#she does have the most jedi journey/powers

[jedimandalorian]

Ahsoka Episode 6 “Far, Far Away”: The Story, the Symbolism, and the Score

Episode 6 of Ahsoka begins with the sound of distant purrgil calls as Ahsoka and Huyang travel through hyperspace, crossing the void between galaxies. During their discussion of the tales Huyang used to tell the Jedi younglings there is no music.

I loved that Huyang said such an iconic line in this episode, reminding us that this is indeed a fairy tale, a children’s story.

The Title Card for Ahsoka appears, and then the episode title, “Far, far Away.”

We hear ominous music when Sabine is in the brig onboard the Eye of Sion. The window to her cell is shaped like an upside down triangle.

The sinister music continues during the scene with Baylan, Shin, and Morgan on the bridge. Morgan’s Theme (the Nightsister theme) is heard when the Eye of Sion exits hyperspace.

The line “Peridea is a graveyard” reminds us that this is indeed a “descent into the abyss” a stage of the hero’s journey which I have discussed on this blog before. Ominous music plays here.

The characters who are aligned with the dark side are on a quest for more power to dominate others. They have followed the Path to Peridea as a kind of path to perdition as I have mentioned in my previous metas. But Sabine, our heroine, is descending into the Underworld on a more noble quest. She hopes to find her beloved Ezra Bridger, echoing the story of Orpheus, the hero of Greek myth who descends into the Underworld to find his beloved Eurydice.

Morgan’s Theme continues when they board the shuttle and descend to the planet Peridea.

The landscape of J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth is suggested by the giant statues and the Nightsister fortress, which resembles an evil version of Minas Tirith.

The characters encounter three Nightsisters, analogous to the Three Fates of Greek mythology, the Moirai. (Note the similarities between this word and the name of Ahsoka’s owl, Morai, a creature I predict that we will be seeing again soon.)

The three Fates were the personification of destiny in Greek mythology. The three sisters were known as Clotho (the spinner), Lachesis (the alotter), and Atropos (the unturnable, a metaphor for death). The end credits for this episode name these three Nightsisters as Klothow, Lakesis, and Aktropaw, clearly indicating the intended symbolism of these three characters. As George Lucas said back in the late nineties, “Well, when I did Star Wars I consciously set about to recreate myths and the — and the classic mythological motifs. And I wanted to use those motifs to deal with issues that existed today.” (From billmoyers.com) Lucas’ apprentice, Dave Filoni, has learned this lesson from the master himself.

The music is quieter in this scene, with sounds of low vibrations being heard. Morgan’s Theme continues when Sabine is imprisoned by the Nightsisters’ three orbs, which held her bound within a triangle made of red cords of energy.

Outside of the fortress three wolf-like creatures howl as ominous music plays. Choral music suggesting the mysticism of the fallen Jedi Order is heard as Baylan speaks of Peridea being a realm of “dreams and madness” from old “children’s stories come to life.” Once again, the viewer is reminded that we are being told a fairy tale, a myth. The musical score subtly teases the listener with three notes from Ahsoka’s Ronin theme in this scene.

Sabine is imprisoned inside the Nightsister fortress as the Chimaera arrives with the sound of ominous metallic rumbling. Thrawn’s flagship Star Destroyer was named after the female fire-breathing monster in Greek mythology which was part lion, part goat, and part dragon.

I am no Freudian, but the Chimaera’s open docking bay hovering over the phallic tower of the Nightsister fortress seems to be the most overtly sexual symbolism I have seen in Star Wars in a long time. However, I’m not here to discuss that visual metaphor.

Organ music which anticipates but does not present Thrawn’s theme is heard as the Nighttroopers muster under Enoch’s command. These undead stormtroopers have cracked armor repaired with golden seams suggesting the Japanese art of kintsugi, as well as armor pieces bound with bands of red cloth. They are heard chanting “Thrawn! Thrawn!” as the Grand Admiral makes his dramatic entrance. For me this chant was reminiscent of how the orcs in Return of the King chanted “Grond! Grond!” when using their mighty battering ram against the walls of Minas Tirith. (You can do your own Freudian analysis of that scene. I’m not going there.) What was Grond?

“Grond, also known as the Wolf's Head, was a one hundred-foot long battering ram with a head in the shape of a ravening wolf, used in the arsenal of Sauron in the Third Age. Though named for Grond, Morgoth’s warhammer, it was created in the likeness of the Wolf of Angband, Carcharoth.”—from lotr.fandom.com

Creepy music accompanies the Nighttroopers as they transfer of cargo from the catacombs beneath the fortress. What is inside them? Dead Nightsisters, waiting to be revived by dark magic?

Thumps and low pitched sounds accompany Thrawn’s conversation with Baylan.

Thrawn speaks of Sabine’s desire to be reunited with her long-lost friend. (The word desire is a very intentional word choice, with the connotation that the connection between Sabine and Ezra has potential to be more than just friendship.)

Sabine: I’m sure he’s doing just fine.

Thrawn: You gambled the fate of your galaxy on that belief.

Sabine: You wouldn’t understand.

Thrawn: Perhaps not.

Evil does not understand love and loyalty. (See my previous post about the Path to Peridea.)

Enoch returns Sabine’s weapons to her, and she is provided with provisions and a wolf-like howler for a mount. He tells her to “die well” as she embarks on her “fool’s errand.”

The line about a “fool’s errand” calls to mind this scene from Tolkien’s novel, The Return of the King:

'Tell me,' he said, 'is there any hope? For Frodo, I mean; or at least mostly for Frodo.'

Gandalf put his hand on Pippin's head. 'There never was much hope,' he answered. 'Just a fool's hope, as I have been told…”

“A Fool’s Hope” was also the title of the penultimate episode of Star Wars Rebels final season.

Once again, Thrawn’s theme is only hinted at by the organ music at the end of the scene.

Sabine’s scanner is destroyed during her fight for her life with the red-armored bandits in the wastelands. Her life is saved by her Mandalorian armor and weapons, Ahsoka’s training, and Ezra’s lightsaber in this action sequence.

Baylan and Shin ride out on howlers. Nighttroopers load coffin-like cargo containers onto the Chimaera as uneasy music plays. Thrawn decides to dispatch only two squadrons of Nighttroopers. His disdain for Jedi, light or dark, is apparent: “It matters not whether Wren and Bridger are killed or stranded here. The same can be said for your two mercenaries.” Ominous music plays.

The scene with Sabine and the howler is accompanied by gentle music played upon wooden flutes. Sabine processes her abandonment issues and her complex feelings for Ezra in this scene by taking out her emotions on the howler. “You. You abandoned me. I should have known you are a coward.” She tries to make the howler stop following her, but the loyal animal comes back as soon as she walks away. “Okay. Fine,” she says. “I’ll give you another chance, but you better not bail on me this time.” The gentle flute music continues. A motif of ascending perfect fifths suggests Ezra’s Theme.

The howler stops to drink water and sniffs the air. The thing that Sabine and the audience assumes to be a rock is revealed to be a sentient little hermit-crab-like creature called a Noti. Gentle music plays when Sabine kneels, puts down her blaster, and extends her hand to the creature. The Noti recognizes the Rebel Alliance symbol (an evolution of her own Starbird design) on her pauldron. The creature has a medallion of his own, marked with a similar symbol.

“Do you know Ezra Bridger?” Sabine asks, touching her heart. “He’s my friend.”

Ominous music plays as Baylan and Shin discover the dead bandits. Once again choral music is heard when Baylan reminisces about the Jedi Order.

It is also revealed that the Nightsisters are fleeing from a power that is greater than their own.

Baylan and Shin see the red Bandits in the distance. “The enemy of our enemy is our friend,” says Baylan, “for now.”

Peaceful and noble sounding music is heard when Sabine sees the Noti encampment. She smiles at the mother Noti rocking her baby in a hammock.

With Sabine in the foreground, the camera pans to show a now adult, bearded Ezra Bridger wearing a red robe and leaning against the wall of his home. “I knew I could count on you,” he says as joyful music plays, music which features the piccolo, flute, and other woodwind instruments.

The closed captioning for this episode says that there is captivating music playing when Sabine and Ezra finally embrace. We hear a beautifully orchestrated rendition of Ezra’s Theme on the French horn with a new countermelody in the strings to heighten the emotional impact of this long-awaited scene.

Ezra’s Theme is heard again when he says “Sabine, thanks for coming. I can’t wait to go home.”

When we return to where the Chimaera is docked with the Nightsister fortress, a suggestion of Thrawn’s Theme is heard at a quick tempo suggesting the urgency of the situation that is about to unfold. Ahsoka Tano is coming. “The thread of destiny demands it” is a line that further emphasizes the three Nightsisters playing the role of the three fates. We finally hear Thrawn’s Theme presented in an obvious way as the episode ends.

I have blogged about the magnificent end credits music in previous blog posts, so this time I am going to discuss something different: the alchemical symbolism in Ahsoka.

The central focus of alchemy was to transmute base metals into gold and create the elixir of life, as any aficionado of the lore of the philosopher’s stone knows. The process is a metaphor for the purification and transformation of the human soul to a state of perfection.

Three colors symbolize this process, black, white, and red.

First there is the nigredo (blackening) stage of the alchemist’s work, representing the breaking of the human spirit. This is where both Sabine and Ahsoka are at the beginning of the series.

Second is the albedo (whitening) stage, which involves washing away impurities or vices, and being ready to grow and learn again. This is most clearly illustrated by Ahsoka the Grey’s “death” and transformation into Ahsoka the White.

Third is the rubedo (reddening) stage, which is where we are in the story right now. It represents the purified and awakened spirit reaching its highest and purest form.

“The symbols used in alchemical writing and art to represent this red stage can include blood, a phoenix , a rose, a crowned king, or a figure wearing red clothes.”—Wikipedia.

The color red, of course, is symbolic of Nightsisters and their magic in this series, as well as symbolizing the red thread of fate.

Baylan Skoll’s line about having to “destroy in order to create” is an example of the alchemical concept of “solve et coagula” meaning to separate then join together. Nothing new can be built without destroying the old. Perhaps this is really telling us about the destruction and rebuilding of the Jedi Order.

