#zigoola

[floatywan]

—-

Bail after the events of "Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Wild Space" (Karen Miller)

plus some extra injuries i added to give it some spice (pookie gets impaled by a branch oopsie)

[foreverchangingfandomsao3]

te darjetii jorad o’r ner mir (the sith voice in my mind) (2,140 words) by foreverchangingfandoms Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Wild Space - Karen Miller Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Bail Organa Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Bail Organa Additional Tags: Whumptober 2024, Whump, Hurt Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi Whump, Planet Zigoola (Star Wars), Sith Artifacts (Star Wars), Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Break, Worried Bail Organa, Obi-Wan Kenobi Has a Bad Time, At this point that works for almost all my fics, Sith Temples (Star Wars), Hopeful Ending Series: Part 24 of Whumptober 2024 Summary: Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Wild Space - Karen Miller Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Bail Organa Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Bail Organa Additional Tags: Whumptober 2024, Whump, Hurt Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan Kenobi Whump, Planet Zigoola (Star Wars), Sith Artifacts (Star Wars), Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Break, Worried Bail Organa, Obi-Wan Kenobi Has a Bad Time, At this point that works for almost all my fics, Sith Temples (Star Wars), Hopeful Ending Series: Part 24 of Whumptober 2024 Summary:

Obi-Wan Kenobi is stuck on Zigoola and the Sith's impact on his mind is worse than anyone could think.

My fill for whumptober day 24 - Radiation poisoning (collapsed building | equipment failure | “I never knew daylight could be so violent”)

[kckenobi]

I wish you would write a fic where Obi-Wan sort of forgets to tell Anakin what actually happened on Zigoola. Bail is over for dinner or something one night and just starts casually bringing it up like Anakin knows the whole story and what happened to Obi-Wan’s knee. Maybe after the dinner Anakin accosts Obi-Wan about it and finds out that Obi-Wan has had chronic pain for a year or so and hasn’t mentioned it once. I am a sucker for your hurt/comfort fics if you could not tell, lol. Thanks for consistently writing my favorite fics of all time!

It wasn’t that Anakin didn’t like Bail Organa. He knew he was quite a respectable man–a rarity in the Senate, that was for sure. And Padmé certainly liked him. Obi-Wan, too. He knew they were all good friends, and that was perfectly fine. Completely, totally fine.

And Anakin wasn’t jealous at all.

So when the dinner invitation came, he acted blasé enough. Obi-Wan was striding into their quarter one afternoon during their brief leave from the front, looking down at his comm.

“Bail invited us to dinner,” he said.

Anakin dropped the droid parts he’d been working on and tried his hardest not to whirl around.

“What?”

“This evening,” Obi-Wan replied. “If you’re available.”

“He invited me?”

“Yes, and me,” Obi-Wan said. “That is the meaning of the word ‘us,’ you know.”

“I–well, yeah. I just–isn’t he your friend?”

Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows. “Well, forgive me. I didn’t realize we weren’t allowed any mutual friends. I’ll have to tell Rex and Kit and Quin I won’t be seeing them anymore, then–”

Anakin rolled his eyes, ignoring the jest. “Fine. Yeah, I’m free. I guess.” He looked down at his hands, which were still stained with grease. “I’ll get cleaned up.”

And for reasons he couldn’t explain, during the ride over and the walk to Bail’s door, and the whole introduction and small talk and drinks–Anakin felt nervous.

Bail was just–well, he was intimidating. He was twenty years older than Anakin, probably, and so well-spoken and calm. He and Obi-Wan and Padmé would make good friends actually, come to think of it. But Anakin had never been good at this side of things–give him a lightsaber, give him a droid, and he was fine. But put him at a dinner party?

“Anakin, what’s your drink of choice?”

They were seated on the couch now, and Bail was looking at him.

“Oh, um…I’m not picky,” Anakin replied. “I’ll have whatever you’re having.”

“Corellian Brandy? You sure?” Bail replied, raising an eyebrow. “Obi-Wan’s favorite, though.”

