#arlan sinoss

[intheinkpot]

Replaying the Visions in the Dark quest for the weekly objective gave me some inspiration to write a quick (and rough) snippet set post quest.

*

Thorn studies Arlan turning her new lightsaber over and over in her hands. Gold and white with delicate swirling patterns etched into the hilt, a distinctive Zakuulan aesthetic. Arlan had been fairly tight-lipped about it, giving only the briefest explanation when she had suddenly reappeared in the war room, covered in dirt and mud with a new lightsaber gleaming on her hip. Then Aric Jorgan had disobeyed orders and accused Arlan of abandoning her post, and Arlan had withdrawn further and further throughout the night under the onslaught of Lana’s questioning and Senya and Koth's conviction that Arlan's decision to allow Kaylio's involvement in the mission had doomed it from the start.

Thorn had managed to diffuse the situation to the best of her ability, convincing Lana to take Arlan to get cleaned up. A suggestion Lana had readily taken to, perhaps needing only a slight nudge to redirect the anxious energy that had not abated at Arlan's return on base. Thorn can’t blame Lana - the last time Arlan suddenly disappeared, she had been trapped in carbonite for five years - but Lana’s need to understand what happened to Arlan, to ensure that it could not happen again, had blinded her to what Thorn could see clearly: whatever happened in the forest with Satele Shan, Marr’s ghost and Valkorian had shaken Arlan deeply.

For as open as Arlan seems, she is actually quite reserved. And so Thorn remains silent, waiting for Arlan to feel comfortable enough to speak.

"It used to be blue," Arlan says softly.

Thorn keeps her tone light, conversational. "What color is it now?"

Arlan ignites the lightsaber. The blade is a very light bluish purple, almost white, and it hums in a way Thorn finds almost comforting. It's beautiful, Thorn thinks, but far from the traditional blue associated with Jedi - the color of Arlan's previous lightsaber.

Thorn mulls over what to say before settling on asking carefully, "Does it bother you that it's changed?"

It's obvious that it does, but she hopes Arlan will tell her without her having to guess why.

Arlan turns off her lightsaber and stares at the hilt, a far away look in her eyes.

"Master Satele and Darth Marr told me that both the Jedi and the Sith were wrong."

Ah, Thorn thinks, there it is.

"Master Satele said she faced a choice when she found me unconscious in the forest. She could help me...or she could kill me."

Thorn grits her teeth. For someone who had given as much to the Order as Arlan to hear that someone they admired contemplated simply killing them... It's a thought Thorn knows would never have crossed Arlan's mind if the situation had been reversed.

Arlan hesitates. "All I ever wanted was to be a Jedi. To help people. Protect them. Keep the peace. I've tried so hard but even Master Satele...and she said she'd help me become something more but then she just left - "

Left me, Thorn hears even though Arlan doesn't say it.

Arlan brings a knee up to her chest and rests her chin on it and wraps her arms loosely around her leg. She stares out over the Odessan wilderness, lost in thought. The lightsaber rotates slowly in the air in front of her over the edge of the cliff face they're sitting on. Thorn wonders if Arlan thinks of dropping it, letting it crash down onto the rocks below.

Thorn shifts closer and nudges Arlan's shoulder with her own. "We hardly need her. You have me," she teases. "Surely I'm better than a hermit and a ghost."

Arlan's lips quirk upwards into the first smile Thorn has seen on her face since she disappeared the night before. "You’re certainly something, that's for sure."

Smiling, Thorn rests her head on Arlan's shoulder. She allows the companionable silence to linger a moment longer before she says, "I am sorry, you know." She tilts her head to look up at Arlan's face, but Arlan keeps her gaze pointedly straight ahead. "You deserve better than this."

For once Arlan does not protest or try to pretend she is fine. She blinks back tears and takes a shaky breath.

"Thank you," she whispers and rests her head against Thorn’s.

They stay there until the sun begins to set, and Arlan sighs.

"If I'm not back before sundown, Lana might start tearing Odessan apart," she says with a fondly amused smile.

"Oh, well if I'll get to see Lana heroically flexing her muscles, we have to stay - hey!" Thorn protests when Arlan picks her up easily and sets her on her feet.

Arlan laughs. "You won't have to deal with calming her down after."

"Oh, I can think of a few stress relieving activities I could help Lana with," Thorn purrs, and Arlan rolls her eyes, amused.

