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wyrdify · 1 year

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@galeleads asked: Give me all the Anakin and Obi Wan brainrot. All of it Kai Munday Questions | Currently accepting.

This deserved a GIF reaction.

Anyway. I'm going to start with one thing: Obi-Wan and Anakin do not view each other in the same way at all. Obi-Wan didn't even know what to make of Anakin in the beginning, and he kind of just went with Qui-Gon's judgment because that's what he had to do. Anakin clearly attached himself to Qui-Gon, but he was kind of like, "I guess this guy is okay," when he met Obi-Wan. He's another Jedi. Cool.

Except Qui-Gon dies, and Anakin definitely just slots Obi-Wan into his place. Obi-Wan doesn't. We hear multiple times during the prequels how Anakin views Obi-Wan as his father, but Obi-Wan sees him as a brother. Based on their age difference, which is about 15 years, that makes sense. That sort of disconnect sets up part of their huge fallout in RotS. The love was there---they definitely loved each other as family would, and you can hear it in Obi's voice during his final scene with Ani. They just expected different things from each other.

But, they loved and respected each other so much. That's what makes Ani's fate so tragic (and why I hate Palpatine so much). They spent years training with each other, getting to know one another so thoroughly that they might as well have been brothers. They were essentially inseparable. You see this really play out in Clone Wars, honestly, and I love all of the back and forth banter we get with them. It is so clear that while they will sass each other to the end of time, they will also do literally anything for the other. Their trust kills me.

What I noticed during my watch of RotS was that Obi seemed pretty skeptical of the Jedi Council when it came to Ani. He's always been pretty against politics, but, when he saw what they were doing to his Padawan, someone clearly incredibly capable of becoming a Jedi Master even at his age, it didn't sit right with him. The movie obviously didn't come out with Clone Wars in mind, but I like to think what happened with Ahsoka also played a part. Anakin and Plo Koon were the only Jedi who really took Ahsoka's side during that whole debacle, and I think Obi really meditated on that after Ahsoka left.

The Jedi are all like, "Yeah don't form attachments. Attachment bad." Obi sucks at not forming attachments, and Ani is the biggest proof. Satine, Ahsoka, the Clones, and just about everyone else he meets are also proof, but it's especially clear with Ani. I mean, look at what he says to Yoda in RotS when there's undeniable proof that he killed younglings: he didn't want to kill him. He loved Ani with his whole heart. Of course he felt betrayed and hurt and in a great deal of grief, but he also couldn't kill someone he loved. And even after the duel finished, he couldn't land a finishing blow to Ani. Every other Jedi in his position would have. Not him.

I think Obi blames himself for Ani's fate too. Like, he logically knows Palpatine was a manipulative asshole, but he wasn't the one who trained Ani in the ways of the Force. That was all him. He even says to Ani that he failed him, so yeah. I think when he hears about Darth Vader and sees Ani alive again, that guilt just comes back. It probably never left, and it probably never will.

And god, he just keeps an eye on Luke in hopes he doesn't turn out the same way. Probably over-analyzing every interaction with him. He definitely did with Leia, who I know he was hoping would turn out like her mother. But, even when Luke's old enough, he lies about Ani's fate. He doesn't say Ani's still alive because the truth still hurts. The man he considered his friend, his brother, his fellow Jedi, is out there killing people across the galaxy. He's trying to let go of Ani and say he's dead, but I don't know if he was successful with that.

This was definitely a ramble, and I have no idea if I was coherent. I have a lot of feelings. Just. Obi-Wan loved Anakin so much, and Palpatine ruined it. First with ordering Darth Maul to kill Qui-Gon, and then with everything else. Like. Come on. I would've loved to see dad Qui-Gon with his two boys, Obi-Wan and Anakin. That would've been fabulous.

#galeleads #thewriter; answers #thewriter; promptedanswers #[ au where qui gon lives ]#[ that is all ]

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animemangasoul · 3 years

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My Spot

Summery: 5 times Anakin was possessive of Obi-Wan & the 1 time Obi-Wan was just a (little bit) possessive of him too.

[Or where Anakin's possessiveness might just end up saving the galaxy]

Chapter: 2/6 - Mace Windu

Anakin couldn't stop staring at his former Master even as he tried to follow along and smile at the Chancellor's story. He hadn't seen his old friend Palpatine in a long time due to the strain of war, so whenever he got the opportunity to catch up with him he took it gladly, but right now, right now he could barely pay attention to the idle chatter shared between them.

For how could he when Obi-Wan was on the other side of the room looking for all the world as if he belonged here. Obi-Wan who hated these political functions, who never liked to stay at these things for more than an hour or two was smiling from ear to ear, his mirth flashing through the force unrestrained and joyous.

Anakin's metal fingers clenched at his side. His stare turning from annoyance to an almost outright glare at the man next to his former Master. The culprit who'd elected to take Obi-Wan's attention away from him.

Mace Windu.

Master of the Order and a council member. A Jedi who had no business being at these types of parties. It was always just Anakin and Obi-Wan who were asked to attend; often under the personal request of the Chancellor, and while Obi-Wan grumbled and complained he'd never turned it down. Even those that weren't an obligation to attend because he claimed to not mind them as long as he had Anakin there to keep him distracted.

Hearing those honest words from his former Master's had warmed Anakin like nothing else before. Because he knew how uncomfortable politicians made the other man. How he disliked anything to do with excessive interaction with them so the fact that he came because Anakin wanted him there, had been as close to a declaration of love as his former Master would ever allow himself to express, and it meant the world to Anakin.

He knew it was wrong to feel happy at someone else's discomfort, but he couldn't help it. Every time, Obi-Wan's mask of serenity slipped, every time the other man looked just a little too annoyed, every time he nearly rolled his eyes, it made the flutter of appreciation in Anakin's chest expand because well, Obi-Wan was suffering through these inconveniences for him. And it helped that whenever Anakin managed to tear himself away from all the attention and weasel his way back into Obi-Wan circle of conversation, his former Master's force signature would significantly light up and the tension would drain from his shoulders.

Obi-Wan didn't like politicians or events held in their names, but somehow Anakin always seemed manage to make them bearable for him, and he'd taken pride in that.

But now----

"Ah, seems like he's having a good time for once."

"What?"

Anakin's attention snapped away from Obi-Wan and back to the conversation he'd been neglecting and from the way the Chancellor gave him that look, his distraction had been noted.

Smiling sheepishly at being caught, Anakin shuffled in place. But Palpatine didn't seem to mind it at all, because he only huffed, hand coming up to gently pat his shoulder. "Not to worry my boy. I too was distracted by their friendly chatter. It's after all very rare to see Master Kenobi having such a good time in these stuffy occasions, wouldn't you agree?" Now he too was looking at the two men talking on the other side of the room. And just as Anakin's eyes found his old Master again, Master Windu said something and Obi-Wan's stiffened for a second before his shoulders shook in obvious mirth, a hand coming up to cover his mouth even as the force around him danced with humour.

Anakin frowned. An observation huh? His teeth clenched. He didn't like it. Seeing Obi-Wans so…. So carefree and happy? In one of the few places he hated, it made his insides ache in a way he couldn't quite describe.

Who did Master Windu think he was? Why was he even here? Anakin and Obi-Wan could handle mingling with stuffy people by themselves just fine. There was no need for an Order member to make it all the way down here. Didn't the man have other important things to take care of that didn't revolve around entertaining Obi-Wan with his stupid jokes?

"Most be nice to have a fellow Jedi here to converse with," The Chancellor muttered next to him. Voice high enough to catch the young Knight's attention but low enough for it to be mistaken for an internal musing accidentally spoken out loud.

Anakin glowered. "I'm a fellow Jedi."

Eyes widening in apology, his friend shook his head abashed and squeezed his shoulder. "Of course," he said, voice holding nothing but concern and Anakin immediately felt terrible for snapping at him. "I meant no offense my boy. I only figured Master Kenobi would see Master Windu as more of an equal. Someone he could share his burdens with."

And yeah, that hurt. "He can share his burdens with me," Anakin sulked, wincing at how childish that most have sounded. No wonder Obi-Wan preferred the balanced presence of Master Windu over him.

'No,' he thought sourly. 'That's not it.' Obi-Wan was only gravitating towards Master Windu because Anakin was busy with the Chancellor and Obi-Wan split away from them as their conversation dragged on. His Master had never made a secret of how little he cared for Palpatine, so of course the second he saw an out he took it, even if that out turned to be the stiff, no fun, Master of the Order.

Determinately, he refused to acknowledge the sparkle of joy surrounding Obi-Wan within the force or how amused and entertained the man looked by the conversation he was sharing with his fellow council member.

"I'm sure there are certain things he cannot share with you, Anakin. Since he is, after all a Master and you're still a Knight, my friend. "

Anakin flinched.

Part of him was certain the Chancellor had only meant to explain his concerns and perhaps soothe away Anakin's own worries when it came to his place in his former Master life, and any other day Anakin might have appreciated his friend trying to talk him through his issues, but the memories of almost loosing his Master to another Padawan was still so fresh in his mind. The fear that he'd been so close to being replaced. That Obi-Wan almost got someone else, someone he would have focused all his time and energy on.

It was all seared into his mind.

He'd almost lost Obi-Wan and only then had he realized the importance he'd held in his former Master's life. How much Obi-Wan had longed to share parts of himself with Anakin; teaching him Soresu for starters, and how every minute the auburn haired man spent with him and Ahsoka seemed to mean the world to him.

