#but i like ominous hood luke

[phoenixkaptain]

Thinkin bout Cryptid Luke…

A few ideas I have…

Luke in Legends’ continuity rebuilt the Jedi Order, but in Disney’s continuity, he did not. And while I strongly dislike Disney’s version of Old Luke, I do like the idea in my head of a lone Jedi operating without any Order (which is not what Disney’s Luke is, so I guess there’s nothing really there…)

Like, in the days of the Old Republic, you had to ask the Jedi for help. The Jedi sometimes stumbled on problems, yes, but they mostly responded to cries for help.

Luke doesn’t have that option. Yes, he can respond when a Force Sensitive calls for help with magic rocks, but for the most part, he is just wandering. He is going where the Force guides him. He is just… not there, blink, there.

I like the idea that things go to shit, Luke shows up in his ominous black hood, Luke solves the problem, then Luke vanishes as quickly as he came, with no trace he was ever there.

However, side idea: Luke travels with his motley crew of children. But, THEY are ALSO crypids!

Like, you are a citizen of some planet. You are just standing on a corner, waiting for a space bus, looking at a space newspaper, and you glance up and see an ominously cloaked figure standing on the opposite side of the street. You cannot make out any features. It is dark out, and he is standing beneath a space streetlight, but all the light does is cast his face further into shadow.

Quickly, you look back down, hoping that the ominous shape across the street hasn’t noticed you. You feel a chill run down your spine. You sneak a glance back up, only to find that there is another black-cloaked figure, standing right beside the first. It is half the first’s height, but it’s also cloaked in darkness.

You look down again. You hear a noise, like moving fabric, and look back up, worried the pair is approaching, only to find another small, ominous shape has joined the first two beneath the space streetlight. You can’t bring yourself to look away, and so watch as another black-cloaked figure emerges from behind the tallest one, the first one.

Finally, the shape moves as though inclining its head. You feel your heart begin to race as it slowly turns to face you, and the streetlights finally illuminate a mouth. A mouth that is baring a smile full of sharp teeth, right towards you.

A space bus suddenly drives past, blocking your view for only a second. But, as the bus passes, the four shapes are gone. Vanished without a trace. The streetlight goes out. You decide that you should never smoke death sticks again, despite the fact that you have never smoked a single death stick in your entire life.

(Luke was going to the grocery store with his children. He was just trying to wait for them to catch up, since he got lost in thought trying to figure out how many vegetables to get. He noticed that the person across the street seemed scared, and so tried to smile reassuringly, but there was a noise in a back alley that he and his three students darted over to check out. It’s a cat. The four of them are very pleased.)

Or, I like to think that there’s a rumour that if you say “Skywalker” in an Imperial base, Luke Skywalker will show up and destroy the place. Most of the Stormtroopers and older people are like “psh, yeah right. Jedi can’t hear their name across the galaxy.”

But, slowly but surely, the whispers of Skywalker’s name are dying out. Because he. Keeps. On. Appearing. Right after anyone says his name, even if it’s in a whisper.

(Luke just so happened to be in the area. It was the will of the Force ¯\ _(ツ)_/¯ )

There are so many options for Cryptid Luke! So! Many! Options! This man does not know how to enter a conversation like a normal person, he just appears from the shadows and scares people. Most of the galaxy think he’s just a myth created by the New Republic and the Empire. The leftover Jedi themselves think that he’s just a myth made up by the New Republic and the Empire. Nobody believes he exists aside from the people who have seen him, but even they are half convinced that they made him up.

I just would like Luke to randomly show up, kill some Imperials, scare some other Imperials, adopt another child, then go home. It’s my ideal.

[101flavoursofweird]

For the Hurt/Comfort Dialogue prompts, maybe 8 or 25 (or both if you want to) for Laydore?

Thank you for the prompt! I don’t know how this became a rewrite of the LMJ anime, where Henry and Randall rescue Hershel and Luke earlier… but there you go. There are more Laydore moments later in the fic, I promise. I’m just incapable of writing a short AU.

Title: How to Save a Layton

Set: After the flashback scenes from the LMJ anime. I don’t entirely understand what happened with the Relic Stones plotline either but it doesn’t matter— Henry and Randall get there nine years earlier to rescue Layton and Luke from a cathedral cult. That’s all you need to know.

Spoilers: For Miracle Mask and the LMJ anime.

Inspiration: The song for Miracle Mask— How to Save a Life by the Fray.

Warnings: A swordfight and a little bit of blood but it’s not focussed on… and a cathedral, and hospitals… and Randall gets one swear, as treat.

“Hey! Are you… Randall Ascot? And Henry Ledore— from Monte d’Or?”

When the purple-haired woman recognised them, Randall almost preened himself. “That’s us!” Randall confirmed, flashing her a celebrity smile. “Can we help you with something, Miss…?”

Henry, saddled with their bags from the ship, was not so sociable.

He frowned as the young woman faltered at Randall’s query. Had she really forgotten her own name?Amnesia was not an impossible scenario, of course, but he and Randall had to be cautious.

If anything happened to Randall… 

Mrs. Ascot might never recover. She couldn’t mourn Randall a second time. 

Angela’s heart would be irreparably broken. She couldn’t lose another loved one.

Alfendi and Katrielle would grow up not just without their father, but without their favourite uncle.

Henry would not let that happen.

He stared at the woman. She looked to be in her mid-twenties, but something about her seemed older. Her dark blue eyes were shaded, and her hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail— for work, perhaps…

But what kind of work required an ominous  purple robe with a hood? It was a little early for Halloween costumes… 

In Monte d’Or, the performers dressed up all year round for the parade, but there was no sign of such festivities here in Southampton.

Or, maybe Henry was just being cynical.

He had thought he was getting better— learning to trust others— in the years following Randall’s return… until Hershel went and Luke went missing.

Hershel had never been the most forthcoming person (much like Henry), but there was no way he would purposefully cut all contact with his family for two years.

Even after what happened in Stansbury, Hershel had still responded to Angela’s letter about the Masked Gentleman, rushing to Monte d’Or to help her. 

For their latest investigation, Hershel and Luke had been collecting these Relic stones (Azran relics, Randall insisted), which had eventually led them to the Lestagiana Cave.

Henry and Randall had scoured said-cave from top to bottom. They had prepared themselves for the worst, but mercifully they hadn’t found any bodies. (Henry would have felt it in his bones if they weredead.)

No— Hershel and Luke must have left the cave, freely or otherwise. The pair hadn’t informed anyone of their next destination.

Their case had gone cold… until Flora uncovered a new clue at the British Library— pointing to a cathedral in Southampton.

Faster than you could say, ‘No risk, no glory!’, Henry and Randall had caught a ship to the city. 

At the dock, they had been approached by the Mysterious Woman, and she had dragged them behind some wooden crates.

“I’m— Marina,” she finally answered, in a whisper. She paused for a moment, as if she was expecting some reaction from them.

“Right….” Randall nodded uncertainly. “Nice to meet you, Mari—“

“Shhhh!” Marina hissed, sweat beading on her face. She seemed to shrink in on herself, the robe pooling around her like purple sludge.

She poked her head out from behind the crates, glancing around the dock, before she looked back at them desperately. “Do you have any idea who I am?”

“I have the worst memory,” Randall said sheepishly.

Henry didn’t have that excuse. He peered at Marina again, trying to pinpoint if he had ever seen her face. 

Something about her was familiar… 

Marina took another check around the dock, before she drew in a breath, straightened up and revealed softly, “I’m Luke’s wife. I was—“

“Really?” Randall hummed. “Hershel never mentioned Luke got hitched… Why weren’t we invited to the wedding?”

“I don’t know…” Marina huffed. “Maybe ‘cause you hung Luke off a high wire when he was twelve?”

“I beg your pardon?” Randall gasped, highly offended.

The jab had worked in Marina’s favour, though. Only a select few knew about Randall’s identity as the Masked Gentleman— Henry had made sure of it.

Henry gripped Randall’s arm. “I think she’s telling the truth,” Henry murmured. “Let’s hear what she has to say at the very least.”

Marina smiled at him with palpable relief. “Thank you!”

-

Marina Triton claimed that, two years ago, she had been captured by what was practically a cult in the local cathedral.

Hershel and Luke had surrendered to the cult in exchange for her life. Since then, both had been trapped beneath the cathedral, 

Somehow, Marina had escaped, but she was currently at a sort of stalemate with the cult. She hadn’t gone to the police— who could very well be in cahoots with the cult— for fear they would kill Hershel and Luke.

“But now you’re here,” she told Henry and Randall, “and we can save them!” 

Her story still raised several doubts:

How had she escaped? Were the cult members really so incompetent— or so unconcerned— that they would let her run around town? 

Why hadn’t Marina attempted to reach out for help before now?

Henry couldn’t blindly trust her, but he wanted to believe her. That something he found so familiar was a resemblance to himself, he realised. 

Luke and Hershel had set out to investigate an Azran relic and never returned. Marina was searching— fighting— ceaselessly for a way to bring them home, when the odds seemed stacked against her.

Then, Henry and Randall had come along, providing the opportunity she needed. Rather than shun them (as Henry had done to Hershel), Marina had extended her hand to them. 

With no other leads, they agreed to accompany her… but not unarmed.

“I… I can’t use a sword,” Marina stammered as Randall passed her a spare épée. 

“Maybe not, but you could still stab people,” Randall said brightly. “And if you are planning to double cross us at any point, don’t bother trying to stab me— Henry’s always got my back.”

In truth, Henry probably wasn’t much better than Marina. He and Angela had taken fencing lessons, at Randall’s behest, but Angela had picked it up faster than Henry.

Henry wasn’t sure if he could intentionally attack someone with a blade… but he would defend Randall until his dying breath, and he would do whatever he could for Hershel and Luke.

Marina agreed, hid the sword in her robe, and stared leading them to Cranscoll Cathedral.

The road to the cathedral was well worn and the surrounding land was barren.

As they walked, Randall wondered if they should disguise themselves at farmers, but Marina said there was no point— the cult most likely knew they were coming.

“How are we going to free Hershel and Luke from right under their noses?” Henry asked in a low voice.

“Between the three of us, we’ll be unstoppable,” Randall boasted loudly, “as long as no one betrays us!”

Marina frowned at him. Randall winked.

At the end of the road, Cranscoll Cathedral loomed before them. Its towers and steeples seemed to hold up the grey sky.

The cathedral was nowhere near as large or as sprawling as the Akbadain ruins… but still. Where would they supposed to start searching for Hershel and Luke? 

Marina snuck them through the front building (the ‘façade’, she called it) and through a courtyard with a garden, enclosed by stone walls on all four sides. 

Henry frowned; if they needed to flee and the entrance was cut off, they would be in trouble.

Henry would willingly give Randall and Marina a boost over the wall, but he knew Randall wouldn’t abandon him…

While Henry steeped in worry, Randall was more fascinated by the fountain in the centre of the courtyard. He had dropped his épée and knelt down to investigate. Henry guarded him from behind.

“W-what are you doing?” Marina sputtered as Randall poked at a brick at the base of the fountain.

“Looks like old Hersh left us a puzzle,” Randall chuckled. He pointed down at the stone tiles.

Henry’s eyes widened as he noticed; there were grooves between the tiles, rather like in the mummy chambers of Akbadain. 

Hershel couldn’t have predicted Randall would be the one to rescue him, could he? 

It wasn’t that they had drifted apart, but Hershel had definitely become… busier since he adopted Katrielle, on top of Alfendi.

The trip from London to Monte d’Or was at least six hours, and there were other people Hershel could depend on— Flora, Emmy, his brother…

“This might buy us some time if we’re cornered,” Randall breathed. He pulled the brick away and picked his sword up as a stream of water shot out. 

Henry and Marina followed him as he sprinted to the end of the courtyard. By that point, the water had filled all of the grooves. Titling his head, Henry realised that they had formed the outline of a top hat.

No doubt about it— Hershel really was here!

Water kept flooding the courtyard. Hopefully, that would impede anyone behind them.

“Come on!” Randall cried. He stormed up to the inner-cathedral and kicked open the doors. Henry and Marina ran after him.

Inside were chandeliers, rows of pews, and  a golden alter… where an old priest in flowing white robes awaited them.

“We’re here for Professor Layton and Luke Triton,” Randall demanded without preamble. Henry cringed. (He would have opened with a little more tact!) 

“I’m terribly sorry,” the priest said, twiddling his thumbs, “but I’m not sure who—“

“Bullshit.” Randall aimed his sword in the man’s direction. “Release them, right now, or I’ll rip this place apart.”

The priests’s face darkened. “We still have need of the professor and his assistant,” he said slowly. “But you three will become mulch for the garden—“

“You mean the swimming pool outside?” Randall quipped.

The priest barked, “Get them!”

Two… four… six cult members— each wielding swords of their own— suddenly appeared. Henry raised his sword. He stood back to back with Randall and Marina as they were surrounded. 

“W-Wait!” Marina cried, throwing her empty hands up. “I brought them here, so you could— coulddispose of them—!”

“Saw this coming,” Randall muttered.

“P-please— I don’t want to die!” Marina sobbed, shaking like a leaf. Henry scowled at her.

Some of the cult members glanced at each other. One— who sounded like a young man— called, “Sir? We could keep her around— she’s good at cleaning!” 

“We’ll need someone to fix the garden,” another grumbled.

“Very well,” the priest agreed impatiently. He flicked his hand at Marina. “Get out. Start working on that garden.”

“Y-yes, Sir!” Marina gasped. “Thank you!”

Two of the cult members stepped aside, allowing her to escape. Marina bolted out of the building without a backwards glance at Henry and Randall.

Randall clicked his tongue and shook his head. He addressed the priest again. “Did you brainwash these people or something?”

“We are all here to serve a noble cause,” the priest stated, “except for you—“

“What cause would that be, exactly?” Randall asked, mimicking the priest’s lofty tone of voice. Henry couldn’t help smiling. 

The priest snarled, “That’s none of your concern—“

“It is when it concerns Azran relics,” Randall bragged, buying them time. “I happen to be one of the world’s leading experts! Who do you think discovered the treasure of Akbadain?”

“Wasn’t that Hershel Layton?” one cult member pointed out. 

“No, it was me!” Randall insisted.

Technically, Hershel was the first, Henry thought. And I was responsible for removing the treasure…

The priest snapped, “I don’t give a damn—!”

“Blasphemy!” Randall gasped. 

“Just kill them already!”

At the priest’s command, the cultists surged at Randall and Henry with their swords.

Randall parried three of them with ease. Henry had a harder time; he countered one attacker, but had to dodge another two. He grunted with pain as a sword grazed his lower leg.

“Watch out, Henry!” Randall called. Randall spun around and they traded opponents. One cultist screamed as Randall slashed his chest.

Henry winced. He could feel his leg bleeding, but he stood his ground, keeping the cultists at bay. 

He didn’t know how long they could keep this up… 

There was a startled yell from the alter. “S-stop!” the priest said in a strangled voice.

The cult members froze. Randall lunged towards the three closest to him. They leapt back, letting go of their swords. The trio nearest Henry did the same.

Henry and Randall grabbed all of the swords, before turning to the alter. 

Marina had crept back in, perhaps through a side entrance. Currently, she had her own sword pressed against the priest’s neck.

He spluttered to his minions, “Don’t just stand there—“

“T-take us to Luke and the professor!” Marina ordered.

Randall looked around at the cult members. “You heard her, lads!”

They had done it… 

Henry sighed with relief and swayed on the spot.

“Whoa— Henry! Don’t die on us now!”

“It’s just a scratch, Randall…” 

Marina kept restraining the priest as the cultists unearthed a secret staircase in front of the alter.

Randall— being the strongest— then traded places with Marina. He dragged the priest down the stairs at sword-point. Marina and Henry went after them.

Hidden below the cathedral was what Henry could only describe as a tomb. 

By all outward appearances, the tomb appeared primitive, but within… there was technology that far surpassed human imagination.

Glowing blue veins (very Azran-y) lined the walls and the floor. There where two pods at either end of the tomb…

And inside the pods were two figures, seemingly alive but frozen in sleep. 

“We’ve found them,” Randall choked out. 

-

After forcing the priest to open the pods, they contacted the police and the paramedics.

The cultists were all arrested, while their comatose friends were rushed to the nearest hospital.

Henry, Randall and Marina also rode in the ambulance. One of the paramedics bandaged Henry’s injured leg.

He and the other two refused to leave Hershel and Lukes’ sides— right up until they reached their hospital rooms.

Marina went with Luke. Henry and Randall went with Hershel.

As Randall tried to explain to the doctors what on Earth Hershel had been through, Henry sat at Hershel’s bedside.

A nurse had removed Hershel’s top hat and placed it on a small table next to the bed.

In all these years, Henry had never seen the adult Hershel without his hat. (Randall had come close to stealing the hat on several occasions, but Hershel was always too quick for him.)

Obviously, Hershel treasured this hat, just like Angela with her necklace and Henry with his toy robot.

Where had the hat come from? Henry had never thought to ask, and now he might never get the chance. 

Henry watched Hershel like a hawk as the heart monitor slowly beeped in the background. It proved Hershel was alive, but Henry still couldn’t hear or see him breathing. 

Hershel was as still as the statues left by one of the Masked Gentleman’s dark miracles. 

Henry glanced up as Randall re-joined them.

“The doctors have never seen anything like… this….” Randall gestured to Hershel. “Azran cryogenics…? Hershel said they found the Azran emissary frozen in ice years ago, but she was… different.” Randall shook his head with frustration. “Argh! Who knows what kind of— of lasting effects that technology could have on humans!”

“I know it’s frightening,” Henry murmured, “but at least they’re here now.”

“You’re right…” Randall sighed. “Sorry— I’m just— not used to this… this…”

“Waiting?” Henry supplied, with the ghost of a smile. 

Randall nodded. The two of them were quiet for a few moments, observing Hershel.

When the silence became too much, Randall declared, “I should… go call Hershel’s kids— and Angela. She’s probably worried sick! And Luke’s parents— Marina probably knows their number, right?”

Henry shrugged. “Probably?”

“Let me know immediately if Hersh wakes up, okay?” Randall said. 

Randall grabbed Hershel’s hand from under the bed covers. “Do you hear me, Hershel Layton? I want to know as soon as you wake up!” He squeezed Hershel’s hand before he tore out of the room to find a telephone.

Henry sighed. Angela would be overjoyed to learn of the rescue, but doubtless, she would have a lecture for Randall about the risks they had taken. (It was worth it, for Hershel and Luke.)

The Layton family would rush to the hospital as soon as they heard the news. It would still be upsetting, seeing Hershel and Luke in this state… 

Flora and Alfendi could handle it, but maybe they shouldn’t let Kat in this room until Hershel showed signs of recovery—?

The beeping increased slightly. Henry’s eyes widened as he heard a faint breath.

“Luke…?” Hershel mumbled. He had been lying on his back, but he turned over in bed. He blinked his eyes open. 

Squinting at Henry, he struggled to sit up. “Henry—?”

“Hershel!” Henry cried, beaming like a fool. He didn’t hug Hershel, as Randall would have done, but he settled for grasping Hershel’s shoulder. “Luke is safe— you’re both safe now, I promise!”

“What happened?” Hershel croaked. “How… long has it been?”

“You’ve been missing for two years,” Henry revealed gently. 

“What about Kat? Alfendi and Flora? How are they?”

