#Obi-Wan very much trusted the Jedi and all his faith was put in the Order

[tragedy-for-sale]

Finished Reading Padawan

These are just some little facts/snippets throughout the book I really liked, really along the lines of temple life.

Spoilers for Padawan below!

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Obi-Wan tugs on his padawan braid when he is anxious

Bolla Ropal (the Jedi that was killed guarding the holocron in TCW) was Obi-Wan's childhood frienemy. The two played pranks on each other.

Obi-Wan paces outside Qui-Gon's chamber doors as he's trying to figure out what to say what he needs to.

Obi-Wan feels most at peace, most calm, when he is practicing lightsaber forms and says he could do it all day and never bore of it.

Jedi specialize in certain fields, such as communication with animals, and if such a conflict arises based in that Jedi's field, they are sent to help

Jedi who are ready to take have a padawan meditate and the force guides them to who they're meant to train, leading to shared interests.

The temple has several dining halls. There is a padawan meal hall and therefore one for the other ranks. They offer such a variety of food Obi-Wan said one could always find something new to try. And I could've made this up but I'm also pretty sure they said the dining hall for padawans was almost always open, so one was always be able to get a meal.

Some Jedi Masters put a table and chairs in their rooms so they can share a meal with their padawan in their personal space

Qui-Gon doesn't even have an extra chair in his room.

Ships can be requested/reserved down in the hangar. A padawan is allowed to do this without approval from their master (Obi-Wan is told by Qui-Gon to do do but is not directly confronted when he does it alone).

Talking and communicating with animals is actually one of the harder skills to learn and master as a Jedi, so many opt not to. Meaning Ezra's ability to communicate with animals as well as he does is not something all Jedi could do, especially for his age

Nautolans, can live outside of water (we do know this) but since they are an aquatic species, there is a constant strain on their gills and results in them being in pain if out of water for too long.

Obi-Wan thinks Kit Fisto is really strong, he notes Fisto does not seem to be affected by this.

Obi-Wan notes some of his padawan friends have dabbled in physical relationships. But he sees it has an obstacle not as a temptation, feeling that, kissing for example, was a betrayal of himself and the Jedi. He wonders if he'd ever get to a point where it does not feel like that.

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Honestly this book was a really cute read and the planet it takes place on was very captivating. I really liked how Kirsten White writes Qui-Gon too and her references that any prequel fan would love catching.

[jedi-enthusiast]

Debunking the "The Jedi Are Evil" Theory Made by The Film Theorists PT 2

Point 2 - That Luke was Right in the Sequels

In the Sequels, Luke says this:

"Now that they're extinct, the Jedi are romanticized, deified...but if you strip away the myth and look at their deeds, the legacy of the Jedi is failure, hypocrisy, hubris."

And, after bringing this quote up, Matthew says this:

"While this kind of tea spill coming from Luke was considered pretty sacrilegious, both by other characters as well as the audience, I think that Luke has a point if you examine the movies with a little more scrutiny. His criticisms aren't exactly unfounded."

Now, first of all, what Luke is saying here cannot be trusted as "fact" or anything to go off of, mainly because of two reasons.

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1. He's trying to convince Rey not to be a Jedi or, at the very least, to not make him train her (which is pretty much the same thing), and at this point in time he pretty clearly hates himself and blames himself for the state of the galaxy. He's been stewing in his rocky hideaway for who knows how long, with nothing but the ocean and his own self-loathing to keep him company.

He's saying this here so that Rey will give up and not make him train her, because he's scared of making the same mistakes he did with Kylo Ren and fucking up the galaxy even more (we see a similar thing with Obi-Wan in the Kenobi show, where he refuses to save Leia at first because he's scared of not being able to save her--like he wasn't able to "save" Anakin).

And the traits, the "legacy," he's assigning the Jedi...isn't actually the legacy of the Jedi. It's him assigning what he believes to be his own legacy to the Jedi as a whole, because it's easier for him to deal with his own failure that way.

and 2. Luke is framed as being wrong for saying this. None of the other characters agree with him, eventually he does end up training Rey, and eventually he lets go of his pain and fair and grief and "becomes a Jedi again" and faces his "legacy of failure"--Kylo Ren.

It's obvious that the movies are clearly making him out to be wrong when he says those things, you don't need to have a neon sign posted above his head that says "WRONG" in order to see it. So taking his words at face-value is just trying to take a bad-faith reading of the Jedi--rather than the "objective scrutiny" that Matthew is purportedly putting the Jedi up to in this theory.

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I would also like to argue that Luke's only real knowledge of the Prequel Era Jedi and their actions/beliefs/traditions/etc. is...lacking, to say the least.

The Empire literally destroyed and desecrated every Jedi Temple that they could find, they wiped out all the information they could about the Jedi, and then spread anti-Jedi propaganda through the galaxy for years. Not to mention that, by this point, pretty much every Prequel Era Jedi is dead.

There's no one around to really tell Luke about the Jedi's actions or culture and what little information he might've been able to dig up probably wouldn't have amounted to much. So, when Luke says this, it can only really be taken as a commentary on the Post-Prequel Era Jedi, because he doesn't know enough about the Prequel Era Jedi to make any criticisms.

---

Matthew then says:

"There are certainly examples of the Jedi doing some pretty unsportsmanlike things to innocent victims throughout the old movies, like manipulating-" [plays a video cut of Obi-Wan in ANH, mind-tricking the stormtroopers into thinking that R2 and 3PO "aren't the droids they're looking for"]

This example is pretty easy to debunk, because Matthew leaves out the context.

Obi-Wan has to do this.

Because let's look at what would probably happen if he didn't:

1. He and Luke would be arrested and turned in to the Empire, probably Vader, and Vader would immediately recognize Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan would get murdered.

2. Vader would realize Luke was his son and probably try to indoctrinate him into an Imperial way of thinking, and Palpatine/Vader would probably have Luke "trained" (read: tortured) into becoming an Inquisitor.

and 3. The droids would probably either be memory wiped or destroyed, therefore destroying the plans for the Death Star that the Rebellion needed to destroy it--and the Death Star wouldn't be able to be destroyed, more planets and people would probably be killed.

Aside from the thing with the Death Star plans, Obi-Wan probably knows that that's what's gonna happen--and, if the Empire is looking for the droids, then it's pretty obvious that the droids are important to the Rebellion. So it wouldn't be a stretch to say that Obi-Wan probably understands that the Rebellion would be hurt by their loss.

Not to mention that stormtroopers aren't "innocent victims."

They actively sign up to work for the Empire and take part in the oppression of countless peoples and worlds. And It's not like Obi-Wan pulled aside a random stormtrooper just so he could mind-fuck him, they were approached by the troopers first and he reacted defensively. He didn't even make them do anything bad, he just told them "these aren't the droids you're looking for" and had them go on their way.

---

Matthew's quote, continued:

"-stealing spaceships and crashing them-" [cut to a video clip of Obi-Wan and Anakin in RotS, crashing the Separatist vessel they escaped on after rescuing the Chancellor]

Once again, this is pretty easy to debunk because, again, Matthew leaves out the context.

The Separatists literally kidnapped the Chancellor of the Republic and the Jedi had to rescue him. They had to steal the ship to escape or be captured, and likely executed, by the Separatists--therefore allowing the Separatists (who are literally enslaving and oppressing countless other systems and run by a fucking fascist dictator) to win the war and take over the rest of the galaxy.

Once again, the Jedi were acting defensively.

And I feel like, all things considered, the Jedi stealing that Separatist ship, to escape from a situation the Separatists caused, in order to keep the galaxy from falling into the hands of an oppressive dictatorship and attempt to stay alive...is a pretty damn reasonable decision, don't you think?

And, just for added context, the ship was literally falling apart when they crashed it. They didn't crash it on purpose, it was an emergency landing. If you're gonna say the Jedi are bad for "crashing" the ship, you may as well get mad at every pilot who ever initiated an emergency landing because it's literally the same thing--and if we're putting the Jedi up to "objective scrutiny" then there shouldn't be any double standards.

---

Matthew's quote, continued:

"-or just outright lying about their own powers-" [cut to a video clip of Mace and Yoda talking, where Mace says they should tell the Senate their ability to use the Force is diminished and Yoda saying they shouldn't because it will only multiply their adversaries]

Here the Jedi weren't lying, like...at all.

No one was asking them about their ability to use the Force, so they couldn't be lying. They were withholding information, information that the Senate--as non-Jedi--had no right to know about unless it would actively affect the Republic. Which, again, at this point in time it wouldn't.

But, fine, let's just pretend that the Jedi were lying...

...they were lying for good reason.

Yoda is right here. Even if we ignore the fact that Yoda is a stand-in for GL and what he says is quite literally the canon truth (since he's the creator), the Senate is already pretty at odds with the Jedi, which we see later in AotC when Palpatine and the Senate pretty much strong-arm the Jedi into accepting the role of Generals in the war, despite being told point blank by Mace Windu that they're peace keepers and not soldiers. Do you really think the Senate (read: Palpatine) wouldn't have used this information against the Jedi?

And, are you completely ignoring the fact that Mace is literally saying that they should tell the Senate and Yoda is disagreeing with him?

Obviously Yoda's take on what they should or shouldn't tell the Senate isn't something that the entire Order believes--it's just his opinion on what they should do.

You can't say that "the Jedi are liars" and then play a clip that literally debunks that by having two Jedi disagreeing with each other about whether or not to tell the truth.

[sleepyandunmotivated]

Continuation of watching Star Wars with my non Star Wars friend, this time, episode 3, revenge of the sith

- “is Star Wars the first to do this paragraph thingy?”

- “so the War is still going?”

- “why’d they even make the clones from Jude?” I respond jango “yeah, jango”

- “oh no, they just decapitated him”

- “he’s got precision” hits obi wan’s ship on accident “oh never mind”

- she got real nervous for r2

- “if something happens to r2 then I’ll be angry”

- “a lot of these robots are smart, if they can think then isn’t it wrong to use them? So many have died and they probably didn’t want to die” she has a point

- “you’d think they would develop anti light saber technology”

- “Do it” (when Anakin is about to decapitate Dooku)

- she did change her mind though about killing Dooku

- “I think the chancellor is evil, I knew he was evil” yeah sure

- “how do they deal with air on the ships? Do they have oxygen tanks?” Valid question honestly

- “is Anakin wearing black mean he’s going to go evil?”

- “if I was evil, I would collect their light sabers too”

- “do they get unlimited light sabers or something? I feel like they throw them around a lot”

- “the people on this planet must be freaking out”

- “I still can’t believe that Anakin is a married man”

- she loves the banter between obi wan and Anakin, if she only knew what was to come

- “upgrades” to 3po

- “everyone is right there, why are they doing this here?”

- gasped when padme said she was pregnant

- “this man is on the verge of death” (to grevious)

- oh god guys, she asked if chancellor palpatine’s child will become Vader or a Anakin’s child, this is going to be a ride

- “he has small nipples”

- “is he going to murder his child?”

- “how are they sleeping together? Don’t the servants know” I did explain how loyal padme’s handmaidens are super loyal to her

- “aw, she still has the necklace”

- “this is not what I expected”

- “I don’t trust him” (to palpatine)

- you know, on a personal note, I feel like had the Jedi just told Anakin that he would not be on the council then things would’ve went better

- we talked about this and how they approached this wrong and she said she didn’t trust him even more

- “this is becoming too much”

- “he probably just wants padme to call him master”

- “obi wan saw a pregnant padme and didn’t question it? Doesn’t he suspect?”

- “he’s a lot skinnier than I thought” (about grievous)

- “this man has asthma” (again grievous)

- “why can’t the Jedi just kill all of the bad guys?”

- “I like the sounds that thing makes” the yips

- “What’s the point of getting these crystallized things if they drop them all the time?”

- “I don’t like this guy, what’s his name— palpatine. I don’t trust him. He’s evil”

- “how many siths are there?” I did explain the way siths work

- “his insides are visible”

- “they could use Anakin even if they don’t trust him, he’s still skilled”

- “is darth Vader anakin’s father? When does he come into play”

- “they all kind of suck” (all the Jedi fighting palpatine)

- “just stab him. Just do it” (to windu)

- “Anakin no”

- “he’s definitely evil now”

- “no!” When Anakin was named darth Vader, she looked at me and back at the screen. The reaction was very much worth it

- “I’m done with Star Wars, this is dumb. It can’t be. No.”

- “Obi is going to be so sad”

- “what’s order 66?”

- “is obi wan dead?”

- “what’s order 66?”

- “why did she fall like that?”

- “is he going to kill all the kids? He won’t, right?”

- “padme you fool, I told you”

- “I knew the clone dudes were evil” don’t worry, we will watch the clones wars after where she will get emotionally attached to them and cry

- “why did the clones follow the order? Were they programmed? We’re they just acting friendly?”

- “he did not kill the padawans” and then she went into how sad that they were hiding and came out because they trusted him

- “what’s the name of the Jedi dude? The one died in the first movie?” I answer “quigon, yeah. He put so much faith in Anakin”

- “you lied to me. Anakin isn’t troubled. He’s bad. No redemption unless he saves yoda or something”

- “padme should’ve known when he killed those people with the women and children, what were they called,” I tell her the tusken raiders “yeah, them.”

- “you know he could, he’s literally killed children before”

- “this is baloney and I don’t like baloney anymore”

- “bruh, he did this for her and he attacked her”

- “I kind of wanted his lightsaber to be red”

- “yoda just waddles in”

- “he saw that coming, he put his hands up. I saw that coming”

*going to be honest, I put my phone down because I had to watch the lightsaber duel between obi wan and Anakin but I’ll write down some details I remember

- commented on how padme was really just left up there

- complimented the visual effects and the choreography for the obi wan vs Anakin duel

- freaked out about yoda a bit and called bail a real homie

- was shocked that there were twins but was weirded out that everyone was just watching her give birth

- laughed when Vader yelled “no” and questioned the chancellors lie

- said that Luke definitely got the short of end of the stick while leia is living the high life

- explained to me how quigon had too much faith

- she was confused about the republic vs separatist politics I explained how basically both sides lost

Overall: she felt extremely betrayed. I honestly can’t wait to show her all the different versions and perspectives of order 66 that Star Wars loves to show

Next one is the clone wars movie

[nevertheless-moving]

Suicidal Misunderstanding XXIII

Part I - - - - - - - - - Part XX - - - - Part XXI - - - - Part XXII

Star Wars Time Travel AU #27

The office was quiet but for the occasional shuffling of flimsi and tapping of datapads.

Bail Organa and Mon Mothma pointedly did not exchange a glance behind Padme’s back.

Senator Mothma set down her pad and broke the silence. “Padme...are you alright?” she asked softly.

“I’m fine Mon, let’s just go over the bill,” Padme responded stiffly.

Mothma hesitated. “That’s not the only reason I asked you here, Padme.”

Padme stood, chair scraping gratingly. “I see; I’ve already had the Chancellor pry me today in an attempt to exploit my ‘connections’ to the Jedi—as though they’re droids and not flesh-and-blood people who any average person could strike a friendship with—but I had thought better of you two; I suppose my faith was—”

“That’s not what I meant—” Mon pleaded.

“We’re concerned about you,” Bail insisted gently. “You don’t have to tell us anything about the Jedi that you don’t feel comfortable doing so.”

Padme paused, then reluctantly sat back down.

“My apologies,” she muttured. “It’s been...a long day. I’ve been asked by the Chancellor for help in breaking some news that...I’d rather not.”

The senators waited patiently for Padme to collect her thoughts. She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “General Kenobi has suffered from...force...I really don’t think there’s a way of saying this that doesn’t sound bad.”

“I had heard rumors that he was missing at meetings the last few days...has something serious happened?” Bail asked, concerned.

Padme shuddered. “This office is...”

“It’s clean,” Mothma confirmed quietly. “I have it checked independently anytime I’m gone for more then 15 minutes, with random deep-scans.”

“Would you mind...”

Mon nodded and the three waited in silence until the Chandurllian senator’s pad trilled the all-clear.

“Master Kenobi tried to kill himself earlier this week,” Padme confessed lowly. Mon straightened up in a sudden locking of knees and elbows, face drawn into tight lines. Bail’s hands flew to his mouth, tears forming.

