#and especially about the dynamic Leia and Luke and Even would have

[varpusvaras]

The nights on Alderaan were a dark shade of blue.

Leia had seen nights on other planets. Most of the planets she had been on had moons that illuminated the sky even during the darkest hours of the night. Alderaan had none, but still, they had clear skies and countless stars shining down on them, and she loved the nights like they were.

Especially as the darkness made a very good cloak for anyone who knew where to step when sneaking around.

She wasn't the one doing the sneaking tonight, but she welcomed the cover anyway. She knew he was coming, even before there was a light knock on her door. Two-one-two-two.

Come in, she thought, and listened as the door slid open and then close, as soft steps made their way to her bed.

"Can't sleep?" Even asked quietly, as he climbed up next to her.

It was a rhetorical question more than anything. Even already knew that she couldn't sleep, and he already knew why.

"No", Leia answered anyway. "I had the dream again."

"Of the boy and the Suns?" Even asked. Again, a rhetorical question.

"Yes", Leia still answered, again.

It was not a bad dream. It was a good dream, actually. Leia liked seeing the boy, his light hair, bleached in the rays of the two suns, his eyes, just as blue as the sky above the sea of desert around him. He was always radiant, even more than the suns, and every time Leia saw him, she felt warm, like she had been standing there with him.

But every time she opened her eyes after the dream, all she was left was the feeling of the heat leaving her body, and doing so, leaving her only with the cold sorrow of longing.

Even always knew when Leia had that dream. She was almost sure that he could see it too, every time she did. Just like they seemed to know each other's thoughts and feelings, like they were whispers only they could hear. Leia had never felt anything like that with anyone else, and she couldn't bear the thought of not having him in her life.

But still, it felt like-

It felt like she was missing something. Someone. Like there was a violently torn seam on her side where Even wasn't.

Even took her hand into his, and tugged it lightly. She scooted over to him, and leaned her head against his shoulder. Even was already almost a full head taller than her, despite being several months younger. Leia didn't mind it too much, though. He reminded her of Papa and Buir more and more every single day, and she found it more comforting than anything else.

"You miss him", Even said.

"I do", Leia said. "I just- I have you."

It felt unfair, for both her and Even, for her to miss someone like that. He was her brother. It should've been enough.

"You do", Even said, calmly and patiently. He really was more like their parents, every single day, even like Mama. "It's alright. Buir has us, but he still misses his family, every single day. It doesn't mean he loves us less than he loves them."

That was true. Leia knew that the sadness and yearning she could feel coming from Buir wasn't because they weren't enough for him. They all occupied his heart just as much, but there were holes in it, holes that just weren't the right shape for Leia, or for Even, or even for Mama and Papa to fill back up. Leia understood that, but still-

"But Buir knows them", she said. "He misses them because he knows them. How can I miss someone I don't know so much?"

Even was quiet for a moment. Leia could feel him thinking, but for once, not the exact thoughts going through his head as he tried to figure out what to say to her.

"I think", he said, after a moment, "I think you do know him, already. Maybe you always have."

Leia's eyes burned.

"It's not fair", she whispered, trying her best to make the burning go away. It wasn't working, not that night. "It's not fair."

Even didn't admonish her, nor did he try and make it better by saying something to make her not sad. He just leaned down and pressed his forehead softly against Leia's, and let her pour her silent tears into the night.

[poelya]

actually, speaking of lore consistency, i've been thinking about a lot of the tie-in material for the sequels here lately and i have to say there's a lot less consistency I feel like than there could have been. and i'm not just talking charles soule 'oh fuck what tfa said about the fall of luke's temple actually', but like...generally speaking i feel like so much emphasis being put on, at the time, that everything expanded 'verse worked consistently with the films, actually harmed the perception of the films themselves.

because when you divorce the films from their book/comic tie-ins, they flow very well. better than typical criticism will have you think (and before anyone brings up Rey's parentage, first off I lived through tasm2. that shit WAS nonsensical. second off, traumatized brains genuinely work like that. doylist explanation of the writers waffling - something very common in star wars, unless you've forgotten luke and leia's romance fizzling out because hanleia was more popular and george last second retconning them to be sibs - could be criticized, but the watsonian explanation that Rey's memories are that badly fucked up from trauma fits. source: my memories are that badly fucked up from trauma). the only thing is that the movies don't remain consistent with the tie-in material.

which, duh. they're the source material, not these one-shots. the opening scrawl of tfa says that leia has support of the senate behind her with the resistance, which is why poe introduces himself as commander of the new republic fleet. it's why the resistance is in dire straits in tfa/tlj, they just lost their support system. but tie-in material built off a deleted scene, where the senate largely doesn't take the resistance seriously. so we wind up in this bizarre land of "the senate didn't support the resistance but actually they did". if it had been better fleshed out, it would've worked (my partner came up with a great explanation for how both would work and it's simply not there in the 'canon' text). then you have the poe comics, which decides that despite tfa making it extremely clear that looking for tekka was ren's responsibility (with battlefront ii backing this by having him torture del), we get....random first order intelligence officer being in charge of the hunt, because soule was more interested in doing mission impossible-esque stories than the kinds of stories that would better fit the tekka search. this isn't even counting the back and forth of poe's character development in the comics (listen i love those comics, but there's a LOT of two steps forward, three steps back, especially in regards to Poe handing Tekka over. That arc perfectly set up Poe from BTA growing into the Poe we see in the films, annnnnnnnnnnnnd then Soule like. retracted it in the very next issue. This does not upset me in the slightest, why do you ask [chewing through drywall] and like. poe and leia have no familial dynamic to them in those comics either, to the point that watching tlj for the first time was a tRIP for me because i had a !!! oh!!! they're family!!! moment bc that's not present in the comics, with the exception of maybe l'ulo's funeral)

and of course my favorite example of the source material going "ew wtf" is tros just. point blank. saying "who the fuck is resistance reborn?" specifically through poe. iconic, showstopping, i love it to pieces because that novel deserves a slow death rotting at the bottom of the ocean.

the best tie-in material is often either ones built AFTER the films all released (looking at u free fall) or the rare time you can tell the author genuinely loves the characters/era and writing it isn't just a gig. my point is i think by having authors largely ignoring the canon text, and making this very inconsistent lore built around a deleted scene, etc, very seriously harmed the sequels.

[jessicas-pi]

9, 13, and 24 for the teenage rebellion au?

Yay, more asks!! :D

9. Is there a scene you wish you could've included, but couldn't? Why?

Gosh, yeah. Ever since the Ahsoka show came out, I've wanted to write a bit where Inquisitor!Ezra is assigned to babysit the newest and youngest addition to the Inquisitorius, except he also has secret plans to meet Sabine that night which he really doesn't want to miss, so he decides to just bring the kid along. What could go wrong? Well, turns out, the answer is A Lot, as the kid, who happens to be Shin Hati, books it the heck out of there the first chance she gets to cause as much chaos and property damage as possible, and what was supposed to be a nice date night turns into a mad dash across Coruscant in something strongly resembling Yzma and Kronk's hunt for Kuzco, if Kuzco was a slightly feral 12-year-old with a laser sword, and Yzma and Kronk were teenagers who couldn't stop flirting long enough to form a cohesive plan besides "follow the sound of traffic accidents and hope for the best," which I realize doesn't sound much like the Emperor's New Groove at all, but trust me, the comedy vibes are the exact same.