“They’re all fine. They’re still in London, but they’ll be here soon. Randall went to call them.”

“Thank you…” Hershel breathed. He lifted his hand to his bare head. “Ah…”

“Your hat!” Henry stumbled to the beside table. 

“Your leg…” Hershel pointed at Henry’s bandages. 

“It’s nothing— here!” Henry handed him the hat.

“Thanks!” Hershel repeated, with newfound energy. He returned the hat to his head. (All at once, everything felt right with the world again.)

“I’m going to ask you how you are now,” Henry said, reassuming his seat, “and I would like you to answer me honestly, please.”

“Honestly?” Hershel sighed. “This all feels like déjà vu…”

“Tell me about it…” Henry chuckled. “I’m just glad you weren’t missing for eighteen years!”

Hershel smiled at him, though he looked uncertain. “I did wonder… if you would find us— you and Randall, I mean.”

“We…” Henry hesitated, swallowing. “I owed you that much, after everything you’ve done for us.” He gave Hershel’s shoulder an awkward pat— an apology, an acknowledgement, and affection, all rolled into one.

Henry sighed. “I’m only sorry we didn’t get there sooner—“

The hospital door flew open. “Hen!” Randall hollered. “Henry— Luke’s awake!” 

When he saw Hershel, Randall froze. 

A frantic Luke Triton shoved past him. “Professor…!”

“Hey—“ Randall protested. “Get in line, Luke!”

Marina appeared in the doorway. She giggled as Randall and Luke threw themselves at Hershel’s bed. 

Henry was content to hover at the side of the bed, until Randall pulled him into the hug too.

“Please,” Henry wheezed, as his face was squashed into the crook of Hershel’s neck. “No more disappearances from now on?”

Hershel huffed out a laugh. “Agreed!”  

[my-shields-are-down]

Chenford + you got it stuck where 🤣

“Hello? Who is this? Tim? Are you butt dialing me again?”

Lucy pulled her phone away from her ear and looked at it then put it back on her ear and tried again. “Tim? Are you there ? Hello?” She left the bull pen and listened. All she heard was a familiar thudding and what sounded like scraping - metal on plastic or metal on wood or plastic on concrete. Like the thudding it sounds familiar, but she can’t make it out. She hits the record button thinking she might need some help figuring out what’s going on. Then the phone dies.

Lucy wanders over to Angela and Nyla and asks Angela if she has Tim locked into her Find my Phone app on her iPhone. Angela grabs her personal cell and checks - Tim’s phone at least is at home. Lucy thinks, well it just called there so Tim is likely there as well. She plays the recording for the detectives who both agree the sound is familiar but they can’t place it - but they don’t think it’s ominous.

She tells Angela she’s going to Tim’s house to find out what’s going on….she’ll radio back if she needs help.

When Lucy gets to Tim’s house, she sees his truck in the driveway. She feels the hood and it’s cool. Ok. She enters the house. The lights are out, but the place is well lit from the afternoon sun. Lucy sees his keys and money clip on the counter and a beer - which is no longer ice cold, but luke warm. There’s a puddle of condensation pooling on the counter. So whatever happened, happened a bit ago.

Lucy draws her weapon and calls out, “Tim? Are you here? “. She listens and hears “Lucy? I’m in the bedroom! I can’t move, but I am ok. There’s no one else here.” Lucy holsters her weapon and walks back to Tim’s bedroom, but doesn’t see him. “Tim! I don’t see you!”

“Um, Lucy, I’m in the closet by the washer/dryer. I’m stuck.” Lucy wasn’t sure what she was expecting, but it wasn’t Tim sitting on the floor, facing away from the door with his left hand stuffed down inside the dryer. Lucy smirks and takes a picture which she sends to Angela and Nya before asking, “what happened here?”

He can’t help it, he’s blushing. He’s wanted to get her in his bedroom for months (well at least in the fantasy land in his head), but not when he’s wearing only a jock strap and his hand is stuck and probably bleeding in the dryer. He sighs and says, I got home and went for a run. (Points to his discarded clothing in a pile). When I got back I was calling you to meet up for dinner and I dropped my phone while I was loading the dryer. It bounced off the door and fell into the lint trap I forget to replace. So no drunk dial, thank you. But the call went through and I was yelling at you while I tried to slide my hand in and unwedge the blasted thing. But I dropped it and my ring got caught.”

“Can you stop staring and give me some shorts at least?”

Lucy grabbed some sweat shorts for him to shimmy into and called Angela and put her on speaker. “Found him groping the lint trap of his dryer. The sound on that call was Tim stomping his foot while losing his grasp of the phone as it sank deeper into the trap.”

Angela busted up laughing and said, “Tim! You got it stuck where?”

—————-

[goddessofmischief]

And I Didn’t Like the Ending, Part 2 (Din Djarin x Reader) Angst

You’ve never tell them anything.

...Not that they had asked you.

Instead, a squad of troopers would storm in every once-in-awhile, holding syringes, and a large, medical looking machine. They’d hook you up to it, and slowly, you could feel your power being drained.

But you didn’t care about that. They could kill you, if they wanted. All you had to know was that the Child was safe.

That Din was safe.

Part of you thought he was. You knew he was with Fennec and the others, you could feel him. But you also knew he was in danger. That he was putting himself in danger.

For you. But not only for you, of course. No, you were only the Child’s caretaker, their Jedi master. The one who Ahsoka had said could not train him, because he loved you too damn much, looked on you and Din as parents.

Well. You kinda knew where he’d gotten that idea.

“Jedi Master,” said Gideon, storming into your cell, cape swishing ominously behind him. “I’m honored.” “You know I’m not a Master, Gideon. I just have the midichlorians. No training.”

“But powerful, all the same.” At this point, you want to say something. You want to say something dumb, like ‘You’ll never get away with this!’ or ‘the Mandalorian’s coming back for us.’ But you couldn’t make yourself say any of these things. For one, they were terribly trite, and for another, you weren’t sure they were true.

He might get away with it. The Mandalorian might not come back for you. That was a reality you were going to have to learn to accept.

“You’ve gotten what you wanted,” you said, leaning against the wall of your cell, exhausted. “You’ve got my blood, for whatever reason. Kid’s too, probably. Why don’t you just let us go?”

“Oh, you know I can’t do that.” “Why?” He shrugs.

“The Jedi have been in this galaxy for far too long,” Gideon states. “We’re going to be the ones to wipe them out.” “So you’re going to kill me, then?” “Eventually. When we’re finished.” You hadn’t lost hope before. You did now.

...

He was here.

He was here, and he was not only alive, no - he was well. He was healthy, and at this moment, so much stronger than you. You could barely breathe, much less think of using your powers.

You felt others, too - Cara. Fennec. Boba, for a moment, but then he had left. And... Bo-Katan? Yes. Her too.

Gideon burst through the door again, holding a gag.

“Really?” “The Mandalorian is coming, as you may have guessed. It will be most inconvenient for me if he does find you. At least... before he finds the dark troopers.”

You struggled to breathe through the gag, and Gideon swept away, leaving you in the darkness.

Din, you whispered, through the Force. Din, I’m here-

You could feel him, which made it worse. He was in pain.

He was suffering.

He had to know you were alive. He had to.

Din, it’s me-

Din, come on, keep fighting-

Din!

Cyar’ika?

Finally. A voice not your own. A voice painfully and beautifully familiar, that aches with a familiar ache.

I’m here.

He’s got the kid, you realize, and suddenly you see a shadow cross the door of your cell. It opens.

It’s him.

But not only him, no - he’s got Gideon as well, dragging him against the floor, and the Child carefully cradled in the other arm. And he holds the darksaber, just as you had known that he would.

“Din!” you try to shout, aloud. He kneels in front of you, carefully undying the gag.

“Din,” you whisper, and his glove brushes up against your cheek.

“I’m here, cya’rika.” “I knew you would be,” you lied, and he helped you up as you attempted to keep your knees steady.

“What did they do?”

“Took blood. That’s all.”

He seems relieved, but you don’t miss the withering glance he gives Gideon.

Oh, he’s in for it.

“Yes,” says Din, and you realize you forgot to stop projecting your thoughts to him. “Yes, he is.”

You give a half-hearted chuckle, and he helps you down the corridor and to the bridge, Gideon dragged behind you.

“Y/N!” Cara shouts, sounding relieved. “You’re - oh.”

She sees the darksaber. Everyone does.

“What happened?” asks Bo.

“He brought him in alive, that’s what happened,” states Cara, proudly. “And now the New Republic’s gonna have to double the payment.”

“That’s not what she’s talking about.” Everyone turns to Gideon.

“Why don’t you kill him now and take it?” He’s talking to Bo.

“It’s yours now.” “What is?” Din asks, sounding, frankly, a unique combination of terrified and exhausted.

“The Darksaber. It belongs to you.”

Din attempts to hand it to Bo. “Now, it belongs to her.” “She can’t take it. It must be won in battle. In order for her to wield the Darksaber again...she would need to defeat you in combat.’

“I yield. It’s yours.” “Oh, no,” chuckles Gideon. “It doesn’t work that way. The Darksaber doesn’t have power. The story does. Without that blade, she's a pretender to the throne.”

“He’s right.” “Come on, just take it,” insists Din, and you wish she would. Luckily, an alarm goes off... to the relief of almost all of you.

“The ray shields have been breached,” says Fennec. “We’re being boarded.”

“How many life forms?” “None.” “You’re about to face off with the dark troopers,” Gideon teases. “You had your hands full with one. Let’s see how you do against a platoon.” You start to push away from Din, but he holds tightly on to you.

“Cya’rika, what are you-” “I have to fight,” you insist, making a feeble attempt at escape. “’M the only one who can use the Force, it’s got to be me.” “No. You’re too weak right now.” “Seal the blast doors!” Bo shouts.

“I can do it, Din, let me-”

“They’re here,” states Koska, and you hear the door being beaten in.

Gideon smirks.

“You have an impressive fire team protecting you,” Gideon begins, “But I think we all know, after a valiant stand... everyone in this room will be dead-” Din clutches on to you a little tighter.

“But me. And them. And the Child.” “Never,” you seethe, and your knees threaten to buckle again.

But suddenly, the pounding ceases. And you don’t know why. You can only feel something... a familiar presence, like a warm blanket. Like Ahsoka, but also... not.

“Why did they stop?” asks Koska. No one seems to know. But you see a hooded man on the monitor, and you do. It’s one of yours. It’s a Jedi.

It’s Luke Skywalker.

Grogu watches, enraptured, and you let out a exhausted chuckle.

“That's right, buddy,” you say. “That’s Luke. He’s... he’s one of us. He’s a friend.”

And the most powerful Jedi you’ve ever met. Well, except for Ahsoka... the only Jedi you’ve ever met. The one who convinced you in the first place that you had powers, which you’d never realized before. It had been a chance meeting, brief... but it had left its own indelible mark on you, all the same.

“Open the doors,” states the Mandalorian. “I said, open the doors.” “Are you crazy?” Din looks at you, and wordlessly, opens them himself, just as Luke pulls down his hood. “Are you a Jedi?” asks Din. “I am,” answers Luke. He smiles at you, then turns his attention to Grogu. “Come, little one.”

“He doesn’t want to go with you,” Din insists. “He wants your permission. He is strong with the Force - but talent without training is nothing.”

Luke looks at you as he says this, and you can’t help but feel slightly offended.

“I will give my life to protect the Child. But he will not be safe until he masters his abilities.”

Din picks the Child up again, and begins to speak to him, quietly.

“Hey, go on. That’s who you belong with. He’s one of your kind. I’ll... see you again. I promise.” “No,” you speak out, mustering all your strength. “No. I will train him.” Luke looks at you with a measure of pity.

“You can't,” he said. “You are untrained yourself. And... he is attached to you.”

He says it like it’s a bad thing.

“Then train me,” you insist. “Train me. Let me come with him.” Din looks at you, and you can hear his thoughts, loudly.

They go why?

They wouldn’t really, would they?

And on. And on.

“No,” Din whispers, hoarsely, and the Child seems to tell that he’s hurting. He reaches up for his mask, and Din does something that you never would have guessed -

He takes the helmet off.

You can see the ache in his eyes. His big, brown eyes.

He’s crying. He cries for you, for the child.

He cries for his family.

“Don’t be afraid,” he whispers, not only to Grogu, but to you. After he sets the child down, he turns to you - and you recognize it as your turn.

Your turn to say goodbye.

“He really needs you,” Din said, his voice small and vulnerable. “...Right? You wouldn’t leave m- go, if there was any other way.” You nod, feeling a lump in your throat.

“I have to.”

“You have to.” You try to walk towards Luke, but your feet keep you planted there, and, unable to stop, you fling yourself into Din’s arms, and he holds you tightly as you sob into his shoulder.

“Sh, cya’rika-” and he begins to hum an old Alderaanian lullaby you taught him-

Mirrorbright, shines the moon,

Its glow as soft as an ember

When the moon is mirrorbright, take this time to remember

Those you have loved, but are gone

Those who kept you so safe and warm

Those you loved are with you still

The moon will help you remember He sets you down, then, much like the Child, and you kiss him. You put your whole self into it... and it’s painful, so painful, not like your kisses before.

“I’ll see you again,” you promise. “I swear.”

Luke nods at you, picking up the Child, and you lean on his other arm for support. You don’t miss Din’s heartbroken, slightly jealous expression.

“May the Force be with you,” Luke utters, and before you shut the link off to Din’s mind, you hear one, last thought -

What the hell do I need the Force for if I don’t have them?

[nevermindirah]

Star Wars Characters and how they make their coffee: a thread

I stole this from someone on Facebook who stole this from people on Twitter

Obi Wan makes French press coffee and gently uses just the weight of his hand to lower the filter, so that the sediment isn't overly disturbed and the acidity is controlled.

Images: Obi Wan from Revenge of the Sith with his long hair and beard and Jedi robes, stock photo of a French press

Tweet 4/28/20 by @ViWiWrites

Kylo Ren uses an Aeropress because like, come on, just LOOK AT IT

Images: Kylo in his Rise of Skywalker repaired mask and black hood getup, stock photo of an Aeropress with mostly black parts and red detailing

Tweet 4/28/20 by @ViWiWrites

Rey only drinks gas station coffee with hazelnut creamer and she does not understand why everyone is all up in arms about it

Images: Rey in her Last Jedi white robes, stock photo of a nondescript paper to-go cup of coffee

Tweet by @ViWiWrites

Poe Dameron uses a Chemex. He has broken four of them this year alone but refuses to switch methods because he likes coffee preparation methods that wear a little scarf

Images: Poe Dameron smiling into the distance while wearing a scarf in Rise of Skywalker, stock photo of a Chemex full of steaming coffee

Tweet 4/28/20 by @ViWiWrites

Rose Tiko uses a Moka pot because it's so cute, and she can carry it around in her rucksack moving from camp to camp.

Images: Rose looking seriously at Rey in Rise of Skywalker, stock photo of a bold pink Moka pot with a little gnome-type creature printed on it

Tweet 4/28/20 by @ViWiWrites

Vader likes it when things coordinate.

Images: Vader posing ominously in his whole getup in A New Hope, stock photo of a black 12-cup drip coffee maker

Tweet 4/28/20 by @ViWiWrites

Padme uses a Japanese cold brew coffee system that her mother gave her because it's as much art as it is a method of preparation.

Images: Padme in a fancy dress and hair decorations getup from her lazing around Naboo with Anakin scenes in Attack of the Clones, stock photo of a Japanese cold brew coffee system that is in fact as much art as preparation method

Tweet by @ViWiWrites

Armitage Hux thinks coffee is for the weak. He leaves his tea bags in the entire time he's drinking it so that it gets all bitter and full of tannins.

Images: Hux in his black First Order getup, stock photo of a black tea mug with a wooden handle and wooden lid

Tweet 4/28/20 by @ViWiWrites

BB8 just cuts to the chase

Images: BB8 on a white background, stock photo of a white-and-orange bottle of caffeine pills

Tweet by @ViWiWrites

Finn has a keurig because Jesus Christ not every thing has to be a beautiful tea ceremony in the morning for crying out loud he just wants a nice cup of coffee to go thank you very much

Images: Finn looking heroically off into the distance in his Rise of Skywalker leather jacket and blue pants, stock photo of a keurig machine pouring steaming coffee into a mug

Tweet by @ViWiWrites

Han Solo makes cold brew concentrate in a 5 gallon jug and he does NOT dilute it

Images: Han Solo pointing his blaster off camera in A New Hope, stock photo of a 5-gallon jug of cold brew surrounded by 4 stacks of disposable cups because this tureen is meant to serve dozens of people Han

Tweet by @ViWiWrites

Luke makes matcha tea with the whisk and everything.

Images: Luke being all serious and bearded at the end of The Force Awakens, stock photo of a small bowl of matcha powder being whisked with the special matcha whisk

Tweet by @ViWiWrites

R2D2 shows up ten minutes late with the iced latte that is the reason he's late and he doesn't even try and hide it

Images: R2 on a white background, stock photo of a Starbucks iced latte

Tweet 4/28/20 by @ViWiWrites with a different screenshot format because the person on Facebook I stole this from didn’t include Leia??

Leia Organa is fueled entirely by a passion for global democracy and needs no additional stimulants

Image: Leia Organa looking regal AF in her General outfit in The Last Jedi

Tweet by @_eevans replying to @ViWiWrites

Yoda makes very strong Turkish coffee over his campfire in a copper pot and drinks it out of a tiny cup - but it's half bourbon because "his medicine grandpa needs".

Images: Yoda looking like a grandpa who needs his medicine in Empire Strikes Back, stock photo of someone pouring Turkish coffee from a tiny copper pot into a tiny teacup

Tweet by @ItsShaZam replying to @ViWiWrites

No text, just images: Jar Jar Binks in his Coruscant getup in Revenge of the Sith (or possibly Attack of the Clones?), stock image of a case of Java Monster "mean bean" coffee energy drink

[damn-stark]

Broken Revenge Ch.1

A/N- I feel insecure about starting this series, mainly because lately my chapters haven’t gotten the same notes as before but it’s okay, I’ll continue to write because I simply love it, so don’t forget to Leave your thoughts!!

Warning- violence, swearing, angst, talks of death, long chapter.

Pairing- Poe Dameron x Solo!reader

Takes place during- the ending of TLJ

(Let me know if you want to be tagged)

———

“Leave here with me, come home. We miss you.”

It had all happened suddenly. A cold feeling that followed with confliction. Time had seized to exist and the once peaceful scenery became nothing but a dark and ominous space. Familiar voices echoing loudly and without a pause, pain heard behind each word.

“I’m being torn apart. I want to be free of this pain. I know what I have to do, but I don’t know if I have the strength to do it. Will you help me?”

Everything was confusing until the voices became recognizable. Their was a moment where it seemed like a dream, but dreams have never been so vivid before, no, this was real.

“Of course anything.”

Their was a moment of silence and wait that increased every emotion tenfold. A moment that was suddenly cut off by the violent sound of the lightsaber impaling...your father. And in a brief singular moment the face of the killer flashed through the dark space, the red blade basked his face in a terrifying way, revealing the killer, reminding you of something someone had once told you long ago.

Betrayal never came from enemies, but from those closet to your heart. You never believed it was true. Until now. When you saw the face of the man that you once called brother.

