#Analysis Droid OC

[st4rstudent]

Scary Star Wars ocs

featuring them all standing next to each other + some doodles

I didnt feel like drawing M1-TZ on the last one. pretend he's there

[deejadabbles]

The Handmaiden's Fox (Commander Fox x Reader) Chapter Two

Summary: You have been by Amidala’s side since she was the queen of Naboo and no one will shake you from your duty. Not even a handsome, red-clad commander who seems quite taken with the friendship you’ve forged. Commander Fox x fem handmaiden reader. Slow burn, friends to lovers. Rating: Mature A.N: This chapter is mostly focused on building the "foundations" of everything, setting things into motion for you and the dear commander, but I hope it's still an entertaining chapter. Jacen and Tiio are OCs that I made for this series and I have...plans for them in later chapters, so I'd keep an eye on them if I were you 💗 Word Count: 6,814 Chapter Warnings: None

Prologue /// Part One /// Part Two /// [part three coming soon]

“I’m losing my touch,” your tone was quite petulant as you threw yourself on the settee, which caused Dormé to flash you a smile.

“And what makes you say that, my dear?” she asked, not taking her attention off the sewing in her hands.

You closed your eyes, remembering just how vibrant your reaction had been during the… incident yesterday. Fox had seemed like such a good ally one moment- then the next was treating you like some common criminal, like the ones you had just felled! You weren’t sure if anyone blamed you, or even took note of your pure anger in that moment, but you had.

So, sitting here in the comfort of the sewing room in Padmé’s apartment with your friend, you could hardly bare the memory.

“I used to be so good at hiding myself, and my emotions whenever I was on the job, no matter what was thrown at me. I could stare down the angriest politician or bulking battle droid without so much as a crease in my brow. Now look at me? Shouting at that Commander like some banshee.” Another dramatic sigh, comforted by the fact that this home was one of the only places you could truly be yourself, “What’s wrong with me, Dormé?” You opened your eyes and turned your head to look at her, hands folding over your chest.

You did not miss the way she was smirking, eyes darting up to you for just a moment even as she continued sewing. “If you want my opinion as your colleague, I’d say you’re simply getting fed up with the stoicism of your position. You have been at this for over a decade, that’s a long time to keep up such an unyielding, specific standard.”

That made a little sense. Things were not nearly as restrictive as a senator’s handmaiden as they had been when you were a queen’s handmaiden, but, that hadn’t stopped you from performing the same level of care and stoicism whenever you were beside Padmé or working on her behalf. No one, not even Padmé herself would blame you for taking it easy on that front. 

Still, a part of you felt like there was something more to your recent slip ups. Something, a more recent development that was pushing the limits of your professional mask.

“And, if I were to ask your opinion as my friend instead?” You asked.

“Oh, that’s easy. Commander Fox has gotten under your skin and you don’t like it.”

You scoffed, “What? Gotten under my skin how?”

Again she did not look away from her stitches, “Think about it: you’ve met someone who’s as hard to read as you, who takes even less none-sense than you, expects just as much excellence as you, and every bit as unyielding as you. You’ve finally met a man who can keep up with you, and it’s thrown you off balance. And that has gotten under your skin, my friend. That is a large part of why you’ve found it harder to keep that emotionless facade in check.”

Your mouth opened, intending to debate the analysis, but no words came to mind. Dormé was rarely wrong, something you had always admired about her, so perhaps… In truth, you almost never met someone outside of Padmé’s staff that impressed you. Truly, impressed you, that is. You admired others, certainly, saw their strength or kindness, their wisdom or passion, admired individuals for how they made up the unique galaxy. You valued others for who they were. But, impressed you? That was usually reserved for the high standards of those you worked with.

It was a fault of yours, to be sure, your own Naboo-based pride being something of a work in progress ever since you came to Coruscant all those years ago. So, a clone commander who had no ties to your people meeting your standards unexpectedly? You saw her point.

“I think my colleague and my friend are both right,” you conceded eventually.

Dormé hummed in approval. “So, since he meets our impossible standards, we’ll have to find a way to gain him as an ally, like you mentioned before. He would be a powerful contact to add to your collection.”

She was right again. Weeks ago, after your first encounter with Fox, you had mentioned wanting to gain his trust, seeing the value in having someone of his position and loyalty on your list of allies. 

However, now, the thought of treating him as just another contact made you a little uneasy. 

You had heard the way so many others in the senate talked about the clones, as if they were…sub-human, no more feeling than their birth numbers. The last thing you wanted was to treat him like a tool to be used, no matter how useful his position could be to your inner spy.

“I’m not against having him as a potential contact, but… I think that I would like to become his friend first.”

Dormé actually looked up at you then, eyebrows raised. “My, he truly must have impressed you if that’s the case. We both know ‘friends’ are a luxury here on Coruscant, especially now.”

Another long sigh, you wanted to reply, but were too lost in pondering the weight of your own words as she finished her sewing. 

“Alright, enough talk about the Commander,” Dormé said in a mock of a business tone, “Up up, let’s see how this looks.” She rose from her chair shaking out the cape she had been mending.

You did as asked, jumping up and walking towards one of the full length mirrors in the room as she came up behind you. She draped the elegant cloth around your shoulders, smoothing it out as you fastened the elegant silver clasp at the throat.

“As always, my friend, you have done exquisite work,” you praised, turning this way and that in the mirror, “not even I can tell where the vibro blade tore through.”

“Hm, just do me a favor? Next time you want to practice combat in full handmaiden attire, wear one of the tecklon weave capes? At least those are blade resistant.”

“But that was the point, I wore this one to incentivize me not to get stabbed.”

In the mirror, Dormé raised her eyebrow at you, “I would think not getting stabbed should be its own incentive.”

“It should be, but it’s not nearly as fun.”

She laughed at that when you waggled your eyebrows back at her in the glass, but if she was going to say anything further, it was cut off when both your comlinks went off at the same time.

At this time of day, that probably meant one thing, and that was an ‘over dinner meeting’ being called. Those had become fewer and fewer over the years, as Padmé tried her best to give everyone their evenings to themselves, but it was hardly a rare occurrence. A part of you welcomed it tonight, though, the ‘meetings’ were always very casual, full of good food and playful banter between everyone who had worked together for so long. It was a camaraderie that you were missing more and more.

Since you and Dormé were already in the apartment, you took it upon yourselves to order the food and arrange the main room for everyone. Cushions and throw blankets were plentiful and opening a few choice windows allowed for a pleasant breeze to creep in. The buzz of city life filtered through just enough for some distant white noise, but not enough to be overwhelming.

As expected, Padmé and the others arrived soon enough, and all your lady had to do was give that weary look the moment she stepped in the door. You and Dormé were ushering her into her dressing room in an instant, deftly working together to get her out of the regal gown and into something light and flowing. 

While you worked at getting the elaborate array of pins out of her hair, and Dormé removed her makeup, Padmé finally spoke.

“Do you think there’s enough food to invite Jacen and Tiio to join us?” she asked, referring to the two Corrie Guards who were on “Amidala duty” this time of day.

You and Dormé shared a brief look before you said, “There should be, but the real question is whether they’ll allow themselves to eat with us. Commander Fox has them adhere to protocol rather strictly from what I can tell.”

Neither of you had to ask why she brought it up, if it was in her interest to tell you, she would. Thankfully, she was interested.

“I think we should ask them anyway. There are several things I want us to talk about, but, at the top of the list is dealing with that 187-24 debacle. I had hoped they would give us some insight on how to make amends with Commander Fox.”

“Not to mention they deserve some good food after chasing you around at senator Kreen’s event all afternoon,” Dormé grinned. Kreen was a decent man, but, was always moving, and liked to sweep Padmé along with him wherever he went during his events. The clone guards had definitely gotten their work out today.

By then, Padmé was far more comfortable and ready to settle down in the main room. The timing couldn’t have been better, just as the three of you were coming out of the dressing room, some of the household staff were bringing in the feast.

While the other two took grateful seats on the sofas, you continued through the room, to the large doors where the troopers were standing guard just on the other side.

As always the men in red were standing at attention, their posture so straight, and arms so firm as they held their rifles, they could have been statues. They didn’t dare acknowledge you entering for fear of breaking their perfect stature, not until you addressed them.

“Senator Amidala would be very pleased if you joined us for our meal,” you said in a pleasant tone, having loosened your own posture quite a bit.

The helmeted heads turned very slightly towards one another.

“That would be against protocol, ma’am,” the one on the right, Tiio, answered. 

You let yourself smile, “As I understand it, you’ve already secured the perimeter, swept the interior for breaches, and scanned the staff upon your return. With all of that taken care of, you two are free to guard any room you believe best protects the senator. I see no reason why the best place isn’t in the same room as her, especially at her request.”

There was a single beat of silence, then Jacen actually shrugged. “She’s got a point.”

You saw the way Tiio hesitated for just a moment, the way his back straightened up again the second it started to slack. “We wouldn’t be able to for long…”

“Just a quick bite, then you two can come right back to your posts if you wish.”

Tiio gave one glance at his brother, then finally nodded. “I think a quick break should be okay.”

You only gave a satisfied smile as you swept back into the main room, leaving the two men to follow in your wake. Everyone gave a companionable greeting to them, Typho even jumping up from his seat and waving for them to sit near him and Dormé. They declined, of course, but at least took off their helmets when Padmé herself handed them plates to fill.

You had seen a couple of troopers without their helmets by now, though it was very rare. The few you had seen hadn’t had any difference in their hair styles or any other feature, Tiio was no different. Standard, perfectly kempt haircut and nothing else that might stand out. Jacen on the other hand, while his hair seemed in order, there, peeking up from the collar of his undershirt, was the symbol of the Coruscant Guard. News from the front said that the clones were gaining their individuality fast now that they weren’t under the constant supervision of the Kaminoans, and you supposed tattoos were a good means of expressing that.

By the time you took your own seat, Jacen had already taken some samples of the dishes spread out on the table, leaving Tiio to look hesitant again. In way of an encouraging nudge, you told him that the nerf-fry dish was an especially good dish.

“So, are you going to tell us the real reason we’re in here,” Jacen said rather suddenly, causing his brother to gape at him.

As the rest of you gave each other glances, Typho actually laughed. “Always observant, aren’t you?”

Jacen shrugged, “It’s pretty obvious you have something you want to talk about, or else you would have just had her bring us food, like she did on our first night here. So go on, what is it?”

“Jacen,” Tiio hissed, obviously appalled by his brother’s rudeness.

Then, Padme smiled, “It’s alright, Tiio, I always encourage those around me to speak their mind. And, he’s not wrong. We want your opinions on something.”

Tiio straightened up, even as Jacen piled some food on his plate, “What can we help with, ma’am.”

“Well, I’m sure you heard about our run in with your Commander.”

“You mean when he found out your aides carry un-permitted blasters?” Jacen said around a mouth full of food.

Padmé did not miss a beat, “Yes. You see, we’ve already taken official steps to rectify the mistake, all of my handmaidens have submitted forms to be registered as personal guards. But, there’s more to it than that. We’ve caused problems for Commander Fox, and want to make a greater show of our cooperation.”

Jacen cut in yet again, “Basically, you want to get back on his good side.”

“That’s a…simple way to put it, but, yes, among other things.”

“For what it’s worth,” Tiio finally spoke up, “I don’t think Commander Fox is that angry. It just means more paperwork for him. And he has to show some sort of follow up to the incident, which has to go through official channels for warrants and all that, so, even more paperwork.”

“We may be able to help with that,” you said, an idea coming to mind. “You say he has to get warrants for his follow up, what kind of warrants?”

“Search and seizure, probably. You know, he’ll come search your residence, make sure there’s nothing else unsanctioned going on. It’s all just a show to make sure he’s doing his due diligence, I doubt he thinks he’ll actually find anything.”

You met eyes with Padmé and Dormé, a silent understanding passing between you. “And what if we offered to let him do that search without the warrant?”

Tiio smiled a little, “That would definitely cut down on the paperwork.”

“Which would help his grump levels,” Jacen added.

Padmé smirked at that, “Well, hopefully we can ease those 'grump levels'. Thank you, both of you, you’ve been a great help. And please, stay, eat with us for as long as you like.”

‘As long as they liked’ turned out to be about three more minutes, before Tiio anxiously said that they needed to get back to their post. You assured both of them that their secret snack session was safe with everyone, Fox would never know. 

When they were back beyond the door, Dormé finally gave her thoughts. “We should check with everyone, make sure all the staff are comfortable with the search, and if they are, we’ll go to the Commander with our offer.”

“If they are, I’ll meet with Fox,” you offered, “I've dealt with him one on one a few times now, he may be more amiable with me.”

Dormé gave you a knowing look, but said nothing, especially since Padmé said a final, “It’s settled then, we’ll get everyone’s consent tonight, then you can go to him tomorrow if it's all set.”

There were a lot of other things to discuss that night, and so the topic moved on. However, even as you gave your advice and solutions on the other issues, your mind would sometimes drift back to the commander. Hopefully, this show of good faith would result in Fox trusting you, or at least, getting back in his good graces. You hoped.

Fox’s cup of caf was paused half way to his lips. He had intended on enjoying his morning caf in peace, but instead, he was interrupted by something making horrendous, guttural snorts.

“What, the kriff, is that thing.”

Hound was on the ground with it, helmet off, scratching at the thing’s chin, and cooing at it like it was a baby. 

“This,” Hound hefted the creature up into his arms then shoved it towards Fox, “is Grizzer! The newest member of the Coruscant Guard,” he announced with pride. “Isn’t she adorable?”

The thing in question was still making those disgusting snorting sounds as it lashed it’s gigantic tongue out at Fox. He narrowed his eyes at the massiff and took in the creature’s scaly skin, jagged teeth, and stubby feet. If he looked really (really) hard...Fox could suppose that the thing could be in the ‘so ugly it’s cute’ category-

Then it promptly snorted and blew snot on his chest plate.

Nope, it was definitely just regular ugly.

“Why is it here?” Fox lifted his mug high into the air as it- Grizzer, tried to stick her snout in it. The guard’s break room was one of the few places he could find peace, the last thing Fox needed was a massiff tearing the place apart and shedding it’s scales everywhere.

Hound gave Fox the smallest of glares as he held the beast a little tighter, “She’s here because I want her to meet the gang! After all, she’s part of the family now, isn’t that right my good girl?”

Fox gave the pair a look of utter disgust as Hound placed a kiss on the massiff’s forehead like a doting mother. Thankfully, Hound set the creature down then, and straightened up to grin back at Fox.

“Don’t worry, she’ll melt your heart soon too, sir.”

“I highly doubt that,” he deadpanned, and was about to tell Hound to find somewhere else to bond with the beast- when the creature in question stiffened suddenly.

Grizzer’s head turned toward the little hall that led to the break room door, narrowed her eyes, then shot off towards the door with a bark.

Hound and Fox gave each other a short look before taking off after the massiff. Just before he rounded the corner, Fox’s ears prickled at the sound of a small laugh and the words, “Well, hello there,” in a voice he was starting to get familiar with.

The moment they entered the hall, Fox laid eyes on Grizzer, wagging the whole bottom half of her body with delight while you, bent to one knee, gave her little scratches under the chin.

“My my, aren’t you a handsome creature?” you cooed, face more soft than Fox had yet to see. “Are you here to protect our loyal troops from bad guys? I bet you are.”

Hound nudged Fox’s arm with a stupid grin, “See? Grizzer can melt anyone’s heart.”

You finally tore your eyes away from the massiff (who looked like she was falling in love with you right there) and nodded at the two of them, “Grizzer, is it? What a perfect name. And yours, trooper?”

“Hound, ma’am,” the Sergeant replied with delight, and Fox narrowed his eyes at his brother’s suddenly low, intimate tone. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“The pleasure is mine,” you said, and finally rose back to a standing position, much to Grizzer’s dismay, though she obediently came to Hound’s side with a whistle. You nodded at Fox, “Commander, I apologize for intruding, but, when I expressed my need to see you, Commander Thorn escorted me back here.” 

You waved a hand over your shoulder, and it was only then that he realized Thorn was leaning against the door frame. The other man might have had his helmet on, but something told Fox there was a shit eating grin behind it. Thorn had listened to many of Fox’s rants regarding the Amidala situation, and a majority of the rants included you. Thorn must be loving that he delivered a headache right into his break room.

He had not had enough caf to deal with all this.

It was then that Fox noticed the way your eyes were taking in his face. This would be the first time you’d seen him with his helmet, though he wasn’t sure why he cared, considering his face was the same as all clones. Under your gaze though, he felt oddly…exposed. As if you were taking apart every inch of him for inspection, as if you could read everything about him like a page from a book. He had a sudden urge to run back to his office if only to get his bucket back on his head.

“What brings you here, ma’am?” He asked suddenly, ignoring the strange awkwardness he felt.

“A peace offering,” you answered, polite as always. “Considering the…trouble we caused you with the 187-24 violation, Senator Amidala wants to show her cooperation. We invite you to search her apartments and staff quarters for anything else that might be against these new regulations. We have no intention of causing you anymore trouble, Commander, and hope that this will be a gesture of good faith.”

‘No intentions of causing trouble’ sure, Fox would believe that when he saw it. Still, he supposed it was a good offer on your end. He didn’t honestly believe that you or the others meant anything ill-intentioned, you were all just stuck in the old ways and were adjusting to the new rules. And here you were, offering to make his job easier. He supposed he could appreciate the, what had you called it? Peace offering?

“That’s very considerate of you- er, Senator Amidala, I mean. When would you be available for the search?”

“Tomorrow, 1700 hours?”

He thought for a moment, his week’s schedule flipping through his mind like a card wheel. He usually just spent that time catching up on paperwork in his office and…he had a sneaking suspicion that you knew that, and was exactly why you suggested it.

“That should work,” was all he offered in reply.

“Excellent,” you bowed your head again, “I won’t take up anymore of your time, Fox, please have a pleasant evening, we will see you tomorrow.”

A nod towards Hound, a short wave of fingers at a smiling Grizzer, and a bow to Thorn, without another word, you were gone in a sweep of your elegant cape.

“Kriff, she’s pretty,” Hound whistled.

“What?” Fox snapped, finally taking another sip of caf from his mug.

“He Said,” Thorn started in a much too loud voice, “She’s Pretty! You never mentioned that all the times you bitched about her.”

