman that started the sneak attack.

Both you and Savage are gaining the upper hand over your respective opponents, prompting them to throw a smoke grenade and run away. Savage makes a move to pursue them, but your raised hand stops him.

“There is no benefit in going after them, the bounty hunters have no allegiance.”

Pre Vizsla sheathes his own saber, that very despicable smirk plastered on his face. “But you do?”

Maul follows your gaze as you look around the cave, surrounded by bodies, many of them sporting wounds that obviously stem from your weapons.

“You tell me.”

The Mandalorian laughs out, then proceeds to move back to speak to the one Hutt that hasn’t managed to escape.

Making him talk is an easy feat, as was to be expected from a Hutt - put a lightsaber to their neck, and they sing like a bird.

After disposing of the slug-like creature, some of the Mandalorians still busy themselves with looting the dead bodies, something that is not necessary anymore now that they have an army and resources, but years of living hidden must have caused this instinctual reaction. Maul’s feet automatically carry him over to where he sees you around a corner wiping your blade, distanced from the others.

Once you spot him, your eyes scan the surroundings, then you pull down your mask. Every time you do that, Maul swears he feels his hearts stutter a little bit - a strangely physical reaction for a man usually so in control of every cell in his body.

With your sleeve, you wipe off a few blood splutters that are nothing in comparison to your attire which is covered in several stains of blood as Maul notices upon looking closer.

“That is … a lot of blood,” He remarks.

“Not mine,” you counter, and the situation reminds him so much of Cato Neimoidia that he loses all previous inhibition. Finally he closes the distance between you and crashes his lips into yours, crowding you against the wall. The feeling of your lips is familiar, yet so surreal as they move against his with the same fervor that he is feeling. One hand tangles inside your hair beneath the hood, the other sliding up and down your sides, wanting to memorize every little dip and curve of your body before he loses you again.

A small gasp escapes you when he tugs on your hair, allowing him easy access to your mouth, uncaring of the growing need for air and relying purely on his force abilities to warn him before someone sees the two of you.

“You’re taller now,” you mumble against him in the small time frame that you break away to catch your breath.

“You don’t seem to mind,” he retorts just as out of breath as you are, ecstatic that you so clearly still want him when your arms wrap around his neck to pull him in again.

“I missed you,” you breathe right before reconnecting your lips with his, and he tries to tell you the same with the way he kisses you back.

Somewhere, in the back of his mind that is intoxicated with you, he senses a person coming closer, forcing him to pull away and signal you to put your mask back on should you not want your face to be known by others.

He steps away from you not one second too early; his brother rounds the corner the moment your mask is fastened with a quiet ‘click’.

“Brother, we are ready to depart in-” He does not finish his sentence, eyes flicking back and forth between you in an attempt to interpret the way you are standing a few feet away from each other awkwardly. It’s only now that Maul sees that your hood is almost off entirely, exposing quite ruffled hair. With a subtle flick of his fingers, he calls upon the force to lift your hood over your head further.

“We will be there momentarily.”

____

notes: YAY, FIRST CHAPTER! And this time, I even have a plot prepared ... Is it good? I don't know. But do I have it? I sure do. I hope you liked this very, very chaotic first chapter. I'll try to keep the majority of the story separate from actual clone wars episodes so that I have a little more freedom and not as many jumps in time, but to be honest I really wanted to start out during 'Eminence', so that's that. There will be a few POV changes in the next chapters as well, but it will mostly be you!

Comment or message anytime if you want to be tagged!

@princessayveke ; @spaghetti-666 ; @noiralei ; @larawl ; @secretnerd00 ; @bagpipes606 ; @zabrak-show ; @brilliantbutbatty ; @eleine-t1d

#maul #darth maul #darth maul x reader #darth maul x you #maul x reader #maul x you #sith #swtcw #star wars fanfiction #star wars x you

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imagitory · 6 years

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Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi Review [Spoilers]

Hey all! So I just got back from seeing The Last Jedi, so I can finally put my two-cents in on the newest installment of the trilogy. Before getting into spoilers, I will say this film is a worthy addition to the franchise, building upon concepts from previous movies while also creating new, creative imagery for this film that fits alongside the stuff that came before it. While I successfully guessed a few twists this film took, it also surprised me just as much, and I greatly appreciate that. It kept me on my toes the entire time. Overall, I would say every Star Wars fan will get something great out of this, even if they end up not liking the film as a whole.