The pain became to overbearing, it hurt every part of your body and broke every inch of your heart. You didn’t know if you wanted to cry out, or scream and kick. All you did was fall to your knees, hitting the ground with a loud thud. It was moments like these where you wished you had someone else at your side to comfort your pain. But their was no one. You were utterly alone.

Suffering through the pain of losing your father alone, trying to digest the truth that your brother, or rather step brother, or correction...Kylo Ren had been the one that killed him. It was a truth you didn’t want to accept, but needed to. He had killed your father. The man that adopted you and took you and raised you like one of his own, the man that loved you when your own parents didn’t. The man that regardless of what you did, regardless of what happened last loved you.

Now. He was gone. And you weren’t there to save him. No one could. The only thing you could do, the only thing that came to mind was to revenge his death. As cruel as that sounded, it was just something you needed to do, who cared who the killer used to be. And you knew you weren’t the only one who thought that, you weren’t the only one mourning his death. All you needed to do was reunite with them. After years of not doing so, it was finally time.

—

The door to the crowded cantina slid open, the cloak on your back flipping against the hot wind, the shadow of your figure painted on the dirty floor. Every other pair of eyes watching as you took off your hood and revealed your face to everyone inside, curious eyes watching as you slowly walked in, striding along like you owned the damn place, eyeing every person in the room.

“Death stick?”

Without looking at the stranger you waved them off and continued forward, trying to locate the familiar voice of the person you were looking for. The one person you knew was going to be here—he was a scoundrel after all, like every person in the Cantina.

Upon looking, your search was looking to be in vain as you didn’t spot him anywhere around. You looked to crowded booths, towards the small buzzing stage and then the bar, where you found someone, a familiar brunette. Not exactly the person you were looking for, but one you didn’t mind actually finding. Your brother Beckett.

He had his head hung low, ignoring whatever it was that some girl was trying to say to him as he stared off into nothing but the drink in his gloved hand, his narrowed gaze noticeable even if half of his face only showed. Their was a still moment where all you did was stare at him from afar, realizing that their was no one else in this damn galaxy you would have rather found first. Before you could take a step towards him he lifted his head, slowly turning to meet your wandering gaze.

Immediately he let go of his drink as he stood from his chair, leaving the girl at his side talking alone. You smiled sadly as the both of you walked towards each other, wrapping each other in a tight hug once you reached one another; He towered over you, that was true, but that didn’t stop you from shoving your face into the crook of his neck.

Out of your other siblings, he and one of your other brothers, Rio were the ones you were most closest to and you were also the one Beckett was closest to, the one he trusted out of everyone else.

You knew Beckett had felt the same thing you did, and with more reason since Han was his real father. When you broke apart you could see the pain in his eyes, the blue irises glistening with kept in tears. He might not show his pain like the others but you knew he felt it.

“You felt it too?” He questioned.

You nodded as the both of you began to maneuver through the crowd. “You here alone?”

He shook his head, his eyes looking through the crowd, “no.”

“Oh?” Their was a brief second where you thought he was here with a girlfriend or a wife, or that girl that was now glaring daggers at you, but when you followed his line of sight to one of the crowded booths you spotted who he was referring to. “Oh.” Your brother Rio.

Rio as per usual had a crowd around him, people he liked to call his “followers”, and like always two girls at each side with a smug look on his thin face. Only this time that smugness was gone and replaced by a feigned smile, the emotion and confliction shown through his brown eyes. He had his boots on the table and one arm around a beautiful red Twi’lek girls shoulders.

You walked up to the booth, noticing that he had his gaze lost somewhere that wasn’t in this room, only noticing you when you called to him, “Rio.” His eyes landed on you, taking a few seconds to register that it was really you. But once he did he basically jumped out of that booth to pull you in for a warm hug.

“Y/N.” He hugged you tighter, the both of you holding back your emotions at the gesture. Once you parted away, just like the girl Beckett was with, the girls Rio was with glared at you. How fucking nice.

“What are you doing here?” Rio grinned, briefly glancing back to Beckett, that alone silently answering his question, “right.”

“We need to find Breha and Akakios.” You mentioned whilst pulling your two brothers out of the Cantina.

“Breha might be difficult to find. You know how weird she is.” Rio responded, looking over his shoulder to wave goodbye to his “followers”, and shooting a wink to the girls he was with—Solo men, unbelievable.

“Akakios?” You continued.

Rio was about to answer, but Beckett beat him to it, “I might know where he is.”

—

As the ramp opened, instead of the smell of fresh rain on the jungle soil greeting your nose, the only thing that did, seemed be the past, painful memories that began the downfall.

Nothing of what you liked to remember was the same. Your uncle Luke Skywalker’s Jedi Temple that once stood proud on Yavin-4 was now nothing more than ashes and sprouting greenery. Only those who lived after the fire knew what it was once.

“Of course he’d be here.” You remark turning to Rio with furrowed eyebrows, “how much more sentimental can our older brother get?”

Rio grinned, “You know how he is. A big heart and a troubled mind.”

“That’s what mother used to say.” You point out, earning another grin from Rio.

Before you could walk deeper into the jungle, their he was, sitting around a fire, alone and like you found the other two, lost in his own mind.

“It’s weird,” Akakios spoke out, his brown eyes reflecting the burning fire as he kept them trained on the flames. “when I felt...fathers death I tried to reach for him like if I were there. I tried, I really did, but he fell either way.” Tears slipped past his cheek, his eyes finally looking up to follow you and your two bothers slowly sitting across from him. His face basked by two bright lights, making his dark complexion shine through the darkness of the night; half of it by the red flames dancing in front of him, and the other half by the beautiful blue that was provided by the moons light. Something that also showed in full view the hurt he felt.

“Hi guys.” Akakios greeted softly, a forced smile tugging on the corner of his lips.

“Hi Ki.” You smiled, “it’s been a while.”

“Too long.”

A moment of awkward silence passed, neither of you knowing what to say exactly, where to start off. It was all too much to unravel and well you were still missing a member of your group—well two, but he didn’t count, not anymore.

“We—” Beckett was suddenly cut off by a voice that came from the darkness of the jungle, a familiar one that sounded cocky and sweet.

“I’m sorry I’m late.” Breha. Said girl ominously walked out of the jungle with her head held up high and half a smile decorated on her soft freckled face.

“You’re here, that’s what counts.” Akakios responded.

Breha greeted each of you with a stiff nod while she took a seat alone across the fire, her lips parting to add an unnecessary comment, “It took Kylo Ren’s betrayal for us to reunite. How poetic.”

Akakios looked to her with a narrowed gaze, sighing before correcting her, “no Breha it’s over fathers death. Dad died, we’re here to mourn his death.”

“No.” Rio added whilst shaking his head in disapproval, “we can’t do it yet. What about mom? Chewie? It’s great that we want to mourn dad together, but it won’t feel complete without them. Dad wouldn’t like it either.”

“Moms busy.” Breha retorted, “like always...she doesn’t have time for any of this. She never did.”

“Breha.” You warned.

She shrugged, the fire raging in her blue eyes. “It’s true is it not? She was always busy with her work, she—”

“Breha.” Akakios seethed, causing said girl to shut up and pull her eyes back to the fire, hearing what Akakios had to say, “Rios right, we need her and Chewie. We can’t do it without them.”

Silence fell over again, creating a tension that wasn’t here before and only got worse when Beckett spoke up. “What about Kylo? What are we going to do with him?”

“What do you mean?”

Beckett scoffed at Akakios response, “he killed our father, what are we going to do? Let him go on with his day? Let him live without knowing what he did came without consequence?”

“He’s our brother, Beckett.” Akakios argued, making Rio and you share a knowing look on what you knew was about to happen.

“He’s not mine!”

“He is. Ben Solo was your brother just like Kylo Ren is, more yours than ours since you both are blood. Nothing is going to change that. We can’t kill him.”

Beckett stood up in a fury, a burning gaze directed to Akakios. “Ben solo died a long time ago. Whoever the hell this man is means nothing to me. He killed our father, so I’ll kill him with no remorse.” He turned to face Rio, Breha and you. Pulling you into the conversation you had been successfully avoiding until now. Great. “We take a vote then.”

Without waiting for the question, Breha jumped in, “I’m in.” Seconds later Rio did the same. He was a bit more hesitant to respond but he did so nonetheless, after all neither of you were thinking clearly, not with the pain clouding your judgement.

After Rio answered, all eyes fell on you. Not that it would matter. The choice was uneven, Beckett had already won—And yet he looked for you to agree with him, let the burden to choose fall on you. Even if you had made your decision before it even came to choosing— “I...I’m with Beckett.”

Akakios closed his eyes for a brief moment, retorting an unexpected comment, “of course you are.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” You quickly shot back.

“Nothing. I just—mother won’t like it.”

What did he mean by that? It wasn’t nothing. He said it for a reason. And you would’ve pressed further but their was no time with Beckett arguing with him.

“Mother and you are the same, hoping that Ben will somehow just decide to change sides. You both are holding on to stupid hope.”

“And we have the right to be.” Akakios defended. “He—”

“He tried to kill you! He cut off your legs because you held onto that hope!” You snapped. “And you still defend him?! After he killed dad? He’s a monster!”

Akakios parted his lips to argue, but your words were true their was nothing that could change that. “We don’t know where he is.” He responded softly.

“Crait.” Breha spoke up, “he’ll be in Crait.”

Rios eyebrows knotted at her knowledge, “how do you know?”

“I” she began to hesitate before she was quick to recover, “I heard the resistance make a call to their allies. Whatever is left of them are held up in Crait, waiting for help. Which only means that they’re running from the First Order.”

You nodded, “okay. Then let’s go help mom and then once and for all do what needed to be done long ago. We all in?”

Everyone stood from their seats, glancing to one another and sharing an unspoken word. Looking as you all did once, united. “We’re all in. Forever and always.”

—

“Where have you been?” Rio spun in his chair to face you, before throwing a nut into his mouth.

“I was with uncle Lando for the most part, but recently I’ve been on my own.” You tell, turning to him and picking a nut from his bag.

“All alone?” He probed with a hidden smirk.

You roll your eyes before bluntly answering him, “yes.”

“It’s okay if you have a boyfriend, you can tell me.”

You quirk your eyebrow and smile, “can I really? Or will it be like last time when you told dad and he and Beckett got all protective.”

Rio chuckled but before he could answer Breha cut into the conversation. “Rio you know how our sister is with guys. She can’t get one to even save her life. What makes you think she’ll get one to be with her for the years not spent with us.” She shows a mischievous smirk before she snatches the bag of snacks from Rios hand. “You know I’m not even sure she likes guys.”

You did! What would she know? She was always focused on her own vanity to even focus on being your sister, or even bother to have one normal conversation.

“At least I don’t obsess over the first guy that looks my way or talks to me pretty like you.” You scoff.

Breha feigns a laugh, her smirk never faltering for a second. “At least they look my way.”

Your eyebrows furrow and just as Rio was about to interrupt your next argument, Beckett announces the arrival to Crait. As soon as he does and the ship enters the planet, Akakios stands up and looks out the ships window, focusing on the huge walkers lined up outside the now destroyed base gate.

“He’s here.” Akakios whispers, “so is mom.”

A smile makes it on your lips at the mention, but that moment wasn’t one that lasted because of the sudden movement Beckett did to avoid incoming blasts. “Shit! Y/N, Rio got on the guns at the side of the ship and take out those ties.”

Rio and you don’t hesitate and do as Beckett commanded; just as you climb onto the gunners seat, two ties welcome you at your end, attempting to shoot at your gun, but were quickly dodged as Beckett flew past them and then spun back around to face them, letting you take this time to shoot the both of them down with one shot!

“You still got it little sister, who knew?!” Rio joked through the comms.

“Learned from the best!”

“Me, I know.” Rio adds smugly whilst shooting down his own TIES.

Dad really but you let him believe otherwise; Anyhow shrugging that aside, the main transport ship came to view, the one you knew Kylo Ren was in. Without giving it a second thought you aim your gun at it, your thumb hovering over the button and just as you pressed on the red button the ship began to spin out of control, loud beeping coming from your headset.

“Hold on!”

Their was nothing to hold on to, but you tried your best—the ship kept spinning until it crashed onto the floor, skidding until it stopped inside the dark base. You let out a loud groan, carefully unbuckling yourself and kicking down the window of what used to be one of the guns.

“Fucking stars,” you grunt, pulling one hand up to your head while with the other one you crawled out of the ships gun seat. The pain began to radiate all over your body, being unable to locate if one part of your body was really injured. Before you could attempt to stand up, someone rushes to your side, carefully grabbing your arms to help you up.

“Hey, are you okay?” The voice asks. You groan, losing your balance and almost falling back to the ground if it weren’t for the person still holding you up. “I got you. I got you.”

Finally you manage to blink up at the person in front of you, seeing a tall, lean muscular man holding you still, his warm brown eyes expressing worry for your current state, and if you weren’t—well that actually didn’t matter at all, he was handsome, their was no denying that fact.

“I don’t know you tell me, am I missing a body part or something?” You try and joke, but it comes out sounding pained more than anything else.

The man chuckles at your lame attempt at a joke, his eyes scanning your body for a second before he met your gaze, and in that in that single moment when your eyes met their was a new sensation, for a single minute it felt like all the air had been sucked from your lungs. It felt like your heart had stopped beating and in that moment of mayhem it was like their was no one else but him and you. As crazy as that was and weird as it was, it felt like that.

But it was just a quick feeling and everything returned to what was called normal now. All the illusion broke and the pain returned, just like everything else around you, leaving nothing but the delusion.

“No you’re okay and intact .” He assures you with a smile and a joke, only letting go as Breha joins your side, feigning worry for your state.

“Y/N, are you okay?” Breha wraps an around your shoulders and smiles sweetly at the mystery man that had helped you. “Thank you for helping her...”

“Poe.” He looks away from your sister and again the both of you meet each other’s gaze, almost seeming like if he were directing his comment to only you, “Poe Dameron.”

“Breha. Breha Solo.” She greets, batting her eyelashes at him and carrying that stupid smile. She doesn’t even bother to introduce you, or leave you space to express your gratitude before she turns the both of you around and walks to join the rest of your siblings who were already walking your way. “I like him. He was cute.” Breha whispers.

So much for you even trying to talk to him when she liked him. She had the tendency to get overly attached and possessive with people she liked—It was a problem

Akakios broke you from your thoughts to ask you exactly what question Rio was about to ask you too. “Are you okay?”

You nod and pull yourself away from Breha’s hold, something that doesn’t bother her as she notices Poe walk past her. “Never better. We should go to mom, she’s probably—” you cut yourself off as someone unexpected appears from inside of the room placed in the base. Someone that you haven’t seen since the downfall at the Jedi Temple happened, for some time you had thought he was dead since neither of your siblings or you could ever find him.

Now that you saw him he seemed like a ghost, which you were grateful he wasn’t. Breha hesitantly began to walk towards him, a smile on her lips at the sight of him. After all he was like a second father to her, he had raised her more time than your parents had, unfortunately; “uncle Skywalker.” Your uncle looked to all of you and did a small head bow and showed a half smile, before he looked back to the army outside the burning doors, silently informing you what he was planning to do, so you all began to follow him, an action he quickly stopped.

“Stay with your mother,” he looked to Breha directing his next comment to her especially, “all of you.”

“But—”

Akakios stopped Breha from walking any further, a hand gently placed on her shoulder, “you heard what he said.” All of you continued to watch as he walked forward until he was completely out of view, causing all of you to follow after Breha as she rushed to the entrance.

You didn’t know what you were expecting to happen really, but you surely weren’t expecting for multiple guns to be shot at one single man (than again it was Kylo Ren.) As your sister watched the events unfold, her eyes went wide. She wasn’t one to really express her emotions, but now and even if she didn’t say it out-loud, you could see the pain in her eyes as the guns kept shooting without stop.

Again she wanted to rush to help, but your brothers stopped her, and before she could force herself there, the shooting stopped, the red mushroom cloud that stood over the same spot your uncle was, slowly began to vanish and revealed him perfectly fine.

“What the hell?” You whispered.

“Medpack! I need a medpack!” A man exclaimed as he dragged an unconscious women behind him, causing all your siblings and you to fall back into the base, smiling as your mother walked out from the inside, her eyes carefully examining all five of you with a warm smile of her own.

Neither of you hesitated to go up to her, before an old golden droid walking in-between and blocking the path to her. “General Organa, look who it is. It’s the children.” Threepio looked back to see your mothers knowing smile, making said droid scoot out of the way.

“Mother.” Quickly she was wrapped in a group hug, one that if it weren’t for the other people around would have turned emotional. But alas neither of you spoke about the past events. Just yet.

“What happened?” Rio worried, as he noticed the cane in her hand. She simply shook her head and dismissed his question by changing the subject.

“I’m glad you’re all here together. I’ve missed you all.”

“We’re here for you.” You smiled, moving behind her as Rio wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a protective manner. While the rest of your siblings stood close by her as well, letting you think of something that caused your smile falter.

What kind of kids were you? Never coming to join your mother’s cause or coming to visit and check on her? As noble and kind hearted as Akakios was he never came, and Rio who loved mother more than anything in this galaxy never came either. Beckett being her biological son didn’t come, he mostly watched from afar but he didn’t stay, and you as much as you hated to admit were like Breha and the rest of them too. Not even a single and simple check in. If she was mad, she deserved to be...but knowing her she didn’t care as long you were here now.

“There’s gotta be a way out of this mine. Hell. How did he get in here?” You focused back into the room as Poe began to question the small group.

The golden droid walked to the curly headed man, already explaining his knowledge, “Sir, it is possible that a natural unmanned opening exists but this facility is—” not far into the droids explanation you tune him out, noticing that the crystal critters you noticed when crashing here were gone, letting you realize that they had found a way out, one the group could could use too.

“Threepio.” You quickly interrupt, “as knowledge as you may be, please shut up and listen.”

The droid turns his head around confusingly, “oh my audio senses no longer detect the—.”

“Exactly,” Poe interjects as he moves forward.

“Where’d the crystal critters go?” Breha asks as she moves behind him.

Poe gasps and looks over his shoulder with determination, “follow me.”

The small group of resistance fighters look to your mother for assurance, something she quickly gives them. Your siblings and you are about to follow behind the group, but Beckett stops you from doing so, an action that causes your mother to stop too.

“Mother go, we have to make sure Kylo won’t follow.. we’ll catch up after.” You knew what Beckett intended to do, what his plans were for the man your mother and Akakios still loved and held hope for.

“Beckett.” Your mother muttered softly.

Akakios surprised you with his answer (even if he did say he was with you all); “we’ll join you this time, promise.” He pressed a soft kiss on her forehead before he motioned for one of the resistance members to take her with them. “I’ll take care of them.”

—

Master Skywalker had vanished in the middle of the field after his fight with Kylo, leaving all of you more than confused, leaving Breha to cry minutes later and be overcome by rage, with emotions she didn’t even express about fathers death. It was confusing, but you kind of figured by the long faces shared that something had happened to your uncle.

You would have felt it too, if you hadn’t...well if you were still connected.

The mourning for your uncle was short lived just like your fathers, as it had to be put on hold when Kylo Ren saw all of you walk out together. A cool sight that caused goosebumps to anyone watching. An action that Akakios was still unsure of.

“Come to join me?!” Kylo Ren shouted. He was to far away to really notice his features, but from what you could see he still had the same hairstyle, the same guarded and stiff posture, same anger in every word.

