Day 169, Quasi-Quarantine: Reviewing The Underwhelming New Star Wars Lego Set, The AAT

For months, we've heard talk about the Armored Assault Tank (AAT), just released as part of a wave of Lego Star Wars September 1 launch. After some digging around in the warehouse, a Target employee found a version for us early.

The AAT is from the recently completed final season of "The Clone Wars," and the highlights of this build were unquestionably the Ahsoka Tano minifigure and a 501st Legion clone trooper with a helmet mold created to honor her.

For the record, two other minifigures -- a driver battle droid and a regular battle droid -- also come with the set. Their inclusion does not create much excitement.

The tank itself features a couple of spring-loaded shooters and front and turret hatches to hold these battle droids. The centerpiece for the vehicle itself is a fully rotating turret that is dominated by an elevating cannon.

All that said, the set itself is underwhelming. The price point ($40) for a build that is less than 300 pieces feels more than a little ridiculous, though it's true that the minifigures are what set this one apart.

Disney and Star Wars are capitalizing in a big way on the relative lack of new, affordable sets, as well as the conclusion of the beloved "The Clone Wars" animated series. I get that. 

While the cost is worth the trade for hours of entertainment during a quasi-quarantine, it's a shame that more and more kids are going to be priced out of such sets.

Limerick Friday #477: Crossing The Century Mark For Quasi-Quarantine Posts -- Day 166

Posted about Lego riches
And TV that had me in stitches
Talked of music that moved
And books that soothed
I've written 100 of these bitches?!

College football's pandemic-ness
Clusters and positives we won't miss
Playing COVID whack-a-mole
We've dug ourselves quite a hole
Are we really still trying this?

Clearly, lying and crime pays
The country dies if he stays
By the muzzle of a gun
Are we entering the stretch run?
Is it actually democracy's dying days?

A new Lego set, you don't say
He was more than ready to pay
We scoured the Target
Were about to say, "Farg it"
When a clerk saved the whole damn day

Climbing the justice ladder
Standing for things that matter
Recharge days
And home-office pays
Proud to be a Red Hatter

Last time ...

Day 165, Quasi-Quarantine: Building A Most Wretched Hive Of Scum And Villainy

Inspired by our Bantha build and with so many other elements already existing, we decided to re-create Mos Eisley, the main spacepart on Tattooine.

Beginning with the Bantha and Rey's speeder, we set about fashioning a custom landspeeder. Once this relatively quick build was completed, we created a hut for Obi-Wan Kenobi and a garage to house the landspeeder in.

The hut/garage combination serves to both house and hide minifigures and the landspeeder, with doors on both that swing shut.

The street scene outside the infamous cantina (more on that later) also features a rudimentary market stall, a grazing area for the Bantha, a small well, and assorted tumblewoods and desert plants.

Now, on to the cantina. Easily the most intricate and time-consuming aspect of our city build, it features two bar areas and a number of small tables and chairs, with multiple bartenders and debauched patrons.

The exterior features desert-inspired architecture, highlighted by a sliding door "manned" by a bouncer intent on keep droids out.

Obviously, finding enough tan and brown Lego pieces was among the most difficult tasks in this endeavor. We were thrilled with the cantina upon completion, and while the surrounding domiciles weren't exactly complex, the slapdash style fits the overall aura of Mos Eisley.

We feel we've honored the words of Obi-Wan:

"Mos Eisley Spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. We must be cautious."

Day 164, Quasi-Quarantine: The Almost Incomprehensible, Unforgettable "Dark" Bids Auf Wiedersehen

On a strong recommendation, I got pulled into the "Dark" universe a couple of years ago. The third and final season of this one-of-a-kind German science fiction show wrapped up a couple of months ago, wrapping up on its trademark "what did I just watch?" note.

This Netflix show is set in the fictional town of Winden, Germany, which is haunted by a child's disappearance and a supernatural cave system. "Dark" uses four families to play out a time travel conspiracy that crosses many generations (that can admittedly be hard to keep straight).

Co-created by Baran ba Odar and Jantje Friese, "Dark" is certainly a show that makes you work for it. Early on, it drew comparisons to "Stranger Things," but "Dark" had a harder, more violent edge and a more existential bent.

