guardian-andi

[guardian-andi]

Chapter 15: Descent

Airspeeders roared overhead as Robyn made her way towards the dark alley. Nar Shadaa was every bit the cesspool she had heard about. Even without her armor, she was getting glares from every lowlife she came across. She had decided to swap into more inconspicuous clothing, wearing a simple cropped red jacket and long cargo pants that made her seem like every other civilian who walked the crowded streets. Chills ran up her spine every so often as she walked further into the darkness. She wasn’t used to this unprotected feeling, and the lack of weight on her body made her feel exposed, vulnerable. But at least she still had her saber, a harness held it clipped onto her back underneath the jacket, easy to access yet concealed enough to not single her out. 

Her footsteps echoed while she walked into a square-shaped clearing behind the tightly packed buildings, with fluorescent lights providing an unnatural light into the corners. In the center, she found her target, a group of Weequay leaning on a still-running speeder. They regarded her with gap-filled smiles as she stopped just past the entrance. They definitely fit the bill of her contacts; low-level pirates dumb enough to go around telling stories about a “Weird guy in a mask” at every bar to any ear that would listen. Still, they were her best shot at finding Endari. It had been months since she had been given her final chance, and information had been far from forthcoming. The closest she had gotten was a collection of reports regarding smuggling and pirate activity, a couple of systems from where she had last encountered him. She should have just gone back to the village and questioned each and every person there; someone must have known what happened to him, and a threat here or there would have gotten it out no problem. But something about this string of incidents called to her; she felt connected to them somehow. 

“Sooo are you going to do business or what?”

The pirate’s gruff voice brought her back from her recollection. Her emerald eyes glared at the weequay as she fished a handful of credits from her pocket. 

“Depends on if you’re good on your word.” She said calmly before tossing the bundle through the air. The lead man caught it before looking over the amount. His cocky smile grew, despite a large med patch taking up much of his chin. He dropped her credits into the speeder and began to walk towards her. The crewmates followed suit, and soon she was surrounded. Robyn did her best to stay calm, putting forth the image of a calm and experienced buyer. But inside, she took count of all of them as a series of possible escape scenarios played out in her mind.

She could push past and take their speeder.

Her saber would make quick work of them.

Stealing one of their blasters would allow her to run and fight at the same time.

But for now, she pushed those thoughts down; she needed the information first.

“Alright, so me and my boys and here recently broke off from our old boss, and it seems he didn’t exactly like us taking some cargo as part of the severance package.”

His companions chuckled as he made what she guessed passed for a joke in this line of work.

“So, he sent his own little personal crew after us, and well, I’m not too scared of some little girl and her band of babysitters. I mean me and the boys I could easily hunker down and shoot anyone dumb enough to come lookin.”

He had begun pacing in front of her before she clamped a strong hand on his shoulder. His friends all placed their hands on their blasters and stepped towards her.

“Are you going to keep wasting my credits, or finally get to the point?” She muttered through clenched teeth. Yet his smile persisted as he chuckled and gestured with his hands for the others to stand down.

“Sure, kid, just wanted to give you the full picture.”

She pushed him away with a shove before nodding for him to continue. 

“The short of it is we did a decent job getting away from their pirate preschool until some maniac in a mask tackled me from the top of a building! Lost some of my favorite teeth from that!”

His compatriots’ chuckles were cut short by a stern look from their boss.

“So what? That doesn’t make him a Jedi.” Robyn said calmly before his face returned to the self-assured smirk that had previously plastered his wrinkled face.

“I’m not finished; I was able to take a couple shots at him.”

The man mimicked aiming down the sights of a blaster with his fingers.

“Now I consider myself to be a pretty good shot, especially when the sorry son of a Hutt is right in front of me. But something was up with this guy.”

Robyn’s cocked her eyebrow at this, maybe this pirate wasn’t a complete idiot.

“It was like he could see my shots comin’, I’d shoot, and he’d already be moving before I even felt the gun kick. I could only squeeze off a couple before he grabbed me. Now I don’t care who you are, there is no way anyone’s good enough to dodge blaster shots less than five feet away from them.”

He took a moment to pull himself from this recollection as his smile faded, then returned as he looked her in the eyes once more.

“That is, unless you’re one of them crazies with a light saber.”

He pantomimed a mockery of lightsaber combat. For a moment, Robyn contemplated giving him a demonstration as the crystal within her saber called to her mind. It had tried a lot in the last few months, and the saber acted like it was almost bored with the lack of combat. For now, she decided to settle for simple sarcasm.

“Or you’re not as good a shot as you think you are.”

A dry chuckle left the pirate’s throat before he responded.

“Oh, be careful, girl, I might make you test that theory.”

At that the other scum around her let out their cacophony of laughter as she could see them shift to their weapons again. They were getting far too cocky for her liking.

“No need, just tell me where I can find this crew and I’ll be out of your hair getting rid of your problem for you.”

At that, he seemed to think for a moment, scratching nonexistent hair on his chin before turning a sly look to her.

“Well, as much as I’d love to take you up on that offer, we aren’t exactly in the business of giving up free info. Anything else is gonna need more motivation.”

He rubbed his fingers together in front of her face, which only served to push her annoyance closer to boiling. The feeling from the saber on her back returned with a force, and she felt very inclined to listen.

“He must have knocked more than your teeth out if you think I’m paying again. I gave you credit for information, now all you’ve given me is story time. Now either give me some kind of location or give me a refund for wasting my time.”

