#a positive relationship between the jedi and the republic

[kanansdume]

Reading Light of the Jedi for the first time has made the fact that the first (non-preschooler) TV show set in the High Republic time period is going to be a Sith-centric anti-Jedi mess even more disappointing than it already was.

[antianakin]

In TCW season 7, we have Rex discussing the clones' relationship with the war by saying that obviously none of them LIKE the war or like having to fight in it or how often they all end up dying in it, but that they all also recognize that without the war, they wouldn't exist, so they can't quite hate it either. And I love the complexity and nuance of that, but I want to add something to that.

The Jedi.

Because without the war, the clones are super unlikely to have ever met the Jedi. They're unlikely to have ever ended up in a position where they could explore their own individuality as people through means like body modifications. The Jedi are their BEST FRIENDS specifically because of how similar they are and how much the Jedi gave and taught them during the three years they spent together.

And the relationship between the Jedi and the clones is SO complicated because obviously the clones and the Jedi are both harbingers of death for each other. Not just due to Order 66, but the war itself. The discovery of the clones is what leads to the galaxy getting thrown into war and the Jedi forced to lead an army. The Jedi showing up on Kamino was always going to be the signal for the day the clones left their sheltered little home and shipped out to die for a Republic they'd never known. So, on some level, meeting each other is possibly the worst thing that could've happened to both groups of people because it spells their respective dooms.

But from a different perspective, the war was always going to happen anyway, neither the clones nor the Jedi actually START the war so meeting each other logically is not actually what causes it. And while the war is awful, it brings the Jedi and clones to each other, which provides a small bit of light for them both in the sea of darkness that they are stuck in together.

None of them LIKE that the war is what brought them together, but it was. And they can't regret having met each other and the joys that it gave all of them to have known each other. They can't imagine having to go through this war WITHOUT each other; it would've been infinitely worse to have had to do so and they all know it. So not only do the clones recognize they might not have existed at all without the war, but they might never have met the Jedi without the war and that is an unacceptable exchange. The Jedi hate that war has happened, they hate what it's turned them into and what it's doing to the galaxy, but they'd never have met the clones without it and it's hard to hate the thing that brought them that connection.

[david-talks-sw]

The fact that Dave Filoni called Anakin “the greatest Jedi ever” is proof that he’s bias AF. His anti-Jedi rhetoric is bupkis.

I wonder if he means "the greatest" in terms of in-universe fame...?

Dunno if this is the case in Canon (then again Dave Filoni blatantly ignores any *non-motion* transmedia elements in Canon so meh), but in Legends he's:

"Anakin Skywalker, the Hero with no Fear™, handsome, dashing, the face of the Republic's army during the Clone War, the only Jedi who tried to resist the nefarious Order's coup and was treacherously murdered for it".

And I seem to remember that, in Canon, he's like the Jedi Temple's superstar anyway, every Jedi recognizes him on sight. I mean, that line from Baylon about "Anakin speaking highly of Ahsoka" must have some meaning beyond artificial personal stakes.

So from a fame and a "power level" standpoint... sure.

He's the greatest.

I'm giving Filoni the benefit of the doubt.

While I've talked about why Filoni's entire headcanon about the Jedi doesn't track with what George Lucas' intended narrative, I think it's worth acknowledging that Filoni's bias comes from part of his duties while directing The Clone Wars was.

One of the goals of TCW was humanizing Anakin, expanding upon his character make him go from "a character whose only purposes is to embody the themes presented in three movies based on the matinee serial format" to a relatable person, a good man, the hero Ben mentions to Luke in A New Hope.

I think it's normal that he'll see Anakin in a more positive light.

Also (and full disclosure this is just me theorizing I am no authority on any of this so if turns out I'm wrong just come right out and say so)...

I'm pretty sure that Filoni, Lesley Headland and most of the recent Star Wars authors are all Gen X, raised by baby boomers forced to conform to society, obey authority and have proper decorum (boys don't cry!) all of which they strove to rebel against. Add to that the corruption they witnessed growing up and coming out of high school, and you see a kind of jadedness emerge. "The rules aren't as black and white, the world is grey."

So while most of them and the boomers despised the Prequels upon release, a few of them projected a more individualistic headcanon onto those movies that fit with where their head was, at the time.

As such: Anakin isn't interpreted by them as a cautionary tale about what happens when you're greedy. He's a misunderstood rebel, a non-conformist who has his flaws but is ultimately good at heart. Which isn't entirely inaccurate, but it is very clearly an embellishment of a character who will one day become a space nazi.

The fact is... the Prequels were made by a boomer. One with very liberal values and who was himself a rebel, but a boomer all the same. The whole point of his story is...

"we all must come together and fight as one, if push comes to shove; we must all be compassionate and selfless if we are to survive; don't be greedy, let people go when it's their time to leave".

And then he makes the Jedi say that, making them beacons of truth and good and compassion in his fairy tale, now aimed at Gen Z kids.

Gen X-ers hear/read that and project all the boomer BS they had been told onto the Jedi...

"oh, so the Jedi are saying you shouldn't love yourself, you shouldn't be yourself, you should give up on what makes you an individual to fit in, you shouldn't feel any emotions"

Because nobody is that good, realistically, right?

This happened in other mediums. The one that comes to mind on the spot is the relationship between Mufasa and Scar.

In The Lion King, Mufasa is strong and noble, Scar is weak and conniving. Simple enough. Around that same time, in A Tale of Two Brothers, young Mufasa is shown to be pretty nice with Taka (Scar), who is framed as a spoiled brat to begin with.

Skip to the 2019 remake, and it's hinted Mufasa gave Scar his wound, and in The Lion Guard they explain that Scar got his nickname from Mufasa mocking him for a misadventure.

He went from being a noble king to a bully who had it coming, Scar is an underdog who got picked on. Because again: nobody is that pure, right? Fairytales be-damned.

Nothing is black and white, it's all grey.

So yeah, long story short I do think that Filoni being part of the generation that wasn't the target demographic but was old enough to retcon the crap out of the Prequels also plays a role into his view of Anakin.

[marymary-diva17]

New life with her

captain rex x reader

The secret marriage between you and rex had always stayed a secret between you and him, with a select few that had witness the wedding and approved of the relationship. As everyone knew if these relationships was found out it will be bad new for the both of you, but mostly rex as he had most of his life serving the republic and doing his duty as well. Soon enough the secret marriage will not stay secret anymore, as it will become well know to the republic and jedi. Soon the exposure of your marriage will soon affect your life and rex life in the end.

Bail " due to your relationship with clone trooper rex the senate has decided it will be for the best, if you step down from you position and leave the senate"

y/n " ......'

montha " we can't have this happening in the senate y/n we are sorry but your action have concerns for everyone, and the separatist could use this against us and it can hurt many people"

y/n " so I'm losing everything because I chose to be with a man I love and I'm not giving up on him"

bail " you are losing everything for the betterment of everyone else I'm sorry y/n but it will be good for you to leave now"

y/n " padme"

padme " I'm sorry y/n but it for the best we have to think about the well-being of the republic and the people you serve, you have done enough damage and broke your oath"

y/n " I made Oath to serve the republic and I did that there was noting against falling in love"

padme " it for the best we cant have the separatist or anyone else seeing we are breaking our rules"

y/n " what about rex"

senator" we was stripped of his rank and status of trooper he is just avenge man now ... he could of been more and so could you but looked what happened you both are useless and betrayed us"

y/n " bail, montha, and padme we are friends I'm friends with all of you are you really going to look at me like this"

bail " we are sorry y/n and we wish for the best for you" you didn't say anything else as you were soon escorted put by droids, you had seen the troopers look at with you disgust.

padme " y/n"

y/n " padme"

padme " I'm sorry but I had to do what was right for our people and the republic, we have to sacrifice what we love and care for so everyone else can be better"

y/n " so will you be saying the same thing if everyone found out you and my brother"

padme " I'm spry y/n there a place for you on nabob where you can live with rex, and I will come to see you along with anakin"

y/n " really padme you are going to stand here and save yourself and act like you are secret married to a jedi"

padme " I and anakin relationship has to stay a secret I'm sorry y/n but maybe one day everything will be fine" you dandy say anything else and you walked away from the senate building, it will be a long time until you are back here. It will be the last time any of your old friends will see and hear form you.

later on

y/n " rex" you found rex wearing normal clothes not longer with his armor, he looked upset.

rex " hey my love" you soon hugged rex he had given everything now to republic and now he was stripped of everything even his brotherhood as well.

y/n " I'm so sorry my husband I all my fault"

rex " no it not your fault my love what has happen can't be undone"

y/n " padme didnt fight for me none of my friends did after all these years it ... meaning nothing" rex soon got up from his seat and soon hugged you as the two of you stood there.

rex " don't cry everything will be fine"

y/n " where do you go from here we both lost everything"

rex " we can start a new life on planet far from here just the two of us, and see where they take us"

y/n " I will love that" you and rex soon left the clone base as you saw his armor was backed up in duffle bag he was given, his former or fellow brothers either looked at him or turn their backs to him. You held rex hand tight as the both of you handed toward your apartment to spend one last night there, as you two will be leaving.