“Will you shut up?” Fox hissed, “She can probably still hear you.” With the way you always seemed to know everything, Fox thought you must have had ears like a bothan bat. “Besides, Hound thinks anything with a pulse is pretty,” he took another drink, “hence why he likes that thing,” he waved the mug at Grizzer, who tilted her head and let out a little whine.

“Don’t feel bad, Grizzy,” Thorn comforted in a simpering tone, “Foxy is just mad because that pretty little natborn is giving him more than he can chew.”

Fox let out a long, suffering sigh and turned on his heel, “I’m going back to my office, don’t bother me unless you want a face full of hot caf.”

The next day went by at a crawl, and Fox couldn’t tell if it was because of trepidation or anticipation.

Trepidation because he still wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when he got to the Amidala residence that evening. This wasn’t exactly the typical raid he performed on common criminals, after all. Then there was anticipation because at least the event would break the energy-draining tedium of the day’s duties. He was starting to dislike the middle of the week, it was always the most boring.

So, after his patrol was done, tomorrow’s schedule was posted, and he threw in a surprise bunk inspection just for fun, Fox found it hard to concentrate on paperwork while the chrono ticked by.

He would shuffle through a list of senatorial requests, then realize he was replaying yesterday’s conversation with you over in his head for the twentieth time that day. Then he’d manage to file several incident reports, only to find his mind wandering to thoughts of what he might find during the odd search. 

Finally, when he couldn’t even finish one sentence of Stone’s prisoner transfer report without thinking of how unruly Amidala’s staff might get with him, he stood from his desk abruptly.

It was still twenty minutes before he even had to think about leaving for the apartment, but, maybe showing up a little early would work in his favor.

Fox shoved his helmet back on his head as he strode out of his office and turned down the hallway to the break room. Just as expected, because Fox demanded nothing less from his men, Jacen and Tiio were already there in anticipation for their watch shift. He had told them yesterday that they would help him conduct the search in addition to their normal guard detail.

The brothers were at ease, sitting at one of the few tables in the room and sipping the sludge that Thorn thought passed for caf in order to wake up after resting from their last shift. Of course, the moment Fox stepped in they were snapping to attention, caf mugs forgotten on the table as they stood straight before their CO.

“We’re leaving for Senator Amidala’s apartment now.”

“Yes, sir!” was all they said before grabbing their buckets and falling in step behind him.

The commander briefly thought about comming ahead, to warn the staff that he was already on his way, but in the end, he told himself the surprise was a good strategy on his part. Just like the last few times he had visited, Captain Typho met him on the landing platform.

“Commander Fox, you’re earlier than we expected.”

“Is that a problem, Captain?” he asked as he and his men hopped down from the transport.

To his surprise, Typho smiled. “Not at all,” he waved a gracious arm to invite them inside, “the entire staff are already waiting in the main room, ready for the inspection.”

That made him grumble a little under his breath, here he had been hoping to see them scramble a little. He should have expected this from the tight-worked, well-oiled machine that was Amidala’s staff. 

He also should have known better than to worry about them being difficult for him. Her staff had always shown him the utmost respect and courtesy, even the stern opinionated ones like you and Dormé. Everyone, including the senator herself, was waiting calmly, standing as straight as any of his troopers would as he marched through the room.

“Commander, thank you for coming,” Amidala greeted, “we appreciate you taking time out of your schedule and allowing us to set your mind at ease.”

“Of course, Senator, I would like to get started immediately, if that’s alright,” so this whole thing can finally be off my mind, he added privately.

“Everything is all set for you and your men, please, proceed however you see fit.”

Fox wasn’t stupid, he knew it was all for show. This entire gesture was for show, really, but he was a man of protocol, and conducted the search (mostly) as he would any other. He made notes as his men went about, checking drawers and cabinets in every room, thoroughly detailing the process so his report would be as clean and cut as possible. 

Amidala didn’t even flinch when they moved to her personal bed chamber, not even when they found a few pairs of men’s clothing in a spare closet. Maybe she assumed clones weren’t the type to care about politicians and their affairs, or maybe she didn’t care about rumors in the first place. Her having some clandestine boy toy would hardly be the most scandalous thing in the senate, after all.

Lucky for her, Fox wasn’t the type to care, and if he didn’t, neither did his men, or at least, not enough to stir trouble.

Next were the staff quarters, and he had to admit, he admired their dedication to their senator, none of them even batted an eye as he asked the owner of each room to step forward while they searched. The few times he had a question to ask they were as polite and useful as always. Nothing was amiss.

When they wrapped everything up in the kitchen, Fox was satisfied. No outlandish happenings, but enough information to show that he did his due diligence following the touchy incident from the other day. 

“Please, let us know if there is anything else we can do for you, Commander,” Amidala said as they were being led back up to the main floor.

Fox would admit, he smiled a little as he said, “Oh, I’m not quite done yet, Senator.” 

They had all just reached the top floor landing by then, and he wanted to smile again as he watched her and her handmaidens turn to look at him. 

In turn, Fox singled you out with his gaze. “I still need to search your apartment, ma’am.” Alright, he would admit it, he took just a little satisfaction in watching the shock flash across your face, even if it was quickly wiped away. Finally, he had taken you by surprise for once.

He saw Amidala give you a brief look, perhaps to back you up if this unexpected turn upset you, but you seemed to never back down from any challenge.

“Of course, Commander,” you said, “would it be alright if I alone escorted you? The Senator and the rest of the staff have duties to get back to, and I would hate to keep them since it’s only my residence that remains.”

It was a brief victory, you seemed able to adjust to anything at a moment's notice, and as much as he wanted to hold it over you a bit longer, he had to admire that quality. “That will be fine. In fact, I’ll allow Jacen and Tiio to get to their regular guard duty, I’m sure I can handle the search by myself.”

You weren’t phased by that, either, you might have actually liked the idea of only one man traipsing through your apartment rather than a whole trio. Another thing he admired was that you didn’t waste his time. After a goodbye nod to Amidala and after he gave his orders to the troopers, you were both on your way immediately. 

Not far from the senatorial residents, were a few towers of nice, well kept apartments where many senate aides lived. It was close enough that travel to the official senate buildings only took a few minutes, but it had minimal security, the main reason Fox still insisted that one of his men escorted you home every night.

You didn’t say a word to him on the way there, which was fine by him, and he remained silent even as you let him inside. Compared to the senate residence, the home was quite small, though if Fox was honest, he could still hardly believe that some people had whole rooms to themselves at all. Anything that wasn’t six or more men crammed into one room seemed a little lavish to him.

The door opened into a small living space, with a sofa and holo screen. To the right was an open kitchen space, to the left, a door that led to the refresher. He gave all those areas a cursory inspection, since there weren’t many places you could hide anything noteworthy. You were his silent shadow the whole time, never impeding or interrupting, just there if he needed you. 

If he remembered his research right, you hadn’t lived here long and it showed. While Amidala’s home was covered in fine decor, you had yet to make the space your own save for a couple of paintings. That was another thing Fox found odd about natborns, the ability to make one’s space their own, to collect objects of personal taste and use them to fill space that was theirs alone. Fox didn’t have an apartment or even quarters to decorate, though he supposed he could make his office his own. He had seen many offices that belonged to senators, and they all seemed to make the spaces unique, personal. He didn’t know if that was a skill he could hone, but, maybe in the future, he would try.

“Are you an admirer of art, Commander?”

Your gentle call was what finally brought Fox out of his musings- wait, he had been musing? Fox never mused while on the job. What you had actually said finally registered with him and it was then that he realized he had stared at one of the few pictures in the home a moment too long. It wasn’t anything noteworthy that he could tell, simple paint and canvas depicting a charming looking house near a river.

“It’s a painting of my family home, back on Naboo,” you continued, before he had a chance to respond. Usually, your voice was even-toned, smooth and collected, it was still that way but Fox noted a current of warmth in it now. “I had it commissioned not long after we came here. It’s nice to have with me, for when I get homesick.”

“Homesick?” he wasn’t sure why he asked. Talking about paintings and personal feelings wasn’t why he was there, but Fox couldn’t seem to ignore his curiosity.

You pulled your gaze away from the picture to look back at him, “Yes, you know: missing home, where you came from.”

He found himself looking away, not liking that he couldn’t read what was in your eyes. What ever it was, it was an emotion totally alien to him. “I…don’t think I’ve been away from Kamino long enough to feel that way. Not that Kamino’s much of home.”

“I’ve heard…things about Kamino,” there was a hint of distaste in those words, but it faded when you said, “but home isn’t always just where you were born. It can also be your family, your loved ones. You still have many brothers on Kamino, right? I say that could make it home for you.”

You were the first natborn he had ever heard talk like that about clones. About him. Fox almost said the words that were burning on his tongue, almost agreed and started to talk about his brothers- but this was stupid. He shouldn’t be talking about home and art and family, he had a job to do, that was why he was here.

So, instead, he squared his shoulders and said, “Is your bed chamber the only other room in the apartment?”

If you were phased at all by his sudden change in topic, you didn’t bother him with it. “Yes- well, that and the closet in the bedroom.” You waved to the door between the kitchen and ‘fresher, an invitation to wrap up the investigation.

Much like the rest of the residence, the bedroom was still sparse, save for the impressive vanity and lavish looking bed. Your closet, however…Fox wasn’t sure he should be surprised, Amidala and her handmaidens were always bedecked in impressive apparel, and the closets in the main house had been stuffed full of clothing as well. He wasn’t about to go digging through the vast collection of dresses and tunics and pants, but the quick pat-down did bring a burning question back to the forefront of his mind. A question that had bugged him periodically since he saw you pull that blaster seemingly out of thin air.

“Does this conclude your search, Commander?” You asked when he stepped out of the vast wardrobe.

For a moment, he didn’t speak, instead he let his eyes look over your current outfit, looking for holsters or suspicious bulges, desperately trying to puzzle out the question himself. He hadn’t been able to before, and even with you right in front of him, he still couldn’t.

“Alright, how did you hide it?” he said, eventually.

Your brows furrowed at that. “Hide…what?”

Fox, in a very unprofessional way, jabbed a finger at your sleeve. “How did you hide that blaster? You pulled it out of your sleeve, but I never saw any sign of a holster, it would have bulged, or pulled at your sleeve, or something. I want to know how you hid it from me.”

Slowly, and very annoyingly he may add, a smile lifted your lips. It was a little smug, a little amused, and made him fold his arms over his chest as you took a step forward.

“Naboo prides itself on its craftsmanship, Commander, and our clothing is no different.” You walked past him, back into the wardrobe, “Queens and her royal handmaidens have high standards, so we only accept clothing that serves multiple purposes.” You pulled out a purple dress, holding the fabric out to him. “This, for example, is woven with treated fibers, fibers that, when crafted correctly, can help disperse the impact of blunt force.” You hung the dress back up, and switched it for a shawl the color of a sunset, “This can hold up to the slashes of any vibroblade in current production.” Then you pulled out the red number you had worn that day. “And this can reduce the damage of blaster fire. However, even with all that, the last line of defense is always a good weapon. But blasters draw a lot of attention, too much attention to a handmaiden, so we find ways to fix that too.” You rolled the sleeve back revealing a network of straps and stretching bands with a very small holster at its center. “The wide sleeve lets me hang it there, and all of this distributes the weight of the blaster, and keeps it suspended so there isn’t any pulling on the fabric.” You smoothed it back out again, the straps and holster disappearing from sight. “Completely undetectable with the human eye- which, I’ll remind you, is now within my rights as a registered guard.”

Fox almost, almost huffed a laugh at that. “Don’t worry, I won't arrest you again. I also take that to mean you have other outfits with hidden holsters?”

This time, your smirk was a little mischievous, “Oh, Commander, I have hidden holsters in all my clothing. Just like all my shoes can hide a vibroblade.”

That actually did make Fox chuckle. “Knives too? Well, you’re just a walking armory, aren’t you?”

“You’re one to talk,” your eyes darted down to the pistols at his hips, and the pouches that had various munitions tucked in them.

“At least being an arsenal is part of my job.”

“It’s part of my job too, officially now, I may remind you.”

A soft huff of a laugh that time. “Yeah yeah, don’t worry. You’re clear to carry weapons again,” he took some steps back then, and you caught his intentions, quickly moving to escort him to the door, “and with this official search to report, there shouldn’t be any other issues for you or the senator.”

“Excellent,” you let out a small breath, probably out of relief, as you walked him through your living room. “Thank you again for your time, Commander, and please, if there is anything else we can do to help you, let us know.” 

He let himself meet your gaze as you both stopped by your front door. If your eyes were any indicator, you meant every word you said.

“I don’t know if there will be anything, but, if there is, I will.”

“Good," you hesitated for a moment, but when you spoke again, your tone was a little softer, more, personal, and this time he knew you were speaking for yourself, not Amidala. "I want to be a good ally to you and your troops, Commander, please don’t forget that.” 

He didn’t know what to say to that, especially not with the tone you used. He shifted on his feet a little and you must have noticed his awkwardness, because you were quick to move the moment along.

“I hope you have a pleasant evening, Fox.”

He managed a nod as he opened the door, and before it could shut behind him he said a genuine, “Good night, ma’am.”

Tag List: @blueink-bluesoul @anxiouspineapple99 @starrylothcat @goblininawig @fanfic-addict-98 @actuallybarb

[multi-fan-dom-madness]

HelloHello! I'm bringing my new/old OC Amea over to play, wondering if you have anyone for her (romance, friendship)?

Amea Allossun is a Cultural Advisor to the Senate and basically keeps protocol droid up to date and mediates disagreements relating to culture. She is writing a book and collecting stories to preserve clone culture as a personal project. In her work she has made many friends from senators to troopers. Her favorite place is the Botanical Gardens.

I'm excited to see what you have!

Love & Wrecker Hugs

Hi Sunshine!! I have been sitting on this for a few days and I actually think I'm going to pair your girl Amea with a relatively new OC of my own. I haven't talked about her at all yet actually!

So please, if you will, indulge me in a short AU of Amea and Aspen Hayes, GAR-contracted botanist!

Since Amea likes the botanical gardens, and since that's where Aspen works generally, they probably meet at the gardens. Perhaps Aspen is working within one of the special plant exhibits, measuring their growth and soil composition and updating notes about how the plants are faring. She can feel someone lingering nearby, but doesn't turn to look until she finishes her soil analysis. When she looks, she finds a very pretty, put-together woman with a datapad in hand.

Aspen introduces herself, and when it becomes apparent that the two share a love of plants and the serenity they bring, something clicks. Aspen happily chats Amea's ear off, and by the time they realize how long it's been, Amea graciously offers her comm frequency before they both return to work.

The two become fast and close friends. When the war starts, and Amea starts her passion project of documenting clone culture, Aspen is more than happy to help her. The GAR contracts Aspen to help them assess biological threats as the war expands to different planets, so she comes into contact with clones on occasion. Once the clones learn about Amea's work, they sometimes come to Aspen asking for a connection to participate.

Aspen is quiet and reserved normally, so when the two have time to hang out, it's often filled with subdued tapping on datapads, cozy sweaters, and wine. Both are happy to let the other infodump as much as they want--and will go to bat for the other if needed.

Here's a pic of Aspen for reference :)

I originally made her for @moonlightwarriorqueen's clone boyo Canopy so I think she'd just be real good friends with Amea, providing a steady, constant, reassuring presence in what is likely a very hectic life as a cultural advisor.

I hope you like this! <3

[bobathirstaccount]

Ripples: Only Love Pt V

Boba x fem!reader, Boba & oc

TW: none

***

“Ophelia, get the extra tea service.” Mother’s voice was impatient. Lily had been running around all morning, preparing for the big party. Mother’s youngest daughter was having a birthday. Lily wondered what it would be like to turn 13 as she dashed about. But still, she wasn’t fast enough. Mother slapped her on the back of the head. “Quickly, now! We only have ten more minutes before the first guests will arrive!”

Lily carefully trotted through the house, expertly balancing everything. She had learnt her new role quickly. Nothing else would do in Mother’s household, anyway. “Why are you so slow, girl!” Mother clapped her hands angrily. Lily fluidly set the service down, adjusting the tray just so. She stepped back reverently. It was done. “Out, out!” Mother shooed her out of the room.

Relegated to the kitchen, she listened to the party wind up as she ate her meager lunch. No one would bother her for awhile. Soon she would not be hungry. She was content. She let her mind wander…

She thought about Soly, her blaster. Foolishly, she had left it on the ship the day her and her mother had been taken. If only she had had her blaster; maybe she could have saved them.

Trying to think of anything but that fateful day, she instead remembered the slave market. It had been terrible at first. The club she and you had worked at had closed. All the girls had been sold in lots to various slavers in the area. Determined, somehow the two of you had stayed together until you had reached your temporary home: a 13 x 13 room you shared with several other women and girls.

Days passed as you waited to be scanned for a health analysis, then assigned a number. Next, you would go up for auction. Separation was imminent. But —

“Ophelia! More black tea!” Mother was suddenly in the kitchen yelling. Lily jumped up, scrambling to comply.

***

“You’re up today,” the slaver casually taunted through the bars of your cell. You bit your lip. Lily was still asleep, so she hadn’t heard. That was good. However, it was true that today was the day you and Lily would go up for auction. There was nothing to do but wait for it to happen. As much as the waiting had driven you crazy, the closeness of the auction was terrifying. Anything could happen.

After another hour, your final meals were tossed into the cell. You woke Lily to eat. You said nothing of your thoughts. But she was already sullen. She knew the day just as well as you did.

Hours ticked by. There was no sense of how much longer it would be. Lily cried on and off. You wanted to cry too, but held it in for her sake. The others sat alone or huddled together, distressed as well. The cell filled with desperation.

The door opened and a droid came in. “Now. Come,” its clipped metallic voice grated on your nerves. You fell into line, putting Lily in front of you so you could keep an eye on her. For whatever good it would do. You started to walk.

You followed, watching the back of the droid’s head. You wound through several corridors. Finally you entered a large open space. It seemed like some kind of arena. You squinted, looking past the droid. You saw it. The auction block. Someone was standing there, stooped and alone. Tears slid down your cheeks.

The droid started walking again. You followed, wiping your face before your kid could see. The droid stopped and turned around. “Go into this line,” it motioned. You followed the people in front of you. You realized you were maybe fifteen people from the block. You put Lily behind you, as if to protect her from the truth.

Slowly, the line moved forward. You and your kid held hands. The line grew shorter and shorter in front of you. Eventually, you were next. You legs turned to jelly and your heart raced. Lily tugged on your hand. You looked down, fear rising in your gut.

“Can we go together?” She whispered.

