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phoenixkaptain · 2 years

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The word count of my Star Wars doc has gotten too high, it takes forever to load 🥲

So. I’m going to write brief snippets and hope that someone likes some of them enough to encourage me to finish them or post them

Some of them are done, I’m just really bad at posting things 😔

They probably won’t have the same titles, but I’ll use the “title” I gave them in the doc. Some of these are very dumb, and you have to understand that I occasionally write things for the vibe and literally no other rhyme or reason, so bear with me…

1. Jedi Sanctioned Attachment

This is an alternate take of the Clone Wars where, at some vague point, a deadly flu sweeps the planets. The only cure is the fruit of a specific plant, but this plant will only grow if the person it chooses shows it affection. Nobody knows why it chooses whoever it chooses, but it makes a choice and that person has to give it affection if they want the plant to bear fruit.

The medicine made from it has to be made from a fresh fruit, and the medicine works best when fresh, and the planet that grows this plant is on the outer rim of the Outer Rim planets, so the locals give the Jedi a sapling in a pot to hopefully find someone to care for it.

The plant latches on to Anakin.

(I wrote this whole thing because I thought to myself: “What would it take for the Jedi to allow one of their own to be openly attached? As in, as attached as Anakin gets, which is obsessively attached.” This was what I came up with.)

Excerpt:

“You must take a sapling that has yet to choose a caretaker,” the local explains to Anakin, carefully patting down more soil in the sapling’s little pot. “That way, it will not suffer from being separated.”

Anakin seems to hesitate, suddenly. The local looks at him with large, pupil-less eyes that are the same shade of light pink as the plant. Anakin helps pat down some of the soil, his face slightly perturbed, his lips pressed together.

“Will it…” he trails off.

“What is it?” the local lilts gently, as though coaxing a wild animal. “Ask your questions, I will answer them.”

“Will it hurt the plant to be separated from the rest?” Anakin asks, brows furrowed. “Will it get lonely?”

The local blinks at him, at a loss for words. Anakin doesn’t notice, too busy gently sprinkling droplets of water on the plant’s leaves, as he was shown.

“It will not get lonely,” the local offers, heart racing a bit because of how earnestly concerned Anakin seems (the locals all knew the Jedi were attractive, but this is just too much-). “As long as it stays with its caretaker, it will be comfortable.”

2. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan: Time Traveling Obi-Wan and Oblivious Qui-Gon

I began writing this one while I was reading Cloak of Deception. I like Obi-Wan’s and Qui-Gon’s relationship a lot in the book, it’s very sweet! Qui-Gon just cares so much for his uppity little padawan (the uppitiest!) and Obi-Wan is so cute. I love Padawan Obi-Wan a lot.

I wanted to write something with Qui-Gon being whipped, because I really believe that, if Obi-Wan ever asked for anything, Qui-Gon would’ve made sure he got it. I also wanted to write a bit of Obi-Wan post-Clone Wars (I imagine in this that he is still in the phase he was in in the 2015 Marvel comic run, where he just wanted to lie down and die). I like Clone Wars - post Clone Wars era Obi-Wan a lot, and I like oblivious Qui-Gon a lot, so I combined them. That was as far as my thought process went, but I also decided to add little baby Anakin and his mom because I love Anakin (I am not very subtle about my love for Anakin, as you will quickly find (nor am I subtle about my love for Obi-Wan or Luke (my beloved) or Leia or Chewie or Artoo or-))

Excerpt:

Qui-Gon wonders, quietly to himself, what’s going on.

“I’m sorry, Master,” Obi-Wan repeats, over and over again, barely audible, his voice trembling.

Qui-Gon decides that a bit of attachment can’t hurt Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan is great at being a Jedi, he should have one flaw. He deserves to have one flaw. As a treat.

3. Force Ghost Master Qui-Gon of Living Padawan Luke

I read a time travel story (I didn’t finish reading it, because I didn’t like the direction it was headed, but that’s my own personal opinion) where Luke could see Qui-Gon as a Force ghost. I liked that thought very much. Luke does seem to have a real talent for seeing Force ghosts, in the movies, so I thought to myself: “How long has Luke been able to see Force ghosts?”

A question I often have is why Force ghosts can’t be Masters to younger Jedi. If the young Jedi can’t see them, then okay, I guess, but why couldn’t Force Ghost Obi-Wan train Luke? I’m sure there are in universe reasons, but where my mind first went is “Why stop at Luke being trained by Force Ghost Obi-Wan? Why not go all the way back so that kid Luke is trained by Force Ghost Qui-Gon?” And thus, I began to write.

Excerpt:

“I was waiting for my old apprentice to return,” Qui-Gon answered. “He lives here.”

“Ben?” Luke suggested. “Ben Kenobi?”

“I knew him by Obi-Wan,” Qui-Gon said, “but yes, Ben Kenobi.”

“Wow! What was he an apprentice of?” Luke asked.

“You don’t know?” Qui-Gon seemed honestly confused by this.

Luke shook his head. “I’m not s’posed to talk to Ben. Or talk about Ben. Or think about Ben. Or exist in any close proximity to Ben.”

“What did he do?” Qui-Gon seemed highly amused.

Luke shrugged again. “I dunno! Uncle Owen just says he’s a weird old desert hermit wizard and that he’s a bad influence.”

Qui-Gon laughed so hard at this, he flickered out of sight for a full five minutes, only his audible laughter assuring Luke that we was still there.

(Qui-Gon honestly felt like he might die again, but of laughter this time. Obi-Wan Kenobi being called a bad influence. It was too good.)

4. Trained By Obi-Wan, Luke Is. In The Ways Of Sarcasm

I love AUs where Vader finds Luke early (this may be obvious, I’ve already posted one and written a whole story about Anakin never Falling in the first place, so…) My favourite type of this is when Vader catches Luke on Bespin. They are both so angry and Luke is in denial and Vader wants his son to please like him please, I like it a lot!

However, I don’t think I write angst very well, nor do I usually enjoy writing angst. So, my version is more of an ill-tempered-rebellious-teenager-like Luke and very tired dad Vader. In this one, at least.

Excerpt:

Luke Skywalker was in a cell

The infamous pilot, Red Five, who had blown up the Death Star. The young man who claimed to be a Jedi and used a lightsaber. The boy who was still in clothes that smelled like he’d gotten into a fight with a swamp and lost. Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader’s son, was finally captured.

Vader had finally done it. And all it had taken was three years, a trap, a few million credits, countless hours spent pacing and trying to figure out what motivated Luke and therefore what would help Vader catch him, a fight, cutting off his son’s hand, and catching him beneath Cloud City while he hung precariously off a thin metal tube. Easy.

Although yes, it had taken some… convincing to get Luke to come down.

He had clung to the branch of metal with his arms and legs and refused to let go, going so far as to hiss at the few Stormtroopers who tried to get him. Luke had snapped his teeth at Vader, too, but Vader had dealt with loth cats before, in a past life, and so grabbed him by the scruff of his neck and dragged him in. Luke spent the whole trip kicking and scratching, trying to remove Vader’s fingers from his collar, only to give up and try to remove the collar of his shirt. He was very nearly free when Vader finally managed to toss him into the very first cell they came across.

5. Dagobah Luke

This story came about because I made my brother watch one of the Lego Star Wars shorts with me, the one about getting the holocrons out of the Jedi temple, and I really liked Obi-Wan and Yoda as a duo in that. But, even more than that, I often wonder what Obi-Wan would’ve done if they didn’t raise Luke on Tatooine. Where else would he go?

Dagobah.

Excerpt:

“Human children are not supposed to eat raw frogs!” Obi-Wan insisted.

They both looked over at Luke. Luke looked back, face carefully blank. He slowly slurped up the frog leg that dangled from his mouth, as though doing so slowly would make it less noticeable. He didn’t even chew before he swallowed what Obi-Wan could only assume was the entire frog, whole.

Obi-Wan and Yoda looked back at each other.

“See a problem I do not,” Yoda commented.

6. Fem Anakin My Tall Beloved

I like to write genderbends. It’s one of my favourite genres, actually, and it was always my favourite episodes of tv shows as a kid. So, I write them often. Well, somewhat often. I also really like Fem!Obi-Wan and M!Padme so I put them in too. Their names are the same, because I don’t really think there’s a masculine version of Padme or a feminine one of Obi-Wan 😅

This is just me self-indulgently making female Anakin tall. That’s really about it. With some ObiAniDala thrown in, because I love the trio.

Excerpt:

“I’m going to roll in the mud the second I’m released,” Anakin decided.

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan repeated.

“I’ll go wrestle a rancor in the mud,” she specified.

“Anakin,” Obi-Wan sighed again, but her mouth was twitching up in a grin.

7. Beru Lives Go!

As the title suggests, my only thought going in was “Beru lives, go!” So, Beru goes with them to Alderaan and stays on the ship or something until they get back. And Vader sees her while fighting Obi-Wan and immediately is very confused. I just wanted crack, to be honest, the whole thing is a big ball of crack. I’m unapologetic ¯\ _(ツ)_/¯

Excerpt:

“Luke,” Leia snapped. “You are talking to Darth Vader!”

“Well, yes,” Luke agreed. “And I know Ben said Vader killed my father-“

“I did not,” Vader announced. “Kenobi lies.”

“Don’t spin this on me!” Obi-Wan argued immediately. “You told me you killed him! If he isn’t really dead, then you lied!”

“I didn’t lie,” Vader growled. “He’s dead.”

“But it isn’t my fault,” Obi-Wan inferred. “And it isn’t your doing. Who killed him then? Palpatine?”

“Well, no-“

“Then who?” Obi-Wan mocked.

“I can still kill you from this distance,” Vader growled.

8. Han and Chewie, Falling For Luke Immediately

I wrote this after I read the old Star Wars: A New Hope novel from the seventies. Han constantly complains about Luke and how much trouble he’s going through, but at the first sign of actual trouble, he can’t help but back Luke up. And Chewie just loves Luke so much, he nearly knocks him over after the Battle of Yavin, it was so cute!

So, this is just an expansion of Han internally monologuing over how weird and lame Luke is while simultaneously slowly becoming obsessed with making sure that Luke’s safe.

Excerpt:

Han shook it off and turned to Chewie. He could ponder weird desert twinks later, right now was the time to get to work so they could get paid so Jabba would shut up.

9. Obi-Wan Being Allowed To Be A Part Of Luke’s Childhood

This was written with one simple idea in mind: Obi-Wan seeing Luke growing and thinking “this is my punishment for all of my sins, I have to watch over a miniature Padme who looks like Anakin,” only for Obi-Wan to die and watch Anakin deal with his kids and think, “actually, this is a gift from the Force. Thank you, Force :)”

It evolved into Obi-Wan being around while Luke was growing up, but the main focus remains on Obi-Wan finally being rewarded by the Force by watching his problem Padawan have problems. The balance, restored…

This one is a bit darker (a lot darker) in tone than I usually write. I started writing it while I was feeling a bit out of sorts, so that probably translates into the text as well. I’ll probably make this one and a story about Obi-Wan actually watching Anakin panic over his terror twins into separate stories, but for now…

Excerpt:

His comm beeped.

Obi-Wan whirled around to face it, staring blankly because it hadn’t gone off in six years and he only kept it out to feel less useless. He looked around, hoping to find another explanation for a comm-like beep, but his comm beeped again, the light flashing to indicate a call, and he hesitated for only a moment before answering.

He hoped that there really was someone calling, and that this wasn’t a hallucination.

10. Well, Sometimes Luke Eats Womp Rats

I like… Eldritch Horror Abomination Monster Luke. I like Eldritch Gods Force Kids Anakin, Luke, and Leia. I like writing a bit of horror elements, every now and then. I like writing 80’s horror flick style gore; over the top and unrealistic and more funny (to me) than scary.

And I really like the idea of Owen being the panicky parents and Beru being the chill one. That’s their whole dynamic! Beru is like “Luke’s been gone a few hours lol” while Owen’s like “if Luke is not back in fifteen minutes, I’m calling the neighbourhood watch.” And I love that, and I love them raising Luke, but I especially love them raising Eldritch horror Luke who sometimes talks to the ghosts of decorated war generals and who sometimes glows and floats and who sometimes eats womp rats. I especially like Owen panic-calling Obi-Wan to question him whenever Luke acts weird.

Excerpt:

“Is this a Jedi thing?” Beru asked, one day.

Luke had his jaws clamped tight on the neck of a womp rat, and was viciously shaking his head back and forth. He was also ten.

Luckily, this was Luke’s name day. And, as with every other name day, they invited Obi-Wan, because Obi-Wan was a sad, lonely old man who always got drunk on Luke’s name day and they felt kind of bad about it. They were pretty sure he was trying to drink to forget. Forget what? They didn’t know and they were pretty sure they didn’t want to know.

Either way, his presence meant that Obi-Wan could answer the question posed to him.

“There were many members of the Order,” Obi-Wan explained. “Many different species. There were all kinds of different biologies and eating habits.”

Luke tore the womp rat’s head clean off its body. The spine followed with a sickening schlop sound like a stick being pulled out of the mud. Luke started absentmindedly chewing on the spinal cord, digging around in the beheaded beast’s body until he found the heart. He started playing with it. He liked how squishy and warm it was.

“So, this is normal?” Beru suggested.

“Oh, no, of course not,” Obi-Wan laughed. “This is terrifying. This child right here is the stuff of my nightmares.”

11. If I Devour Enough I May Be Full

:) I’m gonna post this one on my birthday (Nov. 19) so look forward to it. It’s very short, but I think it’s fun. I added it because I’m adding them all, so…

12. Force Children

This is the third of my Eldritch Abomination Skywalker Family. In this one, I wanted to explore more of what it would entail, you know? Like, Sometimes Luke Eats Womp Rats goes into detail, yes, but that’s mostly just Luke. I wnated to explore what it would’ve been like for Anakin and Leia, as well.

And, I have a long-running theory that Luke and Leia are super powerful because Anakin’s power was too much for one body, but more managable over two. Like, they both make up Anakin, if that makes sense? And I don’t mean to erase Padme in all of this, I just feel like Eldritch Horror Monster genes are probably dominant, y’know?

