#really open to the Ghost crew or Rebels

[diejager]

I love your Only Human fics 😭😭 I can’t help but think what Monster AU 141/Kortac would do if their only human got hurt during a mission….

A continuation maybe please?

Only Human pt3

Pairing: Monster 141 + König + Horangi x reader

CW: blood, injury, canon-typical violence, gun violence, flash grenade go boom boom, explosion, tell me off I missed any. wc: 2.4k

Only Human masterlist

previous

They fucked up, they really flicked up. It was a simple mission, simple enough that you were sent with only three operators. Alejandro with his witness, slinked between enemy lines, shooting up and creating chaos once he shifted, his large body ripping through enemy lines like a hot knife through butter. Gaz with his aerial insights, flew over trees and spotted the soldiers you were shooting through and giving pointers to where they split up and where they collected. And finally, Horangi, stalking between the buildings, jumping from shadow to shadow with a slow sway of his tail, pouncing on his prey with the stealth of a tiger. 

Laswell had promised that it was a quick in-and-out op, slipping through the village at night and taking out the leading figure of this hastily-made gang that was blocking the transport route between two important, allied towns. The shared intel was that it was a gang of ragtag rebels, raiding police stations within the mass, overwhelming the officers with their vast numbers of followers. They stole police equipment, vests, guns, batons, and ammunition, using them to power through the lines of officers and breaking through blockades built by the townsfolk. 

While they weren’t trained in military warfare or had prior training with specialised weapons, they had the advantage of numbers, overwhelming any joint forces with their vast numbers of rebels. It was nearly astounding how many people were being paid and supported by Russia's wealthy Ultranationalists wanting to disrupt the trading routes and hurt the opposing team by prying them of a source of gas and material. 

The few joint forces had slimmed down their numbers, leaving Task Force 141 to clean it up and take over their base of operation within the region. You were told that their numbers rounded a skeleton crew of twenty men, twenty-five at most. That’s why Price sent you four for quick and efficient disposal of the enemy. 

That’s what Laswell gave you, the information burned into your mind from habitual memorization to ensure that your team would be prepared, and yet the data was wrong. Gaz had reported twice the promised number, not as well armed as you were warned but their number brought a changing tide to your mission. You wanted to turn back, to regroup and form another plan, but everyone was already in place and calling them back could be as much of a risk of being caught as storming in. 

Perhaps that’s why you were all so careful and conscious of the dangers, moving in two, Alejandro and Horangi in one part and you walking under Gaz’s protective shadow. The initial plan was to box them in, working through both exits to snuff out any runaways and once you entered the compound, Gaz would drop down and lead ahead. 

That was the plan, until, of course, all hell broke loose. It was chaotic, they were trigger-happy and within untrained hands, their guns were as leather as a trained one with how quickly they spent their magazine, cycling through one and spraying the wall you used for hiding. Soap’s wild clean-up would’ve been extremely helpful in a time like this; Ghost’s hungry haze would’ve swallowed them all up, opening up a way for you to pass; and König’s reckless and unpredictable shift that sent him into a wild frenzy while he tore through the base. 

Unfortunately, they were back home, the little base they called their own when you first joined, yet you still had experienced and protective soldiers by your side, all special forces. Gaz led you with a strong hand and clear head, stopping at every corner to look at all sides before moving forward and you watched his back, looking out for any enemy rounding back. 

Your situation would be - at best - organised chaos, made from what you were given at the moment, faced with a group over a dozen times and without backup waiting behind. There were hushed orders and observations sent back and forth between your groups, cautious warnings on your side and growls from the other. Nick had been informed in case of any immediate evacuation and Laswell, of the sudden change in the plan. You did your best with what you had, leaving bleeding corpses in your wake, slumped over the bloodied floor and against the stained walls, but you hadn’t expected the rapid change of shift in the enemy. They weren’t such men with guns and knives, they were trained - albeit sloppy - in ferality and ruthlessness, jumping at you and Gaz without a second thought.

Every lunge was met with a bullet, rifles firing at the advancing numbers holding a gun, a knife or both, leaving you with a graze or scrape, the skin under your clothes bristled and bleeding. They flooded like moths to a flame, one taking the place of a fallen, and two other taking his place. You were pushed back to back, Gaz’s wings fluttering in stress between you, fighting the need to cover you in a protective shield of muscle and feather. 

“We’re compromised,” Gaz hissed into the mic, sending the message to any open coms on your connected line. “Victor-01, moving your way.”

“Copy,” Alejandro huffed.

Gaz tried leading you away, feet moving fast and steady around the halls you had to memorise for this Op. He tried to lead you safely, but they swarmed you like flies, appearing from every corner in an unending flood of shouting, thumping and firing. Gaz was bound to get hit at this rate, with his big wings and broader shoulders. It worried you that he’d take a bullet for you - you knew he would, as would the others - and get dangerously hurt. Through one door was a group waiting for you, gun trained forwards and ready to fire, but they were slow, sloppy, and they lacked the training and reflexes of a specialist. 

You had time to push Gaz through a door and into a room, you hid on both sides, hiding from the straight line of fire. You unclipped a flash from your belt, waving it at him to catch his attention. It did and his lips broke into a grin, wild and electric at your idea. You had him count down the seconds, his fingers lowering until he balled his fist, shaking it as you pulled the pin out and threw it down the hall. Veering away from the door, eyes closed tightly and hands around your ears, the flash grenade blew up with a loud, ear-piercing screech. It sent them into a blind panic, weapons falling from their hands to rub the burning pain in their cornea, ears deaf to your quick-moving steps towards them, down they went, like those behind you. 

Adrenaline pumped erratically through your veins, bubbling and warming your body to an uncomfortable heat that had you sweating under your gear. You turned another corner and you were closer to Alejandro and Horangi’s location, meeting up with them was your current objective, to regroup and take over the base in one group. They were just down the path, behind the sprinting men in jeans and t-shirts holding guns like it was a big, heavy toy. You could see their tense shoulders relax when they caught sight of you, guard still up and cautious, but glad that you were safe. 

“Hunter,” Horangi hissed, his figure trembling as his nose twitched under his mask. He stared at your shoulder, the damp jacket stained with your blood. “You broken?”

“No, the adrenaline’s keeping me going,” you nodded back, trying to soothe his worry. Being the 141’s medic, you knew the benefits of adrenaline, it numbed the pain, the cold and the burns, but once you calmed down, you’d feel every little scratch.

You limped out of the building, body leaning against Horangi for support, his tail curled around your thigh and body tense in a possessive mood. He kept glancing your way, his golden eyes swirling with worry, pupils small and attentive to every wince you made. He moved according to your pain, urging you to put more weight on him when you walked on your bad leg, where a bullet shot straight through your thigh, bleeding through the quickly put gauze you covered it with and wrapped tightly in bandages. You promised them that you’d properly patch yourself up in the helicopter while they watched before you worked on them. 

With your body riding off the adrenaline that kept you going for the past fifteen minutes, you jerked and winced when you walked on your left leg, the white bandage around your thigh staining red on the side. You were sure Horangi and Alejandro could smell your blood, or they'd been able to smell it before you even saw them, the irony tang wafting around them like a haze of their failure. The failure to let you get hurt and unable to properly protect you, you could feel the tenseness in their shoulders, their lowered head at your smile and the jerky movement when they moved around, seemingly pulling themselves back from doing something. 

Nikolai waved at your group, ushering you in from his seat, strapped safely with his headset on and communication clear between everyone. With a short affirm from Alejandro, Nik took off, the bird curving to the left when he turned west, towards the UK. You waited until the flight was stable, flying through the air softly and steadily before you opened up your pack, searching for items to clean and reward your wound until you returned to the infirmary. You checked your tourniquet, tightening it when you saw that it was slightly loose, ripping open the wrapping around your leg, you reapplied the gauze, adding pressure to it to stop it from bleeding even more. 

You winced and hissed under their watchful eyes, between Alejandro and Horangi, their tails swaying and occasionally curling around your forearm. Gaz, however much he’d like to sit beside you, to fuss and worry openly about your wounds, sat across from you, strapped in with his wings spread wide across the seats. 

“Looks rough, Охотник,” Nik called to the back, light glinting off his glasses. 

“Nothing new, Nik, you know that,” you replied through the coms, a lop-sided smile curling the corners of your lips.

He cackled, a full-belly laugh that had all of you smiling in your own ways. Nikolai was rambunctious, loyal and a big bear of a man. He was human, the other human in the Task Force apart from you (Laswell might’ve been the one sending you across the earth and gathering information, but she - regrettably - wasn’t truly a member.). 

“Да! I do!”

When you landed, the rest of the TF was already waiting outside, arms crossed and shoulders tense. It seemed they got the news of your Op, showing their displeasure with deep frowns and deeper glares, none directed at you or the hybrids, it was some sort of self-hatred and anger at the person that gave Laswell the intel, their promise of it being factual and not sending them any updates on the case. Laswell, herself, was fairly mad, her stressed face pulled sombrely down. 

Soap and Rudy rushed to you, voices low and tones raspy, they hovered near your group, fussing about the blood that caked Alejandro’s forehead, a slight graze from a rifle’s butt and other bruises from slamming into obstacles; Gaz’s slight pinch in the back from being slammed into a wall by a bulldozing enemy when he ran out of ammo; Horangi’s ripped sleeves, gashes bleeding lightly from attempts at slashing and stabbing knives by inexperienced hands; but what worried them the most was you, limping and hanging from Horangi’s shoulders. 

Your eyes were hooded, equal parts exhausted and blood lost, placing all of your weight on the Haetae hybrid. While your upper half was unscathed - apart from the slight bruises forming on your skin - your leg, wrapped tightly in a tourniquet and bandages drowned in red. The amount of red would’ve been worrying if they hadn’t known you, but you’ve survived far more dangerous and life-threatening wounds, bouncing back with revenge. As truthful as it was, it didn’t stop them from worrying. You might’ve been more resilient than most - hybrids credited their resilience to their human parent - you didn’t have the healing ability of hybrids or the immortality of spectres. 

“ ‘m fine, Rudy,” you smiled, so bright and reassuring when you were the wounded one. “Nothing a few stitches and rest won’t heal.”

“Si, but-”

“Doesn’t mean we’re not worried, love.”

Like his callsign, he walked in on your little group silently, peering over Rudolfo’s shoulders, his warm, brown hues meeting yours. His voice was strained with concern, croakier than when you left this morning, waving at them. Rodolfo moved over when Ghost brought his hand forward, Horangi passed you to him with careful and tender hands so that you could be brought to the infirmary without having to walk. You hooked your arms around Ghost’s neck, arms crossed lazily over his back and chin propped up on his shoulder. He held you against his chest, one arm under your ass and another carefully tucked under your knees, watching your wounded leg without touching it. 