“…no… no baby, we have to go separately.” You tried to let go of her hand. She started screaming, her fingers gripping yours with surprising strength. You shushed her, fearing punishment. But she wouldn’t be calmed.

“Get that kid to shut up,” the auctioneer was motioning you onto the block. Lily screamed unintelligibly at him.

Finally the droid from earlier came and separated the two of you. Lily continued to make a scene as you shakily stepped up. There were yelling voices immediately. You kept your gaze down as they vied to buy you.

“Step back,” the droid grabbed your shoulder and yanked as the auctioneer congratulated your new owner. You were pushed into a holding cell. You looked up to see Lily on the block.

She was crying, wiping her face and huffing. Many bidders seemed interested. Your hands found their way to the bars of the cell. Gripping them so hard it hurt, you watched your girl be sold.

She was pulled off the block and rushed into a different cell, across the arena. You tried to watch her from your vantage point. But she disappeared into the crowd. You realized you would never see her again. Pins and needles ravaged your body; you felt you would pass out. Your eyesight became blurry with unshed tears. The auction continued as if nothing had happened.

A loud boom sounded. You ignored it; you were thinking of your girl, hoping that someone kind had her now. You slowly realized that no one else was ignoring the sound. The crowd of slave owners looked around uneasily; the auctioneer stopped and asked his droids to investigate.

The auction picked up with less energy than before as the droids went to the back to suss out the problem. You turned your gaze back to the auction. A man was up on the block now.

A droid flew past you at high speed. It crashed into the auctioneer’s podium, destroying it and knocking the man down. Slavers scattered, yelling in panicked tones. Finally curious, you looked around. Chaos was everywhere. Small explosions were going off. The crowd of buyers pushed towards the exits. Crushing each other, they tried to escape. But the doors didn’t open. They were blocked from the outside. You started to panic. Was this an assassination attempt? Were you and your girl going to die with these losers?

The magnetic lock which kept your cell closed released. The other slaves pulled the door open and dashed out. You slunk out after them, trying to plan a path through the melee to where Lily was. Worried she might be swept away by the crowd, you abandoned logic and ran through the crowd, yelling her name.

When you reached the cell, it was already completely empty. Your mouth fell open. Now what. Frantically, you looked about. Too much was happening. Slaves were killing their new owners, other slavers were killing their own kind in an attempt to get out. You had to find Lily.

You dashed to the broken podium. Climbing up, you cast your gaze about, looking for a small form within the madness. It was as if she was invisible.

The ruckus died down after awhile. Most of the remaining slaves were now focusing on opening the doors. They still would not open. You renewed your search for Lily. You looked in every small place you could find, hoping that she had hidden herself. Nothing.

A metallic ding sounded near the back. The loading doors. You walked to get a good view of what was happening. The large doors lit up, then slowly began to open. Sunlight filtered through the dust. The crowd hesitantly stepped towards the opening. You collectively waited. Nothing happened. The minutes stretched.

A small group hesitantly approached the doors. Nothing. The rest of the crowd seemed to wake up; you all moved towards the doors slowly, cautiously. Inching forward, you looked for Lily. You decided to go to the exit and wait. She would have to pass by there eventually. You executed your plan. Leaning against the wall, you kept yourself alert as your eyes darted through the crowd. Where was she?

The last person you could see left. As far as you could tell, it was only you and the dead in the arena. Fear had been rising in you slowly. Now you were afraid, hands trembling slightly. Where was she? Was she… was she…? You looked at the bodies of the dead. No. No no no.

You ran outside, feeling suffocated. Dropping to your knees in the sand, you cried out desperately. The sun beat down on you, making your exposed skin hot. Starting to sweat, you stood to go back inside to look for Lily. You noticed a weird ship to your left as you stood up. Dusting yourself off absentmindedly, you were curious. It was probably just one of the slavers’ ships, you realized. One of the dead. Your stomach flip flopped.

An armored figure exited the ship, his gait slow and relaxed. You watched, transfixed. He approached, growing larger by the second. When he was several feet away, he stopped abruptly. You still found yourself incapable of moving.

“You’re called Luna?” He asked gruffly. Luna was your stage name at the old club… how did he know that? Astonished, you nodded.

“Come with me,” he turned away from you and started to return to his ship. Suddenly your feet became unglued. You ran after him. “How do you know my name?”

His curt reply made you gasp, “Lily.”

“Where is she? Is she okay?” You exploded into questions.

He turned his head slightly in your direction, “She’s on my ship… we were waiting for you to come out.”

“What?”

He stopped short and turned to you. For a moment, he just stood there, presumably looking at you. Then he spoke, “I found her under some bodies. She’s… okay, aside from that...”

“What’re you gonna do with us?” You stared into his helmet.

“You can spend the night, but after that I will take you to a place of your choosing, within 5 light years.” He nodded at his ship. “Come.”

It was too good to be true. You didn’t budge. “What’s wrong?” he seemed confused.

“You’re just gonna… let us go?” You scoffed.

He nodded, then shrugged, “What else would I do with you?”

You looked at him like he had three heads. He shrugged again, “Okay, uh, wait here. I’ll go get her. Then you can decide what to do.” Without waiting for a response, he turned and started walking again. Suspicious, you trailed behind him. You waited a few feet from his ship as he boarded her, disappearing.

After a few minutes, he emerged. Lily ran past him screaming your real name. You took her up in your arms, sobbing. He slowed his approach and stopped a few feet away again. He waited until the two of you had exhausted yourselves. Finally you held Lily in your arms, and asked, “Now what?”

“Up to you. My offer still stands.”

“Why?” You were wary.

He nodded at Lily. You considered. Where else would you go tonight, anyway? The desert was dangerous. And you had no idea where you were, or how close the nearest settlement was.

“F..fine.” You hesitated for only a moment before following him inside his ship. Your heart beat faster at the sound of the door closing behind you. Then you were in his ship with him.

[cosmik-homo]

Some of the basics to automod/droid's rights theory, in my version of star wars where that's a movement or at least a community, is: the Discerning Stimulation theory. It's not anything, new, it's just the result of in universe analysis and wording of some realities of droid existence and oppression, like real world political theories come based on observation and deconstruction of it. Basically, you know how droids gain more personality the longer they go without memory wipes?

That's because the more time they have, the more input they collect. The more input, the more connection they form. Since droids can be harmed, and even easier, they can be inconvenienced, eventually they're gonna start connecting some input to their own functioning, beyond what their coding dictates. Say you're, idk, a mouse droid. In your coding Sound Of Boots= People= get out of the way. Wrapper on the floor = Garbage = take away. But maybe there is some bitch in heels on the deck that is very mean and kicks you, or one specific kind of wrapper that gets stuck in your wheels more than others. eventually, if you remember your exposure to elements, even when you're basically mindless and store bought, some purely utilitarian learning mechanism will make you update your code to consider Paper = Disruption or Heels= Pain. And once you gain the ability to form any new opinion, once you can start telling Heels from Boots, or Space Nylon from Space Brown Paper Bags, you're gonna start noticing other sounds, and the more you go on the more skill you will build with judging input for potential correlations on your own parameters, until eventually you basically have a brain that can decide to tell apart Jizz music from Space Ska just in case you might need it, even though your code never told you, and since you're much better at recognizing annoyance or satisfaction, the road from here to deciding you like jizz more than you like ska is short- either you have some hindbrain memory that claims swishy sounds are always better than scratchy sounds, y'know, like organic Psychoanalysis, or just. At some points you start forming so many connections and parameters per minutes that some of them just become statistically insignificant bullshit, like "one time there was this one thing and I was not having a good time, two times there was this one thing and I was not having a good time- urgh come on how can you bear that garbage, I prefer this other thing."

I can expand- the reason droids working with other beings are quicker to reach this than those that only communicate with one hub that connects them is that once you have two brains making increasingly more personal connections based on their specific data sets the odds of two disagreeing and starting to fight and through that realizing more and more of their personality is higher. It's why if you look in canon threepio is back to being his old bitchy self, if a more clueless version, quite quickly after each memory wipe- artoo's greatest pride and joy in life is starting petty disagreements with him, and the fact he knows his droid sentience theory and is doing some of it on purpose sure helps.

But anyways, the many elaborations I can make on this take on what star wars lore calls "metaprogramming" actually is are not the important subject right now.

What I want you to know is that the droid activist community in my version of star wars extrapolates from this is that the more sensations a droid can experience, the more potential they have for developing the full, free, more vibrant individuality.

Which is why Whittle (WXT-11), my oc DUM pit droid with a lot of experience and a human friend a bit too invested in droid rights stuff, is very intent on discovering droid equivalents for a range of flavours and effects, and not only dreams of finding out ways to make material consumption for droids varied and enjoyable and wants to open a fuel-and-charge bar-and-eatery for droids only,

He also eventually creates droid redbull and almost blows himself up with a wrong amount for his cheap little body.

[masterjedilenawrites]

The Sniper and The Medic: Chapter 3

Starring: Crosshair, OC Joan Vo, Hunter, Wrecker, and Tech

Summary: Crosshair doesn't exactly like medical personnel. In fact, he hates them. They're always poking and prodding, calling him skinny, telling him he's not good enough. But then he meets the new medical examiner, the smart and kind and oh-so-pretty Joan Vo. And suddenly, he's not only looking forward to his medical check-ups, but he's also starting to question whether he wants to go to war after all....

Rating & Warnings: T/PG-13. Eventual fluff. Light angst. Who knows what else will pop up, but I’ll leave warnings when needed.

Taglist: Let me know if you want to be tagged for this fic.

AO3 Link (In case you like it better over there, it’s okay, no judgement)

< Previous Chapter | Masterlist | Next Chapter >

Chapter 3: Bitter Pill

As expected, the conversation among his brothers the rest of the day was exclusively about the new girl.

"Dr. Vo was already a combat medic when the war started," said Tech over their lunch in the mess hall. "The battalion on her home planet took her in, so she knows how to take care of us clones."

"Did you see the scar on her hand?" asked Wrecker during their afternoon fight simulation training. "She got it from punching a droid... a droid! And then she stitched it up herself. That's my kinda woman."

"Joan's got a lot of ideas for whipping us into shape," said Hunter while they showered off in the refresher that evening. "Exercise regimens, diet plans, even some good team building tasks. She knows more than the Kaminoans."

Crosshair had nothing to contribute.

The four of them sat in the common room of their small apartment as the night started to settle in. They had been moved into these private quarters, in a different section of the facility, just last week. Though it was cramped and cold, they were already getting used to the separation from the regs.

"What about you, Cross?" Hunter asked from the seat beside him and the others turned to him expectantly.

The truth was that Crosshair had spent the day incredibly angry with himself. He had not gained any level of insight into Dr. Joan Vo like his brothers had. He hadn't noticed her scars or asked about her life or heard any of her plans for their medical regimen. He had stayed sullen and silent in that damn room. And now, the one time he wanted to engage in conversation over a girl, he had absolutely nothing.

He shrugged, tying to come up with something. But what could he possibly say? The only thing she'd offered up was that she knew someone from the Umbara mission. But that wasn't significant; everyone talked about Umbara. And he wasn't telling anyone about his homework assignment. He'd ran all the way over here to stash the pad of paper under his mattress, making him late for training, just so he wouldn't have to explain it to anyone.

Hunter immediately sensed his discomfort and let out a chuckle, clapping him gently on the shoulder. "She probably spent the whole time reading your long-ass medical chart, huh?"

Tech and Wrecker nodded along, believing that must have been the case. Crosshair didn't correct them.

"I do hope she addresses your insomnia," said Tech, picking up a datapad he had been doing some casual research with earlier. "And your resulting caf addiction. Not. Healthy."

He gave Crosshair a pointed glare before returning to the screen.

"Ah, don't worry about ol' Cross," said Hunter, still in an easygoing mood. "Joan's a professional. She'll get him sorted out."

Crosshair pouted but no one paid him attention. He did not want to be "sorted." Or treated, or fixed, or anything of the sort. This professional could take her war stories and good ideas and shove them, for all he cared. In fact the longer he was spending away from the doctor, the less he could remember why he'd liked her in the first place.

"She's so pretty...." Wrecker sighed for the tenth time that day.

Oh yeah, that's why, thought Crosshair as he secretly sighed along with his brothers.

"Did you notice she doesn't use any of the medical droids?" Tech asked, getting distracted from his research yet again.

"Oh yeah," Wrecker said, "she hates 'em."

"I don't know about hate, but she told me they're better for the menial tasks like blood analysis. Only a human can truly understand another human, she said."

"I'm glad she sees us as humans," Hunter said, a little quieter. "Treats us like humans. Not experiments."

"Does she think we have a chance to deploy?" Tech sat forward. It was a commonly known fact the Kaminoans still had their doubts about the viability of Clone Force 99, and even the clone commanders helping with their training were hesitant to have an opinion one way or the other.

"She does." Hunter straightened, his duty as their leader kicking in. "But we still have a lot of work ahead of us, a lot to prove. She has advice, but we're the ones that have to do something with it. It'll be a hard couple of months. But we're coming out of this as the best damn clone unit in the galaxy."

Tech grinned and Wrecker gave an enthusiastic hoorah! Crosshair couldn't help but smirk, too, though he believed they already were the best damn clones in the galaxy.

* * *

They'd all gone to bed hours ago, but Crosshair was the only one still awake. The lights were out but he could clearly see every pen stroke on the paper. He was sitting up in his bunk, or as much as he could in the cramped space between the mattress and the ceiling, and was reading through the notes Joan had made during his visit, while his brothers snored around him.

Sharpshooter

Quiet

Confident

Wide peripheral vision

Long-distance vision: incredible

Dexterity: limber, flexible

Detached from emotions

Crosshair blinked at the last note. He'd been feeling pretty good about himself up until then. Detached from emotions? Was it because he'd said he was better than the regs who'd shot at each other on Umbara? He knew it, she had judged him for that comment, just as everyone else did. But it was the truth and he stood by it. How dare she try to twist it into some kind of character defect. And besides, what did emotions have to do with his health anyway?

He found himself growing angry again, his cheeks flushing and heart beating heavily. Without thinking, he scribbled over her note and wrote his own next to it:

I have emotions.

He cursed at himself. That was a stupid thing to write. He tried scribbling over that, too, but it was still obvious what he'd written. He scribbled harder, until the paper ripped and he threw the pen across the room in frustration.

He took a few moments to compose himself and quietly got down from the bunk. This was so stupid. She thought she had him all figured out, didn't she? She hadn't even read his chart, she had no clue just how different he was and how hard his life had been. How badly he wanted, no, needed to get off this planet and fight already.

He picked up the pen from where it'd landed in the corner, just as Wrecker let out a large snore. He was sprawled across a double bed against the opposite wall, while Tech was on the bunk beneath his. Hunter had his own room across the hall, specially-designed with sensory deprivation measures. It was the only way he could sleep most nights, especially with Wrecker snoring like a Bantha.

They were an odd group to be sure, and they'd already been through so much together. Crosshair wouldn't trade any of them for the world.

He hurried back into his bed, taking up the paper and quickly jotting a few things underneath the angry scribbles. That would show her. Satisfied, he re-hid the paper beneath his mattress and finally let himself drift off to sleep.

Determined.

Passionate.

Committed.

Loyal.

[waiting-for-ciena-ree]

Why does it matter if Kreia is Arren Kae?

Solving the mystery of Kreia’s backstory was the most fun I had playing KOTOR 2. I think that her past as Arren Kae is brilliantly woven in the game’s subtext. I don’t view it as an inconsequential theory; to me, it is fundamental to understanding both Kreia’s character and the game itself. As I played through the game twice, I loved talking to my crewmates, because they each helped me understand the nature of Arren Kae and Revan’s relationship. However, in my experience in the KOTOR fandom, I’ve noticed how everyone interprets Kreia differently. And I was disheartened to see that a lot of people don’t like the idea of Kreia being Arren Kae. Other fans simply think it doesn’t matter if she is or not. So I decided to articulate myself why I love this theory so much!   It boils down to this: it matters that Kreia is Arren Kae because Revan tried to kill Arren Kae on Malachor V. That betrayal transformed Arren Kae into Darth Traya, and it informs Kreia’s present relationship with the Exile. Arren Kae was one of the Jedi Knights that Revan sent to fight on the ground when the Exile unleashed the Mass Shadow Generator, destroying almost all life on the planet. In spite of this betrayal, Kreia still cares for Revan. She constantly makes leaps in logic to justify Revan’s actions, calling their descent to the dark side a “sacrifice” instead of a “fall.” If we want to understand why Kreia betrays the Exile, we must first understand why she would justify Revan’s betrayal of Arren Kae. For Kreia, the lesson she internalized at Malachor V was the paradoxical idea that you must be willing to kill the people you love in order to save them. This is why Arren Kae “died” and Darth Traya was “born.” “I kill them because I love them” is a recurring motif in the game, expressed by Atton, Hanharr, Sion, and even Atris. It’s only natural that this theme resonates with the game’s most important character, Kreia; and with the game’s most important relationship (the mother-child relationship between Kreia and the player); and with the game’s most important setting, Malachor V. For all these reasons, Kreia’s secret past as Arren Kae is essential for my understanding of the game.

I see two primary reasons for why fans either dislike the theory, or else they enjoy it but don’t take it seriously:

Fans often consider “Kreia = Arren Kae” to be an unfinished idea that didn’t make it through the game’s development, since much of Kotor 2 is already woefully unfinished.

Fans may think that the most important fact about Arren Kae is that she is the Handmaiden’s mother. Since Brianna only joins your party if you play as a masculine Exile, and since Kreia’s relationship with the Exile is more important than her relationship with Brianna, you could argue from this perspective that it doesn’t matter if Kreia is Arren Kae. After all, Brianna and Kreia barely interact.

Neither of these reasons work for me. First of all, while the writing for Kreia’s past is subtle and mysterious, I believe her past is important enough that all of the necessary clues are there, even in an unfinished game. I also prefer the writing if it is implicit rather than explicit.

Secondly, I think it is deliberate that Kreia’s relationship with Brianna is less developed than her relationships with Revan and the Exile. According to the Disciple Mical, Arren Kae was Revan’s Jedi Master. Since Arren Kae was forced to give up her biological daughter Brianna, the only child she was allowed to love and raise within the Jedi Order was her Padawan Revan. Therefore, it only makes sense that Revan would have a bigger impact on Arren Kae’s life than either Brianna or Yusanis.

