#Corr Skirata

[curlygirlybitchachos]

Okay guys! I can't believe I can say this, but the commandos are finally done!

It took me soo long to finish this set I nearly given up the whole project. But here they are, glorious soldiers!

Can we talk about how smooth Scorch is? Like he is my pride and joy. And Sev? The prettiest boy ever. I'm so happy it's finally done and I can continue the project. I already started the Null boys and next week I will start the bad batch as well (Echo earned to be the only one with two kind of helmet because mother deserves it).

So I hope I can finish it before the end of the 3 season!

[trashcanmando]

repcomm but make it the 2003 genndy style

i think who's who is pretty obvious for the most part, but i also drew post-501st besany because i firmly believe she chops her hair off, gets a face scar in a bar fight that she started because someone insulted one of her brothers (probably fi), and gets armor (and an axe)

[nocturius8015ficore]

Fi: Corr can do lots of cool things with them. Some more useful than other. *I DONT WANT TO KNOW the supposed special options he reserve for the ladies.* Fierfek Mereel, you created a monster, you know that right?

[trudemaethien]

if you're still doing the wip titles game i'm curious about "when the gloves come off" and "17 actual age gap"

When the Gloves Come Off is Besany/Corr/Ordo identity porn shenanigans. The title comes from the fact that Corr has prosthetic arms, whereas Ordo who is undercover as him and interacting with Besany, does not.

She was interested in Corr and she is still interested in “Corr,” but now “Corr” has to flirt back so he can investigate her. Ordo is very suspicious of her everything, and. he must investigate very. thoroughly.

Ordo is trying to be professional, because he is torn between thinking Corr deserves to have this woman be into him and not be fooled by the ruse, but also he has to not break character for the good of the op.

There’s also something very intimate about wearing another man’s armor and adopting his mannerisms, and both Corr and Ordo are trying not to be weird at each other about it the whole time

Some dubcon, some work affair drama, some ridiculous outfit swapping… Besany not realizing what she has realized, namely Corr after hours is different than Corr on the job, and Corr and Ordo not-flirting over comms during the whole series of switcheroos

17 actual age gap answered here

[mandalorianbrainweasel]

Corr gets cornered by some members of his old battalion who are very, very unhappy with his new position.

(warnings for canon typical violence, dehumanization)

It comes out of nowhere.

Corr gets body checked into the alley wall, his head bouncing on the stone and his vision swimming with white and familiar paint. The colour, anyways. None of the markings are familiar. All of the familiar markings are dead and gone, after all.

“This is gonna suck,” he mutters to himself and he thrashes as he’s surrounded. Get out, get away.

“Think you’re too good for us now, huh?” familiar voices jeer. “Hanging out with the karking commandos, now, eh?”

He feels the familiar tug of his prosthetic arms being dragged behind his back and he kicks out, getting one of these idiots in the cod’ hard enough he hears the duraplast crack under his boot. His arms are released, but he can’t bring them forward again, and can’t even pull them apart very far. “The kark did you dumbasses do?” he snarls.

“Well you’re part clanker now anyway, we figured we might as well use something more familiar,” one particularly nasty one says. He vaguely recognizes the shapes of his paint, now that he thinks about it. That guy was already nasty to Corr’s squad before.

“Wired them together,” a more laconic brother drawls.

Well. That’s going to be annoying as hell later.

Then one of them socks him in the stomach.

He doubles over, groaning and winded and wanting to puke. The karking hell.

“Do you really think some idiot like you is going to last in the commandos?” the nasty one asks. “You got three good men killed. They’re just using you.”

“No shit,” Corr wheezes. “Better than rotting away at a desk job though.”

“You should have, for what you did,” another brother half-squeaks. Young, armour still mostly white.

They dragged a shiny into this with them.

Corr rolls his eyes and grunts as another fist lands against his skin.

Someone clears their throat and the CTs go quiet and still, but Corr is just swaying and dizzy. “I don’t think you kids would want me calling one of the Jedi over here, now would you?” a heavily accented voice says. Familiar accent, Corr thinks, but he can’t quite place it except that it’s somewhere near the commandos’ Mandos. “I know High General Zey is only about a block away.”

“Who the hell are you?” the nasty one snarls, spinning around. He sounds scared.

Corr leans back against the brick of the alley. His shoulders hurt from being pulled back.

“A contractor.” There’s a very distinct pause. “Get out of here.”

They run, a thundering noise that shakes Corr up, and when he looks up it’s gold paint. For one long, terrifying moment, he thinks it’s Skirata, but there’s no limp as the Mando comes toward him and the hands on his shoulders are gentle.

“Turn around, let me get you free,” the Mando says, then he curses—unfamiliar words but a familiar tone—when Corr obliges. “Seriously? Wire?”

