broodingbat | Reading

2016 - Okay this year is a rough one for me to think on. But let's see how the movies went.

oh my, only three?

Star Trek: Beyond -- I am never not gonna be pissed that the franchise for this set ended here. Because, you see, while Urban and Yelchin stole my hearts from day one, it was THIS MOVIE that felt like everyone had fully found a way to bring the roles to life with the spirit of their predecessors and their own takes merging BEAUTIFULLY. Then again, losing Yelchin... maybe it's best.

Hidden Figures - HISTORY! Dramatized! Could have done without the shift on the white guy getting the bathroom policy changed from real life, BUT! The whole film introduced me to fuller stories for names I'd only known in passing, as it made me dig in and find historic accounts! Also, hot damn that is one beautiful cast.

Star Wars: Rogue One - This? This was Star Wars in a way I had not felt Star Wars since RotJ. It was about hope, it was about quick-knitting hero teams, it was about giving your all, no matter the cost, to end the evil. To say Rogue One belongs with the OT for me is no hyperbole. I love everything it did to enhance the mythos.

senmut

AO3 Link | Scheduling Time (312 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: DC Comics (General)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Diana of Themyscira & Lois Lane
Characters: Diana of Themyscira, Lois Lane
Additional Tags: Epistolary, +Modern Age (1986-Present), Post-Crisis
Summary:

Lois and Diana have a back and forth email chain

Scheduling Time

To: Diana Prince@embassy.thm
From: Lois Lane@thedailyplanet.com
Subject: Reschedule?

I know it's short notice, but I'm sure you saw the small invasion of Mole Men from last week. Turns out their exodus turned over a few leads for me. Maybe Tuesday after next?

To: Lois Lane@thedailyplanet.com
From: Diana Prince@embassy.thm
Subject: Re: Reschedule

I look forward to the story you publish… and the other bits when we do meet up. However, can we shift that to the Thursday of that same week? I am giving a small talk at Bryn Mawr on the topic of holding out hope to others.

To: Diana Prince@embassy.thm
From: Lois Lane@thedailyplanet.com
Subject: Re: Reschedule?

Oh I hope they record it so I can download it after. Thursday of that week is great. I told Clark he could go hang out with the boys while I have a ladies' day to myself.

Okay, autocorrelate might be… no, that's not the word… ugh, Perry's yelling.

To: Lois Lane@thedailyplanet.com
From: Diana Prince@embassy.thm
Subject: Re: Reschedule

I can guess what you were going to say. I find the auto-correct function useful for highlighting the changes in spelling and grammar since my mother taught me English. As there have been shifts in the decades since she had learned it.

Following up to let you know that your co-worker, Miss Grant, could learn to be less inciting in her choices of words for interviews.

To: Diana Prince@embassy.thm
From: Lois Lane@thedailyplanet.com
Subject: UGH Cat

I'm sorry. I didn't even know that interview was happening or I would have put a stumbling block in place.

Did you read my exposé?

To: Lois Lane@thedailyplanet.com
From: Diana Prince@embassy.thm
Subject: Article

Very nice work. It seems the Mole Men had true reason.

See you on Thursday!

senmut

kalloway! Thank you for the card and stickers!

senmut

AO3 Link | Useful Gathering (300 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Partners in Crime [TV - 1984]
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Sydney Kovack & Carole Stanwyck [Partners in Crime]
Characters: Sydney Kovack [Partners in Crime], Carole Stanwyck [Partners in Crime]
Additional Tags: Triple Drabble, Event - Funeral, Community: ladiesbingo
Summary:

Sydney and Carole are holding a second funeral for their mutual ex, mostly to preserve their business.

Useful Gathering

Sydney carefully adjusted her skirt as she stood up, hand not holding the handkerchief going out to catch Carole's.

"Why did we agree to hold a wake for him?"

Carole gave a reserved smile to one of the businessmen here to pay respects.

"To help us keep the business running," Carole answered after she was certain no one else would be listening. "Besides, were you ever any good at saying 'no' to Jeanine?"

Sydney made an indelicate sound at that, and covered by bringing the handkerchief up to dab at her nose. "Were you?"

Carole had to bite back the unseemly laughter that came with it. "We need his contacts, to get the agency in the black, and start paying off that mortgage."

"Can't just ask some of your old polo pals to lend a hand, oh wait, you just take their pictures now."

