Saga "An Old Song Re-Sung", The Celtic Song Challenge, Anakin Skywalker Short Story - Complete 5/06!

Wow! Just. Breathless & speechless. Duh. Oh, the "dreams." ... How gorgeous and right From Anakin's confidings in Obi-Wan and the birth of the twins ... awwww. And the growing of the family to include another youngling ... and the reworking of the Jedi Order -- so logical. So wonderful. I was thinking/hoping all this was a time ripple in the stream --a divergence into another different path. Until I still applaud and celebrate the dreams. !!!!!!

 

With Vader dreaming about a happy universe he could be redeemed by his son
Great story

 

I started reading this earlier today, and then I was so absorbed by the story that I read it all in a single sitting

You did something pretty amazing here with the framing device. I understood from the opening lines that this story was taking place in the canon-verse while the dream was an AU, but you inserted just the right reminders at the right spots to not let me get too carried away. However, the contrast between the two parts of the last entry was still a gut-punch. I expected that the AU would carry into the framing story after Vader had had this dream, but no – his subconscious mind went into every detail of what could have been, but his conscious mind is still, for now, clinging to what he has become.

There are many other passages that I could highlight, but I'll just stick to my favourite scene: the "arrest" of Chancellor Palpatine. So many extraordinary moments here: Anakin putting together the pieces of the puzzle, Shaak Ti's intervention, Commander Fox, the fighting, the surge in the Force when Anakin takes control of the situation... but the little detail that I found most wonderful, most spot-on, was your metaphor of seeds planted by Sidious in Anakin's mind, and how in his hour of need Sidious seeks to "activate" them. In a way Sidious is a one-trick pony here: he tried to control Anakin in very much the same way as he tried to control the clones, through the Force in one case, through an electronic chip in the other. Once his trick was uncovered, he was bound to lose – although of course, even in this dream where Anakin had known true happiness, Sidious would still live to fight another day.

Fantastic story and great response to the challenge!