Awards 2009 Saga Fanfiction Awards Excerpt Thread

Welcome to the 2009 Saga Excerpt Thread! Here is a list of all the stories that have qualified that you will find snippets of in this thread.

Enjoy reading all of these and be ready when voting begins!


Genre


Best Alternate Universe

*Fortune?s Gate by geo3
*Into the Storm by blank101
*I, Rebel by padawan lunetta

Best Canon

* It Makes My Dome Hurt II: R2 Remembers ESB by brodiew
*The Hour Before Dawn by Knight_Aragorn
*Commencement by Thumper09

Best Action

*This Time Around by Idrelle_Miocovani
*You?ll Like Me When I?m Dead by Jade_Max
*The Love of a Prince by Lady_Jade
*Take My Hand by Jedi_Emeritus
*Into the Storm by blank101
*Out of the Shadows by BaconHeadIthorian


Best Drama

*I, Rebel I,Rebel by padawan lunetta
*Into the Storm by blank101
*Truths of the heartby Valairy_Scot
*Descent Into Darkness by Jacen_200015
*Into The Shining Day by JediNemesis

Best Romance

* Diving by Golden_Jedi
*My Once and Constant Savior by LASOS
*Truths of the heartby Valairy_Scot

Best Humor

*Braken Starblaster Destroys the Galaxy by The_Face
*Irony by JediXManSerenaKenobi
*My Master by Valairy_Scot

Best All Around

*This Time Around by Idrelle_Miocovani
*Truths of the Heart by Valairy Scot
*100 Grains of Sand by amidalachick
*Fortune?s Gate by geo3

Style


Most Underrated

*Or by Pandora26
*Ice Dragon Jedi by Alasse_Earfalas
*Tender Shadows by The Musical Jedi & Alexis_Wingstar
*A Whole New Dimension by Alley_Skywalker
*Revenge of A Sith by Lincoln_6_Echo
*[link=http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/300260

 

Genre



Best Alternate Universe




Fortune?s Gate by Geo3



There was a boy standing on the landing platform in front of the old ship, looking around as if he had never seen a place like it before. He was alone but for a desperately shabby protocol droid by his side.

... A boy...!

... who stared at him, but said nothing. Dooku searched through the Force for others, but found only one life form ? the one whose power he had sensed on the Serena.
Doubting his own instincts, but never the Force, Dooku stepped forward.

?Anakin Skywalker??

?Count Dooku of Serenno??

The boy also took a step forward. He was tall and slender. His clothes were shabby, his hair, untamed. But it wasn?t his outer appearance that held Dooku?s attention, or even the surprise of his extreme youth. It was the way the Force refracted around him, like sunlight off a poorly polished jewel; blinding in places, but veined with shadows.

The boy?s Force potential was enormous, but he was no Jedi. Nor did he remotely resemble the demanding warlord Wieeder had made him out to be. Whoever he was -- whatever he was -- the boy seemed unsure of himself. Hesitant. Even... Dooku checked his perceptions again... grateful?

When they stood opposite one another, the boy cleared his throat. ?Thank you for seeing me. I know you have little time to spare.?

?You are holding one of my operatives hostage,? Dooku snapped with just the right touch of outrage. He didn?t care in the slightest, but it was necessary to play the part.

Skywalker seemed to waver. ?Is that what he said?? Unexpectedly, the shadow of a smile flitted across his features. ?The old crook. I only gave him an ultimatum. He was supposed to arrange this meeting (the boy looked around as if not quite believing he was there), or I?d have him shipped off planet. Quite honestly, I didn?t think he?d be able to deliver.?

?You have the authority to banish my operative from your planet??

?The authority --- no.? The boy seemed to be choosing his words carefully. ?I have... some influence, I suppose.?

Modesty? Modesty??? It was so astonishing that Dooku had to reconsider his entire approach. Whatever he had expected Skywalker to be, this mild-mannered, Force-imbued boy (... on consideration, Dooku adjusted his assessment slightly to young man...) was the furthest thing from it. And he was certainly no kind of a threat.

So Wieeder had lied to Skywalker as well. That was of no consequence. The young man before him took pains to tell the truth. That was of consequence.

?Well, then, Skywalker, against all odds, you have attained your meeting with me. What is it that you want??

Having achieved his goal, with the path cleared for him to state his wishes, Skywalker hesitated, while the Force around him surged with some deep-seated emotion. He wanted something. Wanted it desperately. It occurred to Dooku to wonder whether he had the slightest idea how much the Force revealed about him.

?You were a Jedi once.? Skywalker said at last. He cleared his throat again, a tiny sound that masked powerful feelings. ?That?s what they say.?

Is that what he wants to see? A Jedi? More curious than ever, and quite certain that he had nothing to lose by the admission, Dooku assured his young guest, ?So I was. For most of my life.?

Something burned brightly in the boy. The Force around him leaped and flashed.

?Did you know ... did you know Master Qui-Gon Jinn??

It was only then that Dooku saw it. The mark in the Force. The imprint. The indelible path of succession. He has Qui-Gon?s mark all over him!

He had not noticed it before because the boy was so poorly trained, if he had received any Jedi training at all. His Force signature, while powerful, was random at best, like something found in nature. But when had this ... this connection happened, if Qui-Gon had been fully engaged in training Obi-Wan Kenobi until his death?

?I knew Qui-Gon Jinn. I loved him. I trained him.? Dooku p

 

Best Canon


The Hour Before Dawn by Knight_Aragorn

The corridors of the Mon Calamari cruiser were boiling with people ?- command staff and pilots and techs alike, kitted out in all manner of uniforms and civilian wear ?- as Han pushed his way through. Barely controlled chaos was something the Rebel Alliance excelled at; Han mentally classed ?total disorder? as its default setting. This felt different, the bedlam undercut with a grim determination. If the Rebel Alliance didn?t win the upcoming battle, there wouldn?t be a Rebel Alliance, and everyone from Ackbar down knew it.

Han reflected, stepping around a short Devaronian he?d never seen before, that his position in this collective spell of suicidal delusion seemed wildly inappropriate. It wasn?t that long ago that it had been him and Chewie and the rest of the universe be damned; shifting cargo and staying up-grav of trouble had been his goal and purpose in life, along with earning enough credits to stay comfortable (even if they inevitably went into the Falcon?s upkeep). It hadn?t been an ideal existence, not how he?d seen himself living back when he?d stepped out of Shrike?s troopship into the galaxy, but it had been uncomplicated.

Of course, things had a way of burning whatever you did. Jabba?s fingers were short but his reach was long, and if Han hadn?t joined the Rebels he would have been Jabba?s that much sooner. And that wasn?t a thought he enjoyed. The air felt stretched around him, colours streaked with grey as his vision worked itself to (he hoped, more intently than he was willing to reveal to anyone) full recovery. He?d never been prone to the habit of fidgeting, but found his fingers moving restlessly until he consciously stilled them. Something at the back of his brain was testing, testing, making sure this was real.

The corridor he needed was blocked by a team of techs checking the fire suppression in the junction. Han elbowed through, essayed a shrug of apology at the supervisor and a smirk at the tech, and entered the port view cluster that he?d managed to charm his way into securing for a last briefing with his team.

He was a few minutes early, and thought he?d be the first to arrive, but a dark-clad figure had beat him there. Luke stood by the viewport, but was looking towards the doorway as Han stepped in. The expectation in his stance was slightly unsettling; Han did his best to ignore it. ?Han,? Luke said.

?Hey,? Han greeted him. ?You get time to sleep??

Luke frowned slightly and didn?t answer directly, though his strained expression told Han plenty. ?I wanted to speak to you before this all began.?

---

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/29543892/]Commencement[/link] by Thumper09

The hangar was only meters from the locker room, and when they entered it Darin found that things had calmed down a bit in the last ninety minutes. He eagerly followed Quiver over to Corona Squadron's subhangar, and they wove between the X-wings, ducking under S-foils and laser cannons until Quiver pointed to the fighter farthest in the back. "That one's yours."

Darin's gaze settled on it. Aside from some different patterns of scorch marks on the hull and a lack of kill markers, it looked the same as every other X-wing there. It was a flat grey, and the red stripes on its fuselage were outlined in black. The four engines sat dormant while they patiently waited to be called into action again and take flight. Its elongated nose pointed the way for the laser cannons mounted on the ends of the S-foils, like on every other X-wing in this hangar and many others in existence.

There was nothing different about this one. And yet, the fact that it was [i]his[/i], that the ship would be like a partner and would play a large part in deciding if he lived or died in any given encounter, made all the difference in the world.

Darin felt a bit silly for getting so caught up in the moment, but he couldn't help it. He slowly wa

 

Best Action


Out of the Shadows BaconHeadIthorian

A stream of verdant light flashed by the cockpit of the old ARC-170 starfighter. Gritting his teeth, Pa-hon Gin pulled the flight-stick back severely, jamming his foot hard into the ethereal rudder. The heavy fighter whipped around in an impossibly tight spiral, and its massive, wing-mounted blasters resounded in a perpetual staccato of crimson fire.

Frustratingly, everywhere he turned he came face to face with the V-wing starfighters of Vengeance squadron. Pa-hon grimaced as he saw a single black X-wing barrel roll around him. He noticed that one of the four S-foils had been blasted clean off, and the ship was trailing a disturbing flow of vapor. Pa-hon shook his head and glanced at his flashing sensors. Ghost Flight had been decimated. Of his original four X-wing flight element, only Shadow Four remained.

While the initial attack on the Shipyard had been successful, the arrival of the Imperial Star Destroyer and its veteran fighter squadrons had turned the tide of the battle. When distorted voices from other fleet elements frantically announced the arrival of a second Star Destroyer into the battle, Pa-hon knew the rest of the fleet was in as much trouble as he was.

"Looks like we're in it now, Captain." Lonobabas Sama, the pilot of the damaged X-wing, said with a mirthless laugh.

Pa-hon chuckled to himself at the thought and responded, "We've got ?em right where we want ?em Lieutenant."

"Yes Sir." The younger pilot said with a ferocity that would have surprised Pa-hon only weeks before, but which seemed completely in character now. War hardens people fast.

The two of them were completely defensive, weaving in and out of tumbling asteroids and vengeful fighters, facing nearly a dozen adversaries, with help a long way off. Pa-hon noted a pair of V-wings moving to pounce Lonobabas's damaged X-wing.

"Break right, Four!" Pa-hon yelled

The black X-wing darted in front of the larger ship, TIEs gaining fast. Pa-hon ordered his rear gunners to cover him and slipped his ship in behind the flight of TIEs, taking a great risk in lining up a shot.

