#Maz's Castle

[jonberry555]

I Played Blast: Takodana - First Order | Star Wars: Battlefront II

Game: Star Wars Battlefront II (2017) Map: Takodana - Maz's Castle Faction: First Order Mode: Blast

#star wars #battlefront #star wars battlefront #battlefront 2 #battlefront ii #star wars battlefront 2 #takodana #maz's castle #first order #gaming #youtube gaming #jonberry555 #Youtube

[sinisterexaggerator]

Shriv Suurgav meets Cad Bane at Maz’s Castle

Sketch commissioned from the AMAZING Stormytitan!

This is a scene from my WIP: To err on the side of caution; or, “Look! I’m taking another enormous risk!”

Chapter 1 is posted, more to come!  [AO3]

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Shriv recalled having one too many Parkellan Slings, finding himself up on his soapbox, talking to anyone who would listen about the atrocities of the Empire and the travesties they had committed against Duro and his species.

“Who does the “Emperor” think he is?!!  – A dried up Sriluurian raisin if you ask me.” Yes, he stooped that low. Shriv wasn’t one to unjustly pick on someone for their personal appearance, but this guy deserved it.

“Star Destroyers – pfft. More like compensation for something, amiright?  Just how big can you make them, hmm?” Shriv wouldn’t know what that was like.

“And why would you give your infantry white armor, anyway? Anyone can spot a Stormtrooper from a mile away – what about the element of surprise? Is that supposed to be some kind of power move?” Honestly, either this guy Palpatine was a genius, or a masochist who liked to watch his own soldiers die – maybe both, considering plastoid was a terrible aesthetic and functional choice in terms of battle armor.

It seemed Shriv was getting under a few people’s skin or microscales - his friends had warned him to keep it down. He didn’t listen, naturally, turning on a Duros in the corner who had his feet propped up nonchalantly while chewing lazily on a toothpick.  A little droid had been idly chattering away into his inner ear until Shriv felt the need to interrupt to get this man’s sentiment. They were the same species! Surely he would back him up!

“Hey, you! Old-timer wearing the excessively large hat! You get it, right!? It’s kriffed up what they did to us!” It was beyond a normal or acceptable circumference as far as hats would go, and Shriv couldn’t understand why he’d want to conceal himself behind it; it’s purpose – did it have one? Did he think it added something to his already distinctive, somewhat threatening appearance?

I’d look kriffin’ asinine wearing something like that! - Why do I feel like I know this Duros? -  Just where the hells does this guy shop? Where do you even BUY a hat that big?

Normally, he wouldn’t have been so brazen in referring to an elder Duros in such a careless, ill-mannered fashion, but alcohol did something to Shriv; that’s why he usually stayed away from it. People already seemed to think he was no fun to be around, and much less so when the filter that so loosely bridled him vanished resolutely into the ether somewhere at the consumption of a few distilled beverages.

That toothpick swiveled to the corner of this Duros’ mouth, his neck craning upward as he took in Shriv with a gaze that scrutinized, his brow ridge having curved inward to impress a scowl across his face. “S’a nice haat.”

Oh, so that’s why he wanted to hide … He had one mean mug, though Shriv wasn’t that put-off by him, at least at first. He wasn’t anymore terrifying than those stories of the cannibal arachnids they told back on Duro, anyway.

Thank Maker they all went extinct before I was born…  

“Did I say excessively large hat? I meant just the right size.”

Apprehensive? Sure. Overly cautious? Absolutely. But afraid?

The Duros had shifted, placing his feet upon the ground. He unfolded his arms and stood, rising like a gangly scarecrow to a height that would tower over a field of corn and him the crow. Shriv swallowed, realizing he had two blasters holstered at his hips and something he hadn’t noticed before; forearm gauntlets with a plethora of buttons; too many to take a count, and rocket thrusters attached to his … boots, apparently. There was a menace in his crimson, horizontal eyes that chilled Shriv’s green blood by a few degrees, his instincts driving him to take a step backward for no reason other than he was invading his personal space.

Ah, kriff, you’ve done it now.

OK, yes. Afraid.

Well, not so much afraid … but maybe more like, intimidated.

“I mean, it makes sense if you think about it, as you have such a large head. You need a bigger hat.”

A few people had glanced around; some laughed. Maz tsked, thinking this idiot was going to get himself killed before the sun came up.

“Not you in particular, I just meant … Duros. Duros would need larger hats compared to other humanoid hat wearing species with heads not as large as… ours, though you are the first I’ve seen to wear such an unusual piece.”

Oh boy, you really backed yourself into a corner with that one.

“Not unusual in a bad way… Of course, I think my head’s even bigger than yours if it makes you feel any better! It’d just make me look…ridiculous. That’s to be expected… not that… you look ridiculous.”

The other Duros had stood there, glaring, but not saying a single word. He bared his fangs in a display of irritation before he removed his toothpick and callously flicked it on the floor.

Well, that’s a bit unsanitary…

His fingers had moved; latched onto the edge of his no-fight holsters lined with fresh gas cartridges and power cells – he had enough to take out an entire army. Shriv wondered what he required all that ammunition for.

“You know, you kind of look familiar. Have I seen you somewhere before? Wanted posters, maybe?”

“Master Bane, remember the rules! Maz does not approve of fighting in her castle!” the little droid piped up.

Holy karkin’ snot! That’s why he looks so familiar!

“On closer inspection, I’ve never seen you before in my life …”  

Shut. Up. Just shut up, Shriv!!”

“Can’nit, Todo. D’ere wouldn’t  be’a fight … just’a quick death, dat’s all.”

Take a deep breath. Deeeeep breath.

“I am so sorry. I meant no disrespect. I am not deserving of your time, believe me – just a worthless Duros pleading for his life at this very moment - in case you were unaware that’s what this is - me, pleading, before none other than the greatest bounty hunter of all time. - It’s a pleasure to meet you, by the way… A living legend with an impeccable sense of style might I add.” The first part was true, but he could only hope the sarcasm dripping off his lack of lips in regard to his fashion choices was masked by the flighty, psychological response that was kicking on in the background. Surely Cad Bane could smell his stress levels.

“You could rival my old buddy, Lando! He favors a cape, though. Ever thought about wearing one?” Now he was just rambling; past the point of redemption - he talked too much – stream of consciousness – Shriv could hardly help it; sometimes his internal dialogue just … escaped. Something he might find himself needing to do rather abruptly in the next few minutes, give or take – that, or patiently await his demise.

“I suppose it might uh… just get in your way… not very … useful…”

Lando’s cape sure as hell isn’t useful.

“This fellow’s all right, Bane – just doesn’t know when to be quiet!  You should listen to your droid. He’s smart.” Maz had stared the other Duros down without a hint of fear. Shriv applauded her, mentally, realizing he needed to reign himself in a bit and that he was perhaps lucky he wasn’t dead already.

Cad Bane had growled low, a sound issuing forth from the recess of his throat. He turned to Maz, regarded her, then back to the man who couldn’t keep his trap shut as the droid named Todo chirped.

“Well, at least someone appreciates me.” Shriv felt like he could relate to that.

Try to cover your tracks a little better this time, huh Suurgav?

“What I meant to say before all that other stuff was … Duros just can’t catch a break, huh? You look like you’ve got a few stories to tell! What do you think about all this?”

Cad Bane had not hesitated. “Duro’s a sscughole – but de Empire will fall as Empire’s al’ways do – you sso angry, mebbe y’should step up t’da plate an’ quit yer yappin’ – get off yer chubbies an’ make yerself wurth sometin’ since you’re so… wurthless.”

“Well, when you put it that way…” Shriv had homed in on his accent; it was unique. He thought he must be from some dreadful place like New Tayana that he had never had the pleasure of visiting  - he was a “Capital City Slicker” and somewhat grateful for it. He had been “raised right” without any of his wants or needs having to go unfulfilled, yet far from spoiled – to use Human terminology, perhaps he was “middle class.”

“You might be onto something, er, sir.”

That’s two in one day … It -has- to be a sign.

He had watched sheepishly as Cad Bane paid his tab, tipped his giant hat to the proprietor of the establishment. His little droid followed him outside as he called back to Maz, waving his fingers in the air above the wide brim of that ungainly bolero atop his head. “Keep outta trouble, lil’ lady – an’ teach dat boy t’learn when t’shut up b’fore he gehets ‘imself mur’dered in ‘is ssleep.”

He had insulted Cad Bane and lived to tell the tale. “Was that a – was that a threat? Should I be… worried?” he had whispered to the pirate queen.

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Tumblr Masterpost

Masterlist

#Shriv #Shriv Suurgav #Cad Bane #Duros #Maz Kanata #Maz's Castle #Star Wars #Star Wars Fanfic #Star Wars Fanfiction #Star Wars Battlefront 2 #Cameo #Fanart #art commision #to err on the side of caution #slow burn #eventual smut #Alliance to Restore the Republic #Rebel Alliance #todo 360 #techno-service droid

[ultralaser]

anyways so also i'm still thinking about that mary sue jackass on twitter whining about rey still bc the complaint is always 'rey beats kylo ren easily out of nowhere' and that is just fundamentally not what happens in that movie

-- one of the first things we see rey do is absolutely demolish a bunch of guys on jakku, so we know she can fight

-- one of the first things she does in the saber fight with kylo ren is echo her staff fighting motions and try to lunge at him, but she doesn't have the same range w the saber

-- so she holds her own defensively but is literally on the run and ends up pinned between ren and a sudden cliff edge as a crevasse opens up

-- she doesn't actually turn the battle against ren until she

wait for it

USES THE FORCE

(which is exactly what LUKE did!)

also that whole fight kylo ren is literally dying after being gut-shot, bc chewie blasted him with his fkn bowcaster, which is ALSO set-up earlier as being strong enough to send dudes FLYING after a hit

so kylo ren took a GRENADE to the stomach and STILL nearly won that fight!

just absolutely no reading comprehension at all, it's almost like they haven't seen the film more than once and remember it wrong, or are deliberately or unconsciously lying about to serve a reactionary agenda, and it doesn't matter how rey won but rather THAT she won, at all

the only actual mary sue in that movie is kylo ren

the only other mary sue in that movie is poe dameron

#star wars #tfa #rey #kylo ren #mary sue #seriously poe dameron is the mariest sue ever to mary sue #he was supposed to die in the crash but they cast oscar isaac so they just brought him back anyways #they never even explain it he's literally just 'i escaped somehow' #in the air battle over maz's castle he takes out like literally seven tie fighters in one shot #dude is CLEARLY FORCE SENSITIVE #SO IS FINN #give them both lightsabers in episode ten #resurrect ben solo and let him be zeta char #the team asshole who never takes off his sunglasses and tried to kill everyone else a few years ago but we have common goals now

[hopegained]

@serabellyms: headcanon + cooking! // accepting

he's decent at it, i'd say. won't burn anything (not on purpose at least), and will make something filling with whatever he finds in the fridge. or at least tries to. it has to do with his upbringing and home; he just doesn't care much what he eats as long as it's edible and doesn't taste too horrible for human consumption lol. this is true across most of his verses, because he's always moving from one place to another so he can't be picky about the choices presented to him. whenever he's with the resistance/alliance/normandy crew, it's rations or whatever they have at the mess. that is, if he remembers to eat in the first place.

but when he does get the chance to cook, he always keeps his space clean. there aren't really any specifics to his method, tbh. they're rather simple: he gathers his ingredients in one spot on the counter or whichever clean surface available, preps them, throws all the trash right away after he's done so there's not a lot to deal with later, then gets to cooking. sometimes he hums a tune or two or sings a snippet of a song under his breath. he's more comfortable doing everything alone though since that's how it's been for him for a long time.

and if anyone thinks they want him to impress them through cooking, they have sooo many other options to pick from. he'd only disappoint them lmao.

