| Author |
Topic:
The Path - ROTS AU Vignette ; Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé
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Gina
Registered:
Jun '03
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Date Posted:
5/31/05 5:38pm
Subject:
The Path - ROTS AU Vignette ; Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé
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Title: The Path
Genre: ROTS AU Vignette
Characters: Obi-Wan, Anakin, Padmé
The Path
You were the Chosen One.
You were my brother, Anakin.
The words echo through my mind as I watch you writhing in pain beneath me on the volcanic sands of Mustafar. You look up at me, and in your dying eyes I see the depth of your pain and sense your feelings of utter betrayal. You cry out as flames begin to lick at what remains of your body, and unable to witness what is now the inevitable, I turn away from you – for the last time.
I hurry back to the landing platform, my limbs weak from shock and fatigue. C-3PO shuffles towards me, assuring me that you are safely on board the ship and urging me to hurry. I quicken my step even more as I make my way up the ship's ramp, for what I sense emanating from within the skiff is no longer a vibrant presence but a fading spirit.
At last I reach your side. Lying there on the ship's bunk, you look so small, so broken, Padmé, although no wounds mark your body. I kneel by your side and gently stroke your cheek. You turn to me, your weakened condition leaving you barely able to even open your eyes.
"Anakin?" You manage to whisper.
"I'm here, Padmé," I assure you gently, my hands shaking as I brush the stray hair from your damp forehead.
"Obi-Wan?" You rasp. "Is he all right?"
I cannot bear to tell you the truth. "Shhh…You shouldn't talk. You need to save your strength, my love."
Desperate to get you away from this Force-forsaken place and find help, I rush to the cockpit and soon the landing platform beneath us grows smaller as we surge through the atmosphere into the blanket of space. My fingers move instinctively to enter coordinates for a destination, but I stop. Where can I go to ensure your safety? I cannot return to Coruscant.
My master will be here soon. He will know what to do. I must patient.
I place the ship into orbit around the planet and return to your side, grasping your tiny hand within my own. Your fingers are cold, clammy and tremble against my palm.
Suddenly, I feel a surge of pain emanating from deep within you, and you squeeze my hand tightly. You cry out, your face contorting with agony. Your injuries at my hand, coupled with the trauma my actions have inflicted upon you, of knowing what I have become, have triggered the beginnings of labor. Unfamiliar as I am with pregnancy and childbirth, I know it is too soon.
What have I done? The words tumble through my mind as I stand over you, unsure of what to do. Fear grips what is left of my blackened heart, and I reach out to touch your swollen abdomen, to feel the life within. What I find brings me to my knees.
Another wave of pain strikes you, this one even more powerful than the last. I call upon the Force for strength, hoping desperately that it has not yet abandoned me, and then I summon Threepio, barking orders to the golden droid as he flitters about the small bay gathering the items I have requested.
I murmur words of encouragement to you as you prepare for what lies ahead. I am amazed at your bravery as you fight through your pain and fatigue, determined to bring our children safely into the galaxy. Soon, the cries of our son and daughter echo throughout the ship. You whisper their names, the same ones we had chosen together long before you became pregnant, when we would stay awake at night dreaming of a day when we could have children and a home on Naboo, a day when we would no longer have to hide our love. I wrap Luke and Leia carefully in my cloak, unable to comprehend the sight before me.
I am a father.
Tears of joy fill my eyes.
"They're beautiful, Padmé, " I cry. "We're a family now, angel."
I turn to place them in your arms, but you look at me with sadness as your arms falter by your side, too weak to hold them.
"Anakin…I can't…"
Sensing his mistress' distress, Threepio moves forward, and I place the infants carefully within the shallow basket the droid offers to me, resting the precious bundles near you on the floor of the ship. Then I return to your side, holding your face tenderly between my hands.
"Padmé," my voice shakes with my fear, the tears of joy replaced with tears of sadness. "You must hold on. Everything will be all right. They need you. I need you. You…you cannot leave us, please."
You summon your remaining strength to gently touch my cheek.
"My Anakin," you whisper.
Your fingers fall from my face, and you grasp my flesh hand, pulling it close to you. Your other hand reaches out, pressing a small object into my palm. I look down, seeing the small japor snippet I carved for you so long ago.
Ashamed, my entire body shakes as I am racked by sobs. You lift my chin to look into my eyes, but instead of the disgust or hate that I deserve, I see only love in those brown orbs.
"Remember him, Anakin."
You are struggling now, and I sense your life force slipping away.
"Remember the little boy…who gave this to me. Don't…don’t let him die. There is still good in you, Anakin, I know it. I…I will always love you."
The light leaves your eyes, your face falling gently against the pillow beneath your head.
"No, Padmé. Please." I take you in my arms, holding your lifeless body protectively against my chest. "It wasn't supposed to be this way. What am I to do without you? What of our children? Please, angel."
