Saga AND FROM THE ASHES... (updated 10/5)

Title: And From The Ashes...

Author: Puke_Eyeswater

Summary: A lot of fans believe that we need to see Padme die in Episode three to give the character closure. I have taken a liberty with the end of the film, offering an alternative to Padme dying within the new film.



And from the ashes?


There was nothing like the sun setting on his native planet of Alderaan to sooth his raw nerves. As the dazzling orange sphere sank low over the horizon, he felt his burdens ease ever so slightly. Bail Organa sighed deeply, and leaned on the balcony wall, his head lowered.

?How has it come to this,? he whispered to the wind. The breeze paid no attention, and continued to soothingly whistle through the nearby trees. The shadows lengthened in the huge reception room behind him, as the last rays of the sun disappeared into the twilight. A tiny cry behind him roused him from his solitude. He could faintly hear one of his new hand-maidens trying to sooth the newborn baby in the nursery beyond. Forlornly, he moved from the balcony.


He stood at the doorway, and smiled at the how natural the scene within the nursery appeared. A young mother holding and placating her upset child by her bedside. Except that the hand-maiden wasn?t the child?s mother.

?Shhh Leia, there now,? the young woman cooed, cradling the wailing infant. ?It?s okay.?

Anger flared within Bail. He fumed inwardly. Nothing is okay anymore. Why even bother to pretend.

The anger quickly subsided, as it was futile. He was angry at himself in the main. He was angry for his blindness and his folly. And the betrayal by those he counted as friends. Little Leia was crying even harder now.

?Is she alright??

The hand-maiden turned to him. He noticed the tears in her eyes ?She?s fine. She just?? She trailed off. The words wouldn?t come. Last weeks funeral still haunted those eyes. Senator Amidala had been mourned by many. None missed her more than the four week old baby before him.

?She misses her mother, I know.? Bail nodded. ?So do I, Herme.?

A tear fell down her cheek. ?It?s just that?? Another sentence failed her. The tears flowed freely now. He remembered Herme sobbing at Padme?s funeral.

Bail sat down on the stool beside Herme and took the mixed bundle of newborn baby and blanket from her. ?I?ll see to Leia.?

Herme smiled weakly and hurried from the room. Bail watched after her. Herme, like the other eight hand-maidens he?d recently inherited with the little girl in his arms, loved Padme Amidala. The Senator had been many things to many people. A senator. A protector of freedom. A friend. A mother.

He looked down into Leia?s round blue eyes, wet from tears. She began to calm down as he shushed and rocked her in his arms. As he gazed down, he painfully realised just how like her mother she looked. The anger flared again at the injustice of it all. He preferred the anger to the despair he?d felt before. It was such an empty, helpless emotion. It had threatened to consume him completely.

?We?ll take care of you, dear. You?ll be safe.? He was already beginning to feel a bond growing between him and the child in his arms.

He placed Leia gently into the crib. Still crying softly, she snuggled into the matress.

?Lights ? low,? He muttered. The lights obliged and reduced their intensity, casting a soft, warm glow throughout the room.

?Turn the Holo-Projector on dear,? said a voice behind him. He turned to see his wife smiling in the doorway. ?It sends her straight off.?

Bail nodded and lightly touched a button on the projector at the foot of the crib. He stood back, and put his arm around his wife?s waist.

A luminous figure appeared over the crib. A stab of pain seared through Bail?s heart at the sight of the holographic figure of Padme Amidala before him. It somehow managed to convey all the beauty and passion that Padme had been blessed with. He hugged his wife tighter and swallowed hard.

?My darling Leia,? the image began. ?I am so, so sorry that I can?

 

Very nice. I also believe Padmé will fake her own death.

 

Very good.

I am one of those who also think she will fake her death.

 

whoa, and I thought the first version was awesome! I love the "persuasion" to give up the children, the assessment of the early rebellion, her observations on how she's changed.

 

Thanks! It's been a long time since I've penned a work of fiction.

Quite enjoyed it!

Might work on the duel next...

