#Sons of Kamino

[mrsfeiix]

The Serpent

" Maybe it isn't just a legend after all? "-Artsy

[cienie-isengardu]

Jango Fett and Walon Vau: Age Difference and Childhood Trauma

Edit: other part(s): The Laws, Orders, Jaster Mereel and True Mandalorians (pre-Galidraan)

For @delkios

This won’t be a traditional analysis as sadly, there isn’t enough data about the relationship Jango and Walon had, especially since Republic Commando book series and game tie-in material did not provide any scene in which those two characters directly interacted (in contrast to Jango and Kal Skirata, who had a chapter in Triple Zero). Due to these limitations, the following work took the shape of investigation and case building more than anything else as I was forced to rely on information from third parties whose opinion was often subjective and knowledge incomplete, the circumstantial evidence and even the comparisons to present how alike Jango and Walon could be, as similarities often connect people.

The collected data is separated into categories focused on different aspects. Each category has its direct quotes or comic book frames from available source materials while some examples get an additional commentary and/or point of interest if the topic discussed may be expanded upon by secondary sources that do not directly concern the relationship between Fett and Vau, but which provide a broader picture of the issue.

AGE DIFFERENCE

A bit of established chronology based on Jango Fett: Open Seasons, Fact Files and Jedi Master Magazine:

BBY - Battle Before Yavin

22 BBY - Attack of the Clones / Battle of Geonosis - Jango’s death and start of Clone Wars

32 BBY - Dooku interrogate Jango’s former allies, the best known example: Silas (as stated by JF:OS issue#2 “ten years before Geonosis")

44 BBY - Battle of Galidraan[1] 

52 BBY - Battle of Korda VI / Jaster Mereel death (as stated by JF:OS issue#2, “twenty years ago” with date of Silas’s torture as starting point)

58 BBY - death of Jango Fett’s parents on Concord Dawn and the orphaned boy joining Jaster Mereel / True Mandalorians (as stated by JF:OS issue#1, “the events takes place 36 years before Attack of the Clones)

The comics and Fact Files did not provide data about year of Jango’s birth however Star Wars Jedi Master Magazine places it in 66 BBY:

[1] the date for Battle of Galidraan is actually not that clear, as comics issue#3 places it “twelve years before Geonosis” which would mean 34BBY and Jango being 32. However Fact Files vol.3 #14 states “Fett led the Mandalorians for eight years, during which the hunt for Vizsla was never far from their minds”. Similarly, the comics too imply that between Korda VI and Galidraan eight years has passed (Silas said “twenty years ago” for events of Korda, Galidraan was supposedly be “twelve years ago” however comics used Geonosis as reference point, instead of 32BBY - the date the “present” story takes place, as Dooku’s memory about Galidraan was told in that year. Otherwise there would be little time for Jango to gain a reputation as Bounty Hunter, as he said in the same comics (issue #4) “I rotted on spice transport for years.” - the plural form means at least two years, so he would be freshly out of slavery. The lore usually places Galidraan in 44BBY so I prioritize the eight years between Korda VI and Galidraan over comics flawed calculation.

The collected data allows us to establish that Jango was:

 8 years old during attack on his family on Concord Dawn

14 years old when Jaster died on Korda VI and Fett became leader of True Mandalorians

22 years old when his True Mandaloris were killed by Jedi on Galidraan and he was sold into slavery

34 years old when became DNA donor and father of Boba

44 years old when killed

There is a little well-documented chronology for Walon Vau. From the bits of information, we can established that 

Walon run away from his biological family at young age

“That strill had stood by him since boyhood” [Republic Commando: True Colors]

and

“Mird has been with me since I joined the Mandalorians” [Republic Commando: Triple Zero]

or

"Vau," he said carefully, "is still a fit man. A soldier since childhood, just like you and like Kal'buir. [Republic Commando: Triple Zero]

Of course, Vau joining Mandalorians does not necessarily mean joining right away True Mandalorians.

he was part of Jango’s True Mandalorians at least just before Galidraan

Vau didn’t meet Skirata’s eyes for a moment, but he glanced at Jusik. “I could have been at Galidraan, but I wasn’t, and I never forgot that. Not my fight. Should have been my fight.” [Republic Commando: Order 66]

So Vau knows Jango at least for 22 years (since 44BBY to 22BBY, the start of Clone Wars) however depending on interpretation, True Colors may implies, Walon could recall Jango’s undernourished appearance as a youngster:

Vau looked at Mereel in profile and tried to see Jango in him, but it was surprisingly hard. Odd as that might have sounded to an outsider, it was true: the clones usually didn't remind him of Jango Fett at all. Part of that was living among them for years, and becoming blind to the superficiality of appearance, but there were many ways in which they didn't even look like their progenitor. Jango - born of parents who lived hand-to-mouth, undernourished as a youngster - hadn't been much taller than Skirata, but the Kaminoans had managed the clones' nutrition carefully from the day the egg was fertilized, and they'd turned out tall and muscular. In a hundred and more ways, they weren't exact replicas of Fett.

From vocabulary.com:

Youngster is a good, generic way to talk about a person who's younger than you are, especially a child.

Jango in 44BBY was 22 years old, and Mandalorian for 14 years, so it is possible that due proper training he gained appropriate body weight and was better nourished - if Walon knew Jango only as an adult man, would he had so hard time to see Jango in clones he trained since they were two years old?

For a better picturing this matter, below a reaction of people who knew Jango only as an adult man and already met a clone troopers:

Attack of the Clones by R. A. Salvatore 

Jango Fett walked in, dressed in simple shirt and trousers. Obi-Wan recognized him immediately, though he was many years older than the oldest clone, his face scarred and pitted, and unshaven. His body had thickened with age, but he was still physically imposing, much like many of the old gutter dwellers Obi-Wan encountered in far-flung places. A few extra pounds, sure, but those covered muscles hardened by years of tough living. Tattoos crossed both of Jango's muscular forearms, of a strange design that Obi-Wan did not recognize.

The Cestus Deception by Steven Barnes:

If Obi-Wan was entirely honest with himself, he had to admit that large groups of clone troopers made him slightly uncomfortable. Easy to understand and explain away. One factor was the fact that they were the absolute image of the notorious bounty hunter Jango Fett, who had come within a hair of killing him on three separate occasions. More disturbing still was the fact that, although genetically human, they had not led human lives: clone troopers were born and bred purely for war, without the nurturance of a mother's embrace, or the safety of a father's loving discipline.

or

As he came out of his thoughts, again he had the sense that she was staring at him, and this time he felt uncomfortable. "Why do you look at me that way?" She shook her head. Then, as if she thought herself the biggest fool in the galaxy, she shook with peals of deep, rich laughter. "I suppose I keep expecting you to remember me. That's crazy, of course." She laughed again, and Nate just felt more confused. "You have to pardon me." "I don't understand." "I suppose I should have told you before. I knew Jango Fett." He didn't quite believe what he'd heard. Worse, he wasn't sure how to react. "You did?" She nodded. "Yes, twenty years ago, in quite another life. Seeing you was kind of a shock. When you took those helmets off-wow!" Her laugh was throaty and vibrant. "It's him, all right, and just about the age he was when we first met." Nate's head spun. "I should have expected that, I suppose. Certainly some of my brothers have also encountered people who had known him ... I've just never spoken to one."

As Walon said, living among clones for years made him blind to the superficiality of appearance, but I think it is safe to assume Vau knew Jango for longer than the established minimum of 22 years. 

There is no proper date of Walon’s birth, however the books either mentioned he is past his prime 

Boss stands his ground. "You can't carry it all on your own."     "I can carry enough." I can haul a fifty-kilo pack all right, maybe not as easily as young men like them, but I'm motivated and that shaves years off my age. [Republic Commando: True Colors]

or Walon is outright called an old man, both by himself or other characters:

"You're conspicuous in that black armor, Sarge," Scorch said kindly. "It's worse than having Omega alongside. What say you back out of here and leave me to hold them?"     If anyone was going to do any holding, it was Vau. "Humor an old man." He fumbled in his belt for an EMP grenade. "I stop the droids, you pick off the wets." Wets. Organics. He was talking like Omega now. "Then we all run for it. Deal?" [Republic Commando: True Colors]

or

"Walon, whatever we've said or done to each other before this moment, it doesn't matter. Cm vhetin. A fresh field of snow." Vau looked at him blankly for a moment. Maybe he knew how precariously Skirata balanced on the edge of his resources right then, but that craggy humorless face softened for a few telling seconds. "Cin vhetin." Vau grasped Skirata's arm in a vise-like grip. "Mhi vode an, ner vod." Vau seemed purged. He slapped his thigh plate, and Mird trotted after him into the galley. "Sorry about that, Bard'ika," Skirata said. It couldn't have been easy for the kid to hear all that bad blood about Jedi on this particular night. He might have turned his back on them and put on the beskar'gam, but they'd been his family, and some of those killed must have been his friends. Jedi were living beings, too; some might have got what was coming to them, but others were probably decent like Etain and Jusik. "We're tired old men, with tired old grudges."

or

Vau did his icy I-know-something-you-don't smile. "Sport-fishing isn't sport unless you run the risk of being caught yourself, is it?"     "There's always relaxing on the beach," said the Rek. "Or a pleasant walk around the harbor."     She seemed to have classed them as two old guys trying to rediscover their youth through destructive machismo, maybe with Mereel as the fit young minder who could haul them out of trouble. It was perfect: whoever Ko Sai had as a contact here-and she'd need one, if only to get hold of supplies- wouldn't be tipped off to the fact that Mandalorian bounty hunters were in town. [Republic Commando: True Colors]

or

"Someone has to pilot Aay'han, because those things won't have much range," Vau said. "And I'm volunteering. I had my midlife crisis about ten years ago, so you can go play boy racer this time, Kal..." [Republic Commando: True Colors]

Additionally Commentary:

The definition of a midlife crisis is a period of transition in life where someone struggles with their identity and self-confidence. It happens anywhere from 40 years old to 60 years old and affects men and women. A midlife crisis is not a disorder but is mainly psychological. It occurs when someone looks at where they are in life compared to where they think they should be by a certain age.  Who is affected by a midlife crisis?  Men and women can both experience a midlife crisis, but it may look different for each. On average, most people experience one between the ages of 40 and 60 years old, but you may have it before or after those ages, as well. [From acendahealth.org]

As True Colors takes place in the second year of Clone Wars - if Vau’s words were meant to be interpreted as fact - the midlife crisis would happen around second year on Kamino. Of course, Vau may be sarcastic here but he could also mistake depression for the psychological crisis as the book series often pointed out how time spent on Kamino was depressive for Mandalorian training instructors and Vau was no less affected by that. This actually can be supported by the same book:

Scorch is about twelve years old. He's also twenty-four, measured in how far along that path to death he actually is, which is the only definition I care about. He's running out of time faster than me. The Kaminoans designed the Republic's clone commandos to age fast, and when I think of them as the tiny kids I first knew, it's heartbreaking-yes, even for me. My father didn't quite kill the last bit of feeling in me.

Side note: if I calculate right, the clone commando training started in the second year (8 years before Geonosis, as around that time Kal Skirata showed up on Kamino and was soon to start training clone cadets. Logically, each batch should start their training at the same time, so the “midlife crisis” could easily happen when Vau started training too young children for Republic and Jedi as this challenged both morality and principles of Mandalorian culture.

Kal Skirata was said to be around 60 years old [RC: Order 66] and book series keep describing him and Walon as “old men”, so it is easy to assume the age difference between Jango and Walon was quite significant, most likely more than a decade. Depending when Walon joined True Mandalorians - before or after Jaster Mereel’s death - there is also a possibility he could help train Jango when Fett was still a cadet or at least knew him (if not just heard about him), as Jaster Mereel had a special spot for the kid:

Jango Fett: Open Seasons, issue #2:

Jaster Mereel: Make me proud, Jango. Jango Fett: Yes sir, Jaster. Montross: I think he sometimes forgets that you're not really his son. Hnh. That's dangerous. Clouds his judgment. And yours. [...]

