Beloved Monster (Story previously begun on Tears of An Angel)

Up! Workin' on it!

 

I like the slow build up. All is not well for the Skywalker marriage. I don't think his turning would be sudden anyway. I can see him slowly changing.

Take your time writing. This is a great story.

 

Wonderful Belle! I agree, this biuld-up is very nice. And it's almost funny that everyone knows she's pregnant, but no one ever says anything... ::grin::

 

Yes, sadly enough there is trouble in paradise. This continues where the last post left off.

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He found her bending over a young Twi'lek woman, heavy with child and with obvious injuries. Her very demeanor spoke volumes to Obi-Wan. Amidala saw herself in her patient as she tenderly dressed the woman's wounds. Sorry to disturb her work, he nonetheless had to speak to her. He cleared his throat to call attention to his presence.

"Oh! Obi-Wan...I didn't see you. Is something wrong?" she asked, her brow furrowed. She gave the woman before her a distracted smile, then took Obi-Wan's arm and led him away from the others.

"No. Should there be?" How sad that she thought he would seek her out only if there were trouble. "I only wished a moment of your time, Your Majesty."

"Amidala, please. You've proven yourself my friend." She sighed heavily and bowed her head. "Besides, I'm a monarch without a realm."

He couldn't stand her sorrow. Whatever was wrong with Anakin that she would remain thus? With grim determination, he resolved he could no longer delay his discussion with his Padawan. Obi-Wan clasped Amidala's hand, then raised her face with a finger beneath her chin.

"Look at me, Amidala," he commanded. "No matter what, you'll always be a Queen. I know things are terrible at the moment, but you must pull yourself together. For your sake, for Anakin's...and for your child's."

Amidala stiffened, her eyes widening, then squeezing shut with a mortified expression. "How did you... Sabé," she whispered. "I should have know she'd never keep a secret from you."

"Why did she need to? In these troubled times we need the hope a child." He glanced over at Sabé, warmed at the love in her eyes. She understood the need for that hope, the need to believe the world would continue.

Amidala slumped against him, exhaustion in every line. He helped her to the nearest seat, Sabé joining them to chafe her hands.

"I'm sorry, my Queen, if you feel I've abused your trust. Obi-Wan should know...as should your husband," her friend chastised gently. "Tell him, Amidala. He needs to know."

To their shock, Amidala broke into tears, refusing to answer their questioning looks.

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Despite his heavy shields, Anakin sensed Amidala's distress. His skin felt itchy and tight as he fought the need to join her immediately. As the weeks had gone by and things had cooled between them, he kept telling himself it was his fault. He had no one to turn to about his problems for no one he knew had experience in marriage and he would never let Obi-Wan know of the growing distance between Amidala and him.

The impression of Amidala's misery continued to build until he could no longer ignore it. He must seek her out. With a curt gesture to his next in command, he turned over supervision and left without further delay. Once he left the building he halted. He had absolutely no idea where he would find her. Ashamed, he realized they no longer spoke much. After he returned home from work they would eat, then retire to their bedchamber. There, they might or might not make love, depending on his frame of mind. And he knew lately that his mood had been a dark, angry one as he mulled over the refusal of the Council to accept his actions on Naboo.

They will never see me as more than that slave boy from Tattooine... Full of fear and anger, he thought bitterly.

*Ani! I miss you so. Why have you left me?*

His pensive reflections broke at the intrusion of Amidala's involuntary cry in his mind. He opened his shields wide, searching for her, his face taut. There...he would find her in the southern refugee camp. Without another moment's hesitation, Anakin hurried toward his wife.

At the sight of Obi-Wan hovering over her, Anakin stopped abruptly. Rage began to simmer as he took in the solicitous manner in which his Master held her hand and leaned toward her. How dare he? That place belonged to her husband and only her husband.

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Amidala's face

 

Up! Working on the next section... Boy, am I on a roll! Of course, I have to work tomorrow night and Friday night, so this may have to suffice for awhile.

 

Here's the next part... Things are looking down, miserably enough and soon Ani will be no more, just Vader the fearful (ah, but I do love bad guys, too).

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Anakin takes Amidala back to Coruscant against his Master's advice. There, Anakin gives his wife into the Chancellor's care and faces the Council with his demand...allow him his trials or release him to work for Palpatine. On Alderaan, Obi-Wan faces the Mandalorians with Bail Organa and the world suffers greatly for their work in the war. Once the Republic secures the planet again, Obi-Wan joins Anakin on Coruscant, distressed to hear from the Council of his Padawan's terms...

