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johannas-motivational-insults · 5 years

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Glimmer’s Upcoming Villain Arc

So, I’m pretty sure Glimmer’s going to become one of the villains at some point in the final two arcs of SPOP. Not a Horde-aligned villain, obviously, but I think she’s going to have a villain arc and may even end up fighting against Adora. Sound crazy? Well, there’s actually precedent for all this in the Buffyverse, with the Dark Willow story arc. I will get more into those parallels below.

First, though, let’s look at Glimmer and her situation in isolation.

Glimmer is currently in a vulnerable position. She’s grieving the loss of her only remaining parent (so far as she knows) and she’s now going to be saddled with the responsibilities of ruling Bright Moon, all while lacking a parental/mentor figure to guide her. And who do we know who loves to guide and manipulate young people with magical powers? Shadow Weaver.

Some people saw Shadow Weaver allying with the Rebellion as the beginning of a redemption arc. However, it actually makes a hell of a lot more sense for the writers to have put her there to gain influence over Glimmer and kickstart her villain arc, starting with their unexpected connection in season 3. Though Glimmer clearly hadn’t forgiven Shadow Weaver for torturing her in season 1 or for emotionally abusing Adora throughout her childhood, she decided the Rebellion needed this evil woman’s help. It was a means to an end. But now that that mission to save Adora and disable the portal was a success, she probably won’t hesitate to ask for her help again.

Not only did Shadow Weaver gain a bit of Glimmer’s trust, Glimmer loved the boost in power she got from Shadow Weaver. She’s complained several times about how she thinks her powers aren’t that useful or strong, but Shadow Weaver fed her ego and gave her a chance to increase her powers. When she successfully teleported the Princess Alliance into the Fright Zone, she was ecstatic.

“We did it! I did it! That was amazing!”

Simply put, Glimmer is power hungry. Just look at her eyes when Shadow Weaver is talking about her potential to be a great sorcerer like her father.

This scene and the following scene in the tower gave me the creeps so bad, you could just feel Glimmer being pulled to the dark side by the promise of power. And now post-season 3, not only will she be craving that feeling of power again, there’s an inciting incident prompting her to use it.

With her mom trapped in an empty dimension forever, which is essentially hell (especially for an immortal person ffs), Glimmer will probably do everything she can to get her out. I’m guessing she’ll go to her Aunt Casta for help, but Casta will say there’s nothing to be done (at least not without resorting to dark magic), so Glimmer will go to Shadow Weaver out of desperation. Even if Shadow Weaver could come up with a way to bring Angella back, she’ll say she can’t, because she can use Glimmer’s grief for her own ends.

Shadow Weaver’s motive for defecting to the Rebellion was to take down Hordak and Catra, and at this point she could easily convince Glimmer to help her get revenge on Catra. In fact, there’s a chance Glimmer will go to Shadow Weaver herself looking to team up and get this revenge, though it’s more likely Shadow Weaver will plant the seed and manipulate her into thinking it was her own idea.

Inciting incidents aside, Glimmer has always been someone who had the potential to break bad. Like Catra, she’s power hungry and eager to prove herself, brash and impulsive, and quick to resort to violence. She’s easily blinded by emotion and can be quite heartless, both of which were illustrated in 1x01-02 by how she treated Adora because of what the Horde had done to her father.

She’s also morally gray, willing to go to extremes to achieve an outcome that she considers to be good or just. Her decision to free Shadow Weaver and use her to access the Fright Zone is a great example. Another notable instance was when she had Catra as a hostage in 2x02 and threatened to kill her to counter Catra’s threat against Entrapta. She was eventually talked down by Bow, but only while complaining about how having to take the moral high ground isn’t fair. She was clearly frustrated that entire episode by the constraints of being one of the good guys, and it culminated here.

Fighting for the rebellion, Glimmer is a force for good. But if she decides to chase her own agenda, her powers and personality could easily be used for evil. Especially when there’s someone there expertly guiding her down that slippery slope.

