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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Beyond - Legends Saga "Antigravity" | Song!verse AU | Kessel Run Challenge 2023

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by Mira_Jade , Jan 13, 2023.

  1. Vek Talis

    Vek Talis Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Oct 12, 2018
    Sorry for being late! Darth Real Life got me. But at least I get to read two at once!

    Oooo, so dark and sinister... I almost didn't want the nightmare to end. ;) Fantastic prophetic dream - nightmare for Leia, but entertaining nonetheless for us. :p



    Yeah, you and me both, kid. :p Still, meeting da boss is quite the experience, I'll bet.

    Well done challenge responses, M_J! =D=
     
  2. vader_incarnate

    vader_incarnate Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jul 29, 2002
    This is the most relatable thing I've ever read on the boards with the possible exception of that time Anakin in Vi's happy AU drabble set was remarking on how children end up spreading out over everything.

    Eee, I love that our brains went to the same place with this, it just feels like such a Palpatine line? And of course that's how Palpatine would see Anakin's refusal to be dumb and Sithy: as a failing on Anakin's fault, and the resultant missing out on something good. But Vadering kinda sucks.

    Such pretty words! And also I'm enjoying this perception of the relationship between the Sith and the dark side to be almost symbiotic - "to feed the night that succored you in return," just lovely. And maybe that's how it was for Sidious! He's a special kind of evil. But it really sucked for just about everyone else, and the relationship seems less symbiotic and more parasitic.

    You weaved this metaphor through the piece so WELL. [face_hypnotized] And Songverse is one of the reading projects I need to get caught up on (Reading Challenge, wut?) but I've read bits and pieces so far (and your Maul vig?? How did you?? So many gorgeous words.) So the added element of - you wove it through a whole 'verse!! But I think it works particularly well here, this is gorgeous.

    Headcanon accepted, and definitely loving the vibes of Naboo as space!Italy.

    Mira Mira Mira have you ever seen the breakdowns of how the ingredients in the witches' brew in MacBeth are actually kinda mundane - like how "eye of newt" is probably just mustard seed? The ominous sounding plant names are so fun.

    I love this Palpatine signature overconfidence; the quasar metaphor is fantastic, especially in opposition to the stars that I see (and use?) often for the Skywalkers. I also really like perception of the Dark as inevitable.

    Eeeee [face_love]

    Hehehe, he's having so more fun doing this than being dumb and Sithy, I love this for him. :anakin:

    Bahahaha perfect. [face_laugh] And yes, please have Mara knit that man a hat, being cold is terrible. Also, just have a lovely mental image of everyone in their snow gear, and I want them in hats with poofs on top.

    Eeep, y'all in trouble now.

    Obi-Wan, this is absolutely the shenanigan you would have taught your apprentice -

    I just love this so much. [face_love][face_laugh][:D]

    Oh oh oh I should put that in my sig


    And I'll come back for Weeks 2 and 3. <3
     
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2023
  3. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    No binging for me but I like this time-line where Anakin is guiding new younglings like Deniel
     
  4. UltramassiveUbersue

    UltramassiveUbersue Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    Nov 7, 2022
    Ah, catching up on two wonderful entries!

    I love how this imagery of conveys Leia's disembodied helplessness in an unobtrusive and yet tangible way.

    Poor Leia! It's like she is confronting the sum of a young adult's pain all at once.

    The Force opens up new frontiers of trauma, doesn't it. :(

    :_|

    ...I think I need a hug now.

    I really get the feeling that Anakin knows exactly what she has seen, and that knowing what his children are bound to see eventually must weigh heavily on him. Very, very well done! =D=

    Great use of the prompt phrase!

    Awww, poor guy! You capture a nine-year-old's mindset so well, and how undignified it feels to be behind kids younger than you. It's your whole world and it's just the worst.

    Aww, so much pressure to put on himself! :( I just want to give him a hug.

    [face_laugh] So, so relateable. I don't know how many times I've struggled to find my classroom and thought angrily, "Who designed this place?"

    Poor fella, overwhelmed and still learning how to self-soothe. We've all been there, little man!

    Aww, Anakin is such a sweet fatherly figure. It's so nice to see him like this. And I love how Deniel can simultaneously be starstruck and compelled to snatch back his personal journal! [face_laugh]

    I love this so much! I love how you convey the profound language barriers that exist between peoples, and how being a Jedi means you can cut right through that and just understand each other. It's lovely. :)

    Awwwww!

    I'm so happy that light!Anakin is going to feature in all/most of your Kessel fics this year, because he's just so heartwarming.

    Awwww! I love that Anakin is introducing himself as though Deniel were an adult, because that's the kind of validation that he needs right now to recover his sense of dignity.

    Deniel is such a likeable character, and I'm glad we're likely to see more of him. And I'm really enjoying the way that you're portraying the kinds of adjustments that a Twi'lek has to make to live in a majority human society, such as how limited human nonverbal communication is by comparison.

    Looking forward to reading more! :)
     
  5. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Whew! Beautifully written and the oomphy "You" just makes it that much more! I also sighed with profound relief when the dream faded and all was as it should be. @};- =D=
     
  6. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    Awww! I like this kid! And I always both enjoy and empathize with a good "no good, very bad day" story. Given who Deniel meets during said no-good day, it had about equal chance of getting either better or worse—but in this universe, with this Ani, of course it got better! When you're a young, not-super-confident kid, nothing gives you a boost like being noticed by someone who's a hero to you, and it's even better when that hero takes the time to talk to you and shows they have common ground with you—exactly what Ani does right here. I bet Deniel went off to that history class in much perkier spirits! Thanks for introducing us to him; I'd love to see him again sometime! :D
     
  7. Gabri_Jade

    Gabri_Jade Fanfic Archive Editor Emeritus star 5 VIP

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2002
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    That's true, I forgot that Mace was his grand-master! Ezra, now, he's just incorrigible :p

    Just all so poetic and well written [face_love]

    This would be me :p

    Once I managed to get oatmeal in my hair. Have I mentioned that I'm not a morning person? :p

    That would be upsetting!

    lolol

    Aw [face_love]

    I love this, both that you include lekku communication and that Anakin gets it [face_love]

    Yes, parents who didn't give up their child to the Jedi! I like seeing that side of the equation for once :D

    I love all of this [face_love]

    But maybe not as much as I love this [face_rofl] (Love you, Vi :* )
     
  8. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2007
    What a relief for the sweet bébé! :)

    Oh the sensitive 'tween vibes here, very good.

    Excellent linguistic detail.

    Ahah, I will copy this note because I, too, haven't watched Andor. I'm working my way through Bad Batch and squeeing over the animation. I feel like I'm in an Albert Bierstadt painting.
     