You looked at Price and Laswell from your perch, their hushed discussion with shrugging shoulders and crossed arms, but neither looked pleased with the outcome of your mission. You blinked owlishly when you couldn’t find König beside them, head turning from side to side to find the 6 '10 Austrian hybrid, but you still couldn’t find him. Just as you were going to ask Ghost where König was, a hand reached out to grip your forearm, thick fingers softly rubbing your strained muscle. You were met with a veiled face when you turned, brilliant, red eyes stared at your wounded thigh in distaste, his mind throwing him into the scene of the moment, turning and ripping the men that dared harm you to pieces, bloodied and unrecognisable parts of a human. 

“Hey, König,” you called out, pulling him back from his violent daydream where his eyes turned crimson, glazed with bloodlust and rage, promising doom. “Do you want to come with us?”

“Ja,” he replied moments later, snapping to your face with blank eyes, now his regular, ice-blue colour. “To the infirmary first and mess all later. You need to eat and rest well to heal quickly, Schnucki.”

“What about the-”

“You need to rest, lovie. Let them deal with the debrief,” Ghost’s voice was stern and commanding, ending whatever protests you had. 

As if to prove his point, he turned to face Price, his head nudging you to look at your captain, the imposing and dominating figure of Price’s horned head, thick, swaying tail and powerful wing. Price replied with a quick nod, curt in a way that shut down any voice, landing the hammer on the gravel with a resounding boom. You sighed, grumbling lowly about them worrying too much about a flesh wound, exaggerating your condition (in your mind) and threatening them with insubordination that had your commanding officers glare your way.

next

Taglist: @craxy-person @crowbird @dead-cipher @iwannabealocalcryptid @iizx7y @mxtokko @yeetusspagheetus @capricorn-anon @perfectus-in-morte @sae1kie @yeoldedumbslut @tallmanlover @distracteddragoness @vxnilla-hxrddrugs @konigsblog @havoc973

[vodika-vibes]

hello!!! Any chance you’d be willing to write an Ezra x Reader with opal and winter??? I read your other Ezra fic and liked it so much I wanted to see another one! Preferably while he’s still with the ghost crew (like 18 or 19), if ya can! Thanks so much 😀

Life Day Conversations

Summary: It’s hard, being on the run from the Empire. You signed up for it, sure, but it’s still hard. Luckily, Ezra is always there to help you feel better about the choices you made.

Pairing: Ezra Bridger x Reader

Word Count: 722

Prompt: Opal - Faithful Love

Warnings: Kind of bittersweet, based off of what I know happens to Ezra

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni @imabeautifulbutterfly

A/N: So, I still haven't watched Rebels. I just don't have the time, so I hope I didn't butcher him too badly. And I'm sorry if I did.

“Are you sure you want to stay out here?” Hera asks from the ramp of the ship, shivering as she pulls the thick winter jacket tighter around her, “It’s freezing.”

You glance at her, and flash the smallest smile, “Yeah. Just a little longer. I won’t stay out long, promise.”

“I’ll hold you to it. We can’t afford anyone catching pneumonia.” You hear the sound of her clomping back up the ramp, and you sigh and tilt your head back, your eyes drifting shut.

1 year.

It’s been one year since the day you defected from the empire. A year since the last time you saw your parents, your siblings, your nephews.

You don’t regret it. Not really.

The Empire is made up of monsters, the worst kinds of monsters. Monsters who look like your next door neighbor.

But you’ve never felt so alone in all your life.

Though, you’re fairly certain that your loneliness stems from the fact that this is the first major holiday away from your family. And as much as you love Hera and Kannan and Jacen…you can’t help but feel like you’re intruding.

You release a slow breath, your eyes opening again as you feel something cold and wet against your cheek. “Huh. It’s snowing-”

How…sad.

It fits your mood perfectly.

“Knock, knock.” You start at the familiar voice from behind you, and you turn to blink at Ezra, “I know you don’t like it when people just barge in, but I figure since there’s no doors-” He trails off, “I bring hot cocoa?”

“Hera is going to kill you if she catches you out here.” You note as you slide over on the boulder to let him join you.

“Pft. I’m not afraid of her.” Ezra hands you both thermos and jumps up to join you, before taking his thermos back, “I also brought a blanket, to ward off the cold.”

You shoot him a look, “What’s wrong, Bridger? Can’t handle a little cold?”

“Hera will kill both of us if either of us get sick, so scoot in. We’re gonna get cozy.”

“I thought you weren’t afraid of her.”

“Wasn’t me, must have been the devil speaking through me.” Ezra says solemnly, before he tucks the blanket around himself and then you, “So, why are you looking so glum?”

“I’m not.”

“Are too. What, you think I can’t tell what you’re feeling?” You scowl at him and he grins as he taps your temple, “Jedi, remember.”

“Cheater.”

“Is it cheating to use your god given powers-”

“Yes.”

He laughs, and drapes his arm over your shoulder, “Come on. It’s just me.”

You’re quiet for a moment, and then you sigh and drop your head on his shoulder, “It’s my first Life Day without my family. I suppose I’m feeling a little…melancholic.”

“You having second thoughts?”

“No.” You shake your head, “Just…feeling a bit lonely.”

“Well, that’ll happen when you’re sitting out in the cold rather than celebrating with your chosen family,” Ezra points out gently, “What’s really bothering you?”

“...I don’t know.” You pause, and pull your knees up to rest your chin on them, “What happens when you leave?”

“Hey, I’m not going anywhere.”

“Sure, you say that now-”

“No.” He turns to face you and holds his pinky out for you to hook, “I’m not leaving you. Not now. Not ever.” He wiggles his pinky at you, “You know a pinky promise is eternal.”

“What are you, five?”

“Five times more fun than you.” Ezra quips. “Come on, even if I do have to go away for whatever reason, I’m always going to come back to you.”

“Until you don’t.”

“Nope. Always. Forever. I’ll always be faithful to you. I love you after all.”

You sigh and hook your finger with his, “Then, I hope you know that I’ll always be faithful to you too.”

Ezra beams at you and uses your joined fingers to tug you in so he’s able to kiss you, “Now, we’d better get back inside before Hera sends Sabine after us.”

“Oh…well…”

Ezra hops down off the boulder, and offers you his hand with a blinding smile, “Come on, gorgeous. It’s Life Day, you shouldn’t be alone.”

You release a quiet sigh, but slide down the boulder to take his hand. 

Maybe change isn’t so bad after all.

[iftheresaproblem-whatever]

STAR WARS DOESN’T LIKE LGBTQ+ MEN?

(A SHORT FAN ESSAY)

First and foremost. I’m REALLY enjoying the ‘Ahsoka’ series and I can’t wait to see how episode 8 plays out.

I’ve really enjoyed seeing some of my favourite characters, old and new, translated so beautifully to live action.

Almost…all of them.

As of today, there is 1 episode left. 1 episode left of ‘Ahsoka’. Otherwise known as the “sequel” to the Animated series ‘Star Wars Rebels’.

Yet, 2 crucial characters from the aforementioned series, are nowhere to be seen in this series.

We have been very fortunate to see the Ghost Crew, consisting of Hera Syndulla, her son Jacen, Chopper, Sabine Wren and Ezra Bridger make appearances in the series.

We were doubly fortunate to see Anakin Skywalker again in his true form, appearing in a greater capacity than I could have predicted, which was amazing.

Grand Admiral Thrawn has also returned in glorious fashion, portrayed by the very actor who provided the voice for him in ‘Rebels.’

We’ve seen countless appearances from characters from Loth cats to C3PO in our most recent viewing excursion.

However, the only characters missing from the series are Captian Garazeb ‘Zeb’ Orrelios, and (Agent) Alexsandr Kallus.

For those who might not know, Zeb is the ‘muscle’ of the Ghost Crew, who sadly had his planet and people destroyed by the Galactic Emprie. He believed to be the last of his species, until he discovered the secret home world of Lira San, where an entire planet of his kind live and thrive.

Agent (Alexsandr) Kallus is an ISB agent who aided the Empire in the destruction of Zeb’s home world and people. Not only that, it is revealed that he has trauma and survivors guilt because of a rouge Lasat mercenary that worked for Saw Garrera, resulting in the death of his friends on his first unit and the hardening of his heart.

During the series, the two share an episode where they crash land on the ice moon of Bahryn, where they work together to survive and learn a bit more about each other. In the fandom, the entire experience, atmosphere, the relationship between the two men and the episode, as a whole, is regarded as very homo erotic.

As the series progressed, because of his experience with Zeb, Kallus quietly changes his heart and allegiance to the Rebels and acts as a double agent under the code name ‘Fulcrum’. Eventually, escaping the Empire, he joins the Rebellion and fights alongside the ghost crew to liberate Lothal.

During the epilogue of the series, it is revealed, that after the war, Zeb had brought Kallus to live with him and his people on the hidden Lasat home world of Lira San. Zeb reveals that Kallus hadn’t destroyed his people. His people even accept Kallus as one of their own kind, in an astonishing act of forgiveness, despite his transgressions against their species.

In doing so, Zeb gives his mind, soul and heart peace.

Despite how very homo erotic the overall storyline seems, it ultimately started off unintentionally.

Fans expectations of wanting to see the two get together grew more and more in popularity during the course of the shows run. At fan conventions, voice actor Steve Blum, who provided the voice for Zeb, was also very much inclined to agree with the fans that the relationship between the two characters was indeed romantic in nature. He often advocates, to this day, for the two to get together openly, much to the delight of the fans.

Despite the accidental roots of what the fandom refers to as “Kalluzeb”, The shows creator, Dave Filoni, has stated that he is okay with fans shipping the two characters and revealed that the ending for Zeb and Kallus (which was partly the result of Steve Blum’s wishful thinking at ‘Star Wars Celebration 2017’), was left open ended for viewers to decide wether or not the two were a romantic couple or not.

For the next 5 years, that would be enough.

That is until, the announcement of the ‘Ahsoka’ series, and fans were excited to see their favourite rebels on screen once again.

Before the series started, however, Zeb Orrelios made a surprise, 30 second, live action cameo in the 3rd season of “The Mandalorian”. Zeb was seemingly working as a pilot for the Rebellion, donning a blue pilot suit. This lead to fans excitedly speculate that they would see him again in the “Ahsoka” series. This also had them asking the question: Why wasn’t he with Kallus on Lira San?

Over the course of the next few months, trailers would be released for the ‘Ahsoka’ series as well as character announcements at “Star Wars Celebration” in London. In all of these trailers, the only ‘Rebels’ characters missing were Zeb (and Kallus by extension.)

