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gingermaybel · 1 day ago

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Hi Noshir! Want to say I love Jedi Survivor and the complexity you brought to Bode. Made me love him and hate him at the same time.

But I've always wondered- do you HC that Bode knew about Cal's psychometry? The blaster he gave Cal easily could have given away his true intentions. Was Bode that skilled at keeping himself hidden away that he left no emotional imprints in general? Or did he do his research before infiltrating Cal's crew/family and knew about that ability. I realize from a story standpoint why the blaster carried no memories, but I was wondering if you had any thoughts on if Bode purposely made sure to keep any emotional clues hidden from Cal.

Also want to say I absolutely love the evil laugh Bode had at the end of the game during the final fight. I loved it so much I made a video clip of it. So chilling! And a complete 180 from the Bode of the first half of the story.

Thank you for bringing Bode to life for us. ❤️

Oh man, what an insightful question. So, I don't know if this will help or not, but...

I think the web of ISB is frighteningly vast when the machinery is compelled to move accordingly. And when it comes to hunting down Jedi, it moves very well indeed. When we meet Bode, he was referred to Cal and his crew by Saw Gerrera... I think, between Bode committing to joining Cal's crew, and actually running the mission together to secure intel from Senator Sejan, there was a significant amount of time. And I think, in that time, an astonishingly large number of individuals who had met or run ops with Cal disappeared. The rendition process for enemies of the Empire would be terrifyingly efficient... and information extraction is a key skill of the ISB, from crude methods like the IT-0 Interrogation Droid to Force-Enhanced Interrogations. Slowly, a library of data was built up about Cal Kestis and his crew.

Cal doesn't really go to extreme lengths to hide his Jedi roots when he's running ops... all the ISB had to do was slowly, carefully infiltrate Saw Gerrera's resistance force and start identifying individuals who had crossed paths with Cal Kestis. Especially folks who had run with his team on missions. It would quickly become apparent what Cal's skills are, as I'm sure Saw would make certain to put them to good use. Cal's psychometry is a powerful skill for gathering intelligence... it would have become commonplace for Imperial items of value to run through Cal's hands, if only to see if there was valuable memories / events to be gleaned.

After Bode gives Cal the blaster, we still see him use dual-blasters all over the place. So... I can certainly see Bode finding a blaster, setting it aside somewhere, and then having it on-hand for that moment. It's also very possible that his time as a Jedi Knight working for Republic Intelligence gave him the training to use his Force Cloak ability to resist Force-Specific information gathering techniques. Cal's psychometry seems to often be tied to moments of powerful emotional or spiritual happenings... if he could just read anything and everything, he'd probably go crazy. There is, also, another side of this worth considering - Cal's psychological profile. Like many psychics from other stories, I'm sure Cal has developed a strong internal set of rules for when he uses his psychometry. Because if he just went around reading anything he could, I'm sure his teammates would see that as a real violation. Cal strives to embody the Jedi principles to the extreme... it may have been a safe bet for Bode that Cal would reject the chance to use his psychometry on the blaster because Bode is a friend, and he doesn't want to be eves-dropping on someone he respects and cares about.

Damn... I talk to much. Hahaha

Also, as for the laugh... honestly, I don't remember it! I'll have to look for your clip.

I will say this, though... for my personal take on it, Bode never actually intended to kill Cal. For all the crazy shit he does in that final battle, there were key moments where I left hints that Bode was still thinking rationally. When he's beating down Cal, and BD intervenes, Bode freezes for a moment, and then backhands BD out of the way. For a lot of fans, this was the moment where Bode became irredeemable. Which is funny, because for me, it was the moment he chose to spare BD. In full rage, Bode could have Force Crushed BD like a soda can. He could have grabbed BD and used him to bludgeon Cal to death. But he doesn't. He pauses for a moment, and then CHOOSES to swat BD out of the way. Why?

Bode knows that Cal is a better Jedi than he is. But more importantly... Bode has lost too much of himself to be a good dad to Kata anymore. He has fallen too far, and he knows it. When he asks Cal how far he'd go to protect Kata, Bode already knows that he's going to test him. And he knows that he will die in the process. Because that is the final test...

I think Bode, like many Jedi who were not enmeshed in Jedi Council politics, had reservations about the direction things were going. The insular, conservative nature of the Jedi Order led directly to its downfall. And there were many Jedi through those final years that had argued that things need to change... but nothing happened until it was too late. Bode truly believes that to survive in the world they are now living in, a Jedi must be willing to bend some of those rigid principles... and he pushes Cal to the breaking point. Making him so desperate and so angry, that he embraces his darker nature long enough to kill his adversary. Because, in Bode's eyes, that is exactly what Cal will need to do to keep Kata safe. And Bode will not rest until he is sure that Cal can go there.

