#it's like the separatist episode again

[tending-the-hearth]

god but if echo was part of this episode and he realized that it was ventress??? echo, who held 99 as he died on kamino?? echo, who was on kamino as ventress led the invasion?? echo, who saw the destruction firsthand??

sure, crosshair, hunter, and wrecker were suspicious and unwilling at first, but echo would have been adamant on not trusting or working with ventress, because the batch has read about what she's done, but echo's seen it. he's lost brothers to what she did. he'd be furious.

[gffa]

TALES OF THE EMPIRE wound up being a mixed bag for me, there was a lot I enjoyed but there was a lot that just felt really unfulfilled. Morgan's episodes were very pretty to look at but I couldn't help thinking--the entire time I was watching, even--that Filoni's not great at creating new characters that can carry entire episodes like this, none of this felt particularly necessary or like it was fulfilling a void that I wanted to know more about. It doesn't help that I still think her arc in live action was badly handled, that if she was meant to be a Nightsister from the beginning, her first episode should have dealt with that, instead of springing it on us later, so when filling in the background of her on Dathomir in TOTE, it brings all that up for me again.

Morgan's first episode was so pretty and it was interesting to potentially get more Dathomir lore (even if it's incredibly thin and I felt it was too close to the "we see others suffering in the galaxy, but we don't want to get our own hands dirty by fighting for other people or getting involved in helping others, btw we're morally better for that :)" trope for me personally) but everything on Corvus just felt superfluous to me and I spent time trying to figure out why I felt that way. If they had done her story this way or that way, would I have enjoyed it more? If they had included this or that, would I have thought it more necessary?

And ultimately I just kept coming back to that I don't really care about Morgan Elsbeth enough that I wanted three animated shorts dedicated to her, when I could have had so many other characters get fleshed out better. I appreciated that they were showing two characters on opposite journeys, that Morgan was falling into the dark step by step, while Barriss was slowly clawing her way out of it, but that's about all that I appreciated of Morgan's story (other than the beautiful animation).

But I'm not sure I feel like Morgan's motivations were all that well planned out. It's clear that she's looking for revenge and trying to find a new family at the same time, but it's not really clear why she's working with the Empire or how she thinks this leads her to her goals. Grievous is the one who murdered her village, how does working with the Empire (as the Separatists were folded into the Empire, too) achieve that goal? Who or what is her revenge focused on? Is it that she just wants the whole galaxy to burn, because if her village burned, so should everyone else? I feel like that's probably what they were going for, but that it could have been more coherently written.

Barriss' episodes hit a lot harder, where I'm glad that she at least got an arc, but I feel like it just missed so many marks, like why even have Vader there, I'm all for gratuitous Anakin cameos, he's my trash can man and I'm always excited to see him, but absolutely nothing was done with him, despite that he was looking Barriss right in the face there. Not even a moment of showing the audience, "Oh, his soul is so far into the dark of fear, hate, and rage that he doesn't even care about her anymore." Just nothing there, like there was no connection at all. How do you go to the lengths of putting Vader in a scene with Barriss and then treat it like there's no history between her and Anakin??? So completely unsatisfying!

And then it's another series where other guest appearances would have made sense--Barriss has a whole unfinished story with Ahsoka and you don't include her here? I'm as tired of Filoni putting Ahsoka in everything as anyone else, but here it would have made sense and would have brought that relationship full circle on-screen, Barriss' betrayal of her and her clawing her way back to the light after all the trauma and hurt, there's so much she and Ahsoka would have between them. And then nothing.

Or Barriss' relationship with Luminara, TCW never really got into how that must have felt for Luminara, to have her student betray the Jedi so profoundly, for her to fall to the dark, there's such a well of potential there and it's just entirely ignored. She mentions Luminara once and it was a lovely mention, but there's no sense of resolution or completion to that arc.

I did enjoy her story with Lyn and I try not to compare what the show wanted to do with what I wanted the show to do, but I couldn't help it. During all those scenes, all I could think was that this could have been so much more powerful and complete if it had focus on Barriss' established relationships and characters I already care about, because a new random Inquisitor is just not going to hold the same weight for me as my pre-investment in Ahsoka and Luminara. (On the other hand, with the way they butchered Luminara in the last season of TCW, maybe I dodged a bullet!)

For all that negativity, though, I really loved that Barriss found herself in being a healer again, that she found the light again. That's all I've wanted for my girl!!!! (That and put a headdress on her, ffs.) I legitimately took in a hard breath when she said, "Then you have one more Jedi to deal with." because Barriss is still working through too much to fully come back to clarity re: the Jedi at that point , but when it really came down to it, when she really saw what the dark side really was, part of her still was a Jedi. And the way she spoke of her time as a Jedi, once she had a clearer, lighter head again, was sweet, I was so surprised that we got that much from her, but I'm so glad because, if nothing else, Barriss herself deserves to be in the light again.

The way she was settled into her own skin by the time she confronted Lyn on the icy planet, the way she genuinely wanted to help her, but wouldn't let her hurt innocent children, the way she could sidestep Lyn's predictable moves and could stop the blade with just a hand held out, she found her path and what she wanted to do, and oh it was so lovely to see Barriss finding herself again. I loved so much that her unshakable compassion did reach Lyn, it was such a satisfying arc for Barriss to reach that place after all the people she'd hurt. I loved so much that Barriss getting back to this place does a lot to remind us that her foundation is a compassionate one, even if she was lost to the dark for awhile.

I just wish that there had been acknowledgement of those she hurt, the people that died because of her, the betrayal she stabbed people in the back with, rather than just "sees the dark side is bad, walks away, finds the light again", which goes back to that this feels like a generic story that's mostly impactful because I'm filling in the gaps myself because I already know Barriss as a character, rather than that it continues the story that was previously told about her.

At the end of the day, I enjoyed it and I recognize that I'm being a little unfair in how I'm saying I wanted this, this, and this, rather than digesting what the show itself wanted to do, but when you're crafting two stories that are specifically about showing us the journey of two characters that originate elsewhere, you're drawing on the stories from those other origins--except TOTE decided to only halfway do that. There's a lot to love in these shorts, the animation was incredible, the voice work was incredible, Barriss' emotional journey was incredible and I'm so thankful that they even gave her any kind of compassionate resolution. But the specter of how much the shorts ignored hangs over it too heavily for me to say that they were anywhere near what they could have been imo.

[corruptedmaiawrites]

Shards of Loyalty

Amidst the shadows of betrayal and loyalty, one rebel medic must navigate fractured bonds in the heart of the Empire's darkness.

Fandom: Star Wars, The Bad Batch

Pairing: Wolffe x Reader

Content: Angst as the reader briefly reunites with Wolffe on Teth

Warnings: Spoilers for TBB S3ep06+07

Word Count: 2,978

A/N: I watched the episode, cried, then spent all my time writing this. Also, I couldn't help but have Gregor simp for the reader in this one. Art in divider is by lornaka.

Sitting around the grey flexsteel table, laughter danced around you, as soft giggles spilled from your lips. Your eyes closed briefly as your cheeks rose, a toothy grin wide across your face in a way that made each corner hurt. Across from you was the other source of joyful sounds, in his worn, white plastoid commando armour. His features were spread into a similar grin, crow's feet crinkled about his chestnut brown eyes that glinted in the artificial light of the ship’s interior, and the worn lines upon his tan skin stretched about his smile. A small, stray strand on his dark, slicked-back hair had fallen out of place, which he brushed back into place with a quick swipe of his gloved hand.

As you calmed your laughs, you shifted your hand to take hold of your cup of caf that sat on the table in front of you, the earthy smell of it curling in your nose as you inhaled. Before taking a sip of it, you tilted your head towards the clone opposite you as he rubbed the side of his face, trying to calm his laughter that was greater than yours.

“As soon as we land, I’m going to go get Nemec to confirm that, Gregor,” you teased him softly, to which the clone burst into another bout of laughter.

“You don’t trust me?” Gregor cooed as his laughs subsided again, pointing an accusatory finger at you. It wasn’t serious though, the lop-sided smirk on his face making it evident.

You rolled your eyes softly, placing your hand around the warm cup and lifting it to take a sip. The caf inside tasted too dry and was bitter on your tongue. Yet, you focused on Gregor, paying the poor taste of the caf little mind. “That mission was wild, I need to hear Nemec’s account. I believe you… but, maker, I need to hear more.”

