#Senator Darsana

[this-acuteneurosis]

Balance in All Things

Life is a mix of good news and bad. It always helps to have friends to share them both.

#Duty Bound #Star Wars fic #time travel fix it #Leia Skywalker #Padmé Amidala #C-3PO #R2-D2 #ghost Luke #Anakin Skywalker #Shmi Skywalker #Ahsoka Tano #Senator Darsana #politics #economics #bad news #found family #Don't Look Back

[sw5w]

Senator Amidala, Please

STAR WARS EPISODE II: Attack of the Clones 00:04:13

#Star Wars #Episode II #Attack of the Clones #Coruscant #Galactic City #Federal District #Senator Padmé Amidala #Loyalist Committee #Senator Bail Organa #Alderaan #Senator Darsana #Glee Anselm #Senator Zo Howler #Gravlex Med #Senator Ronet Coorr #Iseno #Senator Aks Moe #Malastare #Senator Orn Free Taa #Ryloth #Senator Ister Paddie #Sermeria #Senator Lexi Dio #Uyter #Senator Havriso Looruya #Yir Tangee #Captain Gregar Typho #Battle of Naboo #Palace Guard #Captain Quarsh Panaka

[celebrate-the-clone-wars]

What do the Anselmi look like?

To this day, I don’t think we’ve had any physical representation of what they look like, we can only presume that perhaps they share aquatic features like the Nautolans since they all come from the same planet. Perhaps they even look slightly similar?

We can only surmise at this point.

#i rarely ever hear them being mentioned either #and only briefly mentioned in Attack of the Clones via Senator Darsana #but we don't even SEE them at all #anon ask #swtcw #the clone wars #star wars #finish the clone wars #Anonymous

[alexseanchai]

@bookity101 , @flamelordytheking , @beatrice-otter , @galahadwilder , anyone else interested in time-traveling Leia: I have now recalled there exists a third (Leia lands on Tatooine before the Phantom Menace and poses as a bounty hunter and gets in Padme's good graces that way, and I think Shmi knows the truth), but do I remember title or author? of course not!

here's the two I do know where to find:

.

Like Fire in Our Bones (139377 words) by acuteneurosis

Chapters: 46/?

Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Major Character Death

Relationships: Leia Organa & Shmi Skywalker, Leia Organa & Luke Skywalker, Padmé Amidala & Leia Organa, Leia Organa & Darth Vader, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, Leia Organa & Anakin Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker & Shmi Skywalker

Characters: Leia Organa, Shmi Skywalker, C-3PO (Star Wars), Padmé Amidala, Anakin Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker | Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, R2-D2 (Star Wars), Obi-Wan Kenobi, Shea Sadashassa, Cordé (Star Wars), Eirtaé (Star Wars), Dormé (Star Wars), Senator Darsana, Sheev Palpatine | Darth Sidious

Additional Tags: Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Skywalker Family Drama, Politics, Grief/Mourning, Ghosts

Summary:

With all of the most important things in the galaxy literally exploding around her, Leia is given the chance to go back and help keep a promise she never personally made.

But then, for Skywalkers, saving the galaxy was always a family matter.

.

Of Queens, Knights, and Pawns (531162 words) by chancecraz

Chapters: 26/?

Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Original Trilogy

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Leia Organa & Darth Vader, Leia Organa & Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa/Han Solo, Bail Organa & Breha Organa & Leia Organa, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Leia Organa

Characters: Leia Organa, Anakin Skywalker | Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Bail Organa, Breha Organa, CT-7567 | Rex, Mon Mothma, Davits Draven, Evaan Verlaine, Ahsoka Tano

Additional Tags: Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, Skywalker Family Feels, Implied/Referenced Torture, Angst

Series: Part 1 of Of Queens, Knights, and Pawns

Summary:

I went to sleep on the worst day of my life and woke to find myself in the past on the second worst day of my life. As experiences go, I don’t recommend it.

#star wars

[this-acuteneurosis]

Slipping

Hard conversations and hard realizations all around. There’s still so much work left to do.