That lit Carole's temper, but she gathered it back in check, and squeezed Sydney's hand. "One way or another, Sydney, we can make this work for us. Neither one of us is the woman he married any longer, but I think we can find a place for ourselves anyway."

Sydney took a deep breath, then smiled sadly at another pair of suits walking past them. "You're right, and I'm sorry for the dig. We'll get through the speeches, cut to the meat of promising to help them for standard fees going forward, and make the agency solvent.

"Just, don't leave me alone with any of them? I'll point out the fanny-patters and lewd ones as we mingle."

"And if they're the older ones, I'll tell you how Raymond got his hooks into them," Carole promised in turn, steeling her spine for the possibility of dealing with 'old friends' from the failed marriage.

"We have each other."

senmut

AO3 Link | Cat and Bird (300 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: DC Comics (General)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Selina Kyle & Dinah Lance
Characters: Selina Kyle, Dinah Lance
Additional Tags: Triple Drabble, Post-Crisis, +Modern Age (1986-Present)
Summary:

Selina's in the neighborhood

Cat and Bird

"Hey there, little birdie," came a voice from above Dinah, and she looked up to see her friend Selina on the roof. That made Dinah's mood much better, and she hastily made use of the fire-escapes — and walls — to get up there.

"Hey yourself, tabby cat," she said with a grin, barely breathing hard for that exercise. "A bit out of your territory, aren't you?" She plopped herself down on the roof-edge next to the other girl.

"Hmm, came to check on one of the ones that got adopted out, make sure it was on the up and up."

"This neighborhood? It better be, or word will get around. Bunch of nosy people around. And Dad hears all the rumors like that."

"Nice older couple, and the kid was from their faith. How he wound up in a Catholic orphanage is anyone's guess," Selina said, giving Dinah the clues to keep her own ears out for the kid.

"Glad you decided to stick around when you got done," Dinah admitted, leaning over against Selina.

"Knew you'd be out sooner rather than later. Make any money today?"

"No; this tutoring is a trade. I help the blockhead learn, Mom gets her bad cooler fixed for free."

"You seem to be the one giving up time and effort a lot for these trades," Selina said, disapproving.

"Family business, Selina. Have to support mom somehow, and Dad uses it as an excuse to keep her off my back when I go out in the evenings." She slung her arm around Selina's shoulders and squeezed. "I get what I need."

"If you say so." Selina shrugged. "C'mon. I know who's working the door at the Regal. We can catch a movie and be irresponsible teenagers for once."

Dinah considered, then grinned broadly. "Sounds fun!"

senmut

More Joy Day announced

Jane Siberry has a new song free to download - Very Political, called "bailout" and it hit hard

Scarpetta, the Patricia Cornwell series, is getting a TV Show.
Latest Doctor Who BluRay release short film
Sheriden/Delenn gif set with Tolkien words

A "Punny" photo
SarahSeeAndersen cartoon about cats and hot pads
Kermit the Assassin and further commentary

Sissy Spacek Photo set

The Restorer and the Butler - haunted house story
The Kents and the Pediatrician - DC Comics fanfic
Human and Alien - a story of Uncanny Valley
Iron Bull/Dorian Pavus in their later years - Fic and art

Good Wicked! meta
Mood board for the original Thrawn Trilogy

senmut

2015 - A decade ago! Oh right, I was dirt poor by the end of the year because I remember thinking I wasn't going to get to see the new Star Wars film in theater.

Furious 7 - So my late partner and I had fallen in love with this crew in the first movie. She LOVED Brian. And... well. Paul Walker died before completing this one. And then they released it on her anniversary with me. So Yeah. Saw it twice in theater.

Jurassic World - This looked interesting, was okay, but wife and I both had Issues with it. And then, of course, Pratt lived up to his name, and I let the franchise go away. Still kinda want to see the one with the original trio.

Carol - I don't do arthouse style films, I protest mightily. AND YET. I decided to see what the fuss was about, and FELL IN LOVE. Cate and Rooney sold the story. (and having read up about the author, wow it's toned down from the inspirations / she was a helluva bitch it looked like)

Star Wars: The Force Awakens - such characters! such potential! Shame they never made more after it to explore Finn and Rey and Poe in a way that highlighted EVERYTHING THAT MADE THEM INTERESTING! (It did however set me on the SW track of writing, so I can't complain too much)

senmut

AO3 link | Her Turn (300 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer [TV]
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Relationships: Willow Rosenberg & Buffy Summers
Characters: Willow Rosenberg, Buffy Summers, Dawn Summers [Buffy & Angel Universe]
Additional Tags: Triple Drabble, Post-Canon
Summary:

Willow left a letter...