Powered by an intricate plot and narrative, the show manages to keep emotion intact throughout and across time jumps. The irresistible Lisa Vicari (as Martha Nielsen) carries much of this emotion, and her character's dynamic with Jonas Kahnwald (Louis Hofmann) formed the backbone of the show.

The dubbing from German to English takes a bit to get used to, but the musical score spans all language, lending an essential and invaluable atmospheric tone. The confusion inherent in displaying the same character across multiple timeframes with disparate actors can be overwhelming, and headline actors could go several episodes without a significant appearance.

These challenges and others led Rotten Tomatoes to call the show "as thrilling as it is bewildering." I personally would've liked the final season to be extended beyond just eight episodes, but the 26 episodes that comprise "Dark" are just going to have to be enough.

Unless we can find a cave, a stunning German girl, a nuclear power plant -- and just go back in time to create more.

Day 163, Quasi-Quarantine: Pursuing -- Or Being Pursued By -- The Path To Lovecraft Country

Spurred by the arrival of the long-anticipated HBO series "Lovecraft Country," I wanted to explore the writing of H.P. Lovecraft, an author of the macabre who had somehow managed to escape my reading over the years.

After getting "The New Annotated H.P. Lovecraft" transferred from a local library to the branch closest to me (how fucking great are libraries -- seriously), I've been digging into this 700-page tome. It's ... a lot.

Just two episodes in, "Lovecraft Country" is only scratching the surface of Lovecraft's tales. Created by Misha Green and Jordan Peele and produced by Peele and J.J. Abrams, the show is angsty and mesmerizing, tackling a number of massive social issues.

Immersing myself in Lovecraftian writing and viewing to this extent likely won't be great for my sleep schedule. But standing at the intersection of TV and literature with a flickering candle and an intrepid spirit, I can't stop myself from delving deeper into Lovecraft country.

"As our world increasingly comes to resemble Lovecraft's anxious speculations, the importance of this long-neglected pulp purveyor of the weird and the unnameable becomes more evident, more unmistakable." ~Alan Moore

Day 162, Quasi-Quarantine: Rolling Up Some Droidekas

Droidekas were among the most feared enemies of the Galactic Republic. Also called destroyer droids or "rollies," these weapons could not only roll super-fast (close to 50 miles per hour), but they used a self-contained shield generator.

This speed and armament made these Trade Federation droids extremely difficult to repel. Fortunately, droidekas were vulnerable to rear assaults, and a deftly thrown grenade could also do the trick in rendering them useless.

We were able to find some instructions online, and after gathering the requisite pieces and making some subtle modifications, we made a few. These pieces are not only relatively easy to make, but they add a unique and intimidating look to conflicts with imperial forces.

If you're into that sort of thing.

Limerick Friday #476: We Better Call Joe -- Day 159

Hatred he does foment

Our democracy we lament

But now there's no hidin'

Because here comes Biden

Ready to meet his moment

"Hard Knocks" tackling issues knotty

And testing everybody

Asked the question legit

So who took a shit

In the pee-only Port-a-Potty

ESP and teleportation

Limbic resonance across the nation

Crossing genres like a shot

"Sense8" combines a lot

Season 1, a true revelation

In a country of hates

Her speaking rates

She'll embarrass some frauds

While the world applauds

Kamala gonna truck fools in debates

Bought Season 5 for a fee

'Cuz "Better Call Saul" is for me

The show's running out

But of this I have no doubt

'Tis the best damn show on TV

Last time ...

Day 158, Quasi-Quarantine, Sounds Of Social Distancing: The Dils Will Jolt You From The Doldrums

The Dils come highly recommended by Mac McCaughan of Superchunk, and that's a sign-off that carries a lot of weight with me.

A high-adrenaline group from California, The Dils were led by brothers Chip and Tony Kinman before dissolving in 1980 after a brief 4-year run. Perhaps their most famous moment was when they appeared in the Cheech & Chong film "Up in Smoke" -- a badge of honor for any Cali punk band.

Tony passed away in 2018, but the band had a brief revival the following year after almost a 40-year absence. In the new iteration, Chip's stepson stepped in on the drums.

Their masterpiece is "Dils Dils Dils", a 14-song-in-42-minute rampage highlighted by their signature "Class War." True to punk form, most of their songs are in the 2-minute range, with the exception of the 8-minute onslaught of "What Goes On." Songs like "New Kicks" and "Sound of the Rain" demonstrate capability beyond the punk genre.

