Author: DarkPhoenixBC
Rating: T
Chronology: 27 standard years before SWE4. Anakin is 14, Obi-Wan, 33, Rogue, 31
Summary: There is a story, told clandestinely in the Jedi Temple, of a wise and mysterious woman who lives out on the streets of Coruscant, who would save youngsters from trouble, danger, and destiny. Many young Padawans found their way to her, only to have their lives changed forever by the new outlook on fate she presented them with.
A/N: The following is pretty much my Star Wars fanfic opus. It basically contains all the stuff I ever thought of the Force and things like that. Things I rant about after watching or reading SW, things I want to tell the characters, etc. I'm very proud of the fact that I eliminated any romantic factors, and managed to write a fairly believable female character. (Pesky females!)
Disclaimer: This story is based up on material created by George Lucas and owned by LucasFilm, Ltd. Credit must also be given to the many authors of the novels pertaining to times before and after the original Star Wars Trilogy.
The story itself may contain references to places, spacecraft, and belief systems from the Star Wars saga. It contains characters created by Lucas and other Star Wars writers. The author would like to apologize for the desecration of the events, dramatis personae, and actual personalities, both intentional and unintentional, conceived by other writers. This story is fanfiction and not intended to follow or fit into canon.
On another note, some people and events were created by me, and I would appreciate it if you asked before taking them. Thanks!
BEGIN TRANSMISSION
Chapter 1 Meeting a Legend
"There is a story, just a rumor, passed around the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, about a mysterious woman who lives on the streets of the great planet-city. It is said that she was a former student of that place, but now lives like an outcast. They say that whenever a reckless young Padawan gets lost, she will find and protect that youngster. But, like everything in a Jedi's life, there is a dark side to her mystery. For although much wisdom is said to be gained from her, all young ones that meet her eventually end up leaving the Jedi Temple."
Anakin Skywalker ducked under a pile of debris in an attempt to avoid being struck by a laser. He didn't know how he had come to be caught in the middle of a gang fight. Usually he was smarter than that. But, that was what you got when you came to the lower levels of Coruscant.
He peeked out from between a couple of bent girders. There, his pack, he could see it! Heavy laser fire in his direction forced him to duck down again, but it subsided, and he chanced a look again. Yes, there it was. It contained a precious piece he needed in it, and he was reluctant to give up on it. He decided to risk it.
He pulled out of his hiding place just and saw his chance. He could leap out, grab the pack, then duck and roll into another sheltered spot. This would work. Anakin saw his chance and jumped. Averting the barrage of bolts that came from all sides, Anakin managed to grab his pack. He re-aimed, and tried to roll for his next hiding place.
One thing he hadn't counted on was the place being occupied. He slammed into the other body with a thud. "Ow! Not another one!" he heard a voice say. He looked up into a shadowed, hooded face. A gloved hand covered his mouth. "Don't say a word." The person advised. Then the stun gun fired. The sonic sounds filled Anakin's ears, and the last thing he saw before darkness clouded his vision was the gloved hand coming up to block out everything else with blue lightning flashes.
Anakin woke groggily. He hadn't slept well; he'd constantly woken to horrible pains throughout his body, especially an aching head. He tried to open his eyes, but he couldn't. For a fleeting moment he feared he might have gone blind, but a cool hand reached down and removed the dark cloth from his face, and he had a whole new set of worries.
"How're you feeling now?" said the voice from earlier. Anakin panicked. Where was he? Who was this? The battle. "You took a pretty hard hit from the stun-gun. You're in my home now. I'm Rogue." Anakin moaned, and tried to speak. "Mhi hmld." He couldn't quite see his savior. Was it a boy or a girl? How old? What species? "Your head? Yeah, that would be what a stun gun generally affects. You'll regain sight and speech soon. Can you stand? That's the important thing." Anakin rather thought he'd never stand again, but a hand reached down and wrenched him to his feet. "Come on, all you have to do is move. I'll guide you. You need to eat something." Anakin felt two different hands on him, one smooth and sure, the other rough, as though covered in something. His mind returned to the gloved hand from earlier.