Unfortunately, this isn't gonna work, due to the simple fact that Mara is already dubbed Youngest Sister, and Shin is about four years younger than her, so, like... what would they even call her?

13. Write a lil snippet set in this verse.

ohhhh ok ok how about some pain???

She stumbled through the first door she could find--a cluttered supply closet--and scrabbled to release the clasps on her mask, gasping for breath. The coldness rubbed her mind raw, boring into her like blasting sand in a desert storm. She wanted to claw at her own skin until the horrible Darkness drained out of her like drops of blood. She had hoped. She had believed. She thought she could fix things, save just the child if she could save no one else. But the child was older now, and Falling farther and farther, and Anakin was a monster, and the other Inquisitors--people who were once Jedi, people who she once loved--were past hope. All was lost, and the only thing Ahsoka had managed to do was to destroy herself.

24. Ramble about something you haven't gotten to talk about yet.

OOH OK OK SOOO. At first glance, this AU is either a cracky or angsty fic, depending on which way any given story swings, without too much depth in it, where all the fics are named with lyrics from ABBA songs (don't ask me why. I don't know). But!!! There are two big, serious themes in this AU, as well. One is redemption, and the other one, which I'm gonna ramble about, is family. Good family, bad family, blood family, found family--all of it.

The Inquisitors all go by "Brother" and "Sister", and some of them--especially Ezra and Mara--actually do view each other as siblings. (Others... not so much.) Basically, as a whole, the Inquisitorius functions as a big, messed up family. Vader sees Ezra and Mara as the children he lost, but his love for them is selfish and possessive. Even the kids, to a smaller extent, also have an... I don't want to say "unhealthy relationship" because theirs is by far the most healthy dynamic in the whole Inquisitorius, but their relationship definitely isn't optimal, as Ezra's had to be both a brother and a parent to Mara since he was five.

Meanwhile, Sabine is living as a virtual prisoner with her relatives on Coruscant. She feels abandoned by all of her blood family, except for her brother. While she has friends in Luke and Leia, and a motherly figure in Vere, she's extremely lonely and isolated.

But also, there's the Organas, and the Naberries (who adopted Luke,) and even Luke and Leia--though they don't know they're blood siblings (yet). There'a also the Ghost crew (who will be showing up eventually), and while I would really, really love to elaborate on said Ghost crew, as well as SEVERAL other people/groups of people that tie into the theme of GOOD family, I'm not going to, because in this AU, the good family elements mostly tie into the happy ending, so I'd have to spoil a lot of the plot to do it.

[fandom4soup]

Why Ichirukis Feel Trolled , A Fan's Advice To Young Authors

Long sad looks, passion and dynamism.

Inapropriat physical contact. He grips her pajama top, and in the wrong area no less, she touches his leg on the knee or above.

Do you have that kind of touching with your friends, especially in a friendship where both of you have compatible sexual orientations?

Would you be happy if your significant other did it to their best friend, who saved their life and oh with whom they live together? No, no matter the circumstances you would be at least jelous and a bit bothered about it.

Because Orihime is so kind, we sometimes consider her stupid. She is not. She saw it.

Tip for young authors. Don't bait your loyal fans, IF you don't want to face their resentment and criticism.

Forshadow the pairings you plan to make canon, and when you want a brother-sister dynamic between unrelated people, signal it.

Love triangles are not all spawned in hell, but if you have one în your work, just admit it, don't use it to sale merchendise and then act as people are stupid and you are above it all.

I am not mad that my ship ISN'T canon, as I am mad about being told that I am mad, bad and dangerous to know, because I am seeing what can have a valid interpretation as attraction between those two.

It would have been so simple to signal strictly platonic feelings between those two. They both have brother-sister connections in their life, just establish strong paralles between how they are treating their syblings and how they are treating eachother. People will ship anyway, but not because you led them on.

If your readers are that supid they can always say: "We are like brother and sister." Kishimoto for all his faults went on and said it about Naruto and Sasuke, another suspiciosly strong bond that had some ambiguity to it. People still ship it, but they weren't led on and then dropped into a parallel universe ten years later where you can't but feel that you must have missed something.

Even when your work is not about shipping, if you have couples in it, you should make at least a little effort when writting said couples.

When it comes to love triangles, some authors go that extra mile and actually make two of the people related, Lucas made Luke and Leia actual brother and sister. The fear of a repeat made the Kylo Ren/ Rey ship way smaller than it would have been before the second movie, when people found out that they weren't related.

I am not saying make Rukia a long lost Shiba. I am not an author. I am just a random moron on the internet. You are the one blessed with both the creativity and the power to fix it.

You are not forced to fix it. Just know that your fans will be dissapointed by it and some of them will just quit în dissapointment. For every annoying complainer you will have at least 10 readers that just give up and pick up something by another author.

If we are so vocal is because we love your work so much, and we are thinking about it long after putting the book down.

Some fans will be toxic and entitled. Some fans will just like to say what worked and what didn't for them în your creation,creation that they like enough to use their precious time to comment upon.

People are evil and you will always have some haters. The question is, do you intentionally troll people? If the answer is yes, why are you surprised when passionate segments of your fandom come after you with pitchforks? That's what people do to trolls.

I am against both physical and verbal violence, but when something displeases me in your work, I will politely make my displeasure known.

[anghraine]

Luke and Mara?

This is an easy one, I'm afraid! I do not ship them even a little bit.

1- Why don't you ship it?

For one, I didn't read most of the material they were even in. I'm into the films, and ships that involve characters that aren't even in the films are intrinsically not interesting to me (and I've never bought into the idea of "no actually there are all these other Force-users floating around as Imperial policy", then or now).

For another, I headcanon Luke as asexual, and usually as aro/ace + happily celibate and "alone" for a Skywalker value of alone. I see his bonds to Leia, Han, and Anakin (two of which are literal psychic bonds) as the most important in his life. There are some Luke ships I like in fanfic, but as far as canon goes, I don't like the idea of him in a romantic relationship with anyone and after ROTJ especially, I can't really see it.

On top of that, certain parts of the fandom pushed the pairing really hard in my first few years in SW fandom. I did not appreciate being corrected, pressured, and sent outright hate over not being into Expanded Universe-only stuff and over headcanoning Luke as aro/ace. I've never gotten more unbridled hatred in my asks over anything and I try not to let that shape what I think, but it certainly did not soften my feelings.

2- What would have made you like it?

It would really need to have been woven into the films in a satisfying way that didn't sideline Luke's other critical relationships. Mara would probably have needed to be there from ANH or at least early in ESB—not necessarily "there" in scenes with Luke, but established with a role of her own in the story so it didn't feel tacked on or obligatory. And Luke's vibes in ROTJ would also have to be pretty different.

A pretty steep task, obviously. But I've always really loved that the resolution of Luke's arc in the OT doesn't involve "getting the girl", or getting anyone in that sense. For him, the happiest possible ending is all about his relationships with his father and his sister and his friends, and it's honestly still refreshing for me to see that. So it'd have to be incredibly good in the films for me to actually ship it, even if some specific things could lessen my dislike.

3- Despite not shipping it, do you have anything positive to say about it?

From what I can tell, Mara is a pretty cool character in her own right, and her books do seem to be among the better ones. The general outline of the dynamics between Mara and Luke as far as I've osmosed them seem like they could make for a really compelling kind of enemies -> battle couple pairing if I were into that for Luke.