Gregor chuckled softly at that, raising his cup of caf to his lips as you spoke. Yet, you noticed his dark chestnut hues shift from looking at you, moving to looking at the stairs towards the cockpit. The heavy sound of metal prosthetic legs, slightly muted by boots, traveled down to the table. In the doorway, Echo emerged, his pallid features holding a sense of alarm. He cut to the chase, his caramel eyes settling upon both you and Gregor as he spoke.

“Rex commed. Imperials have discovered the base at the spire. They need extracting, ASAP. We’re about five parsecs away.”

You flicked your eyes back to Gregor, whose dark eyes had now hardened with solemnity. There was an unspoken understanding between you three. Your voice vocalized before you even registered it, holding an almost emotionless tone to it.

“Affirmative.”

You pushed yourself from your chair as Gregor simultaneously stood. You all knew what needed to be done, no orders were needed. That’s how this little group of rebels worked, efficiently like a well-oiled droid; not like the Separatist clankers, but like the whirring of a reliable R-series astromech.

Gregor shifted past you on your right, raising a hand to place gently on your shoulder. His digits gave a gentle, but brief squeeze before departing, a small gesture of reassurance. It was all you needed to push yourself forward, to walk down the familiar corridors of the ship towards the medbay.

Once in the dark room, surrounded by dim blue hues and softly blinking lights of green, red, white, and blue, you didn’t need to turn on the main light to navigate about; you knew this place like the back of your hand. You had transitioned from a medcenter medic to a field medic for the clone rebels, and this place was now as close to a home as you could probably get. You missed your life before, at the medcenter, but here, in this dim room, it was easy to put away the memories, the good and the bad, and be enveloped in the blanket of shadows and low light.

As you sought for your medical bag, fingers grazing against the embroidered section of the fabric, a memory surfaced.

“It’s a gift, for helping with… well, everything.”

Wolffe’s voice echoed in your mind as if he was there. He’d stood before you, a small bundle in his outstretched hand. It was wrapped rather poorly, the edges of the paper coming unfolded as it sat there, as if the commander either hadn’t bothered to find an adhesive, or he simply couldn’t find one. It seemed too awkward for him, in a way, and that was coming from the person who’d been there for… well, everything. At least from the moment he’d arrived, fresh red scar and painfully burnt eye from a lightsaber wound. There had certainly been some awkward moments in his recovery, but somehow, it was not as awkward as this moment. Perhaps, because for once, Wolffe was the one giving, and neither of you was used to it. You’d taken the gift, fingers pulling at the paper to unveil an embroidered patch in the middle, the symbol of the Wolfpack in the middle. “I want you to be an honorary member of the Wolfpack,” Wolffe had explained, still rather awkwardly. At the time, you didn’t know why, but when you went home, to sew the patch to your medpack bag, you’d found his comm details written in the paper wrapping too. That moment felt like a lifetime ago. All memories of Wolffe did. You had been so close. So close, that you’d almost admitted to him that you loved him. But that never came to pass. The world as you knew it shattered, and you had to rebuild. The medbay you currently knelt in was a testament to that.

A sigh, heavy and warped with longing, passed from your lips, falling into the air of the dark room. You had to focus; Rex, Nemec, Fireball, and Howzer were relying on you for the extraction, and you needed to be ready in case anyone was harmed… which was inevitable. Hopefully, all injuries would be minor. Pushing the past where it belonged, in the past and away from your conscious thought, you grabbed the medpack, pulling the straps over your shoulders. No time to dawdle. You stood straight, pack weighing on your shoulders, and you navigated the hallways the way you had just walked, back to the mess room, and then further, up the stairs to the cockpit.

At the very front was Echo, facing ahead as the blue streaks of light shot by like endless blaster bolts. A few seats back sat Gregor, leaning forward with arms crossed over his knees. Both sat in silence; apprehension hung in the air, the deep breath before plunging into conflict, something both clones were used to. You certainly weren’t, yet you were not one to let the unease overwhelm you. Taking a few steps forward, you plant yourself in the leather of the chair opposite Gregor, your voice cutting through the silence.

“How long until we get there?”

Echo tilted his head back slightly, the caramel hues of his irises glinting in the light of hyperspace, coming in from the viewports. “Another couple of minutes. Rex and the boys will need to hold on until then.”

Gregor’s voice quickly cut in after Echo finished his sentence, drawing your attention to him. He’d swiveled his chair to face you, having grabbed something from the small side sill at the edge of the cockpit. “Here, take this blaster,” Gregor extended his hand out, holding a DC-17 hand blaster to you. “Not sure if we’ll have to fight. Be safe than sorry.” His voice cracked slightly as he spoke, momentarily going higher pitch before lowering to his usual pitch. After the voice cracks, a small burst of nervous laughter escaped the clone. It was not long ago that you and Gregor shared humorous laughter, and now all that joy had dissipated. You leaned forward, outstretching your arm to take the blaster from Gregor’s hand. Your fingers curled around the weapon and softly brushed Gregor’s hand, warm still through the gloves. As you pulled the blaster back to rest on your lap, Gregor offered you a small, yet warm smile, sincerity glinting in his eyes, wordlessly telling you not to worry.

At the console, Echo moved to pull the ship out of hyperspace. The streaking lights of passing stars shortened, congealing into pin-prick dots of light. Outside the transparisteel before you, the looming, dark shape of Teth emerged. As you got closer, you spied a bright white light at the location, and Echo deftly moved to send an alert to Rex that you were inbound. Gregor stood, leaning over one of the chairs closer to the console, and so you joined him, to get a better look at the scene. You saw a line of Imperial soldiers - you couldn’t quite make out their armor from here. Huddled before them, alert yet holding fire was Rex and the others… A glance over them showed you easily that some were missing - who you didn’t know. Blasted Imperials, you always lost good clones to them. What surprised you was that they didn’t try anything against the ship.

You pushed yourself to stand from your chair, and Gregor nodded to you, standing up straight himself. Echo swung the ship around for easy access to Rex and the others, and quickly you and Gregor sprinted down the halls towards the door. You gripped the blaster tight in your hand. If it came to blows, you were ready to take down a few of the Empire’s men in exchange for the missing troopers. With a swoosh, the door lowered, spilling white light from your ship against the bright spotlights of the Imperial ship. Before you stood the shadowy figures of both your men and the Imperials. It took you a moment for your eyes to adjust upon those who stood there. You looked to your troopers first - only Rex and Howzer remained, the rest were the Bad Batch, with their child and pet. Nemec… Fireball… Both of them were gone.

Anger surged through you, and you raised your gaze to glare at the leader of the Imperial troopers, intent on giving him the most venomous stare you could muster. Yet, as the details of the man were revealed to you, a crack suddenly shattered your heart in half. The blaster in your hand fell slack as you just stared… The one behind this, who’d allowed the deaths of Nemec, Fireball, and the others, was none other than the man you loved. Wolffe.

Beside him, the clone commando eased forward slightly, yet Wolffe raised his arm to tell the trooper, his voice quiet yet rumbling in a commanding tone, “Stand down.” You just about heard it, although his actions spoke louder than his words at that moment. He was going to let you all go, despite likely being ordered to take down your group. Before you, Rex nodded his head with respect for the commander. They were brothers, and loyal to each other even if they fought on opposite sides. That loyalty gave you hope, sparking up inside your chest where the ruins of your heart now lay cracked, perhaps to mend and bond that wound taken to it.

The Bad Batch, followed by Howzer, moved quickly back up to the ship, and Rex himself turned his back to Wolffe. With them, everything had been said and done, but you… You didn’t quite understand. Wolffe was disobeying the Empire at this moment, but he appeared to still be staying with them. You stepped forward down the ramp, brushing past the lanky figure of Crosshair, onto the rocky ground below. Wolffe’s gaze shifted from the turning figure of Rex towards where you stepped, pushing past those retreating in an almost defiant manner. Your eyes met, and the firm expression of the Commander shifted. His eyes widened in surprise, his lips parting softly; his left, natural eye with its caramel hues seemed vulnerable at that moment. Standing opposed to his brothers was different from standing opposed to the person he’d loved. Looking at him, you saw that too awkward stance again, echoing the past when he first truly opened up to you. There was hope, yet this was not a moment, or even such a thing, to be easily navigated. Not with the troopers at Wolffe’s back, and the Empire too. Not with your ship, your group of rebels about to depart. It wasn’t even as easy as giving commlink details on a crumpled piece of paper.

