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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Saga Dinner Party - AU Romance (Anakin/Padme, Sola, Bail, Barriss...) Author announcement 8/21

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by Reihla, Sep 1, 2004.

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  1. Gina

    Gina Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 3, 2003

    She jumped as large hands suddenly settled on her shoulders. Strong hands. She tried to turn.

    ?No m?lady. I can?t let you do that.? The voice was masculine, gentle and soothing. ?Please, I just want to enjoy the night sky for a moment in the company of the most beautiful woman at the party.?


    Whew! That was risky of Anakin! :p I agree with the others. Anakin is quite the smooth talker.


    Rather, this dress was a symphony of vibrant golds. The fabric of the silky sheath dress glowed like the dawn as it draped Padmé?s slim curves while detailed embroidery and beadwork decorated the neckline and hem. In contrast to the simplicity of the garment, an elaborate overdress cascaded from her shoulders to the floor. Its filmy layers ranged from palest yellow to deepest amber and golden threads woven throughout the material made it sparkle in the candlelight.

    This time, there was no stand-up fan across her back. No elaborate headpiece or crown. Instead Padmé wore only a necklace of beaten gold set with crimson and orange jewels. These same brightly colored gems were woven throughout her upswept sable tresses.

    She emanated light and warmth, Anakin thought, like a life-giving sun.


    Your attention to detail never ceases to amaze me. It adds such depth and beauty to the story.

     
  2. Vivid_Scripts

    Vivid_Scripts Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 21, 2004
    He had to admit that despite the many years between then and now he was still annoyed at how easily she?d managed to deceive him about her identity. He smiled then, as an idea came to him. In his mind, one good turn deserved another.


    ooooh boy. Only chaos and havoc can follow. Hehehe... :D

    She jumped as large hands suddenly settled on her shoulders. Strong hands. She tried to turn.

    ?No m?lady. I can?t let you do that.? The voice was masculine, gentle and soothing. ?Please, I just want to enjoy the night sky for a moment in the company of the most beautiful woman at the party.?

    ?Who are you?? She asked suspiciously. The flash of fear she?d felt seconds before was strangely absent. In its place was a thrill of intrigue.

    It wasn?t likely the man was dangerous. Tonight?s security at the Senate complex was so tight that she doubted even her own mother could have gotten in. Plus, they weren?t that far from the party. Help was only a shout away.

    ?Let?s just say I?m an old friend.? There was a teasing quality to his words and Padmé suspected that he was smiling.

    ?You don?t seem old to me.? Padmé bought herself some time, running through every possibility she could think of only to come up with nothing. ?Hmmm. An old friend who likes to look at the stars??

    ?Yes.? He sounded pleased with the label. ?When you remember this night I hope you think of me just that way.?

    ?You sound fairly certain I will remember this night.?

    ?I hope that you will.?

    She shivered as the chill breeze cut through her overdress despite the warmth of his hands on her shoulders.

    ?Are you cold, m?lady?? The words were polite, but Padmé suspected there was no safe way to answer.

    ?Well, yes, I suppose - ? With a flourish of material she suddenly found herself enveloped in a very warm cloak. It took a moment to realize he hadn?t given her the garment, merely opened it to share it with her. She felt his hands resume their place on her shoulders under the weight of the fabric. To his credit, he kept a respectful distance between their bodies. ?No, please -? She protested the nearness, trying to wriggle away. It didn?t work. His hold on her arms was deceptively light, but firm.

    ?I won?t hurt you.? It wasn?t so much the words that reassured her, but the conviction in his voice as he uttered them. Though she seldom trusted anyone, for some reason she found herself believing this total stranger.

    ?Please, m?lady, it would mean the world to me to give you shelter, both from the night wind and the crowd inside.? Padmé stopped struggling. His voice was gentle, even affectionate. What could it hurt, for just a few minutes, to share the company of a gentleman? Sola was always telling her to be more receptive to male attention. Besides, he did seem familiar.

    Under the cloak they shared she felt his hands move back to her shoulders. She relaxed and allowed herself to lean into him just a little. The warmth from his nearness was heady, intoxicating.

    For long moments they stood like that, watching the traffic lanes below, each absorbed in their own thoughts.


    Very smooth, Anakin, very smooth. Lol. Padme's tension and gradual relaxation is very believable, and the details you use to describe the balcony, the encounter, the warmth, all very well laid out. Another good piece of fluff. He. I can't wait to see what happens when Padme finds out that the young man putting the moves on her is a Jedi- and if she doesn't recognize him as Anakin, will he reveal his true identity or come up with another playful deception.

    And when Barriss gets back? Only havoc and chaos can follow. More soon... please?
     
  3. Reihla

    Reihla Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    May 17, 2002
    Kynstar - Poor Sola... she should allow herself some joy?

