#Zeb gets to fill in the blanks for him

[may-be-a-plant]

Love the idea of Kallus having so much adrenaline built up after nearly dying roughly 83 times during Zero Hour that the moment the Ghost gets into hyperspace he just grabs Zeb, goes in for a Big Damn Celebratory Kiss™️ right in front of everyone and then crashes for an 18 hour nap.

[mossywriting]

Apparently, Kallus wrote a memoir about serving the Empire and the Rebel Alliance, and I have so many headcanons about this I just had to get one of them out

Hey @woottoncreek @jackieparty I did the thing

Bright flames flickered in the fireplace, filling the study with a warm, comfortable light. The sun over Lira San had long since set, but the flames were more than enough to make up for the darkness outside. 

As the door to the study opened, a breeze drifted in, causing Kallus to lift his gaze from the blank page before him. In the viewport’s reflection, he found Zeb stepping inside, balancing two cups of tea on a tray in one hand. In his other hand was a plate with what now must be Kallus’ cold dinner. 

Kallus turned in his chair, grimacing apologetically. “I’m sorry. What time is it?”

Zeb placed the plate next to Kallus with a fond chuckle. “Time for you to take a break.” He pushed away the stylus on the desk to make room for the tray. 

“Yeah.” Kallus dragged a hand down his face. He shook his head before glancing down at the book before him. “I just… It’s really important I get this part right.”

Zeb pushed their old armchair up to the desk, seating himself with a cup of tea. “How far have you gotten?”

For a moment, Kallus was quiet, his eyes staring unseeingly at the page before him. Then, he turned to meet Zeb’s eyes with a small, contemplative smile. “Bahryn.”

A smile mirroring Kallus’ grew on Zeb's lips, and he slowly nodded. “I see. That's… That's pretty complicated stuff.”

Kallus nodded, his eyes returning to the book. Bahryn had been the beginning of many things. It had also been the end of a life he had poured everything into. He wished he could say that end had been a long time coming. Unfortunately, that hadn’t been the case. Zeb called it complicated. And, well, in a way, Kallus supposed it was; discovering the truth about the Empire and consequently becoming a rebel spy hadn’t been easy, but… Could it really be considered complicated if all it took for him to question everything was one night in the company of an honorable man?

“Bahryn was a lot of things, but honestly? I wouldn't change any of it.” Zeb nudged Kallus with his elbow, his smile turning warm.

Zeb’s touch had Kallus return to the present, where all his choices had already been made. “I could think of a thing or two,” he muttered. To steer the conversation away from the dark corner of his mind he would rather not find himself in tonight, he pointedly placed his hand on his right knee, gently massaging the spot where an ache had been building for the last hour. 

A soft sigh was followed by Zeb’s murmured, “You’re right.” He moved the cane leaning against the desk to the side to scoot closer. “Are you gonna mention your knee?”

“Ofcourse.” Kallus turned to Zeb with raised eyebrows. “How else could I explain why my enemy decided to not just kill me straight away?”

A playful spark entered Zeb’s eyes, and he tilted his head to the side. “Your rugged good looks?”

Kallus snorted, shaking his head. “Don’t sell yourself short.”

Zeb shrugged. “It wasn’t that big of a deal.” 

Kallus gave Zeb an incredulous look. It seemed his husband would be the first to get a copy of his memoir once it was finished. Kallus placed his hand over Zeb’s, locking their gazes. “It was everything. And the Galaxy should know it.“

[an-aura-about-you]

FINALLY FREE FOR THE WEEKEND BABY!!!!!!

let's celebrate with another chapter of Handbook for Mortals, a sentiment that didn't exist until just now!

Chapter 13:

when we last left our hero, Scheherazade was on her way to lunch after giving us a reminder that she is awesome and Jackson is hot. thrill a minute over here.

moving on to Chapter 13: The High Priestess

-we start off with another time jump of weeks going by, which apparently was so boring it couldn't even make it into this dull book.

-in a strange bit of continuity, the book acknowledges the theater is muggy due to the pool and the air being kept at a sweltering 90 degrees Fahrenheit. well, to be fair, Sarem never specified Fahrenheit, but I get the feeling she wouldn't even consider any other temperature scales.

-Zade and Mac are up on the catwalk and Zade is adjusting her safety harness. and Mac the technical director who is responsible for everyone's safety isn't doing this because...?

-ok so Zade and Mac's flirting has gone from 0 to 60. just in the previous chapter Zade was being evasive about info that most people disclose on the first date but now Mac is saying she'd "look amazing in anything and even better in nothing." These Two Aren't Even Dating And, To Clarify, Have Not Fucked. they are one chaperone away from old-fashioned courtship and suddenly they're doing this.

-ohhhhh guess what Charles saw them sneak a kiss just as Zade gets in position! time for Dad to give Mac the shovel talk!

-introductions to characters in this book go one of two ways: either you get their entire backstory in one go (be grateful I didn't give you the jerkoff session that was Tad's introduction) or they're mentioned offhandedly in the weirdest way (Drew, Mel, and now this person named Rene who also knows real magic and fills in for Zeb).

-"Mac is a perfectionist when it comes to his job..." which is why he was cool with Sofia drowning in a previous chapter.

-omg Charles wants to have a "man-to-man" talk with Mac. this is blatantly the Dad Talk. this is something that's supposed to be hinted at by this point, and this is just. this is like when a toddler hides behind a curtain but they're giggling and you can still see their feet, and you as the adult are supposed to not see them because that's how the game is supposed to go. and like, hints CAN be obvious in hindsight, and it's fun when an author does that and makes you go, "holy shit, why didn't I put this together sooner?????" but this just feels so heavy-handed. idk, would this be different to someone who's actually going in blind? I mean I've seen multiple reviewers cover this book and more than one of them was able to figure out Spellman is Zade's father well before the reveal.

-Mac is wondering if Spellman is gonna make him fire someone on his behalf, and apparently they had done this before with a lighting tech who did a good job but Charles didn't like him and Mac didn't care enough about him to stick up for him. geez, that's callous. that's somebody's fucking job!

-Mac makes a joke for like the first time ever in the book and the narration is trying to pretend this is something he normally does. Spellman's deadpan reaction is giving me life.

-Charles directly asks Mac about his relationship with Zade and somehow Mac "had no idea where [Charles] was going with this." dude, he just saw you kiss his daughter!! even if you don't know he's her dad, you can't even hazard a guess that maybe he saw the two of you in the catwalk?

-Charles naturally has to talk up Zade and says, "She brings something extremely unique." you mean like an acrobatics act in a magic show?

-why is Charles the one trying to push the romantic plot forward? he point blank asked Mac if he loves Zade. I appreciate the effort but it has been weeks upon weeks and they have steadfastly refused to define this.

-Mac has just now realized that he and Zade are "pretty open and honest people" but that Zade is very careful about what she's open about and there's a LOT of stuff they don't talk about.

-hah! Charles is not accepting Mac's avoidant answer!

-oh this is gross. Mac managed to give Charles a satisfactory answer and they shake on it. Mac "felt like he had just agreed to buy land, instead of having had a very personal conversation." there must be some better way for Mac to convey the feeling he has that doesn't compare him talking to Charles about his relationship with Zade like the two of them were making a transaction. hell, I would even prefer a scenario in which Mac asks Charles for Zade's hand in marriage. it might have the same vibe, but at least it's a tiny step removed from actual real estate transaction.

-oh here we fucking go: we have another scene with Zade and Mac walking through the park and a bicyclist clips Zade in the arm, causing her to drop her purse. you guys, y'all are not prepared.

-Mac, I think, has a fairly reasonable response to this, which is yelling, "Jerk!" to the bicyclist and doing a little kick in the dirt. that seems proportionate. this is not where Zade leaves things.

-here's Zade's justification for what she's about to do:

He needed to learn to be nicer and more courteous around other people and not knock people out of the way like that. I wondered if I had been a little kid or an older person, what would have happened. He hadn't stopped to check on me--or even yelled back, "Sorry," or anything.

so this is the thing you need to know is going on in Zade's head for what's going to happen.

-and here's what Zade does:

The biker flipped upside down as if he'd hit a massive pot-hole that came out of nowhere, or at least to anyone else it probably looked like that. He landed pretty hard on his back, and made a few loud sounds of shrieking pain as the bike crashed into a bench, sending a few pieces going in different places. I was fairly certain he wasn't permanently injured, but he also wasn't going to be riding anymore today; that was for sure.

let me tell you guys a little story. this is one some of you already know, but maybe you're hearing it for the first time.

back in 2013, I fell down the hill I was living on at the time. it was an icy day, I was trying to get to my car parked at the bottom of the hill, and I fell down. so, all things considered, not a serious accident, right? probably on par with what just happened to this biker.

I severely broke my right leg at the ankle as a result of that accident. it required two surgeries at the time, and that was the lucky version because the doctors were contemplating amputation. they put in a clamp and some screws to hold my destroyed ankle together and a metal plate from ankle to the middle of my shin to support my leg. I have used mobility aids since then including a walker, a cane, and a knee-scooter. if it wasn't for the Affordable Care Act, I would have been in thousands of dollars of medical debt. it permanently affected my ability to work in a kitchen.

then, in 2022, the screws in my right ankle broke. this required another surgery to remove them, and I was confined to my house for months, unable to leave without assistance. this became the catalyst for me moving to the apartment I'm living in now since it's more accessible than my last house.

if I had to point out any section of the book that truly, honestly pisses me off, it's this one.

our protagonist has assaulted another person for an accident that she doesn't even mention hurting her. the only consequence Zade mentions suffering is dropping her purse and spilling her tarot cards.

she has possibly changed this cyclist's life forever.

his back could be seriously injured, not to mention whatever might have happened to his head or other extremities. he could even be paralyzed depending on how he landed. at least he appears to be conscious if he's screaming in pain. there is the real possibility that he will never be able to ride his bike again. hell, he might not even be able to walk again. maybe he won't be able to work. how the fuck is he going to pay his hospital bills? I have reasonably good insurance now AND an HSA and I STILL had to take years to pay off a good part of my surgery and physical therapy from 2022. I only just recently got out of medical debt. we don't know who this person is, if there is anyone in his life who would be able to care for him, to help him fight for disability benefits. would he be as fortunate as I was, where he has people in his life to help bring him food and keep his home clean? will he have to move somewhere that's more accessible for his disability?

and is all of this really deserved in exchange for knocking a random woman's purse off of her arm by accident?

-"I hoped what I'd done to the biker might teach him a karma-related lesson."

That's Not How Karma Fucking Works.

and even if someone is an agent of karma, it's my understanding that that is done unknowingly and that it is proportional.

(if I'm wrong about that, please feel free to correct me. but also please, come over here and confirm that what Zade did isn't karma. hell, I'll even take Swifties at this point, tell me what your girl has to say about karma.)

-note to self: how would Taylor Swift look playing Zade? I think she could do it.

-oh hey, Mac is helping pick up Zade's cards and picked up the one that looks just like her! weird, though, they spell her name D-E-V-I-L.

-ok so to try to look past the biker, which is a herculean effort at this point but let's do our best here, I'm actually not kidding about Zade being the Devil based on my own interpretation of her three card tarot spread consisting of the Magician, the Devil, and the Lovers. if you need a refresher, the crib notes is the Devil is the shadow self and restriction by choice and mirrors the imagery in both the Magician and the Lovers. Zade had cast herself in the role of the Magician, which means her matching position in the imagery is the Devil holding the Lovers captive.

-Mac is a big ol' tarot card skeptic and is being a jerk to Zade about it. we're talking he looks "deeply perturbed" about it. granted, I am also mocking the way Zade reads tarot cards and would be deeply perturbed if I met a person in real life who relies on tarot cards the way Zade does, but that's less about using tarot cards and more about her absolute refusal to make any choices in her life right now.

-this is the point in the book when Mac is confused about Zade's faith and says he thought she was Jewish. I have not omitted any mentions of Zade being Jewish up to this point, which means the only indication we have of it before this point is the foreword by Skye Turner letting us know Sarem is Jewish.

as much as Sarem might want it, this isn't an autobiography. it is a fictional book written in... well, I hesitate to say it's written in the style of an autobiography, but it actually kind of is? but anyway, Zade is not Sarem, no matter how much Sarem wants to be Zade, and this reduction of separation between author and character isn't helping.

also, this information being in the foreword and leaving readers to infer it about Zade from that isn't good because the foreword is paratext. there is the possibility, however slim, that this book could be reprinted without that foreword. there's also the possibility, which is considerably higher, that people would skip the foreword and just start reading the book. any information that is important to the book should be in the actual text of the book, either directly or implied.

-Zade tells us that being Jewish and reading tarot cards are not mutually exclusive. if any of my Jewish friends want to weigh in on this, I invite you to do so.

-Mac dismisses everything Zade says re: tarot cards as hogwash. she's not asking him to believe this stuff, btw, she's just telling him that she does and that she does so by choice and not because her family does.

-add a tally to the bigoted language count for, "All that voodoo stuff is bullshit." stop being disrespectful of the spiritual practices and traditions of others!