Rex’s hand met your shoulder as he stopped by you. It was hard to break away from Wolffe’s gaze, but you did. The look on Rex’s face told you everything you needed to know. That pair of amber eyes showed understanding, but an urgency, that nothing could be done now, and it was time to move on. You nodded your head slightly, your gaze meeting Wolffe’s, which had shifted to a more guarded look. There was still a hint of uncertainty in his singular natural eye, but his cybernetic one seemed dull and void. All you could do was offer the commander a nod, not unlike the one that had been shared with Rex, but this one told him that you’d be back, and that you’d both be able to reunite someday. Rex’s hand slipped from your shoulder, and with that, you too turned around. The captain allowed you to slip ahead of him so that he could secure safety as you finished boarding.

The steps onto the ship were hard, but you knew that this was not the last time you would see Wolffe. You did not dare look back, for if you did, you feared you’d lose your composure. Yet, thankfully, as you stepped back onto the firm flooring of the ship, you were surrounded by the clones that had supported you during this new reign of the Empire; Rex at your back, Gregor at your side, and Howzer at the front. The ramp raised and the door swooshed shut, leaving you standing there. The Bad Batch lingered around you too, and in that moment, you wished for them to be gone, to leave you with the ones you trusted, but you knew Echo would scold you for that, as they were his squad too. The conflict was evident on your face, it must be, because the pet of the Bad Batch snuffled its nose and came up to you, sniffing at you and rubbing against your legs in a friendly way. The child smiled at you, “Batcher’s just saying hi, don’t worry.” She seemed to have mistaken your expression for a reaction to the animal. It eased your mind a little, and you gave the kid a smile in response.

Rex shifted, stepping around you, and he headed over to the doorway that led to the corridor through the ship, “Come on, let’s settle down and… well… that was a lot. We all need some rest.” The largest clone in the Bad Batch, Wrecker, heartily agreed, followed by the child, then Hunter and the slinking Crosshair. There was no use in lingering here yourself, so you made your way down the corridor after them. In that walk, you realized that you felt as though part of you was missing, like there was a hole in your heart. It seemed that when it cracked when you saw Wolffe with the Empire, a part of it fell and was now left with him. You really would have to go back for it.

Once the ship was traveling at hyperspeed once more, and the Bad Batch was settled down in the cockpit with Echo, you found yourself sitting around that same table you’d been sitting at with Gregor before this all occurred. This time, you sat right next to Gregor, instead of opposite him, and Howzer sat in the chair you had occupied. Rex was standing to the side, stirring some sweetener into his cup of caf. Surrounded by your little mismatched squad, you finally felt able to breathe and to speak. Letting out a sigh, you voiced that which you’d been dying to say since you saw the commander. “I can’t believe Wolffe sided with the Empire.” Gregor shifted slightly, wordlessly putting a hand on your shoulder. These few clones were the ones that knew about your connection to Wolffe, so you felt safe to speak of it here.

Rex turned his head slightly, looking at you with his amber gaze, holding sincerity within it. “Wolffe doesn’t seem to know everything the Empire’s done. He’s likely still under the influence of the chip. But, like with all of us, he did show signs of resistance.”

Howzer added to Rex’s comment, shoving a thumb in the direction of the cockpit, “If Crosshair can be redeemed, then Commander Wolffe can too. That clone showed that he truly had changed today… and I still almost find it hard to believe, even though I saw it with my own eyes. If that can be done, then getting Wolffe to see sense would be like a sandstorm on Geonosis - inevitable.”

The missing clones from your gathering came to mind though, and you frowned, “But… Fireball… Nemec… Wolffe didn’t-”

“Actually,” Rex cut you off, “They were firing at us with stun rounds. There was one of those shadow troopers after us… That was who got Fireball and Nemec. Wolffe’s men appeared to be ordered to take us down with stun rounds.”

You exhaled softly. Wolffe was still loyal to his brothers, even those who fought against him, that was clear. There was no reason to lose hope, even under the dark rule of the Empire. It gave you purpose too; to keep fighting until Wolffe was finally by your side once more.

Thanks for reading!

[the-bi-space-ace]

Despite my mixed feelings and sadness over Echo’s more official departure from the bad batch him being in stark white armor has made me more convinced than ever before that this is a new start for him. He’s probably not getting his bad batch armor back which leaves the door open for him to either acquire new armor or (what I think might be less likely) hang up his blaster for good and bow out of the fight after the clones are freed from Tantiss. The white armor is something we haven’t seen on him in a long time and each time he appears he ends up on a path different than what he was originally on.

The dominos were close to being tossed aside, headed away from the fight, before they changed and pulled together in the end. On Rishi he was facing an assignment with little chance of ever seeing combat only to be attacked by the separatists and thrust into the fight, joining the 501st which eventually leads him to becoming an ARC trooper. His capture and torture lands him in the Techno Union’s hands where his life is altered forever, leading him to choose a life with the batch at the end of that episode arc.

Each time Echo’s path changes he adapts, he finds where he fits and he throws himself into it. Giving him new armor is a chance to change his path yet again. Because, as Hunter said, Echo’s path is different. It always has been.

[rhiannon-taken-by-the-sky]

I’m rewatching the Batch’s intro arc in The Clone Wars and noticed this poster in the background of the Marauder:

(pardon the quality, it’s a picture of a screen)

And after some translating of the clearest words, I’m led to believe that Tech subscribes to a history magazine or academic journal of some kind (because of course he would, why else would the boys have a blown up shot of a history magazine cover taped onto the walls of their Tech’s ship?).

The title reads “ [untranslated word possibly ending in -ARY] HISTORY MONTHLY” with the subtitle at the bottom of the page reading “GEONOSIS THE LAST BATTLE”

I couldn’t get a good look at the whole poster in one shot and I had to zoom in during different parts of the scene I was referencing (the one in episode four when Echo is with Anakin, Rex, and the Batch trying to sneak past the Separatist ships at Anaxis) but this was what I was able to make out so far -

So, based on my translation, the wording, and the general layout of the poster, I think it’s fair to assume that it’s some kind of periodical cover. There are three different colored subsections with descriptions at the top above the title that are reminiscent of magazine cover blurbs that further lead me to believe that this isn’t just an average poster but possibly something custom based off of pre-existing material. Maybe Tech contributed an article or had some kind of interview published about him or the Batch in general?

I think something about all of them would be the least likely since they’re supposed to be underground/lesser known commandos and the cover looks like it’s professionally done and more widespread, but let me know what y’all think! I can personally see this being the cover of a magazine or journal that published Tech’s first paper. He’s not only intelligent enough for that to be a possibility for him but he’s also very confident in himself and would likely want to remind himself of that accomplishment and use it to prove a point when he’s arguing with his brothers.

If anyone is able to get their hands on a clearer shot of the poster (it’s in earlier episodes of their Clone Wars arc but I’m too excited to share this right away to look for it again in other scenes), please share with the class so I can translate the rest of it!

Edit (4/17): The magazine’s title is “Military History Monthly” ✨

[antianakin]

@assaultmech71 I'm putting this in a separate post because it IS a little off topic and that particular post is becoming fairly long and unwieldy as it is.

Part of my dislike of Luxsoka (and Lux in general) stems from my dislike of the episode he's introduced in. Heroes on Both Sides is supposed to show us that there's genuinely good people with legitimate grievances on the Separatist side and that Ahsoka is like... being kind-of ignorant by assuming all of the Separatists are evil assholes. However this is done SO SO BADLY the entire way through. I've talked about Mina Bonteri's whole sob story about her husband on some sort of base that got attacked by the clones and how unbelievable it is that the clones apparently just attacked an innocent base full of innocent people or something. There's NO WAY that Mina's husband wasn't involved in something either war-related or just sketchy and evil.

Lux on the other hand is sitting there being paralleled with Ahsoka where they're supposed to recognize that their lack of knowledge of the other side has caused them to be a little prejudiced towards each other. But while Lux has never actually met any Jedi and is making his entire opinion based on a lot of propaganda, Ahsoka HAS met Separatists, they just come in the form of military generals usually. Lux I think specifies "any Separatists who AREN'T military leaders" which is pretty unfair because those military personnel are STILL military leaders and effectively Ahsoka's counterpoint within the Separatist organization. Ahsoka has seen these people who claim to fight on behalf of the Separatist government do some absolutely heinous shit to actual innocent civilians (she's there for the incident with the Lurmens, the Blue Shadow Virus, Ryloth, and the Holocron Heist arc at this point). Ahsoka has genuine evidence to believe that the Separatists are, at best, ignorant of what's being done in their name, and at worst complicit in these actions being perpetrated by their military. Ahsoka isn't naive or ignorant the way Lux is, it's not a fair comparison. So their entire connection here is based on what amounts to a lie.

