*
Title: 6 A.D.
Chapter 4: She
Author: EC-Chan
*
Thank you Lady Vader for beta'ing. I luv ya.
*
Disclaimer: Own Star Wars I do not.
*
AN: Sorry this is so late- poor Lady Vader got sick *pats her on head* (hope
you feel better btw; kinda suck if u didn't). I should've posted this a lot
sooner but I had a research paper due this week and I got really sick myself,
so it slipped my mind….; Please forgive me. (And I just realized I left it at
somewhat of a cliffy;;; that's even worse…;)
What's in
Italics is a flashback- so don't get confused ;p.
*
~You see- Anakin Skywalker was my father. ~
His words hung in the air above her for a moment and then slowly drifted down, flitting into her head like whirling shrilling music that she could not stop. She did not know what he meant, yet did at the same time. For a moment she saw that man again holding out his hand, but he was gone before his presence could register in her mind, replaced by a different man this time: a man that she had not seen for a long while.
Don't be a fool Padme- not even you can turn him back. Nothing can! Once a Jedi goes down the path of the dark side forever will it rule over his destiny.
His blue eyes stared at her with an open intensity that made her shudder, her back slamming uncomfortably into the wall, but the man didn't go away. Instead she heard a soft, determined voice that seem to be coming from her own mouth reply: Even so- it's my duty to at least try. Don't you see that Obi Wan? No. Of course you wouldn't- even now you still can't see around the "Jedi Code" or whatever you want to call it!
The man's face clenched at her words, but after a deep breath he relaxed again. His voice was calm, but no less severe: And there's a good reason for that. Look where it got your husband! This is as much your fault as it is mine or even his.
I know. That's why I must go.
He stared at her for a minute, a half frown lining his mouth and then he whipped around, his back to her now. With uncharacteristic anger, he spat: Fine- do what you want, but you're wasting your life. You have a child to think about too, you know.
Yes because you're already taken one away haven't you?
The man whirled around once more, his mouth open to reply, but he was fading away again- his voice, though, still rang in her ears as she became aware of someone desperately shaking her back to consciousness. Padme- you know that we couldn't keep them together. Weren't you the one who agreed with me in the first place?
She slowly opened her large almond eyes to find a face hovering close to her own- he looked so much like that man: so familiar. Delicately, she reached out towards him, her shrunken skin contacting his own. He started, a look of shock spreading across her face and she looked away immediately- this was wrong. Somehow she knew that this was wrong: she had no right to touch him.
"Leia," She allowed the name to roll out of her mouth, not knowing exactly what it meant. The only thing she knew at this moment was that somehow she had failed the owner of this name. Somehow she had ruined things beyond all chance of redemption. She didn't want to remember- she didn't want to remember. The man was standing in front of her again, a small smile of encouragement held out to her. She looked past him, cringing at the door, which was now ajar. "I don't want to remember," She whispered to herself, her voice choking.
*
AN: Okay the following is spawned from Palpatine´s Hand suggestion. I cannot believe that I didn't think of Luke recognizing the resemblance myself .; *gives Palpatine's Hand a really big cookie*
*
Luke reeled away from the woman when he heard the name. Leia. She had said Leia….and oh by the love of the Force how could he be so incredibly stupid? Now that he thought of it….this woman- didn't she look like an older version of Leia? Albeit a much older version of his sister, which was why he didn't recognize it before now- who could with all of the years of dirt and grim pasted to her face anyway?
But now that someone had helped her bathe- why hadn't he recognized the resemblance as soon as he walked into the room? Because he was preoccupied of course: preoccupied and not using half his brain. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm himself down and think rationally.
He didn't want to jump to conclusions, but he also knew that he had to be able to accept the truth- any truth- even if he found out he was wrong later. The Force had led him to this woman, she had cried out for Anakin, and when he asked her about his father she had been still for a few moments and then cried out Leia's name….not much to go by. But if you add in the resemblance….even if Mara might decide the evidence is still too sketchy, it was obvious to him- this woman was none other then Padme Naberrie Skywalker. His mother.
He didn't know how exactly he felt with that conclusion. He had always wanted to meet his mother: dreaming that she would come to him like a savior on Tatooine, though now that he thought about it there wasn't much to save him from there. Then later becoming jealous of Leia's memory of her….as slight of a memory as it was. There was always this deep horrible longing when he thought of his parents, and after meeting his father he had always wondered what his mother was like.