Anyway, I’ve always really liked the difference between Leia and Luke, where Leia is more quick to get emotional, especially angry or frustrated with a situation. Meanwhile, Luke almost never shows very much emotion, so it makes his anger or sadness or joy hit a bit harder, because he otherwise isvery difficult to read. (That may just be me, though, because I don’t read faces very well.) Together, Luke can calm Leia while Leia can draw out Luke’s passion and I think it’s fun.

I also think Leia and Anakin are both kinda hot heads who are quick to get protective, meanwhile, Luke is just hanging out, y’know? He’s chillin’, he’s vibin’, he’s Luke-in’. In the book, he zoned out a lot, and I like that characterization very much.

Excerpt:

Anakin sometimes glowed.

Not in a metaphorical sense. Sometimes, Anakin was standing around, staring into space, and light slowly seeped out of him, like a sunrise. One time, he’d gotten so bright that he physically couldn’t be looked at. One time, he’d glowed and words in a thousand languages all at the same time came out of his throat despite his mouth remaining unmoving and it being physically impossible. One time, he’d been handing credits to a customer only to unexpectedly grab his hand and pull him to his knees, eyes glowing and rapidly changing colours and his mouth opening and opening and opening until it was open wide enough to swallow the customer whole, and there were countless teeth in jagged rows and they were never ending and they spiralled down Anakin’s throat and the customer had pissed himself before rushing out of the store, leaving behind a confused eight-year-old who had no memory of what happened but was forced to clean up the mess anyway.

13. Shmi and Luke, What Will They Do

I just wanted the two calmest characters in the entirety of the Star Wars franchise to hang out a little bit, you know? Like, Shmi is literally dying and she’s like “oh well, love you, Ani, glad I got to see you again.” Luke is getting struck by Force lightning (over and over again) and he’s just like “Father… please…” Both of them are so calm, I wish I had this amount of chill.

Also, I like the idea (the weird idea) that the Force, the all-powerful aura that surrounds all things, got a lil crush on Shmi and that’s why she got pregnant. I also like the idea (equally weird) of the Force pulling Luke out of his timeline so that he can tell Shmi what the Force wants to tell her (bad pick-up lines and such, you know?). I like the idea of Luke being forced to be the Force’s wingman. I think it’s very funny.

Excerpt:

“Who are you?” Shmi asked.

“I’m Luke,” he replied easily, smiling.

“I’m Shmi,” she told him in return.

“I know,” he said. Not arrogant or rude, merely a statement. “Something told me that your name is Shmi. It’s nice to meet you.”

14. Reluctant 23yo Emperor Luke Skywalker

Okay. Okay. Okay, look…

Someone said that Vader asking Luke to kill Palpatine with him so they can rule the galaxy as father and son was actually Vader saying “Luke. If we kill Palpatine, you can be Emperor” because Vader doesn’t actually want to have power? And, even Anakin never really wanted power. Vader and Anakin just kind of both want to hang out doing stuff. They don’t mind having power, but they don’t seek it out, y’know? So, if Luke had accepted Vader’s proposal on Bespin, really Luke would’ve been setting himself up to be Emperor.

I think. That this. Concept. Has the potential. To be. Quite funny. And I know angst is fun too, but comedy calls my name, comedy is mine mistress, I was built this way, the Force wills it, whatever, I wanted to write lighthearted Emperor of the Known Universe Luke and Guard-Dad Vader!

So, I did :)

Excerpt:

Luke’s eyes were luminous, the inhuman qualify worsened by the Force trying to balance out the lightning still surging through him, the Dark and Light clashing within him. With Vader by his side, standing behind the throne, and Palpatine dead at his feet, Luke looked like what one would imagine a coldhearted, all-powerful, intergalactic, ultimate ruler of all the known universe should look like.

Luke took a moment, then spoke.

“Who’s in charge now?”

Everyone dropped to a knee before him and swore themselves to his service, desperate not to meet the same fate Palpatine had. Luke blinked in surprise.

“Father?” he mumbled.

“You were the one who sat in the throne,” Vader replied, unreasonably pleased to see Padme’s flesh and blood relation finally where they should be: sitting in the position of ultimate power. It was even better than he’d imagined.

“I didn’t think-“ Luke tried.

‘You never do,’ Ben sent to his mind.

Luke sighed, heavily, and slumped into the throne. He emptied the room with a flick of his hand. He scrubbed a hand over his face.

“This is going to be hard to explain to Leia,” he sighed.

15. Yeah I Have An AU Problem Don’t Remind Me

This was, originally, reluctant 5yo Emperor Luke. But, I got a bit too focused on the part where Vader finds Luke, so it turned into a long ramble of Vader finding Luke. Oops. It leads into 5yo Emperor Luke, which is a story idea I’ve mentioned before, but it’s mostly just intro.

Excerpt:

This kid just looked like Anakin.

No! The Force shouted. Vader! This kid is your son!

This kid was his what-?!

16. I Need Babysitter Ahsoka and Little Luke

This is just where I keep drabbles for the Stay-At-Home-Dad Anakin verse. As is:

17. My Kink Is Luke/Leia Innocently Causing Palpatine’s Downfall

And:

18. It’s My OC And I Can Do What I Want With It!

16 is drabbles focused on the misadventures of attempting to babysit Luke and/or Leia. 17 is specifically Luke and Leia being the twins from the Shining, basically, but only to Palpatine specifically. 18 is school drabbles. The vibe of all the stories is the same as the stories I already posted, so…

19. I Gaff But What If Luke Zoning In The Novel Is Force Possession?

Basically, if you’ve never read the novel, Luke goes into a trance-like state whenever he uses the Force and can’t usually remember anything he did while in that state (ie. blowing up the Death Star). So, what if he was possessed by the Force? That was the thought process,

Excerpt:

And he had found the small book on Force Possession, possession by the Force. Children who were too strong in the Force sometimes got overwhelmed and dissociated, so the Force took over for them. It went away with age and meditation, the child gaining understanding of and control over their own power.

It was an uncommon sight, in temples. More common in children raised outside of the Order, though most of the children raised outside of the Order admittedly weren’t quite powerful enough to exhibit signs. Anakin was the first case in a while. The only case that Obi-Wan ever heard of.

Until this point.

20. Nonsexual Inappropriate Use Of The Force

This is just fluffy nonsense of Anakin using the Force to make Obi-Wan go to bed, but Anakin does so only while unconscious and Obi-Wan is always in the middle of something when Anakin tugs him away.

Excerpt:

Cody had clearly assumed, at first, that Obi-Wan was trying to leave their conversation, which was about how often (if at all) the general was sleeping. He followed, but his words had soon trailed off. He continued following, but he wasn’t saying anything anymore. Obi-Wan just crossed his arms and waited for him to make a comment.

“Is this a kidnapping attempt?” Cody suggested, though he sounded amused.

“You aren’t funny,” Obi-Wan told him.

He floated past a few other clones in the corridor. They looked very confused to see the general sitting on air, apparently, and floating. Cody, helmetless, mouthed “weird Jedi” and the troops all nodded in understanding. Obi-Wan covered his face with his hand.

“I thought he would grow out of it,” he grumbled.

“Has Skywalker ever grown out of anything? Aside from clothes, obviously,” Cody said.

“How dare you,” Obi-Wan muttered. “Insubordination. In front of the Force and all of our troops. How could you?”

If by “all of our troops,” Obi-Wan meant the lone mouse droid that Anakin had snuck into his room, then he made a valid point. That mouse droid’s respect for Obi-Wan had obviously dropped a great deal. It would probably no longer follow him in battle. A shame.

“I can tell you’re thinking something rude,” Obi-Wan stated.

“How’s that?” Cody asked.

“I sense it through the Force,” Obi-Wan lied blithely.

21. Omg Accidental Marriage

You know when two characters get married, but only one of them knows? It’s that. That with Obi-Wan and Anakin. And that with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. Because I can imagine Qui-Gon dropping down on one knee and proposing to his padawan just because he thinks it’s funny how embarrassed Obi-Wan gets. This is, like, platonic to romantic adjacent. I wrote it because making up random wedding customs and planets and people is fun to me.

Excerpt 1:

“I think there was a misunderstanding,” Obi-Wan offered weakly.

Mace Windu didn’t look impressed by the explanation. The rest of the Jedi High Council looked like they weren’t surprised. Yoda especially looked like he’d expected as much.

“The documents say you’ve married Anakin eight times,” Windu stated.

Obi-Wan thought it was very brave of himself to resist the urge to curl up on a ball on the floor and die.

“I don’t understand,” Anakin stated. “I don’t even remember getting married to Obi-Wan once, let alone eight times.”

“I didn’t think they would submit the paperwork,” Obi-Wan whispered, succumbing to the urge to bury his face behind his hands.

Excerpt 2:

“I’m requesting a new Master the second we get back,” Obi-Wan grumbled, bitterly eating pancakes and blushing everytime a passing patron congratulated him.

“As you should,” Qui-Gon said calmly. “It would be inappropriate to remain your Master, as we are engaged to be wed-“

Obi-Wan buried his face in his hands and screamed a little, even as Qui-Gon laughed at him.

22. Artoo Saves The Galaxy Because He’s Tired AU

Anakin… really likes Artoo. I made a joke, a while back, that Anakin never would’ve Fallen if he’d been allowed to carry Artoo around with him wherever he went, as he clearly wanted to do. So, this AU suggests that Artoo travels back in time to help Anakin. In the meantime, Artoo misses Luke (I like Luke and Artoo’s codependency, it soothes me), makes Anakin miss all of his meetings with Palpatine, helps Anakin connect intellectually with other Jedi Masters, and supports Anakin like a proud soccer mom. And, because I couldn’t let Artoo just miss Luke forever, I pulled Luke back in time as a reward (after a while). Anakin can have two cheerleaders, as a treat.

Excerpt:

Artoo was complaining. Artoo had been complaining for the last twenty minutes, ever since Anakin left his direct line of sight. Everyone was going a little bit crazy.

“Where’s Skywalker?“ Rex questioned.

“In a meeting with the chancellor,” someone answered.

Artoo, if anything, began complaining more. He rocked from side to side and kept running into their legs (very gently, as though he was trying to be a nuisance but didn’t want to hurt them, which was really very funny because they were all wearing armour) and screaming. Rex couldn’t stand any longer than thirty seconds of this before he gave up and commed Anakin.

“Skywalker, this is Rex, do you read me?” he grumbled, bypassing the regular comm line that was always turned off during Anakin’s meetings with the chancellor and instead using the emergency line.

“I read you,” Anakin responded immediately.

There was concern in his voice, which made Rex feel a bit guilty, but Artoo was completely silent now, just watching Rex expectantly. How did a droid emote? Rex would never know.

“What’s the emergency, Captain?” Anakin asked.

“It’s your astromech-“ Rex began.

“Artoo?“ Anakin exclaimed, panicking. “Where is he? What’s wrong? What happened? Is he okay? Give me a location, I’ll be there as soon as I can be, okay-“

“We’re just in the courtyard, Sir,” Rex stated. “Your R2 unit is down here. I think he wants to see you.”

“I’ll be there in ten seconds,” Anakin promised, despite being a good ten minutes away.

He got there in eight seconds, which was a truly astonishing feat. Especially since he’d accomplished this feat by opening the window of the chancellor’s several-storey high office and jumping out.

23. I Love Making My Beloveds Suffer (Humiliation Not Pain Whoops)

This is just Obi-Wan zoning out and jumping when Anakin touches him, I have no excuse or explanation, that’s all it is ¯\ _(ツ)_/¯

Excerpt:

The second his fingers brushed against Obi-Wan’s back, Obi-Wan jumped. Fully jumped. Anakin felt the tension in his muscles for a split second before Obi-Wan ducked away from him. He fumbled with the pad for a second before his grip was secure enough, and spun on his heel to face Anakin, his whole body tensed as though he was ready to fight.

24. Obi-Wan Can Get Attachment Towards Luke, As A Treat

You know how Obi-Wan carries a little baby through a desert for who knows how long? You know how he cradles the little baby? You know how he sees his best friend and brother in the little baby? You know how he was so protective over the only piece of Anakin he had left that he stayed on Tatooine for nearly twenty years? You know how he held a little baby in his arms and had to watch his friend die?

Obi-Wan deserves to be able to hold Luke more. To cuddle him. To pat his little head. To cry because Luke is perfect. And here we are.

Excerpt:

Luke’s weight was comforting as he travelled the desert. He kept making little snuffling noises. Obi-Wan had to stop every other hour to give him a new bottle. He fell asleep and still made a little suckling motion with his mouth. Obi-Wan felt the contentment of his dreams, the ease of the Force surrounding him, and he almost cried because Luke was having good dreams and they were about being fed.

25. People Keep Telling This Child That He’s Just Like His Dad

Yo, do you ever think about how fucked up it is that so many people compared Luke to his father? Like, I know they were talking about Anakin, not Vader, but still. Obi-Wan said this boy reminds him of the enforcer of a dictator, that’s a bit fucked, Obi-Wan. No wonder Luke is desperate for there to be some good left in Vader! Otherwise, he’s been inadvertently told by people his entire life that he reminds them of a person who killed children.

Excerpt:

Ever since Cloud City and Darth Vader, Leia had an uncanny ability to show up right as Luke was plotting an escape. Most of Luke’s escape plans involved jumping out the window. Leia had requested he be moved to a room with a window that couldn’t be opened. As though that would stop him.

26. Dunno If I Want This To Be Connected TBH

Originally, this was the conclusion to Luke’s pov of 25, but it feels too different in tone. It feels a bit weird to put it with that. So, instead, view this as:

There’s a scene, in the Phantom Menace, while Padme is talking to Palpatine. Palpatine tells her not to go back to Naboo, and she says “My fate will be no different than the fate of our people” and that line was so powerful!!! Like, this is a fourteen-year-old! A fourteen-year-old who tells Palpatine that she will go back to Naboo whether he wants her to or not, and her being so strong-willed and determined is part of why I really like Padme. Also, I just think the line is really cool.

And, the prequel trilogy made Padme mirror Luke a lot? At least, in both their relationships to Anakin. More specifically, their relationships to Vader. Vader loves both of them, but he’s so scared of losing the ones he loves that he holds on too tight. And, Padme’s dialogue directly mirrors Luke’s on more than one occasion. It’s fascinating to me, how much Padme mirrors Luke, what a choice, I kinda love it.