In the completion of the rubedo stage there must be a union of sulphur and mercury, also known as the wedding of the Red King (the sun) and the White Queen (the moon). Sulphur represents the masculine principle, the soul, and the fire of life. (Remember Ezra’s red robe?) Mercury represents the feminine principle and the mind, flexible and changing. (Sabine is a clever young woman who lives inside her head, sometimes too much. Lately she’s been distracted by her heart.) Mercury also represents a state that can transcend death.

Is the much-discussed Ezra and Sabine hug the union of Sulphur and Mercury? Or should we expect something more than that?

Much has been written about Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati as the mythological wolves who chase the sun and the moon. This episode ends with the pair in pursuit of Ezra (sulphur, the Red King, the sun) and Sabine (mercury, the White Queen, the moon). When Skoll and Hati catch the sun and the moon, Ragnarok begins.

Besides sulphur and mercury, there is another element present at the rubedo stage of alchemical transformation: salt.

Ahsoka the White is coming.

Please reblog and comment on what you think of my musical and literary analysis of this episode of Ahsoka. I am looking forward to reading your replies.

#sabine wren #ezra bridger #star wars #ahsoka series #sabezra #star wars rebels #ezrabine #ahsoka tano #thrawn #baylan skoll #shin hati #morgan elsbeth #nightsisters #chimaera #j r r tolkien #dave filoni #george lucas #kevin kiner #star wars music #fates #mythology #alchemy

[alcida-auka]

Omega's Heroine's Journey prediction

Here's my current prediction for Omega's story from season 1 to season three using the Heroine's Journey as a model.

Separation from the Feminine. Omega leaves Kamino behind, and with it her central mother figure, Nala Se, a woman who is Creatrix of her many brothers, benevolent and ruthless, Creator/Destroyer. Nala Se represents an ambivalent figure to Omega. She is loved by her, but she lived in a cloistered lab, and likely saw Nala Se's ruthlessness, as well as her love. In Murdock's Heroine's Journey, the heroine is unhappy in the world that represents her feminine origins.

Identification with the Masculine and Gathering of Allies. Most of our story of the Bad Batch, is Omega's journey with her younger big brothers. They are aspects of her animus, the masculine side of her, and she identifies with them, learns from them. They are the Muscle Man [Wrecker], Hunter [Literally, the Hunter], The Professor [Tech], and eventually, the Psychopomp [Crosshair]. Allies include Cid, Echo (a Reg brother), Phee, and many more.

Road of Trials, Meeting Ogres and Dragons. Many stories of rancors, dragons, scoundrels, battles. Season 1 and season 2.

Finding the boon of success Pabu. After many trials, (we see bits of vice in Omega at the start of season 2, a little of the potential for avariciousness we see in Jango and Boba, mostly ameliorated with influence of her brothers and the old Serennan man). But Pabu is the success, the utopia well-earned, a life with her brothers.

Awakening to feelings of spiritual aridity; death The life of adventure with her brothers, brings Omega the absence of one brother striking off independently, the other brother dead (maybe). Season 3, Omega will realize that her life with her brothers that she emulated and desired leads to their danger. She will question herself and what she means to them.

Initiation and Descent to the Goddess Omega will meet a Dark Shadow of herself--Emerie, the version of herself raised by a malevolent father figure, Dr. Hemlock. He is neither the benevolent paternal figure of Hunter, nor the neutral Creatrix like her mother. Dr. Hemlock is a malevolent Creator/Destroyer and perversion of that mythic figure. Omega will come to understand her Shadow in Emerie, and what could have been an aspect of herself down another path. In addition, she will also meet the Goddess that can help reconcile her place in the galaxy, and her place. This could be represented by Asajj, a woman who has been raised and tutored by multiple people, kind [Jedi] and dark [Sith], and found her own way, her own power, not completely defined by simple dichotomies, embracing what she has learned of Jedi, Sith, Witches.

Urgent yearning to Reconnect with the Feminine Omega will revisit what it means to be Nala Se's Creation and Daughter, to be Emerie's sister. That Feminine is represented in this story by cloning itself, and Omega's former (and current Mt. Tantiss) life of medical research of being assistant and aide to Nala Se -- the life that had been intended for Omega. This does not mean Omega will be Nala Se's assistant in her future adult life. But it does mean reconciling with her Mother Figure's legacy of the clones, and how she can help them herself, using her own knowledge gleaned from working on Kamino and on Mt Tantiss.

Healing the Mother/Daughter Split We have never seen Omega and Nala Se hold a conversation with each other. It will be time for a maturing Omega to confront her Creatrix, to understand or reconcile her ambivalent feelings towards her. This may also be represented in having EMERIE, Omega's Shadow, reconcile with Nala Se, the Mother figure she might perceive as having abandoned her to Dr. Hemlock.

Healing the Wounded Masculine This was always going to be Crosshair. He represents the psychopomp, the final state of the Animus, the masculine that is the guide, who has gone to death, and out of it. He has been symbolized by the Ice Vulture [remember the sacred symbolism of the vulture], and Joel Aron talked about the "angelic" lighting above Crosshair in his cell. Angels and vultures are all psychopomps. Omega will heal her inner psychopomp, the masculine guide, the part of her broken masculine, and in need of flying again, soaring above with sharp eyes.

Integration of the Masculine and Feminine Omega's final stage in the Heroine's Journey. She will combine and integrate the positive Masculine in her life (of which there is much!) of her warrior brothers, that have helped her to reach out in the world and fight, with the Feminine of her origins, the clever clone, assistant to the Creatrix of them all. Like Nala Se, she can be clever creator and destroyer (she was trained to do Nala Se's work after all), but she will destroy what harms her Mother's creations. She is the Omega, the last Clone. She is the Legacy of Jango Fett, a man who gave his own blueprint to create millions of doomed boys that will destroy and be destroyed in turn, and the Legacy of Nala Se, the woman who used that DNA to create them. Jango and Nala were always mirror characters in the story--both seemingly dispassionately, created millions of doomed children for a war machine. Yet neither were wholly evil, both loved fiercely and were/are honorable. Both loved one clone (the Alpha, and the Omega, respectively). Omega will embody the positive aspects of both these complicated legacies.

#the bad batch #star wars #tbb omega #nala se #tbb crosshair #emerie karr #The Heroine's Journey #The Bad Batch meta #tbb #tbb asajj ventress #asajj ventress

[antianakin]

@auditect

You seem like you're being genuine about this and asking this in good faith, so I'm going to say this as respectfully as I possibly can: no, she's not.

When thinking about what's canon and what's not, there are 2 things to consider. One is, was it explicitly said or shown in the canon material (in this case, Rebels)? For example, did you hear anyone CALL Ahsoka a Gray Jedi, or discuss Gray Jedi and then have Ahsoka pretty clearly get associated with said concept? Two is, have you ever heard the main creator of a canon material explicitly state somewhere that Ahsoka is intended to be understood as a Gray Jedi by the audience? In this case that would probably be Filoni, but you can probably count the other writers and even Lucas in this category.

The answer to all of those questions is no. At no point has the concept of Gray Jedi ever been brought up in a high canon piece of media in Star Wars (in case high canon is a new term for you, this includes all of the movies, TCW, Rebels, and the Disney+ shows like The Mandalorian, TBOBF, TBB, etc.). Gray Jedi are FANON because they only exist in a piece of extended universe Star Wars media which, in many ways, works as basically official fanfiction. Nobody working on the more "high media" stuff is ever obligated to keep extended universe stories in mind and adhere to their continuity, but the people working on extended universe stories have to adhere to high canon continuity as best they can.

Obviously there are things that have been brought from extended universe into high canon, but Gray Jedi simply aren't one of them. And, in my own opinion, this is because the entire concept makes no sense with the actual worldbuilding of high canon Star Wars. As much as Filoni shits on the Jedi, he does generally seem to understand Lucas's worldbuilding which makes the fanon concept of Gray Jedi literally impossible. Using a little dark side without it having an impact on you isn't possible. That's not how the Force works, as the saying goes.

So no, Ahsoka's not a gray Jedi in Rebels. She's a former Jedi who happens to keep using her training and her lightsabers to help people in the Rebellion. Even in the trailers for the new Ahsoka show, the tagline says "rebel, outcast, JEDI." There's nothing in there about being gray, there's no acknowledgment of Gray Jedi as a thing. Ahsoka is someone who was once a Jedi and will likely end up a Jedi again by the end of her show because that's the journey we've sort-of seen her going on throughout the different things she's been in.

In Rebels, we see Ahsoka actively working with other Jedi (Kanan and Ezra) to continue work that the Jedi Order had started, we see Ahsoka specifically come along on missions that are Jedi specific problems. She says she's not a Jedi, yes, but in her time, being a Jedi meant something very specific, you couldn't just identify as a Jedi if you weren't someone who was adopted into the Order officially. Ahsoka was expelled and then refused to come back, so she's no longer an official member of the Jedi Order and can no longer take on the title of Jedi. And then the Order is destroyed, so all roads for officially rejoining the Order are now closed to her effectively forever. And this leaves her with trying to figure out what being a Jedi means to her in the wake of that destruction, how can she re-identify as a Jedi without an Order to be a part of, does she even have the right to do so when she hadn't been a Jedi when the Order was destroyed? We've seen characters like Kanan and Cal go through similar arcs and both of them became full Jedi by the end of them. There's no real reason Ahsoka won't do the same given that it's the most obvious place for her to go.

Now, none of that means that if you like the fanon concept of Gray Jedi that you can't just headcanon Ahsoka as a Gray Jedi after she leaves the Order. More power to you! But just because it's a headcanon you like doesn't make it canon. Until it's made explicit via dialogue or something similar in high canon, or at the very least said in an interview by one of the creators, it's NOT CANON.

#ahsoka tano #star wars #star wars rebels #jedi #gray jedi critical #grey jedi critical

[ncfan-1]

I’ve largely avoided news about the upcoming Star Wars movie regarding Rey. Anyone who was around when TROS comes out knows how I feel about it, and since I can’t remember if I ever said it out loud, I’ll say it now: TROS tainted my experience of the entire Sequel Trilogy. I have never watched any of the ST movies again since I watched TROS in theaters, not even TLJ, which in my frank opinion is stronger than TFA and TROS combined. I… I’m not sure how to feel about the Rey movie.

