Beyond - Legends A Melancholy Happiness (Luke, Leia vignette) (replies up)

A Melancholy Happiness

Time period: About 6 months to a year after the Battle of Endor.

Characters: Luke, Leia

Summary: The Force directs Luke to a bittersweet discovery. Spoilers for Revenge of the Sith.

A/N: A what-if that I couldn't shake after reading and watching RotS. Many thanks to Gabri_Jade for taking time from her busy schedule to beta this for me.

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On the run. Always on the run. When would it end? Palpatine was dead now. Father ? was dead. But the Empire was not dead. Dying ? but not dead. Dying ? but still doggedly pursuing the cursed Rebels that had killed their emperor.

Luke Skywalker, last of the Jedi, first of the Jedi, wearily leaned his head back against the worn leather of the pilot's seat. He knew he should be able to ignore the fatigue, the frustration, the dull pain in his side from the one blaster bolt that had gotten through his defense. One out of hundreds. He knew he should be in a healing trance by now. Artoo was more than capable of piloting the X-wing back to Coruscant. But something ? something was telling him to stay awake. To hold on. To stay alert. Not danger. Just ? something.

"Where are we, Artoo?" Luke said, glancing at the small translation screen. He'd made a blind jump, trusting the Force to protect him from harm, and had just reverted to realspace. "Polis Massa?" Luke studied the nav screen. An asteroid belt. In the middle of nowhere. And he'd thought Tatooine was the farthest thing from the bright center of the universe.

"We should be home by this time tomorrow," Luke said idly, then chuckled at Artoo's rather indignant reply. "Yes, I know that you've already calculated our exact landing time. I'm just ? making conversation." Home? Coruscant, at the moment. Home was wherever Leia was. "I don't suppose you know of any good birthday presents to get Leia, do you? Yes, I'm aware that you're not programmed to be a shopping catalog. No, I'm not about to ask Threepio." Luke continued to glance at Artoo's computerized comments. "How is it that Leia's birthday is a week before mine?" Luke smiled to himself. "Good question. That's just the day she always celebrated growing up. The date I was told was my birthday falls a standard week later. We really don't know which one is accurate, or if either of them are. Maybe my birthday is actually the day I arrived on Tatooine. Yes, I suppose Leia and I ought to decide on one day, so we can celebrate together. Old habits die hard, I guess."

Luke fell silent, gazing out through the canopy.

The asteroids called to him. Not a vision. Nothing overt. Just a quiet calling. An echo of something familiar, yet foreign.

Artoo's tweedling startled him. "What?"

Databanks show that there had once been a medical facility here. On the largest asteroid. Medical supplies may still exist. Or a med-droid. Do you wish?

"No," Luke automatically replied, then paused. "Wait. Yes." He'd forgotten all about the wound in his side. But he didn't need medical supplies. He'd already treated the area with the medkit on board. The shot had really done little more than graze him, and he'd had worse. Much worse. The Force could heal him. The Force?

The Force had brought him here for a reason.

It was time to find out why.

"Take us? No, I'll take us in." He smiled at Artoo's protective warble. "I need the practice. Yes, I'm functional enough to manage."

The solitary X-wing maneuvered through the drifting asteroids without so much as a scratch. As Luke got closer, he could make out clusters of colonies on many of the rocky surfaces, all devoid of any life signs. He could only guess at why the outposts had been abandoned, or why they'd sprung up in the first place. Most likely this had been a mining post of some sort ? they were common in asteroid belts.

A large crater pocked the rough surface of the biggest asteroid, beckoning to Luke as though it were ringed with welcoming signposts. As he headed

 

WONDERFUL!

That was absolutely wonderful, Michele! It just so perfectly tied together the OT and the PT and that one poignant scene from ROTJ, as well as answering so many questions for Luke and Leia in such a beautiful way.

I loved how you gave the ambiguity of their actual birthdates and their birth order, but then let the questions be answered, and showed how they would have reacted to seeing such an important piece of their past.

Beautifully done. Brava!

 

Oh, that was so sweet!

