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Author	Topic: In Plain Sight: Luke's Story -- ANH AU - complete -- Thanks for your support in the Awards!
VaderLVR64 Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Feb '04	Date Posted: 11/10/07 5:21am Subject: RE: In Plain Sight: Luke's Story -- ANH AU - Luke/Vader/Palpatine/Mara/OCs -- Update 11/9!
	Superb! Long ago I chose you. My designs never falter. You bear in you the makings of a great ruler. But know this: you are not our last hope. There is another. “Another?” Beware. Luke pondered this for a second, then shrugged. He still had destiny on his side. And if not…well, that was hardly a disadvantage to him, was it now? The ‘fatalism’ had not been idle bluffing. Recklessness, both of his mentors called it. Luke preferred to think of it as his personal dare to fate. Come and get me! So far, the cosmos hadn’t taken him up on his word. Luke was starting to become fed up. After a year of preparing for it, he had decided his destiny sounded more unappealing than ever. Oh, he was ready for it. He could tackle ruling the galaxy and performing whatever dastardly deed Vader asked—killing Palpatine, probably. But he didn’t want to. If the opportunity came to skip out on all three, Palps, Vader and the Force—Luke would. Gleefully. He wondered what the Palace would think about that. -----signature----- R.I.P John, Alex, Jason, and Christian Never forgotten Soldiers' Angels http://soldiersangels.org/ 2114 soldiers waiting for someone to care
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divapilot Registered: Nov '05	Date Posted: 11/10/07 7:52am Subject: RE: In Plain Sight: Luke's Story -- ANH AU - Luke/Vader/Palpatine/Mara/OCs -- Update 11/9! - Date Edited: 11/10/07 7:54am (1 edits total) Edited By: divapilot
	I've said this before but it bears repeating -- I LOVE the parallelism in this story. Mara is the second choice for Melgida, when they failed to convert Luke. Leia is the second choice for Obi-Wan and Yoda if they can't get their hands on Luke. Luke is the second choice for Palpatine, when he decides he is done with Vader. And the genius part of this is I STILL don't know who the Palace is!! This one, lone voice is more than physically disconnected, it's emotionally disconnected. I have no idea whose side it's on, who or what it represents. Is it a Chorus, commenting but not taking an active part? Is it the puppet master, a separate identity who is controlling everything from behind the curtain? Or is it a voice in Luke's own head, a product of his subconscious? very, very perplexing. I wonder what two stories will be told. (Another brilliant parallelism.) Furry, you are an incredible writer. Thank you for coming back. -----signature----- Never tell me the odds. UConn: Huskies forever! RIP Jasper Howard, #6 "Focus on what matters. It's about the GAME, not each other. Dumb humans."
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ginchy Registered: May '05	Date Posted: 11/10/07 9:05am Subject: RE: In Plain Sight: Luke's Story -- ANH AU - Luke/Vader/Palpatine/Mara/OCs -- Update 11/9!
	“I have a bad feeling about this,” Luke said to himself. Yeah, Luke, me too. I really want to know what Vader is telling Luke, and I have to say your Palpatine is really scary, and vile. Wonderful update... I'm scared, but can't wait for more! -----signature----- Something wonderful has happened... EDD: April 25, 2010
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Independence1776 Registered: Feb '06	Date Posted: 11/10/07 9:35am Subject: RE: In Plain Sight: Luke's Story -- ANH AU - Luke/Vader/Palpatine/Mara/OCs -- Update 11/9!
	I've got a bad feeling about this.... Luke is still distinctly Luke... recklessness and all. Mara isn't going to react well to this story at all, is she? And the story Vader is going to tell Luke, well, we all know that one, don't we? But I liked how he kept wishing for his lightsaber- nice homage to canon. But I really, really don't like the Palpatine passage. One will die- this is going to be interesting. Wonderful writing! -----signature----- "Independence forever." John Adams Padawan to Luna_Nightshade Fics in bio Mostly lurking at the moment
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MsLanna Title: CR GSFF Central = Offizieller Burger Brater Registered: Jul '05	Date Posted: 11/13/07 4:09am Subject: RE: In Plain Sight: Luke's Story -- ANH AU - Luke/Vader/Palpatine/Mara/OCs -- Update 11/9!
