#and as terrible as maul was he never had a chance to be anything better than what he was

[fellthemarvelous]

I want to talk about Obi-Wan and Maul

This might end up being kind of long so bear with me, and my thoughts are kind of all over the place and possibly slightly incoherent.

Maul and Obi-Wan had a rivalry that was insanely brutal. (More under the cut.)

Maul survived being cut in half by Obi-Wan and ended up going insane, no longer connected to reality and living in the sewers for many years. Once Savage took him back to Dathomir and the Nightsisters "fixed" him, he found clarity again and became wholly fixated on Obi-Wan, the only person he had any connection to from his past. He hated all Jedi, but there was no one he hated more than Kenobi.

Obi-Wan, for his part, was horrified to learn that Maul had survived considering Obi-Wan had cut him in half.

Their rivalry is probably one of my favorites in all of Star Wars.

Maul was bloodthirsty, vengeful, and full of rage.

Obi-Wan was the opposite. He was kind, compassionate, took no pleasure from killing others, and loved unconditionally.

And one thing Obi-Wan eventually came to understand about Maul was that Maul had not had a good life. He recognized that Maul was raised to be the person he was because of the cruelty of Darth Sidious.

The Nightsisters handed baby Maul over to Darth Sidious to be trained in the ways of the Sith. Darth Sidious, who is famously cruel and diabolical. Darth Sidious, who raised Maul to be expendable because Maul was just a means to an end for Sidious.

Maul who never grew up experiencing love. He never experienced kindness or compassion. He was raised to be an assassin, a cold-blooded killer, doing anything and everything Sidious asked of him.

And he eventually understood that he had been nothing more than a tool for Sidious.

So he was angry. Alone. Full of hate. And wanted revenge.

And his anger at Obi-Wan was more than just him losing his legs. Obi-Wan caused him to lose the only life he knew. He had no guidance once Sidious was finished with him.

The only life he knew was one of cruelty. He'd never bonded with anyone until he met Savage.

And when Sidious killed Savage, Maul was alone again. (Ironically, Sidious killed Savage the same way Maul had killed Satine like five minutes prior.)

He had no one on his side again.

He tried to connect with Ahsoka, and then with Ezra years later.

But still, more than anything, he wanted to break Obi-Wan the same way that he himself was broken. He wanted to see Obi-Wan lose control and become like him. He was almost successful when he forced Obi-Wan to watch him kill Satine.

But Obi-Wan proved to be unbreakable even in that moment, and Maul's obsession only became stronger, along with his rage.

Maul was unable to comprehend love, and it drove him crazy that Obi-Wan had actually tried to connect with him in the moments leading up to Satine's death. Obi-Wan had tried to show Maul compassion and it infuriated Maul. He hated that Obi-Wan was trying to be kind to him.

Maul was a monster in every way, but he was also a victim raised under the cruelty of Darth Sidious and only knew how to be what Sidious had molded him into.

And on the other side we have Obi-Wan Kenobi. Despite his sass and sharp wit, he is kind and loving. He loved being a Jedi and devoted his life to living by the Jedi code. And he may not have always gotten it right, but he never strayed from the core principles.

(And always be as dramatic as possible.)

I've seen some bizarre criticisms of Obi-Wan that have me scratching my head. His attachment to Anakin, for one, like there isn't a rich and complicated history behind their relationship in the first place.

He's criticized for not killing Anakin so clearly Vader's reign of terror is somehow Obi-Wan's fault.

Let's examine all of this a bit closer.

We often joke about the fact that Obi-Wan has a vast collection of dismembered body parts, but Obi-Wan does not like killing others. He kills when he has no other option.

He prefers to disarm his opponents, quite literally. He cut off Zam Wessell's hand instead of killing her even though she was about to kill him. He just wanted answers. She had no real way of fighting back because he had injured her.

He disarmed the man who was threatening Luke in the cantina in A New Hope. He didn't kill him though. It's not like he was a major threat.

And on Mustafar, he couldn't bring himself to kill Anakin. He cut off one of Anakin's arms and both of his legs, an action that tore him apart because he loved Anakin so much. Anakin was defenseless at that point, and he was also completely on fire thanks to the lava. No part of him imagined that Anakin could have survived being burned alive, and he spent the next ten years hating himself for leaving Anakin to die until he learned that Anakin not only survived but was incredibly angry with him and wanted to kill him.

Just like Maul.

Obi-Wan did not like the idea of killing. At all.

And perhaps it was his attachment to Anakin Skywalker that brought the galaxy to its knees, but that attachment was because he and Anakin had always had a confusing relationship.

Let's take into consideration the fact that Obi-Wan, at the end of The Phantom Menace and only 25-years-old, had just watched his Master die at the hands of Darth Maul, subsequently killed Darth Maul (but not as much as he thought he had), been given the title of Jedi Knight, and taken on nine-year-old Anakin Skywalker (almost immediately after being knighted), a boy who had just been freed from slavery and had to leave his mother behind to pursue a life as a Jedi because being a Jedi had always been his dream.

Then maybe take into account the fact that Obi-Wan Kenobi was grieving the loss of Qui-Gon while Anakin struggled with being away from Shmi for the first time in his life. Obi-Wan didn't just train Anakin in the ways of the Jedi, he raised Anakin. He treated Anakin like a brother while Anakin said Obi-Wan was the closest thing he ever had to a father. Obi-Wan has always been good with children, and it's only natural that he would take on a parental type of role despite the fact he was only 16 years older than Anakin. He loved Anakin the way a brother would, and it did blind him to some of Anakin's more concerning habits, but Anakin also kept his biggest sins a secret because he was ashamed of himself, and he never wanted to know what it felt like to have Obi-Wan be disappointed in him.

Their relationship was messy because they were attached to each other, but Obi-Wan still did his best to teach Anakin. It had been Qui-Gon's final wish for him to train the boy, and Obi-Wan trusted his master.

So it was his attachment to Anakin that prevented him from killing Anakin aka Darth Vader, but it was very in character for him to choose not to do so. He always believed there were other ways to fight back.

And in the end, not killing Anakin had been the right choice. Anakin is the one who defeated Sidious (at the cost of his own life too) in an act of love for his son Luke and returned balance to the Force.

Obi-Wan didn't want to kill Maul either, but Maul gave him no choice. Maul was now a threat to Luke.

Maul lived a tormented, lonely life because he was never able to come to terms with the pain and anguish he'd experienced as a child that turned him into the monster he was throughout the rest of his life.

Obi-Wan (Ben) was able to rise above the suffering he'd endured and made peace with what had happened during and after the Clone Wars. He was so very much connected to the Force by this point because he had finally been able to let go of the tragedies of his past.

When he defeated Maul, he didn't treat it as a victory. He cradled Maul in his arms the same way he had held Qui-Gon and Satine when they died by Maul's hand.

He offered compassion to Maul despite Maul's atrocities, and in doing so, allowed Maul to experience peace for the first time in his long life.

In his final moments, he was treated with the dignity he had never given any of his victims.

And I think, in the end, Maul finally understood what he had been deprived of his entire life.

Obi-Wan was a true Jedi. He might have made a few errors along his journey, like everyone else does. He proved he was a master not by his skills with a lightsaber but by his ability to show compassion to those who don't necessarily deserve it because they are the ones who usually need it the most.

Star Wars Rebels gave us such beautiful closure to a rivalry that spanned decades.

[rdr2gifs]

Each time Arthur has helped someone without expecting payment (that I can remember) because I’ve seen some weird takes circling around about how Arthur only cares about money/doesn’t help people (yet again)

He helped a city photographer take pictures and acted as his protector because he liked him

He helped a doctor retrieve a stolen wagon full of medicine, he wasn’t even asked to do so, he did it out of his own good will

He wanted to make an old cranky man happy and proposed finding his lost trinkets for him

He helped Deborah MacGuiness find dinosaur bones out of curiosity. He didn’t receive any financial reward for it. Just a few trinkets and he was satisfied

He risked his life for Marko Dragic’s experiments (his main motivation in this mission was again, curiosity)

He rescued a boy being held hostage by the gunsmith in Rhodes

He rescued people from being trafficked and gave them a large sum of money (he could’ve kept it for himself) for a better life

He helped Mr. White and Mr. Black gain freedom and even helped them again after they got themselves into trouble

He rescued Charles Chatenay on at least 3 different occasions

He instantly hurried to retrieve Sister Calderon’s cross even though he has never met her before

In his first encounter with Marjorie and Bertram, he helps to calm Bertram down and is understanding even though Bertram gave him trouble. He even puts the bartender in his place after he speaks about Bertram in a degrading manner

He agreed to help a man get rid of nigh folk occupying his property and after he payed him with only a rat pelt, Arthur didn’t get angry and still asked him if he’d be really fine on his own after knowing he wouldn’t be able to pay

He let a homeless man hug him and listened to what he has to say

He helped to save Jamie from becoming a cult member and stopped him from taking his life

He helped a boy look for his lost dog

He saved an injured man’s life after driving him to a doctor

He helped a woman get rid of a body after she claimed she had to kill the man in self-defence

He donated to the poor and even to build a shelter for war-veterans

He taught Charlotte how to survive on her own

He tried to save a crazed village out of his own good will

He helped a war veteran retrieve his prosthetic leg and helped him hunt

He helped a man look for his lost friend in the snowy mountains

He helped Rain’s Fall retrieve sacred items important to his people

He helped to retrieve stolen medical supplies for the Wapiti tripe

He saved Captain Monroe’s life after hearing he was in danger

He helped Beau and Penelope escape from their terrible families

He has saved many hunters from getting mauled, given many ladies a ride home, saved people from dying of poisoning, helped gather herbs, helped a lost New Yorker find his way to the town, helped save many people’s lives (lady being held hostage in her own house in Lemoyne, folk getting tortured by The Murfees or Lemoyne Raiders etc.)

Let’s not forget the fact that Arthur is a provider for over 20 people. He cannot be running around and risking his life for free for everyone he meets. He needs money. Even so, he has helped all the people above for no reward and out of his own free will. When I see someone say that Arthur is only motivated by money and never helps people otherwise, I just instantly assume they stormed through the story and didn’t pay any attention. The encounters listed above make up the majority of chance encounters/side quests and in almost all of them he is helping people. 80% of these are also pre-diagnosis.

He has a hard time accepting any compliments or gratitude for his good deeds and always downplays himself. Even in the main story he is never thinking about himself and he always puts others first.

“You did not ask for anything, you only gave”

The encounters where he does require payment pale in comparison to those in which he doesn’t, and even so they are very justified as they are often dangerous, time consuming or straight up ridiculous. It’s weird to assume Arthur only helps people for money when he doesn’t want to deliver love letters, interview dangerous people and sneak into heavily guarded properties for free.

[thought-42]

Never expect to be sure who you're working for

Star Wars, 1200 words, Ezra Bridger

Everybody gets one free evil!au, right?

Or: The factory scene in 3X10 in a universe where Thrawn recruited Ezra before he ever got a chance to meet the Ghost crew.

Thrawn had told Ezra what he was planning to do before they'd even gone into the factory. He'd left Pryce and Kallus in the dark (doubtless wanted to see if Kallus would betray himself, and possibly just wanted to fuck with Pryce) but he still likes to treat these sorts of situations as teaching moments for Ezra. Or, a tiny voice in the back of his head that sounds a lot like Eli Vanto says, he's hoping Ezra will tell him if he's going too far.

Today is not that day.

Ezra's not exactly on palling-around terms with most of the stormtroopers, but he'd known both of the guys assigned to chase down Azadi the previous night, had shared meals with them in the mess after exhausting campaigns and knew them well enough to say 'hi' when they passed in the corridor. And as Thrawn pointed out -- they'd already investigated the plant where the components of the motors were built, and there have been no changes. If there was no sabotage, the motor simply wouldn't overheat, and the worker pulled out of line would have a weird story to tell his friends. If Thrawn was right and the speeder bike exploded, then-- well. You reap what you sow.

Ezra's not expecting to recognize the guy they pull out of line, admittedly. And recognize might be a strong word, it's not like he can put a name to the face. But there's definitely a sense of familiarity, of a half-remembered moment from his early childhood. Ezra does him the respect of meeting his gaze right up until he dies.

Which is why it takes him so long to clock that the guy who had been next to him in line is a fucking Force user. And a trained one. So much for his god damn situational awareness, apparently. If Thrawn asks, he was just biding his time to mention it.

Everyone around him is radiating horror and distress (except Pryce who feels smug satisfaction in the grossest way possible, and Thrawn who is basically fully dissociated at this point beyond a dull sense of calm, methodical intent) so Ezra's maybe not as chill about it as he could be when he stalks down the line without even exchanging a look with Thrawn to get his go-ahead.

"You," he says, jerking his head at the Force user. He keeps his hands clasped behind his back, in an embarrassing mirroring of Thrawn that he hopes he's gonna grow out of one day.

The Force user feigns confusion. Somewhere behind him, Kallus's anxiety spikes hard, an ice pick against Ezra's right temple. ‘Yeah. Panic about it, asshole.’ Ezra wonders spitefully if getting to know the Empire's resident alien along with his Wild Space yokel and backwater Loth rat was what opened Kallus' fancy Core World eyes to the shit the Empire pulled.

The Force user holds up his hands. "Hey, kid, I'm new here. I haven't even assembled anything yet."

Ezra can feel Thrawn watching him. 'Yeah, Mitth'raw'nuruodo, I found something interesting. This is why you don't send your pet sky-walker off into the great unknown to train a bunch of Chiss kids. Imagine if I weren't here to do all your work for you? Bad enough that Eli agreed to go.'

This guy's still standing in front of Ezra, trying to bullshit his way out of the interaction and doing a kind of terrible job at it. Ezra thinks back on the stuff that Maul has been teaching him --the stuff Thrawn doesn't know about-- and decides it's time to do a little experimenting. He reaches out beyond himself, lets the shields that keep his mind contained ease open.

This is another thing he's been working on with Maul. The grand total of three weeks he'd been able to stomach with the Inquisitorious when Thawn had given him the option to join them at age thirteen had mostly consisted of everybody yelling about using your fear and anger and hate like fuel to better manifest  the Emperor’s great and bloody five-year-plan, and not a single thing about how to get the world to shut the hell up for ten minutes so he could get some rest. Thrawn's response to Ezra getting overwhelmed is to chuck him in a sensory deprivation pod, which is done with the best of intentions but still feels a little bit like dying every time. Maul is the first person willing to teach Ezra how to reach out past his natural shields without dropping them entirely.

The Force user's mind is well-shielded,  used to tucking themselves down smaller and smaller and begging not to be noticed. Ezra spent the years between ages seven-twelve doing the exact same thing.

It means he knows just what to look for.

Kanan. Caleb? No. Kanan. Jedi, maybe. Holy shit. Kanan, maybe Jedi, resentfully sober, terrified, angry, worried.

Ezra tucks himself around Kanan's mind and nudges past his shields and soothes that first jolt of panic as Kanan's legs start walking without his command.

“Not like a puppet on strings,” Maul had told him. “Any idiot can force the body to move as if it were an object. More like slaving one ship to another. The body knows how to move. You simply must tell it to do so.”

Ezra crosses back across the factory floor to Thrawn and the others, and Kanan follows obediently behind him. There's a ringing in Ezra's ears that he's pretty sure is Kanan's fear. He doesn’t look back at him. He doesn’t need to.

Thrawn holds up a hand as Ezra draws closer. Ezra comes to a halt, dipping his head in respectful acknowledgement. Something wet touches his upper lip. He can hear Kanan's laboured breathing behind him. He digs his nails into his palms behind his back, and waits.

"No one in or out of this factory," Thrawn tells Kallus. "I wish to inspect everything, and I will speak with each of the workers individually."

"Sir," Kallus says.

Pryce opens her mouth to say something, but Thrawn’s already walking away from her. Ezra automatically gives her an apologetic little shrug. Smoothing over Thrawn’s social slips is admittedly kind of mean, but it makes people like Ezra more, makes them feel like they’ve got a little thread of secret understanding. At the end of the day, everything Ezra does is about building connections.

The floor wobbles a little bit. Huh.

"Bridger," Thrawn says, not looking back. "With me. Bring your new friend."

Ezra starts walking, but it's suddenly a lot harder than it should be. He feels like he's seeing double, but in his whole body.

Please stop.

Kanan's voice in his head is a lot nicer than hearing it out loud. Less obnoxious, fewer falsehoods. The ringing in his ears is getting worse.

Don't do this.

Ezra can smell cooking meat from where the not-quite-a-stranger had been killed by his own sabotage. unbidden, the blueprints for Stardust well up behind the back of his eyelids. He's been dreaming of watching Lothal burn. He's been dreaming of burning along with it.

He tightens his jaw, straightens his back. Keeps walking.

Kanan doesn't ask him to stop again.

[lowkeyslytherin]

Sith masters ranked (by me, a professional tm):

Palpatine: 3/10

If this dude picks you you're probably going to have been powerful to start with. However he won't teach you anything that'll help overthrow him. Palpatine will also get you killed if you become inconvenient, too powerful or if he finds a better replacement. Will also manipulate and/or electrocute you(this will lead to heart problems in the future).

Dooku: 6.5/10

He's actually not that bad. He'll be calm(ish) and likely won't kill you in anger. Also he'll help you become a better duelist. Had taught 2(+) formidable force users (Ventress & Qui-Gon). Overall he's not terrible but will kill you if he feels like it or you betray him, but generally pretty loyal.

Vader: 4/10

He did train Ahsoka very well when he was a Jedi. He has potential to be a very good master. However, given the rest of the people he taught (inquisitors) have had limbs chopped off so they will 'know pain' he's not that good. The chance of getting sliced or strangled for any failure is high here so it's not really worth the risk. A very high-stress apprenticeship and it's unlikely he'll give a shit about training you unless you're Luke or he's been ordered to.

Maul: 8/10

Actually not that bad. Despite the interesting training methods for Savage and the attempted ones for Ezra, he actually does care. Definitely will attack you if he suspects you're going to betray him though. You may not learn loads from him because he's a bit insane but he'll at least respect you. Getting manipulated is a potential downside but he has generally okay ideas so maybe it's alright. His Kenobi fixation may get you killed. Positives include: supportive, learning how to harness anger, survive on spite, learning how to duel and a slightly unhealthy familial bond.

Savage: 3/10

Low ranking only because he was never a sith master and therefore won't be able to pass on much knowledge. He might also kill you. Overall though, he's not that mean, works well in a team. Downside is, he's not that smart because of what the night sisters did so any strategies you come up with may not work out too well.

Ventress: 6/10

She's pretty helpful and not that bad. She's a good duelist and will pass on that knowledge. May treat you well and will be pretty loyal if you're loyal to her. But, like Savage she's not very experienced so you're not gonna get too far. She will listen to your opinions and may be a bit mean but she's smart so she'll come up with good plans. It's a low risk of death apprenticeship.

Kylo Ren: 5/10

He's a very angry person, which may lead to your death. Not very experienced but a pretty good fighter. He'll be moderately nice until he gets angry. You're not going to get far in this apprenticeship but you'll be pretty important in the First Order so maybe it's alright. He's strong in the force so you'll learn stuff.

Darth Traya: 6/10

Has trained very powerful sith and jedi so being apprenticed to her will likely get you very far in life. However she thinks the force is the galaxys biggest problem and nearly wipes out the jedi and sith so this apprenticeship will probably get you killed. High risk and high reward.

Darth Nihilus: 2/10

Will probably eat your life force so this is going to go very badly. Unless you somehow make yourself uneatable then RIP. However, he's very powerful so maybe he'll teach you something.

[into-daylight-hope]

Qui-Gon Jinn: Certified Hypocrite, Fascinating Failure, Mass of Contradictions

For starters, I am just going to let direct quotes from the man speak for itself.

Some excerpts from Master & Apprentice

Wise words.

Wait a minute...

😯😯 What the hell is happening here? All quotes are from the same man in one book.

Qui-Gon Jinn doesn't have an ounce of self-awareness and it is so hilariously terrible.

What is even better (or worse), this is perfectly in line with The Phantom Menace characterization .

I mean,

Remember when he said all this than spent the rest of the movie obsessing over prophecies, the chosen one and literally the future?

"He still has so much to learn of the living force." Qui-Gon Jinn about Obi-Wan in the council scene

After that scene

"The boy is dangerous. They all sense it why can't you?" Obi-Wan Kenobi about Anakin Skywalker to Qui-Gon Jinn

You see Obi-Wan, Master Jinn here has completely lost any sense of "here and now" between his crusade against darkness and divine mission to save the Galaxy.

This in turn, unsurprisingly blinds him to the fact Anakin is not suitable to become a Jedi. Or at least not ready to directly move on to becoming a padawan.

Anakin himself would suffer in a road that is not meant for him. But he is not planning for Anakin the child. He is thinking about The Glorious Chose One.

He is the chosen one. You all must, see it.

And yet from Qui-Gon's perspective it is Obi-Wan who doesn't understand the Living Force.

I have to say if he is truly a student of the living force as many fans claim he has been failing the class for at least 8 years.

Let's move on to another set of entertaining and horrifyingly oblivious quotes from M&A.

If you look upward you can observe Mr. Here and Now in his natural habitat.

He really acts like future is set in stone than thinks he is the right person to talk about about concentrating in the moment. Unbelievable.

Let's look at this dialogue again. In contrast with the excerpt from above.

He is all about the future when it suits him. But when Obi-Wan makes a remark on it he obviously should just focus on the moment. This is actually the third time in this post where he contradicts himself while specifically chastising or criticizing Obi-Wan for something Qui-Gon actually does.

Now I don't think Qui-Gon acts with malice. But it is important to point out his obliviousness has become a way of ensuring he is never in the wrong.

He suffers from an immense hubris. And a man obsessed with prophecies and chosen ones definitely has some kind of savior complex.

But notably Jinn doesn't actually want to put any effort into enacting real change with his limited yet existent capabilities.

He turns down a council seat in M&A because he thinks it would hold him down. From what? Dear God, the reason they offered him a seat was for different opinions. Qui-Gon can complain all he wants but one time he actually had a chance to make his opinions a reality he freaking bailed.

Why? He doesn't want to face his own limits. He can't bare to try and fail. It is much easier to sustain a superiority complex when you are complaining from the sidewalk.

So he fixates all this belief onto prophecies, visions that will magically cure the Galaxy. And of course his place to help fulfill them. To the point where it is the one thing that keeps him standing.

He has binded meaning of his life and belief for goodness dangerously close to his supposed importance in the Galaxy. (You can feel the influences of his former master)

His absolute refusal to engage with reality turns him into mass of contradictions. Cause he doesn't know what he will find or become if he is mistaken in his belief of himself.