    I agree. We aren?t told much about her in canon, but she always struck me as a little sad.

    Dally - Where did he learn a move like that!

    My theory is 1) that he?s been observing behavior for a long time and 2) he?s a natural mimic. Beyond that, he?s just exceptionally gifted with the ladies. LOL. I did say it was fluff ;)

    DarthIshtar - How is padme so unobservant?

    She just has a lot on her mind. That, and she?s been given to fits of romantic daydreaming a lot lately. All work and no play?

    leia-naberrie - Anakin is going to have her eating out of the palm of his hand

    I wouldn?t mind eating out of his hand?

    VaderLVR64 ? poor Anakin, he's in lust...er, I mean love.

    And the two are so closely entwined at his age. :D

    Jedi_Chani ? you've done a fantastic job with these characters.

    Thanks! [face_blush] I?m obviously not out to snag any canon character awards with this one, and I realize I?m reaching by making Anakin a bit more?romantic?than a Jedi Padawan could realistically be (given their life experience), but I?m glad they are at least recognizable as the characters we know and love.

    Gina ? That was risky of Anakin!

    Yeah, our boy doesn?t shy from risk-taking. I always felt like he?d enjoy a good payback. Hopefully he won?t get caught in his own little trap.

    Your attention to detail never ceases to amaze me.

    Thank you! I love describing what I ?see? in my head and I?m so glad to know it comes across well.

    Vivid_Scripts ? Only chaos and havoc can follow. Hehehe...

    Truer words?

    And when Barriss gets back?

    You?ll see very soon!


     
  4. Jedi_Bant

    Jedi_Bant Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2004
    I think Anakin will find a way to worm out of any trouble he falls in with Barriss. I am more worried about Padme finding out who he is and the way she will react. This is a very interesting take on the romance. It will be very interesing to see how you link this event with canon without conflicting the mainstream story.
     
  5. Reihla

    Reihla Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    May 17, 2002
    Hi Jedi_Bant! You're probably right. Anakin has quite the gift for coming out on the up-side of any situation. I'm not sure at this point if I'll try to hook this up to canon. I can see a couple of ways to do it, but I'm also toying with another direction that won't link to it at all. We'll see! ;)

    Thanks, everyone, for reading and replying!
     
  6. DarthIshtar

    DarthIshtar Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    Okay, we're happy, we're waiting, we're unhappily waiting...
     
  7. Reihla

    Reihla Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    May 17, 2002

    Dinner Party. Ch. 3. Under the Stars.

    Those first moments so close to Padmé rendered Anakin incapable of coherent thought. His angel was here with him, as he?d dreamed so many times! They stood sharing the warmth of the same cloak. His cloak. He could feel her breathing, by degrees becoming more peaceful. His was not. The urge to step closer to her, to soak up even more of her warmth, was almost overpowering.

    Her perfume was familiar. That same light, floral fragrance had clung to the blanket she?d covered him with on that cold space flight from Tatooine to Coruscant so many years ago. Funny, how his memory had filed away so many details about her. She was exactly as he?d remembered.

    He knew he was risking much, but he couldn?t resist leaning down to brush his lips across her hair. She had to have felt the feather-light touch, but she didn?t protest the intimate contact. Anakin kept his head bowed, allowing her scent to envelop him.

    Gradually Padmé relaxed back against him and warmth bloomed in his heart at her gesture of trust.

    Always one to press his luck, Anakin took another chance by folding his arms around her. He held his breath for a few seconds, certain she would pull away. When she didn?t he exhaled with relief.

    For those sweet moments Anakin felt they were the only two beings in the universe. His duty to the Jedi, her duty to the senate, none of that mattered. Padmé was here, in his arms, and for the first time since he left his mother on Tatooine everything felt right.

    Far too soon he felt a nearby presence reaching out to him through the Force. He recognized the signature. Barriss must be returning. He sighed regretfully.

    ?M?lady, I?m sorry, but duty calls.? Pulling away from her was almost a physical pain.

    For a few treasured moments he hadn?t been lonely and he knew the minute he left Padmé?s side that the emptiness would flood back. If anything, it would be worse now that he had discovered what he?d been missing all along.

    He was tempted to reveal his identity, but thought better of it at the last second. The joy of having her respond to him as a man, not a boy, was fresh in his mind. He didn?t think he could bear it if she suddenly returned to playfully teasing him.

    He stepped back, his cloak falling around him in graceful folds as he kept one hand on Padmé?s shoulder to make sure she didn?t turn.

    He glanced down at her one last time before spinning to leave.

    ?No. Wait!?

    Her words stopped him instantly. He tugged his hood down further over his face and slowly turned back to her.

    ?Would it be too much to ask my friend for a good-night kiss?? The request was voiced so softly he almost missed it.