	I love this. Great rethinking and I wonder why one will die? Will both sides put them up against each otehr? And what will Luke do, when Vader tells him the truth? (Provided he'll really do that as I hope...) -----signature----- I give up. Fett is great. Member of the waadas'dar Club. Cuyir adate jate, bal droten ori'dush Proud Master and buir'ika of Commander_Ducky. My New Title: Lords and Ladies of the Empire
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KELIA Title: The Pretty in Pink Fan Fic Manager Registered: Jul '05	Date Posted: 11/13/07 11:41am Subject: RE: In Plain Sight: Luke's Story -- ANH AU - Luke/Vader/Palpatine/Mara/OCs -- Update 11/9!
	Ooohhh that was so chilling One of those children will die tonight But why? Great update -----signature----- "Do or do not, there is no try." Master Yoda A Light In The Darkness: http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28150602/p1/?8 NaNaWriMo Progress: 32,105
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satanat_solo Registered: Sep '05	Date Posted: 11/14/07 7:54pm Subject: RE: In Plain Sight: Luke's Story -- ANH AU - Luke/Vader/Palpatine/Mara/OCs -- Update 11/9!
	wow. just caught up on the last chapters. Amazing. I'm totally speechless! can't wait for more! -----signature----- "You've got to pin back your flaps and move forward." "They aren't flaps, they're my face!"
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JediVegeta Registered: Dec '00	Date Posted: 11/14/07 8:59pm Subject: RE: In Plain Sight: Luke's Story -- ANH AU - Luke/Vader/Palpatine/Mara/OCs -- Update 11/9!
	I am horrid. I just wanted to say I have been reading all of your post and appreciate the PMs still. I am really enjoying the character development and really...this last post was just geeze. I am wondering who will die But maybe you will have a twist in mind. Whatever it is I know it will be good. Very quick, not very in depth review here, but great work. And I am looking forward to what you have in store. Keep the evilness up! -----signature----- JOIN THE MUFFIN SIDE DEXTER!!!! Igiari!!!! That's the playful side of Torgo. He's the clown that makes the dark side fun.
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baru-chan Registered: Apr '03	Date Posted: 11/15/07 5:00pm Subject: RE: In Plain Sight: Luke's Story -- ANH AU - Luke/Vader/Palpatine/Mara/OCs -- Update 11/9!
	Whew! I've just found your fic just now, and boy is it good! All your characters are fully fleshed out -- even your OCs -- and I love the way you characterize Luke, Vader, and Palpatine in particular. The way you set the mood and atmosphere in the story is superb; every time a chapter ends, I'm filled with foreboding. I'd like to be added to the PM list, so I won't miss an update. Keep up the good work, and I hope you post the next part soon! -----signature----- "The sun is a flashlight and some divine idiot is checking on us once in a while in this eternal blackout."-Arkaye Kierulf
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Jaded_Rose Registered: Nov '06	Date Posted: 11/17/07 12:30pm Subject: RE: In Plain Sight: Luke's Story -- ANH AU - Luke/Vader/Palpatine/Mara/OCs -- Update 11/9!
	Leia? One of the Skywalker children? What happened to poor Leia? J_Ro -----signature----- The pen is mightier than the sword, if it has been sharpened to a fine point, dipped in deadly poison and thrown from ten feet away. But really, you're better off with a sword. -America, The Book
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Ocelotl_Nesto Registered: Oct '04	Date Posted: 11/19/07 2:13pm Subject: RE: In Plain Sight: Luke's Story -- ANH AU - Luke/Vader/Palpatine/Mara/OCs -- Update 11/9!
	Palpy is nasty... I liked your description of the apprentice who lost his glory... thanks for the PM
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Blue_Milkshake Registered: Nov '05	Date Posted: 11/21/07 7:29am Subject: RE: In Plain Sight: Luke's Story -- ANH AU - Luke/Vader/Palpatine/Mara/OCs -- Update 11/9!
