Author's Note: Okay, so this is my very first
attempt at writing a star wars fan fic. I've been working on this story
for months now, with research and story writing, so I hope that readers
enjoy the effort. It was originallygoing to be a Phantom
of the Opera/Star Wars crossover...well that plan kind of fell through.
There are definately elements still left in the story of the crossover
but the story as written is entirely Star Wars. Some
Phantom elements are still in it and phans will definately be able to
see that. But I don't see it as being a crossover anymore.
While my fic probably would be considered AU, since it will center around original characters. I kind of feel that it could be considered almost EU. Canon characters will be heavily featured in this, and I have done a lot of research to make this as accurate to movie canon as my plotline will allow. I didn't want to make this be something that is thrown together, since I know that Star Wars fans would not want to see something like that. I as a writer wouldn't want to write something like that.
So,
enough of my blabbing, and lets get down to business. I thought that
since, music plays such an important part in the Star Wars films, that
I'd recommend at the beginning of each chapter songs from the
soundtracks that I feel really fit in with the mood I'm
displaying. Corny I know, but I thought it would be something fun. As
with any story, reviews are greatly appreciated, especially
constructive criticism, so don't be afraid to tell me what you think. ;)
Disclaimer: Entire Star Wars Galaxy property of George Lucas and Lucasfilms. Star Wars music property of John Williams. All original characters property of Jamie L. Vaughan.
Recommend Music:
Mos Eisley Spaceport - A New Hope Soundtrack
The Queen Confronts Nute & Rune - Phantom Menace Ultimate Soundtrack
Anakin, Podracer Mechanic - Phantom Menace Ultimate Soundtrack
Part 1 - Attack Of The Clones
Chapter 1
-Heraclitus
The loud crackling buzz of lightsaber against lightsaber filled the Training Center. The bright flashes of blue light seemed to fly through the air with increasing speed after every subsequent swing. The two opponents oblivious to everything but the matter at hand. Their movements a sort of violent dance as they quickly moved across the floor.
While to one not of the Order it looked like a true battle of Jedi versus Jedi; in reality it was a training exercise in lightsaber skills. The two young padawans "performed" for their masters who watched intently, their every move, in the spectator area of the mini-arena. The two padawans providing the spectacle: Célia Nasari, a native of Naboo, and Anakin Skywalker, the famed slave boy from Tatooine. It wasn't the first time the two had been opponents, each being students of Lightsaber Form IV and both nearly equal to each other in skill, saw them being paired together quite often. Fortunately due to their many years of friendship, it proved to be a very comfortable situation for them both.
Célia and Anakin mirrored each other's movements exactly. With every attack swing by one, the other matched it with a parry. They each held their own and neither backed down. From when they had started their first velocity, until now, beads of sweat had formed on their foreheads and their movements had begun to slow. They were on the tenth velocity sequence, the only end in sight being if one was felled or, out of sheer exhaustion, yielded in defeat. The latter of which rarely, if ever, happened between the two opponents.
A momentary pause in action.
Célia could feel her muscles screaming for her to rest. After nearly two hours of constant drills and fighting, giving up sounded like a reasonable idea. But her competitive spirit wouldn't allow her to do so, especially when her opponent was Anakin. They had been paired together in velocities for years and she still had yet to beat him. She hoped, by the look of exhaustion on his face, that perhaps it would finally be the day.
The dull, almost rhythmic, hums of their lightsabers provided a sort of accompaniment to their intermission. They slowly circled each other, Célia trying to use the Force to anticipate Anakin's next move. She watched him, determination in her eyes, as he flashed her a sarcastic smile. Taking advantage of what she felt was a weakness, she quickly swung for his legs. Almost instinctively Anakin did a Sai to evade her attack. She had expected him to come right down, but instead he flipped right over her head. Before she could turn around to defend herself, he knocked her to the ground from behind, subsequentially knocking the lightsaber from her hand. Before Célia had time to retrieve her lightsaber through the Force, Anakin had his lightsaber pointed to her chest. Célia had been defeated, again.
"Solah!" She reluctantly stated, breathing in heavily from exhaustion. Anakin's blue eyes grew even brighter at the sound of her verbal defeat. Célia just glared at him in annoyance. The sounds of clapping from the Jedi broke the silence.
"Very good!" Master Nha-Dek exclaimed as Obi-Wan nodded in agreement. The two Jedi stood, making their way over to their padawans. Anakin turned off his lightsaber, and clipped it to his belt. He then offered his hand to Célia.
"I thought you were going to beat me?" He said, his blue eyes and wide smirk reinforcing the sarcastic remark. She took his offered assistance rather unwillingly. When she was standing on her own two feet, she called her lightsaber over to her, the hilt flew across the room and into her awaiting hand.