[anakin-pilled]

okay i finally finished the star wars sequel trilogy and here’s my opinion and thoughts on each of the movies that no one asked for but i want to share anyway 🤓🤓 spoilers below!

The Force Awakens:

Don’t have a strong opinion on this movie TBH, I think it’s the weakest of the three but it’s a good introduction movie.

Wasn’t expecting Han’s death…RIP TO A REAL ONE😭

Still don’t understand how Rey was able to beat a trained Kylo Ren in battle…she was too OP for the first movie.

Kylo’s back story isn’t convincing enough and I think he’s kind of lame, I don’t think they did him justice.

Transitioning between scenes is so reminiscent of the OG triology and I love it.

The Last Jedi:

THE BEST OUT OF THE THREE!! I really enjoyed this movie; especially all the different sub plots. I loved that we got to see more characters.

I AM A FINNPOE ENTHUSIAST

I AM NOT A REYLO ENTHUSIAST

I liked Rose’s character and her dynamic with Finn!! Kelly Marie Tran did not deserve all the hate she got ): Rose was awesome ):

The scene in Snoke’s throne, Kylo reminded me so much of Anakin in ROTS, from the hair to the expression on his face, I literally think he channeled Anakin’s energy into his performance (think of Anakin when he first pledged loyalty to Palpatine)

Kinda confused on the direction they went in with Luke. You mean to tell me Luke refused to kill Darth Vader because he believed there was light still in him, but couldn’t extend the same hope to Kylo? Idk, Luke’s main characteristic is that he’s the hopeful, optimistic hero and I feel like they completely scrapped that. ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THEY DONT EVEN DIRECTLY TELL YOU WHY KYLO HAD SO MUCH DARKNESS IN HIM, i blame the story tellers

Luke saying no one’s ever really gone…yeah I cried 😭

I knew Luke died from like years ago, but watching his force spirit in front of the two suns just reminded me of that iconic scene in ANH where he’s standing in front of the two Tatooine suns. Literally one of my favorite Star Wars scenes EVER 🥹

The Rise of Skywalker

I think my biggest gripe with this trilogy is that it completely ruins Anakin/Vader being the Chosen One. Like….George Lucas confirms he’s the Chose One and then we see in ROTJ that he helps brings balance to the force, thus completing the prophecy. BUT THEN PALPATINE DIDNT DIE AND HES BACK AND THAT MAKES THE PROPHECY COMPLETELY MOOT AND THATS AN INSULT TO MY POOKIE.

Didn’t expect Leia to die…I know Carrie died (RIP TO A REAL ONE) but I honestly didn’t know she was going to die in the movie and I kept on wondering how they were going to pull it off. And I’m just realizing they killed each of the OG trio 😭

We needed more Rose.

They built up Finn to be a love interest for Rey in the first movie then completely scrapped that idea for Reylo 😭

Not sure how I feel about Reylo. I was really hoping they wouldn’t kiss then BOOM they kissed. Idk I just don’t think the chemistry was there.

I still think they did Kylo’s character building dirty, but I did enjoy his redemption arc. RIP

The voices of all the Jedi guiding Rey, I CRIED OKAYYYYYY

FINNPOE SUPREMACY

I love FinnPoe, but also Finn and Poe separately. Oscar and John were amazing

Seeing all the Death Stars crash, the Ewoks looking up and cheering, the celebration scene 😭😭😭😭 I cried so much IDK it just reminded me so much of the the end of ROTJ and honestly I’m a huge sucker for a good winning final scene.

Overall, I enjoyed the trilogy more than I thought I would and while I do think it’s not PERFECT and I do think there’s a lot to fix, I do think a lot of SW fans are just salty and hated the idea of a more diverse, female led franchise. I would definitely watch again (:

Now I need to know what happens after lol

[digestionsack]

The Empire Strikes Back and Stranger Things 4 Analysis: A Look at El’s Arc, Will and El’s Relationship, and Byler

Hi all!

I have been following the Byler tag since 17k, but until now I have not directly engaged. However, I recently watched The Empire Strikes Back and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing—I HAD to write about it! Apologies if someone has already covered this, but maybe having a fresh post about it will appeal to the newbies in the tag. Warning: This will be a long one. And now…

*Empire Strikes Back spoilers ahead!*

I had not seen ESB in years, but based on this interview/article with the Duffer brothers, I went into my rewatch of the movie looking at it through a Stranger Things lens, since the interview basically says that Duffers wanted to create the same “all is lost” ending that was in ESB for ST4. Not to mention this

being on the official S4 movie whiteboard. And because of you lovely Bylers pointing out the character parallels, I went into the movie looking for Han=Mike, Leia=Will, and Luke=El similarities. So I’m watching the movie and waiting for the ending parallels…and then I realized that the Duffers didn’t just parallel the ending. They paralleled the WHOLE DAMN MOVIE—especially when it comes to El’s arc, Willel, and Byler’s relationship.

In the beginning of ESB, we have this established love triangle between Han, Leia, and Luke. Leia even kisses Luke (it is implied that she does this to piss off Han), and her and Han’s relationship is somewhat strained. This loosely parallels Mike and El’s face-value relationship at the beginning of S4 and the tension between Mike and Will. At this point in ESB, this creates romantic ambiguity in the Han/Leia/Luke dynamic—as is so with most love triangles.

And then…things got super interesting in regards to parallels, especially when it comes to El’s S4 arc. Luke receives a message from a now-dead Obi Wan Kenobi, who instructs him to go off on his own to begin his official Jedi training with Yoda. This really solidified the El=Luke parallel for me, as El goes on a similar journey with the Nina Project. So Luke goes off on his own to fully come to terms with his power, his past, and his role in the Rebellion/Empire conflict, and El goes off in a similar fashion to regain her powers, come to terms with her past, confront her pain (negative memories and the emotional manipulation of Brenner), and learn the truth about Vecna/Henry/One. But the parallels don’t stop here. El and Luke both cut their training short when they realize that their friends/loved ones are in danger, against the advice of Brenner and Yoda. When I was listening to the dialogue during El’s and Luke’s departure scenes, I was reeling—they were so similar. To quote one lovely Byler: “If my teacher made me run that shit through turnitin.com, my ass would be on the BRINK of expulsion.”

Both El and Luke leave their training to go fight, and both S4 and ESB end with loss. Luke is rattled by losing a hand and learning Darth Vader is his father, Han is frozen in carbonite, and Darth Vader is still on the loose. El is rattled by the loss of Max, the Upside Down crossing over into Hawkins, and Vecna is still on the loose.

The Will+El/Luke+Leia Wonder Twins parallels are not all that subtle, either. In S4, it is established as early as episode one that Will and El have really begun to lean into their sibling/twin bond after moving to California—not too hard, since the two have been strongly connected ever since S1. With or without a script, their reunion in the desert only solidified their love for each other. Luke and Leia do not find out they are siblings until Return of the Jedi, but their bond through the Force becomes a big part of the ending of ESB when Luke calling out to Leia through the Force and Leia coming to rescue him.

Ergo, El=Luke and Will=Leia.

Okay, so I specifically put this in the Byler tag…so…Byler. This part is shorter, but this was so juicy on my ESB rewatch that I cackled. Just…heh.

Man, ST4 really said “forced proximity road trip creates romantic tension and bonding,” didn’t it? But…so did Star Wars. Because while Luke was off on Dagobath with Yoda for his Jedi training, which pairing went on a road trip (space trip, if you will) that emphasized romantic tension and bonded the two characters? You guessed it….