His powerful targeting sensors confirmed lock, and Pa-hon punched the trigger. A brilliant stream of fire completely disintegrated the TIE closest to him. As the other tried to roll away, Pa-hon snarled, "Not this time," and let loose a proton torpedo. The missile rocketed away, trailing blue flame, and detonated directly behind the fleeing interceptor.

While the TIE was completely destroyed, the range was close enough that the debris and shock wave from the blast shredded Pa-hon's shields. White hot shrapnel peppered the sturdy ship's hull.

Pa-hon ducked reflexively as a fist-sized chunk of rapidly-cooled durasteel hammered into the transparisteel cockpit. The impact echoed sickly through the ship, and Pa-hon's eyes widened as a fine web of cracks began creeping across the clear surface of his canopy.

Alarms blazed inside the old ship, and the Sullustan gunner chattered frantically in his native language. A jarring blast hit the ship from the rear, cutting off the gunner with a disturbing finality. Pa-hon yelled in alarm as the vessel began to tumble, and the deteriorating cockpit finally gave way.

The transparisteel canopy collapsed inward for a fraction of a second, causing Pa-hon to raise his hands to his face instinctively, but the explosive decompression instantly halted the inward flow.

Time seemed to stand still, shards of gleaming glass inches from Pa-hon's wide eyes. When the universe returned to normal speed, the transparisteel shards exploded outward, blasting into the cold void of space like a shimmering halo.

His breath was taken away in an instant, and Pa-hon felt the piercing cold of space clutch at his heart. Utter silence descended around him, lending a surreal quality to the carnage of his deteriorating ship. In a heartbeat, he felt the magcon unit of his suit kick in, and he gasped for breath, struggling to

 

Best Drama


Truths of the Heart by Valairy_Scot

In Anakin?s eyes, Obi-Wan could see that moment of recognition aboard the ship bringing them home from Rattatak, Anakin?s rage and horror ? and his own desperate evasion of the truth that was all too clearly scrawled in bruises and wounds on his flesh.

Gaunt, scarred, pale ? he remembered his own first look into the looking glass as he first saw himself. He remembered the stunned recognition, the futile attempt to deny the evidence of his eyes?. That jagged half-healed rip was where she ? don?t remember, don?t remember, his mind had whispered ? and that bruise lay over the bone that had been ? I don?t want to remember, not yet.

Anakin?s outraged hiss upon his entrance: ?What did she do to you! What ? did ? she ? do ? to you??

?Various unpleasant things as you no doubt see.? Oh, he?d tried to be calm, rational even, hoping the oversimplification would numb the pain.

The sight of those wounds only inflamed Anakin?s rage.

**

Anakin flickered, his voice sometimes clear and sometimes clouded with static. In the moments the transmission was clear his face wore a look of grim satisfaction.

??traced to?my prisoner?never hurt you again, never hurt you ? ?

The angle of the holo-sensor was wide enough for Obi-Wan to catch a flicker of movement behind Anakin, a blur of red light.

?Look out!?

Red slashed through the spot where Anakin had been standing, but Anakin was no longer there, only the tip of his blue lightsaber, humming and motionless on the ground?.. A body thumped to the floor, out of sight and the sound of triumphant breathing filled Obi-Wan?s ears.

Then the transmission ended.

**

Gripping his lightsaber in tightly clenched fingers, Anakin pressed on, peering into cell after cell until one called to him. He carefully pushed the door open and a hint of his master?s Force presence lingered there, the same tainted one he had sensed on Riflor.

Stepping in, he held his lightsaber before him for light, his stomach churning and his eyes narrowing at the still visible remnants of torture.

There was dried blood on the floor, mixed with traces of other bodily fluids, vomit ? anything that could be squeezed out of a human body. There was blood on the chains when he looked at them, and Anakin nearly retched at the suffering etched so blatantly before him. In a corner were the remains of tattered and torn clothing, speaking their own tale.

Anakin uneasily toed the pile, stiff and rotting, the stench overwhelming and found amongst the remnants Obi-Wan?s utility belt. Wrinkling his nose in revulsion as putrid odors assaulted his nose, he gingerly picked it up. His master might not wish it back, but he might want the contents, so Anakin fastened it above his own belt with shaking fingers.

?Dear Force, Master,? he said helplessly. ?This makes the fabled Corellian hells a paradise. No wonder you were such a mess when we rescued you ? and just how in the Force did you manage to be in good enough shape to actually fight your way out of here, fight a bunch of bounty hunters, and not totally dissolve when I ? I ? how could I have done that to you, Master?

Overcome with remorse, he sank to his knees and gulped in deep breaths of air ? and heard the silent screams preserved in stone that Obi-Wan had shuddered so violently over as he spoke so haltingly of that place.

Screams and cries ? pain and hate, each given voice. The souls of the damned, unable to find peace even in death, for death had only entombed their final agonies. Each pierced his soul, but raising above all the rest was one man?s screams ? so vivid that they stabbed his very heart.

?Master, I know you wanted to free these remnants of the dead, even if those poor souls found peace in death or not. I promise you now, I will destroy this place and free whatever remains of the dead and I will find and kill Ventress. She will not live to ever do this to anyone I love ever again. I can?t risk you

 

Best Romance

Diving by Golden_Jedi

A/N: This is an AU where Leia and Han meet a few years before ANH, under different circumstances. For instance, Han is married off to Bria. And yes, Leia?s fifteen.

?So where are you stationed, Lieutenant Commander?? The Princess asked politely. How she hated the small talk mandatory in these cases, but each bit of information could be potentially useful, at the proper time.

?I?m between assignments, your Highness. I?ll know when I report back to Coruscant in two days.? His voice was even, emotionless. The exact tone he had learned - the hard way, of course - at the Academy that suited best these occasions. He had to be careful. Even if Alderaan was not the Emperor?s favorite planet most of the time, she still was the Viceroy?s daughter, heir to one of the most powerful families in the Galaxy. His in-laws, with all their wealth, were just working-class by comparison.

How do you get yourself into these situations, Solo? He asked himself.

?Leia??

Solo and the Princess turned as one towards the newcomer?s voice. A young man dressed in casual but expensive clothes closed the distance between them with agile strides. Blond hair, blue eyes, it was obvious he was an athlete of some kind.

?Jorlyn,? she acknowledged.

Her stare was so cold that Han saw the youth literally shrink under her gaze. All muscle, no brain, he catalogued him. Poor idiot.

?I brought your swoop back,? he stammered.

?Thank you.?

The silence stretched between them.

?Do you need something else, Jorlyn?? Her words cut the clear air and the young man they were directed at flinched visibly.

?No...?

?Then I?d like to continue my conversation with Lieutenant Commander Solo uninterrupted, if you please. Goodbye, Jorlyn,? she finished, lacing her arm familiarly to Han?s and steering him away from the gaping blonde.

?I think you just broke the nerfherder?s heart, Princess,? he drawled imitating her accent, bending slightly to whisper in her ear. His free hand covered the small one she still had wrapped around his biceps and she turned her head sharply, her lips founding themselves only a breath away from his.

Leia?s cheeks turned crimson in a split second, her mind working in overdrive, wondering how the blazes she had gotten into this situation with a married guy. And an Imperial Navy officer too for that matter.

She?s beautiful, was all that Han Solo could think meanwhile.

Turning her face away she hurried him along a path that lead to a different section of the garden. Once they were hidden from the Nornen guy?s view, the Princess slipped her hand from Solo?s hold and for a while they walked silently between even rows of carefully groomed bushes.

Suddenly Leia stopped and plucked a few half-dried leaves from a branch. ?They?ll need all the strength they can muster when the blooming season comes...? She whispered to herself, as if she did not remember that she was not alone. ?Maybe you?ll get to see them in all their glory during the Flower Festival, Lt. Commander.?

Dang, she was the proper Princess again. What a shame, he liked the brat.

?Maybe. Is that an official invitation?? He asked with a wink. Stop doing this to yourself, Solo. She?s a kid, she?s a Princess, you?re a married adult. End of story.

?You don?t need one...? The color came rushing back to her features. ?I mean...? Why are you so inarticulate today, Leia Organa? ?The gardens are open to the public during the Festival... And they?re really beautiful.?

?I?ll try to come and see them, if I?m not half a galaxy away,? he promised, smiling a little sadly.

?Since Dr. Tharen will be taking over Dr. Grasan?s project, won?t you be asking for a transfer to Alderaan??

?I?m afraid I?m in no position to choose my destination, your Highness.? And especially since I was the last one to be informed that my wife would be moving here.

Leia?s sight dropped to the side of his pants. ?But I thought.

 

Best Humor


Braken Starblaster Destroys the Galaxy! by The_Face


During the recess, Jamie went down the street to his doctor?s office. With his questionable back-alley surgery (to restore his rhyming ability) just a few days prior, Jamie needed regular follow-up check-ups. But he couldn?t return to Dr. Evazan. Besides the fact that Jamie didn?t trust Evazan?s medical opinion, he was doubtful he would be able to find the criminal again.

Jamie frowned at the scratchy paper he was sitting on, and mourned the loss of his pants to the demands of modern medicine. Dr. Icculus entered.

?Mr. Calrissian!? Icculus greeted. ?How good to see you again! What brings you to my office?? He leaned in and asked conspiratorially, ?Do you need? talent pills??

?I didn?t realize talent was something you could get pharmaceutically.?

?No, but we do have an excellent placebo that?s just as good.?

?I?m not here for drugs,? Jamie said. ?Just a basic appraisal of my health will do fine, doctah.?

?Really? According to my clipboard, you were just here a couple months ago for your annual check-up.?

Jamie clawed at the collar of his gown. ?Well, yes, but you can?t be, ah, too careful with one?s health. That?s what I always sACKGTTTHHHH.?

Icculus nodded sagely. ?Very wise, Mr. Calrissian. Maybe you should be wearing the white coat.? He laughed. ?I?m kidding, of course. You?d need weeks of training before you could do my job.? His arm darted out to take hold of Jamie in a place the lawyer had not expected.

?Hurrk.?

?Now cough again for me please. And smile! This is a doctor?s office, not a morgue. We?d need an official system for storing the bodies for it to be a morgue.?

. . .

Dr. Icculus walked back into the room with a fresh new clipboard. ?Mr. Calrissian, I have your results back.?

?How is it??

?Well, your skin ranks a smiley face, and your ear, nose, throat, and spleen rank a frowny face. So you average out at inquisitive duck.?*

?I?see.? Jamie found himself in the unenviable position of missing Dr. Evazan.

?But I don?t want to bore you with jargon. In layman?s terms ? wait, are you a layman??

?I?m a lawyer.?

Icculus laughed ? once, sharply. ?Wow! I don?t know why I had you pegged as a layman. Hunh. Okay, let me explain it in lawyerman?s terms. Your lungs are like a burlap bag. And you?ve stuffed a particularly pungent dead cat in your burlap bag. Metaphorically. Maybe literally too, but I?d have to run some scans to be certain.?

