Beyond - Legends Saga "Cut Into Little Stars" | UDC IX Collection; Multi-Era, Ensemble Cast

I can't thank you guys enough for your kind words, again! I have a few replies, and then we'll dive right into the next set of drabbles!

I can't tell you how writing that scene just took my heart and squeezed! I'm glad you enjoyed it as well.

It's amazing how the human heart has the ability to heal, isn't it? And these two just deserve this reprieve, so I was all too happy to write it for them. Plus, I just adore Cut and Suu and their kids! It was wonderful to include them.

Exactly! And that's why I don't completely understand where Rex was where he was at the beginning of Rebels. Nah, he'd be by his Jedi's side to fight for the Republic they've always served from the beginning. Together. You can't tell me otherwise!

Aw! I can't tell you how much this line made my day - and it still makes me smile such a smile whenever I think of it. Thank you, my friend. You honor me!

Now, to keep carrying on with the Song!verse next . . .

Thanks!

Thank you so much for your kind words! It really was a difficult set to write, but just as cathartic for me as it was in a small way for Rex and Ahsoka too.

Bly! Writing that hurt, and yet, I can't really see him processing his actions - or wanting to come to terms with what he'd done, even - any other way. Sadly, his fate was probably shared by more than a few of his brothers, I can only imagine.

Exactly! Because Star Wars is always about that ray of hope, of good triumphing over evil, isn't it? No matter how dark the night there's always a dawn, and Rex and Ahsoka will live to see that too!

Thank you so much for reading, again, and for taking the time to leave your thoughts!



~MJ

 

Author's Notes: After last week, I felt a keen need to write more fix-it fic to sooth my soul. So, here we are with more Song!verse drabbles! What's that, @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha said? Ah yes, canon is just an AU to this 'verse now. Indeed, it is!

Also, these continue to be somewhat mega drabbles, around 140-170 words. What can I say? After trying to par them down I finally just shrugged and asked myself why even bothered. I love them as they are, so that's how they stayed! Next week I promise to challenge myself to write true hundred word drabbles . . . maybe.

I thank you guys so much for reading, and hope that you enjoy!

---

Week V: “so full of the universe we overflow”
(Saga-PT; Song!Verse AU | Ensemble Cast)​

XXI. Temple (Anakin Skywalker & Ahsoka Tano & Rex)

The Jedi Temple never quite managed to feel like home, not really. Home was his mother’s hut on Tatooine; home was Padmé's arms, her laughter, her love, her light; home was him surrounded by his men and his Padawan, supporting each other through victory and defeat.

Yet with his truth now told and Sidious' machinations revealed, Anakin felt as if he could at least breathe in the Temple again. He may not have lived up to the expectations put on him as the Chosen One, but he was on the path he was meant to walk. The Force blazed around him like a sunbeam, leaving no room for the Dark.

“I,” Anakin waited until Ahsoka (back where she never should have left) and Rex (always there by his side) finished briefing the Council following Darth Maul’s arrest, “have something to tell you.” He already had holos of the newborn twins ready to share; he couldn’t wait to see their faces.

After all, a home – a temple – was only equal to the people who filled it.



XXII. Sanctuary (Yoda & Anakin Skywalker)

The Light rejoiced over the reclaimed Jedi Temple on Ossus, thrilling as it did for the gathering of so many of its children together in fellowship and harmony. It'd been centuries since Yoda felt such balance in the Force, and his own heart found a matching peace for the sanctuary they’d claimed – well knowing, as he did, of the dark future they'd so narrowly escaped instead.

Anakin Skywalker had never been easy in his presence, yet Yoda refused to humor the silly child’s wariness when there were true younglings to greet.

“Cook them into stew, think you I will?” Yoda gave an amused – but pointed – trill. “Come, young Skywalkers, look at you, I would,” he beckoned the children forward. Leia broke away from her father first, and Luke was quick to follow. “A new hope, they are. Proud, you must be.”

“I am, Master.”

“Proud,” gently, Yoda held the boy’s eyes, and moved to heal one last old wound, “as we all are.”



XXIII. Shrine (Jesse/Amily Gabrees (OC) & Kix)

There was a memorial for the fallen vod’e on Ossus, smaller and more intimate than the grand, ostentatious monument that officially stood on Coruscant. Dozen upon dozens of stone helmets were propped up on markers in the Temple gardens, scattered across flowerbeds of weeping white lost-hearts. Jesse knelt by the helmet that stood for the 501st and rested his brow against the rough marble, breathing in deep to remember his brothers who hadn’t lived to see the peace they'd fought for. The crest of the dome was rubbed smooth and shiny by years of thousands such matching tributes.

Kix took his turn next, and together they whispered, “Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la.”

But they wouldn’t spend time on a full recital then – not when there was a wedding to attend, and neither of them wanted to miss their chance to nettle Bly before the ceremony. Dressed in his best – and Amily waiting for him on the path, her hazel eyes loving and full – Jesse remembered the war that had made him, even as he looked ahead to the future that was now bright with endless possibility.



XXIV. Monastery (Rhysa Zy-Elss (OC)/Ezra Bridger)

Besides the Jedi Temple, Rhysa had never felt a holy site so in tune with the Force as the Royal Lasat Academy of Shamans on Lasan. The Light sang and surged and sparked here on such bright currents, similar and yet different to what she'd thought to understand of its endless sea before. Thanks to the grace of the shamans in agreeing to share their ways, her own connection to the Force only grew stronger for the wider world she now journeyed to explore.

Beyond the tangible lessons she learned in channeling the Force – the Ashla – through mediums like incantations and glyphs, Rhysa could spend hours in the vast libraries, reading the ancient tomes. Many of the books were older than Master Yoda, older than the Republic itself, even; yet the knowledge they contained was timeless. Ensconced with the smell of incense and candlewax and oiled leather, she immersed herself in their words of old as the storms raged on the slopes of Mount Straga beyond. There was just so much waiting for her to discover, and she wanted to learn it all.

“You’ll have to come with me next time,” she enthused over the comm to Ezra. “Wise Chava already mentioned the possibility of me returning next season. I want to see – and feel – the rites performed at the Storm Solstice Festival firsthand. I know that I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface.”