#Duty Bound #Star Wars Fic #time travel fix it #Leia Skywalker #Senator Darsana #Anakin Skywalker #Captain Rex #Clone Trooper Kix #politics #schemes #war #casualties #perfectionism #Skywalkers holding themselves to stupid high standards #Don't Look Back

[this-acuteneurosis]

A question I think you’ll enjoy: Leia physically saved Senator Darsana’s life. Defended him, pulled him out of the path of a blaster shot. What is the political effect of that? Like, did they send her a pretty present? Make an overature to the Naboo delegation? Change how they interact with them?

You know, I do really like this question. Hmmmmm.

I can say that on a personal level, as far as Darsana is concerned Leia is a trustworthy friend. He's unlikely to change his interactions with the delegation publicly over Leia's actions (he considers Naboo an ally, but contingent on Padmé continuing to be more cooperative), unless there is a particular need and it brings a specific benefit. He's already willing to do things like tell Leia about the new Executive powers that were being pushed through, and he would have done that even without the rescue.

But while Leia hasn't called in a debt or anything over the event, yeah, he's definitely keeping track.

#Don't Look Back #Duty Bound #Leia Skywalker #Senator Darsana

[this-acuteneurosis]

If you're still taking alternate pov requests, I'd kill to see somebody's perspective on Senator Darsana, be it another senator, an aide or even someone like Dooku.

Okay, so this took me so long to put together because actually, there aren't a lot of people thinking about Darsana in ways that cross the plot interestingly. Besides Shea, I suppose, BUT! I have found a contender. My new favorite.

Hope you enjoy. (Very minor spoilers for the next DB chapter at the end.)

~...~

In the official social ranks of people that interacted with Mistress Leia, Senator Darsana sat high, but not so high as Queen Jamilia, or Senator and Prince Consort Organa, or even Senator Amidala who was once queen.

And Threepio really wished someone had told him that on Tatooine, because he'd been rude and naked in front of a ruling monarch and how he was managing to bear the shame and work side by side with the senator, in the Republic Senate no less, was anyone's guess.

She was so gracious to never bring it up. Threepio would love her forever for it.

But.

Of all Mistress Leia's friends, Senator Darsana was Threepio's favorite.

He was pristine and deliberate in his dress without being gauche. He eschewed, generally, the excitement that caused Threepio so much distress that Senator Amidala and Mistress Leia couldn't seem to help but jump into. Senator Darsana was urbane, aware, and so pinpoint in his every word and gesture. He knew his own culture so well and delivered insults freely, but with such an air and such careful subtlety that if Threepio had been organic he might have been left breathless.

The senator was polite to Threepio, respected Threepio as an official representative of Mistress Leia's, and was, on the occasions when they interacted, perfectly polite to Mistress Shmi.

All of these things were more than enough to earn him a place of favor in Threepio's eyes.

But beyond the social graces and the wisdom to avoid danger was something more. Something Threepio wasn't entirely sure Senator Darsana knew he was doing. Something Threepio knew Mistress Leia had missed because she never asked, and Threepio had never taught her to see.

The senator loved Mistress Leia.

Loved her in a way that Threepio knew and understood because it was etched, with loving care, into his base programming. Placed there by small hands that had brought Threepio to life and given him focus and purpose and pleasure in both.

Senator Darsana could not interfere with Mistress Leia's duties. But he watched, and learned, and assisted.

He made her smile. Really smile. Not the polite, brittle, sharp thing she used on enemies, or the limpid, vapid thing she brought up against truly dangerous foes.

No, Senator Darsana saw and protected who Mistress Leia truly was. He valued her. Encouraged her. Stood by her when others faltered. Had faith when others were full of doubt.

Acted, always with restraint, so that she might be free, but as safe as he could make her.

It was, perhaps, the sort of love no one other than Threepio could have understood, because it was as much a love born of duty as it was of choice. It could afford no recklessness, knew it must come second to Mistress Leia's needs and wants, and carried itself with quiet contentedness that disguised it's true depths.

But when Senator Darsana was the first to arrive and inquire after Mistress Leia, Threepio discreetly made sure the senator received, separately from Senator Amidala's information, all the details Threepio had about what had occurred.

Someone had to look out for Mistress Leia's best interests.

#Duty Bound #C-3PO #Senator Darsana #Leia Skywalker #outsider pov #Don't Look Back

[this-acuteneurosis]

I just had a terrible idea while re-reading the first part and of course I had to share. I've said it before, I'm not a shipper but my brain is trash and I live on the internet so here's my terrible ida of the day: DLB in-universe shipper(s) POV segment(s).