He'd nearly lost Obi-Wan and through that terrifying incident he'd managed to see something he'd been missing this entire time.

There might have been certain things his Master wouldn't share with him due to his position on the council, but there were equally as man things his Master did share with him. Jokes about some incident or another that happed during a council meeting, a hilarious story about some council members and less frequently, Obi-Wan's own worries that were often shared after a long battle, shoulders pressed together under darkness of the night; soft snores of their sleeping soldiers surrounding them.

Obi-Wan shared things with him he'd never shared with anyone else, so for the Chancellor, his own friend to imply…..

The man had no right to question his spot in Obi-Wan's life.

Anakin's metal fist clenched once more. "Maybe so---" he gritted out, knowing how unfair it was for him to lash out at his friend but still being unable to make himself stop; the memory of the Twi'lek girl flashing behind his eyes. "But there are also things he can't tell the council that he tells me because I'm his Padawan."

Palpatine frowned slightly. "But you aren't his Padawan anymore. You're a Jedi Knight!" Here the Chancellor nearly threw his arms in the air in a pseudo celebration and let his lips curl up into a wide smile filled with pride.

Normally that would have made Anakin preen under the compliment…. But right now, in this moment, all he could focus on was how Palpatine was trying to take away his title. "I'll always be Obi-Wan's Padawan," he said, trying and failing to keep his voice even. "Just as he will always be my Master. Now---" he smiled apologetically at the surprised Chancellor, momentarily taken back at the flash of anger that he likely imagined passing through the older man's eyes. "If you'll excuse me, I need to check in with my Master about our mission for tomorrow." And with that poor excuse, he bowed deeply to his friend; reassuring himself that he'd make it up to the man at a later date, and scurried away to the two jedi who upon sensing his presence turned around to look at him.

On his way over, Anakin quickly grabbed a bottle from a random table. Now that he was only a hair-length away from the other two, he gave Master Windu a respectful bow, before reaching out and lashing onto Obi-Wan's sleeve, waving the bottle just enough to catch his eyes. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything," he said, lips tugging upward into a fake smile.

Raising an eyebrow in disapproval, Master Windu made his feeling towards Anakin's disruption very clear. But before the man could say anything, Obi-Wan spoke up, his fingers curling enough to brush against Anakin's wrist. "No," his former Master said softly. "Not at all. Mace and I were just finishing up." The gentle touch eased the flare of agitation Mater Windu's reaction had caused. "Is there something you needed, Anakin?"

Allowing himself the brief moment to bask in Obi-Wan's gentle force signature, Anakin raised the bottle; appeared to be Corellian brandy, now that he was looking at it, and grinned at his friend. "I thought we could talk about our upcoming mission," he shook the bottle, before quickly bowing to the other Master. "if that's fine with you, Master Windu?"

The Korun Jedi gave him a calculating look. And then, as if sensing something from Obi-Wan his attention was drawn to his former Master and briefly they appeared to share a silent conversation; making Anakin grit his teeth in annoyance. 'Could Master Windu just leave already? Anakin was hear now, there was no need for the other Jedi to hang around anymore.' And then the Master of the Order gave them both a nod before taking his leave. "You have a mission tomorrow," was his parting words. "Try not to drink yourselves under."

Obi-Wan huffed out a lighthearted promise, and Anakin kept his eyes on the man until he finally disappeared behind the masses of people milling around them.

Only then did he mange to relax, the tightness in his chest easing up now that he had Obi-Wan by his side without someone else threatening to grab his undivided attention from him. Council member or not, Master Windu had no right to make Obi-Wan feel even remotely comfortable in these types of functions, not when it was Anakin's job to do so. Not when it was Anakin he always sought out whenever he needed to avoid unsavoury politicians 'unless you're too busy with the Chancellor or Padme,' his traitorous thoughts whispered, and he shoved them away forcefully.

Well then, if he had to spend less time with Palpatine for Obi-Wan to not stray from him then so be it. He would be glad to do so.

"Anakin?"

The concern in his former Master's voice was evident, and it made Anakin hunch his shoulders ever so slightly. "Yes?"

"Is something on your mind, dear one?" The endearment had the effect it was intended to and Anakin felt his mouth quirk up into an easy smile.

"It's nothing Master," he said, looking around until he spotted the exist. "Let's just get out of here, ok?"

Obi-Wan hummed in response but by that point Anakin had already started to make his way through the crowd.

"The Chancellor is trying to catch your attention," his Master suddenly piped up, his footsteps quiet as they weaved and apologized their way through the masses of bodies tightly packed together.

"Is he now," Anakin grumbled, letting his fingers finally slip so he could grab Obi-Wan's hand in his and tug him along more firmly. "I hadn't noticed." He was unable to hide the displeasure in his tone at the mention of his old friend however, the older man's disregard for his importance in his Master's life still grating on his nerves.

By the bemused look Obi-Wan was sending him at his uncharacteristic dismissal of the Chancellor, Anakin was sure his Master would eventually question him about his sudden avoidance of his old friend Palpatine, but for now, Obi-Wan only squeezed his hand in a semblance of support and allowed Anakin to lead them away from the festivities.

And if that simple expression of trust didn't just endear Anakin to him even more, as if that was even possible.

'Maybe---' he thought; taking a seat next to Obi-Wan behind the senatorial building, hiding away from the crowd between the shadows cast by the towering walls. 'If I start to choose him more, Master won't have to seek out boring companies like that of Master Windu."

Satisfied with his conclusion and potential solution, he laughed along to a snarky joke Obi-Wan had just made at the expense of Senator Di'gfu, and took a large gulp of their pilfered brandy.

Eventually his Master's drunken chatter lulled him to sleep as the night dragged on. Obi-Wan's presence alone making him feel more at home than he'd felt in a long time. Eyes falling shut, he slowly began to lean to the side until he ended up resting his head on the other man's shoulder, fast asleep.

He didn't know what happened after that. How the party had ended or when people started to leave, all he remembered was momentarily waking up to the motion of being carried through the temple; soft muffled noises emitting across the walls, head pressed into someone's shoulder. Blearily he tried to look up, but a familiar scent of ozone, vanilla soap and aftershave gently pressed against his senses, and Anakin found himself burying his face even deeper into his Master's back, sighing in contentment.

The soft huffed laughter from Obi-Wan the last thing he heard as his Master's mild force suggestion pulled him right back under into a blessedly dreamless sleep.

The End

Chapter: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

#anakin skywalker #obi wan kenobi #star wars fanfic #star wars #anakin fanfic #obi wan fanfic #obi wan & anakin #brobikin #fanfic #my spot #my spot chapter 2 #mace windu #sheev palpatine

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spell-cleaver · 4 years

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Luke let out a relieved breath as Vader burst through the door.

Previous parts on the masterpost here!

Luke let out a relieved breath as Vader burst through the door.

It was a nightmare. Another one. His eyes flew open and latched onto his father the moment they did, his gaze beseeching, already pushing back the covers and grasping for Anakin the nerf, for his other toys, one hand out for Vader—

Vader was next to him in a heartbeat. “Luke?”

“He’s still there,” Luke sobbed. He took several deep, rasping breaths, holding his toys very, very tightly, and tried to banish everything. He could sense cold, but that was his father; that was not Palpatine. The darkness that pressed in around him was familiar, but it would not hurt him, it would not hurt him—

He took another heaving breath. “I hate it.”

“I know, my son.” Vader knelt beside him, and clasped Luke’s hand between both of his; within his massive durasteel palms, Luke’s tiny hand hung limp and pale. Vader squeezed it with fingers that had crushed the throats and hearts and souls of a thousand men, his gentleness painstaking. “You…”

Luke frowned, leaning in; Vader seemed conflicted about something, seemed ready to speak… but speak he did not. So Luke closed his eyes again.

“I hate this planet,” he whispered. “I’ve always hated it. I hate this palace—even the quarters you made for me, and I know they’re lovely, I know you made them because you love me, Father, but they are here, and they are— they—”

“Luke.”

“My friends are leaving,” Luke burst out. He hadn’t realised how much the idea that they were leaving had upset him; not because he didn’t think they deserved to be happy, not because he wanted them to stay, not because he feared they would forget about him while they were gone.

But because he was realising:

If the people he loved left… what was there for him here?

There was Nova, and Vader, and Ahsoka… but they were older than him, they were other, and—

“I know, Luke, I—”

“Palpatine is gone, and he was wrong about so many things, but he was right in that I cannot rule this Empire. Not well.”

“You could, you are smart enough—”

“Not because I’m not enough,” Luke said. “Because I can’t give enough. Because I don’t want to.”

Vader paused.

Luke gripped his hand. “Father,” he begged. “I want to go. Somewhere. I do not want to be Emperor anymore. I do not want to stay here. I do not want to lead the Empire that Palpatine used to cause so much suffering.”

Vader hesitated, for a moment. There is no one better to rule than you, he wanted to say; it was still something he believed wholeheartedly. Padmé and Luke deserved the world.

But his conversation with Sabé rang in his ears.

Make a better galaxy for Luke to live in.

All those years ago, he had not wanted to give Padmé the Empire because she craved power, or even just because she was the best person for the job. He had done it because he trusted no one else to create a galaxy where their family could be happy—a galaxy for the two of them, and the precious, precious son nestled below her heart.