He can't face reinvention on the event of defeat.

But this situation was different. It had to be, because the only thing Qui-Gon knew to be absolutely true was that his vision was real.

Oh by the way, it turned out he misunderstood the vision. But when does being wrong ever stopped Qui-Gon Jinn?

No words.

Only Qui-Gon could have come near declaring himself a prophet after making a mistake. Maybe stop and reflect man? Just stop and think about your actions.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: I have a bad feeling about this.

Qui-Gon Jinn: I don't sense anything.

Of course you don't.

Honestly he doesn't have much to speak for in the cosmic force department either.

(There is the whole force ghost thing I guess. But I have no idea if that is more connected with living or cosmic force. It seems to be more about spiritual enlightenment. Which is ridiculous when you consider Yoda had go through so many trials, face his darkside, learn to truly let go just for Force priestesses to deem him worthy enough to study immortality. Yes Qui-Gon never became a force ghost but he had started his training before he died. And much of Yoda's tests on TCW was about self-awareness. It is not just about being a good person. How did Force Priestesses approve Qui-Gon "I was meant to misinterpret this vision." Jinn? I would understand if he became wiser after death and faced his flaws and all but he never was on that level before he died. You might say even Anakin became a force ghost. But I would remind you, Anakin in the end broke out of denial, acknowledged the wrong of his ways and took that leap to the light side. Self-awareness seems such an important key to becoming a force ghost. Right there with selflessness. Personally it doesn't quite feel right for a character whose biggest flaws are their lack of introspection and hubris which we never see him rise above to be the one that discovers immortality again. It feels more like a rushed plot point to explain how we get from A to B.)

This post got out of control 😂. I honestly just wanted to point out lack of communication might be one of the reasons Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon have trouble understanding each other but it is sometimes even harder to understand Qui-Gon when he actually says something. Cause ration is not what drives him.

Qui-Gon is such a complex character. He is undeniably good especially compared to other SW characters. Yet for all fandom's deifying he might be the most flawed Jedi we see on the franchise. (The ones that fell to the dark side not included.)

It is a shame wider fandom completely write off his flaws to the degree I can't even recognize the character when they talk about Jinn. Cause that Qui-Gon is so hard to feel empathy for.

When people constantly make statements like "He is The Wisest sw character." his hypocrisy stops being amusing. It doesn't end on screen or page instead often used to bash other characters.

An unbelievable analysis from Wookiepedia:

When Jinn saved the Gungan exile Jar Jar Binks, who in turn swore a life-debt to him, his compassionate nature was such that Jinn took the hapless Gungan under his wing, much to Kenobi's dismay. His empathy toward all life forms, including the most pitiful and unfortunate, was Jinn's greatest strength. Additionally, he remained understanding and patient with Queen Padmé Amidala. During the short time they knew each other, he never asked for her to do more than she was willing to.

You know out of the two, Qui-Gon was the one who insulted Jar Jar to his face. And he didn't took Jar Jar under his wing. They forced him to take them to a city where Jar Jar could have been punished for entering. Now it was the pragmatic thing to do. For all three's survival not for their own gain. Understandable. But compassion is just pushing it.

Also he never asked Padme to do more than she was willing to do?

Padmé : Are you sure about this? Trusting our fate to a boy we hardly know? The Queen will not approve.

Qui-Gon Jinn : The Queen does not need to know.

Padmé : Well, I don't approve.

And he is aware she is the queen, herself. Padme was nearly tearing out her because of this man in TPM.

What is weird, Jinn in his bewildering hypocrisy probably thinks he is being admirably compassionate with Jar Jar, highly understanding and patient with Padme. We clearly see he is not.

Out of universe he has been a force ghost for decades now but fandom is nowhere near acknowledging his flaws than he is.

And honestly SW doesn't have that many major morally complex characters. People like Maul, Palpatine, Anakin,Ventress don't think they are serving a higher purpose or oblivious to the evils they commit.

Emotionally complicated, yes. Going through moral dilemmas, no.

Three major characters come to mind who make huge mistakes, condone or commit atrocities while thinking they are in the right/with good intentions/for a greater cause. With varying degrees of culpability.

Qui-Gon. Padme. Dooku.

In that order.

Let these characters be interesting instead of demonizing nearly inhumanly selfless Jedi characters. (They make mistakes too but funnily enough they are still way better beings than most people on our planet.)

By the way I found the epitaph "Fascinating Failure" from the article here. Especially the last paragraphs make some interesting points. ⬇️

👀

This post might seem harsh but that is expected since it focuses on Qui-Gon's flaws.

"People are more than their worst act,” Quote from Qui-Gon Jinn in Master & Apprentice

[mypoisonedvine]

𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦 || werewolf!Lee Bodecker x reader

summary: being the sherriff’s department’s crime scene photographer means seeing terrible things.  following lee bodecker into the woods means experiencing terrible things.

word count: almost exactly 4k

warnings: smut (noncon but she comes around eventually, if you will), werewolf sex (so...pseudo-bestiality??? but like... not really??), breeding kink, knotting, some a/b/o tropes?, kinda some degradation?,  violence, vague-ish description of gore

Something undeniably wicked was lurking in the woods behind Knockemstiff, Ohio.  That much was obvious.

It wasn’t your first gig as a crime scene photographer, so you knew what to expect; or, you thought you did.  This town was nothing like Toledo, though, in all the worst ways.  You’d left the big city in hopes that you wouldn’t have to see another drive-by shooting, another stockbroker who jumped out of his office, another mafia job left out in the street to serve as an example for would-be testifiers.  You’d left to escape some of the brutality that the urban environment brought.  And to be fair, it wasn’t anything like that, but it wasn’t at all better.  

You’d never seen a cut this deep before.  You’d never seen a body nearly turned inside out.

“It’s that damn bear,” the officer nearby announced, his words failing to distract you from your task of photographing the bloodied remains.  “This happened a couple months ago, body just like this turned up.  Thought we shot the damn thing but I guess we got the wrong one.”

“That can’t be right,” you frowned, stepping back and lowering the camera from your face; it looked worse when it wasn’t seen through the viewfinder, it looked more real.  “Bears might maul people, but they don’t… eat them.”

“They do if they get hungry enough,” he sighed.  

“Do you really believe that?” you pressed.

“I need to.”

The conversation was still echoing in your head as you drove back to the station, which was still bustling despite the day being just about to end.  

You stopped by your desk to grab a folder from your top drawer, "FOR SHERIFF" written in big letters on the front.  Tucking it under your arm, you navigated through the officers and secretaries mulling about to the back hallway of the station, finding the last door on the left and knocking even though it was already halfway open.

“Good evenin’ little lady,” Sheriff Bodecker greeted with a smile when he looked up at you, “got somethin’ for me?”

“Photos from yesterday,” you explained, stepping inside and setting the folder down on his desk.  He opened it and flipped through your shots, nodding slightly.  

"Looks good," he praised— gruff and monotone, but praise nonetheless.  "I think it's enough to prove who was driving recklessly and who was just driving."

"Think they'll be all right?" you asked, remembering how one of the car crash survivors looked as they were being wheeled into an ambulance.

He sighed a little, setting the folder down.  "Seems so, last I heard."

"That's good…" you trailed off, toying with the strap of your camera nervously, studying his face as he looked down at some paperwork in front of him.

You were a career woman, working in a male-dominated profession, and you had so much to prove… but god, if you didn't sometimes fantasize about the Sheriff in ways you knew you shouldn't.  In spite of the fact that you were sure he wanted an obedient housewife, and that that was something you could never be, you'd been known to daydream about another life where he wasn't your boss and you weren't so worried about what other people thought and the two of you could be together.

Or, on other occasions, you just wished Knockemstiff was as liberal as Toledo, so you could have a fling with him and not worry about everybody calling you a harlot.

Either way, it could never happen.  You worked with him and he worked with you; he was looking to settle down and you were looking to start your life.  It was a basic incompatibility.  That didn't stop you from letting your gaze linger on his hands, admiring how strong and thick they were.  God, you wish he'd just grab you—

"Anything else I can do for ya?" he asked slowly, that deep voice making the question sound just a bit more dirty than he likely meant it.

"No, that'll be all," you decided, giving him a polite nod before you slipped out of his office.  

Sometimes, it felt like the only chance you got to really think during the day was when you were alone in your darkroom.  The photo development equipment here was significantly more primitive than what the Toledo Police Department had been able to provide, but you didn’t mind; if anything, it brought you back to your roots, when you were just a newbie photographer who wanted to make compelling art, take photos that would end up on magazine covers or beside hard-hitting journalism.  

That dream had been dashed quite some time ago, but you really did enjoy your job more often than not.  Sure, it came with a lot of gruesome imagery, but at least it was important, and interesting.  

You couldn't be sure what time it was— with no windows and no clocks, and with hours always flying by when you were developing film— but the lack of any noise from outside your darkroom made it clear that it was quite late and everyone had left.

It was odd, then, that you did hear a noise from outside the room, like floorboards creaking.  You were ready to blame the old building settling until you heard it again.

“...hello?” you asked hesitantly, the sterile echo of your voice only making you just that much more paranoid.  “Is someone there?  I’m just here developing my film…”

The red lights cast everything in an eerie glow— bright enough to see, but not enough to assuage your fear.

You opened the door to your darkroom slowly, careful not to let too much light in, and peered down the dark, empty halls.  An uneasy feeling awakened in your gut and you swallowed nothing before hesitantly stepping out into the dark.

Another creak from around the corner made you turn, walking towards the noise and considering calling out again but suddenly afraid to speak at all.

A man's form appeared in front of you out of nowhere.

“Oh!” you gasped, but you sighed a bit when you recognized the badge glistening on his chest.  “Sheriff, shit, you scared me…”

“Sorry, little lady,” he breathed, “didn’t know you were still here…”

“Come in, if I leave this door open too long it’ll let light in,” you explained, pointing to where the street lamp outside shined into the window and ushering him past you into the darkroom.

“What’re you still wearin’ that damn camera for?” he asked, pointing to your hip where it was slung at your side from over your shoulder, making you giggle a little as you shut the door behind the both of you.

“Force of habit.  Never know when something worth photographing might take place,” you explained, returning to the tub of ammonium thiosulfate where you were dipping another glossy print.  

“If somethin’ worth takin’ a picture of happens while you’re stuck in here, I think you’ll’ve got bigger problems than not having your camera,” he smirked.

“Fair enough,” you scoffed.  “Let’s hope I never need to take pictures like these—” you tilted your head towards the pictures you’d hung to try— “unexpectedly.”  Lee sauntered over to where you’d motioned, pulling one the more developed photos from the clothespins.  “That’s the body we found in the woods,” you informed him, “I’m surprised you weren’t called in— it’s pretty gnarly.”

“Sweet girl like you shouldn’t have to see stuff like this,” he shook his head, sighing somberly.  

“I can handle it,” you shrugged, “Believe it or not, I saw worse working mob cases.”

“I’m going with ‘not,’” he answered quickly.  

He was right not to believe you, and you weren’t sure what to say now that he’d called your bluff.

“What… what perfume are you wearing?”

The question threw you off but you figured no harm could come from answering honestly.  “I’m, uh, I’m not…”

He stepped closer, his footsteps soft but audible on the carpeted floor as his form settled behind yours.  Your breath caught when his fingers trailed over your arm and he leaned in, pressing his face to the side of your head as he breathed in.  “You smell good,” he stated plainly, deep voice vibrating in your ears and making the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

“Um… thank you…” you answered, hearing your voice waver.  

Just when you thought he might make a move (was this already a move?), and just when you thought you might actually reciprocate if he did, he pulled away.  “I should… I’m sorry, I oughta— I have work to get done.”

Before you could even begin to wonder what he was talking about, he had already slipped out of the darkroom and back into the hall.  Oddly enough, you were sure you heard him start running the second the door was shut.  You considered shrugging it off and getting back to work, but the more you thought about it, the more you were worried.  Most of all, you wondered if he had seen something in your photographs that gave him a lead on what killed the poor old man.  

That possibility needed to be investigated further.

So, you powered down your equipment and left the darkroom, leaving just in time to see the Sheriff stumble out of the back door of the station, seeming to be limping slightly.

Too curious now to stay away, you followed his path and pushed the door open with your weight, seeing him making a mad dash for the nearby treeline.

“No, Lee, the woods—!” you warned, horrified to imagine that he could meet the same fate as the man in your photographs.  You weren’t dressed well enough for the weather— already the evening breeze blew against your bare legs and made you shiver— but you forged ahead regardless.

The moon light was just enough to illuminate your path at first, but as the clouds moved and the tree cover grew thicker, squinting just didn’t do enough to help you see.  Generally, you weren’t afraid of the dark, but this was different… it was cold, and you were alone; but you didn’t feel quite as alone as you would’ve liked to.  You called out for Lee, only hearing the gentle rustle of the leaves and the occasional snapping of twigs on the ground.

At about the same time you considered turning back and using one of the station phones to call some officers for a search, you heard something.  A whine, maybe, or a whimper.  You weren’t sure what it was; it only just barely sounded human.

“Lee, are you out there?” you called, whipping your head around wildly.  

In desperate need of light to navigate your way, you had a moment of insight and reached for the camera slung by your hip.  You relieved yourself of the shoulder strap, pointed the camera ahead, and opened up the flash.

CLICK.  A brief moment of light gave you at least an idea of where you were standing.  It was impossible not to notice how similar it looked to the background of the photos you had just been developing.  You realized, then, that you’d worried so much for Lee’s safety in these woods, but hadn’t considered your own.

Lee, at least, had a gun.  You just had a camera.  Both could shoot, but only one could protect you.

CLICK.  You moved in the direction that you remembered as clear.  It was even harder to see in the dark after the bright light had burned your eyes slightly, and you longed to reach out ahead to feel out your path yet found yourself too terrified of what you might touch.  You could hear the flash charging between shots, you knew well enough by now what it sounded like when the camera was ready to shoot again.

CLICK.  Something white reflected back in the distance, so you moved that way, nearly tripping on a root for your trouble.  

The cloud over the moon finally blew away, and just barely— finally— your eyes could make out the shape of Lee, leaned against a tree and breathing deep and fast.  His back was turned to you, but even then you could see he didn’t look well, his back bending and swelling with each panting breath that grew louder as you stepped closer.

“Oh my god, Sheriff?!” you squawked, sprinting closer.  “Are you alright?” you asked loudly, but when you reached out to touch him he spun to look at you, eyes wild and teeth bared.

“Leave,” he growled between panting breaths.

“You… you’re…” you tried to begin, but you were speechless as you tried to imagine what trick of the light could make him look like he was getting taller, like his eyes and face were shifting.

“GO!” he bellowed.

You stumbled back, dropping your camera but too terrified to even hear the bulb shatter as it hit the ground.  Your legs couldn’t move right, your eyes couldn’t look away from what you were seeing, and what you were seeing… you couldn’t describe it, couldn’t understand it.  

It didn’t look like what scary stories and picture books told you a werewolf was.  It didn’t look like an animal; it sure as hell didn’t look like a person.  Disturbingly, it still looked a bit like Lee, even though his Sheriff’s uniform was tearing at the seams from his morphing, swelling body.  His cries were broken and twisted as his face seemed to be overtaken by teeth— so many teeth— and dark fur.  

Ultimately, one last command to "go" was lost to a howl.

You finally managed to get your brain and body on the same page, turning and scrambling to run away, hearing him chase behind you.  

He walked on two legs but ran on four, his snarls coming closer and closer as you made a mad dash for the distant light of the police station.  Cold wind blew past you as you sprinted, coming to a sudden halt as you tripped and landed on the ground.  Leaves crunched under your hands and feet as you tried to stand back up, but he was already above you, tossing you to the ground again and pinning you at your shoulders.

You tried to kick him away once he'd turned you into your back, but it was laughable— pitiful, even.  When he curled his lips back to brandish his glistening fangs, growling deeply, you were too stunned to fight.  But you could beg.

“Lee, please, please don’t eat me,” you sobbed.

“I didn’t turn to feed,” he informed you, and it almost sounded like Lee, aside from the depth and roughness that shook you to your core.  “I turned to mate.”

“No…” you whispered, denial more than rejection— and as you looked down between your body and his where he hovered over you, you choked on your breath at the sight of his cock, erect and reddened and.... for lack of a better word, enormous.

You weren’t excessively familiar with human cocks (not all the rumors about the new girl who moved here from the city were true), but this one seemed different than what you’d seen, most notably in the size but additionally in how you could see it pulsing and throbbing.  His teeth were bared as his claw-laden hands grabbed your legs, lifting and spreading them.  Your stupid dress just fell away and exposed you easily, like it didn’t even care that he was a monster.

Your panties were already damp, like you didn’t even care that he was a monster.

A deep breath in through his snout-like nose made it clear he was picking up your scent.  He grinned and you shuddered.

You’d seen how deep those claw marks could go, so you were surprised when he was delicate enough to tear your clothes off without ripping your skin.  The fear that he could or would, though, kept your heart pumping plenty fast— or maybe that was because of his dark blue eyes scanning your nude form hungrily.

He adjusted your hips as he held you with his… paws, one might call them, pulling you closer and bumping his thick, swollen head against your entrance.

"No, you can't—" you stammered, not sure if you meant morally or physically.  There was no way that would fit in you, right?  There was no way Lee would force himself on you… right?

The noise you made when he pushed into your channel was, ironically, animalistic.  His intrusion stretched you wide and filled you deep, and he wasted no time in setting a brutal pace that slammed his rough, strong thighs against the back of your soft ones.

Fear paralyzed you, made you unwilling and unable to fight back.  He was all claws and teeth— where could you reach to try to push him away, without the extremely high risk of him just biting your weak little hand off?  No, it was better that you just laid there, whimpering and sobbing and trying with all your might not to moan at the feeling of being fucked, hard, in the woods, by a beast.

His tongue on your neck was an odd sensation, another way he forced you to acknowledge that this wasn’t normal— because no human tongue was this long, this thick and hot, nor surrounded by sharp teeth that grazed your jaw and cheek.

“Gonna breed you,” he informed you coldly.  It made you squirm beneath him with renewed vigor, desperate not to be filled with the seed of— well, of anyone, but especially not this thing.  Could it get you pregnant, were you even biologically compatible?  You didn’t want to find out.  

“Please, no,” you whimpered.

“If you hate it so much then why is your cunt sucking me in so tight?” he whispered gruffly against your ear before licking it, too, with that cursed tongue.

His question was probably rhetorical, but either way you couldn’t answer it— you had no idea why your body was submitting so easily, why your walls welcomed him so eagerly, why your legs wrapped around his hips to pull him closer.  Further, you had no idea why you were about to come.

Numbness and sensitivity warred across your body, everything feeling tighter and hotter and heavier until you finally snapped and your body shook and convulsed.  His arms reached beneath where your back was arching, and you clutched at his shoulders as your fingers weaved into the fur you found there.

Of course he didn’t stop when you reached your peak, he wouldn’t stop for anything now, so you were forced to take him just as deep and hard as always even as your body went limp and became overwhelmingly sensitive.  It was clear, then, that your pleasure was only collateral damage to him; he was using your body for whatever he wanted, to sate his biological drive to impregnate something.  Like everything else about this, it was disgusting yet annoyingly arousing.

It's hard to say how long you laid there, limply jolting with each of his thrusts, dripping your arousal onto the cold earth beneath you, moaning weakly as you alternated between pleading for mercy and pleading for more.  You watched the clouds blow through the night sky, afraid to look up at his monstrous face, at his pointed ears and shining teeth.  Occasionally you glanced down and noted the way your stomach bulged from the size of him; you couldn't look at that anymore because it would either make you sick or make you come again.

You gurgled and choked as you felt his cock swelling inside you— bigger, wider, until your body was stretched beyond its limits.

"Take my knot," he instructed darkly, "my little bitch."

Disturbingly, you realized he probably wasn't calling you that to insult you: it was literal.  You were his breeding bitch, a womb to carry his litter, and you whined at the way it made your gut sink in shame.

His noises were more animal-like than ever while he came inside you, thick come all but pouring into you as he panted and growled.  Funny thing was, it just didn't stop: he kept coming for so long, giving you so much while the knot kept every drop inside.

You'd never felt so full in your life, of anything, let alone hot come that made you feel warm and sticky and dripping wet.

The knot kept you plugged and showed no signs of going down as he caged your body in, nuzzling into your neck.  He could bite you now and end it all, but you weren't afraid of that since he seemed to have found a better purpose for you.  His heavy breathing made his back rise and curve above you, his clawed hands pinning your wrists beside your head while he started to lick and nibble at your ear, neck, and collarbone.

You didn't even notice that you'd fallen asleep until you awoke in the wee hours of the morning— that time just before sunrise where there's light but no real color in the sky yet— with Lee asleep on top of you.  Regular Lee, that is, naked with no fur whatsoever and a normal cock that had softened inside you.

Okay, maybe "normal" was a strong word considering it was still pretty big and deliciously thick despite not even being hard anymore, but at the very least totally human.

"Lee," you whispered harshly, shaking him to try to wake him up.  "Sheriff."

He stirred, and his cock moved inside you; the subtle stimulation on your sore insides made you moan lowly and involuntarily squeeze your walls around him.  That got his attention, and you heard his breathing change beside your ear before he groaned a little.

"Mornin'," he greeted, his grin audible in his tone as he sat up slightly and looked down at you.  You reached up and brushed your hand over his chest, happy to find a much thinner layer of hair there than last night.  "Of all the times I woke up in this forest with no fuckin' idea what happened the night before… this has got to be my favorite."

"What's the last thing you remember?" you asked.

"I told you to run… I must've caught you, huh…"

You nodded and bit your lip.  

"You know I can't stop, when I'm like that… I didn't mean to—"

"It's okay," you sighed, "you didn't— it wasn't you."

"But it's my seed in you," he remembered, his words sending a little tingle up your spine.  

He must have felt it, must have seen your eyes widen or heard you gasp a little, because he grinned proudly as he looked down at you.

"Oh, you really love it, huh?  Love bein' mine…"

His hands held your arms tight as he pinned them down, making you whimper a little while he leaned in to suck on your neck.

"Love bein' bred like a bitch, ain't that right?"

You heard the deep, desperate moan before you even realized it had come from your mouth, his chuckle beside your ear making your heart twist.

"Yeah, I can tell… who knew you were so dirty, little lady?  Sweet girl like you shouldn't be gettin' off on being ravaged in the woods by a monster."

"Y-you're not a monster," you protested weakly.

"I eat people," he reminded you, letting go of your hands which you instantly weaved into his hair.

"Well, that's… everybody's got flaws, that's all."

"Yeah?  And what's yours?" he teased.