Not exactly what I think you're looking for, but uh...

~...~

It’s an open secret that Senator Sadashassa is pursuing Senator Amidala’s newest aide.

Open in that everyone who has talked to either of their staff is aware of the frequent collaborations, everyone who has passed them in the hall has seen Leia Skywalker make the senator laugh, everyone who has spent more than a few moments around them has seen Senator Sadashassa reach out to touch Leia’s shoulder or arm and linger just half a breath long enough to almost not be just friendly.

To say nothing of what some can smell or sense or see with more enhanced senses.

It’s secret in that, like many things in the Senate, it won’t go beyond these walls until there’s more political capital to be gained by bargaining with it.

It almost reaches that tipping point every other week or so, when Senator Darsana does something—sends an aide that visits with Skywalker a little long, stops her in the hall and quickly earns an indulgent smile—but never quite goes past that point where it’s just rich, filthy gossip and speculation among the various other senatorial staffs. It only comes to the attention of actual senators if they are particular friends—or enemies—of one of the three parties involved.

Senator Sadashassa’s aides are all rolling eyes and long suffering sighs when they are asked about the progress. Senator Amidala’s handmaidens are more tricky. Eiraté will smile, Cordé will laugh once and shake her head, and Dormé with simply smile pleasantly as if she has no knowledge on the topic.

Sheltay is losing her mind.

It’s her first and most important responsibility to stay on top of staff gossip in the Senate, what with the prince being busy with actual politics. Sheltay is the one who gets to wade through the mire of torrid secrets and unpleasant half truths. Well, her and her assistants. But Sheltay has to know what’s happening, because sometimes it’s enough to tip the scales for their actual work.

Skywalker is toying with two completely different senators, keeping both lightly engaged and denying neither.

And she’s winning.

Senator Amidala’s office has gotten direct promises from both senators related to Naboo’s recent refugee focus. Concessions! From Senator Darsana!

It’s not a method Sheltay agrees with, less for any cultural or moral reasons, and more because the risks of backlash are so high.

But it’s working. And Sheltay doesn’t really know what to do with that.

Leia Skywalker is an enigma and a mystery. She’s pretty enough, but that’s not a stand out quality in the Senate. She’s smart—dangerously clever, Sheltay thinks—but that’s not it either. There are hundreds, thousands of intelligent and capable staff members from across the galaxy in these buildings every day.

There’s something else about her. Something that’s easy to miss when she’s pretending to be quiet and unassuming, a shadow in the main halls and a passing thought in full meeting rooms.

And then Sheltay is notified that Leia Skywalker is attending the negotiation dinner with Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi—rising negotiator and Jedi master to Anakin Skywalker—and all of Sheltay’s carefully constructed assumptions and plans are promptly shot.

She’s not paid enough for this.

#Don't Look Back #outsider POV #Sheltay Retrac #Leia Skywalker #Shea Sadashassa #Senator Darsana #Obi-Wan Kenobi #poltiics #Like Fire in Our Bones

[this-acuteneurosis]

Is Senator Darsana an OC?

How do you imagine he looks?

He is not an OC. Technically.

I've gotten a couple of other asks about his appearance, and uh, yeah...

#Senator Darsana #Don't Look Back

[this-acuteneurosis]

Hello! I'd really like to ask how does Senator Darsana look like in your universe? At first I assumed that he looks close to Kit Fisto, but then Wookiepedia showed me wrong, hahaha. It also showed that you picture Anselmi very differently in the series. So I've just gotta ask, how would you physically describe Darsana?

So I have sort answered this before, and I know my betas are laughing at me because I am So Bad at physically describing things.

He's definitely blue/blue-grey toned, with something close to shark skin texture (looks smooth but not actually). No hair, his fingers are pretty long and thin. He doesn't have visible webbing outside of water, but does in (don't ask me how this works). He dresses fancy in whatever is popular on Coruscant in the Senate. Wears completely different clothes at home. I dunno...

