Beyond - Legends NOTE FROM ISH 5/12--Lest Ye Be Judged--Vader War Crimes Trial

All right, this is my first major beyond the saga effort. It will be in the New Republic but majorly Alternate Universe. You'll see why in the first post. I will post the premise as soon as post 1 is done.

 

PART I
Parting of Ways

For once, there was a time of peace.

Mere hours before, there had been a sky full of the fires of freedom and a chaotic scene played out on the ground. There had been many lives lost, too many to catalogue just yet. There were many acts of heroism that had been performed, swallowed up in the aftereffects.

But the end result was that there was victory and that was all that occupied the minds of the majority of the survivors.

They exulted well into the night, rejoicing in vanquished foes and newfound allies, in their continued survival and the impossibly unfamiliar sense of not having to be afraid for their lives.

The Rebel Alliance had had victories before, but they were always short-lived affairs that were quickly replaced by a harried evacuation and leaving behind friends and equipment that they could not afford to lose. They had loved the small miracles that earned them another day's breath and the occasional place in the history books, but they had lived not knowing if they would have another day. They were hunted animals, not sure if they were growing weaker or finding new forms of strength.

Tonight, however, there was no questioning the defeat of their predator. The Emperor had been aboard the station when it became the newest supernova in the sky and the Imperial Starfleet had been the ones to turn tail and flee for the nearest safe haven. When they cried 'long live the Alliance,' there was finally more than a slim chance that their wish would be granted.

But as dawn broke, the scene was certainly more subdued. Most found themselves unconscious, sleeping wherever they chose to pass out, whether from sheer exhaustion or the soporific effects of the alcohol liberally applied to their digestive systems. Others were still too excited or incredulous to sleep, replaying their victory over and over again, building plans for a future that they knew they would now see. Still others were among the unfortunate few who kept vigil at the casualty lists, knowing that too many had not returned for the victory celebration and hoping that their absence would be explained soon, but hoping that the casualties wouldn't be the ones to do the explaining.

The woman at the bridge was among this last category. She had joined in the festivities at the beginning, swept up in the euphoria like the rest, her heart telling her that she had little to fear for the night. But through the night, one familiar face still remained a missing piece of her heart and she had slipped away into the shadows to be alone in her silent vigil. She could no longer celebrate and would not be able to until while one question remained unanswered.

Her eyes, red-rimmed and aching for reprieve, had not left the shadows beyond the bridge since her arrival five hours earlier. Her arms trembled with exhaustion and the bandaging of one arm was visible beneath the rough fabric of her dress, but she still would not let herself rest. She could not.

She did not notice the approach of the other man, did not hear his quiet footsteps over the pounding of her heart, only recognized his presence when a field cup full of something strong and hot was pushed onto the railing next to her hand.

Leia let out a shuddering sigh, but still did not turn, did not even move. "I'm not coming back," she said flatly.

"I didn't expect you would," Han admitted. "I just thought you might need some liquid fortitude to continue your wait."

A grateful, if strained, smile played across her lips as she reached for the cup. "Thank you," she said quietly.

There was a shuffle and he passed her, leaning against the opposite rail as he regarded her solemnly.

"You really think he's still out there?"

"I'm sure Luke wasn't on that thing when it blew."

"He wasn't. I can feel it."

He's out there, he has to be. He can't leave me now. Not with so many things unexplained and too many questions answered for both our goods.

But for all her misgivings and her fears, she could still sense him at the edge of her sub

 

Okay, so the AU of this is 1) Anakin Skywalker survives Endor and 2) he is put on trial for his crimes. What the results, the process, the reasons, etc. will be are yet to be seen. Stay tuned.

 

If there's any Jedi left in him, he'll accept the consequences of his actions, instead of doing the old "I was just following orders" like certain other characters...

Sorry. I've studied a lot about the Nuremberg trials, so it's hard to be detached.

Loved the portrayal of Leia! Very believable, and very human.

 

Oh boy, that is a great beginning! I wonder if Anakin is ever going to apologize to Leia and Han for torturing them? Cool story!

 

Renata, I've been wanting to do this ever since I studied the Nuremberg trials a few years back, and Nuremberg was also the motivation for the first part of the The Other Half trilogy, where the Skywalker twins are put on trial for their war crimes. thanks for reading, the both of you.

 

*moan* Oh greaaaaaaat.... We get human legalistic Leia... Why couldn't she have stayed in-human?

*bounces* So is this going to be Vader on trial? You haven't broken him have you?? Is he really Anakin?? Or is he Vader?? C'mon sis... Don't leave me hanging here!!...

 

I shall be in the court room. This looks good.

