#Anakin Skywalker's racing helmet

[sw5w]

Mars Guo Salutes the Crowd

STAR WARS EPISODE I: The Phantom Menace - Deleted Scene: Complete Podrace Grid Sequence 01:44

[noiriarti]

Just Practice: Anakin Skywalker x Reader (Modern Best Friends AU) Ch. 1

Summary: Anakin is your best friend, the one person you can't survive without, and you're about to go to different colleges. You bring up your worries about your inexperience and he offers to help.

NSFW!!!!!!!

[Ch. 1], Ch. 2, Ch. 3, Ch. 4, Bonus Chapter

Chapter 1: Kissing Practice

The August air was humid and thick, even though the sun had already set, and you could feel the sweat dripping down from your bike helmet to your forehead. You'd bet anything that the mosquitoes were out in full force, but you were speeding too fast on your bike to get caught by one of them. The hot wind whipped your face as you went downhill on the road toward your house, but you felt another breeze beside you. Your best friend, Anakin. He's a competitive little shit, has been since you were kids. Luckily, you're pretty competitive too. You pedaled faster, faster, faster, faster, jolting over the bumps where potholes were asphalted over and cracks in the road had worn deeper into the road. There's no sidewalk out here, just tall grass on either side of you.

Anakin let out an evil chuckle as he passed you, just barely, and you rolled your eyes and doubled down. He's gained on you, more than a little, and you thought you might just lose your bet. You looked to your right, trying to find a way to get just a little bit of an edge. When you turn right in a quarter of a mile, onto your street, you might gain just a half second on him. It could be enough to win. But as you looked at the street ahead of you, something caught your eye in the grass. Something moving.

You slammed down on the brakes, digging your worn sneakers into the ground as you skidded to a stop. You were planning to buy new ones next week, anyway. Anakin shot past you, racing ahead with a whoop of joy. He turned around to stick out his tongue at you, but saw you had stopped and were no longer focused on the road at all. He circled back to you, still panting from the race, and climbed off his bike to face you.

"What's up?" He turned to look at you, concerned and curious, but you were focused on something else entirely. In the tall grass, as the sun had set, fireflies had begun darting in between the stalks, peeking out slivers of their light. You hadn't realized how dark it had gotten on your way back from the gas station, but the stars were already out. It was a beautiful night, and you wished you could capture it, bottle it up and keep it on your shelf. A little slice of home, the last one you would have for a while. You vaguely registered that Anakin was saying something as you stared out at the fireflies, but you were just thinking about how you probably wouldn't see the stars like this, or fireflies at all, for a good while yet. The thought made your heart ache.

"Helloooo?" he singsonged, "Anyone there?" He waved a hand in front of your face, and you snapped out of it. You looked up at him, and he smiled that lopsided smile you knew like the back of your hand. 

"Hm? Oh, yeah. Just thinking," you replied somewhat absently.

"Well, let's get home, Socrates. These slurpees aren't getting any colder," he said, shaking the cup in his hand (Mountain Dew Freeze, his favorite) to make his point. 

"Fine, fine," you conceded, smirking. You saw your opportunity and got back on your bike. "Last one there has to do the dishes!" You put your foot on your pedal and pushed, getting your momentum started. He called out after you in protest as he scrambled onto his bike and tried to catch up, but it was too late. A quarter of a mile later, when you pulled into your street, and then turned onto your driveway, he was just a second behind you.

"No fair!! You cheater!" He yelled as you unclipped your helmet and did a little victory dance. You both dropped your bikes in the grass next to the driveway with a slightly concerning thump, then headed up the stairs to the front door. You opened the screen door with a creak--you should remind your parents to oil that hinge, you thought--then unlocked the front door. 

The AC hit your damp and sweaty faces with a delightful cool breeze, and you sighed in joy. Cold. Cold. Nice. Ani had always hated the heat, as did you. You were both winter kids, and your favorite activity was sledding. You'd been best friends since winter of third grade, when he and his mom had moved from Texas to your small Minnesota town, into the house right next door. Your moms became fast friends from the moment they were introduced, and Shmi's job as the school nurse meant she could drop you off and pick you up. Initially, you weren't sure what to think of him. He was a tiny little guy, way shorter than you, with freckles exploding all over his face. But then he smiled that lopsided grin of his which made his eyes crinkle, told you his name was Ani, and asked if there were any good hills around for sledding. Later, on the way back from school, he asked in a tiny voice if you'd go with him. Who were you to say no?

Your whole friendship was built with snow crusted on the tops of your boots and melted into your mittens. At the end of January in sixth grade, you had both spent the winter building up a pile of snow and digging out the inside to make a snow clubhouse (read: cave). The cold air burned the inside of your throats as you panted after the manual labor of digging for hours, but it was finally done. Once you had crawled through the entrance and sat on the hard snow, enveloped by the packed ice all around you, he looked you straight in your eyes and told you "our future house should be made of snow". Like he didn't change your life with that one little word. Our.

But you were just friends. Your heart would flutter sometimes, but it was all ignorable until tenth grade. After your birthday dinner with your family (which included Shmi and Ani, obviously), he slipped you a little box. When you opened it, the most silver necklace with a snowflake pendant winked out at you. Shmi told you later that it wasn't just silver, it was white gold, and incredibly expensive. That he had been saving up for a whole year to buy it for you. His gentle hands clasped it into place behind your neck, and you shivered when he put them on your shoulders. There, he said, perfect.

It wasn't so easy to ignore after that, but you managed. Through the summers working together at the park, the semesters in the same classes, and the afternoons playing games and doing homework, you got profoundly skilled at crushing your feelings deep, deep down.

And then Padme came along. And the idea of someone else seeing Ani's baby photos, or being loved by his mom, or kissing him absolutely killed you. Because you were friends. But that was all over now. It was just the two of you, as normal.

Now, you were both about to leave town, at least until Thanksgiving. One last family dinner, he said when he suggested it. When you both walked into your house, Shmi called out that dinner was on the table in two minutes, so you sucked up the rest of your slurpees so quickly your stomach got queasy.

The finality of it all almost escaped you. The little glances your parents cast to one another. Anakin's favorite mashed potatoes. Cake for dessert. The details were all whispering This is the end. Enjoy it while you can. Ani could tell something was off, too, and you kept shooting glances at one another. He tried to make you smile by bumping his legs into yours with a grin, like he did when you were little, but it didn't help. Once dinner was done, the adults went to have coffee in the living room, leaving Anakin to do the dishes. You dashed up to your room as soon as you could, trying to hold onto what little time you had left.

Half an hour later, the lamp by your bed cast a warm glow over the room, and you could hear the crickets through the window. You were laying on bed reading a book--some YA novel where you weren't really processing what was happening. Apocalypse? Love triangle?--when Ani finished the dishes and burst in. He didn't knock, of course. There wasn't any energy left in you to complain. You knew you'd miss him bursting into your room unannounced next week, and the week after that, and the week after. Would that longing ever fade?

"Well, I finished the dishes. You cheater," he joked as he sat down on the bed next to you. You sat up, your body complaining from your race earlier, and stuck your tongue out at him. You didn't have it in you to say more. The two of you sat in silence, his face turning slightly more concerned as he watched you stare off into space.

"You good? You've been off all night," he commented, bumping his shoulder against yours. You threw him a half-hearted smile as you fumbled with your snowflake pendant.

"Fine, yeah. Just... Tomorrow is a lot." You didn't want to tell him the truth, that you couldn't imagine your life without him in it, and that moving somewhere completely different would shatter your heart, so you didn't.

Anakin finally cracked a smile, and you wondered when the last time you had seen him not smile was. That lopsided grin practically never left his face, and it was infectious to see. "So you're scared, huh?" 

Always teasing you. But there was an undercurrent of sincerity there, buried deep. When you were younger, you had worried about if he'd still be your friend when others came around, and maybe he'd like them more than he liked you, but he stayed loyal to you. Even when Tommy Masterson in seventh grade said you were probably a bedwetter, Anakin not-so-subtly started a rumor that Tommy peed himself when he got too excited. (Granted, that rumor only gained traction because Anakin had splashed the kid's pants with apple juice after gym. And punched him. But you didn't hear about that until last year.)

"Yeah, I guess. Everything will be different and, well--making friends isn't super easy. I mean, real friends. Like you," you said. Anakin responded with just a thoughtful hmm, while his eyes, usually clear blue, were dark and stormy in the lamplight. His smile had faded just a bit, and he was looking downward. For a second, you thought he was looking at your lips with that intense look, but you shook the thought away. Friends. 

"I just, I don't know. I'm also worried about, well, oh fuck this is awkward to say out loud, dating, I guess?" You hadn't confessed that to anyone else. Anakin was silent, still boring into you with that look in his eye. The words came out like a river, filling in every gap of the silence between you. You kept messing with the snowflake pendant, like you always did when you were nervous. "I wish I had dated someone in high school. I haven't even kissed anyone, other than Alex in fucking freshman year during spin the bottle, so it wasn't even real, and I only went on a date with that one guy last year but we didn't even hold hands--what kind of cute college guy will want someone who hasn't even gotten to second base or hasn't actually kissed someone for real? I'm still a virgin. Am I just--" Anakin cut off your rambling with a soft "hey," and you expected him to say something else, but he just sat, silent.

"Sorry," you said, awkwardly. God, that was so cringe of you. You hated hearing about it when Anakin told you about his first kiss, and the first time he had gone a bit further with his girlfriend in sophomore year. Padme was so nice and cool and great, but you couldn't shake the unease in the pit of your stomach when you saw them holding hands. Or kissing. Or cuddling on the couch at a party. It was just being protective. That's what best friends do. Right? The other option was unthinkable.

"I could help," he said simply, like it wasn't anything serious. The words sat between you, the air heavy with his implication. Hope nestled in your chest, but you pushed it away. He probably meant he could set you up with one of the guys on the soccer team. He did claim that Isaiah had a crush on you, but the kid ate his own boogers until high school. Gross.

"I'm not going to date Isaiah. Or Kevin," you added. Kevin was even worse. You expected Anakin to laugh, dismiss the whole idea, but he kept that intense look in his eyes.

"What? Those losers? Nah... No, I mean, I could help you. We could... practice," he let out a tiny laugh, and your face fell, so he rushed to add, "Sorry. It's just. Feels funny to say. But I'm serious. We could. If you wanted." The breath left your chest. This isn't happening. It can't be. Then why were you deliriously happy? Why did you want nothing more than to lean over and kiss him? You searched his face for some tell that this was all some bit that he'd tease you for. Some joke that he took too far. But all you found was sincerity and earnestness. He wanted this. He was literally offering it. His suggestion sat between you, curling into your stomach and sending it churning and fluttering. Was he actually giving you butterflies? But if you kissed him, you'd ruin everything you had for years. You were going to say no. No. No. 

But why did that answer break your heart?

Shit. You had taken too long. You could see him crawling back into his shell, about to make some joke about how you had cooties or something, when you blurted out your answer. 

"Yes. I mean--sure. I need the practice, right?" You cringed. Real smooth. His eyes widened, and he smiled--a genuine smile, no teasing in it, just affection. You could still sense that intensity rolling off him like waves. 

"Okay," he said. This time, there wasn't any hiding the way his gaze flitted down to your lips. Anakin scooched closer to you with an awkward "um" as he tried to figure out how to navigate kissing his best friend. He suddenly wished there was a handbook, or a guide to tell him how to make this not awkward even though he wanted it so badly.

When his hand, still soft and warm from washing the dishes, his fingers wrinkled from the water, came up to touch your cheek, you had to suppress a surprised jump. Oh, God. This was real. His face was coming closer. This was happening. Holy fuck holy fuck holyfuckholyfuckholyfuckholyfuck

Then his lips met yours and your brain imploded. This was Anakin and you. You and Anakin. And holy fuck it felt so good. The rhythm of kissing was new to you--before, you'd only pecked Alex, and that was once, in front of half the graduating class. This was completely different. And terrifying. Anakin's mouth moved against you, and you gradually tried to mimic his movements. You felt his lips part just a bit wider, and, in your enthusiasm, you bumped your teeth together. Hard. Anakin grunted in pain, and, then, suddenly, he pulled away. Fuck. Was this it? Was that all you would get?

"OhmyGodareyouokay?" You blurted, your hands shooting up to cup his cheeks. He laughed heartily, his eyes twinkling.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Looks like you needed the practice, though," he said as he cackled. Heat rushed into your cheeks, and you were sure you were as red as a tomato. You smacked his shoulder a few times, and then a few more times for good measure. 

"Asshole!" He was still smirking, but he was leaning back in. You hadn't scared him off, and you thanked every god you could think of. Soon, his lips were back on yours, and your heart rate went back into the triple digits. This time, his hand came up to the small of your back, pulling you in closer, so that your thighs were pressed up against each other.

As he kissed you again, you swore you grew ten times as many nerve endings in your lips. The kisses started out slow and soft, like they were the first time, but soon they grew hungry. Soon, you felt his tongue poke out and tease your lip, which produced an embarrassing whimper from you. He'd probably make fun of you later, and you couldn't care less. His free hand grabbed your legs by the knee and hoisted them up over his, so that you were nearly in his lap. The way your lips felt against each other was nothing short of sinful. If this is what kissing everyone felt like, you had been seriously missing out. However, you got the sense that this was something special. Guilt creeped into your thoughts. This was different for you than it was for him. Though you'd been denying it, you reasoned you probably had feelings for him. (You were actually utterly head-over-heels for him, but that wasn't something you were prepared to admit yet). Either way, you felt for a second like you were taking advantage of the situation. But he had offered, so you kissed him even harder to make the thoughts go away. God, his mouth felt good.

The kisses that had been hungry before were ravenous at this point, sloppy and drunk on each other. His warm, strong hand on your legs pulled you even closer, so that you were completely sitting on him, but the angle was a bit weird. You pulled away, just for a second, and he sloppily trailed kisses down your jaw and neck. You moaned loudly, not able to hide your response to the feeling of his tongue on your neck, teasing you in little circles in between kisses. You hitched one of your legs over him and straddled him. If he was going to escalate, so were you.

Now that you were on his lap, you had to lean down to kiss him, holding his face in your hands. His smooth cheek was feverish under your touch, and he was kissing you even more desperately than he was before, if that was even possible. You felt something on your thigh and--oh.

Oh. He was hard. Fuck, that was something else. You felt yourself getting even wetter, begging for some sort of touch. Fuck it. You took the risk, and you lowered your clothed pussy onto him. He wasn't just hard, he was rock hard. And big. When he felt your weight on him, he groaned into your mouth, not daring to break the kiss. You pulled away, just to make sure you weren't crossing some sort of poorly defined line. As if you guys had laid this out in detail beforehand.

"Is this okay?" You half-whispered, half-panted into his mouth. He mumbled a series of 'yes's and nodded fervently, going straight back to kissing you with his hands on your hips. Tentatively, you rolled your hips against him, and he grunted as he kept kissing you. The friction was perfect, finally giving you some relief. He was driving you absolutely insane. You kept grinding your hips, chasing the feeling. You ran your fingers through his hair and tugged gently, and his hips twitched up to you. You could feel his hands helping you grind into him, and soon enough he was thrusting up in time with you. The sounds flowed out of you freely now, little whimpers and gasps that matched his groans.

Then someone was knocking at the door, and you ripped yourself away from him. It was Shmi.

"Ani? We should go home now, still a lot of packing to do!" He looked up at you with wide eyes, caught red-handed. Anakin was panting, heavily, barely capable of putting together a sentence.

"Coming!" He called back, though his voice faltered. As you both looked at each other, his boyish grin reappeared, and you both burst out laughing. What the fuck just happened? He helped you get off him and sit back down on your bed. His tall, lean frame leaned over you, putting your foreheads together as your laughter trailed off.

"I'll see you tomorrow," he said in a low voice, before kissing you one more time. This kiss was different. There wasn't urgency, or horniness, just a gentle sweetness to it. It was more painful than all your other kisses combined. You nodded, not able to say a single word, as he left the room. 

You could hear him going down the stairs, and greeting your parents. You just sat there, frozen, like your world hadn't just changed in the last half hour. And the funny part? You weren't even thinking about moving away anymore.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

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[awkward-tension-art]

Bacta and Bandages Chp.3 (Rex x Reader)

Chapter 2. Chapter 4.

First Mission

CW: Clone mistreatment, Medical procedures, needles, Death, destruction, mentions of an epidemic, nothing graphic, Reader is gender neutral, no use of (Y/N), reader is a doctor, if I miss a tag LMK!

Minors DNI also this is MINIMALLY PROOFREAD

You had a couple of weeks to establish yourself and settle with the 501st. It worked out well, because it allowed you to get to know the soldiers more.

Plus, no mission meant you had some free time to learn mando’a. It was basic at best, but you knew how to greet someone and find out where their pain is located, as well as other basic conversation.

It’s what you were doing at the moment. As you tidied up the medical bay, the robotic voice of a teaching droid came from the datapad on your desk. The holo was a program fit more for academy students, but you had to start somewhere.

“Ni cuy' a baar'ur,” You had managed to gear the learning towards medical language. Just to let you do your job better for the clones. Currently, the program was going over what to say when dealing with a patient.

“Very good. Where is your pain?”

“Vaii cuyir gar aaray?” You paused. The word for pain, aaray, always sounded off to you, “Vaii cuyir gar aaray?” Your words repeated.

You felt your damn soul leave your body when another voice interrupted.

“Ner kov'nyn bal ner haalas.” Rex was standing in the doorway, one hand on his hip, the other held his helmet. 

You didn’t know the exact sentence, and you had to think for a moment before looking up at him, “Head and…chest?”

He smirked and nodded, “That’s correct.” the captain stepped to your desk and looked at the holo-program that was still waiting for a response from you. “You’re learning Mando’a?”

“I thought it might help the troopers feel more comfortable,” You approached, tapping the tablet and pausing the holo-program, “I hope that's alright…” 

“It's more than alright, it's…it's a wonderful thought.” Rex had a genuine smile, “The men will appreciate it.” However, he cleared his throat, “However, General Skywalker needs you on the bridge.” 

Your heart raced, did something happen? Did you do something wrong?

