#should I post my theron headcanons?

[chaoticstrata]

WIP Chapter 3

Posting more of Chapter 3 because whenever I'm stuck on something and I post a little snippet of it, it seems to help me write more. Pfft. The fuck if I know why. XD -------------------------------------------------------------

“Don’t tell me you fell back asleep standing up, old man,” Aketho’s voice teased from the doorway, Imperial accent fully back in his voice now.

“Who are you calling old?” Theron scoffed and cracked open an eye to playfully glare at the Chiss.

“The handsome man I see in front of me,” the younger spy said smoothly, walking in and right up to the human, wrapping his arms around his waist. “And like I said last night, you’ve aged like fine wine.”

“Thanks,” the human chuckled, leaning in for a quick kiss. Reaching up, he tucked some hair behind Aketho’s ear. “The caf’s brewing, I take it?”

“It is,” the Chiss confirmed. His crimson eyes searched Theron’s for a moment before he asked, “Is everything alright?”

A small smile spread across Theron’s lips as he replied, “It is, just thinking.”

“Second thoughts?”

“Stars, no,” he responded, kissing Aketho’s forehead. “I wouldn’t give up the time we spent together for anything. That includes every moment from when we first met to now.”

“I…um…good to know,” the younger man said, visibly flustered--Theron had to admit he felt a bit of smug pride that he managed to get that reaction, especially with how flustered Aketho usually made him feel. And the blush that spread across the Chiss’ cheeks was delightful--a lovely shade of reddish purple on his cool blue skin. Suddenly, red eyes narrowed in a half-hearted glare, and before Theron could question him on it, a sharp pinch to his rear had him yelping in surprise. 

“What the hell!?”

“I can see that smug look; you’re terrible at hiding it,” Aketho sassed, backing them into the spray of the shower. He continued to do so until Theron’s back was flush against the tiled wall. A shiver ran through the human at the shock of cold porcelain on warm skin.

“Well, I wasn’t exactly trying to hide it,” Theron chuckled, pulling the Chiss in closer, wanting to feel his skin warm against his own. “And can you blame me? You’ve had me flustered since the moment I laid eyes on you.”

“Fair enough,” the younger man said, grinning and leaning up to kiss Theron, bringing his body flush against him. 

When Aketho’s tongue slipped past his lips, skillfully taking his breath away, Theron moaned and pulled him in closer. He reached up and cupped the back of the Cipher’s head, fingers weaving into slightly damp hair. Cool hands explored his body, pulling more soft noises from his throat while lightly calloused fingers danced over his skin. The Chiss stepped away after a moment, leaving Theron to chase those soft blue lips. 

Aketho was smirking as he reached over for one of the bottles sitting on a shelf in the shower. He poured some of the clear viscous liquid inside it into his hand before asking, “Would you mind getting your hair wet for me, please?”

Theron bit back a moan, knowing what the other man was planning--Stars, he always knew he loved having someone play with his hair, but with Aketho it was just…better. He couldn’t explain it. The former Cipher seemed to know what to do to drive him wild with those fingers of his. And the thought of the other man washing his hair…fuck. Quickly he stepped under the spray and soaked his hair, running his fingers through it for good measure. As soon as he stepped out of the spray and turned back around to face the Chiss, sud covered fingers were in his locks, lathering them up as his scalp was massaged. Theron did moan this time, leaning into the touch as Aketho washed his hair.

“Fuck.”

“I must say, Theron, I rather love how much you enjoy having your hair messed with,” Aketho said, voice soft as he gently nudged him backward to rinse his hair. “You must be a delight during a haircut.”

[queen-scribbles]

An explanation, for people who haven't been following me forever and don't know the Jaaide incident:

Jaaide is my first/main Imperial Agent

This cutie. I was always intending to keep her single, figuring it would be easier to skip Vector's romance if didn't know how cute it was. Initially it was gonna be a headcanon romance with Sanju bc they really hit it off, but then, well. Theron. And I absolutely loved the idea of opposite faction spies falling for each other, so now I had a REASON to keep her single.

HOWEVER. The SWtOR romance mechanic being what it is, some romances one flirt is all it takes to lock you in. Vector is one of them. :)))) As I found out, around Hoth, where my options were a) be an asshole b) flirt c) be an asshole. Jaaide being... not an asshole, I took the flirt, thinking it wouldn't be a big deal. She and Vector are really close, it's just platonic/sibling rather than romantic.

It was a big deal. Got locked into the romance, kept turning down literally everything, finally breathed a sigh of relief when she didn't get any of his romance letters, figuring the game got the message, the romance was broken. She romanced Theron as intended, it's amazing(HIGHLY RECOMMEND SPY SHENANIGANS 100/10), and then she finished KotET and I did Vector's Alliance alert and uh.

His romance was triggered.

Cue screaming wailing distressed noises from me(somewhere in her tag there's an all caps post with a gif of Robin from himym crying under a desk) and dialogue skipping as I "broke up" with the guy she hadn't been dating but cared about a super duper lot.

SO. Finally getting an actual proper Vector-romancing agent through to see all that as it should be seen is a very good feeling. I have righted a wrong I never meant to commit against a fictional man. xD

[anchanted-one]

Alliance Commander Ask Game

I saw this interesting post by @consularmain , and thought I'd do it too!

1. Who’s your Alliance Commander? What class are they? Alignment? Random other facts you wanna share?

That would be Vajra Devarath, Jedi Knight. He's mostly Light-Sided, but gets very attached to people. During his 'funeral' after he and the rest of Braga's strike team went MIA, my Consular thought he was a bad Jedi, but a really great person.

His story deviates greatly from the game, but I'll be referring to that rather than the game. I'm currently writing it on AO3, but I'm on Shadow of Revan, at the moment. I'm a long way from writing about his Commander days.

2. What’s a reason or two you like that this character is your Commander?

Vajra is decisive and clearheaded. He doesn't always know what's best, but on these occasions, he's very quick to ask Lana, Theron, Koth, Jorgan, Beywan, Scourge, Kira, or anyone else for their opinions. And choosing the one he things is the best one.

He has a good reputation in the galaxy. Most ordinary people see him as the ultimate white knight errant; honest (more than he actually is), self-sacrificing, and a winner. The Sith and both sides' High Command (including Acina) acknowledge his strength. The Jedi acknowledge his commitment to the galaxy, and perhaps even the Force. I should say, Vajra didn't ask for this, his legend just grew on its own thanks to him getting a lot of spotlight missions.

3. What’s a reason or two you don’t like about them being Commander?

Vajra was permanently affected by the carbonite. It's a source of chronic pain for him, to the point of knocking him out when he least expects it. He does cope somewhat after accepting both Sides of the Force thanks to Satele and Marr, but fifteen years after his return, he's got quite the litany of health problems.

He also has an old problem with mental health. He does deal with it on Rishi, thanks to Lana, but killing or losing allies can hit him hard.

4. Why did this character of all your OCs become Commander?

I've always been partial to the Knight-Errants, and the Jedi Knight felt like the natural anti-Emperor crusader. I thought that once they kill the Emperor in chapter 3, they're already the strongest boss in the galaxy, with few able to stand against them. In addition, Kotfe-et always felt like a Force-user storyline to me. It doesn't translate well for the others. I mean, Smuggler and Bounty Hunter are basically criminals, and Cipher Nine is a spy, not a poster model. And there are the fights against Arcann and Vaylin too...

5. Who did they side with? Did they stay loyal or go saboteur? Or maybe you headcanon they defect properly?

By the time of the Iokath conflict, my universe is far divorced from SWTOR storyline. In fact, the reverse happened. With the Fleet and the Gravestone under his command, Vajra attempts to put an end to fighting. He more or less strongarms both sides into going along with it. Acina and Chancellor Rans are the ones who have to choose, and they choose 'surrender.'

6. Are there any NPC’s from the class stories you’d like to see/HC join the Alliance? Ex: Master Timmns, Ardun Kothe, Watcher One, etc.

The following are part of my Alliance: Shara Jenn (remote worker), Watcher One (secretly), Praven, Bengel, and a bunch of others.

7. How’s your OC feeling about the current Malgus situation?

Doesn't happen. Vajra has the habit of decapitating enemies. Malgus was killed on Ilum, and there was nothing could be salvaged from the station's self-destruct.

On a meta level, I hate enemies that won't stay dead. It's lazy writing, and they already had Malora. They could've brought back Jadus, if they wanted nostalgia-bait, the community would've rejoiced. (You either die as a respected adversary, or live to become more nuisance than terror)

8. Are any of your other OC’s part of the Alliance? If yes what do they do for the Alliance? Do they get along with your Commander?

Most notably, Jasme Shan, Theron's twin sister. But she's not one of the starting classes. She's an Archivist first, combatant second. She's also Vajra's best friend.

Technically, Cipher Nine is a founding member, but only Vajra, Lana, Shara Jenn, and Watcher One know about it. Lana lets Theron and Jasme in on the secret at some point, but I don't know when.

Seraphim Abbot, who's a Jedi pilot and Kira's husband, also joins when she does (earlier, in my story).

Hekaten (Sith Inquisitor) joins the Alliance, in a way. They get along okay.

In addition, Roban Queens (Trooper) joins the Alliance early. But he's had a problem with Vajra for over a decade now.

Vajra encountered Commander Tavus on Taris, but didn't apprehend him, since Garza kept his defection secret. Roban hated him for it, somehow expecting the then-fifteen-year-old to somehow know how to tell a traitor. He picked a fight with Vajra, and lost. To add insult to injury, Vajra filed a formal complaint against him and Garza, which led to her losing trust, and getting a temporary demotion. He never forgave Vajra for that.

During the timeskip, Roban worked with Lana, and began to want her. But she wasn't interested, and he blamed Vajra for that (rarely admitting that he himself was the problem).

Oh, and um. Roban and his family are Zakuulan sleeper agents. He hates Arcann for killing them, but he's a Valkorionist through and through. So that's one more reason to hate Vajra.

9. How does your OC feel about Odessen? (Bonus: how do you feel about it)

Vajra loves it. The scenery is perfect, and it's balanced in the Force. In my story, Lana starts developing it as mroe than just a military base. It has cities, farms, industries, and even markets. They build a home on Odessen, and raise their kids there.

Personally, I love it. Only world I love more is Alderaan.

10. How does your Commander feel about being the Commander?

He accepts it. You have to understand though; he takes it to a whole new level. If you've ever heard of the Shogunate in Japan, that's what he becomes. A benign military dictator. He's able to bring peace to the galaxy thanks to this, but he hates how he's going against his teachings to be a dictator. In addition, he would've liked to have retired from fighting and leading. To spend the bulk of his time as a good husband and father.

11. Favorite place in the Alliance base?

The cliffs overlooking the base and valley beyond.

12. Favorite mission in KotFE?

Chapter 3. The escape from Zakuul, and getting rescued by Lana. On a personal note, I like how this mission frames Vaylin as a force of nature. Like the Dahaka from Prince of Persia: Warrior Within. She was a better Vader, back in those days. Then she became a worse Kylo Ren...

13. Favorite mission in KotET?

The final one, though it's very different for Vajra. When he and Hekaten meet face-to-face for the first time, Valkorion realizes that the Sith has a super-strong pull on ghosts. He uses that to escape his 'cage' (Vajra) and transfer over to Hekaten. The final chapter, where you have to piece yourself together, takes place in Hekaten's mind rather than Vajra's. The Inquisitor escapes thanks to Vaylin's interference, and Vajra briefly resumes his role in containing Valkorion before destroying him for good using Tenebrae's original body.

14. Least favorite mission in either? Why?

From meta, the walker missions. In the game, Iokath. I hate everything about that world, but especially the conclusion. After everything SCORPIO did, having her arc resolved with a single choice like that is dumb. Personally, I resent SCORPIO blaming all organics for what only the Cabal did to her. And she's not fighting for droid rights; she has no problem treating HK-55 like a tool.

15. Is your Commander successful because they’re skilled? Or are they perhaps just really lucky?

Skill more than luck, but I can't stress on how important his friends/council are to his success.

16. From our OC’s point of view, SoR -> KotET wasn’t a fun experience, did they develop any fears as a result?

He was terribly upset by finding out that he lost five whole years. Especially because everyone he knew has changed and grown without him. Most importantly, Lana and Jasme. The latter lost the love of her life (Sith Warrior, Kairegane Rooks) and nearly gave up. He wished he'd been there for her, as she'd been for him.

He's also aware of just how hard his absence was for Lana, with whom he shares a powerful Force-Bond. It was almost dead for five years, which caused her no end of grief.

It doesn't help how he realizes that they've had five years of growth taken away from them, including the family they wished to start together.

And then there's Kira, who had a son while he was frozen.

As a result, he's very afraid of losing time. He's always in a hurry to get the work out of the way, so he can do what's really important to him--spending time with his loved ones. He's loath to let them out of his sight, like he's owrried they'll slip through some crack and vanish the moment he has his back turned. This also makes him very angry with Arcann, though he manages to put his feelings aside.

17. AU time! If your Commander wasn’t Commander, which of your other OCs would have likely taken their place?

Probably no one. Kairegane Rooks, the Wrath, was terminally ill. For her to survive, she'd have to not have a congenital disease. Hekaten is taken prisoner by the Eternal Empire, and Lana and Theron don't trust Roban due to his affiliation to Zakuul (in addition to his general creepy behavior). He proves them right by abandoning the Alliance when Valkorion takes over Hekaten. Smuggler and Bounty Hunter are far too removed from galactic politics to care. I suppose someone would've risen up, but it would've been a dark and bloody universe that ended up in an even worse place than where we are now.