Just based on my memories of TROS, I can’t view the Sequel Trilogy as anything but Rey’s villain origin story. By the end of TROS, she is immensely powerful, most likely the most powerful Force user left alive in the galaxy, and on the same token, intensely isolated. Her relationships with Poe and Finn seem markedly strained; she doesn’t seem especially close to either of them. The one person she felt understood her is dead, and moreover, he died saving her life, which is such a can of worms where guilt and trauma is concerned. Who does she have who she can really confide her troubles in? Who does she have whom she can really lean on? She seems almost totally unmoored from the community she is ostensibly a part of, her ties to her friends superficial at best.

Moreover, she’s reverted back to a more extreme version of her getup from TFA and kept it at the end of the movie, suggesting that she’s regressed emotionally in some way. She certainly seems to be in deep denial about all of the traumatic things that have happened to her and all of the traumatic revelations she’s learned over the course of the three films. The fact that she latches on to ‘Skywalker’ as her new identity signals that she isn’t at peace with her own past and heritage, that she hasn’t addressed and resolved her own feelings about where she came from and who she is. She hasn’t addressed or resolved anything.

And then, to top it all off, we end with Rey in a spiritual wasteland, where her only companions are ghosts and a droid with the emotional maturity of a young child, and the movie leaves it extremely ambiguous as to whether Rey is only on Tatooine to visit, or if she intends to set up shop and live there. It all gives me an extremely ominous feeling about where Rey’s journey is supposed to go next. Maybe she doesn’t become a full-on villain, but unless her upcoming movie devotes a huge chunk of time in the beginning to having her actually work through everything that happened to her and everything that she learned, instead of just sinking further and further into denial about everything, Rey being remotely well-adjusted in that movie is going to come off as so tonally dissonant to me.

Like I said, she doesn’t have to be a full-on villain, but where I would naturally expect to see Rey next from TROS is to see her as a liminal figure, someone who doesn’t really seem to belong anywhere, morally ambiguous, at least somewhat perilous. I could see her as something like a trickster figure. I could see her as an antagonistic force. But as prospective grandmaster to a new Jedi Order? Nah. That makes no sense tonally, based on where we last saw her. Yeah, I know there’s supposed to be about fifteen years between TROS and this film, but the huge time skip isn’t going to be enough to make up for the tonal gap. Not for me. I’ll watch it when it comes out, but I’m not sure how well it’s going to sit with me.

#Star Wars #I'm avoiding other tags in order to avoid inflaming anything #if you're excited for this upcoming movie this is not a knock against you #I hope it's good #I really hope it is #it's just that after TROS it's hard for me to be optimistic about other properties from that time period

[jedi-enthusiast]

Debunking the "The Jedi are Evil" Theory Made by The Film Theorists PT 6

Point 6 - The Jedi Left Shimi in Slavery

Continuing on, Matthew says this:

"In fact, the Jedi care so little about the relationship between parent and child, that in the Prequel trilogy Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan literally leave Anakin's mother on Tatooine to continue living in slavery in Episode 1. We're told that they take Anakin, but not his mother because they don't have the money to buy her freedom from Watto."

WRONG!

And, what's funny is, he plays the exact clip that shows this is wrong right after he makes this statement.

They didn't free her because Watto refused, likely because he didn't want to lose both his slaves in one day, but not because they didn't have enough money or wouldn't pay the price Watto set.

---

Matthew quote, continued:

"But then a decade goes by without him ever following up. At no point during the 10 year period did anyone bother to think- 'Hey, maybe we should, you know, go check on Anakin's mother to make sure she's alive or, I don't know, maybe go back to buy her freedom since we have the money to do it, and we've won the war, and her son happens to be the most powerful Force-user in history.'"

First of all, Qui-Gon fucking dies like the day after freeing Anakin--so he can't follow up--and Obi-Wan, for a nice chunk of time afterwards I'd say, is a little too busy dealing with the grief of losing his Master (or his "parent," since obviously Matthew thinks parental relationships are the only ones that matter), the mental turmoil of killing a Sith, and also the sheer whiplash of "holy shit I'm now responsible for a whole other human being, what do I do???"

Like, there's literally a whole thing in a book where Obi-Wan is like "does Anakin know how to swim???" so I think there were some more pressing matters on his mind than worrying about Shmi.

I will also say that in another video Matthew says that Shmi and Anakin were just fine as slaves because Watto is shown to "treat them well," so he can't really use both arguments in this situation. If Shmi was "just fine" in slavery, then why should the Jedi go back to check on her or free her?

Either she's fine and the Jedi have no reason to go check on her, or she's not fine and the Jedi need to.

One or the other, buddy.

Plus, only Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Anakin knew about Shmi. Qui-Gon dies, Obi-Wan is juggling enough things as is, and Anakin clearly never tells anyone else about his mother--so what was anyone else supposed to do about someone they didn't even know existed?

Second...you're getting your movies and also literally everything that happens mixed up.

The Jedi do not "win the war," a war fucking starts--which spreads them thin across the galaxy to the point that they can barely take care of the problems right under their noses without another fire starting somewhere else that they need to get to, so I doubt they'd have the time to go searching for Shmi. Plus, at the end of that war, the Jedi get fucking genocided...idk what you want them to do while they're getting murdered in the halls of their home.

Now, if you're talking about the mess on Naboo, that is over at the end of TPM--not in the "10 year span" you're talking about. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that, if Obi-Wan did go back to try and buy Shmi's freedom, that Watto's answer would be the same, and what would be the point of Obi-Wan going back a day after Watto already refused to ask the same question again?

And why isn't Padme held to the same standard?

Why aren't you asking why she--with more money, power, time, and resources--didn't go back to free Shmi?

Interesting double standard there.

---

Matthew quote continued:

"What makes the death of Anakin's mother all the more tragic, is that all of it could have been prevented. He reaches her just as she's in her dying breaths. Had he arrived days, or even hours earlier, his journey to Tatooine might not have ended with him having to bury her. The only reason that Anakin even knew about her is because he could sense her suffering."

Yeah, it could have been prevented...if Anakin had actually told anyone about his dreams.

In AotC Anakin mentions to Obi-Wan that he's been having dreams about his mother, but he doesn't elaborate. And when Obi-Wan tries to talk to him about those vague dreams that Anakin is telling him fuck-all about, Anakin switches the subject to Padme and doesn't bring it up to Obi-Wan again.

The Jedi are shown again and again to be extremely empathetic and, as I said before, they don't bar people from visiting their biological families if that's what they choose. If Anakin had actually told Obi-Wan "I've been having dreams of my mother dying on Tatooine and I can literally sense her pain and suffering," odds are that Obi-Wan would have encouraged him to go and check on her.

And it's made clear that Anakin was having those dreams for a while. His mother was gone for a month. If, at any point in time Anakin had actually told someone about his dreams, he probably could've gone to check on her earlier and would've been able to save her.

The only reason that Anakin wasn't supposed to go later on in the movie was because he was literally the sole person responsible for the safety of a very important Senator who people were actively trying to assassinate.

#star wars #sw prequels #pro jedi #pro jedi council #pro jedi order #in defense of the jedi #in defense of the jedi council #anti anakin skywalker #anakin skywalker critical

[just-dreaming-marvel]

The Bond Between Us ~ 85

THE BOND BETWEEN US MASTERLIST

< previous chapter

Word Count: 1,525ish

Summary: Luke struggles with Rey.

Notes: I can't believe that there are only 4 more chapters after this. Are you ready?

Luke was resistant to Rey when she first found him on one of the islands of Ahch-To. He had turned cold to the ways of the Jedi and the Force, now believing that he understood what you were talking about when you refused to help him restore the Order. 

After finding out about Han’s death, he reunited with R2 in the Falcon. Luke was upset at himself for shutting himself off from the Force so much that he hadn’t sensed Han’s death. R2 showed Luke the old footage of Leia asking for Obi-Wan’s help, he decided to teach her three lessons.

The first lesson allowed Luke to see that Rey had a level of power identical to Ben, you, and Anakin. This worried him and caused him to quickly abandon the lesson. Luke also realized the truth about Rey during this brief lesson: that she was the granddaughter of Darth Sidious.

After the second lesson, Luke revealed his view (or what he wanted Rey to believe) about how Ben became Kylo Ren. Leaving Rey, he went down to the mediations ledge and managed to regain his Force abilities once again. This allowed him to sense you and Leia, both unconscious across the Galaxy.

It began storming on the island and Luke went searching for Rey, sensing something off. He found Rey connecting with Kylo in a hut, revealing that they had a bond similar to what you and Obi-Wan shared. Rey and Luke began dueling as Rey questioned if Luke created Kylo. After gaining the upper hand, Rey pushed Luke to be honest with her. Luke told her about the darkness he sensed in Ben and what really happened that night.

Rey, having seen a future where Kylo turned back to the light, was convinced she could turn him. She left, going to go to him to try. Luke watched the Falcon fly off before taking a fiery torch and heading to where he kept the sacred Jedi texts. Sensing someone watching him, Luke turned to see Yoda, in Force ghost form, standing on a rock.

“Master Yoda,” Luke said roughly.

“Young Skywalker,” Yoda responded.

“I’m ending all this. The tree, the text, the Jedi. I’m going to burn it down.”

Yoda chuckled as he watched Luke unable to actually set fire to the tree. Yoda concentrated and used the Force to summon lightning, hitting the tree and allowing it to burst into flames. Luke turned around in pure shock. Yoda laughed. 

“Ah, Skywalker, missed you, have I,” Yoda told him.

An explosion caused Luke to fly back, away from a tree, and to the ground. Yoda appeared in front of him, watching the bright flames.

“So it is time…” Luke said, “for the Jedi Order to end.”

“Time, it is. Hmm.” Yoda turned to face Luke. “For you to look past a pile of old books, hmm?”

“The sacred Jedi texts!”

“Oh, read them, have you?”

“Well, I…”

“Page turners, they were not. Yes, yes, yes.” Yoda walked closer to the man. “Wisdom they held, but that library contains nothing that the girl Rey does not already possess.” Luke was still watching the flames over Yoda. “Skywalker, still looking to the horizon. Never here, hmm? The need in front of your nose.” He tapped Luke on the nose with his cane. “Hmm?”