Now, if the plot does indeed go this way, it will put Adora in a rather unfortunate position. If it comes down to a situation where Shadow Weaver and Glimmer have an opportunity to kill Catra, Adora will have to intervene on Catra’s behalf, for several reasons. 1) Catra is the most important person in her life, as we all know. 2) She cares for Glimmer’s soul. She knows that if Glimmer murders Catra it will haunt her and change her, and she doesn’t want that for her friend. 3) She feels the need to protect the helpless. Catra will probably be all alone in the world at this point, having pushed all her friends and allies away. So not only will she not have allies to fight with her, she’ll be in a poor state mentally, maybe even welcoming death. Even if she was in good shape, she wouldn’t stand a chance against Glimmer and Shadow Weaver’s combined magical powers. And since Adora can’t stand watching defenseless people get hurt, this will force her to step in and protect Catra despite all the negative feelings she has for her right now.

There are two people I could see pulling Glimmer out of this spiral, bringing her back to the light: Bow or Micah. Adora isn’t the best at sympathizing with someone’s dark impulses while fighting tham, as we’ve seen multiple times with Catra. Her job is to protect the world, and she will prioritize that over everything else, including her best friend (don’t we know it?). So that leaves Bow to talk Glimmer down, either by appealing to her morals (somewhat likely, but wouldn’t work at that point) or by reminding her of her innate good side, of the person she is deep down and the love he feels for her. The other way this could go down is Micah escaping from wherever he is trapped (he’s alive, yo) and convincing Glimmer to stand down with a dose of parental love and wisdom (and a big hug).

There are so many parallels to Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this potential situation, and here’s where we get into the Willow comparisons. SPOILERS for BtVS under the cut!

The comparison between Catra and the rogue slayer Faith has been made many times before, along with the relationships these two characters have with the respective heroes of their shows. But if Catradora is Fuffy, that leaves Glimmer in the Willow role. And there are actually a lot of similarities between the two characters, both being fiercely protective but tempermental magical sidekicks to the hero (who hate being called sidekicks, btw). Both have had trouble making friends in the past, and both have a dude they were best friends with for years before the hero came along and turned them into an inseperable trio.

And now, there are notable and worrisome plot parallels between Glimmer and Willow in seasons 5 and 6 of BtVS.

Buffy sacrifices herself to save the world at the end of season 5, and the “Scooby Gang” believes she was sucked into hell in the process, so they decide to try to bring her back via magic. There is some dissent among the ranks, but ultimately they defer to Willow (who leads in Buffy’s absence like Glimmer will be leading the Rebellion in Angella’s absence), and Willow is not afraid of dark magic. In fact, we already saw her use it in season 5 against Glory (that season’s big bad) after Glory temporarily stole the sanity of Willow’s girlfriend, Tara.

Willow’s attack on Glory was emotionally motivated - she went off on her own after the others thought they had talked her down, thinking an attack was unwise. It was clearly motivated by revenge rather than strategy, which was made exceptionally clear by what she said to Glory.

(This scene actually reminds me a bit of the aforementioned incident with Catra in 2x02, only more extreme. The situations were obviously different, but the vengeful overtones and the mages’ frustration with allies trying to constrain their powers were similar. Both of them were struggling with impulsiveness, morality, and vengeful desires.)

Willow is ultimately successful in bringing Buffy back, though it turns out to not be entirely a good thing. If Glimmer fails to bring Angella back, as I theorized above, she could easily skip ahead to the end of Willow’s season 6 arc, the next time Willow suffers a great loss.

(The middle of Willow’s season 6 arc is her getting addicted to magic and using it in morally dubious ways on Tara and her other friends, which causes Tara to leave her until after she stops using magic and recovers from the addiction. SPOP’s writers could include something like this, but I don’t think they will, for time’s sake. More likely they will just continue to show Glimmer being tempted and corrupted by power as she gets closer to Shadow Weaver, rather than using her powers on her friends.)

The end of Willow’s season 6 arc starts with the notorious shooting death of Tara Maclay. When Tara is hit by a stray bullet and dies in Willow’s arms, Willow attempts to use magic to bring her back, but is denied. This sends her into a spiral of rage and grief, and she spends the next two episodes attempting to kill the shooter and his hapless allies. She catches up to Warren and flays him alive, but the others escape with Buffy’s help. (In the finale she tries to end the world because she believes it is for the best, as life is too full of pain. SPOP definitely won’t pull this same plot point twice, but the revenge quest up to that point is absolutely something that would work for Glimmer.)

Speaking of Buffy stepping in, let’s look at parallels to the situation Adora will find herself in, if my theory is correct.

