anakin: when my wife walks down the street, she does not give a shit what anyone thinks of her in any situation. she’s my hero. when i walk down the street, i need everybody, all day long, to like me so much. it’s exhausting.
padme: you have the moral backbone of a chocolate eclair.
obi wan: i’ll keep all my emotions right here. and then one day, i’ll die.
palpatine: and then i said “no.” you know, like a liar.
leia: some people give off a vibe of, right away, they’re like, “do not fuck with me.”
luke: my vibe is more like “hey, you could pour soup in my lap and i’d probably apologize to you.”
han: they’re like, “does that work?” i’m like, “it didn’t NOT work.”
lando: hi, i’m very gay and i’d like a few dollars.
rey: i have had a very long day. i am very small and i have no money. so you can imagine the kind of stress i’m under.
finn: you know those days where you’re like, “this might as well happen”?
poe: i don’t care for these new nazis and you may quote me on that.
kylo: when i’m walking down the street, no one’s ever like, “hey! look at that man!” i think they’re just like, “whoa, that tall child looks terrible! get some rest, tall child!”
rose:
i try to stay optimistic, even though i must admit, things are getting pretty sticky.
All right, folks, I’m trying to figure out a way to say “stop,” sort of within the context of “end this” in Mando’a. So far these are the closest I’ve come up with:
Sha’kajir (cease-fire, truce) Gev (stop it, pack it in) – “Stop it” works, but the “pack it in” makes me wonder if this is what I want Nayc (no) Kyr (end)
Any suggestions? I’d try to explain what I need better but I don’t want to give away the context in which I’m using this. (Writer problems, yo.)
Like many species and societies present in the galaxy, the Sith have a particular fondness for tea. While the human Sith generally prefer caf, the purebloods have maintained a certain culture and relationship with tea that has been present since before the Exiles arrived on Korriban.
The Sith drink countless kinds of teas for a variety of reasons. Most for the fact that they simply enjoy the flavor of these drinks, but some teas have medicinal properties, while others are only drunk during special (and often cultural) occasions.
The many different types of teas can be classified into five categories. Although it should be noted that these categories overlap and intermingle so often that it nearly makes the whole categorization system useless.
Floral
One of the more visually pleasing types, floral teas (as the name obviously suggests) are derived from flowers.
They typically have a very fragrant, pleasant odor, but are mild in taste. The tea water itself turns into colors of muted white, gold, orange, pink, purple, and even blue.
Most floral teas are simply consumed “for the fun of it”. Though there are a few that are thought to have an aphrodisiac effect on Sith physiology. Humans are cautioned against these types of teas since it can cause unpleasant digestive issues in them.
The dried flowers used for these teas sometimes “bloom” while steeping, creating those bright, colorful displays in tea cups.
These teas are seen as the most “traditional” kind of tea. They are derived from the dried leaves or roots of a plant.
Thought not all herbal teas are bitter, all bitter teas are herbal. The tea water is dark, coming in shades of grey and brown, some even reaching close to black.
Out of all the tea groups, herbal teas are the most commonly used for medicinal purposes. Though they are never a substitute for a doctor or healer, some herbal teas can help and prevent certain common ailments.
Anything from fevers, headaches, lack of bloodlust, to disagreeable meals can be remedied by the right tea.
This is not to say that all herbal teas are medicinal. Of course there are many kinds of herbal teas that are consumed purely for the enjoyment of it.
Common herbal teas are:
Druun*
Ischorl*
Yarron
Mountaingrass
Burning Nesh
Blood Balm
Wiltzin
Grey Mist
Rubemint
Serla
Fruit
These are the sweetest among the different groups of tea (in their “natural” state). Fruits teas are, obviously, made from fruits.
The fruits can be dried or fresh when a tea is brewed. These teas are also very bright and colorful compared to the pale, muted shades of floral teas or the dark, sometimes murky look of herbal teas.
It is said that Sith children are raised on fruit teas, since it is simply the most palatable to the younglings.
And while most fruit teas are purely “for fun”, some are held in high regards during tea ceremonies that take place during weddings, births, or funerals.
Spice teas are brewed from the dried, unprocessed pieces of plant matter that would’ve been grounded into spice and seasoning.
They have the strongest, non-bitter, flavor out of all of the teas with the tea water usually being shades of dark reds, brown, or green.