#serabellyms #answered. #headcanons. #i will say... he's probably done the most cooking at campsites or when he stayed at maz's castle for us sw folks bc he loves helping #and also back on ossus at the temple. again. bc he just loves to observe and help out the cooks #so if you hand him a grocery list he's gonna get it RIGHT

[1980ssunflower]

literally cant get over how amazing mins lines in book 4 are he really drops some of the best quotes tbh

#his most romantic and soft line was 'you stuck with me. so now youre STUCK with me' #and god the ICONIC gay coded line of #'i... i thought when we played music in the bathroom... you and i were like... uh... yknow...' #MIN HAS SUCH AMAZING LINES SO MUCH OF THE SHIT HE SAYS IN THE MAZ CAR FITS SO HARD FOR ME #AND HOW HE COMFORTS KEZ IN THE CASTLE CAR EP #AOUAGHHH #MIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNN #tape entry circa 1980 #f/o:💙hide in your shell🎹

[vodika-vibes]

We Could Be More pt III

Summary: Upon arriving on Takodana with Crosshair, you come to a distressing realization. A realization that, you fear, will change things forever.

Pairing: TBB Crosshair x F!Reader

Word Count: 1802

Warnings: None (Though this series is 18+ as a whole)

Tagging: @trixie2023 @n0vqni @yourusername1

A/N: So I now have no idea how long this series is going to be. Until I get tired of it, I guess.

Part 1 | Part 2 (smutty)

So far as you’re aware, the plan is for you and Crosshair to flee to Pabu, where his brothers and younger sister are hiding out from the Empire.

It’s a good plan. Reasonable. Succinct. 

However, the ship, newly named Signal, isn’t heading to Pabu. It’s heading to Takodana.

And you’re beginning to think that Crosshair is dragging his feet.

That maybe, just maybe, he doesn’t want to see his brothers.

You purse your lips, moving the hard candy from one side of your mouth to the other, as you ponder this thought. To be fair, he might be a little hesitant. After all, his brothers did defect from the Empire-

But then, so did you. And it was his idea.

You spin your seat so you’re looking at him, “Hey, Cross.”

He doesn’t look up from the Nav computer, “What?”

“Are you nervous about seeing your brothers again?” 

He pauses, and his gaze snaps up to your face. If you were anyone else you’d probably be a little worried about that look on his face, but you’re not anyone else. You’re you. And he’s Cross. 

And you’ve never been afraid of Cross.

“...No.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Because Takodana isn’t Pabu.” You point out.

“I’m aware.”

“And, you know, if you were a little hesitant about seeing your brothers again, I wouldn’t judge you.” You continue lightly.

Crosshair sighs, “Alright, enough.” He leans back in his seat, “Fine. Yes. I’m a little…uneasy about seeing my brothers again. But that’s not why we’re going to Takodana.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know. We have stuff we need to drop off, and you’re hoping for work from the owner. I remember.” You lean back in your seat, “And then what?”

“Hopefully, she’ll give us a few odd jobs so I can buy better armor.” Crosshair grouses.

“Aww, but I like your armor.”

“Yeah, I know.” He shoots you an amused look. “You’re hardly subtle, kitten.”

“Am so.”

You’re as subtle as a brick to the face.” Crosshair adds.

You pout at him, and open your mouth to say something, only for the alarm indicating that you’re about to fall out of hyperspace blares. You cancel the alarm, and focus your gaze back on the monitors in front of you.

The Signal falls out of hyperspace and Crosshair puts the ship into orbit while you shoot a message to landing control. 

“Pretty planet.” You note lightly, “What do you think?”

“Looks very green,” Cross replies, “You have the coordinates?”

“Yeah, just got them. Here.” You send them over to him, and you settle back as the ship starts moving down towards the planet's surface. 

Trusting that Cross isn’t going to crash the ship into the planet, you twist your chair to watch him work. It might be your favorite pastime.

You love the look on his face when he’s totally focused on something. You really love it when he focuses that look on you, but just seeing it at all makes you happy.

“You’re staring, kitten.”

“Can’t help it, you’re very handsome.”

“You never used to stare back when we were in the Empire.”

“Yeah, well, most of the time when you came to see me, I was working.” You shrug, “Does it bother you? Me staring?”

He glances at you out of the corner of his eye, even as he brings the ship to land, “No. I like having your eyes on me. It means they’re not on anyone else.”

You laugh in surprise, “Good to know. You think we should check in with Maz before bringing her the stuff?”

“More than likely. Good manners and all.” Crosshair stands and rolls his shoulders, “Stay with the ship, I won’t take long.”

“Alright.”

You watch as Crosshair steps off the ship and heads towards the castle, and you settle yourself just outside the doors, enjoying the sunlight and the cool breeze.

As you wait, you let your mind wander.

It’s been close to two months since you, and Crosshair, defected. And so far as you can tell, no one has noticed. And you have been paying attention to the alerts that come out of the Empire.

But the longer you go without being noticed, the more comfortable you get with thinking that maybe no one will notice that you defected.

That really is the best case scenario. 

You tilt your head back slightly. Actually, running from the government aside, you’ve really enjoyed the last two months. You’ve enjoyed spending this time with Crosshair.

You’ll admit, if only to yourself, that you were worried. Worried that your easy friendship would falter as you spent more and more time together. You’ve never been so happy to be wrong.

As it happens, you enjoy waking up next to him every morning. And you enjoy cooking with him, and joking with him, and just being with him. In fact, at this point, the idea of waking up and not seeing him makes your heart hurt.

The thought makes you pause. 

You love him. 

Of course, you knew that was a possibility. You knew that there was a chance that spending so much time with Crosshair would encourage you to fall for him, it was one of the reasons you were so hesitant about entering the friends with benefits situationship that you ultimately agreed to.

So the question is. What do you do about it?

Well, that’s easy isn’t it? Nothing. You say nothing. Why should anything change simply because you caught feelings?

No. It’s better to just leave things as they are.

After all, you might lose him if you tell him the truth.

“Welcome to my humble abode,” Maz Kanata says as she greets Crosshair, “You must be the one bringing the delivery from Corellia?”

“Yeah, that’s me.”

“Wonderful! Wonderful.” Maz scurries around the table, “And the young lady traveling with you?”

“...with the ship. Wasn’t sure this place was safe.”

“That is very understandable.” She nods, “But I assure you that neither you, nor your lady friend, will come to harm while my guests.”

“You don’t know us.”

“I know you both defected from the Empire.” Maz says, her gaze sharp, “I know that you’re both looking for someplace safe.”

“I don’t think safe exists in this galaxy…except maybe on our ship.” Crosshair replies as he folds his arms over his chest, “Where do you want the goods?”

“No need, no need. My droids will unload the cargo.” She gazes at him thoughtfully, “How would you feel about running some errands for me? If you agree, you and your lady will be my employees.”

“Depends on the job. She’d prefer if I didn’t have to kill anyone.”

Maz nods at him, “Understandable. I need you to make some deliveries to some old friends. I will provide you with new armor, so you won’t stand out so much.”

Crosshair frowns at her, “We are supposed to be heading somewhere.”

“And yet, I get the feeling that you’re not ready.”

“I…” He doesn’t have an answer for that, because she’s right. He’s not ready to come face to face with his brothers again. “Where would I have to go?” He asks instead.

“Naboo, Alderaan, Taris, Bespin, and Jedha.” Maz replies, “And then come back to complete payment.”

Crosshair thinks about it for a moment, and then he nods, “Alright.”

“Wonderful. I’ll have my droids bring the cargo to your ship. Now, come with me. I have your new armor.” Maz says, leading him through the throng of people and into her back room.

And fifteen minutes later, he’s stepping back onto the ship, “Cross-!” He turns to look at his Kitten, “Some droids just dropped off, like, 20 crates worth of stuff-”

“Yeah. I took a couple of jobs from Maz.” He admits.

He watches confusion flicker across her pretty face, before she grins, her entire face lighting up with amusement. “So. We’re avoiding Pabu for a bit longer then?”

“That a problem?”

“No. Just making sure.” Her pretty eyes drop down to his new armor, it’s black and dark blue with some orange, “This is new.”

“Maz insisted. I won’t stand out so much.” A small smirk crosses his face as her fingers glide across his new chestplate, “Like it?”

She hums as she traces the new paint with a delicate finger, “It suits you much more than the other one.” She finally says, before she looks up at him and favors him with a warm smile, “You look good, Cross.”

He slowly trails his fingers up her arm, and then up her neck, so he’s able to brush them across her painted lips. She really is so pretty. And so clever.

She deserved better than the Empire.

She deserves a better man than him.

Unfortunately, he’s not a good enough man to step aside and let anyone else have her.

He’s good enough to feel guilty about it though.

“I always look good,” He says with a small smirk, as he leans in and brushes his lips against hers.

She hums, and the smile she directs at him is warm and soft, and it’s like basking in the sunlight after a long rain storm. He’d burn the entire galaxy to the ground if it meant that her smile never fades.

“So,” She asks, “Where are we going?”

“Naboo, Alderaan, Taris, Bespin, and Jedha.” Crosshair lists off, his gaze still locked on her face.

“Well, that’s quite the list.” She beams at him and her eyes crinkle from her happiness, “I’ll go get Peabody and tell him the list.”

“Not just yet.” Crosshair murmurs, “Maz isn’t expecting us to leave right away.” He lowers his head and kisses her again, much more passionately, he feels her lightly grip the edges of his new armor, but before he can start tugging her clothes loose, his comm dings.

Crosshair pulls away and leans his forehead against hers, as she pulls his comm out of his pocket. She reads the message, pauses, reads it again, and then again, before her face twists in confusion. “Cross?”

“Yeah?”

“Did you join the Rebellion while you were talking to Maz?”

Crosshair pauses, “What?”

“You have a message from Saw Gurrera. I remember that he’s a leading member of the Rebellion.” She looks up at him, amusement glittering on her face, “Cross-”

He turns the comm so he can read it, and a low curse falls from his lips, “Well, I guess we did.”

Her head falls to his chest and she laughs, “You procrastinated us into the Rebellion,” She says through her giggles.

“Yeah, yeah. Come on, kitten. Let’s get out of here before Maz ends up making us cell leaders.” Though a small smile crosses his lips as she continues to giggle.

If this is what it’s like to love someone, he could get used to it.

#star wars #tbb #tbb crosshair x reader #crosshair x reader #18+ fic #star wars fanfiction #x reader fanfiction #f!reader fic

[buildarocketboys]

Some Team Castle shenanigans for @mygangtome day 2024. Written in an hour on my lunch break, unedited, Allan, Marian and Guy go out to the tavern, semi-crackish

"Allan," Marian hisses from the end of the corridor. "You need to help me sneak out of the castle."

Allan sighs and rolls his eyes. "You know I can't do that, Marian. Giz banned the Nightwatchman."

Marian huffs. "I wasn't going to sneak out to be the Nightwatchman."

Allan eyes her dubiously.

"Well, all right, maybe I was. But I just want to get out! Take me to a tavern or something, I don't care! I just need to get out of this damn castle."

Allan raises his eyebrows. He doesn't think he's ever heard Marian swear before. "All right," he says, hands on hips. "But I'll have to ask Giz for his permission. And you never know, he might want to come too."

"I don't care," says Marian. "I'll go to the tavern with the Sheriff if it'll get me out of here for five minutes!"

"Fine, I'll ask him," says Allan. "No promises, mind." He looks at her sceptically. "Have you even been to a tavern before?"

"I can hold my wine, thank you very much," Marian says, which means no.

Allan smirks. "We'll see," he says.

Gisborne is horrified at first.

"A tavern? Lady Marian?"

Allan pleads her case pretty well, especially since he's not quite sure he believes it himself. He's not convinced that Marian won't run off to the forest or start giving alms to the poor the minute Guy's back is turned.

He can see Guy starting to waver.

"Very well," he says eventually. "Under one condition."

"Yeah?" says Allan. "What's that?"

"I will accompany Lady Marian to the...tavern," he says, as if the word is an unpleasant bite of food.

"Yeah, great," says Allan. "I might head down too."

Guy looks strained. "Allan, you don't have to-"

"Yeah, but I want to. What, are you gonna ban me from going down the pub?"

Guy bears his teeth at him. "I should do." He sighs. "Fine. You may come."