"I will Anakin, you can count on that." She stated, clipping the lightsaber onto her belt, "You can't win every time." Her words were full of conviction, but the playful smile on her face downplayed the severity of them.
"We'll see." He answered shaking her hand.
"Well Anakin, for a moment there I was sure Célia was going to have beaten you." Obi-Wan Kenobi stated, patting his young padawan on the shoulder.
"Master, you don't have enough faith in me."
"And you don't provide enough encouragement for your fellow padawan." Obi-Wan gestured to the petite, redhead in front of them.
"Thank you Master Obi-Wan." Célia gratefully responded with a respectful bow before giving Anakin a smirk.
"Yes, one of the closest velocities I've witnessed out of the both of you." Master Nha-Dek said, folding his arms. "Though I believe you both need to learn that it is not about who wins. The purpose of these exercises is to improve your lightsaber skills as well as to learn from your mistakes."
"Yes, Master." Both padawans answered simultaneously. The competition between them was not as "severe" as their masters had no doubt thought. It was more in jest, due to their close friendship, than by an actually need to be better than the other.
"I agree with Master Nha-Dek. You have both been making similar mistakes each time you train. You both try to manipulate the Force to have it do exactly what you want it to do." Obi-Wan explained, "You need to remember that the Force flows through you, it becomes an extension of yourself. By relying on solely the "power" of it to help you is only creating an obstacle. You both rely on either your own strength and agility or the "power" of the Force, more so than on what you can achieve through harmony with the Force."
"Yes, Master." Anakin responded, putting his head down in slight frustration and disappointment. Célia knew that Anakin could easily become frustrated. After two hours of training, the last thing Célia wanted to hear was lectures on what they had done wrong. She was sure that Anakin felt the same way.
"Thank you, Master Obi-Wan. I'm sure that for next time we'll both improve on our weaknesses." Célia smiled politely, and put a friendly arm around her older friend. Anakin looked down at her with a thankful expression on his face.
"Aside from what Master Obi-Wan has said; I'd say that you are both coming into your own quite exceptionally. Form IV is not the easiest form to master. It requires great speed, agility and power. It took me time to be able to master it and you have both already surpassed many of the current padawans learning it. So you should find some happiness in that fact." Master Nha-Dek praised them, warmly smiling at his two students. Aside from being Célia's own Master, he was also one of the Form IV instructors.
"I whole-heartily agree." Obi-Wan beamed, "Now I think that-" He suddenly stopped and looked over towards the door. The other three Jedi, sensing the same thing, did the same. The door quitely opened and the serene form of Master Depa Billaba stepped into the Training Center.
"Obi-Wan, the council wishes to speak with you and your padawan immediately."
"Oh! Yes, of course. If you'll excuse us, Master Hafiz. Célia." Obi-Wan said, bowing and quickly making his way over to the awaiting Jedi.
"Master. Célia." Anakin said, mimicking his own Master's bow, but giving a friendly grin to Célia. The two Jedi watched as Obi-Wan and Anakin were escorted out of the Center by Master Billaba. The room was silent for quite some time before Nha-Dek spoke.
"You were in good form today, Célia." He smiled, looking down at her, his face softer than it usually was.
"Thank you, Master." It made her happy when her Master was pleased with her. But a sudden feeling in the Force wouldn't let her linger on it for too long.
"Is something wrong?" He put a hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him to see his face filled with an almost fatherly concern. Over the past few months it seemed that Célia's feeling in the Force had begun to grow. She felt changes as if something was going to happen, but it was only for brief instances, then it would disappear, and would stay gone for hours or even weeks at a time before the feeling returned.
"It's nothing. I'm just kind of tired." She walked over to the spectator area and sat. Nha-Dek followed her. Master Nha-Dek was a very well-respected Jedi in the order and , like the case with nearly all masters and their padawans, had become a sort of father figure to Célia during her time as his padawan. A padawan could only be so lucky to be under the instruction of someone as wise in the Force as Nha-Dek was. Before her he had successfully trained two Jedi and was in talks to be elected onto the Council in the near future.
However over the years she found some of his methods of teaching too reserved; inwardly feeling as though he wasn't allowing her to excel as much as she knew she could. Unlike other padawans, Célia found a slight inability to discuss things with her Master. In the past she had often gotten in trouble with the Council for various activities she shouldn't have been involved in. Master Nha-Dek was usually the one who ended up reporting her. She knew that it was only so she would become a better Jedi, however it made her less trusting as to telling him things that he might tell the Council. She would often seek out her friends for advice when problems arose.
"I have noticed that for a while now you have seemed...distracted." He began, Célia just looked down at her hands, as she ran her fingers over the grey fabric of her Jedi robes. "Remember what happened on Jabim? You were fortunate."
Two months earlier, they had been on a small mission to try and convince the leaders that the embargo on raw ores that they had with a Separatist planet was in violation of Republic law. The peace mission turned violent when a small group of Jabiimites attacked the two Jedi. Célia had nearly gotten herself killed when one of them had unexpectedly attacked her from behind.