“I was weak… unwise.”

“Lost Ben Solo, you did. Lose Rey, we must not.”

“I can’t be what she needs me to be.”

“Heeded my words not, did you? Pass on what you have learned. Strength, mastery, but weakness, folly, failure, also. Yes, failure most of all. The greatest teacher, failure is… Tell you that, Obi-Wan and Y/N could.”

“Y/N… is she not the one most equipped for training Rey?”

“Y/N’s time, come it will, for many things.” Yoda sighed, thinking of you, his Padawan, and how far you’ve come and the journey that still lay ahead for you. “Luke, we are what they grow beyond. That is the true burden of all Masters.”

Yoda moved to sit beside Luke on the rock the man was sitting up against. The two sat back and watched the tree burn together.

“Is Rey the true Chosen One?” Luke wondered, looking to the Jedi Master for the answer.

“The Chosen One, Rey is not,” Yoda answered. “Your father and Y/N, that title belongs to.”

“But Y/N—“

Yoda tutted as he shook his head. “Again, heeded my words not you have. My Padawan’s time will come, for many things. Continue on her path, she must… depends on her, the Galaxy does.”

Luke nodded, glancing back at the flames. “Do you know the truth about Rey?”

“Mhm,” Yoda hummed. “Granddaughter of Darth Sidious, she is.”

“She is drawn to the dark side… like Ben. I fear—“

“Lose Rey, we must not,” Yoda repeated his words from earlier with a stronger conviction. “Matters not, who her family is, just as it matters not about yours.”

~~~

Gasping, you woke and could sense the distress on the cruiser. It was different like there was a rift in the Resistance. You sat up, despite the medical personnel urging you to take it slow. Looking beside you, you saw that Leia was up. She looked at you as she grabbed a cane handed to her.

“That was stupid of you,” she reprimanded.

“Leia,” your voice was clearly tired, the years of fighting seeping through your tone, “I can’t outlive anymore loved ones.”

She understood your struggle and gave you a slight smile. “I’ll try to do my best.”

You were quickly told by a Resistance officer that Poe had caused a mutiny and had taken control of the bridge. Time was running out as the transports were being loaded to get the people on board to safety. Sensing that Leia was actually weaker than you, you told her that you’d handle it. Grabbing your lightsabers and a few armed Resistance officers, you headed for the bridge. You weren’t surprised when you found the door locked.

“General, we can grab—“

“Don’t bother getting anything,” you interrupted the officer, “I can handle it.” 

You ignited your yellow saber and plunged it through the door. Once you had cut a hole in the door, it fell forward onto the ground and you stepped into the room. Poe was standing near the window with 3PO and Lieutenant Connix.

“Y/N,” he breathed out.

You waved your hand, using the Force to knock Poe out. Furrowing your brows, you noticed something on his wrist. The binary beacon that was once on your wrist. You glared at the droid and the Lieutenant.

“I would get to the transports quickly if I were the two of you,” you advised as officers rushed in.

“General—“

You held your hand up. “I don’t need any excuses, 3PO. We don’t have time. Get to the transport, now!”

~~~

You chose to seclude yourself as much as you were able on the transport and meditate. The feeling of needing to strengthen your abilities was strong. You were meditating when Poe woke.

“No! No!” He exclaimed, jumping from the stretcher he was laying on. He rushed to the window that viewed the cruiser and punched it. “No, no, no!”

“Poe,” Leia calmly called from the opposite side. She looked back out her window at a nearby planet as Poe came near.

“What’s that?” Poe wondered as he sat beside Leia.”

“The mineral planet, Crait,” you responded as you came over to join them. “An uncharted hideout from the days of the Rebellion.”

“That’s a Rebel base?”

“Abandoned but heavily armored,” explained Larma D’Acy, “with enough power to get a distress signal to our allies scattered in the Outer Rim.”

“Holdo knew the First Order was tracking our big ship,” Leia told Poe. “They’re not monitoring small transports.”

“So we could slip down to the surface unnoticed and hide until the First Order passes,” Poe said, catching on to the plan. “It could work.”

“She was more interested in protecting the light,” Leia reached out and touched the beacon on Poe’s wrist and slowly pulled it off of him, “than she was seeming like a hero.”

You could tell that Leia’s words affected him. You knew that Poe thought that by wanting to be a hero, he was still doing the right thing. The man still had a lot to learn. Suddenly, the ship was rocked as one of the transports was hit and exploded. Then another. And another. Poe rushed up to the pilots, demanding full speed as another transport was destroyed. You lurched forward as you felt them die. Leia, concerned, placed a hand on your knee. 

Admiral Holdo, who had stayed on the larger cruiser, turned the larger cruiser around. You looked up and watched as she prepared to make the jump to lightspeed. Reaching over, you head tightly to Leia’s hand as you watched the cruiser make the jump and hit Smoke’s ship, cutting a large chunk of it off.

“We’re still not safe,” you whispered. “That won’t stop them from following us.” You turned to look at Leia. “We need to get to Crait and fast.”

next chapter >

#obi wan fanfiction #obi wan x reader #obi wan kenobi fanfiction #obi wan x y/n #obi wan x you #obi wan imagine #obi wan kenobi x y/n #obi wan kenobi imagines #obi wan kenobi imagine #obi wan kenobi x you #obi wan kenobi x reader #star wars x reader #star wars imagines #star wars imagine #star wars fanfiction

[archduke42]

My thoughts on Ahsoka

I kind of wanted to wait a few days before giving my thoughts. Lots of mixed feelings, some things I liked, and the things I didn't like are the typical writing problems Dave Filoni consistantly commits. I liked: The Fantasy space opera of it. Things like Ahsoka vs the space fighters, the Night sister magic, the Epic notions of the Mortis Gods and World Between Worlds, etc. I often take issue with how Filoni writes his stories, but when he writes an Epic fantasy energy, I do enjoy it. I love doing that in my own writings, so it taps into my vibe. I liked how Thrawn and the Night sisters and undead stormtroopers have such a Gothic thing (Ominous music, the chants of the soldiers, etc.) His Star destroyer has that feel of an old castle in a Dracula movie, which is pretty cool.

I did like the idea of Merrok being an undead Inquisitor, but I refused to take part in the speculations of who he was. I certainly got tired and anxious over the whole speculation of it being Barriss Offee. I just wish they had established early on he was a new character.

Overall, I am a flexible forgiving fan when a creator takes some liberties. Some things in the show were pretty cool, like the mysterious Planet Piridea, the Night Sisters working with Thrawn, the samurai motif of the scavengers on the planet and the little aliens with big shells for defense, etc. The light saber fights were pretty awesome (Ahsoka vs Morgan was quite excellent) I liked Baylan and Shin. Interesting characters with a bit of mystery of where they came from and where they want to go. Though Ray Stevenson has passed away, I have no doubt Filoni will try to continue or conclude the journey of Baylan Skoll somehow. I also get Filoni's Wolf thing that he puts in all his projects. It's a bit amateurish to have wolf stuff everywhere but I do that kind of thing in my fanfiction sometimes. Skoll, Hati, Morgan and Merrok are all from some kind of Wolf based mythology. But then that's where I start to take issue with Filoni (with all due respect to fans who liked the elements I am taking issue with) Much of Ahsoka is his own, unstructured, frenetic fan fiction. He changes and retcons things at the drop of a bucket. He drops things in our laps with no back story or explanation and expects us to just accept it. When did Ahsoka and Sabine develop this Master/Apprentice relation? Why was Sabine being trained to be a Jedi? How did Sabine's family perish? How does somebody with such low Force sensitivity suddenly have Force powers in less than a week when most skilled padawans take a lifetime to do what Sabine did with Ezra? Why would Sabine be such a rebellious teen skipping the Lothal celebrations? She could have just said no thanks if she didn't want to be there. Why is she the trouble maker now, while Ezra seems to be the sensible one? It's such a character switch from Rebels, when Ezra was the loose cannon when she was the team player. HOW is Thrawn going to be a threat to the galaxy with one rickety, barely working Star Destroyer and dwindling resources? I suppose he might unite the warlords but that is going to take effort if they are not impressed with what he's starting out with. Plus, I have never been keen on Filoni's portrayal of Thrawn. The trouble is that Thrawn is the most brilliant military mind in Star Wars. Not to anger anyone, but there is no way he was going to lose against the Rebels. He only gets defeated when there is an insubordinate officer, a mysterious obstacle like the Bendu, or just plain fan fiction contrivance. Filoni and the creators at Lucasfilm really should study Napoleon, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, General George S Patton, etc to create a believable military villain of this magnitude. But that's just my opinion. Thrawn is so unbeatable it would take a pack of Space Whales to totally counter his abilities (Another epic moment I enjoyed at the end of rebels) Not a fan of Filoni just dropping these plot complications without any backstory to explain them, but he does that all the time. He relies too much on fans just figuring canon out on their own when he really needs to explain things a little better. Also not a fan of Filoni's penchant for letting the protagonists be irresponsible yet suffer no consequences whatsoever for their actions.