XXV. Pilgrimage (Garazeb Orellios/Shulma Trilasha Orellios (OC) & Ezra Bridger)

Sure, as the shaman chosen to participate in the Exchange with the Jedi Order, Shulma could be all wide eyes and giddy awe for everything she was learning and then some. Yet, for his part, Zeb was already done with Ossus; he was done with the biting insects, done with the humidity clumping in his fur, done with the swampy mud sticking between his toepads, just as he was done with -

“ - Bridger!” he hollered when another water balloon broke over the shoulders of his uniform – after all, he was representing the High Honor Guard of Lasan just as his wife stood for the spiritual ranks of their people. Even if, just then, he was not parade ready in the slightest; karabast, but his uniform would take forever to dry in this muck. “When I get my hands on you, I swear I’m gonna - ”

“ - what? I did you a favor, you looked like you needed to cool off!” Ezra's protest was all exaggerated innocence. “Besides,” he gave a wicked smirk, “first you’d have to catch me!” Then, the disrespectful brat actually stuck out his tongue before turning tail and running.

Of course, all there was left for Zeb to do was give chase. He had a Loth-rat he was determined to dunk in the river; his pride as an Honor Guard demanded nothing less.



.

.

(And, as a bonus, here's an extra long ending for Pilgrimage to honor this special occasion! )

Zeb growled, and was fully ready to take off after Ezra when Shulma stopped him with a gentle hand on his chest. “He’s just a child, dear,” she fixed him with a pointed look.

“Sure he is, darlin’, but he’s a child I’m gonna teach a thing or two about respect - ”

“ - oh, I wouldn’t worry too much,” she tapped her temple, a glint blooming in her beautiful green eyes. “Just wait and see. Right about now - ”

“ - Ezra!” they heard the now very familiar sound of Master Dume shouting after his erstwhile apprentice. Caleb was clearly aggravated as he charged after the boy, flashing them an apologetic look as he passed them on the garden path. “What did I tell you about assaulting visiting dignitaries?!" he continued to yell. "It’s almost like you want to spend extra time on kitchen duties with Madame Jii, don’t you?”

Shulma smirked, satisfied. “Now, as I was saying,” she reached up to kiss his bearded cheek, enjoying as his stupefied expression broke into a silly, smitten grin. This amazing, smart, talented woman was his wild mountain flower, after all, and he was proud for all of Ossus to know just how happy he was to be hers in return. “I’ve been invited to attend the next Gathering on Ilum, to see if a crystal shall sing to me. You will be able to escape the heat of the jungle well enough there, that I rather suspect.”

---

End Notes: So! I have quite a few things to mention behind the cut, but this one note I did not want to hide: Shulma Trilasha Orellios is borrowed with both love and permission from @Findswoman and @Raissa Baiard. She is the heroine of their Lasan Series, and if you haven't read their work, then what are you still doing here? Off you go now! Treat yourself and read the entire series, because it's an absolute gem of world-building, fanon lore, and such dear, dear characters. I can't recommend it highly enough! I was honored to include both Shulma and their fanon on Lasat shamanism in my 'verse. Because, honestly, I can't imagine this world any other way!

Spoiler: Further Notes

The Jedi Temple on Ossus: In the Song!verse, the Jedi Order took a step back to reevaluate themselves following the subverted ending of RoTS. As part of many reforms, they moved their seat of power back to Ossus, distancing themselves from the politics of Coruscant - though they still have an onworld base to serve the needs of the Republic. They're just trying to keep a balanced division between Jedi and State here. More about that can be read in Her Still, Small Voice, and more recently in Color Me Pink.

The Clone Memorial on Ossus: Is me glaring daggers at this -



- and saying: nope, not in my 'verse. (And, for those of you who may be unfamiliar with TCW, that's Jesse's helmet front and center there in the shot, so writing him and Kix happy and living their best lives as themselves is just all sorts of cathartic. ) Amily Gabrees is an Alderaanian artist who we met in As You Are, one of my Constellations ficlets. Though that's another story I still have to tell more in full.

Nu kyr'adyc, shi taab'echaaj'la: Not gone, just marching far away, a Legends!Mandalorian funeral rite. Listing the names of the fallen traditionally followed, owing to the cultural idea that no one is truly gone as long as they are remembered by those who survive. I can imagine that the clones especially subscribe to this part of their adopted heritage.

The Exchange: I mentioned the possibility of this - and Rhysa's desire to participate and interest in Lasat shamanism, in particular - in Color Me Pink. Basically, in short: Rhysa Zy-Elss is a Zeltron Jedi apprentice and a peer of Ezra, Luke and Leia, and Mara Jade. (Though she'll someday be something a little more than a friend with Ezra. ) Outside of the Jedi Temple on Ossus, the city of Issosolli - or, Temple City, as it's more commonly known - is now home to dozens of alternate Force traditions who are setting up centers of worship and study adjacent to the Jedi to share their ways and learn in return, thus honoring the Force in all of its chosen forms. The Jedi have arranged a sort of 'exchange student' program with several different orders in the galaxy, the Royal Academy of Shamans on Lasan being one of them. Rhysa is in her glory learning all she can during the exchange, as also is -

Shulma and Zeb: Since there is no Empire, and thus no Siege of Lasan, these two are living their lives happily ever after together, or so says me as the holder of the pen! Honestly, Shulma is just canon to my heart by now, so I couldn't imagine anything different for this 'verse! If there was an opportunity to learn and explore her connection to the Ashla even further, I have to imagine that Shulma would leap at the chance to study for a season with the Jedi Order. Plus, it would put Zeb right on a path to collide with his Rebels comrades, because some friendships cross 'verses and lifetimes. They're just meant to be. (Even if Ezra has it coming with Zeb finally does dunk him in the river; other things never change, as well! )


Aaaand, I think that's it! If I missed anything, feel free to let me know - I always love to chat.

~MJ

 

Ha! Something told me that you would like those last two drabbles in particular.

Because of course a happy fix-it 'verse has to include Zeb and Shulma! My heart wouldn't have it any other way.