Buffy tries to dissuade Willow from murdering Warren because she believes it’s wrong and she doesn’t want Willow to have to live with it after. When she finds Warren’s body she decides Willow has gone too far and stands against her when she tries to go after Warren’s allies. Willow is tired of Buffy’s lectures on morality, of living by the good guys’ rules. She wants revenge, and Buffy is standing in her way. She’s also tired of being treated like a sidekick and is eager to show Buffy who is more powerful. They end up having an epic fight scene before she decides to end the world.

With the way she gives in to her dark impulses, fights against Buffy and their friends, and tries to end the world, Dark Willow actually ends up being the big bad of season 6. Her best friend Xander is the one who ends up saving the world - not by fighting her, but by blocking her magic with his body, reminding her of who she has been all these years, and telling her repetitively that he loves her. He literally saves her (and the world) with the power of love and friendship, a recurring phrase on SPOP.

The perfect parallel here would be Bow stepping in and reminding Glimmer of the goodness inside her. Perhaps he’d face off with her while Adora is fending off Shadow Weaver. But yeah, for the reasons I outlined above, Bow would be the perfect candidate to call Glimmer back from the brink of becoming a murderer. He’s known her longer than Adora and is more empathetic. Xander is often referred to as “the heart” of the Scooby Gang, the one who lacks magical powers but makes up for it with his empathy, courage, and enthusiasm. Bow fills that same role in the Best Friend Squad and Princess Alliance, and he wears a literal heart on his chest. (Yes, Xander is problematic in some ways but damn it that’s so off-topic and I’m not getting into it.)

I don’t think Glimmer will actually succeed in her quest for vengeance, or at least it won’t culminate in Catra’s murder. SPOP deals with some dark themes but it's meant for a younger audience than BtVS, plus Noelle surely knows better than to kill a fan fave wlw. But Glimmer will probably have an opportunity to kill Catra and be dissuaded at the last second, then have to embark on a redemption arc of her own.

Again, this is all just a crazy theory, but the idea of Glimmer going dark is both scary and exciting. She’s most interesting as a character when she’s struggling with her darker urges, and I think SPOP has been hinting at and slowly setting this up over the first two arcs. Now with an inciting incident at play, she could easily give in to those urges in the wake of her grief, letting her vengeful streak bubble to the surface like it did for Willow. I can’t wait to see where the story takes her in arc 3.

#spop #she ra #she-ra #meta #theories #glimmer #dark glimmer #glimmer and shadow weaver #best friend squad #glimbo #shadow weaver #catra #bow #adora #btvs #parallels #dark willow #willow rosenberg

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echotovalley · 5 years

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me after season 1: idk if i’ll write for she-ra nothing’s come to me yet me post-season 3 @ me: boy have i got news for you

warning for subtle season 3, ep 6 spoilers

She holds their daughter in her hands - the promise of their kingdom, a hope to Etheria, and the answer to the ever growing bet between her and her husband over whose powers this baby will command.

This tiny thing of light and her husband’s warm skin framed by hair the color of Angella’s that glints and shines in the light as she happily passes the wriggling, swathed baby to Micah.

She wonders if wings will bloom at her shoulders - if there will be anything more that comes from her to this baby. Watching her settle into her father’s arms, the similarity between them is strong and plants the seed of want, for something that connects her just as much to her mother.

Will she ever be able to tell her beautiful daughter no, when all she sees is the love of her life looking back at her?

If she has his laugh and kindness, she surely doesn’t stand a chance.

If she has his magic, their guards are doomed for the infamous mischief that follows sorcery.

She allows herself to picture the idea of Micah trying to teach their daughter to wield a staff that is twice her height still.

What if she has his bravery?

A yawning sadness suddenly freezes her heart, turning the breath in her lungs to ice as her hands shake at her sides and Micah slides a careful finger down the length of their child’s nose, speaking to her in soft whispers. Her head becomes dizzy and the lights lining the walls flicker before splitting and shattering, taking over the room. Her head hurts, her entire body hurts, it’s She-

“-gie? Angella?”

The queen shakes her head to clear it, offering Micah a reassuring smile. She hopes her eyes still swim with the overwhelming happiness, that it’s enough to cover the shadows she feels still ghost up her arm and over her shoulder. “I’m fine, my love. She raises her hand, her wrist twinges against the movement, but she pushes forward. Wills her hand to be steady as she pressed her fingers around his forearm to brush her fingers through the feather light wisps of Glimmer’s hair. “I just need rest.”