  9. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    This was so cute! I love how real Deniel feels as a nine-year-old, feeling all grown up compared to the younglings in the creche, but still not really able to put things into perspective and fearing that his nervousness at spilling his datacards all over the floor might be the path to the dark side. The "peace, peace, peace, a Jedi was always at peace" line had me laughing out loud, as did his side thoughts about the Jedi ("Why, oh why, did the Jedi seem to value the journey over actually reaching their destination as quickly as possible?")

    Another aspect that was truly striking was how deeply attached he is not only to his family but also to his Twi'lek culture, with thoughts that he's unable to express without his lekku and constant references to the goddess. And this:
    Again, the real excitement of a nine-year-old. His audience for the story of how he met Anakin Skywalker is... his sibling. I'd say you're well on your way to not turning to the dark, kid; you're just not arrogant enough.

    Oh, and I'm totally on board with the Andor spoilers, because of, you know, that speech.
     
  10. Mira_Jade

    Mira_Jade The (FavoriteTM) Fanfic Mod With the Cape star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2004
    I can't thank you all enough for your wonderful feedback and encouragement! [:D]


    That's such a good trick! And one I've since been trying with lots of RL names for OC research. :p

    I love being in such excellent company. [face_mischief] :*

    Because it's just such a Palpatine line to think! He's so corrupted that his entire existence (I can't say life) is consumed with the idea of gaining even more power. And someone who willingly rejects that same power? Unthinkable. Clearly a mark of cowardice.

    Also, Vadering totally sucks and Anakin dodged so much more than a bullet. :p

    Definitely parasitic! I love the idea of the Dark feeding on its wielders even as it gives them strength. It just . . . fits. [face_skull]

    Aw, thanks! And happy reading if and when you get around to it - but most certainly no pressure! ;) [:D]

    Headcanon accepted, and definitely loving the vibes of Naboo as space!Italy.

    It just fits, doesn't it?? I still can't believe that Lake Como is real in our world. And some of the architecture and the vibes? - yeah, I can't unsee it now either. :p

    OMG, right?? My first job was working for my family's landscaping business, and I love the sheer variety of plant names just as much as I do the plants themselves. Mankind is just so extra in naming things, and I had a ridiculous amount of fun coming up with names for this selection of weeds.

    Signature overconfidence, indeed! And that same arrogance would lead him to use a quasar as a metaphor. It all goes back to the Dark feeding, again - even on stars! (Parasitic and even vampiric in a way. [face_thinking]) The Dark may seem inevitable - I was really leaning into Stover's A+ work here - but even a single candle can push back that same dark. [face_love]

    *curtsies*

    Again, I am so glad that you enjoyed this story in particular - no one on the boards writes the Sith quite like you do, and I'm honored to have your approval. :emperor:

    Definitely beats Vadering. [face_whistling]

    Heck yeah there's gonna be poofs on top! Gosh, but I just love this mental image too! [face_love]

    [face_worried][face_nail_biting]

    [face_laugh] [face_love] [:D]

    It's a title you've more than earned. [face_mischief] :*

    Thanks again for the wonderful feedback! [:D]



    Success! That's just what I was going for. [face_mischief]

    Thank you so much! [face_love] [:D]



    Thanks! It's always so much fun to dabble in this 'verse. [face_love]



    :D [:D]

    Thank you! That and the second-person POV really helped convey that dreamlike sense of terror and helplessness. It was an interesting exercise while writing, and I'm happy to hear that it was effective as a reader too! :)

    I hadn't even thought about it that way, but you're right. =((

    That it does. [face_plain]

    *passes tissue* [:D]

    You're right. Anakin has a very good idea of what she's seen, and it does weigh heavily on him. :(

    Thanks!

    Thanks for saying so! It's always a trick writing children, so I'm glad to hear that his introspection came across well. :D

    This poor little guy is just trying so hard!

    I know, right? [face_laugh] My high school was designed with curving hallways, with lots of circles intersecting. Getting the layout down was a nightmare. I have no idea what the architect was thinking, but that seems like something the Jedi would do. :p

    That we have! :(

    Priorities, you know? :p

    I love writing non-human characters for just this reason! SW gives us such a diverse galaxy to play in, and there's lots to explore! :D

    [face_love]

    It really is the best, writing an Anakin that isn't dumb and Sithy! He's definitely going to feature a fair amount in this Run. [face_love]

    Exactly! [face_love]

    Thank you so much for your kind words! [face_love] [:D]



    Aw, thanks! [face_love] [:D]



    Thank you so much! "No good, very bad day" stories are so relatable, aren't they? And Deniel's day definitely went from the worst to the best! I'm glad that you enjoyed meeting Deniel here, as I do look forward to writing him again in the future. :D [face_love] [:D]



    :p ;) [:D]

    When is too fluffy too fluffy for this 'verse? I don't know, but I'm not going to stop until I find out. [face_mischief]

    I love this lineage of masters and apprentices almost as much as I do our main disaster dynasty. :p Thankfully Mace is very, very patient - even if Ezra tries that patience often. (Look, I love Ezra, I really do, but I spent a fair amount of time watching Rebels either being stressed out or flat out annoyed by him - when did I get so old? :p)

    *curtsies*

    Lol!! [face_love] [:D] Especially throwing in a case of syncing your circadian rhythms to galactic time-zones as a prepubescent kid with the full stress of moving to what equates as a boarding school in order to learn how to master a supernatural power in the wake of a family tragedy. If anyone deserves to wake up late . . . 8-} I-)

    lololl! [face_laugh] [:D]

    For any of us! And especially all the more so for Deniel here. =((

    It just seems like a very Jedi thing to do. :p

    [face_love]!

    You know me and lekku communication - I just think it's so neat! [face_hypnotized] I love thinking that since Twi'leks are such a common species in the Outer Rim Anakin has always known the basic signs, too - and then having a Togruta apprentice helped, with Togruta being very similar to Twi'leks except for all the ways they aren't (at least in my writing :p). Then, a little bit of commonsense empathy and the Force fills in all the rest. [face_love]

    I figured that it had to happen! We've never seen the Jedi outright steal children anywhere in canon (at least that I know of), and it honestly irritates me when a lot of anti-Jedi arguments you see in various fandom spaces paint the Jedi as emotionless kidnapers. Instead, we do see them giving parents a choice - especially in TCW. Now, could parents feel unduly pressured to give up their children out of a skewed sense of obligation (how do you say no?) when they'd otherwise prefer not to? Sure, I can absolutely see that being the case! Even so, I have to imagine that there were families like the Asces who kept their children, and then benefited following the Renewal of the Jedi Order in this AU. [face_love]

    So much. [face_love]

    That is completely fair! [face_laugh] [face_laugh]

    [:D]



    Indeed it is!

