Saga More Than You Think You Are - Anakin Skywalker's big sister, Announcement - 4/18

I'm a little slow in moving this over to the new boards. But here it is, finally, so look for new chapters ON THIS BOARD, not the old one.

For those who don't already know, this is a story about Anakin Skywalker's older sister, Kaya. It's pretty much all about how his life affects her, and her quest to redeem herself from the shadow of his choices.

Portions of this story use direct quotes from The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. I read the novelizations to make sure I'm staying true to what actually happened. The dialogue you recognize as being from the movies/novels obviously does not belong to me, and I do not take credit for it.

Chapter One: First Meeting
The twin suns were high in the sky, and fourteen-year-old Kaya Skywalker was beginning to rethink the wisdom of trekking through the midday heat. But she was halfway to Watto's shop anyway, and it had been a while since she'd had time to visit Anakin while they were working. She figured she ought to take advantage of this break while she had it.

She slowed as she approached the shop. She heard voices. There were customers in the store. She listened, hard, trying to place their accents, giving up after a minute. Her lack of knowledge didn't phase her - there were thousands, maybe millions, of planets in the galaxy.

She was at the doorway now, and she slipped inside. She stayed quiet, and hidden in the shadows. Anakin would know she was there, but there was no need to alert Watto or the customers. Disrupting a sale would not be a good idea.

Instead, she staked out the newcomers - a human man, with long hair and goutee, perhaps in his late thirties. And a girl, about her age. The man's daughter, probably, she thought. She looked rich. Wonder what she did to end up on this dead-end planet. There was an ampibious-type alien,too, an unfamiliar species, and an astromech droid - R2 series.

"I need a part for a J-type 327 Nubian," the man said. That fit with her assumption that they were rich. Nubian model transports were popular among VIPs on Coruscant. But Tatooine was a long way from Coruscant. Were these people running from something? That explained why they were trying to do the repairs themselves instead of docking in the spaceport's public repair bay.

Kaya waited until the man and the droid followed Watto out into the yard before making her presence known. Anakin was sitting on the cluttered countertop, messing with a random bolt from some disassembled piece of machinery. Kaya walked over to him and leaned back on the counter, but he barely acknowledged her presence, so busy was he with staring at the girl.

"Are you an angel?" he suddenly blurted out.

"Have you lost your mind?" Kaya hissed in his ear, but he ignored her. The girl smiled.

"What?" she asked. Anakin just sat there, mesmerized.

"An angel," he told the her. "They live on the moons of Iego, I think. They're the most beautiful creatures in the universe, and so pretty they make even the most hardened space pirates cry."

"I've never heard of angels," the girl replied.

Neither have I, Kaya thought absently. By now she was fairly sure that her younger brother would continue ignoring her, so she cleared her own seat on the counter a few feet away. From her perch she could clearly see the girl. She was pretty, with dark hair and chocolate eyes. Her skin was soft and fair. She looked like someone who might be a spoiled Inner-Rim brat, but her eyes shown with kindness and empathy. Maybe that's where Anakin got the angel bit.

"You must be one of them," Anakin said. "You probably just don't know it."

"You're a funny little boy," the girl told Anakin. "How do you know so much?"

"I listen to all the traders and pilots who come through here. I'm a pilot you know."

"Have you been here long?" she asked him.

"Since I was very little," he replied. "Three, I think. We were sold to Gardulla the Hutt, but she lost us to Watto, betting on the podraces."

"You're a slave?"

"I'm a person and my name is Anakin!" Kaya couldn't help but

 

FYI, the title of the story comes from Matchbox Twenty, whose song lyrics will periodically appear.

Chapter Two: Dreams Come True

Morning dawned bright and clear, and the Skywalker home bustled with activity. After a quick breakfast, Kaya left for a day of work in Gardulla's fortress. Anakin took Qui-Gon and Padmé with him to Watto's shop, in order to convince the Toydarian to let him enter the next day's race.

With the entire spaceport's attention fixed on the Boonta, there really wasn't much work to be done, and Kaya headed home at midday. She found Anakin working on his racer, and she wasn't the only one who'd come to watch.

A whole group of the neighborhood kids was crowded around the racer, chattering excitedly, some admiring it, some jeering.

"You've been working on that thing for years," a small girl named Amee pointed out. "It's never going to run."

"Yes it will," Anakin told her. "I'm entered in the Boonta tomorrow." That was enough to start the other children laughing.

"Keep it up, Ani," Seek taunted. "You're gonna be bug squash."

"Hey, shut up," Kaya snapped at him. Seek was eleven, and often bullied the younger kids. "Go pick on someone your own size." He scowled at her, but kept his mouth shut after that.

"Come on," he finally suggested. "Let's go play ball." Most of the others followed him, but Anakin's best friend Kitster remained.

"What do they know?" he asked. Anakin smiled at him, and returned to work on the engine wiring.

"I'm almost done anyway," Anakin said. "I know it'll work. I'll show them."

