#Robert Droid

[science70]

Robert Droid, Enigma Force, date unknown.

[sebsxphia]

I apologize if I start spamming you with shit. Honestly you are the only person I feel can share Top Gun shit with 😂

But the dagger squad making those couple tie blankets with their SO! (This one is a single blanket but I’ve been some where they do two blankets for each of them) Like what a cute fucking thing. I can totally see Jake picking out a Longhorns fabric.

I’m curious what you think of this? In your opinion what patterns/fabric do you think the others would choose for their side of the blanket?

never apologise my love! you’re always welcome to discuss top gun with me! 🥰

oh and i love this idea so much! especially if it doubled up and you had your fabric one side, and theirs the other! okay so…

jake. longhorns, yes!

bradley. a hawaiian print.

bob. a print with little model aeroplanes.

mickey. a pop culture print, star trek/wars, zelda etc.

natasha. an illustrated cats print.

rueben. this is oddly specific, but i know him, a print of little teddy bears.

javy. a print with vintage cars and motorbikes.

let me know what you think my love! thank you so much for this totally sweet idea! 💌

[highgroundanimations]

Some Tukk Tales BTS details! ✨

visually, this is a one-man project (aside from Robert Hranitzky's awesome titles/logo), got AMAZING people for everything sound related though

I made every 3d model from scratch, textures are mostly hand-painted, everything is keyframe-animated

mostly using Blender (with some addons & my own scripts), Substance Painter, Photoshop, Blackmagic Fusion/DaVinci & Embergen

with most of the shortfilm still being in rough previz phase, all teaser trailer shots were finalized early, within less than 4 weeks & will get some tweaks/improvements for the final release

for generating the laser FX I wrote a Blender addon & put it for free on Gumroad

lots of trickery in compositing for the smoke FX to keep render times low

the music was composed just for this teaser trailer specifically, by the extremely talented Luis Humanoide who did an exceptional job in very short time. Go check out his work!

saw some people assume the voices are AI. Nope! I wouldn't be comfortable with that. That's Tyler Weston as the clones & AVeryDandyLad & I as the battle droids

all edited & mixed by my dear friend Jonas Hausotter, with some additional sound work by Kyberphonic

[seresinhangmanjake]

Space Daggers (tgm/star wars (prequels))

The Apprentice - Jake Seresin

The Senator - Natasha Trace

The Master - Reuben Fitch

(More below the cut)

The Sith Lord - Bradley Bradshaw

The Leader of the Council - Javy Machado

The Droid Duo - Mickey Garcia & Robert Floyd

[screechthemighty]

Titanfall fic writing is back, babey!! Fun fact, I started writing this *checks notes* literal years ago, but only just now circled back to it now that I'm filling in the holes in the Titanfall part of my Respawn Cinematic Universe. I will be eventually circling back to the stuff that happens after The Citadel, don't worry! I just wanted to get this one out of the way (again: literal years). AO3 link will be in a reblog, but you can read the first chapter below!

crash and burn (and then return again) | a titanfall 2 fanficpart one

cw: vomiting, loss/grief, shutdown, references to alcoholism

.

Things would’ve gone a lot differently if he were a in movie. For starters, Cooper wouldn’t have passed out within five minutes of arriving on the main battleship.

That was his own fault. His body had been giving him signs it was going to quit on him the whole flight back. He was shaky, almost dizzy, nauseous, and it felt like someone had replaced his brain with piles of stuffing. Cooper had figured it was just the adrenaline. Been there, done that. He’d be fine once he had something to eat and some real sleep. He didn’t say anything because it wasn’t a big deal.

Turned out it, was a big deal.

His memories of what exactly happened were hazy. Commander Briggs was there, he knew that, and Robert Taube. He remembered there were a lot of other people, and that he thought it was all those eyes on him (even in a positive light) that were making him feel worse. He tried to be subtle about excusing himself. He wasn’t sure if he succeeded or not; he thought someone followed him, but he couldn’t remember if it was Commander Briggs or Taube or both. Maybe it was neither. But he was pretty sure he remembered someone asking if he was okay, and replying that he didn’t feel so hot.

That must’ve been when he passed out, because his next concrete memory was lying on a moving gurney and someone checking his pulse “...repeated physical contact with an unknown energy source, we have no idea…” someone was saying.

Cooper risked opening his eyes. Commander Briggs was there, Taube, too, and a nurse, and a medical droid. It wasn’t that big of an audience, but it felt like a whole stadium of people once he realized what happened. “Did I throw up on anyone?” he mumbled.

“No,” Taube replied bluntly. “You about to?”

“...uhm…”

He must’ve gone grey or green or whatever color you turned when you were about to puke, because Taube swore and got out of the way. At least that way, Cooper didn’t throw up on anyone. Puking on the floor in front of his new CO, a respected war hero, and two medics was still in the top ten most humiliating moments of his life. There wasn’t much in his stomach to throw up, just water and one and a half energy bars. But apparently his body really didn’t want it.

There was a hand on his shoulder, someone asking him something, but Cooper barely registered the question. He stared down at the floor, eyes defocused. This had happened before, right? Fracture? Yeah. Fracture. He’d hit his head, suffered a concussion. Did he have another concussion? He’d fallen so many times on Typhon. He’d thought the jump kit and the helmet would take the worst of it but…hell, he didn’t know. He had no clue what he was doing. “Shit,” he muttered.

“Were you given any medication during Broadsword?” asked the med droid. Its voice was neutral in a calming way, but higher pitched than BT’s had been.  Thinking about BT made his stomach churn. “Exposure to any other energy sources?”

Had he? So much had happened. He could barely keep track. “Uhm...s-sansufentynal. After my drop pod landed. And...Lastimosa…” The name tasted bitter in his mouth. “…gave me something, I don’t know what. He said it might knock me out, but I’d feel better once I woke up. I was in a power chamber, there was some radiation, but I think it wasn’t so long that my suit couldn’t handle it.”

“Understood.” The med droid began speaking in softer tones to the medic, something about blood work and scans; Cooper was too busy trying to control his still-revolting stomach to really pay attention.

Am I dying? Did I really survive all that bullshit just to die like this?

“You’re not dying,” said Taube roughly. Cooper looked up at him, confused. Had he said that out loud? How out of it was he right now? “Just keep it together, kid. We’re gonna get you help.”

He was the one resting a hand on Cooper’s shoulder. The reassuring pressure of the grip contrasted with the way Taube actually looked: worn down, five o’clock shadow, bags under his eyes. He looked just as ready to pass out as Cooper felt.

Cooper couldn’t blame him for that. It had been a hell of a long day. Using the past tense didn’t feel right, though. A day like that couldn’t just be…over. Not like this. Not with…

He lay back down and shut his eyes tightly.

He can’t be gone.

How can he just be gone?

The thought kept echoing in his head as they dragged him into a private room in the medbay. Cooper went through the motions, sitting up, letting them look him over, responding to any questions he knew the answers to. The answers kept getting shorter and shorter; if that concerned the medics, Cooper barely noticed. Everything was growing more distant—sounds, sensations, the overall feeling of reality. All he wanted to do was curl up somewhere quiet and dark and sleep.

Sleep and wake up in a world where BT wasn’t gone.

.

Cooper had gone quiet.

Barker hadn’t noticed it at first. He’d only realized because he’d happened to glance in Cooper’s direction. He was hunched over, face buried in his hands, not making a sound even as his shoulders shook slightly. Barker wasn’t shocked—after everything Cooper had been through, having an emotional crash with the physical one wasn’t out of the blue or anything.

Should I do something?

Barker barely knew the guy from Adam, but he had a feeling Briggs didn’t either. That might’ve been part of the problem, now that he thought about it. All that shit and no one he could talk to about it.  Still, one of us should say something. Briggs was still talking intensely with the human medic, and the bot didn’t look like the reassuring type. It was either interrupt or…

He sighed. Ah, screw it. “Hey, Cooper?” Barker said carefully as he stepped forward.

Cooper didn’t reply.

Shit. “Cooper?” Barker repeated, a bit louder this time. When that didn’t get a response, he knew it was time to switch tactics. Cooper had been a rifleman before this; maybe he just needed a good prod from a CO to get him out of it. “Pilot,” Barker tried, trying to force his voice back into tones he hadn’t used since the IMC.

Still nothing.

Except he hadn’t been pilot for longer than a few days, right? Field promotion, no time to get used to it. So maybe…

“Hey, Rifleman.”

Cooper straightened up immediately, shoulders squared, hands dropping down from his face. “Sir,” he said. His eyes were pink, still wet with tears. He didn’t seem to register who Barker was at first; his body just responded to the rank. Muscle memory. Hell of a thing.

Barker had Cooper’s attention all right, but now he didn’t know what to do with it.

“You, uh…” Barker took another few steps forward and clumsily rested a hand on Cooper’s shoulder. “You okay?”

The kid looked at him like he was trying to figure out the right answer to the question.

That look didn’t last long. Whatever it was Cooper was trying to press down and re-shape into an acceptable answer shattered like a glass bottle. His composure and decorum went with it. Next thing Barker knew, the kid’s face was pressed against his chest as his body heaved with audible sobs.

Damn it, I am not equipped for this.

Though he may have been more prepared than everyone else there. Briggs looked just as caught off-guard as he did, and the medbot wasn’t going to be any help. The flesh and blood medic looked lost, too. Barker shot them all a baffled look as he clumsily patted Cooper’s shoulder. You’re gonna let me do this? Really? “’S’okay. Let it out.” Don’t worry about me telling anyone. I will definitely be drinking enough to forget this. “I’m sorry.”

