Before - Legends In the Shadow of a Starless Night - Shmi Skywalker vignette series, updated 6/9

Title: In the Shadow of a Starless Night
Author: VaderLVR64
Characters: Shmi, OCs
Notes: This will be a series of vignettes about the early life of Shmi Skywalker.


". . . then black despair
The shadow of a starless night, was thrown
Over the world in which I moved alone."
- Percy Bysshe Shelley



In the Shadow of a Starless Night


The young girl cowered in the dark corner, trying to breathe without sound, become part of the wall. The sobs that threatened would give her away, so she repressed them swiftly, ruthlessly. Perhaps if she could hide long enough, they would give up and never find her. Maybe ?

A hard, cruel hand closed over her arm and yanked her from her hiding place. ?There you are,? a cold voice sneered. ?You?re a lot of trouble for such a young one.? The stranger?s dark eyes narrowed as he studied her and she felt her knees begin to tremble.

?Please don?t,? she whimpered, shaking her head.

?Please, she says,? he mocked and then he tilted his head. ?You?re no good to us. A useless little girl,? he muttered. Then he tugged hard, with no regard for the delicate frame or youth, and dragged her out of the dark storage unit. ?There?s a profit to be made from the likes of you.?

?I found her!? he called out loudly and from a distance, the little girl heard a woman cry out in despair.

It was her mother.

?I?m sorry, Mama,? she whispered, angrily wiping at her own tears. If she had run faster, or found a better hiding place she might have been safe. Then she looked around the ship, saw that the strangers were everywhere, crawling over every space like insects. Nothing would escape them, not for long.

She caught a glimpse of her mother?s frantic face, beautiful even in her distress. Her mother was surrounded by a ring of rough men, each of them staring at her with a leering smile that made the girl want to scream.

?No need crying over the little on,? one of the men said loudly. ?We?ll give you another brat soon enough, I?d warrant.? And the men around him erupted into ugly laughter, but her mother did not even seem to notice.

Their eyes met and her mother?s lovely blue eyes filled with tears. Then the men moved closer to her mother, licking their lips in ugly anticipation while their hungry eyes flickered over her mother?s slim form.

The girl reached out, screaming. ?Mama!? Her shrill cries made her captor wince and he grew angry.

His big hand went back and she heard her mother cry out just before pain exploded in her head. The little girl felt herself being lifted and flung over a hard shoulder. Desperately, she tried to get one last glimpse of her mother.

She saw her mother?s delicate hand rise up as if to reach for her. ?Shmi!? her mother called and then the men circled closer and the screaming started.