Fact Files vol. 3 #14:

"Jango became a favorite of Jaster Mereel, something that didn't sit well with one of his men, Montross [...]"

Additional Commentary:  It makes sense to think that older and/or more experience Mandalorian Mercs helped to train the cadets however it is worth to keep in mind that Walon Vau was introduced into story as specialist of interrogation and True Mandalorians in fact trained their members to endure tortures [Jango Fett: Open Seasons, issue #2]. This information comes from Silas, who was part of True Mandalorian first under Jaster Mereel's and later Jango's leadership. It is hard to tell when and how interrogation became Walon’s expertise, but if he took part in training of cadets, his training may as well be pretty brutal to endure. On another hand, if Jango spent eight years keeping the hunt for Vizsla in mind all the time, Vau could be one of the people responsible for gathering information about Death Watch from captured enemy soldiers or other suspects. If he was that good as books implied he was, this could make him a valuable addition to Fett’s army.

CHILDHOOD TRAUMA

[Prime source] Jango Fett: Open Seasons, issue #1

Imperial Commando: 501st

Jusik didn't know what to expect; he just knew that she'd been hurt, physically and emotionally. Jango had told Vau just the barest detail about the Death Watch punishing his father for harboring Jaster Mereel, and his mother shooting one of them dead so Jango-eight, maybe-could get away. That was the last he saw of all of them, his mother shielding fourteen-year-old Arla, his father on his knees yelling at him to run. Jango thought they'd all died.

Additional Commentary: For a supposedly the barest detail, the short description accurately presents what happened in original source [“Death Watch punishing his father for harboring Jaster Mereel”; “his mother shooting one of them dead” “his mother shielding fourteen-year-old Arla”, “his father on his knees yelling at him to run”], so maybe it is not Vau who get the simplified version from Jango, but Jusik from Walon?

For better contrast, below a story Jango told Zam Wesell:

"Did you know I was an orphan? My family had a farm. There was a civil war. We got caught in the middle of it. I don't know what would have happened to me... if someone hadn't come along and saved me" [Source: Zam Wesell comics, 2002]

Additional Sources: Jusik and Kal Skirata were aware that Jango Fett had a sister in previous book (RC: Order 66), as this was their main motivation to abduct met by accident Arla Fett from the asylum:

"I thought I was a chancer," Skirata said "but Bard'ika, you make me look like a Neimoidian accountant. You know who that is, don't you? If she is who she thinks she is, anyway. Because she's supposed to be dead." "Oh, I know," Jusik said. In the last few years, he'd absorbed all he could about Mandalore and its people, both from Mando'ade themselves and from aruetiise who knew them all too well-like certain Jedi. "And that's why she deserves our help." "So who is it?" Vau asked plainly irritated. Mird watched the woman with head cocked tail slapping. "We'd better have a good reason for taking a psychotic killer with us tonight." "We have," said Jusik. "That's Arla Fett-Jango's missing sister."

In the same book, Fenn Shysa also seems to be aware about the fate of Jango’s biological family:

Shysa was making an awfully big assumption about Boba's willingness to take over where his dad left off. "Fett's got an older sister, you know. Arla." "No, Vizsla killed them all." "Not all." "Now you tell me. Are you having me on, Kal?" "No, ori'haat. I swear. Jango thought they all died, but the girl survived somehow [...].

It makes sense that Mandalorians, especially the survivors of True Mandalorians (and Jusik who learned from them) to some degree were familiar with their leader's past, however their knowledge doesn’t necessarily need to come from Jango himself. 

Additional sources outright say or strongly implies Jango wasn’t willing to confide in others about his childhood trauma.

Internal memo penned by Hali Ke, senior research geneticist, Kamino, 27 BBY (source) 

I have now logged many sessions with our prime clone Jango Fett, and concluded that he embodies his species’ contradictions. He is a killer many times over, ending the life of others without hesitation if paid to do so, yet his anger was obvious when I suggested he lacked morality. He is one of the most able, competent humans I have ever observed, remaining calm in situations that would leave most organics helpless with terror. Yet he witnessed horrors in his childhood that he will not discuss, and around which his mind has constructed apparently impenetrable barriers.

Jango Fett: Open Seasons, issue #2

Important thing to note: Jango only described the enemy as “ex Mandalorians who split with Jaster Mereel years ago” instead of personal information like killers of his biological family. It could be due to being under enemy fire, however the fact that Silas has no clue who Death Watch was in the first place, strongly suggests that Jango did not mention his childhood trauma in any specific detail to him, while comics presented Silas as deeply loyal to Jango, both as first person to stand by him against Montross’ claim to leadership

and as a man who endured for a whole year a torture because he refused betray Jango and who used his last breath to ask Dooku (the torturer) to not tell Jango about his failure.

As Imperial Commando: 501st states, “Jango had told Vau” about his childhood trauma and there is no reason to think Vau lied about this to Jusik. So far, within the broadly understood Republic Commando series, Walon is the only mentioned character to whom Jango voluntarily confided about things he normally did not speak.

(Unless, as pointed in my additional commentary for Age Difference, Vau did in fact trained Jango to endure torture and he managed to break Fett to get this information from him during "exercise" while he simply omitted that detail when sharing his knowledge about Jango's childhood with Jusik. Personally I like more the implication of trust given to Vau what fits well with his role in Kamino program, however I feel obligated to mention this possibility as another interpretation.)

However when it comes to Vau’s own biological family and his aristocratic title, Republic Commando: True Colors says Kal Skirata was most likely the only person he told about before Clone Wars. 

"What's in there, Sarge?" I'm not robbing for gain. I'm not a greedy man. I just want justice. See? My Mandalorian armor's black-black, the traditional color of justice. Beskar'gam colors almost always have meaning. Every Mando who sees me understands my mission in life right away.     "Part of my inheritance," I say. "Father and I didn't agree on my career plans."     Justice for me; justice for the clone troops, used up and thrown away like flimsi napkins. "The drinks are on you, then," says Boss, Delta's sergeant "If we'd known you were loaded, we'd have hit you up earlier." "Was loaded. Cut off without a tin cred." I've never told them about my family or my title. I think the only person I told was Kal, and then I got the full blast of his class-war rhetoric.

Additionally commentary: Once Walon and Kal joined their forces to provide clones a future outside the army, Vau started to mention his aristocratic family more often (sometimes simply to annoy Skirata). This of course does not cross out the possibility that Jango wasn't privy to this "secret", as Fett could easily learn that from other Mandalorians, like his mentor Jaster Mereel (if Walon already was one of his True Mandalorians while Jango was a young cadet himself), or even straight from Kal who was passionate about the topic enough to lecture Walon - something that was mentioned through the books on few different occasions and these two men knew each other for decades.

Republic Commando: Triple Zero

   "Yes, we all know." Vau turned to Etain. "This is normally where he starts lecturing me on his ghastly childhood as a starving war orphan living feral on some bomb site, and how I just ran away to become a mercenary because I was bored with my idle, rich family."     "Well, that saved me some time," Skirata said irritably. "What he said."

Thus it is up to debate, if Jango knew and if he knew then how he learned that and if he didn’t, why Walon did not mention it at all. There are potential possibilities like that Jango simply wasn’t interested in Vau’s past so he has never asked (the other, out-of-universe explaination is that the author did not had at that time outlined the plot-twist about Jango and Walon’s much closer relationship than Jango and Kal - the main character of book series since Triple Zero. This is the most likely the case, as Karen Traviss’ Legacy of the Force books that predate Order 66 pretty much ignore Jango & Walon relationship in favor of Jango and Kal mentions in Boba’s POV characters. But about that more later.) 

[Next part coming hopeful soon]

[shih-coulda-had-it]

but the loneliness never left me i always took it with me

“no choir” - florence + the machine

[class1akids]

why does todoroki get sidelined when it comes to being a allmight fan boy?

Because he wasn't allowed to have any All Might merch, not even hero chips.

Paying fans come first. 🙃

[im-no-jedi]

I woke up today thinking about MLWTBB for the first time in a while, but it once again wasn't the story I'm currently working on, I will never know peace 🙃

[captainkirkk]

✩ WEEKLY FIC ROUND-UP ✩

All the fics I’ve read and really enjoyed in the past week-ish. Reminder: This list features any and all ratings and themes. Please look at tags and warnings on ao3 before reading.

Merlin

The Walls of Camelot by spqr

"Camelot will fall tomorrow,” Arthur says, on the first day of the eighth month of the siege.

DC

IRIS Log #1548 by deadchannelradio

Disclaimer From Your Friendly Neighborhood Oracle:

The following is a transcript of Patrol Communications Audio written by state of the art transcription technology, IRIS (Interpretation of Recorded Intelligence Software). IRIS was created to provide easily searchable records, automatically, and eliminate the need to transcribe each patrol audio log manually. That being said, IRIS is still experimental, and may not always be entirely accurate. - (01:25) Red Hood: (Mild static) (Out of breath, slurred) You motherfuckers. Put some fuckin-

(01:25) Batman: (Shaking) Red Hood-

(01:25) Red Hood: Shut up. Put some fucking respect. On my name. Start fucking copying me. I just got thrown fucking. Um. 40 feet. Into a fucking uh. What's it. Ditch. I'm still fucking conscious.

(01:25) Batman: Red Hood, do not move, we're en route-

(01:25) Red Hood: What'll I win if I stand up.

(01:25) Batman: (Loud) Do not stand up.

we shall be free; we shall find peace by mediant

Clark has accepted what it means to be Lex's prisoner - the pain of the Green, the experiments, the hands on it. The long years buried in its containment cell, let out only to act as Lex's weapon, as Lex's tool. It had fought back at first, but years have ground it down and away to almost nothing.

Then Lex hands it a baby. And Clark realizes that while it may have hurt humans, and lied about what it is, and it may deserve to be locked away - Kon deserves to be free.

Untamed

The Absolutely True Story of the Yiling Patriarch: A Manifesto in Many Parts by aubreyli (+ podfic)

Wei Wuxian’s hand jolts, spilling a drop of wine onto the tabletop. “Love?” he croaks, then clears his throat and tries again. “Lan Zh— uh, Hanguang-jun, in love?”

“Have you not heard the story?” the other young woman asks, looking pitying. “You must, it is a truly heartrending tale of star-crossed romance and mutual pining — go to any storyhouse in town, everyone has been requesting a reading of this book.”

“There’s a book?” Wei Wuxian says blankly.

-- In which the junior disciples (namely, Lan Jingyi, Ouyang Zizhen, and a reluctant Lan Sizhui) turn to RPF in an attempt to rehabilitate Wei Wuxian's reputation so that he and Hanguang-jun can get together and get married and live happily ever after. It's... surprisingly effective.

Clone Wars

patron saint by spqr (+ podfic)

Funerary practices? Master Ti writes back. I’m not sure what you mean, Master Kenobi. Used biomass is the property of Kamino and thus is recycled into the cloning process.

So that’s how the revolution begins—with dead brothers, but not the way you might expect.

Miraculous Ladybug

drowning (in plain sight) by buggachat

Everybody had expected Monarch's defeat to be a moment of triumph. Nobody had expected Gabriel Agreste, unmasked and mind frayed from continual abuse of the miraculous, crying out to all who would listen and making Paris certain of one thing:

His son, Adrien Agreste, is one of his sentimonsters.

And now he's missing.

Nobody can find him— not even the superheroes, and not even his closest friends. But Marinette, Nino, and Alya aren't ones to give up so easily. They'll find him, no matter what it takes.

(But, geez, would it kill Chat Noir to lend a hand?)

[queenariesofnarnia]

finally found you

gif not mine!

tech x f! reader

wc: 910

warnings: faked death and hidden pregnancy, that should be it.

takes place after s2 e13

tech x f!reader

~after the sea surge~

Every citizen on Pabu was safe. Among those citizens was you and your twins. You helped out the best you could while carrying them. You heard Phee returned so you were looking for her while assisting everyone. You heard your name being called, turning to see Phee.