Lux also literally gives Ahsoka a once over when she bandies his own words back at him and asks him if she looks evil, which is juvenile and gross. And yes, he IS juvenile and Ahsoka does call him out on it a little, but still. It's not exactly a GREAT first impression here.

So basically a large part of the reason I hate him is because his entire introduction is just really really stupid and he represents this radically unfair perspective on the Jedi at this point just to make a point that isn't even ENTIRELY true.

Then we come to their second meeting where the whole episode ends with them saying they were a "good team" except that Lux fucks up approximately 20 different times and Ahsoka has to keep saving his ass and doing all the work. And Lux also betrays her like 4-5 separate times, he slaps her ass and acts like a misogynist to keep up an act with DEATH WATCH, apparently doesn't know or just doesn't care that Death Watch are literal terrorists, and is just overall completely awful and useless the whole time. They're not a good team, he's just a massive fuck up with delusions of grandeur who Ahsoka has to keep bailing out of danger over and over again.

He's better by their third meeting during the Onderon arc, but by then whatever feelings he may have had for Ahsoka seem to have faded and he's got a new girlfriend he's focused on and Ahsoka ultimately lets him go. But she's also JEALOUS of Steela for a while and it's impossible to figure out what she's even jealous OF. Like babygirl, I'm so frustrated with you right now, but you can STILL do better than Lux Bonteri. At least she decides to just move on by the end and we never see him again.

So yeah, Lux is a terrible person, a terrible love interest for Ahsoka, and Luxsoka is a fuck awful ship and I'm just so glad it got abandoned before it actually went anywhere and never came back.

[sadiecoocoo]

Padme was so badass in the clone wars. She got her uncle to join the republic, she solved her uncle’s murder case as well as stopped future murders, she played a man while undercover, she dealt with several assassination attempts, survived poison, survived capture a few times, she survived a newly revived extinct plague while FIGHTING BATTLE DROIDS, she dealt with the other senators and that one old giraffe motherfucker from the clone’s homeworld that i totally didn’t forget the name of what are you guys talking about im a real fan i promise i just forget a lot of names for stuff, she played the same man AGAIN on ANOTHER undercover mission, AND she changed outfits every episode she was in :)

You could say, she gaslit, gatekept, and, quite possibly, girlbossed

Also she married a Jedi, and did a MUCH BETTER job of keeping it secret than Anakin did (I mean she pretended to not know him when she had to pretend to like that one separatist senator [his name doesn’t deserve to be remembered])

[nateofgreat]

No one hates Grievous like Dave Filoni

So I've heard that when TCW began Dave Filoni was mandated to use General Grievous as his primary villain... And I've got a feeling he holds a grudge about it because man, does he hate the guy lol.

-Cad freaking Bane is more of a Jedi hunter than General Grievous who holds a whole collection of lightsabers. Cad freaking Bane fought two Jedi Masters and beat Obi-Wan at lightsaber combat... And Grievous can't kill more than a single throwaway character throughout the entire series.

-Ventress upstages him as the Separatist's main assassin, shown to be able to fight Anakin and Obi-Wan simultaneously and get the better of a Jedi Master in combat. She tops it off by defeating Grievous in under 60 seconds, thus cheapening his only victory in the show over the Nightsisters.

-Padawan Ahsoka twice fights and survives an encounter with him without injury save for once where he managed to choke her... Only for her to cut off his hand and escape.

-General Grievous was beaten up by gungans after being tricked by Jar-Jar Binks.

-He's all-but erased from the show as soon as Dave gets the clear to use other villains; any conflicts set up with Grievous (like his icy relationship with Dooku) is immediately forgotten.

-He gets captured again alongside Dooku in the Maul comics that were based off unreleased episodes. Although he at least does something when he's freed which is a first for him.

Like man, Dave Filoni really hates the guy. Every other villain he gives cool moments to, but Grievous? He gets one or two brief moments but that's about it.

As ridiculously OP as General Grievous was in the original Clone Wars (The early 2000's one) was they at least put thought into how exactly he'd able to defeat Jedi without the Force. That being to catch them off-balance and use fear to throw off their focus... Dave uh, really should've copied that over.

[soaringthroughthegalaxy]

Hii, I have a request for the bad batch! Could you please write them comforting a reader who is a warrior bit has breathing problems and has been feeling useless as of late? Thank you

Hi anon! Thanks for this request, sorry it took me a little while to get to it.

I hope this is okay 😊

Take a Breath

Most of the time you can keep up with your boys, but sometimes those old breathing problems come back to bite you. Thankfully, you no longer need to deal with them on your own.

Pairing: All Batch x gn!reader (platonic, but squint and could be romantic-ish. Set pre-Echo).

Word count: 1.5k

Warnings: reader has breathing difficulties, mentions of stress and anxiety, it's good to talk, supportive Batch.

Butt hitting the ground with a light thud, you lean back against the tree trunk, letting out a shaky exhale as your eyes screwed shut.

“In and out. Nice and slow.” Hunter instructs, crouched down in front of you. He tilts his head to the side, helmet turned towards Tech, and the genius crouches down, too.

“These episodes are becoming more frequent.” Tech comments, prying a medisensor from his pack. “It is concerning.” He lifts the scanner closer to you, but you bat it away, cracking open your eyes.

“Nothing I haven’t handled before. I’m fine.” You insist, the tightness in your chest easing now you’ve heeded Hunter’s advice. The air is cool and crisp, filling your lungs as you try to steady your racing heartbeat. You’d all been running back to the ship before the explosives Wrecker had planted on a Separatist stronghold could go off, but as you’d rounded the corner into a clearing and spotted the Marauder, your chest had felt like it had been slammed in a vice.

“Don’t lie. You’re not fine.” Crosshair comments, his back to you and his brothers as he keeps his eyes on the treeline, rifle at the ready.

Before you can fire back a retort, Hunter’s helping you to your feet. “We can discuss this once we’re in hyperspace. We need to move.” He states, all but dragging you across the clearing, the other boys in tow.

You find comfort in a jump seat as Tech fires up the engines, and before long, you’ve left the backwater planet behind and are in the safety of hyperspace, another successful mission under your belt. 

The familiar hum of the ship’s hyperdrive surrounds you as you take deep breaths to calm your nerves. The adrenaline from the mission slowly starts to ebb away, replaced by a dull ache in your chest.

Hunter leans against the cockpit doorframe and crosses his arms. “We need to address this.” He says with a firm tone. “These episodes are putting missions at risk.”

You nod, knowing he’s right but reluctant to delve into it now. You don’t mean to cause issues for them, and guilt churns in your gut. They hadn’t been thrilled when they’d found out a civilian had been assigned to them as a liaison officer, and ever since that first day, you’ve been pushing yourself, wanting to prove that you weren’t useless and getting in their way. But it feels as of late that’s all you’re doing.

Tech finally looks up from his datapad. “I’ve compiled some data on your recent episodes. Your breathing difficulties appear to coincide with increased stress and heightened anxiety.”

Crosshair, always observant, glances over his shoulder. “You’ve been pushing yourself too hard.” He comments.

You lean back in your seat, acknowledging the truth in his words. The constant battles, close calls, and the war have taken their toll. You weren’t made for this, hadn’t trained for this. “I can handle it.” you assert, but the wavering tone in your voice betrays your uncertainty.

Hunter crouches in front of you again, this time without his helmet to obscure his features, and one of his hands rests on your knee. “We’re a team, and that includes taking care of each other. We can’t afford to have you incapacitated during a mission. Talk to us.”

You take a deep breath, meeting Hunter’s steady gaze. His concern is evident, and you can’t help but feel a sense of gratitude for the bond that’s formed between you all. Swallowing your pride, you decide it’s time to open up.