This is super super deep BTS, but in the scene where Cal first meets Kata, Bode comes in and tells Kata that Cal is a friend. As I did so, I signed the letters O, K to Tajinae (Kata's actress). I had decided that they would have a silent form of communication because Bode would often have to say one thing out loud while needing Kata to know to do the opposite. So when Bode signs, "OK," to Kata, he's letter her know that Cal is safe to be around.

On one of the takes of Bode's final moment, Cameron shot me, and as I lay there, I reached out and signed, "O..." and then he shot me again. I was dying, and in that moment Bode silently tries to let Cal know, "It's okay." Because this is what Bode needed. And the only way he was going to be allowed to let Kata go, was through the actions of his best friend.

#I’m sitting here taken aback and like #😦

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gingermaybel · 16 days ago

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Star Wars Time Travel Rec List

About time I put together a General Rec List for Star Wars Time Travel, yeah?

Organized by the time-traveling character(s). I'm adding a star for my favorites that imo you have to read. I'm not going to claim that those are necessarily the best, because I feel like that's not objective and also kinda mean to the ones that are good since they might just not be to my personal taste, but they are my favorites.

Obi-Wan

Anakin Skywalker

Ahsoka

Clones

Other Prequels-Era Characters

Two or more people

Luke or Leia

Other

Tagged authors where I could. If they aren't tagged, I either couldn't find their tumblr, they have their settings such that no one can tag them, or they blocked me for one reason or another.

Obi-Wan

It Was Another Time and I Another Man by Pell_Binterhol - under "Groups"

Ashes To Ashes, Dust To Dust by @livsy ~35k+, complete Obi-Wan is a time traveler, mental from the OT. What makes it unique is that the fic is from Anakin's POV. It's a very heartwarming piece.

⭐Take it from the top and try again by @mauverawrites ~170k, series - two fics complete, more on the way Possibly the best way to describe this series is as the platonic ideal of an Obi-Wan time travel fic. Weird Force stuff? Check. Obi-Wan having spent years on Tatooine? Check. Qui-Gon surviving? Check. Obi-Wan doing some shady illegal stuff to get money and infiltrate crime rings so he can save the galaxy? Check. Anakin being adorable as an initiate, and Shmi being saved from Tatooine? Check. Surprise Feemor? Check. It's all the bits you (or at least I) hope for when opening a new Obi-Wan Time Travel fic, and it never feels stale or repetitive or cliche. It's just a Very Good Fic.

The Exchange by @misslearn - under "Groups"

An Abundance of Obi-Wans by The_Last_Kenobi (orphan_account) ~45k, abandoned Unfortunately we'll never know how this ends, but it's a lot of fun while it lasts. Baby Obi is being haunted by three ghosts of his future self.

A Padawan at War (Again) by @itstimeforstarwars - under "Groups"

Free Jedi to Good Home by @itstimeforstarwars- under "Groups"

These Paths by HiddenEye - under "Groups"

⭐the massive machinery of hope by @killbothtwins 150k, complete Do you want comedy? Yes, you do. This one is great. Go read it. It's one of my favorites for a reason, and the reason is that Obi-Wan is a sarcastic little shit with a billion quips.

Living Memory by elsa3beth 353k, on hiatus, possibly abandoned? Obi-Wan Time Travel, leans a bit more heavily into the distrust and despair surrounding Anakin (due to Vader things from the future) than most.

⭐The Desert Storm/Rise and Fall by @blue-sunshine-mauve-morning ~1.6m (1592k), ongoing This is one of the longest, most consistent, best-regarded time-travel fics in the fandom for a reason.

⭐Reprise by Elfpen ~560k, ongoing Another Obi-Wan time-travel fic, this one using that favored cover story of "Ben is Obi-Wan's biological uncle," and I love it so much for how it explores both characters and political events.

Realign the Stars by @fortunerainwrites, @TerinAngel - under "Groups"

Current of Fate by @feybarn ~195k, on hiatus? It's been so long since I read this one that I can't quite remember what it was that I liked about it so much, and it's too long to do a reread right now... but I do remember loving it, especially when it switches to an outsider POV for the second fic.

