Saga In Love and War - ROTJ-AU - H/L, L/V - Completed!

No, a Dark Lord would threaten to get your friends, family, and all distant relations, methinks. But this is a family-friendly board, LP.

 

Wow! StonedRose! I'm so excited to have you along. I'm on page 30 of your fic, which I'm enjoying immensely. Hope you like...

vader_incarnate: [face_warning] I wouldn't get into a p*ssing match with me and my family--unless you want to tangle with a bunch of crazy Chinese people -- your lightsaber would not stand a chance against my chopsticks! Just try!

Reposting this as an FYI (in case people don't want the bother of going back to the last page to read my rambling replies):
Author's note: My muse has been sitting over my shoulder this week, and I've managed to pound out 8 more posties. As a result, I think I can increase the schedule of posts to 3x per week - Sunday night, Tuesday night and Thursday night. Always on or about midnight EST. Hope to see you then!

 

Chapter Six

?I am pleased to report that her Highness appears to be out of danger for the moment.?

?And the baby??

?The fetus? vital signs appear to be stable.?

Luke let out a sigh of relief at the Two-One-Bee?s words, and looked through the transparisteel windows to the medical wardroom where Leia was resting. Immediately after leaving Leia?s quarters the night before, he had started feeling that something was wrong. He dismissed his fears, thinking he was being overly anxious and foolish. Over the next hour, though, the feeling grew stronger and more unshakeable, until Luke finally gave in to his worries and returned to Leia?s suite.

How he got Leia out of her suite and into the medical bay he couldn?t remember. He just remembered that by the time she was placed on the stretcher she was too weak to move, and couldn?t answer any of the medical droid?s questions. Luke was frantic, feeling a weakness in Leia?s Force-signature that made cold sweat bead his forehead.

For the next day, Luke had been kept in a state of suspense that he found to be intensely agonizing. He had spent most of the night and the next day in the waiting alcove keeping vigil with C-3PO and R2-D2. Dozens of people drifted in and out of the medical bay, alerted by the fact that Leia had been taken ill. Knowing Leia wanted her condition kept a secret, Luke and the Two-One-Bee droid refused to divulge her medical information. Her visitors were told only that the Princess had succumbed to exhaustion and needed a rest. Luke knew there was more than a grain of truth in that lie, and hoped against hope that Leia could keep her baby, worried that such a loss would be too much for her.

With Two-One-Bee?s news, Luke experienced a surge of relief so intense that he realized belatedly just how hopeless he had believed the situation to be. He looked back at the droid, feeling, rather than hearing the catch in the droid?s statement.

?There?s something more,? Luke said.

?Yes, sir,? Two-One-Bee replied. ?She is out of danger for the moment, but is still quite fragile. That cramping was a warning. If she gets rest, and good nutrition, there is a good chance she will carry the child to term. If she doesn?t heed my warning, my calculations indicate a 97.5634% chance that she will miscarry.?

Trying to hide his anxieties over what the droid had told him, Luke entered Leia?s room. Her eyes had been closed before, but she opened them when she heard Luke?s footsteps.

?Hi, Luke,? Leia said with a weak smile.

Luke felt terrible for her as he looked down at her. She appeared so tiny and fragile as she lay in the sterile white hospital bed. There were dark circles under her eyes and she appeared very pale and weak. He forced himself to smile. ?Hey, there. You gave us quite a scare.?

?It seems I need some more rest,? Leia said.

?Do I hear an echo here?? Luke asked, teasing. ?I seem to remember saying the same thing to you?oh?a dozen times??

?Try twenty-six,? Leia said with the ghost of a smile. ?I didn?t say I didn?t believe you??

?But you didn?t,? Luke argued. ?If you?d really believed me you would have left right away. Now, will you take time off? Come with me??

Leia said nothing at first, although her mind was already made up. She had been thoroughly frightened by the near-loss of her baby, which seemed to put things into proportion. The Alliance needed her but her baby needed her more. With Han gone, Leia knew that she would not be able to carry on if she lost her baby as well. On the other hand, her ingrained sense of duty would not allow her to completely abandon her duties. She would leave base command and go to Dagobah with Luke but she would still provide support to the Alliance from seclusion. She nodded. ?With one proviso. Mon Mothma wanted me to coordinate the fact-finding mission. I can do that by remote. I?ll lay off all my other duties, but I could never really rest if I was completely out of touch.?