The words spat out of her mouth as her hand twitched. Her eyes glared into his and she could tell this scum was not going to budge. As he glared back, she blinked, and in her mind, she saw him pull his blaster and press it to her head. Muscle memory acted before her brain could, as it grabbed her saber and keyed its switch. Swinging up while the blade hissed to life, the pirate’s half-drawn blaster flew into the air. Followed by his arm. With her right hand, Robyn caught the descending firearm and pressed it to the weequay’s head. The crimson blade screeched like a banshee as the pirate’s blood evaporated in its crimson heat. To the other pirates, the hiss was a defiant scream that scraped up their spines as they heard it. But to Robyn’s ear, it was a voice, the hum of the blade reveled in the bloodshed, its steady thrums laughing from the desperate fear she could sense from every other being in that alley. Her mind filled with ideas on how to kill each one with brutal efficiency, using their fear to fuel her rage. With each envisioned strike, it felt like her blade was grinning.

It took her far too long to realize she was smiling with it.

“WAIT WAIT WAIT PLEASE!”

Her mind was shaken from this dark place by the injured leader who had fallen on the ground in front of her, holding his still-smoking stump. Robyn took a moment to shove away her fear; instead, she decided to use theirs.

She crouched down over the wounded weequay as he seemed to fumble for something in his pocket before pulling out a small data stick.

“He-here, should be coordinates for an old drop site. They’ll probably still be running around that sector!” 

His hand and voice shook with equal intensity as he looked up at her.

She holstered the gun in her jacket before grabbing the data stick and placing it in her pocket. Robyn stood up and stepped away from the groaning pirate. The others simply stood there, clearly still stunned. She rolled her eyes before gesturing to the nearest pirate with her blade.

“Look, you can either try your luck and see which limb I cut off you, or you can grab your boss, hop in that speeder, and get him to a doctor before he passes out. I think I know what I’d choose.”

With one last worried look between them, the pirate crew hurriedly picked up their leader and tore out of the alley in their airspeeder. Robyn watched the light of their engine join the countless others passing in the distance before she holstered her saber and rejoined the throngs of pedestrians on the walkways. As she walked, Robyn’s mind swam with ideas on how to track Endari down, as well as what she’d do once she found him. The Grand Inquisitor’s voice spoke as if he were right next to her, whispering in her ear. He told her this was her last chance. She could not mess this up under any circumstances. Yet she found herself worrying about not failure, but success. 

What would happen to her if she could prove herself? She had already been getting more forceful, more violent. Today was a perfect example of that. Almost every day now, Robyn had to fight against her instincts to keep some part of her pure. Deep down, she knew she still tried to follow her Jedi teachings, but where had that gotten her?

While Robyn thought she turned off the street and quickly found the concealed pad where her ship waited. She approached its obsidian surface and keyed her comm and watched as its dark surface split and opened to accept her into the darkness. She stopped at the threshold and resumed her thoughts.

If this was her life, it was time she accepted it. She began down this path to survive, yet maybe it had always been part of her. Perhaps it was time she stopped pretending she was anything more than a volatile girl fighting the galaxy. Her hand found the data stick in her pocket and pulled it free. She watched her reflection morph along the smooth metal before gripping it in a fist. This had to be the best way forward; the force had brought her here for a reason, and maybe that reason was for her to finally stop fighting it and just let go.

Robyn let in a hollow breath before walking into the ship. 

It was time she found Endari.

[guardian-andi]

Chapter 14: Fatigue

The crowded streets below him thrummed with life. To Andi’s senses, it looked like a watercolor river, where happiness mingled with sadness and every emotion in the galaxy seemed to merge. He smiled from behind his mask as he pushed behind the lip of the densely packed apartment buildings he was hiding on top of. He touched a hand to the commlink on his arm.

“All clear on this end, I’m not sensing any disturbances in the crowd.”

“Oh yeah, cause we can trust the blind man as lookout.” Came the gruff voice of one of their crewmates, a Nikto named Cyg. 

Andi had been part of the crew for a couple of months now, but he still had a long way to go to earn their trust. While they had been happy at first to have another set of hands, their opinions had since soured upon finding their new teammate was blind, a high-value target of the Empire, and a “laser sword-wielding maniac” as their boss had once so eloquently put it. 

“Shut it, time to go. You know the plan, we get in, find the cargo, and make any traitor we find reconsider their choice of employment.”

Andi wished Kat hadn’t sounded so excited to fight these deserters, but he didn’t say anything. She was the only thing stopping them from selling him to the Empire at this point. Or to the highest bidder. 

He heard sounds of agreement through his com as he took another look over the edge. He watched as a group radiating determination and excitement moved to a small storage building just across the street. They readied their blaster pistols before opening a side door and barreling through. He couldn’t hear or sense what happened inside; he was too far away, yet he felt nervous, nonetheless. This wasn’t Andi’s first job; he had tagged along on smuggling ops, or brief bodyguard jobs, yet this was the first one where conflict was almost guaranteed. His hand found its way to the hem of his poncho as he ran his hand along the soft material. The feeling brought him some comfort and allowed the pit in his gut to fade ever so slightly.

Suddenly, a wave of shock and fear pulsed through the crowd, followed by the sound of shattering windows and blaster fire. Andi jumped to his feet before Kat’s voice came shouting from his commlink’s small speaker. 

“Kriffing idiot is making a run for it, Andi, you’re up!”

Andi focused and sensed a panicked form stumble from the building before it began sprinting through the street, shoving away market goers as it went. Andi started to run after him, jumping along the rooftops of the dense buildings. The force allowed him to catch up quickly, carrying him along and allowing him to free run over and under obstacles. It felt like he was running along the current of an ocean, his movements augmented and fluid. 