Anyway, in the way of Padme mirroring Luke, I thought to myself, “I want Luke to mirror Padme in one of my fave Padme scenes.” I had to change some of his dialogue, and the Emperor’s dialogue, from Return of the Jedi, but it sounds cool, go with it-

Excerpt:

“My fate will be no different than the fate of my friends.” Vader stared at Luke. This was…

This boy was Padme’s son.

27. I FEEL Things OkAY???

This is a story from Chewbacca’s perspective. Because, Chewbacca seems to get attached to Luke from the get-go. Why is Chewbacca so attached to him? I wanted to explore that, so I wrote it out. I just think that their friendship is neat 👉👈

Excerpt:

“I wish you would answer my questions,” Luke commented. “Ben told me he’d tell me when I’m older.”

28. God Can You IMAGINE DE-AGED SKYWALKERS???

This is a Din and Luke story. Not quite a DinLuke story, because I’m better at writing romance-adjacent than romance, but Din and Luke. And all I have written is a few paragraphs and the title

¯\ _(ツ)_/¯ but can you imagine tho???

Excerpt:

Skywalker was small.

Well.

Smaller.

29. Leia and Luke, What Horrors Will They Commit

This was supposed to be another collection of drabbles that turned into Luke and Leia both wondering if their similar in anyway, all while comforting each other. I think there should be more of them bonding as “just found out we’re siblings” siblings. And I like Han being awkward, so that’s thrown in there on top.

Excerpt:

“Do you think I’m like our mother at all?” Luke asked, so quietly that Leia almost couldn’t hear him.

30. Twins twins twins twins

This is just a short, “What if Luke and Leia sat down and talked, pre-sibling-reveal, and both felt something click when they met that had been missing their whole lives and they think that Obi-Wan would’ve told them, either of them, if they had a sibling, wouldn’t he have?”

Hint: he would not have.

Excerpt:

“Maybe our fathers knew each other,” Luke suggested, smiling. “For some reason, I feel like our parents were close.”

“I feel the same way,” Leia told him.

31. Oh No… Exploring Character’s Changing Circumstance… My One Weakness!

This is all about Luke getting used to his prosthetic. Then, Luke getting used to another prosthetic and damaged nerves from Force lightning (he was struck by it like five times, dude, there’s gotta be some damage there, somewhere). I made up a med droid for this story, one that is as comforting as it’s possible for a robot to be, so very comforting ;)

Excerpt:

Luke smiled, bright and beaming.

“What’s the worst that could happen?” he laughed. “It’s not like we’ll be lured into a trap by the Empire and have to fight our way out.”

The med droid whirred anxiously.

“That was very specific, Luke,” it said nervously. “Too specific. Are you going to be lured into a trap?”

“I just said that wouldn’t happen,” Luke offered.

The med droid was unconvinced.

32. Master Skywalker Is Weird

This is BobaDinLuke, with a heavier focus on BobaLuke, because I like BobaLuke a lot. And because it really seems like it’s just in anyone who is related to Jango Fett’s bloodline to be exasperated by Jedi. Boba deserves to have a Jedi to be longsuffering towards. As a treat :) With already established BobaDin on the side and a hint of jealousy when Luke talks fondly of someone else (anyone else)

Excerpt:

“Hello, Fett,” Skywalker greeted, absurdly pleasantly. “Lovely weather today, isn’t it?”

Boba glared at him. Skywalker had no right to be so calm while he was being ritualistically sacrificed.

33. Cat Brothers Are My Thing (Secretly)

I think that the Jedi are all big ol cats. Especially Obi-Wan. Especially Luke. But not Anakin. Anakin is a puppy dog.

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to write Luke acting like a cat and, honestly? It was fun

Excerpt:

“I’m not any sort of cat, Han,” Luke says, patiently.

“You were sitting on the counter eating a love frog,” Han retorts.

“Well, yes,” Luke readily agrees. “Is that not how you eat frogs?”

34. BAMF Luke Is The True Luke

I wanted to write a character study. It turned into more of a character and universe study? Like, I dunno, how easy do you think it is to recognize the guy who blew up the Death Star? I think it isn’t that easy at all. But, on the other hand, I am face blind, so…

Also, this is another Din and Luke, but with extra Grogu, this time.

Excerpt:

He’s sitting in a crowded cantina, more or less just existing in a shadowy corner and looking as harmless as he can, when he feels a tug. Not a physical tug, but a tug through the Force, informing him that another Force user wants his attention. He looks around, because the only two people to have ever done this to him are Leia and Grogu, and he’s pretty sure Leia is several hundreds of lightyears away where she can’t judge his fashion choices.

35. Idk Vibes Man?

All I had in mind, going into this, was spooky house. It’s a spooky house temple thing and people can see ghosts. Even regular people can see ghosts. And, Anakin and Obi-Wan hang out with Luke.

Okay, I also just kinda wanted to mention Anakin being technically Grogu’s old classmate, it’s strange to me, sue me.

Excerpt:

“I wish you would use your Force-child abilities to help sweep instead of for murder,” Luke tells him.

Anakin wrinkles his nose.

36. “Skywalker” Insert Flashbacks

My brother told me that they retroactively added Rex into the original trilogy. That’s very fun, I think. “What was his first thought when he heard some call for Skywalker?” I thought. “What was his first thought when he realized Anakin had a son?” I thought. “How tired is Rex of chasing around Skywalkers?” I thought. And thus, this tiny fic was born.

Excerpt:

Immediately, Rex’s fist instinct was to panic. Had General Skywalker had a kid? There was no way this blond boy was a clone, he had too many differences to the original thing. Who had General Skywalker had a kid with? Okay, dumb question, there were maybe two people in all of the galaxy that Anakin Skywalker would’ve ever agreed to fuck, and, of those two, only Senator Amidala was capable of giving birth.

37. Yes Time Travelling Twins For Tha Sake Of Comedy and Fine Clothes

This is a series of loosely connected drabbles, all focused on Luke and Leia teleporting back in time. But, specifically, I wanted Old Man Luke and Old Woman Leia, but I thought it would be funny if they were internally old, but externally just, like, twenty. (I wanted Old Man Luke to be a wise old Jedi Master who the other Jedi Masters look at with fear, okay, it’s something I enjoy a lot). The twins get transported back to Clone Wars era (I like Clone Wars era) after they die. Luke decides “Well, we might as well fuck around” so they just hang out.

I wrote quite a few of them, actually, these short drabbles, but I especially enjoyed writing the traditional Jedi Masters interacting with the very strange Jedi Master that Luke is. He breaks all of their rules by existing. He breaks more rules as he continues living. He is a powerful Jedi Master and, in my heart of hearts, Luke moved a black hole. So, you know, Old Man Luke and traditional Jedi Masters. My fave.

Excerpt 1:

“Why are you coming in through the window?” Leia questioned.

“If anyone should be asking questions, it should be me,” Obi-Wan retorted, climbing the rest of the way in and softly closing the window behind him. “Who are you? What are you doing in my room?”

“Difficult to ascertain,” Luke murmured.

“You’re Jedi,” Obi-Wan sighed, seemingly relieved.

“So they really do speak in riddles,” Leia said. “And here I thought you were kidding.”

“Only a child kids,” Luke states, somehow making the dumbest statement alive sound ominous and threatening.

Excerpt 2:

“Anakin, please,” Obi-Wan murmured weakly. “I’ve told you to quit it with these closet jokes. I came out ages ago.”

Luke opened his eyes just to roll them. Leia patted his shoulder, also disgusted by Obi-Wan’s panic response being to make double-entendres.

Excerpt 3:

“I hate it when he does that,” Windu grumbled.

“He has seniority,” Obi-Wan commented.

“Stop taking his side,” Windu ordered.

Obi-Wan made no promises.

If there are any fics that stick out or interest you, please don’t hesitate to tell me, I’d love to expand upon them.

#star wars #star wars fics #well #snippets of fics #luke skywalker #leia organa #anakin skywalker #obi wan kenobi #han solo #bobaluke #bobadinluke #boba fett #din darjin #too many characters to tag #oops #my fics

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sleepymarmot · 2 years

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The Phantom Menace rewatch (liveblog + notes)

Unlike the OT, I’m rewatching the prequel trilogy fully and in order. Let’s see if I regret my decision...

Liveblog:

Wow, this opening crawl is extremely hard to read.

Bear with me as I try to understand the plot in real time. Alright, so Palpatine 1) Orchestrates the blockade as Sidious 2) Sends the Jedi to break the blockade as the Chancellor 3) Pretends he didn’t expect the Jedi, and orders to escalate and invade Naboo, and kill the Jedi Or is the chancellor they’re referring to someone else? Is this a ploy to assassinate these two Jedi specifically for some reason?

Do they have super-speed for this scene only?

The designs are also ugly but in a different way from the OT

“The negotiations were short” lmao

Oh alright, Palpatine is a Senator, and the Chancellor is a different guy. But which one is higher?

I appreciate that the politics are actually confusing, instead of just one bad faction vs one good faction

WHY ARE QUI-GON AND JAR JAR HAVING A SEXY MEET CUTE And Jar Jar immediately says “I love you”. What is happening

Alright by WHY does he speak like this. Is this a dialect of the common language? Is everyone else using a translator machine while Jar Jar actually learned the language so he makes mistakes?

I am so grateful for the subtitles lmao

R2-D2 looks kind of weird. Different sort of plastic? CGI?

Why did the decoy queen send the real queen to clean a droid?

I wonder if the guard captain (? or whatever his job is, the cute black guy) knows which one the queen is.

God she’s SO tiny. Who the hell elected this child?! A child on the throne of a hereditary monarchy makes sense, a child princess too; but a democratically elected head of the state?!

Oh Ani that’s a terrible line lmao This has the energy of baby clothes that say “ladies’ man” etc

Anakin is such a friendly, outgoing child 😭

“Your son was kind enough to offer us shelter :)” flash forward for how the Jedi order and the universe in general repays him...

The C-3P0/R2-D2 meet cute is much better than the anidala one!

“I had a dream I was a Jedi. I came back here and freed all the slaves.” 😭😭😭

“Mom, you say the biggest problem in this universe is nobody helps each other.” 😭

“He was meant to help you.” What the hell is that supposed to mean?

They’re really staking the entire mission on a 9 year old winning a deadly race huh

Omg I’ve forgotten about the immaculate conception lmao. How did the EU explain that one?

“I wanna be the first one to see ‘em all.” Well, that is his name...

Wait is that Warwick Davis in the background

Well that race got mildly interesting only about halfway through.

“Why do I sense we’ve picked up another pathetic life-form?” I think it’s pretty interesting how the two Jedi have a mutual, usually unspoken understanding that they’re above everyone and everything else.

I’m crying again looking at Shmi’s face. She knows they’re leaving her behind because she’s not valuable to anyone but herself and her son. In slavery, alone, with nobody to live for or to help her now. (And what she doesn’t know, but Qui-Gon does, is that he angered her slaveowner before leaving. I bet he’s going to take it out on her.)

“Will I ever see you again?” 😭😭😭

Lmao was this scene meant to mirror ANH? Leia’s planet has been destroyed, and she’s giving Luke a blanket; Padme’s planet is being decimated, and she’s giving Anakin a blanket. Sexism is like poetry, it rhymes...

“Many things will change when we reach the capital, Ani, but my caring for you will remain” What’s that supposed to mean? (This is an endearing scene of friendship and solidarity between two kids used as pawns by the cynical adults... Until the weird romance angle comes in again. The boy is nine, George!!!)

I like the parallel scenes of the two ineffective bureaucracies.

Yoda looks much better than in the OT. Is it CGI? Or a very good puppet with CGI enhancements? There’s so much detail in his eyes and ears, I don’t believe it’s a puppet only!

Did they really greenscreen and CGI the green hills?

Finally a proper fucking sword fight! Which is also accompanied by a rare memorable music theme. Maul’s martial arts style is noticeably different from the others, which is neat. He jumps and twirls like a dancer.

This part of the plot is very immersive because I, like Anakin, have no idea what the point of the space battle is. I’m sure it was explained before but I missed it. Oh so he could disable the autopilot at any time? He just went along with it to see what’s the destination? lmao “Qui-Gon told me to stay in this cockpit, so that's what I’m gonna do.” Well that's a very creative interpretation of his instructions lol Did Ani accidentally infiltrate the enemy base? Good for him! The station falling apart is one of the few good special effects in this movie.

“...grave danger I fear in his training.” *the Imperial march plays*

---

Notes after watching:

Well. 60% the worst movie you’ve ever seen, 20% okay, 10% interesting ideas some of which may or may not upset a fan of the OT, 10% crying your face off because of the dramatic irony.

The most interesting part with perhaps the most far-reaching consequences is the ideology of the film, which is very different from what the viewer could expect after the OT. The film draws a clear parallel between the ongoing fall of the Republic and the impending fall of the Jedi order, brought about by their own internal problems. The Jedi are shown as ineffective at best and actively heartless at worst. Two extremely disadvantaged people help Qui-Gon out of the goodness of their hearts, and in return he exploits them with the pragmatism worthy of a Sith Lord. But the structure of the film still positions the Jedi as “good guys”, giving no meaningful alternative for them. So it’s natural the audience would react like “But the Jedi are heroes! They’re noble and spiritual! What is this bureaucratic nonsense?!” and some of them would proceed to think “Well, the story says they’re heroes, so they’re actually justified in everything. All of these flaws are excusable.” And it’s very unclear what the intended takeaway from all of this was. Was the viewer supposed to leave the theater thinking “Damn, it’s a shame the Jedi are so fucked up. The only one who sees this kid as a person is another child trapped in the adults’ political schemes. So that’s what puts him on the path from being an idealistic, compassionate child to Darth Vader”? Or were the kids still supposed to want to be a Jedi, like they presumably did after the OT? You know what, this actually makes me appreciate the anti-TLJ crowd. They openly say: “I think the way Luke was written in this film was stupid and OOC. It offends me as a fan. This is not my Luke. I refuse to consider this film a part of my personal canon.” Straightforward and honest. So why can’t the (admittedly overlapping faction of) Jedi apologists just say that they don’t like the prequels? That trilogy is widely hated. If you say “I think the prequels were badly written, so I prefer to ignore their existence altogether”, I’m sure many would sympathize. So why not just say that, instead of defending the ways in which the Jedi order and its members were obviously in the wrong?

