Before - Legends "Legends of the Force"(epic drama with OCs), book 1, 32 Chapters, FIN

Thanks to my wonderful DarthUncle who keeps me going! And writing against all odds.

Cowgirl Jedi 1701: That she is!

earlybird-obi-wan: Let´s put it to the test!

WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: Sometimes even young kids can be great philosophers!

 

Interesting how Isa keeps having visions of Anakin......

 

Cowgirl Jedi 1701: Well, Isa will be around as a Force ghost when Hett has his chat with Anakin about a certain amulet. It was hers, as mentioned in the prologue:


“This token was given to my mother K’Sheek by her adoptive mother,” Hett says, barely audible. “It has been in the clan for ages. It once belonged to a warrior queen who led the Tusken into great glory.”

The word ’queen’ makes Anakin’s heart flutter. It reminds him of his beloved wife Padmé and all that is still good in the universe.

“We Tusken have not always been living on Tatooine, and we had a different name before that,” the Jedi Master tells him in a very soft voice. “Our people have always been warriors and herders though, living together with their flocks and respecting the ways of the desert.”

Anakin does not care for the history of the monsters that led to his mothers demise. Nor does he care for the desert and its cursed heart. “I don’t like sand,” he hears himself admitting for the second time in his life. “It’s coarse and rough and irritating and it gets everywhere.”

Soft chuckling fills the air. “Yet you are desert-born like I am.”

“I was born in the depths of space. On a slave ship. I am sure of it.”

Hett looks Anakin deep in the eyes. “And with whom was He angry for... years?” His words sound like a reverent quote. “Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness?”

The past is a place dangerous place to visit. Anakin will not stand it for a second time today. Instead he lowers his head and concentrates more on the amulet at hand. It is a very simple yet elegant thing. Very much like the Japor snippet that he gave Padmé so many ages ago.

Hett continuous talking, but Anakin pays no heed. He gets lost in the curves of the amulet.

Time loses all meaning as he is sucked into a past that is not his own. His fingers cramp closer and closer around the amulet.

Suddenly, there is a sand dune. And standing on it a girl with a staff, all by herself.

 

Fascinating, Azure. I love how you so adeptly weave timestreams Legends/NEU together.

 

Chapter 23:

Breakfast was to take place without Grianán and Dana. They were on their way to Sendero already.

It had been agreed that I would follow in a couple of sun days, taking Iocus, Blandita, Rubio and Calathus with me for what I called a 'field trip'.

Agathos and Narthex had finally given in, while we the three of us had been in the kitchen together, preparing the food and the drinks: coffee, hard boiled eggs, olives, feta cheese, thick rye bread and rich pastries with more goat cheese fillings.

Things had settled between the three of us. A fact for which I was grateful. I love those two fools a lot.

Humming old lullabies of the Ophidea to myself I carry the bread basket and the egg basket onto the veranda.

A gloomy Luçien stands at the edge of the table, waiting for my arrival. The entirety of his body language reminds me of my acquaintance from the future: the man in the mask, bringing terror and heartbreak into the city in the clouds.

“You should reconsider your choice of garment. Something more light and airy. Your cape is also a wrong choice for a jungle landscape like this. You could get caught in the trees while you try to fetch your sons from danger. Go for a tunic.” I advise him.

Then I turn away again and walk through the veranda door once more to get the two coffee pots. Narthex is getting too old for running around with full trays.

“Isabeau, stop messing with my feelings!” my step-brother clips out behind his war mask.

“As long as I do not mess with your food, things should be perfectly all right.” I check the arrangements of the plates, trying not to meet his intense blue eyes. “Not that I wish to poison you, but I would not be unhappy about you dying long before I do.”

“You cannot go on hating me forever.”

I raise my chin proudly.“I will with every breath that I take.”

“It was not my intention to split this family apart even further,” he insists.

“Grianán has a feeble health since her birth. It is a miracle that she made it so long.” I resist the impulse to chase a big beetle from one of the shining white porcelain plates. “Daná loves her very much and decided to stay at her side.”

“I still get the impression that all this happened because of me. As if you would fear that herchildren are not safe with me.”

In my mind I spot the angry young man from the far away future.