"Didn't actually need your permission, but thanks Giz," Allan chirps, then leaves before Guy starts throwing things at him.

The company isn't exactly diverting to start with. Guy buys the first round of drinks, looking suspiciously over his shoulder at Marian and Allan the whole time. He sets them on the table and they sit in silence.

"So, Gisborne," Allan says. "How's the leather working out for you? Look still in?"

Marian hides an undignified snort of laughter in her hands. Guy looks at her sharply before turning to Allan. "It's comfortable," he says.

Marian raises her eyebrows. "Is it?"

"Yes, actually," Guy says, drawing himself up in a dignified manner. "And protective. Much less cumbersome than actual armour, but it does the job."

Marian looks surprised. "Well, I never knew that."

"Me neither," says Allan.

They lapse back into silence.

By the second round of drinks, however, everyone starts to loosen up. Allan plonks them on the table.

"Cheers, Giz, Maz," Allan says, raising his tankard, and neither of them tell him off for the nickname.

"What should we call you?" Marian says. "Al? Az?"

She lets out a snort and Guy joins her in laughter, to all of their surprises. 

"I'm gonna use that from now on," he says, gesturing towards Allan.

He sets his tankard down. "I shouldn't drink anymore, the Sheriff wants me up at the crack of dawn tomorrow."

"C'mon, live a little, Giz," Allan says.

"Yes, Guy, you need to loosen up," Marian says, bursting into giggles for no apparent reason. Allan had known she'd be a total lightweight.

Guy rolls his eyes and sighs, then drains half the tankard in one. Allan cheers while Marian laughs in delight, attempting to copy him and spilling half the pint down her dress.

"Oh drat!" she says.

Guy shakes his head fondly and offers her a handkerchief.

"Thanks Guy."

By the third round, both Marian and Guy are well and truly drunk, and Allan's well on his way to tipsy.

"Sure you don't wanna go home already?" Marian teases Guy.

"Nah," he says, taking a big gulp and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Fuck the Sheriff."

Marian howls with laughter and Allan can't help but join her. People are starting to look in their direction, but Guy and Marian don't seem to notice.

"Fuck the Sheriff!" says Marian, raising her tankard and clinking it against Guy's, then Allan's. 

"To drinking!" says Allan.

"To ale!" says Guy.

"To friends," says Marian, catching them both in her little smile. Allan feels pleasantly numb, happy in the company of two people who have been enemies, allies and superiors to him, but who right now are friends.

"To friends," he repeats.

"To friends," Guy says. He's wearing an odd look on his face, one Allan can't quite read.

"On that note, I need to visit the privy," Marian says. "Where is it?"

"Outside." Allan gestures vaguely, noting the distasteful look on Marian's face as she gets up.

Once she's left, Gisborne rests a hand on his shoulder. Allan turns to him and is surprised to see his eyes filled with tears.

"Guy?" Allan asks tentatively.

"Allan," Guy says miserably. "Allan, what can I do to make her love me?"

Allan takes a deep breath. He should have known Gisborne would be a weepy drunk. "Well, she's your friend. That's a start, right?"

And then Guy is weeping into his chest. "Why won't she love me, Allan? I just want her to love me."

Allan pats the back of Guy's head awkwardly. "There, there," he says. Guy continues sobbing into his shoulder, but luckily doesn't say anything else.

"Allan, I can't walk straight," Marian says, tottering back to their table. Allan's almost surprised that she's come back - he'd half expected her to run off. 

Then she notices Guy weeping into Allan's shoulder. "Guy? What's wrong?"

Guy lets out another wracking sob and doesn't answer, which Allan is secretly grateful for. He came out for a relaxing night of drinking - the last thing he needs is for Marian and Guy to have it out here and now.

"He's just a bit drunk," Allan says, answering for him. "C'mon, help me get him back to the castle. We don't want the Sheriff to see him like this."

Marian nods, trying to look more sober than she is, and helps Allan get Guy up.

"Not the Sheriff, no, no, nooo," he moans. "Allan, you can't let the Sheriff see me like this, OK?"

"On it, boss," Allan says. Marian sniggers.

"Or Marian," Guy says. "She can't see me like this."

"Um," says Marian, her arm already around his shoulders.

"ALLAN!" Guy yells, giving him an earful about letting Marian near him in this state as they wrangle him out of the tavern.

"Jeez, a little gratitude would be nice," he says as Guy lapses into tears again.

They manage to make it back to the castle without being spotted. Marian helps Allan lay Guy down on the bed.

"Well," she says, looking awkward (and a lot more sober than she was half an hour ago). "Goodnight Allan."

"G'night Marian," Allan says.

"Goodnight, Guy," she calls, but Guy doesn't respond.

"Don't worry," Allan says confidently. "He'll have forgotten this by the morning."

"I hope so," says Marian. She smiles. "Thank you for arranging tonight," she says. "I had a good time."

Then she's gone. Allan is astonished. She really did just want to go out and spend time with them.

Maybe that'll be a comfort to Guy later, he thinks, as he helps the man undress and get into bed.

"Stay," Guy begs as Allan is about to head for the door. He pauses.

"Are- are you sure?" he says. "I don't want you to wake up tomorrow morning screaming like a little girl about me being in your bed."

Guy snorts, the tears apparently over for now. "It'd take a lot more for you to make me scream, Allan."

Allan wonders if he realises how dirty that sounds.

Guy sighs. "I need you to wake me up in time to meet with the Sheriff," he says. "So I need you to stay. That's all."

"That's all," Allan repeats.

"Yes." Guy eyes him narrowly, then pulls back the covers. "Get in."

Trying not to smirk, Allan gets into bed next to Guy. "You had better not throw up on me, Giz, that's all I'm saying. Otherwise, you and me are through."

Allan expects some kind of response to that, an elbow in the ribs at the very least. He twists round to look at Guy and realises he's fallen asleep, gently snoring, pressed up against Allan.

Allan sighs and resigns himself for a restless night.

#my gang to me 2024 #my gang to me #robin hood bbc #guy of gisborne #allan a dale #marian of knighton #lady marian #marian #my writing #team castle #im obsessed with these three i just wanna write 50 different fics where they hang out

[littledollll]

🕊️me again with another prompt for you dear🕊️

Prompt~ I need a sleepy whiny r that wants their luci and luci is busy and try’s to send someone else in to placate r and they try everything, stuffies, colouring, soothing music, blankies etc but she just gets worse. So now she finds her way to luci despite them being busy they drop everything for their exhausted angel once seeing just how bad r is.

This is purely self-indulgent of me. Todays been rough and I’d actually die just to have that level of care and comfort directed at me. Don’t rush with these prompts I’m just sending them when I get a free moment:) ~shy anon🕊️

#shyanon🕊️

Sleepy tantrum

(Little angel universe, side fic)

Lucifer Morningstar x little!angel!reader

A/n: my mood just got fucking murdered by something that happened and I’m writing this mid anxiety attack in hopes it’ll make me feel better🤺 pt 3 of the little angel series is gonna break hearts btw so I’m pre-paring (get it? Pre- preparing?) some comfort for that☝️

update: this honestly made even me feel tiny so I’m so proud of it I love it alot:(

Warnings: nothing horrible just some tantrums, crying, kinda separation anxiety, and that’s basically it

You’ve taken to wandering around the castle while you’re regressed, anyone Lucifer invites in is trusted enough to see you and when that’s not the case Lucifer makes sure that the meetings are secluded and quick, of course they also give you a heads up.

So here you were, Emery in one hand and blanket wrapped around you and dragging on the floor wandering around with no particular destination when you spot Luci and run to hug them, attaching yourself to their leg. They were busy, sat talking to Mazikeen about something you could probably care less about, so their hand made its way to your hair, giving you headscratches as they talked but other than that made no move to acknowledge you.

Their soft voice and soothing touch was making you even more sleepy than you were, your head rested on their knee as they talked, you felt yourself drifting before two pats on your shoulder made you shake yourself awake. “hm?” Luci smiled at you. “I think it’s time for bed tiny, I still have some work to get done but I’ll join you shortly okay? Mazikeen will stay with you until I’m back and I’ll get you ready for bed then.”

You went to complain but soon enough you were (gently) thrown over Mazis shoulder. “Wait wait wait-!” She ignored you and walked back to your room. As she dropped you into bed you tried to make a run for it out of the room before she grabbed you yet again and sat you on the floor with her. You huffed. “Meanie.” She tilted her head at you. “What was that?” When you stayed quiet she let the scary act drop. “They will be here soon enough, just be patient.” She said as she handed you another stuffie and your coloring book.

You whined and threw the coloring book at her. “Don’t be a brat.” You huffed and turned your back to her. “I thought you wanted to sleep, are you seriously throwing a tantrum right now?” You nodded and threw the other stuffie at her as well (which you quickly regretted and made a mental note to apologize to them later).

Had it been anyone else they would’ve lost their head. But it was you. Adorable, sweet, helpful, Lucifer’s partner, you. That last one did most of the convincing, but she knew you were only whining because you wanted Lucifer and not her, so she went softer on you. “Sweetheart you have to stay here.” “well you hav to leave m alone!” She sighed. “You are most certainly a handful. Let’s see.. we’ll have a coloring competition and whoever wins gets to tell the loser what to do next.”

Stubborn as you were u were also very competitive, how could you turn that down? Kicking your legs in excitement you nodded and handed maz another coloring book. “How kno?” She thought about it for a second. “We’ll do the fastest, but! You have to stay inside the lines.” You gasped, offended. “cheatin!” She shook her head smiling and handed you your crayons.

After a few minutes of coloring and your pouting Maz spoke again. “Done.” You whined and dramatically laid on the floor. “Unfairrrr!” “Nope, little darling I won fair and square. You are going to sit here with your toys and behave until Lucifer gets back and then you’re their problem again.” You pouted and climbed into bed hiding under the blanket. When you peeked to see what Maz was up to you saw her cleaning up the mess you had made.

Quietly you made your way out of the room and begun your search for Lucifer. After checking a few rooms you found them in the main throne room talking to who seemed to be Azazel. You thought you were being sneaky until you heard a voice behind you. “And just what are you doing out of your room at this hour, little angel?” you jumped and squeaked in surprise before jumping into Lucifer’s arms.

“I stay?” You mumbled into their chest with your eyes closed. Lucifer sighed, looking at your exhausted body language, your pouty face convinced them. “Yes, little dove.” You heard Lucifer and Azazel talking for an extra second before you felt Lucifer started talking back in direction of your room, you started crying. Making Lucifer abruptly stop. “Sweet one what’s wrong? Did something happen? Are you hurt?” your arms wrapped around them so tightly it would’ve been concerning if they were human.

“Tiny?” you only responded with a hum. “please tell me what’s wrong.” you sniffled, rubbing your eyes. “don go” they breathed a sigh of relief once they noticed what was going on. “I won’t little dove, not again, I’m staying with you, it’s all okay.” Lucifer continued walking as their hand gently rubbed your back, calming your sobs.

When you came back to your room it was all clean and Mazikeen was gone. Lucifer got you ready for bed in seconds, and placed a kiss on your temple before whipping your teary eyes. Their voice was barely above a whisper when they spoke now. “Luci’s not leaving now, sweet one, I’ve got you, my heart.”

#sandman agere #🕊️ anon #cg! sandman lucifer #cg! lucifer sandman #lucifer sandman #the sandman #gwendoline christie #shy anon love page #lucifer morningstar the sandman #sandman lucifer x reader #Little angel (Lucifer x little!reader)

[doomed-era]

Sentient Monsters/Enemies in Zelda

People seemed to enjoy my last list so I'm going to touch on probably one of my favorite topics in LOZ! I'm mostly focusing on monsters and enemies that are shown to be not completely affiliated with any sort of Big Bad or are demonstrably capable of speech or independent thought but I'll also be including other enemies and monsters. I'm not going to really include bosses unless I find it necessary (hence the lack of Maz Koshia, Gohdan, Byrne, Bellumbeck, etc) As usual, I may touch headcanon territory a little, and I'll happily take any corrections/suggestions and reblog them!