18. Who’s someone your Commander hopes they never have to deal with again?

The Emperor, and Roban. That second guy especially. Creeped on his wife (Lana, whom he married way back during SOR), and joined Valkorion. He even had the temerity to pretend that Force Users have bad inner eyes, rather than accept that maybe Valkorion really was the Sith Emperor.

19. Does your Commander hold on to/still use any titles they earned before KotET?

He doesn't, but he finds them thrown his way very often. Some of the titles he has, which aren't in-game titles:

General, Jedi Marshal, and Crown Reaper (or just Reaper).

20. Share something, anything at all, you want about your Commander that you’ve not really gotten the chance to share before but really want to.

Honestly, I've either already written it, or will be writing when I get there in the story.

In the beginning, I intended for each of my OCs to correspond to a deadly sin:

Vajra: Pride (in his swordsmanship) Kairegane: Lust (thrill seeker) Roban: Envy Hekaten: Greed Mark Fordorn (Bounty Hunter): Wrath (He's an escaped Power Guard) Juun Stede (Smuggler): Gluttony Devel Nirol (Consular): Sloth.

But I did a poor job of keeping to it in most cases, so the 'sins' are a shadow of what they might have been, with the exception of Mark, who's still a very angry man.

[warwaged-archive]

I’ll just make a list or I’ll never get this done, but this is about divergences in how I write lor’themar. I am canon based (but as always also very reliant on my own headcanons to expand stuff and fill in blanks) up to Legion. 

he was friends with sylvanas once upon a time, but to make a call back to that after it has literally been ignored most of the time is lazy and the way it’s done just makes it seems like he didn’t care. his relationship with her is complicated, both because of what it was in life and because of their interactions after she died, with lor’themar not being able to trust her and the other dark rangers in silvermoon and sylvanas extending a hand then wanting more of his people to die on a battle they weren’t ready to fight. I don’t think there’s been trust from either side for a long time, but sylvanas is his oldest ally amidst the other leaders, in spite of how sketchy an ally she is.

honor, as a concept, is not in his top five priorities probably. honor helped them very little in fighting arthas, or dealing with kael’thas, or restoring their kingdom, and while lor’themar understands its value, he doesn’t place it above the well being of his people (see also: would switch factions in the blink of an eye if it guaranteed it’d best for the sin’dorei). 

he does have limits though, and burning teldrassil, murdering most kaldorei and making them undead afterwards just hits too close for comfort

like, deceiving the kaldorei so teldrassil would have a smaller defense force, then marching on it and taking it for the horde? sure. that’s all fine and good. but blowing up the entire thing and killing everyone and making the ones left undead is just. Too Much.

with all of that what I mean to say is: from that moment he has 0 allegiance to sylvanas. he doesn’t like night elves but what she’s doing would bother him enough I can’t see him not confronting her about it. it was different with garrosh, who he not only didn’t know on a personal level and had no ties to, but who he knew enough to be wary of from the start (and to know voicing his issues to would only make things worse). he knew sylvanas, he has some tie to her still, and even if he didn’t, there’d be the emotional reaction of seeing someone who was dear to him and who he chooses to remember fondly for what she was in life suddenly appear to be following on the footsteps of the very monster she gave her life to fight.

how she’d deal with it is ofc up to sylvanas. for the most part, it doesn’t change things heavily because in spite of that lor’themar wouldn’t withdraw from the horde. he has negative levels of trust in humans, thinks the alliance is in fact rather stupid to be following a child and is very aware that between the kaldorei and jaina there wouldn’t be much of a welcome to his people either. 

that’s all to establish this is the important thing when he switches sides. couldn’t give a single fuck about sylvanas raising humans against their will, she’s been doing that for a while.

still! given he voices his opposition at the beginning, wouldn’t it make a lot of sense sylv sends him to nazjatar, given she was sending people to die? so yeah! sends him on the boat with nathanos to fight the alliance

he ends up in nazjatar, as he canonically does. ends up leading the horde forces there when nathanos fucks off to do his thing. gets to befriend thalyssra somewhat while there. 

lor’themar’s decision to work with the alliance is one he does solely out of need. he won’t ever be truly friendly to jaina until she’s at least been held accountable for murdering his people in dalaran. walking away is a fine lesson and all ty taran zhu, but it’s not fair to his people that he let it go while jaina faced no consequences whatsoever. 

on that note, vereesa can choke he’s never making amends with her ever

windrunners stop fucking things up challenge

anyways! back to bfa! he respects baine, but his imprisonment is really just the last drop, not what prompts switching sides on its own. 

I just think it’s more fitting with him, as a character, to make this less about the horde and honor, given those are not the things that drive him as a character or even a leader.

ultimately it does lead him to the same realization that they can’t fight azshara and n’zoth or whatever while also still fighting the alliance, a goddamn lot of people already died in this war and keep it going will only make things worse, but sylv doesn’t care and is sending them to die and imprisoning those who oppose her so it’s time to switch sides ig

I know in canon he’s all like ‘I had hoped my old friend would see reason’ while talking to the PC but I think it’s also important to note that I don’t write lor’themar as being genuinely open towards anyone he doesn’t have some degree of trust towards. his feelings are private (and he often pushes them to second place when it comes to how he feels vs what must be done or just his job so). it’s not something he would speak of in general tbh unless prompted to, and even then it’d be more ‘I had hoped she’d never go that far’ more so than ‘hoped she’d see reason’

he really doesn’t feel guilty for saurfang dying idk what that was about

I maintain he’d very much be like ‘will you be warchief again, thrall?’ as soon as that was being discussed, because he won’t be warchief thanks but no thanks

is ok with signing the truce. keeping the war going is of no benefit to quel’thalas or the horde so

rip talanji but sometimes it be like that

he is very on board with the council idea. the sin’dorei have already suffered plenty under shitty warchiefs and the idea of a council making decisions instead is a big improvement on his opinion

thalyssra is a tentative friend at most. lor’themar doesn’t trust people easily to be quick in considering anyone friends fast. back in legion, he did not interact with her, liadrin did --- his friendship with her only begun after legion/early bfa, and while he does see her in a friendly manner, that’s it tbh

so like, I do not write him being in a relationship with her as canon has it

a moment in verse never happened

during what would be the shadows rising timeline he’d be very concerned with finding out what sylvanas is up to because she could be a threat to all of them and they have 0 clue what is her goal. 

anything that happens in the book in regards to him specifically, too, I do not follow. he wouldn’t be the one to suggest open negotiations with kul’tiras (did I mention jaina never faced any consequences for what she did and that’s unfair to his people)

he’d take a very personal interest in the council to guarantee the best for the blood elves always. 

the only way I can accept shaw’s spies catch him writing something like “My dusk lily bends more each day toward the sun.” is if he was aware he was being spied on and did that purposefully to give the alliance useless information tbh (and had a moment of lol what if I write some shitty poetry and make them think that’s how I spend my time)

other than that yeah no he’d not do that unironically 

lor’themar can be very diplomatic if he wishes to be, and he’s not prone to being open with his thoughts/emotions when he’s acting as regent lord, and by extension as a member of the council. he can also be a bitch when he doesn’t think diplomacy is necessary. 

he’s learned a lot being part of the horde, and definitely grew with it too. he certainly is a much more tolerant person he was in the past, and has come to see many of the other races in a different way than he used to. I do think he doesn’t want to leave the horde as he may have once, but his loyalty will always be first and foremost to the sin’dorei. his morals are not orc or tauren morals, and like, when it comes to do the honorable thing or what benefits his people, he’ll do what benefits his people. what I mean with all of this is: don’t expect my lor’themar to be crying about saurfang and yelling honor and holding hands with jaina kasndfkjsdfn

he also doesn’t look 5 thousands years old. let lor’themar be pretty like he deserves to be.

[sullustangin]

Pinned -- Corellian Whiskey and Sullustan Gin:  Master Post

UPDATED 12/19/2023

Premise

Corellian Whiskey and Sullustan Gin is a SWTOR fan fiction series that revolves around Theron Shan and original character Eva Corolastor, a smuggler (pronounced Ay-va Kor-o-last-er).

Well, not just a smuggler. The smuggler.  She is the Voidhound, the underworld figure that controls the largest smuggling syndicate in the galaxy, Voidfleet.   With the Empire and the Republic at war and the Hutt Cartel taking big risks (and losing), Eva has gained control of the intergalactic black markets.  With her expanding influence, she finds herself in the unique position of potentially being the balance of power -- the actor that sways events from one side’s favor to the other. 

Clever, resourceful, and in the possession of an untraceable ship, Virtue’s Thief, Eva and her motley crew have proven to be successful contractors for planets and governments over the years. 

And that’s what leads SIS Agent Theron Shan to track her down and present a rather lucrative opportunity...

The Future They Fought For:  Life after Corellian Whiskey and Sullustan Gin is the post-Nathema life of the pairing. It gets VERY fluffy and domestic pretty quickly, since there’s nothing to push them together...and nothing to pull them apart anymore.  Essentially, happily ever after!

The Universe: Background Info and Visual References

This universe has grown hefty over the last two years and change.  During February 2022, I went back through my tumblr and tried to organize and link various resources.  I’ve created pages that contain links to various, useful items that will help give background to the world my characters are operating in.  These are in the menu at the top of my tumblr, but I’m also posting them here in case you prefer dashboard view:

The Corellian Whiskey and Sullustan Gin Timeline:  a slight departure from the canon timeline posted by Charles Boyd; in sum, it ignores the post KotET-retcons.  It contains information about my OCs, but it also makes reference to events that occur to canon characters.  

Worldbuilding: a post that links to my various worldbuilding posts; they’ve been divided into general wonderings about the SWTOR universe that don’t necessarily involve my OCs and into personal headcanons that I’ve created for my series that involve my OCs or put a spin on a character that not everyone will agree with. 

The Art of Corellian Whiskey and Sullustan Gin: My shrine to the artists who have illustrated my OCs and/or series events.  Some of these are commissions, while others are gifts from kind folk on tumblr.  Both are greatly appreciated.

The Prompt Collections

I’ve written a lot for this series already. The first piece I ever wrote for the series is Lady of Emancipation, which takes place sometime between Chapters 9 and 10 of KotFE; my smuggler captain does not have a name. 

If you’re not sure about committing the reading time to a new series or are killing time between installments, Shots and Chasers: Stand-Alones in the "Corellian Whiskey and Sullustan Gin" Universe   is a place to start.  This is a mix of pre and post Nathema prompts.  All the chapters are self-contained, so if you just want something brief (under 3000 words each), come here first.  This is updated semi-regularly with new stuff.  

Additionally, parts of Fictober 2021 are considered canon to this timeline and are also self-contained.  You can read the chapters in any order.  I also created a collection for everything I wrote in February 2022 for Eva’s second birthday.  There is also Fluffy February 2023.

Some longer one-shots that can be read without reference to the rest of the series include Fathers and Son (which is as much about Jace Malcom as it is Theron),  the slightly AU A Shan Family Tradition (Satele plays a big role here).

If you despise reading things out of in-universe chronological order, use the Annotated Bibliography.  It has everything placed on the timeline.  All links should go to AO3.

The Annotated Bibliography (updated 10/15/2023)

Below is the cut is the fic listing with brief summaries and notes from me as to what stands out, in my mind, about the fic itself. It’s organized chronologically.  Not everything I want to write is here; I’ve only included pieces that I’ve actually written more than a page for.  Completed fics and the current WIP that I’m posting have links.  As April 2023, all the Shots and Chasers, Fictober submissions, and February works, have been charted here. I’ve linked to each chapter in those collection fics.  I also subdivided the pre/post Nathema into the new fic series (same universe, just less drama and more schmaltz)

Chronological Order of Fics, Corellian Whiskey and Sullustan Gin

Year: 3676 BBY/23 BTC

Stretch -- Jace watches Satele stretch, as he rewrites and edits a very important pitch

3673 BBY/20 BTC

Cloak  - Jace has an adventure with his brother, Kal.  Kal has been living in my head for awhile.  He dies before Theron comes into Jace’s life, but I headcannon that there is a family resemblance more between uncle and nephew than father and son; nothing nefarious, just the genetic lotto. Kal is bright but never really fits right into the military or any career.  He sticks with it because he follows big brother’s lead and is sort of lost otherwise.  Kal is, however, endlessly charming and more of a people person.

3667 BBY/14 BTC

Bubbly -- The second day of Jace and Satele’s relationship.  I admit, I wrote this blind as their first day, then remembered that their first day was written out in Annhilation.  So there were some cheeky edits there at the end.  That said, we only saw the very beginning and the very end of the romantic relationship; there is so much more in between. 

3660 BBY/7 BTC

Thunder -- Captain Athene Corolastor of Virtue’s Thief handles a 3-year-old crewman’s concern.  I’ve always struggled with writing Athene, but the opening paragraphs really put her into play in my head.  She’s a lot more Sarah Connor than I previously thought.

3646 BBY/7 ATC

Becoming -- Tal’vrei, family man and crimelord, meets Eva Corolastor, Captain of Virtue’s Thief.  He’s known her since she was a baby... but this is the first time she has appeared on his doorstep as the Captain.

Year:  3643 BBY/10 ATC

The Master of Puppets, Part I -- After meeting Theron for the first time since he was six months old, Satele confronts old feelings and old questions.

Home -- Corso Riggs meets Eva Corolastor... and Hylo Visz, the Cat.

Loop -- Corso lets Eva drive a terrestrial speeder on his license.  Regrets, he has them!