Now then...spoilers ahead. Beware, all ye who enter here.

The Good!

+These action scenes...DAMN! I think they were easily some of the most creative and thrilling in the entire film series. Rose and Finn’s chase through intergalactic Las Vegas Canto Bight, the opening battle with the fighter jets, the confrontation at the rebel base, and the battle between Rey, Kylo Ren, and the First Order officers were all fantastic. The effects were spot-on, the music matched the movement perfectly, and the choreography of both the CGI and the actors was really well-done.

+Mark Hamill as Luke. I mean, yeah -- what can you say here except “duh?” Mark really went above and beyond here. Yes, I knew I was going to love seeing him as Luke again for nostalgic reasons, but what I love most is how much more depth Mark brought to the character, after all of the trials and tribulations he’s gone through between the films. He depicted a character who most would think would solely be a mentor figure, given his age and his beloved status, but who it turns out has his own learning curve to take on. He needs to acknowledge that while the Jedi were flawed, their philosophy shouldn’t just be completely thrown out and their old religion shouldn’t just be forgotten -- there are pieces that are still of use and should be passed on. It’s something Rey also realizes, and Kylo does not -- Kylo wants to burn everything down, including the past, regardless of the shreds of good there might be in that past along with the bad. And like Rey, as much as I was sad to see Luke go, I felt peace as it was happening. He is now one with the Force. Now he can guide Rey into the future and haunt Kylo for his mistakes -- both of which I will support him in wholeheartedly.

+Carrie Fisher as Leia. This truly was a shining performance -- I feel so beyond blessed that she was able to finish shooting her scenes before her sudden death, because hail to the motherfucking Queen, baby. When the Rebel bridge got blown up with Leia inside (good touch having it be Kylo’s men and not Kylo who did it, by the by), I literally felt myself stop breathing. But then she FLOATED HERSELF BACK TO THE SHIP TO SAVE HERSELF AND HOLY SHIT. It was actually eerie seeing Leia unconscious on the ship, as I couldn’t help but think of how Carrie had also been in a coma just before she passed...it was beyond merciful that Leia survived in this installment, and that she got to kick so much ass here. I do wonder how the filmmakers are going to handle her loss in the next movie...but wow, am I glad we got to see Carrie one last time on film, especially when she gave such a good performance.

+The focus on Poe. Honestly, Poe Dameron didn’t get that much attention in The Force Awakens, and I’m glad he got his proper share of spotlight here. I love the arc he went through and how he came to appreciate Vice Admiral Holdo’s leadership, even despite their differing approaches and distrust of each other. I think he’ll truly be able to step into Leia’s shoes as leader of the Rebellion in the future, now that he’s learned the value of human life over glory.

+The theme of rebellion being a symbol of hope to the oppressed, best exemplified by Rose and the other marginalized citizens of intergalactic Las Vegas Canto Bight. Yeah, I keep referencing Las Vegas when I talk about that planet, and yeah, they clearly modeled the look of the wealthy casinos and buildings off of it...but after having visited Vegas recently, and since I’m living in another wealthy tourist town myself (Anaheim), I must applaud the fact that they modeled the planet’s ugly underbelly to the same one that you can find in Vegas and cities like it, and actually took the time to discuss it. Where there is obscene wealth, there is also sickening, crippling poverty; where there is privilege, there will always be abuse. It ties back into the lesson Luke taught Rey about light and darkness -- how they constantly balance each other. But just like how Rey and Kylo mirror each other, being strong in the light and the darkness respectively, so too can rebellion become an equal to tyranny...and the end of the movie with the children likewise invigorated to take on the fight about to come left me feeling empowered.

