Beyond - Legends Inner Storm. A companion piece to LYBJ. Posted on 11/26/07

This is a birthday viggie for DarthIshtar. It's a little peek into Aikia's mind during the penultimate verdict scene of her awesome AU Lest Ye Be Judged. I only hope I did this justice.

Aikia and taia belong to her, the rest to George Lucas.

Here we go!

*****
It had taken some time for Aikia to get ready when word had reached him that a verdict had been reached. He arrived by speeder just as the media had whipped itself into a full-fledged frenzy, reporters taking gigabytes worth of holos.

Guards managed to escort him inside with little fuss and Aikia arrived at the courtroom with time to spare. He collapsed into his chair as the import of the message finally hit him. By Taia, it?ll all be over soon. Maybe my family can rest now?

He suddenly stood to attention as the Tribunal entered, Rieekan in the middle. He glanced over at Leia and she returned it with a slight tilt of her head. His eyes didn?t linger, lest they fall on Anakin.

The words exchanged between the Tribunal and the jury foreman were lost in a blur as they exchanged words. Part of him didn?t want to hear the verdict. Part of him wanted the foreman to forgo tradition and shout it out loud. He felt sweat on his brow, but he forced himself to stand straight.

His thoughts tumbled around in his head, focusing on his dead family, sent to the Force by that monster Tarkin while Vader held Leia and made her watch the murder of a world. He thought of the struggles against the Empire, and the absurdity that now they were aiding the New Republic in condemning their former poster boy. The months of legalities and courtroom maneuvers weighed on him. I need a vacation.

Rieekan spoke to Anakin for a minute before looking down at the datapad. ?In the matter of The People versus Anakin Skywalker, we the jury find the defendant??

Aikia felt his breath catch in his throat as Rieekan paused. Read it! he wailed.

?Guilty as charged on all counts.?

The brown-haired prosecutor sagged, as if a pin had pricked him. There was dead silence in the courtroom before the inevitable uproar outside filtered in, the utter silence inside making it even louder. Aikia wiped his eyes and slipped out, his hands clutching the handle of his briefcase and leaving as quickly as possible. It was over. By Taia?s grace it was over for him?

And for Leia and her family, it had just begun.
*****

Please read and review. Thank you.

 

I love that there is such a tone of release in this and that there is, yes, bitterness, but also moving on.