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Obi-Wan sought out Anakin after checking in with the Council. Only three members still resided on Coruscant. Even several Masters with seats on the Council had been called into action. Those who remained behind greeted him with grim expressions, informing him of the manner in which Padawan Skywalker had demanded his trials and had given them an ultimatum. They had put him off again for a short while, but Yoda counseled Obi-Wan that trouble brewed in that quarter...and terrible danger.

"Long ago warned Qui-Gon we did. A shadow over young Skywalker loomed. Closer now this seems," Yoda told Obi-Wan. Mace nodded his head in agreement.

"Master Yoda has it correctly. Something...indefinably disturbing has grown in your Padawan. Something very dark," Windu added. "Perhaps you can convince him of the fine line he treads at this moment and the potential for disaster he courts."

Obi-Wan's heart sank at their words and he sought out Adi Gallia's face. There too, he saw distress on a visage where he'd only seen serenity reflected in the past, no matter the circumstances. He bowed, mumbled something appropriate and set off toward the Chancellor's quarters.

Amidala sat alone, for her handmaidens had remained on Alderaan. Sabé had told Obi-Wan to ask the Queen if she wished for her company on Coruscant. From the lonely look on Amidala's face, he suspected she regretted returning here.

"Your Majesty?" he began.

She rose with a sad smile on her face. "Ah, Obi-Wan... How good to see you."

"And you, Amidala. Is Ani here?"

"No, he's with...Palpatine. Something's happening today, something I've feared for some time." She turned away to gaze out at Coruscant's skyline. In profile, Obi-Wan could see the slight bulge of her abdomen. Had so much time really passed?

"How are you?" he asked hesitantly, not certain how to broach the subject of her pregnancy.

"Well enough, I suppose. Though I could wish for Esmé and Sabé's presence at least. But Ani says it is safer for them to remain on Alderaan. Tell me...how are they? How are things there?"

"Sabé sends her regards and says she will come to you if you need her. Esmé remains busy on Alderaan...especially..." He paused, then continued, knowing she would find out, if she didn't already know. "The Mandalorians punished Alderaan for producing weapons and ships for the war. So many of the cities suffered. Much will need rebuilding, I fear."

One of Amidala's hands flew to her mouth as if to stifle a cry. She struggled to remain calm, and then drew on some special reserve to regain her composure. "Perhaps you can convince Ani to stop this... He told me he plans to turn his back on the Jedi to work for Palpatine. I cannot be happy with this. Some dark purpose seems at work here, though Ani tries to reassure me all will be well."

Tears pooled in her eyes. "I fear for our child, Obi-Wan. The world he or she will be born into seems heading toward a terrible place at this moment."

Obi-Wan took her cold hand and pressed it gently. "Whatever I can do for you, Your Majesty...Amidala...just tell me. Qui-Gon would have offered as much as that. How can I offer any less?" He gave a crooked smile, bowed to her, then took his leave to confront Anakin and Palpatine.

This must cease, for only bad things could come of such an alliance. This he felt deeply in his soul as he remembered Qui-Gon's wo

 

You write an Evil Palpy *shiver*.

I'm going to miss Ani. I can see myself shouting at the movie screen when he turns - "Don't do it, you idiot!" Oh well. At least I'll be prepared for it. I better bring tissue. I'm going to need it here too. thanks for the post Belle.

 

Thanks, JediMom. My next post will go into the Jedi Purge and the end of the Clone Wars. Yup, Palpy's a baaad guy, but I hope I've done him in such a way he's believable, not the cardboard cutout we see in the movies. Tearjerker warnings are definitely coming up in the next few posts. Wish I could be more optimistic, but *sigh* such is the nature of writing this story if it's not an AU one (which it isn't). Dad blast it! Folks can be soooo blind sometimes, even the good ones at heart. The twit hasn't gotten any better with time...he's still impulsive and let's his temper get the best of him. Oh, rats! Obi-Wan just made things worse. Typical male behavior...feeding on each other's aggressive tendencies. *giant raspberry here*

 

Waah! Things are looking...dark...to say the least.

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Obi-Wan discovers some unpalatable truths about Palpatine and Anakin's downward spiral hastens to its ultimate conclusion...

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Obi-Wan made his way back to Amidala, telling her of what he'd learned, yet it was from her that he discovered Palpatine's move for more power. He sat suddenly, stunned, trying to absorb the implications. How could he have been so blind? All his attention had been on Anakin's decision to leave him and work for Palpatine.

"Emperor? That goes against all the Republic stands for. Does Anakin know?" he asked.