Both the cinematography and the image quality are strangely worse than the original trilogy. I was watching a 1080p BluRay rip, so the fault wasn’t there. Out of the environments, Coruscant was my favorite. The interiors look very plastic, which makes the scenes filmed on location in some normal palace look out of place.

Jar Jar’s people are a “primitive tribe” caricature, and their speech is nigh incomprehensible. Ani’s slaveowner seems to be an antisemitic caricature. Naboo is a planet of mostly white people and Mediterranean architecture... and fashion borrowing from Asia, mostly Japan; it’s like the costume designed visited a museum recently. (Apparently the Trade Federation guys are a racist stereotype too but I’m not familiar that one.)

Putting the spotlight on the most experienced actor was a good move, at least. In the end, it seems like Qui-Gon is the protagonist of this movie, not anyone who is in other installments.

Jake Lloyd’s acting didn’t bother me at all. Even looking at the documentary — alright, so another kid at the audition (5:32 in the documentary) had a stronger reading of a line that was unsalvageably awful anyway. So what? He seems older, maybe that’s why he’s better; it would be simply a slightly different dynamic if Anakin were not tiny enough to stumble over words. Besides, Natalie Portman was an established teenage actress, and her performance was also flat as hell. Meanwhile, the adults Neeson and McGregor were doing just fine. I think it’s clear where the blame lies here...

I still don’t understand what Palpatine’s scheme was. To get elected chancellor, he needed the queen’s instigation, so was letting her escape the plan from the beginning?

Who is the target audience for this movie? The OT was clearly for children. In this one, the kids would be bored by the politics, and the adults by the juvenile humor.

Ironically, I came out of this thinking the Jedi Council was right. If being a nine year old who misses his mother disqualifies one from their militant religious order, then maybe it would be best for everyone if he could keep living his life without their bullshit.

Anyway the most fun part of this experience was listening to the corresponding episode of A More Civilized Age, which was really healing after some of the bizarre takes on the Jedi I’ve seen on here.

I’m also grateful to them for pointing me towards the making-of documentary. A few short notes about it: watching McGregor’s nice hair being cut into that horrible style was almost physically painful; watching the actors rehearse the lightsaber fights was magical; the footage of the premiere left me with mixed feelings because of the secondhand embarrassment and dread of an impending trainwreck on one side, and the nostalgia of attending fandom film premieres myself in the past.

#star wars #blah blah blah

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mal-zoya · 2 years

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the way we could’ve had jacen and jaina and instead we ended up with rey and kylo 🤦

look, i like rey but like... sometimes, i like to imagine that disney aren’t party poopers and they’d give us galaxy which doesn’t need villain empire no.2 to get in shit but instead becomes empire no.2 and starts another civil war with new separatists. and the solo twins that are trained by luke skywalker, who isn’t hiding on remote island from no reason whatsover, and the pacifist hero, jacen solo who falls to the dark side from exactly the same reason like anakin did - to protect the people he loves and save the galaxy. and jaina, who danced around dark side so often but didn’t actually cross it, had to kill jacen, her closest person, her brother, just like obi-wan should’ve had but she succeeded and ben skywalker, their cousin, who wanted to avenge his mother’s death and then fell in love with sith, and the whole thing to be one big family feud, as it should, because it is a fucking skywalker saga and it’s like poetry it rhymes

#jacen solo #jaina solo #ben skywalker #star wars eu #darth caedus #i have a lot to say today #all it took was bastila fanart and i spiraled #star wars #star wars legends

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padme-amitabha · 3 years

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Anidala Week 2021

Day 2: Canon Divergence or Favorite Canon work

Padmé Amidala.

The name resonated in young Anakin’s heart and soul. He hadn’t seen her in a decade, not since he, along with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, had helped her in her struggle against the Trade Federation on Naboo. He had only been ten years old at that time, but from the moment he had first laid eyes on

Padmé, young Anakin had known that she was the woman he would marry. Never mind that Padmé was several years older than he was. Never mind that he was just a boy when he had known her, when she had known him. Never mind that Jedi were not allowed to marry. Anakin had simply known, without question, and the image of beautiful Padmé Amidala had stayed with him, had been burned into his every dream and fantasy, every day since he had left Naboo with Obi-Wan a decade ago. He could still smell the freshness of her hair, could still see the sparkle of intelligence and passion in her wondrous brown eyes, could still hear the melody that was Padmé’s voice.

Anakin, though, didn’t see either of them. He focused on the third person in the room, Padmé, and on her alone, and if he had ever held any moments of doubt that she was as beautiful as he remembered her, they were washed away, then and there. His eyes roamed the Senator’s small and shapely frame in her black and deep purple robes, taking in every detail. He saw her thick brown hair, drawn up high and far at the back of her head in a basketlike accessory, and wanted to lose himself in it. He saw her eyes and wanted to stare into them for eternity. He saw her lips, and wanted to ...

Anakin closed his eyes for just a moment and inhaled deeply, and he could smell her again, the scent that had been burned into him as Padmé’s. It took every ounce of willpower he could muster to walk in slowly and respectfully behind Obi-Wan, and not merely rush in and crush Padmé in a hug ... and yet, paradoxically, it took every bit of his willpower to move his legs, which were suddenly seeming so very weak, and take that first step into the room, that first step toward her.

“Annie?” she asked, her expression purely incredulous. Her smile and the flash in her eyes showed that she needed no answer. For just a flicker, Anakin felt her spirit leap.

“Annie,” Padmé said again. “Can it be? My goodness how you’ve grown!” She looked down and then followed the line of his lean body, tilting her head back to emphasize his height, and he realized that he now towered over her. That did little to bolster Anakin’s confidence, though, so lost was he in the beauty of Padmé. Her smile widened, a clear sign that she was glad to see him, but he missed it, or the implications of it, at least. “So have you,” he answered awkwardly, as if he had to force each word from his mouth. “Grown more beautiful, I mean.” He cleared his throat and stood taller. “And much shorter,” he teased, trying unsuccessfully to sound in control. “For a Senator, I mean.” Anakin noted Obi-Wan’s disapproving scowl, but Padmé laughed any tension away and shook her head.

“Oh, Annie, you’ll always be that little boy I knew on Tatooine,” she said, and if she had taken the lightsaber from his belt and sliced his legs out from under him, she would not have shortened Anakin Skywalker any more.

Padmé sat at her vanity, brushing her thick brown hair, staring into the mirror but not really seeing anything there. Her thoughts were replaying again and again the image of Anakin, the look he had given her. She heard his words again, “... grown more beautiful,” and though Padmé was undeniably that, those were not words she was used to hearing. Since she had been a young girl, Padmé had been involved in politics, quickly rising to powerful and influential positions. Most of the men she had come into contact with had been more concerned with what she could bring to them in practical terms than with her beauty, or, for that matter, with any true personal feelings for her. As Queen of Naboo and now as Senator, Padmé was well aware that she was attractive to men in ways deeper than physical attraction, in ways deeper than any emotional bond. Or perhaps not deeper than the latter, she told herself, for she could not deny the intensity in Anakin’s eyes as he had looked at her. But what did it mean? She saw him again, in her thoughts. And clearly. Her mental eye roamed over his lean and strong frame, over his face, tight with the intensity that she had always admired, and yet with eyes sparkling with joy, with mischief, with ...With longing? That thought stopped the Senator. Her hands slipped down to her sides, and she sat there, staring at herself, judging her own appearance as Anakin might.

Padmé’s mind whirled as she tried to sort out Anakin’s thoughts, and his motivations. He was surprising her with every word, considering that he was a Jedi Padawan, and yet, given the fire that she clearly saw burning behind his blue eyes, he was not surprising her. She saw trouble brewing there, in those simmering and too-passionate eyes, but even more than that, she saw excitement and the promise of thrills.

She looked over at Anakin, who was sleeping somewhat restlessly. She could see him now, not as a Jedi Padawan and her protector, but just as a young man. A handsome young man, and one whose actions repeatedly professed his love for her. A dangerous young man, to be sure, a Jedi who was thinking about things he should not. A man who was inevitably following the call of his heart above that of pragmatism and propriety. And all for her. Padmé couldn’t deny the attractiveness of that.

“Naboo,” he said again, looking back to Padmé. “I’ve thought about it every day since I left. It’s by far the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.”

As he spoke, his eyes bored into her, taking her in deeply, and she blinked and averted her own gaze, unnerved. “It may not be as you remember it. Time changes perception.”

“Sometimes it does,” Anakin agreed, and when Padmé looked up to see that he was continuing to scrutinize her, she knew what he was talking about. “Sometimes for the better.”

Anakin smiled as he recalled the ornate outfits Padmé had often worn as Queen of Naboo, huge gowns with intricate embroidery and studded with gemstones, tremendous headpieces of plumes and swirls and curves and twists.

He liked her better like this, he decided. All of the decorations of her Queenly outfits had been beautifully designed, but still could only detract from the more beautifully designed Padmé. Wearing a great headpiece only hid her silken brown hair. Painting her face in whites and bright red only hid her beautiful skin. The embroidery on the great gowns only blurred the perfection of her form.

This was the way Anakin wanted to see her, where her clothing was just a finishing touch.

Anakin studied the holograph a moment longer, then looked up and laughed, seeing Padmé wearing that same long and stern expression. She laughed as well, then squeezed his shoulder and went back to her packing.

Anakin put the holographs down side by side and looked at them for a long, long time. Two sides of the woman he loved.

“It’s like that on Tatooine—everything’s like that on Tatooine. But here, everything’s soft, and smooth.” As he finished, hardly even aware of the motion, he reached out and stroked Padmé’s arm. He nearly pulled back when he realized what he was doing, but since Padmé didn’t object, he let himself stay close to her. She seemed a bit tentative, a bit scared, but she wasn’t pulling away.

“There was a very old man who lived on the island,” she said. Her brown eyes seemed to be looking far away, across the years. “He used to make glass out of sand—and vases and necklaces out of the glass. They were magical.”

Anakin moved a bit closer, staring at her intensely until she turned to face him. “Everything here is magical,” he said.

“You could look into the glass and see the water. The way it ripples and moves. It looked so real, but it wasn’t.”

“Sometimes, when you believe something to be real, it becomes real.” It seemed to Anakin as if she wanted to look away. But she didn’t. Instead, she was falling deeper into his eyes, and he into hers.

“I used to think if you looked too deeply into the glass, you would lose yourself,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.

“I think it’s true ...” He moved forward as he spoke, brushing his lips against hers, and for a moment, she didn’t resist, closing her eyes, losing herself. Anakin pressed in closer, a real and deep kiss, sliding his lips across hers slowly. He could lose himself here, could kiss her for hours, forever ...

But then Padmé pulled back, suddenly, as if waking from a dream. “No, I shouldn’t have done that.”

“I’m sorry,” Anakin said. “When I’m around you, my mind is no longer my own.”

He stared at her hard again, beginning that descent into the glass, losing himself in her beauty.

Padmé gave a helpless little laugh. “Are you going to use one of your Jedi mind tricks on me?”

“They only work on the weak-minded,” Anakin explained. “You are anything but weak-minded.” He ended with an innocent, wide-eyed look that Padmé simply could not resist.

Orange flames danced about his silhouette, dulling the distinction between Anakin and eternity. Padmé had to consciously remember to breathe.

He stared at her intensely for a moment, then looked back to the fire, seeming defeated.

“No, you’re right,” he finally admitted. “It would destroy us.”

Padmé looked from Anakin to the fire. Which would destroy her—destroy them—she had to wonder.

The action or the thought?

Anakin stared at her, hardly believing what he was hearing. He couldn’t resist, though, and his smile, too, began to widen. For some reason he did not quite understand, the Padawan found a good measure of justification in his abandoning the letter of his orders now that Padmé was in on, and agreeing with, the plan.

“Home again, home again, to go to rest,” Anakin recited, a common children’s rhyme.

“By hearth and heart, house and nest,” Padmé added.

Anakin looked over at her, pleasantly surprised. “You know it?”

“Doesn’t everyone?”

“I don’t know,” Anakin said. “I mean, I wasn’t sure if anyone else ... I thought it was a rhyme my mother made up for me.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Padmé said. “Maybe she did—maybe hers was different than the one my mother used to tell me.”

Anakin shook his head doubtfully, but he wasn’t bothered by the possibility. In a strange way, he was glad that Padmé knew the rhyme, glad that it was a common gift from mothers to their children.

And glad, especially, that he and Padmé had yet another thing in common.

“I want him to know that I care about him, Threepio,” Padmé said quietly. “I do care about him. And now he’s out there, and in danger—”

“No, I’m a Jedi. I know I’m better than this.” He looked at her directly, shaking his head. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“You’re like everybody else,” Padmé said. She tried to draw closer, but Anakin held himself back from her. He couldn’t hold the pose of defiance for long, though, before he broke down again in sobs. Padmé was there to hold him and rock him and tell him that everything would be all right.

The tunnel was dark and fittingly gloomy, and quiet, except for the occasional echo of cheering from the huge crowd gathered in the arena stands beyond. A single cart was in there, an open oval with a sloping front end that somewhat resembled an insect’s head with the top half cut away. Anakin and Padmé were unceremoniously thrown into it, then strapped in place against the framework, facing each other. Both of them jerked as the cart started into motion, gliding along the dark tunnel.

“Don’t be afraid,” Anakin whispered.

Padmé smiled at him, her expression one of genuine calm. “I’m not afraid to die,” she replied, her voice thick and soft. “I’ve been dying a little bit each day since you came back into my life.”

“What are you talking about?”

Then she said it, and it was real and genuine and warm. “I love you.”

“You love me?” he asked, overwhelmed. “You love me! I thought we decided not to fall in love. That we would be forced to live a lie. That it would destroy our lives.” But her words had brought a wash of contentment over him.

“I think our lives are about to be destroyed anyway,” Padmé replied. “My love for you is a puzzle,

Annie, for which I have no answers. I can’t control it—and now I don’t care. I truly, deeply love you, and before we die, I want you to know.”