“I like that in you” – Jonas Balkar and Theron Shan have just become senior agents at SIS, meaning that they get their own clothes rather than the Republic agent uniform.  This is their first meeting, and they both end up covering for Marcus Trant.  This occurs after the Lost Suns comic. 

“I’m not saying I told you so” – Early days on the smuggler ship!  This one does give me a strange “Oh, they’re just babies!!” feeling.  Both the humans are SO young.  Eva’s 19, Risha is 20, and Hylo is 10, the senior kittizen of the group.  Risha has just joined the crew, and she has a discussion with Eva and then Hylo the cat over how this whole arrangement is going work.

Year:  3642 BBY/11 ATC

“There is no right side to this.”  Eva, Risha, Corso, Bowdaar; before Smuggler Story Chapter 2.  They grab some take out and steal a prototype engine.  Just an average weekend night.

A Deception is Upon You! -- Eva and Risha pull off a heist.  Good ol’ smuggler business.

Starlight -- Eva celebrates herself and her friends.  Bowdaar appreciates the magic.  She, in Wookiee cosmology, has the Divine Spark -- something he won’t tell her for awhile yet.

“Your information was wrong” – At the same time Eva and her friends are doing their thing, Darmas Pollaran and Keeper have a discussion about what to do with that clever girl. 

Reward -- Darmas and Eva, from the start.  It wasn’t all awful, all the time.  There was a spark.  There was something there that was real.  The hook-up at Balmorra.

Year: 3641 BBY/12 ATC

Theft of Virtue -- Eva lies to Ozzik on Quesh.  She only feels a little twinge of guilt....

Blessed -- Corso gets to know Guss after Hoth.

Name -- Darmas Pollaran isn’t his real name...and Eva can never know it.

Year: 3640 BBY/13 ATC

Trembling Hands -- Eva talks about the Voidhound with Risha.  They are both her, and so there needs to be consistency in presentation.  Enter: Hadrian Corolastor’s Finishing School for 6-Year-Old Smugglers.

Learning to Fly, Hour 1 -- When every human and near-human is sick on the ship, Eva recruits a new pilot:  Bowdaar.

3639 BBY/14 ATC

“Yeah, well, if you weren’t so drunk maybe I would” -- Risha tries to drink away her ex-fiance and other issues, and Akaavi tries to keep her safe from herself.  This is something I really like as a character piece for these two women.  It discusses their sexuality and their identities....and how they’re doing after the events of the game.  Eva is peripheral to this story, but knowing her helps knowing them, if that makes sense.

The Body of Evidence/Evidence of the Body -- Basically, this a good chunk of my pre-Eva Theron headcanon.  This is a fic that covers his childhood and what happened in between the time Zho left him and he first appears in Lost Suns.  It’s framed in post-war Corellia, after Annihilation, immediately before Theron sets out to survey Makeb for SIS.

Year:  3638 BBY/15 ATC

Who She Is In the Dark -- The fic begins with Theron Shan seeking the Voidhound to do a job for SIS and SpecForce on Korriban... Neither of them expected that a little conspiracy on Korriban would dictate the course of their lives for the next ten years. This is a story from Theron’s point of view.  We see his normal routine at SIS and at home before getting involved in exposing the Revanite Conspiracy.  As he said in a letter during the Traitor Arc, he falls in love at first sight...but ‘first sight’ is a very different thing for a spy monitoring someone for months.  This is the smuggler crew we’re talking about, so there’s always a bit of madcap humor.  I will say that this was my first story after I decided to make it a series, so there are a few rough edges. 

A Breach of Professional Boundaries  -- Almost two months after being hired to go to Korriban and accidentally uncovering some sort of conspiracy, Captain Eva Corolastor finds herself on the receiving end of some unwanted attention.  It seems there’s a traitor on Port Nowhere that really wants her out of the way, so much to the point that data is being shopped not only to SpecForce but also SIS.  The only person that can identify the traitor, thanks to a self-destructing message that happens to get caught in an implant’s processing buffer:  Theron Shan.  Theron suddenly finds himself going on a semi-social visit to Port Nowhere and getting to know the smuggler crew. 

This is a story that has no connection to in-game events; the plotline is original.  Eva has POV chapters in this one, so we start to get to know her and her mind.  This fic was born out of a need to better establish how Eva’s world operates, but also to further develop the relationship between the criminal and the government agent; in theory, the two should never mix, since they’re on opposite sides of the law.  One is dangerous to the other (regardless of how hot they think the other person is).  Eva and Theron come to a philosophical understanding by the end of this fic.  We also start to meet the extended found family: Rogun the Butcher gets his time in the sun here.

Love in the Time of Technoplague -- Riffing on Theron’s nom de guerre and the Year of the Plague, this fic was written right as everything went into lockdown in March 2020.  Two months after evicting a traitor from Port Nowhere, Eva Corolastor is becoming increasingly paranoid.  She doesn’t know whether the conspirators have identified her as a threat or just a stooge.  She also doesn’t know whether this ‘thing’ with Theron Shan is going anywhere fast.  Problem is, Theron doesn’t know either, professionally or personally.  He elects to remain professional despite offers otherwise.  Eva and the crew carry on as usual until a group of  Mandalorian bounty hunters decide to collect.  The close call causes Theron to re-evaluate his association with the smuggler.  Then it’s all about Eva’s revenge against the Revanite conspirators in the Empire -- and if it happens to crash the Imperial economy at the same time, Theron is only too glad to watch.  

This fic is partially based in game, the other part original plot.  There are many introspective moments for both Eva and Theron.  In this fic, I start laying the ground work for my view on Theron’s issues (namely, being fearful avoidant about attachments) and how that will inevitably challenge their capacity to ever get together...but that doesn’t make certain elements of this story any less sweet.  At the same time, we also get to see the smuggler crew at work when their captain is sidelined in a bloody, painful assassination attempt.  We also get to see them muster when she does have a grand plan: destroying the Imperial economy and having a rather nice party.  One of my personal favorite small moments: we first hear of Guss’ childhood hero from the holos, spy Shiv Starrunner, who soon becomes a bane to Theron.

The Parting of the Ways --  Two weeks after crashing the Imperial Stock Market, Eva gets a call from Theron: the whereabouts of Arkous and Darok have been ascertained.  Despite being waylaid by space pirates, Virtue’s Thief makes the rendezvous on Rakata Prime.  The conspiracy from Korriban would come to an end...Until it didn’t.  Until Revan, back from the dead twice over, appeared.  Until Lana, Jakarro, and even Theron were deemed traitors and forced to go off the grid.

This story was originally viewed as a necessary bridge to what I wanted to write about next, but it also took on a life of its own.   This fic brings on Marcus Trant as a character; we saw him in Who She is in the Dark, but we really get to see the man in action here, and we find out how very active he has been throughout the last two stories, much to Theron’s horror. In part, the story is a celebration of smugglers -- of Eva, of Jakarro, and of their ships:  we get to see the Thief in space combat!  (I love a good aerial dogfight). Eva and Theron have a few moments of peace before everything goes to hell, and I like the story for its lighter moments -- the banter, the joking, the flirting. We see how good they could be together. As Theron starts to consider Eva in an intimate context, it’s apparent that his commitment to the Republic and his problems with attachment will come into play, just as it has for every man and woman he’s been with.  We also get the first inkling of Eva’s relationship with Darmas Pollaran  -- that’s a storm that reaches full strength later in the series. It’s clear here that Darmas casts a long dark shadow on Eva and her capacity to let herself fall in love with someone.  We see how bad they could be together. 

Rush -- If you want to read something quick in the series, this is it.  A 5,000-word tale of Eva robbing some Hutt on Nar Shaddaa and needing a rescue from a swoop rider.  Essentially, so much for ‘no contact’ -- Eva and Theron run into each other while he’s off the grid, completely by accident.  This story is rated T, but it’s still pretty hot for how close they get and how they consider... well, what happens on Nar Shaddaa stays on Nar Shaddaa, right?

The Cosmic Deck -- This is a self-confessed favorite, right up there with A Breach of Professional Boundaries.  This is an original story with no in-game elements that takes place while Theron is in hiding before Rishi.  This time, it’s not so accidental that the smuggler and the spy meet each other on another Hutt gambling world, Katalla.  She’s there for a pazaak tournament.  Theron is there to track Revanites and just see her (he always did like a little risk).  Marcus Trant has business with Eva, figures out Theron is there, and then decides to meddle and make them work together: he sets them up as a married couple. Yes, they finally get to kiss and hug and stuff (rated M with a NSFW chapter)... but it’s an act.  They’re professionals. They know it’s an act....but they also want it to be real.  This is both an indulgent, fun fic but also a frustrating one with a bit of darkness around the edges.  Technically, I think this can be read without any other context, as long as the reader is aware of the Forge Alliances/Shadow of Revan plotline and accepts the idea that the smuggler had a relationship with Darmas Pollaran until he threw her to the wolves. 

The Grand Reveal -- The Rishi fic.  The Rishi questline is actually fairly short, so this is massively expanded as Eva chooses to take Rishi as payment for everything she has to do for Lana and Theron.  The Red Hulls aren’t a cover for a short-term operation; they become Eva’s very real efforts to take hold of the planet and fill in the gap left behind by the Nova Blades.  We also formally meet Gronn the Bounty Hunter who’s been constantly in the background as Eva’s special person from Makeb -- and not in a euphemistic way either; what they have is not easily defined. 

To this point, the ‘drama’ has been mostly on Theron’s end -- his issues, his difficulties, things the reader is familiar with if they’ve played SWTOR.  Now, it’s Eva’s turn to have a few internal crises.  Eva discovers that she has connections to Rishi through Darmas Pollaran -- and this is the fic where the reader finally gets the full picture of Eva Corolastor, good and bad.  The series has been building in this direction, and that was a deliberate choice on my part.  Rather than have Eva’s issues up front, I tried to make the reader like her and connect with her...and then everything drops down on her and them.  And Theron.  It ends with a good kiss and a torn liver.

The Planter of Trees and Other Tales from Yavin 4 (NEWLY COMPLETE)-- The Yavin 4 fic that I’m currently writing. It has a brief jump into NSFW land early on, but that is tempered by the workings of the op and all the complications professionally and personally. We do get shuttle smut at the end.  This fic introduces the Yavin Accords, a set of rules that Eva and Theron put into place so that they can be professional and functional in public while having something else going on in private.  They basically use these to avoid attention until just before Iokath.  This thing is huge.  9 weeks written out is a LOT longer than I thought it would be.  There are a lot of OCs in here; some will become permanent features, while others.... well, there is a war on. 

Some material has been used in Planter of Trees that was previously drafted.  This includes:

Leaving a Mark  -- This is now rewritten for Planter, but here’s the original version.

3637 BBY/15 ATC

The Taste of Ashes (FINISHED) -- The Ziost fic.  It’s about as happy as it sounds.  The downward spiral of the romance between Eva and Theron, but also the death of hope in the galaxy as there seems to be no escape from a disembodied Emperor.  When Iwas writing the series, early on, the communication between the characters is praised ... but here, it just breaks down.  One of the lingering questions I myself have:  was it inevitable?  Was it the doom the Emperor brought to Ziost?  Or was it just two people unwilling to change themselves to fit the life of the other?  After all, how could Theron continue to serve the Republic and her laws?  How could Eva be the Voidhound when Theron is part of SIS? 

3637 BBY/16 ATC

Worthy: A Study of Darth Marr -- Marr and Eva’s last moments before their fateful meeting with Valkorion at the Eternal Throne.

The Carbonite Years 3637 BBY/16 ATC - 3632 BBY/21 ATC

Ten Birthdays (FINISHED)  -- By the time Theron’s birthday rolls around (he missed the last one because he was busy working), he’s been suspended from SIS for the Ziost situation.  Eva comes around and tries to make the day better.  Theron sends her away; if he’s going to get back into the good graces of the Republic, SIS, and the Jedi Order, associating with known criminals won’t help. 

And that’s the last time he ever sees her.  This fic counts the birthdays Theron and Eva both miss during the five years in carbonite.  Ends on a hopeful note. This includes:

Heartbeat

-- Theron goes on his first mission since Ziost.  He hears something he needs to, in order to be willing to go along with Lana Beniko’s Great Idea.   This will be worked into the wider arc of this, but Theron grieves, deeply, for his losses.  Grief changes a person.  The hopelessness because of how the Republic gave into the Eternal Empire without a fight weighs on Theron as well.  Under normal circumstances, Theron meditates on the future; he has stopped doing that.  He has let his heatlh fall to the wayside, and both hope and his physical condition are just starting to recover in this fic in 18 ATC

For When You Wake Up -- The explanation behind the letter.... and why Theron is not there for defrost in 21 ATC

Separate from Ten Birthdays, we have 2 fics that occur in between Chapters 10 and 11 in 20 ATC/3633 BBY

The Ziost Epistolary --   This is Theron, the night before he leaves the Republic for the Alliance.  He’s contending with more than the future in front of him.  He confronts his difficult past and what has shaped his present.  He needs to fly free. 

Fathers and Son -- This fic focuses more on Theron’s relationship with Jace Malcom and Marcus Trant, but it does fit the universe.  You can read this one with no other knowledge about the series.  A few days after the Ziost Epistolary.