It was stupid really to wonder about that. Leia had described her as kind and gentle, but Yoda had never really said much of anything about her- he had avoided the topic as much as possible. But the fact remained that they knew- all of them knew what she was like and he didn't. No one but Leia bothered to say anything about her at all and that was only because he asked her about it. It was stupid of him to be jealous and to think there was any meaning behind it. Childish and immature and definitely unbefitting for a supposed Jedi Knight, but he couldn't stop himself. Of course that was not true at all and he winced as Yoda's wise words came back to him-
~Do or do not. There is no try. ~
For one moment his mind rebelled against those words as if he had been suddenly been teleported back into time when he didn't BELIEVE those words. With a sigh, he stood up. He knew what he should do now- immediately go and call Leia on the Com system and explain everything and then (or at least) go to Mara and explain who this woman exactly was, but he was filled with a strange urge not to. To simply walk away from this woman, get his bag, and leave with Mara to find clues that would only prove what he already knew. Clues he perhaps didn't even want to know.
He did straighten eventually, but he did not turn from this woman….his mother. He simply stood there, considering his choices, knowing without a doubt he should staunch out his impure thoughts, not allowing them to burn in his head any longer then necessary, but he didn't move- didn't think. Maybe he was done thinking for a while. A long while.
*
Mara watched with only marginal interest as Luke Skywalker strode towards her from the building that she had come to think of hers, though in all honesty belonged to Talon Karrde. He looked different- his gait was lighter and years seemed to be shaven off of his face, leaving him looking as young as when she first saw him in Jabba's Palace. When he moved closer, a light that seemed to have been turned on in his eyes took her aback.
She couldn't stop watching him as they entered the ship- even after he raised an eyebrow at her and asked, "What?" She couldn't even bring herself to answer him, and he had eventually turned back around and almost grumpily punched in their coordinates. Maybe she was just imagining things, she thought to herself, but couldn't find much hope in that belief.
"I'm going to sleep," She heard herself say, and then floated to her room. It was a strange thing to think, but during the last few minutes she had been with Luke he had felt…..wrong….it was almost like she was back to the time where she was the Emperor's Hand and had just spent a few terse minutes by Darth Vader's side. But of course Luke wasn't Darth Vader, and he definitely would do all in his power not to become another Darth Vader so there must be something wrong with her. She must need sleep.
Yes. That was it- she needed sleep.
*
She awoke to find a pale face squinting at her through the darkness. Gasping, she bolted upright, her hand automatically fastening onto her blaster only to find it gone. Then as her vision focused she let out a sigh in relief, "By the Force Skywalker- don't do that! You're liable to get yourself killed someday and I won't take responsibility for it."
"I took that into consideration," Luke said, his face blank. She had been about to search frantically around in her sheets for her missing weapon, but her eyes focused on what the man facing her was holding.
"What are you playing at?" She hissed, frowning when she realized that not a look of remorse but a smirk of amusement played itself across his face. "Skywalker- what's WRONG with you?"
"Nothing," he shrugged, looking suddenly bored. "Nothing at all."
And then he flitted out of the room, leaving her to herself. She shuddered uncontrollably. What had gotten into him? Sithspawn- did this mean that she did not just have one insane person to deal with but two now? When would this nightmare end?
Maybe she could casually drop him off on Courasant or something and let his sister deal with him. He wasn't exactly her responsibility and there really was no point in her wasting all this time to help him…. But then hadn't she agreed not to contact his sister just the other day? Although that wasn't exactly a binding agreement, she didn't really see him forgiving her for it anytime in the near future. Not that she actually cared. And besides- it was his own fault.
Stealing her blaster, she gritted her teeth in annoyance. What was the point of THAT? Or a better question would be did he HAVE a reason behind that. But then Skywalker always had reason for doing everything and the same reason at that- to follow the Force, the teachings of both his masters, and above all else try not to make the same mistakes as his father….or was that just what she translated his actions as?
None of that matter anyway. What mattered was he was acting incredibly odd and she had to, at the very least, find out why. With firm resolve, she untangled herself from her bed and walked out the door, allowing Luke's familiar sense to guide her to where he was.
*
"Waddy!" Jacen cried out with his slurred one year old tongue, his arms held high in the air as he toddled over to where his father had just came in. Jaina giggled, her pudgy hands trying vainly to throw the blocks they gripped away from her.
