James Earl Jones

Jones's Residence - Crenshaw, South Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles, California, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy

08:26:16 ATC /Tuesday, August 26th, 1969 - 20:00 / 8:00 PM

It was late and Jones was sitting alone in the living room watching a special edition of 'Hamlet' on the television and eating Chinese takeout, his relationship with Julienne Marie had ceased months ago when it was clear that she was uninterested in starting a family and though he had yet to become a leading voice actor, Jones earnestly believed that he had the potential. He was well regarded as a Shakespearean actor and made appearances on television before making his debut on film in 'Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb' as a bombardier aboard a B-52 Stratofortress, he had even played a surgeon and Haitian rebel leader in 'The Comedians' alongside Alec Guinness, Richard Burton, and Elizabeth Taylor but at this moment Jones was waiting for a job offer, one which did not involved providing his voice to Public Service Announcements for the United States Army, a role the former officer who had earned the Ranger Tab did free of charge and while he did made a sincere inquest of regaining his commission he was unexpectedly turned down despite otherwise qualifying and this rejection incentivized him in doing what he could to support the men over there in that galaxy far, far away and this proposition from Franklin J. Schaffener and Francis Ford Coppola was tempting as he was being considered for the part of Staff Sergeant Ruben Rivers since there was a scene involving the 761st Tank Battalion planned for this film, to be known simply as 'Patton' but the script certainly got his attention and he anticipated the phone call that would reveal if he got the part or not.

Speaking of which, he heard it ring and Jones had a slight smile as he leaped out of the chair upon hearing the phone.

"Mister Jones, this is Mister Coppola, I would like to congratulate you on your role as Staff Sergeant Rivers."

"Thank you, Mister Coppola, I'm humbled to portray a man who deserved the Medal of Honor and frankly his sacrifice -"

"Wait, there's more." Coppola interrupted. "While I can't guarantee this other role for you, Mister Jones, I believe you're a candidate for another project. Have you heard anything about Star Wars?"

"Why, yes, it's been in the news. What about it?"

"Mister Lucas is a personal friend of mine, Mister Jones, and I believe that you're a natural fit for Jolee Bindo."

"There's a problem, Mister Coppola. Jolee was bald and had a gray handlebar mustache with a landing strip goatee."

"Ah, that's what makeup artists are for and besides, Master Bindo reportedly had a deep voice such as yourself. Well, anyway, Mister Jones, I hope to speak more in person soon, and congratulations again on getting the part."

"No, thank you, Mister Coppola, for this opportunity." Jones said sincerely before hanging up but as he did so the television unexpectedly gave out with popping noises and sparks with the screen going static then black. While thankfully there was not a fire the damage was catastrophic and to the Shakespearean who was watching a performance of Hamlet it was still a tragedy.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Elise Athena Westbrook

Katz's Delicatessen - 205 East Houston Street, Lower East Side, Manhattan, New York City, New York County, New York, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy

08:27:16 ATC /Wednesday, August 27th, 1969 - 13:46 / 1:46 PM

Despite the recent strife, Elise felt only somewhat disenchanted as she waited in line to place her order. The youthful and idealistic reformer still could not believe that wingnut, Edwin Anderson Walker, was in the White House. However, instead of giving up and inquiring about receiving Swiss or even Israeli citizenship she still felt hope even amid the despair. This was after all still the United States of America, a beacon of hope to many and despite recent events, even with the present conflict against the Sith Empire, the country had endured calamities before, even Abraham Lincoln himself stressed that the young nation, forged with the ideals of Liberty, founded on the principle of a government not administered by potentates but rather one of the people, by the people, and for the people, shouldn't perish and that very speech expounded during the strife of the American Civil War quashed any doubts from afar, confuting the sneers from Monarchists who only saw plebeians and subjects that the 'American Experiment' couldn't possibly persevere. The Redcoats may have taken Philadelphia and then nearly thirty-seven years later burned the White House down in a separate quarrel, Pancho Villa may have raided Columbus, New Mexico and the Japanese might have captured the Aleutian Islands, but the country itself was never vanquished and there had been other economic downturns before the Great Depression with bank runs yet the economy recovered. Therefore while many of her like-minded campaigners were demoralized Elise by contrast still felt a flicker of optimism, there was a chance that the cause could recover and while it would not be overnight, it would be longer than anticipated, in the end, they may prevail like the tortoise over the hare. Unlike her congenial associates, she believed that this hindrance could be overcome if only the majority of the American people saw the exigency of it.

