#TANO AND KENOBI SEASON ONE IS DONE!

[burnwater13]

Grogu looking at Master Yoda's activated lightsaber, in the school building on Ossus. Luke is holding the weapon (out of frame). Image from The Book of Boba Fett, Season 1, Episode 6, From the Desert Comes a Stranger. Calendar by DateWorks.

Grogu tried to be attentive while Luke was showing him Master Yoda’s lightsaber. He tried not to just grab it and say ‘I’ve been looking for you everywhere!’. He tried not to blame his padawan for the various shortcomings in his training. He tried a lot of things. But only one thing really worked. Knowing that his choice was already made. 

Because lying on the dirt floor of the school building, near the box that held Master Yoda’s lightsaber, was a beskar shirt. A gift from the Mandalorian. A gift whose significance Luke would never understand. It told Grogu that he belonged somewhere. He had a family. A clan. A people who would defend him and would consider him one of their own. It was an amazing gift. 

He knew what the lightsaber was and what it signified. Going backwards. Returning to the past. Picking up where other people left off. And stepping away from all he done and who he had become. He suspected that Luke didn’t really understand that either. 

After all, how did Luke even become a Jedi? He certainly hadn’t been at the Jedi temple on Coruscant. It was doubtful to Grogu that he’d been to any of the Jedi temples anywhere in the galaxy. Luke had mentioned that both Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda had trained him, but Grogu had known when they both became one with the Force. Luke could have only known them for a very short period of time. He wasn’t sure why that mattered to him, but it did. 

Luke wasn’t his master and while Grogu was pretty sure he was supposed to be Luke’s Master, the younger man seemed pretty oblivious to his attempts to assert his authority. That was just the sort of thing that other Masters would have helped him resolve if they were at a functional Jedi temple. But those days were long gone and Grogu doubted that they could be revived this way - with an ultimatum. 

He understood that Luke was frustrated with him. He thought Grogu didn’t have the experience and wisdom to protect himself and his friends from the people who would hurt them. It saddened Grogu to think that Luke was so inexperienced. He didn’t step back and really consider what Grogu had been through. What he had to learn to do to avoid detection by the Inquisitors. What he had to do just to survive without his friends and teachers in those first awful years. But then how could Luke understand?

Luke had grown up on Tatooine under Obi-Wan Kenobi’s watchful eye. He had friends he never knew give up everything to protect him. He’d been able to find his family and forge the friendships he wanted and still call himself a Jedi. And he still mourned a man who had committed atrocities that no one would ever be able to explain to him.  Or want to explain. 

Grogu knew that Ahsoka Tano knew the truth about Luke’s father. As had Obi-Wan Kenobi. Grogu knew the truth as well. Anakin Skywalker  had fallen to the Darkside and that fall had caused the fall of the Jedi Order. 

Okay. Not all by himself. Emperor Palpatine had certainly been a big part of it. He’d filled Anakin’s head full of nonsense. (Master Windu did not know how to whisper, even when he was in a room full of younglings). He’d stoked the worst emotions in Anakin; his fears, jealousies, anger, impatience, arrogance, entitlement, and more. And, as if that hadn’t been enough, he’d done the work so methodically, so thoroughly, it was impossible for Anakin to seek help or turn back. He didn’t just fall. He was lost. 

So how was Grogu supposed to handle Luke? He’d been impatient. He’d been fearful. He wore the colors of the Sith and hid his impairment as if people wouldn’t notice that black glove all the time. Grogu had tried humoring him, but that obviously hadn’t worked. There they were, sitting on the dirt floor and looking at the lightsaber that had been built by an ancient Jedi who was well known to both of them. Yet Luke was acting like Grogu didn’t even know who Master Yoda was. Uff.

Yet, there was the beskar shirt. It wasn’t humming. It didn’t depend on rituals or the search for the perfect components for it to work. Grogu just had to wear it. It was a symbol of love and acceptance from a person who had also received such a gift and it had been just as unexpected. It didn’t ‘call’ to him. It didn’t whisper in his ear. It didn’t make him anything but happy to see it. A promise of a future that might be dangerous, but it would be full of connection. Full of attachment. Full of a potential that the Jedi had taken for granted, belonging. 

Grogu belonged with the Mandalorian. He already knew how to control his powers. He wasn’t a danger to anyone (no matter what Kara Dune said). If he took an action, it would be deliberate. Luke had judged him by standards that didn’t apply to him and that spoke volumes. Grogu listened to that voice and then replied, as thoughtfully as he could. 

He just hoped the Mandalorian was ready to start his next phase of training. Din Djarin had spent a good amount of time being a bounty hunter. Now he just needed to learn how to be a Jedi-lorian. If Tarre Vizsla could do it, Grogu was sure his friend was halfway there already. He already had the Darksaber. Easy peasy. 

[scottysketches]

wip wednesday

been a month since I posted any form of wip progress. I don't really have anything new - this time of year is always really bad for me, my motivation and desire to do anything creative tanks thanks seasonal depression you're a real one - not to mention that xmas eve was also the ten year anniversary of my nan's passing. It's just been a really weird month.

But! I've started sleeping better, I'm going to start going back to the gym (want to shed a load of weight before my cousin's wedding in August), and actually taking some time off from writing Don't Dream It's Over has helped me with blocking out the remaining chapters.

There have also been some developments with regards to how my Satine Lives AU will continue once DDIO is completed:

I've worked a little more on talk me down, my Korkie/Amis side story

I've started writing notes and drafting ideas for a Korkie-centric story, set between the end of DDIO and A New Hope (so will actually cover the nineteen-odd years that the Kryze-Kenobi clan are in hiding after the downfall of the Republic)

I completed Jedi: Survivor! And I loved every second of it! The combat is incredible, the maps are beautiful, the ability to customise Cal's appearance is very well done! I've actually got a story in the works where Cal, Merrin and Greez run into Korkie on Ryloth (no working title as of yet, it's saved on my computer under the name 'twin sons' - yes, playing on the idea that Cal also looks like he could be Obi-Wan's kid lol)

In case folks were unaware, after I published the first chapter of DDIO I ended up creating a series for it on AO3 because I knew I was going to end up writing loads more set within this AU. It's titled (rather appropriately) The One Where Obi-Wan Gets a Happy(ish) Ending. For now, DDIO is the only story in it, but the other stories that are in the series description are meet you there, talk me down, tear me to pieces and afterglow:

meet you there: Ahsoka Tano & Korkie Kryze, in progress - set immediately after Ahsoka leaves the Jedi at the end of S5 Ep20, "The Wrong Jedi" [excerpt here]

talk me down: Korkie Kryze/Amis, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze, in progress - follows Amis from the age of ten to the Night of a Thousand Tears as he comes to terms with his sexuality, meeting Korkie and falling for his best friend [excerpt here]

tear me to pieces: Korkie Kryze/Amis, in progress - set in the immediate aftermath of the Night of a Thousand Tears

afterglow: Ahsoka Tano & Korkie Kryze, Korkie Kryze/Amis, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Satine Kryze (mentioned), in progress - set during the galaxy-wide celebrations after the downfall of the Empire. Ahsoka is reunited with an old friend and his family on Naboo

---

Aside from all this Star Wars stuff, I've also gotten into some new stuff - I'm really enjoying the Percy Jackson show, criticisms about some changes from the source material aside; I've been playing The Sims 4 again after not touching it from around the time the latest expansion pack, For Rent, was released; and I've spent the last few weeks binging the few seasons of Chicago Med, Chicago P.D. and Chicago Fire that are available on Now TV here in the UK.

Anyway, now that my seasonal depression seems to hopefully be settling down to hibernate until the end of November, I'm going to try and set some time aside to work on DDIO and try to get chapter 4 out before the end of January.

Cheers, folks, Scotty :)

[moinsbienquekaworu]

i'm sorry for spamming your inbox please tell me to stop if i'm bothering you--

what even is the whole official star wars stuff. like except from the... nine? main movies that i all watched many times (i mean... "many" is for the first 6 but whatever), there is uhh rogue one? and solo right? i don't think i watched it. but like. there are shows too right? i never heard of those except that there is so much star wars lore that probably comes from ✨️ somewhere ✨️ (i hope). so what do i need to watch?? is there an order?? is there like. idek. things i have to know before diving into this? i feel like if you try to go away from the 6 (9) main movies you're immediatly going to get lost in the most crazy shit ever and never return from it and i'm ✨️ scared ✨️ and ✨️ lost ✨️ and ✨️ need help ✨️

also i spent the whole day reading kylux fics, like that's literally all i did, i'm way too prone to addictions it's scary (i'm glad the exams are behind me lol)

i love ✨️ sparkles ✨️ btw

One of us one of us ONE OF US!!!! I got you!!! Comme quoi it pays to be insane about stuff you like online. Anyway. Never worry about bothering me I am mentally ill about things on here for people to come up to me and say hi me too. I rewrote this a few times but it shoouuld be somewhat coherent.

Okay first there is objectively too much SW stuff for a normal person coming in right now with stuff to do during the day to go through in its entirety. The main stuff are the 6/9 main movies, which you've seen so you're good on that... and now I'm going to establish the concept of canon vs legends. If you've heard people talk about the extended universe/univers étendu, that's the old name of legends, but basically they're two different timelines. Canon is the 9 main movies, the The Clone Wars stuff, and everything serious Disney has done since they bought the franchise: Rogue One and Solo, and the TV shows Rebels, The Bad Batch, The Mandalorian (& The Book of Boba Fett), Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Andor. This is the timeline you're familiar with, but it's recent. Before this became the accepted canon, the 'official' 'true' version of events, there was just the extended universe/legends stuff, basically authorised fancy published fanfic, and sometimes one of the concepts created in those books/comics/games/role-playing games was made canon by being included in the more official, Lucas-made stuff, or was considered canon by the fanbase because most people were aware of the thing and liked it (like Mara Jade, Luke's wife in the legends timeline, who doesn't exist in canon). Basically if Lucas/Disney made it OR it's super popular it's canon otherwise it's just kind of fanfic that's tolerated as long as it doesn't contradict the canon stuff. I hope that was clear enough lol

So there's the main movies, and after that the most popular movies & shows are The Clone Wars (2008). There was a Clone Wars 2D series in 2003 but we're talking about the 2008 3D film and the following TV series here (though Anakin's design is funky in 2003 CW, but it shows different events because it's a legends series not a canon one). The movie is set at the start of the Clone Wars, a little after episode 2, and it introduces one of the most famous SW characters that's not even mentioned in any of the movies. Ahsoka Tano is Anakin's Padawan, she's a cool looking alien, chatty, she's like 5 years younger than him, and she starts out cringey but the general consensus on her is everyone likes her (that's because her creator, Dave Filoni, was in charge of most of the series, and you can tell he really played favourites with his OCs, and since she's not really a Mary Sue she's just extremely cool). If you're interested in the Prequels era you have to be aware of her at minima. You've probably seen art of her, her design is super cool. Ahsoka appears in TCW, but also in Rebels, the Mandalorian & Book of Boba Fett, and she's going to get her own series this year.

The thing with TCW is the first like, 3 seasons are generally "lighthearted" fluff about Jedi life and the war and the clones (as lighthearted as you get during a war, let's say it doesn't feel Super Serious because you know they all make it), but seasons 4 and 5 are closer to the end of the war and get more serious episodes, and then seasons 6 and 7 I haven't seen yet but they're I presume even less lighthearted and even more plotty. There was also a huge gap in when the seasons came out, which explains the tone differences, notably for S7 which is kind of not about the war anymore but just about Ahsoka and what she does after the Empire's rise I think? I'll give you detailed episodes but at least the episodes people recommend watching are the stuff with (Darth) Maul (you're into men so there's a good chance you will be into him - I'm ace and I regularly experience the closest thing I can to sexual attraction when I see him on screen because they animated him in a very...... in a Way that is. yeah), and then probably the 2/3/4 episode arcs that tell a coherent story (Rako Hardeen, Umbara, Zygerria, the Clovis stuff, the baby Padawans on Illum, 99, the Ahsoka stuff at the end of S5, etc). Personally I think the movie might be worth it to establish the characters, it's not super good but at least that way you have an idea of who's who. Once again I'll give you a list with all the details later, but I'm assuming you're not going to want to watch the like, hundred episodes when a good part of that is 'Ahsoka looses her lightaber and learns an Important Lesson about Patience retrieving it', 'R2 & 3PO go on an errand for three episodes' or 'droids are incompetently looking for a mcguffin for four episodes'. There's like an episode that explains why Chewie and Yoda know each other I think too, so that's neat if you're interested. The short answer is that Yoda fought on Kashyyyk during the war and that's Chewie's planet. I'll bury it here but if you want a good website to watch stuff, r/FREEMEDIAHECKYEAH has lists of sites that work (I recommend watching/reading SW stuff in english personally)

You mentioned Rogue One and Solo in your ask so I'll talk about these too: Rogue One is generally thought to be really good (at least in my circles?), it's set right before ep4, the characters are good, and generally it's a recommended watch. Personally I liked it, though not as much as other people seemed to, but the central romance is neat, and I cried at the end (and everyone liked Chirrut, for good reasons). Solo is kind of less good, but one of the main characters gave me adult movie Remus vibes in a way, it has a Maul appearance at the end for the people who watched TCW, and it gives unnecessary backstory for Han. Also Donald Glover looks good.

The Mandalorian is I think a pretty good entry point to the universe, at least seasons 1-2, because the main character doesn't know anything about the lore of the universe, so the show explains who's who what's what and all that. That said season three came out a few months ago and I haven't seen that so I don't know how badly they fucked it up, but they already pulled a shitty one on the audience by having like three crucial extremely plot relevant episodes of the show after the climax of S2 happen in another show, The Book of Boba Fett, instead of putting them in S3, so. Yeah. The other animated shows I haven't watched yet, Rebels is apparently really good but in universe it's set after TCW so I want to finish TCW before I get started there (it's been like a year or two since I started TCW, I'm slow), and The Bad Batch get much more mixed reviews so eh, you can see about that one later, it's less important in the general story of the world anyway. Andor was apparently a masterpiece but I can't say cause I haven't seen it. Visions also is a thing, haven't seen it but it's like, anime loosely set in the SW universe? It looks cool. If you're interested in Padawan stuff, there's Tales of the Jedi, which didn't make a lot of waves I think but has episodes focusing on Qui-Gon and episodes focusing on Ahsoka.