As they entered another room, his eyes started to un-blur. They seemed to be crossed, and he shook his head to jolt them back into position. Then he tried to speak again. "Mhi nmis anekn." He said. "Eh? What was that?" he tried rolled his tongue around his mouth and tried again, this time more slowly. "My. name. is. An.a.kin." "Ahh! I see. Hello Anakin. My name is Rogue. Rogue Bleidarc. When we sit down, why don't you tell me where you came from and what you were doing in the middle of a battle between the Blood/spit and the Fiy-deps gangsters? That should be a tale."
When Anakin's sight finally returned, he saw that Rogue was a woman, somewhere in her early 30's, with short auburn hair and dark gray-blue eyes. She sat him down at a makeshift table and set a bowl of something hot in front of him. "Drink up. It'll restore the energy you lost." He eyed it suspiciously. She didn't seem to be hostile; on the contrary, thus far she'd seemed rather hospitable. He owed it to her to at least give her the benefit of the doubt. He raised the bowl to his lips. As soon as he'd taken the first sip, he gulped it down. It had an invigorating, full taste, like some substantial citrus fruit. He finished quickly, and wiped his mouth on his sleeve. Then he noticed his sleeve.
He wasn't wearing his Padawan garb. Instead, he was wearing a loose, light- brown garment tied at the waist, with a sepia tunic overtop. Noting his surprise, the woman, who was apparently Rogue, smiled. "Your clothes got a little.beat up. I didn't figure you'd want to wake up in them. I'll clean and mend them, and you can have them back soon. Now, let's talk."
She reached into a cooler-crate and pulled out two crystalline flasks. Once held a lightly tinted, transparent bluish liquid, which she passed to Anakin. The other had a neon green fluid that seemed almost to glow. She took a drink from hers. "Like I said. I'm Rogue Bleidarc; this is my home in the lower slums of Coruscant. You are Anakin. You were caught in the middle of a fierce gang-battle, dressed like, and armed with the weapon of, a Jedi cadet. You have the traditional haircut and build of a Jedi trainee. You're a Padawan from the Jedi Temple, right?" Anakin stared. The woman seemed to know a lot about Jedi. "Uh, uh, yes. I am. Anakin Skywalker." He was surprised that he had answered. "Yes, I thought so. I was in the Temple a long time ago." That explained how she knew so much. "Yes, a long, long time ago. Didn't like it much. But I'm here now. Tell me, who's your master? I mean, you do have one, right?" Again Anakin was surprised to find himself answering truthfully. "My master's name is Obi-Wan Kenobi." Her reaction, like anything about her, surprised him. "Kenobi! He's got a Padawan! Imagine! Obi-Wan's Padawan running into me! And what were you doing out there in the middle of a gang war?" Anakin suddenly felt rather sheepish. "Looking for parts," he said softly. Rogue didn't laugh. "Parts? They're not providing you with anything?" she asked. "Not for what I need." Rogue took a sip of her drink. "Things change. I was in there. about seven years ago. Too bad I didn't keep up with the news. But."
Rogue stood up. "I have work to do. Living isn't easy when the masters do not pamper you. Have you ever been to a club Anakin Skywalker?" Anakin, considered how to answer this. He had, at least to the ones on Tatooine, but only to a few. They were dingy places that he didn't considerably like much. Watto made him go to places like that every now and then, delivering messages and getting this and that. But a Coruscant club. He admitted that he had not. "Well, I guess you'll have a new experience. How old are you? Fourteen?" The honey-haired woman asked, picking up various objects from around the room, and stuffing them into a bag. "Almost fifteen." He replied. Rogue nodded. "Didn't think you'd actually tell me. Ok, I'll give. I'm 31. And here's a secret. Your master's only two years older than me." Rogue gave him a wink. "Mind if I call you Ani?" he shook his head. "No. Most people call me that anyway." Rogue smiled. Good. Well put this on, Ani. We're going to the 'Moista nana Teava'!"