As he caught up to the fleeing form of the pirate, he saw the outline look towards his masked pursuer and draw his blaster pistol. As Andi vaulted over a ventilation unit, he heard the telltale sound of a blaster shot. As he planted his foot and kicked off the metal unit, his hand instinctively clutched the saber at his hip as it ignited soon after. The force guided his hand as he felt the heat from the bolt contacting his green blade. While he couldn’t see it, his senses and practice told Andi the bolt was sent far into the sky. Good, that meant it would likely lose power and dissipate before it had the chance to hit anyone.

As he landed on the ground, he noticed the man had stopped, shock and surprise filling his form before fear soon rose to prominence within the Weequay’s mind. Andi could barely pick up the clatter of the man’s pistol as he dropped it and tried to run faster towards the nearest star port. As he figured out how best to follow, Andi’s commlink activated again.

“Andi, please tell me you got him, the cargo sure as hell isn’t here, and he’s our only living lead.”

Kat’s annoyance was clear, and her implication about the other targets even more so. 

“Working on it.”

As he spoke, Andi took a couple of steps back before suddenly sprinting towards the edge of the roof, calling on the force with each step. Every time his foot left the ground, he felt the time between steps grow, like a gust of wind was carrying him and growing with each bounding step before finally lifting him into the air right as he leapt over the street. For a moment, he felt like he was simply floating still in the air, his clothes rippling as the force carried him over the gap. It felt like when he would run through the temple, footsteps echoing throughout the hallowed halls as the other younglings and he ran without a care. 

The hard impact of his feet on the rooftop grounded his mind as he rolled with the landing. He took a moment to recollect his senses. As he reached out once more, he could see the form of the fleeing Weequay pull someone off a speederbike before attempting to start it. Luckily, it seemed the bike was old, as all he got from the throttle was a few sputters of the repulsor engines. With his focus on trying to get the old bike to work, Andi found he was able to catch up quickly. With a deep bellow, the bike roared to life, a spike of joy emanating from its driver before Andi leapt from the rooftop. He slammed into the Weequay and dragged him to the ground as they both began to tumble to the hard street. With a grunt, Andi was thrown away from his target as the speederbike tumbled down the road and smashed into a nearby dumpster. Andi then got to his feet and began to run towards the pirate who had drawn his blaster pistol. 

Once again, the force pushed him like a current, nudging him to the side as the first bolt flew from the blaster. Another push urged him to duck as a shot flew over his head. With one more step, Andi grabbed the wrist gripping the pistol and lifted it up as he rammed his elbow into the jaw of the confused Weequay, knocking him out cold. Andi took a second to breathe before tossing the blaster away and activating his commlink.

“He’s down.” 

Andi said as his heartbeat slowly began to return to its normal cadence. The surprise, fear, and shock of the surrounding onlookers became clear as he waited for Kat’s response. He wished they could have avoided this, that things could have been done much more quietly. To be honest, he didn’t particularly enjoy this kind of work, but there weren’t many other options for him, and he was far too new for Kat to take his advice as anything but a humorously naïve approach to the criminal world.

“Good going bandage boy. We’re gonna mop up here and swing by to make sure our old friend learned his lesson. Make sure he doesn’t go anywhere, yeah?”

Andi rolled his head at Kat’s newfound nickname for him before reaching down and pulling the sleeping Weequay to a nearby wall to keep him off the road. As he waited for Kat and her crew to reach him, he leaned against the wall and took some time to think for a moment. He felt the emotions of the knocked-out pirate next to him, sensing muted greed, fear, and excitement, the same emotions he felt from the rest of the crew. Andi sighed. If he was honest with himself, he was tired. Tired of being surrounded by those only aiming to help themselves. Tired of doing some far-off pirate’s dirty work and fighting other outlaws. He had expected to be raiding imperial shipments, or at least screwing over their patrols, but Kat always claimed it would draw too much heat. He knew she was right, but he was tired of hearing it, of being unable to make a difference. He was surviving pretty well, but things felt barely different from where he started. 

Not living. 

Not helping.

Just surviving.

He missed the island village where people lived day to day by aiding each other. Everyone working together to carve out a little piece of contentment in the outer rim. Ona had let him live in her home and even smuggled him off planet for no other reason besides the fact that he needed it. He missed all of that.

He even missed her.

Andi felt that now familiar warmth as he pictured the collage of color within her soul. It was like a beautiful stained-glass window where her soul felt every emotion with an intensity he had rarely seen in anyone else. The lack of run-ins with her had him fearing the worst, but he just hoped she was somewhere out there, even though she would no doubt be looking for him. Maybe one day she’d finally catch up, and maybe then they could finally talk without swinging their sabers.

A chuckle escaped his throat at that last thought. He’d have better luck calming down a hungry rancor. 

[guardian-andi]

Missing being able to write about them so here’s a Picrew version by @k9pathy!

When traveling around Andi very much enjoys ancient and overgrown spots. Old castles taken over by vines or long abandoned buildings trimmed with moss. The life and stories held there just speak to him.

Robyn enjoys urban spaces a lot, with crowded cities and throngs of people she can just fade into. That and the secret spots of quiet and peace where you can find a break from the hustle and enjoy it all the more.

[guardian-andi]

I have found my brainrot for Andi and Robyn has reached critical mass and now my brain is coming up with AU’s in different settings to cope. If anyone’s got an AU idea feel free to shoot it into the ask box. I sadly can’t promise I’m well versed in the subject but I’ll do my best!

[guardian-andi]

Sorry for the lack of updates on both this account and the fic itself finals had severely burnt out my writing brain and of course the second the Andi/Robyn hyperfixation returns it’s when I’m in a completely different country without my laptop. So for now please just know that I plan to hit the fic when I get back!

Please take the knowledge that Cole’s Response by Yaelokre is a great piece to imagine the two of them in as payment for my terrible update schedule.