+Finn’s arc from solely focusing on his friends and himself to seeing the Rebellion as something just as important to fight for. I’ve always seen Finn as a Hufflepuff or a Slytherin, morality-wise, in that he values his inner-circle over the whole world, but it was really neat to have him learn about how the world must be safe in order for the things he loves to be safe too.

+Kylo Ren killing Snoke. It felt in character and I think it will allow Kylo to go darker and become the real Big-Bad of the trilogy, since he won’t have to skirt around Snoke’s coattails anymore. Plus, admittedly, I always found Snoke sort of disappointing as Star Wars villains go, and I think it establishes how very treacherous the First Order is -- Kylo turned on Snoke, so who is to say Hux or any of his other subordinates won’t turn on Kylo? Unlike the Rebellion, whose bonds are strengthening, we’re already getting the hint of just how fragile the bonds binding the First Order together are...and that means Kylo has no one who he can truly rely on, unlike Rey, who of course has friends she can trust.

+I like that for all of the “mirroring” this film tried to do with Rey and Kylo, Rey still refused to follow him. She’s strong enough in herself and her moral compass to use her head and not trust him, even if he tries to lure her with knowledge of her parents and a promise of companionship. (I mean, seriously, Rey -- who gives a damn about your deadbeat parents, Finn and Poe and Chewie and BB-8 and Leia love you like few other things in this world! They’re your real family!)

+All of the actors gave very strong performances. I can honestly not pick out any weak links here -- they all gave it their all.

+The hacker character DJ I hope pops up again in the next movie. He seems like an interesting chaotic neutral character and since he didn’t get much of a resolution in this film, I look forward to what he’ll get in the next one.

+FINN KICKED CAPTAIN PHASMA’S ASS, HELLZ YEAH, THAT’S MY BOY. (Also, good to see Phasma having more screen time than in the last movie, even if it still wasn’t that much.)

The Not-So-Good...

+All the Reylo shipper fuel. *dodges knives* OKAY -- LISTEN. I do not support Rey/Kylo, and I probably never will, but shipping aside, here’s my problem with it -- the film did not properly convey why Rey has forgiven Kylo enough to let him into her mind. I’m sorry, it just didn’t. Kylo killed his father -- Rey’s mentor -- one of the first three protagonists that we all fell in love with in the original trilogy -- who went to bring his son back to the Light, only to get stabbed through the chest for his trouble. I just didn’t feel anything close to what Rey did when she started going, “Why? Why did you do it?” and questioning why Kylo destroyed the Jedi Temple -- I’m sorry, all I saw from Kylo in this film is that he was conflicted, not that he was sorry or had any interest in fixing his mistakes. It doesn’t matter if killing his father was painful for him -- it should be. He committed first-degree patricide. Feeling bad for your actions alone is not enough -- you then have to do something about it -- and Kylo did not do that. It felt like in some ways they were trying to parallel Padme and Anakin, where Padme likewise fruitlessly implores Anakin to come back to the Light Side even though it’s too late -- but there are a million and one differences between Anakin and Kylo, most relevant in this case being that Anakin’s reason to not turn back was out of misguided love for Padme (and later because he had no choice, since he’d alienated all of his allies and his suit basically left him tethered to Darth Sidious and the Empire), and that Kylo’s was to assert his loyalty to Snoke (and later to take vengeance against those who wronged him and assert his power). Anakin was trying to protect one of the people that meant the world to him after having known so little love in his life, while Kylo had a family who supported him, taught him, and trained him and he decided that Snoke’s approval and his own pride were more important than that. Anakin was raised to think that he was nothing -- a worthless slave -- while Kylo knew likely from the time he was very little that he was special and decided to act out because of it. Anakin’s initial fall was out of ignorance and a selfish kind of love, but Kylo’s was out of active vengeance, teenage angst, privileged frustration, and a toxic need to dominate and control. Snoke was right when he said that Kylo was no Vader, and that he instead was just a child -- he’s too immature to even acknowledge that his rationale for falling to the Dark Side and doing what he did was WRONG AND EVIL AND STUPID. That’s why I still don’t forgive Kylo Ren, that’s why I don’t think Rey should’ve been as open to him as she was, and that’s why I was satisfied by the ending where Kylo proved himself to be just as vile as I always thought he was, by blaming Snoke’s death on Rey so he can take over the First Order himself and go about terrorizing the galaxy. Someone who was truly sorry for what he’d done and had the capacity to change would’ve at the very least taken the “Zuko Alone” route and tried to recollect himself and redefine a new moral code that he can follow. As of now, the way things are now, I hope that in the final movie Kylo Ren burns, leaving nothing behind but a pile of ash, same as the Jedi Temple he burned to the ground.