What was the point, if forcing that son to carry on his mother’s role would only cause him suffering?

Sabé would do what Padmé would have done. He knew that. He trusted her.

And…

And he trusted that she loved his son just as much as he did.

“Father,” Luke said again, more fiercely this time: “I will not lead Palpatine’s Empire. I refuse to.”

There was silence for a long, long moment.

“Little angel,” Vader said finally. Luke blinked up at him. “I… I have something to tell you.”

Luke’s mouth puckered into a frown, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. “What is it?”

“I was speaking to Sabé, this afternoon. After… about your nightmare from last night, as well. She…”

He trailed off again. Luke frowned, his own tears and fears forgotten momentarily as he reached out to Vader—and sensed pain.

He flinched back.

Pain.

Resolve.

Love, boundless and pure.

“The school your friends will be going to is in Theed,” Vader continued. “And Sabé has informed me that— that your mother’s relatives, the Naberries, would very much like to meet you. For… for you to stay with them.”

Luke gaped at him.

“For how long?” he asked suspiciously. He— he wanted to leap for joy, he wanted to crawl out of bed and hug his father, he wanted to beam brighter than Coruscant Prime. But he could sense his father’s misery, and he did not want to hurt him.

“Sabé contacted them this evening,” Vader said. “They are willing to house you… permanently.” The word stuck in his vocoder as if in protest.

But when it escaped, it struck Luke in the chest like a gong.

Permanently.

“I would move there?” he asked. He tried, he really tried, but he couldn’t keep the smile off his face, then. To visit Naboo… to visit Theed, properly, without diplomatic obligations… to visit his family…

He had been happier in those few weeks on Naboo than he ever had in his entire life.

Vader nodded. “You would,” he said.

Luke did crawl out of bed, then; he didn’t feel like he could properly grasp the situation when he was about to fall asleep again. He perched on his knees on top of the covers, frowning fiercely at Vader, and was amused by the confusion Vader felt at the frown.

“I can’t be Emperor from Naboo,” he pointed out shrewdly. “I can’t mingle with court and be diplomatic and make major decisions. If you still want me to rule—”

“I do still want you to rule, little angel. But I want you to be happy. As it becomes increasingly clear that they are mutually exclusive, I know which one I value more.”

Luke looked at him like he’d never looked at him before.

“You’ll rule in my stead?” he asked, trying not to show his scepticism and dislike of that idea. Vader… was Vader.

“Sabé will, have no fear.” Vader sounded more amused at the insult than offended. “She will be your Regent.”

“Regent? Am I expected to return one day?”

Vader said, “Spend some time on Naboo before you officially make your decision, Majesty. I… if you wish to abdicate altogether, no one will stop you—”

“I wish to abdicate altogether.”

“—but you must understand that you cannot return once you have abdicated. So all I ask is that you spend your time on Naboo thinking it over, and decide from there—I do not want you to make a choice without knowing exactly what choice you are making. I… Sabé and I have agreed that I will visit you in a year to hear your decision. If you wish to return, you can; if not… alternative methods of government can be arranged, whether you wish to be involved or not.”

“You’ll visit me in a year?” Luke asked. “You mean—you’re not coming with me?”

Vader paused.

Tilted his head towards him slowly.

From this angle, in this dim light of his room, Luke could only dimly see the irises behind his eye plates. But he could see them all the same.

Strange: they looked like they might be blue.

“No, Luke,” Vader said. “I will not be.”

Luke blinked.

Then—

“What!?” He threw himself forward and glared, scrambling to stand up and pace. “What? You’re not coming!? Why not!?” He sucked in a breath. “And— if Nova is Regent, then—”

“She will not be accompanying you either, no. She… will take you as far as Theed, and introduce you to your aunt and uncle, but that will be it.”

“I can’t—” Luke gaped at him. “I don’t want to leave you!”

“I know.” Vader’s voice was heady with emotion as he stood himself, and walked to the other side of the room, his hands laced together behind his back. “I— I do not want you to go, which is why I fought this so hard. But you must go, if you are to be happy, and— and I—”

He let his respirator breath for him for several long cycles.

“And I am needed here,” he said. “Palpatine’s supporters are not yet fully routed. I am needed to obliterate them completely, so that you can be safe. Even if you were to stay on Coruscant, I would have to leave you.”

Luke said, “Oh.”

Vader turned back around again. “I will miss you, my son,” he said thickly. “So— very, very much. But I believe… I believe that this is what is best.”

“Oh.”

Luke didn’t know what to say.

It was three am. Vader had broken this news to him when it was three am, when he’d woken from a nightmare, and Luke did not know how to deal with the galaxy.

“I believe that your friends will be starting school in two weeks,” Vader said. “If— in order for you to be properly integrated and enrolled by then, you will have to have met your family by then. Sabé… recommends that you leave in a week.”

“I understand.”

“We were meant to tell you this tomorrow morning.”

Luke said thickly, “You mean today?”

Vader snorted. “Yes. I mean today.” Then he tilted his head, and came back over; he took Luke’s hand ever so gently and guided him back into bed. “Sleep, Luke. You will need it, and I will have a great deal of explaining to do to Sabé when you awaken.”

“Yeah, you will.” But he consented to let himself be tucked in bed. It was warm here, now, and the shadows no longer seemed quite so deep.

Before Vader left, he paused. “You will be happy on Naboo,” he promised.

“I will be happy without you?” Luke shot back.

Vader gave a self-deprecating laugh. “Indeed,” he said. His Force presence roiled; Luke was struck by the sudden realisation that that was the cold in the Palace, that was a part of the memories chasing him every night…

…that dark, seething presence was, of course, why he had had no joyful childhood.

He could sense Vader’s regret, thick and thunderous.

“You will certainly be happier without me.”

Luke wanted to object. Wanted to object, because he loved his father, they had come so far—

But there were parsecs left to go.

And this journey, he suspected, they would have to take apart.

If only so they were in better positions to understand and love each other when their paths once again converged.

Vader turned to go.

“I love you, Father,” he called to his retreating back.

The reply was a gentle as a downy wing.

And I love you, little angel.

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#luke skywalker #darth vader #random words on a page #my writing #the heir #luke palpatine #we're so close to the end of this fic it's unreal #:'(

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sistersofthelightforce · 4 years

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Facing Facts: The Diplomat

He supposes it’s fair that Padme still is angry at him. Of all people, she probably has the most right to be.

After that first mission, things change a little. She doesn’t leave the moment he arrives in Luke or Ahsoka’s chambers.

“Anakin, just in time, I was about to put on some tea,” Ahsoka chirps. She bustles into the kitchen, leaving Anakin and Padme in the lounge together.

Normally, Padme would make excuses and leave, but today, she stays seated and gives him a small smile. “How are you today, General Skywalker?”

“I’m doing well, I guess.” Anakin rubs the back of his neck. “How are you?”

“Busy, but well. Trying to set up the New Republic from beyond the grave isn’t an easy task.” Her tone is casual, but Anakin feels like there is a bite to it.

The silence between the two of them is horrendous. Anakin feels frustrated. They used to be able to talk for hours, or spend equally as much time simply enjoying each other’s company. Now that bond is ruined, and Anakin-

Anakin is furious with himself for it. It’s all his fault, all because of his actions. He misses his wife, and he knows he’s going to have to work hard to even have a chance of her forgiveness.

The old Anakin would blame her, would be angry and insist none of this was his fault, that everyone should be nicer to him about it.

Now, he knows better.

(But he doesn’t understand until a lot later why Padme smiles so widely when Ahsoka comes in, curls up against Anakin and informs him, “you’re warm.”)

It’s not always good. Padme is under a lot of stress trying to help Queen Karee get everything under control. She seems very pressured, and Ahsoka often murmurs with her in soft Boona. (He knows the difference between Boona and Asna now. Boona is more flowing, and sounds quite elegant. Asna is more guttural, but just as beautiful in Anakin’s opinion.)

He supposes he was bound to misstep at one point.

It’s just an ordinary day when he bursts into Ahsoka’s chambers, only to find them silent, except for Padme.

Padme is sitting with tears running down her face, clutching a holo of a baby girl- Leia, he assumes.

“Padme?” He asks softly.

She whirls around to look at him, her distress growing.”You!”

Anakin isn’t sure what to do so he stays silent.

“This is all your fault! Everything is your fault!” Padme shrieks. “I missed everything! Their first words, their first smiles, their first steps! I didn’t get any of that! I didn’t get to raise them because of you!”

Oh. Oh no.

“You took everything from me! I finally get Ahsoka back and you’ve broken her. You kill her time after time and still she forgives you? You left her to rot on some Sith poodoohole!” Padme shouts, fists balling at her side. “How could you?”

“Padme I-” He begins, but she cuts him off.

“I know! I know you’re sorry! I know Palpatine manipulated you. He manipulated everyone! I was the one who put him in power for force’s sake! But that doesn’t excuse what you did. You can’t just come back here and expect everything to be fine!” Padme is sobbing now, anger radiating off of her in the force.

“I didn’t,” he says softly, not quite talking to her.

“You did! You did! And I get everything is fine with Ahsoka, and whatever the hell went on with Obi-Wan, you guys seem fine now. But we were married! We were married and I’ve spent the majority of the time I’ve known you trying to fight you, trying to clean up what you’ve destroyed!” Padme lets out an anguished sob. “We were married and you tried to kill me. You used the force to strangle me and you didn’t even think of what could have happened to the twins!”