The words tasted sharp, bitter. I get it. That part was left unspoken, but he did. The empty hole in your head, in your soul. You formed bonds quickly in combat. Cooper might not have had the years of connection Barker had with Juliet, but that wouldn’t make it hurt less. Someone sacrificing themselves for you never went down easily.

Barker gritted his teeth. Definitely drinking tonight.

“You’re safe now,” he said instead. “We’ve got you, kid.”

Cooper’s sobs slowed eventually. He let go of Barker’s jumpsuit, instead tightly hugging himself. He rocked slightly in place—self-soothing, if Barker had to guess—and his eyes stayed clenched shut. “Can’t,” he choked out.

“Can’t what?”

“It…mmph.” His shoulders hunched more tightly, like he was trying to shrink into himself. “Bright.”

Briggs finally snapped out of it and went to dim the lights. The medbot said something to the human medic, who cursed quietly and started digging around through some nearby drawers. Barker, meanwhile, crouched in front of Cooper, trying to catch his gaze. “That better?” A pause. A nod. “Anything hurt? Like, about to drop dead hurt?”

Cooper hugged himself more tightly. Damn it, I’m making things worse again. Barker didn’t think this was a panic attack; he’d seen plenty of those before. So what is it? What’s wrong?

The medic nudged him aside gently and held out something to Cooper. “Here,” she said. “Do you think you can use this?”

She small tablet she’d passed him had an application open with a bunch of buttons. Barker could see an alphabet, and some standard words and phrases. Cooper took the tablet, then stared at the application as if trying to register what he was looking at. After a lengthy pause, he tapped one of the options.

“No.”

Okay, they were getting somewhere. “No, nothing hurts?” Barker guessed. Cooper nodded. “What do you need, kid?”

A pause. This time, Cooper tapped at the letters.

“Alone.”

…yeah. Fair.

“Can we clear the room, guys?” the medic asked. To Cooper, she added, “We’ll be just outside. Come get us if you need anything, okay?”

She seemed confident that Cooper wouldn’t hurt himself or have a heart attack, so Barker followed the others outside. He took one more glance at Cooper as he stepped out, and almost wished he hadn’t. The freshly minted pilot had hunched back over, the tablet hugged tightly to his chest. It was something no one should see, least of all the drunk who’d only just met the poor guy.

Barker looked away. Jack Cooper was going to be the talk of the town when they got back to Harmony. The least they could do was let him grieve in private while he still could.

[mingos-commodoreblog]

C64 Graphic - Big Droid by Robert Ramsay, 2023

[sixties-doctor-who-stan]

It feels weird that Terrence Dicks only died in 2019, like a lot of his contemporaries (like Malcolm Hulke and Robert Holmes) died decades earlier and even Barry Letts died in 2009.

Was watching the Terrance Dicks tribute on the Season 8 Blu-Ray and was shocked that he had Doctor Who figures in his house! Not just Classic Who, he even had the Anne-droid and a Kerblam! robot (Kerblam! came out in 2018!)

Was also surprised that Frank Skinner was presenting and not Toby Hadoke (since it’s usually Toby Hadoke)

It was an interesting tribute, I didn’t know there was a place called East Ham.

And I think his writing principles were something to admire (“don’t turn a late writing day into a no writing day” was my favourite)

His sexism was mentioned a little bit but is mainly just a “humorous” anecdote. I don’t think they NEEDED to dwell on it, btw, since this is a tribute but maybe treat it a little more seriously?

I do think he was an important figure to Who but the fact he lived much longer than other writers and interacted a lot with fans definitely makes him more “familiar” to fans than someone like Robert Holmes or especially David Whittaker (who were equally important writers — even if I personally don’t like a lot of Holmes’s writing)

This is a bit of a ramble but just my thoughts I guess

[lamaenthel]

Tivaevae | Chapter Five: Basting

Still struggling to emotionally recover from Master Obi-Wan's deception, Ahsoka discovers in the aftermath that twelve-year-old Boba Fett has been locked up among adults in the Republic Judiciary Central Detention Center. After convincing Chancellor Palpatine to grant him a pardon, she manages to secure his release on the condition that she serve as his legal guardian. Now, with the help of Master Plo and the Wolfpack, she vows to help him track down what family he has left.

| AO3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |

Fandom: Star Wars Characters: Ahsoka Tano, Boba Fett, Plo Koon, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, Kanan Jarrus, Sheev Palpatine | Darth Sidious, CT-27-5555 | ARC-5555 | Fives, CC-1119 | Appo, Dexter Jettster, FLO | WA-7 (Star Wars), Shaak Ti, ARC Commander Blitz (Star Wars), CT-6922 | Dogma, Original Clone Trooper Character(s) (Star Wars), CC-3636 | Wolffe, Clone Trooper Sinker (Star Wars), Clone Trooper Comet (Star Wars), CC-2224 | Cody, CT-5597 | Jesse, CT-4860 | Boost, Aurra Sing, Tobias Beckett, Null-11 | Ordo Skirata, Kal Skirata, Original Mandalorian Characters (Star Wars), Original Droid Characters (Star Wars), Original Jedi Character(s) (Star Wars) Total Word Count: 123,000 Chapter Word Count: 8,154 Chapter Summary: Boba has a hard time on Kamino, and Ahsoka gets a bad feeling about the storm keeping them there.

Comet, alongside Koon at the helm, set the ship down on the landing pad. It was raining hard; Boba had almost forgotten just how fast the rain came down on Kamino.

"This will hopefully be a short trip," Koon said, initiating the lockdown sequence. "However, we will be leaving with a new man in tow. The Wolfpack has long had need of a medic, and we have found him."

"Really, Sir?" Wolffe asked, his eyebrows up. "Is he shiny?"

"He is a veteran of New Bornalex, actually." Koon gestured at Boba and Tano to follow him to the airlock. "Formerly attached to the 21st Nova Corps, Mangle is a skilled Marine medic who sustained a rather devastating injury but is finally ready to return to duty."

"Not surprised Bacara transferred him out, then," Wolffe muttered.

"Boba, you didn't happen to bring any crayons with you from prison, did you?" Sinker snickered.

Boba raised an eyebrow. "You think there's crayons in prison?"

"We'll have to stop by the nursery and see if the tubies have any– hey!" Sinker rubbed where Boost had elbowed him in the gut.

Koon sighed like a long-suffering father. He sort of was, Boba had come to realize. He spent all of his money on snacks for his soldiers and he was pretty sure that he had caught Wolffe mouthing buir more than once. He almost reminded him of Kal, if Kal wasn't a complete fucking shitstain cunt. The Wolfpack, as they called themselves, seemed to all adore him.

The ramp lowered and the group hurried down, jogging together to the entrance while squinting at the ground. They spread out once inside, shaking themselves like wet massiffs. Boba felt a sort of malicious glee seeing the gray water all over the sterile white floor.

"So, is there a bell that we ring or something?" Tano asked, rolling her left arm and wincing like she'd just gotten punched. She had done that earlier, too, after they'd been dancing for almost an hour straight and she had accidentally smacked her arm on the bunk ladder.

"No need," Koon said mildly, then gestured down the hall.

Nala Se, flanked by Commander Blitz and a tall, red-skinned Togruta woman with a lightsaber were approaching. Boba could just barely see the stock of a shotgun poking over the back of Blitz's shoulder, and he had a hand on one of his two DC-17s.

"Master Jedi." Nala Se bowed to Koon. "I am pleased to welcome you to Tipoca City. And I am glad to see that you did not perish on Geonosis alongside your father, Boba."

Boba stared at the ground and suddenly wished that he hadn't left Robert on the ship. He really didn't want to be back here. Tano placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and squeezed. He felt a little better with her hand there, much to his annoyance.

"Boozhoo, Ahsoka." The tall Togruta Jedi that was stationed at Tipoca City pulled her away from him and into a hug. His shoulder felt cold where her hand had been. "It's been too long, ogichidaakwe."

"It has, Master Shaak-Ti." Tano rubbed her left lek on the older woman's face and let her cheek be rubbed in return. They both purred like sleeping tookas. He didn't mind tookas, but the one time Dad had let him hold one he'd had a sneezing fit that lasted hours.

"Boba, you appear to be injured. May I offer the services of our medical center?" Nala Se tilted her head at him. "We are capable of…"

His heart pounded in his ears, drowning out the longneck's voice. He didn't want to go to that medical center. He already knew what they'd do, he remembered the way Dad would limp for days after the longnecks drilled into his hip to take his marrow. That's all he'd be, just a fucking bag of DNA for the rest of his life, tied down to a table with needles in his bones and those souless fucking demagolkase peering down at him calling him 'it' and he'd never see the sun again, just hear rain pounding against the roof and the thunder shaking the walls–

Before he could say anything Tano had stepped out of the other Tog's embrace and put herself in between him and Nala Se.

"No," Tano said in a voice that made the hair on Boba's neck stand up. "He doesn't go anywhere without me." She stepped behind Boba and put both of her hands on his shoulders.

Nala Se blinked her big black eyes at Tano. "It will take but a moment."

"I said no." Tano squeezed his shoulders and– was she growling? "We did not come here for medical attention. His injuries have been treated already. Nothing but time is required."

Nala Se nodded. "Please let me know if there is anything else I can do to aid you."