“Oh, please,” Obi-Wan said, rolling his eyes. “After…well, the last time you made me drink Corellian Brandy, I think I’ll pass.”

“Trust me, it tastes much better when you’re not on the brink of death.”

Obi-Wan laughed, but there was a darkness there. A joke Anakin didn’t understand. He knew the two of them had been on a mission recently, while he and Ahsoka were away. Obi-Wan had been pretty beat up afterward, but told him not to worry about it. But ‘brink of death’ didn’t sound like a “don’t worry about it” kind of situation. ‘Brink of death’ sounded like–

“What are you talking about?” Anakin blurted.

Bail and Obi-Wan met eyes. “Just an inside joke,” Bail murmured.

He disappeared into the liquor cabinet.

They drank their brandy mostly quietly, with Bail and Obi-Wan chattering about politics. Anakin watched them–studying the way they seemed to know each other, the ease in Obi-Wan’s posture he only displayed with people like Cody, or Quinlan, or Anakin himself. And it made his chest tight, somehow. What was it they shared that Anakin didn’t know?

But he also noticed something else–the way Obi-Wan’s eyebrows were pinched slightly in the middle. His tell for headaches and migraines, usually.

In the Force, Anakin nudged him. Obi-Wan looked his way. “What?”

Anakin’s face lightly burned. So much for being discreet. “You okay?”

“I’m fine,”Obi-Wan said. “Why would you say that?”

“You look–you’re–”

Because now that he thought about it, Obi-Wan had looked wrong for a while. He was always tired, and recently when they sparred he always seemed slow, too easily bested. He didn’t eat as much, or sleep as much, and sometimes he limped. And if the headaches had been bad before, then now…

“Is it your knee again, Obi-Wan?” Bail said.

Both of them turned.

And Obi-Wan’s gaze sent a warning. “I don’t know what you mean. My knee is, and has always been, fine.”

The words were icy. Anakin’s eyes widened.

“Is that so,” Bail said, leaning forward. “It wasn’t fine the last time I saw you.”

“It was. I’m perfectly alright–then and now,” he replied, setting his brandy down on the table. “I suppose I have a bit of a headache. But, as you taught me once, it’s nothing a drink won’t fix.”

“You know that’s not true,” Anakin said. “Your head’s been worse ever since…well, ever since you went with him on that mission a few months ago.”

“Well, of course it has,” Bail said. “Because–”

“No,” Obi-Wan said. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Because Zigoola did a number on both of us, but you’re the one who’s gonna feel the after effects of a Sith Planet–”

Anakin’s head whirled. “A Sith planet?”

“No–”

But he didn’t get to finish. Because, just as he was about to repeat that nothing was wrong, Obi-Wan sucked in a breath. He squeezed his eyes shut.

Anakin shook his head. This was one scenario where he hated to be right.

Obi-Wan leaned forward, elbows on his knees, and ran his hands across his face. Anakin looked at Bail. “His migraines are–”

“I know,” said Bail. Not sharply, but still, Anakin felt…well, he was supposed to know Obi-Wan best.

“Yeah,” Anakin said. “Um, is there somewhere dark and quiet he could go?”

“I’m alright, Anakin,” Obi-Wan replied, voice coming from somewhere between his hands. “It…came on suddenly, but it isn’t…well, I’ve had worse.”

Anakin nodded. If he could talk at all, that was good. He noticed, abruptly, that Bail had a hand on his shoulder.

“Well, then we should probably get you home,” Anakin said. “Can you–”

But Bail was already helping him stand, slipping an arm beneath his shoulders. Anakin rushed to the other side.

They helped him to the speeder. Anakin opened the door, while Bail lowered him into the passenger’s seat and closed it behind him. Anakin was about to say goodbye and climb in the driver’s side, but a hand on his arm stopped him.

“Anakin,” Bail said. “Can we talk inside?”

Anakin looked through the speeder window. Obi-Wan’s head lolled back against the seat, his eyes closed tight.

“I should get him home–”

“It won’t be long. But there’s…something you should know.”

