I Know Its The Mets, But This Is The Coolest Shit I’ve Ever Seen A Human Being Do

the real tragedy of star wars is people will ship obi wan with whoever he shares screentime with , literally anyone, except for dexter jester. his love his life his literal 50s diner operating bff who somehow knew about a secret planet . that was romance and it’s just so fucked how obi/dex shippers are sidelined. obi/dex shippers are taught to be small, to shrink themselves,, well not anymore. i’ve decided to start a movement,

Star Wars Time Travel Rec List

About time I put together a General Rec List for Star Wars Time Travel, yeah?

Organized by the time-traveling character(s). I'm adding a star for my favorites that imo you have to read. I'm not going to claim that those are necessarily the best, because I feel like that's not objective and also kinda mean to the ones that are good since they might just not be to my personal taste, but they are my favorites.

Obi-Wan

Anakin Skywalker

Ahsoka

Clones

Other Prequels-Era Characters

Two or more people

Luke or Leia

Other

Tagged authors where I could. If they aren't tagged, I either couldn't find their tumblr, they have their settings such that no one can tag them, or they blocked me for one reason or another.

Obi-Wan

It Was Another Time and I Another Man by Pell_Binterhol - under "Groups"

Ashes To Ashes, Dust To Dust by @livsy ~35k+, complete Obi-Wan is a time traveler, mental from the OT. What makes it unique is that the fic is from Anakin's POV. It's a very heartwarming piece.

⭐Take it from the top and try again by @mauverawrites ~170k, series - two fics complete, more on the way Possibly the best way to describe this series is as the platonic ideal of an Obi-Wan time travel fic. Weird Force stuff? Check. Obi-Wan having spent years on Tatooine? Check. Qui-Gon surviving? Check. Obi-Wan doing some shady illegal stuff to get money and infiltrate crime rings so he can save the galaxy? Check. Anakin being adorable as an initiate, and Shmi being saved from Tatooine? Check. Surprise Feemor? Check. It's all the bits you (or at least I) hope for when opening a new Obi-Wan Time Travel fic, and it never feels stale or repetitive or cliche. It's just a Very Good Fic.

The Exchange by @misslearn - under "Groups"

An Abundance of Obi-Wans by The_Last_Kenobi (orphan_account) ~45k, abandoned Unfortunately we'll never know how this ends, but it's a lot of fun while it lasts. Baby Obi is being haunted by three ghosts of his future self.

A Padawan at War (Again) by @itstimeforstarwars - under "Groups"

Free Jedi to Good Home by @itstimeforstarwars- under "Groups"

These Paths by HiddenEye - under "Groups"

⭐the massive machinery of hope by @killbothtwins 150k, complete Do you want comedy? Yes, you do. This one is great. Go read it. It's one of my favorites for a reason, and the reason is that Obi-Wan is a sarcastic little shit with a billion quips.

Living Memory by elsa3beth 353k, on hiatus, possibly abandoned? Obi-Wan Time Travel, leans a bit more heavily into the distrust and despair surrounding Anakin (due to Vader things from the future) than most.

⭐The Desert Storm/Rise and Fall by @blue-sunshine-mauve-morning ~1.6m (1592k), ongoing This is one of the longest, most consistent, best-regarded time-travel fics in the fandom for a reason.

⭐Reprise by Elfpen ~560k, ongoing Another Obi-Wan time-travel fic, this one using that favored cover story of "Ben is Obi-Wan's biological uncle," and I love it so much for how it explores both characters and political events.

Realign the Stars by @fortunerainwrites, @TerinAngel - under "Groups"

Current of Fate by @feybarn ~195k, on hiatus? It's been so long since I read this one that I can't quite remember what it was that I liked about it so much, and it's too long to do a reread right now... but I do remember loving it, especially when it switches to an outsider POV for the second fic.

Anakin Skywalker

The Exchange by @misslearn - under "Groups"

A Padawan at War (Again) by @itstimeforstarwars - under "Groups"

Free Jedi to Good Home by @itstimeforstarwars - under "Groups"

War Drums by @intermundia ~91k, ongoing Vader travels back to TPM. Runs off with Obi-Wan into the stars to Achieve Some Goals to take down Sidious. Gets quick-aged to 19 by some Dathomiri magic. Projected to be Obikin.

These Paths by HiddenEye - under "Groups"

Old Promises by @threebea ~65k, ongoing Time Traveler Anakin panic-kidnaps Initiate Kenobi. Absolute disaster of a man.

An (Un)fortunate Haunting by @kooriicolada, @scarletjedi 3.5k, oneshot Anakin thinks the Vader ghost haunting him is a hallucination. This one is technically more than just Anakin, but it's... mostly Anakin.