-Mac asks Zade if he's just insulted her, she assures him he didn't, but she's actually holding back tears about this. this probably isn't supposed to be a section I'm conflicted about. and trust me, I'm not conflicted about the notion that Mac is behaving like a jerk. but I am conflicted about feeling sympathy for Zade after she assaulted that biker. I guess the best thing that I can say is that as long as their actual religious beliefs and spiritual practices don't harm anyone, then even awful people deserve the right to believe what they believe without being ridiculed or persecuted for that specifically. and obviously I don't think anyone should be brought to harm or killed for their beliefs and indeed would like it if no one was brought to harm or killed for any reason.

but Zade is still guilty of assaulting that biker and not only doesn't feel bad about it but believes he deserved it. if that stems from her religious beliefs or spiritual practices, then I think she needs some serious self-examination to see where her moral compass went wrong.

-Mac doesn't even notice that she's holding back tears. he thinks things are just good now. what the fuck, Mac??

-new paragraph new scene and another round of What Year Is This Story Set? Zade and Jackson go out on their movie date and it's the latest superhero flick starring Ryan Reynolds. there are actually two possible movies this could be considering Sarem started writing the script in 2011 but the book wasn't published until 2017. the movie was either 2011's Green Lantern or 2016's Deadpool.

-Jackson jokes about using a love spell on Zade, which would be interesting if this got built up into actual world building about love spells and/or the possibility that Jackson's in the know about magic, either because he can use it or knows someone who can.

-Jackson then sees a fortune teller's shop and asks Zade, "Wanna do something crazy?" bruh, it's Vegas. how is getting your palm read there crazy? I've had my palm read here in Arkansas and the place I went to wasn't the only one that offered it.

-Oh Dear, Mac Thinks Tarot Cards Are Bullshit But Jackson Thinks They're Fun. I Wonder How This Will Affect Jackson's Utter Lack Of A Character In This Love Triangle.

-and the chapter ends with Jackson and Zade having one of those movie kisses with the Princess Diaries foot pop.

though Zade says her knee popped? I mean that sounds uncomfortable. I've met hyper-flexible people who accidentally pop their knees out of place and it sounds like it hurts like a motherbitch. even if I know what she means, the popping a knee out of place is the thing I'm going to think of first with that wording no matter what.

so. this chapter brings the count of people Zade has seriously assaulted up to two, which is two more than what I normally expect from a protagonist in a fluffy coffee shop au style romance story. this also outnumbers the count of people Zade has rescued from death which sits at one, even though Zade still insists on lying about Sofia's reaction when she came to. this is extreme moral myopia. this is having so many logs in your eyes you could open a lumber yard and raining punishment down on others for their specks.

[anoray]

My brain is toast after a very long day, but I wanted to say that I appreciate all the points that you made and all the thought you put into them. I am on the same wavelength that the placement of scenes could have been done differently to emphasize big emotional moments in the show. In this particular instance, the editing choices didn't elicit a negative response in me because, happily, my blorbos were involved. But the exposition with Jacen, Hera, and Teva would have remained just as enjoyable to me had it been done in a different sequence that allowed for maximum emotional effect regarding Ahsoka.

Mainly I wanted to say I could not agree more about the uneven way exposition and revelations have been dispensed for non-Rebels/Clone Wars viewers. For a person who claims you don't have to be familiar with these animated series, Filoni has been holding back what I would consider critical information that would help pull newcomers into the story more, connect better with the characters, and understand their motivations more clearly (especially as to why they are making certain decisions). The veil he's thrown over Thrawn and Ezra is particularly thick and I think it only makes it harder for newcomers to engage with the quest to find them. Like you said, those of us who ARE familiar with all the backstory can fill in the gaps, although I'm still scratching my head over the Ahsoka/Sabine master and padawan situation.

I recently watched the One Piece live action series and I knew absolutely nothing about the pre-existing manga and animated series going in--I'd never even heard of One Piece. But I have to say, they did a really good job of getting me hooked into the story pretty quickly and provided enough exposition on the main characters (quite cleverly in most instances) so that I didn't feel lost or bored. They seemed to find that sweet spot in pleasing most of the existing fans while providing clueless people like me some handrails to catch up. I wish Filoni & Co. had gone this route more than they have so far.

As for the new villains, I am intrigued by them for the most part, but they remain very blank slates at the moment, particularly Hati. One thing my mind is absolutely boggled about is why oh why Morgan Elsbeth wants to bring back Thrawn to get the Empire restored when the Emperor had her civilization of Nightsisters destroyed? To me, that makes about as much sense as Kanan or Zeb wanting to turn Thrawn into the heir to the Empire. I'm also puzzling over how and why Morgan claims to have a bond with Thrawn that enables her to hear him from another galaxy. I do like puzzles, but at some point they need to get solved, so I hope we start to get some major things answered before the season is over!

I've decided that the Ahsoka show is probably at its best when the characters AREN'T SPEAKING. Which is unfortunate because it's a show that relies so much on its fun visuals and its fan service and its one-liners to do a lot of the work, and yet the characters talk so much without saying much of anything at all. Certainly nothing of any real importance or that pays off later.

I rewatched episode 5 today and was just hit by how much I genuinely loved the scene where Ahsoka goes to interact with the badly wounded clone during the Ryloth flashback sequence. It hit me when I first watched it as well and stuck with me as the best scene out of the entire episode, probably the best scene in the entire show so far. Everyone else was screaming about the Vader flickers and I'm over here obsessing over Ahsoka just silently walking over to an injured clone, sitting down to touch his hand, and the clone silently reaching over to place his hand atop hers. The whole scene probably takes place over about 20 seconds at MOST, and it's entirely without dialogue.

And it's PERFECT.

We get to just watch Ariana Greenblatt's face as she cycles through grief and pain and love for this clone whose name she may not even know or remember anymore and joy that he's still able to reach out to her to provide HER comfort when he feels her hand on his arm. We can't even see the clone's face, we're stuck looking at Ahsoka work through the emotions of this single interaction and how deeply it impacts her. It reminds us that the clones were people she knew, people she loved, people she felt responsible for protecting. These were her friends and they loved her, too. And so many of them died, while she still lives.

It lasts 20 seconds and doesn't have a single line of dialogue and it tells us SO MUCH about Ahsoka's relationship to the clones, both then and now. It tells us so much about how she feels about the war, the men she loved, and the fact that so many of them were lost, long before Order 66 happened. And she was powerless to stop any of it. We don't need dialogue to understand what she's feeling in this moment because they actually stopped to let the actor and the scene speak for itself, in the simplest possible way.

And then compare it to the scene where Ahsoka connects to the purrgil. SHE'S not speaking, but we keep cutting away from Ahsoka to listen to Jacen chattering away at Hera ("Is she going to speak to the purrgil?" "That's the idea" "Is the whale going to take her to Ezra?" "That's the hope, kid") and basically spelling out the plan and the scene for us in a way that we really did not need, especially since they have Ahsoka and Huyang basically explain it themselves later anyway. We're also cutting away to Carson Teva blathering to the Fleet Commander and stalling for time, despite the fact that we absolutely did not actually need to see that happen. So the emotion of the moment where Ahsoka is connecting with the purrgil keeps getting undercut by all of this extraneous dialogue by the other characters that is adding nothing to the plot or the scene. The additional dialogue also makes the scene last a lot longer, so it feels like Ahsoka's standing there for an age before anything happens. It's a LOT longer than the quick scene between her and the clone, but it's massively less impactful.

[bluescluelessly]

Had an angsty kalluzeb fanfic idea that I probably won't write;

So like, mind wipes exist in star wars. And they can be made to wipe a mind back to a specific point in time.

So consider; Thrawn is impressed with Kallus. And he has reasonable evidence to believe that Kallus was once fully loyal to the Empire.

So, he just needs to find out what exact moment that changed, and he needs to wipe his memory back to then.

Rather than making Kallus watch at the battle of Atollon, he works to figure out when Kallus lost his loyalty to the Empire, and once he does figure it out, he has his mind wiped, all the way to before Bahryn.

The rebels believe that Kallus is dead, executed for his betrayal.

That is, until the next time they come across Thrawn, and who is with him but Alexsandr Kallus, back to fighting them like they're nothing more than criminals to him.

(Only, something makes him pause when he sees the Lasat. The beast looks so relieved to see him, calls him "Sasha"... how does he know that name? Why does he feel like he knows this 'Zeb'? Why does he feel like he should trust him?)

And then Thrawn orders him to stop the rebels, and he dismisses those strange thoughts, rushing in to attack the Lasat and his friends.

The encounter brings up strange questions for him. Does the Lasat have something to do with his missing memories? He was told that he was injured in a rebel attack and had been in a coma until he woke up, but... is that the truth?

So much like the first time around, he goes looking for answers. He doesn't have clearance, but he's clever and imperial encryptions aren't that hard to hack, so he finds the files he's looking for.

He finds out that he defected, and that he is now part of a 'rehabilitation' experiment. To see if traitors can be salvaged; particularly effective ones like him. That explains why Pryce has kept him at arm's length, and why Thrawn keeps him on such a short leash.

It doesn't sit right with him. They wiped his memories to regain his loyalty? What changed his mind before? Was it the Lasat?

He supposes that all he can do is ask.

He can't risk poking his nose around here anymore, he's watched too closely for that.

So, he has a choice. Just take his chances with the Empire-- stop asking questions and just assume that he made the wrong choice before...

Or run. Grab the first ship he can, and escape the Empire. Try to find the Rebellion on his own, and ask for answers from that Lasat who knew the name his mother called him.

Just as he's struggling to decide, there's an attack on the cruiser. It's the Phoenix Cell. It feels like a sign.

Kallus downloads any meaningful data he can find, hoping to use it as leverage in case he's wrong, and then he runs to where the rebels are attacking.

The Lasat is there, and they cross bo-rifles in the midst of an escape. Kallus doesn't have time to explain. "Knock me out and take me with you," he orders, then lets his hand slip, giving Zeb an opening to attack. "Make it look good."

The Lasat does, and his world goes black before he's dragged into their ship.

He comes to cradled in the Lasat’s arms. He looks relieved to see him conscious. "Sorry, I think I hit yeh too hard. You with us, Sasha?"

His head throbs. "How do you... know that name?"

"You told me..." Zeb deflates, hopes dashed.

Kallus shakes his head. "I don't... remember. You said that name before, and I didn't... I don't know how you got it. So I went looking for answers... I... found files saying I had defected? And that they wiped my mind to rehabilitate me... I was hoping you could fill in the blanks."

And maybe he isn't the same kallus that Zeb fell for the first time...

Kallus reaches into his pocket and produces a dataspike. "I have information to trade you, for your help."

But then again, maybe he is. "Yeah, we'll get you sorted out, Kallus. Why don't ya tell me how you really got that bo-rifle of yours?"

[nefariosity-sw]

Drabble #2

@isilwenshadewind asked for:

"Hi! For a prompt, how about Zeb making a cane for Kallus because his leg has been bothering him pretty badly anymore?"

Love the prompt! Hope you enjoy!

Zeb breathed in the smell of wood shavings, took a moment to take in the light filtering through the air, illuminating the dust that was swirling around him.

He’d gotten lost in his work again, become so absorbed in his carving that he’d lost track of time. The last time he’d been aware of it, the sun had been high; now it was golden, with the quality of late afternoon. It would be setting soon, and Alexsandr would start wondering where he was.

He smoothed his hands over the long expanse of wood over his lap, his fingers feeling the details he’d been carving into it, then over the long blank space he’d yet to fill. Some of it he wouldn’t fill at all, not yet.

He tilted his head back, trying to get the crick out of it, rubbing his hands to release the sore muscles there, then breathed deep, his hands not leaving the wood. It was still calling him. It wasn’t done with him yet tonight. He’d do a bit more. He put his fingertips back to the bottom, wanting to trace up the length of it as he considered his next cuts, making sure it would fit with what he’d already done.

It was a gift for Alexsandr, a cane. His mate had been limping more, recently, years of pushing through the pain in his leg finally catching up with him. Zeb had decided to finally take matters into his own hands; there was no way he’d turn down using what he was about to give him.

He let his fingers trace over the bo-rifles he’d carved down at the bottom, clashing, crackling with energy. This cane would tell the story of their lives together, and as much as they both hated it, that was the start of it all. He followed the story as it traveled up the length of the cane; the imperial brand flowing into a fulcrum symbol which morphed into Sabine’s starbird, then finally into the star-studded flag of the new republic. He let them trace a stylized rendition of the Nebula that hid Lira-San, the mala flower of the rebuilt Lasan that they’d help to create. His fingers met smooth wood, and after a moment of consideration, he began to carve the delicate lines of what would represent the newest chapter of their life - a cradle. He lost himself in his work once more, barely noticing the increased strain in his eyes as the light faded around him until Lila’s cradle was finished. He blew off the dust, let his fingers run over the new lines.

He stood and stretched his back, cane in hand, ready for Alexsandr. The top half of the cane was still smooth, but they’d fill it up. They had a half a lifetime’s worth of stories still to come.