"Have Jango's quarters unlocked for us." Tano glanced skyward as an unexpected crack! of thunder shook the ceiling. The storm was picking up. "And I want to see Corporal Dogma."

"That will not be possible," Nala Se said, bowing her head apologetically. "It is a matter of your safety, Padawan. CT-6922 killed a Jedi. He must not be allowed near one ever again."

Boba nearly choked. A clone had killed a Jedi? Fucking hell, that was a sentence he'd never expected to hear. They were programmed from birth to worship the bastards, how could he have ever raised a weapon to one?

"I want to see Dogma," Tano said, stressing the name. "I accept the risk. You will not be liable for anything that happens to me."

"Ahsoka," Koon chided her without any real heat.

"I apologize, but the answer is still no," Nala Se said.

Tano's hands tightened on his shoulders. "Is he armed?" she asked harshly.

"No, of course not."

"Does he possess the Force?"

Nala Se looked offended. "I do not understand your line of questioning."

"I dueled Pre Viszla," she said sharply. "I fought Asajj Ventress, faced General Grievous twice, and I killed the scion of a Mandalorian clan along with over a dozen of his vassals without my lightsabers and walked away victorious from every single fight. What is Dogma capable of that makes him so deadly that my safety is at risk?"

Boba's jaw dropped to his chest, barely able to comprehend what she'd just rattled off so casually. "Holy shit," he said faintly, and the other Togruta Jedi covered her mouth and laughed softly.

Ahsoka winked at him.

Nala Se's right eyelid twitched. "ARC-2485 will escort you." Beside her, Blitz shifted his weight. "You may visit with CT-6922 for one minute, no longer."

Tano smiled wide enough for her fangs to show. "Thank you, Doctor," she said pleasantly. "I'll tell Dogma that you said hello."

Nala Se bowed her head and turned to sway gently down the hallway. Boba wondered if Tano knew what it looked like when a longneck got pissed, because the stoic, bug-eyed bitch was giving a great demonstration.

"Well done," Shaak-Ti said, her eyes twinkling. She rubbed her lek on Tano and made that rumbling noise again.

"Nobody is going to touch you, Boba, I swear," Tano said quietly in his ear. "Ni ven'kyramu ad'kebbur."

Boba nodded. After that speech, he believed her. And he was pretty sure she'd enjoy it. He was beginning to see why Tiarek liked her so much. Dad would have liked her, too, he realized. She had mandokar, the fighting spirit. He just… hadn't expected it in a Jedi.

"Come on." She clapped him on the shoulders. "Master Plo, after we see Dogma we're going to Boba's old quarters to look for anything that Jango may have left behind about the Cuy'val Dar."

Koon nodded at them, and although it was hard to tell, it looked like he was smiling. "I will accompany Master Shaak-Ti. Wolffe, Sinker, please go with Ahsoka, Boba, and Blitz. Boost, Comet, with me."

"I believe that we will be able to find information on the Mandalorians you speak of in the Kaminoan archives," Shaak-Ti added. "I know your time is limited, but I will see you again before you depart, dear girl." She winked at him. "And it was lovely to meet you, Boba."

"You too," Boba mumbled, looking at the ground.

"Alright, let's get going." Blitz jerked his head and took off in the opposite direction of Koon.

Tano kept her hand on his shoulder as they followed Blitz to a part of the facility that he'd never been to. He didn't even know they had a detention center. When he'd been growing up, if a clone didn't meet the longnecks' standards then they'd get an appointment with the incinerator, not locked up.

Maybe the Kaminoans were just that desperate for the clones they'd made when they still had access to Dad's marrow.

The Kaminoan detention center wasn't exactly impressive. It was a circular chamber with eight locked doors. Blitz led them through the first one on the left and they crowded into what was barely bigger than a closet; there was a door on the far right side which opened to yet another door where the prisoner was kept, and most of the room was taken up by a desk under an observation window.

"Nala Se said one minute, so you get one minute," Blitz said as he undid a series of electronic locks. "No touching the prisoner, no secret messages, no sneaking him any objects. Behave or I'll yank you out."

Tano smirked. Boba had a feeling that she wanted to see him try. "Stay here," she told him. "I'll just be a minute."

"If you aren't, Blitz is coming after you," Wolffe said wryly.

"Be right back." Tano gave him a wink and walked through the heavy door Blitz was holding open for her.

Wolffe pushed Boba over to the observation window overlooking the tiny room. There was a clone laying on his side in bed with a beard, shaggy hair and a hollow expression. He had a stylized V tattooed across his face and he was as thin as a wheat stalk. Dad's clones were altered to put on muscle easier than breathing; for him to be as thin as he was, he couldn't have been eating anything at all.

"Let's see how quick it takes her to break the 'no touching' rule," Wolffe mumbled, smirking at Sinker.

"I give her fifteen seconds," Sinker whispered.

"Generous," Wolffe quipped back.

"If he killed a Jedi, why does Tano want to see him so bad?" Boba asked Wolffe.

Wolffe glanced at Sinker. "It's a long story," he said quietly. "We'll talk about it once we leave."

"On program," Blitz ordered through the microphone sitting on the desk.

Dogma didn't move.

"I said on program, Corporal. Now."

Dogma dragged himself to his feet and stood, swaying slightly, and placed his hands on the back of his head. His arms were like twigs and his ribs jutted out through the gap between the top and bottom of his red fatigues.

Boba didn't know how to feel about it.

Blitz turned up the audio so they could hear their conversation, then crossed his arms.

"Dogma!" Tano charged through the final door once it unlocked and immediately embraced the emaciated man.

"Told you," Wolffe snickered.

"Commander?" Dogma's eyes went wide and after a second of shock he returned her hug. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and broke down into tears. "Commander, I'm… I'm so sorry, I'm so, so sorry."

"Don't touch the prisoner, Commander Tano!" Blitz bellowed into the microphone. He was too loud, the speaker shrieked from the feedback.

"Ke'shabi nebat," Tano snarled over her shoulder, then pulled back and cupped Dogma's face. "Ke'sushi, Dogma," she said rapidly in Mando'a, so quiet that Boba could barely hear it over the speaker. "Gar cuy cin'kar'ta. Gar cuy jat'verd. Gar ru'cabuor Republika. Ni partayli. Gar vode partayli. Ni ven'akaani akay gar cuy yaim. Ne noy'ganar manda. Mhi ne'nibra."

"Now, Commander!" Blitz yelled again. He stomped away from the desk and unlocked the second door.

"Do you understand? I won't stop, Dogma." Tano smoothed his overgrown hair out of his face.

"On program!"

"Commander, please don't leave me here," Dogma sobbed.

She was crying now, too. She pulled him into another hug. "I'm sorry, Dogma."

"On fucking program now, prisoner!" Blitz ripped the third door open and jerked her out of Dogma's arms with one strong hand.

"Don't touch her!" Dogma screeched, grabbing at Blitz; Boba could do nothing but stare as he saw the clone go for Blitz's sidearm in a panic, trying to protect his Jedi.

"Shab," Wolffe snarled. He stepped away from the window and tried the door, but it was locked and keyed for the Kamino guard alone.

Tano brought her arms up hard like wings, freeing herself from the wampa hold, and at the same time she dropped down to one knee. She locked her ankle around Blitz's and then used his own body weight to flip him over her head and onto his back. She spun over him, still kneeling, and pinned him to the ground with a knee on his throat. "Stand down, Corporal!" she ordered Dogma.

Dogma retreated to the wall and stood at attention, suddenly every inch a soldier again. "Sir, yes Sir!" he barked. There was a spark of life in his eyes where there hadn't been a minute earlier.

"Well I'll be damned," Sinker mumbled to himself.

Boba blew out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. That was fucking wizard.

"That was for your safety," Tano said quietly to Blitz. "I'm going to let you up now, Commander. No hard feelings, 'lek?" She released him and stood, keeping herself between Blitz and Dogma.

Blitz was on his feet in less than a second and shaking with anger. "Out," he seethed. "Now."

"Alright, alright." Tano held her hands up, smiled at Dogma one last time, then let Blitz shove her out.

Boba could barely comprehend what he'd just seen. Tano had flipped a fucking ARC twice her size like he was a sack of tatos, and she'd done it using an Echani throw. Since when did the Jedi learn Echani?

"Everyone, move," Blitz snapped, marching Tano forward with a heavy hand latched around her rear lek. The three scuffled to get through the door behind Blitz and Tano before they got too far. He walked her out of the circular antechamber and back out into the hall.

"You were given specific instructions–"

"By Nala Se, yes," Tano said with a smirk. She smacked his hand away from her lek. "I am under no obligation to follow her orders."

"And by me–"

"You don't outrank me." She actually fucking giggled. Was she insane?

"Listen here, you insubordinate little shit–" Blitz yanked her back by the shoulder and slammed her against the wall with his arm across her chest.

Wolffe and Sinker immediately lunged forward to intercept the furious ARC, but not before Boba had snatched Sinker's deece out of its holster. "Let her go," he said calmly, pointing it at Blitz.

The amused little tooka-like smirk dropped off of Tano's face and was replaced with fear. "Boba, no!" she gasped.

"Calm down, it's on stun." Boba double checked then flipped a switch. "Okay, now it's on stun."

Blitz lowered his arm and backed off, and Boba was pretty sure that he had turned purple under his bucket.

"Boba, put the blaster down," Tano ordered.

Boba immediately flipped the safety on then handed it back to Sinker by the barrel.