?Has any poor soul evah actually had a dead cat in their lungs?? asked Jamie.

?Well, despite my hopes, no,? Icculus admitted. ?But if science teaches us anything, it?s that if you can dream it ? it?s possible.?

?What do you recommend, doctah??

Icculus leaned in, and said very seriously, ?The gundark pasta at this lovely restaurant on 5th. I know what you?re thinking ? gundark? But it is superb!?

Jamie stared.

?Oh, you mean what do I recommend medically. I thought you were asking me as a waiter.?

?Are you a waiter too??

Icculus frowned, as if the very question offended him. ?No.?

Jamie tried valiantly not to cry.

?Jamie, I?d like to put you on three different medicines. Now we never really know how medications will interact until we luck out and string together a combo-breaker. But hopefully, this combination will repair the damage done to your respiratory system, sinuses, and spleen. And you?ll keep your rhyming.?

?That?s wonderful, delightful, bountiful!? He started hacking uncontrollably.

?See, that?s what we?d like to avoid,? Icculus said. He wiped the phlegm from his lab coat and scraped it off his palm and onto the nearest counter. He gave Jamie the three capsules, each containing numerous pills. ?The red ones are particularly excellent,? he confided. ?Wink.?


* Y:,?

---

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/29723676/p1/?143]Irony[/link] by JediXManSerenaKenobi


?He

 

Best All Around


Fortune?s Gate by geo3


?There?s a new girl in town,? Lupie piped up, since the subject of women had come up, however indirectly. He was the youngest of the gang, between Anakin and Owen in age, but his deceptive air of innocence made him seem much younger. ?She?s the prettiest thing I?ve ever seen.?

?You mean the little one with the big dark eyes?? someone else chimed in quickly.

? ... and the big dark bodyguard?? Remy shot back. Everyone laughed.

One of the Briggs brothers, the shy one, spoke up. ?I know the one you mean.?

?Everybody knows the one you mean,? his twin pointed out dryly, reducing the first brother to silence again.

?She has to be an Offworlder,? Lupie insisted. ?The girls around here ... well, none of them look like that.?

?Hey!? Owen punched him on the shoulder in defense of the women of Tatooine, one of whom he loved.

?You know what I mean,? Lupie said wistfully. ?She?s just so...? he trailed off. It didn?t matter. Everyone knew what he meant.

?She?s been asking questions about Anakin,? Remy said pointedly.

The others fell silent. A few looked surprised.

Lupie looked envious. ?You talked to her??

?Not me. But word has it.? Remy was fiddling with his big knife, pulling it halfway out of its sheath and letting it fall back in. ?I don?t know why, though.? He looked around the room with eyes that weren?t laughing. ?Yet.?

His companions looked around at one another, but nobody had any news to add.

After an uncomfortable moment, Owen joked, ?Well, that?s perfect. She?s his type, you know. Maybe he?ll finally get a date.?

??Bout time!?

?Has he ever had a girl??

?Wait ... Anakin has a type??

?Sure he does.? Owen leaned back comfortably. ?Haven?t you noticed? The only girls he ever looks at have long dark hair and aren?t too tall.?

?Not many of those around here,? Lupie sighed.

?If there were, they wouldn?t look at you!?

?I know where she?s from.?

Everyone looked at Kit, who had just come in. His dark, curling hair was damp with sweat.

?I was checking out the starships at the spaceport, seeing if there was one that Anakin could use, and there was this amazing cruiser ... beautiful thing, sleek as an arrowhead and polished like a mirror. I had to find out where it?s from.?

Everybody waited. Kit grinned, liking that he had everybody?s undivided attention. ?It?s registered to the Royal House of Naboo,? he finished with a flourish.

?Royal who??

?What?s Naboo??

?Wait, isn?t that the place Anakin went...?

?How do you know it?s hers?? Lupie demanded over the din.

Kit turned to him. ?I saw her come out of it.?

?Did she ask you how to find Lupie, ?cause he?s the only man who?s got what she needs?? the bolder Briggs brother chortled. Everybody laughed except Owen and Remy, who exchanged a hard look.

?Why does Anakin need a starship?? Owen asked when the laughter died down.

Kit shrugged. ?I dunno. He said he?s going off planet soon.?

?What for??

?He didn?t say.?

?For how long??

?He didn?t say.?

Well, what did he say??

?He said to find him a starship with a good hyperdrive that can be got for barter. It?s got to be small enough so it doesn?t need a crew.?

?Damn,? Remy muttered.

All conversation died away, leaving the desert men looking around at one another. Anakin was going away? Alone? As far as anyone knew, he hadn?t been off planet since he was a child, before the gangster wars. All eyes ended up on Owen, whose lips were tight. Obviously it was news to him, too.

?There?s something else,? Remy said. His knife went click into its scabbard in the ensuing silence. ?You know those two characters who kicked up a fuss about Anakin borrowing their starship??

?Pretty boys.?

?All clean and shiny.?

?Need their asses kicked.?

?Yeah, well.? Remy stared at his knife. ?They wanted to know all about the Farmer?s Market, but they didn?t buy a thing. Spent the whole day there, but th

 

Style

Most Underrated Part I

---

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/29819847/p1]This War [/link] by Takianna

The door chimed. Anakin shifted on his bunk as he sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the cot. It was not unusual to be awakened at strange hours. This was war.

"Come in," Anakin said. There was no privacy on a ship and Anakin was sure it was just another person with a report which needed to be signed. The paperwork ---involved with--- of being a general was about as bad as actually having to figure out a strategy for the next assault.

Captain Rex stepped through the door, the light from the hallway silhouetting him from the back and spilling onto the darkened floor of the room. Anakin rubbed his eyes due to the bright light and the door swished closed behind Rex.

"Another report?" Anakin asked and held out his hand not even looking towards the captain, waiting for Rex to shove the datapad into his hand so that he could look over the report. Rex didn't move and there was no datapad in his hands.

"No sir," Rex said sounding rather preoccupied. It wasn't like him to be thinking of something else when talking to Anakin. Clones were efficient warriors. They weren't mindless, but they didn't get distracted from the goal very often.

"Something on your mind soldier?" Anakin asked stretching to stand. Anakin was tall and just a smidge taller than Rex. He sometimes found the height difference to his advantage as he was calling out orders to the troops. He seemed a bit more intimidating although he didn't like to rule with dominance, he did want them to know when he meant it.

"There is sir," Rex said standing at parade rest with superior precision. He'd been drilled so much that standing that way just came naturally.

"Take off your helmet so we can talk," Anakin said and went to get himself a glass of water. He didn't want to talk to the faceless helmet of Rex. He wanted to see the man underneath. "You want something to drink?'

"No sir," Rex said keeping the military tone in his voice. Anakin raised an eyebrow at the clone who was now standing with his helmet tucked neatly under his arm. Still very precise and rigid.

"What is it?" Anakin asked and gulped the water. It felt as though he hadn't had a drink in months. Maybe he hadn't because he'd been living off of stimcaf for so long now. Or -- maybe ? (fix your capital M here ;-) Maybe it was because he hadn't really slept in days.

"It's padawan Tano," Rex said keeping the formality of his conversation. Anakin noted that his tone was still that of the Captain and not the Rex who was having a conversation with a comrade.

"What about her?" Anakin asked his eyes widening in worry. "Is she hurt?"

"No sir," Rex said shortly. "She could be though, in a way."

"What are you talking about Rex? And why all this military formality?" Anakin finally asked slamming his glass down on the sink. Rex didn't even flinch and continued to look straight ahead at the opposite wall. Anakin was surprised it didn't break into a milliion pieces and shred the skin of his hand.

"I don't approve of some of the ways you are teaching her to be a leader," Rex finally said. Now Anakin understood the formality. If you were going to disagree with your superior, you better make sure you cross all your t's and dot all of your i's.

"What about it?" Anakin asked crossing his arms across his chest in a defiant stance. He had perfected the look after many attempts with Obi-wan. "I sent her back to the ship because I knew things were going to get hairy back there. I want her to be as safe as possible."

"She will never learn to lead," Rex said snappily. "If you don't give her a chance to do so and you continue to send her away when things get tough. Leaders are forged in the fires of battle."

"Are you questioning me Captain?" Anakin finally said after a short silence, his eyes narrowing at the clone. Rex had never been one to ask Anakin why he was doing what he was doing. Yes, sometimes he suggested other pl

 

Most Underrated Part II


Fault by karebear214

Author?s Note: This is a conclusion to the ?Conversations? series, which follows Anakin and Ahsoka?s relationship through the Clone Wars and ROTS. ?Fault? is the ?Dark Side Alternate Ending?, of sorts.


Anakin?s taught her a lot of things: how to overcome uncertainty and pain, and it?s those lessons she holds onto as she stalks through the hidden places of the Emperor?s castle on Coruscant. She shies away from the Emperor?s throne room, the high point from which the broken Jedi Temple is still visible through the panoramic windows. Anakin too avoids the place unless summoned. He thinks she hasn?t noticed, but she has.

The Jedi had been so sure about so many things, that she was hopeless and that he was broken. They?d abandoned them in their death throes, sure that, with all their prophecies shattered, a renegade Jedi who broke all their rules and his wild and reckless Padawan would have no impact on the galaxy at large, one that even then was teetering toward the brink.

?The Jedi were wrong,? she insists, willing the words to be true. ?About both of us.? After all, they?d been wrong about so many other things.

She?s already more powerful than all but the strongest of the Masters. And Anakin... well, even death doesn?t stop him, barely even slows him down. She?s felt the liquid heat burning at him in his nightmares, in those small, rare moments when his control slips, and even those brief glimpses are enough to shock her every time with the awful truth of his survival. He is stronger than anybody could ever have predicted, and she appreciates every moment he lets her stay within his orbit, trusting only her with the lessons he can teach.

In exchange she works with him, for him, going the places that he can?t go and becoming the incarnate instrument of his obsessions.

She holds her blade in a tight grip, one she built, with Anakin?s careful teaching. It fits in her hands, way better than the one she?d been given during the war, borrowed from a Master she never knew, one of the hundreds killed in battle long before Order 66.

The red light plays off her features, reflecting, blood-bright.

A young Bothan boy, barely old enough to be called a Padawan, cowers behind it, helpless, defenseless. ?Admit it!? she yells, pushing her anger outward, harnessing it into a weapon she can use. Cargo crates crash violently against the far wall. ?Say it!? she yells. ?Say the Jedi were wrong!?

He nods, his eyes wide with fear and desperation. ?The Jedi were wrong!? he stammers, agreeing, believing, in these last moments of his life, everything she tells him.

