Snippet

I did manage to get words after finishing the bit of artwork.

More of Darra Thel-Tanis in As It All Burns:

"Your army, we doubt not." Master Yoda is looking at Dooku's hologram with a sad expression - maybe faintly disappointed, Darra thinks.

Dooku meets Yoda's gaze for a long moment before sighing. "I am not the Order's enemy, Master Yoda, and I never have been. Only a scholar beyond the bounds set by the Council." He looks away from Yoda, meeting Darra's eyes a moment. "Seeking methods by which I can better aid those who have need of it, including the Jedi Order, and I have met few who do not appreciate that aid."

"We're not ungrateful for your aid." Master Windu holds up a hand when Dooku frowns. "Maybe, in time, a facility beyond what already exists on Serenno can be built. At the moment, the Order simply does not have the means to justify the expense of building a Temple when we cannot be sure anywhere is safe. No matter how well-trained or supplied your military is."

"Master Yoda, Master Windu, Count Dooku." Valorum speaks for the first time since the meeting began, his voice steady despite the tension in the air. "As it is clear the Jedi Order do not feel they have the means to erect such an edifice, and currently the budget of the Confederacy does not have a surplus which can safely be dedicated to a monument, shall we table that discussion for another time?"

As well as that of Dooku's loyalties and beliefs, for which Darra is glad. She's not sure how they would view her, if ever her actions and thoughts since Radnor came up. Certainly she feels closer to Dooku than she does to the Order any longer, and her loyalties are firmly to Valorum and the Confederacy over even the Order. How would any Jedi trust her, when she had chosen to put a person over the Order, even before she'd been certain she couldn't return to the Order?

---

I also have some bits with clones in this AU, but I'm not confident enough of my characterization to post that snippet yet. I do have some thoughts on the importance of them to the AU, though, and to some of the other AUs.

Plot bunnies have fangs and muses are being evil

I also added to playlists today, and finished up one of the ending scenes for Into Shadows (and now I just have to fill in everything between Obi-Wan being shot and that newly-finished scene).

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So, have more Burn!Anakin mucking about in near-canon

Once Organa has left them on a landing platform, Anakin moves quickly to get out of the main walkway, trusting the Padawan to keep close.

"I forgot to ask your name, Padawan."

"Zett Jukassa." The boy is nearly on his heels, and Anakin glances down at him a moment. There's worry, and a bit of fear, in the boy's expression. "You're General Skywalker. I've seen you on the holo-net."

"No, I'm not." Anakin grimaces, shifting so the boy is ahead of him as he ducks into an alley. "I'm not a Jedi, and I'm not your Skywalker. If you call me anything, call me Anakin. It's my name."

Zett is quiet a moment. "General Skywalker has a scar over his right eye, and he doesn't have a red lightsaber. Only the Sith have those."

"And me." Anakin snorts, watching the walkway they'd been on earlier. "I didn't have a lot of options for lightsaber crystals when I built my lightsabers. The artificial red ones were easer to get."

"Why didn't you go to Ilum to get new ones?" Zett is watching him, and Anakin shrugs one shoulder.

"It wasn't an option." Anakin holds up a hand before Zett can ask another question. "I need to try to contact Master Windu, and arrange a rendezvous. I need you to keep a watch on that entry to the alley, and let me know if we have trouble."

"How are you going to do that without a communicator?"

Anakin grins, leaning against one wall, the durasteel cold even through the layers he's wearing. "The Force can do a lot of things, if you know how, Zett. I won't be able to pay a lot of attention to things nearby if I'm going to contact Master Windu, though."

He's not actually certain what he's trying will work - neither he nor Master Windu is naturally a telepath, and he doesn't have a bond with Windu to counteract that - but he has to at least try. Younglings deserve a chance to learn more than how to die.

Closing his eyes, he draws a deep breath, taking long moments to settle into a meditative trance - he's never been good at this part of it, no matter how often he practices. Seeking out someone else in the Force is easier, but more dangerous when he knows there are at least two Sith on the planet who would really prefer the younglings didn't survive, much less Zett or Master Windu. Getting the other person to notice him without attracting unwanted attention? That's the trick, and Anakin hopes he manages to fly under Sidious's notice - his alternate might be less sensitive, if he's not meditating, but Anakin can't be certain of that.

What the hell?

Master Windu's thoughts are audible for a moment before he slams shields up faster than Anakin can blink.

"Ow." He slams back into his body with a grimace, though he has enough information to find Master Windu, and from there, he can go looking for the younglings if they split up - he would have suggested that, if he'd been in Master Windu's place.

"Did it work?" Zett is crouched nearby, his back mostly to Anakin, though he glances back as he speaks.

"Sort of. Mostly." Anakin reaches up to rub his temples as the pain begins to subside to a managable level. He really needs to practice more, if he can't do something like that without backlash. "I know where Master Windu is, if we don't take too long to get there. Did your Master teach you how to cushion a landing with the Force?"

"No." Zett looks at him with a frown. "What are you going to do?"

"Take the quickest route down into the deeper parts of the city." Anakin reaches out to rest a hand on Zett's shoulder a moment. "I can keep us both from splatting, I just needed to know I would have to."

---

And near-canon-ish Obi-Wan being ambushed by feels in the As It All Burns AU

Blinking, Obi-Wan raises an eyebrow. "Padmé and Sabé? I thought Sabé was her handmaiden."

"She is. Or was. I'm not actually certain how that works." His alternate shrugs, looking back at the arches, drawing Obi-Wan's attention to the sound of familiar voices - one of which he's not truly expected to hear again.

"Obi-Wan!" The first person through the arches is a green-skinned Twi'lek, one lekku wrapped to show she's a Padawan. She darts toward his alternate, wrapping him in a hug a moment that is returned, before she turns to look at him. "You're misplaced."

"Cese." Qui-Gon isn't far behind, though he looks different from the Master Obi-Wan remembers. Older, and with scars across his face that just miss his left eye, and run across his nose - which looks as if it's been broken again. Caught in more conflict than he could avoid?

"It's true." Cese sighs, glancing down a moment. "I know, Master. I shouldn't say everything I see." She pauses, and a moment later, Obi-Wan is startled by her hand on his arm. "No one's ever lost forever, Master Kenobi."

Obi-Wan draws in a deep breath, shaking his head before he looks over at the girl. "No, they're not. How did you know?"

"Because seeing truths is something I can't stop." Cese shrugs, sitting on the side of the bed. "Your Anakin does the same thing, doesn't he?"

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