“I’ve been looking for you all night sugar” She says grabbing your face before kissing the twins on their heads. “Give me one and come meet my friends” she grabs your daughter Selene from you. As you walk with her chatting. Selene babbled along. You look up to see a face you’d never expect to see again.

“Tiny is that you? or am I going crazy?” Wrecker asks leaning down to hug you tightly. You had to stop him, so he didn’t crush Apollo.

“I would love a hug Wreck, but little guy back here isn’t ready for one of your hugs” you say showing him your son who was sleeping on your shoulder.

“You have a kid?!” He asked shocked. You point to Selene in Phee’s hands.

“I have two. It’s why I left actually” you admit sheepishly. He hollers for Hunter and Tech. Hunter immediately recognizes you as does Tech.

“Sarad? There’s no way, you’re supposed to be dead” Hunter gets ready to scold you lovingly before noticing Apollo. Phee hands Selene back to you, telling you she’s going to help Shep.

“Surprise” You say cradling Selene close to you.

“You have kids?” Tech asks raising his brows. Selene’s wild curls were the same color as Tech’s hair. Apollo’s curls matched your hair. Hunter quickly figured it out just waiting for his brother to figure it out.

“Yeah, I do. Well, it was lovely seeing you boys, but I must get going” You started to walk away until you heard your name again. Turning to see Omega. You hand Selene to Hunter quickly before pulling the blonde girl into your arms.

“I have missed you so much” her eyes begin to tear up. “I was so worried when you stopped showing up to the lab. Especially after the last time” She said before burying your face in your shirt.

“I have missed you too. Please meet Selene and Apollo” you say gesturing to your twins. As you let her go from the hug, her hand remained in yours. “Would you like to hold one of them?” you ask, and she nods. You let her grab Apollo who was now showing his brown eyes off to the world. Hunter seemed to be enjoying holding Selene as she giggles toying with his hair. Tech pulled you away for a moment, making sure you could still see the twins.

“How old are they?” he asked, not wanting his voice to betray him.

“They’ll be two next week” you answer not looking at him. His gloved hands reach for yours giving them a squeeze. It was what he used to do to get your attention.

“Is there a reason you did not tell me?” his voice cracking. Emotions were hard for him, this was the moment that he let them win.

“You were a soldier Tech. The Kaminoans would have taken them from me. Nala Se and Omega protected me by getting me off Kamino. I couldn’t say goodbye, I couldn’t let anyone know who the father was. You were not going to get decommissioned because of me.” you answer him finally meeting his eyes. “Master Plo was able to help me leave the order we told the council I was killed in action to make it easy” you added on.

“We mourned you. We hated ourselves because you ‘died’ in action without us by your side” he was expressing his anger, and you weren’t going to stop him. He deserved this moment. “You went through your pregnancy and motherhood alone during the last two years. I appreciate that you chose to consider my feelings. I would have done whatever to be there for you” he finished.

“I’m sorry Tech. I didn’t want to hurt you or the others. I sorry that I made this choice without talking to you. I’m not asking you to forgive me, at least let me introduce you to them properly. You can decide if you want to stay after” your voice was desperate. You had no right to ask him to do anything, but it would make you feel better if he met them properly.

“I would love nothing more” He took your hand leading you through the crowd back to his brothers and sister.

“Tech this is Apollo” you grab your son from Wrecker handing him to Tech. “And this is Selene” Omega hands her to you. The smile on Tech’s face made your heart swell. The way he held Apollo with care made you smile. He wrapped his free arm around you pulling you into his side.

“Dada” Apollo babbled touching Tech’s face. The others watched in awe as their normally logical brother melt into a puddle.

“Dada” Selene mimics her brother reaching for Tech also.

“Looks like were staying on Pabu” Hunter says cracking a smile.

“I have enough room in my home” you tell them. Omega’s arms went around your waist talking about her excitement that they get to stay. You place a kiss on Tech’s cheek causing him to get flustered.

“I believe I deserve a real kiss.” Tech says leaning down kissing your lips like it was the first time all over again.

[pocketramblr]

AU where Hisashi calls Izuku regularly while he works overseas and one day Hisashi tells Izuku about his new boyfriend who is very sweet to him and unfortunately got into a bad accident many years ago that left him disabled so Hisashi helps care for him.Izuku later finds out this boyfriend is AFO.

why would you leave inko for afo. 'hold on yeah i think i'll leave this priceless bahia emerald and skip town and then i found a broken piece of chalk instead.' my guy. you deserve all might stealing your son.

1- ok so. Hisashi is an accountant who moves to new york to make more money. He and inko officially divorce, which means Izuku takes the Midoriya name and Inko has sole custody, but while Hisashi does not have to pay child support or alimony, he does opt to send them some support and tries to stay in contact because i guess his taste in men was so bad that he and inko just work better as friends. good for them ig.

2- actually Hisashi is just straight up color-blind: he can't see any red flags. Its not just his personal tastes. this man has worked for four separate blatant money laundering schemes since he went abroad. he has no clue. this is how he ends up coming into contact with AfO, but AfO's job offering is too indirect and vague, and Hisashi is like 'are you... flirting with me?' instead, but AfO can work with that. And while Hisashi certainly isn't a genius with people or warning signs, i will give him (and inko) this: he's a great lay.

3- He's also a very caring boyfriend, which was part of the problem with inko, they ended up really inciting each other's anxieties, but AfO likes being pampered so he decides to keep Hisashi around even if he isn't a employee. even better really, that he doesn't have to pay, bribe, quirkify, dequirkify, or threaten him. Hisashi, as a bit of a doting boyfriend, also has a lot to say about the man to others, so Izuku ends up hearing a lot of gushing over the phone as he's training with weights and is a bit too out of breath to change the topic. plus, he doesn't want to bring up going to UA until its a sure thing, his dad will definitely freak out about it not being safe. finally he tells his dad he got in, and hisashi is like 'oh yeah, cuz they changed the rules, which track?' and izuku goes 'oh uh hero track and alsoihaveaquirknowitscalledsuperpower oh look at that moms calling me for dinner sorry bye.'

4. Dazed, Hisashi gushes about his son to his boyfriend later, dropping that izuku's going to become a hero at ua, what a surprise- but, well, he supposes his son has always loved to watch heroes...

AfO is like 'hm. being a hero isn't very safe...' ('i know...') 'why don't you try to push him to visit you? keep him safe. maybe in a safe. don't you just wanna keep a hold of him?' ("i do, but that'll only drive him away. he's growing up... besides, if i was busy only keeping watch over him, who'd take care of you?") 'mm, good point. keep prioritizing me, i will neither put a hit on the kid as competition nor do anything to keep him safer.'

5. Reveal... uh yeah so Hisashi does mention to Izuku when his boyfriend goes missing, sometimes he gets called to work suddenly but he's never been gone this long, he's worried, is he restocking his meds, where is he? oh yeah, he vanished around Kamino. unfortunate, but not incriminating on its own. What IS incriminating is rewound!AfO, looking at Izuku with a tilted head. "I can see bits of Hisashi in you, hm. Just the worst bits, luckily." Izuku starts realizing what this means. Bakugo distracts him and blasts him to the Shigaraki fight, because he also started to realize what it meant and simply did not want to deal with hearing anymore of that. Over at the ShigarAfO fight, AfO tries to keep throwing Izuku (and tomura) off their game by wondering if Hisashi will find this new, younger body nice as well- probably, its not like the man had the highest standards. Izuku and Tomura are united in such abosolute done-ness with AfO that he's immediately snuffed out of Tomura's head and nothing remains behind. Tomura is like 'uh, do you want a day's break and then a rematch because i need to bleach my brain' but izuku is like 'oh no i need to punch someone through a mountain rn, lets keep going while i reform you with the power of friendship and incredible violence.' (By unspoken agreement, neither Izuku, Bakugo, or Tomura ever breathe a word about it to anyone, much less to Hisashi.)

[chiliger]

As far as shower ideas go, I was not expecting to come up with an AU where Anakin Skywalker adopts a tubie after the Battle of Kamino because the Kaminoans were going to decommission the kid for losing a limb in the chaos of all the fighting.

Of course it wasn’t planned for, it’s just one of those things that happen too quickly too fast and while normally Anakin would be outraged at the practice of decommissioning (because that was supposed to have been banned), he uses his smarts by talking to Kix first.

“Can you fake a death report?”

“….. Depends…. Sir.”

“Okay cool, I’ll take that as a yes. I need you to mark this tubie as KIA.”

“E-Excuse me?! General, I can’t just—“

“Kix, I know, I know. But I overheard the longnecks talking about this little guy, and they want to decommission him.”

“You had me at longnecks.”

With a flick of a stylus, Kix marks the tubie off the records, thus allowing Anakin to just take the baby and sneak him off Kamino. Echo and Fives help with “requisitioning” some of the clothing and supplies needed ‘cause that stuff got damaged during the battle who’s gonna notice a few extra missing.

Rex, upon seeing a sleeping tubie strapped to his general’s chest, gets an instant migraine and comms Cody, who then decides that’s none of his problem but then sends Rex “How to Care for Younglings” guides because they’re going to need all the help they can get.

Obi-Wan, after the initial shock, is not surprised but he’s definitely not happy about it because now that baby is not just Anakin’s responsibility, it’s now his too, because apparently Anakin decided to introduce him as “Uncle” Obi-Wan. (They’re gonna have a great time explaining this to the Council.) Ashoka is on the side grinning wildly because new baby nephew? brother? She is all for the ensuing chaos.

The tubie, who gets named Widget, pretty much immediately becomes an honorary member of Torrent Company. They make a rotation chart on who gets to hold him while the General is busy (which in all honesty Anakin probably keeps Widget on him like they’re glued so Torrent takes what they can get).

When they return to Coruscant, Anakin takes Widget to Padmé the first chance he gets. He has some explaining to do but this is honestly one of the least hair-brained things he’s done in a while (coughcough). Padmé and Widget become smitten with each other anyway.

I’m just basically imagining Anakin carrying this cute big-eyed baby with him everywhere and just radiating happy young parent energy. He can’t take Widget all the time on the venator, but boy does he go the extra mile to sneak him onboard just to have extra quality time (with help from Ashoka of course ‘cause she’s determined to be the cool aunt). And it’s just, Widget is his son, and Anakin is his dad. Even though Widget has to be left at the Temple creche (I bet that arrangement was a doozy) every time while the 501st are on campaign, Anakin calls any chance he gets to check up on him.

This is definitely a fix-it AU, by the way. Even though there are still attachment issues involved, Widget changes the course of Anakin’s fate for the better.

.

.

Somehow I always write more than I mean to, and there’s still so many things and details I didn’t write down but I think I wrote out the gist of it. Anyway, Anakin with baby.

[slexenskee]

I just read your gojo is actually all mights bio kid au and it is rotting my mind

I have to knowwwwwww

Does gojo still become a supervillain/vigilante??? Will he ever get exposed??? How will social media react to this bs that is his life fhfhhdhd

How did all might find out?? How would he even get exposed all the way in america-wait no nvm he can teleport right into all the chaos

AHHH PLS IM BEGGING YOU WRITE A CONTINUATION

(btw thank you for sharing in the first place, i love all your fics and i hope this doesn't come off as pushy)

AHAHAHA ITS ROTTING MY BRAIN TOO

I know I posted it as a oneshot, but I do plan to continue it!! And use it as an excuse to play with other dynamics I didn't get to try in the original MDNSY.

I actually want to do more enemies-to-lovers but also toss in the super spy trope stuff so I was actually thinking of having Gojo be recruited as some kind of CIA-consultant 😂 who gets contracted for the Humarise mission. Then he and Hawks can have that whole 'rival spy agencies having to work together to take down a terrorist group' vibe going on.