There’s a rustling, a clicking, then a sharp snap and the tension holding Corr’s arms together is gone. He brings them back around and grimaces, there’s still wire all through the insides of the metal skeleton of his bare prosthetic arms. It’ll take ages to get it all out to prevent it from gumming up the circuitry.

“Come on, ad’ika,” the Mando says, taking him by the shoulders. “Let me get you somewhere safe to check those hits.”

He ends up back in the old safe house, sat on a couch with the Mando taking off his helmet and revealing pale ginger hair and a freckled face, younger than Sergeant Skirata and Vau but older than General Tur-Mukan and Commander Jusik. This Mando’s apparently a medic, or maybe even a doctor, from the bag of tricks he has on him. Eventually, all the wire is gone and bruises and abrasions are treated. No broken bones, thank kark.

The Mando hums as he finishes up, patting his shoulder. “You can rest now,” he says, almost gently, and Corr listens. He falls asleep on the couch and doesn’t wake up until hours later, when a frantic Mereel finally shows up for him.

[engagemythrusters]

CORR <3

[ladyanidala]

We've got some new additions to the fic today!! :D Go give clan Skirata some love!!

(Oh, and check the end note for a surprise ;) )

[firewoodwander]

Piccadilly Lightning — Corr/Mereel — E

Read on ao3

Summary:

“Mor-ning,” Mereel drawls sardonically. Corr has a sudden flash of potent sense memory—hot lips at the corner of his jaw, stubble scraping down his throat.

“Kriff off,” he grumbles.

[curlygirlybitchachos]

Finally some updates guys!

Okay so... Huh... The previous update was in September. Which is kinda sad and I'm truly disappointed in myself.

But now on had a little free time, and finished our dear Fi (I don't know why he looks more smaller than the others, but I still love him) and started Sev (his helmet paint killing me).

So yeah, I'm working just... a little bit slowly.

I'm currently working on some fan fictions and incorrect quotes so if I still alive at the end of the week I will come back.

Because I always come back.... *Foxy singing in the background*

[jacensolodjo]

Fi: *pointing at Corr* You know, one time he put a cow in a guy’s bed. Darman: Why? Fi: T-to see his reaction. Darman: What was his reaction? Fi: He-He was surprised.... Corr: *just watches from afar with a very good mimic of the Alpha ARC Fett Brow™* 

[countessofbiscuit]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Wars Legends: Republic Commando Series - Karen Traviss, Star Wars - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: RC-5108/8843 | Corr Skirata/RC-8015 | Fi Skirata Characters: RC-5108/8843 | Corr Skirata, RC-8015 | Fi Skirata, Null-11 | Ordo Skirata (mentioned) Additional Tags: Book: Republic Commando: Triple Zero, Missing Scene, References to Omega Squad: Targets, Canon Compatible, First Impressions, First Kiss, Accidental Stimulation, Clonecest, Body Image, Armor Swap

Every base had an armory, and the sleazy penthouse Corr had arrived at was no exception.

There was no quartermaster, and no droids; just a commando in plain clothes named Fi who shuffled Corr into a small room piled high with kit bags, armor, and ammunition boxes, and told him to undress... 

A Fi/Corr treat written for SW Rares 2022 :3

[vodika-vibes]

tysm for answering my question about corr! I'm so happy to be your first request for him :D could you please write something about reader being anxious about meeting his family on mandalore to the point of not being able to sleep, because she's estranged from her own family? I think he'd be so sweet and comforting <3

Family Meeting

Summary: Corr has been planning on introducing you to his family for ages now, especially since you're now living together, but the closer the day comes, the more anxious you become.

Pairing: Corr Skirata x F!Reader

Word Count: 1462

Warnings: Anxiety, mentions of an abusive family

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni

A/N: You're welcome for answering your ask! I'm more than happy to answer any questions! Thank you for sending in someone new for me to write (thought Wookieepedia was not helpful about his personality, lol). I hope you like it! I also made a new divider specifically for this story! Yay!

It’s late.

Super late.

Late enough that even your Tooka has gone to sleep, and you, rather tellingly, are still awake. Awake and in the kitchen, anxiously kneading dough to make more bread.

And, you really, really don’t need any more bread.

Tomorrow you are supposed to meet Corr’s family. And he’s so, so excited to introduce you, and you’re trying, so very hard, to be excited too. This is Corr’s family. They’re so, so important to him, and so they should be to you.

But every time you think about an actual family meeting you feel a little sick.

Annoyingly, at this point, the anxiety has grown to the point where you’re not able to sleep. Every time you try to close your eyes to get some rest, the anxiety becomes worse, and you were starting to run the risk of waking Corr, so you just got up.