	Yikes! -----signature----- Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer. --Dave Barry
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furrylittlebantha Registered: Dec '05	Date Posted: 12/28/07 4:57pm Subject: RE: In Plain Sight: Luke's Story -- ANH AU - Luke/Vader/Palpatine/Mara/OCs -- Update 11/9!
	A/N: Happy New Year, all! I make it my first resolution to finish this story by mid-February. A year is just embarrassing for a short story. Well...I have a slight confession to make in that regard. In Plain Sight: Luke's Story just tipped the 30K mark. It is now too long to be called a short story, at least by TFN standards. This was not supposed to happen! At any rate, I have the last chapter written now. It all end in Chapter 13, most inauspiciously. ------------ Mystic665: You're welcome to the cookies. Have some holiday cheesecake, too. Thanks for delurking! Delurkers make my day. Hope you continue to enjoy this story. Jade_Pilot: forget the cookies?? I am stunned. How could ANYONE possibly forget cookies? I myself make it a point to remember them regularly. As evinced by my less-than-washboard belly... Okay, okay. So here's more. Jade_eyes: Hey Jadie! Thanks for you kind comments. More truths coming out soon, and I'm afraid the fate of the Skywalkers is what it is, though maybe not in a way you'd expect. JEDIFLYSWATTER: Well, cross your fingers and hope for the best. Thank you for reading! PadawanMom5610: Luke and Mara will find out (almost) everything in this chapter. As to your question, I'm not allowed to reveal anything, but let's just say that Vader's about the only straight shooter in this story. And Halla is the former Hand, btw. Thanks for reviewing!! leia_naberrie: Thank you! I don't like writing Palps generally, but when I do, he sort of channels creepiness, lol. RedGold: lol! That would be an accurate assessment of the situation. VaderLVR: Glad you think so. diva: It would be you that points out parallelism. Once an English teacher...but seriously, it tickles me pink that you would comment on that. I love dressing up stories with things like that, and having you recognize it is very rewarding. Said it before, of course, but I wouldn't be what I was without your tips and polish. ginchy: Nice icon! Yes, Palps is all of those things, and also badly in need of a facial and manicure. Hopefully his vile self won't carry the day, but we'll see! grins evilly Thanks for reading. Independence1776: Bad feelings are in order. I've got one too. Though mostly from all the holiday candy I've been snarfing... No, Mara won't react well, but are you sure you know what the story Vader tells will be? MsLanna: You are right on the mark. I can neither confirm nor deny anything, but you are a darn good guesser! Hope it lives up to your expectations. KELIA: Because...it's Star Wars, and that's what Skywalkers do. Die. Darn you, Sacrifice...grumbles Thank you for reading! satanat_solo: Hey, nice to see you again. I'm glad you've enjoyed it thus far! Here's more. JediVegeta: You are NOT horrid. You're better than I am, actually. I've been a terrible member of this community. DRL. What can you say? I have to say, though, I'm glad to see you in this thread. Thought you'd lost interest--it's wonderful to know you haven't. And of course I have a twist....I always have a twist. baru-chan: Always thrilled to have someone find my fics. And surprised, especially when it's this far in the game. It's flattering that you caught up with so much! Thank you for your comments. Got you added to the PM list. Jaded_Rose: Hey J_Ro. :) Wish I could answer but I'm under oath! Author's oath. Ocelotl_Nesto: Thanks! Appreciate your review. :) You're welcome for the PM. Blue_Milkshake: Amen!! ----------------- (chapter will follow shortly) -----signature----- Master of tjace and bi0nic. In mourning for the one year, nine months, and five days it has been since The Souls of Demons was updated. sob
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furrylittlebantha Registered: Dec '05	Date Posted: 12/28/07 5:23pm Subject: RE: In Plain Sight: Luke's Story -- ANH AU - Luke/Vader/Palpatine/Mara/OCs -- Update 12/28!