Very melancholy, 2B. I felt a bit of misting in my eyes while reading that. I always felt that Luke and Leia should know more about their mother.

 

Beautiful, beautiful Jedi-2B! A wonderful transition and explanation why Leia remembered Padme and Luke did not. Kind a bit of a plot hole, there, isn't it?

Excellent work on characterizing both Luke and Leia - for Luke, especially, I could imagine him kneeling and just unable to understand what he'd seen. I also love that he was able to see Bail. He was such a large part of Leia's life, and Luke knows nothing about him.

Wonderful work with tone and pacing, too. They're important elements that authors tend to disregard, but they make or break stories, and yours did nothing but add to the story.

Beautiful!

*KR*

 

So very touching and well done!

 

What a wonderfully beautiful and yes sad, tale! Lovely!

 

Wow, you people are fast. No one has much to do on a Sunday night?

LadyPadme: Well, it was written for a SJRS challenge, to do a short story linking the two trilogies together. And we still don't know in canon just how much Luke and Leia know about their mother.

I loved how you gave the ambiguity of their actual birthdates and their birth order, but then let the questions be answered, and showed how they would have reacted to seeing such an important piece of their past.

Another thing that canon never tells us -- did they celebrate the same birthday? Did they wonder about the coincidence, before they knew they were twins? And it occurred to me that one or the other of their adoptive guardians may have used a different date.

Thanks, LP!


RK_Striker_JK_5: I hope the novels eventually cover this. Glad you liked it. Thanks.


KnightedRogue: A very big plot hole, yes! And I gave only a fraction of the possible explanations. And this is an even bigger flub if you read Leia's thoughts in the RotJ novelization.

I'd like to think that Leia described the Organas to Luke, and Luke talked about the Larses to her.

Thanks for the compliments on the pacing, too.


Webogirl: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.


VaderLVR64: Thanks! I always like to wonder what the OT characters would think of the events of the PT.

 

Oh, Michele! You made me all sniffly! And I loved how Luke and Leia asked all the same questions we have about these very inconsistencies. Poor Luke, suspecting what really happened...that Anakin did hurt her. They'd be devastated to find that out.

What I kept wondering throughout, though, is why you had Artoo act as if he were discovering this for the first time too...he saw all of this firsthand with Ben, Yoda, and Bail.

But anyway...lovely, lovely fic.

 

wow, that was beautiful. a great way to tie the two trilogies together

 

What a beautiful fic, Jedi-2B!

It's an interesting concept for Luke and Leia to celebrate their birthday a week apart. I supoose the Lars' would have just used the day Obi-Wan delivered him, not knowing the true date of his birth.

Leia closed her eyes briefly, reflecting on the memory of the recording. "I think she died of a broken heart, Luke." She clasped her brother's hand tightly. "Can you imagine how much he hurt her? How much she must have loved him?"

"But couldn't she have held on, for ?"

"For us?" Leia shook her head slowly. "I'd like to think, if I were in that position ? But who are we to answer for another? We know nothing of their life together."

I'm one of those people who didn't like the 'broken heart' excuse, but I can really see working the way Leia sees it. She seems to...understand...her mother, the same way Luke does Anakin. That's very poignant.

Home was wherever Leia was
That was sweet. So Luke-esque.

Lovely fic, it really bridges the gap between the trilogies well.

 

Oh, a new story by Michele! My heart leapt with joy when I saw your name on this!

And, literally, you made my throat ache with this one. I loved the banter between Luke and Artoo, and then Luke's reactions as he watched the holo. I was saying, "No..." right along with him and I knew what was going to happen.

Nice explanation for the big gap in continuity that GL left us (really, do you think he did it on purpose just to drive us insane? ) and totally believable. I can see Owen being very reluctant to tell Luke anything about his parents, and I'll bet Luke only knew the little lie about his father being a navigator as a way to push aside a young boy's curiosity.

Bail, on the other hand, I can see telling Leia about Padme, even if he never mentioned her name, because of the admiration he held for Padme when she was alive.