Micah leans forward to press his lips against her forehead. He chuckles against her brow before he pulls away completely. “You’ll be back on your feet in no time, calling everyone here to oversee the coronation of our daughter as the youngest princess to sit at the table of princesses.” He winks at her and her heart races.

The memory of their first meeting, their courtship, and marriage comes to her in a speed that leaves her breathless but eases her worry. Her eyes fall to the bundle safe and warm in his arms. She tracks the movement of impossibly tiny fingers curling around Micah’s thumb.

“I’ll enjoy this time you rest though, it’ll be one of the few times I’m taller than you.” He laughs, full and bright.

It fills her heart with happiness as light as air, gives her the sensation of a sharp snap of wind against the edges of her wings, before it yanks her back to ground as that sadness wells in her again. Its redoubled in its efforts.

It fills from her toes to the tips of her hair as a tear falls unbidden down her cheek. The king and princess of Bright Moon, how much they mean to her takes her breath away. A weight presses her heavily back into the pillows behind her and the soft, thin blanket is heavy and coarse against her skin as veins crack the stronghold of Bright Moon, threatens to snag on the ends of Micah’s dark hair as it coils ready to strike. Helpless-

No.

Angella clears her throat, does her best to even the sound out into a tired hum as she smooths out the wrinkles in the blanket beside her hip. The walls are as prefect and whole as ever, the light sconces soft and welcoming. No force on Bright Moon, no inky slime of the Fright Zone, nothing in the realms of this world will take this from her. She is Queen and her word is absolute.

Her daughter will not know the war outside of an historian’s scroll, will know as few sorrows as can be afforded, and she will be kept safe. She has made vows to Etheria, but the incantation that weaves over it tangles for only a moment before separating and becoming stronger - a vision of short, glittering hair and eyes lit with a familiar spark flash behind her eyelids.

A queen that fails her daughter, fails her kingdom but it shall not come to pass.

Micah and Glimmer, they-

A knock at the door breaks the chains holding her back in the bed and the final promise half formed in her head. She catches herself reaching a desperate hand out for her daughter before Castaspella sweeps into the room, no longer willing to wait any longer to meet her niece.

Angella breathes, settling her hands in her lap as she watches Casta tease her brother for the happy tears that well in his eyes once more.

#Glimmer #She Ra #SPOP #Angella #Micah #this is kind of rushed #writing tag

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ryder-s-block · 5 years

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Jaig Eyes (Ch 28)

Jaig Eyes (28/?)

Always available here.

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Chapter Twenty-Eight: Florrum

I opened my heavy eyes when the ship began to tilt, telling me we were landing. I shifted uncomfortably, my arms aching from being tied behind me for so long. Beside me, Killian and the navigation officer were still awake, both giving me a small nod upon my awakening.

The door to the cockpit hissed open, revealing Aurra with a sour look on her face. Castas and Boba followed her as she leaned down to me, grabbing me by the arm, her fingers digging into the wounds Bossk had left with his talons. I grit my teeth, doing my best to keep from crying out.

As the ramp descended, blinding us all with the pale light, I cast a glance back at Killian. His brows were furrowed as Boba dragged his gag back on with a huff. He knew about my force sensitivity now. Then again...so did Windu.

This whole trip was getting me into more and more trouble. For the first time, I questioned having joined the GAR. It had seemed fine at first, fueled by my apparent connection to Rex.

But Rex wasn’t on this mission. This was real danger and I had no one to watch my back anymore.

It was weird how quickly I’d fallen into being with the clones. Relying on them.

I mentally reprimanded myself. I was a bounty hunter, first and foremost. I worked alone for years. I could handle Aurra Sing and her misfit band. I could handle my kid brother with a loss-driven grudge.

A defiant scowl had found its way to my face by the time we walked down the gangway. I looked around, recognizing the trashed encampment easily. We were on Florrum...at the infamous pirate hideout that belonged to none other than Hondo Ohnaka.

Ahead of us, the Weequay approached, some of his men following, towing massiffs. My muscles tightened when I saw the beasts, remembering how brutal they could be on Tatooine.

“Oh, my dear,” Hondo called as he approached. “You never were good at asking for permission to land!”

