The Mourning After - Missing Scenes from TPM

This is one of a series of small anecdotes - which should have been added to TPM - but weren't


Disclaimer: Obviously, George owns it all. No copyright infringement is intended.

Note: Italics denote Force communication and/or thoughts


IMHO - too many loose ends remained when Maul took his tumble and QG breathed his last. This attempts to tie some of them up.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

THE MOURNING AFTER


The silence was so intense within the hangar that it was almost a presence-and it served extremely well to mask the real presence within it. The Force was restive in the darkness, its energy formless and without direction, its pattern fractured and dispersed by the impact of traumatic events on those ordinarily able to access and influence its power. There was no access now, beyond an awareness of chaos, and no possibility of influence. There was only a bottomless despair, with no means of finding solace or reprieve.

Obi-Wan Kenobi lay fetally curled beneath a sensor panel in the passageway between the hangar proper and the adjacent power station; he actually had no memory of how he had come to this particular place, but he had decided that it didn't make much difference anyway. It was as good as any other place, and better than most in that some vague wisp of his master's presence might still hover here in the place where he had died. Obi-Wan didn't sense such a presence, but he knew he was, for the moment, insufficiently attuned to the currents of the Force to sense much of anything. This is not appropriate. His self recriminations had been growing in intensity throughout the dark hours. You're a Jedi apprentice! And he stopped, as he had stopped every time he'd had this thought. A Jedi apprentice-without a Master. Was he then still an Apprentice? He was not a child any longer-despite the fact that he thought he was acting like one at the moment. So what would he do? He was certainly too old to be taken by a new master, and-truth to tell-he didn't want one. Qui-Gon Jinn had been his master; there could be no other.

He wrapped his Jedi cloak around him more firmly. By this time, his mind was almost vacant, as a reaction to the turmoil he had endured earlier. For hours after finding his way to this secluded spot, he had relived the events of the day in a sort of endless mental loop. His senses were bruised and clouded by the constant repetition of brutal images; now he was empty and aching, without even the solace of the too-many tears already shed.

He had felt the killing blow endured by his beloved master; had felt the physical and emotional torment, the seering pain, and the momentary disbelief; had felt the surge of confusion and uncertainty; and the blunting of that marvelously keen intellect. But he had managed-somehow-to hold it all together.

He had felt himself swept up in the dark power of his own rage; had allowed his anger to overwhelm and fuel him in his conflict with the Sith lord; had come perilously close to losing himself in the intoxicating strength of the dark side as his hatred had threatened to consume him. But he had managed-somehow-to hold it all together.

He had fought to overcome his own fear, to regain his hold on the principles by which he had lived his entire life; to expunge from his heart the corrupt desire for vengeance that sought to dominate his consciousness. He had not completely been able to center himself, or to dispel all the dark temptation, but he had done so well enough to be able to do what he had to do, to defeat the Sith. And he had managed-somehow-to hold it all together.

He had held his master in his arms, and listened to his dying words; had felt his own heart tremble and shatter within him as his master spoke only of the need to train the child, Anakin Skywalker. He had said the things that Qui-Gon had wanted him to say, and he had not said the things that cried out to be said within his own mind. He had pledged to train the boy, but he had not begged his master not to

 

(stunned to silance yet again)

 

Wow Cyn. Another amazing piece of work.

 

Oh, you CAN'T end it there! That was fabulous!

Please reconsider and make this a series?

 

Wow. I have company over, which i'm supposed to be with right now , and now they all think I'm crazy because i am crying. Simply amazing Cyn. Now I'm off to entertain...gods help us...

 

Simply amazing!

 

Definitely another great piece of work, CYN. Perfect combination of humor, mush, and angst. I'm surprised at how sympathetically you wrote Qui-Gon, considering I know how you feel about him. And Sabe--you go girl--sounds like you and I have the same characterization of her.

 

Stunning piece of work, Cyn! Again, I'm amazed at the depth of your imagination.

 

Ok Cynical I think I remember reading this at the other site right? I think maybe I unconciously channeled some of it when i wrote my Learning to Mourn .You wouldn't sue a BIG fan for plagirism would ya?

 

You made me cry, and that says alot, i loved it. it was Perefect missing scene, i am at alost for words, i can't tell you how much i loved this.

Yoda

 

CYN-

WOW!! Another great story.. I am in awe each and everytime I read one of your works...

I normally don't cry when I read different works..but I can tell you that I was bawling like a bab...Good thing I was at home and not at work..they would have sent me home...

I can't wait to see what else you come up with...

Good work once again!!

 

That was Sooo Powerful!! I too was in tears through most of that story!

I would write more here, but it's 2:07am EST and I REALLY should be in bed!!

 

[face_shocked] Damnit! Why isn't GL reading some of this and hiring people like you, Cyn, to work on Ep III!!! There was more emotion, drama, angst, romance, and feeling in that short piece than in the entire Star Wars saga. It's just too bad that GL didn't search for talent and suggestions for EP III, I think he could really learn something from you.

CK

 

Awesome as always, Cyn! The scene with Qui's hologram had me in tears!

Bravo!

 

As always, I'm grateful for your kind responses. You guys make me blush - and it's really a kick getting compliments for something that I'd pay to be allowed to do.

Anyway, I'm sort of kicking around the idea of making this a series of vignettes - sort of a group of freeze-frames of moments that should have happened in both TPM and AotC - and didn't.

What do you guys think? Worth pursuing?

Oh, also have the first post of the response to AUF ready and will post shortly. It's a little bit different approach for me, so I hope you will all take a peek and let me know what you think.

Thanks again.

CYN

 

Yes.More would be good!

 

A hologram had me crying

A conversation had me laughin

And finally someone else agrees that Obi did not walk away from the fight prfectly fine!!

As always luved it Cyn!

Till Later~
Siri

 

Dear Force that was beautiful!!

*hands out the tissues*

 

A series! Yes!

< insert happy dance here >

 

It was so beautiful! It made me cry (and not only hologram).

If you could make it series I'll be on seventh heaven!

 

more = good.

I hope you do write more of these.

 

More...

heck yea!! A series like that would kick!

Siri

 

Cynical Cynical Cynical...you have so much to learn.

Like you even needed to ask if we'd want more!!!!!!!

DUH!!!!!!!!!!

 

Oh CYN, how do you do it? You are one amazing writer always cranking out this wonderful stuff to amaze and totatally make me jealous of. What a wonderful story.

I am looking forward to whatever your mind comes up with...that might be dangerous.