And I love the idea of doing a rewrite of Kamino where Gojo doesn't come for Izuku, he actually comes for All Might. And then only afterwards while All Might is in the hospital does he find out who Gojo is, then of course listens to No Scrubs, then goes on a journey to bond with his long lost son 😭 a good ole' American road trip is definitely involved lol.

[gentrychild]

Im starving for some dadmight crack. So an AU where Toshinori can't help but tell someone about the amazing kid he has (Izuku) and Gran ends up being on the receiving end of his constant gushing. Except Gran assumes that Izuku is Toshinori's actual child. Only to come face to face with a younger, sweeter, green version of his ex

1 - Gran Torino is a little miffed that Toshinori managed to hide that he had a son from him from fourteen years. Wait, no, that's a lie. He is in despair. It's the proof that Toshinori doesn't trust him. He has been deemed unworthy of being a grandfather figure. He is heartbroken. He is even grumpier than usual. But he is ready to meet his grandson.

2 - Until it happens. And then the horrible truth comes to light. Toshinori, a boy he practically raised, hooked up with AFO, Sorahiko's ex, no less, and a child was born from it. He passes out on the spot but fortunately, since he has already pranked the kid with the sausages and the ketchup so Izuku doesn't worry.

3 - Now, Gran Torino isn't sure if Toshinori knows or not that the father of his child is AFO. If he knows, it would certainly explain why he didn't want to introduce Izuku to Gran. If he doesn't... Gran really doesn't want to be the one to break it to him.

4 - Kamino is the place where Gran Torino confronts AFO. AFO couldn't not have known who Toshinori is! He is incensed! Alas, he isn't really eloquent so AFO misses the part where he is accused of All Might but he is very surprised that Gran Torino knows that Izuku is his son. (He assumes it's the handsomeness that betrayed they were related.) Torino, hearing what he feared to hear, wiped the floor with him.

5 - Days later, Gran Torino carefully try to see how Izuku is doing after.... well, all that, and Izuku, very surprised to be called All Might's son, assures him that he isn't related to All Might in any way, no matter what Todoroki says. Gran Torino, once again hearing what he wants to hear, understands that Toshinori adopted Izuku (duh, it makes sense) and suspects that AFO seduced someone else, probably a hero or related to a hero.

[class1akids]

I am so sad. They gave this Dabi vs Shouto panel to some B-studio.

There are so many things wrong with this shot, but the most infuriating part is that it shows that its creators do not have a clue what this fight is about.

The composition. The composition matters. This is Kamino. Shoto and Touya are having a showdown in Kamino. All Might's last stand, the place where Endeavor realized he destroyed his family for nothing, the moment where the reason they were created, they have suffered for became moot.

All Might's statue is looming over them. All Might was the goal - they were little toddlers when Endeavor told them that their worth is coming from being able to surpass All Might. Their existence was conditional on that goal. It's the reason of the wedge between them.

"I am not here". It has so many meanings. But also for this particular fight the "hero" who created this family, these two boys to surpass All Might is once again not here. As AFO rightly calls him out for it, once again, he fails to show up for Touya.

Shouto does show up and he's looking at Touya who is not looking at him. "Watch me" is like the desperate cry for self-worth in the Todoroki family.

Shouto's pose in the manga radiates his determination. He who is always so full of doubt is so sure here. He stands firm. But the fire and ice at his feet are a reminder of his "masterpiece" status, due to his perfect quirk. In the anime, his pose is floppy, the ice and fire are missing too.

Touya who looks away is so full of disdain for Shouto. His swag shows what he thinks of this 3rd son. In the anime? Nothing.

I'm not only mad because the artwork is lazy and looks bad. I'm mad because every choice they made here, every corner they cut tells me the people who made this did not understand a single thing about this fight.

[im-no-jedi]

can’t get myself to write in the Kamino story, so I’ve gone back to the Son™’s story for a bit. I’ve already gotten nearly 2000 words written in just a few hours haha. shame this thing won’t see the light of day for a very long time 😅

[inkstainedhandswithrings]

So I've seen the natural blond/bottle blond debate abt Captain Rex coming up again and I figured I'd give you my thoughts. First off, I am firmly team natural blond and here's why:

Rex honestly doesn't strike me as the type of dude who would spent that much time on his hair every week or so. Just seems like a Shave It Down Just Enough So It's Still Technically Hair kinda dude. No I will not elaborate on this, either you feel me or you don't

I think it makes for a richer character, tbh. The blond hair means that he is "genetically defective". Not only could that mean there are more, less detectable genetic differences (like more defiance, aggression, and creativity. all of which more than necessary to be Skywalker's Second), but it would also mean that growing up on Kamino, he likely had a harder time. He would've had to prove his worth to the Kaminoans more than others because they are perfectionists. Blond clone? Not that bad, but not quite what we want. Blond clone who can't pass the test first try? Unacceptable, that's already two black marks. Get rid of him.

I LIVE for the "Others called him King to bully him, because his blond hair looks like a crown, but he made it his own and owns it like THE KING HE IS AND ALL THE SHINIES ADORE HIM NOW"-headcanon

I also LIVE for the "The Kaminoans ran out of Jango DNA so they took DNA from the highest performing clones, including Rex so every little blond clone we see is kinda Rex's son in a way"-headcanon

I also go absolutely FERAL at the "Rex is a natural blond and therefore has to dye his eyebrows dark"-headcanon. That's the good sht, let's be real

I know my first statement made a different point, but I am genuinely intrigued abt if there is more to the shaven hair than we think. Every blond clone we've seen (save for Crys, though we all know he's the bottle blond of the army (deregatory)) has shaven down hair. Maybe the Kaminoans gave them different regs? Because in the Cadet Episode every single cadet (save for Boba but yanno) had the regulation haircut. There was one clone (REX'S SON) who had blond hair, but it was completely shaved, just like Rex's. Makes me wonder if the Kaminoans forced them too. Definitely would also make sense for Rex. He kept the regulation haircut, because his hair isn't as important to him as being a good CO.

And those are all my thoughts (for now). Feel free to add!

[archetypesanalysis]

Crosshair's Innate Archetype (Part 1)

This is the sixth instalment of my Bad Batch analysis. This character analysis has two parts: innate archetypes and anima. I will be referring to “Gods in Everyman” by Jean Shinoda Bolen for this first part analysis. This innate archetype analysis is split into two parts.

Part 1 | Part 2

Crosshair has two main archetypes: Poseidon and Apollo. His innate archetype is Poseidon, or Neptune as the Romans called him, and he is the God of the Sea. He is linked with tidal waves and earthquakes; hence, he is called Flood-bringer and Earth-shaker. He is bad-tempered, violent, vindictive, destructive, and dangerous, and these characteristics are represented by tempest, turbulence and the raging sea. However, he can also calm the sea – storms instantly stop when he drives his golden chariot drawn by white horses over the waves, and sea monsters play around it. The sea is the realm of emotions and instincts, and it is part of the unconscious. The shallow water is where personal and readily retrievable emotions and memories can be found, while the deep sea is where repressed personal feelings and instincts reside, and it is the emotional realm we share collectively. Underground water represents the deep introverted feelings that are unexpressed and unseen.

All clones have the Poseidon archetype as their innate archetype because their donor Jango Fett is innately Poseidon (Mandalorians generally have Poseidon as their innate archetype). However, this archetype is generally diluted as clones are genetically modified to be more compliant and docile. Besides that, their military training also further dilutes the effect of this archetype. Nevertheless, their Poseidon archetype motivates the clones to seek their individuality. Hence, this archetype is expressed through them in different ways such as having individual names, wearing customized armour, and sporting different hairstyles and tattoos. Even with the desire to be unique individuals, the clones also value honour, loyalty, brotherhood and community, which are all values of Poseidon. Surprisingly, these values are also upheld by most Mandalorians and the people living on Pabu.

Kamino is a remote planet covered by the ocean after the Great Flood. Instead of petitioning aid from the Galactic Republic, the Kaminoans use genetic engineering to adapt their genetic codes, flora and fauna to the new watery environment. They also build their cities in higher land and on stilts. There is an abundance of life in the ocean such as the aiwhas, the Kamoradon Sea Dragon, fish and krill. The planet often experiences heavy rain, and some parts of the year is covered by heavy electrical storms. Kamino is the home of the clones. Their donor Jango Fett did live there for 10 years as he oversaw the training of the clones and raised his unaltered clone as his son, whom he named Boba Fett. Surrounded by the ocean and sea creatures, Kamino is in the realm of Poseidon, and anyone familiar with this planet are usually innately Poseidon. I believe that the Kaminoans are innately Poseidon, especially before the Great Flood. They use science and technology to adapt and survive through the environmental changes. However, once they start using genetic engineering to better themselves, they end up suppressing the Poseidon archetype. They perceive this archetype as no longer beneficial after the Great Flood, and it should be left in the past, submerged in the ocean like their old infrastructure. They become generally expressionless, which can be a sign of being “cut away” from the realm of emotions. The monotone and sterile environment in Tipoca City shows how much they have supressed this archetype. In Legends, the Kaminoans used to be expressive and they had a dance called Nahra where they would display their emotions, which is now frowned upon.

Almost all clones started off with a diluted Poseidon archetype and it is maintained through military training. Of course, there are exceptions like the Domino Squad, whom they have expressed their individuality when they were cadets. Once the clones leave Kamino and join the war, their Poseidon archetype gets cultivated. How much this innate archetype gets cultivated depends on many factors like the environment, the experiences, the people they are surrounded with, etc. For example, clones who are assigned to Anakin, Ahsoka, Obi-Wan, Yoda, Plo Koon and Shaak Ti have their Poseidon archetype being cultivated positively because they are seen and treated as individuals, not expendables. On the other hand, the clones who are assigned to be Coruscant Guards have a minimal cultivation of the Poseidon archetype as their loyalty to the Republic usually supersedes their loyalty to their fellow clone brothers. Clones who have survived through various battles will have greatly cultivated their Poseidon archetype.

As the god of the sea, Poseidon can plunge into the watery depths and stay under the sea as long as he wants. He can also rise swiftly to the surface by commanding his horses to pull his chariot. This makes Poseidon the archetype of the deep-sea diver. A person who identifies with Poseidon can dive deeply into the watery realm of emotions and stay there as long as they want to. They can feel all sorts of intense emotions that can take the forms of great beauty and monsters of the deep. They can dive so deep to the point that vision must be abandoned and they have to sense the emotions and instincts hidden in the darkness. As deep-sea divers, they have a sense of emotional depth, intensity and complexity. This archetype is expressed through art and literature, music, dance, architecture and psychotherapy when it involves diving into the collective human depth.

The world around us tends to force us to cut off the Poseidon archetype. However, one can enter the realm of emotions and be overwhelmed by it like a drowning person when they drink or when they are consumed by a strong emotion (especially if that emotion is bottled up for too long). Though, there are some cultures that connect well with the realm of emotions and allow their people to be more emotional, irrational and expressive. This is especially true for cultures that have experienced suffering historically, where art, dance, music and literature are valued, and their museums mostly contain cultural artifacts (e.g. coins, statues, artwork, traditional clothing, armour and weapons) and natural artifacts (e.g. fossils, minerals, animal and plant specimens).

Like Zeus, the Empire’s domain is the sky, which is the realm of will and power. To rise upwards, one must “leave the earth” to see the forest not the individual trees. It is a highly competitive workplace and anyone who cannot keep up the pace will be left behind. Those who manage to reach the top ranks in the Empire tend to live in their heads and express themselves through power and words. They are cut off from their hearts, hence, they lack sympathy for others. They are also cut off from their emotions and sensuality. They see their bigger picture perspective as superior, hence, they view the people below them as expendables and are willing to sacrifice them to achieve their goals. However, the clones, being Poseidon, do not share such values. They instead value loyalty, brotherhood, teamwork, creativity and innovation. Unlike the people working for the Empire, the clones are supportive of each other, and they are unwilling to leave their own behind. The Empire looks down at such values, which may explain why they always plan on casting them out after Order 66 is carried out.