Aurra gave the pirate a small smirk, putting her hand on his chest. “I never ask for permission to do anything, my darling.” She drew him close, kissing him hard.

My nose crinkled, my jaw dropping. They were a thing? Since when? Also…ew.

“Yes,” Hondo said, pulling away and wiping his mouth with his thumb, forcing a laugh. “Yes, I remember.” He glanced over to see Boba standing just behind Aurra, practically hiding behind her arm. “Not mine...I take it?”

“Oh force,” I mumbled, earning a shove from Castas.

“No,” Aurra responded, ignoring me. “Part of my crew. He’s Jango’s son.”

Hondo’s eyes cut to me quickly. He knew who I was, but it was clear I was a captive, rather than a guest. He didn’t acknowledge me just yet, kneeling down to Boba, who was standing with his arms crossed and gaze averted.

“Oh, yes, yes,” the pirate mumbled, his voice softening. “Sorry about your father. He was a friend and an honorable man.” Finally, Hondo looked at me, giving me a nod while simultaneously dealing a kick to the snarling massiff beside him. “Kida. Nice to see you again. How are things?”

I lifted my eyebrow at him. “Peachy.” He laughed, but I sensed his concern. He tried so hard to be a brutal leader--and at times, he was--but deep down, he had soft spots. One of those was for children. Another for victims. And finally...one for Jango. Thus, for me and the friendship he and I had maintained after my father’s passing.

Still, would that hold up against his apparent love affair with Aurra? Or Jango’s legitimate son and heir?

“Ignore her,” Aurra hissed, jerking her head towards the Klanooinian. “That’s Castas, but he’s getting off here.”

“Couldn’t handle her, could you?” Hondo asked with a chuckle. Interesting...so the disintegration of the team was happening already. And without my influence. Good. Less work for me then. “Well, don’t be ashamed,” Hondo assured, leading Castas towards the door. “You’re not the first man to bail out from under her command.”

“He’s speaking from experience,” Aurra called after them. Still, despite her usual dark tone, there was some humor in there. She felt safe here. Good. She’d be off guard.

Hondo laughed lowly, looking back at the female bounty hunter. “Oh, you’re a dangerous woman! Yes, very dangerous! Come, come, come! Let us go inside where we can discuss business over a drink like civilized people.”

I did my best to straighten up. If I was going to get the upper hand, I couldn’t appear as weak as I felt. The pirates, including Hondo, respected strength. And wit.

“So remind me why I’m coming in for business discussions?” I asked from behind Aurra, glancing back to see Bossk close the door to Slave I. “Was there a hostage tea party I wasn’t invited to?”

Boba looked at me with disbelief while Aurra rounded. She raised her hand, but I kept myself from flinching, staring her right in the eyes. She stopped, her eyebrow lifting. “Do you need another punishment?” she asked.

“You should save that for Hondo,” I smirked. She slapped me, but I didn’t let myself fall, shaking my head to try and chase away some of the daze. “Come on, Aurra,” I said, my voice lower now as we stood at the entrance to Hondo’s hideout. “You and I both know you’re doing this for show. Why take me into somewhere I might have allies?”

She gripped my face, pulling me close. “To prove you have none.”

“You might be unpleasantly surprised.”

She laughed, shoving me forward. “I promise I’ll enjoy watching you squirm.”

The loud music of the bar poured over us as we entered, following Hondo to the bar. Aurra shoved me against the bar beside her while she turned to Hondo. I leaned backwards on the bar, knowing I wouldn’t be given a drink. Honestly, I’d have loved one. Maybe it would have numbed the burning in my side a bit.

I watched quietly while Hondo ordered drinks behind me, my eyes following the disgruntled Castas to the comms unit. I smirked, seeing a Nautolan appear on the hologram. I closed my eyes, letting sounds filter out until I focused only on him, ignoring the music and laughter.

“This job’s gone south,” Castas complained. “Like every job I do with that hag!”

I couldn’t help the snort of laughter that came from his comment, Aurra digging a hard knuckle into the wound on my side. My laughter turned into a low groan, but I managed to stay upright despite the stars that danced in my vision. Leaning so heavily on the bar certainly helped.