y/n " so where this planet you know of rex"

rex " it good planet and is neutral in the war so we will be safe, and it less liking the republic will come and the separatist as well ... there a home and I can find some work I was told about from a friend I was talking with it will be hard but maybe it will be best for us"

y/n " I will love that rex anywhere with you will be good" rex soon smiled towards you and soon brought you into an embraced, soon the two of you talked more about your new lives. After getting all the Information you need for you and rex, to started new life without anyone asking questions and having some of your stuff send to this new home.

anakin " hello you two"

y/n " anakin"

anakin " sister I'm sorry for what happened and I'm sorry to rex" rex didnt say anything as he looked at his former commander with heartbroken look on his face.

y/n " anakin I'm your sister so hwy did you fight for me and rex"

anakin " I'm sorry but if anyone found out me and padme I wilmlose her and she will lose everything she loves"

y/n " so what are you going to do now the republic might mark me a traitor in now time, rex has been stripped of everything that he fought for"

anakin " I'm really sorry but where you go I will make sure you both, are safe and taken care off"

padme " oh ani" you soon turned around from your brother you just wanted someone to fight for you and rex, but it seems like your brother wouldn't do that at all.

rex " jedi knight skywlaker I think it best if you leave here for now"

anakin " rex come on we ...."

rex " please leave my wife be sir it has been a long day for her" anakin soon nodded his head and started walking away from the duo.

anakin " I hope one day everything will be fine and you can understand what happened here today sister" you didn't say anything as anakin soon left you soon started crying, as rex brought you into a embrace as you cried on his shoulder.

the next day

????? " y/n rex" you and rex were about to leave when you two spotted ashoka coming running toward you both she soon stopped, when she reached you two.

y/n " ashoka"

ashoka " I came to say goodbye you two have changed my life and helped me learn, I'm sorry for what happened to you both it wrong"

y/n " thank you ashoka"

ashoka " rex I'm so sorry if I ...."

rex " It okay kid I will be fine I just need you to be safe out there, and give a good fight as well"

ashoka " yes rex I will make sure I will look after anakin for you y/n and the troopers for you rex" you and rex soon hugged ashoka one last time, before you both got on the ship leaving the republic home world. Only ashoka and friends that were on your guys side and helping will know where you and rex had gone. Rex heart had broken when he was stripped of everything he knew and had been raised to be, until he knew you wil become his new world and life. It will be the two of you now making a new life in this galaxy.

[djarinsphere]

hi there! would love a short fic about jedi!reader introducing Din to long-time friends Han and Leia, which eventually leads to a very intense game of sabacc between Din and Han. thank u <3~

A game of sabacc

Din Djarin x female!Jedi!reader

Words: 1.9k Warnings: mentions of alcohol

For weeks, you had been trying to get Din to head to Coruscant with you. Whenever you brought it up again, he let out an annoyed sigh, talking about how he had so much to do when it came to bounties, payments and travel. 

You respected that of course. Being in a relationship with Din for a while had taught you that the man had his own way to travel, to live and to handle things. Going back to Coruscant to meet with some old friends of yours just wasn’t high on his list of priorities right now. 

But this list had to change at some point. As he slowly started working through the long list of available bounties, he gained more free time. Din would have preferred to spend it with you on a remote planet, just the two of you basking in your love for each other, but if visiting Coruscant was going to make you happy, then he would use his free time for that. Anything to see a smile on your face. 

Besides, you had talked a lot about Han Solo and Leia Organa. Your eyes were sparkling every time you told him a story about your two friends or just referred to a funny situation you had been in with Leia.

While you had been exploring your connection to the Force, mostly with Luke, you did have a lot of intimate talks with Leia as well. It brought you closer together, making you good, intimate friends. Din deserved to know that part of you.

You had been together for quite a while, a year or more, but he had never met any close friends of yours. Acquaintances maybe. People that had helped you out on your travels every once in a while. But after all this time together, sharing intimate moments together, opening up more and more, you felt like Din needed to meet your long-time friends eventually. 

It was a sunny day when you finally arrived in Coruscant, landing with the Razor Crest. “Oh, there she is!” You exclaimed excitedly when you spotted Leia outside. The woman was carrying a smile on her lips as she watched the engines of the Razor Crest turn off one by one. “I’ve seen her before. In the holo news,” Din mumbled, fixing the position of his helmet a bit. He didn’t wear it around you that often anymore, but as soon as you entered the atmosphere of a new planet, where scans of the ship could be made, he was hiding his face again. You respected this tradition. His armour was a part of him, as was the Mandalorian way of life. 

“Of course you’ve seen her before. She’s a war hero and part of the New Republic.” A chuckle left your lips as you shouldered your bag and then climbed down the ladder from the cockpit. Grogu was already in his little floating crib, a satisfied expression on his face. You had given him some sweets earlier. “Excited to meet some friends?” You asked him with a smile and the small child angled his head slightly, a curious expression filling his gaze. 

As soon as the ramp had opened, Leia was coming towards you, her arms flying around your neck to pull you into a tight hug. “Oh, how I have missed you,” she smiled, the excitement also filling her voice. You felt at home, welcomed back into the arms of your friend. 

You didn’t hesitate to hug her back, happiness spreading into every bone of your body. As soon as you left the hug though, you reached back to grab Din’s arm gently. The cool metal of his armour felt familiar under your fingertips. 

“Leia, this is Din Djarin. A bounty hunter I’ve been travelling with and well…” You didn’t need to say more. Leia understood that Din was not only “someone” you travelled with. At least not anymore. 

You could feel Din’s nervousness through the Force. He could hide it well behind his mask and his armour sometimes, but he couldn’t betray the Force. He couldn’t trick your feelings, the connection between you two. 

“Welcome to Coruscant, Din. My husband and I are excited to finally meet you,” the Princess smiled, as welcoming as always. Leia had a presence you had never seen before with anyone else. She was friendly, encouraging and a great leader at the same time. Without her, you doubted that the Rebellion would have been able to defeat the Empire. Without her, the war might still be going at this very moment. 

“Oh, I’m glad Han is here. Haven’t seen him in a while either,” you chuckled, remembering the last times you had visited Leia. Han just wasn’t one to settle down for a long time. He needed adventure, the dangers of the galaxy, in his every day life. 

“Yeah, he’s been preparing some drinks for us all. Follow me.” Leia gestured for you and Din to follow her to their apartment. 

Din couldn’t deny that he had never been in a place as fancy as this one. Technologies he had never even heard about ran this place. The apartment was huge, the windows big enough to capture the gigantic Coruscant skyline. “You also used to live in a place like this, cyar’ika?” He whispered, bending down a bit to make sure no one else heard. “No, but I’ve spent some time here. With the princess,” you explained, a chuckle leaving your lips again. You had never experienced the luxury of really living in a place like this, but your friends had often enough let you get a glimpse of it. 

Han Solo, the infamous pilot and smuggler, greeted you in the living room area. It was spacious, with a long couch and drinks ready on the glass table. You greeted him with a hug as well, feeling his hands rub your back in a brotherly gesture. “Been a while,” the pilot grinned and then took a step back to look at you. “No major injuries. Everything’s going well, then? And who is this guest of yours?” He asked, not hiding his curiosity. Not that he had ever been able to hide it. 

“That’s my partner. Din Djarin,” you replied. A smile spread over your lips. He was your partner. Hopefully for more years to come. 

“You look like you could play an entertaining game of sabacc, my friend,” Han grinned, offering Din his hand. 

The Mandalorian tensed up a bit, before he eventually shook Han’s hand. “You could say that.” You had seen Din play sabacc a handful of times. He was good at it. Especially since no one was able to read his expressions usually. You had only played against him once, but had failed miserably.

“Then let’s go.” Han had a wide grin in his face as he lead Din over to the kitchen table. The pilot grabbed a deck of sabacc cards from a cupboard in the kitchen, eventually laying down the cards. You positioned yourself behind Din, putting your hands on his shoulders. “Good luck,” you whispered, fingers brushing over the scarf around his neck. You wished you could give him a kiss as a good luck charm. But maybe he could have one as a reward later. 

The game eventually started. Han’s expression immediately changed. The grin was gone, instead he was furrowing his eyebrows as he concentrated fully on the cards in front of him. Din’s shoulders tensed up under your grip as he studied his own cards. You could feel the tension between he two players growing continuously. 

Glances were exchanged, in hopes of trying to read the other’s mind. Could they maybe have better cards? “I know I’ve won,” Han said, confidently. It was probably a part of his strategy, trying to make Din slip up and maybe draw more cards that could possibly be a disadvantage. 

“Do you?” Din asked in return, leaning forward a bit. “I think you’re trying to fool me, smuggler.” The tension was rising between them, your hands getting a tighter grip on your partner’s shoulders. 

Leia was already making a step forward to maybe interfere with this game before it could get out of hand. But Han motioned for her to stand back, for now.

“And I think you’re trying to look tough with those cards on your hands.” Han’s mouth formed into yet another grin as he leaned forward as well. Din’s heartbeat rose, a sign of his growing ambition to win this game. Had it been a good idea to let these two play a card game together?