“I didn’t sign up for all of this.” You admit, your voice carrying the weight of your unspoken struggles. “I wanted to contribute, to help, but I never expected it to be so... intense. None of this was in the job description - it was sold as a desk job. I feel like I’m constantly on edge, and these episodes are just getting worse. I always struggled with breathing issues as a kid, but I could manage it. It’s a bit different now. Now, I just feel useless.”

Hunter squeezes your knee reassuringly. “We understand it’s not easy. War changes people, and admitting it’s affecting you is okay. And you’re not useless, not at all. We just need to find a way to better manage it.”

Tech chimes in, his analytical mind already processing possible solutions. “I can modify your schedule and integrate more downtime and calming activities. Perhaps a more structured routine will help manage your anxiety levels.”

Crosshair remains silent, but his expression softens. Despite his gruff exterior, he’s invested in your wellbeing.

You nod appreciatively at Tech’s suggestion, grateful for the practical approach. “I’m willing to try anything. I just don’t want to be a liability.”

Hunter leans in, his voice low and comforting. “You’re not a liability. We look out for each other. We need you at your best, both for yourself and for the success of our missions.”

“And we don’t want ya passin’ out on us during a mission. I mean, I’ll carry ya, but it ain’t good for anyone.” Wrecker adds.

Snorting in amusement, you offer the four of them an appreciative smile. “Thank you. I’m sorry I didn’t mention it sooner.”

Hunter gives you a small smile in return. “No need to apologise. We’re in this together. Now, let’s figure out a plan to make things more manageable for you. We’ll make adjustments, ensure you have time for self-care, and maybe even find a few ways to lighten the mood around here.”

Tech, always practical, pulls out his datapad again. “I’ll create a detailed schedule incorporating mission-related tasks and designated relaxation periods. It’s essential to strike a balance. I shall also look into creating a monitoring device to keep track of your heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and other vitals. That way, we may be warned before you experience an episode and can act accordingly.”

The boys set to work, each using their unique skills to devise a plan that addresses your needs. Tech busies himself with the schedule and monitoring device, Crosshair takes charge of scouting suitable downtime locations on planets you visit, Wrecker suggests incorporating more recreational activities, and Hunter ensures that mission objectives are still met but in such a way as to minimise stress.

As days pass, the changes begin to make a noticeable difference. The new routine allows you to anticipate and manage your symptoms better, and the support of the boys makes the burden easier to bear.

During downtime on a lush, green planet, Crosshair leads you all to a serene lake surrounded by tall trees. You sit by the water’s edge, feeling the cool breeze and enjoying a rare moment of tranquillity. Wrecker, ever the enthusiast, suggests a dip, and soon, laughter echoes through the clearing as he tosses Hunter and Crosshair into the water.

Before he can be thrown into the lake, too, Tech discreetly hands you the monitoring device he’s finished. “This should provide us with valuable data. We shall continue refining it, but it is a step towards better understanding and managing your condition.” He explains, watching as your hands smooth over the metal bracelet before you slide it onto your wrist. It’s a little tight, but he’d designed it to enable a more precise reading of your vitals.

He doesn’t have time to double-check the calibration before he’s hauled up, thrown over Wrecker’s shoulder, and dumped unceremoniously into the water. Spluttering as he comes up for air, the ring of your laughter makes it all worth it.

As the sun sets and the boys emerge from the lake, a warm glow falls over the landscape. Hunter moves to sit beside you, having towelled off. “How you feeling?” He asks, genuine concern etched across his face.

“I’m doing better, thanks to all of you.” You reply with a sincere smile, fingers finding the bracelet.

Hunter nods, glad to hear that you’re making progress. In all honesty, the changes implemented were good for them all. They could all do with some extra downtime and a chance to feel like regular people.

The camaraderie among the squad deepens, and you find yourself supported and genuinely embraced by your unconventional family. The monitoring device becomes a constant companion, a reminder that you’re not alone in this journey.

Tech continues to fine-tune it, utilising his genius to enhance its capabilities. With his sharp eyes, Crosshair becomes adept at reading your subtle cues, knowing when to check in with you or offer a silent, comforting presence. Wrecker becomes your self-appointed protector during missions, always keeping a watchful eye on you. And Hunter ensures that the balance between duty and self-care is maintained.

As the days turn into weeks and the weeks into months, you notice a significant improvement in your physical and mental wellbeing. The once daunting missions become more manageable, and the weight on your chest lightens. You truly feel at home. The makeshift family you’ve found has become your anchor in the vast sea of uncertainty. The galaxy may be at war, but within the confines of the Marauder, you’ve found a sanctuary.

Tag list: @clonethirstingisreal @starrylothcat @cw80831 @dreamie411 @issa-me-bry-blog

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[celestial-specter]

I’ve seen a lot of recent debate across social media about what could possibly happen to Cody, given that he hasn’t been shown in any promotional material for the final season of The Bad Batch.

I will admit, when I first saw Cody in the promotions for season two, I did not feel very positive about his chances of survival, and here’s why.

In the episode of Star Wars Rebels, ‘Twin Suns’, Ezra comes to believe that Obi-Wan is alive, and being hunted down by Maul. When he voices these concerns to the others, they are hesitant to believe him, particularly Rex.

During this scene Rex looks to be rather unsettled, and says ‘Ezra, no one would like to believe General Kenobi’s alive more than I would.’

Looking back at the relationship between Rex and Kenobi during The Clone Wars, it can definitely be said that the pair were good friends, often working together on missions due to their mutual connection with Anakin.

However, it must be noted that Jedi were shown to have very close relationships with their clone commanders - while we did not see as much of Cody and Obi-Wan’s relationship on screen as we did Rex’s and Anakin’s, it can be assumed that they were on the same level, if not closer. Even years after the war, Rex has remained devoted to Anakin, shown by the remarks ‘The general I fought with was among the greatest of the Jedi’ and ‘Yeah, but he’s no Skywalker.’

Given that Rex still cares for Anakin in this way, it would seem he understands the closeness between Jedi and their commanders personally.

Additionally, given that we also know how close Rex and Cody were during the war, and that Rex has been attempting to free as many brothers as possibly from imperial control, I believe that Cody would be one of the first clones Rex searched for after Order 66. So, he would know that Cody was the one to give the order to kill Obi-Wan, and that Obi-Wan likely died there as a direct result of Cody’s actions.

It has been shown in the clone wars and the bad batch how guilty Rex felt about not being able to fight the effects of the inhibitor chip - so he would definitely understand the guilt that Cody carries, but for all they know, Cody’s Jedi actually died.

So, in my opinion, telling Ezra that there is no one who would want to believe in Obi-Wan having survived all this time is strange, unless Cody is actually dead by this point in the narrative.

Previous mentions of Cody during Rebels also tie in with this theory - the first time he is mentioned by Rex is during a mission with Kanan, when they talk about creating emergency codes during the war. At this point, Rex seems in good spirits, as if looking back on fond memories with a good friend.

However, when Rex, Kanan, Ezra, and Zeb are later captured by Separatist droids, Rex experiences a small episode of PTSD. He is clearly panicked, and when he hears Kanan’s voice urgently calling out to him, he assumes it is Cody, and calls out his name. Kanan brings him back to the present, but Rex is clearly shaken up, and says ‘I thought you were someone else,’ pointedly avoiding mentioning Cody’s name again.

With all this considered, and given that Rex has clearly gone through events traumatic enough to take him out of the fight against the empire by the time of Rebels, I personally don’t think we should hold out much hope for Cody’s survival :(((

[writerbuddha]

I watched a video on YouTube and it said Anakin and Padmé's relationship in The Clone Wars tv show showed signs of abuse. Do you think that was intentional at all by the writers?

I think that in Star Wars: The Clone Wars:

Anakin Skywalker does exhibit controlling behavior

Controlling behavior is when a person attempts to conform another person to their own needs or desires and trying to get their way by some form of manipulation. It's the outsized desire for control, and it's unhealthy, unhelpful, and may create relationship conflicts, but it's not always abusive. Controlling behavior becomes abusive when it is coercive (threatening). The Clovis Arc of Star Wars: The Clone Wars reveals that Anakin Skywalker exhibited non-coercive, thus, as far as the definition goes, non-abusive controlling behaviors, leading to relationship conflicts with Padmé Amidala. Let's examine them.