I loved the ending with Luke and Leia watching the disc together and Leia wondering why Luke hadn't gloated yet about being older! I'm sure he's saving that for later.

Wonderful, wonderful story, Michele! Thank you!

 

You did a great job filling in those plot holes. Wonderful as always.

 

Wow. Me likes. So sweet, so sad. Lovely all around. I'm glad Luke and Leia were able to at least 'see' Padme, though I wish it wasn't when she died.

 

Actually, that is a very good reason Leia might 'remember' her mother, with pictures and descriptions. I once read an article written by a professor in a college. He had his students write down where they were and what they were doing after a big event that just happened. Then, years later, he contacted these people and asked the same question - "where were you and what were you doing when...?" And almost ALL of them had incorrect memories! So the mind can do strange things. Excellent piece, Michele!

 

Wow, what a wonderful explanation for Leia's memories. That was quite beautiful in a very tragic way.

 

ThePariah: Oh, Michele! You made me all sniffly!

Here's a tissue, dear.

And I loved how Luke and Leia asked all the same questions we have about these very inconsistencies.

Let's just say I was putting words in their mouths, cause I have all those same questions.

What I kept wondering throughout, though, is why you had Artoo act as if he were discovering this for the first time too...he saw all of this firsthand with Ben, Yoda, and Bail.

Here's my theory on Artoo: Astromechs routinely have their memories wiped anyway. Remember in HttE, when Luke tells Mara that Artoo is a special case, cause Luke has specifically not allowed Artoo to get a mind wipe since he's had him? So I figure that Bail didn't bother including Artoo when he talked to Capt. Antilles, since he knew that the astromech would be wiped anyway. I guess I could've stuck this explanation into the story, but I didn't think of it at the time.

EDIT: All right, Moriah. Just for you, I stuck in something during L&L's conversation to cover this.


Darth_Somebody: wow, that was beautiful. a great way to tie the two trilogies together

Thanks. It was written as a result of a challenge to do just that.


JadeLotus: It's an interesting concept for Luke and Leia to celebrate their birthday a week apart. I supoose the Lars' would have just used the day Obi-Wan delivered him, not knowing the true date of his birth.

Since we don't know how much Obi-Wan told them, I thought it would be an interesting thing to add in.

I'm one of those people who didn't like the 'broken heart' excuse, but I can really see working the way Leia sees it. She seems to...understand...her mother, the same way Luke does Anakin. That's very poignant.

I thought it was kind of a cop-out explanation for her death myself. I can see where Lucas was backed into a corner and needed to have Padme die at the end -- he's not going to make another movie to include a death scene for her a few years later. And I doubt he thought this far ahead when he had Leia remember her in RotJ. Unless he truly believes a newborn can remember images. But he could've just had her injuries be more severe, to account for her death. Maybe he thought this would be more poignant.

Thanks!


kayladie97: Thanks, Kathy! I'm really out of practice on writing. All I can manage is an occasional vignette.

Nice explanation for the big gap in continuity that GL left us (really, do you think he did it on purpose just to drive us insane? ) and totally believable.

See my explanations above on some of those insane gaps. I guess we should be grateful that as many things were linked as there were.


RebelMom: Thanks! Glad you liked it.


J_M_Bulldog: Maybe this will give them a start on tracking her down somehow, and they can find out more. Palpatine couldn't have destroyed all records of a prominant queen/senator on Naboo. Too many people would remember her.


GreatOne: You're right, memories are pretty inconsistent. Just like when 10 different people witness a crime, and you get 10 different versions of what happened.


Healer_Leona: Thanks. Glad my explanations sounded valid.

 

Ooo, you did an edit for moi?? I feel special now.

I'm of the camp who likes the idea that Artoo remembers everything, though...it just makes it that much funnier when he and Threepio are arguing in ANH.

 

You get my 2000th post, Michele.

I always love the way you write Luke, and this is no exception. He handles the situation exactly as I would expect him to. Artoo's great too. He's such a mouthy little droid. Of course any brother/sister moments between Luke and Leia are always fun - and I am pleased that Luke is the older after all. Wonderful job as always, Michele!