    Success! :cool:

    Thanks! :D

    That is the BEST way to describe the artwork for TCW and TBB! I just love it. [face_love] [:D]



    Thank you so much! This little tyke has been thrown in the deep end, so to speak, but he's already treading water and he doesn't realize how close he is to actually swimming. He's got this. [face_love]

    Thank you so much! I love writing Twi'lek characters as it is, but it felt extra important to reference Deniel's family and culture as much as I could because in this 'verse he's amongst a new generation of Jedi Knights who get to be connected to both their birth culture and their adoptive culture in the Order. It's something really special to explore that I am enjoying as an author!

    lololl! That's too true!

    Right?? It's funny, but when I showed my sister Andor. all I said going in was that there's a character who I think is a Jedi in hiding, and I wanted her to guess which one. The very first scene we had with said character, standing there with their coat dramatically blowing in the wind. she was like: yep, right there. Jedi vibes. Only Jedi are that extra with their outerwear. Then, that speech just cinched it. [face_mischief] [face_love]

    As always, I thank you so much for reading, and taking the time to leave your thoughts! [face_love] [:D]



    ~ MJ @};-
     
    Last edited: Feb 4, 2023
  11. Mira_Jade

    Mira_Jade The (FavoriteTM) Fanfic Mod With the Cape star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2004
    Author's Note's: Week Four's challenge was to write 100-1,000 words of action! So, here I am with 600 words of hard-core action and 300 words of banter about action, give or take. (Banter counts as action, right? :p) This story goes hand in hand with Something There (another Song!verse WIP that I need to finish [face_blush]) and features two of the most ace pilots the galaxy has ever seen. My title, of course, is borrowed from Firefly's opening theme, because of reasons. ;) [face_mischief] [face_love]

    Enjoy! [:D]





    Week IV: "Can't Take the Sky From Me"

    The high pitched zwing zwing of laser fire rang in her ears as scorching red light flashed across her viewport – with each shot much too close and growing closer still with every passing millisecond that she failed to shake her opponents.

    “I know, I know!” Jaina Solo answered the shrieks of her astromech. “I took the inertia dampeners offline myself – calibrate what you can manually, and leave the rest to me.”

    A dubious string of binary answered her as she banked hard to starboard. Simultaneously, she sank the nose of her X-wing in a vertical dive, spinning all the while to shake the dogged fighters on her tail. Her stomach pulled and her eyes watered, but she refused to let up on the tight spiral when one, two, and then the third enemy ship was forced to abort their own dive. Their fire flashed harmlessly far and away from their intended target, and Jaina smirked in satisfaction.

    “Don’t!” even so, she clenched her teeth to command as she sank into another dizzying series of rolls. The gravity from the looming gas giant, Prias Major, tugged at her, but she only gunned the throttle in determination, watching as the calculations for potential vectors scrolled across her screen and furiously plotting her next move. “I told you, I’ve got this under control. You just worry about - ”

    Yet her words cut short when she rounded the massive curve of the planet, and there -

    Her eyes widened to see a capital ship, looming on the morning line where the solar system’s distant sun glowed in a luminous halo of light. She immediately cut back on her thrusters and commanded, “All power to the forward shields, now!” just as the space around her erupted in a blinding hailstorm of fire.

    No amount of fancy flying could save her now, no matter how deft her maneuvers. While she spun and dove to escape the range of the cruiser's heavy batteries, one of the fighters behind her got in a lucky shot, causing her X-wing to buck as her portside engine burst into flame. She scrambled to compensate for the loss, tilting that same wing and increasing power to her remaining engine, but she was careening madly out of control. The stars wheeled as black spots tugged at her vision and her gut twisted sickly. Swallowing against a surge of bile, she tightened her grip on the yoke. She was determined that this wouldn’t be the end, so it wouldn't be – it couldn’t be. The information she carried was too vital, her mission too critical; failure simply wasn’t an option.

    For both the Republic and the honor of her name, she would -

    Yet the odds against her were too high. Another flare of red and the thunderous clap of an explosion, and then -

    “Stang it!” Jaina cursed as she lost power to her remaining engine. “No, no, no!”

    She was virtually dead in space now. Only her previous momentum carried her forward as she fired her booster engines to operate as best they could with the loss of their parent systems. Worse yet, Prias Major was looming ahead of her in a growing maw of xanthous gases and hazy aureolin storms. She was trapped by the pull of the planet's gravity – a gravity that would turn crushing once she was swallowed by the atmosphere. She couldn’t possibly escape with the state her ship was in. She could only hope -

    “Hold on!” she shouted. “This is going to be a bumpy ride.”

    But then, appearing seemingly out of nowhere -

    “Do you need backup, fledgling?”

    Jaina Solo opened her eyes, and peered down from the open canopy of her grandfather’s prized Aethersprite starfighter. Sheepishly, she met Anakin Skywalker’s amused gaze, even as Artoo warbled a cheerful greeting from behind her, giving her game away.

    “That sounded like quite the dogfight,” he commented. “How bad was it?”

    “Very bad,” Jaina answered solemnly. “One capital ship, three fighters, and me with only boosters and sublight engines.”

    “That does sound perilous.”

    “And I was on an uncontrolled descent into a gas giant. It was going to crush me with its gravity – if I wasn’t poisoned by the atmosphere when my life support systems failed first.”

    “I see,” Anakin accepted in stride. “Certain doom, then?”

    “Maybe not certain – not for the best pilot in the galaxy.”

    “Oh, is that all?” Anakin chuckled as he reached up to help her down from the cockpit.

    “Well,” Jaina conceded, “the future best pilot in the galaxy.”

    “And how was the galaxy’s best pilot planning to get out of her latest tough spot?”

    “I hadn’t gotten that far,” sheepishly, Jaina admitted. “But now, I think that the second best pilot in the galaxy was just about to come to my rescue.”

    “Right before you were crushed by the gas giant?” Anakin easily accepted his demotion.

    Just before.”

    “Well, now that the day’s been saved, the grandma of the best pilot in the galaxy wants you to know that dinner is ready. It’s time to come inside.”

    Predictably, Jaina pouted. “We can’t stay out here a little longer?”

    “I’ll tell you what – if you come in and eat all of your vegetables without a fuss, I'll take you out for a spin before bed. How does that sound?”

    “I suppose that sounds good." Still, she hesitated. "But, if we’re going to eat dinner first, we might as well stay for dessert, too.”

    For that, Anakin laughed outright. “You’ve been spending too much time with Obi-Wan. All right, my little negotiator, you got it – dessert too.”

    Jaina happily took her grandfather’s hand, and together they left the hangar behind.



