Saga Fortune's Gate ... Brand new chapter posted 2/19/13!!

That was awesome!! It was so sweet how Anakin kept protecting Threepio. And I loved Anakin taking the droids with him Though I'm wary of anything Dooku programmed - and the fact that Dooku was extremely pleased. Nevertheless, I'm excited that Anakin is finally out and going home

 

Oh no! I missed three posts!
I want to be on the PM list again, please!

Anyway, great chapters

 

WAHOO!!! She's BACK! And with a vengeance!

"Leave the droid, leave the droid."

Hah! Not on your life, Dooku old boy! As a matter of fact, Ani will help himself to some of yours, so there!

And he's learning to use the Force.

Tell me that Dooku's not proud of him. I dare ya to!

Ripping good chapter!

 

Brilliant, as always. This chapter was a joy to read. Your many efforts more than paid off! Very well done, my friend!

 

Of course Dooku is proud of him! Shows that the student has learned something well most likely on his own, but still! Nothing wrong with the Count smiling it doesn't always mean doom and gloom when he smiles. Right?

Great chapter! Enjoyed this bit the most:

LOL! I so busted out laughing, for indeed the boy was a mite bit loud!

 

I was pleased to see the PM for this.

First, great post. I liked the test and how Dooku prodded and pushed Anakin. But in letting his apprentice go, he is in serious danger of losing him now.

 

An auspicious return. I'm glad to see you writing again, and doubly glad to be reading the results of your labors. Love is strange and powerful, and it's clear in ruminating on this latest chapter that you love what you're doing in this story, and you've taken some familiar characters in strange (and awesome) directions.

This section of your story is momentous, which all action scenes need to be. It reads with a quickness and escalating intensity. The imagery is economical and immediate as well as cunningly introduced and related to the characters, informing their various conflicts--with each other and especially themselves. Gaining speed without sacrificing depth means some keenly satisfying narrative is in the offing. Well done.

Anakin seems essentially masculine in this chapter. In the movies and in stories I've read here and there, he mainly comes across as boyish, which owes to his characteristic immaturity. Here he is decisive, powerful, aware, considerate, and dangerous. Manhood expressed in motivation and action is the result of a conscious choice being made. When Anakin decides to be a man (even if by age and circumstance he stands in a boy's stead), the result is magnetic, impressive, and intimidating. This isn't a knock on his character, either specifically in this fiction or generally, and when I say immature I don't mean whiney or annoying (though he's prone to both occasionally). I believe his immaturity is wholly existant in him, meaning he developed and grew to a certain point and then stopped, because of what the galaxy did to him, and what he decided to do to the galaxy in return.

Dooku, in contrast, comes across as childish. By turns peevy and arrogant, he lounges in the shadows of events, waiting and hoping for something beneficial to occur without activating any of it. He observes and influences to be sure, either by setting his environs in Super Attack Mode, or trusting his lessons on Anakin's behalf have stuck and will pay preconceived dividends. It's clear both Anakin and Dooku achieve something from the former's escape and awakening, but only one of the pair will reap the seeds sown from this experiment in captivity, and methinks the grayed man has not a green harvest in his future.

Threepio is well-captured. His charming coupling of exasperation and surprise is vividly on display, and the comedy he provides is antidotal to the life and death fray he finds himself mired in. Of all the Star Wars supporting cast, I'm most intrigued by where Threepio could go as a character; he's Anakin's oldest living confidant, and inextricably linked with his childhood, his innocence, and his mother. Even though he's literally a mechanism, Threepio could end up the character who knows Anakin best, being privy to some of his deepest doubts and highest dreams.

I'm very happy to be back in the thick of one of my favorite stories, and can't wait for more. So, you know, chop chop with the rest, etc.

 

NYCitygurl That was awesome!! It was so sweet how Anakin kept protecting Threepio. And I loved Anakin taking the droids with him Though I'm wary of anything Dooku programmed - and the fact that Dooku was extremely pleased. Nevertheless, I'm excited that Anakin is finally out and going home

I?m so glad you enjoyed it! Your wariness of Dooku?s intentions is well founded. On the other hand, Anakin is on his way home, to his own turf....

GeneralKenobi7 Oh no! I missed three posts!
I want to be on the PM list again, please!

Of course! Nice to see you again!

Anyway, great chapters

Thanks!

ratna WAHOO!!! She's BACK! And with a vengeance!

I am!

"Leave the droid, leave the droid."

Hah! Not on your life, Dooku old boy! As a matter of fact, Ani will help himself to some of yours, so there!



And he's learning to use the Force.