I will you to move, and I beg the Force for a breath, the tiniest of shudders.
But there is nothing.
I lay you back down, kissing your forehead gently, my lips shuddering violently against your skin. The hate and anger surges within me, and I cry out in rage. My hands clench tightly, and I feel a sharp pain as the japor snippet cuts into the skin of my hand. I open my fist, seeing the blood that is now smeared on the intricate carvings.
Someday, I will even learn to stop people from dying.
He promised me…
Blindly, I stumble to the cockpit, ignoring Threepio's ceaseless questions. I fall into the pilot's chair, listening to the cries of my children and Threepio's fruitless efforts to soothe them.
In my desperation to save you, my love, I held you too tightly, and like a glass figurine, you shattered within my grasp.
"What have I done," I mutter to the nothingness that now surrounds me.
I know he is there now, below, searching for me. He will be most pleased to learn of his apprentice's progeny. He can protect them.
Do I return to him and pledge also the lives of my children to the Darkness? Dare I dishonor your memory so?
The little boy you spoke of is dead, Padmé. Lord Vader killed him. I have destroyed lives, the lives of my brethren, of my best friend. There is nothing for me now, nowhere I can turn. I am not deserving of redemption.
Only he will welcome me now.
The thought feels me with revulsion, and I feel the bile rising in my throat.
Do I attempt to flee him? Is it possible? Dare I risk raising my children, our children, hidden away from his grip, hopeful for a day when together we might right the wrongs I have committed against the galaxy, the Jedi and Obi-Wan, against you, my love? Can that little boy you remember so well be resurrected?
Stretched before me are two pathways, and I must choose the path that I, that our children, will follow.
Time is growing short.
With shaking fingers, I reach out for the ship's controls and enter the proper coordinates. I exit the cockpit to find Threepio. The golden droid looks at me quizzically as I retrieve my children from their makeshift cradle.
"Pardon me, Master Anakin, but where are we going?"
I ignore the droid's clipped tones as I hold my son and daughter tightly, praying to the Force to guide me on the path that I have chosen.
~The End~
-----signature-----
A long time ago in a house far away, there was a mother who was strong in the ways of the Force.
She "forced" her sons to clean their room, she "forced" her sons to behave.
- Part of a story written by my 9 yr. old sons I found while cleaning their desks
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VaderLVR64
Title: Fan Fic Manager in Combat Boots
Registered:
Feb '04
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Date Posted:
5/31/05 5:45pm
Subject:
RE: The Path - ROTS AU Vignette ; Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé
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Oh you can't end this here! More, I demand more! This broke my heart! 
Amazing, as always.
-----signature-----
If you have to choose between tears and laughter, remember that laughter burns more calories. Army Mom! HOOAH! Adopt a soldier: http://soldiersangels.org/
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LuvEwan
Registered:
Mar '02
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Date Posted:
5/31/05 5:45pm
Subject:
RE: The Path - ROTS AU Vignette ; Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé
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Absolutely lovely, Gina. Haunting and beautifully written. 
-----signature-----
It's the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled.
-barack obama
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Jedikma
Registered:
Feb '04
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Date Posted:
5/31/05 5:56pm
Subject:
RE: The Path - ROTS AU Vignette ; Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé
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 You can't end it there!!!!!
Wow! That was a surprise. Obi-Wan dead, Padme dead and Anakin with the children. What's he going to do?
Excellent viggie, but maybe there should be more. 
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SkalenFehl
Registered:
Jan '03
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Date Posted:
5/31/05 6:06pm
Subject:
RE: The Path - ROTS AU Vignette ; Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé
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Ah!! You tricked me! I thought for a minute that Obi-Wan and Padme had a thing going and that she was possibly hallucinating, thinking Obi-Wan was Anakin. I was gonna be upset at you for making Obi-Wan like that. did you do that on purpose?
Good job, very well written. Of course Anakin, being so easily sifted and swayed, will choose to flee and take his children with him. He just has to figure out where. Right?
Awesome Vigge, Gina! Bravo! Loved it. As you know I'm a big Obi-Wan fan. Now, imagining in my mind that it was Obi-Wan on the black sands sure does put a different feel to it.
Now get back to The Coming Storm!! *cracks whip* 
-----signature-----
Founder of The Gentlemen's Writing Guild
New Christmas Fic--http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/27837048/p1/?0
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_Genivive_
Registered:
Mar '05
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Date Posted:
5/31/05 7:07pm
Subject:
RE: The Path - ROTS AU Vignette ; Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé
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Gina, how can you do this to use? Write such a great vignette then leave it on a cliff hanger? You must write the rest of this story! But even if you don't I still loved it!