Her Turn

This one, it's not for you. You get that, right? This time, it's about me. It has to be me. You can't… you can't keep reaching. I know you love me. I know you would want to step up, to take my place. You've always been the one making the sacrifice. That's who you are, the One. You changed the game to begin with, and then when that wasn't enough, you changed the whole playing field.

Okay, maybe I had something to do with changing the gameboard up. But I was only able to do it because of you, because you had so much faith in me. I need you to have that faith in me now. I need you to be the stronger one, the one who has to live, to keep facing the evil.

Hopefully it won't be as bad, not once I do this.

All my love.

Dawn wasn't used to seeing her sister frail, not even after all the losses they had faced. She'd guessed, though, that this one might be the breaking point, and hurried to get to Buffy's side. She saw the paper crumpled in a fist, but ignored it, just turning her sister to hold her.

At first, Buffy was stiff. The grief broke to Dawn's coaxing, a howl of pain and denial. Dawn just held on, petting her hair, tears streaming on her own face.

"Maybe… maybe it didn't end her?" Dawn suggested once the crying gave way to the heavy silence.

Buffy pushed the crumpled paper to her sister, letting Dawn read Willow's own words. It made Dawn swallow hard, as the pain and finality gripped her all over again.

She couldn't give into it, though. Buffy needed her. Buffy had lost Willow, and Dawn needed to step up even more.

senmut

10trueloves - prompt table and claim one character to do ten relationships with

Claiming Dinah Lance

01.	Surprise.	02.	Trust.	03.	Noise.	04.	Tears.	05	Mask.
06.	Fight.	07.	Accident.	08.	Overprotective.	09.	Broken.	10.	Loss.

senmut

AO3 Link | Remember Who You Are (300 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Sinners [2025]
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Annie Moore & Mary [Sinners]
Characters: Annie Moore, Mary [Sinners 2025]
Additional Tags: Triple Drabble, Female Friendship, Community: ladiesbingo
Summary:

Annie and Mary say good-bye before Little Rock

Remember Who You Are

It wasn't that Annie didn't like Mary. Far from it, given their lives kept tangling. Annie was one of the only ones who didn't think the girl should be pushed to be white. Every time she thought about Mary and Elias, she did feel uneasy, as something lingered in the dark of the night about the pair.

"Mary."

"Annie."

Now why was the girl already on the defensive, unless…

"Are you needing my special tea, honey?"

Annie watched the defensive give way to worry, then embarrassment, before Mary shook her head.

"I know what not to do, thank you," Mary said firmly.

"Good." Annie beckoned her to come into the house so she could keep working. "Was surprised to see you out here."

"Wanted to say goodbye, given you've been around for so much of my life. Mama — I don't suppose you'll keep an eye on her for me?"

"I'll do the best I can, but she's always thought I was a devil tempting her milk-son."

Mary laughed, bitterly. "She's got too much church in her, but it would mean a lot."

Annie nodded to all that, trying to ferret out if the shadows on their lives, cast by the twins, was all that had ever unnerved her about Mary. Nothing was stirring in her second sense of people, so maybe she'd have to try harder with a ritual later.

"I try to keep an eye on all of our people, Mary. Even when they shun me for being what I am." She then tipped her head to the side. "Little Rock calling?"

Mary looked down, then back up with resolve. "Stack thinks it's for the best, fresh start where no one ever knew me in the black community."

"You keep yourself safe, Mary, and remember, always, who you are."

senmut

Housewife / Househusband	Tragedy	Freestyle crossover	Vignette	Women Being Awesome
Five Things	Contemporary AU	A Moment of Understanding / Clarity	A Strange Friend	First person narration
Steampunk AU	Horror	Wild Card	Second person narration	Drama
Crossover: TV shows and movies	There is No Escape	A Test of Worthiness	Reality is Illusion	Taxes
High School / College AU	Humour	Teenagers	A Blessing is Bestowed	Furnishing the Home

senmut

AO3 Link | To Find A New Hope (3216 words) by Merfilly
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Original Female Character(s), Asajj Ventress, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke Skywalker, Aayla Secura, CC-5052 | Bly, Original Male Character(s)
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post-Episode: s02e21-22 Twilight of the Apprentice
Summary:

When Pel has a vision, and shares it with Atin, she gets to do the legwork.