"I think it's about time we found out," Qui-Gon suggested. "Here, use this power pack."

Anakin accepted the pack with a grin and jumped into the driver's seat. Everyone moved a safe distance away as he pulled on his helmet and gloves, and flipped a few switches. He could barely contain his excitement as the engines ignited, humming and rumbling. The spectators cheered, and Anakin beamed as he flipped the switches back into the off position.

"I knew I could do it," he told Kaya and Kitster as he climbed out of the pod.

Anakin worked on his racer until dark, applying a fresh coat of paint, checking and re-checking every wire. Even when his mother called him inside, he did so reluctantly, gazing back longingly several times as he made his way to the house.
_______________________________________________________________

It was full dark now, and Kaya could barely make out the shape of her brother's racer from where she sat on the back porch.

"Mind if I join you?" She turned to see Qui-Gon, and she shook her head. The older Jedi sat down next to her. For a while they sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Your brother's very special," Qui-Gon observed.

Kaya nodded. "He does things I could never do."

"He can see things before they happen?" Qui-Gon asked. Another nod. "That's why he appears to have such quick reflexes. It's a Jedi trait."

Kaya looked up at him. "He's always dreamed of being a Jedi. He deserves to have his dreams come true."

Qui-Gon looked at her. "No one deserves to be a slave."

"I wasn't always. I can vaguely remember my homeworld... things I could never have seen here. Trees. Rainstorms. I can see them in my dreams. I think I remember my father... the way he smelled, his voice. I don't know what happened to him. Mom never talks about it." She shook her head, clearing the thoughts away. "Who knows? Maybe a dream is all it is."

"What about Anakin? Do you have the same father?"

"I don't know. I asked once, and I got the feeling I shouldn't ask again. It was weird, you know? Mom doesn't keep anything from us."

Qui-Gon didn't reply, and the silence resumed.
_______________________________________________________________

On the morning of the Boonta Eve race, Kaya was up before dawn. Still groggy, she stumbled into Anakin's room to wake her brother, only to find his bed vacated. She slipped outside, expecting to find him already preparing his racer, and smiled when she saw him r

 

Chapter Three: Gone But Not Forgotten

This chapter takes place three years after TPM. Kaya is 17.


But that's all that I need
Someone else to cling to
Someone I can lean on until I don't need to
Cuz that's all that need right now

"You're coming back for us, remember? You promised." Kaya told her nine year old brother. He nodded, but in her dream his face contorted, turning angry, becoming older.
"You're holding me back! That's all you ever did!" he yelled at her. "You don't understand! You'll never understand!" She was aware of tears streaking her face as she ran after him, into the wild desert.
"Anakin, wait!" she yelled."Come back!"

Kaya woke with a start. She sat up in bed, willing herself to calm down. It was just a dream, intense though it was, not real. Her breathing and heart rate slowed, returning to their natural rhythm.

All traces of sleep were gone from her mind, and the light spilling under her bedroom door proved she wasn't the only one awake. She slipped out of bed and into the kitchen, where Shmi sat nursing a cup of stim-tea. Kaya poured her own cup and joined her.

"Couldn't sleep either huh?" she asked her mom.

"Bad dreams," Shmi replied.

"Me too. It's always been too quiet without Anakin here."

"I'm worried about him. He is too young to be alone in the galaxy."

"He's twelve years old now. Probably grown up a lot."

"You've grown up a lot too. Grown into a beautiful young women. I'm so proud of you." Kaya took a sip of her tea, shrugging away the compliment.

"Think he'll keep his promise?" she asked casually.

"Anakin always keeps his promises," Shmi replied. Kaya nodded.

"Yeah. I guess you're right." She finished her tea and got up to wash out the mug. "I'm gonna go to the cantina, see if I can put in a few hours."

Shmi looked up. "Shouldn't you get some sleep?"

"I couldn't sleep if I tried to. Might as well make some money while I'm wide awake."

"Be careful, honey."

Kaya smiled. "Aren't I always?"

She stepped out into the streets of Mos Espa, quiet and dark here in the hours before sunrise. Shutting the door behind her, she started for the more populated center of town, the part that never slept. Almost a year ago she had taken the job as bartender at one of the 24 hour cantinas, picking up spare credits working there in her off hours.

Technically, slaves weren't supposed to have their own money making endeavors, but Gardulla paid little attention to the extra-curricular activities of her property. As long as Kaya was around when her master wanted something done, her spare time was free for her to do what she pleased.

"I was starting to think you didn't like me or something," a voice drawled, close to her ear, in the dark corner of the alley behind the cantina.

"I've been busy," Kaya replied, a slight edge to her voice.

"Awww, having a bad day?"

"Not anymore," Kaya told the twenty-something spice runner, reaching for the vial he clutched in his left hand. He pulled it away.

"Stuff's not free, baby. Not even for someone as good-looking as you."