Your perfect man could sleep through a bombing, you’re pretty sure, so you puttering around the kitchen shouldn’t wake him up.

The biggest problem, you suppose, is that you don’t know what a family is supposed to look like. You haven’t spoken to your own parents since you were a young teenager, and you cut the rest of your family off as soon as you turned 18 and were legally able to do so.

And you know, know, that Corr would sooner sell his prosthetic arms than introduce you to people who might hurt you. Not to mention that these are his brothers and his dad-

But you can’t just forget your family’s words. How they looked the other way when your grandmother was pushing her eating disorder on you. How they blamed you for being in the hospital when you got too sick to survive. How they forbade you from getting the medical attention you needed. How they took and took and took until there was nothing left to take.

How they blamed you when you had nothing left to give.

No. To you, family has always meant pain and hunger and cold and suffering-

But this is Corr, so, naturally, you’re going to grit your teeth and put up with it because he’s more important to you than anything. Even if it does feel a little bit like torture.

You jump at the sound of bare feet scuffing against the floor, and strong arms slide around your waist, “Cyare,” Corr whines your petname, his voice thick with sleep, “Why are you baking at 2 in the morning? People sleep at 2 in the morning.”

“I couldn’t sleep,” You say, honestly, “Did I wake you?”

“I rolled over to wrap myself around you, and you weren’t there.” Corr sleepily nuzzles just under your ear, “I thought something was wrong. Not that you were trying to single handedly bake enough bread for all of Mandalore.”

You look at the bowls of rising dough, there are five of them so far, and then over at the three loaves of bread you already finished, “...I was thinking I’d make cookies next,” You admit guiltily.

He sighs, and presses a light kiss under your ear, “Cyare, baby, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing!”

“Don’t lie. I know you bake when you’re worried about something.”

“Do not.”

“Do so.” He lightly pinches your waist, “Come on, cyare. Now I know something is wrong. Tell me.”

“I…you…it’s dumb.”

“It’s not dumb if it’s keeping you awake.” Corr replies logically.

You scowl and press the dough roughly, “How dare you use logic when I’m having an anxiety spiral.”

“Because I know you respond better to logic than emotion when you’re like this,” He kisses your cheek, “What are you so anxious about?”

“Nothing.”

“Liar.” He kisses your cheek again and again, and then he spins you so you’re facing him and then pulls you flush against him, and you squeak as you press your flour covered hands against his bare chest for balance.

“Sorry-”

“It’s just flour, it’ll wash off. I’ve had worse on me.” Corr replies, unconcerned, his dark eyes scanning your face, “Should I try and guess what’s bothering you?”

“You should go back to sleep-” You say with a frown.

Corr leans in and kisses the tip of your nose, “Let’s see…are you worried about the new washer being delivered at the end of the week?”

“No.” You pause, and your brow furrows, “Wait, should I be?”

“Nope. It’s all taken care of.” He trails kisses from the tip of your nose to just under your eyes, “Are you anxious about money?”

“Not today.” You grumble.

“Good, because we have more than enough,” Corr says cheerfully, before he trails his lips from under your eye to your ear, “Hm…are you worried about…the garden?”

You release a quiet laugh, “You mean the dead garden? No.”

“Yeah, we really screwed that one up, didn’t we? We’ll do better next year.” Corr promises, he kisses down your jaw, and then pulls back, “Are you worried about meeting my family tomorrow?”

Your stomach drops, and  you immediately avert your gaze, “...no.”

Corr slides his hands up your sides to press them against your cheeks, gently adjusting your head so you’re meeting his gaze, “Oh, cyare. You don’t have anything to worry about. They’re going to love you as much as I do.”

“...I highly doubt that.”

“Alright, yeah.” Corr grins, “I don’t think anyone loves you as much as I do. Because you’re so smart and kind and gentle-”

You huff and press your finger against his lips, “Corr.”

“Sorry. I just think you’re amazing and you deserve to know it.” Corr replies with a lopsided grin, “Anyway, you have no reason to be worried about my family, because they’re going to love you because I love you.”

“Corr, my own family saw me as a resource to be exploited-”

“Your family isn’t worth the air the breath,” Corr interrupts, his gaze serious, “And if I ever have the displeasure to meet the people who made you think so poorly of yourself, I’m going to introduce them to my blasters.”

“That seems excessive.”

“It really, really isn’t.” Corr disagrees, then his gaze softens, “Cyare, my family isn’t like your family. They’re not going to mistreat you.”

“Yeah, but…”

“No buts,” He leans in and bumps his forehead against yours, “Would I ever introduce you to people who might hurt you?”

“You haven’t so far.” You admit.

“And I never will.”

You hesitate but you don’t say anything for a moment, and he lightly strokes your cheek with his thumb, “Cyare, do you trust me?”