Upon the release of ‘Ahsoka’, as weeks and episodes have gone by, Zeb and Kallus still have not appeared in the series, nor were they even mentioned (until Zeb was mentioned by name in Episode 7). All the while, various characters from ‘Rebels’, ‘Clone Wars’, and even the film series made cameos and took supporting roles in the story, all the while, leaving Zeb and Kallus unaccounted for. Which is unusual, considering that Zeb and Kallus’ story was one of the most crucial plot points in the ‘Rebels’ story, and yet, here they were being left out of the “Rebels sequel”.

At the same time, it’s typical of Star Wars to do exactly this.

In the original run of ‘Rebels’, Zeb, as a character, was often overlooked and underdeveloped in terms of plot and character development. Originally intended as the comedic relief, it’s safe to say, in Season 1, not much was planned for the character. Season 2 however, is where Zeb truly has his chance to shine. From Saving Ezra and Sabine from Inquisitiors, to finding his secret home planet of Lira San, discovering he’s part of a prophecy and surviving and understanding his worst enemy turned ally, Kallus. It truly is his best season in the shows run.

In seasons 3 and 4, Zeb’s storyline was left pretty much underdeveloped and overshadowed by other plots such as the Jedi storylines, the Maul arc, Hera’s ascension through the ranks of the Rebellion, Sabine’s family conflict on Mandalore and the Liberation of Ezra’s home planet of Lothal. Zeb’s only notable story after season 2, was in the episode “WarHead” in which he was left alone to guard the base with Chopper and AP5, while the others leave to do exercises with recruits in space, almost demonstrating my point exaclty; Zeb gets left behind a lot. The episode made little to no impact on the overall narrative of the story. The only significance being that Thrawn gains a slightly better knowledge of where the Rebel base might be.

If anything, Agent Kallus’ storyline acts as a Zeb storyline extension as it was his kindness that inclines Kallus to change allegiances throughout the course of season 3.

Due to a shorter episode count in season 4, little time was spent on either Zeb or Kallus as the story had to reach its conclusion in a short matter of time. The one saving grace, is that both Zeb and Kallus had several great moments in the finale episode, resulting in their “open to interpretation”LGBTQ ending.

With the previous points in question, it has lead me to believe, that Star Wars might be trying to retcon their “maybe they are, many they’re not”LGBTQ ending and eradicate the possibility of Zeb and Kallus being in a same sex relationship in favour of “straight washing” them.

It wouldn’t be the first time it has happened.

Previously, the characters Poe Dameron and Finn from the Star Wars Sequel Series were supposed to be in a romantic relationship, but Disney never went ahead with it due to fear of loss of box office financial success from less open minded countries. (Which personally, I think is a stupid ass reason, but I digress.) In the past, any LGBTQ characters in Star Wars were often background extras that were on screen for 3 seconds or goofy comedic side characters. Only recently did the franchise include a lesbian couple in the series “Andor”, but all the same, we have yet to see two men in a same sex relationship that are leading characters and not being played for laughs. Lesser minded “fans” also often try discourage any LGBTQ content of any kind in Star Wars and will argue that Zeb and Kallus are just “best buddies”. (Because it’s totally straight to bring your “best buddy” to live with you on your highly secret home planet where your species accepts a human as one of their own kind…Yeah. TOTALLY straight.) To which I say, we’ve seen PLENTY of male friendships in Star Wars and LGBTQ people are not going anywhere, so I strongly suggest those “fans” and their fragile insecurities cop on and cop on FAST.

Only time will tell what happens to Zeb and Kallus as we head in to the final episode of ‘Ahsoka’, but my gut instincts say that we might be seeing history repeat itself. However, with the time passed since 2018, the change in LGBTQ visibility in media over the last half a decade, and the fact that ‘Ashoka’ is not constrained to the barrier of “children’s cartoon” as ‘Rebels’ was, I also chose to remain somewhat optimistic that the canonisation of my favourite Star Wars couple comes to be.

AUTHORS NOTE:

In a surprising twist, whilst writing this essay, the official Star Wars account mentioned the term “Kalluzeb” by name in a promotional video, seemingly giving validation to the canonisation of Zeb and Kallus as a romantic couple. Whilst this is very exciting for the fandom, we must also be sure to hold Star Wars to the mark that they deliver on this name drop.

Putting it simply; No take backs.

FanEdit95.

[seth-shitposts]

I want to drop this here real quick, but there will be much tension between the Ghost Crew and Kallus initially in the Defectors AU. Because >:]

Let's start off with Hera. So with Hera, it isn't immediate. For the first two seasons, however, she picks up on little details here and there. Such as how the usually very Loud & Outspoken About His Dislike for the Empire Ezra becomes uncharacteristically quiet when the topic is shifted to Agent Kallus. Or how whenever Kallus becomes involved, the kid is suddenly down for the retreat that was suggested moments prior, insisting that they stop attack to run. One of the biggest hunches Hera gets is the heartbroken, homesick look that the kid casts towards the agent.

So no, when Ezra finally fesses up about his and Kallus’s past when the latter reveals himself to be a rebel spy, Hera isn't surprised. But she is pissed beyond belief. And she holds that grudge.

There are little things that lessen it, as she has heavier eyes on the man now. Like the way she notices how Kallus is always insistent on the entire crew's safety, sometimes looking like it's a high priority than the mission. Or how in stolen moments, in the Empire’s blindspots, when Ezra has that homesick look on his face, Kallus will give him a mirroring look with a sad smile; how he says something Hera can't gear from the distance before giving the teen a small, affectionate pinch. And then another. And another. Until Ezra starts to laugh, half heartedly pushing his hands away.

Her grudge fizzles after Zero Hour. When Kallus’s first priority is to check on Ezra after being scooped out of that escape pod.

___________

While Kanan hadn't caught onto as many of the hints as Hera, he always caught that Ezra was hiding something. That, often, he was always struggling with something. And he figured out what that something was in that lift when Kallus revealed a secret that came as no surprise to his defensive padawan. And the immediate relief that washed over the teen in that moment. It's only because of Ezra that Kanan chose to trust Kallus.

After escaping the factory, Kanan let Ezra know that he doesn't have to tell him what the history is if he doesn't want to, but he is always open for listening. While Ezra still seemed worried over something, a joy took lead. One laced with relief. Ezra tells Kanan that he does want to talk about it.

Kanan takes a few missions that would give him the chance to potentially cross paths with Kallus. And each time, Kallus gets on his case about putting himself in danger. Which is a bit laughable. Should Kallus really be the one lecturing about putting oneself in line of danger when he has been operating as a deep level spy for the rebellion for how many years at this point? Kanan works on getting Kallus’s thought process what happened.

"I assume Ezra’s told you everything."

"Yes, and now I'm here to hear from you." In truth, Ezra has many unanswered questions. Kanan has many of the same. "So tell me what your goals with remaining in the empire were."

Kallus takes an audible gulp. "Initially, it was to find and rescue Mira and Ephraim. I searched for days, days that turned into weeks, then months, years." The weight that had seemed to leave Ezra back in the lift only grows more on Kallus. "I had been hoping it wouldn't take long. That I could return them to Ezra. Return Ezra to them. To do it, I thought that Ezra would only remain in danger by my side. Because the plan was to get to Mira and Ephraim and get them out no matter what. So if Ezra remained in my care,"

"The empire would have gotten to him before you could." Kanan hadn't thought of that being the reason why Kallus chose to leave Ezra and stay. He thought that Kallus had been prioritizing hurting the Empire over anything else. Over Ezra. "Your priority has always been what you thought was best for Ezra?"

"I thought I had left him in Tseebo's care, I didn't know Tseebo left. Sumar couldn't find Ezra. I was neck deep in trying to find where the Bridgers were, but..." Kallus shakes his head. "I never stopped looking for them. Not until I found them."

"You found them?"

Kallus looks away from Kanan.

"The night of the breakout."

"Found them after years of searching, and it was too late."

______

Zeb is the first one that makes an impression on Kallus and it is not great. And Kallus’s response is worse.

The first time Kallus sees Ezra after two years and it's on an imperial ship. With rebels. One of which shoved ahead of Ezra. Kallus was shocked when his hand managed to grab a hold of Ezra’s wrist. Kallus had timed everything perfectly, so that it would look like he was pursuing the rebels and honestly doing his best to capture them. The other rebel, he later learned is Zeb, was just supposed to slip through his fingers. So when his hand landed on Ezra, they both were in shock. Ezra wad the first one to look away, to look back at Zeb, who was pinned and unable to make a shot to help Ezra. And left. He left Ezra in the hands of an ISB Agent.

A rage boils in Kallus.

One that consumes him a few weeks later when he sees the lasat again, when their bo-rifles are locked. Kallus sneers at the other, his anger still seething. If he left a child in the hands of an ISB Agent, what had he done during the Massacre of Lasan? Where had he been that day? Where was he as his people were simply being swept away in the matter of one afternoon?

Kallus very much regrets the words he spat in a fit of rage after he learns the truth of what happened to Zeb on Lasan. Regret doesn't even begin to cover it. But what he can't understand is just how willing Zeb is to allow them to move past it on Bahryn. Kallus had held his grudge against Zeb, but Zeb was willing to offer forgiveness.

There is much much more that goes on between these two, the prophecy plays out in a different course of action. But Zeb is the first one to figure out that Kallus isn't who he says he is, he figures this out before bahryn.

_______

Mmmmm I'm stopping here to go make food, enjoy.

[catierambles]

Feral Instincts Ch.13

Pairing: The Rogue’s Gallery (Geralt, Syverson, Mike, August Walker, Walter Marshall) x Stephanie Daniels (OFC)

WC 1662

Warnings: Mentions of violence, douchbaggery, and intimacy aids.

@mclsquared , @brattymum96 , @ouroboros113 , @peaches1958 , @summersong69 , @eldarwen333 , @omgkatinka , @identity2212 , @lucypaulette , @teamfan7asy , @ms-betsy-fangirl ,@pagina16ps , @enchantedbytomandhenry , @foxyjwls007 , @nofoolywang , @margauxmargaux07 , @mrsevans90 , @ilikemilkchocolateh , @lizzystuffsthings , @km-ffluv , @cavilllover , @deandoesthingstome , @write-r-die , @livisss , @miss-rebel-without-applause , @kebabgirl67 , @squeezyvalkyrie , @luminescentlily , @ellethespaceunicorn , @niknoca

They eventually got Hunter to open up while Stephanie and Geralt were gone, the wolf being a bit nervous around male Alphas. Unsurprising, given his experience with male Alphas. He was a Null, a wolf who didn't fall within the pack hierarchy but still in possession of his wits. Not a Beta, or an Omega, and definitely not an Alpha. It was uncomplicated as he didn't have to worry about pack politics, but it seemed his current Alpha, Frank, treated the Nulls about as well as he treated everyone else. All of the money from his meager paychecks from his job at the archery range downtown went to him, Frank only giving him enough to survive, but just barely. Rice and instant ramen were staples, so a meal of pancakes, bacon, eggs, and toast was a feast for him and he ate quite a bit before relaxing into a full stupor.