“It’s about our next mission.” The captain explained, most likely catching your rising anxiety, “It's a relief mission, and your expertise with medical care is needed.” 

Oh! The breath you let out was one of relief, “Yes, of course…let's go to the bridge then.” 

The walk was quick. You’ve gotten used to the halls and paths of the venator now. Though, admittedly, you’ve gotten terribly lost a couple times. Once, you ended up in the reactor section and if you hadn’t found R2-D2, you’d have to embarrass yourself by asking a soldier to help guide you.

Once on the bridge, you saluted the general and commander in greeting, “You called for me, sir?”

Anakin Skywalker nodded, “We need your expertise, doctor,” He tapped a button on the console, bringing up a holomap of a planet with 4 moons, “The planet of Cherenity had a planet-wide epidemic and a series of natural disasters that caused total societal collapse. There were riots, famine, civil war and complete chaos.”

You frowned, but let him continue. 

“The Jedi have been called to try and help rebuild and offer relief. We need your help in dealing with the wounded and establishing medical care again.” He finished, standing up. He put his hands behind his back and looked at you, “What do you say?”

Ah. set up a medical center, help with supplies and maybe teach some procedures to the locals. 

You raised a hand to your chin, mentally working out the logistics, “One hospital for an entire planet will be overwhelmed. I’d like to have Kix with me to help deal with the injured.” Your eyes met Rex’s, “If that's alright with you, Captain.”

“He’s all yours.” He nodded. 

You smirked, and turned back to face General Skywalker, “When do we arrive?”

“We have an hour to prepare.” He informed everyone, “Thank you, Doctor. Get to work everyone. Dismissed.”

First mission…

You’d be a liar if you didn’t say you were nervous. Yes, you were a capable doctor. But…

Well, in soldier terms, you were no better than a shiny. A rookie.

You were in the hangar double checking the crates of supplies when Kix approached and saluted, “Doctor, I’ve been informed I will be aiding you in this mission.”

Your tone was calm and even, “You and I are going to help establish something of a medical care center for the survivors on Cherenity,” You looked over to him, “But, this will be my first mission, and I’m a doctor before I’m a soldier…I might follow your lead if the situation calls for it.”

He gave you an understanding smile, “I remember my first mission…It can be overwhelming but you’ll get used to it,” The medic melted into a friendly, approachable attitude, “Since it’s a relief mission, it should be easy. But if there's any danger I’ll show you what to do.” 

How kind. Very polite too.

“Thank you, Kix.” 

Before you loaded up, you checked your gear. Because of your rank and position, you didn’t wear the same heavy, clunky armor as the other soldiers. You were outfitted with movement and supplies in mind. Armor was minimal, only enough to protect your chest, calves and wrists. The uniform, made of protective yet light material, was red and white, indicating your medical personnel status.

In a perfect galaxy, this would mean no one would try to kill you. But…well, war crimes weren’t unheard of. Sometimes adversaries would specifically target medics.

With a calming breath, you stepped on the gunship with Kix and a few other soldiers and prepared yourself mentally. There were certain things you were worried about. With no sterile location, infection rates would be high. Plus, even if the disease that caused the epidemic had killed all of its hosts, it may still be present on the planet. 

And you had no idea how it was spread.

“Something wrong, Doctor?” A trooper next to you noticed. He was a ‘shiny’ judging by his pure white armor. 

“I don’t know yet,” you responded, “Do your helmets have protection against contaminants in the air? Like a virus perhaps?” Your question seemed to startle the poor shiny. 

It was a trooper with a painted flower on his chest that answered, “We have temporary protection. Though it only lasts long enough for us to get out of an area, not really stay in it. Maybe a couple minutes at most.”

You nodded, “We know nothing about this virus that contributed to the planet's collapse. If you, or any trooper feels unwell, come to me.”

Another soldier to your left, Steele, you believe his name is, let out a soft laugh, “Don’t worry about us, Doc. We’re not meant to be a priority.”

“I’ll prioritize whoever I want, thank you.” You responded, just as the gunship landed and the doors opened. 

You stepped off, taking in your surroundings. 

Devastation. The capital of Cherenity, Fushi, from what you could tell, used to be an active, beautiful city. But now, it was a shadow of its former self. The ruins and rubble looked like the buildings used to be made of marble and glass. Now, it was all…destroyed. broken, painted glass was everywhere. Craters littered the formerly stone streets. Smoke billowed at multiple locations in the distance. Occasionally, blaster shots echoed around the ruins, bouncing off the once beautiful walls. 

Your heart twisted.

This was war. You signed up expecting destruction, but not…this….

Kix put a hand on your shoulder, “Doctor?”

“I’m fine.” you shook your head, getting yourself together, “Just…didn’t expect this.”

“You’ll get used to it.” Steele responded, unloading a crate of supplies.

You weren’t sure if that made you feel better or worse. 

You made it to the center of the broken, desolate city. That’s where the Cherians had tried to maintain some semblance of civilization. Innocent people were living either in haphazard tents or the surely dangerously unstable remains of the buildings around.

As you and your group made your way forward, the Cherians pause what they were doing to watch you. 

They were humanoid, with skin tones that ranged from bright red to deep purple that were dotted with scales. All of them had horns of various shapes and sizes that poked out from hair of many different colors as well. Their eyes were all solid white, pupiless and glowing. Among them were some humans, twi’lek and other races as well. 

That didn’t strike you as odd. After all, a planet capital such as Fushi would have a lot of diversity.

You pressed your com at your wrist and raised it to your lips, “General, we’ve made it to where the survivors are camping.”

After a second, Anakin’s voice came through the other end, “Good, start unloading supplies. Ahsoka and I have been…held up.” 

As soon as the Jedi finished speaking, Rex’s voice came through the com, “All units, be advised, thieves and pirates are in the area and may target the supplies and the civilians.”

Fuck…

You swallowed and shared a look with Kix, you were about to speak before getting interrupted by an approaching Cherian. Her pure white hair trailed behind her and her horns gave height over the troopers. Her skin was a soft lavender and she had an aura of peace and calm. 

“Peace,” She greeted, “I am Zenial Ill’ty the Senator of Cherenity.”

Senator? Why isn’t she on Coruscant? Did she come home to try and help the devastation?

“Ma’am,” You nodded in greeting, “General Skywalker is on his way with more supplies, in the meanwhile, I’m his battalion's doctor and am here to help reestablish medical care.” 

Zenial gave you a smile and bowed, “Thank you, healer of the 501st. What is left of our city is open to you. Most of the injured are located at the north end of our camp.”

You bowed to her and motioned for the troopers carrying medical supplies to follow. Kix was beside you as your steps lead you beyond a half shattered green building. Behind it, was the injured and sick. 

There had to have been a few hundred at least. Walking among them were Cherians wearing the same medical symbol as you. However, it was clear they were overwhelmed and unable to help without proper equipment, medicine and housing. 

You steeled yourself. You were a doctor. You worked in a hospital on Coruscant’s lower levels, and that wiped away any naivety you had even before the war. You remained silent, eyes roaming the people and bodies. 

From visual confirmation, you guessed the few doctors had set up ‘zones’ by severity of wounds and illness. 

Good. It made your job easier. 

With a steading breath, you got to work. 

You prioritized those with the most severe wounds. Internal injuries, amputations, massive amounts of blood loss…Your focus was razor sharp as you tended to those you could. The supplies in your pack dwindled to nothing quickly, much to your frustration.

Perhaps it was your expectations. Or maybe it was how you worked in the hospital, but you burned through the supplies in your pack trying to save everyone. 

A twi’lek, with royal blue skin and yellow eyes wheezed and sputtered as you tried to fix his burnt and ripped heart. According to his young daughter, he was searching for food when thieves shot him. It was sheer will that he survived this long. 

You reached for more bacta, only to be stopped by Kix, “Doctor, there isn’t anything else you can do.”

My old mentor told me those words once. You remembered. It was the first patient you had ever lost. A drunken speeder accident. You’d never forget it as their heart stopped beating under your hands.

“But…he can be saved. I know he can.” Your eyes must’ve been wide and confused, “I’ve seen worse wounds.”

The medic next to you had an understanding look, “Maybe in a proper hospital. But on the field…we don’t have the luxury.”

You looked down at the twi’lek, taking in his severe wounds. 

Kix is right. 

You made sure his daughter held his hand as you injected him with painkillers. He drifted off to sleep and was dead within minutes. 

Move on. There are others. 

At some point as you tended to the wounded, General Skywalker and Commander Tano had arrived with food, water and some ‘society rebuilding’ technology. It was hours later when you had gotten done with the most severe patients and were able to get the Cherian healers together to start planning properly. You did your best to ignore how the General watched your moves. 

He was most likely testing you. Making sure you could handle this.

“You’ll need clean water,” You explained, looking over your datapad, “The biggest worry is infection. You can save a life but lose them later to the same wound if it's not kept clean.” Your steps weaved through the wounded patients. Some were already much better than when you arrived, and others were resting peacefully, finally having their pain managed.

“You’ll need to boil the water at the very least to sterilize it,” Your words didn’t falter even after passing by the General who was with Captain Rex, “Same for metal scalpels and other tools. Put them in boiling water to clean them at the very least.”

Kix, who had been walking beside you, handed you a holomap of the immediate area. Once you activated it, you began to plan the new medical center for the Cherians, “It would be best if you had the injured in the most stable building, here.” You pointed at one of the more stable, least destroyed glass and marble building on the map, “The cover will be imperative for those with more severe injuries and illnesses. I’ve had some of the troopers make sure the supports are-”

One of those following you spoke up, “Can we trust what an artificial human says?” 

That question screeched your mind to a halt. You blinked, dumbfounded at the bluntness from the individual in front of you. Your mind had to take a minute to process what you heard.

After getting your thoughts together, you responded, “The troopers are hardworking, reliable men. I trust what they say.”

The Cherian opened their mouth, “But-”

You couldn’t hold back the venom in your words as you cut them off, “Do I need to repeat myself or are we going to have a problem?” Your eyes bore into the individual, practically daring them to argue with you. 

“...No, Doctor.” 

“Good.” Immediately, your tone became calmer, “Now, let's continue.”

Unknown to you, Captain Rex saw your exchange, he couldn’t help the small smile on his lips as you walked away. 

Anakin elbowed his side, smirking at his captain.

[coimbrabertone]

Star Wars and Motorsports - A Surprisingly Intertwined History.

I actually had this blogpost planned out for a rainy day - I thought about maybe doing it for May 4th, 2025 as a Star Wars Day thingie - however, today, James Earl Jones passed away at the age of 93. I knew him as Darth Vader and Mufasa, but he played a lot of roles and provided a lot of iconic voices, others may know him from the Sandlot, Coming to America, or dozens of other roles over the years.

Rest in peace.

In his honor, I'd like to do my little part, so...a discussion of the long and intertwined history of Star Wars and motorsports.

The first relates to Darth Vader himself, as a dark and imposing figure, was associated with Dale Earnhardt in NASCAR. Yup, known as the Intimidator and as the Man in Black already for his iconic black and gray GM Goodwrench #3 Chevy, Dale Earnhardt was also nicknamed the Darth Vader of motorsports a few times in the 1980s and 1990s.

The black helmet and sunglasses played into that.

Somewhat more substantively, there is also the world of Star Wars sponsorships in racing, with Pepsi and Lucasfilm teaming up to sponsor Jeff Gordon at the 1999 CarQuest Auto Parts 400 Busch Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, promoting Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Gordon would suffer a mechanical failure...which is probably for the best because it had Jar-Jar on the left rear quarter panel.

Fast forward to the 2002 Coke 600, also at Charlotte, and Lucasfilm tried again, this time teaming up with Cheerios to sponsor John Andretti in the #43 car in the Cup series. This was the big leagues, and with them backing a midpack car, fifteenth was actually a respectable finish.

For Revenge of the Sith in 2005, the marketing campaign was back in force. First things first, there were four NASCARs that year, starting with both Yates Racing cars at the 2005 Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix. Elliott Sadler drove the M&Ms #38 with a Dark Chocolate themed Dark Side paint scheme, while his teammate Dale Jarrett had a UPS/Milk Chocolate M&Ms Light Side car. The Dark Side car had Darth Vader, Boba Fett, and a Stormtrooper on it. The Light Side car had Anakin Skywalker, the green M&M with Princess Leia hair, and a C3PO M&M.

Pretty odd character choices for Revenge of the Sith but eh, it's all for fun. Anyway, Sadler finished 11th and Jarrett finished 23rd, so I guess the Dark Side won...which I suppose is appropriate, given the movie they're tying into.

So, at the very next race, Star Wars tried again. Teaming up with Jeff Gordon and Pepsi again, this time it was in the Cup Series, sponsoring the Hendrick Motorsports #24 at the Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. This car, with Yoda on the hood, would go on to win the race in dominant fashion, leading 139 laps.

Jeff Gordon would also pose with Darth Vader and some stormtroopers ahead of the race, which seems like a conflict of interest given the Yoda car.

Fallen to the Dark Side, Jeff Gordon has.

Finally, Hendrick Motorsports got another Star Wars car, with Episode III sponsoring Kyle Busch's #5 at the amazingly named Chevy American Revolution 400 at Richmond. This Kellogg's car was Mustafar themed with a lava theme on a black base. It has Darth Vader and Mace Windu on it, which...neither is exactly a great fit for Mustafar, what with Windu being dead and Vader only gaining the iconic armor and red lightsaber because of the events of Mustafar.

Kyle finished fourth, another good result for Star Wars.

This wasn't all though, because at the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix in Formula One, Star Wars teamed up with Red Bull Racing to sponsor a car. Much like the Kyle Busch car, it was their regular livery with some orange-yellow Star Wars lettering and a lava/fire theme along the bottom.

Drivers David Coulthard and Vitantonio Liuzzi also got a Star Wars photo op to go with it, this time taking pictures with Darth Vader, two stormtroopers, Chewbacca, C3PO, and also George Lucas himself.

A few years later, at the 2008 Peak Antifreeze Indy Grand Prix at Sonoma, the third to last round of the 2008 Indycar Series, Lucasfilm and Blockbuster (lol) teamed up to sponsor Marco Andretti's #26 car. He would finish fourteenth on that occasion.

This was actually the second collaboration between Marco Andretti, Blockbuster, and Lucasfilm that year, as he actually drove an Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull car at the 2008 Indianapolis 500, finishing third.

More recently, at the 2023 NASCAR Championship Race at Phoenix, Star Wars and Columbia Sportswear teamed up to sponsor the 23XI cars. Bubba Wallace in the #23 ran an X-Wing car and even had Mark Hamill appear in the unveiling commercial, while Tyler Reddick in the #45 ran a TIE Fighter car.

Bubba Wallace finished 10th, and Tyler Reddick finished 22nd.

Two Light Side versus Dark Side races at Phoenix, the Dark Side drew first blood but then the Light Side won most recently. We're gonna need a tiebreaker.

So, that's what I got in terms of Star Wars sponsorships, but that's always been Star Wars going into motorsports. How about motorsports going into Star Wars?

Well, believe it or not, there is an example.

Podracing.

Yup, and not just in the "hey look, it's racing!" way, nope. At the 1998 Miller Lite 200 at Mid-Ohio, George Lucas and his crew recorded the sounds of the CART race to use as part of the sound mix for the podracing scenes in Episode I.

In fact - and unfortunately, I haven't seen the film so I can't confirm - I've seen the claim that the podracing sequence in Episode I mirrors the Monza race from the classic Formula One movie Grand Prix, which George Lucas is actually credited on as an assistant camera operator - which would lend some credence to the theory.

So yeah, I know I've kept this blog motorsports focused but I am a big Star Wars fan and have been for most of my life. To hear about James Earl Jones passing it's...it's just like...wow. It's unthinkable in a way. Obviously, he was getting older and all that, and there was that story a few years ago about him selling his voice rights to Disney, but like...to think that Darth Vader's voice actor is dead? That's crazy to me.

It's one of the biggest losses in recent media history, I think.

There will never be another voice quite that famous.

[aaeeart]

I feel guilty about this one :')

Wanna read something evil? Read the fanfic under the cut!

New addition from the Inquisitor Kanan AU, this one is from Fortress Inquisitorius and will have some unsettling stuff (Fallen Order and Rebels were mean to captured Jedi and so am I), like you know, torture. Just fyi if you don't approve, don't read 😄 I'm posting these excerpts randomly so far - no reading order yet, take it or leave it >:)

But for some quick info, you know what this is, the jedi gets snatched, Empire is mean, the jedi is sad.

Kanan flinched awake, a dream in his head quickly dissipating leaving behind confusion and a gradual understanding. He was in a dimly lit cell in an uncomfortable interrogation chair he had occupied since his arrival at Fortress Inquisitorius. Still bound from his chest to legs, still just as much hopeless as he has been before he finally fell asleep.

His gaze fixed on the opposing wall, his features contorting as he struggled to control the tightness in his facial muscles that lingered from the fading dream. Though the specifics eluded him, he could recall the Ghost and his crew engaged in conversation, a stark contrast to his current reality. The dream had offered a temporary respite, only to further accentuate his misery upon waking.

Lost in his thoughts of the elusive fantasy, Kanan became aware of another presence only when the purge trooper made a sharp movement to his right. The trooper stood by the red barrier, assuming a stance that suggested he was surely due to be changing shifts soon.

A mischievous grin formed on Kanan’s face as he spoke, his voice laced with mockery and a touch of wonder.

„You know,“ he taunted, relishing in the opportunity to undermine the trooper’s intimidating facade, „I’ve encountered more fearsome guards at a droid spa. Straight backs and all that, you know?“ The trooper’s shoulder twitched in response to the prisoner’s remark, prompting him to adopt a more rigid and militaristic pose. Kanan chuckled inwardly, thoroughly amused by the trooper’s reaction. „Honestly, they'll have anyone guarding important people these days, wouldn’t you agree?“

Seething with anger, the trooper clenched his fist, but before he could formulate a retort, an urgent beeping emanated from his wrist com. The trooper’s helmet crackled with a distorted voice demanding his presence elsewhere. Casting a – Kanan imagined a resentful glare on his undoubtedly ugly face – at the jedi, the trooper reached for his belt pocket and deactivated the red barrier with his key card, leaving Kanan alone once more.