“Stupid question, of course I trust you.”

“Then trust me on this. This meeting is going to go great, because if my brothers do anything to upset you I’m going to shoot them.” 

You blink at him, startled, and he flashes a sheepish smile, “I’m a little nervous about introducing you to them too. Not because I’m worried that they might hurt you, but because they know everything about me, and I’m worried that they might change your opinion of me.” He pauses, “I also may have mentioned to Kal’buir that you didn’t have the best family-”

“Corr!”

“No details. Just that you’re a little hesitant about family things, and he’ll keep everyone under control. I promise.” He tries to reassure, “I didn’t want anyone to walk in to think blind, cyare. That’s all.”

“What did you tell him?”

“Just that your family mistreated you, you’re still recovering from it, and that you’re prone to anxiety in new situations. That’s all. I wouldn’t betray your trust like that, cyare.”

You sigh and close your eyes, “I know. And, thinking about it, I suppose it’s not the end of the world if you tell them.” Though you don’t sound sure about it. 

Corr drops his hand back to your hip, “I won’t tell them anything until you’re ready.” He squeezes your hip gently, “Are you ready to try and sleep, cyare?”

“...yeah, I can try.”

“Good girl,” He kisses you quickly, “This time I’ll cuddle with you until you fall asleep, cyare.” Corr kisses you one more time, “And the next time you’re too anxious to sleep, tell me. I’d rather comfort you earlier so you can sleep, than for you to be stewing in your own anxiety on your own for hours.”

You duck your head, “Sorry.”

“Don’t be. I’m not mad. Just worried.” Corr tilts your head back to kiss you one last time, “I love you after all.”

“I love you too.” With Corr’s help, you get all of the dough stored in the fridge, and then he drags you to bed, and curls himself around you, and finally, finally, you’re able to drift off to sleep with the sound of his heartbeat steady in your ear.

[canuckianhawkbi]

the Mando polls were fun, so

[trudemaethien]

Darman

ten+ headcanons for this guy coming right up! from this meme

He’s not really quick-witted or quippy, rather a deep thinker. He likes to ruminate on a concept for a good long while, then when he discusses it he has rock solid points.

Next to his own RC-1136 designation, Taler was the RC-1135 he asked after while delaying to load up post-Geonosis, and he misses his closest brother immensely.

Boss (RC-1138) was from their decant batch as well, and Fixer (RC-1140) from the next one. Thus they’re all just a little bit more well-known to each other than the other members of Omega and Delta.

Vin and Jay often haunt his mind as well. He knew the other three Thetas the longest of all the people he’s ever been on a squad with.

He’s lost a lot of people, and though he’s quiet about it, he never stops grieving.

He likes doing various mathematical calculations (like detonation yields) and so does Fi (like sniper windages), so they often play number games to pass the time.

Once he successfully wraps his mind around Corr not being a 1-to-1 replacement for Fi, he allows himself to enjoy his company more, and he’s the brother Corr gravitates to most often. They like to chat about explosions in ways that horrify everyone who hears them.

His name is a bit of morbid humor, a play on dar’manda, which can be translated in a variety of ways, none of them pleasant. (dead man, lost soul, no longer mandokarla, etc.) He stuck with it because it made Skirata uncomfortable and he thinks the sergeant should have to face the reality of the clones’ status at all times.

He likes kids even if he is not ready to be a parent himself.

The memory of meeting Etain in that glade on Qiilura is a feature of his spank bank. He’s a little sentimental and it was really pretty, okay?

He’s slightly demisexual in that he finds the people he likes more attractive as he gets to know them better.

He’s very loyal and focused, but not necessarily to one singular recipient, both romantically and in a more general sense.

He holds a grudge like nobody’s business.

[clonecumber]

Three of those character ask things from way back that I realize now I only had posted on Dreamwidth. Whoops.

Etain, Corr, and Kal. As always, mind the tags.

Anonymous: Etain

Ohhhh, that's a toughie. All right, I don't know you anon, but you're asking about a controversial character so...proceed with caution?

First impression : I don't think I had very many strong feelings about Etain, but I remember being in line with Kal's take on the situation regarding her pregnancy. Reading it now, there are aspects to it that I feel are way more complicated than how the narrative (and KT's multi-book gaslighting campaign) present them, so I've eased up on that, but that whole plot is still...Eugh. She wasn't really a preferred character, but I grudgingly tolerated her, I suppose.

Impression now : *drags hands down face* Look, I have done like...so much drafting in my head for months about specific Etain things and this is hard, okay. I nearly don't even want to talk about it without at least three separate whole entire papers to point to in order to flesh this shit out, but I'm going to try. Etain's very complicated, primarily because, from a Doylist perspective, knowing anything about how the Jedi work, so many things about how she's written just. Don't fucking make sense. They really don't make sense. Trying to Watsonian the mess is more than a humble ask game can hold. I'll do my best, but yeesh.