Thanks for reading, my friend, as always! Your support is always such an encouragement and something I very much look forward to every time I post!

Thanks! They were a really fun set to write, and I'm glad you enjoyed them too.

Ha! Something tells me he won't run fast enough! As much as Kanan has it covered here, Zeb will more than get his own later.

Thanks so much for reading! I'm thrilled you enjoyed these.

Aw! I have to thank you for reading when these characters aren't exactly your usual fare. But, I know, right? Order 66 was brutal even before getting to know the clone army so well and watch them struggle for individuality and autonomy. For that to be, quite literally, stolen from them and to see their bonds with their Jedi torn apart - and vice versa . . . yeah. It hurts.

Oh my too! That one is actually canon - in the Kanan comics, Grey was able to break free of the chip long enough to let Kanan go free. At a cost. The writers knew just where to twist that knife.

Exactly! And that is a combination I will never tire of. (And a huge reason the ST just didn't work for me, personally. )

Together, indeed!

Aw, that just means more to me than I can even say! I agree with you guys there. I adore my Song!verse, and everything else is just a distant AU.

And I loved writing that line!

Thank-you ever so much for your kind words! I always appreciate and love reading your thoughts!



Alrighty, my next - if somewhat belated - set will be up in a jiffy!


~MJ

 

Author's Note: So! These remain somewhat hefty drabbles, I know! I almost scrapped these entirely to flesh them out as proper ficlets for my Constellations collection before deciding not to. I'm just a drabble rogue, apparently, and it is what it is.

That said, this week is canon compliant - I know, shocking! - but still on the fluffy side as I honor a few very special ladies. My title and overall inspiration for this set comes from a quote by Sarah Kay, which I included below to give credit where it's due.

Thank you all for reading, and I hope that you enjoy!

Spoiler: My Inspiration

"She’s gonna learn that this life will hit you, hard, in the face, wait for you to get back up so it can kick you in the stomach. But getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air. There is hurt, here, that cannot be fixed by band-aids or poetry, so the first time she realizes that Wonder-woman isn’t coming, I’ll make sure she knows she doesn’t have to wear the cape all by herself. Because no matter how wide you stretch your fingers, your hands will always be too small to catch all the pain you want to heal. Believe me, I’ve tried."

~ Sarah Kay, Point B

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Week VI: “A Reminder To Your Lungs”
(TPM-post-RoTS | Ensemble Cast)​

XXVI. Angel (Shmi Skywalker & Padmé Amidala)

The girl may have been a handmaiden, a servant in her own way, but her hands clearly knew nothing of hard labor. An angel, her son called her, yet while Shmi had smiled in indulgence she privately hoped that Anakin wouldn’t set his hopes too high on these strangers. The Republic ever kept to its own, and Tatooine was beyond the reach of even the fabled Jedi Order.

Yet, to her credit, Padmé was quick to help clean up after their humble meal. There, she hunched over the sink when she thought she was alone. Her arms shook; her head bowed as if underneath some great burden; as a mother, Shmi well knew the sound of muffled tears.

Padmé was not her daughter, but she was still a child far from home and her own mother. Silently, Shmi placed a calloused hand on her back and let it linger until she was strong enough to stand on her own.



XXVII. Beast (Shaak Ti & Ahsoka Tano)

This was not her first time acting as a hunt-mother to one of her kind, yet it was, perhaps, her most memorable.

Giving an absent trill, she basked as her montrals echoed with an answering abundance of life, from the swaying rhythm of the kocci grasses to the scurrying of the ashk mice in the fields and the gliding of a convor’s wings high overhead. The youngling’s heartbeat still skipped and raced with adrenaline, even after her akul was slain – slain! It was only Ahsoka’s first hunt, and she already had the beast’s teeth to wear in a headdress that many full grown adults would envy.

Shaak smiled a fierce smile, replete on pride and contentment. Though she would never regret the path she'd taken – the Order was her home, and her fellow Jedi the clan of her heart – there was something to be said about the hot Shili sun setting over her shoulders, a good meal shared after the hunt, and a child taking her first steps into the wider world.



XXVIII. Rogue (Carasynthia Dune & Helianthus Dune (OC))

This was not the first time Helia was called to Galasiaan Valley’s Primary School For Girls on account of her daughter engaging in an altercation, and she doubted it would be the last.

“Stars, child, but there’s blood on your dress,” was all she could say for the sight of Cara waiting outside of the headmistress’ office, her arms defiantly crossed over her chest as she gave a mulish glower. Her hair, so neatly braided just that morning, was tousled and her face was scratched; her knuckles were raw and red. Helia felt her mother’s heart clench in her chest, a whisper of forewarning thrumming through her like an itch she couldn’t quite scratch.

“’s nothing,” Cara muttered. A soft, pleased smile turned crooked on her mouth, letting Helia know that, though chastised, she didn’t regret her actions in the slightest. “I just don’t like bullies,” was the only justification she gave, “and now she won’t be a problem anymore.”



XXIX. Frost (Owen Lars/Beru Lars & Luke Skywalker)

Trips to Anchorhead with all of them together like this were rare. But Owen needed a part for the vaporators the Jawas didn't have and Beru wanted to buy a few provisions for the homestead – for Luke, mostly, who was growing like a dune-weed. So, here they were.

Though he kept a wary eye on their surroundings, he couldn’t help but notice as Beru showed a trinket in one of the shops to Luke. It was a cold pendant, one that managed to lock a perfectly preserved snowflake within. Owen had never seen snow himself, had hardly known rain, but he didn’t miss the way Beru softly held the necklace before letting it go.

“Owen, you shouldn’t have,” Beru objected when he presented it as a gift later. “We can’t afford -”

“ - it was worth every credit,” he shrugged, honest in every word. Because it was worth it for her smile, for her to know that she was as rare and beautiful to him as a snowflake preserved in the middle of the desert.

​

XXX. Storm (Boba Fett/Sintas Vel)

The rainy season was late in coming. A part of Boba hoped that would be the end of it; they could move on now. He’d never felt at ease in a place so drenched in history and expectation as Concord Dawn, anyway. Here he couldn’t pull a mask over his face and exist solely as that mask; here, he truly was his father’s son.