In the ensuing solitude, Kanan took a deep breath, attuning his senses to the surrounding environment. Though meditation proved challenging within these confines, it still offered a means to gather strength and fortify his resolve. As he struggled to calm his racing thoughts, a traitorous voice whispered in his mind, sowing seeds of doubt and despair.

"Hera didn't come for you," the voice insidiously murmured. Kanan bit his lip, determined to silence the treacherous inner dialogue. "They left you," the voice persisted, its relentless persistence threatening to erode his resolve. Frowning, Kanan pushed back against the voice, "I'm at peace with my choice." he whispered to himself and let the bubbling anger cool off. "They're safe. They're alive."

The truth of his words resonated within him. He knew deep down that he would feel it if something had befallen his crew. Besides, the Grand Inquisitor would undoubtedly relish in taunting him with such information. The Inquisitor rarely left the moon anymore, especially not since a few days ago, when apparently Lord Vader himself gave his dark side puppets the order to break their new toy.

It turned out a new jedi came to Lothal. Ahsoka Tano. The realization brought a mix of glee and apprehension. Ahsoka was a legend among the padawans, Kanan recalled, the student of Anakin Skywalker.

He supposed it only made sense she survived the Purge. She left the jedi order near the end of the war.

"Fulcrum," the Grand Inquisitor had revealed during a previous encounter, his words still reverberating in Kanan's memory. "She is the one you've been receiving orders from." The revelation had shocked Kanan.

He spent so much time thinking he was the sole survivor and yet...

"You really didn't know," the Grand Inquisitor chuckled. "How dissapointing. And how inconsiderate of your captain, don't you think?"

Kanan felt a little betrayed at the thought. Did Hera know Fulcrum was a jedi? The Inquisitor picked up on the hesitation in a split second and tried his best to exploit it.

But he left the cell as frustrated by his failure to make Kanan succumb to his emotions as he did any other day, while Kanan, if he ignored the fact he wasn't escaping any time soon, or that his body felt like it could crumble to dust with each blow, slash or surge of electricity, he felt victorious as he smiled each time the Inquisitor lost patience and left.

Ever since Ahsoka's appearance however, his situation had deteriorated. Before, Kanan had endured each painful day with the belief that death would soon claim him due to his perceived uselessness. Now, he found himself staring into an abyss of uncertainty. He was not to be killed; he was to be broken, molded into one of the Inquisitors. Kanan understood the reason behind this decision—his connection to his crew and their association with Ahsoka made him the perfect bait.

"There is no hope," the small voice persisted, its insidious tone causing Kanan to sigh heavily. He raised his gaze toward the ceiling, fighting against the frog in his throat. The sounds outside his cell abruptly captured his attention, diverting his focus from the haunting voice within.

It couldn't be... Stretching out with his senses, Kanan sought the familiar Force signature amidst the suffocating darkness, but..

Ezra's voice, filled with determination and defiance, echoed through the corridor.

"No," Kanan whispered in disbelief and lost focus as thick fog of panic overwhelmed his senses.

No. No no no.

"You will take me to Kanan Jarrus." Ezra's voice commanded sharply.

"That won't work on us, kid." A cold answer from a trooper.

Then an amused laugh from the Grand Inquisitor. "You will see your master soon enough."

The heavy doors swung open, revealing the Grand Inquisitor and the troopers. Ezra's eyes widened as he spotted Kanan, his voice filled with relief. "Kanan!"

The Grand Inquisitor's sly smile twisted into a mocking grin. "Ah, Kanan Jarrus, our heroic Jedi master. Your padawan has been quite resourceful, breaking into our secured facilities to find you."

Meeting Ezra's gaze, Kanan saw relief flooding the young boy's face, mingled with a sense of urgency.

A surge of pride and concern welled up within Kanan. Ezra's gone to such lengths to save him? Doubts flitted through his mind, but the profound connection and familiarity that flowed between them dispelled any skepticism as their eyes locked in a steadfast gaze.

Fear consumed Kanan's being as desperation laced his voice. "What are you doing here?" he pleaded, struggling against the restraints that held him in place.

Ezra made to move towards Kanan, but the two Purge Troopers grasped his arms and held him back.

The Grand Inquisitor's voice dripped with sadistic satisfaction as he walked closer to Ezra. "Unfortunately, Kanan, your apprentice's bravery comes at a price," He paused and extended his hand towards one of the troopers and the armored soldier placed his electric baton in it.

Kanan growled urgently, his body contorting in a futile attempt to break free from the restraints, but he only managed to bruise himself.

The Inquisitor smiled and activated the baton. He spoke to Ezra. "It looks like your master doesn't wish to save you, boy."

"No!" Kanan yelled when the dark sider raised his hand. With a swift motion, he struck the boy, causing him to stagger and cry out in pain. In that moment, Kanan's crumbling walls collapsed, his heart overriding his logic with a single desperate goal.

Summoning every ounce of strength he had left within him, Kanan broke free from the chair, and hurled the Grand Inquisitor together with the Purge Troopers aside as he rushed toward Ezra. But as Kanan reached out to embrace the boy, his arms closed around empty air.

The illusion shattered before his eyes, leaving only a haunting void.

The Grand Inquisitor's laughter echoed through the cell.

Realization washed over Kanan like a chilling wave. He had been played. The weight of his failure settled upon his shoulders, crushing his spirit and extinguishing the fight within him.

Before Kanan could react, the Grand Inquisitor exerted a powerful Force push, slamming him against the cold floor, rendering him motionless once again. The Inquisitor knelt beside him, his gaze burning with sadistic pleasure.  

"Come now, Kanan," the Inquisitor taunted, his voice filled with malice. "Where's that charming smile of yours?" Kanan fought to calm his rapid breathing, his lips trembling into a thin line. The metallic scent of the cell invaded his nostrils as the Inquisitor continued to press him down.

He lost. He did exactly what the Inquisitor wanted and expected. He suddenly noticed how cold he felt, as if he just emerged from an icy pond…

In a moment of overwhelming vulnerability, Kanan flinched as the Inquisitor activated his crimson lightsaber, bringing it dangerously close to his face. Heat emanated from the blade, uncomfortably close to Kanan's skin.

A hand landed on the side of Kanan's head, tugging at his hair, still tied in a ponytail. The grip tightened, digging into his skin as the Inquisitor forced his head up, drawing it nearer to the blade.

Leaning forward, the Grand Inquisitor hissed into Kanan's ear, his voice laced with triumph. "You see, Kanan," he whispered, relishing in his victory. "You are not special. Everyone breaks within the walls of Fortress Inquisitorius, and you are no exception. You're just like the rest of us."

He let him go and the two imposing Purge Troopers forcibly lifted Kanan from the ground, dragging him back to the interrogation chair, strapping him in once again.

The Grand Inquisitor approached Kanan, his eyes burning with a sadistic fire. "Use the dark side, Kanan," he demanded, his voice dripping with malice. "Free yourself and embrace the power that awaits you."

Kanan clenched his jaw, his eyes filled with unwavering resolve and loathing. "No," he declared, the simple word filled with defiance.

The Grand Inquisitor's face twisted into a cruel smile. He retrieved the electro baton and pressed it against Kanan's chest. Agonizing pain coursed through his body and he screamed and the longer the pain lasted, the more did the scream sounded like an agonized wail followed unwittingly by tears. From the pain or for the shame of how easily he let himself be tricked, for himself...

The Inquisitor removed the baton.

Kanan took a long desperate breath, shaking from exhaustion. The Grand Inquisitor gripped Kanan's chin, his grip tightening with every word. "You are a fool, Kanan Jarrus," he sneered and forced the jedi to look him in the eye. "You will break, just like all the others, it's only a matter of time. And when you do, I will revel in your defeat."

He let him go, tossing the baton aside, waving his hand towards the electric torture device connected to the chair itself.

The excruciating pain wracked Kanan's body, his screams reverberating through the walls of the fortress.

TBC...

[arctroopertinky]

Look Towards the Future Ch3: Guilt

Captain Rex x FemaleJedi!Reader

Words: 7.9k

Summary: Guilt makes you do something you regret. Rex is hurt, but realizes something important.

Warnings: Nightmare / Hurtful confrontation / Self deprecation / Vomiting / Alcohol use

A/N: If you'd like to read ahead of what's available on Tumblr, feel free to click the link to the fic on AO3!

AO3 Link / Previous Chapter / Next Chapter / Master List

You found yourself in a briefing room with Anakin, Ahsoka, and Rex to discuss the events of the last mission. However, you noticed that the words that came out of your comrades’ mouths were muffled and ineligible. But, they all seemed extremely invested in their own conversation, so you thought it was best not to interrupt them. You were content simply standing there patiently, you felt strangely relaxed, but thought nothing of it. Then, they all turned to you in unison, looking concerned and perplexed.

“Y/n, I asked you a question, are you not listening to me?” Anakin asked you, sounding clearly annoyed.

“Uhh…” You couldn’t come up with a lie. “I a-apologize Master Skywalker, can you please repeat what you said to me?” You requested.

Anakin rolled his eyes. “I said; why didn’t you help us?”

You started to look confused. “Help you with what, Master?”

“Help us get off that planet alive, y/n.”

Your chest immediately tightened as fear corrupted your senses. “What...?”

Ahsoka interjected with a stark haste as they all began to march towards you at a steady pace. “You left us there to die! How could you do that to us?”

You jumped a mighty distance back in response to the gap closing between you and your interrogators. But they kept coming. “Please!” You found that you were sobbing, but you did not know when you started. “You know me, I didn’t leave you behind! I would never have done that to any of you!” None of them seem phased by your defense. “I had no choice!”

“Did you really?” Rex sneered . Your attention, which was on Anakin and Ahsoka, swiftly geared towards the clone, whose armor and helmet suddenly changed to that of your old Captain.

“I trusted you- no!” Rory leaned in extremely close to your face, aggressively hitting his index finger against your chest. “We trusted you! I thought we meant more to you, I thought I meant more to you!” You couldn’t see his face, but you could almost hear the tears falling from the Captain’s eyes, you could only imagine his pain. His anger.

“Please…!” You begged. Heaving in between words. “There was no way for me to save you…” You stared deeply into the Captain’s helmet, your mouth hung open in absolute distress. “I’m sorry, Rory…” The Captain showed no reaction to your words. Instead, he said nothing as he swiftly forced one of his hands around your throat.

“You should have died, not us.”

You shot up with a gasp, sweat glazed your body as your mind raced. You had another nightmare. Ever since the incident they threatened your sleep and corrupted many of your dreams. You clutched your shirt as your breaths ran at a panicked tempo. This continued for many minutes as Coruscant’s sun continued to rise, illuminating the bustling skies of the galaxy’s capital as your breaths finally began to separate more and more.

Once you regained control over yourself, you urged your body to swivel to the edge of the bed, placing one foot onto the floor, and then the other. Your quarters in the Jedi Temple used to look a lot… different. On your lone dresser used to be items you would collect from your previous missions. Sometimes, they were gifted to you from the clones of your lost battalion. But ever since the incident, however, you threw all of your items into a box and swept it under your bed. You quarters, that were once bright and inviting, now looked dull, as though nobody had been living there for some time. All that seemed to exist in your quarters now was the minimal furniture that the order sought to provide all jedi for their quarters. Despite the sunlight that made its way through the window, your quarters continued to maintain a melancholy substance to it.

You prepared yourself for the meeting ahead. To allow you to heal from your injuries, it was decided that it would be best to move the post mission briefing from late that night to late in the morning the next day. You were completely healed, but you moved about your quarters like a corpse. You forced your clothes upon you in reluctance, and you cringed as you felt your clothes bump against your scars, never letting you forget what had been tormenting your mind for weeks now.

You then equipped your robe awkwardly, you immediately pulled the hood over your head as if you wanted to hide from yourself and the world around you. You still weren’t used to wearing your jedi robes so much. Unlike many other jedi in the order, you preferred not to wear your robe very often. You only did so if it was necessary because you preferred how free you felt without your robe, all it did in your eyes was slow you down. Now, however, you wore your robe constantly. Your clothes covered up only most of your scars, so your robe was your tool to prevent you, and any others from seeing what made you feel so ashamed. Any sliver of a hopeful demeanor you had the day prior was swept away by your nightmare, both living and dreaming. Any thought that you might have done any good for the 501st was gone with it.

You buckled your belt around your waist, then silently approached your door as you heard it begin to exclaim with a hiss. Once it was open, you took a single step into the outside world. But then you paused in confusion before your hands instinctively reached down to feel your belt. You sighed and twisted your upper half to look back into the quarters. You forgot your lightsabers on the dresser. You lifted one of your hands up, attempting to call out to the force, asking it to bring the lightsabers into your grasp. But to your dismay, the force did not respond back, you couldn’t even feel it within you. The familiarity you lost the day before still did not return to you. Asking the force turned to begging turned to pleading as you strained your hand, desperate to see your sabers fly to you. You almost broke into a sweat as you felt the rest of your body straining the more you needed to feel the force again. But… nothing. Those sabers stayed in the exact spot you left them the night before. You didn’t want to cry, but you also did? But you couldn’t? You just stood there, staring blankly at your sabers. After a couple of brief moments, you lowered your hand in defeat, deflating the tension you allowed yourself to accrue. You reversed your step back into your quarters and grabbed your sabers, one in each hand. You looked down at your sabers as they sat in your open palms, eyebrows furrowed and mouth hung in an obtuse frown. Then, you closed your hands around the weapons, your grip tightening until it hurt. Your eyes squinted at the sensation before you attached your sabers to your belt. You took one last look at your empty quarters, and then at the box beneath your bed. You then turned to fulfill your duties, and your door snapped shut.

- - -

Upon the Resolute, you stared at the door of the briefing room. You knew you were about to be late, but the thought of entering through that door ate at your insides like an animal. You were hesitating to save yourself some comfort, but you could feel the prying eyes of dozens of clones as they walked by, locked on the lone jedi staring at a door. That was enough to push you closer. But before the door could detect your presence, you heard your name from behind you. As you turned to face the source of the greeting, you realized it was Rex, somehow just as late as you were.

“General y/n.” Rex said, approaching you kindly. “It’s good to see you this morning, how are your injuries?” He inquired. His helmet was not on his head, but was instead being supported by his right arm and hip as he held it in his hand. You noticed his warm smile that creased the sides of his eyes and flared his nostrils ever so slightly. He looked happy to see you, and you felt so guilty.

“I-... I am fine Captain, thank you.” You responded coldly. Finding yourself unable to face Rex, all you could think to do next was to turn yourself back towards the door to the briefing room before you could see the Captain’s reaction. You then entered the room, hearing the Captain follow you at a distance as he equipped his helmet.

The briefing room contained Anakin and Ahsoka, with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Mace Windu accompanying the pair. They all stood patiently in a wide circle as they looked over in response to the door rushing open, their eyes meeting you and the Captain.

“Master y/n, Captain Rex.” Mace Windu acknowledged. “Please come in, we are to discuss yesterday's mission.” You filed in and found a spot in the circle that was the farthest you could be away from anyone. You found some relief when you realized that Rex found a spot on the opposite end of where you stood. But, some more anxiety and guilt found you when you realized how easily he could see you.

The meeting dragged at an agonizing pace as you struggled to pay attention to the discussion at hand. All you could think about was your old battalion, and how you failed them. You thought about your nightmare and what Rory said during it; that you should have died. If there was something you could have done to save your troopers, you considered that maybe it would have been worth trading your life for theirs. The thoughts chewed at your brain. And what made everything that much worse was the Captain standing in the room with you. Even without the force you could feel his eyes piercing right through you. With hurt? Anger? Confusion? You couldn’t even begin to guess what he could have been thinking about you. You felt bad for how you brushed the Captain off, but the guilt you were feeling about your troopers dying while you were allowed to live made interacting with him too much to bear, despite how much you surprisingly enjoyed his presence during the battle. You felt like you were an embarrassment to the Grand Army of the Republic for your failure. And therefore, you didn’t deserve any of their kindness or their sympathy.

“Y/n?”

You snapped out of your thoughts. “W-what?” Your eyes zipped over to the Masters. They were waiting patiently for your response to something.

“Did you hear what I said?” Mace Windu inquired. His stance was dominating in comparison to Obi-wan’s, his eyes pierced yours with mysterious inquiry, making your insides curl at his seriousness. It took so much of yourself to look them in the eyes.

“I apologize Master, I did not hear that last part.” You admitted, trying to seem collected. “Would you mind repeating what you said?” Luckily, or unluckily for you, they showed no emotional response to your statement or your request.

“You seemed to have done a good job on your first mission back on the field, you were able to take down many battle droids.” Obi-wan started. “But we have also heard reports that at some point, you were unable to fend off a small portion of an enemy company. Can you please explain what led to this happening?”

Uh oh. This was an interrogation.

“Um…” You squeezed out, feeling sweat begin to permeate throughout your body as your eyes widened ever so slightly. Suddenly you remembered why the two masters were likely here in the first place; to keep track of you and your emotions.

You didn’t know whether to lie to the Master or tell the truth. “Well, what happened was…” You could feel all eyes penetrate yours as they struggled to maintain contact with the two jedi. Time was running out, and you had to say something. But, as you were about to come up with a lie on the spot, you were interrupted.

“General Windu, if I may.” Rex began. “General y/n made herself quite busy with the battle droids. She took down more in one mission than I ever could in a dozen.” All of the attention was on him now. “I saw it happen, while she was distracted a battle droid took a shot at her from behind at its first opportunity, then she was surrounded. I’ve seen this exact thing happen to General Skywalker and Tano many times, it’s nothing to fault her for.” You couldn’t help now but to look at the Captain. Your eyes, now as wide as they could be, stayed locked onto Rex. Your mouth slightly hung open in surprise and your lungs refused to take in any air. Did he just lie for you?

Then, their heads turned back towards you. Your eyes remained placed on the Captain until you realized what they were waiting for. They needed an answer.

“He’s telling th-the truth, Master.” You mentally screamed at yourself to stop the stuttering as you forced your eyes back onto the Masters. “A blaster shot took me down, and the droids took the opportunity to surround me.” Mace Windu clearly didn’t look entirely convinced, one eyebrow remained raised high above the other. He clearly wanted to say something, but Obi-wan peered over at the jedi master next to him with a bit of concern in his eyes before he decided to cut in.