To Find A New Hope

"Pel," Atin muttered, "if your first Force Vision gets me kidnapped by a Hutt, I'm naming Kifra my best friend." The Kel Dor was nowhere to hear that threat, as Atin tried to figure out how in kriff she was supposed to find one karking kid in the middle of the desert.

Her buir'e were probably going to wish she was old enough to one on one, no matter what. Yes, she had gone to her spirit-mother for training. It wasn't her fault Pel had dragged her, and possibly Kifra, into a long-distance Force Vision. As he, so recently settled in that gender, couldn't leave Dorin, she had to do the leg work. And she wasn't alone.

"Why in all the galaxy does it have to be here?" Asajj hissed.

"You know as much as I do, and I did say you didn't have to come with me," Atin answered as levelly as possible. "Now, how do we find this kid Pel saw?"

"I presume it has to do with the Force, so you will seek, and I will guard you," Asajj said with more patience. Atin did not smile, but she knew full and well that Asajj loved her and saw Atin as an heiress — now that Mother was missing.

Atin shoved that off, and looked around the outskirts of what passed as a city… and beckoned Asajj back up into the ship. They had enough supplies and fuel; Atin would park them away from this life-sucking void to have a better chance of catching any Force wisps.

Three things happened almost as one. Atin was prepping to set them down outside a moisture farm's boundaries, Arseven found something in the 'droid-net that made him wary, and Asajj hissed in a breath as her eyes went unerringly to the horizon, not the farm.

"No, not here, not yet," Asajj snapped. "That way, go," she demanded.

While this was technically Atin's mission to complete, she had no reason to deny her spirit-mother's instincts, and did low-atmo flight in the direction she'd been given.

And, once she was out of sight of the sun-strong Force signature at the farm, she felt the secondary, lighter one that Asajj must have latched onto. What even was this going to be, when Tatooine was not exactly on the galactic map for 'famous Force users'.

"Arseven, what is it you found?"

[R2-D2 entry, specific to geo-location. Details redacted, deduce R2-D2 located there once, at minimum.]

That… that was very unexpected. Arseven had extensive memories, and kept the pulse of the 'droid-net for Atin's family, with its labyrinthine levels of access. Granted, the one Arseven could access had been hastily walled off, protected by those droids that had maintained their memories and allegiance to the Republic, but anywhere that droid might have been was a possible location in Skywalker's or Amidala's past.

And there was someone with the Force there, almost blinding to Atin when she looked with that awareness.

"Pel, I am putting a stink bomb in your quarters," she muttered before telling Asajj what Arseven had said. The Dathomiri frowned, then gave a sharp nod.

"I must be right then, about what is ahead."

Asajj held back — this was her heiress's quest — but remained where she could see events unfold. Atin had, at her suggestion, dropped some of her shielding. Asajj didn't think this particular Jedi would harm the girl, yet she was ready to throw a Force Choke to protect the girl, if the man had gone insane.

Ahsoka had mentioned ones she had found, driven insane by the genocide of their people.

She wasn't prepared to see a man that looked twice the age he should coming out of the hovel to see who had parked a scout ship beside his bantha herd. It was one more point toward that karking anooba on the Emperor's leash really being Skywalker. If she had only managed to kill him at Yavin…

"Hello there," came the voice she easily recognized, and the Force felt cautious but not hostile around him. With that, she did emerge.

"Now, Kenobi, don't go flirting with the child," she purred, pleased when his eyes went large and he reached toward his belt. "Especially not when she is of your line."

"All I did was say 'hello', Ventress," Kenobi answered, forcing himself to a less battle-ready stance.

"This is General Kenobi? He looks older than any of my uncles," Atin said, adding more confusion to the mix, and making Asajj laugh.

"Redheads shouldn't live under dual suns; I'd be glad to offer you much better places to lay your head, my dear old nemesis."

"I'm very certain my answer to that is 'no'," Kenobi said, before taking his eyes back to Atin.

"Good," Atin said. "As I'm not sure I'd want you anywhere near my other clan."

Asajj wondered at that, curious what was setting her heiress firmly against this man of her past.