Letters from the Dead (Current WIP) --  Eva wakes up from carbonite.  A combination of the rough awakening, the devastating events of the Eternal Fleet, and the unexpected appearance of a droid Eva might know, Eva is both physically and mentally ill, and Lana doesn’t know what to do.  The last chapters set the the record straight as to what happened that night, five years before... and what will happen once they reach safe harbor.  The parts I have written revolve around Lana and Eva’s friendship, the ‘thing’ between Lana and Koth (who I do like!), and of course, Theron’s "For When You Wake Up.”  This includes revised versions of:

I need you – Corso and Risha, post-Eternal Fleet, discuss what happens to them next after Risha has given Theron and Lana data about Eva’s carbonite freeze.  The prognosis is not good.  

“This was not part of the plan” – Koth is not impressed with the lunatic Lana has rescued.  Lana is taking her old friend’s condition very, very hard.  Lana is written as truly and deeply upset here; she’s a lot more emotional than we usually see her, but then again, never has she had so much riding on one person... and that one person means so much not only to Lana, but to Theron,

Embers, Still Smoldering (COMPLETE)  -- The “Getting Together on Odessen” fic.  It’s done.  It’s waiting.

Establishment (Partially written) -- Theron and Eva are together on Odessen, but what that means is a lot different than what either of them expected five years previously.  Lots of sex, lots of angst, but an optimistic trajectory. 

Doing Domestic -- brief scenes from the gradually established home life of Eva Corolastor and Theron Shan on Virtue’s Thief. 

All Souls’ Day -- Two weeks after getting back together, Eva has more ghosts to contend with than just one obnoxious emperor.  This was written at the same time as the first chapter of The Grand Reveal and deal with the same time of the year, six years apart.  This falls chronologically in Establishment, but it’s been published first.  This was a plot bunny that wouldn’t go away.

Make This Work -- Theron proves himself to be an excellent operations manager and boyfriend. 

Wearing Each Other’s Clothes -- Koth and Lana have a discussion about their non-thing...and about the trajectory of the galaxy.

Two Birthdays/Like Champagne -- Eva celebrates her 21st birthday in 11 ATC and then her 26th birthday in 21 ATC (I headcanon that she did not age while in carbonite).  This contrasts her relationships with her two spies:  Darmas Pollaran and Theron Shan.

Game Night -- Basically, Theron gets into a friendly boxing match with Aygo and comes home to Eva hot and sweaty...and she notices scars she has missed in her recent rediscovery of his body.  A lot has changed over 5 years...

Huddling for Warmth  -- Eva and Theron deal with one more consequence of the carbonite freeze, together.  CW for being kriffing lustful idiots.

The Second First Life Day -- Much like All Souls’ Day, another fic that wouldn’t go away til written.  A little bit racy at the end, it also falls in the time of Establishment.  I’ll have to figure out how I want to organize those stories when I get to them.  Theron makes the first Life Day on Odessen special for all present.  He and Eva celebrate their second Life Day in each other’s company (but in a different way than they did on Yavin 4).

3631 BBY/21 ATC

No Words -- Eva sees Carrick Station for the first time since the carbonite freeze.

Shell -- Eva’s very first mission out of carbonite.  She’s a little rusty and more than a little scared.  Fortunately, she has the best partner in the universe with her (Theron) and some mediocre handlers (Lana and Koth).  This is a heist fic, and Theron and Eva really lend themselves to these sorts of fics.  On my end, they’re really fun to write.

“Fine, I give up”– Theron Eva go on mission in Zakuul.  I consider this one of Eva’s first off-base missions since the carbonite, so Theron is doing the more dangerous work here; he’s always watching her, regardless of the relative ease of her end of the mission. 

Soft --  Theron gets a few moments to himself with Eva early in the morning.

Lady of Emancipation -- the fic that started this entire mess.  Eva fights in the Eternal Championship and not only returns with Bowdaar but also an entire shipload of ex-slaves.  Theron Shan wrestles with the risks she takes, their still-new relationship, and how much she makes him feel.  This does have some rough edges (and maybe I’ll re-edit it at some point), but this was my first fic in the SWTOR universe, and Eva doesn’t even have a name in this one.  If you really want a one-shot with no strings attached to it, this is it. 

“You keep me safe” – An excerpt from a longer fic discussing the establishment of Eva as the Commander (though she still demands to be called Captain) when she resumes full active duty on missions.  This is despite her right arm being pretty far from 100%.  Miot the Sullustan pilot gets his time in the sun here, and I do like the conversation he has with Theron.  This would take place after the defeat of the first Star Fortress. 

Hello  -- Theron realizes something is amiss in the military hangar, and he goes to extremes in order to figure out what.  In short, Blizz is back!  This is accompanied on Tumblr by a piece of heinous fan art.

Midnight in the Garden -- After Chapter 12 of KotFE, Theron did not react well to Eva’s disappearance.  He does a little better when other strange things happen at midnight in the garden.

Call(o)us --  Theron and Eva at the firing range.  As wise Akaavi once said, they who shoot together, stay together.

“You Kept This?”  -- Eva ambushes Theron when he arrives home after a mission... and she learns something about her boyfriend she didn’t expect. 

Alive -- Marcus Trant finally receives good news about a ‘dead man’... from the man himself.

Year: 3631/22 ATC

Remember -- Eva experiences her first Eternal Fleet Remembrance day as one of the few survivors...and Theron experiences it as one of the few people who got a second chance.

Sickness -- Eva takes care of Theron while he’s sick.  He’s really the worst sick person ever, but he’s also ridiculously sweet.

“You have no proof” – Theron and Eva sneak off to one of Eva’s old boltholes on Yavin 4.

That’s what I’m known for” – Lana has an awkward moment in a cantina with Theron and Eva.  This could really happen any time post Rishi, but i’m just plopping it here because I’m a completionist and want to treat this like my Star Trek Pocket Books collection: everything has a place on the shelf.

Blankets -- Eva wants to run away.  Theron anchors her.  That doesn’t mean either of them are happy with the galaxy at the moment.

Year: 3630/22 ATC

Brigs and Balyegs -- Date night for Talos and Eva... and then date night for someone else.

“I feel strange” – Theron and Eva go on mission together, and old bad habits come to the fore.  This has drug-related content in it, mostly related to Eva’s previous issues with using.  Theron, however, makes a rather dashing filthy smuggler.  They get glitter all over the speeder.

“Do you know what time it is?”  – This takes place not long after “I feel strange” and deals with the aftermath of Theron being too good at his job.  It’s a direct prequel to Next of Kin due to Theron’s nickname.  

Spite -- why Eva spares Arcann.

Weather -- Theron pulls out his back of tricks when he and Eva visit Coruscant.

Blaze -- Eva and Theron on mission -- and another interrupted date.

3630/23 ATC

Amber -- This is probably going to re-arranged in the timeline, somewhat.  Arcann seeks redemption by returning something the Eternal Empire stole to its proper owner.

Goodbye -- the road trip of Arcann, Koth, and Talos.  Only 48% serious here.

Immaculate -- Arcann wants to make friends.  But there’s a major obstacle to this: he hates tea.  There’s only one person who can help him.

Next of Kin --   This was inspired by that letter Arcann sends after KotET. For me (being late to the SWTOR game), it arrived before I went to Iokath, so that’s where I’ve stuck it in the time line.  Much like Lady of Emancipation, this was written in reaction to game events as I experienced them for the first time.  One thing I don’t think the game ever adequately addressed was how a romanced character (especially Lana or Theron) would deal with Arcann in the Alliance... this was the person responsible for stealing five years from the playable character and the love interest.  I understand that the next part of the Kot__ series was going to have a redemption arc for Arcann but because of poor reception of the first two parts, they sort of rushed into “let’s get rid of the Eternal Fleet and turn back time and make sure the player isn’t God, k?”  And that’s why we end up with a couple of letters, a piece of Zakuulan armor, and a scene that’s awkward as hell if the player is committed to another NPC. 

In sum: Arcann sends the letter.  Theron contemplates homicide.  Eva tries to convince angry spy boyfriend otherwise.  Theron’s anxieties about relationships in general come to the fore, and we see the end of the Yavin Accords.

The New Crew -- Eva not only finds Risha, Akaavi, and Corso, but she also welcomes Mako into their little fold.  Little do they know who else is already on Odessen... Basically, the Vette and Risha reunion story we’ve been waiting for that Bioware refuses to deliver.  As a note, both Torian and Vette survive in my universe -- Eva rescues Torian, and an old friend of Eva and Risha saves Vette.

The Expendables -- a fic about Senya, Koth, and Arcann after KotET...and after Arcann has learned some hard lessons about having a crush.

Spa Day  -- Eva gives Theron a long-overdue massage, and they remember the first time she did this....and Theron admits how he got the injuries that demand such attention.  Eva explains how she got this particular skill.  They’re so romantic over the most awful things.

Fishing -- Mako wonders where Akaavi is, only to find out she’s resuming an old tradition with Bowdaar: fishing.

“This time, do what I say” – Arcann, Koth, Lana, with cameo by Senya.  Arcann begins his self-discovery stage, now that the pressures of being emperor are totally off. 

Stargazing -- The first part of this starts between Yavin and Ziost, but this is the happy fulfillment of promise made and weekends planned.  It’s sad and sweet. 

3629 BBY/23 ATC

Father -- I prompted myself for this one, because it pissed me off that Theron only calls Jace “father” if he’s been fried like a bug in a zapper on Imperial Iokath.  Here’s where he does it in Republic Iokath.

3629 -3628 BBY/24 ATC

The Adventures of Guss Tuno, Intergalactic Jedi of Mystery -- Oh. Lord.  I have a lot of issues with the Traitor Arc, as do a lot of people.  I’ve jokingly said the only way I could get through a fic about it was to write it from Guss’ perspective.... I might actually do it. The only parts of this I have polished to publishing standard so far is The Taste for Spies is Not for the Weak, which is a discussion between Lana and Guss as to what happened on Umbara, and then Trust, which is Eva leaving Odessen for parts unknown for 3 months.  Hylo Visz is not having a good time, and neither is Theron Shan. I have to re-write Trust so it’s Guss’ pov. 

Efficiency -- an excerpt from the final chapters of The Adventures of Guss Tuno; this is from Lana’s perspective.  She watches Eva make the choice as to whether or not Theron comes home.

3628 BBY/25 ATC

The Man Who Lived for Tomorrow (partially written) -- a post-Nathema fic that focuses on Theron’s work for the Alliance while Eva is away for three months.  She doesn’t know if she’s coming back to Odessen or to Theron, ever.  She just needs a few months after... everything... to reboot.  So far, the POV is exclusively Theron.  He’s trying to find what criminal bodies want to take over Port Nowhere and interfere with Odessen’s supply routes while, at the same time, trying to fully comprehend how much damage he’s done to his relationship with Eva.  One part I haven’t written yet (but look forward to) is a final confrontation between Darmas Pollaran and Theron Shan, the two spies that loved her.  I have written the final reconciliation between Eva and Theron and the fall-out from their quick wedding.

“It’s so quiet” – This is an excerpt from the final chapters of The Man Who Lived for Tomorrow.  Very, very soft M. 

“I don’t have to explain myself” – Jace Malcom receives the news of Theron’s marriage and remembers his son’s stupid haircuts. This happens at the same time as “It’s so quiet.”

The Future They Fought For 

This is rapidly becoming a repository of fluff, smut, and all things domestic for Theron and Eva post Nathema.  This is series that’s a hell of a lot less dramatic than what came before it.  Everything below this line would fall into this series.

3628/25 ATC

Death, Yet the Force -- Upon Eva and Theron’s return from Aargonar, they are met by an old friend:  Fria Whitcord.

Thick as Thieves --  Odessen’s gossip mill is running into overtime as a result of the spymaster and the commander’s return. Who would have thunk it?

“You could have died!” -- Just before Ossus, Theron asks Eva out on a date for the first time.  A thing they do when there isn’t a job and nobody is imperiled.  That’d be nice.

All I Did Was Look at You!  -- Oh, Lord.  Um.  Basically, Lana went rogue and planned a coronation IN CASE Eva decided to be the Eternal Empress because there was a SALE.  Lana wasn’t going to get to crown a Sith ruler, so this was her best shot.  So, now it’s a year later, annnd the celebration for the liberation of the galaxy is overdue, we can’t conquer Dubrillion this weekend because Risha is dancing with Corso in the Marengai Glide championship,  so we best throw a party to actually use the stuff Lana bought.... Oh, and SIS has a dress uniform.  I am totally going to turn this into a larger fic that’s self-indulgent as hell.  But for now, you get a blushing Eva and an exceptionally dashing Theron. 

A Better Work Life Balance -- What happened to Theron’s SIS friends when he left?  They worried a lot about him.... and they’re quite relieved to find out it’s all ok, and he’s happy.  A sweet fic with a lot of relief.

3627/25 ATC

I Just Want to See/Make You Happy -- I took liberties with the prompt’s phasing, because seeing isn’t always reality.  Anyway, this is right after Jedi Under Siege, when Theron takes Eva on that speeder ride across the canyon...and they have a little adventure of their own.

Glow -- Eva and Theron revisit Copero in a much better context than the last time either of them there.  They talk about future plans and places that really do deserve a better shake than what they had. A little on the spicy side.  

Thonboka  -- Correspondence between Eva and Theron while parted... and a trip Theron had planned to take for nearly 15 years now.

Souvenirs from Alderaan -- A teasing reference to himself, Theron takes Eva to Jace’s house on Alderaan for their first actual vacation, in support of them dating.   You know, after they’re married.

3627/26 ATC

Anniversary --  Jace delivers a long-awaited gift to Eva.

Date Night -- Risha watches Eva seduce a man at a casino on Canto Bight, using all the old tricks they both used to prior to the carbonite freeze.  She has to pay a few debts to the Chiss.  It’s a little different after Nathema.