I'm going to give it its own paragraph cause in the Obikin sphere (which I am in obviously) this show was a divine miracle but the Obi-Wan Kenobi show, though it got shat on by other fans for being too silly or something, was to me really good. I feel like it really goes in depth with the Anakin-Obi-Wan relationship, and I remember every time an episode dropped my dash would be full of gifs of new interactions and new lines of dialogue of them being absolutely insane about each other canonically for real. It was wild, it was great, it was a fantastic high. It's 6x 1h, so I think it's fairly watchable compared to all the other longer stuff. It's more about the personal relationship between them, as people, but that's inevitably linked to the Master-Padawan relationship too (there's a good scene of them just before the war sparring at the Temple in episode... 4 if memory serves me right).

Then it's going to be mostly legends stuff, and at that level you just need to pick a direction and dig a little. Off the top of my head, here are different niches I've seen people be into/pists of where you might want to look: there's the old Jedi Apprentice books, aimed at a younger audience, that talk about Obi-Wan's padawanship, though they've been made explicitly non-canon by the recent Padawan book by Kiersten White (which was apparently good, and featured the one line where Obi-Wan says he wouldn't mind kissing any of his friend group but wouldn't want to do anything else, which prompted homophobes to explode and The Gays to celebrate even if we knew), or for more Qui-Gon-Obi-Wan stuff, there's the Master & Apprentice book; there's people who are way way into the clones, but that has more of a Marauders fandom vibe because individual clones don't get that much screentime, so you can see people whose fave is the equivalent of Dorcas Meadowes and who just make their own stuff up in their corner; there's the Mandalorians fans, which I personally cannot stand the majority of because most of the legends Mando stuff (that might have been made non-canon by S3 of the Mandalorian?) was written by Karen Traviss, a woman whom I personally do Not vibe with (come back for the rant later if you're interested), but that's a possibility too, you do you; there's the novelisations of the movies, though the only one that I hear about is the ep3 novelisation by Stover which is a really great piece of literature... and also very homoerotic with the Anakin-Obi-Wan relationship; there's the Aftermath trilogy which makes the transition between ep6 and ep7 and explains how we went from no Empire to the First Order, with cool characters (ie Sinjir whom I love and who is canonically if subtly gay); if you're curious about legends stuff and you want to know who Mara Jade and Thrawn are (if you've never heard their names before they're really popular, Thrawn appears in Rebels as well, he's cool and part of a popular ship in the wider fandom) you'll want to read Heir to the Empire by Timothy Zahn (also introduced the name Coruscant for the capital!). Obviously I am Highly Biased, this is stuff I know off the top of my head, but it should let you explore some different eras and characters. Heir to the Empire (& the rest of the books in that series) is definitely a classic in terms of legends stuff though, if you want to check out the fan favourites.

For comics I don't really read those so you'd have better luck either looking at rec lists online or just wandering around Wookieepedia until you find something that looks cool, but if you just want to read a quick thing, the Age of Star Wars series is neat. It's a series split in the three trilogies eras, and in each era it focuses on 4 heroes and 4 villains. Age of Republic has issues for Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, Anakin & Padmé + Maul, Jango, Dooku & Grievous; Age of Rebellion for Leia, Han, Lando & Luke + Tarkin, Boba, Jabba & Vader; Age of Resistance for Finn, Poe, Rose & Rey + Phasma, Hux, Snoke & Kylo. If any of those interest you, you can find them on comics websites (like for example a website that would let you read comic online. for example. cough cough. I'm so subtle.) What I would NOT recommend are the Rise of Kylo Ren comics, they're just... I didn't like the artstyle, I didn't like the way it told the story of Kylo falling to the dark side, I really didn't like the careless way it both makes Kylo's relationship with Snoke worse but also doesn't address it at all, it was a big miss for me, Kylux fanfics do it better. If you're curious it's not a long read though. Can't help you more with comics, I haven't gone there much.

In general if you find a character/planet/species/group/etc that interests you specifically, you can go on Wookieepedia and go down to the appearances section, where you can see all the places that thing appears/is mentioned, in I believe in-universe chronological order.

I don't think canon does a lot of explaining the magic if you will, if it does I don't know where. You can try looking in a specific species' tag on here to check out what other people think of their biology maybe, but yeah I don't really know otherwise. In general canon does a lot of 'that guy's a spider. don't ask. shut up he's a spider that walks on his legs and that's it. no lore no culture no nothing he looks cool and evil. bam. we're killing him next episode anyway' but there are also 'little diagrams of the different parts of a lightsaber' moments (I know there's a drawing in the The Jedi Path book somewhere of the anatomy of Obi-Wan's saber). Good luck with that, I wouldn't know where to find it.

If you have questions you can look at @/gffa's sidebar to check out questions they've answered/what they rec, or ask them directly. They're The ressource for SW stuff in my mind, because they're pretty thorough when they answer I feel like. Once again, Obikin bias, be warned, but maybe they'll know where there's some more scientific stuff? They certainly read more than me haha.

I think that's all, I'm going to write down a non-exhaustive but very long list of TCW episodes I think are neat, with a summary behind to help you quickly decide if it's your jam or not. The order is arbitrary, it's half order of importance half chronological, but there's nothing specific from seasons 6-7, because I haven't seen them yet. (the format is episode number x season number, just in case)

Undoubtedly, the Maul stuff: that's the events of ep 5x16, which rest on eps 1, 14 & 15x5 (the start of the plotline that leads to the events), which themselves rest on eps 19-20-21-22x4 (who are the characters that are important and what are they doing here), but also on eps 12-13-14x2 (who are the other characters and what are they doing here), and on the other episodes where Ventress appears, but you can ignore her, just know that the bald lady with the red lightsabers is Dooku's apprentice early on before they part ways (but she's still a bad guy afterwards)

Random stuff that isn't too heavy: 6-7x1, Anakin looses R2 and goes looking for him; 11-12x1, which has some fun Anakin-Obi-Wan-Dooku banter AND Hondo (everyone likes Hondo); 17-18x1 which have the threat of death hanging over the main characters because of an evil scientist and some cool alien designs; (19-)20-21x1, the Ryloth arc where you can see clones being nice and the Jedi being cool, plus Twi'leks (I put the first episode of the arc in parentheses because it's not necessary to watch it to get the idea of what's going on); 8x2 which is the last part of a 5-ep storyline about mind-controlling brain worms, I recommend it because you'll probably like the interactions between Ahsoka and her friend Bariss + Bariss gets relevant waaay later; 16x2 which has the spider guy I mentioned that I like a lot and a bit at the start where I honest to god thought for a split second Obi-Wan and Anakin were going to kiss; 9x3, it follows 22x1 but you can go in kinda blind, it's just a little buckwild with its characters and I think you'll like Quinlan (if you do he appears more in some books & comics, and he's in fanfics a lot because he and Obi-Wan have a fun dynamic)

The Clovis stuff: Rush Clovis is an ex friend of Padmé that Anakin is really jealous of, he appears in 4x2 (and comes back in 5-6-7x6) and if you want to see Anakin behave like a jealous shit that's a good episode.

The Zillo Beast arc! 18-19x2, includes a big beastie, Palpatine being evil and kicking a dog (the beastie) to prove it, and Anakin's disability being visible. I give it here because it's often a trope in fics to have Palpatine killed by the Zillo Beast but it's not plot significant.

Clones stuff if you're interested: 5x1, with the first appearance of a group of clones that come back later; 10x2, it's part two of a plotline but the interesting clone stuff is mostly just in part two, in it there's an exploration of the clones outside of war (which they have literally been designed and created for); 1-2x3, introduce 99 who's neat and are mostly focused on clones

Padawan Lost arc: 21-22x3, Ahsoka being hunted for sport (literally), she kicks ass, and Chewie + another character I like show up in ep22

the Umbara arc: 7-8-9-10x4, a Jedi General is a real asshole to the clones we like, it's a little heavier and you can feel the transition from lighthearted start of the war stuff to the more depressing stuff that comes afterwards

the Zygerria arc: 11-12-13x4, the arc in which Obi-Wan gets hit & injured every episode I think, with cool designs because there's more Togruta and they look cool (warning though the Zygerrians are slavers, they enslave people). There's a cool moment at the end for Rex if you end up liking him (he's Anakin & Ahsoka's clone captain and one of the most important clones)

the Rako Hardeen arc: 15-16-17-18x4, more Obi-Wan violence! it's one of the arcs Obikin tumblr doesn't shut up about because basically Obi-Wan fakes his death and doesn't tell Anakin. It could have been better but it's trying something for sure

the Onderon stuff: 2-3-4-5x5, it's Ahsoka dealing with Romance (a little bit, the character she has Romance stuff with is already established from earlier seasons but you don't need to know him, just know he has a history with Ahsoka and he used to be a Separatist, ie on the wrong side) and I think you could like Steela & Saw Gerrera? Saw appears in Rogue One later on, but he's from TCW. The arc is about helping him, his sister and their people regain control of their planet.

the younglings: 6-7-8-9x5, little Jedi kiddos who go on their first big adventure to get their lightsaber crystal and then have to fight to come back home. They're really cute, the droid is voiced by David Tennant, and you can see Hondo in the last episode I think.

and finally, the arc you also gotta watch because it explains why Ahsoka isn't mentioned in ep3 when she was Anakin's Padawan and this boy gets attached way too fast: 17-18-19-20x5, which begins with Ahsoka and Anakin investigating a bombing in the Jedi Temple and ends with Ahsoka leaving. I put off watching it for so long because it's sad :(((

probably also the rest of the seasons, but you'll have to look at Wookieepedia descriptions to see if something sounds interesting (if I were you I'd focus on the Ahsoka stuff later on, apparently she does some cool interesting stuff). Wookieepedia has pages for every season and every episode with short & detailed summaries.

That'll be all, congrats on reading all that, ask me about stuff if you want I love never shutting up about this, I have discord if you want to chat, please give me impressions if you do end up watching/reading anything. Good luck with this monstrosity of a list lol.

[shehungthemoon]

Might get blacklisted for saying this but I really can’t bring myself to consider so much of TCW canon. From the gaping plot holes to the horrendously inconsistent characterization, sometimes it just drives me absolutely bonkers 😫 Does anyone else get bugged by the show a bit? 

[fireflyfish]

Tano and Kenobi: Braiding and Beading

Previously on Tano and Kenobi...

After his vision of a possible future, Qui-Gon Jinn insists that he be allowed to train Obi-Wan Kenobi, in spite of Ahsoka Tano and Obi-Wan’s protests. When Masters Windu and Yoda are unable to find a solution to the problem, Qui-Gon and Ahsoka agree to duel for the privilege of training the young Initiate. Fortunately for Obi-Wan, Ahsoka is the superior duelist that day...

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As soon as the duel was decided in Ahsoka’s favor Obi-Wan jumped up and ran over to his master, immediately fretting over the tortured claw her hand was frozen in. “Master, we have to get you to the healers!”

Ahsoka let out a soft, exhausted laugh and shook her head, taking her left hand and slowly, carefully, with a great deal more skill than Master Yoda or Windu expected of her, sent the Force running down her arm. The cool electricity soothed her agitated nerves, inflamed muscles and ligaments: it hurt like a blaster bolt to bare skin but it was much easier to use the Force like this in the Temple than when she was on the run from the Empire.

Everything seemed easier here.

With a relieved sigh, Ahsoka relaxed her hand and stretched it out, glad to see there was no serious damage done. Then she dropped down to one knee in front of Obi-Wan and beamed up at him. “See? I told you to trust me.”

“I did, Master. I knew you would win.” Obi-Wan’s eyes shone with such radiant joy and relief that Ahsoka couldn’t resist and she pulled him in for a good, long hug. He happily submitted to her, his arms wrapped tight around her shoulders as Masters Yoda and Windu walked over to quietly speak with Qui-Gon, who was watching the two with a mixture of suspicion and a touch of regret.

“So… do you still want to be my Padawan?” Ahsoka teased, reaching out to ruffle Obi-Wan’s thick hair. “Or have you changed your mind?”

Obi-Wan shook his head, his eyes bright. “Never. Can we go to the Council now?”

Ahsoka chuckled at that, nodding. “Yes. I think we can go to the Council now.”

“Good!” He took a step back, thrilled, as Ahsoka stood up. She held out her hand, called her other saber to her, and returned both to her belt as she asked Obi-Wan to bring her cloak and Qui-Gon’s from the benches.

The Force exploded with spines but a single arch of her brow immediately quelled Obi-Wan’s churlish reaction and he nodded silently as he trotted back to them. Ahsoka knew she may have won the battle with Qui-Gon and claimed Obi-Wan as her Padawan but that didn't give her or Obi-Wan the right to gloat about it or to rub it the Jedi Master’s face.

Yes, Qui-Gon had behaved abominably towards Obi-Wan and yes, he had continued that trend in the lead-up to the duel, but he had yielded and it wouldn’t do to rub his nose in his loss. They couldn’t afford to make an enemy of Qui-Gon Jinn, especially when their only friends seemed to consist of Masters Windu, Yoda and Padawan Quinlan Vos.

Ahsoka had no way of knowing how much she had changed the course of the future and it made sense to proceed forward with an abundance of caution. She just hoped she would be able to live up to the examples set by Masters Obi-Wan and Plo Koon if not Anakin.

Obi-Wan shuffled back over to Ahsoka’s side, nearly drowning in heavy robes. “These weigh as much as a gundark.”

“And how would you know what a gundark weighs?” Ahsoka teased, taking her robe from Obi-Wan and pulling it on, although she did agree that the robe was perhaps heavier than she would have liked. “Thank you, Padawan Kenobi. Now let’s make our goodbyes and then we will go to the Council.”

Obi-Wan visibly brightened at being called “Padawan” and he grinned up at Ahsoka. As much as he wanted to drop Qui-Gon’s robes on the floor and march out of the training room with Master Ahsoka at his side, he had to grudgingly admit that she was right.

