Qulrik

Christian, filmmaker, writer

[qulrikkek]

I think we don't talk about this scene enough, so let's dive in:

Earlier episode 5 establishes that Din and Bo had grown closer to each other, while staying at the Covert:

There's plenty of space so there's no need to sit so close to each other unless they've grown closer.

Now back to this scene where the Armorer asks Bo to remove her helmet.

She was hesitant, and we rarely see Bo being hesitant about anything.

Now ask yourself why? Why was she so hesitant here?

Why wouldn't she want to get rid of her helmet? Not so long ago, she called Din's tribe a cult because of keeping their helmets on.

So what changed?

She lost her home. Din offered shelter. Then she *accidentally* joined his cult.

It's not indicated anywhere how much time passes between episode 3 and 5, but I would say at least a few weeks, if not a couple of months.

So why wouldn't she be relieved to receive the chance of removing her helmet?

You could say, well because she would become an apostate in the other's eyes, and therefore would be thrown out of the Tribe.

But, the Armorer refutes that by explaining "Bo Katan is walking both worlds."

But she is not concerned with the others, at least not at first. Her whole attention is hanging on Din's reaction.

She's afraid of losing his respect, and his friendship they had forged during their time together in the Covert up until this point.

She seems to want to say something in her own defence, but can't, because there's nothing. Instead, she's pleading with her eyes. (Katee's acting here is phenomenal)

This moment is about whether or not Din will reject her for taking off the helmet, like her Nite Owls rejected her for not getting the Dark saber.

And we know, that he not only doesn't reject her, (like he did in the past at their first meeting), but he joins to help her seek out her fleet.

From this point on, Bo is looking for his approval, and support.

Continuously!

It's so intriguing to watch how much she comes to rely on Din.

Then the pledge scene:

She's completely taken off guard.

She didn't expect him to support her after revealing how she surrendered, which inevitably led to the Night of a Thousand Tears.

This time Din goes beyond the simple nod of support by pledging his undying loyalty.

This marks another turning point in their relationship.

*Don't even try to tell me this isn't romantic as hell!!!*

It's clear where their relationship is heading.

She even says it:

Gif credit to: @enidsinclair

[eriexplosion]

Reading an article about the Acolyte and I think it's really weird how people insist that character death is like, inherently brave writing. Like literally saying that it's good because characters were "slaughtered like pigs" and stakes and good lorddddddd can we just tell a story? Make decisions over what communicates a theme or brings about a plot development and not just "Oh look how scary our villain is!"

Maybe Jecki and Yord dying will be used as an important character springboard! Maybe! But any weight to their death will come from that not just from LOOK AT HOW MANY PEOPLE WE CAN KILL. Any dipshit can kill a character. Can you make it matter that they're dead is the question. Does it complete their story in an interesting way or motivate the other characters in an interesting way? Does it create a real turning point in the story or drive home a narrative theme? Are we communicating important information to the audience? Because that's where most character deaths fail.

Character death isn't inherently valuable and I'd go as far as to say most of them aren't done to serve the story they're done to shock the audience and I'm b o r e d of it.

[lucife56]

[gffa]

Sometimes I forget just how absolutely BANGER STar Wars fic writers are. Yeah, we're trapped in this hell fandom together, but you're telling me I have approximately 30 novel-length fics I picked up just this week, that are not only cool concepts, but WELL-WRITTEN, TOO? Good characterization and emotionally resonant scenes and everything?? Goddamn, no wonder most of us can't leave this hell pit, the fic is too good.

[qulrikkek]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

This unnamed emotion was so similar to his love for Grogu... Yet it wasn't the same. It wasn't wider, nor deeper or bigger. Only the shape was different... but no less or more important.

gif credit: @enidsinclair

[chrrispine]

THE MANDALORIAN

Chapter 18: The Convert

[qulrikkek]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

All this facade of cheerfulness on both sides was to mask the bantha in the room. They were leaders in their own right, just in different ways, and yet, they didn't dare to address what was hanging in the thick air between them. It was quite embarrassing, that even as adults, they were no more mature in this topic than teenagers.

Emotions so deep were uncharted territory.

[eithniel]

Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum

[qulrikkek]

This beautiful art inspired a Keldabe kiss moment in Chapter 20 of my story.

[qulrikkek]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

Bo and Din stand together to confront the fleet. Din has a few tricks up his sleeves to elevate her even higher...

Notes:

Well, it seems I couldn't finish the finale in one chapter, so here's the first part. (Longest chapter so far.)

This is the last update in 2023.

WARNING!

GET PREPARED FOR AN EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER!

[qulrikkek]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

The Senate, and Elia Kane brings Bo Katan to the brink of falling... But a sincere confession from Din's lips turns their world upside down.

Notes:

EMOTION BOMBS INCOMING!!!

YOU WERE WARNED!!!

[qulrikkek]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

Even with Leia's help, no amount of preparation could have made anyone ready for the blow Bo was about to take from the Senate...

Notes:

Lot of research was drawn from Wookieepedia, the Phantom Menace novelization, and the Bloodline book too. (Took some liberty in terms of how characters look though.)

The real spicy politics is coming next chapter with emotion bombs going off!

[qulrikkek]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

Bo and Din almost get carried away in their reunion, but the sinister plot they are up against forces them to clear their minds, and plan their own counter attack, before the Senate hearing begins.

Notes:

Get ready for LOTS of CLAN OF THREE FLUFF, and plotting!

Wow, we are over 400 kudos, and 9000 hits! I honestly didn't think the story would grew like this, but I'm delighted to see how y'all are enjoying it!

With that said, I'll be starting to write my own original novel, which consequently means that I won't have much time for this fic anymore, although I'm very much planning on finishing it, but updates should be expected to come a lot slower than usual. So apologies for that.