⭐Force of Many Sights by DAsObiQuiet ~480k, on hiatus? Vader to TPM, possessing his younger self. This fic has a heavy, and much-appreciated focus on therapy as it functions for someone of Vader's... particular situation. This is also technically a "Groups" series, since it's also got Siri Tachi as a time-traveler, but her POV is much smaller, and it takes... I want to say about 100k words for her to really start playing a more active role in the plot.

Realign the Stars by @fortunerainwrites, @TerinAngel - under "Groups"

Ahsoka

I don't know why all the good Ahsoka time travel fics are her as part of a team, but they do in fact fuck, so.

Free Jedi to Good Home by @itstimeforstarwars - under "Groups"

These Paths by HiddenEye - under "Groups"

Realign the Stars by @fortunerainwrites, @TerinAngel - under "Groups"

Living in Borrowed Time by @scribbling-albatross - under "groups"

Clones

love is with your brother by Petrichor (Mythmaker) ~8k, complete TCW Rex bodyswaps with his baby self. POV is Ahsoka during the clone wars.

Free Jedi to Good Home by @itstimeforstarwars - under "Groups"

These Paths by HiddenEye - Rex and Cody - under "Groups"

Realign the Stars by @fortunerainwrites, @TerinAngel - Rex and Cody - under "Groups"

Living in Borrowed Time by @scribbling-albatross - Rex - Under "Groups"

⭐Dominoes by meridianpony ~380k, ongoing All five Dominoes go back to the beginning, from the points of their deaths! (Disclaimer: Echo's treated as having died at the Citadel. I think the fic started before his survival was revealed.) Technically this is a group, but all five are clones, so...

Other Prequels-Era Characters

there is no death by @ashkav ~140k, ongoing There is something really cool about Cal Kestis time travel fics, especially when he's got a decent amount of knowledge of The General Situations (e.g. Anakin will become Vader) but is missing so many details, like Why and How.

⭐An Echo in the Force (a whisper in a cave by @stardust2flame ~8k, complete Feemor is trapped in a time loop. This was actually written as a gift to me, so it has a special place in my heart.

⭐Mace Windu Fixes the Timeline... And Breaks it in Whole New Ways by AbsentmindedAuthor98 ~52k, ongoing Absolutely choice series based on an AU by @suzukiblu. Mace Windu does some time-traveling. He takes on Anakin as his padawan on an impulse, but he ends up doing his damnedest to be a Good Master for the kid. Depa helps.

Twilight on Owl Creek Bridge by @yellowocaballero - Fox - under "Groups"

Make a Brand New End by @batshieroglyphics ~120k, I think on hiatus Another Feemor fic! This one's not time-loop, just time travel. Lots of juicy Qui-Gon drama.

⭐Not a Good Man by @feybarn ~28k, ongoing Imperial era Boba Fett goes back to AotC. He decides to fix things, partly by trying to get his dad to fall in love with Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Groups

It Was Another Time and I Another Man by Pell_Binterhol ~200k, incomplete This is a very fun fic that involves multiple time-travelers from multiple points in time. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon from the Legends novels are pulled forward into TCW, and Old Ben and Luke are pulled back from the OT, and some spoilers as well.

⭐The Exchange by @misslearn ~120k, complete A swapping-style time travel. RotS Anakin&Obi-Wan end up in TPM, and TPM Anakin&Obi-Wan end up in RotS. Shenanigans ensue. (Also trauma.)

⭐Can We Start Over? by @triscribe ~22k, ongoing Most of the Jedi have time-traveled from the points of their deaths to about a year pre-AotC. Some handle it better than others. The POV is Aayla, which I find very cool.

A Padawan at War (Again) by @itstimeforstarwars ~183k, ongoing It's technically more of a de-aging than a time-travel, but hey! Still a good read! TPM Anakin and Obi-Wan take the place of their TCW selves, who no longer exist.

⭐Free Jedi to Good Home by @itstimeforstarwars ~complicated as the second fic has been hidden, ongoing This is one of my favorite series, but as you can see by the above, it's in a bit of a timeout right now. Bookmark it for later? Also, there's an entire side series called Inspired By One Hundred Hours To Rearrange The Stars.

These Paths by HiddenEye ~90k, complete Our five TCW mains (Obi-Wan, Cody, Anakin, Ahsoka, Rex) are booted forward to the Original Trilogy. The latter three are deaged to their TPM ages (9, 4, baby respectively). Also it's CodyWan.

