The Circle (AU futurefic) -- big question posted 8/1

The thread!

 

*is dangling*

Great.

Remind me to stick Tallie full of needles next time I see him, he's gotten me hooked on this.



Oh well!!

I'm game!!

I love it!!

Poor Anakin...

Poor BEN!!!

Just one question, I'm not very far along so maybe it's explained at a later date, but what happened to Mara Jade?

*tries to scramble up the cliffie ending to read more*

 

Jaid: Keep reading and more will be revealed! (If I remember correctly )

Up!

 

Remind me to stick Tallie full of needles next time I see him, he's gotten me hooked on this.

You're welcome.

Just one question, I'm not very far along so maybe it's explained at a later date, but what happened to Mara Jade?

Um... you know Rage has two bionic eyes? And you know that they're mismatched? You know that each of them are the colour of the blade that took the original eye? And that the holders of said blades were women an that Rage killed them both? Well, Leia had a red blade. And the other eye's blue. And Mara's saber, at least in the EU, was blue. (Anakin's, that Luke lost at Bespin).

 

Oh geez. I feel really bad about taking so long to update. I thought this semester would be lighter and...yeah, not so much. Classical Chinese is kicking my butt.

So. *coughs* Mucho apologies to anyone who's still reading. Not that I blame anybody who ran off.

~~

Lucéa suppressed a shudder of distaste as, flanked by two bodyguards and two handmaidens, she glided into the Imperial Court. The entire scene was a swirl of jarring colors and garish jewelry, all set against the backdrop of lush red tapestries and black banners overlaid with the emblems of the Empire. Amidst the extravagance, her plain black dress and silver headdress seemed very simple indeed.

"My head hurts," Jonos muttered beside her. "Whoever built this place should be dragged into the street and shot."

"I brought you here for your eyes and your ears, not for your commentary." Lucéa gave the smuggler a sidelong look, grateful that she had not dragged Melody along as well. The less exposure anyone had to her would-be decoy, the better. It was a precaution she wished she had not had to take. However aggravating Melody was, she would have been excellent company compared to this half-wit.

If Jonos seemed perturbed, he gave no sign. Instead he rolled his eyes and stood in a fair imitation of attention. "As you wish, your highness-ness."

"Do not call me that," Lucéa hissed, and then hastily smoothed her expression as a few members of the Court began to surround her. Among them was the Inner Councilor Keegan Rell, all golden hair and ready smiles. His white robes were very plain, so that he stood out quite effectively among the opulence. Lucéa had no doubt that the effect was intentional.

"Your highness." He dipped into a small, polite bow when the introductions were finished. "I was hoping I might have the pleasure of your company."

Lucéa's eyes narrowed fractionally, but she did not refuse. "Of course," she said, and moved to join him. After a moment, Jonos followed after her. She considered sending him back, but did not dare. It had been enough work simply to keep even unarmed bodyguards with her, and protesting when one of them seemed to be doing his job would only draw unnecessary attention. For the time being, she let the smuggler stay.

Later, however, she was going to have to kill him.

Rell clasped his hands behind his back and made his way through the crowd, Lucéa at his side. The dignitaries and hangers-on parted for him without a word. "There's been quite a bit of speculation about you, your highness."

"I can't imagine why," Lucéa murmured as she surveyed the Court from this new vantage point. Red-robed guards and Imperial officers lined the walls. A smaller knot of guards allowed her to locate the Lady Rage and her son Mikel -- Lucéa's distant cousin, as Rabé occasionally reminded her. From this distance the boy looked a little like Anakin Solo.

The thought of the Jedi apprentice drove half-formed notions of political manuevering from her mind. As much as she detested Anakin, and as much as she wished Melody and Jonos would display some semblance of maturity, she was well aware that they were all risking their lives for her. None of them had been forced to come to Imperial Center. If left to their own devices, none of them would have ventured into the Core at all. This was her plan, however desperate it might be.

Rell's voice cut through her brooding. "You seem lost in thought, your highness."

"I won't bore you with the details." Lucéa tilted her head to one side, observing the Inner Councilor as she quickly chose her next words. "Why did you want to talk to me? I don't have time for manuevering."

"I knew I liked you."

Jonos made a sort of muffled choking noise behind her -- one that managed to sound suspiciously like "yeahright!" Lucéa chose to ignore him, keeping her attention on the Inner Councilor. "I assume you wanted more than the pleasure of my company."

Rell shrugged. It was a strangely easygoing gesture in the strict formality of the Imperial Court, and it immediatel

 

Hooray! Lucéa and Jonos-- as infuriating as ever.