...Actually I might just edit the post, not sure.

This contains gameplay spoilers for...a lot of Zelda games, so please proceed with caution!

Ache

Batlike enemies from The Adventure of Link. They are usually hostile, and will disguise themselves as villagers, revealing their disguise if spoken to. There is a friendly Ache that can be found in the Town of Nabooru that Link can speak to.

Batreaux

A reformed demon from Skyward Sword who has a secret house on Skyloft. He expresses a desire to become human, and requests that Link bring Gratitude Crystals to him so he can become one.

Bulblin

Namely King Bulblin, but I personally think this applies to regular Bublins as well. Throughout Twilight Princess you fight King Bulblin in various boss fights, but he always retreats before Link can kill him. In your final battle with him, he finally speaks, claiming that he "always follows the strongest side," before leaving and dropping a key to the inside of Hyrule Castle. Bulblins in general are shown to be fairly intelligent, riding on large boars called Bulbos and Twilit Kargaroks, creating structures, and cooking food.

Dark World Creatures

Many of inhabitants of the Dark World in A Link to the Past are heavily implied to be people who sought after the Triforce but were trapped upon entering the Dark World and transformed into monsters according to their true nature. These creatures can be aggressive at the start, seem initially friendly and attack you later, like Blind the thief, or can be completely passive.

Deku Scrub

These are plantlike creatures that spit out seeds to attack. In Ocarina of Time, Deku Scrubs seem to have made an allegiance with the first boss, Gohma. When attacked, they will surrender and either give you information or sell you items. In Majora's Mask, not only can Link transform into a Deku Scrub, but there is a Deku Scrub palace to be explored. Like in Ocarina of Time, Deku Scrubs are hostile to outsiders, and will refuse to let Link into the palace if he is not in Deku Scrub form. In Minish Cap, a sick Deku Scrub blocks the way by sneezing out seeds at Link and Zelda.

Garo

The Garo from Majora's Mask are a tribe of undead, ninja-like hooded creatures. They reside in the Kingdom of Ikana, though they're not originally from there, and will only appear to Link if he is wearing the Garo Mask. At some time in the past, the Garo came to Ikana Valley as assassins, but like most Ikana residents they were killed and their ghosts linger around the area.

Goriya

A slightly more obscure enemy from the original Legend of Zelda, Zelda II, Link's Awakening, and the Oracle Games. Goriya are moblin-like creatures that attack with a boomerang. In the original Legend of Zelda, a hungry Goriya blocks a door in a dungeon. In Link's Awakening, there is a hidden friendly Goriya that can only be seen using the Magnifying Glass, similar to the friendly River Zora.

Iron Knuckle

Armored enemies in Zelda II and Ocarina of Time, serving as minibosses of the Spirit Temple in the latter. In the last room of the Spirit Temple, the Twinrova control Nabooru, the Sage of Spirit, and force her to fight Link as an Iron Knuckle. Looking closely at the ordinary Iron Knuckle model reveals a Gerudo face inside, so many people believe that the other Iron Knuckles Link fights are also possessed or evil Gerudo.

Mad Batter/Li'l Devil

A batlike creature from A Link to the Past and Link's Awakening that lives in an underground cavern. Link can disturb him by tossing Magic Powder at a statue, where he will become angry and "curse" Link by giving him a magic upgrade.

Moblin

Featured in the original Legend of Zelda, Moblins are one of the quintessential enemies in the Zelda series. They have been shown multiple times to be capable of speech and seem to be able to defect from Ganon's horde in some instances. The original game also contains the first instance of a friendly monster in Zelda, the famous "it's a secret to everyone" Moblin. In the Wind Waker, a girl named Maggie has fallen in love with one of the Moblins in Forsaken Fortress, and sends a letter to him. Moe the Moblin sends a letter back, proving that Moblins are not only capable of speech, but probably writing.

Phantom

Guardians of the Tower of Spirits in Spirit Tracks and invaders of the Temple of the Ocean King in Phantom Hourglass. Phantoms are highly intelligent enemies that will chase Link down, and are capable of speech. In Spirit Tracks, Phantom Zelda can converse with them to distract them while Link makes his way through the Tower of Spirits.

River Zora

River Zora are featured in the original Legend of Zelda, a Link to the Past, Link's Awakening, A Link Between Worlds, Oracle of Ages, and Phantom Hourglass. River Zora are highly territorial creatures that inhabit bodies of water in most of the games they are featured in. They will usually shoot fireballs at Link and dive under the water if confronted. However, in many games, there are several Zora who will not attack you and may give you helpful items. In A Link to the Past, Link can speak to King Zora to get the Zora Flippers. In Link's Awakening, there is a secret friendly Zora that can be seen after Link has obtained the Magnifying Glass. In A Link Between Worlds, the Zora Queen Oren will give you the Zora Flippers.

Soldier

Hylian Soldiers have a long history of either getting possessed, turning evil, or being extremely incompetent in the Zelda series, and A Link to the Past is probably what started it. Soldiers are the primary enemy fought in the Light World, and are friendly to Link at the beginning of the game, telling Link to go home to bed on such a rainy night. One soldier mentions that they have noticed something strange about the other soldiers, and expects that they will soon succumb to whatever is possessing them. This is of course Agahnim, an evil magician and Ganon in disguise.

Stalchildren/Stalfos

Featured in almost every game in the series, Stalfos are undead skeleton-like enemies. Stalchildren are weaker, more common enemies that are featured in Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. Ordinarily Stalchildren will attack you in Majora's Mask, however if you wear the Captain's Hat—the hat of their leader, Skull Keeta—they will talk to you, and give you access to secret underground areas each night. Stalchildren, like the Garo, are also one of the undead races from Ikana Valley, and their king can be fought there.

Yiga

(they get a shoutout cause I love them. mwah)

Featured in Breath of the Wild, the Yiga Clan are an offshoot of the Sheikah Tribe that separated ten thousand years before the events of Breath of the Wild. After Calamity Ganon emerged for the first time and was destroyed with the help of Ancient Sheikah technology, the Royal Family turned their backs on the people who helped them, forcing them to abandon their work. The Sheikah went into hiding, but some of them fought back. This group became known as the Yiga Clan, and they are well known for their affinity to Calamity Ganon and their murderous tendencies. Dorian was originally a member of the Yiga Clan, and served as an informant to them for some time.

#breath of the wild #twilight princess #majora's mask #ocarina of time #a link to the past #link's awakening #windwaker #the legend of zelda #zelda ii #again if there's any additions or corrections please let me know! #oracle of ages #river zora #moblin #yiga clan #iron knuckle #longpost

[uwingdispatch]

Okay, y’all. These new in-universe motel keychains showed up today and I am just SO delighted with how they came out!

The one on the left is for Takodana Castle from The Force Awakens. There’s no way Maz Kanata doesn’t have rooms, right? Somewhere for a tired scoundrel to stay between heists. This keychain is for room 34, 34 ABY being the year in which the Force Awakens takes place.

The one on the right is for Sorgan Common House, which hosts the tavern where Din Djarin and Grogu stop for some soup before running into Cara Dune…and later Omera and the krill farmers. I’m sure that this little spot is both a tavern and an inn, so I made a keychain for room 8, 8 ABY being the year this episode of The Mandalorian takes place.

I hope you love these! I had so much fun designing them for you. Shop is here.

#star wars #the mandalorian #din djarin #grogurt #grogu #baby yoda #omera #sorgan #mandomera #maz kanata #takodana #the force awakens #star wars sequels #rey skywalker #han solo #star wars fanart #etsy artist #etsy shop

[celartzee]

SmugglerAU series is done!

Part 2⤴️

Setting: Takodana

Part 3⤴️

Setting: Maz's Castle

Part 4⤴️

Setting: Campfire (Somewhere in Takodana)

Part 5 / End⤴️

Setting: Hyperspace

Part 1:

#fanart #illustration #art #digital art #star wars #artwork #drawdrawdraw #fan art #my art #style #daisy ridley #adam driver #reylo art #rey #romance #kylo ren #reylo #ben solo #artists on tumblr #original art #reylo comic #comics #series #reylo au #reylo edit #the force awakens #sw tfa #film #reylo shippers #movie art

[spindrifters]

snippet!

tagged by @achilleslikespeas and @worldenough-and-time and @chace-vito

“Radios’ve been banned from the castle, of course,” James says, shoving in to seat himself between the other two. “Teachers were coming around confiscating them while it was going on, not that it really did anything. Broadcast kept right on going, obviously, because our Maz is a genius. And now everyone’s just working out ways to catch the next one. Naturally.” Two thick brows raise and Remus asks, “People are that interested?” “Well, of course they’re interested. Everyone’s got to be in on the conversation, haven’t they?” “There’s already a bit of a fan club going with the third and fourth years,” Mary adds. “Forbidden love and all that. Though most people seem to just get off on the scandal of it. Lottie Pucey’s been going round telling everyone they were clearly paid actors, everyone knows Andromeda Black was raped and abducted and probably murdered by a deranged mudblood eight years ago. Hasn’t stopped her or any of them from transfiguring radios out of whatever they can get their hands on. The intrigue’s too good.”

x. open tag for you

#tag game

[sinisterexaggerator]

Hondo’s Ohnaka’s portrait in Maz’s Castle  - Battlefront 2 

OMG HOW DID I MISS THIS!??!

#Hondo Ohnaka #Battlefront 2 #Star Wars Battlefront 2 #maz kanata #maz's castle

[smilemoreimagines]

i would never fall unless it’s you i fall into (Din Djarin/Reader)

Chapter 5

length: 2,561

author’s note: I'm almost done with the next chapter, but i will probably be moving from Canada back to the US within the next month so ummm wish me luck and hopefully there won't be a big wait while that's happening

Chapter 1  Chapter 2  Chapter 3 Chapter 4

With a little one living in close quarters your days are starting earlier than you're used to, and by the time the three of you are walking to the market, apple pressed into your hand by Mando, you’re still rubbing sleep from your eyes. Mando had brought you closer to Maz’s Castle, another clearing in the woods giving cover to the ship, just a short walk through the trees. As you glance back once you catch the words Razor Crest II painted on the hull. 

“What happened to the original Razor Crest?” You wonder aloud as you bite into your apple. 

“It was destroyed,” the Mandalorian states matter-of-factly, and Grogu chimes in with a boom noise, opening his fists at the same time he makes the sound. “Yeah bud, it exploded,” Mando agrees, giving him another apple chunk.

“Was he there for it?” You ask in surprise before you can think better of the question, eyes flicking between the dad and his kid trailing along in his floating pod stroller-thing. He bounces excitedly in place among the pillow and blankets, froggy plush clutched in the hand not shoving fruit in his mouth, and chants, “Boom, boom, boom!”

“Yeah,” Mando confirms, voice growing hesitant, “He was with me at the time.”

Okay, you’ve obviously pried too much, so you shut up and eat your snack, offering a small smile when the blank visor of the helmet turns your way. The tension that showed in the set of his shoulders disappears, the man reverting back to his natural state of casual grace. Restrained power. You admire him for a moment when he looks away from you, but then you’re breaking through the treeline to the very large, already bustling market.

Rows and rows of vendors calling out their wares, wide aisles between the stalls packed with people shopping. Mando informs you that it’s a permanent market, so all the booths with clothing should be in the same area. You don’t tend to like crowds, so at least you won’t have to fight your way through the whole thing to gather what you need. 

As soon as you enter the fray your shoulders raise in tension, arms pinned to your sides trying to make yourself as small as possible as you’re bumped and jostled. The avenues are wide enough that space wouldn’t be an issue if people walked a little more orderly, but in this part of the galaxy? Not gonna happen. A quick glance behind you shows Mando and Grogu a few paces back, gait leisurely. You wish you could muster that kind of effortless calm.