+Rose/Finn. I know a few other people have said this, but...yeah. It was WAY too rushed. Honestly, the only thing I can hope for is that in the next film, Finn has to politely turn Rose’s feelings down, because honestly there was just not enough romantic chemistry built up between the two characters. I’m not a rabid Poe/Finn or Finn/Rey shipper, but I still think either of those couples had much more behind them than what this film gave Finn/Rose. Maybe this couple could’ve been written better, maybe it couldn’t have been, but regardless, it was a misstep for this film, the way it was handled.

+C3PO and R2D2 were pretty much dead weight in this movie. BB-8 remained relevant and necessary throughout the runtime, but our old veterans were basically props. They didn’t even really get that many laughs.

+Porgs may be cute, but...wow, were they oddly forgettable. I liked the crystal foxes (Vulptex?) much better.

I definitely look forward to seeing how this new trilogy ends. The messages and action of this movie definitely make me eager to see how the filmmakers will follow it up, and I hope that the few problems I did have are properly addressed. The new Star Wars trilogy is truly exciting...the possibility and potential for the next one truly are limitless, as far as I can see.

Overall Grade: B

#reviews #opinion #star wars #the last jedi #the last jedi spoilers #star wars spoilers #oh boy here i go #anti-reylo

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arwenkenobi48 · 7 years

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Love Thy Enemy ~Chapter 10~

The penultimate chapter, people! Stay tuned for the finale! :D (This was gonna be the finale but I had to halve it b/c the pacing was a bit inconsistent)

Maul’s P.O.V.

Lost. I’m lost. And yet, I can feel his presence. So close, so close. I can see him in my mind’s eye. Kenobi. Shaking in frustration and despair, I screamed at the heavens. “KENOBIIIIIIIIII!” Tatooine was a harsh planet and I had gone there without intent of leaving. No food, no water. The heat was unbearable. I was amazed that my own flesh wasn’t beginning to roast right then and there, but my mind’s deterioration was more severe. Struggling to keep myself upright, I asked myself if it was worth it. Will it end here, like this?

Then, I remembered the connection and a fresh burst of hope sprang into me. “No...no!” I forced myself back onto my feet again. I must find Kenobi. But how? How? It won’t be complete. Not unless...unless...Ezra. I know what I have to do now. I know. I peered down at a fragment of the Sith Holocron. I called for help, once again.

Ezra’s P.O.V.

Another sleepless night. I was still worried about Maul. I had a sickening feeling that he had some hidden motive for travelling to Tatooine. He wasn’t telling me and I didn’t blame him. As I was trying to force my tired mind to rest, I heard something. Or rather, I felt something. Taking care not to disturb Zeb (that Lasat could turn into a beast from Hell if you upset him), I clambered out of bed and tiptoed out of the room. I could distinctly hear someone crying.

Approaching Kanan’s room, I noticed that the room itself was empty and the door was slightly ajar. What sent a shiver down my spine, however, was the light from the fractured Holocrons. The Jedi Holocron was playing a distorted version of Master Kenobi’s message, seeming to get stuck on the phrase ‘This is a warning’. At the same time, the Sith Holocron was glowing, albeit weakly. And I could hear Maul crying inside it. “Ezra! Ezra!” He was calling in between sobs. “Help me!” His voice rose to a shout, before the Holocrons both shut down with a flash that sent me flying backwards.