“Well, we’re glad to see that you have fully recovered, Master y/n.” Obi-wan said, before reinstating his dialogue to the rest of the room. “I’m sure you all will be given another mission shortly, be prepared.” He advised. Anakin decided to start making half-joking statements about being the best general with the best battalion who is always prepared for their missions (a complete lie). As the two jedi went back and forth with their brotherly banter, you noticed that Mace Windu still had a look of suspicion in his eyes as he observed the quips being made, his mind was still clearly crowded in thoughts, and it made you extremely grateful that he decided not to interrogate you further.

- - -

Eventually, the humorous conversation died out, and everyone began to return to their duties once more. First it was Obi-wan and Mace Windu, the latter taking one more swift look at you before the door closed shut behind him. Next, it was Ahsoka, who stated she had some personal training to do before the day ended. Then, with the population of the room dwindling, you swiftly took the opportunity to take your leave. You tried to act as normal as possible, but you horrifically failed in front of Anakin and Rex. Now, all that was left was the General and his Captain.

Rex stared at the closed door restlessly. Both regretting that he lied to his superiors and feeling invigorated at the same time. His fingers twitched in his desperation to leave. The Captain turned to his General and gave him an impatient salute, then turned to the door and started his speedy escape.

“Hold up there, Rex.”

The Captain froze, he did what he was told as an anxiety creeped into his chest and locked it tight. He forced his body to turn back towards Anakin.

“Sir? Is there something you need?” Rex inquired. Anakin had a certain look on his face, one full of questions, but Rex couldn’t make out what the General planned on doing with it.

“So about what happened back there…” Anakin took a step towards Rex. “Did you lie for her?”

Oh shit.

Rex, lucky to have his helmet on, struggled to keep his eyes on his Captain as his attempt of an excuse came out as a bunch of stutters and ums and buts. After an agonizing moment of this, Anakin put his hand up to signal Rex to stop.

“Rex, buddy, chill.” Anakin approached Rex and placed a hand on his shoulder. “No one is in trouble, I just want to know what the hell that was about.”

Rex took a deep breath. “Well, you see- General, I-... She-...” As the stuttering continued, Anakin’s eyes gradually glazed over. Rex tried to make any sort of sense, he really did. But he seemed to be in no position to stop himself.

“Rex.”

Rex shut up.

“Listen…” Anakin rubbed his eyes with his index finger and thumb. “I don’t want to torture you for the details. Just… humor me for a moment.” Anakin requested. Rex took a big gulp, before nodding his head silently.

“Do you know what happened to y/n before she was assigned to this battalion?”

Rex took a moment to think on what to say next.

“Not exactly. But… I have theories.” Rex answered truthfully.

“Well just so you know, her entire battalion got wiped out in one mission.” Rex’s posture visibly stiffened. “Don’t try to ask me how it happened. The Council didn’t bother to give me the details.” Anakin begrudgingly explained to the Captain. The General took a step back from Rex, relinquishing his hand from the Captain’s shoulder. “I can tell when I shouldn’t involve myself in certain things, Rex. But… when it comes to whatever happened during yesterday’s mission… is that going to put you, or me, or Ahsoka, or any of your men at risk?” Anakin stared into Rex’s visor with a powerful intent. Rex had to respond.

“No, General.” Rex wasn’t sure if this was a lie. “Of course not.”

Anakin studied his Captain for a couple more moments, pupils dancing slightly as they observed each edge and shine of his visor. Anakin, whether he could see it or not, was looking right into Rex’s eyes, and that made him nervous. No, it made him feel guilty. But against Rex’s expectations, he saw a smile creep onto his General’s lips.

“Welp, I’m convinced,” Anakin stated with a pep. Rex, out of sheer confusion to this reaction, cocked his head slightly to the side.

“What?” Anakin shrugged his shoulders. “I trust your judgment Rex. If you say that everything is fine, I’m going to believe you.”

A smile began to develop underneath Rex’s helmet. “I appreciate that, General.” This warm exchange lasted for only a moment, before Anakin began to step towards the door.

“Listen, I have to go. But, Rex?” Anakin stopped himself as the door hissed open. “You’ve been looking tense recently, you should think about actually having some fun soon, instead of being such a square all the time.” Rex scoffed at the comment, but before he could make up some sort of comeback, Anakin was long gone.

Once again, Rex was the last to leave a briefing. He thought to himself for a moment, pondering why he rushed to your defense. His first thought was that you were simply part of the team now, and he always helped his own. But, Rex never lies, not when he doesn’t think it’s necessary. He could count on one finger how many times he has lied for the sake of someone else. Hell, he’s barely ever even done it to save his own skin. Why are you deserving of such a privilege? What made you so special to garner his attention in this way?

Then he thought about what Anakin said about your battalion, how they all died at once, leaving you to be the sole survivor. At that moment, Rex put himself in your shoes. If he were to lose his entire battalion in such a way, there would be no pretending anymore. He wouldn’t be able to put on an act, that he was the Captain that the Republic needed him to be. No… he would never be able to forgive himself if a massacre of that caliber were to happen under his authority.

The image of your exposed scars flashed through Rex’s head. Oh… you were definitely right there when it happened, weren’t you? The possibility made Rex’s heart burst. He took a mighty deep breath in, before huffing it out all at once. Rex wanted to sit with these thoughts, but unfortunately, he still had a lot of work to do, and it was time to act like the Captain he was expected to be. He would have to reconcile with these thoughts later. The door opened swiftly to reveal the Resolute. Before stepping out, Rex ensured that his armor was on correctly and his posture was proper. Once he was happy with how he presented himself, he exited the room, hearing the harsh hiss and muffled bang of the door as it closed behind him.

- - -

You didn’t really know what you were doing, waiting like this. You felt like a fool just standing here, body leaned against the wall near the briefing room. It hadn’t been that long, maybe only a few minutes, but each second felt agonizingly slow, as if time had slowed down just to torture you. Each time a clone walked past you, you kept your head down, refusing to even take a slight peak at the troopers. For all you knew they could have been saluting you, just to be met with your cold lack of a response. You tried to convince yourself that you didn’t care at that moment, but the possibility ate at your insides and refused to stop.

Suddenly, you heard footsteps that differed from any clone you’ve ever met. Despite their wide array of personalities, each clone’s footsteps had a similar ring to them that you familiarized yourself with extensively, enough to discern if one was walking near you without you even needing to check. But these steps clearly did not belong to any clone. You lifted you back off the wall as you stiffened into a professional posture. You tried your best to warp your face into a natural expression, but without a mirror you were lost to how you truly looked. Either way, there was no more time, the figure turned the corner for Anakin to be revealed.

“Oh…!” Anakin stopped in his tracks. “Master y/n, I did not realize that you were still around.” He gave you a warm smile, and you struggled to keep your eyes on his. “If you weren’t in a rush to get anywhere, you could have stayed in the briefing room for a bit longer. You know that, right?”

You plastered a smile on your face, mimicking the jedi’s. “Of course, Master Skywalker.” You quietly began. “I just needed some time to myself is all.”

Anakin’s eyes drifted about his surroundings. As it was the middle of the day, the staff of the Resolute strolled up and down this hallway quite frequently. If you really needed to be alone, Anakin knew that you knew that this was not the place to be. But, it wasn’t his business to call you out on your obvious lie.

“I understand.” He responded kindly. “But if you need anything, please let me know… Don’t be afraid to ask for help, okay?”

Anakin’s eyes looked deep into yours with an unwavering care. You felt bad about it.

“Thank you Master Skywalker, but I’m okay.” You strengthened your eye contact. “Truly.”

He looked at you for another moment, you could see a twinge of concern in his eyes. But yours lied for you, they looked back at his and told him that you were telling the truth. Anakin wasn’t completely convinced, but he backed off anyway. His typical demeanor returned to him and he bid you a good day before continuing his walk through the Resolute, out of your sight.

You sighed as you leaned yourself back against the wall, hands combing at your hair under your hood, slowing against the grain. But then you heard a new set of footsteps, one you were able to recognize. You stiffened but remained laid back against the wall, trying to act as natural as possible. You heard the footsteps approach your hallway, but then begin to fade away. You turned your head to see Rex, who you wanted to see, but he was walking the opposite way than you’d hope. You would have to get his attention.

“Captain.” You saw Rex halt in his tracks, then turn around to face you.

“General y/n!” Rex greeted, “I thought you left a while ago.” He approached you with energized steps. “Do you need anything?” He swiftly removed his helmet and perched it in between his right arm and his side. He clearly was trying to hide it, but he couldn’t help but let a smile creep across his face. This was going to suck.

You took a hard look at him, screaming at yourself to not let go of the eye contact. “Why did you lie for me back there?”

This clearly threw Rex off. “W-what do you mean, lie?” Rex’s eyes were the first to break the contact as they bounded back and forth between you and your surroundings. His feet took turns favoring one another and the smile quickly faded from his face. “I-I was just telling them what I saw, General. I…” His attempt at words faded into the background as you began to think. The obvious lack of honesty made you all the more upset at the current situation. This was dragging on long enough.

“Rex-!” You rubbed your eyes with one hand as his silence crept in.” “Just- please… I don’t know what you saw out there, and I’m grateful that you bothered to help me yesterday. But please, whatever you think you’re doing by lying for me…” you almost didn’t want to continue, but you believed that this was for the best, “just STOP.” You put your other hand up to exaggerate your point, your fingers outstretched in half-genuine frustration.

“Stop what, General?” Rex looked at your extended hand and back at you, his eyes bouncing between the two sights. Then, his eyes locked onto yours, and his eyebrows furrowed, telling you he was genuinely confused and hurt. His expression poked a hole in your heart. But you had to prevail.

“Stop trying to help,” you said plainly. You tried to make your face look more stern. Rex’s eyes widened a bit to express more hurt. “I don’t understand why you’re even doing this, we aren’t friends, and I barely even know you.” You crossed your arms and turned slightly away from him, your head angled towards the floor to hide the regret that spread across your face. “Just… stop it, before you start to make things worse.” You couldn’t bear to look back at the Captain. There were so many things you wished you could say instead of what you forced yourself to express. You listened as Rex’s armor pieces rubbed together as he shifted his posture. Then there was silence for a while, and you weren’t even sure if the Captain was there anymore, but you still didn’t have the courage to look.

“I apologize General,” Rex stated sincerely, but almost robotically, “I didn’t mean to bother you or intrude on your business.” Then there was a bit more uncomfortable silence, before you heard Rex finally turn around and walk away from you towards his destination. The familiar footsteps gradually died down, until they were finally gone.

You let out a breath you didn’t even realize you were holding in. You let yourself go from your defensive position to look up and confirm that the Captain was no longer in your presence. Then it hit you that you were all alone, and you were without a clone who cared once again. But, this is what you wanted right? To be alone, so you couldn't be a burden on another clone again? So you could focus on the retribution you owed to these men? The thought should have made you feel better, but the guilt continued to creep up your chest and into your throat as you found yourself walking back to your quarters in the Jedi Temple.

You found yourself once again ignoring the clones who acknowledged you as you walked past them. The progress you made from your first mission with the 501st had completely disappeared. As you made it to your door, the guilt within your throat seemed unbearable. Or maybe it wasn’t guilt… oh shit.

You practically threw yourself into the refresher down the hall as the vomit made its way into your mouth. You just managed to stick your face into a toilet before the liquid poured its way out. You had to kneel there for a few moments as your body attempted to wretch more and more nutrients from your stomach. Luckily, nothing else came out of you, but it surely left you winded.

Your hands gripped the seat as you struggled to lift yourself up from the floor, your arms shaking from your weight. As you stood, you peered downwards at the mess you created in the bowl below, and a look full of disgust and distress filled your face. You questioned your choices as the mechanism automatically cleaned up the mess you left. Was this really the right choice, to be alone? To tell the first clone to show you any genuine care since you lost the ones you held so dear to stop caring felt so wrong to you in this moment, despite the mental protests you presented to your heart. Maybe rest is what you really needed… You turned to leave the refresher, but you caught yourself in the mirror. Despite your mental objections you took a closer look, but you did not like what you were seeing. Instead of the confident and powerful jedi you were just weeks ago, all that was left was a broken woman. Dark circles haunted your under-eyes. Your eyelids were heavy from exhaustion but your eyebrows possessed a tireless anxiety that morphed the upper portion of your face.

You looked at yourself for a few moments, feeling even more dread and guilt build up inside you. Eventually you were able to tear yourself away from the sight, and you exited the refresher, heading towards your quarters. You hoped that getting some rest would undo the burden you felt within you.

- - -

Rex stepped out of the air taxi, his feet reunited with the ground beneath him as he peered up at his destination: fucking 79s. Ugh, why was he here again? Oh… right.

(‘Rex!’ Fives yelled to his Captain as he walked past. ‘What the hell man? You can’t even say hello to your brother when he greets you? That’s fucked up!’ Rex slowly turned towards his fellow trooper to reveal a face littered with depressive features. This caused Five’s joking demeanor to quickly diminish.

‘Rex… you good?’ Fives approached his Captain swiftly, ‘I haven’t seen you look this down since… I don’t even know how long! What’s up?’

Rex took a moment to consider if he should tell the truth. ‘Fives, I appreciate the concern, but I don’t think this is something I want to talk about right now.’

Fives clearly looked annoyed at the lack of his desired response. ‘Bullshit, Rex! There’s no way you don’t want to talk about this right now, you look absolutely distraught!’ Fives then looked as though he was deep in thought, before a devilish grin appeared across his mouth. ‘You know what you need Rex?’ Fives asked his captain.

Rex genuinely looked a bit confused. ‘No actually, I don’t.’ Annoyance poked through his response.

‘I think you need a trip to 79s tonight!’ Fives looked extremely proud at his ability to come up with this answer. ‘What do you say?’

Rex rolled his eyes. ‘No. Absolutely not. You’re not just going to drag me there just so I can watch you and the others get drunk again.’

Fives let out a hardy laugh. ‘Come on Rex! Maybe you should try getting drunk too for once!’

‘Yeah, no.’

‘Don’t be such a square Captain.’ Fives said, pretending to be annoyed. ‘You’re always so serious! About the mission, or the Republic, or staying focused… What is with you man? Just loosen up! You’re always so tense, maybe you’re even a little more tense than normal.’

Rex’s nose crinkled in reaction. ‘I am not always tense, I know how to relax without putting my ability to lead in jeopardy.’

‘Whatever you say, Captain.’ Fives rolled his eyes, ‘I don’t think that I’m going to convince you…’ Fives put his arm around Rex’s shoulders to prevent his escape, ‘so I’m deciding for you, you’re coming to 79s with me tonight!’

‘Please no.’ Rex begged.

‘Too late, the plan is set!’ Fives exclaimed as he squeezed Rex twice as hard. All Rex could do at this point was grumble in protest as Fives suddenly made himself sparse.)

Rex filled up his lungs before sighing it all out. The bright lights decorating the exterior forced him to squint as he regretfully made his way into the establishment. The inside wasn’t much better. Despite all of the bright decor it was way too dark, the music was loud enough to pound his chest, and dozens of clones and civvies crowded the interior around him, causing a need for him to push past them as they ignored his need to advance deeper. They were clearly annoyed at this, but Rex didn’t care so much, he just wanted to get this night over with.

“Rex, over here!” Rex heard a trooper yell. He cocked his head to see Fives and Echo sitting at a table together. Typically, more of his brothers would be a part of this entourage, but luckily for Rex he would only have to deal with two drunk troopers tonight. Rex begrudgingly made his way over to the table, dodging clones and the civvies they attempted to flirt with along the way, and took a seat with his brothers. Accompanying Echo was a simple glass of neat liquor, something that he politely sipped at every couple of minutes or so. Fives however, had a couple of glasses full of a liquor that Rex was unable to identify, most likely due to his inexperience. But, either way, his brother had multiple beverages ready at the table, patiently waiting to be drunk.

“Well well, I’m honestly a bit shocked to see you here Captain,” Fives said with a relaxed smile smudged across his face.

Rex scoffed at the comment, “and why’s that?”

“Because you looked the saddest I’ve seen you in a while,” Fives explained before taking a small swig of his drink, “I half expected you to hide in your quarters all night.”

“My goodness Fives, how many times am I going to have to tell you tonight that I’m fine?” Rex rolled his eyes at his brother as Echo gave Rex a slightly concerned look.

“We don’t have to be completely sober to see that you’re not doing well Rex. What, did you have a bad day or something?” Echo inquired.

Rex shifted uneasily in his seat, “yeah, you can say that.”

“Are you going to tell us what’s going on?”

Rex considered telling Echo the truth, but then Fives caught his eye. “Uh, no. I’m good.” Rex answered, realizing he did not want to talk about this with his clearly drunk brother. Echo lifted one of his eyebrows in wanting curiosity.

“Lay off him, Echo, I bet he got rejected by some girl.” Fives interjected. In response to the comment Echo and Rex turned to look at Fives with extremely perplexed and irked expressions. Fives’s eyes bounded between his brothers for a moment, their silence allowed for the pounding music to take center stage. Fives shrugged his shoulders.

“What? I’m drunk, sometimes crazy shit comes to mind and I gotta say it.” Fives then noticed the still full glasses of booze sitting on the table, and he looked back at his Captain appearing absolutely shocked. “Rex! I got these for the table!” Fives impatiently grabbed one of the glasses and shoved it in Rex’s face. Fives almost splashed the drink in his face, but the liquid managed to stay in its glass as it rocked up to the rim. “Drink up! I don’t wanna see your sad mug anymore!”

“You know I don’t really like to drink, Fives…” Rex responded. But Fives wouldn’t relent, the drink maintained its spot in Rex’s vision, completely blocking out his view of Echo and most of the cantina. Finally, Rex regretfully took the glass into his hand to satisfy his intoxicated brother. Then, with a big smile on his face, Fives brought his glass into the air for a toast. Echo lifted his half drunk glass as well, eventually followed by Rex, despite his silent protests.

“What are we toasting to, exactly?” Echo inquired. Fives’s eyebrows immediately furrowed in drunken thought. A response took a lot longer than expected to resonate within the trooper.