 

Sis, um, just to warn you, if you think this is bad, just wait until you find out who gets to be defense lawyer! And it's going to be Anakin, but he'll have a lot of Vader moments. A lot of this story will be reconciling the two identities.

 

Good start.

There were many acts of heroism that had been performed, swallowed up in the aftereffects??reminded me of Lando whamming his way out of the Death Star 2 in the Falcon.


that were quickly replaced by a harried evacuation and leaving behind friends and equipment that they could not afford to lose?.one gets a clear picture of this after the battle of Hoth.


and the bandaging of one arm was visible beneath the rough fabric of her dress?ah, the detail.

This is my favourite scene in the Entire Saga. (Yep, better then the action parts and graphics, better then when Vader reveals himself as Luke?s father.)

"I have to face him."

"Why?"

"Because...he is my father."

"Your father?"

"I know, somehow I've always known."

"Then, you know why I have to face him."

"No!"


Wow! I never thought of this. I thought they just flung him in the flames. Well it?s in my mind now. This is what happened?The first thing she was aware of was the labored breathing of the individual in the compartment off the cargo hold, the efforts to sustain life beneath a makeshift breath mask. The skull was bare, covered in roping scars and the unmistakable marks of severe burn damage along the pronounced cheekbones and broad forehead. The arms were powerfully built, one truncated at the wrist in a mass of severed wires.


"Anakin Vader, Darth Skywalker,"..nice combination of names.

 

The combination of names idea came from my favorite beta and co-writer, Annemarie. One of my favorite Original Characters of all time is Kaleb Skywalker, L/L's half-brother and there's one scene where they "decided what to do with Kaleb Vader" and I loved that (putting a name to the nightmare) so much that it prompted this.

 

Ahhhhhhhhh, very nice... More soon! Please!


A. Windsor

 

ooooooo mesa likes... mesa likes very much...

When are we gonna get more?

 

i'm working on a post right now. Each of the posts will be pretty long--the first one was 11 pages.

 

My Sithly computer shut down my post before I could finish it off, so it'll be a little longer before I can get it done. Tomorrow, though, we find out what happens when the Alliance begins to find out.

 

Wonderful start, as always! I can hardly wait for more!

 

It had taken less than an hour after they returned to the Headquarters Frigate to get the prisoner settled into sickbay. Another ten minutes found them assigned to their respective quarters and instructed to remain there, awaiting debriefing. The wait resulted to be very short, since the interim Chief of State called on Minister of State Leia Organa within five minutes of locating where her assigned quarters were.

Leia travelled the corridors in something like a daze, eyes open but not seeing, feet moving, mouth issuing reflexive greetings to the familiar faces she passed. But she was not aware of either where she was going or how long it was going to take her to get there. She simply trusted her instincts to lead her to the right turbolift and corridor.

Instinct apparently served her well, for Leia quickly found herself, still dazed, outside an unmarked but familiar door three levels down. Flipping the panel open, she pressed her hand to the sensor and a moment later, the door had slid open.

The room was brightly lit, filled with music. It was not an uncommon custom--the leader of the Alliance claimed that one of the few things that had kept her sane for twenty-four years of organized rebellion was the ability to escape self-induced headaches. The woman was quiet, almost grave, and a strong-willed leader, but when she was in her own element, she chose to find joy in simple things.

Winning a war only had to enhance that ability, it would seem.

"Minister of State," Mon Mothma greeted with a welcoming smile as she left the corridor and entered the small living room. "Thank you for coming so soon."

Leia's arms wrapped around herself as she took the proffered repulsorchair along the wall. "It's strange to hear that title already," she admitted. "It's been four long years since the Alliance started achieving small victories in earnest, but it seems like a lifetime and hardly any time at all, all at once."

Mothma nodded. "This morning, when Sitaru first called me 'Madame Chief of State,' I began wondering when he'd had time to develop a sense of humor. Stranger still is the fact that as soon as we formalize the charter, it is reality."

Leia's smile returned warily. "We've overthrown the standing government. Reality is one word, but a miracle is a more precise term."

"As you well should know," she agreed. "General Solo was quite impressed with your contribution to the victory."

Leia shook her head, smile turning wistful. Leave senseless hyperbole to the scruffy-looking nerfherder.

"General Solo is blinded by love," she chided. "I wouldn't take any assessment of me seriously."

Mon Mothma did not respond, only finished setting the small round table in the center of the room. Leia rose, crossing to her seat with measured stride, afraid that any slight jar might topple her. She had her mind on everything but keeping herself upright.

Mon Mothma apparently noticed this, judging from the bewildered expression on her face. "I think you have something to tell me."

Leia promptly knocked over her cup at the observation, grateful that it had not yet been filled, but her cheeks flushed as she righted it.

