u/GroundbreakingAct724

In order to have the plot of the fic I'm working on getting more into the goings on of the Senate than the films did, I'm fleshing out some of the bit players into proper consequential characters. A lot of sectors have maybe a name and a sentence about their senator but not much more.

So, I'd love feedback on what I'm looking at doing with Bana. Essentially, I want to make her arc the inverse of Padme's, or rather two different paths to arrive at the same place by the point they both join the Petition of 2000.

First off, Padme: Very altruistic from the start, idealistic, but naive and a bit provincial. Doesn't know much about the reality of the greater galaxy when we meet her, nor even the Gungans. Miscalculates initially with the Trade Federation due to a combination of expecting a certain level of civility, and not fully grasping how the larger Free Trade Zone issue would shape the specific Naboo Unequal Treaties issue.

However, Padme is very capable of learning and becomes a far more sophisticated political operative as time goes on, eventually graduating to the galactic level and learning to be a top player there, all through which she keeps her moral compass. (Anakin notwithstanding)

My idea with Bana is to have her start with the political savvy and galactic outlook, but would initially lack the moral compass, instead needing to develop it. She'd be roughly the same age as Padme and starting her political journey at approximately the same time. She'd start laying the ground work for a senate bid, cynically building her public image, associating with the right charities, all for her own interest.

Her goal wouldn't be evil, but fundamentally self motivated. Essentially, she'd be part of the family that owns the largest megacorp on Humbarine. Her grandfather, the chairman, would want to marry her off in an arranged marriage to secure a merger/acquisition as part of a bid to enter the class 4 droid market. Bana, not wanting the marriage, would essentially pitch her grandfather the idea that she would bring greater value to the family and the company as one of Humbarine's senators, and start meticulously planning her ascent from there.

However, this is where I'd want to do a twist on the old initially honest politician gets corrupted by power thing. Essentially, somewhere along the way she goes from faking concern for her constituents and certain causes to genuinely caring. Like, she volunteers with a housing relief charity to build her public image, but actually meeting and getting to know both the idealistic volunteers and the impoverished people they serve, gradually influences her to become a better person. The turn would probably come at some point just prior to the battle of Geonosis, where she goes against her family's company's (who own Golan Arms) interests by voting against the Military Creation Act, because she's putting her conscience and constituents first.

What do we think?

Star Wars is well know for rhyming across eras, and having characters in one era with an intentional parallel in another. Big examples would be Grievous and Vader (rage driven cyborgs working as second in command to a sith lord with back stories as tarnished heroes) or T3-M4 and R2D2 (non humanoid binary speaking droid sidekicks with a surprisingly plucky personality and a skill for hacking).

What are some non-obvious or just some favorite examples of this sort of character rhyming?

To answer my own question, I'd say Qui-Gon and Jacen Solo. Both are philosophically inclined Jedi who ride the line of heresy but (at least for a long time in Jacen's case) never quite fully break with the Order.

Both emphasize vaguely following the will of the force over listening to the order or governments. Both have a natural skill communing with animals and plants. Both have periods where their focus on the force led to them letting their physical abilities weaken. Both make extreme decisions based on prophecy at odds with their close companions and the other Jedi. Both start but don't finish training a Skywalker. Both have romances with a Jedi peer who becomes disabled in the course of being a Jedi and refuses cybernetic replacements (eyes for one arm for the other.) And just in general they have very similar personalities, with Jacen unknowingly mirroring his great grandmaster.

Genuinely curious what people prefer both as readers and writers. Star Wars is absolutely replete with little characters you could expand into a character in a fic, but is that better than just making an OC to fill the same role?

Related question, how do people feel about OC relatives of main characters. I'm thinking in particular of making parents or grandparents of Rebellion era characters for a fic set in the clone wars, or the reverse, making descendants for clone wars characters for fics set later in the timeline. Do you like the connection or does it make the galaxy feel too small?

CW: Slavery

I'll preface this by acknowledging that Ryloth has had its share of retcons over the years (personally wish they hadn't disregarded the unique idea of it being Tidally Locked), and it's fate diverges between original canon and D-canon. In any event , I'm focusing on pre-empire, where it should be more or less the same. This question is more for a discussion of what makes the most sense/what would be the most interesting for a story rather than trying to figure out what's canon.

So, Ryloth, home of the Twi'lek and even farther down the Corellian Run than Tatooine. Put bluntly, it presents a bit of a world building problem when it comes to its status as a Republic World. Does it make sense that Ryloth is in the Republic?

In the Pro-Column we have Orn Free Taa, leader of the Rim faction and senator from Ryloth. He's in all three prequel films and a significant figure in the behind the scenes power plays that led Palpatine to power. Quinlan and Tholme also go there on a mission, but that feels like weak evidence since Jedi seem to have few worries about leaving Republic space as a mission calls for it.

