Saga Hands - Obi-centric OT, answer to the January Qui-Obi challenge

Title: Hands
Author(s): Mari4212
Timeframe: Early ANH, references to PT events
Characters: Obi-Wan Kenobi, mention of several others
Genre: Vignette/challenge response, songfic, mild angst
Keywords: Obi-Wan Kenobi
Summary: It was amazing how much a person?s hands told you about who they were.
Disclaimer: We all know who these characters belong to.
Notes: Never let a thoughtful Obi-Muse near you late at night.

---

[i]If I could tell the world just one thing, it would be,
That we're all okay. [/i]

It was amazing how much a person?s hands told you about who they were.

[i]And not to worry, 'cause worry is wasteful and useless in times like these.
I won?t be made useless.
I won?t be idle with despair[/i]

Qui-Gon?s hands had been strong and steady, the palms roughened by work, but surpassingly gentle with a youngling or injured creature. His broad, workman?s hands had been astonishingly dexterous with intricate details. They?d calmed him, taught him, nurtured him, healed him, admonished him. Throughout the years of his apprenticeship, Qui-Gon?s hands had molded him into the Jedi knight he had only dreamed of becoming.

It was fitting that his last memory of Qui-Gon involved one of those hands, brushing away the tears he?d shed. With one hand he?d expressed all that they had shared more thoroughly than any words could.

[i]I?ll gather myself around my faith,
For Light does Darkness most fear[/i]

Anakin?s hands had been swift, with skillful fingers. When he?d been younger they?d flown through the air, graceful and exuberant as he explained his newest lesson or droid design.

They had curled trustingly against his own hands countless times in training, as Obi-Wan had taught him how to hold a lightsaber, how to fight, how to heal. And they?d gripped his shoulders tightly when he?d wake Anakin from the nightmares that plagued him.

It had hurt to watch the first one be replaced. To watch as part of Anakin was lost, shut down forever.

It had been agony to sever the other.

[i]My hands are small I know,
But they?re not yours, they are my own
And I am never broken.[/i]

Yoda?s hands had been so small, no larger than those of a two-year-old human child. A stranger, one who had not known who the ancient master was would easily assume that he was as frail as his outward appearance implied.

But Obi-Wan had learned to see beyond that surface, to see the strength held close underneath the skin of those small hands. Yoda?s strength endured, while those with more visible prowess faded away. Those wrinkled hands had guided the Jedi through some of their greatest triumphs and darkest days.

There had been strength in Yoda?s hands. Strength and great wisdom.

[i]Poverty, stole your golden shoes,
It didn?t steal your laughter,[/i]

Palpatine?s hands had always lied. At first appearance, they had been warm and compassionate, enfolding his own cold fingers as Palpatine had murmured condolences for Qui-Gon?s loss.

But then something had changed, and for a flash the grip had become cold and cruel, squeezing too tightly and grinding Obi-Wan?s knuckles against each other. Only for a second, before the compassionate mask returned, but that exchange had remained vivid in his memory. In hindsight, he would blame himself for dismissing the warning that Palpatine?s grasp had shown him, for believing the lie of patrician gentleness that had wrapped the poison truth.

[i]And heartache came to visit me,
But I knew it wasn?t ever after.[/i]

Padmé Amidala?s hands had been just as deceptive, in a way, as Palpatine?s. Her hands had been gentle, graceful, even delicate. They had fooled many into forgetting the woman?s strength and nobility. He had known better, had seen her hold a weapon with the same prowess as any soldier, and still he had forgotten her strength until the end.

It had only been as she gripped his hand while giving birth that he had felt the bone-deep strength she possessed. It had only b

 

Qui-Gon?s hands had been strong and steady, the palms roughened by work, but surpassingly gentle with a youngling or injured creature. His broad, workman?s hands had been astonishingly dexterous with intricate details. They?d calmed him, taught him, nurtured him, healed him, admonished him. Throughout the years of his apprenticeship, Qui-Gon?s hands had molded him into the Jedi knight he had only dreamed of becoming.

