HEROES AND VILLAINS By Kondoru.
Alternative ending to RotJ
Standard Disclaimers.
Thanks to Budgie for Beating.
Chapter 10; Above the Water and Under the fish.(1)
Leia curled up in a ball. She had a good sulk.
She then had a better sulk
And after a good leg stretch, she went back to her sulking.
Leia could make a sulk last a long time.
Presently she drifted off to sleep.
One of her humanoid guards was standing over her
"Up, your breakfast is waiting, lawyers here in twenty minutes." He commanded gruffly.
Leia growled sulkily. She had woken to an unpleasant morning.
"You want to see him, don't you?" Replied the guard, a Twi'lek, though it was hard to tell under the armour.
"Yes, yes." agreed Leia, rather too quickly.
Breakfast was some tasteless gruel. Leia looked glumly in the bowl, she was going to have words with the governor about this.
Also the scratchy grey fatigues she had been given by way of clothing. Leia was not at all agreeable. Something with stripes might be fetching, arrows even.
Presently her guard came, put handcuffs on her and led her to a room up the corridor. This had a table with chairs in it. Leia was sat down and her pinioned wrists chained to a ringbolt on the table. She managed not to sigh. (But part of her was secretly pleased at being so notorious.)
Her lawyer breezed in, rather too cheerily.
Mr Varro was a short black man, he looked too happy. Leia just knew he was busy contemplating the fees he would charge the Alliance. His long hair was done up in neat dreadlocks; Leia was having hairdresser envy. Her own was matted and unkempt.
"We need to discuss your case...And you're reforming." He told the captive princess after initial, and hollow pleasantries.
"When do I get bail?" She asked glumly.
"You're not getting bail." Mr Varo replied.
"Excuse me but I have work to do." Snarled Leia. "I have an Alliance to run."
"Which you can do from in here." He shook his head. "No bail."
Leia thumped the table belligerently, "Look here, I am one of the leaders of the Alliance; my father was one of the founding members…Why aren't I getting bail? I can pay."
Mr Varo smiled and Leia wished she was thumping him. "By your `father` I assume you are referring to Senator Bail Organa…And not anyone else you may be related to?"
"I don't acknowledge some cybernetic mass murderer as my sire!" She snarled "He's not even human!"
Mr Varo sighed; it was going to be a long day. "Let's leave that for now…Your reform…"
"You talk of reforming…Doesn't that happen when I'm condemned?" she asked icily
"Normally, yes, but I don't think I could do anything except ask you to plead guilty."
"Uh huh." His unhappy subject grunted. She scratched idly at the table with fretful digits.
"I'm sorry, half the galaxy witnessed what you did." Mr Varo said sadly.
"It was justified" Leia growled in her most menacing tone.
Gunning down a helpless being. In court? Under the Alliances protection? I'm sorry, this does not look good. He paused "In fact it looks very bad. You have betrayed your own ideals."
"That of fighting oppression and the Emperors minions whenever I may find them!"
The Lawyer packed away his holopad…It was obvious he was going nowhere today.
Leia spent the rest of the day and next night in sulking.
Next day Mr Varo was back. He was still cheery. Leia was still sulking.
"Have you thought on what I have told you?" He prompted.
Leia nodded. "I see the publics on Anakin Skywalkers side and not mine." She growled "Fickle are the public."
Mr Varo chuckled merrily at that. Even Leia had to smile grimly to herself. "If you are deemed a risk to your father then I'm afraid the judge might well demand you remain in custody until it can be proven you are no longer a danger to him, or to anyone else." He told her.
She grunted in anger "That's a long time."
"I, however, think you can reform. Do you agree?"
Leia didn't want to admit she was in the wrong. She was too quietly proud for that. "So, to start this I will have to confess my crimes?" Leia asked.
Mr Varo nodded. "You need to confront what you did wrong as a first step in your reform." He told her.
She shook her head "I am not ready for that." Leia admitted
"See you tomorrow. There's nothing more we can do for today." Mr Varo picked up his bag.
Governor Norran came to visit her.
In a way it was very easy to deal with the Governor; He had been governor of the Shard, a prison for the unreformable for nigh on fifteen years now. He had a firm belief that everyone was secretly guilty of high crimes.
"Fighting with your legal stuff isn't helping your case at all. Attempted murder is a serious crime."
"After all that mechanical bastard did to me?"
"If you cool down and become a bit better behaved then I will see to it you will enjoy a bit more liberty, and privileges. You don't have to live on nutra bread and water if you don't like to."