---

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/30108521/p1/?3]A Whole New Dimension[/link] by Alley_Skywalker

[i][b]A/N:[/b] This is a crossover with Pearl Harbor. Danny and Rafe were transported from their crash in Chine to a planet in a Galaxy Far Far Away in the middle of the Clone Wars where Obi-Wan and Anakin are currently finishing off a mission?[/i]

***

?Do you think they?re still following us?? Anakin Skywalker asked mildly, fidgeting with the broken tracker in his hand as he followed behind his former master through the foliage of the planet-wide jungle.

?I?m sure they are,? Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi answered matter-of-factly. ?Don?t you just love this planet, Anakin??

?Yea, especially the mosquitoes,? Anakin muttered glumly. ?And don?t forget the swamps too, those are a real joy.?

Obi-Wan shook his head bemusedly, ?Really, Anakin, haven?t you taken a look around.?

?Sorry, too busy trying to avoid being ether shot by droids or eaten alive by insects.?

Obi-Wan didn?t answer him for a while. It was true that they hadn?t had much of a chance to sight see during this mission. Although, at another time, Obi-Wan was sure it might have been a nice stay. But then, Anakin was no Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon was the one who loved insects, furry little creatures,

 

Best Response to a Challenge

The Very Secret Diary of Darth Vader by NYCitygurl

Entry One

Number of Jedi killed: 35
Mostly younglings at the Temple, but they count as whole, not half.

Decided to join the Emperor. The Jedi were holding me back. Maybe this way I reach my full potential and rule the galaxy and also achieve the perfect intimidating glare.


Entry Two

Went to Mustafar to kill some more people, but ended up killing my wife (oops) and taking a nice lava bath, courtesy of Obi-Wan. It hurt. Like, really hurt.

But this encased in black armor thing might work to my advantage. It can be very intimidating. Also, have now got several extra inches of height.


Entry Three

Number of Jedi killed: 56

Sent on Jedi hunt by my new master. Nothing else to do since Padme and our kid are dead (oops). Fairly easy to get them, since I know their tricks and their hideouts. Had a bit of help from some leftover clones. Think that new female model clone is eyeing me.

Am not the Emperor, though.


Entry Four

Realized one disadvantage to new suit: must now drink through a straw.

Made it back to Coruscant, took place as Feared Dark Lord And Right Hand Of Emperor. Good title, though not as good as Emperor.

Female clone slipped me her comm number before she left. Might have to give her a call sometime.


Entry Five

Throttled five senators, killed some pedestrians, burned down a few buildings while laughing maniacally, and caught new episode of ?General Medcenter? on the holo. All in all, very productive day.

Though still not Emperor.


Entry Six

Decided to give female clone a call. Was prepared to have wild, passionate romp when remembered that the suit doesn?t allow for that. $@%$@#&%$#%*^&!!!!!!

Went out for drinks instead. Was embarrassed about drinking ale through a straw. Female clone got disgusted and left with stormtrooper.

Force-choked stormtrooper and female clone and felt a lot better.


Entry Seven

Went to robe-fitting session with Emperor. Sat bored for two hours while holding Emperor?s lightsaber and fetching drinks (juri juice spiked with whiskey) like a lackey. Feel like husband on a shopping trip.

If I were Emperor, there would be no shopping trips. Might be spiked juri juice, though.


Entry Eight

Killed a few more Jedi today and rounded up malcontents. Seems to be a lot of them. But not my concern. Noticed that the suit, for all it?s straw-drinking, no-sex-having faults, does a good job of intimidating.


Entry Nine

Surveyed the new stormtroopers and gave lots of mask-stares to Tarkin. Interesting to note that the mask also hides me trying not to laugh at his new haircut. He needs a different stylist.

Not Emperor yet.


Entry Ten

Decided to play the stock market. Went through three stockbrokers before I found one I didn?t have to Force-choke for failing. Refuse to lose assets. New stockbroker and I understand each other.

Decided I like to Force-choke.


Entry Eleven

Got new Super Star Destroyer. Named it the Executer. Seems like a fitting name. Not sure I like the new wedge-shaped ships though. Think that a star design would have been prettier.


Entry Twelve

Assisted Emperor in pretending to care about what the Senate thinks, then had some spiked juri juice at a new bar in town. Got admiring looks from ladies and was pleased until I remembered that I can?t do anything fun in this %#@$%@&%*^$( suit. Love suit, but wish it was removable.

Still not Emperor.


Entry Thirteen

Helped choose new official colors of Empire. Was a tough decision. Came down to pink and black. Emperor voted for pink, but I reminded him that it doesn?t go well with his skin tone, so he chose black instead. Think it was a wise decision.


Entry Fourteen

Jedi killed to date: 126

 

Best Songfic

A Boy?s Life by NYCitygurl

?Tell me again, Mom!?

Shmi Skywalker sighed, but it was a happy sigh, and she smiled at her son. ?Anakin, I?ve told you so many times! And it was so long ago. I don?t remember very well.?

?Please, Mom,? Anakin begged. ?You?ve been out in the stars! You have to remember it well; I know you do. It must have been wonderful, the best experience of your life!?

Shmi shook her head, still smiling, but a little sad. ?No, dear boy,? she corrected. ?The best experience of my life was being with you, watching you grow.?

Anakin smiled at his mother, but even as he returned her love, his attention was drawn back to the Tatooine night sky. He was only nine, after all, Shmi thought, no matter how much like an adult he acted sometimes. But it was just as well that he retained a bit of innocence; goodness knew that it had been stripped away from her too young.

?Someday,? Anakin vowed, ?someday, I?m going to leave this place. I?m going to travel the galaxy, and see every star there is.?

Shmi laughed. ?Ani, there are far too many stars. No one has ever visited them all before.?

?Well, I?m going to be the first person to do it,? Anakin vowed. ?And you can come with me. It?s going to be wizard, Mom.?


Was a bug, little bug, hardly there
How he felt, what he dreamed, who could care?
Without any evidence
(his flaws were many)
He was full of confidence
(some people haven't any)
Didn't have much common sense
(It's highly over-rated)
He just knew that he'd come through
It's the time of your life so live it well
It's the time of your life so live it well


?Isn?t it beautiful?? Anakin said in a near-whisper, staring at his fully functional podracer.

?It sure is,? Shmi replied. ?I?m proud of you, Ani. So proud.? She hugged her nine-year-old son, thinking that he wouldn?t be nine and small for much longer.

Tatooine isn?t the place for him, she thought sadly. He deserves more than a slave?s life.

She thought maybe . . . but the Jedi had already said he couldn?t take Anakin. Still, there was some hope. Maybe he would end up taking Anakin away. Shmi suspected that her son had the potential to be a Jedi, especially with the way Qui-Gon Jinn kept looking at him.

Her heart almost broke at the thought of losing her son, but it would be for the best. Anakin would make a great Jedi.

?It?s beautiful,? she whispered back, holding in tears as her son saw his dreams starting to come alive.


Like us all, he started small then he grew
When the time came he knew what to do
He knew in order to succeed
(they'd have to work together)
He turned a rock into a seed
(and they were changed forever)
Then they had the strength they'd need
(to get through stormy weather)
Do or die, you gotta try
It's the time of your life so live it well
It's the time of your life so live it well


And then he was gone.

Shmi crossed her arms over her chest, trying to hold back tears.

Why bother? she thought. He can?t see me anymore.


***


Anakin couldn?t help looking back time and again, until his mother was out of sight. He couldn?t believe he was leaving her. Only a minute and he already missed her so much it hurt.

But it wouldn?t be forever. He?d learn to be a Jedi, and then he?d come back and take her away from this place. They would travel the galaxy and see every star in the universe, just like he?d always wanted.

Anakin saw the ship in the distance, silver and gleaming in the Tatooine sands.

He grinned, thoughts of his mother slowly fading as he took in the novelty. He quickened his pace, eager to see the ship closer.

When he, Qui-Gon, and Padme got closer, whoever was on board lowered the landing ramp. Anakin Skywalker squared his shoulders and walked up the ramp and toward the future he had always wanted to have.


Isn't it a bit surprising
How one's fortunes ebb and flow
And only to the enterprising
Does the magic fortune cookie go
Believ

 

Best Poem

Thy Endless Wait by DaenaBenjen42


Out on the streets
of Mos Eisley
a speeder is sold

Out on the streets
a door to door
search is commenced

Out on the streets
a spy reports
troopers are informed

In the docking bay
a smuggler
and a gangster
have a chat

In the docking bay
unfavorable reaction
met with boasting

In the docking day
emergency getaway

On the Falcon
a droid frets
about space travel

On the Falcon
a kid
and a smuggler
clash

On the Falcon
training
is begun

On the Falcon
disaster,
like a thousand knives
is felt
by only one

~*~*~*~

On a ship
dreams
are restless

On Coruscant
the dreams
turn
into nightmares

The nightmares...
the warnings...
are downplayed
and ignored

On the desert planet
in the early morning
a woman
is attacked and abducted
and underneath a vaporator,
a journal waits

On Naboo
in the Lake Country
as two people
grow ever closer...

the nightmares...
the warnings...
can no longer
be ignored

On the desert planet
the nightmare
is suddenly,
soberingly
reality

Out on the dunes
distress
and pain
lead him
ever onward

At the camp
a granted wish
a parting
rage and grief
consume him

Out on the dunes
a lost journal
a lost life
lost innocence
a parting

And as a young man's
world
is torn apart
a spiral
towards the darkside
is begun

For better
for worse
there is no going back

~*~*~*~

Down among the lost,
an old woman
succumbs to memory
an old hurt
a phantom face
of one
she could not save

Phantom shadows
dancing
in the alley
reminders
of the lost

reminders
of the path
that led
only to darkness
and death

The lost
dancing around her
in the half-light
in the shadows
they haunt her

Memory
of the one
she could not save

Phantom shadows
dancing
in the alley
dancing
in the half-light

Dancing
always dancing

An old hurt
a haunting reminder
aching with grief
that has faded
little with time

The grief
that can't be spoken
only remembered
as the shadows
dance
in the half-light

Down among the lost,
a woman
remembers
a phantom face
of one lost
but not forgotten

~*~*~*~

How long?
Where am I?

These questions
float through his mind
as he hangs
suspended in the moment

His hands
can not
move

His legs
can not
kick

How long?
Where am I now?