Twilight on Owl Creek Bridge by @yellowocaballero ~33k, complete Leia and Fox time travel! This one is very dark. That said, it has a comedic counterpart that I love, which is only available on tumblr: ⭐Fox & Leia's Holiday Special

⭐Realign the Stars by @fortunerainwrites, @TerinAngel ~68k, abandoned Obi-Wan, Anakin, Ahsoka, Rex, and Cody, from TCW to TPM. Despite the unfinished state, I cannot deny the oddly intense level of influence this fic has had on my own approach to star wars time travel fics.

⭐Living in Borrowed Time by @scribbling-albatross 118k, ongoing Rex and Ahsoka are time-travelers! They are so, so very fucked up. Sure do wish they had access to therapists that could actually be cleared for knowing their Extensive Lists Of Traumas. This one definitely had a huge impact on how I characterize Rex and Ahsoka since I entered the fandom.

Luke and Leia

Twilight on Owl Creek Bridge by @yellowocaballero - Leia - under "Groups"

There is another Skywalker by WabiSabi ~85k, on hiatus? Time-Traveler Leia! Mentally in the sequels, physically in her thirties, and chronologically in the clone wars. Also Luke's sharing space in her noggin.

Shifting Sands by @chancecraz ~180k, ongoing "Ongoing? But it hasn't updated since 2021!" The last time it updated, the chapter was 65k, after over two years of radio silence. Trust me when I say that the lack of recent updates means nothing for this author. Anyway, Sequels Leia to about a year pre-TPM, hangs out with baby Anakin and Shmi and then neatly inserts herself in the plot.

⭐Of Queens, Knights, and Pawns by @chancecraz ~860k, ongoing Same author as above, same disclaimer for the gap since last update. Sequels Leia does a mental time-travel into her ANH self, specifically the 'being tortured on the Death Star' moment. It's so fucking good.

Old Man Luke by @scarletjedi ~110k, ongoing Sequels Luke to TCW! He is very cryptic, channeling the Jedi who taught him! Fun!

⭐Sith Lord Swell by AMournfulHowlInTheNight ~53k, ongoing Luke and his students (including Ben Solo) travel back in time to a bit before AotC. They decide the best way to proceed is to pretend they are Sith Lords. This is primarily a comedy fic. Luke really enjoys fucking with people.

⭐Don't Look Back by @this-acuteneurosis ~700k, ongoing Post-OT Leia (after the deaths of most of her friends) physically time travels to a year or two before AotC. She is taken in by the Lars family, and then she and Shmi start to head for Coruscant, run into Padme, and join the Nabooan government in Padme's employ. Do you want a fic that feels like 70% politics and logistics and trade routes? Because that's what this is and it's great.

Other

The Way of Conquest by pagination ~76k, ongoing There is something very funny about the time-traveler not even realizing they are about thirty years into the wrong time. Din has no idea when he is. Grogu does, but he's not telling.

So here's a Star Wars Crack Treated Seriously idea for you.

Obi-Wan Kenobi finds himself back in the past somewhere during the Clone Wars.

And obviously he needs to make sure that Anakin doesn't Fall and go on his Grand Slaughter Adventure.

But Anakin is the most bantha-headed, stubborn, CONTRARY disaster in the galaxy. Obi-Wan just KNOWS that if he tries going at it straight on Anakin might Fall just out of sheer spite.

No. No. This requires some finesse.

Long story short, he gets his hands on some yellow contact lenses and begins playing the most intricate game of reverse psychology guerilla warfare in the history of the Republic.

(and would you look at that, "Sith" are allowed to make assassination attempts on Supreme Chancellors. How... convenient)

Star Wars Masterpost: For your time travel needs

.Right here we go because this will be a long one. Enjoy folks. Here’s a collection of all the time travel fics I got my hand on. Most of them are Luke or Leia focused. Some completed others not so much and some still in progress, 

1. Time and Sand By Scififan33 AU. His last memory is of his nephew killing Snoke so why in the name of the Force is he waking up with twin suns blasting down on him? the Force obviously has a very odd sense of humour. but if he’s here he might as well do some good.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12410879/1/Time-and-Sand

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10364229/chapters/22897797

2. The Pathway By Scamasax After a darker outcome at Bespin, Luke makes a final bargain. Time travel

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11504716/1/The-Pathway

3. Fulfilling a Prophecy By: Kian-Rai Delcam 

Qui-Gon’s eyes are gentle when he replies, “Changing fate is not always best, Vader. Whatever happens is as the Force wills it to be.” Vader scoffs, “I’m hardly a youngling to be lectured, Jedi. My knowledge of the Force is more complete than yours. You have not walked both sides of the Force as I have. The Force is neither an ally nor a slave, as the Jedi and Sith see it.”

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11806136/1/Fulfilling-a-Prophecy

4. Into the Past  By SophieAnnWard 

When the Force mysteriously sends Luke into the past-right in front of his Father in fact-will he be able to change the future, or will his efforts be in vain?