"I think we can find our way from here, Commander," Tano said calmly, stepping away from the wall and in front of Boba.

Blitz snorted. "Have fun. Prime's old quarters are on the sixth floor, section Tau, all the way at the end of the hall. Doubt you'll find anything, though, they emptied it the day after he bit it."

Boba's heart stopped. "What? What did they do with all of our stuff?" Boba asked faintly.

"Incinerator, probably." Blitz spun on his heel and charged away, his kama flapping angrily with every step.

"Incin–" Boba said to himself in disbelief. No, they couldn't have just thrown it in the incinerator.

"Boba, look at me." Tano leaned down until she was at eye level with him. "Take a deep breath. It's going to be okay."

"They– he was just being mean, right?" Boba nearly whispered.

"I don't know," she said quietly, then put her hands on his shoulders. "Just breathe for a few seconds with me."

He squeezed his eyes shut. It couldn't be gone. Blitz was just being a dickhead because he was mad at Tano for flipping him. It wasn't gone. "We have to go see!" he said urgently, then bolted.

"Boba, wait!" Tano called after him.

He was already halfway down the hall. He slid around the corner and found the staircase, the one with the squeaky step on the third level that sounded exactly like an aiwha screeching, and he made it up faster than ever now that his ribs weren't on fire. He heard shouting behind him from Tano and the Wolfpack but he didn't care, they knew where he was going.

He had to see. He had to.

He burst onto the sixth floor and made a beeline for his quarters. Everything looked the same, even at this speed, and it almost made him dizzy with the memories that came flooding back.

"Come on, Bo'ika, it's time for bed. You can watch them practice tomorrow."

"Boba, look, I did it! Dad, I did the knot just like you showed me!"

"Smile big for Mama! Cassus, don't pull Tiarek's hair–"

"Boba, what did I tell you about dropping Reks'ika's tooka doll down the vent?"

"You're leaving again, aren't you?"

"Look Boba, we twins!"

"Mama loves you so much, my Bo'ika."

"Daddy, you hurt him! Wexika!"

"Pack your things. We're leaving."

Boba reached his home and slid the door open, fully expecting his father to be sitting on the couch with his mouth hanging open and snoring, dead asleep halfway through another holo.

It was empty. Completely empty. Even the furniture was gone. The couch that had a bite mark on the leg from Mird chewing on it, their round meal table with the paint stains, the holoprojector that went as big as the whole wall, the height markings that Dad had proudly recorded on his birthday every year in the kitchen, Dad's quetarra; all gone. He rushed into Dad's room and climbed the closet shelves like he'd done a hundred times before.

Boba's eyes burned. It was gone. Everything was gone. It was like they'd never even existed. He dropped from the shelves and sank down to his knees. He felt exactly like the home he'd grown up in.

Empty.

"Boba? No, you guys stay out. Just stay out, okay? I've got it." Tano placed a hesitant hand on his back. "Boba?"

"It's gone," Boba whispered. "It's…" His eyes hurt so badly, why did they hurt? He couldn't breathe through his nose, either. "He's gone."

There was no pretending anymore. Dad was gone. The Slave I was gone. Now, even the last things he had of his dead mother and brother were gone.

"Ahsoka," he cried, and curled up on himself. "It's gone."

"Boba, oh vod'ika–" she pulled him backwards into her lap and hugged him tightly. "I'm so sorry."

The dam opened. He couldn't stop it anymore. It was gone, everything was gone, it had all changed and it was never going to be good again. Dad was dead. Mama and Cas were dead. Tiarek barely knew who he was. Everyone was gone and they were never coming back. Nobody loved him anymore. The only people who remembered his dad just wanted to use him. It hurt so bad every single day and it just never stopped.

"Ke'duumi, Boba," Ahsoka whispered, rocking him. She was doing that rumbly purr thing. It felt good, like a hug inside of his chest. "Don't fight it. Just let it all out."

"I miss him," he bawled. "I want my da-a-ad." He cried like a fucking baby, and he hated himself for it.

"Of course you do, vod'ika, of course you miss your dad." She rubbed her lek on his cheek. It was softer than he expected and smelled spicy, like corn pollen. "He loved you so much. I know you love him too. That's why it hurts. You have all that love and nowhere for it to go."

"Why did he have to die?" Boba sobbed. "Why didn't he fly away?"

"I don't know. I wish I did." Her rumbles got louder.

"I see it all the time," Boba cried. "I see his… his head…"

Ahsoka kissed his forehead. "I hate that you saw that, vod'ika."

"It's my fault," he sobbed. "I forgot it and they burned it."

"What did they burn?" Ahsoka's hands were so gentle that it almost hurt.

"The bo-o-ox," he bawled. "I forgot to pack it but we were going to come back and get it after… after Geonosis…"

"I'm sorry." Ahsoka whispered. "I'm so sorry."

"I didn't bury him," Boba wept. "He– he's still there. They stripped his beskar'gam, I know they did, they probably melted it down and s-s-sold it."

"I'll find out. I promise, Boba, I'll find out. It's okay. Keep getting it out, Bo'ika, it's okay."

He cried into Ahsoka's warm, squishy lek until he was so exhausted that he could barely draw breath. Her hands, soft in a way Aurra's never were, rubbed soothing circles on his back and scratched his scalp until his whole head tingled. Eventually he ran out of tears and just sat hiccupping and shaking, still unable to really stop.

Ahsoka wiped his eyes with her thumbs then smiled at him, her own eyes swollen and wet. "Your dad would be so proud of you, Boba. You've survived so much. Gar ijaati kaysh. Every step you take forward in this life is because of how well he taught you."

He almost started crying again.

"Plo's outside, so we're gonna wash our faces and let him in now, okay?" She kissed his forehead again. "I bet he's got some good news. I don't know about you, but I am very ready to get out of this shithole."

Boba laughed, a little shocked at a curse word coming out of her mouth. She was so proper, it was just wrong.

After a quick splash on their faces with water from the fresher, Ahsoka let in Plo, Shaak-Ti and the Wolfpack. There was a new clone with them that had to be Mangle. He had a prosthetic jaw made of plastoid and a wild look in his eyes. His hair was shaved on the sides and a little longer than regulation on top, showing his curls.

"Koh-to-yah, Boba," Plo said gently. "I am sorry to see that your father's things are gone."

"Yeah," Boba sniffed.

Ahsoka pulled him towards her until he was flush against her chest and hugged him from behind. "Were you successful, Master?" she asked, swaying gently from side to side and still purring.

Plo's face relaxed from its squinch. "Unfortunately, no. It seems as though the records were all wiped and overwritten."

"The archivists know that it existed, and after analyzing the hard drives they believe that the records were tampered with some time around the First Battle of Geonosis," Shaak-Ti added. "I am sorry, dear girl, but there is no lead to be found on Kamino."

Ahsoka's arms tightened around him. "What about Jango's armor?" she asked, and Boba's heart skipped a beat. "His remains were never recovered from Geonosis. Do you think that there's a possibility that he kept a backup of his records with him?"

"It is possible." Plo and Shaak-Ti exchanged a look. "Going to Geonosis to find out, however… The search may take months, assuming it is still there, and with the war…"

"A few days are perfectly reasonable, though, right, Master?"

It sounded perfectly reasonable to Boba. He blinked at the Kel Dor, afraid of his response.

"It would be an incredible intelligence asset," Ahsoka added in the pregnant silence. "We may find out information on the formation of the CIS. Maybe even find out who the Sith Lord is."

Plo tilted his head. "I cannot disagree on that front, little 'Soka."

"Really?" Boba breathed. "Y-you… you'll help find my dad's beskar'gam?"

"It sounds, as Ahsoka said, perfectly reasonable." Plo's face squinched up again. Boba realized he was grinning.

"Well then, it's settled." Ahsoka squeezed Boba. "Ready to leave?" she asked softly.

"Boba, what did I tell you about dropping Reks'ika's tooka doll down the vent?"

"Wait!" Boba gasped, suddenly remembering. He bolted to his room and got down on his belly in the corner, peering down the intake vent.

It was there. It was there. The longnecks missed it. "Here!" he said excitedly to Ahsoka. "Down there, can you reach it?"

She squeezed in and looked with one big eye. "Uh, yeah, let me just–" Her eyes closed and her fingers moved gently, then the tooka doll floated out of the vent like a feather on an updraft.

Boba snatched it out of the air and grinned at it. It was just like he remembered, crocheted with silver and blue yarn and stuffed with the shreds of one of Dad's worn-out undershirts. There was still a tiny hole between the ears and a loop of string wrapped around its waist. The black button eyes stared back. It was a little dusty, but not nearly as much as he would have expected from being in the vent for six years.

"What was he doing down there?" Ahsoka asked.

Boba flushed. "I used to pretend he was going on secret spy missions. That's why he had the string, so he could rappel out."

He looked up at Ahsoka, feeling stupid, but she was beaming at him.

She held her hand out. "Now are you ready?" she asked.

He hugged the dusty tooka doll, looked one last time around the place he'd grown up in, then took Ahsoka's hand. "Let's get out of this shithole," he said decisively.

"Geonosis?" Anakin's hologram wrinkled its nose. "Ahsoka, are you sure about this?"

"Well, I can't think of anywhere else to find a lead." Ahsoka sat in the commhub chair with her knees tucked below her chin. She picked at a loose thread hanging from her linen sleeping shorts.

"What about that Kal Skirto guy that you mentioned?" Anakin asked.