The thoughts
appear,
and then fade
in to
the blankness
like they were never there

He doesn't
know
the answers

All he knows
is that
time
is standing still

Encased in carbonite
a former smuggler
waits

~*~*~*~

On the planet of fire
two men
and a woman
are about to have
a confrontation

The former queen
now a senator
soon to be a mother
will not want
to believe

The chosen one,
now working for
the dark side
will not by
swayed
from the path
he will now follow

The Jedi general
father figure
come to
set things
right
no matter
what the price

On the planet of fire
a confrontation
will leave
everyone
scarred

The former queen
the Jedi general
and the chosen one

Nothing
will ever
be the same

~*~*~*~

Alone
in an x-wing
a young man
must make
a choice

Must
feel it
in his soul

Targeting computer
is useless

Must
act
on impulse

Must
use the Force

Alone
in an x-wing
a young man
listens
and chooses

Alone
in an x-wing
hope wins
the day

~*~*~*~

It's hard
to turn

Turn away
from
the sure path

The path
you know

The one
that brought you
to where
you are

It's hard
to around
around
and do
the right thing

The easy way?
or the hard one?

The one
that sees you
paying a debt

Or the one
that
your heart
is telling you
to follow
where uncertainty
lurks

To repay
a kindness
to help
for a cause

You've been bitten
once
hurt
in the name
of the cause

Lost
a loved one
after she turned
away

And now...
now
it's about
more than just
the cause
or that person
who wronged you

It's harder
to not say
that you care
and it's hard
to turn
around

For the cause
for a friend
for yourself
you turn around

In an instant,
your choice made,
you become
involved...
for better
o

 

Best Crossover

Everyone Lies by LillyHobbitJedi

?Hello sick beings and their loved ones. In the interest of saving time and a lot of boring chit chat later, I?m Dr. Gregg House. You can call me Gregg. I?m one of three doctors staffing this clinic this morning??

Cuddy hearing his speech quickly interrupted him. ?Short, sweet. Grab a file.?

House ignored her and continued speaking.?This ray of sunshine is Dr. Lisa Cuddy. Dr. Cuddy runs this whole hospital so, unfortunately, she?s much too busy to deal with you. I am a bored,? House paused and sent a meaningful glance towards Cuddy.

?Certified diagnostician with a triple specialty in infectious diseases, humans and non-humans. I?m also the only doctor currently employed at this clinic who is here against his will. That is true, isn?t it?? House glanced at Cuddy again, who just stared at him.

?But not to worry, because for most of you this job could be done by a Gungan with a bottle of bacta. Speaking of which, if you?re particularly annoying, you may see me reach for this,? House paused and pulled a hypo out of his pocket.

?This is Vicona. It?s mine. You can?t have any. And no, I do not have a pain management problem, I have a pain problem. But who knows? Maybe I?m wrong. Maybe I?m too stoned to tell,? at this House bugged his eyes out, freaking out the patients even more.

? So, who wants me?? House asked. And just as he expected, every single patient in the room averted their eyes. He grinned.

?And who would rather wait for one of the other two doctors?? He asked. This time every being in the clinic raised their hands. House was suddenly very proud of himself.

?Okay, well, I?ll be in Exam Room 1 if you change your mind,? he replied, limping away to the room.

~~~~~

?I have a case,? House protested.

?Which will have to wait,? Cuddy replied, handing House a datacard. ?See you in court.?

?If my patient dies I?m blaming you!? House shouted after her.

?You?re killing your patient?? said Wilson, walking over to his friend.

?Only temporarily.? House said. ?Want to come to my hearing??

?Really House, I have been to so many of those.? Wilson replied with a sigh.

~~~~~

?She has a virus,? House replied.

?A virus?? Cameron asked skeptically. ?But she has no fever.?

?Yeah, I?m her doctor too, I figured that out. And do you know why she doesn?t have a fever?? House asked.

?Bith body temperature is different than humans,? the patient?s husband said.

?Exactly,? House said. ?She has Dantooine?s Dantari flu. A fairly common bug, but it can be fatal if not treated quickly. Your wife is now on the very edge of that threshold.?

The male Bith gasped in horror.