Anakin doesn’t like to think about that day on Mustafar. He feels so guilty. “I should never have used violence upon anyone I care about. Especially my wife. That was the worst thing I could have done-”

“YOU MURDERED CHILDREN!” Padme shrieks. “YOU’VE DONE SO MANY AWFUL THINGS. AND NOW I’M NOT EVEN ALLOWED TO BE ANGRY AT YOU!”

Ahsoka comes in at this point. “Mom? Dad? What’s going on?”

“Everything was getting better.” Padme sounds so quiet, so broken. “Why did he have to come back?”

“Oh Mom.” Ahsoka sends a quick look to Anakin (he wonders, later, if it is to make sure he isn’t going to destroy anything), but he makes a gesture towards Padme, and Ahsoka wraps her arms around her mother. Padme murmurs brokenly into Ahsoka’s shoulder. “I know Mom, I know.”

Ahsoka comes after him later.

“I’m fine,” he says sharply.

“She’s been bottling it up for a while. She should have talked to you and processed it, she should have talked to one of us about it, but she didn’t,” Ahsoka explained.

“I deserved it, it’s fine,” Anakin replies firmly.

Ahsoka tucks her head against his shoulder. “It’s all so complicated. She’s right to be angry at you, I can’t be mad at her for that. But you’re still my dad, and I hate you guys fighting.”

Anakin nods. “It’s ok that she’s mad. It’s fair.” He presses a kiss to Ahsoka’s forehead. “I think I’ll leave her be for a bit. I’ll give you guys space for a couple weeks, then I might just give her space at family stuff. I think letting her cool off might be the best plan.”

“Like after senate debates.” Ahsoka laughs.

Anakin chuckles earnestly. “Just like after senate debates.”

So he spends the next two weeks avoiding Padme as much as possible, then at family nights, he sits away from her and tries to be as out of her way as possible.

Anakin decides the best way to get through this is just to spend time with his kids, so he goes to meet Ahsoka at the gym. He freezes when he sees Padme.

She’s sitting on the bench while Ahsoka practises with a training droid a distance away. His daughter slices through it with ease, then puts it back together with her magic and goes again.

Padme is on her holopad when Anakin sits down beside her. “You know, she’s always been good with those things,” he muses.

“She certainly has. Her lightsaber skills are among the best.” Padme looks up and smiles gently. “She had a good teacher.”

Anakin chuckles a little and sighs. “Look, Padme, I know that I’m probably the last person you want hanging around-”

“Can you blame me?” She interjects.

“No! That’s what I’m saying!” He says quickly. “I don’t blame you, you have every right to hate me. And I’m truly sorry. I’ve done horrible things, and I promise I’ll spend every day trying to make up for it.”

Padme’s eyes are calculating, then a dangerous grin appears on her face. “Spar with me.”

“What?!” Anakin replies, sure he’s heard her wrong.

“You heard me, General Skywalker. Spar with me, and if you even get close to beating me, maybe I’ll consider forgiving you,” Padme explains.

“I-um- if you’re sure.” Anakin gets up, and follows Padme to a space nearby.

Ahsoka looks over at them and sighs before grinning. “Ota.”

“Here, Obi-Wan always insists I carry a spare lightsaber. I’ll go easy on you.” Anakin passes her his spare blade, tone genuine. He doesn’t want to hurt or humiliate Padme.

Padme smirks. “Oh, I’m quite sure I’ll be fine, General Skywalker.’

Padme pulls out her own lightsaber, and the blade glows a deep purple, more blue than Master Windu’s magenta blade.

Ah. Alright then.

Padme swings and Anakin has to move quickly to block it. She strikes again and parries quickly.

Padme stays at his level, striking forcefully and blocking everything Anakin throws at him.

Padme is good. Better than good. She could beat some of the best in the order, Anakin thinks.

Her style is disciplined, but forceful. She moves quickly, and adapts just as fast. It’s not a style he recognises. He guesses she’s had some formal training, but has otherwise learned through experience. It makes her skilled though, possibly even more than him.

Soon the two are in a lock, blades pressed together, both of them gritting their teeth in effort.

Padme pushes his blade out the way, throwing off Anakin’s balance and his blade skitters to the side.

Anakin falls backward, and Padme has her blade at his chest, a triumphant smirk on her face.

“Alright, you win!” Anakin concedes, putting his hands in the air in a gesture of surrender.

Padme puts her lightsaber away and offers him her hand. He takes it, and she pulls him up.

“I’m going to guess you’re a Sister, aren’t you?” Anakin asks.

“One of the originals, just like Ahsoka,” Padme replies with a laugh.

Anakin looks over at his daughter, who is cackling. “Did you know about this?” He demands, but his tone is light.

“Of course she did. She helped teach me to use a lightsaber, Anakin,” Padme explains.

“Your face when she pulled out her lightsaber!” Ahsoka exclaims while laughing.

“Yeah, yeah. I should have known. Come on, let’s go get something to eat.” Anakin slings an arm around the still-snickering Ahsoka.

Padme gives him a fond look. “Sounds good to me. I could kill for some shurra fruit right now.”

He decides not to doubt that.

Iith has an official ball every year, and now the war is over, it appears people can afford to focus on it (much to its queen’s despair).

Padme obviously, as one of Iith’s top advisors, organises a great deal with it, and her eyes shine with pride on the night.

His children are happily talking to other people their age, others of a new generation of Jedi (and some of the old generation, in Ahsoka’s case).

He watches Ahsoka talking with the old apprentice of Master Billaba, Kanan, as he’s now called. He walks up and puts a hand on Ahsoka’s arm. “Hey kiddo, who’s this?”

Ahsoka rolls her eyes and smiles at him. “This is Kanan Jarrus, Sister Syndulla’s husband. Kanan, this is my father, Anakin Skywalker.”

Kanan looks at him with wide eyes and Anakin braces himself for the reaction he’s become quite used to getting. “General Skywalker. It’s an honour,” he says breathlessly.

Anakin almost has to steady himself. It’s been a very long time since anybody has reacted positively to meeting him. “Pleasure’s all mine. And please, call me Anakin.”

He chats with them for a bit, then he spots Padme being interrogated by some old lord. To anyone who knows her well, she looks horrendously annoyed at his questioning, but she seems to be keeping her cool.

He nudges Ahsoka through their bond, and she looks where he is looking out the corner of her eye.

“Hey Dad, maybe you should go rescue Mom,” she jokes.

“You’re right. See you round, Kanan.” He pats the starstruck man on the shoulder and walks over to where Padme is standing.

And suddenly he feels like that padawan again, baring his soul.

On reflection, the way he spoke on Naboo all that time ago back then was odd. He was just a kid and truly, he didn’t actually know Padme then, and he was way too forward about it. He’s glad it worked, but it was still weird.

He’ll do it right this time, if she still wants him.

“Sister Amidala, may I have the honour of a dance?” He shifts awkwardly, barely looking up at Padme.

When he does look, she seems relieved, in her diplomatic way. “I would be happy to oblige, General Skywalker.”

Anakin offers his hand, which she takes with all the grace of the Queen she once was.

She leads them both to the dance floor, and they slip easily into the dance, swaying side to side, and Anakin watches those around them stare. He decides he doesn’t care.

“Sorry for all that. He looked like he was being a sleemo so I thought I’d-” he stammers.

“Anakin. It’s fine. Thank you,” Padme says gently but firmly.

The silence isn’t uncomfortable this time. They sway, and he spins Padme, then almost falls backwards when he brings her back in. Padme very subtly uses the force to keep him balanced.

“Thanks,” he mutters.

Padme laughs softly. “You’re welcome.”

They get back into such a natural rhythm that it reminds him of the days in Padme’s apartment on Coruscant, where they’d play music and just dance the night away.

He supposes she must be thinking the same thing, because she rests her head on his shoulder, then starts back, remembering where they are.

“Hey-hey, it’s alright,” Anakin says quickly, as Padme looks horrified. “I don’t mind.”

“I- I just forgot,” Padme stammers. “I just-” she sighs. “Just because I’m angry at you doesn’t mean I don’t miss the time we spent together,” Padme admits.

“I miss it too,” Anakin confesses. “I did awful things. I’m trying to make it better. Our family-” he glances around at his kids, who, though scattered about the room, are all staring at them, “-are the most important thing to me. I’m so glad to finally have the chance to be with them.” He looks over at Obi-Wan, who is dancing with Satine. “I have my kids, and my brother, and I’ll do everything I can to fight for them.”

When he looks back at Padme, she is beaming. “It is good to be a family, finally, and not have to hide anything anymore.”

He meets her eyes, and smiles.

Kissing Padme feels like coming home.

—-

Ota- Mother/Mum (Boona)

#facing facts series #anakin skywalker #padme amidala #anidala #Ahsoka Tano #Star Wars #Star Wars AU

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anime-alyssa · 4 years

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once more, thank you so much for the love. if you’d like to leave me a tip you can do so here and as always, this is cross-posted.

be’jetii masterlist.

t h r e e.

It had been twenty-four hours. One full day since this storm took over, leaving you trapped in your house with the Mandalorian who wanted to throw your ass in carbonite still and his force-sensitive foundling. Leia and Han had tried to holo you but there was no way in hell you were picking up with this guy staying in your guest room. Once you got rid of him you’d go to them on Chandrilla and tell them it was the sandstorm. But until then you had to figure out a way to deal with your house having two extra people in it than you were used to.