In the anti column, there's quite a bit. One, Ryloth's whole deal is the slave trade with the drug trade as the next biggest industry. Slavery certainly happens in the Golden Age Republic, but more under the table, not out in the open like on a place like Tatooine. I don't feel the Jedi would allow it to be so blatant on a Republic controlled world. They don't crusade to free the slaves on Tatooine because that's a Hutt world and a major move against the Hutts by the Jedi/Republic could wake the sleeping giant of the Hutt Empire.

Two, this is a minor one, but Aayla wasn't blood tested for Midichlorians, something that's standard practice in that era in the Republic. Obviously a lot of beings fall through the cracks there, but it's a minor point in the column.

Three, if you take a peek at the Essential Atlas, you'll see Ryloth, like Tatooine, is in Hutt Space. This feels like it makes a ton of sense to me, since we see Hutts having major control on planet. Granted, control of space isn't the same as control of planets within that pretty map color, but still. Note: this is when Hutt Space is at its fullest, in the prequel era. The area controlled is smaller during and after the empire and in the Old Republic era, during which time Ryloth isn't within it. Also, this Atlas was published after all the films, so it wasn't like they didn't know about Orn Free Taa and it's something that just got reconned

The trouble is that sources are cagey or contradictory about what exactly Hurt Space is in any given era. Is it a separate polity from the Republic like the Hapes Cluster or the Chiss Ascendancy, or is it a sphere of soft power? I've seen the soft power argument a few times to explain how Ryloth could both be in Hutt Space and in the Republic, but I have a few issues with it.

A, I feel like a map of Hutt criminal influence wouldn't be as contiguous as it's shown to be

B, I haven't literally checked every world but near as I can tell we don't have confirmed senators from all or at least most worlds in the space, save Ryloth.

C, the way it's treated as vaguely neutral in the Clone Wars

D, it just really helps explain why the Jedi don't do something about places like Tatooine, Nal Hutta, or Ryloth and why the stories of them going there have the Jedi incognito, shadows, or at least keeping a low profile. If Hutt Space is sovereign space and the Jedi, so connected to the Republic, could spark a massive war by causing too much trouble, it feels like it fits.

So in summary, Orn Free Taa's existence bother me, but what's the best way to tinker with the situation when we're writing fics? Should we just eliminate Orn as a character, say Ryloth is in Hutt Space and move on? Should Ryloth be an exclave of the Republic, with Hutts on every side and a slightly more underground slave trade? Should Orn be the Senator from a different sector, given how wide spread Twi'lek are? A different solution entirely? Love to hear folks thoughts!

So, I know the title of Master of the Order and Grandmaster are often conflated, or indeed held by the same person. In my fic I want to firmly delineate them, with Grandmaster being the title of the most senior Jedi and typically lasting until they pass, while Master of the Order is the one actively leading the council and running the day to day and can shuffle.

We see this in canon since Mace is Master of the Order in Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, but gives the title back to Yoda during the Clone Wars so Mace can fight on the front lines while Yoda, holding both titles, tends to stay on Coruscant or closer to it.

My question is, who would make a good Master of the Order directly before Mace? We know Yoda had the title in the past, but I'd rather have that be a century or two back, rather than right before Mace. Initially I thought Tyvokka, but he does the same year Mace joins the Council, and considering Mace was already quite young for that, I don't think he'd become Master right away. Most sources I've seen, if they specify, has him only becoming Master of the Order like a year, a year and a half before Phantom Menace.

I also figure Mundi, Plo and Depa are out since they're the newest members in that time frame, Sifo-Dyas seems too unstable, and I've made Yaddle the Shadow master, so I don't want to have her doubled in this role too.

So, who makes sense? Piell?, Poof? Tiin? Rancisis? Adi? Koth? Some other Jedi who could have been on the Council during that period but left before Phantom Menace like Tholme, K'kruhk, T'ra Saa, Foul, Twoseas, Giiett, Choi, Vima-da-boda, C'abaoth, etc? Any advice would be appreciated.

Basically, is there any way for me to send a still good Dooku along with Qui-Gon and Obi-wan on the return to Naboo without making the conflict too one sided in the Jedi's favor. (Dooku isn't the additional Jedi on Tatooine, that'll be two senior padawans, but Maul reporting it was more than the two the sith knew about feels like a good impetus for Sidious sending backup.

Sly Moore feels like an obvious choice as a dark force user already working for Palpatine, but the entire way he earned her undying loyalty was pretending to rescue her from Maul. So, she can't exactly go on any operation involving Maul. As for other Palpatine agents, most of them are only confirmed to start working for him after he becomes emperor, or at least Chancellor, like Sarcev iirc. He has Pestage, Dorianna, and Grejatus but none of them could physically pose a threat.