	============= Chapter Eleven ============= “I was his best friend.” The sentence hung in the air, bitter and at the same time wistful. Mara caught herself searching Fortee’s face hungrily. This person knew Varewé…before? What was he like? She wanted to ask. Was he ever silly or forgetful or…human? Tell me, Garmonsaw Fortee, former best friend of the man that I…like. To spar with, that is. “Luke Varewé and I met five years before we came to Coruscant. We were ten years old, nearly eleven. That was about all we had in common. I had begged to attend Diplomatic school; Luke was dumped there.” Mara cleared her throat. Fortee paused, waiting. At the beginning of all this, Melgida had invited Mara to pose any questions she chose, as long as they were not solely intended to provoke. “What do you mean—dumped?” “Dumped,” Fortee repeated. “His mother couldn’t stand him. It was weird. He never talked about it much, so I hardly know anything. But they used school to get him out of the house. He never wanted to go into politics.” Varewé, the consummate politician, the protégé of Palpatine—not interested in politics? “Hmm,” Mara murmured. “Interesting. So…what was he interested in?” Fortee’s dark brown eyes warmed slightly. It was clear he was remembering circumstances far happier than those of the present. “Piloting,” he said, and laughed. Mara liked the laugh. It was easy and infectious, as if good-humor was his natural state and solemnity sat on him with discomfort. “He always talked about getting out of school and running off to the Academy. Damn, nothing turned out right.” The laugh came to a choking halt. “Here I am, an officer in the fleet, and there he is…is…” “Continue, Lieutenant,” Melgida interrupted sharply. She had dropped any pretense of congeniality. “And leave out the cute personal details, if you please.” “Certainly.” Fortee’s shoulder’s straightened. He avoided Mara’s eyes. “Shortly after our arrival on Coruscant, Luke participated in a galactic debate, which he won.” Mara brushed gazes with Melgida. The former senator tightened her lips and looked away. Oblivious, Fortee went on. “I was there. My motives weren’t entirely loyal—honestly, I don’t even remember what he said. I was too busy watching his opponent.” “Vichae Organa,” Mara observed. For the first time, she noticed how close Garmonsaw Fortee and the Princess sat. The lieutenant looked at her in surprise. “You were there?” “Yes.” She remembered that night very well. “At any rate, I have no trouble recalling what happened afterwards. The Emperor entered the hall and made a beeline for Luke. They talked. I couldn’t hear what was said. When he left, Luke followed. For two weeks I saw nothing of my friend. We met by chance one day in a library. He seemed…normal, at least on the surface. I knew nothing at the time of the danger surrounding him. We were kids. I wish I could have warned him, done something before it was too late…but all I did was joke about it.” “Don’t blame yourself, Garmonsaw.” Mara looked up at the new voice; Halla Melgida had spoken for the first time. Her inflections were hard, but they lacked the ruthlessness of Twansa’s. “Palpatine is more powerful than you or I will ever be. What he wants, he takes. What he wishes to discard, he does.” Since the explosive round of introductions, Mara had avoided looking at Halla Melgida as well as she could. It helped to keep the simmering panic at bay; helped her hold up the pillars of her universe, toppling once more. Now, as if drawn by a magnet, her gaze fastened on the older woman’s face. Dark eyes in a horribly scarred face stared back at her calmly. Mara flinched and turned away. “Thank you,” Fortee said quietly. “I know that, rationally. But still…” he gathered himself together. “The next and final time I interacted with Luke was at the Senator’s Ball. That night we heard that that his family had been murdered.” “Murdered,” Mara whispered. Memories, images, sensations, poured into her head from that time so long ago… “A textbook case. Textbook.” A textbook murder. Fortee looked at her peculiarly, but she waved him on. Her stomach had begun to churn. “I told you that his relationship with his family was poor. But after that night he was never the same. I saw him a few times, in the days that followed. He never seemed to notice me. Once I stopped him in the hall, grabbed him by his shoulders and shook him. He looked right through me…like I was a ghost. After I let go he just kept on walking as if it never happened. His mind was…hurt, I think. Palpatine wanted it that way. You always saw them together, then. The Emperor looking like a smug cat and Luke looking like droid. His