It was fitting that his last memory of Qui-Gon involved one of those hands, brushing away the tears he?d shed. With one hand he?d expressed all that they had shared more thoroughly than any words could.


Awwwww What a wonderful little piece, and excellent response to the challenge! Really liked how well the piece flowed as you went from person to person, really smooth transitions and excellent descriptive work!

 

This was wonderful - I couldn't find just one passage to quote back at you. Truly a great job of contrasting all those hands.

 

I'm a sucker for hands.

Qui-Gon?s hands had been strong and steady, the palms roughened by work, but surpassingly gentle with a youngling or injured creature. His broad, workman?s hands had been astonishingly dexterous with intricate details. They?d calmed him, taught him, nurtured him, healed him, admonished him. Throughout the years of his apprenticeship, Qui-Gon?s hands had molded him into the Jedi knight he had only dreamed of becoming.

It was fitting that his last memory of Qui-Gon involved one of those hands, brushing away the tears he?d shed. With one hand he?d expressed all that they had shared more thoroughly than any words could.

Loved it.

 

Wow. A very interesting interpretaion of the people in Obi-wan's life.

It had hurt to watch the first one be replaced. To watch as part of Anakin was lost, shut down forever.

It had been agony to sever the other.

Those were by far my favorite lines.

Great work

 

Vader?s hands were utterly unlike Anakin?s. They were cold, cruel, mechanical. They lacked the life and passion that Anakin had shown in every aspect of his being.

But more than that, they were still. Anakin had never been able to stay still, his fingers has always been moving, tapping, jittering. It was a nervous habit that Obi-Wan had never been able to break him of. Anakin was action personified.

This empty stillness, more than the malevolence that permeated the air around them, was what told him that Amidala had been wrong. There was no Anakin within Vader. Anakin was dead.

I loved this story! The idea of describing a person by their hands is really interesting and you pulled it off beautifully. Your descriptions of the hands were lovely, and you did an excellent job of tying that in with each person's character. Qui-Gon, Anakin, Vader, Luke, and Obi-Wan himself were my favorites...which is practically all of them! The song fit the story nicely, too.

Awesome challenge response, mari! Yay for late night writing!

 

Beautiful work

It had hurt to watch the first one be replaced. To watch as part of Anakin was lost, shut down forever.

It had been agony to sever the other.

Those were my favorite lines as well

Very nice response to the challenge

 

Ah, lovely challenge response mari4212 - beautifully done.

Loved this - Vader?s hands were utterly unlike Anakin?s. They were cold, cruel, mechanical. They lacked the life and passion that Anakin had shown in every aspect of his being.

So sad, but true. You made some wondeful observations in this piece. Great job!

 

That was lovely! Well done!

 

Sorry for being late in replying to all your wonderful comments. Darth College raised its ugly head.

Layren: *hugs* I'm so glad you enjoyed Qui-Gon's section, especially since I'm still getting a handle on him. Thanks Master!

Valairy_Scot: Thank you! I'm so flattered that you liked all of it that much.

VaderLV64: Glad I piqued your interest then. And I'm very glad you enjoyed the Qui-Gon section.

Jturtle: That pair of sentences was one of my favorites when I was writing, so I'm doubly glad you enjoyed them.

Nienna_Narmolanya: I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I'm not sure what corner of my brain came up with the hands concept, as I was literally half-asleep when the idea started nudging me back into wakefulness, but it certainly seemed to work out well.

General_Kenobi_66: Thank you! As I mentioned to Jturtle, that set of sentences was one of my favorites, so I'm glad it worked so well for you.

Kestrel_Kenobi: Thank you so much! I'm glad it worked well for you.

Magenta_Moonshadow: Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

 

Well, I agree that the hands theme for this fic worked very well. Very sweet and sad. It's amazing how much feeling is in the hands.