“Just like you’re trying to look tough by switching up your cards with the ones in your sleeve.” 

You raised your eyebrows at the pilot in the seat across from you. Han’s cheeks turned a deep shade of red. “You-” he started, but an angry stare from his fiancé was enough. 

“How?” 

It was all Han asked after that. He wasn’t embarrassed about his attempt at cheating, they didn’t actually play for money, but his ego was still a bit hurt. The Mandalorian was the first person to look past his tricks.

“Let’s just say I’ve got an eye for that,” Din shrugged confidently, slowly getting up again. “Maybe you should try to act less confident next time. It’s kind of like carrying a sign that says ‘I cheat’ around everywhere you go.”

Han let out another chuckle, clearly amused but also impressed by how well Din had been able to identify his tricks. 

“Well done. A drink?” Han suggested, handing out the drinks he had already made earlier. Din wasn’t able to drink it now of course, but he would gladly do it when they were in their own room – the guest room. 

Din was slowly removing his armour, eventually placing his helmet down on the windowsill in your room. He let a hand run through his messy curls before facing you with a smile. “I was surprised your friend took that loss so well,” he chuckled, sitting down on the edge of the bed. 

“Me too. He’s usually quite bad at that. But… how did you know he was cheating?” You had been watching Han closely as well, but you had no idea what he had done with the cards. 

You walked over to the Mandalorian as he parted his legs for you to stand between them. His hands found your hips, giving them a small squeeze before he tilted his head further up, his brown eyes searching for yours. “I didn’t. I just figured he would. Seemed to confident,” he explained and an amused smile appeared on his face.

Din knew people like Han too well not to notice something might be wrong. Even if there was no real evidence at first.

You were impressed, truly. But you still had a question left. “How did you know about the sleeve then?”

“Common smuggler trick. I can show it to you if you want,” he shrugged, placing a soft kiss on your chin. “Even though I doubt I can pull it off. I’m not a smuggler after all.”

“No, you definitely aren’t,” you chuckled, hands finding their way into his curls. “You’re something a lot better. You’re mine.”

Then you kissed the Mandalorian, passionetely.

Maybe also as a reward for his sabacc win.

[ahthefreedomofbeingbacteria]

Random SWTCW idea

In the episode The Deserter I honestly don't know what Obi-Wan is doing there. The conflict between him and Grievous is really static in this ep and really only serves to get Rex injured + justify the appearance of the droids that invade Cut's home. Rex's dynamic with Cut is interesting, and his view into what life could be like if he chose to leave his forced position as a soldier + captain in the republic is a cool question that I wish came up more in his story as a whole. But the Obi-Wan + Grievous side plot is boring as hell and doesn't contribute anything to the ep tbh.

Which is why I think it would have been much cooler if Obi-Wan had also gotten injured (either on planet or in the previous episode) and the focus of the episode was on Cody taking command of the 212th and hunting down Grievous. Largely i think it would be cool to see how Cody would operate sans Jedi, what his strategies are like compared to Obi-Wan's or Rex's, what his relationship with his men is like, etc.

I also think it would be a good opportunity for Cody to get a win after Geonosis. Obviously in show he doesn't really express any feelings of doubt after that arc but realistically his ground invasion was the one that suffered the most because of circumstances largely outside his ability to control, and he lost a lot of men because of that. This episode could have him repeat that kind of thing with Obi-Wan and Rex being out of commission, no idea where Grievous is and seemingly little information available about the planet. But throughout the episode he could come face to face with that past failure and regain confidence in his skills as a leader and commander.

Also I think Cody should get to fight Grievous in a lightsaber battle and beat his ass so bad that four armed TB man needs a wholeass ship to make it out alive. Idk maybe after Geonosis him and Obi-Wan were like "hmm maybe we should have a backup plan if our only laser sword wielder tm gets taken out" or maybe he picks it up for the 103838029183 time and just goes fuck it. Either way lightsaber wielding Cody supremacy

[ospreyeamon]

RotS deleted scenes: trust and paranoia

Rewatching Padmé and the Delegation of Two Thousand’s deleted scenes from Revenge of the Sith has illuminated a couple of parallels between Padmé and Anakin’s relationships with Palpatine, and the Jedi Order and Republic Senate’s mutual mistrust.

“I can’t believe it has come to this. Chancellor Palpatine is one of my oldest advisors. He served as my ambassador when I was queen.” Padmé Amidala “Senator, I fear you underestimate the amount of corruption that has taken hold in the Senate.” Giddean Dani

Padmé is far more friendly towards Palpatine than I had remembered her as being. Even this late in the game, she really doesn’t want to believe the worst of him. She doesn’t want to believe Palpatine will need to be forced to do the right thing – that he is a bad actor, rather than a well-intended person making mistakes.

Padmé was probably introduced to Palpatine during her time in the Youth Legislature – before she was elected Princess of Theed at nine – so she first met Palpatine at a similarly young age to Anakin. They have both known Palpatine more than half their lives. He was one of the few people Padmé and Anakin already knew on Coruscant when they moved there. Padmé left her family behind on Naboo when she became Senator and, as he had served in her position for many years before her, Palpatine would have been a natural person for her to look to for guidance. To become, if not a political father-figure, then at least a surrogate uncle.

So, the way Padmé relates to Palpatine probably has similarities to the way Anakin relates to him. A reliable fixture of their lives. Not someone they meet every day or every week – more like every month or three – but someone who will reach out if they haven’t met up in a while to invite them out with him. Someone who always stops to greet them and have a little chat if they run into each other unexpectedly. Someone who openly expresses how fond of them he is; someone who doesn’t hide that he worries about their wellbeing. It’s Palpatine who successfully persuades Padmé to go into hiding after the assassination attempts against her in Attack of the Clones by making a personal appeal rooted in his affection for her.

Both Padmé and Anakin’s initial reaction to discovering Palpatine’s duplicity is to turn on him. The first thing Anakin does after Palpatine reveals himself as the Sith Master – reveals himself as having deliberately orchestrated the Clone Wars – is run to the Jedi Council and tell Mace Windu. After Order 66, when Palpatine makes his proclamation of empire, Padmé realises that anyone in the Senate to vote against it will be the next to be purged saving future rebel leaders like Bail Organa and Mon Mothma.

Padmé and Anakin’s revelation that turns them against Palpatine is that the person they believed was their friend was a mask who never really existed at all. That it was all a lie, that they were played right from the beginning. It’s only after Padmé is dead and Anakin has lost everything that his loyalty reattaches itself to Palpatine, now Anakin’s sole close relationship.

“I know a Jedi that I feel we should consult.” Padmé Amidala “That would be dangerous.” Bana Breemu “We don’t know how the Jedi fit in to all this.” Mon Mothma “I only wish to discuss this with one – one I trust.” Padmé Amidala “Going against the Chancellor without the support of the Jedi is risky.” Giddean Dani “The Jedi are not any happier with this situation than we are.” Padmé Amidala “Patience, Senator.” Chi Eekway Papanoida “We have so many Senators on our side, surely that will persuade the Chancellor.” Fang Zar “When we present the Petition of the Two Thousand to the Chancellor, things may change.” Bana Breemu “Well then, let us see what we can accomplish in the Senate before we include the Jedi.” Bail Organa

This snippet of conversation between the leaders of the Delegation of Two Thousand mirrors the scene with the Jedi Council discussing what to do about Palpatine. Giddean Dani’s line about the danger of going against Palpatine without the support of the Jedi is one I find particularly telling, especially coming after Bana Breemu’s and Mon Mothma’s. There are two reasons why it would be risky to make a play against Palpatine without gouging the support of the Jedi Order. One is the risk that the Delegation might not have sufficient clout to successfully pressure Palpatine without the Order’s additional support. The other is the risk that the Order might side with Palpatine.

While Palpatine’s relationship with the Jedi Council chills considerably between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, in Attack of the Clones it is very cosy. Palpatine regularly inviting the Jedi Council into his offices to confer with them and ask for their advice; Palpatine giving the command of the Grand Army of the Republic to the Jedi Order; Palpatine publicly defending the Jedi against rumours circulating about them (in a way that adds fuel to those rumours). One reason Palpatine does these things is to persuade the Jedi Council that he trusts them; believing that somebody trusts you makes you more likely to think they are trustworthy in turn. Another reason is to cement the image of the Jedi Order as a bastion of his support.

It works. The Delegation of Two Thousand keeps their plans secret from the Jedi because they aren’t sure that the Jedi aren’t Palpatine’s trusting followers, who will report their intentions to him rather than support the Delegation’s attempt to shame him out of power. The Jedi Council mistrusts the Senate which they perceive as being under Palpatine’s thumb and make no effort to test those waters for potential allies against him. Notable Senators in the Delegation are members of the Chancellor's Loyalist Committee – he has played the same trick with them. Palpatine keeps his enemies divided and divided they fail.