#Don't Look Back #Senator Darsana #looks there's a *reason* there's no physical description of him in the story #I'm bad at making up alien appearances #there were no pictures when I first wrote in Darsana #he wasn't even going to be that important #lessons learned

[this-acuteneurosis]

so funny thing with your dont look back thing, nearly all the political allies of Leia and folks, generally like VERY few that we know are actually directly democratic. like Padme former job could count sorta, but how democratic MONARCHY would work.... although Darsana could be a mostly democratic on via his Senatorship. found it funny cause Bail is like assigned by the queen and padme is hers as well, which fair, Senator is a really bad term for what they are, diplomat would be the better term.

I mean, I've thought a lot about how the Senate is ostensibly a democratic body when actually there is no planetary regulation to how they "elect" their senators.

I've ultimately decided to not go down this specific route for the fic, but arguably, the Republic is...not a government. They don't have anyone to enforce their "laws." The GFFA is huge. Like, I cannot stress this enough, taking the loose shapes of government for countries and slapping it down as a framework for how tens of thousands of planets are "ruled" by a "democracy" was always, at its core, bullshit. The Empire, with it's huge military and aggressive enforcement couldn't prevent the Alliance from camping out on abandoned planets, which, we know as residents of this good earth, is more than enough space to develop multiple entire civilizations. Frankly, as horrifying as it was, the Death Star was about the only logical conclusion space fascists could come to for a total control endgame. (That or implanting chips like the clones had but whoops, the past won't exist until 15 years after the future, so...)

That isn't to say that the Republic, or something like it, wouldn't exist and serve a purpose. Having a forum where people in disparate governments agree to things like trade rules and enforce them by, say, refusing to trade with people not in the group, or at worse rates, could definitely explain a Republic sized coalition of planets/planetary systems. They could even develop things like anti-slavery agreements, taxes dues, a group of negotiators loyal to the "Republic" instead of to individual planets or systems for theoretically unbiased diplomacy.

But yeah, if you notice that Leia's views on democracy don't match Padmé's assertions from AotC and RotS(released post 9/11 guys, Anakin's character was not the only casualty of that time), it is 100% because she was going to be the hereditary ruler of a planet and had no problem with that.

Keep in mind that democracy, in many ways, is more effective the more direct it is, because even self-interested politicians have to give you what you as a majority want if they have to win each of your individual votes. But that is incredibly hard to organize and maintain. Especially because the elected officials figure out really quickly they don't want to be beholden to so many contradictory interests.

And the more indirect a democracy becomes, the more your welfare relies on the innate charity/sense of responsibility of your representatives. Yes, as people who weren't voted into office, Padmé and Bail don't actually answer directly to their people. Padmé's on a bit thinner of ice because she's appointed by a directly elected queen, so Jamillia has motive to oust Padmé if she threatens Jamillia's re-election. But Bail? Our favorite, made it through most of the Empire, stuck to his guns, initiated the Rebellion, raised his baby girl right? Yeah, no, he's a nepotism boy, and everyone would have been screwed if he didn't have the moral and ethical fortitude of mountains.

#Don't Look Back #politics #Padmé Amidala #Bail Organa #democracy #this isn't just true for DLB #the structure of the Senate 100% allowed for the kind of corruption that enabled Palpatine's takeover #he didn't need to convince the galaxy to make him Emperor #just a bunch of scared senators who didn't want to lose their jobs #and were happy to war monger because the Confederacy was very dangerous competition #in theory #if they hadn't also been controlled by the Sith

[this-acuteneurosis]

What do you think Leia wore for the factory visit on Eriadu in chapter 20, shots fired? <- trying to figure something out

Well, you've succeeded in dragging my one true weakness into the spotlight again. But for you, I will make an effort to describe her clothing. (Thanks to @saltkettling for the assist on this, the good ideas are hers.)

A sensible person would assume that because I wrote Leia into a scene where she did a pull up backflip and ganked a droid with her legs, her outfit would have been something sensible. With pants.

Sadly, Leia is on a diplomatic mission and while she knew she would be touring an active factory, she had to consider that she was going with Senator Darsana as an official Republic representative.

Also, she borrowed from Padmé's wardrobe for the trip.

So, something like this:

EXCEPT!

Less heavy jewelry (she might have reused the stuff from the dinner she went to with Obi-Wan), and a slightly narrower skirt. Also no over-sleeve (just the shoulder caps), and the colors would be a bit bluer and lighter. Unseen would be close fitted ankle boots with a bit of heel to give her some height, but without risking any wobbling.

And yes, this does mean Leia pulled her blaster out of that dress and then flipped a droid in it. You're welcome.