[tigereyes45]

Hello. It's been an extremely long time since you wrote a Rebels fanfic, so I must ask. Could you possibly do one around the finale where the Purgil tell Ezra to leave the Chimera through their connection in the Force, and is able to get back on solid ground via a smaller purgil, see the destruction of the Imperial dome, and reunite with his friends? I'd especially like for this to be Sabezra as well if that can work

You’re right Anon. It has been a long time. Far too long. So here is your request, albeit a little shorter than I had originally intended to make it.      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ezra’s mind goes blank at he reaches out to the purrgils. Thrawn’s shouts and strangled orders barely register as the myriad of voices drown the universe out. Ezra could feel all of them, every living being on the planet through his connection to the force right now.  The mass confusion was the strongest and most common emotion. Thousands of voices pleading for answers as the rebels and Empire clash.

‘You should go.’

One voice sticks out above the rest. It feels closer, amicable.

‘Ezra, where are you?’

Sabine. Her voice was cracking, as doubt begins to seed fear.

‘Come on Ezra. Come back home. We don’t need another Kanan.’

‘Ezra! Where are you kid?’ The shouting, the fear. It pulsates like the gun blast in the back of his shoulder.

Then comes the cries over the intercom. He’s ready to defend his choice. Ready to say goodbye without a true sendoff. This is what they needed. One last chance to blow the Imperial hold on Lothal to kingdom come.

‘It is time for you to go little one.’ And there it is again. The same voice from before. With a large presence, it sounds like silk as it reaches out to his mind. ‘Out the window now. You will be able to land.’

“Who are you?”

“Open your eyes young Jedi. I am the enemy you are willing to kill yourself to defeat.”

‘The allies you have called on.’

Ezra can’t help but smile. In the world between worlds, he had seen so many paths. All the possibilities and chances someone always died. Another always paid for his mistakes, at least in this one the deaths wouldn’t be his fault. He would be missing, but Sabine could find him. Her bright smile, would be the first he’ll see in years if he stays. What would happen if he goes? Another path assuredly. One the world between worlds hadn’t laid out right before him last time. If he did this he would have to visit again. Find someway back to see how this would change things.

‘Time to choose.’

‘Ezra.’ As if they were somehow aware he could hear his friends calling out his name. His family chanting, hopeful he’ll return, that he would make the right choice. ‘Ezra’ the purrgils encourage. Heeding the call Ezra listens. His body reacts instantly with his Jedi like reflexes. The cold, leathery tentacles of the purrgils grow taunt as he climbs over them. They move less, and work to hold up his weight. The window had been a tight fit, but with a good push he was able to squirm his way through it. Looking back Ezra could see the ones around Thrawn, holding his arms up and away from his blaster. The freed ones had moved to keep out the stormtroopers from filing in. 

“Thank you.” Ezra softly pats the last tentacle while their bodies begin to light up. He continues to hold the connection to them through the force as he jumps down. His body spins from the force of the fall. The power of the wind and his sudden departure work to turn him in time to watch the purrgil to jump. He waves them off, and then they were gone.

Ezra stretches out his arms, and legs. Closing his eyes he focuses on the emptiness of their presence. Just like that and something that had felt all-consuming war lightyears away. They had won! Now he just has to figure out a way to land. Heat and power hit his back, before rolling him over in the air again. Raising his arms to protect his face, Ezra watches as the Imperial Dome goes up in flames. Sabine and Zeb’s handiwork, no doubt.

Laughter fills his ears. He couldn’t tell who it was laughing, or where it was coming from, but it was free. The laugh was free to be loud, and expressive. To be itself, just like they all were now. They were free! His home was free now.

“Ezra!”

Lowering his arms he could see an all too familiar sight. Sabine hanging out the end of the ghost. Her right arm outstretched as she clings with the other. Zeb and Kallus come running over after. They’re all shouting now, scrambling about as he falls.

“Guys! Guys I made it!”

“We see that!”

“Get over here now Ezra!’ Zeb orders as he takes Sabine’s place, holding onto the ship. Slowly with one hand in Zeb’s she walks out on the stretching landing panel. Her arm so far, yet trying so desperately to close the distance.

“I’m coming!” He calls fighting against the uproarious winds. He stretches both hands out towards the ship. Towards his family as they call out to him. Kallus turns away as Chopper arrives, rope in his metallic limps.

“Grab on!” Kallus leans back and then throws the end of the rope as if it was a ball. The rope soars only a few feet away from the ship. Then is falls, and grows limp, slowly swinging back and forth. Under, and out of the landing stretch. Ezra laughs and dives for it. Towards the Ghost and it’s last lifeline.

He could feel them, his family. Their nerves, and fear, and relief. With one hand still out he taps into those emotions. Using them to reinforce his connection to the force he pulls the rope closer. The rope picks back up again. It shoots out from the ship and soars towards Ezra like a spear with a spring on the end, catching itself whenever it starts to slow down. Throwing itself just a little bit further again and again, until finally, it reaches his hand. His hands grip the rope tightly securing his hold to the connection. All the power he had felt before, the energy, and connection to something larger than himself was gone. As gloved hands cling to the fraying rope, his body became dead weight on the end of it, like an anchor on a boat.

Ezra falls with the rope. They sail through the air, and under The Ghost. It cuts through the air, and the swings with him back and forth. Back and forth everything sways, with his eyes shut, and the tug of his family hoisting him up. Slowly, surely, every tug bringing him up closer.

His eyes don’t open again until he could feel the warmth of arms, and the clanking of metal. When they do all he sees is Sabine’s dark dyed hair. Her hair pressed against his eyes as she hugs him close to her body.

“That was reckless.”

“I know. I was trying to do something I thought Kanan might.” Her hair smells like fumes, fire, and smoke. Underneath it all it’s spraypaint. Her paint, armor, and her room.

“I’m glad you didn’t.”

“Yeah but if I did I know you would have found me.”

She holds him tighter as she whispers, “You’re damn right I would.”

[anathtsurugi]

A Rose Upon a Thorn (Chapter 3 Teaser)

"Why do you wear a blindfold?"

Chirrut chuckled quietly at the child's question. Despite everything the little one had been through, despite being kidnapped and tortured, he was still just a boy, and little boys tended to be curious about such things.

"Ezra!" the older child scolded him. "You can't just ask people things like that!"

"But how else am I gonna find out if I don't ask? I wanna know!" he insisted petulantly.

"The child is right, you know," Chirrut told Ezra's self-appointed guardian, Sabine. "Knowledge must be sought."

"But...it's rude, isn't it?" Sabine asked, her voice uncertain. "You'll have to excuse him. He's only six."

"No need for excuses, young ones. The answer is simple enough. I wear a blindfold because I have no eyes. The sight of such a blank face tends to unnerve most people."

The blind warrior smiled knowingly into the ensuing silence, waiting for the moment when Ezra finally broke it with a quickly muttered, "Can I see?"

"Ezra!"

Chirrut just laughed in response, offering no admonishment as he untied the blindfold, allowing the strip of cloth to fall into his lap. He was no more surprised when he felt small fingers reach out to press against the bare stretch of skin where eyes would be in a human. It was one of his stranger Fey characteristics, not having eyes. The one that tended to raise more questions than he typically cared to answer. So he didn't. But he didn't mind answering them for the little boy. His questions were asked out of curiosity, a true desire to know; not out of fear or ignorance.

"But...how do you see? How do you look to walk around?" Ezra asked him, sounding almost worried.

"I cannot see. I have no eyes, after all. I never have. This is the way I was born. But there are senses other than sight, Ezra," he said, reaching out to lay a hand on the boy's shoulder. "After all, how did I 'see' to know where your shoulder was?"

"How?"

Laying his staff to the side on his cot, he tapped at his ear, then at Ezra's. "I can hear you. That tells me more than you might think. Perhaps you ought to give it a try."

"How?" the boy asked again.

Picking up his blindfold and tying it carefully around Ezra's own eyes, he slowly spun the boy about. "All right, Ezra, I want you to listen carefully, then walk toward the first sound you hear."

"O- okay."

Ezra stood still for several moments, the infirmary almost eerily silent, neither of its other two occupants making any noise. Hera had set Bodhi the task of minding the two children while she found food for all of them, and he was taking to the task with gusto. But for now, it seemed that both he and Sabine wanted to see what Ezra might do.

The sound in question wound up being Hera as she entered the room, the sound of a basket bumping against her leg indicating to Chirrut that she'd been successful in her quest, and the sound of Chopper’s caw at her shoulder telling that the bird had already taken his dues.

"Breakfast!" she called out. Ezra immediately started moving toward her. "Oh? What's this?" she asked with a light laugh as the little boy fumbled his way over to her.

"Bit of an impromptu lesson," Chirrut answered with a chuckle of his own. He heard Ezra half crash into the woman, arms quickly wrapping around her legs to keep himself from falling. Hera laughed as she removed the blindfold.

"And was the lesson a success?" she asked.

"I found you!" Ezra declared, pleased with himself.

"Rousing success, I would say."

"Think you could do me a favor and take Chirrut his breakfast?" Hera asked the little boy, who agreed enthusiastically. In another few moments, Chirrut found his blindfold being laid back in his lap, along with the scent of fresh bread and a hint of apple filling his nose. This was followed by the feel of a warm loaf being pressed into his hands and an apple being laid beside the blindfold.

"Do you understand, little one?"

"Ah fink so," the six-year-old answered through a mouthful of apple. "You can see stuff wiff fings 'sides yo' eyes."

"Something like that, yes," the blind warrior said before biting into the fresh-baked loaf of bread. In truth, his own senses were a bit more complex than that, but it was a good starting point to learn from. And he could tell that the boy had a long ways yet to go.

"Well, that's Chirrut all over. A lesson before breakfast, lunch, and dinner," Hera said as she carried the basket over to Sabine and Bodhi.

"Miss Hera?" the girl started to ask. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"You don't need to help at all, Sabine. You'll be here until your wounds heal a little better. I just want you to focus on healing right now."

"But I- I should be earning our keep...shouldn't I?"

"I promise you, dear heart, you don't need to worry about a thing. If you end up staying with us, things like that can come later. But for now, you and Ezra are our guests. We'll take care of you until you're feeling better."

"Oh. I...okay."

"But if you'd like something to keep yourself occupied in the meantime, I can give you that."

"Yeah?" Sabine asked, immediately perking up.

"I'm sure Bodhi's worn out from this latest round of healing. He can only do so much at once, after all. We have an audience with Prince Orrelios later today and I'm sure he'd like to freshen up a bit. You can help him rebraid his hair if you'd like."

Chirrut felt excitement radiating off of the girl like rays of sunshine. Turning to Bodhi for permission, she asked him, "C- can I?"

"Of course, little one," the young man agreed with a warm laugh of his own. It wasn't long before Chirrut heard the sound of a brush being run through Bodhi's long hair.

"So how are you holding up, old owl?" Hera asked as she came to sit beside him on his cot, beginning to munch on an apple herself.

"Just fine, really. I know the healers wanted to keep me here another day to be certain, but I truly don't think it will be necessary. The wound seems to have mostly healed."

"And that of itself is something worth noting. You- really ought to be dead now," she said, voice heavy with both exhaustion and relief.

"That is what people keep telling me, and yet they always seem to be wrong."

"And you've honestly never been hit with cold iron before?"

"Never," he said, voice dropping lower to avoid rousing the interest of the other three, hoping to leave them to their own devices. A sense of peace pervaded the three that he knew couldn't last forever and he wanted them to have as much time as they could. "But I've no more answer to offer than anyone else. I have experienced my fair share of oddities in my time, but this is something entirely new to me."

It didn't bode well, he knew. Not that he wasn't pleased to still be drawing breath or anything of that nature. It was just- a power like this...he had never known its like before. The fact that he had been killed, but still lived...it spoke to something off in the very dimensions of reality itself. It was a danger, both to himself and to everyone he cared for, but as of this moment, he had no help for it. He would just have to wait.

"In the meantime, though," he continued, a different sort of warning sparking at the edges of his awareness, "I believe someone who is actually in need of a healer's aid is on the approach."

"Hmm?" Hera started, shifting to look toward the entrance to the infirmary. Almost immediately, Zeb's heavy footfalls entered the space, along with the whisper of booted feet being dragged over stone. Hera was quickly back on her feet. "My Gods, what happened?"

"Nothing," Kanan's weakened voice answered. "I just- couldn't quite make it all the way back on my own. Zeb helped me out."

Hera groaned in frustration. "You know, I told you not to go down there for a reason. I hope what you learned was worth risking your health over."

"That remains to be seen," Baze's voice joined in, and while Zeb helped Kanan over to a cot, Chirrut's husband came to sit beside him on his.

"What did you learn, then?" Chirrut asked him, breaking off a hunk of his loaf and passing it to the larger man.

"Lady Orrelios knows the man. He's under some kind of geas of the Fey king's, so we won't get anything from him. She's going to try and work through it, but it will take time. Also seems that Zeb's young man is among the faeries."

"Ah. The Alexsandr we've heard so much about."

"The same. The story just keeps getting more and more complicated."

"And will continue to do so, I have little doubt. You can tell me all about it later. For now, I would like to enjoy my breakfast in relative peace."