Anakin Skywalker

The Exchange by @misslearn - under "Groups"

A Padawan at War (Again) by @itstimeforstarwars - under "Groups"

Free Jedi to Good Home by @itstimeforstarwars - under "Groups"

War Drums by @intermundia ~91k, ongoing Vader travels back to TPM. Runs off with Obi-Wan into the stars to Achieve Some Goals to take down Sidious. Gets quick-aged to 19 by some Dathomiri magic. Projected to be Obikin.

These Paths by HiddenEye - under "Groups"

Old Promises by @threebea ~65k, ongoing Time Traveler Anakin panic-kidnaps Initiate Kenobi. Absolute disaster of a man.

An (Un)fortunate Haunting by @kooriicolada, @scarletjedi 3.5k, oneshot Anakin thinks the Vader ghost haunting him is a hallucination. This one is technically more than just Anakin, but it's... mostly Anakin.

⭐Force of Many Sights by DAsObiQuiet ~480k, on hiatus? Vader to TPM, possessing his younger self. This fic has a heavy, and much-appreciated focus on therapy as it functions for someone of Vader's... particular situation. This is also technically a "Groups" series, since it's also got Siri Tachi as a time-traveler, but her POV is much smaller, and it takes... I want to say about 100k words for her to really start playing a more active role in the plot.

Realign the Stars by @fortunerainwrites, @TerinAngel - under "Groups"

Ahsoka

I don't know why all the good Ahsoka time travel fics are her as part of a team, but they do in fact fuck, so. I LIED I forgot to bookmark one of the Ahsoka fics I like.

Free Jedi to Good Home by @itstimeforstarwars - under "Groups"

These Paths by HiddenEye - under "Groups"

Realign the Stars by @fortunerainwrites, @TerinAngel - under "Groups"

Living in Borrowed Time by @scribbling-albatross - under "groups"

⭐Although He Smiles by @autumnillustration - ~157.6k, ongoing This one is amazing, it's an Ahsoka main, and she is very funny with Padawan Obi-Wan and adorable with 9yo Anakin. Lovely.

Clones

love is with your brother by Petrichor (Mythmaker) ~8k, complete TCW Rex bodyswaps with his baby self. POV is Ahsoka during the clone wars.

Free Jedi to Good Home by @itstimeforstarwars - under "Groups"

These Paths by HiddenEye - Rex and Cody - under "Groups"

Realign the Stars by @fortunerainwrites, @TerinAngel - Rex and Cody - under "Groups"

Living in Borrowed Time by @scribbling-albatross - Rex - Under "Groups"

⭐Dominoes by meridianpony ~380k, ongoing All five Dominoes go back to the beginning, from the points of their deaths! (Disclaimer: Echo's treated as having died at the Citadel. I think the fic started before his survival was revealed.) Technically this is a group, but all five are clones, so...

Other Prequels-Era Characters

there is no death by @ashkav ~140k, ongoing There is something really cool about Cal Kestis time travel fics, especially when he's got a decent amount of knowledge of The General Situations (e.g. Anakin will become Vader) but is missing so many details, like Why and How.

⭐An Echo in the Force (a whisper in a cave by @stardust2flame ~8k, complete Feemor is trapped in a time loop. This was actually written as a gift to me, so it has a special place in my heart.

⭐Mace Windu Fixes the Timeline... And Breaks it in Whole New Ways by AbsentmindedAuthor98 ~52k, ongoing Absolutely choice series based on an AU by @suzukiblu. Mace Windu does some time-traveling. He takes on Anakin as his padawan on an impulse, but he ends up doing his damnedest to be a Good Master for the kid. Depa helps.

Twilight on Owl Creek Bridge by @yellowocaballero - Fox - under "Groups"

Make a Brand New End by @batshieroglyphics ~120k, I think on hiatus Another Feemor fic! This one's not time-loop, just time travel. Lots of juicy Qui-Gon drama.

⭐Not a Good Man by @feybarn ~28k, ongoing Imperial era Boba Fett goes back to AotC. He decides to fix things, partly by trying to get his dad to fall in love with Obi-Wan Kenobi.

a distant fire is burning by e_va ~47.5k, ongoing This is another Cal fic! It's got video game logic in it. Also, Anakin and Cal are both being so weird about sort of being adoptive brothers, it's great.

⭐They Don't Care About Us by @ironhoshi Time traveler Boba! And Cal! They're doing great, sweetie. Their best. Obi-Wan and Jango are mostly just confused. (Has anyone checked on Anakin? Someone needs to go check on Anakin. Again.)