He is cutting through a room full of toddlers. His eyes are full of tears, but he moves his saber of light with cold precision anyway.

“Are you still drinking your coffee black?” I ask, pushing away the disturbing vision.

Suddenly, Luçien stands right in front of me. Éleos and Sereno are also able to do that particular Force trick. And I despise it. No being should be able to move so quickly.

“Isabeau, I promise you that I will not harm her serpent-spawn in any way. I owe that to Agathos. And to you. I know that these children mean the world to you.” He gazes down on me with a gentleness that makes me sick. “Actually I am very surprised that you learned to love another being that very way. You were always very selfish when you were little. I always thought that the trauma of losing your family caused that.”

I use one of the breathing techniques that Éleos taught me. Instead of depending on my chest only, I use my stomach. Calmness settles down in me immediately. “There is a lot of things that you do not know about me. I actually ask myself if you ever really knew me.”

Despite her wooden leg Sionnach O’Conghaile hurries towards us and takes my breath away with her beauty. Her hair is donned a dark brown tunic, very simple in its cut, yet rather elegant. Her waist long hair is a mix of amber and honey. The pale Elfin face has the shape of a triangle with a pair of amber coloured eyes and small lips. She wears no make-up or jewellery.

“Ma petite sœur,” I address her cheerfully, meaning every word of it. This one has suffered a lot in the past. The secret service files on her had been hard to bear. “I hope you slept well.”

When I come closer to give her the traditional kiss of greeting, she shrieks back from me by sheer instinct. I start to wonder how she had survived the serail so long and so successfully. Exchanging cheek kisses is essential between the women folk.

Luçien wraps his arms around his wife in a protective gesture. “May I ask you, what you want to drink for breakfast, Sionnach?” I ask neutrally.

Sionnach cannot help being that jumpy, I decided on her behalf. Her husband is a notorious assassin of the infamous Brotherhood of Shadows. Of course Luçien never would bring evidence of his work home, but I am somehow aware that she knows a big deal about him. More than I ever had. But I am only his exiled step-sister. She is the women who shares a life, a bed and the upbringing of her children with him. Perhaps pillow talks make him rather talkative.

“I would like to have a spiced chai tea.” Sionnach tries to smile bravely at me, while Luçien softly squeezes her shoulders.

“Chai tea? I will ask Agathos about it.”

As quick as possible, I bounce back into the kitchen, where the senator and his valet make the last breakfast preparations.

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(To be continued!)

 

Yummy picnic with the pastries and feta and olives. Great intensity between Isa and Lucien.

 

Well, WarmNyota_SweetAyesha, actually Narthex is even more intense. I have to think about Alan Rickmann when writing him:

 

Love the call backs to Anakin and Darth Vader. Two well picked and chilling scenes from Cloud City and the Jedi Temple.

 

Nice slice of Isa trying to be polite to Lucien and make friends with Sionnach.

 

And because I am nice to DarthUncle who just left the living-room with a book under his arm and a sad face, I will give you all an update around Sunday evening, Darth_Furio and Cowgirl Jedi 1701. I am on to something, an idea developing.

 

Nice to meet Sionnach again, I like her. And yeah, great, tense but with some levity, interaction between Isabeau and Lucien there; together with your Isabeau's well placed force visions underlining some of what she's experiences.

 

Oh well, pushy man DarthUncle, here we go:


(Still Chapter 23)

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In the weeks to follow Sionnach tries her best to cope with the jungle and its humid climate. Her bravery is astonishing, but I can see her fading away right in front of us. Her cheeks get more peaky with each day. Dark shadows start to form under her eyes and begin to deepen. The Undead might be to blame for that, but I also feel guilty for her deteriorating health. She regards me as some kind of beast, keen for her blood. With great anxiety she gazes at me during each meeting.

It is no big surprise for me when Luçien announces that his family will leave the Holy Isle and that he will accompany them on their journey home.

I know exactly where they are all going to, but I remain silent about that.

My step-brother has no clue how possessive Arcānā had been. The case files on the clone have never been closed. Actually, I have full access to them, but until now I have not really bothered much. Her life belongs to herself, at least it should from my point of view. Plus I do not need any more sad stories around me.

True, the royal family is my concern, but Sionnach, in a twisted way the cousin of my wards, is not on my priority list.