[guardian-andi]

Andi wouldn’t be able to tell what the ever-loving hell it is since his understanding of most objects are guesswork at best, so he’d ask Robyn to describe it to him.

Robyn would spend 5 minutes trying to guess at what it is and another 5 trying to accurately explain what the hell this shifting mass and object looks like to no avail since Andi would be the best educated on the subject, yet is nerfed by the fact that he can’t fucking see.

By the end, both of them have a serious headache and Robyn just flips it off while pulling Andi away by his arm, if they ever run into it again I’m thinking Robyn would pull something like this:

If anyone’s got some fun scenarios to put them through I’d love to hear em! Should shake off the last of my writers block from finals!

#139 What would your character do if they found something that didn't work in reality, like a 4th dimensional object for example?

Prompt by: Anonymous

(This was an anonymous post, put they just gave me their initial so that's what they get.)

I know you all have amazing creative juices in you and some amazing characters. This prompt is just for you to have fun and to help you explore your Character in a different setting. I would LOVE to hear what your Characters would do.

Have at it as you will!

(Also some of you ask how to submit prompts, you can just drop them in my ask box. )-

[guardian-andi]

Same as yours, they really get me thinking and are some of my biggest writing inspirations.

But also any of the clone centric arcs, like umbara, geonosis, or domino squad arcs. They really push home how terrifying the war can be and devastating it is.

Will also forever love the youngling arc for how it portrays their connection to the lightsabers. Massive inspiration for my fic.

I really could go on and on.

My favourite arcs of the clone wars are the weird wacky force arcs, stuff like Mortis or Yoda's bizzare adventure. The visuals when Anakin forces the son and daughter to release Ahsoka and Obi-wan are incredibile and really sets the imagination flowing, and Yoda facing the ghost/illusion of Bane is just as incredibly cool.

This even extends to stuff like Rebels and Ahsoka where the world between worlds and the Malacor arc are just incredible.

What're your favourite TCW arcs?

[guardian-andi]

Just rewatched the Clone Wars finale with my roommates (their first time) and apart from being emotionally devastated again, I couldn’t help but imagine what was happening from Andi and Robyn’s perspective during the final episodes. I will always love the amount of dread and sadness they convey, even if we already know the ending.

Just the helplessness of knowing you can’t change the outcome.

I’m tempted to post their order 66 stories but I’m kinda worried about losing the mystery a bit, leaving it up to the readers imagination ya know?

What do y’all think?

[guardian-andi]

Chapter 13: Youngling

Andi awoke suddenly; he wasn’t sure what he had been dreaming about. He wasn’t even sure if he had been dreaming at all. He was just left with a sense of fear like a tight knot in his chest. He extended his senses as he sat up and could feel Ona walking towards him. He stretched his sore limbs as he swung his legs over the edge of the cot. His back still lingered with a dull ache as put the outer layers of his robes back on. As his senses sharpened and Ona approached, he saw the nautolan held something folded in her hands as she approached. 

“The ship should be here any minute…”

Her accented voice trailed off as she looked down at the material in her hands. Andi had not seen her like this before. It didn’t take a genius to know she still wasn’t happy about him leaving. But before he could press, she looked up and gave him a tight smile before placing the object into his hands. He felt the soft material in his hands, it was thin and light, the handmade care put into it was more than evident. Andi held up one section of cloth as he let it unfold in front of him. It was a thin handmade poncho made with some kind of cloth like fiber. 

“You can’t go running around the galaxy with those fancy robes, so I thought I’d make you something more discreet.”

He smiled as he slipped it on and let it drape over him. It covered the intricate robes with the visage of a simple villager, providing a sense of safety no amount of blast resistant armor could. 

“Think of it as something to remember me by.”

Ona smiled up at her handiwork as she adjusted the clothing so that it looked just right before taking a step back to appraise her handiwork. In response Andi opened his arms jokingly, as if showing off his new duds. Ona chuckled softly.

“You clean up well I think”

Andi chuckled in response.

“Thanks to you, not like I can see it.” 

Ona’s response was suddenly drowned out as the hab began to shake. A low rumble began once again roared across the island before the ship landed with a deep thunk. As the two made their way out of the small hut, they walked into the now cramped clearing as the light freighter powered off its engines. Andi stood straight as he looked over the geometric shapes that clashed with natural surroundings. Doubt had filled his mind, yet he knew that this was his best chance. The boarding ramp hummed as it lowered from the durasteel ship and out walked the pilot tasked with getting Andi off planet. To his shock, the pilot appeared to be a small Tholothian, almost childlike if he had to guess based on her outline. The pilot waved to the two of them, which Andi hesitantly returns. She radiated annoyance more than anything, though a hint of genuine charity peaked through. 

He turned towards Ona to gauge her reaction and was met with her usual soft smile. 

“This the cargo?”

The tholothian’s voice confirmed Andi’s suspicion, as it sounds like she was at most 15. But he chose not to ask questions, best just take the help. The girl walks towards the 2 of them before offering a hand towards the miraluka.

“Name’s Kat, I’ll be getting you off planet.”

Andi shook her hand firmly, thankful that she’s at least not asking questions. After nodding towards him, Kat turns towards Ona.

“Don’t worry, we’ll keep him safe. The boss was clear that about how important this was. Though I’ve never known Hondo to owe people favors, usually it’s the other way around.”

At that Ona laughed heartily before looking towards the young girl. 

“I’m an old woman with old friends. He can tell you that story.”

Andi watched as nostalgia radiated off of their forms as the tow laughed together before Kat responded.

“Yeah, but I doubt his version would be the same.”

With one last chuckle, she turns and nods Andi towards the ship before beginning back up the boarding ramp. Andi turns to Ona who simply smiles at him.

“May the force be with you.”