Moista nana Teava turned out to be the name of the club she worked at. It was shabby, as far as most public workings went. But, while bearing a slight resemblance, it was rather dissimilar from the clubs he'd been to. This inside was garishly decorated and dimly lit. The bar ran along the walls, and inside, people milled lazily. A huge tub of murky water held a bunch of slimy creatures that people poked. When poked, the creatures jiggled and twisted up, and this seemed to amuse their watchers. Women and others of several races in varying amounts of clothing stood in transparasteel tubes all along the bar, writhing in tune to gaudy music. Rogue pulled Anakin along through the crowd to one end of the bar. A tall thin man of a humanoid race stood there, cleaning up spills and pouring drinks. As Rogue approached, he raised a hand and greeted her. "Ah! Narvena moiya Rogue! You came tonight! And you brought a friend. Who's this? He need a job?" He spoke with an accent Anakin couldn't place. "Terna vorna, Vewlef. He's a friend, but not for you. He's never been to a club before. I need you to keep an eye on him while I'm in the tubes. Please, no tough alcohol. I've got to get started." Vewlef winked at Rogue. "I watch your little charge. Not the first time. He can have Qoraliv juice." Rogue thanked him in the strange language they'd spoken and she looked at Anakin and said to him softly, "Ani, don't tell him you're a Jedi. Talk about anything you like, just not that. He don't care. But there's some who do. I'll be gone for a little while. Watch the tubes. You might see me!" she departed, and Anakin suddenly felt very out of place. Vewlef set a glass in front of him; the liquid was a cloudy orange color. "Qoraliv juice. As "non-alcoholic" as it comes here. Make you a little happy." Smiled Vewlef. "Ever seen a Twi-lek do the moista vanye?" he asked. Ani shook his head, and Vewlef pointed over his shoulder. "She's pretty good at it." He said.
Anakin turned and looked over his shoulder. In the nearest tube, a semi- nude reddish-purple Twi-lek, with a wildly decorated head, was pulling into an amazing and sensuous shape. Anakin stared. His hormones were raging; his head throb and he felt the blood rush down.
It wasn't like he hadn't felt like his before. He'd been this way plenty of times. But the difference now was, he felt so free to feel here. At the temple, whenever a master sensed his emotions or hormones rising, they'd remind him to keep them in check, or suggest he meditate for a while. It drove him crazy. But now, no one was giving him The Eye. Everyone else was too busy ogling and drooling over the lascivious scenes before them. Anakin relaxed, and let it pass by. He allowed himself and his body to do whatever. He took a sip of the hazy orange drink, and felt his mind wander. He looked around at the other tubes, and took it all in.
He was mildly surprised to see some of the tube girls were his age. They looked like someone he'd spar with back at the Temple. Back at the Temple.
"ANAKIN!" Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi was running through the halls of the Jedi Temple. He was distraught. It wasn't uncommon of his Padawan to disappear for hours, only to return with a pack full of trash, and, often enough, a torn outfit. "I was just a few levels down!" he would whine in defense. "I needed some stuff for my droids."
And yesterday, when Obi-Wan had missed Anakin, one of the rogue droids had found its way into his quarters and taken all of the lighting fixtures. He'd found it in a corner, beating them to a pulp, for Force knows why. That was when he realized Anakin had been gone for more than the usual time.
Now it had been over a day since he'd last seen his Padawan. Obi-Wan figured he'd gone off on one of his midnight raids. When Anakin didn't return by morning, he'd tried the comlink, to no avail. He'd since tried several more times, and gotten nowhere. The first few tries he'd gotten static and white noise, then, after that nothing. Obi-Wan was worried. Anakin didn't usually go off for so long without contacting him. If he'd gotten in trouble.
Obi-Wan had been reluctant to report his Padawan's absence at first. Anakin got into enough trouble as it was. If he could avoid a problem with the Council then he was lucky. However, this seemed an emergency. Now the entire Temple was on lookout. They'd been through the whole thing, twice, with no luck. It didn't seem likely they would find him in residence anyway. He was obviously on the outside, again.
"Master Kenobi!" Obi-Wan turned on his heal, and almost slid on the slick hall floor. "Master Windu! Any luck?" the dark-skinned Jedi shook his head. "None. But our outside parties found something. Do you recognize this?" he held out Anakin's pack. It still held the parts he'd collected the night before. One side was burnt. "Yes! That belonged to Anakin. He usually took it with him whenever." Mace Windu raised an expectant eyebrow, but Kenobi didn't finish. "Oh, what could have happened!" Obi-Wan was near panic now. Mace placed a hand on his friends shoulder. "I suggest that /you/ go and rest. There's nothing you can do for now, and you are in no position to search for Anakin. Calm yourself before taking further action." Obi-Wan nodded. "Yes, alright. But I'll be contacted as soon as there's news?" Windu nodded. Obi-Wan's shoulders sagged. "I do hope nothing's happened to him."