(PS. I've already made a separate post talking about how I feel Etain's badly underutilized as a character as well, so I won't be talking about that much either, but I still hold true: Etain had amazing narrative-relevant talents and I wish that had gone somewhere.)

But, Etain. She's actually pretty similar to Skirata in personality, I think. Not identical, but they have a lot of overlap, specifically in their flaws and way of behaving toward others, though the way they express these behaviors tends to differ. The core seems the same, though. Etain obviously has shittier self-esteem, but I feel like they both have a fear of abandonment/need to be special that drives a lot of their behaviors, but Etain's more aware of it and Skirata really isn't. I also think they're both very driven by heart-over-head, both compassionate but so starry-eyed with the idea of doing good for people that they steamroll the same people they're trying to help, which leads into them both having major problems with boundaries and basic communication skills, and both very prone to "othering" anyone not in their in-crowd, to differing degrees of severity. If I was going to Watsonian Skirata's lashing out at Etain throughout the books, I'd say the reason might be besides Etain being a less conventionally attractive woman, is rather because Etain and Skirata are too similar, and while she's alive Skirata is probably subconsciously reacting to that - always jumping to the worst possible conclusion because he sees himself in her, and Skirata has a very complex relationship with his own flaws. Case: Skirata attacks her for things his own POV will sometimes point out are things he does too, sometimes to the point of seeming confused at himself for why he's reacting so strongly, though this never actually goes anywhere since it neither changes Skirata's behavior toward Etain nor makes him examine himself in any more detail. I do think it says a lot that it's there. It's also an interesting compare and contrast exercise, primarily for the following reason:

Because where Etain's different is that 1) none of the other characters ever let Etain get away with shit, so most of the things she pulls get her called out promptly and severely and 2) Etain actually wants to get better about how she treats people. She struggles sometimes and doesn't always get it right, but she's nearly always willing to listen to criticism and will try to do better come hell or high water, even if she doesn't really know what that looks like and ends up forging determinedly ahead in entirely the wrong direction. The spirit is there. I really, really wish therapy existed in Star Wars, because Etain would really benefit from it.

I also find her conversations with Darman where we get to see her from Darman's POV interesting to read, especially later in the series. Around Darman she's always more confident and secure, and it shows, I think. The neuroticism we see from other outside-in looks at Etain (basically only Ordo and Kal, really) dials down significantly, and without the anxiety you get a young woman who's a little stiff and abrupt, even a little stern, but also surprisingly funny and kind. Someone who maybe doesn't smile often, but man, when they do. I feel like we also got a bit of this during her interactions with Mereel, since I remember her POV chapters with him being much less...self-disparaging. So I mean, at least she had two people in this clan she could relax around.

I like her character quite a bit now, actually, lol.

Favorite moment : Etain saving Niner and Fi from shrapnel in Hard Contact. She took initiative on her own and was so pleased with herself afterward; it was kinda cute.

Idea for a story : Instead of Etain dying to save the trooper, it was Skirata, for any reason. Doesn't really matter. I feel like losing Kal in that hero's journey "Death of the Mentor" sort of way would have had a much more interesting impact on the story afterward and maybe saved it from a bit of its...uncertain floundering in follow-up story lines. But also Ordo and Etain, on-scene, having to deal with that, and then the associated, longer-term fallout. It probably wouldn't be about Etain, but the narrative could ride around on her shoulder while everything was happening, so it would be Etain-centric. The dynamics alone would be interesting.

Unpopular opinion : This is nowhere near comprehensive, but: I don't really think Etain tricked Darman into unprotected sex with the intent to get pregnant. I feel like there is reasonable evidence to suggest Darman and Etain were already having unprotected sex even before Etain came to her decision that she wanted kids with Darman someday, no false pretenses required. And I mean, sure, even if they were, I definitely feel like her thinking about the possibility of pregnancy in the future should have at least prompted her to start a conversation before continuing to have unprotected sex with him, but that's still a far cry from the idea she actively sabotaged agreed-upon birth control measures, which I remember was the predominant belief on the forums back when I first read these books as a kid. (Not even getting into the "but did they even have quality sex education" thing because that's straight up headcanon vs headcanon and that's a nightmare road that I will not touch.)

Favorite relationship : (Sorry, Darman, but) MEREEL. Etain and Mereel's friendship came out of left field, but I actually really, really liked it.

Favorite headcanon : That Etain's intersex. Possibly also trans or questioning.

walonvaus: Corr

Hi! Thank you for your comment, I really appreciate it! Sorry for the wait; I try to do these in the order I receive them and I had one on Tumblr just before yours.