Groups

It Was Another Time and I Another Man by Pell_Binterhol ~200k, incomplete This is a very fun fic that involves multiple time-travelers from multiple points in time. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon from the Legends novels are pulled forward into TCW, and Old Ben and Luke are pulled back from the OT, and some spoilers as well.

⭐The Exchange by @misslearn ~120k, complete A swapping-style time travel. RotS Anakin&Obi-Wan end up in TPM, and TPM Anakin&Obi-Wan end up in RotS. Shenanigans ensue. (Also trauma.)

⭐Can We Start Over? by @triscribe ~22k, ongoing Most of the Jedi have time-traveled from the points of their deaths to about a year pre-AotC. Some handle it better than others. The POV is Aayla, which I find very cool.

A Padawan at War (Again) by @itstimeforstarwars ~183k, ongoing It's technically more of a de-aging than a time-travel, but hey! Still a good read! TPM Anakin and Obi-Wan take the place of their TCW selves, who no longer exist.

⭐Free Jedi to Good Home by @itstimeforstarwars ~complicated as the second fic has been hidden, ongoing This is one of my favorite series, but as you can see by the above, it's in a bit of a timeout right now. Bookmark it for later? Also, there's an entire side series called Inspired By One Hundred Hours To Rearrange The Stars.

These Paths by HiddenEye ~90k, complete Our five TCW mains (Obi-Wan, Cody, Anakin, Ahsoka, Rex) are booted forward to the Original Trilogy. The latter three are deaged to their TPM ages (9, 4, baby respectively). Also it's CodyWan.

Twilight on Owl Creek Bridge by @yellowocaballero ~33k, complete Leia and Fox time travel! This one is very dark. That said, it has a comedic counterpart that I love, which is only available on tumblr: ⭐Fox & Leia's Holiday Special

⭐Realign the Stars by @fortunerainwrites, @TerinAngel ~68k, abandoned Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka, Rex, and Cody, from TCW to TPM. Despite the unfinished state, I cannot deny the oddly intense level of influence this fic has had on my own approach to star wars time travel fics.

⭐Living in Borrowed Time by @scribbling-albatross 118k, ongoing Rex and Ahsoka are time-travelers! They are so, so very fucked up. Sure do wish they had access to therapists that could actually be cleared for knowing their Extensive Lists Of Traumas. This one definitely had a huge impact on how I characterize Rex and Ahsoka since I entered the fandom.

Luke and Leia

Twilight on Owl Creek Bridge by @yellowocaballero - Leia - under "Groups"

There is another Skywalker by WabiSabi ~85k, on hiatus? Time-Traveler Leia! Mentally in the sequels, physically in her thirties, and chronologically in the clone wars. Also Luke's sharing space in her noggin.

Shifting Sands by @chancecraz ~180k, ongoing "Ongoing? But it hasn't updated since 2021!" The last time it updated, the chapter was 65k, after over two years of radio silence. Trust me when I say that the lack of recent updates means nothing for this author. Anyway, Sequels Leia to about a year pre-TPM, hangs out with baby Anakin and Shmi and then neatly inserts herself in the plot.

⭐Of Queens, Knights, and Pawns by @chancecraz ~860k, ongoing Same author as above, same disclaimer for the gap since last update. Sequels Leia does a mental time-travel into her ANH self, specifically the 'being tortured on the Death Star' moment. It's so fucking good.

Old Man Luke by @scarletjedi ~110k, ongoing Sequels Luke to TCW! He is very cryptic, channeling the Jedi who taught him! Fun!

⭐Sith Lord Swell by AMournfulHowlInTheNight ~53k, ongoing Luke and his students (including Ben Solo) travel back in time to a bit before AotC. They decide the best way to proceed is to pretend they are Sith Lords. This is primarily a comedy fic. Luke really enjoys fucking with people.

⭐Don't Look Back by @this-acuteneurosis ~700k, ongoing Post-OT Leia (after the deaths of most of her friends) physically time travels to a year or two before AotC. She is taken in by the Lars family, and then she and Shmi start to head for Coruscant, run into Padme, and join the Nabooan government in Padme's employ. Do you want a fic that feels like 70% politics and logistics and trade routes? Because that's what this is and it's great.

Other

The Way of Conquest by pagination ~76k, ongoing There is something very funny about the time-traveler not even realizing they are about thirty years into the wrong time. Din has no idea when he is. Grogu does, but he's not telling.

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