?Another reason we wouldn?t have thought of Dantari flu is that it seldomly affects Bith,? House explained. Then he glanced at his team. ?Treat her.?

~~~~~

There were two Jedi in the room, a middle aged man and a teenager.

?Let me guess,? House said to them. ?Ran out of fairy dust??

?Beg your pardon?? The older Jedi said surprised, with a clipped Coruscanti accent.

?I thought you guys had your own special little healers. So why in galaxy?s sake are you bothering me?? House asked.

?Master,? the younger Jedi started, but was silenced when the other Jedi raised a hand.

?My Padawan is ill and requires medical assistance and we are several parsecs from Coruscant,? the older Jedi explained.

?I don?t care,? House replied irritated. ?So what?s wrong??

?I can?t stop coughing,? the teenager replied. ?And I?ve been exhausted lately.?

?This couldn?t wait until you got back to your oh so holier than thou Jedi Temple?? House asked.

?We?re not going back now,? the young Jedi replied looking as if he was getting angry.

?Oh did I hurt your itsy bitsy feelings?? House asked snottily.

?Doctor, neither I nor my Padawan appreciate being treated this way,? the elder Jedi responded.

House rolled his eyes and shrugged. ?Bonadan cough,? he said writing a prescription down and handing it to the Jedi. ?Two days and you?ll be

 

Best Vignette

The Right to Be Merry by DaenaBenjen42


Someone was singing outside his shop as he swept the floor in the eve of Winter Solstice. It was an old voice, weathered by time, but to him it hadn?t lost any of its reverence or power. It had been a long time since he?d heard Solstice Carols?

He shook his head, wanting to complete his evening tasks so he could get out of here and be home with his family. Singing or no, there were still tasks to be done. ?What right have you to be merry?? he wondered under his breath. ?When there?s so much??

?What right don?t they have?? a woman?s voice asked suddenly, causing him to drop the broom. He stood there for a long moment? no, the singing hadn?t stopped, nor had anyone entered without making a sound. Slowly, he turned to find a luminescent, translucent figure of a woman standing there. ?Really, Tiny Tim. Everyone deserves a little merriment now and then? Solstice is just a good excuse.?

?Who are you??

She smiled. ?A friend? of the singing one out there.?

?Then why aren?t you out there??

?Wasn?t needed out there,? she told him with a shrug, smiling again at his confusion. ?I couldn?t help but notice your frustration.? She sat down on the floor. ?Sit?? When he didn?t move to join her, she shook her head. ?No one will disturb us while she?s out there singing.?

?Why??

?Solstice carols are welcome in any form? especially in dark times.?

He finally sat down next to her. ?How did you know my name??

?How could I not know? I?m a spirit.?

Tiny Tim chuckled at that. She had a point?

Later, after the woman-spirit had left and he was closing up the shop for the holiday, he took a moment to listen to the old woman who was still singing. The tone hadn?t changed, but now the song seemed to mourn. He bent down in front of her and looked her in the eyes.

For a moment, her gaze locked on his and she nodded. In those eyes, intelligence that belied the state of her clothes and her haggard appearance shone as clearly as a supernova. The moment seemed to stretch, and then she looked away again, as if it had never been.

He sat there on his haunches for a long minute, looking at her. So many stories in those eyes? shadows. She?d been singing outside his shop, providing passers by with a little comfort. It made sense now, what the woman-spirit had said. They all deserved a little merriment, indeed. ?Thank you,? he whispered as he stood up to continue on his way.

The simple nod he got in return was answer enough?

---

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/30073401/p1]Questions Answered[/link] by madman007

How would I do it?

That was the question that had been inside Obi Wan?s?Ben?s?head for roughly two decades.

How will I take him away from them? They had accepted their role as parents with courage and pride all those years ago when Obi Wan first handed the infant to them. After that moment, Obi Wan had renamed himself Ben and stayed on Tatooine to keep a watch on the son of Anakin Skywalker.

And then what?

What sign had Obi Wan been waiting for to indicate that it was time for Luke to fulfill his destiny? Over the years, Obi Wan called on the Force to help him foresee when that moment would be. The images he received were too vague. He pondered at how he was to separate Luke from his adopted parents. Would that be fair to the Lars? Would Luke understand? From Luke?s point of view, what right did Obi Wan have to take Luke away from the Lars? Would that be any different than the Jedi Council tearing Obi Wan away from his own family? The difference in Luke?s case was age. Obi Wan had been a small child when he was separated from his family. His family had been prepared for the separation. Luke was nearly outside of his teen years. It was an age when he could decide his own fate and develop his own sense of reason. When would Luke see the reasoning of his own destiny?

 

Best Short Story


Patience - It's Not Just For Padawans by p_stotts

Anakin scrunched up is shoulders and wriggled his back against his soaked tunic in an errant attempt to stop the torment. Sighing in disgust, he opened his eyes?to find his master staring at him, an amused expression on his face.

?Padawan, you?re fidgeting is enough to distract Master Yoda?s meditations,? he gently scolded. ?What?s wrong? Can?t you sit still??

?Sorry, Master,? Anakin mumbled, his eyes downcast. ?The climate on this moon is?is?well, it?s hot, sticky, and uncomfortable. How can you concentrate?? The boy?s voice was quickly taking on a whining tone that Obi-Wan always found annoying.

?Years of practice,? Obi-Wan said. ?Come.? He rose to his feet. ?Let?s check the scanners and have some lunch. If all is clear after that, we?ll take a quick dip in the lagoon.?

?Really? You mean we don?t have to meditate anymore today??

?I didn?t say that, Padawan.? Obi-Wan smiled. ?But a swim would be a welcome break from the heat. Then we can try again.?

?Yes, Master,? Anakin mumbled. He followed the older man up the jungle path that led to their makeshift hut. Anakin was accustomed to heat, having been raised on Tatooine, but intense heat and humidity was something entirely different, and it was beginning to wear on his nerves.

The master/padawan pair had been dropped off on this small, remote, and very primitive tropical moon so they could covertly monitor unusual shipping traffic in the area. The assignment itself was pitifully easy and rather boring. Keep track of whom and what passed by and report to the Council. A month-long assignment -- one that rotated among various master/padawan pairs. This month it was their turn, and, unfortunately, Obi-Wan saw it as a prime opportunity for one-on-one training time instead of the rest and relaxation Anakin had hoped for.

*****

*CRUNCH* Someone is eating an apple right by my ear and hovering close to my shoulder. A padawan braid brushing gently against my cheek a moment later tells me the identity of my nosy interloper.

I swat it away. "Do you mind?"

"No, not at all," Obi-Wan responds, taking another bite of the apple he?d evidently procured from my refrigerator. "What are you writing now?"

"Just something a little different for a change? an Obi/Ani fic."

Obi-Wan scrunches up his face. "Not another slash fic with the prepubescent snot-nosed Chosen One!"

It takes a moment for what he says to register, since I?m only half listening to him. ?Ew! Gross! That?s disgusting, and I?m insulted that you think I?d stoop to writing about you and your underage padawan doing the nasty!?

"So, he?s an ?of age? snot-nosed Chosen One. It?s still disgusting.?

I sigh in exasperation. We?ve been through this before, but Obi-Wan evidently doesn?t give up easily. ?I don't write smut. You know that."

?Then what's with pairing me with the kid? You?ve never written about Anakin before.?

I look at Obi-Wan, giving him an exasperated look. "I needed a distraction for awhile and this came to mind."

His face lights up with a big smile. "I have an idea for a distracting fic. Why not let me have sex??

"I told you, I don't do smut! If you want to get laid, go ask one of those fanfic writers who frequent the NC-17 sites. Now let me write!"

I turn back to my computer keyboard. Obi-Wan leans close to my ear and whispers, "You sure there's nothing I can do to change your mind?" He voice sounds so sexy. His warm breath tickles my neck. I?m certain he thinks he?s making headway, but?

I blow out a disgusted sigh. "That doesn't work on me, remember? Besides, I'm married... and old enough to be your mother."

Obi-Wan graces me with his most charming smile. "Only if you were scandalously young when you had me. Come on, just one short smut scene? It's been so long, and I've been so very patient. Please?"

"I told you..."

"I know, you don't do smut." He crosses his arms and pouts. "You could if you tri

 

Best Epic


Truths of the Heart by Valairy_Scot

Imprisonment and torture had stolen the Jedi?s serenity, wounded his body and soul, and had affected his ability to use the Force with any consistency. It had been a long and painful struggle to recover.

And so the arms of this ghost no longer ached to comfort or take his pain upon himself, for others had done in the flesh what he had wished to do in that chilly cell on Rattatak, there able only to cradle the broken body of his padawan with mere arms of spirit.

Now this ghost hoped that his padawan?s greatest test of self to date would prove to have been the greatest test of his life: that hope was in vain, he knew equally well. Obi-Wan Kenobi had a destiny and a burden just as Anakin Skywalker did. The Guardian and the Chosen One: the fate of one inextricably tied to the other, intertwined and interdependent.

Love, not just destiny, connected both men; love for each other and love for others challenged and strengthened both. Love would triumph, or love would destroy, but it was love or the fear of losing love that carved the destiny of each.

Love of one and love of many ? how balance was found in the choices each man made would determine if the Force would as well. How each handled love would prove to be either salvation or destruction of all that both held dear.

Love was the legacy and bequest of Rattatak. Love was the weapon gifted to Obi-Wan by the Force. How he wielded it was his choice ? and when.

**

The Force coiled as if unwilling to reveal the depths of suffering soaking the air, but it could not conceal the faint trace that lingered; his master?s path. Obi-Wan had been here; his hate and rage peaked here?.

The emotional residue had Anakin blinking. What extremity could drive his serene master to such rage and hate as had stained his being? It had flared and it had flamed out, here, but it had existed. It was what had clotted his master?s Force presence when his presence had once again shone in the Force.

His master?s light had been tarnished and darkened; Ventress had taken far more from her captive than Anakin had even thought possible. Oh, Master!

later

[Facing one of Obi-Wan?s torturers] Aidus slammed Anakin off his feet and wrapped both hands around the Jedi?s neck, squeezing with all his might as the lightsaber went flying. A heavier man than Anakin, his weight pinned the Jedi flat as Anakin?s fingers fought to break the grip. His vision blurred and he struggled for breath. This kriffin? sithspawn with his gloating words about what he had done was strangling him, and something exploded within Anakin.

This man hurt my master! My master!

A hand slammed into Aidus?s face, the fingers pushing into the eyes as Anakin?s knee came up and slammed into the man?s groin. Aidus didn?t let go, but his grip loosened.
Anakin tore free and threw Aidus over his head, where he landed on his back with a loud thud as Anakin scrambled to his feet. He stood panting with his lightsaber at Aidus?s throat, feeling his anger grow to almost overwhelming proportions.

He wanted to kill him, but still, he hesitated. The man was unarmed and at his mercy, but oh, justice would be so sweet.

Do or do not. A sob caught in his throat.

?Your Jedi was a real treat; it took a lot to make him scream.? Aidus very deliberately licked his lips.

It was the last mistake Aidus would ever make.

The red-hot fury, the inferno of outraged, righteous anger, spread through Anakin and blind fury took him as he screamed his hatred and blotted out the horrors he had heard. When his eyes cleared, Aidus lay dead at his feet with a lightsaber impaled through his filth-spouting mouth.

?What have I done?? Anakin stuttered, and stared at his lightsaber. A Jedi?s weapon, used for defense, in protection of the innocent and he had used it to shut a mouth spewing obscenities he didn?t want to hear?his eyes went suddenly cold.

There was

 

Best Series

The Halcyon Maneuver
Halcyon Fire
Halcyon Fate
by NYCitygurl


?And so we go to war,? Obi-Wan said heavily.

?And possibly against a Sith lord,? Windu added.

Yoda turned to Jonathan. ?Think, what do you, of the threat of a Sith??

Jonathan shrugged. ?It seems hard to believe, but Nejaa thinks there may be something to it. I trust him more than any other Jedi, so my gut is telling me that Dooku was speaking the truth, at least a little. Who or where this Sith is is anyone?s guess.?

Obi-Wan nodded. ?You know, I?m not surprised,? he said. ?The man who killed Qui-Gon on Naboo was a Sith Lord.?

?Always two there are, no more, no less,? Yoda replied, echoing his words of ten years before.

?We?ve speculated on whether the Sith Lord you killed was the master or the apprentice,? Windu added.

?I have a bad feeling that it was the apprentice.?

?Which means that the master is still out there ? and may be deeper in the government that we suspected,? Windu said.

The four Jedi looked at each other, troubled.

Switching the subject, Mace asked, ?Saeran, the Jedi are going to fight for the Republic. Are you going to have your group join us??

Jonathan shook his head. ?Not with the military, no. Any who want to can certainly come fight, but many of my Jedi have other jobs, have families. I can?t order them away from their lives.?

Mace nodded gravely. ?So be it.?

***

Nyche strode into the room, Anakin close behind her. She made her way over to the bed and leaned down, kissing Valin hard on the mouth. ?Don?t you ever do that to me again, Valin Halcyon, d?you hear??

Valin just grinned.

Anakin stood awkwardly next to Nejaa. ?Thank you, Val,? he said. ?You saved my life.?

?No problem. Maybe one day you can return the favor.?