Ahsoka bit down a giggle. "Skirata. Rex told me about that panyapako, he allowed his crazy Null squad to abuse Boba. I'm not bringing him anywhere near Skirata until I've exhausted every other option, and I doubt I'll get any help from him anyway. Boba filled me in on his priorities."

Anakin nodded, looking unhappy. "If you say so."

"I do," Ahsoka said firmly. "Someone scrubbed the archives on Kamino. I have to assume it was one of the Cuy'val Dar. For all I know, it was Skirata. Unless one of the others decides to come forward, Geonosis is it. Whoever did it wanted to make sure the odds of finding them were next to nothing."

"Well, impossible odds have never stopped you before." Anakin's smile faltered. "How's the arm?" he asked quietly.

Her right hand went up automatically to touch her bicep. "It's fine," she said with a smile. "I'm fine, Master. I'm just a little sore."

"I'm so sorry." Anakin looked away. "Ahsoka…"

"It was my fault," she assured him. "I shouldn't have pushed you that far."

Anakin closed his eyes. "I should never have–"

"I forgive you, Master," she interrupted. "I forgave you the moment it happened. You weren't in your right mind." Thunder cracked so loudly that the walls of the ship vibrated. They were still on Kamino, waiting for the unforeseen hurricane to calm down before leaving.

"Thank you, Snips." Anakin finally met her eyes. "You're a better Padawan than I deserve."

Ahsoka ducked her head and smiled. "And you're a better Jedi than you think, Skyguy."

"I guess we both have our moments," Anakin chuckled.

Beyond the commhub door she heard the sound of footsteps approaching. They were so light footed, it had to be Boba. "Mwana akubwera," she warned him in a casual tone, hoping that her little eavesdropper didn't speak Toydarian.

"Inde." Anakin gave her a wry smile.

"So how's my replacement doing?"

"Your–" Anakin threw his head back and laughed. "You mean Taarak? How'd you hear about him?"

"Rex. Apparently you dropped a teething Togruta toddler off at the barracks instead of taking him straight to the Temple? Rex sent me about twenty messages in a panic because he bit Cody and he didn't know how to tell if he had venom glands or not. I told him that it doesn't come in until we're at least four years old, but still." Ahsoka raised a brow marking.

Anakin bit his lip. "They were, uh, on the way?"

Ahsoka snorted. "Sure."

"Fine, I wanted them to meet him before he went to the crèche. But then Obi-Wan wouldn't leave me alone when I landed, and I told him to drive me to the barracks but he's an idiot and he took me to the 212th's."

Ahsoka snorted. "And why'd you dump the baby on them, again?"

"I'll have you know that I was the one who was being considerate of the baby."

Ahsoka laughed. "So you dropped him off so you could yell at Master Kenobi, then?"

"He wouldn't shut up about your 'foul attitude.' " Anakin rolled his eyes. "And no matter how many times I told him I wasn't talking to him, he just ignored me and kept going. You're going to have to take one for the team here, Snips, or I'm going to throw him off the roof."

"That's a respectful 'hell no' from me, Master."

"I'll give you fifty credits."

"Nope."

"I'll take you to a Gungan shaak roast."

Ahsoka paused. "No."

"Please?"

"Just go give him your new little angel, distract him with some porg eyes," Ahsoka said bitterly. "Works every time."

"Someone's jealous," Anakin snickered.

"Wh– jealous?" Ahsoka sputtered. "I'm not jealous. What would I even be jealous about?"

"I don't know, you sound pretty jealous."

"I am not jealous," Ahsoka sniffed. "He's more than welcome to trick some other gullible kid into trusting him. He'll learn the truth eventually."

Her Master's face fell. "Ahsoka, don't say that."

"It's true."

Anakin sighed. "I'll let you go. Just be careful on Geonosis. I know it's been secured, but those tunnels are endless. I don't know how safe they will be."

"I'll have Plo and the Wolfpack to watch my back. Plus, Boba's a pretty good shot from what I remember."

Anakin's brows went up. "Don't tell me you're going to give him a blaster," he said, alarmed.

"You're right," Ahsoka said, nodding solemnly. "He needs more protection than that. A shotgun would be better."

Anakin's eyes bugged out.

"I think I can find a disintegration module for it too–"

"Ahsoka!" Anakin exclaimed, dismayed. "Don't you dare!"

Ahsoka laughed. "Fine. You're no fun."

Anakin rolled his eyes. "Be safe," he said, then ended the call.

Ahsoka stretched, yawned loudly, and made sure the chair squeaked before she got up. She heard the rapid pitter-patter of footsteps scampering away from the commhub door and chuckled.

Boba was wrapped in a blanket on the couch, pretending to be asleep by the time she made it out to the salon pod. Robert's nose poked out from the edge of the blanket along with the ears of the tooka doll. Ahsoka took a seat two cushions away from him and tucked her legs underneath her.

Boba let out an unconvincing yawn and blinked at her. "Hi."

"Hey." Ahsoka smiled at him. "Why're you sleeping out here?"

"Storm was louder in the cabin." He sat up and let the blanket fall to his waist. Plo had bought him a very nice set of red pajamas that he now wore, though they were a little big on him. His aura was vibrantly green in a way that she couldn't have imagined just the day before, but it was crawling with residual yellow humiliation.

"Do you want to talk about today?" she asked gently.

"I already made enough of a fool of myself, I think," he mumbled. The yellow intensified.

"You didn't make a fool of yourself." She scooched a little bit closer to him. "We cry when we're sad for a reason, Boba."

"Babies cry," he muttered, worrying at Robert's felted claws. "I'm too old to cry like that."

"You're never too old to mourn."

Boba's aura went violet with grief-regret. Ahsoka reached out with a tendril of copper affection and waited for him to speak. "Aurra didn't like it when I cried," he admitted. "I only did it once, after I broke my ankle. She slapped me and told me my dad would be ashamed of me for being such a little bitch."

The red-hot rage that rose up inside of Ahsoka nearly blinded her. She controlled her breathing, centered herself, and controlled its release into the Force. Boba didn't need her anger right now, he needed nurturing and reassurance.

"Ti– Rex, he said Dad would have skinned her slow for what she did," Boba continued. He stared at the tooka doll. "I thought she cared about me. She acted like she did, but I don't…" he glanced at her and then looked away, his aura suddenly going a deep, painful yellow with shame. "I heard Bossk tell her once that she shouldn't be doing that with me. I wasn't ready yet. She told him to mind his own business."

"She never should have done that to you," Ahsoka whispered. "Never, Boba. I'm so sorry that nobody was there to protect you."

Boba's shoulders slumped and he nodded. His aura was leeching green again, going dull and gray. She waited for him to continue, if he wanted to, but he stayed silent and started to stew.

"What was your dad like?" Ahsoka asked, gently changing the subject. He liked when people talked about his dad, she'd noticed. "I admit, I don't know a lot about him. Just bits and pieces."

"Probably nothing good, either." Boba turned the tooka doll over in his hands and Ahsoka took the opportunity to scooch a little closer. "He wasn't just a bounty hunter or the template. He was funny. He played quetarra and sang for us– for me, I mean."

Ahsoka desperately wanted to ask if he was including Rex, but let him keep talking.

"He liked action holos, but even when the volume was up really loud he'd fall asleep before the end." Boba's lips twitched in a half-smile. "And he could draw really, really well. He didn't do it a lot, but he used to when I was little. He could make a drawing out of pencil that looked like it was a holopic." Boba's aura slowly lightened from that bruised, painful, dark violet grief into a desperate lavender longing. "He took me on a few jobs with him. He wanted me to learn. He taught me how to shoot, and three different ways to slice and how to pilot, and, and…" he trailed off and swallowed hard. His eyes were shiny again. "He told me he loved me every day. Even when he was mad at me because I'd done something stupid or messed up, he still always told me he loved me." Boba sniffed. "I miss him."

Ahsoka smiled sadly. "He sounds pretty awesome."

"He was." He hugged Robert tightly. "Do you remember your parents?"

"Yeah." Ahsoka leaned back against the couch and tilted her head so that her lek was barely touching Boba's head. "Not much, but I do remember them. I was three when Plo found me."

"Why'd they give you up?" Boba asked, then flushed. "I mean, why'd they let him? Didn't they… didn't they want you?"

"My dad was actually the one who contacted the Temple," Ahsoka said quietly. "But my mom was having second thoughts. I remember her arguing with him over it."

"She didn't want you to go?"

"No. She thought I'd be fine. She said her mother could use the Force, too." Ahsoka shrugged. "There's a word for it in Binishii, I just can't remember it. Mew- something. My dad wanted me to go, though. He was sure it was my destiny. But, um…"

Boba tilted his head. "What?"

Ahsoka bit her lip. "He died. He drowned. It was about a month before Plo came for me. We were fishing, and he slipped and hit his forehead on some rocks." Ahsoka smiled sadly. "The one place we don't have extra padding, right? But he went under the water and I wasn't strong enough to pull him out. I tried, and tried, and finally I used the Force, even though I didn't even know what the Force was yet. I got him out but it was too late, he'd been under for… well, I don't know how long. It felt like hours. After that, my mom wanted to honor his last wish for me."

Ahsoka blinked away the tears that threatened to fall. She hadn't thought about her father in forever; not before Obi-Wan's funeral, at least. It was just one of those things that had happened to her. It was sad and she missed him, but Crèchemaster Veirexim had helped her release her frustration over her inability to save her father to the Force ages ago.

