Saga - Legends The Dark Fire Chronicles (AU OT - Luke, Leia, Vader, Han, Mara, OCs and more)

Title: The Dark Fire Chronicles
Author: Viari Skywalker
Timeframe: OT
Characters: Leia, Luke, Vader, Mara, Han, Palpatine, OCs and various other canon and EU characters
Genre: AU, drama, adventure, angst, action, romance
Summary:

Nineteen years after the fall of the Jedi, the outcome of one battle will affect the fate of the galaxy. Living a life that should never have been, Darth Vader trains the next Sith apprentice in the shadow of the Imperial Palace. As she grows stronger, Princess Leia feels the stirrings of rebellion in her heart, while her twin brother, Prince Luke, searches for the truth about their past. Pulled into conflict by hatred and pride, Leia finds herself allied with smugglers, Rebels, and a farm boy as they race to disable a weapon built for annihilation.

Watched by the Emperor?s faithful servants, Luke must find a way to help his sister before it is too late. A friend and a mysterious assassin stand in his way, as well as the father he once trusted, and the Imperial Prince must utilize his knowledge of the past if he is to succeed. Tempted at every turn, he struggles to reach his sister before the Emperor destroys her.

And while his children get caught up in the middle of the Galactic Civil War, a man once known as Anakin Skywalker must choose his destiny?


Enjoy!

 

The Dark Fire Chronicles
Part One: Ember and Shade

***
Prologue


He should have crawled from the pit.

In his most horrendous of nightmares, he saw himself sliding toward the molten lava, his body burning away into almost nothing. The terrifying revelation that he should have been nearly consumed, only to survive as a half man. His transformation should have been complete.

Then he would wake and remember that he had never fallen to the flames.


***
0 BBY


Javan Madai stared across the black table, his body perfectly still. I?m as much a diplomat as anyone in here. The young man fought the urge to tap his fingers on the smooth table, a nervous habit he?d acquired sometime in the past. With practiced patience, he allowed his gaze to travel around the table and analyze each of the twelve men seated. The members of Javan?s delegation sat with an air of quiet anticipation, even fear. The bureaucrats opposite Javan were for the most part a group of pudgy, balding men. I?m more a diplomat than any of these hypocrites. Each of them had the look of someone confident in their ability to succeed simply because they considered themselves leaders. Javan scanned the Imperial delegates. His eyes stopped on the two members who contrasted with the rest of the group.

Make that eleven men and one woman.

A head shorter than the smallest man in the room, the girl across from Javan was barely nineteen. Her long, dark hair was braided and laced with fine silver bands, her big brown eyes keenly perceptive of the atmosphere of the entire room. Her petite frame was clothed in an elegant blue dress made from the finest silks money could buy. She dripped with majesty and influence, a rare accomplishment for one so young. But maybe it wasn?t so surprising considering who she was seated next to.

?Senator Organa, the Emperor knows of several Rebel cells operating on your planet.? The Sith Lord on the girl?s left side always knew how to get to the point. Javan had to give him that much credit.

Senator Bail Organa returned the Sith?s stare. ?Lord Vader, I wish I could be of more help, but I do not have contact with these supposed Rebel cells. If they exist, we on Alderaan have not experienced problems with any of them.?

Darth Vader also differed in appearance from the rest of the Imperials. Clothed in black robes and a billowing cloak, he was an intimidating figure, unlike the pompous politicians accompanying him. For the past two decades, the Sith had hid his face beneath the voluminous hood of his famous dark cloak, but on rare occasions he let his face show. This meeting was one of those occasions. Vader?s expression was colder than that of a lifeless stone statue. Javan imagined that it would be easier to face the Sith if he wore a mask of some kind or kept his face hooded. At least he wouldn?t have to watch the handsome, cruel face grow darker with suppressed fury. Somehow a Sith?s anger was much worse than anyone else?s.

?Organa, I grow tired of your games. One day you?ll be sorry that you housed these traitors.? Vader?s dark blue eyes flashed icily. ?When that day comes, do not expect clemency. You will be shown none.?

Javan twitched uncomfortably. He admired the senator for his courage in facing the Sith and his Imperials, but the young Alderaanian feared that even Bail was losing influence in the Senate.

Of course, no one had much influence in the Senate anymore. Not unless their name was Palpatine.

?I will always give help to those who ask for it,? Senator Organa replied calmly. Javan could hear the unspoken words: ?including Rebels.? He guessed that Vader had picked up on the hint as well.