He was still getting used to hearing that again, so he stammered before simply responding.

“And with you.”

He then jogged up the loading ramp after Kat. Walking into what seemed to be some kind of cargo bay. As the ramp closed behind him Kat turned around and put a hand on her hip. 

“Alright stay here in the cargo hold, it’s shielded against imperial scans so you should be pretty safe down here. Once we get through the atmosphere we’ll link up with the other part of my crew and then we’ll drop you off somewhere.”

Almost all of the warmness seemed to have vanished, replaced by annoyance and focus. Andi just opted to nod in response. Kat moved up towards the cockpit door before regarding him one final time. 

“Look, Jedi are number one on the Imperial priority list and I rather like my head where it is, so don’t do anything stupid.”

Andi swore he sensed some kind of familiarity in her small frame, but when he tried to dig deeper, he just felt more annoyance. 

“Don’t worry, I’ve made it this far, haven’t I?”

“And yet you still need me to get you out.”

With that she moved into the cockpit and locked the door behind her. Andi found a small space between two shipping containers to rest, as he once again closed his senses. As the ship rumbled into space, he found himself thinking back to the last ship he was on. When he had first met Robyn.

How her tone felt sympathetic.

How she seemed to genuinely want to help him.

How her fear dictated everything she did.

He still wished he could have convinced her. He wanted to show her she was not as alone as she thought. But now she was likely halfway across the galaxy. His chances of running into her again were low. But maybe, just maybe, he could draw her out.

His thoughts were chased away as he heard the cockpit door hiss open again. He walked out of his hiding spot and looked towards her as the teen looked down at him. 

“You’re clear to take a seat up here now, orbital patrol is long behind us.” 

With that Andi made his way to the cockpit and sat in one the surprisingly plush seats. He tried to gauge his surroundings, but the lack of living material made it hard, he was only able to guess at vague outlines with little to no detail. This is why he could never be a pilot, too much reliance on sight. Kat walked past him casually and sat in the pilot chair.

“We’ve linked up with the rest of the crew, they’re in their own freighter just outside of orbit. Where we taking you?”

“Well…”

Andi hesitated, there was no way to know for sure if this would work, but he needed to try. Working with a smuggling crew to mess with imperial equipment was one way to get attention. If he was lucky, it’d be herattention. 

“I don’t have the any ideas, but I was thinking. I’m out of options, but if I stick with you and your crew, maybe I could expand my horizons.”

Even though he couldn’t see her face he knew she was glaring at him. Her form swirled with suspicion, though there was the faintest hint of intrigue. 

“I mean, a force user could definitely be a help in your line of work”

She crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat.

“Or a target.”

The Tholothian seemed to think for a moment before deciding. Her form swirled with color, and once again, that familiar recognition arose before fading away again. 

“Ok, but if we get in any kind of trouble with the empire, you’re the first to go.”

She offered a hand to him, which Andi firmly shook.

With that she turned back towards the console and keyed the communicator.

“How would we like a new crew mate boys?”

Her answer came with the sound of a cacophony of cheers.

[guardian-andi]

Andi would shrug and say "probably". It's not like he's ever seen what he looks like. His self image is already pretty far in the toilet, but he's never particularly cared about what he looks like.

Robyn would pretend not to care but then spend the rest of the encounter flinging insults back at whoever called her that. She'd be taking a long look in the mirror afterwards though.

Good thing she might have someone to boost her confidence...

#64 What would your character do if they where called ugly?

I know you all have amazing creative juices in you and some amazing characters. This prompt is just for you to have fun and to help you explore your Character in a different setting. I would LOVE to hear what your Characters would do.

[guardian-andi]

Chapter 12: Meditation

Robyn analyzed her face in the mirror. Her stark white hair fell lightly over her forehead, slightly hiding her furrowed brow. Her emerald green eyes stared into their reflection before looking to the familiar scars along her face. One across her right eye, another along intersecting the bridge of her nose. Those had been products of her initial capture, when she had desperately attacked the grand inquisitor in the sublevels of coruscant. They ached as the memory replayed in her mind. She turned her eyes a long scar across her cheek that continued down the side of her face. That one had been from her time as an inquisitor, a punishment after she dared suggest mercy during her first mission in the field. Running parallel to that was another much fresher wound. The red skin that streaked across her lower jaw and ran further towards her cheek still felt raw as she touched it and winced. It was her newest ‘lesson’. 

The Grand Inquisitor hadn’t even allowed her time to explain after she landed at the inquisitorius headquarters. He had called her directly into the sparring room and attacked her with a ferocity she had not seen since they first met. While she may have been skilled and unrelenting, the Grand Inquisitor was an example of well-practiced perfection. It hadn’t taken him long to disarm her and add another scar to her face. It felt as if he was keeping tally with the abundance of marks he had made. Disregarding the wounds across the rest of her body, she counted four in total.

Robyn shivered as she guessed what he would do once she reached five.

Her saber hummed angrily at her hip. The crystal inside rattling as if it wanted to break out and hunt down the Inquisitor itself. Robyn found her left hand drawn to it as she wrapped her hand around the dark metal hilt. She lifted it and once more examined its features. It was standard inquisitor issue, though hers almost never entered the rotating circular form her fellow fallen Jedi took. She preferred the singular blade form, the handguard the rings formed felt more natural to her single-handed fighting style. As she held her weapon the crystal inside longed for her to use it. To prove to the other inquisitor that she was to be respected, to be feared. She flicked the switch and watched the crimson blade extend before her. It was entrancing, making her feel powerful. Her fear shifted to confidence; sadness became anger. Her right hand imperceptibly became a clenched fist as she considered marching down to the barracks and proving her worth. 