When the royal household says good-bye to our visitors, I wave them out enthusiastically.

Luçien gives me one of his queer looks, before he enters his space ship, but that is okay for me. My grin widens as the ramp closes.

Sionnach's departure means freedom for all of us. It annoys me though that Narthex and Agathos plan a reunion in the Vallum Ventii already.

Draught, supplicants from all over the kingdom, dark passage ways and a dusty library are no reason for me to get cheerful about. Luckily, I do not need to face the severe frost of a certain mountain chain for another six months, because I am still training Grianán, Daná and a certain set of handmaidens.

The spear is said to be a good basic weapon, and is recommended as the first weapon anyone learns with. I can fully agree with that. Its sheer weight helps to build upper body stamina and strength.

It might take another year before I allow the four girls to learn about swords. But I am not any under particular time pressure. When I am not around to tutor them, I have the finest military teachers of this planet to help me out.

I remain standing on the landing platform, even though the ship is long gone and the midday rain has started to wash over the jungle.

In the late afternoon I have a visit to pay to one of the scientists of the underground laboratories. It is about the foundling that Grianán picked up two years before the Polysýndeton drama.

I start walking towards the stair case.

By saving the unwanted child from death Grianán made Luna my responsibility ever after. In the beginning I did mind that a lot, but by now it feels wonderful to play an important part in somebody else's life.

Luna just adores me and, to be honest, I feel some affection for her since our first meeting. The strength with which she took my index finger astonished me and her eyes told me that I was dealing with a survivour.


On my home planet an unwanted baby would not have made it without the support of its clan or any family member to claim it.

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(To be continued!)

 

Nice reflections and glad Isabeau has someone like Luna to nurture.

 

Isabeau is great at setting her priorities, and also, for letting people lead their own life. I wonder why Sionnach only sees the fierce warrior in Isa and not the kind heart? Interesting update. And there's Luna, I thought there was one of Grianan's friends missing, and so there was! See, again, Isa willing to adapt her beliefs to change around her. One of the things, so far, in which she differs from Lucien, even though she can be quite uncompromising in other respects - but, usually only in things either only influencing her own life, or in things where she's convinced it has to happen for the good of her wards.

So, short but sweet.

 

A little responsibility never hurt anyone. I wonder who these handmaidens are? Reference to Padme or Atris?

 

WarmNyota_SweetAyesha = Thanks for saying so. It took me some time to come up with a new text, because I did not like the old one and was missing Luna in between the lines.

DarthUncle: Let me quote from the musical "Evita", please?!? "I would be surprisingly good for you"...

Darth_Furio: Let me confess to you that I watched a certain TV series called "Reign" recently and that made me remember my handmaidens for Gri again. Who are indeed based on Padmé´s handmaiden.

 

Isa sure has her mind set not liking Lucien at all. But with the visions of the future how could she

 

Good philosophical answer, dear earlybird-obi-wan. I must force my eyes to stay open because everybody around me is asleep and wait, a child woke up. Ready to dance on his bed sheet. Argh!

 

New update, freshly written, DarthUncle, Kahara, WarmNyota_SweetAyesha, Darth_Furio, Cowgirl Jedi 1701 & earlybird-obi-wan. Did not like the old text version any longer.

And please tell me if my update list is wrong! Then I stop tagging you immediately!



(still Chapter 23)


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Motionless, Saeta Bona Merkhet waits in front of her home. For a change, she is not donned in her laboratory coat, but wears a cheerful sari. Her white blond hair is donned in a strict topknot, When she beholds me, a small smile appears on her face.

“Please, no bowing!” I prompt. “Also no foot kissing or other forms of honour. I am here in private.”

I hate the local foot fetishism most.

“As you wish, Holy Consort.” Saeta gives me a curt nod, but her dark green eyes are filled with glee. “But let me point out to you that touching elders' feet – not kissing – is an integral part of the tradition of Cunabula.”

I refrain from sticking out my tongue like a little grin. “Let's talk business, then! You have a problem with Luna?”

She shakes her head. “Not a problem, no. It is more a request.”

I already can imagine what it is. “Luna is too young to serve queen and country,” I answer.