And hearing Ahsoka call him “Padawan”? That made it all worthwhile.

“What happens at the Council?” Obi-Wan asked as they walked slowly towards the cluster of Masters Windu, Yoda, and Jinn. “Is that when I get my braid?”

Ahsoka pursed her lips. “You know… I don’t know. My apprenticeship was a little... unconventional. I guess we’ll find out together.”

Nodding, Obi-Wan followed after Ahsoka, trying not to trip on the yards and yards of fabric that made up Qui-Gon Jinn’s robes.

“We will discuss that later,” Windu said as Ahsoka and Obi-Wan came within earshot of the masters’ conversation. The three men turned to the new master and her padawan, who both bowed respectfully to their elders.

“Obi-Wan and I would like to thank Master Jinn for his time and effort today,” Ahsoka began, putting a hand on her padawan’s back. “And we would like to thank you, too, Master Windu and Master Yoda. I hope we can count on your wisdom and guidance in the future?”

Mace Windu quirked his lips into an almost pleasant expression as he bowed his head in response. “Of course, Knight Tano, Padawan Kenobi.”

“Strong, your bond is already,” Yoda commented, both hands folded over the knob of his gimer stick. “A good pair, you will make. Agree, do you not, Master Jinn?”

Qui-Gon peered down at the pair before him, his eyes narrowed in thought before he took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes. Perhaps they will. You fought very well, Knight Tano. Obi-Wan will learn much from you.”

“Thank you, Master Jinn,” Ahsoka replied with another small bow before she caught Obi-Wan’s eye and gestured a little with her head.

“Oh! Yes!” Obi-Wan stepped forward and held up Qui-Gon’s robe, his eyes respectfully downcast. “Here is your robe, Master Jinn.”

Ahsoka coughed. Annnnnd?

Obi-Wan waited for Qui-Gon to take the heavy garment from his hands before he stepped back into the safety of Ahsoka’s presence before he gave a deep bow at the waist. “Thank you for your time and concern, Master Jinn. I… uhm… Thank you. Very much.”

With another short bow, Obi-Wan stepped behind Ahsoka, safe in his master’s shadow.

Qui-Gon managed a small smile and returned Obi-Wan’s bow with a shorter one of his own. “You’re welcome, Obi-Wan. I’m sure you will become a great Jedi Knight someday.”

“Yes, he will,” Ahsoka beamed proudly, glancing back over her shoulder at the blue-eyed boy who was turning an uncomfortable shade of red. “If you will excuse us, I need to clean up before our meeting with the Council.”

“Of course,” Master Windu nodded, dismissing the pair. “Make sure you visit the Quartermaster’s office. Kenobi’s dorm is going to be given to a new age group today.”

“Yes, Master Windu,” Ahsoka replied and with that, she and Obi-Wan took their leave of the masters, neither giving Qui-Gon Jinn a backwards glance as they quietly made their way to the turbolift that would take them down to the floor where the Quartermaster’s office was located.

Once the door closed on the turbolift, Ahsoka shot a sideways look at Obi-Wan, who was already looking up at her, an impish tilt to his head.

“Yes?” Ahsoka grinned, her heart full of joy and happiness. She was hard pressed to remember the last time she felt so light and joyous. It seemed that so much of her life had been tainted by loss and grief that it took some serious reminiscing to remember pure, unfettered joy.

Maybe when Anakin said he was going to take her as his Padawan after all. Maybe that was the last time she felt truly happy.

Permission to enthuse granted, Obi-Wan hands curled into fists as he punched the air. “That was amazing! You’re amazing! You beat Master Jinn and he’s huge! Did you learn to fight like that from Master Skywalker? Did he do Soresu? I saw a Soresu stance! And Djem Sho!”

Drawn into Obi-Wan’s buoyant delight, Ahsoka laughed. “Yes. There was some Soresu but I learned that from my grandmaster. Master Skywalker prefered Djem Sho and the rest I just… picked up.”

Obi-Wan nodded, absolutely enraptured by his master. “Will you teach me? I want to be able to do that too!”

Ahsoka chuckled as their elevator can to a stop. “I promise I’ll teach you everything I know. But first, I need you to take us to the Quartermaster’s office.”

“Oh yes! This way, Master!” Obi-Wan nodded, marching out of the turbolift like he was leading a grand procession, Ahsoka cheerfully following him.

After receiving the directions to their new suite of rooms, Ahsoka and Obi-Wan swung by his former dorm to gather up his few possessions, even as he kept insisting that he was a Padawan now and had no need for personal attachments.

“Obi-Wan…” Ahsoka sighed, sitting down on the bed opposite her Padawan, a solemn expression on her face. “There is nothing wrong with having mementos of happy times or a favorite pair of boots. It’s the fear of losing those things that leads to the dark side.”

Obi-Wan frowned, holding a particularly dear piece holo to his chest as he tried to understand the nuance of Ahsoka’s teachings. “Yes, Master. I’m sorry. I… I thought a Jedi had no possessions. That all attachments are bad.”

“Am I bad, Obi-Wan?” Ahsoka asked softly, holding her hands open. “I had an attachment to my master, a very strong one, and I haven’t fallen. I had very dear friends that I loved deeply and… I’m still here, right?”

Images of Anakin, of Rex and his brothers, of Bail Organa and Hera, Kanan and the rest of the Ghost’s crew flashed through her mind. She knew now she would never see any of them again. They would strangers, polite and distant, with no idea of how deeply Ahsoka had cared for them in another life, another time.

Obi-Wan looked at Ahsoka puzzled, sensing the darker shadows in her words, feeling the ghost of pain at the loss of those dear friends even though they had really only just formed a true bond together. He put down his holo cube and turned to face his master with a serious face. “I do not think you could ever fall, Master Ahsoka. And… I am sorry. I am sorry that coming here means that you will not see your friends again, that your master is lost. I… I am so honored and happy to be your Padawan but… I know this is not how you wanted it to be.”

Ahsoka gaped at Obi-Wan, baffled. “What… Obi-Wan! Don’t be ridiculous! This is what I wanted! What the Force told me to do! Just because I miss my friends does not mean I am not just as honored and happy to be your Master!”

Obi-Wan found himself pulled in tight for another hug and the Force hummed quietly around them, whispering of peace, of stillness and the promise of light. It promised its children that this was right, this was good.

They would mend what was broken and make it newer, better.

They would heal the tree that bore the horrible bounty of Darth Vader and the Empire.

All will be well, children of Light, the Force seemed to say.

“Master?” Obi-Wan mumbled into Ahsoka’s shoulder.

“Yeah?”

“I like these.”

Ahsoka smiled and finished off their hug with an extra strong squeeze. “Me too, Padawan. Me too.”

“So… I can keep my holos and my old boots?” Obi-Wan peeked up Ahsoka, all round blue eyes and nervous fingers. He knew Qui-Gon Jinn would have made him leave his things behind, to cast off the old in favor of the now.

Grinning, Ahsoka picked up Obi-Wan’s small pack and headed towards the door. “Of course. Now let’s get going! We have a date with the Council and I don’t know about you but I do not want to be late.”

“I try very hard not to be late, Master,” Obi-Wan informed Ahsoka, reaching out to grab his favorite pillow before he scampered after her. “But it’s always so difficult with Padawan Vos distracting me!”

“You can always tell him ‘No’, Obi-Wan,” Ahsoka chuckled as they signed out of the Initiate dorm, much to the dorm master’s delight. She bid Padawan Kenobi a successful apprenticeship and waved as they both walked off in the direction of the shared living suites, where their new suite was located.

“Have you ever tried to tell Quinlan Vos ‘No’?” Obi-Wan snorted in a manner so reminiscent of Master Obi-Wan that Ahsoka spent the rest of the turbolift ride trying to control her laughter. “What? What did I say that was so funny? Master! Tell me!”

“I’ll tell you when you’re older,” Ahsoka finally managed to gasp out only to lose her control again when Obi-Wan folded his arms over his chest in a picture-perfect copy of an irritated General Kenobi upon hearing of another one of Anakin’s antics.

“Oh honestly!” Obi-Wan huffed, starting to feel embarrassed. “You are just as bad as Quinlan!”

“I’m sorry!” Ahsoka said as she took a deep breath and keyed them into their new apartments. “You just… You reminded me of my grandmaster. The… the resemblance is uncanny sometimes.”

Obi-Wan perked up at being compared to Master Skywalker’s master. “He was human? Do I look like him?”

Ahsoka nodded, checking to make sure the lights worked and the water in the refresher and the sink ran before she let Obi-Wan run into his room and start laying out his small assortment of personal effects. “You do, although Master Ob… oh look! We have a view!”

Whew! That was a close one.

“What is it of?” Obi-Wan asked from his room, not willing to leave his task for any old landscape.

“The… wow. The Senate building,” Ahsoka replied, as she realized just what is was she was gazing at. “I didn’t think the Temple had any rooms with a view out onto the Senate district.”

Obi-Wan stuck his head out of the door. “The Temple is built on top of a mountain. We have excellent views of a great section of central Coruscant.”

“Why thank you, Padawan Travel Guide,” Ahsoka replied with a bow of her head and twinkle in her eye. “Now let me hop into the refresher and then…?”

Obi-Wan’s eyes sparkled with glee. “The Council?”

“The Council,” Ahsoka winked and hurried off to get clean, the distant blue dome of the Senate building forgotten.

For now.

It turned out there were two steps to officially sealing a Master-Padawan pair. There was the Presentation to the Council of Masters, where the Jedi Knight brought forth their intended Initiate to the approval or disapproval of the Masters. Almost all Jedi Knights spent weeks, if not months, consulting with friendly masters on the Council to ensure their choices were pre-approved and that the Presentation was little more than a rubber stamp.

Ahsoka had already taken steps on that front: she had filled out the paperwork necessary for claiming Obi-Wan as her Padawan the day after Qui-Gon’s tantrum and then spent the next few days quietly conferring with as many friendly masters as she could find which, surprisingly, was quite a few.

It seemed everyone in the Temple heard about Qui-Gon’s brutal rejection of Initiate Kenobi and when Ahsoka broached the subject with Master Windu, he seemed almost pleased at the idea. Master Yoda had assured her of his vote and Masters Plo Koon and Shaak Ti also quickly agreed to the pairing. With Master Yaddle’s support as well, Ahsoka really only needed one more master on the Council to agree to her claim on Obi-Wan and that last “yes” came from a surprising place.

“I have heard you intend to take Senior Initiate Kenobi as your Padawan,” Master Sifo Dyas announced, nearly scaring Ahsoka out of her skin from where she was reading a datapad on recent political actions in the Senate, searching for traces of Senator Palpatine. “I have been told you have sought the approval of several masters and yet, we have not spoken on this topic, Knight Tano.”

Ahsoka paled and gave Master Dyas a weak smile. “I’m sorry, Master Dyas. I thought that given your… doubts about my fitness for knighthood, I thought you would object to me… influencing Initiate Kenobi.”

Master Dyas took a seat opposite Ahsoka, resting his elbows on the arms of his chair and steepling his hands together. “While I still have my doubts about the… complete veracity of your history, I cannot deny that you are an excellent influence on Kenobi.”

Ahsoka was a bit surprised at that, unaware that anyone besides Masters Yoda and Windu had been paying any real attention to her and Obi-Wan. And now that Ahsoka was thinking about it, there was something familiar about Master Dyas, something she couldn’t quite place. She would have to check her notes when she retired for the night but if nothing else, his name sounded very familiar.

“Thank you, Master Dyas,” Ahsoka finally said, bowing her head. “I know Obi-Wan will be a great Jedi someday and I just want to help him reach his full potential.”

“Don’t we all?” the master returned, gesturing with one hand. “Be cautious, Knight Tano. Initiate Kenobi has a gift of foresight, a burden I, too, carry. The Force tells me I should trust you but I have been wrong in the past.”

Ahsoka nodded, folding her hands in her lap as she wondered just what it was that Master Dyas was seeing. Perhaps he would be able to help her change the course of the future they seemed to be set on. “Thank you, Master Dyas. I will try to keep that in mind.”

“Good,” the master said and stood up, gazing down at her with distant eyes narrowed, as if he were looking through her to something just beyond her gaze. “I want to have faith in you, Knight Tano. I will support your request. Good luck in your duel tomorrow.”

At the time, Ahsoka had wanted to protest that she was just going to spar, that there was no official duel intended and yet Master Dyas had been correct. Ahsoka and Qui-Gon had dueled and now the whole Temple was abuzz with the news.

As Obi-Wan and Ahsoka walked to the Council room, they did their best to ignore the whispers and gossip swirling around them.

“Did you hear? Knight Tano bested Master Jinn in a duel!”

“No way!”

“Over a padawan I heard!”

“Liar! No padawan is worth dueling over. Not with Master Jinn! He’s Dooku’s old padawan.”

“They fought over that Kenobi kid that nobody wanted.”

“You mean that poor kid Jinn humiliated in the dining hall?”

“Serves him right. I heard what he said and it was brutal.”

Ahsoka took a deep breath and kept her head held high, used to ignoring Temple gossip from her years as the Chosen One’s padawan. She understood it was going to be difficult for Obi-Wan to pay it no mind at first but the faster he got used to ignoring the hissing whispers of the Temple, the better things would be for the both of them.

She could feel Obi-Wan’s discomfort in the Force, could sense him hurrying to catch up with her and avoid the loudest of the whispers. It seemed that Master Obi-Wan’s uneasiness with his own popularity and fame in the Temple was just a natural part of his personality and not a byproduct of being the master of Anakin Skywalker, who drew attention and gossip just by breathing.

Sending a wave of calm and soothing energy to Obi-Wan, Ahsoka waited with him for the door to open and allow them inside for the Presentation.

“If there is no further objections,” Master Windu spoke, his voice cutting off the quiet conversation amongst the masters, “I move to officially approve Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano to take Senior Initiate Obi-Wan Kenobi as her Padawan Learner. All in favor?”