Corr's tricky for me, and separating what I can draw from him in canon from the way kaasknot's fic fleshed him out in my head is hard, lol. I don't think I entirely succeeded. Not least because I'm falling asleep on my keyboard, whoops.

First impression : I do not remember. He sure existed?

Impression now : For a guy KT liked to use as a MadLibs booklet every time she needed a random character to do anything and then shoved off-screen at every opportunity, he sure managed to make himself interesting. His canon personality is a bit all over the place, but just his story in general? There's so much there. I'm still fascinated by the fact that apparently after finishing his training, Corr was still running with the Nulls for awhile. Presumably he was spinning his wheels until they had a placement for him, like what happened when Skirata recalled him from a mission he was in the middle of with Jaing, but instead of planting him back in the barracks the Nulls just...kept him. Which says something, I feel. Corr's just one of those guys who has an entire novel's worth of shit happening, but it's taking place entirely off screen. His life is a series of noodle incidents and he never talks about himself. Ever. And so noodle incidents they will remain.

Favorite moment : During O66 when Kal's trying to deflect Niner by dropping the bomb about the second army and Corr goes straight on point like a hunting hound so that when Niner starts to go, "That's nice, now back to the topic at ha-" Corr does everything short of slamming a hand over Niner's mouth. I think he actually says something like, "Niner, shut up," or something, with the implied, "What second army?"

Which is very rude of Corr, who up until this point has been characterized as being very careful around Omega in a Must Keep Hands And Feet Inside The Vehicle At All Times approach to this new squad thing. On top of being raised as a line trooper with far stricter standards of behavior. Telling his sergeant to shut up has implications coming from Corr that it doesn't coming from, say, Darman or Atin.

And, sure, it's the exact reaction that Kal wanted, which sucks, but at the same time I think it says a lot about Corr's own priorities as a Line Trooper himself, and a bit that it sort of speaks to me of his time running second to the Nulls' own missions. There's still a part of him that thinks like them, and just like they were Shook upon this discovery, so is Corr. That on top of it being a sudden, intense blow to him as one of the demographics most affected by the war, troopers just like him hit the hardest by dent of numbers and being last in line for everything, feeling the lack of support the hardest, who would hear of these reinforcements who exist but aren't being used or might exist and might be used and just...have a hell of a lot of feelings about it all at once. I just like the characters piece here, that he just doesn't have a reason to care about Jilka over the second army, for all the reasons listed above. Niner doesn't fall for it as an all-or-nothing trade, information on Jilka's situation or information on the second army, but if Corr does, he knows which one he picks. And that's a cool show of his priorities. Also probably something I'm overthinking.

Idea for a story : Corr still being treated like part of Omega once he and Atin make it to Mandalore and reunite with Fi. Just. IDK. A bonding activity. Something. Fi being able to talk to Corr about things Fi might still have a hard time trying to explain to Atin, maybe. Like, you know, maybe Corr's been there before or something.

Unpopular opinion : (I don’t think this series really has popular opinions, but we’ll work with what we have:) Corr still doesn't really understand the One True Marriage/Must Be In Want Of A Wife ideal that most of the rest of the characters in the series were raised with, so him having a "girl in every port" is less him deliberately "playing the field" and more his squad trying to sync his behavior through their own cultural lenses.

Really, Corr's just a friendly guy who sometimes has sex with people he likes, with zero expectations on either side or even the real understanding that there should be (which I wonder about anyway, since Star Wars doesn't have a sex before marriage taboo to my understanding, which would be funny if it was just Skirata but I digress). Those "girls" are his friends. That's literally it. He does not get why his squad mates keep chortling amongst each other and ribbing him about this. Or, he does. Intellectually. But he doesn't get it.

Favorite relationship : I really want to say Mereel even though I've been realizing slowly over the course of the last couple weeks that for all there is so much interesting about their potential dynamic, they basically never interact on-screen in the books? H o w.

All the Nulls he's canonically worked with, so Mereel, Kom'rk, and Jaing.

Favorite headcanon : Corr approaches Jilka flirting because he learned it as a defusing tool from Mereel and no one else was working with her to keep her from eventually snapping and, like, stabbing Besany or something. That's his sole motivation originally, and he's halfway winging it. How the relationship plays out after that - especially when it rapidly grows outside Corr's control on account of him not really understanding why using flirting tactics on someone you live with isn't really the best idea, and maybe or maybe not him actually forming a friendship/actual romantic interest in Jilka - varies to me, but my primary interest is in the culture clash potential.

kaasknot: Kal Skirata

Hi!