Luke shook his head slightly, but didn?t argue, knowing it was true. ?What do you need to get set up??

 

*wipes forehead* I think my heart attack is over now, LP. From the looks of it, I can say that you enjoying leaving us on cliffhangers. Such things are the stuff of the Dark Side .

Hmm, I don't like that percentage, Mr. Droid. Can anyone remember how many years (months?) separated ESB and ROTJ? I'm just going to go and bury myself in my dark hole and work out calculations.

Good girl, Leia. Go to Yoda. I can actually see him playing midwife - "push, you shall" or "do, you will."

The stuff of nightmares! Great job, LP!

Am

 

*giggles* I'm Viet, LP, so don't get me started. From a nation of midgets, but size matters not...

Onto the post! Stupendous stuff, and I'm happy to see that Leia's child is safe - for the moment - and she's going to be following Lukie-boy to Yoda. (Rafiki stole Yoda's stick! Really, I swear! ) Good things are happening, but I'm going to assume that you're going to surprise us with some evil, evil plan...

*stops* So I'm a bit overly suspicious. Sorry...

 

*heaves huge sigh of relief* I'm assuming that was the thunderbolt to which you earlier referred, LadyPadme? And just how many more have you planned, I wonder? Never mind; I don't think I want to know. Well, at least she's fine for now and going to Dagobah. Ought to be fun seeing Yoda's reaction to her. Except...

Yoda as a midwife? The horror! Now that was an image I could have done without, your Imperial Majesty. *shivers*

Posts three times a week?! Hooray!

 

Yay! The baby's going to be fine (hopefully). Hmm Leia and Yoda together... why do I have a bad feeling about those two together?

Wow! Posting three times a week? *looks at frequency of posts for my story* [nevous laugh] heh heh .......

Great job, as always!

-Dia

 

*eyes widen sharply* Empress, that picture is... that picture... goodness, am I glad I didn't read that before going to bed last night. That would have haunted me throughout my fitful sleep...

Stars, Empress, oba and I aren't a very good influence on you, are we? Though the pictures were your fault, the randomness is usually mine or oba's... fruit... kiwi... underwear...

*stops* You guyz don't want to know.

Rambling randomly is just so much more fun than saying "UP!".

 

glad she didn't loose the baby. That would have made her loose all hope. at least it scared her into rest. Her meeting with Yoda should be interesting.

*tries to ignore Yoda the midwife picture*

 

This is a great story. I can't wait to read more.

Dagobah would actually be a perfect place for Leia to go while pregnant. It's quiet (albeit damp) and she could just take care of herself while waiting for the baby.

 

whew! that was a close one! whew!
Loved the post!
dont worry, no offence LP!

 

Hey! I just found this story and I love it so far! I am so glad that she didn't lost the baby! Keep up the good work. And Han will come back in this fic right? Because it says that it's AU, but Han has to come back.

JSF13

 

Empress Amsie: I think my heart attack is over now - perhaps I can write you a prescription of nitroglycerin. You might need it

As for the length of time between ESB and ROTJ, I always thought it was 9 months to a year, but for the purposes of this story (it is AU, after all) I'm going to have it be about 13 months.

- LP ponders on Yoda as a midwife. Hmmm....this visual imagery is very disturbing.

vader_incarnate: Forgive my ignorance, but who's Rafiki? I'm sorry, I'm just old, I guess. Pray enlighten me, milord.

- Oh, and thanks for the extra up!

Gabri_Jade: Yes, that was the thunderbolt. And after all that talk of me being evil - I gave AMPLE WARNINGS!!!!

Diabla: Hmm Leia and Yoda together... why do I have a bad feeling about those two together? - Yes. Leia and Yoda. Heh, heh, heh....

RebelMom: tries to ignore Yoda the midwife picture* - Hmmm...I've already written the birth scene, (it doesn't come for a while, unfortunately) but now must go back and re-examine this....

TorontoJediMaster: Welcome to the story!

Darth_Masan: Thanks!

Jaina-Solo-Fel13: Welcome to the story. It's AU--as for Han, yes, we'll see him, but you'll have to be pretty patient. Leia and Luke have a lot of business to take care of, first.
- Stick around!

HanSolo29: Thanks! But Leia's only 8 weeks along--it's a long way to birth...heh, heh, heh...

Oh, must give plug to this ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS vignette by Puggy that I just read. Any H/L fans out there should not pass "Go" or collect $200 until they have read this fic:

The Best of Us...