Ahsoka disobeys the council/Anakin/etc suffers no real consequence for insubordination Ezra goes AWOL to try to save Kenobi from Maul, which would have severe repercussions, but gets a slap on the wrist and a wagging finger Sabine disobeys Ahsoka multiple times and endangers the New Republic by letting Thrawn have the capability to return, but no consequences are ever forthcoming. Now, I know sometimes it's exciting when the Star Wars heroes are mavericks who dismiss the rules for quick actions, but I'm 52, and it kind of chafes me when people break rules for selfish reasons and create problems for those of us who play by the rules. I sometimes wish Filoni would have characters go the common sense path, but there you go. The Asian Senator follows the rules, he gets boo hissed by everyone, while Hera breaks the rules (even with Good intentions) and is celebrated as a maverick hero. I got nothing but respect for Hera but Filoni's Star Wars has a habit of celebrating irresponsibility in the Heroes while the characters who follow rules are written to be sort of villains

The worst habit Filoni has is to end his stories with ambiguity. Characters leave dramatically to an uncertain future, leaving more questions on what happens next. I get that this is a way to make fans want more, but it's a tired tactic so he can leave things open rather than have a concrete conclusion. Plus, we have no way of knowing when there will be a followup. If there will be a season 2, it might not happen until 2025. They announced Filoni will be directing his movie, but that might not be until 2026. It's a lot of wait time, just as there was a lot of wait time after season 5 of TCW and season 4 of Rebels. Then there's the whole Barriss Offee question I've come to simply accept that Barriss Offee is likely never returning to Star Wars canon (I think Filoni tells us he has big plans for her just to keep us waiting). I saw a story about how Filoni wanted to bring back Ventress in the Resistance animated show but then scrapped it because her popularity would overshadow the main characters. That kind of brings me to the conclusion that I don't need to wait for Barriss to return to any animated show or live stream series. Her popularity would just distract us from other characters Filoni wants to focus on. As much as that saddens me a little, I accept it and will not be pushing any more speculation articles or youtube videos trying to sensationalize her return. We all got excited when there was a mystery over who rescued Grogu and that Illuminerdi article that boasted the casting of Barriss for the Ahsoka show (Another red herring) It kind of deflates us when we realized we were wrong about it. I think we should just celebrate Barriss with art and stories and not fall for the stringed carrot bait anymore. In the end, I can still watch future Star Wars stuff, and I am curious to see what happens to these characters. But the wait will sort of make it all it bit Meh. Overall, I liked the Epic style of the Ahsoka series and the characters but Filoni's bag of tricks are a tired thing for me.

#star wars #star wars the clone wars #ahsoka tano #star wars rebels #ezra bridger #grand admiral thrawn

[digestionsack]

The Empire Strikes Back and Stranger Things 4 Analysis: A Look at El’s Arc, Will and El’s Relationship, and Byler

Hi all!

I have been following the Byler tag since 17k, but until now I have not directly engaged. However, I recently watched The Empire Strikes Back and I couldn’t believe what I was seeing—I HAD to write about it! Apologies if someone has already covered this, but maybe having a fresh post about it will appeal to the newbies in the tag. Warning: This will be a long one. And now…

*Empire Strikes Back spoilers ahead!*

I had not seen ESB in years, but based on this interview/article with the Duffer brothers, I went into my rewatch of the movie looking at it through a Stranger Things lens, since the interview basically says that Duffers wanted to create the same “all is lost” ending that was in ESB for ST4. Not to mention this

being on the official S4 movie whiteboard. And because of you lovely Bylers pointing out the character parallels, I went into the movie looking for Han=Mike, Leia=Will, and Luke=El similarities. So I’m watching the movie and waiting for the ending parallels…and then I realized that the Duffers didn’t just parallel the ending. They paralleled the WHOLE DAMN MOVIE—especially when it comes to El’s arc, Willel, and Byler’s relationship.

In the beginning of ESB, we have this established love triangle between Han, Leia, and Luke. Leia even kisses Luke (it is implied that she does this to piss off Han), and her and Han’s relationship is somewhat strained. This loosely parallels Mike and El’s face-value relationship at the beginning of S4 and the tension between Mike and Will. At this point in ESB, this creates romantic ambiguity in the Han/Leia/Luke dynamic—as is so with most love triangles.

And then…things got super interesting in regards to parallels, especially when it comes to El’s S4 arc. Luke receives a message from a now-dead Obi Wan Kenobi, who instructs him to go off on his own to begin his official Jedi training with Yoda. This really solidified the El=Luke parallel for me, as El goes on a similar journey with the Nina Project. So Luke goes off on his own to fully come to terms with his power, his past, and his role in the Rebellion/Empire conflict, and El goes off in a similar fashion to regain her powers, come to terms with her past, confront her pain (negative memories and the emotional manipulation of Brenner), and learn the truth about Vecna/Henry/One. But the parallels don’t stop here. El and Luke both cut their training short when they realize that their friends/loved ones are in danger, against the advice of Brenner and Yoda. When I was listening to the dialogue during El’s and Luke’s departure scenes, I was reeling—they were so similar. To quote one lovely Byler: “If my teacher made me run that shit through turnitin.com, my ass would be on the BRINK of expulsion.”

Both El and Luke leave their training to go fight, and both S4 and ESB end with loss. Luke is rattled by losing a hand and learning Darth Vader is his father, Han is frozen in carbonite, and Darth Vader is still on the loose. El is rattled by the loss of Max, the Upside Down crossing over into Hawkins, and Vecna is still on the loose.

The Will+El/Luke+Leia Wonder Twins parallels are not all that subtle, either. In S4, it is established as early as episode one that Will and El have really begun to lean into their sibling/twin bond after moving to California—not too hard, since the two have been strongly connected ever since S1. With or without a script, their reunion in the desert only solidified their love for each other. Luke and Leia do not find out they are siblings until Return of the Jedi, but their bond through the Force becomes a big part of the ending of ESB when Luke calling out to Leia through the Force and Leia coming to rescue him.

Ergo, El=Luke and Will=Leia.

Okay, so I specifically put this in the Byler tag…so…Byler. This part is shorter, but this was so juicy on my ESB rewatch that I cackled. Just…heh.

Man, ST4 really said “forced proximity road trip creates romantic tension and bonding,” didn’t it? But…so did Star Wars. Because while Luke was off on Dagobath with Yoda for his Jedi training, which pairing went on a road trip (space trip, if you will) that emphasized romantic tension and bonded the two characters? You guessed it….

Listen, was I a big fan of how aggressively Han pursued Leia? Not really. Do I think the romance could have been developed a bit more before the execution? Yeah, I do. There are many aspects in which Byler is different from Han/Leia (enemies/annoyances to lovers vs childhood best friends to lovers being a clear difference). But the parallel still stands, even up to the end, when Leia loses Han to the carbonite (and Will rips off the bandaid to push Mike towards El). Leia and Will both think that they have lost their love interests. But in The Last Jedi, Han and Leia reunite and are still endgame. As for Byler in S5….well. That remains to be seen.

Tl;dr: The similarities between ESB and S4 are so glaring they must have been intentional. This has major implications for El’s arc, Willel, and Byler. Who knows, maybe I’ll find some more crumbs and S5 hints when I watch The Last Jedi…

If you’ve made it this far, thank you so much for reading! I really appreciate it and I hope you had fun!

#byler

[arrthurpendragon]

Fic Recs June 26 - July 2, 2022

But It’s Golden, Like Daylight [Marvel] by @nadja-antipaxos​

After serving as her bodyguard, Steve Rogers becomes friends with benefits with Tony's little sister, Nicolette Stark. What was supposed to be a little fun becomes much more than what they originally bargained for. Post 2012 The Avengers through Endgame. 

READ AT AO3

The Death of an Apprentice [Star Wars] by: @sithy-tricks​​

Adaki Arturis is a typical apprentice in Kaas City, always scheming of ways to advance his station while everyone doubts such ambitions. But when his Master sent Adaki to purchase a slave as a reward for his many successful tasks, it surprised Adaki to find that this slave agrees with his plans, including dispatching his former wife.

READ AT AO3, WATTPAD, FFN

Electric Feel [DCEU] by @wokenhardies​

16-year-old Amber Talbot had a pretty good life; straight As, a job as a babysitter/live-in nanny for the Vasquez family, and a somewhat stable social life. However, when Billy Batson becomes a superhero, Amber winds up getting dragged into the journey alongside him as the Emissary. [First in the Emissary Verse, a DCEU/MCU xover series]

READ AT AO3, WATTPAD

Faulty Eyes [Supernatural] by xonceuponatimex

Many times in the last year has Juniper Langley witnessed more than she would like to, even when it was only in her head, most of which involve the deaths of people she has never met before that leaves nothing but a throbbing pain in her eyes and an ache in her chest. As the nightmares only grow more frequent, with them starting to occur more vividly during the most inconvenient times, so does the never-ending cycle of anxiety and madness running through her head that diminishes her trust and comfort in the world completely. But one face always stands out: Dean Winchester, the unknown man that Juniper constantly sees and the only one that never dies. As the days go by and the victim count increases, as well as Dean's face, plus Juniper's curiosity and possible insanity, she realizes that there are a lot of unexpected things in the world that she still can't explain. It's when Dean and his brother, Sam, show up at her door with concerns about her own fate that maybe relying on two strangers to get the answers and understanding she's been needing all along if she wants to stay alive. She just didn't think getting into the ups and downs of the supernatural world and connecting more and more with Sam Winchester was the way to do it.

READ AT WATTPAD

Footprints on a Mirror [Warhammer 40,000] by @kirjanikv6ilill​

What happens when a stalwart and ever-loyal servant of the God-Emperor finds herself in the (inescapable) thrall of the very eldritch entity she is sworn to protect the Imperium against?​

READ AT AO3

Force of Nature [Star Wars] by: @darth-caillic​

Sith Acolyte Darth Viveza is sent on a mission to spy on the Queen of Naboo and keep an eye on two enemy Jedi. Her instructions were clear. Do so and nothing more. She has a hard time doing this, due to the younger of the two Jedi.

All she had to do was wait. Then she would get her chance. Killing a Jedi would take her one step closer to becoming strong enough to defeat her master. Right?

READ AT AO3, WATTPAD

Heavenly Light [Star Wars] by @misshiraeth98​

Catalea Adonis was a woman with a dream. She dreamed of a Baethea free from Naboo's rule. When she is anointed Princess of Baethea she vows to gain independence for her home. Along the way she meets a man she can never love and a destiny, she can never change. She was Baethea's hope. She was the heir. THE LEGEND OF BAETHEA: BOOK 1

READ AT WATTPAD

Pyrogenous: Shadowed Destiny [Merlin] by @oneirataxia-girl​

Born without status or wealth, Lynelda is willing to do whatever it takes to claw her way to a life of peace and plenty; but when she's been living in shadows for as long as she could remember and stumbles upon fate in the form of a bumbling, powerful boy, she just might have to learn how to step into the sun and embrace the call of destiny, and also embrace her steadily growing powers along the way.​

READ AT WATTPAD

Sands of Time [The Mummy] by Winter326

in which an ancient goddess who's attempting to have a normal life is dragged back into the world of curses and mummies to help prevent an old foe from returning, not expecting to fall in love with a mortal along the way.