“Pardon me for saying so, but your people also start to teach their kittens about warfare this young.” Her gaze is unwavering. “If my daughter wishes to participate the training of Aranea and Mora, I will not hold her back. She is strong in the Force and a keen warrior.”

“This is why all the statues in your front garden are headless, right?”

Saeta sighs. “Children are usually the first sacrifice in war. This is why everybody on this island sees to it that our off-spring gets good training.”

“Which war?” I ask.

Sadness creeps into her eyes. “The Star Wars were never over. We can grow orchids where the cut off heads of our enemies used to lie, but it does not change what we are. What we have become.”

“You make it sound as if it only happened yesterday and not many centuries ago.”

“I am a scientist, Holy Consort,” she gives me to consider. “My speciality is the evolution of humanoids. My race and yours are blood thirsty, but mankind is the greater danger. Look at Amnion and what brews in its city states.”

I raise a brow. “An epidemic?”

“Xenophobia is indeed an epidemic,” Saeta agrees. “The humans of Amnion have the means to destroy all of us, because we are not pure-blooded any more.”

“This is why you want me to train Luna together with the rest of the girls?” I roll my eyes at her. “Isn't this a bit far fetched?”

“I want the child that I accepted as my daughter to be well prepared, when times are changing.”

I see the hard core of steel that the woman in front of me is made of. “Times are always changing, Saeta. Like sand dunes.”

My words make her kneel in front of me, but her posture remains proud. “Luna is part of Griana's life, since the princess found her in that wicker basket. Even at her young age she understands this.”

Life debts are such an annoying hype around here. “D'accord,” I sigh. “Right then. But I will not pamper Luna in any way. She will get the same treatment like everybody else.”

Saeta reaches out for one of my hands, before I can hinder her. Her lips are warm and soft. “Blessed be, Holy Consort!”

A small face peaks around the corner of the bungalow house.

“Luna, I give you an hour to pack,” I advise the child.

“No,” she says and zooms towards me, carrying a little bundle with her.

“You are well prepared,” I praise her.

“She is my daughter,” Saeta replies and her feature show great tenderness as she gazes down on Luna.

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(To be continued!)

 

Lol Holy Consort.

Touching Feet? heh

Star Wars? centuries ago?

Even Luna herself doesn't want to train this early!



Being well prepared is one thing, but this....

wherefore* art thou innocence?

*Touches feet*

edit: *yeah yeah, it means why, but I want to use it so much.

 

What an intriguing conversation, about being prepared for changing times and the scars of long-ceased but still-present conflicts that find echoes in lingering attitudes.

 

Dear DARTH_MU, the Ophidiae from Draconis have a lot from the Indian culture. Especially when it is about paying respect to elders. So actually you have to touch the feet of someone else, not your own.

As for the mentioned Star Wars, GL looked at the Maya culture and the way they fought their wars. By checking the star constellations. The Ophidiae also did that centuries ago, especially when star ships with strangers came. First humans, later on Elves.

And as for why Luna is so "loony", well let me tell you that girl is keen on life, on love, basically on everything. Including martial arts. You will come across her not only in this story, but also in the one that Sionnach is about to tell in a nearby future, in Grianán´s story of course and finally in Lucien´s story. Of course, 3 years of age is young, but I recently came across the story of a Shaolin monk who was trained by his dad at that age.

We should also take into account that the reptile originated Ophidiae are a fierce culture and therefore it is no miracle that the feline Lidérc, their former pets.

WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: There were things missing in the old text so I edited it. Are you still interested in being the beta? Because DarthUncle has no time and Kahara is already so sweet to do the Nagina main story.

 

that's a very sad image, but while the conversation following could be equally sad, it also holds hope in Isabeau being a wise 'Holy Consort' to rule, and Luna being a loving creature - love does bring hope to those who allow it into their lives.

 

Oh I am still so glad to be alive to read your comment, DarthUncle and to welcome you home about an hour after me! Imagine I would have taken my usual route towards the bus station. That crazy lunatic would have driven right into me when he stirred his car into the underground station.

My laptop and all my texts also would have been smashed by that car driving down the stairs! And I am not Is a who would have fended it off bravely!

 

Yikes and AzureAngel2 -- that sounds downright nerve-wrecking/wracking. The most insane thing, especially if it was done on purpose.