?I promise.? He held his hand out to shake, and then realized that he didn?t have a hand anymore. He started to pull back, but Valin grabbed the mechanical limb and shook it. Anakin smiled.

***

?This is a surprise,? he said slowly.

?And not a good one, I?m afraid.? Even through the holo static, Valin could tell that the man looked grim. ?Have you heard what happened??

Valin felt a shiver of fear travel down his spine. He shook his head. ?I?m on a leave of absence from the Order here. I?ve barely been out of the house for the last three days.? Possibilities ran through his mind of what had made Obi-Wan call, each worse than the next.

?Then you wouldn?t have.? Obi-Wan, Valin thought, didn?t just look grim. He looked . . . sad. Valin?s heart started thumping. He?d seen that look on too many faces the past few years. He?d seen it on his own when he looked in the mirror.

The only question was, who had died?

***

?The Emperor has put out word of his new right hand,? Bail said. ?Half man, half machine. He is completely encased in black armor and needs a respirator to breathe. His name is Darth Vader.?

?Anakin,? Valin said, horrified.

Yoda nodded. ?Yes.?

***

Obi-Wan was right. Anakin would have wanted it this way. And even if Valin didn?t owe the man anything, he remembered him the way he was. He remembered Anakin?s fierce love for Shmi Skywalker, his passion for Padme. He remembered their friendship, and the trust Anakin had given him by sharing his secret marriage. He remembered Anakin?s tears at his father?s funeral.

Anakin?s daughter should be raised by someone who remembered when he was a good man.

***

Luke was stunned. ?You know Darth Vader??

?We?ve met,? Kenobi answered shortly.

?And you?ve met my father.?

Kenobi inclined his head. ?Yes, I have.?

?Why hasn?t he told me about you??

Kenobi shrugged. ?He probably didn?t want to put you in danger, Luke.?

Luke leaned back against the couch, his head spinning. The man sitting in front of him was a Jedi! And a famous one, at that, and one w

 

Character

Best Canon Interpretation, Male


Han Solo in Maybe by Myriad_Daydreams

A/N: Takes place during ESB, on Hoth, directly after Han returns from rescuing Luke.

---

I glance over at the kid, feeling as lifeless as he looked. Sure he's a little bit more blue than we would prefer, and came about as close to death as can be. The important thing is: he's back and he's alive.

Seemed like everyone on the entire planet of Hoth wanted to welcome and congratulate me when I came back with Skywalker. You'd think I brought back hidden treasure or the key to destroying the Empire. Maybe that's what Luke is, to them. Right now he looks like a pathetic being curled up on a medbay cot.

I did what I had to do, and nothing more. A friend, yes a friend, was in danger and I had to help him out. Who knows what could have happened if he was left out there the entire night. Hypothermia was inevitable, death was near certain. Was my deed heroic? No.

Not that I haven?t known friendship, that would be a load of bantha crap. None of this mushy friendship bond that Luke?s always trying to push on the lot of us. Take Chewie and me for example? I rescued him, and he has a life bond to me. It?s plain and simple, loyalty to the death. We don?t need to talk about much, and not much needs to be said.

Just now he?s starting to stir. I consider leaving, not wanting to be here when he wakes up to be thanked. I?ve had a thousand rebels thanking me. And for what? On the verge of leaving them all to return to my former life? Ditching a cause that was just beginning to win me over? Being enough of a bantha fodder to let Luke investigate that impact in the first place? I don?t want any of it. Just give me a ship to pilot and a job to do and I?m fine. Awards and recognition are for politicians and holodrama performers.

He rolls over, moans a bit, and then silences once more. I release a breath and lean lightly on the doorframe. A chill passes through me, and for the first time my thoughts turn to my own injuries. I got the expected diagnosis?frostbite, dehydration, the usual. Nothing I can?t fight back from. I didn?t even need a bacta dunk, thank the forces that be. That can be real unpleasant I?ve heard.

Any minute now someone will come rushing in the door, probably a 2-1B medical droid or a rebel officer of some sort. If I?m lucky, maybe it will be Leia. That moment in the tunnel still hasn?t left my mind, even after an entire night of frozen wasteland before my eyes? then again, if she came in here for the kid I?d be the last thing on her mind for sure.

Yet somehow I?m not completely sure of that. After what the three of us, four including Chewie, have been through together it?s something different. Friends by circumstance, I guess. Shove a small group of people in a desperate enough situation and interesting things start to happen. If I had run into Skywalker on the street a few years ago I wouldn?t have looked twice. But it?s different now.

Maybe, just maybe, something has changed.

You know, I think something changed the instant I let the kid and the old man on board my ship. This isn?t the same Han Solo who used to ship spice for a living and care about his ship all the time.

Maybe, just maybe, things were different now. Doesn?t? mean I?m not going to jet off this planet or away from the Rebellion at the first chance I get, but it won?t be guilt free either. I feel a sort of loyalty to Skywalker and the Princess.

Sure enough, here comes a droid buzzing through the door right now. He?ll wake the kid up, and I don?t want to be around for that. Time to go back to tinkering with the Falcon where I belong. Too much thinking can drive a man crazy, I?ll leave that to Skywalker. The Rebellion needs him, not me.

Maybe.

---

Anakin Skywalker in [link=http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28538852/p1/?84]My Master[/link] by Valairy_Scot

My master is Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Maste

 

Best Canon Interpretation, Male Part II


Anakin Skywalker in This Time Around by Idrelle_Miocovani

?You came here to kill me ? for the greater good ? as it is something that you believe needs to be done. You see now? You and I are very much alike, one and the same??

?We are not the same! We aren?t?? He stopped. He wasn?t sure what he felt more enraged at ? that Palpatine had compared the two of them, or that Anakin himself felt that there was truth to Palpatine?s words. Yes, he had come here to kill Palpatine for the greater good. He had promised to do whatever it took to destroy him.

Wasn?t that what Palpatine was speaking of? Doing whatever it took for the greater good?

?Do you see it now??

Anakin?s eyes were closed. He concentrated on his breath, trying to blot out the Sith Lord?s words.

We are not the same, he thought furiously. We are not the same. We are not the same. His vision is warped and evil. Mine is not. We are not the same.

?There was a time, Anakin, when I thought you would be the one to inherit my vision for the future. That you would be the one to save the Galaxy from the darkness that threatens to destroy it. But then you betrayed me, just as you believe I betrayed you. There was that? unfortunate? moment on Coruscant and then you were gone forever. You were like a son to me, Anakin. I still believe in you. I do not want to fight. Come back and take up this battle for me. I saw it in you once. I can see it in you again. Join me, for the greater good. For the benefit of the Galaxy.?

There was a soft, lilting quality to his voice. It reminded Anakin of the days when Palpatine had been like a father to him. Suddenly, the fact that Palpatine was a Sith Lord seemed to dull in his mind. There were no Jedi, there were no Sith. There was only them ? two men with the fate of the Galaxy resting on their shoulders, the lives of trillions counting on their decisions, on their actions. If they worked together, they could save them? save them from the darkness? leads them away from shadows and dust and ashes?

?No.?

?What?? There was a snarl hidden in Palpatine?s voice.

Anakin opened his eyes, raising his head. ?I said no. The difference between you and me, Emperor, is that I can see the truth of the matter here. You believe very much that what you are doing will save the Galaxy. But you?re wrong.? Anakin paused, his eyes connecting with Palpatine?s. Behind the calm composure there was a fire stirring ? the anger of a Sith Lord. ?You?ll destroy it from the inside. Your people who love you so dearly today will begin to hate and fear you and it will grow until you are left alone in your Imperial Palace, defending yourself as the people you once set out to save turn against you.?

?And where do these wondrous words of wisdom come from??

?Force or not,? Anakin said, feeling strengthened by his own words, ?I am the Chosen One. I am destined to bring balance between light and dark ? and I will do just that. I make my own choices ? no one can makes them for me.?

Palpatine stared at him, his eyes burning with anger. He broke into cold laughter. Anakin watched and listened, his small moment of strength and composure rapidly descending into nothingness.

?Pitiful, Skywalker,? Palpatine snapped. ?Pitiful. You are only the so-called ?Chosen One? because a few superstitious Jedi Masters decided you were. There only exists the idea of the Chosen One because of a prophecy that says that there will be a Chosen One who will bring balance to the Force. If you are the so-called Chosen One, Anakin, then you do not make your own choices. They have been pre-determined for you by destiny.?

?Everyone has a choice,? Anakin said hotly.

?Yes, of course,? Palpatine replied. There was a mirthless smile on his face. ?Everyone except you.?

?Why me?? Anakin asked darkly.

?I know a secret, Anakin,? Palpatine said. ?A secret s

 

Best Canon Interpretation, Female

Padme in If Not for Myself... by Spiritweaver

A/N: This is an excerpt from my story which I think exemplifies its core. Basically, a stronger Padmé. She was such a great character in TPM but then got the short end of the stick in the other movies. The premise of this fic is that Padmé would be a completely different person if she rejected Anakin's love on Geonosis and stood in the forefront of the anti-war movement as opposed to kind of shying back like she did in cannon. This is a Padmé who is the same up until the moment where she says she loves Anakin. My Padmé cares deeply for him, but never verbalized these feelings. Our story unfolds with Padmé meeting Palpatine shortly after Geonosis.

---

?I thank you for agreeing to meet with me so quickly, Your Excellency.? Padmé said, as the chancellor took her hands.

?Not at all, I am pleased to see you return to the Capital safely. I would be most interested in hearing your account of our new army. You were one of the few non-Jedi who witnessed them in person, after all. Well, on our side, at least.? He laughed slightly at his own joke.

Padmé forced a smile, even though her stomach felt a little queasy. ?That is what I am here to discuss with you, Chancellor.?

?Oh, very good. I value your opinions greatly, Padmé.?

?I am glad to hear that, Chancellor,? Padmé said formally. It would not do to get too comfortable in her old friend?s presence these days. ?I feel that in the past week since this war began, we have neglected one very important ideal that has helped keep the Republic intact since its inception,?

?Oh?? The chancellor looked interested. This was a good sign; perhaps she could convince him. One could never tell for sure with a master politician.

?Peace, Your Excellency.?

?Peace? Peace is impossible,? he said sounding surprised as he bowed his head.

?Impossible? I will never believe that. It is more imperative than ever that we sue for peace. Thousands of sentients are dying every day, every hour, because of this war. Innocent civilians who??

Palpatine interrupted her, speaking a firm but soothing tone. ?Yes, thousands are dying because the Separatists are attacking our systems. They cannot be reasoned with. If there was hope of a diplomatic solution, my negotiations prior to the onset of the war would have found it.

?So we will fight until either our side or theirs is unable to any longer? Will we stop there? Or will we keep fighting until none of our enemies remain?? Padmé asked incredulously.

?We will fight for as long as we must. At all costs, the Republic must be preserved. Surely you agree with that.? Palpatine implored her with a small sigh that Padmé barely heard.

?He?s not the same man who was my Senator,? Padmé thought.

?Of course the Republic must be preserved; it has existed in this form or another for 25,000 years. The Republic is the single greatest achievement of galactic civilization. It has saved countless trillions of lives, by brokering peace and preventing war. There has never been a situation like this since its incorporation, one where we are divided against ourselves. We can end this war before it reaches a point where no one can stop it. You can end this.? Padmé hoped that her impassioned speech would break through Palpatine's resolve and convince him that peace was the answer.

The Chancellor sighed. ?Your optimism and naiveté are vast, my young friend. War is the only option at the moment. We will fight until we cannot fight any longer. Democracy will be preserved - this I promise you.?

His ferver and militaristic response shocked her. ?Is democracy enforced with a knife, democracy at all, Chancellor?? Padmé asked rhetorically.

?I see you will not be easily dissuaded, Senator and I respect your views,? Palpatine said with a dark look on his face. ?However, the point is moot. I doubt the Separatists would agree to treat with us regardless. War is our only course.?

?We shall see. Thank y

 

Best Original Character, Male


Braken Starblaster in Braken Starblaster Destroys the Galaxy! by The_Face


?Hello. My name is Slimzar and?? Slimzar choked back tears in both his throats. Six of his eight eyes were welling up badly. ??And I?m a chocoholic.?

?Hello, Slimzar,? the rest of the group said back unconvincingly. So unconvincingly, in fact, that Slimzar not only knew they didn?t actually want to say ?hello?; he was starting to doubt that his name was even Slimzar. And if he was unsure of that, Slimzar?s northernmost brain reasoned, then how could he be sure of the other half of his statement? Perhaps, Slimzar?s south brain chimed in, Slimzar was not a chocoholic after all!

?We?ve made such a breakthrough today!? Slimzar proclaimed happily. The last two eyes joined in with the others, but with an important difference ? these were tears of joy.