"How much?" He named the price, higher than she wanted to pay. She frowned, but reached for the tip money she'd just earned. The dealer caught the flicker of indecision on her face, and moved closer to put his arm around her.

"Say," he offered. "If you don't have the money, I'd take something else." Kaya looked him over, considering her options. The sky was starting to lighten as the suns began to rise. The cover of darkness was fading, taking with it the guarantee of keeping her secret hidden, but he wasn't bad looking, and she wanted to keep her hands on every credit she could. And she was looking for a good time.

She flashed him a sexy smile. "Sure. Why not?"

She was alone somewhere in the uncharted desert of Tatooine. The shape of Mos Espa's low skyline wasn't visible anywhere, not even at the far horizon. A gust of wind blew, sending sand skittering and swirling around her. A storm was coming, but there was no shelter for

 

Chapter Four: A Little Help From My Friends

She took the longest possible path back to Gardulla's fortress, but she couldn't delay going in any longer.

She opened the nondescript door that led to the ship's hanger used as a repair bay and storage facility. The difference in temperature was immediately noticeable, and it took her eyes a few seconds to adjust to the comparative darkness inside as she closed the door behind her. She scanned her surroundings, taking in the familiar sights, sounds, and smells. Several ships, speeders, and racers in various states of assembly cluttered the room, along with an equally variant work crew. It smelled of engine oil, and the air was filled with the sounds of tools being dropped, engines being tested, and the shouts and conversations of several languages.

She gave a shout of surprise as someone grabbed her wrist from behind and twisted with almost enough pressure to break it. It served the purpose of whirling her around to face Kei'lar.

"Where have you been?" he asked her in Huttese.

"Out." The viscious backhand came with enough force to let the metallic tang of blood fill her mouth.

"I've heard rumors of you working for others. I wouldn't want Gardulla to hear of this." He held her gaze for a few seconds, increasing the pressure on her wrist. "What happens to you is in my hands. Am I making myself clear?"

"Perfectly," Kaya muttered.

"Good." He released her without warning, sending her staggering back into the sharp corner of the doorframe. "There's work to be done," he growled, turning away. She glowered at his retreating form, rubbing her bruising wrist and running a hand through her hair where her head had hit the wall. There wasn't any blood, but she'd have a nasty bump. She frowned.

"You okay?" a male voice asked. She spun around, and her features darkened as she recognized the spicer with whom she'd spent the morning.

"You're getting me into trouble," she growled. He put his hands up in a defensive gesture.

"Hey, sorry."

"How'd you know where to find me?"

"I know stuff," he replied criptically.

"You can't be here. What I do away from here has to stay away from here."

"He roughed you up pretty good."

Kaya snorted. "Please. Kei'lar thinks he's tough, but he's just as much a slave to Gardulla as I am. I've been here almost ten years. He can't do nothing to me I can't handle."

"Whatever. Be careful."

"What's it to you?" He shrugged, slipping her a tiny black vial.

"It's a gift."

"Are you crazy? I can't take that. Not here. I'm in enough trouble as it is." He shrugged, and the vial disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.

"I thought you said you weren't in trouble." Kaya rolled her eyes. "Meet me at the cantina tonight. Tell the bartender you're looking for Alyc." Kaya still didn't respond, and turned back to work as he walked away.

"Hey, what was that about?"

"Nothing," Kaya told the younger girl. Tyler was fifteen, and the only real friend she had on this Force-forsaken planet.

"I know that guy. He deals spice downtown."

"Yeah."

"Are you in trouble with him?"

"No." Tyler raised her eyebrow. "Stay outta my business," Kaya demanded, a little forcefully, wrenching a bolt on a speeder a little too tightly.

"Whoa, white flag," Tyler protested. "Why didn't you just tell me you were having a bad day?"

"Because you'd have asked me why, and started trying to make me feel better, and we'd have reached the same end result." Tyler shrugged sheepishly.

"Yeah, probably. But Kaya, I can't help it. That's just how I am."

"Fine. But this is how i am. I keep my personal life private."

"Okay. Need a new bolt?"

"Yeah." A smile passed between friends along with the tiny piece of metal.

"You like him."

"What the hell gave you that impression?"

"You're smiling."

"Stop the presses."

"You don't smile, especially not with a mild concussion and a broken wrist."

"Is that what you're worried about? I'm fine. My wrist isn't broken, and I don't have a

 

Part Five: With You Now

About an hour after sunset Kaya walked into the cantina. The bartender waved her over. His name was Colby, dark hair, dark eyes, about two years older than her.
They'd had something between them back when she'd first started working here, but it had never progressed very far, and they'd broken it off. "You working tonight?" he asked her. She shook her head.

"Is Alyc around?" He looked at her quizically, then shook his head.

"Haven't seen him." Kaya frowned, her own eyes scanning the crowded establishment for any sign of the spicer. She nodded her thanks to Colby, then slipped away from the bar, quickly disappearing into the crowd.