"I've got a crush on my boss," you answered with a grin, "and I came harder than I ever have in my life being fucked by… what are you?"

"The clinical term is lycanthrope."

"Right," you nodded, "that."

"And what would a pretty girl like you have a crush on me for, hm?"

"I dunno," you smiled coyly, running a finger down his chest, "guess I just thought you were cute…"

"Cute?!" he scoffed incredulously.

"Yeah… and sweet… you know, you go around actin' all tough and stuff, but I think you're really just harmless."

He cut you off with a growl as he lightly bit at your neck, holding your arms down again and tightening his grip on your wrists until you yelped and giggled happily.  "Oh, honey, you have no idea yet just how monstrous I can really be…"

[vanillasakura]

Hi not sure if your requests are still open; apologies if not but could I please ask for something with Charlotte Balfour and fem!reader?? Maybe they help her instead of John/ Arthur and fall in love?? (Don’t get me wrong I love John and Arthur but give the gals a turn lmao)

LOVE the way you think anon! May as well use this as a shameless plug for one of my favorite rdr fics! Sadie/Charlotte is the rarest of rare pairs but I adore the concept of two widows who took to grieving in different ways finding comfort and love in each other to be way, waaaaaaaay too cute to pass up on.

F Reader/Charlotte Balfour

You doubted you would have even noticed her had it not been for the glowing lamp that illuminated the stormy night. You'd been desperately urging your horse along, trying to get to Annesburg as soon as possible. Given the Murfrees in this area, you weren't about to take your chances heading back into Beaver Hollow tonight, especially being a woman travelling alone

The Murfrees never carried lanterns around with them (probably too stupid to know how to light one, the imbeciles) so you automatically knew it couldn't have been them. You were so far away from any patch of main road that you doubted it would be a thief either, for who would there be for them to steal from? Perhaps against your better judgement, you slowed your horse down and dismounted, cautiously approaching the little glimmer of caged sunshine

When you first saw Charlotte, dirty, soaking wet, and prostrate on the ground, you felt your heart break as you instantly assumed the worst. Just when you were about to ask her who did this so you could have John and Charles go and break his legs before shooting his head clean off, you noticed the grave, and felt a different type of pain wash over you. Maybe your initial idea of what constituted to be "the worst" wasn't quite correct

Charlotte had been terribly embarrassed to have been seen in such a state, but you assured her that was the least of your worries right now. You momentarily considered what to do before deciding to sit down next to her, the cold and wet be damned. Offering her a hand up, you asked Charlotte about him, the man you correctly assumed to be her husband. It was there, late into the night and in the pounding early-autumn rain that Charlotte told you about her and Cal, how much both of them despised their lives in Chicago, and how they'd finally bitten the bullet and moved out here to get away from anything, only for Cal to be mauled to death by a bear not even two weeks later. She told you about his laugh, his smile, how much he loved reading and how amazing of an actor he was, always able to do the perfect impressions of people they knew all the way down to their smallest mannerisms

You must have started shivering, unbeknownst to you, for Charlotte eventually invited you inside. She apologized for the mess before giving you a blanket and a change of clothes. Grateful for the warmth, you accepted them, stripping off your wet skirt, chemise, stockings, and blouse; hanging them over the couch to dry. The linens were much nicer than what you were used to, made of the kind of fabric you only got to wear on the grandest of cons. The last time you had been in something this nice had been during the bank robbery in Saint Denis. You shook your head, trying to will away the horrible memories of that fateful day, instead choosing to be thankful for what you had

Charlotte had since begun heating up a can of beans over the fire. She told you with a sad laugh that it was all she had left in terms of food. She didn't know how to use a gun or hunt, and she had no horse to make her way down to Annesburg. The way this woman seemed to accept her death, almost welcome it, threatened to break you

You pulled out a hunk of bread that you'd wrapped up in your bag just in case, ripping it apart and handing half of it to Charlotte. You didn't know how to hunt either, you told her, although you could use a gun. If the weather cleared up tomorrow morning, you'd show her how

You spent the night in Charlotte's guest room. The next morning, you found yourself awake at daylight, long used to a life of early rising. Changing into the clothes you'd been lent, you began to formulate a game plan on just how to help this wonderful woman who'd been nothing but kind to you, even in spite of her horrible situation

It started with taking her into Annesburg, your horse more than capable of carrying the both of you. There, you stocked up on all the essentials, plus a few extra bags of flour. The two of you hauled them back up to her home (Willard's Rest, you'd since learned it was called), putting everything away

Then it was time to practice shooting. You started with Cal's rifle, which Charlotte had carefully taken out of its case beneath her bed. You had to stop yourself from gawking in shock at first--- why even have a gun if it's going to rot under the bed where you can't easily get to it--- before you remembered that Charlotte had come from a different life, and probably had no clue about those sorts of things

Setting up some empty glass bottles, you helped her steady her aim and learn to shoot them. She was surprisingly a natural, taking to it surprisingly quickly

From there you had to bid Charlotte goodbye, but you promised you'd be back. You needed to get her a horse and teach her how to hunt, but neither of those things could be done as you were right now. Thanking you for your time, Charlotte kissed you on your cheek before you left, sending your heart aflutter at the show of affection

You rode back to Beaver Hollow as quickly as possible, apologizing to a very exasperated Miss Grimshaw before you managed to pull away for long enough to run over to Charles and explain the situation

Charles was happy to help, grabbing Taima and one of the extra camp horses before you two set off, with you leading the way to Willard's Rest

Charlotte was surprised you'd returned so quickly, and with someone else at that! Charles introduced himself and let you give Charlotte the horse, to which she hugged you so tightly for that you could feel the press of her chest against yours

The rest of the day was spent with Charles teaching the both of you how to hunt. He was a very patient teacher, and you walked away feeling confidant in your ability to catch some prey and skin it. Charlotte did too, and ended up skinning two rabbits by the time twilight fell

Over the next month, you kept riding back up to see Charlotte every few days. You told yourself it was just to make sure she was getting on well, but deep down you knew that it was much more than that

The way that Charlotte always greeted you with a smile, the way the light slowly began to return to her eyes, the little things she'd begun to teach you from books she'd read, and how goddamn adorable she looked doing so...

Yeah, it was safe to say you were beginning to fall for her

Which made you feel like shit. Cal had died so very recently, and here you were, fantasizing about his wife like a schoolgirl! Every time you passed his grave, you felt as though his stare pierced up through the earth with the sole intent to scorn you. You felt terribly guilty whenever you saw him in the picture that hung in Charlotte's room. You hoped that if you tried your best to push your feelings down, they would disappear entirely

Besides, there was no saying that Charlotte wouldn't despise you if she found out how you felt about her. Sure, you were confident in who you were, and nobody else in the gang cared (quite a few of them were the same, in fact,) but Charlotte wasn't somebody who had grown up on the outskirts of society, far away from what was considered "proper". She'd grown up in the heart of it, and no matter how she longed to escape, the stuffy cage of Chicago may very well have imprinted some beliefs onto her that simply couldn't be shaken

So you bit your lip and kept on with your friendship, trying your best to pretend that your world didn't light up whenever you saw her

Even given the gang's falling apart and how horrible everything was at home, Charlotte made it all bearable. You had no clue how you would've made it were it not for her

Finally, the Day of Reckoning came, as you always knew it would. You'd been planning to leave for a while, but when Charles came up to you one day and told you he was going to go up to Canada with the Wapiti, you knew that it was also time for you to leave. Packing your things and saying your goodbyes, you got onto your horse and headed north, to the one place you knew you would be at home

Charlotte was more than understanding when you explained the situation to her. She sat you down at the table and made you a cup of tea, listening as you finally told her the full story of just what had led up to you making this decision

You felt yourself start to cry, finally letting the stress of the past few months come out. At first, it was manageable, but by the time you'd finished your story, you were in full on sobs, not even able to let out a word

Charlotte was by your side instantly, wrapping you up in a hug. You clung onto her white blouse and let yourself feel everything you needed to

When you couldn't cry anymore, you finally lifted your head out of Charlotte's chest. She was staring at you in a way that you couldn't quite name, and all you could manage to think about was how beautiful she was

Reaching forward, Charlotte wiped away a lingering tear. "I know what it's like to lose your family." she told you. "It's a pain too deep to be able to describe. You saw what I was like. Hell, it... it doesn't get easier right away, and you never do stop missing them but... it will get better, even if it doesn't seem it. Especially if you have somebody by your side who can help."

You didn't know how it happened, all you knew was that suddenly Charlotte was kissing you. On instinct you kissed back, tightening your arms around her and grabbing the back of her blouse in fists

When you pulled back for air, both of you could do nothing but stare at each other, before you went back in for another kiss, and another, and another.

If Charlotte could make it out alright after all that she had been through, you would too

After all, you had her by your side now, and you always would

[savagesbonergarage]

Are you looking for prompts? 👀 Can I offer you predator/prey kink with Maul (or Savage?) I’ll just... leave this here...

Oh?

I know that @fallenrepublick has already written an excellent Maul one here, but Savage...I can't say I've seen one with the big boye anywhere yet (though correct me if I'm wrong)...

Guess that's my duty now...oh no...😏

A/N: Smuuuuuuuut, it's kinda long, wilderness survival, taking a leak (like just peeing outdoors in general, if that makes you uncomfortable you can skip it), maybe a pee kink though?? Is it a pee kink if there's no real indication of it being one? Someone will have to let me know lol, general roughness, rough sex, orgasm denial, unprotected sex, aftercare

Savage

"Instinct"

The wind rustled softly through the trees, the scent of fresh mountain air and the the temporary security of your height advantage almost offering you a moment of respite. You had stationed yourself near the top of an adequately concealed tree, it's sturdy branches sufficient enough to keep you up and away from immanent danger for the time being.

You were feeling quite pleased with yourself, if you were being honest. It had been a few days that you had managed to avoid his pursuit, a milestone you weren't quite sure you'd ever be able to achieve, and yet here you were. The few wilderness survival tips that you had learned in your youth inevitably seemed to pay off, as you remained cognizant of as much as you could regarding yourself and your environment that could potentially alert a predator. Rarely did you ever touch the ground of the forest floor, opting to remain high up in the forgiving trees that allowed for your nimbleness to be used as an advantage. You moved slowly, always making sure that your sounds blended together alongside the other calls of nature that wouldn't give way to your position, and you always shifted with the winds to ensure that the breeze never dispersed your scent around.

Savage was certainly the epitome of a predator, and an enhanced one at that - however, you'd studied him enough to understand the drawbacks that came with his awesome power. By his very nature, stealth wasn't his defining trait. At all. Were he to get anywhere within your field of vision, you would know about it without a doubt by the flocks of birds that scrambled to the skies in the distance or the cracking of branches coupled with his screams of frustration that filled the open air. You had to admit, you almost found it cute how you were finally getting the upper hand on him for once.

Although, this only meant that when or if he did catch you, you'd be shown no mercy.

It seemed your tactics this time around were working rather well though, and you considered that perhaps after one more day of survival that you'd approach him and declare yourself the victor in this dangerous game. Oh, the humiliation he would feel from his failure...the mighty Savage Opress, unable to hunt down the creature he craved for the first time. It probably irked him terribly that you were remaining relatively stagnant within the treetops as opposed to frantically running about like a frightened animal, which was likely a large factor in the enjoyment of it for him - the thrill of the chase.

Normally, you might have indulged him a bit more and better acted the part that he desired you to play, but this time, oh, this time, you were determined. Back home, he'd jokingly let slip that if you were ever to evade him long enough, he'd don a fluffy tunic and ears and call himself an ewok. That right there was all the motivation you'd ever need - nothing was going to come between you and getting to see what would inarguably be the most hilarious sight in the galaxy.

Dusk was fast approaching, and although there was still no sign of the beast that was hunting you, it was detrimental that you carefully selected a sturdy tree with tall, wide branches that you could conceal with the surrounding foliage nearby while you slept leaning against it. It was hardly comfortable and you could only rest for maybe a few hours at a time, but it was certainly safer than sleeping on the ground. You gathered your necessities and carefully arranged yourself against a wide branch and drifted off.

It wasn't long before the chill of the night air roused you from sleep. You had to admit, the worst part out of all of this was how damn cold it was being exposed to the wind in inadequate layers for these temperatures. You quietly shuffled around in an attempt to get comfortable, but in doing so you realized an uncomfortable truth.

Damn. I have to pee.

This was gonna be tricky. Finding a place to do so safely was half the battle, since you'd be making yourself completely vulnerable for a short while and if Savage happened to be somewhere nearby, no matter how quiet you were, he'd likely be able to smell you. A slightly gross fact, but an important one. He was a predator, after all. You'd managed to get by this far, and you had been avoiding drinking water for this very reason - also, because he would likely wait near the water for you to show up to inevitably drink.

Being tired, dehydrated, cold and full of pee wasn't ideal, and you couldn't wait for the morning to get here so this game could finally end. You were even starting to wonder if this was really going to be worth it once it was over. Sure, watching Savage embarrass himself was always an entertaining prospect, but right now, you just wanted to be held against him and his warmth even more. You sighed. Only a few more hours, and then you could gloat in his face for a second before snuggling up to his blissfully comfortable frame.

But for now, you still had to pee. You debated over whether or not you could potentially hold it until morning, but the answer to that was a resounding negative. It would be fine. You'd survived every other time, and you'd survive this time. Tentatively, you carefully and quietly lowered yourself to the ground, cursing the night for being so dark. Ideally, you'd want to find a place far enough away from here to go so that you wouldn't be literally marking your territory - but you didn't have any light, or Savage's reflective night sight, and you didn't have his other senses that absolutely trumped your own.

For the first time, the fear was finally starting to creep over you. It was times like this that you got so deep in your own head that you started to forget that this was really all just a game, and not an actual quest for survival; but that's how Savage liked it. You scoffed under your breath when you realized this, resolving to unbuckle your pants and simply relieve yourself right where you were. If Savage did happen to come through here, it was likely that he would assume you followed your usual thought process of maintaining distance from where you actually were rather than look up that very tree. That's how you had been operating so far; besides, there were only a few hours left. What were the chances of-

You heard a faint rustle of leaves somewhere behind you, and the panic started to settle in. That could have been anything, you told yourself as you attempted to calm down your anxiety. You couldn't really do much about it right now, since, well, you were already going. If you tried to push it faster that would only make it louder, and if you tried to scurry back up the tree in the middle of it, it would get everywhere and act as a billboard to your location. You sighed quietly, counting down the seconds until it was done in an attempt to quiet your racing heart.

You had that sinking feeling that you weren't alone. Your eyes darted around only to find that you truly couldn't see a thing, and you determined that the best course of action now was to just calmly finish up and quietly scale back up the tree.

You had just gotten your pants back over your hips when an animalistic growl erupted from behind you, and just like that, it was over. Savage had you pinned between his muscular, gargantuan form and the trunk of the tree, your arms bound to your sides in the grip of his massive hands. There was no way in hell you'd be able to wriggle free, and the adrenaline coursing through you in being captured was making you tremble. You could feel the heavy beating of his twin hearts against your back and his hot breath against your neck, and with a growl he pressed his hips against you until you could clearly feel the outline of his massive, throbbing cock against the small of your back.

"I got you. You're mine."

There was a frightening agitation in his bellowing voice that shook you, and the feeling was only worsened when you heard the scrape of one of his long horns against the bark of the tree as he brought his mouth closer to your ear.

"You think you can get away with hiding from me...? Keeping me hunting you for so long, and then teasing me like that..."

You were breathless, unable to utter a reply even if you'd had one ready before one of his powerful hands yanked your pants back down to your ankles. His claws left mild scrapes against your thigh, a concern that he was usually more cautious of, but not this time. It was clear that he was going to punish you for making him wait so long. You could barely squeak out his name when you felt his teeth rip into the layers of fabric covering your torso. With the aid of his claws he tore the garments from your body, spitting the cloth from his mouth as he revelled in the satisfaction of "skinning" you. You shivered, the heat from the zabrak's body the only thing keeping you warm now.

He flipped you so that you were facing him, the harshness of the tree bark against your bare skin making you wince as you watched him pull his monster dick out from the prison of his pants. No matter how many times you witnessed that reveal, your reaction was always the same. You looked into his glowing golden eyes, a predatory hunger there that sent both fear and heat straight through to your core. You swallowed drily, gazing into his face with a submissive look of defeat as he continued pinning you by your shoulders.

"You got me," you breathed, "I'm yours."

That did it for him. Without another word, he palmed the meat of your thighs and hoisted your legs up to hold you in place as your back rested against the rough tree, causing you to hitch your breath as Savage hungrily lined himself up with your entrance, the sheer amount of precum he leaked serving as lube before he pushed his hips forward. It was a little more forced than usual, and on top of that it had been a while since the last time you'd taken him, with your walls struggling to adjust to the stretch in order to accommodate his size. Your jaw was hanging open and your head immediately rolled back as you felt more and more full with each thrust, Savage gripping your thighs harder and exhaling a groan when he finally bottomed out.

There was a brief moment of hesitation, a pause for a reality-check as Savage lightly tapped his fingers against you. It was a subtle way of asking for permission, acknowledging that although this was your "punishment" and his reward, he still needed to know that you really wanted it like this, and that you were okay. Your response was an affirmation in the form of a squeeze on his forearm and a slight roll of your hips, with the look in your eyes pleading for him to take what he desired.

So, he did. With one strong, massive arm supporting you under your ass and the other pulling you closer to him, he backed away from the tree entirely and moved your arms to wrap around his neck so you could leverage yourself while he fucked the absolute life out of you. The noises that were escaping your lips were just as perverse as the sound of skin-on-skin echoing with vulgar, wet slaps throughout the forest, your mind already turning to mush. He was hitting everything, even when he wasn't really trying, so it took hardly any time at all before your eyes were rolling back and you felt that knot building up in your core. He didn't let up, his pace almost quickening with every desperate whine that escaped your throat.

"Savage, I-"

"Not yet," he commanded, pressing your chest firmly against his as he continued, "not until I say so."

You whined even louder, your hands moving up to hold onto his horns as he continued fucking you without mercy, that ache in your stomach growing more and more unbearable the longer you tried to push it back. Your breaths were desperate and rapid, with your face and chest flushing as red as a Dathomirian sunset with every passing second. You didn't know how much longer you could last, but you wanted to try your best for him.

"Please, I can't...!"

"Just a little more," Savage replied, relishing in the way your body was trying so hard not to break as he resumed his deliciously aggressive thrusts. Your hands moved from his horns to dig your fingers into his broad shoulders, your desperation reaching near-unfathomable limits.

"Savage, I can't-I can't-I can't-I'm-!"

You screamed as he finally allowed you to tip over the edge, having timed his release with yours so that you could ride out your highs in tandem. It was almost too much, the ecstacy of your edged climax intensifying with every twitch of Savage's pulsing cock so deep inside painting your gripping walls with heat. Even minutes later you were still quivering, barely coherent as your whines eventually began to die down and your lover held you tightly in his arms, before gently pulling his softening dick out of you once you had stopped clenching around his length.

He pressed a firm kiss against your temple as he waited for you to catch your breath, also ensuring that the majority of the unbelievable mess the two of you had made spilled out onto the grassy ground. Once he was satisfied, he moved one arm beneath both of your knees used the other to support your shoulders, keeping you close to him in this more comfortable position as he planted another long kiss to your forehead. He always thought it was cute when you were entirely spent like this, limp in his arms like a bag of grain as you relaxed in the afterglow.

"Are you alright?" He whispered against your forehead, lovingly stroking your arm as he did so. You responded with a soft smile and an affirmative hum, resting your hands against his broad tattooed chest as you curled in closer to him.

"I'm ready to go home," you admitted, voice barely above a whisper.

"Agreed. Let's get you some water and a hot bath."

Your heart fluttered, filling your chest with silent praises for him and rhetorical questions of what you did to deserve being here in the arms of this gentle, fearsome predator. He began the trek home, smiling to himself as a thought crossed his mind.

"You know," he began conversationally, "if you wanted to see me dressed as an ewok so badly, you could have just asked. I would have done it for you, anyway."

[greenygreenland]

Shy: Platonic! Bad Batch x Fem! Reader PART 2

-requested part two by someone on my Wattpad!

-happyily writing it, especially since I'm motivated! (finished 7 April, 2021)

-I write for females, but you can change the pronouns in your head if you really wish to (I’m sorry, but I’m more comfortable with writing for females, I hope you understand!)

-i got carried away and wrote 7k words. this is the longest thing I’ve written in my life no joke

PART ONE is here, but this can be read as a stand alone

WARNINGS: Self-worth issues, slavery mentions (cuz you’re anakin’s sister), violence (kinda no brainer)

Summary: The mission is easy. The only issue is you.

Remote. That was the first word that came to mind as soon as Havoc Marauder landed. Hunter was the first first set foot on the planet, then Wrecker, Tech, and Crosshair I'm the back.

The moment your fit hit the ground, an overwhelming sense of life hit your senses. A thick forest separated you and civilization. In it, you sensed all kinds of creatures, none you know the names of.. The grass, so green and full lit up your eyes while the crisp air hitting your nose refreshed your senses. This was a beautiful planet. Fresh. Full. Lively.

It would be a shame to ruin it.

"Lovely, isn't it?" commented Tech with a warm smile. You shyly mirrored it and kept a gaze focused on the horizon. It was hard to make eye contact with him, especially since Crosshair glared daggers in the back of your head.

He adjusted his grip on a rifle, disdain pulling at the corners of his lips. "Keep your heads out of the clouds. We still have a mission to do." You firmly nodded in agreement. "Right."

Wrecker pounded his fist against his palm. He offered a bright grin, one that went unappreciated by Crosshair. You came to like Wrecker for his open heart, a trait you lacked for years. "Don't mind him General,” Wrecker reassured, “he's just a stick in the mud. If it makes you feel better, that's the first time we haven't been gunned down with an outsider!"

‘Outsider’. What a way to describe you.

Hunter took quick notice of your shifting gaze. Maybe it was the fact he was hyper-aware of his surroundings, or perhaps you were too obvious with pursing your lips into a tight smile. Whatever the reason, Hunter's subtle nod your way made you glad he was around. "What he means,” Hunter clarified, “is that we don't usually have smooth landings when others are with us."

"We'll have plenty of downtime once we infiltrate that Seppy base and leave." Wrecker added. "That's something I'm looking forward to!" You hoped that were true. If this didn't go as planned, you'd have more to worry about than just the Separatists.

"Let's get a move on." Hunter announced. The Bad Batch collectively pulled down their helmets, motioning with their hands and fanning out. You followed, in the back of course. Right where you belonged.

This was still their mission. You were only assigned here because it was convenient. Having been recently Knighted meant you needed something to get you started, but you never expected anything like this. It was odd. Why the Bad Batch? Why not a mission with Obi-wan?