Tell me that Dooku's not proud of him. I dare ya to!

I suspect he is all that Dooku hoped for, and more...

Ripping good chapter!

Thanks so much!

JediMasterRev

Brilliant, as always. This chapter was a joy to read. Your many efforts more than paid off! Very well done, my friend!

Thanks so much ? and thanks for not giving up on me!

Kynstar Of course Dooku is proud of him! Shows that the student has learned something well most likely on his own, but still!

I think Dooku wanted him to learn on his own ? forced him. No time for lengthy training ? he has urgent need of an apprentice of his own, methinks...

Nothing wrong with the Count smiling it doesn't always mean doom and gloom when he smiles. Right?

ER... no... not at all!

Great chapter! Enjoyed this bit the most: (Dooku leaned back. Inefficient, but effective. Hopefully you will learn to use this skill without all the noise.) LOL! I so busted out laughing, for indeed the boy was a mite bit loud!


Thanks, me too! I was laughing when I wrote it, imagining the scene playing out onscreen with Anakin sweating and leaping and yelling while, elsewhere on the ship, Dooku shakes his head and rolls his eyes ...


Ocelotl_Nesto I was pleased to see the PM for this.

I?m pleased to see you here!

First, great post. I liked the test and how Dooku prodded and pushed Anakin. But in letting his apprentice go, he is in serious danger of losing him now.

Thanks! It is certainly a different training, under different circumstances, than either Dooku or Anakin might have wished. But perhaps it served its purpose... We shall see!

Mr_Black An auspicious return. I'm glad to see you writing again, and doubly glad to be reading the results of your labors. Love is strange and powerful, and it's clear in ruminating on this latest chapter that you love what you're doing in this story, and you've taken some familiar characters in strange (and awesome) directions.

Thank you, I?m glad to see you here as well, and with a finely honed critique, no less! I?m honored!

This section of your story is momentous, which all action scenes need to be. It reads with a quickness and escalating intensity. The imagery is economical and immediate as well as cunningly introduced and related to the characters, informing their various conflicts--with each other and especially themselves. Gaining speed without sacrificing depth means some keenly satisfying narrative is in the offing. Well done.

All I can say to this is... whew! Jedi Master Rev can attest to the buckets of sweat that went into it...

Anakin seems essentially masculine in this chapter. In the movies and in stories I've read here and there, he mainly comes across as boyish, which owes to his characteristic immaturity. Here he is decisive, powerful, aware, considerate, and dangerous. Manhood expressed in motivation and action is the result of a conscious choice being made. When Anakin decides to be a man (even if by age and circumstance he stands in a boy's stead),

 

Anakin's homecoming! I cannot wait for that!!!

 

Me either!

This is just my token posty (you know the underlying reason why it's so short) as a public "Brava" that you're back, and of course in brilliant form -

Loved it all from start to finish, and know that I read each installment the moment I know it's there!

 

ratna Anakin's homecoming! I cannot wait for that!

Oh, dear! In the words of my beloved Mark Twain: "Climate is what we expect. Weather is what we get..."

DarthBreezy *hugs*

~

Chapter 16. Homecoming (Part 1)

The homeward journey always seems so much faster than the one that leads into the unknown. It seemed to Anakin that he barely had time to clean up, dress his wounds, and find some spare clothes that weren?t caked with blood, shredded, or scorched. Luckily, he?d found one spare set of clothing on the Queen, since he?d abandoned everything but his lightsaber on the Serena. They were a far cry from the luxurious ensembles that Dooku had insisted upon, but he liked their comfortable shabbiness.

He dealt with his injuries as best he could using the standard medkit on board. The burns and lacerations would heal soon enough once he?d lathered them with bacta, but the gash on his shoulder was deep and jagged, which needed seeing to. He dressed it as well as his meager supplies allowed, and thought of trying the kind of healing trance that Dooku had taught him. But the moment he shut his eyes he fell deeply asleep, and didn?t awaken until the proximity alarm screeched that he was nearly home.

While it seemed as if only a moment had passed, the hours of quiet had tightened his bruised muscles to a stiff, sore mass. His injured arm didn?t want to move at all, and when he forced it to stretch, the wound broke open and began to bleed again. Oh, well. He was nearly there. He would take care of it when he could.

He glanced at Threepio, who had also shut down for the journey. What a mess. Without switching him on, Anakin quickly repaired the droid?s dangling eye and did what he could with the loose and singed wiring. Even in his sorry condition, Threepio looked rather magnificent compared to his former shabby, unpolished state. When he was fixed, he would be fit for service at a palace. Anakin grinned at the thought of the questions the old droid?s appearance would raise. He?d be telling stories in the cantina for weeks....

