Before - Legends Captive to Crown: A Tale of the Hapes Consortium (Completed 3/12)

Sil: Perhaps they thought that the scales would be balanced best by letting his primary victims decide his fate?

VaderLVR: I hadn't intended for it to be seen that way, but I suppose it could. After all, it elevates Ael, and by the hand of a Jedi.

Rogue_Pilot: Things are going to be shaken up more than a bit in the posts to come.

Azure: A new day is indeed about to dawn for the Hapans.


Okay, here comes the next post!

"The days of the Lorell Raiders are therefore at an end," said Jedi Master Arca Jeth. "Their forces are in shambles, and they will hold sway over this section of space no longer. Captain L'Roux and his cretins will be taken back to Coruscant to stand trial for their multiple crimes. The Republic has authorized me to offer transport to all who have suffered in captivity."

"I appreciate you bringing my husband home, Master Jedi," I said. "But I must say that you have made your journey for little purpose. For some time, there has been a movement under way to change Hapes, to remove the criminal element from power. The time for us to take our campaign out of the shadows and into the light has arrived."

The white-eyed Jedi Master raised his eyebrows in what I could only imagine was surprise. "While this is a welcome turn of events, I do not wish you to make any decisions in haste."

"As I said, Master Jedi, this is a transformation, a revolution if you will, that has been simmering for some time. Your actions against my husband and the other Raiders has merely given us the chance to take our next steps without fear."

"Then I presume you do not wish to leave, to return to Tanaab."

"Hapes is now my home, Master Jedi. While Tanaab may be my homeworld, Hapes is my home. I cannot leave my children behind, and will not tear them away from everything they know. I suspect many of the other wives in the high Houses will feel the same way. However," I said, pausing momentarily, "there are some who will likely wish to return to their homeworlds. Most can be found in the slave markets, which I would not miss if you decided to eliminate them in accordance with Republic law."

"Can your society function without slaves?" Arca asked. "While it would technically be a violation of the law, I could see leaving the system in place for a time."

"I will not be party to stripping a sentient being of his or her rights any longer than I already have been." I turned, and called to Anya. She rushed to the doorway of the office. "Yes, milady?"

"You're free of the chains of servitude, free to return home. This Jedi Master is willing to take all of those captured in raids back to Coruscant, where the Senate will arrange to return you to your homes." I could see her face light up, and knew I was doing the right thing. "The same goes for all of you. I will not stand in the way of a single person who wishes to leave. It is the only gift I can give you."

"Free?" Anya asked.

"Free," I replied. "Now, if you'd like, I can arrange to have a car prepared to take you to the spaceport, so that you can be shuttle up to Master Jeth's ship. But for now, I'd like to ask you to pass the word on to the others. Anyone who wishes to leave Hapes is free to do so." For a moment, she just stood there. Then, without a word, she raced forward to embrace me, tears dampening my gown.

"Thank you, milady," she said, her voice breaking up her sobs. Then she rose, wiped her face, and raced from the room.

"This will not be easy," Arca said. "I fear that difficult times lie ahead of you."

"I've found that the most fulfilling things are never easy. And while the consequences of what I've done here today may not be easily overcome, the decision I have made could not have been easier."

++++++++++++

That'll do it for Chapter 15. The 16th and final chapter will begin this weekend.

Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

Will Talya be leaving, too, I wonder? This could create temporary havoc, but it's definitely the right thing to do. These posts are so short, makes me want to see what happens next really quickly!

 

not surprised that Ael decided to set everyone free. I, too, wonder if Talya and Diantha want to go home

 

"You're free of the chains of servitude, free to return home. This Jedi Master is willing to take all of those captured in raids back to Coruscant, where the Senate will arrange to return you to your homes." I could see her face light up, and knew I was doing the right thing. "The same goes for all of you. I will not stand in the way of a single person who wishes to leave. It is the only gift I can give you."

"Free?" Anya asked.

"Free," I replied. "Now, if you'd like, I can arrange to have a car prepared to take you to the spaceport, so that you can be shuttle up to Master Jeth's ship. But for now, I'd like to ask you to pass the word on to the others. Anyone who wishes to leave Hapes is free to do so." For a moment, she just stood there. Then, without a word, she raced forward to embrace me, tears dampening my gown.

"Thank you, milady," she said, her voice breaking up her sobs. Then she rose, wiped her face, and raced from the room.

"This will not be easy," Arca said. "I fear that difficult times lie ahead of you."

"I've found that the most fulfilling things are never easy. And while the consequences of what I've done here today may not be easily overcome, the decision I have made could not have been easier."