"I'm sorry, but perhaps introductions are in order," Kenobi said. "At least for my sake?"

"Atin Tano."

Asajj's earlier words, those clone-dark eyes, plus the name all were hammering at Kenobi, and she could see it, despite the man's attempt to sweep the emotions away.

"My fair skin cannot endure these suns; do invite us in, my dear Kenobi?" Asajj said, and he helplessly turned to lead them in, a gesture that left it up to them to follow.

Obi-Wan settled his former enemy — who was remarkably pleasant — and the hostile stranger that seemed to be his grand-padawan's kin with an eye to defusing whatever had brought them here.

"Kenobi," Asajj began, "this began with my student's Force Vision, but I noted your presence, and decided that perhaps you could enlighten us as to the blazing Force Beacon not so far from here?"

Atin seemed content with that question, but her eyes, so like Co — he cut that off — bored holes into him for his answer.

"He was brought here to escape the Purge," Kenobi said, a truth, but not all of it.

"Because of Vader?" Atin accused immediately, and he could not, quite, keep from flinching, leading to her using some choice words in at least three languages.

Asajj rested a hand on her shoulder, and the girl, no older than Ahsoka at Christophsis, Obi-Wan thought, settled.

"The point stands, Kenobi. If the not-so hidden one belongs to either the gundark or that senator woman, and a Vision has been had, he is likely no longer safe here."

Obi-Wan blinked; how could Asajj know not only that Vader was Anakin, but who the mother would be?!

"Oh please. Do you think Atin is my student by chance?" Asajj purred. "Ahsoka paid a visit to me after the confirmation, so that she could enlist my aid to better protect Atin until Atin was fully trained in her ways.

"And the funeral was obviously of a pregnant woman. Deception in that would be needed, hmm, if she had been suspected to be carrying a child?"

"How was it confirmed?" he asked, instead of answering anything.

"I was taken, when I was very small, and my parents had to rescue me," Atin said. "The fact he took me instead of outright killing me planted the idea." She glared at him. "She was out there fighting still. Had been fighting since she was only a little older than me now… and you're on this sun-scorched rock with a sitting target."

Obi-Wan closed his eyes at the accusation in her words. "I thought I needed to guard the last hope of the Jedi. Your mother was — always — in the midst of the men. I could not fathom that she had survived when so many died."

Asajj made an indelicate noise at that. "You never could see the full potential in her," she scoffed. "But, admittedly, she was aided by that captain of hers."

Atin flashed her sharper than human teeth in a smile at those words. "Fives was right," the girl told Obi-Wan, and he had to shuffle through his memories, so far back, before going pale with shock. "My uncles were used by making them flesh-droids in truth. My buir'e have stolen back the ones they could."

"I… that is much to digest," Obi-Wan said, as the memory of the men becoming nothing more than uniform spots of malevolence returned to him. "You said… 'was'?" he asked in a gentle tone.

"She's not dead," from Asajj overlapped "She disappeared," out of Atin's mouth.

"After facing Vader on Malachor," Atin continued. "The other former Jedi involved refused to give me the coordinates, but Arseven got it out of their droid."

"We went, she and I, but could not find Ahsoka," Asajj finished. "I sought for her spirit in the Force, but it is not there." She then glanced over into a corner. "Unlike the one sharing your abode."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow.

Atin snorted. "It's a little trick from Asajj's tradition. The dead can be useful sometimes."

"So they can be," Obi-Wan agreed, having learned more from Qui-Gon Jinn during his exile. "Back to my reason for being here, it has not changed. I … will have to find a way to cloak him."

"Kenobi, don't be an idiot. If the boy has been revealed to a more distantly connected Force user, do you really think the gundark won't feel it soon?"

"This planet is a shield of its own," Obi-Wan said weakly.

"No, no it's not, and you're endangering my cousin," Atin growled.

How had she decided on that tack? No, Ahsoka had claimed Anakin as 'brother', so in one way it made sense. In all others, given her own confession of abduction, and Vader likely being responsible for Ahsoka's loss, it did not.

Togruta, vod'e, and clan — they never used logic for naming kin ties.

"I have nowhere else to take him."

"Spirit-mother?" Atin asked, maybe implored, and Asajj set her jaw firmly.

"Kenobi, give me your hands," Asajj said, reaching out. "I may not like most of the main clan she lives with, but I will not allow Sithly manipulations to harm them for hers, and Ahsoka's, sake."