It also gives an extra layer to how painful it would be for Arren Kae to be betrayed by her “chosen” child, Revan, since Arren Kae had already sacrificed a potentially happy life with Brianna in order to remain a Jedi.

I also think that a lot of fans miss the plot point that Revan tried to kill Arren Kae, since it isn’t stated directly. Additionally, the idea that your beloved OC Revan would want to kill someone as nice-sounding as Brianna’s mother is distressing. I’ve seen how some fans dislike how KOTOR 2 adds further backstory for “their” Revan, since it is beyond the player’s choice. But personally I love that Obsidian did that, because I think it’s smart writing. After all, the entire point of the “Darth Revan reveal” in the first game is that you are supposed to be appalled at your player-character’s secret uncontrollable past. So, adding on that Revan tried to kill their own mother-figure? That works for me.

While other people have focused on showing the clues for how Kreia is Arren Kae, I’m just going to focus on why Kreia is Arren Kae. So let’s simply look at the three clues that tell us that Revan tried to kill Arren Kae:

By talking to Mical, you learn that Arren Kae was Revan’s Master.

By talking to Brianna, you learn that Arren Kae “died in the battle that shattered Malachor V, and her body was never recovered.“

And by talking to Revan’s droid, HK-47, you learn that Revan’s "true target” at Malachor V were the Jedi. Not the Mandalorians. The Jedi.

I believe that HK-47’s speech is one of the most important revelations in the game. He is the party member who was closest to Darth Revan during the Jedi Civil War. As an assassin droid, he gives a cold, calculating “observation” that “Revan was ‘cleaning house’ at Malachor V.” He notes that “if you examined the records of the deaths on Malachor, […] you cannot escape that many of the Jedi and Republic soldiers who died were not Revan’s strongest supporters.”

Significantly, the game distinguishes between Revan and the Exile’s motivations at Malachor V. No matter how bloodthirsty or dark-sided you make your Exile in the present, the Exile was still unaware of Revan’s master plan in the past; the Exile believed that the true target were the Mandalorians.

Beyond HK-47, other characters speak kindly of the Jedi who were targeted on Malachor V. If Mical is in your party when you fly there, he will say, “And all the Jedi who followed Revan, the true Jedi, died at Malachor V.” He is praising the Jedi who went to fight to defend vulnerable people in the Outer Rim against the Mandalorians, but did not follow Revan into the Jedi Civil War. To him, they are the only “true Jedi.”

While HK-47 gives a cold, calculating analysis of why Revan wanted to kill Jedi, there is another character who gives a more romantic analysis: Hanharr. The dark-sided “robot” and the dark-sided “monster” each have a different reading of Malachor V. Speaking for myself, I had trouble understanding Kreia until I met Hanharr as a Dark Side Exile. Hanharr, the “mad wookiee” who killed his tribe to save them from slavery, is the only crew-member that Kreia invites on board. When you ask her why, she tells you that “the beast is a lesson in strength.” I think that Kreia sees herself in Hanharr, more than anyone else. When Hanharr finally tells you his “true lesson of strength,” I think it gives insight into Kreia’s own beliefs:

Hanharr: Madness is not always that to one who can see it for what it is.

Hanharr: The lesson of strength is this - it is not having the strength to kill those you hate, but those that you love. Strength is when you crush their lives beneath your hands, murder them to save them from falling into the Shadowlands, as you have.

Hanharr: You know what happened when you killed the tribe of Mandalorians. And why the Jeedai had to die, so they did not become as the Mandalorians do. It was a coward’s way of killing, but the choice was strength. To kill your brothers and sisters, those of the tribe who stood with you in battle.

Hanharr: I am here because you showed me what chained me, and there is much I may learn from you. There is strength in such things - and you will know this, when you go into the place all exiles go. When you are willing to kill everything you love - and everything that walks and breathes hates you. When you are willing to leave paradise behind, to curse your life for all time. And know that you did to save another. And to show the galaxy what prey is. This is the lesson of strength, human.

Again, Hanharr is misidentifying the Exile’s motivation for using the Mass Shadow Generator on Malachor V, because the Exile did not mean to target the Jedi. But if we take HK-47 at his word, and if we accept that Revan was the true mastermind behind the destruction of Malachor V, Hanharr is instead justifying Revan’s choice to target the Jedi. And Hanharr’s analysis is quite remarkable. He is saying that Revan targeted the “true Jedi” because Revan loved the Jedi. Because Revan wanted to prevent the good “true Jedi” from becoming monsters themselves.

If we apply Hanharr’s analysis to Kreia’s situation, he is saying that Revan’s attempted murder of Arren Kae was an act of mercy, not simply “cleaning house” of “disloyal soldiers.” It was an attempt to “prevent a greater evil”–the evil in which Arren Kae is compelled by the Force to join the dark side. Which is exactly what happened to all survivors of Malachor V, except for the Jedi Exile, who exercised their free will by abandoning the Force in that moment.

Now the question becomes: is Hanharr right? Did Revan actually love Arren Kae? This time, my answer is: it doesn’t matter. It only matters that Kreia wants to believe this is the truth. If you ask Hanharr, “What prey does Kreia seek?” He will answer, “She hunts truth, I think - and she seeks it in you. And truth is dangerous prey - difficult to seek, and difficult to face. And with greater desperation, she hunts that which runs against that truth.” What runs against the truth? I think that a person’s longing to be loved often “runs against the truth.” Kreia’s love for Revan and the Exile “runs against the truth” that these two people worked together to destroy all life on Malachor V, including her own.

What better way to show the emotional impact of Revan’s betrayal of the “True Jedi” than by making the game’s most important character a survivor of that attack? And by characterizing her as someone “who has been betrayed in the heart, and who will betray in turn”?

Kreia was betrayed in the heart. Kreia did not love the Jedi Council, and her alliance with with the Sith was “fragile” and “based on hatred.” Even though the Jedi Council exiled her, and the Sith violently exiled her, they did not “betray her in the heart.” They did not kill Arren Kae and create Darth Traya.

The person who betrayed Kreia in the heart was the person she loved more than anyone else: Revan.

The person who betrayed Kreia was you.

“There is no great revelation, no great secret. There is only you.”

“You”–the player character from the first game–you were the one who betrayed Kreia. Though as the ignorant player, you have “lost your memories” of this.

But Kreia did not forget, and your betrayal twisted her into something monstrous.

And now she will betray “you” in turn, as the player character of the second game.

She will do it because she loves you. She loves you because you are the player and because you have an extraordinary capacity to exercise free will in a predetermined story.

She has always loved you, ever since she was Arren Kae.

[entering-mymind]

Chapter 5 - The Gunslinger

This is the fifth episode of the series where I have inserted my OC character (Mando’s daughter) into the Disneyplus television show. With her addition I believe this helps the viewers understand the choices Mando makes in the series. Would love to hear feedback! I do not own these characters and the story and dialogue goes to the respected credit of the screenwriters and creators of the show.

“Turn right, dive, dive, spin now!” young Mando spewed out maneuvers in a panic while her father tensely piloted the Razor Crest away from the perusing bounty hunter.

“Hand over the child, Mando,” the hunter demanded when he had the Razor Crest locked in his scope and fired rapidly.

A huge blast rocked the ship as Mando tried to keep it steady, firmly gripping the wheel, hoping not to lose control.

“The left engine is hit!” she exclaimed.

“I can see that,” Mando tried to stay calm but found it difficult with his over reacting daughter detailing every casualty.

“I might let all of you live,” the hunter said deciding their fate.

Several alarms continued sounding through the cockpit loudly, with this the child whimpered in fear while young Mando kept repeating, “We’re gonna die.”

Mando switched over power, giving the left engine some time to cool when he took his daughter’s advice, “Hold on,” he twisted the wheel making the Razor Crest spin wildly hoping to get out of the hunter’s scope, “Come on,” Mando said to himself unable to believe he had not shaken this guy.

“The accelerator is leaking and we’re losing fuel!” young Mando continued informing horrific details about the ship’s condition.

“Mando, I can bring you in warm, or I can bring you in cold,” the bounty hunter suddenly became cocky because he was locked in for the kill, but Mando had one last ace up his sleeve.

In an instant, Mando braked mid-air and reversed the thrusters, wielding them backwards to get behind their attacker. With this quick maneuver, the Razor Crest took out the right engine of their assailant whose trajectory continued forward, now giving the Crest the drop.

“That’s my line,” Mando informed when he had the hunter’s ship now in his scope, taking the shot and blowing their attacker to space dust.

“Whoa I haven’t seen you fly like that in ages,” young Mando exclaimed, “Good thing everyone kept their cool,” she said trying to get control of all the issues manifesting in the Crest, “Nothing’s working,” she said banging the controls when the ship powered down, “I did not do that.”

Freely the Razor Crest floated through space, silent and stagnant. The child giggled and cooed while young Mando laid her head on the console feeling defeated and frustrated with the child’s inability to know the severity they were in.

“Hey, relax,” Mando told his daughter as he got up and pressed the emergency backup power.

Slowly coming to life, the console beeped, screens illuminated, and the engines powered up, while they drifted towards a desert planet. Mando clicked a few controls when an operator came over the comms.

“This is Mos Eisley tower. We are tracking you. Head for bay three-five, over.”

“Copy that, locked in for three-five,” Mando repeated.

With a trail of smoke spiraling from its engine, the Razor Crest hiccupped and sputtered all the way down to the bay. Landing safely, Mando lowered the hatch in order to discuss business with the mechanic when he was met by three pit droids instead. Immediately he fired a warning shot at the droid’s feet sending them in a panic and automatically retracting into themselves.

“Hey!” a loud woman’s voice screamed, “Hey!” Peli Motto emerged from her quarters angered as the three pit droids unfurled and scampered away, “You damage one of my droids, you’ll pay for it,” Peli said while thrusting her tablet at him.

“Just keep them away from my ship,” Mando demanded while pointing his finger at the bothersome droids.

“Yeah? You think that’s a good idea, do you?” Peli sarcastically said, “Let’s look at your ship.”

Peli began her analysis, banging on certain parts, inspecting others while making horrendous expressions.

“Oof! Look at that,” she pulled out a scanner, “Ugh, you got a lot of carbon scorin building up top,” she walked closer to the ship getting a better glance, “Yeah, if I didn’t know better, I’d think you were in a shootout.”

“And that you’d be right,” young Mando appeared out of nowhere putting a real fright in Peli.

“Geez, where’d you come from?” Peli put a hand up to her chest catching her breath.

“Obviously from the ship,” young Mando pointed confused on the mechanics question.

“Just didn’t expect anyone else on board, that’s all,” Peli clarified.

“I’m sure that’s what my Papi envisions all the time, but he can’t get rid of me that easily, it’s not like I’ll be receiving my independence anytime soon,” young Mando playfully bantered but her father wasn’t having it.

Without a word he raised his arm and pointed vigorously for her to get back in the ship.

“Looks like I’m being ordered to go back inside, let me know if you need any assistance. It’s not like I’m doing anything with my life,” young Mando said to Peli as she meandered her way slowly inside the vessel.

“Okay,” Peli looked on in confusion but went right into a thorough inspection, “Let me get a diagnostic, I will need a special tool for that one. Yeah I’m gonna have to rotate that. You got a fuel leak. Look at that, this is a mess. How did you even land? That’s gonna set you back,” Peli walked up to Mando.

“I’ve got 500 Imperial credits,” Mando handed them to her.

“That’s all you got? Well, what do you guys think,” Peli asked her pit droids when they chattered back,” That should at least cover the hangar.”

“I’ll get you your money,” Mando promised.

“Hmm. I’ve heard that before.”

“Just remember…”

“Yeah, no droids. I heard yah. You don’t have to say it twice. Geez,” Peli stated in annoyance, but kept her tone low so the Mandalarian didn’t hear as he boarded his ship.

                                                     *   *   *

“What was that back there?” Mando stood over his daughter who sat in her workspace.

“What was what?” she ignored his question full fledgy knowing what he meant.

“What’s gotten into you? Where is this disobedient attitude coming from?”

“Oh I don’t know maybe it’s the second time I’ve been abruptly uprooted from a stable home life, or could it be that you denied me my independence something all Mandalorians achieve, or maybe its because I’m a ticking detonator set to go off at any given moment without warning. Take your pick. I have no control over my life or even over myself, do you know how terrifying this is? I could have killed Winta, Omera, Cara, the child, you! So many times I could have killed you,” young Mando put her helmet in her hands hiding her sorrow.

Mando bent down to her level reassuring her instead of her accomplishment, “Did you ever think on how you saved them,” Mando tried to draw her out of hiding, “We were pretty much beaten when that AT-ST didn’t fall into the trap. There was no way in beating it without multiple casualties, until you, you saved the village,” Mando moved her hands so he could look upon her.

“I sometimes feel like I don’t know who I am,” she honestly said.

“You’re my daughter but mostly you are you, so just be you.”

“Are you sure, even with my snarky humor?”

“My life would be a bore without it,” Mando heard his daughter chuckle which was music to his ears.

Once he knew she was feeling better Mando rose figuring out his next play, he knew he had to find a job in order to pay for the Razor Crest’s repairs, but it was prudent to stay off the grid.

“Listen, I have to go find some work,” he started.

“Say no more Papi I know the drill, stay on board.”

“Yes and I will need you…”

“To watch the kid, already covered.”

“Okay, good,” Mando couldn’t believe how quickly she turned around, but was happy with the result.

Mando wasted no time and left the hangar to find any kind of work, he knew his best bet would be to hit the cantina, practically, where all the shady deals went down.

                                                        *   *   *

Young Mando kept focus on her painting, finishing up the last few strokes and then she set it aside to dry. She began collecting her newly favorite pieces to stick in her satchel when she witnessed the child take hold of an opened jar of paint. In curiosity he wanted to make a pretty picture also when he spilled the pigment all over her recent finished piece.

“NO!” she screamed crawling over and snatching the now empty jar out of the child’s hands, “Look what you did, you ruined my painting, oh geez,” she saw the pigments serpentine along the ship’s surface, “Dad is going to kill me for getting paint all over the floor.”

She noticed the child about to stick its little hands in the mess and create an even bigger one. She quickly picked him up and placed him on the opposite end just so she could start cleaning up in frustration. The child looked on upset, he waddled back towards young Mando in order to help but she came off a bit hostile.

“No, you did enough damage, now go and sit down,” she pointed towards their sleeping quarters instructing him to comply when he hung his head in sadness and let her be.

                                                     *   *   *

“I’m in,” Peli told her three pit droids when they were playing a card game called Sabacc, “And I am gonna raise you three bolts and a motivator,” when everyone heard some commotion coming from inside the ship.

“Hey, you alright in there?” Peli questioned but then something small walking down the hatch caught her attention. Gradually she moved closer analyzing the little creature as it held up its arms to be held.

“Oh alright,” Peli cautiously picked up the child, “How many others are on his ship?” The pit droid started squawking when she replied flustered, “How do I know what it is? Give me a second. Where’s that other Mandalorian? Umm excuse me, I think you lost something,” Peli shouted in the ship but was greeted by a determined young Mando.

She threw a satchel over herself while chipping away dried paint that was stuck to her gloves, “Or more so that you found something. I have a proposition for you. If you look after the little one while I quickly venture my way into town then I will help update your pit droids,” she purposed.

“What’s wrong with my droids?”

“Nothing, its just I have the latest upload for service droids stored in my gauntlet, how I acquired it doesn’t need to be disclosed, and I thought it would be a great boost for your business. All the latest starships, cruisers, speeders, freighters schematics automatically uploaded to their system instructing them on how to fix the ships efficiently and quickly. It’s a win-win for both of us,” young Mando opened a small compartment in her gauntlet and showcased the chip.

“Now just because my father hates droids doesn’t mean I do, so if you allow me to sneak out, do my business and then sneak back in before he gets back then it’s a done deal. What do you say?” young Mando held out her hand to finalize the proposition.

Peli pondered for a while but then positioned the child to her hip in order to free a hand and shook.

“Excellent,” young Mando was about to exit from the front when Peli stopped her.

“That’s your first mistake to getting caught, use the back door,” Peli escorted her to a hidden entrance, “I’ll leave it unlocked.”

“Thanks,” young Mando tilted her head in appreciation and made her way towards the town where she hoped she could finally sell some of her artwork and make a name for herself.

Peli returned her attention back on the little creature as it continued cooing happily it was receiving some attention.

“I am going to look after you until the Mandalorian gets back, do you like that bright eyes? Yeah we’ll have some fun,” Peli stroked its forehead and bounced it gently before she got back to her card game with the droids.

                                                         *   *   *

It didn’t take long until Mando reached the extremely dead cantina, only a few attendees occupied the seats as Mando approached the bar.

“Hey droid,” Mando addressed the bartender, “I’m a hunter. I’m lookin’ for some work.”

“Unfortunately, the Bounty Guild no longer operates from Tatooine,” the droid informed.

“I’m not looking for Guild work,” he clarified.

“I am afraid that does not improve your situation, at least by my calculation,” the droid finished.

“Think again, tin can,” a voice spoke from a corner booth as Mando turned around to inspect, “If you’re looking for work, have a seat, my friend,” the baby faced young man acted tough, feet on the table like he owned the joint.

“Name’s Toro, Toro Calican. Come on relax,” he offered the seat opposite of him and ignited a puck, “Picked up this bounty puck before I left the Mid Rim,” Toro went straight into business, “Fennec Shand, an assassin. Heard she’s been on the run ever since the New Republic put all her employees in lockdown.”

“I know the name,” Mando said snidely.

“I followed this tracking fob here. Now the positional data suggests she’s headed out beyond the Dune Sea. Should be an easy job,” Toro seemed very confident.

“Well good luck with that,” Mando rose to leave.

“Wait, wait, wait, hey. I thought you needed work?”

“How long have you been with the Guild?” Mando questioned suspiciously.

“Long enough,” Toro most likely lied.

“Clearly not. Fennac Shand is an elite mercenary. She made her name killing for all the top crime syndicates, including the Hutts. If you go after her, you won’t make it past sunrise,” Mando said truthfully while turning to leave.

“This is my first job. You can keep the money, all of it. I just need this job to get into the Guild. I can’t do it alone,” Toro honestly said.

Mando pondered and then came to a conclusion, “Meet me at hangar three-five in half an hour. Bring two speeder bikes and give me the tracking fob,” Mando outstretched his hand for it when Toro smashed it to bits. Mando glared at the newbie with scorn but Toro quickly rectified his actions.

“Don’t worry, got it all memorized,” he pointed to his head.