eyes, Jade. You should have seen his eyes in those days. First they were these big blank holes…” “And then they filled,” Mara finished, voice distant. “With ice.” Fortee blinked. “Yes. That’s it exactly. Ice. Are they…” Melgida raised a warning hand, but Mara cut in quickly. “No. Not always.” She remembered the burn on her arm and smiled tremulously. A long, soft sigh escaped the lieutenant. Thank you, he said with his expression. “After that summer I couldn’t stomach the thought of returning. My stay in the Empire’s nerve-center had sickened me. Of course Father was curious why I was no longer interested in politics. What could I say? I told him everything. And what are the odds, it turns out my father is secretly a member of a rebellion. It turns out he’d just been waiting for the day I would come to him with this very problem. After hearing him out, I decided to join his people—on one condition. I would not be a plant in Coruscant. I would not serve in the Senate. So, Father pulled a few strings, got me on the fast track in the fleet, and all at once I was in the position to strike back at the Empire a little.” “You’re a mole.” “Right. And I’ve just dug up the best dirt of all, Jade. Do you want to know what it is?” Mara leaned forward. “Yes.” He smiled at her, teeth brilliantly white. She realized that many would consider this man handsome. “Has your master ever mentioned a little thing he likes to call the Death Star?” ---------------------------------- “I was married, once.” Hidden by the darkness, Luke let his mouth form a round o. That was sort of bizarre to imagine. Vader seemed to catch his reaction and made a sound that might have been a chuckle. “I was not always as I am now. Once I looked very much like you.” A sudden pause. “Do you take after your father, Varewé?” “No, actually,” Luke answered, puzzled. “Interesting…I know that your mother looks nothing like you.” Something about the way he said that…Luke’s heartbeat picked up. “How?” he asked softly. “How do you know that?” Vader turned to face him. In the faint starlight, Luke could just make out the reflective curves of the mask and the dark pits of the eye sockets. The wind died abruptly. Something was waiting…time, perhaps… “I know because my wife was your mother’s sister. I married Padmé Naberrie.” Luke strained to make out the dark figure before him, searching desperately for a sign that Vader was joking. Anything to convince him that he was not alone with a madman. “But Vader,” he said evenly. “I have no aunt on my mother’s side. I’ve never heard of this Padmé. It is true that Naberrie is my mother’s maiden name, but it’s a common one on Naboo. You must be mistaken.” “How is this possible? She was a Queen.” “Oh. Maybe that explains it. I’m aware that Naboo once had a monarchy, but no one from my generation knows anything about it. There’s a law. Well, other people probably bend the rules a little, but my parents certainly didn’t.” He smiled. “Mother always enjoyed being sub-Governor’s wife a little too much. I’m pretty sure she would have let it slip if she was connected with royalty.” Vader stared at him. Suddenly, a crack of uncertainty ate its way into Luke’s composure. Surely he was in the right. Surely he had not been lied to from infancy… And why not? memory whispered back. There have always been lies from the ones you trusted. Luke chuckled stiffly. “Come now, my Lord. Why would they build such an elaborate conspiracy just to keep me from knowing about a relative?” “I am beginning to wonder,” Vader rumbled, “precisely that.” -------------------------------------- Garmonsaw Fortee’s story appeared to be finished. He sat back and glanced at the young woman beside him. Vichae Organa looked every inch a princess. Her blonde hair lay in sleek coils against her head, and the white of her dress contrasted well with the sharp grey of her eyes. She held her head high; her posture regally erect. When she spoke, it was in crisp Basic free from any trace of an Alderaanian accent. “I was a member of the Rebel Alliance from the time I was ten years old. My father never could keep his ‘other work’ hidden from me, and after a few years of rebuffing my attempts to join in he gave up. I loved Father, and I loved what we did. The Empire was a festering disease destroying the galaxy. We were the cure.” “A little pompous, don’t you think?” Mara asked dryly. The Princess looked blank. Mara rolled her eyes. “Oh, forget it. Please, your highness, go on.” Melgida shot Mara a dirty look, but sarcasm seemed utterly lost on Vichae Organa. She nodded graciously and continued. “As I grew older, Father took me into his confidence more and more. I treasured his