You discovered the kid didn’t know how to control his powers, mostly. He was levitating things left and right, stressing the Mandalorian out. Eventually you got the Mandalorian to confess that he was trying to find his people, but had hit a dead end. He told you that he actually wasn’t looking for you, but that the kid had told him to come here. Thus he found the necklace, found you, and were in your current situation.

You were sitting cross legged on your couch, the Mandalorian taking residence up by the window, staring out it as if that would help the storm stop. The kid had waddled his way over to your feet and reached his arms up towards you, a sign of wanting to be picked up. At least, that’s what Ben would do when he wanted to be picked up. Babies are babies, right? All the general same actions, right? You leaned over and picked up the little thing, placing him next to you.

“Don’t touch him.” the Mandalorian said from the window. You glared at the back of his helmet - you swore he had eyes in the back of his head. You felt the baby crawl into your lap and smirked.

“Tell him to stop asking then.” you mumbled back to him. The baby smiled up at you from your lap, holding his hands out to you. The little thing had been obsessed with you since he saw you, much to the dismay of the Mandalorian. You held your palms out in front of him and he smiled bigger, putting his little hands into your palms.

You felt the force flowing through him. It was a lot of raw power, power that wasn’t in control yet. It was no wonder the kid was floating everything he touched. You could hardly believe the force flowing through this little tiny creature - and then he started to show you images through the force.

Flashes of things like being on the ship with the Mandalorian, how much the tin can cared for the little thing, how they’d play… it almost warmed your heart. He looked up to the Mandalorian like his father, it was obvious. Even when he would get annoyed at him for levitating things he was not supposed to.

You tried to imagine how he would be if he was in control of his powers. Right now he was a typical youngling, new to this and clueless as to what was going on and you could sense it from him. He didn’t know what he was doing and how to control it.

Maybe you could contact Leia and see if she could get a hold of Luke to help train him - but no. Luke was still a sting in your heart, someone you didn’t want to face. Plus, you had a feeling this bounty hunter wasn’t going to give up his kid. He was a softie for the little thing, you had discovered.

It occurred to you suddenly that the reason the baby seemed to be attached to you so much was that you think he could sense you and your connection to the force - even though you had cut yourself off from it for the most part. That one little sliver you held onto just incase was what the thing could sense. Maybe it was a good thing? You weren’t entirely sure anymore, but what you did know was that the Mandalorian’s gaze was burning through you right now as he watched you and the kid on the couch, in silence.

“You’re very special, little one.” you said to him, running your hand over one of his ears, earning a giggle. That made you melt into a little giddy puddle right then and there at the cuteness of it.

“What is ‘force-sensitive’?” the Mandalorian suddenly asked you. You arched a brow as you looked up to him, starting to sweat a bit. He was never gonna believe you, but you were stuck here with him so you might as well explain it.

“Force sensitive is when you are in tune to the Force, an energy that surrounds all living things. Some people are able to use it stronger than others, manipulate it.” you said to him. The kid cooed up at you as if he was listening, wanting more. “It’s a lot more complicated than just that, unfortunately.” you added.

“I got time.” He said, pulling a chair up across from you and sitting. He titled his helmet, urging you onward. You sighed as you gathered your story in your head, moving on.

“It’s been around since the beginning of time, the Force, the light side and the dark side. The people who are able to use on the light side it are called the Jedi. Long ago the Jedi were the keepers of the peace and everybody lived by a strict code. They tried to find ways to solve problems as peacefully as possible, but were also trained warriors. Their numbers ran in the thousands, long ago. If you were a Jedi back then you were proud to be one, and honored. It meant that you mastered the art of the Force and were able to use it to your advantage.” you started, taking a breather. The child was looking up at you with wide eyes, absolutely enthralled as if he understood every word you were saying perfectly - The Mandalorian said nothing. Sighing, you continued.

“Of course, with anything good most times comes out the bad. There were a group of Force users who weren’t on the side of the light but on the side of the dark were called the Sith. They’d mishandle their power, use it for bad. They’d find ways to cheat death, to come back that were unnatural. But eventually, the Sith went extinct because of the Jedi, or so everyone thought.” you took another break, trying to fight back emotions. You were now going into territory that involved your father, something that was still hard for you. You hadn’t told this story to anyone in a long time, not since you told it to Luke.

“During the age of the Republic and the Clone Wars, the Jedi started to get cocky. They were on top of the world, thinking they had everything under control. Unfortunately due to their egos, they allowed Darth Sidious to operate right under their noses in the most powerful position the Senate held, Chancellor. Palpatine executed everything so perfectly, as much as it pains me to say it. Every win that the Republic and the Jedi had was just a pawn in his game, a piece of the biggest puzzle of all; the rise of Darth Vader. Vader was a Jedi, drawn into hate out of fear. And in the end, he ended up winning. The Jedi were eradicated and killed off and he ruled the galaxy, for many years.” you explained to him. The child’s hands slapped your palms in an urge to go on, to continue the story. You didn’t know if you could, it was going to get personal. You didn’t do personal anymore.

“Seems like the Jedi aren’t as all-powerful as they thought.” The Mandalorian finally piped up after that. You gave a small laugh and an eye-roll. You did have to agree with him, it was the whole reason why you gave up your title of Jedi Knight and cut yourself off.

“Definitely not. However a few Jedi survived - two Jedi masters and a padawan who left the order before it got ugly. They fled and went into hiding after the rise of Vader, fearing that he’d come for them one day.” you added to him. He took a moment to think it seems, humming in response before he spoke up again.

“But isn’t there a new one out there somewhere? I heard rumors after the fall of the Empire.” Your heart skipped a beat and you couldn’t hide the shock on your face. It was too obvious - but you couldn’t let him know. You didn’t fully trust him yet. Nor did you want to dig into what really happened.

“Yeah - there is one. The son of Vader who rose up on the side of the light, he took on Palpatine himself and that’s what lead to the fall of the Empire. He trained with the two old masters before they passed. Now he’s somewhere in the galaxy, rumor has it he’s trying to start a school of his own, bring it all back.” you concluded. The Mandalorian observed you for a moment and if he thought you were lying or trying to avoid the truth, he didn’t say it.

“My mission has been to try to find someone who is the people for the kid. Either someone of his kind or someone like him. I’ve been searching for a year - nothing.” he said, standing up and walking over closer to you. “You just told me more information in ten minutes than I’ve found in a year. How do you know this?”

“My father - he was obsessed. Told me all the stories.” So it was a little white lie, but you weren’t going to tell him that your father was the Master to Darth Vader before he turned to the dark side. You weren’t going to tell him that your father also trained Luke Skywalker and you in the ways of the Force. You hoped you were convincing. “I think the idea of bringing the Jedi back is ridiculous though. But that’s just me.” you said to him.

“Why is that?” he asked with a helmet tilt.

“I mean, you’re a Mandalorian. Sure you’ve heard the stories about the Jedi being these horrible people to your people.” you said to him. He gave you a grunt in agreement.

“I was told they were warriors that did more harm than good.” He said to you. That was the understatement of the century, but he was right.

“Well, it wasn’t wrong.” You said back, agreeing with him. “Plus, I think some of the rules are ridiculous. Don’t interfere with wars, don’t help people that might be in need - it’s ridiculous. Plus, Jedi are forbidden from having personal attachments of any kind. You get taken from your family as an infant and groomed to be this peace keeper and you can’t even get married either.” you ranted, shrugging your shoulders. “I just don’t agree with it, personally. Darth Vader rose out of fear of losing someone close to him, and he couldn’t go to the Jedi for help.”

The kid had fallen asleep in your lap now, over the conversation that was happening between the two of you. His head rested soundly on your stomach as he had curled up in between your legs, out like a light. You wondered what the Mandalorian was going to do next - he seemed to believe most of what you had said, if not all of it. Was he going to ask you where to find Luke? That was something you didn’t want to do.

“Who is this person that’s making this school now? Where is he?” It’s like he could read your mind. You took a big breath in and sighed, averting your gaze away from the Mandalorian.

“He’s an old friend. We grew up together here but - things changed after he learned his powers. I don’t know where he is now. After the Rebellion won the war he sort of just became distant, or so I heard. He hasn’t been back here in years, I haven’t seen him in years.” you told him.

It was the truth. You didn’t know where he was and you hadn’t seen him in years. The last time you saw Luke was after the fall of the Empire - he came back to Tattooine to ‘rest’ after the war. He said he needed to find his purpose now, since Darth Vader had fallen and his training was complete. He lived with you during that time period, when you were still at least trying to practice Jedi beliefs.

But things had already changed - you knew that. You think Luke knew that too, which is why he left the way that he did. He could sense it - he knew what was going on and what you felt and were going to do. It was painful for you to look back on it - you couldn’t believe that he had changed the way he was. You hadn’t seen him since he left your house that day six years ago, nor did you want to any time soon.

You could tell the Mandalorian was a little frustrated by your answer - hoping that you would have more. You did - you could tell him to go to Chandrilla and talk to Leia and have her contact Luke. But you didn’t want to do that - you knew what Luke would do. Luke would take the kid away from him, and that wasn’t going to be what was best for either of them. The Mandalorian relied on the kid too much if he liked it or not and the kid wouldn’t understand.

“Thank you for the information.” he said, coming closer to you and lifting the kid out of your lap, leaving you in your living room alone and going into the bedroom.