There was a warm and cheerful chorus of “Aye” and “Yes” from the assembled circle of elders and Obi-Wan tried not to twist his hands in the sleeves of his robe as he stood at Master Ahsoka’s side. He had dreamt about this moment for so long and now to have it over in just a blink of the eye, with a casual round of agreement and his signature on a data pad seemed almost anti-climactic.

He glanced up at Ahsoka, his official master now, and watched her give the necessary thanks and acknowledgements to the Council. He could tell through their new fragile but surprisingly strong bond that this didn’t come easy to her. His master had been raised in an unstable world, that much he could tell. She wasn’t a classically trained Jedi in any sense of the word but he knew with certainty that if his life was on the line, Master Ahsoka would move heaven and earth to save him, to save anyone under her protection.

Master Ahsoka was a warrior for light and while Obi-Wan might never be a truly awe-inspiring as his master, or the mythical Master Skywalker, he vowed there and then to be the best padawan that had ever lived, to learn as much as he could from Master Ahsoka and to do her and his grandmaster proud.

He couldn’t make up for what his master had lost, but he hoped to be just as worthy in his own simple way.

“We will see you both at the binding ceremony tomorrow morning,” Master Plo Koon rumbled through his rebreather as the masters dispersed, pulling Obi-Wan out of his solemn imaginings with start. Or rather, Ahsoka’s surprise sparked across the bond to him and he turned his attention back to the conversation.

“The binding ceremony?” Ahsoka repeated as she accepted a datapad from knight that served as a Council attache. She looked down at her padawan for an explanation. “I… I don’t think I went through that.”

“That is unfortunate,” Plo Koon sighed with a shake of his head. “It seems Master Skywalker was very busy on the Outer Rim.”

Ahsoka shrugged. “Yeah… Always on the move. That’s Master Skywalker, alright.”

“The binding ceremony, Masters?” Obi-Wan spoke up, his voice soft and respectful. “Is that where I get my braid and hair cut?”

“Yes,” The Kel Dor master nodded, his voice warm with affection. “I have agreed to stand for you and Knight Tano, Padawan Kenobi. As will Masters Shaak Ti, Yaddle, Windu and Dyas.”

“Oh!” Obi-Wan let out a gasp of surprise and looked up at his master. “When is the ceremony?”

Ahsoka frantically scanned her datapad, where someone had helpfully uploaded instructions on the ceremony as well as the time. “Ah… tomorrow at dawn?”

Plo Koon nodded and Ahsoka and Obi-Wan got the distinct impression he found their confusion amusing. “Yes. In the Room of First Light. I trust we will see you there?”

“Yes! Of course!” Ahsoka replied as Obi-Wan agreed with a bow to the departing master. “Thank you, Master Plo Koon!”

Once they were alone back out in the hall, Ahsoka turned to Obi-Wan who beamed up at her. “Yes, master?”

Master. Am I ever going to get used to that coming from Obi-Wan Kenobi of all people?

“I think we deserve a treat,” Ahsoka grinned, pulling her, now official, padawan under her arm. “Where do you want to go? We can get anything!”

Obi-Wan’s brows furrowed in thought before he nodded. “I would like some ice cream, perhaps a sundae from that Corellian waffle place?”

Ahsoka’s stomach growled in approval and they were off. “You have excellent taste in desserts, my Padawan.”

“If it were not for your recommendations, my Master,” Obi-Wan replied, cheefully, “I wouldn’t know such a place existed.”

“Padawan, I’m going to have to teach you how to take a compliment. Aren’t I?” Ahsoka laughed as they made their way to the speeder bay.

Obi-Wan and Ahsoka both found it hard to sleep that night and they quietly met for tea in their shared living area about an hour and a half before sunrise. The kitchenette was stocked with a few essentials and Ahsoka carefully measured out a small spoon of honey for Obi-Wan before adding milk and sugar to hers.

The two sat together on the sofa, wordlessly watching the relentless pace of Coruscanti traffic out their window as the Senate building dozed in the distance and sparkling lights of transports moved past them.

Ahsoka sipped her tea and wondered what Anakin would think of this moment, if he would approve of the pomp and circumstance or if he would find it all ridiculous that his padawan, that Snips was going to be someone’s master.

That she was going to be Obi-Wan Kenobi’s master.

Ahsoka bowed her head and prayed to the Force that wherever Anakin was, if there was still some trace of him somewhere in the darkness of Darth Vader, that he understood why she left him. She prayed that he would understand now why she was changing not only Obi-Wan’s history but his as well.

I won’t let you down, Master. I promise. I will teach Obi-Wan everything that you taught me. He’ll be ready for you and the Sith. I swear it.

For a moment, Ahsoka thought she felt a warm hand on her shoulder and almost turned around to see if her Skyguy was standing behind her.

Almost.

“I won’t fail you, Master,” Obi-Wan spoke up at her sudden solemnity in the Force, his voice meek and shy. “I promise. I know… I know I’m not as talented as some of the other padawans but… I promise I won’t fail you. I will be the best padawan the Jedi Order has ever seen. I swear it, Master.”

Ahsoka’s heart ached at Obi-Wan’s harsh assessment of himself and she set her teacup aside to pull him close for another hug, something she had come to realize he had rarely experienced. “Obi-Wan, I just want you to be the best Obi-Wan Kenobi you can be. If you do that, I promise everything else will take care of itself.”

Obi-Wan sniffled up at her. “Can’t I do both?”

Brushing her hand through his hair, Ahsoka smiled. “I have no doubt that you can, Obi-Wan but… be kinder to yourself. You are already perfect the way you are.”

There was a watery laugh from somewhere below the thick shock of pale copper hair. “Thank you, Master. I’ll… I’ll try.”

“That’s all I will ever ask of you, Obi-Wan.”

A half hour before dawn, Obi-Wan and Ahsoka stood in the doorway of the Room of First Light, a wide circular space within the central spire of the Temple. The sky was still dark indigo, studded with the glittering jewels of passing ships and framed with distant clouds that managed to hold onto the dying radiance of the last of Coruscant’s moons sinking below the horizon.

The whole Council was assembled for the ceremony, six in front and six in the back, forming a half circle with their backs to the windows. Glowing candle-lamps hovered overhead, throwing the room into a flickering warm glow as the masters that had chosen to stand for Ahsoka and Obi-Wan stepped forward to take their chosen positions that were indicated on the floor by beautiful inlaid tile symbols.

The overall pattern on the floor resembled a starburst with twelve rays emerging from a central star where the new Master and Padawan were to stand. It meant that through each new pairing the Order was reinvigorated. Each new generation brought into the teachings and wisdom of the Jedi brought new life and a stronger Order that stood against the dark.

Master Shaak Ti stood on the symbol that represented Ahsoka’s past and heritage, as a Togruta and a Jedi. To her right was Master Yaddle, who informed Obi-Wan that she was honored to stand in Master Yoda’s place to represent his childhood and youth in the Temple. Master Windu stood to the right of Master Yoda in the middle, symbolizing the firm commitment between the two and Master Dyas took position on the mark at the end which represented the Council, the faith they had for their future, and for the faith the Order was placing in Jedi Knight Tano and Padawan Kenobi.

And Master Plo Koon stood behind Ahsoka where Anakin would have, taking the place of the line of masters lost to her through time and space and she could think of no better person to stand in Anakin or Master Obi-Wan’s stead. Master Plo squeezed her shoulder gently, offering his support without words but the message was understood all the same.

I am here for you. You are not alone in this.

Once everyone was in their proper place, Yoda stepped forward and beckoned Ahsoka to the star in the center of the room. “Come before the Council and speak.”

Ahsoka walked into the room, her head held high. “I am Ahsoka Tano, a Knight of the Jedi Order.”

“Why have you come here?” Yoda asked, his voice somehow ancient and full of life at the same time.

“I wish to take Obi-Wan Kenobi as my Padawan Learner,” Ahsoka answered. “To teach him the ways of the Force and to guide him on his path to knighthood, like my master before me.”

“And who speaks for you?” the Grand Master continued, his hands resting on the head of his gimer stick.

“I do,” the five masters in line chorused at once and Ahsoka couldn’t help the shiver that ran down her spine. She wondered if Anakin and Master Obi-Wan had gone through this ceremony, or if they had just been thrown together in the chaos of Naboo after Maul’s assault.

“Speak and the Force will listen,” Yoda said, his voice somehow grand in spite of the familiar croak. “A child of the Force, is she?"

“Yes,” Shaak Ti intoned, igniting her blade. “A child of Shili and of the Temple.”

Yoda nodded with a twinkle in his eye. “Claim her, do you, in Master Skywalker’s stead?”

Plo Koon nodded, igniting his blade. “In place of those lost, I claim Ahsoka Tano as a knight of my lineage.”

Even though she knew it was coming, Ahsoka still inhaled sharply and told herself not to cry at his words. Anakin...

“A Knight of the Order, is she?” Yoda turned to Master Windu, a smile on his face.

Mace gazed at Ahsoka and nodded, igniting his violet blade. “Yes, she is.”

Yoda nodded, gently tapping his gimer stick on the floor. “Good. And before us, who do you bring, Knight Tano?”

“I bring Obi-Wan Kenobi, Honored Masters,” Ahsoka stated, gesturing back to the boy waiting anxiously in the doorway. “I chose him to be my Padawan Learner, if the Force wills it.”

“Speak and the Force will listen,” Yoda chuckled. “A child of the Force, is he?”

Master Yaddle’s grin was nearly as bright as her saber. “A child of the Temple, he is.”

Nodding, Yoda turned to Ahsoka. “Claim him, do you Knight Tano, as heir to your line?”

Obi-Wan looked up at Ahsoka, his blue eyes shining in the flickering light of the sabers and the growing dawn outside. She nodded down at him, her eyes warm. “Yes, I do.”

Her own saber lit up, bright blue and humming with the Force.

“Against this bonding, does anyone speak?” Yoda turned toward Master Dyas, who shook his head.

“Against this bonding, none shall speak,” Master Dyas intoned with a flourish of his blade.

“Agree to this, do you, Obi-Wan Kenobi?” Yoda asked the boy standing before him, his eyes narrowed in thought.

Obi-Wan nodded. “Yes, Masters. I pledge myself to Knight Tano and her teachings. I pledge myself to the Jedi Order and the Force, to which we are all a servant of.”

“Woven together, the two must be,” Yoda said and Ahsoka handed her saber to Plo Koon before she stepped behind Obi-Wan and pulled out a lock of hair thick enough to make a proper Padawan’s tail and then a braid. A droid emerged from a darkened corner, helpfully shearing Obi-Wan of the thick coppery locks that until now had hung down over his blue-grey eyes like a curtain hiding the boy from the world.

“Master,” Obi-Wan whispered as Ahsoka worked at his little braid. “I… I have these. I… I thought you might have worn some like them.”

Ahsoka glanced down at the silka beads in Obi-Wan’s grasp, small pale things that seemed out of place in his trembling hands. She felt a warm rush of love wash over her and she took them from Obi-Wan’s hand. “Thank you, my Padawan.”

As the droid made quick work of Obi-Wan’s hair, Ahsoka carefully threaded the three beads onto the end of his braid before tying them off with a small blue thread. His braid barely brushed the tops of his shoulder but it was there and as the sun began to climb over the horizon, Ahsoka stepped back to her position and reclaimed her saber from Plo Koon.

The sky turned from lavender to pink and gold as Yoda finished the ceremony, the room glowing brighter with each word. “Luminous beings are we, bound together in the Force. Follow its will, you must. Teach each other, you will. Together you walk, on the path the Force has chosen. Master and Padawan you are, Ahsoka Tano and Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

And with that the rest of the Council ignited their blades and held them up to salute the new pair, who stood side by side as a new dawn arose over Coruscant, bright and golden, chasing away the last dark clouds and shadows of the night that had gone before it.

To be continued... April 2nd.

[swbumblebee]

Jedi General Anakin Skywalker rubbed his hands together in anticipation, focussed intently on the holoscreen in front of the small crowd in the mess hall. Temporarily turned into a viewing lounge for the Boonta Eve Classic, being broadcast via a shaky and (probably) less-than-legitimate signal straight from Tattooine to The Resolute.

It was a big deal race, apparently. And this year Generals Skywalker and Kenobi had decided to involve their troops in their annual tradition of watching the race together, and shouting at the screen.

“Ropo’s going to make it this time, I can feel it! Three wins already this season, it’s in the bag.”

“I don’t know, I wouldn’t count Mandip out just yet. She’s been steadily getting faster, one mistake on Ropo’s part and it’s hers.”

“Master, may I remind you I’m the podracing expert, having actually done it before? I’m telling you, it’ll be Ropo.”

“Oh please I’ve spent the fifteen years watching and hearing about it. I lost an entire room to podracing posters and books. I am now just as expert as you my overconfident friend.”

The troops looked bemusedly at each other as Commander Tano shook her head disparagingly.

“Overconfident? Well fine, care to make it interesting?”

There was a collective intake of breath. Commander Cody looked like he couldn’t decide weather to tell them off or not.

There was a glint in General Kenobi’s eye.

“Always. Stakes?”

General Skwalker paused for a moment, thinking.

A shinny slowly raised his hand in suggestion before it was quickly slapped back down with a curse by a worried Captain.

A smile was forming on the younger General’s face.

“Loser has to answer his comm with his full titles for a week.”

Several relieved smiles broke out. Easy! That was positively tame compared to five-hundred push ups or a 30 minute handstand.

Though General Kenobi frowned.

“No that’s not fair, my titles are way more pretentious than yours” He paused, letting out a surprisingly evil smile “You have to do yours, but you have to add you’re the chosen one” he said, barely holding in a laugh.

General Skywalker made a face. But stuck out his hand all the same.

“Deal.”

“Excellent.”

“I actually think Mosslov is going to win you know” Commander Tano piped up. There was an awkward silence as both her Master’s turned to her with varying pitying looks.

“…Sure, I mean she might?”

“Of course that’s always a possibility. Anything can happen”

The Commander rolled her eyes and folded her arms with a huff.

---

Ninety minutes later and she was singing a verydifferent tune. And dancing in victory.

“I can’t believe it, she just came out of nowhere!”