Learning to Fly, Hour 1500 -- Theron achieves something that few have.

3626/26 ATC

Ba’vodu -- Eva and Torian have a conversation about recent events related to the Mandalorians.  “Ba’vodu” is Mando for uncle or aunt, and despite the fact he’s now older than her, Torian does still does consider his aunt, due to her association with Gronn all those years ago (and despite her marrying Theron).

Anticipation - My reaction fic to 6.2.  Basically, I feel like this is setting Theron up for another Yavin situation -- everything is going great, relationship with bio parents is going good....and then Satele has to leave to save the galaxy again.  He understands.  But because they do have a relationship as adults, it does sting.  Now, this could end a way that makes A Shan Family Tradition completely AU, but it’s too early to tell.  I have no doubt that these feelings are there, given everything that’s happened between Theron and Satele over the years. 

Tying Up Loose Ends -- Theron receives word that an old friend needs to see him before it’s too late.  He goes. 

Cooking -- Continuing from what we saw in Anticipation, Theron attempts to become a better cook for his goddess of a wife.  She could do without the comparisons to bomb-making.

The interview -- this was a character interview tumblr meme that turned into a hostage situation then a rescue mission.  I took liberties, since I’m a goofball.

Hylo Visz is Dead -- Exactly what it says on the tin.  Except add smuggler hijinks and mistaken identities.

Elastic Time:  Due to the Pandemic, I have no idea what year it now is.  Neither does Boyd.  So... something like this?

3626-3625 BBY/27 ATC  -- Enclave events

Tender -- In a strange turn of events, Lana comes home injured, for once.  Her friends are there.

3625-3624 BBY/28 ATC -- Legacy of the Sith

Glide -- Theron goes to Manaan, covertly.  Not so covertly to Jace and Eva, but all the same, his alias “Antony Vaner” participates in a swoop race.

Breezy -- Rass Ordo encounters the Alliance liaison with the Jedi Order and culture immersion specialist:  Fria Whitcord.  

Maybe -- Eva and Theron get a surprise...and they have to make the decision as to whether they’re both on board with a pregnancy doctors thought impossible.

The Return of Antony Vaner -- Theron comes home from a short mission to Eva, who is more than a few months gone with her first pregnancy.  It brings changes that they need to talk about, given both of their initial child-free stances.  CW for what’s been mentioned.

The Death of Potential // the Potential of Death -- A diptych of Theron and his Coruscant apartment... and everything that could never happen there... and how it does, eight years later.  CW for Eva’s pregnancy

3624 BBY/29 ATC

Crave -- Theron is out at the cantina at 0300, waiting for an order of chicken and waffles.  Aric congratulates him -- and reassures him there’s no hard feelings.  CW for references to Eva’s pregnancy and Aric’s deceased wife (he is a widower). 

“I’m with you, you know that.” -- Eva runs her last mission before taking maternity leave... and Theron takes paternity leave, to her surprise.  Lots of name drops and mention of a growing operations center on Odessen.  CW:  Mention of healthy pregnancy

The First I Love You -- The fear of loss.  The sweetness of victory. Baby fic.  Theron’s first ‘I love you’ to his child. ... after everything else, he does deserve some tranquility.

A Shan Family Tradition -- a baby!fic that I wrote prior to the 6.2 patch drop.  This is now included in The Future They Fought For, since I’m fairly sure there is no magic wand for the Satele and Theron dynamic.  It assumes that this current brief happy period in the game -- like that post Yavin 4 period when Theron and Satele have caf together on Coruscant -- is simply that; things  will go on the downturn again.  Bittersweet, but ultimately happy.

Pride -- Theron contemplates what it means to be proud as a parent.  There are misunderstandings with Jace, the ups and downs with Satele, and the shadow cast by Master Zho.  Theron and Eva conclude, regardless of whatever he does, Argo is their angry little wampa (affectionate).  It’s a little bit of an angsty fic, but we do get left with the feeling that Theron is safe and at home. 

“Not this again” – Theron/Eva, through the years, beginning here: 15 ATC (Yavin), 21 ATC (Odessen, early days), 25 ATC (Odessen post Nathema), 29 ATC (Odessen.... you’ll see).  Honestly, each of these little scenes will probably be integrated into larger works as we go, so you’ll probably see some version of this again. Mentions of PTSD

3621 BBY/31 ATC

“You’ve Told Your Parents?”  -- Argo breaks family news to Lana and Jace.  Theron and Eva watch the fireworks.

3621 BBY/32 ATC

The Master of Puppets, Part II -- Theron and Satele deal with old secrets and betrayals over 30 years after Zho abandoned Theron.  This ties up loose ends for the Shan family, I think. 

Not Outside the Frame -- Lana discovers something about the new baby...but keeps it to herself for now.  

Lullaby -- Lana walks in on Theron working, second child in tow.  Very sweet fic. 

3620 BBY/33 ATC

Murmur -- Theron arrives home, safely, after a mission gone awry.  He is greeted by Eva and by his daughter, Dyo (who is having a rough go of teething).

3616 BBY/37 ATC

“That could have gone better” – Satele visits on her Force-Sensitive grandchild’s 5th birthday.  As the title indicates... Dyo is not pleased to see her.  But decisions do have to be made.  I find that writing Dyominia as the ultimate Shan chaos baby comes easier than writing her older brother, Argento.  He’s too even tempered and patient at times (the best of the smuggler and spy); he would have made a good Jedi if he was Force-Sensitive.  He follows Aunt Lana around like a lost pup. Dyo -- she’s a little spitfire with the short fuse of her father and the fiestiness of her mother. 

Sink -- Another through the years fic, this was a big favorite for Fluffy Feb 2023.  What does Eva’s fresher since look like, through the years?

3615 BBY/38 ATC

Joy -- scenes at the beginning and toward the end of Jace Malcom’s life.

3611 BBY/42 ATC

One More Birthday -- Eva celebrates one more birthday than her mother ever did.

3609 BBY/44 ATC

“I’m sure this has never worked, ever” –  Argento and Dyominia get up to no good while Mom is off-ship. 

[chaoticspacefam]

The Lana Shipping Meme!

This is a meme made by @swtor-legacy-sitcom​ who very kindly tagged me to fill it in, thank you! :D This was super fun, I’ve been in a bit of a writing rutt lately so this was a nice way to sort-of dip my toe back into it :P I TOTALLY forgot this was in my drafts and forgot to schedule it to post, I’m soooo sorry it took so long lmao 😳😬

I’m not sure if we’re supposed to tag other people with this one so I’ll just leave a general, open tag here: if you have a Lana ship and want to fill this one out, feel free to yoink the meme and say I tagged you! Yes, I promise I mean you <3

Spoilers for KOTFE/KOTET, and slight spoilers for the Subterfugeverse “version” of said events, will be discussed below, so be aware of that before proceeding! There’s also some midlly nsfw questions so you might wanna skip those if they’re not your thing! :D Under a cut because it’s long, but no trigger warnings need apply.

Is Lana Beniko absolutely done with their shit?

Oh yes, absolutely. Nearly always. At any given time, BUT Lana wouldn’t have it any other way. Saarai may be a reckless, overly-heroic idiot with seemingly no self-preservation, but she’s Lana’s reckless, overly-heroic idiot, ya know :’D

Do they make jokes together?

Fairly often, yes! Theirs is very much a flirty/fond banter type of relationship. Lana tells her she’s insufferable, Saarai rolls her eyes and snarks back, so on. See:

Saarai: Well this was a stupid idea Lana: Considering it was one of yours, I’m not surprised Saarai: Why didn’t you say something? Lana: I did and you did it anyway. And what have we learnt from this? Saarai, quietly: I’m a dumbass and I should listen to you more.... Lana: Good. I still love you, though. Saarai: :’D

Lana, two minutes later: You’re going to do it again, aren’t you? Saarai: Yeah, probably.

as well as that little cutscene “You’d better come back blah blah blah” “Well I have you to rescue me, that’s all I need~” is their default pre-dangerous battle banter :P

Who’s hornier? (who initiates)

Saarai is definitely hornier, and while she’s not always the one to initiate, she’s definitely the one to ask more often. (if I had to give it a number, prolly something like 65/45 lol) One of these days, Lana’s going to buy a spray bottle /jk

Kinkiest they’ve been?

Not awfully. Saarai’s a biter (Lana likes it, don’t worry 😏) and she loves it when Lana pulls her hair, but other than that, and making use of connections within the Force to heighten the sensations during such activities ;) they’re pretty vanilla

There was a post going around a while back about an alternative to a praise kink that was like, a “reassurance” kink, instead. I can’t find the actual post to link to it and I haven’t pinned down any specifics for them yet but I definitely think that’s a Saarai thing to look into later 😏

Has Lana ever covered up something your OC did as Minister of Intelligence?

In a roundabout way, yes. Technically, Saarai’s entire existence on Rishii. Since, teeechhnically, as far as the Empire’s concerned at that point, Rai’s supposed to be dead. Lana doesn’t know the technicalities of why that is (and Saarai isn’t comfortable telling her, even now), but she knows it’s important, so she does it for her even if she doesn’t know why.

Favorite non sexual downtime activity?

Cuddles! Saarai is a cuddlebug, and while Lana enjoys them she’s definitely not the “if I don’t get cuddled x times a day I can’t go on” type (in my headcanon, ofc, I’m not saying she can never be that way!) but, Saarai’s also very warm and cuddling her is cozy, so it’s something they both enjoy, whether Rai’s the big spoon, or - and this is Rai’s favourite thing ever - Saarai putting her head in Lana’s lap so Lana can play with her hair, it’s something they always do at the end of the day when they’re both done with work.

Mushiest thing Your OC has ever done for Lana?

So, I’m too impatient & lazy to do the actual HK missions in-game, but I know you can technically get another HK unit, so because ✨it’s my fanfic and I get to make the rules✨ Saarai sent Aria (my DS! Jedi Shadow, very good at stealth) back to Zakuul and though it was a bit battered up, she managed to retrieve HK’s processor. They had to get him a new chassis, but Koth and Ty managed to salvage the rest of his “important” bits and they rebuilt HK for her after they settled on Odessen :’3

Most Embarrassed Lana has ever been because of your OC?

In the middle of an important meeting, in front of everyone on the Alliance High Council, including Theron, Senya, Ni’kasi, Vano, etc.

Lana, sarcastically, after they’ve been disagreeing on how to handle a particular matter for ~1 hr: hahaha bite me.

Saarai, dead serious: Okay, where? 😏

Lana was mortified, to say the least XD

That thing that happened that they vow to NEVER speak of?

Saarai’s reaction when they went to Nathema. Rai’s psychometric, and in hindsight she realises putting her hand on that wall as she ducked into the building was a mistake. She was bombarded with flashback after flashback of what had happened on Nathema when it was still Medriaas, the planet where she was born and where most of her family died, it was not a pleasant experience for her and Rai actually collapsed at one stage because it was all too much for her ;w;

Lana had to bring her back around and herd her back on the ship, where Rai had to wait because she just couldn’t go any further, and Lana and Vano had to go on alone. Lana agreed not to tell anyone else about what had happened, because Saarai didn’t want any of them to worry about her, or think she was “weak” because of it.

The Angriest they’ve ever been at each other?

There’s actually two instances that come to mind for this one

1) Koth’s betrayal/stealing of the Gravestone, Lana was pissed at Koth and wanted to take it out on him, Saarai was pissed at the situation and got between them and chewed Lana out for taking it out on him. (Subterfugeverse is kinda complicated, there’s two Commanders calling the shots for different parts of the Alliance, Koth took issue with something Vano did and made the reckless, kinda stupid decision to still steal the Gravestone even tho Saarai didn’t do anything. (also for anyone new to the blog, all three of them are dating, they’re polyam ;)) Lana took it personally, Saarai was more upset that he was upset and didn’t say anything before he did something stupid. Rai and Lana butted heads about how to deal with it, Lana got salty cause she got yelled at, but they ofc fix it later :3)

2) Torian’s death. Saarai had tried to warn Lana what would happen if they split Vette & Torian up during that fight, Lana brushed it off and told Rai to “stop overreacting, it will be fine”. Obviously, it was not fine. Rai was very angry at the result because, I quote, “I WARNED YOU! And you wouldn’t listen to me!” Saarai refused to speak to Lana for a few days after that, it was kinda a rough time for Lana, she’s only seen Rai get that angry a few times, and only once at her so it shook her a bit. 😢

How does both Lana, and your OC initiate the ‘fade to black’ ;)

For Saarai, the “indicator” is usually when her kisses start to become 50/50 between kissing and biting/nibbling. That’s the universal “ok I want to” signal for Rai. Usually very quickly followed by a soft “yes?” or “are you sure?”, either against her skin or into her ear, depending on where she’s kissing at the time; because she’ll always check first, and if Lana says “no”, it’s off, because Lana’s consent is more important than any of her feelings.

For Lana, it’s when she’ll let Rai pick her up and/or usually to pin her to a wall. There’s a decent height difference, Saarai’s 6 ft 3, and I headcanon that while Lana’s not necessarily “short” at around 5 ft 8, she’s considerably smaller than Rai, as well as being more “reserved” with PDA, she’ll hold hands, or kiss her on the cheek etc. in front of other people, but otherwise Lana tries to keep somewhat “professional” while they’re at work. So when she starts climbing her like a tree, Rai knows she’s about to get some. XD

Do they have kids?