"I'm sorry, but weren't you a Sith's disciple?" Obi-Wan asked to cover just how uneasy he was.

"Bah. I am a Night Sister, and those days were long gone even before I helped my pet deliver her child."

Atin laughed, sharp and short. "Do you want me to call you 'harpy' since she's not here to do it?"

It was Asajj's affectionate yet sad smile at the girl that made Obi-Wan actually reach for the hands, to prove he was safe, even if he thought there was no way he would go wherever Atin lived.

Asajj had been certain Kenobi was free of the Sithly traps — there had been residue, but Kenobi had dealt with it. Then came the negotiation with the farmers, which had taken right up until Luke found out the Empire might kill his family when they came hunting.

Atin had set the long course, dropping Asajj back on Dathomir. Luke was so unshielded that he could feel the planet before they even grounded for her to leave.

Now, having made certain neither of them were present as she set her course, she had time in hyperspace to actually talk to the pair without Asajj needling the Jedi relic.

"No, you can't know where we're going," she answered Luke's first question, then looked at Kenobi. "You're not the only jetii to survive."

"Obviously your mother," he began, but she shook her head.

"I meant of your Order. She was not, remember?" When the man flushed she continued. "Buir made her promise to not leave us, those that were rescued, us kids, because someone had to teach the useful bits to me and my sibs."

"Her," Kenobi murmured, considering. "And you are warning me because there is a connection?"

"Yes. I've heard a few stories about Kenobi-and-Vos as I grew up."

That rattled the Jedi pretty hard. "Master Saa or Master Secura?" he asked once he had his equilibrium back, well-aware that Luke was listening — and feeling in the Force — to all the emotions.

"Mama Aayla," Atin said. "Bly was in physical contact with her when the order hit, and that gave him just enough to stun her instead of kill, though he hunted her after, knowing she wasn't dead. But his chip was malfunctioning, and she was able to snap the thing with the Force, to free him."

"Chip? Like the ones in the slaves?" Luke asked, giving Kenobi time to digest the revelation.

"Huttese chips just explode," Atin said bitterly. "Death would be preferable to ones that made you mindless flesh-droids who killed those they were supposed to protect."

Luke blanched, then nodded. "Yeah… rescued?"

"It started with my mother and her captain, figuring out how to neutralize the chips, how to work the men past their trauma. I'm told they weren't always able, very early on. Then giving them a choice to settle in Sanctuary, which is the name of where we are going," she said, knowing it wouldn't tell them where in the galaxy it was. Granted, if Pel came up, Kenobi would guess, but that would be after Aayla and Wolffe decided the threat level. "The other half of the choice was to join the Rebellion. Some did.

"But no one holds it against the ones that chose living free and safe."

"Your mother helped in the Rebellion I take it?" Kenobi asked.

"My mother helped build it, shape it, guide it." Atin sat tall in her chair. "She was learning every Force trick she could, freeing my uncles, and recruiting on both sides of the Separatist line to fight the Empire."

Kenobi met her eyes on that, and stroked his beard a moment. "She was one of the best and brightest," he said, "and the Order did so very wrong by her."

That … Atin hadn't expected that. She could accept it, could move past her lingering antipathy to this man.

Obi-Wan had watched Luke's openness actually win the girl over. He was rather glad Luke hadn't actually picked up on the girl being younger, given how driven Atin was, especially in teaching Luke the most basic Force shielding for polite company among other users.

He was awakened by them coming out of hyperspace, but per their agreement, made no attempt to leave the cabin he shared with Luke, a narrow space with two bunks and storage beneath them, looking over as his ward noticed the change and awakened.

"We're out of hyperspace. Atin will be landing us, no doubt, as she has not put us into a new jump," Obi-Wan said.

"Do we always notice it?"

"Long time spacers do. Those who grew up in space will. And Force users, as the fullness of the feeling of being surrounded is somewhat muted in hyperspace."

"Good to know."

A short time later, the ship was definitely landed, and Obi-Wan waited for the word to get out.

That came when the astromech, Arseven, came and opened their door to lead them out.

"I suppose she went ahead to warn the others," Obi-Wan said.

"It feels… light. Warm? Soothing," Luke said, measuring his awareness around him as Obi-Wan and Atin had been teaching.

