Saga Destiny's Hope (AU, completed 10/14)

Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing in the Star Wars galaxy, but am just playing in the Flanneled One's sandbox. All rights to any characters seen in the following fics remain with their original creators.


Author's note: This fic takes place approximately twenty years after the end of my previous Saga fic, Destiny's Choice, placing it at the beginning of A New Hope, were we in canon.

Destiny's Hope


Prologue

It?s one thing to be stuck on a planet where nothing ever happens, but it?s quite another when that planet?s as poor in resources and badly placed as this one, Leia Skywalker thought as she rubbed the beading sweat from her brow, and hunched down in the minimal shade offered by the twenty-year old vaporator. Tatooine?s twin suns blazed down, and in the almost noon sun, it was virtually impossible to find any place out here that was remotely cool. But she also knew that Uncle Owen would have her hide if she hadn?t made some progress by the time Aunt Beru called them in for lunch.

She reached forward, unscrewing the plat that covered the vaporator?s innards, trying to keep from having to touch the metal any more than necessary. This thing wasn?t designed for such heat, Leia thought. Matter of fact, if anybody who had worked on designing these had thought a little, they might have constructed it out of something less likely to cook the devices? nerve centers. ?Dzaah,? she said as the tool slipped, the pressure she?d been applying driving the side of her hand against the hot metal. She turned away from the vaporator, and looked up into the cloudless sky. Somewhere up there, ships were moving into landing patterns, though few would ever see what they carried. She squinted. That wasn?t just reflected light. She pulled out a pair of macrobinoculars, directing them at the sky.

Those were laser blasts! Somehow, the Galactic Civil War had made its way to the Outer Rim and Tatooine. She immediately thought of running home to tell her uncle, but realized he?d probably just chew her out for wasting her time staring into space. But there was something about events beyond the moisture farm, beyond Tatooine, that called to her. She?d bring up the subject at lunch, but before that, she had some work to finish.


That's all for now. I'll try and get the first post of Part I: An Awakened Hope up on Wednesday.


Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

Giving this a bump in hopes it might get some readers.

 

This is a great start! Could you add me to your PM list?

 

It's up!! I love Leia the farmgirl!

 

Oh man, this story has me in high hopes for yet another fantastic AU story brought to us by Tych_Sel.

 

Hmmm...it has an interesting premise, I like it so far.


Can't wait to see suitless Anakin!

 

VaderLVR64: Glad you liked the opening. And yes, I'll add you to my list of people to PM.

Sil: It's up. I'd bben waiting for the right time, and a couple nights ago I just couldn't stop thinking about it, and started writing. As for Leia the farmgirl, you'll have to wait a bit to see more of her, as her brother needs a little time first.

Rike: I hope you're not setting the bar too high!!!!

Windu2008: Glad you like the premise, though you won't be seeing a suitless Anakin. Aayla left him close enough to dead at the end of Destiny's Choice that the suit is still necessary.


Okay, here comes the first post of the actual fic!


Part I: An Awakened Hope

The Corvette dropped out of hyperspace, and Luke Organa, son of Viceroy Bail Organa of Alderaan, couldn?t help but think that this was an odd place to search for a war hero. Then again, the Jedi had hardly been painted as the heroes of the Clone Wars. But his father had told him that if anything unusual happened in the recovery of the plans to the Empire?s latest weapon of terror, he should head for Tatooine and seek help.

He stood on the bridge, just behind the pilot?s seat, his hands clasped behind his back. If nothing else, even in the midst of chaos, Luke was the epitome of calm. ?There should be some cities down there, Captain. We?ll have to find one of them and?? His words were cut short as he caught sight of the sensor readings. Coming out of hyperspace directly behind them was a Victory-class Star Destroyer. It wasn?t the most powerful ship in the Imperial Starfleet, but it had enough firepower to easily reduce the Tantive IV to so much space debris.

?Should I open fire?? Captain Antilles asked. ?Or should we hope that their presence here is just coincidence??