"You are all right?" his husband asked in his typical gruff voice, but the tone was undercut by the gentle hand he rested on his knee.

"Perfectly fine. I simply feel that...we are very near an edge. I couldn't say what, but...it seems to me we ought to take moments like this where we may," he said, smiling faintly as he listened to Hera fuss over Kanan and Zeb, listened to Ezra begin to ask the green knight about his trick with the trees, and listened to Sabine and Bodhi laugh together as she braided his hair, talking about finding feathers and beads to add in.

It was a tender moment. Close as they all were, it was the sort of thing that happened rarely in their lives, so the blind warrior sat basking in it, with the taste of warm food in his mouth and laughter in the air and his love by his side.

They would all need this later.

The ongoing story’s available right here.

This is just a preview of the third chapter, which will be out next week, but is available right now on my Patreon, if you’d like to check that out.

[ashlan-zeal]

It's hard to wake up from a nightmare if you aren't even asleep.

One moment Ezra was dreaming of running through Lothal's fields at night, and the next one he felt himself being yanked back. He was endlessly falling backwards through the darkness of space, seeing the stars pulling away from him. The very core of his been was filled with a sense of dread. He felt he was going to... cease to be. His mind was racing in panic... his friends... Kanan! They wouldn't know what happened to him. He instinctively reached out with the Force using all his strength, straining his very soul.

KANAN!

"AAH!" Ezra's body jolted to the floor, entangled in bed-sheets and surrounded in darkness. He was panting and trembling with a lingering sense of apprehension. His heart was still beating desperately. Breathe, he thought, calm yourself, it was just a dream. He was disoriented as he pulled the sheet over his head. "I'm-... I'm sorry Zeb, I didn't mean to wake you..." but there was no complaining, no groans or questions, only silence in the room. “Zeb?” Ezra called again. Something was wrong. Besides the chilling silence, something else was wrong. It was like he... he couldn't feel the Force fully.

Confused, Ezra looked around as his eyes focused and adapted to the lack of light around him. A realization hit him. He was not in the Ghost. He scrambled up in a hurry, hitting a table and making a stormtrooper helmet fall at his feet. He held his breath and his heart skipped a beat... He recognized this place. It was his old room in the Tower. The tower in Lothal.

"No, it can't be," he whispered in disbelief. He had been in the Ghost. He was sure of it. He tried to retrace his steps from the last day. They had saved the scientists after Saw had left them to deal with the Kyber crystal going off. They had dropped the scientist on a secure location and had just gone into hyperspace. Hera had told them it would be hours before arriving back to Yavin so everyone should just try to catch up some sleep while they could. They had all agreed. And then...

... he woke up here. Had something happened on the way back? Nothing made sense. He massaged his forehead trying to calm himself and just think, but he was startled when his fingers touched his hair... his hair was longer.

“What?”

His hair was longer. That didn't just happened. He rushed to the small refresher and turned on the lights while looking at the mirror. Yes, his hair was longer... not as long as he used to have it but-...

His eyes widened. The scars on his cheek were gone. His trembling fingers traced the area where they should've been. His scars were gone. The scars he had gotten when...

-Where is Kanan? Where is everyone!?-

“Kanan? Hera? Sabine! ZEB!? CHOPPER?” Ezra almost fumbled out of the refresher trying to reach for the light switch because the place was cluttered. He didn't remember leaving so much stuff behind. He turned the lights on of the rest of the room, revealing a very lived in room. His first collection of helmets were still here but they should have been in the Ghost... there were also several other helmets he never remembered getting. His old trunk was open and full of clothes, a couple of boots his current size were close to the bed, the table had a few unopened rations and a couple of credits in it. The place was clearly being occupied. He ran outside and gripped the railing. A strong wind with hit his face.

Even if it was night, Ezra could see the dark clouds of smog from the factories illuminated by the lights of the city. He glanced around the tower in shock. Beyond the highways, the fields burned. There was nothing else. No Phantom, no Ghost. Nothing.

"No. No...this is all wrong," Ezra whispered trembling. "I need to... I need to find them. They... they must be on the city..." he tried to convince himself. He didn’t sense them through the Force but he wasn’t able to use the Force fully like that either. Maybe it was a drug? Maybe he was sick?

He went back in to his room, grabbing the boots and a shirt. He hurried down, almost tripping on the stairs. Once he reached the bottom of the tower he found a modded speeder bike parked just outside. Ezra stopped cold. He recognized this model. Before he had joined the Rebels he had wanted to get one like that, either stolen or bought, to get around more easily... but then he didn't, settling for a far more common model when doing their missions. He pushed the thought aside and took it anyway. He had no time to waste. The sooner he found out what happened, the better.

Ezra headed into the city, taking great lengths to stay out of sight of patrols. He hadn't heard of Azadi in a while so he didn’t know the current location of the Lothal cell, but he might find one of his contacts, learn of what was going on and get a message across back to Yavin.

Ezra left the bike hidden in an alley and walked tense through the streets, checking over his shoulder every now and then. He tried to relax and look casual but as soon as he turned around the corner he bumped into a whole squad of troopers. He froze on his spot. It was in that moment he realized he didn't have neither a blaster nor his lightsaber with him.

The troopers were discussing their shifts and one of them turned to Ezra.

"Move along. This street is blocked until morning," the trooper motioned to Ezra to turn back somewhat annoyed. Ezra slowly nodded hoping he wouldn’t recognize him and stepped away. Once he was at some distance he sighed in relief. Even if they had gotten a good look at him, they hadn't even cared.

-Good, that means I can look around without worry. Maybe these are new troops… and I don’t see any posters with my face on it-

He kept walking on the opposite direction hoping to see a familiar face or a sign from Azadi's group. He arrived to the main avenue that lead directly to the Imperial Base. A rising anxiety surged on his chest. Before he knew it, he was walking towards the base until he almost reached the restricted landing areas. He looked over, taking the sight of the TIE fighters lined up and ground units moving around. Then he saw him.

"Kallus," Ezra’s eyes widened with a sense of hope. But... why was Kallus here? He was going to get discovered in the middle of the base! Everyone knew him! Ezra carefully crossed into the facility and stopped a few steps behind Alexandr making sure no one else was watching them.

"Hey, Kallus," Ezra whispered tensing. The man turned around, raising an eyebrow curiously at him. He looked extremely tired and worn out. He was wearing his old ISB uniform and haircut.

"This is restricted area, citizen. Leave-..."

"Kallus, what's going on?" Ezra asked him completely confused.

"*Agent* Kallus" Kallus said stressing the word. He did a double take, clearly wondering if he was supposed to know him.

"C’mon, stop the act. I’m… I was worried, ok? What are you doing here? Why are we here?" Ezra was almost begging him for an answer.

"You are clearly confused. Are you drunk, young man?" Kallus frowned.

"I...what? No. Wh-"

"Your name?"

"It's... It's me. Ezra. Ezra Bridger," he said with a hint of desperation. If this was some kind of joke he had enough. Why didn’t he recognize him? Even with the longer hair...

Kallus looked on his datapad. "Uhm, a few misdemeanors, vagrancy... Listen, I don't have time for this,” Kallus sighed, his expression became darker. “If you don’t leave I'll have you arrested immediately. If you want to turn your life around and become a productive member of the Empire…” he made a small pause as if he was trying to convince he was saying the truth “...we are still looking for able bodies for our ground troops. Now if you excuse me, I have more pressing matter to attend-"

"But-"

"Ah... here he comes," Kallus said looking up at the incoming ship. Ezra followed his gaze and saw… and Inquisitor ship.

"No," Ezra whispered in terror. Kallus didn’t hear him, but noticed he was still behind him.

"Do I need to call in the troopers then?"

But Ezra wasn’t hearing him. He was panicking. The Inquisitors were supposed to be gone, RIGHT? He-... he couldn’t fight an Inquisitor alone not without weapons, not without his lightsaber, not without the Force. He ran.

Kallus looked at him go and gave a small chuckle. Yeah, the Inquisitors had that effect on people. He braced himself to welcome this one in Lothal.

At first Ezra didn’t know where he was running to. He needed to put as much space between him and the Inquisitor as possible, but then, he started to slow down, realizing he had ran towards his old house had stood once. Only that… the house was there. Unburnt.

“It can’t be,” he said, trying to breathe but after a few second of his mind going blank and just being overwhelmed by everything, the tears started to fall down. “Kanan... I don’t get it. I don’t…” he sobbed quietly, covering his mouth attempting to not raise anymore attention to himself. He couldn’t handle this anymore. He made his way back to his bike and returned to the tower.

Maybe this was a bad dream. Maybe he just needed to go back and sleep it off. Maybe Kallus was right and he was drugged or something. He somehow managed to sleep… but when dawn came Ezra soon realized he was trapped in a life that was a complete nightmare.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15618783

[tarisilmarwen]

Splinters: Pinpricks

(Ezra’s nights continue to grow worse.  Because delicious angst.

TW: Needles and mentions of drugging.)

---

A needle stabbed into his arm. Ezra felt a heaviness spreading through his body, weighing him down.

"No..." he moaned, fighting against the feeling. How much more sedative could they give him? There had to be dozens of empty tubes on the tray already.

Was it all sedative? came his anxious thought. Or were they putting more poison in him this time?

He couldn't tell the difference anymore.

Pryce's face drifted into view. Her again. It was always her. The other Imperials blended into a faceless mass. She had yet another syringe in her hand and was sliding the tip of it down his cheek, the needle scraping against his skin.

His chest tightened, coiling with fear.

"Do you want this to end, Bridger?" Pryce was taunting. "Just tell me one little thing. Just one thing that I want to know, and I promise." The needle's touch was like an awful caress, deceptively gentle. "It all goes away."

He couldn't even remember anything she'd asked him. He searched through the slog of his thoughts, trying to recall something, anything.

Pryce drew the syringe back, her hand tightening around it like a knife.

The panic squeezed his windpipe.

"Don'—"

The syringe swung down in a harsh stab.

***

Ezra jolted awake with a sharp hiss. He lay frozen in place for several moments. The hum above him made him terrified to look up, until he remembered where he was.

It was the Ghost. Not the Chimaera. Sabine's painting of him falling onto Zeb was on the wall. The thrumming was the air filtration system. He was home.

He was safe.

It still took a long minute for the tension in his body to seep away.

Ezra sat up, hanging his feet over the side of the bunk, head slumping over, hands fisting at the back of his hair.

His nightmares were getting worse. They were more vivid. He woke up feeling the pain from the electrodes, the paralysis from the sedatives and the metal restraints. It took longer for him to calm down out of panic mode upon awaking.

It hadn't been this bad since Malachor and Ezra was beginning to prefer the weeks of hollow guilt and night terrors about red-bladed Sith to this constant reliving of his torture on the Chimaera.

His hands slid around, smearing down his face, as he recalled the details of his dream. His shoulder gave a phantom throb, remembering Pryce jamming in the needle.

That hadn't happened, he was pretty sure. Not how it had in the dream. He knew Pryce had stuck him dozens of times and recalled with uncomfortable clarity her taunt and her teasing his face with yet another needle, but slamming the syringe into his chest like a bladed weapon was an invention of the dream.

At least... he thought it was.

Ezra groaned softly. His memories of the event were murky enough as it was without his brain wholecloth making up new bits to add to the mess.

His nerves were vibrating. His feet twitched, agitated. He already knew he couldn't get back to sleep. If Zeb were there he could've maybe woken him but the Lasat had been called away on his own mission. Ezra already desperately missed his stench.

That left Sabine—who had apparently begged her mother to let her return home and who Ezra still couldn't look at straight—Hera—who Ezra hadn't seen since before being released from the medbay and who was already exhausted from an all-nighter sortie on the blockade around Lothal—and...

Ezra's chest tightened. A million excuses were already bombarding his head. The ship seemed suddenly far too small, the cabin confining. The walls separating his room from Kanan's felt paper thin.

No, he thought quickly. I just... I need some air, is all.

Before he could second-guess himself he was jumping down from the bunk, tramping down the hallway to the cockpit, sliding down the ladder, slamming the button for the ramp, and running out into the night.

***

In the end, Ezra wound up wandering the base for an hour, helping out with small tasks where he could, before returning to the landing field and finding a quiet spot to sit.

The thought of returning to the Ghost still sent a twinge of nausea passing through his stomach.

He attempted to meditate.

Focus, Kanan's instruction repeated in his head like a mantra. Find your center.

He concentrated on breathing. Slow inhale in, steady exhale out. Air moving through him. He searched for that place of tranquility where the Force melded around him, fading out all sound and sensation until there was nothing but peace.

He struggled for a long time, finally opening his eyes with a groan.

The early morning air nipped at him, chilly, and he curled his legs up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them with a little shiver.

Kanan found him there hours later.

---

We're getting to the good stuff now, readers!

1. I love Pryce, she's such a bitch. And I was ever-so-delighted that my characterization of her being "hands on" and creepily intimate for Imperial interrogations was shown to be completely accurate. (As per "Jedi Night".) I win for canon compliance again!

2. If you recall from "Cracks In The Mirror", the method they used to torture Ezra kind of fried his brains a little. So his subconscious "helpfully" decides to fill in the blanks for him during his dreams.