Juuust a forewarning, since I don't know if you've seen much of my typical rambling, but I have Strong Feelings about Kal Skirata's character, so. Be warned? Also trying to talk about this without dipping into a bit of TMI is impossible. If you don't want to deal with that, skip the first two impressions, please!

First impression : I first read these books up to True Colors (O66 and 501st came out later) all together when I was a young teenager nearly a decade before I'd finally start being able to admit to myself that I had been abused, and I adored Kal Skirata. He was just like my mom, except better.

Impression now : No argument that KT's main strength is her ability to create vivid characters. Kal as a character is incredibly important to me because he's one of the most perfect characterizations of an (unintentionally but still very) emotionally abusive parent I've ever read. And from a meta standpoint, using Kal - a safe fictional character - as a proxy to sort through my own understanding of my own treatment by my own mother was a useful exercise, since the parallels are so stark. The fact Kal doesn't ever do it on purpose is what matters to me too, because it's too easy for people to decide toxic people are that way by some grand calculating plan, deliberately maneuvering everyone around them like expert chess masters for maximum suffering, when really it's usually just because they're damaged, frightened people lashing out and grasping on instinctively, who aren't capable of recognizing the harm they're doing. Like the emotional equivalent of a drowning person latching on to anyone nearby and not realizing when they shove them down under the water. It's the human desire to be liked and appreciated absent the ability to self-reflect and cope in a healthy, productive manner, and an unwillingness to self-correct when their own lacking behaviors are pointed out to them. Kal wants to be a good person. He wants to do right by his kids and be super-dad and all of that. He really, really wants it, and that makes it easy to excuse him, because his intentions are so good. (Except he's also got a bit of a white savior thing going on, but we're not talking about that right now.)

The fact that being seen as that person (so that he can see himself as that person) matters more to him than actually doing the hard work of correcting his behaviors so he can be that person is where he fails. He wants without putting in any actual, productive effort. If it doesn't make him feel better about himself, it scares him, and he does his best to ignore it away and make everyone validate him so he can pretend he never did anything wrong to start with. This man gaslights like he breathes. He uses dramatic shows to "erase" damage he's done without actually taking into account if the person he's trying to "make amends" to actually feels better after he's done (see: Darman). He can spin the narrative of self-improvement, but he wavers at actually walking it. It's human. It's very, very human. It's part of why a lot of my favorite "what ifs" involve Kal learning how he's fucked up, being forced to confront it, and growing better as a person and forming healthier relationships with his family. At this point I've accepted my mom will never do it, but I like to think Kal would.

But most importantly, that whatever else might have happened in Skirata's life to harm him, whatever his intentions were, that doesn't matter. People aren't allowed to hurt you just because they don't mean to, or because they've been hurt themselves.

TMI OVER

Favorite moment : Okay, so after he shakes hands and leaves Altis's ship and realizes he's still contagious with the vaccine-fever and he just looks at his hand in disgust and then mutters something like, "I should have charged you." I laughed.

I really, really like when Kal actually is the put-out old crook dragged kicking and screaming into something approximating morality by his love for six little boys, and I wish he'd been written that way more often, because he talks about himself that way sometimes but too obviously views himself as more-moral-than-thou at literally all times, not helped by KT warping reality around him to always make sure he's the most right and moral character in the series, and I just feel like it's a series of missed opportunities. The put-out old crook Kal we could have had is an icon.

Idea for a story : Sort of brainstorming this for a little while now, but: Time travel. Falin gets dumped on Ordo shortly after being found by Munin but before Munin manages to erase his name, or Ordo travels back and stumbles across little Falin and promptly kidnaps him because Munin is a Hard No. It'd be about breaking the cycle of abuse, Falin/Kal getting a better start after the hell he had to deal with and deserving much better than fucking Munin, and Ordo/the Nulls having the opportunity to recognize Kal's bad treatment through having to parent Falin/realizing where Kal came from and grappling with their own unwillingness to pass those things on, and coming to terms with why they don't want to pass those things on. For obvious reasons, them coming to terms with their own poor treatment and not really being equipped to deal with Falin's trauma, means there would have to be a broader cast to provide support, possibly even take over as Falin's primary caregiver for awhile (good luck getting past a freaked out and protective Ordo, but I have faith in his clan) but that's more detail than I've got so far. Point is the Nulls (especially Ordo) coming face-to-face with Falin.

I'm actually sort of attached to Laseema in particular recognizing aspects of Falin's treatment under Munin and actually being a good point of connection for him. She understands better than anyone else in that house exactly what sort of thing Falin's gone through, I think. At least the losing everything parts, and being taken, and being expected to perform to a new expectation by these strangers you have no power to combat, not even to keep your own name. Human trafficking victim to human trafficking victim. I have an image of Falin nursing a wild bird back to health, and, being Kal still, wanting to keep it forever even once it's healed, and Laseema walking him out into the yard, and talking to him beyond the range of anyone else's hearing, and eventually convincing him to let it go.