READ AT WATTPAD

Scars Made of Stardust [Star Wars] by dorkiest_nerd

" walking hand in hand ( life, force, love, death ) walking side by side ( friend, lover, family ). life is full of little moments, that all feel monumental. I am the force. I am the scarred. from stardust I was made, to the stars I shall return "

READ AT WATTPAD

True Colors [Madagascar] by @megandaisy9​

Ellie, a 15 year-old teenager on the autistic spectrum, has been living in New York with her adopted parents and despite her struggle with a dark curse, life has been fairly normal ... but what happens when a flight to Australia ends in turmoil and she finds herself stranded on the island of Madagascar?

READ AT FFN

When Worlds Collide [Doctor Who] by @void-words​

"Great. Brilliant. I'm in a fanfic. I'm dead and the afterlife is a fucking Doctor Who fanfic."Amara Kashyap always planned. Everything in her life was a meticulously planned event, and God forbid even the slightest issue to said plans. However, her life is thrown to a toss when a wave crashes down an event nobody could possibly plan on her.She's now in a fictional world that couldn't exist, and her life is now tangled with a man who is possibly the single most unpredictable being in all of time and space.Maybe this would be a good thing. Maybe it won't. Only time can tell.​

READ AT AO3

#ocappreciation #fd: doctor who #fd: madagascar #fd: star wars #fd: the mummy #fd: marvel #fd: merlin #fd: warhammer40k #fd: dceu #oc fic recs #oc fanfiction #oc fanfic #oc fic #fd: supernatural

[myimaginarywonderland]

I think part of my problem why the Sequel movies feel as flat as they do is because they clearly lack love.

Now you will be confused but I will try to explain my point as good as possible.

In the Original movies at the beginning Luke loses everything. The people he lives with are killed, the only people he has ever considered family who he loved. He loves so much that he even tries to get to Obi wan to deliver the message, hoping that he'll try to save Leia. He saw this girl who so clearly needed help and he just decides he has to help. So, even when he is beaten down, he goes on this journey to save a girl that he has never seen in his life.

And then he meets Han and they immediately work because they both love so much. Having seen the Solo movie later of course we know Han also loves much, but even then the theme of love is prominent. Both of them have such big hearts. In fact like his father had Luke has such a big heart that it makes his jedi training hard.

But Luke doesn't give up because he is driven by love, mainly his love for people. He cares so much that even when his father, the person who the entire galaxy sees for the worst human being possible, he loves him in a way. He cares because he believes that there is good in everyone and Han proves that when he always comes back even when says he wouldn't or when Leia immediately becomes his sister.

He cares and he loves and that makes him a great jedi. It is because of this that we know he was able to save his father.

He didn't have special powers but he cared and loved. He saved someone because he cared and loved and he even inspires that in others (see again him making Han reveal his side that cares about people.)

He loves so much that people decide to give his outrageous plan of saving Vader a chance. They see how much he cares and they let him.

We see Vader, the man who loves to kill, the man who seemingly lacked feelings, die because of love. Because the love of his son was so strong that it brought Anakin back. Because Anakin even under Vader loves so much just like his son does or his daughter who loves so much that she is willing to risk her life for the rebellion.

And then we see how Darth Vader became and again this story is filled with love, in its purest and most tragic form.

We see love when Anakin leaves his mother because he always dreamed of being a jedi.

We see love when Obi-Wan, his master and so much more, teaches him.

We see love with Padme, a love so great that is willing to give himself over to the one thing he is bound to reject just so he can save her.

We see the pain love can cause when Anakin loses his mother, the one person who always believed in him.

We see love when even after everything Anakin has done Padme still tries to bring him back.

We see love when Obi-Wan feels he had failed and still is not willing to kill Anakin.

We see love when Obi-Wan immediately tries to save Padmes children.

While the Original trilogy showed what the power of love can do, how even a tiny sign of care can bring down an empire, the Prequels show what love can cause. All the pain, the hate, the suffering, the tragedy, the betrayal, all of the bad things love might bring with it.

And then we have the Sequels. Movies that could unite this. Movies that could show how the pain love causes can be overcome by cherishing the good.

Movies that could show that while Luke cared, maybe he cared too much like a jedi and not enough like Luke, the same mistake Obi-Wan made.

Movies that could show the balance between the good and the bad things that loves brings with it.

And there is so much potential.

With Ben being a child of a love so strong, we should have seen how that love might have made them blind. We should have seen Leia and Han, two people who always loved so much, love too much. We should have seen a Ben who was crushed because he was loved so much that he was never going to be who everyone wanted him to be.

We should have seen Finn, a stormtrooper who choose to not kill, save lives by being the very thing no one would ever belief him to be, a jedi.

We should have seen Rey find closure, accept that maybe where she came from isn't important but it's who she is that matters at the core of it all. We should have seen her find her family while at the same time accepting that love can save but love will not always save everyone.

We should have seen Kylo struggling because he's so much more like his grandfather. We should have seen his conflict, how he truly came to be.

We should have seen Luke, the boy who always tried to save everyone fail to save Ben because him loving so much it wasn't enough.

We should have seen the love that Ben felt before he became Kylo. We should have seen the love that failed to save him because there was just too much love, so much that it suffocated him.

We should have seen the way Kylo loved because we have always seen the love that made it even possible to join the dark side but we only saw hate.

The reason why I can't love the sequels is because they had these very well done main trio but yet the villain was the one who... yeah who what?

In the OGs we see Vader be hateful yet we also see how love is the one thing making him hesitate and how the belief in love is ultimately the way he was killed and Anakin was brought back.

In the Prequels we see how Anakin loves so much and cares so hard that this love is what drives him to turn to the dark side because he believes that it can save the one he loves. We see Obi-Wan who loved him so much but his love wasn't enough.

And in the Sequels we see neither. We don't see how Ben loved, we don't see how love wasn't enough because clearly he was loved and instead all we see is the beloved OG trio, three people who loved and cared so much that even when they faced death they wouldn't give that up just magically lose that.

We never see what love did or what it does because the entire first movies Rens main quality is hatred. A hatred so big it drives him insane, it drives him away from everyone that cared for him.

And Hatred has never been the focus point of Star Wars, it's always been about love and hope, how even in the darkest times we can't give that up. But it's also been about how love can hurt and kill all that you thought you were, all that you believed in.

But love has always been in the centre.

And with everything they could have done right in the sequels, it's this lack of love when it comes to the main villain, the main plot really that they tried to set up that falls flat. Because in the main centre of the new movies the focus is a hate so strong that even Rey, even his family was never enough to change that.

#anti sequel trilogy #anti kylo ren

[an-aussie-button-masher]

It’s Hero Time! Five of the Best-Written Heroes in Gaming

   What’s a story without a hero? There always needs to be someone there to stop the evil plot, save the innocent, and more importantly, to play as. Plenty of games have the blank-slate hero that players can project themselves onto, but the most fascinating characters are those that have their own personalities, their own intentions, and it’s simply up to the player to help move them on their own path. There are countless well-written protagonists throughout the gaming world, far too many to list them all here. I’ve collected just a small handful of heroes that I believe are among the most interesting, the most engaging, and the most unique characters whose actions are decided by the player, but have a will all of their own. Enjoy!

Ratchet (Ratchet & Clank series, 2002-2021)    How many games does it take to turn a scrappy, self-centred jerk into a noble, selfless intergalactic hero? Eleven games, as it turns out, demonstrated by Ratchet across the entire Ratchet & Clank franchise. In the first game, Ratchet was rude and selfish, obsessed with revenge until his new ally Clank showed him exactly what his revenge was costing him. Over the course of the following games, especially in the Future trilogy, Ratchet grows dramatically as a hero, learning responsibility and prioritising the safety of his friends and home over reuniting with his long-lost species, the Lombaxes. The last of his kind in his home universe, Ratchet is given multiple chances to join his race in another dimension and let the bad guy get away with their evil plots, but he always ultimately chooses to stay behind and save the day. It’s a sharp contrast to how selfish he was in the earlier games - compare that Ratchet to his current portrayal in Rift Apart, which starts with a whole parade celebrating his heroics!

Aloy (Horizon series, 2017-2022)    Being the Chosen One really isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially if you’ve been raised as an outcast loner like Aloy. In the post-apocalyptic Horizon series, humanity has regressed to its’ ancient tribal ways as giant machine creatures rule what’s left of the lands, and it all falls to Aloy to uncover the secrets of the past in order to save the world’s future. Aloy is a determined and skilled survivor, with a wit as sharp as her arrows, but her hellbent focus on her mission often comes at the cost of neglecting her friends and allies. Horizon: Forbidden West sees Aloy learn an important lesson: you can’t do everything alone, no matter how much you feel you have to. Forbidden West is all about Aloy realising she needs to be able to accept help instead of constantly going it alone, forming a team of allies to help bear her burden of being the key to humanity’s future.

Cal Kestis (Jedi: Fallen Order, 2019)    “Trust only in the Force”. That’s the mantra young Cal Kestis lives by, one that has kept him alive in a galaxy that has been actively hunting down his kind for five long years. The Star Wars galaxy is not a safe place to live in, especially for Jedi that have survived the annihilation of their people by the tyrannical Empire. Cal Kestis’ journey sees him confront shiploads of trauma from the Purge, moving on from the death of his mentor and overcoming the constant fear of being exposed. Cal constantly has to choose between staying hidden and safely inconspicuous, or revealing his Force powers to help those in need - and what kind of Jedi would he be if he didn’t throw himself into danger to help the innocent? On the run from the Empire, Cal demonstrates impressive smarts and quick reflexes despite his incomplete training, enough to go toe-to-toe with the deadly Sith Inquisitors and even escape the wrath of Darth Vader himself.

Samus Aran (Metroid series, 1986-2021)    I’d be remiss not to include the original video game action heroine herself - Samus Aran, armed and armoured star of the Metroid series since the 1980’s. She’s one of the few heroes that has been around for so much of gaming history while also always being a well-rounded character with actual depth and development. She might look human under all that armour, but after being raised by aliens and acquiring all sorts of freaky interstellar mutations across the decades, you can’t really call Samus a “human” anymore. However, the important thing is, she’s retained her humanity - despite her violent bounty hunter profession and the constant chaos and death in her wake, Samus remains a kind and compassionate warrior, merciful to those that deserve it and saving innocent lives even if it goes against her orders. She might rarely ever utter a single word in her series, but her actions speak for themselves - Samus is as heroic as they come.