Before he knew it, Tatooine loomed up in the Desert Queen?s viewscreen. It was night over the desert settlements, but from high up, dawn's aura illuminated the curvature of the planet. Far below, the lights of Mos Espa were a faint smudge in the gloom. If he landed there, it wouldn't be long before someone figured out he had returned. In an hour, maybe less, he would be mobbed, which would make it easier to find out where Padmé and Kenobi were, but harder to do anything about it.

Rubbing his eyes, Anakin thought about contacting Remy, who was probably insane with worry. Then he thought about all the explaining he?d have to do. Truth was he wasn?t up to telling stories yet. He needed time to make sense of everything he had experienced.

He flew on. The farm was calling to him. He needed to see his mother. Remy and the others would have to wait.

He landed the Desert Queen quite near the house and garage, and woke up the droid. On the ground it was still pitch dark, but the night shields gave the farm's domes an eerie greenish glow.

"Come on, Threepio. And watch your step."

Threepio looked around, seemingly delighted. "Oh, Master Ani, may I say that am very glad to be home at last!"

Anakin smiled at the gleaming droid. "I'm not sure they'll even recognize you." He used his sleeve to polish a dull brown streak of dried blood off one of Threepio's golden shoulder plates. "There. Good as new."

Making his way across the cool night sand, an unsettling feeling that something about the farm was different kept nagging at him. It looked all right from the outside; everything was quiet, and the shields had been set properly. At the perimeter gate he waited for a moment to see whether anyone had noticed his arrival. He'd half expected the rumble of the Queen's big old engines to wake everyone up. But when he stretched out his senses, he could feel the deep quiet of sleeping beings inside in a way he never had b

 

This was, by far, my favorite set of scenes in the whole story. I loved the playful, yet caring banter between Anakin and Padme. Significantly better than the excuse of romance GL called for in AotC and RotS. Too bad you were't the head writer for the prequels. Anyhow, very, very nice work, my friend. I look forward to the next installment.

 

Well done. Better Chemestry than the Cannon view of SW. It may have to do that your Anakin seems to have matured more.

 

Amazing take on Anakin and Padme's relationship how it could have been, the chemistry is just right!

Great work!

 

Ok, my first thought is ... fear! What if Dooku is having Anakin followed in some way?? Or put some kind of tracer device in either the Desert Queen or Threepio?

I love how everything feels different to Anakin, now that some of his Force sensitivity has been brought up to the conscious levels of his mind. Of course I am also wondering if the little skin prickles don't indicate that something is WRONG ....

Anakin trying to sneak back into his house is just priceless -- like the teenager trying to get back in undetected after curfew.

He felt something shift, and then heard the telltale hum of the retracting shields. The glow faded.

Nice! Anakin grinned in the dark. Almost as good as having a lightsaber, maybe better. He could just imagine the possibilities...

And of course where would Padme be but IN HIS BED!!! Hee hee!

"What in the seven hells are you doing in my house?" Anakin swore, undaunted. "And who is..."

"Ani?"

He looked up. There SHE was....

... ... with her eyes wide and her hair tumbling all over her shoulders...

...

The long years between seemed to collapse into nothing.

*sigh*

And this is such perfect Anakin:

"You can go," Padmé said with authority in her voice when the men lingered, glaring at Anakin. "Really. He's my friend."

From the floor, Anakin glared at the interlopers defiantly. "Her best friend!"

Priceless!

They are so awkward with each other, yet so familiar at the same time. You've really captured it the way it would be.

*sigh again*

(me wants more ... )

 

A friendly post to say I LOVED it!! Such a sweet reunion!!!

 

Yes, I am emeriging from hiding behind a busy RL to comment....

As to the first post, I simply adored the pacing. The whole post has a forward driving rhythm to it that even the longer situations within it don't break. I know that this is an extremely difficult tthing to get right, and I applaud you for it.

The second post was just sweet. Yet, the most interesting thing was the simple sense that she had not somehow simply forgot about the nine-year old that called her an angel. It was all implied her, but it seemed to flow so clearly and naturally from her words. BRAVO!

Oh, and if you ever feel the need to have some green uniformed, slightly full of themselves soldiers/nobles appear, feel free.

 

That was awesome!! I love that Padme and Anakin were so happy to see each other And I can't wait to see what happens next - especially when Anakin runs into Obi-Wan.

 

My, oh, my! Kalinadians in the Geoverse? *fans herself* My heart might never recover from the shock, but I would not mind at all. *smiles*

Other than that, I am anxiously awaiting the further adventures of this Anakin. This story is, in a word, splendid.