Padmé leaned against her restraints and craned her head forward, and Anakin did likewise, the two coming close enough for their lips to meet in a soft and gentle kiss, one that lingered and deepened, one that said everything they both realized they should have spoken to each other before. One that, to them, mocked their false heroics in denying the feelings they’d had for each other all along.

On distant Naboo, in a rose-covered arbor overlooking the sparkling lake, Anakin and Padmé stood hand in hand, Anakin in his formal Jedi robes and Padmé in a beautiful white gown with flowered trim. Anakin’s new mechanical arm hung at his side, the fingers clenching and opening in reflexive movements. Before them stood a Naboo holy man, his hands raised above their heads as he recited the ancient texts of marriage. And when the proclamation was made, R2-D2 and C-3PO, bearing witness to the union, whistled and clapped. And Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala shared their first kiss as husband and wife.

— R.A. Salvatore , Star Wars : Episode II - Attack of the Clones

#anidalaweek2021 #anidalaweek #anidala #anakin x padme #aotc #novelization #attack of the clones #anakin and padme #sw books

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perrydowning · 3 years

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(1/2) i understand if you don't really want to talk or think about post-TROS reylo so i apologize but: i just found a theory about the ending of TROS. really more of an interpretation, but it's so poignant and just wow. it says that basically the Skywalkers are stuck in a time loop. the place Rey is in at the end - alone on tatooine - is where Shimi is at the very beginning of the whole story. so Ben impregnated her with the force and she retreats to tatooine to raise her child. here's where the

(2/2) time loop comes in - her child ends up being Anakin. somewhere along the way she lost her memories or some time bending shit happens and she IS shimi. the whole cycle begins again. it's painful and tragic and definitely not what JJ intended but honestly it makes more sense than what he did intend. also, mate, if you're going to go with the whole "circular narrative" thing than maybe see it all the way through

Hey there, Anon!

This is fascinating! And it pairs nicely with what I think the story group had intended as the loose bones of the Sequel Trilogy. I personally believe that though they didn't write out an outline for the three films, they did establish that Reylo was the major/thematic storyline + essentially rhyme it with the Anakin/Padme story but with a happy ending instead. There were enough hints in the prep art for TFA and Reylo being heavily implied in the first film that I feel pretty confident that there was an 'understanding'.

They just chickened out, which is such a bonehead move. If some fic writer plonking away on her keyboard has figured out not to write in response to audience pressure, Jar Jar Abrams et al really should have known that.

Back to your concept. I love cyclical themes, because it feels realistic to how life actually works. We often replay our parents' mistakes, society as a whole is shockingly good at repeating history over and over again, and there truly is a constancy to the human experience that this idea speaks to nicely.

Thank you for sharing it with me/us, Anon!

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himboskywalker · 4 years

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Hey Tag, just wanted to thank you for that absolute masterpiece of a chapter, Anakin nutting and Obi-Wan’s stunned “..did you just..?” 😂 perfection! Thank you for writing for us! It’s been a while since I’ve read something that was this captivating and wasn’t a SW fanfic - sad I know lol. I was wondering if maybe you had any must-read novel recommendations? As a teen I used to devour books but I’m 24 now and adult books are pure boring! (Please write a novel, your writing is just stunning!)

❤️❤️❤️😭Thank you so much. I would love to write my own novel one day. I have an entire trunk of my own handwritten work that probably amounts to at least 2 or 3 but it’s a matter of finding the motivation around the very fun sandbox of Star Wars fanfiction lol And I entirely feel you! Sometimes finding adult books that are of the same caliber of interesting as teen while having a higher reading and prose level can be difficult,but I do have a few I can recommend!

The Princess Bride by William Goldman-While I think this one technically counts as teen it’s an absolute classic and one of my absolute favorites. It’s riotously funny and just so endearing and interesting. If you’ve seen the movie and think the book can’t be that different think again,there’s a multi level underground zoo,a multi-page rant about hats,and some killer descriptions on wrestling.

Anything by Neil Gaiman,seriously. I always recommend to start with Good Omens which is co-written by Terry Pratchett. It will put you in tears it’s so funny and there isn’t a dull page in the book. American Gods by Gaiman is another of my favorites that’s wonderful to start with. It’s a bit darker but all kinds of intriguing with some phenomenally cool characters.

The Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett-You can pick up almost any book from this series out of order and start with. Pratchett has this way of writing that is just so endearingly fun and captivating and it makes you feel like a kid again from what a scream his stories are. My favorite from Discworld is the Monstrous Regiment because it’s basically space Mulan meets Pirates of the Caribbean meets Princess Bride.

The hollow chocolate bunnies of the apocalypse by Robert Rankin-Rankin has a very similar vibe to Pratchett and Gaiman and this is a retelling of fairytales and nursery rhymes through the lens of a 20s noir fantasy detective style. It’s just supremely fun and intriguing and it’ll have you backtracking to reread stuff you missed with a manic grin.

Redshirts by John Scalzi-If you like Star Trek you’ll love this. It’s a satirical and very on the nose,breaking the fourth wall story of an ensign on a starship who realizes all the redshirts on the ship die on every mission. It’s not literature but it is a ridiculously fun read.

Wild Cards edited by George R. R. Martin-I know Martin gets a rap for how dark and gritty his writing is by people who don’t like that sort of thing but if you don’t like Game of Thrones don’t fear. Before Martin got into his fantasy war of the roses retellings he wrote a lot of sci-fi and has been a big name in the genre for a long time. Wild Cards is a whole series of novels but the anthology is what you start with,a collection of short stories from all sorts of well known sci-fi authors from the 80s. The Wild Card universe is an alternate history universe where an alien virus hits earth after WWII and gives people superpowers. It’s set in the 40s-80s and is steampunk meets Captain America meets Star Wars and the universe is such high adventure incredible fun.

Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan-If you watched the Netflix series don’t be fooled by thinking you don’t need to read the book. Morgan has a way of twisting cyberpunk sci-fi with 20s detective noir genre hallmarks that makes for a scream of an aesthetic read. The story is just so interesting and Morgan’s writing will suck you in. I don’t even like 1st person pov but this book is very easy to forgive for it.

Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie-Listen this book *shakes fist* this book. Leckie,if you’re not huge in the sci-fi world,with this book took the genre by Storm a few years ago and swept almost every major book award in 2014. It’s hard sci-fi written wickedly sharp with incredible pacing and it will have you sweating and breathing hard from how tense of a read it is. Leckie is just a genuinely phenomenal writer and if you even half like sci-fi I always recommend her for how gripping she is.

The Martian and Artemis by Andy Weir-Another favorite sci-fi author of mine. Weir somehow combines the heart-hammering tenseness of Leckie and the sheer hilarity of Pratchett and Gaiman. His books are wicked smart and sharp and perfunctory,with a delightful dry humor to them that is so incredibly grounding and human. Weir is actually who got me really into sci-fi after I got out of ya and he can really make you fall in love with the genre.

Vonnegut-Literally anything by him. He may be considered literature now and if you read Slaughterhouse Five in school and was turned off from him don’t let it color your opinion of all his writings. Slaughterhouse is his most famous but it’s not my favorite by him. I always recommend the Sirens of Titan as an intro to him. It’s an astoundingly gripping read and is one of those books I read in one sitting because I literally couldn’t put it down. Vonnegut writes the best kind of absurd that will have you laughing one second and horrified the next and he’s one of the few American canon lit authors that I agree counts as modern literature.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell-Another one that’s considered modern lit that I actually agree with! Don’t let that scare you though,because it’s also metaphysical sci-fi and much like Vonnegut and his crazy space metaphysical stories,it will have you in tears laughing one minute and then actual tears the next. I’m a huge fan of Mitchell in general,he’s an Irish author who I think has just astoundingly beautiful writing and I think he’s a master storyteller. But Cloud Atlas is what I always recommend to start with,even if you saw the Wachowskis’ film of it.

The Redwall Series by Brian Jacques-This Series is a classic and the paperbacks May technically be on a children’s publisher but don’t let that fool you,because the reading level is certainly high enough for adults. For anyone who was obsessed with Warrior Cats as a kid like me,this is just the adult version and set in a medieval universe. You have friar mice and Scottish claymore wielding squirrels. You’ve got pirate otters and clans of feuding foxes and evil scourging rats. These books are just so supremely well written and classic storytelling and so dear to my heart.

Circe by Madeline Miller-You might recognize Miller from getting well known on online spaces with her Song Of Achilles because who doesn’t want the true gay rendition of Achilles and Patroclus. Contrary to everyone else I don’t like that one. But I do highly recommend her newer publication Circe for how beautiful it’s written and riveting the story is. I didn’t sleep the night I read it because I couldn’t put it down until I read it cover to cover.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness-I recommend this one to any of you vampire lovers out there who,like me,was in middle school for the days of Twilight. Harkness’s story combines vampires witches and demons in a dazzling behind the scenes universe of the supernatural. The trilogy is sexy,well written,and this very deeply endears it to me because Harkness is a historian and so there’s time travel too. It’s a wildly endulgant and fun series that hits so many of my loves and is basically every embarrassing supernatural teen romance we loved but with more sex and violence.

#not star wars #book recs #book rec list #books #book recommendations #asks #long post

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evabellasworld · 3 years

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Storm of the Republic

Chapter 5

AO3 Link | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

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Summary: When Tup murdered General Tiplar during a battle, Anakin Skywalker and Captain Rex dispatched Ahsoka, Fives, and Yara to solve the mystery that was plaguing the Clone Army. Meanwhile, Senator Padme Amidala contacted Commander Fox, Commander Tori, Riyo Chuchi, and Dipper to help her continue investigating the death of Palpatine, suspecting that Dooku was behind the evil plot. But when Dooku send an ISB agent to stop them, the team had to race against time to search for the truth, which could alter the course of the galaxy.

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Starting the game with the king’s pawn, Commander Fox could only smirk as Tori was sitting in the opposite direction, planning her next move. He was confident that he could win the game of chess, considering his rival was not so great. “Are you going to move?” he teased, much to her frustration.

The short-haired clone rolled her eyes, careful not to swear in front of Frieda, who was sitting on her lap. Since she found the little girl on the streets, Tori made sure she would be a good example for her child, even if it means giving up her desire to drink alcohol. The first few days of staying sober were rough, but thanks to the alcohol patch given by Red Cross, she could get over it.

“Mama, move,” Frieda uttered, leaving her lips curled up. Six months ago, the five-year-old girl barely said a word or two, but now, she can speak freely. Tori could thank the Jedi Healer for everything she did, from treating rashes on the child’s skin to helping her with speech therapy. It wasn't easy for both of them, but they persevered.

Taking a deep breath, Tori moved the first pawn one step forward and crossed her arms. I don’t even know whether I’m doing this right, she doubts herself. I bet Foxy would win this round of chess, as usual.

Fox raised his eyebrows, noticing her silence. “Is everything alright, Tor?”

“Just move your next piece or something,” she replied in an annoyed tone. “This game is taking forever, anyway.”

He grinned. “You know, I would completely understand if you want to quit. I won’t judge you.”

“How sly of you,” she retorted, resting her hands on her cheeks. “Tell you what, I’m going to win this round, no matter what.”

“Of course you would, vod,” teased Fox, as he moved the queen’s pawn. Tori snickered at his moves, leaning against her seat while supporting her child on her lap. Is that all he got? What a fucking loser.

Stretching her right arm, she took a deep breath as she moved the third pawn in front of the bishop, building a defense line against her opponent. “It’s your turn, Foxy.”

“For the last time, it’s Fox, not Foxy.”

“What’s the difference?” shrugged Tori. “I mean, it’s spelled the same way, and it rhymes too.”

He shook his head. “How are Fox and Foxy the same thing? One has three letters while the other one has four letters.”

“Well, it’s nice to know that you’re an expert in linguistics,” she snarled. “Usually, you don’t say shit to other people, unless they serve a greater purpose than yours.”

“Did you just swear in front of the kid?” Fox pointed out her major flaws, turning to his comrade, Commander Odd Eye. “Did you see that, Odd Eye? She just swore in front of the child. Can't you believe that?”

Odd Eye sighed as she handed Tori a glass jar, which was filled with credits and sweets. “Pay up,” she gestured, much to the former’s annoyance.

“Seriously?” Tori groaned. “Don’t you have anything else to do, like I don’t know, rest?”

“I am resting,” the purple-eyed commander replied, rubbing her pregnant belly. “If anything, I should ask you that question instead, Tor. I mean, how long has it been since you had a good night’s sleep, anyway?”

Tori glanced at her dalmatian keychain, which was given by the twins. Lira and Eva bought them for her at a souvenir shop on Lambda, which fit the pink spots on her armour. Being a dog lover, Tori cherished the gifts so much that she carried them everywhere she went for good luck. She wasn’t a superstitious person, but so far, the keychain had kept her alive.

If only they were still here with me, she wondered, staring at her chess piece. They would have loved Frieda like how they loved each other.

“You’re thinking about them, right?” Fox highlighted, as he was aware of her close bond with her Jedi Generals, which was something he never had.

Tori could only bob her head, avoiding his sorrowful eyes. “What if they’re still out there, Fox? I mean, both the girls cheated death many times. They could be lost somewhere in the galaxy.”

“I understand your pain, Tori,” he empathised with her, realizing that his sister pronounced his name correctly. “But eventually, you have to let them go. Clinging to them won’t do you any good at all.”

“It’s easy for you to say, considering how you never had something like this with the Chancellor. Am I right or am I wrong?”

“That is true, but Tor, you’ve barely even slept because of them. Seriously, you shouldn’t sabotage your mental health.”

“Foxy is right,” Odd Eye agreed with her older brother. “You can’t continue latching to the idea that Lira and Eva are still out there. Trust me, I had a similar experience after losing Erhan and Gowon and it was downright depressing.”

“Look, I understand what it was like losing someone you love, really. I can sympathise with you about the tragic outcome for the girls, but you can't carry your heavy burdens with you for the rest of your life.”

As much as Tori wanted to argue with her, Odd Eye had a point. She was in a secret relationship with General Wuxar, and she lost him during the Battle of Coruscant, along with her best friend, Gowon. Odd Eye and Gowon's friendship went all the way back to Kamino, when they were only cadets.