Your lips twist into a tight smile, still unused to having other people around to keep track of in a crowd. When you face forward again you’re on guard and trying to be as out of the way as you can. You push through another tight throng of people and then it feels like the crowd thins out a bit. You let out a deep breath. Then feel a light touch on your upper back, whipping your head around only to relax again when you see it’s just Mando. The helmet tilts down to look at you and he gives a slight nod. You realize the crowd hasn’t thinned at all, they’re parting to make a path for the Mandalorian a single step behind you that’s turned on his aura of deadly power. Just a moment ago he’d been so casual. Did he do that just for you? 

Din would never admit it out loud, but he hated seeing you try to make yourself smaller. In the short time he’s known you it’s become clear to him that you don’t like loud, sudden noises. That you feel safer with routine and clarity. Which is the exact opposite of this market. It had made his chest ache when you walked right into the crowd even with your hackles so obviously raised, posture defensive. You flinched whenever there was a particularly loud shout or bang. Curled further in on yourself when anyone bumped into you too hard. He couldn’t do anything for you about the noise, but he could get people to give you space. 

Grogu looked at him curiously when he turned that part of himself on, the part that was intimidating, that brought attention to himself, the kind that made people give him a wide berth. It was something that he didn’t have to do very often anymore, now that he was trying to give his son a more normal life. A safer life. Din was still bounty hunting. Just not for much longer. 

Even with her so-called “best friends discount” Peli was still charging him an arm and a leg for his re-made ship. After the Crest was destroyed he tried to find a new ship that would work, but he found he didn’t like making do on the vehicle that was essentially his and Grogu’s home, so he’d commissioned Peli to remake her mostly the same but with some more livable upgrades, like the kitchenette. He knew that what he was asking would cost a fortune, and now with the ship done he was taking the last bounties he needed to finish paying it off. Then you showed up. 

You, who is now looking at him like he personally gave you the stars from the sky, and for such a simple favor. The relief of not being pressed in on all sides radiates from your face as you whisper a thank you like it’s a secret. Din likes how open you are in your emotions, however unintentional it may be. As a man who’s made his living from being able to read people well—to know if a quarry was actually complying or just biding their time to get the jump on him—it’s nice that he can tell from a glance what’s on your mind. He enjoys how straightforward you are, how earnest. 

In the few days that you’ve been on the Razor Crest II he finds his gaze drawn to you whenever you’re in the same room. You just have this… gravity to you. Sometimes you’ll ask questions or make little quippy comments and get him talking a bit, but you also don’t mind the silence that often settles between you. You are a quiet soul, and he’s finding comfort in that. 

And it’s plain to see how much that Grogu is growing on you, and vice versa. That’s part of why he threw the job offer on the table so quickly, because of this life he’s now trying to give his son. He wants him to be happy with whoever will care for him when Din can’t. And you’re a Jedi. Or at least, you have the powers of one. He needs to ask you more about that. If you can help his son learn more about his abilities. Din doesn’t understand much about the whole Force-magic thing or why Grogu’s attachment to him makes him unable to be a Jedi, but he still has the Force and in Din’s mind a power like that should be understood. 

Once you reach the section of stalls piled high with clothes and fabrics he tells you to get whatever you’ll need, that you shouldn’t worry over the cost. These last few bounties will cover the ship, but he’s been considering picking up a few more pucks so that him and Grogu can maybe stay in one place awhile, or explore the planets that Grogu has shown interest in. He’s decided now, and those credits will be for you as well. 

You who is all business right now, choosing practical things: underclothes, socks, shirts, pants. He watches as you run your fingers lightly over a colorful scarf, looking at it wistfully for a moment before moving on to the next stall. He recalls what you’d said the day after you jumped on his ship, when you’d woken up from a wound that could have easily killed you—that was still making you walk with a slight limp—taking stock of your ruined clothes and letting the blood-soaked and stained fabric fall to the floor. “That was my favorite thing.” 

The color of this one is soft, like light hitting a waterfall, a diluted rainbow. He’s paying for it and stuffing it in his pouch before you can notice he’s fallen behind, right at your side before you turn to ask him a question about something or other.

It can be disorienting, how your eyes always seem to land right on his own, even through the inky black of the visor. He knows it’s not possible, but still, the thought distracts him. Most people have a hard time picking a spot on the helmet to look, often wavering between his forehead and chin, but not you. Yet all the vendors you’ve talked to today you could hardly look them in the eye for more than a moment before getting fidgety and looking somewhere else. You’re an odd person, but he finds it more endearing than off-putting. 

“Mando?” You ask for the second time, ducking your head slightly as you look up at him. He’s been lost in his head for a minute, just kind of staring at you, or in your direction, anyway. He does that a lot, the staring—observing, to put it more politely—but usually he acknowledges you when you address him. He clears his throat as he refocuses and asks what you need. 

It’s silly and unimportant, surely more so than whatever he was thinking about, but you’ve been at this one vendor for multiple minutes trying to decide if it would be okay to get this dress or not. The fabric is soft and light, flowy and patterned with flowers. It reminds you of one you had as a teenager, one that was stained in blood and bad memories but that you still miss. 

“Can I get this?” You ask, the hesitance thick in your voice. “I’ve gotten everything else that I need, and I know it’s not practical, but…”

“Of course,” he says, interjecting when you trail off. 

You don’t know it, but he’d have a hard time denying you anything, when you ask that sweetly. It can be hard to connect the you that yelled at him for endangering his son to this shy, soft spoken creature, but here you are. A walking contradiction. Your smile is like sunshine breaking over your face as you thank him, and he finds his own lips curling up in response.

“Not everything needs to be useful,” he says to you as he pays, “Some things can just be pretty.” 

You laugh and respond, “And do you like pretty things, Mando? I bet you do. Maybe when I change into this you’ll sneak something nice too, something an actor in a holonet drama would wear. Am I right?” 

He just huffs that laugh that you’re coming to enjoy maybe too much and shoos you to the changing rooms at the end of this avenue. But when you come out wearing that dress, he thinks that maybe he does like pretty things. He certainly likes how you look. Your smile is bigger than he’s ever seen it, more genuine. You wear your feelings on your face, and right now he can’t see any of the pain that usually lives there. Mesh’la. Beautiful. You look beautiful. 

He needs to get these thoughts in check; you’re basically his employee. A strange concept for a man who’s spent most of his life alone, relying on only his own wits and skills to get by, but child-rearing is something that he knows is too important to just wing it. Grogu is his actual son now, not a foundling to be returned, his. And he wants to do the best job of parenting that he can, regardless if that means getting outside help. 

And now that you’ve got everything you need, Grogu decides to make himself known again. The little guy starts chirping, pointing further down the way at some kabobs roasting over a fire, the tone of his voice insisting it’s time for food, feed me now. You run a hand lightly over one of his son’s large ears, agreeing with him that it is probably lunchtime by now. His pod follows eagerly before overtaking you to beat everyone to the food as if it’ll disappear before he can get his little hands on it, Mando right behind both of you. 

When you go to pay for the food he tries to stop you, but you want to spend your few remaining credits from Tatooine on the little guy. “He’s so food-oriented,” you insist, not putting the credits back in your pocket but rather pointedly dropping them into the vendor’s hand, “He won’t be able to not like me if I get him his meal. And as his new nanny, I would like him to like me.”

As you’re being handed three kabobs, Mando can’t help but say, “He already adores you. Wasted your credits to get something you already have.” 

You just shrug. “It’s worth it.” And indeed, Grogu looks at you very happily as he stuffs cooked meat in his mouth, and you pull the kabob from his hands to force him to slow down. You try to hand one to Mando, but he just shakes his head, gestures to his helmet. 

“Oh, right,” you say, lightly smacking your hand to your forehead. You forgot he can’t eat in front of you. You hadn’t really thought about it since he’s mostly been in the cockpit where you can’t follow because of your leg, and he’s taken all of his meals up there. If you can even call them that. You snag some napkins before leaving the stall to find a place to sit and eat with the kid, wrapping the Mandalorian’s food so he can eat it later. He tries to tell you to split it with Grogu, that he’s fine, but you point out, “It can’t be good for you to live off of ration packs exclusively. You have a kitchen. Why don’t you keep real food?” 

Right. He’d specifically asked Peli to include one, but even though he has it he still mostly eats rations. And fruit, because Grogu loves it so much. It’s such an ingrained habit that cooking still feels like a bit of a waste of time. But he knows he should do better for Grogu. And you now, too. 

You find a fountain with some room on the wide rim for you to sit with his son on your lap. He hooks his thumbs on his belt, scanning the area for trouble. Finding none, he looks down at you, slowly managing to eat your food in between feeding Grogu. It is so very hard to fight the feeling of domesticity as he takes the rowdy little boy from you, especially with the smile of gratitude you throw his way for letting you eat. 

Din is already looking at you so he notices the moment your expression drops, jaw going slack before snapping up with a click to clench your teeth together, eyes wild and face growing so pale he’s worried you might pass out. He’s scanning the crowded square for danger, but there’s nothing out of the ordinary happening. Nothing to protect you or Grogu from. 

#din djarin x reader #mando x reader #mandalorian fanfic #the mandalorian x reader

[galacticwildfire]

Fire Meet Gasoline | Poe Dameron

One

Poe Dameron x Solo Original Character

Hope Solo’s haunted by the night the temple burned. Having gone rogue she hunts the First Order in search of answers until a fateful encounter with Poe Dameron brings her back to the Resistance and Leia puts her daughter under his command to find Luke Skywalker.

Word count: 8.3k

Tags/warnings: hondo ohnaka reminiscing the clone wars, boba fett, r2 being sick of skywalker bs, mentions of war crimes/torture, ptsd, descriptions of injury, typical skywalker bs over ranks, absent father/angry daughter, meet cute, flirting, ego's, simp poe, exhausted leia

A/N: hey guys first chapter is finally up after I swore to rewrite this in march and the prequel will be up in it's entirety very soon as well. First half of the chapter spends some time setting up the story before Poe comes in. I promise Han and Luke aren't as bad they are through her eyes, Leia pov next chapter will give context. Also all my stories are written for adults with adult themes, I use appropriate tags but read at your discretion.

Prologue

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32 ABY | Two Years Before A Force Awakens

Hope

It was meant to be a simple run, picking up the package from the contact and ensuring its safe passage. Whenever Hondo Ohnaka tells me it's an easy job that I'd handle with no problem I know to expect some sort of trouble in the form of a skirmish or firefight, but I didn't expect that skirmish to be with tie-fighters.

I'm used to taking them out, but I prefer being the one ambushing them instead of the other way around.

"Solo, you're alive!" Hondo laughs anxiously at the look on my face as I walk into his outpost on Batuu and slam the box down on the table. "Careful now, that's fragile!"

"What the hell did you send me to get that the First Order would want?" I ask him and he curses as he downs the rest of his drink. "Hondo, I swear-"

"Those bastards have finally done it!" he declares to no one in particular. "I knew it was only a matter of time before they targeted my business, just like the Empire did. One empire falls and another-"

I don't wait for him to finish his dramatics before I pull open the box but freeze when I see what's inside. "We already raided Grakkus the Hutt's vault, where did you find this?"

"Maz Kanata," he answers and raises his hands in his defence at how I gape at him. "Like myself she feels a certain sense of nostalgia when it comes to Jedi relics and well, it just so happens I had one of my men infiltrate her castle to steal one."

"Maz Kanata is a friend," I remind him but he doesn't seem awfully phased.

"Which is why I did not tell you what you were getting or who it was stolen from," he tries to reason as I hold the kyber crystal in my hand, a real kyber crystal. It's cracked and faded from the years, no use to me but it would still be priceless. "Well, it's not as impressive as I was hoping for, but I don't suppose you can use your Jedi magic to make it look pretty again for me?"

"No," I answer curtly, there still being one question I need the answer to. "How did the First Order just happen to know I'd be transporting a kyber crystal when I didn't even know what I was carrying?"

"They didn't," he answers and now I'm the one cursing as I realise what's happened, that they weren't targeting the shipment, but me. "It is not profitable for the First Order's tie-fighters to be repeatedly destroyed by one rogue Jedi in a starfighter, embarrassing for their reputation, so I'll let you put that one together."