My head spinning and my heart pounding, I heard footsteps and looked up from where I lay prostrate on the floor, to see Kanan standing over me. There was no way out. I would have to come clean. “It’s Maul. He’s back, Kanan. He called to me.”

Maul’s P.O.V.

Sand was getting into my gears. My legs had already seized up several times. The deserts of Tatooine were slowly drying me out. If I didn’t find Kenobi, or anyone soon, I would be a smoky husk, a silhouette in the sand. Forcing myself onwards, I tried to keep my mind - or what was left of it - from wandering. At least my hood shielded me from the sun, for the most part. Before long, the fabric began to heat up, making my horns feel like they were burning.

“Maul?” A voice called to me. I shuddered in fear. I knew that voice and hated it. “Lord Maul, rise.” I glared at the figure of Sidious, standing in front of me. “I thought you’d replaced me,” I growled. “How could I replace you if you were never mine to own?” He asked. I spat angrily at him and swung my blade at his head, but to my amazement, he vanished. Just a mirage. As I walked on again, a new apparition greeted me and an uneasy question entered my feverish mind. “Brother.” Savage stood before me, reaching out his hand. “Keep going.”

“Savage?” I whispered, staggering towards him. “Please, tell me, brother. Are there any of our kind left? Did they die because of my war?” Savage’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry, brother,” He whispered. “You are the last one left.” He began to fade from sight. “Wait! Wait!” I called, running after him. “Brother, don’t leave me! Please!” He was gone. I sank to my knees again, beating my fist against the sand, unable to stop myself from sobbing. Even as I cried, my tears evaporated in the dry air.

Ezra’s P.O.V.

Kanan, Hera, Zeb, Chopper and Rex all thought I was crazy. “So what do you think it means, Kanan?” Asked Hera. “I don’t really know.” He murmured. “Holocrons sometimes take on a life of their own.” At this point, I cut in. “It means Master Kenobi’s alive! And Maul’s trying to find him!” Rex looked sadly at me. “Ezra,” he said. “No one would like to believe General Kenobi’s alive more than I would, but Senator Organa confirmed his death.”

Everyone was missing the point. “He was wrong!” I insisted. “I know Maul’s gone looking for Master Kenobi. He could be closing in on him, but there’s something else.” “What do you mean, Ezra?” Asked Hera. “Maul’s in pain.” I replied. “I heard him calling for help. I...I think he’s dying.”

“You’ve heard him before.” Kanan pointed out. “You’ve heard him before and it was just a trick. Maul was manipulating you.” “No, he wasn’t, Kanan!” I insisted. “I’ve felt Maul’s pain before. He’s experienced the same losses I have. When we merged our minds back on Dathomir, I felt something I didn’t expect. Maul’s suffering. And I want to try to fix him.”

Kanan looked sadly at me. “You can’t save everyone, Ezra,” he said, placing his hand on my shoulder. I sighed, lowering my gaze. “I know.” I said, before pulling away and making my way towards a ship. “But I can save him.” “Ezra, please!” Hera called. “We need you here! We’re preparing to take back Lothal and nobody knows that planet better than you do!” “You know I want to help, Hera,” I replied steadfastly, climbing into a nearby shuttle. “I know you need me. But you know who else needs me? A dying man. I’m going to bring him back to life.”

To be concluded...

#darth maul #ezra bridger #Love Thy Enemy #fanfic #savage opress #kanan jarrus #this was originally gonna be the final chapter #and a loooot longer #but the pacing turned a bit crappy so i had to change it #sry everyone but maaan the tension is building amirite?#is ezra finally gonna save Maul?#we shall see #*evil laughter*#evil strawberry #angry pineapple #the new starkiller #cowboy jedi

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swfanficbyjz · 7 years

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SW AU - Fate of the Master Chapter 7

<- Previous Chapter

"Vader," Sidious hissed as the black suit appeared in the entry way of the castle. "You've failed me. I expected much better from you. You think I wouldn't find out what you've been up to? I know everything!"