Even Anakin and Padmé being married to each other isn’t enough to break the barrier of mistrust, and they aren’t the only Jedi-Senator pair keeping secrets. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Bail Organa may be friends, but we never see them even consider reaching out to each other. Maybe Bail suggested it offscreen and was, like Padmé, talked down. Maybe Bail was genuinely unsure where Obi-Wan’s political loyalties lay; his old Padawan and best-friend sees no problems with Palpatine becoming Supreme Chancellor For Life. Maybe Obi-Wan departed for Utapau before Bail considered approaching him.

The smog of paranoia weighing over Coruscant is so thick it effects relationships between characters of the same faction. “If what you've told me is true, you will have gained my trust” is an odd line because it is said by Mace right as he is embarking on a course of action that demonstrates considerable faith in Anakin. You don’t burst into your head of state’s office to arrest him on the word of one guy if you don’t trust that one guy’s word. But I don’t think Mace implying that he doesn’t trust Anakin while making a choice which shows that he does trust Anakin is a writing mistake; I think it is a symptom of the suspicious mindset that has suffused through the cast.

[maeve-on-mustafar]

Anakin + Aayla

So, the Star Wars: Republic comics (now considered Legends) had a lot of great moments, including the Padawan Pack's last stand on Jabiim and Anakin's desperate attempts to find Obi-Wan when everyone else believed Obi-Wan was dead.

But a really cool element that I don't think a lot of people realize is this comic series contains one of the first (possibly the first?) significant interactions between Anakin and Aayla.

First, let's set the scene: Anakin, Obi-Wan, Aayla, and a bunch of other Jedi are on Kamino, prepping for an attack on the Republic cloning facility.

First, I absolutely adore this moment between Anakin and Obi-Wan. I think it's a good glimpse into some of the tension in their relationship during this time. You have Anakin being kind of weird and unconventional for a Jedi, trying to do his moving mediation outside and in the rain.

In response, Obi-Wan is a little bit exasperated--you definitely get a sense of impatience from him for Anakin's quirks, and that he doesn't like that Anakin strays from convention, just like how he didn't like that Qui-Gon strayed from convention. He's also not willing to coddle or comfort Anakin. He tells him to get it together, stop worrying, and focus on the upcoming battle, and doesn't hesitate to include a little bit of critique in his instructions.

Enter Aayla. I really enjoy her presentation here. She's kind and friendly, and though you get a sense of some formality in their relationship, as Anakin doesn't use her first name when he replies to her, she doesn't hesitate to take a moment to sit down and have an earnest discussion with him. Also, unlike Obi-Wan, she doesn't mind Anakin's unconventional meditation methods, even commiserating with him about using the same style.

(Sidenote: I have no idea how old Aayla is supposed to be here if she was Quinlan's Padawan and Quinlan was friends with Obi-Wan and around the same age as him. Possibly mid to late twenties? Someone let me know if there's a timeline I'm unaware of.)

I also really enjoy how Anakin interacts with Aayla. It 's very platonic, given that he's already married to Padme at this point, but you also get a sense that Anakin respects her and doesn't hesitate to confide in her or explain his different meditation style to her. When she asks what the problem is, he tells her without hesitation, signaling that he trusts her. When she succeeds in fixing the droid where he failed, he genuinely smiles and compliments her and seeks out her advice. Even when frustrated with himself, Anakin is fine with Aayla knowing more than him, and he wants to know her strategy so he can emulate her. And Aayla doesn't hesitate to clue him in.

One of the reasons I love the Republic comics so much is that they're filled with little character-building moments like these. And I really appreciate this interaction between Anakin and Aayla because there's a true sense of warmth and companionship between the two of them that's frequently lacking when it comes to Anakin and a lot of the older Jedi in the Order.

Later, Obi-Wan decides Anakin is too distracted to participate in the battle and refuses to allow him a starfighter despite Anakin's considerable piloting talents. Anakin protests, but Obi-Wan won't relent. Anakin exits, and Quinlan, present via hologram, offers a sympathetic ear. Obi-Wan responds by listing off Anakin's flaws without a single positive attribute to counter them.

That's something I think people forget about AOTC-era Obi-Wan. He was very aware of Anakin's flaws and didn't hesitate to ever discuss them. In AOTC, he tells Yoda and Mace Windu that Anakin is arrogant and not ready for his first solo mission, and it's Mace Windu who defends Anakin. Here, Obi-Wan offers Quinlan a laundry list of everything he thinks is wrong with Anakin, and notably includes "he rarely ever talks" among them. But what he doesn't seem to register is that Anakin was trying to talk to him earlier, and Obi-Wan didn't want to listen.

A recurring point of tension in Anakin and Obi-Wan's relationship, both in Legends and canon, is the unusual and unorthodox way in which they were thrown together as Padawan and Master. The truth is that Obi-Wan only took Anakin as his Padawan because of Qui-Gon's final request, and he says at much to Yoda at the end of the movie. It's not "I think Anakin could be a great Jedi" or "I want Anakin to have a home and a life beyond slavery." It's only "I gave Qui-Gon my word" and nothing besides that.

It's Qui-Gon who's important to Obi-Wan here. Not Anakin. That comes later.

And I really like that both Anakin and Obi-Wan think about this unique aspect of their relationship as Jedi. Anakin knows that Obi-Wan didn't choose him and initially didn't even think Anakin should be a Jedi. Anakin was in the room when Obi-Wan in TPM told Qui-Gon that "the boy is dangerous", and it's a recurring insecurity of Anakin's throughout both canon and Legends that Obi-Wan doesn't actually want him as a Padawan and probably wouldn't have selected Anakin if he'd been permitted a choice. It's common to mischaracterize Anakin as having an ego problem, but in Legends, when Obi-Wan admits that having Anakin as a Padawan has been good for him, Anakin is left speechless at the revelation.

But what I find most interesting is that in this comic, it's not that Obi-Wan doesn't want Anakin as a student, it's that he has an insecurity of his own. Quinlan helps him to realize that it's not about Obi-Wan not trusting Anakin. It's about Obi-Wan not trusting himself to be Anakin's teacher.

And that's why I love these two little moments between Anakin and Aayla and Quinlan and Obi-Wan. They're not monumental, they're not action-packed, but they're two instances of self-realization and character-building. It's often been said that the Jedi are a family, but personally, I've never gotten that vibe from the films. But with these panels, I completely believe it. Aayla wants to be there for Anakin, and Anakin wants to hear her advice. Quinlan wants to be there for Obi-Wan and encourage him to trust Anakin, and Obi-Wan takes his words to heart.

They're willing to be vulnerable and affectionate with each other in these comics, and up until Obi-Wan and Anakin's final goodbye in ROTS, that was not something that happened in the films. And its absence is very, very noticeable, so scenes like this one are incredibly refreshing.

Even though the Republic comics are from a different era, I really appreciate how they humanized the Jedi and gave them genuine personalities--and in particular, I appreciate that they laid the groundwork for current fandom's Anakin & Aayla friendship fanon.

[battlekilt]

Your interpretation of Cody and Obi-wans relationship in parallel to Obi-wan and Anakins was something that never really crossed my mind. But now that you say it, it really is a fascinating view on them. I'd read a whole book about it.

In response to this post.

Funny you should say that, Anon. I am currently in the process of writing a rather sizable chunk of a fic, for the purposes of having a lot of it written before it starts going up, and the dynamic between these three are a key element. Though, I have a blorbo—Rex is the main character. These three? Though? They contain some of the most important relationships in his life, so that will be explored, a lot. Especially since the three of them play a large part in what drives the narrative.

I am glad you feel that way, specifically.

No matter what, Cody is, like all Clones, an incredibly young man. Even if we somehow set aside the fact that he was 'born' the year Obi-Wan became Anakin's master, which I don't think is entirely honest to wholly do, and focus on his physical development...

Cody is 'twenty-years' old when he meets Obi-Wan. Cody is functionally, in comparison, a 4-star General.

Let me elaborate further:

In the US Military, there are currently 17 active 4-Star Generals.

To quote Wiki:

There are currently 44 active-duty four-star officers in the uniformed services of the United States: 17 in the Army*, three in the Marine Corps, eight in the Navy, 11 in the Air Force*, two in the Space Force***, two in the Coast Guard, and one in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. ARMY** and AF** are bold because it fits the scope of the 3rd System Army, with the 7th Sky Corps is nested within the System Army. Which, fits with the allegorical theme of the GAR being based on the US Military. The Air Force was a nested tactical corps within the US ARMY from its inception in 1933-35 (ask a military historian which date and start an argument), and became a separate and equal element in 1947.

One remarkable note is that the US Army has the most 4-star positions that it has had since WWII. But, I digress.

Much like the US Military is divided regionally, the GAR is divided into the major galactic sectors. Nearly all are under the command of a member of the Jedi High Council, and there were a 1–2 Admirals that were given command for brief periods. All were served by the highest rank achievable by a Clone—Marshal Commander.

That's our sunshine boy. One of the most powerful 12–15 Clones in the whole Grand Army of the Republic.

Under Cody's command, because let's be real, Obi-Wan is there to provide legitimacy, vibe-checks, and familiarity with the galaxy that Cody would not have—having grown up on an isolated world barely connected to the GFFA, there are 250,000 Clone Troopers, with a support personnel corps at about 4x–7x per Clone Trooper, and this is aside from Naval staff and any civilian personnel.