    ?Your friend would like that more than anything in the universe!? He silently cursed the gratitude he heard in his own voice even as he reached for her. He pulled her to him swiftly, afraid she might change her mind. Padmé raised her arms to circle his waist even as he wrapped his own around her shoulders.

    In those fleeting moments he could tell that her eyes sought recognition through the dark shadows cast by his hood. Anakin didn?t give her the opportunity to study more intently. Without thinking he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.

    It started out gently, a tentative touching of the lips. Then Padmé sighed and everything changed.

    As her lips parted Anakin felt her emotional barriers slide away. With that yielding came a heady rush of emotion unlike anything he?d ever experienced. He tried to marshal his thoughts, but found it impossible. Here, with her body so close to his, so accepting, all he could do was feel.
    He parted her lips further, instinctively pushing to deepen their kiss. Padmé didn?t seem to mind. In fact, she responded by leaning even further into his embrace.

    Anakin tried to keep his wits about him. He was supposed to be remembering something?Barriss. Yes, Barriss was back. He could feel her presence even near
     
  8. Kynstar

    Kynstar Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 2, 2004
    Woo-hoo! Great work there! ;) A kiss, eh? *fans self* and what a kiss!

    Hehehe I wonder if she knows now who it was? ;) hehehe Poor Anakin, a kiss can be the destroyer of worlds! And now he knows! ;)

    Excellent job! :D
     
  9. DarthIshtar

    DarthIshtar Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    Heehee...moving in quick, aren't we, padme...
     
  10. DarthBreezy

    DarthBreezy Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 4, 2002
    That was one hell of a Kiss there! [face_love]
     
  11. Gina

    Gina Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jun 3, 2003
    Ahem. Well, that was, um...whew, is it a little warm in here?

    Loved it. It was so sweet, so romantic. [face_love] [face_love]

     
  12. Jazz_Skywalker

    Jazz_Skywalker Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 3, 2002
    ?M?lady, thank you.? He inclined his head politely, realizing that his hooded cloak made the gesture almost imperceptible.


    [face_laugh] [face_laugh] [face_laugh]

    Of all of the last words...!

    Wow, yeah, that was a hell of a kiss!

    Loved it!

    JS


     
  13. qtrhrs78

    qtrhrs78 Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Sep 1, 2003
    Another great chapter! I really like this story and look forward to your updates. The Bail/Sola angle is one I never thought of before either (I guess I missed that challenge), but I like it.
     
  14. Dally

    Dally Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 2, 2001
    That was beautiful! What a lovely kiss! Please update soon!
     
  15. Vivid_Scripts

    Vivid_Scripts Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 21, 2004
    haha, hes got the moves... i really want to see what happens when this blows up in their face. hehehe. i wonder how its going with Sola/Bail...
     
  16. Reihla

    Reihla Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    May 17, 2002
    Kynstar - I wonder if she knows now who it was?

    I?m thinking she won?t match this tall guy with that little kid she knew from Tatooine.

    ?a kiss can be the destroyer of worlds! And now he knows!

    Yup, there?s a reason the Jedi frown on attachments?

    DarthIshtar - Heehee...moving in quick, aren't we, padme...

    Ya think? I don?t think she has nearly enough time for fun. All work and no play make Padmé an easy target.

    DarthBreezy - That was one hell of a Kiss there!

    Now that was the reaction I was hoping for! :D

    Gina ? ?is it a little warm in here?

    Here, let me turn down the A/C for you.

    Loved it. It was so sweet, so romantic.

    Thanks! :)

    Jazz_Skywalker ? Of all of the last words...!

    Well, he couldn?t cling to that pseudo-suave façade forever. Some of his inexperience was bound to peek through.

    qtrhrs78 ? The Bail/Sola angle is one I never thought of before either (I guess I missed that challenge), but I like it.

    Good! I hope you?ll like their interaction in future chapters!

    Dally

    Thanks! :D

    Vivid_Scripts ? ? i really want to see what happens when this blows up in their face.

    LOL! A little sadistic, are we? Whatever makes you think things are going to blow up? ;)

    i wonder how its going with Sola/Bail...

    We shall soon see?

    Thanks for reading everyone!!!
     
  17. leia_naberrie

    leia_naberrie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2002
    Hot!

    ::fans self rapidly::
     
  18. Reihla

    Reihla Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    May 17, 2002
    Thanks, leia-n. Good to know the tension between our couple was evident. :D

    Today's post will be up shortly!
     
  19. GunraysLawyer

    GunraysLawyer Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 23, 2003
    Just wanted to pop-in and say that I've been lurking....

    Sorry about that, but I love this little work...

    BTW, I'll second l_n's comment.... ;)
     
  20. DarthIshtar

    DarthIshtar Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Mar 26, 2001
    When is "shortly?"
     