The inhibitor chip not just makes the clones to mindlessly kill the Jedi, it also strips away their individuality and values – which is like suppressing their Poseidon archetype. Furthermore, the decommissioning of clones and Project War-Mantle are carried out to replace the clones with Stormtroopers, which consists of people that are willing to strip away their individuality to serve the Empire. Finally, the aerial bombardment being carried out to destroy Tipoca City, the home of the clones, symbolizes the Empire raining down lightning (like Zeus) to destroy the realm of emotions and instincts, and the city being submerged underwater symbolizes the Empire’s values – the suppression of emotions, instincts, sensuality and connections with nature and other people. I also feel that the Empire destroying Kamino could serve as an allegory of the British Empire almost decimated the Māori people and culture because I find that the Māori people’s connection with nature, loyalty and caring towards community, the desire to preserve their traditions, creative arts such as carving, tattoos and performing arts evoke the Poseidon archetype.

On the other hand, Pabu serves as the haven for the clones. It is a remote island surrounded by the ocean, and there is an abundance of life and nature like the moon-yos, fish and fruits. The people living there are refugees who have fled from war and conflict. They understand each other’s sufferings and they treat each other like family. They are also welcoming towards the Bad Batch. The Archium is a museum built to store the people’s cultural artifacts that Phee has liberated. The people respect nature as they acknowledge the moon-yos as the island’s native animals and allow them to roam freely. Despite all its beauty and abundance, the island experiences earthquakes and tidal waves. The people have built an early warning system to alert them when there is a risk of a sea surge, and rescue ladders for evacuation. Although the tidal wave has destroyed Lower Pabu, rendering many people homeless, they are resilient and they work together to rebuild Lower Pabu (with the help of the Bad Batch). The residents on Pabu uphold the values of the Poseidon archetype, which are shared by the clones, making the island as the perfect place for the clones to settle down after the war.

Crosshair has enhanced eyesight. It is said that the eyes are the window to the soul because the eyes reflect our emotions and thoughts. This means that his genetic modification not just intensifies his eyesight, it also intensifies his emotions and instincts. This also means Crosshair has an enhanced Poseidon archetype, which is why some fans think that he is the closest we can get to Jango Fett. As a deep-sea diver, Crosshair is an emotionally intense person. Even as he lurks in a corner and stays calm, his intensity leaks out and can make people feel uncomfortable around him. His eyes depict various emotions like anger, pain and sadness.

Since Crosshair feels intensely, this means that he tends to stay in one emotion for a long time and it takes time for the emotion to subside. This can become a problem, for example, if he is angry, he will stay angry for a long time. To make matters worse, he is likely to unleash his anger towards everyone, regardless it is his target or an innocent victim, just like the saying “get caught in the crosshairs” (hence, Crosshair is a fitting name for him). This is equivalent to the forces of nature destroying everything and everyone on its path without discrimination. Aside from anger and sadness, if Crosshair is in pain, he feels it more intensely than normal people. That is why Dr. Hemlock using the interrogation droid to torture Crosshair is extremely cruel (and it hints that he understands Crosshair well enough to find ways to break him). Normal people will feel intense pain from the torture method, but Crosshair feels it much worse and the pain lingers longer in his body and mind. It is remarkable that Crosshair can still talk, stand, shoot and walk after going through the intense pain.

Of course, the emotional intensity is not all negative – there are some positives. Since Crosshair is accepted and loved for who he is by the Bad Batch, he can be emotionally responsive and physically demonstrative. Besides, being surrounded by people who expresses themselves freely can help Crosshair to develop positive traits of being an emotionally intense person. There are headcanons that Crosshair laughs loudly, which I believe is in character for him – it is just that he only does it in private or with his brothers. I believe that he almost always shows his deep affection to his loved ones in private. In “Aftermath”, Wrecker says that he and Crosshair cry upon seeing the new armoury. Even though Crosshair does not want to admit it, it is in character for him to be so emotionally overwhelmed that he sheds tears. Besides that, Crosshair is extremely loyal and can develop long-lasting ties with other people, even those who are his opposites. He is fiercely protective of his loved ones and will resort to physical fights to protect them. With the access to the deep sea, which is the collective human emotional depth, Crosshair has the capacity to understand other people’s emotions, making him emotionally mature and intelligent. For example, if you feel intense pain from something that is normally not that painful to a normal person, Crosshair will not judge you and instead acknowledges your feelings as valid. If you have an unusual phobia, he will understand you and help you. I do believe that if Crosshair was with the Bad Batch in “The Crossing”, he would understand Omega’s grief of losing Echo and comfort her.

In a romantic context, Crosshair will fall deeply in love. His expressions of love will probably be rough, intense, passionate and dominating, and these may be done consciously or unconsciously. If you try to hide from him, he will still find you. If you try to downplay your beauty, he will still think you are beautiful. If he is in the mood but you are not, he will probably pull you into the same mood as him (as long as you are fine with it). It is like he drags you into the watery depths of his emotions and instincts, flooding your consciousness so you will share his feelings.

Though, it is not out of character for Crosshair to be soft and tender, and this requires him to develop the “dolphin” in himself. In Greek mythology, Poseidon saw the Nereid Amphitrite dancing and he fell in love with her. Jean Shinoda Bolen interprets the love is more than sexual desire, and that Amphitrite attracts his inner image of his beloved, which Carl Jung describes it as “anima”, the unconscious feminine side of a man. Poseidon courted her with how he was used to – dominating and overpowering her with his intensity. This frightened her and she fled to the Atlas Mountains to escape him. Delphinus (or Dolphin) found her, then pleaded his case charmingly, and she agreed to marry Poseidon. In gratitude, Poseidon made the Dolphin into a starry constellation.

It is essential for a Poseidon person to learn from the Dolphin, a creature at home in his own watery realm. Poseidon people must learn to give up the need to dominate, and instead focus on his relationships with others. By developing the “dolphin” in themselves, they can attune themselves to another person (like the dolphin can find Amphitrite although she is hiding), and be sensitive, caring and communicative at a deep level. Since emotions are naturally present in the watery realm, skills such as enhancing rapport, empathic understanding and emotional expressiveness can come naturally for Poseidon people. With encouragement and opportunity for development, they can master their feelings like how people master their artistic and mental skills. If a Poseidon person evolves with the help of the dolphin, their effect with their loved ones will be like “living in a beautiful undersea palace” where they share an emotional depth, which is a beautiful aspect of a relationship. This is a common theme for many soft Crosshair headcanons and fanfictions, and the romantic setting usually takes place at beaches.

The name Poseidon means husband of Da (posis Das), which is a name for the earth. He wields a trident, and he is symbolized by two animals: the bull and the horse (or more specifically, the stallion). The trident, bull and horse are abstract statements of his sexuality, fertility and sexual prowess. As the husband of earth, Poseidon strikes the earth with his trident to bring forth water, which brings life and fertility to the land. I have seen headcanons of Crosshair being a gardener or a cook, and these are surprisingly fitting for him as the life-giving Poseidon. Moreover, being the life-giving Poseidon also means that the clones can be great fathers. As the trident bearer, there are two sides that Crosshair and the rest of the clones have: they have multiple partners with no strings attached, or they are loyal and committed in a relationship. Like Poseidon, their partner preferences are diverse: smart and independent, emotional and sensitive, shy and obedient, quiet and mysterious, bratty and rebellious, funny and mischievous, calm and collected, tough and resilient, caring and loving, etc.

Poseidon is seen as an archetype of the wild man, which is a symbol of masculinity that is filled with instincts and is in touch with nature. Unfortunately, this archetype is disregarded and feared, hence, it is repressed by the patriarchal society. If this archetype is liberated and brought into the consciousness, it can be a source of strength and power, teaching a person to be courageous and loving. We are seeing a rise of male characters who are emotional and sensitive, which are now seen as positive traits. This leads to an appreciation and empowerment of this wild man archetype. The clones do exhibit this archetype to some extent – they are not afraid to fight and die in a war, yet they are loving and caring towards children.

Like Zeus and Hades, Poseidon is an archetype of the king. People who identify strongly as Poseidon desires to “be somebody important” and seeks power, control and respect. However, they lack the impersonality, strategic thinking, and force of will like Zeus to be successful. Due to their intense feelings associated with Poseidon, they are not good losers and can easily be enraged. In the myth, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades drew lots to divide the world: Zeus got the sky, Poseidon got the sea, while Hades got the underground. Poseidon was not satisfied with his lot, so he competed with other gods for possession of cities. In one myth, Poseidon and Athena competed for the city of Athens. Athena presented the olive tree, while Poseidon used his trident to strike a rock, producing a saltwater spring. When Athena’s gift was judged to be more useful, the enraged Poseidon flooded the surrounding plains, which might explain why Athens was located next to three separate rivers at that time. Poseidon was also unsuccessful in claiming Argos from Hera, Aegina from Zeus and Naxos from Dionysus. There is also one myth where Poseidon unsuccessfully plotted against Zeus.

Having a strong Poseidon trait, Crosshair seeks to “be somebody important” as he sees himself and Clone Force 99 as more superior than the regular clone troopers. He is highly competitive and is unafraid to challenge for authority. For example, in “The Bad Batch”, Rex decides to take charge of the mission after Cody is injured, and Crosshair questions the legitimacy of Rex’s authority since Cody has called in Clone Force 99 for this mission, which means the authority to carry out this mission should be under Clone Force 99. Moreover, Crosshair is the only one who challenges Hunter’s leadership skills in “Aftermath”, “Return to Kamino” and “Kamino Lost”. He even wants to remove Hunter’s role as a leader and possibly taking the leadership role for himself in “Aftermath”. Crosshair being given the Clone Commander rank by Admiral Tarkin, which is higher than Hunter’s Clone Sergeant rank, probably satisfies his desire of having more power than Hunter.

Poseidon is known as the implacable enemy in Greek mythology. In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus blinded Poseidon’s one-eyed Cyclops son Polyphemus and escaped from being eaten. This resulted in Odysseus facing Poseidon’s wrath, leading him to spend 10 years trying to return home. This eye-for-an-eye justice is vengeance that takes nothing else into consideration, even going so far as “He who is not with me is against me” (very similar to what Anakin Skywalker tells Obi-Wan Kenobi in “Revenge of the Sith” because Anakin is innately Poseidon). In addition, Poseidon is a grudge holder, and with his emotional intensity, he can hold it for a long time and innocents are not spared from his wrath. This is depicted in one myth where Poseidon and Apollo had an agreement with King Laomedon to build the walls of Troy in return for payment. When the construction was completed, the Trojan king refused to pay, and Poseidon avenged himself “unto the second and third generation”, dragging Priam (King Laomedon’s son), Paris and Hector (King Laomedon’s grandchildren) to face his wrath.

The archetype of Poseidon as the implacable enemy is present in Boba Fett, Dogma and Crosshair. After Boba witnesses Jedi Master Mace Windu kills his father Jango Fett, he becomes obsessed with seeking revenge against the Jedi. He and his mentor Aurra Sing attempt to assassinate Mace Windu, which results in the destruction of the Star Destroyer Endurance and the deaths of many innocent people (though he does not want to hurt others and he does these things reluctantly). Even though his plan fails and he is sent to prison, he still refuses to forgive the Jedi. When Dogma realizes that Pong Krell has betrayed the Republic and the clones, even taking advantage of his blind loyalty, he becomes enraged and kills the Jedi to avenge his brothers. After the Bad Batch leaves Crosshair behind in “Aftermath”, Crosshair holds a grudge against them for the entire Season 1. At the beginning of “Bounty Lost”, the vengeful Crosshair pursues the Bad Batch relentlessly even though he is severely burned by the ion engine.  In “Return to Kamino”, Crosshair wants them to join the Empire to have a purpose again, but they refuse. This prompts Crosshair to warn them not to make the same mistake twice and not to become his enemy. In “The Outpost”, Crosshair gets revenge of Mayday’s death by killing Lieutenant Nolan, who refuses to provide medical help and causes Mayday to succumb to his injuries.