Anakin stared at him, long and hard. Something you should know. After months of being told that everything was fine, don’t worry about it, nothing happened while he was away. Something you should know, at long last.

He tried his best not to storm back into Bail’s house.

Inside, they didn’t sit down. Anakin folded his arms across his chest, face drawn as he waited.

“I’m listening.”

Bail walked past him, as if starting to pace. But he stopped, some distance away, face drawn as he looked back at Anakin.

“I did it on purpose.”

Anakin turned his head. “What?”

“I knew he hadn’t told you,” Bail said, nodding at a sleeping Obi-Wan. “About what happened on Zigoola. But someone needed to know, someone besides me, and maybe Master Yoda. He needs someone looking out for him. I could do that, when we were together, but we aren’t now.” He exhaled. “He needs you.”

Anakin could think of about a million things to say to that. But what actually came out was, “What happened, then? On Zigoola?”

Bail looked far away. Like he was looking at Anakin, but he wasn’t. And when he finally spoke, his voice was soft.

“I don’t think I should be the one to tell you,” Bail said. “It should come from him.”

“He won’t tell me.”

“He will now, I think,” Bail almost smiled. “I forced his hand. Because someone has to know. I have Breha looking out for me at home. Your w–I mean, Padmé looking out for me here. And now, he’ll have you.”

Anakin’s eyes flickered down, whether from embarrassment or worry he couldn’t say. He did need to leave–Obi-Wan was waiting.

But he fought the urge to run out right away. He looked at Bail, saw the genuine care there. The worry. Maybe it was the years Bail had on him, but he almost looked…fatherly. He didn’t know if Bail had children. But he bet he’d make a good one, one day.

Anakin did have to go. Obi-Wan was waiting out there, hurting. But he did pause. Shook Bail’s hand, however awkwardly.

“Thanks,” he said. “For telling me. And…and for looking out for him, then and now.” He exhaled. “I’m glad to know he has a friend in you. That we both do.”

As he stepped back outside, Bail watching from the door, Obi-Wan's words echoed back to him from this afternoon. Well. Maybe we are friends, after all.

He drove home as slowly and gently as possible–for once, taking care to follow the speed limits and traffic laws. Obi-Wan was a little worse now, he could tell from the pinch in his face and the way he inhaled sharply whenever they passed brighter lights. But they made it home without incident, and soon enough they were walking back into Obi-Wan’s quarters.

Anakin darkened the room. Got him water, his meds, sleep clothes. And when he was situated, and Anakin knew he could leave him to sleep it off, he paused. Sat down on the edge of the bed.

“You should’ve told me, you know,” he said quietly. “I’m not gonna argue it out with you right now. But I just need you to know you’re an idiot.”

From beneath the sheets, Obi-Wan hummed. “Thanks,” he mumbled.

“Yeah, well.” He shifted, so he was sitting up against the headboard in Obi-Wan’s bed. “You’ll tell me the truth, then? When you’re better?”

A pause. Then, a nod.

“Good. Otherwise, I’d have to go back to Bail and squeeze it out of him with a little more Corellian Brandy.”

Obi-Wan hummed again. His voice was raspy and soft. “Glad to see you two have bonded over my idiocy.”

“The best of friends do,” he said. “But anyway. I’m just…glad he’s there for you, is all.”

Anakin stood from the bed, pausing just once to lay a hand gently on Obi-Wan’s hair.

“I’ll be in the kitchen. Call if you need anything.”

Though he expected Obi-Wan wouldn’t even need to. If it got worse, he’d sense it from anywhere on Coruscant.

He shut the door behind him, and resolved to make some caf and pick a holo to watch until the worst had passed. Until the worst had passed, and they could talk.

Soon. Soon, the truth.

For now, he was content to wait. And be there.

[mr-gallows]

Beep beep! I’m back to say Obi-Wan needs more hugs. (Maybe a post-Zigoola one?)

[sirikenobi12]

Wild Space Review - a bad character study

So, I’ve been re-reading “Wild Space” by Karen Miller to use as source material for a new fic that I’m writing and I’m being reminded how much this book really just pisses me off. 