But then she caught the face staring back at her in the mirror. Its eyes were dark pits, it’s mouth a sharp toothed snarl and it’s skin encased in a red glow. It was the visage of a monster. A demon.

It took her far too long to realize that face was her own.

Guilt wrapped around her heart and spine as she quickly deactivated her saber. She swiftly stuffed the corrupted weapon in her footlocker as she desperately attempted to get it off of her person. Again, she caught her reflection and remembered she still wore her jet black armor, which she began to tear off rapidly as if it were on fire. Its pieces were soon scattered across the floor. She sat with her head in her hands hunched against the wall. Her leg bounced as she felt the same lack of breath, the same restlessness. Her mind raced a mile a minute as it bounced from memory to memory. Almost all of them only added to her panic. 

The Grand Inquisitor’s sharp smile.

Blaster bolts descending like rain.

A cut down droid giving way to a hundred more. 

A clone screaming in pain as a saber pierced his chest. 

Her master’s lifeless body. 

The last gasp of her first target.

The other Inquisitor’s sick smile as he finished the job.

Her fear of losing her newest quarry.

Her target's smile as he said her name.

Robyn’s breath hitched at this newest memory. Her body relaxed as she remembered the soft look on his face. The genuine tone of his voice. The pure lack of hatred despite countless reasons to feel otherwise. Other memories arose, trying to drag her back to the depths. But she closed her eyes and focused on the details of this event.

His hand softly reaching for her.

His refusal to hit her.

His jokes and chuckle as he attempted to lighten the situation.

The almost friendly tone with which the fight started.

As she focused on these details Robyn felt the hints of a smile creep across her lips, and a warm feeling began emanating from her chest and moved across her whole body. New feelings began to show themselves. She remembered how he almost made her forget their situation. Robyn could still see the golden glow of the sun spread across his face as he took off his mask and smiled at her. It had been the first time someone had genuinely smiled at her in 3 long years. Remembering his features made her smile just the smallest bit bigger as the warmth she felt condensed on her cheeks. Once again, she heard his voice say her name. He sounded young, yet there was a tiredness that betrayed the traumatic events he had no doubt experienced. A trait they both shared. Robyn replayed their conversation over in her head as she remembered the last thing he had said that brought the cold embrace of fear back.

“Don’t let him control you”

Even now, the mentioning of the Grand Inquisitor sapped the warmth from her body as her mind felt the memories of his power over her force their way into her mind. She grimaced as memories of his blade adding each mark on her face flashed in front of her. It felt almost like he was nearby. Like he was just outside.

Robyn’s eyes shot open as her armor clattered to the ground around her. Her body jumped up off the floor before she looked towards the door of her quarters, expecting the yellow eyed pau’an to come walking in any second now. But it remained silent. She let out a breath she didn’t remember taking as she stepped back and sat on her stiff bed. Robyn brought a hand to her head as she tried to make sense of her feelings. The presence had felt so real. 

Her thoughts once more escaped her as she heard footsteps approaching before the door hissed open, revealing the man she had expected a short minute ago. 

He walked in with his usual calm demeanor, hands clasped behind his back. While he first looked to her face and new scar, he quickly noted the discarded armor scattered around the room. He raised an eyebrow before speaking in his usual regal tone. 

“I am glad to see you are recovering well.”

A scoff escaped her lips before Robyn could notice it was there.

“Glad to see you so concerned.”

Robyn’s sarcasm was not lost on the Grand Inquisitor, who looked back to the white-haired woman hunched over on her bed. For a moment, she thought she saw a smile tug at the corner of his mouth.

“Believe it or not I do in fact care about the status of those under my command. As any halfway decent agent should maintain their tools.”

Robyn’s hands clenched at his snide remark. She could hear her saber call to her. It begged her to make him pay for his insolence, but she refused to budge. 

“I came to inform you that you have the rest of the day to rest and prepare for your next assignment. You are being assigned to further pursue Andime Endari. Use any means necessary to bring him in alive.” 

Robyn’s eyes widened at his seeming mercy. Why had he allowed her to go back? She replaced these questions with another as she bowed her head.

“Will I have any support sir?”

The Grand Inquisitor simply looked down at her before responding.

“Only your status as an Inquisitor. Any other help will be dependent on the promise of any leads you find.”

The tall Inquisitor then turned on his heels and began to walk out of the small quarters. Robyn’s mind was swimming with questions but instead she simply knealt on the ground before uttering a response

“Thank you, Grand Inquisitor.”

The imposing figure stopped at the door before turning his head to respond.

“Do not mistake this assignment for mercy, 12th Sister. I simply wish for your final chance to be a good one.”

With that he stepped out of the threshold as her door slid shut again.

[guardian-andi]

Andi: *running towards Robyn with open arms*

Robyn: *moves out of the way*

Andi: Hey, why'd you move?!

Robyn: I thought you were going to attack me.

Andi: I was going to hug you!

Robyn: Why would you hug me?

Andi: WHY WOULD I ATTACK YOU!?

[guardian-andi]

I wish there was a way I could just beam the song I’m listening to while writing directly into the readers brain. (Pls ask me what’s in my playlists for my characters I need to share this)

[guardian-andi]

Chapter 11: Feelings

Andi observed the storm of emotions within Robyn. A churning cloud of emotions both positive and negative swirled as the smoke and shadow that once covered the majority of her soul seemed to peel away like the petals of a dark flower. It revealed a beautiful collage of ever-changing color that captivated Andi as he looked into it. Bright happiness mixed and melded with dark fear. Cool sadness combined with warm hope. In all his life, he had never felt such a captivating and complicated mural of feeling. 

He slowly lowered his saber as Robyn seemed to do the same, yet she still gripped her hilt in both hands.