"A pastrami on rye and split pea soup, please." She ordered, her voice clear and steady.

The cashier, a woman with weary eyes and a world-weary sigh, rang up the order. "Anything else?"

"Just a bottle of your Seltzer's water, please, if you have it."

Elise watched as the woman retrieved the bubbly beverage, placing it carefully on her tray. "Thank you," Elise said, a genuine smile gracing her lips. She paid for her meal and made her way to a nearby table where Noel Alejandro Haskins and Dorothy Vanessa Steward, fellow staffers for United States Senator Jacob Koppel Javits, were waiting.

"Honestly, Elise, I don't get your sanguineness." Noel remarked, a hint of exasperation in his voice. "Walker is entrenched. He's got the crowds eating out of his hand. And the Sith… they're still a real threat even with our victories over them. How can you possibly be optimistic right now?"

"The current climate simply isn't favorable." Dorothy, ever the pragmatist, nodded in agreement. "Most of our donors have pulled back and our turnout is down significantly, to think that Javits was only re-elected by a hair against Buckley's brother last year, even after a recount..."

James Lane Buckley, the older brother of writer and publicist William Frank Buckley, Junior, was the nominee of the Conservative Party of New York, and despite rumors that William was not fond of the John Birch Society in the slightest, James did not disavow their endorsement and the campaign became nasty with Javits painted as a borderline Communist since he was to the left of fellow Senators Hubert Horatio Humphrey, Junior, George Stanley McGovern, Edmund Sixtus Muskie, and Gaylord Anton Nelson. While it was a hard-fought battle for Javits, McGovern and Nelson and many other like-minded incumbents up for election lost their seats in a landslide, a true shellacking. In fact, the American Independent Party presently has sixty-seven U.S. Senators as well as three hundred seats in the United States House of Representatives, and the AIP also controls forty state legislatures, which means they have supermajorities in not only the national government but in most of the country and unconscionably also have more than the necessary numbers to pass amendments to the Constitution of the United States and defections from the Democratic and Republican Parties alike had contributed to the rise of the third party co-founded by William Kennedy Shearer and his wife Eileen.

"Sure, plenty can change in six years but as of now this is honestly a sinking ship and the upcoming special election in New Jersey's eighth might become another seat for Walker." Noel groaned. "Of course, if I leave now I'll lose my draft exemption."

Elise met their worried faces with a determined glint in her eyes. "He's a populist, yes, but he's also deeply flawed. He panders to the fears of the people and the policies he offers are narrow-minded. While the Sith are a formidable foe, they are not invincible. Our Republic allies are strong and resilient. We just need to remind people of that, remind them of the ideals we stand for. We can win this, I believe that."

Elise's optimism, while admirable, seemed to fall on deaf ears. Noel and Dorothy, seasoned political operatives, were far more attuned to the grim realities of the situation as Walker was unexpectedly proving to be a formidable opponent to not only former fellow Democrats but Liberal Republicans as well and from their perspective it was remarkable how Barry Morris Goldwater and other 'holdouts' haven't changed their affiliation to the American Independent Party.

"Elise, with all due respect, you're being incredibly naive." Noel stated, his voice laced with concern. "The American people are tired of the turmoil, what many saw as imposed change, the social upheaval. Walker's appeal rests on promising stability and a return to 'traditional values'. His supporters in Congress are promising a return to a simpler time. People want that, they want the old ways."