Well, I'm really not sure at all what to make of this coup business; whether or not Lucéa was correct in her assessment, whether this Councilor guy is for or against Palpatine (though, honestly, I'm not sure it makes all that much of a difference)... She does seem quite unsettled, though, to put it mildly.

Her voice dropped to a dangerous hiss. "And how does being a war profiteer give you the moral high ground?"

Ouch. Slam, slam, slam. *hugs Jonos*
(If she doesn't want to, I will)

(...even if she did have a point)

 

a coup, eh... they should overthrow the emperor, but do they seriously think Palpy doesn't alrady know about it.. He'll most certainly kill all of them slowly and painfully...

 

Yay! *Hugs Lisse and jumps around doing an Ewok victory dance* Post! Post! Post! Wahooo!

"My head hurts," Jonos muttered beside her. "Whoever built this place should be dragged into the street and shot."

Yup. With a very very big gun. Preferably somewhere other than the head. [1]

"I brought you here for your eyes and your ears, not for your commentary." Lucéa gave the smuggler a sidelong look, grateful that she had not dragged Melody along as well. The less exposure anyone had to her would-be decoy, the better. It was a precaution she wished she had not had to take. However aggravating Melody was, she would have been excellent company compared to this half-wit.

You him really, Luce...

Anyway, she probably would have shot the designer.

If Jonos seemed perturbed, he gave no sign. Instead he rolled his eyes and stood in a fair imitation of attention. "As you wish, your highness-ness."

Hmmm... I think he should say that in front of Han. Mwahahaha.

Later, however, she was going to have to kill him.

Yup. Definately in love.

"I knew I liked you."

He's hitting on her! [face_shocked]

Oh, whom was she kidding? She had known this entire plan was idiotic the moment she had conceived of it. But if her homeworld insisted on making her play the next Amidala, she might as well take the part and run with it. Maybe her great-aunt's ghost could lend her successor some of her luck.

Not good. Rule one. Never ever have supernatural intervention as part of your plan. Ever. Otherwise it gets really, really messy.

"I mean that I'm not stupid, your highness."

What? Not stupid? But he's an Imp! Stupid goes with the uniform.

You are the daughter of Senator Pooja Naberrie.

Pooja? Oh dear oh dear oh dear...

"You are the queen of the Emperor's homeworld. Your family is joined to his. You are a threat to him."

*Shivers*

Lucéa met his eyes and thought, You're lying -- and in a dizzying instant she understood everything. The Emperor's throne, so unapproachable from an outsider's perspective, was under attack from within the system he had so carefully constructed. Rell was either in on those schemes or determined to protect Palpatine, the source of his own considerable power. And here she was, indirectly tied to both the Emperor and his subordinate Darth Rage, queen of his rebellious homeworld, scion of a family that had sought to topple him for decades.

Yup. And they're all pawns. Everything's a pawn. I think it's all part of a neffarious plot by Palps to get them executed, myself...

"What the hell is going on?" Jonos muttereded as he fell into step beside her. He played the part of an overprotective bodyguard disturbingly well.

That's because he's practising for the position of over-protective boyfriend.

She balled her hands into fists, shielding them from view with the drape of her sleeves. "If you can't act as a bodyguard for one night, I am turning you over to the nearest garrison and personally overseeing your very long and very painful execution. Is that clear?"

It had not been meant as a serious threat -- no matter how irritating Jonos was, she would never turn him over to the Empire -- but he fell silent far too quickly. When she risked a glance at him, she saw that his jaw was clenched and he was staring straight ahead. He did not look angry so much as --

No. Impossible. He was hurt?

See? True love.

Not that his feelings mattered to her, after he had so readily helped his father exploit Naboo. She drew a quick breath and looked away from him, dropping her voice to the barest whisper. "I think we have a coup on our hands."

She felt more than saw Jonos stare at her. "What?"

"Rell is either plotting to overthrow the Emperor, or working to stop a plot. In either event, if he's taking it seriously, I'm inclined to as well. From what I was able to gather, someone wants to depose the Emperor and se

 

Hopefully this makes up for the lack of posting for the past -- er, two months of so. :\ I wrote this out a while ago, but I couldn't post it until I got the bit with Lucéa out of the way.

~~

Ben spent his first night back on Tatooine tossing and turning on Rendar's floor. The clink and hiss from the coolant pipes and the ever-present noise of the spaceport kept waking him up -- and if it was not the noise, it was his spinning thoughts. What little he remembered of his mother kept flashing through his head, bits and pieces of a stern face and a lightsaber dangling out of reach. Perhaps it was his imagination, but it seemed as if her face was less definite than his father's, and as if his memories of her were more uncertain. He realized that the only proof he had that she had spent any amount of time with him were the stories his uncle and aunt had told him, and what did those really prove?