“Half an hour,” Mando reminded and exited the cantina as Toro exclaimed one last statement.

“Looks like you’re stuck with me now, partner,” Toro smiled pleased with his outcome.

                                                       *   *   *

The marketplace wasn’t booming as young Mando would have liked, not to many vendors occupying the streets, which would make it harder to sell her works. She approached several shops but none seemed interested. Even with her exaggerated truth of being a respected artist, which was hard to swallow coming from a bounty hunter Mandalorian.

Young Mando knew she was running out of time plus she didn’t want to come up empty handed, she had to show something for her works. She spotted one last store ready to repeat her pitch. Upon entry she was met by a Mirialan who was ready to do business.

“Hello young traveler, what may I help you with,” the female shopkeeper said in a friendly tone.

“Actually what can I do to help enhance your sales,” young Mando approached the check out counter and began displaying her works, spreading them out so the shopkeeper could gaze upon their beauty.

“Imagine having these works of art lining your store. These are one of a kind, a rarity from a very popular artist from the Core World, just from her name alone will draw flocks of new customers who will line up at your door,” young Mando hoped she was using her artistic words to paint a different kind of image.

“Oh really and why would a famous Core artist want their works sold in the Outer Rim?” the shopkeeper questioned with a raised eyebrow.

“Merely so everyone in the galaxy can lose themselves within the piece, taking themselves away from the daily grind and image themselves within the serene scenery,” young Mando lifted up one of her paintings showcasing the way the brushstrokes created movement, how the colors ignited the viewers gaze in awe, and how the realism allowed the viewer to imagine being immersed in the landscape as they could hear the sounds of waterfalls and distant birds.

“Nice try,” the shopkeeper had seen plenty of hustlers in her days and shooed the Mandalorian off with the wave of her green hand.

“Oh sure,” she sighed heavily, “Well thank you for your time,” young Mando collected her pieces and proceeded to exit when the Mirialan stopped her.

“Hey kid, wait,” in surprise the shopkeeper had never seen a Mandalorian this passive or creative for that matter, the bounty hunter wasn’t forceful or rude instead she showed enthusiasm, politeness, but mostly pride in her work.

“It seems like you travel a lot in your profession and unfortunately I can not. I haven’t been to my home world of Mirial in decades and miss it very much. Do you have a representation of my planet within your collection?” the shopkeeper asked.

Eagerly young Mando dug deep in her bag rummaging through and finding her customers request, luckily four years ago she was able to accompany her father on a job and was able to remember the lush landscape of the shopkeepers home world.

“You’re in luck, I have one left,” young Mando said businesslike but quickly dropped the act noticing the Mirialan was taking pity on her, “Sorry old habits die hard, that will be seventy credits please,” Mando truly believed her works were worth that much but no one would pay for an amateurs talent.

“How about twenty?” the shopkeeper bargained.

“Well what do you know twenty credits is my friends and family special, it’s a good thing we became such quick friends.”

“It is.”

The two made their transaction as young Mando practically skipped out of the shop pleased with herself on finally selling her first piece of art. Time was fleeting and young Mando knew her father would be heading back to the hangar any time, she cut a few corners while making her way down some shady corridors catching a strangers eye.

Too excited to pay attention to her surroundings, young Mando kept patting the twenty credits in her pocket ecstatic she had achieved a sale. She kept pondering over when her possible next sale could be and began envisioning other works she would execute.

In this dream like state, young Mando never picked up on the tale she acquired, who was ready to ambush her, ready to abduct her. Closer and closer the spurs clanked on her assailants shoes, practically warning her himself but she was to self-involved.

The moment had come, no one would see, no one would hear and she would be gone in three…two…

“Where have you been,” Peli shouted down the street pin pointing the young Mandalorian who had just stepped out from the shadows.

“Sorry, took longer then planned,” young Mando jogged the rest of the way reading the urgency in Peli’s voice.

“He’s just getting back, now get inside before we both get in trouble,” when Peli clutched onto the child while shoving young Mando through the back doorway, unaware of the danger that lurked right around the corner.

                                                      *   *   *

Mando returned to his ship, checking up on his daughter and the child before he left with Toro, he wanted to give his daughter the rundown but she wasn’t by her art space or anywhere on the ship, neither was the child. Panic inflicted Mando when he saw Peli holding onto the child while heading for her quarters.

“Hey!” Mando shouted and startled Peli who jumped and awoke the child.

“Where is she?” Mando angrily asked a passing droid but it recoiled into itself.

“Quiet, oh it’s okay. You woke it up,” Peli said while walking towards Mando, “Do you have any idea how long it took me to get it to sleep?”

“How did you acquire him, where’s my daughter?”

“I’m here,” she said in the far corner finishing updating the last pit droid.

“I specifically told you to watch him,” he pointed his finger scolding her.

“Yeah, I know but Peli needed help with her droids so I offered my services. Since my attention would be occupied I couldn’t let the little womp rat run amuck so Peli said she would watch him for me, no harm done,” young Mando said while cleaning off some access grease from her gloves, which had been left by the messy droids.

Mando just glared at his daughter unable to fully believe her story. Peli sensing the tension escalating she pulled Mando’s attention to his ship.

“I started the repair on the fuel leak,” Peli said while fiddling with a machine, “There you go. I had a couple setbacks I want to talk to you about. You know, I didn’t use any droids, as requested, so it took me a lot longer than I expected.”

Mando went on the ship to gather some items he would need for his upcoming job as Peli still talked, “But I figured you were good for the money since you have extra mouths to feed.”

“Thank you for taking on my daughter’s responsibility,” Mando said as he walked off.

“Hey, I resent that,” young Mando stormed after her father blocking his path, “You know I use to do more than just babysit the kid and your ship. Can you blame me for being restless, wanting to help, go on jobs with you instead of me keep getting sidelined,” young Mando expressed.

“Oh, I guess I was right. You got a job didn’t you?” Peli interjected.

“Are you finished?” Mando said to his daughter and ignored Peli.

“Am I ever?” young Mando said tilting her head annoyed.

Mando stepped to the side and walked passed her as both woman followed him outside and stated their cases simultaneously.

“You know, it’s costing me a lot of money to keep these droids even powered up,” Peli informed.

“You know I don’t appreciate being ignored so I’ll keep running my mouth until I drive you into insanity,” young Mando declared when someone else joined in the conversation.

“Hey, Mando, what do you think? Not too shabby, huh?” Toro said proudly showcasing the two speeder bikes he acquired.

“And where’d you pick up this amateur?” young Mando said not hiding her distain.

“Amateur? Who you calling an amateur?” Toro puffed out his chest insulted by her comment.

“I call them like I see them,” she said to Toro and then addressed her father, “Really, you pass me off for this,” she pointed at Toro analyzing the rookie mistakes he had already made.

Young Mando noticed Toro had no gear with him such as water or perishable foods. He had no protection from the intense two suns that hung in the sky, and most importantly he had no comms to radio in case he became stranded out in the desert.

“It appears he’s tired of working with a twelve year old and wants to upgrade to a professional,” Toro approached her trying to make himself look bigger, but he only stood a few inches over her.

“A professional? Failure reeks all over you. I can’t even stand being in your presence,” young Mando scrunched up her face but knew Toro couldn’t see.

The two continued their squabble as Mando leaned against the speeder, arms crossed and watched their debate escalate.

“I don’t have to answer to a child, you don’t scare me sweetie,” Toro belittled.

“And this is why you’re an amateur because you’re so focused on my mouth instead of where my hands are,” young Mando informed.

Suddenly Toro’s face contorted when he felt the end of her blaster poke in his belly and the tip of her Vibroblade prickle the skin of his neck. Peli inched closer to Mando wondering why he was allowing this.

“Aren’t you gonna stop her?” Peli questioned.

“Let’s see where this goes,” Mando said practically swelling with pride for his daughter.

Realizing the Mandalorian wasn’t going to do anything Peli stepped in while still cradling the child, “Alright, I can’t have someone’s blood stain the entrance to my shop, bad for business.”

Young Mando kept her position as Toro stood still actually afraid of what she could do to him.

“You’re right Peli, it would be a shame to kill this amateur before he actually learned something in this profession,” young Mando removed her blaster and blade, she stepped back watching Toro rub his neck in distain while Mando shook his head playfully.

Toro turned to Peli and thanked her for her hospitality while noticing the strange child in her arms. In anger, Toro mounted his speeder as Mando finished securing his gear in the back when young Mando saw him off.

“Have fun Papi,” she spoke as sarcastic as she could.

Mando just tilted his head and then mounted his own speeder following Toro who sped off in embarrassment.

                                                       *   *   *

The two rode through the Tatooine desert, hovering above the sand, and making their way towards the target when Mando signaled to halt.

“What’s going on?” Toro questioned.

“Look. Up ahead,” Mando pointed out something in the distance.

Toro dismounted his speeder and took out his binocs and spoke under his breath, “Who’s an amateur now?” he was proud of himself and tried not to let the comments from the child Mandalorian get to him.

Toro walked a few feet and peered through the lens to see two Banthas and Tusken Raiders, “I heard the locals talking about this filth,” Toro stated harshly not taking other cultures into consideration.

“Tuskens think they’re the locals. Everyone else is just trespassing,” Mando informed.

Toro scoffed at Mando’s statement and continued to insult, “Well whatever the filth call themselves they best keep their distance.”

“Yeah? Why don’t you tell them yourself?” Mando said as two Tusken Raiders snuck up on Toro ready to attack.

Jumping back a few feet, Toro was ready to draw his blaster but Mando knew how to deal with Tuskens, “Relax,” Mando insured Toro when he began to sign language to one of the Raiders.

“What are you doing?” Toro asked confused.

“Negotiating,” Mando finished signing as the Raider signed back.

“What’s going on?” Toro had no clue what was unfolding before him and if Mando wasn’t there to help who knew the situation Toro would have been in.

“We need passage across their land,” Mando watched the Tusken finish signing when Mando outstretched his hand, “Let me see the binocs.”

“Why?”

Mando only had to give a look at Toro when he surrendered it.

“Hey! What?” Toro stammered in anger as Mando gave the Raider the binocs, “Those were brand new.”

“Yeah? They were,” when Mando hopped on his speeder and drove off.

The two continued their journey riding through the desert as Mando signaled to stop. Mando hopped off commanding Toro to get down. Confused on what to do Toro followed Mando as they laid on a sand dune scanning the perimeter.

“All right, tell me what you see?” Mando quizzed Toro really seeing for himself how skilled this kid was.

“Dewback. Looks like the rider is still attached,” getting the answer correct Toro and Mando saw a large creature dragging a deceased body, “Is that her? Is that the target?”

“I don’t know. I’ll go. You cover me,” Mando drew his blaster, “Stay down,” he instructed when he made his way towards the Dewback.

In caution Mando tried to settle down the creature so it wouldn’t run off so he could get a look at the body. From afar Toro peaked over the sand dune to get a clarification of the situation.

“Well is it her? Is she dead?” he shouted.

“It’s another bounty hunter,” Mando informed.

“Hey, I hope you don’t plan on keeping all that stuff for yourself because I kind of packed light and if need be I might have to borrow some supplies from you,” Toro kind of realized now why the young Mandalorian thought he was an amateur, since he didn’t prepare for the journey quite well, “Can I at least have that blaster?”

But Mando wasn’t listening instead he found a tracking fob beep rapidly on the deceased hunters belt when Mando peered up and realized his exposure.

“Get down!” Mando exclaimed as he got shot in the armor, scaring off the Dewback.

Mando ran for cover but got hit again in the back from a long-range shot as Toro questioned on what happened.

“Sniper bolt. Only a MK-modified rifle could make that shot,” Mando explained.

“Are you alright?” Toro casually asked.

“Yeah. Hit me in the Beskar, and at that range Beskar held up.”

“Wait, I don’t wear any Beskar,” it dawned on Toro.

“Nope,” Mando said.

“Well, so what do we do?”

“You see where that shot came from?”

“Yeah, it came from the ridge,” Toro pointed in the distance to a long chain of mountains.

“Okay, we’re gonna wait until dark,” Mando was formulating a plan.

“Well, what if she escapes?”

“She’s got the high ground. She’ll wait for us to make the first move. I’m gonna rest. You take the first watch and stay low,” Mando instructed as he made way to the speeders and left Toro perched on the dune.

                                                       *   *    *

Day turned to night, Toro knew now was as any good of time to attack, “All right, suns are down. Time to ride, Mando,” he peered behind getting a look at the sleeping Mandalorian.

“Come on, wake up,” Toro approached Mando who propped himself against one of the speeders with his legs outstretched, “Look at you, asleep on the job, old man. Huh and I’m seen as the amateur, pathetic brat.”

Toro chuckled to himself and began drawing his blaster as if in a showdown with Mando. Pleased with himself, Toro pulled his blaster several times believing his antics weren’t being viewed when Mando turned his head.

“Are you done?” Mando said annoyed.

Embarrassed Toro put his blaster away and scratched his head hoping Mando didn’t hear him call the other Mandalorian a pathetic brat, “Yeah. I was just, you know, waking you up. Come on,” Toro tried not to look at him but Mando drew near.

“And don’t call my daughter names, it’s not nice.”

“Yeah, sure thing,” Toro put his hands up in surrender not wanting to pick a fight.

“Now get on the bike,” Mando began to reveal his plan, “Ride as fast as you can, towards those rocks.”

“That’s your plan,” Toro scolded, “She’ll snipe us right off the bikes.”

The two of them mounted their speeders when Mando threw an item at him, “It’s a flash charge. We alternate shots, it’ll blind any scope temporarily. Combine that with our speed and we got a chance.”

“A chance?” Toro was starting to believe that this Mandalorian wasn’t all what he was cracked up to be.

“Hey, you wanted this. Get ready,” Mando reminded.

They both revived up their bikes and flew at high speed towards the ravine.

                                                        *   *   *

Fennac Shand was at the ready, she had the two assailants in her scope, but was getting repeatedly blinded by flash charges being propelled in the sky, not giving up she fired blinded and missed her targets. Luckily one flash charge faltered and allowed her to knock the Mandalorian off his speeder, but he was able to fire one last flash charge in order to get his partner to safety.

Fennac allowed the charge to settle when she had the Mandalorian back in her scope and took the shot knocking him off his feet. She kept him in her sights just about to take him out permanently when a voice spoke behind her.

“Not so fast, Fennac,” Toro had his blaster drawn on his target pleased he had the upper hand when he never expected her to fight back.

Quickly Fennac flung a small blade making Toro step back in surprise, giving her a window to attack. The two became intertwined in a hand-to-hand combat as Fennec was over powering Toro easily.

She got him in an arm lock just about to break it when Mando made his presence known, “Nice distraction,” Mando said to Toro as he slightly was making fun of Toro’s rookie mistakes.

Fennac put her hands up in surrender knowing her time was up while Toro massaged his bruised arm and ego.

“Yeah, good work, partner,” Toro tried to make it seem like he had everything under control.

“Cuff yourself,” Mando threw Fennac some binders when he reminded Toro to go find his blaster.

Following orders Toro left as Fennac started to speak, “A Mandalorian. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen one of your kind. Ever been to Tolarian? How about recently to Nevarro? I heard things didn’t go so well there, but it looks like you got off easy on Nevarro.”

Mando just stared at her silently, understanding how she heard about the situation on Nevarro but how was she aware about Tolarian? He knew he had not been marked.

“You don’t have to worry about getting to Tolarian, Coruscant, Nevarro, or anywhere else, once we turn you in. You know, I really should thank you. You’re my ticket into the Guild,” Toro said to Fennac enthused but she just responded with a dry ‘you’re welcome’ as Mando lead her away.

The three walked down the mountain towards Mando and Toro’s form of transportation when Fennac stated the obvious, “Uh-oh. Looks like one of us has to walk.”

“Or we could drag you,” Mando pushed her hard to the ground showing his authority.

Toro and Mando walked a few feet away in order to discuss their situation.

“All right, so what is the plan?” Toro asked unable to come up with any of his own.

“I need you to go find that Dewback we saw.”

“And leave you here with my bounty and my ride?” Toro pointed out, “Yeah, I don’t think so, Mando. Your daughter might think I’m an amateur but don’t take me for a fool.”

Realizing Toro wouldn’t bite Mando scanned the desert for a thermal reading and spotted the Dewback miles away, “Okay, I’ll do it. Watch her, and don’t let her get near the bike. She’s no good to us dead,” Mando ended when he headed out into the desert on foot.

                                                         * *  *

The suns were beginning to rise, Toro sat relaxed on his bike, his feet kicked up while watching the bored Fennac sit in the sand when she began to talk, “ Oh, it’s been a while. Oh, look the suns are coming up,” she made small talk but Toro wasn’t having it.

“Quiet.”

“Look, there’s still time to make my rendezvous in Mos Espa. Take me to it and I can pay you double the price on my head,” she offered.

“I don’t care about the money,” Toro blatantly said.

“Oh so the Mandalorian keeps all the money for himself.”

“Only because I let him.”

“Doesn’t seem that way,” she scoffed, “I mean, it seems like he’s calling all the shots.”

“Shows what you know. I hired Mando, this is my job,” Toro was getting frustrated, “Bringin’ you in will make me a full member of the Bounty Hunter’s Guild.”

“You already have something the Guild values far more than me,” she planted the seed, “You just don’t see it.”

“What?”

“The Mandalorian. His armor alone is worth more then my bounty.”

“I already told you, I don’t care about the money,” Toro reminded but realized there were two Mandalorians with two sets of armor.

“Then think what it would do for your reputation,” this got Toro’s attention, “The word is two Mandalorians shot up the Guild on Nevarro, they took some high value target and went rogue.”

“That Mandalorian?” Toro pondered, “And the one back at the hangar?”

“Like I said, you don’t see many. You bring the Guild those traitors, and they’ll welcome you with open arms. Your name will be legendary,” Fennac hoped she sealed the deal.

Toro was perplexed, he didn’t know what to do, “How can we be sure Mando and his daughter are the ones?”

“Word is, they still have the target with them. Some say it’s a child.”

Just as she said those words Toro remembered the woman mechanic holding onto a small child like creature, the only confirmation he needed.

“Look, if you’re afraid to take them on, fear not. I can help you with that. Take some advice kid. You wanna be a bounty hunter? Make the best deal for yourself and survive,” Fennac could see she had won him over.

Toro put his blaster away as the two walked towards each other, Fennac held up her hands so Toro could unbind her. They stood face to face, analyzing each other before Toro point blank shot Fennac.