“You would like that wouldn’t you?” You seethed. “For us to join you? After years you still can’t seem to let us go? But you’re wrong, we’re not here to join you.”

Rio, Breha and Beckett pulled out their lightsabers, activating them and revealing each different colored lightsaber blades; While you pulled out your twin vibro-blades, and Akakios remained weaponless.

“We’re here to kill you.” Beckett finished for you, digging his heels into the salt covered ground, “like I should have done years ago.”

Kylo tightened his grip on his saber, scoffing at Beckett’s comment. “You? You’ve tried twice. You lost your arm in one attempt, or don’t you remember?”

Your eye flicker over to Beckett, but only notice that his hands are hidden by his gloves. Impossible to notice if Kylo’s claim was true. Then again why wouldn’t it?

“You killed dad, we have no choice.” Rio added sadly, his eyes glistening with tears.

“He was weak and—”

“Shut up!” You bark, pointing one blade his direction, “shut the hell up you monster!”

Kylo hesitates for a moment before he looks to Akakios, not giving away if he had been hurt by what you said, just simply ignoring it, “You did this. You turned them all against me! We could all have been together! But no you made them hate me!”

“You did that yourself brother!” Their it was, that word Akakios couldn’t let go.

“If I was your brother, then you would have joined me when I asked, but you didn’t. Instead you chose them.” He shot a burning glare to all of you before he spun his unstable lightsaber in his hand, “so this is the end once and for all of, forever and always.” With those last words he ran your way, swinging his lightsaber first at Beckett, a move he easily dodged.

“You’ll pay for what you did to uncle Luke.” Breha growled as she spun her blade to her right, to hit Kylo, but as she tried, he met her violet blade with his unstable red one. He pressed down on her, but before he could press further, you lunged forward, one of your sharp blades only managing to cut the tip of a strand of his hair.

His eyes slid to the side to meet your own, kicking back Breha and spinning to meet his raging blade with one of your own. He tilted his head slightly before he seemed to figure out your force dilemma and smirked. Noticing that sight you pulled your other blade to trap his, but he saw that move coming and froze your arm mid way. You groaned to be set free, but nothing helped.

Fuck. Now you regret disconnecting yourself from the force.

In a swift movement you flipped over and kicked his face, causing him to lose concentration on your arm and stumble back. That was an opportunity Beckett took and tried to strike him, but as he tried, Rio came forward, twirling his double bladed lightsaber to swing at Kylo. Something that Kylo used as an advantage to force move Beckett’s bronze blade to hit one of Rios blue blades.

Rio shrugged innocently, mouthing an I’m sorry before Breha in a rage swung down at Kylo’s shoulder, a quick action that he barely managed to avoid, a move that ended up cutting part of his shoulder; Kylo spun back on his heels and glared at Breha. His glare seeming to burn holes into her as he kept his eyes trained on her, almost as if he were trying to read her thoughts.

That was a movement that caught everyone off guard, he was just standing there, and before Beckett could lunge forward, Kylo began to force choke her, catching said girl off guard and even more so as he rose his lightsaber to strike her down. Before he could he hit her, a green blade came in-between and stopping Kylo’s attempts.

“I can’t let you do that.” Akakios asserted, force pushing Breha back to let you catch her as she tried to gasp for air. “Leave, now. I don’t want to kill you.”

Kylo glared at Akakios, his eyes blinking up to meet your own, before he met Rio’s and Akakios again. “But I do want to kill you.” In a fast movement, Kylo deactivated his blade, force pushing Akakios back and for Beckett to try his lunge again. Something Kylo quickly dodged as he turned to his side, throwing his hilt to his other hand whilst activating it and aiming at Beckett’s chest.

Your eyes went wide and without a second damn thought you threw your blade to hit Kylo’s lightsaber off his hand. You left Breha’s side and sped towards Kylo, jumping up to bring one foot down on his chest and flipping behind him, using your other blade to have it threatening on his back.

Beckett was quick to think, summoning Kylo’s lightsaber to use it against him, having it crossed and hovering above his throat, shooting him a nasty remark; “You never were my brother. My brother died a long time ago. You. You’re nothing but a monster. Who will pay for what you did to my father.” With a move of his wrists he began to uncross the blades, however before he could hit Kylo’s throat, one of the guns behind you was beginning to sound. You looked back to see the bright red blast getting ready to fire, and before it could shoot off, Kylo force pushed your siblings back, swiftly spinning back to grab you and tackle you to the ground. The blast seconds later hitting the spot you were on previously.

You only managed to lift your head up a couple inches, meeting Beckett’s worried gaze. He looked to Kylo who still had you in his arms and back you before he had to tear them away as more blasts began to shoot at him and your siblings. Knowing that their was no other choice and that their was no way for them to get to you, Akakios led your siblings back inside the base, with Beckett halting by the entrance and mouthing, “I’ll come for you.”

You showed a assuring smile before he disappeared leaving you to kick Kylo away from you. Your eyes frantically searched for your twin blades that were a couple inches away. In a hasty move you attempted to grab it, but Kylo was quick, summoning his lightsaber and threatening his crackling blade at your throat.

“Poor choice to not be connected to the force, sister. I thought you smarter than that.” Kylo remarked.

You scoffed and slowly pulled your hand away from your blade, “well I’m sorry that my fathers death was hurting me. It was overwhelming, but you wouldn’t understand.”

“You never were one to know how to deal with your emotions.” He smirked, deactivating his lightsaber ans leaning in closer to your face before whispering a lie, “I’m happy to see you again.”

He waved his hand over your face, an action that was quick to overwhelm you, making everything go blurry and for you to lose your balance. Kylo was quick to put one arm under your knees and the other one under your shoulders, lifting you up before you heard his lasts words to someone approaching.

“I’m taking her back with me.”

—

(Akakios P.O.V)

“We need to work better together, we did horrible.” Rio commented to Beckett, who’s attention was not even in the ship they were entering.

Perhaps if Akakios hadn’t just lost his sister then he would feel nostalgic, maybe even happy to be back on the Falcon, but he had failed his mother, his siblings and y/n. He had lost her to Kylo when he told his mother he was going to take care of all them. He failed...again.

He failed Ben when he didn’t stop him from joining the dark side—even if the moment Ben asked, Akakios hesitated and he would again.

What was wrong with him? He was supposed to influence his siblings to do good, but out all of them. Out of Breha even, Akakios actually thought of joining Ben. He hesitated just like moments ago, if he hadn’t then y/n would be here at his side, probably happy to be on their fathers old ship. But she wasn’t and seeing his mother find out that she was missing hurt him.

“I’m sorry. I promise I will get her back. I promise.” He began to apologize, a crack heard in his voice, “I’m sorry mother.”

Leia showed him a reassuring smile, even if he knew that y/n missing worried her. “I know.” She wrapped him in a tight embrace, assuring him in a whisper, “don’t blame yourself. I know you tried.” It was in this moment that he realized that he had really missed his mother’s hugs, as old as he got those were things he was never going to hate.

Akakios soon pulled away, smiling kindly, his attention getting stolen by Rio jumping Chewbaccas back, shouting to him in excitement. The Wookiee knowing exactly who it was matched Rios energy and threw him on the ground—as they did. Seconds later pulling him up, and rubbing the top of his head before he pulled Rio in a tight hug. Rio laughed and tried to match the Wookiee’s strength.

At the sight of seeing Chewie then pull a stubborn Beckett into the hug, Akakios grinned, joining his mother in a soft chuckle.

“He’s missed you all.” Leia mused.

Before Akakios could respond or join them, his attention was completely stolen by a brunette. Her hair was half down, half up, she had a bruise on the side of her face, but it was something that didn’t take away from her soft brown eyes and her sweet smile. In that moment she noticed Akakios gaze and turned to meet his, making said man grin turn into a shy smile. Feeling as if time had slowed when they locked eyes, feeling his heart hammer in his chest wildly as she began to walk over. This was something he never felt until now, with her.

When she was finally before him, she smiled, a beautiful smile, before she kindly introduced herself, “Rey.”

He showed a charming and yet a shy grin, “Akakios.”

Was this going to be the start of something new?

.

.

.

.

A/N- what? The sisters like the same guy, huh? What? Secret relationships? Sister on sister rivalry? Brother likes the same girl as his evil brother? Huh? I don’t know guess all those questions will be answered in the next chapters! Also also, who’s your favorite character out of the siblings, i know it’s the first chapter but,so far? Beside reader of course.

Permanent taglist- @ms-dont-care​​ , @commondazy​​

[fuzz1912]

This is the Way

Just prior to the release of the third movie of Disney’s Star Wars trilogy, I posted some thoughts to the effect that I no longer had the energy to write at length about what Star Wars had become under their watch, because I no longer had any love left to fuel that effort. THE MANDALORIAN has changed all that and, ever since then finale of its second season, I’ve been wanting to process and contextualise why it has been so impactful. The clearest place to start is the finale itself, and the sequence that has led adult fans across the world to revert to a child-like state of wonder and break down into tears. If you haven’t already seen THE MANDALORIAN, in particular “Chapter 16 - THE RESCUE” then please read no further - do yourself a favour and stay off the internet until you’ve caught yourself up. From here on, the spoilers will be rife.

A QUICK RECAP

The clues leading to the finale’s big reveal are staged in a masterfully accelerating fashion, leading to a crescendo of certainty that no amount of “subverted expectations” could extinguish. Imperial Moff Gideon has recaptured the Child (Grogu), and the Mandalorian (Din Djarin) has managed to locate him and threatened that he will stop at nothing to free his ward from Gideon’s clutches. We rejoin Mando and his allies (shock trooper Cara Dune, assassin Fennec Shand and her benefactor the infamous bounty hunter Boba Fett, and two survivors of the Mandalorian Death Watch in heiress Bo-Katan Kryze and Koska Reeves) as they chase an Imperial Lambda-class shuttle in Fett’s ship, Slave I. After a minor altercation with Imperial officers taunting Dune over the destruction of her home planet of Alderaan, they capture the Imperial scientist Pershing who, at Moff Gideon’s direction, has been using blood samples from the Child (Grogu) in cloning experiments that quite possibly may lead to the resurrection of the Emperor years later (ugh). 

With Pershing’s help and Boba Fett creating a distraction, they use the shuttle to stage a boarding of Gideon’s cruiser. Mando searches for the Child while the others quickly take the bridge. First Mando has to deactivate the ominous Dark Troopers, one of whom escapes from cold storage before Mando is able to seal the others in. As the remaining Dark Troopers persistently continue to punch the doors, gradually wearing away at them, Mando engages in mortal combat against the escaped Dark Trooper. It is relentless and seemingly indestructible, a veritable terminator that keeps pounding away at Mando despite all of his tricks. Held by the scruff of his neck, the Dark Trooper keeps punching his helmet into a wall. Mando can only use his flamethrower and wrist launcher as mere distractions to get the Dark Trooper to release him, and it is only after he notices the Dark Trooper’s blaster shots deflecting off his beskar armour that he realises that a well-placed thrust of his beskar spear into the Dark Trooper’s weak neck will take out his foe. Moments before the remaining platoon is about to escape cold storage, Mando is able to vent them all into space. 

Mando proceeds to the brig where he finds Moff Gideon holding the Child at the point of the infamous Mandalorian Darksaber. Gideon demands that Mando disarm himself, and warns Mando to assume that he knows everything and is in complete control. He describes the power of the Darksaber and the fact that it gives the one who wields it a claim to the Mandalorian throne. When Din surprises him by telling him to keep it in exchange for the Child, Gideon agrees - noting that he’s already got what he wanted (namely, Grogu’s blood with its rare properties - aka Midichlorians). Gideon permits Mando to take the Child, provided he leaves the ship and they go their separate ways. But of course, it’s a ruse and the moment Mando tries to take the Child Gideon stabs him in the back and engages him with the Darksaber. Of course, it can’t cut through beskar so he is evenly matched against Mando’s beskar armour and spear. However Mando is the superior warrior and quickly disarms him, much to Gideon’s surprising glee. For when Mando takes Gideon to the bridge and offers the Darksaber to Bo-Katan, Gideon smugly tells Mando that Bo-Katan needed to win the Darksaber in combat - and that now means that she has to take it by force from Din. Bo-Katan’s indecision is interrupted by the proximity sensor, and Fennec informs the others that the Dark Troopers (with their Iron Man-like foot rockets) have reboarded the ship. They quickly march towards the bridge against a thumping dub step soundtrack, and Fennec seals the blast doors.

Trapped in an unwinnable position, the posse prepares for a Sundance-style fatal showdown. A single Dark Trooper all but overpowered Mando, so a platoon of them would vanquish even this elite squad in short order. Gideon idly taunts  that no one except for himself and the Child will end up leaving the room alive.

Then the proximity sensor pings once more.  

This is the moment when you expect a Deus ex Machina. When the odds are so heavily weighted against the protagonists that only a “machine of the gods” is going to be able to get them out of their impossible predicament. Season 2 laid the seeds for a couple of such options - most obviously, the New Republic has a small but insignificant presence in the Outer Rim that Mando has encountered a few times in his recent travels (almost literally the cavalry). Boba Fett may still be a part of the plan, skipping out only briefly to return with reinforcements. Despite the elimination of the coven on Navarro, perhaps another coven of the Mandalorian zealots might return to save the day as they did in Season 1. 

But none of these really make proper sense. Ever since the first appearance of the Child in Season 1, and Mando’s subsequent quest to return him to his kind, all roads had to eventually lead to only one person. Not Ahsoka Tano, whose return was a welcome return to form (more on that later), but who steadfastly refused to be considered a Jedi after leaving the order and would not agree to train Grogu lest his attachment to Mando might lead him to suffer the same fate as her former Master. No - at this point in time, there exists only one true Jedi in the entire Galaxy.

Bo-Katan is the first to notice the solitary X-Wing approaching, with Cara’s subsequent quip suggesting it would make no difference at all - it might just be Captain Teva or Trapper Wolf again. But this was the first in a series of subtle but escalating hints as to how wrong she really is. If there were any doubt, the next few moments would lay them to rest. The X-Wing flies into the docking bay on the security cam - it bears indistinct but clearly older Rebellion-era markings, and does not respond to Bo-Katan’s hail. Grogu’s ears perk up - he senses the arrival. Then, abruptly, the Dark Troopers stop punching the door. In unison, they all do an about-face towards a new threat approaching. For the first time, the all-knowing smirk is wiped off Gideon’s face. 

A gentle guitar arpeggio and choral ballad reminiscent of Qui-Gon and Padmé’s Funeral themes begins as we see the second clue on the security cam - a hooded figure walking down a hallway, wearing a dark cloak. It could still be anyone, but it could definitely be the one we’ve all silently hoped to see for so long. This is followed in short order by the third, almost definitive clue: the hooded figure on the security cam expertly wields a single lightsaber, cutting through Dark Troopers like butter. Bo-Katan immediately identifies the figure as a Jedi, and suddenly Moff Gideon’s face betrays fear for the first time. 

Then we see the one thing we’ve waited decades for - a green lightsaber. Not a blue historical artefact wielded by plot-amour protected novice, but a brilliant green blade self-made to stand out against the deep blue desert skies of Tatooine. At last, we allow ourselves to feel hopeful once more. Only one of those Dark Troopers nearly ended Din Djarin minutes ago, but this figure deflects their blaster bolts back into them and slices through their torsos like the battledroids of old. However, unlike the flamboyant Jedi of the Old Republic, the figure’s strokes are spartan and precise. Grogu is at attention because he knows who’s coming to rescue them.

And finally, a low shot of the green blade shows the black leather glove holding onto it and all doubt is removed. It’s LUKE FUCKING SKYWALKER. Luke as the Jedi Master he (and his father) aspired be, at the height of his powers. Luke, who bested but never quite defeated Darth Vader, and through his unwavering faith enabled his father to destroy the most powerful evil in the Galaxy. No longer a naive farm boy, but a full fledged Jedi and, both by default and power, the Grand Master of the New Jedi Order. And certainly not the cranky old defeated hermit passing off for Luke in certain other films, with no hope, determination, or empathy. The REAL Luke Skywalker. This is who heard Grogu’s call two episodes ago, and is the only possible person with whom Grogu could end up with. 

Luke slashes through several more Dark Troopers, and force pushes a crate against another. Craning his neck to see the carnage on the security cams, Moff Gideon realises that the battle is lost and he makes his desperate last move. Clutching the hidden blaster beneath his cloak, he fires at Bo-Katan before taking a shot at the Child. Mando valiantly throws himself into the line of fire - in a way, both moments would have been more powerful if beskar wasn’t so strong as to harmlessly absorb Gideon’s shots. So too would it have been if a shot got through to Grogu, putting him in grave danger. 

The figure cleans up the Dark Troopers on the lower level and takes the elevator up towards the bridge. The Dark Troopers in the exterior hallway wait silently. We’ve seen this moment before - in A NEW HOPE, before the stormtroopers cut through the port on the Tantive IV; and again, in ROGUE ONE, as the lights go out on the Profundity’s docking bay. The final light ignites and the doors open - the Dark Troopers open fire, but their shots are easily deflected by the figure who twirls and swirls more elegantly through his prey, dancing through the corridor and using his hands to bat away debris and crush the exoskeleton of the final unfortunate trooper. We haven’t seen this kind of carnage since the other Skywalker exterminated the Separatists on Mustafar in REVENGE OF THE SITH. 

Mando and Grogu know that it’s time, and he demands that the blast doors be opened. Not getting any favourable response from the others, he opens the door himself. As the blast doors part, we see the figure’s shrouded green lightsaber emerge through the smoke just as his mentor’s did at the start of THE PHANTOM MENACE. The figure slowly holsters his blade on his familiar belt, and deliberately hesitates as he removed his hood. As the iconic notes of the Binary Sunset play, at last we see the face of Luke Skywalker - here to rescue us - with just a little bit more wisdom and wear than he bore at the end of RETURN OF THE JEDI. Mando asks him if he is a Jedi, and Luke responds that he is (in the unmistakably optimistic voice of a young Mark Hamill). Luke reaches out, confidently asking Grogu to join him. When Mando queries Grogu’s reluctance, Luke wisely advises him that the Child wants his permission first. 

What follows is the culmination of the series, a heart wrenching scene between Din and Grogu where Din breaks the creed and shows Grogu his face - a father saying goodbye to his son with his own eyes, echoing Luke’s own farewell to Anakin. Grogu doesn’t want to let go of Din until he hears a reassuring sound - R2D2’s familiar beep-bop cadence as he leans over to examine the Child, a clear moment of recognition between the two. Whether they’ve both met at some point in the past (perhaps prior to or during Grogu’s escape from the Jedi Temple), or whether R2 is suffering some PTSD from his memories of Yoda, remains to be seen. But it’s enough to win over Grogu, who allows Luke to pick him up and take him and R2 away. The final shots of Din’s final tearful goodbye and Luke, Grogu and R2 in the departing elevator against a triumphant refrain of the Mandalorian theme are iconic Star Wars images that will be etched in our minds forever alongside the Throne Room and other final shots. 

I’M LUKE SKYWALKER - I’M HERE TO RESCUE YOU

I don’t want to relitigate the issues of the Disney Trilogy at length, suffice to say that the miserable end to that sorry saga far better illustrates them than any missive penned by me could. Yes, as things stand, everything that transpires in THE MANDALORIAN could lead to same sorry end just as the supposedly-fairytale ending of RETURN OF THE JEDI did. But the mere hope that it doesn’t have to, or that it is far enough away to be ignored, is enough to allow the moment to savoured for the delight that it represents.