 

Excellent job. I really enjoyed it!

 

Interesting, and enjoyable, way for Luke and Leia to find out about their mother. I always thought that Leia would be the older one, so I was a little surprised when it was revealed in ROTS that Luke was older. I do agree that Bail was more likely to tell Leia about her mother than Owen was to tell Luke about his father. Perhaps future books will elaborate on Luke and Leia's first 18 years.

For those who have not heard, one of the two new book series following the NJO will have Luke and Leia finding out about their mother. And, Leia's status has a Jedi will finally be determined.

As for R2, I also believe that he has never had a mind wipe, and that he is just incredibly good at keeping a secret. Plus, he is just a lowly astromech droid, as evidenced by his ill treatment by the soldier droids in ROTS. I suspect few give him much thought when he rolls by. As for 3PO, he needed a memory wipe, because even Bail knew he was a blabbermouth. Plus, unlike R2, he speaks basic.

 

Ooohh, I see we have a slightly new reply screen this morning.

ThePariah: Ooo, you did an edit for moi?? I feel special now.

Yeah, whether you wanted it or not.

I'm of the camp who likes the idea that Artoo remembers everything, though...it just makes it that much funnier when he and Threepio are arguing in ANH.

If he does, he should open his mouth and tell Luke all he knows. Or spit it out on a translation screen, or whatever. Maybe he's waiting until someone specifically asks him about Luke's mother.


Gabri_Jade: Hey, there, Master Beta. Congrats on the 2000th post. I'm honored you'd use it here.

Artoo's great too. He's such a mouthy little droid.

If he's so mouthy, then why doesn't he write a tell-all book? It could be a bestseller, with all he's been through. What with the Rebellion and all.

Thanks, G_J!


leandrastar2000: Thanks! Glad you liked it.


Solo_Fan: I always thought that Leia would be the older one, so I was a little surprised when it was revealed in ROTS that Luke was older.

Leia's just seems older cause she's bossier. But we should've guessed, since Luke is Lucas's favorite.

For those who have not heard, one of the two new book series following the NJO will have Luke and Leia finding out about their mother. And, Leia's status has a Jedi will finally be determined.

I did hear about the Leia/Jedi thing, but not that they'd find out about their mother. Great! It's about time.

As for R2, I also believe that he has never had a mind wipe, and that he is just incredibly good at keeping a secret.

Maybe when L&L find out about Padme, Artoo will roll up and beep out "Oh, right. She was my master for many years. Did I forget to tell you that?"

But you're right, I don't think anyone thought that an astromech was any threat at blabbering out secrets. They just didn't get any respect.

 

*Sigh* Oh, man, very melancholy happiness for us readers as well! Leia's reaction was so in-character.

 

*delurkage*

Michele, this was absolutely beautiful! Love it! You always write Luke so wonderfully. I think this has inspired me to go and read Journey again, actually. *happy sigh*

I was curious though, about Artoo...I read an interview that said Artoo never had a memory wipe, and that he was the one to tell the whole story to the Whills a century after RotJ.

 

*jumps up*

That's RIGHT! That comes from none other than George Lucas himself, in the Making of ROTS book! He says that the entire story of SW (the movie story) is related to the Whills exactly 100 years after the events in ROTJ by Artoo himself.

So see, SEE?! *triumphant grin*

 

DarthIshtar: Thanks, Ish! Glad you thought it was in-character.


EmilieDarklighter: You must have a boatload of time to waste, if you're gonna read Journey again.

I'm glad you enjoyed the viggie. But did you have to go and get Moriah all stirred up about R2 again? That blasted little droid is alot of trouble.


ThePariah: Aw, man. I'm not editing this thing again.

So why does he have to wait a hundred years? Is it like Jackie O's diary? It can't be opened until everyone in the family is dead?

Yeah, I've heard about the Whills. And I suppose that's a good explanation for why only Threepio's memory was wiped. But it's not a very good explanation for why Artoo stays so mum while in the service of Luke. Maybe he only told Luke that he'd had a memory wipe, in order to keep his little secrets. He's a crafty devil.