Yet the rains finally came with a vengeance, rumbling across the fields and lighting up the horizon. That too, Boba could do without. He didn’t much care for storms, not since -

“ - c’mon!” however, Sintas wouldn’t take no for an answer. She pulled him out into the rain and spun about in giddy circles, laughing to bask in the deluge. Boba stood still, drawn by her undertow without quite joining her, wondering – again – for the simplicity of her joy.

“I know it’s not home,” the lightning reflected in her eyes, shocking him even without striking, “but it’s our home, Bo. Just wait; it’ll feel like it soon enough.”

In that moment, for just a moment, he wanted to make her certainty his own.

Spoiler: End Notes

Ahsoka and Shaak Ti: Ahsoka did kill her first akul - which is a dangerous critter if ever there was one - in a ritual hunt when she was only eleven. That's where the teeth in her headdress come from, though I wonder where they went following her leaving the Jedi Order? I have to imagine that Shaak accompanied her on her hunt, as there are few other Togruta in the Jedi Order - or in the known galaxy behind their homeworld and colonies, even. They are too much of a clan species to venture out independently, which really gives an interesting few insights into Ahsoka and Shaak's characters.

Cara and Helia Dune: Though Cara getting into scrapes as a youngster and shocking her poor mother's Alderaanian sensibilities is pretty much nothing short of canon, I was particularly inspired by this update in @divapilot's Far From Home. Her Cara Dune diary is quite possibly the best thing ever, so if you haven't read it you should do yourself a favor and treat yourself. Helianthus is my fanon name for Cara's mother.

Boba/Sintas: They're a rather lesser known part of Legends, so I have a bit of background for those of you who are curious! Boba and Sintas met as children at some point following RoTS. They were both orphaned during the Clone Wars and lived violent, criminal lifestyles to survive. They were partners as bounty hunters first, and then married while still just teenagers. They tried going 'respectable' and settled on the old Fett farmstead on Concord Dawn that Jango had left to Boba. There, Boba joined the Journeymen Protectors and Sintas too dove into the Mandalorian way of life - as a culture who adopted anyone willing to follow the Six Actions of Resol'nare, she took to the idea of planting roots and belonging to a community a lot quicker and easier than Boba - or at least it seems from the context. Boba, ultimately, couldn't reconcile with his heritage and failed to adjust to being part of a family. After a string of awful, unhappy events I won't get into here, he left Sintas and his daughter Ailyn behind. (In my Sintas diary, which I plan to start back up in July, I'm going to have to fix that, of course, as my Song!verse does best. ) The fanboys can keep their macho super-merc they love to droll over. For me, the Boba who struggles with his culture and identity; who only feels confident and secure hiding behind a mask; who is really just an awkward, broken dork when he's not holding a weapon and doing the only thing he thinks he's good at - yep. That's the story I'm far more interested in.

~ MJ

 

Catching up, catching up, catching up! And I'm feeling immensely sheepish about it, especially after you went so far as to honor my character and my fanon so beautifully in "Monastery" and "Pilgrimage." Thank you so, so much once again; it was so very in the spirit of the character and of the lore, from the descriptions of the way the Force/Ashla moves on Mount Straga (I read that and was like, "Yes, YES! She gets it!") right down to your spot-on portrayal of Zeb and Shulma's interactions and very different modes of self-expression (plus, I love that Zeb gets to be a dignitary for once in his life! Woot! ). It really means a lot to me that universe of mine means so much to you!

Really, I have been enjoying all of your drabbles. As always, you've got such an amazing and varied panoply of characters, eras, relationships, and canon compliancies. It's really impressive how deeply and tenderly you know and love all these characters from all these different media and eras, because the love really does shine through in every single piece. For the Legends and TCW characters whose original media I don't know well--the clones, the NJO Jedi, the later-generation SkySolos, the Rogue Squadron pilots--your version--here and in other works--pretty much has become how I see them.

I'll be here a long time if I name every scene that touched me particularly, but I'll make mention of a few others that stood out. You know I love your wonderful Rhysa being the one who got to go on the "exchange program" to Lasan (and I adore the idea of the exchange program in general). I found "Gifted" with Tahiri and Sliven very poignant--it's chilling that Skywalker the Revenger is still remembered by the Tuskens even in this much later period, and how this Tusken chief feels the repercussions of that even now as he hands over Tahiri to be trained by the new Skywalker. I remember being intrigued by the friendship between Mara and Maul/Zaed in other SongVerse stories, and I love that you gave them their own drabble in "Smuggle"; Mara's generosity is no small thing given her own tormented background even in this 'verse, and even Zaed can see it. And in this most recent week (but not just, because it's all over the otherr weeks too), I love the way you focus on the strength and closeness of female characters: Shaak Ti reminiscing about her youth on Shili as she mentors her fellow Togruta Ahsoka, a beautiful courting gift for Beru--and woot, how cool to meet the famous/infamous Helianthus Dune and see some early manifestations of her daughter's fighting spirit!

Beautiful work--keep it up, and I look forward to seeing what you will do with prompts to come!

 

Thanks so much for the wonderful feedback again, you two! I really appreciate it.

Now, some replies before I start catching up on these sets! Wow, but it was so easy to fall behind in these. Let's see if I can fix that before the next week is posted!

Thanks! I loved writing this moment, letting Padmé have her grief and Shmi being a mother first and foremost. She really went through so much as just a fourteen year old girl in TPM, and I think that's easy to forget sometimes!

You know how much I love my Togruta ladies!

Owen/Beru really is just one of the best couples for how well they compliment each other, it's true! And Owen is totally a super secret softy here. Just don't tell anyone.

Gah, but awkward turtle duck Boba is the best Boba, especially while he's trying to figure out who he is and how he identifies with his heritage and exactly how much he actually does love his wife. Though this one technically fits in with Legends!canon, you know I see it in my Song!verse to give them a better ending. Yes siree I do.

Thank you so much for your support and kind words, my friend, as always!

Pfft, there is nothing to feel sheepish or sorry about! DRL challenges us all, and when your comments do come they are always SUCH A TREAT. I will admit that I read this one a few times over, it completely made my day. So, thank you!