In Senate Spy, Anakin's fear of losing Padmé manifests itself in him trying to prevent her from fulfilling the Jedi Council's request to spy on Rush Clovis, "Because it's going to be dangerous. Whoever takes this mission will be putting their life at risk." Padmé, however, points out that she is perfectly capable of taking care of herself: "I've been in many tough situations before. It never seemed to bother you." Anakin ends up declaring: "I'm not gonna let you do it." But in the same time, it's very important to realize that Padmé immediately sets out and defends her boundaries, she repels Anakin's attempt to control her: "You're not going to let me? It's not your decision to make. It's mine."

In The Rise of Clovis, Padmé is asked by Palpatine to "work closely with Rush Clovis" to expose the corruption plaguing the Intergalactic Banking Clan. Anakin is unhappy about this, as he is not trusting him. Padmé tells him that he must trust her judgment on the matter. It should be noted that this time, Anakin's concerns are more founded, but his answer, "Like the last time, hmm? When you almost ended up dead?" is twisting the facts: first, Padmé knew that Clovis is a traitor and that she is risking her life by trying to expose him, second, even as it's true that she was poisoned during the mission, that was the result of Lot Dod tried to force Clovis to comply with his demands. Furthermore, adds, "Or how about you just getting arrested, and it was me who had to bail you out?" Which shows that in his mind, if Padmé chooses to do something risky, it's a poor and unintelligent choice. He ends up saying: "As your husband, I demand that you tell the Chancellor you are stepping down." Once again, he attempts to control Padmé, this time clearly showing that he views their marriage as a bond that supposedly gives him some control over his wife.

NOTICE: The Clovis Arc showed that there is a recurring unhealthy pattern in the relationship between Anakin & Padmé, showing that something must change. All the conflicts between them are arising from Anakin's fear of losing Padmé, which results in him attempting to control Padmé's decisions. In the same time, this behavior is not feeding into a pattern that extends to, and therefore defines every aspects of their relationship. It should also be acknowledged that Padmé is not allowing herself to be controlled and she successfully protects her boundaries and independency. Her reaction to Anakin's controlling behavior clearly tells us that he is not behaving in a way that she is used to, warning him, "we've been over this before." In other episodes, Anakin takes no issue with Padmé participating in the battle on Mon Cala, or with she sneaking to the capital world of the Separatists, thus, it seems that his outsized desire for control flares up from time to time, but it's not defining their dynamic.

Anakin Skywalker is jealous and is distrustful

Jealousy is a negative emotion and attitude focusing on our partner and a third person, in which we resent that person for appearing to take away or being likely to take away the affections of a loved one. Basically, we are scared that we will lose our special relationship to the third person, and as a result, we become intolerant to any rivalry or of possible unfaithfulness. It's not unnatural to experience jealousy in a close relationship, however, it's crucial to be able to manage it.

In Senate Spy, Anakin's attachment and the fear of loss flowing from it causes him to be distrustful and jealous toward Rush Clovis, as he realized that he and Padmé were involved romantically years before. Although in order to fulfill her mission to expose him as a spy, Padmé needs to seduce him, Anakin, disguised as a Naboo pilot, clearly tries to sabotage that. Later, he walks into the room in the moment when Padmé throws herself into Clovis' arms in order to distract him. He is flooded by jealousy, staring at her with anger and in pain. She signals him, revealing that she is actually hiding the data they need. When Padmé and Anakin are leaving with the evidence, Padmé tells him, "I'm sorry", since "I made you doubt me." Anakin answers he "never" doubted her, but this is not exactly true: there was a moment when his emotions clouded his judgment and let them to make him jump to the conclusion that he is losing Padmé to Clovis.

In An Old Friend and The Rise of Clovis, Clovis is back, and so does Anakin's jealousy and insecurities, and this time, they're manifesting themselves more clearly and more disturbingly. He claims, he doesn't want Padmé to work together with Clovis because he is worrying for her safety, but there is more to that: his fear of losing Padmé feeds into anger toward Clovis, who is, in his mind, a threat, both to Padmé and to their relationship, which feeds into burning hatred toward him. When they're together in Padmé's apartment, Clovis makes advances on her, but she firmly turns him down. He is frustrated, asking, "It's that Jedi isn't it?" Padmé insists "there is nothing romantic between" her and Anakin. Clovis says, "Then there is absolutely nothing to stop us from doing this", taking her and leaning in to kiss her, and Anakin enters in the exact moment she utters, "Clovis, no!" Anakin is mortified and snarls, "Get away from her!" Startled, Clovis backs away from Padmé. Anakin grabs him with the Force, he strangles him and slams him against the wall. Drawing his sword, he is marching towards him. Padmé is in shock, crying, "Anakin! No!" She is ignored by both Anakin and Clovis: Clovis invites Anakin to fight, "like a man without your Jedi tricks", something that Anakin gladly accepts. During their fight, Clovis sarcastically asks Padmé, "I thought you said he didn't have feelings for you?" to which Anakin reacts with staring at her, shocked and hurt. The two are beating each other up in a fist fight, and when Padmé screams at them to stop, Anakin yells at her, "you don't have a say in this!"

There are some who would insist, the scene shows Anakin gallantly saving Padmé from the man who is harassing her sexually - however, this interpretation is seriously problematic. The first thing to note is that Anakin attempts to explain his actions by saying, "I'm so sorry, Padmé. I don't know what came over me." and "It's just when I saw you about to kiss him..." Not "he was about to kiss you." Padmé tells him, "I regret that, but it was not what you thought. And you must know I don't care for Clovis." To which Anakin reacts with asking her: "Don't you?" Anakin's reaction - outrage, demanding Clovis to get away from Padmé then attacking him - was entirely the result of him perceiving the situation as Padmé kissing Clovis, and his reaction would've be the same if Padmé would've been a willing participant in the kiss with Clovis, because as he said, "you don't have a say in this." Which means, whether or not Padmé wants to be kissed by Clovis is irrelevant to him, what matters is that he doesn't want that to happen. Then, he accuses his wife with being unfaithful. This scares Padmé and it also hurts her, and she is explicitly telling him, "This marriage is not a marriage, Anakin, if there isn't any trust."

NOTICE: Anakin is not portrayed to display habitual behaviors of distrust. The core of his issues, harming his relationship with Padmé is his attachment to her and also his inability to be mindful of his emotions. Emotions are not bad at all, but when they awake as a response to our perception and understanding of a situation, they usually make us to stop thinking: we respond immediately, without any conscious thought, pushing us to act upon them and we're driven by them. To be mindful of one's emotions is to be conscious and aware of them. By bringing our emotions into the space of our conscious and passive, i.e. non-judgmental and non-reactive awareness, with calmness and inner peace, their power to kick us out of the driver's seat, to narrow our perspective and distort our perception of reality falls away: we can find the gap between the moments of our experience and the reaction, the response, where we can appraise the situation accurately, rationally. His distrust in Padmé lacks any rational basis - it's the result of him not being able to deal with his fear of loss, which drives him to act negatively.

It should be noted that Clovis' attempt to kiss Padmé has the potential to be read as sexual misconduct, thus, Padmé telling Anakin that she "regrets" what happened can also be read as her apologizing for Clovis grabbing her and then trying to kiss her, and this leads to the notion that Anakin blamed Padmé for being assaulted.

Now, it must be taken into consideration that Star Wars is not a "may I have your expressed verbal consent to kiss you?" type of romance, instead, it follows the "kiss borns out spontaneously from the situation" style, so Clovis (just like Han and Anakin in both trilogies) going for a kiss is not exactly out of place. The difference here is that Padmé clearly doesn't want to be kissed by him, but there is nuance to this. Clovis is leaning closer to her as she is telling him, "Clovis, no!" and she is drawing back to avoid him. As we cut to Anakin right after she says "no", and as she is finishing the sentence, they're both in the middle of movement - Clovis is leaning closer and Padmé is leaning backwards. Because we cut to Anakin, we don't see if Clovis was still going after the kiss after Padmé declared that she doesn't consent, or did he stop after that. When we cut back to them, Clovis is still holding her, but they don't appear to be closer to each other than before, so if he didn't move closer to her within the (roughly) 2,5 seconds during we were shown Anakin, it seems safe to conclude that he did stop. This is supported by the fact that neither Anakin or Padmé registered his behavior as assault and that Padmé makes no attempt to tell him that Clovis was actually forcing himself onto her, ignoring her protests. It's more plausible that what Padmé expresses "regret" over is that she didn't resist physically, only verbally.