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May the horse be with you - Relient K
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Arwen-Jade_Kenobi
Registered:
Feb '02
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Date Posted:
5/31/05 7:21pm
Subject:
RE: The Path - ROTS AU Vignette ; Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé
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Wow, that was heartwrenching!! Fab work!!
-----signature-----
Retired Council Master of the Lightside It's all about the blues, baby  "Love can ignite the stars." - ROTS novel I'm a Trekkie: Deal with it, or suffer the wrath of Khan This user is certifiably insane 
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Jedi_Chani
Registered:
Aug '04
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Date Posted:
6/1/05 4:28am
Subject:
RE: The Path - ROTS AU Vignette ; Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé
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I read this last night and didn't get a chance to leave feedback.
Simply amazing! Beautifully written and incredibly powerful.
There simply must be more!
-----signature-----
"I've got a bad feeling about this..."
"The enemy to be feared the most is the one who wears the face of a friend."
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MY-T-Chewbacca
Registered:
May '04
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Date Posted:
6/1/05 2:05pm
Subject:
RE: The Path - ROTS AU Vignette ; Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé
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I wasn't quite sure until near the end. But yes, I think if Anakin had killed Obi-Wan it might have been enough of a shock to make him turn back to the light.
This would make a really good longer story. Hint, hint.
-----signature-----
"The best things in life are furry."
"Could someone get this walking carpet out of my way?!"
"Life debts are a pain in my fur."
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DarthBrian82
Registered:
May '05
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Date Posted:
6/1/05 2:55pm
Subject:
RE: The Path - ROTS AU Vignette ; Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé
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Incrediable I loved it I need more
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Be wary the force grows dark
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Jedi_Tigris
Registered:
Mar '05
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Date Posted:
6/1/05 4:14pm
Subject:
RE: The Path - ROTS AU Vignette ; Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé
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Wow, great job! But I guess going through all that could be enough for Anakin to turn back, or at least realize what happened to him.
Don't leave us there! You have to write an ending for this!
-----signature-----
"Who is more foolish? The fool, or the fool who follows him?" - Obi-Wan Kenobi, ANH padawan/adoptee of Myri_Antilles  Battling DRL...otherwise known as college and work...  Please add me to your pm list when I review. Thanks!
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Jazz_Skywalker
Registered:
Aug '02
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Date Posted:
6/1/05 5:56pm
Subject:
RE: The Path - ROTS AU Vignette ; Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé
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End? But... wow, you left it off at such a cliffhanger! That was amazing, I absolutely loved it!
Uppies!
jazz
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currently working on NaNo 2007 (won)
11/24: 50,000+!
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Juliet316
Registered:
Apr '05
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Date Posted:
6/1/05 6:01pm
Subject:
RE: The Path - ROTS AU Vignette ; Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé
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And what makes us so positive that Obi - Wan died? He could still be alive. OOooo, I have an idea: Anakin is redeemed, Sidious pics Obi up, brainwashes him, sticks him in the Armor and HE becomes Vader! :-D
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Jedi_Linewalker
Registered:
May '05
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Date Posted:
6/1/05 6:17pm
Subject:
RE: The Path - ROTS AU Vignette ; Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé
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Incredible piece, [b]Gina[/i] I loved it. Very interesting twist on "reality" as we know it. I further the motion that there must be more to this one...there's no sense of finality to it. Not to mention we just enjoy reading your work. *brings you homage gifts of chocolate, and in a pseudo Sidious voice* Work, my friend...work.
-----signature-----
Jedi Linewalker Proudly Knighted by, and former Padawan of, Rhonderoo For fics, see http://linewalker.0catch.com/fics.html Or see my sock #1 Daran Lightrider http://boards.theforce.net/ASP/user.asp?usr=1324229
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Elyia_Dooku
Registered:
Jun '04
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Date Posted:
6/1/05 6:34pm
Subject:
RE: The Path - ROTS AU Vignette ; Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé
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Oh girl! Wowzers Gina that was juz totally
Poor Obi  I know I shouldn't laugh, but what an ironic twist. Obi the one to burn. Wonder if Palps found him instead?
 I soooo feel for Anakin here. His inspiration died in his arms. And now he has no reason to stay with Palps. And now he's at a lost as to what to do.
Oh please... a lil more at least? Where's he going?
-----signature-----
He was one of the most respected and powerful Jedi in the Order's 25,000 yr history, yet at the age of 70 Dooku's principles would no longer allow him to serve a Republic in which political power was for sale to the highest bidder.
Matthew Stover - RotS
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Calen2kk
Registered:
May '02
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Date Posted:
6/1/05 6:58pm
Subject:
RE: The Path - ROTS AU Vignette ; Anakin, Obi-Wan, Padmé
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Cool part! But Padme still died??!! Are you going to write a sequel to this? You should!
More soon!
Calen.
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