You were left to your thoughts, flashbacks of your time as a practicing Jedi plaguing your mind for the rest of the night.

taglist: @waiting-for-motivation @domino-oh-damn @theocatkov @killtherandomness @mrsparknuts @wolf-lover74 @the-sparkism @jedi-dreaa

#the mandalorian x reader #mandalorian x reader #din djarin x reader #myshit #bejetii

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gffa · 5 years

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Master and Apprentice | by Claudia Gray OKAY, HERE’S WHY I KEEP YELLING ABOUT QUI-GON AND HIS AMAZING HYPOCRISY. It’s not just this, there are a bunch of ways (most notably, he completely misjudges the Jedi Council, thinks the worst of them, they hate everything he says, they only want people who agree with them, who lick their boots!, then five minutes later they’re offering him a position on the Council specifically FOR his diverging viewpoints, because they value that, and he STILL refuses to re-evaluate his opinion, STILL refuses to trust them or work with them) but this is really the heart of it. Qui-Gon believes it’s immoral to do nothing about slavery and he is absolutely right about that. Where he becomes a hypocrite about it is that he believes the Jedi should just go ahead and do whatever they want, they should impose their will on other beings. He grudgingly admits that human morals are not always the same for other species, but insists that slavery is not one of those things. Again, he’s still sort of right, except he’s ignoring that just making people do what you want them to do, instead of going through a democratic process, IS WHAT FASCISM IS. He still wants to just go ahead and go rogue and do whatever they want and his intentions are incredibly well-meant, but he acknowledges nothing of what consequences that would bring. He acknowledges nothing about how the Jedi are in the same exact position he’s in--there is one Jedi for every 7 to 20 billion beings in the galaxy. If one Jedi isn’t enough to go free the slaves on Pijal by himself--something Qui-Gon never even considers doing--then the Jedi going up against the rest of the galaxy (and, make no mistake, with how clearly canon has established that people fear the Jedi’s inherent abilities, they would absolutely band together and kill the Jedi if they went rogue, the only reason they’re not in the same position as the X-Men is because they realized oversight and accountability goes a long fuckin’ way with people) would be in an even worse position. But he never acknowledges this, nor does he include himself in being immoral for this. No, only the Jedi are immoral for doing exactly what Qui-Gon himself does in an situation that is perfectly analogous. Sure. Where it gets absolutely INCREDIBLE, though, is that he wins the day and even frees the slaves through his connection to the Republic, through the use of Republic law and might. Why do they have a Republic? FOR THIS MOMENT RIGHT FUCKING HERE. Obi-Wan being an official representative of the Republic (after Qui-Gon is relieved of it for fucking it up) is what allows them to free the slaves. If the Jedi had gone Qui-Gon’s way, this happy ending for the slaves wouldn’t be here. Does he recognize this? Does he even acknowledge that being part of the Republic is what gives them the authority to do EXACTLY what he did? That if they went rogue, they wouldn’t be able to do this? Nope. Nor does he acknowledge that Rael Averross is on the planet, in the position he is, specifically because the Jedi worked with the Republic and worked within the system. The reason this got fucked up is because Rael fell prey to some nasty attachment issues--and, frankly, proved the Jedi’s point in a rather startlingly undeniable way, that he nearly fucked over A THIRD OF THE POPULATION, because he was focused on Fanry only--but if someone who had their shit together was there? THEY COULD HAVE PREVENTED A WHOLE LOT OF SLAVES. Yoda even says it, we have to get that treaty changed, because that’s bad news. They are helping people and Qui-Gon refuses to acknowledge it, because it’s not how he wants to do it. aka, going in there with lightsaber blazing, damning the wars and deaths--because, let’s also be clear, the second you go in there with force, rather than with legal authority and the law on your side, it’s the slaves who are the hostages in this situation, it’s the slaves who are going to die first, as well as it would have started a war with the entire Republic over the whole thing. It also makes this moment incredibly hypocritical:

He could go free those slaves. He could just lightsaber Watto in half, take Shmi and Anakin and rather easily (at least as easily as the Jedi could just go do what they wanted in the same way, probably far more so) free the rest of them on Tatooine. Yet, he doesn’t. Why? Because he has to know, even if he doesn’t want to admit it, that it wouldn’t actually address the underlying problem, it would only result in more deaths of the people who are already the victims here, and it would fuck over all the other people on Naboo who are dying because they’re here. That is exactly the same position the Jedi are in and it’s an understandable one. You cannot change this situation with leeroy jenkinsing it, because it will only resurface (and get a shitload of people killed along the way). You have to try to change it within the system, you have to work to better the system, you have to keep trying even when it seems hard, because NOTHING WILL EVER LAST unless the system (and the general public) backs you up on this, that is the only way to get things to crawl forward to a better future. And also let’s be real fuckin’ clear about getting involved with politics--do I think the Jedi should have leaned in harder? Yeah, of course. Literally EVERY PERSON IN THE REPUBLIC should be held to that standard! But the Jedi are not the political power house that we want to think, their influence is tiny in comparison, especially once the war happens and they’re busy putting out twenty tire fires a day and, you know, DYING EN MASSE for a people who don’t want to fight themselves. We do see them trying to advise, to push for better options--and we see Palpatine consistently shutting them down every time they try! This is also why I think it’s a good idea to read Queen’s Shadow at the same time, as one of the major subplots is basically all about Padme trying to make effective change AS A POLITICIAN, WHERE THIS IS HER FULL TIME JOB and it’s incredibly difficult. Imagine not even having a fraction of the political clout she did and still fighting the same exact uphill battles! Of course it should (and is) being done, slavery is abhorrent and it’s on the public to hold their governments responsible to enact meaningful change. But I have no patience for those who put forth empty rhetoric over actually offering viable real solutions, not just “Someone should do something!” Like, wow, yes, thank you for that insight, now would you care to share with the class specifically how that could be done without getting everyone killed? Nor do I have patience for people who criticize methods that are getting actual results and hold themselves to be The Only Moral One Here while not actually offering anything new of substance to the problem that would actually work.

--Queen’s Shadow, by E.K. Johnston You work with the system (and, in the Jedi’s case, step TWICE AS CAREFULLY, because, hey, guess what, if you seem like you’re getting TOO much power, they’ll literally stand and watch as your Temple burns and your babies are murdered, that’s how little they trust you, how much they fear you, how much they’re just waiting for you to abuse your power, because they don’t understand your connection to a Force that they can’t feel, that it’s not as straightforward as Qui-Gon wants it to be, it’s a hell of a lot more complicated) because that’s how you have any kind of ability to hold people to decent fucking behavior. It’s like in The Last Jedi where Luke tells Rey that, oh, the Jedi would just say let the attacks happen to the native people. When, no, what they actually did was align themselves with the only reasonable government around (THE OTHER OPTIONS WERE WORSE, LET’S KEEP THAT IN MIND) so they had the ability to say, “If you try this shit again, we have legal authority and the weight of the Republic behind us, to come after you if you come back.” And that’s what saved the day in this book. Obi-Wan being the Republic’s representative, the weight of the Republic behind them, the law being used in a good and moral way because the Jedi worked to get everything into the right place so that this could have a real happy(-ish) ending, is what let those slaves go free. Qui-Gon wants the Jedi to go be hippies on backwater planets to connect to the Living Force, but he also wants them to be involved in politics and push harder for democratic reform (WHICH WE SEE THEM DOING BASICALLY IN THIS BOOK) and make the laws, like, that whole thing is absolute mess with no clear direction of what he wants, other than that he wants to be able to whatever he wants whenever he wants and not wanting to face the consequences himself for it, but make others face those consequences. You could leave and do exactly what you’re proposing, Qui-Gon Jinn, but you don’t. And you know why you don’t. To be clear, in closing, Qui-Gon is not even remotely a bad person, he cares deeply and I wouldn’t have a problem with his point of view if he weren’t judging others for it (a thing that is a theme throughout this book, he gets real judgy sometimes) or maybe if he actually stuck to his own beliefs. He’s coming from a place of deep care, but he is not self-examining on the level he needs to and instead projecting that blame outwards, instead of actually doing something about it.

#qui gon jinn #jedi #jedi order #meta #novels #master and apprentice #master and apprentice spoilers #long post

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aphorisnt · 6 years

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Padawan Ben Continuation Part 10 (End)

You read that right; this is indeed finally the end! Holy shit this has been a wild ride and I’m still kind of in shock that I managed to complete all this abd actually posted it and that so many of you folks actually read and liked it!!

So part 10 is actually 2 parts, what was the rest of part 9 (I split it because 3k is a lot to read in a tumblr post) and an epilogue. I’m not 100% sure I like the epilogue but I’ve looked at it for I don’t know how long and fixing it would entail doubling or tripling the length which would take another few days and I kinda want to get this out now (maybe I’ll rewrite it or make the long version in the future, I dunno).

Huge thank you and endless love and appreciation to @swpromptsandasks, the one who started it all!! (I know I said most of this already in an ask I sent you but I’m gonna say it again.) Without you none of this would exist and I just can’t thank you enough for the opportunity to finish this fic. Also, without you spreading the word and reblogging, none of the people reading this now would’ve even found it in the first place, so in the end I owe every single like, reblog, reply, ask, and new follower I’ve gotten to you. That support just means so incredibly much to me and I wish I had better words than just “thank you” to express my gratitude.