“Oh my gods Ahsoka. How did you know? What were the odds?”

“Well obviously you guys aren’t as expert as you thought.” The teenager was holding none of her smugness back. She stood in front of her despairing Masters. “Sooo technically since both of you lost that means…”

“No way”

“It doesn’t – doesn’t count”

The Commander looked around at the surrounding troops, raising her eyebrows in a plea for back up.

“I believe it does actually Sirs”

“Respectfully Generals I agree”

The identical glares levelled at Commanders Rex and Cody were nothing short of impressive. But with the help of Commander Tano’s huge smile they remained steadfast where lesser men would have faltered.

At that moment, a very familiar chirping sound filled the air.

General Skywalker pulled out his com and flipped it open, an action born of pure muscle memory he did a hundred times a day.

“Skywalker”

The air seemed to freeze as his eyes widened and he realised what he’d done. He scowled at his student.

“I’m - I’m a Jedi Knight and a General.”

General Kenobi cleared his throat pointedly.

The unfortunate man visibly clenched his teeth.

“And the chosen one.” He ground out to several muffled guffaws.

There was silence whilst they were unable to hear what the other person was saying before Skywalker cleared his throat awkwardly and cringed.

“Yep I’m just…really proud of it.”

He had to leave the room to be heard over the laughter.

It was going to be a fun week.

----

Chirp chirp

All nearby activity stopped, and the sound of his communicator going off was met with a loud sigh from General Kenobi.

“High General Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, Commander of the Third Systems Army. How may I help?”

His confident and professional tone was rather undercut by the fact that the tips of his ears were turning pink.

He closed the communicator shortly afterwards .

“He’s always thought I’m a twit anyway” he said with a sheepish shrug.

----

Chirp chirp

“Jedi Knight and General Anakin Skywalker, I’m The Chosen One what can I do for you?”

General Kenobi got a vicious elbow in the ribs for his snort.

“…”

“No it just means…never mind. I’ll get right on it.”

----

Chirp chirp

“Jedi Master and High General Obi-Wan Kenobi, Commander of the Third Systems Army. How may I help?

“…”

“Yes I just thought…thought I’d like to remind you?”

----

Chirp chirp

“Hello this is The Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight and General. What do you need?”

“…”

“Hello? Is anyone there? Oh they must have been cut off”

----

Chirp chirp

All the bridge Clones turned as one, eagerly awaiting another bought of awkwardness for their C.Os, only to be disappointed when Commander Tano fished her communicator out of her belt.

“Tano”

“…”

“Yes Master they’re both right here”

She grinned and gestured at her two Masters, putting the call on speaker. General Kenobi grimaced and shook his head as he complied.

“Hello yes this is High General and Commander of the Third Systems Army, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi”

“And The Chosen One, Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight and General.” General Skywalker was making strangling motions at his beloved student.

There was a long, pregnant moment of silence on the other end of the call, before a heavy sigh came through.

“You two are so weird.” The flat, unimpressed voice of Mace Windu declared.

The Generals looked at each other. General Kenobi shrugged at his friend as the other man started smiling.

“Yes Master” they responded in unison.

[grcyrebcl]

A PSA About Ahsoka Shipping ;

Due to the large lack of common sense, it seems many in the fandom enjoy infantalizing Ahsoka Tano as if she were a child or placing her on a pedestal to be protected or revered as some ideal female jedi icon. Firstly, any romance that’s developed on this blog in regards to Ahsoka is 1. likely between my close-knit friends and 2. Well AFTER season 3 max. (that it even needs to be clarified no one’s shipping ahsoka as a kid sweet jesus).

It’s fine to ship Anakin with Padme despite their age gap--but it becomes a HORROR when its Ahsoka and Rex or any other Clone for that matter. It’s fine when it’s Kenobi and Cody despite both the implication to an abuse of station, authority and bigger age gap, but its more DISGUSTING when it’s Ahsoka and just about anyone else. Let’s not even TOUCH the topic of clonescest and shipping actual children like OMEGA. Cuz its fine to imagine kids canoodling but heaven forbid Ahsoka as a grown woman in a relationship with Rex or fuckin’ Din Djarin or, hell, even Boba.

Ahsoka Tano is a wonderfully nuanced, flawed and headstrong female character. She’s made mistakes, she’s GROWN UP literally in the midst of a war and SURVIVED unspeakable tragedies. Why is it so hard to believe that if she’s involved with someone, clone or former friend, WHOMEVER really, it’s such a huge controversial issue? Let her love. Let her make mistakes again. Let her grow.

She’s not a child anymore and deadass, coming from a culture where girls started exploring sex at 15--there’s a lot that could be done and expressed but blessedly Ahsoka got a good head on her shoulders. Lets not pretend teenager’s aren’t curious and haven’t done shit on the sly--we all be slipping and doing things we weren’t supposed to as teenagers and ain’t no shame in that. Anakin had just barely turned 19 when he started canoodling Padme, and don’t give me the ‘she’s a child’ bullshit cuz Ahsoka’s matured faster than any average 16+ teenager we’ve seen in media.

Ya’ll are hypocrites. The most amusing kind of hypocrites that love to snicker and vague and talk shit about Ahsoka shippers while pretending ya’ll don’t have your less than reasonable and FREAKIER ships. Like Kenobi x Anakin or Luke x Leia, Omega x Hera and god knows whatever mesh of character’s ya’ll shove in a room together. It’s so funny how most of you insist on being so woke, and pretentious but believe any of us here on board should be violently hit or are referred to as mentally ill or needing death. Really woke and compassionate stuff guys.

If we don’t JUDGE ya’ll ships, then don’t mind ours. It’s easy enough to point the finger at someone and forget there’s three pointing back at ya’ll. So we’ll ship what we want, however we want without judgement and go back to our usual fun times. If you don’t like it, put on your big girl/boy panties and hit the unfollow and block. Easy peasy my dears.

Remember jesus loves you and he would’ve died for nothing if we didn’t sin a little bit a day.

[incorrectpizza]

Why 2022 will be a make it or break it year for Star Wars

Ok, so I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, especially with the Kenobi trailer finally dropping. I’m convinced that 2022 will be the year that either saves Star Wars for me or which pushes me to apathy, if not distaste, of the franchise.

While this is, of course, my personal opinion, I believe that this will be the same for many other Star Wars fans. So, hear me out. I’m going to be analyzing each of the major projects in 2022 and detailing why I think their success is so vital to the franchise. 

Putting the actual post under the cut because it got a little out of hand. 

Reblog & put your own predictions in the tags - I would love to read them!

THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT

I want to touch on TBOBF briefly because it was predominantly a 2022 release. I don’t think this show helped Star Wars as much as it could’ve. It proved to be yet another divisive piece of media; I’d say it got much more love, than, say, The Last Jedi or The Rise of Skywalker, but it also didn’t get the level of praise The Mandalorian did. And it stole some key moments that could’ve made the season premiere of that show a real banger.

OBI-WAN KENOBI

This show is arguably the most anticipated piece of Star Wars content since The Force Awakens. People have been begging for Ewan McGregor’s return to Star Wars ever since Disney bought the franchise. This show is likely to draw an outsized audience of “normies” as opposed to the other Star Wars content that’s coming out this year.

This show has an outsized level of hype and is playing with a LOT of beloved legacy characters (even more than the sequel trilogy?!) Already we have confirmed Obi-Wan, Darth Vader, Owen, Beru, and a young Luke Skywalker (albeit from a distance). There are a few others who are heavily rumored but not outright confirmed which I’ll refrain from listing here.

Obi-Wan and Darth Vader having another confrontation will almost certainly be epic, but if done sloppily it could really break lore. Same with Obi-Wan possibly interacting with Luke. 

On top of this, they are also dealing with some popular characters from outside the movies. The Inquisitors’ presence - emphasized so heavily in the very first teaser - could confuse or delight fans.

If they screw this show up, it could have a profound impact on the way people view both the Original Trilogy and the Prequel Trilogy (albeit to a lesser extent). 

To put things succinctly: Obi-Wan Kenobi is an extremely anticipated show which will likely change the way all of Star Wars is seen - for the better or worse.

ANDOR

This show isn’t as big a deal as Obi-Wan Kenobi, but it holds a unique place as the series that could most surprise Star Wars fans. In my humble opinion, Andor could be a shocking success that brings together fans of the prequels, animated shows, originals, books, comics and, of course, Rogue One. 

This slice of the timeline is full of possibilities: pretty much any character from the Prequels, Originals, or the time in between could show up. 

Perhaps the biggest question is “Will we get to see Jedi?” There haven’t been many concrete rumors about Andor, which means they could totally surprise us with some mind-blowing connections. Could Ewan McGregor have filmed an extra scene or two while he was working on Kenobi? Or maybe a younger Ahsoka Tano will show up here as Fulcrum? Kanan Jarrus hasn’t revealed his identity, but it’s entirely plausible he and/or Hera Syndulla could show up in their roles as young rebellion heroes. 

It’s not just Jedi that could show up, though. The show will deal with both the Rebellion and the underworld, opening up a world of possibilities. There’s the possibility of a clone trooper or two cameoing, or even young Boba Fett; Temeura Morrison is still very well connected with Star Wars. Maybe young Fennec Shand could make an appearance as well? We know she’s already bounty hunting by this time. A persistent fan hope is Star Wars Rebels’ Alexsandr Kallus, who would still be an Imperial agent at this time. 

Add in the odd, persistent rumors of George Lucas’s involvement, and you get a recipe for something special. 

Will Andor be a magical Neapolitan pizza with fresh tomatoes and mozzarella or a sad stale piece of cardboard covered in a dry, just-barely-tomato-esque paste and cheese that looks like it was chewed by a dog?

THE BAD BATCH

So, here’s the thing about The Bad Batch Season Two:

We know absolutely nothing about it.

Aside from the fact that it’s coming, there have been zero announcements, and few leaks or rumors, since the initial announcement of the renewal last year. The latest development? Bob Chapek actually left the show out of the list of the remaining content for 2022 during Investor Day yesterday, and Star Wars Insider changed the sidebar from “Coming Spring 2022″ to “Coming Soon”. 

Are there production woes? Could it be cancelled? Or do they just not have an easy spot to slide it into their lineup of content? We know courtesy of Michelle Ang that the show was recording lines months ago. 

This show is big for a few reasons. It’s not the most beloved Star Wars animated series by far, but it had a sizeable fandom. It’s also the only animated Star Wars on the horizon in the near future. 

Some of Star Wars’ best content has been animated. The Clone Wars and Rebels are both very well-loved. Visions had a fun breakout moment, and Resistance is severely underrated.

I worry that, if The Bad Batch doesn’t get a great second season - and a renewal for a third, if it’s been sketched out - it could be very bad news for Lucasfilm Animation and its fans. I’m thoroughly convinced that Resistance got cut short. If The Bad Batch doesn’t perform up to snuff, I’m afraid they might decide that animation isn’t worth it anymore.  With the Rebels sequel storyline moving to live action, there isn’t a very clear direction for Star Wars animation to go after The Bad Batch, and I’m afraid it could become scarce. 

LEGO STAR WARS: THE SKYWALKER SAGA

This game has been coming out for so kriffing long that Lego Star Wars fans could be extremely salty if it isn’t everything they’d hoped and dreamed. (I’m not a huge Lego fan, so this is pure speculation, but I can’t say I’d blame them.)

JEDI FALLEN ORDER 2

This is a long shot but if the Jedi Fallen Order sequel gets a killer trailer and/or a release in 2022, it could provide a lifeline to some Star Wars fans who are struggling to enjoy the other content. (I know it’s one of my most anticipated Star Wars projects).

BOOKS & COMICS

I felt weird leaving these out entirely, because they do exist, but there isn’t anything huge going on. Other than The High Republic, which I’m pretty sure everyone has either gone all-in one or abandoned by this point, we have just a handful of books that look to either enhance or cast a dark shadow over a few beloved characters. But these aren’t likely to make a huge splash, so I don’t see them making a big difference to the fandom writ large.

THE MANDALORIAN SEASON 3

I tacked this on at the last moment to remind people that we should’ve gotten a third season of The Mandalorian in 2022. If it weren’t for Disney’s firing of Gina Carano and subsequent rewrites, it likely would have premiered as scheduled in 2022. It could’ve been a fantastic banger of an ending to a year of epic Star Wars (if everything above went well and on schedule). But as things stand, it’s looking like The Mandalorian will come out in 2023 at the earliest.

[alderaani]

weathering

i really am absolutely wiped out today, so this is not my best, but here’s a little something for day 7 of @commandercodyweek with today’s theme “missing perspectives”. this one’s a little homage to the fact that i was SO MAD when season five nearly gave us youngling rescuer Cody and then snatched it away again. 

summary: Cody knows what it’s like when you’re burning on fumes and get stuck in your own head. he gives Ahsoka a quiet moment and helps her let it go.

-

“Hey, kid,” he says, tilting his head down to get a proper look at her. “Looks like it was a rough one.”

Tano sighs, fishing out a smile for him. There’s dirt smudged through the markings on her cheeks and her akul tooth headdress is slightly awry. He sweeps his gaze over her face, taking in the shadows under her eyes, the tightness in her shoulders. She looks rough, not that he can blame her.

“Yeah, you know how it is with Hondo,” she shrugs, then yawns behind her hand and forces herself to straighten again.

Cody casts a dirty look at the open space overhead, in the general direction that the pirate ship had vanished in, with a good quantity of Republic credits and far more dignity than it’d deserved. Both privately and vocally Cody thinks that Ohnaka deserved nothing more than a boot up his ass, even if Obi-Wan is probably right that treating him with tolerance keeps them on better terms. He’d pointed out that hiring him to help them on Onderon hadn’t stopped him from kidnapping seven younglings, and then walked straight into the rebuttal of yes, it hadn’t, and would he just think of how much worse it could have been, had they not had those bonds?

Perhaps Cody’s just spoiling for a fight after all those hours crouched in an escape pod, helpless to do anything at all and deeply, painfully aware that every minute spent there meant that the younglings were on their own.

Still, Obi-Wan is usually right, however annoying that often is when he drags himself half-dead out of a campaign with no excuse other than a bold-faced ‘it worked, didn’t it?’. 