"He and his advocates have successfully painted the Governor, sorry, I meant former Governor Rockefeller, the liberal factions of both major parties, and the establishment as being the cause of all their troubles." Dorothy chimed in, forgetting momentarily that Rocky had unexpectedly resigned from office and vamoosed post haste for the Principality of Monaco the day after Walker became President-elect. Though he was next in line in the order of succession, the Lieutenant Governor, Charles Malcolm Wilson, also resigned from office and the Governorship was therefore handed over to the Temporary President and Majority Leader of the State Senate, Earl William Brydges, as prescribed by the Constitution of the State of New York. "It's a powerful message, especially when you consider the economic boom we're currently experiencing, people don't want to change course and risk losing it."

"He's actually pushing for a return to limited government and efforts to balance the budget during a wartime economy." Noel added, ignoring the interruption. "It plays well with voters, despite what might be happening abroad."

Elise's smile faltered slightly, but her resolve did not waver. "We can't let fear and nostalgia dictate our future." She countered. "We have to appeal to their better angels, to the ideals of liberty and justice. Sure, the Sith are a clear and present danger to everything we hold dear and we are fighting alongside the Republic but we have to remind people that we can't lose sight of what we are, what it means to be an American."

"How though, Elise?" Dorothy asked, her brow furrowed. "We're fighting a desperate battle for relevance. Our funding stream is drying up, and our message is getting dismissed. We're losing ground."

"We need to focus on the people he claims to represent." Elise responded, her voice firm. "Walker's policies, while seemingly popular, can ultimately hurt him. The focus on deregulation, the increased military spending - these will all have a trickle-down effect, especially if the war with the Sith drags on. We need to address the concerns of everyday Americans, something other than just inevitable cuts to social programs - somehow...If only I could ask Telescope Teddy, The Hero of San Juan Hill, for advice."

"See, that's why it's going to be a tough sell given that the war and the economy are currently doing well and the fact that Walker is purportedly addressing the concern of many Americans, not all of course but even those of the 'Silent Majority' as Nixon called them are convinced." Noel countered. "That is unless we can accentuate how it could be better managed, in a way that resonates with the public."

Instead of a spark rekindling in her eyes, Elise was now frowning as the bubble popped, that her optimism was a chimera yet she was not ready to capitulate, with her unwavering belief in the power of ideals and the resilience of the American spirit, she refused to give up hope even if she had to accept that there was now a realignment in the political landscape. "Well, we have work to do, short of forming a new Bull Moose Party that is."

Elke Oceana (née Meyer) Spilker

Spilker Residence - Acton, Franklin Township, Marion County, Indiana, United States of America, North America, Earth, Sol System, Milky Way Galaxy

08:27:16 ATC /Wednesday, August 27th, 1969 - 16:25 / 4:25 PM

Elke was in the living room, her nimble fingers skillfully maneuvering knitting needles as she worked on a project, a testament to her quiet and domestic nature. Her one year old firstborn, a son named Arthur, was taking a nap and while she missed her dearly beloved husband who was inducted and became a 62E Heavy Construction Equipment Operator in the Army of the United States, she held faith that he would return home. It did not make it easier of course but despite the circumstances, the young family got by in their American Foursquare home.

''What now?' The young homemaker thought, a fleeting moment of exasperation flitting through her mind as the insistent ringing of the telephone cut through the quiet. It was an unwelcome intrusion into her domestic sphere.

"Hello?" Her voice, though polite, held a hint of annoyance.

"Hello, Elke. It's been awhile." A familiar voice, laced with a tone of casual familiarity, pierced through the receiver.

"A while? It's been years." Elke retorted, her voice hardening as she recognized the voice as none other than that of Elise, a voice that brought back a whirlwind of memories, both pleasant and unpleasant.

"I know, I know, and I apologize, I've been…busy."

"I'm sure you have." Elke deadpanned. "To what I owe this pleasure?"

"Ha, ha. Well, how's it going there in Indiana?"

"Oh, if you must know, I have been getting by."

"Look, I've been thinking of visiting you and Valerie sometime in the near future, to see the old haunts downtown. Even with the restrictions and gasoline rationing, there's some flexibility, I think I have enough points."