Read it, really! You'll love it!!

 

LadyPadme,
very good story. I'm glad Leia decided to go with Luke to Yoda. When they will find out that they are twins? And when we have his lordship?
Expecting more soon,
Lena

 

Forgive my ignorance, but who's Rafiki? I'm sorry, I'm just old, I guess.

Rafiki is the monkey that whaks Simba in the Lion King, how do I know this...? Coincidently my little sister is watching it right now.

-Dia

 

Sologal breathes a sigh of relief . . . whew, Leia didn't lose the baby. It's good she's going to Dagobah with Luke to get some rest.

 

I read Puggys fic too.. and I loved it...every one! take my recomendation as well.
I also believe this fic needs an up!
uppers to LP!
(can anybody guess I want some more of this?)

 

Who is Rafiki?? You don't know??

*takes a deep breath* Rafiki is the baboon in Disney's The Lion King who convinces Simba to go back and take his rightful place as king of the Pridelands after Simba's evil uncle Scar takes over by killing Simba's father Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones ). Rafiki acts as the equivalent of the African griot, a wise man and keeper of history in ancient tradition, and teaches Simba, rather effectively, by thwacking him on the head with a stick as follows...

THWACK!

SIMBA: Ow! What was that for??

RAFIKI: It doesn't matter! It's in the past!

SIMBA: Yeah, but it still hurt.

RAFIKI: (puts an arm around Simba) Ah, yes, the past can hurt, but the way I see it you can either run from it... or learn from it.

THWACK!

(Simba ducks)

Yes, and I've memorized that for absolutely no reason other than to add it to my repository of uselessly random knowledge. It's kind of an injoke with the handmaidens, among other things, I suppose. I was watching The Lion King in IMAX with someone repeatedly kicking my chair. I annoyed that person by saying totally random things to my brother, ie "That monkey stole Yoda's stick! [face_shocked]" Naturally, I passed that oh-so-interesting anecdote onto my friend / twin / shadow / clone and my Empress...

That, of course, is the long version. The shorthand version is my brother's name for him... "Mr. Blue-Butt."

Okay, I think that's sufficient rambling.

 

I can't wait for the update.

I wonder what Leia's reaction will be when she learns who the baby's grandfather is. (For that matter, when she learns she and Luke are related.)

BTW, what is Luke doing about a lightsaber? Supposedly he built his new one at Ben's old hut with the parts and instructions left behind there. Does Yoda have any of those for Luke to build a new saber? I always liked his first saber (Anakin's old one) a lot better.

 

Oooh, lookie what I found! This is the first H/L story I've read in a while, and you're certainly reminding me why I started reading them in the first place! I'm watching this one with great interest. update soon!

CMinor

 

You did indeed give ample warnings, your evilness. But you wouldn't deprive me of the fun of declaring you an evil cliffhanger-addicted author, now would you?

The Rafiki subject has been pretty well covered, so I'll let it be; but please, LP, no more talk of being old. We're nearly the same age, and I refuse to admit any such thing. Repeat after me: "I am in the prime of life....I am in the prime of life..."

 

Eehee.. Once you reviewed my story, Lady Padmé, I clicked on your link in your signature and found this. I must say, what a great story! You gave us all quite a scare that Leia might lose the baby--how dare you! LOL. I think it's nice to read stories where Leia's left with Han's child, because I'm one of those people who thinks they *ahem* got intimate en route to Bespin. Seriously, though! Who could survive THAT long on a ship with Han Solo and NOT give in? Mwahaha, certainly not me, and I don't think Leia could, either. *Giggle* Anyway! Keep up the lovely work, LP!

 

JediArwen: Welcome to the story!

When they will find out that they are twins? And when we have his lordship? - All questions will be answered in good time

Diabla: Oh, okay, you've refreshed my memory. I only saw Lion King once, and it was not one of my favorite Disney movies.

Sologal It's good she's going to Dagobah with Luke to get some rest. Rest, heh, heh, heh...

Darth_Masan: Yeah, I can't believe more people aren't reading Puggy's fic. I really loved it!

vader_incarnate: Thank you for that refresher course on the Lion King. I'm trying not to think about it too much because when Disney does its re-release we'll probably be forced to buy it and then see it 20x a day. shudders

TorontoJediMaster: I wonder what Leia's reaction will be when she learns who the baby's grandfather is. (For that matter, when she learns she and Luke are related.)