The good news is, that we are very close to the ending. I predict two, maximum three more chapters then we'll be done!

Anyway, let me know your thoughts on this chapter in the comments below!

[qulrikkek]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Summary:

Elia, and Moff Gideon suspect that there might be more to Din, and Bo's relationship than at first sight.

Din begins to enact his plan, to prepare for the upcoming Senate hearing.

Bo's life is hanging on a thread, but Grogu is there for her.

Notes:

This is a shorter chapter, but I will be very busy in the upcoming weeks, so I don't think I'll be able to write a single word, so here's an early update for y'all.

[luna8586-deactivated20231127]

"Life is too short."

One interesting parallel between Din, Bo, and Grogu is that they are all told that "life is short." Let's look at the Book of Boba Fett. During "From the Desert Comes a Stranger," we see Grogu training with Luke and Din is trying to visit him. Grogu's attachment to Din is obvious and both Ahsoka and Luke mentioned it multiple times throughout the episode. Luke knows Grogu's heart isn't in it and he gives him a choice. Stay and learn to be a jedi or return to his father. During this scene, Luke says something interesting.

I took this scene as Luke giving Grogu his blessing to go back to Din. Grogu will outlive Din by hundreds of years. If he wants to be a jedi, he has all the time in the world to return to training after Din is gone. Luke is telling Grogu that the life of a human is short. Which brings us to "Guns for Hire" in The Mandalorian season 3.

The context is a bit different. The episode took place on Plazir 15 which translates into "Pleasure Planet." Din and Bo are alone, on Pleasure Planet trying to solve a case of rogue battle droids. When they visit the droid bar, during his monolge the bartender droid says...

The scene immediately cuts to Bo and Din looking at each other. A romantic sounding music cue plays in the background.

Every scene direction of a scene is intentional. The directors and actors in this show have pointed this out multiple times. So why cut to Din and Bo glancing at each other when that line is said? Because that most likely will have a payoff in future seasons. Both of them are so focused on duty that they never took the time out to ask themselves if they want something outside of duty for themselves.

They are told that life is short in the same episode with two romantically involved pairs that parallel them. There are multiple droids on dates throughout the episode. To me this moment shows that they do feel some type of way for each other but don't grasp it yet.

At the end of the season, Din and Bo go back to duty first but their song is not yet written. The lack of goodbye may also come into play next season. The show didn't spend an entire season building their bond to just have Din leave with no goodbye. He has had goodbyes with lesser characters than Bo. The show also took time to build Bo's bond with Grogu outside of Din.

The three of them have been told that "life is short." Particularly that "human life is short." Hopefully this will come into play in season four. They are both leads and their paths will cross soon enough.

[qulrikkek]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Bo, and Din try to hunt down Elia Kane, but the trap was set for them long before they reached Corusant.

Notes:

WARNING!!!

GET READY WITH TISSUES!!!

ACTION SEQUENCE INCOMING!!!

[ladyzirkonia]

I loved all the Clone Wars flashbacks but at the same time the only thing I can think about is... UGH shame on all of you who are shipping Ahsoka and Rex or anything similar. She's a fucking CHILD, thank you Dave Filoni for making this so clear.

[gffa]

EVERY SINGLE MOMENT OF THIS WAS SUCH A FUCKING BANGER. Baylan Skoll is reading exactly what Ahsoka fears and sets up this vision for her, that he says her legacy is one of death and destruction--which hurls her into a vision-slash-flashback of the clone wars, where she felt like this is all she learned as a Jedi, because this is what the galaxy was when she was growing up in it. That this is Anakin--or Ahsoka's own mind using Anakin as a proxy, because she STILL emotionally and mentally sees him as the one who teaches her, even if it's not really him, she imagines it to be him, because he's her Master, the one who taught her what she needs to know--but also this is the center of everything she can't let go of, all the hurt and fear and loss, it's all tangled up in Anakin and what he became. That she loves him and fears him in the same breath, that she remembers the good, the charming young man who was teaching her how to survive, who gave everything he had to her, while also remembering what he became, that he was so powerful that he became the worst nightmare the galaxy had ever seen, that neither of these is the whole of who he is, that he is all of this and more. He isn't just Anakin Skywalker, he's also Darth Vader. He isn't just Darth Vader, he's also Anakin Skywalker. He isn't just Anakin and Vader, he's also everything of Obi-Wan, of Qui-Gon, of Dooku, of Yoda--and she has to learn to accept that the same is true of her, too. The potential for tremendous darkness lurks in all their hearts, that's what the Jedi teach. No one is above the dark side. No one is above fear and clinging on and holding too tight. It's a lifelong journey not to give in to those things and you are so much more than just any one moment or even any one aspect. Yes, if she's everything he is, then she does have the potential to become the same kind of nightmare of death and destruction that he did, just as she fears. It's why she's held herself back from the galaxy, from the Ghost crew, from Sabine especially, because she's afraid, and only agreed to train Sabine in the first place because whatever abilities she has, they're so low Sabine can't become another Vader. Grogu does have the potential to become another Vader. Ahsoka does have the potential to become another Vader. She has killed many and destroyed so much. But that's not all she is. She's also saved so many lives. She also gently tucked Roo Roo Page back into her mother's arms. She also taught Petro and Katooni and Gungi and Zatt and Byph about how to get their crystals. She also saved Kaeden's life. She also protected Ezra from Vader. She's all those things, plus more, just as Anakin was all the things he was and more, too. Baylan was right that part of her legacy is death and destruction, but he's a dark sider, he lies and twists the truth, and the truth is--Ahsoka Tano, like every Jedi before her, is more than just one part of her legacy.