This puts the 3rd System at:

Low: 1,769,472 High: 2,359,296

Let's put this more in perspective.

The current US Military, combined:

Active Duty: 1.4M Total: 2.2M

Alone, the 3rd has more Clones than the Army Reserve, as of 2021. However, in total, would have more personal than the Active Duty on the low estimate, and the total (active+reserve) is still under the highest estimate for the 3rd System Army.

Cody's command is... massive. While I understand that this fits with the galactic scale, that is still... a lot for one person. Yes, I am going to stand by my assessment that Cody would have the most military responsibilities, even in comparison to Obi-Wan. General Kenobi does not have the training that Cody has been given.

Now, let's go into Training VS Experience. Training is the education received: NEARLY all US officers are required to have a higher education—a bachelors degree or above.

(Admittedly, this does get complicated).

To my knowledge, most have all been taught at one of the military schools—West Point, Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, etc. There are some senior military colleges that are also secondary higher academies that some O-10s may have come from. Sorry, I didn't get too far down this one. While there may be exceptions, for the most part... this is going to be typical.

Generals typically have over 20 years of military experience.

30 years.

Developmentally, Cody is a twenty-year-old. 20. 10 * 2. Half of 40.

The lowest commissioned rank in the Army is 2nd Lt. Statically, the average age for all commissioned officers is, on average, in their forties, though a good number of our 2LTs are in their thirties.

Generals are typically in their forties.

This means that Cody is younger than... any officer.

Experience? Life Experience? Outside of education, drills and simulations? None. According to Legends, the Kaminoans barely allowed the RepComm trainers to ever use LiveAmmo. Though, it would be reasonable that by the time Cody would have entered ARC training, he would have been exposed to life-fire practice.

No matter how hard his training was, it was not the same as life-experience in the field. This is where Obi-Wan, one of the few Jedi Masters who has worked with military operations with ANY comfort—which was still very little, really lends himself to his XO.

The Kaminoans are professionals at creating and building... well, professional militaries. They had the help of Jango Fett and other Mandalorian trainers to augment their training. However, for the most part, the Clones were trained using the methodology and educational paradigm the Kaminoans created—though, never on the same scale. This was pure professional military education on an industrial level.

Cody?

Cody may have more training and knowledge than most four-star generals will have in their lifetime, all with the benefit of a wikipedia style swath of information, modern technology to impart that knowledge, and some pretty extensive stimulation. But, what is under Cody's pretty-little-military-cut head? All of it is knowledge that surpasses what most Generals will EVER dream, even if they just stayed in military education.

However.

He is a ten-year-old in a twenty-year-old's body with the brain of AT LEAST two-life-times of military experience.

Impressive, huh?

But, Cody is still... not like you or I.

At the time of Cody's training, it is highly unlikely they left the Kaminoan starsystem. If they did, they did not engage with the galaxy at large. This is a bit like growing up Tatooine.

On the edge of the galaxy, with only the stars to stare up at.

Anakin grew up in a sea of sand. Cody grew up in a... world of seas.

Cody's life experience, the life experience you and I would take for granted, is nonexistent. He could lead an army better than our best Generals could hope for. But, what else has he known?

My parallels are that Obi-Wan purposefully encouraged Anakin to be a sassy menace. He wanted to break that slave-mentality. Luckily, Anakin already showed that he could become a spitfire, even when he was sweet little Ani.

Similarly, I characterize that Obi-Wan did the same for Cody.

Anakin's shackles were the explosive in his body, the ferocity of how slave culture was brutally enforced—fear. However, Anakin knew that he was a slave, and he knew enough of something more.

Cody's shackles are the indoctrination he received from the time of his birth. Unfortunately for fandom at large, Cody is... a much more obedient military man that I think many want to see him. Based on remnants of Legends and the retained canon, no Marshal Commander would be in their position were they not... very obedient—to militant POVs. In fact, in the Disney comics, Cody has... a rather brutal attitude towards deserters—

BTW, in a military, desertion is one of the worst offensive that could be committed against a soldier's oath, that which they swore themselves to... but more importantly... their fellow soldiers.

In contrast, Wolffe is much more forgiving, and advocates for their re-assimilation in the GAR; Cody... disagrees with the fact that the deserters are still alive, and believes they should still be executed by a firing squad.

In season 1, Slick—for whatever reason—becomes a rare voice to call out the circumstances of the Clones. Not only do Rex and Cody recoil at a brother betraying the GAR, the Jedi, and of course... the killing of brothers, but they also scoff at his assertion that they are slaves.

Cut becomes a critical introduction to the slow character development we see Rex go through; Cody unlikely goes through the same because that's just how stories like this work. Just the simple act of asking the questions he gave to Rex set the stage for what happened on Umbara, and even then, Rex struggled to show defiance.

BTW, Fives's actions are fulfilling the duties of an (active) ARC. They are supposed to be more independent, whereas a command-class Clone like Rex may be a trained ARC, but his duties as a CC**** would mean that his prime directive is the cohesion of the command, and to assist in the joint operation between the Clones and the Jedi.

Fast-forward to Order 66 and Cody doesn't hesitate. Yes, it is the chip. However, that was not how ROTS was scripted or filmed. I know this is getting Doylist, but it is relevant. At that time, the Clones knew what was going to happen. They knew that they would eventually turn on the Jedi. Through the story of TCW08, it changes to a Manchurian Candidate concept, and eventually evolves the story of the chips that we know today. As the Doylist context changed, it remains that Cody acted without any pause. This is in line because the highest priority Cody held was always loyalty to the Republic. Loyalty to the REPUBLIC—Not the Jedi, not his brothers, not General Kenobi. Just. The. Republic. A traitor to the Republic is worst than the Separatists.

When the order went out, Cody's brain heard:

Obi-Wan friend. Obi-Wan betrayed Republic. Kill General Kenobi. He is no friend to the Republic—thus—to Cody.

Makes sense to him, especially at the moment. This is conditioning. This is indoctrination. This is militantism in action. The chip wasn't really necessary... it was for the sake of the audience who didn't want to believe that the men we began to care about would ever do this 'willfully,' even though all that mental conditioning and indoctrination would mean that they didn't have a choice... even if they didn't have the chip.

Obviously, by the time you get to TBB, when some Clones begin to question that Manchurian voice in their head, Cody's rationale returns, and so does his critical thinking. We have Cody, a Clone depicted in recent comics with a militant intolerance towards desertion, going AWOL from the Empire—that is HUGE. Was this his fall from grace? His fall to what was his darkside? From one angle, yes. However, it was a fallback into grace, and I like to think that it goes back to two people: Obi-Wan and Rex. We'll continue to focus on Obi-Wan, though.

I like to think that it was the seeds of the Jedi finally germinated, and it was Obi-Wan that planted them within his dear Clone Commander.

Obi-Wan being a one former menace himself—you know, a young man who thought tying two lightsabers to the ends of a rope was a good idea—got himself stuffed into one of the dreaded Jedi Council armchairs. Great, now he HAS to be responsible.

Cody and Anakin are, in many ways, parallels, just not direct. They are often inversions of each other, and together they make a great foil for Obi-Wan in general.

The idea that Obi-Wan saw this INCREDIBLY accomplished, intelligent, "gifted-child" of a Clone Commander and thought... "How do I get him to be a menace?"

I love it. I feel like it is just the thing someone like Obi-Wan Kenobi would do. It makes sense that Obi-Wan would want to help Cody grow beyond the very narrow—but extensive—field of knowledge, all for the express purpose of watching the young man develop into a more rounded individual.

It is also very, very Jedi. It was always the Jedi that were the sole friends of the Clones. So, it makes sense to me that the Jedi would advocate for this sort of well-rounded development. And the Clones? They would sorely need that kind of encouragement.

The Clones were never supposed to have names. They Clones were not individuals. It was the Jedi who told them to paint their units colors. It was the Jedi who TOLD him to pick out names. In Legends, and I think it fits with the remaining printed canon, Cody was actually very apprehensive and skeptical about how much of a good idea it was for the Clones TO develop individuality.

Cody was not bred for the specific purpose of his role—not even for being a CC. (Sorry, fanon)

He was just another Clone. Maybe he got nurtured and natured into a better candidate for a command-class Clone, but in the end? He was randomly chosen. As clarified in recent apocrypha, Cody was just a Clone Captain in the 91st when Obi-Wan found him and was impressed by him.

What made "Just A Clone Captain Cody" stand-out to Obi-Wan? There's plenty of theories that can arise.

In my lore, Alpha-17 recommended Obi-Wan go check out "#2224 in Windu's battalion."

From Captain to Marshal Commander? AHHHH. Someone send help.

Imagine the fine-lined walked poor young Obi-Wan had with Anakin: a former rebellious ginger-child himself, he became a well-behaved rule minder under Qui-Gon. Now he has this older Padawan, who is also a former slave of one of the harshest slave planets we know of. He has to get Anakin to be self-expressive, learn how to act on his own self-agency—AND—he has to also... try and help Anakin assimilate into the Jedi Order.