3. I realized that I've been spelling the name of Thrawn's ship wrong this whole time and of course had to go back and fix every instance of it in both this and "Cracks In The Mirror".  My bad.

Next chapter is one I'm really excited for. See you next week, readers!

[oathena11-writes]

Dear Creator letter (for Star Wars rare-pair event)

First off, thank you for writing something for me! I kind of go blank when it comes to filling out those likes and dislikes so here’s me rambling about the kinds of things I like and don’t like to help me figure it out. Any particular specifics do not have to be adhered to, aside from avoiding the DNW and dislikes. 

Prompts

(I’m bad at coming up with ideas for other people to write so hopefully even if I don’t cover all pairings it gives ideas)

QuinObi- Quinlan isn’t a shadow but is a healer

CodyQuinObi- Post war No Order 66, Obi-Wan is at a loss with so much less to focus on, Cody is doing his own thing to discover who he is, but is missing Obi-Wan, Quinlan is worried about Obi-Wan and tries to get him and Cody together (in spite of his own feelings)

Haja/Reva- In Kenobi when she confronts them, they realize they’re soulmates

Any Quinlan pairing- he’s technically still considered a prince on Kiffu. Potential/actual partners find out on accident

QuinObi- Can’t seem to find the right time to get together (long missions, Anakin doesn’t like Quinlan/is insecure about Obi-Wan splitting time, the war etc) until they finally do get to have their first date

Rex/Zeb- Ezra (and Sabine) got them into a tricky situation.

Feral/Quinlan- Quinlan crash lands on Dathomir shortly before Ventress does her tests to pick Savage.

Beru/Owen/Obi- People in town assume, and they end up going with it until it accidentally becomes real

Any Quinlan pairing- Psychometry is another sense; sensory overload and other issues come from it which can make relationships tricky to navigate 

Other Pairings I like (and would not mind seeing)

Kit/Obi

Fox/Quin/Obi

Beru/Owen/Obi/Quin

Padme/Anakin/Rex (as background)

Mace/Plo

Kit/Obi/Quin

Cody/Quin/Mace

Bly/Aayla

Cody/Obi

Ezra/Sabine

Ezra/Luke

Zeb/Kallus

Maul/Cody

Savage/Clone OC

Likes

I like just about any AU aside from ones that don’t take place in the GFFA. Those AUs can be hit or miss so probably better to avoid in an exchange like this.

I love Jedi as family.

I love clones and Jedi helping each other in some way. (such as, Jedi are in a poor position, Clones help them fight the Senate/leave Republic, Jedi help clones find themselves and establish their lives) 

I love angst so long as there’s a happy ending (see: Don Bluth movies)

I like explorations of sexuality and gender, particularly those that explore asexuality and agender identity. (I do hc Quinlan as Agender and Obi-Wan as some variant of sex neutralish asexual) 

Love some autism/adhd hc, particularly ADHD Obi-Wan and ADHD Quinlan. I have ADHD and see myself in both of them.

Pro-Jedi all the way. Individuals are problems, but not the group as a whole and not the Council in the clone wars. They were trying their best and I prefer to look at it from a hopeful perspective than picking apart all their ‘wrong’ choices (assuming those choices are actually ‘wrong’)

I like cloneshipping but more as a background than a main thing. 

I don’t mind bad things like rape/non-con, or torture happening, just not explicitly written. Implied and talked about after is fine. Love that angst and catharsis

Pregnancy and childbirth is always interesting to explore as I have gone through it so I Know things. 

Any characters interacting with kids is just fantastic. 

I love misunderstood characters, insecure characters. Characters that secretly think people would be better off without them. That sort of thing is always fun, and the more they don’t appear like that sort of character, the better (favorite character with this rn is Quinlan)

Healthy communication is best. They can start out unhealthy as long as they work towards healthy. As long as they are trying. And even good partners can make mistakes but they still come together to discuss it eventually. 

Meditations, lightsaber, give me all the Jedi hc. 

Chronic pain, particularly from migraines is always fun to explore.

Soulmate AUs

Time travel AUs

Fix its

Dislikes (Note: I don’t have any triggers, mostly just squicks. Still hard nos for the most part)

I don’t mind implications of sex, fade to black scene but anything explicit? Nope. Do not want to read it. 

Also not fond of sexual attraction playing a part in a large portion of the story (asexual person here does not want to read about that) or characters being sluts/always having sex. (Yes, asexuals can enjoy sex and all; I am married with kids, but I also like seeing restraint especially from a healthy relationship perspective)

I don’t like Anakin portrayed as good if he is in character. Absolutely do not portray him like canon if you are going to write him as good, make him less toxic/angry/etc. Why? Because I see Anakin written like in canon, and all I see is my mom who should never have been a parent. I have no patience for that kind of thing. This does mean I am perfectly okay with Anakin bashing, Falling etc. 

I don’t like canon Jedi characters leaving the Jedi or never being a Jedi. I LOVE the Jedi, so it’s just. Not really fun to read for me especially since a good portion of those come off as not Jedi friendly.

Speaking of. No attachment equals love, the Jedi are a cult, Jedi are emotionless, etc, UNLESS it is presented in a way that shows that the person saying that is wrong/doesn’t know what they’re talking about/malicious etc. Such as it coming from Anakin and everyone else being like ‘uh. no.’

I’m not super fond of clones having their own culture. Especially the Mando clones. It just doesn’t make sense to me that they would come out of Kamino with a set culture, Mando or not, just some norms that come about from being raised the way they were. Maybe a few little things they don’t know the origin of but picked up from trainers or older clones. 

Related, I’m also not fond of the clones have everything figured out so they know what’s best, whether it’s emotions, relationships, health, work-life balance etc. They don’t have the experience to know better than experienced Jedi. And the way such things get written, especially when it comes to medical issues is very... infantilizing and I would never trust those clones again in the Jedi’s shoes (usually Obi-Wan).

I don’t like characters being jerks, even if it’s meant to be joking/teasing. For sensitive people that can be still feel real rather than a joke/teasing so it’s just a no go for me. 

Sith/Dark AU No. Just. No. Characters can temporarily slip up and struggle, but not embrace it. 

Don’t want major character deaths. Fake outs are great, fantastic though. All the angst but happy ending.

The End

Thank you for writing for me and I hope you have a great time creating something you love for me!

[kingdomheartsloversstuff]

Ashla’s Will Chapter 3- Holding out Hope

 Read it on AO3

Hey guys!! So whose not handle the end of Rebels? Not me that's for sure. Enjoy this chapter that may help you deal with no Rebels on Monday haha. Anyways enjoy!

He could only vaguely remember the last time he’d felt so empty, right after his parents had been ripped away from him. And then again when he thought Kallus had died the first time. He’d come back then, he knew this time though he wouldn’t come back. In the distance he’d heard the fighting and the sounds of blaster fire that had cut off just as suddenly as it had started, and when Kallus didn’t come back he knew exactly what had happened. His chest was so tight he could barely breathe, the only thing he could do was tightly cling onto Mr. Muttonchops and pray this was all some sort of horrible nightmare that he would wake up from.

 As the hours slipped by though, he knew he wouldn’t wake up, his dad was gone. Ezra buried his face in Mr. Muttonchops fur, trying to think about simpler, happier times.

 <em> I can’t promise nothing will ever happen…but I swear I will do everything in my power to make sure you won’t ever be alone again. <em/>

 <em> But I am alone, <em/> Ezra bitterly thought. <em> You abandoned me, you promised you wouldn’t and you did. <em/>

 “Hello?” A voice called into the cave. Dev letting out a gasp of terror “Dev? Is that you?”

 “You…I think I remember you…” Ezra slowly said wracking his brain for when he could have met him.

 “I’m Zeb,” Zeb said, “Me and my friends are friends with your dad-“

 “Were,” Ezra corrected, fighting back tears.

 “Were?” Zeb asked.

 “He’s gone,” Ezra whimpered “T-the Empire took him.”

 “What do you mean?” Zeb asked.

 “He ran back when he realized we were being followed and I-I heard blaster fire and then it just stopped a-and when he didn’t come back….h-he’s gone…” Ezra managed to get out. His dad was dead-

 “The Empire took him, but we can get him back,” Zeb firmly said.

 “No, not taken-“

 “We saw where the fight was, he wasn’t there,” Zeb assured, “He’s alive.” Alive, the word filled him with a hope he didn’t think he’d ever feel again.

 “We’ve got to get him back!” Ezra cried.

 “We will,” Zeb firmly said, “Right Kanan?”

 “We’ll talk to Hera,” Kanan said.

 “Come on then!” Ezra cried, scrambling to his feet, scooping Mr. Muttonchops in his arms. Last time he lost a parent, he was too young to do anything about it, now he was no longer a helpless child. Now he could do something. Kallus had risked everything to get him off Lothal all those years ago, now it was time to return the favor. He would not lose anyone else to the Empire. “Where’s your ship?”

 --------

 All things considered, Kallus lasted longer than expected. He’d been able to get the drop on the first group of troopers that came through the hills, taking out 6 of them before they figured out his location and quickly overwhelmed him. A part of him hoped Kanan and Hera would arrive in the Ghost before he was overwhelmed and help him, but another was grateful. If they had come before he had been captured, but another knew it was for the best they didn’t. If they had arrived before he was captured, they would have tried to help, and Dev may have been dragged in as well and been captured as well, or worse.

 No, as painful as it was it was better this way. He just wished he could have said goodbye to Dev and tell him he loved him and maybe seen Zeb one last time, ask him to look after Dev. He could only pray they would take care of Dev and protect him. Maybe help him find a new home? One with a family not being hunted by the Empire.

 Kallus desperately clung onto that hope as he was dragged back to the city and towards one of the bigger Imperial complexes where he would no doubt be tortured for information before being executed for defecting from the Empire. At least he could die knowing Dev was safe, or safe as can be in a galaxy controlled by the Empire.

 With rough hands Kallus was dragged into an interrogation room and strapped down into an interrogation chair, Briggs entering the room followed by an Interrogation droid.

 “Agent Kallus,” He drawled, smirking at Kallus. “Comfortable?”

 “How considerate,” Kallus said through gritted teeth.

 Briggs smirk widened as he continued, “I must admit I was shocked to see you here, we were all certain you perished on Lasan with your comrades.”

 “They were hardly my comrades when they started slaughtering children,” Kallus spat.

 “Those monsters don’t deserve your pity,” Briggs said. “We’re better off with those things wiped from the universe!”

 “No one deserves what the Empire did to Lasan!” Kallus exclaimed. “They were innocent-“

 “Innocent?” Briggs exclaimed. “Where you not the sole survivor of the brutal massacre of your unit by a Lasat?”

 “The actions of one Lasat didn’t speak for all of Lasan!” Kallus cried.

 “So is that why you defected and joined the Empire?” Briggs asked, Kallus however remained silent, merely glaring at him. “What about that brat of yours? Dev Morgan?” When Kallus continued to refuse to answer, Briggs rolled his eyes and grumbled, “I was hoping to have a civilized conversation as former colleagues but it seems we’ll have to take more drastic measures.” The interrogation droid revealed a needle that Kallus knew held truth serum.  It had been years since he’d had any training in resisting the effects of truth serum, he could only hope his training still held up.

 The droid injected Kallus with truth serum, the effects quickly kicking in, his mind starting to go foggy. He’d forgotten how unpleasant the effects of the truth serum where.

 “So…where are the rebels hiding?”

 “Rebels….?” Kallus asked, mind struggling to understand the question. They thought he was a rebel? Why? Even in his confused state he knew it made no sense for them to think he was a rebel. There wasn’t a rebel presence on the planet, was there any real rebel presence anywhere outside of isolated cells?

 “The Rebels,” Briggs repeated. “Where are they?”

“I don’t know…why would I?” Kallus said, unsure if it was the serum talking or him. It didn’t particularly matter either way, he truly had no idea where the rebels actually where.

 “Hmm,” Briggs said, “Let’s give him another dose.” The next dose started to make his limbs heavier, the fog in his mind getting thicker, but not so much he couldn’t resist it. He hoped. “So let’s try again. Where are the rebels?”

 “You wish I knew,” Kallus said with a mocking laugh. “Why do you think I’m a rebel?”

 “You defected from the Empire, why else would yo- oh don’t tell me you left for that brat of yours?” Briggs asked.

 “You will never get an answer that satisfies you,” Kallus laughed. He didn’t know why it was all so funny, but it was pissing Briggs off and that alone was fairly amusing.

 “It seems the years have not dulled your training,” Briggs curiously said as the droid injected him with more serum. “Everyone though has a breaking point, even you ISB agents.”

 “Keep telling yourself that, I’m sure eventually you’ll believe it,” Kallus said, the only thing keeping him upright the table he was strapped too.

 “No one can completely resist truth serum,” Briggs said, “Even ISB agents. It’s only a matter of time.”

 “In case you forgot, I was top of my class,” Kallus informed him. Focus on the truths he could tell, that was the key. Don’t think about the things he couldn’t say.