"I was going to have a few words with you over the poor conditions in here." Leia said. "I've been sleeping on the bare floor these past two nights, the clothes scratch me, and anyway I'm only permitted them when seeing someone, the food stinks and the fresher paper grinds my ass." She huffed. "That's only the start."
Governor Norran looked sad. "Don't expect it to be soft in here."
"What am I doing in a place like the Shard anyway? Am I a threat?" Leia thought her new abode a bit overkill.
The Governor smiled proudly to himself. Leia was disgusted. "You're a Force user, aren't you?"
Leia gave a harsh intake of breath. She didn't know what to say to that.
"We checked your midichlorians; good high count. Jedi level, in fact." He said. "Then there's your brother, and your father. Even without your history of very subtle use…It all adds up."
Leia was defeated. "I see." She shook her head. "Why do people like my father so much? He's done terrible things." Whimpered Leia.
Governor Norran shrugged. "He has. He has also had terrible things done to him." He said sadly. "It's very easy to be a nice person when all you see is decency. But Anakin has spent his life in fighting, he was never treated too well by the Emperor…I'm afraid he's more sinned against than sinner."
"I see." Said Leia flatly.
"Anakin Skywalker turned to the Darkside years ago...He's now trying to reform. But reforming is a long, painful road, -much harder and more painful than simply being unrepentant and accepting his punishment."
"Good luck with that." She growled. "And good luck with containing Darth Vader."
"We have security designed just for him." Norran reassured, and it was obvious he was very happy to get to test it out.
Leia shrugged. "Well, he was sentenced to death…And look, he's managed to wriggle out of that." She rubbed her hands, handcuffs grating against the table. "What's the betting The Hero With No Fear will charm the Alliance into slapping his wrists?"
The Governor shook his head; "Both of us, we are not responsible for Master Skywalkers sentencing…I would be rather pleased to see a prisoner who is capable of reforming. Just this once." He looked at her penetratingly. "I was wondering if you…"
Leia did not rise to that.
"Anakin Skywalker does not want to see you punished. He wants to be friends." Mr Varo told Leia the third time he visited her.
"I don't want to be friends with the likes of him."
"He's not Darth Vader anymore" Mr Varo said adamantly.
"Uh huh" growled Leia. "Vader is a mask…Anakin can put on and take off that mask as he pleases."
Mr Varo shook his head, sending braids in all directions like a Nautolans lekkus. "I don't think your father wants to wear that helm anymore."
"He is cunning." Leia hung her head. "I am cunning."
"Your co-operation will ensure that you walk free with no charges to your normally impeccable name, -or you can be charged with attempted murder, contempt of court and what have you."
"Very well, when do I start?" she sighed.
The next two weeks passed slowly. Leia began to get used to her new abode. Prison life in its own way was pleasantly restful, her life was reduced to the basics, and she now had leisure to sit and think. Part of her relished the dullness, another part of her hankered for action.
But she was not getting bail…And her trial was scheduled some months in the future.
"You need to be given a full psychological examination before we release you." Governor Norran said. "This takes time."
"I quite understand." Leia sighed wearily.
"We have three months to polish your character again." Mr Varo added. "I'm sure everything will work out fine…If you reform."
Leia was defeated.
For now.
Now that Leia had cooled down she was a bit better treated. She now had a sleeping mat and bedding. Mon Mothma had sent her some clothing, not just T shirts and jogging bottoms but underwear and daps too.
Though still penned in a tiny cell, Leia got to leave it quite often. She was allowed out for the fresher, rather than use the drain which disgusted her, and every day had an exercise period in a roomy hall. The local climate did not allow for trips outdoors which would have bothered her, -Leia was used to shipboard life though.
For all that, she had to work hard. Though she was allowed a good lie in, Leia was busy. She had socialisation periods. Two guards had been allocated her for company. There was Rene, a young human male, and Zasti, the blue Twi'lek who had been walloped so successfully by Ashoka.
Most of the day was spent in psychological tests. Leia endured them without complaint. Idly she wondered if they could be fudged. But for once in her life, she didn't dare.
Governor Norran invited her to tea in his office ever so often. Leia was secretly rather annoyed at being treated as a pet prisoner. She complied with a reasonable amount of grace, however, it was good to be trusted…With the handcuffs locked around just one wrist to remind her of her status.
Mon Mothma holoed every few days, keeping her protégé in the loop of Alliance developments. Sometimes she had things that needed signing.
The Galaxy seemed to get along just fine without Leia's input.
"A social call?" Asked Leia. This was new, and unexpected.
It was Ashoka Tano, Bad Girl of the Force. Not who she had imagined. (She had imagined quite a lot.) Leia was glad to see her anyway.