"Shit," I whisper, knowing if the First Order's profiled me then the Resistance is only going to be one step behind them in figuring out who's been tormenting First Order patrols in the Outer Rims. 

Which means Mom will know exactly what I've been doing out here.

"I still do not understand, you want to kill the bastards but left the only organisation willing to do it," Hondo says, a pirate but still a jedi and rebel sympathiser at heart, and like all supposedly legitimate former criminals running illegal operations, he's worried they're going to put his business at risk. 

"Because if I shoot first I break the Galactic Concordance and every other damn treaty they've signed which puts the Resistance in trouble with the senate and risks declaring open war," I answer, frustration still thick in my voice after all this time. "Which I did and got permanently grounded to avoid starting said war, but thankfully it made me realise it's no fun fighting a cold war when I can be out here taking the fight straight to them without consequences, and the last thing I need is to be held back."

But I didn't just fire first, I wiped out one of their elite ground squadrons to try to find out where Ben is on what was meant to be reconaissance, to ask their captain where Snoke has my brother stationed. Except I didn't just ask and he had a nice little electric shocker in his pocket to stop me from finishing my interrogation. When Mom heard about the mess I'd left I wasn't just demoted from captain, but forbidden from partaking in any off base missions at the insistence of every single member of high command pending complete expulsion. 

And so I left. Almost a year later I still haven't showed my face.

"Haha, you do come from that Skywalker boy, he liked committing war crimes too," Hondo laughs and my eyes roll back in my head, preparing to hear for the tenth time how he once fought the man who became Darth Vader and lived to tell the tale since the galaxy now knows that unfortunate truth. "Good with a lightsaber, although I cannot forgive him for killing my good friend Kenobi and you know, all the rest. But once I acquire the right weapon we must duel for old times sake."

I never thought a pirate could so intimately know two utterly separate generations of my family through swindling them but there always seems to be surprises. "So you can get your ass handed to you again?"

"He liked to insult me as well, although not as well as Kenobi," he remembers fondly and I'd be lying if I said I hadn't found his stories of working with and against Anakin and Obi-Wan interesting, to hear what my grandfather was like from one of the few people still alive who knew him during the Clone Wars. "So did your father, I'll never forget when I tried to steal the Falcon from him, I'm still mad someone else beat me to it."

My spirits sour at the mention of him and I pour myself a drink from the bottle on the table only to grow more bitter at the taste of the Corellian whiskey, then quickly put it down remembering another story Hondo once told me. "Well I fully intend to steal it back and if my father wants it he can come and find me."

Somehow that wound is more raw than anything that happened the night the temple burned despite the permanent scars it left me with. A father packing up and leaving because he couldn't look at my mother without seeing Ben, and he couldn't look at me for reasons I still don't understand. I'm sure he only stayed as long as he did because Chewie refused to leave me behind, until eventually Dad didn't care anymore and left both of us. 

"A lasar sword wielding maniac with the knack for piracy is a formidable opponent," he acknowledges and informs me. "From what I hear he is keeping low, owes money to the worst of the worst, people not even I, Hondo Ohnaka, would double cross and that is saying something. But I have no doubt he would be very proud his daughter is giving him a run for his credits and has certainly made a profitable investment."

The thought he'd be proud of what I'm doing is the opposite of what I want, but the rest is hardly news. "What can I say? I'm the best pilot there is."

I'm not quite sure how I ended up as an investment for some of the most established underworld figures there are. It began with me looking in all the wrong places for Dad and instead finding old friends and foes of his who were quite curious to see what I could do for them. Being nineteen with no credits, my weapons, and a ship in desperate need of maintenance, I was happy enough to oblige them. 

Perhaps I hoped working for the very people who'd betrayed Dad time and time again would be enough he'd track me down out of anger to smack some sense into me like he should have done to Ben, but no. He's a ghost like the rest of the men in my family. 

Still, in this unexpected change of career path I've learned a thing or two about profit and have turned my transport, my dear Shiraya, into an armoured starship that could almost be called luxurious, along with my more recently acquired and heavily modified Naboo Starfighter that I make use of for the contracts Boba Fett provides me to hunt down the First Order patrols trying to interfere in his operations.

"Speaking of which," Hondo continues to try to distract from the payment he owes for the delivery. "Boba has a contract for you."

Now those are always good words. 

"But first," I say and look at the kyber crystal knowing it could go for half a million credits even in this state since genuine kyber is so rare, especially since this one appears to have been used in a saber at some point, no doubt dismantled for parts long ago. "I want half of the profits."

"Oh no, you merely transported the goods," he says and negotiates. "Ten percent."

I hold his eye carefully. "Thirty."

"Fifteen and don't you try those Jedi mind tricks on me," he says and I just smile to myself. "Fifteen percent which you will receive once I find a buyer."

"Twenty five and I'll be coming for my credits," I promise him as go to head out the door to where R2 awaits. My faithful companion since I was twelve years old, my best friend, my only friend, although always eager to get off this planet since he has a longstanding grudge against Hondo for numerous Clone Wars era offences. 

But he won't exactly like where we're going next either.

"Come on R2, to Tatooine it is."

~

The evidence of the recent Boonta Eve celebrations are still evident from the bottles on the streets and firework shells scattered across the sand. People are still settling their debts from the races as a New Republic news channel plays from one of the holoprojectors in the square and I hear the Resistance mentioned fleetingly in arguments over funding for the ever decreasing Republic navy. A reminder that I've never been gone from base this long. 

For Mom's sake I held it together and threw myself into forming the Resistance with her after the temple burned, but when Dad disappeared without a word that was when I began to finally lose it. Mom and I had our fights to the point we became notorious for them. I'd run off for a week or two and stay with Lando, but eventually I'd always go home. 

Until now.

But after what I did she was horrified. One mention of my brother's name from the First Order captain, or rather his new name, and I snapped and learned just what a lightsaber is capable of doing to a lifeform. Even if he was the one who took his own life they still blamed me for his death since they knew the First Order certainly would and feared retaliation. I'd previously engaged the enemy and disobeyed orders countless times, I was known for insubordination and worked alone in the field since we didn't even have enough pilots for an active squadron, so when they told me I couldn't step foot in my x-wing after what I'd done I was shocked. I shouldn't have been, I'd pushed command to the brink too many times to count, but the torture of an unarmed evil man had them debating if I should be removed from the Resistance entirely. 

And so I made the decision before they could and took off. 

But not alone, never alone as long as I have R2 with me, even if he has been difficult this past year. R2 complains the whole way to the palace, while he's loyal to a fault he has made it clear he does not agree with my choice of lifestyle. Even if I'm walking around with more credits than Dad ever did while he's in debt to the worst of the worst. 

I hope that wherever he is he knows it too, that he abandoned his daughter to go back to the only thing he was ever good at, only for me to put him to shame.

I'm a recognisable enough figure by now as I walk through Mos Espa, the place Anakin Skywalker was found by the Jedi Order, a place I've now come to frequent having long ago deterred anyone trying to collect Dad's debts from me from trying that again, and being under the Daimyo's protection gives me privileges.

Perhaps Boba Fett thought it would be ironic to have Vader's grandaughter being the one serving him, or maybe he found humour in Han Solo's daughter being on his payroll, either way it's been profitable for both of us. He's getting old to say the least and muscle is a needed supply in these parts. Jedi have been myth for decades and the sight of Vader's own blood with a lightsaber is enough to deter most trouble, the rest I deal with.

"Solo," Boba says as I enter the palace that once belonged to Jabba the Hutt, my visions have showed me well enough what transpired here when Mom was his slave along with other unfortunate visions of my family's history here on Tatooine. Psychometry, to this day I still can't decide if it's a gift or a curse. "I have a contract."

"Hondo told me," I say and eagerly ask "First Order?"

"They've been patrolling well beyond the border regions and now they've turned their attention to my sector," he informs me. "I had one of my men string up a First Order spy we found in the city but we know there's more and I have it on good authority there's a squadron or perhaps more of tie fighters patrolling the system."

"I'll take them out," I say immediately and he gives an approving nod but stops me before I can leave. 

"You know Solo, it's past time you accepted the offer of membership to the guild," he says, and while the offer certainly flatters me I know the consequences of formally making myself a scoundrel for hire. "You can start making real coin then."

Except it's far more complicated than that when I still have legal duties. Mom did not pass down her responsibilities as Princess of Alderaan to me on a whim, she did it out of necessity. When the truth about her real father was exposed she was ruined, the senate and her allies had turned on her, so with full faith she stood there and transferred whatever powers that title still gave her to me. They could force her resignation and silence her voice, but not mine. 

"A princess joining a bounty hunting guild isn't good press for the Resistance," I say, knowing the moment my name is processed in the guild's database that information would be sent straight to the New Republic which would very much complicate any business I might have to conduct in the senate. Even if I've left the Resistance I cannot betray Mom's trust in me when it comes to those responsibilities. "Besides, its loyalties are too loose for my liking. The same as most of the people out here who keep trying to exploit me into paying off Han Solo's debts to them."

It's a miracle Boba Fett doesn't do business with the Empire's successor considering his loyalties were always famously for hire, but from the stories I've heard and those he's told me he has personal reasons to detest the Imperial remnants that the First Order came from, having made himself an enemy of them long ago. It's only because of the stories he's told I know there is one other survivor like me out there, although from a different destruction of a different temple many years before my own. 

Mom would be disappointed in my current career to say the least, but I only ever take work from those who were friends of the Jedi or the Rebellion, even if they didn't necessarily begin that way. Boba is as far as that line blurs, but considering he turned on those remnants to help save a Jedi youngling that's good enough for me.

"I would advise you to remember princess that it's the people out here who were the lifeblood that kept the Rebellion running, especially in its early days," he lectures. "They were the ones who smuggled weapons and all the rest to their bases without the Empire intercepting it, without them the rebellion would have been over as soon as it began. Even the Jedi in the Clone Wars did business with our kind, your grandfather included as Hondo's no doubt told you. Like him I'd met your grandfather long before he became Vader when I was just a child, he was much like you are now and just as self righteous. The biggest difference between Anakin Skywalker and Vader was that at least Vader kept his mouth shut when he didn't need to open it, a lesson you could learn."

"I was trained to be a politician before I was ever trained to be a Jedi so that's not gonna work," I retort and he shakes his head. "And there's a very big difference between smuggling weapons for a rebellion and smuggling people for traffickers."

He doesn't like that response but somewhere a line has to be drawn. "Your mother might be high and mighty about working with us low lives despite marrying one, but I would have thought you'd be smarter than that."

"I'm smart enough to know the moment the senate learns we do any business with smugglers and crime lords they cut all funding and support," I challenge, still politically adept from my upbringing and time served in the senate. "We can't afford to make more enemies than we already have."

"We?" he repeats and I lower my eyes. "I thought you said you weren't part of the Resistance, that you were too efficient for their liking, which you are. You've got a ruthless streak that would make you a damn good bounty hunter, or a mercenary for hire if that's more your style, but you're too afraid of what your mother would think to fulfil that potential, or maybe you just don't have the backbone I thought you did."

His words are true which is why they sting, except for the part about having a backbone. My first instinct is to lash out in defence but I bite my tongue, remembering who it is I'm standing in front of. I'm certainly not afraid of him but he's one of the few people in the Outer Rim's I'm willing to work for considering he's the only one willing to pay me to go after the First Order. And maybe I've found a certain wisdom in Boba Fett considering the enemy I face. The rest of the Resistance worries about stormtroopers and tie-fighters, but I know there's a different enemy only I can face and what better way to learn to kill the Knights of Ren and Snoke than from a man who is more than experienced in hunting and killing those trained in the force.

Mom would be horrified, but I know they're out there and I know I'm the only one who can destroy them since Luke's run away, which means I need preparation that she can't give me while she chases a ghost.

"You forget my focus isn't on credits, but on killing as many of those bastards as I can until I get close enough to their leader to strike him down," I say and nod my head in respect to the Daimyo. "And that's what I'm going to do."

But before I can leave he warns me "I bet Vader thought he'd do the same, but he didn't have a backbone either."