 “I’m curious about the fate of your son Dev,” Briggs said. He was trying to throw him off balance, get him to start talking until he couldn’t stop. It wouldn’t work, he refused to let it work. He wouldn’t let the Empire touch Dev. “Did you leave him on Lothal? Abandoned him like his parents?” He was trying to rile him up, get him angry. He’d used that tactic before, he would not fall for it. “I wonder how Dev felt, being abandoned by his father for the second time.”

 “No,” Kallus growled through clenched teeth. The words hit far too close to home. How did Dev feel? Alone in that cave, knowing he wouldn’t be coming back? No, focus, do not give in. <em> I’m so sorry Dev. Please forgive me. <em/>

 “Where is the boy?” Briggs demanded.

 “Nowhere you will ever find,” Kallus growled. Truth…if he actually got off of the planet by now…no he had to. Hera, Kanan and Zeb would come, they swore they would come if he ever needed them, he’d never needed them more then now.

 “Shame,” Briggs sighed. “I thought you’d want to say goodbye to him.”

 “You won’t get your hands on him,” Kallus said. If they got to Dev in time, he would completely disappear and the Empire would never hurt him.

 “We will,” A new voice said, Briggs whipping around to glare at the person joining them. From the uniform Kallus could see that he was ISB. “Kallus, I don’t believe we had the pleasure of meeting. I’m Agent Favvin” Kallus tried to recall who exactly Favvin was, but found himself drawing up a blank. Either he was completely unmemorable or he started in ISB after Kallus left. He briefly considered asking, but instead found himself saying,

 “I’d hardly call it a pleasure.” It was probably was better he didn’t ask, he doubted he would actually answer.

 “Perhaps not for you,” Agent Favvin agreed. “No amount of truth serum will work on him, all ISB agents where trained to resist them in the event of capture.”

 “So how do we break him?” Briggs demanded.

 “Pain,” Agent Favvin said, pressing the button to activate the electrocution, a scream of agony escaping his lips, despite trying to contain it with every fiber of his being. “Now, where are the rebels?”

 “You’ll only get angrier…” Kallus gasped as the electrocution momentarily stopped. “You’ll never find out.” So they truly thought he was a rebel? Good, he could spend his final moments tormenting the Empire one last time as they tried in vain to get the information they so desperately sought. How long it would take them to realize he knew nothing, Kallus wasn’t sure, but he was certain they wouldn’t stop for a long time afterwards as punishment for abandoning the Empire.

 “I was hoping you’d say that,” Favvin said as the electrocution started again, a scream of agony ripping through him once more. Kallus desperately clung onto the image of Dev beaming up at him, a reminder that it was all worth it. “It will be a pleasure to break you.”

[aceofstars16]

Recovery

I wrote/edited the next part! Here is the first part for anyone who hasn’t read it. I’m not sure if I’m 100% pleased with how this turned out...and I feel like I should add a section with Ezra and Kanan interacting more, but for now I stuck with Zeb and Sabine interactions.

I might write more for this AU/idea, but this is all I have actually written for now and my muse has still been finicky...but I hope y’all like it! It’s almost 3,000 words so, have fun reading! xD

Fic below the cut:

Ezra hated therapy. He hated how much his body hurt. He hated how his legs still didn’t seem to work. But most of all he hated how little progress he was making. Hera told him he was doing well, and even the doctors agreed. It wasn’t fast enough for him though.

At least my body is getting a little better, he thought to himself as he lifted his arm shakily into the air before lowering it down again.

It had been a few weeks since he had woken up, or at least that’s what he assumed. Counting the days tended to make him feel even more depressed, so he had given up trying to keep track. But despite the time, his memory was still a blank. Hera had told him stories, tried to fill him in on different missions he had gone on. But it felt like she was telling a story about someone else for as much as he could remember. Kanan had talked with him a few times as well, but as much as Ezra felt like he should trust the man, there was something about his clouded eyes that shook him. When he told Hera, Kanan had started wearing a green mask when visiting, but something still felt off to Ezra. The blank in his memory couldn’t suppress the feeling that Kanan wasn’t supposed to be blind…

“Focus, Ezra.”

Hera’s calming voice shook Ezra out of his muddled thoughts. And he sighed and shook his head. “What’s the point?”

A sigh escaped Hera as well and she gently grabbed Ezra’s hand. “I know it feels hopeless sometimes Ezra, but you are getting better. You have to keep fighting, I believe in you, Ezra. We all do. You have to believe in yourself too.”

Her words sounded good, Hera almost always had the best encouragement, but that couldn’t fix him. It couldn’t heal him any faster.

“Tell you what. If you keep up with your therapy, maybe I can convince the doctors to let you come aboard the Ghost for a few hours.”

That got Ezra’s attention. He didn’t remember the ship, but Hera talked about it a lot. It was where he had supposedly lived for the past few years. “Do you think it could trigger my memory?” Ezra didn’t want to hope, but he couldn’t completely quell the excitement in his chest.

“It might,” Hera said, giving him a smile he had learned to recognize. One that was meant to comfort or encourage others, while hiding the doubts she was carrying.

It was just another reminder that he wasn’t the only one who was distraught at his blank memory. He knew Kanan was effected, and he guessed Zeb was too, though he had only seen glimpses of the Lasat a few times – mainly because he still creeped Ezra out. But that didn’t mean Ezra had been blind to the looked of hurt on Zeb’s face at being shooed away.

“Come on, let’s try those exercises one more time.”

Once again, Hera brought Ezra back to reality and he nodded. Visiting the Ghost might be a long shot, but it was one he wanted to take, even if it meant having to suffer through more seemingly useless therapy.

The Ghost wasn’t like any ship Ezra had seen -or at least not any that he could remember- but it was impressive in its own unique way. Hera and presumably the rest of the crew had helped make it more friendly to his hoverchair, which he would have to use for the foreseeable future, possibly forever if his legs never healed. But at least he could use the controls to lead himself around so he didn’t feel entirely helpless. His memory on the other hand, was still a blank even as he moved about the ship. Not even his old bunk – which he had apparently shared with Zeb – sparked a memory.

Despite that however, Ezra was glad to be away from his recovery room. It had grown stuffy weeks ago, and while he had been able to go outside a few times, this was the furthest he had been and it felt slightly freeing. After a few hours of exploring the ship, he found himself pleading to Hera to live aboard the ship. Even if he couldn’t remember, being able to see the place where he had supposedly had adventures helped him feel a little better. Even the possibility of seeing Zeb couldn’t damper his enthusiasm to get away from his recovery room.

Hera and Kanan had been all for it. The nurses took a little more convincing, but eventually Ezra was allowed to move out of his room. He was given Sabine’s old room – a member of the crew he didn’t remember, but who he had heard plenty of stories about. It was a colorful room, almost a little too colorful, but it was a welcome change from the blank walls of the recovery room.

It took a little while to adjust to the change in routine. Ezra still had to do his exercises and visit the med center almost every day, and he still had to use his hoverchair to maneuver around, but it was nice to feel like he had some semblance of control in his life again. He didn’t feel half as helpless anymore. He could do things on his own again, even if he couldn’t do everything he wanted to…not yet at least.

Another adjustment he had to make was seeing Zeb on a daily basis. The Lasat still scared him more than he would’ve liked to admit, but he tried his best not to show it. From what he had seen, Zeb never did anything that put Ezra in danger, in fact it almost seemed the opposite. Not that Ezra wanted to hang out with the alien or anything, but after a few days he got used to seeing him walking around the ship. That is until fate decided to change that as well…

“Oh you’ve got to be kidding me…” Ezra muttered as he stared up at his hoverchair, floating a few feet away from him. He must have forgotten to lock it down last night and when he had tried to scramble onto it, the blasted machine had drifted away and resulted in him falling on the ground. Pushing up with his arms, he crawled towards the chair and reached up to grab it, only to have it float a few inches away.

“Kriffing chair…” he muttered to himself as he ran through his options. His best bet would be calling for help, but he hated feeling so helpless. Maybe it he could grab onto one of the dressers he could pull himself up and…then what?

A swooshing alerted him to the opening of his door and he quickly looked up, relieved that someone had come into help. But when he saw who it was he froze.

Zeb was looking down at him in surprise, but as he saw the worry on Ezra’s face, he tried for a smile – even though it didn’t really make him look less intimidating.

“Need some help?” He asked in his gruff voice.

“No, I’ve got it,” Ezra said. Even though he could deal with seeing Zeb, he didn’t want to be indebted to him, even if he could use the help.

Zeb sighed and glanced at Ezra, and then the chair. “Look, kid. I know you don’t…like me,” the last two words seemed almost choked out, reminding Ezra had in the past he must have actually cared for the Lasat. “But I won’t hurt you. Here…” Grabbing the chair, Zeb pushed it closer to Ezra before activating the lock.

Ezra looked at the chair as he mulled over his predicament. He could probably pull himself into it if he really tried – though his arms weren’t nearly as strong as they could be – but even as he reached for the chair, he hesitated. Over exerting himself was one thing the nurses always warned him against, it could set him back from the improvements he had made.

A movement shook Ezra from his musings and he saw Zeb stepping hesitantly closer, an arm stretched out in an offer of help and assurance that he wasn’t a danger. Looking at the Lasat, Ezra took a deep breath then sighed. He may not trust the large alien, he may even be a little scared of him, but Zeb had given no indication he would hurt him.

“You’re a little too far away to help,” Ezra said, using a little bit of sarcasm to help distract him from the fact that he was willingly asking for help from Zeb.

The Lasat seemed surprised at Ezra’s words as well, but he crouched down and helped lift Ezra onto his chair, stepping back carefully once he had done so.

Taking a moment to calm himself, Ezra looked up at Zeb and felt the semblance of a real smile growing on his face. “Thanks, Zeb.”

A smirk grew on Zeb’s face and he nodded. “No problem, kid.”

Things got better after that. While Ezra still occasionally got a little tense around Zeb, he willingly spent a little more time with him. Occasionally Zeb would even sneak Ezra an extra space waffle, or would take him to a nice spot outside of the Ghost to just relax and listen to music. He would also fill Ezra in on some of their missions, even telling him a story about how they had ended up stealing a tie fighter on a supply run.

It was a nice change for Ezra. But it also reminded him of just how much he didn’t know, how much he couldn’t remember. He wanted to remember more than anything. But while he could go to therapy to help his body, everyone was at a loss as to how to help his mind.

One member of the crew did have some ideas though.

Sabine’s return to the Ghost was a welcome surprise for almost everyone. While Ezra had heard stories of the artist, and had even talked with her a few times over comms, he still didn’t know her. She would be someone else he would have to get to know, have to learn how to be comfortable around…and have to disappoint with his lack of memory. While they tried not to show it too much, Ezra knew his predicament wasn’t easy on the crew. Bonds that had once been stronger than steal were fragile, only slowly being rebuilt. Any sane person would be hurt by that. So, when Sabine arrived at the Ghost, Ezra was more nervous than anything, afraid to disappoint yet another forgotten friend.

What he hadn’t been expecting was what kind of effect she would have on him. Seeing her in the flesh for the first time, Ezra found himself dumbstruck as just how beautiful she was. The holo didn’t do her justice, and her smile was ten times brighter than he could’ve imagined. Ezra didn’t realize he was staring until Sabine’s voice broke through his shock.

“Oh, please tell me we aren’t going to have to go through you acting like a love-sick loth cat again,” Sabine said, looking at Ezra and rolling her eyes, an amused smile on her lips.

“Uh…what? No, I uh…” Ezra fumbled, not quite sure how to respond. He didn’t remember acting love-sick, he hadn’t even heard stories of him acting that way. But as he looked at her, he couldn’t suppress the slight elation he felt.

Sabine’s smile was replaced by a frown at his response and she glanced at Hera. “He really hasn’t remembered anything?”

Ezra’s shoulder’s slumped at Sabine’s response, and the sad look she gave him when Hera confirmed that he didn’t seemed to remember anything. But then she gave him a small smile and rested her hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Ezra. I’ve got some ideas that might help.”

Sabine’s ideas turned out to be her paintings. She spent hours painting scenes, people, places they had visited, all while recalling every detail that she could. It didn’t spark any grand revelations - Ezra still didn’t remember anything - but he would be lying if he said he didn’t enjoy spending time with her. The way she got sucked up in her work and how she put a unique spin on seemingly common objects was amazing. He could watch her work for days on end. And with as much time as she spent painting, he often did.

Then one day, Sabine mixed it up.

“Here,” she said, holding out a paint can.

Ezra narrowed his eyes but grabbed it. “What’s this for?”

“I’d think you’d know what a paint can is by now,” she said as she grabbing another can before adding a few details to one of her older pieces.

“Haha, very funny. I mean why did you give it to me?” Ezra said, absent mindedly fiddling with the can as he watched her work.

“So you can paint,” she said, looking at him for a moment then pointing to a bare patch on the wall.

“And what am I supposed to paint?” Ezra asked as he maneuvered his newly decorated chair closer to the wall. His legs were on the road to recovery, but he still had quite a way to go before he could walk again. Right now he could only stand for a few minutes, and that was with support.

“Anything you want.” As she spoke, Sabine continued to work, but she glanced over and gave him a smile. “When we were out in the field, I’d sometimes stop to paint. A few times you joined in. Your signature mark was a loth cat.”