It wasn't guilt that haunted her. She had done everything she could, she knew that, it was the helplessness over not being able to do more. She hated feeling helpless more than anything. Master Kenobi had made her feel helpless, too, when he made her find his bleeding corpse in a filthy alley. It had been his real blood, too, she could still smell it in her nose. He had to have withdrawn it and kept it on ice in preparation. For all of the talk about Anakin's reaction being the selling point, he'd certainly gone out of his way to personally fool her at every turn.

"At least you tried to save your dad," Boba said bitterly, distracting her from her spiral of self-pity. His aura was flooded with violet grief-regret again. "I just watched. I saw Windu going for him and I just… watched."

"You couldn't have stopped it," Ahsoka said sympathetically, and reached for his hand. "Even if you'd been standing next to him, you couldn't have stopped it."

"I know," Boba said, and his aura flared green with bitterness. "I wasn't good enough."

"That's not why, Bo'ika, the only one who could have stopped it was your dad. He made the choice to confront Master Windu. He could have surrendered."

Boba snorted. "He was a Mandalorian. He never surrendered." He looked away and his aura darkened back into violet grief. "I wish he had, though."

"I wish he had too, for your sake." Ahsoka wiped her eyes and sniffed.

"Hey, don't cry," Boba said awkwardly. "You couldn't have done anything either."

"I know," she said, half-laughing. "It was a long time ago. I don't know why I'm crying about it."

"Well, you said we cry when we're sad for a reason." Boba nudged her with his shoulder. "I think you're sad, Tano."

Ahsoka did laugh at that. "Guess I am." She gave him a watery smile. "I've never told anyone that before, you know. About my father."

Boba watched her sniffle for a few seconds, then sighed. "You need a hug?" he asked, sounding for all the world like it was an imposition, but his aura shimmered with pale green hope.

Ahsoka nodded and opened her arms. He slipped right in and rested his head on her chest like he'd done it a million times before. "Dad told me Togs are needy as hell," Boba said quietly. "If they don't get hugs everyday they go insane, or something."

Ahsoka laughed softly and rubbed her lek against his velvety stubble. It was an accurate, if crude, summary of a Togruta's high haptic needs. "Yeah. Pretty much. Thanks, vod'ika."

He didn't answer at first. "You're welcome, ori'vod," he finally said in a voice so quiet that she wondered if he'd actually thought the words instead of speaking them.

Thunder boomed and startled them both. "This is a bad one," Boba said, the white flare of alarm in his aura quickly disappearing. "I'm surprised they haven't turned the weather matrix on yet."

"They have one of those?" Ahsoka asked.

"Yeah. These buildings can survive almost anything, but they still don't usually let it get this bad."

Ahsoka frowned. "Weird." It was more than weird. She'd checked the weather for Plo an hour before their descent, and while it had been storming, she hadn't seen anything with rotation on radar. Not long after they'd landed, though, the storm had intensified into a full on Grade II hurricane.

She suddenly had a bad feeling that the weather matrix was already on.

"We should go." Ahsoka patted Boba on the back for him to scoot and popped up once he released her. "Come to the cockpit with me."

"We shouldn't take off with winds this strong," Boba said, jogging to keep up with her long stride. "You should comm the control tower–"

"No," Ahsoka said shortly. Her heartbeat echoed in her montrals and there was a lump of dread in her belly. "We need to be in the air, now." She slid the cockpit doors open with the Force. It was empty except for Plo's astromech. "Chart a course for Geonosis and start charging the hyperdrive," she ordered Arseven, then took a seat. "I want to jump the second we break atmo."

"What's wrong?" Boba asked. His aura had gone staticky white with fear-anxiety.

Ahsoka considered lying to him, but decided he could handle it. "This storm wasn't supposed to be this bad," she said grimly. "I think they're delaying us on purpose."

Boba's eyes went wide and his aura went a deep gray with determination-focus. He sat in the co-pilot's seat and started to strap in.

"No," Ahsoka said firmly, booting up the surface-level navigation hologram. "Go man the cannon."

She would have laughed at the familiar look of manic glee on his face if she wasn't trying to run seven different programs at the same time. It reminded her of Hardcase. "Really?" he breathed.

"Yep." She handed him a headset. "Wait for my mark."

Boba slipped through the doors and nearly ran into Plo. He watched Boba leave with a teal aura of confusion-concern. "Ahsoka, what is going on? What are you doing?"

"We need to leave now, Master," Ahsoka said grimly. "They're worsening the storm so we can't leave. They're delaying us on purpose, and I don't want to stay and find out why."

"How do you know this?"

Ahsoka fired up the engines then looked at Plo with pleading eyes. "Master, please, you're a Baran Do Sage. Can't you feel that this storm is unnatural?"

Plo closed his eyes, then stilled. Ahsoka watched his aura fluctuate with bleach-beige unease and he took the co-pilot's seat. "You are correct. We should leave."

The entire ship shuddered as the Kaminoan docking clamp locked down their landing gear.

"Consular Cruiser Babasta, this is Tower, do you copy?" A clone's voice came through the comms in the dashboard.

"Karabast," Ahsoka growled. "Babasta, copy."

"You are not cleared to take off, Babasta, please turn off your engines and wait for clearance."

"Negative, Tower. We're leaving now." Ahsoka slapped on the exhaust exchange switches above her head.

"Nobody is leaving until the storm is over, Babasta. The atmosphere is too–"

A crack of thunder that felt like a concussion grenade split the air directly overhead. Ahsoka spied the weather matrix tower on a platform a few miles to the east, active and glowing, and toggled to the internal comms.

"Cannon, check."

"Cannon, copy."

"Boba, charge the cannon and aim at coordinates oh-seven-oh-eight-eight, ten degrees above the horizon." she ordered. "Do not fire until I give the command."

"Sir, yes Sir," Boba snickered over the comm.

"Ahsoka–" Plo warned.

"Please trust me, Master," Ahsoka replied through gritted teeth. She toggled back the comms. "Tower, you will release the docking clamp and allow us to leave immediately." Ahsoka listened to the mechanical whine of the turbolaser cannon powering up.

"I'm sorry, Commander, but all flight traffic is locked down until the storm passes."

"Boba, raise five degrees and fire a warning shot," Ahsoka said calmly.

"Copy that."

The sky lit up with green as Boba loosed a turbolaser bolt towards the weather matrix and Ahsoka heard him cackle over the comm. It sailed harmlessly over the tower and disappeared into the clouds.

"Commander Tano, what are you doing?" the clone in the tower asked frantically.

"The next one takes out the weather matrix," Ahsoka said coldly. "Release my ship, now."

"Commander, I have orders!"

"You have five seconds to comply." Ahsoka gripped the yoke. "Five."

"Please, Sir, let me get my CO!"

"Four." Ahsoka flushed the coolant. She was going to need it nice and icy for the thrusters if she had to break the clamp. Consulars weren't known for their efficient energy distribution.

"Commander, I can't just disobey a direct order, you know that!"

"Three. Boba, lower five degrees and prepare to fire." She felt bad for whichever poor vod was on the other end, but there was no way she was going to risk her vod'ika by staying a second longer.

"Fuck yeah!" The cannon whined as Boba aimed it directly at the weather matrix.

She tried not to shake from the adrenaline.

"I am with you, Ahsoka," Plo reassured her.

Her breathing steadied. "Two," Ahsoka narrowed her eyes. This was not a bluff the kaminiise wanted to call.

The docking clamp released their landing gear with a thunk. "You are clear for takeoff, Babasta." The clone sounded disgusted.

"Stand down, Boba."

"Awww!"

Ahsoka laughed. "Tell Nala Se goodbye for me, Tower. Over and out."

"What's happening?" Wolffe appeared in the cockpit with his kit on and a deece at the ready. "Are we under attack?"

"Take us up, little 'Soka," Plo said serenely. "Wolffe, we are leaving. I shall debrief the pack once we are in hyperspace."

Wolffe swallowed. "Yes, General."

Ahsoka punched up and navigated through the dangerous winds. A Consular Cruiser really wasn't built for an environment as hostile as a hurricane. Lightning struck directly beside them and Ahsoka's montrals rang like a bell.

"Little 'Soka?" Plo asked. She could barely hear him over the ringing.

"I'm fine," she said through gritted teeth. She pinched her nose shut with one hand and blew, keeping the other on the yoke.

By the time they broke atmo, her resonance chambers had reinflated and her hearing was normal again. Arseven beeped and the blue lights of hyperspace streaked across the cockpit.

Ahsoka sat back and sighed.

Plo undid his seat belt. "With me, Commander. Ahsoka, join us as soon as you can."

"Be right there, Master." Ahsoka glanced at Boba, who had strapped into the navigator's seat and was watching her with a look of awe.

"Ni ven'kyramu ad'kebbur," she said quietly. "I promise, vod'ika."

Boba smiled. "I trust you, ori'vod."