Listen, was I a big fan of how aggressively Han pursued Leia? Not really. Do I think the romance could have been developed a bit more before the execution? Yeah, I do. There are many aspects in which Byler is different from Han/Leia (enemies/annoyances to lovers vs childhood best friends to lovers being a clear difference). But the parallel still stands, even up to the end, when Leia loses Han to the carbonite (and Will rips off the bandaid to push Mike towards El). Leia and Will both think that they have lost their love interests. But in The Last Jedi, Han and Leia reunite and are still endgame. As for Byler in S5….well. That remains to be seen.

Tl;dr: The similarities between ESB and S4 are so glaring they must have been intentional. This has major implications for El’s arc, Willel, and Byler. Who knows, maybe I’ll find some more crumbs and S5 hints when I watch The Last Jedi…

If you’ve made it this far, thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate it and I hope you had fun!

[mal-zoya]

i do wish i could give ‘obi-wan kenobi’ 10/10. i really do.

it has some of the best character arcs (obi-wan, vader), some of the best dynamics in star wars (obi-wan&vader, obi-wan&leia), some of the best acting performances (ewan mcgregor, moses ingram, indira varma, vivien lyra blair), some potentially best dynamics that didn’t get enough time (vader&reva, obi-wan&tala, obi-wan&owen, owen&beru&luke, leia&breha), some absolutely iconic moments and lines that will surely make it into legends in star wars canon in upcoming years (obi-wan explaining force to leia, vader burning him, vader&reva fight, the actual obi-wan&vader duel)

but also it has pacing issues especially in the middle part. the score could’ve been better and better used but imho the most critical part is the low budget. of course, when on tv money, you have to prioritize - we make 2 aliens instead of 10, we shoot it as dark as possible so the cgi is more forgiving and therefore cheaper, we don’t use de-aging cgi at all and claim it’s for “reasons,” and we go to south cal and not south america - or even better we use ‘the volume’ and don’t go anywhere. problem with the volume is that no matter how high tech, it’s always just a 40′s movie trick that is outdated and it still looks that way.

me, saying: “it should’ve been a movie” isn’t some kind of dis or that i don’t want 10-20-50 episodes of these stories but it’s about that the budget would’ve been way higher and the care would’ve been more intense.

i do keep asking myself where would i put it on my rank scale. was it better or worse than the clone wars? than rebels? than the mandalorian? i don’t know yet. i am not even sure of my score but right now? 7.5/10

[aureutr]

I've enjoyed your recent asks answering background on BT! The Han and Boba background was especially illuminating; to be honest, my major confusion and issue with BT was that Han and Boba's interactions had read fairly non-consensual to me over the entire course of the relationship. So, in the end where Luke forces him back to them, I was surprised he would be willing to stay (even if it was just for Luke), or that it would be considered any kind of happy ending for him. Your answer to the previous ask puts a much different spin on how I'd seen their relationship and interactions!

(I'm kind of glad, too, because I'd sort of assumed Han was stuck in a pretty tragic and bad situation for him there at the end. I'm glad this makes it seem more likely he can find some measure of happiness or satisfaction.)

I really appreciate this ask, anon, because it gives me a vehicle to talk about some stuff that bothers me about BT.

I am grateful for everyone who reads my work, and even moreso for those who leave comments! But a lot of the feedback I get about BT bums me out because it reminds me of how poorly I did my job, especially the ending.

Neither Han nor Boba are characters prone to introspection or sharing their feelings. Even when things are told from their POVs, you don't always get the full picture. Everything that was "good" about their relationship happened in the past, and neither is eager to share details. In retrospect I absolutely see why people think that Han gets a tragic end in BT. But I don't see it that way.

Boba in BT is a huge asshole. Easily the worst not-Vader character present. And he thinks of himself that way, too. He'd never admit he had any interest in a clan. In family. In a stable home and children and a mate.

But his actions speak otherwise. He doesn't have to hang around with Din. He didn't have to pay off Han's debt instead of turning him over to Jabba. But he chooses to do those things anyway. He wants the connection, he wants the clan. But admitting that he needs anything, especially as an Alpha, means he's weak (in his eyes). So he blusters and bites instead of admitting it.

Han is scared of Boba, sure, but part of that isn't about Boba so much as it is about himself. He's still attracted to him, and he's ashamed of that fact. He's spent his entire life running from his designation and fighting tooth and nail to take care of himself, thankyouverymuch. Sure, he'll work with Chewbacca and let him pick up the slack, but a Wookie is different. Chewie isn't in the a/b/o dynamic, it doesn't mean as much.

Letting anyone else in would mean something. Han is perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but he pushes too hard when he doesn't need to. He tries to make it through through heats alone, he tries to carry burdens, he refuses to share what he feels.

But he would still like to be taken care of, a little bit. He doesn't want to be forever tied down to a single place, but always having somewhere to come back to? Even if it's not a physical place but a family of sorts? Han yearns for that. And though it would take a lot of time, he won't be under house arrest forever in the end of BT. They let Luke wander, after all.

Speaking of Luke…

He might not get much Jedi training in BT (mostly he figures stuff out on his own or Leia shows him the basics when he returns), but if there's one thing Luke's good at it's empathy. As in, he's literally an empath. Someone can lie to themselves and others about what they feel, but he can feel the truth of it radiating off of them. He can't help it.

So, ultimately, Luke wants Han to give the Alphas as solid a chance as he gave Leia and Han when they asked. And he knows that Han would never consider it if asked. That's more of why he does what he does, than a completely personality change. He feels awful about it, but he had secured a full assurance from Din (at least) that they would help Han back to the Falon if that's what he wanted.

And Din, of any character in BT, is the most straightforward. He is very clear in what he wants and feels.

I won't say anyone is a particularly good person, it is still darkfic. But there was so much behind-the-scenes characterization that I wish I had found a way to make more obvious. I understand why people read the ending the way they do, but it's meant to be dark-soft. Han is asleep in the end not because he would throw a fit awake, but because he's comfortable, he feels safe. He feels safe enough to toss his legs over Boba's lap and hold a baby while he's asleep. Han will never be all about kids, but he's a good dad. Damn what the sequels imply.

Ultimately, there wasn't a way to spring Han being dragged back as any sort of surprise without doing it the way I did. And I'm still not sure how to communicate in the fic what I wrote above without having a character start monologuing about their feelings. Maybe Han could share more about his and Boba's past with Luke before they're captured, but I still don't feel that he would. It's a weakness I have as a writer, and perhaps one I will overcome in the future.

But yeah, every time someone mentions it, Borrowed Time gives me a weird mix of "sincerely touched that someone enjoyed it" and "oh god I fucked that one up so badly" 😅

[rughydrangea]

I have been very behind on TV, so today I finally finished the Obi-Wan show! Four months later, I know. And it’s weird, I was watching the show very actively up through the fourth episode, but then that very afternoon my mother landed in California and we had to pack, I had to graduate, we drove across the country, I moved into my new place, started a new job... it was just a whirlwind and I just never felt like I was in the right headspace to finish. So tonight I just forced it through. And in the interest of not vomiting my opinions in the tags of someone else’s gifset, here they are. In somewhat incoherent form, I fear, it’s past my bedtime.