Han Solo smiled at his two children, picking Jacen up and swinging him around in the air, before securing him in his muscular arms, and greeted their caretaker with a smirk, one eyebrow raised appreciatively in the air.
"I taught him a new word," Winter smiled demurely.
"You're doing a good job with them," Han said awkwardly. Winter was the mother of these children in all but name. She taught them everything, saw them the most, probably knew every expression that had ever crossed their tiny little faces, and he was jealous of her for it. If he thought that he could even make a rudimentary father then he would force Leia to let him keep them nearby. But he couldn't, since it would put even more of a strain on Leia then there was already and she couldn't bear it. He could see that in her eyes, though she never would admit it. And besides that they weren't safe with them anyway- there was no way for Han to protect them. He smiled at Winter. "I just finished an errand for Leia and thought that I would stop by."
Winter nodded understandingly, turned, and left. Han blinked at the empty space she had just vacated and then shrugged his broad shoulders, turning back to children. It was a little over an hour later when she came back into the room, to find the two children snuggled close on each side of Han as he lounged a bit uncomfortably, yet peacefully on a fluffy stained blue couch.
"Master Solo [1]- there's a call for you," She said and he nodded. She softly picked up Jaina, who had been gently sucking her thumb, and Han followed her with Jacen into the room. Placing them down, he then followed her to where the Com system was set up.
- Han – It was Leia, and she looked strangely relieved to see him. – Luke left a couple of days ago, but refused to tell me why. -
"So?" Han asked, not really seeing what the big deal was.
- He hasn't contacted me since. – Leia frowned. – And he won't respond to any of my calls to his X-Wing. Han- I'm worried. He….his sense doesn't feel right. –
"His….what?" Han asked, a little dazed.
- His sense. – Leia said. – I told you about this before….at least I tried to. But something's wrong Han. Please just trust me on this. -
"Okay," Han said soothingly. "What do you want me to do?"
- Threepio said he thinks that Luke went to Garqi- that's the Imperial planet that just surrender to us, but I don't know why he would go there. -
"Okay…." Han said slowly, not knowing whether he liked where this conversation was going or not. "You want me to go there don't you?"
She gave him a look and he sighed in defeat.
"Could I perhaps stay here for at least one more day?"
- Han…. -
"Don't worry about it," He grinned roguishly. "I'll find him for you. Who knows what that kid got himself into this time."
*
[1]- I have no idea what she calls him .; I read all of the Star Wars books a couple years ago (excluding New Jedi Order) and I seriously cannot remember Winter ever talking to Han or anyone else…. v.v; So if anyone knows PLEASE tell me!
*
Thanks
Jaina (sorry for forgetting you last time), Rose Black (well you got a page more out of me….^^;), chocolatequeen (thank u ^^), Starwarsfan68, Lady Vader, dreamingofani, Leap of fate, Palpatine´s Hand, Moey, Renee, Kazzy, Princess Kinky, and ti-body_luv
For reviewing! I love you guys!
Leap of fate- Hm….Yes what a very evil person you are *twitches*. Thank you for the links, seriously- they help a lot ^^; I've actually been using a bunch of different sources and annoying Padme789 with random questions hehe. Hope you liked this chappy as well ^^.
Moey- "the force just likes her" hm….now doesn't that sound interesting o.O; got a strange image of a puppy dog with that one ^^;. I'm in Latin II too only I'm going to fail it….I moved so I'm completely lost in it now, but I'll shut up about it;. I can read it…. *helpless shrug* Now I am thoroughly confused about what exactly Yoda says and it's all Padme789's fault *kicks her* so now I'll read that book and find out myself. And I am tell u a bunch of useless information, sorry ^^;.
Kazzy- A lot of people take latin, or at least I've been seeing a lot of people saying they've taken/take latin lately ^^;. But I'm glad you like my Mara characterization, I'm not quite sure how to write these characters, because I'm so used to writing Dragonball Z….
*
So the plot thickens….sort of ^^;. I won't be making Luke go evil in this story unless anyone convinces me too….. I'm starting to see where this story is going, but I can change my mind too easily in this stage. So if you would like Luke to be evil tell me, but I probably won't. I hope you like how this is going, btw ^^;
All suggestions/comments/complaints always welcome!
*