He doubted his mother's real name had been Kali Newsuns, or that she had ever really cared about him.

It was almost a relief when Corran reached over to shake him awake. "You ready to go?"

"Yeah," he mumbled, and rolled himself upright. "I think I'm ready."

After a breakfast of bread and dried meat -- and after Corran had bullied Rendar into letting him use the family landspeeder -- they set out through the streets of Mos Eisley and into the desert. Here, at least, Ben was in his element. The landspeeder was in much better repair than any vehicle he had ever piloted in Draco's Well. If he had been a less practical person, he might have tried putting it through its paces. As it was, he settled for tinkering with a few stray wires while Corran steered them towards Hermit's Hut, his cowl pulled over his face to shield himself from the suns.

It was peaceful and pleasant, and Ben should have known it was too good to last.

"So what do you know about the Force?" Corran asked suddenly.

Ben almost dropped his wires. This was not a conversation he wanted to have, but he was too polite to ignore the Jedi. "It makes things blow up, and the Dark Side's bad."

This earned him a puzzled look. "Who told you about the Dark Side?"

Ben shrugged. "My father."

"Your father." Corran stared straight ahead for a moment, hands clenched on the steering controls so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Then, abruptly, he seemed to relax. "What did Admiral Antilles tell you?"

"Just that it was bad." Ben grimaced, remembering how well that conversation had gone. Then he remembered his father's promise, too, and forged on with renewed confidence. "It sounds like being scared or being angry feed it somehow, but that can't be right."

Corran glanced over at him. "Oh?"

"Everybody gets scared. I mean, you and Anakin are the last Jedi. You must get scared all the time, and you're not using the Dark Side."

"No, I'm not." He smiled, although it did not reach his eyes. "I don't use it, but I've been tempted. You're going to be, too, at some point. It's the price for all this power."

Ben frowned at the wires, neatly twisting blue over red over green. "Did you make things break when you got scared?"

"Things?"

"Windows. Lights."

"No, but that might mean my connection to the Force works differently than yours." Corran shifted one of the gears with a little more strength than was strictly necessary. "It also means you're stronger than I am. There used to be more precise ways of measuring that kind of thing, but all we can do now is guess."

Ben made a face. "So what do you guess about me?"

There was a long moment of silence before Corran spoke again. "That you're as strong as Rage. Or you will be soon."

"Oh." Ben put down the wires and leaned back in his seat, shivering despite the heat. "Is that what my mother wanted?"

Corran sighed. "I don't know what your mother wanted," he said. "I never trusted her, for whatever that's worth, but I've met worse people."

"What was she like?"

The silence lasted even longer this time -- so long that Ben began to wonder if he had said something wrong. He was ab

 

Wow! Twice? Blimey...

Ben spent his first night back on Tatooine tossing and turning on Rendar's floor. The clink and hiss from the coolant pipes and the ever-present noise of the spaceport kept waking him up -- and if it was not the noise, it was his spinning thoughts. What little he remembered of his mother kept flashing through his head, bits and pieces of a stern face and a red lightsaber dangling out of reach. Perhaps it was his imagination, but it seemed as if her face was less definite than his father's, and as if his memories of her were more uncertain. He realized that the only proof he had that she had spent any amount of time with him were the stories his uncle and aunt had told him, and what did those really prove?

Red saber? And his mother?

He doubted his mother's real name had been Kali Newsuns, or that she had ever really cared about him.

*Sinff*

"So what do you know about the Force?" Corran asked suddenly.

Ben almost dropped his wires. This was not a conversation he wanted to have, but he was too polite to ignore the Jedi. "It makes things blow up, and the Dark Side's bad."

Oh, the irony. Poor, poor Ben...

Ben shrugged. "My father."

"Your father." Corran stared straight ahead for a moment, hands clenched on the steering controls so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Then, abruptly, he seemed to relax. "What did Admiral Antilles tell you?"

Corran being overly suspicious. I wonder what he thinks Ben knows?

"Just that it was bad." Ben grimaced, remembering how well that conversation had gone. Then he remembered his father's promise, too, and forged on with renewed confidence. "It sounds like being scared or being angry feed it somehow, but that can't be right."

Corran glanced over at him. "Oh?"

"Everybody gets scared. I mean, you and Anakin are the last Jedi. You must get scared all the time, and you're not using the Dark Side."

How do you know? Mwahahahahaaa!

"No, I'm not." He smiled, although it did not reach his eyes. "I don't use it, but I've been tempted. You're going to be, too, at some point. It's the price for all this power."

