Saga Anniversaries of the Heart - Vader Angst and A/P mush COMPLETE - Cover Art added 6/22

okay, first of all..you highly impressed me with this. this is the first fanfic on the JC that caught my attention in over a year. i've been so frustrated with this place that i didn't even find the strength to search for good stories, so you can thank Ana_Labris for a new reader.

and oh my gosh, you write vader very well, he's so adorable! and that last paragraph, can i please switch places with myr? *thuds*

oh and more soon? please? *puppy eyes*

 

Hi all. Just to let you know, rhonderoo is on medical leave right now, but will get back to this story as soon as she can. In the meantime, for those of you who are enjoying her interpretation of Vader, I recommend this story.

 

Hi folks. I'm working on the next chapter now, and it should be up in a day or so. I had some minor surgery, so that put me out for a week. I will get to the individual replies also.

 

up!

 

My Vader possee! I'm with ya! I'm working right now on this and another fic. Thanks for upping Ana!

 

Um.. up? *nudges*

 

I?m so sorry for the belated responses?. Thanks for hanging in there!!!

Kynstar ? Hey this Myr gal seems pretty cool! hehehehe so she doesn't know who Vader was, eh?

Thanks! I don?t do OC?s often, but this one has kinda grown on me. I loved Dark Rendevouz! By the end of the book I was feeling sorry for Dooku. I?m such a sucker for a tragic character. The book had that whole gothic novel from the 1800?s feel to it? and as you can see?inspired me.

Sarka Vrae ? Gold Star! I did get her name from Myrrh. I decided to shorten the spelling, though. Thanks for reading!

Ana ? More to come, I promise! Thank you so much for reading and upping!

Jazz ? Thanks so much!

Kata ? I love your characterization of Vader.

Thank you SO much! That is the highest form of flattery. Vader is the man.

Trace ? Thank you my wonderful beta!

Administrative maid in Darth Vader's house....now that would be an interesting job.

Oh, you know it.

stacy ? Thanks for reading! Oh yeah,he has nightmares, alright. I always got the feeling Vader never really slept well, if he slept at all. He hated to be reminded of his past, and it had to come back somewhere?

Lusa_Thul ? Thank you. I didn?t mean it be as sad as it?s turning out, but you?re right, it is sad. I?m glad it?s in a good way.

Trace - Thanks! Anakin and Padmé can do the love thing, that?s for sure? But their son is definitely not lacking either?

Clark ? Thanks so much, oh great Palpatim!

Ellen ? I love that song!

Sarka ? You get another gold star!!! Yep, it?s Shmi, with a little Padmé in there, too.

VaderLVr ? Thanks! And good eye! Yep, he?s the helpless one really, she?s more practical.

Stacy ? I agree. I think he must remember some things, even though he doesn?t like to. I think that?s why he hates ?Anakin?.

Ana ? Trust me, I know.

Snow Falcon ? Thank you for reading! More soon, I promise.

Daath666 ? Thanks for the wonderful comments on my Vader! Always happy to meet another Vader fan. The big lug?

Trace ? Thanks for having my back!

Ana Thanks for the ups and for being so patient!

And with that, here?s the next post...

I should offer a small (or maybe big, I dunno) angst/speculation warning with this one. This story gets a little cheerier, but not too much, unfortunately. Although, the end of this particular part of the story is better, not that sad. The epilogue will be in Beyond, so I?ll pm you guys that want one, that board moves fast?

I know? Shut up and post, Rhonda.

---

[b]Chapter Four[/b]







[i] ?Anakin, what is it??

She was horrified. Perhaps as much as he was.

Anakin ran his hands over his face and tried to compose himself, the rivulets of sweat rolling from his face too fast for him to hide. He rolled to the side and gathered the black sleeping robe from the chair, pulling it over his bare chest. He turned to his wife and gathered her to him.

?It was nothing. You know me and my overactive imagination. Just a nightmare, it must have been the wine,? he said with a tentative smile.

?It didn?t sound like ?nothing?, Ani. You were frightened. Horribly so,? Padmé said, her voice shaking with fear.

?Please. How can I help you if you don?t tell me what is troubling you??

?It?s nothing. It?s the same old dream, from the past, so I know it can?t happen. It?s nothing. It?s actually very silly,? he lied. ?I want you to get some rest?for the baby.?

He hated to use their unborn child to end the argument, but he couldn?t discuss this w

 

Ooh, that was beautiful and chilling! It always comes back to Padmé, no matter what, doesn't it? And you did a superb job of explaining the digust Anakin must have felt to have the Jedi constantly dismissing his visions and basically saying, "Don't worry about it." Poor guy; they just didn't understand.

Great job, rhonderoo, and Merry Christmas!

 

what a wonderful Christmas present!!
a post to this wonderfully haunting story and two gold stars! *hehe*

Rhonda--this post was magnificent!