Aw, this made me so happy! You and Raissa really have created the best fanon and 'verse, and it was an honor to borrow a few bits and pieces to include in my Song!verse! I'm just thrilled that you found my inclusions right on target! I was definitely holding my breath for that. I loved exploring, in a small way, how views of the Force can differ and yet be so fundamentally the same. And Shulma visiting Ossus was just all sorts of satisfying fun for me! I can imagine her really dazzling a few of the Jedi, and can you imagine what she can do with a kyber crystal after her Gathering??? Especially with how crystals are already such an important part of Lasat shamanism to begin with . . . anyway, it's such an interesting what-if to think about, and I love it to pieces. Plus, it lets Zeb and Shulma be their best selves together. Which really was the crux of that drabble.

Also: yes! I loved writing Zeb as a dignitary, you know I did. As much as I adored him in Rebels, there really was more than one missed opportunity with his character when it came to leadership and his past experience making him worth more than comedic relief. Not that he didn't have his shining moments, of course, but there could have been more.

Ah well, that's what we have fan fiction for!

Aw, thanks! This really meant a lot to me, and I appreciate your kind words more than I can say. I just love this galaxy far, far away so, so much in almost all of its shapes and forms. (Sorry ST! )

Even the few you mentioned made me so happy! I can definitely agree with a few of your favorites being mine too!

Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback, again! I hope you continue to enjoy the rest of these as they come!


Alrighty, the next set will be up in just a few!





~MJ

 

Author's Note: For this next set (still carrying on with hefty drabbles, because I'm me) we are going way before the saga, all the way back to the Knights of the Old Republic era. These drabbles are set in the same 'verse as My Name's a War Song and We're Going Down Swinging, which builds on my exaggerated, somewhat fanon relationship between fem!Revan, Malak, and Meetra Surik. Because apparently I like making already angsty stories even angstier. But, my muse has spoken, so what can I do but obey?

Then, as a last note, the title for this week's set is taken from Diary, by Chuck Palahnuik.

​

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Week VII: “we have no scars to show from happiness (we learn so little from peace)”
(Before the Saga; KotOR | Revan/Alek, Meetra Surik & Ensemble)​

XXXI. Bight

The burning ruin was a gash on the rocky coastline, cut into the beauty of the landscape like a sore rotting on healthy flesh.

Master Hayal had been a system away from Quelii when he felt the outcry in the Force, screaming from a young mind. By the time he arrived there was no helping the small mining colony – nothing that he could have done, regardless. The Republic had made their stance on the Mandalorians’ growing boldness in the Outer Rim exceedingly clear, and Quelii was beyond their borders. Yet . . .

He found a small child hidden in the sea caves, who’d survived the scourge of the masked invaders. The boy was silent – mute from shock – but he blazed in the Force like a newborn star erupting from a nebula. The Mandalorians may have taken their all from this world, but this one thing they had unwittingly given in return.



XXXII. Thrush

The little songbird just barely survived an encounter with a convor. The children, it seemed, were unable to let nature take its course from there.

Hayal suspected as much. Alek had been stuffing dinner rolls in his pockets, while Revan and Meetra combed the gardens for mealworms. Chirping could be heard from the initiate dormitories during the day – and throughout the night.

When the poor creature passed, despite their best efforts, the truth of the matter was revealed. “We have no power over life and death,” he tried to sooth Meetra's tears. Revan, who glowered as if she could triumph over the natural world with nothing more than her will alone, simply made fists of her hands.

When, later, Alek came to him and asked, “Was it me? Did I kill the bird?” Hayal ignored a sudden surge of strange foreboding.

“Of course not. Why would you ever think that?”

In answer, Alek was only silent.



XXXIII. Barrel

Nar Shaddaa may have been a wretched hive of scum and villainy, but the Contraband Barrel was a fine establishment – minus the suspiciously sticky floor and stained plastileather booths – who at least understood the difference between quality Corellian ale and its acid water knockoff cousin, Soccoran stout. Meetra happily tipped back her mug, content to blend in with the denizens of the Smuggler’s Moon at the end of their mission. Pushing aside everything she wanted to ignore – the way Alek held himself so tightly as of late, as if to keep his light from escaping, while Revan raged against the Council’s inaction against the Mandalorians’ growing boldness in the outlier worlds – she instead danced and sang along with the Gamorrean band onstage. After another pint of ale she even convinced her friends to do the same. For that night they were simply them, themselves; everything else could wait until the morning.



XXXIV. Vintage

“It’s not tihaar, but it’ll do.”

For once, not even Carth couldn't even find a reason to disagree with their Mandalorian comrade. Sitting in the cargo bay of the Ebon Hawk, they relaxed with bottles of Corellian ale at the end of a long day. Even Bastila lost the stiff set to her shoulders, smiling as Zabaar tried to keep Mission from having more than a sip. [This is not for cubs], he counseled in amusement, holding the spirits up out of her reach as she jumped and uselessly cajoled for the Wookiee to change his mind. Music played over the ship speakers – one of Mission’s mixes, and for the upbeat rhythm and Huttese vocals, Rayne tapped her foot and remembered -

- laughing and dancing and living, with Meetra pulling her in and spinning her out while Alek’s eyes turned so bright with a light she'd missed and at one time craved, before -

“You okay there, atin’ika?”

Not missing the careful way Bastila watched her, Rayne took a long swig of her ale. “Of course I am.”



XXXV. Key

Dantooine echoed with the presence of ghosts; all old friends, now long gone. Revan half suspected that she was another such specter, walking along the deserted ways that had once been so familiar to her feet.

The Jedi kept no memorials for their dead – the Force remembered its children, and the Force itself was luminous – but that wasn't enough then. Not nearly. So, she took the path down to the blba tree by the river, which had once stood over the happiest days of her childhood. There, she buried Malak’s lightsaber – Alek’s lightsaber – and bowed her head to remember him as she'd once loved him, before the dark had moved in and overtaken everything . . . at her biding, by her hand, to her satisfaction.

He’d been her fulcrum and shield and fisted right hand for so many years; he was the key to her rise and fall and rebirth in so many ways. In the end, she only grieved that he hadn't allowed her to be his in return when it mattered most.