trust. My mother had died when I was very young, and in those days I was often lonely. Royalty is a sacred role that demands much sacrifice.” “I’m sure your deprivations were staggering.” This time she got it. The blonde girl pinched her lips together and peered at Mara through narrowed eyes. “You have no idea what my life was like. You can’t comprehend the pressure…” Halla Melgida’s almost-familiar voice bit into the air like vibroblade. “Actually,” she said coolly. “She can.” Fortee let out a shaky laugh and put a restraining hand on Organa’s arm. “Come on, Vi. Don’t let her get to you. Jade’s baiting you because she’s afraid and knows she can gain the upper hand if you’re flustered.” That was what his voice said, soothing and calm. With his eyes he begged Mara to listen to the story and overlook the faults of the teller. Mara sighed and allowed him an imperceptible nod. Looking somewhat mollified, Organa went on. “Even as far into his council as I had come, there were some secrets Father kept to himself. I saw hints of them. Calls in the night. Holos of people I’d never seen before. Names scrawled on scraps of flimsi. Eventually, I pieced together enough information to confront him. Apparently my father was deeply involved in a second conspiracy, this one of a far more personal nature than the Alliance. Did you know that I am adopted, Ms. Jade?” The question startled Mara. “No,” she answered, puzzled. A strange expression filmed over the Princess’ grey eyes, something between bitterness and sardonic amusement. “Not many do. I have always known, but the full story remained a secret until I pressed it from him. And what a secret it was. You see, on the night my birth mother gave me up for adoption, two other children were orphaned. Their mother’s name was Padmé Naberrie, a fellow dissenting senator and dear friend of my father’s. “The father’s name was Darth Vader.” ---------------------------------------------- “I knew my wife would die. Foolishly, I trusted Palpatine’s overtures and eventual promises. I was…weak, in those days. He hid his true nature from me easily.” “He’s good at that,” Luke muttered. “He is a master of deception and illusion. Never underestimate him, Varewé. You are strong, but overconfidence may yet be your downfall.” “Hey, I thought this wasn’t a lesson.” “It is not. I merely want you to…” “What?” The terrible, burning urgency constricted Luke’s chest like a metal band. “To do what, Lord Vader?” “Patience, Luke. All will be revealed in time.” “Time.” He closed his eyes and released a shuddering breath. “Time is something we’re short on here.” ------------- A straggling gasp leaked from Mara’s diaphragm. Her hand made an abortive leap to her mouth, the motion curtailed by the binders “Vader?” she whispered. “Impossible!” “He was not always the monster he is now.” The new voice tipped crazily into the pieces of Mara’s scattered thoughts. A knowing voice. A voice that had lived before she was born, that had spoken more secrets than she dreamed of and kept silence on countless more. The voice of Bel Iblis. “I remember when he was Anakin Skywalker, the hero without fear, greatest Jedi in living memory.” Vader…a Jedi. If it hadn’t been for the chair, Mara’s knees would have buckled. The surprises just kept coming. A small, pleased smile curled Organa’s mouth. “At this point he had renounced the Jedi, of course. In fact, his wife died at his own hand. Another Jedi rescued her before the end. My father helped all he could, but there was nothing anyone could do. Senator Naberrie only lived long enough to give birth to a son and daughter. “Darth Vader could never know of the children, of course. It would be too dangerous. Each had his potential for his evil. The girl was taken to Skywalker’s family on an obscure outer rim planet. The boy…” Organa’s face hardened slightly. “The boy nearly became Prince Organa.” Mara’s wits struggled to keep up with the volley of startling information. “You mean,” she reiterated, “Bail Organa nearly adopted the son of Darth Vader.” “Yes,” the Princess snapped. “That’s what I mean. He and my mother actually kept the infant for a week before the Jedi decided Luke would be better off with his real family.” The last remaining trickle of air in Mara’s lungs escaped in a soft hiss. “No.” Organa’s smile widened. “Oh, are the two of you friends? I never did understand what people see in Luke Varewé—or should I say Luke Skywalker? My father…I think my father never stopped thinking of him as his son. The Naberries had turned Imperial loyalists and forbade any contact, but he tried his best to keep tabs on Luke. Then Varewé disappeared. For five years Father had no