She bit her lip nervously as she silently stalked the shadows of the alley. Her heart beat quickly when she saw the human body, gushing blood into the dirty street - still bleeding, still alive. She ran to him, sliding to her knees at Alyc's side. He moaned as she touched him, fighting to retain consciousness, but it was a losing battle. Kaya tried to stop the flow of blood. The head wound was the most serious. She slowed the bleeding, tearing a piece of her shirt to make a bandage. Then she carefully scooped Alyc up into her arms, carefully adjusting his unconscious form so that she could carry him.
______________________________________________________________________________

The clinic was by far the cleanest building in Mos Espa, white and sterile, smelling of bacta, with almost blindingly bright overhead lights. Kaya waited by Alyc's side until his eyes begain to slowly open, several hours later. His wounds had been sterilized and covered with bacta patches, but he still looked as though he had been trampled by a bantha, and the pain medication left him groggy. The free clinic had only one bacta tank, and it was used only if the patient would die without it. Most hyperspace-capable ships had better medical supplies. But Kaya knew the healer, and she knew that Alyc would be safe here, and able to recover.

"What happened?" he asked, a half-whisper the only voice he seemed able to muster. Kaya shrugged.

"You tell me. I found you half dead in the alley."

"You care this much about me?"

"I couldn't very well just leave you there."

"Lots of people would have. Lots of people did."

"Who did this to you?" Kaya asked. "Do you know?" Alyc nodded, but made no attempt to answer the question. Kaya let it drop, for now. "Don't worry about it," she told him. "Go to sleep." Alyc's eyes slipped closed obediently, and Kaya remained in the bedside chair, watching his steady breathing, in time with the rhythm of the life monitors. Eventually she was lulled to sleep as well.

They both woke up when the sun's rays reached into the room, their brightness intensified as they rebounded off the smooth white walls. Kaya debated whether or not she should stay with Alyc, but she was already toeing the line of safety when it came to upsetting her master.

"Go," Alyc told her. She frowned, not sure what he would do once she was no longer watching him. She was still unsure what had happened to him, after all.

"I'll be back." Alyc gave a weak smile.

"I don't think I'll be going anywhere." Reluctant to leave him, but even more reluctant to screw up the shaky peace she had at work, Kaya turned and slipped out the door of the clinic.


She winced as she stepped out into the street. The clinic kept the temperatures relatively cool, and blocked out most of the natural light. It took her a few moments to readjust to the full strength of the suns.

Her mind wandered as she headed up the street. Tyler was waiting just inside the door as she slipped inside, pretending to clean some equipment. She smiled at Kaya, dropping the tools.

"Hey, how'd it go?" Her smile dissolved as Kaya ignored the question.

"Where'd that come from?" Kaya asked, indicating a freighter that looked like it should be melted into scrap metal.

"Stupid smuggler," Tyler answered. "Nearly got himself killed jumping in too close to the suns. Stop changing t

 

Chapter Six: Freedom's Price

Kaya slowed as she neared home, her instincts, honed over a lifetime of trying to predict and prevent unnessacary trauma, clued her into the unexpected guest. She frowned at the middle-aged man sitting on her front steps.

"Who're you?" He stood up hurriedly, holding out his hand for her to shake. She stayed where she was, far enough away that he couldn't touch her before she had a chance to run.

He returned his hand to his pocket, matching her gaze. He showed no reaction to her obvious reservation. Kaya chewed her lower lip, waiting for him to answer the question. Something about his demeanor reminded her of Qui-Gon, though it was obvious that the man standing before her was no Jedi.

Seeing that she wasn't going to back down, he gave in to her request, though it was clear that he did not do so out of weakness. "My name is Cliegg Lars," he told her in an even tone. "I'm looking for Shmi Skywalker."

"Why?" Cliegg watched the girl. No, more like young woman, he corrected himself. She was trying to hide her fear through a tough façade, but even though he was just a farmer, he could see through it. It was unfortunate that she had to live like that, never able to let her guard down or be truly happy or careless. His life was hard too, but not like that.

Thankfully, it wasn't long before Shmi could be seen coming up the road. Though, unlike Kaya, she recognized him from a distance, even she wasn't immediately comfortable with his unexpected appearance. Cliegg wasn't at all fazed by the understandable guardedness of the Skywalker women. "Hello," he greeted Shmi. When she didn't reply, he continued to explain his presence on her front steps. "I was, uh, I was in the neighborhood. Needed some parts for a broken vaporator and had some produce to sell. And I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since we met the other day."

Shmi smiled at this revelation. He had been in her thoughts as well, but she kept that secret inside her heart. "Please, come in." She typed in the access code and allowed Cliegg to follow her and Kaya into the house. She started preparing a drink for her guest. Kaya watched, like an uncomfortable chaperone, not wanting to leave her mother alone with a man she didn't know, though she had no doubts about Shmi's ability to take care of herself.