“Knight Skywalker got to him in time, and he was in a coma until this morning when he apparently ‘ranted about ending the one’s responsible for the war’ and then vanished, along with Anakin.”

Mon grew very pale and Bail moved both hands from his mouth to his eyes.

“Fuck,” he said softly. “Just...fuck.”

Padme nodded in agreement and Mon inhaled deeply.

Bail rubbed way tears and straightened up resolutely. “How can we help?” he asked Padme. “How does the Chancellor want to handle releasing the news?”

She smiled weakly. “He’s leaving the exact wording up to me, but wants to make the announcement during the next full Senate gathering.”

“What!” Mon half-shouted, shocked. “There’ll be a riot! Surely a bulletin—even a press conference would be better for encouraging a moderate reaction—people will be shouting before he’s through the first sentence!”

“I know,” Padme agreed with a grimace. “But he wants ‘transparency.’“

“He wants panic,” Bail fumed.

“I’m trying to decide if it would better or worse to include the part about suicide,” Padme said bitterly. “Mental health breakdown and disappearance of the Republic’s highest General doesn’t leave much room for confidence or privacy.”

Mon clutched Padme’s hand in support. “I’ll have a PR team on standby. We can prepare resources for anyone who has questions, avoid conspiracy theories from spinning out. I already had a project on the backburner to put together own set of holoclips of the Jedi working towards peace—a counter to the ‘warmongering’ narrative, so to speak. It should be easy enough to adapt.”

“The Chancellor’s going to turn this into another military spending bill,” Bail predicted grimly. “We’ll make sure there’s a proviso in there to provide actual support for the Jedi in the field; I’ll make sure to get a legal team on viper in the grass duty as soon as the responses start coming out.”

“Thank you,” Padme said, gripping Mon’s hand over-tightly in return. She turned to the Alderannian senator. “I’m sorry Bail, I know you two are close.”

Bail exhaled slowly. “This war...I’ve seen Obi-Wan survive so much, and everytime he pulls off the impossible...”

“He’s rewarded with another burden on his shoulders,” Padme finished sympathetically. “Yes, I’ve been watching the same thing happen to Anakin. It’s—if the separatist movement hadn’t resolved into such a democratic and humanitarian nightmare—”

“You should go home and get some rest, Padme,” Mon urged. “It’s late, and the we’re all going to need to be sharp tomorrow. Who knows, maybe some new information will materialize before the afternoon.”

“Why Mon, that’s almost optimistic of you,” Bail remarked dryly.

Mon flashed him a wry grin, looking at Padme out of the corner of her eye. “Well. She did say Anakin with AWOL—”

“Oh do be quiet,” Padme huffed.

Despite the ever growing desire for sleep, it was another long hour before the Senator from Naboo departed. The pair were just turning to their seats after escorting Padme out when Bail let out a startled yelp; Mon instinctively kicked at the sudden small green blur.

Fortunately, when you’re green and the height of most humanoid’s knees, you become quite experienced at avoiding such reflexive 

“Master Yoda! What are you doing here? How did you even get in?” Senator Mothma staggered backwards, reverting to defensiveness to cover up her embarrassment at attempting to punt the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order.

“Has his ways, a Jedi does,” Yoda replied mysteriously. Mon Mothma nodded seriously as Bail restrained himself from rolling his eyes. He had spent far too much time around Obi-Wan for deliberate Jedi vagueness to hold much weight. 

“Can I—May I offer you a seat?” Mon asked, quickly recovering her diplomatic grace. “I’m afraid that you’ve just missed Senator Amidala, but I’m sure she would be eager to return; I understand she’s...concerned for Master Kenobi.”

The wizened Master shook his head, ears flopping as he hopped onto Padme’s recently vacated chair, standing on the cusioned seat as the two senators’ settled down. The sight should, perhaps, have been comical. But the weight of his gaze...Bail held his breath. Perhaps Jedi mystique did still have some affect on him.

“Come to speak with the two of you, I did. Missed Mistress Amidala, I have, I know. Deliberate, this was.”

Mon and Bail frowned, exchanging a slow look of pointed disapproval. Bail spoke hesitantly but with touch of reproach. “I’m certain she would prefer to be here, regardless of the news—Padme has suffered for her public defense of the Jedi, I should hope that that friendship is returned, especially in hard times”

Yoda’s ears drooped. “A great Jedi, she would have made, in another life. Vibrant, she is in the Force. Loud to a Jedi, regardless of sensitivity. But needed now, quiet is.” 

Yoda’s gaze pierced Bail and he warmed inexplicably. “Quiet the two of you are. Brilliant, wide but in the Force...” Yoda broke the gaze, growing contemplative.

“Unique in the force, each soul is. That can be read, rare is the mind. More difficult to discern, currents, intentions, manner, it is with some, it is with you. And now, Quiet we need.”

The two settled back, uneasily flattered. “Master Yoda—it’s an honor of course, to be considered an individual worthy of confidence, but why exactly do you have need of quiet minds? Of us?” Senator Mothma asked finally.

The diminutive Master sagged. “By actions you would do, trust you have earned. But always in motion, the future is. A heavy burden, to carry, I must ask you. Without cause, I would not ask. But once tell you this I do—” 

To the politicians shock Master Yoda’s simmed to glisten with unshed tears. “—Guarantee your safety I cannot.”

The air hung warm and heavy for a timeless moment and a chill ran up both their spines. But neither were individuals particularly given to indesicion in the face of looming danger. 

“How can we help?” Mon asked, the words echoing over far more than an hour. 

“We know something is wrong with Obi-Wan,” Bail added softly. “Whatever we can do to right it—Obi-Wan is a friend, the Jedi are our allies, and the Republic is our duty.”

Mon nodded firmly.

Yoda stared at them each in turn, eyes searching and ancient.

“Working with the Separatists, the Chancellor is,” he said bluntly. “Evidence of this, we have, but not proof. Controlling, the Separatists, the Chancellor is. Evidence of this we have also, but not proof. The truth it is.”

“Evidence?” Bail parroted hoarsely, mentally assembling his own grim circumstantial coronation even as his understanding of the conversation’s direction fell apart.

The Jedi Master drew two small glittering objects from his pocket—a datachip and a microslide. 

“In the brain of a trooper, this we found.” he said gravely. “In the brain of all clones, this lies. Orders, it contains. Evil, is it. Free will, it can control. Decode it we have. To the Chancellor, tied these orders are.”

“Force,” Mon murmured in horror, responding automatically. “He already controls the public, and the courts—”

“And over half the senate,” Bail added bitterly.

“A Sith, he is,” Yoda continued with a sigh. “A Sith he has always been. A return to an Empire, he aims.”

There was a long heady pause as the two grappled with the return of the ancient boogeyman of the Republic and the repeated derailing of their night’s direction. 

“Fuck,” Senator Mothma said delicately, thinking wistfully of two hours ago when she had planned on confronting Padme yet again on her relationship with a young Jedi.

“Said the same, did we.”

The Alderannian Senator rubbed his temples, trying to come to terms with consecutive massive shocks from the already unexpected conversation. “Is Obi-Wan alright?” he asked eventually.

The small Elder hummed thoughtfully in reply. Bail tensed.

“No and yes. Suffer much, he has. Broken he is, but not shattered. A plan he has. His idea to include you, it is. The bravest man in the galaxy, he called you.” Yoda said, offering Senator Organa a sad smile.

Bail leaned back, stunned. “Me? But—why me?” he asked bewildered.

“Know not, I do,” the Jedi said with a shrug. “Seen the future, he has. A future where saved his life, you did. Saved my life. Saved something too precious to name, you did. Matters little, it does. A future that must not come to pass, it is, even as learn from it. we do.”

“...I think you’re going to have to explain that somewhat,” Mon replied sternly as Bail’s head spun.

Yoda nodded and the three settled in for a sleepless night of planning treason.

Part XXIV

[gffa]

IF YOU STRIP CONTEXT OF THE REST OF THE SHOW--HELL, EVEN OF THE REST OF THIS EPISODE--FROM THIS SCENE, I can see how we should be siding entirely with Ahsoka, especially on the heels of the walkabout arc and her conflict with being drawn back towards the Jedi and the Jedi Order. Her points aren’t wrong, in the sense that she’s right that Obi-Wan is playing politics with this, but she’s stripping context and consequence out from the choice he faces and that’s specifically why he says, “That’s not fair.” and even Ahsoka herself says, “I’m not trying to be.” Her accusation is not fair. Because, let’s say that Obi-Wan did exactly what Ahsoka said--that he prioritized the people of Mandalore over saving the Chancellor.  We’re setting aside that this was a manipulation on Palpatine’s part and that Mandalore is a trap, only what we can see from Obi-Wan’s point of view and his motivations, his good faith assumptions on why rescuing the Chancellor is important. If they chose Mandalore over Coruscant, what would happen is: - They would be drawn into yet another war because they had broken a treaty, when they’re already stretched to the breaking point for this first war. - The Chancellor may be the one in trouble, but what does Ahsoka think will happen if the Chancellor dies or is ransomed back?  The Republic would be in chaos, the war effort is already balanced precariously, and none of them know that the Separatists aren’t the real threat.  Whatever good reasons many of the Separatists may have, they murder, enslave, and oppress the worlds they attack.  If the Republic loses the war, that’s what happens to every world in the Republic. - The Jedi might be more popular with people if they saved Mandalore, but would it really benefit the galaxy as a whole, given a good faith assumption on what these characters would know?  (There is no right answer to this question, of course.) Ahsoka is very nearly arguing for popularity over doing the more important thing, because this isn’t a situation where there aren’t consequences.  Mandalore needs their help, but so too does Coruscant and it’s not just about the Chancellor, it’s about the Republic as a whole.  And it even comes down to--why are politics bad?  I get that Ahsoka means that choosing your actions based on politics is a calculated sort of thing, but why is that bad?  Because Star Wars: Propaganda basically posited that that was the problem, that the Jedi didn’t play enough politics, that’s why their image was so bad. Ahsoka’s case for Mandalore could be argued to be the same thing--you want to win back the public’s faith, then you have to take this path.  That right there is politics, too. EVERYTHING IN THIS WAR IS POLITICS.  NOTHING CAN ESCAPE IT.  BECAUSE POLITICS IS EVERYTHING LIKE WE ARE LIVING IN A WORLD THAT HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT TO US VERY CLEARLY.  AND WE SHOULD ALL LEAN INTO POLITICS, RATHER THAN SEPARATING OURSELVES FROM THEM. If politics were inherently bad, we wouldn’t see characters like Padme Amidala, Bail Organa, and Mon Mothma--or, hell, even Leia Organa herself--as heroes.  Because politics are important!  You don’t have to be (and shouldn’t be) a full-time politician for politics to still be important.  That working within a system to help better it and be able to reach more people is a good thing. Further, this doesn’t come without context of earlier in the episode, Obi-Wan is specifically shown to be incredibly desiring of helping people--he basically caves to Anakin’s strategy based on Anakin’s argument that they can help people sooner:

That is right there in this very same episode.  Obi-Wan agrees to a reckless strategy specifically when Anakin points out that it can help people sooner. Obi-Wan Kenobi is not someone who doesn’t want to help people, that’s his whole thing! Further context, which isn’t specifically related to this particular issue, but does give context to Obi-Wan Kenobi as a character is everything with Bo-Katan seething over whether Satine even meant anything to him.  She did.  And she still does.  But he cannot allow his feelings to cloud his judgement--and that is something that is key to being a Jedi.

It reminds me of George Lucas’ commentary on attachment: “But [Anakin] has become attached to his mother and he will become attached to Padme and these things are, for a Jedi, who needs to have a clear mind and not be influenced by threats to their attachments, a dangerous situation. And it feeds into fear of losing things, which feeds into greed, wanting to keep things, wanting to keep his possessions and things that he should be letting go of. His fear of losing her turns to anger at losing her, which ultimately turns to revenge in wiping out the village.“  –George Lucas, Attack of the Clones commentary “He turns into Darth Vader because he gets attached to things. He can’t let go of his mother; he can’t let go of his girlfriend. He can’t let go of things.”  –George Lucas, Time Magazine interview (2002) The thing about Obi-Wan/Satine is that it was pretty clearly created to be a foil to Anakin/Padme (and, boyyyyyyyyy, is that abundantly clear in the scene with Bo-Katan where Anakin is STARING at Obi-Wan as he says this, as we all know Revenge of the Sith is looming riiiiiiiiight over our heads), where Obi-Wan and Satine do make the right choices about the vows they’ve taken to other aspects of their lives.  That they are balanced in a way that Anakin and Padme are not. Dave Filoni says it himself in the commentary for the Bad Batch arc, in this very season: “I mean, even Obi-Wan was in love with someone.  That’s not abnormal.  It’s very normal.  What you choose to do and how you choose to have a relationship, what you sacrifice, then that becomes a bigger deal when he’s made an oath to the Jedi Order to be selfless, to put everyone else ahead of himself.”  --Dave Filoni Obi-Wan’s feelings for Satine are very much a parallel and contrast for Anakin’s feelings for Padme, and we know exactly how that’s going to turn out for Anakin, because Revenge of the Sith looms incredibly large over this entire episode and this entire arc. ”He’s made an oath to put everyone else ahead of himself.” is something Obi-Wan has done and continues to uphold, so accusing him of politics is like--what does Obi-Wan gain by playing politics then?  He’s putting other people ahead of himself, so playing politics must be for that reason, too. Furthering this context, especially in tying it to what it means to be a Jedi, is commentary from “The Lawless”:

”And in that moment, that critical moment, he cannot seize on his anger and his hatred for Maul.  Though that’s probably there, deep within, he can’t seize on it or Maul will win, he knows that.  I think we learned a lot about Obi-Wan and what it means to be a true Jedi, which is what I see Obi-Wan as.“ –Dave Filoni, on “The Lawless” All of this is important to understand that, when Obi-Wan Kenobi talks about the choices one makes, about not letting his feelings cloud his judgement, he’s coming from a place of established narrative reliability. We want to side with Ahsoka, because her hurt is so genuine and valid.  Because she sees a problem with the way the galaxy views the Jedi and we know that the Jedi’s doom is soon upon them.  (And this is where I get wary of the show’s narrative potentially trying to say, “Well, they’re kind of responsible for their own genocide because they just weren’t nice enough to people and only helped so many people, that they should have done more and more and more.” because, no, fuck that idea for real, the Jedi are not responsible for their own genocide, certainly not based on anything in the canon!)  She wants to fix this problem and she’s coming at it with a choice that she thinks would restore faith in them. The problem is that the Jedi are being asked to make choices between what’s popular and what they see as doing more good for more people.  And there’s a great line from the Age of Republic - Padme Amidala comic that ties into these themes as well:

“But trying to serve the greater good doesn’t exactly make you popular.”  (Oh, hey, look!  More politics!) On first blush, the idea of helping the people of Mandalore over saving the Chancellor seems like the right thing to do because we know Palpatine is Sidious, we know that it leads to ROTS, we know that ROTS leads to the Empire, especially when Ahsoka ties it to the Jedi Order becoming unpopular with the galaxy.  But Obi-Wan points out that she’s not being fair.  He points out that the Republic is on the line.  I’m pointing out that everything is politics, one decision over the other isn’t less political just because it’s more intimate.  And it doesn’t come without context.  It’s not just the Chancellor, it’s bigger than that. And serving that greater good--as Obi-Wan genuinely sees it--doesn’t always make them popular. And still even further, this isn’t entirely about the Jedi Order’s politics, but it’s about Ahsoka’s own hurt at how the Jedi had to play politics with her, too.  She’s still hurt that they expelled her--though, as always, context shows that she gave them absolutely nothing to work with, she immediately distrusted them before they even heard anything, she refused to even send them a message, she attacked clones on her way out, she was seen colluding with a known Separatist war criminal, she was found with incredibly damning evidence, and still wouldn’t actually talk to them or ask them directly to trust her, and ultimately none of her own actions saved her, it was a Jedi who saved her--that this doesn’t negate that they made mistakes as well, they should have visited her in the jail, they were playing politics and it doesn’t matter to Ahsoka that their hands were forced--and that’s driving her conversation with Obi-Wan, especially as someone who is part of the Council that she feels betrayed her. And Obi-Wan’s coming at this from the point of view that she let her emotions cloud her judgement over what happened, that she reacted blindly rather than trusting them in the critical moment (and the theme of trust was allll over that arc), and she’s still coming from this from a place of emotion, but that he respects her choices in the end and he obviously still cares very much about her.