    ~ MJ
    @};-
     
    Last edited: Feb 3, 2023
  12. Vek Talis

    Vek Talis Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Oct 12, 2018
    Another gotcha moment from @Mira_Jade =D=
    Another cute kid story... I think I may choke [face_sick] ... [face_peace] j/k!
    I enjoyed the action and the certain impending doom. I expect Wash wouldn't have had a plan to escape that kind of situation... but Mal would have come up with something. :D Can't keep a good Browncoat down. Well, you can, but then another Browncoat just comes along to carry the other. :p
    Another excellent job.
     
  13. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    Ooh, what a dogfight! Jaina's definitely got mad skills, though I'm so glad that canopy opens when it does! [face_relieved] Yes, I would say that such fun and engaging banter about action counts as action, especially when it is between two of the galaxy's best pilots, and especially when those two fine pilots are grandfather and granddaughter! [face_love] And Jaina definitely does have excellent negotiation skills as well as piloting and dogfighting skills, I have to say. :D Thanks for another wonderful moment in the Songverse! =D=
     
  14. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2007
    Ooooh, the Aethersprite sees more action! Love that ship. *pictures Anakin, a silver fox*
     
  15. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Impending doom and then a rescue when the canopy opens to see her grandfather. Jaina is great with her skills as a fledgling pilot
     
    Kahara and Mira_Jade like this.
  16. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    The grandmother of the best pilot in the galaxy may want to have a word with her about her potty mouth, because that doesn't sound like the sort of thing kiddos should say [face_laugh]

    I loved Jaina's space!heroics, it all felt so real ... until it wasn't. I particularly enjoyed how the X-Wing became an Aethersprite starfighter when she came back to reality, but even then she's still making up how she would have been rescued by a demoted (!) Anakin. And of course, back to reality would mean, of all things, dessert =P~
    One aspect of this AU that I really enjoy (at least in what I've read of it, but I'm sure there's more of that in all the rest) is how you manage to pepper it with bits and pieces from the movies that aren't quite part of the story but that make it starwarsy; for instance I recall Ahsoka calling Luke and Leia the "Skykids" in another story I read a long time ago. It's nice to see that, so many years after the events of the AU-PT, Obi-Wan is still around and still a member of the extended family [face_love]
     
  17. ViariSkywalker

    ViariSkywalker Kessel Run Hostess Extraordinaire star 4 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Aug 9, 2002
    DON'T MIND ME, JUST SHOWING UP SEVERAL WEEKS LATE... :p


    Your muse is SO extra, but we wouldn't have you any other way. [face_love] [:D]

    I cracked up when I saw you'd both done second-person POV with week 2 right around the corner. [face_laugh] Come to think of it, a few of the responses to this challenge have been eerily prescient. [face_thinking]

    CHILLS. I mean wow, this is just so Palpatine, isn't it? Overconfident and over the top and just so poetically expressed. [face_hypnotized]

    Okay, so I know I'm always saying bad guys are people, too, and no one starts out bad... but I'll admit, I tend to make an exception for Palpatine, viewing him more as an avatar of darkness than a person like you or me. But damn if this part didn't hit me, like... wow, I can totally see it. And I feel like adding this depth didn't even diminish his evil at all, which is really impressive. And to think that lessons about light and life and cultivation could be so twisted to serve Palpatine's warped goals. [face_plain]

    (Also, I concur with the space!Italy vibes! I watched a video on the storytelling clarity of SW, and when listing the single-biome traits of several SW worlds, Naboo was referred to as "Italy planet". :p)

    MORE CHILLS.

    Also, I love your gardening/seed metaphors whenever and wherever they pop up. Your vivid descriptions in this vein were the first thing that drew me into your writing when I started reading NYaH way back when, and they continue to be perfectly executed here. [face_love]

    Amazing. [face_hypnotized]

    Gaaaah, it's so awful and so good, Mira! [face_love]

    I was already giggling at this point, I had a feeling this was no ordinary battle... [face_tee_hee]

    Mace's tantalizingly bald head! [face_rofl] [face_rofl]

    Caleb! [face_love]

    I could see and hear this whole scene play out; you have all the characters' voices and reactions down perfectly. :D

    [face_rofl] [face_rofl] [face_rofl]

    It's so fluffy, Mira!

    Gaaaaah, baby!Leia reaching out for Padmé but she's not in that reality, just rip my heart out, Mira. :_| =((

    =(( =(( =((

    :_|

    I love all of this, but I especially love the part with Mara and how can she hear but not understand? =(( :_|

    In another world. =(( [face_love]

    I love these details about Ossus' rotation and how Deniel is having a hard time adjusting to that, and then his mental list of all the things that have gone wrong... oh this poor kid, I want to give him a big hug. :( (Also, I love the name Deniel!)

    Don't mind me, just grinning at the idea of a starstruck nine-year-old meeting living legend Anakin Skywalker who made such better life choices, gah! [face_love] And I'm always a sucker for a beloved keepsake from home, especially something like that journal.

    This was a great detail, that Anakin is familiar enough with Twi'lek language and communication that he recognizes both the Ryl symbols and the twitching of Deniel's lekku. I could see this being true simply by virtue of his upbringing on Tatooine and his travels throughout the galaxy as a Jedi, where he crossed paths with so many different species and cultures; but then when you add in time spent around Jedi like Aayla and Shaak Ti and his own padawan, it adds another layer of depth to this brief exchange with Deniel. This is some excellent, subtle worldbuilding. =D=

    THANK YOU. I've always wondered why we didn't have more stories about children (and adults) like this, because I'd always assumed there were probably a fair number of them? (I wrote a character like this way back as a teen, someone whose parents declined the Jedi and then he grew to adulthood during the time of the OT without ever knowing he was Force-sensitive, though I never actually got to the part of the story where that detail was relevant. :p) Anyway, yes, I love that you're exploring that side of things, and I love the idea of the Renewal. [face_love]

    Aw yeah, look at Anakin go. [face_love] I love that Deniel had this moment of connection with someone he views as so high above him. It was bittersweet, too, with Deniel's comment about his mother almost certainly reminding Anakin of his own mother. :( [face_love]

    [face_laugh] [face_love]


    I knooooooooowwww. 8-} [face_rofl]


    :* :p


    This immediately reminded me of, "All the scopes are dead, I can't see a thing!" :p

    Look at all this excellent action that I can see. [face_mischief] As always, you do so well with starfighter details!