"I think you're right," she conceded.

Mon Mothma sank into the opposite seat, still watching her and choosing her words carefully. "Would this have to do with the strange nature of your arrival? The security measures and clandestine docking?"

Leia straightened her shoulders, chin coming parallel to the floor as she met her friend's eyes. "If I told you I was a Skywalker, would you understand?"

The woman nodded and though she did not speak, there was a kind of horrified recognition.

"What does that mean to you?"

The other woman's eyes lowered to her plate. "As a Senator of the Old Republic and a friend of your birth mother, many things," she said quietly.

It was the first time that she had even spoken of another parent beyond Bail and Sache. There had never been any need. The matter of Princess Leia's adoption was a private affair, one that she had not

 

I like the references to Padme, because it makes the Starwars tale much more cohesive.

 

It appears that Mon Mothma knew about Anakin all along. I think Leia's still too stunned to be angry about the admission. I wonder what Luke's response will be. I like the little details you add like Leia knocking her cup over.

 

another great post.... I love the reference to Han's hyperbole.....

More soon! Please!


A. Windsor

 

I have tried three times to post, but the sadistic psychopaths called my parents (I hate christmas vacation, having to be home the entire time) keep busting me off the comp.

 

Upping until I can write.

 

Brilliant!

The scene where Luke brings Leia to Vader was so powerful and so chilling. You conveyed her horror and anger perfectly.

Looking forward to more.

 

Thanks, Gina! Thrilled to see you here!

 

The return to consciousness was something of a struggle, fighting against the instinct to heal or surrender to the natural force of death that had nearly claimed him already. The most maddening thing was the sense of his son nearby, but he was too exhausted to reach out to him. It was taking everything he had just to reach for the light that the Force offered instead of the shadows he had basked in for over two decades.

But finally, after four bouts of brief awareness, he was able to bring himself to alertness and found himself bound to the bed where he had been languishing for an undetermined amount of time. That was not surprising, though the hand resting on his wrist was an unexpected factor.

He stirred slightly, expelling a shuddering breath and sucking in fresh air. Luke was instantly awake, senses not embracing him so much as hanging on for dear life. Slightly taken aback, he accepted the gesture, then found the hesitant strength to return it.

?In time, he will come to you??

Five years of hunting him, of murdering those who served Vader the best they knew but could not produce the Hero of the Rebellion, and the boy came to him of his own free will and choice. He had come to face the father he had once doubted when he had no proof that the man he sought even existed any more. Now, when he had saved the man who had done his best to murder and corrupt, he still remained at his side.

It reminded him too well of another wise but obstinate man--his Master. It was hard to say when his Master had given up--perhaps he had not even relinquished his hope in those final moments on the Death Star--but Obi-Wan had always been one to foolishly devote his efforts to lost causes.

"I've been communing with the Force, Padawan."

"And what does the Force tell you, Master?"

"That you're hot-headed and I'm a glutton for punishment."

"But we already knew that."

"I didn't know that it would never change. I'm starting to seriously reconsider a decision I made nine years ago to be just as stubborn as my Master."

"Me, too, Master."

But it was something more than that. Obi-Wan had been a resolute man at best, a thick-headed traditionalist at worse, and a blinded moron at worst, but the angel who had given life to this tow-headed angel at his side had been even worse. She had been obstinate, devoted, painfully loyal to a person who no longer existed, but she knew her limits.

Vader doubted his son had even thought of the possibility of limits. Anakin hoped he would not in the near future.

His daughter, however, was a different matter. Too much like her mother for comfort, she whole-heartedly loved the Skywalker, but righteously despised the Vader. He could not blame her for either, but despite the fixed course of her heart, his dreams in healing had been filled of the hope for reconsideration.

You're a fool. Do not hope for that which cannot be obtained. Do not strive for that which cannot be earned.

If it takes every breath, I will strive to earn her forgiveness. Even if it takes more breaths than my lifetime affords.

He was being a sentimental fool, returning to the heartsick Jedi Knight who had fallen in his own trap too many years ago, but it was the only remembrance of Anakin Skywalker that he clearly held in his heart.

And it was something to build on, at the very least.

A slight stirring at his side broke him out of his reverie. In his state of reflection, he'd allowed his shields to slip and Luke had sensed him. The mere fact that Luke had sensed this change was humbling. It was a skill that had been fostered often enough in the Order, but only between a Master and Padawan or, in less common circumstances, among family. It took a great deal of trust, which was why it was so limited in its influence.

It had only been a few days ago that his son had been able to call him father for the first time, but he was already trusting the both of them enough to allow the title to have meaning to the Force.

"Finally," Luke yawned into his outflun