All of that is underlining the conversation and one of the things that makes it such a hellishly complicated scene here in “Old Friends Not Forgotten” is that both of them are pretty narratively reliable. They’re both coming from a place of deep care and a desire to help people. They’re both coming from a place wanting to do what’s best for people. Which is why I love that I think Ahsoka genuinely loves the Jedi Order and why she says, “people who truly need us”.  It furthers my feeling of how I think, had Order 66 not happened, she may have come back to the Jedi eventually, if this difference could be resolved, but at the very least she certainly never hated them.  This is all coming from a place of love for the Jedi, for her family.  Even if she’s on a different path, even if ultimately she’ll say, “I’m no Jedi.” in Rebels, that’s about what she’s willing to do, what lines she's willing to cross, that a Jedi wouldn’t, and that it doesn’t mean they’re not still her family and that she wants good things for and with them. And why I love that she may not be being fair here, she may be stripping context and consequence out of the choice she wants to make, she may be letting emotion cloud her judgement, but she’s still so incredibly valuable and I do think they should have listened to her more.  The Jedi’s genocide is not on them, the murder of an entire people can never be on the victims, but I do think Obi-Wan has so much weight on his shoulders that he has trouble seeing the forest for the trees.  And that’s not a horrible thing, especially because Ahsoka’s shoving the trees aside here. But that there was no right answer here.  Mandalore is a trap.  Mandalore is going to fall to the Empire anyway.   Coruscant is a trap.  Coruscant is going to fall to the Empire anyway.   It doesn’t matter if they choose Mandalore or Coruscant.  Order 66 is already set to be triggered any minute now, nothing can stop that.  Them being more popular wouldn’t have saved them from it, not in a galaxy where the Republic general public was apathetic enough to not stand up against the Separatist themselves, instead allowed a clone army to be commissioned and the Jedi to be drafted into the war.  They wouldn’t stand up for themselves against the Separatists, they weren’t going to stand up for the genocide of a tiny religious culture, either.  It doesn’t even matter if the Jedi fought in the war or not--fight and be killed.  Don’t fight and they’ll be like Mandalore and be forced into it anyway or killed. That the Jedi were forced to make shitty choices in situations where there weren’t any right answers and get blamed for not having magical answers to problems that they cannot possible solve. What really brought that home to me was the way the scene ended--when Anakin offered an actual reasonable, viable solution (something that most people don’t offer the Jedi when saying what they should or shouldn’t do, they’re rarely given actual, workable options) where they could do both, Obi-Wan pretty readily jumped on it.

This shows that of course the Jedi want to help, whenever and wherever they can.  Not going to Mandalore isn’t that they don’t care or that they don’t want to help, but that there are two tire fires put in front of them and they didn’t see a reasonable way to do both, and Coruscant, as the capital of the Republic, which is the only body that can possibly stand between the Separatists and the enslavement/oppression/murder of thousands of worlds, must be protected. (Just look what happens when the Republic and the Jedi fall--the Empire inflicted atrocity after atrocity on the galaxy, which says to me that the Jedi were right in that the Republic had to be defended because it was all that stood between the galaxy and a lot of really evil things happening.) Ultimately, the only thing that the Jedi could really do that mattered is that they helped save people--people like Hera Syndulla--and they did do that.  And the accusation that they’re not trying to help people is not a fair one.  Even when it comes from a place of deep care.  And that’s why this scene was ouchy in such a good way, it really was an amazing episode to watch!

[letsunity]

The Lucky Batch

Bottom of the Barrel

It wasn’t right, it wasn’t fair. 

Morast Tāne was strict, but they did their best for her. They made more of an effort than the other Jedi Masters, something of a parent-figure for her. They didn’t deserve to die.

And of course, as always, the all mighty Jedi Council put the blame on her. While Master Plo Koon and Master Obi-Wan Kenobi stood up for her, they were drowned out by Master Mace Windu. 

Though Master Yoda is the head of the council, Mace Windu is the main voice. He has a lot of respect from the others, his words influencing others. 

He had been a friend of Master Tāne. She could see why he’d blame her, but it wasn’t her fault. It couldn’t have been, right?

Master Tāne said to trust the force, and Kenlha did. She trusted herself, acted on what she thought was right and Master Tāne died. 

It was only because there wasn’t proof that she killed him that she wasn’t expelled from the Order. That and they needed as many force-users as possible. Hell, it was bad enough for her to be Knighted. 

Now she has to wait for a Battalion for them to dump her at. The 501st are fun and General Skywalker has a Togruta padawan. Someone else who understands the thorough upkeep of montral horns and lekku. 

“Kenlha, is it?” came a smooth voice, like molten chocolate. “Master Kenobi and Master Koon mentioned to me what happened. I am sorry for your loss,” he comforted graciously.

“Master Fisto, your words have more value than you know,” she continued, a little honoured to be in his presence. “They were a good master to me.”

“I didn’t get to speak with Master Tāne, but I heard many great things about them. I’m sure they’d be very proud of your recent knighthood.”

She wish that to be true.

“Would you like to meet your new squad?”

She gets her own squad? 

The green Nautolan motioned for her to follow him. Eager, Kenlha walked next to him, her mind racing with a million questions.

What did he mean? What new squad? Isn’t she supposed to join a new Battalion?

As the newly knighted Jedi stepped into the shipyard, her eyes were drawn to a colourful ship with a large clover on it. It was damaged and only had three leaves. 

Master Fisto smiled, nodding to that ship. 

“Clone Force 37,” he introduced. “They are your squad.”

A small group of clones jumped out of the door for dear life, ducking their heads as something exploded inside. As smoke bellowed, they began bickering over what caused it. 

It was at that moment that they noticed Master Fisto and Kenlha. 

“Was’ up, Kit!” waved a clone who plopped onto a GNK droid, sitting on it joyfully. “Yo, that your new P-to-the-Wan?”

“For the love of Prime, Jackal, never say that again,” his brother sighed, shaking his head, the braid flapping from side to side. “The question stands. Who’s this?”

“This is Master Kenlha Whiro, your new commanding officer,” Kit Fisto smiled, patting Kenlha on the back. 

A clone smothered in smoke and soot bounced out of the ship, tackling Kenlha. He grinned up at her, several burn scars on his face. 

His brothers surrounded her, excited to meet her and were like giddy children.

One of them with different-coloured eyes slapped something onto her chestplate. Confused, she looked at it, finding a large star sticker.

“I’m Pepper, the medic,” he introduced, grabbing one nearby, “and this is my twin, Foxy.”

“Jackal!”

“I’m Ballast!”

“Boots,” Boots said. After a moment, he grabbed a bit of scrap and lobbed it at the other clone’s head. “He’s Cypher, a bit if an airhead but when he’s paying attention, there’s nothing he can’t interpret!”

They were weird and she loved it. 

“They’re all mine?” Kenlha beamed, already in love with her new little brothers. “All of them?”

“As are those two,” the Nautolan added, motioning to a Captain with a young child with him. “Captain Raffle and Luna Evynder, your own Padawan.”

She was overwhelmed and astounded, unable to process the sudden gifts upon her. Master Kit Fisto was kind, but she never thought he’d give her so much.

So much that she probably doesn’t deserve. 

“I’m going to be honest with you, Master Whiro, these are not the greatest soldiers. In fact, many believe them to be the worst of the army. Though that may be so, everybody has a place in this universe. I have faith that you can take care of them,” he smiled, his webbed hands on her shoulders. “Know that not only I believe in you, but so will they.”

Teary eyed, Kenlha embraced the Nautolan, her montral horns pressing against his chin. She didn’t care that they weren’t good soldiers, they were hers. 

“Thank you, Master Fisto. I won’t fail you.”

“Nor will you disappoint. When it comes to the unusual, you need someone equally unique to lead them. Master Kenobi and Master Koon helped me talk Master Yoda in letting you have these clones. They believe in you as well.”

She wasn’t going to fail. As of now, she’s the leader of Clone Force 37.

“Welcome to the squad, boss-sis,” Foxy announced, patting her shoulder. “First things first, we'll show you how the moonshine maker works.”

Foxy might just be her favourite because of that alone.

Thanks to these guys for their characters!

@just-another-dreamerr​ @generaltano​ @radbatch​ @foxlock​ @maygaladon @lavenderstaars  @lusiawonder

[siennahrobek]

Prompt

In a new attempt to turn Anakin Skywalker to the darkside, Chancellor Palpatine orchestrates the disappearances of heavily pregnant Padme Amidala and Master Councilor Obi-Wan Kenobi. It backfired.

Nobody really won.

It had been ten years.

Knight Anakin Skywalker and Knight Ahsoka Tano were sent to a distress call far out in the outer rim, almost in wild space. Anakin didn’t mind the long journey. His former padawan was good company and sometimes, sometimes, it was nice to get away from the Temple for a while. Away from the sympathetic and pitying stares and lingering theories or rumors.

Things hadn’t been the same for many reasons.

Ten years ago, the two most important people in Anakin’s life disappeared, the man who raised him and his heavily pregnant wife. Eight years ago, they had found what was left of her body. Five years ago, the Order declared Master Kenobi one with the Force.

Anakin never truly stopped looking, but he was becoming dim in ability and stamina. It had been so long and there were no leads to follow. No trace or evidence of his old masters presence anyway. Nowadays, it was pretty much just research and keeping an eye out for anything that vaguely resembled him. He was trying to have the life Obi-Wan always wanted for him, balance and happiness. He tried to connect with others, with Jedi. He spent quite a bit of time mediating, walking the gardens, helping as many as he could throughout the galaxy. He was a good Jedi, he thought, at least on the outside. He was working on the inside. He had a jedi’s life.

It was all he had now. And he would do his best to make Obi-Wan proud.

But being happy, truly happy, Anakin wasn’t sure if he could truly achieve it anymore. Being balanced with that type of hole in your heart, it was difficult. He could accept loss better now; there was no stopping that sort of thing. When it was one’s time to leave the planes of this galaxy for the Force, it was something to rejoice. It was supposed to be home. It wasn’t so easy when there were no answers.

Ahsoka had been knighted several years earlier and Anakin could not have been more proud. Her friends had been there, had congratulated her and she was happy, he had to believe that. But even she missed the presence of another who should have been there. Obi-Wan would have wanted to be there, to witness such a great occasion. They did their best and afterwards, they had a good time, were happy with the rank that came with her knighthood. It wasn’t that either of them were mourning during the time. It was just, they could feel the missing piece. It has been a few years but lately, they had found themselves partnered up quite frequently for missions. He hoped Ahsoka didn’t mind too much but there was never going to be an easy way out of this. Around it. Because this was the type of thing he and Obi-Wan did. They were the Team. They did everything together, even after knighthood.

The Council was trying, he gave them that.

He didn’t know if it really helped, though. It was nice, though, that they cared. They kept an eye on him. Years before, he would have read that as they didn’t trust him. It took him a very, very long time to realize that wasn’t always the case. And partnering him up with someone he was close to, someone he trusted above most else, it was some way of caring. He still struggled with those thoughts, even years later, but he was easier now.

The mystery however, was not any easier. There was an abysmal void where his loved ones should have been. A tear in his heart from the mystery. The lack of answers. He still found himself grieving for Padme but it was easier now. Although no one was entirely sure exactly what had happened to her, at least they had found a body, they had a storyline about what had happened and how it happened. It wasn’t sometime Anakin liked to think about particularly, but it was easier to grieve knowing. She was gone and eventually, he had accepted that. Let go, so to speak. She was with the Force and Anakin could feel her in some of the things he did, some of the objects and people and actions he witnessed and saw. There was grief, but there was also knowing.

The same could not be said for Obi-Wan.

No one knew what happened to him. There were no clues, no evidence. He had disappeared one day, alongside Padme and no one ever could figure out how it happened or why or anything. Although they had found a body for her, they never did for him. Not even a glimmer of anything.

Some darker rumors, cynical beings, spread that he had abandoned the Order. That the war had made him go mad. That he had kidnapped the senator or worse, was the one who slaughtered her. Anakin had quickly put a stop to it. Everyone had felt it the moment he knew about these ideas and theories, diminishing and tarnishing Obi-Wan’s name that was atrocious. He was not the only one who felt this way, but he was the strongest and most determined and the most furious…

No one said anything now.

No one dared.

The Jedi kept him in high honors. He was mentioned in classes, with his thoughts and theories on the Force, his research on all the things he loved to learn; animals, plants, cultures, languages. His strategies from the war were taught. His negotiation fame was spread; everyone knew the stories of the Negotiator. He wasn’t just a war hero. He was a Jedi, and a great one at that. His faith in the Order, his faith in people, his faith in the Force, was incredible and Anakin hadn’t really come to realize how that was until years after.

Obi-Wan loved in such a way that Anakin hadn’t understood since he was a child. He wished that he could talk with him one more time, just to show his old master that he was right, that Anakin was okay. That Anakin knew how much Obi-Wan Kenobi loved him.

That Anakin was doing his very best to be the Jedi and person he knew he could be.

The clones continued to think of him; believe the best in their General Kenobi. They always had liked him. He was a high general, one that appreciated and valued their input and their lives. He was their finder, all the cadets – former and current – had been told the stories about how he found them like a true Jedi searcher. Even if it was by accident, it had jumpstarted their journey into being free. He had worked to help and protect them alongside other council members and the few politicians who saw them more as canon fodder. It amazed Anakin how long and intense the memories of the former soldiers were because he was still brought up.

Cody and a lot of the 212th had taken it hard; harder that most of the rest of the military. He was their direct general, someone they followed personally up until the very end of the war. Some of them had been friends, even. They had helped Anakin search for a long time, but it was getting harder for them. They had jobs now, they had to start lives, be citizens. Things were expected of them, like for some reason, they had to catch up to the rest of the citizens. It was a struggle and a fight but luckily, they did have allies for assistance.

Many clones got adopted into or employed at the Temple. There weren’t many force-sensitive ones, none enough that they would have made an actual Jedi knight, but the Order was loyal to them as they had been to the Jedi. Many troopers filled in other roles, of teachers, sparring partners, cooks, guards, and researchers. Waxer and Boil had made it from being aides to a creche master to being crèche masters themselves, with leading their own clan of initiates.

Obi-Wan would have loved that.

“Coming up to origin of signal,” Ahsoka announced from the pilot’s seat, flipping a few switches as she began the sequence for landing and attachment. In the middle of nowhere, Anakin noted. There wasn’t a planet near here, in sight or on the scanners. He wondered how they even got out here. Hopefully this wasn’t a mortis situation all over again. He did not want to deal with something like that again. The ship in front of them was small and broken down, floating aimlessly in the abyss of space.

He doubted anyone survived.

“You never know, master,” Ahsoka tried to keep herself upbeat as she shot him a grin, sharp teeth showing unabashedly. “Perhaps we will be pleasantly surprised,” she suggested with a bit of a shrug. The ship had made a thud as it hit the abandoned one and the latches untangled themselves to strike into the hull of the ship.

Oh. He had said that out loud. Oops.

“Latch engaged,” she added and turned to smile at him, tentatively once again. “Come on master. Let’s see what adventure awaits us.”

“I’m no longer your master, Ahsoka,” he reminded her, idly.

She shrugged once more. “Right,” she replied with a small smirk, her voice laced with sarcasm. It was practically oozing out of her. She remained him of his former master sometimes, with her humor and quick wit. With a mischievous side eye, she continued, slyly. “Let’s go, master.”

Anakin rolled his eyes and followed her out, making their way through their ship’s hatch and towards the abandoned one. He still didn’t think that anyone survived but this was their duty. And the calm silence of their journey and the nature of the mission was a bit of a relief from the fast-paced ones that he was normally sent on. Usually, it was a good way to keep his mind off of everything else. This was a nice reprieve.