#saltkettling don't hurt me for the changes #I did my best

[this-acuteneurosis]

hey! i was wondering upon reading that anon that said leia is now their favorite- did that happen to you as well? feeling neutral or even not liking a character all that much and after you’ve written them for a while they’re now your favorite?

I don't know about favorite, but yeah, I've written several characters and gotten more attached to them as I went along. Senator Darsana was a character that was meant to be a sort of plot device, and the more I've written him and gotten to know him in the DLB universe, the more I've come to love him.

For canonical characters, Threepio surprised me pretty early on by being very easy and fun to write. I'd been pretty dismissive of him as a comedic character, and then I'd realized that this poor droid was just so out of place all of the time, and was delightfully fussy when used at the right time and in the right way.

Outside of DLB...hmmm. Oh, Piett. All of For Want of a Skywalker was A Journey, but the biggest surprise was how the again plot device POV character grew on me so much. Turns out I love Tired characters?

Are there more? Maybe. Hmmmmmmm...

#writing

[this-acuteneurosis]

bleak story most die thing. sorry bit of an idot with last response. real question time. you have put the republic at 5,000 senators for the republic, more to give yourself a manageable number to work with but I RESPECT that cause take it out of the formless thing. political parties! like imagine a big drain considering a lot of dissidents are with the confederacy now, but imagine if its like european politics of party colab, and the biggest is loyalty to Palps party right now....others?

I mean, if we're going to talk about most likely coalitions...

First and foremost, there's gonna be some Core, Mid Rim, and Outer Rim groups. But these will shift a lot depending on how much a system can imitate the economy/social atmosphere of another band.

Others will be "geography" based. Coalitions of systems that are close to each other and have to deal with similar interstellar problems.

Then your gonna have species coalitions. Groups that have concerns they want met based on how much they are discriminated against as the Senate grows more human-centric. Similarly, you'll have coalitions of systems that have similar physical environments/resources.

Some of these may mask themselves as having similar moral/ethical values. But the lines are really being drawn around practical matters.

Then there are the coalitions based around the conglomerate reps. Pro and Anti Trade Federation/Banking Clan/Mining Guild/etc. Pro groups are going to be bought off, bribed, or blackmailed into these coalitions.

There are probably other random voting blocks, like planets that have been in the Republic a while and have "personal" relationships or ties, or systems that share similar governments.

I don't really have all of these named out, but when I've mentioned Bail and Shea and Padmé and Darsana reaching out to their allies, these are the kinds of groups they are affiliated with that are not the Loyalist Committee. And some of these coalitions will have been severely reduced because of the Separatists! Systems with similar concerns would have left in batches, with allies, to make a point and for security.

#Don't Look Back #politics #economics #war

[this-acuteneurosis]

I'm re-reading BoOF and the scene before the Jedi Council meeting in chapter 27 stood out to me, partly due to being from Adi's point of view. Would it be a spoiler to share details about her investigation into Leia, what her experiments are, and/or if she was able to ask Mace about his interview with Leia and how that went down? The DLB plot has since moved on, but I know loose threads can be picked up again and I'm curious if these three will be. Your writing offers so much food for thought!

(Another ask you probably thought I lost.)

I spent some time thinking over this one and poking at it because I've thought about Adi's experiments off and on (not really much to say, she likes to test the Council's assertions about how aware they are against the half truths and misdirections she uses to try and get what she needs from them to deal with the Senate, and she's winning), but I hadn't thought much about individual Council members investigating Leia.

I would say, in a general way, that Adi (and everyone else on the Council) have read every report on Leia they can get their hands on. Adi's seen more because of her work with the Senate, and she parses the information a bit differently because of her experience with those people. Most of the Council thinks of Leia in terms of her abundance of military training and lack of Force training. Adi knows Leia is a politician, to her bones. Adi's noticed that Leia has managed to sway Padmé Amidala and Darsana, two people notorious for being implacable once they take a side and for not getting along.

She's not sure what it means, but she's keeping it on file to think about when she has half a second to breathe again, now that there's a war on.

#Don't Look Back #Adi Gallia #Leia Skywalker

[this-acuteneurosis]

My distinct pleasure to tell you that senator Darsana is actually smooth as hell.

Leia would probably agree with you.