Reactions: Dark Side Secrets— Visions and Voices Preview

I don't know how many of you have seen this clip. It's on the official Star Wars youtube channel, and is a preview for the next episode of Rebels.

There are a couple of beautiful and amazing things about this.

Let's first, of course, take off our hats to Maul and Sam Witwer's performance. I cannot wait for more of that character. His mental instability is glorious.

Next, there's the fact that the darksaber makes an appearance. So. Awesome.

And... it's on Dathomir. I know, I know.

With those three things, how could I find something more? If those alone had been present, I'd be talking ninety-miles-an-hour nonstop and completely, absolutely delighted for this episode.

But the in-real-life Rebels team went above and beyond.

The blood-scrawled name Kenobi in Mando'a on the wall. The fact Maul kneels before it, surrounded by candles. Is that a personal ritual? Come home, kneel before that name, then make dinner?

What stole my breath and kicked my heart was that picture. Satine. The picture. Now stained, torn. From a distance, it looks like her eyes are bleeding black. Think of all of that wonderful black fluid that would spill from mouths and ears and noses in Teen Wolf, and now apply that to that painting. You know, that TV show has some wonderful visual elements. Moving on.

The music. Oh. Satine's theme is... so beautiful, all on its own. To include it here, warped? All it took was that first signature note, and my heart was in my throat. And from there I was completely lost. So beautiful.

And then the camera pans down and we see...

The weapon that killed her. On a stand. Beneath her portrait. Surrounded by candles.

Sweet mother of Palpatine.

The shrine he built, basically of her death— the knowledge that Kenobi will suffer from that as long as his heart beats...

“He lives!”

Even if Obi-Wan and Satine are never mentioned in this episode...

This alone is enough. More than enough. I thought that moment of He Lives couldn't be trumped this season, even by Thrawn, who is absolutely spectacular.

I'm afraid this moment outdoes even He Lives.

Go ahead, tell me I'm crazy.

I'll just be here, kneeling at the weird shrine to Satine's death, and glorying in the fact that Maul learned Mando'a.

Someday...

I hope Obi-Wan sees this place. Not this episode. But someday.

Rogue One: Tickets

Well, my family and I have joined the ever-increasing number of folks who now posses their tickets to go see Rogue One!

It's not for opening night— yes, yes, I know.

It's for the first showing in the morning on the release date.

My Christmas was made beautiful last year by my entire family agreeing to go watch The Force Awakens with me, for my first viewing of Episode VII. It was an unexpected gift.

However, my darling family consists of individuals who wake up early in the morning and work hard through the day. The thought of driving through bad weather in the evening wasn't appealing.

Since they were stepping out to meet me halfway, I decided the least I could do was travel the other half.

So other than one lonely person out front, waiting, we were at the front of the line. We stood there, bundled in the beautiful early morning, and talked Star Wars with folks who hadn't been able to make it the night before, for whatever reason.

We saw a bus filled with kids... then another... and another...

Headed for The Good Dinosaur.

Our line chatted about rumors, Clone Wars, Rebels, expectations, Jar Jar Binks, Ewoks, JJ Abrams, and Rogue One. Perfect strangers... strangers no longer.

Now? It's become a family tradition. My family's Christmas tradition. The morning of opening day, head of the line, all together; talking Star Wars with anyone who's interested.

The wait of several hours is a price I'm willing to pay to get to share that special first viewing with the people who love me most.

For those of you who haven't gotten your tickets yet, I wish you the best of luck; and for those of you who will be seeing Rogue One on opening night...

Go have the time of your lives, guys. We have a new movie again!

The Force will be with you. Always.

SWTOR Words: Toons

I've been listening to SWTOR podcasts. A lot.

Fortunately, when I ran into our word, it was fairly easy to figure out what was being meant, because of the context.

The character being played.

However, I had no idea why that word was the one being used. So I googled it.

Some people thought its use came from the word cartoon. Others were certain it came from an MMO called Toontown.

To be perfectly honest, I feel no driving need to discover the “true” answer. And knowing language... it could have come from both.

My SWTOR vocabulary expands, a word at a time. Not very quickly, but it's happening.

The Force will be with you. Always.

Adventures of Eegan #3: More Than Reports

The Adventures of Eegan contain extensive spoilers for Star Wars: The Old Republic. If you intend to play the game yourself, you may not want to read these posts. If you're just interested in my adventures, mishaps, and how thoroughly I get involved in the role-playing aspect (very, very, very), and don't mind hearing the story in the process, welcome aboard.

You are entering the Eegan zone. From here on out, the word “I” means Eegan, a young female Zabrak Jedi Initiate.

I reported to the Council chamber.

I had spoken with Satele Shan a few times by then, but still my heart thundered. I know her from her exploits in the war. I've seen some of the things she accomplished.

Survived.

This is a woman who took a lightsaber blade in her hand and held it away from her heart.

I expected to give my report, and to receive my next mission.

Oh, that happened.

But...

They knighted me.

Knighted.

I stood there in stunned disbelief, trying to find something to say. Somehow, they thought me ready.

I want to live up to that belief.

Other things were discussed, in that meeting. Somehow. I'm not sure how.

The few Council members present felt strongly about Matriarch Ranna Tao'Ven's betrayal of Master Orgus and myself. While I could understand their concern— Kalikori is right in our backyard, after all, and darkness is brewing— I'd had experience with Ranna as a person.