Ashokas first words were, "-thank you for bringing my Skyguy back."
Leia was perplexed. "I did very little; it was Luke who saved our misbegotten father...Who is now probably filching the galaxy from under my feet."
"Anakin would not do that!"
"Yes, someone else I was sired by might!"
"No, I saw Anakin recently and he's keeping a low profile. He still orders around the 501st and makes sure that any recent additions to the alliance know who to answer to, that is all." Ashoka smirked to herself.
Leia decided to say nothing to that.
During that time, Leia missed one person.
But eventually he did turn up, as she knew he would.
Governor Norran visited Leia after breakfast. "I have a new inmate" his smile was artificial "Name of Anakin Skywalker…Claims to be some Jedi." He paused significantly "Do you know of him?" It was obvious the Governor was having an awful lot of fun at Leia's expense.
Leia nodded. "He's the galaxy's most deadbeat dad." She said.
The Governor nodded. "Anyhow, he has severe mobility issues, and he needs a lot of care. I was wondering if you were volunteering?" He paused on that last word.
So it had come to this? Leia groaned inwardly. She knew she would end up as her father's carer. But…if she was going to be cleared of attempted murder…A bit of humiliation was in order.
Part of her was very curious about her arch nemesis.
And part of her wanted to keep a weather eye upon Darth Vader.
"Yes, let's take a look at my loser sire" she said with no emotion. "See what needs doing to him."
Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Extreme, was housed in the wing designed especially for his illustrious personage. Leia and her guard passed through a big and well populated guard quarters, then an airlock, the atmosphere in his quarters was super oxygenated to allow him to live without breathing equipment.
Two old Clone wars battle droids stood guard outside her father's cell. Leia wondered just what he might have thought of that. They keyed the door open.
Leia took a too deep breath.
Her father was whining…Again. "Oh please. I'm full up."
Rene was trying to spoon-feed his newest charge. Poor Rene, he was one of the nicest of the guards, and for that he was lumbered with a great big infant.
Leia stepped inside. The enriched air made her feel dizzy.
Lying on the floor was Anakin Skywalker.
Her father was one of the most revolting things she had ever had the misfortune to see.
All the more vile because he was human…And her father. How could someone like Leia have been sired by this foul creature? Anakin Skywalkers body was as twisted and maimed…As Darth Vaders soul.
He was just one of the lower animals, merely a mouth, a stomach and genitals. He had but three stumps, (Leia knew she would have felt so much more better if he had been in possession of all four.) his right arm ending at the shoulder. There was something about him that just screamed `Hutt! ` to Leia.
Anakin was covered with scar tissue. Worse than that, his scarred skin was overlain with weeping sores. When he rolled over to get a better look at her, Leia could see his genitals were as poorly healed as the rest of him; no wonder he was in such pain.
He smelt disgusting, of rotting flesh, bacta cream and waste.
The cell was liberally spattered with urine, faeces, blood, and vomit. Leia gagged. It seemed Anakin had been very busy.
Rene wordlessly handed her a rag and bucket of water.
It took her over an hour to get the tiny cell clean. All that time Anakin watched his daughter. He said nothing. He looked thoroughly miserable and pathetic. Leia hated him for it. She could handle Darth Vader. She could handle victims.
But really she couldn't handle a victimised Darth Vader. Leia could see it in his eyes, he was challenging her to pity him.
Rene handed her a bowl of diluted disinfectant. "He needs a wash." He ordered.
Leia paused, regarding her nemesis with angry brown eyes. "He needs a wet nurse." Anakin laughed gruffly. It was the first thing he had said to her since she arrived. "It seems I have to clean up your messes- yet again." But she began to wash her father's miserable carcase. Leia rubbed hard, bringing off sloughed skin. If her father felt pain at this he gave no sign. `But he has had a lot of practice at hiding his pain` she thought to herself. He rolled over to give her access to his back.
Leia paused.
On Anakins back were many red lines.
Whip marks.
New whip marks.
"What has been done to you?" She asked.
"Alliance justice…Don't worry yourself over it." Anakin groaned.
Well, I think that's just about the halfway stage of this fic…Thanks if you have got this far. I have a question for you all; Has Anakin really repented of his crimes, and when he begins to teach Leia about the Force, what will he impart? Dark or Light side?
(1)
Now this requires some explanation. In the Wiltshire town of Bradford upon Avon there is a medieval bridge. On the bridge is a small building, originally a chapel, but in later centuries used as a blind house, a small lockup. This building has a fish for a weathervane, and so, if I told you so and so was above the water and under the fish, you would know they were in some kind of trouble with the police...