"I'm sorry, master." Wheezed Vader, falling to one knee and bowing his head. "It won't happen again," he groveled.

"No it won't," Sidious said angrily letting loose purple lightning. The black suit stood, raising its red lightsaber to absorb the blow. "You dare challenge me?" Sidious went for another cast of lightning and the lightsaber was too slow to block it. It hit Vader with full force and then suddenly, an explosion so massive, it sent Sidious flying backwards.

"Now!" Anakin whispered to Ahsoka, and she leapt from the shadows igniting her white lightsabers in mid-air. Though startled, Sidious got his two red ones up in time to block her attack. She force flipped over him and ferociously bombarded him with strike after strike after strike. He blocked every swing, but seemed to have some trouble tracking her. She was too fast, and the explosion appeared to have affected his vision. His rage rose up so fast, Ahsoka could not block his assault from both his lightsaber and the purple lightning. She cried out as she flew backwards falling over debris. She was on her feet again quickly and racing at him. This time she came at him from one side, and Anakin, who'd retrieved the lightsaber from the blasted apart droid, came running in full tilt from the other.

Their offensive strikes from two sides kept the emperor so busy blocking that he couldn't force push them or use his lightning. He was still spry for his old age, and even handicapped from the bomb in the suit, neither of them managed to find a weak spot.

Somewhere far away, an explosion sounded, followed by another and another. Until Bail's voice buzzed through the comm Anakin had snapped to his wrist, "Sorry we're a little late to the party.”

"Perfect timing, my friend," Anakin replied, as he continued to break down Sidious's defenses.

"How can we help?" Bail asked through the static.

"Destroy the castle supports," Anakin said, "send this metal dung heap to the chop shop!"

"With you still inside?"

"You let me worry about that!" Anakin said slightly breathless. Neither him, nor Ahsoka had really had a chance to recover from their major surgeries, it was honestly incredible, they were doing so well. But of course, he had to think that, because suddenly Sidious found an opening in his defenses and threw him back with the force. Then he turned on Ahsoka and sent a full force of lightning at her. She'd managed to get her lightsabers up in time, but it was taking all her effort to shield the attack. Anakin was about to jump up to swing at him again, when two explosions rocked the base of the castle and the floor started cracking between them as part of the structure began to lean at a dangerous angle. The sudden movement threw Ahsoka off balance and the lightning hit her hard. She screamed in pain, lightsabers falling from her hands as she slumped to the floor.

Anakin was on his feet and jumped across the chasm between them, slashing furiously at Sidious. "You're weak!" Sidious cackled at him. "You think love will save you? Hah! Only the darkness can do that. I have so much more I could teach you, Vader. So much more power I could give you!"

"I won't listen to your lies anymore, old man!" Anakin grunted. He let his passion rise to the surface, but instead of using hate, he felt pity for him.

"I've never lied to you. I've only ever pointed you to the truth." Sidious taunted him. "Everything I told you through the years was to help you. To show you how those people that you loved only used you. How little you meant to them. But to me, you were like a son. I would've done anything for you. I did all of it for you! I paved the way for you to stand at my right side in a glorious new empire. I gave you a life the Jedi never could!"

"Don't listen to him Anakin, please!" Ahsoka begged from where she'd fallen. "The Jedi made mistakes, we all did, but it was never out of spite or manipulation. We loved you, we still do. Even though we were taught that we shouldn't. And in our love, we couldn't see you. It blinded us, Anakin. It blinded us to what you needed." The emperor tried to draw the duel away from Ahsoka so Anakin couldn't hear her anymore, but as several more explosions rocked the place, it was his turn to lose his footing.

Anakin spun his wrist and Sidious's lightsabers went flying out of his hands. He stood over his dark master; tall, powerful, and in control.

"Are you really going to kill me, Anakin? After everything I did for you?"

"No," Anakin replied. "But I doubt I'll be able to stop her from doing it." Ahsoka now stood by Anakin's side, looking just as imposing, her white lightsabers drawn in her reverse grip and she was ready to strike. Her eyes were narrowed in her distinct predatory manner; that the clones and the other Jedi had affectionately referred to as ‘kill mode.’ "There can only be two," Anakin said after a moment.