Because Star Wars has always been about hope, and that hope has always been best embodied by Luke Skywalker - the “Son of Suns”. Luke is our childhood hero, the Boy Scout or Superman defined by his optimism and his faith in our better angels. His journey may venture through internal conflict, impatience, confusion, and failure - but he never gives up hope, even when it seems that all is lost. He was born in a moment of despair, as his mother’s dying breaths gave life to both he and his sister, and saved his father from a tortuous death. The prequel trilogy, fundamentally about perpetual-slave Anakin Skywalker’s hope for a better life for his family, may have ended with a Galaxy entering an era of oppression, but its final shot featured baby Luke with his closest kin watching the famous binary sunset and hoping for the eventual dawn to bring them out of the darkness. 

We later meet Luke again in the eponymous A NEW HOPE as a sheltered and naive young farmhand, dreaming of making a difference in the fight against the evil Empire. Under the guidance of his watchful protector, he produces a one-in-a-million shot heard around the Galaxy. He trawls the Galaxy in search of a new mentor, whose trickery and patience are a foil for his impatient desire to return to the fight. After being humbled by a superior adversary and learning the dark truth of his parentage, he soon realises that his attachment to others can be a weakness to be exploited. Nevertheless, his faith in his friends and family remains resolute - even in the face of discouragement from his masters and enemies alike, Luke manages to persuade his broken and defeated father that he is not irredeemable. Luke’s unwavering belief provides the gentle push needed for Anakin to commit his final act to destroying the evil Emperor that had enslaved him and would destroy the only thing left in the universe for him to love. 

Basically, after searching for his absent father his whole life, only to discover him to be one of the most terrible people in the Galaxy and believed to be beyond redemption by his only remaining friends, Luke still perseveres against all odds in believing there’s a tiny sparkle of good left him in - and ends up convincing his father of that as well. This is the most unbelievably optimistic person, who sees the bright side of things where everyone else sees nothing, and who never, ever gives up. He is what Star Wars is fundamentally all about. 

IF THERE’S A BRIGHT CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE, YOU’RE ON THE PLANET THAT IT’S FARTHEST FROM

However, the Disney Trilogy’s failure began with the first words of its opening crawl, claiming that “Luke Skywalker has vanished” - depriving us of that hope for a whole film. When he finally appears up at the intersection of the first and second movies, it turns out to have been a false hope - in a “subversion” of our expectations, the Luke we find is a shell of a person who has given up on his friends, his family, and his students. He is so devoid of hope and resigned to the ignominious fate of dying alone that he may as well be Darth Vader. After sensing the mere potential for evil in his only nephew, he doesn’t try to turn him away from it but stupidly draws his weapon on him in his sleep - and by doing so creates another version of his father. He senses a familiar darkness in the Resistance’s strange messenger, and resolves not to train her. And yet... suddenly, after a bizarre encounter with an addled apparition pretending to be Yoda, he softens and decides not to join with her in a fight to the death but instead perform some insanely draining Matrix-like distraction that ends up killing him anyway. His last ditch effort saved practically nothing, and didn’t end up mattering anyway when the nemesis he and his father sacrificed everything to destroy “somehow returned”. 

Mark Hamill himself, who has lived and breathed the character for over 40 years, knew that none of this made sense coming from Luke - he would rather amusingly refer to this incarnation as “Jake” Skywalker. The people behind the Disney Trilogy have stated on record that Luke’s absence from the first film was to avoid stealing the spotlight from their new characters, and the butchering of his character in the second ostensibly appears to have paved the way for them to take over the role of the hero. It was as if, in some misguided zero-sum view of the Star Wars universe, in order for the new generation to succeed the old had to be destroyed (in more ways than just this one). And, in doing so, Disney deprived us of seeing the Luke Skywalker we all deserved. 

GOOD, YOU’VE TAKEN YOUR FIRST STEPS INTO A LARGER WORLD

When Anakin Skywalker looks up at the night sky on Tatooine in THE PHANTOM MENACE, he wonders if anyone has ever visited them all - ominously suggesting that he’d be the first. There’s only so much of that story that can be told within the motion picture medium, and there have always been Star Wars stories that existed in the same universe but were not about the Galaxy-changing saga of the Skywalkers. From the Expanded Universe novels, to cartoons, games, and other non-saga films, the Star Wars Universe has weaved a rich tapestry for fans who have been invested in the diverse, fantastic, and advanced  setting it provides for stories that reflect on our own human condition. Many of these stories were self contained - filling in gaps or corners of that tapestry - but just as many intersected with our beloved characters at various points of their lives, who at once both recognisable as their iconic selves but also given further colour and depth through new experiences and challenges. 

Of Luke Skywalker in particular, we saw a hero struggling with his legacy and the monumental task of rebuilding the Galaxy and the Jedi Order in such as way as to not repeat the mistakes of the past. We saw Luke succeed and fail in training new Force-sensitive students into Jedi, and grow in power to become the new Grand Master of the Jedi Order. We saw him defeat stronger foes than he had before and weave his way through the intergalactic politics of the New Republic and Imperial Remnant. We saw him fall in love with Mara Jade, someone who had been tasked by the Emperor with killing him, marry her and have a son (appropriately) named Ben. We witnessed Luke live a full, difficult, but happy life with meaning and purpose - the kind of life his father always wanted but could never achieve.

With this Expanded Universe cast away by Disney, it was left to stories and shows like THE MANDALORIAN to sketch out the details of what is supposed to exists in the rest of the Star Wars Universe. Throughout its run, THE MANDALORIAN has demonstrated definitively that Disney’s approach in sidelining and belittling Luke and the story of the original and prequel trilogies in order to tell new stories in that universe was not only unnecessary, but completely wrong. By starting with a fresh style and a lone gun for hire in a new, small frontier in a corner of the universe it established a new dynamic in the transition period between the fall of the Empire and the establishment of the New Republic. 

But as it continued to flesh out that small corner, we started to see bits of the familiar return from a variety of sources - some from the films such as Trandoshans, IG units, Jawas, Ugnaughts, AT-STs, Mos Eisley’s Docking Bay 94 populated with Pit Droids, Tusken Raiders; others from other media such as Cobb Vanth, Bo-Katan and the Mandalorian Death Watch, Ahsoka Tano (and soon hopefully Grand Admiral Thrawn!), and Dark Troopers from the 90s game DARK FORCES. Others still fleshed out things we’d heard about in previous stories but never seen - krayt dragons, krynkas, Quarren. And at the heart of it all - the Mandalorian creed and the mysterious and powerful Force-using species. We care about and are interested in all of these things because they are familiar elements of the Star Wars Universe, and we care about what new things Mando and the Child encounter because they are grounded in such elements to which we can already relate.

Most of the credit for this change in direction is due to the respective efforts of creator John Favreau and Executive Producer Dave Filoni. Favreau’s early contributions were largely responsible for the dramatic success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and he has been involved with Star Wars for some time (voicing characters in SOLO and THE CLONE WARS). Filoni, himself the creator of THE CLONE WARS, has long effectively been George Lucas’s personally selected designated successor as the sage of all things Star Wars. Unlike JJ Abrams and Rian Johnson (relative neophytes to Lucasfilm, who seemed to be unable to move beyond their nostalgia for A NEW HOPE and desperation to spit on Lucas’s prequels), Favreau and Filoni have an understanding of the already-significant diversity of the Star Wars Universe, of its values and potential. 

Favreau, Filoni and the fabulous team of writers and directors they collaborate with have treated the existing source material with respect (the same source material their boss claims not to exist), and have both intertwined and extended it in new ways that make sense and add depth to what came before. The production design has drawn on both the existing worlds of the original and prequel trilogies (and yes, even what would be yet to come in the Disney Trilogy), while referencing the original concept art of Ralph McQuarrie and Doug Chiang (the concept art based credit sequences are particularly inspired) and creating new environments, species and spacecraft that add greater diversity to those worlds. Even Ludwig Görannson’s music has hit it out of the park - not merely rehashing John William’s greatest hits (another area where the Disney Trilogy fell surprisingly short), but creating a whole new aesthetic that feels right for the style of the show, but is unmistakably Star Wars. In short, THE MANDALORIAN feels like a true addition to the Star Wars universe, which seemed impossible after the lukewarm reboot of the Disney Trilogy. 

YOU WERE RIGHT ABOUT ME - TELL YOUR SISTER. YOU WERE RIGHT.

So this is why, when we first see the X-Wing appear, the hooded figure walking down the hallway, and the brilliant green blade - followed by the decisive elimination of the Dark Troopers through Gideon’s ship and the corridors leading to the bridge - longtime fans across the world could no longer contain their emotions, with many breaking down into tears of jubilation and relief. After being teased with horrible “subversions of expectations” and being told that our “theories sucked”, finally we actually got what we wanted after all this time - a reason to hope again. 

This is the Luke Skywalker we’ve wanted to see after 37 years - not the naive farm boy or reclusive hermit, but the mature and powerful Jedi Master - and finally seeing him at his peak validated our feelings of frustration and neglect over after the past five years of mediocrity that was Disney’s attempt at rehashing Star Wars. It confirmed to us what we always belived: that Star Wars was not, after all, a one hit wonder and that the lightning in the bottle could be recaptured - if wielded by the right custodians who continue to explore the potential of the Star Wars universe to tell great new stories. 

[radioactivepeasant]

Fic Prompts: Star Wars Wednesday

There was something distinctly unsettling about Luke's impromptu cellmate, but with the amount of danger surrounding the whole fortress, he really couldn't distinguish where the greatest threat was. At first glance, the figure slumped against the wall, thoroughly covered in a raggedy cloak and hood, didn't seem very dangerous. But Luke had long since learned not to judge by appearances. After all, he looked pretty harmless, too.

"It's gotten quiet up there," Luke said, just to fill the air with some kind of sound aside from the other person's wheezing gasps.

"They do that sometimes. Do not concern yourself unnecessarily," rasped the other man.

Luke shrugged and resumed his circuit around the cell, trailing his fingers along the stones.

"There are 415 individual blocks of stone in the walls and 26 in the ceiling."

[[MORE]]

The hooded man did not look up. Luke raised an eyebrow and sank to sit a foot or two away from him.

"You've been in here awhile, haven't you?"

"Long enough." The man shrugged. "But not for much longer if my men prove themselves."

"You got a crew?" Luke leaned back against the stones and glanced sidelong at his companion.

The hood dipped as if the man was nodding. "That is one way to describe them. But I have lately been given reason to question their loyalty. We shall see who returns for me and who does not."

That didn't sound like a very good crew to Luke if their captain had to resort to something like this to weed out the mutinous ones. Maybe they were pirates.

"You make it sound like you could get out of here any time you wanted."

"I could," retorted the man, "And so could you, with the proper teaching."

Something about that felt ominous to Luke, even in the chaotic atmosphere of the fortress. "What kind of teaching?" he asked, keeping his features carefully bland.

Instead of answering, the cloaked prisoner shifted and seemed to stare right at him. "What do you call yourself, young one?"

"Luke Skywalker," Luke answered without thinking, then winced.

The other man laughed, a cracked, whispery sound. "Skywalker. Now that is a dangerous name to be carrying in Hutt-controlled territory!"

Luke jolted. People didn't say things like that unless they knew something about his father. Not in his experience, at least. But at least it wasn't as likely that this person knew about his ties to the Rebel Alliance if Anakin Skywalker was what came to mind first. He swallowed hard.

"What do you call yourself?" he returned the question.

"Nothing a child has any business repeating," came the dry response. "But if you wish, you may call me Jinn."

Luke was a shade offended. "Child?" he sputtered, "I'm twenty!"

Another wheezing chuckle filled the space between them, and Luke crossed his arms. "You're making fun of me."

"Jinn" shrugged his broad shoulders and did not seem wholly repentant. "Oh no, certainly not. I'm sure I wouldn't be so foolish as to mock a Force Sensitive," he said, almost teasingly.

This time, Luke shot to his feet. What did this man know, and how much?

"Sit down, young one. It was only logical. You are a Skywalker, after all. But you need not fear I will sell you out to your enemies." A bulky grey glove that had seen better days gestured placatingly out of the depths of the cloak. "I have my own reasons for remaining private, after all."

Luke tried to sense Jinn's intentions, tried to figure out if he was lying. He got a faint ring of truth from the man, but beyond that it was as if he'd struck a wall of glass, surrounding his mind. He was Force Sensitive, he had to be! But he was very tightly guarded.

"There are people out there -- powerful ones -- who don't like people like me," Luke said, very carefully. This person might not necessarily be a friend of the Rebellion. "And when they catch us, they kill us."

Jinn leaned forward, and Luke realized he was much taller than he'd seemed before.

"Ah," he said, "But first they must catch you."

Luke was surprised to recognize the reply as part of a traditional Anchorhead saying, part of an older folktale with origins few could remember anymore. Despite his wariness, a smile tugged at his lips.

"Well," he said with a slightly bitter laugh, "That's the idea."

Jinn stood up, suddenly towering over Luke. "The more you learn of the Force, the easier you will find it to evade those who would destroy or enslave you," he said.

"Yeah, sure, with no one left alive to teach me kriffin' anything," Luke muttered under his breath.

Jinn seemed as though he was going to answer, then an explosion shook the walls. A sense of satisfaction curled out from the man's presence, and he nodded to himself.

"The young lieutenant proves himself yet again," he said, seemingly apropos of nothing. Then he turned on his heel and dropped a startlingly heavy hand on Luke's shoulder.

"Perhaps you feel so untethered because you have been too narrow in your search for answers," he suggested. "If you know where to look, and how to remain discreet, there are still avenues open to the curious."

The sense of danger rose tenfold, and Luke suddenly realized that Jinn had stopped hiding himself behind that invisible wall in the Force.

"The-" Luke steadied his voice and tried again. "The Empire monitors and suppresses that stuff pretty harshly though, don't they?"

Jinn raised his other hand, and the lock clicked open.

"They do," he admitted. "But you will find that it is those within who know best how to remain hidden. Even if it means that they must wait years before it is safe to see their family again."

Luke followed him out into the corridor and watched warily for guards. "That sounds horrible," he murmured.

"At times, death felt preferable," Jinn agreed. He tensed a second later, as though he hadn't meant to say that. The raspy breathing grew louder for a moment, almost changing in pitch and tone, then quieted again.

"And now, young Skywalker, what will you do?" Jinn turned casually to face Luke, with his hands clasped behind his back. "I offer you a choice."

He spread his hands as if weighing the two options. "You may leave if you wish, and make your own way back to wherever you call home now. It will be as if I had never seen you, unless you choose to seek me out. Or," he took a step forward, "You can leave with me, and with my men. Destroy this vile place so that the Hutt can never harm another soul. And I will teach you what I can, in the secrecy of my home."

Luke felt certain that this was some kind of trap. The longer he stood with Jinn, the more he felt that he'd encountered the man before. There was some kind of residual fear that seemed to be creeping around in half-remembered thoughts. Something to do with a past battle?

The hand on his shoulder squeezed lightly (bizarrely, Luke was reminded of his uncle for a moment), then let go. Jinn strode towards the metal door on the far end of the corridor, looking far more dangerous than Luke had imagined him to be.

"The choice is yours, my son. I will not force you."

The words crashed over Luke like a wave. Son?! Just who was this guy, anyway? He knew way too much about Luke for him to be comfortable with. And he seemed like he knew something about Anakin, too.

Luke knew this was a bad idea. He sensed more danger than ever ahead of him. But...he had to know. And besides, Jinn was heading in the direction that Midas the Hutt had stashed his lightsaber upon realizing how shiny it was.

"Hey, wait!" Luke hurried to catch up with his cellmate, who had already forced open the door. "I'll go as far as the landing pad with you. After that, I need to leave."

He could almost hear a smile in the man's voice when he answered, "If that is what you wish."

It would not be as easy to escape as Luke imagined it would.

[phoenixkaptain]

I don’t think I can get over Luke being portrayed as ominously hooded because it is genuinely so funny to me and I can’t even explain why. Luke saw Boba Fett in the Faithful Wookiee and went “Yeah, that’s a friend shape” so I can only imagine- like- do you think that’s what he thinks friendly people dress like? Does he think he looks trustworthy? Does he think the way to make people trust the Jedi is to be a cloaked specter that most believe is only myth??? That would really explain some things…

[scienceetfiction]

Some thoughts about IX

Nothing important, just for the fun of sharing this with those who saw the movie and could be interested.  With SPOILERS 

Quick Opinion:

I liked the movie, relatively (I saw it without any expectation).  I’m  an old school SW fan (more attached to the old characters than the new) and for me, the last movie fixed some things.  Among the 5 Disney SW movies,  I rank them (from best to worst):  Rogue One, IX, VIII, VII and Solo.  (I didn’t see the Mandalorian  yet.)  

SPOILERS BEGINS HERE: 

An interrogation: 

I’m very curious to know how these movies were written, what was planned from the start, what was added or changed.  VIII seems an attempt to get rid of the mysteries of VII and to end the Jedi-Sith tradition.  And IX is a  big come back to the tradition.  I personally prefer that.  

Note: I’m open to changes in a universe, but you have to explain them.  Rey can use Force powers without training, why ?  To make her a Palpatine, at least, is a reason.  And to say that she forms a dyad with Kylo, something rare, is interesting.    

What I liked in IX:  

The Jedi, Sith, and Force aspects of the story.  Rey Palpatine and Ben “Kylo” Skywalker as a dyad.  

Rey gets some training at last.  (I still don’t understand how a scavenger like her became an expert pilot).   

Kylo is less a bumbling fool this time.  

The lightsaber fights in the style of the original trilogy, without too many fancy moves.

A stormtrooper managed to hurt Poe, a little, with a shoot  (probably an expert marksman).  

Good old Palpatine is a more lively villain than Snoke. 

They managed to use well enough the short footage they had with Carrie Fisher.  A joy to see Leia, Lando, Han and Luke again, for a short time. Curiously, the most moving moment for me in the movie was to see Luke’s X-Wing rising from the sea. 

As always, the technical aspect is good: the creatures, costumes, settings and all.  

What I found amusing: 

Rose was a little boring (because the side quest part in VIII was not well done)...they put her on the side (cruel for the actress and the fans of the character).  Hux was a fool...they disposed of him properly.  Poe was a very thin character played by a good actor, they gave him a new backstory as a smuggler (very artificial).  The love square (Rey-Kylo-Poe-Finn) didn’t go anywhere, they added new potential love interests for Poe and Finn.  The script doctor worked a lot.      

We don’t need Rogue One to explain the Death Star flaw, it seems that this is an Empire (and First Order, and Last Order) habit to always have a weak point in their defense. 

What is less good:    

They replaced the dynamism of the original trilogy by perpetual agitation.  The banter often feels flat (still, the actors are charming).  Only a few good jokes: I liked Poe who turned on a flash light  besides Rey and her lightsaber.  

The big war scenes are spectacular, but not really engaging, or exciting.  

As always, the camera work of J.J. Abrams is not very varied.  It alternates constantly between close up and general view, with almost no medium shots, and often from the same angles.  There are some spectacular scenery, but it’s not so well filmed. I give a good point for the moment where Rey, on her back, looks at the sky battle.   

The military aspect is confusing.  The Siths built (or improved) a gigantic fleet on a planet, under some gravity, and not in space ? They built them with what ? How many people or droids are there to build a mega death ray gun on every ship ?   