 

And from the Ashes? (continued)

And from the Ashes? (continued)


Obi-Wan killed the engine, and climbed out of the speeder bike. The wind was becoming treacherous as night fell. His robes flapping in the wind, he cast a last look into the night, as if trying to see through the present into the future. A low mewling could be heard in the distant wind. Obi-Wan paid it no mind. Tattoine was a primitive, harsh and barren world and the mewling stopped as abruptly as it had begun. Some predator had conquered it?s prey, Obi-Wan mused..

He sighed wearily and entered the entrance to a cave. His cave. It?s previous owner, a fierce four-legged carnivore had succumbed to some ?aggressive negotiations? of the lightsaber kind, and had since been picked dry by the winged scavengers of the world. Not before trying to eat me, Obi-Wan reflected.

No, it?s not quite up to the accommodations I am accustomed to, Obi-Wan thought wryly. He had became mindful of his thoughts of late. They had taken on a dark timbre since the fall of his apprentice. His friend.

?Dwell on it, you must not,? a familiar voice rang in his mind clearly. ?Centered you must be.?
?Yes master,? Obi-Wan thought back to Yoda, half a galaxy away. It didn?t help that every time he closed his eyes he saw the pain and anger in Anakin?s eyes as he had tried to grapple with the collapsed walkway. He exhaled, and pushed out a thought to Yoda. ?I will try.?

?No!? Yoda admonished sharply. ?Do. Or do not. To try, is to fail. There is no try.?
Obi-Wan felt his cheeks flush with annoyance. He had noticed uncomfortably that Yoda had recently begun treating him as his Padawan again. It had been almost 30 years since Yoda had been his instructor! Am I no longer considered worthy of my Jedi status?

?The Obi-Wan I knew, questioned his worth, he would not,? Retorted Yoda at that thought. Obi-Wan could imagine Yoda emphasising the word ?not? with a thump of his walking stick on the floor. He smiled inwardly. ?Unsettled have you become.? Yoda continued soothingly, ?Rest you need. Calm your mind you must.?

Obi-Wan sat down heavily on the rough hewn rock that served as a seat. He reached forward and lifted the lid from the trunk that held all of his wordly possessions. Grasping the sleek metal cylinder, he pulled Anakin?s lightsaber from the trunk.

He gripped it with both hands to his chest and wearily set his head back against the rock wall behind him. He closed his eyes.


There were metal footsteps behind him. He spun round. A tall, broad figure was striding toward him. Dark robes billowed behind the menacing silhouette. This isn?t my cave, Obi-Wan thought in a daze. I?m back onboard that terrible constuct. The ?thing? that could have become a huge spherical, and infinitely destructive, battle station. He looked up at the oncoming figure.

The hatred and anger hit him in waves. They emanated from the dark-clad form in front of him. Anakin Skywalker. Jedi Knight. His former Padawan. His friend.

All gone.

The thing that beheld Obi-Wan?s gaze was none of those things now. The dark-side consumed him, sending out terrible waves of malevolence. There was just one target for all that hate and anger. And Obi-Wan was under no illusions. Rightly or wrongly Anakin blamed Obi-Wan for many things?

His striding stopped and he stood silently on the catwalk. His breathing was a little fast ? the adrenaline was pumping. The anger barely restrained. He simply stood there watching. Waiting with his hands clenched by his sides.

As the pair of them stood at each ends of the gantry, wisps of steam wafted up from below. Men and droids milled about far below in the Imperial smelting pools. An eerie red glow reached up into the vast chamber he stood in. The shaft led straight down past the smelting pits to the dormant reactor still in construction. This dark metallic fortress was coming together piece by piece.

?You don?t belong here Anakin!? Obi-Wan shouted across the gantry; across the abyss. ?Come

 

Finally got around to writing the next 'chapter'!

Anakin's transformation to Vader next I think... from his POV.

 

This was very good. I could feel Obiwan's emotions about his friend.

 

Not bad... but I'll be interested to know what comes next. If Anakin knows his wife is alive and that he is a father why didn't he try to find them... Surely, even as Vadar, he would've stopped at nothing to get them?

 

[Yoda] Oh, so certain are you?! [/Yoda]

A small twist that will be explained in the next installment. (If I get a chance to write it!)