    More excellent descriptions! I especially love xantheous gases and hazy aureolin storms. [face_hypnotized]

    LOLOL I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!! [face_love]

    [face_rofl] o_O

    There's nothing I don't love about this exchange. Grandpa!Anakin!! Jaina being the most Sky/Solo to Sky/Solo!! HAPPINESS AND FLUFF AND EVERYONE IS ALIVE. [face_love] [face_love] [face_love]

    Okay, I'm all caught up, and now I need moooooar. How are those nine three double drabbles coming? [face_batting]

    [:D]
     
    Last edited: Feb 7, 2023
  18. Gabri_Jade

    Gabri_Jade Fanfic Archive Editor Emeritus star 5 VIP

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2002
    [​IMG]
     
  19. Mira_Jade

    Mira_Jade The (FavoriteTM) Fanfic Mod With the Cape star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2004
    [​IMG]

    [face_laugh] [face_batting] [:D]

    That's nothing, really - wait until you see the nine three prompts I gave Vi. [face_whistling] [face_mischief]
     
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  20. Mira_Jade

    Mira_Jade The (FavoriteTM) Fanfic Mod With the Cape star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2004
    [face_laugh] Goodness, but I didn't even realize that every entry, barring one, has been kid centric until you pointed it out! 8-} I suppose you can say that's a byproduct of writing a happy!AU. [face_mischief] [face_whistling]

    Just so! [face_mischief] And Wash can pull off anything Mal can think up; the entire Serenity crew is a wonderful Team as Family that way. [face_love]

    Thanks for reading - and for the great Firefly comments here and in the main challenge thread. My, but didn't that bring back some memories in the best way! [:D]



    Thank you so much! I'm glad that you enjoyed the action - and the bantering about the action, especially. ;) Jaina really embodies the best of her family, even in canon, but I do love writing her interacting with her grandfather in this AU! I can only imagine how strong their bond would be. [face_love]

    As always, I appreciate you taking the time to read, and your lovely comments, more than I can say! [:D]



    The Azure Angel was a beautiful ship, wasn't she? [face_love] (And Anakin would make quite the silver fox, I agree. [face_whistling])

    Thanks for reading! [:D]



    [face_laugh] Padmé would have words on the matter, that's for certain. :oops: Unfortunately, she'd be fighting a losing battle between the bad influence of Anakin's colorful Huttese vocabulary and Han's - although something tells me Leia can top them all when she's properly inspired. [face_mischief] [face_whistling]

    Thank you! It was a blast writing Jaina's game of make-believe, all the way down to Anakin's demotion. :p

    Then, of course, any day of heroic do-gooding - and narrowly avoiding Certain Doom - should most certainly be celebrated by dessert. [face_batting]

    That's one of my favorite parts about writing this AU, too! It's such a joy to blend together so many starswarsy elements that may not have come together in canon for something that's different, but still the same. And I just adore the Solo/Skywalker family and all of their extended relatives in this 'verse! Imagining Obi-Wan interacting with his great-grandniece, so to speak, is just the best. [face_love]

    Thank you so much for reading, and I hope that you continue to enjoy this collection as goes! [:D]



    Pfft, don't you even worry, BECAUSE YOU'RE HERE NOW AND THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS! [:D] [:D] [:D]

    [face_blush] :*

    *curtsies*

    Now I can't wait to see what else has been prescient of future prompts. [face_batting] [face_thinking]

    Palpatine in an evil nutshell of evil, it's true! [face_devil] :emperor:

    I actually thought something similar when I was writing! I too tend to see Palpatine as a sort of avatar of darkness than a person, but then this backstory with the Palpatine family vineyards just sorta wrote itself and I blinked at the screen and went: okay, so that's a thing now. I suppose that he wasn't born cackling and shooting lightning from his fingertips, but it was darn sure close. [face_mischief]

    BECAUSE IT IS!

    Aw, thanks! It's a metaphor/subject that I never get tired of writing, so I'm thrilled that it continues to resonate. [face_love] [:D]

    I mean, stars are our go-to metaphor for a lot of SW-y things, especially when talking about the Skywalker family line and Anakin in particular. It's only fitting that Palpatine be the supermassive black hole slowly devouring the galaxy in opposition to that light. [face_mischief] [face_whistling] [face_devil]

    Just as I was going for! :cool:

    Indeed not - this battle was a true clash of titans, where the stakes couldn't be higher. [face_mischief]

    It's like he was asking to get pelted by a snowball! :p

    ALL THE HAPPINESS FOR EVERYONE, I SAY - AND THAT GOES FOR SPACE!DAD TOO! :kanan: [face_love]

    That is the highest praise, as always! [face_blush]

    That was the first line I wrote, and I from there I knew that I couldn't just scrap the idea. :p

    I will let these characters have all of the good things, just you watch me! [face_love]

    I suppose that I did dash the happy feelings from the snowball fight there. :p

    =((

    *passes tissue*

    I love that you picked up on that detail! Mara's particularly gifted in the Force when it comes to communication - and especially after reading @Gabri_Jade's meta and work, that's something I appreciate all the more so now. Imagining that, even across time and space, Mara could hear this Leia thanks to the cataclysm Alderaan's destruction rent in the Force . . . well, it was interesting to consider, to say the least. It's so interesting that it just may have some bearing on a plot point or two in the future - including a HSSV spoiler I really need to return to writing someday. [face_whistling]

    That's the very definition of bittersweet, isn't it? =(( [face_love]

    My gosh, but imagining jetlag on a galactic scale, where a planet's orbit and rotation is unique to every world - yeah, talk about wrecking havoc on your sleep cycles! And of course, when you're exhausted like that - and away from home and still acclimating to a new place at the ripe old age of nine . . . yeah, that's a No Good Very Bad Day just waiting to happen, and Deniel deserves all of the hugs. =((

    (And yay, I'm so glad! I really love the name Deniel, too. [face_love])

    CAN YOU JUST IMAGINE WHAT AN INSPIRATION AND A FORCE FOR GOOD HE'D BE??? GAH, ANAKIN, BUT WHY DID YOU HAVE TO BE SUCH A TRASH KING INSTEAD???

    Ahem, anyway, I just love writing this version of Anakin - have I mentioned that lately? [face_love]

    I find non-human physiological details like this absolutely fascinating, and try to work them into my writing whenever I can! (Which I know you know. :p) So, as always, I am happy to hear those details struck their mark!

