"One Choice" -- Anakin Chooses the Right Path: My AU Version

I've never really tried my hand at fiction. I'd appreciate anyone's comments on this draft. The first half is here; the second half to follow soon.

As always, Lucasfilm owns all the rights to Star Wars. No infringement is intended or profit to be made by me.

Hope you like it.

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On a day of celebration, Jedi Master Anakin Skywalker remembers his turn away from the dark side twenty-five years earlier in the weeks after the Battle of Geonosis and reflects on the path his life with Padme has taken since.

One Choice

***********

As he awoke from his first night of restful sleep in weeks, eyes still closed, it took Anakin Skywalker a minute to remember where he was. He knew instantly it wasn?t Coruscant. His room in the Jedi Temple was quiet, even silent. His family?s penthouse suite in the Senate district was louder, with a constant hum of speeder traffic. Here, there was only the sound of birds singing and waves gently lapping against a shore. The fresh breeze blowing in the open window smelled of flowers.

Of course, he realized as he dug palms against his eyes, rubbing the sleep away. His wife?s secluded lake retreat on Naboo. They had shared many wonderful days here in their twenty-five years together. And after all that time, Anakin still felt a momentary shiver of disappointment every morning, like today, when Padme wasn?t in the bed next to him. He?d become used to it, of necessity. A Jedi Master married to a powerful politician, a former Supreme Chancellor no less, could not avoid such days. But every time it happened, he was unhappy.

Anakin sat up in the bed and looked out over the lake below. She went into Theed last night with the twins, to finish the preparations for today. He glanced over at the clock on the nightstand. It?s barely dawn. I have plenty of time. He didn?t get to fly much anymore, and he knew Padme had left a speeder behind for him. He would fly himself into the capital this afternoon, let the wind whip through his hair, and relive his glory days as a young Podracer and later a hotshot starfighter pilot.

She?d told him many times he was too old to fly so recklessly, but it was the one element of danger, of risk, that he allowed himself now. That?s why she humors me. He looked at himself in the mirror across the room on the vanity. His hair was now completely gray, parts even white. His face was beginning to wrinkle, and his stubble a patchwork of brown and gray. I?m forty-five. I shouldn?t look this old. Maybe she?s right: maybe it is time that I finally stepped down. He cleared his thoughts and gazed out the window again.

The day would be a happy one, a night of celebration. All the more reason, he thought, to do what I?ve been putting off this month. To remember how close I came to losing all of this. Anakin flopped backwards onto his pillow. He closed his eyes and began to meditate about what he had done, a quarter century ago, that had made today possible.

***********

Anakin was jolted awake by an overwhelming feeling of panic. A powerful sense of fear gripped his chest, and sharp burning tore at the pit of his stomach. Something was very wrong.

He sat up in the bed in the Naboo lake retreat. It was the fourth night since their secret wedding. He knew Padme wouldn?t be here. She had left after dinner to visit her family again, to prove to them she truly had survived the battle on Geonosis. He had agreed to stay behind; the sight of his new golden metallic arm would hardly ease their worries. Anakin also suspected she needed to talk to her sister Sola about him, although whether Padme would tell her about the wedding he wasn?t sure.

Oh no. What if it?s her? His heart skipped a beat and his body lurched. Anxiety pounded in his brain. If anyone?s hurt her, even a little bit, I?ll kill them. The molten ball of rage inside him grew larger. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead. I?ll kill them!

Anakin took a

 

Wow! That's a great start, Darth_Lex! I love it so far!

I can't wait to see what comes next!

 

Wow! What a wonderful story! It's interesting the way you've characterized Anakin - he's a lot like he was at the end of AOTC, someone who had their problems but on the whole was a good person. You've successfully brought it across that Anakin is willing to come clean of everything he's done, something which, unfortunately, in the films he won't do.

You can't end it there - please post more soon!


starwoid

 

Great story except for one thing, evil cliffhanger!! You can't just stop writing there! Please, post more soon!

 

Thanks, everyone, for your nice comments. I'm glad you liked the story (so far). The rest will be ready soon.

The small delay is that I'm finishing this up as I work on another little (?) project I am tinkering with -- basically "AOTC screenplay: my version." Already almost forty pages, 10 point type. Yikes. And that's the beginning, the end (mostly done), and the A/P love story, without anything done to Obi-Wan's "detective story" yet. Oof.

To be clear, I really like AOTC as is (let's see, yesterday was the 17th viewing), but when I am sitting around I always think of little ways that it could have been better. (As you may have guessed from the story here, I am definitely one of those who feels that removing "Padme's Parents' House" -- especially after seeing it as a deleted scene -- was a crucial error by GL that really hurt the movie. I know there's another camp that wants to see Dooku with two sabers, etc., and I respect that, but that's not me.) And the way the love story develops in Salvatore's novelization is much more persuasive.