Take Cody: ten years old, looks twenty, has the knowledge of several lifetimes lived by career military men, who has seen very little of the galaxy.

Keep in mind, Obi-Wan met Jango Fett. He knew just what kind of attitude could lurk under that stony face so like the others, even if he said, "Yes, sir," without hesitation, and followed his orders faithfully.

I don't think Obi-Wan would be able to help himself. It is part of the Jedi Culture to be a positive presence. Unlike Anakin did with the 501st, Obi-Wan purposefully kept himself removed from most Clones; his empathy made it too difficult to ensure their suffering and death, so distance kept him remotely functional. The only two Clones Obi-Wan accepted as friends had been Cody and Rex. Obviously, Rex is an Anakin problem. But, Cody? His young, cloned, new friend? Right there. Right there. That... Jedi compulsion, that ITCH they get, it would gnaw at him. He can't help many others.

The same could have been said for Anakin, who was just freed, but had nowhere else to go—little Ani had no one else. Obi-Wan didn't have the same responsibilities as a fresh Knight as he would as a Jedi Master. He could risk everything and leave the Order to train Anakin if the Jedi won't matriculate him. He risked everything to help this one little boy. Later? He wants to risk everything, again. But now, his everything doesn't belong to him anymore—not even enough to consider leaving the Order. Every Clone death is another slice across him, and even a thousand papercuts will get'cha.

But, he wants to help. He would want to help beyond vibe-checks, lightsaber wielding, crazy feats of Force-enchanted bravery.

He would want to help a person—Cody, the clone so often by his side—become a PERSON in his own right. A young man that everyone else has forgotten IS a young man. I doubt Obi-Wan would ever forget that, like he never forgot that Anakin was a young man.

So, there is that itch. That... Jedi need to just... reach out and help make the galaxy a better place for others. One Clone. Is that too much to ask? Can he be allowed to be a mentor for ONE Clone? If he helped this Clone become more than a faceless soldier, if he helped this Clone have more growth and life experience than just what he was given on Kamino, maybe... Maybe Obi-Wan can imagine that there will be a life after the war. To do that, he wants to help his new friend become a full person—in the hopes of the After the War.

Obi-Wan cannot save everyone. He cannot help everyone.

But maybe...

Maybe, JUST maybe, he can help this one Clone become more of a person, and far... far less of just another number.

Slavery is a hell of a thing, and it comes in many forms. But another face of slavery is indoctrination, which is ultimately the stripping away personhood, so they can be utilized as a tool—sound familiar? Yeah, me too.

I think, Obi-Wan would recognize this about the two young men he cares about. Yes, even Rex, but... this post is about Cody and Anakin.

I went on more about Cody than Anakin because... there's a lot of wonderful meta about Anakin, and I'm not confident enough to try and fill the same niche. I also have so much I could say about how I envision Anakin and Cody get along, and how it might be through Obi-Wan's eyes. I'll just say this: he thinks both his overgrown students are hilarious together, and his tickles him... Ginger. ;)

Anyway, I hope this post finds you, anon, and you get anything from it. At the time of this post, I only have one posted fic. While it doesn't go as deep into this meta, there are some elements in it to get a taste of this characterization/meta. When the bigger version of the AU goes up—who knows. It is currently at 270K+.

Thank you for the engagement!

EDIT: There are MORE points of comparison that I just... couldn't get to. Such as the earliest characterization notes we were given about Cody, right after ROTS came out. (Overly cautious, anxious, but highly competent—I love me some anxiety-riddled people with excess competency. My "Imposter Syndrome" Cody isn't going anywhere, and it helps him lineup with Anakin.)

Side-notes and additional commentary under the cut.

***We don't acknowledge "space force" in this house.

**** Yeah, no, Rex is a CC. I'll fite over this. He is labelled in far more apocrypha as a CC, and it just gets way too complicated to label him a CT when he is in a command-class position. This is one area of new canon I'm just... gonna ignore. I hc that Krell was being a jackass to Rex.

Note: Rex was always a CC until the Umbara episodes. When he was called CT-7567... it was a script terror. I'm ignoring that retcon. There's even books printed as late as 2021 that list him as CC.

[radiosummons]

It's been so long since I’ve watched the Clone Wars movie that I completely forgot that a major plot point is that Anakin (also Ahsoka, but mostly Anakin) was tasked with keeping Jabba the Hutt's son, Rotta, safe/alive.

And like ... wow, that's actually super fucked up. Like S-tier levels of fucked up. Congratulations. The writers really did put Anakin in a situation where he had no choice but to actually protect the child of a being who was directly responsible for his family’s suffering (as well as that of everyone on Tattooine, but this is Anakin-we all know he only cares about his special circle of people more than he ever will the “greater whole”). 

And Anakin’s immediate disgust, while confusing and probably even downright unfathomable to Ahsoka in the moment, is so absolutely justified. He knows that Rotta is going to live and grow into an adult that basks in absolute luxury at the expense of slaves. 

You just have to know that it absolutely infuriates him that his duty as a Jedi and, by extension, citizen of the Republic has put him into this position. He can’t even object to his responsibility to carry out this mission (although he initially tries). 

Now, obviously, I’m not saying Anakin should have abandoned Rotta, refused to protect him, or force forbid actually tried to harm/kill him (though, I could totally believe Anakin had a brief moment where he might have even seriously considered or fantasized about doing any of those). Regardless of how unjust and fucked up it is that Rotta is going to continue to benefit from his father/the Hutt Clans’ brutal supremacy, he’s still, well ... a child.

And no Jedi would willingly ever bring harm to a child, right? *cough cough*

I can only wonder what was going through Anakin’s head as he watched this random ignorant padawan he only just met an hour ago pick up Rotta and then proceed to call him “cute.” Like ... can you even imagine the sheer amount of conflicted emotions he must have experienced in that moment? 

And the fact that Palpatine directly orchestrated all this whole other level of sick fucking shit just to force Anakin specifically into this kind of fucked up situation ... bruh. Mister Sidious just couldn’t resist an opportunity to bring even more pain and suffering into Anakin’s life, especially when it had the added benefit of sowing more discontentment/doubt into his already shaky relationship with his own personal morals as well as his relationship with the Jedi Code. 

Fuck, what an actual maniacle bullshit fucked up thing to do. Creating a situation where Anakin has no choice but to actively protect an innocent life (a noble and moral thing to do), but with the full knowledge that this innocent being will only later grow to contribute to the cycle of abuse and trauma that he himself has been scarred by (and has already committed great atrocities in direct response to) ... brilliant.

Sith Lord in fucking deed.

(Also, don’t let this post fool you into rewatching the movie. There’s small gem moments in it, sure. Meeting Ahsoka, Captain Rex and Ventress for the first time are some highlights, of course. And maybe a few other mini moments between Anakin and Ahsoka as they start to sorta bond. But like ... you can just find some Youtube compilations of those moments. Don’t force yourself to watch the movie. It’s not horrible, but it’s definitely not up to the quality of the show and uh, yeah. Not worth your time imo).

Update: Sorry for reposting this again. Grammar mistakes and typos were driving me insane.

[rebelsofshield]

Star Wars Ahsoka: "Time to Fly" - Review

Ahsoka and Sabine begin their mission and the series starts to find its footing in an improved, if not great, third chapter.

As Hera Syndulla reaches out to New Republic leadership for help, Ahsoka and Sabine set out for the mysterious world of Seatos. However, they find much more than they expected upon arrival.

Finally, things are starting to come into shape. "Time to Fly" doesn't exactly solve the many issues that plagued Ahsoka's two part premiere, but it takes some decent strides towards getting back on course. Despite it's remarkably short runtime, Dave Filoni manages to accomplish a decent amount in "Time to Fly" delivering some much needed exposition and character study and an entertainingly unique action sequence.

While it may be a strange thing to be thankful for, I'm very glad that such a large portion of this chapter is spent simply letting Ahsoka, Sabine, and Huyang interact with one another. Sure, Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka is still too detached and mysterious to make much of, but we are finally starting to understand the ins and outs of her mentoring of Sabine Wren. Unlike the premiere where both women were defined mostly by quiet frustration, we begin to see a more fruitful, fluid, and dynamic relationship between both characters here. Ahsoka wonders aloud if she's a quitter and too eager to abandon her callings. Sabine struggles to live up to the steep expectations that come with being a Jedi. We are still missing the origins of this dynamic and Ahsoka's rationale for wanting to change a non-Force Sensitive in the Jedi arts to begin with, but "Time to Fly" at least lets us understand a bit more why this is a dynamic worth following. And even if Dawson's performance is still failing to land, Bordizzo seems to be settling into Sabine while creating her own spin on the character.

There's also some welcome clarification on the state of the larger galaxy in "Time to Fly" as Hera Syndulla approaches members of the New Republic with concerns about Grand Admiral Thrawn's return. Intentionally or not, Ahsoka seems to put the audience in the position of the skeptic here. While Hera is one of the show's heroines and a beloved character to franchise fans, viewers who are new to all of this have no context as to why they should care about Thrawn's return or about Hera's desire to rescue Ezra Bridger. We may understand that Hera wants this, but viewers haven't exactly been given reason to stand by her side during her debate with Mon Mothma and Kazuda Xiono's asshole dad. It's a bizarre moment of narrative dissonance and if intentional, could be an interesting move in the long run. I'm not inclined to give that level of credit, but it still makes for an interesting sequence

Also Jacen is here. He still has green hair. He looks a little less like a horrific mash up of a Rugrats character and a head of broccoli.