I'm so glad they're being given the choice!

 

Yay! She freed the slaves!!!! Well done, Ael!

 

I am happy to hear of the latest events on Hapes. But an inner voice tells me that the trouble is not over yet.

 

dm1: I think that the next post will answer many of the questions that remain.

Sil: I think that both would likely remain, as, like Ael, they probably consider Hapes their home.

VaderLVR: Ael knows what it's like to have decisions made without choices. I don;t see her imposing her will without a great deal of thought.

Rogue_Pilot: Yes, even after all these years, Ael's heart is still in the right place.

AzureAngel: I'm sure that there will be additional trials, but that, I'm afraid, is probably a story for another time.


Okay, here comes Chapter 16, which, due to its short length, is coming to you as one piece.


Chapter 16: Queen Mother

"A Queen must put her personal considerations aside. But a mother cannot. I must find the path that balances the two." ? Queen Mother Aelinor Ta'a Chume

I stood outside the hall, my mouth going a little dry from nerves. "This isn't how I expected things to be," I said to the woman who stood next to me. "Besides, all this," she gestured to the walls of the newly constructed Fountain Palace, "is too much."

"Actually, it's perfect," my companion said. "Besides, after all that we've been through, I think you can handle a little pomp and circumstance."

"Just remember that I wouldn't have gotten here without you, Lady Talya," I said. "You kept me sane all those years."

"Well, somebody had to," Talya said with a smile. "Are you ready for this, Ael?"

"I suppose that I'm going to have to be," I said. I looked around at the walls, which almost seemed to glow. The Republic had decided that the most appropriate way to punish the Lorell Raiders was to turn them over to face the justice of those against hwom their crimes had been committed. After a great deal of discussion, we decided that those who remained unrepentant would be put to hard labor, helping to build the new Hapes.

Tobyn had been among those who refused to accept the new order of things, and refused to repent for what he'd done. He'd been among those who had built this palace. He'd taken me as a captive, but now I was a queen. And though my reign had begun when Arca Jeth had brought Tobyn back, following the Battle of the Transitory Mists, today was the day that all of Hapes would see me take up residence in this new palace. Today would be my official coronation.

"I'm ready, Lady Talya."

++++++++++++

The throne room was long, or perhaps it was just my impression. As I entered, I couldn't belive that the dream I'd had for so many years was finally realized. The women I'd worked with to build this new world were somewhere towards the far end of the room, but here, among the average person, I could feel that all the sacrifice, the long nights had been worth it.

I made my way through the center aisle of the room, towards the large, throne that sat in the center of a dais at the front of the chamber. A gigantic circular window poured sunlight into the chamber, creating the effect of a halo around the throne. There were murmurs of "Queen Mother," "Great Lady," and a few people even uttered the Hapan word Ereneda, which I knew meant "without equal." I hoped that all of this wasn't going to my head, and trusted those closest to me, like Talya, Di, and Milyssa to keep my feet firmly on the ground.

I reached the dais and stood for a moment looking down at the throne. Perched atop the throne was the new fan-shaped emblem of the infant Consortium. "Lady Aelinor Ta'a Chume," Diantha said, approaching from one side. "Do you accept the responsibility of protecting Hapes, as if she were your own child?"

"I do," I said.

"And do you accept the right to lead the people of Hapes down the road to honor, keeping the feet of those who follow you on the path to truth and justice?" Milyssa asked.

"I do."

"Then receive the crown of the Queen Mother," Diantha said, raising the crown as I knelt before her. "Know that the oath you have taken today is binding, and solemn."

"Receive also the trust and loyalty of Hapes,

 

so this is when Ael gets her old name back. And Tobyn wound up helping to build the palace. Interesting.

 

Wow, well done! It's kind of too bad what happened after generations, but it was a good start.

 

Tobyn didn't repent, huh? That's too bad. I kind of hoped he would turn out good.

Great ending. Yay! They did it! I wonder how they managed to keep out of the Republic all that time, since the Jedi were involved in the beginning of the Chume dynasty.

Can't wait for the epilogue!

 

What, the end is near? But there are so many things to tell still!

*tries to make a peaceful protest!*

Please?!?

 

Just perfect! I can't wait to see what the epilogue reveals!

 

Sil: Yup, this is where Ael begins the dynasty that will ultimately lead to Ta'a Chume, Isolder, and Tenel Ka.

dm: Unfortunately, it seems to be the way of things. Even the best of intentions can ultimately lead to ruin. Just look at Jacen Solo.

Rogue: Nope, Tobyn's totally unrepentant. As for keeping out the Jedi, I'd believe that one of Ael's decendants closed the borders, leading to Hapes's isolation from the rest of the galaxy.