idea where he was. Father and that Jedi considered themselves protectors, of sorts, and as he told me of his search I remembered that time in my life, the harried look on his face that never went away.” Mara’s mind had begun to function again. “And then,” she said slowly, “he found him. Here.” “Yes.” A tiny, victorious glint shone in the grey eyes. “He found him, and all their worst fears were realized. The son of Darth Vader was in Palpatine’s clutches. Short of kidnapping him, an impossible feat in the palace, my father was helpless. He had to release him. Willingly or not, Luke Varewé was now one of the enemy. He never mentioned his name again until the day I confronted him.” Mara studied the other girl’s face and found an insight curdling like spoiled milk. “And you were glad,” she murmured. “Because there was no shadow son anymore. Your father was finally yours.” Two spots of red bloomed on Organa’s cheeks. Many people are attractive when they’re angry, Mara reflected. She herself was. It was strangely satisfying to find out that Princess Vichae Organa was not of those people. -------------------------------- Luke listened attentively as Vader unraveled the secrets of the past, the birth of his twisted connection to Palpatine. It was a dark tale, to be sure. The Sith skimmed over his personal life, but Luke gathered he had been a very different person. In between the hard, glossy words trickled a dust that might have once been hope. But curiously, Luke could summon up no sensation but interest. He wondered if his capacity for empathy and emotion had finally callused over. Mara Jade crossed his mind briefly. Stop it, he told himself. She couldn’t ever feel something back, in any case. I annoy her too much. Luke had a sudden vision of Mara after their last duel, one long leg pinning his chest to the floor, red-gold hair flying in all directions, tunic plastered to her body with sweat, green eyes laughing, laughing… “After I pledged myself to him, Lord Sidious revealed his plan to me. His master Plagueis had indeed discovered the secret to prolonging life. You know yourself, however, that our master offers hope in one hand and crushes it with the other.” “Yes.” Luke looked over his shoulder at the quiet trapdoor. “I know. Please, Lord Vader, hurry.” The Dark Lord paused, modulated breathing filling the space. Luke heard the question in the silence but chose not to answer it. After a few moments, Vader nodded once, starlight flashing off his helmet in a quick arc. “As you wish. The cure was as ghastly as I should have suspected. Quite simply, he proposed to rip Padmé’s soul from her dying body and plant it in another. For this service he exacted a price even more terrible. She bore a child in her, Luke. The Emperor desired our little one. It was an impossible choice. For the prolonging of my wife’s existence, this monster demanded my child…for the prolonging of his own.” Harshly spoken, the ugly words stagnated in the air. “I see.” Luke closed his eyes tightly. It made sense now. Everything. Palpatine’s forceful interest in him, the death of his family, the way the Force had been hidden from him. The Emperor had simply been cultivating a fresh body. Luke saw the hideous truth and it left him as emotionless as ever. “I see. But not everything went as planned, I take it?” “No.” In the darkness, Luke could see Vader’s gauntleted hands curling into fists. “I could not make that choice. The only way was to destroy Palpatine and save Padmé myself. But I made a fatal mistake. This life, Luke, the world of power…it is poison.” He said the word impassively, but Luke sensed the rage beneath. “I should have healed her and released her. She would have lived…I would have ruled alone, as it should be, always knowing she was safe and alive…but I was unforgivably foolish. I tried to take her with me into this life.” “She died because of it.” Luke said abruptly. “She and the child both, didn’t they?” “Yes.” Small and hard as a crystal, the syllable bored into his mind. Yes. Only one question remained now, and it thrummed like a live thing against the yes. He opened his mouth. ------------------------------------------------ The voices were relentless. Pelting her with a volley of truth, one after the other, never pausing to let her battered senses rest. Now it was Bel Iblis, the white-haired man with lively, intelligent eyes and a voice as ruthless as the rest. Overwhelmed, Mara only heard snippets of the steady stream of story. It was mostly political. One Rebellion…two leaders…a conflict…a split. A small band of disgruntled freedom fighters following his leadership. A private war, too limited by numbers and resources