If you're looking for something to break you out of the "Groundhog Day" effect of quasi-quarantine, The Dils are capable of boot-kicking you into animation.

Day 157, Quasi-Quarantine: Colson Whitehead Continues Raising The Bar With Devastating "The Nickel Boys"

"The world had whispered its rules to him for his whole life and he refused to listen, hearing instead a higher order. The world continued to instruct: Do not love for they will disappear, do not trust for you will be betrayed, do not stand up for you will be swatted down. Still he heard those higher imperatives: Love and that love will be returned, trust in the righteous path and it will lead you to deliverance, fight and things will change. He never listened, never saw what was plainly in front of him, and now he had been plucked from the world altogether. The only voices were those of the boys below, the shouts and laughter and fearful cries, as if he floated in a bitter heaven."

After exploring emotional heft in "The Underground Railroad," Colson Whitehead somehow managed to top himself with the stunning "The Nickel Boys." A savagely heartbreaking tale of the systematic destruction of downtrodden lives, this novel draws you in, making the tale both absorbing and repelling.

"He admired liars who kept on lying even though their lies were obvious, but there was nothing anyone could do about it. Another proof of one's powerlessness before other people." 

The might-have-been, unfairly-defined, and reborn lives of Elwood Curtis make him one of the most compelling fiction characters I can remember. Even Elwood's limited idealism is difficult to read, knowing that even the small changes he believed would come were not only improbable but impossible. The contrast between Elwood and Turner -- and how they forge an alliance despite those disparate worldviews -- lends even more power to the plot.

"To see him from across the street -- the serious young lad heaving his freight of the world's knowledge -- was to witness a scene that might have been illustrated by Norman Rockwell, if Elwood had had white skin."

"He talked like a white college boy, read books when he didn't have to, and mined them for uranium to power his own personal A-bomb. Still -- sturdy." 

Drawing heavily from true stories, Whitehead has rendered an all-too-real world where doing the right thing is all at once an imperative, impossible, and lethal. Against that backdrop, the terror of the Nickel school is on par with anything from Stephen King. 

"Maybe there was no system at all to the violence and no one, not the keepers nor the kept, knew what happened or why."

"Spencer was fastidious with his dark blue Nickel uniform; every crease in his clothes looked sharp enough to cut, as if he were a living blade."

"To think of those Nickel nights where the only sounds were tears and insects, how you could sleep in a room crammed with sixty boys and still understand that you were the only person on earth. Everybody around and nobody around at the same time."

This book won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, and while this is not important, "The Nickel Boys" would make a stellar movie, with several cinema-friendly scenes already baked into the novel. Even after reading "The Underground Railroad" less than a month before, I was shaken by Whitehead's latest, racing through "The Nickel Boys" in less than three days.

NPR described the book as an "act of witness," while The Guardian wrote that "Whitehead has a gift for summarizing the essence of a person's nature in a few lines." I say that Colson Whitehead has emerged as maybe the most talented and important literary voice in contemporary America.

"The recognition he sought went beyond brown skin -- he was looking for someone who looked like him, for someone to claim as kin. For others to claim him as kin, those who saw the same future approaching, slow as it may be and overfond of back roads and secret hardscrabble paths, attuned to the deeper music in the speeches and hand-painted signs of protest. Those ready to commit their weight to the great lever and move the world."

Day 156, Quasi-Quarantine: Establishing The 13th Legion, Dolphin Battalion

 As mentioned previously, we've been experimenting with painting blank, 3-D-printed clone trooper helmets. We use any tools at our disposal, from toothpicks to tiny brushes to bobby pins to scalpels.

One effort very early in the process involved transferring Miami Dolphins colors onto the minifigure. While we were still refining our process at this point, the end result was not too bad.

We've since tinkered with the torso/leg combination that goes with this helmet, opting for a green color (from an existing minifigure) that offsets the strong orange and green.

When all this started, this wasn't the sort of crafting I was anticipating. Nevertheless, here we are, and the work has been surprisingly soothing and shockingly rewarding.

Craft on ...

Day 155, Quasi-Quarantine: Just Talking On Through The Duel On Mustafar

The Duel on Mustafar set (75269) was a recent addition to the collection. This simple, 208-piece build did come up with two unique minifigures and was well-received, as you can see when you roll the tape.

This take was slightly more subdued than our first take.