Unpopular opinion : *shrugs* Kal's a polarizing character. I love analyzing him and I'm very critical of him and want him to face some hard consequences, which is going to be very unpopular with 50% of fandom and perfectly fine with the other 50%.

Favorite relationship : Vau. They're both shitty old people and their relationship is hilarious. Literally the only character Kal doesn't have any sort of hold on, and they fight like cats and dogs but with the impression that they'll be shoulder-to-shoulder at the pub later or something. Angry, toxic old couple who fight all the time but will back each other up when it comes to fucking with the HOA inspector.

Favorite headcanon : Okay, I erased the BS I invented on the spot that lived here last time. Honestly, I spend so much time focusing on canon!Kal that I don't really have any headcanons I can point to in a snap. He gets his share of attention already. Unless some of my interpretations of his canon actions dip into headcanon territory, this is all I've got.

[firewoodwander]

“I’ve seen the way you look at me when you think I don’t notice.” + Coreel UwU

The work is important: this is all Mereel can think about.

The work is important. More important than he is, more important than any one of them. They’re making the cure and it’s almost from scratch, and he’ll make it even if he has to work with the demagolka they prison-broke. But, for whatever reason, not everyone seems to share his exact perspective on things.

When he gets back to the house it’s nearly daybreak. The sky outside is lighting and the birds are growing restless in their perches, nocturnal critters safe in their burrows. It’ll be nice to lie down; he’s stiff from hours of travel and many more sitting around in armour. His brothers blame their new discomforts on Kal’buir for letting them get used to the civvie lifestyle, but Mereel’s suffered the poor adjustment every mission he spent in the grim guts of Triple Zero, and he knows it’ll only ache a bit.

“You’re back late again,” says a voice from the ’fresher door. Mereel almost chokes on the skip of his heart as he spins, wrong-footed and surprised.

Corr watches him with mild amusement. He’s not wary, nor surprised himself, but maybe that’s because he’s caught Mereel like this before.

“Didn’t mean to sneak up on you,” he apologises, watching Mereel relax his shoulders and reholster his decee, but he has some edge to his tone (knowing? Resignation?) that Mereel doesn’t quite like.

“Are you keeping track, now?” he asks, drawling and sardonic. “Can’t really help it when the fence doesn’t keep to my schedule, but I can tell them you set me a bedtime.”

“It’s not that.”

Mereel grunts. All he wants is to hit the hay and knock out for a while before he has to sift more data. He doesn’t want to argue, or fight. Least of all with Corr.

Speaking of, his friend seems to be skulking around in the dark. When he steps out into the hall there isn’t a light to switch off, just pre-dawn lighting his face in a fuzzy, far away pale light. When he steps closer Mereel can see the crooked lash that’s fallen to his cheek, and the displeased twist to his mouth that isn’t thanks to the pull from his scarred jaw.

“You work too hard.” It’s said like it’s a bad thing, a sour taste in Corr’s mouth he’s been made to swallow. “Have you considered letting someone else take over, just for a while? So that you can rest before you work yourself into the ground.”

Mereel grunts and shifts his weight. “Like who, Corr?”

“Anyone.”

Corr’s fingers click quietly against one another when he clenches and releases one fist. Mereel’s gaze drops before he can rein himself in, drawing back up slowly but not far enough to meet Corr’s earnest (too earnest) worried expression.

“And what’s it to you all of a sudden?” he grouses. There’s no bite—he doesn’t know if he has any left. Just fatigue, and a sweaty palm he swipes down his face and lets drag over his neglected stubble. “You’ve never taken an interest in chasing spies before.”

“I’ve seen the way you look at me,” Corr segues, voice soft. “When you think I won’t notice, I mean.” Mereel opens his mouth to deflect—anything, with anything—but Corr cuts him off. “You won’t let me look back, even now, even though I know you want to. See,” he reaches out and rests his hand on Mereel’s wrist. As if he were under the control of someone else, Mereel feels his throat constrict around a swallow and his body lean forward, magnetised. Corr smiles. “I know you, too. You’re looking after all of us; you can let me look after you when you need it.”

There’s a long, drawn out quiet around them. The house will come alive soon, some of their family waking even sooner. The weight of The silence presses down on them and all Mereel wants is to rest.

He turns the arm in Corr’s hold, taking his hand in a loose, grounding grip.

“Stay with me?” he rasps. He can barely get the words out, forced between his lips by instincts racing seconds steps ahead of his conscious mind. He swallows again once it computes, wants to pull away, slam a door or something—

Corr tightens the grip, pulls him in with just a press of fingers.

“Of course.”