Though their conversation remains light-hearted, Thorn feels the shift happening, the closer they get to the base, as Arlan becomes the Alliance Commander - something like Jedi Master Arlan Sinoss but not quite, a new facet of her personality to put forward, another persona that is not unauthentic but rather...incomplete.

"There you are," Lana says, slightly breathless, approaching them briskly, "I was starting to worry."

Arlan smiled softly. "I told you I would be with Thorn."

"That's what worried me," Lana drawls.

Arlan chuckles and pulls her into a hug. She murmurs something into Lana’s hair that Thorn can’t hear, and Lana relaxes in her embrace, resting her head contentedly on Arlan's shoulder. Thorn smiles slightly. She meets Lana’s eyes, gives her a nod, and wanders off to find Rin.

Bonus pics of Thorn (ft her favorite mount) and Arlan!

#swtor #sith inquisitor #jedi knight #jedi knight oc #lana beniko #jedi knight x lana beniko #oc: thorn graves #oc: arlan sinoss #swtor oc #i wrote this from thorn's perspective because i wanted to try seeing how she would puzzle her way through a delicate conversation #since thorn is essentially the feral cat arlan befriended #hinted at but not explored here is thorn as a disaster bisexual #also i blame pentacass for this for encouraging me lol

[intheinkpot]

[UNO REVERSE] tell us about arlan and thorn!! how they met, what made them hit it off, did thorn join the alliance because of arlan (or solely because she wanted to bounce from the empire???) what role does thorn play in the alliance? how does arlan keep this little disaster gremlin from getting them into trouble or accidentally blowing up odessen?

I WILL HAPPILY TELL YOU ABOUT MY IDIOT BABIES, I WILL ANSWER ANYTHING ABOUT THEM

how they met - They actually meet during the Republic invasion on Korriban. Thorn is on Korriban when the Republic attacks. She initially helps to hold Korriban, but once she hears that Jedi Master Arlan Sinoss, the Jedi who slew the Emperor, has arrived (and also Havoc Squad but she cares less about them), she realizes that they cannot hold Korriban. Their comms have been jammed so help is not coming unless someone goes and gets it. She takes any acolyte willing to join her and they sneak off into the ruins to make their way to her ship while avoiding the Republic.

Arlan can sense the Force users there, though, and she and Havoc Squad go to investigate. They think this group of Sith might be trying to ambush Republic forces. Only to find a bunch of injured acolytes guarded by a very protective Dark Councilor. Thorn doesn’t attack Arlan but she's ready to defend herself and the acolytes if need be. Arlan isn't willing to attack someone trying to get injured people away from battle, especially if that person doesn't attack her first. Despite some concerns from members of Havoc Squad and a few of her own companions about letting a Dark Councilor go, Arlan allows Thorn to take the acolytes and get them to safety.

While Thorn is grateful, she doesn’t find this particularly strange or noteworthy behavior from a Jedi, but Arlan definitely remembers Thorn’s actions.

what made them hit it off - Arlan already had a favorable impression of Thorn from their meeting during the Korriban invasion, ironically, but that grows into respect as they work together bringing down the Revanites. Working with Thorn, Arlan can see how much her companions like and respect her and that their morals align more often than not (though Thorn is more destructive than Arlan is).

Thorn finds herself warming up to Arlan because Arlan is a genuinely good person interested in helping people. Arlan supports Thorn's desire to make the Empire a better place. That's something Thorn appreciates. I think, though, that the thing that throws Thorn is, when on Rishi, Arlan tells Thorn that what's happened to her over the course of her life is wrong. Thorn spending the majority of her life as a slave was pointless cruelty. It's not like among the Sith or the Empire's elite where she was expected to be over it or view it as a source of strength or power or to view herself as unique and special for "breaking her chains" when the only reason she could do so is that she had the pure dumb luck to be born Force sensitive - and Force sensitive enough to be trained, particularly.

Being a slave didn't make her strong. "My strength comes from me. I made myself strong," Thorn says, and Arlan agrees. Without pity or anything but genuine compassion. Not to say that Thorn's companions don't do the same, but I think Thorn is more likely to view it as pity. Partly because by the time Thorn usually talks about it with them, they've seen some of her unstable behavior, can see the way they connect it to her acting out due to trauma. Her friends are sad and heartbroken seeing her pain, and Thorn can't stand it. The in-between state she and Arlan are in, where are they get along but aren't yet friends (along with Arlan's general demeanor), allows Thorn just enough distance to view it the way it's intended.