He had sought counsel of everyone, his premonition of his wife?s death as she gave birth to their child had haunted him to desperation in the last days of his former life. It drove him to madness, as he looked for a crack in the crystal ball that were his visions in the Force. He had even lowered himself to begging for an answer from Master Yoda, but the Master had only quipped sadly at Anakin's vague pleas about the acceptance of things to come. For it was from the Force?
How dare he? Vader shook with fury even now. How easy it must have been to shake his green head in compassion for the young Jedi, when he had nothing to lose.

If anyone has ever had Vader's character down, you have done it here. Those words caught in my throat as I read them.
Perfect, just absolutely perfect. *big grin*

Merry Christmas!

 

very chilling I can't wait for more

 

Well everyone, as you can see...this is no longer a holiday fic... I'll be posting author replies here tomorrow, but wanted to get this out here.

Mush and angst warnings abound. Would we have it any other way?

---

[b]Chapter Five [/b]





Myr had been here, at this place in the dream, for the past two nights when she would wake in a cold sweat. The images haunted her in every sleeping moment - the woman, the birthing room, and the sounds of new life? Myr would wake shaken and disoriented.

Her dreams had stopped years ago, just past her eleventh birthday, until now. It was one of the things that children on Vjun live with, dreams. They had become so expected and indeed, a part of life on this wretched planet, that they were nothing but whimsy. Once outgrown, dreams rarely returned?and never in this much detail. So far there were never words, but tonight?

The mother, whom Myr could never plainly see or hear in her dream, tonight, was given a name. [i]Padmé[/i]. [i]The woman from the letter in the snow globe case?[/i]

Myr threw the covers aside and got out of bed. Her bedroom had grown colder in the night and she moved to the intricately carved fireplace and stoked the embers of the dying fire. She was sorry that she had opted for this as her heat source tonight, as the practicality of the modulated castle heating quickly overcame the whimsy of having a fire in her opinion. It was too late now. She certainly didn?t want to be caught up rambling around the hallways of the castle in the middle of the night by Lord Vader. Myr lay back down and stared up the ornate ceiling above her bed. Angels blew on trumpets against the backdrop of a blue sky decorated with clouds on the beautiful mural. Thoughts of the ill-fated Padmé wouldn?t let her rid herself of the remnants of her dream.

She decided to go to the kitchen and make some warm milk. She would drink that and take a sleeping tablet and perhaps get at least a little rest. She made it as far down the hall as her Lord?s chambers when she stopped. The floor of his sleeping chambers creaked with the weight of his footfalls. So he couldn?t sleep either?


***



Darth Vader pulled on a heavy black wool robe, tied the sash and drew the hood over his bare head. He walked from his bed to tall obsidian tinted window in his chambers. The panels on the sills blinked with status lights, attesting to the delicacy of the room?s atmosphere. It was the only place he could remove the accursed suit. The surface of the window had been dulled to opacity by design. Vader did not like being reminded of his lot in life by his reflection. He watched numbly as the snow drifted slowly to the surface of the lower parapets and roof. He shuddered. The sight reminded him of the peace that seemed to come at the end of battle, when the explosions and cries of death had died down and there was nothing left but the eerie falling of ash.

He remembered those days in the Clone Wars. Med units filled with half bodies and the tortured moans of those wishing fervently for death to take them from their misery. Walking in the muck and mud stained by the blood of Jedi, Separatists, and Clones alike. Death never discriminated, especially in war. He had loathed the ground battles, preferring the quick, clean, painless death that came with the guns of a star fighter.

It was times like this when he would ask himself if life had really improved under the Empire. It certainly had been a better system than the Old Republic and the galaxy had lived in relative peace for twenty years. Why then did the traitorous Alliance keep adding systems? The answer always unsettled him. He hated the feeling that after all this time, after all of this?.war, worlds were still fighting, traitors were still living and his child was no closer to him than the before he donned the miserable suit.

At this point in Darth Vader?s life, the ideals he had clung so steadfastly to as a youth seemed trivial. What good was power if there w

 

OMG, Roo...

*chokes up*



That's the saddest and most beautiful thing I've ever read.

*buries head in pillow and wails very loudly*

 

?Good, I?d like to hear more about that kiss becoming a scar,? she said, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

Ye gods, how I laughed there! Brilliant line


But now I'm crying. Great post!

 

What a great story! I'm not a writer, so I don't know how hard it is to create such a realistic world, but you've done a fantastic job here.

 

I loved this chapter!


What good was power if there was no one to share it with? What good was peace if his family was gone?

Very poignant Vader introspection. Puts his quest to turn Luke in a new and even more meaningful light.


It appeared so delicate against the hugeness of his hand, yet the weight of the glass seemed to hold the memories of a thousand years.

Beautiful imagery!


He was conducting a symphony of nature, just for her.

Okay, now you're just showing off.



And the final paragraph....

Lovely!!

 

Wow. I am totally blown away. This post was so beautiful, yet so heartwrenching. You definitely made me feel the deeps of his sorrows and regrets as Vader recalled his past life with Padme. This is a great spectulation of the beginning of Anakin Skywalker's resurrection which culmonates with him lobbing Palpy over the edge, litterally. Awesome work and look forward to more!!