“I don’t even remember what a loth cat looks like…” Ezra muttered quietly to himself as he focused on the bare patch of wall and painted a line on it. He wasn’t sure what he was even doing, but he continued to add more lines, creating a geometric pattern that didn’t make sense at all - just like his mind.

“Maybe we can visit Lothal sometime soon,” Sabine said, genuine happiness in her voice as she voiced the thought.

Ezra’s hand dropped into his lap and he sighed. “What’s the point? I don’t remember it, and it won’t help me remember anything. At this point I don’t know if anything will.”

“Ezra…��� the pain in Sabine’s voice weighed down on Ezra, but he couldn’t keep pretending things were going to get better. Because what if they didn’t? What if this was his life now? The sooner he accepted that, the better it would be.

A hand rested on his shoulder, but Ezra barely registered it. He did notice Sabine leaving the room however, and his spirits dipped even lower. Was she giving up on him too?

But then Sabine walked in a few moments later.

“I didn’t want to show this to you, it…it’s not the happiest part of your past but…I thought it might help you,” she said as she plugged a small disc into a projector.

An image flickered to lift and when Ezra turned to look at it, he froze. It was a family, a small one, just two parents and a child. But he knew without a doubt that the child was him. Which meant… “Are those my parents?”

“Yeah…I found this is your old house and cleaned it up a few years ago. As a birthday present.”

Silence spread out between them as Ezra studied the picture. Just looking at it made his chest constrict. He knew they were gone. Not from anything anyone had told him, but he knew it in his heart. If they were alive they would’ve been there with him right then, but they weren’t.

“I can’t even imagine what it must be like for you right now, Ezra. And I know it’s tempting to just…give up and accept that this is your lot in life. But you can’t give up, no matter how painful it is. You have to keep fighting, keep trying, because there is still hope. Lothal might not help, but one day something will, I know it will. Please don’t give up yet.”

Sabine’s words echoed around Ezra’s mind. He heard them, but it was hard to listen to them, to accept them. Then a hand rested on his.

“You always reminded me not to give up, to keep fighting, to confront things I…I didn’t want to confront. I know it’s hard, but you aren’t alone, Ezra. We are all here for you, and we will be here no matter what happens, okay?”

Ezra glanced up at Sabine and saw the absolute conviction and dedication in her eyes, she meant what she said. The smallest hint of a smile touched Ezra’s mouth and he nodded. “Okay.”

She returned the smile and then glanced at his painting and handed him a new color. “Want me to help you think of something to paint?”

A light laugh escaped Ezra’s mouth, it was forced, but even a forced laugh felt better than nothing. “Sure…and thanks, Sabine.”

“Anytime, Ezra. Anytime.”

[shadowmaat]

Double Agent Droid

I really enjoyed the ep. It was fun and silly but also contained some important plot crumbs. AP-5 was featured heavily and I like him a lot. Ish. And while I have a lot of cynicism regarding Wedge’s sudden addition to the mix, his part was hilarious and historical for reasons that would embarrass him, I’m sure. I did, however, have a few small issues.

I’ll put it behind a cut just in case.

I like AP-5, I really do. His dry wit and cynicism are fun and I like his voice. I’ve felt he’s been under-utilized so far so it was nice to see him get a meatier role. It did, however, also give me a better understanding of why he’s a lesser-used character.

Look, I love snarky obnoxious droids as much as the next person, but the bickering be between AP and Chopper was SO constant and SO petty that it just... wore off really fast. And it made me wish there was a wider variety of droid personalities because wow, different varieties of sarcasm is tiring.

Chopper being stuck with binary/Droidish has only bothered me a few times over the years. I like being able to understand what droids are saying, but I also “understand” that Chop is generally saying something snarky and can fill in the blanks myself. It was a lot MORE frustrating in this ep because his personality underwent a drastic change but we were still stuck with only the general idea of it via how the characters reacted and modulating a sarcastic tone of squabbling with a calmer one just... doesn’t translate very well. I’m sure the actor gave it his best, but ehhh.

Having AP be so petty and mean-spirited also reminded me how frustrated I was with him after that ep with Zeb and the spy droid where he was also (IMO) unnecessarily nasty and insulting to Zeb. I can understand having a superiority complex and I can also get the idea that droids might be prone to getting stuck in certain patterns (such as the “yes I can” “no you can’t” sequences) although that feels a bit... bigoted, in a way. I just wish they could have toned AP down a bit. Having a fussy “speaking” droid and a snarky binary-only droid paired up is going to garner a lot of comparisons anyway and this just didn’t do a lot to make itself unique, IMO. AP might be more openly nasty than Threepio and less fearful but it’d be nice to have a much broader differentiation between the two.

On the one hand the fact that no one was willing to listen to AP’s concerns was disappointing- one of the big things that separates the Rebels from the Empire is that- generally speaking- they treat their droids better and are more inclined to see them as people. HOWEVER it’s also true that AP’s constant war with Chopper worked against him here and made people less inclined to listen. Not quite “the droid who cried wolf” but certainly a few similarities.

I liked the Listener ship. I like the creepiness of the “people” in it and how those who weren’t the controller were little more than data analysis banks with voices. Normally a lack of individual personalities is frustrating, but given the setting and the fact that even as the ship was blowing up their voices remained toneless that says a LOT and none of it is good. Which is one reason why it was so damn disappointing that they went and destroyed the ship. What a fascinating concept they had! And they could really have expanded on the “so tied into the data you lose some of your humanity” thing to great effect over future eps- it says a LOT about the Empire, for instance, that they’re relying on a different variety of “meat clankers” as their minions. From the previews I was really hoping we were going to be introduced to a new set of bad guys. Sigh.

I’m a little... leery of Wedge’s presence since it feels too much like he’s being used to fill in the hole left by Sabine, but misgivings aside he was fun to watch. And getting caught in the ‘fresher with his zipper down is going to be one for the history books, poor guy. His frustration with the droids was heartfelt and completely understandable. LOL! I just wish I didn’t get a “replacement” vibe off him.

I enjoyed AP’s bit at the end with him floating in the nothingness with the little flapping space frog things (or baby purrgil or whatever) baby neebrays. The singing was a fun touch. It was a few shades too close to Marvin the Android (especially with the “oh no, I was finally happy) thing, but all in all it was a cute sequence and I enjoyed it.

I have a feeling we were given this nice mostly fluffy episode as a balm before the storm because the next three eps are, I think, going to be very action-packed and sad. The odds are high that we’ll lose one- and probably two- characters I really enjoy. I’m... really not looking forward to that although I will, of course, have plenty of headcanons and fix-its ready. :)

Edit: AND ANOTHER THING: Chopper’s circuitry is not invulnerable. He isn’t some kind of miracle superdroid. While I’m willing to handwave the idea that the Imps could remote control him even in hyperspace there is no damn way that a surge powerful enough to blow up a ship wouldn’t also blow up Chopper or at least do massive amounts of damage. Melted wires. Fused circuits. Chop already got one dose when the Listeners took control and what Hera did was ten times worse at the very least. Just... no. He should have needed massive repairs if not an entire refit. A refit seems unlikely in the Rebelsverse, but ugh, just SOMETHING to show that a ship-exploding power surge did some damage to him.

[capricxs]

“you… you never had a problem with it before.” for zeb n charlie

the chatters around were a bit intense. everyone was gathered around the big dining room table in her apartment. everyone was clambering over each other and shouting, beers nearly tipped over. zebby’s giggles erupt around them and her cheeks are lightly flushed from the beer.

“put the goddamn card down, casey! no one said you could have another fucking wheat!” tami reaches forward and snatches the card from his hands, sitting back in the seat. “dirty cheat.”

the next round began and everyone started talking over each other again. zebby only raising her voice when she needed her trades and to collect her resources. everyone was trying to collect their points, building the longest roads and maintaining their army. zebby was in the middle of negotiation with her friend beside her when the door clicked open and winston got up from under the table to tro to the door, greeting charlie, who stood and looked at everyone with a blank expression.

“hi, charlie.” zebby beamed, looking up at him from her seat.

“i didn’t know it was game night.” he said, his hand reaching to pet winston’s head. he didn’t sound very excited about it.

“it’s… it’s on the calendar.” zebby’s lips purse together. “i didn’t tell you?”

he shakes his head, slipping off his shoes and shrugging off his coat, moving down the hall to his bedroom. zebby watched him move, his body looking quiet, but brooding. not in a rather attractive way, just that his mind wasn’t there. she set her cards in front of her and wiggled out of her chair, telling her friends to stay put. she moved to his door, knocking on it quietly. “yeah, come in.”

her lips pressed together and she slid inside, closing the door behind her. “i’m sorry i didn’t tell you.” she frowns. “i usually have reminders to write reminders to let you know but maybe that reminder disappeared. maybe my post-its aren’t very stick anymore.” she presses her palms into the door, keeping her eyes low as he changes into his typical clothes.

“it’s fine.” he mutters. “just didn’t expect to come home to eight fucking people screaming in my dining room.” his voice is low, but it’s intense, and it vibrates her ribcage. she feels his words in her fingers and toes and in every little crevice of her body. the guilt comes next.

“i’m sorry, it’s not okay that i had this many people over without you knowing.” she doens’t bother looking up, she’s keeping her eyes low, as if her tail is between her legs. “i can tell them to go home and you can get some sleep.” she finally looks up and he’s in a pair of basketball shorts and a tee. she’d say he looked nice if he didn’t feel like a looming storm cloud.

“you don’t need to do that.” he rolls his eyes. “keep playing your game, i’ll just watch a movie in here.”

her lips press together more and she let’s out a shaky breath. “please tell me what’s really wrong, charlie. you’ve never had a problem with it before.”

“well i have a problem with it tonight, okay?” he snaps, his hands sprawling in front of him, exclaiming to her. his voice is big and it makes her step back. it’s less fear and more the shock of his voice, and how it rang through her body. she didn’t know why he was so upset, and she wanted to take it away from him. she didn’t want him to be so upset, especially not over something she’d done.

clearly he sees the color and radiance leave her face, because the anger dissipates and he’s realized what he’s done. “zeb, i’m sorry.” he sighs, his body faltering. 

she feels her throat close up a bit and she’s still leaning back from him, feeling a bit of prickle in her eyes. she could blame it on having too many beers.

“zebby, please don’t cry. i was projecting, that was unfair of me.” he steps forward, but he’s careful. he’s slow. zebby figures he’s treating her like a time bomb. if he goes too fast or rushes, he could trigger and explosion and he’s left with a mess far bigger than what he came home with inside himself. “it was just a shock to me, is all. it’s been a rough day.” he explains, slowly reaching a hand out for her arm, where he gently, slowly touches her. “i’m so sorry i snapped.”

“i’m sorry the home wasn’t a calm place for you to come back to.” her voice cracked a bit, and it breaks her heart more that charlie was hurting, and zebby had all these people over, and all he wanted to do was be upset, and now he couldn’t, because there were over a half dozen tipsy friends in his home, playing catan and shouting about sheep.

“no no, it’s not your fault. i should be looking at the calendar.” his thumb rubs her arm. “nothing makes me more calm than you. i shouldn’t have put it all onto this apartment.” his lips rub together and she quickly swipes her cheek with her thumb to collect her tears and sniffs a bit. “can i hug you?” he asks carefully. she nods, and he sighs, taking the step forward to wrap his arms tightly around her, tucking his nose into her hair. “i’m sorry i scared you like that.” 

her arms slide around him and she sighs. “i don’t want you to think you’re not allowed to get mad because your afraid of what it might do to me, charlie. i don’t want you to stop feeling.”

his fingers are through her hair but he’s pressing himself tighter into her. “maybe it’s okay when it’s a real reason to be mad but this wasn’t a real reason.” he leans back, kissing her forehead, and then her temple.

she reaches up, touching his cheek, and then brushes his hair back. “i’ll send everyone home after catan, and then we can watch a movie together.”

he sighs, rolling his eyes, “zebby, you don’t have to—”

she cuts him off before he can finish. “i want to. my friends will always be around to get drunk and play board games. you’re not always sad, so i want to help with that.” she kisses his nose, giving him a smile. “i made cookies, though. i put a batch away for you.”

he lets out a laugh, shaking his head. “of course you did.”

she keeps brushing back his hair, and kissing his cheek. “you can eat them and lay in my bed while you wait if you’d like.” she smiles, a few of her fingers running over his lips, trying to push them into a smile. “you can tell all about what’s bothering you when they’re gone. i’ll listen.”

“i know.” he rubs her back, and lets her push his lips to smile, which he eventually does on his own. “i don’t deserve you, zebs.”