Back at Moista nana Teava, something was indeed happening to Anakin. He'd had nearly eight glasses of Qoraliv juice, and was considerably light- headed. All right, he was pretty much hammered. Vewlef was teaching him the words to a song; he didn't understand them, but they were fun to say, and he sang them loudly when the music played. One of the younger girl's Anakin had noticed earlier had come up to him, (now a little more dressed), and pressed a packet into his hand. The packet contained brightly colored pills, which Vewlef said would make him fly like a speeder and sing like. . . something that unpronouncable and sounded womderful. Anakin placed them in his pocket, meaning to ask Rogue about them later.
"Moiya voinya lliama te vida mo qwazna viona bedechaaaaaaaa . . .!" Vewlef had an arm around Anakin's shoulders, the two rocked back and forth over the counters, singing happily. When they finished the song they started to laugh. Anakin laughed so hard, tears ran down his cheeks. A small group had gathered near and was clapping. Someone pushed through the crowd. Anakin recognized the auburn hair, the gray-blue eyes. "Moiya Rogue! Come here and dance for us!" yelled Vewlef, spit running down his chin in a disgusting line. Anakin looked up at him, a ridiculous grin on his face, and wondered when his new friend had put on that ridiculous hat.
Then he realized it was no hat. A bunch of multi-colored feathery things had leaped out of Vewlef's head. Anakin stared, then started to laugh, and couldn't stop. Rogue frowned and unhooked Vewlef's death lock on Ani's neck. "How much juice did you give him, and how much have /you/ had, Vew?" she asked. Anakin was still laughing. She tried to put him on the floor, but he just fell over. She sighed. "VEWLEF! I told you! It's his first time at a club! I thought I could trust you!" it was Vewlef's turn to laugh. "Trust! ME! Teara lana via! Moiya Rogue, what did they give you today?" Rogue rolled her eyes and hoisted Anakin up on her back, taking his arms and locking them around her neck. "Right. Bendana vooi mweesta. Remind me not to come back. Se vong, Vewlef." Vewlef lifted a glass to her. "Se vong! Moiya Rogue!" Rogue trudged out of the Club, Anakin draped over her shoulders, as the crowd laughed at the ridiculous spectacle.
Anakin was still smiling as they made their way out onto the streets. It was getting dark, luckily, so the streets were not too crowded. Anakin leaned forward and spoke into Rogue's ear. "Rogue? What's a, a moiya? What does it mean? They said that a lot in there, and Vewlef said that every time he said your name." Anakin relaxed and fell back again. "Eh? Moiya? Well, I don't know if I ought to tell you, but, strictly speaking, moiya is a crude translation for whore. But it's not used as an insult. At least not in that environment. It's sort of like a title. Like 'doctor', or 'ambassador'. When Vewlef said moiya Rogue, it was similar to the way you address a Dr. Something. Or, better yet, Master Kenobi, or Padawan Skywalker. It's just a job. That's what I do; I'm moiya Rogue." She said all this rather quickly.
Anakin took this in and tried to make sense of it. "So. you're a whore?" Rogue nodded and said "Pretty much." Anakin thought again. "Didn't you say you were in the Jedi Temple once?" Rogue shifted him around on her back, uncomfortable. "Yeah. I said that. Why?" Anakin's head lolled. "Uh. well if you were a Jedi once, and you're a whore now. well, isn't that a step down?" Anakin could sense her discomfort at his easy use of the word, but ignored it.
"Maybe. It depends on how you look at it. If you like your life better when you're a Jedi, then the Jedi life is better than anything else for you. If you were happier in another life, then you shouldn't be a Jedi. Me. I'm happier here. I'm not just a whore you know. I do other things. This is just a night job. Good money. But it all depends on what you think. No one else's opinion matters unless it affects a decision or affects the person who is giving the opinion. And that's for politicians to worry about." She said this with a note of finality, and stopped walking. "Can you walk yet? You're pretty heavy!" Anakin could. She set him down. "Hey, I have to get some food. You want to come in?" Anakin nodded, thinking it would be pretty nifty (!) to see how normal people lived on Coruscant.