Kiiiinddd of? It’s complicated. Saarai has a son, Ty, from a previous relationship. Lana & Koth both sort of step up to help co-parent, but since Sith Purebloods age differently (i.e. they’re adults at ~20ish the same as humans, but after that they’re more like elves and their physical aging slows down, so they’re more long-lived), even though Ty’s very young by Pureblood standards, he’s still 60 years old, so he’s technically older than Lana and it’s kind of awkward for him to actually call her mom even if she kind of acts like one. He accidentally called her “mom” once, it was very awkward for both of them XD

What has been the most protective Lana has ever had of said kid?

I sat and scratched my head for ages trying to think of something to answer this question with, but I’m very sad to say that right now at the time of answering this meme, I don’t have any specific scenes planned out to tell you about! :( But rest assured that Lana absolutely would rush to help Ty if it was ever necessary :D

House pets? Is your Lana a dog person, or Cat person?

Funnily enough, they don’t actually have any pets! I’d like to think of Lana as more of a cat person than a dog person, in my personal opinion. But they have yet to get any pets of their own, maybeee later on, I dunno. Haven’t hit on any solid ideas for them yet, but I feel like if they happened upon a cute kitty they definitely could adopt one at some stage :’3

Do they get freaky on the Alliance Base or in the Shuttles?

They’ve done both, to be honest lol. Thankfully, Saarai’s sneaky enough that they haven’t gotten caught doing it, yet. Thank the Force.

Are their Sparring Matches Flirtatious? Hardcore?

They could go either way, it depends on what kind of mood they’re both in. If Lana’s particularly annoyed (usually not at Rai, but sometimes) then it’s more likely to be a hardcore spar, Rai’s a pretty tough cookie so she’ll often offer to be Lana’s punching bag in order to spare them some repair bills so she doesn’t rip apart the training dummies irrepairably, it’s okay, Rai can take it ;)

But if they’re both in an otherwise good mood and are just sparring for practise sakes, then yes, they often very quickly devolve into flirtacious banter and some of the classics, you know, “okay you win, you can let me go now” “mmm, nah” “I thought we were sparring” “do you want me to stop” “...don’t you dare.” etc. :’D

Class Specific things that play into their relationship?

Saarai’s a Juggernaut, and I headcanon Lana’s probably some sort of Sorcerer, so they tend to fight as such. They cover each other in more ways than one, if you want to get to Lana you have to go through Saarai first (and good luck to you, that woman can take and give a fucking beating lmao). Lana picks off whatever Saarai’s saber misses, usually with Force attacks but sometimes with her saber, too. Saarai takes bullets for Lana so Lana doesn’t have to get hurt. Lana yells at Rai for doing that and then fixes her up with Force healing afterwards, rinse and repeat. :’D

When they do argue, Lana tends to spontaneously manifest Force lightning, Saarai’s used to it and doesn’t bat an eyelid, she knows Lana’s not actually going to throw it at her and she’s more than prepared to dodge any stray bolts that do come her way.

Lana’s the tactician and the ground support, Saarai’s the battering ram/the bigass hammer used to clear space when Lana needs a bit of extra “oomph” (and trust me, they’re usually never far apart. The other one will be there and then you’ll be in trouble lmao)

Describe a time your OC went ‘Full beast mode’ to protect Lana, instead of the other way around?

"Kriff. Koth, what happened?” Three words was all it took, and everything made sense: “They hurt Lana.”

That scene in the Endless Swamps on Zakuul, just before they pull the Gravestone out of it and Lana and the Commander get ambushed. Saarai went with Lana & Koth to break Vano out of carbonite (since Saarai was still on Rishii at the time, she doesn’t get frozen, only Vano) so when they split up, Saarai goes with Koth to look for ship parts while Vano goes with Lana to look for water.

Lana and Vano get ambushed by the Knights/Skytroopers, and Lana’s hand gets busted. It takes Saarai and Koth a little while to rush over there to help them, but when they do

Saarai. Goes. Fucking. Feral. It’s the scariest she’s ever been in front of Lana and Lana will never forget it, they almost didn’t really need Senya’s help for that part, Saarai basically had it covered. I imagine Lana later described it as “kind of hot, but also kind of terrifying, actually”

Saarai’s considered Chaotic Good, so generally speaking if there’s a peaceful, non-violent solution to a problem, she’ll opt for that, but she has a few buttons that you just do not want to push, ever. And hurting her partners is one of those buttons. She will go apeshit and that’s exactly what happened in the swamp lmao

Little things couples do to annoy each other. What does Lana do? What does your OC do?

Saarai likes to wake up early and hide Lana’s kaf mug in increasingly ridiculous places. Once, she even got Koth to help her stick it to the top of the Gravestone’s hull. It took Lana half the morning to find it, Lana was not amused. XD

Saarai and Koth also have an ongoing “terrible puns” contest where they basically see who can annoy Lana with the most ridiculous puns possible, see this post for an example :P Lana wonders where/how they keep coming up with these puns, she really does.

Does Lana get jealous in your headcanon?

Not really! In Subterfugeverse, both Rai and Lana are polyam, so generally speaking, jealousy isn’t a problem for them, and when it is it’s more of a case of “hey. Hey. Hey, I’m not getting enough attention, pay attention to me.” and then it’s usually dealt with and all is well ;)

When Lana meets Anri, the only thing Saarai does is tease her about “when she’s going to make the move”. 😜

Story that is prominent in their relationship?

I was gonna draw a little doodle for this but the poses kept not coming out right so I gave up, sorryyy qAq

I haven’t gotten very far into planning the SoR onwards+ segments of Subterfugeverse, just bits and bobs like this, but I’d say for now the most prominent is probably their first meeting on Rishii. Basically, meet-cute but with a lightsaber involved too hahaha. There was a lot of posturing and flirty subtext right from the get-go with these two, even if Saarai was particularly suspicious at first (see the earlier question about her being technically dead to the Empire). At first, when she noticed Lana tailing Ty (because Lana was extremely confused about why a Pureblood was so far from Sith space ;)), Saarai assumed that something had happened to her twin and the Empire had A) found out she and Ty were still alive and B) Sent Lana to track them down and kill them for good. Several tension-loaded hours later and Lana managed to convince Rai that actually, Ni’kasi was fine and speaking of, she was trying to avoid being killed too so maybe, actually, they could help each other. And that was all she wrote <3

[rainofaugustsith]

On Vette vs. Torian

So there's another discussion about that awful Torian vs. Vette choice on Reddit. Since I don't post there, I thought I'd gather my observations here. CW: discussion of character death 

IMHO saying that Vette is a 'damsel in distress' is not giving her credit where credit is due. If you are a Sith Warrior, you know she was part of Nok Drayen's crew as a kid, and that's nothing to sneeze at. You know she's been an assassin. You know she's been strong enough to get onto Korriban, which is supposed to be a restricted world. You know she can get through numerous Sith tombs and solve puzzles on Korriban that the Sith couldn't solve themselves. And as a wonderful post on Tumblr pointed out, in the Dark Temple where everyone is going mad, Vette's calm comment is to ask if she can lift a few bits and pieces.

If you are from the other classes you may not have that backstory for Vette, but you do know she was clever enough to rewire a warhead for her own amusement. She was able to break her way out of impossible confines on Iokath. She's obviously verrrryyy good with computers. And she does not back down. Vette isn't a weak damsel in distress; she's got a kill count.

Having said that, it's also obvious that between Torian and Vette, Vette is terrified of dying. That's another piece of backstory that Sith Warriors have: on almost every planet in the class story, in the background chatter Vette has a line like "have I ever told you, I'm afraid of dying of (whatever is on that planet)." She tells the Sith Warrior, "If I die, I'm going to haunt you.," It's all delivered as quips, but they are 'jokes' that Vette keeps repeating without laughing.

Without that background knowledge, it's still obvious that Vette is more afraid. She does not want to die.

Torian is a Mandalorian. He's as fierce as they come. If you are a Bounty Hunter you know his backstory; how locating and defeating his father on Taris was important enough that he was willing to cover himself in rakghoul entrails and sacrifice himself to accomplish it. You know he's a young man with a very large legacy on his shoulders, a lot of responsibility, and no clan to back him up. It's all a tall order, even for a Mandalorian.

But I don't think anyone ever denies that Torian is tough. In the other classes you meet him as you are planning for battle. You watch him sacrifice other Mandalorians to the fight. You share a Death Ceremony with him. Despite the Mandalorians' talk  of dying in a blaze of glory, though, Torian still wants to be saved on Odessen.

Now, between the two of them, who should be saved? Either. IMHO there is no positive or negative choice.

I always save Vette. My canon Outlander/Commander is my Sith Warrior Viri, who considers Vette to be her sister. There's no way she would sacrifice Vette.

But even my bounty hunters save Vette over Torian. I'll be honest: it's because I personally like Vette more. I also want everyone who goes through KOTET - which is an AU for everyone but Viri - to be able to fit into Viri's world with certain characters always available for screenshots.

I object to the auto-complete choices for KOTET, which say that every Republic class - plus the Sith Warrior - saves Vette, while the remaining three Imperial classes save Torian. It's not a LS or DS choice, it's about which character has connected with the player more.

I object to the choice in general, as well. It's a Virmire choice. It's the same sort of choice one has in the Trooper story, where one has to decide to let someone die as they are literally begging for their life or to kill off a lot of unknowing prisoners. It's meant to evoke strong emotion and conflict in the player.

In KOTET's case, I feel strongly that it's also specifically engineered to eliminate any sympathy one might have toward Vaylin after learning about her horrific imprisonment on Nathema. Vaylin killed your pal; you have to retaliate. To make it worse, they picked two very popular, beloved companions for this choice. That's how it is set up with no way to veer from the narrative.

I've seen suggestions that if one has Senya/Arcann alive, they should be able to rescue whoever is left from Torian or Vette. I don't agree with that. I personally feel that whether the player has Lana/Theron or Senya/Arcann, they should have had an option to save both.  Maybe that could have hinged on your actions earlier in KOTFE and KOTET, or a combination of actions.

- If you'd raised the Specialists' influence levels, for example, maybe your Specialists  developed enough expertise and weapons to save both Torian and Vette.

- If you saved the refugees and civilians on Zakuul, perhaps they showed up to help.

- Maybe the Scions decided to help out if you were nice(r) to them and didn't kill Hesker.

- If you finished, say, four of the Star Fortresses, maybe those companions showed up as your rescue team.

- Did you give the Mandalorians the plans while you were on Darvannis? Since you didn't kill them off, they are alive to help!

- Did you put money back into the Alliance after the Vette and Gault mission? You have shiny new weapons to save both companions!

The point was, there were ways they could have rewarded the player for engaging more in KOTFE/KOTET that would have led to a more positive outcome.

In my own headcanoned universe, Torian is dead. That's because the game narrative is set up that way, and while I do diverge from canon when I can, I feel that removing pivotal moments in the game is perhaps taking it too far. I have Viri send Pierce and his group to try to save Torian, but they are cut off at the pass and can’t get there. But I also respect the headcanon that sees both companions survive.

As I mentioned, I really don't like these choices. They usually feel like a cheap way to raise the stakes in a story, and I feel there are other ways to get there.

[storyknitter]

WIP sample, post-ch 9 KOTET??

Oh look, it’s more angst! :D (who’s surprised here at this point now, really?)

I really would love to take Lana and Theron to the Throne Room in ch 9, but ... Sanna can’t kill Arcann and definitely can’t bring herself to kill Senya. SO, I’m just gonna headcanon that at least Theron sweet-talked his way onto the ground team with her. So aaaaaaaaaaanyway, he knows about when she went to the Emperor’s Fortress in her class quest and what happened there. He knows how much having Vitiate/Valkorion in her head bothers her, knows how scared she is that he’ll take over.

Then they’re in the Throne Room and seeing is completely different than knowing. This is after they get home.

“Dr. Oggurobb asked me to bring this to you, said it’s the information you requested.” [Sanna] smiled again, gazing up at him.

As you command, my Emperor.

The scene from the throne room flashed before his eyes, the fear -- no, terror -- he’d felt in that instant when Vitiate controlled Vassanna drowning him. The deal he’d brokered with her, should she lose to Vitiate, playing out in his head. The memory of that night on Coruscant, before she went out to Wild Space and disappeared for five years.

“Theron?” Sanna’s palm, cool on his cheek, drew him back to the present. A frown twisted her features, a crease between her brows. “Are you all right?”

Before he could speak, Theron wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to his chest, as though needing the reassurance that she was in fact here, was in fact herself. Pressing his lips to the top of her head, he tried to forget the sight of her dangling from invisible strings, then bowing to a monster that had haunted her for years.

Her arms wound around his chest and he felt himself relaxing. He’d insisted on going with her to take the stupid throne that she didn’t even want, so now he would deal with the consequences, as much as they made it hard for him to breathe. He’d been so close -- far too close -- to losing her again.

Kissing her forehead as he pulled away, Theron offered Sanna his usual smirk. She didn’t buy it for a moment.

“What happened?”

“Just... remembering.”

[legacyofabsolutewalnuts]

Fandom Meme - A, R, T

A -  Your current OTP(s)/OT3(s)/OTX(s)

Ooo this is a fun one. You brought up the idea of Viticalia/Lana and I’m now thoroughly obsessed with Vits/Lana/Thomsyn bc they’d be so good. Bel/Theron which I think is...probably obvious, I give Bel a lot of screentime, although I have the idea of Bel/Theron/Balkar in my head AND THAT I think would be great. Also Keiral/Biron - come at me I wanted more from them okay.