    RIGHT??? There had to be so many of them out there! I mean, to say again: we've never actually seen the Jedi outright steal children in canon, and it pushes my buttons when anti-Jedi arguments paint Jedi as emotionless kidnapers. Parents are given a choice, and with that choice it stands to reason that some parents would say thanks but no thanks. The Asces are one such family. [face_love] (And the Jedi Reconstruction Act is just so clunky to say outside of an official context - which is what I referred to it as in AOSRS and HSSV. This was prettier, and felt more Jedi-y - and besides, I still have Gabri's 'verse on the brain, which is probably how I jumped from Reconstruction to Renewal, in retrospect. :p)

    Aaaand that does sound like a very interesting OC that I wouldn't mind reading more about if your muse is ever so inspired - just saying. [face_batting] [face_mischief] [face_whistling]

    Almost certainly! :_| Imagining an Anakin who's at peace with Shmi's memory and who's grown into a strong father and mentor, both - gosh, but it hurts so good! Deniel is truly seeing the best of who Anakin Skywalker could have been in this scene. =(( [face_love]

    :D

    [face_laugh] [:D]

    Some things are just universally Skywalker traits. :p

    I tend to view writing action as a necessary evil in a fandom like SW. I didn't even realize how much I enjoyed writing starfighter action so much until Something There and then this ficlet. It's everything good about flying, but it's IN SPACE! What's not to love? [face_love]

    Thank you! Xanthous is one of my favorite words for that egg-yolk shade of yellow, and aureolin is a word that makes me chuckle for a silly reason. I'm an oil painter, as you know, and there are simple, universal names for your staple pigments. Usually, manufacturers only use fancy names to label a blend of pigments, which is something I don't want. Anyway, I was looking for plain old cobalt yellow in one of my new favorite brands, only to find that they called theirs aureolin when I checked the pigment numbers, and I was like, way to be extra there, but I could have saved so much time if you called your paint cobalt yellow just like everyone else. o_O :p

    Anyway, yeah: they're two great descriptive words that I now look for opportunities to drop into my prose whenever I can. [face_love]

    BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH TO LOVE!!! [face_love] [face_love] [face_love]

    :p

    Happiness and fluff and everyone is alive, indeed! You can't put it better than that! :D [face_love]

    [face_laugh] [face_love] They are coming along splendidly, and if all goes well, I shall have them up first thing in the morning after a last bit of editing. [face_batting] (They're all just over 200 words, so I need to fix that. But they're close - so very close! 8-} )

    Until then! [:D]



    ~ MJ @};-
     
    Last edited: Feb 11, 2023
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  21. Gabri_Jade

    Gabri_Jade Fanfic Archive Editor Emeritus star 5 VIP

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2002
    Oh, I hear you. I like his character overall, but he drives me absolutely insane more often than not. On that note, I knew that I'd reached Officially Old status when I was watching Spider-Man: Homecoming in theaters and iirc (been a while since I've seen it :p ) Tony was ranting about 15yos and Peter muttered "16" and Tony snapped, "No. The adult is talking," and I wanted to stand up and cheer.

    Also the fact that I've long since hit the point in life where purchases like a steam mop and dryer balls and a good set of spatulas make me genuinely happy [face_decrepit]

    Did you read Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader, by James Luceno? In it, a Jedi who survived Order 66 later ran into his mother, who said that she would never have given him up to the Jedi, his father did that without consulting her, and it's the only such instance I personally remember reading in the EU, but I loved that confirmation that there were absolutely parents who would have refused, and, by extension, that refusal was a valid option.

    "A dubious string of binary" is so perfect, I can hear it :r2: And look at this action [face_hypnotized]

    Jaina is definitely the champion smirker of the Sky/Solo offspring :p

    [face_laugh] I love that we both used children fighting imaginary battles for our action prompt :p

    That's our Artoo [face_love]

    I love everything about this [face_love]

    That's right :cool: There's a chapter in one of Zahn's books that opens with, "Quite unfairly, the battle alarm sounded right in the middle of dessert" and yes, I am here for the emphasis of dessert's importance, tyvm :cake:

    Mira! :_| My bebeh!Mara! :_|

    Oh! I thought you'd already used that term, and that I'd unwittingly borrowed it from you :p It is an awfully useful word :D
     
  22. Mira_Jade

    Mira_Jade The (FavoriteTM) Fanfic Mod With the Cape star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2004
    I feel this in my soul. [face_laugh] [face_love] [:D] I've always been the "mom friend", even when I was young - I think that's an oldest sibling thing, too - so I completely understand. That's one of my favorite Marvel lines for just that reason! [face_laugh] :p (And there's nothing better than such practical purchases - the last gift my sister got me was a spatula and oven mitt gift set and it was the best thing ever. I'm saving pennies for a new vacuum, and there will be much rejoicing on the day that I bring it home. [face_mischief])

    Ooooh, I did not, but I love this detail! Refusal was canonically a valid option - there you have it! :cool:

    Artoo is very indulgent with his sentient companions at this point - and you know he has a soft spot for Jaina - but he's still Artoo, too. :p

    Also: yay! Action isn't the most comfortable thing for me to write, so I was thrilled to hear this! :D

    This is a fact. [face_mischief]

    [face_laugh] I am just as delighted to share brainwaves with you as I was with Elli! [:D] Nothing fits a mostly-happy!AU better than childish antics such as these, it's true. [face_love]

    :r2: [face_love]

    Yay, success! :cool:

    Zahn knows what's what, it's true. [face_mischief]

    I know, I know! =((

    I love this! :p Honestly, I meant to type Reconstruction but then my fingers slipped and wrote Renewal without my conscious thought and it was perfect! I do love how art feeds art, and thank you for the most excellent inspiration. [face_batting] :*



    All right, then! Now I will have more to share in just a few minutes. :D [:D]


    ~ MJ @};-
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2023
  23. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    SWEET with Jaina and Anakin, the action packed scene followed by the wonderful banter! I love that she has piloting in her blood. ;)
     
  24. Mira_Jade

    Mira_Jade The (FavoriteTM) Fanfic Mod With the Cape star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2004
    @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: Aw, thank you so much! [face_love] [:D]



    Author's Notes: For Week Five, the challenge was to write three double drabbles for the prompts Shepherd, Juggernaut, and Undertaker. However, because my muse has absolutely zero chill, I went and asked @ViariSkywalker for even more drabble prompts. As a result, here I am with nine to share instead of the requisite three. :p

    That said, my subject for this week is a mixed bunch of clone troopers. In summary, for those of you who may be unfamiliar with this aspect of my Song!verse: the surviving troopers of the Clone Army were eventually given full rights as sentient beings and Republic citizenship through various host worlds called Planets of Welcome. Their accelerated aging was reversed, they were given settlements in lieu of years of back-pay, and they had the option to either continue on as paid soldiers of the GAR or retire honorably and seek out whatever they'd like next from life. These are their stories.

    There is one OC in this set, an Alderaanian barista named Amily Gabrees, and links to further stories about her - and quite a few other rambling remarks - can be found in my end notes. [face_love]

    Enjoy! [:D]





    Week V: "Theirs to Live and Thrive"

    Handler

    Their case agent was a Human woman with greying hair and a perpetual look of bureaucratic indifference fixed on her tired features.

    “You’ve selected Alderaan for your Planet of Welcome?” she asked without looking up from her screen.

    “Affirmative,” Jesse answered. He sat carefully upright in his duraplastic chair (fighting the deeply engrained instinct to stand at attention before a natural-born citizen all the while), and swallowed the “ma’am, yes, ma’am” that reflexively wanted to follow.

    “Alderaan,” next to him, Kix exhaled, his voice full of that same . . . something (joyanticipationfear) Jesse felt pound in his own chest. “Can you believe it?”