?I doubt that?s the case, Captain,? Luke said. He didn?t have any more time to contemplate the situation as the Corvette rocked. ?I think we have our answer, Captain. You may open fire.? Red laser blasts leapt from the Corvette, but they did little against the much stronger shields of the Imperial warship. The Star Destroyer bore down on the smaller vessel, continuing to pelt it with turbolaser fire. The ship rocked again.

?Senator, we?re going to have to shut down the main reactor, or it?s going to go critical and vaporize us.?

Then the chase is over, Luke thought. His mission to bring the data back to Alderaan was a failure, and he hadn?t even gotten close to finding the hidden Jedi Master his father had sent him to retrieve. Perhaps he might still be able to achieve some measure of success, however. ?Keep us moving as best you can, Captain. I?m going below decks.? Down in the droid pool were a pair that Bail Organa had told Luke could be trusted to do whatever he ordered. As Luke made his way through the ship, he caught glimpses from the troopers. A touch of the shoulder here, words there, and the resolve of the troops to defend the junior senator came back.

Luke finally made his way through, and felt the ship rock as it was seized by the tractor beams of the Destroyer. He didn?t have much time left, and what he needed to do would take most of it. ?Artoo,? he said, keeping his voice low, even with the din of the alert sirens now ringing throughout the ship. ?Artoo-Deetoo, get over here.? The droid tootled forward, and Luke bent down.

+++++++++++

?They?ve shut down the main reactor,? See-Threepio said to Artoo-Deetoo as the ship rocked with another impact, of what sort Threepio wasn?t even going to think about. ?There?ll be no escape for the Captain this time. We?ll be destroyed for sure, our parts used for other, less deserving droids.? Artoo didn?t seem a bit phased by the golden protocol droid?s worries, and continued along his path. ?Where are you going?? Threepio asked. Artoo had turned down a darkened corridor, away from the main droid pool.

?Come back here, you oversized trashcan!? Threepio said. ?Come out of there, before somebody sees you.? He peeked around the corn

 

Oh I can just hear my favorite Sith breathing as he walks down the hallway. More soon?

 

oh wow, role-reversal! this is quite interesting so far! i like the concept. great job with it.

 

This is so great. And I actually just re-watched ANH last night on DVD which I finally got around to buying. I am really looking forward to how this all might play out. Figure that it could be pretty close to the same, but at the same time, extremely different. At least we won't have to go through a Han and Luke "fighting" over the recently rescued Leia. Instead Han will have a good amount of time before hand to "woo" Leia before Luke is even able to catch a glimpse of her. Its the little things like that which I always find myself enjoying.

Rike: I hope you're not setting the bar too high!!!! - Well, I have to say, if your previous stories are any indication of what this one will be like, I highly doubt that the bar is set too high. They've all been really enjoyable to read. Also, a nice extra selling point that your stories have is the fact that you have a regular and frequent updating schedule that you use, so the interest and awareness of what is going on in your stories remain very fresh.

 

Liked it.

But I'm not sure why Vader would reall need the suit if he was injured in the Temple- During the duel on Mustafar, Vader had sustained near-fatal third-degree burns, severe lung damage and the loss of his remaining limbs. That's why he needed the suit so badly.

 

Sil: Yeah, somehow, it just wouldn't be the same without that heavy breathing, not to mention Jones' wonderful voice!

anakin_luver: Glad you're enjoying things so far, and I hope you'll stay tuned!

Rike: While I'll agree that you're right about not much changing to a point, you're going to start seeing major differences once we get to the Death Star. And I'll probably still have Han and Luke fighting over Leia, but Han'll have the upper hand.

Windu: At the end of Destiny's Choice, I had Aayla leave Anakin for dead in the Temple. I doubt she'd have turned her back on a Sith she still considered a potential threat. Much as with Obi-Wan in RotS, Aayla thought Anakin was dead.


Okay, here comes the next post.


The escape pod blasted free, shooting away from the captured Corvette. As it tumbled through space the two droids aboard were treated to an excellent view of the Devastator?s underbelly, and the captured Tantive IV. ?Funny,? Threepio said. ?The damage doesn?t look as bad out here.? Artoo tweedled something derisive, to which the golden protocol droid shot back, ?That?s not my specialty, you glorified socket wrench!?