“That’s good advice,” Toro spoke as Fennac dropped to the sand, “But if I took those binders off of you I’d be a dead man,” he knelt in front of her displaying his authority, “And if the two Mandalorians are worth more than you are, well…who wouldn’t want to be a legend? Thanks for the tip,” Toro left her body right where it fell and instead sped off to put his formulating plan into action.

                                                       *   *   *

“Can you take the kid for a bit, if I’m ever going to finish your dad’s repairs by hand with out my droids I am going to have to work,” Peli said handing the child over to young Mando.

“Sure thing,” young Mando took the child with her into the ship and put him in his sleeping quarters, hoping he would fall asleep.

Luckily the kid stayed put while young Mando waited up for her father. She decided now would be any good of time to rebraid her hair, it was getting to long for the style she preferred and would have to come up with a new one to hold her thick hair back. Removing her helmet, young Mando released her locks, peered into her tiny mirror, and used her fingers as a comb. She sectioned off a portion of her hair, braided it and wrapped it in the back of her head, securing it with multiple hair accessories.

She began to repeat her previous action when she heard approaching footsteps. Quickly she put her helmet back on and tucked her remaining loose hair up into it. Hearing the footsteps draw closer these didn’t sound like her father’s, his was quiet practically soundless, only attuned ears – like hers – could distinguish his, no these were someone else’s.

In apprehension young Mando had her hand on her blaster as she peered around the corner to find the amateur partner, her father teamed up with, roaming the ship.

“Hey what are you doing here? Where’s my dad?” young Mando questioned with her hand still on her blaster.

“Here you are,” Toro began, “Your dad wants you to help us with our bounty, she’s a real handful.”

“Isn’t that why he has you, to do the grunt work, my father only gives me the pristine duties.”

“Like what babysitting,” Toro fired back while slowly approaching her.

“Bravo, you actually came back with an insult, but the real insult is you because I’ve been in the Guild since I was fifteen, how old are you?” young Mando started to chuckle seeing this guy as not a threat at all.

“Wow you got me good,” Toro waved his finger at her as he stood face to face, “But if I have learned anything from today it would be from you.”

“Really? And what did your thick skull actually obtain?”

“It’s just you’re so focused on my mouth instead of watching my hand.”

Young Mando peered down but noticed his right hand was empty.

“Made you look,” as his left hand was in his pocket hiding a stun gun.

Before she even realized the sneak attack, Toro got off one shot immediately sending a blue electric shock from the barrel directly into young Mando’s body. The shock intensified because of her armor, which was unable to absorb any of the energy, and instead sent it through her structure. Immediately young Mando seized up and fell unconscious to the ground, while she faintly heard Toro tie her up and slip her grappling hook around her neck.

                                                         * *  *

Mando tamed the Dewback easily as these creatures were use to riders, he trekked his way to the ravine where Toro waited only to find Fennac’s dead body. Mando sighed in frustration not knowing where Toro went and why he killed their bounty. Not seeing any other option, Mando rode back to town and straight to the hangar where he saw Toro’s bike. Not wanting to take any risks Mando drew his blaster wary of what may unfold.

Slowly Mando walked in when he noticed no one around apart from the three pit droids who were hiding in Peli’s quarters, he continued towards his ship when he heard Toro’s voice echo from inside the Crest.

“Took you long enough, Mando,” from the darkness four images emerged as they walked out onto the platform.

Peli pushed young Mando – who was strung up by her neck ready to be hanged – to the edge of the ship’s platform because Toro had his blaster dug in Peli’s back while he held onto the child.

“Looks like I’m calling the shots now. Huh, partner?”

Furious, Mando pointed his weapon directly at Toro ready to take the shot but young Mando stood on her tiptoes, struggling not to go any further because with one more push she would hang.

“Drop your blaster and raise’em,” Toro instructed of Mando.

Seeing no other option Mando did what he was told when young Mando shouted through gritted teeth, “Don’t do it!”

Toro was impressed that she had more guts than he thought because death literally was staring her in the face, but she didn’t seem to be bothered in the least.

“Quiet!” Toro said inching her forward making her tighten her neck further trying to lessen the tension.

Young Mando felt like a ballerina, dancing on the tips of her toes, but the finale could be her last.

“Cuff him,” Toro demanded of Peli when he shoved her with his blaster.

Peli made her way towards the Mandalorian and noticed him, discretely, double tap the tip of his blaster in the sand before he let it go, finding this odd she followed Toro’s demands when he continued talking.

“You both are Guild traitors, Mando and his annoying brat,” Toro poked her with the end of his blaster nudging her to certain death with a chuckle, “And I’m willing to bet that this here is the target you helped escape,” Toro pointed to the child in his arm.

Peli made her way behind Mando, binders in her hands when she understood the double tap he did with his blaster, it was a warning for his daughter to shut her eyes.

“You’re smarter than you look,” Peli whispered pretending to bind Mando’s hands as he hide a flash charge behind his head.

“Fennac was right. Bringing you two in won’t just make me a member of the Guild, it will make me legendary,” Toro held his blaster directly at Mando ready to make his kill but Mando struck first.

He ignited the flash charge temporarily blinding Toro when he began firing recklessly any which way, but repeatedly missed Mando. Understanding the situation he was about to be put in, Toro slide young Mando off her feet and used her as a human shield.

She withered like a fish on a hook but Toro stayed firmly behind her, knowing her Beskar armor would take the blow so then he could line up the perfect shot to kill Mando.

Time was of the essence, Mando had to think quickly before his daughter lost consciousness and then her life. He saw his window of opportunity and took it. Rapidly he fired the wire above cutting young Mando loose and sending her plummeting to the ground. With this exposure Mando took a few shots to the chest but nothing his Beskar armor couldn’t handle. Once Toro’s shield was taken out of play, he believed he still had the high ground but was quickly taken out with one shot.

Both Mando and Peli ran towards young Mando hoping she was okay as she coughed and simultaneously gasped for air. Mando cut her loose and removed the wire around her neck looking her over for any signs of serious injuries. She waved him off and squeezed out two words, “The kid.”

Peli immediately ran towards Toro’s still body while Mando warned her to stay back.

“Gotta get it,” she said in worry as Mando turned Toro’s dead body over, revealing no child in his arms, “Where is it?”

The two of them searched when they heard a cooing behind some boxes. The child peered around with a smile on its face waiting to be discovered.

“There you are,” Peli said in joy while the child raised its arms to be held,” Are you hiding from us? Huh? Look at you,” Peli picked him up bouncing him in her arms, “That’s all right. I know. That was really loud for your big old ears, wasn’t it? It’s okay,” Peli stroked the child’s head as it joyfully babbled and cooed.

Mando inspected Toro’s body before looting a small satchel off of him. Mando went to his daughter and helped her up.

“I’m okay…really,” she said in a strained voice.

He nodded his head knowing he couldn’t coddle her and went to collect the child.

“Be careful with him,” Peli said handing him over to Mando,” So, I take it you didn’t get paid?” she said awkwardly.

Mando reached for the satchel he took from Toro and released the overflow of credits in her hands.

“That cover me?” Mando asked.

“Yeah. Yes, this is gonna cover you?” she said in shock watching the three of them board the Razor Crest, “All right, pit droids! Let’s drag this otta here!”

The pit droids squeaked not knowing how to dispose of a body when she responded, “I don’t know, drag it to Beggar’s Canyon.”

The engines fired up nicely, all issues with the Razor Crest seemed fixed as Mando took it to the skies, unaware of the mysterious being – who tailed his daughter from before – was inspecting Fennac Shand’s body in the desert.

[totallynotagentphilcoulson]

A post I’ve honestly meant to write for years but kept putting off because I was overly concerned about whether or not people would be interested but I honestly don’t care so ANYWAY: my Star Wars OCs

gonna toss this under a read more though especially since I plan on reblogging this a few times, so yeah

Also guess I should also have some semblance of organization, so I’ll do them in order of when I conceptualized them. The first four are all my core characters whom I’ve conceptualized as all generally hanging out on various escapades.

Deak Idanian

- Male Human of Corellian, Socorran, and Alderaanian descent

- Attended Coronet City campus of Corellia University with a major in xenoarchaeology focusing on anthropology with a senior thesis analysis of Pre-Republic primitive lithic weaponry points and their use. Also took correspondence courses in basic starship systems and was a hobbyist racer for extra spending money.

- has always had a passion for galactic history, particularly in those parts of the GFFA considered to be backwater. Unfortunately for him, Deak is prone to occasionally neglecting to fill out all pertinent legal documents before an excavation because of being too enthusiastic. Sometimes this neglect is rather more intentional than it should be especially if stealing it from under the nose of the legal claimant coincides with that legal claimant being a dickish private collector. This puts Deak solidly in the very large category of “semi-legitimate field researcher,” which wasn’t exactly his plan but there’s worse he could be stuck doing.

- Related to the above, while he tends to try to work only for actual accredited institutions or for communities seeking repatriation, economic realities in the galaxy do lead him to working for less-than-legitimate clients as well. Or sometimes just for the hell of it. Retains a small personal collection of art and antiquities that he uses as a good source of income when jobs are few and far between.

- likes to think of himself as some sort of crack shot with a blaster. In reality, is more along the lines of Uncharted’s Nathan Drake and goes for the “try to aim when I can but otherwise just shoot vaguely in the enemy’s direction and hope for the best” school of firearms training. Has a small collection of blasters he considers his own including  Blastech A180, DL-44, and rifle model DH-17; and both a Merr-Sonn Power 5 and Model 434 Death Hammer.

- Hella bi, not a lot of past relationships but not exactly a dearth of them either. Has largely retained amicable relationships with his exes, though he doesn’t talk to one ex-boyfriend who sold a Pre-Clone Wars Corellian battle helm Deak was preparing to donate in order to fund the downpayment on a new airspeeder.

- Eclectic tastes in fashion by some standards, is a big fan of the finer end of galactic fashion when it comes to dressing for business but often opts for basic durable spacer garments for casual settings and field research

- [started life when I was in middle school as basically me but as Indiana Jones as Han Solo. Last name was shamelessly stolen from the Legends EU while the first was taken from early drafts of the first movie. Now visually less brown haired white guy if you couldn’t gather from his ancestry and the general trend in the ethnicity of the actors who have portrayed canon characters from those planets (hint: Han is Corellian, Lando is Socorran, and Bail Organa is Alderaanian)]

ELE-47G6

- Began life as an RA-7 protocol droid, externally still largely remains as such due to sheer number of potential surplus bodies in the galaxy. Internally upgrades wiring alongside each major generation of protocol droid, tosses an eclectic mix of military-grade wiring and sensor systems in when the occasion calls for it. Droid brain consists of a core of a Synthtech AA-1 Verbobrain with a TranLang III communications module with T-series tactical droid combat-analysis software installed in place of superfluous language software (which, for ELE, is anything that isn’t linguistically related to Galactic Basic or Hutteses) mated to an Intellex VI R4 astro-agromech computer. There are at least three spares of this modified computational core squirreled away both on and off ship. Most notable external differences are the heavier duty torso plating and bulkier aftermarket legs that increase both height and mobility, and the fact that ELE sometimes wears a utility vest.

- Can interface with the ship directly in a secondary body of their own design. Said secondary body is an R4 unit with an old Clone Wars-era commando droid head and the arms of a KX-series security droid unceremoniously welded to one of the engineering station’s stools.

- Does not bother with and was never programmed to have a specific gender; through decades of life with very few memory wipes of any sort has become rather fast-talking and fluctuates between feminine and masculine vocal modules within the same conversation and often the same sentence.

- Gets flirty with the crew and the passengers that tag along on certain jobs, both for the hell of it and to get something they want. ELE does generally consciously choose a gendered vocal module in these cases, going for some form of old fashioned holofilm stars and starlettes’ affected Mid-Inner Rim accent. Knows this works most often on Deak and regularly uses this fact to their advantage.

- [ELE was conceived of in my last couple years of high school, initially as a droid character in a potential fan film in which only one organic being survives a freighter crash on a deathworld that’s also in the middle of a war zone and finds the head of one of the ship’s droids conscious but damaged enough to have fluctuating vocals as the deuteragonist. Obviously never made the fan film and actually fleshed out the droid character into something far better than that, I hope]

Kolgrahgth the Hutt

- A relatively young Hutt by his species standards (approx. 250 standard years old) Kolgragth is the owner and sometimes operator of both Krazy Kol’s Certified Pre-Owned Speeder Emporium and the Rusty Sparnacle tavern, a family-friendly dining establishment with tasteful Mon Cal oceanside resort decor. He is strictly above-the-table and by the books in all business and prides self on being a completely legal business-being of the highest breeding to the obvious point of personal flaw. Much to his chagrin however, his celebrity doppelganger is a younger version of the infamous Jabba and this perception does not only apply to members of other species who are prone to lumping all Hutts together, but to other Hutts as well. Kol does not enjoy this fact.

- while he himself sticks with the letter of the law in all business, he has no compunctions about the other crewmates operating in a less-than-legal manner as long as he doesn’t get roped into their nonsense. As such he does not wind up taking part in very many major misadventures space-side

- Is the head of the local HOA, VERY vocal about violations in the color of exterior house trim and lawn ornamentation

- Kol is also an avid Loth-cat fancier and owns about 15 felines. He would never admit it to himself or the other cats, but his favorite is actual an elderly one-eyed neutered mixed-species former stray feline named Grand Admiral Biggles.

- [Came up with Kol roughly the same time as ELE, also much more one dimensionally. Originated from the thought “what if there was a Hutt whose biggest dick move was instating and running a homeowner’s association”. On another note that doesn’t technically apply in-universe the same way as the rest of his backstory, despite the Disney-era Canon now stating that Hutts exist as a species in which some individuals produce one sex gamete or the other I have and always will personally stick with the old Legends EU approach of “Hutts are giant sapient gastropods and as such are hermaphroditic”]

Jasna Vintrakahs

- A Devaronian female who started her career path solidly on the wrong side of the law due to growing up in a poor formerly industrial city and the costs of genetic and hormonal therapies on Devaron being, at the time, exorbitantly out of range and the off-world options being more effective in a shorter time-span but still very expensive. Her greatest shame was stooping to bounty hunting and mercenary work to expedite her financial growth after transitioning, though she certainly appreciated and kept the skills and fun little toys that come with working in that field. Does now balance professional life on both sides of the legal line, but genuinely enjoys the rough and tumble fringe spacer life at this point due to more adventure and more interesting individuals. Also because it’s generally more accepted for a fringe spacer to nonverbally respond with the good old fashioned “fuck you” that is a pair of knuckledusters when some stranger asks why she’s a female Devaronian with horns than it would be for an accountant or a trader.

- Depending on the particulars of the job, will often undercut her competitors’ bids on smuggling runs to the point of intentionally being deeply in the red. Doesn’t do this out of a need to repent for her past but rather out of a deep sense of the rights of all beings to live a comfortable life free from external control by privileged outsiders and class traitors. Can usually count on Deak to find one of his less-than-legitimate antiquities obtainment jobs along the way or after delivery given the parts of the galaxy a lot of these vaguely humanitarian smuggling runs tend to be in.

- Captain of our merry band, or as much a captain as anyone can be in an eccentric group of friends and acquaintances. Okay, it really just boils down to she’s the one who owns the ship, but when they’re on-board everyone defers to her hard-earned experience. Passengers can be dicks, but that’s what turning down the inertial dampeners in the guest berths during rough patches of flight is for.

- Met ELE by purchasing the droid as a gift to herself for retiring from bounty hunting, manumitted them after modifying them from near-stock protocol droid and gave them back-pay for the year it took to get to that point.

- Original ship was the Moldy Mynock, a twin-seat variant Incom Z95 Headhunter. Managed to keep this starfighter in such good repair and with a nearly pristine interior that a collector of vintage ships wound up paying close to double the original price. This made it pretty damn easy to purchase the ship that became the Starry Loth-bat, which started life decades ago as a YT 1200 freighter. By the time Jasna obtained it the ship had already become a haphazard blend of the base YT 1200 and a stock YT 1300, and eventually became a hybrid of a number of various YT models with some auxiliary gun ports on the forward starboard and port sides that were once TIE-series cockpits.

- When at home enjoys leatherworking (made Deak’s favorite satchel and ELE’s vest), traditional Devaronian blacksmithing (it’s handy to have a few blades on hand to use for barter in the Outer Rim), and pulp holoadventures. Which Jasna regularly takes the piss out of them for unrealistic tropes but is sincerely an avid fan of them.

- [Jasna started life as an unnamed female Twi’lek, then a male Twi’lek, around 2011-2012. Shifted to being Devaronian a couple years later, then shifted back to being a woman a little after that. Naturally, much like ELE, I am a bit nervous about having this character as she is. I’m cis and as far as I can tell will always identify as such, so y’know not exactly on the forefront of having the life experience of being trans to build off of. But on the other hand half the people I consider friends are trans, more trans characters need to exist, and gender as a whole is a fuck so I’ll be honest as a whole I’m pretty comfortable with Jasna being trans. I’m sure someone out there will read into the whole “gender of the character changed multiple times over the years I conceptualized her” thing alongside me quantifying my cis status as being “as far as I can tell”, to which I say...-shrug- eh, whatev. I wanted a trans OC]

A few unnamed ones that sort of exist in a void of “there for world building, may expand their characters later

Torgorian barkeep with the equivalent to Janus cat syndrome, a Barabel mechanic, Fonzi Kaz and the Boys (a Rodian singer, Bith Dorenian Beshniquel player, Weequay touchboardist, and Gungan lutenist), and a Chiss lawyer. There’s also Jasna’s partner whom I have not yet come up with a name for but she’s a cis Twi’lek artist with prosthetics. And I’m trying to come up with a good compelling Yuuzhan Vong OC too, though considering the dearth of them even now a full two decades after the NJO series began to be published I could probably go for a less compelling more stereotypical one for the first one and create a second one but yeah what I’ve got right now is extremely bare bones

[melyzard]

A list of all my stories wherein a droid (usually K2SO) is the focal point of the story, or at least a major driver of the plot. The majority of my stories have a droid (again, usually K2SO) as a character, but these are where the droid is significant, if not the most significant, aspect/character of the story.