Tech tapped a few buttons on his forearm. "The base is up ahead." You heaved in a rating breath.

Focus. Focus.

A prick came from your chest. It wasn't warm like when you were around Cody, but it wasn't cold either. Rather...lifeless, and...

SNAP!

You drew your lightsaber, swiftly thumbing it on and spinning to your flank. With three strokes, you cut the heads off four commandos in a perfect one-eighty degree line. They fell to your feet, sparking and crackling with whatever electricity they had left.

"'Wow." breathed Tech. "That was incredible."

Your heart pounded, and the blood roared in your ears. That was close. Too close. You never liked being caught off guard, especially when out on a mission. If Master Obi-wan were here, he’d tell you to relax and take a deep breath, but it was hard when you didn’t have Cody by your side, or Waxer and Boil who teased and joked with you.

Wrecker nodded at the scraps in approval. "You're crazy fast! Even I can't move that quickly--and that's saying a lot coming from me." A short sigh left your lips as you awkwardly met his gaze. "'Thanks," a pause, "I suppose." Hunter shared a brief look with Crosshair you didn't miss. A faint sense of relief flowed through them, as if they were glad you were here.

But then another emotion rose in them. Worry. Why were they worried? Was it that you hadn't paid enough attention to their flank? Or did you say something earlier to offend them?

"Let's get a move on." Crosshair muttered.

And so the fight began. You didn't like it--any of it. There was something strange about the small base, dark even. It lurked between the walls, in the air, and in every droid you sliced and diced. Perhaps it was the fact that this all felt too easy, or that Hunter's energy felt...unstable.

As if he were focusing on something far away.

The sizzle of a blaster bolt brought you back to the present. Wrecker kicked over a lone droid, grinning to himself in satisfaction. "And that's the last one. Is there anything else?"

You thought back to Cody and what he reminded you of before you left.

This is strictly a retrieval operation.

Tech pulled his data pad from a wire. “Data’s all here, downloaded and ready for our use.” He turned to Hunter with a nod, who mimicked the action and motioned for everyone to get moving.

The information doesn't seem valuable to the Seppies, so I doubt you'll run into trouble.

Crosshair made his way to the door. You tapped a finger on the edge of the holoprojector. It sat smack in the middle of the room, so you got a good look of a couple maps. They weren’t anything special.

Even then, keep your wits.

You squinted at a few words glaring across the screen. It wasn’t interesting, just a plain report from about an hour ago.

I'll be fine Cody. It's not like this is the first time I've done something like this.

Crosshair paused in his step and turned to face you. His dark eyes bore into you. "What's the issue?"

But you won't have me by your side.

Your gaze didn’t leave the report as you anxiously basked in the quiet of the Separatist base. A word stood out to you in the report, something that you wished you had seen earlier.

What could go wrong Cody?

You re-read the word, over and over again until your blood froze and your head spun.

Everything.

A single, fluid action was all you could muster. There wasn't enough time to pull out your lightsaber, or scream 'SNIPERS!' at the top of your lungs. If you didn't move, then you would die.

The glass shattered with a bang, and every fibre in your body screamed for movement, speed, life. You threw out a hand, willing the Force to stop the lone laser bolt. It hissed in the air, whining and crackling from its frozen spot.

How did you miss this minuscule detail? It was so simple, because of course the enemy needed insurance. Of course they would have known you were coming. As soon as you landed, you played right into the enemy’s hands.

With a tight frown, you sent the bolt back where it came from. You didn't need the Force to know it had hit its target. "Bounty hunters.” Your voice came out stiff and scratchy. “We have to leave."

With a swift swipe of your hand, the base's doors opened. "I'm assuming they have us surrounded. If I'm right, there's a high chance there won’t be any room for negotiations."

"The only negotiations they're getting is one with my fists!" exclaimed Wrecker. His jokes were terrible, and it seemed you weren’t the only one staring at him in disdain. You passed through the quiet halls, hoping over an occasional pile of scraps every now and then.

A prick in the back of your neck caused you to freeze. It wasn’t lifeless like the droids, but focused and angry. That was when a shiver ran down your spine, and you faltered in your step.

Hunter planted a firm hand on your shoulder to keep you steady. You didn’t have time to explain, or run for that matter, because the moment you spun around, you came face to face with a familiar red-faced Sith. He growled, displaying a set of crooked teeth. “If it isn’t (Y/n) Skywalker, Kenobi’s little pet.”

“If it isn’t Maul in need of a long awaited appointment to the dentist.” you shot back. The Bad Batch stirred behind you, raising their weapons and aiming straight for Maul. He lifted a hand, and with a single wave, the Bad Batch flew to the end of the hall. You glanced back at them, back straight and tall. They weren't Maul's target--he wouldn't waste his time on them.

“All of you get a move on,” you firmly called. “I’ll catch up later, understood?”

Hunter's gaze focused on the fierce fire in your eyes. It glowed like a setting sun, sparking like the tethered wires at his feet. When had your shoulders looked so broad? When had you stood so tall with your head high and your chin up to the sky?

This girl--no, this Jedi--wasn't the same person he first met in the hanger. She clung close to Cody's side at the time, heart ramming against her chest like a drum. In the moment, Hunter didn't have to be a Jedi to know (Y/n) was worried, not about the mission, but about what him and his brothers would think of her. It was difficult to talk at first, and opening up to strike a conversation seemed so out of line until Wrecker broke the ice.

Now? (Y/n)'s chest didn't cave in. She tightly gripped her lightsaber with eyes that stared straight through him.

"Hunter, we can join General Skywalker in the west hall." Tech stated.

"Alright," he firmly replied. "Get a move on." Tech nodded and tapped a few buttons on his wrist. "General Skywalker, keep your comlink on! We will relay information and update our status!"

"Copy that, Tech!" you called back.

The Bad Batch disappeared down the hall, leaving an odd silence in their wake. You adjusted your grip on your lightsaber, heaving a tight sigh.

“Well?” Your voice echoed in the long hall. “Here to capture me?” Maul let out a low chuckle that sent shivers down your spine. "Capture?" he echoed. "There's no reward in a mere kidnapping. It'll have to be something far, far worse." He paused dramatically. "Enough to make Kenobi suffer."

That last part irked you in the wrong way. Your chest burned, it boiled, and it bubbled like a vat of lava. This wasn't the first time you faced Maul, yet you couldn't help feeling nervous. On any previous day, Master Kenobi would stick right by your side, along with Cody and the 212th. They always had your back, and so did Anakin, who never was far behind.

The face of your brother flashed in your mind. He would have attacked by now, probably with some crazy plan, and escaped with both Ahsoka and all his men. He was incredible like that. God-like even.

But you? What did you have besides the amount of droids severed by your blade?

Maul raised a brow curiously. He eased forward, closing the vast distance between you in a mere five steps. "I sense your unease...your feelings of inferiority." He held out a hand, and for a second, he looked completely harmless. "You are afraid you'll never amount to your brother, Anakin Skywalker."

This wasn't the time to listen to Maul's monologuing, yet you couldn't find it within yourself to strike first. He wasn't doing you harm, and as long as the Bad Batch got away with the information, it shouldn't matter anyway. You weren't important. You weren't needed. If it were Anakin, The Chosen One, then you'd have to have all of the GAR search for him.

You were just you. A lucky girl who turned out to have a knack for dueling and surviving on the battlefield.

"Come now, why don't we reach a common ground?" Maul tightly drawled. "You know you are skilled, yet it's as though you refuse to acknowledge it because of your brother." He circled around you like a shark, eyeing your expressions, listening to your movements, and dissecting your actions one by one.

"Prove to him you are better." She will make a wonderful tool. "Show them you are worth something before you are cast aside! Thrown away out of fear!" Having her by my side will make Kenobi suffer. "Join me. You will amount to something they cannot talk down upon, and you will--!"

"Become your minion? Your puppet?" A cruel laugh ran past your lips that surprised even you. "Sorry, but I have people relying on me." You imaged the look of absolute betrayal on Cody's face, the sorrow on Master Kenobi's, the tears in Ahsoka’s eyes, and the anger on Anakin's face. No matter what you felt, you understood that it wasn't something reciprocated.

Your family loved you. They would never cast you aside.

The thought brought your bubbling anger to a cease, bringing with it peace and hope. It settled in your chest, warm and welcoming. You clung onto that feeling, channeling it into your very bones.You swung your saber. Right, left, right, right.

Maul dodged by a mere centimeter. He let out a growl and stumbled back.

"Why are you here?" You calmly inquired. "It's obvious not even the Sith want you, so it's not like you were sent here." Maul gritted his teeth. "Why are you alone? Are you not Kenobi’s padawan?"

A tight frown emerged on your lips. It didn’t go unnoticed by Maul. "I’m not a padawan anymore. I’m a Jedi Knight." You swung your blade and Maul thumbed on his own. At the last second, centimeters before your blade grazed his arm, he blocked. The red and (colour) sabers clashed, hissing and sizzling under the pressure.

"A Jedi Knight? I see your Order is becoming more desperate for child-soldiers." Maul seethed. You kicked him in the torso, then faked a punch and uppercutted him in the jaw. “I earned the title, and I’m not a child!”

"Perhaps to your Order,” Maul replied, “but to Kenobi...”

You threw out a hand. Maul mimicked the action, and you found yourself in a stalemate of Force-pushing. Maul’s anger, his hatred and resentment were strong. They burned fiercely, but not like your determination. You didn’t want to kill Maul, but you certainly didn’t want him to escape.

“Give up Skywalker, you can’t win.”

You flew back all the way to the end of the hall. The air knocked out of your lungs as Maul threw you down. Once. Twice. Three times. Your vision danced with spots, and the sore taste of iron spread across your taste buds.

This wasn’t it though. You wouldn’t let him get by. Not until the Bad Batch got out with the information. It didn’t matter what happened to you--the Republic needed whatever was on that datapad.

Clearly Maul didn’t care for the Bad Batch, but that didn’t mean their safety was ensured. Until then, you would hold out.

“Such a shame,” Maul drawled, “all this potential wasted.” You coughed, fingers shaking against the hold of your lightsaber. It was a miracle you held on to it. “I...can’t let you past me.”

A sharp inhale, then the slow, light footsteps of Maul. He glared down at you. “That isn’t my plan.” He threw out a hand again, but at the last second, you thumbed on your lightsaber and swung with all your strength.

He blocked. Your arms shook from the stress of the force and your body screamed out for you to give up. But you couldn’t. Not like this.

Maul kicked you and you went flying into the wall. He threw out a hand, curling it into a tight fist. “I would kill a pest like you,” he curled his fist tighter, “but then I wouldn’t be able to see Kenobi’s face wither with pain.” You gasped for air, clawing at your neck as you blindly waved around your blade.

Spots dance in your vision. Pain seemed like a distant memory. Then, moments before you could pass out, Maul threw you on the ground. You dragged yourself off the ground, wheezing and coughing. Maul took a step forward. He swung his blade, grazing your arm just by a bit.

You chocked back a string of tears and jumped to your feet. With whatever strength you could muster, you slammed a fist into his gut. He coughed, doubling over as you sprinted towards the west hall.

Blood roared in your ears, and the frantic wheezing you called breathing seemed to echo in the halls. You weakly lifted your free arm towards your lips. “We...need to get out of here--ASAP! Is the...the ship ready?”

“Yes,” replied Hunter. “Tech is there right now.”

You heaved out a breathy sigh of relief and wiped a trail of blood away. “Good...good. Where are...you all right now?”

“West hall. We see you coming.”

A familiar group of boys peeked out from behind a sharp corner.

“General, is Maul behind you?”

His light footsteps seemed to harden as he turned a sharp corner. You didn’t dare look over your shoulder in fear it would encourage you to give up. But Maul knew you were on your last legs. When you tripped up, he would cut you down. Slowly. Painfully.

“Yes.”

“Good. Keep running, faster if you can.”

You gritted your teeth, forcing your legs to close the gap separating you and the Bad Batch. Everything burned, from your legs to your chest and every fibre in your body. If it weren’t for the fact that impending doom followed behind, you would have dropped dead ages ago. Hunter motioned for you to follow him around the bend of the hall. Just as you did, a large ‘BOOM!’ sounded behind. It followed, continuing down the other halls right where Maul stood.

Shrapnel, ash, and embers rose in the air, obscuring your view in clouds of smoke. Hunter hurriedly wrapped a hand around your arm and pulled you out of the way of a flaming piece of drywall. “T-thanks.”

“Don’t mention it.”

He didn’t let go of you until you emerged into the last rays of sun. You coughed into your arm, wheezing as the fresh air finally hit your lungs. You doubled over in pain, squeezing your eyes tight.

Endure. Endure. Endure.

I’m not weak.

A familiar sense of worry passed over the group. You hauled your numb limbs up and ignored their stares.

Just as you took a step forward, the galaxy spun with dots and blanched colours you couldn’t describe. You stumbled with a gasp, the tight grip on your lightsaber coming loose. It fell in a patch of trampled grass. You were about to join it, but Crosshair hooked an arm around your waist to help you stand. He was stronger than he looked. “Come on,” he calmly said, “let’s get out of this dump.”

Wrecker picked up your lightsaber and handed it to you. “Wouldn’t want to lose this, right?” You almost smiled. “Thanks Wrecker.”

You don’t recall passing out on the way to the Havoc Marauder, or falling asleep against Wrecker’s shoulder. The low hum of Hyperspace jolts you awake. Your eyes snap open, and it takes all your willpower not to pass out again as you sit up. If you were to get stoned alive in a ditch somewhere, you were sure this was how it felt.

With careful eyes, you surveyed the room. It was dimly lit, with the lights on low and the door firmly shut. The warm bed lowly creaked when you moved. To the walls sat nothing but a desk, chair, and a few fimsies taped to the wall. The sheets smelled familiar, like grass and leaves and dirt all mixed into one.

You made a move to stand up. The doors whooshed open and the sight of the boys made you pause.

“How are you feeling?” Hunter gently inquired.

When you first met the Bad Batch, you thought they wouldn’t like you one bit. You assumed the mission would be absolutely unbearable, not just because you were a terrible Jedi, but because you’d make the mission go south. Surprisingly, you weren’t wrong about the last part, but the former?

You got it all wrong. The Bad Batch were kind, caring individuals. They were smart, funny in their own ways, and interestingly enough, comforting. They were nice people, and you barged in on their mission, stole their thunder and somehow entangled yourself in Maul’s petty affairs. Again.

They were too nice. You didn’t deserve that.

The shared look everyone carried in everyone’s eyes made your chest fill with guilt. "I’m sorry.” you quietly announced. A deafening silence filled the room that made your ears ring. “I ruined the mission for you guys, and now you’re going to have to bring me back to Coruscant because I’m hurt. I guess you won’t be getting any downtime because of me.” You placed a hand to your head, where a bandage sat, tightly wrapped around your head.

Tech stared at you in bewilderment. He couldn’t understand why you were so adamant on proving yourself as anything but a burden. They were special, but not that special. You were a Jedi Knight, for the sake of the stars! It wasn’t like you weren’t assigned to this mission without reason.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry about.” Tech firmly said, stepping into the room. “There was no possible way any of us could have prepared for something as unexpected as that.” He pulled out his datapad and smiled. “Because of you, we escaped with both our lives and this.”

“Tech’s right.” Wrecker agreed. “You did a great job anyway. Back there, when those commandos came out of nowhere, you took them down. We would have seen them sooner or later, but that would have helped the enemy discover us!”

You folded your hands together on your lap with a frown. “What about those snipers?”

Crosshair yanked his toothpick out of his mouth. “Takes a sniper to know a sniper.” You nodded in understanding. “I see, so you took them out...”

Tech knitted his brows together. He waited for you to say something more, but when you didn’t, he realised it was because you thought your time to speak was up. “If you have more to say, that’s okay.” he said.

“I...about Maul...” You trailed off and wrapped an arm around yourself. It was a simple act, but spoke volumes. You were worried. Afraid. And worst of all, you felt alone. Just as quick as that vulnerability made itself apparent, it disappeared. “None of you are hurt, right?”

There was a collective reply of ‘no sirs’ from the boys. You nodded to yourself. “Good.” You were about to stand, but Tech came rushing forward. “With all due respect,” he pushed you back down, “you have to rest.”

“I’m not hurt.”

“You have a concussion.” Tech clarified. “Not to mention a few--”

A loud sigh passed your lips as your shoulders slumped dramatically. “Cody’s gonna kill me.” The mood shifted. It raised in amusement, surprise, and curiosity. The boys wondered how you and Cody could be so close when you were so different. A Jedi and a clone? Who could see that coming?

You made a move to pull out your holoprojector, but just as you sat up a little straighter, your head pounded again, and your sore limbs ached. “You can comm him later, General.” Crosshair firmly said. “It’s better you rest.”

And so you did. You laid there in that warm bed by yourself, tossing and turning in the dim lights. You wondered what the Bad Batch were doing in the common room. Gossiping? Complaining about your incompetence? Deep down, you knew they didn’t blame you for anything, yet the swirling emotions of guilt and worry clawed at your insides.

You tossed around again, this time more roughly than the last. If Hunter’s ears were as good as back in the hanger, then he probably heard you more than you’d like to acknowledge.

You weren’t sure how long you lay there. An hour? Two? Three? How far was Coruscant again? You couldn’t recall. Everything was a hazy blur of colours, faces, and voices. A loud sigh escaped your lips. You slowly sat up, wincing every now and then as you pulled out your holoprojector.

The familiar, blue projection lit up. You placed the holoprojector on the floor. “Hi Cody.” He practically ripped off his helmet. “What happened to you Com--General?” You sighed for what had to be the hundredth time that day. “Maul happened, that’s what.”

“And you fought him. Alone. Why am I not surprised?” Despite the dead-panned way he spoke, you sensed his growing worry. “Comman--General, it’s not that I doubt your abilities, it’s just that you could have gotten seriously hurt.” You snorted. “You’re starting to sound like Master Obi-wan now.”

“Did someone say my name?”

A loud groan escaped your lips. You suddenly regretted ever comming Cody, much less thinking he wouldn’t chew you out. The only thing that could make it worse was the presence of--

“Hey (Y/n)!”

You held back a scowl. “Ani, hi. How do you do, or rather, what are you doing?” You spoke between gritted teeth, and it didn’t take a genius to guess why. Anakin sheepishly shrugged. “We had another mission, nothing too bad. Congrats on being knighted.”

“Thanks...again.”

Anakin sent you a big thumbs-up before disappearing out of range. Ahsoka jumped up on screen, waving excitedly as you offered a smile back. “Hello to you too, Ahsoka.” She waved one last time before disappearing like Anakin.

Cody turned to look at you again, this time with softer eyes. “I’m glad you’re alright. A run-in with Maul could have been gruesome.”

Obi-wan blinked. He stood still for a moment, turning from you, to Cody, and then back to you. “Maul confronted you?” he inquired. You nodded. “Yes, but I’m alright. Nothing a bit of bacta can’t fix.”

“Did he try anything?” Obi-wan thoughtfully added. You thought back to the encounter. Maul had beaten you to a pulp, even when you did your best to fight against him. It was only by chance that you escaped. You were no match for him.

A plastic smile rose on your lips. “Besides the usual threats, nothing, Master.” If Obi-wan were here, he would have said more, but the look on your face must have been too fake because he went silent. “Our mission is finished here. When you get back, I’ll personally see to it that I bring you to the medbay.”

“I’m fine Master, it’s just--”

“I’ll leave you to it.” Obi-wan cut in. He respectfully nodded your way and disappeared out of sight. You helplessly looked at Cody. “Obi-wan’s going to give me a long lecture.” He nodded in agreement. “But it’s because he cares. It’s a good thing too because I believe you need it.”

You raised a brow. “What? Why?” Cody gave you a pointed look. He heaved in a deep breath and said in a high-pitched voice, “‘If they’re as good as I’ve heard, I’ll only be extra luggage’.” You folded your arms with a pout. The fact that he kept a straight face made it worse than it had to be. It wasn’t everyday Cody teased you like this, so you must have really irritated him.

“I’m lucky you’re not reckless like your brother, but sometimes, I can’t say you’re any different.”

“Why’s that Cody?”

“When you want to do something, you’ll do it regardless of the consequences.” He shook his head tiredly. “You wanted to complete this mission, so you risked fighting Maul alone so the Bad Batch wouldn’t get hurt. I’m not surprised, but I’m not happy either.”

“It’s not wrong to want to protect others...” you mumbled. Cody nodded in agreement. “That’s why I’m angry at Maul.”

You blinked, holding fast to his words.

“Look what he did to you (Y/n). Stars, how did you get out of there?” You folded your hands together. “The boys,” you answered. “They set up some explosives while I distracted Maul.”

It went quiet for a few moments, save for the sounds of gunships and fighters preparing for liftoff. “You know,” you began. “You were right Cody.” He knitted his brows together. “About what?”

“The Bad Batch. They’re wonderful boys. I...I guess I was worried over nothing, but I can’t help thinking...thinking that...” You trailed off with a shake of your head. “Never mind. Go catch up to them, before they leave without you.” A subtle smile lifted onto your lips, prompting Cody to go. “May the Force be with you, Cody.”

The hologram disappeared, that soft blue light vanishing. You stuffed the holoprojector into your pocket with a frown. “Gosh dang it Cody.” you grumbled. “Actually making me feel sorry for feeling like this.” The strong urge to cry suddenly bubbled up in your chest. But why? What did you have to be a big baby over?

You sharply inhaled, forced the tears back, and weakly punched the stiff mattress. That didn’t make you feel better though. In fact you felt sick again. Your head spun and you stumbled over your own feet. “Force...” Anger poked at your wounded heart. You didn’t want to be angry, but it was like a wave--it wouldn’t stop, relentlessly flowing until it crashed down on you.

“Why are you so weak...?” you whispered. “Stop...crying...” The tears wouldn’t stop, and neither would the aching in your heart. Maybe this was the reason you were so shy. If you showed your true colours and all the sides you reserved for a select few, then they’d know how weak you were. Underneath, you were pathetic.

Absolutely pathetic.

“Wait--you two--no!”

The door swished open. You stared at Wrecker and Tech, wide-eyed as tears trailed down your face. Hunter stood behind them, a hand over his face to cover his flustered frown. Crosshair walked out from down the hall. He stared at the awkward scene, gaze bouncing from you, to his brothers, and then back to you again.

“Oh...”

“Uh...”

Hunter apologetically met your teary gaze. “We didn’t mean to disturb you, General.” You sniffled with a shake of your head. You wanted to say ‘it’s okay’, but if you talked, then you’d start balling on the spot. Tech awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. “We’ll just go. Sorry, General.”