 

i was just thinking about this story yesterday and then you go and post on it! wow! i need to think about this more often!

what an excellent post, rhonda! wow!

The circle of his dilemma never ended. He was still asking himself the same questions he had twenty years ago. how sad, but so true...Vader never really found the answers Anakin was looking for, did he?

and the back story you are painting for Ani & Padme--it's breathtaking!! the last part with the birds and Vader was most excellent! bravo, rhonda!

 

Whoa. I'm speechless. That was incredible. And romantic... and sensual....and haunting.... and sad....


Excellent work, Rhonderoo! When do we get another dose?

 

Hi rhonderoo. I reread your whole story this week and I like it very much. More please?

 

Wow. Just wow. You got me all chocked up with this last paragraph... It doesn't happen to me very often, but you did it...

I'm a sucker for stories where Vader thinks of his past. Terrific job. Now, I want more...

 

ok, haven't been able to get that last image out of my mind:

He closed his eyes inside the mask and tentatively reached for something in the Force that hadn?t been touched in over twenty years. At first that place felt raw, like a wound just sewn back together, then suddenly it opened before him like the blossom of a wilting flower.

that really speaks to me for some reason...man, i can't wait for your next update!!

 

Update!! Now!! ARGHH!! *rages*

 

I'll come back for author replies in the morning. But for now, here's chapter six!!! Thanks for reading, you guys!

---

[b]Chapter Six[/b]




Myr watched as Sual stirred the contents of the morning meal. His hands deftly worked the spatula through the thick liquefied contents of the bowl. She had finished her milk and returned upstairs after her troubling dream only to get two hours of sleep. She finally gave up and got dressed for the day. Lord Vader was already in the study with the entry way closed when she came downstairs. She did not disturb him. Haunted by her dreams and tired from lack of sleep, she stared grumpily into the cup of caf that she twirled in her hands.

?How long do you think he?ll be here?? Sual asked finally. ?Can?t say as I ever saw ?im stay around this long.?

?I?m sure that Lord Vader has plans to return to the capital soon,? she said. ?He hasn?t [i]really[/i] been around, just up in his chambers.?

?Well, there?s no telling what devilry he?s doing up there,? Sual said under his breath.

?You?d better be concentrating on that food, you hear?? she said quickly. ?You don?t want him to be overhearing you.? [i]Or reading your mind[/i], she added silently. ?And besides, he?s never been anything but civil to any of the lot of us here,? she added pointedly. ?So you be glad you got a job in his Lordship?s castle.?

Sual colored slightly and returned to his attention to his work. ?Well, you certainly seem to have a way with him,? he added. ?Can?t say as I?ve ever seen ?im say more than three words to you, but he seems satisfied with your work.?

The console intercom buzzed and Myr raised her eyebrows; Lord Vader rarely called her. She usually had to check to see if [i]he[/i] needed anything. The intercom buzzed again and Sual looked up at her with uneasiness.

?Well, go on then,? he said. ?We don?t need ?im to be coming down [i]here[/i] looking for you.?

Myr stood and walked over to the console and pushed the button. ?Yes, my Lord?? she asked hesitantly. She felt the need to curtsey, then remembered she was on the comm.

?I have need of you in the study?Myr,? he said the last word as if the sound of her name didn?t roll off his tongue easily. She didn?t think she had ever heard Lord Vader use her name before.

?Right away, my Lord.?

Sual gave her a brief apprehensive glance and as she left the kitchen.

?Oh, Good Storms,? she said under her breath, shaking her head. ?It?s not as if he brings the carcasses of Jedi back here.? It occurred to her that she was saying this as much for her benefit, as for Sual?s.


****

The entryway to the study was still closed. Her heart thumped in her chest as she hesitantly palmed the entry pad.

[i]Had he found out about her invasion of his privacy? Could he tell that she had found the snow globe?[/i]

The entryway opened and Myr stepped inside. She looked to the desk and saw the leather case that held the snow globe and she felt a knot form in her stomach.

?Good morning, my Lord,? she said with a bow.

Vader waved impatiently for her to straighten up. ?Sit down.?

Myr?s heart lept to her throat. No matter how much she defended him to the other servants, the fact remained no one [i]really[/i] knew him. Not here, anyway. She got the feeling that anyone that did, they had long since passed away.

?I would like for you to take care of something for me,? he said.

[i]The rich baritone in his voice is almost hypnotizing,[/i] Myr found herself thinking before she snapped herself back to her senses. ?Yes, my Lord. Anything you wish.?

Would she really do [i]anything[/i] he may wish? That could entail quite a lot. The man was certainly no saint. She shook herself mentally to get her bearings. Being this close to him was strange. She was sitting closer in proximity than her usual habit of standing to receive his orders. He had a weird aura about him that [i]hummed[/i]. That was the only description Myr could come up with for the feeling of ener

 

wow this is getting really good I can't wait for more

 

Waah! It's so beautiful, I hope you post more soon.