As the two of them got into the derelict ship, Anakin started talking and he had absolutely no idea where it came from. It was like his mouth had started moving and his brain had not given it permission. “I’m sorry, Ahsoka.”

She glanced at him, curiously. “What for?”

He couldn’t quite meet her eyes, as they waved a flashlight around, searching the cockpit for life or anything else that could give them an idea into what had happened and who may have been there. “I know I haven’t really been…the same since…”

“Since Padme and Master Obi-Wan disappeared,” she supplied with a frown. It had been ten years since it happened and several years since she had been knighted and she still remembered. It was almost always the reason.

He nodded and swallowed heavily. “I…I got through Padme, to some extent at least. I knew what happened to her. But Obi-Wan…I still wonder.”

“Wonder…?”

“What happened. I know everyone says he wouldn’t leave me, not like that but…” he drifted off, looking down, his light flickering towards the floor, near useless. “I was a pretty terrible person around the time he disappeared, unbalanced and in a bad place. Listening to the wrong people, making terrible choices,” Anakin shuddered at the thought of what Palpatine nearly got him to do in his desperation and fury. It had been a dreadful time and everyone else had nearly paid the price for his mistakes, for his foolishness. Ten thousand Jedi, millions of the clones, all the people in the galaxy. He feared now what would have happened if he had not been pulled from the edge, if he had made that leap into the dark side, into the fear and anger and hate. “Perhaps…. maybe it was just too much for even the great and infinitely patient Master Kenobi.”

Ahsoka scoffed good-naturedly as she rolled her eyes, finding the sliver of humor to work through. “One, Master Obi-Wan was not infinitely patient,” she pointed out, glancing at him pointedly. She wasn’t completely wrong. Obi-Wan had a lot of patience but even he had his limits, generally with those he didn’t care for. His patience with Anakin though, that was legendary. Not that he would ever really admit that. “And two, they are right. He would never leave you out of choice. I mean come on. Master Obi-Wan.”

“Yeah. You’re probably right,” he replied half-heartedly and tried shooting her a smile. It wasn’t very convincing, but it was all he had at the moment. After a suggestion of splitting up, the two of them went to opposite ends of the ship, Anakin towards the living quarters and Ahsoka towards the cargo bay. Perhaps Anakin could find some clues with the former inhabitant’s belongings or Ahsoka with whatever they were travelling with.

It was a bust. There was very little there, aside from some blankets. Anakin imagined there were a couple of people stuffed within the quarters, perhaps a man and a child or two, with the toys he found. There were some handmade wooden carved ship toys laying on the bed and Anakin picked one up. It was a Jedi star fighter, he realized. It wasn’t the most amazing rendition of the ship, but he was probably a little bias, considering he had not only flown one of these during the war, he still had one.

What was really interesting about it was the feelings imbued with it. The signature felt familiar, like he should know it, but it was weak. Whoever made this toy was filled with so much love, for the recipient, for those in general, that he cascaded off the toy in waves.

He wondered if the former inhabitant had been force sensitive. It might explain the feelings in the ship and the toys, especially.

“I don’t see anything!” Ahsoka shouted from the opposite end of the ship. He could hear her just fine, even though she was on the other end, but Anakin was still a bit entranced with the toy and the feelings coming off of it. “You?”

There was a brief silence and a clatter. Not big enough to be her body but it had sounded like she had dropped her flashlight.

Anakin glanced back towards where she had headed. He couldn’t see her but it was more instinctive than anything. “Ahsoka?”

Silence.

“Ahsoka?! Answer me?” Anakin started to panic, his heart beating faster and faster as he moved towards the door, calling her name.

She sounded scared and small, like back in the early days of the war and casualties were high. When she was worried about those she cared about, troopers, jedi, citizens. She sounded like she was in tears. Anakin couldn’t really remember a specific time where had sounded so fearful, so worried, so sad. Not in a way that was as blatant as this. “Skyguy?” Her voice called out. That was a name he hadn’t heard in a while. “You…you have to come see this.”

Anakin raced across the ship, panicked, and leaping over crates and objects. She didn’t make it sound like she was in danger, and she didn’t appear to be, but he didn’t stop until he was right next to Ahsoka. He had nearly crashed into it. She was standing in front of a large gray slab, some kind of relief sculpture of some kind. At least, that was what it looked like, although he hadn’t gotten a very good look at it. His attention was on Ahsoka. But he could tell what it was made out of. He had never seen such a large slab of carbonite before.

“What is it?”

She was crying, he could see a multitude of silent tears. They were running down her face in a cascade and although he couldn’t hear them, he could almost hear her sobs in the Force. But she just pointed up and Anakin followed her hand and gaze.

The face was distorted, like it had been looking down when the carbonite had been applied. The slab was huge and only made bigger by the cloak the figure wore. It was sweeping and wide, like he was trying to cover, hide or protect large objects underneath. Possibly, he was. But even with the odd, defensive pose and the face not looking straight on, even after ten years, Anakin knew that face.

He always knew that face.

Frozen in carbonite.

Obi-Wan Kenobi.

[janghoefett]

Another Happy Landing

Rating: Mature Pairing: F/M Word Count: 1.4k Warnings: Sexy bath time, Palpatine is playin’, tooth rotting fluff.

Plot: You and your husband Obi-Wan Kenobi have to sneak around hiding your marriage. And he’s a cutie :’)

It’s been a minute since I’ve written for Daddy-Wan Obi-Wan and I miss my manz. This is part of an overhaul of a bunch of my older works on AO3, and I’m quite pleased with this cute lil one-shot!

When Obi-Wan would come home from a mission, there you would be as always, waiting for him on Coruscant’s landing dock surrounded by other politicians and members of the Jedi Council. The Jedi knight would disembark from his ship and feign equal interest in all waiting parties, trying his hardest to prevent himself from glancing your way.

Upon finally reaching you down the line, you’d share a perfectly innocent kiss on the cheek and he’d take your hand in his. The conversation was always the same.

“Senator, how lovely it is to see you after such a long journey.”

“Master Kenobi, I am so relieved to see you are in good health. Tell me, did your mission run smoothly?”

“Smoothly, never, but fortunately the mission was quite a success.”

“Excellent. Your hard work is very appreciated. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you while you are on Coruscant.”

“Thank you, Senator, I will.”

With a final squeeze of your hand, he would move down the line and be taken inside to debrief with the council. Later on that night, unbeknownst to the rest of the galaxy, Obi-Wan would be in your apartment, in your bed, making love to you.

Tonight the two of you are basking in the afterglow of sex in the bath. You had been wed in a private ceremony just a week earlier, despite your better judgement. He would have left the Jedi Order for you, and you the Senate for him. But the Clone Wars were raging and instead you took a leap of faith.

Situated between his legs, leaning against his chest, the Jedi plants kisses up the side of your neck. Steam rises from the water adding a glow to your already flushed complexions. You would be off to another big Coruscant gala later tonight, hosting everyone from politicians to Jedi. And soon your masks would be up once again.

“Tell me what’s troubling you, my love,” he asks softly.

“I don’t want to go tonight,” you mumble, unable to stop a pout from corrupting your features. “So much for our honeymoon.”

“It’s important to keep up appearances, darling…” he says, planting a few cheeky kisses behind your ear. “Besides, I quite enjoy our little game. It means I get to try my hand flirting with you again. Perhaps I’ll do better this time around.”

You giggle, leaning back into him as his arms tighten around you. “How much time do we have?” you ask.

“An hour. Remember, I’ll be so close to you. You are always on my mind,” he whispers reassuringly. Obi-Wan moves your body to straddle his waist, kissing you with the softness only he could provide. “We have enough time for a little more fun, don’t you think, my love?”

————————————————————————

“Master Kenobi!” you exclaim with enthusiasm, feigning surprise at your husband’s planned entrance just minutes after your own.

“It’s been quite some time since I’ve seen you, Senator,” he grins. You can’t help but blush at Obi-Wan's crafted performance as he leans in to kiss your cheek. Just for a moment you are able to find comfort in the familiar musk of your husband and the stubble on his cheek that brushes against yours. His eyes linger for a moment and the softest smile graces his features; no, you had to look away as the blush creeps up into your skin.

Together you greet your friends, staying mostly in large groups, resisting the urge to touch each other or say anything that would give you away. Times like these made you fall quiet and closed off. Obi-Wan saw this, always, and would steal undetectable glances towards you here and there, or even be so bold as to brush his hand lightly against yours.

“If it isn’t the most beautiful member of the Galactic Senate,” says a gravelly voice behind you.

Sheev Palpatine. It takes all of Obi-Wan’s strength not to wrap a protective arm around your waist or to simply hold your hand. You had discussed Palpatine before, neither of you trusting the old man, and Obi-Wan can feel the distress radiating from your body.

“Hello, Senator Palpatine,” you greet politely. Obi-Wan stands at attention.

“It would appear Master Kenobi has beaten me once again to being your companion for the evening.” Palpatine’s comment puts you on edge as you wonder what he was insinuating. 

A soothing presence move up your back; Obi-Wan's work. He was here with you, and this was his reminder.

“Well fortunately I am not beholden to any one companion for the entire evening,” you explain. “However, I will admit that I do have a particular fondness for Master Kenobi. He has saved my life many times, as you well know. It’s always a pleasure to see him.” You grin up at Obi-Wan, into those gentle blue eyes you adore.

“Of course. In that case, may I steal you away for a moment?” asks Palpatine.

You can feel Obi-Wan stiffen next to you. "Master Kenobi," you say, excusing yourself with the bow of your head. Palpatine offers you an arm and you take it, begrudgingly, as he leads you away from the crowd to a dark corner, concealed behind a pillar. Obi-Wan follows at a distance.

Palpatine backs you into the pillar before taking your hand and pressing a prolonged kiss to your knuckles. “Senator, I was wondering if you would like to accompany me home this evening. Perhaps we may get… more acquainted with each other,” he says softly.

You force a polite smile despite the churning of your stomach. There was nothing wrong with him making the proposition, for all he knew you were unattached. But something about it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Something about him was wrong. “I… cannot. You see, I have commitments to someone else and it would be inappropriate."

“To Obi-Wan Kenobi?”

“No!” you say quickly, though everything in you burned to say yes, that you were Obi-Wan’s. Instead, you choose to speak a partial truth. “It's someone I am seeing in private. But I can assure you we are very committed to each other.”

“You know, it is unfortunate that the Jedi are not allowed to have attachments. You and Master Kenobi look very comfortable together...” he whispers, reaching out to brush a piece of your hair away. “I can sense his longing for you.”

“I’m— I’m sure you are mistaken,” you stammer.

“It is evident when another man longs for the same woman.”

You move away in disgust, not bothering to excuse yourself, and walk hurriedly back to the safety of the public eye. Obi-Wan swoops in from behind you and links your arm in his. “One second more and I would have ripped his throat out,” he growls.

“I don’t know what he knows about us,” you say, fighting back tears. “I don't know if... if he was baiting me or if he was serious... I can’t take it anymore, Obi-Wan.”

Obi-Wan stops you by steadying your shoulders. You had never seen him look the way he does now; his jaw clenches, his eyes are wounded. The tidy Jedi master had become undone. “You are my wife now. Tell me what you need from me; so be it if it means leaving the Jedi Order," he says with growing desperation. "I hate seeing you suffer like this, my little one.”

You want to hold him, to kiss him. His large hands on your shoulders keep you grounded and after a few deep breaths, you feel yourself coming down from the shock. “No, no Obi-Wan. When all of this is over we will decide what is best. But as a senator I cannot take away one of the best assets we have.”

“I’m sorry you must endure this,” Obi-Wan says softly.

“I knew what I was getting into when we became involved,” you say, with a budding smile. “Do not apologize to me, it is not your fault. I’m just… aggravated by how brazen Palpatine was.”

“I will not let you out of my sight again,” promises Obi-Wan. You saunter back towards the main gathering of people slowly, still perturbed. “You know,” Obi-Wan says in your ear, “I wasn’t quite finished with you earlier. I do believe we have a splendid evening ahead of us.”

“You’re joking, right? I’m surprised I’m even able to walk,” you laugh quietly.

“Oh, we can certainly rectify that.”

[starfanatic]

Luke Skywalker vs Rey... Nobody

I hate the argument that a lot of sequel trilogy stans use whenever anyone criticized Rey or labels her a Mary Sue. It’s probably the weakest argument a sequel stan can ever possibly say to me. (Besides the people hate Rey because she’s a women argument).

Lets compare them shall we?

Luke Skywalker in A New Hope is whiny, inexperienced, and very naive. There is multiple moments in a new hope that proves this. When he was whining about not wanting to stay on the moisture farm and wanting to join the Academy like his friend, Biggs. He constantly was slightly annoying throughout the film, especially to Han. When Han named his price and Luke was like “We can buy our own ship with that!” or when Han was flying the Milennium Falcon and Luke was practically yelling in his ear to go into hyperspace. Han and Luke did not get along at first because of Luke’s behavior. Luke went against Obi-Wan’s orders and saved Princess Leia, not thinking of the consequences. How he could possibly be killed or put in a cell with the Princess. He doesn’t think of a plan to get out AFTERWARDS only the spur of the moment. He was constantly shown to be inexperienced and needed his friends help or HE WOULD HAVE DIED THE FIRST MOVIE. While on the millennium falcon, Obi-Wan taught him things about the force. Maybe not a lot but he knew how to use the simple basics of it. Like sensing the force and letting it guide your actions (as Obi-Wan was trying to teach him before). For once Luke listened and trusted Obi-Wan and destroyed the death star.

Lets do Rey now WHOOP. So far the only personality flaw she seems to have is that she’s also naive? She had the same wide-eyed innocence as Luke had but it’s different and here’s why. Rey never suffers for any of her so-called almost non-existent flaws. Rey is experienced enough to hold her own in a fight against men WAY stronger then her (that’s realistic though but that’s one tool in her belt). She’s bilingual. She can fly the millennium falcon better then Han Solo even though she never flew one before. She is constantly saving people by herself, never the one being saved. (Before y’all bust my balls, Rey escaped that damn starkiller base by her damn self. Luke didn’t and couldn’t). She uses powers that takes years to learn and the excuse is the force dyad. So she downloads Kylo’s skills and training. Great. Magnificent. Rey is on a amazing start. And this is the first movie! She can only get stronger from here.

Luke is more mature and responsible in ESB. He’s a respected hero of the rebellion. Luke still struggles using the force. Even with the training Luke goes through with Obi-Wan he had to truly focus to pull the lightsaber to him. Plus as a common occurrence, he still needed help from his friends. He’s not invincible. He actually gets severely hurt (makes sense). He goes to Dagobah to get trained (because unlike Rey he doesn’t have the “learn force jedi shit that takes years to learn” cheatcode). And then he’s impatient. He wants to learn how to use the force so he can help his friends. Luke is again reckless, impatient, and he’s also insecure in his own belief. Him not believing he can lift the X-wing was why he couldn’t. Against his master’s and Obi-Wan’s orders he decides to save his friends. It’s a noble reason to but it still got him fucked up. He got his hand cut off, he was beaten and humiliated, and then he was told a horrifying revalation that twisted around everything he knew and believed. He was scared of Vader, you can see it on his face, but he did not succumb to fear.

Rey goes to the island to convince Luke to go help them fight the war. Why doesn’t Leia go instead? Who knows. Why does Luke act the way he does? Who knows. Luke dismissed her and was quite rude to her. Rey was having cute little talks with Kylie Renner in their little force dyad BS. She called him a monster and a murderous snake. I like the insults. It fills me with joy! But then she finds out the truth. Rey did do something reckless and stupid but as usual she doesn’t suffer the consequences to her actions. Technically she’s morally superior to Luke because she saw the good in him and felt like she could turn him to the light (after slicing his face open. Ok). Rey decides to give herself up to the First Order thinking Kylo would save her. And he does. So she wasn’t even wrong... Rey fight the very elite guards of the (bootleg emperor palpatine) Supreme Leader Snoke. Reminder, TFA and TLJ are like 3-4 days apart. She had zero training within these days. Luke refused to train her so don’t start that bullshit. Luke trained her for like 5 minutes and none of that training had anything to do with lightsaber dueling. Rey is then told she was a nobody. Now why did Rey cry about this? I truly don’t know. How the hell would Kylo accurately know that Rey’s parents were nobody? Didnt Rey been know this from the force awakens? Eh whatever. She tries to force pull the lightsaber from Kylo Ren and do a dumbass tug a war instead of walking up and grabbing it. It reminds me of JJ and Rian fighting over where the star wars sequels). Anakin must be screaming and yelling from above... or below... idk. The lightsaber then breaks. Rey then saves her friends by showing her once again superior piloting skills that rival or is possibly better then Anakin Skywalker himself. Hitting 3 in one shot? You go girl! She then uses the force to effortlessly move the big ass boulders out of the entrance to save the resistance. Last I remember... Luke struggled to do that with a few way smaller rocks and was also focusing hard to do.