Sidious's eyes widened as Ahsoka lunged forward. With incredible speed, she blocked his stream of lightning, spun to the side to build momentum and slashed a lethal blow down his chest. "You two? Inherit the Sith?" He gasped as blood gushed down his robe.

"Why not?" Ahsoka snapped. "After all, neither of us are Jedi anymore. You made sure of that."

The castle tilted, creaking as overhead beams snapped like they were twigs.

"Time to go," Ahsoka said turning to run, but the piece of floor they were all on dropped from underneath them and they went sliding down towards the lava below. She managed to catch a jutting beam and, believing that Anakin would also find something to grab onto, she flipped upwards to grab a piece of flooring that was still horizontal. She was about to climb up when she heard Anakin call out from somewhere below. Between the heat waves and the debris, she couldn't immediately see him. And then her heart nearly stopped in her chest. He was dangling by one robotic arm at the very edge of the broken floor. Holding onto his feet was Sidious, trying to pull him down with him. "I'm coming!" She cried out with pure panic in her voice. She let go of her hold and went sliding fast down the floor piece, grabbing his hand just as it slipped off the edge. She barely got ahold of something with her other hand as the floor piece dropped completely vertical and debris from above rained down on top of them. She couldn't hold him, he was slipping.

"Let me go," he said. "My life has no value anymore."

"It does to me!" She cried, gritting her teeth, willing her hand to stop from being so sweaty, her hands were burning from the hot metal.

"Ahsoka," Anakin breathed. "I..." but he couldn't finish his sentence. Ahsoka glanced up at the pipe that was slipping from her hand. She felt something in the force and then, she let go. All three of them started falling towards the lava below. Sidious, realizing that they'd given into death just to finish him, let go of Anakin's mechanical ankles and fell away, hitting something with a sickening sound. He bounced off and fell into the molten river. Ahsoka still holding Anakin's hand, leveled out, spreading her limbs to slow her fall. Anakin did the same, and they both force flipped, landing on the open loading ramp of the ship rushing by below. The same thing Sidious had bounced off of. It was the ghost!

---

Anakin and Ahsoka held onto the edge of the cargo door as the ramp started closing. "Is he really dead?" She asked as the last thing they saw was the fortress collapsing completely into the molten lava.

"I think so," Anakin said quietly. "I can't feel him anymore."

"Good." Ahsoka sounded relieved, he glanced down at her. "I'm sorry about your home."

"It wasn't my home, it was my prison." Anakin said, trying to control the emotion in his voice. "I'm not too sorry to see it destroyed. In fact, let's make sure no one ever builds anything here ever again. This planet is off limits!"

"Here, here!" Came a voice from behind them and they turned around to find five people staring at them plus an old c-150 droid.

"Ahsoka!" Ezra spoke first sliding down the ladder to greet her. "I'm sorry we didn't come back for you! We thought you were gone for sure! I'm glad that's not true!"

"That means a lot to me," she replied smiling at him, "but don't be troubled by it, I wouldn't have been there if you had come back."

"How did you get out of there alive?" Ezra asked, eagerly.

"Well," she started, glancing at Anakin, "I thought I was a goner, and then out of nowhere, my old master swooped in and rescued me." She felt him clench slightly next to her. They both knew that wasn't quite what happened.

"You're Anakin Skywalker?" Ezra said with awe, turning towards him.

"I was once." Anakin replied shifting uncomfortably from the probing gazes. "Maybe I still am." Only Ahsoka understood what he truly meant by his words.

Before Ezra could start bombarding him with questions, Ahsoka stepped forward and took charge of the conversation. "Master," she said, noting his grateful smile at her redirect of the conversation. "I'd like you to meet Ezra, Sabine, Kanaan, Zeb and chopper. And I’m assuming Hera is flying the ship." Anakin nodded at each of them. "And of course, you already know Rex."