The pod was captured by Tatooine?s gravity, and pulled down, smashing into the sands of the Dune Sea. Artoo had the hatch open in minutes, and was already a few meters away by the time Threepio climbed out. ?Artoo!? he called, but the little droid seemed to be paying no attention. ?Wait for me!? This was not going to be fun, Threepio knew, as he surveyed the sandy sea ahead of him.

The pair continued for what seemed like hours, leaving the capsule behind. ?I?ve got rest for a moment,? Threepio said. ?My joints are nearly frozen.? Artoo seemed to find that amusing, emitting the astromech equivalent of a soft chuckle. ?Laugh at me if you want,? Threepio snapped. They finally reached what seemed an island of more substantial terrain, but it seemed less habitable than desert had. Artoo, of course, headed that way.

?Well, I?m not going that way,? Threepio said. ?It?s far too rocky.? He pointed to the south. ?This way is much easier. And what is it that makes you think there are settlements over there?? Artoo whistled a reply. ?You?ve been here before? Now listen to me, you bucket of bolts. We?ve never been here, or I would have remembered.? Artoo continued towards the outcropping. ?Fine!? Threepiuo snapped. ?I wouldn?t be here if I hadn?t trusted you!?

Now, Artoo?s reply took on a pleading tone. ?No!? Threepio snapped. ?I?m not going that way. You?ll be malfunctioning in a day, and I won?t be around to help you this time.? Artoo offered one last attempt to sway the taller droid. ?No more adventures!? Threepio said. ?I?m going this way.? And with that, he turned his back on the astromech and trudged off. If Artoo?s murmer to himself could have been translated, it probably would have been something along the lines of a sarcastic ?Your funeral.?

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

Luke Organa was brought to the bridge of the Tantive IV, his hands bound behind him. When confronted by the looming form of Darth Vader, he met the Sith Lord?s black-lensed gaze evenly. ?Darth Vader. I should have expected to find you leading this assault. Only someone as rashly bold as you would have ordered such an attack. When the Imperial Senate hears that you unlawfully attacked??

?Don?t act so surprised, Prince Organa. You weren?t on any mission of mercy this time. Seberal transmissions were beamed to this ship by Rebel spies.?

?I don?t know what you?re talking about,? Luke said. ?I?m a member of the Imperial Senate on a diplomatic mission to Alderaan. Check with the Senate on Imperial Center??

?You are part of the Rebel Alliance, and a traitor!? Vader barked. He turned to the troop commander ?Take him away!? As the troop commander prodded Luke down one corridor, Vader made his way down another. The white corridord of the ship made for quite a contrast with his ebony armor. He was soon joined by one

 

I can certainly see Luke in Leia's position, cuffed and everything.

 

I'm very interested! I love the switch, it makes Luke a little calmer, and Leia a little more . . . farmgirl-ish? Or a lot more. Anyway, if you're doing a PM list, please add me to it!

 

I like the twist! I can't wait for more.

And thanks for the PM and link!

 

Sil: It's funny how much of the early part of ANH could have been achieved with the opposite twin.

DancesWithBlasters: Welcome. I'm glad you decided to drop in and are enjoying yourself. I've always thought that Luke's whiny reputation was undeserved, and this does give me the chance to show that he wasn't the whiner some think he is. As for Leia, I have a feeling I'm going to be really having some fun with her character once this kicks into high gear.

VaderLVR: Glad you're liking things so far. More is on the way.


And here's the next post!


Sand, sand, and more sand. That was all that seemed to lie before See Threepio in all directions. And if he looked back the way he?d come, he?d see even more of it. He passed the skeleton of some long-dead desert creature, wondering how long the bones had been baking under the twin suns that scorched the planet. Curse Artoo anyways. ?It?s all his fault,? Threepio said, almost ready to give up the fight and let the heat melt his circuits. ?He tricked me into going this way.? But then the droid remembered the rocky terrain that his counterpart would have to negotiate, and he became a little more sure of things. ?He?ll do no better though.?