R -  A pairing you ship that you don’t think anyone else ships

Hmm, I definitely have a few, but I’ll stick npcs and then one extra which I’ll explain. Keiral/Biron as I stated above, bc I loved them. Also I know I reblogged a post about it earlier but um Vector/Quinn esp for an Agent!Quinn au. I think they would be really interesting together. OH also Phi-ton/Agent/Vector bc when I first played a female agent I thought Vector being okay with that marriage was very sweet and also that Phi-ton and Vector both seemed like they’d be legitimately interested in learning from each other at least. 

I’m pretty sure I saw this elsewhere, but I cannot remember where and for some reason Doc/Scourge is the funniest and best pairing I have ever heard I kind of wanted it.

I do have one that’s a bit weird, which is that I very much ship Viticalia’s older sister Dapatica with Senya in an au where Daps survived the Eternal Empire’s attacks.

I’m also gonna out myself here and just say that a friend got me into Hellblazer and Demon Knights and JLD in the DCU and I heavily ship John Constantine/Jason Blood and I will die on that hill. Give me that chaotic punk warlock and immortal queeny witch pairing pls.

T -  Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending, about anything at all (gender identity, sexual or romantic orientation, extended family, sexual preferences like top/bottom/switch, relationship with poetry, seriously anything)

I tend not to change my decisions for ocs about like gender and sexuality and race once decided, usually bc I make them for a reason, but other than that not so much. Oh I will die on the hill that Kaliyo, Malavai, Doc and Vector should 100% have been bi romances (or at least added like some of the others in the expansions) bc the dynamic the three of them have with the player character male or female gets really deep and sometimes very homoerotic and I just pretend those were options in fics bc I can. Yes, I know Doc is a womanizer but like...man could that have been fun. 

I have some personal headcanons about Imperial, Republic, Zakuulan and Alliance culture but like, only stuff I would toss in fics, not anything I care about anyone else using.

This got long and I’m so sorry but thank you so much for asking!

[crqstalite]

State of the Galaxy. [midnightspxce]

A quick State of the Galaxy post. Probably will be updated as these stories progress, but I’ve noticed while rereading I keep assuming people know things already from my shitposts and have gained telepathy but that’s not always the truth. Kind of my own ‘Canon Defiance’, because I take canon and yank it to how I like it. If you’d like to pull any head canons on timelines or ages of canon characters, feel free to. This was kind of a passion project of mine because once I get involved in something, I get involved.

I also am horrible at remembering ages. This is as much for you, the reader, as for me, the author.

If you don’t want to read this whole mess, here’s the timeline I reference a lot. I defy it all the time and twist and turn it into what I want, but anyways. Same thing with ages of companions here. 

SHADOW OF THE SITH -

In this story, the first canon defiance you’ll notice is that in-between the beginning and end of the vanilla story is two years, instead of the widely accepted three. Well, for most characters. Then there’s another year to Assault on Tython/Korriban Incursion, or Chapters 1 + 2 of Shadow of the Sith (13 ATC). As mentioned in the book, there’s another two years in between then to Shadow of Revan, which is Chapters 3-12 (15 ATC). Ziost takes place months after that, currently Chapters 13-16 (to be updated). Just after Ziost comes the first chapter of Knights of the Fallen Empire. Five years passes (20 ATC), and then there is a two year period of the expansion there (22 ATC). Another year passes to Knights of the Eternal Throne (23 ATC) A year passes to the end of Nathema (24 ATC). Another two years passes to the end of Onslaught (26 ATC). This is all subject to change because I’m kind of horrible about sticking to a timeline (and with Onslaught so far in the future of the story nothing is set in stone), but it will be updated if I change my mind.

Now, I’ve deduced there are sixteen years in between the vanilla story and the end of Onslaught. Because of this, here are the ages of both OCs currently mentioned in the story and some canon characters. You can skip this if you don’t care.

Major Characters - Tri’ama Amarillis - 20 (10 ATC - Vanilla Game), 36 (26 ATC - Onslaught) Naji Iresso - 20 (10 ATC), 36 (26 ATC) Mierrio Revel - 21 (10 ATC), 37 (26 ATC) Whyatt Grace - 19 (10 ATC), 35 (26 ATC) Dhyndre Djaal - 17 (10 ATC), 33 (26 ATC) Khaak Beniko - 28 (10 ATC), 44 (26 ATC) Ba’shira Cadera - 18 (10 ATC), 34 (26 ATC) J’nell Wryen - 40 (10 ATC), 56 (26 ATC) Khelan Hyllus - 29 (10 ATC), 45 (26 ATC) Hakiojkl Jorgan - 30 (10 ATC), 46 (26 ATC)

Minor Characters [ + mentions] - Raegia Amarillis - 50 (10 ATC), 66 (26 ATC) Yusaits Amarillis - 57 (10 ATC), 73 (26 ATC) Typarnk Amarillis - 24 (10 ATC), 40 (26 ATC) Scorvs Amarillis - 26 (10 ATC), 42 (26 ATC) Kadasha Amarillis - 17 (10 ATC), 33 (26 ATC) Bisauur Sae - 18 (10 ATC), 34 (26 ATC) Vza’haria Atiya - 35 (10 ATC), 51 (26 ATC) Jaak’lo Khethak - 27 (10 ATC), 43 (26 ATC) Synntai Pakar - 24 (10 ATC), 40 (26 ATC) Ryean Wystern - 26 (10 ATC), 42 (26 ATC) Xev’heng Lumere - 31 (10 ATC), 47 (26 ATC)  Xalzon Dajev - 43 (10 ATC; deceased) Weit’hara’jel - 44 (10 ATC), 60 (26 ATC) Weit’axis’ion - 23 (10 ATC), 39 (26 ATC) Zhonani Zaares - 26 (10 ATC), 42 (26 ATC) Aethree Zaares - 27 (10 ATC), 43 (26 ATC)

Canon Characters - Theron Shan - 22 (10 ATC), 38 (26 ATC) [tbd]* Lana Beniko - 27 (10 ATC), 43 (26 ATC) [tbd]* Andronikos Revel - 34 (10 ATC), 50 (26 ATC) Malavai Quinn - 34 (10 ATC), 50 (26 ATC) Felix Iresso - 29 (10 ATC), 45 (26 ATC) Torian Cadera - 19 (10 ATC), 35 (26 ATC) Vector Hyllus - 31 (10 ATC), 47 (26 ATC) Aric Jorgan - 30 (10 ATC), 46 (26 ATC) Zenith - 34 (10 ATC), 50 (26 ATC)

All of these ages, beyond my OCs, are just speculation at the moment. Especially *Theron and Lana (I remember seeing someone assume she was fifty-ish and their reasoning made sense so if I find it again I’ll link it here), because their ages are all over the place through the fandom. Also did anyone notice that all the men are so damn old compared to where most PCs are head canoned as? Except for maybe the force blind classes, all the force users are assumed to be pretty young, like in the 18-25 range. Andronikos, Quinn, Iresso, I’m looking at ya’ll. And Zenith. He can’t be romanced in-game, but Bis was 18 in 10 ATC, and he’s assumed to be 30-40. If anyone intends to cancel me over this in the future, in my defense, I always headcanon my characters young. Not to put this all on Bioware -- but to put this all on Bioware.

SHAN -

Shan, while relatively new, is still probably one of the most solid timelines I’ve had thus far. There’s not too much canon defiance here, only that instead of two years like in Shadow of the Sith, Shan has three years for Lexulle’s class story (13 ATC). Then there’s a year to Shadow of Revan hits in 14 ATC. Lexulle has Malcom late 14 ATC, another two, nearly three years passes to early 17 ATC, which is where they are now at the beginning of Knights of the Fallen Empire. After that (22 ATC), Knights of the Fallen Empire, Knights of the Eternal Throne and the traitor arc take place over the course of about three years respectively (25 ATC). A year passes through Jedi Under Siege and Onslaught (26 ATC).

There are sixteen years in between the beginning of the game and Onslaught.

Characters: Lexulle Kallig - 22 (10 ATC), 38 (26 ATC) Malcom Kallig-Shan - 0 (14 ATC), 12 (26 ATC) Andronikos Revel - 32 (10 ATC), 48 (26 ATC) Theron Shan - 23 (10 ATC), 39 (36 ATC)*

*As always, I will eternally struggle with Theron’s age.

WHAT WE LOST IN THE FIRE -

This one. Is the bane of my existence at the moment. It’s a bit of a struggle because the main part of story, or at least the part that is a big part of the first arc takes place before the main story. Figuring that out while keeping mind of Andronikos and Mierrio’s ages was definitely a fun challenge. Andronikos and Mierrio had Corsha in 7 BTC, making him 20 and her 21. Skip forward nearly a decade to Shadow Of Revan/Ziost (16 ATC), which is actually on par with the SWTOR timeline. Kind of. Five years forward to her unfreezing in carbonite (21 ATC). After that it should follow the sort of official timeline, three years from then to the traitor arc (24 ATC).

There are fourteen years in between the beginning of the game and Onslaught.

Characters: Corsha Revel-Kallig - 17 (10 ATC), 31 (24 ATC) Koth Vortena - 28 (10 ATC), 42 (24 ATC)* Andronikos Revel - 38 (10 ATC), 52 (24 ATC) Mierrio Andeyr - 39 (10 ATC), 53 (24 ATC)

*Bioware. Really. I know Corsha is aged down pretty far compared to my average quizzy (20-24), but even so he’s still so OLD compared any force sensitive class I personally head canon. I even aged him down six years compared to the guide I found and he’s still almost a decade older than her.

These are all just my own personal headcanons for the expansions, not at all to be taken as canon unless you’d like it for your own stories. I do not see how realistically they managed to to shove all of this into their arbitrary thirteen years between the vanilla story and the end of Onslaught but I choose to defy canon at the moment. I love the writers, I really do, but why are all my male love interests a decade+ older than my characters?

[inyri]

Facta non verba. Deeds, not words for Nine and Lana or Nine and Theron in Equivalent Exchange Universe please.

(I decided to do this one first, before Thursday comes along and maybe or maybe doesn’t break my particular headcanon.

Nine and Lana. Post-Umbara.)

facta, non verba

By the time Nine stops crying, her sobs quieting into soft whines like a wounded animal and then, finally, into the slow steady breaths of sleep, it’s been over an hour and she’s added another half-dozen items to the list of Things For Which Theron Is Going To Have To Apologize.

She tries to get up after a few minutes. Her legs are numb, her stomach aching where Nine’s head is pressed against it (it was only a stun bolt, just like they’d agreed, but that didn’t make it hurt any less and his aim was too good by half. The shot took the breath right out of her). But when she shifts Nine opens her eyes.

“Theron?” Nine reaches out, half-slurring. She’s got enough painkillers in her system to stun a bantha. How is she still awake? “Theron, I dreamed-”

Damn him. Damn him to the Void and back.

“It’s only me,” she says quietly. “He can’t- he isn’t here. Do you remember what happened?”

“Lana?” Nine turns her head, just enough to look up and see her- the movement sets the bruises off again but she breathes through the pain; she’ll see to herself later- and then blinks, slowly, eyes bloodshot and bruise-rimmed. “It’s not real, is it? It’s not- he didn’t-”

“I’m sorry.” She doesn’t know what else to say.

Nine starts to cry again, then.

They should have known that this would happen. They’d assumed too much, assumed that because she’d endured the worst of the struggles against Arcann and Vaylin, the worst of the Emperor’s constant assaults on her mind without complaint that she could get through this. It would be hard, they knew- harder still because it had to be Theron to go.

(No, he says over her protests as they sit, heads together, in her quarters. It’s too far over your head. If this goes even a fraction as deep as I think it does-

I can manage it. It’d make more sense if it was me, wouldn’t it?

Theron shakes his head. Not any more. Not after Iokath.

He’s right, of course. But she keeps pushing until finally he raises a hand, snappish, to silence her.

Lana, no. You aren’t cut out for this. There’s no room for mistakes with people like them- one slip and you’re dead, and you’re going to have to do whatever it takes. Whatever they want. No second thoughts.

I-

No, he says again. It’s got to be me. But I’m going to need your help.)

Nine couldn’t be allowed to follow him, not right away. She’d have scented him out like a hunting hound and all their planning would be for nothing- the circle of conspirators would close in around all of them and it would be the end of everything, all their work, all their plans, all Nine’s sacrifice and suffering and all the new scars she bore for naught-

But this is monstrous.

They’d assumed she could endure it.

They’d assumed. They were wrong.

So instead she strokes Nine’s hair, newly shorn, brittle pieces coming free between her fingers- she’d gone through her quarters and taken everything she could lay her hands on that might have been dangerous (which, knowing Nine as she did, was practically everything including the bedsheets and spare changes of clothing but she had to leave something for her to wear), but she hadn’t thought about the medical bay; at least it’d only been her hair Nine had cut- murmuring comfort as best she can. “I’m afraid it’s real. But we’re going to find him. I promise.”

(Three true things in a row. Almost a record, today.)

“Why?” It’s barely audible, more wail than word, and with so many tears her nose is running, making a mess of her tunic and tabards as Nine curls and clings, childlike, to her legs. A small price to pay after what they’ve done to her. “Why?”

“I wish I knew.”

(A lie. 

So much for new records.)

Theron will have so much to make up for when he comes back. But Force help them all, he’s got to live through this first.

[cinlat]

WIP Game

Talk about the WIPs you’re intending to work on this year.

I was tagged by @dimigex, all around cool person and excellent beta. Thanks for making me prioritize here!

Okay, so my resolution for 2018 is not to start anything new (okay, not to POST anything new) until I’ve finished most of my current WIPs. Most are in the swtor universe, with a dalliance into FFXIV.