"I'm sorry if I have disappointed you, Master." She said softly. Célia attempted to look up, but her shame wouldn't allow herself to look directly at him.
"I'm not." He paused as if trying to find the correct words. "I just believe that. . .You are still young Célia and can be easily influenced."
Célia continued to avert his eyes. She knew the point he was trying to make. They had had similar conversations before, and she didn't want to relive it again.
"Master, I respect your opinion, but-"
"I just don't want to see you make similar mistakes when I know you have learned self-control to avoid them." Célia could feel his burning into her for an answer, for her to agree with him.
"Yes, Master." A silence hung over the room. Célia's nervous, unsteady breathing seeming to make the only noise.
"I should probably go to my room now." She said, attempting to break free from the tension. But before she could stand, Master Nha-Dek put his hands on her small shoulders and turned her towards him.
"I just want to know if there is anything you need to speak with me about." She looked up at him, unsure of what to tell him. Célia searched for the words to say, only becoming more unsure with the growing concern on his face. The seconds felt like an eternity, and Célia was feeling more uneasy with each passing one.
"I won't make you tell me." He said finally. Guilt started to flow through her and she wondered if perhaps he had read her thoughts. "But just know, that you can." He put a hand on her knee, then slowly stood.
"Yes, Master." Célia answered. She sat and watched as he began to walk away. Before he reached the door she called out to stop him.
"Master!" He turned towards her. "What do you want me to do?" He gave her a smile, and once again put on the authoritative demeanor, of a Master, that he was known for.
"Meditate on what we talked about. Perhaps we can discuss it later?" He said, a small glimmer of hope lighting up his eyes. Célia offered him a small smile.
"Yes, Master." And with those words he nodded towards her and left.
That evening, after Célia had made a visit to the cafeteria, she went to the temple's hangar bay, as it was the usual place to find Anakin. However, seeing that he wasn't there, she decided to pass the time by working on modifications to an installer droid that she had been building with Anakin. The two had been working together for weeks modifying a starfighter that Anakin and Obi-Wan frequently used on missions. It was a passion of Anakin that, through Célia's friendship with him, she had picked up herself.
It was nearly an hour from when she started, before Anakin finally showed.
"I was wondering where you were." Célia said, watching as the young man came closer and took a seat next to her.
"Master Obi-Wan was keeping me busy." He answered, watching intently as Célia continued working on the droid. "Can I see it?" He asked, snatching it from her hand before she could even respond.
"I think it's just about done." Célia said, watching Anakin curiously as he looked over the object in his hands.
"Hmm."
"What?" She asked eagerly. Anakin didn't answer, but the concern in his face grew.
"Anakin, what is it?" She asked again, unsure as to why he wasn't saying much. After a few moments of continued silence, Célia pressed him further.
"Anakin!"
He calmly looked up, acting as if he hadn't heard her the first two times.
"Huh?"
"What's wrong with it?"
"Well," Anakin began, moving closer towards her. "You see this here." He said, holding up the droid closer to her and point to the testing probe.
"Yes, what about it?" Since Anakin was such a skilled mechanic, he'd often see the smallest problems in things that she helped him build that would go compeltely unnoticed to the normal person. He was an absolute perfectionist when it came to almost anything, but he was even more so when he was working on machinery.
"Well, " He gave a small chuckle, "I think that you installed it backwards."
"What? No, I didn't!" She exclaimed, taking the droid from his hands to examine it closer. She held the droid upright, looking intently on where she had put it together. Then she turned it upside down, looking at the same area. She didn't understand what he was talking about, from her at least semi-skilled eye, she could see nothing wrong with it.
"I don't see-"
Before Célia could even finish her sentence the droid suddenly spring to life in her hands. The grip pads on the sides of it came out, as did the signal receiver. In her surprise, Célia quickly let go over the droid, only to see that it was floating in mid-air. She looked over to see an innocent smile on Anakin's face.
"I swear I have never met someone so immature." She said, pushing his shoulder. A shocked expression on her face.
"And I've never met someone so gullible." He laughed, allowing the droid to glide into his hand.
"You know," Célia said getting up, and dusting the dust off of her tunic, "If Obi-Wan caught you doing that-"
"I know, I know." Anakin said, standing up and placing the droid on his workbench. "Come on, I'd like to try to get some work done on this tonight." He smiled, putting an arm around the small padawan and leading her over to where the starship was parked. Célia just looked up at him and shook her head.
Well, that was the first chapter. Kind of cut off there I know, but this chapter would have been really long otherwise. Just to be clear this story will NOT be Anakin/OC. I am a big Anakin/Padme fan, and I really can't see them with anyone else. So, anyways please tell me whether you liked it, hated it, whatever. :)