“W-wait.”

They paused to meet your eye. You heaved in a shaky breath, steeling your nerves. “Th-thank you...” A tears escaped your eye. “For everything.” For a moment, everyone basked in the silence, only caring to listen to your soft sniffles and the low hum of the ship.

A bright smile burst onto Wrecker’s lips. “I wouldn’t have seen that great explosion if you didn’t distract that guy long enough.” He heartily laughed and you stared at him, star-struck. The emotions he omitted: happiness, joy, relief. He was just glad you all made it out there, along with the fact that you woke up alright.

Tech mimicked Wrecker’s smile in a mellow version of his own. “Excuse me for being so direct, but I’ve found that you don’t credit yourself enough, General. Your opponent was no ordinary being. Maul--a former Sith Lord--isn’t someone you would fight for the fun of it.” A laugh of agreement came from Wrecker. “Tech’s right.”

“Finally about something worth our interest,” Crosshair piped up. He strode down the hall, stopping at the threshold of the room. The straight look on his face could have been intimidating, if it weren’t for the fact that you sensed the kind emotions in his heart.

He was like you, except colder, and much more battle-hardened.

“See that?” Crosshair grumbled. “You already know what I’m going to say. I don’t usually give out compliments, but you’re different. Strong. It doesn’t make sense why you’re shy all the time when you can trash-talk a former Sith Lord without hiding behind someone’s back.”

General Skywalker, keep your comlink on! We will relay information and update our status!

You felt exposed. They heard everything. From Maul’s monologuing to his reveal of your darkest secrets, your feelings of inferiority. Why were they talking so kindly to you despite that? A Jedi Knight wasn’t supposed to be insecure about themself, much less doubtful of their own abilities.

You heaved in a deep sigh, taking in the scents of grass and trees and dirt. It reminded you of someone. The same energy that wordlessly put you at ease, the same energy that laid quiet, yet so full of life that it was too hard to ignore.

This was Hunter’s room.

He met your eyes and it took you back to when you were a child. Anakin was a few years older than you, so he always took it upon himself to take care of you with as much love as possible. It was how your mum raised you, to care for each other through thick and thin. When he made fun of you for something stupid and hurt your feelings, he’d give you the same look as Hunter’s.

The one with soft eyes that spoke more than words. A silent ‘I’m here’ and a quiet ‘it’s okay. That was right. Hunter’s eyes were like those of an elder brother.

“What makes you so insecure?” His soft voice jolted you out of your thoughts You shuffled as best as you could on the bed, fiddling with the bandages wrapped around you aching fingers. “A lot makes me insecure, really.” you quietly replied. “A lot comes from the fact that I feel out of place.”

No one expected an honest answer, and maybe that was because they were engineered to think Jedi were invincible. God-like even without a care in the world. But you? You were only human. Just like them. Not merchandise, not a soldier, not anything but yourself.

Just like them.

Crosshair adjusted his footing and leaned against the threshold. A tight-lipped frown found its way onto his lips. He didn’t want to speak in fear of scaring you back into your shell. He wasn’t as warm as Tech, he couldn’t make you laugh like Wrecker, and he certainly wasn’t a big-brother-type like Hunter.

But when you met his gaze with doe-like eyes, the words left his mouth before he could stop them. “Kid,” he began. “I get it. We all do. Growing up, we weren’t seen in the same light as everyone else. We were experimental. Lab rats for those long-neck Kaminoans.” He turned the toothpick between his fingers thoughtfully. “What about you? Who made you feel like you didn’t belong?”

“Everyone.” You sniffled. “I haven’t told anyone this besides Cody. Master Obi-wan knows, but that’s only because he was there. He rescued us with his Master.” You paused and everyone listened with batted breath. It wasn’t everyday a Jedi told their life story.

“I was a slave on Tattooine. Simple as that. Anakin was seen as a more valuable candidate because he had more skills than me. He could fix nearly anything, he also knew a bunch of different things, and he helped win our freedom in a bet. If i were in his shoes, I wouldn’t have been able to do that.”

A bitter laugh escaped your lips.

“When we got to the Temple, I didn’t do as well as Anakin. He learned faster and Master Qui-gon, the one who found us on Tattooine, paid more attention to him. Master Obi-wan noticed that. He promised to teach me when he was old enough, but that changed. Master Qui-gon died and he made Obi-wan promise to train Anakin. I was passed along different masters after. Some hated me and others thought I wasn’t ready to be a padawan, so they sent me back to the temple.”

Your heart clenched. The memories you tried so hard to suppress flashed before your eyes, reminding you, forcing you, to remember every failure you faced. “‘You’re not good enough’. ‘How are you even a Jedi?’. I was bullied, so I worked hard, but when I got to where I wanted to be, I felt so worthless because...” You heaved out a rattling sigh. “...I don’t know. I suppose I listened too much to everyone, and it all...got to my head.”

The room swirled, mixing all the emotions of the boys into an unreadable concoction. You buried your face in your hands. It was all you could do to hide the tears running down your reddened cheeks.

A strong pair of arms gingerly wrapped around your shoulders. “That’s terrible.” Wrecker tearfully said. “You must’ve felt so alone.” You sniffled and Wrecker only pulled you closer. He was so warm, and it made your chest feel all fuzzy inside. Your mother used to give you hugs just like this. When you felt life was too hard, she’d wrap you close, enveloping you in her arms to block out the cold.

Eventually, Tech joined in, offering the most reassuring smile he could muster. He hugged you a lot like Cody. Short, to the point, and real. When you needed a good reminder that you weren’t alone, Cody offered short hugs just like this. It was clear Tech understood the meaning of ‘actions spoke louder than words’.

“Originally, I thought you were shy because you were in your brother’s shadow. I should have known that it had to be deeper than that.” You shook your head. “It’s not like you could have known Tech.” He pursed his lips together, releasing you to run a hand over his hair. “I’m not very good at understanding everyone’s emotions. They change too much, and there’s rarely any constant to rely on.”

You nodded in agreement. He wasn’t wrong. if you weren’t a Jedi, then you sure as heck wouldn’t understand emotions too well either.

After a few more moments of silence, you recollected yourself. Your breathing steadied a little more and the tears finally came to a stop. Hunter asked Tech to check on the coordinates (”Coruscant shouldn’t be this far.”) and told Wrecker to help.

You stared at Crosshair and Hunter. They eyed you carefully, as if one wrong word would shatter you to bits. But you weren’t fragile, and you most certainly weren’t innocent. Whatever they had to say to you, you’d take it--whatever it was.

“This may not be my place to say this,” Hunter started, “but I feel it’s important.” You nodded in understanding, waiting for him to continue. He eased over to the bed, taking a seat at its edge. Crosshair remained on the door frame.

“Something I learned over time was that fearing what we can’t do holds us back. It makes people feel powerless. You may not be, but in that moment, it feels like it. That’s when it becomes your reality.” He gave your shoulder a good pat and stood. You watched him leave, peering past Crosshair’s shoulders until Hunter was out of sight. 

Crosshair stared at the toothpick wedged between his fingers. It was deadly silent, and you were afraid to break it.

“It’s really not any of our places to say osik. Everyone just got too sentimental.” He looked about ready to chuck the toothpick at the wall. “Even me.” He finally turned to meet your gaze. “We all fall, but it’s our choice to get back up.”

---

“I thought she said she was fine.” Cody stated. Obi-wan folded his arms across his chest with a sigh. “It seems trouble follows her wherever she goes.”

“And it looks like she got it from you, General.”

The moment you stepped off the Havoc Marauder was the moment Obi-wan thought he'd get a heart attack. In what galaxy could anyone describe you as clinically sound? Nearly ever inch of your exposed skin lay wrapped away in bandages or bacta patches. You sported a splash of purple bruises across your neck, another bandage around your head, and a nasty looking gash on your arm that couldn't have been from a blaster.

Just what did Maul do to you?

One of the Bad Batch Obi-wan recognized as Crosshair helped you out of the ship. He sensed the immense amount of worry shared among the men, and if Obi-wan didn't know better, he'd think they'd known (Y/n) all their lives.

"You look worse in person." Obi-wan commented. You sluggishly trudged forward, wincing every now and then as Crosshair helps you close the distance. "You're not much to look at either, Master." He nodded to Crosshair with a small thanks and pulled you into his comforting arms. "I'm glad you're doing well, my dear."

You smile, and for the first time in a while, Obi-wan notices that it holds no weight. No setbacks that made his heart clench for you. Your smile was full and bright and everything he dreamed of seeing again on your face.

"Do you think we can arrange something for me to end up with the Bad Batch again?" you inquired. Obi-wan ruffled your hair like he always did, smiling down upon you with eyes that sparkled like the suns of Tattooine.

"Why don't you ask them?"

You turned to the Bad with hopeful eyes. Wrecker didn't hesitate to eagerly nod while Crosshair sent a silent nod. Tech grinned from ear to ear, and Hunter smiled warmly.

"I suppose I can't say no to a majority." Obi-wan stated. "And it's not like the Council knows where to put you."

Wrecker let out a whoop that could have shaken a of Coruscant. "Shh, Wrecker!" cried Tech. "You'll burst Hunter's eardrums!" A small laugh escaped your lips, causing Wrecker to freeze in place. All eyes focused on your smile, and the way you shamelessly held your head up high.

What a beautiful sight.

BONUS:

"I'm still confused how you did that." Rex admitted. "What strings did you pull to get (Y/n) with the Bad Batch?" Cody shrugged and Rex leaned further off his seat in wait. "Well?"

"Let's just say I know a lot of people."

"Did General Kenobi know?"

"Of course he did. Nothing gets past him." Cody relaxed into his chair with a rare smile. "I knew pairing her up with Clone Force 99 would be a good idea. She found herself, and that's all I could've asked for."

TIP JAR <-- please donate, I work so hard on this and if you’re feeling nice, I’d really appreciate it

REBLOG SO THIS CAN REACH MORE PEOPLE!

[cora-vizsla]

Hypnotic (Taking Over Me) - Epilogue

Here we are. The very very end. Thank you for all of you that have read this and given me motivation to write this story. It’s been one of my favorite to write!

Zara had never once regretted leaving the Jedi order. Living with Obi Wan had been more relaxing than either of them anticipated. They worked together to build the small cabin into more of a home. Other than their one trip to his old home, which was burned to nothing, they didn’t leave their own little paradise.

The only thing that Zara missed was Anakin. Mace had decided that it was best for Zara to stay away from him, so the last thing she heard from her best friend was that he hated her. It wasn’t something that she talked about, but it left her heart in pieces.

There were mornings where Obi Wan would wake up to her sitting alone on the porch. He knew that he couldn’t fix it for her, so he would just join her and sit in silence until she was ready to start their day. She would give him a soft smile and kiss on the cheek, a silent thank you for supporting her in the way she needed.

The day came when Obi Wan finally brought up her friend. He waited until she was done with her normal routine, gently grabbing her wrist before she could stand up.

“Darling, can we talk?”

She sat back down and nodded.

“I try not to bring up the past or push you to speak on things that upset you. I think we need to discuss Anakin.”

She sighed and slumped slightly.

“There isn’t much to talk about.”

“You have not told me what happened, other than leaving the order.”

“Nothing happened. I showed up there and he was taken away.”

“You never had the opportunity to talk about things?”

“The last thing he said to me was he feels nothing but hate for me.”

“Oh, sweetheart. I am so terribly sorry. What a terrible way to leave things. No wonder you’re hurting.”

She laughed humorlessly and crossed her arms.

“Says the man who hates an entire order of people.”

“I hardly waste the time on hating them, sweetheart. I may still find my power from the dark side, but I do not hate them. Not forgiving someone is entirely different from hating them.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“You are more than forgiven, my love. Do you know where Anakin is now?”

“Last I heard he was on Naboo with Padme. I have no idea if he is still there. I don’t even know if he would see me.”

“Well, coming from someone who spent an exuberant amount of time not feeling any type of closure, I think it may warrant you going there to find out.”

She looked at him warily and shook her head.

“I don’t know.”

“I will go with you. We will go visit Naboo. If we find out that Anakin is there, you can decide if you want to see him or not.”

“Are you even allowed anywhere near Republic channels?”

“Of course, I am. Sidious never broadcasted he had an apprentice other than Darth Maul. There has never been a warrant out for my capture nor is there any evidence I did anything wrong. I doubt the Jedi Order would put a warrant out for someone traveling with their friend.”

Zara laughed and shrugged her shoulders.

“I’ll agree as long as you’re going and as long as I have the choice to see him or not.”

“When have I ever not given you a choice?”

“Ever the chivalrous kidnapper.”

“I do have manners.”

XXX

The two of them landed on Naboo and Zara smiled at how beautiful it was. She had visited before, but it was always on missions and never left the opportunity for her to explore. Obi Wan had called ahead and reserved a cabin near a lake for them, knowing how much Zara loved the water.

Neither of them wore cloaks or even garnered a glance from the locals. Even Obi Wan’s bright yellow eyes didn’t seem to matter there. It put both of them at ease. Zara was unsure of what she would decide if Anakin was still there, but either way it was a beautiful place to visit.

Zara walked into the cabin first, gasping when she realized someone was leaning on the table, their arms crossed over their chest.

“Anakin.”

“Did you think you could land here with a Sith and me not notice?”

Zara froze, wishing she had decided to make a new saber after all. Anakin put his hands up to show he wasn’t going to hurt her before letting them drop to his side.

“I’m not here to fight you, Zara. Either of you. I figured you came here for a reason since I know Mace told you where I was.”

“He did. And I did. Although it wasn’t my idea.”

Obi Wan stepped in behind her, gently shutting the door.

“Figured you would beat us here, Anakin.”

“Veth.”

Zara sighed and ran her hand down her face.

“His name is Obi Wan, Anakin. If you’re going to be in the place where we are currently staying, please be respectful.”

He grunted and watched Obi Wan put things away. Zara took his distracted state to check him for weapons and it surprised her to see he had no saber.

“Order took it. Apparently, I’m not allowed to have one as one of the conditions of my release.”

“Sorry. I wasn’t trying-“

“It’s fine, Zara.”

“Do, do you want to talk outside for a bit? The dock looks nice.”

“Water is better than lava, right?”

Zara grimaced, making Anakin sigh. Obi Wan gave her a reassuring smile and nod, going back to putting things away as she walked outside. She led the way down to the docks and sat down, crossing her legs so they didn’t touch the water. Anakin waited for a moment before joining her, turned slightly so there was distance between them.

“How much did the order tell you before you left?”

“Not much. Whole thing is a little foggy to be honest. Padme offered to let me see the hologram recording of most of it, but she warned me how upsetting it would be.”

“You don’t remember?”

He shook his head and leaned back against one of the posts of the dock.

“I remember Palpatine telling me where you were and that V-Obi Wan was going rogue against his wishes. I.. remember pledging myself to the dark side if it mean I could get you back.”

“Oh, Ani.”

“I just.. I had been looking so long for you. I barely slept. All I had was nightmares of finding you dead, Zar. I finished my missions but every moment other than that was spent looking for you. When I found out that the Jedi knew where you were I just snapped. I went to where you were and saw your broken saber. It was just too much.”

“Didn’t need to burn it to the ground. Was a little dramatic, but I shouldn’t expect much else from you I guess.”

Zara forced a smile and Anakin chuckled.

“I remember landing and seeing you. I’ve never felt so much darkness or rage. I don’t.. I don’t remember what I did. I don’t even remember what I said. It’s been haunting me, Zara. Padme knew where you were with V-Obi Wan but.. she told me that I needed to come to you and that’s when I knew I must have done something absolutely terrible.”

“Maybe it’s best if you don’t remember.”

He moved forward and took her hand in his, squeezing it tightly. Zara shut her eyes and let out a shaky breath.

“Zara, please. I can see the fear and hurt written all over your face. I can’t even begin to atone for my actions if I don’t know what I did.”

She nodded and pulled her hand from his, wrapping her arms around herself.

“You showed up and it was all part of Palpatine’s plan. I could have stayed where he sent you, but I knew you wouldn’t listen. You’d just grab me and run no matter what I said. I went to Mustafar with Obi Wan, but I didn’t anticipate it being so dark. It made my stomach churn it was just so fucking dark.”

“He wanted me around that?”

She nodded and shifted slightly, uncomfortable to even face the situation.

“I tried to tell you everything, but you just kept saying you were going to save me. Obi Wan put himself between us because you were erratic. You charged at him and had no consideration that I was right there with no weapon to protect myself. Obi Wan fought you off and begged me to move. When I did, he used the force to push me into the building trying to make more distance. You used the force to throw a bunch of rocks into the doorway to block me from leaving.”

“I.. I did all of that? I don’t- I wouldn’t ever want to hurt you.”

“I ran down the hallways stopping to see the two of you fighting. You had already hurt him once on his arm. He kept fighting though. You were going to kill him if given even the slightest chance. When I finally got outside it was just in time to catch him falling from higher ground. You had hurt him pretty badly. There was no way he was going to get back on his feet.”

“It should make me happy that I bested him, but nothing about this feels good. What happened then?”

“I ran to him. I knew you wouldn’t understand my connection to him. I’m sure you still don’t. You just weren’t there anymore. Your eyes.. they were changing. You told me to move so you could kill him where he was. It wasn’t the honorable thing though. He couldn’t fight you. He wasn’t even your enemy, and you just wouldn’t listen to me.”

Zara felt tears start to sting her eyes that she wiped away quickly. Anakin moved forward but stopped himself when she flinched.

“We fought then. I used his saber and we fought. I begged you to stop so we could leave and get help. I just wanted you both safe when it was neither of you that started the whole thing. We were all just pawns. Then you almost fell into the lava and I saved you. The only problem was it put you closer to Obi Wan and you weren’t stopping.”

She placed her finger on the scar on her lip, letting him see it. He frowned and shook his head, running his hand across his face.

“I did that.”

She nodded and took a few breaths. It was harder for her to talk about than she thought possible, especially with Anakin.

“Elbow to the face. Obi Wan told me I had to kill you; it was the only way to stop you. I couldn’t though. I couldn’t kill my best friend. He used the force to stop you and right before I made you sleep you told me.. you told me that you had loved me but all you felt at that point was hate.”

“Shit.”

He moved forward more slowly and gently took her hands in his.

“Zar, I’ve always cared very deeply for you. I think back then if given the chance I would have gladly been with you. I mean we both know that. I know that it isn’t, wasn’t, reciprocated. I let Palpatine twist my mind and my memory of us. I never should have treated you like that. I don’t hate you. I am so sorry I hurt you. I am so sorry I didn’t listen to you.”

“You’re.. you’re okay now?”

He nodded, still holding onto her hands.

“I’m not ever going to be the same. It changed me but I am as close to normal as I’m going to be I think.”

“I can’t quite tell you how happy I am to hear that.”

“What about you? Are you okay?”

She shrugged, looking over at the cabin to see Obi Wan leaning against the wall reading. She could tell he was keeping track of their emotions to make sure that she was safe. She smiled at him before looking back at Anakin.

“I am. Not where I thought I would be but I’m happy.”

“What happened to Zara Fross, Jedi Master?”

“Oh, they offered it to me. A seat on the council too. I turned it down.”

“Wow. Never thought I’d see the day.”

She laughed and shrugged, Anakin letting her go, sitting back with an amused smile.

“After everything I just couldn’t stay. I don’t really have any hard feelings against them or anything, but I could never go back.”

“Where are you living now?”

“Scarif. We live by the water in the warm weather. It’s really nice to feel peace after everything. You? You live here?”

“Yeah. I live here with uh.. with Padme.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Actually, we got married a while ago.”

“Married!?”

Zara sat up with a smile and Anakin rubbed the back of his neck as he chuckled.

“She’s great. Not sure when it turned from her trying to help me to us being in love but-“

“Hey, I get it. I know that you’ll never understand Obi Wan. I don’t need you to. There’s a lot to that story though.”

“I’d like the chance to hear it some time.”

“I’d like that.”

“Good. Padme wants you to come to dinner. Both of you.”

“No trying to kill him.”

“Padme would kill me if I was rude to a guest. You’re both welcome there. Look, I know that we’re never going to be able to go back to the way things used to be. Neither of us are the same person we were back then. I just, I want to get to know who you are now. I miss you.”

“I miss you too, Ani. Just give us the address and we will be there.”

XXX

Zara and Obi Wan settled into the bed after a long evening with Padme and Anakin. It had been icy at first, but Padme was a fantastic politician. She quickly had Obi Wan and Anakin discussing tactics and ideologies. They were both surprised to find out their thought process was similar.

“Thank you for going with me.”

“The pleasure was all mine, darling. How do you feel about Anakin becoming a father?”

“I’m honestly excited for him. I’m excited for them both. Just seeing the way that he is with Padme made me happy. He never would have had that kind of peace with the order. I’m glad he’s getting the life he’s always wanted.”

“That is very true. What about you?”

“Hmm?”

She nestled into his side and looked up at him.

“What kind of life do you want?”

“I think I’m still learning that. My entire life was wrapped around the order. I can say that I hope we never face another hardship in our lives, but I know that isn’t realistic.”

“It’s not. Not all darkness is as charming as mine is.”

She laughed and kissed his chest.

“If you’re asking about kids, I don’t know. I’ve never thought about being a mother nor did I think I would care enough about someone to be with them. I don’t think I need to have children to feel fulfilled in my life.”

“Is that what we are? Together?”

Zara looked at him and narrowed her eyes.

“I’m kidding darling. Of course, we’re together. What about marriage?”

“I’m not opposed to marriage. As long as it’s the right person.”

“The right person, hmm?”

Obi Wan looked down at her and growled when she started giggling. He pounced on top of her and kissed her roughly.

“Yeah. I’ll let you know when I meet them.”

“Please don’t forget that I am dangerous, darling. I would never willingly harm you, but I will hurt anyone who thinks they have any claim to what is mine.”

“Mmm, I kind of like when you get possessive.”

“Oh, you are corrupted indeed.”

She giggled and nodded before he kissed her.

“What would you think of me buying a home here?”

“On Naboo?”

“I figure it’s a beautiful place. There is still water and you’d be able to be closer to Anakin.”

“You’d buy a home for us just so I could be closer to someone who tried to kill you.”

“Darling, I’d buy you the galaxy if that’s what would make you happy.”

“You’re far too good to me.”

“Let me show you just how good I am.”

“Oh, you’ve shown me before, Obi Wan.”

“And I will show you as often as I can until it is our time to become one with the force.”