"You mean that there's actual excitement here in so-called 'Naptown' besides the State Fair and Indy 500?" Elke chuckled, well aware of how the largest city in the Hoosier State, the capital, had the reputation of being more akin to a large small town and rather sleepy compared to more bustling metropolises like Chicago and Milwaukee, neither of which were the capitals of Illinois and Wisconsin as those were Springfield and Madison respectively and Indiana was actually amongst the outliers in that the capital also happened to be the largest cities in their respective states.

"Well, I was reared in Meridian Hills after all and it's effectively home despite my father's roots."

"Well, Gordon wouldn't want a Pinko in the house." Elke joked as she attempted to lighten the mood with a playful barb only for the humor to fall flat and it was evident that on the other end of the line, Elise was far from unamused.

"Is that what you think of me?"

The question was laced with hurt and a hint of anger, taking Elke by surprise. "I honestly don't know what to think." She sighed before being candid with her old friend. "I respect the fact that you're standing up for your principles as that's your right but well-meaning or not, your idealistic wackadoodle associates certainly made a mess of things."

"Why am I not surprised that after all these years you still are an ideological Fascist?" Elise shot back, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Gobsmacked by the impudence of Elise's words, which felt like an attack on her very identity, Elke felt her blood boil. How could someone who had enjoyed an advantaged upbringing in a predominantly privileged community misunderstand her so completely? And it was also ironically an attitude that was antithetical to her advantaged cultivation.

"Listen here, you oblivious fellow traveler!" Elke snapped, her voice rising in righteous indignation, her frustration simmering. "If you seriously believe that standing up for the Constitution and advocating for smaller government, buttressing the American Experiment, somehow makes Walker a totalitarian like the Sith Emperor or even the parallel of that execrable washout from Austria with a toothbrush mustache who failed to get into that prestigious art school in Vienna then think again as logically it's rather counterintuitive to -" Yet before she was able to thoroughly expostulate, to completely assert herself and list several examples, Elise hung up.

"Mama talk?" Arthur's innocent question cut through the tense atmosphere, snapping Elke back to the reality of her present circumstance as she had inadvertently stirred him out from under his blanket. "Who?"

"No one, pumpkin. No one but an unappreciative, subversive dingbat who lost all reasoning." Elke grumbled, her frustration bubbling over. She desperately wanted to end the conversation, to retreat back to the comforting normalcy of her home.

"Dingbat?" Arthur's brow furrowed in puzzlement, his curiosity piqued by his mother's unusual words.

"Go back to bed, honey." Elke dismissed, eager to end the conversation and return to the familiar comfort of her domestic life.

The name of the title for this chapter was taken directly from Act Four, Scene Five of Romeo & Juliet and in case you haven't heard, James Earl Jones passed away recently on Monday, September 9th, 2024. To be candid with you all this chapter was rather impromptu, the revelation of exactly who is being casted as Jollee Bindo for the breaking-the-fourth-wall film about Revan in this story has been abruptly disclosed earlier than intended - and therefore wasn't deliberate foreshadowing. Even so, I did sincerely feel obligated to pay respects to a fine, no, an iconic and accomplished actor from his earliest roles on screen to lending his voice for Darth Vader and Mufasa as well as his iconic portrayals of Vice Admiral Greer and Terence Mann but needless to say Jones was renowned and he will be missed by many.

Also, I'm aware that this was short and I can always expand it and add more scenes to this chapter later but I must confess that this spontaneous chapter was also circumstantially interposed as before the mournful passing of James Earl Jones Mando has confided to me that he's been having some difficulties lately, matters I won't disclose but I did ask him the other day if it was alright with him to push the intended chapter back by only one chapter as I did not intend to mess with the chronological order and he sanctioned it. Still, I urge everyone to be patient and understanding as life happens and since the next chapter is being jointly written with his characters taking center stage I cannot give even an estimate of when the next update for the story will be so for the present pro tem, I will use my spare time to do any necessary touch-ups for the story as published thus far such as correcting any typos I have unwittingly missed.