    For that, the woman looked up, sparing a glance between them. “You’ll report to Agent Lantilde during your acclimation period, but once you sign here,” she indicated, “and here," she gestured, "you’ll officially be citizens of the Republic.”

    It was another novelty to sign his name – his legal name, now, and not his CT-number – and then it was done. The woman gave a wan smile and simply said, “Welcome.” She stood, and surprised him by offering her hand, which Jesse and then Kix shook only somewhat awkwardly. “Thank you for your service, and good luck with your new lives.”



    Brother

    Stretched across the vast green of the Senate Commons, the Clone Trooper Memorial Wall was striking in its simplicity. The opalescent white stone needed no adornment but for its countless rows of engraved CT-numbers. A precious few had names alongside their designations, but all too many were bare.

    Fox walked the seemingly infinite length of the monument in the waning sunlight, seeking one name in particular.

    Part of him was overwhelmed by the tribute. He’d long been taught – and had even believed – that it was an honor to exist solely to live and die on behalf of the citizens of the Republic. And yet . . .

    He couldn’t help but think of that awful day in the Chancellor’s office, once Palpatine’s guise was thwarted and that ever-whispering voice in his head was finally silenced. He thought of Riyo’s soft hands and even softer smile as she traced the new scar on his temple. And, especially here, he remembered . . .

    Fives; there . . . there was the name he sought.

    He bowed his head and touched his brow to the stone. For a long moment, he merely breathed, trapped between the weight of his undeserved blessings and his sins. “I'm sorry, brother,” he finally exhaled. "Please, forgive me."



    Shepherd

    “I know, we can raise tumuons! Can’t you just imagine us, tendin' a farm of our own?”

    “While I wouldn't object to a planet of, say, Alderaan’s infrastructure in order to accommodate Wrecker’s nascent agrarian leanings, I would prefer a world closer to Commenor in terms of technological - ”

    “ - bah! Who would ever choose Commenor over Alderaan? Or Chandrilla, even. We can herd paccas!”

    “Indeed we may,” Crosshair, silent until then, interjected, “and yet, whomever would you find to fight?”

    Hunter leveled a look at his brother, who merely smirked.

    Wrecker hesitated, torn, even as Tech pointed out, “Aren't we leaving the GAR to avoid further violence?”

    But Wrecker wasn’t easily deterred. “Caamas! We can shepherd those cute lil’ igglies, and if any big bad zu’ulf thinks they’re gonna get a tasty meal – bam!” He slapped his hands together. “There I’ll be!”

    “Wrecker,” Hunter warned, glancing down at Omega, who slept against his shoulder.

    “Right, sorry,” Wrecker flushed sheepishly. “Bam!” he whispered. “There’ll I be.”

    "What about you?" Echo asked Hunter as Tech protested Caamas and Crosshair goaded them both into further bickering. “Where would you like to go?”

    Hunter watched Omega breathe. “Anywhere she can grow in peace.”



    Juggernaut

    The Megamart shopping center loomed in an imposing maze of aisles and goods. Armed with his hovercart, Rex studied the signs overhead and planned his attack.

    The grocery section seemed much too overwhelming – where would he even begin, staging that assault? – so he turned for the health and hygiene department. Soap; soap was a good start. After years of sonic showers, his new apartment on Carida had the luxury of running water, which he intended to take full advantage of.

    Yet purchasing soap was easier said than done. He glanced, wide-eyed, from the Species of All Sentience Beckon Bubbles to All’s Fair in Suds and Pour fur lather and Madame Dove’s scale scrub, searching for plain and simple soap.

    Maybe he should have let Ahsoka come along after all. He’d wanted to, but this had seemed . . . important, somehow, that he do alone.

    With that, he noticed a bodywash for sensitive non-human noses. Well, if he was going to be working closely with Ahsoka – General Tano – then he really should . . .

    Pleased with himself, he placed the bottle in the cart. That one small decision made, he felt ready to tackle the rest of the mighty Megamart labyrinth, one aisle at a time.



    Undertaker

    Battlefields had fazed him less than the grand façade of the Alderaa University of Medicine.

    Deeply, Kix inhaled to steady his nerves and tightened his hand on his pack. Your have a clear objective, trooper, he showed himself no quarter, and that’s to get through day one of class. So move your shebs.

    Obeying his orders, he entered the building with a deliberate stride. Thankfully, he found his first lecture hall easily enough – he’d studied the school’s schematics in advance – and took a seat directly in the professor's line of sight. There were two points of egress, he noticed, but a dozen potential more with the southward facing windows. Yet he pushed that observation aside. He was a civilian now, and far from the frontlines. Now, there was only peace – peace, and the opportunity to become a real trauma surgeon instead of a flash-trained field medic. This was why they’d picked Alderaan in the first place, and he was determined to see his objective through.

    He’d seen enough of death – of brothers who marched on, even as his useless hands struggled to keep them alive. Now, he was determined to dedicate himself to life and its living in every possible way.



    Voice

    Amily Gabrees had long since considered Jesse and Kix as any other pair of identical twins – they may have shared many mannerisms and characteristics, but were still completely themselves. Sometimes, she forgot Jesse was a clone entirely. But now, to see a table full of his genetic doubles . . .

    "I still can't believe that caf isn't just caf," one of the younger clones – that, even Amily could tell – marveled aloud. Amily smiled for his words, remembering her first time meeting Jesse. He too had been incredulous (and adorably wonderous – stars, but she loved seeing her own world anew through his eyes) for everything the café had to offer.

    "It's a wide world," Jesse repeated her own words to his brother. (She recognized his voice, even without looking, no matter that five such voices then spoke, and that . . . well, she knew that meant something.) "Stick with us, vod'ika, and we'll show you."

    With that, she brought her tray over (watching how five gazes snapped to her in unerring unison, but only one pair of eyes warmed in a way that was hers), and grinned to announce, "All right, gentlemen, these are on the house – we've got a lot to catch you up on."



    Reaper

    Some nights, the Dream returned; the dream where he was himself, but not; the dream where he was stolen from himself, where Bly was gone and only CC-5052 remained and good soldiers follow orders and pleasenopleasenoIcan’t and Aayla, look out, Aayla!

    In the Dream, he was the sharpened edge of a scythe, but here, here . . .

    His eyes flew open, and his hand reached out in the dark, only to meet the emptiness of cool sheets.

    With that, he was fully awake. He rose, and followed where Aayla had walked down to the shore of the lake adjacent to the GAR's Caridian base. She sat where the surf played across the sand, holding a steaming cup of tea in her hands as she watched the moonlight dance over the waves.

    It soothed something inside him to see the tight line of her lekku ease as he approached. When he joined her, she wryly offered him a matching mug. "You too?" she whispered.