I think Thorn can also see that Arlan, while being open and genuine, hides a lot of her own pain in order to project the image of an unwavering and unshakable Jedi for the benefit of those around her. Eventually, Thorn and Arlan end up playing an unexpected role for each other where they feel they can speak more openly about their pain with each other. They don't necessarily try to make each other feel better, though they do keep the other grounded, but more they'll say 'it just hurts' and allow themselves to sit with each other and feel that pain for a bit.

Thorn glues herself to Arlan's side for the duration of Rishi and Yavin 4 because Arlan is calm, steady, genuine, warm, compassionate, ect which are all things Thorn gravitates toward. Thorn is ridiculous and silly and takes great pleasure in getting under Marr's skin and Arlan can't stop Thorn from becoming like a sister to her.

Arlan sometimes regrets this when "Auntie" Thorn is a mischievous influence on her and Lana’s children.

did thorn join the alliance because of arlan (or solely because she wanted to bounce from the empire???) - Being able to bounce from the Empire is a definite bonus, and Thorn supports an alliance for taking on Zakuul, but Arlan leading it is the major draw. Thorn had briefly entertained thoughts of escaping to the Republic during Thanaton's attempts to kill her, but she knew she wouldn't fit as a Jedi and doubted she would be welcomed by the Republic. Arlan embodies the ideals of the Republic in her leadership and creates a space where Thorn knows she'll be accepted. This happened on Rishi and Yavin 4, and she's sure the Alliance will be the same.

As a person and a leader, Arlan is everything Thorn wished she had through her life (compassion, justice, protection, acceptance, ect). Working with Arlan, and in the spaces Arlan creates, soothes a lot of pain that is kept close to the surface in the Empire. Allows her to heal in ways that aren't possible in the environment of the Empire, and when Arlan aligns the Alliance with the Republic, Thorn is able to make the transition in a way she would not have been able to make when she was younger, when the thought first crossed her mind.

what role does thorn play in the alliance? - Officially, Thorn is an advisor and helps with combat training and simulations for their troops, but she acts as an unofficial second-in-command for when Arlan is away from base. The second-in-command role is made official after Saresh's attempt to take over the Alliance.

(Thorn almost kills Saresh outright but my Trooper, Galen, convinces her to let Saresh speak, thinking at least attempting a peaceful approach to calming fears would be best for keeping the Alliance whole.

Arlan: How did you manage that?

Galen: I asked her if she was afraid Saresh would give a more convincing speech than her.

Arlan: So you called her a chicken and that worked?

Galen: Pretty much, yeah.)

how does arlan keep this little disaster gremlin from getting them into trouble or accidentally blowing up odessen? - An elaborate system of pulleys and trap doors and a child leash. Also her helping with combat training is partly because she's really good at it and partly a strategic approach to ensure her enclosure has a constant stream of enrichment activities and to tire her out. She cannot ever be allowed to be both bored and restless at the same time lol

Thank you so much for the questions! I am always happy for the chance to ramble about my characters! <3

#swtor #pentacass #swtor oc #jedi knight oc #sith inquisitor oc #oc: arlan sinoss #oc: thorn graves

[intheinkpot]

@pentacass Arlan dancing and Rusk vibing just for you!

(Sorry about the terrible quality, I don't have a program for making proper gifs rn so I am forced to simply convert video which is...not ideal lmao.)

#pentacass #oc: arlan sinoss #one day i will break down and buy photoshop or something so i can learn real gif making #but tonight is not that night lol

[intheinkpot]

Tagged for a combo of WIP Wednesday or Six Sentence Sunday by @pentacass. Wasn't sure what to put here so I decided to share some snippets I've written for two of my SWTOR OCs that I hope to do something more with one day!

Thorn Graves (Sith Inquisitor)

Thorn peers up at the Sith kneeling over her, struggling to ignore the pounding in her head. Her fellow slaves had cauterized the wound to her head - a deep gash from a shovel blade thrown by an irate slave driver which had taken her by surprise - but the wound has grown infected, and she hasn’t been blind to the hole being solemnly dug on the outskirts of the field all day. 

How ironic the Sith have finally caught on to the Master and the slave drivers hiding her existence when they have finally almost succeeded at killing her.

“What is your name?” the Sith asks coldly.

Thorn laughs. Born into slavery, she’s never had a name but the one she took for herself. Certainly no family name. Still, he clearly expects an answer, and she’s never missed an opportunity to rankle her masters where she can.

She thinks of the thorn bush she hid under as a child, the one that tore the Master's clothes and sliced his skin just the same as it did to her, the protection it offered still, and she thinks of the grave already dug for her and the next one sure to follow. She grins.