Looking to the horizon, he thought he saw a glimpse of something. Could it be? ?A transport! I?m saved!? He began to gesticulate wildly, hoping that somebody in the far off transport would see him. ?Help! Over here! Help! Please help!?

A few miles away from where Threepio stood trying to grab the attention of a seemingly far-off transport, Artoo Deetoo negotiated a rocky slope. It could easily have caused him to take a jarring tumble, but the droid was driven by something utterly beyond self-preservation. He had been given a mission, and he was going to carry it out, or be destroyed trying. A few falling pebbles made him stop, and he wondered if somebody was following him.

He paused, looked around, scanning the terrain for any sign of pursuit. Seeing nothing, he continued on his way. Another sound grabbed his attention, and again, the little droid paused. Still, there seemed to be no sign that he was being observed or followed. He continued forward, but only for a moment. Then, a scrawny figure leapt out of concealment, a weapon poised at the ready. It souted something at Artoo, then fired.

The electrical charge hit the droid square on. Current ran across Artoo?s outer casing, momentarily frying his circuits. Artoo?s third wheel retracted, and he fell down, totally senseless. With the droid down, more of the scrawny, brown robed creatures emerged. They were called Jawas, and they were known on Tatooine as scavengers. While they?d never take on something large, a single, unattended droid would be easy pickings for them.

After the weapon-wielding Jawa had concluded that the droid was downed, the others clustered around Artoo?s fallen form. The Jawa with the weapon, obviously the leader, gave quick orders that sounded like meaningless chatter. The other Jawas picked up the fallen droid, and, with the leader at the head, marched back to a battered, treaded vehicle that was as large as its owners were small. Nobody knew if the Jawas had salvaged the sandcrawlers, or if they were something the little desert scavengers had come up with on their own.

They deposited Artoo at the base of the sandcrawler, near one of the massive treads. A tube was lowered from inside, and after one of the Jawas affixed a device Artoo?s dome, a vacuum pulled him from the sand, drawing him inside the vehicle. It deposited him in a bay along with several other droids. As the sandcrawler began to move, Artoo?s processors came back on line. He stood, some debris falling from him as he did so.

He looked around, seeing droids of every design he could imagine. Or at least, there were pieces of some of them. He recognized the arm of one of the old Trade Federation battle droids, its blaster still clutched in its hand. And over there?Artoo bleeped a query. Yellow lights flash

 

Hmm...did Dooku die, the Seperatists killed, and the Droid Army deactivated?

 

Windu: You'll find answers to those questions as the story moves on. At the risk of ruining later surprises, I'll confirm that Dooku did not die at the end of Destiny's Choice.

And how 'bout an UP!

Force be with you,

Tych_sel

 

Oooh this sounds good. I can't wait to see the missing scene.

 

Very interesting role reversal A/U here. I can't wait to see an impatient Leia being tempered by a more mature, polished Luke...and first Mate Solo repaying his life debt to his Wookiee Captain, Chewbacca.

Very nice work so far, please add me to your PM list, and if you get a chance, check out my newly completed story "The Sandtrooper's Story" linked below in my signature.

I can't wait to see more.

 

Another great update!

?I find your lack of faith disturbing,? Vader said. Tagge continued to struggling to draw breath, his own body fighting him.

Tarkin put an end to it. ?This bickering is pointless. Vader, release him.?

?As you wish,? Vader said, and Tagge slumped forward, gulping breaths while Motti hid his amusement.

?The plans you refer to will soon be back in our hands. And with this station operational, the Rebellion will go the way of the Jedi Knights.?

Can't wait to see what happens next!

 

UP so you can update.

 

Sil: You'll be happy to know it's coming now.

Terel_Deckard: Welcome! I wouldn't say that the role reversal will continue to Han and Chewie, but it will be interesting to see just what happens to the trilogy we know and love, just because of one little change...

VaderLVR: Gld you liked it. More is coming...now.