My current gut is to go with CP3X, since we know Maul had the assassin droid at that time. However I could also see making an original villain instead or in addition to that. Sidenote: I know Komari Vosa is alive at that point and could theoretically be brought into the fold but, spoilers for the eventual fic, I'm already planning to have her take Dooku's place as Palpatine's second main apprentice/public face of the Seperatist cause.

How and when do you think the Prequel era Jedi teach the initiates about the Dark Side? It seems if they go too early the kid won't take it seriously but if they go too late they risk the kid stumbling upon it themselves without context.

Would there be some sort of controlled practical demonstration so they know what it feels like in the force? It feels like that would be a benefit in terms of a learning a skillet is hot by touching it once type thing, and also if they encounter the rare Darksiders in that period. On the other hand, I can definitely see the Jedi not wanting to touch it even for educational purposes.

Even if they just mention it theoretically, how in depth do they go? We know Dooku first became curious and tempted due to interacting with some sith artifacts in the temple, but that wasn't something he should have had contact with, only doing so because his friend stole them. I feel like the answer is probably pretty bare bones, and focused on rejecting the dark side your self rather than on how to fight dark side users, given the rarity of encountering them in this era, but I could be convinced otherwise.

So, it's an old fandom complaint that 10,000 feels like a really, really low number for the amount of Jedi before the Clone Wars. I know this is a classic case of sci-fi writers having no sense of scale, and that getting granular with scale wouldn't allow the sort of adventure stories we want to tell, but I feel there must be a happy medium.

Even accounting for the idea that this means you are very likely to encounter one, speeding their fading into myth, that's one millionth of a percent of just Coruscant's population. Assuming that number only refers to masters and knights, it still feels too low to me.

Turns out, Lucas used to agree with me. Back when the original trilogy was coming out he said there were several hundred thousand Jedi before their demise. I know that's still a very small number against the galaxy, but in my head at least it feels slightly more reasonable. (Don't get me started on the whole 3 million clone units thing. I'm definitely in the camp of a unit being a battalion giving you an initial army of 1,728,000,000 clones, which would still need a lot of support from militias and other natborns.)

So here's what I'm thinking: Circa Phantom Menace, there'll be about 50,000 Masters, and 200,000 knights. I may use the 10,000 number for how many active knights and Masters are on Coruscant on average at any one time.

My question becomes, how many initiates should there be? Using the math of how many kids under 8 your expect with that adult population doesn't quite work, since A, there's a lot of different species with different life cycles, B, Humans themselves live longer in Star Wars, like 150, provided decent health care, C, forceful beings live like 20-40 years longer than the baseline or proportional, and D, you have to account for all the initiates who leave the temple or join the corps.

I'm tentatively thinking of around 30 clans per age groupings of two years, so around 5,250 at any given time, but is that too low? I realize I'm creating my own problem by trying to account for the too small Jedi number when the temple, while it could certainly hold that many, has a feel of being more of a small town, especially for the initiate clans. Any advice would be appreciated!

Also, as an entire side question that doesn't really go with the rest but I'm also looking to answer, would it be plausible for Leia to pilot Anakin's pod? I know the pod was sized for Anakin, the commonly given reason for Qui-Gon not piloting, but Leia is a LOT shorter. For context Carrie Fisher was 5'1 and Jake Lloyd was 4'5 when he filmed PM. I feel like she could, even if it would be tight, but I'd love to get some other opinions!

So, due to some plot stuff, and a realization that Kaminoan biases have led to some very qualified clones not having appropriate rank, the Jedi in my fic are going to reject all being made generals/ Padawans as Commanders. Instead, only Jedi who completed the interstellar strategy electives at the academy or have relevant experience are going to be generals, with your standard Knight instead being commissioned as a Captain, or a Colonel/Commander for a Master. They're also going to have a decent chunk of Jedi assigned to the Navy

They'll still have Jedi assigned to each legion, but instead of being the general, they'll be the Aide de Camp to the clone or occasional volunteer natborn general. During planning they'll contribute and provide guidance from the force, but when the blasters are blazing, the clone will be in command. Think essentially the Cody's and Blys bumped up to this role. This also has the added benefit that the Jedi doesn't have to try and coordinate from the front/can be flexible about their role depending on need.

My question is, how do you think the Clone Commanders immediately post Geonosis will react to the Jedi insisting they be the generals and that the Jedi will take orders from them?

I keep finding conflicting information on if this happens before or after being chosen as a Padawan. I'm talking specifically in the Phantom Menace era. Some sources say they go to get their crystal or crystals when they're initiates, presumably after the initiate trials, but others talk about it being customary to model your hilt based on your master's. The most specific stuff I found is about Anakin, but he's not following the typical timeline at all anyway.

Basically I'm wondering if a character chosen as a Padawan would already have a personal saber for their master to inspect, or if that was something they'd build together. I have an apprentice of Dooku (canon character but not canon apprentice to Dooku, twist of fate forms the partnership) and I'm wondering if they should have a curved hilt before they're taken as a Padawan, or if that should come later.