Hunter had been shocked to learn that Stephanie's current pack was made up of all Alphas save for a single Beta. Sy told him what Geralt had told Stephanie; it got a little tense around the full moon, but they made it work. More time passed and the two still hadn't returned, a scowl gracing August's face the more time went by.

"Easy, Walker." Sy said, picking up on his agitation. "You know how much of a hassle transfering territory can be. Council needs to be called, records updated."

"They may have also needed to call a clean-up crew." Mike said, "Ya know, if the asshole didn't submit."

"She's never fought for territory before." August pointed out.

"You honestly think Geralt would let anything happen to her?" Sy asked, "He said he would step in if shit went pear-shaped. The guy hunts down and takes out ferals for a living, some asshole Alpha with a mean streak ain't shit for him."

"So, um, is he her Mate?" Hunter asked and they looked at him. "Just wondering."

"Not really?" Sy said, "She said it was complicated and that's kinda true."

"She's with all of us!" Mike called from the kitchen as he was loading the dishwasher.

"Oh." Hunter said, "I've heard of female Alphas. Never met one before. Can they have more than one Mate?"

"Not uncommon for them." August said, "I've met a couple, they all had multiple partners of mostly Alphas. Ensured strong children."

"But Steph got her tubes tied years ago, according to her." Mike said, walking into the living room.

"Wouldn’t getting infected have reversed that? It fixes everything else." Hunter said.

"Unless it can reattach fallopian tubes with surgical precision, I doubt it." They hadn't even heard her and Geralt return, August jumping up from his seat and going to her, taking her hands in his and seeing her bruised and bloodied knuckles. "Remind me to wrap my hands next time."

"How'd it go?" Sy asked, the question aimed at Geralt.

"She was beautiful." Geralt said with a small smile. "Like a ghost, never where he thought she was going to be. Looked like she was dancing."

"Is he…" Hunter let the question trail off.

"He's still alive." Stephanie said, "Like any other bully, he backed down when he realized I was just going to push back harder. Legal stuff has been started and the Council has been notified. I also had him confess to everything he did to you guys, just for good measure."

"He'll be blacklisted from having territory or leading a pack ever again." Geralt said.

"That's why you guys were gone so long?" Hunter asked.

"Well, that, and we oversaw him packing his shit." Stephanie said.

"He's gone?" Hunter asked and she nodded.

"Don't worry, I had him transfer over all the money he took. I'll get everyone's info and transfer it back to you guys." She said and he went quiet, staring down at his hands. "Hunter?" She went to him, kneeling in front of him. "You're okay now, no one is going to hurt you anymore."

"Thank you." He said, barely above a whisper. "I came to you wanting to save myself, but you saved all of us."

"I don't like bullies." Stephanie said, "And I especially don't like bullies in positions of power."

"Thank you." He said again and she reached up, brushing the hair out of his face. "What happens now?"

"Technically I own all of his territory now, which is this building and the one next door." She said.

"You're our landlord now?" Hunter asked.

"Kind of but not really. Geralt's contact on the Council explained it to me. Individual Alpha wolves can't own rental properties, unless they owned it before the decision was made to go public. The…human government, weird to say, doesn't want Alpha wolves discriminating against non-wolves when it comes to housing, and the Council isn't fighting it, because that also means the Alpha can't expand their pack beyond their means and cause issues and territorial disputes. Keeps everything nice and contained." Stephanie explained.

"So the Council owns the buildings." Hunter said and she nodded.

"They own the physical properties, and therefore, legally, are the landlords. Kind of like a rental agency owning a property, but hiring someone to oversee the day to day on the property itself." Stephanie said, "Rent payments went to the Council, but they had no idea Frank was taking all of the pack's money and only giving back enough to just barely get by."

"What he do with the extra cash?" Hunter asked.

"Spent it." Geralt said, "Had some pretty pricey electronics in his apartment, computer equipment, those kinds of things."

"You said you made him give the money back, but if he spent it…"

"I cleaned him out." Stephanie said, "I took almost everything in his checking and savings. Left him enough for a bus ticket out of town and a burger."

"What'll happen to him?" Hunter asked.

"Don't know, don't care." Stephanie said, "Consider it karma. He made it so you guys had barely enough to survive and now he's in that same position."

"Blacklisted or not, the Council has resources for Alphas without packs or territories." Geralt said with a shrug, "They'll get him set up with employment and a place to live in his hometown, but then he's on his own. Talking with my contact, he'll have his wages garnished until he pays back everything he took for the length of time he ran this pack."

"I think that's the most I've ever heard you say at one time." Stephanie said after a pause, looking at him, and he snorted.

"You're our Alpha now." Hunter said and she turned her attention back to him, giving him a small nod. "I should tell the others."

"How many are in the pack?" Geralt asked.

"About a dozen." Hunter said, "And that includes the kids."

"He was takin’ from families?" Sy asked and Hunter nodded, making him scowl.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of introductions. She knew most of them just from living in the same building, and they were as surprised as Hunter when they learned she was a wolf, and an Alpha at that. Banking information was taken down, money was transferred, divided up as evenly as possible as there was no easy way of determining who surrendered how much. Families got extra just because they had kids that they needed to provide for. A future trip to Costco was planned using her membership card so they could get bulk essentials. Walter showed up mid-afternoon and was brought up to speed on what had happened.

“I have an idea.” Stephanie said a bit sheepishly as she sat curled up in Walter’s lap once everyone had left, and they looked at her.

“What’s up, babe?” Sy asked.

“August said that female Alphas have a tendency to unite packs, right?”

“I did say that, yes.” August said.

“I’m not green enough not to realize when I’m in over my head, so I thought…”

“You want to merge your new pack with ours.” Geralt said and she nodded. “It’s a good idea. Didn’t want to lose you anyway.”

“Our territories ain’t exactly touchin’, but it’s not unheard of.” Sy said, “You’d control this territory, we’d control ours, but we’d step in if you needed somethin’. Kinda like cops crossin’ jurisdictions to help each out.”

“One of us should be here.” August said, “There’s now an open unit in the building, unless you were planning on moving into it.”

“You know, I kinda was.” Stephanie admitted, “His soundsystem is nice and his computer is more powerful than mine. Also, the unit is bigger than this one.”

“Rock-paper-scissors for it?” Sy suggested and she snorted, tucking her face into Walter’s neck. “You move into the former Alphas place along with Mikey, and one of us moves into this one. If somethin’ goes sideways, we’d actually be in a position to do fuck all about it.”

“And by “something” you mean Jordan.” Stephanie said and he nodded. “Sounds like a plan. I hate packing.”

“Well it ain’t like you don’t got helpers.” Sy said.

“As if I’d let you guys go through my stuff!”

“Doll, we’ve seen you with your legs in the air, goin’ through your skivvies shouldn’t embarrass you.” Sy said.

“Maybe I don’t want you guys to find my sex toys.” Stephanie said.

“Toys?” Walter asked, “Plural?”

“Sizes, shapes,” She paused, “Thicknesses.”

“I’ve been here for almost three weeks and I haven’t found anything!” Mike said and she shot him a look.

“I know how to hide my shit.” She said, “Jordan was weird about dildos and vibrators, so I hid them from him.”

“You have a monster dildo, don’t you.” Sy said and she snorted.

“Monster as in big, or monster as in not modeled after human anatomy?” She asked, “Because I plead the fifth.”

“Doll, you a dirty girl.” Sy said and she snorted again, picking her head up to blow him a kiss.

[tarisilmarwen]

Rebels Rewatch: “Vision of Hope“

Plot threads coming together as we approach the home stretch and season finale arc, lets explore some sewers today!

Kanan has deemed it safe enough to enlist help training Ezra again.  Fortunately this time they are solidly on the ground and taking precautions. XD

This exercise is a little bit similar to the one Anakin put Ahsoka through in Trials of the Jedi.  Only, you know, it has an actual achievable goal and endpoint (redirecting a blaster bolt into the target helmet) and Kanan doesn’t force Ezra to keep getting knocked unconscious over and over again.

Nice detail in Ezra sensing bolts coming and ducking, moving before they even remotely reach him.

Please help him, he’s so tired.

Seeing that Ezra’s distracted, Kanan calls a brief halt.  I do wonder if Ezra’s own anticipation of catching Gall Trayvis’s broadcast, while he’s open to the Force and letting it help him deflect and dodge shots, is what triggered his vision.

The boy does tend to accident his way into Force breakthroughs lol.

This full-body eyeroll is such a typical teenager thing.

The “Shenanigans” leitmotif comes in here, in playful synths.  Then the Force ring sound effects starts and it crashes to a halt with a note of cymbal percussion.  The strings take over with high frantic ascending trills that drop away into the full-on soundscape of Force noises, only a strained trumpet bleeting out halting notes of Ezra’s theme.

There’s a pulsing heartbeat sound underneath everything too.  Also love the wavering effect on the sides of the screen to indicate the vision.

The amazement when Kanan tells Ezra he deflected every single shot into the helmet, aww.

He looks so proud.

You know in hindsight it’s really not surprising that Kanan assumed Ezra had graduated to tracking through the Force in “Legacy”, given how often the kid had already surprised him. XD

His face.  *sobs*

I haven’t been commenting on it much but pay attention to whenever the titlecard pops up without its normal bombastic fanfare.  Usually a sign that things are serious.  I remember we went a solid streak of like five episodes in Season Four without a single fanfare and it was STRESSFUL.

Kanan brings up the very likely possibility that Ezra’s desires are coloring his vision, making him see what he wants to see out of it, which again goes to show why the Jedi teach discipline and clarity of mind when tapping into the Force.  You bring your own emotions and junk into the connection with you and they can trick you even more than the already cryptic and vague visions can.  “Your focus determines your reality.”

We’ll revisit this concept later in the series.

Zeb going for a headsmack while Sabine chooses a shoulder bump.  Sabine has this adorable devilish grin right before she lays it on him.  It turns softer and more playful as she passes.

Ezra smacks Zeb back as he runs into the Ghost, cute.

Subtle animation appreciation moment: The way Ezra twirls his helmet before sitting down, lovely little character touches like this make the animation feel more natural and immersive and realistic.