And a while back, we were discussing our ideal casting for Anakin. I humbly submit my own suggestion: one John Fraser, best known for his roles of *ahem* Ian Fraser in Tunes of Glory (with Alec Guiness) and Alfonso of Castille in El Cid (with Charlton Heston). In El Cid, especially, his acting qualities shine forth, with a carefully banked madness lurking in his azure gaze, as his character struggles between his pride and his duty to Spain. If you want an idea of the man, here's a photo of a key scene of the movie: http://auteurs.s3.amazonaws.com/notebook/El%20Cid/4.jpg .

Cheers,

Lauré

 

If you want an idea of the man, here's a photo of a key scene of the movie...

Caption: For the last time, stop snickering about the crown!

A picture is worth 1000 words; I humbly submit those 9 as a good start.

Seriously though, his face captures something distinctly Anakinish. Bravo!

 

Some further examples, so that you might have a better idea of this actor's range:

- A self-assured young Prince: http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/2783/princealfonso.jpg
- A freshly crowned King: http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/2796/kingalfonso.jpg
- A monarch troubled by nightmares: http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/5113/kingalfonsob.jpg
- A defeated warlord: http://img59.imageshack.us/img59/7829/kingalfonsoc.jpg
- A man proving his mettle: http://img402.imageshack.us/img402/7721/kingalfonsoe.jpg
- A leader finding his calling: http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/33/kingalfonsog.jpg

Cheers,

Lauré

 

Thanks very much for all the kind replies! I'm elsewhere at the moment, working at a strange computer, trying to turn various fragments into the next post. Stay tuned! In the meantime, overdue replies:

JediMasterRev This was, by far, my favorite set of scenes in the whole story. I loved the playful, yet caring banter between Anakin and Padme. Significantly better than the excuse of romance GL called for in AotC and RotS. Too bad you weren't the head writer for the prequels.

In the Maker's defence, whatever appeared on the screen seemed to be enough to spark the imagination and fascination of quite a lot of people, mine included... and, if I may be so bold ... yours? But I'm glad you enjoyed my little version. Wait - head writer for the prequels??? [face-shocked] *stars in eyes* I sure would have loved to have a crack at EPIII.... *dreams* *sighs* OK, back to reality...

Anyhow, very, very nice work, my friend. I look forward to the next installment.
Thanks so much!

Ocelotl_Nesto Well done. Better Chemestry than the Cannon view of SW. It may have to do that your Anakin seems to have matured more.

Hmm... seems to be a theme here! Seriously, that's one of the things I wanted to try out in writing this AU: what would a more mature Anakin do?

GeneralKenobi7 Great work!

Thanks!

ratna Ok, my first thought is ... fear! What if Dooku is having Anakin followed in some way?? Or put some kind of tracer device in either the Desert Queen or Threepio?

A devious mind, you have.

I love how everything feels different to Anakin, now that some of his Force sensitivity has been brought up to the conscious levels of his mind. Of course I am also wondering if the little skin prickles don't indicate that something is WRONG ....

Fear: the path to the Dark Side...

Anakin trying to sneak back into his house is just priceless -- like the teenager trying to get back in undetected after curfew.

Well, he IS still a teenager. Hard to remember sometimes, considering what I've put him through between the ages of 9 and 19 or so...

And of course where would Padme be but IN HIS BED!!! Hee hee!



And this is such perfect Anakin:

"You can go," Padmé said with authority in her voice when the men lingered, glaring at Anakin. "Really. He's my friend."

From the floor, Anakin glared at the interlopers defiantly. "Her best friend!"

Priceless!

They are so awkward with each other, yet so familiar at the same time. You've really captured it the way it would be.

Thanks so much! I've tried to keep in mind that the last time they saw one another they were genuinely friends and confidants.

DarthBreezy A friendly post to say I LOVED it!! Such a sweet reunion!!!

Thanks!

GunraysLawyer Yes, I am emeriging from hiding behind a busy RL to comment....

Hooray!

As to the first post, I simply adored the pacing. The whole post has a forward driving rhythm to it that even the longer situations within it don't break. I know that this is an extremely difficult tthing to get right, and I applaud you for it.

Thank you! It is indeed a very difficult thing to get right, and I'm delighted that you find my efforts successful.

The second post was just sweet. Yet, the most interesting thing was the simple sense that she had not somehow simply forgot about the nine-year old that called her an angel. It was all implied her, but it seemed to flow so clearly and naturally from her words. BRAVO!