Commander Shepard (Mass Effect series, 2007-2012)    Saving the entire galaxy several times over takes all kinds, from paragons of justice to cold-blooded renegades. Mass Effect lets you be both. Commander Shepard, leader of the badass Spectre soldiers and captain of the Normandy, is one of the most famous examples of player-decided morality in gaming. While fighting impossible odds and civilisation-destroying ancient aliens, you can play Shepard as a by-the-book cop with unshakeable morals in the face of overwhelming adversity, or as an anti-heroic jerk happy to blast, insult and threaten anyone and anything unlucky enough to get in their way.  Regardless of the path you choose, Shepard is excellently written throughout the trilogy - Paragon or Renegade, having the galaxy’s fate on your shoulders will take a toll on anyone, and Shepard is no exception. Will the responsibility put a dent in their heroic resolve, or will it push them from anti-hero to villain?

   I hope you enjoyed this small collection of the best-written heroes in gaming! Of course, a hero is only one part of a good story - I’ve written other articles for those that aid them in their journey, and the villains that stand in their way, which you can find here and here. Reblogs and likes are appreciated! Thanks for reading!

#gaming #article #ratchet #ratchet and clank #aloy #horizon #cal kestis #jedi fallen order #jfo #samus aran #metroid #commander shepard #mass effect

[literarilytrisha]

My Rating: 4/5 ⭐ Genre(s): romance, contemporary Published: September 14, 2021 by Berkley Books Content Warnings: sexual harassment, abuse of power, bullying, loss of a parent, cancer talk Quick Reaction: 👀🔥😮💋

Description:

As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships--but her best friend does, and that's what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees. That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor--and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding... six-pack abs. Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.

My Thoughts:

A sunshine meets grumpy but make it science-y to get all your swoons and dreamy sighs. We love to see science nerds in love.

“Carry yourself with the confidence of a mediocre white man”

Have you ever read a book where you just wanted to skip around and doodle hearts over everything? Because this book will bring you there and you'll want to go out and get a chemistry set even if you don't even care about science-y things. It's just all about the vibe, you know? I spent most of this book smiling and laughing. It's very much a swoon worthy romance with it being smart, charming and downright funny. There was the issue of it falling into the 'if only we communicated oh darn' trope pitfall but I can look past it since I enjoyed everything else about this book. Olive and Adam were wonderful and I was really rooting for both of them.

Please, be mindful while this can be a lighthearted fake dating book, it still deals with some heavy topics and there are some trigger warnings to look out for. Be safe out there!

“He’d clearly never seen a rom-com or read a romance novel in his life.”

Olive is a third-year Ph.D. candidate and the last thing she needs in her life is the complication of a romance but sadly for her the universe has other plans in motion. These plans direct her towards Dr. Adam Carlsen, who is scary or so most of the students and probably half of the staff claim. Safe to say, he doesn't have the best reputation but he is a hot shot and very competent professor.

The two end up in a a fake dating situation to help out her best friend. The reasoning for the fake dating situation is a little suspend disbelief but there are a few moments like that. Carrying on.

Along the way, they both find out they aren't exactly who they thought they were. Somehow, they both realize their new pieces fit together. Or do they? It'll be a journey for them to work out how much of the relationship is faked and what they want to be real about.

The Love Hypothesis manages to hit the perfect line between romance and comedy. I really loved the snarky banter passed back and forth. Some of it had me laughing out loud.

Most of all, I love Ali Hazelwood picked a woman in STEM as her main character and made her strong yet still fragile, funny yet still headstrong and more than anything else compassionate. Her wit and quirk made being in her head really fun. I really liked Olive but I will admit she does fall into the quirky heroine category. I LIKE this kind of character but I know it's not everyone's favorite thing.

Then we have mysterious and gruff Adam, who slowly unwinds during the book and becomes so much more. I loved the depth to him and the ways he cared about Olive. The romance between them was sizzling and the build up was a chefs kiss. There are some spicy scenes for those who love such things and those who do not they are easy to skip over without really missing too much! It's nice they are relatively grouped together.

All in all, this is one of my favorite romances I've read this year and I cannot wait to see what Ali Hazelwood comes up with next. I am going to make sure to get my hands on it to read.

“You kiss him and next thing you know he's saving your ass and he's buying you scones and calling you a smart-ass in a weirdly affectionate tone”

#book reviewer #booklr #amreading #book blogger #book community #readerblr #booksbooksbooks #book lover #bookworm #&& my bookish reviews #the love hypothesis #read in 2022 #ali hazelwood

[astcrfieldaway]

𝕣𝕖𝕪 𝕤𝕜𝕪𝕨𝕒𝕝𝕜𝕖𝕣

✰ it’s time to wake up, REY SKYWALKER, you’ve been in cryosleep for too long and the people of STAR WARS miss you. when you went into slumber you were TWENTY TWO years old, your pronouns are SHE/HER, and you WERE VOLUNTEERED for the cambria program. now that you’ve awoken, your position as a HELMSMAN is waiting for you. remember, the cambria one thanks you! ( luna, jessica henwick )

𝕤𝕠𝕞𝕖𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕚𝕟𝕤𝕚𝕕𝕖 𝕞𝕖 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕒𝕝𝕨𝕒𝕪𝕤 𝕓𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕥𝕙𝕖𝕣𝕖. 𝕓𝕦𝕥 𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕚𝕥'𝕤 𝕒𝕨𝕒𝕜𝕖.

the basics;

NAME: Rey Skywalker

ALIAS(ES): Rey of Jakku, Scavenger

AGE: 22

PRONOUNS & GENDER: cis woman, she/her

BIRTHDAY & ZODIAC: December 1st, Sagittarius

FACECLAIM: Jessica Henwick

AESTHETICS: sun-golden skin, hopeful wondering eyes, a nose that scrunches when she smiles, hair in stacked buns, grease stains on arms, a lithe agile assurance to her movements

a deeper look;

BACKGROUND: a lone scavenger as long as she could remember, rey's life of waiting for family took a sharp departure when she became tangled in the resistance. fierce and determined, but clinging to her childhood dreams, she struggled to adapt, though was proud of her newfound force connection. with her friends, new family, and her own persistence, they managed to defeat the empire- but at the cost of many dear to her. after it all, rey found herself alone yet again, muddling over how to continue the legacy of the jedi.

WEAPONS: a double ended staff lightsaber with a yellow kyber crystal

POWERS/ABILITIES/SKILLS: from her strong connection to the force, rey has telepathic abilities and a higher perceptual awareness of the universe than others

GREATEST STRENGTH: years of fending for herself gave rey the skills to improvise and think on her feet, she's quick in a fight and imaginative with her problem solving

GREATEST WEAKNESS/FLAW: headstrong and impulsive, rey tends to barrel into situations without listening to others

ONE FEAR: failing to protect the people that need it

ONE HOPE: making connections with others

HEADCANON(S): -so awkward, so sweet, doing her bestest

-hoards food in her room

the questionnaire;

How does your character feel about being dropped into the cambria program? Are they excited? Suspicious? Confused?

rey is uncertain. she'd had a mission back home, however tenuous, and doesn't like to be pulled away. however, she'd already struck out on her own, and there could even be force sensitive people here to find, which was her whole goal.

What does your character hope to see the most during the cambria one’s journey?

she's enduringly curious, and after having spent all her life on one planet or in the middle of a war, she's excited to do some uninhibited exploring of the galaxy

If your character could bring one thing or person from home, what would it be?

a friend, any of them. and she's snippy the lightsaber she just barely finished already got confiscated.

#˗ˏˋ 𝕚 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕒𝕝𝕝 𝕒𝕓𝕠𝕦𝕥 𝕨𝕒𝕚𝕥𝕚𝕟𝕘. ˎˊ˗ rey musing

[realityquestioned]

✰ it’s time to wake up, AHSOKA TANO, you’ve been in cryosleep for too long and the people of STAR WARS miss you. when you went into slumber you were FORTY FIVE years old, your pronouns are SHE/HER, and you VOLUNTEERED for the cambria program. now that you’ve awoken, your position as a TACTICAL ADVISOR is waiting for you. remember, the cambria one thanks you! 

THE BASICS;

NAME: ahsoka tano

ALIAS(ES): fulcrum, ashla, snips (by anakin)

AGE: 45

PRONOUNS & GENDER: she/her, cis woman

BIRTHDAY & ZODIAC: born 36 bby, unknown.

FACECLAIM: tessa thompson.

AESTHETICS: a weapon wielded in each hand, a quick defensive and determined resolve, creating a new path when the old isn’t what it appears, a soft heart under war hardened skin.

A DEEPER LOOK;

BACKGROUND: ahsoka comes from after her appearances the mandalorian and the book of boba fett - she fought through the clone wars as anakin skywalker’s padawan beginning at the age of 14 and was learning at the jedi temple before that. eventually, she decided to leave the jedi order after being accused of a crime she didn’t commit and causing her to have doubt in the order and the republic. she narrowly survived order 66 and spent much time in hiding, though worked with bail organa to help set up the beginnings of the rebellion and worked with a group of rebels for sometime. this led her to cross paths with darth vader, and realize who he was. ahsoka since continued to both fight and do what she could, helping others along the way.

WEAPONS: ahsoka dual wields two white lightsabers. she’s had blasters in the past but doesn’t make a habit of having them on her.

POWERS/ABILITIES/SKILLS: lightsaber mastery & dual wielding, force sensitivity, jedi training, combat. piloting, leadership, mechanics, and multilingual. 

GREATEST STRENGTH: her determination has shaped much of her life - both as a padawan trying to prove herself and master her abilities, and later after the fall of the jedi in her persistence to continue on and help others where she could.

GREATEST WEAKNESS/FLAW: ahsoka’s been called reckless many times in her life, and while age has helped tame this side of her, she’s still prone to occasionally leap before she looks - not helped by the simmering feelings of regret and hurt that have tainted her life.

ONE FEAR: that she could have done more, and that by turning away from the jedi when she did, she’s somehow at least partially responsible for the pain that followed.

ONE HOPE: that they may all still be given a second chance and things could change.

HEADCANON(S): ahsoka, through working with bail organa, had the opportunity to meet leia while she was still young and work out just who she was. she made a point over the years to stop by and check on her when she can, though was never able to tell leia the truth until after the fall of the empire.