“Uhhh… I don’t know…” Fives’s eyes then lit up. “How about we toast to our latest victory… Here's to beating the Separatists!” Fives immediately shot his drink down his throat. Echo smiled and chuckled at his brother, before finishing the rest of his drink as well, being way more polite and patient than Fives. Rex studied his drink before slowly raising it to his lips to take a small sip. His nose and his eyes crinkled at the bitter taste.

Luckily, Fives was extremely preoccupied by getting wasted to notice Rex’s responsible drinking as he quickly gathered another drink into his hands. “Let’s do another toast, shall we?” He asked excitedly. “How about we toast to our new General, for taking down all of those clankers… and for not being too bad on the eyes either.”

Rex, who had decided to take another light sip before processing what his brother had said, blew out into his glass, causing some of the liquid to splash above the rim. The sound took Echo’s attention away from Fives’s drunken activities, his eyes grew a bit wider in reaction to Rex’s face being covered in the alcoholic liquid. Once Fives chugged his drink down, he slammed the glass to the table and let out a holler in reaction to the taste. A smile corrupted him when he looked at his brother.

“Damn Rex, that struck a nerve.” Fives slurred. He then leaned into the table in order to get closer to Rex, who was sitting across from him. “Don’t tell me you actually got rejected by a girl.”

“Fives, I didn't-”

“A fuckin jedi no less!”

For some reason the Captain’s face burned up at the thought as Fives laughed hysterically. He had never thought about you in that light before, but somehow a mere reference to it caused him to react in such a way. He immediately chalked it up to pure embarrassment. No one should be talking about a General in this way, you were owed way more respect than what Fives was shitting out.

“Fives!” Rex yelled, causing Fives to whip his head back towards his Captain. Echo cocked one of his eyebrows, Fives, however, looked mostly unfazed. The two additional shots had clearly worked their way through him quickly, his eyelids appeared heavier as he stared at his captain with a confused expression.

“What..?” His eyes blinked at two different times.

Rex’s hand cupped his forehead in frustration, before it slowly made its way down his face, flattening his nose as they met and taking the booze on his face with it. “You shouldn’t talk about the General like that.”

“Why not? She’s hot.”

Strangely, a bit of rage twinged from within Rex. Not enough to make him act out, but it was enough to make him suddenly sit up straight in his chair, causing Fives to react minimally. “She is our General and we owe her some respect.” Rex stated, trying to sound composed.

Fives blew a raspberry, “whatever Captain,” He saluted, his hand completely missing his head, “I didn’t mean to disrespect your girlfriend.”

“She’s not my-!” Fives was long gone already, heading towards the bar to grab himself more drinks. Typically, Rex would stop Fives to prevent him from getting too drunk, but this time he let the trooper go, not wanting to deal with him at that moment. Echo laughed as he witnessed Fives bound towards the bartender.

“Well, there he goes… I don’t think we’ll be able to stop him tonight.” Echo then looked back at Rex, whose face was still extremely tense from what the other trooper had said mere moments ago. Echo’s face softened into concern.

“You still don’t want to tell me what’s going on with you?” Echo inquired.

“No, not really.” Rex glued his eyes to the distance.

“Does it really have anything to do with General y/n?”

Rex thought about it for a second.

“I don’t think she likes me very much.” Rex sighed, immediately regretting saying anything at all.

“I thought she was warming up to us after the last mission, no?” Echo asked.

“Yeah, but today we started back at square one.” Rex’s eyes darted to his barely touched drink in his hand as he raised it close to his nose. He wasn’t sure why he was sharing so much. “I think I might’ve made her upset.”

“Well…” Echo paused, “I wouldn’t take it personally like that. She’s clearly been dealing with some heavy shit recently… whatever it is. So I wouldn't be surprised if she was upset at that moment, ya know?”

Rex nodded his head, wishing he knew what more could be said to make him feel better. Echo was right, but he didn’t know everything that had happened between the two of you earlier that day. Rex wasn’t about to tell Echo about it either, but he wished he wanted to so Echo could understand more.

“Do you like her?”

What?

“What?” Rex asked.

“Do you like the General?” Echo repeated. “You seemed quite upset when Fives was talking about her.”

Rex groaned, squinting his eyes as he cringed at the question. “I really wish I didn’t have to keep repeating this, but it’s not like that at all. She is new to our battalion and I simply want her to feel as comfortable as possible. That is it.” He said sternly, somehow not totally convinced of his words.

Echo looked a bit guilty, but maintained a smile on his face. “Okay Rex, I believe you. I’m just a bit drunk is all, so I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

A chuckle made it past Rex's uneasy feelings. “Don’t worry about it, Echo. If anyone is making me uncomfortable tonight, it’s Fives.”

Rex and Echo chatted for a while after that. Fives never came back to sit down, but they made sure he was still in eyesight as he kept drinking throughout the night with other brothers and as he attempted to talk to many women. As they spoke about whatever came to mind, Rex couldn’t help but feel conflicted about their prior conversation about you. He defended you and maintained that you were nothing more than what he hoped to be friends, like he wanted to. But for some reason he felt… off. There was this uncomfortable tightness in his chest that remained all night without any sign of withdrawing. He contemplated this feeling, but chalked it up to the guilt he was feeling about making you upset earlier that day. He really was feeling guilty about it after all, he never meant to offend you by helping you like that. He did not know what he really saw on the battlefield, but he saw an opportunity to step in during the briefing, but he guessed that he stepped in too far. The two of you seemed to have gotten along during the mission, but you treated him like a stranger before the briefing, and like some stalker after it. Rex then started to consider why he cared so much about you and about what others thought about you. He tried to ignore these feelings, this desire to know you, and enjoy his time with Echo, but the thoughts never stopped eating away at him.

He then checked the time, despite the continued high population at 79s, it was getting quite late.

“Hey, Echo, I should probably go.” Rex told his brother as he carefully got out of his seat.

Echo clearly had gotten to a comfortable drunkenness, his head rested in the palm of one hand as the other held a glass, and slowly nodded to the Captain. “Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow-” the clone was interrupted by the sound of Fives hollering in the distance, obviously having the absolute time of his life. Echo smiled, “don’t worry about him, I’ll make sure he gets back safe.”

Rex returned a smile to his brother. “I appreciate it, Echo.” Immediately Rex and Echo heard Fives let out another yell, which caused Rex to cringe in response. “I don’t think I can handle him right now…”

- - -

Rex sat in silence as he stared out the window of the air taxi. He watched as an endless line of vehicles made their way across his vision. Thousands of lights emitted across the city, all moving in unison with each other as they followed closely behind one another patiently. His eyelids were growing heavy, so in order to keep himself awake he outlined every detail he could make out of each air speeder he could easily see. Their colors, their models, even their imperfections to keep himself entertained. He was able to keep this activity up until he noticed the Jedi Temple in the corner of his eye.

His heart dropped slightly as he immediately whipped his eyes towards the temple. Despite the tension that persisted in his chest, he was able to mostly get his mind off of you and what transpired earlier that day. But now that the temple was in sight, there was no forgetting about it now.

Rex, with no other option now, thought about you. He thought about when he first met you, how timid you were. But then a smile lifted the corners of his mouth as he thought about your first mission together. He saw another side of you; one that was kind and social and brave. But now? You seemed to want even less to do with Rex now. Rex’s smile fell into a slight frown as he thought about what you said to him earlier that day. Then, Rex saw your exposed scars in his mind’s eye. If his theory was right, you bore witness to something Rex fears every day. He once again considered how he would feel if he lost his battalion, and began to feel extremely embarrassed as he recognized his sympathy for you was what drove him to you in the first place. He sighed at this realization.

‘I’m definitely making things worse for her,’ Rex thought to himself. Rex then remembered what Fives said about the two of you; how you were more than friends.

‘No.’ Rex immediately thought. A Jedi and a clone were not compatible in that way for endless reasons. Besides, there was no way he would ever want that, and it’s not like you could ever be friends, not like how bonded Rex was with Anakin or Ahsoka anyway. You made yourself very clear; it was not something you wanted, so it was never going to happen. And Rex knew he would have to learn to be content with that, despite how much, for a reason becoming known to him, it hurt.

[high-fantasy-sw]

Heroforge: Jedi (Part One)

I'm back- with JEDI! Well, actually, only about half of them. I still need to make a few (like Kit Fisto, Quinlan, Barris, Jocasta Nu, etc; they're going to be in another post). But I think you'll enjoy who I have so far!

Also. I forgot to do honorifics for the Clones, because this is a fantasy world, and everyone has honorifics. Mea culpa, I'll edit that post as soon as I'm done with this one, so you can go check that out if you want.

Tagging: @whyoneartheven @anime-obsessed @majorproblems77

Sir Anakin Skywalker, the Valiant. His lightsaber is a dark-blue greatsword, with the Kyber Crystal embedded in the pommel. I chose it to represent the facts that his attacks are very aggressive but leave room for little defense- as it's a two-handed weapon, he has to defend by using offensive measures. (Also, it's a double-edged blade. *coughs in foreshadowing*.) In addition- his prosthetic arm is an enchanted golden gauntlet, to reference Clone Wars (2003), because I am a sucker for Clone Wars (2003) as much as I am a sucker for The Clone Wars (2008).

Sir Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Noble (alternatively: the Silver-Tongued). Okay, shut up for a second and let me nerd about his lightsaber. You may notice that he fights with a sword-and-shield combo. This is to reference his mastery of Soresu, a defense-heavy form of lightsaber combat. His crossguard- in which is embedded his light-blue kyber crystal- and his shield shape also reference the Jedi Crest. (And his hair is dark red because I said so, that's why.)

Squire Ahsoka Tano (later to be granted the honorary title of Lady Ahsoka the Perseverant). SHE'S FINALLY DONE! As you can see, she's differed slightly from her original concept (which I will link here)- her headscarf is now blue, and she has a different skirt (which I realize you can't see in the original picture, but I assure you, it was different), which I changed to match the simpler tastes of the Jedi (sidenote: as you will see, Jedi do have a loose habit, or the uniform dress of a monastic order, but padawans are allowed to be a bit more liberal with their clothing because they are not fully professed members of the order yet). For lightsabers, she wields two Togrutan daggers with the kyber crystals embedded in the pommels, just like Anakin :) Since she dual-wields, I thought it would be more practical for them to be shortblades, so she doesn't accidentally slice herself; her fighting style is still highly acrobatic, just like in canon. ALSO! Her facial markings! I mentioned in the original sneak peek that I'd be writing lore on the different races, because most of them are just different human cultures in this AU, so I'll expand on those now! Togruta have a rich tradition of facial painting (and later tattooing, when a child comes of age) and each Togruta wears a unique pattern that blends elements of the markings of their family. Since Ahsoka is a Temple Youngling and thus doesn't remember her family's markings, she made her own based on the family she found in the Jedi Order. Her markings on Heroforge don't exactly match up to her canon markings but this explanation would work in either universe: her cheek markings represent Plo Koon and resemble the horns on his helmet; her forehead markings resemble Anakin's lightsaber, because he taught her to stand up and fight for herself and others; and her eyeliner markings represent Obi-Wan and how he taught her to be observant to the Force and to always look with empathy towards others.

Archprior Yoda, the Wise. Sci-Fi creatures are actually quite easy to adapt into fantasy creatures- I just gave him hooves, horns, and a tail. The most intersting thing I want to point out is that he wields a fencing rapier as his lightsaber (you can't see it in these pictures, but his kyber crystal is in the pommel)- and, as you'll see when I post his pictures, so does his apprentice Dooku. Yoda's habit also has some additional accents, to denote his status as Archprior.

Sir Mace Windu, the Eternally Stressed Just. Mace might just be my favorite redesign, because LOOK AT HIS ARMOR! It's all tinged purple, and his pauldrons and gauntlets are lionesque, referencing his creation and mastery of Vaapad. Additionally, and I know you can't really see it from these angles but trust me on this one, he wields an executioner's sword. These have a blunted end as they were not supposed to be used in combat, and Mace wields one to represent his statues as an arbiter of justice >:) This means he has to be extremely skilled with it to make it work effectively. His kyber crystal seems to be embedded in the pommel, but in actuality it runs all the way up the blade. This was for no particular reason, I just thought it looked cool.

Sir Plo Koon, the Compassionate. His helmet is meant to reference his canon counterpart's head silhouette, and these helmets are a mark of pride for the Kel Dor- they're passed down through the paternal line and can be thousands of generations old. So, not exactly like Children of the Watch Mandos- they're not forbidden to remove their helmets, but they rarely do, to show pride in their lineage. Also, Plo wears a Wolfpack pauldron and a wolf fur cape, because he is a proud father :) His lightsaber has its kyber crystals embedded in its hand-guard and the base of the blade.

Sir Ki-Adi-Mundi, the Insightful. Much like the Kel Dor, the Cereans have familial helmets, but they aren't necessarily heirlooms, and they're matrilineal- each Cerean will make his or her own unique helmet against the pattern of his or her mother. (Kel Dor, Cereans, and Togruta are all fiercely tribal- it's speculated they share a common ancestor culture.) He wields a dark blue cutlass, that burns light blue, with its kyber crystal in the pommel.

Lady Shaak Ti, the Merciful. Like all fully-fledged adult Togruta, her facial markings are tattooed, and she wears a horned headdress over her headscarf. In addition, she wears a cape (to mimic her much longer, adult lekku). Her skirt features the same braided detailing as the braid on her headscarf, and she wields an aquamarine-colored scimitar, with the kyber crystal in the crossguard.

Lady Aayla Secura, the Forthright. She wields a violet-blue shortsword, with the kyber crystal making up the pommel. She also wears the traditional Twi'lek kerchief. (I'm sorry there's not much to say about her, I haven't deeply explored the Twi'lek culture in this AU yet. I'll have more probably when I do my Rebels set.)

Lady Luminara Unduli, the Honorable. She wields a seafoam-green blade with the kyber crystal in the crossguard. Unlike Togruta markings, Mirialan markings are completely personal and need not bear any resemblance to one's family's markings. They are, however, still tattooed. The front panel of her skirt also boasts a traditional Mirialan pattern, in the same metallic colors as the metal of her Mirialan gauntlets. (I think now is a good time to mention that, as you may have seen, while there is a habit enforced for the order, individual Jedi are allowed- and in fact, encouraged- to also import features of their traditional dress into the habit. So while they all wear similar clothes, the colors, skirts, shoes, and armor/jewelry/facial markings are unique from Jedi to Jedi.)

Bonus: The Disaster Duos (I would have made a singular one with all three of them, but Heroforge is stupid and won't let me do that >:( )

I hope you enjoyed! Questions and comments are always welcome, and I'd love to hear them! They really help with characterization and worldbuilding, but more importantly, it makes me so happy to know you enjoyed! Next week, I'll probably have the Villains to post. I'm looking forward to it!

[ashes-2-ashes57cba]

The Clone Wars: A Distant Echo

Part 2 of the Clone Wars Bad Batch arc with my OC: Specter! this has been edited *adla'vod: roughly translates to "twin", directly translates to "same brother/sister"

Specter felt surprised and almost betrayed when Crosshair let General Anakin Skywalker inspect his beloved rifle. Usually, he would get fussy if even she touched it. He wouldn’t even let her put her stuff next to his. 

The Bad Batch, Captain Rex, and the Jedi were on board the Batch’s ship—the Marauder—on their way to Skako Minor, following the live signal “Echo” supposedly sent out. Rex watched as Wrecker lifted a gonk droid with one hand and ate with the other. Crosshair observed as the General looked at his gun, and Hunter monitored any planetside activity at the console while Tech flew them to their destination. The female clone sat back, resting and mentally preparing herself for their next mission. 

“So, how many missions has your team been on, Sergeant?” Anakin asked Hunter.

“Honestly, sir, I’ve lost count. All the action sort of blurs together,” he admitted with a shrug.

“I know you work with Cody sometimes, but who exactly do you guys report to?” Rex asked. Hunter hummed in thought.

“Good question. Can’t say I’ve got an answer.”

“Yeah, I’d feel really bad for the one who would have to try and make sense of our reports,” Specter piped up. Wrecker laughed in agreement. “Oh, adla’vod?” The sniper turned to his twin as Anakin handed him his rifle back. “Your taste in music is weird and the songs you suggested are weird, and I love it. I’m adding them to the playlist.”

“I told you,” he said with a smirk. 

“So you’re the first female clone. How does that affect your… dynamic?” Skywalker asked, turning his attention to Specter. She raised an eyebrow.

“If you’re implying what I think you are, don’t worry about it. I’ve heard enough of the whispers. I’ve saved these boys more times than they’d like to admit, so I’m not just a pretty face.”

“What?” Anakin blushed, “N-no, like— gosh how do I say it without sounding crass?” Specter surprised him by laughing. 

“I’m teasing, General, I know what you mean. They’re my brothers and best friends. They respect me and know when to give me my space when I need it. In return, I don’t break their knees. Isn’t that right boys?” she asked aloud to her team.

“Yes, ma’am,” they replied; some enthusiastically, some with disdain. 

“However they don’t always pick up after themselves. Take Tech, for example,” she said loudly, hoping to get his attention.

“What now?” he sighed.

“Just because my bunk was empty and clean, does not mean you get to use it for storage for your projects.”

“You weren’t using it.”

“Because your stuff was on it!” Rex and Anakin snickered at their argument while Crosshair and Hunter rolled their eyes. A thud and the sound of alarms ended their argument.

“We are approaching Skako Minor,” Tech reported. “It looks to be a difficult landing.” The Marauder broke through the thunderous clouds, turbulence rocked the ship. Wrecker went to help Tech man the controls while the others strapped themselves in. 

Once they landed and everything settled, the rest of the team gathered in the cockpit.

“Rex, what do we know about this place?” Anakin asked his captain.

“On this part of Skako, there’s a race of locals, the Poletecs. All we know is that they’re very primitive.”

“‘Primitive’ is being kind. My intel says the Poletecs worship flying reptiles,” Tech chimed in. A thud and screech were heard outside the ship, almost in reply to the Batcher’s remark. A shadow of a creature scurried over the viewport.

“Oh! What the heck was that?” Wrecker exclaimed as the ship rocked and jolted.