Conclusion: 

Not a perfect film, far from it,  but after so much disappointment in the past (Rogue One was an exception), this is a relatively satisfying conclusion for me.

I don’t like the basic idea of this trilogy: that Luke, Leia and Han were unable to rescue Ben Solo, that they split, were never reunited again, and died one after each other because of Ben.  So, in my head, this trilogy (and also the prequel trilogy for other reasons) are not really official SW films.   

I still blame J.J. Abrams to not have made any scene with the original trio together when that was possible, in the first movie.  

A little observation: 

I was surprised to see Villanelle (actress Jodie Corner who is great in Killing Eve) as Rey’s mother. 

Suggestion: 

The Palpatine Sith Choir should make an album of meditative Sith songs.  (That ominous music at the end was surely background music, but I can’t help imagining all these hooded Siths singing like a choir).  

[fireflyfish]

battlefront matchup anon again, i'm now very excited to read the Local Force Users Anonymous meeting fic, thank you for this hilarity

Hello again, Nony! Ask and Fishy shall deliver… some of the time… when I don’t have a season to work on… or Rex to poke. 

This ask and the insanity below was inspired by this lovely gifset. 

***

Don’t Bring a Blaster to a Lightsaber Fight

A.K.A A Weekly Meetup for Local Force Users

***

Han Solo, known scoundrel, smuggler and the only person to make the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs, if you rounded down, found himself in a strange place. He had somehow ended up, of course through no fault of his own, in an industrial part of… somewhere that was wrapped in blue fog and was, for reasons unknown to him, standing in a puddle, even though he was pretty sure it hadn’t rained that day.

Walking forward, Han could see that he was not alone in the mysterious blue place with incongruous puddles and machinery that looked like it would explode if you looked at it too long.

As he walked, Han could see a row of dark-robed figures lining up in front of him, a few meters away. They stood in a line like a holo boy band and Han was going to tell them that until he realized that he was standing in front of Darth Vader, the bastard who had tortured him to lure his good friend Luke into a trap. And then cut off Luke’s hand because symbolism? Who knows but it was a bad move, Anakin. A very bad move.

Sarcastic comment now dead on his lips, Han Solo pulled out his blaster and aimed it straight at Darth Vader’s heart, ignoring the fact that the last time he had tried to shoot Darth Vader it had gone over about as well as the first time he tried to win the Falcon from Lando in a game of sabaac. Although in Han’s defense Lando cheated and I suppose one could argue that secretly having the Chosen One be the Empire’s ruthless and brutal enforcer is kind of cheating too.

But we digress.

While Vader waited next to what Han could only assume was the Emperor, flanked by some old dude posing dramatically and a guy who looked he got an awesome buy-one-get-one deal at a tattoo shop, three other people strode up towards Han. One was an attractive young woman in a quilted vest with brown hair and a lightsaber as well as a handsome gentleman with hair that could only be described as “swooshy” in white armor and his own lightsaber.

Han Solo was starting to worry that he had somehow ended up in some kind of strange Jedi street fight when his best friend Luke showed up, swinging around his new green lightsaber like he actually knew what he was doing.

Which he did. Right?

“Kid,” Han hissed to Luke, trying to keep a level and intimidating gaze as the face off continued. “Who are these people?”

Luke shrugged a little in his defensive stance. “Besides Vader and the Emperor, I’m not really sure.”

“Who are you people?” the young woman next to Han asked, looking like she was ready to go toe to toe with some seriously bad motherkriffers who probably had at least 150 years of experience on her and her awesome looking vest. She also, inexplicably, had a crisp Coruscanti accent that has never been explained to either Han or the author’s knowledge.

“I’m Luke Skywalker and this is my friend, Han Solo,” Luke said as the villians continued to stand there, looking evil, foreboding and black. These guys really liked black and red.

“You’re Han Solo?” the girl to Han’s right gasped in shocked delight. “You’re alive?!”

“Am I not supposed to be?” Han asked in reply, looking over at Luke very confused. “Is this more of your hokey Force religion, Luke?”

“Skywalker, did you say?” the really disarmingly-attractive man in the white armor asked, peering all the way around to frown at Luke. “Did I hear you correctly? Your name is Luke Skywalker?”

“Yes, that’s my name. Do I know you?” Luke replied.

“My name is Rey and… well… the last time I saw you, you were… a lot older and…” Rey frowned, still talking to Han, and looked away, as if carrying a heavy burden before cheering up. “But this is wonderful! You’re alive! The Force is amazing! I have to tell General Organa!”

“You wouldn’t happen to be related to someone named Anakin Skywalker, would you?” asked the ginger haired man with the armor and sexy accent.

“Leia is a general?” Han gaped, confused.

“That’s my father,” Luke said, also confused because there are a lot of people talking at the same time and it’s getting hard to keep track of them. “Why? Do you know him?”

“Yes, she’s leading the resistance against the First Order,” Rey explained with a stars in her eyes as she beheld her hero in his younger, sexier form. Poor girl. Your author hopes she never watches Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade because that has ruined your author for all other Harrison Ford movies.

“Know him? He’s my former padawan,” the man at the end of the line up of heroes said with a charming, toothy smile and a jaunty laugh. “I don’t know where he is at this moment but once I take care of this, I’m going to go find him and save him from whatever nonsense he’s gotten himself into.”

***

Meanwhile, a few meters away.

Darth Vader grit his teeth and vowed vengeance against the young, handsome, charming, attractive– had he always been that sexy in armor?– Obi-Wan Kenobi talking to his son like he didn’t even know that he, the fallen Anakin Skywalker, was right there. He was right there and Obi-Wan wasn’t even paying attention to him. The utter gall of that man!

How dare Obi-Wan show up now, looking so… so… hot and young and beautiful? And wasn’t he supposed to be dead? Vader was pretty sure he had killed Obi-Wan and immediately regretted it but that’s how Anakin rolls, gentle readers on the Death Star.

“Allow me to rid this galaxy of Kenobi’s infuriating presence once and for all, my master,” Vader rumbled in that terrifying voice that sounded nothing like his real voice but that’s okay because we have that traumatizing Rebels episode for that particular heartbreak.

“No,” Count Dooku intoned, his ominous voice rumbling through the area like thunder because his best buddy Gandalf helpfully volunteered to do the sound effects for this battle. “I will be the one to bring Kenobi to the Dark Side once and for all. He could be a powerful ally and it’s what Qui-Gon would have wanted.”

“If anyone is going to kill KENOBAEAUGUHGHA it is going to be me!” Maul snarled and paced around because that’s what he does when he’s being evil. He snarls, paces and says KENOBAEAUGUHGHA over and over again. Honestly, it gets kind of weird after a while.

Palpatine just covered his face with his hand and muttered to himself. “I should have killed that sexy ginger myself.”

***

“Padawan? What’s a padawan?” Luke asked because, again, he had like a weeks worth of training in the Jedi arts and the author is pretty sure Yoda had more important things to do than to go into the naming nomenclature of the Jedi order. “Wait… Obi-Wan? Are you Obi-Wan Kenobi?!”

Obi-Wan gave Luke that charming, sexy grin of his and nodded. “Yes, I am. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Luke. And you two as well, Han and Rey.”

“Uh… Hi,” Han said, waving his hand a little as Rey peered around him to gasp at Luke.

“Luke Skywalker?!” Rey almost squealed with delight because let’s be honest here, Gareth Pugh Couture Jumpsuit Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker is PEAK Luke. “I have your lightsaber! I need you to teach me how to be a Jedi!”

Han Solo took a step back while the lightsaber wielding crazies, as a wise man once called them, talked to and over each other. Or rather, while Rey and Luke tried to have a three-way conversation that Obi-Wan was occasionally roped into when someone needed to be gently corrected as to how the Force and the Jedi Order worked.

“No, we don’t mind control people like that, Rey.”

“Luke, that is nothing like what a defensive Soresu stance should look like. Who taught you that?”

“Yes, I agree, that lightsaber sounds most immature and poorly built. Who did you say made it? Kylie Ren?”

Han, being the clever and observant type, noticed that the Dark Side users, that was what Luke called them, were all glaring over at Obi-Wan and since Han wasn’t in the mood to get stabbed or lose a hand like Luke, he decided to interrupt the impromptu Light Side pow-wow. “Hey… so… Vader, I know, and I’m pretty sure that guy in the hooded robe is Emperor Palpatine but does anybody know what’s up with Grampa and Pointy over there? Are they a part of your Fist Order, Rey?”

“It’s First Order, not Fist Order and, no, I’ve never seen them before,” Rey said, frowning. “Although I have heard of Darth Vader, mostly in passing. He died on the second Death Star over Endor. Him and the Emperor.”

“There’s another Death Star?” Han and Luke groaned at the same time. And a third one too but the author did not have time to go into all of that.

“Gramps and Pointy,” Obi-Wan explained, enjoying a good chuckle at Maul’s expense like we all should, pointing to each man in turn. “Are Sith Lords. Count Dooku was my master’s master, a fallen Jedi who now goes by the name of Darth Tyranus. He tried to recruit me to the Dark Side and cut off my padawan’s arm. And Pointy is Darth Maul, who murdered my master. I cut him in half and kicked him down a plasma shaft but apparently he shook that off somehow.”

Luke gaped in horror. “You cut him in HALF and he LIVED?”

“Next time I’ll aim for his neck,” Obi-Wan shrugged.

“KENOBAEAUGUHGHA!” Maul bellowed from a few meters away where the Sith Lords were standing in place because authorial intent is stronger than the Dark Side. “At last I will have my revenge!”

“Fool,” Dooku bellowed with a dramatic flourish of his cape. “You are but a mad dog, a tool my master used to bring himself to power. Kenobi will be a great ally to the Sith once turned.”

“Silence!” Vader said in that lovely James Earl Jones bass, clenching his fist as if he could squeeze the life out of Obi-Wan like he did to Admiral Ozzel, Captain Needa and others who out of an abundance of tact the author will not name. “I am going to be the one to finally destroy Obi-Wan Kenobi and then the Jedi Order’s failures will be complete.”

Luke and Rey exchanged a glance and turned to Obi-Wan, horrified at the narrative arc of his life.

Obi-Wan sighed. “Oh, is it Tuesday again?”

Emperor Palpatine muttered to himself under his breath. “You had one job, Commander Cody. Just one! But, no! You couldn’t even do that right! Why did I even order a Clone Army? They spent most of their time getting cool-looking tattoos and painting their armor! Hell! Captain Rex was more concerned about getting airtime and being cast in Return of the Jedi than carrying out my master plan!”

Now Han Solo, for all the grief the author has given him in this story that has gone on longer than they wanted, is a smart man. One does not smuggle spice, coaxium, or whatever in the age of the Empire unless one is clever and quick on his feet and Han Solo is pretty quick on his feet.

Especially when running away from a bunch of stormtroopers on the Death Star. The author thinks he might have broken a record or something in that scene.

Anyway, Han Solo realized that a few things about the situation he found himself it.

Number one, he didn’t want to fight Vader and get his blaster stolen again.

Number two, everyone at the informal Force Users of Star Wars meetup seemed oddly obsessed with Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Number three, there was a way out of this if he just played his cards right. And as Han would tell you, he is very good at cards.

Clearing his throat, Han Solo announced in a loud voice that just barely managed to pierce the din of Force users talking about Obi-Wan Kenobi. “None of you love Obi-Wan Kenobi as much as I do.”

“What?!” Vader barked, looking around for the person who dared to lay claim to the mantle of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Number One Fan and Nemesis. “Who said that?”

“Just his biggest fan,” Han Solo said again, smirking at Vader. “I even got an official certificate from the Jedi Order in here somewhere.”

“You do not!” Vader protested angrily. “I made them stop giving those out after they tried to give Ahsoka one!”

“What?!” Obi-Wan gaped, stunned. “What official certificate?”

“Nonsense! Kenobi is my life’s goal! My mission and obsession! I am his greatest fan!” Maul snarled, shoving his way forward into the crowd that was slowly starting to form not so much around Obi-Wan but more like in front of him, so that his adoring crowd could all show off how much they loved him and were willing to kill everyone in the galaxy to prove it. Because that’s healthy.

Well, Palpatine just wanted to kill Obi-Wan once and for all but even he had to admit the man was nice on the eyes.

“Maybe that’s why Commander Cody missed,” Palpatine muttered in an aside as he tried to hobble around the bickering crowd.

“Kenobi is my grandpadawan!” Dooku insisted, refusing to let the younger Sith steal away his prize. “If anyone has that right, it should be me!”

“Listen, I didn’t want to have to throw my weight around like this but I am the main character of this story,” Luke insisted, almost elbowing Maul in the face as he tried to get a word in. “And Obi-Wan did spend eighteen years on Tatooine AND I am a Skywalker so if anybody is going to be Obi-Wan’s biggest fan, I think it should be me.”

“TATOOINE?!” Vader exploded. “You were on Tatooine all this time?! You made my poor, sexy master waste away on Tatooine?!”

“Excuse me, Lord Vader,” Palpatine interjected. “But I am your master, remember?’

“Yeah, yeah, whatever Sheev,” Vader muttered, rolling his eyes behind his mask. “Listen, Luke, son, kid, I know you’re new to this whole ‘Jedi business’ but let me straighten you out. As Obi-Wan Kenobi’s former padawan learner, I get first dibs on him, okay? Me, not you, not Grumpy Grandpa over here and definitely not Rage-Face Robo-Legs over here.”

“But you’re a Sith Lord!”

“Does that look like it’s stopping any of the rest of Obi-Wan’s fanboys? Hell! I bet even Palpatine has a few sexy pictures of his from the Clone Wars.”

“I knew I never should have told you about my secret thirst tumblr, Vader!”

“See what I mean?”

While this heated battle of words, fannish desire and single minded obsession devotion continued on apace, Han Solo took his opportunity to make his escape. He was going to try to get Luke’s attention but it was clear that Luke had fallen under the sway of Kenobi and wouldn’t be leaving any time soon. Rey also looked like she wanted to elbow her way into the squabble of McQueen black robes and knee high Chanel boots but Han reached out to stop her. “C’mon, kid, we’re getting out of here.”

“But we can’t just leave them!” Rey insisted in that way that reminded Han of Leia but also Luke. He wondered if perhaps Rey was related to them somehow because it seemed like everyone was related to a Skywalker these days but quickly forgot it in the heat of the moment.

“They’ll be fine,” Han insisted, seeing a break in the blue fog encircling the nonsense he found himself in. “Besides, what are we going to do against four bad guys with lightsabers?”

Rey opened her mouth to insist that she had somehow managed to download Kylo Ren’s ability to wield a lightsaber but then she realized she would have to explain Kylo Ren to Han Solo and she just didn’t have the heart to tell him about that because your author is STILL salty about that, gentle reader. STILL SALTY. “All right let’s go. Obi-Wan? We’re leaving. Are you coming with us?”

Obi-Wan was leaning against a pile of old rubble, watching the Luke and the Sith Lords squabble over him. He looked over at Rey and Han, waving them off. “Oh, no, thank you, my dear. I’m quite used to this by now. I’m sure Ahsoka and Captain Rex will be along in a minute to pick me and Luke up. You two go on and may the Force be with you both.”

Rey looked at Han Solo, who shrugged, and with that they both ran for the fog.

“That isn’t even your real voice, Skywalker! How can you truly do credit to the name of KENOBAEAUGUHGHA if you have to rely on James Earl Jones to sound intimidating?”

“What are you even saying? That sounds nothing like my grandpadawan’s name! It must be said with deep, solemn and regretful feeling. You have to project. Like this. Kenobi.”

“Why are all my apprentices obsessed with this Kenobi? He’s not even that attractive. Now Qui-Gon Jinn? That was a man!”

Obi-Wan groaned and buried his face in his hands.

Yup, this was just another Tuesday.

[angelthefirst1]

Jesus/Beth and the Crossroads/Animal trap

Jesus/Beth and the Crossroads/Animal trap

Are the same story going different directions.

9:08 and all of 9b is Beth’s Story repeated, merged and going the other way let me explain.

First we need to go back to 9:08 where we see Jesus (opposite Beth) plus Daryl and Arron out looking for Eugene (Eugene being the original Washington DC cure man and Beth with her Washing DC spoon links the two of them as proxies in these next scenes.

Eugene even has long hair with a braid and a leg injury

But lets start with Jesus, Daryl and Arron coming across a herd in a field while looking for Eugene.

The herd is roaming in circles and behaving strangely. (Beth's story which I believe the herd signifies and will be demonstrated as we go)

Daryl throws an alarm clock that has a happy clown 🤡 face on it, to distract the herd so they can get away. Once at a safe distance,the camera focuses on the clock with the alarm going off drawing the walkers.

It reads 1:07 but it also has 2 second hands which read 9:12 not sure what the  numbers represent but the two sets of clock hands on top of each other represent the two stories on top of each other - Jesus’s/whisperer story and Beth’s Grady story which is reinforced by the dialogue coming up.

This clock is the time piece that sets the two stories on a collision course and Daryl is the one who sets it off.

Jesus asks Daryl "You put that herd at 140?" (Story or herd number 1)

Daryl: "Yeah"

Jesus: "Looks like more than double that now" (Story doubled)

Arron: "Could be a different herd, one merged with another one" (different story line merged with another one... doubled) Jesus’s Story and Beth’s together.

Daryl "Ain't gonna be there very long, no matter how big it is...  As long as it's going the other way"

The repeat of Beth's story won't take long but its a big story.

9a has pretty much repeated all the main themes of her story but going the other way.

The clock going off while Jesus stares ominously at it (not a good sign for Jesus) and Daryl saying the "doubled herd, or two stories that merged together but now going the other way" is hopefully going to end in her being revealed alive at some stage during the Whisperer story just as Jesus Died at the start of it.

I believe this is the point that Jesus's story and Beth's story collide, from Still to Alone when she first went missing,Grady and after, all merge and start going in opposite directions.

And Daryl just set off the timer to start it going the other way.

Jesus dies at the start of a new story line (the Whisperers) in 9:08

Let's look at Jesus's story in 9b VS Beth's story.

Jesus and Beth suddenly, unexpectedly killed by an outside group (opposite ends of the story)

Daryl shoots both responsible parties in the head. The whisperer that stabbed Jesus, and he shoots Dawn In the head.

Jesus's body however gets brought back to Hilltop where Michonne says "it's good you could bring his body back to bury, and give the people closure" (infuriating for Beth fans right)

Beth's story is going the other way so her events go back to before Jesus was killed and they are looking for Eugene who is the Beth proxy in the following scenes:

Before reading the next scenes understand that the two stories merging require two Beth proxies and two Daryl proxies.

Beth’s Story going backwards = Eugene/ Life,

Going forwards = Jesus/Death

So when you see their names’ think backwards Beth story for Eugene or Forward for Jesus.

Daryl and Arron the same thing applies but Arron = backwards story, Daryl = forwards... until a little later on at the crossroads scene where Daryl does something that flips his and Arron’s positions.

 So 

Daryl, Arron and Jesus find Eugene who has a dislocated knee...

Now that we have the 4 players needed to tell the two stories, they start to go in the different directions.