Hngh, Ezra’s eagerness in these early scenes hurts.

Lol, Sabine leans in when Ezra mentions the mural, the artist in her is intrigued.  And without missing a beat she pulls up the correct schematic.

This is the biased shipper in me but I’m loving their comfortable proximity, you can see Sabine slip out of her seat in the booth and kneel or crouch next to Ezra who’s on the stool.

Kanan once again warning Ezra not to put too much stock in his vision and Hera raising an eyebrow like, “Mais, c’est quoi?”

“He had a what now?”

Hi Zare!

Zare is exiting state left into his own spinoff adventure lol.  (Really gotta get myself a copy of his books.)

Ezra’s eyes are really pretty this episode.

The crew talking about Ezra’s tragic backstory. :(

That old Ralph McQuarrie concept art put to use in lovely fashion.

*has a plan*

*DOUBT.jpeg*

And Chopper straight up murdered his first other droid lol.  And also very nearly takes Kanan’s head off.

The sass on this droid. XD

Always found it cute how Ezra doesn’t get indignant or offended by Sabine implying he smells like the sewers but glees up like it’s the most exciting thing in the world that she’s paid enough attention to him to tell.

Even Kanan’s like, “Okay, can you not be embarrassing about your obvious crush for like two seconds?”

Hi Trayvis, you dirty lying snake. :)

This shot of Ezra and Kanan igniting their lightsabers together for the first time is pretty sweet.

“Padawan Jabba.”  Snrk, love that Kallus remembered that.

Oooooh lookit the way Zeb’s bo-staff lights up the smoke!

Hera’s blaster has a very unique sound that I like.

The “Shenanigans” cue comes back but it is a lot less fun and upbeat.  Some of the chords sound transposed to minor key.

Trayvis starting pinging me the moment we saw him in person, honestly, just something about him and the way he talked was way too slimy but his hesitance to actually escape here definitely got me suspicious.

Good thing Kanan was reviewing blaster bolt deflection earlier lol.

SNAAAAAAAAKE.

NO ONE LIKES YOU. >:(

“How will you find us?”  “I can smell you, remember?” <3333333

Love to see Sabine initiating the banter for once.

Even Hera is like, “THAT’S CUTE GUYS BUT WE GOTTA GO.”

Trayvis digging for leads to other Rebel factions like the lying rat he is. >:(

Aaaaaand this is why Hera doesn’t tell the others anything, Ezra’s so eager to believe Trayvis is an ally that he’s just talking openly in front of him.  Disaster averted only because Ezra thinks the Ghost crew is literally all there is.

Subtle animation appreciation moment: The consistent wafts of air from the fan that blow Ezra’s hair.

The sharp-eyed can tell that Hera adjusts something on her blaster moments before handing it to Trayvis.

EVERY SINGLE SHOT OF THE BETRAYED LOOK ON EZRA’S FACE HURTS ME PHYSICALLY AND PERSONALLY.

Bbbbyyyyyyyyyy. :((((((((((((

Hera’s furious Mama Bear haymaker to Trayvis’s face is... satisfying.

I love the sound Ezra’s saber makes when it’s turned on, it sound so unique to normal lightsaber ignitions.

And then there’s one last distorted iteration of the “Shenanigans” cue and Ezra’s death glare game continues to be on point.

Hera’s turn to comfort Ezra this time, though Kanan’s flat, “I saw this bratty kid who constantly caused me trouble.” gets a chuckle out of him first.

“Shenanigans“ comes back, properly in the woodwinds section and major key again to close us out.

Oof.  This episode isn’t one I particularly rewatch that often, since it’s kind of a bummer.  Our potential ally turns out to be a fraud and a spy, all the work the crew has done only seeming to put bigger and bigger targets on their backs.  But this is a franchise about hope, about enduring until the dawn breaks, so our heroes escape to lick their wounds, regroup, encourage each other, and try again.

And next episode they make some big splashes.  Boy oh boy. :)

[rughydrangea]

I can't hold it in any longer. I'm so deeply confused by Ahsoka. I just really don't understand who this show is for. Is it for regular people who watch The Mandalorian but have never seen the animated shows? Then the fact that all the main characters have years of history that those people know nothing amount basically guarantees that they will not find any aspect of this story compelling. If you don't know who Ezra is, why would you care if he's saved or not? If you don't know anything about Hera and Sabine's relationship, would you be interested in Hera's continuing presence in this show? If you've never seen Thrawn, how could you think of him as a genuine threat that everyone should be worried about? And if your only exposure to Ahsoka is in the live-action shows, then I'm sorry, but why would you want to watch a show about that character, who is very cold and appears to have no real emotions or inner life and whom you have been given no reason to be invested in?

On the flip side, as someone who has seen Rebels and The Clone Wars, speaking for myself I can say that this show is giving me nothing I want because it's simultaneously dependent on the backstory of those shows but is trying to be accessible. Ahsoka has a long, complicated, very fraught history with the Jedi order--something you'd have no idea about from what this show is giving us (the opening crawl called her an ex-Jedi knight! which she isn't! what is going on!). The intense bonds of love and family that tie together the Ghost crew members are alluded to here, but the actors can't really sell them, through no fault of their own, but because those bonds were so thoroughly established by separate versions of the character. I miss the warm, deeply intimate, sometimes fractious relationship that Hera and Sabine had, a weird cross between mother/daughter and older sister/younger sister that was such a lovely part of Rebels and that isn't really being recreated here. Most of all, I think Filoni's desire to keep the animated references down to a minimum has, in these first three episodes, resulted in the erasure of my personal favorite Ghost crew member! And to me it makes no sense! Ahsoka was never the main Jedi in Sabine's life--Ezra and Kanan were. The people who first taught Sabine to use a light(dark)saber were Kanan and Ezra. We got a Jacen appearance this episode, and he even says that he wants to be a Jedi, but a casual viewer would have no idea that Hera's pained reaction to this is because his father was a Jedi! Star Wars is all about legacies and the pain they cause and the ways that stories repeat themselves and the groundwork for that is all here, but we can't tap into it because this show is being made for people who neither know nor care who these characters are and where they are coming from!

And then there's the one bit of backstory that we're missing that makes me feel like I'm losing my mind. Multiple times in each of the three episodes that have aired so far, I have found myself thinking back through Rebels--was there a scene were it was suggested that Sabine was force-sensitive? The answer, of course, is no. So, given Ahsoka's kind of traumatic history with the Jedi order, why would she see a young woman with no kind of force sensitivity and think, oh, yeah, she should be a padawan? I just don't buy it. Ahsoka's ties to her Jedi life weren't severed when she was expelled from the order, or when she declined to rejoin it, obviously; we saw in s7 as well as in Tales of the Jedi that a lot of her journey is about coming to understand the value of the Jedi and the role that they played in the galaxy and how that legacy lives in her. But her path was different. She's a product of the Jedi order, but she's not one of them. Why she would think the only way to help Sabine to develop is to force her into a mold that a) isn't right for her, and b) ultimately wasn't even right for Ahsoka herself just makes no sense to me. And because we have no access to that first, unsuccessful attempt to teach Sabine, we have no idea why any of this is going on or what anybody is hoping to get out of this arrangement.

I should be done, but if I'm griping, one more thing. In TCW, Ahsoka is an endlessly compelling character. We see her grow from cute little brat to a thoughtful, compassionate young woman of deep conviction and principle, always questioning the world around her, always grounded by deep relationships. Her appearances in Rebels feel like the natural maturation of that character--she's older, calmer, more sure of herself, her personality that before was so bubbly having subsided into deep, flowing waters. But she's still animated by curiosity, kindness, and a sense of justice. She's obviously changed from who she was as a child, but she's still Ahsoka.

I personally see no continuity between this character I love in her animated form and the live-action version. It's not really a performance problem, it's that this Ahsoka just doesn't feel like Ahsoka, because she's missing the quality that I most associate with her: warmth. Ahsoka cares. Everything she does is out of a desire to help people. No matter how much she went through, how much she was hurt, she always came back to that. And that's just gone here. Here, she doesn't seem to have any kind of a personality (bizarre, given that she's nominally the main character). What drives her, what she cares about, the importance of her relationships in her life... I just can't see any of it. And it bums me out, because I love Ahsoka, and I want to watch more stories about her, but I want them to actually be about her, not this imposter.

So, uh, in conclusion, I really wanted a Rebels sequel and I really wanted more Ahsoka but this show is, for me, the absolute worst fulfillment of those wishes. And I'm sad about it!

[jedimandalorian]

My Sabezra Saga Master Post:

#1 “I’ll Be Home for Life Day”

Written for the 2023 Sabezra Life Day Celebration Event, this romantic songfic is based on “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” It’s a story about the changing relationship between Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren which takes place on Life Day Eve between seasons 2 and 3 of Star Wars Rebels. There’s friendship, found family, fluff, angst, humor, and fun in this tale which features all of the members of the Ghost Crew.

#2 “Penelope”

An excerpt:

“Love?” Ezra asked. “Is that the reason that you’re still alone? After all these years, it’s hard to believe that you didn’t find someone to…want to be with.”

At that moment Sabine had to resist the urge to smack Ezra for being so incredibly dense. He really did need things spelled out for him.

“Ezra,” she spoke carefully, “I gave my heart to someone a long time ago,” She extended her right hand to touch his scarred cheek, tracing the old wounds with her thumb and marveling at the thickness of his beard.

One of the tears that had welled in the corners of Ezra’s eyes slid onto the pillow. “Why didn’t you marry him then? Didn’t he return your feelings?”

“Because,” her voice cracked as her own tears now flowed freely. “he was lost, someplace far, far away.” She sat up, pulling away from him. “Everyone else I knew thought he was dead, but I never lost hope.” She was crying unashamedly now. Ezra sat upright and listened in open-mouthed shock, concentrating upon every word she spoke. “I waited ten years for him to come home.” She sniffled, sounding utterly broken, “And when he didn’t, I went looking for him…”

#3 “Masterpiece”

What was Sabine doing during the final year of the Galactic Civil War? An art historian examines Sabine’s sketchbook from 4-5 ABY.

[twinsunstars]

Thoughts on Ahsoka Episode 4 - Fallen Jedi - A Discussion Post

Luckily, this week's episode was a bit longer than last week's, and there was a lot that shocked us. Let's go explore!

Hera defies orders and leaves with Jacen, Chopper, and a few pilots to help Ahsoka and Sabine fight. Nothing will stop her from helping her family, and having a chance to find Ezra and stop Thrawn from starting another war.