A lot of the spice teas are referred to, by humans, as having a “sweet and spicy” taste. These types of teas are chilled before drinking a lot more often than the other kinds.
As stated, only whole, unprocessed parts are used. And once the tea is brewed, these roots, stems, seedpods, etc, are often removed from the teapot before serving.
Common spices are:
Nindzu*
Sinsticks
Star of Anor
Lorander Seeds
White Clove
Pepperpod
Fresh Inshen
Drennil Seed
Red Pods
Green Karmast
Milk
Technically speaking, any kind of tea can be turned into a milk tea. All a tea needs is some milk, most commonly from srans in the Empire, added to it.
Milk teas are creamy and are often sweetened by sugars from fruits or honey. They are served hot or cold, enjoyed in any occasion, and loved by all Sith. It is even said that Darth Vowrawn always starts his day with a warm cup of milk tea.
In recent years, some drink vendors in the Empire have begun to experiment with milk teas by adding small, chewy pearls. Whether or not the Sith actually take a liking to them seems to be up to personal preference.
While these categories present these teas into neat little sections, in reality the Sith often mix and match various ingredients for their tea concoctions. One could have a spiced-fruit tea, or a fruity-herbal, or floral-milk, and so on.
Whether a tea involves just water and one ingredient, or a multitude ingredients like the famed Marserha’s Brew, the thing that defines all of them is their connection and importance to the Sith.
lol oh god this is where everyone finds out i’m a nerd. okay first! disclaimer: i know nothing about fighting. seriously, like nothing. also i’m very much a visual learner/thinker, so that sort of Influences my approach to these things
for the sake of me organizing things, i’m going to focus this on lightsaber/Force fights!
lightsaber forms: a crash course by nym
one thing that helped me was to get a clear idea of what lightsaber combat form i wanted to use for each of the more major characters. they’re kind of bunk with TFA + i definitely don’t think they’re necessary to use/know for a good star wars fic, because the EU is nonsense, but for me it useful to get into the Mentality of how i wanted to write the person fighting. there’s seven main ones:
shii-cho/way of the sarlaac /determination form: the basic starting point–foundations of everything else, lots of sweeping motions/Jedi Training Wheels.
ataru/ way of the hawk-bat/aggression form: PARKOUR. I Will Fuck Up Your Day form, super IN YOUR FACE, lots of flips and OTT acrobatics. think Xena fights where the chase scenes are conducted entirely in cartwheels
shien/djem so/way of the krayt dragon/perseverance form: a defense form, like soresu, but after you block you PUNCH THEM IN THE THROAT. big on counteracts/using the opponents’ strength against them using MAXIMUM CHILL during the fight and then taking them out when they’re Unaware. a Beware the Quiet Ones of forms
niman/way of the rancor/moderation form/diplomat’s form: the her?? of lightsaber forms. In terms of lightsaber combat using the actual lightsaber this is the “You Tried” goldstar, no advantages or disadvantages, it’s just kind of. You know. There. BUT this is a good form if you have a character who would rely more on Force powers in battle. One-handed techniques usually
juyo/vaapad/way of the vornskr/ferocity form: you thought ataru was gonna fuck up your day? JUYO IS THE SAMUEL L JACKSON OF LIGHTSABER FORMS. no really mace windu mastered it. juyo channels the negative/aggressive emotions of a jedi and lets them PUT THEIR WILL INTO THEIR BLADE. very shounen. like imagine jedi!ichigo
For characters i’ve written who don’t already have a form in “canon” (remember: the eu is nonsense), i headcanon rey as using ataru + juyo, kylo ren as niman, and finn as soresu + shien
lightsaber fighting! Let’s get a reference: Star Wars Edition
so when i was trying to figure out how to write lightsaber fights, i first started by watching my favorite ones from the movies! here’s some handy dandy video links of the ones i dig the most:
but nym, i don’t want to just draw from boss lightsaber fights! Okay!! Let me show you my Strategy 2.
lightsaber fighting! Let’s get a reference: a more elegant weapon edition
so disclaimer x2, i watch a lot of martial arts + action movies. one thing i’ve tried when i get stuck is to think about fights scenes that would have similar styles to characters. it’s not so much the weapons being used as it is the movement of the fighters that i draw on. here’s some of the resources i’ve used
rey references or characters with a double-bladed or saberstaff some suggested weapons to use for reference videos: bo staff, quarterstaff, spears, pikes
reference videos i’ve used:
donnie yen in hero (donnie uses staffs a lot in his movies, good ref for the visual movements there)
Oversight– Councillor of Intelligence, appointed by the Emperor. Considered one of the most senior positions on the Dark Council.