Tag List:

@mapplestrudel @cannedsoupsucks @musubabii @mascaracoffee @ahsoka-padme

[ladycatofwinterfell]

I don't know how to interest you in writing the ned mauling cat idea(or cat drowning ned both are good but i like the maul one better) but PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEE come back to it if you can i really reallyyyyyyyy would love to read it especially in Canon but whatever it doesn't matter if it isn't

Just consider doing it whenever you got in mood for some angst

Not gonna lie, I had to take a long walk in the forest to cleanse myself after writing this. But it was totally worth it, enjoy!

Would probably recommend reading this first in order for this to make sense, but you might be able to understand it either way.

Tick tock. Tick tock. The time passed slowly. Too slowly. It was unbearable. She couldn’t sit still for more than a minute at a time, so she wandered around the house. She felt like a ghost. She wasn’t supposed to be there, she couldn’t just wait alone until they came back. She had to do something. But there was nothing she could do.

It felt like her skin was crawling, she wanted out of it. She wanted to be freed from her human body, she wanted to feel the water press against her from all sides. Things were easier when she didn’t have to stand on two legs.

Though she couldn’t go outside. That was the only rule they had. She wasn’t allowed outside during the full moon. But it was killing her. Waiting like that was killing her.

She passed the living room for what had to be the hundredth time, looked out through the large windows. She couldn’t see them. And she couldn’t hear them. Hours had passed, surely they were miles away. They could move quickly. And the lake wasn’t far away from the house, just down the hill. It wouldn’t even take her a minute to get down there.

The thought of the dark water was tempting. She could imagine the feeling of the cold against her skin as she dived down, she could imagine the feeling of changing into a creature so very adapted to its situation that it had no worries in the world. She would have given anything for it in that moment.

And so she unlocked the door to the veranda and stepped outside into the night before she could stop herself. They didn’t have to know. She’d go back before they returned home.

The cool air was sobering, suddenly she could breathe again. It no longer felt like she would suffocate. The darkness was also comforting, on light feet she made her way down the hill towards the sweet relief. The grass was wet underneath her bare feet, the wind wrapped itself around her. She was a little cold, but that would not be a problem once she was swimming. She couldn’t have goosebumps if she had scales instead of skin.

Though she froze in the middle of a step, her anticipation immediately gone, when a chilling howl cut through the air. Cut through her. She could feel it go through her bones, make every muscle in her body tense. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe. She had heard it more times than she could count. But never so close.

She turned around, saw a shadow stalking around the corner of the house. There was no light, but the pair of eyes still glowed. And there was nothing good in them.

“Ned” she said slowly as she raised her hands. “You don’t want to hurt me.”

She knew it was him, not one of the children. She could easily tell them apart. Ned was larger, his fur was coarser. He had scars that the children had not. Even in the dark she could see them clearly.

“You don’t want to hurt me” she repeated, her voice shaking. “This is not you. You don’t want to hurt me.”

The growling, the terrible growling, didn’t stop. He didn’t stop creeping towards her, he didn’t hesitate for a second. And he was between her and the house.

“You don’t want to hurt me.”

The sentence was barely more than a whisper. Then she turned and ran. The lake was her only chance, the lake was the only thing that could save her. And so she ran. It wasn’t long to the lake, but no matter how much she ran she never seemed to get closer. She was running for hours, all while her heart beat furiously against her ribcage. She didn’t know how close he was, she couldn’t hear him over the blood pumping in her body. It was so loud. And if she looked back she would die. He would catch up with her.

In the middle of all the panic she realised that she had never known true fear before. She had never been afraid before, not for real. Not as she was then.

She became aware of that water was splashing around her feet and she threw herself out towards deeper water. She had to get away, she had to swim.

Something hit her in the back and she fell forward. The air was punched out of her when she hit the stony bottom, she couldn’t breathe and her back burned. It was hell. Somehow hellfire had put her to flame in the middle of a dark autumn night.

She crawled through the shallow water on her stomach, clawed her way forward, couldn’t get up. The sweet smell of blood reached her nose. Who was bleeding, why was the water red?

Just a little longer, then she could change. Then she could flee. Just a little longer. Just a little longer. Why did the water never get deeper? Why was the lake suddenly so large?

The creature that she loved so dearly grabbed the collar of her sweater and dragged her back. Water was splashing, red and black, she couldn’t see, she couldn’t breathe. All she felt was the burning. The fire. How could there be fire when there were so much water? She would drown, she would burn to death. Pain. Pain. Pain. Pain and numbing fear.

She had never been afraid of death, but she was. She was afraid. She pulled, clawed, kicked, used all her strength to get away. But the more she fought, the more it burned. And he was so strong.

But then suddenly she felt his grip loosen. She saw the chance, took it, pulled herself free. She didn’t have time to be relieved before something was buried deep in her leg. Several things. Her leg was on fire. Somewhere she heard something snap. She would have screamed if it hadn’t been for that her mouth was filled with water.

Once again she was let go, but she couldn’t get away. She couldn’t move her leg. She couldn’t move anything. All she could do was lay there. Her fight was over, she had lost.

She couldn’t bring herself to turn her head and look at him. Her husband, her Ned, the father of her children, the love of her life. Her killer, the one ending it all.

“Please” she breathed. “Please. You don’t want to hurt me.”

He didn’t want to hurt her. That had never been his intention. He didn’t know. That wasn’t him.

Something closed around her neck.

~*~

Ned winced with every step he took. He wasn’t getting younger, his body took more and more damage for each time.

“Do you need help, Dad?” Sansa asked softly.

“No, I’ll be fine.”

He couldn’t wait to get home to Catelyn. Catelyn would soothe his pain, she always did. With gentle hands and sharp smelling salves.

He could feel himself smile when the trees grew sparser and the house became visible. Finally it was over. Finally they were home.

“Do you think Mom has breakfast ready?” Robb said.

“She always has” Arya said.

“I could eat a horse, I’m starving!” Bran said.

Rickon reached up and took Ned’s hand. The little boy was exhausted. He seemed like he could fall asleep while walking any moment. But he had been so brave. And he had made it.

Together they all made their way up to the house. The door was locked, she always locked the door when she was alone, so Arya simply rang the doorbell. But no answer came.

“Try again, maybe she’s sleeping” Robb suggested.

And so Arya did. But after she had rang the bell four times there still was no Catelyn opening the door.

“I’ll go check the door on the veranda” Sansa said before walking around the corner of the house.

Ned sat on the porch together with the rest of the children. Waited for Sansa to come and open the door for them, because of course Catelyn would let her in.

That never happened. Instead a piercing scream rang through the misty morning.

“She probably saw a spider or something” Bran grinned.

“We’ll have to check on her” Ned chuckled.

So with Rickon in one hand and the remaining three behind him he walked around the house.

Sansa was standing by the veranda, turned towards the lake. She was completely still, her hands raised to cover her mouth. That wasn’t because of some spider.

Ned let go of Rickon and walked closer to Sansa, tried to see what it was that had caught her eye. And when he was close enough to see he stopped in his tracks.

Just by the edge of the water was a person, laying face down. She moved just a little with every gentle wave that reached her. The water was shaking her, trying to wake her up. But she wouldn’t wake up. She would never wake up.

Her clothes were torn to shreds, showing off deep wounds all over her back, arms and legs. The lower part of her right leg stood out to the side in an unnatural angle. The ground and water around her was stained red. Worst of all was her neck, even from a distance it was easy to tell that it had been ripped open. If you could call what remained a neck.

No, that wasn’t correct. Worst of all was that the person was Catelyn. And that one of them had killed her.

[vintagedolan]

no service (gbd)

the boys do their first no tech challenge since you and grayson get together, and though they make it, something goes terribly wrong at home

word count: 5k

warnings/tags: angst, worried!grayson, hurt!y/n 

feel free to send in requests! i’ll write most things! hope you enjoy :)

Your POV:

“I dunno, I just have a weird feeling about this one.” Grayson’s fingers were twisting and untwisting the hem of your shirt, his nerves evident as you laid next to him in bed.

“Gray you’re gonna be fine, it’s just like before. You’ve got the van, and you’ve done survival stuff. Everything is gonna work out. I am gonna miss you though,” you gave him a sad smile.

Since you’d started dating, you’d been attached at the hip. You still had an apartment of your own, but if you were honest you needed to just bite the bullet and sell it - you practically lived with the twins, and you wouldn’t have it any other way. But that also meant that this was going to be the first long-ish stretch that you weren’t with each other. 

“It’s just 7 days baby, it’ll go by so fast.” Now he was comforting you, of course. 

“You’re gonna have the best time, I can’t wait to see the video when you get home.” 

“I’d send you pictures, but you know we won’t have our phones,” he sighed, running a finger along your jawline. “Not being able to see this face all week is gonna suck.”

You blushed deep red, warming his fingertips before you pulled away and crawled across the bed.

“Hey, where ya goin’?” Grayson pouted, but you ignored him for a second, going over to the dresser where you kept some of your clothes full time. You reached down, pulling out the little album that you’d been making as a gift for Grayson down the road. You pulled out one of your favorite pictures; from one of the first weeks that you’d been dating, it was the two of you with the LA skyline in the background, with you looking up at him as he smiled. 

“Here, take this with you.” You handed him the photo. “I know E will probably give you shit, but just hide it somewhere. Make sure you bring it back though, that one’s my favorite.”

“I love you,” he responded, but you barely heard it, because at that exact moment Ethan was banging on the door and yelling “GRAY! C’mon it’s time to go!” 

“And i’m going to kill my brother,” he groaned, reaching out and pulling you to him tightly, falling back on the bed. You landed on top of him, and his lips were on yours before you could say anything. He kissed you roughly for a minute, a bit of urgency there as he knew you weren’t going to be able to do this again for a while. Ethan knocked on the door again, and you felt Graysons arms tighten as he rolled over, putting you underneath him

“Go Gray, before he beats the door down,” you teased, pushing gently on his chest.

“I could just stay here with you,” he countered, raising an eyebrow.

“Go,” You giggled, pushing harder.

“Fine, fine,” he grumbled, kissing you again before getting up. “Alright E, I’m coming!” 

You followed him to the door where Ethan was standing in the doorway.

“Finally get him to stop crying and leave?” E asked.

“Oh shut up,” you teased, pushing on his chest so you could get by. He followed you, slinging an arm around your shoulders as you headed out to the van, which you knew was already packed.

You stayed out of the shot as they filmed a little intro explaining what they were doing. Grayson was so much more excited these days in all the videos, but even more so in the ones that had to do with adventures. You watched as the locked their phones in the box they’d used before, storing it under the benches in the van. 

Once the cameras cut, Gray made his way back over to you, wrapping you up in a tight hug.

“I love you. I’m gonna miss you so much,” he murmured into your hair.

“I love you too Gray. Be safe.”

“You too. Call Ricky if you need anything okay? He’ll still have his phone for emergencies.” 

“I’ll see you soon.”

-----------------------------------------------------

Grayson’s POV

His mind was already wandering as he continued driving down the road, already in Arizona. They were headed to Big Bend National Park, with the new challenge of not using their phones for navigation. Ethan was actually a good navigator, so once he got on the right highway it was just a matter of driving through Arizona and Texas, then down to the Mexico border to get to the park. 

“I think all this footage is gonna be sick, and I’m excited to get some star shots once we get to the park,” Ethan said. Gray just nodded along, watching the road.

“You good bro? You’re off, I can feel it.”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just have a pit in my stomach about this whole thing. It’s makin’ me anxious,” Grayson explained, fists tightening on the wheel of the van. Ricky was in the back, sound asleep.

“What about it though? Is it something specific?” Ethan asked.

“I can’t put my finger on it. I just have a weird feeling. I’m sure it’s nothing, I’m just in my head.” 

“Is it Y/N?”

Sometimes, Grayson really hated sharing a mind. And this was one of those times. He stayed silent, which was enough of an answer for Ethan.

“She’s a fully capable person Gray. She’s gonna be fine without you for a few days.” 

“Thanks asshole, I know. Just drop it.” 

“Whatever,” Ethan shrugged, settling down into his chair a bit more, crossing his arms and getting comfy for the long trip ahead. 

And a long trip it was. They made it to the park around 1am, and were amazed at what they saw. Above them was the whole milky way, clear as day. 

They shot a quick clip explaining the main reason they’d come all the way to Big Bend.

“It’s a certified dark zone, which means no one is allowed to have building with lights out here. So theres no light pollution at all, it’s one of the best places in the world to see the stars,” Ethan explained. Grayson wasn’t paying too much attention; instead he was gazing up, and suddenly missing who he wanted beside him more than anything. 

It was going to be a long few days. 

Your POV:

The first four days were alright. You spent your time wandering around the house, enjoying all the space. You sat in Ethan’s comfy chair in the living room while you watched netflix, cuddled up in one of Grayson’s blankets from his bed that you’d dragged with you. It smelled like him, and it was comforting.

When that got boring you’d change into a swim suit, heading out to the pool - you’d given it a good cleaning, which you knew the boys would be thankful for when they got back. You were determined to get more of a tan than Gray by the end of the summer, and if you had any chance at all you needed to get a head start. 

By day five, the boredom was starting to get to you. You wanted to talk to Grayson, see his face, see his smile, hear his laugh. You even resorted to going back and watching a few of your favorite videos of theirs, just to hear his voice. You felt pathetic while you did it, but you also couldn’t really bring yourself to care too much if you were honest. All throughout the day you caught yourself pulling out your phone to text him, but you knew he wouldn’t see them. 

Still, you’d send a message just for fun, knowing he would see them once he got back and was allowed to have his phone. You could just imagine his face when he got back and saw all the little messages you’d left. 

miss youuuuu

hey u should come home now, k thanks

I stole your favorite hoodie and you’re never getting it back oops

im gonna hide all your building stuff, that’s the level of boredom i’m at

this shit sucks 

i love you

I wanna go on the next adventure :(

But as you sent the last one, it sparked an idea. 

You could make your own adventure. Nothing was stopping you, and you had nothing better to do. The weather was nice, and there was supposed to be some good surf coming in.

And so, that was that. You packed up a towel, your wetsuit and some sunscreen, heading out to the car. You decided to take the Bronco, just because it had the surf rack on top. Grayson still wasn’t too keen on anyone driving his car, but he trusted you with it more than Ethan, and you knew he wouldn’t really care.

So you packed up your surfboard, struggling a bit to get it on top of the roof and strapped down - Grayson always made it look so damn easy. But you managed, finally getting in and heading to the beach. The drive was beautiful, as always, but you missed being in the passenger seat with Grayson’s hand on your thigh. 

Damn. These last few days were gonna suck. 

Grayson’s POV:

“I think we’re really getting the hang of this bro. I’m excited. We could do this full time, for real,” Grayson grinned, packing up a few things in the van while Ethan filled up the packs with water. Ricky was filming, so he took the opportunity to explain what was happening.

“So guys, today we’re going on the longest, and most difficult hike in Big Bend. It’s called South Rim, it’s about 14 miles total, but we’re gonna split it up and actually camp about halfway so we can get even cooler views tonight. Now, Ethan and I like to say we’re hikers, but honestly, we kinda suck.”

“Yeah, we uh, we’re not great,” Ethan chimed in. 

“So this should be fun!”

“Oh yeah, great time.” 

“And obviously we don’t have our phones, so we’re gonna have no idea what time it is, we won’t be able to call for help if we get, ya know, mauled by a mountain lion or something.”

“Bro, why would you say that!?” Ethan groaned.

“It’s the truth! Well, I guess Ricky has his phone though, so we’d be alright.”

“My phone hasn’t had service since we got here,” Ricky countered from behind the camera. 

“Oh we are so fucked dude,” Ethan grumbled.

And in all honesty, it put a bit of a pit in Gray’s stomach, knowing he wouldn’t be able to contact anybody if something happened. But he pushed the thought from his mind, moving to help his brother pack up the tent and begin their trek.

Your POV:

The beach wasn’t too crowded, which was a blessing. When you said you liked to surf, it usually meant that you liked to catch 1 wave out of the 50 you tried for. You were a beginner, that was for sure. There were only about 20 people on the entire beach, and a few surfers out on the break, with the lifeguard keeping a close eye on them.

Even if you didn’t feel it, you looked the part in your wetsuit, board tucked under your arm. You snapped a quick picture, sending it to Grayson’s non-existent phone just for kicks.

wish you were here! you’d be laughing at how much I’m gonna suck. love you!

After it sent, you put it away in the waterproof box you’d brought. You made your way over to the lifeguard station, waving up at the man sitting atop the chair.

“Hey, I’m here by myself, do you care if I leave this box here with you?” You asked politely. 

“Yeah that’s fine. Be careful out there,” he responded, not taking his eyes off the water. You put it down by the legs of the chair, jogging towards the water. The ocean was cold when it hit your skin but you adjusted quickly, diving in and heading out to the break. 

And as you predicted, you missed practically every single one you tried to get up on. You hit the water over and over again, your arms sore from pushing up to standing, even if it was to no avail.

You began paddling in after about an hour, accepting defeat, when suddenly you noticed everyone beside you paddling out instead of in. 

The lifeguard’s whistle came too late. By the time you turned around, the wave was already there, towering feet above any that had come prior. 

And you were right in the break.

You’d read about these before. Rouge waves, you remembered. Random waves that come from nowhere, with no apparent cause. You had just enough time to suck in your breath before it crashed directly over your head.

It felt like the inside of a washing machine looked - that was the only way you could describe it. And then you felt something warm on your head, and everything went black.

Grayson’s POV:

It was the morning of day six, and Grayson had never been more ready to get home. The pit in his stomach was a rock now, and he had no explanation for it at all. 

“Bro we’re actually disgusting. Like we need a real shower somewhere, or we’re never gonna get the smell out of this van,” Ethan said. And he was right. After all the hiking and sleeping in the tent, the three of them reeked. 

“We could do a gas station shower, we just gotta map our way there without our phones. I don’t think that breaks the rules, we just aren’t supposed to use technology,” Ricky shrugged.

“Alright sick, we might as well start driving. Gray, you okay?” E asked.

“Yeah. Just don’t feel good,” he mumbled. He kept himself curled up in the back of the van, head resting on the table as Ethan found his way out of the park and towards the nearest town.

Grayson couldn’t figure out what was bothering him so much. He wasn’t dehydrated, he hadn’t eaten anything bad. He should be having the time of his life, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. It was like the time that Ethan had cut his leg open when they were kids; Grayson wasn’t near him, but he just knew. It was exactly that feeling, except Ethan was right there in front of him, perfectly fine. So he just kept his head down, hoping whatever it was would pass.

They found the gas station about 45 minutes later, and the three of them headed in eagerly. Maybe a good warm shower would clear his mind. 

And once he was done, he did feel better. But only slightly. It was getting harder to breathe. He headed out, noticing that Ricky was already in the van and Ethan was waiting outside. 

“Gray, dude you don’t look good. What’s wrong?”

“I think I’m getting sick man. I’ve been sick to my stomach since yesterday, and I feel like I can’t breathe now. Maybe I’ve got a really bad allergy to something out here. I’m sorry man, I’m trying to shake it so I can be up for the video, but I don’t know where it’s coming from.” 

“Guys.” Ricky’s voice was serious, much more serious than normal.

“What’s up?” E asked. 

“I just got service again, and I’ve got 12 missed calls, all from the same number. I don’t recognize it though. LA area code.”

“Call it. Call it now.” Grayson’s answer came before he could even think about it. He felt like he was going to hurl.

Ricky dialed it back quickly, holding the phone up to his ear. The twins climbed in the back, sitting down across from him at the table.

“This is he.” Ricky said. “Um, yeah, yeah he’s right here.”

Grayson’s blood went ice cold when Ricky held the phone out for him.

“It’s for you.”

He felt robotic and he reached out, taking the phone and putting it up to his ear.

“Hello?”

“Hi, is this Mr. Grayson Dolan?” 

“Yes.”

“Hi Grayson. We’re just calling on behalf of Ms. Y/N Y/L/N from King Hospital, you’re listed as her primary emergency contact.”

“Is she alright? What happened?”

“She’s stable right now. We don’t have all of the details, she’s been in and out of consciousness. She was in an accident -”

“Accident?” Grayson’s voice cracked, and Ethan stiffened up beside him. As if it was instinct, he felt his brothers hand on his shoulder, anchoring him just enough that he could listen.

“She was out surfing at Manhattan Beach, the lifeguards said there was a rouge wave. They got her out quickly, but they think she hit her head on some rocks when she went under. She wasn’t breathing when they got to her, but she was stabilized in the ambulance. She told us to call Ricky off her phone when she was conscious because you wouldn’t have your phone. We’ve had her sedated so her brain could rest, but it looks like we’re going to need to take her in for surgery, because we found some deep lacerations on her head and want to check for anymore significant damage.”

“Surgery?” Grayson expected himself to go numb, but he almost had the opposite. He was so overwhelmed that it was crippling. “How soon?”

“As soon as we’re able. She isn’t able to give consent, so we needed to get in contact with you if possible. Are you able to get here quickly?”

“I’m - I’m not in the state, I’m in Texas.”

“Well, a telephone consent will do,” the nurse said.

“Oh. Okay, yeah. Yeah, I consent. Do what you need to, please just be careful.” It was dumb thing to say, he knew that, but he couldn’t help himself. 

“Thank you Mr. Dolan, we will. And we’ll keep you updated. Should we call at this number, or the one you have listed?” 

“The one I have listed is fine, I have it now.” 

Ethan knew exactly what that meant and was immediately scrambling to find the box with their phones while Ricky got the key ready off his keychain. 

“Alright, speak soon Mr. Dolan.” 

And with that she hung up the phone.

“I’m gonna be sick,” were the only words that Grayson could manage as he crawled to the back of the van and hurled over the bumper. Ethan followed him, holding onto his shoulders and trying to stabilize him so he didn’t fall out.

“What do we need to do Gray?”

“Drive. We need to get home, now.”

Without further questions, Ricky climbed into the drivers seat as they closed up the back of the van, immediately heading in the direction of California. 

When Gray finally managed to get enough air in his lungs, he was able to look up at Ethan, who was sitting opposite of him. 

“Y/N’s hurt. I think it’s pretty bad.”

“Tell me what happened.” 

And so he did, to the best of his ability. He didn’t have very much information, which was the hard part. But he told his brother everything that the nurse did.

“Well, if she was with it enough to give them Ricky’s number instead of yours, that’s good. That means she was alright when they got her in the ambulance.”

“Right. I wonder if she tried to call me.” The thought made his stomach tighten.

“Your phone was dead, it’s charging up front right now. Either way, we’re headed back as quick as we can.” 

Grayson noted that the van was moving quite quickly - Ricky was definitely speeding, but he didn’t care. 

“E.”

“I know Gray. I’m scared too. But she’s gonna be alright. She has to be.” 