"Yes, in fact, he's the one who called me to tell me." She buried her face in her hands for a moment, then sat upright. "We must warn the Council. I fear Palpatine has something dreadful planned for the Jedi. After all, you are all that stands between him and total control. He knows you will disapprove and stand against him in this."

He nodded, piecing everything together and praying he could change Anakin's mind before it was too late. With an inward groan, he rose and extended his hand to Amidala. They would tell what remained of the Council of their discoveries. Then, Obi-Wan vowed, he would confront Palpatine about this latest move and demand he release Anakin back to the Jedi. Somehow, some way, he must get his apprentice away from the...he refused to think of him as Emperor...Palpatine's influence.

Together, Amidala and Obi-Wan hurried toward the Jedi Temple, both praying silently that they could have some effect on the recent events. From a secret viewing camera, a malignant watcher cackled in delight as the two departed.

"Come if you will, Kenobi... I'll be more than you expect and there will be nothing you can do to stop me.

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"Unwelcome news this is," Yoda replied to their revelations. He closed his eyes, contemplating something distant. "Not unexpected, but unwelcome...yes. As feared, your Padawan plays a part in this, Obi-Wan. Stop him, you must or else all we know will be lost. Go now. Contact the other Council members, I will. Make haste."

They did as Yoda bid, Obi-Wan returning Amidala to her quarters with the admonition not to challenge either her husband or Palpatine with their planned resistance. She agreed, though he feared she might indeed be more fragile than she appeared. Something within her seemed almost brittle...ready to break. Too much had happened to such a young woman.

He sought out Palpatine in the Senate chambers. Despite the early hour, the members had deserted the place, leaving it to the newly self-appointed Emperor. Obi-Wan's skin crawled as he drew near. Qui-Gon's warnings echoed in his mind. The ones regarding the Sith Master and his powerful Force signature. Ripples in the Force heralded that very presence and Obi-Wan prayed he had the strength to deal with the threat.

Palpatine sat in the center platform, already settled into his new role as supreme ruler of the galaxy. He gazed down at Obi-Wan as though he were some sort of lower life form, fit only for crushing beneath his boots. His face bore an expression of distaste, one Obi-Wan had never seen before on the Palpatine he'd known previously.

"Knight Kenobi, you presume much. What do you want?" he asked impatiently.

"My apprentice returned to me... And for you to stop this insane bid for power. The Republic--"

"Hah! The Republic needs me and I need *my* apprentice," Palpatine broke in. "You have no idea who you are dealing with, do you, Jedi?"

The Emperor's voice took on a harsh, malevolent quality and a sudden thrust at Obi-Wan's shields left him reeling. The whispered words of Yoda and Mace at Qui-Gon's funeral came back to him.

//Always two there are... Master and Apprentice.//

//But which one was it? Master or Apprentice?//

Obi-Wan suddenly felt inadequate to facing this...creature...this Sith. For now he suspected he faced just that...the mastermind behind all their troubles for years. H

 

Up! Gonna have to email some folks to remind them I'm still here, I guess.

 

Uppers one more time! Hope folks come to visit after school and/or work. I'm gonna be comatose here shortly before I go to work.

 

Oooohhhh....everythings getting so dark now! I can't wait for more! Everything is so well written.

 

I'm here Belle! Thos elast two posts were amazing! And we keep getting closer and closer and closer to when Ani turns. ::sniff::

RebelMom: I'll probably be yelling too.

::Sari stand up, glaring at the movie screen:: Don't even think about it, you smeghead! He's evil! ::everyone else in theater turns to look at her, "shh"ing. Sari sits back down, grabbing her Kleenex, while her friends try to keep from laughing::

 

Patience Belle, we're here. Yep, Anakin is stubborn. Obi-Wan is zapped and when he tells Ani who did it, he leaves. Major denial Ani.

Have to yell quietly or they'll throw me out of the theatre. That is unless everyone else is yelling the same thing. When is 2002? That's too far away!

 

Yes, this "Palpy character" is great again!! So far he was just clever and cunning, but now his real power comes forward. Yes-yes!!!
Poor Amidala:" Go to him...I will wait here..." You must wait almost 25 years, until he returns...
Ani's problems with the jedi order are very realistic too- I just wonder what else GL will say.

 

Wow...I was gone for a week and came back to discover Ani's evil! He's just about become Vader. I too will be a wreck by the end of Episode III. I know the first thing I'll do after I watch it will be to run home and watch the original trilogy movies in rapid succession, culminating with Ani's redemption! Until then, however, it's going to be really hard.