Sabine faces off with Shin, and Ahsoka faces off with Marrok. Marrok had kept Ahsoka busy with his blade, but it didn't last very long. I don't think anyone expected Marrok to turn into dust once he was struck with the lightsaber. They really got us thinking with all those theories about him being Ezra only for him to turn into dust and die. Sabine fights as a Mandalorian with her gadgets, but once the helmet is thrown off, she grabs her lightsaber and fights with all her strength. Shin tells Sabine "You have no power", but that doesn't stop a Mandalorian like her.

Ahsoka meets Baylan face-to-face, who states that "Anakin spoke highly of you." I love the fact that Baylan has met Anakin and he talked about Ahsoka to him. (Anakin loved his padawan so much it hurts.) The two engage in a graceful yet forceful fight.

Sabine watches Ahsoka fight with Baylan, which ends in Ahsoka falling off the cliff. Sabine gets angered and is ready to destroy the map with her blaster, but Baylan had a few manipulating tricks up his sleeve. He brings up Clan Wren, who has apparently died back on Mandalore. This was truly a shocker, and I want to know what happened on Mandalore that led her family to die. Sabine is alone, no one there to hold her back from making the wrong decision. But she has the chance of finding another one of her family again, and she does not want to give it up. I loved Natasha's facial expression in this scene; Sabine knows it's wrong, but it's the only way to get Ezra back home. At the end, Baylan destroys the map with his lightsaber, ensuring that no one else finds the coordinates.

The Eye of Sion spent the episode calculating coordinates and getting the hyperdrives ready for departure. At the end, with Sabine captured, Morgan and her crew descend into hyperspace, ready to find Thrawn in the other galaxy. They leave Huyang behind, alone and clueless to where his friends have gone. Sabine's helmet lays in the grass, left behind.

Hera and Jacen watched the Eye of Sion launch into hyperspace, destroying a few X-wings in the process. Hera manages to get the Ghost stable, and Jacen tells her he has a "bad feeling". If Jacen, the son of Kanan Jarrus, knows something's wrong, then something's wrong. Hera has this look of fear on her, potentially feeling that something isn't right either. She has no idea what has happened to Ahsoka, and where Sabine has gone.

Ahsoka wakes up in the World Between Worlds, a setting that was first and last seen in Rebels when Ezra had pulled her out. She stands, wondering how she got here. All of a sudden, she hears two words: "Hello, Snips." She turns to see her master, Anakin Skywalker, standing in front of her with a smile. I am so happy of how Hayden Christensen has come so far as Anakin Skywalker, coming back for Kenobi and being loved by all the fans. He truly deserves everything.

This week's episode really got me thinking critically and dropping my mouth open in shock. I am really excited for next week's episode, as Dave Filoni has directed it. It is now likely that Ezra may come home next week and we could see Thrawn, but still not trying to get my hopes up too much. Just in case, let's be ready to celebrate.

[worldsfromhoney]

The Crowning Jewel

Masterlist | AO3 | Medium

CW: mentions of body modification, child abuse, commodifying a person

Prompt 1: Safe

“Where did you say you found me again?”

Whumpee’s question was usually something Caretaker would be impatient about since it’s the fifth time already, but—

Whumpee looked at them, patiently waiting as if a chunk of their flesh circuitry hadn’t been blown apart trying to save Caretaker. They’d be an utter arse if they couldn’t be patient with a … patient.

“The safe,” Caretaker said again. They drew their gaze away from the sight of twitching organs pulsing with unnatural blue circuit lines. “The big one a party of 10 could easily fit into.”

The corner of Whumpee’s mouth tilted and their glitching eyes seemed to stabilise for a moment to twinkle.

“I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of having ten dashing rebels in my room before.”

It was a joke. Considering it was the fifth time they asked and Caretaker answered, the joke had been well thought of. Caretaker knew all that.

But the callous way Whumpee referred to a safe, of all things (and it was a thing, not a place), as their room made them regret not shooting the CEO’s escape helicopter. The documents had been more important at the time and only now, with Whumpee on the operating table, did Caretaker want to turn back and throttle the fucker. The joke twisted something in their gut, making them want to take Whumpee by the shoulders and shake them over and over until the thought of the safe as a place was out and gone.

Caretaker sighed and ran a hand through their blood and dirt-matted hair. They plucked out a piece of gravel. It was definitely from the wall they’d blown up when they entered Cruxolutions’ building.

And the blood … They glanced again at Whumpee’s injuries. They remembered the firm push at their chest before there was a whistling crack in the air, and blood, so much blood—

“Boss?” Whumpee asked, the teasing ghost of a smile gone. Their brows were furrowed and Caretaker knew better than think it was because the medics were now elbow-deep in them. They didn’t think Whumpee would notice if one of their organs or their mess of sparking wires were torn out right there.

Caretaker forced themself to look away—from the wound, from the carnage, and from the strange entity that had either been too dangerous or too precious for Cruxolutions to keep in the CEO’s safe. They turned away.

“I’ll leave you to recover,” Caretaker said and ran out the room.

The Crowning Jewel.

That was the file name for Whumpee and Caretaker had finished reading it after gods knew how many hours.

It was the thickest file in the bunch their crew pilfered from the safe and had a nasty geobio lock on it. Their tech specialist had taken their damned time deciphering the coordinates and the gene sequence. The results were … pretty expected. It required the geolocation of Neo Elysium and the blood (so crude, really) of the CEO of Cruxolutions.

They had only one of those things, so it was a wonder it got unlocked when Caretaker used the hem of their shirt to pry it open. Their hands had been too sweaty.

It was the shirt full of Whumpee’s blood. They chose not to think about what that meant.

Caretaker read the file, though, and they had to think about it. In their hands were the facts, and it was easy enough to confirm them.

“Yes,” Whumpee said. “I’m the cyber-biological child of the person your group calls CEO. I had thought you were aware, Boss. They always said I looked too much like them.”

Caretaker stared at them. It’s true. They had, at a frenzied moment of rushing into the safe, thought the CEO hadn’t fled. They had also almost blown off Whumpee’s head.

That last part they’d rather not admit.

“No,” Caretaker said, throat dry. They … honestly didn’t know what to say. “I … we… we read your file. Now. I mean, uh, earlier. An hour ago? Hours ago — fuck, I’m not making sense, sorry.”

“And?”

Caretaker blanked out.

“Huh?”

Whumpee was smiling at them now and it was a better sight to see when they were properly clothed and not right at death’s door. There was a mischievous hint to it, but not the skin-crawling kind. It was the type of smile which made whoever Whumpee was directing it at wanting to be mischievous, too.

Caretaker would’ve let themself be drawn in if it wasn’t for what they said.

“How was it?” Whumpee asked. “A good enough story to tell your future grandchildren?”

It was another joke. The same self-deprecating one which seemed to roll off Whumpee’s tongue like a second breath. They probably knew, out of anyone else, how horrific was the file Caretaker read.

The experiments starting at infancy—a nasty lock on their vocal chords until they learned to stop crying. How their inherent receptivity to cyber modifications had veins and arteries changed into wires, assimilation progress trackers sewed into each organ reachable by human hands. Elimination of pain and dream receptors, if only to stop the constant screaming in the middle of the night when dreams gave Whumpee an even twisted version of their already reality.

It was a horror story and Caretaker never wanted to be in the same room as that file again.

They wanted to say so to Whumpee, but they could see exactly how such a conversation would turn out. Whumpee would definitely think Caretaker also never wanted to be in the same room as them and do their best to follow the unsaid command. Except it wouldn’t be a command, nor would it be a request founded on the truth.

For Whumpee, the truth was something always given to them, twisted and never to be questioned, simply swallowed. Caretaker … had no idea how to say all that in one breath or in one sitting and, as a stranger.

So Caretaker swallowed their words and gave a shaky smile.

“Yeah,” They said, voice cracking. “A real nail-biter.”

Everyone in the base immediately agreed to take in Whumpee. No one even brought up the idea of turning them over to the authorities’ ‘care’ as they did with the pilfered files.

Whumpee was not a thing to be passed back and forth. They were not a suspect to be interrogated and grilled for information on every nasty dealing the CEO had. They were a person and everyone wanted Whumpee to see that.

Everyone also agreed the room they were given was an actual one and had a lock on the inside, not the outside. The engineer went straight to work, something they weren’t prone to doing, not even for Caretaker.

Whumpee was obviously interacting with more people than Caretaker. It showed, with the growing pity and defence to their honour everyone in base was soon developing. Somewhere along the line, they expected Whumpee to take notice of the change in attitude and increased attention.

They were right.

“Are you scared of me?”

Caretaker was in the kitchen because they had kitchen duty and almost added their remaining flesh finger in the stew at the interruption. It took a few minutes of cursing, carefully stowing away the knife, and turning down the heat before they properly registered the question.

“Where did that come from?” Caretaker asked. A thought then came to mind, and they scowled. “Did some brat say some shite? I swear, I already told them to fuck off—”

Whumpee shook their head and with a slight flicker in their code-stamped eyes, gazed fixedly at Caretaker. “No, I’m … that’s — that’s exactly what I’m talking about. Why are you — all of you so intent on being so … nice to me?”

Caretaker sighed. “And … the first conclusion you got to was we feared you?”

The question came off as more of a statement stinking of resignation. Not even the most socially inept person on base would’ve missed that. So Whumpee obviously caught it and pounced.

“No? What is it then?” They asked, their eyes rapidly glitching through all the possibilities. “Are you looking to gain my favour so I can be an asset to your crew? I assure you, Boss, that’s unnecessary as I’m happy to help—”

“No,” Caretaker said with sad eyes. “You’re not.”

Whumpee opened and closed their mouth a few times, their brows furrowed and the almost inaudible whirring of gears in their head seemed to go at maximum capacity. A variety of expressions flashed across their face, blue lines of code glowing and dimming across their skin, eyes glitching like before.

Then a sharp intake of breath. A shaky exhale.

“No,” Whumpee said, the truth coming out for the first time, untwisted and bare. “No, I’m not okay.”

Caretaker was there even before Whumpee’s first sob cracked through like static against the walls. They were there, arms wrapped around them, and just being there was enough for someone who had no one their entire life.

They were there, and that would be a start.

[thevibraniumveterans]

REBELS REWATCH

S1E5 — RISE OF THE OLD MASTERS

The episode begins with Ezra in the middle of doing some Jedi training, but with a focus on, well, focusing. He says he’s trying. Kanan interjects: “Do or do not. There is no try.” Ezra asks, “What does that even mean? How can I do something if I don’t try to do it?” He does have a point.

Kanan switches things up, and lends Ezra his lightsaber. The teenager asks, “When do I get my own?” Kanan says, “Having a laser sword doesn’t make you a Jedi.” It’s true, but what does? Does Star Wars ever address what makes a Jedi a Jedi?