"It's good to see you alive, general." Rex said, saluting him.

"The feeling is mutual, captain." Anakin replied.

"You too, commander." Rex said softer, turning to Ahsoka. Seeming to sense their need for privacy Kanaan herded everyone out of the room so the three of them could catch up.

---

"I didn't want to say anything in front of them because I'm not sure they know the truth, but I feel like I deserve an explanation." Rex spoke first.

"Yes," Anakin said simply. "You do. Both of you do. I let Chancellor Palpatine manipulate me into believing my friends were really my enemy..." Anakin started and then his voice faded as he was overcome with emotion. Ahsoka put her arm around his shoulders and leaned into him.

"An explanation is needed, but maybe not right now." She said protectively. Rex nodded at her. He didn't appear to want to completely trust him again and she didn't blame him. He hadn't been with them as they rediscovered each other. All he knew was that Anakin had become the Sith Lord they were running from. Which meant of course, that the man Rex had always looked up to was responsible for horrendous acts of violence and death. Including, killing the Jedi at the temple on Coruscant, and leading the clones that hadn't removed their chips to do it. And Rex, had taken that part personally.

"The short answer," Anakin said, swallowing hard, "is that I couldn't control my emotions. I failed as a Jedi. And every time I got attached to someone, they got hurt. And out of fear of losing those closest to me, I was taken in by the promises Sidious offered to help me keep them alive. I just never thought about what it would cost to do that."

"It cost nearly all the lives of the people who loved you and trusted you!" Rex spat in a rare outburst of anger. "Plus hundreds of thousands more! You want us to just forgive you? Just like that?" He turned and started pacing back and forth, rubbing his hand over his bald head, muttering to himself. It was probably something he did often to control his emotions, just nobody would normally see it when he had his helmet on.

"No," Anakin replied. "I don't want forgiveness, or pity, or acceptance. I want to face justice for what I've done. I can't bring them back, I know that. But, there's still a fight that has to be won. The empire has no idea that their leader is dead. It will take time to bring the galaxy back into balance. Let me help you with that first, and then I will accept the punishment of my actions."

Rex stilled, and turned back to them. He looked at Ahsoka as if for advice.

"Nothing will ever right the wrongs that have been committed on all sides..." she started tentatively, "but Anakin is right, there's still much to be done and we could use his help restoring order. And perhaps when it is all said and done, the sentence will have already been served." She didn't have to say more. Both men seemed to understand what she meant. Whether he went to a jail cell or not, he would have to, for the rest of his life, live with the guilt of his actions. The remorse, the pain, and the scars. And they would shape him as the future unfolded. Who he became now, depended on how he dealt with that grief. But at the very least, he deserved the chance to atone for what he'd done. Even if he couldn't undo it.

Rex nodded and said at last, "I certainly have missed fighting by your side." He turned and climbed the ladder heading to the cabin.

Sabine stepped through the door just before he reached it. "Sorry to interrupt," she said, "but senator Organa is requesting your presence on his flagship. Both of you," she said indicating Anakin and Ahsoka. They smiled and started up the ladder behind Rex. Anakin passed by Sabine with a nod, but she stepped in front of Ahsoka before she could exit. "You sure you want to meet the senator in pajamas?" She mused.

For the first time since Ahsoka had demanded to go with Vader when he left Malachor, she thought about all the crazy things that had happened. And she was suddenly self-conscious. There was just too much to explain, and she had no idea where to start.

"Hera or I have some spare clothes if you'd like." Sabine offered. Ahsoka looked down at the royal blue satin pajama pants that were tucked hap hazardly into her gray boots. The slightly too large, long sleeved, button up top, pinned to her sweaty skin in weird places after she'd put her lightsaber belt and chest plate back on. She could only imagine how silly she must look, and she couldn't stop the laughter that erupted from her mouth.

"Thanks, Sabine," she said recovering at last, "but I think Bail will understand." She walked past her, head high, genuine smile on her face for the first time in years. If you can't be confident in the face of absolute insanity, what's the point?

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