Notes:

MANDO'A TRANSLATIONS Ni ven'kyramu ad'kebbur: I will kill anyone who tries Kaminiise: Kaminoans Vod/vod'ika/ori'vod: sibling/lil sib/big sib Ke'shebi nebat: fuck off Ke'sushi, Dogma. Gar cuy cin'kar'ta. Gar cuy jat'verd. Gar ru'cabuor Republika. Ni partayli. Gar vode partayli. Ni ven'akaani akay gar cuy yaim. Ne noy'ganar manda. Mhi ne'nibra: Listen, Dogma. You are pure hearted. You are a good soldier. You protected the Republic. I remember. Your brothers remember. I will fight until you are home. Don't lose spirit. We won't fail. gar ijaati kaysh: You honor him TOYDARIAN TRANSLATIONS Mwana akubwera: Kid is coming Inde: Yes Panyapako: Asshole TOGRUTI TRANSLATIONS (BINISHII DIALECT) boozhoo: hello ogichidaakwe: female warrior OTHER NOTES Echani: special forces martial arts, the fighting style that the clones learned. I don't actually know if it's Mando specific, wookieepedia doesn't say, but let's pretend it is Fáng Shìlóng: Jedi martial art style. It doesn't have a name so I'm naming it lmao. I'm imagining it as a blend of Wushu and Tai Chi There are two canon (Legends canon, anyway) Mando'a terms for the Republic: Jetiise (Literally plural for Jedi which is dumb to use as an official term) and Tsad Droten (Technically Senate, not the Republic in general). I hate them both so we're using Republika lol I do what I want!!!!!

Taglist: @starwarsficnetwork, @soliloquy-of-nemo Dividers: @saradika-graphics

[isagrimorie]

So here is my nitpick about Ahsoka the show and Ahsoka the character, whom I love with the power of a thousand Kryptonian suns.

Since Rebels, Ahsoka has become a pretty even-keel character and yes we've seen her upset but we rarely saw her angry. The only time we saw Ahsoka come close to her snarky and easily angered self was in her battle with Anakin/Vader.

I get that Ahsoka had to grow up and this might have pushed her personality in a different direction to survive.

But also I feel like Filoni's been pushing Ahsoka to become more and more zen and monk-like so she can be more zen White Gandalf.

One of the things mitigating this whole thing for me is how much of a mess Ahsoka is right now -- she has the whole inscrutable mysterious thing down but beneath the surface is someone who is a mess of issues and who, even by Jedi standards isn't even connecting with people. She's pushed away practically everyone in her life and she's living and her current constant companion is an old droid she knew when she was a child.

As Sabine pointed out -- she doesn't even have a home to put roots in.

Ahsoka's whole ethos seems to be similar to Robert DeNiro's character in the movie Heat: "Don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner."

AND I LOVE THAT FOR HER.

Is this finally the story where Ahsoka learns to heal from that? Learns to let people in?

Get her to live her own life again?

Also, if I'm honest, I hope Ahsoka and Sabine, even the whole Ghost crew just stay in the unknown regions of the Galaxy, don't return to this crappy galaxy that's just gonna turn into the First Order again.

[dean-isms]

“Hey, yo! Darth Dickwad!”

Reference: Star Wars (Probably Darth Vader)

Episode: 13x10 “Wayward Sisters”

Writer: Robert “Bobo” Berens & Andrew Dabb

Spoken To: Bad Place!Kaia Nieves

Media Type: Movie

Timeframe: 1977 (A New Hope)

Description: Luke Skywalker joins forces with a Jedi Knight, a cocky pilot, a Wookiee and two droids to save the galaxy from the Empire's world-destroying battle station, while also attempting to rescue Princess Leia from the mysterious Darth Vader.

NOTE: While I think I’m right in assuming that this is specifically a Darth Vader reference, mostly because of the long cloak Kaia’s wearing, this could in theory be any of the other Sith Lords who also hold the title (i.e. Darth Sidious, Darth Maul, Darth Tyranus, etc.) Although, I would say that Vader is really the only one who is popularly referred to as Darth Vader in the wider media lense. Sidious, of course, is normally referred to as Palpatine or as The Emperor. Maul is mostly called Maul. Tyranus is Count Dooku. You catch my meaning.

[mutant-bike-lover]

Hogan's Heroes, but make it Star Wars, AKA Hogan's Rebels

The series takes place in an Imperial prison camp around the same time as the beginning of Rebels.

Robert Rob Hogan is a Jedi Knight and Order 66 survivor. His birth name is Arkouda Mathan. (1) He's an expert pilot and particularly good at Jedi mind tricks. He has a blue lightsaber that he made after the Gathering and a white lightsaber that he took from an Inquistor. It used to be red.

Newkirk grew up in the underworld of Coruscant. As a result, he became an expert thief, codebreaker, and slicer.

LeBeau is a Twi'lek. He lived on Ryloth during the Separatist occupation.

Carter is from Tatooine. He is part Tusken. (2)

Kinch and Baker are both Onderonian. (3)

Klink is an Imperial officer. He previously fought for the Republic during the Clone Wars. He is possibly another Fulcrum agent.

Schultz also fought in the Clone Wars. He secretly hates the Empire and longs for the days of the Republic.

H3LG4 and H1LG4 are droids that were secretly reprogrammed for the Rebellion.

Langenscheidt is a storm trooper on mostly friendly terms with the rebels. He has past experience as a bounty hunter.

Burkhalter is a moff.

Hochstetter is an ISB agent determined to prove Hogan is a Jedi.

Crittendon is another Coruscanti, but he's from the upper levels where the other rich people live. A Jedi wannabe, his attempts at emulating them cause more problems than they solve, a fact that annoys Hogan to no end.

Marya is a Nightsister. Another Force-sensitive, she is willing to use the dark side.

Tiger is another Twi'lek. She is part of the Free Ryloth Movement.

(1) - Arkouda is Greek for bear. Mathan is Scottish Gaelic for bear. At least according to Google Translate.

(2) - This is analogous to Carter being a member of the Sioux in the show.

(3) - I was thinking about the Onderon civil war.

P.S. - Consider this an open invitation to make content for this AU.

[sebsxphia]

Okay, but picture this: avid reader Bob who always has a book on him. He enjoys reading everything: Romances? Loves them. Murder Mystery? 10 bucks he figures out who it is 3 chapters in. Science Fiction? His favorite.

He has always preferred physical copies of books. He has he own personal bookshelf of his favorites and a frequent library goer. Never got into the kindle trend because it can never beat the real deal…

BUT!

The moment he finds out his wife is pregnant with their first child? He’s immediately on Amazon buying a Kindle. Why you ask? One handed reading. But why would Bob want to read one handed? Because you bet your ass that man has a hand on her stomach whenever he can. Reading at the beach: hand on stomach. Reading before bed: hand on stomach. Reading for personal pleasure on the couch: hand on stomach.

The moment his wife realizes this (probably a few months in when she starts to show) she fucking bawls. This man is so excited to be a father while also wanting physical contact with his girl.

My heart just explodes at the thought.

OH MY GOD! MY LOVE THIS IS THE MOST REAL THOUGHT FOR BOB EVER AND IM FALLING TO MY KNEES IN LOVE 🥺😭

no because this is actually so correct! and part of the reason he doesn’t explain to his wife why he’s now got a kindle, is because, why should he? he loves his wife and having that touch with your little one, it was second nature to bob to buy a kindle so he could read like that. he had it planned the moment he settled down with a book for the first time since knowing you were pregnant.

oh god, i love this so much and i love you so much and i love bob so much! thank you so much for this incredibly sweet thought my love! 🥹💌💗

[enkisstories]

Kylo Ren was determined to rule Batuu by fear, since in his eyes Governor Sonderan's soft approach had failed. Among the measures he took to ensure his "ship" running smoothly, was weeding out the merest hint of dissent among the officers. It fell to Tina to check officers who were suspected of harboring doubts.

Funnily enough, the "Second Order" never ended up on the list of suspects. On top of it was instead Ensign Eoura Telon, one of the Second Order's enemies. Tina wouldn't mind to see her get sent to the jungle prison.

Turned out Eoura wasn't a dissident, after all, but there were plenty real ones.

With every individual Tina delivered to Kylo Ren, the fear was growing: What if one day she'd have to decide between turning in a Second Order member or lying on their behalf?

The day didn't come, what happened instead was even worse:

While Tina arrested a dissident in Black Spire's First Order district, someone else arrested Robert Lewis of the governor's honor guard.

Note: The screenshot shows an npc walk to detention, but the popup shows the picture of my sim Robert.

Robert... Why Robert of all people?

The man had been Tina's partner during their childhood training, before Connor had joined. Tina had never forgotten him and even affectionally named her droid "B0B" after Robert.

And now he was awaiting trial, a show-trial that would end with a number of executions and everyone else getting sent to the jungle for forced labor. That way Kylo wanted to strike fear into the locals' hearts and to fill the coffers again after Governor Sonderan's overspending this season.

Note: The trial will take place in the summer round.

[gollancz]

hello official gollancz tumblr!

i love science fiction, especially when it involves robots. what is your favourite robot sci-fi novel? and do you have any other recommendations?

also, i hope you're having a great day! :D

I LOVE ROBOTS. I actually ran a robot world cup last summer over on our SF Gateway twitter... probably due another one actually.

While this is probably not an unexpected answer, from our lists I think my very favourite will always be Marvin The Paranoid Android from HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY. Everything about him delights me intensely in every iteration 10/10 excellent plastic pal who's fun to be with (although Hi I'm Eddie Your Shipboard Computer is a close second).

Other fun ones, Rice Fish in THE RED SCHOLAR'S WAKE is actually a sentient spaceship; Neuromancer from NEUROMANCER is probably one of the most sinister AIs I've encountered in fiction (GLaD0S is a baby girl and poor little meow meow and I will hear nothing against her). EVERSION by Alastair Reynolds has a hidden robot in it.