Spoiler: End Notes

Hayal is my OC for Alek's Master on Dantooine. But, more about him later.

Tihaar is a very strong Mandalorian spirit made from distilled fruit.

Atin'ika means little stubborn one, in Mando'a. But the word atin also means endurance and persevering through hardship as much as it means stubborn and defiant. Which, of course, makes it a perfect Mandalorian endearment for Canderous and the amnesiac Revan, whom I always called Rayne.

~MJ

 

Ooh, how wonderful to see you tackling these characters again and the intricate relationships among them! I especially loved seeing them as kiddos in “Thrush,” all reacting to the little bird’s unfortunate death in such different and characteristic ways. And what beautifully bittersweet reminiscences in “Vintage” and “Key” as Revan/Rayne recalls those happier, more untroubled times with her best friends in the universe. (Though of course I smiled to see Rayne recall Meetra’s keen dancing skills, which I recall so fondly from “We’re Going Down Swinging”! ) I’m guessing “Key” takes place after the end of KOTOR, after Revan has finally defeated Malak, and you’ve painted a really beautiful image of her reflecting and remembering “what could have been” there among the ghosts of Danooine—a lovely missing scene and, as @amidalachick says, a very powerful ending to the set. Bravissima again on another mighty fine set, ma’am!

 

Author's Notes: Whew! So, I can't believe how far I've fallen behind with these drabbles . . . these drabbles, and, well, pretty much everything else on the boards, too. DRL has kicked me in the shebs this summer, to put it lightly, and I'm trying my best to roll with the punches and dive right back in. Because I do miss writing, and reviewing too! I have so many excellent stories to catch up on; so much so that I don't even know where to begin. But, that's half the fun.

I'm going to get back to regular replies from here on out, but I have to take a moment to thank @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha, @amidalachick, and @Findswoman for leaving reviews after the last set. Your comments really do mean the world to me, and I appreciate every word more than I can properly express.

With that said, there's no time like the present to get back into the swing of things. So, here I am with my next set of drabbles! This week is very, very self-indulgently set in my Song!verse, and features a few of my favourite clone troopers as they adjust to life after the Secession Crisis. These drabbles will make more sense for those of you who're already familiar with the entirety of my 'verse, so I left a few notes for context behind the spoiler tag here at the beginning - if you're so inclined, of course!

Then, as always, I thank every one of you so very much again for reading! Enjoy.

Spoiler: Song!Verse Notes

Ahsoka/Rex: Yep. They are totally endgame in this 'verse. They're one of my OTPs of OTPs, and I just love them to pieces. As of right now, my plan is to finally finish my Ahsoka diary for the 2021 diary season, and then I'm going to write their story out in a full novella as it deserves to be written . . . you know, seeing as how it's a plot bunny I've literally been sitting on for years now. I'm not going to give up and cash out with a vignette.

Cut/Suu Lawquane: For those of you who may be unfamiliar with TCW, in Season 2 we were introduced to the Lawquane family. Right after the battle of Geonosis, Cut's transport was shot down over Saluecami. He was the only one of his battalion that survived. A local woman, Suu, took him in from the wreckage and nursed him back to health. He fell in love with her, and stayed to marry her instead of returning to the GAR. Meeting Cut is the first time Rex was baldly confronted with exactly who he is and flat out asked what he wants from life onscreen - which he couldn't exactly answer for himself just then. It was a fantastic, thought provoking couple of episodes; really, just A+ writing! So, following that, I had to give the serum fixing the clones' aging to Cut, too! He and Suu deserve nothing less. (As a side point, as I should probably back up even further: I fixed the clones' aging in my 'verse. It just hurts my heart that Rex and Kanan are literally the same age for reference, chronologically speaking, but Rex will die years before his time. ) If you're interested, I explored a little more about Cut and Suu's story, and wrote a coda for Rex following The Deserter in Under Our Own Vine and Fig Tree.

Amily/Jesse: Amily is an Alderaanian artist that I introduced in my Constellations ficlet, As You Are. Jesse and Kix chose to settle on Alderaan after the passing of the Clone Rights Bill - which is another story I'd like to someday write! Them acclimating to civilian life, and a little bit of a romance, too, has all the makings of a good rom-com, which is something I haven't quite dabbled with before. Amily and Jesse meet at a caf-house, where she's a barista working to support her art, to fill in another favorite fan fiction trope. The rest is history from there.

Briant Organa: In my 'verse, when touring the cloning factories after the war as Chancellor to decide what to do with the clones who're left in various stages of development but are no longer needed as soldiers, Bail Organa came across a baby clone who was born with a damaged respiratory system and dubbed 'defective' by the Kaminoans. After some not too subtle coaxing by Shaak Ti, Bail left Kamino plus one. Bail and Breha name the boy Briant and raise him as their own. They also end up adopting Winter after the death of her parents, much the same as in Legends canon, and she becomes the Princess of Alderaan and heir to her mother's throne. More about the Organa family in my 'verse cane be found in Of The Blood.

. . . and, whew, is that everything? Yep. I think that's everything. But, of course, if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask! As always, there's nothing I like better than to chat about this 'verse.

---

Week VIII: “Enter, Life”
(Saga-PT, 4 years post-RoTS; Song!Verse AU | Ensemble Clones)​

XXVI. Mug (pre-Ahsoka Tano/Rex)

Ahsoka couldn’t help but grin, enjoying Rex’s discomfort as he was fitted with formal robes to speak for the Clone Rights Bill. Rex – ever the soldier – kept straight and still, but he couldn’t wholly hide his concerns. “I don’t understand why it has to be me, ma’am. There’s literally nothing special about me; any one of us would do.”

“No,” Padmé hummed in approval, looking him over as her designer stepped away. “It has to be you, Rex; you’re perfect.”

Rex glanced to her, then – clearly self-conscious out of his armor – yet Ahsoka found her voice dry in her throat. She was suddenly unable to tease. Her captain – her confidant and comrade and best friend for years now – looked, well . . . he looked good. (Really, really good.) The blue on her lekku flushed dark as she inwardly shook herself. “The Senate won’t know what hit ‘em, Rexter,” she flashed her teeth to recover. “Knock ‘em dead.”