Another huge thank you to anyone and everyone who has read along with me as I’ve posted this thing!! I can’t put into words how much your support means to me as a beginning fic writer and just in general. I always got so nervous right before posting, just wondering if what I was writing would be even remotely ok, but the overwhelming positive response made everything worth it and it’s thanks to you folks that I’m feeling a tiny bit more confident in my writing. And if any of you have any feedback you want to give or comments you want to make

Thank you everyone who has joined me on this adventure and I hope I do the ending justice!!

(Part 1/Part 2/Part 3/Part 4/Part 5/Part 6/Part 7/Part 8/Part 9)

It started with a small twitch of fingers, the movement barely perceptible and small enough that Anakin might have missed it completely if it weren’t for the accompanying soft nudge he felt through the Force. His eyes snapped open as he pulled himself out of his meditation.

Ben was starting to wake.

Fingers twitched in his hand again, this time stronger and Anakin felt hope begin to swell. He kept his eyes glued to that copper-framed face looking for the slightest flicker of eyelids and listened for any change in the man’s breathing.

“Ben?” he calls gently. “Ben, wake up, it’s me.”

Ben’s eyes stayed shut but this time his face twitched along with his fingers before stilling. Anakin called again, this time a bit louder.

“Ben, it’s me, Anakin, your husband. Can you hear me? Ben, if you can hear me I need you to open your eyes.”

He gently squeezed the other hand in his and reached out with his free hand to stroke his husband’s hair.

Ben’s breathing picked up a bit, his heart rate climbing ever so slightly. He was coming back, surfacing from his long sleep. Anakin could feel it.

“Yes, Ben, I’m here, I’m here. I just need you to come back to me, open your eyes and come back to me.” Reaching out to his husband through the Force, Anakin said, “I love you, Ben. I’m here for you, I’m waiting for you; come on, just open your eyes, even just a crack. Just come back to me.”

“Slowly, with near painful effort, Ben’s eyes blinked open.

“Anakin?” he tried to say, throat dry and voice rough from disuse.

“Ben!” Anakin yelled in sheer joy, nearly launching himself at the other man in his excitement but catching himself just in time. Instead he moved his chair that much closer and leaned over so he could look into Ben’s eyes.

“Oh, Ben,” he said as tears pricked his eyes. “You’re ok.”

He bent forward and pressed a gentle kiss to his husband’s forehead, then pulled back, a huge grin stretching across his face.

“What happened?” Ben asked.

“That’s a long story,” Anakin replied, wiping his eyes. “But it doesn’t matter, the important thing is you’re safe now.

“Water?” Ben asked, unable to say more than a few words at a time.

“Oh, yeah, of course, let me get you some to drink.”

He grabbed the cup of water off of the small bedside table, placing a straw through the lid and handing it to Ben.

“Here, let me help you sit up,” he offered.

He used his arm you pull Ben up to an almost sitting position, supporting Ben who gratefully drained the entire cup. Anakin took the cup back, replacing it on the table, then helped Ben to lie back down.

“Better?” he asked.

“A bit,” Ben answered, voice still rough.

Anakin regained his seat, taking Ben’s hand back in his and returned to carding fingers through Ben’s hair.

“I love you so much,” he whispered reverently.

“Love you,” Ben said back.

Master Che chose that moment to walk into the room.

“Ben!” she exclaimed. “Well aren’t you a sight for sore eyes. You look to be doing better. How are you feeling?”

“Tired,” Ben replied.

“After all you’ve been through I would imagine so. Well you can get back to sleep in a bit, but first I need to run some tests and do some labs. If you like, Skywalker here can keep you company,” she said with a grin.

Ben nodded, a smile stretching across his face, and gripped Anakin’s hand that much tighter.

While Che checked him over, Anakin took the opportunity to fill him in on the events of the past several months: Ben falling into a coma, getting kidnapped from the Halls, Palpatine revealing himself and the subsequent battle, the second shorter battle with Ventress in the Works, the chips, and everything else up to that moment. Throughout the whole retelling Anakin kept Ben’s hand in his, only releasing it when he needed to move out of Che’s way.

“But now you’re back and you’re safe and you’re ok,” he reiterated as much for Ben as for himself and squeezed his husband’s hand. Ben just smiled.

All right,” Che said. “I’m all finished. So far you seem to be healing quite nicely. The bacta is doing its job though there may still be a small scar at the incision site and your heart and lungs sound good. You did lose a significant amount of weight during your convalescence and we’ll work on putting that back on you as you recover. We’ll start slow, liquids only, and then we’ll steadily bump you up toward the high calorie diet you’ll need. You’re also pretty dehydrated right now, but between the IV drip and just drinking enough glasses we should be able to solve that quickly. You also spent a few days in a Force suppression collar while with Ventress, so if the Force feels a little hard to reach, that’s why, but your Force sense should return to normal in a few days.

“Now,” she said, voice turning stern. “You are going to be on strict bed rest for a while. That means no getting up or walking around except to use the refresher, and even then I want you to get someone to help you for at least today and tomorrow. I don’t care how good you think you’re feeling or how recovered you think you are, you are not to get out of this bed until I say so. Is that clear?”

Ben made a face, hating being stuck in the halls, but he acquiesced. “Fine. No moving.”

“Don’t worry, Master Che, I’ll make sure Ben follows your instructions to the letter.”

Ben narrowed his eyes at Anakin, unhappy at this betrayal, but Anakin just smiled back.

“That’s what I was counting on,” Che said.

“Well, that’s all I have for now until we process these labs. Remember: you,” she said pointing at Ben. “Bed rest. And you,” she turned to Anakin who grimaced. “You can visit a while longer but then you need sleep. Don’t make me hit you with a sedative. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

With that she swept out of the room.

Ben turned to Anakin, narrowing his eyes again. “Sleep?”

Anakin smiled sheepishly. “I know, I know, I’m sorry, just I was too worried about you to sleep. I know I need to take care of myself, and I will, but later.”

“No, we’ll sleep now.”

“We?” Anakin asked.

Ben nodded and pulled Anakin’s hand, inviting him up into the bed. Anakin gently helped Ben shuffle over and climbed into the space on the bed before pulling Ben to lie against his chest.

“I love you so much,” Anakin said, pressing a kiss to the top of Ben’s head.

“Love you,” Ben said back, voice tired and eyes already drooping.

Anakin wrapped his arms tighter around Ben holding his husband close, and the two quickly drifted off to sleep.

Epilogue

“Sure, you are that want this, you do?”

Anakin and a fully recovered Ben stood hand in hand before the full Council, every one of the Masters present. It had been one year since Palpatine had died, the Sith dying with him. A full year since the end of the Clone Wars and peace was restored to the galaxy. A full year since saving Ben.

While his recovery had been long and arduous, Ben had since gained back most of the weight and muscle he had lost, was performing katas and sparring at near his former ability, and was one check-up with the healers away from being put back on active duty.

Or he would have been.

“We’re sure, Master,” Ben said, smiling at the diminutive green Jedi. We have thought long and hard on this, have spent much time meditating and discussing, and I believe we are following the will of the Force.”

He squeezed Anakin’s hand and Anakin shot him a quick smile before turning back to face the Masters.

“ We both agree that this is what’s right for us,” Anakin added. “It’s what we want and what we need. I talked it over with Master Jinn as well and he supports us in this. We’ve made our decision.”

The Council members looked at them with expressions ranging from gentle smiles of encouragement to outright sneering disgust. Not that it mattered to Anakin anymore; he was done caring about what the council thought.

Yoda just gazed at them both, face sad for a moment, before a tiny smile broke out.

“Understand and respect your choices, I do, and wish you well.”

“Thank you, Master Yoda,” they both said in unison.

“Well then,” Mace said. “Let it be recorded that on this day, Knight Anakin Skywalker and Padawa–“

“Wait a moment, you will,” Yoda interrupted, holding up one hand. “Other business we must attend to first. Ben,” he beckoned to his Padawan. “Step forward please.”

Ben looked confused for a moment but did as asked, walking closer to the front of the room and standing in front of his Master. Yoda stood up from his chair and walked to meet him.

“Kneel, you will,” Yoda said.

Ben again followed instructions and dropped to one knee.

“Ben, a wonderful Padawan you have been. Learned much you have; an accomplished Jedi and good man you have become. Proud I am to have been your Master. Many trials this year, you endured, and faced them all you did, mastered them. For that, upon you I bestow the title of Jedi Knight.”

Yoda stepped forward and, in one quick motion, ignited his lightsaber and severed Ben’s padawan braid. He then pressed the braided strands into his apprentice’s–now former apprentice’s–hand.

Ben just stared at him in shock. “Master?” he asked.

“Deserve this, you do,” Yoda said. “And forever acknowledged your skills and efforts will be.

A wide grin stretched across Ben’s face and he leaned forward, wrapping his arms around the Master in a tight hug.

“Thank you,” he whispered, tears pricking his eyes. “For everything.”

They broke the embrace but before Yoda could return to his seat Ben caught him by the arm.

“Wait, Master, I want you to have this.” He pressed the braid into Yoda’s hand and closed three clawed fingers around it.

“Thank you, Padawan,” he replied with a smile, and before Ben could interrupt he said, “because to me, my Padawan you will always be.”

Ben stood back up and returned to his place next to Anakin, who quickly pulled him into a tight hug.