It’s not a good show, which I think was apparent quite some time ago. On a plot level it fails every logic test imaginable. Not in a cinema-sins way, just in the sense that characters’ decisions almost never make sense and sometimes the directing also doesn’t make sense. But what really drew me into the show at first was the Obi-Wan/Leia relationship, and to the extent that the ending worked (it didn’t, really), it was by channeling her and Luke as the real emotional stakes, as what matters most in the story. Ultimately, what worked in this show for me was its portrayal of how deeply, deeply loved Anakin and Padmé’s children are. The fact that they have this horrific, toxic legacy that they know nothing about, and instead grow up in warm families that adore them is just very meaningful to me, and seeing that was great. And the best episodes were the ones that focused on Obi-Wan getting to know Leia, appreciating her for who she is but also seeing that she truly is her mother’s and especially her father’s daughter. I liked all that.

The Obi-Wan/Anakin stuff? I mean, leaving aside the fact that Rebels did it better (the way they plucked the image of Vader with half his helmet gone straight from Rebels was really something), I just needed none of it. The problem wasn’t that we knew neither of them would kill the other, or whether it made sense in continuity. The problem for me was that I don’t think there’s anything new to say about that relationship. This show didn’t introduce a single new dynamic, it just replayed the beats that we saw throughout the films, to say nothing of TCW. Yes, Anakin is bold and overconfident and so aggressive it makes him dumb, and we’ve known that since AotC, so why exactly we needed to learn that again is just mystifying to me. Also, I do find Anakin consistently being so stupid that Obi-Wan can easily beat him kind of tiresome. Of course the fight I found the most fun was the one in episode three where Vader just whales on Obi-Wan. Reversals are fun!

Now I can move on to Andor, I guess, though I’m behind on a few other shows that I will probably try to get to first. It’s time I admit that the only new SW content I’m actively looking forward to is season 2 of The Bad Batch. I discovered too late that animated Star Wars is, at this point, far and away the best Star Wars, even when it’s not great. 

Still, if they made a show of Luke and Leia just being kids... I would watch it.

[trashikin]

Any wholesome Vader and Luke Headcanons? Can be from the canon Star Wars or your own Fic.

I've been thinking on this one all day. It's a little tricky because, like, canon Vader is not really his own person. He's a shell that Anakin has wrapped himself in, desperate to convince himself that Anakin is the one who is dead and Vader is all that remains.

That is absolutely not to say "Anakin is all good and it's a split personality and Vader is the bad one". Anakin is totally responsible for his choices and actions. But one choice he consistently makes as Vader is to lie to himself about why he's making the other bad choices. He thinks it's his only option for twenty-three years until he chooses to throw Palpatine into the pit to save Luke.

So, I don't quite have wholesome canon Vader headcanons because anything wholesome about him is Anakin starting to face what he's done, reclaim his identity as a Skywalker, and change. You can't make anyone change, but you (Luke) can inspire someone to choose to do so.

I would love to see a proper redemption arc post-ROTJ with Anakin surviving (there probably is one out there, feel free to send some fic recs). Death isn't redemption, redemption is choosing to do better, to right the wrongs that you can, and to acknowledge that there are some things you can never make up for. And some people may never forgive you.

I want to see Anakin spend the rest of his life doing the best that he can. Luke supports the hell out of him. No one else who knows who he is does. I want to see him in a new suit (not that white one, a real redesign), on his knees, begging his daughter's forgiveness.

He might never get it from Leia or anyone other than Luke, but he can do so much to help so many reconstruction efforts. Prison makes sense, sure, but there isn't one that can actually hold him. A reformed Anakin would agree to it, probably, but I could also see the New Republic begrudgingly leaving him in Luke's custody. It would be an interesting dynamic.

That is absolutely not what you asked for, but that's the most wholesome thing I can see with Luke and "Vader" in canon.

Now for IWM Luke and Vaderkin... Hm.

Vader is a brilliant tactician but emotionally quite stupid. He doesn't recognize any feelings he has towards Luke other than "potentially useful" and "mine". So when he starts observing his preferences it's definitely for nefarious purposes, not because he wants to make Luke smile.

It starts with the mirror, which he tells himself is practical (Luke gets ready faster) and also furthers his goals (Luke fully turning on the Rebels).

Luke makes few requests, and Vader usually makes him give a little of himself for each one. But he also makes quiet notes on the things Luke likes. Even Alderaanian Luke is fond of blue milk custard (especially frozen). Vader may randomly give him small things, never directly but always in a way that leaves no doubt who is responsible.

He tells himself it's calculated. That it's all part of the plan. It certainly has nothing to do with how these gifts are one of the only times he gets to see a small smile from Luke, who has few reasons to do so onboard the Executor.

I don't think I can do Luke reciprocating in this post, I'm still working on some stuff there. But it has a lot to do with my visualization of Anakin inside the husk of Vader. Not really a different person. But Luke (despite not having separate names for them) finds it increasingly easy to convince himself otherwise.

[milfglupshitto]

Shadow of the Sith review

spoilers for the book below:

I’m not sure how best to format this, but I’ll try and list positives first, then negatives, and lastly summarize my final thoughts.

things I enjoyed:

- Luke and Lando as a team! the pair have a vastly underrated dynamic we don’t get to see often.

- ironically enough, Ochi of Bestoon. maybe it’s because I haven’t been keeping up with the comics which I’ve heard have been inundated with his presence, but I thought he was a perfectly miserable character and I had fun seeing him fall apart.

- the TIE Defender my best friend the TIE Defender. the implications of the ship being designed from the beginning to mimic Sith architecture are deeply fascinating to me.

- also on the subject of Sith designs: I really enjoyed the presence those artifacts had in both the narrative and the actual prose. the seeing stone sequence was particularly well done.

- Rey’s family. While some parts frustrated me (more on that below) I enjoyed Dathan and Miramir as characters, and even knowing where their path ended I was still kept in suspense wondering how they would get there.

things I wish were better executed:

- This book was very cameo-heavy. Not necessarily a problem, but if a reader can’t identify if information about an object is being given because it will be helpful later in the book or if it’s meant to remind them that they know this thing already from another source… let’s just say I got a few things spoiled because I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to know them already or not.

- Some of the dialogue and characterization choices felt very… off to me. The guard droid on Polaar spoke in a very human way that had me checking dialogue tags frequently, and many of the elements of Zargo Anaximander’s description and speech patterns had me skeptical at best of authorial bias. The whole scene from Mico Haswell’s perspective where he details prejudices against most of his colleagues and then in the next scene Luke senses all the love and concern those colleagues have for him came off as just too over the top (and at least to me, slightly reminiscent of the “Walk Up Not Out” campaigns they introduced at my school and others to prevent gun violence by encouraging students to approach peers who seemed isolated, blaming horrific violence on mental health issues and placing the onus on the students to solve it rather than the adults who ought to be responsible for the minors in their care), especially given that it’s never made clear if the student he attacked under the influence of the Sith artifact actually survived?

- Lando’s treatment by the story. One of my favorite aspects of the post-ROTJ stories in the EU was the way that the team from the films was able to come together for new missions, unlike in Disney’s sequel trilogy. When I first began reading these stories I was pleasantly surprised by the way that Lando was included just as fully as Han, Leia, and Luke, with his strengths and insights allowed to flourish, which I had unfortunately rarely seen in most of the fanon for that era. While I thought it made since for Lando to be jaded and off his game in this story, after the tragic loss of his child, it seemed that too often he was simply along for the ride, with his contributions dismissed or rendered unimportant by the characters with higher training or more powerful abilities. The idiot’s array scene near the end of the book was refreshing, but I wish he had been able to have more of those moments throughout, moments that make it clear his instincts are correct but in his grief he’s terrified of being wrong and allows doubt to hold him back.

