Beyond - Legends NEW POST 12/11 ! IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE--AU of the EU Part 5, "To the marriage of true minds"

Well, hello. Welcome to my first stage of madness. I'm DarthIshtar, I've never done a full-length EU fic because I'm afraid I'll royally botch what isn't and that some things just can't be helped.

But, in the spirit of the advent and my favorite holiday movie, I was thinking of "It's a Wonderful Life" and what would happen if Leia were in the same situation.

This is entirely Alternate Universe. All characters are George Lucas' or Lucasbooks'. I will try to be true to the characters that I love so well.

So sit back, I hope you enjoy, and please respond!

 

The Force was many things to all people. Whether people were aware of it, it was a source of strength created by the weakness of mortal flesh. Some served it, others abused it, many doubted its existence or its power. Still others knew it was there, even if they did not know what it was called or why it was there.

But no matter what the condition of faith in the Force, this night an entire family was desperately hoping that the Force was listening to their meditations.

"I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing. Sith, I don't even know if you exist or if you're a you. I don't know why I'm listening to that crazy brother-in-law of mine, but if getting in touch with my inner Force will help my wife, I'll do anything. You probably know her well, know what she needs, but I can't tell what to do with her any more. She's scaring us all and it's an awful thing to do to seven-year-old twins and a headstrong five-year-old Jedi, not to mention the husband who can't help her at all."

"Uncle Luke says we should seek the will of the Force and he seems to know better than Dad about this sort of thing. Please, Mother's worried. She doesn't want to listen to Dad or even Uncle Luke. Please, maybe she'll listen if you talk to her."

"Please, if you hear me Force, help. Something's wrong with Mama."

The Force was more of an empathy rather than an entity, but it was indeed listening in some form. When its servants cried out, it responded with the wisdom of the life that created it.

It existed everywhere and knew all, but was not at liberty to dispense more than was needed. But occasionally, it would find a way to communicate beyond the impressions that entered into the minds of those sensitive to its presence.

As in this case.

//In all the beings of the galaxy's creation, she is no different than any other. So why should she receive special treatment?//

Its own consciousness rippled in response, a customary gesture of something akin to amusement. As all beings could not be united in idea, the Force could often be divided against its own cause.

//After time immemorial, you still doubt and you still will not see.//

//And you are blinded to logic. We serve all beings and yet you want to play favorites.//

//It is not a matter of favorites. It is a matter of returning the favor.//

//Favor,// was repeated. //We gave her life and the powers that give her strength. We owe her no favor.//

//The one called Leia has served us as faithfully as any Jedi, yet she knows not her own strength. That is why she is in need of assistance.//

There was something akin to a universal sigh. //What do you have in mind?//

//A reminder. She has many counselors, many of our servants at her fingertips, but she will not listen. Perhaps if the Force her family serves intervenes, she will be more inclined to pay attention.//

//Surely, you do not propose to make her one with us to achieve your purposes.//

//Surely not, but there is one who has long served us who has already become one with us. He already knows her because she has her father's heart.//

//The one called Qui-Gon.//

//Yes. He may be the only voice of reason for the Skywalkers.//
*****

 

okay, I'm waiting for a first reader. Anyone want to take the job? Tell me if it's a crazy post, if it's too stupid to make the Force an entity of sorts. Hopefully, the logic laid out in there isn't too vague. It'll be laid out better later on.

 

Its a great fic, DarthIshtar

The stuff with the force talking to itself did get a little confusing, though. Maybe a little clarification is needed

All in All, a very good start for this fic!! Post more soon.

 

Think of how many minds contribute to the force if all life creates it. They are divided against itself.

 

WOW, what an original idea, DarthIshtar! Not only giving the Force a will, but a kind of personality, I certainly haven't read anything like it before

I wonder what's wrong with Leia, why Han and the kids are pleading with the Force for help..... And Qui Gon coming back to help her was definitely a surprise. Can't wait for more!

Great post you shouldn't have waited so long


edit: it is definitely not stupid or too vague! you don't want to give everything away in the first post, it's good to leave mystery

 

Awww, thanks, Yoda! Thanks to the both of you for reading. The whole thing will be explained about Leia's need for help, but this will follow pretty much the same format as the movie, where they tell the problem, then give the life's story in flashback up until present day, then proceed.

 

I've read the George Bailey treatment of both Luke and Han on Fanfix. I am looking forward to reading Leia's treatment!

 

//Over half a mortal century I have waited,// the one called Qui-Gon observed, //and now the time has at last come to return as your messenger.//

//At last.// Another warming of the senses, the conscious smile. //Obi-Wan only waited three mortal years because the need for him was greater. Yet you are ever the voice of reason and the servant of the Force, the defiant one who would follow us rather than the failure of wisdom that often came to other men. For that, we have chosen you now.//

Qui-Gon settled deeper into the Force, erasing the boundaries between his will and the Force's, leaving his mind open to all knowledge that the Force he served would impart.