THE QUESTIONNAIRE;

HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER FEEL ABOUT BEING DROPPED INTO THE CAMBRIA PROGRAM? ARE THEY EXCITED? SUSPICIOUS? CONFUSED?

in a way, ahsoka is reminded of the days of working with the order and the rebels - traveling through space and visiting various planets. only, she doesn’t know anyone behind the cambria program, is certainly isn’t quick to trust them and whatever their motivations may be.

WHAT DOES YOUR CHARACTER HOPE TO SEE THE MOST DURING THE CAMBRIA ONE’S JOURNEY?

she’s already gathered that she’ll be seeing some familiar faces here, and she drifts between concerned and hopeful. a part of her remains hopeful that they could actually make a difference, if not in their own universe, than at least in another.

IF YOUR CHARACTER COULD BRING ONE THING OR PERSON FROM HOME, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

while she misses many of those she considered friends or teammates that aren’t here, she knows better than to grow too attached to anything or anyone. if they’d give her lightsaber’s back, though, that’d be appreciated.

#ahsoka tano ; intro #cambria:intro

[moonlayl]

Imagine Ben Skywalker time travels to the past, during empire strikes back. 

He would be with Leia, Han, and Chewie on Bespin, and would come face to face with his grandfather, except Vader obviously doesn’t know. Leia and Han are worried sick because they know it’s a trap that Luke might fall for, and Han is being lowered into the carbonite, and even though Ben has heard the stories and knows they make it out okay, hearing things and actually experiencing them are too very different things. 

Ben observes Darth Vader, and his obsession with Luke, and what he’s willing to do to get his hands on him, including hurting his own daughter, and really how blind is this guy to not recognize Leia as his daughter???? 

Then Lando helps him, Leia, and the droids escape, but uncle Han is with Boba Fett, we have to do something!!

Ben doesn’t know what’s going on with his daf, but he, along with Leia, hear Luke’s cries for help. Luke may have meant Obi-Wan, but he was calling out to a Ben, and this was before Luke really knew how to direct the force towards specific people. Ben gets the message and is shocked to hear his father...so afraid. In hindsight, it should’ve been obvious to Ben that his father being much younger also meant he’d be different and with less experience, but he’d grown up his whole life with his father being seen as THE jedi, THE hero of the rebellion, extremely powerful individual who can take down even the most difficult of foes. Ben grew up a little distant from his father, because really, being that man’s son would be difficult with all the expectations and shadows cast on him. 

But to hear his father, a man he childishly believed to be indestructible, sound so afraid and helpless? That stops Ben in his tracks, which ultimately ends up being a relief because than Leia wouldn’t think he’d heard Luke either. 

Ben watches as his aunt Leia rushes to wrap her arms around Luke, and he’s taken aback by how beaten and lost his father looks. It wasn’t a look he’d ever associated with Luke Skywalker, and Ben’s perspective begins to change. 

When Leia leaves Luke on the medical bed to deal with the imperials and getting the hell out of there, Ben remains in the room, hidden, so his father wouldn’t see him. He’s startled when he hears his dad call out to him-but how does Luke know his name? He hasn’t given him his real one?- before realizing Luke was calling out to his namesake instead.

“Ben, why didn’t you tell me?” 

Ben stares at his injured, nearly unconscious father, and starts to wonder. How could his father forgive the man? How would Luke ever come to forgive him and love him? How does his father heal from this? Go on and accept his parentage when it so clearly destroyed him at this time? And how could Vader ever redeem himself or sacrifice himself for Luke when he had no issues with cutting off Luke’s hand and traumatizing him in such a way? 

And the hand is something else that shocks Ben. Sure, he’d always known on some level that his dad had a prosthetic. It was a simple fact, one he barely ever gave much thought to except that one time he’d asked about it when he was much much younger. But seeing his dad now? With a hand missing and blood all around his ripped clothes? It was terrifying. Luke’s hand had always resembled a real one and Ben remembered trying to find differences between the prosthetic hand the real one to determine if it felt any different. He remembered his dad’s  amused smile watching his four-year old play around with his hands. But now? It was very clear and obvious how painful losing a hand was.  

Did his father ever look at the prosthetic and remember this day? Did Luke still have phantom pains even decades later? 

Basically, Ben actually getting to witness Luke’s journey when he himself was still inexperienced and not yet a jedi and getting to learn more about his father and understand him better. 

And then afterwards, Ben accompanying Luke, Leia, Chewie and Lando to rescue Han, and getting to see his mom on Tattooine. Being shocked as hell and wondering what his mom was doing before realizing this was when his mother was Palpatine’s hand and oh God, was she there to try and kill Luke? 

No one else seems to notice Mara, and Ben isn’t sure what to do, but then chaos quickly ensues. Ben still doesn’t want anyone to know his real name OR his power, so he stand helpless as Luke takes care of the ‘plan’ and really dad? That’s the worse plan, how did you EVER survive anything? 

Leia kills Jabba, and they all manage to make it out okay thank God. Before Ben realizes what’s going on though, his dad suddenly left AGAIN, and he’s stuck with his aunt and uncle who are kind of grossly invested in each other ugh. 

Then Ben signs up to help the mission on Endor with Leia and Han, and Luke suddenly reappears and why is he looking at aunt Leia differently? Wait...DOES HE KNOW?????

Luke feels Vader’s presence and Ben doesn’t know what his dad plans on doing, but given his track record this past year, Ben now knows his father was kind of stupid during his youth (I got my brains from you, mom) and whatever he’s planning can’t be good. But isn’t this when Vader comes back to the light side? Ben shouldn’t do anything. Should just let things go on the way they’re supposed to. But wouldn’t his presence in the past cause changes? Ben is unsure.

He stays with Han and Leia, his dad has to do his own thing, and when they manage to succeed and Leia lets them know that Luke is her brother and Vader is their father, Ben smiles because FINALLY! 

But his dad takes forever to make it to the celebration and Ben walks around trying to find him because no way his dad didn’t survive, (what if he didn’t though? Wouldn’t Ben have felt it?) until he smells the smoke and notices the flames. He makes his way a little furthur into the forest and standing alone is Luke Skywalker. Darth Vader’s armor and mask burning on the pyre. 

Ben stands there watching his dad grieve silently. 

#damn i really love this idea #excuse the shitty grammar #star wars #star wars eu #star wars expanded universe #star wars legends #sw legends #ben skywalker #luke skywalker #father-son duo #leia organa #han solo #chewbacca #lando calrissian #mara jade #star wars time travel #star wars au #fanfic ideas #darth vader #skywalker family

[inky-duchess]

Writing Theory: Character Arcs

What is a Character Arc?

A character arc is the personal change and the journey that a character goes through through the run of the plot. A character should change within the narrative from the moment they step onto the page to the end of the story. They have to be impacted by the story's events no matter how small a change.

Types of Character Arc

1. Change/transformation arc

This character arc is transformative, utterly changing your character from something they were to something else, usually a better and stronger person. This arc is most common for heroes and protagonists, turning them from an ordinary Joe into a saviour or hero especially in fantasy works. As the story goes on, the character will find strength in themselves with a power or a fortitude they didn't know they possessed and becomes another kind of person thanks to it. The whole trick to this arc is the lie. Your character begins the story and their arc with a lie they believe either about themselves or their world. Your character will take hold of the truth and change because of it. For example:

Kaz Brekker from Six of Crows becomes the tough and morally grey criminal mastermind he is due to a childhood trauma. His backstory has him starting as a wide-eyed idealist child who gets betrayed after trusting a con man, losing his brother and everything he has. Kaz grows into somebody more closed off and ruthless than before.

Luke Skywalker starts his story as a farm boy wanting nothing more than to leave home for adventure. After losing his home and his family and discovering his heritage, Luke becomes a Jedi Knight.

2. Growth

Like the arc above, the character changes but unlike the arc above, they don't change fully but grow as a person. By story's end, they are still themselves but with a changed outlook on life, opinion or place in the world. Growth arcs are less base breaking than transformative arcs, leaving much of the person intact with a few improvements.

Liesel Meminger from The Book Thief begins her story as a child who follows the mania of the Hitler Youth and the belief that she is stupid. Through the trials of war, kindness of her foster parents and meeting Max, a Jewish stowaway, she changes into a more tolerant, brave and confident young woman.

Jamie Lannister in ASOIAF changes over the course of his story. After his defeat by Robb Stark, imprisonment, loss of his hand and journey back home with Brienne, he changes from a confident, hard-shelled and morally remiss knight, Jaime begins to become a Knight worthy of the name and more ashamed of his actions. Though at heart he remains a proud Lannister, he's not the person he started his story out as.

3. Fall Arc

Not all arcs are positive. Sometimes a character becomes something darker, eventually falling into their ill-fated destiny. The fall arc usually ends negatively for a character leading to death, madness or corruption- without any remedy or redemption. The character begins to change for the worst through their journey, turning toward ruin.

Jon Connington (JonCon) of ASOIAF is seemingly becoming this. He begins his arc as an idealist, a proud Lord of Westeros seeking glory. After being defeated and ecmxiled from his lands and losing Prince Rhaegar, he quickly turns bitter and hellbent on returning to Westeros to place a Targaryen claimaint on the throne. And we all know what direction his story is headed. (alexa play the Light of the Seven)

Hamlet in Hamlet, Prince of Denmark he begins the story as a melodramatic Prince sad about his dad dying. Over the course of the play, he gets more irrational and perhaps a little more crazier than he's pretending to be before ending up dead along with most the cast.

Flat Arcs

However, there remains the exception to the Arc rule, a narrative tool just to show a certain character's outlook on life. Flat character arcs involve no signs of change or growth within the character. The character is exactly the same from beginning to end. The flat arc is often given to minor characters who aren't effected by the story's events but it is not always just the minor characters that go through the arc. Sherlock Holmes perhaps the most prolific example. He never effected by any event in the and nor does he grow.

#Writing Theory #Character arc #Writing character arc #Writing character arcs #Character arcs #writing #writing resources #writing reference #writeblr #writing advice #writer #writer's problems #spilled words #writer's life #characters #Writing guide #Writers guide #Writer's Guide