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/8889809/1/Into-the-Past

5. Shifting Sand By: SophieAnnWard 

After the defeat of the Emperor and his Father’s death. Luke Skywalker wonders if he had made all the right choices. He then gets a second chance to save his Father and change the future. Luke goes back into the past - similar to my other completed story “Into The Past”.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12784615/1/Shifting-Sand-

6. Shattered By: CWBasset

The New Republic is on the brink of collapse. The Sith have reemerged, and war is on the horizon. Yet, everything that is happening around him feels utterly wrong… So when Luke Skywalker receives a mysterious offer to go back in time and correct the Galaxy’s destiny, how can he refuse?

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/5008174/1/Shattered

7. Redemption  By lucky_ducky_123

The war against the Empire is finally over…however, young Luke Skywalker’s journey isn’t over yet. What happens when the Force decides to send Luke back in time to stop his father’s fall to the dark side? Will he succeed? Or will he alter too many details of the past and change the future for the worst?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11134284/chapters/24846489

8. The Force Works In Mysterious Ways By: reddog24485  

64 Year Old Jedi Grand Master Luke Skywalker. Wakes up in the body of his seventeen year old self. Realizing that he’s been given a chance to do things better this time around. He sets out to make great changes in the war with the Empire. Time Travel. L/M L/H 

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11551203/1/The-Force-Works-In-Mysterious-Ways-

9. Change of Fate By: CrazyAni 

What if the Force could grant your greatest desire? Luke Skywalker wishes to have known his father before he turned to the Dark Side. Could he change the fate of the galaxy by meeting Anakin? ROTS AU, timetravel. COMPLETED.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2846756/1/Change-of-Fate

10. The Red Past Toruviel

Hanging below the Cloud City, in shock and pain, abandoned by friends dead and alive alike, Luke Skywalker knew better than to ask for help for the third time. He begged for understanding instead.

The Force heard.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11402409/chapters/25539126

11. Back To The Future PinkEasterEggs:

Teenage Princess Leia, heir to Alderaan’s throne and her twin, Luke Vader, heir to the Imperial throne, get thrown back in time with the chance to save their parents before it’s too late. With the Force finally on their side, they decide to have a little fun whilst they try and save their father’s soul.

What could go wrong?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22217674/chapters/53048092

12. Legacy myrlendi (thehistorygeek)

Three months after the Battle of Endor, Luke Skywalker goes in search of a rumoured Jedi temple in a secluded part of the Mid Rim. He finds within the temple nothing but a strange artifact, which unexpectedly brings him much closer to the Jedi of old than he ever thought he would be.

When Luke fails to return from his mission, Leia goes after him, retracing his steps to the ancient temple — and to the past, to the time of the Clone Wars and the waning years of the Old Republic. Under suspicion by the Jedi Order, the twins struggle to find a way back to their own time while trying to keep their knowledge of the future from affecting the past.

This, however, turns out to not be as simple as it seems.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/15221810/chapters/35304947

13. Working Back Back_At_It_Betty

Three years after Endor, Luke Skywalker- fighter pilot, Jedi Knight- is trying to keep a dying religion alive. Purely by accident, he finds a little more than he’d bargained for while playing archeologist on a long abondoned world.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16006655/chapters/37348433

14. To Cast Away Stones By: Darthishtar 

In order to change the course of history, the Alliance undertakes a dangerous mission to eliminate Vader, led by Leia Organa, the girl he tormented, and Luke Skywalker, the son of the man he murdered. There’s just one catch: Vader doesn’t exist yet.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/2926673/1/To-Cast-Away-Stones

15. To Gather Stones Together  By:Darthishtar

After the climactic ending of To Cast Away Stones, Luke, Leia and Han return to the Alliance. They must face the consequences of what they have discovered and to fulfill their mission, one way or another.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/3610244/1/To-Gather-Stones-Together

16. Ad Utrumque Paratus  obeyingthemuse

It’s hard to bring balance to the Force when the only method you’ve seen is your black-cloaked psychic cyborg sorcerer dad with a severe breathing problem throwing an old man down the Death Star reactor shaft. 

As much as Luke would like to see the not-yet-Emperor dead, he doesn’t want to be arrested by his unusually attractive(?) war-hero dad and spend the rest of his indeterminate time in the past dropping Ewok beats in a jail cell. 

Also Leia would probably kill him. But not before breaking him out of jail.

So when the twins wake up on Tatooine decades in the past, they play it safe. They take over a planet, reconnect with their adoptive and real parents without weirding them out (too much), and accidentally cause the Chancellor perpetual near-death experiences.