  21. Reihla

    Reihla Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    May 17, 2002
    Thanks, GunraysLawyer :)

    When is "shortly?"

    Um, that would be now. :D

    Just a note about this chapter and the next few? As I said, I?m including in this story a short fic that I?ve posted to the board before (?After the Dance?). It?s Bail and Sola?s version of this evening and I realize that some of you have already read it. I haven?t changed it much, so if it seems familiar, that would be why. I?m sorry in advance for the duplication of effort, but I want the two of them to be part of this story and didn?t want to send folks bouncing around all over the board to read the older version.




    [blockquote]
    [i][b]Dinner Party.[/b] Ch. 4. Revelations.[/i]

    A dazed Padmé stood on the porch a few moments more trying to collect her wits. It wasn?t an easy task. At this precise moment they felt as scattered around her as grains of sand on a beach.

    She?d been able to relax in the stranger?s embrace. For the first time in?she couldn?t remember how long?she hadn?t felt the pressure of deadlines or agendas. She?d just stood there, imagining a far more romantic moment, when suddenly he?d insisted on leaving. To his credit, his reluctance had been obvious. Whatever his ?duty? was, he appeared to take it very seriously.

    She couldn?t think what had possessed her to call him back, much less ask him to kiss her. It was quite a risk she?d taken with a total stranger. Embarrassed warmth flooded her cheeks even now at the memory.

    It had been a very bold move and uncharacteristic of her usual wariness when it came to personal matters. Still, she couldn?t say she regretted it. What a kiss it had been!

    At first he?d been hesitant, as if he wasn?t quite sure how to proceed. Then desire had come along like a tidal wave and swept them both under. Turning her heated face into the cold wind she couldn?t help the smile that curled her lips.

    It wasn?t that she?d never been kissed before. At twenty-two she had endured her share of advances from would-be suitors. A few times she would even admit to enjoying the attention. It didn?t change the fact that the only men brave enough to court a galactic senator, not to mention a former monarch, were fellow politicians. Without exception they had been practiced, jaded and more than a little ambitious - qualities that didn?t appeal to Padmé in the least.

    There had been nothing practiced or calculated about her stranger?s kiss. It had been many other things. Grateful, desperate, pleading. Perhaps even a little innocent. Innocent? Where had that thought come from? Still, it seemed to fit.

    Mostly, though, the kiss had been passionate, as if he [i]needed[/i] her. Her. The woman. Not Amidala?s royal influence, political connections or savvy negotiation skills. It was as if she had been his escape as much as he had been hers.

    She touched her lips with still-trembling fingers, imagining she could feel his warmth lingering there.

    Her smile widened then grew secretive. No, she hadn?t been able to see his face, but he?d gotten too close to keep all details of himself shadowed. In wrapping her arms around his waist she had made an interesting discovery. There, hanging from his belt had been a cylindrical metal object. Could it have been?a Jedi lightsaber?

    A Jedi? Were they even allowed to kiss girls? Did it matter? It was just one kiss and not likely to ever be repeated.

    As she stared blindly into the Coruscant night Padmé found herself both saddened and relieved by the thought.

    [hr]

    As he fled the patio the only thought in Anakin?s mind was to get away from the crowds. He needed time alone to organize his thoughts, still the shaking in his body and process the elation he was feeling.

    ?Skywalker!? Barriss?s urgent whisper pulled him up short.

    He turned to see her leaning casually against the wall just inside the doorway. How long had she been waiting? It seemed as if he?d only just sensed her presence?

    ?I?ve been here a quarter of an hour, thank you very much!? Her annoyance was obvious,
     
  22. Kynstar

    Kynstar Jedi Knight star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 2, 2004
    hehehe Padme is starstruck *snrk* hehehe I'm sure Anakin will be too once he gets back to his 'hiding' place at the Temple to recollect hehehehehe

    Ahhh Bail is as well! *Snrk* everyone is in loooove! Well not everyone but a few ;) hehehehe

    Loving this!!! Great work! Love how Bail is having to fight against his 'emotions' hehehe ;) gotta play the gentleman! :D [face_love] and isn't he so? ;) hehehe
     
  23. Dally

    Dally Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 2, 2001
    I am really enjoying this delightful story. I hope there will be more soon!
     
  24. Jazz_Skywalker

    Jazz_Skywalker Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 3, 2002
    Pushing her misgivings aside, Barriss happily accepted the senator?s offer.

    That will certainly be an interesting conversation, to say the least! Ever since I read the vig, I was interested in what they would talk about. I'm glad you're going to let me find out!

    Uppies!

    JS
     
  25. leia_naberrie

    leia_naberrie Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2002
    ditto Kynstar: everyone is in loooove! :D :D :D :D
     
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