?Very well,? the Sith growled. ?We have no further business here.? He motioned for the Imperial bureaucrats to rise. Extending one arm, he turned to the girl at his side. ?Come, Leia.? She glanced at Senator Organa, not without compassion, then took the Sith?s arm and followed him out of the room, leaving the Alderaanians in cold silence.

Javan looke

 

Very good. I'm looking forward to more of this.

 

I am really glad I got here on the first post! I love this so far--Luke and Mara, Leia hating Palpatine, Vader's face, the original characters blending in nicely, too. It's always nice to find a real gem when it's just starting out.

Needless to say, I'll be here for the next post!

 

tatooinewizard - thanks very much! I hope to have more up very soon! By the way, is there a shorter name you'd like to go by, or is "tatooinewizard" fine?

Moon - It's always nice to find a real gem when it's just starting out.

You're too kind. I'm glad you like it so far.

More soon!

 

Good start. I like how Vader didnt fall in the lava. Keep up the good work and post more soon.

 

I have no preference. Most just call me wizard or TW, so if you'd like to shorten it to either of those I don't mind.

 

Oooooo amazing start. I love the way you started the prologue with Vader and the lava pit. Chillingly powerful.

 

Cypher18 - I'm glad you like it!

Princess1 - again, thanks very much!

Next post soon!

 

Chapter One cont.


Cal Nightrunner stood silhouetted against the blazing twin suns of his homeworld, caring about little more than the job he had been hired to do on the moisture farm in the distance. He had only started as a hired hand a few months ago, after gruff Owen Lars appeared in the middle of Anchorhead looking for help. The sun-worn farmer seemed reluctant to ask for assistance, but his wife must have convinced him. Eram Nightrunner had insisted that his son take the job.

Trust his grounded father to land him with an equally grounded occupation. Moisture farming was the most predictable type of living Cal could imagine. Keep the vaporators running, wait for them to pull every drop of moisture out of the air, and store it to be sold. Cal?s job was to fix any of the equipment and machines that broke down and to make sure that any damage done by the Tusken Raiders could be repaired. That was really all Lars ever asked of him. Fix this, clean that, and don?t touch the swoop bike, it?s pretty old. Lars always gave him a funny look whenever Cal would wander close to that swoop.

The week before Cal had asked his mother why an old farmer like Owen Lars would have a swoop.

?Oh, you know. He wasn?t always an old farmer.? Tani Nightrunner always got a wistful look in her eyes when she spoke of the ?old days? with her only son. Cal had shaken his head in exasperation. That still did not explain why the man kept a swoop that he clearly didn?t ride anymore.

Now as he approached the Lars homestead, Cal?s thoughts wandered back to the task that lay ahead. As he came closer to the small hovel, he saw a lone figure climbing the stairs from the doorway. He made out the slight frame of Beru Lars and allowed himself a smile. Cal liked the gentle older woman. She always invited him to stay for supper, even when she knew he would have to politely decline. There was a soft determination about her that was both sweetly mothering and boldly encouraging. It was too bad she?d never had any children of her own.

?Good morning, ma?am.? Cal hopped over a little dune and jogged to meet the woman.

Beru Lars squinted in the harsh glare of the suns, then smiled. ?Hello, Cal. How good of you to come by.? She acted as though Cal came out of sheer good will. It was her way.

?Is he out already??

?Yes, but he shouldn?t be. Caught a cold, he did. From staying out too late fiddling with those vaporators.? Beru sighed. ?I told him not to, but he?s too prideful.? She had that same foggy look in her eyes that Cal?s mother got when she would delve into her memories.

?Ma?am??

Beru looked up at the tall young man as if seeing him for the first time. ?Why don?t you come in for a drink, Cal?? She motioned for him to come with her into the hovel.

The young farm hand nodded and followed the woman down the steps. He?d been in here many times already, but each time it seemed like there was something new to see. Which was strange considering the Lars? rarely bought anything new ? unless it was a droid or farm equipment. Still, Cal noticed different trinkets each time he stepped into the Lars home. Once he had seen a tiny model podracer, which looked curiously similar to the famous human-piloted pod that had won the Boonta Eve race over thirty years before. When he?d asked about it, Beru had quietly told him that the miniature had belonged to Owen?s stepmother.

Cal couldn?t even imagine Owen Lars being young enough to have a mother. Of course, he couldn?t imagine any of the adults on Tatooine ever being young.

?Owen bought a droid this morning from the Jawas. He?s putting it to work. He said he won?t need you today, since the harvest is winding down now.? Beru poured some purple liquid into a plastic cup and handed it to Cal. ?Sorry we couldn?t get word to you before you came all the way out here.?