Her mother was far from clueless, however, and she pulled Kaya into the kitchen, out of Cliegg's range of hearing. "I'll be fine," she assured her daughter. "There's no need to worry about me. Go. Tyler was waiting for you, wasn't she?" Kaya nodded, wondering how her mother knew that, but not really questioning it.

"Yeah, okay." She smiled. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Kaya crossed the courtyard to Tyler's home and knocked on the door. Her best friend had given her the code years ago, but she felt weird just letting herself in. Tyler opened the door a crack, and smiled when she saw Kaya. She then opened the door all the way to let her friend in. "Hey," she greeted her.

"Hi," Kaya replied. Tyler's quarters were about half the size of her own, but that was because she was the only one living in the apartment-type space, and she didn't need much. Kaya sat down in one of the chairs, opposite from Tyler. She averted her friend's eyes and didn't say a word.

"What's going on Kaya?" Tyler asked. "Tell me the truth." Kaya stared at her boots.

"Alyc was almost killed last night," she finally responded. "He was attacked by bounty hunters or something. The Hutts were looking for him. He owes a debt. He can't pay." She spilled the whole story, everything about Alyc and herself and her mother and the moisture farmer, all the way back to her nightmares about Anakin and Kei'lar finding out about her working at the cantina. Once she started talking, she couldn't stop herself. Everything just spilled out. "He wants me to help get off-planet. I told him I would, but I don't know what to do," she finally confessed.

Tyler had long since moved to sit next to Kaya, and now she put her arm around

 

READ ME!

 

This story has me hooked from the first post. I can't wait to see what happens next..... *sits on pins and needles....*

 

Upies! THis story deserves an UP!

 

Oooo! Interesting! And now Kaya's been freed! *cheers* What will happen when Anakin and Padmé return looking for Shmi? Will Kaya be taken by the Sand People too? *is very curious* Will Alyc come back?

Great job so far! Can't wait for more!

AQ

 

Chapter Seven: Too Little, Too Late

It didn't take Kaya very long to adjust to the rhythms of life on the moisture farm. She began to enjoy spending time with Cliegg and Owen, especially when, several months after living on the farm, Cliegg asked Shmi to marry him, and she happily accepted. They had a beautiful, if simple, ceremony, just after the harvest, and the four of them were now locked together as a legal family. Owen was just a few months older than Anakin, and having him around helped to fill a little bit of the hole Anakin's departure had left in Kaya's life, and Shmi's. Cliegg was the father she had never had, and she liked the way it felt to know he was watching over her. Harder to get used to, but by far the best part of her newfound freedom, was the ability to go wherever she wanted, whenever she wanted, without having to worry about what it was going to cost her. She explored most of the planet, just because she could.

Weeks went by, becoming months, then years. Kaya still thought of Anakin, and Alyc and Tyler, frequently. She knew that they would find her farm life dull, but she was content. She wondered what they were doing. One morning, eight years after she had first moved to the farm, Kaya woke up early. She liked watching the double-sunrise from the edge of the cliff on the border of their land. If she'd known what the day would bring, she would have tried to stay asleep, to hide from the nightmare her life was about to become.

She slipped out of bed and pulled on her clothes, enjoying the cool darkness outside. Before dawn, the sky was a steely grey, but it brightened quickly as she walked. From the top of the cliff she could see the entire farm, and the land all around it. The vaporators stood tall at the edges of their property, like silent sentinals. Out of habit she looked for her mother. Most mornings Shmi would pick the mushrooms that grew near the vaporators. Sometimes Kaya joined her, but this morning Shmi had already left before her daughter woke up. A feeling of worry settled in the pit of Kaya's stomach as she noticed the footprints on the edge of their land. There were too many to belong to one person, and the Tuskens had been coming closer to the settlements for weeks. Her worry quickly escalated into full-blown panic, gnawing at her as she lifted the pair of marcrobinoculars around her neck to her eyes. Scanning the horizon, she could clearly see the cluster of banthas, and a few Sand People scattered among them.The ever-shifting sand was already erasing their tracks, but she could follow a path back to the farm, where a basket lay overturned at the base of a vaporator, and the already-picked mushrooms were scattered about.

Kaya dropped her binoculars and sprinted toward the attackers. She didn't make it far before Cliegg grabbed her. She tried her best to fight him off, tears of anger and fear springing to her eyes as she punched and kicked and screamed. But her stepfather held her tight until she was too tired to fight anymore. Utterly exhausted, she sunk to the ground. He held her close, tears of his own mingling with hers. "I'm sorry," he whispered hoarsely. "I couldn't let them get you too." Kaya nodded, understanding, but at the same time feeling traitorous to her own mother.

"We have to find her," she demanded. "I won't abandon her."