The blackness, when it came, was a blessing.

~~~~~~~~~


Later she woke, pillowed on the soft bosom of a woman who smelled like home. She had been on the ship with them, Shmi supposed. ?You?re awake then,? a quiet voice said.

Blinking in the dim light, the girl simply stared.

?It?s all right, little one,? the woman said.

?Where are we?? Shmi asked. Somewhere far below them, she felt the low rumble of engines. On a ship then, but not the one she had been on ? the one where her mother was.

The woman?s jaw clenched noticeably, even in the shadows. ?We?re being shipped off to the gods know where,? she whispered. ?I won?t lie and say you?re safe. None of us is safe.?

Shmi digested this, accepted it. It was no surprise; she had suspected as much when her mother had frantically ordered her to hide and not come out no matter what she heard. The little girl nodded.

Swallowing hard, she glanced at the other huddled figures, cloaked in shadows. The acrid stench of fear and unwashed bodies suddenly made her stomach roil in protest. Shmi buried her face in the woman?s plump shoulder and tried to swallow her sobs.

Comforting arms encircled her and a low crooning made her stop crying for a moment. She knew the song

 

poor Shmi, loosing her mother like this. Great one as usual to follow. Please PM when you update

 

For me, Shmi has always come across as one of the more tragic characters of the saga and I like the way you've captured the feeling of tragic defiance that she has. Well done

 

Oh, poor little Shmi and definitely poor Mama!

All alone and now on her way to be someone's property. But she's a tough girl and I have no doubt that will help her through life.

A wonderful start to what I'm sure is going to be a great series.

 

I really enjoyed that.

Very emotional work, Vadey.

Pm me when you post again, please?

 

Oh that was brutal.

Poor Shmi - to have been forced into slavery at such a young age..and that last image of her mother...



Looking forward to more

 

Very good VaderLVR64, as usual. Put me on the PM list please!

 

That was beautiful!! Extremely sad, but very well-written. I love that Shmi isn't willing to show her feasr. She's so brave, probably beyond her years.

I'd love to be PMed with updates

 

Oh poor Shmi...a very poignant insight of her early life, very emotinal and brutal the way she is forced into slavery and having to loose her mother.


But above all very well written and cleverly done!

Shmi stared after him with dry, fearless eyes. Then she straightened her shoulders and pressed her lips together. She would never let him see how much he scared her. She was a Skywalker ? and she must never forget it.

Is good to see that even tough she is still young here, we can see the strength she carries, even in harsh times.
A great and interesting start to the series, if it's okay, could I also be posted onto your PM list, whenever you update please?

~E_J~

 

earlybird-obi-wan I'll do that! Thanks!

yodas_waiter She has always been one of my favorite characters.

Lola64Well, I'll have fun with it, I know!

BrentusofGath Thanks and I will!

KELIA Glad you liked it.

Darth Muis I will and thanks for reading!

NYCitygurl I figured that Anakin got that bravery from somewhere!

EmpressJade Yes, she's an incredibly strong person. I wanted that to come through. Thanks for reading!

 

?True dignity is never gained by place, and never lost when honors are withdrawn.?
- Philip Massinger



No Surrender



The slave market was hot and dusty, with a dull roar of noise that she refused to hear. If she had cared to look around her, she would have seen a myriad of beings in various shapes, sizes, and species milling around. Some were looking over the goods to be auctioned off; some were merely there for entertainment.

Shmi kept her eyes locked on a distant point, a small awning that waved listlessly in the spare breeze. In her mind, she kept hearing her mother?s last desperate cry. Shmi! She knew it was a sound she would hear for the rest of her life.

The little girl was beyond tears, those had been spent days ago, and she could not bear to give her captors the satisfaction of seeing her sorrow. Her feelings were the only thing that belonged to her now, and she would not give them up, no matter what they did to her body.

The bidding soon began, a young woman with snarled blond hair and barely covered by the rags the slave master had provided, was dragged up to the small platform. The auctioneer rattled off her charms, even tried to remove what little clothing she had, but the girl?s hysterical sobs interfered. Instead, he settled for backhanding her across the face.

She sprawled on the dusty dais and wept, her tears making tiny tracks.

Finally, a cruel looking Twi?Lek raised his fist in triumph as he placed the winning bid. He marched up to the stage and yanked the girl up by her arm, making her cry out in pain. He didn?t seem to care that she was stumbling to keep up as he dragged her off the platform, in fact he seemed amused by it. His friends called out their encouragement, goading his cruelty.

?She?s going to a pleasure house,? the older woman beside Shmi whispered in a voice full of dread.

Shmi looked at her, her eyes full of questions she would not ask. For all that she had called it a pleasure house, Shmi was quite sure it was not pleasing to the slaves who served there.

The woman took pity on her and patted her lightly on the shoulder. Shmi had been loaded off the ship with the first group of slaves and the one who had been captured with her was long gone. Once again, the little girl was alone.

?I don?t think they?ll send you there,? the woman said in a voice that tried to comfort.

?What?s a pleasure house?? Shmi finally asked, if only to block out the screams of a mother whose child was now on the platform. The mother, however, remained in line with the rest of them.

The woman swallowed hard, perhaps she too was trying to block out those terrible cries.