So the idea for this story here came to me as I was thinking about Anakin and Padme for "how I would rewrite the AOTC love story." My basic premise is to shift a bit in focus, from him as almost a creepy stalker, to the idea that Padme could, like many of us do, fall in love with a "best friend"-type figure. As for a week-long whirlwind romance, that's fine. I think we've all seen our share of people who think they have found their "true love" after a week with them. Throw them into assassination attempts, hiding in secret alone, and the collapse of the galaxy as they know it, sure, those people would even get married. Anyway, in my version-in-progress, the structure is similar (Coruscant, Naboo/Kamino, Tatooine/Geonosis, Geonosis) but a lot of details have changed. And all of this is a long way of explaining how I think about those two characters, in AOTC and my story.

The rest will be ready soon. Really. If you like it, and want to read my screenplay thing when I start posting it, please do.

 

**jaw drops** WOW that was awesome!!!

 

That was great, I can not wait to read more of this

 

Count me in for reading your other stuff. If it's half as good as this fic is, it's absolutely wonderful!


starwoid

 

Up

 

Here is part 2 of the story. I plan to have the ending ready this afternoon. (In theory. But as Homer Simpson says, communism works. In theory.)

Picking up where we left off...

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?Welcome, Master Jedi,? said the Chancellor.

Face-to-face again, Anakin for the first time could sense the dark side in Palpatine. He doubted the others could. So he sprung the trap he had set. He stepped forward. ?Greetings, Lord Sidious.?

The shock on Palpatine?s face was apparent. He tried to respond, but found himself gasping for air. Anakin?s right, metallic hand was extended out, choking him with the Force. He thinks he has two choices. He can let himself die, or he can use the dark side to block me. Either way, he loses. I won?t kill him this way. But he doesn?t know that.

Palpatine chose to fight, and the other Jedi definitely could sense that. He unleashed a blast of dark side energy at Anakin, trying to knock him away and charge him through with Force lightning. With five Jedi Masters surging with the Force and protecting Anakin, nothing Palpatine tried came close.

Anakin released his Force grip. ?I will not kill you with the Force, Sidious. I will not fall to the dark side and become your servant. Despite what you have done to me, to my friends, and to the Republic, I will not kill you from anger, or revenge, or hatred. I am a Jedi. I will kill you for one reason only: to defend myself and the Republic from your evil.?

?I will never surrender to you,? Palpatine snarled at him. He tried again to attack Anakin, but could not succeed.

Anakin looked to Yoda. ?It is time, Master?? Yoda nodded sadly.

Anakin unclipped his lightsaber and stepped to stand in front of Palpatine. He cleared his mind. He realized that unlike any time he could ever remember, he could not feel the dark side anywhere inside himself. ?This ends. Now.? The blue blade shimmered to life, and one swift overhead blow struck down the Sith Lord who had tormented the galaxy for so long.

Everything happened very quickly after that.

Analysis of Palpatine?s personal effects immediately revealed the location of the Sith hideout in the industrial sector of Coruscant. Evidence found there exposed Sidious? manipulation of the Senate and the Republic for well over a decade. Knowing the truth was too shocking to be believed, only a limited number of politicians and a few other Jedi were told that Palpatine had in fact been Sidious. Everyone else, and the public, heard only that, sadly, the Supreme Chancellor had passed away.

With the Sith communications equipment, Dooku was quickly traced. Anakin offered him one last chance to surrender: ?You can?t win, Darth. Don?t make me destroy you like I did your Master.? Dooku refused to be taken alive. This time, fighting in tandem and filled with the light side of the Force, Obi-Wan and Anakin defeated him easily.

With the masterminds gone and the rapidly moving public investigation unveiling the full extent of their manipulation by the Sith, the Separatist movement collapsed. Its leaders were convicted in a court of law for treason. Outside the limelight, many Senators resigned in disgrace.

In the Senate, a groundswell of support for Senator Amidala of Naboo began to build. She believed she had been too young to serve as Queen, so Padme declined the nomination. ?I am deeply honored by your support,? she told them, ?but presently I lack the experience to be Supreme Chancellor.? A consensus then formed around Bail Organa of Alderaan, who was sworn into office three days after Palpatine?s death.

To avoid upstaging the inauguration, Padme waited a week to make her other public statement. She announced her recent marriage to Anakin Skywalker. For concealing the relationship from her constituents, she requested a special election be called to determine whether she still held their trust. She won easily.

The day after Padme?s announcement, Anakin stood alone before the Jedi Council. It?s strange, h

 

Oh this is great! I really like this. You've done a great job, Darth_Lex. If Anakin hadn't turned, this is definitely what would have happened.


Wonderful post!

starwoid

 

Great job. I wish this is what would happen in Episode III!

 

Why couldn't Lucas have thought of this? Then again, Star Wars may not have been as popular if it had had this ending. But I still like this story more.