She’s gonna be alright

She’s gonna be alright

He repeated the words over and over again in his head, sometimes mumbling them aloud. A few minutes later, his phone was charged. Ethan climbed to the front to get it. Without having to ask, Ethan knew that Grayson wanted him to screen his texts, just to see. And he could tell there were texts from her just by his face.

“E. If she text me about all this and I didn’t answer, I’m gonna lose my fucking mind.” 

“She wouldn’t have been able to, she didn’t take her phone in the water. These are all from before.” 

He held out his hand.

Looking at the texts was his undoing. He could hear her voice, clear as day in his head as he read them, making it all the much harder. He began to sob, uncontrollable ragged sounds. Ethan put an arm around his shoulder in silent support, as he often did. And Ricky continued down the road.

------------------------

It was the longest 15 hours of his life. They’d checked to make sure it wasn’t quicker to stop in Phoenix and put Grayson on a flight - driving straight through was faster. But god it felt like it was taking years. He held the picture he had of him and Y/N in his hand, but he couldn’t look at it for too long without losing it. 

Ethan was driving now, with Grayson in the passenger seat - he hadn’t been forced to take a turn, everyone knew he was in no shape to drive. 

Everyone in the car was on edge, which meant they all jumped practically to the ceiling when Grayson’s phone rang. He answered on the first ring.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Dolan?” It was a different voice this time.

“Yes.”

“Hi, this is Y/N’s surgeon, just calling with an update. Y/N is out of surgery, and she did great! No complications, and the damage seems pretty minimal, though we’ll have to see once she wakes up.” 

He took his first real breath in the last 15 hours. 

“That’s great news. Thank you.”

“So she’s in recovery right now, but she’s gonna be unconscious for the next 30 minutes or so. Should we be expecting you?”

“Yeah, yeah I’m headed there right now, I should be there in about 25 minutes according to my GPS.”

“Alright perfect. Well, she’s in room 828 on the post op wing when you get here, just sign in at the desk and we’ll bring you up. We’ll take good care of her.”

“Thank you so much doctor.”

“She’s alright. Out of surgery, should be waking up soon,” he explained as soon as he hung up. The relief was obvious, especially for Ethan. Gray had been so caught up in his own worry that he’d forgotten how worried Ethan must be - Y/N was practically his sister. Grayson watched as his brother pressed just a tiny bit more on the gas, racing towards the hospital.

When they arrived, Grayson couldn’t get out of the van fast enough. He bolted for the entrance, with Ethan in tow. Ricky stayed in the car out of privacy, offering to get them anything they needed. 

They went through the motions of check in - something they were all too familiar with - and Grayson followed the nurse up to the post op floor, where he was transferred over to the nurse that had initially called him. 

“She’s starting to stir just a bit. Just to prepare you, we aren’t sure how confused she’s going to be when she wakes up. With the mixture of anesthesia and her concussion, she may be very out of it. Just be patient with her, she should come around to her normal self within the next few hours. She’s right through here.” The nurse stopped outside the door, opening the door with a gentle push. 

“You wanna go alone, or do you want me with you?” Ethan asked, hesitating.

“With me.” He didn’t have to think about it. 

Grayson went in first, and if Ethan hadn’t been behind him, he probably would have fallen to his knees. Y/N was in the hospital bed, gown over her still form, her head partially wrapped in gauze. She had oxygen tubes in her nose and was breathing deeply, laying flat on her back, eyes closed. Just the image of her in the whole hospital garb was enough to bring tears to his eyes. He hated it more than he could have imagined. 

Once he was stable enough on his feet, Grayson headed to her bedside. As he got closer, she started to stir a bit, fingers twitching as he sat down as gently as he could on the side of her bed. It was as if she knew he was there already, even though he hadn’t said a word or touched her at all. 

“Mmmmmm.” She started to make a noise, her dry lips parting.

“Baby?” Grayson leaned forward, taking her hand in his, careful not to move her IV. 

“Mmm- mad.” She mumbled, eyes still closed.

“Mad?” He looked back at Ethan for clarification, but he just nodded. Grayson raised a hand up to cup her cheek, and she smiled, resting her head in his palm. He revealed in the feeling, taking it in. 

“Bronco.” This time, her word was clear, though it didn’t make anymore sense. 

“Baby. Y/N, can you open your eyes sweetheart?” Grayson coaxed, rubbing his thumb along her cheekbone. 

“Tryin’. It’s heavy,” she said, scrunching her eyebrows. He could tell she was really doing her best, which made his heart squeeze a bit tighter. When she finally managed to lift her eyelids, he could tell she was exhausted. 

“You’s gonna be mad at me,” was the first sentence she managed to string together, though all her words were drawn out and slightly garbled. 

“Why would I be mad at you baby?”

“I drove the bronco, left it at the beach. Probs some homeless guy living in it,” she said, resting all the weight of her head onto his hand. 

“It’s okay. I really couldn’t care less about the car right now.”

“Don’t say that, Ethan will be big sad.” She gasped then, sitting upright a little more. “Ethan! Hi buddy!” She had just noticed him at the end of the bed. She blinked hard, like she was trying to bring him into focus.

“Hey girly, how yah feelin?” 

“Got a cracked skull, but i’ms okay. But guess what?”

“What?” He asked.

“Still smarter than youuuuu,” she shrugged, and Grayson couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

She really was back to normal.

“You want me to go get the car?” Ethan asked, sitting on the opposite side of her bed and for once, choosing not to throw a comeback. He really had been worried.

“I don’t have keys. Or my phone. I left em with the lifeguard,” she pouted, her lip curling down. If it wasn’t so pitiful, he would have found it adorable. 

“It’s okay, we’ll figure it out. Don’t worry about it,” Grayson reassured her, leaning forward to press a kiss to her forehead. 

The nurse came in then to check on her. Ethan moved out of her way, and Grayson was about to move away, but Y/N grabbed his hand, using all her strength to hold him there.

“Don’t go,” she whimpered, and he swore he could feel a piece of his heart crack.

“I’m right here, just getting out of the nurses way,” he promised, kissing her hand and standing next to the bed.

“You guys are fine, I’ll let you know if you’re somewhere I need to be,” the nurse smiled. “How’re you feeling Y/N?” 

“Sore, but okay.”

“Well, you’re a trooper. I’ve never seen anyone come out of anesthesia so clear headed before. Now, you might get confused in a little while, but that’s just the concussion, and it’ll pass, okay? Just gotta give it time. You just rest and give your body some time to heal. You should be ready to rock and roll out of here in the next few days, okay?” 

“M’kay. Is my phone lost forever?” She asked.

“Actually the lifeguard that pulled you out dropped off your box with your things earlier. It’s over there with your other belongings.” 

Grayson made a mental note to find that guy and thank him profusely in the future. Ethan went over to the personal items bag, bringing it over to the bed. Y/N started to rummage through it, pulling things out one by one. 

When she got her wetsuit out - which took some effort - she frowned, running her finger over the new cut that Grayson assumed was made by the paramedics. He tried as hard as he could to not picture what the ambulance looked like when that cut was made.

“They cut it,” she pouted. “That was my favorite one.”

“I’ll buy you a new one,” Grayson reassured her. 

“M’kay,” she mumbled, satisfied. She cuddled down a little bit into her pillow, obviously exhausted. Grayson continued going through the bag, getting the keys and her phone out of the box. 

“I’m gonna get the car before it gets towed. Give you all a minute,” Ethan said quietly, having a hand out for the keys.

“Thanks bro. I’ll keep you updated.” 

He was extremely grateful, but he couldn’t find the words. He hoped Ethan knew.

“Gray,” Y/N said quietly. 

“Hey baby, I’m right here.” 

“M’tired,” she murmured, holding a hand out. “Can we sleep?” 

“You can sleep sweetheart,” Grayson reassured her. 

“C’mere. Come up here,” she said, patting the bed next to her. 

Grayson obliged, sliding his arms under her knees and behind her back, scooting her over just enough so that he could slide into the bed beside her. 

“Much better. I missed you. Maybe don’t go for so long next time,” she said, curling up against him and getting as close as she could.

“Don’t worry. I’m not leaving you for a long, long time.”

“Sounds good to me,” she mumbled, but she was already falling asleep before the end of the sentence. So Grayson held her close to him, relishing in the feeling and lulling off to sleep. 

[ailelie]

that time palpatine screwed up (and the galaxy was a better place for it)

Look. I know this idea is shit. I tried to give the idea away. Instead whenever I’m still for more than 30 seconds I start thinking about it. So here.

In another world, when Sheev hears the rumor of a strange pre-Jedi artifact, he doesn’t go to collect it himself. He sends someone who never returns and then decides to handle it later after his Empire plans reach fruition. In this world, however, he goes himself. 

He finds the artifact on a dangerous world just beyond the reach of the Republic. The artifact activates upon touch.

The world grows large and scary around him.

A day or so passes without contact. He’d left his crew behind, not wanting to share what he was doing. One of them contacts the Senate for help. The 501st is closest.

(That was by design once. Another chance to connect with Anakin and pull him further into Darkness).

Anakin and his men search the planet. They do not find Palpatine. Anakin does find a Force-sensitive child whose eyes turn yellow when he cries.

A toddler is using the Dark side. He can’t kill a toddler. He isn’t sure he can give the child to the Jedi either, not if he is accessing the Dark side.

“What’s your name?” / “Zee” / “Zee?” / “NO! Zheeeeeeevuh.” / “Zhiva?” / “No!” / “Okay, Little Z, why don’t we try again after you’ve had a nap?”

Zee ends up sticking as the name everyone uses though as anything else leads to frustration and occasionally tears.

(Sheev knows he isn’t supposed to be 2 or 3 years old. He knows he has big plans. When he dreams, he remembers being big. But when he wakes, the memories waft away. He’s smarter than a toddler should be, but his brain cannot contain his adult mind so it all remains just out of reach. That’s more important than a name.)

Anakin and the 501st continue looking, but Palpatine is nowhere. He’s called back to Coruscant to report and join planning for what to do next. General consensus is that he’s been abducted by Separtists.

The Senate has not yet released that the Chancellor is missing.

Anakin contacts Padme about Zee and explains. “I can’t give him to the Jedi, not if he’s using the Dark side, but I can’t just leave him untrained and I’m not giving him to Dooku, Maul, or Ventress. I can’t.”

Padme has an absolutely terrible idea. She asks what the child looks like. “Blue eyes. Red hair.” Padme nods. “It’d have been better if he had brown hair, but if you wanted, we could say he’s ours.” “How? And won’t everyone know then?” “I have body doubles. We could say we’ve been hiding him. I know a doctor who would lie for me. But you’re right--if we did this, everyone would know about our marriage. How important is it that you keep this child safe and away from the Jedi? How else could we justify having him? If we tried to pass him off as an ordinary orphan, he’d have to go into the system.” Anakin is silent for a long moment. Then he asks, “What about the hair color? You said brown would be better.” “No one knows what your family looks like. Tell them your mother’s hair was red.” “Obi-Wan knows it wasn’t.” “Then we have to tell Obi-Wan.” Anakin breaks. “Angel, I can’t--” “How important is Zee?” Padme asks quietly and Anakin sighs. He can’t leave this strange child alone in the world. “I’ll try to meet with him before we reach Coruscant and explain.”

He does.

Obi-Wan stares at Anakin and feels the pinch of a headache between his eyes. “I honestly don’t know where to begin.” / “I shouldn’t have said--” / “No, I’m glad you told me. I just need a moment. You’re married?”

“This is a terrible plan,” Obi-Wan says flatly as he watches Zee sleep. “Padme came up with it,” Anakin argues. “That doesn’t make it better. I’m just more disappointed.”

In the end, however, he agrees to help by not contradicting Anakin’s claims about his mother’s hair and supporting the story that Padme was pregnant years ago, but complications demanded bed rest.

With the support of her family, handmaidens, a doctor, two Jedi, and a marriage license, the galaxy believes Padme’s claim over the child.

The upside is that everyone who thought they knew the difference between Padme and her body doubles are now uncertain in their ability to tell them apart.

The downside is that the galaxy takes one look at the two Jedi who claimed knowledge of her pregnancy and collectively decides Obi-Wan with his red hair is the more likely father.

Every refutation only makes them more certain. They could conduct a paternity test, but then their lie would be revealed.

The Jedi Council is not pleased with either Anakin for marrying Padme or Obi-Wan for possibly fathering her child. If they let the Council meet Zee, then Obi-Wan could possibly be absolved, but then the Council might discover Zee is Force-sensitive or, worse, that Zee accesses the Dark side.

(Obi-Wan to his growing dismay agrees that Zee does not belong among the Jedi. He trusts them more than Anakin, but agrees that they’d have no idea what to do with a possibly Sith toddler. Obi-Wan himself is entirely unsure what to do.)

Meanwhile, the Chancellor is still missing.

A report arrives that Dooku’s ship passed through the sector where the Chancellor went missing. It is a thin lead, but the only one they have. Consensus unwisely grows: Dooku abducted the Chancellor.

Meanwhile, Padme is getting really tired of all the press about her loose morals and journalists demanding she just admit Obi-Wan is Zee’s father. She smiles gracefully against the barrage, but Zee is exhausting and when he’s upset, her own emotions fall off-kilter (a side-effect of the Dark side, Obi-Wan explained) and one day she just snaps, “Shmi, Anakin’s mother, had red hair. He could be Zee’s father.”

She realizes her mistake as soon as the words pass her lips.

The press takes her statement as confirmation that she is bedding both Anakin and Obi-Wan. Since Anakin and Obi-Wan don’t seem to hate one another, however, a new rumor begins...

Clearly the three are a triad.

The Holonet starts spawning image after image of “proof.” Any smile or casual touch that has ever happened among the three is now evidence of their long-hidden love affair. The false names on the marriage license are explained, by these apparent experts, as a clever way to include all three partners in a Naboo-style wedding.

Meanwhile, Dooku learns from his spies that he has apparently abducted the Chancellor. As he has not, he is concerned.

But! He decides to use the disappearance to create a trap. He’ll pretend to have the Chancellor to lure some Jedi in and then kill or ransom them.

(This is when the rest of the galaxy learns Palpatine is missing.)

Obi-Wan, desperate to get away from the press and disappointing looks of the Council, volunteers to spring the obvious trap. 

(Anakin wants to go. Padme points out that she cannot handle Zee alone. One of them has to stay with her. ....this has not helped the rumors about them being triad).

Obi-Wan gets to Dooku and demands to see the Chancellor. Combat ensues until Obi-Wan wins and Dooku, cuffed, admits he doesn’t have Palpatine. 

He returns to Coruscant with Dooku and brings him before the Jedi Council. Dooku doesn’t reveal anything of import beyond his own lack of knowledge, but his capture does prompt a larger investigation.

While investigating into Palpatine to try and figure out who would have abducted him, a joint taskforce of the Senate and Jedi discover that he’s been orchestrating the entire war and that he’s a Sith.

Meanwhile, back at Padme’s, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Padme have been caring for Zee. Trying to help Zee control his emotions leads to Anakin figuring out how to better control his own; he sees his own issues more clearly when he finds them in someone else. 

Padme is the one to explain that Zee needs to call her and Anakin “Mama” and “Daddy” or “Papa” for his own safety.

Zee, the little troll that he is, calls Obi-Wan “Papa” in public once when journalists are pressing a bit too close. It is uncertain if he did so because he felt unsafe and was just taking Padme’s earlier explanations to heart or because some deep (adult) part of him dislikes Obi-Wan and enjoys causing him pain.

Naturally, after that, there is nothing Anakin, Padme, or Obi-Wan can say to allay the rumors.

Meanwhile, with Dooku captured and Palpatine’s treachery revealed, the war is quickly brought to a close.

Anakin wants to rage about his former mentor, but is mindful of Zee and instead goes to Obi-Wan and Padme for help handling his sense of betrayal.

Zee has a horrible tantrum when peace is announced, though none of them can understand why. 

Then Padme learns she is pregnant again.

The Council recommends that Anakin and Obi-Wan leave the Order. Anakin’s hurt for himself is lightened by his indignation for Obi-Wan. He apologizes, but Obi-Wan accepts his dismissal with a tired smile. The war is over. Zee is a difficult child to manage and Padme is pregnant. “The Force is guiding me to where I’m needed,” he says.

Anakin is especially grateful he stays when Padme learns she is having twins. (With no reason to hide now, she receives proper medical care).

Padme, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Zee return to Naboo where Padme’s family insists on a proper wedding for the three.

Obi-Wan is surprising sanguine about this. He says that he isn’t going to leave them and isn’t like he has anywhere else to go. A marriage is a promise; it needn’t be a romance. Besides, he has utterly given up on correcting the record.

So they get married all three of them.

When the twins are born, Anakin and Padme rope Obi-Wan into helping. As their husband, he is equally responsible they claim. Obi-Wan argues for the fun of it, but accepts that he will be “Papa” to Anakin’s “Daddy” and Padme’s “Mama.”

By the time the twins are a year old, their marriage is both promise and romance. Shared exhaustion, worry, and joy grows the love among them. The occasional grounding touch turns to comfort turns to desire. This is not the life any of them imagined having, but resistance is both painful and futile. 

Obi-Wan doesn’t mean to fall in love with Anakin and Padme; it is an accident. But once he is in bed with them, Padme pressed against his front, Anakin’s forehead nearly touching hers, his leg hooked over Obi-Wan’s---and he’s watching them breathe as they sleep, he feels deeply at peace, like, after years of wandering and hoping, he has finally found where he belongs.

Years go by. Zee learns to use the Light side, but the Dark calls to him, especially in his dreams. He discovers that he is very, very good at manipulating others.

Maybe his parents instill enough of a moral compass within him that he uses his talents for the good of the galaxy.

Or maybe, as he grows, he discovers the adult he had once been. Maybe he resists, chooses to be Zee instead of Sheev. Or maybe he gives in. Becomes Sith.

Maybe, one day, Zee disappears just as a new, terrible power is rising.

Maybe, one day, while fighting back, Luke learns he is dueling his long-lost, presumed-dead older brother.

Or maybe Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Padme learn that Zee is actually Sheev with his youth restored. And, maybe Anakin goes out ahead, sacrificing himself in an attempt to get through to his one-time mentor and son.

Good, of course, ultimately wins out, but at what cost?

[a-tale-of-legends]

A semi-deep dive of N's relationship with Alexis and Elliot. A matter in three parts.

Part 1: The Journey

It's no secret that Alexis and Elliot's journey wasn't what they were expecting. And it all started with a strange green-haired person named N. Both of the twins collectively agreed that N was odd at first, from talking really fast to claiming that he could talk to Pokemon. It got even more odd, and a bit concerning, when they would start to talk about becoming a hero and befriending the white dragon. Elliot was easy to dismiss this as just a weird person doing weird things( though she still had an eye out). Alexis, on the other hand, was oddly concerned? Something about this stranger concerned him. Was he hurt? Lost? Confused? He didn't know the answer then, but he did know that it wouldn't hurt to get to know the mysterious N a bit more.

As the twins journey continues, more joy and despair happen on both sides, Alexis breaking more and more, far from the youthful spirited kid he was before this journey started. N would make appearances in their journey, up to Nimbasa City. At that point, Alexis actually considered N a friend. A strange and distant one, but a friend non the less( Anything to distract him from the death around him).Elliot was a bit more apprehensive, slowly starting to put the pieces together. Though Alexis talked a bit positively of N, and if Alexis was happy, she was happy. N was confused about the both of them. Alexis was someone who almost seemed happy to see him, by the chances that they do see each other, even sharing some of his ideals. But he still seems to oppose him. Then there was his sister, Elliot, who was much more harsh and opposing to N. Tbh, N didn't really like her at first. But her pokemon remain by her side, claiming to love her with every ounce of their being. So confusing....

Everything came crashing down at Nimbasa City. At that point, Alexis, the poor boy, broke. He spilled everything to N on the ferriswheel. The death, the running away, the sleepless nights, everything..... everything expect Team Plasma. What they did. But Alexis trusted N. N was his friend.

I'm going to be honest, I'm still not sure how N would react to Alexis confession. Disgust, anger, sympathy? All of the above. I don't know. But I do know is that he decided the worst timing to tell Alexis the truth. That he was the king of Team Plasma. The team that harmed pokemon. The team that stole pokemon. The team that killed Alexis' pokemon in Wellspring Cave. That team. Alexis never felt so numb in his life. He felt so betrayed.

Elliot, who was just about having enough with the Team Plasma shabang and was about to talk to Alexis about it when she saw them. N and Alexis leaving the ferriswheel. Alexis looking terrible. Two Team Plasma running up to them. She hears them call N "Lord N".

Lord N.

The pieces finally click together.

Elliot was livid.

Surprisingly, after the two had their battle, Alexis prevented Elliot from absolutely beating the shit out of N( which also didn't let N see her in a better light either).

The whole ordeal left Alexis so confused. He was betrayed. Was he? Was he just that desperate to not think about the reality of the situation? Was N ever truly hid friend? And yet, after all that, he just felt it. Something was wrong. Something bigger than Team Plasma, or N ideals. He needs to find out. He has to. For N. For Unova.

Elliot wanted Team Plasma to burn to the ground. Really, she did not fucking care. They hurt Alexis, they hurt so many people! Fuck them! She's going to take them down if it's the last thing she does. She has to protect them. She has to.

N, after the ferriswheel incident, has just become more and more confused. Whatever emotions that he felt, or tried to not feel, has died down. All he feels now is guilt. And he doesn't know why. He's right! He knows he's right! His father trained him for this exact moment! Why?! He remembers their faces. The emotion in their eyes. Alexis feeling of betrayal, Elliot's rage. He can't un-see it. They haunt himAnd the pokemon. The pokemon. He heard them scream. Yell. Shouting at him to get away, crying in concern for their trainers. Calling him a monster. A monster. Him. No that can't be right. The true monsters are humans. They are foul, and dishonest, and bring nothing but harm to pokemon. N is not the monster here, he-

...

He confides in his sisters. He.... doesn't want father to know of his doubts. They, too, have been exploring Unova. They should help. They should set him straight. But his sisters shake their head.

" That's just means your learning the truth N. Your truth,"

The truth? The truth.

Hm.

He needs to find Reshiram.

N and the twins don't meet each other for a while. Elliot is head set on beating down any Team Plasma grunt she see's, while Alexis is honestly just avoiding them to ensure his pokemon lives( fun fact! The later half of the nuzlocke was actually decently deathless! I take it as Alexis being extremely paranoid of everything). Chargestone Cave was an awkward encounter between Alexis and N( Elliot was busy battling Team Plasma grunts to notice N). They don't really talk, both being as elusive to the topic at hand. The tie breaker is Cody( a then joltik) who was vibing on N's hat before taking interest in Alexis. It was a good ice breaker at least. N asks Alexis if he has a dream. Alexis thinks for a bit. He says he's not sure. Not right now. Of course, in typical N fashion, they battle, to which Alexis wins. Professor Juniper and Bianca( but mostly professor juniper) seems to get N riled up. He leaves as quickly as he came.