//Good, you are willing to learn and you will need that on this mission. Now focus and all will be revealed.//

There was a flicker of light in the recesses of his senses, slowly spreading to a diffuse glow with blurry images moving about.

//What do you see?//

He strained to enhance his vision, but there was no result. //Not much of anything,// he admitted. //Just a blur.//

//Ah, yes, we forgot. Your first mission. You cannot yet see clearly. Patience.//

In a moment, the blurry images dissolved into a swirling white mist.

//I still do not...//

//Patience, young one.//

His irritation at being called a 'young one' by anyone, even if they had been his superior since time immemorial, dissolved as the scene began to take shape.

The swirling whiteness resulted to be a meteorogical effect rather than blindness--a phenomenon he'd seen often in the winter months on Coruscant called snow. But this was not Coruscant. He recognized it from the days with Xanatos, a successful mission to Alderaan.

The slope to the lake was steep, the surface of the water thick with ice, and the hill was crowded with throngs of children under no apparent adult supervision. The only vehicle of transportation appeared to be a large, discarded sheet of durasteel deckplating and this was being used to careen headlong onto the ice.

//This doesn't look very practical.//

//Few things in childhood are,// the Force countered.

"Hear ye, hear ye!"

His gaze turned to a young girl of perhaps eleven, with a shimmering curtain of hair as bright as the falling snow acting as Master of Ceremonies.

"By order of the Lady Winter..."

A fitting name.

"Make way now for the High Ice Princess of Antibes, Leia Tizar Organa!"

He had barely enough time to catch a glimpse of tightly looped braids and a cherubic face before the object of his attention went hurtling to the bottom on her stomach.

//This is going to be harder than I thought. If she'll stop for just a second...//

The picture froze as the girl once more reached the summit, cheeks flushed and stray wisps of hair plastered to her damp forehead.

//And that is...//

//Your quarry.//

//Eleven years old?//

//No,// it said patiently. //This is where the story you must know begins. With the girl who grew up too fast.//

Before he could ask what they meant by that, the scene was moving once more. Leia had pushed Winter onto the makeshift toboggan and taken over.

"Fellow citizens of our fair world," she crowed with mock solemnity. "Now for your enjoyment, my little friend here..."

"Little?!" Winter squealed. "Who's the size of a baby Ewok?"

But Leia continued, unperturbed. "MY little friend Lady Winter, will now demonstrate the most daring acrobatics this side of Thon."

There was an eruption of cheers as Winter pushed off, which quickly turned to screams as she disappeared into the ice. Leia did not hesitate for one moment, throwing herself forward down the slope until she'd reached the bottom, then twisting to slide on her back to a controlled stop by the hole in the ice that had claimed her best friend. A hand was protruding, flailing madly and Leia seized it, but instead of pulling the beleaguered friend free, the action yanked her into the icy water as well. A few heartbeats later, she resurfaces, pushi

 

I liked the Title.


The first post was very mystical and enigmatic.

Some served it, others abused it, many doubted its existence or its power?this was cool. Shows how people are corrupted to the Dark Side.

Lucas himself admitted that he was influenced by The Lord of the Rings, and The Force is quite like the Ring, in terms of use and abuse.

The Force was more of an empathy rather than an entity, but it was indeed listening in some form.

This was great. And I still believe we?ll never understand what Lucas really means The Force to be?..especially as things became more complex with the midichlorians.


The one called Qui-Gon. Yes. He may be the only voice of reason for the Skywalkers.

Cool! The post ended with the mention of my favourite Jedi!

These two paragraphs were great:

The swirling whiteness resulted to be a meteorogical effect rather than blindness--a phenomenon he'd seen often in the winter months on Coruscant called snow. But this was not Coruscant. He recognized it from the days with Xanatos, a successful mission to Alderaan.

(nice reference to Xanatos. That?s why your stories are so interesting. You take the whole Starwar Saga as a whole-movies, and books, and blend everything together as one)

The slope to the lake was steep, the surface of the water thick with ice, and the hill was crowded with throngs of children under no apparent adult supervision. The only vehicle of transportation appeared to be a large, discarded sheet of durasteel deckplating and this was being used to careen headlong onto the ice.

 

another good post DarthIshtar. I really like the forces interaction with itself, and qui-gon. Leia in the george bailey senario is interesting as well

 

THere isn't much of the george bailey experiences that I'm going to use, instead try to tie this all into parts of the Original Trilogy and the Extended Universe towards the beginning, but a lot will be of my own creation.

 

Great concept and interesting start! I love the fact that Qui-Gon is the messenger. As for the look into 11 yo Leia - I think it was fitting.

I will be keeping an eye on this...

 

Thanks, Tkeira for reading. Glad everyone seems to be humoring my attempt at Beyond the Saga so far and possibly even like it.