“No, Boba,” I heard Aurra say, making me crane my neck around to see her push Boba’s hand away from her drink. Boba turned away angrily, festering in his own rage and confusion. I wanted so desperately to talk to him. But he clearly didn’t want to talk to me.

“I hear there’s a downed Republic cruiser on Vanqor,” Hondo mused, taking a sip of his drink. “Your handiwork?”

“I wouldn’t take credit for that, no.” Aurra took a long drag of her drink as I watched her, both thirsty, in pain, and thoroughly pissed off. “We saw it, though. Crawling with Republic troops. I wouldn’t try to salvage it for a while if I was you.”

I looked at Hondo from behind Aurra, shaking my head. She and I both knew there were no troops in the area. She’d executed them all. I was glad for the lie. She would separate herself from everyone here...and give me the upper hand. Hondo’s eyes cut to me briefly before looking back at Aurra.

He lifted his cup with a smile. “I appreciate the advice. So, Boba,” he said, turning away from the bounty hunter. “What is it like working with Aurra?”

“It’s alright,” Boba answered glumly. I was going to listen to try and find ways to separate him from Aurra further, but Castas caught my attention.

“I have some information,” he whispered fiercely. I closed my eyes, letting everything else fade out again. “Information that’s worth something to the right people.”

“Careful Aurra,” I said lowly from behind her, drawing her gaze. She had been listening too, using that damned antenna she built into her head. I looked her in the eye, smirking. “You didn’t choose a very loyal crew.”

She set her jaw, about to respond, when Hondo called her name. “Remember Aurra? That job we pulled?”

“Hmm?” she hummed, looking between Hondo and I. “Oh, yes. Excuse me.” She pivoted, drawing her pistol and aiming it across my chest. I watched her closely as she smirked. “Castas,” she spit.

The Klanooinian turned, only to be met with a shot from her blaster to the chest. I didn’t flinch as Aurra smirked, putting her pistol back in its holster. As much as I thought she was a heartless bitch, I also understood the unspoken rule that people that snitched...got shot.

“Hey, hey,” Hondo called, disgruntled. “Someone scrape that guy off the floor! He’s sprung a leak!”

My eyes glanced over Castas’ body. I’d seen so many, what was one more? And then I turned to see Boba, his eyes wide and sad, staring at the dead bounty hunter. How many bodies had he seen?

And how many more were to come if he continued on this path?

Death was one thing. Bounty. A job. But reckless murdering? That was Aurra’s forte. She took what she wanted and killed anyone in her way. At least Jango had honor. She was taking that away from Boba.

My gaze softened as I regarded my scared little brother. He was lost. Lost in sorrow and hatred. I wasn’t there for him when he needed me. He looked up, finding my eyes. His were afraid and wide. They revealed how young he really was.

I nodded at him slowly, careful not to let Aurra see. He looked away quickly, but my message had gotten across. Of softness. Caring. Comradery. That I understood.

That I had his back, even if he didn’t have mine.

“Shall we take this to my office?” Hondo encouraged, glancing over my beaten form. “Do you need a...medic, Kida?”

“She’s fine,” Aurra spit, hitting me hard in the side. I started to double over, but stopped myself, instead turning my head away to let out a long series of Mandalorian cusses.

“Those sounded rather vile, Kida,” Hondo mused, gesturing for our group to head into the halls.

Boba seemed concerned, knowing full well the words I had muttered under my breath. His eyes trailed over me as we walked, taking in my slightly curved back to keep unnecessary pressure away from my wound. My slightly labored breathing that I was beginning to struggle to hide. And the blood that was becoming the new rust-colored paint for the armor our father had given me.

Boba swallowed thickly, his worry potent through the force. Well, it was nice to know he still cared for my safety. I was sure he didn’t want me to die, at least. Maybe he wanted to fight me, and Ka’ra, I’d fight him if he wanted. But die? No...not die.

“Now, tell me,” Hondo started as we walked into his office, Aurra shoving me down to sit against the wall. At least the pirates knew how to live lavishly. The pillows that cushioned my descent were most welcome. “What brings you to my business? And, may I add,” he dared, his eyes cutting to me. “Brings both children of Jango with you...apparently on opposing sides?”

“Kida here is a Republic hostage,” Aurra responded vaguely.

Hondo let out a disbelieving laugh. “Like the Republic would ever pay for a bounty hunter!”

“That’s what I said,” I grumbled from my place on the wall, earning a dark look from Aurra.