I’m sure there are other positives and negatives I’m forgetting, and I’ll add those later if they come to me. Overall, I enjoyed this novel, and can appreciate what it was trying to do in terms of leading into the sequel trilogy. However, there are certain elements of the story which simply sat the wrong way with me. If I had to rate this book I would say maybe 7/10? As always I’m happy to provide more detailed information and answer any questions for anyone considering whether or not they should read this book.

[jayne-hecate-writer]

Hello there...

Obi Wan Kenobi has his own series on Disney plus and thus far it has been both moving and exciting, but I have a dark fear that they are about to repeat a tried and tested Star Wars story line that has been used rather a lot of late, that of the captured child held hostage.

This trend started with the Clone Wars pilot in which Ahsoka and Anakin must rescue the child stolen from Jabba the Hutt. It continued in a couple of episodes of Rebels (and will likely be the theme of the Ahsoka show as they hunt for a lost Ezra) and carried on with the story line of the Mandalorian, where Din Djarin has to track down and then rescue the child. Then we had the Bad Batch, where Omega was captured by Cad Bane and returned to the Cloners on Kamino, only for her to be rescued by the Bad Batch. Each story has the theme of those who rescue are also rescued themselves. Anakin learns to trust Ahsoka, Din bonds with Grogu, Hunter and the Bad Batch squad find Omega and become more than they were. So with the end of Kenobi part three dropping hints that Leia is now in the hands of Inquisitor Reva, just as our truly fabulous villain planned, Obi Wan is going to have to face her to rescue the girl and in doing so will awaken his lost Jedi faith. Oh dear... They are doing it again, aren't they?

Now before you get all angry and upset, let me state for the record that in my view, there is an awful lot to like in this Obi Wan series. For starters, the dynamic between Uncle Owen and Obi Wan is suitably prickly. Owen already considers Obi Wan to be a danger to Luke and seeing the man standing up to Reva (while Obi Wan cowers) as she threatens not just him, but his family, we can really see that the craggy old soul that is Owen, truly does love Luke and only wants what is best for his nephew. Knowing how he and Beru are going to meet their end, makes it even more sad seeing these characters developing into the genuinely nice people that they are and it was right to send Luke to them.

Moving on to the other characters in this series, we meet a childhood version of Leia, so precocious and joyous, that she brings yet more love for her character. As such we can really see where Leia developed the resilience that saw her move with such confidence in the original films and then onwards in the sequels, with such empathic kindness and determination all the way through to the end of her life. We have seen Leia at almost every stage of her life now, be it in animation or film, a child being groomed for politics, a young woman delivering ships to the rebellion, a politician, a rebel fighter and then finally as a rebel leader and grieving mother in her closing years. Is there any part of Leia's life that has not been written into the lore of Star Wars? Are we going to see her when she has her first period, as Disney use the might of their colossal empire to reach out to children and young adults to help them understand their developing bodies? Similarly, are we going to get a scene with Luke begging Aunt Beru not to touch his special crusty sock? Sorry for that vulgar and gross image, that is just my cynicism talking! Saying that, this is just another aspect of life for all growing children and young adults and so with some of the other stuff currently on Disney Plus, I am sure that it has the potential to appear one day, in a Galaxy far, far away, especially given how they are promoting Pride as I type this.

Disney are currently running a series of shows that celebrate the lives of LGBTQ+ people and as a member of this community, I would gladly embrace some extra Star Wars input here. We have had thus far a couple of lovely examples of gay people in Star Wars, just floating about in the background and getting on with their Star Wars lives, but rumour has it that some of these few scenes were edited out to appease less LGBTQ+ friendly countries, allowing the films to still be shown and still getting Disney those much needed homophobic dollars. So to counter this, lets see Star Wars fully embrace rainbow culture and I am not talking about quietly making a story about Gay Stormtroopers sending mouse droids as messengers to their Officer class boyfriends (Oh yeah, that poor little mouse droid that Chewie growls at in a New Hope, has been given such a purpose in one of the recent books).

I seem to have strayed off from my subject here, but this is my blog and frankly, you my dear reader probably barely really care what I write about, but I do need to get back on track with my discussion of Kenobi and where it is going to go from this point onwards.

When Vader meets Obi Wan in a New Hope, he states that when they last met, Obi Wan was the master and Vader was the learner. This first meeting and the resultant fight between Vader and Kenobi contained no such evidence of Obi Wan's masterful dominance, rather Obi Wan looked Feeble, a tired old man desperately trying to hold off the ravenous, over whelming power of Vader. At this point, Vader was probably at his most terrifying because he seemed unhinged, given that he was murdering innocent children with a twist of his hand in the force. This led on to Vader not trying to merely kill Obi Wan, but rather seeking to punish him, to put him through some of the pain that he himself suffered when Obi Wan left him to die on Mustafar. This person was still the volatile Vader of Revenge of the Sith and after ten years, it appears that Palpatine has barely shown our tragic lost hero any real development in the use of the Dark Side. In some of the books that are now considered to be part of Legends, Vader was so desperate to advance he pushed Palpatine for knowledge. In some of the comics he uses his acquired Dark Side power to speak with Padme who then shuns him. Yet in this series, Vader still seems to be that wounded, unpredictable Anakin, not yet embracing all that Darth Vader can be as a Sith Lord. In the later stories starting with Rogue One for example, Vader feels more controlled, more focussed and in some ways even more vicious, but for this scene we see Vader consumed, maybe even blinded by his rage, he is in many ways still the lost and pitiful Anakin under all of that armour.

As for Obi Wan, he seems to have buried all of his past in the sand with his Lightsabres. The hints at what he lost as a child, ripped away from his family were heart breaking as he explained to Leia that he understood how it felt to not know their origins. I was fully immersed into their world, my heart aching for both Obi Wan and Leia at this point. The great difference though was that Leia was raised by a loving family, while Obi Wan was raised by the warrior priests of a religious cult and some of the stories that have been introduced into the cannon of late have shown that the Jedi were not that great at raising kids in a healthy way. So Obi Wan has all of the nightmares, regrets and horror of a survivor with Post Traumatic Stress and even the words of Owen can wound him to his core.

What I have seen thus far has had moments of true beauty and I am fully engaged with Ewan McGregor back in his rightful place. But after three episodes, I cannot hide from the the fact that I am worried that I am starting to see the lazy patterns of previous Star Wars stories. I am aware that there is a theme of the stories 'rhyming' with those that went previously, but there comes a point when it is no longer rhyme and is instead simple repetition. Whatever happens though, it will be a spectacle and it will no doubt be beautifully made. Ewan and Hayden back together for this show is a joy that should be celebrated, especially now when it feels like some of us are living under the rule of our own version of the Empire. I shall remain excited each week for the next episode, enjoying each stage of Obi Wan and Leia's journey back to her Alderaanian home. It is my hope that we can all enjoy the the series as it progresses and admire the talents of the cast and crew, all of whom have worked so hard to make it, in particular the young child playing Leia, Vivien Lyra Blair, who is just delightful. As for the rest of the cast, there are no slackers among them, but it still horrifies me that someone as powerful as Moses Ingram has become yet another person of colour to suffer the seemingly unending hatred of the small minded bigots who claim to love Star Wars. To my mind, Reva is a remarkable and terrifying character, played with real passion by an actor of some skill. I have a suspicion that I know how they are going to end her arc, but for the sake of the Dark Side, I truly hope that they do not turn Reva back to the light in some sad act of redemption that sees her die rather than face justice for her crimes.