“Thorn Graves,”' she sneers at him.

He grunts and slams the hilt of his lightsaber into the side of her head.

Arlan Sinoss (Jedi Knight)

Arlan remembers Voss. Remembers when an ancient being offered her power to defeat the Emperor if only she gave into temptation and betrayed her allies. Remembers turning down the power, remembers trying to offer herself to it as a sacrifice instead to save a woman she barely knew.

“Death is all but certain for your Sith friend. I could save her. I need only a moment of control.”

Staring at the vision of Lana, the woman she loves, with a lightsaber swinging to cut her down, Arlan doesn’t hesitate.

“Take care of it,” she says, and it sounds like take me instead.

*

“I must say...as relieved as I am at your choice to keep the Alliance independent from the Republic...I’m a bit surprised as well. I thought when it came down to it, you would choose to rejoin the Jedi Order.” 

Their room on the Alliance ship is dark, lit only by the light from the stars and the Republic fleet ships surrounding them. Most of the crew is in the cantina, and Theron will probably be dragged back onto the ship by Torian and Shae after they finish draining the pockets of that poor soldier who opened the tab in exchange for good Corellia stories. Ordinarily, Arlan would welcome the chance to relax and enjoy herself in the Republic fleet cantina, like the old days with her crew between missions. 

Lana stands near the foot of their bed, facing her. It would be so easy to push her down onto the mattress, just a step or two before her knees would hit the edge of the bed. Before she would land on top of Lana with Lana’s hands already halfway to tangling in her hair, legs moving to wrap around her waist.

Instead Arlan stands as if rooted to the spot several feet away, a weight in her chest and her limbs. Realizing that Lana is waiting for a response, she says, “It was tempting.”

There’s a beat, where Lana watches her curiously.

“But?”

Arlan swallows. There are many reasons that come to mind: the lack of Republic support during the war with Valkorian, how little she knows about this new Chancellor, the ability to operate and defend people outside of Republic authorization - how would someone like Arcann have fared under a Republic banner? Would they have gotten the information they needed out of Savik if they had turned her over to the Republic? If Arlan had not been in complete control of Alliance fleets, would the civilians of Corellia have been sacrificed in exchange for a few ships?

But most importantly, despite the words of Chancellor Rans and her apparent willingness to give a chance to the former Imperials among the Alliance’s ranks, Arlan had wondered how those people would fare under a Republic banner. They had placed their trust in Arlan, in what she stood for, in what she fought for. They were her responsibility. Perhaps one day the Alliance would merge with the Republic - but not today.

“I have to protect my people,” Arlan says, meeting Lana’s eyes, and finally she takes a step forward. There’s still a weight in her chest, but she brings her arms up to rest her hands on Lana’s arms, just above her elbows. 

Lana’s eyes widen in surprise. “You don’t trust the Republic?”

“It’s... I want to believe the new Chancellor is genuine. It’s not that I don’t trust the Republic,” Arlan says. “And it’s not that I don’t want to help the Jedi or that I think I could do that better by turning down a position on the High Council - ”

“You turned down a position on the Jedi High Council?” 

Arlan nods. “There're so many people from the Empire who joined the Alliance, and while the Chancellor offered them Republic citizenship and clean records if they wanted it... I have to be sure they would thrive in the Republic before I ask them to follow me there.” 

Lana’s eyes move back and forth slightly as she searches Arlan’s face. She looks so close to understanding what Arlan is saying, perhaps hesitant to take that final leap. 

Arlan squeezes Lana’s arms gently. “I have to be sure you will be happy.”

Lana’s lips part in surprise. “You turned down the Jedi Order...because of me?”

Arlan presses her forehead to Lana’s. “I would do all that and more if you asked me,” she murmurs, echoing the words Lana said to her weeks ago. 

Lana kisses Arlan hard, fists her hands in the front of Arlan’s shirt and tugs Arlan against her, holding her there until Arlan's arms finally wrap around her waist. Her hands tangle in Arlan’s hair, nails scratching pleasantly at her scalp.

“I love you, Lana,” Arlan whispers, when they apart for breath.

Lana holds Arlan’s forehead against hers, staring into Arlan’s eyes. Her own nearly glow in the dark.

“I love you too. You mean more to me than I could ever say.” 

Arlan brushes her lips against Lana’s and whispers, “Then show me.” 

Lana smiles and kisses her, soft and lingering, and it warms Arlan’s chest and lifts the weight that had settled there.