“She works for the Republic army now,” she explained, looking back at the pirate. “The jedi trust her.”

I laughed openly now, leaning my head back against the wall in a struggle to catch my breath. “You think they trust me?” I laughed again, mocking her now. “Understand that the jedi trust me as much as they trust a pirate.”

“Hey, I’m right here,” Hondo joked, but his eyes were serious, watching me warily.

“Then why did they accept you into the GAR?” Boba asked now, stepping forward. “Why did they trust you to be their eyes on the Endurance?”

I smiled grimly, Boba’s words like ice against my skin. He spit them at me, trying as desperately as he could to find someone to direct his anger at. “They brought me in to keep an eye on me. And Windu sent me to watch the cadets because he doesn’t like me. And understand me when I say that, out of all the jedi, he trusts me least.”

“Why?”

I glanced at the room with disbelief. “Because I’m a bounty hunter with a high kill count and an even higher success rate. I have half of Coruscant’s underworld either in my pocket or at my beck and call. And he openly knows who I am, so he knows that he killed the only father I ever had.”

“Why haven’t you killed him?” Boba’s voice was quiet now. Angry, but sad. Tired, even.

My lips lifted into the saddest of smiles. “Because I don’t blame Windu, Boba. Not anymore. Our father made his choice in the war. He knew the risks. It could have been any job that kept him from coming home to you.”

“Enough of this,” Aurra growled, standing and drawing forth another gag from her belt.

“No,” Boba said firmly, holding out his hand. “I want to hear what she has to say.” He looked back at me, his face desperate for answers, whatever they may be. “So who is to fault for his death?”

I sighed through my nose, looking down at the ground. “Yes, Windu killed him. But Jango made the choice to join the fight. He made the choice to go against an army of jedi.”

“So it was my father’s fault?” Boba spit angrily.

I looked away. “Yes,” I breathed, my brother hating the answer. “But I am at fault for far more.” His anger dissipated into confusion in a flash, making me meet his eyes again. “I should have ran after you, Boba. I never should have let you go on your own to deal with this. We should have grieved him together. I should be guiding you, not Aurra. She doesn’t have your interests at heart--only her own! She--”

“Enough!” Aurra’s hand caught me hard across the face, cutting off my words and sending me sprawling sideways. It was clear how weak I was now, despite my best efforts. I gasped in air, my side burning more than ever at the quick movements. “Can’t you see, Boba? She’s trying to trick you,” she growled, tying the gag around my mouth and shoving me back against the wall again.

Boba watched me as Aurra sat back down, beginning to recount her story to Hondo. His brows were furrowed in confusion and uncertainty. I shook my head at him before looking away. Maybe it conveyed my disappointment in him. Maybe it conveyed my sadness at leaving him.

All I could tell was that he was more lost than ever. But, his disdain and distrust towards Aurra was growing.

I listened quietly as Aurra finished her retelling, Boba moving to look out the wide windows of the office. Having been in the office before--not as a captive--I knew that Boba was looking over the entire open hangar. The area below was likely bustling with gambling and drunken pirates, their ships lined up beside Slave I.

“Well, my dear,” Hondo sighed as Aurra concluded her story, leaning back in his chair. “You are in an interesting predicament once again. Getting involved with the jedi is never a good idea.”

“Aurra.” Bossk’s voice through Aurra’s comms practically made me jump from my place across the room. “We’ve got an incoming ship. Jedi, by the look of it.”

Boba turned abruptly from his place at the window. “Windu!”

“Finally,” Aurra sighed. “Took them long enough. Move Slave I to the outskirts and get the hostages ready.”

“Right,” Bossk growled lowly, clicking his tongue.

“So, are you in or not?” Aurra asked the pirate whose boots were resting leisurely on his desk.

Hondo downed the rest of his drink, sitting up. “I will not help you. But I will not hinder you either. This is your fight, not mine.”

They all stood and watched as Slave I zoomed away, working through the plan Aurra had apparently laid out for them. I scowled, wishing I’d been in the cockpit when she debriefed the crew.

“Boba and I should get ready. We’ll need downstairs.”

“Of course,” Hondo nodded to the woman.

“Kida will stay here.”

“Unguarded?” Hondo inquired, glancing at me.