“Robyn, you don’t need to go back.” He said sincerely. Unlike before, there was no joking tone, no sarcasm. He brought a hand to his mask and pulled it off his face, revealing the soft smile on the young miraluka’s face. Clipping the mask to his belt he offered his hand to her. As he approached, fear began to spread rapidly, causing him to pull his hand back slightly. 

“I’m scared too, but we can’t let fear rule us.”

Robyn’s head rose up to look at him as the fear ceased its expansion. Yet it didn’t fade away either. He couldn’t see her face yet could only imagine how she felt. It was a feeling he was intimately familiar with.

“Please, don’t let him rule you”

At that, Robyn dropped her hilt into her left hand, carefully lowering the red-hot tip of her blade towards the ground. Andi offered his hand again. He was not afraid of her, not anymore. They stood there for a moment before Andi began to see the coal black darkness creep its way up her form again, masking her rainbow of a soul. Andi’s chest tightened and ached as he tried to break through again.

“Don’t-” 

But her saber was already swinging up towards him. He activated the second blade at the bottom of his weapon and deflected her strike in the nick of time. Robyn unleashed a flurry of strikes that never gave Andi the possibility to think. Instead, he focused solely on defense, driving him backwards and up the street. The force allowed him to predict her movements mere seconds before they hit as he put all of his training to work. 

As he brought his saber up to block a one-handed strike, she grabbed his shoulder and pulled him downwards. As he fell, she brought her knee up to meet him. The strike knocked the air out of his lungs as he fell to the ground. Andi thrust out an arm. He felt the force flow along his outstretched limb and release a wave of pressure that created a much-needed gap between the two duelists. Andi watched as Robyn dug in her clawed gauntlet into the ground to keep herself steady as she was pushed way from him. A trail of dug up dirt and gravel connected the two as they stared at each other. In this state Andi couldn’t read her, the clouds of black moved to block and distort any sense of emotion within her. But he was sure his own face was clear enough to read. With this break in their skirmish, Andi rose to his feet and placed his mask across his face once more, spinning his double-bladed saber into a ready stance. It was clear she was done talking. So was he. Robyn began to march towards him again until something slammed into her head. Her discarded helmet clattered on the ground, causing both fighters to look to a small girl standing defiantly at the entrance of another alley. Fear, defiance and bravery mingled along her form as she stood as tall as her little frame would allow. Robyn knelt down and picked up the helm and looked between it and the small child. The clouds around her parted just enough to see a single hue within the broiling storm. Regret. 

Robyn placed the helmet back onto her head as she turned its visor back towards Andi. For a moment, he prepared to receive another strike. But instead, she simply began to walk away. He didn’t think. He began to run after her, his legs moving on their own and his hand reaching out. He begged her to stop.

“Robyn wait!”

Her answer came in a gust of pressure that knocked him onto his back. Small hands tried to help him up. The girl was at his side now, tugging on his sleeve. He looked from the retreating form of Robyn to the girl next to him, concern emanating from her. Her name was Keeva if he remembered right. As he sat up, he took off his mask and hid the pit in his stomach with a tight smile.

“Thank you, Keeva,”

He gave her a light pat on the head as the child’s outline began to fill with relief instead. She had been one of the first children who took an interest in him, but he hadn’t thought about her being force sensitive. He was so caught up in preparing to protect himself; to protect the village, he hadn’t even considered the possibility.

“Are you ok? Did she hurt you?” he asked.

He felt like he already knew the answer. Robyn may work for the empire, may be controlled by the dark side, but if there was anything he learned today, it was that she still had a soul and a heart. 

“N-no she was nice” Keeva answered sheepishly.

“Good… good. I can make my way back to Ona’s. You should probably head home too.” 

Andi picked himself up and turned towards the beach as he heard the rumble of the shuttle’s engines. The deafening noise grew louder and louder until it shot away with one final boom, its noise fading into the distance. 

He looked down at the little girl still clinging to his arm and nodded.

“I’ll be alright Keeva, just go tell your parents you’re alright. I need to go talk to Ona.”

The child looked up at him for a moment before nodding and running off again. He smiled to himself. She was a brave girl, maybe in another time she could have made a great jedi. Andi turned and ran his way towards the dense rainforest that covered the inner section of the island, following a well-worn path through the foliage. As he descended more and more into the natural environment his vision sharpened. The outlines of the leaves and trees began to fill with texture and the wild beauty of his surroundings revealed themselves to him. This more complete picture slowed the rapid pace of his heartbeat as he came within sight of a familiar home. 

Nestled in a small clearing was a small hut. It was made up of both manufactured and natural materials, giving it the appearance of an overgrown ruin. As he approached the home, he could see a fain glow of serenity through the thin metal walls. The glow was in the fuzzy shape of a humanoid hunched over a stove. Andi couldn’t hold in his smile as he could already smell the savory stew Ona always toiled over. Her humming emanated through the trees like some kind of forest spirit. It was a serene melody that often felt like a lullaby a mother would sing for a child. It would often get stuck in his head at times as he meditated, allowing him to clear his mind and relax.

Andi approached the door and let it slide open as the heat from inside the home blew into his face. He could see the Nautolan woman stir the large pot on the stove and hold her face over the fumes to take in the scent before adding just a dash of a local spice. With this much living material around them he could make out the facial features of the elderly woman. Her large eyes were dark yet soft, the wrinkles created by old age only added to the gentleness. A kind, close lipped smile graced her face as she once again took in the aroma and nodded, seemingly satisfied. Her head tentacles were held behind her head by a couple pieces of dark cloth, yet they still bobbed and swayed as she moved. Ona turned and smiled at him as she looked the miraluka up and down.

“Your walk was eventful I take it?”