// tags for either WIP Wednesday or Six Sentence Sunday, your choice! @galindathegay @naralanis @stargazereyes (no pressure!)

#the only time arlan gives in to valkorian is to ensure lana's safety #thorn is so dramatic and i love her for it #swtor #jedi knight #sith inquisitor #lana beniko #jedi knight oc #jedi knight x lana beniko #my writing #writing prompt #oc: thorn graves #oc: arlan sinoss

[intheinkpot]

I was taking screenshots of Arlan and just Lana peeking over her wife's shoulder like 'don't you dare try anything' like Arlan is HER cinnamon roll Jedi Knight and she will destroy you lol

#swtor #lana beniko #oc: arlan sinoss #swtor oc #jedi knight oc

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Name: Arlan Sinoss

Class: Jedi Knight, Guardian (Defense)

Age: 23 (at start of class story)

Profession: Alliance Commander

Romance: Lana Beniko

Bio:

Arlan was taken by the Jedi Order when she was very young. She no longer remembers her parents or if she has any other family. To her the Jedi Order is her family, and she has never wanted anything more than to help and protect those in need. Satele Shan was an important mentor during her training, and someone she admired. Though Arlan will always consider herself a Jedi, her feelings about the Jedi Order, Satele, and the Republic grow more complicated during her journey. A part of her will always resent the Order and Satele for sending her, as such an inexperienced Jedi, on the mission against the Sith Emperor, and she'll never forget that the Republic did not offer its aid against Zakuul. Still, she will always hold on to and fight for the ideals of the Jedi Order and the Republic.

During the fight against the Revanites, she forms a connection with Darth Nox (though Arlan calls her by her name, Thorn Graves) who eventually becomes her unofficial Second in Command among the Alliance and one of her closest friends.

#swtor #swtor oc #jedi knight oc #oc: arlan sinoss #figured i should make little bios for my swtor ocs if i'm gonna start making posts about them instead of just rotating them in my head lol #jedi knight

[intheinkpot]

Name: Thorn Graves

Class: Sith Inquisitor, Assassin (Deception)

Age: 19 (at start of class story)

Profession: Dark Councilor, Alliance Advisor/Second in Command

Romance: Rin (OC)

Bio:

Born into slavery, Thorn never knew her family and did not have many personal connections. When she was 18, she nearly died due to an infected head wound caused by an irate slave driver. She was saved by the arrival of a Sith lord who came to investigate reports of a Force sensitive slave. It was at this time that Thorn gave herself her name. Her training was cut short when Harkon requested a batch of slaves to undergo trials. Knowing that the slaves were not intended to survive the trials, they sent Thorn in an attempt to get rid of her, having quickly grown tired of her disrespect and unruly attitude.

Despite the intentions of all the Sith around her, Thorn survived the trials, became Lord Zash's apprentice, discovered she was a descendant of Lord Kallig and received his double-bladed lightsaber. Though she kept the name she gave herself, the connection to Lord Kallig and his lightsaber gave Thorn a familial connection she yearned for, a sense of family history, an idea of where she came from.

As Darth Nox, she worked within her power to better the lives of the people of the Empire. Thorn never particularly cared about the Empire, but she did care about the people under its rule. She was feared by other Sith lords for what were perceived as unpredictable mood swings and swift aggression (and what was often perceived as extremely disproportionate retribution), but among the common people and soldiers she cultivated genuine loyalty and had a reputation for mercy and compassion.

While uncovering and fighting against the Revanite plot, she befriended the Jedi Knight Arlan Sinoss who became a calming and stabilizing influence. She also met Rin, who had just finished his trials on Korriban, and they fell in love.

Thorn left the Empire to join the Alliance and many of her people followed her. Thorn remained with the Alliance when it aligned with the Republic. Her loyalty is to Arlan and the Alliance.

#swtor #swtor oc #oc: thorn graves #i couldn't figure out how to smoothly add that she's a disaster bisexual but that is also very important #i don't have rin's backstory completely pinned down yet #but thorn is like 5'4 and rin is a 7' cathar and she definitely uses him as a launch pad to jump on enemies in battle #sith inquisitor #sith inquisitor oc

[intheinkpot]

I still cannot get enough of Lana and her romance (especially with my LS Jedi Knight).

#swtor #lana beniko x jedi knight #lana beniko #my ocs #swtor oc #arlan sinoss #my favorite chapters to replay are the ones where arlan gets to smooch her sith wife