“It’s one of those reptiles,” Tech simply answered.

“I want that thing off my ship,” Hunter growled, putting on his helmet. The Batchers followed his lead and prepared to go outside to investigate. 

“Hold on! Hold on! Don’t just run out there,” Rex warned. 

The Bad Batch ignored him, running out to the blowing winds. A creature was on top of the ship, its rider a mere silhouette against the dim golden light peeking through the dust and clouds.

“Hey! Get off of there!” Wrecker yelled, pointing his blaster at them. Anakin ignited his saber but held his arm out to the brute.

“Hey, calm down. We need to talk to them,” he said.

“Why?” Hunter gowled. The Bad Batch wasn’t used to handling confrontations with diplomacy.

“The General’s right,” Rex supported. Two more flying creatures screeched and approached fast, intently flying toward the group. 

“Heads up!” Specter yelled, crouching low. Anakin pushed Rex out of the way as one of them reached out with its claws to grab at the captain. The two flew by, but the one atop the ship jumped down and grabbed Anakin before flying away with the rest of its group. The Jedi’s lightsaber fell from his belt, Rex grabbed it before firing a few potshots at the reptile, hoping to have some sort of effect. Tech looked through his visor, tracking him.

“I have a thermal reading. Point-two-five east, elevation 175,” he reported. 

“Relax,” Crosshair said, readying his rifle and using Tech’s shoulder as a mount, “I’ll handle this.” He fired a grappling line, latching onto the leg of the reptile holding Anakin.

“What are you doing?” Rex asked as Crosshair handed Hunter the base of the line. 

“Going for a ride,” Hunter said, clipping the line to his belt before being yanked away. “Keep the boys out of trouble, Spec.” Specter crossed her arms, and yelled after him.

“Like they listen to me anyway, but sure thing.” 

The group watched as Hunter and the General disappeared into the thick clouds. Silence surrounded the group until Wrecker turned to Specter and asked-

“Should we follow them?”

“Not yet,” she replied. “We can’t be sure of any more of those reptiles hiding among the clouds. Best to trust Hunter to assess the situation before we rush in.” Her fist tightened with anxiety by her side; Hunter often trusted her judgment enough for her to lead the group when he couldn’t, but this time the life of a Jedi General was on the line.

“Tech, I’m with the General. Hone in on my signal,” Hunter’s voice eventually came through the comm. Specter relaxed her shoulders before turning to the others.

“Alright, now we can regroup. Everyone back to the Marauder,” she said, taking charge and gesturing back to the ship, following the others inside just as Tech launched the shuttle and flew to Hunter’s signal. 

They eventually touched down a ways back from the edge of a ridge leading down into the Poletec’s village. Hunter was kneeling down, out of sight, observing the scene. 

“That creature still has a hold of the General,” he reported to Rex, who went to take position beside him. Rex flipped down the antennae on his helmet, looking through the scope to assess Skywalker, Specter mirrored him, tracking each of the villagers.

“We’re going in,” he said, standing up, “but remember what the General said. ‘No casualties, disarm only’.” The reminder was emphasized towards the Batch with a few pointed glances. Wrecker shook his head and slumped in dejection. 

“We’re on it, Captain,” Hunter stood up before giving orders. “Wrecker, Crosshair, rockslide!” The two went to push the large boulder nearby down the ridge and into the village. As it rolled, Wrecker shadowed behind it, using it as cover, while Crosshair stayed behind to take a sniper position. The rest of the team followed suit, shooting to disarm the natives as they scrambled away. Crosshair shot an electric probe at the leg of the creature holding Anakin; it flew off from the shock, allowing the Jedi to roll out of the way of the boulder. Hunter pointed his pistol at the leader of the Poletecs; it spoke its language at him, waving his arms about. “Tech, translate what he said?” 

“He says he does not want our war on his planet. That is why he took our leader,” he relayed, reading the translation off his visor.

“We didn’t bring the war here,” Anakin said, “it was Wat Tambor and the Separatists.” Tech went to translate, doing his best to mimic the Poltec dialect. The chieftain looked between him and Skywalker.

“Tell him we apologize for what’s happened,” Rex stepped forward. “But tell him the enemy is holding one of our men prisoner in Purkoll. As soon as we rescue him, we’ll leave this planet, for good.” Tech nodded, turning to the chieftain and relaying the information. 

Specter couldn’t help but giggle; Rex noticed her shaking shoulders and nudged her side. 

“Hey, what’s so funny?”

“He just sounds so robotic. He’s not even attempting to follow through with the accent,” she explained. 

“Could you do any better?” Rex asked. She scoffed.

“Give me a day and I could even learn the local dialect, Captain. If it helps put things in perspective, I learned Galactic Sign Language in a week.” 

“Wow, Specter, is there anything you can’t do?” Rex wondered.

“Yeah. She can’t reach the high shelves,” Crosshair sneered. His twin stomped on his foot. 

The Poltec leader and Tech continued to speak back and forth in what looked like apologies and negotiations. 

“The chief says he’ll provide us with scouts and lead us to Tambor’s city. From there, we’re on our own,” he reported to Anakin. 

“Any help is better than no help.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The two scouts led the team to a rocky outlook with a clear view of the city, or at least the spires hanging down from the clouds. One pointed towards the city and said something in his language; Tech thanked them before they went to return to their village. 

“Hope nobody’s scared of heights,” Anakin said with a smirk. Crosshair, Hunter, and Specter turned to look at Wrecker, who perked up at the attention.

“Well, I’m not scared of nothing!” he assured, unconvincingly. He glanced down the cliff rock, however, noting the height. “I just… when I’m up real high, I got a problem with gravity,” the brute admitted.

“Speaking of problems,” Tech spoke up, “I am no longer picking up Echo’s signal.”

“I don’t understand,” Rex said, surprised, “you said it was coming from this city.”

“I can only speculate, but it is possible there’s a latency issue with the frequency caused by all these atmospheric disturbances,” Tech said, holding up his datapad.

“Or… maybe they sent the signal to lure us into a trap,” Hunter speculated. “And maybe your friend’s actually dead. Well I can’t be the only one thinking of that.”

“But if a clone can come back from the dead, then nothing could stop me from being completely unhinged,” Specter fantasized.

“Look, every mission could be a trap. This one is no different,” Rex argued against Hunter. “I’m telling you that signal is being sent by Echo himself! He’s alive!”

“I think you’re letting your personal feelings get in the way because you left him for dead at the Citadel,” Crosshair sneered, turning his back on the captain. Specter tilted her head back in exasperation. 

“I had no choice. You hear me?” Rex said, his tone dark and on the verge of anger.

“Oh, I don’t blame you. I would’ve left him for dead too. Besides, he’s just another reg.” 

Specter didn’t blame Rex, nor did she try to stop him when he punched Crosshair to the ground. 

“Hey!” Wrecker grabbed the captain by the back of his armor. “Why don’t you pick on someone not your size?” The brute threw him off, but Rex turned right back around and marched up to him.

“You’ll be a whole lot smaller when I’m through with you,” he growled.

“That’s enough!” Anakin ordered, pushing the two men apart. “Sergeant, take your men and scout the area for a tower entrance. I want to talk to my Captain alone.” Hunter motioned for the Bad Batch to follow him, Specter helped Crosshair stand up before smacking the back of his helmet, scolding her twin for his insensitive comment.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The wind howled, blowing golden dust. Specter shifted her stance again, trying to ignore the itch of sand up in her armor. The Batch did their best to peer through the sand and guard the entrance of one of the towers leading up to the city while Tech worked on the door panel. Hunter sensed someone coming, holding up his gun in defense. But it was Skywalker and Rex running to meet them.

“We’re in business, General. Tech regained Echo’s signal,” Hunter reported, shouting over the wind and walking him towards the entrance. “It’s coming from this tower. How’s it going, Tech?” The clone had his datapad hooked up to a console, quietly working through algorithms and firewalls to get past the door. After pushing a few buttons, he was able to gain access.

“Sorry it took so long,” he replied with a shrug. 

“Hey, twins, check it out,” Hunter nodded inside. 

“Ah yes, the noble sacrifices,” Specter slumped before holding up her blaster and following Crosshair, sweeping the inner room for any traps or cameras. They found nothing and turned back to the door. 

“Yeah, it’s a lift,” Crosshair deadpanned.

“How magical,” Specter feigned wonder.

“Well, we already knew that,” Rex said, unamused, walking inside with the others. Wrecker nervously looked up at the tower, most of it disappeared behind heavy clouds. 

“Wait, wait, wait. A lift? How far up are we going?” he growled.

“Don’t worry, Wrecker. I’ll hold your hand,” Hunter teased. 

“Hey! Cut it out, Sarge,” Wrecker said, bumping past Hunter’s shoulder, “Just give me some droids to crush.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Remember, this is a stealth mission,” the General said as the lift neared the top, “no blasting, no blowing things up. Nobody knows we’re here.”

“Pff, don’t count on it,” Specter muttered, collapsing her blaster’s stalk and preparing her pistol. The door opened to a group of droids who abandoned their tasks, turned to the intruders, and readied their weapons. Wrecker dashed out, crashing into the ones closest, throwing one at another group near the back and swinging another at a few near the opening. They fell with robotic screams.

“I told you!” Specter said before running out to the fight with her squadmates. Anakin could only shake his head with a smirk. She fired alongside Tech, covering the corridor that led inside the facility. A pair of droids snuck up behind them, separating her and Tech. Specter let them corner her against some crates; once they were right where she wanted, she jumped up and pushed off against the crates—over the droids’ line of fire—knocking them down with a split kick. A shot flew past her shoulder, striking a lone droid attempting to charge at her; Specter looked up to find Crosshair fired the shot, she returned the favor by blasting a droid approaching behind him.

 Wrecker charged at the remaining droids, firing relentlessly and cheering from the adrenaline once they were victorious. Everyone simply looked at him.

“Uh… sorry. I just got excited.” Specter came around and patted his shoulder while Tech checked his scanner.

“I’ve still got a lock on Echo’s signal.” 

“All right, men.” Hunter readied his blaster and led the way to the corridor. “Let’s hunt some droids.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Droids on patrol marched through the hall, though they didn’t detect the door opening and Hunter peeking out. He motioned Specter forward and nodded; they stepped out, he shot the droids entering the area while she destroyed the ones that passed, clearing the way for Skywalker to step into the hallway. 

“Where exactly is Echo’s signal coming from?” he asked Tech. The clone adjusted his goggles as he looked at his datapad.

“Strange. I just lost the signal.”

“What? How can that be?” Rex asked, removing his helmet. “There’s no ‘atmospheric disturbances’ up here.”

“Well, I have a new theory. I’m surprised I did not consider it earlier,” Tech shook his head. “The signal is only traceable during data transmissions. So until Echo dispenses more intel, I cannot pick up the signal.”

“Okay, we’re splitting up. Search every door,” the General began to order, “If someone finds Echo, contact the others. We go in together, just in case there’s trouble.” Specter and Crosshair split with the General while the others went down the other way. She found nothing in the doors she checked, only storage containers and maintenance supplies. 

Specter had a very hard time believing a clone like Echo could have survived the attack on the citadel, but she knew if it was one of her squadmates, she would be just as adamant to rescue them as Rex was. But like Tech, she was logical enough to know that the chances of Echo actually being alive were low. But not zero. 

A commotion caught her attention: muffled blaster fire and a lightsaber. The clone ran towards Anakin, configuring her blaster into a sniper rifle; she got there just in time, shooting down the droids before they could attack again. The Jedi stood up, calmly walking towards her.

“Thanks for the backup.”

“No problem, General,” she said, giving a two-fingered salute.

“Hey, where did you get that weapon? I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it,” he asked as they walked down the hall.

“I doubt you would’ve. Tech and Crosshair designed and built it after I saved them on a mission from Corellia… and took care of them when they caught Corellian fever,” she snickered.

“You didn’t have to mention that,” Crosshair hissed, coming up beside them.

“Too late, Cross,” she teased, patting the side of his helmet. He swatted her hand away. “But I was the one who helped engineer the reconfiguring mechanism.”

“Clever,” the Jedi complimented. 

“Don’t let it get to her head,” Crosshair warned.

“Hey, how about when you— did you guys hear something?” Specter stopped herself, suddenly perking up. The others heard it too; sounds of droids and blasters being fired. 

“Sounds like trouble. Let’s move,” the General ordered.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It seemed the three had arrived just in time to even the odds against the droids attacking the rest of the team. Anakin used the Force to push a group out of his way, swinging his lightsaber to cut them and deflect their shots. Hunter took the opportunity to go on the offensive, Wrecker, Tech, and Rex joined in. The Sergeant held up a droid by the neck, ready to punch its head off, but Crosshair came in and shot it off for him. A whistle sounded, Specter came running in, taking a position by Wrecker.

“Hey, swing me around,” she said.

“Like on Mon Cala?” he asked, shooting a few droids.

“What? No, like on Ryloth.” They hooked their arms around each other and he spun, swinging Specter around to shoot and kick at the rest of the droids near them. The Jedi stabbed the last one. “Mon Cala… you didn’t swing me, you threw me. Underwater,” Specter mumbled. More blaster fire filled the hallway, even more droids were coming. The team took defensive positions in the side of the room. 

“Tech, open that door for Rex!” Anakin ordered over the noise. 

“Yes, sir!” Tech nodded and ran to take care of the door.

“I hope you find what you’re looking for, Captain,” Hunter said, turning to acknowledge him. “Specter, you’re with them.” Rex and Specter ran to meet Tech who was able to get the door open and enter the room. It was filled with dimly lit panels and other controls. 

“I don’t like the look of this,” Specter heard Rex say— her back was turned, keeping an eye on the door and their other surroundings. 

“I’m definitely picking up a life-form in there,” Tech said, his scanner beeping in rapid succession. He investigated the controls, “It seems to be a stasis chamber. I think I can get it open.” Specter looked over her shoulder, Tech worked at the control panel and got the chamber open. 

The door hissed open and a form fell forward, only caught by the wires attached to—him. It was a body. Malnourished, disfigured, but a clone’s body nonetheless. Specter stifled a gasp at the sight. 

“Echo,” Rex breathed. “Tech, we’ve got to get him out of here. Figure out how to…  unplug him from… from this mess.” Rex frantically undid the line around his torso, laying the body down onto the floor, cables were still attached to Echo’s head. “What have they done to you?” Specter abandoned watching the door and turned to go help Rex, who had taken off his helmet.

“We… we have to get to the shuttle to escape the Citadel,” the soldier muttered. His eyes were open but unseeing, skin sickly and pale, body emaciated and drawn. Both his legs and his right arm were replaced by cybernetic parts.

“He’s stable, but blood sugar is low,” Specter reported, removing her helmet and taking out a small flashlight. She shined it in his eyes, they were dilated and unfocused. “He’s in there but barely. Hallucinating. Oxygen in his brain must be low too, his heartbeat is irregular.” She felt his pulse on his wrist and by his neck.

“No! I’ll go first,” Echo continued in his hallucination, reaching out. Rex gently shook him.

“Echo,” he pleaded. “Echo, it’s Rex. I’m here.” The pale clone calmed down, his eyes came into focus.

“Rex? You, you came back for me,” he breathed, reaching to touch Rex.

“Yes. Yes, I did,” Rex assured. 

“What? What happened? Where am I?” Echo looked around.

“Yeah, he’s coming around alright. It’s okay, soldier. You’re safe now,” she assured.

“Just sit tight, Echo,” Rex said, “You’re going home.”

[battlekilt]

Ahsoka "Anyone but Anakin" Tano

Rexwalker humor—

After she discovers the relationship between Rex and Anakin, Ahsoka lets Rex know just how she feels.

"Anakin, really? Rex, I'm disappointed."

Rex tried not to wince; that hurt. "What's wrong with him—"

She opened her mouth.

"—Don't answer that."

He ignored her utterance of, "We'd be here all week."

And he glared at the addition, "All month," Cody barely got in under his breath. Impressively, he kept his focus on the tactical readout, which Rex thought he was too focused on to pay attention to Ahsoka's reaction.

The Captain sighed, adjusted his helmet, and dared to ask, "Why disappointed?"

"Rex, you could have had ANYONE else but him."

Without thinking, he grumbled, "Doubt it." Which earned him several cast looks his way of incredulity and exasperation. Even Commander Cody looked away from the comfort of his topographic rendering of the city they were about to storm.

Someone said, "Rex, you fool." It might have been the Marshal Commander, who was already looking once again at the holoprojection.

Besides the point that he didn't want anyone else, Rex's curiosity won out, "Oh, like who?"

Hands on hips, Ahsoka said without hesitation, "Master Obi-Wan."

Cody's head was raised so fast it might have gotten a crick in his neck, "Not if the bastard wants to live." The implication was heavy in his tone: 'Not my vod'ika.'

Obi-Wan, who had somehow managed to ignore the exchange, even his suggestion, looked at his Commander with pinched brows, "Cody, that's mutiny. You'll be executed!"

"That's a risk I'm willing to take." Cody had made clear that over the years he had begun to construct a creative list of ways to dispose the bodies of obnoxious Jedi Generals who flirted too much, didn't wear their armor, and overall tested the patience of their Marshal Commanders.

Ahsoka rolled her eyes, but stayed out of their dramatics. Cody and Obi-Wan were always entertaining, particularly when Kenobi got in the mood to irritate his Commander further and see how far he could push the man without testing the creative disposal list.

"Master Secura," She blurted out.

Rex... actually contemplated it. "She's... one of General Skywalker's crèche... uh... vod'e, right?" Keep expectations low: he's a Clone, Jedi nonsense still confused him as much as the dead-language of Gree's beloved extinct races. "Would that... make him uncomfortable?"

"It isn't about him. It is about you doing better."

Cody, ever helpful and suggestive in his own right, offered a rare stamp of approval, "Commander Bly wouldn't mind."

Obi-Wan looked at the reports on their up-coming battle, "I'll pretend I didn't hear that."

Under his breath, the Commander muttered, "I knew your hearing was going, you old man."

While Obi-Wan glared playfully and fondly, an expression ignored by its target: Cody, Ahsoka tossed out another name, "Vos!"