Like, it’s so close to being a really amazing Star Wars book that it’s super frustrating. 

***Spoilers Below***

I enjoy the plot overall, the way she uses the Darkside is super unique and I just love it. The idea that a Sith planet is basically used as a weapon against the Jedi and destroys them not just physically but also mentally (and in the Force), but that non Force users are fine - that is so incredibly interesting!! Not to mention the way she weaves the canon timeline into her story is also masterfully done. And the tension and drama is very well written. 

But, her take on the characters leaves MUCH to be desired in my opinion. I just can hardly get through reading it a second time because of it. Her Padme and frankly her Obi-Wan are honestly the worst. Don’t get me wrong they have moments where the characters we know and love do show up, but overall she just seems to completely misunderstand both of them (especially Padme) and REALLY misses the mark when it comes to their relationship/friendship. 

Padme: Through much of this story she is nothing but a love sick puppy who is whiney and obstinate in the most annoying fashion. She doesn’t seem to have the level head on her shoulders that we normally see with this character. Yes, we see that obviously she has a blind spot and makes poor decisions when it comes to being with Anakin in both the movies and TCW (I mean she kissed him after the sand line...come on girl), but in this book she is just insufferable!! 

She has immature and snide thoughts that rival Anakin’s about Obi-Wan and the Jedi Order throughout the entire thing and I just don’t see her character being this way. 

Obi-Wan comes to her at the beginning of the book to discuss her and Anakin’s behavior on Geonosis and to hopefully talk some sense into her regarding their doomed relationship - makes sense, she is the more mature and reasonable one between her and Anakin, but that is just not what happens in this scene. She is cold, she is like a child who resents her father telling her what to do. She is just obnoxious in this scene and incredibly unreasonable (very out of character). She then decides instead of talking to Anakin about it or coming to the realization that maybe this relationship isn’t a good idea she basically yells at Obi-Wan and then decides to lie to him. The lack of respect she holds for him in this scene is very contrary to the woman who maybe a day prior said “Well, I’m going to go help Obi-Wan...” 

Not to mention she basically uses the fact that Anakin’s mother died and Obi-Wan had no idea as a weapon against him...low blow Padme.

I feel like once the dust settled on Geonosis she would’ve struggled with their rushed marriage. She also so obviously cares for the Jedi Order, and specifically Obi-Wan (and Yoda for that matter) as a friend and we don’t see that reflected in this book much at all.

It isn’t until later in the book that we finally get a glimpse of the strong Senator who loved the Republic and the people more than just about anything (including Anakin) - I guess if you actually believe she died of a broken heart then the version of her character in this book makes sense...I guess.

Obi-Wan: While not as insufferable in my opinion in this book as Padme, he’s still through a good chunk of it out of character. Though Karen Miller does nail his tendency to injure himself only to claim he’s “fine” and his self-sacrificing ways, as well as his concern/love for Anakin, she does beat a dead horse when it comes to his view on politicians. What was just a simple line in ATOC “She’s a politician and they’re not to be trusted” became the main source of conflict for him throughout so much of this book when it came to his interactions with Bail Organa, so much so that it got pretty cartoonish and circular. 

A lot of my issues with Obi-Wan in this book stem from the usual misunderstanding that the Jedi are not allowed to have feelings/emotions and coupled with Obi-Wan’s need to prove himself (which that is very much in character, I’ll give her that) he comes across as basically what Anakin accuses him of being in ATOC - he’s overly critical, he’s emotionless, he’s intimidating and aloof. And Anakin’s bitching about his mentor aside I really have not seen any evidence throughout canon to make me believe that Obi-Wan would be like this. 

His first scene with Bail in this book is just baffling to me, the way he reacts is not at all the polished Negotiator nor the charismatic man everyone seems to have a soft spot for (even the villains). 