Ben will be tempted? This is not good. *Remembers Sun of Suns stuff from the prophecy* Uh-oh...

Ben frowned at the wires, neatly twisting blue over red over green. "Did you make things break when you got scared?"

"Things?"

"Windows. Lights."

"No, but that might mean my connection to the Force works differently than yours." Corran shifted one of the gears with a little more strength than was strictly necessary. "It also means you're stronger than I am. There used to be more precise ways of measuring that kind of thing, but all we can do now is guess."

Ben made a face. "So what do you guess about me?"

There was a long moment of silence before Corran spoke again. "That you're as strong as Rage. Or you will be soon."

Poor, poor Ben. Corran just told him that he's basically the only one who can kill Rage.

"Oh." Ben put down the wires and leaned back in his seat, shivering despite the heat. "Is that what my mother wanted?"

*Sniffs again*

"It seems like no one's the person to tell me anything!" Ben had not meant to raise his voice, but he was tired and worried and maybe he was allowed to get impatient, just this once. "People think I'm important or that I should act like somebody else, and how am I supposed to do all that if I don't know what's going on?"

Yeah! Go Ben!

"Maybe you should just act like yourself," Corran muttered, but kept talking before Ben could ask what he meant by that. "Your mother's name was Mara Jade. She was something called an Emperor's Hand -- one of Palpatine's personal lackeys. I don't know why, but she switched sides and joined up with Antilles and Organa Solo. Rage killed her when you were about a year old."

Boom. Now he knows. Mwahaha.

Ben closed his eyes and nodded, trying to ignore the strange tightness in his chest. Even if his mother ha

 

Well, it seems as if Ben's finally starting to realize there's no going back. Poor Ben.

This whole story just keeps messing more and more with his poor red head.

 

Great posts, Lisse! I love the two for one special. Quite a pleasant surprise!

Lucéa is scaring me a little...she actually kind of reminds me more of Leia than of her great-aunt Padmé. Well, they're all related, so something must be running in the family. I feel so bad for Jonos. I mean, maybe he hasn't been the most pure and innocent of the characters, but he's right about Lucéa. Must be tough to have your illusions about a person shattered like that.

I was wondering when Ben would just outright ask why no one ever told him anything. Way to go!

Awesome job! I wish you continuing luck with college!

 

HUZZAH! AN UPDATE!!!

Favorite lines:

For the time being, she let the smuggler stay.

Later, however, she was going to have to kill him.

He did not look angry so much as --

No. Impossible. He was hurt?

(Awwww . . .)

She was glad for the silence, and tried to ignore the sinking feeling that somehow, in some indefinable way, she had just made a terrible mistake.

He doubted his mother's real name had been Kali Newsuns, or that she had ever really cared about him.

(Poor Ben.)

This earned him a puzzled look. "Who told you about the Dark Side?"

Ben shrugged. "My father."

"Your father." Corran stared straight ahead for a moment, hands clenched on the steering controls so tightly that his knuckles turned white. Then, abruptly, he seemed to relax. "What did Admiral Antilles tell you?"

(Uh-oh . . . methinks Corran thought Ben was referring to a different father.)

Ben frowned at the wires, neatly twisting blue over red over green. "Did you make things break when you got scared?"

"Things?"

"Windows. Lights."

(LOL!!!)

"He used to talk to me," Ben murmured, although he was not sure Corran could hear him.

(I'm getting the feeling Ben is more powerful than anyone thinks he is. Except maybe Rage.)

The sooner he got this training over with, the sooner he could go back to pretending his life was normal.

(Uh, Ben, buddy? I don't think that's the point . . .)

 

Wow, two new posts! And again I am reminded why I love this story so much. Now please (and I'm sure I've said this before) don't make us wait so long again!

 

Upsies!

 

Up

 

'p

 

Any more on the way there, Lisse?

 

I hope there is, Em. I do know that at the moment, college is not playing particularily fairly, so it might just be that. [face_hopeful]

 

hello again

 

was I that scary that everybody went away.. *ego expands* hey, I got the upperhand now *smirking*

 

Upper hand? *Draws lightsaberand thumbs it on* Hah! I challenge you to a duel!

 

*draws a big scary sithy red double-bladed lightsaber* Challenge accepted... Hajaaaaaa....

 

*Brings out second silver-bladed saber from behind his back and ignites it, before slashing both through the air menacingly* [Mmmm... nice humming sound...] *Leaps into the air over Lumi's head and lands behind her*

 

*turns around quickly to defend*
*Advances towards 'Rion and slashes quickly*