“All right,” Mace said. “Then let it be recorded that on this day, Knight Anakin Skywalker and Knight Ben have chosen to step away from the Order and live their lives as private citizens. From this moment on they are no longer a part of the Jedi Order.”

Anakin grinned, the smile stretching wide across his face. It was over; they had done it. He and Ben were free to live their lives however they chose, together forever as husbands.

“Thank you,” Anakin said, bowing in once last show of Jedi decorum. He decided he could give the council that much.

Ben followed his lead, bowing as well, and the two walked forward to hand over their lightsabers but Mace just shook his head.

“Keep them,” he said. “You’ve earned them.”

With one final glance back, Ben and Anakin rejoined hands and turned to walk out of the council chambers for the last time. Anakin wasn’t sure how he felt. There was joy at finally leaving the order and escaping the council’s judgment, but also sadness and a little fear at leaving the life he’d spent so long building. One look at Ben, however, and everything but overwhelming love faded away.

“So,” he said, still smiling. “What would you like to do on our first day as not Jedi?”

“I don’t know,” Ben answered. “But I don’t really care as long as it’s with you.”

Anakin leaned over and kissed his husband’s cheek. The two of them continued on their way, walking out the main Temple entrance, down the stairs, and into their new lives.

#swpromptsandasks #PadawanBen #sw #fic #obikin #holy shit i actually did it #*loud screaming*

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ginathethundergoddess · 6 years

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The Last Jedi, or SOMEONE REALLY SHOULD HAVE EXPLAINED HOW ANAKIN FELL TO LUKE IN A WAY THAT WASN'T SPOKEN IN RIDDLES.

Spoilers ahead but also some meta. I don't know how to add a line break/cut on mobile.

I loved the last Jedi but some stuff about luke's character bothered me. He felt ooc from what his character arc ended with in ROTJ. Granted this is a man haunted by failures and the death of legit everything he worked for, but I even then it felt out of character for Luke Skywalker, the Jedi who brought anakin back from the dark side, to believe that killing his nephew was the only thing he could do to stop his fall. That's not the man who almost died because he believed his father had good left in him, even after all the crimes Vader committed.

So here's my theory: back when sidious was manipulating anakin, the Jedi council missed HUGE signs that something was up with Anakin. They knew there was sith involved, but didn't suspect it was palpatine. (Despite the FLASHING NEON WARNING SIGNS). All they knew was that anakin was a shatter point, a dangerous one (still should have trained him harder and maybe not let him get all cozy with palpatine in ways NO OTHER JEDI WAS REALLY ALLOWED, but I digress.) But not how he played into it. Or how palpatine played into it. This is because palpatine was able to manipulate the force enough to cloud even the foresight of yoda. He was virtually untraceable in the force. This made him able to plant seeds of doubt in anakin's mind that over the course of the clone wars were one by one confirmed.

Seed one: padme would die. Palpatine manipulated anakin's force visions to constantly torment him with visions of padme dying. Anakin's love for her, which was a good thing and could have done wonders for the order, became instead a tool of control. Anakin would do anything for her.

Seed two: the Jedi were corrupt and wanted power, and didn't think him worthy enough to be a Jedi knigt, and that the Jedi were turning from their own code and becoming hypocritical. Palpatine manipulated the way anakin viewed the council and its actions. As more and more death came of the Jedi actions throughout the war, anakin slowly began to have his doubts confirmed. The loss of his padawan, Ahsoka Tano, to the machinations of another padawan who had lost faith made anakin even more wary of the Jedi. Palpatine used the destruction of the war to frame the Jedi order in an even worse light. When Obi-Wan was no longer immediately at Anakin's side to ground him and help him see clearly, Anakin was weak to Palpatine's influence. It came to a head when the council tried using him as a spy on palpatine, because by then Anakin believed palpatine to be a loyal and sympathetic friend who shared his doubts about the order and would listen to his problems. He saw the jedi council's caution as hypocrisy and a power move. This escalated when, upon revealing the identity of the sith lord to them, mace windu did as Jedi usually do with sith and IMMEDIETLY went to confront him. Anakin saw this as betrayal- a peace keeping order that supposedly fought for justice was going to murder a man that had otherwise been a good person and strong leader throughout a bloody and destructive war. There would be no trial, no negotiations. Just straight up slaughter. This confirmed what palpatine had been feeding him about the Jedi order; they wanted power. This is why he was so quick to jump to Palpatine's aid. The jedi had been lured into a position where they looked like the villains.

Seed three: isolation. Because the war was wrapping up by episode 3, the Jedi were spread out. Anakin didn't have his padawan to distract him as she left the order herself. He wasn't always able to see padme, and despite the fact they were unstoppable together, He and Obi-Wan were not put on the same campaigns. The lack of friends around himto bolster his bonds and make him stronger in the light side allowed for palpatine to slip into anakin's mind. He slipped seeds of distrust and doubt about Obi wan and Padme , both of whom were taking stands against palpatine in ways the chancellor manipulated in anakin's mind to look sinister. Obi-Wan was a Jedi loyal to the council; padme was one of the senators most outspoken against the chancellor's draconian laws and regime and the sudden powers he's was wresting that seemed to turn him autocratic. ( mind you that Anakin was a long time soldier in the war and saw all of palpatine's increased powers and official decrees as necessary. The war was bad. )

So though the failure of the jedi to perceive the manipulations of palpatine, both the force influenced ones and ones he manipulated through his actions ad grand chancellor and leader of the Republic army, the jedi had fallen into a trap where their most powerful student felt utterly betrayed by the order that saved him. It didn't help that they had somewhat alienated him during his training, treated him with less respect than he believed he deserved, and many high council members straight up didn't trust him. It also didn't help that by that point in the war the Jedi had become more combative than peace keeping. Mace windu struck first, asked questions later. It seemed a far divide from how Jedi were supposed to do things.

Now, one would think that yoda would have passed this knowledge onto Luke during his training so that Luke didn't make the same mistakes. But luke fell for the same trap as his teachers.

1.) He saw ben's power and aggression and instead of teaching him proper ways to handle it, reprimanded it, which created tension between himself and his nephew that Snokes could easily manipulate from frustration between student and teacher to outright hatred.

2.) He failed to sense Snokes manipulating ben's mind through the force. And even then failed to adequately guard his students from the dark side.

3.) Snokes was able to use ben's frustration and growing resentment to begin to isolate the teen just as palpatine did to anakin. We see ben in his own little shack, with o other students. This is not how Jedi typically function, where every student was together in shared spaces. Luke seemed to contribute to the isolation of Ben, which made him easy prey for snoke.

3.) Snokes planted seeds of doubt into Ben's mind that distanced him further from luke. He no longer saw luke's lessons as helpful or even purposeful. He began to see the training of the Jedi as laughable to those teachings of the sith. The more luke struggled to reign in Ben and teach him, the more hypocrisy Ben saw.

4.) I'm of the opinion Snokes manipulated luke himself. Luke failed to see the struggled Ben was undergoing, the torment Snokes was putting him through. Instead he saw a teenager falling deeper and deeper into the darkness. He began to believe that Ben could not be saved. This is out of character for luke, who we saw struggle with the dark side and draw anakin back to the light. I feel like, as with mace windu, whose mind was clouded and who could not sense the deeper machinations of sidious, only that there was a sith and they needed to be disposed of, luke was lured into believing the only way to stop Ben's descent before it reached critical mass was to destroy him. That sort of thinking is dark side thinking l. The nagging doubts in luke's mind that told him killing was the only answer? That's the dark side. That's fear taking control and manipulating him. Only, luke realized too late that he was falling dangerously close to the dark side. He realized it only when he went to slay his nephew while he slept, stopping at the last minute with a "Holy shit wtf am I doing?"

5.) Unfortunately he still walked right into the trap because at that moment Snokes pulled the strings. Luke never got the chance to explain because Ben woke up to find his uncle standing over him with his lightsaber. In that moment all the lies and manipulations and doubts snokes had been feeding him were confirmed. He defended himself against his attacker and betrayed by someone who was supposed to guide and protect him, fell to the dark side.

So yeah. Luke fell to the same trap the Jedi Order did. Let's hope rey doesn't do the same. Like, yoda confirming that everything Rey needs is inside her ND also she took the Jedi texts, things that CLEARLY no one has read in a damn long time, might actually help prevent this from happening again. I like how yoda is like "we were meant to pass on our successes, and our greatest failures." And honestly I think Rey will be able to actually learn something from Luke's failure. I'm not sure if she will be able to destroy Kylo Ren by bringing Ben Organa-Solo back to the light side (or to the light side for the first time ever). It was kind of clear Kylo Ren, now turned loose without Snokes pulling his strings, is now completely chaotic. He truly is the dark side made manifest; driven by passionate hate and lust for revenge, out of control and hell bent on destroying everything to dominate it all. But at least Rey will know the true extent of what a sith lord can do, and how deep manipulation goes. At least now she knows personally that the dark side is tempting, it promises answers, but what it delivers really conclusions she could have drawn for herself and eventual ruin. She fell for 2.5 seconds, and found that the dark side did not answer her questions, did not give her what she wanted, and only left her with the conclusion she had already known, but didn't want to admit to herself.

#star wars #The last Jedi #spoilers for the last jedi #meta #Luke Skywalker #Anakin Skywalker #Palpatine #Mace Windu #Jedi nonesense #Luke should have seen this coming but didnt know the warning signs and allowed fear to manipulate him #The Clone Wars #Darth Vader

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