SEA OF RUST by C. Robert Cargill is such a great book too, a robot scavenger on a post-apocalyptic Earth is trying to resist becoming part of a centralised network intelligence. It's a thriller, a noir, and what would happen if Wall-E went really dark. You might recognise the author name too - he's also a screenwriter, and one of his latest pieces was The Black Phone.

I will admit to also being a fan of small squeaky robots, but those are trickier to portray in text than in other mediums. The Scutters and the DRDs will have my heart forever, because the Star Wars ones get all the attention (although I did build myself a Chaos Sphere at the Droid Depot when I went to Disney last year... then did an accidental New Baby photoshoot with it and my husband in front of the Milennium Falcon. My mother-in-law thought this was less funny than I did.)

For upcoming books, we have the @victoriocity novel in the works and I can't wait to share it because it has one of my very favourite things in the world - Really Rubbish Robots. There are some great ones in that.

[parageist]

i had this dream where my friend was showing me this cool abandoned air traffic control tower he had found and turned it into an epic party spot. there was this weird contraption you had to bang back and forth like a gong kinda and it would generate electricity to power this janky elevator which led to the top of the tower. it was pretty scary because it felt like i was gonna fall at any time. but at the top was this cool bedroom and under that was a trapdoor which led to a larger room for partying and such. slowly people started showing up and i sat down and was talking with them but eventually it became too much, they started drinking and smoking and stuff and i left. before i left though, i took some pictures with the friends i had made but left the pictures inside accidentally.

on the way out i noticed all the trash and furniture (apparently) the partygoers had thrown everywhere, and cleaned it up, yelling at them for making such a mess. they got defensive and it led to this brawl but my parents picked me up before it got too violent. but later i returned to the tower to retrieve the photos i had left, but the tower was collapsed into a pile of ruble, and in the middle was this menacing gang of the guys who i had yelled at earlier. i managed to grab the photos and bolt out of there, but they had guns and stuff and were chasing me. i ran back home and warned my parents and family that they were coming, so everyone crammed into a truck and we drove far away from there before they could get us. but i saw another timeline where things went wrong and they killed a bunch of kids, it was disturbing lmao, but luckily that was just a vision and we continued driving away safe and sound.

however, eventually things got worse. somehow that gang of litterbugs had ended up causing an apocalypse. society had completely collapsed. but at the same time it wasn’t that bad? a bunch of stores and places still functioned like normal, but everything was free and so there was this place with all this homestuck merch, along with a bunch of VHS tapes of different games/shows i love, so i took a bunch of those.

then apparently there was a nearby building called the “oppenheimer house” and i had telekinesis and i grabbed it with my mind and threw it up into the air, then it crashed down into the building i was in but nothing was damaged too bad. we continued “shopping” and i got like this robert oppenheimer outfit (which was from doctor who apparently).

after that we were driving somewhere, looking for a place to settle in away from the chaos in the city. there was this guys house who let us in and it connected to this maze of tents? like imagine those tubes you would crawl through as a baby, like the one in coraline, connecting a bunch of tents and stuff. somewhere in there we found some evidence relating to this alien conspiracy theory (we also found some in the store earlier) and left to go to this nasa place.

in there we found this secret tunnel which led underground to this lava chamber and inside was this hologram an alien had been using. apparently he crashed on earth millions of years ago and created nasa as a ways of escaping back to his home planet or whatever.

after this point the dream became more fantastical, and i was exploring this open world post-apocalyptic world kinda like elden ring but also with some robots here and there like fallout 4. there were like the advanced battle droids from star wars (the ones without heads) guarding this weird fleshy wizard guy who gave me some quest im not quite sure lmao. but it led me to this place where there were these horrific beasts. they were like scorpions but with human heads and also phallic shaped? and they had these balls that could like detach and bonk you? so i had to like parry their bonks and i slowly whittled down the health of one of them, and when it was low enough i tried to like serenade or pacify it by hugging it but i ended up just killing it lmao.

then there were these normal human guys, some of them had weapons and would like cast these magic runes at my face. some of the runes were yellow and i had to slice those with my sword but some of the runes were blue and if i sliced a blue rune it would continue flying at me so i just had to dodge the blue runes. also i just ended up going crazy with my sword, slicing up all the guys, but apparently most of them were actually just innocent people and i ended up inflicting a bunch of scars on a bunch of just normal guys xD.

after that, some lady which was apparently from elden ring but she looked like she was from star wars appeared and warned me that fortisaxx, the lich dragon of death from elden ring, was trapped underground and i had to go there to kill him before he escaped. but as she was explaining this fortisax was throwing these death bombs out of his underground hole. we were at first laughing them off and making fart jokes about them but eventually there were too many bombs and they ended up bursting a hole into the ground, and fortisax flew out and started spewing death sauce on all these villages. we had like this epic rune battle but fortisax won and then i woke up.

pretty whacky

[archetypesanalysis]

The Mandalorian Season 3: The Magician

After passing his trial as the Lover, now wielding the Darksaber, which holds the symbol of Mandalorian leadership and it is powered by a kyber crystal, Din Djarin must harness the Magician to his fullness.

The Book of Boba Fett has set up Din Djarin on a journey to become a positive Magician. He learns more about the Great Purge from the Armorer, and practices using the Darksaber with her. After being ousted by the Tribe, he is told by the Armorer to bathe in the Living Waters beneath the mines of Mandalore, which will be important in the Mandalorian Season 3. He then channels his emotional pain into working on the N-1 starfighter and he lets the droids help him (indicating that he’s letting go of his hatred of droids). Peli Motto plays the role of a guide for Din as she points out that he is always in a hurry and he should slow down. She also helps Din to let go of his desire for a Razor Crest and accepts the newer, better replacement.  

Before the premiere of the Mandalorian season 3, I have speculated that Din Djarin won’t become the Mand’alor by the end of the season. This is because the King archetype is the final form, and according to Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette, a good and generative King is also a good Warrior, a positive Magician, and a great Lover. Din has mastered the Warrior and the Lover archetypes, and now he must master the Magician archetype.

The season 3 promotional poster and logo depict Din and Grogu standing behind what seems to be a sunrise and under a sky full of stars. To know the movement of stars and the rising of the sun are specialities of the Magician. The Magician not just know how the physical world works, he also knows how the unseen world works and makes the connection between two worlds. The Magician also acts as a teacher and in this season, Din teaches Grogu how to become a Mandalorian since Grogu chooses to return to him.

Throughout season 3, Din Djarin takes on the role of the positive Magician. As a teacher, he teaches Grogu how to navigate the star system in the Mandalore sector and how to fire darts. In “Chapter 20: The Foundling”, it is revealed that Grogu is rescued by Kelleran Beq, who also takes on the role of the Magician as he is devoted to his students. The Magician is a charismatic talker, and Din takes on this aspect in “Chapter 21: The Pirate”, where he gives a speech that convinces the Mandalorian covert to help Greef Karga to get rid of the pirates on Nevarro. One aspect of the Magician is that he has the ability to deflect one’s arrogance, which is a skill taken up by an advisor to a king or a public official. Din has this skill and he helps Bo-Katan to let her ego down – opening her eyes to her own selfishness and learning to be humble. The Magician also has the ability to expand the mind of themselves and others. Din’s desire to uphold his beliefs helps Bo-Katan to appreciate the spiritual aspects of his belief. The enlightenment she experiences indirectly changes the Armorer, who eventually becomes more lenient towards the helmet rule. This is evident in the season 3 finale, where she does not tell Ragnar to swear to never remove his helmet.

The Magician can take on a bipolar Shadow: The Manipulator and the Denying "Innocent" One. Unlike the Magician who shares information to lift up others, the Manipulator withholds information for their selfish gains. The Manipulator is detached from human values and he uses his knowledge to control and belittle others, or to raise his status and wealth in the expense of others. Moff Gideon is the Manipulator as he exploits the Mandalorian beskar, the cloning technology and the Force to create the next generation of Dark Troopers. He tells Din Djarin to assume that he knows everything, but he withholds information. In true fashion of the Manipulator, Moff Gideon inflates his grandiosity by exploiting the resources to create an army of Force-sensitive clones of himself. This inflation of ego eventually damages himself and others – Moff Gideon engulfs in flames and his clones are destroyed in the end.

On the other hand, the Denying "Innocent" One is a person who wants power and status, but does not want to take on the responsibilities of a true Magician. They only want to learn enough to derail others who are making worthwhile efforts. Elia Kane is the Denying "Innocent" One as she learns the workings of the New Republic Amnesty Program not to help other former Imperial officers to rehabilitate, instead, she derails the efforts Dr. Pershing has done to rehabilitate himself and his cloning technology that can benefit the public. The Denying "Innocent" One also conceals truths to achieve or maintain their status, just like Elia Kane appeases Colonel Tuttle by agreeing his decision to not send help to Nevarro because the pirates that attack Nevarro are sent by Moff Gideon, whom Elia Kane is working under.

In the previous seasons, Din Djarin faces the bipolar shadow of an archetype and learns not to give in. In season 3, Din only faces Moff Gideon, the Manipulator. He does not know of Elia Kane, the Denying "Innocent" One. I find this change of story structure to be quite strange, but I am alright with it. However, I do admit that season 3 is underwhelming. It definitely does not have the same emotional impact as the previous seasons and I am not invested in watching it again. The idea itself is good but the execution is poorly done. I think season 3 should have focused more on the Mandalorian culture and the retake of Mandalore, so that the season 3 finale would feel more emotionally impactful.

So, what is going to happen in season 4?