Nailed it.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/7168628/chapters/16273712 

17. What’s Old Is New Again NotARealGeek 

Luke and Leia die at the same moment in an evacuation turned violent, and as they pass into the Force it reaches out and stops them. Landed in the past, they have to fight to change a future that may well be set in stone.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/14971418/chapters/34696061 

18. Just One Wish  LadyVader23

On a trip to Dathomir, Anakin Skywalker finds a spell that will grant him one wish. Anxious to return home, he wishes for a way to end the war. As a result, he ends up accidentally kidnapping his future children…moments after they’ve escaped Bespin. Luke is quite done dealing with his mess of a father, and Leia is convinced telling the future Darth Vader about the future will only make it worse. Desperate, Anakin calls in the only person they might listen to: Padme Amidala. Too bad Padme has a surprise of her own…

https://archiveofourown.org/works/22028647/chapters/52571908

19. Chiaroscuro Starcross

“So”, Leia said, “you’re a ghost. From the future. Who, for some reason, came here to teach me the ways of the Force.”

“Yep.” “And who are you exactly?” The shapeless blob of light looked as embarassed as it was technically possible. “I’m your husband.”

In which Han refuses to leave for the afterlife, goes on a Force time-travelling road trip with beffudled Old Ben instead, and accidentally rewrites the entire cosmos. (It’s not ENTIRELY his fault if Leia is not impressed by that Jedi nonsense, or if spirits of ancient Sith lords keep popping up to offer their tutelage.)

Or - Obi-Wan can’t believe that not even death will stop the Skywalkers from dragging him into their drama. Maul thinks it’s hilarious.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11377917/chapters/25474263

20 Star Wars: Second Chance Turtlephant

Luke Skywalker survived his fight with the Emperor, but his father didn’t. After the battle of Endor, Luke gets a chance to go back in time and set things right. How will things go down? Will Luke manage to save his father while maintaining his secret identity and without attracting Darth Sidious’s attention? Will he re-write the future, or will Anakin fall like before?

Star Wars AU

Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars. Lucas Films/Disney do.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13267689/chapters/30355797

Part 1 of the  A Second Chance, the Force Has Given Us  series

https://archiveofourown.org/works/13267689/chapters/30355797

21. Sith Lord Swell  AMournfulHowlInTheNight

“Well, looks like we’re all Sith Lords, now. I hope you’ve all been practicing your most menacing laughter for our first run in with the Jedi Council.”

Ben could only sigh and raise a distasteful eyebrow at the cross shaped, red lightsaber he was given. Down the line other students were also handling their new weapons and robes with a raised eyebrow here and quizzical expression there.

“Really, uncle?”

“Really. I don’t want to compete with the local Jedi population.”

Why did Jedi politics and time travel have to be so difficult?

https://archiveofourown.org/works/18880045/chapters/44813335

22. a thousand miles and poles apart  kuchikopi

Some people are lost in the desert. Others are found.

In which there are sand storms, time travel and proof that wherever there is both galaxy-destroying potential and family drama, you’ll probably find a Skywalker at the middle of it.

(Or several.)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/11600223/chapters/26075190

23. In the Past SilverDaye

It’s been two months after Bespin, and Luke Skywalker is trying to come to terms with the events that happened there. During a dogfight with Darth Vader, both of their fighters crash. When they recover, they both find themselves on Coruscant at the end of the Clone Wars. Vader still aims to claim his son, but Luke has been taken to the Jedi Temple where he meets Anakin Skywalker.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/16597682/chapters/38898149

This is only a small number but just some on top of my head. Enjoy @https://silvereddaye.tumblr.com/  @silvereddaye

Why does it look like they’re on a date?

It's time to read more star wars crack fics.

Because if I read one more cannon compliant fanfiction, I'm going to cry myself to sleep.

Empress

This AU really starts when Anakin finds his mother in the Tusken camp, but only truly works if there is a little set up before.  It is imperative, for reasons that will become clear, to note that in this Palpatine has been manipulating Anakin with the Force, as opposed to only psychologically, since he was a child.  Palpatine has been seeding the darkside, hidden deep so that it was never discovered (even by Anakin), waiting to sprout and spread the darkside like an infection at the appropriate moments. 

When Anakin finds his mother as she dies, he loses it, but not to violence. Instead he panics and shoves every bit of Force that he can into his mother’s body to try and bring her back and heal her. Every bit of the Force, including the darkside seeds that Palpatine had been planting.  Because healing is primarily a light sided technique, thus somewhat purifying, Shmi does not get the full force of the darkside infection that would have hit her son (so we avoid Vader!Shmi or even Full Sidious!Shmi) however there were a number of long lasting effects to the way Anakin panicked and brought her back (incidentally Anakin has now created two new deities for the Tuskans, which Shmi does note and will make use of later).  These include:

A Force bond between her and Anakin that gave her Anakin's memories and feelings for the past decade. 