Luke is finally at jedi status! Woohoo! Now Luke first saves Han from Jabba. It shows his very dark side tendencies by choking the guards (like father like son). Luke thinks of a actual plan before going in (CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT). Luke “Chanel Boots” Skywalker goes to Yoda on his death bed. All he wants is answers but Yoda wants to be cryptic as fuck. Luke has been lied to for years by his mentors and his family. Luke’s father isn’t hero Anakin Skywalker but actually a big, asthmatic, merciless, murderous asshole who has a choking kink. Luke then says he cannot kill his own father and Obi-Wan, who believes Vader isn’t a human but a machine, has no faith in Luke. He believes that Luke will fail and the Empire would win. Luke feels the conflict and good in him that nobody else does. He knows that Vader is unloyal to the emperor and he actually cares about his own son. When he is with Han and Leia he realizes he made a mistake and has a bad feeling about it. (*gasp* Luke is not being super reckless). He’s not arrogant (not in anyway) but he’s completely confident that Vader would turn. (He isn’t flawless there is still obvious problem with this plan he has. He fails, the empire wins. He dies, the emperor wins. Vader doesn’t turn, Luke fails. Luke almost succumbs to the dark side and it’s actually plausible he might fully turn. He wants to desperately save his friends and his father has done horrible things to Luke. Luke had every reason to kill Vader. But he doesn’t. He throws the lightsaber away and foolishly puts his life in Vader’s hand. Luke doesn’t save the galaxy because he can make things levitate with the force. He wins because he had the strength to resist the dark side and has so much love and pure good in his heart he saw the good in his father.

Rey starts off with a training session (no idc it’s too fucking late now. 3 movies in? Is she doing reverse character development?) and basically Poe gets mad at Rey for not accompanying them on missions. I still don’t know why she needs training, when she is at a decent strength to fight elite guards, fight kylo ren, and a variety of other things that typically takes a long time to learn. After finding out Palpatine returned, Rey goes on a mission to find the way finder almost like a shitty videogame. I don’t even want to talk about the force dyad anymore because it’s fucking dumb. Rey gets chased by the force order and hear this out, FORCE HEALS (i forgot what the animal was but idrc). Which means Rey had the power to stop the painful truth of death themself. Why am I not surprised? Rey did something that no other jedi nor sith or jedi have ever done this. Anakin went to the dark side to save the ones he love. This movie was just a slap in the face to Anakin. Rey then fights Kylo Ren and lost??? again it seems a little too late and it also didn’t make sense. Rey defeated those guards all by herself with Kylo needed help from her. She’s obviously the better lightsaber duelist but hey, at least JJ was trying to mellow her out a bit. Rey stabs him while our beloved Princess died. She then regrets her decision and as always, doesn’t have any consequence to her actions. By the force I forgot, the whole scene where she is revealed as a Palpatine? Completely invalidates the first two movies but eh whatever. She uses a power that only the elite sith does... something Kylo Ren himself could not do (and he’s on the dark side). Rey “killed” Chewie but actually no she didn’t because Chewie is perfectly fine. Rey is supposed to be all dark and edgy now, “you don’t know me” BS. Yeah I’m sorry I won’t tolerate this because my only allergy is the fish smelling coochie bullshit called the sequel trilogy. Rey got scared of her dark self. Well at least JJ tried? Rey then almost gives up but Luke was like “nah fam you cant”. Rey dies trying to fight Palpatine but then as usual, she gets zero consequence cuz Benny Simp saved her using the force. Then she kissed him... no. No. No. This made my eyes burn like they just threw bleach in my eyes. It made no sense. “A Kiss of Gratitude”? What the shit was that? GIRLS DO NOT INSPIRE TO BE REY.

[kyberphilosopher]

𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲

You looked beautiful in the sun- all two of them. 

Word Count: 2006

Requested: Obi Wan heated fluff on Tatooine. Delivered. (I hope)

apricity. PRONUNCIATION: (a-PRIS-i-tee)/ the warmth of sun in the Winter.

Obi-Wan did not know what had happened to you, after. 

He could recall your last meeting, however. He could recall it so vividly. It was the day before he was sent to Utapau, and the day you had been sent to the other side of Kashyyyk to assist Master Yoda. Your Clones, who you were immensely proud of, had painted their armor differing shades of camouflage green with little white markings and a bright green streak down their right arms. Even your closest confidant, Commander Syphers, had modified his appearance to match both the jungle of a system, and your lightsaber. 

He had approached you while you and Commander Syphers were nudging at each other while giggling at something. Obi-Wan couldn’t remember what. When you had seen him, a big grin came over your face. You told him your clones had planned something special for your birthday (which was the next day) and that they were all very excited to participate in battle. This was followed with applause from the soldiers on the gunship, and you beginning to walk away from Obi-Wan. 

“You’re not even going to wish me a happy birthday?” you said with a smirk, walking backwards. Obi-Wan didn’t remember what he had said. He could only remember you rolling your eyes, and your final interaction towards him being a playful salute as your gunship lifted up into the air. 

Obi-Wan had not realized that Order Sixty-Six had been executed on your birthday- and possibly you along with it- until much later. You probably hadn’t even gotten to see or experience what your men had done for your birthday. They had already turned on you. 

He had been so focused and finding Anakin after, that he had completely forgotten about you. It wasn’t until his first night on Tatooine that you began to suddenly bombard his thoughts, and he was forced to assume that you had died. 

So this did not explain why you were standing in front of him.

Obi-Wan understood that this was no trick of the suns, nor the heat. The clouds were fluffy in the baby blue sky, the sand mustard and deep, and the plains infinite and distant. You were there, clear as day, in the middle. You didn’t look real, but you were. If anything at all, Obi-Wan Kenobi would’ve described you as surreal. 

You were dressed in a grey cloak and poncho, with the hood up and your makeshift face mask pulled down so he could see and confirm your whole face. Your hair color, which was peaking out from the bun by your neck, had not changed. Your eye color, eyebrows, lips, nose- hadn’t changed. Despite a few sunspots, the shadow of a scar on your collar bone, and the hollow look in your eyes, you were you. And you were real. And you were alive. 

“I thought you were dead,” Obi-Wan said. It was the first words he spoke to you since you had come into his little hovel, and it sounded like a confession of some kind. He knew he shouldn’t have felt silly for it, but he did. He felt ashamed for not having faith in you, even though he knew you wouldn’t have cared much about that. You would’ve understood- you did understand. 

“Me too,” you said. Your thumb rubbed against the clay cup of a warm liquid Obi-Wan had made for you. It was comforting to know that even after tragedy, the man’s manners were unbreakable. “How long have you been here?”

“About nine months,” Obi-Wan guessed. His hands rung together in thought and nervousness. You noticed his voice was so much more soft now, like whatever authority he once had had been shaken. You knew, with a deep sadness, that this was because he didn’t feel he was worthy of authority anymore. It was a shame, because you would’ve followed him anywhere. That’s why you were here now. “How did you find me?” he asked sincerely, his eyes crinkling as he thought about all the options. 

“Master Yoda wasn’t the only one who could see things,” you told him. This too sounded like a confession. Holding his eyes a second longer, you averted them to the table and your cup. “Is he...?”

Obi-Wan took in a silent, shaky breath. “No,” he promised. “He’s alive. On Dagobah, I believe.”

You nodded your head in understanding, looking anywhere but Obi-Wan’s eyes. He was disturbed that you were not the same person as you were, but he didn’t blame you for that. He wasn’t the same person either. 

But you were, at one time, a rather charismatic person. Intelligent and cunning, you were known for your sarcasm and quips. Obi-Wan liked that about you. You were refreshing to be around. Although you two were not the closest, it was a treat working together, and Obi-Wan was sure there was a mutual respect. Now it wasn’t the same. You were more serious, more sad and lonely. You were like a shadow of what you once were. 

“May I ask...” You looked up at Obi-Wan’s words. He knew he shouldn’t have asked, but he was not a man to just leave his words hanging. “What happened? On your birthday?”

Your eyes fluttered shut sharply. “I apologize,” Obi-Wan said quickly.

“No,” you ushered, talking over him slightly. “No, I...just...” you inhaled. “Sometimes, I feel like I’m back in that moment, when I can’t breathe. And I just feel like I’m dying.” Obi-Wan gave you a moment to compose yourself, deciding against placing his hand over your own comfortingly. After another breath, you spoke again. “It was during one of the attacks,” you began. “Wookies everywhere, Seppie scum all around- we were winning. I was looking over it when I heard him say something and then...” your eyebrows scrunched together, almost in confusion, as you recounted the memory. “He raised his gun at me.”

Obi-Wan found himself leaning forward as he listened to your tale. He understood what you meant about the feeling. He could imagine the rocks falling all around him and the breath leaving his lungs as he was shot down. But Cody didn’t look Obi-Wan in the eyes, no. 

“Who did?” Obi-Wan asked quietly. He felt like it was such a forbidden thing to ask, and maybe it was. But this also felt like an interrogation, and it didn’t feel right to let it hang. 

“Syphers.” Maker, he could hear your voice breaking. 

“And, what about your birthday?”

You shook your head softly, and in the most lost and confused voice, you told him: “I don’t know.” 

                                  ◇─◇──◇─────◇──◇─◇

You were always there when Obi-Wan would wake up. When he stretched his muscles, and wandered outside to watch the twin suns rise into the sky, you were there. Whether sitting or standing, you would watch him when he watched you. Sometimes, he could’ve sworn you had tears in your eyes, almost as if you were saying that you couldn’t believe you had finally gotten to see the sun again.

In the beginning, Obi-Wan Kenobi thought you were simply exquisite in this way. 

Your light colored outfit was simple and contrasted the orange and red light of the world. It seemed distant and far away to think that you were someone the Jedi once knew, almost as if you were from a past life. Although, he supposed that you were. But you were a woman, a companion, someone he trusted with everything inside of his chest. Obi-Wan knew, at least, that there was one person in the world who understood. 

Soon enough, the Jedi would realize you were more than just exquisite- you were beautiful. 

You always had been an attractive woman, though Kenobi supposed he had not given it much thought in the past. There had never been a reason, nor opportunity to until this point. You were a colleague. Now you weren’t. You had bonded through the pain of Anakin’s betrayal, which had become Anakin’s last favor for his old Master. 

Obi-Wan was beautiful too, in the mornings. When you looked over to him, the suns always cast an orange glow across his features, which looked sorrowful. Although he had begun developing tired wrinkles from focusing everything into the force, he had remained the same Kenobi you had always known. Thoughtful, methodical, and handsome. 

                                  ◇─◇──◇─────◇──◇─◇

The love that grew between the two of you was unsaid for a while. It was all just a poem, a hazy dream that only seemed to become hazier. The mornings that you shared with him wordlessly seemed to melt into nights, and when you had finally begun accepting food from him, dinners. 

You would tell Obi-Wan about your life before the Jedi, and the Master you wondered about so much. In turn, he revealed how he had cradled Qui-Gon in his arms while he died, and Satine’s death sometime later. You were not jealous at the latter, instead admitting you had fallen in love one of your men- a Clone named Ace who had died on the battlefield. That was the first time you had held hands. 

In the low light of the candles and the dry wind that came from the window, Obi-Wan put his hand over your own tentatively, sharing the pain. It did not seem as heavy as it had been before, and it didn’t take long to melt into his touch. 

                                  ◇─◇──◇─────◇──◇─◇

In the nights, Obi-Wan and you began to sleep on the same blanket. You did not sleep for a long time, instead looking into his eyes and wondering, wondering if you were supposed to die that day. You became hyper aware that you were glad you hadn’t, because then you wouldn’t have been with Obi-Wan now, who was becoming the only thing in the world that brought you peace. 

The mornings became shorter. The way he watched you in the tangerine light never seemed to last long enough. Obi-Wan agreed. 

Following the mornings, the days without his touch and his dialogue seemed to become unsatisfactory. On those days, all food tasted like ash. The blanket you shared seemed scratchy. All the stories you would think of telling him didn’t seem worthy anymore. All you wanted was him in his entirety, even his pain. More than that, you wanted his peace, and he wanted yours.

                                  ◇─◇──◇─────◇──◇─◇

You could not recall how it happened, because everything up to that point didn’t seem to matter. Obi-Wan didn’t mind. All he focused on was you and your skin, and how the horizon contrasted your back and the suns made the tips of your hair buzz in different shades. 

The both of you were completely naked, you on his lap with your chests pressed together. Your face, which Obi-Wan had accepted as a work of art, was buried in the crook of his neck. Your eyes watched the view behind him, quite literally watching his back while your fingers dug into it so he didn’t turn to dust. 

Similarly, Obi Wan held you as close as he could while he watched the suns rise. Your skin and aura had seemed to fall together, creating a golden glow that he deemed worthy of defining you. Your core- your heart along with your sex- seemed to be a part of him in the best way. You were not Satine or anyone from his past life, you were the trusted companion who understood. And quite frankly, neither of you could fully recall if he was inside of you or not. 

Whether he was or wasn’t didn’t matter. Obi-Wan was a part of you now. You didn’t want that to stop, and Obi-Wan had become too lost and guided by you to stop it. 

But that moment in the sand as the suns rose into the heavens above, and the two lovers entangled as they watched the air all seemed very much like a painting, in which the artist had decided to paint over something very sad, with something very sunny. 

✫*ﾟ･ﾟ｡.☆.*｡･ﾟ✫*

Taglist: @omg-we-really-doo​ @chokemeanakin​ @haztory @laorme34

[dameronology]

forever & then some {obi-wan x reader}

summary: sometimes you doubt the jedi order - but you could never doubt obi-wan kenobi (for @ohhellokenobi - u said u wanted fluff and i hope this delivers)

this a repost of one i posted about 2 hours ago cos it wasn’t showing up in the tags and it was irking me am soz 

warnings: probably language? a very brief mention of the usual star wars canon typical violence but other than this is 100% pure unadulterated pining and yearning

- jazz xx 

It had been easy at first to pretend that you were okay.

When the war was only just beginning, you’d managed to stay hopeful. You’d managed to cling onto every last bit of optimism that you’d had, scrambling to find it with each passing battle, as though you were desperately gathering up pieces of a shattered illusion, trying to string it back together. Was that not what the Jedi order had been built on? Justice; the desire to find a balance in the galaxy, and the hope that maybe, just maybe, the equality would stay. That mantra was built into the very core of the beliefs you’d dedicated your life to. Every time you marched into battle with your men behind you, you’d repeat it over and over in your head.

Peace. Security. Justice.

Most of the Jedi would blindly follow the orders of the Council without so much as a shadow of a doubt. If they came from the Council, they were just. They were right, and they had pure intentions. You were fighting the good fight, right? The Jedi were the good guys. The other side were the bad guys.

But was it always that black and white? Acknowledging that the other side were bad didn’t automatically make you good. You were losing men everyday - good men, innocent men - and even though they had been born and bred to fight, it didn’t take away from the pain. They were your friends, and you’d found yourself wondering if you were doing the right thing.

It wasn’t an easy train of thought to deal with, not when you spent twenty-hours-a-day fighting in the war. You didn’t really have time to be introspective, let alone allow your mind to wander off to a place of politics and morals. Questioning everything wasn’t an option when you’d been taught to follow orders without a second thought. That didn’t mean you forgot about it - just pushed it to the back of your mind. You’d been taught to put your faith into the Jedi, and to believe that the light side would prevail. There were days where it felt like putting your blind trust into the Order was like stepping off of a ledge with a noose around your neck and hoping that there was sufficient ground below you to save you from the rope.