She was bullied; and the bullies are... no longer an issue. I believe she has strength to lead her people, and I also believe she will gain the experience she currently lacks. She has a kind heart, and is open to being friends with the Jedi. I don't think this betrayal counters that.

On the contrary. Now she feels in our debt. I don't believe in widening the rift between Kalikori and Jedi. I believe she will be good for her people, and I believe that we can build friendship through her. We've already made great strides in that direction.

I pleaded for leniency.

The Council, thank the Force, listened.

But not all news was good.

Master Kiwiiks was present via holo. She reported that the darkness that we feel building did not originate with Bengel. Now that we have him in custody, it hasn't abated.

Instead... the menace is growing stronger.

Something is terribly wrong on Coruscant.

So...

They sent me there to join Orgus Din in an investigation.

I'm going to work a mission alongside my former Master...

But as equals now.

Of course, he still has rank over me, but I'm a knight.

I want to bear my end of the weight well.

T7 asked to be allowed to accompany me. He was so sweet, so confident. He seems to think that if he and I work together, we can do anything. His surety inspires me, and he so often makes me laugh.

I was happy to add my voice to his...

And the Masters agreed to allow us to continue on together.

T7 + T7's Jedi = Happy Jedi.

Web Weaver Update: Weighing Impact

Today I did it.

I started working on the first draft for the second half of the Padawan of Fear duology.

If that sounds confusing, let me explain: Only Preparation is being posted chapter by chapter as I complete its third draft. I have no interest in leaving all of you high and dry when you reach the end of Only Preparation, which means I need to be working on Only the Force.

I tried out five different ideas for the opening scene. They took place in different locations, with different individuals, even different points in the timeline.

They didn't have the impact I wanted.

So... I combined two of them. Tossed in elements of the third. Shook it up. Changed dialogue to action and action from flowing prose to staccato.

I am pleased to announce that I am happy with the first two scenes of Only the Force. Oh, it will need refining, of course; but I'm pleased with the tone, and I hope you will be too.

May the Force be with you all!

Web Weaver Update: Enter if You Dare

I did dare.

Now I'm sitting in the center of something massive.

I write novels because I can't imagine a life where I don't. Because I need to write them. It's not a hobby, it's not an enjoyable pastime. It's a drive. I must write. It's not a compulsion coming from the outside. Telling stories through the written word is part of who I am in my deepest soul.

I write... a lot. I have yet to successfully write a stand-alone novel. The universes I dream up are just too big for one book, and each ends up becoming a series. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, but knowing what I know about the ideas that flood my mind...

I really probably shouldn't have begun spinning “a” Star Wars fan story.

Or, at very least, I should have known it wasn't going to end there.

And now I'm here. Looking out at a maze that didn't seem quite so large when I was in the middle of crafting it.

This web was meant for me alone. I wove it in my spare moments, using it to relax and scheme and explore Star Wars the way I'm built. Similar to a musically inclined fan who might write songs about Star Wars... or an artist fan who might draw beautiful pictures... or a young film enthusiast fan might make a film to enter into the Star Wars Fan Film Awards contest.

I built my web, I angled it to catch dew and the moonlight, and I reveled in making connections—

And then someone who loves me saw it. And told me I should share it.

At first, I felt very possessive about the whole thing. I didn't make it for all of you, I made it for me. It was a retreat, something special, something self-contained—

But this person wouldn't give up. She was sure there were people out there who would enjoy it too.

Of course, by that point, the “novels” mapped out... let's just say they were roughly 100,000 words each and...

There's over ten of them. To put it mildly.

I am now editing them with all of you lovely people in mind (though I'm not changing them for you. Sorry. They be... what they be), and I will begin to post them on Archive of Our Own. (http://archiveofourown.org/users/Star_Wars_Syl/profile)

Of course, just because I'm trying to bring all of you up to speed, by no means should suggest that I'm finished with said web.

No, no, no.

There are plenty of new dimensions I have yet to explore, connections to make, traps to weave. I continue to write.

It's my passion.

But now, I'm going to take you behind the scenes with me. Trust me. This thread of the web isn't sticky. You can walk on it safely.

I promise....

May the Force be with you.

We're all going to need it.

Realizations: Whose Parents?

The Force Awakens asked several questions whose answers will be revealed in due time. Episode VIII or IX time.

One of the biggest, of course, is: who are Rey's parents?

It's a question that has been beaten to absolute death, and still it keeps getting asked, because we want to know.

I saw this latest Rebels episode, “Imperial Commandos” on Sunday after it aired, watching it with my family. I was poised, ready for the answer to a different, but similar question...

...And it didn't come.

My question: who is Sabine's mom?

They teased. They danced around.

And they didn't say.

It was a rather crazy moment for me to realize that I could easily wait until Episode IX to find out who Rey's parents are, but I'm struggling to patiently wait to hear the answer about Sabine's.

Apparently, according to the flutters in my stomach, I'm far more wound up about Sabine's Mom than Rey's.

So tell me: does that make me some form of heretic? Because it almost feels like it.

Either way, I'm still rooting for Bo-Katan. Until they pry the option from my cold, undead hands. I will hold on to that hope like people hold on to their Snoke-is-Plagueis theory.

Want to share your theory of who Sabine's parents are? You can comment below or tweet me @StarWarsSyl.

The Force will be with us, always.