A working knowledge of what Palpatine knew (From Palpatine’s Dark Seeds), though no firsthand memories. 

Force Sensitivity that is powerful enough to use the various techniques she just gained the knowledge to use.

A significant hit to the moral centers of her psyche.

A Soul Deep and engrossing ambition to rule the Galaxy.

Now Shmi is not evil in the way that Palpatine is (Palpatine is the kind of evil that not only does whatever he wants to accomplish his goal, but actively goes out of his way to create as much collateral as possible and will in fact even mildly inconvenience himself in order to increase collateral damage) but she does now fall closer to Amoral than not. Like her first option is not to kill kids, but it is never not an option. Shmi does justify her new desire to rule the galaxy, based on the fact that she would be better at it than Palpatine. 

By the time Anakin and Shmi have made it back to the Lars homestead, she has her son wrapped around her finger even more than she would have. She had also, through the careful recounting of how one of the men who had seemed so kindly to the slave children had actually been a child murder (couching it it in terms that one of Anakin's childhood friends, who it turned out had been a victim of this man, grave had been found and the man brought to a rather brutal justice), partially broken Anakin’s trust in Palpatine without ever letting on that she knew who Palpatine was.  

After they get back to the Homestead, Shmi tells Anakin that she wants him to visit again and to bring Obi Wan (It was after they had talked about what had been happening since he left). Anakin loves Obi Wan as a brother, and as such Shmi loves him too. Padme has also fallen quickly under Shmi’s influence, which is good considering that Shmi intended to make Padme another daughter in law (Both because Anakin had a crush, and she wanted Anakin to have what he wanted, and because Senator and former Queen of Naboo is actually a decently powerful set of titles).  Shmi gently shoos her sweet, oblivious son off the planet with her future daughter in law (it is for the best that her Jedi Son be off the planet for what she is about to do next) making them promise to visit soon. 

Cliegg and Beru also fall quickly under Shmi’s spell. Owen holds out a bit longer (I am fully convinced that his ability to hold back Skywalker BS comes from growing up with Shmi, not his few interactions with Anakin) but is just as willing to follow Shmi’s lead within a tenday.

While a galaxy wide war is breaking out, Shmi quietly but very firmly takes control of Tatooine. Then, in spite of the fact she had not left the planet in decades, she quickly takes control of the rest of the Hutt Empire.  Her identity remains hidden; she does not want to fight her son or his Jedi family because they do not yet understand her vision for the galaxy. They will, of that she is sure, but it will take time.

One of the many things she does is abolish slavery within her new Empire.  It is both easier and harder than it would appear. Easier in that she does not care about the power or money of the people who made their living in trafficking of sentient life, so she does not care about the economics of the systems she dismantles. Harder because the Hutt Empire was built on slavery; there are significantly larger portions of every population of the Hutt Planets then anyone realized who had spent most of their lives enslaved, with no training or education and very little idea how to exist without being enslaved (with all the psychological and sociological implications therein).  But she does it, quietly absorbing the fledgling Zygerrian Empire as well. 

A year and a half into the Clone wars Shmi is finally ready to make her move. 

In that time she has become well connected with Padme, who asks for approval to marry Anakin six months into the war (Approval that Shmi grants, on the condition that Padme also get approval from Obi wan, as Anakin’s older brother/father. Padme asks, and to the surprise of both Padme and Anakin immediately gets Obi Wan’s baffled, but pleased, approval. In this one marriage is not forbidden to Jedi, it really isn’t even discouraged. No one seems to want to marry a Jedi, as far as the Jedi are concerned. Date a Jedi, well that seems to be common fantasy. Sleep with a Jedi, all the time. But never marry. This all serves Shimi’s true purpose, to continue to break the trust between her son and Palpatine). They do decide to wait until after the war, when they can have everyone attend; in part because Palpatine is pushing them both in a really creepy way. 

She makes her move by going on vacation with Cliegg to a world she knew, from her own spies, was about to be attacked by separatists. A world that it was highly likely the 212th would be deployed to. In the time it takes for the 212th to liberate the planet, it is a relatively minor battle so only takes a few weeks, Shmi and Clieg have connected with the battalion and convinced them to transport them (Shmi and Cliegg) to Coruscant.  If asked, even Obi Wan, Cody, or the Natborn officers are not sure how they came to agree to take two civilians to the Core but everyone Shmi meets becomes absolutely convinced that it was a reasonable decision. During this trip Shmi bonds with Obi Wan, as her son’s brother/father/teacher.  This was one of her goals, to get a clearer picture of who Obi Wan is, and through him the Jedi Order; Anakin’s memories and feelings are a bit mixed on the Jedi as a whole but she also knows, from Palpatine’s knowledge, that Palpatine had been manipulating those feelings for years.  She finds that she does like Obi Wan. Because of this Shmi intends, beyond even what her plan calls for,  that she would ensure that Obi Wan found happiness in her Empire. 