The highlight of "Time to Fly" is undoubtedly the extended dogfight that takes place above and in the skies of Seatos. The initial reveal of an ornate and massive hyperspace ring is a fun spin on Star Wars' forever fascination with big secret space objects and I like that for a change it isn't a superweapon. And the dogfight that follows is fun Star Wars spectacle. It may be lacking in any form of true narrative tension, but the execution by director Steph Green and the production team is pretty damn fun. I mean, Ahsoka gets in a space suit and slices at any enemy ships in zero gravity. It's the kind of Star Wars set piece that many fans have dreamed about for years and the results are filled with all of the whirring laserswords and sliced up starfighters that you'd hope for.

And then, "Time to Fly" just kind of stops. Given the episode's short runtime it doesn't really make sense why Dave Filoni didn't write more of a coherent third act to this chapter. It speaks to the clunky serialization of Mandoverse shows that want to be episodic without the actual storytelling chops to do so.

All in all, "Time to Fly" feels remarkably more competent than its predecessors. Sure, this is faint praise, but I do want to see this show succeed. There's some genuine joy and creativity bubbling beneath the surface in Ahsoka and I want to see it break free. Hopefully this is a sign of good things to come.

Score: B

[antianakin]

@theneutralmime

I mean, I DO think Obi-Wan is one of his anchors towards selflessness and compassion because Obi-Wan is, quite literally, Anakin's guide to LEARNING selflessness and compassion and how to apply it in his daily life. Obi-Wan was his guide to understanding mindfulness, he's the one who would've been helping him be more tolerant of other people and behaviors and cultures. That's the whole point of him being Anakin's master.

And if you eliminate Ahsoka and Rex and just look at the main narrative of the films, it's pretty clear that while Padme is the catalyst for Anakin's choices in the end, it's Obi-Wan and Palpatine who represent the different paths available to him. Obi-Wan is the path of selflessness, while Palpatine is the path of selfishness. This is a position Obi-Wan has had in the narrative since 1977. Obi-Wan was the "good father" to Vader's "bad father." Obviously, in this case, the person making the choices was Luke, but you get a very similar set-up in the prequels between Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Palpatine.

So within the narrative, Obi-Wan is absolutely his PRIMARY anchor to balance, selflessness, compassion, and the Jedi way. Right up until he makes the choice to betray all of that, of course. It isn't ENOUGH, and that's the whole tragedy of it. Obi-Wan IS the anchor to balance, but the pull of the Dark side was just stronger, Anakin was too susceptible to it. That doesn't make Obi-Wan NOT an anchor nor does it mean that he was a bad anchor. It just isn't enough until Anakin is willing to make the hard choice. That's the whole parallel in the prequels with the Jedi, too. The Jedi aren't doing a single thing wrong, they're just not ENOUGH without the Republic stepping up to do its part and make the hard choices.

But I maintain that the reason we see Anakin still having moments of kindness and selflessness in AOTC, ROTS, and TCW, the reason Anakin is sometimes capable of mindfulness, the reason he's capable of making the selfless choice in ROTJ AT ALL, is because of Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan BEING that anchor keeps Anakin from falling completely even earlier. Without Obi-Wan having the connection with Anakin that he does, without the strength of it, Anakin would likely have been a Sith by AOTC if not earlier. We literally see Anakin REFUSE to obey Palpatine's orders in order to save Obi-Wan on the Invisible Hand. He puts Palpatine's life in danger for Obi-Wan.

I also tend to maintain that Anakin is often at his best when it's Obi-Wan's life on the line. In Landing at Point Rain, Anakin is capable of recognizing that he can't run off to go save Obi-Wan when his ship crashes because that would mean abandoning his men and not only does he recognize that but he recognizes that Ahsoka is STRUGGLING WITH THE SAME THING and is able to help her understand why he's making this choice. In the Deception arc, the first time he's sent out to arrest "Rako Hardeen" he is clearly upset and he kind-of slams "Hardeen" up against a wall a little, but he also explicitly says that he's choosing NOT to kill Hardeen because he knows Obi-Wan wouldn't have wanted him to. It's Obi-Wan's memory keeping him from doing something dark. He falls apart more later, yes, but this initial moment where he still believes Obi-Wan is dead and is arresting Hardeen in an official capacity still shows that Obi-Wan's training is keeping him MORE stable. Even in the films, if we look at AOTC, he runs off to help Shmi and abandons his duty, he is prepared to jump off of a gunship for Padme, but when Obi-Wan is captured on Geonosis, he has to be CONVINCED into going to save him and is more inclined to obey his orders and stay where he is. While you could potentially view that as him loving Obi-Wan less, you could also view it as his love for Obi-Wan being less toxic, less of an attachment, and more healthy than his love for almost anyone else.

So I think there's pretty sufficient proof in both TCW and the films that his relationship with Obi-Wan ultimately makes Anakin a better person, and the fact that it isn't enough doesn't mean that it didn't have an impact on Anakin at all.

[queer-starwars-bracket]

Queer Star Wars Characters (Round 2): General Bracket Match 18

Lula Talisola | Identity: wlw | Media: The High Republic Phase I

Lula Talisola was a padawan student of the Star Hopper, who was part of a group of Padawans receiving training from Yoda during his sabbatical from the High Council. During the Great Disaster, they helped save the citizens of the planet Trymant from a simultaneous Emergence and Nihil attack. They were helped by Zeen Mrala, who was a member of a cult that didn’t accept Force users. After revealing her powers, she joined the padawans on the Star Hopper as essentially a Jedi auxiliary, receiving training from the padawans and their masters even though she couldn’t become a Jedi. The Jedi of the Star Hopper attempted to capture Kix Kamerat, Zeen’s friend who was quickly rising through the ranks of the Nihil. During that time, Zeen and Lula grew romantically close and only managed to capture Kix due to finding a balance between their love and nonattachment/duty and the Force connection that facilitated. During the Destruction of Starlight Beacon, Lula went missing.

Lula began her journey with the best grades in all areas of being a Jedi, but feeling very uncertain about being able to actually succeed in a real mission. She felt like she couldn’t share her fears with her fellow padawans and masters. Despite that, she slowly gained confidence as she gained field experience. She wasn’t hardened by the horrors of the conflict with the Nihil, and kept Zeen from Force-choking Krix, even though that allowed him to escape. And the end of the comic series, she is offered a knighthood, but rejects it until she can figure out her feelings for Zeen and fully dedicate herself to the Order. She’s Kantam’s Padwan, who was Yoda’s Padawan, making her part of the disaster lineage. 

Ty Yorrick | Identity: bisexual | Media: The High Republic Phase I

Ty Yorrick was once a padawan of the Jedi Order, but left after her friend was possessed by a Dark Side artifact and she was forced to kill him. Over the course of the next decade, she became a monster hunter known as the “Saber for Hire”. Her worked with two droids, the dog-like astromech R0-VR and the fussy admin droid KL-03. She kept a level of distance from both droids, seeing them as tools and like her ship, not deigning to name them. Her relationship with KL-03 was constantly strained, with KL-03 always worrying about the state of their financials and chiding Ty whenever her altruistic instincts hurt their bottom line. Before the events of the Republic Fair on Valo, she used items known as verazeen stones to make decisions like whether to accept a job for her. On one job, she was tailed by a young Segredo named Drewen who appointed himself her apprentice, creating the eager youngster and jaded unwilling mentor buddy dynamic for the events of the Monster of Temple Peak comic miniseries. After the job, they separated, but the frame narrative of The Nameless Terror depicts him finding Ty and inserting himself back into her life.

She was present for the attack on the Republic Fair, having been brought to Valo on a bodyguard job. During that job, she flirted with her employer’s daughter, but knew she couldn’t actually pursue the relationship despite wanting to because of the woman’s position (being bisexual comes from authorial clarification). During the attack on the Fair, she fought alongside the Jedi Elazar Mann, using the Force to control and fight upon the back of a pair of draconic sanvals. Afterwards, since she was already involved, she joined the Jedi in their attack on the Nihil stronghold of Grizal. 

[canichangemyblogname]

I--

Can we, as a fandom, recognize that there is a difference between there being a power imbalance, a respect imbalance, and a trust imbalance between two parties

...and completely stripping the party not in the position of sociopolitical power of any agency and the ability to make decisions?

Is there a sociopolitical power imbalance between the clones and the Jedi? Yes. Were the clones raised to revere the Jedi and unquestionably serve agents of the republic? Yes.

Could a Jedi's position be abused? Sure. I'd argue it's unlikely that most of the Jedi ever would, but it's not impossible. Would a romantic relationship between someone who is essentially an employer and someone who is essentially an employee technically be an abuse of power on the part of the employer? Yah.

But are the clones completely incapable of making decisions?