Something in me goes cold, but if there's anyone who has the grounds to challenge me on Vader it's his right hand man. "In the end he did. He killed Palpatine."

"When they were all but defeated above Endor," he says and I try to keep my face neutral, having never thought the day would come when I'd ever defend anything Vader did but things change. "Anakin Skywalker was known as the hero without fear and yet he became a slave, from what I hear for the second time in his life. Even if he did kill him in the end he was still a slave to his master. I wonder if Kylo Ren thinks he's going to do the same," he challenges and my face falls, my throat tightening at the very mention of his name. "So it is true then."

My hand tremors slightly and I'm at a loss for how he could have that information, managing only one word. "How?"

"Vader's grandson conveniently dies just like Skywalker did during Order 66 and now a new Vader pops up as the First Order's enforcer," he says and tilts his helmeted head. "Educated guess. You know what they say, history repeats."

My body may be cold but I can feel something burning in me at those words, remembering it all, everything up until the moment lightning hit the temple. Seeing his eyes turn yellow as he raged with his saber drawn, screaming that Luke was dead and that he'd betrayed us. 

Luke was his master and mine before Ben had taken me as his apprentice despite Luke's disapproval. I'd asked Ben to not hold me back and he did just that, something Luke never did. He was my brother, my teacher, and I tried to walk away from him and my training to form the Resistance. That was my final mistake that sealed what would happen that night.

And so my voice shakes as I insist. "He's no Vader."

"Someone should tell him that then," he remarks and leans back on his throne. "Because from what I hear he's earned himself quite the reputation, black mask and all."

I feel sick and without another word leave the palace with a purpose, knowing every tie fighter I take down is one less between me and killing their Supreme Leader. I thought I could never feel more horrified than the night the temple burned, concussed and choking on ash with lightsaber burns to my arm and thigh, only one of which I actually recall receiving, but when we discovered that Snoke, the creature that had seduced Ben to the darkness, was the mysterious leader of the First Order I watched Mom fall to her knees. 

Whatever Mom believes happened that night, whether I'm lying about not remembering or have suppressed it, I truly don't remember what happened after lightning struck the temple, there's only flashes of screams and pain. Once we felt Ben turn we let everyone believe he died in the fire, no one would dare ask a grieving mother to account for a missing son.

From the start I knew I was searching in vain, for an uncle, a father, a brother. All ghosts. Luke can stay hiding in exile for all I care, but for so long I thought I could bring Ben back so Mom wouldn't have to suffer the loss of a son as well as a husband and a brother. So I wouldn't have to suffer the loss of a brother as well as a father. My idiot brother who became so delusional when he discovered who the man he worshipped, Anakin Skywalker, truly was. As at odds as we were, he was the he only other person in the galaxy who knew was it was like to be the heir of Skywalker, of Vader. To be vilified for sharing blood with a man we never knew, for being able to wield a power so many distrust. Now I'm alone in that. 

For so long I tried so hard to do what she asked of me, but whenever I would step foot on Hosnian Prime to petition the senate for funding I would hear the whispers, the speculation. When a temple full of children burns to the ground and Luke Skywalker disappears people want answers, answers I couldn't give. Answers I can't give. 

But when I'm the only survivor people look to put the blame somewhere.

It's only fitting in their eyes that it's on the blood of the Jedi Killer himself.

R2 beeps at me as we scout the system, I thought by now he'd give up trying to get me to go home but he hasn't. I thought when I left Mom I'd no longer have to look at someone who's afraid I'll turn into Vader, or my brother, but R2 has seen too much to not be afraid I'll fall as well. Except much to my sorrow I can hardly fault him for it knowing what he's seen.

"How about after this we go to Naboo for a little while?" I propose to him, it's only a stone's throw from Tatooine and where I've resided in my free time. With the Lakehouse all but forgotten during the Empire's reign I've found refuge there, having put most of my spare credits into restoring it since it fell into ruin. The Naberrie family had said it was meant to be where Padmé raised her children, and that all that was left to her she would want to be passed onto me and I do what I can to preserve her memory. For a long time Naboo was my home almost as much as it was her's, and R2 likes that idea, Naboo having been his home once as well.

The N-1's controls are engrained into my memory from my training and education there, having been the youngest starpilot to ever fly as part of their starfighter corps at the mere age of twelve. I'd grown up in N-1's as much as the Falcon, although I had become quite fond of my x-wing that no doubt still resides on D'Qar, that better still be there and waiting for me, even if it never saw as much action as I wish it had.

I like to think Dad would be proud of me if I could tell him that by the age of twenty I'd become a quadruple ace, even if those kills were achieved with contracts like these instead of with the Resistance. Perhaps he'd be horrified instead despite being the first one to put me behind laser cannons in the field. Any reaction would be acceptable if it meant I could just see him, but now I'm seeing another target.

"Here we go R2, you see them?" I say, eyeing a group of tie's coming out from behind one of the moons. "This is where the fun begins."

Even if he pretends to be worried for the sake of my self preservation, an override of his loyalty programming installed by Luke to keep me from getting myself killed, I know he loves this almost as much as I do. When a droid's been in action for nearly seventy years he tends to become more independent than his programming and I know he's missed being shot at even if he'd disagree. 

"It's just target practice R2," I tell him as I prepare to ambush, taking a moment to see if the First Order's bothered to make any modifications to their tie's with the amount I've been taking out, having collected data from the wreckages, but it seems they're happy to keep sending them out as cannon fodder. "Let's see, take them out in the open or herd them into that asteroid belt?"

He agrees with the asteroid belt, and so do I. Tie's aren't as nimble as a Naboo starfighter.

"I count eight, should be easy pickings," I say and prepare to attack. "Let's get em."

I debate strategy as I come up behind them to ambush, my instincts tell me now might not be the time to play around and I have the nagging feeling there's more where these eight have come from and so instead of taking my time I fire the proton torpedo I've been itching to use right into the centre of their formation. The shot takes out the tie's in the centre with the exception of the flanking ships that scatter at the blast and sure enough another formation comes up behind me from one of the moons.

This just got slightly more dangerous now that they're the ones trying to push me into the asteroid belt, but only slightly. "Easy R2, follow my lead and prepare for a L'ulo stand."

After taking out the flanking ships I cut the engine's thrusters and pull up hard a fraction of a second later in the same manoeuvre that L'ulo taught me when he joined the Resistance, a manoeuvre he taught me could only be done in atmosphere, space is a little trickier to pull it off in but manageable with counter thrusters. The nose of my ship slams upwards to slow the acceleration of my fighter so the tie's behind me overshoot, counting ten in total that head straight past me for the asteroid belt, finding myself surprised by the amount they have to spare, but at least the amount I'll get paid will more than cover the cost to replace the torpedo.

Now to scatter them and pick them off.

"Alright R2, fire up those thrusters for me," I say and a second later they come back roaring as I roll the N-1 before slamming the nose down again and shoot forward to herd the second formation into the asteroid belt, grinning as I follow after the scattering ties, manoeuvering the belt with ease and by the time I exit the tie's are either destroyed by my laser canons or their own shitty piloting. The First Order clearly have pilots to spare but not instructors. 

But in the heat of the moment I failed to notice the x-wing that had followed me through the belt and my heart stops at the realisation I didn't see it, a mistake that could have me dead if it was a First Order ship.

"The hell?" I whisper at the sight once I recover from the momentary shock. "The Republic shouldn't be out here..." It's then I take in the model of the x-wing and realise it's a T-70. It's a Resistance X-Wing. "Fuck." R2 beeps at me and I remind him "Who taught me to curse R2? I'd settle somewhere between you and Mom and if she's sent a fighter after me... no- no, she has no idea where I am."

At least I hope not.

A transmission comes through the radio as R2 begins to lecture me, a man's voice interrupting him. "Naboo starfighter identify yourself."

R2 feels the need to point out it's the Resistance, not so kindly suggesting we should follow them home. I never knew a droids patience could wear thin but R2 may just be getting too old to deal with Skywalker bullshit. 

"Yes R2 I'm aware it's a Resistance x-wing," I say before answering the transmission and replying to the pilot. "No, I don't think I will."

He doesn't seem to like that answer, but plays along. "Before you get cocky are you aware you were just ambushed by a squadron of tie-fighters belonging to the First Order and that I came to assist?"

He hasn't identified himself which means he's impersonating a New Republic officer by ordering me to identify myself, most pilots wouldn't pick up on the difference between x-wing models, but I know better. 

"I was the one ambushing them," I grin, a little smug I'd taken them out before he could even get a shot, finding his voice unfamiliar which means he's a new pilot who wouldn't know mine. "I'd thank you for your assistance but you were a little late."

His ship pulls up beside mine, close enough to see clearly into the cockpit, and I make out a grin beneath his helmet as he says "It's a shame, I thought this patrol was about to get interesting."

"I didn't think New Republic pilots were allowed to engage," I say since he's failed to identify himself and I want to see how long he keeps this ruse up, but I can't help but like what I see and tease. "Am I under arrest officer?"

I hear him laugh and study his face as best I can, finding it attractive and unfamiliar even with it being obstructed by his flight helmet, but my stomach drops at the markings on his ship and helmet that tell me I'm certainly not mistaken in my identification that he's with the Resistance, spying an orange and white astromech with him. "It's your lucky day, I'm not New Republic."

"Thought not," I say, continuing to play naive. "They aren't allowed to patrol this sector anymore so that leaves the question of who you are."

He continues to play along and I realise he's enjoying this. "Take a wild guess?"

"A moonjockey in a beaten up x-wing?" 

"Beaten up?" I hear him repeat in offence and I can't help but smile. "Not everyone's got the credits to be flying state of the art N-1's so why don't you tell me what organisation you're with?" he asks, knowing I'm sure as hell not part of any New Republic starfighter corps if I'm attacking the First Order without provocation. "Bounty hunters guild or something like that, hired security?"

"Something like that," I answer before remarking "Maybe I'm just a pilot like you who's sick of those bastards and decided to take matters into my own hands."

He seems to like that answer as much as it surprises him. He keeps his ship level with mine and only then does it occur to me that my face could be recognisable from his angle since I can certainly see his, but he doesn't seem to have a damn clue who I am.

"You know," he begins. "The Resistance is looking for pilots."

I have to hold back laughter at the irony. "Is that so?"

"I was tracking the tie's that got behind you before you went into the asteroid field, counted fourteen you took out with those cannons, makes you a double ace, triple if you count the one's you herded into the asteroids."

"I'm a quadruple," I correct a little too proudly. "And that was easy work."

Somehow nothing clicks in his head which makes me wonder where the hell the Resistance believes I actually am for one of their pilots to not register who I must be. Even if he's a newer recruit I'm the daughter of Leia Organa and Han Solo, hell I was the best pilot they had before they permanently grounded me. People know who I am and I'm slightly offended he doesn't. 

Which is why I'm confused as much as amused when he offers. "You're a hell of a pilot, I've only ever known two pilots to pull off that manoeuvre you did and I'm one of them, definitely the only other one to be able to pull it off in space. If you're as good as you seem I can put you in touch with General Leia Organa herself."

I can't help but look back at R2 to make sure he's hearing this but instead of laughing along he beeps at me to consider it, to go home.

"I know I'm a hell of a pilot," I state. "Best one there is."

"Well I don't know about that," he says and wonder just how good he thinks he is. "But I'd be willing to see what you've got."

The challenge is clear in my voice. "Is that so?"

Instead of backing down like a responsible Resistance pilot should he takes it on. "That's right."

He tilts his helmet towards me and I make out the stubbled face beneath the helmet, even obstructed I can't miss the stupidly handsome grin he flashes me and he knows it. Typical flyboy.

Except I might actually like this one.

"Alright hotshot," I say and fire up my thrusters, finding myself genuinely curious. "You know, I never got your name."

"Commander Poe Dameron," he says and it rings a bell even if I know it won't come to me until later. "Of the Resistance if you haven't put that part together yet."

I roll my eyes and even R2 has to laugh at that until something clicks and I very quickly change my mind about liking this one. 