BTW, what is Luke doing about a lightsaber? Supposedly he built his new one at Ben's old hut with the parts and instructions left behind there. Does Yoda have any of those for Luke to build a new saber? I always liked his first saber (Anakin's old one) a lot better.

Patience, young Padawan. Patience.

C_Minor: Welcome to the story! Thanks!

Gabri_Jade: your evilness - Can I just use that as my title? Actually, I'm really not that bad. I've read some where practically every post is a cliffie!!

As for age--even you are the age of my younger cousin whom I consider to be a baby. All right, I'm not that old, but my mental age (the age I feel myself to be, not the age at which I behave) is about 25, so it's always a shock to me when I fill out forms and realize I'll never see 25 again. * Sigh *

Okay, no more age references.

Puggy: I have to say, my hat's off to you for your great fic. And I agree, I always thought it would make sense that they wouldn't just leave things to a PG-rated kiss. Welcome to the story! Thanks for coming in.

 

Okay, after that evil cliffie last week, I have to warn you there are going to be a few slow chapters that I feel are necessary to build up the story. It's somewhat long and I'm getting all the background in, so please bear with me....

**********************************

Chapter Seven

Yoda had been training Jedi for over eight hundred years. He was young when the Old Republic was in its heyday, and had watched as the Republic crumbled under the heel of an ambitious, evil madman and his powerful chief henchman to become the dark entity known as the Empire. Yoda was nearing the twilight of his life; he had no family left and, with the death of Obi-wan, had no friends, either. He had actually enjoyed the hermitic detachment and solitude of the last twenty years when he stayed in his little hut to contemplate the ways of the universe and what had gone so horribly wrong.

Reluctantly, Yoda had been drawn back into doing his duty when Obi-wan had died. There was no help for it. The tired old Jedi Master braced himself to meet with Luke, although he delayed his decision for three years, hoping against hope that the Galaxy would right itself without his help. Over time, Yoda had seen that the situation was becoming more dire, and finally admitted to himself that it was time to train another Jedi.

When Luke first came to Dagobah Yoda felt his tired old heart squeeze at the sight of Anakin?s son, who was so like Anakin, and yet so dichotomously different. Luke looked so much like Anakin had before his downfall; and there were similarities in personality, as well. Like Anakin, Luke was reckless and impatient?but there were also differences; Luke had more resilience and steadfastness in his character. Traits Yoda suspected came from Luke?s mother.

Training Luke had certainly been a mixed blessing. Yoda reveled in his own innate joy in teaching; he hadn?t quite realized how much he missed it until he acquired his first apprentice in over two decades. On the other hand, each time he looked at Luke he would remember, with a tug on his heart, Anakin?s tragic fall, and be determined not to allow it to happen again. Lastly, a new voice had been whispering in Yoda?s thoughts, imbuing him with a sense of urgency. Time was running out?but for whom? Luke or Yoda? In either case, Yoda could not overcome the sensation that he needed to complete Luke?s training quickly.

Overlaying these sensations, Yoda had recently begun to feel new disturbances in the Force, which he couldn?t quite identify. Some of the sensations were good, but some were very bad, and worse, the sensations were nebulous, not sharp. This hadn?t occurred in nearly thirty years, not since the period just preceding the Clone Wars, and Yoda was very disquieted by this new problem. When Luke inadvertently mentioned Leia?s unexpected pregnancy, Yoda realized he had the first half of the problem. This was the cause of the good sensation, the new light in the Force. Yoda realized instantly that Leia was carrying a strongly Force-sensitive child. But then the feelings of danger, of evil?those were all the more frightening because those sensations seemed to envelop Luke, Leia and Leia?s unborn child. Yoda?s first reaction was that he needed to protect Padmé?s children and grandchild in any way possible.

Yoda ordered Luke to bring Leia back with the purpose in mind of training her as well, but he was unprepared for the sight of the young woman who landed her X-wing behind Luke?s with military precision. After Leia climbed down from the fighter and took off her helmet, allowing her thick, dark brown braid of hair to fall to her back, Yoda gasped, feeling for a moment that the years had peeled back, and he was seeing young Senator Amidala before him again.

?Welcome, Leia Organa,? Yoda said, recovering himself, and remembering his manners. ?Very welcome you are here.? He came forward and extended his three-fingered hand to the regal young woman before him.

?Leia, let me introduce you,? Luke said, ?This is Yoda, the Jedi Master I told you about.?

Leia