Day 151, Quasi-Quarantine: Bringing Kanan's Speeder Bike Back To Life

With new sets unavailable on the immediate horizon, we set our sights on yet another build that we already owned but was laying in pieces around the playroom in various boxes or cobbled onto other creations.

Kanan's Speeder Bike (75141) is another retired set, this one based on the Star Wars Rebels series. This set is comprised of only 234 pieces, but it is a nifty build that allows you to run missions to steal weapons from the Empire -- a popular plot point in Star Wars Rebels.

The speeder bike has a really sleek look, with a green color scheme that matches Kanan's ensemble. The cargo containers are clever and include pre-printed pieces with the Imperial logo. These two boxes hold blasters and thermal detonators, and they can be attached to the back of the speeder bike for a quick getaway.

Two of the three included minifigures represent two major highlights for this small set. Pre-blindness Jedi Kanan Jarrus comes with a lightsaber, a distinctive printed torso, and his trademark ponytail.

The Imperial Combat Driver is another really unique minifigure, with gray coloration, helmet, and head printing that separate it from other Imperial henchmen. A standard Stormtrooper is also included.

Between Ezra Bridger's hideout, the Ghost, and the Phantom, we've been trying our best to build out the Rebels universe. Rediscovering Kanan's presence and adding another slick vehicle to the mix goes a long way in that effort.

Now, if we could only find an affordable Zeb "Karabast!" Orrelios ...

Day 150, Quasi-Quarantine, Sounds of Social Distancing: Camp Cope Defines Aussie Punk Emo

Australian trio Camp Cope has been a popular entry on the S&H spin cycle during quasi-quarantine. Propelled by a distinctive sound the band considers "power emo," their second album, "How to Socialise and Make Friends," is a bit irresistible.

Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Georgia "Maq" McDonald has a powerful voice and isn't afraid to show you that, and her emotional lyrics are supplemented by the playing of bassist Kelly-Dawn Thompson and drummer Sarah "Thomo" Thompson.

"The Opener" serves as a great, well, opener to the album, and the track that serves as the album name is a strong follow-up. "Sagan-Indiana" features McDonald's intense voice (to the point of borderline screaming), while "The Omen" is a more subdued song that lets the album breathe a bit. 

"How to Socialise and Make Friends" is a worthy successor to the group's self-titled debut album, which won a number of awards in 2016. All the members of Camp Cope (which is named for a Sydney beach) are attached to other bands as well, which may compromise the longevity of this Melbourne trio, but I'm interested to hear where they take their sound in future albums.

Day 149, Quasi-Quarantine: "Uncanny Valley" Offers A Hysterical -- If Flawed -- View Of The Extended Dotcom Bubble

This unsparing look at startup culture is likely meant as an evisceration of Silicon Valley, but Anna Weiner ends up stumbling into a personal coming-of-age tale as well. I suspect she set out to snark an entire vertical, but the book became more intensely personal along the way.

"'Meritocracy': a word that had originated in social satire and was adopted in sincerity by an industry that could be its own best caricature."

"Uncanny Valley" is hilarious and unflinching from the jump, unintentionally positing that twenty-somethings aren't meant to build social awareness through technocratic employment. Weiner intimates that like so many of her generational colleagues, she arrived too late at what was staring at them the entire time. 

"A website taking on the kennel market -- a pet-setting and dog-walking app that disrupted neighborhood twelve-year-olds -- raised ten million. An app for coupon-clipping enabled an untold number of bored and curious urbanites to pay for services they never knew they needed, and for a while people were mainlining antiwrinkle toxins, taking trapeze lessons, and bleaching their assholes, just because they could do it at a discount."

Whether you buy her naivete is perhaps dependent on your age and work history. Your stance on whether she finally woke up to the culture she played a role in perpetuating or simply liked the idea of a six-figure salary for a customer support gig will likely inform your consideration of the book.

"It was easier, in any case, to fabricate a romantic narrative than admit that I was ambitious -- that I wanted my life to pick up momentum, go faster." 

"The novelty was burning off; the industry's pervasive idealism was increasingly dubious. Tech, for the most part, wasn't progress. It was just business."

Weiner strides up to the edge of generational commentary in a few different places, but never quite takes the plunge. Perhaps she was loathe to indict an entire age group, but I felt she had opportunities to depict the attraction of technology work balanced against some of the economic angst (student debt, recession) and pervasive anxiety ("the plummeting marketing value of culture products in an age of digital distribution") that is inherent to the subset.