Although Poseidon is known for his anger, destructiveness, and otherwise stormy disposition, he also has a peaceful and merciful aspect to his personality. In his calmer moods, he visited his Ethiopian worshippers, who gave him rich sacrifices, and he forgot his pursuit of Odysseus for some time. In an act of mercy and an earthquake, he turned Thessaly, which had been an enormous lake, into dry land. He also changed Ino and her son into sea gods when they threw themselves into the sea, and appointed Castor and Pollux as protectors of sailors who could calm the storms. Moreover, the Ancient Greeks gave Poseidon various titles such as “Saviour of Sailors”, “Averter of Earthquakes”, “The Creator and Tamer of Horses” and “The Leader of Nymphs”. They prayed to Poseidon even in cities where the god of sea was not the city’s patron god to ensure the sailors and fishermen would have a safe journey. With that, it is possible for Crosshair to be peaceful and merciful, though, this is a rare occurrence. The one time we see Crosshair briefly showing his calmer side is in “Aftermath”, when Omega tells him that it is not his fault that he feels angry and that he cannot help it.

Poseidon is treated as a shadow of Zeus because the emotional aspect of the father archetype is being repressed or buried. Hence, this archetype becomes undeveloped and inaccessible to those who have severed their emotionality. This can lead to emotional instability and the tendency to react out of proportion to whatever sets them off. In the social context, there is a need to control how much emotions one can show that is deemed appropriate. Poseidon people can be emotionally expressive, but they can reach to the point when their emotions “take over”. A person who is taken over by their fluctuating subjective feelings, who takes no one else and no situation into consideration is described as self-centered and emotionally inappropriate. They are also viewed as emotionally immature or unstable, and even “out of their minds”. If they resemble a resentful, angry Poseidon, they are likely to be violent and abusive, especially when alcohol further loosens their controls. Based on my observations and my readings of various headcanons, I see that Crosshair can be both emotionally immature and mature depending on how well he controls his emotions.

Poseidon’s mythology emphasizes his resentments and retributions. He represents the dark aspect of the father archetype that seeks revenge – “an eye for an eye”. As a negative emotional complex, Poseidon vengeance can become all-consuming and destructive to one’s personality as well as towards whom the hostility is directed. A person who obsessively fantasizes about seeking revenge is also consumed by this powerful negative aspect of Poseidon.

If a Poseidon person is constantly criticised for being “too emotional” or “not rational enough”, they may internalize the criticism and continue to judge themselves negatively even when the external criticism has ceased. This can lead to poor self-esteem and they are likely to repress their emotionality. Their wellbeing and worthiness will be adversely affected, especially if they harbour powerful negative feelings such as resentment or the desire for revenge. This is common among men, but it can also happen on women.

Poseidon is the bringer of tidal waves and earthquakes. These two natural disasters represent powerful emotions that topples rationality and swallows up reality, causing a person to “go mad”. New construction or reconstruction can only begin after the waters recede or the earth becomes stable again. The calmness for the observing ego comes, allowing the person to understand the experience and reconstruct themselves and the relationships they have at least destroyed temporarily. The “tidal wave” can be interpreted as an amplified version of one’s usual emotional nature. For example, a person may react to a current pain by opening the floodgates to more grief and rage. These feelings are not new, only greater. The “earthquake” can be interpreted as one’s emotions being kept underground. The introverted feelings are like underground water that follows fault lines, and as pressure builds up underground, some mild tremors are felt but they are usually disregarded. Only after a major quake we remember the previous “rumblings” that hinted at the instability and emotionality below the surface. The earthquake represents primitive rage in which a person may irrationally attack others, which may devastate not only others but also (and even more) themselves.

Crosshair has shown to unleash his “tidal waves” and “earthquakes” a few times. In “Aftermath”, Crosshair is angry that Hunter refuses to execute Order 66 and that he let Caleb Dume escape, even lying that he stuns the Padawan and causes him to fall to his death. This causes tension to rise between him and Hunter, but it is eased temporarily by Echo, Tech and Wrecker. Things do not go well for Crosshair, especially when his meal is ruined during the food fight, prompting him to unleash his rage by hitting two clones with his tray. When Hunter disobeys orders for the second time by letting Saw Gerrera and his people go, Crosshair’s anger grows and he begins to challenge Hunter’s authority. Crosshair becomes more annoyed when Hunter decides to believe Omega’s warning and go back to Kamino to save her. As he has expected, the Bad Batch gets arrested for treason and is thrown into the brig. Crosshair’s anger becomes greater as he blames Hunter’s leadership for getting the team into trouble, and that every decision he has made since Kaller has been wrong. Realizing that Crosshair’s inhibitor chip is slightly working, Tarkin asks Nala Se to intensify the chip’s programming. I believe this operation not just intensifies Crosshair’s loyalty to the Empire, it also intensifies his feelings of anger, loss and betrayal towards his teammates. These amplified feelings are eventually unleashed like a tidal wave when Crosshair fires first at Hunter, leading to a gun battle between the Bad Batch and the clones loyal to the Empire.

In “Return to Kamino” and “Kamino Lost”, Tech, Echo, Wrecker and Omega go to Kamino to rescue Hunter, who is captured by the Empire. Kamino is dark and stormy, representing Crosshair’s turbulent emotions towards his old teammates. He is still angry at them for leaving him behind, but he has no intention to kill them despite they are branded as traitors to the Empire. He proves it by killing all four Elite Squad Troopers who refuse to obey his command and stand down. He offers the Bad Batch to join the Empire but they refuse, which angers him. When Crosshair reveals that he already has his inhibitor chip removed a long time ago, and that he willingly pledges loyalty to the Empire, Hunter and the rest of the team are shocked. Crosshair claims that this is who he is, but Hunter refuses to accept it and stuns him. Even though Crosshair is unconscious, his rage has probably reached its boiling point as he remembers his teammates refusing to join the Empire and refusing to accept that he willingly joins the Empire.

As Tipoca City gets bombarded by the Empire, the Bad Batch is forced to flee into the depths of the sinking city. As the city sinks into the ocean, the compartments get flooded, which represents Crosshair’s amplified feelings of rage, disappointment and betrayal finally bursting open, threatening to drown the Bad Batch, including Crosshair himself. Crosshair’s amplified emotions are shown when he rejects Omega’s help to free him, and when he pushes her away after she rescues him. Even as the Bad Batch manages to escape from the flooded compartments, water bursts through the cracks on the tunnels and the Kamoradon Sea Dragon further damages the tunnels as it tries to eat the Bad Batch. These represents Crosshair’s emotional tidal wave still moving to unleash its destructive force towards himself and the Bad Batch. This is evident as Crosshair is bitter that his team has thrown away their legacy, and he blames Hunter’s failed leadership for causing them to end up in a situation where they are going to die. He also blames his teammates for letting Omega (“the kid”) to call the shots and accuses Hunter for taking things personally. Crosshair’s emotional tidal wave finally subsides as daybreak comes, represented by the placid ocean and the clear sky of Kamino.

In “The Outpost”, Crosshair is reassigned to the Imperial depot on the snowy planet Barton IV. When he, Lieutenant Nolan and the clone troopers land there, it is snowing and strong winds are blowing. The snow and strong winds represent Crosshair’s inner emotions. Ever since Commander Cody tells Crosshair that they all make their own choices and they have to live with them too at the end of “The Solitary Clone”, Crosshair is unable to sleep and eat well. Moreover, he is lonely as other regular clone troopers do not want to associate with him, and that Cody later deserts the Empire. Although he seems to be disinterested of the fate of the clones because he views himself as more superior than the regular clone troopers, his inner emotions show how he is really feeling. He is fuming when Rampart refers to Cody by his designation number and he mocks the loyalty of the clone troopers due to the increasing rate of desertion. He probably also feels that the passing of the Imperial Defense Recruitment Bill is unfair because it forces the clones into retirement, which is being protested by many clone troopers. Crosshair supresses these feelings and his questioning of the Empire’s actions because he just wants to be “a good soldier”, which is all that matters to him. This is why he is unbothered by the snow and strong winds of Barton IV because his Imperial armour has shielded him from the harsh environment literally and from his inner emotions metaphorically.

Crosshair starts to open up slightly when Commander Mayday extends his warmth and kindness to him. When Mayday gives him a tour of the Imperial depot and its surroundings, the strong winds have subsided and there is less snowfall. This change of weather indicates that this companionship has helped to ease Crosshair’s inner emotions albeit temporary. Moreover, this meeting can be interpreted as Crosshair’s subconscious is calling for help because “mayday” is an internationally recognized radio word to signal distress. When Crosshair steps on a pressure mine that is hidden underneath the snow, it serves as a warning sign to him that his inner emotions and questioning of the Empire’s actions have become a ticking time bomb. The pressure is building up and it will explode any time. Before Crosshair steps on the mine, the tunnel above him and Mayday rumbles, which can be interpreted as an early warning sign of Crosshair’s destructive emotions. Thankfully, Mayday disarms the pressure mine and by slowly lifting his foot, Crosshair is able to escape from danger for now. When facing an overwhelming number of raiders, Crosshair shoots at a power generator, which causes an explosion that takes out the raiders. However, the explosion also creates cracks on the mountain and causes rocks and snow to fall onto the raiders’ hideout, in which Crosshair and Mayday have to escape from. The cracks on the mountain indicates that Crosshair’s inner emotions and questioning of the Empire’s actions are starting to leak out. It is like water starts to leak out from a cracked bottle due to the pressure. Though, Crosshair and Mayday think that the cracks are mild and ignore them, just like most people ignore the mild tremors coming from the earth.

When they go to recover the stolen cargo, they discover that the cargo contains stormtrooper armour for the new Imperial Military. Mayday is upset that he and his brothers are being treated horribly despite their combat service, loyalty and sacrifices. His sentence “We’re good soldiers, we followed orders, and for what?” finally hits Crosshair and intensifies his inner feelings and questioning of the Empire’s actions. Then, loud rumbling sounds can be heard and the ground begins to shake. This indicates that Crosshair has reached his breaking point and he can no longer contain his inner emotional turmoil. An avalanche comes running down towards Crosshair and Mayday. The avalanche (which can be seen as an icy tidal wave) represents Crosshair reacting to his current emotional turmoil by opening the floodgates to more turmoil. The avalanche buries Crosshair and Mayday, which causes Mayday to get injured and Crosshair to lose his helmet and expose himself to the cold. This disaster symbolizes Crosshair’s destructive emotions have devastated Mayday and Crosshair himself. Now, Crosshair, with his helmet off, is forced to face the aftermath of his actions and emotions. Since the emotional floodgates are opened, strong winds and snowfall, which also represent Crosshair’s emotional turmoil, appear as Crosshair brings the injured Mayday back to the Imperial base. They are forced to endure the icy and freezing conditions without proper equipment and supplies. The strong winds and snowfall only subside when Crosshair and Mayday finally arrive at the Imperial base. The clear weather indicates that Crosshair has let go of his ego and his emotional turmoil as he is only focused on making sure Mayday gets medical treatment.

Across the world, many people live in places that are prone to natural disasters such as storms, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and tsunamis. Some people choose to move away from these places, but many choose to stay. They learn to read the weather or seismological reports. From experience, they learn what to expect, how to prepare, and what to build that is likely to survive a potentially destructive wave or quake. People whose Poseidon emotionality can overwhelm their egos must become conscious of their own susceptibility and must learn as much as possible about its conditions and warnings. They must develop ways to live with this powerful part of them. Similarly, people who are affected by the destructiveness of Poseidon, as lived out in someone else, must learn to detect the warning signs.