Leadership– Minister of Intelligence. Chosen by the Councillor of Intelligence, exclusively from within Intelligence itself. Typically either the head of Operations (Keeper), Analysis (Assayer), Counterintelligence (Finder), or the Outreach Bureau (Editor), depending on the direction the Councillor wishes Intelligence to take. One of the highest-ranking positions available in the Empire to non-Sith.
Insignia– Twelve-pointed star, representing the ten bureaus of Intelligence, the Dark Council, and the Emperor.
Headquarters– Part of the Citadel in Kaas City, nicknamed “the Vault”; main training facility located on Korriban’s fourth moon, known as “the Lake House.”
Structure and scope– Expansive and wide-reaching, encompassing both foreign and domestic activities. Intelligence has one of the largest budgets of any Imperial agency and relatively little oversight, giving it a great deal of operational latitude. Composed of ten bureaus (Operations, Analysis, Outreach, Counterintelligence, Cryptanalysis, Science & Technology, Signals, Imagery & Cartography, Internal Affairs, and Support). Has close ties with the military and the Diplomatic Service, making extensive use of both official and non-official cover. In Intelligence parlance, officers under official cover are known as “legals”; those under non-official, as “illegals.”
Operations– The largest and best-funded bureau, and home to the Cipher Programme. Ciphers report directly to the head of Operations (Keeper), and are given nearly unlimited resources and latitude to accomplish their goals. Their numbers fluctuate according to agency requirements, but there are believed to be no more than ten to twenty in operation at any given time. Ciphers are the only operations officers authorised to carry out “black work” – assassinations, retrievals, and the like.
Ordinary operations officers, who handle the recruitment and running of assets, are officially (and uncreatively) known as Officers. They have much less operational freedom but a far longer life expectancy; it’s incredibly rare for an Officer to even be issued a weapon. Officers utilise a full spectrum of options when recruiting assets: manipulation, bribery, ideological persuasion, or biographical leverage (blackmail). The Officer-asset relationship is very strong, as Officers generally remain at a single “residency” (station of duty) for their entire career.
Weaknesses– Vulnerable to manipulation by the Councillor of Intelligence.
Strategic Information Service (SIS):
(”the Service”; derogatorily, “the Circus”)
Oversight– Senate Intelligence Committee. Considered a middling appointment, members are generally more junior than those of other Senate oversight committees.
Leadership– Director of the SIS, appointed by the Supreme Chancellor and confirmed by the Senate. Sometimes, but not always, a career intelligence officer. Considered a mid-ranking position in the Republic bureaucracy.
Insignia– Hawk-bat in flight.
Headquarters– Heorem Complex on Coruscant, nicknamed “the Library”; main training facility located on Velusia, known as “the Beach.”
Structure and scope– Authorised to operate both within and outside the Republic, but relatively limited by budgetary and institutional constraints. Official cover options are similarly limited; the SIS’ reliance on non-official cover makes its officers more vulnerable to Imperial Counterintelligence. Unlike Imperial Intelligence, the SIS does not use the terms “legals” or “illegals” to refer to its officers, preferring “officials” and “non-officials.”
Operations– In contrast to Imperial Intelligence, the SIS’ Operations Division is relatively small. Operations officers are rarely called on to perform “wet work,” and generally focus only on recruiting and running assets. As Operations is often stretched thin, officers may be required to work assets on multiple planets, or even multiple star systems; consequently, the officer-asset relationship is relatively weak. Assets are typically recruited through bribes or blackmail; less often through manipulation or ideological persuasion, as these require a depth of relationship that isn’t generally possible for SIS officers.
There is no direct SIS equivalent to the Cipher Programme. A small number of operations officers are trained to carry out “wet work,” and in general, they are drawn from former Special Forces officers. All such operations must be approved by both the Supreme Chancellor and the Senate Intelligence Committee; unapproved operations, or those authorised only by the Supreme Chancellor, are illegal under Republic law.