Until next time, May the force be with you...

Tatty bye my dears

[cynthiaandsamus]

Had a great time ordering an Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Bucket and watching the first two Obi-Wan Episodes with my family

Overall I liked it but I do have some nitpicks...

Reva’s plan is really kind of dumb given that if Bail didn’t insist on going to Obi-Wan because... reasons, or if Obi-Wan didn’t agree to it (which he almost didn’t) this whole plan falls apart. Like for her part it makes sense that she thinks he’s enough of a bleeding heart to do it and she’s right since that’s the Inquisitors’ MO in this series but Bail dragging Ben out of hiding because he “is the only one that knows how imporant she really is” is dumb, like he even suggests they hire a bounty hunter or some shit, I think her being a Senator’s daughter is reason enough to get Boba Fett or someone on the job, hit up Cad Bane he’d probably enjoy some work after the war, like if it is Inquisitors (which they don’t know it is) then yeah most bounty hunters aren’t going to stand a chance but the fact that it’s Obi-Wan and only Obi-Wan they go to is really dumb. I mean it’s not the end of the world because I think we’re supposed to think it’s a bad plan since Reva seems to be a cut off hands first ask questions later kind of person but the amount of hurdles that had to be jumped to make this happen is kinda dumb.

Second I’m really liking that this explores the Leia-Ben dynamic which is really underexplored, a lot of the EU stories about Obi-Wan’s time on Tatooine focus on how he formally met Luke but it is kind of neat that we get an idea of why Leia says Ben Kenobi’s name with such excitement in Episode IV, and the little girl that plays young Leia is decent enough and gives some of the royal sass you’d see from Leia in Episode IV but also having her and her ignorance be the cause of a lot of problems in the second half of Episode 2 is really frustrating, I guess you could say it’s Ben’s fault because he’s closed himself off so thoroughly that he doesn’t even properly explain the situation to her but I feel like there’s some things she could reasonably infer given she’s such a good judge of character that would make this misunderstanding much less frustrating.

And last this is kind of a me problem but Darth Vader was a hugely public figure in the Galaxy, the poster boy for the Empire, even if Obi-Wan had his head literally stuck in the sand for ten years he’d probably have heard of him, in the Dark Lord books he essentially sees Vader on the Imperial version of a press conference a few weeks after Episode III so it doesn’t make much sense for him to not know, I could forgive that but the thing that REALLY bugs me about is that Reva knows Darth Vader is Anakin, NO ONE is supposed to know that except for the Emperor and MAYBE Tarkin, Thrawn kind of figures it out but that’s after a lot of trial and error and blind speculation but it’s not something random Inquisitors should be shouting out especially since as far as Vader is concerned he isn’t Anakin anymore, it makes for a neat scene of getting Obi-Wan’s reaction to finding out but I feel like just hearing Vader’s name and connecting the dots would’ve been better without having to spill the galaxy’s biggest secret to spell it out for him, You might be able to argue she read Obi-Wan’s thoughts to hear that Vader was Anakin but that doesn’t seem to be what they’re going for and it’s really kind of frustrating in the last few minutes.

Other than that it’s neat to see Obi-Wan kind of Awkward Uncle his way through his interactions with Leia, struggle through his damaged connection to the Force and inner turmoil and Haja’s fake Jedi act did admittedly have me cracking up a bit, kind of the awkward Marvel Humor that’s in Star Wars now but still found it really funny how when he’s pretending to be a Jedi he’s basically Batman (his turn was a bit quick unless that turned out to be a trap but that’s nothing too terrible)

[solo-returned]

Name: Ben Solo

Alias: Kylo Ren

Age: 29

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Bisexual/questioning

Race: Human

Appearance: pale skin with several scars and freckles, strong angular features, brown eyes, big smile, full lips, long black hair, broad chest, tall and muscular build.

FC: Adam Driver

Personality: Complex, conflicted, a manipulator who’s been manipulated, angry, violent, volatile, sensitive, sarcastic, dry wit, can be compassionate but doesn’t like to admit it, desperately craves approval, vengeful, lonely, internally screaming more than half of the time, won’t speak honestly about his feelings because he’s afraid no one will listen.

Powers/Abilities: force sensitive, excellent lightsaber duelist, enhanced strength and agility, telepathic (to some extent, he has to concentrate really hard on one person and use the Force to enter their mind.), part of a Force Dyad (only if my partners are cool with it. This doesn’t automatically lead to sex/romance btw. I’d love to explore all kinds of relationship dynamics within the Force Dyad between him and Rey! I just think they’re neat. :3)

Flaws/Weaknesses: Hot tempered, easily manipulated (he’s not weak-minded, just vulnerable), mortal

Languages: Basic (English), Binary, Wookie, and probably several others

Style: Usually wears all black, whether he’s trying to be intimidating or comfortable.

Family: Leia Organa (mother), Han Solo (father, deceased), Luke Skywalker (uncle), Anakin Skywalker (grandfather, deceased), Padme Amidala (grandmother, deceased)

Backstory: (Follows The Force Awakens until the battle of Starkiller Base.)

That moment on the bridge was grueling. He knew what he had to do. His father could not survive if he was to finish his training and become a full Sith Lord. Kylo Ren was certain of it…but Ben Solo was not entirely eradicated, as he had claimed. Seeing his father again only salted the gaping wound in his darkened heart, fueling the conflict that had been building within him ever since he’d left the temple in ruins.

It got even worse when Han asked him to come home. Not because he didn’t want to, but because he did. Because for once, there was no judgment in his eyes or voice. It was an honest plea, a father calling out to his prodigal son. Ben almost broke right there. He would have, if not for Snoke worming his way into his student’s mind. Goading him. He knew what he had to do, and said as much, handing his lightsaber over to Han and quietly begging for help. When time came, however, to ignite the blade and snuff out his father’s light, he couldn’t. He just couldn’t.

He rationalized it by telling himself that he had a better plan than simply committing patricide. Go home. Play the part of the sad, broken boy who had seen the error of his ways and was seeking redemption. Become a prisoner, if he had to. Then, when the perfect opportunity presented itself, he would tear apart the resistance from within. Raze their base to the ground. Eliminate every single one of them.

He let go of the saber, leaving it fully in his father’s hands, and bowed his head as a mumbled, scattered apology fell from his lips. Of course his father wouldn’t strike him down, given the chance. Instead, he was roughly pulled into a tight hug and told that they didn’t have much time. The charges had been set. Before long, Starkiller Base would be no more. He let Han, Chewie, Rey, and the traitor- FN2187- Finn, as he liked to be called- escort him outside in a rush, only to be met with utter chaos. A firefight on the ground and a dogfight in the air made for treacherous passage back the Millennium Falcon, especially after the charges were detonated, opening up a massive hole for the Resistance X-Wings to shoot at. They almost made it.

Almost.

A couple of Stormtroopers caught them just a few yards away from the Falcon and opened fire, obviously thinking that Kylo Ren had somehow been captured. As always their aim was horrendous. Couldn’t hit the broad side of a moisture farm, much less an amateur Jedi and her cohorts, but they did manage to find one mark.