After getting his 6th badge, he meets N again. No battle. He just wants to talk. That scares Alexis more than it should. Oh wait it's too his pokemon. Still scared though.

N's mind is still plagued with the events of Nimbasa City, what his sisters told him. But he's tired of talking to humans. Pokemon are better. They don't lie.....though it seems that Alexis' team doesn't want to talk to him. Everyone except the Samurott. She insists for him to call her Kai. The name Alexis have her. That's.... interesting. He hopes to find something, anything, that proves him right. Surely, Alexis, his enemy friend rival, isn't as nice as he appears to be. There has to be more. There's always more( he knows from experience)

What she says surprise him. Does it? Was he something he always knew? He doesn't know .

Kai speaks of her trainer highly, and with great pride. Almost like a mother, ironically. She tells N that she would never leave his side. That Alexis is the most selfless human she is so fortunate to have as a trainer. She tells N that she loves him, and the team that they created

She also warns him if he tries anything to harm Alexis anymore than what Team Plasma already did, she will maul him to death. Politely.

Ah.

The new information makes the guilt N felt before resurface. The bond between Alexis and his pokemon( and dare say between his sister and her pokemon) is strong. It's would be heartbreaking to separate them. But if he must for the sake of pokemon then....

...

He tells Alexis about the stones. In Dragonspiral Tower.

Now there isn't much to say about the rest. The tension is high, Elliot is still mad, and Alexis is still a shadow of the young boy he was( but is slowly putting the puzzle pieces of N together)

When reaching N's castle, Elliot gets a slight perspective change. She's still angry and mourning( she lost pokemon too) but then she see's more team Plasma grunts. Some her age. Some younger. They all share the goal of wanting a better world for Pokemon. Some are even unsure of Ghetsis' action. Even N's! That's.....not different from what she saw. She's seen these type of grunts. Those who just want to protect pokemon. Those who just want pokemon safe. She knows that. ...

But that doesn't excuse all the harm they cause. She's still mad. She's still mourning. But she understands now. Just a little. Still doesn't like N.

Alexis finally understands. N's room. It's so....empty. So crooked. He can feel the loneliness. The isolation. He feel a fire blazing in his heart. He's going to save N, and Unova and maybe punch Ghetsis in the face! He just Zekrom feels the same.

The rest of it is a blur.

Alexis remember a few things. The gym leaders, the Elite Four, Cheren, Bianca.

His sister.

N.

He remembers hearing Zekroms cries, lightning and fire clash. Waves of emotions pour out his body. He needs to make him understand. He has to.

Ghetsis. That smile. That rage. N's cries for his father to stop. His sisters were right. His sisters were right-

It's over.

He's gone.

And then they were two.

" Alexis! You said you weren't sure what your dream was. I hope you find it someday," N smiles down at the slightly bloodied Alexis, " I hope you find your dream! I hope you dream that dream! Dream that wonderful dream, and with the ideals in your heart, make it a reality!" He tips his hat, his eyes glistening.

" Thank you for everything, my friend. I'm sorry for the pain I caused you. And.....farewell!"

And then he's gone.

It's over.

Why does he still feel so numb? He should be happy. Ghetsis is gone, N is going to find his truth and everyone he loves is safe. He should-

He should....

He should go.

He doesn't want to be here anymore.

He'll be back.

Of course he will he just-

Can't do this anymore.

Elliot gets a phone call from her mother, crying. It's about Alexis. He wasn't at the hospital. The nurse found the bed empty. All except for a note:

"Gonna find N. Be back soon"- A

Liar.

[jasontoddiefor]

Hi, i hope I don't bother you! I just read about your jedi!palatine Au idea and honestly it sounds amazing! Can you write a bit more about it/ elaborate it? Thanks! :D

You don’t bother me at all!!! Honestly, I love getting asks and talking about ideas! Everyone is always welcome in my inbox :D

And yeah, I’ve actually written the first scene of how I’d start the story? Here we go!

Luke had never been good at hating people. It took effort for him to actively hate somebody, to want to destroy them no matter the cost. Ben said it made him a good Jedi, Leia thought it meant he had a bleeding heart.

The only person Luke might have truly hated was the Emperor. So much suffering, so much death were his fault. There wasn’t a single person whose life hadn’t been ruined by him. It must be hate, Luke was sure.

But now he could only feel pity.

“They’re dead,” the child cried. “He killed them. He- he-.”

The boy couldn’t be much older than twelve, maybe even younger. His clothes were covered in his family’s blood and his throat quickly turning blue from the abuse he’d suffered.

Luke could end it now. Prevent so much useless pain and death with just one hit with his lightsaber. Cut down the source of almost a century of pain as easily as he had slayed his Master and yet-

“You’re safe now,” Luke said.

He crouched down and turned off his lightsaber. He had dealt with enough scared children since he’d joined the Alliance, the New Republic.

“He cannot hurt you anymore.”

The boy looked up at him with watery brown eyes.

“Who- Who are you?”

“Luke Skywalker-“ Kriff, should he have gone with a code name? Too late for that now. “-I’m a Jedi.”

Jedi, still known as peacekeepers, diplomats, teachers and mentors. They didn’t have a reputation as terrifying one-man armies yet. If Luke had anything to say about it, they also never would.

Regardless, the boy knew that Jedi were supposed to be good. As soon as the words had left Luke’s mouth, the boy flung himself into his arms, and started to cry terribly.

“It’ll be alright,” Luke tried to sooth him and stood up.

He ensured that the boy’s face was hidden in Luke’s robes, that he wouldn’t see his parents’ or their killers’ body. He had suffered enough.

Luke left the Palpatine estate behind, the child still clinging to his robes, almost 80 years in a past that would never come to be now.

X

So that’s what I wrote! The idea behind that is fairly simple actually? I looked through Wookiepedia for background info on Palpatine’s early life and I’ll be honest, it didn’t make much sense to me. He had not much family to speak of and wasn’t trained. It just seemed strange that despite being from a prominent family, and apparently so Force-sensitive that Plagueis was like “I want that” the Jedi weren’t familiar with him? So I figured, it would have made more sense if Plagueis abducted him and then I got thinking “wait. what if I fix that”. So Luke travels back in time - accidentally - kills Plagueis and figures good parenting can go a long while.

So Luke shows up at the Jedi temple after travelling with Sheev for a while like “yes, I’m totally a Jedi and this is my Padawan” and makes it his goal to annoy the Council into fixing their relationship with a Senate. He might have only experienced like 2 years of the New Republic before he was brought to the past, but Leia and he had made plans about how the Jedi should be treated.

So Luke tries his best at politics while teaching his Padawan. And, you know, some Force abilities are just innate in general. Used for the dark or light - doesn’t matter. And Sheev is a genius at mind tricks - and it worries Luke.  He knows what he could become and he does his best not just to prevent it, but to teach him better. So he decides he has to teach his dear Padawan how to use those powers responsibly and to show him what it means for someone to be without control.

So, by accident, he creates the Senate and Jedi Council’s biggest headache: Jedi Master Sheev “I will personally eradicate slavery” Palpatine, second only to equally “sorry what are rules I follow the first” Qui-Gon Jinn. Did you know they are the same age? I didn’t. They’d probs be the kind of friends who also hate each other. Either way:

Because turns out showing a teenager who had a nice childhood, got traumatizes terribly, and then a nice Jedi Master that slavery exists and is horrible makes him find his capital P Purpose.

(Luke is proud but also can understand how one man managed to trick everyone. Seeing a seventeen year old talk somebody out of owning slaves opens your eyes.)

And Sheev then gets a reputation for leaving the Jedi Temple with a couple thousand credits and coming back with dozens of newly freed slaves. He has a knack for picking up force sensitive people.

Luke is An Old Man, 80ish and not on the council anymore because  “I’m too old” *side eyes Yoda*, but helps out in the crèche. He teaches maybe one or two other Padawans, or spends a lot of his days seeking out other Force traditions and learning from them. He brings back his own grandpadawan from such a trip. Sheev and Maul make the strangest pair together but they work.

But yeah, one day while Luke is teaching a class and Sheev just decides crash the lesson asking “Master, didn’t you say your family was from Tatooine?”

“Yes, why?”

“Did you have any siblings by chance?”

“Sheev, What’s going on.”

“I just freed a mother and her son, both are highly Force sensitive.”

And then Luke gets to meet small three-year-old Anakin Skywalker and the weight he’s been holding for decades finally lifts from his shoulders as he figures that he has actually done it.

And idk maybe out of sheer spite or the Force what do I know, Luke manages to get old enough to see his younger self and sister be born and he dies peacefully, knowing that all is well.

Nothing Bad Ever Happens.

The End.

[siennahrobek]

“Let me get this straight,” Cody struggled to express. You worked with Alpha-17.” The two of them had gone through the Temple after General Kenobi finished up his few communications and then explained to Cody what had happened on Kamino. The whole thing was rather bizarre, although not unwelcome. He definitely wanted as many of his brothers to flee with him and the Jedi as possible. He just never thought that Alpha-17 would lead a mutiny against the Kaminise and other natborns on the planet to take it over and start preparing for their own evacuation, planning to stay with the Jedi.

A few Temple guards would give General Kenobi a glance and then type something into their comm devices. Cody wasn’t entirely sure what they was about but Obi-Wan seemed rather unbothered.

General Kenobi hummed. “Many times.”

“You know Alpha-17.”

“Quite well, actually.”

“And he staged a mutiny after you warned him of the chips and Sith.”

“It appeared that way.”

“We are speaking of the same Alpha-17, correct? Big, burly, strictly loyal to the Republic, implies that the Jedi are kind of dumb and doesn’t seem to particularly care much about them, Alpha-17?”

“I wouldn’t say he dislikes Jedi,” General Kenobi replied, brows creasing.

“The Alpha-17 that practically doesn’t speak particularly kindly of anyone outside his-,” Cody stopped and thought about this for a moment. Did…was it possible? Alpha-17 of all people? There were stories about him being vaguely nicer ish when he came back and was stationed at Kamino full time as a trainer but, Cody had thought they were just that, stories.

General Kenobi glanced at him. “What?”

Cody shook his head. He would have to wrap his mind around that whole idea for later. “Nothing, sir. Just surprised he staged a mutiny and evacuation for you.”

General Kenobi snorted. “He didn’t do it for me. I just warned him.”

“As you say, sir.”

Time went on and the two of them worked harder and harder, talking and moving and even scouting the perimeter. Everything was in a hustle and bustle. Finally, someone mentioned anything Kenobi wanted to bring along. He had paused, like he hadn’t really thought of it; he hadn’t been anywhere near his own quarters. Cody surmised he probably hadn’t wrapped his head around the fact that he would probably never return.

It took some urging, but the two of them finally made their way to Kenobi’s quarters.

They stood at the doorway of his quarters; his general’s name emblazoned on a plate at the door. He hesitated before opening it and stepping inside. Cody hadn’t been here before; usually when he was in the Temple there was a reason and with all the duties that he and General Kenobi had, there wasn’t a lot of time for relaxation. The jedi took a deep breath of stale air and turned on the lights.

It was simple a small, although Cody had a feeling that the lack of personal items was due mostly to the war and being out all the time, rather than anything else. He didn’t spend much time here, Cody knew.

“Go pack some things, General,” Cody said, quietly. “I’ll see what I can get from the kitchenette.” He didn’t wait for an answer when he moved to the kitchen area, putting a few things of silverware in a box before setting it outside for one of his boys to pick up on their rounds down the hall. Afterwards, he had waited a few minutes for his jedi to return from his room, but curiosity got the better of him and he walked towards the door. There was an open duffle on the bed, a few items Cody couldn’t quite make out stuffed inside over the clothes. A dark case sat next to it. General Kenobi sat on the mattress, an unfamiliar lightsaber in his palms as he stared at it. It wasn’t Kenobi’s, Cody knew, and he was fairly certain it wasn’t Anakin’s either, as that one was clicked to the jedi’s belt.

“Whose is that?” he asked, softly.

“This saber was my masters, Qui-Gon Jinn. I had used it for some time after he died, used it to defeat the Sith, Darth Maul that had killed him,” General Kenobi explained, his voice a little void of the usual tones Cody was used to hearing from him. “I had used it afterwards before Master Yoda told me I should go to Illum to construct another. He would have hated what we became.”

“I didn’t know Ge-Master Jinn,” Cody admitted. “But in the end, you have saved countless lives of not only civilians and innocents, but me and my brothers as well. This was going to happen with or without you. The Jedi just did what they could to protect those they could and bring down the death toll. You always told me it was a Jedi’s duty to put others’ lives before your own, to help and protect them the best you could, to work for the greater good. I believe you did the best with the crappy situation you were forced into.”

General Kenobi’s gaze was warm and kind but very tired. He stood up and walked towards Cody before taking Cody’s arm and pressing the hilt in his palm. Cody couldn’t look at him and just stared at the saber, his mind buzzing. “I would like you to carry this, use it if necessary,” General Kenobi said with a deep breath.  “It has been sitting in my drawer for too long; it should protect people once more.”

“General, I-,” Cody started but General Kenobi shook his head.

“Trust me, Cody,” he assured. “There are few as worthy.”

The hilt was warm in his hand. He closed his fingers and nodded, firmly. “I will protect it with my life, sir.”

General Kenobi smirked. “I’m fairly certain it will be the other way around.”

Cody didn’t even get a chance to answer when General Kenobi’s commlink beeped. Pressing a button, he answered with a simple “Kenobi here.”

“Obi-Wan,” came the grumbling yet pleased voice of Kenobi’s diner friend, Dexter Jettser. “At least you’re alive.”

An eyebrow hiked up on his face as General Kenobi looked vaguely surprised. “Was there a doubt?”

“The Temple looks partially sunken in and is on fire, the clones are killing jedi,” Dex replied, uncharacteristically serious and dour. “I wasn’t sure if you were planet side or not and had doubts.”

“I am alive and have survived the siege on the Temple. We have pushed the attacking force back for now and are starting to…pack,” he replied, carefully. Dex seemed to get his meaning.

“Understood. You have a friend in me, always,” the besalisk promised. “But I have two Jedi here, one is in pretty rough shape. I’m working on transport for them, but it might be a moment. I don’t know where you will be. I won’t send them to the Temple, obviously.”

“Before the war, I asked you about a certain poison dart,” General Kenobi hummed, almost amused. Cody raised an eyebrow raised an eyebrow at him.

“Gotcha, that helps,” Dex replied. Cody didn’t know exactly what that meant or how Dex seemed to know exactly what General Kenobi was talking about, but they appeared sure and Cody could trust General Kenobi.

“And Dex?”

“Yeah?”

“The Clones, it…it isn’t their fault,” General Kenobi added, quietly. “They have chips in their brains that force them to comply. They are easy to find if you have an advanced enough droid and medical equipment and easy to remove but we did not know about them until recently. The Sith…the Sith have done this.”

For the first time ever, Cody heard the diner owner let out a string of curses. General Kenobi looked a little surprised too. “I understand,” he repeated, nearly in a growl. Dex had been pretty good to the clones during the course of the war. He gave them snacks and even passed along treats through General Kenobi for the 212th. They were welcome in his diner. “I’m sorry, Obi-Wan. I know how you feel about those boys.”

General Kenobi cast his eyes aside and closed them for a long moment. “We are doing all we can at this point,” he added.

“You should get going. I will leave you to it. Good luck, Obi-Wan. Stay alive.”

The new silence felt like it consumed everything. Neither was willing to speak. General Kenobi grabbed his bag in one hand and the dark case in the other and made his way towards the door. “We should get going,” he finally let out.

“I’m sure the evacuation is well on it’s way,” Cody added. “I have gotten a few updates; the ship is quickly filling up. Things are running mostly smoothly. Organa’s ships have sped things up rather drastically. He’s a good ally.”

“That he is,” Obi-Wan agreed, as they got through the door. Two soldiers came up to them and grabbed the box from the front and offered to take Kenobi’s other things. It only took a little urging to get him to give them up. “I hope Ahsoka, and Master Feemor have gone up,” he murmured. “Rex was with them; I believe he is fine.”

“I haven’t seen him yet,” Cody confessed. “I didn’t know he was planet side.”

“I had warned Ahsoka not to come but she did anyways. I felt Rex as well, but I think Master Feemor had convinced him to go to the Healing Halls immediately,” General Kenobi explained, softly as they worked their way down the halls, abandoning the jedi’s quarters for what would probably be the last time. It was no sentimental affair.

“But not Ahsoka?”

“No,” Obi-Wan replied, a bit bitterly. “She had stayed just long enough during my duel with…with Anakin to watch him slaughter a youngling and a padawan. After that, Master Feemor took her away. I don’t know what to say to her when I see her,” he admitted.

Cody clenched his gloved hand into a fist, trying to work through and release his anger. He was generally good at it, except for the fact that the person who betrayed them was someone Cody thought would never try to kill his general. Killing innocent children…that was beyond terrible. He tried not to think too hard on it, but did he want Skywalker to burn. They continued to walk down the halls, a bit briskly. “Do you know this Master Feemor? I’ve been hearing a lot of him from you.”

He seemed to think about this for a moment, bringing a hand up to his chin, trying quite hard to think. “Not really. The name sounds vaguely familiar, but I cannot seem to place him. When we escape, I will have to ask him some time. He helped me turn away the homing beacon for the jedi out in the field. And he assisted me, at least at times, with my duel with Anakin.”

There was a pause and Cody narrowed his eyes. Someone he would have to look into, for sure.

Thoughts and silence were broken by the incessant beeping on Obi-Wan’s commlink. Cody was hoping, if anything, it would just be an update from Master Drallig or Boil on how the evacuation was going. Perhaps they were almost done, and they could get a move on. They were not so lucky.

“Obi-Wan,” Senator Amidala’s voice was part fury, part relief and part frustration. There was a lot to pick up on and Cody’ wasn’t sure how to feel about it right now. Did she have to do this now? “Finally, you picked up. Obi-Wan what in the world is happening? I have been trying to get a hold of you forever! I can’t get in contact with Anakin and then Ahsoka said something that just could not be true at all about him. Bail and I went to a Senate meeting where Palpatine created an Empire and said the Jedi were traitors! What is happening?”

This was not going to be a pleasant conversation, Cody knew, especially from the look on General Kenobi’s face, which was drawn out and exhausted. Talking with politicians was never pleasant. At least with what General Kenobi had said about Organa, that man had made things extremely brief, offering up his ships and services instead of pressing for questions.

“I do not have time right now, Senator,” Obi-Wan replied, his voice as calm as ever. It was probably good she couldn’t see him; he looked exhausted and probably not entirely pleased with her at the moment. “We are evacuating the Temple of as of currently and Anakin is a complicated subject.”

“We need to talk.”

“About Anakin or about your pregnancy?”

“Y-You know about that?”

“Of course, I know about that,” Obi-Wan added with a sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose. The pregnancy thing was new to Cody, but he knew about Skywalker’s relationship with the Senator. They weren’t nearly as subtle as they thought they were and Cody had an amusing time ribbing Rex about it, although it wasn’t generally blatantly. “And Anakin is the father no doubt.”

“Y-yes.”

“That is very dangerous, Senator,” he sighed lightly again. “How far exactly are you along now?”

“I’m due within the next week or two.”

Obi-Wan’s face dropped so far Cody started to worry. His expression then hardened into determination. “Senator, you must leave and come with the Jedi-,” Cody shot him an alarmed looked. “If you want the children to survive.”

“What are you talking about?!”

“Look this is all very complicated but you are going to need the help of the Jedi Healer. Pregnancies with force sensitives can be extremely difficult, especially when the pregnant partner is not,” General Kenobi explained, clear and steady. “And with Anakin’s midiclorian count and power with the Force, it is entirely possible you will die if you do not get help from Jedi healers when it is time for you to give birth. And given the fact that you are carrying twins-.”

“Twins?!”

So apparently the Senator did not know that. Wasn’t there pre-birth care for upcoming mothers, Cody mused.

Obi-Wan barely skipped a beat. “That also puts the risks much higher. The jedi are not sticking around the Temple to get slaughtered by the new emperor. So, if you want your children and yourself to live, you need to come with us.” His statement was firm and unyielding. There was no real debate, no choice to really make if she wanted her children to have a chance.

The Senator was quiet for a long moment. “Alright,” she conceded. “For my children. I do not believe what has been said about Anakin. He is a good person and can be saved…but I need to think about my…children right now.”

“If you are to come with us, you must leave immediately. We do not have much time and we cannot afford to wait. We have our own children to think about as well,” Obi-Wan gritted his teeth before taking a deep breath and smoothing himself out. “If you need help to get to the Negotiator, contact Senator Organa.”

“I will take my own ship,” she announced. “Just let your men know I am coming.”

“We will. Goodbye, Padme. I will explain that I can when we meet again.”

Obi-Wan didn’t wait for her to respond and hung up. There was a moment of silence before he leaned himself against the wall, as if he couldn’t hold himself up again. “This is a mess.”

“She doesn’t know about Skywalker?”

“I believe Ahsoka may have called her but…Padme loves him, I doubt she would want to believe it. She sees the best in him,” he shook his head.

Cody nearly snorted. “So do you. Sometimes it’s just not enough. Come on, General, I know you won’t go up until the last ship, until everyone else is aboard, but we can find somewhere to help until then.”

“I would like to see how the medical staff is doing; things would be going rather slow for them, as it is more difficult to move the injured. And also, perhaps, some of the freed clones if we can. I cannot imagine the difficult time they are having, waking up from being brainwashed only to run around to evacuate without being able to deal with what has happened to them.” He sounded so mournful, just thick with feeling and tension, more than Cody had ever really heard from him. General Kenobi tended to be quiet and private with his grief, although open with his praise. It was a bit rare to see such a show of heartache in others’ presence.

This was hard. For him, for Cody, for the Jedi. Cody was just trying not to think about it right; one thing at a time. He could only do so much to help and save as many as he could. Every so often his fist would curl, his legs would shake, his brain would get full, but Cody did what he did best; he pushed on. And on and on.

He wasn’t sure if he wanted to see the outcome right now. He was still trying not to think about the fact that he had been, although briefly, brainwashed and taken over by the Sith. Even though he hadn’t done any damage, the feeling was still there, oily and disgusting. It made his skin crawl.

Cody couldn’t imagine what the rescued 501st was feeling right now.

But General Kenobi was determined, and Cody couldn’t help but go along with it. He would stay by his general’s side. He just dreaded what he would see when he saw his brothers and what was left of them.