Braken sighed loudly, folded his arms, rolled his eyes, tapped his foot, and turned around so everyone could see the back of his shirt, which read ?I DO NOT WANT TO BE HERE? in Basic, Aurebesh, and Intergalactic Esperanto.

Vuun, a smiley man as well as the group leader, stepped up to where Slimzar had been doing his sharing. He hopped up and sat on the edge of the stage for the high school auditorium in which this particular group of Chocoholics Anonymous gathered. ?Who else would like to share today? Maybe somebody new? Hmm? Maybe somebody who hasn?t been here before? Little first-time sharing? Hmm? Little introduction? Anybody? Anybody?? He put his hand up to shade his eyes, as if searching for land on the horizon. All he saw was a collection of middle-aged sweet-tooths and a couple kids who told their shop teacher they were going to the restroom half an hour ago. ?Braken? Did I see your hand up??

Braken answered, ?No, I think it was just the one finger.?

Vuun waved Braken over toward the stage. ?Okay, come on up. Come on up and share. Share in the sharing spot. This is a safe place. No one will judge you here. We?re all going through the same things. Except Slimzar who appears to be cured.?

?This is the best day of my life!? Slimzar exclaimed, hugging the Mandalorian beside him.

?Showoff,? muttered Braken, as he stomped up to the sharing spot. Vuun hopped down and scurried off to his seat. Braken took a deep breath. ?Alright. Umm. Hi, losers. My name is Braken Starblaster, and I am a chocoholic like my father before me.?

?Hello, Braken,? the group said.

?I don?t really believe in ?therapy? or ?support groups? or ?feelings??, Braken said, complete with air quotes, ?but my job is making me come here. At work the other day, I had an, uh, episode.?

Braken kisses a Twi?lek paralegal on the lips. ?Your beard is scratchy,? he remarks with slurred speech.

?Yeah it is,? the alien replies proudly.

?And not the cool kind of episode, either, where it?s all Previously on or In a galaxy far far away. The kind that?s polite-talk for going Grade-A banana bonkers. So anyway, I got into some chocolate, yes. It was one time. Do I regret it? Yes.?

Braken punches Jamie in the face.

?Well, mostly. Why do they care if I have a little nougat before coming to the office? It?s not like they were there when I was losing my girlfriend or getting rejected by the Rebellion. And now, I?ve got a hopeless case in trial, and I?m pretty sure someone?s trying to kill me!?

At that moment, the Mandalorian in the support group tried to kill him. He raised his rifle and fired a shot into Braken?s chest. The lawyer collapsed in slow-motion, saying ?Now I?m really sure!?

?Yes!? Fett yelled.

?You -------!? Braken yelled.

?What??

?I have a censor in my voicebox, but just know that I called you something very insulting!?

Fett shook his helmeted head. ?No, my ?what? was to your aliveness.?

Braken slowly stood. ?Ah. Looks like you undercalculated your opponent, bounty hunter.? He pulled his shirt up to reveal the compu

 

Best Original Character, Female

Dax Fortune?s Gate by geo3


Dax?s enjoyment of her Corellian Special was marred by the fact that it was her second-to-last one (she had her doubts that she could get a good cigar in this desert outpost), and by the tiny signs of movement on the ridge above the Veritas to the east. She had her sidearm with her, of course, but the ridge was at rifle distance, so no matter where she stood outside the starship, she was a perfect target. You couldn?t exactly smoke underneath the ship?s belly by the fuselage.

Appearing to focus only on her cigar, standing in a relaxed-looking pose partially turned away from the ridge, Dax studied the terrain with well-developed peripheral vision. She counted two ? no, three ? individuals on the ridge. More might be in hiding.

She didn?t like the position of the ship. The Jedi had called it ?defensible,? which it was, if you were in a straight-up fight. Nobody could approach it or get inside. But if you ever wanted to take a stroll outside, there wasn?t any protection against snipers. Dax didn?t know exactly what danger her patient, the Senator, was trying to avoid, but it stood to reason that at some point, the people on the Veritas would need to leave the ship. Dax was of the opinion that Jedi should?ve sent a scouting party up to that ridge, but he had only seemed interested in making sure the Senator was never unguarded, that comms. were always manned, and in sending scouts to the settlement over in the west. During the strategy meeting, Dax had thought about offering to check out the ridge, but then remembered that she was only the medic.

S?hspit. That probably meant she?d be confined to the ship indefinitely.

The Jedi moved so quietly that even Dax didn?t notice him until he was right behind her in the shadows under the ship?s belly. She hadn?t heard the main hatch open; he must have slipped out one of the service ports underneath the ship. But why?

?It?s not safe to stand out there, Dax,? he said quietly.

?Might be. Might not,? she countered neutrally. ?I count three of ?em that aren?t good at hidin?, or don?t think it?s necessary. Either way, doesn?t feel like they?re about to take potshots.?

?But you don?t know that for certain.?

?I?m just sayin?.?

The Jedi crouched silently in the shadows for a while. Careful not to give away his presence or position, Dax took another drag on her Special without looking at him, and then reluctantly put it out, carefully saving the remainder for another time. It was time to be frugal.

?I tend to agree with you,? the Jedi said as if he?d been thinking it over. ?I sense curiosity, not hostility.?

?You want me to go up there an? find out?? she offered semi-hopefully.

?Actually, I had something else in mind, if you?re willing. I?m going up to the ridge myself, but I?m going the long way around, starting out in the opposite direction, out of their sightline. If you wouldn?t mind staying out here to smoke the rest of that cigar, and taking your time about it, it would keep their eyes on you.?

Dax stared up at the sky. ?It?s my second-to-last one. I?m gonna want some replacements pretty soon.?

?Then I?ll make sure you get a chance to go into town when we?re secure here.?

?That?s all I need to know.? Dax began the enjoyable process of lighting up again. ?Good huntin?, Jedi.?

He didn?t answer. Maybe he was already gone. Dax took to pacing slowly up and down in front of the ship, stopping to stretch occasionally, for all the world looking like a crewman on a break. It was just enough movement to keep them focused on her, but not enough that she looked suspiciously busy.

She liked that Jedi. He was a good guy, taking care of things himself. She wondered briefly who would be in command if he got himself killed, but it didn?t worry her too much. From what she?d seen, those Jedi could take care of themselves.

When she?d finished the last pleasant puff, she figured she?d given the Jedi enough time to make cov

 

Best Child

Young Han in A Slight Disruption by Aiel

The tall Jedi walked into the apartment with a thoughtful look in his eyes, a box of mechanical parts on his left shoulder, he carefully balanced them as he was suddenly bombarded by a pair of small arms around his waist.

"Hi Anakin," the snub nosed face grinning up at him, couldn't help but make the serious Anakin smile in return.

"Heya short-stuff, you wanna let go of me for a sec so I can put down this box?" He asked, Han nodded and let go as Anakin placed the box down on the floor, "where's your Mom?"

Han knelt down beside the box, inspecting the contents curiously as R2-D2 rolled over to see what they were doing with mechanical parts, "in the kitchen with Motee and Elle, what's all this stuff?"

Anakin squatted down beside him, picking up a motivator, "some things to fix my starfighter," he said, trying to keep the grin off his face when Han leapt to his feet and looked beyond excitement.

"You mean your for real Jedi starfighter?!"

"None other, it's just outside on the landing platform," Jedi Skywalker pointed casually outside the meeting room to the platform where the ship was docked, Han let out a whoop and went rushing outside to look at it as fast as his legs could go.

Anakin shouldered the box again and followed his foster son, smiling down at Artoo, who was trailing them and blatted at him for letting the boy just go running over to the ship, "ah, lighten up Artoo, it's not like the boy's going to break anything that we can't fix."

The Astromech droid beeped and warbled at him, his little dome swirling from side to side, Skywalker laughed and called out to Han, who was already inspecting the underside of the fighter, "Han, you're not going to go flying off recklessly to battle in my ship, are you?"

Solo looked up and grinned eagerly, his eyes twinkling mischievously as Anakin approached, "can I?"

?No.?

***

Han mouth dropped open, "you read my mind and my future?" He almost squeaked, Yoda chuckled at the incredulous expression, Solo huffed and hid behind Bail's cloaked form.

"Offended you have I?" Master Yoda was almost jovial, "knew of you being Senator Amidala's foster son did I, but Anakin Skywalker's foster son as well I did not," he rubbed his head as Han peered around Bail's waist, "information interesting that is. Perhaps a room where Padawan Jukassa, I and Han Solo talk we can? While do this, contact Master Obi-Wan Kenobi could you? The information should on the shuttle be."

The Senator nodded and motioned to a guard and Sheltay Retrac, Yoda began to hobble away and Zett was not far behind.

Pulling against the grasp of the guard, Han's legs kicked out as he tried to prevent being escorted to be alone with Yoda and Zett, "I don't want to go, he can read my mind! I'll tell my Mom! She wouldn't let my mind be read!" He shouted out behind him, Bail put a hand over his mouth to hide a smile as the doors slid shut.

Han was practically thrown into the small lounge, kicking the door frame stubbornly as he walked quickly over to a soft, swivel chair and turned his back on where Yoda and Zett were already sitting cross-legged on the floor, Solo folded his arms and glared down at the carpeted floor.

"Young Solo, over here will you come?" The gravelly voice invoked, Han shrugged and fiddled with the Japor snippet around his neck as he scowled.

"Do the letters N and O mean anything to you?"

***

?I have already felt the children?s Force potential, very powerful are they. Especially when they are together, separated they must be.?

Han looked appalled, ?no you will not!? He yelled, they all stared at the small boy who was glaring furiously at Bail and the two Jedi Masters, ?I have a say in this since Mom isn?t here, and you can put into your weird Force-sleep induced things all you like. But I will not have you discuss separating my little brother and sister without my Mom here, our lives are not yours to control!?

 

Best Child

Leia in The Legacy by Kelli_LB


Leia looked down to her plate and at the meal that she had not touched. Her mind was racing with questions, but one took precedence over all. "Master, how many people did he kill after the attack?"

"Why do you think he killed?"

Leia sighed and shook her head, "Because I felt it, and he admitted it after I asked; but he did not go into details."

"What did you feel?"

"When I woke up, and he was there, there was something different about him. He was even more powerful." Internally, she debated asking her next question, but it had been on her mind constantly ever since she had woken up in the MediCenter. "Does the Force make you stronger after you kill someone?"

Darth Sidious nodded, "Some would say yes...Darth Nihilus for one. He fed off of the destruction of entire worlds. With each act destruction, his power and hunger grew until he eventually fed off the Force itself."

"He had to be destroyed though; he would have consumed the entire galaxy." Leia had been well-versed in history and her father had insisted she study the past Sith Lords. "Can that happen again?"

"Darth Nihilus was an extraordinary case."

Leia sat for a few moments letting it all sink in. "What do you believe, does killing make you stronger?"

"Why are you asking this?" Asked the Emperor.

"Both you and my father want me to be strong in the Force; I want to know if you expect me to kill to do so." As Leia learned about Sith history and teachings, that question had tormented her.

"And this distresses you."

"Of course it does!" Leia shouted, forgetting her place. "It's wrong!"

Sidious chuckled, "I see you have not forgotten all of your Alderaanian teachings, despite your father's best efforts."

The mention of Alderaan sent a pang of grief to her heart. However, knowing that it was counter-productive to think on such things at this moment, Leia tried to focus on her life now. "I don't want to end up like my father. I don't want to be feared and hated."

"You are not hated, my dear child, but all should fear you." The Emperor shook his head and reached out to pat the girl's hand, "It is a burden that we must accept, you must be both loved and feared. Your enemies must know that you will deal with them ruthlessly."

"Until the bombing, I didn't know I had enemies." Leia knew how childish it must have sounded, but she wondered what she had done wrong to make someone hate her enough to want her dead.

"All who are in positions of power and influence have those that covet it."

"Like you." Leia was well aware that her own father was one of those that desired the Emperor's power.

He smiled and nodded, "Yes."

Immediately, she felt Sidious' strong presence enter her mind. He had done this before, but this time he was much more intrusive and aggressive. He closed his eyes as he searched her mind.

Finally, his eyes opened and he took Leia's small hand in his; but his mental connection did not relent. "Child, do you wish that you could return your life of ignorance, before you knew of the Force?"

This was the first time that Sidious had communicated with her telepathically. Before, only her father spoke to her in such a manner. Instead of the easy mental link that Vader and Leia had forged early on, this one was very different--it felt wrong somehow.

When she did not immediately answer, the Emperor increased the pressure on the child's mind. "Answer my question. Do not tell me that you do not enjoy the raw power that courses through your veins. You will eventually be in a position to change the destiny of trillions. Do you want to turn your back on it for a life of ease and comfort?"

There was a part of her that wanted to abandon the Force, and the power that it afforded her. However, that part of her was small and insignificant compared to the song of the Dark Side that promised even more wonders to come. "I can't...I won't"

"No, because once the Dark Side opens the door; it cannot ever be shut."