"Annoying General Kenobi is more Cody—"

"Don't you dare. While I'll go for lunch to dig up dirt on General Kenobi... no. Just... No."

Obi-Wan carefully handed Ahsoka a datapad. Which, when looked at, revealed to be the current roster of active Jedi Knights.

Rex wished he hadn't peaked.

Looking far too eager to help, Ahsoka thanked him.

Anakin came up out of no-where, and stood somewhere behind Rex's right pauldron. "What's going on?"

"Cody's contemplating my murder... again." "I'm always doing that."

Rex answered, "Ahsoka is going through the whole roster of Jedi Knights to suggest alternative... partners of interest than yourself."

Anakin blinked, then looked at his Padawan, "Are you starting with just the Knights or Masters?"

"I was just going to go in alphabetical order."

"Might want to narrow down the ages."

Cody's deep voice pointed out, "There are no twelve-year-old Knights."

Once more, he was ignored, "Aaijcolt, Afarbet?"

"Ahsoka."

"No, you're right—I don't think that many tentacles would be your thing... and the ability to share an oxygen-rich environment might be important..."

"Commander!!"

Obi-Wan had come to peer over her shoulder to take a sneak peek at the next offerings, "Oh, that's a nice one. It's always rather charming with me. We've had tea a few times," after a thought, "Well, I had tea. It... ate their algae. But still, It has always been a good companion, and Its translator's voice is rather soothing."

Together, Anakin and Rex cried out, "Obi-Wan!" and "General Kenobi!"

"Onto the next—"

[twinsunstars]

My Thoughts on Parts 1 and 2 of Ahsoka - A Discussion Post

Ahsoka premiered on Tuesday at 6 PM PT, and fans were raving about it. Fans of Star Wars: Rebels were overjoyed with the content they got. Let's dive into this week's premiere episodes, MASTER AND APPRENTICE, and TOIL AND TROUBLE.

SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE SERIES YET!

I'm starting off with the loth-cat because this little thing is just so ADORABLE. Sabine takes care of it so well, and it loves her. It must be protected. The cat will keep you company as you read.

The series started with a movie-like introduction, words scrolling up for us to read. I liked how they did that and gave us a little preview to what happened before we started off. Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati arrived and landed in a New Republic ship, attacking the crew with their lightsabers and rescuing Morgan Elsbeth, who was held prisoner on that ship. Baylan had at one point talked about childrens' tales in the Jedi Order, which indicates he was a former Jedi, Not much is yet known about his past, but we do know from the trailer that he had known Anakin Skywalker.

Later, Morgan revealed herself to be a Nightsister of Dathomir, which is interesting as she talks about her past. She had used Nightsister magick herself after she obtained the map, which amazed me. I really want to know more about Morgan's history as a Nightsister. The three are ready to rise to power and locate Grand Admiral Thrawn, wherever he could be.

Ahsoka Tano is first seen at the remains of a Nightsister Temple. The details of the Temple got my curiosity peaked, and it's interesting to see more of Nightsister culture.

Huyang, an ancient droid who used to live in the Jedi Temple and helped younglings build their lightsabers, is Ahsoka's companion as he helps her escape the droid attack. I love how Huyang is here with Ahsoka and giving her and Sabine advice, but it still intrigues me on how he is here. What happened to him when the Jedi Order was taken down? How and when did Ahsoka find him? I'm still researching about it myself, but I'd love it if anyone could share some sources.

Moving on to Lothal. This beautiful planet that was once ruled by the Empire in darkness now shines brightly under its sun, the loth-cats running in the fields freely. I really wish Ezra could have been here to see his home liberated and shining after the fall of the Empire. The day he comes back, he'll love it.

We got to see Ryder Azadi in live-action with his original voice actor (Clancy Brown) speaking to the crowds of Lothal. He stands in front of the iconic mural last seen in the finale of Star Wars: Rebels, depicting the Ghost Crew, the heroes of Lothal. The mural is on public display for everyone to see.The day celebrates the liberation of Lothal and Ezra Bridger's sacrifice. Alongside him, Jai Kell appears, who is now a Senator of Lothal. I loved these cameos, it got my Rebels heart screaming.

Sabine Wren was announced at the event to speak to the public, but she was a no-show. Sabine raced away with her speeder, and HER SOUNDTRACK? That needs to be out there now. No one can stop this girl. I love how Natasha Liu Bordizzo portrays Sabine, she really captures Sabine's stubborness and strength.

Sabine has added her artistic touch everywhere she has been; from the tower, Ahsoka's ship, her helmets, and everything. I love the little drawings of Loth-cats she's done. I loved the detail of her chipped nail polish. When she brought her armor out again, I loved that she added a Purgill on one piece, as memory.

When Sabine had turned on Ezra's message for her, I was both screaming and trying not to tear up. Eman Esfandi does such a good job portraying the character, and it's been so long since we've heard Ezra talk on screen. (I want the blueberry boi home now.) He had called Sabine a "sister", which I thought was adorable. Sabine smiled to herself hearing it.

(I know that some Sabezra shippers are a bit upset over it. I see them both ways, and I'm fine with whichever direction they go, and I like to imagine them either way as an alternate universe thing for the fun of it.)

Sabine had taken the map ball from Ahsoka even though she had told her not to (where do you think she got that, Ahsoka?), and managed to open it. Shin Hati had been sent by Baylan to go find the map, in which she succeeded in obtaining. Sabine quickly grabbed Ezra's lightsaber to fight against her. I find it interesting how she had made her own modifications to it but it is still Ezra's lightsaber, despite Huyang saying it is hers now. Shin and Sabine engaged in a heated fight, ending with Shin impaling Sabine and taking the map.

Huyang talks to Sabine at an infirmary on Lothal. As she recovers from her impale wound, Huyang calls Ezra's lightsaber hers and discusses Sabine's journey as a Padawan. I think it was confirmed that she was not Force-Sensitive, but I see some articles saying that she is, but she is weak in her abilities. I'm still a little confused, and I think she maybe is Force-Sensitive but doesn't fully have the ability like other Jedi, but Sabine has potential with her own talents and as a Mandalorian, as we know from seeing her in Rebels.

The duo of Hera and Chopper is always so fun to watch. I like how Mary Elizabeth Winstead embodies the character of Hera, and how she worries for Ezra. Once Ahsoka had returned with the map ball, hope grew in her that this could be a chance to find him. She has never stopped being the courageous fighter she is.

Chopper is himself, of course. And he's everything we love. During mid-battle, Chopper argues with Hera, most likely asking, "Hera, did you go through my stuff?" I love his energy and attitude, it's so funny and loveable.

Marrok was the name given to this Inquisitor before the series had released. There were many theories surrounding this inquisitor potentially being Ezra, but thankfully it's not. (Hopefully.) The character is said to be the very last Inquisitor, and has a mysterious background, Hopefully we can learn more about him.

Sabine is ready to return as Ahsoka's padawan, coming back to her signature short haircuits and rocking her Mandalorian armor. She visits the mural, tapping Ezra's face and looking at the mural with hope before departing Lothal with Ahsoka, ready to get the map back and find Ezra and Thrawn.

The massive structure seen being built towards the end of the second episode is said to be called the Eye of Sion. Morgan oversees it's construction, and I have heard it's something that will help bring Thrawn back. There are theories surrounding it regarding a Sith lord, but I'm still doing my research and looking up things. It'll be interesting to see more of what this is about.

Anyways, the premiere episodes of Ahsoka were a blast to watch. I'm excited for the next episodes, and I hope to learn more about Sabine's journey as a Padawan. (And Ezra better be home soon.) I also hope Zeb and Kallus show up soon, and Jacen Syndulla has to make an appearance. I also hope the loth-wolves would show up, that would be fun. But the journey has just begun.

[sw5w]

Mars Guo!

STAR WARS EPISODE I: The Phantom Menace - Deleted Scene: Complete Podrace Grid Sequence 01:42

[jedi-princess-kestis]

Shadows of the Force

Chapter 5: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Summery: Captain Rex is planning a mission to find out if Echo is indeed still alive, while the twins find it hard to separate sentiment from logic and bring up old feelings from their pasts.

Warnings: swearing, star wars violence, angst (sorry not sorry), slight talk of past trauma, some fluff if you look. Sibling fighting.

Word Count: 3.4K

Since TBB has ended and there is no Bad Batch Wednesday this week, I decided to post this chapter to help with the blow.

Previous chapter

Rex was on edge.

Anyone could see it, but his anxiety was giving Shadow a migraine. Her heightened senses could pick up on every tremble of his body and it was driving her nuts. She knew how much this meant to him, to find one of his brothers and bring him home, to bring him back. But he really needed to calm down. Dragging a tired hand down her face she leaned against the holotable as Rex looked over plans yet again.

"If you stare at that thing anymore it will combust into flames, Captain." Her voice broke him out of his deep thoughts. With a heavy look in his eyes Rex shut down the holomap with a frustrated sigh. Digging the heels of his hands into his eyes to wipe away the tiredness he glanced up at the Mandalorian woman. He gave her a tired look, before sinking into the chair that had somehow appeared behind him. Shadow watched the Captain with a careful eye. She knew he was dealing with an internal war. They sat there in silence for a few minutes, the sounds of soldiers moving about in the hangar bay the only sound that filled the room. The study sound of his heartbeat filled her ears, gunships taking off and trunks of ammo being stacked onto carts became background noise to her. She watched as his chest rose and fell as he stared at the blank holotable.

"Am I wrong to hope or even believe it's him on the other end?" Rex spoke, breaking the silence. He glanced up into the gray eyes of the Mandalorian. Shadow leaned her hip against the table and crossed her arms across her chest. She looked to the ground as she mauled her answer around in her mind for a moment before speaking.

"Do I believe the chances of this Echo truly being alive are low? Yes." She saw his shoulders fall slightly as she spoke but she wasn't finished. "But if I heard Scarlett's voice on the other end of the line, knowing that there was even the smallest chance that she was alive…. I'd put my life on the line to try and bring her home." She saw his eyes snapped up to meet hers as she finished talking. There was a hope, a burning anxiety, like a plea for her to mean what she said.

"So you will join me in finding him if Skywalker can get the approval?"

Reaching out her hand Shadow clasped into his arm and pulled him up from his chair, looking him dead in the eyes. "My sister and I will join you in this fight, Captain." She heard his heart race as he nodded his head with his gratitude. Now for Anakin to pull through and get the go ahead for this rescue mission. With a silent nod the two parted ways as Shadow picked up her helmet where she had sat it down and walked towards the stairs that lead to the lower room and hanger bay of the base. Tucking the helmet under her arm she made her way through the troopers that moved about the base. Her black armor, though scratched up and worn, still shined in the light that creeped in from the open hanger door. It was a powerful sight among the armor of white, commanding attention and respect. Her long braid fell over her left shoulder, a few wisps of shorter hair falling from the braid to frame her face. Her kama swirled around her legs as she walked towards the open bay door, her eyes staying forward. Once she reached the door and the sunlight bit down at her, she pulled on her helmet to help block some of the harsh light. She blinked three times and the HUD came to life. To the right of her screen comm chatter and reports of the war scrolled upwards as it filtered in. To the bottom left was her vitals and life support readings. To the top left information regarding what the HUD was seeing through her one-way lens with each turn of her head. Other functions could be acceptable depending on how she blinked her eyes. Different patterns of blinking as well as using her cufflink help her navigate the HUD within her helmet. Her HUD was a lifeline, even outside of the Mandalorian belief of their helmets. With a blink of an eye or a tap on her wrist her HUD could access, transmit, display or transfer just about any information or language needed to help her get through her missions. It was a high quality upgrade that her sister and herself spent many many credits on once they joined the Republic to upgrade the data framework of their helmets. Still made of solid beskar and still barring all their proud Mandalorian history, their armor now stood for more than just "this is the way".

Looking to the top right corner of her HUD, she blinked fast 5 times and her commlink popped up for her sister. Typing out a quick message on her cuff she told her to meet with her near their ship, the Wayfinder. Their ship had been their Father's before he passed away when they were still young. Their mother, Seren, gave them the ship to learn to fly and use after his passing. Shutting down her comm she walked ahead, the sunlight making her black armor glow. Her kama swirled around her hips and knees as she moved, the snake embroidered on it looking as though it was moving across the black fabric. Making her way across the open hangar bay, Shadow saw the black and silver ship they have called home for the past two years up ahead, next to the Marauder. The door to the Wayfinder was already down, meaning Scarlett was already inside. Moving silently she soon came to the steps of the ship. Shadow glanced up at the open bay door. Hunching her shoulders she rolled her head and then stepped into the dimly lit ship. Pulling her helmet off her head she sat it down on a crate by the door and looked towards the front of the ship for Scarlett. She saw a pair of boots on the dash, the co pilot seat tilted back a bit. With a sigh and a shake of her head, Shadow moved forward. Slapping the back of the chair before she took the pilot seat, she saw Scarlett jump a bit as she was launched forward, scowling at her twin in return.

"Take your feet off the dash."

"You are so bossy."

The twins glared at each other for a moment before smiling at each other relaxing back into their seats. Shadow watched the Troopers out the viewport, moving around the base with crates and equipment, working on ships and talking to fellow clones. Scarlett glanced to the left and watched her twin for a moment before speaking up, breaking the silence between them.

"What's got you all broody?" Turning her chair to face the older twin, Scarlett leaned forward a bit so her elbows rested on her armor clad knees. Shadow watched for a moment more before tearing her eyes away from the viewport.

"This mission. It seems so far fetched, this trooper being alive. I read the Citadel report. He was blown up in an explosion. They couldn't retrieve the body. I understand Rex has a lot of regrets over that mission, leaving his brother behind. I understand his need for hope." She paused for a second, trying to find words for the thoughts in her mind.

"But?"

Running a hand over her eyes she then looked her twin in the eyes with a somber look. "But, I still don't know if Echo could really be alive. Yet at the same time I know if I was in his shoes, and there was even the slightest chance I could save someone I cared so deeply for…. I'd want everyone to be on my side backing me up on it."

Scarlett leaned back into her chair, processing Shadow's words. After a moment or two of silence that seemed to last longer than it did, only the sound of their breathing and the beeping of equipment in the ship filling the air around them did she answer.

"You know I'll follow you till my end days, but helping the Captain find answers that he may not like isn't going to change what happened on Mandalore for us, Shadow."

Shadow let out a puff of air in a half hearted sigh. Slumping back into her seat she gave Scarlett a hard look. "I never said it would Scar. But if we had the chance like this to save Mom, or put to bed the guilt by having the final answer, then I'd want that. No matter what I found at the end, I'd tug on that string."

"And what happens when he does tug on that string and doesn't find what he's looking for?"

"Then at least he can stop chasing ghosts and possibly put an end to a Separate base. Either way, Rex is going to get closure and have his family help him through it." Staring right into Scarlett's eyes, Shadow drove her point home. "That's more than we got when it all went to hell on Mandalore." The twins stared at each other hard for a moment, the air thick around them. It had become an unspoken rule between them not to bring up what has happened on Mandalore anymore, the memories too painful. Too much betrayal and tragedy clouded their past.

"What happened then is done and in the past. No answers to be found. You know that Shadow. Helping the Captain won't change our past. It won't make your guilt go away. It won't bring her back." Scarlett's voice got louder as she spoke, the anger evident as she tried to keep from lashing out. "Stop chasing ghosts. I have."

Shadow felt her blood turn hot, the pounding of her heart in her ears as she gripped the armrest of the pilot seat tight with her slim fingers. "You may want to forget where we came from but I don't." She spoke through clenched teeth.

"I haven't forgotten, but I've left my past behind with Mother in her grave. Where you should have left yours."

Bam!

Slamming her fist down onto the control dash, Shadow sent Scarlett's helmet clattering to the flood. A wild look filled her eyes and she stood up and learned over her twin. "Be ready when Rex says it's time to go." She growled before whipped around and swiftly moved towards the hatch of the Wayfinder. "One way or another, Rex gets his answers. I'm making sure of it." Was the last thing she said before snatching her helmet from the crate by the door, slamming it onto her head and walking out into the harsh light of the sun. She took a deep breath when she reached the end of the ramp and felt the pain in her hand from when she slammed it into the dash. Cursing under her breath and rubbing her left hand she shook her head. Her shoulders dropped as she sighed. That didn't go the way she wanted it to. The twins couldn't be anymore different. They may have had the same donor, but they had such different looks on life. Shadow held onto her emotions more, not afraid to be sentimental, to hold onto the past while looking ahead to the future. She was a born leader that felt for the people around her. Scarlett was colder, pushing her emotions aside to look straight ahead. She was a born war chief, not afraid to push sentiment away if it meant winning the fight. Two sides of the same coin, balancing each other where one may lack, but it didn't mean they didn't push each other to the breaking point either. They both were their Mother, split down the middle of everything she had been. Born to be perfect Mandalorian warriors and leaders. But all that went into flames. One small tear slipped down her cheek under her helmet, disappearing into the padding.

"That sounded tense."

Whipping out her WESTAR-34 she aimed for the voice that came from behind her. Seeing the tall black and red armor clad Hunter leaning against the haul of his ship made her drop her blaster to her side with a shaken sigh. "Kirffen hells Hunter, I could have shot you!" She snapped as she holstered her blaster.

"Not with that shaky hand you wouldn't have." He snapped back as he pushed off the ship and walked towards the Mandalorian. He kept his steps slow and light, as though she was a frightened animal he was trying to not spook. She watched his steps through her HUD as she tried to calm her nerves down. "Is everything okay?"

Shadow reached up and pulled her helmet off, now realizing he had his off. Letting the air hit her face she closed her eyes a second to block out the harsh sunlight. "It will be fine. Nothing a little time apart to cool off won't fix." She said with a wave of her hand. Hunter tilted his head, watching her as he thought about his next step.

"Is it about the mission?"

"Don't play, Hunter. It's not a good look on you."

He huffed out a chuckle, hanging his head slightly as it bobbed with his laugh. "True as that maybe, I still find it better for the other to explain on their own terms." He took another slow step closer to Shadow, reaching out his hand as though she'd hand the answers he wanted into his waiting palm. "So do you want to explain what that yelling was about?"

"We didn't yell."