 

I more than like it.

wow

nice !



more soon?

the Admiral

 

With a response like that, I can't resist, but not until tomorrow.

 

Upping this so I can keep track of it.

 

another great post, DarthIshtar!! I liked that the stuff with Qui Gon being "Young One"

 

Yup, kind of like yoda calling anyone under 100 "My child" in one fic I read.

 

At fifteen, Leia was young enough to still enjoy life, but old enough to care about the things that she would face as a High Princess of Alderaan. She saw the simple pleasures in every day, but was concerned by the simple injustices that plagued Alderaan.

Imperialist leanings were foremost among these concerns. Alderaan had been pacifist for as long as the Republic had stood, but it hadn't been until Bail's grandfather came into power that they had decided to prove their philosophy. There were even a few who had been young crewers at the hangars the day that Alderaan set their armaments adrift in space, becoming the only Core world to oppose the injustices of the Republic by refusing to take up arms.

Many had questioned their wisdom in the years that followed Palpatine's self-election to the post of Emperor, when those who opposed were either quietly disposed of or made into disemboweled examples. But the Organas had stood by their policy of peace and the people of Alderaan stood by whatever the Organas did. It was simply their way.

Today, however, she had reason to mistrust the pacifism of some of her people. Overhearing conspiratorial whisperings of an armaments shipment and decisive strikes, uttered by those who forgot the augmenting power of the South Gardens' acoustics, had the tendency to invoke that effect.

But the more disturbing fact was that they had alleged between themselves that the armaments were approved by the Viceroy himself. Leia trusted her father's sense of justice, even more his wisdom, but the allegations had to be accounted for and if he were to support this course of action, she had to know why.

No matter what the circumstances, she would not quietly allow the plans spoken to the shadows become blinding reality.

She was admitted almost immediately into the Viceroy's office, ignoring the chastisement of her father's aides for coming before Bail Organa looking like a freight hauler's assistant. They thought it improper, but she knew that Bail would recognize her need for haste in her presentation. Perhaps they had admitted her quickly enough for her to present her case, have it solved, make herself presentable, and still be ready in time for the evening meal.

Bail rose smoothly, coming around the desk to kiss the top of her head, greet her with a gentle embrace. "You look like you have something you're aching to tell me."

"Yes, Father," she said with a solemnity not fitting a child of such small stature or such innocent beauty. "If we could be alone?"

His smile broadened slightly, but he dismissed the aides without further question and when they were finally alone, the story came spilling out in the clumsy narrative of a distressed teenager. His smile shrank, then disappeared entirely as he sank onto the edge of his desk.

"And you're sure of this?" he said softly, voice strained. "Every word that you can recall..."

"I would not deceive you, Father," she replied in kind. "I do not know what you have told these men, but I cannot believe that you would..."

His hand raised slightly, then curled, silencing her protests. "I would hope you would never have to," he countered. "I have no part in this and you have most likely saved many lives by daring to question. It is the courage of a Vicereine, the decisiveness that preserves us day to day."

Her head bowed slightly in acknowledgment of the praise. "Thank you, father," she whispered. "I was afraid to dishonor such men, especially when their families will be left behind."

His hand came down to rest on her shoulder. "Let me worry about their families," he assured her. "It's a less joyous errand, but no more acrimonious than trying to recover the thousands of orphans and widows they could have made."
*****
Five years later, she became all-too-aware of how difficult the transition of orphans was when a vain attempt to once more save her people left her without a family or homeworld.

Her mother had died when she was eighteen and a fresh-faced Senator with too much shrewdness and not enough idea

 

This is terriffic. It's a Wonderful Life is my favorite holiday and James Stewart movie. I like how you are writing this. Look froward to more.

 

It's a Wonderful Life is my favorite, as well, which is why I chose to do this. I was trying to decide between this and Vader's Christmas Carol, but liked the potential for this a lot better.

 

good stuff, DarthIshtar. Giving good background on Leia's childhood trauma's that shaped her life. I haven't watched "its a wonderful life" since i was a little kid, so I'll probably have to go back and watch it again to pick up the parallels Look forward to more

 

Look forward to more

Same here.


What's the picture you get when you think of Alderon?


Because once I read that it had lots of moutains, and houses and whole villages carved in the edges of the mountains not to ruin the landscape.

Also is there only one white shiny palace or many?

 

My version is kind of like our world--multiclimated. The Antibes Palace is on the Northern continent, in an area that gets very cold. Crevasse City is an entire settlement built into the sides of chasms. Aldera is the capitol, mostly like Theed. The continent of Thon, mentioned in the Original Radio Dramas, is more like Africa. And there are, of course, the grasslands, with few houses and even fewer villages, but have so much respect for the life forms around the structures that they are built on stilts, connected by walkways, and only the laborers are allowed into the fields.