 

Excellent ... I'm getting tired of the "Padme-must-die" stormtroopers who seem to be swarming all over the boards shouting at the top of their lungs that "the debate is over" and her death is the only way the story line can be resolved.

And acting like scenes shot in Sept. 2003 are the "final word" on what's going to be in a film released in May 2005.

Check this out too:

http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=13235511&replies=1

 

And from the Ashes? (continued)


Voices? Pain? Agony? Talking? About me. The agony!. Unbearable pain! Can?t open eyes? Can?t move?

He slipped back into unconsciousness.


?He?s fighting the sedatives your Excellency,? the medical officer informed regarding the humanoid form lying in front of him. It was barely human. Dozens of wires fed to and from the figure on the recuperatiion table. With the room lights turned down as low as they were, the screens displaying the various graphs and health readings cast an ominous glow throughout the round room. ?With your permission I would like to increase the dose.?

The dark robed figure pondered for a moment, his face impassive in the semi-darkness of the room. ?I think not.? He stopped pacing. ?In fact, stop all sedatives.?

?With the greatest respect your Imperial Highness,? Chief Medical Officer Manard stuttered. ?If he regains consciousness in this?? He searched for a tactful description this man?s condition. Of his limbs, only his upper right arm remained. After the damage the molten metal had inflicted, the remaining limbs and lower abdomen had to be removed. Bacta grafts had attempted to fuse what was the flesh on his back into some sort of coherent whole. It hadn?t been a great success. His head was a complete mess. Grafts had helped, but? this guys modeling days are over, he thought wryly. ?? incomplete condition. The shock will certainly kill him.?

Palpatine smiled. The Emperor?s smile held no warmth, Manard noted. In fact it would send any sane man scampering for a nearby exit. ?Any normal man, yes. This man is no normal man.? The Emperor?s smile vanished suddenly and a coldness appeared in his eyes. ?No further sedation. Proceed with the operations.?

?As you wish, your Highness,? he stammered and bowed his head to Palpatine?s departing back.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the door sealed behind the Emperor. He turned and regarded his patient. Whoever you are, you?re important, the officer thought. He wasn?t sure whether the Emperor realised what unspeakable agony he?d just sentenced his unfortunate patient to. The patient?s whole head was wrapped in Bacta bandages and was held steady by metal braces. Due to his broken neck, he was totally paralysed. If the patient regained consciousness during the operation, there would be very little by way of physical signs.

Manard swallowed hard at the thought of being in his patient?s shoes.


He was dreaming. He knew he was dreaming. Somehow. He knew very little else. He was frolicking around in a corn-field. Just running and laughing with the sun beating down behind him. The blue sky was free of clouds and he was chasing someone. Or was someone chasing him? No, there was someone ahead. She was beautiful, and he knew he loved her. Who she was, he didn?t know, but the feelings of love for her were unfathomable. In fact, he thought stopping altogether, who am I? He didn?t have a clue! The sun was getting hotter.

?Come on!? The sweet voice ahead called. ?This way!? She was truly beautiful!

Laughing heartily, he pursued his love, not knowing or caring about anything. The sun was getting unbearably hot. It was burning! The pain was like a thousand knives piercing his body! He fell to his knees and screamed.


The medical officers and the droids jumped back in alarm at the strangled moan from underneath the bandages. The skeletal metal limbs hung limply from their grafts to the immobile torso. Like an unholy marriage of metal and flesh, the figure on the table was an obscenity to all natural laws of life. Numerous electrical wires and intravenous tubes snaked from above and focused on the creature below. Some entering his body, some attached to the prosthetic limbs. The tubes pumping blood into him pulsed rhythmically. The two largest tubes, transparent and ribbed, glinted in the illumination of the monitors. Manard followed their path from under his patient?s ribcage and out to a respirator nearby. Another tortured moan escaped from under the head braces.

 

I'm having trouble finding time to do this, so forgive the abrupt ending above. I'll edit the above post with the rest as I write it. Thanks for your comments!

 

Hmmmmmm... Amnesia. Interesting. But, if Ani's strong enough to survive the lava pit surely he'd remember something so important... Very good story but highly implausible.

 

Whoa, creepy. Still enjoying this story immensely.