    "Yeah," he confirmed. "But it doesn't matter." He slipped his hand under her lekku, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to pull her close. "Not now, not with you."

    Aayla sighed, and melted into him like the tide.



    Legion

    The clone commanders still met up whenever possible.

    Though they’d left the proverbial GAR watercooler behind – sighing over their Jedi and offering condolences for their dead as only fellow ori’vod could – little else had changed. They now wore civilian clothes, and nerf-burgers and ale were the fare of the day while the limmie finals played in the cantina's background, but the camaraderie remained the same. They teased Bly for his fresh blue paint while Grey boasted about Commander Dume’s impending knighthood and Wolffe grumbled about his recruits at the Academy.

    They all, of course, laughed for Fox’s place on Sentient Holozine’s Top Hundred Sexiest Consorts. Gree was further overjoyed to point out that the First Matron of Kartooine ranked even higher on the list.

    “Aesthetics are in the eye of the beholder for every species,” Cody said with a thoughtful shrug entirely reminiscent of General Kenobi. “Matron Otna is the pinnacle of Gammorean beauty – it’s the pink in her skin, apparently.”

    “And if a Gammorean is easier on the eyes than my face,” Fox deadpanned, “then the same goes for you lot – we all share the same mug, so congratulations.”

    Cody chuckled with his brothers, and signaled for another round of drinks.



    Resonance

    Amily had watched the crowing work of Jesse's latest exhibition as it came into creation, and knew it was something special from the first.

    But here, now . . .

    The massive relief painting was life-sized, depicting a long line of clone troopers leaning on each other at a battle's end. The dead were numerous at their feet, and not a single soldier was helmeted. Instead, their young faces were naked and tired and worn beyond their years. Brothers, the piece was called, and it wasn't only the vod'e who were struck by the sentiment it so powerfully expressed.

    Throughout the opening gala, Amily watched as former clone soldiers came up and touched their brows to the only helmet present in the piece – held in the lifeless hands of one of the fallen. Eventually, one gallery-goer respectfully asked if they could do the same. Jesse gave his permission – the helmet had been specially varnished for just such a ritual – and one and another and then several paid their respects.

    Amily, meanwhile, silently thanked every soldier who had marched on for the gift she had to stand there, hand in hand with Jesse. She bowed her head, humbly grateful for their sacrifices so that those they protected could truly live.



    Kix and Jesse/Amily: If I ever wrote a SW sitcom, it would be about Jesse and Kix learning how to live away from the GAR while being roommates in downtown Alderaa City. Kix, in this 'verse, gets to fulfill his dream of going to medical school, while Jesse dives into his art full time. Also, I wrote as close to a Coffee Shop AU as I'll come for SW with my OC, the barista Amily Gabrees. I've written a few ficlets with her and Jesse (and Kix) in part two of As You Are (As We Are) and the drabble sets Enter, Life and Night Will Come, But Not to Stay. [face_love]

    The Clone Troopers Memorial Wall: Is based on the RL Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

    Riyo Chuchi/Fox: I don't really have much more to say about this crack!ship that I haven't already said in Now You're a Home. I will add, however, that in the penultimate chapter of AOSRS, Fox got to confront Palpatine as he couldn't in canon, and that still remains a plot point I'm really proud of all these years later. [face_love]

    Bly and Aayla's Dreams: It is canon that all of the clones dreamed about Order 66 before it happened. Can you imagine combining that nightmare of what could of been along with Aayla's ability to sense something of that other time and place this 'verse has subverted? [face_plain]

    Sentient Magazine's Top 100 Sexiest Consorts: This is a riff off a similar plot in Madame Secretary (yes, one of my all-time favorite TV shows :p), where Henry McCord made the top three on a People Magazine list of a similar name. [face_tee_hee] For anyone who may be curious: first place went to a Zeltron former Miss Galaxy, Xiris Heret, who's part of the Zeltron Senator Heret's zys (see headcanon here); second place went to Eleni Syndulla (after Senator Free Taa was convicted on numerous counts of corruption, Cham Syndulla was elected to replace him); and third place belongs to Anakin Skywalker himself, who is very, very proud of the title and routinely uses it to embarrass his children. [face_mischief]

    Am I overthinking a small plot-point in a two hundred word drabble? Why, yes I am, which leads me to . . .

    Matron Otna: Though I didn't have enough space in my word count to flesh out her story, it goes without saying that Matron Raav Otna is an absolute boss. [face_mischief] I think that the Gammorean world-building in canon has a tendency to be lazy and cliché - though I am all for the idea of Gammorean opera and poetry in their native language. :p Matron Otna and her Devaronian husband, Gyorgi Otna, the governor of Kartooine, take great pride in their Step Up educational and small business program opportunities. Kartooine is a rare world on the edge of Hutt Space that has membership in the Republic, and many of their citizens are immigrants from the Outer Rim who want to set up a firm foundation for themselves before venturing to settle on other Republic worlds. By several non-human standards (and maybe human, too [face_whistling]) Raav is an absolute knockout, though of course, that detail is absolutely neither here nor there in the grand scheme of things. ;)

    Brow to Brow: Tapping helmets is a sign of affection between two Mandalorians in full armor. (Ironically, a head butt is also called kov'nyn - a Keldabe Kiss - just to keep things Mando, and all. [face_mischief]) I like to continue the more Legends tradition of the clones having a quasi-Mandalorian culture of their own, gleaned from their progenitor and their Mandolorian Cuy'val Dar trainers. What's more than that, this bit of world-building has a RL correlation! The Hongi is a Maori tradition; they touch foreheads and noses as a greeting and sign of love and respect. The hongi is even done officially in political ceremonies! It's literally viewed as an exchange of the breath of life - which, according to their lore, is how the first woman was born. Seeing as how both Temuera Morrison and Daniel Logan are Maori, this detail seemed especially fitting. [face_love]

    Brothers: Jesse's relief painting is 100% inspired by John Singer Sargent's Gassed. John Singer Sargent is one of my favorite portrait and figurative artists, and this piece in particular is . . . well, it's evocative and heartbreaking and completely larger than life in more ways than one. It felt fitting to pay homage to this masterpiece in what a small way I could.

    [​IMG]

    [:D]



    ~ MJ @};-
     
    Last edited: Mar 29, 2023
  25. pronker

    pronker Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 28, 2007
    *salute* for Author!

    O:)Love this detail.

    The Wall was one of the best scenes in the series.

    =((

    Yay, Wrecker, you go, guy.

    [face_rofl]

    =D= Love the phrase.

    @};-

    So many to drool over ... :) and Fox's name fits so well ... I'll bet Valenthye Farfalla would make the list if it existed in his era! Maybe it did, under another name ... *ponders headcanon for good ol' Val* [face_pig]
     
    Kahara and Mira_Jade like this.