Cal took a sip of the drink. Refreshingly sweet. ?It?s no trouble, ma?am.? He downed the rest of the liquid. ?But if you?ll excuse me, I should probably go home and finish up my chores early, if you?ll not be needing

 

Another excellent post. I liked Cal a lot, he seemed curious and interesting. Plus, he had very interesting little comments about Owen and Beru.

Bad feeling about the Tuskens? That can't be good...

I'm also very intrigued by Luke's narrative, and the middle names of the twins. Ember and Shade? I'll have to remember that.

 

Bad feeling about the Tuskens? That can't be good...

Hey, you caught on to the twins' middle names! Good for you! And yes, I have my reasons, it's not all insanity.

 

ooooooooooo, you've got another story! I love this so far, I adore your Leia and am amazed at how, despite the fact your Vader has no mask, he's still in character! This is really something, I cant help but wonder how Cal will fit into all this, and that smuggler woman.

Up!

 

Hey Mystic! I know I'm repeating myself, but I'm very glad you found this and that you're enjoying it. Thanks for the lovely comments.

Hope to have more up tomorrow!

And also, to all you wonderful readers, if you're interested, my two other fics could use some love (See my bio) Only if you want to though!

 

Getting more interesting here.
And as others have stated, no good can come from the activity of Tuskens.

 

All I have to say is:

 

Up! (Working on next post)

 

Chapter Two: Intricate Deceptions


Nights were always quiet on Alderaan, and Javan would not have had it any other way. Standing on a balcony of the Royal Palace, he let the cool wind sweep across his face, the scent of new flowers a gentle reminder that the planet was experiencing its annual rebirth. The young man relished in the silence. The palace was a very peaceful place, an attribute which appealed to Javan even in his childhood. Still there came times when even the attentions of Organa relatives were too much to bear. When that happened, Javan ran off to his special balcony. Here he could always be alone. Here he could always think clearly. In his youth he would come to the palace with his father and visit Bail and his wife. If he concentrated harder, Javan could almost remember coming here with his mother. But that was a long time ago, and now he was grown.

Javan?s lips curved into a wry grin as he combed his fingers through his black hair. His father, Orin Madai, always laughed at him whenever he mentioned how adult he was. ?You?ll always be my little boy,? he would chuckle merrily. Javan would shake his head in quiet amusement. He loved his father, but the man had never been one for politics. He saw Javan?s ambitions as childish pastimes and nothing more. Someday he would show him. He?d make his father proud. He?d make Bail proud.

Another grin.

Bail Organa was a different person entirely. He openly welcomed Javan?s interest in the Senate, and was always available to talk to the young man about his ideals and positions. Perhaps it was because the viceroy and prince of Alderaan had never had a child of his own. Javan was sometimes more like the child Bail should have had, rather than merely the son of a cousin. And sometimes Javan found himself wondering what it would be like to have Bail as a father. He would have lived in the beautiful palace, instead of a lavish city mansion. He would have been addressed as ?Prince? or something to that effect, and he would have grown up in Bail?s impressive shadow.

When truths like these occurred to Javan, he realized how fortunate he was to have been born a Madai with ties to the House of Organa. He was free to follow Bail?s path without feeling pressure to do so. It was an act of love ? love for politics, love for the people, and love for his cousin ? rather than an act of inherited duty. It didn?t matter that he was not Bail?s natural son. He was the senator?s protégé, his more-than-son. That was all that really mattered.

Javan sighed and looked up at the distant stars. Somewhere out there was a power-hungry man who fed off of the ignorance of billions upon billions of living, breathing beings. He twisted their fates around his finger as if they were delicate threads. He could twist more and more, and when one snapped, he would continue on without a care. And now he was trying to do that to Bail and to Alderaan. Javan didn?t know if there really where any Rebels on his beloved planet, but if there were, it was Palpatine?s own fault. The whole Rebellion was started because the greedy old man didn?t know when enough was enough.

Sometimes the young diplomat wished he could do more. Yes, he was a skilled politician, but certainly not one of the brilliant ones. He was in the beginnings of his career, and already he was twenty-three years old. Practically middle age when he considered such bright stars as Mon Mothma, Padmé Amidala, and Bail Organa himself. They had all started in politics before age twenty. Senator Amidala had been fourteen when she was elected Queen of Naboo! Javan shook his head. What could he possibly do for his people? Amidala had defeated the invaders of her planet, Bail had been a leader during the Clone Wars?what mark could Javan Madai leave?

Again, the young man sighed. With the look of a man who had gone in search of answers and found none, he turned away from the dark sky and ventured indoors, leaving his balcony in silence.

***

 

uppers for my readers!

 

Short but good.