"I know," Cliegg responded. "I'll put together a search party. We won't give up." Kaya nodded determinedly, getting back to her feet. She was more than a little embarrased at her breakdown. At 24 years old, she was a grown women, entirely too old to fall apart and throw a teary tantrum like a two-year-old child. She immediately got to work, helping Cliegg round up the farmers in the surrounding area in order to mount a search. She almost lost it again when Owen returned from a supply run in Mos Eisley and they had to tell him what happened, but her stepbrother was surprisingly strong. He seemed to know exactly what to do and say to distract her from the feelings threatening to overwhelm her. She realized, belatedly,

 

Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry to hear about your friend and aunt. My grandma died about 3 years ago and so I know what you're going through. If you need to take some time off from the story, I know everyone'll understand. Right guys! ***takes out lightsaber and threatens anyone who disagrees*** lol But take your time!

 

Yes, take all the time you need. We will be here.

Sorry about your friend and aunt, my class lost some classmates over the last couple of years, due to accidents also. Its hard knowing that when you go to a class reunion you already know that they are not going to there.

Lost my grandfather a couple of years ago, so I understand how it feels to lose a love one.

 

Thanks for all your support. You guys are amazing. I'm okay, though. I don't need to take a break from writing, I'm actually on a roll! It's just hard to write scenes that are all to do with death and funerals. But look for the next post by the end of the week. After that, it may be a while, 'cause I have to move to college and get all settled in.

 

Hello all. I didn't get as much writing done this week as I thought I would (stupid DRL), but I said I'd post, so post I will. You get the first part of chapter 8 (only a page and a half, rather than my usual 3-4 pages).

Turning away from her mother's final resting place, Kaya noticed the little R2 astromech droid making it's way toward them.

"Artoo, what are you doing here?" Padmé asked. The droid tootled and beeped a response.

"It seems that he is carrying a message from an Obi-Wan Kenobi," C-3PO translated without being asked. "Master Ani, does that name mean anything to you?" Anakin nodded absently.

"What is the message?" he asked, but R2-D2 rolled away, forcing Anakin, Padmé, and Threepio to follow him back to the ship before he relayed the communication. A tiny, holographic image of Obi-Wan appeared.

"Anakin," it said. "My long-range transmitter has been knocked out. Retransmit this message to Coruscant." Anakin and Padmé exchanged a worried glance. What had happened to Obi-Wan that would cause his transmitter to be shot off? Anakin shrugged, and Padmé pushed a button, patching the signal through to the Jedi Council chamber. She nodded once the signal locked.

"Go ahead, Artoo," Anakin prompted. The droid beeped once, and the holographic message continued.

"I have tracked the bounty hunter Jango Fett to the droid foundries of Geonosis. The Trade Fedaration is to take delivery of a droid army here, and it is clear that Viceroy Gunray is behind the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala." Anakin saw Padmé's features harden at that, but he turned back to the hologram, which continued speaking. "The Commerce Guild and Corporate Alliance have both pledged their armies to Count Dooku and are forming a - Wait!" Obi-Wan suddenly exclaimed. He turned away from the message transmitter and began fighting off destroyer droids. The hologram flickered a few times, then cut off completely.

Padmé turned to Anakin, shocked. He tried his best not to let his worry show, but was mostly unsuccessful in hiding his feelings.

"Anakin," Mace Windu's image replaced Obi-Wan's. "We will deal with Count Dooku. The most important thing for you is to stay where you are. Protect the senator at all costs. This is your first priority." Anakin nodded respectfully.

"Understood, Master." Mace Windu's hologram disappeared, leaving the senator and the padawan alone.

"They'll never get there in time to save him," Padmé said. "They have to come halfway across the galaxy. Look." She pushed a few buttons, bringing up a map. "Geonosis is less than a parsec away."

"If he's still alive," Anakin replied, and at that moment Padmé realized what was truly wrong. He had come to Tatooine with the hope of rescuing his mother, and failed. He didn't want to go through that again. Better to stay where he was, as ordered, even it meant leaving Obi-Wan alone. Then if his Master died, he could blame the Jedi Council for keeping him away, but if he went after the older Jedi, and failed to save him, the guilt would fall entirely on his shoulders.

But realizing this did not mean Padmé had to accept it. "Are you just gonna sit here and let him die?" she asked incredulously. "He's your friend, your mentor!"

"He's like my father!" Anakin admitted. "But you heard Master Windu. He gave me strict orders to stay here."

Padmé turned away, to the navigational controls of the ship. "He gave you strict orders to protect me," she corrected. "And I'm going to help Obi-Wan. If you plan to protect me, you'll just have to come along." Anakin smiled, and moved to sit next to her at the controls.

"So how fast can this bucket get us to Geonosis?" He spun around again.

"Kaya. How long were you..."

"I heard everything." She raised her eyebrows. "I'm surprised. Shouldn't a Jedi have been able to sense me standing there?" She waved her hand toward the hallway, indicating the spot from which she'd been eavesdropping.