Azure: A sequel is always possible, but for right now, this is where it's going to end.

VaderLVR: Glad you think so.


Okay, here comes the epilogue.


Epilogue: Princess

Nineteen years after the Battle of Yavin

Tenel Ka Chume Ta' Djo laid down the scroll. It was brittle in her hands, and she knew that anywhere outside of the protection afforded by the Archives, the history she'd just read would turn to dust. "But what does this have to do with me, Mother?" she asked, looking back towards her mother, the current Queen of the Hapes Consortium.

"It is in our hands to carry on Aelinor's legacy," Teneniel Djo said. "In a way, Hapes has become lost because only a select few ever see the beginnings. Oh, they know where Hapes came from, but they don?t truly understand what it meant to those who laid the foundations for what we now celebrate. It would be as if the Sisters forgot the lessons learned at the hands of Gethzerion and the Nightsisters."

"Then why not convert the stories to datadiscs, so that others could read them?" the ten-year old asked.

"Because some things can only be appreciated in their original form," Teneniel replied. Much of the account you just finished was penned by Aelinor herself. In a way, she was speaking to you across the ages."

"What happened to her? Did she ever reunite with her family on Tanaab?"

"Aelinor ruled for fifty years, before turning the throne over to Trista, who married Lady Milyssa's son. Aelinor then took a shuttle, and left Hapes. Some say that she soared in the heavens, and became one with the stars. I prefer to think that she took that shuttle, flew into the Transitory Mists, and came out the other side. Her family may have moved on, but I don?t think Aelinor ever forgot them."

"But what does any of this mean for us now?" Tenel Ka asked.

"It's not for me to say," Teneniel said. 'Like almost anything, it can only have whatever meaning you choose to ascribe to it. I cannot tell you what to think. Only you can decide what Aelinor's tale menas to you." She rose, extending a hand to her daughter. "Now, let's go find your father. It's almost time for you to head back to Dathomir, and your father would kill me if he didn't get to say goodbye to his little princess."


And that wraps things up for Captive to Crown. Hope you've all had as much fun reading this as I did writing it!

The Force will be with you...always.

Tych_sel

 

so Ael did leave Hapes again... at teh age of 80. nice ending with TK and Teneniel reading that while the Hapans celebrated that day

 

I'd really not look at Jacen Solo; what the EU did to Han & Leia's family is unconscionable! After all of Leia's uncertainty about having children in the first place, to have it all blow up in her face...

Anyway, a beautiful story; I like how you put it into later days as Teneniel and Tenel Ka read the original document. Tenel Ka is sort of right, though, it should be put onto a data disc just in case. Maybe there would be hope for Hapes (if it weren't for Jacen... grrr!). And we never find out where Aelinor went after her reign, very mysterious and mythical.

Well done! PM me if you write a sequel to this, please.

 

An absolutely perfect ending to a beautiful story!

"Aelinor ruled for fifty years, before turning the throne over to Trista, who married Lady Milyssa's son. Aelinor then took a shuttle, and left Hapes. Some say that she soared in the heavens, and became one with the stars. I prefer to think that she took that shuttle, flew into the Transitory Mists, and came out the other side. Her family may have moved on, but I don?t think Aelinor ever forgot them."

Wonderful!

 

Yay. Nice ending. I like the mention of Tenel Ka!

 

Well, a German saying is about ending things when they are at their best. You chose well, but I hope that there might be a sequel one fine day, because there are more stories to be hold, more heroines to be admired, more ennemies to be fought and more fun to have with listening to you as our storyteller.

 

Sil: Glad you liked seeing TK and Teneniel. I just thought that showing that some trace of Ael did manage to make it.

dm: I always intended to find some way to make Ael seem mythical.

VaderLVR: Glad you enjoyed it!

Rogue_Pilot: Glad you liked seeing TK pop up.

Azure: I don't have plans for a sequel at the moment, but I've also learned over the last few years to never assume that a story is truly finished...

 

Whoa, I managed to miss hell of a ot. On my way through the sroty at the moment, 3 updates to go...

 

Wooh, I missed a lot. Now I have to catch up and I'm currently reading page 8. Nice job there, Tych_sel. I'll post more feedback as soon as I finish reading this.

 

Finally, read it completely. It was awesome read, well done!!!
I am amazed at all the intrigue in the story. Good writing.

 

Read everything, from the beginning. I'll quote 3PO and just exclaim: "Wonderful!"

 

I have read the prologue and I am definitely interested. Looking forward to catching up.