She remembered accompanying her friend to the medic, where she went through a UV scan for her unborn child. At first, Odd Eye didn’t say a word or two, but then she tearfully confessed that it belonged to the late Jedi General, and how much she missed him very much.

Thankfully, the Galactic Republic didn’t exist anymore, so her sister was spared. The Kaminoans also couldn’t do anything about it, since their facilities were already shut down. Tori was never a fan of her creators, and while she’s glad that she no longer belongs to them, it also means that their fleet has depleted in half.

Before she could say something, one of her men, Dipper, entered the tent. “Commander, the General wants all of you at HQ,” he told her. “She said it was crucial.”

“We’ll be there in a flash,” Tori nodded. “Thanks, vod.”

“No problem, commander,” the ARC Trooper saluted as he left the tent. Getting up from her seat, Tori strapped Frieda with a baby carrier. Fox and Odd Eye, on the hand, put away the chess set in the box and grabbed their helmets.

Guess I’ll beat Tori another day then, he smirked.

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rosecorcoranwrites · 4 years

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Writing Inside the Lines

There is a certain type of poem called a sestina. I've written two of them, and let me tell you, they are tough. Rather than relying on rhyme and meter, they employ a pattern of six words that end each line in the first six stanzas, and then end or are contained in the final three lines. The six words also change which line they appear in in each stanza. If that sounds complicated, that's because it is. However, sestinas are a great form because they force you to write a good poem. You have to end the lines on those words, which means you must construct your sentences carefully. Also, if you don't want it to sound repetitive, you had better play with the meaning and connotation of those six words. You can't noodle around. You can't slack off. If you're going to write a sestina, you really have to care about it.

I think this idea of writing with certain rules can improve most stories. Especially in a world oversaturated with shock-value, twist endings, and an anyone-can-die mentality, writing inside the lines, so to speak, forces writers to be careful. When writers must practice restraint, their stories are prevented from going over the top, flying off the rails, and all that other awful stuff that our media is so glutted with recently. They have to care, and their stories will be better for it.

One example of this is the storytelling in traditionally animated films or those that use practical effects versus that in CGI. While some CGI films do have heartfelt storytelling, there are hundreds more that are a waste of the data used to make them. And while there are some weird or awkward 2-D films, I feel like the ratio of good to bad is far higher than in CGI. As for practical effects, they almost always work better in their tone and feeling than slapping up a bunch of ritzy computer graphics because you can. Why this discrepancy? Because traditional animation and practical effects are more expensive and time consuming than CGI. Thus, the creators have to be darned sure that their movie really needs a specific scene or character or monster. These elements can't just be thrown in with CGI. The creators have to self-edit, which leads to a tighter story with less fluff and kibble crammed on.

Another example is in scary stories made for children instead of adults. Because there are certain expectations--like you can't have gore, or killers running around murdering extras left and right--writers are forced to come up with more detailed monsters and worlds, which leads to creepier or more in-depth stories. Compare, say, Coraline, to 90% of monster movie for adults. The Bel-Dame is similar to a classic folklore monster, in that she seems to have limitation--she has to actually lure children and coax them in, rather than just grabbing them and sewing buttons into their eyes. She isn't your typical semi-omnipotent adult movie ghost who can go anywhere and kill anyone for no reason, but that makes her scarier. We know what she's capable of, and it's way worse than just killing someone in the bloodiest way possible.

Knowing how a story ends is also something that's been on my mind lately, due to two shows in particular: Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Tangled: The Series. Both of these shows are part of larger franchises. Not only must they use the previously established characters and settings of those worlds, but both have a previously established ending. So how does that affect what the writers are allowed to do in these stories?

We all know how the Clone Wars end: Order 66, the fall of the Jedi Order, and the establishment of the Empire. This knowledge, however, adds to the tension of the series rather than detracting from it. Every time there is a scene of the clone troopers bonding with their Jedi generals, in the back of your mind you can't help but think of the Order 66 scene in Revenge of the Sith. It adds a nice, thick layer of angst to what would otherwise be a normal military adventure show. We also know that Anakin goes to the Dark Side and why he does, but now (unlike in the movie), we get to see that slow progression toward it. We really get to like him as a character, but every so often, he'll be a little too ready to force choke someone, or flip out about slavery, or freak when those close to him are in mortal danger. It's fascinating getting to see his gradual growth into a more Vader-like personality. And, finally, there is Anakin's apprentice, the fan-favorite Ahsoka Tano. She's in the show from its pilot episode, but she's not in the movie. So the question of what happens to her, and where is she when Order 66 goes down, is always present just offscreen. That's suspense! That's drama!

You also have Tangled: the Series, aka Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure, which is sandwiched between the movie and the short film "Tangled Ever After", where we see Eugene and Rapunzel get married. Thus, we know that her hair is going to get cut short again (it regrows magically in the pilot); so we can wonder and speculate as to how that's going to happen, now that her golden hair is back and unbreakable. We know that the main cast all lives, so the drama comes not from anyone-can-die, but from interpersonal relationships: Can this person be trusted? Will these people remain friends? Could any of these fallouts have been prevented? Perhaps the best part of this show's being a spin-off is what it does for the romance. Eugene and Rapunzel are in love at the beginning of the show, and they're in love at the end. We know this. Thus, we don't have any stupid "will they or won't they" or love triangles or anything. The drama comes from Rapunzel not feeling ready for the responsibilities of marriage (or princessing, for that matter), and Eugene wanting to settle down but still being patient and supporting her. It's one of the best romances ever written, and it's in a show for children. Maybe it's one of the best romances because it's in a show for children.

So the next time you are strapped for how to make your story more compelling, maybe impose a rule on yourself. How can you evoke horror without showing violence? How can you create a tense situation if you're not allowed to kill characters? How might showing the ending of a story first change how the audience experiences the rest of it? It might be a fun exercise, and it will almost certainly produce something better than mere shock value or twist endings could.

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tired-and-procrastinating · 4 years

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There was honestly so much story potential in The Rise of Skywalker and it was just.... wasted.

Like you had the opportunity to look past the darkside/lightside dichotomy and really examine whether either side are really right or wrong. Because I have always thought the prequels were about the dark side winning, the original trilogy was the light side winning, and the sequels would finally bring real balance to the force.

Rey being a nobody was such an important part of her story, of admitting to herself her family roots aren't important, what is important is herself as a person and her found family.

Palpatine was a boring ass pull because apparently writing anything more interesting than a creepy old man in a dark robe being pure evil is too hard for JJ. Like, exploring grey morality? Nope. Exploring how the First Order can and is a villain without the force involved? Nope. Exploring how the apathy of the rest of the galaxy is also a villain? Nope.

Speaking of villains; Hux. What did they do to my BOY HUX. Like, okay, there were three routes they could have gone, all of which would have been more satisfying and make more sense than what they chose. 1) nothing changed about his character, and he does exactly what Pryde does. 2) he was secretly a deep cover mole from the very beginning. At some point he overcame his childhood indoctrination and decided to aid the resistance from the inside. He is the reason Finn and other stormtroopers conditioning "failed", and he remains undercover doing all he can, but he see there is no time and either goes with Finn and Poe when he rescues them, or faces his fate, with Finn and poe telling others of his bravery, even when his image to most is that of a despot (This would go against he previous characterisation in other works, but hey J J went way further than I did here so...) 3) everything is the same, Hux really is THAT much of a petty bitch. But he is also not stupid so he goes with Poe and Finn and all further scenes are awkward as hell and kind of hilarious. He also elaborates and talks about how he is done with abuse and humiliation, and his dreams of bringing order to the galaxy are not worth this.

Even with the Canon ending, I would not be too surprise if somewhere down the line a star wars novel comes out showing his escape. He planned to be executed to get away Scott free, through a blaster-proof vest, some luck, and help from those loyal to him. And then years down the line he is found and captured by the new Republican government, but Poe lets him go, just as Hux had done for him manyyears ago.

Now Hux is not the only character to be treated Like garbage, rose was barely a background character the entire movie. They also added quite a number of new characters (in a movie filled with characters whose stories are still far from complete, And in a story that is jam-packed). This was a huge mistake, as it really feels like they are there to give exposition and to give Finn and Poe love interests, which is just... no.

Also, it would have made way more sense for Anakin to be the force ghost/vision kylo sees that finally brings him back to the light. While I know he loves his dad, it would make more sense that the man he has admired for so long be the one to finally talk sense into him.

Finally: reylo. I was thrilled to see it become Canon. I liked seeing them using the bond, healing, and kissing. It was magical. But it was also a tragic end for Ben. He never spoke, he was never mourned. Not only did Ben die, but it looks like Rey didn't really care? I have seen people more emotional waiting for the bus. This is meant to be her soulmate, who just sacrificed himself for her! Like? Idk man, felt super weird. Especially as having them be together (And start a new generation) would have been hopeful. It would have really been reverse anidala, "it is like poetry, it rhymes". This just carries on the Skywalker tradgey rather than finally letting it come to an end.

This was a long incoherent ramble. People have already said everything I have but... This movie disappointed me on a deep level. I love star wars. I'll be the sequel trilogy. I just wish these characters were treated with some respect.

#reylo #tros #tros negativity #tros review #the rise of skywalker #armitage hux #ben solo #rey palpatine #rose tico #star wars #me rambling

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jenniferladybug · 5 years

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Essay Wars - it’s a doozy

Last night my friend got in a texting debate about the story structure and character developments of Star Wars (a majority of it Kylo Ren). Well, what started off as my vigorous texting writing turned into full-blown essay responses.

Alright, let’s get into how this actually happened.

First, I was so excited about The Rise of Skywalker Final Trailer and I began to sing praises for Kylo Ren/Bendemption. My friend did not like that...so I whipped out the big guns.

I began to send scattered texts about certain things, mostly pertaining to:

Kylo Ren was turned to the dark side before he was even born via Bloodline, where Leia describes a dark presence over her womb.

Someone must be impersonating Darth Vader when Kylo goes to the Vader mask for advice.

Leia and Han were emotionally neglectful/did not know how to raise their son in the right way, mixed with brainwashing lead to Kylo Ren.

The Jedi are not good for the galaxy (yes, yes I know, but see my explanation down below...if you last that long)

Kylo wants to let the past die and start fresh with a new ‘order’, leave behind the Sith, Jedi, First order etc.

I also rambled on about a few other things in separate texts, but that is the gist of it.

So, in response to my scattered texts I received this from my friend Sammy, and oh boy was I ready:

So, let’s start with the story of Ben. The dark side since before he was even born thing is interesting and the fact that he’s been influenced his entire life by it is something they should have made much more clear in the films. That’s actually one of the problems I have with this new expanded universe- it just seems like damage control for the movies. The Previous EU EXPANDED everything, giving backstory to the characters we know and understand, in addition to secondary characters. Hell, they even gave us new characters as well but they never negated or changed the meaning of the films which is the bread and butter of the franchise, so if this super important info is coming from the book I think that’s just silly. You really shouldn’t have to read the novel iteration to understand what the movie did a bad job of interpreting. But I digress, that is some crucial info…

The Vader mask scene and the theory that it’s someone else like Snoke who has been pretending to be Vader is interesting, and I buy that, but like…Kylo didn’t know Vader was redeemed? Did Luke, Leia, Han, Chewy, Lando, Akbar, Wedge, or like literally anybody else form the Rebellion forget to tell him that? Big yikes.

IMO, feeling “misunderstood and neglected by his parents” isn’t a valid excuse for him to kill his own dad and being ok with his mom getting bombed to hell. Idk, you can ask why it’s ok for us to forgive Vader through his redemption arc but I think comparing his experiences to Kylo’s is like comparing apples to oranges. Vader was a BAD guy, but he ended up doing the ultimate GOOD thing in the end, and then the prequels fleshed out how he became bad intangible way, which to be fair, Kylo doesn’t have. But still, this is why most fans don’t take him seriously.

About the Jedi not being good- I challenge your credentials. “For a thousand generations the Jedi knights have been the guardians of peace and justice for the Old Republic”, then they were hunted down and everything turned to shit. And both in this canon and the previous one, it’s wildly considered that the few thousand years preceded the events of the movies things were super peaceful all things considered when the Jedi were in charge…and the Sith traditionally only operates in agents of 2. So how come everything was so peaceful for a thousand generations when there were a million Jedi and 2 Sith…ying yang in this case is bollocks.

And if Kylo really wants to “Start fresh”, why’d he start by becoming Supreme Leader of like the Star Wars version of ISIS? This is something we’ll need to find out in this next movie. I agree, his motive is to dismantle the Jedi and Sith way and create something else entirely, but the second Rey says “nah” he goes back to how he was. It’s not looking good.

The George Lucas rhyme thing lets not forget he’s talking about Episode 1 which was arguably one of the worst Star Wars movies made and he ended it with “hopefully it’ll work” and then grimaces…IDK bud lmao. And I doubt back in 1977 he knew there was going to be an episode 9 because he didn’t even know what he just made was Episode 4! It definitely was never a 9 episode arc from the get-go. Now, I know for certain after the prequels he had another trilogy in mind, and when he sold the rights to Disney he did hand them his drafts and notes, but even Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, admitted in his new book, they didn’t follow those drafts AT ALL. LIKE NOTHING. And he said that George felt betrayed. This idea of a new trilogy is something that was created in 2012, but I suspect they have been making this up as they went. After this last movie, Disney scrambled to get JJ Abrams back and figure out how they were going to get everything back on track. Daisy Ridley herself said JJ wrote a story for each of the 3 new movies, but Rian ended up created his own completely. I think that alone shows that production for these movies has been inconsistent, I don’t buy this was all part of some 9 series plan with a definitive beginning, middle, and end from the get-go.

Not sure what Rey’s lineage is, we’ll find out for sure in this next movie. I read one theory that Palpatine created her sorta through the force like many people think he did with Anakin.

So that was what I was up against.

Let’s take a brief moment to appreciate this:

Okay now that that is done...great.

My turn!