Well, thanks! Why is it that scenes like this are always so much easier to write than action? Or maybe it's just me...

Oh, and if you ever feel the need to have some green uniformed, slightly full of themselves soldiers/nobles appear, feel free.

That is a very generous offer, and believe it or not, I'm seriously considering finding them a place...

NYCityGurl That was awesome!! I love that Padme and Anakin were so happy to see each other And

 

Actually, John Fraser, like any British actor worth his salt, was trained as a stage actor (Shakespearean, to be precise). I fancy that it helped lend a certain gravitas to his screen presence, along with an in-depth understanding of his roles, their complexities and challenges, however small the part. In El Cid, Alfonso is quite the conflicted character, constantly trying to find his balance and his place in the world. And near the end of the movie, he has a line that, taking into account what we said about Ani and Arthur, struck me a posteriori as very... "Anakinish", to use the word coined by Mr Black:
"I am no King at all! But you shall see! You shall see! I will make myself a King!"

Cheers,

Lauré

 

UP....for the sake of new readers, and the boards.

 

laurelelthiel1138 In El Cid, Alfonso is quite the conflicted character, constantly trying to find his balance and his place in the world. And near the end of the movie, he has a line that, taking into account what we said about Ani and Arthur, struck me a posteriori as very... "Anakinish", to use the word coined by Mr Black: "I am no King at all! But you shall see! You shall see! I will make myself a King!"

I finally got to see it, and I can certainly see the parallels. The character isn't only conflicted, he has a certain sense of entitlement, and he is driven by fear. However, he seems to have no heroic dimension at all. All those attributes are heaped onto Roberto. Despite his many struggles, Alphonso remains a small human being.

I wonder why Foster never made it bigger? Was it because he played the whiny brat?

GunraysLawyer Thank you for the up, my friend. I'm quite sure that by this stage in a story of this length, there won't be any new readers! So just for those of us who are all caught up, here is the next installment...with of course, much more to come by and by.

~

Homecoming (Part 2)



Padmé?s gesture of preparing first meal for the Lars family was a masterful piece of diplomacy. In fact, she hardly had to lift a finger in the strange little kitchen. Whenever she made a move in any direction, Cliegg intercepted it clumsily, attempting to do everything for her. It wasn?t long before young Rhea appeared, her eyes still heavy with sleep, but her hair tidily braided.

"I'm so sorry, My Lady. I was fast asleep and no one came to wake me."

"It's all right, child," Padmé soothed her quickly. "Everything happened rather quickly."

Rhea was about to murmur yet another soft protest about having been banished to a far chamber to sleep rather than sharing Padmé?s, when the sudden sight of the person who had caused all of the uproar rendered her mute. The boy from Vespé?s holovid - the one who had freed slaves and chased gangsters off the world they had occupied for generations - was in the atrium a few feet away from her. Only he wasn't a boy. And although he was crouched next to Shmi's chair, totally absorbed in talking to her, it seemed to Rhea as if he filled up the whole space, completely changing its atmosphere to something electrical that sparked along every nerve.

Realizing that she was staring rudely, Rhea glanced guiltily at her mistress, but Padmé hadn't noticed. She was paying attention to Farmer Lars with the same look of animated forbearance she wore when speaking with oppositional colleagues and people who bored her. She wanted rescuing, Rhea realized.

"My Lady, Master Lars, won't you please allow me to do this for you?"

"Thank you, Rhea," Padmé said serenely, as if it had all been prearranged. "That is very kind."

Lars, whose embarrassment at being sandwiched into his kitchen between two strange women was apparent, acceded just as quickly.

"Well, if you don't mind, young Missy..."

"It would be my pleasure."

On her way out, Padmé touched Rhea gratefully on the shoulder, and headed straight over to Shmi. Rhea stared after her. Or was it Anakin whom Padmé was hurrying toward? Rhea watched the way he immediately stood up when Padmé approached, and the way his face lit up when he looked at her. She glimpsed a little of Padmé?s answering smile from the side, in profile. All at once, Padmé seemed like a different person. Any lingering sense of illness or fragility had vanished.

Suddenly embarrassed, as if by merely looking she had intruded on a private moment, Rhea busied herself with her task. It was a good thing that she had helped Beru with the cooking before, or she wouldn?t have had any more of a clue how the little kitchen worked than Padmé did. It was a pity, she thought sadly, that Beru wasn't here now. She would have enjoyed a little gossip. And a little help.

Sliding one more glance toward the group in the atrium, Rhea admitted to herself that it wasn't Beru she wished for, but Eirtaé. However annoying the elder Handmaiden had become