You were particularly feeling that on a cold, wet Friday afternoon.  Rain was lashing down on Coruscant, enveloping the city in a bubble of grey and gloom. You were sat in a bar a few miles out from the Temple, mindlessly staring at your drink and occasionally blinking at the reflections of the bright light that glared up at you from the flat beer. Who’s idea had it been to drink today? Wolffe’s, probably. With the right amount of encouragement, he probably had the power to turn the entire 501st into raging alcoholics.

‘You’re being awfully quiet.’ Obi-Wan commented from beside you.

If you were looking for a silver lining, the difficulty of the war had any prior complications about your secret relationship seem like an absolute doddle. You’d never doubted Obi-Wan - not once in the years that you’d known one another - but the current climate was simply a reminder of how much you needed him. You knew that he dealt with his own demons, and that he struggled with the war and the loss it brought, but it felt like he always knew what to say. If you were looking for a reason not to leave the Order, he was it.

‘I’m fine.’ You murmured, gently pushing your drink away. ‘Just don’t feel like drinking.’

The Jedi moved closer, shuffling up next to you in the booth you were in. ‘The energy around you is enough to give the entire city depression, darling.’

Fucking Force connection, you thought. It made hiding things from him impossible - not that you liked doing it, but it’s not as though you gave him weather forecasts on what your mood was. You didn’t want to talk about it. You just wanted to...simmer.

‘Pleaaaaase just let me wallow in my pity.’ You groaned, gently ghosting your hand over his.

‘You have a lot on your mind.’ He said.

‘You think I don’t know that?’ You raised an eyebrow, tilting your head towards him.

‘Come on.’ Obi stood up, exiting the booth and holding his hand out to you. ‘Let’s go home.’

‘But I promised Rex-’

‘- he’s had five pints of beer. Rex can’t tell the difference between you and a lamp post right now.’

Nodding - but not without a grimace - you tossed a few credits onto the table and followed Obi-Wan out the bar. The rain was still coming down hard on the city, bouncing off the streets and reflecting the bright lights of the buildings back at you from the wet ground, creating tiny galaxies in the puddles as you trudged through them.

Once you were far away enough from the bar to be clear of any clones, Obi-Wan wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you into his side. The gesture was natural and entirely thoughtless, but the tension you were holding in your bones immediately evaporated at his touch. His presence was almost intoxicating in that sense; calming, addictive and occasionally enough to make you a little bit giddy.

He had to release his grip once you’d got to the Temple - you had to keep up appearances after all- but the minute you reached his quarters, his hands were back on you and pulling you towards the refresher. He worked on autopilot, pulling off your damp robes and passing you fresh ones. The clothes belonged to him, but they were clean and dry and smelt faintly of his aftershave. They weren’t that far off from one of his hugs.

‘Sit.’ Obi-Wan almost strong-armed you into a blanket, wrapping you up against his mattress. Even when you had your own quarters, you near enough spent every night here. ‘Now talk to me.’

‘I told you, Obi.’ You murmured, snuggling further into the duvet. ‘I just have a lot on my mind.’

‘Sharing is caring.’

‘That applies to things like cake. Not depression.’

‘What’s mine is yours?’

‘Same principle-’

‘- darling, please.’ He twisted on his side to face you, hands gently cupping your face. ‘I hate seeing you like this.’

‘You won’t like it.’

‘I don’t care.’

‘Fine.’ You sighed. ‘But it’s a lot.’

‘Try me.’

You cleared your throat, sitting up slightly.

‘I think I’m losing faith in the Jedi Order.’ You stated. ‘Not just the council, but everything we stand for. There are days when I can’t see the difference between what we’re doing and what Grievous is doing and I just...I wonder if we’re on the good side.’

Obi-Wan blinked at you in surprise. Aside from when he’d broken his promise of no attachment (worth it), you knew that he had utter and complete unwavering loyalty to the Jedi. Perhaps that’s why you’d been so resistant to tell him - because he wouldn’t get it.

A small sigh escaped his lips, and he pushed a few strands of hair out your face. ‘How long have you been feeling like this, my love?’

‘I can’t pinpoint it.’ You murmured. ‘I did try to push it down at first, to ignore it and act like I was overthinking but I’m losing people, Obi. What if it’s you next time-’

‘- hey, stop.’ His grip on you grew a little tighter. ‘It won’t be. I can promise you that. I will always come home to you, okay? I’m not going anywhere.’

It was hard not to believe him, because he said it with so much confidence, as though he were so sure of his love for you that not even a droid army could get in his way. You had faith in that, because you probably would have done the same. People didn’t always find their strength until the thing they loved the most was at stake. Grief and fear were sometimes the most powerful things.

‘I know.’ You let out a small sigh, nodding. ‘And I also know you’re the last person who would ever question the Jedi and maybe I’m just being too introspective-’

‘- your feelings are valid.’ Obi pressed a kiss to your forehead. ‘Especially with everything going on, and it’s natural to lose your faith in things.’

‘So how do you do it?’ You asked. ‘How do you keep your faith when the world around is a giant ceiling fan filled with bantha crap?’

‘I find faith in other things.’ He said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. ‘I’ll admit I’ve had my trust in the Order shaken too, so I find it in other places.’

‘Where?’

‘In the clones. They’re good men, and I know they wouldn’t go into battle and engage in combat unless it were for a good reason.’ He began. ‘And the individuals on the Council. I’ve worked with them for years and I trust them to make the right calls.’

‘Right.’ You nodded. ‘That’s a good point.’

‘But above all, I have faith in you.’ That part caught you off guard. ‘I completely and entirely dedicate myself to the idea - perhaps even the fantasy - that if everything around us falls apart, I’ll still have you. Whether that’s as Jedi, or as two fugitives running around the galaxy, I know that everything will be okay as long you’re by my side.’

‘Damn.’ You murmured. ‘I can’t top that.’

Obi let out a small laugh, shaking his head at your comment. ‘You don’t have to.’

‘It makes sense, though.’ You replied. ‘Sometimes you’re the only thing that makes sense - like the only thing I can really trust. The only constant.’

‘I love you.’

Obi-Wan always stated it so plainly and simply: I love you. He didn’t have to say anything else because he didn’t have to. Your love for one another was just a fact of life and something that didn’t need to be explained, in the same way that Mace Windu was bald or that Anakin was a pain in the ass. It just was.

‘I love you too.’ You said. ‘So much.’

‘And whatever happens, it’ll always be you and me.’ He reminded you. ‘Above all, that is the only thing that matters.’

‘Once again, I cannot top that.’

‘Darling, once again, you don’t have to.’ Obi-Wan laughed. ‘Anything you fail to say, I can feel.’

‘Oh maker, is it time for a monologue about the Force?’ you groaned.

‘I thought you loved my monologues.’

‘I tolerate them.’ You poked his cheek playfully. ‘It’s you that I love, idiot.’

‘And you’ve sworn yourself to me forever.’ He leant down to brush his lips against yours, momentarily causing you to ascend any planetary atmosphere the galaxy had to offer. ‘So who’s the real idiot?’

‘Me.’ You dropped your head into his shoulder, letting out a groan.

‘Forever.’

‘And then some.’

[ace-oreos]

Alpha, Anakin, and a Character Arc Cut Short

TL;DR: A semi-comprehensible character analysis of Alpha-17, what we were given, and what could have been.

Or: Alpha-17 won my heart in five minutes flat and I am determined to give him the content he deserves.

On personality:

- What did we see?

- What was implied/could be inferred?

- What could we have seen?

What did we see?

Alpha is introduced in a manner consistent with his personality: with very little fanfare, but decisive and forthright all the same. He is immediately stablished as a force to be reckoned with - or not, in the case of the Jedi he encounters on Kamino (Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Shaak Ti). From the start, we as readers are meant to understand that he brings a level of intensity that takes other characters aback.

But here's the key to this: Alpha presents himself this way without having an ulterior motive. He calls things as they are because he is not competing with anyone - he's not trying to build himself up in any particular way for any particular goal because he doesn't have to. He's proven himself without words or unnecessary demonstration through his status as an ARC trooper alone. (Not to say that he relies on this status to achieve personal ends, but that's another conversation.)

In each of his (limited) appearances, Alpha's pragmatism is at least noticed by a main character, if not outright contested. He favors mission completion (not only in a military sense, either) over compassion or justice. Undoubtedly a product of his training and the realization that allowing himself to give in to mercy on an impulse is a threat to everything he's been taught to protect, even at the cost of his life.

We also see a character who never shies away from the possibility that he won't live to see tomorrow. (Which isn't a surprise, given that he's a clone, but bear with me.) His place in the grand hierarchy is thrown into the open multiple times, and he himself reiterates it: his life does not - and never will - take priority over a Jedi's. (Whether he truly believes that is another source of speculation and depends on your take on him and the complexity of his character.) He's always known that someday there will be a fight he cannot win, but this doesn't deter him in the slightest.

In short: Alpha's role as an unsympathetic deuteragonist serves as a necessary contrast to the "balance and light" Jedi we're familiar with.

What was implied?

Alpha does not approach his role grudgingly, but neither does not take to it with any particular enthusiasm. Simply put, someone had to do it, and he just had a better chance of coming out on top than most people.

His infamous scene during the Battle of Kamino is telling. In order to protect later generations of clones from falling into Separatist hands, Alpha set the entire lab to self-destruct. When challenged by Shaak Ti, his only response is that he is following Jango's orders.

If you read between the lines, this is another indication that Alpha accepts the necessity - and the burden - of the role he was created to fulfill. He does not expect Jedi to deal the final blow because he already knows they can't; by making this decision, he is accepting responsibility, even though he casts the origins of his actions back to Jango.

(Side note: I find this an interesting show of trust in Jango's methods. Alpha could very well have made a different choice in this situation, but he returns to Jango and his orders. This is arguably an unexpected show of faith in someone I believe Alpha never fully trusted or loved, for lack of a better word.)

It's also implied that Alpha's singular focus on the mission - whatever it may be - is a conscious choice. Sarcastic remarks aside, we are treated to very few private thoughts/feelings from Alpha. I see this as a combination of a general wariness of making himself vulnerable and the idea that doubt or anything like that will undermine the mission he's expected to complete and/or come back to bite him in the end. He knows there's enough doubt among the ranks without him adding fuel to the fire.

In short: Alpha's overall approach to his duty is a deliberate choice meant to spare others the burden of guilt, regret, or uncertainty. Much of this stems from Jango's legacy.

What could have been?

If Alpha had been afforded the level of writing and detail many other characters received, I firmly believed it would have made for a compelling narrative.

I imagine that as the war dragged on, he became increasingly disillusioned with the Republic. (Another important detail here: Jango always told the Alpha ARCs to serve the Republic, not the Jedi themselves.) This raises a host of questions that could have contributed to a complex character arc.

First, how would he navigate feelings of uncertainty or disquiet? How could these potentially lead to growth? Conversely, how could this become a stumbling block?

I see it this way: he's been told since birth that his purpose in life is to defend the Republic and everything it stands for. Easy enough to go along with in an environment as closed and carefully regulated as Kamino - not so much once he's been exposed to a galaxy with ever-shifting viewpoints and beliefs. And I see him as someone who actively chooses to ignore those kinds of deep-seated doubts for fear of what might lie beyond or beneath.

So with all this in mind, this brings us to another set of questions: could he learn to accept this? Would we see a perceptible shift in his character? And - one that I do love to think about - what could this prompt him to do in the aftermath of Order 66, when the subsequent chaos might have given him a chance to leave behind the war and the only life he's known?

I don't think he would have mellowed out by any means. He's always been strong-willed by nature; any softening or changing of that would undermine fundamental aspects of his character. He is fiercely independent and devastatingly calculating and a vibrant character in his own way, and this should be left untouched.

And I so desperately wish Alpha's story didn't end on such an abrupt note. Having to adjust to his new reality after suffering such a serious injury at Boz Pity would have opened a window for further development.

In short: Alpha had the potential to be a nuanced, three-dimensional character. And I think it's a shame that he never got to appear in media outside of the Republic comics. And I will always enjoy examining deeper aspects of his character. And (to continue my gratuitous use of and) I will always love that Alpha was never only a hero or anti-hero; he is his own character who will never be limited by one-dimensional labels.

[neostriatum]

All we are, and all we have...

[AO3] [Dreamwidth]

Title taken from these photos (archived version here) in one of photographer @rabbitinthemeadow's series. All Mando'a translated at the end.

--

Maul inhaled.

This was unusual, given his certainty that this time he had died. It had not quite been the death he had been craving, but it had been an honourable one at the hands of his arch-enemy, and the peace it had granted weighed heavily in his hearts despite their absurd insistence at beating.

Exhaling, he stretched his senses out into the Force. It was the surest way to place himself, and the thrum of the living against his mind was enough confirmation for him.

So. Alive again. And not even on Dathomir.

The walls of the palatial bedroom were obscenely Kryze’s, still holding the decorations and gilding he hadn’t the presence of mind to change early on in his reign. The confirmation laid bitterly on his tongue, and abruptly he was fed up with the idea of living on a planet he had already spent roughly twenty years on the first time.

The Force was a strange beast, and the idea that it could punish him by undoing so much of his life as he had breathed his last sounded about right. But- and he clenched the ridiculously expensive sheets in his grasp, but-

Light seeped into his skin, a thready but still present brush of warmth against his skin and senses. It reminded him of Kenobi, the gentle reassurance of peace as he died. It was almost cruel, how comforting the memory was, especially now that the destruction of the Jedi hadn’t happened yet.

His comm chirped, fracturing the euphoria of the revelation at hand. Maul clapped a hand to his mouth, not sure whether he was restraining a laugh or a sob. The Light was fracturing his resolve to the Sith, and all he could feel was relieved.

Forcing himself to steady, he pulled the comm to him, answering with a brusque, “Maul.”

Hope. What a strange feeling.

--

It was difficult, trying to undermine the goals Sidious had so deeply impressed on him that they were etched into his bones. But no longer did the man’s edicts reverberate in his lungs with every breath he took, filled instead were they with an unrestricted buoyancy that threatened to make him hover at the slightest provocation.

Was this how a Jedi felt? It baffled him, but also explained the way they seemed to flutter through the Force, a marvel of nature instead of a tragedy shaking the ground beneath their feet.

Meditation was at once easier and excruciating. The Force had always been a soul-sucking entropy, to be treaded carefully and yet bent to one’s will. But these shards of light burned, forcing growth in the holes in his soul that had been scraped raw where Sidious had laid claim. Where a grave once stood now blossomed a garden, and beauty caught his eye more often than grief as he accepted the Light making itself comfortable.

His thoughts strayed often, his deaths compounding and overlaid. Many times did he force himself to put his comm away, to restrain the urge to howl in the direction of Obi-Wan Kenobi and bring the entirety of the man’s formidable army upon Mandalore’s heads.

Perhaps, Maul pondered, it would provide suitable vengeance for Kenobi. To conquer the world of his once-lover and reassert balance sorely lacking in this galaxy.

The thought clung to his mind, a thorn catching on cloth, and it unraveled the loose plan. Kenobi - despite his once harshly-denied ties to the Dark - was not the type to exact his rage upon the world, no matter how deeply routed the ditch of grief ran in his heart.

No, only hope would attract hope. And Maul, with his own hearts still thudding painfully at the still-burning loss of his brother, knew Kenobi now better than the man himself did.

With a smirk, Maul gestured one of his soldiers close. There was a trap to be laid, and he knew just the bait.

--

Obi-Wan stared in bewilderment at the missive tied to the trooper in front of him. It was, to put it politely, unhinged chaos.

The trooper wasn’t even one of his - he had checked. And then handed the very long roster of the entire Third Systems Army to Cody to double-check. And then, on Anakin’s insistence, to R2.

“Well, Lieutenant,” He sighed apologetically, “It does indeed look like just a spot of bad luck.”

“If it helps, sir, I’ve got a clean bill of health.” Smoke offered, still looking a bit pole-axed to be in the same room as him and Cody, but faring rather well, all things considered.