"Commander huh?" I say, realising he must be something then for a man who wasn't there a year ago to get promoted so quickly to a rank I never even held. It almost makes me bitter, nope, it definitely makes me bitter. Almost three years, there since the damn beginning and I was never even considered for that rank, then a new flyboy turns up and takes it. "You must be a real hotshot then."

"The best," he says and R2 begins calculating the jump to hyperspace before I can even give the command. "And you still haven't identified yourself."

"And I'm not going to," I say as I prepare to take off. "But I'm sure you'll figure it out Commander, give General Organa my regards."

He's taken back enough by that remark that I get a head start on him, my ship being far faster than his is with the illegal modifications to the thrusters and while he pursues I quickly lose him through the asteroid belt, getting far enough out of his line of sight until I'm satisfied before jumping to hyperspace so he can't follow and once I'm clear I realise my hands are trembling slightly.

Even if he has no idea who I am, Mom will piece it together if she hasn't already. If the First Order's profiled a rogue Naboo starfighter in the Outer Rims targeting tie fighters I know she has to have the same intelligence from Threepio's spy network. 

If she doesn't know what I've been doing, she's about to.

And if she thought me engaging the enemy was bad, she's going to lose it when she realises what I've been doing in the year since I left base. 

~

Poe

She jumps to hyperspace and I sit there purely stunned, the slight hit to my ego overshadowed by her piloting. I've never seen anyone ever fly like that except for myself, pulling off stunts I thought were impossible until I'd done them in the heat of a skirmish, and not just that, she pulled them off like they were nothing. 

I've come to think of myself as one of the best pilots in the galaxy, knowing it's not ego or arrogance but pure fact. I know damn well what I can do in a cockpit and the results I produce, but she might be the first person I've ever met who could possibly, potentially, have me beat.

I should be mad about that possible fact, but that's the last thing I'm feeling right now, and maybe there's a few butterflies flying about amongst the overwhelming awe. 

"She's something huh BB?" I find myself saying and shake my head in wonder. "Is this what love at first sight feels like because wow..."

No adequate words to finish that sentence come to mind and for a few more minutes at least I sit there stunned until getting it into my head that I have to tell Leia about her. For whatever no doubt valid reason she hates the First Order and she's picking them off like they're nothing, Leia's had me doing recruiting the past few months since I joined and I think I just hit gold.

I have to recruit her.

My heart's still racing from the encounter as I come out of hyperspace and enter D'Qar's atmosphere, asking myself who the hell she could be and what training she has to have to be able to fly like that. She has to be ex navy, or from a planetary starfighter corps, but even then I can't begin to comprehend that a rogue pilot who flies like that is picking off tie-fighters and hasn't been recruited. 

I've gotta tell Leia about her and then go track her down.

"Another boring patrol?" Snap asks as I climb down from my ship but I can't help the grin on my face and the moment my feet hit the ground I can practically feel myself pumping with nervous excitement and so can he. "Get some action then?"

"Oh I wish," I answer and can't help but blurt everything out to him. "Thought I was gonna get some when I tracked some tie-fighter's trying to ambush a lone starfighter but turns out she was the one ambushing them. I counted her take down fourteen with my own eyes and when I caught up to her and asked her to identify herself she just laughed like it was nothing." I find myself shaking my head, knowing it wasn't just her flying that left an impression. "Let me tell you Snap, she's something else."

"So Poe Dameron sees someone blowing up tie fighters and falls in love?" Snap teases while working on his ship, half listening. "Sounds about right."

"You should have seen her man, the manoeuvres she pulled, she pulled a L'ulo stand like it was absolutely nothing and let me tell you when I saw her I swear I did fall in love," I say and can't help but gush a little since it's just Snap. "Brunette with these big eyes, the messy eyeliner you know." He suddenly stops what he's working on but I don't take much notice. "She's got an attitude on her and she's damn beautiful too, but that's beside the point. I've never seen anything like what she did in the field, hell I don't even know where she learned a L'ulo stand but she did it in space. In space Snap! I thought I was the only person that's ever pulled that off." 

He looks over and clears his throat before asking "She identify herself?"

"No, she didn't," I admit, still a little mad she got away without identifying herself but she has to be contracted by someone in the sector to be taking them out with missiles like it's nothing. Hell I wish the Resistance had the spare credits to use torpedoes on tie fighter formations. Not that we're meant to even shoot at them of course. "But I've got another patrol in the sector in a few days and I'll track her down, she'd be a hell of an asset."

Cautiously he asks "And how old was she?"

"Early twenties maybe?" I guess and he nods, like he knows something I don't but my mind's racing a little too fast to think about that. "She was amazing, hell I've never seen anyone fly like that, except for me of course."

Snap nods slowly and slaps a hand on my shoulder. "Might want to mention that to the General."

"Already on it," I grin, maybe a bit ahead of myself but Leia's had me doing recruiting and I'd be neglecting my duty if I didn't follow this up, but I'd be lying if I said that's the only reason I'm excited. "You know, I think she was flirting with me."

He's visibly surprised and looks like he's struggling to keep a straight face as he says "Maybe not mention that part to the General."

~

The grin's still on my face as I come to Leia's office still in my flight suit but she hardly seems phased by the informal visit, if anything relieved to see me in one piece. "Poe you're back, did you find any activity around Tatooine?"

"Oh yep," I say and sit down across from her, practically buzzing with an excitement I haven't felt in a long time. "Two squadrons of tie's, I was following their trail when they were ambushed by a pilot in a Naboo starfighter and she took them out like they were nothing, fired a damn torpedo right into them."

"She?" She wears the same expression Snap did now. "Did she identify herself?"

"No, she took off before she did."

"Well did you get close enough to see her what she looks like or anything else identifying?" Leia asks and her sudden interest surprises me, but it's the desperate edge to her voice that really takes me aback.

"She was pretty," is the first thing that comes out of my mouth, even if it's an understatement, but I quickly realise I misspoke with how she raises her eyebrows at that answer.

"I'm going to need a little bit more than that Commander Dameron," she says with the fond but frustrated tone that's become familiar and I quickly try to redeem myself. 

"Early twenties, brunette, wasn't wearing a helmet and it um-looked like her hair was braided," I start trying to describe and realise she looks a bit like Leia but considering I just blurted out that she's pretty I won't say that, that would just make things weird. "Fair skinned, human."

I can't quite read her face as she clarifies "So she was flying a Naboo starfighter, and did she have a blue and white astromech, an R2 unit?"

"Yeah," I answer in surprise and at the look that crosses her face realise "You know her."

A thought quickly comes to mind but I dismiss it just as quickly. I know Leia has a daughter who's a pilot, Leia's said as much, but from what I've heard she's at university and doing political stuff in the core worlds on Leia's behalf so there's no chance it could be her and besides, there's no way the kid of Leia Organa would be out there acting like that and taking jobs for hire in the Outer Rims. Well considering that's Han Solo's kid as well it's possible but still, from what I've heard about her and seen on the holonews she's more of a politician like Leia than a hop in an x-wing and blow something up sort of fighter, otherwise she'd be on base leading the wing Leia put me in charge of.

Still, Leia takes a deep breath, having to stabilise herself. "I know this Naboo starfighter has gained quite the reputation in the Outer Rims," she reveals to me and feel that cloud of grief that so often follows the General, hear the ache in her voice that's so common but this time there's hope amongst it. "We've been trying to build a profile and the information you've just brought me is far more valuable than anything else you could have collected. Thank you Poe."

"I'm meant to go back out there in a few days," I begin, knowing I'm not gonna be able to let this go. "She's a hell of a pilot and I really think she could be a great asset."

"So do I," she says without missing a beat, amusement written across her face.

"She said she's sick of the First Order and it seems like she's being contracted to take out tie's in the sector so I told her the Resistance was recruiting and she said to give you her regards."

She stills now. "You spoke to her?"

"Yeah," I say and her face changes. "She might have a bit of an ego but from what I've seen she lives up to it. I've seen a lot of pilots but I don't think I've ever seen anything like her, she was picking them off like they were nothing, pulling stunts I've barely been able to pull off."

It hurts my pride a little to admit that but it's true, she really is something else and I need the General to see that as well. 

She purses her lips together and nods before asking "What else can you tell me?"

"Claimed to be a quadruple ace which not even Biggs Darklighter was but-"

"Not about her boasting," Leia sighs and I start to get the sense she actually must know her personally only to jump in my seat as she loudly exclaims "Quadruple ace?! How many kills is that?"

"Twenty or more," I answer and can't hide my concern as she puts her head in her hands. "General?"

"So you're telling me this rogue pilot has made herself a quadruple ace by hunting the First Order for sport?"

Not how I'd put it but I still nod, not seeing a problem with it. "Sounds about right."

"Force give me strength," she murmurs and asks "What impression did she give you besides being pretty and please use your head when you open your mouth this time."

I press my lips together slightly embarrassed, realising I definitely had the wrong choice of words there so try to make up for it now. "With the modifications to her starfighter she's got to have some credits to spare. Took her for the type to be doing contracted work to take them out since it's Tatooine and the people there wouldn't want the First Order anywhere near their business. When I asked if she was part of one of the guilds or something like that she said something like that and that she's sick of those bastards and decided to take matters into her own hands. Her words not mine."

She leans back in disapproval, but surprisingly not towards me. "Did she now?"

Before I can say anything else to put Leia off recruiting her I stress what I came here to say in the first place. "Which is why I recommended she consider the Resistance and that I'd put you in touch."

"You did?" she says and I realise I might have overstepped but stand by my decision.

"With all due respect General, you didn't see what I did out in the field."

"I'm quite aware of her skills," she says but before I can ask any more questions she waves me off. "I'll handle her, you focus on your patrols and have Snap fly a reconnaissance mission in the sector to see where those tie fighters were based, there's no doubt more where they came from."

"General, I can-"

"No, because you'll blow them up," she says knowingly. "That's if this rogue pilot doesn't get to them first. Thank you for bringing this information to me, could you write up a mission report as well."

She's frustrated, but not with me for once. She really does know this pilot personally.

I'm left with questions but the pained look in her eyes keeps my mouth shut and I nod. 

"Of course General."

"Thank you," she says again, genuine gratitude in her voice. 

Over the past few months I've been here I've felt the unmistakeable shroud of mourning that hangs over her as it does now, having become familiar with it from my own father. Except I've never seen such raw emotion in her eyes before, which leaves me wondering what history she and this rogue pilot could possibly have.

#poe dameron #poe dameron fanfiction #poe dameron x oc #poe dameron x original character #poe dameron x female original character #poe dameron x solo!oc #solo!oc #solo original character #poe dameron x solo original character #star wars fanfiction #star wars original character #star wars oc #fic: fire meet gasoline #oc: hope solo #galacticwildfire

[impossibleprincess35]

The Echo and the Stain | ch 12

[Excerpt:]

Obi-Wan glanced up from the forest floor and asked inquisitively, “Master, you say you have old friends here on Takodana? Are you certain they can be trusted after what happened with Bregil Sidelus?”

Satine’s hands gripped the shoulder straps of her rucksack even tighter as thoughts of their hasty getaway from Malastare came to mind.

Up ahead of them, though, Qui-Gon Jinn would only offer a reassuring smile as he glanced over his shoulder, “My old friend here is a unique individual, but she is often called Kanata the Benevolent.”

Behind him, Satine and Obi-Wan looked at each other with faces that held doubt. Was a nickname merely enough to gain the trust of another? Quickly, as they shared the exact same thought, they stifled giggles and compared titles.

“Obi-Wan the Pompous,” he playfully introduced himself to her with a mock bow as they walked.

“Satine the Divisive,” she replied in kind, pinching at an invisible skirt as she pretended to curtsey.

The wise sage shook his head and snickered at them, and then said loudly enough for them to hear, “Both of you, idiots.”

--

Chapter 12 is up.

Maz Kanata! And my fictional story of how she and Qui-Gon meet! I love Maz. Out here girlbossing in the galaxy and she has a castle with a statue of herself that was a gift from an ex-husband. Iconic.

#the echo and the stain #obitine #obi wan x satine #fanfic