Her thick accent only served to make her sarcasm much clearer. 

“You could say that. Though I clearly need to work on my technique.” 

Andi chuckled as he walked inside and began to take off his outer robes and armor. He could feel the dirt staining them as he folded the cloth and neatly set it on the cot he had slept on for the last few weeks. He stretched his sore muscles and groaned slightly at the pain in his back.

“Looks like you got into a fight.”

Ona began to set a small wooden table as she finished the last touches on her meal.

“Perhaps against a certain white-haired woman?”

Andi’s head shot up and looked at her curiously. Her form continued to swarm with the same calm emotions he always saw. But he knew smugness when he heard it. 

“I mean, I didn’t know her hair color. How did you know already?”

“Word gets around in a small village.”

She shrugged as she placed two bowls down on the table. Andi chuckled as he got up and walked to the table.

“You’re sure it’s not because you’re a secret jedi?”

Ona let out a hearty laugh at his question.

“Child, you think if I could make things float with my mind, I’d be using these hands to make my food?”

They both laughed at that before taking a moment to eat. As usual, the stew was amazing. Perfect amounts spicy and savory with a freshness that reinvigorated Andi’s sore muscles. After savoring their meal for a moment, Ona broke the silence.

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do now?”

The question hung in the air, as Andi dreaded to give the answer, they both knew was coming.

“Ona, I can’t stay here.”

He tried to read her. To reach out with the force the best he could but somehow the old Nautolan was almost impossible for him to understand. She still swirled with that same contentment and serenity. 

“If the empire comes looking for me again then they’re going to find Keeva and any other force sensitive on this planet and they’ll probably hurt you and the other villagers and-“

Andi felt her hand on his. He hadn’t even noticed how tightly he was holding his utensil. He let his hand relax and took in a deep breath. 

“I understand what you are afraid of. But we are no friends of the empire here. We knew the risk of allowing you to live with us.”

He tried to study her face as much as the force allowed. Her dark eyes only proved her sincerity, and her smile was subtle and understanding. 

“I can get you transport off world, quiet like, with no questions asked.” 

Andi once again looked at her inquisitively. Since when did she know how to get that kind of help?

“Do not give me that look”She said with mock sternness. 

“I am an old woman with old friends.”

With that she focused on finishing her bowl before standing and placing it in the sink.

“Ona, I don’t know what to say” He stammered.

“Then say nothing and finish your food!”

She sounded like a strict mother scolding her child. Though she had no children, Andi had learned she had been like a collective parent for everyone in the village. It was no wonder she had been willing to take him in. She was a natural.

Andi complied and scarfed down the rest of his food. He then went about doing the dishes as the old nautolan left to tell her mystery contact. As he scrubbed each dish and put it away his mind wandered to Robyn. Her true colors were almost entrancing to his mind, even with the brief glimpse he remembered. They were vibrant and as distinct as they were diverse. Few he had met felt as deeply and strongly as her. The memory of her mosaic being veiled behind the dark mist followed soon after. He wished he could have stopped her. Could have convinced her. He couldn’t imagine what was happening to her now. While he hoped she simply took time to think and was let off easy, the reputation of the Sith was well known among the jedi. He just prayed she would be strong enough to resist.

“The ship will be here near midnight.”

Andi jumped at the sudden interruption as Ona had returned from her room, dropping a bowl into the sink. He could hear the familiar laugh behind him as she moved him out of the way and began to clean the dishes herself.

“For someone who can sense emotions you observe very little” she chuckled.

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

“Sorry, I was just… thinking” 

Ona gave him a side glance with a smirk.

“About anything in particular?”

He stuggled to respond, unsure of how to explain it to her. He often found that those who weren’t force sensitive and weren’t miraluka often had trouble understanding what exactly his ‘sight’ was like. But before he could respond, another sly look came across her face.

“Or anyone?”

Andi’s face grew warm. His heart began to beat heavy in his chest. He heard its echo in his ears.  His hands grew warm and numb. What was happening?

“I uhh no I just-”

Once again, he was met with a warm chuckle.

“It is ok boy, I won’t pry. Just focus on getting some rest before your ship arrives.”

It was clear she had gotten her answer. So, Andi simply nodded and went to his cot as he tried to push these thoughts from his mind. She was right, he was going to have an eventful night, so he should get as much sleep as he could, while he could. Yet his mind still flashed with images of her and their fight until the soreness of his body finally closed his eyes and lulled him to sleep.

Yet even then, his dreams were filled with the flashes of sabers clashing and red light wreathed in darkness.

[guardian-andi]

What's kinda crazy about this is that it seems they didn't even wait till they left Kamino! If I remember correctly Cutup from Domino Squad spoke with a sort of Irish accent compared to the other clones. Maybe clones who were trained by certain people picked up their speech patterns as well!

Can you imagine how the clones' speech patterns change once they are out of Kamino? Not just the slang they use, but in general how they speak. At some point you can start to differ the different battalions based on their speech. This is even more notable when it comes to the Commanders or other clones who deal more closely with their generals. Rex is distraught when he realises that he sounds like a teenager. Cody just proceeds to sound even more like a wisened old Commander despite being the middle child. Fox sounds like a tired retail manager trying to calm down a Karen.

[guardian-andi]

Robyn: Stop doing that.

Andi: Stop doing what?

Robyn: Saying things that make me wanna kiss the hell out of you.

This will be a common occurrence. Andi is romantic by complete accident.

[guardian-andi]

I know there aren't many followers here but:

I need a little help planning out the rest of the fic, so how slowburn should I make it? Not strictly speaking in terms of relationships, but pacing. It should be pretty clear what my end goal is for them, would you like to see more of that quicker, or would you want me to pace it a bit slower?