Cody sighed even deeper than him, which had the expected impact of Smoke straightening his back to parade-perfect straightness. His commander waved the trooper back to at ease, pressing a thumb to his temple in an attempt to relieve the burgeoning migraine from this shit-show of a situation.

“Healthy except for a shaved head.” The commander commented, and wasn’t that the crux of it. No injuries, nor signs of surgery, though that was no guarantee given Smoke’s… transit time, and that in itself was a bundle of issues.

The good lieutenant shrugged, and, well- that did seem to be that. Only a lingering sign of sedation, but then being sent through the absurdly mundane postal system in an admittedly well-equipped box did carry that sort of assumption.

Helix, moving aside the privacy screens to perform another check on the trooper, patted them on the back, “Think about it this way, vod. You were important enough to be mailed first-class.”

Cody gave up all pretenses at maintaining an authoritative façade and groaned, “Usen’ye, vod.”

The medic made a wry, rude gesture back, chuckling. Helix clicked a few things on his datapad, and gestured to the trooper, “You’re good to go, vod. I’m recommending to put you on light duties in case anything crops up, but everything seems to be in order.”

“Oya!” Smoke grinned, looking forward to their unintentional vacation. Hopping off the cot, they grabbed their helmet and left, a bounce in their step.

“Well at least someone’s enjoying this,” Helix shook his head. He glanced at their Jedi, who was still scrutinizing the honest-to-gods paper that had come with Lieutenant Smoke, “What’s on that thing, anyway, General?”

Obi-Wan startled, smoothing his beard absently. “Oh, some sort of message,” He surmised, “I think someone’s asking for help.”

Cody grunted at that, sidling up to the general to peer over his shoulder. The message itself was in Mando’a, written neatly and precisely. “It is paper, though.” He said, “Are you able to-” “Check it for signatures?” Obi-Wan hummed, already switching the paper to one hand so he could remove the glove from his other. With glove sufficiently bitten and removed, the man mumbled, “Not quite as well as Quinlan.”

The two clones exchanged an amused look at the man’s single-minded intensity for a new discovery. It was dropped as quickly as the glove from their shocked general, a strangled gasp mingling with the dull thud of Obi-Wan’s glove as his hand laid as if riveted to the paper.

“General,” Cody said, tone stiff and demanding information.

Obi-Wan shook his head once, muttering the message out loud, a lilting cant to the words as he absorbed the new information. “K'olar, Kenobi. Jorhaa be mirjahaal.”

The intervening few moments were tense, and Cody wondered whether he should tap out an alert as a preemptive measure when his general’s gaze snapped to his. The blue eyes seemed to glow, something physically impossible for the man’s species and yet perfectly understandable for the scope of his mythological status.

It drew that familiar stirring of faith forth, and Cody nodding in acknowledgement. Whatever the General saw, he approved of, for he nodded back, seeming to fold himself back into his mortal form.

“Gentleman, I have a call to make.” Obi-Wan announced, “I believe we’re going to Mandalore.”

--

This lure of hope was maddening, tugging at his spirit in a fluctuating jerk of attention. Maul took to pacing more, which in turn drew the attention of Kyr'tsad and the few New Mandalorians that lingered in Kryze’s court.

“Alor.” Bo Katan interrupted him while he prowled in search of some way to release all of this damnably energy. Sparring had ceased to entertain him days ago, the thorough victories and the sheer fact that his rage was no longer reliable fuel.

Brave warrior that she was, the Kryze sister merely stared placidly back at his scowl. “Who is it, precisely, that we are expecting? There are rumors growing, and it would be better to quell the dissent.”

He exhaled sharply, feeling the burning warmth of the Light sinking deeper with the action. “Haatyc or'arue jate'shya ori'sol aru'ike nuhaatyc,” He chided her, a distant part of him relishing her shock at his smooth handling of this system’s language. “We are heading into a war, Kryze. And I have invited a powerful ally to bring us all to glory again.”

It was interesting, how stark the hope was that flooded his senses. And pleasing - for Maul was right. Hope brings hope, and only shall it grow when given room.

He felt the insistent tendrils of Light settling in his own hearts, and smirked at joyful look that greeted him.

--

Obi-Wan felt it difficult to meditate. He sighed, glancing in the direction of his desk, where that damnable paper was carefully stowed away.

The Force was an insistent swell, burgeoning with ultimately welcome but distinctly unhelpful feelings like joy and anticipation. He appreciated the encouragement to rest his worries, but feeling the remnants of Maul’s Force signature was only ever going to be unsettling.

Should he trust the sincerity ringing forth from Maul’s message? It wasn’t something that could be easily faked, but then specialists in Force artefacts like Quinlan were too far away for a quick consultation, and whatever was brewing now on Mandalore, it needed immediate attention.

Anakin was worried, and that in turn set himself on edge, dredging up the feeling of Satine’s cooling body in his arms and how much it had hurt to breathe through the fracturing of his heart.

And now, exactly like last time, Maul was at the center of it. But now, only Maul was at the center of it.

That in itself was a quandary, for Maul had become so prevalently obsessed with him since their first fight on Naboo. Not that Obi-Wan could say much, for a twin flame burned in his own spirit at the mere thought of the other man. Grief at lost opportunities, yes, but now he had to contend with an overture of… what?

Peace? Was that what Maul truly wanted, now? The Force seemed insistent that it was no lie, and the Force had never led him astray, no matter how confusing the path.

He inhaled, loosing his spirit into the currents of the Force once more. One tone stayed with him, and it was the consistent feeling of hope.

Whatever it was, it would be alright. Obi-Wan had to trust that.

--

Entering the Mandalore system was nerve-wracking on its own, their only steering the stark thread of faith beating along with Obi-Wan’s heart. With Cody at his right hand, and Anakin at his left, he managed to feel unmoored from the reality of how quickly access was granted to the Negotiator as they made their way to the capital planet.

His troops seemed to sense that they were about to escort their general into some battle they couldn’t accompany, and the Force surged with the echo of their prayers as they worked in calm, professional tandem. Obi-Wan found that his heart had room to swell in pride, listening to their manda as they passed checkpoint after checkpoint.

Eventually, though, all good things must come to an end, and he regretfully withdrew from the jatne manda his troopers unintentionally enveloped him in. He inhaled, steeling himself for the upcoming meeting.

“Olarom at Manda’yaim.” Echoed through the Bridge from Mandalore’s flight control.

Obi-Wan nodded in acknowledgement, clapping a hand to Anakin’s shoulder with a smile at the press of well-wishing from his old padawan. He met his commander’s eye, watching the man draw himself up in anticipation.

“You have the bridge, Commander,” He ordered, knowing that the Negotiator and everyone on it was in the safest hands they could possible be.

“K'oyacyi, General.” Cody assured him. The Force bolstered his commander’s sentiments, and Obi-Wan found himself smiling.

“I will, Commander.”

--

Although their assigned diplomatic partner was… unusual, Obi-Wan had still insisted on peacetime protocol rather than the loose-handed play at reconnaissance and body-guarding the 212th had become accustomed to during their general’s usual diplomacy. It had brought sour looks to even the High Council when they had convened at his request, but if Obi-Wan was going to throw all of his faith into the Force’s will, then he was going to follow its pull to the letter.

And with that notion in hand, he arrived with only a complimentary guard and his lightsaber as bodily protection, armor shed and cloak donned. It almost made him nostalgic for the first time he and his master had arrived, guileless but with heightened awareness.

The trip to Sundari was mostly quiet, and it felt good to practice his Mando’a with those who had grown up through the same Mandalorian turmoil as he had, a common ground by which to foster good relations with the guards accompanying him. The variety of dialects was pleasing, and the stories fulfilling.

It made him miss with distinct fervor his own troopers, the camaraderie so similar it was at once dissociative and yet yaim’la. The guards were attempting to be polite to their Alor’s guest, but curiosity was a trait every sentient shared, and so Obi-Wan whiled away the time between his shuttle’s designated landing spot and the palace by sharing tales of home and the front lines, cultivating rapport in the manner he had learned as a Padawan.

The flutter of hope settled warmly across his shoulders with each smile and laugh, Mando’a settling on his tongue as if it had never left from that year traversing the system with Qui-Gon and Satine.

(Maybe Anakin did have a point about that year here.)

New friends tentatively made, they traversed the corridors to deliver Obi-Wan to a very familiar room. Bo Katan Kryze lounged in front of the closed doors, a moue twisting her features despite the curiosity burning in her eyes.

“Kenobi.” “Lady Kryze.”

She scoffed, but stood aside with a nod of her head that still managed a respectful tilt. He nodded to her, feeling the mantle of the Force’s direction settle in his bones.

It was time to see what Maul wanted.

--

For all his planning and treading the edges of Sidious’ intimidating scope of influence, Maul still couldn’t help the stutter of his breath as Obi-Wan Kenobi walked through the doors of this room exactly as he had hoped.

He had abandoned the idea of the throne room as soon as it had occurred to him and his overeager advisors. They were meant to meet on equal grounds, and this antiquated room with its oblong table, seats of the same height, and walls illustrated by tapestries of famous monarchs past would make its mark.

The impression was certainly gathered by Kenobi, curiosity flitting across his face as he recognized that this was neither throne room nor the one more popular for meetings with advisors. He gestured for the other to sit across from him, taking his own seat.

In lieu of speaking, Kenobi instead pulled the missive out of his pocket, sliding it across the table with a flick of his fingers until it sat in the middle, slouching in his chair.

“Tion gar vercopaan par ... me'jorbe?” The Jedi drawled in askance, “Jorhaa'ir be mirjahaal?”

Maul ticked a brow upwards, catching how loaded the tension was between them. He leaned back himself, matching Kenobi’s posture. “Elek. Haatyc or'arue jate'shya ori'sol aru'ike nuhaatyc.”

And that irrevocably caught Kenobi’s attention, a considering frown and nudging at his shields the other’s reply. Maul lowered some of them, where the Light was the most enduring, and felt the ripple of stupor from Kenobi at the revelation. The Force bounded between both of them, a thought-quick upending of expectations.

Kenobi broke his gaze, glancing around the room before twirling a finger. He nodded, flicking his wrist in dismissal.

The Jedi leaned forward, “Sidious.”

Maul leaned with him, “Is Palpatine.”

Kenobi made a punched-out sound, not questioning the answer as he tugged at his beard. The Force was an insistent undulation over his senses, now, the familiar press of the Jedi’s signature settled against his own as the other man thought.

It reminded him of the last time he had died, weariness eclipsed by the Light and Kenobi’s own spirit as he was sent off. The sensation coaxed him to close his eyes, mellowed by the reassurance that Kenobi was taking significant part in the future.

He drifted in the Force for a while, buoyed by the Light surrounding and binding him. It was calm, a gentle warmth while he waited for his next directive.

Peaceful.

And interrupted by a firm hand on his shoulder, somnolence shaken from him with determination by Kenobi himself.

“Maul. Maul.” The Jedi called to him, looking altogether too relieved for an accidental meditation. “I was about to call for your guards. Are you alright?”

He gusted out a sigh, ascribing the trembling in his hand as he grabbed Kenobi’s to weariness. While the Force still sung to him, a clarion call of peace that rung in his ears, Kenobi’s presence pressed more forcefully upon him, a rousing direction to bring his senses to bear.

“I’m fine, Kenobi.” He muttered, sitting up and ignoring the way the other helped him do so. The nudge the Force made to speak the truth, however, wasn’t so ignored, “It is no easy thing to change alliances in the Force, Jedi. Not for a Sith.”

The searching, concerned look he bore as gracefully as he could, pulling the paper on the table toward them both. Maul read the words he wrote once more, turning to hand it to Kenobi.

“I can bend Mandalore to my will, Kenobi.” He said, firmly twisting his words together with his memories of the Jedi Purge, “But it will be more difficult to bend your army to yours. We have a common enemy, and I will help you with this.”

“Because they will not listen to me?” Kenobi questioned, frowning.

“Because their will is not their own,” Maul corrected, withdrawing the control chip from a pocket, holding it up and watching the pieces come together on the other’s face, “This is in every clone’s brain. It is Sidious’ doing.”

The lash of Dark intention was unnerving, not only from its originator, but also how aberrantly different it was from the Light he had grown accustomed to. It sat bitterly on his mind, but heartened him at the resolve this Jedi tempered himself into before his own eyes, how similar it was to their last meeting on Tatooine.

It was that blend, that knife-edge Kenobi strode, that spoke hope to his senses. And it made him smile, bouncing that emotion back at the Jedi before him, something real and earnest that drew a sigh and tentative smile from Kenobi.

“You removed one.” Kenobi stated, a cunning light in his eyes. “How do we remove the rest?”

Maul grinned, “Very carefully.”

--

Mando'a Translations

Usen'ye, vod - Piss off, mate

Oya - Many meanings: literally *Let's hunt!* and also *Stay alive!*, but also *Hoorah!*, *Go you!*, *Cheers!* Always positive and triumphant.

K'olar, Kenobi. Jorhaa be mirjahaal. - Come, Kenobi. Speak of peace. -- mirjahal - peace of mind, *healing*, general term for emotional well-being especially after a trauma or bereavement

Kyr'tsad - Death Watch (lit. Death Society) - breakaway Mandalorian sect

Alor - leader, chief, *officer*, constable, boss

Haatyc or'arue jate'shya ori'sol aru'ike nuhaatyc - Better one big enemy that you can see than many small ones that you can't. (Mandalorian proverb.)

manda - the collective soul or heaven - the state of being Mandalorian in mind, body and spirit - also supreme, overarching, guardian-like

jatne manda - good mood - a complex sense of being at one with your clan and life

Olarom at Manda’yaim - Welcome to Mandalore

K'oyacyi - 1. *Cheers!* 2. Can also mean: *Hang in there* or 3. *Come back safely.* Literally, a command; *Stay alive!*

yaim'la - comfortable, familiar, sense of *at home*. Can also mean local to the speaker.

Tion gar vercopaan par... me'jorbe? - You wish for... what reason?

Jorhaa’ir be mirjahaal? - To speak for peace (of mind)? -- mirjahal - peace of mind, *healing*, general term for emotional well-being especially after a trauma or bereavement

Elek - yes

[padawanlost]

It’s been brought to my attention that some fans are hating on TCW (especially the last few ones) because it’s portraying the jedi in a bad light. First of all, where have you been for the past 40 years? The Jedi have been portrayed as flawed since the OT when, you know, Yoda and Obi-wan lied to Luke for years. And, Filoni using the Jedi/Republic as a metaphor for our world is not news to anybody either. They *have* to be flawed because real life is flawed. 

Tbh, none of this bothers me as much as the lengths these same fans go throw poc characters under the bus. First they completely erase the clones suffering and enslavement, then Rafa and Trace are lying crazy bitches whose suffering is nowhere as important as jedi being portrayed as beyond reproach and now people are throwing Luminara and Barriss under the bus (because, apparently, Trace and Rafa’s story wasn’t supposed to show the Order’s failure to relate to them, it was supposed to show how cruel Luminara and Barriss were). 

It seems the suffering and point of views of characters of color (used to represent real world minorities) aren’t as important as making sure the If when confronted with the clones enslavement or two little girls losing everything your first reaction isn’t to sympathize with them, if your first reaction is ‘how dare their stories sully the government’s sanctioned peacekeepers’, sadly, you’re failing at compassion as badly as the Jedi Order.  