“well that’s no way to think about yourself.” stepping back, she takes hold of his hand and starts for the door. “everyone deserves me, charlie. you’re just the lucky one who got me.” she pulls it open and leads him the few feet donw the hall to her room. it always smells like oils and her organic perfumes. it smells like how you’d imagines zebby’s insides to look like— radiant, real, and filled with love. 

she peels back her duvet, patting her bed for him to lay down. once he does, she tucks the blanket over him and kisses his forehead. walking into the hallways, she peaks out and calls for winston, who comes instantly. “go be with charlie.” she pats the bed, right next to charlie’s feet, where winston hesitates for a moment, prepping himself before jumping onto the bed and getting himself situated to lay beside him. “i’ll be right back.” she disappears, only to come back with a glass of water, the box of cookies, both balanced on top of his laptop. setting the laptop beside him, she set the glass on her nightstand and handed him the cookies. “should be another hour. we’d just started.” she reaches to brush his hair back. “call me if you need me.”

“okay.” he says softly, popping open the lid to take one of her cookies and bring it to his lips. “thank you, zebby. for everything.”

she nods, walking back to her doorway. she spins around, leaning against it and smiling at him. “maybe someday when you haven’t had such a bad day, you can join us.”

“i’d be honored.” he grins.

she nods, grabbing the nob. “be back in a bit.” she pulls the door shut, leaving charlie to stew for a bit before inevitably leading her friends home, putting the beer bottles in the sink, packing up the games and bowls of snacks, only to take one bowl in with her when it was all said and done. there, she climbed into bed with charlie, where her arms wrapped around him from behind and she set the bowl by the cookies. her hand rubbed over his chest, and she listened. listened to him unload everything onto her. she hummed along, and told him how hard it sounded when she felt he needed it. and when he was done, she asked him if he wanted a response, he said no, so she didn’t give him one. just let him spew information. so instead she just held him tighter, told him the day was over, and the next day would bring new adventures, and new fortunes, and kisses his neck, putting on a different movie for them to fall asleep to.

[lgwhatculture]

Star Wars: 10 predictions for the future of the franchise

Star Wars has been moving at full speed under the guidance of the house of mouse, and as we enter the fifth year of Disney’s ownership (yes, five. Can you believe it?) the promise of more Star Wars has really come true. With a number of projects either out of the gate or in development, I’m going to predict what everything means for the future of the franchise and how these many stories in a galaxy far, far away will turn out. We’ll be looking at both the big picture and the smaller story details in the new Canon.

All images belong to Lucasfilm / Disney.

10 - Han Solo will be the weakest Disney instalment yet.

Not to start on a negative note, but let's get this out of the way. Did we really need a solo Han Solo movie? Is it really that important to see how Han and Chewie met? Or how Han won the Falcon? Not really. In a galaxy far far away, there are limitless stories to be told, and we can't help but feel like this is unnecessary. Plus, with an A-List cast on-board, it's not quite captured that same feel as the other films, which usually cast unknowns and shoot them to fame. Donald Glover and Woody Harrelson are sure to do great, but Danerys herself, Emilia Clarke, is especially hit-and-miss outside of her title role. Here's hoping I'm wrong, but I don't believe the film justifies its existence or cast.

Don't even get me started on Katherine Kennedy’s comments on Han ‘gaining his name’. If Han Solo is simply a title, then we'll be in the unique position where a film actually detracts from the original instead of enriching it.

9 - Episode VIII will be unique and take the lore in a new direction

Now onto a more positive note, The Force Awakens was a great start to the new trilogy no-matter what you thought of it, and there’s plenty of questions fans are asking in regards to the excellently titled eighth instalment, The Last Jedi. If the very-vague trailer is anything to go by, There’s something happening with the classic Sith/Jedi dichotomy. See Luke’s ominous quote:

“I only know one truth. It’s time for the Jedi to end.”

So, there’s a change coming, and with VIII showing a more spiritual Luke, I can only imagine the more religious side of the Jedi will be discussed, and perhaps the actual meaning of ‘balance to the force’? The ‘chosen one’ and ‘prophecy’ are concepts we are familiar with, but the actual idea of Anakin or Luke bringing balance to the force makes little sense as both obliterated their respective opposing team. Not really, you know, balance. Perhaps the future lays in the idea of ‘Grey Jedi’. Previously a Legends concept, but one could argue it was brought into the new Canon with Ahsoka in Rebels. A Grey Jedi aligns to either side of the force, and perhaps Luke’s new mission is to bring the two warring factions together rather than apart. Kylo Ren certainly could be pulled over to the light side, so maybe we are seeing a paradigm shift in the franchise, towards more nuanced performances rather than outright good and bad. If Disney wants to continue the franchise for a long time (read: forever) then good vs evil is going to get pretty dull pretty soon.

8 - Rebels won't end with the cast dying

Star Wars Rebels replaced the beloved Clone Wars, and at the time the general consensus was that the latter show was going to be a more ‘fun’ show by comparison to the darker Clone Wars. Fans were soon wrong when the series became universally loved, and even served as a sequel to Clone wars in many ways. The show has gotten darker, and approaches it’s final season this year.

The problem we are faced with is that the core cast do not appear in anything beyond the show they have been created for. This was also a problem when we were introduced to the Rogue One cast, and [spoilers ahead] they are now all dead. Yeah, forecast isn’t looking too sunny for the crew of the Ghost. So the likely option, especially since the Ghost is seen in Rogue One, is that the characters are killed in a sacrificial act just before A New Hope begins. Even though show-runner Dave Filoni stated the battle of Scarrif wouldn’t be shown in rebels, we’re not sure we believe him.

Despite the likeliness of death, we think the characters all being killed off is not going to happen. Something more interesting. We believe Zeb, Chopper and Rex are easy enough to blend into the existing universe without dying, and for it to not feel strange that they never appear again.The theory that Rex is the bearded rebel soldier in Return of the Jedi works perfectly as a nice retcon for a fan-favourite character to tie Rex into the story. The others we are not so sure about, though Ezra and Sabine are both young enough to be carried over to the next show, much like Ahsoka. ‘Next show?’ you ask. Well. Cue next point.

7 - The next animated show takes place between episodes VI and VII

With Rebels ending, another show is bound to take it’s place, and no better slot is left to explore that the gap between episodes VI and VII, in other words, the gap between the classic and new trilogies. It’s a murky period ripe to be explored, and there’s no better opportunity to explore this period than through a new show. While Clone Wars was an anthology, and Rebels an ensemble, perhaps the new show will have a single protagonist to follow to set them apart. If this is the case, there is no better person to follow than Luke Skywalker himself, starting with the end of Return Of The Jedi, and following the opening of his new Jedi academy. Looping back to the last point, this is maybe where we could see Ezra return to the fold. Not only that, but we would see the development of Ben Kenobi into the Kylo we see in The Force Awakens. It’s actually a crime that this period has not been seen outside the books, and it’s only a matter of time before light is shed, especially in the wake of Episode VIII likely revealing all the key secrets that are keeping a series like this from being made.

If many of the questions from Episode VII are not revealed in VIII, this is a great place to answer them to give fans peace. How did Maz Kanata get Luke’s sabre? Who are the Knights of Ren? Answering questions like these would automatically put this show in the good books.

One final point, were this to happen, Mark Hamill is a renowned voice actor for animation, and with his respect to the fans, he’d be sure to be on-board for voicing Luke. Make it happen Disney!

6 - Battlefront II will fix most of the problems of the first, but will still not be as good as the PS2 original.

Bias aside, the original Battlefront game was great. It’s sequel, legendary. The 2015 reboot, not so great. It was shiny, and looked amazing, but fancy visuals don’t exactly make up for a bare-bones experience that included less than the 2005 masterpiece. The sequel looks to be fixing this. All three eras. A story mode, many more heroes, and the promise this is ‘three times bigger’ than the 2015 game means hype is pretty high Dice and Co can deliver on the promises and pull through on the evident potential of the 2015 game.

Despite all these big claims, we can’t help but feel like there’s going to be a ‘spark’ missing. All too corporate and perfect, not enough fun factor. Can a game be perfect and still not be fun? Yes, but maybe that’s a problem with the video games industry more than the game itself, or Star Wars as a brand. Only time will tell. Moving on.

5 - The next spin-off will be an Obi Wan movie, with Ewan McGregor.

Stay with me. There has not been a ‘star wars story’ [still don’t like that subtitle] announced since originally way back when Disney told us their plan to dominate the world. The Josh Trank Boba Fett movie fell through, so there’s currently a blank space after Episode IX, sitting at a 2020 release window. At this point, Ewan McGregor will be 49, and while it’s still a little young, makeup can surely get him ready for filling in the gaps between III and IV, documenting the life of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s years in hiding, and how he became Ben Kenobi.

We’re thinking a smaller, more personal films. Kenobi is one of the most well-rounded characters, and seeing a more character based story on Tatooine would be great to see. Why the name ‘Ben’ is used is a story that has not been discussed in-canon, and maybe it’s a story worth telling. Logan showed how a big franchise could make a western-inspired, quieter character piece, so perhaps it’s only a matter of time before McGregor and fans alike get their wish.

4 - Doctor Alpha will appear on Rebels

If you are unfamiliar, Dr. Aphra is the new hit character of the Marvel Star Wars Comics. Originally appearing in the Darth Vader comic, she now is in her own comic, the first original character to have their own run since the canon purge.

Aphra is a rogue archaeologist, hired by Vader to find Sith artefacts. After the two parted ways, she is now on solo adventures. Whether you like the character or not, she is a nice new creation for the comics, and falls very much in line with Marvel’s current marketing push for a younger, more diverse cast of characters.

Given Rebels is ending soon, perhaps we could see this character appear in another medium? Disney’s new canon has been spectacularly watertight when it comes to feeling like a ‘connected universe’ through and through, and a comics crossover would show how much Disney care about their franchise on every level. Comic tie-ins are frequently forgotten about, so tying two mediums together would help both and show more people a great new character.

3 - More legends material will become Canon

Just to clarify -

Legends - the old, pre-Disney continuity, otherwise known as the Expanded Universe (EU). It featured lots of content, and thousands of characters, most of whom now no longer exist in Star Wars. Many fan favourite moments and stories were erased, but then Disney started listening. Rebels re-introduced the most popular EU character of all time, Grand Admiral Thrawn. The blue boss has been a huge success on the show, and now the floodgates are open for an array of other characters and stories to be re-canonised into the new lore.

While some characters have already been used for influence, such as Jacen Solo into Kylo Ren, there’s plenty of other fan-favourites who should make the jump. Take one look at anywhere Star Wars related on the internet, and you’ll find fans are very passionate about the very long lineage of the sith. Darth Revan is perhaps the most wanted character for sheer awesomeness, but almost any great villain would be a valuable addition to the canon.

One wildcard would be Luke’s partner, Mara Jade Skywalker. A partner to Luke indicates he may have a child (Rey) but the inclusion of Mara Jade also means there’s a big explanation to do as to Mara being hand to the emperor and a sort-of bad-guy. Yeah. Lots to fit into a movie, so maybe she’s best left to the EU.

2 - Forces of destiny won't do great

With more Star Wars things going on at once that any sane person can keep up with, you may not have heard about the other animated Star Wars show: Forces of Destiny. It’s a 2D miniseries with a lighter tone, featuring multiple characters from multiple eras, all on lighthearted adventures. It looks like a more simple version of Star Wars than we’ve seen before, but Rebels and Clone Wars ex-show-runner Dave Filonni is running the show, so maybe there’s more to be seen here than meets the eye.

Perhaps the biggest point of debate so far is that the show has only shown female characters in it’s trailers. It’s not a problem, as Star Wars has been a very white, male franchise, so diversity is great, but focusing only upon female characters as the trailer implies, makes it seem like this may be ‘Star Wars for girls’. Star Wars can and does appeal to girls, especially now more than ever because of it’s growing cast of strong females, with Jyn, Rey and Aphra only arriving in the last three years or less. Having female characters is not the problem, pandering to an audience is. People, regardless of gender, will watch Star Wars, because it’s Star Wars, and changing the tone to fit a demographic never goes well, especially when things like Jar Jar or the Christmas Special happen for exactly that reason. Perhaps not, perhaps we haven’t seen enough to judge, and perhaps I’m wrong. Discuss your opinions in the comments below.

1 - Luke and Leia will die in the Last Jedi.

Episode VIII. Bring the tissues.

Okay, just look at that title. The LAST Jedi implies either my earlier assumption that a big change to the lore is coming, or Luke will bite the dust. Maybe both. The problem is, for the hero to complete their journey over the trilogy, they have to lose their mentor and be forced to go it alone. It happened in Episodes I, IV and VII. While it would be nice to have a change in that pattern, the story just doesn’t work as well, and it’s important to remember the original cast are not getting any younger, as my unfortunate next point demonstrates.

In December 2016, the world lost Carrie Fisher, and Star Wars fans mourned for the passing of their hero Princess Leia Organa. It leaves an awful problem for the future, for Carrie has filmed two of three films in the trilogy, with two options for what happens next. She either is written out of the next film, or she dies in this one. Either option is awful, but Lucasfilm being pretty calm and collected after her death, and the comments about not needing CGI re-creation makes it all too clear that she most likely dies in The Last Jedi. It’s going to be a hugely emotional performance as her last, but to watch her character die, possibly alongside her brother, means the film could be an emotional sucker-punch, tainting the film’s reputation for all the wrong reasons.

What do you think in regards to any of the points? What next for Star Wars as a whole, or any of the projects mentioned. What are you looking forward to the most? Let us know in the comments.