That thought had stopped him from physically detaining the wretch the minute Hondo had stepped foot on his ship, but just barely. He’d contented himself with glaring over Obi-Wan’s shoulder with enough force to melt the paint off of armour instead, blaster drawn with the safety off. Looking at the state Tano is in now, he wants to commandeer a fighter and chase after that miserable pirate to put a healthy dose of fear into him.

“Hm,” he says, huffing a soft laugh at the sight of the little Nautolan youngling’s slack-jawed awe when Obi-Wan lets him see his lightsaber. “Sometimes it feels like far too many roads lead to Florrum.” 

That makes her snort, but as quickly as it comes, she sighs and crosses her arms. “Figures I can’t even make it through a simple escort mission without things getting complicated.” 

He raises an eyebrow, even though she can’t see it, and feels a helpless little smile break over his face at the self-depreciating expression she’s wearing. He knows exactly where she learnt that one, can’t count the number of times he’s seen Rex wear precisely that shade of wry defeat. 

“Ahsoka, Ahsoka!” One of the younglings calls, and he sees the way her shoulders climb up to her montrals, how she forces her expression to ease out as she turns to look. “Didn’t one of the pirates try to armbar me, and didn’t I-”

Some of the others cut in then, clamoring with eager voices that tumble over each other in an excited, tumultuous rush. Their eyes are bright, flushed with first victory like a little pack of eager shinies. It’s well deserved, if half of what they’re saying is true. But he can see the way Tano has locked up, the way she’s swaying a little in place and fighting it hard. 

Not even Jedi can go on forever, and for all he knows she a force to be reckoned with, she’s still just a youngling herself. 

Gently, he detangles her from where the Ithorian and the Wookie have started demonstrating some of their circus acrobatics and takes his helmet off so that he can cast a significant look at Obi-Wan. He remembers all too well how that used to feel - that special adrenaline that used to spike on his first days in command, the unique weight of that pressure to do everything right, of everyone's expectation and their trust, too. He used to struggle to let it go, too, and has wrangled far too many little brothers into setting aside their own burdens. One more go at it isn’t a hardship. 

“I think the General’s got it handled here,” he says. “How about we head up to the mess and find some caf? It won’t be great, but it’ll be warm.” 

“Oh!” Ahsoka says, and he sees it, the way she starts to relax at the thought and then drags herself back, that same stubbornness that powers her through campaigns hamstringing her now. “That’s okay, but - I’m sure he’s got things he needs to do, I can’t expect him to -,” 

Cody loops a loose arm around her shoulders and steers her round to the blast doors.

“Believe me, he’ll be thrilled to have the excuse not to.”

He leads her out of the hangar, snatching Obi-Wan’s robe from a bench and draping it round her shoulders. He won’t miss it - and he smirks at the expression of delighted glee she gets at his derisive tone when he tells her so. Skywalker might think that he has as much rigidity as a stale ration bar, and Cody might be happy to let him while it still suits, but Tano’s a much-needed ally in managing the Kenobi-Skywalker show. 

He sits her down in the empty mess, setting a full steaming mug and a plate full of the jerky strips Rex says she likes in front of her, making light conversation until she’s comfortable enough to sag into the robe and the tight look around her eyes has faded. He can see the crash rolling in as the adrenaline fades, and makes sure his shoulder is there for her to land on as it hits.

“I’m so glad we made it back,” she murmurs, her eyes slowly drifting closed.

Cody smiles, nudging her caf mug back out of the range of her sleep-slack fingers, and waves down Aster to find out where they’re all bunking. 

“Trust me, Commander. You couldn’t have done a better job.”

He sees the moment she starts to believe him, the corners of her smile easing into something a little more genuine. 

“Thanks, Cody.”

[transmalewife]

💻 📥 🍰??

💻 Do you do research for your fics? What’s the deepest dive you’ve done?

I do, but at the wrong moments. I've gone down many a wookiepedia rabbit holes to find out what a tatooinian rabbit would be called for an offhand line, but when it comes to writing mechanics or fighting i tend to just wing it. although, fun fact, I wrote sabine having an idea on how to make a spaceship work once, and I thought it was utterly ridiculous and unbelievable, until i found out months later the actual space shuttles used something very similar

last year when i was deeply depressed and writing constantly to escape my problems i was just constantly watching and rewatching the movies and relevant clone wars episodes as research, so that was a deep deep dive into a kiddie pool i suppose.

Oh also for the as yet unfinished sequel to my gomens fic I really really tried to learn more about slavic prechristian religion and witchcraft but unfortunately that culture has been thoughroughly erased by a thousand years of christianity and n*zis appropriating whatever was left. I'm being a touch dramatic there are books that have the information I want, but I just don't care enough about a two year old good omens wip to read them.

📥 What is your fave fic to receive comments/messages on?

How to build a friend from scratch, hands down. That fic hovers around a 1:1 comment to kudos ratio whenever I actually update it which is incredible. Nearly no one has read it but the few people who did have started the most interesting discussions in the comments and it's always really entertaining to see how delighted people are with seeing a fic centered on sabine and vader. And I truly feel like i've stumbled on something really good with the premise and its definitely an untapped niche. theres still only 3 vader & sabine fics on ao3, just like when i started it, and two of them are mine. Getting comments on that feels like a private little thing, compared to other fics. Like we're all in on the joke.

🍰 Name one of your fave comfort fics (doesn’t have to be your all time fave).

I don't read much fanfic these days, but anything black sails by vovelinthug is always guaranteed to captivate and destroy me emotionally. Idk if i mentioned that before but I have absolutely no wish to write bs fic, because I feel like the story is too good, too well rounded for anything I have to say to be worth addding. And the power that a writer has, who is able to perfectly slot their work into that kind of story, without it seeming disjointed, is incredible. before the last season came out, and even after, every time I rewatch the show, i immediately follow it with st. augustine is that way In my mind they are just one story.

I just remembered hands of clay by mhalachai being something very comforting, that I read over a period of years as it was posted. I lost interest in marvel at some point, or the fic just got too long for my patience, so I never finished it, but i definitely want to one of these days. one of the few modern, domestic aus of anything that i actually enjoyed.

If you're looking for star wars, then tano and kenobi by fireflyfish is very important to me, and has been for years. it definitely influenced my own writing a lot and i even have an unposted wip directly inspired by it in premise. although that's another one I just sort of drifted away from at some point. I'm mostly caught up, I think, but I apparently just don't have the attention span to stay loyal to a fic beyond 200k.

as always my ask game reading comprehension sucks, I was supposed to name one. but the thing is, most of what I read is not very comforting, and usually oneshots, so they don't really stick in my mind well enough to point to one specific one and say this one, this is my favorite, even though i like oneshots much more than multichapter fics.

[burnwater13]

Din Djarin holding Grogu in The Mandalorian, Season 2, Episode 5, The Jedi

Grogu’s worries were over. Yippee! His dad wasn’t going to give him away to Ahsoka Tano after all! He was safe. He got to keep his Mandalorian dad and not go back to the Jedi Temple and everything was going to be great! 

Okay. Okay. The Force had answered all that begging he did and he got to stay with Din Djarin a little longer, depending on what happened somewhere else with an entirely different Jedi. Frankly, Grogu liked those odds because how many Jedi could possibly be left? 

The ones who had defended the Republic were gone. They had either fallen to the Inquisitors or Vader or the Clones, or they had fallen and become part of the problem. Very few had escape Coruscant and the ones who hadn’t been there, and hadn’t fallen one way or the other, were so good at hiding why would they show themselves now? They wouldn’t. It was still too dangerous. 

What? Did you think everyone wanted the Jedi to return? Uh. No. They thought the Jedi were quaint relics of an ancient past, where magic was stronger than science and technology.  When they showed up it was only because bad things were already happening. Then they would end up solving the problem one way or another, but they were never around to prevent problems in the first place. That wasn’t their place.

Ian had grumbled about that a lot. A lot a lot. He thought the Jedi should go to Corellia and stop all the corruption. He said that crime was a way of life there, but the masters just shrugged at him and explained that small pockets of crime were the responsibility of the planetary security forces, not the Jedi Order. They had more important things to do. 

But Grogu understood why Ian was so annoyed about that. The people who were victims of those crimes were still people. They still needed help. And the corruption they saw operating all around them made them feel helpless and that didn’t seem like something the Force would approve of. 

Master Kenobi had shaken his head at that. 

“The Force does not approve or disapprove of our actions, younglings. What you call corruption is bureaucracy. It is how the government is meant to get its work done. It takes time. The process of justice matters. You can not cut through it like you can cut a jogan fruit. Jedi must be very careful and selective about where they weigh in. We are not any planet’s government or rulers. We advise and we negotiate.”

But, Ian argued, if justice was delayed, wasn’t that a crime? Didn’t that cause harm? Didn’t that feel like corruption, even if was technically just the proper way to do things?

Master Kenobi had sighed deeply and told them to go back to their studies. He would talk to Master Yoda. 

Things had gotten pretty busy after that and Grogu and Ian never managed to find out what Master Yoda had told him. By the time Grogu thought to bring it up himself it was too late. The Clones had started their coordinated purge and Grogu and Ian escaped from the Jedi Temple and hadn’t seen each other again to compare notes.

Now, so many years later, Grogu had been surprised to even see Ahsoka Tano. He had really thought that the Armorer had sent Din Djarin on a wild tauntaun chase.  Getting them to leave Nevarro and travel around the Outer Rim was probably a better idea than having more Imps find them on Nevarro and succeed at kidnapping Grogu. 

Of course, the Armorer wasn’t the person who sent the Mandalorian to Corvus to begin with. It was that other Mando. Bo-Katan. Grogu didn’t trust her. Why did she even know a Jedi? Whatever. Her plan to get rid of Grogu hadn’t worked either. Ahsoka Tano refused to train him and that was that. 

Grogu got to stay with his dad and they’d go to Tython and Grogu would pretend to use the Force to connect to some imaginary Jedi and when they didn’t show up he’d shrug at the tall bounty hunter and just pretend to be sad that he couldn’t rejoin the people who lost track of him because he wasn’t very important to them. It served them right. The Jedi that is. 

Because, once you got more than one Jedi in the same place at the same time, they would feel the overwhelming need to fuss with the balance of the Force. But the Force was energy. It was never out of balance. But the people who used it. Worked with it. Fought with it. They were the ones who gained or lost balance and brought others with them, one way or the other. 

Grogu was heartily tired of that and just wanted to play catch with the knob from the flight acceleration control stick and drink bone broth with his dad. A simple life of finding bad people and returning them to face justice. Following in his dad’s footsteps. They would be simple men making their way in the universe. And if he was lucky, eating some more frog eggs along the way.

Din Djarin holding Grogu while Ahsoka Tano explains where they should go to find a different Jedi. Caption reads: that has a strong connection to the Force. From The Mandalorian, Season 2, Episode 5, The Jedi

[legobiwan]

Obi-wan, Ahsoka & Maul’s Grand Plan

Now that we’re all emotionally compromised, it’s time to really dig into the Obi-wan-Maul-Ahsoka (and by extension, Ezra) narrative.

After Phantom Apprentice, we learned that Maul orchestrated the war on Mandalore (the second one, at least) to lure Obi-wan and Anakin back to Mandalore, so Maul could kill Anakin, and ruin Sidious’s plans. 

Now that we know Maul might have also had a double objective when he took Mandalore the first time, it is instructive to go back to “The Lawless” and read THAT scene and that episode in a new light.

Maul wants to lure Obi-wan to Mandalore, presumptively to take revenge on him for a whole litany of sins, including the whole cutting-Maul-in-half-and-ending-his-career-as-Sidious’s-apprentice thing. We know this is a premeditated move, that Maul is banking on Obi-wan coming to save Satine: 

It’s a fascinating (and risky) gambit, but if Maul has learned one thing about Obi-wan, it’s that the man suffers greatly from attachment (even if he hides it), and through those attachments, he can be manipulated. Maul goads Obi-wan into a sloppy, dangerous, rage-fueled duel in Revenge by invoking his murder of Qui-gon Jinn.

And then again with Adi Gallia where Obi-wan nearly bisects Savage in half the long immediately after she is killed by Savage:

Now, with the knowledge we have after Phantom Apprentice, Maul *may* have been expecting Anakin to show up with Obi-wan in the Jedi shuttle and not Adi Gallia. His ultimate plan seemed to be to find a way to lure Anakin and to lure Anakin, Maul needed Obi-wan. 

This unforeseen development is probably what prompted this cryptic commentary from Maul:

I would argue that Maul’s plan was to consolidate a power base as he did on Mandalore with the crime syndicates, so he would be an advantageous position after Maul presumably killed Anakin and thwarted part of Sidious’s plans. It was too early on Florrum, the Jedi (and possibly Sidious himself, sensing the threat) making a point of going after Maul, perhaps Sidious not getting in their way for once in order to snuff out this annoying relic of history. (It’s instructive to note that in a deleted scene (9:45) of Revival, Sidious intervenes so that Anakin will not go on that mission. He also seems unbothered in The Lawless (23:40) that Obi-wan has flouted Republic law to render aid to Mandalore, likely because he wants intelligence on Maul, wants Kenobi out of his hair, and wants Anakin faaaaar away from Maul, because he’s cottoned on to Maul’s plan.)

And what a plan it is. Maul’s learned through his sources that Kenobi and Skywalker are essentially inseparable and that Obi-wan is clinically attached to his former student (very much in opposition to the Jedi Code, it would seem). Now, this is interesting because Maul has been gathering information. Not just the usual strategic information, but information for psychological warfare. He already knows Kenobi suffers from attachment - he witnessed this firsthand on Naboo. He just exploits that crack in Obi-wan’s facade.

But what does Maul want *after* Anakin is dead? The thing about Maul is that he spends his entire post-TPM existence looking for a partner. It’s most obvious with Savage, who he takes as a literal apprentice, but Maul also famously offers to work other Jedi, including (infamously) Ezra Bridger, Ahsoka Tano, and yes, Obi-wan Kenobi.