Absolutely not.

[this-acuteneurosis]

Im also strong camp of "no dont make Ahsoka Anakin's padawan" and i watched the cartoon and loved it. You (and everyone else that does this) makes me so happy to fix this little thing. They can still have their older cranky-protective brother and younger bratty-trusting sister dynamic.

I've got pretty mixed feelings on the subject. I'm not sold that separating them is inherently a "fix it" idea. I don't like that Yoda decided babysitting on a war front was the best way to handle Anakin, but it's always bothered me more from a sloppy writing perspective. I don't think it's wise that either Obi-Wan or Anakin got thrown into having padawans when they were so young and immersed in trauma, but there are really interesting stories that you could tell-- I prefer ones focused on growth and healing--addressing the inherent problems Obi-Wan and Anakin would have faced.

(Oh no, I feel a rant coming on...)

So, like, pros and cons. Obi-Wan and Anakin get padawans young, at a time when they've been only recently separated from their own teacher. On the one hand, people go through natural grieving processes when things change (plus Qui-Gon's death...). On the other hand, having a new person in their life, bound to them, could create a sense of stability. On the one hand, teaching (especially teaching the kinds of things Jedi masters are responsible for teaching their padawans) is a huge responsibility and requires a lot of skill and experience because people learn differently. On the other hand, you have to start learning how to teach sometime, and being put in a position to teach someone else is frequently a Really Good way to make sure you understand something, and even to learn more about it. On the one hand, both Obi-Wan and Anakin have self-confidence/esteem issues (manifesting differently) and that's a heavy burden to carry into any relationship. On the other hand, being allowed to teach is a sign of trust and could build their confidence (especially since Anakin and Ahsoka are so genuine and their praise, and others praising their skills would ring true).

There are a lot of reasons to leave both sets of students and teachers together because "messy" or "risky" isn't the same thing as "bad" in a story.

But like...the PT and Clone Wars were never going to have a happy ending. This was never going to be that story. Obi-Wan was never going to "succeed" as Anakin's teacher any more than Anakin was going to "succeed" as Ahsoka's.

And that doesn't mean there wasn't a story worth telling about Anakin's downfall and how it impacted the people around him. But the reasons I didn't finish The Clone Wars cartoon mostly boil down to me not personally buying into the story they were telling. In spite of the great bits of snappy dialogue, in spite of the strength of some of the plot arcs, I was just...very underwhelmed by some of the choices. And angered by others.

When I think about "fixing" Anakin and Ahsoka's story, I think about fixing the justification of him taking on a padawan. I think, "Let him choose her," because it makes perfect sense that Anakin would see some talented kid at the temple, wanting to fight for the Republic and would think, "Yeah, sure, I'll let her come with me, this is a great idea." This is a great device to drive a wedge between him and the Council/Order (you let Obi-Wan take me on newly knighted, and Ahsoka is older than I was!). This is a great way to get Anakin's kindness and empathy to set himself up for more stress. You could even have Palaptine suggesing Anakin deserves a padawan. It's even a good way to drive a wedge between Anakin and Padmé as she is concerned for Ahsoka's well being and worried that taking a student is Too Much for Anakin just now.

I think about the impact of that choice later, when Ahsoka chooses to leave, to do what Anakin can't, and ends up leaving Anakin. How it adds just a bit more punch to the moment. How it digs a deeper wound (one that Palpatine worsens, as he's way more involved in sabotaging that relationship, like he did with Obi-Wan) and sets up Anakin a little better for believing Obi-Wan or Padmé could betray/abandon him. (But the Chancellor believed in him...)

And when I think about running a "fix-it" that more directly addresses the Order, I think about addressing the insanity that is not having teacher pairs for a new knight and their first padawan.

I think about (how if you're sticking to canon) you show Palpatine manipulating Obi-Wan as much as Anakin to keep both of them isolated and letting Obi-Wan get used to Palpatine in Anakin's life. How Palpatine mentors Obi-Wan, helps him become the famous Negotiator so he can play both sides of the relationship (he's running two sides of a war, this is so within Palpatine's abilities).

Or how (if you want to say screw canon, we're saving these people) more people could be involved when Anakin comes to the Temple. How Obi-Wan's friends could band together to make sure Obi-Wan is okay after his master's death, and how they take Anakin in as a little brother. How No One took Qui-Gon seriously about Anakin being The Chosen One, but a bunch of Council members did look at this kid and went, he's, uh, crazy powerful. Maybe we give Obi-Wan actual backup? Maybe in a Temple that has to have people trained in treating trauma and abuse victims, that probably has complete medical control of its members, we see more mandated therapy.

Maybe the Jedi can't stop padawans from being on the front lines once the war starts, but there is an ongoing fight between the Council and Chancellor as he acquires more emergency powers, because the Order is keeping Anakin away from the major fighting with Ahsoka and Palpatine needs that boy wrecked beyond recognition.

I know that canon, being written backwards, has tried to hand wave some of these ideas into "resolution," but I think they ultimately do the story a disservice. I'm not 100% sold on how RotS portrayed the last lingering breaths of Anakin's Fall, but I think, after several recent rewatches, TPM and AotC were actually a pretty good setup to naturally walk Anakin from feeling safe to betraying people he loved. I'd cut him killing all the tuskens, and have Padmé play more hot and cold with him instead of marrying him. But losing his mother? How that played into the tension in his relationship with Obi-Wan? Walking into movie three and not really showing that Anakin was close to anyone in the Order except Obi-Wan? That worked for the limited time span the movies were restricted to, I think.

Dear mercy, where have we ended up...

Anyway, Ahsoka is great, and I think you could write some really good stories with her as Anakin's padawan. But that was not what DLB wanted, and so here we are.

[ospreyeamon]

voss neutrality

Aka: Voss plays both the Republic and Empire for chumps

Quests on Voss primarily resolve around trying to entice or manipulate Voss into allying with your faction, or thwarting the rival faction’s efforts to do the same. While you can achieve what feel like significant victories to that end – especially as the Consular and the Agent – Voss remains stubbornly neutral. All efforts to sway the Three towards formalising any alliance with one of their suitors are made in vain.

The Three have no genuine interest in aligning with the Republic or Empire. Even without the interference of the Star Cabal they would have no intention of choosing between the factions – the core reason for Albathius’ success in persuading the Three to keep their neutrality for three-thousand days is that it is the course of action they were inclined to take anyway.

Neither the Sith Empire nor the Galactic Republic make attractive allies for Voss. The Empire only became willing to negotiate after their attempt at invasion was scuppered; they’re obviously untrustworthy. Negative cultural flow-on is also a potential concern; that the Mystics’ treatment of Voss soldiers and civilians might become more like Sith treatment of Imperial soldiers and civilians would be a disquieting idea, as would the normalisation of slavery.

As for the Republic, their defeat in the Great Galactic War proved their inability to protect all of their territory and allies; Voss won’t get more than they give in a military pact. Republic figures like Supreme Chancellor Janarus are keen to recruit Voss commandos in order to deploy them away from Voss to where the Republic needs more troops, drawing resources away from the war with the Gormak and – because allying with the Republic would make an enemy of the Empire – defending against a second Sith invasion. The relationship between the Republic and the Jedi Order is also problematic; the Voss are unlikely to be deaf to the things many Jedi – Sallius Wen, Satele Shan, Master Delsa – have to say about the Mystics and the Voss conceptualisation of the Force. The Jedi Order wants to convert the Mystics which, because of the integral role the Mystics play in society, would destroy the Voss way of life.

There is also the matter of the future and what visions from the Mystics the Three are being guided by. Canonically, the next big existential threat to Voss will come from Zakuul and both the Empire and Republic fare poorly against Zakuul’s invasion; making an alliance with one of them before Zakuul shows up won’t help the Voss when that time comes. The external faction Voss will ally with is the Alliance, and the Alliance doesn’t yet exist to ally with.

Where the Voss would lose out by making an alliance with either faction, remaining neutral by teasing the idea they could be persuaded to ally actively benefits them. Not only are the Republic and Empire kept on their best behaviour for fear of diplomatic fallout (not that their best behaviour is very good), but the Voss are able to gain favours from both sides as they attempt to sweeten their offer.

Even the Jedi Consular’s recruitment of Gaden-Ko and his entourage fits this pattern. It’s natural that the Mystics are interested in the Jedi for the same reason the Sith are interested in the Mystics. The Jedi have developed more sophisticated and reliable techniques than the Voss in a particular area of practice which the Voss are keen to learn more of – but rather than foresight, the Jedi area of expertise is combat. Combat is also the speciality of the Sith. I think the reason why we find Talsa-Ko following Darth Malgus is that she, like Gaden-Ko, was sent off-world by the Three; the Voss again hedging their bets.

While the Three’s decision to string along the Republic and Empire might sound cynical, they are doing what is best for the people who depend on their leadership. Voss’ position as a single world caught between two great interstellar powers is precarious. They need to hold the threat they might ally with the Republic against the Empire and the hope they could ally with the Empire against the Republic to keep the Sith at bay. It is not the duty of the Three to weigh in on the conflict; it is their duty to keep Voss safe.