 

Sorry guys... won't be long now.

"Hmmmmmm... Amnesia. Interesting. But, if Ani's strong enough to survive the lava pit surely he'd remember something so important... Very good story but highly implausible.

Bear with me, Lynda, bear with me...

 

Updated! See previous story block.

 

I had never thought about the possible theory that Anakin did not remember who he was, as a way for him to become vader. You could sense his pain at not only his lack of memory, but how he looks.

 

And from the Ashes? (continued)


He looked about. An orange mist surrounded him. The heat from beneath him was considerable. Where was he? He couldn?t see properly? couldn?t orientate himself. He was feeling hateful and full of an anger beyond reason ? yet he knew not why. The ground was uneasy beneath him and gently, as if in slow motion, shifting under his weight. Why couldn?t he focus on details?

He was suddenly falling down? down?


?Agghh?? he cried in alarm, trying to sit bolt upright. The cry had escaped through the vocorder of his helmet as a gasp, and his body had failed to respond. He looked around him. He was in a dark room, made darker by the tinted eyepieces of his breath mask. The only source of illumination was the ever present monitors. Two dark silhouettes at the end of the bed were watching him motionlessly. The only sound was that of his own mechanical breathing echoing around the room.

?Lord Vader!? one of them exclaimed loudly, breaking the silence. It was the vaguely familiar voice again. The voice was at once warm yet icy cold. He imagined the smile that played on the owner?s lips. A cold sneer. A strange ambivalent feeling came over him. He felt both fear and empowerment. But why? ?I see that you?ve recovered enough to recall some of your abilities!?

He?s mocking me! Vader thought. How dare he! Anger flared again and he attempted to jump up to assail the robed shadow. Yet again his body failed him. He remained on the bed, immobile. He could feel nor see any restraints holding him down. It dawned on him that he was now mostly machine, and that machines can be turned off. Vader bared his teeth. ?Release me!?

?All in good time!? the voice smiled evilly. The outspoken figure moved slowly around the bed toward him. The smile was cranked up a notch. ?All in good time... But I must ask you to refrain from killing any more officers.?

The lights increased in intensity to normal levels, responding to a mere thought of the approaching man. ?We have a lot to talk about.? He sat on the bed beside Vader. ?Manard, leave us.?

?As you wish your Highness.?

Vader watched with a sneer as Manard bowed and accessed the pressure sealed door. Vader reluctantly turned to face the old dark robed man sitting beside him. The man simply smiled at him.

Vader felt fear rip through his soul. Behind that innocuous smile he could sense unspeakable evil. He could also sense the uncountable evil deeds that had stemmed from that face. Worryingly, he realised that he was also feeling elated. Why? WHY, WHY, WHY? His blood began to curdle again.

?Calm yourself, Vader,? Palpatine chuckled ? a cold mirthless noise. ?You?ll short-circuit yourself!?

?Don?t mock me!?

The smile disappeared instantly and a cold stab of fear struck Vader?s heart. ?I do as I please.? Palpatine intoned slowly and tauntingly. ?And you would do well to remember that my young apprentice.?

Apprentice? Vader was mystified. His anger subsided slightly. ?Who are you.? Vader asked. He paused and added another question. ?Who am I??

The Emperor frowned for a moment and then laughed loudly. ?Oh, come now my friend, I?ve come for a serious talk.?

He thinks I?m joking, thought Vader. ?I am being serious. I recall nothing of my past - or of you. There?s nothing, except?? he paused, recalling his taunting dreams. The Emperor frowned again. ??for some images and feelings. Nothing substantial.?

The Emperor considered for a moment, still frowning. ?Then we have a lot to talk about, indeed..."


Manard was standing taut behind the medical officers. They sat manning the observation desks adjoining the medical suites, checking the status of medical machinery, and more importantly, the patients the machines are connected to. One particular Recuperation room had everyone?s attention on the monitors All cameras were trained on the Emperor and Lord Vader. Manard clasped his hands behind his back.

Vader was recuperating well, it had to be said. He recalled how he?d given him

 

Augh! That was awesome. I'm wondering what happens when Anakin without memories and Amidala meet up. Talk about riveting!