 

Again, wow.....I can see this being the definitive "If Anakin hadn't turned" story. I cannot wait to read the ending.

 

Here is the third and final part of my story. Hope you like it.

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As the wedding march began to play, all the guests turned and faced the rear of the hall. The holy man at the front of the room, meanwhile, was amused. For a Jedi Knight and a highly decorated officer in the Republic military, the two men before him certainly seemed overly nervous.

The gigantic doors swung open. First through was Obi-Wan. On his arm was Mara Jade, Jedi Knight. She almost glowed in her white dress. Obi-Wan projected feelings of serenity to her, hoping to help her maintain her composure at least until she reached the altar. When they were about halfway down the aisle, the other pair entered. Anakin escorted his daughter, Leia, Galactic Senator from Tatooine. Her white dress also shone brightly in the light of the Great Hall. Unlike Mara, she was perfectly calm. She always could hold it together. Like her mother.

Obi-Wan released Mara one step in front of her groom, dressed in his Jedi robes. Obi-Wan shook his hand. ?Congratulations, Luke. You?re a very lucky man.? A nod was the only thing the young Knight could muster in response.

Anakin stopped with Leia the same way. The man standing in front of him wore the full dress uniform of a starship Captain in the fleet. I really shouldn?t call him Captain Solo anymore. He?s family now. Anakin decided to forgo an embrace and shook his hand. ?Congratulations, Han. Take good care of my daughter.?

?Thank you. I will.? Considering you?re the only non-Jedi who?s ever been able to hold his own flying competitively with me, I don?t doubt that at all.

Anakin grinned and turned to take his seat. Obi-Wan had already joined the other members of the Council on the Mara-Luke side of the aisle. Anakin walked five paces and sat down next to Padme on the Leia-Han side. He reached out his right hand, which she grasped tightly in both of hers. She?s so happy. I am too. Before the ceremony could start, he leaned in and whispered in her ear. ?I feel the same way you do.?

Padme turned her head and smiled at him. ?Sorry you lost your bet.?

***********

Later that night, at the reception, the toasts began. A roast, actually, for Han and Leia. Commander Chewbacca, who had pledged a life-debt to Han after being rescued from an illegal forced labor camp, had his speech translated by See Threepio. Between the Wookiee?s sense of humor and the droid?s complete inability to use the proper voice inflections at the correct time, the crowd was laughing uproariously. Listening to Chewie, I like Han more than ever. In another time and place, he would have been a pirate, or perhaps smuggler. A scoundrel of some sort. Instead, he?s one of the best young officers we have, despite his tendency to try risky tactics and his sometimes, well, insubordinate nature. A dashing young man, for sure. With a great heart.

Governor Lando Calrissian from the Bespin territories in the Outer Rim spoke next. An inveterate gambler. He puts old Watto to shame. The man can beat me at sabaac even when I cheat using the Force. I still haven?t figured out how he does that. A good friend of Han?s for many years, he was a truly suave gentleman. A consummate politician. It?s a good thing Leia hasn?t had to run against this guy. Much to the young couple?s chagrin, Lando declared that he would tell the story of how Han and Leia had first met, which many of the guests had never heard before. And even I?ve only heard their version. This one should be much better. And probably more truthful.

It all began four years ago in Mos Eisley. Luke, still a Padawan learner, had sensed that his sister?s diplomatic negotiations had broken down. She had been taken prisoner and was in danger. On an assignment on own, without resources, he desperately sought a pilot in a dark, grimy cantina. He soon found Han and Chewie, on a two-week leave from the fleet, and Lando, joining them on his own vacatio

 

BLESSED BE THE STICKY THREAD!!


"After almost twenty years, he could still squeeze into his old Jedi flight suit. Just barely."





One of the Loveliest AU's I've ever read!!

 

I'm speechless. This is one of the best stories I have read! It's really funny how in the end, some of the same things end up happening. Han marrying Leia, Luke and Mara, not to mention Han meeting Chewbacca. This was very well written. I can't wait to read your next story!

 

This was a fabulous story! I like how you came back to the present (post-ROTJ) at the end. AUs are always wonderful, IMHO, because Ani never turns.

You should get this archived on the TF.N site. It certainly deserves it.

starwoid

 

this was a wonderful story. I especially liked how you included my favorite EU character, Mara Jade. That was great.

 

Thank you, everyone, for your praise. It's very flattering, though I think you're overly generous. Regardless, it's certainly rewarding to know that the story was worth sharing on the boards.

Maybe, when things at work settle down in a few more days, I will start a new one... We'll see.

Thanks again, everybody.

 

That was wonderful! I loved how you moved everything along. It truly was a wonderful story.

 

For anyone checking back, just wanted to specifically clarify that with the three posts this (short) story is in fact complete. Even though it means this thread dies a quick and lonely death.

Thanks for reading. Glad you liked it.

 

very nice!!!! Great story and very well written!!!!