XXXVII. Goblet (Cody)

He felt like he was doing something wrong, walking away from the 212th’s barracks alone that evening. He didn’t ask permission; he didn’t need to ask permission, not anymore. His shift – now a paid working day – was done, and he was free to go. Yet, no mater his newfound freedom, even simple decisions such as what to wear or what to eat or choosing where to go, whenever and however he wanted, remained overwhelming. He was a clone trooper, engineered and purchased to fight and die for the Republic. His wants (his hopes, his dreams, the abstract concept of a future) had never been a factor – even in his own mind.

So, he decided to start small, with a nice eatery General Kenobi had recommended. He ordered a nerf steak dinner, and paired that with a goblet of good Ennth red that felt like a splurge. Listening to the live music playing in the background, Cody exhaled, and allowed himself to live.



XXXVIII. Glass (Rex & Cut/Suu Lawquane)

The Lawquane homestead was just as he remembered, filled with laughter and light and love. For once, it wasn’t envy Rex felt for his vod’s family – not quite – but rather anticipation for his own future ahead.

(She was just waiting for him to get his head out of his shebs, after all.)

“Here,” Rex held out a vial, explaining the reason for his visit. “The long-necks fixed the gene that speeds our aging.” In answer, Cut was silent, clearly overwhelmed. In contrast, Suu’s hands flew to cover her mouth, muffling a sob. She tried once, twice, before breaking down like glass, weeping as a tension she’d too long held finally snapped. Discretely, Rex left, allowing the couple their privacy.

Outside, he watched the sun set over the fields with new eyes. What do you want from life, Rex? Cut had asked him once, all those years ago. At long last, he thought he had an answer.



XXXIX. Cup (pre-Amily Gabrees/Jesse)

Working at the Brewed Awakenings caf-house, it wasn’t every day that Amily had a patron like him. He stood straight and tall – too straight, too tall – like the soldier it took Amily a moment to understand he truly was. He stuck out like a boulder in her usual white-water current of morning commuters and stimulant seekers. The boldly marked ink on his face and shaved scalp was admittedly unique compared to Alderaan’s more traditional preference for art and beauty, granted, but still she stared, unable to look away.

His eyes flicked uncertainly over the holoboard when it was his turn to order, before he admitted, “I . . . uh, I didn’t realize there was more to caf beyond just . . . you know, caf.”

For that, she couldn’t help but grin, delighted. “Then you, my friend, are in for a surprise. It’s a wide world out there; stick with me and I’ll show it to you.”



XL. Chalice (Bail Organa/Breha Organa & Briant Organa)

A sense of serenity and reverence fell over him in the Basilica of the Moonless Isles, the likes of which he hadn't felt since holding Breha’s hands in his own and vowing to love her for all his days.

When the white robed Holy Mother overseeing the ceremony offered him the chalice to drink from, he drank. Beside him, Breha did the same. The Mother then sprinkled the water from the chalice on the head of the baby she held, before passing him to his new parents. (They were now parents.)

“Your son, Your Majesties,” the Mother said simply, concluding the ceremony. “May he bring honor to the High House and joy to your hearts, as his light was chosen rather than borne. May he be a blessing to you, just as you have so chosen to bless him.”

A blessing, Bail thought as they held their son close, as he truly was.



~MJ

 

Ooh, ooh, so very glad to see you back with another beautiful set!

I always love the emotional depth and personality that you give the clones in your work; it's something they don't often get portrayed with, yet they deserve it so much, and your SongVerse definitely gives it to them in spades and more so. I love the idea of Rex being the spokesperson for the Clone Rights Bill; he really is the ideal man for the job, and I bet he looks absolutely stunning in those robes! Cody definitely deserves those simple pleasures and that scrumptious dinner on his own, though I can totally see where they still feel a little unaccustomed to him, given everything. It's sweet to see Rex visiting Cut and Suu again now that he has a bit different perspective on his own future and has found someone (viz., ) to build his own happily-ever-after with; he doesn't have to be jealous or bewildered anymore, because he knows the same tranquility and joy is in store for him, too. <3 I smiled to see Amily again, and not only that, what seems to be a real "meet cute" between her and Jesse--their bonding over the many forms of caf is definitely going to be the start of something beautiful! And BRIANT BRIANT BRIANT! I always love seeing him whenever he appears in your stories, and wow, what a beautiful ceremony for a beautiful beginning! (I bet their wedding was super lovely, too!)

Wonderful work, as always, and such a joy to see you and this 'verse again!

 

Thanks, you guys, for your kind words! It always means a lot to me to read your feedback.

Thanks! I loved writing all of these warm, mushy moments. It's no less than these characters deserved.

Aw, thanks! It's great to be back. My muse has been stuck for far too long this summer, so being able to write these felt all sorts of good.

Thank you so much! You know how much I love these dear boys, and I really enjoy giving them agency and autonomy and letting their individual personalities shine through. For every one of them! (Especially in my Song!verse. )

BRIANT!! The Organa family in this 'verse is just one of my favourite things about how this AU has developed, and I honestly need to write a longer story for them. I'm thrilled to pieces that you found this little snipped enjoyable too.

Thank you so much for your kind words, again! I always appreciate you reading and leaving your thoughts more than I can say.

BRODIE! Thanks for the warm welcome, and for the treat of your stopping in and leaving a review. It was great to get back into the swing writing with these, and I'm happy you enjoyed them too.

I can really just only begin to imagine, you're right! It's going to be a long road filled with its own unique challenges and hurdles along the way, but Cody - and all of the vod'e - will figure it out.

Thank-you! I loved meeting Cut and Suu in TCW, and loved even more giving them as much time together as they deserve to have in this 'verse. I was really proud of that drabble, and thrilled to hear that the emotional impact read loud and clear.

Again, I really appreciate your kind words more than I can say, and I hope that you continue to enjoy these as they go!


Alrighty! The next set will be up in just a few.


~ MJ

 

Week IX: “theirs but to do and die”
(Saga-PT; TCW | Ensemble Cast)​

XLI. Explosive (Fives & Tup)

They were deploying them younger and younger from Kamino.