Arron asks "are you alright?" (just like Daryl did when Beth steps in the trap)

Eugene: "I took a bad step and dislocated my knee, there was a herd on our six and Rosetta was forced to stash me here"

Eugene being found with a leg injury and all four proxies together means the story separates from this point on in different directions. It puts both Beth proxies at the point where she got stuck in the trap and hurt her ankle in front of the walker that had a police badge (as pictured above) and just before Grady. Eugene's story is going backwards to Still, and Jesus’s Story will go forward to Grady where he dies)

Daryl: "If it's just dislocated we can pop it back in" (Beth stuck at Grady, Daryl is sure he can pop her back into his group, get her back)

Eugene: "No the herd (or Beth's story) that followed us here and is on the way back, it's already been through twice its looking for me"

The herd then comes to the barn where they found Eugene, Daryl looks at it and says "No way that's the same herd".

They run with the herd following them and come to a crossroad's with a car.

Look familiar... this crossroads is HUGH implication wise, its a mix between the crossroads where Daryl loses Beth after alone and the car in Still they hide in, and also a representation of what happens after Grady.

We see Jesus and Daryl helping Eugene who is struggling to walk and they come from the same direction in the crossroads that Daryl came when running after Beth.

Eugene rests on the hood of the car. As apposed to Beth and Daryl hiding in the boot in Still.

It then shows Arron who is in the woods behind the crossroads, looking at the herd coming toward him through the trees and runs back to the others the same way Beth and Daryl ran out of the woods and onto the road with the car in Still.

The next part is callbacks to Still and Alone dialogue (backwards story) and forward story line about Beth's s brain being alive after being shot.

Eugene makes the case that the walkers are evolving even though they are dead, the brain is alive and if the brain is alive it can change (Beth "I wish I could just change")

Eugene: “Maybe even start to remember things too, like how to talk”

(Beth “i remember, when that little girl came out of the barn”)

Daryl: shocked "what?"

Jesus: it's not any crazier than the dead being alive in the first place, if they can learn to talk maybe they can learn strategies and how to hunt" (when Beth and Daryl finally started talking in Still, that led to him teaching Beth and her learning how to track and hunt which results in the forward story of stepping in the trap, where they just came from)

It’s at this point Arron comes running saying "they're right on our asses we gotta go, we gotta get to the horses fast" (horses/cars) in Still they got in the trunk. After Grady... well who knows but they seem to be trying to tell us she gets left in the car.

Eugene says while sitting on the car: "You have to leave me behind i’m slowing you down"

I remember back to Still and the look Daryl gave Beth after they get out the trunk and start to walk off, reminded me of this, like Beth felt if she was slowing him down or holding him back cos he looked at her like she was weak.

Jesus: (forward Beth) "what? No we came out here to find you"(me thinks Beth will be a tad annoyed she gets left behind after Grady)

Eugene: "You don't have a choice"

Jesus: "The numbers actually work for us we can split up (2 stories going different ways), you two get him back to the horses. I'll lead them off.

Daryl: "No, if anyone stays it's going to be me, heck I'll probably beat you back to Hilltop anyway" (Here Daryl flips his and Arron's stories as i mentioned earlier, Daryl now becomes the forward story and Arron the backward one. It was meant to end with Jesus leading the herd off and simply ending Beth's forward story but now Daryl has made a switch a move that changes the story, he possibly did something to keep Beth's body from the herd in the forward story line by being the one that stays with her body and he was also the one to set off the alarm clock which made the 2 merged stories (herds) go the other way.

So the 2 Beth's and Back story Daryl (Arron) head out together while forward Daryl and dog goes down the fork in the road where he separates from Arron Jesus and Eugene.

This is amazing because now we have forward story Daryl on his own (No Beth proxy, shes gone in a different direction, its just him with dog)

Jesus, Arron and Eugene leave the crossroads in the opposite direction they came in from while Daryl with his dog takes the fork in the road. (Referencing, that direction is the road that would lead to the Claimers aka Negan and all the story lines that Beth has been missing from since) 

Daryl stops just down this road and tries to get the now passing (doubled) herd which is heading in the same direction as the others, to come his way by lighting fire crackers and getting dog to bark. The herd (story) starts to come his way (which would lead to a repeat of what has already happened with the claimers/Negan and Beth staying missing) but due to the whisperers in the story line combining with the old story it unexpectedly changes direction again and keeps following the others. Daryl is shocked.

We then see Arron, Jesus and Eugene in a foggy grave yard. (Grady)

The story has gone forward to Grady for Jesus because the herd (story) changed direction.

This is where he gets unexpectedly killed by an enemy group.

9:09 we see Jesus get the Burial that Beth Didn't, which should have been in 5:09

Jesus is now dead and the events will play out step by step but backwards from Grady

If we keep going we will keep seeing the backwards story of Beth and Daryl, using different characters to tell it.

Next in Jesus's story line but prior in Beth's, both stories show each side taking hostages from the enemy camp.

Jesus's story line:

Daryl and Michonne kill one whisperer and take Lyida hostage.

At Grady the group killed one cop and took 2 hostage into trade for Beth and Carol.

Next in Jesus's story but prior in Beth's, The whisperers take Luke and Alden hostage (at Grady Carol, Beth)

Next: at Hilltop Henry (another Beth proxy) befriends Lydia (who is a Noah and then Daryl proxy depending on the scene), as its moving backwards it starts with Lydia = Noah as both are prisoners, Henry locked up for drinking. (Beth befriends Noah at Grady)

Once Henry is let out of the cell the Lydia proxy changes to Daryl. And they start a romantic relationship as its going backwards.

In one of my old posts i used this image which has plagued me.

: = Repeat, music sign 6131 GH (Grady hospital) i always felt this story would repeat backwards and now it is finally! but it’s now happened in 9b

  This is already a massive post and i have only just started to scratch the surface, go re-watch 9:08 if you can because you will see how much this makes sense.

In between the scenes i have talked about above you also have Henry scenes of him getting drunk and killing the walker that the other teenagers are abusing

So we have Still themes repeated, which leads to Daryl and Beth talking, or Henry and Lydia talking because Henry gets locked up with her because of the drinking, and as Eugene said the talking leads to the tracking and hunting lessons which lead to the trap, in Lydia and Henry’s case it led to her dealing with the issues of abuse from her mother and changing)

Then there are Negan (=Beth) scenes which i believe is Beth’s forward story proxy.

Locked in his cell he gets out, Steals Judith's compass (Judith =Dawn) Judith lets him go after debating weather to shoot him or not and says keep the compass you'll need it to find your way home there is nothing out there for you. Its repeating Dawn telling Beth they always come back and Negan does end up coming back voluntarily which may point to Beth going back to Grady after getting shot and being left i a car.

It’s very possible that the Grady people follow the group after they leave with Beth's body (if she is in someway connected to a cure story, which i’m still not ruling out.

Doc Edwards might demand they go get her body back asap as even dead she could be valuable

Once the herd causes Daryl and co leave, the Grady cops find her and bring her back for treatment realizing she is alive. But she is now a repeat prisoner at Grady and valuable she will have to escape again. Obviously what happens after to Beth is just guesses at this point but it seems to already be hidden in the story (you just gotta know how to read it)

I might try and continue more before the season 9 final, because i feel like she may make an appearance in a coda like Morgen did at the end of 5:08 where he was completely covered in a mask and thick long clothing, the snow in the final would suit this happening again, then as she takes the mask off.

Boom Beth's alive!!!  

[lukeskywalking]

Top five Luke moments

Ask me “top 5″ anything and I’ll answer!

I got two of this one, lmao y’all know me too well

5. This moment, in particular: 

idk. It’s just cute. Sue me.

4. The entirety of him in ANH. I just love how much growth he shows over his journey, plus you gotta love the awesome moment where he blows up the Death Star. Chills, man.

3. His battle with Vader on Bespin. I love the development of his emotions during it; he starts off confident, then soon realizes he’s way over his head, he’s just a kid and holy shit this guy his scary. Then his defiance as he keeps fighting anyway, and his determination not to turn over to the dark side. Gah. I love it.

2. His entire opening sequence in ROTJ. I just love how he enters surrounded in light, all hooded and dressed in black, suddenly strong af, sleuthing his way past all the guards and being all proud as he takes on Jabba. Very ominous. Then he does that flip and catches his lightsaber, and the sigh of relief when it turns out to be green, not red -- because of course our Luke didn’t switch sides. Of course he didn’t.

1. “I am a Jedi, Like my father before me.” I mean...come on. It all led up to that moment. Tossing away his weapon, staring the all-powerful Emperor in the face after just having lost his shit on his dad, and saying no. I am better than this. I am better than you, and so is my father. I love it so fucking much.

What a man. What a guy. 

[goldenlukelit]

Rain In July Part 2// Calum Hood

I make my way through the crowded living room walking towards where I last saw Sam sat on the sofa texting away on his phone “there’s my beautiful girlfriend” he smiles looking up at me as I make my way towards him, Sam stands up from the sofa heading over to me. “Sorry I was gone so long I ran into Calum” I roll my eyes to Sam wrapping my arms round his neck “your all mine now?” I nod moving my lips closer to his and connected them before taking his hand into mine. “Do you want to get a drink?” I ask him he nods and we make our way towards the kitchen our hands locked together. I stand in front of the kitchen table pouring Sam and I the same vodka and coke. Sam placed his hand on my shoulder rubbing small circles in the area it was something I didn’t really like, but Sam and I hadn’t been together long enough for me to tell him things like that. I smile turning to face running my hand down his tattooed arm “here” I hand him his slightly weaker drink already smelling the strong stench of whiskey on his breath “thanks babe” he smiles at me kissing my cheek. Sam stares out at the balcony watching the rain fall I notice this admiring the way he’s so mesmerised by the falling droplets “I’m so sick of rain in July” I lean into his side sighing

“I second that” he kisses my forehead “I’m gong out to the toilet” Sam tells me “Jason’s in the kitchen you should catch up with him” I nod and place a gently kiss to Sam’s lips before we part ways. The kitchen is emptier then it was when Sam and I were getting our drinks, the room now consist of Jason, Luke and Calum. I walk up to Jason and start talking to him about his band’s latest tour. “Yeah we’re super excited it’s our first time going to Manila” I nod smiling finishing off my drink, I glance around looking for Sam but all I’ve greeted with our faces of people I hardly know. “You looking for Sam?” Jason questions running a hand through his dark brown hair I nod pouring myself another drink instantly downing half of it “I could have sworn I saw him with some girl” I can almost guess who he’s talking about “Short? Dancer? Good bum?” I question Jason

“Short yes, I don’t know about her bum I don’t pay attention to that stuff I’m a classy guy”  I cock an eyebrow at him.

“Fine...” he holds his hands up smirking “good bum”. I shake my head finishing the rest of my drink “that’s his ex Grace” I look down at the floor “He’s not Tom just because that happened in the pas doesn’t mean it’s going to happen again. Sam is a good guy and if he knows what’s right for you he will never put himself in the position to loose you” I nod chewing on my bottom lip “I’m going to go find him” I hug Jason telling him I’ll see him soon. I don’t need to look very far for Sam, he and Grace are stood at the end of the hallway her hands resting on his chest, one of his hands on her bum the other on her hair. I am frozen. Unable to move. I stare at them wishing to be anywhere else, I notice how he caress her shoulder the same way, whispers the same sweet-nothings into her ears and she believes him. They move closer to one another their lips contesting my hand reaches to the necklace Sam bought me just for the sake of it and snatches it off. I march towards then tears threatening to spill from my eyes, I pull them away from one another both of them looking at me in disbelief, I thrust the necklace into Grace’s hand “I believe this was meant for you” I spit my eyes brimming with tears making my vision blurry “y/n” Sam begins I cut him off raising my finger in front of his face “don’t you ever fucking talk to me ever again” I shout in his face “you disgust me”. I walk away not allowing any tears to fall until I’ve exited the apartment. I head into the streets and since it was still early I decided it was safe enough to walk the short distance home.

 When Home I collapse on to the bed kicking my boots off and crying into my pillow stained with Sam’s scent. 30 minutes or so has passed when there’s a knock on my door, I sigh assuming it’s Sam come to apologies but to my shock Calum stands in front of me a bottle of wine in one hand and chocolates in the other. “I heard what happened” he glances down at the floor before turning to me with a cheesy grin on his face “Come on I’m taking you to our secret spot” he instructs cocking his head towards the car. I look at Calum confused, somehow he’s the only person I want and don’t want to talk to about this. I take the wine from Calum taking the top off and making my way towards the passenger door Calum beats me to it opening to for me “m’lady” he jokes mimicking my British accent awfully. “No one actually says m’lady silly. It’s like me...” unable to think of an example in my emotional state I just settle for smiling and shaking my head whilst looking out the window, I catch Calum staring at me through the wind mirror and wave sheepishly at him he beams back widely his eyes gleaming, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen Calum’s eyes shine like they do so well. Calum’s and I secret spot really isn’t that secret it’s a tiny section of beach that can’t be seen from anywhere else in the beach because of the large rocks and cliff face surrounding it. Calum spreads a blanket out near the shore before plonking down on to it I lower myself next to him handing him the nearly empty wine bottle, he holds it but does not drink before handing it back to me “I’m driving” he reminds me

“Oh yeah” I smile “I’m so used to being able to walk to this spot” I sigh admiring the calm blue sea “still not used to the new place?” I shake my head “I told my self I was never going to move away from the sea, I was never going to live in LA, never let you break my heart” I kick softly at the white sand in front of us sniffing listening to the sounds of the breaking waves Calum’s almost dead lighter that he tries desperately to work. I tie my long hair up in a messy bun sighing as I replay the evening events. “You’re worth so much more than that” Calum informs me I smile at him bringing the bottle to my lips “I know” I nod the silence drifting back. “How was tour?” I ask him my eyebrows furrowed “stressful as ever” Calum runs a hand through his hair as if even the thought of tour brings the stress back “like it is so much fun and I’d hate to sound ungrateful but it’s so fucking hard and it takes so much out of you” I nod watching Calum flick cigarette ash to his left. “I used to count down the days till you were visiting me, I know that when we’re apart it feels like nothing but I just couldn’t wait to see your face…I wouldn’t have to any other way” Calum trails off glancing up and the tall rocks. The clouds over the sky begin to look more and more ominous. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you, and I know that fixes nothing and I would take it all back if I could” I pull my knees closer remembering the crash. I had been cycling on my way to work when a car had come round a blind bend too fast knocked me straight of my bike, a week and a half in hospital and not a word from Calum. “I know we weren’t together, but we’d only been broken up 3 days, a text would have been sufficient” Calum stubs his cigarette out

“I was trying to give you space…I though that’s what you wanted”

“I wanted you” I meet Calum dead on my eyes staring into his the same way they did seven months ago “I’m here now” he whispers taking my hand in his. I begin to feel light rain droplets hit my bare legs and arms, despite knowing full well it’s about to chuck it down I stay frozen in time hearing my breathing in time with Calum the warmth of our hands laced together. The rain begins to fall heavier “I’m so sick of rain in July” I mutter staring up at the rain. There’s a pause before Calum inches a little closer to me “I haven’t stopped thinking about you, you interrupt my daily and I love it, if anyone is going to stop me functioning normally I want it to be you. If there is anyone I’m going to be love sick puppy in love with I want it to be you” I sigh heavily

“What took you so long Calum?” I whisper inching my face closer to his.  “I’m here now baby” I move my face closer just as Calum does our lips connecting the butterflies that had been building up settling as Calum and I relax into one another the rain metaphorically washing away the past, a fresh slate for Calum and I.

[daylighteclipsed]

I’m starting to really get into Star Wars and god do I love how Luke’s clothes shift from white to black as he slips closer to the Dark Side throughout the movies. I love that overt morality symbolism. It’s so interesting, especially because Luke’s moments of slippage aren’t always obvious.

ANH opens with farm boy Luke Skywalker dressed in pure white, having had a relatively stable upbringing. He’s an orphan and that kind of sucks, but he hasn’t been through any traumatic experiences or gone through any big losses yet. Sure he’s impatient and reckless and a little temperamental (like his dad), but he’s a good kid. Not long after we meet him, he’s told his father was murdered by Darth Vader. His aunt and uncle are killed by Imperial forces. Later he witnesses his friend Obi-Wan die at Vader’s hand.

The beginning of the trilogy establishes Luke’s scared and angry and has more than enough incentive to want revenge. It’s involuntary, but because Luke is Force sensitive this is the start of the Dark Side’s corruption. Temptation comes from the inside. You don’t necessarily have to act on those feelings–though if you do I think that speeds the process up–but once the feelings are there, festering, you’re already in danger of having them take over.

That’s why the Jedi are so against attachments and prefer to train people when they’re very young, before they can form major attachments. If they’re not attached to anything, they have nothing to fear losing. But by that logic, anyone trained when they’re older is likely to succumb to the Dark Side. Both Anakin and Luke are pretty much doomed from the start then, which Yoda does point out. Remembering Anakin, Yoda’s reluctant to train Luke at all in fact.

But he does, or at least starts to, which brings us to ESB. Luke’s impatient and kinda short with Yoda before Yoda even reveals who he is, which already doesn’t bode well. Luke fails two of his major Jedi lessons: he’s told to face his fear in the cave without a weapon, but brings his lightsaber anyway, effectively beheading Vader without hesitation; he’s told not to abandon his teachings in fear of his friends, but does so anyway. Anger and fear perfectly laid out, and he falls prey to both of them.

So its only fitting Luke’s dressed in murky grey when he tries to save his friends and face Vader in Bespin. He fails, miserably. The Dark Side’s corruption is growing. His father senses it, takes advantage of it to slice Luke’s hand off, and then drops the truth bomb of being his father, which turns Luke’s world upside down.

As a kid, I guess I never really considered the emotional impact this would have on Luke beyond obvious confusion and horror, fear and anger. But discovering his father’s alive and a Sith Lord and that his supposed “friend” Obi-Wan lied to him about it, that would throw all of Luke’s beliefs into question: Why would Obi-Wan, a Jedi, a ‘good’ guy, lie to him? Are the Jedi really ‘good’? Is he right to trust them? How could his once heroic Jedi father become this twisted monster? Everyone’s wary Luke has too much of his father in him. Are they right to be wary? Is there Darkness in him too? Is he really destined to be like his father?

If Luke was already subconsciously afraid of becoming like Vader as the cave vision in Dagobah suggests, discovering Vader’s his father amplifies that fear tenfold. Luke’s good, he knows he’s good; he risks falling to his death over surrendering to Vader. But the doubt is still there, and its the doubt that makes the Dark Side stronger.

ESB ends with Luke in this shaken state. He’s doubting himself and his beliefs and he’s afraid and really angry. It’s a snowball effect: The more upset he is, the more the Dark Side grows, and the more the Dark Side grows, the more upset he is. In the time between ESB and ROTJ, I imagine he’s sort of like Anakin, in which he has this immense rapidly growing power and all these emotions he can’t help but feel, with no one to help him deal with it. Anakin couldn’t ask for help, and Luke has no one to ask for help. There’s no one teaching him, no one guiding him. There’s no one preventing him from turning to the Dark Side, except for himself, his own belief in the Light.

That’s one thing I didn’t consider until now: the extent of which Vader revealing he’s Luke’s father damages Luke. The ground is ripped out from under his feet, and all that’s left below is Darkness. He doesn’t trust Obi-Wan. Yoda eventually dies. His friends aren’t Jedi. The only family he has left who can maybe understand him is evil, and it doesn’t help that part of him really longs to be his father’s son, despite everything. Luke’s in absolute emotional turmoil. He’s all alone with the Darkness growing inside.