"It seemed like half of the new-school old-schoolers spent the bulk of their spare time on overstuffed secondhand couches, drinking tea and processing. Processing was a daily routine, a group activity. People consulted one another on their romantic entanglements, their financial problems, their hemorrhoids. Everyone was always checking in."

"Uncanny Valley" does suffer from over-wrought prose at times, losing momentum while the author demonstrates her love of semicolons and difficult language. Down the stretch, however, she does rediscover her pacing as she details the onset of the current administration.

Weiner is unquestionably a gifted writer who has added an essential record to the annals of Silicon Valley. How she employs what she's learned and where she aims her literary gifts will be interesting to follow as she puts the uncanny valley in her rear-view mirror.

"My interlocutor leaned in conspiratorially. 'There are no adults in the White House,' he said, with a trace of a smile. 'We're the government now.'"

Day 148, Quasi-Quarantine: Resurrecting A Bantha As A Tip O' The Helmet To Old-School Star Wars

Banthas have long been a favorite of Star Wars fans. These furry creatures combine the characteristics of a number of animals into an irresistible amalgam, and they serve as beasts of burden and even food sources across the galaxy.

Best known for transporting Tusken Raiders on Tattooine, Banthas were finally introduced to the Lego world in early 2020 as part of microfighter set 75265, the T-16 Skyhopper vs. Bantha.

Since we already have the actual T-16 Skyhopper (as detailed previously), we set about creating our own Bantha from spare parts. Unfortunately, the distinctive curly horns were nigh impossible to duplicate without the specialty Lego pieces that come with the original build.

However, the end result isn't too far off. We made a few aesthetic choices to honor the original best created by George Lucas (and "acted" in "A New Hope" by an actual elephant).

And of course, no story about Banthas wouldn't be complete without mentioning the giggles created when Sebulba tells Anakin, "You're Bantha fodder!" in "Phantom Menace."

Limerick Friday #475: Trying For The Ol' TV Escapism -- Day 145

"Hanna" season 2 came back
Joel Kinnaman, it did lack
Felt a little YA
Was just kinda OK
Mireille Enos did pick up some slack

Sports trying to win back hearts
But returning in fits and starts
The Marlins a series of train wrecks
Players giving up pay checks
Gonna take ingenuity and smarts

"I'll Be Gone in the Dark"
Depicted anxiety, stark
An overpowering watch
A gut punch to the crotch
Honored Michelle McNamara on the mark

Summer passing in a blur
Endless days didn't occur
Doing the best we can do
We're gonna make it through
Then stare at an ocean azure

"Clone Wars" finally wrapped
With Resistance strength sapped
Ahsoka did return
With angst to burn
Order 66 was well-mapped 

Last time ...

Day 144, Quasi-Quarantine: Color-Hacking A Sawed-Off AT-RT Walker

An early quasi-quarantine hack was to make the Geonosis Troopers battle pack set (75089) suitable for usage on Kashyyyk.

This was accomplished by subbing out green pieces for the orange and tan of the original walker build. I'm told this is an AT-RT (all terrain recon transport), though it's described generically as just a "walker" in the promotional materials.

This unique walker is equipped with a rapid shooter and stands nearly half a foot tall. The battle pack also came with four camo'ed Geonosis clone troopers (half are airborne troopers).

This retired set was prized primarily for the cool minifigures, but customizing it for use in a building Kashyyyk landscape made the walker an essential part of many missions.

As far as Legos battle packs go, the vehicles are usually an afterthought. In this instance, the walker carries a lot of the value of the set, making it a welcome addition to lockdown Legoland.

Day 143, Quasi-Quarantine, Sounds of Social Distancing: Potty Mouth Tries To Untangle A "Snafu"

Potty Mouth is a pop-punk trio that was created nearly a decade ago at Smith College in Massachusetts. After rolling out its debut "Hell Bent" in 2013, label disagreements led to a six-year gap before the release of "Snafu" (a title likely chosen as a direct reference to the above-mentioned creative differences).

Singer Abby Weems, drummer Victoria Mandanas, and bassist Ally Einbender make up for lost time, kicking off the album with a formidable threesome of "Do It Again," "22," and "Starry Eyes." In true punk tradition, nearly every song checks in at under 3 minutes, leading to a crisp, transactional listen.