He then noticed that Rogue had changed. She looked soft and mellow, a peach, puffy-looking shirt hung off her arms, running from her shoulders to her midriff and above her elbows. Her pants were of the same make, light blue in color. And she had cream-colored slippers on. Anakin thought she looked very pretty. "Ready? Are you alright?" she asked. He nodded.
A little bell tinkled out a melody as they entered a white-walled shop. The inside was lined with shelves; each holding brightly colored and labeled packages, in varying languages. A funny smell was in the air, not unpleasant, just strangely foreign. To the right, there was a counter, behind which sat a large, insect-like creature. It had a fat pink middle, and a soft, wet-looking head. Six beady eyes peered at them. "Rogue?" the creature spoke in a soft voice, with subtle intermittant sighs. "Yeah, hiya Tweenba." "Hiya Rogue. You come ah get your eats eh here again? You not come in ah long eh. time now." Rogue smiled. "I won't be a minute. How are your wives?" the pink thing made a face that might have been a smile. "Ah, well, that's eh thing, in't it? One of em left, the eh other died. But I got eh a new one. You gon come ah over and ah see?" Rogue picked up a blue basket near the counter. "Soon. Gotta get the eats first." She proceeded to walk up and down the aisles. Anakin followed; occasionally picking up a package to read it's contents.
At the end of the shop, large, glass walled coolers stood, displaying a number of frozen goods. The far left wall was covered with baskets of dried goods, grains, spices, etc. Rogue picked out an orange package. "These are good. Kind of spicy; little cracker pellets wrapped in weeds." Then she moved on again. They also got a package of multi-colored noodles, which Rogue carefully wrapped in sheets provided. She got some red spices, and another package; this one reddish-purple, which supposedly contained dried meat. Anakin couldn't read the label. They also picked up a little box of white powder. Before approaching the counter, Rogue also grabbed a little plastic container with colored transparent beads. "Ah. You'll like these. They fizz in your mouth!"
Once they'd paid, Rogue promised Tweenba she'd come by to see his new wife, and they left. "I've never been shopping like that before." Anakin told Rogue. "Didn't think you had. Where do you come from anyway, Ani?" As they walked through the darkening streets, occasionally taking alleys and descending to the lower levels, Anakin told her all about Tatooine. About the desert that went on forever, about Tusken Raiders, about Mos Eisly and being a slave. About all of his friends, his mother, and Watto. About pod- races and all of the ships that came to the port.
When he spoke of his mother, he almost wanted to cry. Rogue gave him a soft look. "You must miss her." He nodded. "You know why they don't like to take on kids your age at the Temple? Why nine is too old?" Anakin didn't. "Because by then you've formed attachments to things, and your own ideas about life. Your life on Tatooine was very different than the one you have in the Temple. And that affects how you work with the other Jedi. I bet you find it hard to make friends. You think that if you do, they'll disappear and leave another hole in you, the way it did when you had to leave your mother and friends on Tatooine. That rough slave life left its mark on you; the Jedi never got the chance to start you the way they wanted. You already have deep passions and ideas about what life is about, and how things work. This gives you a deep understanding in some places, but it also blinds you to the bigger picture. You can never know the peaceful beauty of the mindset of those on Alderaan, and the like. You can experience it, but you cannot feel. On the other hand, while others can only experience the lifestyles of others, you know that there is a difference, and you can feel that. It's a strange thing, it makes you very different." Anakin looked up at her, but she wasn't looking at him. She had a far away look in her eyes. "I know what it's like, being torn from one place to another. I made a point of knowing."
They walked on in silence. Rogue seemed to speak in long bursts before going silent. Anakin found himself wondering if there was a chance they might be attacked by Manikons. He suddenly realized that he didn't have his light-saber. But Rogue appeared unconcerned; walking tall and erect, quite unlike most characters one saw slinking around Coruscant at night.