 

:: I don't even have the comfort of the OT. Anyone know where to find them?

 

Recovering from work and getting a SW fix (watched all of the trilogy, 4, 5, & 6). *sigh* Got them as a Xmas present from my family last year. Should be available from some video store or some place like Columbia House Videos. Amazing all the nuances one can get after seeing Ep. I and writing and reading fic, EU, etc. Oh, am I addicted, or what? Will try to get another section up tomorrow.

 

Backing up and regrouping... Made the Clone Wars a bit too short and Anakin's fall come too soon (thanks to JG's waking me up on the DVEB board!). Soooo.... here goes. Feedback greatly appreciated. Hey, it's not etched in stone. Once I'm done here, I'll post it on my own site in chapters so you can read one after another.

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Despite Anakin's refusal to believe Obi-Wan's pronouncement, he returns to the Jedi when the Clone Wars escalate. Obi-Wan and he return Amidala to Alderaan to help rebuild the world, then join Bail Organa in battle. Palpatine decides to back off on turning Anakin until the Clone Wars decimate Jedi ranks further...

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Palpatine returned to his quarters with mixed emotions. How unfortunate that Kenobi had forced his hand and that young Skywalker had come to his defense... Somewhat surprising, considering the animosity he had sensed between the two. Still, he supposed their years together had given the former Padawan some misplaced loyalty to the Jedi. Perhaps it would prove wiser to allow the youngster to return to their ranks until more of them had fallen under Mandalorian fire. A disgusted sound escaped him. Things had been looking so promising. Ah well, at least young Skywalker had gotten his annoying Queen with child and once she whelped...

His mood lightened at the prospect of ridding himself of Amidala for good. He contacted his 'allies' to give them further instructions, then went to soothe any ruffled feather the unfortunate incident might have caused. Amidala as he expected, he found her pacing in the quarters he had assigned to her and her husband.

"My dear, you seem distraught. What seems to be the problem?" he asked her as he took her hand.

She shrunk away from him for a moment, then met his gaze with a steely look. Had Kenobi told her? "Why have you declared yourself, Emperor? This move seems exceptionally... excessive."

He shook his head. The girl had grit, he had to give her that. "You misunderstand me, Amidala. I felt it imperative to take this action. The Senate is in shambles. No one can agree on anything. Meanwhile, the Mandalorian threat grows. We must present a united front. Only in this way can we defeat them and return order to the galaxy. Surely you understand the need for this."

Without answering, she turned away and he felt her fear. Good, she should be afraid of him. He continued with his kindly persona, realizing he mustn't frighten her too badly or he would have Anakin defending her.

"Now, my Queen," he coaxed, using her presently useless honorific, "you should rest. Perhaps it would be best if you and your husband returned to Alderaan. Affairs here may become rather... stressful, and we don't want anything to endanger you or your child," he comforted her, sending out a beam of reassurance. He met remarkable resistance to his subtle suggestion that things would turn out fine. Once again, he wondered if Kenobi had gotten to her.

"Very well, Senator. I will go with Anakin... if he wishes to leave your side. It appears his allegiance has shifted." She paused. "For myself, I will take up your offer to go to Alderaan again. I dislike the atmosphere here on Coruscant. It has become too...stifling."

Palpatine stifled a grin at her subtle put-down. Senator indeed. She was good, very good. They could bandy words all day, if he allowed it, but he had work to do. He bowed and murmured his agreement. Then, he went to find his young apprentice. No protocol droid this time. He needed to set Anakin at ease after that last confrontation. He chuckled. It pleased him that the 'chosen one' was indeed quite a powerful Force user and an excellent fighter. What a Sith apprentice he would make once he shed those silly notions of honor and righteousness.

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Anakin had fled to the last place Obi-Wan would have expected him to go... the Jedi Temple garden. In the past, Jedi had filled its pathways and glens in search of meditation and relaxation. Now only a

 

Up! I have to work tonight, but will try to stay awake enough to work on it some more.

 

*sniff* Well, there's not much more happy stuff to write about, is there? Of course, I guess when Ami has her kids that could be a kind of tiny ray of hope -- though no one may realize it. *Sigh...*

Your characterization of Palpatine is so creepy! Very good.

 

You really do write a creepy palpy. But I have already told you that. Just letting you know I am still reading albeit when Real Life allows.

 

up!

 

Wonderful post! :: And everything is becoming so sad...

 

Up!
All my favorite writers were caught by Lord Darth Real Life... He is even more dangerous than Belle's creepy Palpi.