So I’ve recently been writing a search-the-galaxy sort of fic for Star Wars, and realized I needed very desperately needed to know about one very important thing:
Hyperspace Travel
Specifically, hyperspace travel times.
To help me I found this lovely resource; Black Cat’s Star Wars Hyperspace Travel Times Page. This page contains pretty much everything I think you need to know about hyperspace travel times, at least to make your fic vaguely realistic. It’s a fairly short read, but I’ll summarize the version I use here.
The table above shows base travel times between regions. The original page describes how these travel times are affected by two factors; the speed of the hyperdrive and the location of the destination.
Speed of Hyperdrive basically means if your ship is more high tech/high quality/newer, it might have a faster hyperdrive. The base travel time assumes a x1 multiplier, so a faster hyperdrive might be only a x0.5 multiplier (halving the travel time, I believe), while if your ship is older/cheaper etc., it might have a slower hyperdrive, e.g. a x2 where the time would therefore be doubled. (I’ll freely admit I don’t use this variation much so I may be misunderstanding it slightly).
Location of destination is what the top map is for, and basically why I’m making this post instead of just linking you to the page. If your start point is in the same region (e.g. Mid Rim to Mid Rim) or in the same quadrant as the destination, the travel time is halved from the base travel time. The original page describes the quadrants as being delineated by “two perpendicular lines cut through the centre of the Deep Core” , but references a book which is unnamed and has no map. So, I made my own, which is the top picture. It is by no means official, but I figure there can’t be too many ways to cut two lines through the centre of the Deep Core, so I’m probably not far wrong. (HERE is a much bigger version of the top map).
Generally I tend to stick to the Base Travel Times table (pictured), rather than the Specific Travel Times table which is also on the original page, because they have discrepancies and the former covers a much wider scope, so is easier to use. The original page also describes a calculation you can do yourself to figure out travel times, but I’ll freely admit I’m too lazy for that xD
The source the original page cites is “various pages on Wookieepedia”, so I guess it can’t be too far wrong.
Of course, if you want, feel free to just ignore hyperspace travel times. I can think of one memorable instance when TCW does, and that’s only one xD
(P.S. The observant perusing the larger version of the top map might notice one marker/planet name that looks different. That’s the one I added in, and is therefore completely unofficial. First person to spot it and drop me an ask can have…something xD)
Just thought I’d also point out how far away Roman’s little hideout on Kamar is; top right hand corner!
Okay, help me out here, my lovely Tumblr followers …
I’m reading up on Twi’lek biology, and Wookieepedia states that Twi’leks have a higher body temperature. Now, in some fanfics I’ve read, this has led to Twi’leks being warm little furnaces, but I’m trying to determine if this is correct and frankly, I’m not great at biology. That’s why I research the hell out of this stuff.
My thought is, higher body temperature means they’d be more comfortable in places with a higher ambient temperature and that this, combined with a lack of body hair, would make them get cold easily. I would think they would also need to eat more and would metabolize food faster, but I could be talking out my ass here. (Okay, I’m PROBABLY talking out my ass here. For the record, I studied history, psychology and English literature in university, and the only science courses I took were about plant use throughout history and the very basic concepts behind human genetics. Fascinating classes, yes, but not particularly relevant here.)
Smart science-y people, what do you think?
Okay. Here goes.
Two caveats: 1) I’m a physician, not a researcher, so my recall of the finer points of thermoregulation from a metabolic/molecular standpoint is a smidge rusty. A good summary here, if you’re bored and/or insomniac: Clicky Clicky God Why Can’t Someone Make Journals Interesting.
2) It’s Star Wars, where our science ranges from “okay, that might work” to “handwavey space magic” depending on source, era and continuity.
Twi’leks canonically do have higher core body temperatures than most other humanoid races. How much higher? I don’t think we ever see an answer to that, although practically speaking probably not much. Clone Wars tells us that human-Twi’lek hybrid children are possible (whether that’s spontaneous or requiring some degree of artificial reproductive technology I do not recall off the top of my head), which would also suggest that human and Twi’lek protein structural compositions are compatible on some level. Human structural proteins start to denature above 42 C/105.8F, which is why for humans a fever above 105F for any significant length of time is potentially life-threatening. Assuming Twi’leks have a similar temperature cap, I wouldn’t imagine their core temperatures would range much above 101-102F (38-39C). Pushing too high toward the temp cap would leave them very little threshold before any fever would be dangerous, and there’s nothing in canon to suggest Twi’leks are particularly fragile from a constitutional standpoint.