Again, to show Jedi’s (lack) of compassion has always been at theme of The Clones Wars and that it always influenced the war, here is Filoni saying as much:

“All of these things that are wrapped up in Ahsoka’s story, which ultimately make her realize what the audience realizes. “I love the Jedi Order. They’re very important to me, I’ve always respected them. But there’s something wrong here, and I need to walk away from it to assess it.” It all feeds into Revenge of the Sith when the chancellor says, “The Jedi have just made an attempt on my life.” When you see these four episodes, I think you have a better understanding of how he gets away with all of that, because you see how compromised the Jedi Council is.” Dave Filoni

I think it’s an important thing because a lot of people, when they watch the movie, they go, “Well how can he turn his back on these people? They’re like a family to him.” But when you give the greater context of this series, you see, “Well, it might be a family, but the family doesn’t trust him. The family doesn’t believe in him fully. The family often isn’t as much a family as Palpatine is a grandfather.” Dave Filoni

“In Obi-Wan we really see the Jedi because he is compromised. Obi-Wan doesn’t believe Ahsoka is guilty of these crimes, but he has a very hard time arguing politically that the Jedi Council shouldn’t do what they do to her. He trusts in the Force, which is what they love to say when they don’t know what they’re doing, and they expel her.He can’t argue the logic. He doesn’t like Tarkin’s logic [but he can’t argue] that they can’t try her within the Jedi because the public, which we show in this episode arc, who are losing faith in the Jedi, would cry foul ball. “How can you put her on trial? Of course you’ll find her innocent. She’s a Jedi and you’re a Jedi.” So they expose themselves, and we see how they’re exposed.” Dave Filoni 

“I’ve always felt that one of Anakin’s downfalls, like it’s never that Anakin was innately going to be evil, but the people around him, the Jedi, in their lack of compassion, in being so selfless that they almost forgot to care.” Dave Filoni 

“[…] Then we see a big, critical episode arc where Anakin and Luminara kind of compare Padawans, Barriss and Ahsoka. And that arc, I think, really set an interesting tone for ourselves and for the fans. We were trying to illustrate the difference between the way Anakin is raising his Padawan, and how much he cares about her, and the way Luminara raises her Padawan. Not that Luminara is indifferent, but that Luminara is detached. It’s not that she doesn’t care, but she’s not attached to her emotionally. And at the end of the day, one of the questions that I guess I pose is, is that really a good thing? Is Anakin’s way of being so compassionate wrong? Because on a certain level, you have to accept that the Jedi lose the Clone War. So there is something that they’re doing that’s wrong.” Dave Filoni 

I guess Filoni is a ‘Jedi hater’ too lol Or MAYBE the narrative always portrayed the Jedi Order as an heroic institution what ended supporting a corrupt Republic and that sadly influenced their own behavior, which created a vulnerability within their leaders and led them all to a very tragic end.  MAYBE the prequels are about shades of grey, instead of black and white, where, you know, a hero can become the greatest villain and actions that might sound like the best possibility end up bringing up the worst possible outcome. MAYBE the writers behind Star Wars wanted to create a story a bit more complex than GOOD=Jedi and EVIL=everyone who disagrees with them. 

If good and evil are mixed things become blurred - there is nothing between good and evil, everything is grey. In each of us we have balanced these emotions, and in the Star Wars saga the most important point is balance, balance between everything. It is dangerous to lose this. – George Lucas

But, hey, what does Filoni and George Lucas know about The Clone Wars and Sw themes?

[justalitlecreacher]

Ok as much as I hate the events of the Rako Hardeen arc in Clone Wars and deeply wish that the council/Obi-Wan had at the very least told Anakin and Ahsoka what they were planning, I feel like the arc represents a very important turning point in Anakin’s fall and actually shows an important bit of character growth from Attack of the Clones.

Tl;Dr: The Rako Hardeen arc is my favorite and least favorite arc in all of Clone Wars because while it puts Anakin through unnecessary pain it also gives a lot of insight into why he may have fallen in Revenge of the Sith and shows some important character growth

Ok; the most important part of this post/analysis (I think) is to remember how close Anakin and Obi-Wan are. Anakin was placed in Obi-Wan’s care at the age of 9 and from then on Obi-Wan practically raised him. In Attack of the Clones we see Anakin refer to Obi-Wan as the closest thing he has to a father not once, but twice, and one of those two times was directly to Obi-Wan.”OBI-WAN:  Why do I think you are going to be the death of me?! ANAKIN:  Don't say that Master... You're the closest thing I have to a father... I love you. I don't want to cause you pain.”(Attack of the Clones) and later to Padmé “...He's [Obi-Wan] like my father,...”. This is especially important because when Anakin leaves his mother to become a Jedi in The Phantom Menace, Obi-Wan is literally the only friendly/familiar face in the Temple. Plus in the comics (disclaimer: I have not read all the comics just bits and pieces) we get a glimpse of Anakin training with the other padawans and it’s made clear that at least some of them don’t like Anakin at all. One padawan even refers to him as “just a slave” when shit talking him during training.(which like super fucked up; they def should’ve gotten in trouble cause that don’t seem very Jedi of them ¯\_(ツ)_/¯)

Anyway; we’ve established Anakin and Obi-Wan’s bond. So let’s turn our attention towards someone who deserved so much better; Shmi Skywalker. Her death in Attack of the Clones was the first major turning point in Anakin’s fall to the Dark Side. There is really no excuse for Anakin’s actions after Shmi’s death; he goes to a very dark place, and likely taps into the dark side of the force during the massacre of the Tusken Raiders. But that’s not what we’re talking about rn so back on track.

I bring Shmi’s death up to say that while Anakin was tracking down Obi-Wan’s “murderer” I didn’t fully realize that Obi-Wan had disguised himself as Hardeen and I was genuinely worried that Anakin was about to unalive an innocent man. I really believe that the only thing that stopped Anakin from trying (and maybe succeeding) to kill Obi/Rako was like he said: he knew that Obi-Wan wouldn’t have wanted him to. This is important because the last time Anakin lost a family member he brutally murdered an entire village of Tusken Raiders, children included, and I think it’s safe to say that Shmi “the biggest problem in the universe is nobody helps each other” Skywalker would not have wanted that. I’ve finally arrived at one of my main points; this arc shows a crucial bit of character growth by showing an Anakin that is capable of thinking his actions through and not just reacting out of anger even after the loss of one of the most important people in his life; something he was previously shown incapable of when his anger and grief blind him. This turns this arc into an sort of midway point on Anakin’s fall; he’s clearly tempted to give into his anger and pain again, but he is able to resist this time. A younger Anakin may have killed “Hardeen” then and there. 

This scene really contrasts with Anakin’s actions in Revenge of the Sith in a way im not sure how i feel about yet. On one hand it has potential to make Anakin’s actions in Revenge of the Sith feel too out of character. We just saw Anakin able to see past his own emotions in the wake of the death of a loved one so what makes this different? On the other hand this arc can be used to show just how desperate Anakin is to not have to feel that way ever again. It’s also good for showing how much influence Palpatine has had on Anakin in the space between this arc and Revenge of the Sith. As for why Anakin may be unable to think past his own feelings in Revenge of the Sith when he appeared perfectly capable in the arc, a likely reason is that there really wasn't anything Anakin thought he could do for Obi-Wan anymore because he believed him to be dead, but with Padmé, Anakin knew she could be saved if he could just get her the proper care. But his fear of being exiled from the Jedi Order, and his increasing lack of faith in the council led him to believe that he had no choice other than to trust in Palpatine. And no hate to Yoda but im sure when Anakin did try to reach out (even as vaguely as he did) Yoda’s response of “Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose.” didn't appear to be very helpful (especially considering that he is well aware that listening to Ahsoka’s visions and responding appropriately saved Padmé’s life (not sure if Anakin knows about that though)). These three episodes show pretty well how/why Anakin may have felt that he had nowhere to turn but Palpatine.

These groups of episodes actually show negative character growth (is that the right term?) in Anakin. He goes from commiting mass murder rated E for everyone to understanding that his loved ones would not want him to seek revenge in this way, but then he backslides into this lightsaber is rated E for everyone by Revenge of the Sith. Logically he should know that Padmé would never have wanted him to do what he did; he has to know what he’s doing is wrong, but he’s incapable of seeing another way out because he cannot handle even the thought of losing Padmé. He’s too desperate to not lose her, and so sure that there’s no other option that he manages to convince himself that he needs to do this for her. I find this entire arc really interesting but unless i want to be here all day the most i can do here is point out that it exists and that it peaks in the Rako Hardeen arc. Surprisingly i do have a life outside of writing long posts, and i lack the time and energy to analyze all of Clone Wars and write about every event that led to Darth Vader (there are so many). On top of that i actually haven’t seen all of Clone Wars; just the episodes most important to understanding Anakin’s fall.

Onto my next point, we just talked about the growth Anakin showed in this episode; now onto why i believe that this arc was instrumental in Anakin’s fall. (Disclaimer: I do not think that removing this arc alone could have saved Anakin, but i do believe it would have helped a good bit). I’ve already touched on Anakin and Obi-Wan’s bond so im not gonna do that again. 

Ive said it before and i will say it again; it was super fucked up of Obi-Wan and everyone else on the Council to use Anakin’s (and Ahsoka’s) reactions Obi-Wan’s “death” for their own gain. It was super manipulative and they absolutely knew what they were doing.  Obi-Wan even explicitly says, “Keeping Anakin on the outside was critical. Everyone knows how close we are. It was his reaction that sold the sniper. I'm sure of it.”(Deception season 2 episode 15). He knows just how devastated Anakin would be by his death, and he uses like Anakin and his mental and emotional well-being mean nothing to him (I know this isn’t true but its probably not hard to believe that someone doesn't care about your feelings when they’ve just tricked you into thinking they’ve died for their own gain). The Council really proves time and time again that they do not care about Anakin’s (or maybe anyone’s; Anakin was far from the only one close to Obi-Wan left unaware of his deception) mental or emotional wellbeing, but tbh i think this is the worst example of how callous the Council can be. And on top of all of that it was Obi-Wan who decided to keep Anakin in the dark Obi-Wan who should have known better; if we assume that Anakin is at least 20 in Clone Wars; Obi-Wan has known Anakin for at least 10 years, and has practically raised him from the age of 9, and yet somehow, somehow he had this idea and didn't see a single thing wrong with it. (And they really picked the worst possible person for this; like yea let’s trick the most unstable Jedi we have into thinking his closest friend/ father figure was murdered)

This arc’s main purpose (IMO) is to really show the beginnings of Anakin losing faith in the Jedi and putting more and more faith in Palpatine. Anakin trusted Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan betrayed that trust. Beyond that Palpatine is able to make Anakin begin to doubt how much the Council is telling him if they didnt tell him something as crucial as this. We even see Anakin parroting Palpatine’s “concerns” of the council not telling Anakin the full truth the Obi-Wan and the end of the arc. This arc is instrumental is establishing Anakin’s loss of faith in the council and shows how much he trusts Palpatine and sees him as a real friend.

Anyway I’m sure I had more I wanted to touch onand if I remember I will definitely edit this post but for the now I just wanna say. A) I love Obi-Wan a lot; this arc just really was not it. I do not understand how he thought this was in any way acceptable but I do still really like him. B) i fully understand that Anakin’s actions are his own and he does take a share of the blame for his own fall.

[padme-amitabha]

Just popping in to say, I agree with you on the Master/Padawan ships being ew. But, as an Obidala shipper, I kinda want to ask that anon why Obidala would mean not understanding the characters? I mean, I've read books upon books in the EU and have a fairly good grasp on the two of them and I feel like they're more compatible personality& morality wise than anidala. (Not saying anidala is bad, because it's not. I ship it, too, just not as much as obidala). Plus there's just the whole part in the RotS novel where Padmé realizes that although she loves Anakin, she doesn't trust him. But she trusts Obi-Wan. Which, for me, is why I ship Obidala just a bit more than anidala because trust is everything, and it's canon that anidala keeps so many secrets from each other.

Also just... Insert that tik tok that's like "So you're telling me Padmé Amidala, former queen of naboo..." Here

I don’t know about the other anon but the reason I don’t ship Obidala is because I don’t think they are compatible. I view Obi-Wan as someone who puts duty and the Jedi council above everything else (I mean it literally took Anakin being burned alive for Obi-Wan to tell him he loved him) and also him being alright with lying to Luke about Vader being his father. Also, both in canon and legends, he chose duty over love (with Siri and Satine). Obi-Wan falls in love with them, that’s for sure, but it’s very different from Anakin as he notes in the book Secrets of the Jedi: 

But the way Obi-Wan had spoken had been so measured. With a temperament like that, it was impossible to love, Anakin was sure.

Padme, on the other hand, is someone who puts love above duty and chose that many times (especially when she decided to marry Anakin, and then overlooking his crimes on Mustafar and giving him a chance to be with her). Anakin has the same sense of compassion and values love more than duty and I think that’s what she admires about Anakin too. I think Anakin and Padme have a lot in common than she could ever have with Obi-Wan. I see Obi-Wan as the type to value the order he’s in whereas Padme (from AOTC novelization) also longed for a life free of responsibilities but ultimately couldn't because she felt she had a duty. But you are entitled to your own opinion so it’s cool.

Even Anakin notes they are very similar in AOTC novelization: 

Anakin shook his head doubtfully, but he wasn’t bothered by the possibility. In a strange way, he was glad that Padmé knew the rhyme, glad that it was a common gift from mothers to their children. And glad, especially, that he and Padmé had yet another thing in common.

 Ah yes. I remember that Tik Tok about what Padme ever saw in Anakin but I think there’s a lot of admirable qualities in Anakin (especially in movies, I don’t mean in TCW because I don’t like TCW’s take on their relationship which fundamentally changed their characters from the movies) so we may be talking about completely different versions of the characters here. 

Here’s some excerpts from novelizations regarding what made Padme fall for Anakin: 

She could see him now, not as a Jedi Padawan and her protector, but just as a young man. A handsome young man, and one whose actions repeatedly professed his love for her. A dangerous young man, to be sure, a Jedi who was thinking about things he should not. A man who was inevitably following the call of his heart above that of pragmatism and propriety. And all for her. Padmé couldn’t deny the attractiveness of that. 

But still, as she stood there looking upon him, his face now serene, she couldn’t deny the attraction. He seemed to her like a young hero, a budding Jedi—and she had no doubt that he would be among the greatest that great Order had ever known. And at the same time, he seemed to her to be the same little kid she had known during the war with the Trade Federation, inquisitive and impetuous, aggravating and charming all at once. 

She loved the way he was reacting to this place, to all of Naboo, his simple joys forcing her to see things as she had when she was younger, before the real world had pushed her to a place of responsibility. It surprised her that a Jedi Padawan would be so ... She couldn’t think of the word. Carefree? Joyous? Spirited? Some combination of the three?

Padmé’s hand slowly dropped to her side and she sat listening in amazement at how honestly he was opening up before her, baring his heart though he knew she might tear it asunder with a single word. She was honored by the thought, and truly touched.

A man who knew exactly what he wanted and was honest enough to simply ask for it; a man strong enough to unroll his deepest feelings before her without fear and without shame. A man who had loved her for a decade, with faithful and patient heart, while he waited for the act of destiny he was sure would someday open her own heart to the fire in his.

He is not a perfect man: he is prideful, and moody, and quick to anger—but these faults only make her love him the more, for his every flaw is more than balanced by the greatness within him, his capacity for joy and cleansing laughter, his extraordinary generosity of spirit, his passionate devotion not only to her but also in the service of every living being.

So, Padme loved Anakin for all his honesty, recklessness and flaws, and I think they were both people who loved too wholeheartedly (and maybe a little selfishly), wanted a family together, and idealized each other which made them overlook each other’s flaws. I don’t really agree they didn’t trust each other. There were many lines at the beginning of ROTS about them trusting each other. 

He could feel her patience, and her trust, and he was so grateful for both that tears welled once more.

I don’t think they started keeping secrets until the very end of ROTS because Padme had given her word to the other Senators to keep all the Rebellion stuff a secret and even then she wanted to tell Anakin but he was siding with Palpatine and refused to listen. And even then she was very uncomfortable about having to keep a secret from Anakin so it’s safe to guess they didn’t have a habit of keeping secrets from the other. 

Don’t make me lie to my husband was her unspoken plea. She tried to convey it with her eyes. Please, Bail. Don’t make me lie to him. It will break his heart.

Also, Anakin in ROTS was really unstable and sleep-deprived and he was constantly being manipulated by Palpatine and the Jedi weren’t helping either. Obi-Wan is more collected and reliable and they were good friends so it makes sense why Padme trusted Obi-Wan about this more than Anakin. Also, didn’t Obi-Wan sneak into her ship and betrayed her in a sense? 

That said, I am not against Obidala and it could work in fanon but I personally don’t see them growing close in the actual story.