Now, I wrote my response (copied below) at top speed in about an hour, so maybe some of the things I say start sounding rushed or not as fleshed out as they should be. But I cracked my knuckles and gave it a go:

I am the first one to advocate for a film to have the ability to ‘stand-alone’ in any particular universe, whether it be Marvel, DC, Hunger Games, and Star Wars. By introducing a backstory for Leia’s pregnancy and hers and Han’s marriage in ‘Bloodline’, LucasFilm is doing just that: giving a backstory. In both The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi, there is proof that Snoke is the one pulling the strings when it comes to young solo. In the first film, Leia is quoted saying to Han, “There’s still light in him I know it! No. It was Snoke. He seduced our son to the dark side”, and in the second film Luke is quoted as saying, “Snoke had already turned his heart”. It is made apparent that ‘Kylo Ren’ is the production of Snoke, and Ren suffers abuse both mental and physical from his master. Though this changes when Kylo finally becomes free of the shackles Snoke once had on him when Ren slices him in half. The look of shock and release on Ren’s face when he realizes what he’s done says it all. Who are we to judge someone who is freshly out of the control of their captor? By just watching the films it is clear that Kylo Ren is not fully in control of his actions and he is being manipulated consistently as shown by the quotes above. When having that manipulation in conjunction with the neglect of a parental figure, then you get the full-blown reality that is Kylo Ren.

Feeling “misunderstood and neglected by his parents” is a valid excuse for turning to the Darkside in the world of a fictional fairy tale. Keep in mind we are not in a reality where this is okay, yet the world in which Star Wars exists allows such things to be redeemable and explainable. Take for example when Padme knew about Anakin killing younglings; she wanted him to still come home because she ‘loved’ him. If he had turned back to the light at that moment she would have most likely accepted him back. It is a danger of the force. They are not dealing with everyday normal emotions; the force, as well as the genre of the franchise, creates a heightened sense of urgency which is apparent throughout the forty-plus years Star Wars has been around (hell, as long as any fairy tale has been around). When you point out that Vader did the ultimate good thing in the end, do you mean to save his son and push Palpatine down a duct? If so, then this would be his redemption which occurred in the last of the original trilogies. If you are to treat Kylo with the same rules as Vader, then we must give him a chance to ‘do the right thing’, something which the filmmakers have been steadily building his character-arc for. Vader did numbers ‘wrong’ things, some of them much worse than Kylo has done. But yet the audience still chose to respect him, even before the prequels which fleshed out the story of Anakin Skywalker.

Now, you may be correct in that Ben Solo knew of Vader’s redemption, and I misspoke, to which I am sorry. He, in fact, learned of his heritage when he was training with Luke at his academy when he received a letter from his mother. The contents of the letter are unknown, though it is assumed she told him of his heritage when he was in his late teens. This was only because one of her rivals she was campaigning against in the senate threatened to leak the knowledge to the public that Leia was the daughter of the infamous Darth Vader. Ben had no idea before-hand though, so once again we assume that this had some type of impact. Imagine finding out your grandfather was Hitler. Would that be fun? But, since we addressed the fact that external material should not need to be consumed in order for a film to make sense, then we should disregard any idea as to how Ben Solo came to learn of his heritage. It is not mentioned in the films, but it is a widely held belief by many in the fandom that if Kylo Ren knew of his grandfathers’ redemption then he merely took this as a lapse in judgment in his late years (especially since it is hinted to in the films that Ren is speaking to someone via the Vader mask). Perhaps said mask has been telling Ren lies in lieu of the true story of the redemption. But that is speculation. What is not speculation is the line Ren utters in The Force Awakens, “Forgive me. I feel it again... The pull to the light... Supreme Leader senses it. Show me again... The power of the darkness... And I'll let nothing stand in our way... Show me... Grandfather... and I will finish... what you started.” What we can tell from the film is that Ren is in a constant struggle to stay within the dark, and through his words, it is expressed how this warrants forgiveness. The second half of the statement is even more worrying in the fact that Ren says ‘show me again’, referencing a previous time this ‘Vader’ has shown him what the darkness entails. Will we find out in episode nine if there was an imposter (Palpatine?) feeding more lies and brainwashing to Kylo Ren? That means not only was he getting terrible treatment from Snoke, but from his ‘grandfather’ as well. Perhaps this is why in the final trailer for episode nine we see Rey and Ren destroying said helmet. Until the film comes out, this will still be a mystery.

In coming to why I believe the Jedi are bad, I side with Luke Skywalker on this one. As he says in The Last Jedi, “ At the height of their powers, they allowed Darth Sidious to rise, create the Empire, and wipe them out. It was a Jedi Master who was responsible for the training and creation of Darth Vader.” To that, Rey points out that it was also a Jedi who saved him. Which is true! Yet, the rules surrounding the Jedi order are such that allowed for Anakin to search elsewhere for support. True, he was very conflicted, but the Jedi are so extreme that they do not welcome outside opinions or thinking. You are either all light or you’re bad. There is no intermediary. That is why the answer is grey Jedi. I know those exist, and what needs to happen is a yin and yang between the light and the dark. Working together fosters acceptance and love within the galaxy. Even the symbol in the pool of the Jedi Temple in which Luke tucked himself away had a figure in a yin and yang pattern. “Powerful light and powerful dark...a balance”. Yet, any dark whatsoever that the Jedi see they stamp out.

When Anakin says, “If you’re not with me, then you’re against me”, Obi-wan responds with, “Only sith think in absolutes!”. Well, can you see the issue there? Obi-wan is also thinking in absolute. Using the word only further segmented and cast aside Anakin, by labeling him a lost cause. Such a similar thing happened with Kylo Ren and the incident with Luke at the Jedi Academy. The momentary lapse which Luke expressed to Rey was the tipping point. In Ren’s eyes, even his Master saw him beyond saving. And since everyone around him insists on thinking in absolute, then he must be bad according to them, right?

Slowly, Ren is beginning to realize there is another way, something not presently defined within the Star Wars universe. It is not Sith, it is not Jedi, it is not the First Order: it is the ‘new order’ which he proposes to Rey. Yet, he is not ready for redemption yet. The entire point of the scene was for Rey to realize that Kylo Ren cannot be saved by anyone but himself. This is a very powerful message and I am quite looking forward to seeing how his self-realization occurs in Episode Nine. Now, keep in mind that he had banked everything on Rey saying yes, and in his mind, she is “Still. Holding. ON!”, which she is, and he is right that it is holding her back. How can you expect someone from a family of yelling, angry people to get it right the first time? In fact, Adam Driver had to ask Rian Johnson if Kylo Ren had ever kissed a girl before. Kylo is not experienced in this ‘love’ world. He did not receive much love language from his absentee parents, so the only relationship he’s known for most of his teen and adult life is that of Snoke and General Hux. At that moment in which he wakes up to realize she is gone is one of abandonment and rejection. He thought he had found his match, the answer to his loneliness, and she snapped his lightsaber in two. He is basically throwing a grownup temper-tantrum, which is blatantly apparent in the standoff with Luke. When Kylo threatens everything, even ‘destroying’ Rey, Luke claims that everything Kylo says is “a lie”. It is clear in the last few moments of the film when Kylo is defeated and on his knees holding his father’s die that the audience begins to realize his anger was all a facade. In that shot, he is merely a lost and lonely boy realising the path he has chosen is wrong. The final force-bond between Kylo and Rey exhibits every one of those notions. There is no anger in his face, not very ‘destroy-ee’ of him, and he looks up with her with an almost longing. But when she sternly shuts the door on him, once again he is left alone, the die slowly fading from his gloved hand.

If that doesn’t sound like poetry then I don’t know what is! George Lucas was quoted saying in the behind the scenes of the prequels, “You see the echo of where it all is gonna go. It’s like poetry, sort of. They rhyme.” Similar themes and sequences occur within the franchise, and they have kept that alive at Disney Lucas Films, especially in regards to the parallels drawn between Anakin/Padme and Kylo/Rey. They even designed their respective costumes in a similar fashion. Kylo has his mother and father’s anger and stubbornness. They had a rough idea of where it was all going to go. And in regards to JJ Abrams and Rian Johnson, JJ Abrams was an executive producer on Episode 8 and had a say in the general outline of the plot. JJ had set up the relationship between Kylo and Rey in The Force Awakens, and Rian continued along that path. He followed the skeleton needed to get the plot from 7-9. But think about it, Disney would not allow Rian to just veer off the path completely. Yes he had some creative license but within parameters. Sometimes I don’t think people understand the workings of a large corporation with creative decisions. On a project like Star Wars there is always input from the higher-ups. In addition, JJ Abrams auditioned potential Kylo Ren actors with the script from Pride and Prejudice (Mr. Darcy of course). This is made clear in the writing decisions and parallels which have been made for that particular character.

Lastly, would you really want George Lucas at the helm of this new trilogy? People thought the prequels were terrible and Lucas went back and digitally altered the originals against the will of fans. He is not technically the best when it comes to scriptwriting (Exhibit A: “I hate sand, it gets everywhere!”) Also, Mark Hamill was interviewed in the early ’00s and said, "You know, when I first did this, it was four trilogies. 12 movies! And out on the desert, any time between setups...lots of free time. And George was talking about this whole thing. I said, 'Why are you starting with IV, V and VI? It's crazy.' [Imitating Lucas grumble,] 'It's the most commercial section of the movie.'” Yes, the first film was a stand-alone, since they had no idea they would receive any further funding. But then the immense success allowed for Lucas to develop the franchise further.

What I think people tend to forget is that Star Wars is a fairy tale, and it is not supposed to be about ‘a mass murder’ who is going to jail. It is supposed to be about redemption at its very heart. George Lucus had expressed that he intended Star Wars as a series for “twelve-year-olds”. This explains things like Jar Jar Binks and other bizarre choices he has made as a creator. Though this explains a lot of why most of the people who hate the franchise now are angry adults online who live in an overly politically correct world judging a fictional character who is in the middle of a character arc. As JJ Abrams had said in the director's commentary of The Force Awakens, “We looked at it like […] a fairy tale. What are the elements that you’re going to see that makes it this genre, this specific genre? […] You’re probably going to have a castle, and a prince and a princess, if you’re looking at a fairy tale. We wanted to give these fundamental, not cosmetic, but prerequisite elements.”

Okay, I’ve talked too much. I am going to end it there for now. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

Haha hope that was entertaining and that sparked some thinking and inspiration. I know I let my keyboard run away from me and please excuse the odd typo from time to time. Let me know your thoughts.

I mean just look at that beautiful man.

Love you all!

#reylo #star wars #kylo ren #rey #long reads #in defense of kylo #ben solo #george lucas #bendemption

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darkfoxartstudio · 6 years

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The Sequel Trilogy and a Fairy Tale Heroine's Journey.

(I posted this right after TLJ, and I thought it would be worth reposting today)

The Reylo community is a beautiful place let me start by saying that. I have been a part-time meta writer/fanfic writer/silent observer of discourse/and an okay “artist.” It has been a pleasant experience for me over the last two years. I have learned quite a bit about literature, storytelling, cinematography just by being a fan of a fictional couple who I thought had a spark of something. We all invested a lot of time into theory and art of all mediums. I have made friends that I wouldn't have otherwise. The ride has at times been bumpy.

As I sit and try to take in everything in The Last Jedi I admit I am overwhelmed and rightfully so. Rian Johnson has given us so much in this movie to pick through, and over analyze for the next two years. I admit like some of you, I was confused after my first viewing and very conflicted. I wanted Ben and Rey together so badly that when they didn't end up together, I was a bit upset. I was mad at Ben for rejecting Rey, but then I was mad at Rey for rejecting Ben. My emotions were all over the map.

A lot of us felt the same way, some of us freaked out left the fandom, cried in a corner, and some took a minute to really start sifting through the wreckage.

What I have found in that wreckage (as well as many others) is a beautiful treasure. We got way more story than we could have hoped for. It is complex, it is layered and no doubt we will find tidbits of something new while rewatching it until Episode 9.

In this meta, I am going to attempt to shed light on the Heroine's Journey using a fairy tale template if you will. This will hopefully help decipher where we are in this cycle, even though it can at times skip around. I am going to give my full disclosure that I am an amateur. I don’t pretend to be the end all be all super meta writer who knows all of this as fact. I am simply using the Heroine's Journey as a guide and placing my own wet of views on what we’ve been given thus far. I highly recommend at the end of this analysis that you buy a copy of The Heroine’s Journey: Woman’s Quest for Wholeness by Maureen Murdock. I also suggest you read this blog by Theodora Gross. This is where I get the “template” for the breakdown of a Heroine's Journey as it is usually told in a fairy tale.

*Remember- This analysis is based on the fairy tale stories thus the template I am using provided by Theodora Gross.

The basic break down of a Heroine's Journey in a fairytale setting according to Theodora Gross is this

1. The heroine lives in the initial home.

2. The heroine receives gifts.

3. The heroine leaves her initial home.

4. The heroine enters the dark forest.

5. The heroine finds a temporary home.

6. The heroine finds friends and helpers.

7. The heroine is tested.

8. The heroine dies.

9. The heroine finds her true partner.

10. The heroine finds her true home.

Firstly, I am using this example for a few reasons.

JJ Abrams stated that Star Wars is more like a fairy tale or a western. Here is the actual quote from The Force Awakens Bluray commentary.

“This whole location of Maz’s, of course, mirrors the cantina from A New Hope, as this Starkiller Base mirrors the Death Star. These were the kind of locations that felt like a given in Star Wars. For example, we looked at it like a Western or a fairy tale. What are the elements that you’re going to see that makes it this genre, this specific genre? And clearly, in a Western, you’re going to have the dusty main street, the saloon. You’re going to have cowboys. You’re going to have the bad guy, who’s probably dressed in black. You’re probably going to have a castle, and a prince and a princess, if you’re looking at a fairy tale. We wanted to give these sort of, fundamental, not cosmetic, but, sort of, prerequisite elements. These locations in which we can set our new story and our new characters.”

2. George Lucas has stated Star Wars is for children and it is a fairy tale.

So if we apply Theodora’s template for the Fairytale version of the Heroine's Journey to Star Wars more particularly to the Sequel Trilogy and Rey, we get this breakdown.