In fact, Maul’s recruitment strategy with Obi-wan and Ahsoka is a fascinating mirror (and is a lot of what happens with Obi-wan and Ahsoka in Phantom Apprentice). Maul, once again, uses Obi-wan’s attachment to lure him to Mandalore, as he’s learned about Obi-wan’s past with Satine (most likely through Death Watch and Almec. No one in this Lineage is good at keeping their secret, forbidden relationships much of a secret, let’s be honest.)

This is the most instructive line of their exchange before Satine’s death:

 Why not, Maul? You’ve been grumbling this man’s name for ages. And I think the answer lies both in an unspoken invitation to Obi-wan to join Maul and in one of Maul’s 5,000 plans to entrap Anakin Skywalker. I’ll address the latter idea first.

After Satine is killed, Obi-wan just...gives up. He doesn’t fight, he doesn’t try and break, he just allows Death Watch to carry him off to prison. I wonder if Maul - disappointed that Skywalker didn’t show - was going to try and use Obi-wan as bait to lure Anakin, just as he had used Satine to lure Obi-wan. 

Which begs the question - let’s Maul is successful in killing Anakin. Then what? Does he just kill Obi-wan outright? While it might be more than tempting, this dialogue below makes me wonder if Maul wasn’t trying to low-key recruit Obi-wan bu ruining his life and than enticing him to the dark.

He’s actually pulling a Sidious on Obi-wan here, trying to get him to crack that Jedi facade which Maul knows is not as unbreakable as Obi-wan would like to make it seem. (If we take the novelization of TPM as a guide, Obi-wan does touch the dark during that duel on Naboo, after Qui-gon is killed, so he’s more than capable of turning, as is anyone in the right - or wrong - circumstance.) 

Obi-wan rejects this, of course, and tries to reason with Maul, by introducing the fact that Obi-wan has been to Iridonia, and knows the awful conditions Maul must have grown-up in until Sidious whisked him away. 

This, of course, does not work.

It’s funny, because a handful of lines from Maul in the earlier season which made sense on a larger level but seemed a little odd in context - all the pieces have come together. Like his comment on Florrum, him saying the Dark Side is more powerful than Obi-wan knows is a direct reference to Sidious, and oddly (and tragically) enough, it’s Obi-wan who is told by two different sources, however obliquely, that there’s something terrible happening in the heart of the Republic, and the Jedi are toast.

Maul’s gambit backfires, however, when Bo-Katan arrives, releasing Obi-wan, followed by Sidious having had enough of these games (and possibly realizing that Maul is the most dangerous foe of all because it he ever managed to make his recruitment speeches work and to Anakin - he, or at least the Grand Plan - was going to be in trouble). 

Fast-forward to Mandalore II: Now with Extra Sadness. As stated above, Maul admits to starting this second war with the express reason to lure Obi-wan, and by extension, Anakin to Mandalore so he can finally kill Skywalker and maybe even get Obi-wan on his side. 

Of course, he meets with Ahsoka and Maul nows nothing about her. What’s the first thing he does? He kidnaps Jesse not to torture him, but gain information. He wants to find Ahsoka’s weak spots to exploit, just as he had done with Kenobi. 

And with that information, he hammers at her cracks - namely, her disillusion with the Jedi after her trial.

And like Obi-wan, Ahsoka tries to reason with Maul, this time playing on the idea that if he only came back to Coruscant, he could help the Jedi destroy Sidious. 

Of course, it’s too late for the Jedi, too late for Maul, who has sensed that Sidious is close to executing the final part of his plan. Maybe, just maybe, if this Ahsoka Tano will team up with Maul, together they can take down Sidious (or more likely, take down Anakin). And unlike with Kenobi, Maul can ask her outright. 

Which almost works. Until Maul drops the bomb that his plan the entire time was to kill Anakin, and Ahsoka, still believing in Anakin, cannot let that pass. 

Chalk another one up for a failed Maul recruitment strategy. 

Of course, twenty years later, he tries the exact same thing with Ezra Bridger, using Ezra’s insecurities against him to promise a brighter destiny and more power. 

And then, Maul tries to get Ezra to run off with him to Tatooine to confront Obi-wan, which is...such a curious statement. 

Does Maul want Ezra to kill Obi-wan? Unlikely. But Maul might want to use Obi-wan as a way of gaining information on Anakin, or even this supposed Chosen One and Maul’s madness about Kenobi’s continued existence may be as much disbelief that the actual architect of his downfall (according to him) still lives and it might be some oddly misplaced hope that Kenobi can help Maul defeat Sidious. At the very least, Maul can extract information out of Kenobi before killing him, and isn’t that what Maul’s always done? Get information, then strike at your enemy? 

But with one final (heartbreaking) flourish on Tatooine, Maul ultimately fails in recruiting anybody to his side, never avenging Sidious, his plans failing again and again, and his life forgotten on a dusty, backwater planet to everyone except for the man holding him in his arms at his death (the man who was there at the beginning, middle, and end), the promise of a final retribution lulling Maul into the afterlife. 

[thezegendofzelda]

I just realised I've never posted art on here

let's fix that!

here is my The Clone Wars OC, Tamohara Zapalo!

-personal details- Name: Tamohara Zapalo Alias/Formerly known as: Darth Zathruyo Fandom: Star Wars Name meaning: Tamohara means "one who removes darkness" which fits very well with her backstory and character. And I just got Zapalo and Zathruyo from name generators so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Nicknames: Tamo, Taza Age: 14 Gender: Genderqueer Pronouns: She/they Sexuality: Bisexual Neurodivergent? Yes, autistic and dyspraxic Race: Pantoran Theme song: The second ending theme of Haikyuu!!, Leo by Tacica

-fandom specific- Era: TCW Force sensitive? Yes Affiliation: Jedi Order Rank: Jedi Padawan (former Sith Apprentice) Home planet: Coruscant Lightsaber: Ok, so she has 2 lightsabers, but one of them is more like a shield? It's attached to the gauntlet on her left arm and it like shoots out in a circle when she ignites it (the other one is just a regular saber, and they're both blue btw). Preferred combat style: Form IV, Ataru. Also, Force-wise, they have very on point senses and are very good at Force Speed and Force Jump. -appearance- Skin colour: Blue Eye colour: Yellow Hair: Green (dyed, it used to be dark blue), short and very floofy with Padawan braid Regular outfit: Normal Jedi robes with gauntlet things on her forearms. Previous outfit (the one they wore as Zathruyo): Black top and leggings, black hood with a short cape attached and red stripes and a mask so that you can only see their eyes. Also they still had the gauntlets Other: They also have scars on their back. -personality- Positive: Brave, honest (for the most part), loyal, caring, strong sense of justice, passionate Negative: Indecisive, procrastinator, low self esteem, insecure, vengeful Neutral: Stubborn, sarcastic Backstory: Ok so basically Darth Sidious killed her parents when she was 3 and decided to take her as his apprentice. He trained them in lightsaber combat and the dark side of the force for 13 years. During that time he got her to torture and kill a bunch of people (because dark side stuff yanno). He told them that these people were Jedi, or enemies of the Separatists, or ruthless criminals. He manipulated everything she saw so that they would never find out that in fact every single person she killed was completely innocent. He knew they would never hurt anyone who had done nothing wrong. No one viewed her as anything but a cold hearted murderer (which is fair tbh). Eventually, they find out. She duals Sidious *insert lightsaber fight here* and only just escapes on their starfighter with a massive wound in her arm because of Force Lightning. They end up ditching her hood + mask and dying their hair green because Identity Crisis™. She crash lands and falls asleep on a planet (it's Coruscant for now, but I'm probs gonna change it to Naboo or something later) and wakes up in the infirmary, with their arm in a cast. Then she somehow ends up making friends with Anakin and Ahsoka and becoming Obi-Wan's Padawan (remember they don't know who she is) -people- Friends: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, Plo Koon, Mace Windu (the only reason they're friends with Plo and Mace is because they were just like "child!! in need of father figure!!" because they are Dads) Master: Obi-Wan Kenobi Enemies: Darth Sidious, General Grievous, any Sith/Separatist really -stats- Lightsaber skill: 8/10 Force skill: 8/10 Physical strength: 8/10 Stamina: 6/10 Hand to hand combat: 8/10 Agility: 7/10 Speed: 7/10 Well this was long. Thanks for reading!

[rebelsofshield]

Star Wars: The Clone Wars: “Old Friends Not Forgotten” -Review

The years awaited finale to Star Wars: The Clone Wars explodes onto screen in a fantastically cinematic episode that ranks as the best of the season and one of the strongest installments of the series.

(Review contains episode spoilers)

The Clone Wars are raging. The Jedi and their loyal clones are sent out to the far reaches of the galaxy to fend off a wave of invasions by General Grievous. Midway through the defense of the planet Yerbana, Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi receive word from Ahsoka Tano and her new Mandalorian allies that Maul might be finally vulnerable to capture. With a limited window of time, the plea is made for the Republic to assist in a siege of the Mandalorian capital of Sundari. However, when a surprise attack is made on the planet of Coruscant, Obi-Wan and Anakin must make a difficult decision about loyalty.

Wow. Any concerns about the potential aimlessness of this final season of The Clone Wars are more or less evaporated in this thrilling half hour of television. Never before has Star Wars animation seemed more cinematic and confident than in “Old Friends Not Forgotten.” From the first frame that opens up with the classic Lucasfilm logo to the sweeping musical score to the fantastically layered and complex action sequences, The Clone Wars finale feels like an experience meant to be on part with the most grand of the franchise’s big screen counterparts. There is quite simply nothing else like this and the idea that we are only one fourth into this final adventure is nothing less than thrilling.

There’s quite simply just so much to talk about in “Old Friends Not Forgotten.” It feels like an intense labor of love from all involved and not a moment is wasted in the episode’s extended runtime. Dave Filoni’s script is perfectly paced, tonally varied, and emotionally nuanced.

On its most basic level, it’s impressive how much the set up and execution of The Siege of Mandalore really does feel like the culmination of the series’ many different themes and plotlines. It’s an organic amalgamation of everything that has come before and feels surprisingly more inevitable than you would expect. It’s honestly an impressively large amount of storytelling ground to cover as The Siege of Mandalore not only has to offer closure to Ahsoka’s story arc, but also Maul’s, Mandalore’s, and Anakin and Obi-Wan’s, while also tying into arguably the darkest point in Star Wars history.

It’s ultimately Ahsoka that ends up being the star here and rightfully so. Filoni smartly positions her as fully jaded of the Jedi’s role in the war and galactic politics and her support for Bo-Katan and her people feels born out of a want to help the needy and to direct her talents and powers to those that actually need her assistance (even if her determination to assist Bo-Katan still feels a tad flimsy). It’s a smart evolution of her story arc and seeing her lead a crusade to help others independent of Anakin or the Republic feels like the right step for her character. It also creates an interesting hypocrisy in her. Anakin and Obi-Wan’s want for caution in assistance for Ahsoka’s mission to not only to protect existing treaties with Mandalore but to also make sure that they are available to help other planet’s in need like Coruscant, feels grounded in a certain logic that makes sense. Sure, Obi-Wan may be too cautious and may be slowly slipping away from the compassion that always defined his character, but their decision to play things careful feels logical. Ahsoka’s rejection may not be, but it’s fitting for her character. It makes sense that after her ordeals that she wouldn’t see the judgement of the Jedi Council to be worth a damn. There’s a recklessness to her resolve that feels classically in tune with her character even if she has evolved to a more capable role than ever. Considering what is about to happen, it could be argued that Ahsoka’s involvement could in fact have disastrous consequences for the people that she is trying to protect, but we will have to wait and see. Maybe, I’m reading too much into this. Who knows. Prove me right, Dave.

The entire sequence of Ahsoka’s reunion and bargaining with Anakin and Obi-Wan is some of the smartest writing and voice acting that this series has done. Obi-Wan’s pained defense of his feelings for Satine to Bo-Katan feels like the right culmination of his character here. He’s still a compassionate and human character, arguably more so than any of the other traditional Jedi, but at this point he’s as caught in the cogs of the Republic war machine as anyone. Anakin’s eager want for reconciliation carries an emotional heart to it that is hard not to fall for. This is a moment that he has been waiting for for some time and Matt Lanter sells Anakin’s bargaining for some kind of resolution between him and his former apprentice with intense sincerity. Considering the awful acts that are about to happen, there’s a heartbreaking tragedy hanging over it all. Perhaps most impressive is the nuanced emotional state given to Ahsoka. There’s definitely a want to reconnect with Anakin and his gestures of good will are accepted, but there is a hurt there that isn’t mended. Ashley Eckstein sells her dialogue here with a sense of reticence and conflict. She can recognize that there is a bond there between her and Anakin, but it’s not one that is going to heal anytime soon.

It also makes perfect sense that it would ultimately be Rex that Ahsoka feels the most comfortable with at this point. It’s easy to see Rex as playing as much as a conflicted role in the war as she is and his connection to the larger Republic institution or the Jedi Order is tertiary. There is a bond here that feels trusting and still strong and it’s sweet to see the affection between both characters.

The fact that director Saul Ruiz and Filoni allow so much time for this sort of character interaction is a testament to the stellar pacing in “Old Friends Not Forgotten.” It’s a smart sequence of scenes that offers much of the emotional closure and connective tissue that fans have been clamoring for for years.

If the first half of “Old Friends Not Forgotten” was heavy on character, Ruiz kicks into high gear with the second half. The raid on Mandalore contains some of the most spectacular and larger than life action that the show has ever realized. The airborn battle between Republic drop ships, Mandalorian starfighters, jet packed Bo-Katan loyalists versus Maul’s men, and Ahsoka hopping from ship to ship is complex and cluttered with moving parts. It could have easily been a chaotic mess, but the direction here is fluid and exciting. The scale and violence of the conflict is sold without sacrificing character and coherence and there is likely no moment more cheer worthy in this series than Ahsoka’s thrilling descent to the landing platforms of Sundari.