Heart On A Trigger  - This is the continuation of Family Is More Than Blood, taking place in the kotfe/kotet story arc. I’ll be getting into the main plot in a couple of chapters in which everything goes haywire and my own, personal headcanon takes over. So, that should be fun.

Echo Of Evil - This is my FFXIV story featuring the romance of the Warrior of Light and X’rhun Tia, the Red Mage quest giver. I really fell hard for that silly M’qote, and I couldn’t find anyone writing it, so I started a thing. Now, I just need to find the time to finish it. 

Legacy of Violence - This is a fluffy side piece that I started because Trigger was depressing me, and people wanted to revisit Aric Jorgan’s feisty triplets, so win-win. It’s mostly just a way for me to inflict the craziness of parenting on my favorite grumpy Cathar. I haven’t made as much progress on it as I would have liked, but I plan to revisit and possibly finish this year.

The Art Of Being Invisible - I’m actually only 6(ish) chapters from completing this prequel type thing, I just haven’t figured out how to write them yet. But, I do plan to complete it this year. Fynta and Theron can only beat each other up so many times before they are forced to part ways and carry on with the story. 

I have several others that I piddle around with from time to time, but I’m really trying to buckle down on this list first. I’ll tag three people and leave room for others to tag. 

So, @tishinada, @birdonabird, and @rainofaugustsith, what do you lovelies have to add to this list?

[achantersayswhat]

OTP Song Meme

Jumping on this “three songs for an OTP” bandwagon because I have a bunch of OTP playlists that are not long or developed enough to be proper mixes. Not gonna tag anyone but highly encourage doing it if you want!

Ruqi/Quinn

Cake--Hem of Your Garment

Birdy--Skinny Love

Taylor Swift--Out of the Woods

These are, respectively, my mental soundtrack for pre-Quinncident buildup angst, immediately-post-Quinncident everything-is-terrible angst, and post-Baras reconciliation/catharsis. I feel I should note that I don’t really see Quinn as the person being described in Hem of Your Garment, but see that song as basically his internal monologue during the buildup--half genuine self-loathing, half trying to strengthen his resolve by telling himself that he is this person and there’s no going back now. 

Kenna/Theron

Anya Marina--Speakeasy

Katy Perry--Waking Up In Vegas

Walk The Moon--Shut Up And Dance

Important note: While I may eventually give in and play through the stuff that’s currently happening with Theron, my Alliance headcanon is ignoring everything from War on Iokath on so Kenna and Theron are FINE.

Also, when I am feeling even more self-indulgent than usual I like to imagine the presence in the GFFA of an infectious pop song titled “Waking Up On Rishi”.

[riajade01]

You guys I found ONE BLOODY CHOICE in this entire post-SoR mess that has mattered. 5.4 grousing below the cut.

Mara romanced Theron.

When Quinn returned, I re-initiated the romance with him, and got that “this will end any other romances you have going” notice, and like many of y’all, I ENTHUSIASTICALLY smashed the “gimme my husband back” button.

But the game never ended the romance with Theron. The companion menu has the “you are romancing this person” note for both of them.

Which means now, in 5.4, if Mara is to do anything other than threaten Theron with certain, painful death, she ALSO has to tell him she loves him.

:|

Which, if it’s just the flashpoint, that’s not so bad; I can headcanon whatever I want. But I worry that, however this all plays out, at the end of the day, my choice will ultimately be “tell Theron you love him and continue the romance” or “turn him inside out and wear him like a hat”, and the former choice will once again eliminate the Quinn romance.

I mean. If it means keeping the Quinn romance, Mara will make the best of her new Theron-shaped hat, and regret it less than she should.

But what the FUCK Bioware. Of ALL the goddamn ‘choices’ in Kotfe/Kotet, the ONLY ONE that has mattered is the one they SAID you could take back.

[chaoticspacefam]

OC Worldbuilding Tag!

I was tagged by @raven-of-domain-kwaad and @rainofaugustsith for this one, thanks both of you! :D

I shall tag (if you want to ofc, no pressure!) uhh... @thelastenvoyyy​ , @dragonheart-swtor​ , @darth-bagel​ and anyone else who wants to do this, yes I promise I mean you! <3

So...because I’m always talking about her girls, I feel like I should maybe talk about D’leah for once because she’s actually tied to a fair bit of interesting worldbuilding for Subterfugeverse :3

This is a long post oop so here ya go, all under the cut!

(art is comissioned from @.varjopihlaja :3 since the in-game scar options are a little...limited) -Her face got hecked up in one of the battles against the exiled Jedi’s occupation of Korriban, a stray concussion grenade went off before she could get out of range and did quite the number on her face as you can see. She lost most of the spurs on the left side of her face and therefore struggles a bit after that with non-verbal communication - because if Twi’leks and Nautolans can emote/communicate with their lekku and tentacles respectively then 👏 Purebloods 👏 can 👏 emote/communicate 👏 with 👏 their 👏 spurs/tendrils 👏👏  And yes, I am going to die on this hill XD (I have a good portion of these worked out already but haven’t had time to work on diagrams yet, but I will eventually make a lore post of sorts when I have!) Since in general, Purebloods are used to the spur movements occurring in pairs depending on what they’re trying to communicate, it took a lot of time, confusion, patience and frustration for D’leah (and her family) to work out the “adjusted” signals to account for her missing spurs so she could still communicate non-verbally even after the injury.

-Didn’t re-marry or even re-partner after Kissai’s death. He was her soulmate and even though that probably made things worse for her in the long run (nigh on 300 years without your soulmate and a gaping hole where your Force bond with him used to be? yeah, ouch ;-;) she just couldn’t (nor did she want to) “replace” him because she loved him too much. She had enough to remember him by with the twins, Kas looks like him and Saarai acts like him and that was enough to keep her going as long as she managed to.

-Her relationship with the twins is complicated, and while she did do crappy things (and was a Bad Parent because of those things), it wasn’t always like that and when they were younger she was actually a very good mom to them if a little okay a lot strict; but what are you gonna do when you’re (as far as she knew) the last three remaining members of your entire family dynasty having to hide away in Wild Space just to survive while your userper prances about your Empire like he owns the bloody place. I’d be salty about that too if I was D’leah.

I could write a whole essay about the difference in her headspace and why she reacted to the whole Ty Mess the way she did but that’s prolly a little heavy for a headcanon post (and is once again Complicated) so I am not going to do that. If you’re curious you can either ask (in the askbox or in DMs) and/or wait for the breadcrumbs to come when I start releasing the twins’ parts of the series 😬

-I’ve mentioned how she replaces Kallig’s ghost for Ni’kasi in my HCs before, and it’s absolutely Subterfugeverse canon that Ghost Mom continues to stick around and help the twins right up until the final fight with Valkorion at the end of KOTET. And probably after that, too, though much more sporadically at that point because it’s clear the twins are fine on their own so it’s more a case of “they can come find her if they need her help otherwise she’s gonna let them do their thing”

-If she were to ever run into Satele while she’s prowling around in the Odessen wilderness she likely would chew her (and Senya she also has something to say about your taste in men, Senya :’) ) out for being a shitty mom to Theron after learning from her own mistakes with Saarai/Ty and patching that up. Satele wouldn’t know what hit her. XD

-Also helps Ni’kasi, Lana and the others to drag Valkorion out of Vano’s head for good when the time comes, I like to headcanon that exorcising Valkorion’s spirit from Vano’s head would’ve been a lot more damaging/painful without D’leah’s help. Another spirit-being that he can’t manipulate or weaken certainly helped them to give him the shove and not kill Vano in the process.

-She likes to keep Kas’s crew on their toes by randomly moving objects and suchlike on the ship or suddenly popping up (sometimes as a disembodied voice for those who lack the ability to “see” ghosts - poor Andronikos, Talos gets a fright a few times but adjusts a lot quicker than the poor pirate LOL) to remind them to stay on task if she thinks they’re slacking too much. She may be a 400+ year old ghost at this point but she still has a sense of humour! XD

-She’s canonically Lawful Evil on an alignment chart and absolutely would have had No Mercy for the Republic or the Jedi (see again: the Jedi/Sith colonisation thing which IMO is justified for her, given the information we have on all of that. You don’t have to agree and if you don’t that’s fine but that’s my take on it LMAO) but to the rest of the Empire? Actually a pretty good leader and definitely better than Valkorion; none of that slavery bullshit in the Subterfugeverse pre-Valkorion era, thank you, I’ve talked on a lengthy rant before about why we aren’t doing that ;) Also, older Sith and Overseers were definitely held accountable in making sure that acolytes/underaged apprentices were trained safely and without being made to kill each other. That’s all Vitiate/Valkorion in Subterfugeverse - a slightly band-aid solution maybe but I have to fix the mess somehow and I don’t feel like doing that much brain gymnastics. She’s definitely a no-bullshit gal but she’s not about killing kids

[rainofaugustsith]

SWTOR critical: On Quinn and forgiveness

(spoilers for Sith Warrior story, KOTET, Nathema, Iokath and Ossus) I've been thinking about objections to different characters and I've realized something: my big objection to Quinn in SWTOR is not what he does, but how it is handled.

Disclaimer, of course: I don't like Quinn in any way - not his voice, not his looks, not the way he treats others, not his personality. That's my personal opinion and in no way, shape or form has anything to do with how another person sees or SHOULD see Quinn. This will not be a Quinn hatefest post.

Quinn follows a pattern in SWTOR that forgiveness AND befriending/being forced to work closely with past enemies or betrayers are expected as the "light side" options. It's like Arcann. I do not like Arcann and in fact find him very triggery, but do not have an issue with the game giving Arcann a chance to change his ways. I do have a problem that the only way to do that is to take Arcann and his mom into the Alliance and let them replace your trusted advisors and friends in the final chapters of KOTET. Also that Vaylin didn't get the same shot, but that's an argument for another day.

Quinn's betrayal really should not be a surprise. It's set up from Korriban. We learn very early on that Darth Baras has eyes and ears everywhere. He has covert agents all across the galaxy and they've infiltrated a lot of very powerful places. Tremel is supposed to be keeping the Sith Warrior a secret, but when the Beast of Marka Ragnos goes down, Baras not only knows just where to look, but he knows everything you've been up to. As you go through the game you meet lots of other Baras operatives.

Quinn is introduced to you as a Baras operative/contact, in fact. You're told that he owes a debt to the Darth (oh no, that could be a song title. "Debt to the Darth." LOL). He actually excuses himself to speak privately with Baras via holo. There's no reason to believe that he's not still allied with Baras after he begins working for you.

You're also shown, early on, that Baras has no reservations about terminating his agents when they cease to be useful or become too much of a threat. You know this because you're tasked with taking some of those agents and operatives out. It's how it works with Baras: he uses people as long as he can, he gets rid of them when he's done, and he doesn't seem to care much about whether the agent who is sent to dispose of the unwanted person dies along with them.

Nothing you can do in the Sith Warrior story stops Quinn from rising against you. You can get "Quinn approves" points in every conversation from the end of Balmorra to Corellia or romance him, and he'll still try to kill you. There's no great moral outrage on his part. He got an order from Baras and he's doing his job. The author left it very open to interpretation on Quinn's feelings about that job, but he still does it. So it's not a shock. It's the standard cycle we see with Baras's agents. In the Sith Warrior story you can also show regret about killing off an agent you’ve been sent to terminate, but it’s still done. 

What is frustrating is that after the Quinncident, there's only one way for a Sith Warrior to handle it, in the end: you let him return to your crew.  There are a lot of ways to headcanon the Sith Warrior's response. Maybe she truly forgives him. Maybe she is pragmatic and realizes that Quinn's skills and knowledge are useful to her at that time. But it's also reasonable to believe that after Quinn has orchestrated an assassination attempt complete with custom programmed battle droids, the Warrior might not want him back on the ship.

I'm told that in the beta game, there was a kill option after the Quinncident. It was removed because at that time, the companions had static combat roles and Quinn was the Warrior's only healer. I'm not sure why they could not have assigned the healer role to another companion, such as Jaesa, to avoid the conflict.

I'm also not sure why the story could not have accommodated it. We all know that in recent years, kill options for companions have meant that they are functionally dead for everyone. They're usually not seen again in the main story. If they're lucky they get a tiny cut scene every now and then, but not usually. In the class stories, however, the writers did successfully juggle a lot of different branches to the story. The Imperial Agent story has so many possible permutations that I've lost count. LS and DS Jaesa have entirely different conversation and personal story arcs, as well as different approve/disapprove parameters. In the Jedi Knight story, several different things can happen with Lord Praven and Bengel Morr that do affect the story. And after the Quinncident, there's very little of the class story left and Quinn has, I believe, two sentences in one cut scene, so it's especially confusing to me that they didn't accommodate this possibility.

They didn't learn when they brought him back on Iokath, either. There's no way to calmly tell Quinn "I don't want to work with you again." The only way to avoid working with him and welcoming him to your Alliance, provided you have remained Imperial, is to stab him in a totally unnecessary and gruesome scene. It’s one extreme or the other: you either take him back or you kill him.

Maybe Bioware has learned from this. I'd like to hope so. In the traitor arc, you can tell Theron Shan to leave the Alliance without coming across as a monster. The choice to leave him on Nathema is DS, as it should be, but once you are back on Odessen, it's a neutral decision to allow him to stay or not. The same is true with LS Jaesa, Doc and Nadia on Ossus; you can refuse to let them join the Alliance without killing them or being monstrous.

Forgiveness should not be mandatory; refusing to work in close contact with someone who has violated your trust should not be dark sided, and that's what frustrates me about Quinn in the class story.