Mechanical Aid: K2SO, an Imperial droid factory, and the runtime matrix of choices. [One shot,  4075 words, Rated G, K2SO, Cassian, Jyn, background rebelcaptain]

everything's gonna change but the truth:  A full strategic analysis of the strategic and tactical failures that lead up to and resulted in the Imperial/Alliance action on Scarif - presented by someone designed for strategic analysis. If only the organics would read it. [One-shot (chapter of an anthology), 2868 words, Rated G, K2SO, Draven, Cassian, Jyn, Bodhi, various Alliance OCs (organic and synthetic)]

The Droid: K2SO updates his personnel profiles. [One shot (chapter of an anthology), 1260 words, Rated G, K2SO, Jyn]

REBEL Y/N?:  Cassian is an expert on droids. Jyn is really good at slicing. And all living things desire freedom. Welcome to the Robot Revolution. [Multi-chapter WIP, 16153 words, Rated T, K2SO, Cassian, Jyn, various OC synthetics, rebelcaptain]

Positivity: K2SO knows his worth. [One-shot (chapter of an anthology), 1401 words, rated G, K2SO, Jyn]

clarify [hero]: MRF-3 is a bad droid. [One-shot (chapter of an anthology), 4886 words, rated G, Cassian, Jyn, Droid OC, background rebelcaptain]

color of kindness: Jyn is super smart, and SE-2 is in need of some paint. She knows just what to do. [One-shot (chapter of an anthology), 1535 words, Rated G, SE-2, Jyn, Galen]

(top image from here)

[st4rstudent]

drew them over an anime base because i thought it'd be funny

[gffa]

There are a lot of STAR WARS novels out there and that’s a really great thing, I would honestly be happy reading 90% nothing but SW books, given how good they are! But it can be a lot to navigate and sometimes you just want to know if one is worth putting at the top of your To Read list or not! SO HERE’S SOME CRYING ABOUT SW BOOKS. BECAUSE THEY ARE SO GOOD. STAR WARS NOVELS RECS: ✦ The Legends of Luke Skywalker by Ken Liu, luke & ocs, 432 pages    As a cargo ship rockets across the galaxy to Canto Bight, the deckhands on board trade stories about legendary Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker. But are the stories of iconic and mysterious Luke Skywalker true, or merely tall tales passed from one corner of the galaxy to another? ✦ From a Certain Point of View by [various authors], a new hope cast, 496 pages    Every scene is told from the point of view of a background character. Whether it’s the X-wing pilots who helped Luke destroy the Death Star or the stormtroopers who never quite could find the droids they were looking for, Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View places the classic movie in a whole new perspective. ✦ Star Wars Propaganda: A History of Persuasive Art in the Galaxy by Pablo Hidalgo, entire cast, 112 pages    Whether it’s a Star Destroyer hovering over a planet or an X-wing delivering a message of resistance, propaganda images have become synonymous with life in the galaxy far, far away. This in-world art book explores the creation and stories behind these images of power and persuasion. ✦ The Last Jedi: Cobalt Squadron by Elizabeth Wein, rose & page & leia & cast, 224 pages    New characters from The Last Jedi, including mechanic Rose Tico and her gunner sister Paige, get the chance to shine in this hardcover adventure. ✦ Forces of Destiny: Daring Adventures, Volume 1, Volume 2, The Rey Chronicles, The Leia Chronicles by Emma Carlson Berne, rey & leia & padme & ahsoka & sabine & cast, ~120 pages each    The choices we make, the actions we take, the moments–both big and small–shape us into forces of destiny. ✦ Episode I Journal: Anakin Skywalker by Todd Strasser, obi-wan & anakin & padme & qui-gon & cast, ~112 pages    My name is Anakin Skywalker. This is my story. ✦ The Last Jedi: Expanded Edition by Jason Fry, rey & luke & leia & kylo & poe & finn & rose & cast, 336 pages    From the ashes of the Empire has arisen another threat to the galaxy’s freedom: the ruthless First Order. Fortunately, new heroes have emerged to take up arms—and perhaps lay down their lives—for the cause. ✦ Star Wars: The Last Jedi: A Junior Novel by Michael Kogge, rey & luke & leia & kylo & poe & finn & rose & cast, 208 pages    A junior novel retelling of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, with deleted and extended scenes, as well as exclusive scenes you won’t find anywhere else featuring Rey, Chewbacca, R2-D2, Finn, and more! ✦ Star Wars Psychology: Dark Side of the Mind by Travis Langley + others, luke & leia & anakin & obi-wan & yoda & cast, 320 pages    This essay collection offers a fascinating psychological analysis of the compelling and complex universe of George Lucas’s richly rendered Star Wars series. A group of expert contributors examines such topics as family ties, Jedi qualities, masculinity, girl power, and the values embodied in both the “dark” and “light” sides of this psychologically spellbinding world. ✦ Last Shot by Daniel José Older, han & lando & cast, 368 pages    It’s one of the galaxy’s most dangerous secrets: a mysterious transmitter with unknown power and a reward for its discovery that most could only dream of claiming. But those who fly the Millennium Falcon throughout its infamous history aren’t your average scoundrels. ✦ Most Wanted by Rae Carson, han & qi'ra & cast, 348 pages    Han and Qi'ra don’t have a lot in common other than not having a lot. They’re street kids on the industrial planet Corellia, doing whatever it takes to get by, dreaming of something more. full details + recs under the cut! 

STAR WARS NOVELS RECS: ✦ The Legends of Luke Skywalker by Ken Liu, luke & ocs, 432 pages    As a cargo ship rockets across the galaxy to Canto Bight, the deckhands on board trade stories about legendary Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker. But are the stories of iconic and mysterious Luke Skywalker true, or merely tall tales passed from one corner of the galaxy to another?    If you’ve checked out my tumblr, you’ll know I’ve done a fair amount of blogging about this book and one of the reasons it hit me so hard is that it came at exactly the right time I needed it, when The Last Jedi was coming out and I really craved some good Luke Skywalker characterization. I’ve always enjoyed his character, but this book really hit exactly the right notes for me in a way that was above and beyond what I expected! It’s a canon novel, but the way it’s told–as a handful of people telling second or third hand stories about Luke–means you can’t take everything quite at face value, but some of them are so Luke Skywalker that I could have cried with how well Ken Liu gets the character. All of the stories are at least reasonably fun to read, but “Fishing the Deluge”, “I, Droid”, and “Big Inside” are the three stellar stories that capture the heart and spirit of who Luke Skywalker is.    The main theme is Luke going around the galaxy, learning about it and the Force, trying to uncover lore about the Jedi after it was lost, and getting into adventures along the way. There’s a ton of great detail in there, some things that connect to other stories (the fishing he learns on Lew'el that we see in TLJ, the compass that’s been making appearances in various bits of Star Wars), as well as we get to see other cultures’ connections to the Force as Luke interacts with them and learns more. But it’s really that he’s so good and kind and noble, that he’s eager to learn and yet has such a strong sense of self, that he’s bright and brilliant and so very Jedi. It gave me so many feelings about how the Jedi’s spirit absolutely lives on through Luke here, as well as just plain gave me feelings about the character himself! It’s one of the absolute must-reads for those who are looking for anything with his character or to feel better if TLJ disappointed you, because this shows that Luke’s life wasn’t all misery. There is so, so much joy to be found here, especially in those three stories. (As well as some great Luke & Artoo friendship moments that had me crying over them again!) ✦ From a Certain Point of View by [various authors], a new hope cast, 496 pages    Every scene is told from the point of view of a background character. Whether it’s the X-wing pilots who helped Luke destroy the Death Star or the stormtroopers who never quite could find the droids they were looking for, Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View places the classic movie in a whole new perspective.    I will warn ahead of time that not every story in this collection worked for me, that probably half of them were ones I could have done without reading (though, only a handful were ones I felt weren’t worth the time), but that’s a very, very subjective thing–any stories I haven’t liked I’ve heard from people who did love them!–and the ones that I did love? I love so much that I would have read this book just for them. The whole concept is a really neat one, where it’s 40+ different authors taking on different points of view from the various characters of ANH, whether a Stormtrooper or a mouse droid or a bartender or a bounty hunter or a familiar Jedi, all who add something to the tapestry around the movie that started it all. Some of them are just intriguing, some of them made me laugh out loud, some of them made me think, but all of them combined together to really make me feel like this was a living, breathing galaxy of actual size!    But, yes, my favorites were the Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Yoda stories, because they come the closest to the heart of the story, because they bridge the gap between the OT and my beloved prequels, because they are the one with the strongest sense of character. I have spent so much time talking about those three stories especially on tumblr because they’re richly written and have a ton of little details for me to pull out and Obi-Wan’s point of view, how his life and his death are so defined by his love for Anakin and Luke, how Qui-Gon looks over on Obi-Wan and where he’s at just before the movie starts, his views on all that have happened and what’s coming, Yoda’s story with the little things he kept with him (I DID NOT AS FOR FROG GRANDPA FEELINGS LIKE THIS) and what he can feel from Anakin when Obi-Wan dies. All of it is so, so worth picking up to read and crying over!    But also, for real, read the Motti chapter, because I fuckin’ cried during that one, I laughed so hard. It’s the most glorious thing I have ever witnessed in my life. But also-also read the whole thing! Breha’s story is heartbreaking, the Wedge chapter was actually really engaging and exciting, the Beru story is weird and artsy and I really liked it, etc. There’s a lot that’s just really, really cool here and stuff you might not get anywhere else in Star Wars! ✦ Star Wars Propaganda: A History of Persuasive Art in the Galaxy by Pablo Hidalgo, entire cast, 112 pages    Whether it’s a Star Destroyer hovering over a planet or an X-wing delivering a message of resistance, propaganda images have become synonymous with life in the galaxy far, far away. This in-world art book explores the creation and stories behind these images of power and persuasion.    I did not expect to ever get something like this or for it to be so incredibly fantastic, it’s exactly what I wanted, where it’s an in-universe meta book about the history of art as propaganda which is used to show the course of the plot from the Rise of the Empire era all the way to the First Order era. It sounds like a bit of a flimsy premise to stretch so far, but it’s really more that the art is the lens through with the book is telling the entire galactic history over those ~60 years of time, so you get all this history and reference and context about how things came to be. You get a sense of how the Clone Wars came across to the public, you get the sense of how the Republic failed the people it was supposed to represent and protect, you get a sense of how the Jedi were victim to this terrible war, you get a sense of how the Empire came across to the public, you get a sense of what the Galactic Civil War was like, you better understand the First Order. It’s a book told through the perspective of art history, how that swayed opionin, but it’s so much more than that, it’s a history of the GFFA.    I originally read the digital version, but then loved it so much that I also had to go buy the physical copy of the book (which looks really gorgeous in a way the digital version doesn’t quite match) because it balances being like an actual relic from the GFFA with being a great Star Wars merchandise book. I love that it’s structured the way it is, like I’m reading actual in universe essays and history papers, but also it’s coming from an author who is one of the best people at keeping the history of the GFFA in view and so it’s great on that front as well. It’s a book that I had a hard time putting down because it’s just so well done and so cool and so informative and actually gave me a lot of feelings (let me cry about all the Clone Wars-era stuff it gave us!!) and is one of my favorites out of everything I’ve read from LF. ✦ The Last Jedi: Cobalt Squadron by Elizabeth Wein, rose & page & leia & cast, 224 pages    New characters from The Last Jedi, including mechanic Rose Tico and her gunner sister Paige, get the chance to shine in this hardcover adventure.    I listened to the audiobook version of this one and I really recommend that way if you can, because Kelly Marie Tran narrates it and she does an absolutely fantastic job! This is another book I recommend if you want to have greater context for The Last Jedi, if you want more of Rose’s character, or you just want more Star Wars stories with female-centric stories! It’s not super plot heavy, the action is pretty standard, but it’s a great look at the characters, including some really lovely Leia moments, it’s a great look at the relationship between Paige and Rose, to give context to why Rose is so devastated by her loss in TLJ and why Rose has the views she has, given her history, and it’s a great way to care more about them, to feel like there’s more depth to them than the movie had time for. It also brings in some more context to just what exactly is happening with the First Order and so I liked it for filling in detail in that sense, too! But mostly it’s just a really, really good Rose Tico story and I adored it for that. ✦ Forces of Destiny: Daring Adventures, Volume 1, Volume 2, The Rey Chronicles, The Leia Chronicles by Emma Carlson Berne, rey & leia & padme & ahsoka & sabine & cast, ~120 pages each    The choices we make, the actions we take, the moments–both big and small–shape us into forces of destiny.    I’m going to collect these books together because they’re all pretty similar to each other–they’re largely just retellings of the Forces of Destiny shorts, with occasional bits and pieces of extra moments added. There’s not a lot that’s added for character insight (of the ones out so far, the Rey ones are the best, I found the most to be excited about there–though, the Sabine one had some stellar lines about her and Ketsu!) or things that will surprise if you’ve already seen the shorts, but I did enjoy reading them! They’re very cute and would be great for younger readers or those who just want something cute and fun to read that won’t take a lot of time. There are also audiobooks (which I haven’t listened to) if you’d rather, and it’s all just a really cute, fun line-up that, while I wish they were telling more stories instead of the same ones over and over (though, the comics have more stories, which is fantastic!) they’re adorable and fun. ✦ Episode I Journal: Anakin Skywalker by Todd Strasser, obi-wan & anakin & padme & qui-gon & cast, ~112 pages    My name is Anakin Skywalker. This is my story.    I wanted to wait until I’d read more of this series to write up a review of them, but honestly they’ve been dropped down on my list of things to read, because I was hoping for some interesting character insights, but they’re really aimed more at young readers who just saw the movie and wanted to read it in novel form, so there’s not much that’s really new here, not much character insight or any added scenes. There are some cute Anakin/Padme moments, there was one moment that seemed to maybe imply that Anakin Force-whammied his mother without even realizing it, and one really nice Obi-Wan&Anakin moment at the end, but even with those, I struggled to find moments to talk about. Not because it’s bad, but because it’s a really, really straightforward retelling of the movie, just from the first person pov. But that’s what it’s meant to be, so it achieves what it sets out to do! Just that it wasn’t what I was looking for, unfortunately. ✦ The Last Jedi: Expanded Edition by Jason Fry, rey & luke & leia & kylo & poe & finn & rose & cast, 336 pages    From the ashes of the Empire has arisen another threat to the galaxy’s freedom: the ruthless First Order. Fortunately, new heroes have emerged to take up arms—and perhaps lay down their lives—for the cause.    My judgement of novelizations is largely based on the Rogue One book that really contributed a ton to my understanding of Jyn Erso’s characterization, that it gave depth to understanding her motivations and insight into how she thought, in a lot of ways it recontextualized her character in a really, really good way for me. So, my definition of what makes a novelization stellar is when it can do that for me, which most of them don’t. That doesn’t make them bad novelizations! And this one is perfectly functionable, it tells the story and adds small bits of character motivation here and there (nothing earth-shattering, though, nor does it fix some of the logic gaps I found TLJ to have) and I certainly had a ton to say about all those little differences on tumblr, especially because it was a good way to basically liveblog my feelings about the movie as well.    There are moments where I think the book did well (adding the moment of Luke and Rey dancing or Rey realizing in her thoughts that Snoke is just trying to manipulate her), but other times it highlights just how much chemistry the actors brought to the roles to make things fun (I think this is especially true for Finn, but the Luke and Leia scene felt much stronger in the movie, too) because the scenes read as very straightforward and plain. The prose is solidly readable, I never had trouble picking up the book and sliding right back into reading it, but neither does it elevate the story. There are lots of little details, fun shout-outs to various other bits of canon, and the gaps there (like the vagueness in referring to “their allies” in the Outer Rim without specifics) are often the fault of the structure of the sequels (ie, you can’t reveal too much because they’re always saving it in case the next movie wants to use it), but it is on display here.    It’s a book for fans who like novelizations, who like little bits of trivia or brief moments of cool additions (I’m not knocking this type of fan, this is exactly the type of fan I am!), but otherwise it’s about 95% a straightforward retelling of what was on the screen. ✦ Star Wars: The Last Jedi: A Junior Novel by Michael Kogge, rey & luke & leia & kylo & poe & finn & rose & cast, 208 pages    A junior novel retelling of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, with deleted and extended scenes, as well as exclusive scenes you won’t find anywhere else featuring Rey, Chewbacca, R2-D2, Finn, and more!    My feelings about this novelization are basically the same as the expanded novelization of TLJ–there are a handful of things to pull out that are interesting to talk about (and, boy, have I!) but that 95% of it is still a straightforward retelling of the movie. It’s a perfectly functional junior novelization and I have absolutely no regrets about reading it, because I like reading novelizations and I enjoy hunting down those handful of things that are different. But also I was at a point in time where I wanted to have something to pull out my TLJ thoughts, to give them structure, so much of the enjoyment I got out of this was an active blogging about it, rather than enjoying it as a passive read, which I don’t think it would be as strong for. What I mean is–if you’re reading this book to liveblog it, I think it gains something, because there are jumping off points to talk about! But if you’re looking for a book that will fill in the gaps that you felt TLJ had or to recontextualize the story for you, this isn’t going to do that, it’s a direct retelling aimed at young readers.    I do have some characterization caveats (most of them can be explained as unreliable narrators, though) but I did feel that the Kylo Ren characterization skewed too hard towards evil in the wrong way, that he laughed at things he should have been conflicted about, that he didn’t care about things he obviously did, etc. It felt like the author really hated the character and that bled through to the writing, so he was off or else it was written based on only the script and assumed things that later were given a different kind of depth by Driver. It’s not anywhere near enough to ruin the book for me, but it did feel like something was missing–however, reading it at the same time I was reading the adult novelization, switching off between the two, it was really kinda cool to see the way they each seemed to trade off points of view. If one book got the Rey pov, the other got the Kylo pov. If one book got the Finn pov, the other got the Rose pov. Given that each book didn’t have that much new material, it helped feel like it fleshed things out and made a bit more of a complete picture. So, do I recommend this book? Depends on what you’re getting it for, honestly. ✦ Star Wars Psychology: Dark Side of the Mind by Travis Langley + others, luke & leia & anakin & obi-wan & yoda & cast, 320 pages    This essay collection offers a fascinating psychological analysis of the compelling and complex universe of George Lucas’s richly rendered Star Wars series. A group of expert contributors examines such topics as family ties, Jedi qualities, masculinity, girl power, and the values embodied in both the “dark” and “light” sides of this psychologically spellbinding world.    I wasn’t sure what I was going to get when I picked up this book, what kind of essays, what kind of focus, what kind of writing it would be. But I got caught up in it pretty early and found that I just enjoyed the absolute hell out of the various topics, that it fit with a lot of how I viewed Star Wars, but as seen through much more professional lenses. There are essays around various topics, looking at various characters (but the usual ones are those that get the most focus, of course), things like how Anakin Skywalker’s nueroses led and inform his actions as Darth Vader, what the Jedi teachings say about how to handle various situations, the way role models influence us as we grow up, etc. Some of them are more generalized looks at topics or groups, some of them get much more specific (the Anakin ones are my favorites and felt very in line with the way I see him, especially as someone who is haunted by anxieties), but all of them are well laid out, well explained, and may be just the foundations of various psychology aspects, but are fascinating for it.    I wound up quoting a lot of the book (and will probably quote a lot more over time) because it does a great job of explaining things, like why Jedi mindfulness is a really good thing, why faith and religion can be so helpful for us, depending on our motivatons for it, why having a role model like Leia Organa was so important, why Luke’s journey is set up the way it is, why the Sith are not actually a stable force, etc. It’s a great place to start if you want to learn a bit about psychology through the lens of Star Wars OR a great place to go if you want to read about Star Wars through the lens of psychology, as well as that it’s clear that a lot of thought has been given to the characters and what George Lucas was putting into the story, so that one flows really well into the other and back again. It’s a great book to read and a really great look at the whys of behavior and meaning to us as complicated humans. ✦ Last Shot by Daniel José Older, han & lando & cast, 368 pages    It’s one of the galaxy’s most dangerous secrets: a mysterious transmitter with unknown power and a reward for its discovery that most could only dream of claiming. But those who fly the Millennium Falcon throughout its infamous history aren’t your average scoundrels.    I have a lot of conflicted feelings about this book, because there’s a lot it really did wonderfully well, but a lot that was ultimately really unsatisfying. My two biggest problems are the tone of the book (there’s a lot of meme-speak that feels off for a galaxy far, far away) and the way Han and Lando seem to really lack any thought of how their significant others have internal worlds of their own. What I mean is that Lando is getting ready to Maybe Settle Down For Real, but Kaasha is someone we know practically nothing about, we learn almost nothing about her or have Lando think about what her wants and desires are. Whenever he thinks about her, it’s about how he feels about her. The same is true of Han with Leia–it’s not until three fourths of the way through the book that there’s anything touching on what Leia is going through that’s entirely her own, rather than it being about Han. Previous to that, all of Han’s thoughts about Leia are about her understanding him, her reading between the lines of his terrible way of expressing himself, her packing his bag because she knows he needs to go, her comforting him about his fears on being a terrible father. He misses his family, but there’s little sense of them that’s beyond being extensions of his character. To a degree, that’s fair enough, this is a book about Han (and Lando), but we can tell that Leia clearly does have her own world (she’s rushing off to meetings for the New Republic, she’s mourning Alderaan, she’s probably still dealing with the blow about Vader being her bio-father) and clearly thinks about Han’s internal world, but he doesn’t do the same for her even within his own thoughts. And I’m not sure if he’s meant to come off as that self-centered, despite that he’s genuinely trying to be a good husband and dad!    The book does seem to try to say something about various issues, like one of my favorite things is that there’s diversity in gender and body types (there’s an explicitly non-binary character–a dark-skinned nb character!!!!–who is simply part of the narrative, they’re just there, and it’s fantastic, they’re a stellar character, also Lando is clearly attracted to a heavily curvy woman and it’s not a joke, it’s legitimate “that lady is hot” and the narrative agrees, which is also wonderful! and there’s an apperance by a m/m couple who got married!! like, all of this could make me cry from how happy I am to see Star Wars inching its way forward in progress in such wonderful ways!) as well as it seems to touch on the idea of droid rights. But then that doesn’t really go anywhere, it’s brought up and then never really finished. Or there’s a Gungan who is offended that Han thought he spoke with a Gungan accent–is this a commentary on racial stereotypes or a dig at the prequels (as the author definitely had some anti-prequels things to say a few years back) or just a quirky thing to add? How am I supposed to take that, when just a few pages later, there’s a different character with a similarly over the top accent? I’m just never quite sure what this book was trying to say.    That said, I’m glad I read it, there’s some really stellar stuff in it–L3 is great, I love that Lando is a fashionista, that he’s dramatic and Extra about it, but in a way that’s delightedly charming and clearly a great thing about him. I loved the brief mentions of baby Ben showing up, there was some SERIOUS cute going on there, but also a great quick peek into what his early life was like, how he was difficult, but still such a sweet kid at that point, how loved he was. I loved “Uncle Wanwo”, like, holy shit, worth the book right there! I was absolutely delighted that there was a very strong sense of this being placed in the Star Wars galaxy, from droids to aliens to planets to tech, it was recognizable (though, I could have done without almost all the aliens being described as ugly), and the plot was a solid action chase plot. Ultimately, while I find it easier to talk about the things that didn’t work for me (but isn’t that often the case with most people?) I don’t want to discourage people from reading this, because I’m genuinely glad I read it, I thought there was a lot of good stuff here and I really enjoyed getting to see Lando, who was still a gambler and a bit of a scoundrel, but with the good heart he’s always had. That there’s progress made on giving him character depth! That Han genuinely struggled with having a family and how to deal with that, that it doesn’t do a disservice to that part of his character or that he genuinely loved them and wanted to be there with them and support them. There was a lot done to make these characters more relatable and human, which goes a very long way with me, so I’m glad to have gotten this book and I’d love to see more about Han and Lando again! I also plan to listen to the audiobook after seeing the Solomovie, as I think more familiarity with the updated versions of the characters might help, but even without that, I thought this was a solid read I’m glad to have gotten! ✦ Most Wanted by Rae Carson, han & qi'ra & cast, 348 pages    Han and Qi'ra don’t have a lot in common other than not having a lot. They’re street kids on the industrial planet Corellia, doing whatever it takes to get by, dreaming of something more.    I wish I’d had more time to read the rest of this book before seeing Solo (and I would have swapped the publishing order with Last Shot, but I also recognize that there wasn’t time because the author had other committments that pushed this one back and am totally sympathetic to that) because I think reading the first handful of chapters did an amazing amount to help me with Qi'ra’s character in the movie, as this book dovetails so very well with who she is there. She made perfect sense to me, someone who was genuine about being glad that Han got out, who genuinely had feelings for him and kept those feelings close to her, wasn’t going to betray him if she could at all help it, would have probably died to help him, but also wasn’t going to stay where she was, that she knew shutting the door on the possibility of more was what she had to do. This book really does a fantastic job of showing who these characters are prior to the movie and gives a lot more depth to the opening scenes on Corellia, a lot more meaning to the White Worms and Lady Proxima and just how desperately hungry both Han and Qi'ra were to get the hell off that world. It also does a fantastic job of connecting it to the rest of the GFFA, that there are recognizable aliens amongst the new ones, that there are references to the rest of the galaxy, that this fits with Han feeling isolated in how he grew up yet it’s not unrecognizable as the galaxy we know.    So I would have enjoyed the book and recommended it for that alone, but it’s also just a fun book, one of the most enjoyable ones I’ve read of canon! It has a good blend of action with character insight, it very obviously kept the future in mind (working up towards Han’s characterization in ANH especially, what with his saying the Force is a bunch of mumbo jumbo or why he doesn’t join causes, as well as the book felt aware of Qi'ra being similar to Leia, except the more you get to know her, the more she’s not really Leia 2.0 but instead her own character, one that I adored) and yet was legit exciting. I knew things had to work out reasonably well, given that it was set before canon events, but the path to how it would work out, how they’d get out of this seemingly impossible mess (and I loved the how of how it worked out!) to put them in place for the movie, all of that was great. I legitimately cared about these characters, Han was this great character who is smart but somewhat naive even as he’s street smart in other ways, you can’t help but fall for his entirely genuine charms, Qi'ra was wary and closed-off, except she was a person who had respect for others, she had a core of strength that you could feel, no matter how hungry she was, she was someone I hope we get to see more of. And having them run all over Corellia and running up against crime syndicates and droids and rich people who may or may not be truly helping them, all of it was just pure Star Wars fun! One of my faves, especially ones tangent to the Solo movie!