"I guess I was a little preoccupied," Anakin admitted. "Well, go on, strap in." Kaya did so, a sa

 

A short post to celebrate finally getting settled into my dorm room. My schedule's kinda crazy so I don't know when I'll be able to get more written, but I have all sorts of ideas, so you can look forward to some twists in the near future.
____________________________________________

"Look, whatever happens out there, follow my lead," Padmé instructed as she pulled on her jacket. "I'm not interested in a war here. As a member of the Senate, maybe I can find a diplomatic solution to this mess."

"Don't worry," Anakin replied with a smirk. "I've given up trying to argue with you."

Behind her brother's back, Kaya grinned at Padmé. He may think he's in charge, she thought, but you've got him wrapped around your little finger.

The good-natured banter between the lovers soon disappeared as it became clear to the group that Obi-Wan was far from alright. After facing armies of the Geonosian natives, a bounty hunter, and a squad of destroyer droids, Anakin, Kaya, and Padmé found themselves captured and facing execution on the charges of espionage and treason.

The mood was somber as the cart pulled them along to the arena where their deaths would be a spectator sport for a crowd of thousands.
"Don't be afraid," Anakin said.

"Who's afraid?" Kaya asked, trying futilely to hide her terror from the man who was A) her brother and B) a Jedi.

"I'm not afraid to die," Padmé told him, suddenly deciding to be honest with him in what would likely be their last minutes together. "I've been dying a little bit each day since you came back into my life."

Anakin turned to her, forgetting, as he often did, that the world was comprised of more than just the two of them. "What are you talking about?"

"I love you," Padmé confessed.

"You love me?" he asked, shocked and confused. His brow furrowed. "I thought we decided not to fall in love. That we would be forced to live a lie, and that it would destroy our lives."

"I think our lives are about to be destroyed anyway," Padmé replied. "I truly, deeply, love you. And before we die, I want you to know."

Behind them, Kaya suddenly regretted never having shared that kind of love with anyone. She thought, briefly, of Alyc, but though their relationship had been passionate and full of chemistry, it had been too brief to have any long-lasting meaning.

She didn't have much time to dwell on her failed love-life, for the cart suddenly lurched forward. Anakin and Padmé broke apart, facing their impossible situation with renewed strength.

As they were brought into the center of the arena, the cheers of the crowd grew louder and louder, ringing in Kaya's ears. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to think of anything but her impending doom.

EDIT: fixed some spelling errors

 

Part Three of Chapter Eight: Shatterday

She felt a wave of reassurance and calming thoughts, and she realized that Anakin and Obi-Wan were working together to boost her confidence. She gave them a grateful smile.

Padmé caught her eye, and surreptitiously flashed a piece of wire she had concealed. Kaya grinned, and dared to hope that they would get out of this. She should have figured - it wasn't that easy to kill a Skywalker.

For the benefit of the crowd, she tried her best to act panicky and worried as she was chained to a post between Obi-Wan and Padmé. Anakin was on Obi-Wan's other side. The master turned to his apprentice.

"I was beginning to wonder if you had gotten my message at all."

"I retransmitted it as you requested, Master," Anakin replied. "And then we decided to come and rescue you."
Obi-Wan glanced at the chains holding his hands above his head.

"Good job," he shot sarcastically.

The announcer eagerly reminded the spectators of the charges brought against the captives, and the crowd grew more excited as he told of the vicious beasts which would soon be attacking.

Kaya's peripheal vision caught Obi-Wan conferring with Anakin, and she looked over at Padmé, who had used the piece of wire to pick the lock on her restraints. The senator scrambled down the post and hurried to help Kaya.

"Thanks."

"Sure. No problem." Anakin and Obi-Wan, riding on the back of the reek, came charging over to the women.

"Come on!" Anakin commanded. He held out his hand to help them up. Kaya was impressed that the Jedi had been able to convince the animal who had been trying to kill them moments before to carry all four of them safely. The thought left her mind as a squad of destroyers rolled up, quickly and effectively surrounding them. Her heart sank, but suddenly the arena sprang to new life as hundreds of lightsabers were activated. Jedi appeared from strategic locations all throughout the arena, and a grand battle erupted between the Jedi, backed by the new clone army of the Republic, and the thousands of droids under the command of Count Dooku.

It was a battle that had heavy casualties. In military terms, the Jedi had won. But as Master Yoda pointed out, it was not a victory.
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Kaya woke up in a medical facility on Coruscant. Her head felt as though someone were trying to slice it open. "What happened?" she asked groggily as she opened her eyes.

"Mistress Skywalker, you're awake," the medical droid stated the obvious. Kaya pushed herself up to a sitting position.

"Yes I'm awake. What happened to me?"

"Lie back please." Kaya pushed the droid away as it approached her.

"Not until someone tells me what's going on."

"You've been unconscious for 71.8 hours, miss. I need to check your vitals."

"3 days!" Kaya exclaimed. She concentrated hard, trying to remember what had knocked her out, but it was like trying to put together a puzzle with only half the pieces. "I can't remember anything."

"That's not surprising," the droid told her. "You suffered a rather serious head injury. It's remarkable that you didn't incur any permanent damage. Your memory should return fully within a few days."