First practice session, Ezra gets empty boxes thrown at him and he has to try and deflect. He fails this first session because he’s not focused, and falls off the top of the Ghost, necessitating a mini mid-air rescue.

He gets lectured by Kanan, who tells him, “You’re undisciplined and full of self-doubt.” While it sounds harsh, at this point in time, that’s exactly what Ezra is. He falters in his training because his heart isn’t fully in it yet. Which sort of parallels Sabine years later when she trains under Ahsoka, and at that point in time, she too faltered in her own training because of the same lack of focus.

The story switches gears to go look for Luminara Unduli. Ezra feels dejected, in no small part due to his present incompetence. He’ll learn soon enough.

The crew gather in the pilot bay, with a holoprojection of Stygeon Prime. Sabine analyzes the projection, describing its heavy fortifications and trying to plot a way in. Here we get to see her intelligence and analytical skills put to practical use. For a 15-year old, that is some advanced knowledge. Ezra suggests “going in low and sneaking onto this landing platform”. Perhaps here he’s trying to contribute, offer something helpful, and being serious. It’s not so much what he says, because sneaking around is his specialty, but not the crew’s. So of course, Sabine disagrees with him, not because he’s wrong, but because she’s already gone over the schematics of the place and notes that said platform “has a heavy trooper presence and reinforced blast doors. Impossible to get in or out that way.” One could interpret this as, in Ezra’s still-evolving learning journey, he gets to see how different people operate, and one of those people is Sabine. He gets quite literally a front row seat to her laser-sharp focus, her way of thinking and reasoning. He watches and listens as she lists different ways of just how nearly-impossible to get in and out the prison is.

The crew, minus Chopper, take the Phantom to the surface. Hera wishes them luck, but Zeb thinks they might need a miracle. Sabine hands out explosives — one for Zeb, and one for Ezra.

Eventually, the crew lands on a platform barely bigger for all of them. Kanan Force-jumps first, followed by Ezra. He makes a very, very clumsy landing. Zeb is the heavyweight and lands as expected. Sabine jumps next, and she sticks a solid landing, something no ordinary human can pull off. Might she have some supernatural abilities that allow her to do things like this, that manifest themselves in other ways? She throws a trooper off the ledge. One could attribute this to the adrenaline, but perhaps there’s something more.

Sabine notes that Ezra’s skills might come in handy to open the doors. She’s never quite asked him for his help and specific expertise before. To her, it’s nothing too special; she’s just enlisting the help of a teammate, asking him to do something she knows he knows how to do. Ezra is more than enthusiastic to help, saying, “I got it.” He fiddles with the controls a bit, and gets the door opened for just long enough for the Spectres to make it inside.

Kanan notes that the plan has changed, and instructs Zeb and Sabine to follow him. Interestingly enough, he doesn’t say for Ezra to follow, but the implicit instruction remains. So, Ezra follows them.

A while later, the crew start to get surrounded. Ezra notes, “You’re really not messing around tonight.” Kanan tells him, “There’s a lot more at stake than you realize.” This perhaps is one of the first episodes where the reality of what really goes down hits home with Ezra. He might still be a little in over his head but with stakes going up and up, he can’t afford to backslide and remain an amateur, the immature one.

Ezra and Kanan follow the Force signature down to a cell, and step in. But, they’re cornered by an Inquisitor. Ezra calls for backup, but that won’t happen.

While the Inquisitor taunts Kanan, Ezra tries to provide what backup he can, first taking out an explosive but then reverting to his energy slingshots. Ezra’s left the smoke bomb by the top step, opening up the doors and creating an escape through which he and Kanan run.

Sabine and Zeb are in the elevator, and she realizes too late that they’re surrounded. She too plans to use a smoke bomb she kept for herself.

Back in the hallway, the Inquisitor duels Kanan. Addressing Ezra, he says, “Are you paying attention, boy? The Jedi are dead, but there is another path. The dark side.” Which is interesting because in due time, Ezra will have his brushes with the dark side, so this is a bit of foreshadowing.

The Inquisitor Force-pushes Ezra away, and, addressing Kanan, says, “Have you taught him nothing?” Kanan doubles down on his attack, but similarly gets pushed backward. The Inquisitor notes that Kanan “is unfocused and undisciplined”, the same phrasing Kanan himself used for Ezra. The teenager takes it in stride, never missing a beat: “Then we’re perfect for each other.”

Kanan has a diversion, and soon he and Ezra meet up with Zeb and Sabine down a hallway. Kanan asks, “Our new exit?” Sabine replies, “Landing platform”, the very same platform Ezra had suggested earlier.

They reach the platform, and Sabine tries to unlock it, but to no avail. She requests Ezra step in and help, as he did earlier, but he too fails, and apologizes. Kanan wastes no time and tells Ezra that they should use the Force instead. Ezra and Kanan concentrate on getting the door open, and after a few seconds, they manage to do so. It’s a massive door. The crew escape just in time.

Back onboard the Phantom, Hera asks Kanan about learning the news of Luminara’s death. “How’s Ezra taking it?” Asks Hera. Kanan replies, “Not as bad as I am.” The shot cuts to a closeup of Ezra, who closes his eyes and slowly shakes his head as Kanan says, “I guess he’s stuck with me for now.” It’s a little fascinating that after this encounter with a truly dangerous person such as the Inquisitor (and not your every day stormtrooper), Ezra learns the value of focus the hard way. He feels ashamed, and rather regretful. Not even the fact that he’s sitting next to Sabine could cheer him up. He’s stuck with his own emotions and feelings for now.

Time passes, and the Ghost touches down in Lothal. The loading ramp unfolds, and Ezra sits on the ramp, dejected. Knowing Kanan is behind him, he says, “Look, don’t bother saying it. I’m letting you off the hook.” Kanan asks, “What are you talking about?” Ezra replies, “I know you wanted to dump me on Luminara. Just ‘cause she’s gone doesn’t mean you’re stuck with me.” It’s a rather sad statement because for much of his life, Ezra has been alone, an orphan, nobody to look out for him. Now that he’s a part of the Ghost crew, his adoptive family of sorts, he feels kind of betrayed and let down, understandably upset. Which further points to Ezra’s constant feeling of loss, being direction-less and unfocused. While Ezra doesn’t necessarily specify what he’s feeling, what his emotions are, he expresses them through statements that reveal what his true emotions are. Kanan struggles a bit when telling Ezra, “I don’t want to dump you. I just wanted you to have the best teacher.” Ezra takes this the wrong way and says he’d rather have Kanan teach him instead. Kanan tells Ezra, “I’m not gonna try to teach you anymore. If all I do is try, that means I don’t truly believe I can succeed. So from now on, I will teach you. I may fail. You may fail. But there is no try.” Ezra says, “I understand…Master.” Kanan says, “Let’s see if you do.” They get up, and begin another training session. Kanan lends Ezra the saber again, and the teenager ignites it. Kanan tosses a stone in Ezra’s direction, and the blade connects for the first time. They continue the training session, with Ezra learning, and getting better at, blocking shots.

[inquisitorius-sin-bin]

5, 11, 23, 34

Thank you for asking!

5. have you ever made a playlist about something you were writing as an elaborate means to procrastinate when you could have been actually writing and if yes drop a link, son

I love music but am the absolute worst at making playlists. It's more like a song or two here and there that reminds me of a piece. I made a feeble attempt at a Ride or Die playlist just now but it makes basically no cohesion.

I will say the plot of Ride or Die is more or less hinted at heavily in the song Kaisarion by Ghost (which is also, obviously, the name of Dralla's dactillion). It's about environmental destruction and loss of autonomy from an oppressive outside force.

And of course, what happens to Dralla in the end is... fairly explicitly written in the song.

Then Ghost treated me again, putting out another song (I See No Evil) that quite literally repeats our most beloved Pau'an's name (from this work).

I Tsi-no evil, eh?

And I've mentioned before that I can so perfectly hear the Plainsmen throat singing similar to music from The Hu.

11. what’s something neat you’ve learned while doing research for something you were writing? also, how much do you worry about doing research in general?

I got really lucky when I was searching for plausible ships for the Pyrefalcons to use in Fly or Fall. I needed a formidible fighting/cargo vessel that could plausibly be on Utapau around this time period, that the former Grand Inquisitor would know a bit about piloting, and it needed to be able to handle a crew of at least 5 with bunks and sonics and whatnot.

Then I found this gem:

Okay, so even if these Gozantis were blown up, the Separatists at least had them in circulation over Utapau at some point, and it's feasible Wandering Star could have stolen one for their own purposes. The Grand Inquisitor was repeatedly shown on Admiral Konstantine's Gozanti during Rebels. He might have known enough about flying one to get by, and the plausible layouts I've found were definitely suitable for the work.

Also I once did some research for a dogfight I wrote between a Porax-38 Starfighter and the TIE Prototype Advanced v1. And honestly, the speeds these vessels are capable of in-atmosphere are insane. Marshall did some math, and realistically we never see these ships moving at speed because the TIE would get to maximum speed from a standstill in 0.01093 seconds. That's within 2.4 meters of forward travel. 20 consecutive TIE's could reach their top speed before a human could even react to the first one, and in that time it would have travelled over 2 football fields. Yet the Porax is listed as being 60X faster???

I see now why Porax fighters were mostly piloted by droids.

Which, of course, had interesting implications in the chapter. Given a certain Wandering Star character's predilections towards droids...

23. how do you deal with writers block?

Normally I make writing a habit and try to get through at least a few sentences every time I open the document, regardless of how I'm feeling. But I'm going to be really honest here. As far as I'm aware, not a single person is up to date with my works. I have received absolutely 0 feedback for the last 7 chapters I have written. Numbers like this are extremely discouraging for something a pour my entire heart and soul into.

And as a result, I haven't written more than a paragraph or two in weeks. I'm strongly considering stopping completely, which is why I try to do things like this to drum it up in myself to continue again.

34. how do you name characters and places?

Some of them come to me from dreams and whatnot. But for most of them, I like to use some kind of system. In Ride or Die, for example, we know Plainsmen are named after their fathers from whom they receive their marks, and borrow characters and syllables from other significant people to their parents' lives. I took a different approach with the dactillion, giving them latin-derived names because they are self-named, and the red robes of Pau'an and their armor shapes remind me of Roman aesthetics.

For places... much like names, I try to think of cultural influences and match phonetic sounds to other places on planet. But I never use name generators. I just come up with something with the right sound and mouthfeel for the character.

Like Reegale, it's like a hick accent mispronouncing "Regal". Which, given his history, is appropriate. It fits the sounds of other Pau'an names, but matches his story as the failed bastard son of a powerful gangster who is more of a common thug than his father. He has this warped sense of morality that makes him almost "gentlemanly" among his fellow gang members. But he's deeply too flawed and rash to really be a noble.