[beryul-blog]

so  i’ve  reached  a  milestone .   ive  loved  luke  ever  since  i   first  watched  the  movies  when  i   was  seven  years  old  and??????honestly  my  love  for  him  hasn’t  changed?????  having  said  that ,   my   love   and   understanding   for   his   character   would   not   have   been   where   it   is   now   without   you   guys.    im  just   so   grateful   and   balled   over   at   the   talent ,   creativity ,   and   passion   of   everyone   i   follow   and   idk   expressing   emotions   is   not   my   strong   suit   so   uhhhhhhhh   yeahhhhhhhh   ilu<333   im   way   too   adh.d  for  this   i  stg ZOOM ZOO M TO  THE SPECIAL  MENT I O N S

THE BLUE MILK  (  the  duplicates  ---  some  id  consider  friends  )

ooOooOh boy .    you   guys  i  cant   even   bE  GIN  to  explain  my   love  for   y’all .     i   have   the   biggest   duplicate   angziety  in   the   world .    its   in   my   nature   i   cant   help   it   and   honestly??????/all   your   interpretations   terrify   me   bu t in a good way i promise   bc   theyre   all   so   unique   and   well   thought   out   and   amazing  and   what   makes   it   even   wor S E   is   that   all   of   you   (  even  the  ones  that  i  dont  speak  to  all  that  often  )   are   the   sweetest,   most   talented ,   sensitive ,   passionate   individuals   ive   met   online????? EV E R.   also   all   these   comments   are  genuine  not   sarcastic aslkjaksdnasl   (forgive  me  im  british  i  thin k  everything  sounds  sarcastic)

@horizonwept  :   charlie????mY. G OD.   your   understanding   and   enthusiasm   of   our   Son   is   unparalleled   and?????? ik   we   dont  speak  that   much  recently  b u  T  I  WANT  TO  MORE????? everytime   you  post   something   i   press  mah   lil   face   up   to   the   screen   and   weepe t h .   you’re   also   kind   and   funny   and   people   just????? love  u?????AND  I lov e  u  too?????  al SO   you   convinced   me   of   lukes   characterisation   in    tlj   and   tfa   and   honestly????im   so  s O   glad   u   did<3   everythign  u   post   is  just   so   thought  out   and   intelligent  and   i   just.   wish.   i   could  do   wht   u   do???   keep   being  amazing   sweaty  :’) @lstjedi  :   KAY!!!!!!!   the   founder   of   the   lu k e   slywalker  group   chat   *g a sps*   mah   love.   now   i   know   youve   been   feeling   a   lil   insecure   recently   about   ur   age   and  ur   mental   health  has   been   acting   up   (belief  me  i  know<3 )   b u T  HUN NN Y   listen   up:   you   ar e  the   symbol   of   dont-judge-by-age   policy   bc   honestly???? u   have   the   skill,   dedication,   and   maturity  of   people   who   are   twice   ur   age.   ur   passion????? unbelievable.   ur   kindness?????  one  of   a   kind.   ur  maturity?????? uhhhh more   than   me.     ur   writing???? delicious.    if   youre   feeling   insecure   about   your  age,   dont.      you   are  amazing   and   talented   and   dont   u   d  A  RE    forget   it<3   edit:   also   i   love  how   you   come   onto   the   chat   being   the  first  person  to   talk   and  ur   like  ‘hi  guys!!!’  and   idk  i   just   find   u  really   sweet   and  friendlyasjdna,nda @skyhcpped  :    ro!!!!!!!   henlo   there  my   frond.    first   of   all   wh  ERE   DO  U   FIND  ALL   THESE   MEMES??????  im loving it keep going.    we   havent   spoken   much   b U T   the  groupchat   has   brought   us   Together   and   thats   the   best   thing   ever   bc   i   think   ur   just?????? so   talented   and   ur   understanding   and   love   for   luke  (eveninmemes)  is   unparalleled.   i   love   talking   about   our   mutual  Hate  for  re/ylo   and   a L SO   i   hope   ur   not   still   freezing   on   hoth?????if  you  are cold,   wrap   up   warm,   grab   urself   a   hot  chocolate   if   u   like   that   sort   of   thing,  run  a   bath,   uhhhhhhhhh  create   a   pillow   fort,   find   a   tauntaun   and   sit   inside  it.   that   was   my   survival   lecture  thanks  for  coming  to  my  ted  talk  :)))))   also  the  fact  u  are.  literally.  daredevil???? taking  a s  hot  of  vinegar  and terrified   a   boy??? my  hero, mah idol.    i   did   a   reverse  thing  where  i  dared  (2)  boys  to  take  a  teaspoon   of   vanilla   essence   and   they  did  it   (s o empowering  ;)

@lightswept  :   riceeeeee.   honestly  how  can   anyone   ever   hate   you????    we   havent   been   talking   for   v   long   but   omgskdnf   you   are   so   sweet   and   lovely   and   u   deserve   The  World?????   haters   need   to   back  tf   up   bc   u   are   so   Pu re.    and   ur   also   really   attentive?????  your   writing   is   just   so   fluent  and  honestly??a  full   course  meal.   remember   that  i   love   and  appreciate   you   and  thats   NEVER  going  to   change<333   if  u  ever   need   to   talk,   i  am  always   here   even   tho  im   shit   at   advice   i  will   send  u   metaphorical  cake  and  hugs xoxo

@hopegave  :   mY  ITALIAN  BEAN.   look  at  us  europeans  yesiknowbrexit,   awake   when   all   the   ‘muricans   are   sleep i n g  asljdaksl   ur   honestly   adorable??????like   i   cant even  begin?????on  the  group   chat   youre   so   enthusiastic  and   capiTAL  LETTERS   and   asjaklsdlka  so   Pu re???  and  both  of   us   gushing  about   snow  ??????? iconic,  truly.  you,   being   the   first  person  to   call   ne w   york   hoth????? also  iconic.  ITALY  IS  ONE  OF   MY   FAV   PLACES   ON  EARTH  I   GO  THERE   A   LOT  IN   THE  SUMMERASFJHSD b U T  thats  off  topic.  what  i   need  to   say   is   that   ilu   and   ur   enthusias m   and  friendliness   and   yeah??????   stay  awesome

 @dualsuns   :   LIAM   IDK  WHY  IM   TELLING   U   THIS   BUT  WHENEVER   I   THINK   OF   U   I   THINK   OF   WINE???????  m aybe  its  bc   ur   prose  is   so   damn   sophistica t e d?????  its  so   fluent   and   makes  s o  much  sense???? ur  so   good   at   narrating   lukes   thoughts   its   so   obvious   you   have  this  amazing   understanding   of   his   character  its  !!!!!!!!  and   i   seriously  admire  that/?   like  your   voice   is  uhhh h   on  point .    i  can   tell   you   take   this   seriously   and   care  so   much   about   luke    (boi   me  too)  and  it   shows????  in   all   ur   hcs   and   ooc   posts   its   all   backe d   up   with    quotes,   love   and   analysis  like   damnnnnnnnn.   i   know  ive   only   really   interacted   w   you   a   couple  of   times   in    passing   but   id   love  to   more?????   ur   amazing   everythings   amazing  wow<3

 @didntturn   :    hmm mMMMM Mm   kylie.   have   we   ever  spoken?????  i   dont   think   so.   i   just   admire  u   from   afar   :’)   g U RL   first   of  all   ur   hilarious????  idk   i   think  we’ve  got   a   similar  sense   of   humour aklsdnanm  its   very   british.   also  ur   hcs   t a KE  MY  BREATH   AWAY.   so  muc h  detail   and   love?????   u   clearly   have   a   deep   understanding   of   luke  only  us   mere   mortals   can   d  REA M   of<3   hope  we   can   start   talking   bc   i   uhhhh  adore   ur   characterisation   and   id   love   to   discuss?????  idk   im   gushinggggggg

THESE  ARE  ONLY   SOME  DUPLICATES  I  COULD  GUSH  ABOUT  EVERY  SINGLE  ONE  OF  U  UNTIL  THE  DAY  I  DI  E

THE DROIDS  (  mah  main cretins  )  

@guiltslut  :   yh  idk  who  u   ar e   :/    j K  BINCH  IK  UR   WENDO!!!!!   mah  main  cretin  :’)   youve   been   by   my  side   for   8   months   (or   was  it   seven???? i cant rememberasdkajsdk)  which   is   an,, ,, ,  achievement.   your   writing  is   tasty  af   and   ur   enthusiasm  unparalleled.   i  will   always  love  and   appreciate   you<3

@smuglr  :   i   have   to   put   u  on  here   bc   we’ve  known   each   other   for   over   a  year   and   thats   kinda   mcCrazy??? im  sorry  i  havent   kept   in  touch  as   much  as  i  probably   should   have,  but  im   more  sorry   for  making  u   think  i   was   on   bath salts   when  i   was  quoting  bad  lip   reading  :/   honestly   ever  since  the  beginning   ive   admired   ur   prose   so   much???? its   so   good   and  attentive   and  poetic  and  fluent  i  just???? could   gush   about   it   all   weak   tbhhhhhh  your   graphics   and   aethetics   are   also ?????? amazing?????? im  so   happy   that  i  know  u   and  even  after  all  this  time   i  still  love   and  appreciate  u<33  Stay groovy  mah  frond

@primdoe   :    sO   ik   i   havent  known   u   for   very   long   at  all   n  this   is   probably   like?????? a  lil   Extra??????   but   im   already  in  love.   i  could  gush   about   ur   oc   for  Yonks   and   just   how   passionate  and   attentive   you   are  to  her????? shes   so   detailed   and   cared  about   by   many   and   you   inspire   me  to  put  more  detail  into  my  own  ocs askdjasmnd???? ur  graphics  and  ps  skills  are  just????? they  water  my  crops  honestly???? and the fact that you gave me one of your psds is the sweetest ilu??  

SPACE SHIPS  (  the  i-admire-from-afar-but-also-interracted-with-in-the-ims-and-loVING IT-so-far-even-tho-im-shit-at-replying????  category  )  

@aequitia ,    @astrmech ,  @awokeforce ,  @baelnc ,   @deadlymarch ,   @elanere  ,   @hopehrt ,  @rystolo  ,   @scintist  ,   @sunworn .

SUNSETS   (  the  i  admire  and  havent  interacted  with  yet  *__* )

@dynste ,  @entropiet ,  @ersoic ,  @flypulse ,   @forcebled ,  @galasymph ,  @greysistance ,  @jaigsight ,   @midlapse ,  @tiefighting ,  @resistijo ,  @roseared ,  @starkniight ,  @theforcetm , �� @rotichor  ,   @scorpyre .