Waking up was like trying to fight through a fog bank, but a surge of panic erupted as stray images came together to form memories. "Anakin! Where's Anakin?" She remembered the gunship. The chase. The enemy ship. Getting hit. Falling. What had happened to her brother? To Padmé? To Obi-Wan? Had they defeated Count Dooku? Or were they... no, she couldn't think of them as dead.

"Kaya?" she looked up to see Padmé. The other woman looked beat up, but at least she wasn't stuck in a hospital bed. "Are you okay?" she asked, concerned.

"This patient is not cleared to have visitors," the droid protested.

"When you didn't wake up after the fall, I thought..." Padmé trailed off.

"I'm okay," Kaya assured her. "What happened to Anakin?" A shadow crossed Padmé's face

 

morning up so people find it

 

Poor Kaya!!!

 

Excellent story! Poor Kaya.... Bad Obi! not telling her anything! Mmmm ANi and Pad gone? where could they be I wonder...... I"m loving this story, can't wait for the next postie!

 

Wow--I love the way you put all the movies into this story and I love the banter between Anakin and Kaya. It isn't over though, is it?

 

thanks everyone for stopping by.

it isn't over though, is it?

Absolutely not! We're just getting started. There will be another chapter posted tomorrow. i'm thinking I will now begin posting regularly on Wednesdays and Saturdays, probably at night.

 

Ok, coolies! I didn't want it to stop now that the movies are over so far, that's all.

 

Chapter Nine: Hide and Seek
When Kaya finally saw Anakin, his right arm had been replaced by a robotic prosthetic, but that wasn't the only thing that had changed. He had become distant and brooding, a far cry from the talkative nine-year-old she remembered. He pushed her away when she tried to talk, finally going so far as to return to Naboo with Padmé without telling her,
Obi-Wan, or the Jedi Council.

Kaya began working as a liaison between the Jedi and the Senate, a task which became increasingly frustrating as each body seemed to be crumbling, and completely unwilling to listen to reasonable advice. If anything, they seemed intent on ignoring everything outside of their own walls. When she wasn't engaged in this seemingly futile effort, she did her best to get acquainted with the sector in which she was living. She had already explored every corner of the Jedi Temple, not a difficult undertaking; being a non-Jedi, most of it was off-limits to her.

Her days were repetitive and hollow, just as meaningless as the ones she had spent on Tatooine. The only thing she had to look forward to were the occasional visits from Obi-Wan. He came at first because he needed to confide in someone who knew Anakin as well as he did, but soon grew to enjoy Kaya's company, and there were days when Anakin's name didn't come up in their conversations at all. But even when it went unspoken, it was obvious that they both worried about the Padawan.

Sensing her discomfort with Coruscant, and realizing that Kaya was living her life as though she was trapped in a different kind of slavery, Obi-Wan finally suggested that she go off on her own, to find a new perspective, and possibly figure out what it was she was looking for in life. He convinced the council to give her the use of one of their ships. Kaya appreciated the gesture, and she took the opportunity to get away and experience real freedom, jumping from star to star, without any planned itinerary or destination. She visited many worlds, but eventually found herself on Corellia.

Memories flooded her mind as she looked around, taking in everything. This was Alyc's homeworld, and he'd spent his childhood roaming these streets. Treasure Ship Row was always crowded, always moving, always exciting. But as she looked around she saw images from her own childhood too: homeless children cowering in the alleys, the older, bigger one resorting to stealing and bullying in order to get enough for their own survival. Just like on Coruscant, there was much the Tourist Advisory Board didn't want the casual traveler to see. The cheerful colors of the vendors' displays couldn't hide the dirt and grime of the city. She couldn't blame Alyc for wanting to get away. And who knew where he was now. Come find me when you're ready, he'd told her. But that had been almost nine years ago, and she knew he could never stay in any one place that long. He had too much of a wandering spirit. Even in the short time she'd known him, she could tell that he needed adventure, danger even, to thrive.

So why was she here, then, if she knew he wasn't? She couldn't answer her own question. Anakin or Obi-Wan would probably tell her that the Force was guiding her, but she wasn't sure if she believed that. Obi-Wan had told her that she was strong in the Force, but she was already an adult when she first came to Coruscant, about twenty years too old to start Jedi training.

Maybe it was this Force sensitivity, or maybe just the circumstances of her life, that gave her the ability to keep one part of her mind completely focused on what was going on around her while another part remained lost in thought. This meant she was always ready to react to any threat or danger, and she easily shifted from thought to action when she felt the small hand slip into her pocket, gone again in just a fraction of a second, like a ghost or a shadow. She didn't keep anything valuable there, so it was with her credits and ID still safely hidden close to her body that she chased after the small boy sprinting up

 

Yesterday was Wednesday. I posted, I did! But now my story is buried so deep I'm afraid my readers won't find it. So I'm pushing it back UP!

EDIT: typing too fast, many mistakes made. Fixed now.