"To me you did. Enhanced hearing, remember?" Hunter waved a finger around his ear with his right hand. Rolling her eyes Shadow rolled her shoulders and cocked her head downwards a bit, glaring up at him through her eyelashes. She blew out a puff of air, letting it whistle slightly through her teeth.

"About the mission, about her and I. It all twisted together I guess." She leaned back against a stack of crates near the ships, letting her helmet sit on top. She pushed her black to white ombre braid over her shoulder, feeling it thunk against her armor. "We both have different points of view when it comes to sentiment…. Or logic."

Hunter watched her for a moment, his honey eyes never leaving her face as she looked at the ground, the way her shoulders hunched as she talked, or that her hand played with a frayed string on her kama. He heard her heartbeat beating faster than normal. The way her breath hitched in her throat as she spoke. He felt her conflict rolling off of her in waves.

"If every squad, or family, agreed with one idea of logic, then we wouldn't really have any personality or differences would we?" He finally spoke, cocking his head to the side. Shadow looked up at him, taking his words in. She studied the hardened Sergeant as she listened to him speak. His face tattoo made him seem dark, broody, borderline mean. His smokey voice, deep and raspy made him sound older than he really was. Everything he looked to be was only the surface of who he truly was, that she could feel in her own soul. Sunlight danced off his worn armor, making the red brighter, the gray softer. It made his hair shine with small flecks of blue hues woven into the thick locks that threatened to curl in the heated air.

Crossing her arms across her chest, Shadow leaned against the crates, her right foot bent up and back onto them. She tilted her head to the side and a small smile pulled at her lips. "Who knew you to be so sentimental, Sergeant?" She teased lightly. His lips curled into a crooked smile, his eyes giving a bit of a mischievous glint to them. Before either one could say anything else, their comms started beeping. Shadow glanced down at her wrist and saw a message from Captain Rex, signaling the Batch, Scarlett and herself to meet up at the Havoc Marauder. Glancing up as she felt the presence of another being approaching, she saw Scarlett stepping off the ramp of their ship, helmet on. She saw Hunter shift his feet, glancing between the twins before stepping a bit closer to Shadow. Picking up her helmet and standing up straight, she watched as Scarlett walked past them, not even playing there way as she made her way to the hatch of the Marauder where Tech was currently standing in the doorway, datapad in hand as he ran last minute tests to make sure the ship was ready to go.

Shadow hung her head and glanced down at the helmet clenched in her right hand. Even their helmets were different. Shadow had an Warden shaped helmet, its T shaped visor being the same width across the eyes and down the front instead of widening or narrowing down the front. It domed a bit more at the top, and the check plates looked more pushed in then they were, making the helmet look bigger and deeper set with the dark paint. Scarlett kept their traditional clan Rook helmet, which had more of a goggle-like visor with a bridge over the nose, separating the eye piece from the nose part of the visor. It also had more detail on the check plates.

Both women had yellow around the visors and purple on top of the helmet in small shapes or lines, making a pattern that matches their kamas. That was the only similarities in their armors. Much like the women that wore them, their armor stood for what they believed in, on their training and their own personalities. Glancing down into the dark gray visor, Shadow saw her reflection, but inside of her place gray eyes she saw her sister's hazel looking back at her.

Two sides of the same coin.

"You ready?"

Hunter's voice snapped her out of her thoughts as she jerked her attention away from her helmet and glanced up at the Clone. His eyes held questions he knew better than to ask and she was grateful for that. With a nod of her head she gripped the lip of her helmet a bit tighter in her hand and followed him to the ramp where her sister had already disappeared into. It was going to be a long and quiet ride between the twins, of that Shadow had no doubt. She walked up into the ship and found Scarlett sitting in the back near Crosshair, helmet still on. Her legs were stretched out and crossed at the ankles, her hands resting in her lap as she watched the sniper pull out his rifle from its case and begin to check its scope. Shadow sighed and moved towards the front of the ship where Tech was sitting and found the co pilot seat. Just as she sat down Rex and Anakin walked into the ship, the latter pressing the latch button for the ramp to close. The low hum of the engine starting up got her attention as Tech began to fire off commands at her, letting her help him pilot his ship. Once they got off the ground and into the air, Shadow glanced over her shoulder to find Anakin looking over Crosshair's rifle, the sniper with a hint of a smile on his lips as the Jedi praised the upgrades. Letting her eyes drift farther back into the ship she found her sister's already staring her down. Hazel eyes found pale gray ones and the message was clear: they didn't agree with each others point of view on this mission, but they would still stand by each other in the fight.

Masterlist

Two sides of the same coin.

Taglist: @lila-rose @mp0625 @cellythefloshie @dystopicjumpsuit @flowered-bicycles @thecoffeelorian @gothicgirl100

Hit me up if you want to be tagged!

[miss-nerd-alert]

OMFG I’M DYING

I Am Your Mother is my favorite episode of Visions Season 2, and I just found something amazing. In the background when Anni is walking through the crowd at the race there’s this stall behind her seemingly run by this blue squid-looking thing.

In the bonus feature for the episode, they reveal that this stall is a store selling things that Luke Skywalker touched. And one of the items on display is his severed hand!

Other items for sale include the training remote, Leia’s slave bikini, part of an X-Wing, the helmet with the blast shield, the bones from the rancor pit, Anakin’s lightsaber, the model T-16 Skyhopper Obi-Wan fixed for him, and the blue alien is wearing the hat that went with Luke’s poncho.

[demona9999]

Anakin Skywalker costume list

So I have seen posts documenting every Padmé dress and such, but I have never seen one for Anakin so I thought I would do it myself! Behold, I care too much about this man and everything he's worn, including notable accessories lol. I will try to go on chronological order from Anakin's POV, or as best as I can anyway, so keep that in mind

1-Tatooine slave outfit 

Worn during almost the entirety of the Phantom Menace, this outfit is pretty simple: just simple work clothes with arm and leg wraps to keep sand out. It’s obviously very similar to what Luke’s farmer look was like, only a bit less white. Also a necklace that was a gift from his mother according to the character guide, so that’s cute!

+ Podracing helmet 

During the race he also wears a helmet that has a leather neck wrap.

+ Naboo pilot helmet

When he accidentally joins the fight at Naboo he also wears a Naboo pilot helmet that he finds on the ship itself. I would like to add that despite what some people might make you believe, it is not a child sized helmet, it's an adult sized one. 

2-Jedi Padawan

At the very end of the Phantom Menace we see Anakin dressed as a Jedi for the first time, he’s basically dressed like a mini Obi-Wan at this point lol. It is perhaps the lightest clothes he's ever worn as a Jedi, and the only thing in his belt are food capsules since he has no lightsaber or anything else yet.

3-Adult Jedi Padawan 

Now we get to one of the big ones, Anakin’s outfit though most of Attack of the clones. His under tunic is still light, but his Jedi tunic and pants are a dark brown, and he has leather tabards instead of simple cloth ones. He has leather protecting his boots too. His belt has food capsules and another 3 pouches, which according to the character guide include his comlink, a medical pouch, and mechanical tools. Also a lightsaber clip, but it seems to come and go lol

+ Cape

His cape is quite unique in this one! In fact you might have thought it was a robe, but last I checked robes need to have sleeves and this doesn't. It’s basically a cape with a gap to put his arms through and a hood.

+Mechanical arm

It was in this outfit where Anakin got his first mechanical limb, a golden one that was only shown in his wedding scene

+He also wore this outfit, including the golden mecha arm, through the first part of the 2003 clone wars cartoon. 

Also in that he wore this getup while on a starship.

In there he also lost the tunic for a while, giving us an undertunic Anakin.

He also appeared like this in the flashback in Kenobi

4-The peasant disguise   

Now this is one of my favorite Anakin outfits, the peasant disguise he wears to go into hiding with Padmé, he wore it during their travel to Naboo and their visit to the current Queen. It's basically a white shirt, a beautiful black vest with golden patterns, an orange necktie and a grey sash. His pants and boots seem to be in fact the same he wears as a Jedi lol.  

+Poncho

This outfit also includes Anakin wearing a white poncho over it, which he wore while they were on the way to and they talked to the Queen. 

Also, this is what he's wearing in the “A Jedi shall not know anger. Nor hatred. Nor love” poster for this movie, although for some reason the image is mirrored since the Padawan bride is on his right side??

5-Casual clothes

These are the clothes that we see Anakin meditating with after having nightmares about his mother. A very loose shirt, quite reminiscent of the clothing he used to wear in Tatooine actually, the pants and boots are still the same Jedi ones. 

Additionally there's photos and footage of him wearing these clothes while Padmé is wearing her yellow meadow dress but with a different hairstyle, I’m guessing it was a promotional photo since there doesn't seem to be any deleted scenes where this would happen? 

6-Clone wars armour, the old series

This was the look Anakin had during the second half of the 2003 Clone wars cartoon. It’s a light brown tunic and pants, with a darker brown overtunic and cape, as well as brown gloves and boots which we can presume are still the same as before. He's wearing armour for his chest and shoulders, his belt seems to be armour too. 

Additionally this is the first time we see him with long hair and that eye scar! 

7-The blue tattoos

During the last arc of this series Anakin also took everything except his pants and boots off and was adorned with blue tattoos according to ritual for the race they were helping. 

Additionally it was in this look that he lost his golden mechanical arm and got a new one originally, look he even still had blue on his scar when he did lol 

8-Clone war armour new series

And so we get to the CG clone wars series! This was Anakin’s outfit from seasons 1 to 3. It stands out quite a bit for being his most colorful outfit,  since it's a red tunic and pants with a blue overtunic. He’s also wearing armour fort his chest and shoulders, with the Jedi symbol on his left shoulder plate. He's wearing different gloves on each hand, with his left one being a simple black glove with a brown cover, while the right one is completely black and has some cloth catches. His belt has food capsules and 2 identical pouches. His boots, as you might have guessed, are still the same lol. 

Additionally you can also see him in this outfit in Battlefield II

And in Tales of the Jedi, it took place really early and so he had shorter hair, and for some reason, the latches of his right arm are mechanical there

8.1-Hot toy 

His hot toy as a clone wars general was mostly based on that previous outfit so I thought I put this here. There are some differences though, like his right glove having metal latches instead of cloth ones.

+Cape

This hot toy also gave him a dark brown cape along with a different armour for it, presumably as a reference to the previous clone wars series look. 

+ Poncho

Also in the deluxe version of this hot toy came with a whole new poncho, which is mostly plain white except for a decoration at the border

9-Naboo pilot disguise

During the episode Senate spy in season 2 episode 4 of clone wars, Anakin had to wear a Naboo pilot disguise to escort Padmé and Clovis discreetly and all. It’s a pretty simple outfit, but hey at least the helmet actually fits him now! 

10-Clone wars cloth outfit

This was his main outfit from season 3 and half to 6 of the clone wars. We are getting closer to his iconic Revenge of the Sith look but we are not quite there yet! His Jedi boots and pants are the same once more, and his dark brown tunic returns along with the leather tabards, but his undertunic seems to be a simple dark brown shirt instead of the usual under tunics. His right glove now has simple metal latches, and his left has a black covering with a couple of straps and has his comlink attached. His Jedi belt has a lightsaber clip, some food capsules, a lightsaber clip that seems to come and go, and the same pouches he will have in Revenge of the Sith so we will get to those there, except for the one up front which in Revenge of the Sith has vertical lines and in here has horizontal lines.  

11-Underwater gear

This is what he wore during the water war arc, season 4 episodes 1 through 4 of the clone wars. There’s not much to say, I mean it’s a red scuba diver suit with a lot of star wars technology all over it and a bubble helmet. I guess it is the one time he got ot wear matching outfits with Padmé tough lol 

12-Zygerrian disguise

During the famous Zygerria arc, in season 4 episode 12 and 13, Anakin wears a disguise as a Zygerrian. At first he has a helmet too, but he loses it during his amazing arena plan so he spends the rest of this on just the armour.

13-Rebels holocron outfit

In season 2 episode 18 of Rebels we see Ahsoka watch a holocron of Anakin giving some lightsaber lessons and he's wearing…. this. Ok so the boots and pants are the same again, and he's wearing a brown tunic, but over it he's wearing some kind of… armour maybe? It's a bit hard to tell, but it has the Jedi symbol over it. His belt is a simple belt instead of a Jedi one, with some lights in it??? It's a strange look…

14-Revenge of the Sith Jedi robes  

Finally, possibly Anakin’s most iconic outfit, the Revenge of the Sith look! He has a dark brown tunic with a lighter brown undertunic, but the same leather tabards, pants and boots as before. He wears no glove on his left hand, while his right one has complicated metal latches. His Jedi belt has a lightsaber clip, food capsules, a pouch for emergency rations and another for his grappling hook.

He wears this same look during season 7 of the clone wars too, although for some reason the metal latches of his right arm are still the ones from his previous clone wars costume instead of the details ones

+Robe  

Now this is a Jedi robe! It's very dark brown and has a hood, and looks enormous on him tbh lol

He also appeared like this in Kenobi

+Earpiece

During the battle of Coruscant he's wearing a golden earpiece, probably pretty well known since he has it during the iconic “This is where the fun begins” line

15-Night robe

You might have thought it was his Jedi robe if you weren’t a thirsty hoe like me that watched this scene like a hawk, but it's not! It's shorter, doesn't have a hood and it's actually black, so it's a different robe. 

Also during this scene we can see that he has a new mechanical arm, which is black and gold now. 

16-Burnt and suitless

I feel like this should count,even if it's not technically actual clothes lol. Anakin burnt in his Revenge of the Sith outfit and looked like this

And I guess we can add the times we have seen him suitless after this too, in Rogue one

And in Kenobi

17-Darth Vader suit:  

Now, while in general Darth Vader looks more or less the same, there are differences to his suit depending on the appearance. So while I put them in chronological order from his perspective, take into account that all of them happened at different times in the real world I guess? 

The main differences are the colour and shape of the lenses on the helmet, the size of the triangle under his mouth piece, the length of the chain holding his cape, the control boxers button colours and wether is being held up by leather straps or not, if his gloves have vertical or horizontal lines, his shoulder armour, and also whether he has his robe over his shoulder armour or not. I didn't want to write it all so I made a chart, it took me a while and its probably  the nerdiest thing I've ever done, if you want the full version hit me up, enjoy it lol

18.1 Revenge of the Sith version

18.2 Clone wars

18.3 Fallen order

18.4 Kenobi

We saw him with his mask broken in this too

18.5 Rebels

We saw him with his helmet broken here as well

 18.6 Force unleashed

+Damaged

Vader got really battle damaged in this game, so let's add it too, it was quite shocking

18.7 Rogue one

18.8 New Hope

+Capeless 

It’s hard to notice since he wears the robe over the armour in this one, but he is not wearing the cape when he's piloting!You might be able to tell better with the behind the scenes photo

18.9 Empire strikes back

+Capeless

In both of the scenes where he's in his hyperbaric chamber he is not wearing his cape either

+Short robe

I don't know if I'm imagining this but in this one scene in Empire I think his robe is shorter? Not the rest of Hoth scenes, just this one, is strange…

18.10 Return of the Jedi

+Maskeless

Well we saw the back of his head before in Empire, but this time we see his whole face so I feel it’s more relevant here

19-Force ghost 

And finally, his outfit as a Force ghost! Which is basically old Bens outfit except with a Jedi undertunic and not a shirt with a high neck like him lol 

[hooliganarachnid]

An idea for the Ahsoka show...

Picture a flashback to the clone wars, but with Rosario and Hayden in live action. It can be practically any battle--on a republic star destroyer or a small cruiser, and it works better if its not a clear point in time during the war. We see them bantering, genuinely enjoying one another's company, and establish the individuality of the clones, which hasn't been explored enough in the films. A scene like this would bridge the gap between TCW and the greater Star Wars universe, and, would make any clone wars fan shed a tear.

"Hey, Snips, you awake?"

Ahsoka snaps to alertness, and sits up on her bunk.

An alarm blairs, as the ship begins forcefully descending.

"Is that--"

"Yep."

"Oh come on--" Ahsoka exclaims, without a hint of true anger.

"Hey! I wasn't the one piloting this time!" Anakin tosses a lightsaber to Ahsoka, and she catches it. Anakin races off to the docking bay, ahsoka following behind. All around them is comotion, showing various clones getting into spacecrafts, while one man stands in the center of the room, providing orders.

"General Skywalker. Commander Tano," Rex greats, helmet held at his side.

"Focus on the main ship Rex--we need to take out its engines and then make the jump to hyperspace."

"General, I would advise sending more of my men to provide backup against any potential buzz droids..." Rex gives ahsoka a glance, implying a past incident.

"Affirmative." Anakin gives rex a quick salute, along with ahsoka, who gives the captain a nod of thanks.

Ahsoka man's her spacecraft, and tests her communicator. "Skyguy, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear ahsoka, let's go blow up some droids."

"Yes master," Ahsoka says, with perhaps a little too much seriousness. The ships take off, exiting the docking bay and entering the surrounding space, where a separatist battleship is being attacked. She fires on a smaller ship attempting to take them down, causing it to explode. Over a dozen more smaller fighters come out of the larger ship, flying straight for the jedi.

"Come on snips! This is where the fun begins!"

Ahsoka smiles, and the memory ends.

(Please, writers of the show. I'm actually begging you. I will sell my soul for this.)

[chosesun]

❝ it’s alright. there’s no reason to be nervous. ❞ (maybe luke finds anakin on sriluur)

he's not nervous. no, he's more confused than anything else as he looks at the man he recognizes as his father but . . . he doesn't quite understand why or how he's looking at him. the man he knows as his father is Darth Vader, all dressed in black, from head to toe, with a helmet that covers his entire face. this man . . . this man is Anakin Skywalker, the very presence of a man that Luke was told was dead over and over again. that his existence was merely an illusion.

it makes no sense.

he furrows his eyebrows, holding his lightsaber in shaking hands. he's breathing hard now as he looks him over, uncertainty clouded in blue orbs. his grip on his lightsaber tightens. "who are you?" he questions aloud, feeling his heart racing in his chest. but he already knows the answer to his question; this is his father.

but . . . he doesn't understand. "how are you . . . how-" he flails in his wording, lowering his lightsaber slowly. "i don't understand."

@forcenexus