So yeah! Thanks again for asking! Here's hoping I can find the strength to keep writing through the tough times.

[twilekchiss]

What was the inspiration for your OC Asha? -💌 (shy anon)

Hi Shy Anon!

No worries, I'm quite shy myself. I understand. But I'm always open for a good chat and making new friends if you some day find the desire to do so. Until then, feel free to send me any anon asks you like!

Inspiration for Asha -- well, there are a lot of them, actually.

First thing's first, though, Asha's a huge part in how I cope with my C-PTSD. Ever since I was very young, I have escaped into books and shows I liked as characters from those universes. I imagined what it was like to form friendships and romantic relationships to just deal with what I was going through. As I grew up, it never really stopped, it just had varying degrees of intensity.

I've been on a long journey about healing, and I've learned that this isn't an uncommon thing. So I decided to own it. Asha is a repository for a lot of my trauma, grief, and healing. If she can heal, love and be loved, find the strength to thrive, maybe I can, too. As such, though, she is a very vulnerable part of me. Only the last several months have I been opening up about her, and it has admittedly been difficult. I've questioned myself on whether or not I should stop and just keep her to myself.

For her looks: she's a Twi'lek, which has always been my favorite Star Wars race. Ever since I was a kid watching the Twi'leks in Jabba's Palace in Return of the Jedi, I loved them. I thought they were so cool-looking and pretty. Later, when there was more Twi'leks than just Oola and Lyn Me, I became even more interested in them. Nowadays, my favorite Twi'lek character (aside from Asha 🤭) is Hera.

Lyn Me is the visual inspiration for Asha; I really liked the idea of a white Twi'lek. But there's also a design element: I wanted Asha to be a blank canvas, someone who used color and fashion as a tool.

Asha started as a Rebels oc, just someone in my head I could use to escape again. Someone just to go along with the Ghost Crew and have fun. When Thrawn was announced, and I ended up obsessing over him, she switched to an OC I could partner to him. So yeah, she's been in my head an OC for Thrawn since 2016 (when I scarfed up every single Thrawn crumb I could prior to his debut in Rebels).

Asha has bits of my own trauma in her past. Different, but similar enough for me to use her to process. It's why I write a lot of fluffy little bits between her and Thrawn: it is absolutely a self-soothing thing.

🤔 I hope this is a satisfying answer! If not, feel free to ask anything else you're curious about!

[gika-ghost]

Missing Pieces

yeah.... I felt like writing, which never happens. Be gentle with me. Big big thanks if you read this!

Set during the rebellion, after the Ghost Crew has rescued Rex Wolffe and Gregor from Seelos. For context, G'ika has recently been rescued from an Imperial base where he was being interrogated.

G'ika can't sleep.

You didn't really expect you would hide from us forever, did you?

Your Jedi "friends" can't protect you now.

Memories G'ika would prefer to forget.

There's only so much you could have learned, not good enough for the Order from what I've heard…

Even that kid Ezra was better than him. Stronger in the Force at 15 than he ever was. G'ika liked to pretend he didn't need the force, he was Mandalorian, he was strong. Still it stung, even if he kept it to himself.

The looks from Rex lately weren't helping. If G'ika stuck around for lightsaber or Force training he'd see them. Nobody but Rex knew the minute changes of his expressions, nobody else could tell that G'ika's cheers for the kid weren't as genuine as they could have been.

G'ika wondered what Rex thought of him. If he wondered what the difference was, why G'ika couldn't do half the things a Padawan could. He wondered if Rex thought he was weak or if he could've saved himself from that Inquisitor if he'd been a Jedi.

Rex had only ever asked about it once, during the war. He'd asked if it bothered G'ika that he didn't have a secure connection to the Force.

G'ika had lied. He had said no.

If you won't tell me about the rebels, you will show me. Now you'll know how all your victims felt when you went digging through their heads.

We're not so different, you and I.

The Jedi won't come for you. You aren't one of them, you'll never be one of them. You've already made sure of that yourself.

G'ika rolled over to face the dark room, it seemed sleep would not grant him peace. He stared until his eyes adjusted to reveal the cot on the other side of the room. Rex snored lightly, his chest rising and falling slowly. He still slept on his back, rigid as a board. Just like he did before.

G'ika sighed and slowly sat up, planting his feet firmly on the durasteel floor. This rebel base was cold, their rooms nothing more than repurposed shipping containers they found abandoned in a field. G'ika stood and gently shifted his cot across the room until it was beside Rex's, who laid still, snoring away with a slight furrow to his brow.

G'ika stood and stared at the captain's sleeping form for so long he didn't notice when the snoring stopped, when the slow soothing breath became deliberate, or when his eyes opened and stared gently up at G'ika through the dark, searching his face for something. Anything. Anything G'ika would give him, which wasn't much these days.

You've been empty for a long time, haven't you?

After a long moment, Rex sat up and silently took G'ika's hand. He tugged until G'ika took the hint and allowed himself to be pulled onto his cot. They faced each other and said nothing until their breath synced, eyebrows twitched, blinking stopped. They'd been apart for so long yet they still knew each other so well, able to communicate in little movements in silent moments.

Rex had been the one, pulling him up out of his dark cell. His knight in armor. Old armor, missing pieces, scuffed, scratched, aged, but still strong. Just like the man who wore it. 

So now Rex had seen G'ika at his weakest. Bruised and bloodied, broken and lost. They'd put horrible images in his head, lied to him, hurt him endlessly. The Empire took anything they could find from G'ika's brain, they didn't care what they broke in the process. It felt like Rex was the one who took that all away.

Suddenly G'ika was being pulled from his thoughts as Rex pulled him closer to bury G'ika into his chest. Just then, he became aware of tears on his face, Rex must've seen his eyes shining. Rex softly shushed and hummed, rocking G'ika gently. It was nice. It was a peace neither of them could afford, but it was nice to be held, to fall asleep in the arms of a man that loved him. G'ika allowed Rex's embrace to completely surround him, he felt their minds link as close as their bodies, he knew Rex was offering him respite. He chose to take it this time.

G'ika took a deep, shuddering breath in, counted to ten, and released. Maybe he could be okay again.

For once, they both slept without a nightmare.

Rex always knew how to take them away.

[lifblogs]

1, 6, 14, 15 for the Rebels ask?

1. What is your absolute favorite episode of the show?

Oddly, I think I have to say 4x10 “Jedi Night.” The ending to that episode is GORGEOUS. Yes, Kanan dies, but it’s not just that. It’s a sacrifice. A sacrifice Ezra later learns from. He’s protecting the people he loves, especially Hera. And I’m still stunned by him regaining his vision for just a moment before he dies. He is really one with the Force at that point, filled with love, and duty, and power, and letting go of the ones he loves. It’s beautiful, and Kevin Kiner composed such beautiful music for that moment. The episode ending with white, and ash falling hits me so hard every single time.

I am going to have to add another because of a favorite scene. 3x15 “Trials of the Darksaber.” I love Sabine training with the darksaber, I love Kanan struggling with teaching her, I love Ezra doing a pretty awesome job at taking over with teaching at certain points. But what really gets me is Sabine’s duel with Kanan where she opens up about who she is, what she’s feeling, what she went through. I cry every single time I watch that scene. The quote that hits so hard is, “The Empire wanted to destroy worlds. And they did. They destroyed mine.”

6. What are your two favorite ships from the show (canon or not)?

Sabezra! I love how they end up just being friends in the first two seasons, and then the last two they’re just so close, especially in season 4. And Sabine let’s Ezra go, and is trusted with his lightsaber. What they have is really deep, and I wish more people saw and respected that.

I can’t choose between Kanera or Kalluzeb. Might be Kalluzeb? Zeb really helps Kallus change who he is, and that’s so important. I really love the enemies to lovers with them, and how they’re able to bond over Zeb’s culture. The truly beautiful moment was Zeb showing Kallus Lira San, and Kallus being welcome there.

14. What is your favorite moment of the crew being a family?

Honestly, any moment they look out for each other, and any moment they’re together (especially aboard the Ghost). I know one of my favorites (despite Kanan being dead at this point) is Ezra passing out after closing the portal to the world between worlds, and they carry him, no questions asked, no arguments. Even if Ezra was semi-conscious I know they wouldn’t ask him to do any more. As a specter, you’re not just crew, you’re family, and you get treated like family. The missions are important, but so is everyone’s well-being. No one would be asked to do more than they’re able.

15. What is your favorite Kanera moment?

Gosh, I have too many. Do I pick a flirty moment? A funny moment? A romantic moment? An angsty moment? I do really love in Rebels Shorts that Kanan and Hera are arguing, but from different parts of the Ghost, and poor Chopper is the messenger, and is basically the kid stuck between two irritated parents. It was so funny.

[stopthatmyhandsaredirty]

Star Ware Rebels Bechdel Test Rewatch- 2x19 “The Forgotten Droid”

Plot

When Chopper steals a replacement for his original leg, he separates from the Ghost crew and finds himself stranded on an Imperial ship. The grumpy astromech meets an inventory droid in service of the Empire, but will this new acquaintance become friend or foe?

Female Characters: 3

Hera Syndulla, Sabine Wren, Ketsu Onyo

Male Characters: 6

Ezra Bridger, Kanan Jarrus, Zeb Orrelios, Rex, Jun Sato, Kassius Konstantine

Droid Characters: 2

Chopper, AP-5

Does it pass?

Yes, it does. The inclusion of Ketsu saves this one. She exchanges a line with Hera in the opening briefing scene and later speaks with both Sabine and Hera over comms as the Rebel fleet is under attack. 

I will say, Season 2 is my least favorite season because it often deviates from the main story in order to introduce new characters who eventually become allies to Phoenix Squadron (think about it...Rex and the clones, Ketsu, Hondo, Kallus, and AP-5). I don’t mind that much, because it often pays off later (see- Ketsu in this episode!). In rewatches, I sometimes find those episodes tedious. For some reason that isn’t the case with ‘The Forgotten Droid.’ 

I just find AP-5 so endearing. The whole Alan Rickman meet Eeyor thing works for me. And I love seeing Chopper get the Threepio to his R2. I should also point out, this is really the first fully Chopper-centric episode. Chopper is a great character and I don’t think I fully appreciated that on my first watch. I think he’ll find his place alongside C-3PO and R2-D2 in my lifetime. 

While I do love AP-5, I think it was smart of Rebels to use him sparingly in the following seasons of the show. He’s fun, but I can definitely see him overstaying his welcome if we got too much of him.