Upon arriving on Coruscant Shmi sends Cliegg (in disguise) to meet with various criminal underworld leaders who know of her fledgeling Empire, while she meets with members of the Jedi council to plant the seeds of her Galactic Empire. 

It is in this that we truly see the difference between Shmi and Sidious. Shmi wants to Rule the galaxy. Sidious wants to Subjugate the galaxy. Now granted the difference between the two is not as much as people who want the former would protest, but is greater than what the people who want the latter would claim. In this case ruling is a small group having a disproportionate amount of power over a larger group. Subjugation is a group or person asserting total control over another group or person. While a ruler can abuse the power they have, in order to subjugate someone, a being MUST abuse them to break them in such a way the subjugator can control them.  

In spite of her forced amorality Shmi is actually a good person and wants to be a good Empress for the galaxy. So for her, subjugation is more work (realistically 90% of the galaxy is not going to notice if they are in a republic or an empire, and not just because the Empire had been disguising itself as a republic for a decade. That same 90% have comparatively simple needs and are going to be fine with a ruler who provides them. Whereas requires constant control measures to apply the exact correct amount of pressure to bend the populace to your will, without breaking them into rebelling. Ruling well is actually less costly) for less benefit. Because of that having the super powered warrior monks, who most of the beings that would oppose an Empress on principle are going to look to as a paragon of wisdom,  buy into the idea that Shmi should be Empress and that they would be happier in her Empire makes more sense than eradicating them.  Also, complicated feelings aside, the Jedi make up part of Anakin’s family and she does not want to hurt Anakin’s family.

Shmi also, at the behest of Anakin, took time to go with him to meet his friend Palpatine.  While in the waiting room she speaks with Fox, on guard duty, who she recognizes from her talks with Cody as the person to place a bet with(No one suspects the stern commander of the Coruscant Guard to be the biggest bookie in three systems). After about an hour of chit chat (During which Palpatine has no idea he has met someone with all of his knowledge, who is planning to abscond with the Grand Sith Plan) Anakin and Shmi leave the Senate. Anakin semi anxiously asks her what she thinks of Palpatine, babbling a little bit that Obi Wan doesn't like him, but Obi Wan hates most politicians. Shmi, after letting a long pause stretch, says that Obi Wan has good instincts (Look I really want Palpatine to be faced with his own manipulation tactics) and casually mentions Obi Wan’s time enslaved and how that must have hond those instincts- which he had not told Shmi about but that she could guess.  Again without directly accusing Palpatine of anything, Shmi manages to get across to Anakin that as the Chancellor, Palpatine actually currently has all the power and has used it to effectively enslave the clones and the Jedi. Fully breaking Anakin’s trust in Palpatine and tying him closer to the Jedi (where Shmi wants him).   During this exchange Anakin asks what she had been talking to Fox about and she answers with ‘placing a bet’. Anakin lights up and guesses it is the ‘CodyWan Bet’, because literally everybody noticed their pining and that neither will admit it (Shmi uses that to drive the point home that both are effectively enslaved and do not feel free to be together if they might be ‘sold’ apart-a concept that Anakin is very familiar with).

I am not sure where it ends, except that Shmi does indeed become Empress and her Force powers work as such that she gains power through being loved, so in being a good ruler she stops aging. The Jedi do buy in and Palpatine does end up dead. Someone in Shmi’s smaller Empire, before she becomes Empress, discovers the chips and their purpose, which leads to the entirety of the Clones transplanting themselves (GAR, Cadets, everyone) to a planet in the former Hutt space (deeply freaked out over what they could have been made to do to their Jedi) and refusing all calls for like a year, while they dechip. The Jedi (all of them) transplanted themselves to the next planet over, waiting semi impatiently to be allowed to visit their men again.  Shmi meeting Ahsoka after she becomes Anakin’s Padawan and deciding that, as her oldest grandchild, Ahsoka would have the option to be her heir if she would like (Ahsoka really wants to be a Jedi, but agrees to hold the status until another heir comes along-she gratefully passed the heir status to Leia when Leia was born, as she could not be knighted while still the Empress’s Heir). 

