Before - Legends Eyes of Ice: The Crossing and The City 9/13

Eyes of Ice, a vignette series

By JalendaviLady

Timeline: Before pre-Republic to a few decades pre-Saga (as currently planned)

Summary: Over generations and generations, a small group of exiled humans grows into a galactic civilization.

Author's Note: These are intended as backstory for a good pile of my other fics. However, this series shall be completely self-contained and make fairly good sense on its own. I have no clue how often new vignettes shall be added, and I reserve the right to not post in chronological order (especially since most generations will only have one vignette if any).

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Disclaimer: Me no own Star Wars. Not that anything vastly Star Warsy will be in many of these vignettes, other than the setting, but... yeah, I don't own George Lucas's wonderful creation in whole or in part, no matter how tiny the slice may be.

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Eyes of Ice:
The Crossing

Timeframe: Think old. As in the early Republic would have called this ancient. This is Year 0 for people who number the date in the Saga in tens of thousands of years. This is the dawn of all that shall follow.

It was quiet on the bridge of the Freedom. That wasn't the name emblazoned on her side by the passenger's world, but it was what the passengers now called her.

Or would have, if they were not in coldsleep.

The Freedom had been asleep for a long time, plodding between stars in a bubble of space moving itself slightly faster than the local light. The bubble was moving back through time, the ship was moving forward ever so slightly. It aged even as stars grew young around it.

Long ago, Freedom had stopped cruising between stars.

She was drifting between galaxies.

In carefully measured stages, the bubble decayed and broke. She popped through into normal space, the first and only human ship to cross such a distance.

Slowly she entered the galactic disk, scanning the spectra of the systems she passed.

Until one day she found what she was looking for and those sleeping within began to wake.

...

"I thought this thing was supposed to find us a planet." Marie Chester leaned against the table, wet hair leaving tracks all over the slick plastic.

"You don't call THAT a planet?" He gestured towards the observation window and the silver hulk beyond.

She sighed. "You knew what I meant well enough, Charles Dwayne Phelps the Third." She said his name with a glance and a smirk that let him know she full well knew how much he disliked being reminded he was the son and grandson of nobles.

Not that those they had left behind cared all that much about nobility once one showed individuality.

For Charles Dwayne Phelps the Second lay dead on an icy world, huddled next to the equally still form of his wife Greta.

A warm hand on his elbow. "I didn't mean it that way, Charlie. I suppose we're all a bit snarky right now."

He nodded. "The moon is about the size of Earth. Grasslands, some seas, mostly forest. Only a few mountain ranges and one really deep river." Truth be told, Marie's been snarky ever since she'd lost her own parents in the early days of the mission.

"Can we handle a world like that?"

"Our ancestors did. And they didn't have half the technology we have." He ran a hand over hers. "We'll make it somehow."

"Charlie, none of us is over thirty. Can a society of twenty-five-year-old astronauts' kids and eighteen-year-old orphans survive?"

"We have to try." It still disturbed him, as it had before coldsleep, that she and the others looked to him for leadership.

According to decree, his family was to have ruled the intended Alpha Centauri colony. Even after several votes and the seemingly planned accidents of the journey for Earth to Sol's boundary, he was the undisputed leader of the tiny band.

They were only a few thousand, chosen to give a good defense against the most dangerous effects of inbreeding. That was of course, not counting andy of the miniscule chances DNA in any particular individual in the colonizing group would mutate in a damagin

 

Disclaimer: See first post.

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Eyes of Ice:
The City

Timeframe: Approximately 30-40 Years After the Crossing

Jules Phelps ?the First?--as his mother often liked to call him, with much eye-rolling from his father--looked out from the window of the mansion?s highest window. The brightly lit city below cast light onto the vast cavern ceiling that did nothing to soothe his heart.

His wife and toddler twins were a level down, fast asleep. Mother was, no doubt, spending time with her night roses in the gardens below. And Father...

Father...

Charles Phelps, Lunar Governor by public acclaim, was topside.

Topside meant danger, especially at twilight. There was something in the pit of Jules? stomach, something the young man simply could not shake.

Something was wrong, or about to be wrong.

Jules tried to tear his eyes away from the flickering shadows. One of the city?s bars should be open, at the very least. Sititng down there listening to the idle gossip of his father?s generation usually made him feel better.

Somehow, he doubted it would help much tonight.

...

?Good evening, young Jules,? the bartender called out. Jules blushed as the middle-aged men and a few youngsters his own age nodded or lightly bowed greetings to him.

He had barely sat down on one of the wide benches when a runner stumbled by on the main street of Calica. ?Accident topside! Accident topside!?

...

?Promise me you won?t let the power take control of you, Jules,? the broken man wheezed from a bed mere hours later.

?Father, don?t talk like that.? Tears were streaming down his face adn no matter how hard he tried, he could not let his father?s hand leave his own. ?In a few weeks, you and Carie and Arthur will be playing in the gardens again.?

?I heard the doctors talking to your mother earlier, Jules.? There was strength even in the Governor?s dying hours, a solid backing behind the gasps. ?Promise me you won?t undo all I and everyone else have worked so hard for.?

?Father... there will be a vote for your sucessor, as you wished, and there?s so little chance I will win... I may not have much power to defend dreams.?

?They respect you, respect your work on improving the natural ventilation systems. The people trust you, they?ve seen you toil with them... There will be a vote, and the winner has already been decided. Even if not, you may be able to guide however wins.?

?I?ll do what I can, Father.?

Blue eyes met blue eyes. ?Promise me.?

Jules? stomach was churning. This can?t be happening. Flying monsters are a myth. Our only real dangers are ourselves and those cave monsters, right? ?I promise.? I?ll wake up in a little while and everything will be fine.

The elder lay there, eyes closed and chest heaving weakly under a slowly splotching sheet. ?Thank you.?

?Father...?

?Your mother can help you, and Rhonda?s a good girl. You won?t be working alone. But the people will be looking to you now. Stay calm and they will stay calm.? He opened his eyes. ?I wish I could stay and help you.?

He smiled and Jules? stomach calmed. ?Just a little city of dreams in a sea of unknown lands, bu she?s your baby now.?

Jules? felt his grip tighten, then release.

And then the light left his father?s eyes.

...

?One day, this will all probably be yours,? the gray-haired Lunar Governor told the teenager staring out the window.

?Really, Grandpa Jules??

?Considering the family record and your father?s own record with that new design of hydroponics system, I have no doubts he at least will be my sucessor. The rest is up to you, George.?

?But never a king or emperor, and never a tyrant.?

A warm hand reached out to ruffle the boy?s hair. ?That?s my grandson.?

And maybe our people can continue to live free. With care and God?s blessings and more than a little luck.

We?ve come so far...

He smiled at the way torchlight sparkled in his grandson?s pale blue eyes.

?We?ll need to explain someday, won?t we??

Jules walked over to the window. ?Someday. But

 

I've enjoyed this. I would like to see where it goes. I liked the code, especially: ?But never a king or emperor, and never a tyrant.? I hope they can keep that up.

Just Jill

 

I'm looking forward to more!

 

Thanks guys. I have no clue when the next bit will be up.

 

Just letting you know that your readers are here when you are ready to update!