And then once he has been working with Bail for awhile they keep coming back to this conflict - he goes back to mistrusting him simply because Bail’s a politician and so then Bail feels attacked so he thinks the Jedi are these unfeeling monsters and starts questioning if they really do “steal babies”. Now, I can somewhat forgive this getting heated when they are on Zigoola because the planet is basically using the darkside to destroy Obi-Wan, but as a reader it just feels played out before they even make it to Zigoola and that makes it seem rather lazy. Obi-Wan has faced so much trauma all throughout his life, the author couldn’t come up with something else to cause him to fight Bail on getting out of there?  

The fact that he kept digging in his heels, not trusting Bail (for no real reason), not telling him what was happening even though two pages prior they had come to a mutual understanding feels like Karen Miller just needed more pages to fill and just didn’t know what else to do with them so she went back to the ‘Obi-Wan doesn’t trust politicians’ well. 

It took me out of the moment because it felt so out of place and out of character. 

I really, really want to love this book, it has a lot going for it. But I find it so difficult for me to get behind her take on these characters that I already know and love.  

Did anyone else feel this way reading this book?? I haven’t read any of her other Clone Wars books yet and now I’m debating if I should actually read them or if they’ll make me equally annoyed.

[feylesofia]

post-zigoola fic, Yoda and Obi-Wan talking about life and stuff.

“What are you thinking?”

Something had to haunt him, after such experience, and the question was “what?” for now. Which part made him frown, which part dragged his heart towards the ground and made him hunch with sadness?

“I am thinking,” Obi-Wan started, slowly, almost a child admitting a misdeed, “of how I turned the wheel.”

Yoda didn't even understand the reference at first, couldn't.

“I am thinking of how I almost destroyed two lives, Master.”

Now, a misdeed it wasn't. “How so?” he asked, to understand.

Obi-Wan's eyes widened just a bit, a surprised face. “I plummeted us both to death,” he blinked, confused at how Yoda wouldn't get, wouldn't easily draw the conclusion, wouldn't easily agree.

How he wouldn't blame.

read more on ao3

[meantforinfinitesadness]

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

Chapters: 1/4 Fandom: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: The Clone Wars: Wild Space - Karen Miller Rating: Not Rated Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, Plo Koon, Adi Gallia, Mace Windu, The Force - Character, Sheev Palpatine | Darth Sidious (mentioned), Depa Billaba, Yoda (Star Wars) (mentioned) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, That's Not How The Force Works, is it canon divergence if it's based off a legends book?, yes?, yeah - Freeform, Obi-Wan Kenobi Needs a Hug, Post-Wild Space, Post Zigoola, Meditation, Jedi Temple Series: Part 2 of Farewell Wanderlust Summary:

Obi-Wan found that after Zigoola, he had issues with the dark. It seemed to always be there. It seemed to constantly press down on his mind. Before Zigoola, he wouldn’t have felt it press against him as strongly as it was after Zigoola. It seemed that now, the dark was always there.

It seemed it was stronger on Coruscant than Obi-Wan remembered it being.

IT’S HERE. PART 2. THE AU ENDING OF MELT YOUR HEADACHES, CALL IT HOME. I POSTED THE FIRST CHAPTER EARLY BECAUSE I REALLY WANTED TO. SO THERE YOU GO. READ IF YOU WANT.

[captaingondolin]

I know I keep repeating how good Star Wars audiobooks are - and by good I MEAN I WILL SUE LUCASFILM FOR EMOTIONAL DAMAGES HOLY SHIT Obi-Wan and Bail just crash landed on a SITH PLANET while Obi-Wan was being possessed (?) by some Sith spirit, and only wrenched himself free at the VERY LAST SECOND in time to save himself and Bail WHILE BLEEDING OUT FROM HIS EYES, IN TERRIBLE PAIN hello yes this caters perfectly to my love for weird Force stuff AND Obi-Wan whump, it’s amazing

but not only that, OH NO, that happens with THIS MUSIC PLAYING IN THE BACKGROUND:

THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE i might have cried a little at Bail thinking about Breha and yelling at Obi-Wan that he doesn’t want to die

i am emotionally exhausted