It’s also impressive just how much of the complex political situation on Mandalore is kept intact. I was almost worried that the delightfully slimy Prime Minister Almec or the loyally fluid Gar Saxon would sit this one out, but they get their time to shine just as much as our heroes. Given the context of past season’s stories on Mandalore and taking account the larger story of this planet in Rebels and The Mandalorian, it really feels like no balls were left in the air. This is a pivotal moment for many characters and factions in the history of the saga and it’s nice to see that none of this was brushed aside.

The only clunky area for “Old Friends Not Forgotten” is the handling of Maul’s larger scheme. While the idea that the Siege of Mandalore was developed as a last ditch effort to trap Obi-Wan to exact revenge is a smart twist in the overall narrative, it’s hard not to feel that there are some rough edges around the handling of Maul’s status at the start of this episode. There was really never going to be a way to explain away the events of the Son of Dathomir in the context of the series. Covering it in a traditional Clone Wars style recap would be clunky and unneeded and retconning it would do no good for anyone. For viewers of the show only, it basically reads that Palpatine arrived to stop Maul’s operation on this planet only for him to end up exactly where he started. It’s more than a little awkward and head scratching. Maybe we will get some descriptive dialogue somewhere down the line, but I can imagine some series only fans being more than a little put off by this development.

“Old Friends Not Forgotten” ends on one of the most thrilling cliffhangers in the history of the saga. There is quite simply so much at stake and given the absolutely stellar execution of this first chapter, it’s hard not to count the minutes until the next chapter drops. For all the awkward roads here and all of the tragedy that is about to follow, The Clone Wars looks to end on a high note. Thank goodness.

Score: A

[smokeybrand]

Rise of the Skywalker

This sh*t with Lucasfilm is wild to witness. I’m not really one to buy into entertainment gossip but i am emotionally invested in Star Wars. I’m an Eighties kid, man. Star Wars helped to shape our childhood growing up. Vader is one of my all-time favorite antagonists. Ahsoka has grown to rival him in my heart as a beloved character. As a cat who creates, myself, i can’t help but adore the passion and creativity i n the entire world lore around the Skywalker legend. I mean, look at everything built around those first three films. Just taking Legends into account, you have the absolutely excellent Shadows of the Empire and the Thrawn trilogy. More than that, and probably one of the best game franchises ever realized, you have The Knight of the Old Republic. F*ck, dude, Revan? Nihilus? Bastila? Kreia? HK-47? This is Bioware at it’s finest, save Mass Effect 2. And then Disney cam in and f*cked it all up.

Kathleen Kennedy has been a poison to the franchise, and not because of her identity politics. Look, you can work in your ideals and messages without being so goddamn heavy-handed with it but this chick, and her “writer’s group.” can’t craft a story to save their lives. That’s the problem here. Not Rey or Finn or Poe. Not Holdo or Rose Tico. Not even Snoke. It’s how these characters were presented, it’s how the writing shaped them. I’ve written at length about how Rey was a missed opportunity and, according to the original leaked treatment, that misstep was more like an outright face-plant The Rey that was to grow throughout the Sequel trilogy, culminating in a battle between a fully realized, Jedi Knight Rey and a fully realized Sith Lord Ren, should have been the Last Jedi we got. Instead, we got what we got and it shattered the credibility of the entire franchise. Star Wars, the most successful franchise in cinematic history until the MCU came through, was on life support. Forty years of solid, narrative storytelling, ancillary material, and fan passion, squandered because the chick in charge wanted to instill everything with her identity politics, using something she had no creative credit toward, co-opting the shine of another, to secure her legacy. And she did just that; Kathleen Kennedy was the person who almost killed Star Wars. Kennedy’s legacy of failure, secure. But then, a new hope. Jon Favreau, the progenitor of the MCU, stepped forward and saved Star Wars with his show, The Mandalorian.

John Favreau is a great creator. Dude not only gave us Iron Man, but Chef, Swingers, and Elf. He gets the content but, more than anything, Favreau understands how to craft a goddamn story. He was appointed to The Mandalorian and given creative control by, at the time, CEO of Disney, Bob Iger. Favreau, in partnership with the genius pariah, Dave Filoni, architect of Star Wars: Clone Wars, Rebels, and the best f*cking character created in the modern era, Ahsoka Tano. With theses two at the helm, Mando returned to the true essence of a Star Wars tale. They created their own pocket universe, one with the evolution of the Mandalorian culture and sprinkled with shenanigans of an adorable, and marketable, Baby Yoda. That first season gave us amazing characters like Din Djaran, Cara Dune, Greef Kaga, and Moff Gideon. That first season of Mando saved the franchises and that is not an exaggeration. It felt like Star Wars. The characters were rich and developed. More than anything, the stories told were absolutely excellent. The funny thing about that? Mando isn’t expected to succeed like it did. No, everyone, including Kennedy, thought it was going to fail. She fought, tooth and nail, against what Favreu was trying to created, sabotaging him at every turn. But he was able to complete his show and the fandom received it with utmost fervor, eclipsing anything Kennedy and her idealouges every created. Then season two dropped.

I’m not going to sit her and say that the narrative for Season two was better than the first. It wasn’t. But that’s because season two of The Mandalorian was a love letter to the fans. Favreau and Filoni had a hit on their hands with Mando and, more importantly, they made Star Wars profitable again. This gave the two of them a margin of creative freedom that expanded into something truly marvelous. That second season of Mando was able to dig deep into the lore, introduce fan favorite characters like Ahsoka Tano and Bo-Katan Kreyze, reintroducing Boba Fett while giving him a bad-ass second in Fennec Shand, while expanding the universe for spin-offs and delivery a franchise altering return of a Jedi Knight, Luke Skywalker! Kennedy spent her entire sequel trilogy, discrediting and marginalizing the old trilogy, typified by the complete destruction of Luke in The Last Jedi, only for Mando to overturn, redeem, and empower Luke with a two minute gauntlet of Force awesomeness that rivaled the utter dominance displayed by his father at the end of Rogue One. That tidbit about Vader? Yeah, Kennedy fought against that, too. The Mando came through and proved that fallowing Lucas’ path was the true way of the Star War and Chepek agreed. We now have this entire blueprint of shows birthed from this one season, that will build toward an Avengers-level event. Ahsoka, Rangers of the New Republic, and The Book of Boba Fett will all culminate in a cinematic experience, most likely a theatrical film, based around Thrawn. And, more to the point, people are excited about this sh*t. People are looking forward to this sh*t. People want this sh*t. What they don’t want is more of Kennedy’s politics and bullsh*t hot-takes, masquerading as Star Wars canon. Case in point, the abject failure of The High Republic.

Before Favreau and Filoni came through and saved Star Wars, Kennedy had this entire idea for a full-on Star Wars universe, built upon token diversity and f*cking Space dinosaurs. There was a pitch meeting that showed a literal checklist and story was the third or fourth option. How the f*ck is story not the first thing on the list for an actual narrative you’re writing? Why the f*ck isn’t the Writer’s group, not putting story first, in a narrative they’re constructing by committee? That is the genesis of The High Republic. In the time that Youtube preview hit the fandom with all the force of a wet fart, Mando came through and proved no one wants that sh*t. Then season two came through and rived people want more Luke and more Lucas Star Wars, weeks before The High Republic, the jumping off point for Kennedy’s original vision for “New Star Wars” was supposed to launch. Yeah, that launch ain’t go so well. The High Republic is out, right now, and you can buy it. No one is buying it. They’re all paying for Disney+ memberships to watch Mando sh*t on everything Kennedy has done or will do. Disney announced a whole slate of Star Wars shows and material. One of which is The Acolyte, a spin-off from The High Republic tarring Brie Larson and written by Leslye Headland. The Acolyte is going to bomb for the same reasons The High Republic is bombing; No one wants to be preached to and that’s all these woke, blue hairs, want to do. I know that because they’ve told you as such.

The Force is Female. All of that sh*t with Pablo Hidalgo. The recent controversy of Justina Ireland telling people not to buy The High Republic if they don’t agree with her politics. The fact that Kathleen Kennedy has been trying to get Favreau fired for “sabotaging” her High Republic launch by redeeming Luke and galvanizing the entire fandom. The thing about this, though, is the fact that everything Kennedy has crated, is creatively bankrupt. Everything Favreau and Filoni have built with Mando, has been genuine, organic, and fun. Just to be clear, i actually like Brie Larson. I think she’s an excellent actress with very valid opinions. I think the sh*t she wants to make should be made. I don’t think she should co-opt a long running franchise with decades of lore and a ravenous fandom who are already on the outs with the current management of their beloved franchise. I can’t say i like Headland but i did adore her Netlfix show, Russian Doll. that sh*t was hilarious and dope. I don’t think her type of film making lends itself to Star Wars, however, for he same reason i don’t think Larson should have a show in the fandom either. Having opinions is fine. Installing those opinions in your writing is fine. Installing your opinions in an established property is not fine. You can do that, Back Panther was able to integrate that sh*t successfully, but they did it nuance. It didn’t get clumsy and ridiculous until the end. Kennedy’s writing group started with the awkward preaching. Those weren’t the droids yo were looking for, bro.

Ultimately, The High Republic is going to fail, as will the rest of Kennedy’s Star Wars legacy. Favreau is already working toward altering her most precious OC, Rey Palpatine. There are plans in the works to make her a Kenobi going forward, redeeming the most egregious of Darth Kennedy’s transgressions, something that wouldn’t even be necessary if they had followed the original treatments JJ left for them going forward. Rey Palpatine should have been Rey Skywalker. She should have been Luke’s daughter. She should have been trained by her pops and took that discipline into the final film where she and her cousin would have a proper reckoning. Rey should have been a proper character with an established legacy. Kennedy decided otherwise and in that hubris, she failed. She has failed, not because she is a Femanzi or has an eye toward activism or an agenda to push. Kennedy has failed because she decided to heavy-handedly force those politics down our throats with no nuance or grace, by slighting everything that came before with malicious intent, while bolstering her analogous creations with the worst kind of writing and non-existent development. Favreau succeeded by weaving a compelling tale, that mirrored the Hero’s tale which has been the bread-and-butter of a great Star Wars narrative, filled it with realized characters who became fast fan favorites, staunched in the lore that came before. He respected the genesis and built something great from it, while revering the stuff which came before. Kennedy thought she was bigger than the franchise. Favreau understands he is in service to it. That’s the difference, That’s why Mando is succeeding and The High Republic has been laid low.

[fireflyfish]

Is Tano and Kenobi ever going to continue, or is it completely cancelled? Not to rude, I just really love it, extremely so! And if not, would I be allowed to take the idea of Ahsoka being Obi wans Padawan and make a comic out of it?

Hi Nony! How’s your weekend going? Are you watching the Oscars? Perhaps you are watching The Untamed which Lily and I need to get back to. There are beautiful, swooshy men with amazing skincare routines and they must be watched!

But I digress!

As for your question, and everyone else’s question, Yes, Tano and Kenobi is going to continue! 

I am currently working on it with a tentative start date for Season Four sometime in the summer. Possibly July. The whole season arc is planned out and now it’s just a matter of doing the writing, editing, re-writing, editing some more, crying over amount of times I used “looked” in one sentence, re-writing, editing, rearranging random acts of Plo Koon Awesomeness, re-writing, setting everything on fire and starting over, thinking up appropriately pithy chapter titles and then making sure everyone is doing what they’re supposed to be doing, where they’re supposed to be doing it.

And trying to decide what Padme and her Handmaidens’ theme song should be. I’m thinking Moonlight Densetsu but I think she wants Beyonce’s “Run the World”. 

So in case y’all got lost in there... Tano and Kenobi will return this summer with The Naboo Arc. 

I hope y’all will like what I’ve got planned and I hope you like Plo Koon because he’s moved in, bought curtains and is really trying to adopt the entire Kryze family at this point. Except Pre because he’s yucky. Isn’t that right Ani? 

As for your second question, Nony, I’m a smidge confused. If you want to make a comic where Ahsoka is Obi-Wan’s padawan that’s cool. Go for it. Rock on with your bad self my anonymous, glasses-wearing friendo! 

But if you want to write a comic where Obi-Wan is Ahsoka’s padawan? I don’t know. I would need to know more about the set up of the story and how Ahsoka and Obi-Wan come together. 

You might have your own really cool idea that is nothing like Tano and Kenobi! I would love to see that. Maybe Qui-Gon is a benevolent mentor figure who recognizes Ahsoka as the agent of chaotic good and quippy one liners that she is and adopts her into his lineage! See Qui-Gon? It is NOT that hard to be a good guy. Just let go of your attachment and embrace the perfection that is Ahsoka Tano!

Maybe Ahsoka and Bb!Obi-Wan get flung back in time and have to join up with Revan, Bastilla, and Canderous Ordo to take down Darth Retainer Malak! You can totally tell who was in my party for KOTOR can’t you? Maybe they can use the Star Forge to create some kind of time travel dohicky I’m getting exteremely technical here to send Ahsoka and Obi-Wan back to where they came from!

I think how you do the story is more important than having a story that focuses on Obi-Wan and Ahsoka’s relationship. To give another example, there are a whole bunch of Sith Obi-Wans running around out there. I have one, Lily has three, and I can think of at least three more without breaking a sweat or going to AO3 to look for more. Sith Obi-Wan is very popular but what makes them fun and unique is that each one is different. Darth Arulas is nothing like Darth Arev who is nothing like Darth Veris except that they’re all Obi-Wan Kenobi at their core. 

Being inspired by something is great! Anything that can get you to create new work is wonderful, but you’re asking if you can continue Tano and Kenobi from where season three left off I’m going to have to say No because I’m still working on Tano and Kenobi. It’s not done and I’m not comfortable with anyone else telling my story. 

If you’re asking if you can take inspiration from T&K and come up with your own brand new thing? Go for it my grey anonymous buddy! That’s the genius of fan fiction, the genius of all transformative works. I would be a real shitty fan creator if I said no one could ever write about Ahsoka time traveling ever again because I wrote a story about that. Just don’t copy my story and we’re good!

Neil Gaiman says that you should tell the story only you can tell. 

Tano and Kenobi is the story I want to tell and I’ll be pretty damn pleased if it helps you find your way to the story you want to tell. 

Thanks for stopping by Nony! Have a lovely Oscars Sunday!