In “Pabu”, Hunter is able to sense the incoming tremor before it hits the island, just like the moon-yos quickly retreating before the rumbling comes. He tenses up, and before he suggests that they retreat, a small tremor rocks throughout the island and sea. The residents of Pabu, especially Shep and Lyana disregard the small tremor because it is a common occurrence on the island. Not long after, a larger tremor comes, which concerns everyone. This scene shows that Hunter is extremely sensitive to changes of pressure, and a slight change is enough to prompt him to take quick, decisive actions. By interpreting the tremors as powerful and destructive emotions, it can be said that Hunter is able to detect the warning signs given out by Crosshair’s inner emotions. This is evident in “Aftermath” when Hunter is able to sense that Crosshair is staring at him intensely despite his eyes are closed and Crosshair is wearing his helmet. He probably already knew that Crosshair is going to ask him about the Padawan when he asks “what?” to Crosshair. Thanks to his enhanced senses, Hunter can quickly pick up changes to Crosshair’s emotions. He takes action when he senses even a slight increase of intensity of Crosshair’s emotions.

In the Hyperspace Stories #10, the Bad Batch is sent to Hylanth, a moon in the Outer Rim for a mission involving battle droids. This mission seems to frustrate Crosshair as the words “battle droids” are written in bold, indicating a greater emphasis of these words. Hunter senses his frustration and tells him that they have their orders. Crosshair then explains that he is not questioning the orders, but he just feels that this mission can be carried out by the regular clone troopers. After Tech explains that the battle droids they are sent to investigate have been modified, Crosshair says that “maybe there is hope for this mission yet” because he likes to be challenged. This causes Hunter to tease Crosshair for sounding grumpy. I feel that Hunter does not tell Crosshair to shut his mouth when his words irk Jesse and Rex in the Clone Wars episodes because Hunter does not sense any increased tension from Crosshair’s words and that it is just on brand of his dark, twisted sense of humour. However, in “Aftermath”, when Crosshair starts shooting at Caleb Dume, Hunter quickly orders him to stand down. Furthermore, in “Return to Kamino”, tension rises between Hunter and Crosshair due to the reveal that Crosshair already has his inhibitor chip removed and that he willingly joins the Empire. Before Crosshair can shoot, Hunter stuns him, indicating that his quick, decisive actions are meant to dilute Crosshair’s intense emotions. Hunter’s Dionysus archetype enables him to sense changes to Crosshair’s emotions like the mysterious and uncontrollable tides that flow and ebb in nature, and his Demeter anima motivates him to care for Crosshair’s emotional needs. His Zeus archetype helps him to take immediate action to calm Crosshair down, though, this tactic does not always work because he may not fully understand how and why Crosshair feels that way, which is evident in the comic and the episodes stated earlier.

Besides Hunter, the rest of the Bad Batch have their own ways to handle Crosshair’s emotionality. Wrecker, who has a strong Aphrodite anima, is drawn to Crosshair’s intense emotions. He attends to Crosshair’s emotional needs by annoying him and shifting his focus so his emotions can subside faster, which is shown in the Hyperspace Stories #10, “The Bad Batch” and “Aftermath”. Even when Crosshair reacts angrily at him, he remains loving towards him. Moreover, Wrecker encourages Crosshair to be emotionally expressive, which is evident in “Aftermath” as Wrecker corrects Crosshair that they both did cry seeing the new armoury. Besides that, Wrecker is an explosive expert, which means that he can handle Crosshair’s destructive and explosive emotions as he knows how to disarm it.

Tech, who is Hades the Good Counsellor, accepts that Crosshair is severe and unyielding, and that nobody, not even Crosshair himself can change that. Tech’s subjective understanding enables him to accept Crosshair’s decision to join the Empire and let go of the emotional pain inflicted by him as seen in “Kamino Lost”. In “Pabu”, after a larger tremor rocks throughout the island, Tech warns that the island is vulnerable to a sea surge with the risk ranging from highly probable to imminent. His prediction comes true when the island’s early warning system later comes to life. By interpreting the tremors and sea surge as powerful and destructive emotions, it can be said that Tech is well-prepared in predicting and handling Crosshair’s intense and destructive emotions, like he is the head of the emergency or disaster management. When Crosshair’s inner emotions begin to leak out or show its cracks, Tech takes notice of it and expects the worst outcome. With that, motivated by his Athena anima and his Hermes archetype, he raises his defence and diverts others away from Crosshair before his emotions are unleashed. Once Crosshair’s emotions subside, Tech assesses the aftermath, carries out the recovery process, and implements better preparations to mitigate its destructive forces.

For Echo, who has the Hephaestus archetype, handles Crosshair’s emotionality by being stubborn and being the family peacekeeper. In “Aftermath”, when Echo senses the rising tension between Hunter and Crosshair, he questions why the clone troopers turn on their general Jedi Master Depa Billaba despite they have been serving her for years. This causes Tech to explain about the regular clones’ programming, which distracts Hunter while Wrecker distracts Crosshair. With that, Echo is able to ease the tension temporarily. Later in the episode, Echo takes on a more assertive approach in dealing with Crosshair’s intense emotions. When Crosshair grumbles about the team debating their choices and they need to complete the mission of eliminating the insurgents, Echo tells him to wake up and see that the Empire has sent them to kill innocent civilians. Then, when Crosshair demands Hunter to explain why he has gone soft, Echo tells him to stop it as there is no use of fighting and they should focus on escaping the prison. Moreover, since Echo has a strong Hestia anima, he is usually unaffected by Crosshair’s emotionality, and he is not judgemental towards Crosshair.

Omega, who is highly perceptive thanks to her Persephone archetype, can sense that Crosshair is angry. She reaches out to him and sits beside him. She then pleads with him not to do what he is going to do. She tells him that it is not his fault that he is feeling angry and that he can’t help it, which briefly softens him. In “Kamino Lost”, Omega once again approaches Crosshair and observes that he never liked Kamino. She understands him as she has spent most of her life inside Nala Se’s private laboratory alone until the creation of the Bad Batch, which is why she is determined to find them all again. Her receptive personality makes her kind and compassionate, and it gives her the ability to try to see things from Crosshair’s perspective, so she can reach out to him from the emotional level.

Besides the Bad Batch, Cody and Mayday have shown the ability to handle Crosshair’s emotionality. In “The Bad Batch”, after Crosshair’s words incite anger in Jesse, Cody reminds him that they are all on the same mission and he needs to cut his attitude. In “The Solitary Clone”, Cody specially requests Crosshair to be part of the mission and he chuckles at Crosshair’s humour. Cody’s no-nonsense attitude and authority gain Crosshair’s respect. As for Mayday, he shares a heater with Crosshair and starts a conversation with him, which helps Crosshair to open up. He also gives Crosshair a tour of the Imperial base so he can be familiarized with the new place and the planet’s harsh environment. He even encourages Crosshair to humour him as he disarms the pressure mine that Crosshair has stepped onto it. Although Mayday does not have any proper tools and equipment to disarm the mine, his experience and creativity help him to save Crosshair. I have interpreted that the pressure mine represents Crosshair’s emotionality as a ticking time bomb, and with Mayday’s ability to disarm it without proper equipment, it can be said that Mayday is highly experienced in handling people with intense emotions like Crosshair.

Although Crosshair is cold and rude, he is fortunate to be accepted and loved for who he is by the Bad Batch, Cody and Mayday. His relationships with them, especially with the Bad Batch, help him to develop his “dolphin”, allowing him to have a better understanding and control of his own emotions. It is believed that Crosshair has the habit of pushing boundaries to test people – to see whether they can handle his emotionality and stay, or become disgusted and run away from him. He probably knows how his intense emotionality scares most people away, and he does not want to waste time on people who do not appreciate and accept him for who he is. He also wants to spare himself from the hurt and betrayal. Crosshair is grateful that the Bad Batch chooses to stay with him, and in return, he gives his loyalty and respect to them. Unfortunately, that all changes with the issue of Order 66.

When Order 66 is issued, Crosshair’s inhibitor chip is somehow activated. He becomes adamant in carrying out orders without question. Influenced by the order, he tries to shoot Caleb Dume down. Hunter keeps telling Crosshair to stand down but to no avail. Crosshair later gets angry that Hunter has allowed Caleb to escape and has lied that the Padawan has been eliminated. His anger intensifies when Hunter defies orders to eliminate Saw Gerrera and his people. When the Bad Batch is thrown into prison for disobeying orders, Crosshair blames Hunter’s leadership for getting the team into trouble. Hunter, Tech, Wrecker and Echo do not understand what is wrong with Crosshair. They never have an issue with disobeying orders because they do it all the time. Crosshair also does not understand what is wrong with himself. The inhibitor chip has “tampered his access to the emotional realm” (for regular clones, the chip “inhibits their access to the emotional realm”), thus, hampering his emotional control. Crosshair probably feels frustrated that nobody, not even himself can figure out what has gone wrong. To make matters worse, Hunter, Tech, Wrecker and Echo are more focused on trying to escape instead of taking care of Crosshair, which may have frustrated him further because he thinks that they are indifferent towards him. Omega, who notices his anger, is the only person to reach out to him, and she is able to comfort him for a brief moment.

After Crosshair’s operation, the effects of the inhibitor chip are intensified, along with his anger towards his teammates, especially Hunter. His amplified rage is eventually unleashed towards his teammates when he fires the first shot, starting a gunfight. When the Bad Batch manages to leave Kamino, Crosshair feels bitter that they have left him behind. They have always stay by his side no matter how intense his emotions can get, but this time, they run away from him – like Amphitrite fleeing from Poseidon, and some people moving away from places prone to natural disasters. Crosshair feels betrayed by their actions.

The Bad Batch later finds out about the inhibitor chip, and they suspect that it has caused Crosshair to betray them. In “Replacements”, Hunter is angry at himself for leaving Crosshair behind. Omega comforts him and says that they will find a way to bring Crosshair back. Even though they now have the knowledge about the inhibitor chip and how to remove it, they are actively trying to avoid Crosshair, who is hunting them down because they are traitors to the Empire. Due to their last gunfight, they probably think that Crosshair is trying to kill them. When Crosshair manages to catch up with the Bad Batch in “Reunion”, Hunter and Omega try to snap him out of the effects of the inhibitor chip but to no avail. Tech already predicts that Crosshair will not be convinced due to his severe and unyielding nature, so he has prepared an escape plan for the team. After barely escaping from Crosshair’s relentless chase, the Bad Batch is probably aware of his wrath and decides to stay away from him for some time. In “Rescue on Ryloth”, when the Bad Batch spots Crosshair in the city, they step back to discuss their plans for they do not want to be noticed and hunted down again. However, a probe droid hovers above them and Crosshair is alerted to their presence. The team wants to abandon the rescue mission, but Omega manages to convince them to continue on. After the Bad Batch successfully carries out the rescue mission, Rampart realizes that he has underestimated them and gives Crosshair permission to hunt them down. Crosshair’s eyes and smile show his conflicting emotions – he is happy to have a chance to approach his teammates again, but he still harbours anger and sadness towards them.

In “Return to Kamino”, Hunter explains to Crosshair that they did not have a choice when they left Kamino without him, in which Crosshair counters “and I did?”. He probably feels angry and betrayed that Hunter tries to justify his actions for leaving him behind. When Tech, Wrecker and Echo walk into a trap set up by Crosshair, Hunter keeps thinking that Crosshair is going to kill all of them. Although Crosshair is angry that Hunter has betrayed everything they once stood for and is not loyal to him, he is willing to give them a chance because he believes they can be brothers again. He proves his loyalty towards them by killing his own Imperial squad (he even has it planned out by placing the reflecting mirrors to make the trickshot). He offers them to join the Empire, but they refuse. Hunter even counters that Crosshair does not get who they are, which angers him once more. Crosshair’s anger intensifies when Hunter refuses to accept that he already has his inhibitor chip removed and he willingly joins the Empire, even claiming that this is who he is. Even though Crosshair is still mad at the Bad Batch throughout “Kamino Lost”, he still follows them and saves Omega from drowning. However, he notices that Wrecker, Tech and Echo aiming their blasters at him because they think he is going to shoot Hunter. From there, Crosshair knows that no matter what he does, their trust has been broken and there is nothing he can do to regain that trust. Perhaps in the past, he can express his trustworthiness through action (because he finds it difficult to express it through words), but now, it does not work anymore. Hunter offers a chance for Crosshair to return to the team, but this will require him to give up the Empire and his identity as a soldier. Perhaps in the past, Hunter gives unconditional love to Crosshair, but now, his offer is seen as conditional to Crosshair. This may have caused Crosshair to question whether the love he gave in the past was even truly unconditional. Crosshair probably feels betrayed and bitter that Hunter does not fully understand him, which strengthens his decision to not return, making the fallout more severe and tragic.