In Conclusion

In Star Wars: The Clone Wars, it's very clear that Anakin and Padmé were written in a way that it showed Anakin's attachment and his struggle to keep the anger, hate and aggression coming from that fearful grasp on Padmé, under check. This is undoubtedly intentional - George Lucas initially planned to hint their issues, mainly Anakin's jealousy, in Episode III, which was cut from the final script but was clearly introduced in Clone Wars:

However, based on my own limited knowledge, this is not enough to call their relationship abusive. An abusive relationship will involve one party using their power over the other party to prevent them from doing anything except what the abusive person wants - one party controlling the other’s thoughts, feelings, or actions. Some conflict is normal in any relationship, healthy relationships involve two people who are both free to disagree, debate, and have their own opinions. Anakin clearly tries to control Padmé, which leads to conflicts, but Padmé is not allowing him to do that. Anakin is clearly unhappy with this, but he actually backs down once he meets resistance. There is a power struggle, which is never healthy, but no power imbalance.

There were unhealthy patterns there that needed to be healed, but unhealthy patterns and patterns of abuse are not the automatically the same. If you experience unhappiness in your relationship because of the behavior of your partner, something must change and if it cannot be changed, then the relationship must end. No one has a license to make you feel unhappy.

But although an abusive relationship is always unhealthy, an unhealthy relationship is not always abusive. There is just no attempt on Anakin's part to monitor her communication, to isolate her or to try to control her financially, to coerce her and there are expressions of anger and frustration, but I can't recall one that could be called an attempt to manipulate her emotionally and obviously, there is no physical violence (in Episode III on Mustafar there is, but that's a totally different context). So, I would say that what we can see on the screen can be called "signs of abuse" only if we assume that we're outsiders observing a relationship, because we can easily suspect that the behaviors we see are feeding into a larger pattern. But a fictional couple doesn't have a life "behind closed doors", we have all relevant information about their relationship.

[isagrimorie]

I love that Ahsoka just doesn't like staying indoors on her own ship:

And I love how Sabine took down two tie fighters in a very Mandalorian way.

And then Sabine's unapologetic but very angry march back up and tells Ahsoka she got 'em.

Ezra points out that the ship being down puts a dent into their plans, and Ahsoka says: "Not with that attitude!"

AND THEY TAKE THE HOWLERS. In a way, that's very similar to Rex and Ahsoka being on Wolves too

Filoni finally got his image of Ahsoka on a wolf-like horse:

I love the long-awaited rematch with Morgan (Diana Lee Innosato), Innosato is really good martial artist, and to see her finally get to move the way she can it was great to watch her fight!

Also, she's half-Filipina! And I think it uses Kali in this fight!

But also love that Morgan was doing this for Dathomir because her people will once again live. Dathomir will once more thrive.

For some reason, Morgan doesn't blame the Empire for the genocide, possibly because it was Dooku and Separatists.

I've heard it said that when Sabine heard Ahsoka and reached back to her in the last episode, it was Sabine's Awakening.

It was also fitting. The more Sabine was in a fight, the better she was with both the lightsaber and the Jedi instincts. It was a very Mandalorian way into it.

She's like Nynaeve from Wheel of Time. She needed specific conditions to access the Force. There's no better way for a Mandalorian to do so than in the middle of battle.

And once Sabine knows she can do it, doing so again wasn't difficult.

She's been doing it in steps -- sensing someone, the way she's been dodging lightsabers and blasters and referring it back. And the final act, Force telekinesis.

Force pushing Ezra was now easy because she'd gotten over her block. Or at least, she knows now how to get around the block.

But also, Sabine fulfilled her mission. She got Ezra home. Of course, she would prefer to be on that journey home but getting him back to the main universe and Lothal, is what Sabine wanted.

Ahsoka and Sabine jumping off the cliff to be lifted back and parrying the blaster shots from the wing of T6 was chef's kiss. What I wanted from live action.

And then, of course, there's the Ezra and Hera reunion, with Chopper recognizing him first.

I got so emotional with that, but I WANTED A HUG DAMMIT. THAT'S HER SON TOO!

Unfortunately, for Ashoka and Sabine, despite their best efforts, Thrawn is too far ahead, and they're stranded in the new Galaxy.

BUT

MORAI IS THERE. So, Ahsoka's meant to be in this Galaxy, on Peridea.

Because apparently there is the statue of the Mortis gods! The Father, the Son, and the Daughter, whose head has been destroyed.

And in season 2, we will discover what this is all about.

I think Sabine saw Force Ghosts here, whose Force Ghost could be Kanan's, but also we know, Anakin is there.

FORCE GHOST ANAKIN. And I love that they're smiling at each other.

BRING ON SEASON 2!

But also, MOTHER AND SON MEET AGAIN

[gffa]

STAR WARS CONTENT CHECK IN TIME. Congratulate me, for I have officially completed all of Phases I and II's comics and books! I think Young Jedi Adventures probably falls into Phase I, but I just haven't had time to put it on in the background while doing other things, as I was on a roll with the books and comics. I'll be a little sad when I have nothing left to binge with all this stuff, but I'm also looking forward to having time and space for idk getting back to the Lockwood books, finishing the ORV novel, or hell maybe even have time to read a fic???? MAIN STORYLINE NOVELS - PHASE I:

The High Republic: Light of the Jedi

The High Republic: A Test of Courage

The High Republic: Into the Dark

The High Republic: The Rising Storm

The High Republic: Race To Crashpoint Tower

The High Republic: Out Of The Shadows

The High Republic: Mission to Disaster

The High Republic: The Fallen Star

The High Republic: Midnight Horizon

MAIN STORYLINE NOVELS - PHASE II:

The High Republic: Path of Deceit

The High Republic: Convergence

The High Republic: Quest for the Hidden City

The High Republic: Cataclysm

The High Republic: Quest for Planet X

The High Republic: Path of Vengeance

MAIN STORYLINE NOVELS - PHASE III:

The High Republic: The Eye of Darkness

The High Republic: Escape from Valo

The High Republic: Defy The Storm

MAIN STORYLINE COMICS - PHASE I:

The High Republic (2021) - 15 issues

The High Republic Adventures (2021) - 13 issues

The High Republic: The Monster of Temple Peak - 4 issues

The High Republic: The Edge Of Balance - 2 manga volumes

The High Republic: Trail of Shadows - 5 issues

The High Republic: Eye of the Storm - 2 issues

MAIN STORYLINE COMICS - PHASE II:

The High Republic: The Blade - 4 issues

The High Republic (2022) - 10 issues

The High Republic Adventures (2022) - 8 issues

The High Republic: Edge of Balance: Precedent - 1 manga volume

The High Republic Adventures: The Nameless Terror - 4 issues

MAIN STORYLINE COMICS - PHASE III:

The High Republic: Shadows of Starlight - 4 issues

The High Republic (2023) - 6 issues [ONGOING]

The High Republic Adventures (2023) - 5 issues [ONGOING]

The High Republic - Saber for Hire (2023) - 1 issue [ONGOING]

MAIN STORYLINE AUDIODRAMAS - PHASE I:

The High Republic: Tempest Runner

MAIN STORYLINE AUDIODRAMAS - PHASE II:

The High Republic: The Battle of Jedha

ONESHOT COMIC ISSUES - PHASE I:

Star Wars Adventures (2020) #6 - “The Gaze Electric”

The High Republic Adventures: Free Comic Book Day 2021

The High Republic Adventures Annual 2021

The High Republic Adventures: Galactic Bake-Off Spectacular

Star Wars Adventures (2020) #14 - “A Very Nihil Interlude”

The High Republic Adventures: Free Comic Book Day 2023

ONESHOT COMIC ISSUES - PHASE II:

The High Republic Adventures: Quest of the Jedi

ONESHOT COMIC ISSUES - PHASE III:

The High Republic Adventures: Crash Landing

ANTHOLOGY NOVELS - PHASE I:

Star Wars: The High Republic: Starlight Stories

Life Day Treasury

ANTHOLOGY NOVELS - PHASE II:

Star Wars Insider: The High Republic: Tales of Enlightenment

ANTHOLOGY NOVELS - ALL PHASES:

The High Republic: Tales of Light and Life

EVERYTHING ELSE:

Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures - 25 episodes

I really enjoyed The Eye of Darkness, once again each book that starts out the era is a real banger that has a lot of impact for me, I think this is probably my favorite book for Marchion Ro so far, a character who has felt a little too inscrutable for me up to this point. He could have easily fell into the role of saying he wants to "govern" people but really wants to rule with an iron fist, but nah that guy straight up doesn't want to fit into Republic-style politics or machinations, he just wants to do what he wants to do, this whole thing is about his ego/entitlement complex, in a lot of ways. His dynamic with Ghirra Starros was one I actively looked forward to, because so much of this plot was shaped by feeling like it was a palette swap of the Republic versus the Separatists, that on the surface it was being framed as seceding from the Republic, but really it was occupation. But I felt like this book helped shake off some of that, where they went in a direction where instead this guy is just The Strong Shall Prevail And I'm Strong So I'll Do What I Want and Marchion genuinely sticks to that. It doesn't matter what Ghirra could win for him via politics, he doesn't want that. He's starting to spin out and he clearly doesn't have a real plan, he just wants to fuck things up, but I found that really refreshingly fun here. (I think the way Marc Thompson reads him contributed a lot to that, too. He nicely captures the unhinged aspect of Marchion.) I enjoyed Avar's story a lot, how conflicted she felt and how badly that was affecting her connection to the Force. I hope that this isn't where her difficulty with her internal struggle ends, because The High Republic 2021 comic really had some great moments about how she was having trouble letting go of her anger and fear, and it's not that I want her to nearly fall to the dark side, but that I want the resolution to extend a bit beyond that the Force feels clear and coherent to her again. And It was nice seeing Bell's internal thoughts again, giving him time to work through his feelings, as he stumbles a bit and eventually manages to right himself. I wish Burryaga had gotten some character development, he was just kind of there to be a prop in Bell's story, but given that I love Bell so much, I'm not really mad about that. I'm also about a fifth of the way through Escape from Valo and it's about what I expected from the authors and that it's a junior novel, but I'm enjoying it! I enjoyed the comics, "The Monster of Temple Peak" and "The Nameless Terror" (the art is SO PRETTY), they're fun adventures, but I do wonder a bit of there's bigger plans for Ty Yorrick in Phase III, given how much she's consistently been around, but hasn't yet done a ton of intersecting with the main plot. Or is she just there because she's fun to write and they're trying to make this a big clockwork puzzle tapestry by including characters who are part of the story, just not the main story? I'd love to know what other people thought of any of this! And you should all tell me what you're reading/watching/playing right now, because I want to know how your Star Wars journeys are going!

[kimbureh]

TBB S2E14, Tipping Point & Self-Discovery Under Repressive Regimes

There is a lot of torture in this episode, and I've seen takes that argue Crosshair embraces this as a form of self-punishment. I will argue the opposite and use the thematic developments of the two seasons of TBB + some of TCW to make my point. (mention of a spoiler for the season 2 finale ahead)

—

A core theme of TBB is the toxicity of self-sacrifice. The Clone Army was created in order to be "expendable", but as far as I am aware, TCW only touched on the moral implications of that on rare occasions (Slick comes to mind). TBB on the other hand fills exactly this blank space and puts the ethics of a Clone Army front and center, as we see with the Clone Rights story thread, but also with every individual Batcher.

So far, several Batchers have used suicide as a tool of problem solving, every time with disastrous outcomes. Echo sacrificed himself in TCW in an act that later turned out to be inconsequential only to then be tortured and abused by the Separatists. Crosshair attempted to commit suicide by avenging Mayday, and torture ensued. Tech sacrificed himself in order to save the squad, which was instrument to Hunter's arc: Hunter, the frustratingly passive main character, realizes only after this loss that self-sacrifice isn't the way to go if they truly want to leave behind servitude of the Republic/Empire. (that's a future essay, but I am very excited about Hunter's development)

And Hunter has been demanding sacrifices from himself and the squad a lot for two whole seasons. Sacrificing Crosshair, for example.

You know who else is big on sacrifices? The Empire. I'm not deep enough into the Star Wars lore to know whether or not this is a common motif, but watching how Imperial fanatics kill themselves with suicide pills seems to me krass enough of an image to interpret this as a deliberate point. People within the Empire see themselves as expendable. If the Bad Batch truly aims to detach themselves from the Empire's ideology and develop an alternate moral model, they have to stop sacrificing themselves like the proverbial lemmings. So far, Echo is the only Batcher to spearhead this revolution, with Omega firmly on his side (and Hunter loves Omega, so he will pivot too, eventually).

And there is one Batcher who has been sacrificed by his brothers and understands they have to stop committing the Empire's cruelty to themselves: Crosshair.

I know this may sound hard to believe at first glance, but despite the things that happen externally, Crosshair's arc in season 2 is a positive one if we look at his internal development. In The Solitary Clone, Crosshair's arc could still go either way: either towards self-acceptance or towards self-destruction. In The Outpost, Crosshair comes to terms with his Clone identity just in time to find he no longer has the choice but to pick self-destruction. When this doesn't kill him either, there is no way but forward. In the Tipping Point, he is truly self-actualized to the best of his ability given the crushing circumstances. He is calm and perceptive. His eyes are open. This is not the demeanor of a self-hating man. This is someone who has come to terms with himself and his values, and acts accordingly. Building on the self-acceptance he developed in the interactions with Mayday, Crosshair now allows himself to care for the Batch again and sends them a warning. He knows the price he has to pay, but does it anyway because he finally acts according to his own convictions. Think back to his unusually relaxed expressions; despite being afraid of the torture, he doesn't show desperation, even when he's alone. He is at peace with his decisions, for the first time in a long time.

tl;dr:

Crosshair's internal arc culminates in Tipping Point with successful self-discovery and restored personal integrity in the face of extreme adversity. The Crosshair he is now would never stay 32 days stranded on a platform on Kamino. I mean, the episode is called "Tipping Point". What more can I say? Next step in season 3 is his external arc of mending his broken relationships and to find meaning outside of coercive systems like the Republic and the Empire.

I don't believe Crosshair will die in order to achieve "redemption", and I don't think Tech is dead either. The message of the Bad Batch, ever since TCW, seems to be: Self-sacrifice is not the way.

[elizaschuyler18]

AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH

I totally forgot about today being two episodes like Hello!?!

They are hinting us with the clones that are stripe from their identities.

HELLO!?!

Don’t raise my hopes because the lost you do that, the more delulu I get and the more I believe that Tech is alive.

Also the bond Omega and Crosshair are creating is everything I live for. SHE WAS COPING HIM WITH THE TOOTH PICK. That was so freaking cute. And Crosshair being a helicopter dad/brother? Yes I’m here for it.

Wolffe I missed you and I hope nothing happens to him otherwise the tears won’t stop.

That clone is one hell of a pain so I hope he’s either who I think it is (please), give him a good character arch OR let him be a good enemy because he has the potential.

Echo is making me nervous like not in a bad way, but he’s need to fight and belong to something big (thinking back to the Republic) is going to be his downfall. I feel like he needs to do this in order to ease up maybe the guilt of being an accessory to the Separatists (even if it was against his will) during the clone wars. The dream of living something that was taking away from him, which can also be from being a reg and all the program but my point is that we never knew anything else from him during Rebels and other shows which makes me nervous.

But then again we never heard from the Bad Batch, so they either go into hiding in order to protect each other or is the one we are dreading the most and I can’t stop thinking about the curse of the Domino Squad 😭 In the end only one survive the Great War (cries is swiftly and Star Wars fan)

[tangledbea]

what is ur opinion on the episode Rapunzel day one?

I have mixed feelings about it.

On the one hand, I love seeing how far Rapunzel's come in terms of what she was like when she first left the tower vs. now.

On the other hand, it's just another instance (actually, the most egregious instance) of Cassandra being inserted into Eugene's role in order to make movie references. Not to mention, the reason why Rapunzel decided to trust her was paper thin as opposed to the genuine trust she built with Eugene before she revealed that she wasn't sure she wanted to go back to the tower, with no organic chemistry whatsoever. It was just there because Plot.

It would have been way more interesting to me to have Eugene being the one going through it all again, because now he knows how it's supposed to go, but the trust and chemistry they built can't be forced, and he'd have to learn that the hard way. Would he be able to win her over again without that natural change of heart he went through with her?

Feral Rapunzel scaring the hell out of everyone was hysterical, though. Also, I liked that we got our introduction to the idea that Separatists of Saporia had the ability to erase people's memory, which becomes relevant in the S3 premier. That's how you build lore.