How much warmer would a Twi’lek feel, compared to a human? A little- like a dog, for example, (similar average core temp) minus the hair. Furnace-like? Doubtful.
They would probably be relatively more comfortable in places with a higher ambient temperature, yes, and would probably have slightly more trouble with cold due more to the lack of body hair than their higher internal core temp (no insulating layer. One can, of course, sweat without body hair, so it wouldn’t affect them in the heat.) Then again, humans are pretty terrible at thermoregulating with our body hair in the cold, too, hence things like parkas and woolly hats.
Twi’leks probably do have higher metabolisms- mathematically speaking, for endothermic species with an internal heat source, the higher the core temp the higher the metabolism. Their natural thinness is probably a combination of rapid metabolism and relative food scarcity on Ryloth, since we know off-world Twi’leks can become obese very quickly as they have a tendency to overindulge. They also have multiple stomachs. No, I don’t know how that works in a non-ruminant species. Star Wars. Hand-waving. Shush.
A side note: why don’t we see obese Twi’lek women? Representative bias, I assume. How many Twi’lek women do we see in canon who aren’t dancers/slaves- kept thin to conform to what’s meant to be attractive- or soldiers/Jedi/fighters in good physical conditioning? I’m trying to think of any.
(This has been your daily Star Wars Fun Fact Science Corner.)
Oh dear Goddess, someone tagged me so I MUST answer, or all my street cred for biology nonsense is at stake.
As the owner of a slave dancer female Twi’lek, I feel called out. But I’ll just laugh and agree. Seriously, where’s all the fat offworld Twi’leks? (Though I do hold it as canon that my little Sith bitch gets at least somewhat pudgy while living on Dromund Kaas.)
I mean, avian species are notorious for higher core temperatures and higher metabolisms, but do you feel l like your hands are on fire when holding a bird? (Feathers, woggit, feathers) Yes I know but I feel like my pseudoscientific point still stands.
I couldn’t agree more with the point about proteins and their denaturation ranges. 100%
It’s my understanding that Twi’leks evolved on Ryloth primarily. Many have found refuge from the Rylothian sun by taking to the cave networks beneath the surface. It’s my understanding that Twi’lek below-ground races have a diet of mostly mushrooms supplemented by carnivorous intake. Mushrooms, of course, have tough extracellular matrices of primarily chitin, a compound similar to cellulose in structure and function. (Same shit as beetle shells, ok). I can see multiple stomachs for this purpose.
I hold as headcanon that Twi’leks first arose as above-ground species. Adaptations to the omnipresent Rylothian sun would be a must. (Woggit write that treatise on evolution already, goddamn) Hush. So yes, higher core temp and lack of significant hair would be consistent.
Twi’leks are also smaller and less uh, deadly, than most above-world carnivorous species. A higher metabolism, lithe body builds, and a large brain are consistent with a species that uses numbers and evasion as their primary anti-predator strategies.
I think I’ve covered the significant points, here. But yes, mostly agreed with @inyri here
Thank you both, @inyri and @elbywoggit! This is exactly the kind of information I’m looking for.
And I’m intending to write about a short, somewhat chubby (she would say “voluptuous”) Twi’lek, and her Twi’lek-ness is intended to be as much a part of the story and her character as her Sithy-ness. (Hence the research. She’s my first non-human OC.)
Okay, help me out here, my lovely Tumblr followers …
I’m reading up on Twi’lek biology, and Wookieepedia states that Twi’leks have a higher body temperature. Now, in some fanfics I’ve read, this has led to Twi’leks being warm little furnaces, but I’m trying to determine if this is correct and frankly, I’m not great at biology. That’s why I research the hell out of this stuff.
My thought is, higher body temperature means they’d be more comfortable in places with a higher ambient temperature and that this, combined with a lack of body hair, would make them get cold easily. I would think they would also need to eat more and would metabolize food faster, but I could be talking out my ass here. (Okay, I’m PROBABLY talking out my ass here. For the record, I studied history, psychology and English literature in university, and the only science courses I took were about plant use throughout history and the very basic concepts behind human genetics. Fascinating classes, yes, but not particularly relevant here.)
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