This was short, yes—but, gosh, it was razor-sharp. The kind of piece that lingers long after you’ve finished it, not because of anything overtly shocking or dramatic, but because of the way it quietly coils itself around you with atmosphere, weight, and purpose. You’ve packed so much into these 400 words—it’s kind of astonishing, really—and what’s more, every single one feels deliberate.
Poor Luthen. There’s such a deep, almost unbearable weariness to him here. That image of him laughing at jokes he despises, feeling his soul chip away into the void is absolutely gutting. And yet, you show us that he hasn’t given up. He’s tempted, of course. Who wouldn’t be, in the face of so much bleakness? But the reminder always comes—an act of cruelty, a flash of injustice—and he remembers who he is, what he’s fighting for. That moment of clarity amidst the poison-laced decadence of Coruscant was just so well handled.
I thought the gallery itself was a brilliant metaphor; a space meant to preserve and honour culture, yet full of stolen remnants of crushed worlds, propped up as decoration for the very people who benefit from their destruction. And Luthen, trapped right in the middle of it, having to play nice with monsters in suits. The imagery here is so strong and so deeply unsettling—“fangs unleashed” indeed.
And then there’s the ending—Luthen taking speeders close to the Imperial Palace, daring them to notice him, practically inviting his own destruction if it means getting close enough to strike. That final line is a killer: “He would take an axe to the chokehold of crawling toxin, even if he cut his throat in the process.” That is pure, distilled rebellion. It says everything about who Luthen is—and the cost he’s willing to pay.
This was brutal and beautiful. Tightly written, richly atmospheric, and emotionally devastating in the best possible way. A fierce and brilliant portrait of a man burning with purpose in a galaxy gone cold.
Thank you for all the thoughts! I appreciate the compliments. And you've got all the parts of it. Luthen's cover is as an antiques shop owner, and like the comments mentioned earlier, it's ironic that he's dealing in the antiquities of captured worlds. He's not an especially sympathetic figure in the show--you don't necessarily like him, and neither does he necessarily like himself, I think--but he's necessary in kickstarting the Rebellion, and he's willing to pay any price to do so, as you note.
Stellan Skarsgard does a magnificent job as Luthen; the whole cast is superb. I'm glad you think the characterization was convincing to that end!
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irishredhead667 Tue 15 Jul 2025 07:51PM UTC
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