And next time we see him in ROTJ he’s clad in black, with an ominous hood hiding his face. He Force Chokes guards, threatens Jabba, and slays Jabba’s guards above the sarlacc to rescue his friends; very un-Jedi like actions with very un-Jedi like motivations.

After surrendering to Vader in an attempt to bring Vader back to the Light, Luke’s brought to the throne room, where Palpatine instantly recognizes Luke’s growing hatred and rage and power. Palpatine tries to provoke him, taunting him mercilessly–Luke’s fate is inevitable, his friends are headed for a deadly trap which he’s powerless to stop, he wants to kill Palpatine, wants to strike him down so bad–and Luke snaps. He summons his lightsaber and swings at the Emperor and would’ve honestly killed him right there had Vader not intercepted Luke’s lightsaber with his own.

That’s another thing I didn’t realize: Luke’s big moment is generally considered to be when he has the choice to strike his father down or not, but he gives into the Darkness before that when he tries to kill Palpatine. He doesn’t succeed, but it isn’t himself, isn’t his own moral conscious, that stops him. It’s someone else blocking the way.

Fighting Vader is different at first. Luke doesn’t want to fight his father, and that kind of brings his rage back down to a controllable level. Luke’s still angry, but he feels the Light in his father and refuses to let go of that. He’s trying to be diplomatic, trying to be compassionate. Until Vader threatens to turn Leia, to put her through the emotional hell Luke’s trapped in. Then Luke flies off the handle. “NEVER!” He uses the Dark Side to attack Vader, beats him to the ground, chops Vader’s hand off (an eye for an eye, I suppose), and in the end has his lightsaber hovering at Vader’s throat not unlike how Vader pinned him down on Bespin.

Breathing heavily, shaking with rage, Luke is blind to the Light, blind to his father’s good, as the Dark Side swells within him, screaming for him to kill. Kill his father. Kill him. The Darkness knows you want to, Luke, and the Darkness feels good; unstoppable, intoxicating power…And, once more, Luke might’ve done it, had he not been interrupted.

He’s hesitating a little before that of course, but he doesn’t actually snap out of his rage-induced breakdown until Palpatine laughs. Only then does Luke glance at his mechanical hand and realize his fear of becoming like Vader is coming true. The rest is history: Luke tosses his lightsaber aside and declares himself a Jedi like Anakin. Part of his black robe falls open to reveal the white beneath; no matter how Dark he seemed Luke always had Light within him, the same Light he brings back in Anakin. By yielding, Luke saves himself and his father.

As much as Luke declares himself a Jedi though, he’s really….not. He’s not a Jedi or a Sith, he’s not one extreme or the other. He’s kind and selfless, but he’s also passionate and troubled. Luke loves and feels so much. Being an unorthodox kind of Force User, he exists in the middle, something entirely new, a big thing I failed to realize and what I think some other people still don’t realize: Luke’s in the grey zone. Not to say he isn’t kind and compassionate and forgiving and all, but that isn’t all he is. He isn’t all Light. He can’t be. 

The Dark Side’s a corrupting force and it nearly took him. Yes, Luke pulls away at the last second, but the Dark Side, and the damage it did to him, doesn’t go away just because Luke denounces it. Once its there, its there. Luke may’ve proven the Dark Side doesn’t have to dominate your destiny unless you let it, but the threat that it can will always be there. Luke will always have to struggle with that duality. He will always have to work to keep the Dark from extinguishing the Light inside him.

Which is, in all honesty, a solid representation of the struggle between Light and Dark that exists within us all. Luke having the Light and the Dark is what makes him human. Luke choosing to act primarily on the Light is what makes him a good human.

[lit-works]

Heroes For Hire: The Gang Wars trilogy

Book 1: After Midnight

Chapter 10: Washington Square

The arch was located in the center of Washington Square Park. The small, rectangular park sat near the heart of Greenwich village and the home of Doctor Strange. The arch itself stood at 86 feet tall, and was 30 feet across. It was constructed from nearly 700 tons of white marble.

It had become a foggy, cold night in Washington Square park. Ahead of Luke Cage and Iron Fist in the gloom of night sat the arch. By the wooden scaffolding running up one side, it looked as if the structure was in the process of being renovated.

Embracing warmly, two young lovers sat upon a stone bench beneath the glistening light of a street lamp. Not far away, a bell tolled the hour-- midnight.

Danny Rand had donned his vigilante costume, donning the apparel of The Immortal Iron Fist. His costume was essentially a jumpsuit, but of soft velvet-like material. It was black in color with single gold stripes running up both sides, and emblazoned in gold upon the chest was the symbol of Shao-L’ao the Undying. A great mystical dragon, and the source of the great power of the Iron Fist. The very same symbol had become permanently singed i to the flesh of Danny Rand’s very chest the day he became chosen as the new Iron Fist. Like his previous costumes his newer suit sported a very high collar of gold, and over the top half of his head he wore a golden sash, with holes for his eyes cut into it. Forgoing comfort for appearance Danny wore a simple pair of yellow High-Top Nike Jordans Air Max 1’s. The kind of shoes you could pump more air into with a button on the tongue, and Danny kept them thoroughly inflated for pressure resistance.

“Isn't that so sweet.” Danny audibly sighed and pointed out the young lovebirds in the park.

“Yeah, and i could be at home getting me some of that from Jessica. Instead I’m out here with you, looking for goons.”  Luke replied.

“I know! Isn't this great??!!” Danny asked, visibly excited by the prospect of a fight.

As the two of them looked over the park for any suspicious behavior, a figure moved from the shadows to stand boldly beneath the Arch. The figure wore a long coat and a fedora. From the distance it was hard to tell, but had he not just seen him back at the roaring 20s, Luke could've sworn the figure looked like Hammerhead.

Suddenly, the air crackled with electricity and the pungent odor of sulphur and four more human shapes seemed to appear out of nowhere to stand beneath the arch. They immediately surrounded the figure in the long coat.

-

Beneath the Arch Man Mountain Marko of the Silvermane branch of the Maggia family had been standing at the ready. He wore a long coat and fedora, as he was the only one with a stature similar to Hammerhead’s. When Hammerhead had received the note from Mister Fear, he had hired Man Mountain to pose as him and attend the parley. The sepia glow of streetlights refracted through the dense fog and gave the small tunnel an eerie luminescence. Shortly after the nearby clock tower tolled the twelfth hour he figured that perhaps this Mister Fear had gotten a little scared himself. So, since it didn't seem there would be a meeting he prepared to leave. Bit as soon as he stepped away from The wall beneath the Arch a strange blue electricity began to crackle in the fog around him. In flashes of blue light strange figures appeared around him and circled him quickly.

Marco could see the malignant intent in the eyes of these figures. As they circled him one of the mysterious arrivals let out a horrifying peal of laughter and loped at him. This horrific being appeared to be a Scarecrow, like one had been stolen from a farm upstate. The scarecrow man wore a blood-stained burlap sack over his head, crazed eyes twitching about behind torn holes. It's green and black flannel and black pants were also torn and splattered with blood. Strangely enough straw stuck out from the sleeves of his flannel and leg of his pants, going into his white gloves and black boots. In those white gloves was gripped the wooden handle of a rusted pitchfork, its needle-point tines pointing at Marco’s stomach.

However, the Scarecrow was only one of the frightening apparitions to have leapt out of the fog at him. To the right of Marco stood a woman, who had also come with the strange electricity. Her long black hair and dark eyes seemed to fade into the partial darkness around her, as well as the black leather outfit she wore, that revealed much skin. It seemed simply a pair of leather pants with 2 straps that wound up and over her shoulders and around her torso to only partially cover her breasts. The terrifying thing about this woman was that she was levitating, and not only that but appeared to be entangled in bright gold thread that billowed and waved,  coming out of her very own back like the skeins of thread were hair.

The other two mysterious attackers completed the circle around Marco, and were exactly identical to each other. Their bodies were obscured by heavy and baggy black cloaks. Both of their faces looked out from under hoods with faces painted like skulls.

In an instant Marco realized that there had indeed been an ambush planned to take out Hammerhead. But Hammerhead had been smart and seen it coming. Hammerhead’s fortune was not Marco’s. Scared witless by the strange group attacking him he withdrew a tommy gun from where he had been holding it hidden beneath his coat. It was Hammerhead’s personal Tommy, and was intended to send a message. Marco lifted the gun and opened fire, holding down the trigger and attempting to hose down the enemies with gunfire. He spun on his heels, spraying lead wildly in a circle.

-

The muzzle flash from the Tommy gun light up in the night. The two lovers sitting on the stone bench nearby screamed in fear of the sound of the gunshots, but only cowered in fear in each other's arms. Iron Fist leapt backwards and took cover behind a stone statue, looking around the corner to the Arch. Luke assessed the situation, realizing the couple was in grave danger. The man in the coat was shooting everywhere, ricochet alone could claim them as casualties. They did not deserve to die, and so Luke acted. Luke also leapt, but he into the way of stray bullets that could have taken the life of the couple. The bullets hit his impenetrable skin and fell harmlessly to the ground, he stood in front of the couple facing them and trying to make as much of a shield of himself as he could. “Nice night, ain't it guys?” Luke asked the couple. Then, he turned his head to see what had become of his best friend. Once he noticed Iron Fist safe behind the small statue he locked eyes with the man and gave him a nod of affirmation.

-

On the opposite side of the Washington Square Arch two costumed men had been standing in hiding. One was in a full mechanical power-suit, painted green and bared a cybernetic stinger proportionate to the wearer's body. This was Mac Gargan, better known as the supervillain The Scorpion. He had received his powers, nickname, and power-suit from a procedure designed to endow the human subject with the adapted powers of an animal, which was chosen as a Scorpion to be the perfect predator against Mac Gargan’s original prey Spider-Man. The Scorpion had been hired with a partner by Hammerhead to defend Man Mountain Marco and kill whoever staged the attack.

That partner was The Eel, or Edward Lavell. He had been just another good for Hammerhead before he acquired the special suit of a supervillain of his name whom had been slain by the Gladiator. The suit gave him super-powers akin to the abilities of the animal. With it he could produce electricity, as well as direct it and resist it. It also armored him slightly and gave him an enhanced radar sense. Given that he had already been under the employ of Hammerhead he had been asked personally by the boss to take these assassins out.

When Marco opened fire The Scorpion and Eel hid to avoid being shot, but kept a watchful eye on the events, waiting for their chance to strike with the element of surprise.

-

In the late 1600s the lot that was now the Washington Square Park had once served as a burial ground to beggars and the anonymous dead. Later in the 1700s it became a popular dueling grounds and a venue of public executions. Several of the gallows trees still stand. Hundreds of corpses laid moldering beneath the soil.

Atop the scaffolding that ran up the side of the renovated arch a tall ominous figure stood, in a thick black cloak. In one hand it shook a velvet bag of assorted animal bones while the other hand spilled blood from a vial into various patterns on the ground beside the scaffolding, chanting in creole all the while. He was using voodoo black magic, more specifically Necromancy, his specialty. Having studied the stolen book, ‘A Madman’s Mutterings’ this stranger's own powerful magical abilities had been enhanced even further. Feeling the magic take hold and the power flowing through his veins he transferred energy into the earth of the park. Into the empty shells of former humans lying restlessly beneath the dirt. In his mother tongue he summoned the forgotten dead to come forth and conquer, come forth and kill. Heeding the call of Black Talon those who had been in an eternal slumber began to stir…

-

Screaming long and loud as he finished his full circle, Marco suddenly had his Tommy Gun torn from his hands by the powerful swing of the Scarecrow’s pitchfork. Reaching into his coat again Marco withdrew a knife and thrusted it blade over hilt at the scarecrow. Contorting his back so that he literally bent over backwards the scarecrow dodged the knife and then planted one hand down to finish a full back handspring, free hand still clutching the pitchfork. Scarecrow laughed vilely once again.

“Let's keep that coat closed shall we?” the strange woman attacker beneath the arch shouted.

With a flick of her hands Marco’s coat seemed to be fusing completely closed around. Fabric weaving together and making it a seamless garment more akin to a straight-jacket with his arms trapped inside. Frantically straining at his coat his screams became muffled as the fabric of his coat now began to cover his mouth and nose smothering him. The length of the coattail then tightened around his legs, slamming his knees together in a loud crack as Marco fell to the ground in a cocoon of killing fabric. His screams became quieter as he lost his breath, squirming at their feet.

The Scarecrows maniacal laughter was interrupted this time when the Scorpion’s massive prehensile-robotic tail swung into the chest of the woman attacker and slammed her bodily into the wall of the inner Arch. Her eyes glazed as all the wind was knocked from her lungs in a gusting exhale. She had felt at least a single rib snap in the blow. “Let him go, bitch!!” The Scorpion screamed at the woman, keeping her pinned against the wall with his tail.

In the secondary ambush the two men with the skeletal face-paint had been positioned low to the ground to avert Marco’s gunfire and saw The Scorpion and Eel charging.

Both of them simultaneously reaches inro their own cloaks and withdrew what appeared to be eggs, but when they struck the wall and ground before The Eel the burst to spread a highly corrosive acid stopping the eel short. With his momentum the Eel had to jump over the acid and nearly fell in the landing. Taking advantage of the Eel’s misstep the Scarecrow moved to gore the Eel with his pitchfork. But suddenly Iron Fist launched directly into the Scarecrow’s back with a flying spin-kick that landed squarely between his shoulders. The scarecrow sprawled in a heap face first onto the ground.

-

Shortly after Luke had watched Iron Fist going running into combat he turned to see what had unfolded. He was encountered and surprised by a Skeleton. In the twilight night he thought it was a trick. Perhaps an illusion from a projector like he had seen once on Scooby Doo. But as the skeleton walked there was the sound of bone on asphalt. A shaft of streetlight collided on the skull to reveal a dusty lump of what used to be eye. It was a skeleton, just as tall as the one's Biology teachers held in classrooms but moved as smoothly as a well-conditioned athlete. It's head swivelled as if surveying the scene with its coal black socket and hearing with just the ghost of it's ears. Luke shifted his weight to his back foot and the loose gravel crunched beneath his loafer. The skinless arm of the skeleton pointed in his direction and its teeth gnashed as it hastened its stride towards Luke. When Luke looked around again he saw that the skeleton was one of many closing in on the arch and his locatio. In uncoordinated fashion. “Get up! Stay Close!” Luke commanded of the couple who whimpered but shuffled behind him quickly.

At least 80 Skeleton had exhumed themselves from beneath the grass of the park, turning the well-manicured grass into a field of holes and churned earth. The mass of them blocked the path between Luke and Iron Fist. As the pointing Skeleton reached Luke, Luke brought his large fist down on the Skeleton’s skull shattering it into fragments and sending the lot of bones clattering to the ground. Another approaching from the side was broken apart by Luke's forearm smashing  its ribcage into powder. “I'll try to make you a path out of here! Be careful!” Luke shouted to the two innocent lovers behind him.

-

The two face-painted men jumped up from their prone position. Shortly after acquiring the Eel costume, Edward Lavell had first tasted defeat at the hands of Power Man and Iron Fist when he had been attempting to break his employer Hammerhead from behind bars. The moment he saw Iron Fist he became furious and shot a direct blast of electricity towards Iron Fist. In an instant Iron Fist narrowly dodged the blast by leaping into a roll to the side of the tunnel where Scarecrow had first appeared. The Eel was preparing Another electrical attack when the scarecrow leapt up from where he had been knocked to the ground and continued his attack on the Eel.

Iron Fist saw the nearly unconscious woman pinned to the wall by The Scorpion and moved to her aid, as he believed the scorpion would kill her. As he charged at them he lifted his hand and channeled his chi into his hand to make the Iron Fist, transforming his hand into a weapon of immeasurable strength and power. Once he was close he jumped up and kicked off of the wall, bringing the Iron Fist directly i to The Scorpions solar plexus and pummeling him into the ground with concussive force. As he slammed into the earth the Scorpion released his tails hold on the woman who slid down the wall behind Iron Fist. Scorpion fell immediately and completely unconscious. In a show of power he then held up his mystically glowing fist before him and at the two Face-painted villains.

-

Hundreds upon hundreds of bones and piles of its dust lay mounded across the park where Luke Cage obliterated each Skeleton that approached him or his charges. The couple had been made a clear path to the edge of the park where they were able to escape harm's way. They scaled the fence and ran into the night towards their homes at the behest of Luke Cage, their savior. His suit now caked in bone meal Luke plowed through the remaining skeletons that blocked him from the arch. Arms cutting them down, feet crushing bone and splintering teeth. Steadily taking them all down he made his way to the Arch.

-

The Eel looked into the Scarecrow's eyes before he prepared an electrical attack to launch at it. But, as he looked into the scarecrows eyes it lifted a hand and blew a strange black and violet powder into his face. The eel began hacking and coughing, stumbling back towards the wall. His vision was becoming blurry, and the sounds of struggle between Iron Fist and the two face-painted men echoed off the marble. When the scarecrow laughed his wicked laugh it became the only thing he could hear, at a deafening volume. He looked at the scarecrow whose features seemed horribly distorted and terrifying to look at. The powder had been a specially concocted formula that targeted the adrenal glands of all affected living things it was administered to, causing sensory overload and triggering a panic attack in its victims. The Eel felt a tingling in his hands and feet that quickly became a numbness as his heart began to race. Dizziness brought him to his knees as he began to scream in fear of impending doom, screaming so hard his chest hurt and he struggled to breath. The scarecrow slowly walked towards the kneeling Eel and picked up his Pitchfork as he approached.

Iron Fist adeptly dueled the two face-painted assassins who were now both wielding knives. He parried their blows with strikes to their wrists and always stepped toward them pushing them back towards the wall, kicking their legs. His still glowing fist disarming them as he implemented it to break the blades of their knives by punching it as they swung them at him.

The Scarecrow spun his pitchfork and then aimed a blow to disembowel the Eel. As he brought it back he laughed, but when he went for the thrust he was brought short and accidentally slipped losing his grip on the pitchfork. He looked over his shoulder to see Luke Cage had grabbed the very end of the pitchfork. With his other hand he clobbered the scarecrow on his head and knocked him to the ground out cold.

Iron Fist then used the Iron Fist to punch one of the face-painted who flew backwards and smacked the back of his skull into the face of his partner, whose head swung back hitting the wall and then headbutting the back if his partner's head again. Heavily concussed both men were rendered unconscious.

The brawl seemingly over Iron Fist and Luke Cage approached each other and gave a celebratory fist bump. Both men just smiled at each other as they tried to catch their breath, weary from battle. Remembering the injured woman Iron Fist ran over to where she had been when he freed her from the Scorpion's pincer. As he walked towards her he could feel a charge in the air. “No! They're going!” Luke shouted.

“What?” Danny asked confused as he then watched a bluish flash of light claim the woman and all her associates and vanish. The woman, the scarecrow, and two men in paint were gone. Disappeared in the all-too-familiar lightning with the smell of sulphur. Had they been in the open and within view they would have seen a flash of light from the top of the arch as well. Luke and Iron Fist still stood beneath the arch, they ripped apart the cocoon of clothing to reveal a scared but still alive and coherent Marco. He had never been happier to see a pair of superheroes in his life. They began to ask Marco some questions in exchange for saving his lives as the sound of an approaching car carried on the nights air. Luke had called Misty Knight  to spread the word of what had happened and their new prime suspects.

-