Suddenly, to Anakin's great surprise, she disappeared. He barely had time to gasp in alarm, before he saw her again, standing a few feet away. "Hey!" she said in a low voice. "Get over here. We have to take a drop!" he rushed over, wondering how she'd managed that trick. Once by her side, she pointed to a hole in the ground. "Climb down there. When you reach the end, let go. You'll drop; you can use the Force to slow your descent if you want. There's a cushion at the bottom. Moved to the side and wait for me." He did at he was told. He found a cool metal ladder with slick rungs, and climbed down a few meters. Then, his feet hit nothing but empty space. Trusting Rogue, he let go of the rung he was holding, and fell.
A few seconds later, he hit something soft, and rolled to the side. Looking up, he saw nothing but darkness all around, except for a tiny orange light. But with no reference, he couldn't tell if the light was tiny and close, or large and far off. He looked up, pointlessly, as he heard the rush of air, and Rogue fell beside him. "Ha! I love that. You okay?" Anakin said he was. Rogue switched on a tiny light on her glove and pointed. "Okay, you see that light? Head towards it. You'll reach a sheet of metal with a light fixed on it. Wait there.
Anakin did. He didn't know where Rogue was going, but he trusted her. She hadn't steered him wrong yet.
He reached the sheet and waited. It looked like a wall. The dim orange light didn't illuminate much. He sat down and waited.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was troubled. He couldn't sleep, and found it difficult to clear his thoughts. He though meditating might help him get a clear image on Anakin, but all he got was dim lights, and a feeling of lightheadedness. He couldn't understand what this meant.
Qui-Gon's voice filled his mind suddenly, clearly, as though spoken. It was so convincing, Obi-Wan turned to look behind him. That was stupid, what did he expect? But the voice came again. Obi-Wan succumbed to his own insanity. "Yes Master." He said, and seated himself once more. Obi-Wan could no long tell if the words were coming from beyond the realm of the living or if he was simply remembering them from some long forgotten lesson.
What should he focus on? Not Anakin; that would only serve to feed his panic. What was it Yoda said all the time? "Fear leads to anger." That was true. He feared for Anakin, but that would only lead to anger; anger at Anakin for running off and not contacting him, anger at himself for not keeping a closer eye on his charge; anger at anyone who might hurt his Padawan. "Anger leads to hate." Yes, he might end up hating himself. If anything should happen to Anakin, he'd never forgive himself. "Hate, leads to suffering." He already knew this to be true. Once hate erupted, violence and vengeance followed. That was how wars were started. That was how death and sorrow came.
Now Kenobi's thoughts were clear. Clearer than before, in any case. Meditating on the old phrase was calming him, even if it did lead to the distressing thought that Anakin might be in trouble.
As he drew deeper into his meditation, his thoughts strayed to memories; a familiar face from long ago filled his mind. A girl, younger than he, but still his equal. Auburn hair and gray-blue eyes. She was talking to him. "You know, Obi," she must have been a good friend, he hardly let anyone call him Obi, "we're not free here. None of us." What did she mean by that? "We're all just slaves to the so called "Force". But what is it all really?" Did he really let someone tell him that? He felt he must have.
Slowly, carefully, we withdrew from his meditation, still thinking about the memory. Who was it, telling him those blasphemous things? He couldn't quite remember. A woman, younger than he, with ginger sort of hair and young, yet aged, bluish eyes. A good enough friend to call him Obi. But if she was that important, why couldn't he remember her? He suddenly realized that the actual memory might have been blocked from his consciousness, only to be opened in deep meditation, or a special prompting. That could mean that whoever it was had something to do with Anakin. He had a lead now!
Master Kenobi rushed from his quarters with the news.
End Chapter 1
Post notes: Rogue is mine. Thanks to The Mouse(s) for pointing this out. No, I am NOT an X-Man fan. Gang names come from actual gangs in my area, slightly modified. Thanks to TugOW for protection! Language spoken in the club is unbased, taken from nothing but thin air, and has no translation, but for moiya.
And in retrospect, Anakin is probably a little OOC, if not more than a little. He probably wouldn't be in the least bit surprised or uncomfortable in a place like Moista nana Teava. But we must remember who I was back when I was writing this. Considerably younger, for one thing.A pox on default spacing!