“You’ll watch her for now,” Aurra replied coldly. “Until the jedi arrives, when I want you to escort him in. I trust you can handle her? She’s practically dead as is.”

Boba jumped at Aurra’s words, his eyes casting to me worriedly. I met his gaze, giving him a small shake of my head. He understood. I was saying I’d be okay.

“What, may I ask, will you do with her?” Hondo tried as Aurra herded Boba towards the door. Aurra shoved Boba out, turning back to speak lowly so only Hondo could hear. “Oh,” he replied lowly, clearing his throat and nodding to her. “I’ll go out when the jedi arrives,” he assured, closing the door behind her.

I grumbled at him through my rag, my brows furrowed in frustration. He poured himself another drink before slowly making his way to me. He knelt, looking me in the eye.

“She’s going to kill you, you know.”

I gave him a look, conveying that I fully understood that. I gave him a meaningful gesture with my eyes, aiming at my gag. He sighed, pulling the gag down to my neck. I licked my lips gratefully, sighing as my jaw was allowed to stretch out again.

“I know that’s what she plans on,” I responded hoarsely. “But you and I both know that won’t be happening.”

Hondo hummed, offering me a drink of his rum, holding the cup to my lips. I took it greedily while he answered. “She seems to be doing a good job at killing you so far.” His eyes darted down to my bleeding side.

“I’ve had worse, Hondo.”

“But how long can you last with this, hmm?”

“Longer if you treated me.”

He stood, waving his hand and removing the rum from my lips. “You know I cannot do that. This isn’t my fight.”

“I know that,” I tried to reason. “But it’s mine.” He turned to me slowly, arching his brow. “All I ask of you, is to let me fight it.” The pirate sighed lowly, looking out his wide window to watch the jedi transport approaching. “Hondo, please,” I practically begged, wishing I’d downed more of the rum. “No matter your connection to Aurra, you know she’s corrupting Boba. Jango wouldn’t want his children turned against each other, no matter what.” He seemed to contemplate my words, staring into his cup while he swirled the liquid. “Please, my friend.”

Finally, he sighed, glancing up to the ceiling in a mock prayer before putting his cup down. “You,” he said, pointing his finger at me as he approached. He knelt, drawing out a knife and cutting away my bindings. “Will be the death of me yet.”

I pulled my arms to my front with a long sigh of relief, stretching my shoulders briefly before curling one hand to cup my wound. “You and I both know that even I couldn’t make the famous Hondo Ohnaka meet his maker.”

My friend chuckled, helping me to my feet and settling me into his chair. “I must go meet the jedi,” he announced, sighing. “Medical supplies are in that drawer.” He gestured to the one behind his desk. “Try not to make a mess of things.”

He left me alone as I rummaged, drawing forth a bacta-patch and hastily pressing it over the wound between my ribs. It wouldn’t fix everything, considering I’d been bleeding slowly for some time and likely had some internal issues, too. But it would certainly keep me from totally bleeding out and maybe dull the pain enough for me to go and save Boba. I applied another large patch to my shoulder, now marked with Bossk’s claws, before heaving myself up.

Outside, I watched Hondo walk out to meet the jedi shuttle, his posture composed. After all, he had no stake in this game. We were just playing on his field. From the shuttle emerged two jedi, neither of which were Windu.

Wonderful. Boba wasn’t going to be happy. Nor would Aurra. The latter fact made me smirk.

Still, the approaching jedi were Ahsoka and a Kel Dor I knew to be named Plo Koon. I sent a silent prayer to whoever was listening that Ahsoka stayed safe. Aurra wasn’t someone to trifle with, especially when she was growing unbalanced from various issues in this mission.

I turned away from the window as they moved out of my sight, feeling thankful for Hondo’s inclination towards weapon displays. I draped a rifle over my shoulder before grabbing a pistol and rushing out.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

AUTHOR’S NOTE:

Sorry for being off the grid for so long! Things have been busy for me. In addition, I was writing this and decided to split it into two chapters. So the next will come shortly (hopefully tonight)!

As always...likes, reviews, questions, and shares are always welcome!

-Ryder

#Clone Wars #clones #The Clone Wars #star wars #star wars the clone wars #oc star wars #star wars oc #rex #captain rex #captain rex x oc #fanfiction #fanfic #Aurra Sing #hondo #hondo ohnaka #boba fett #Slave I

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