This newest batch of shinies to join the 501st was what – physically seventeen years old? Eighteen, if that? Fives sighed, remembering when his own armor was stark white and he’d been considered droid-bait fresh for the frontlines. Back when he still had his batch, and Echo . . .

Yet when one of the rookies – who’d just picked the name Tup for himself – tried to set the charges to cover their retreat just so, Fives skid to a halt and harshly swatted his bucket. “When trying to keep up with General Skywalker, just remember 'P' for Plenty,” he snapped. “You’re going to get yourself killed.”

Most of these soldiers – a rushed product churned out to meet the ever increasing demands of the war – wouldn’t last long. But, if he could help this one . . .

. . . well, it’s what Echo would've wanted him to do.



XLII. Speed (Caleb Dume & Stance)

How could he not have been fast enough to save him?

Stance had earned his name standing guard over his body on Kardoa, yet Caleb hadn’t been enough of a Jedi to defend his life in return, to step up and earn his command when it mattered most. (Even if he’d made sure that Colonel Sear hadn’t lived long enough to revel in his victory – much as his satisfaction reeked of the Dark and had to be set aside.)

He’d lost his first friend, Caleb still couldn't quite believe . . . and taken his first life.

Sniffling, one last time – he was a Padawan Commander in the Grand Army of the Republic, and Padawan Commanders did not cry like younglings – Caleb furiously wiped his eyes. He would be faster next time; he would do better; he would be the Jedi his men deserved him to be. At just thirteen years old he made a defining vow, and swore to never lose anyone whose life he could otherwise save. Not ever again.



XLIII. Thought (Bly/Aayla Secura)

Their casualties had been heavy that campaign. He knew that Aayla felt each and every death as physical blows; he could see her despondency in the slope of her shoulders and the heavy fall of her lekku as they huddled together underneath a tarp in the trench. The Separatist guns had gone silent, at least, granting them a reprieve while the storm passed.

Until then, Bly could be a bulwark for his Jedi, just as she always stood so strong for them.

“Have you ever thought of what you’d like next from life, Commander?” Aayla broke the rhythm of the rain to ask.

“I’d like to be somewhere dry,” drolly, he replied, “and quiet.”

He . . . he’d like to follow her, Bly knew but couldn't say. Maybe someday, when the war was over, he’d add her blue to the gold of his tattoos, and pledge himself as hers in every way. But that thought was hushed and forbidden – a useless fantasy.

“I think,” even so, Aayla knocked her shoulder against his own, “I’d like that too.”



XLIV. Absorb (Kix & Anakin Skywalker & Obi-Wan Kenobi)

If there was one thing the long-necks hadn’t covered in their flash-training, it was just how karking stubborn and idiotically self-sacrificing Jedi could be.

Kix was done with his general: done with him abusing his injured leg like he wanted another mech limb; done with him taking stim shots for the third day straight to stay awake; and done with him planning to fight with yet another concussion and his ribs still bruised from their last campaign and what Kix suspected was internal bleeding but would only know for sure if he’d just let him be the damn medic and look at his wounds -

- he moved without conscious thought, and jabbed his general’s neck with a sedative. Jedi or not, phenomenal god-like power or not, Skywalker was out before he even slumped over the tactical table.

Only belatedly realizing that his actions could be considered insubordination – at best – Kix flinched, and guiltily met General Kenobi’s eyes.

“I,” Obi-Wan sighed, “didn’t see a thing. Carry on, and do what you must.”



XLV. Change (Jesse & Kix)

There was something almost lulling about the pass of a spray-brush over plastoid. Though painting one’s armor was usually a personal endeavor, some designs required a deft hand, and Jesse had long been considered the battalion’s go-to artist. Many of his brothers had asked him to paint Commander – no, General Tano’s – markings on their buckets, loudly declaring themselves as eager and proud to fight by her side, at her command.

“It’s been too long since we’ve had something worth celebrating,” Kix tried on his own helmet, admiring the newly applied sunset tones next to the traditional 501st blue. “Rex has scarce been able to stop smiling – he’s scaring the shinies.”

“It’s a good change,” Jesse couldn't help but grin to agree. Hopefully – they had to be close to the end of the war, by now, right? – it would simply be the first of many.

---

End Notes: Sooooo . . . if you're a sucker for angst, this set can lead right into RotS and Order 66, and, yikes but that makes a few of these hit even harder, doesn't it? Or, you can call this a precursor to my Song!verse and everything good and right for these dear characters. Whichever you prefer.

Then, I have just a few more notes behind the spoiler cut, for anyone who wanted some more background for a few of these drabbles. If not, I thank you all for reading and hope that you enjoyed!

Spoiler: More Notes

Caleb, Stance, and Child Soldiers in the Clone Wars: In the Kanan: First Blood comic, there was a brutal flashback to his early experiences in the war as Depa's Padawan. Before his first battle, we met Stance - who was also a rookie soldier. Stance commiserated with Kanan for being kept on a short leash by Depa, saying that he was treated the same way as a 'green kid' who his captain didn't think was ready for the frontlines, and was an all around goofy dork who really just acted his age. Because, look at this:



&



&


Stance is drawn as the teenage baby he really is - and rightly so! Even the oldest clones, like Rex and Cody and Bly, are only physically 20-26 throughout the course of the Clone Wars. Fives and Echo are younger than them, and clones like Tup are even younger still. It's easy to forget, with the clay animation in TCW making them look so much older than they actually are. (We won't even talk about the decades they put on poor Cut. Yikes. )

Stance earned his name standing over Kanan's body to protect him when he was knocked unconscious in his first battle. However, in his second battle, Stance was was killed right in front of Kanan:



This was Kanan's first brush with the Dark Side, and his first kill in retaliation. All at thirteen years old. There's a heartbreaking panel where, when found right after killing Colonel Sear, Kanan asks not to be called 'kid' again. Because he isn't; this was the death of his innocence.





(That last line I borrowed in my own drabble, as full disclaimer.)

Just . . . this issue really hit home how terrible the Clone Wars were, for everyone involved. So, of course I had to write about that in what small way I could here.

~MJ