When Han Solo went down, everything felt like it stopped for a second that seemed eternal. It all restarted with a scream that blocked out all other sounds, and Kylo wasn’t sure if it was real or just in his head. He didn’t care. He’d chosen to spare his father, and the man had still ended up dying in his arms. He faded quickly, and when he was gone, Kylo saw red. He grabbed his saber from Han’s body and rushed into the fray, demolishing every trooper who dared to get too close. He could vaguely hear Chewie bellowing mournfully in the background; an odd comfort to know that he wasn’t the only one raging in his grief. Rey’s voice rang out, too, and Finn’s, shouting that they needed to go. The planet-weapon was imploding. Destroying itself from the inside. In many ways, he felt the same. He allowed Chewbacca to drag him aboard the Falcon, dazed and panting and trying desperately to push down the flood of emotions that he still had yet to process. His mind was in shambles. Fear, hatred, wrath, mourning, frustration, all aimed at everyone and everything, not just the Resistance. The massive loss of life as Starkiller folded in on itself rippled through the Force, only amplifying the raging storm within him. Another planet destroyed. How many did that make in total for the day? Five? Six? Seven? Did it matter? Yes. No, not when he’d lost the only chance at a relationship with his father. Not when he was stuck aboard this flying death trap with two people who hated him and the Wookie who had helped raise him. Not when he still had a mission that he was no longer sure he wanted to carry out.

Snoke was furious. He could feel it, though it was more projected directly into his mind than detected. Hux and Phasma were alive and furious as well, believing that he had betrayed them. He had, hadn’t he? Much like Luke’s Jedi temple, he’d left Starkiller base to ruin and run away. Again. The realization left a sour taste in his mouth. What was he going to do now? Carry out his plot to take down the Resistance? Join them and destroy the First Order? Both sounded appealing and abhorrent at the same time. He was being torn in two, still ripping apart at the seams when the Falcon landed, barely registering that he was being handcuffed and escorted off the ship. They didn’t trust him; he didn’t blame them.

[dalekofchaos]

Why Poe and Rose’s positions in TLJ should’ve been switched and why Finn and Poe NEEDED to be together

You know what would’ve made the whole Canto Bight sequence even better? If it had been Finn and Poe. 

Why? Here’s the problem with Rose. Finn, a CHILD SOLDIER doesn’t need explaining that war and slavery are bad.  You know who needed to understand the lesson that war and slavery are bad? POE! You know who could have taught him that and had a similar falling in love storyline? FINN!  

And honestly? Rose should’ve been the one who had the big confrontation with Holdo. 

If you read the novel TLJ:Cobalt Squadron. You will know it ends with Rose serving on Holdo's ship the Ninka. Now imagine this. Rose just lost her sister and Holdo is withholding information that is vital to the Resistance’s survival. Rose is kept in the dark and believes this will be the end of everything and doesn’t want Paige’s sacrifice to be in vain. So Rose covers Finn and Poe’s escape to Canto Bight and works with Connix and those loyal to Poe and leads a mutiny against Holdo. Remember. Holdo didn’t just leave Poe in the dark, she left THE ENTIRE RESISTANCE in the dark.  So Rose would lead the mutiny and Leia would awaken to stop her, only Leia would not stun her. Leia would talk Rose down, ya know, like Leia would actually do.

Imagine this. Instead of Canto Bight, we see Finn and Poe going to First Order labor camp to free the Master Codebreaker. On the journey, we see Finn telling Poe about his upbringing. About vivid memories of someone dying to keep him safe and being taken by The First Order.  We see Finn and Poe differ for their philosophies. Finn sees The First Order as monsters, but believes there is a chance that there could be more Stormtroopers like him to leave. Poe sees Stormtroopers all the same, but recognizes that Finn was the only one brave enough to say no. 

So Finn witnesses more children being taken by The First Order. Poe’s eyes are on freeing The Master Codebreaker and getting out, but sees an opening to destroying the entire camp while saving the Codebreaker. Finn refuses to let anymore children be taken to be made Stormtroopers and won’t allow Poe to kill the kids in the camp.  So Finn and Poe clash, Finn about saving the kids and suggesting not all Stormtroopers are the same and have the capability to leave, Poe believing all Stormtroopers are cogs in the machine and saving The Resistance is more important than saving a small group of kids and we finally get to see Finn confront Poe about killing his friend Slip. “Do you know why I finally had enough and left? The only friend I had in the Stormtrooper corps was killed on Jakku. Do you know who killed him? You did Poe. He marked me with his blood and then I realized...we’re firing on innocent civilians. We never had a choice. Everyone of us could run from The FIrst Order or even fight, but you don’t see it that way. It’s kill or be killed. This is why I wanted to run away, this isn’t my war, this war TOOK EVERYTHING from me” Poe feels remorse and is taken aback,  until Poe sees that everyone in the camp....they’re all children. He sees the children being forced to become Stormtroopers and The Master Codebreaker...is nonother than Lando Calrissian.

And finally Poe goes “okay new plan buddy, we’re gonna rescue everyone here and burn the place to the ground”

Having Finn and Poe being the ones on adventures gives us more depth to their relationship

We have Finn opening Poe’s eyes to the true atrocities of The First Order

Poe at first is stuck in his ways, but realize there is something more important than blowing up the bad guys

Finn’s character and past isn’t ignored and we don’t have someone talking down to him on why war and slavery are bad

Finn gets to confront Poe about Slip

This would prove Rian was wrong. There was potential to send Finn and Poe on an adventure that could challenge their relationship and help them grow as characters

While we still have a tense dynamic, we have a relationship that is based on love and understanding instead of constant bickering and tazing

We have gay representation in Star Wars

As for why Lando? Let’s look at Maz’s description for the Master Codebreaker "He's a master codebreaker, an ace pilot, a poet with a blaster." That sure does sound like fucking Lando to me. It still baffles me that they gave us a casino planet in TLJ but then chose to not include Lando in that setting although he was introduced as a gambler back in TESB. Lando informs them both that Lando got a tip that The First Order could track through hyperspace and was on the way to help The Resistance, but they captured him. And after saving the kids and taking them to safety, Finn, Poe and Lando are on their way to disabled the hyperspace tracker. We also get to see Lando and FInn both grieve for Han. So yes, Lando would be able to disable the Hyperspace tracker, but Phasma would catch them on their way to the escape pods. And Phasma’s death would be the deleted death scene and be the starting point for the Stormtrooper rebellion.

It would be Poe who would be the one trying to sacrifice himself. Poe has spent the entire film watching others die and give their lives and he’s never backed down and he’s learned that what this war has wrought on the galaxy.  But Finn saves him. I don’t think Finn would have the same speech. Maybe Finn could say this. "It isn't worth winning, if we lose ourselves in hate and can't save who we love." And then Finn kisses Poe. 

It's not worth fighting if Poe is going to die because Finn no longer cares the most about running away with Rey, Finn has fallen in love with Poe. This piece of knowledge gives an entirely different context to the scene, especially when you realize the dialogue was just poorly written to convey the intended message, "this war isn't worth winning without you" and ironically this theme is extremely prevalent when it comes to war. Most people aren't fighting for an ambiguous entity like The Republic or The Resistance, they're fighting for someone special. Han wasn't there for The Rebellion, he was there for Luke and Leia. Look at any war movie or talk to real-life soldiers, they've got picture of their wives, girlfriends or children that they carry with them, most of them are not fighting for their respective nation or what they believe in, but for who they love.