The heroine lives in the initial home

The Force Awakens introduces us to our heroine, Rey. We get a glimpse into her harsh everyday life by following her through a Star Destroyer in the barren desert of Jakku- a junk planet on the outer rim. She lives alone in an overturned AT-AT working all day just to feed herself. Like most adventures or fairy tales the main character longs for a different life. Rey longs for her family and even watches a ship leave the planet. We see this in Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and Cinderella. Another more similar example is how Luke wanted to leave Tatooine and looked longingly at the twin suns wishing for adventure-- this is part of Joseph Campbell's Hero’s Journey and yes there are similarities, but they are not the same at all. But for the sake of Star Wars and this discussion, I’ll throw in these comparisons.

The point of this setup is to show the audience how bad the conditions are for our heroine or how they are longing for something - a change, a person, adventure, etc.

“And this idea that she won’t share with him here is, of course, because she feels like the only belonging she’s ever going to have is her family and if she leaves she’ll never get a chance to see them. So there was a very powerful idea that what she desperately wanted was belonging, which she’ll get, but just not how she expects.” JJ Abrams TFA

The heroine receives gifts.

Unexpectedly Rey receives a gift in the form of a bright round orange droid- BB-8. This is not the only gift Rey receives. She acquires a blaster from Han Solo, and eventually the Skywalker Legacy lightsaber. I would like to take this moment to note these steps do occur in order. However, storytelling is fluid and just because the heroine receives a gift later in the steps does not void the order of the heroine's journey or take it back a step.

Another example of gifts would be Luke acquiring R2D2 and C-3PO. But he also gets the lightsaber later on. It's important to point out here as well, that in a lot of adventure type stories, we have a Call to Adventure, Refusal of the Call, The Mentor, etc. That is part of myth which is a part of every story in existence essentially in some form. Please watch these videos for reference (they are a bit long and old), but it goes over the themes and myth integrated into Star Wars. And please remember that George Lucas focused on Joseph Campbell's model of the Hero’s Journey when he first wrote A New Hope. Also yes as George has stated these stories are meant to rhyme. That does not mean they are a play by play of the plot. However, themes are similar, because the message of Star Wars is the same. “It is about love.”

The heroine leaves her initial home.

The First Order is hunting BB-8 and forces Finn and Rey to flee the planet for safety. According to Theodora sometimes the heroine is given away, runs away, or she chooses to leave. If the heroine decides to stay her home is destroyed in some way. An example of this is Cinderella. Her happy home is destroyed when her stepmother makes her work as a servant after the father dies.

In Star Wars Luke chose to leave after the death of his aunt and uncle. Anakin was taken by Qui Gon Jinn (Haaa, Liam Neeson - “Taken” get it- get it? I know I’m lame) and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The heroine enters the dark forest.

Rey runs from the safety of Maz’s castle into a dense dimly lit forest after she Refuses the Call. In other fairy tales like The Lassie, the girl enters the dark forest after losing her temporary home. Sleeping beauty grows up in the forest, and Rapunzel enters the dark forest after leaving her tower.

The refusal of the call in Star Wars (hero’s journey) Luke initially tells Obi-Wan he can’t leave Tatooine because of his family. Anakin does not want to leave his mother. Since Rey is a heroine her journey is slightly different but similar at the same time. She doesn't want to go on this adventure because she is holding out hope that someone will come for her on Jakku. Looking back in hindsight after viewing The Last Jedi Maz is forcing Rey to face the truth. “I see it in your eyes, you already know the truth. Whoever you are waiting for on Jakku, they’re never coming back.”

Rey is not ready to face this reality yet. It is this belief that her parents were coming back is what kept her alive for so long. It was a survival coping mechanism that eventually she started to believe. However, deep down she’s always known.

“She’s telling Rey what she needs to hear, which is, “Stop trying to go home, it’s not right, it’s a waste. And that the belonging you seek is not behind you, it’s ahead.” And this is the thing that she can’t accept right now. The idea that she has anything to do with this man that she thought was a myth just this morning, and now here she is being told that his destiny is somehow tied into her choices and her actions. So, when Maz asks her to close her eyes and to feel it and to let it in, she’s not just setting up the moment at the end, when Rey is battling Kylo Ren, but she’s also telling her to stop looking and stop trying to understand and just feel and it is that great lesson of the Force. But she can’t do it. She’s not ready. She can’t take it in.”

The heroine finds a temporary home

Now we jump ahead a bit here because stories are fluid and there is no one formula or beat for beat plot that matches a heroine's journey even though they do follow a direct path. Rey’s temporary home in the entire arc of this story is physically Ahch-To and metaphorically the Resistance. If the story ended completely with The Force Awakens, then her temporary home would have been the Falcon and even her friends Han, Chewie, and Finn. But we know this is a trilogy, and the pace of this journey will be slower. Think back to the Hero’s Journey which is integrated into this framework and note that Rey didn't even Accept the Call to Adventure until the end of The Force Awakens.

Theodora notes that the heroine may think she can stay in this temporary home, but she will eventually have to leave again. Snow White's home was with the dwarves who helped care for her. Sometimes in the temporary home, she finds her true partner, but not in the right form or at the right time. Examples Beauty finds Beast in her temporary home, but he is still the Beast, selfish cruel and unkind. Rapunzel meets her prince but loses him again. Cinderella enters the castle to go to the ball, meets her Prince, but it isn't the right time. She has to leave this temporary “home.”

Rey takes up residence on Ahch-To until she can convince Luke to return. Rey knows this is a temporary home because once she succeeds, they will leave. But what is more interesting than anything else and more telling is that Rey meets her true partner, but he is not in the right form nor is it at the right time.

Ultimately Rey loses Ben again. And I want to stress this again the metaphorical home she has with the Resistance still stands. We are in the middle chapter of the story. Rey left the temporary physical home only to still hold onto the Resistance as the temporary home. And before you try to come at me with pitchforks-- when I say the Resistance, I mean it as an organization, not Leia and Finn or Poe. Those people are her friends, but she is seeking shelter in this metaphorical temporary home because Rey does not know fully who she is yet. Yes, she's a Jedi, but what is her place in all this? Wage war on the FO as the mascot Jedi for the Resistance? Or is it to find the true meaning of the Force, and try to establish some sort of balance with Ben Solo. Remember Luke played this role of legendary Mascot and embraced it-- it led to failure, hubris and the creation of Kylo Ren. Rey’s story is so much bigger than your standard Jedi or weapon of the Resistance... sorry got a tiny bit sidetracked here but you get my point.

The heroine finds friends and helpers.

Luke fills this role to a T albeit begrudgingly. The heroine finds them and enlists their aid by being kind to them and giving them what they need. Later on, they help her when she is forced to leave her temporary home.

Rey finds Luke and tries to enlists his help by telling him she won't fail he like Kylo Ren. Rey attempts to reassure Luke that she can do what Ben could not and at the same time pleads with him to help his sister, Leia. Luke does indeed help Rey after she flees Ahch-To by facing Ben on Crait. Giving her a chance to save her other friends (who have also helped her along the way Finn, Poe, Leia etc.) and what was left of the Resistance.

The heroine is tested.

Heroines can go through agonizing periods of testing. Rey is tested in The Force Awakens when she fights Kylo Ren. She is tested on Han’s freighter when she has to figure out how to help Han escape the gangs. She is tested when she goes up against Kylo in the interrogation room. Make no mistake about it, Rey will still run through the test and trials all the way up to the end of Episode 9. So what were her trials or test in The Last Jedi? If you thought The Force Awakens was tough on her, The Last Jedi was downright brutal and with good reason.

Most of Rey’s tests are not physical in The Last Jedi like they were in The Force Awakens.

The first test is to convince Luke Skywalker to return- she fails.

She fails at her Force training (according to Luke) when she goes straight to the dark and doesn't even try to stop herself.

In the cave when she asks the mirror to see her parents. The cave reveals Rey's deepest fear- she is alone, her parents are gone. But this test in the cave does have its positives even though it devastates her. It is forcing her to confront the truth she already knows - They are dead, and they were nobody.

Rey faces her biggest test in The Last Jedi when she refuses Ben's hand. At this point, Rey has already seen a vision of Ben’s future. It moved her to tears and prompted her to seek him out against all odds. When Rey realizes, Ben isn't in his true form she has to reject him. She begs him to not go down the path. But again it's not the right time yet. This is the part of the fairy tale/heroines journey where she loses the Prince/Partner again.

Although this is heartbreaking for both her and Ben the test does have its positives. Rey finally accepts the truth about her past with Bens help albeit he was a little harsh. But he also makes Rey say it. He doesn't lead the conversation by saying they sold you for drinking money, then forces her to admit it to herself. He prompts her to say it FIRST, then he confirms what they did/or his interpretation of the events. Notice Rey does not correct him. Rey learns to let go, even if it does means she has to let him go too.

The heroine dies.

Attached to the test and trials (again according to Theodora Gross) is a journey into death. Persephone's journey into the Underworld, Snow White’s temporary death/ deep sleep in the glass coffin. Sleeping Beauty and her hundred year sleep.

Rian does an excellent job showing us visually Rey’s death, during a time of testing. Rey ships herself into essentially Hell (Snoke represents the Devil) in an escape pod that looks like a coffin. Again visually this is stunning, it ties in Snow White’s death and Persephone’s journey into Hell. Also one could tie in Psyche’s descent into Hades. It all represents death.

In Star Wars we see literal death and metaphorical death. Han Solo went under a Sleeping Beauty type death. The trope was subverted, and the Princess woke the sleeping “Prince” giving him a kiss at the time of his awakening. There are other “clues” that give a nod to Han Solo’s slumber and Reys metaphorical death. The escape pod also says Property of Han Solo. Rian specifically asked for it to be written on the coffin-shaped escape pod. You have to stop and ask yourself why? General Audience viewers are not going to know it says that or even see that anything is written on it so why bother? Because Rian is telling a more in-depth story here. Nothing he has done throughout this entire movie is without thought and purpose.

What is the purpose of the death of the heroine? Well, let's think about what happened to cause Rey to run to the other side of the Galaxy-- and descend into the metaphorical underworld, to begin with. What was happening? Luke wasn't teaching her the way she thought he would. It was proving to be difficult especially once she learned the truth behind his self-imposed exile. Luke refused to get involved, his way was not working for her. Rey wanted to act.

According to because the Heroines Journey Project in this step, the new way of life is too limited. Success in this new way of life is either temporary, illusory, shallow, or requires a betrayal of self over time.

Wouldnt be Rey be betraying everything she stands for (Hope) if she just stayed away like Luke wanted her to? To give in, to let Ben Solo’s fate remain on its current destructive course? That is not Rey, it isn't what she represents in Star Wars at all. The purpose of this metaphorical death is to shed away this ideology Luke had about himself and about the Jedi.

The heroine finds her true partner.

We have not reached this point in the story. The Last Jedi ends with the heroines death (step 8). But we will get here in episode 9 and since there are only two steps left I say that is fitting for Rey’s overall arc.

In this step the partner is in his true form, the beast has transformed into the Prince. Theadora notes that in fairytales it may not seem like much of a love story because most tales are told shorthand (the prince dances with the princess three times) But lucky for us Star Wars although forced to tell such a story shorthand has and can do it. The core to this step in the journey is that the heroine and the partner recognize each other.

For Ben and Rey this could mean that they finally see each other clearly. Recognizing that the balance is not all Light or all Darkness. Or that both light and dark live in both of them. Perhaps they realize that both sides of the war are wrong and the only real way forward is through love and acceptance.

The heroine finds her true home

Rey had to leave her initial home to find her place in the world. This could be with Ben, Finn, and the rest of the Resistance which she has coveted as a second family or perhaps will occur in Episode 9. In fairy tales, Belle can finally live with the Beast, and Cinderella can live in the castle with her Prince.

There is usually a partner in these situations although it is possible to end the story without one. However, considering the heroine's journey, and the theme of Star Wars I believe we will get a happy ending for both Rey and Ben.

I’ll leave this quote from Theadora’s blog here.

“If you’re uncomfortable with the idea of the heroine finding her true partner (does she really need a man to be her partner?), you can think of it as a metaphor. The true partner is also the other side of herself, so the story shows us the integration of the feminine and masculine, human and animal, sides of the personality. I don’t know, really: I just know that the partner is usually there, that the heroine is eventually united to a prince. Perhaps it means that a union with the right other is one of the highest things we can achieve in this life, perhaps it’s about unity within the self. Either way, it seems to be part of the story.”

If you have read other meta on the Anima and Animus, you’ll understand that reference that I bolded above. Rey and Ben fit the Anima and Animus profile, I can’t express that enough. The theme of The Last Jedi throughout marketing was Balance. We have been given very blatant clues about the balance of the Prime Jedi First Order. The symbol on the floor of the temple was pretty close to a Yin and Yang symbol. We know that The Art of The Last Jedi had concepts of Rey seeing Kylo on the other side of the mirror in the Dark Side cave. Rey and Ben have been mirrors of each other since The Force Awakens. (I go into depth on Kylo/Ben’s mirror cave here). You can see it in their choreographed fighting at the end. They emotionally mirror each other (both are lonely, and were isolated). They are coded in dark and light clothing. Even when Ben speaks to Rey its as if he could be talking to himself in a mirror. This happens in both Episode 7 and 8.

The merging of the Anima and Animus is paramount to the end of a Heroine's Journey. Only then can they be complete. Rian has repeatedly stated (paraphrasing) They are both two sides of the same coin two halves of the protagonist. For Rey and Ben to not come together in balance at the end of Episode 9 would be odd, to say the least.

I've seen arguments that Ben has to die or endure some type of harm to be redeemed. But to that, I throw this line at them. “It isn't about fighting what we hate, it is saving what we love.” - Rose Tico

Sure, Ben will continue to suffer, as Rey will continue to go through trials but only until they recognize each other. I don’t think Ben has to be mortally wounded or die to gain redemption. Star Wars is about Love.

From a storytelling perspective, we’ve had a tragedy and redemption in death. Ending the Sequel trilogy (a heroine's journey) with redemption in death is repetitive and doesn't fit the structure. It is my own personal opinion that we will get happy ending with redemption in life.

#reylo #reylo and mythology #rey #rey of jakku #star wars #star wars meta #reylo meta #ben solo #rey x kylo #rey x kylo ren #kylo ren #ben x rey

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