Pitchfork wrote that the album alternately evokes the sounds of Veruca Salt, Garbage, Green Day, and Blink-182 ... which is a lot to process. 

I found "Snafu" to be more of a fun collection of catchy summer tunes than a genre-pushing work, which is beyond fine -- and all any of us can ask for in the current climate.

Day 142, Quasi-Quarantine: "The End of October" Paints The Future, And I Wish It Hadn't

"But what does it mean, the plague? It's life, that's all."
~Albert Camus, The Plague"

"The End of October" is carried by the sheer power of the eerie prescience that populates Lawrence Wright's work. It's clear the author has painstakingly researched microbes, viruses, and pandemic response, and even without the coronavirus backdrop, this book would have resonated with authenticity.

Wright especially nailed the predictive details, right down to a hypocritical, ostrich-like vice president taking over as point person on the pandemic response after "The president's eyes were bleeding."

"Fear was the growth hormone that had transformed American into a security state following 9/11. Now it was sustained by inertia and greed, and Washington was the capital of all that."

The tale follows the devastation rendered by acute hemorrhagic fever as it starts in Indonesia, uproots life in the Middle East, destroys society in America, and finally is traced to its origins in Alaska via Russia.

Wright certainly pulls no punches in his references to Putin and Soviet escalation.

"In the chaos of depravity that followed the fall of the empire, this singular individual had the advantage of knowing what he wanted. He wanted revenge. He had taken aim at the very heart of America -- democracy -- and his shot was true. As Tildy sat in the Situation Room with some of the most powerful leaders of government, not one of them would say that Putin had pulled the trigger and damn if he hadn't gotten away with it."

I did feel that there wasn't enough insight into the inner psyche of the protagonist, Henry, a brilliant epidemiologist. As the pandemic raged, he was unable to ascertain the fate of his family, and the jumping timeline made it difficult to convey the urgency of his search and the monotony imposed by quarantine. There were also a couple of cringe-worthy moments (you'll know them when they see them) that came out of nowhere with a record-scratching soundtrack.

Personally, the dynamic of his children, Helen and Teddy, having to navigate the horrors of being orphaned during this end-of-days scenario was absorbing and could have used a bit more exploration.

The author does strike the right chord in celebration of the genius of the scientists and doctors on the front lines.

"Disease was more powerful than armies. Disease was more arbitrary than terrorism. Disease was crueler than human imagination. And yet young people like these doctors were willing to stand in the way of the most fatal force that nature has to offer."

Wright does a masterful job of building intensity and drama toward the end, but the resolution felt a bit rushed and evocative of other sci-fi classics. 

Overall, "The End of October" is a compelling read that will draw earned raves for its startling foresight and ability to predict so much of our current response to a global pandemic. Whatever Wright writes next, I'll be taking copious notes -- and perhaps prepping my escape hatch.

"They had a simple goal. To destroy trust. Such a modern concept, almost like eliminating friendship, she thought. Could it be possible? In fact, it was surprisingly easy. All the virtues -- loyalty, patriotism, courage, honesty, faith, compassion, you name it -- are just social constructs, patches to cover the naked barbarism that is at our core."

Day 141, Quasi-Quarantine: Depicting Ezra Bridgers's Hideout On Lothal

With our renewed interest in "Star Wars Rebels," we set out to replicate Ezra's Tower in Lego format. 

Ezra Bridgers is the show's young star, a Force-sensitive orphan who makes a living pursuing petty crime on Lothal while tweaking the Imperial occupation forces.

Ezra lives in an abandoned communications tower on the grassy plains outside of Capital City. His "roost" is eventually abandoned when he joins the Rebel crew as Spectre-6, but the hideout still pops up occasionally to play a key role.

As you can tell from the gallery on the Star Rebels Wiki, we managed to stay pretty faithful to Ezra's home. The highlight is the sliding circular door, which adds an element of security to the build.

The room also includes Ezra's trademark collection of stolen Imperial soldier helmets, a work bench, assorted tools, and a small bed.

The Rebels series is as much about how families can be cobbled together a number of different ways as it is about Ezra's journey to becoming a Jedi or the endless battle against evil forces. As such, this build captured Ezra's origins and serves a testament to how far he's come in finding new parents, new siblings ... and a new home.