Bail Organa, Viceroy of Alderaan, former member of the Imperial Senate, slumped in the chair, devastated. Not only had the mission failed, leaving the galaxy firmly in the grip of a man few knew was a Sith Lord, but it had claimed the life of Bail?s adopted son. I promised Yoda and Aayla that Luke would be safe with us, he thought. And what have I done instead? Thrust him straight into the fire of the Rebellion. Soon enough, the Empire would unveil the station Luke had gone to obtain the plans for, and when that happened, any hope of a return to democracy would be quickly snuffed out.

Bail realized that if the news had hit Bail this hard, what would it do to others? What would it do to his wife, who had raised Luke as she would have their own child? What would it do to the Alliance, which had so heavily depended on Luke for the information that would lead to the final defeat of the Empire? He knew what he had to do next, but it would not be an easy task. Accessing a secure channel of the holonet via some illegally produced hardware, Bail contacted two other individuals: Garm bel Iblis, the former senator from Corellia, and Mon Mothma, the senior senator from Chandrila.

?I have some disturbing news,? Bail said. ?I just received word that Luke?s ship was destroyed over Tatooine. According to Lord Vader?s report, there were no survivors.?

?My condolences, Viceroy,? bel Iblis said. The Corellian had lost his entire family to the Empire, and Bail knew that it had taken its toll. It helped make what might have been an empty statement meaningful. ?Do we know what happened to the plans for the battlestation??

Always the military mind at work, Bail thought. ?There was no mention of them. I?m hoping that it means Luke found a way off the transport, or at least got the plans to somebody who can get them back to us.?

?Then there is some hope your son might be alive,? Bel Iblis said.

?It wouldn?t be the first time that Vader?s lied to cover up a failure,? Mon Mothma said. ?We all know that the last thing the Emperor wants is for word of this little project to get out in the open.?

?Even if Luke did survive, there?s a pretty good chance that he?s now in Imperial hands,? bel Iblis said. ?Even the most dedicated persons can?t stand long under Imperial torturers. I?ll make sure that our forces on Yavin are ready to move.?

?We can?t give up all hope,? Mon Mothma said. ?Even with the Senate and the Advisory Council dissolved, the Emperor still has to deal with the people.?

?Since when has the common citizen mattered to Palpatine?? bel Iblis asked. ?I think we?re past the point of trying to make changes through the political system. It?s going to take blood to undo the damage Palpatine?s done.?

?It seems that we have done all we can for the moment. I intend to see if can learn any more details about the incident, and will update you if necessary.?

?As I shall you, Viceroy,? bel Iblis said, his image winking out.?

?Don?t give up hope, Bail,? Mon Mothma said. ?We can never give up hope.? Then her image also vanished. Bail returned the receiver to its hiding place, then went in search of his wife. He was not about to let her hear of Luke?s death over some Holonet broadcast.

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

Threepio was bumped against the side of the storage bay, and realized that the Sandcrawler had finally come to a stop. He brushed some debris from Artoo, and thumped the smaller droid?s dome with one hand. ?Wake up!? he said. ?We?ve stopped, though I hardly believe that any good can come of it.? A large door opened at the far end, and Jawas began pouring in. ?Don?t shoot,? Threepio said, as one of the Jawas brought up a device

 

I can't wait to see what happens next!


?I have some disturbing news,? Bail said. ?I just received word that Luke?s ship was destroyed over Tatooine. According to Lord Vader?s report, there were no survivors.?

?My condolences, Viceroy,? bel Iblis said. The Corellian had lost his entire family to the Empire, and Bail knew that it had taken its toll. It helped make what might have been an empty statement meaningful. ?Do we know what happened to the plans for the battlestation??

Always the military mind at work, Bail thought. ?There was no mention of them. I?m hoping that it means Luke found a way off the transport, or at least got the plans to somebody who can get them back to us.?

?Then there is some hope your son might be alive,? Bel Iblis said.

?It wouldn?t be the first time that Vader?s lied to cover up a failure,? Mon Mothma said. ?We all know that the last thing the Emperor wants is for word of this little project to get out in the open.?

Great insight into Vader here!

 

Very nice writing for Leia...I can see her wanting to hop in her speeder and go see Biggs....good feel for the character.