 

hhhmmmm, that Javon sounds vedy vedy interesting. I also wonder whats in store for him!

 

I'm growing fond of Javan. I like his views on politics and his connections to Bail--very interesting. I hope he continues to appear.

I love some of the phrases you use:

Somewhere out there was a power-hungry man who fed off of the ignorance of billions upon billions of living, breathing beings. He twisted their fates around his finger as if they were delicate threads. He could twist more and more, and when one snapped, he would continue on without a care.

and

It was an act of love ? love for politics, love for the people, and love for his cousin ? rather than an act of inherited duty.

are my favorites.

 

TW - yep, it was short...but I hope to more than make up for that with the next post or two.

Mystic - wait and see

Moon - I'm growing fond of Javan...I hope he continues to appear. Don't you worry about that...we'll be seeing lots of the young Alderaanian And thank you for the lovely compliments on those two passages. You make me blush! <-- see!

Haha...glad you're all enjoying this!

Next post coming up soon...hopefully tomorrow!

 

This one's a little on the darker side.

***
Chapter Two cont.


Aidan Rennal was not the brightest man to walk the scum-infested lower level of Imperial Center, but he knew when he was being followed. That might have had more to do with instinct than intelligence ? he had felt that someone was following him before he ever saw it with his eyes. Aidan chuckled softly. This snoop didn?t know what he was getting himself into. If he thought it was going to be a quick fight, he had another thing coming to him. Aidan might not have had the sharpest mind, but Force knew he was quite capable in other areas.

Oh yes, how the Force did know.

The spy grew braver as Aidan traveled further into the criminal underbelly of what had once been Coruscant. He pulled his cloak tighter around his body as he passed several pairs of hands reaching out from the garbage piles. It was disgusting really. Aidan charged through the crowd, ignoring their futile pleas. He had one purpose for being down here, and one purpose alone. A mere spy would not stop him.

Taking a right turn he approached a dead end. Looking about, he saw that the spy was gone. No. Not gone. Just hiding. He closed his eyes and reached out mentally. There! A crashed speeder provided cover for the spy. You don?t know who you?re dealing with. Aidan smirked in the dim light and headed for small door in the building to his left. Placing his hands on the steel surface he saw the lock on the other side clicking softly, saw it settling in the correct notches, saw the door open with a groan. Opening his eyes, he saw the shadowy hall revealed, and smiling slightly, he stepped through the door.

Without bothering to close the door behind him, Aidan strode silently down the poorly lit corridor. He knew his predator would follow him into the murky darkness. Or rather, his prey. When he reached a junction where the lights failed completely, Aidan stepped off to the left and flattened himself against the wall. He didn?t need the light.

The man crept quietly past Aidan, apparently hesitant to continue without the lights. Aidan heard him stop and begin to backtrack. Suddenly and without warning, the man pulled out a blaster and pointed it at Aidan. ?Don?t move,? he hissed, leveling the weapon at Aidan?s chest.

The stunned young man regained his calm. ?You don?t have a chance.?

?Shut up and keep still. I?ve got the blaster.?

In half a heartbeat the blaster was ripped from the would-be-assassin?s hands and flew into Aidan?s palm. ?Wrong,? he whispered ruthlessly. Without hesitating, he shot the man in the legs.

Screaming out in agony, the assassin fell to the floor. Aidan dragged him further down the corridor, where he could better see the man who had tried to kill him. He was about the same build as Aidan, with a blue bandana wrapped around his curly blonde hair. He looked to be about twenty-five, a little younger than Aidan. Pitiful.

?Who sent you,? Aidan growled, getting the most obvious and important question out of the way.

The assassin gritted his teeth. ?Go to hell.?

Not quite the answer he was looking for. He pulled out a vibroblade that had been concealed beneath his cloak. ?I?ll only ask once more.? The blade hummed as it came closer to the wounded man?s throat. ?I must tell you, I really don?t appreciate it when people try to steal my jobs.?

The man stared up at Aidan hatefully, sucking in a deep breath. ?Go?to?hell.?

A devilish grin played across Aidan?s fiery features. ?I plan on it.? Tucking his blade under his cloak, he again pulled out the blaster and promptly shot the man between the eyes. Too bad he couldn?t get any information out of the little parasite. It would have been useful to know who was trying to get in on his business. An assassin was never safe.

No. That was not true. An assassin was safe when the Force was his ally. Aidan glanced down at the lifeless body. An assassin was never given a moment of peace, that was all. Not that Aidan minded much. After all, he was the best.

***

The throne room was d

 

That was great! I enjoyed myself anyway. I'm curious about what will happen to Aidan now.