Oh and Obi Wan does get to be happy with Cody in the new Empire, with frequent visits from Satine (I like the idea that they were childhood sweethearts/first loves that knew they would not fit well romantically but still loved each other and got to be overprotective of each other-Satine adores Cody, thinks he is perfect for Obi Wan and thy find time every so often to take an evening to drink over whatever ridiculous situation Obi Wan go himself into this time)

I wanna be 14 again and ruin my life differently… I have new ideas

SW Father-Son Appreciation Gift Exchange Submissions

Fanfics:

Ciryc by morwen_of_gondor - ciryc: cold You never leave a brother behind. Or a sergeant, either. Delta Squad go back for theirs, orders be hanged.

Claustrophobia by Tirana Sorki (CourtesyTrefflin) - After nearly being crushed to death in the trash disposal on the Death Star, Luke has never liked enclosed spaces very much. And he has a particular aversion to enclosed, wet places. When he crash-lands on a small, remote planet, he’ll have to face that fear… and Darth Vader.

Darth Vader’s guide to kidnapping your very own son from your very own minions by Rosina (RosinaTheWriter) -  When Luke is captured by Imperials, life doesn’t look too good for him. That is until Dad Vader shows up to take him home.

Echoes of a Future Lost by Tirana Sorki (CourtesyTrefflin) - An injury during their duel on Mustafar leaves Anakin and Obi-Wan memoryless. They have no idea how they ended up there, much less what is happening. All they can do is make the best of their situation and try to piece together the future that they lived and lost.

Eparov Takisit by morwen_of_gondor - eparov takisit: apology, lit. eating of an insult Kal and Darman grapple with the fallout of Darman’s loss of temper after he finds out about his son.

halt by the headstone by uncorrectgrammar - Obi-Wan hadn’t known it, but somehow he had risen from his deadened haze. Anakin had reached for Obi-Wan’s hand as though he was meant for it, as though it belonged to him, and it had been like greeting the sun itself. And then Anakin died. In a universe where Anakin faked his death instead of Obi-Wan, a long overdue conversation unfolds when they find themselves injured and stranded after the Hardeen mission.

Hide Until You’re Found by InsertSthMeaningful - Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker spend the months after the Battle of Endor mopping up after Imperial remnants together. They’re a team, and all goes well for them - until it doesn’t. As Vader is gravely injured (yet again), he has to face his expectations for the future.

I’d do it again by Twinkle_Starlight - Things change at the first battle on Geonosis as Jango rescues his son from a charging horned beast, at a great cost to himself

If we have each other, then we’ll both be fine by KitKatOfMidgard - Din and Grogu have been reunited, and Din reflects on the past.

Kintsukuroi by Wishfulthinking1979 -  Luke Skywalker is captured and interrogated by a small Imperial outpost. In his desperation, he screams into the Force. And the Force delivers. In fact, it delivers more than one rescuer and events unfold in unexpected ways.

Mirror by MnM_ov_doom - Luke had seen that familiar face before, he just didn’t know where.

Multiples - Vaderkin in ROTS by Rivana Rita (CourtesyTrefflin) - The mission to rescue the Chancellor becomes complicated when, out of nowhere, four more versions of Anakin randomly appear on the Invisible Hand. Except two of them are Sith cyborgs. Obi-Wan can already feel the headache coming on. One Anakin is hard enough. But five? Who all want his attention? Who all consider him their father? It’s almost a nightmare come true. Or is it?

parallel lines by lore_reyen - When history seems to repeat itself, we learn things about ourselves and the ones we love. (After the battle on Geonosis, Anakin discovers the similarities between himself and his Master that he never saw before.)

Remembrances by Tirana Sorki and Rivana Rita (CourtesyTrefflin) - When Anakin Skywalker wakes up on a strange planet with no memory of his name or past or how he got there, he wants answers. Unfortunately, or not, the only ones who can provide insight are people who claim to be Jedi. Sent on a mission to destroy the Sith, Anakin quickly realizes that all is not as it seems, and he’s missing key information behind the truth of his amnesia.

Touch Starved by Amina Gila (CourtesyTrefflin) - They are two halves of a whole, two stars inexorably pulled together by gravity, forever rotating one another, forever caught up in each other’s orbit. They are Anakin and Obi-Wan. They are Darth Vader and Ben Kenobi. It doesn’t matter. Names mean nothing. Not for them. They should be enemies. They are a Jedi Master and a Sith Lord. And yet… nothing can truly keep them apart.  NOT VADERWAN!

Fanart:

All You Need is Uj Cake by Divilus-Corner (ReadingBlueWolf) - Kal’s sick and the Nulls just try to make it better.

Cosmic Nap by sorayume - Fanart of Din and Grogu cuddling :3

In your darkest times, I’ll stay by your side by IceyGemini

Impermanence is not insignificance

By the way, I moved all of my prints to Inprnt (better quality than Redbubble); you can get a print of this piece here!