to be at all effective. Support by secret backers like Moff Fortee, Garmonsaw’s father, but not enough. Frustration…and then the change. Then Melgida, the woman without a past who seemed to know everything. Melgida and her plan. Melgida and her name for them, the identity she brought. Ixiltá. Righteous Judgment. They had a name; one day they would have the power to make that name known… Seemingly irrelevant to her own life, seemingly unconnected to each other, Mara sensed a vein of dark meaning that ran through them all. The closer the stories drew to Twansa Melgida, the closer she came to breaking through. And Mara was afraid. More afraid than she’d ever been in her life. Every story would fuse in the end…into her inevitable destiny. At some point the voice changed. Mara was not sure when Halla’s voice drummed incessantly at her skull and not Iblis. One by one the painful facts branded themselves, white-hot, to her mind. Of their own accord they ordered themselves in a neat bulleted list to torture her with their plainness. He had a Hand before you She was loyal to him, as you are She trusted him, as you did He lied to you when he said you were unique He spoke and she heard his voice across the galaxy He found you He betrayed her He tried to kill her He thought he succeeded He raised you, his newer, younger Halla He will find another not so long from now He will try to kill you “Will he succeed?” It took Mara a moment to realize that Halla asked the question and not herself. She looked into that disfigured face, stretched and twisted by the flames of that failed assassination attempt. “No,” she answered hoarsely, and realized she was crying. “No.” ------------------------------------------ “What do you want of me?” Vader seemed to have been waiting for the question. Something like a sigh contorted the vocals of his respirator. “I want you to help me destroy Palpatine. And after that…after that I want you to leave this planet and never return. Padmé’s blood is in you. I will not make the same mistake twice, nephew. For two years I have taught you what you need to know to escape. For two years I have kept myself from attachment, so when you left I would not stay you. Now it is time. You are already damaged, child. I will not allow a piece of her to be destroyed again. Lend your skills to this one task and you have my word that I will never ask them again.” Luke’s stomach suddenly flipped completely over. Coppery fear rushed into his mouth, paralyzed his limbs, tingled in his fingers and toes. “You’re going to need my help sooner than you thought…Uncle,” he whispered. Just below them, a presence unveiled itself. Luke could hear the cackle of glee in his mind. The trapdoor rattled. Time had just run out. ============================ TBC.... -----signature----- Master of tjace and bi0nic. In mourning for the one year, nine months, and five days it has been since The Souls of Demons was updated. sob
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divapilot Registered: Nov '05	Date Posted: 12/28/07 6:50pm Subject: RE: In Plain Sight: Luke's Story -- ANH AU - Luke/Vader/Palpatine/Mara/OCs -- Update 12/28!
	I was in the position to strike back at the Empire a little. I love your little references to the movies. Mara studied the other girl’s face and found an insight curdling like spoiled milk. “And you were glad,” she murmured. “Because there was no shadow son anymore. Your father was finally yours.” Two spots of red bloomed on Organa’s cheeks. Oh, cold. How quickly Mara catches on to the reality behind the words. Quite simply, he proposed to rip Padmé’s soul from her dying body and plant it in another. For this service he exacted a price even more terrible. She bore a child in her, Luke. The Emperor desired our little one. It was an impossible choice. For the prolonging of my wife’s existence, this monster demanded my child…for the prolonging of his own.” Harshly spoken, the ugly words stagnated in the air. “I see.” Luke closed his eyes tightly. It made sense now. Everything. Palpatine’s forceful interest in him, the death of his family, the way the Force had been hidden from him. The Emperor had simply been cultivating a fresh body. Body snatcher! Yikes! That wasn’t in the movies!!!! Furry, another fantastic chapter. The suspense is terrific. All the different angles are bending toward one collision course. I can’t wait to read the rest! I have no idea how this is going to come out. -----signature----- Never tell me the odds. UConn: Huskies forever! RIP Jasper Howard, #6 "Focus on what matters. It's about the GAME, not each other. Dumb humans."
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