"If it is a refuge for those wronged by the war, I suppose it would," Obi-Wan said, not willing to reach out like that, to feel the betrayal of the men, of their grief for the Jedi. He and Luke followed Arseven, and were led into a docking bay that only held one other ship at present, a beat up single-man Aether-Sprite.

Ahead of them was a clone with gold bars on his cheeks, and beside him, a blue Twi'lek that Obi-Wan had seen grow from foundling to Master. Atin was off to the side, kneeling down in a deep hug with a Twi'leki girl still in the dainty stage of true childhood.

"Master Kenobi," the woman said in a calm, measured tone.

"Can we dispense with titles, my old friend?" Obi-Wan asked, and then she was in motion, prompting him to meet her. The hug, he had to admit, felt very good to his worn and frayed spirit.

"Obi-Wan," she murmured.

"Aayla," he answered her, before stepping back a little and looking at the clone. "Bly." It was so complicated in his heart. Could Cody have resisted if the order had come while they were together?

"Obi-Wan," Bly replied. "Rex and Wolffe will probably slip for General, but you remember how they were."

"Luke, come with us," Atin called. "We'll get your things later, but I want you to meet my little sister, and we'll show you where we live."

"Okay."

Once the trio were departed, Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. "Sister?"

Bly actually chuckled, while Aayla linked an arm around Obi-Wan's to be his guide. "Clan remains fluid, and need not have blood, though technically speaking, they are half-sisters," she said with a smile. "Kifra, our daughter. They have another sibling, who is fully by spirit, and also vod to all of the men, but you will not be meeting him just yet.

"Rex is off-world, helping the Rebels at present. And while we are not pleased at Atin's decision to take such risks while she was away training, we are pleased to welcome you, and your ward."

"How much did she tell you?"

"All of it. And we will do what we can to help Amidala's son protect himself, we promise."

"For now," Bly said quietly, "you are to follow our standard care routine for a survivor of the war."

"I have had — "

"No one with whom you could work it out, you only just learned what happened to us, and I know our ad is as diplomatic as a rancor," Bly said, cutting him off. "I love Atin dearly, but she has her mother's stubborn and bluntness down to a fine art."

"I think our Captain gets some of that blame," Aayla said with impish humor. "But he does tend to phrase it better."

Obi-Wan took a deep breath. If Aayla could learn to smile, after all she had been through, he would try their way. Even the Force thought this was for the better, and that helped him relax into their care even further.

~So he is there, and another Jedi of Father's extended clan,~ Pel recapped from the long mental conference with Atin and Kifra.

~Yes, but we have not mentioned we are in the Dorin system or who you are. Might piece it together, but I wanted our parents to get a feel for the Jedi first.~

~Of course. I know all of you will help Luke build the basics. And then, when Mama Aayla says, I will come to help with the mental side of it.~

~Alright. I don't know where your vision will lead us, Pel, but… I think something shifted.~

~So the Sages believe,~ he assured her. ~Sleep well, my sisters.~

~You too,~ Kifra said, before shifting to be more comfortable in the bed with her big sister. "It has to get better, right?"

"We're going to try hard for that," Atin promised her, closing her eyes. She just wished her mother could be here to help them, as always.

denise posting in

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Hello, friends! It's about to be December again, and you know what that means: the fact I am posting this actually before December 1 means

karzilla reminded me about the existence of linear time again. Wait, no -- well, yes, but also -- okay, look, let me back up and start again: it's almost December, and that means it's time for our annual December holiday points bonus.

The standard explanation: For the entire month of December, all orders made in the Shop of points and paid time, either for you or as a gift for a friend, will have 10% of your completed cart total sent to you in points when you finish the transaction. For instance, if you buy an order of 12 months of paid time for $35 (350 points), you'll get 35 points when the order is complete, to use on a future purchase.

( The fine print and much more behind this cut! )

Thank you, in short, for being the best possible users any social media site could possibly ever hope for. I'm probably in danger of crossing the Sappiness Line if I haven't already, but you all make everything worth it.

On behalf of Mark, Jen, Robby, and our team of awesome volunteers, and to each and every one of you, whether you've been with us on this wild ride since the beginning or just signed up last week, I'm wishing you all a very happy set of end-of-year holidays, whichever ones you celebrate, and hoping for all of you that your 2026 is full of kindness, determination, empathy, and a hell of a lot more luck than we've all had lately. Let's go.

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