Fortunately, all hope is not lost for Crosshair. We know that nature is both generative and destructive, just like Poseidon who can bring life and fertility, or death and destruction. After a natural disaster, given the time and space, nature heals itself and the survivors of the disaster become stronger. With that, it is possible for Crosshair to return – we just need to give him time and space. Omega understands this well, thanks to her Persephone archetype. Persephone is the symbol of spring, representing new life appearing after a brutal winter. Before Omega leaves with the Bad Batch, she tells Crosshair that he is still their brother and that he is her brother too. She holds onto hope that he will return, but it must be done according to his time – nobody cannot force him to come back now.

Although Crosshair is still angry at them, he is saddened to see them leave him on the Kamino platform. Throughout season 1, Crosshair laments how Hunter has thrown away their past achievements and missions. Those memories are of great importance to him and he finds it difficult to let go. People who are like Poseidon are more focused on the past and present, and accompanied with their intense emotions, they may replay their memories constantly or become entranced by what is happening right now. It is likely that Crosshair contemplates his memories with the Bad Batch as he waits for 32 rotations for the Empire to rescue him. With Tipoca City, the home of the clones, have sunk into the ocean, all the memories the clones share have become part of the collective emotional realm. Crosshair likely takes on the archetype of the deep-sea diver as he ventures into the collective emotional realm and reminisces about his time with the Bad Batch.

In the collective emotional realm, Crosshair probably replays all the good and bad times they have shared, including the times where his emotions got the better of him and everyone had to clean up the mess he had caused. There might have been bitter feelings, but they all learned from their mistakes and moved on. Perhaps from here, Crosshair finally understands Hunter’s actions and feelings. He may realize that Hunter feels awful for leaving him behind, and that he blames himself for losing him. After losing Crosshair to the Empire, Hunter is determined to keep the remaining teammates safe, and becomes overprotective towards them (which is motivated by the negative Demeter anima). This may explain why they never try to go after him and get him back. Moreover, Crosshair may also realize that his intense rage has influenced Hunter’s overprotective tendencies. Hunter thinks that Crosshair is trying to kill them, which causes him to prioritize in rescuing his remaining teammates from Crosshair’s wrath. When the Bad Batch and Crosshair reunite in Bracca, Crosshair’s wrath remains intense, which causes the Bad Batch to run away again and attempt to hide.

Furthermore, Crosshair may come to understand why Hunter refuses to accept that he willingly joins the Empire. Hunter wants to believe that Crosshair is being “held captive” by the Empire (like Persephone being held captive in the Underworld) and that they can free him by removing his inhibitor chip. When that belief turns out to be untrue, Hunter’s overprotective tendencies return. He believes that this is his only chance to get Crosshair back, and he is determined to do anything to achieve that. He keeps trying to reason with Crosshair but to no avail. He offers Crosshair a chance to return but this requires Crosshair to give up the Empire and the soldier’s life. Crosshair is disappointed that his love has become conditional, thus, he rejects the offer.

As Crosshair comes to see things from Hunter’s perspective, he learns to understand why Hunter has acted this way, even though he does not agree with him (like Tech’s quote “Understanding you does not mean that I agree with you.”) This helps Crosshair to let go of his rage towards Hunter and the rest of the Bad Batch. He also comes to take responsibility for his actions and emotions. After he gets rescued by the Empire, he lies in his report that Clone Force 99 have perished in the bombardment because his loyalty to his teammates remains strong and he wants to protect them from afar. I do believe that Crosshair still holds onto some hope that he can still reconcile with the Bad Batch despite his belief that they will not come back for him. He probably still believes the unconditional love they gave to him in the past is real, and it can happen again. This is hinted in “Tipping Point” when Crosshair sends Plan 88 to tell the Bad Batch to hide as the Empire is after Omega. His message is then discovered by Tech when he checks the team’s old comm channels. If Crosshair believes that the Bad Batch has given up on him and there is no possibility of reconciliation, he will not have sent Plan 88 using his old code and expect that they will find it.

In “The Solitary Clone”, Crosshair seems to have calmed down and becomes slightly mellow. He even tries to join the regular clone troopers for breakfast, which is something the old Crosshair will not do. This change of behaviour makes me believe that Crosshair has made contact with the collective human emotional depth during the 32 rotations on the Kamino platform. However, the Empire rejects the values of Poseidon, and Rampart even taunts the clones for having these values. Crosshair feels unappreciated and lonely, and to make matters worse, Cody does not take his loyalty well. Many people believe that Crosshair only carries out Governor Grotton’s order to execute Tawni Ames because Governor Grotton threatens Cody with the consequences of not carrying out his order, and Crosshair wants to protect Cody. Just like his action of saving Omega was met with hostility from the Bad Batch, Crosshair’s action upsets Cody and causes him to desert the Empire. Losing Cody may have worsened Crosshair’s loneliness and the feeling of being unappreciated, and this causes him to shut himself off from everyone, which is represented by him putting on his helmet and walking away by the end of the episode. His shields are up, and he becomes emotionally detached. By doing so, he is actively ignoring and suppressing his emotions. He loses his connection with his innate archetype until he meets Mayday in “The Outpost”. Mayday’s kindness opens the floodgates and helps Crosshair to truly be himself once more.

After “The Outpost”, I find myself relate to Crosshair immensely, especially on the emotional level. That episode helps me to discover that Poseidon is my main animus, which is the unconscious masculine side of a woman. I am emotional and sensitive. I like to go to museums and learn about history and geography. I am always fascinated by marine life and underwater beauty (especially coral reefs). I have always been drawn to natural disasters because I am fascinated by their destructive forces and the aftermath (a hint of my intense yet destructive emotions). My anger or sadness tend to hold on much longer. I used to hold grudges and they could last for years (I try not to do that anymore). Since I am the only emotional one in the family, I constantly get criticized for expressing my emotions – when I laugh loudly, I am “impolite”; when I start yelling angrily, I am “rude”; when I burst into tears or scream out of fear, I am “weak” and “pathetic”. My family expects me to be level-headed, and every time my intense emotions leak out, I am told that “I cannot survive in this society”. My aunts prioritize being level-headed so much that they cannot comprehend real people and fictional characters acting on their emotions, even going so far as to calling them “stupid” for letting their emotions to flood their rationality. I also do not find comfort in school as I constantly get bullied by others. I remember crying a lot, but nobody came to help me or comfort me. Until one day, I snapped and resorted to anger to defend myself from the bullies. Since then, I became hot-tempered and this is something I am not proud of (genetics may have played a part because my maternal grandfather and mother are both hot-tempered). I remember one teacher described me as “manipulative” because “I constantly cry to get people’s attention”, and I end up feeling that it would be best if nobody cares about my venting so as to not being labelled as “an attention seeker”.

The constant criticisms and judgements received have caused me to develop a habit of bottling up my emotions. I keep ignoring and repressing my emotions until I can no longer hold back. My intense emotions get unleashed in a destructive manner, which hurts everyone, including myself. This has damaged my friendships and relationships. Even some of my friends who allow me to express my feelings and vent my troubles are taken aback by my intensity. Once, they have to remove me from the friend group temporarily and give me a timeout. I do take responsibility for my actions and appreciate the second chance they have given me. To stop myself from further damaging my relationships, I decide to shut myself off from everyone when I find my emotions have become unstable. However, this causes some people to inquire my emotional state and pressure me to tell them. When I refuse to share my feelings, they call me “ungrateful”, “rude” or “selfish”. But when I share my feelings, thus, unleashing its intensity and destructive force, they are taken aback and get hurt. They either become distant and cold towards me or judge me harshly for being emotional. This only make me feel that it is best that I keep my emotions and troubles away from other people, and that I should not share my burdens with others since they usually do not understand me. I isolate myself further from people and resort to carry a heavy burden on my shoulders. I can’t help but to internalize these criticisms and judgements. I feel ashamed to be emotional and I tend to judge myself harshly when I show emotions. I have been rejecting my Poseidon animus until I finally see myself in Crosshair. I am learning to accept that “this is who I am” like Crosshair. I also find it heart-warming that Crosshair is surrounded by people who love and accept him despite his intense emotions. I would love to be part of the Bad Batch because I would feel safe to express my emotions and be myself.

Since Poseidon people are susceptible to be taken over by strong emotions, they need to develop abilities to observe, reflect and think objectively. One method is to develop an observing ego. In Jungian psychological terms, the ego is the consistent, observing, remembering, and deciding element in the psyche—what you mean when you say, “I.” A complex is an archetypal pattern that has become charged with emotion. When an emotional complex has more power or energy than the ego, it can temporarily “take over” or “possess” the personality. For example, a father may become “like a man possessed” and bent on vengeance when his child is hurt. He may become like Poseidon in relentless pursuit of Odysseus – he is so consumed with rage and revenge that he is not available to support or comfort and help heal his child. This same complex may be activated by the same situation in another man with a stronger ego. He may have vivid fantasies of retribution, but realizes that he must struggle with the hatred that threatens him, knowing that his child’s wellbeing is of greater importance.

When an emotional complex takes over, the “I” is put out of commission. The Poseidon person may be unconscious or blind to what is happening, while people around them react in different ways. They may be humoured, avoided, or feared. The emotional complex they are possessed with may provoke an equivalent unconscious complex in others. The Poseidon person may also struggle with the complex, feeling themselves overreacting or behaving in ways that are “out of character”. By learning to observe a complex, the focus and energy are shifted from the complex to the ego. The “I” sees what is happening and resists being taken over by the complex. The complex loses energy and influence, and it recedes. During this process, the Poseidon person and their relationships can grow in depth when compassion is given to themselves and to others who are affected by the complex. Two archetypes can be developed to help Poseidon people to deserve an observing ego, which are the Zeus archetype that enables them to see circumstances objectively and dispassionately (which is an archetype Hunter has), and the Hades archetype that enables them to recognize that their emotions are often connected to archetypal images, which are patterns that exist in the collective unconscious (which is Tech’s innate archetype).

Instead of expressing their emotions in a destructive manner, Poseidon people can channel their emotional depth and intensity into creative work such as drama, poetry, literature, music and art. With that, the Hermes archetype (which is an archetype Tech has) must be developed. As the Messenger God and Guide of Souls, the Hermes archetype can bring forth the potentially disruptive emotions hidden in the depths and turn them into emotionally expressive works. Besides Hermes, the Hephaestus archetype (which is Echo’s innate archetype) can also help Poseidon people to transform their emotions into creative work. Hephaestus, the God of the Forge, is a rejected god; but instead of erupting like a volcano, he channels his intense emotions to create beautiful and useful objects. He expresses his emotions in a creative manner. This difference is shown in how Echo and Crosshair react to the Empire’s mistreatment to the clones. Echo channels his anger through constructive means by joining Rex’s resistance network, rescuing the clones from the Empire, and turning Trace Martez’s repair shop into a refuge for the rescued clones. On the other hand, Crosshair channels his anger through destructive means by killing Lieutenant Nolan to avenge Mayday’s death.

It is important for Poseidon people to learn how to dilute the effects of this powerful archetype. The first method involves them to give up the need to dominate and learn from the “Dolphin” as previously stated. The second method involves the development of other archetypes, specifically those that have the ability to think of the consequences, to become objective, and to achieve some distance. Zeus and Athena are the archetypes commonly developed to dilute Poseidon’s effect, but the most common archetype to be developed is Apollo, which serves as Crosshair’s other main archetype.