?It?s a place that little girls should never need to know about,? the woman answered. By her answer, Shmi suspected that sometimes little girls did find out what a pleasure house was and the knowledge would slowly kill them. There were many ways to die, Shmi mused. Even as a child, she had figured that out.

If she had had any faith left, she might have prayed that she would never know.

The child, a little boy with great dark eyes was carried off the stage by his new owner, a large Rodian who seemed quite pleased with his purchase. When the mother saw the Rodian leave the marketplace, she screamed with even greater urgency. Any hope that they might be purchased by the same owner was gone.

Still screaming and crying, the mother was hauled up onto the stage now, her arms held behind her back by a big guard who seemed to take more notice of her struggles than Shmi would of a narnu fly.

Although the mother bucked and wriggled, she could not escape the guard?s durasteel grip and Shmi saw a trickle of blood on her arms as his nails dug in. He showed no emotion as the blood began to flow more freely.

Something wet and warm dropped on Shmi?s arm and she looked at it in wonder. It was a tear.

For the first time, she noticed that she was silently weeping. Angrily, she wiped the tear away, using the sleeve of her rough dress to wipe away its evidence. She saw the

 

That was so sad!! I almost started crying for the mother, but at least it appears that the man who bought her and Shmi isn't cruel. I hope that the guy treats Shmi well.

Wobderful post!! I'm glad you finally updated

 

Poor, innocent Shmi!

I'm curious to see who this Tamas Nopolo figure is and to find out more about the man that picks Shmi up

 

Good job of describing the humiliation and degradation of the slave market. Poor Shmi. I hope she has a kind master but we shall see.

 

Some were looking over the goods to be auctioned off; some were merely there for entertainment.

And some were the goods to be auctioned off.


He didn't seem to care that she was stumbling to keep up as he dragged her off the platform, in fact he seemed amused by it.

Well, he seems like a nice fellow, full of compassion.


By her answer, Shmi suspected that sometimes little girls did find out what a pleasure house was and the knowledge would slowly kill them.

*shudders* That's a terrifying - but accurate observation, even in this galaxy.


But in her heart, she knew that she belonged only to herself.

You just keep telling yourself that, kid.

Now that makes me interested in how Watto gets a hold of her.


A wonderful all around update, Vadey!

 

The slave auction was horribly vivid



I admire Shmi's courage...and I hope she has somehow been purchased by a someone with an ounce of compassion.

Great update

 

To think a young girl was subjected to this horror is heartwrenching.

Shmi's a brave little thing and you did wonderfully portraying her.

I'm looking forward to more of your version of her life before Anakin.

 

NYCitygurl Thanks! Glad you liked it.

yodas_waiter More to come soon!

dianethx Thanks for reading!

BrentusofGath I guess there are buyers and buyees!

KELIA We shall soon see!

Lola64 It's interesting to think of her as Shmi and not just Anakin's mother!

I've got the next update written, so look for it to be posted soon.

 

loved it could you please add me to the pm list.

 

It's ture that it was heartwrenching for the young Shmi to be subjected to here, especially when that poor mother's child had been separated from her to a Rodian bidder.
You've done a incredible visualisation of the slave auction that I could almost feel the sorrow that Shmi and the others bare.
Tremendous portrayal of Shmi bravery and utmost courage before those wicked bidders in the crowd, her spirit will certanily get her through their cruel nature even through harsh times. (Fingers crossed)

So Shmi is being sold to someone called Tamas Nopolo, before she was sold to Watto she used to be a slave for Gardulla the Hutt does that occur later in her life? Just curious.


Thanks for the update Vadey! Great work!!

 

Note: Finding information on Shmi's former owners is difficult. One source mentions a Pi-Lippa, but gives no clue as to this being's gender or species. It is known that she was owned by Gardulla the Hutt before Watto, but I've been able to discover little else. So, that being said, I'm creating what I think is a likely path for her before she ends up with Watto. If it in anyway contradicts canon, that is entirely my fault for I've not tracked down that information yet.

Tatooine_Ghost I will, and thank you for reading!

EmpressJade I figure Anakin got that courage from somewhere!

---

[b]New Beginnings[/b]



Shmi and the still weeping young mother were loaded up into a cart and the scarred man took the controls, his companion seated beside him. They spoke infrequently, while Shmi and the woman remained silent.

At last, they turned off onto a smaller road, dusty and not well maintained compared to the other and at length they began passing large gated farms. Field hands labored under the hot sun, their crops green and tall. Shmi could barely see some of them as they moved among the waving stalks.

Idly, she wondered if she would be put to work in the fields, though she doubted someone of her size would be of much help. The woman had finally stopped weeping, but her eyes seemed terribly blank as she rocked herself back and forth in mute misery. Shmi had to look away, knowing that her own control was hanging on by a thread.

More than anything, she simply wanted her mother. Even slavery would be bearable if she had her mother with her.

Then the cart turned again, and went in through gates similar to those they had passed. They approached a house that was large and sprawling, its components looking mismatched, as if parts had been added on here and there with no thought as to the effect of the whole. Later, she would find out this was true.

As the owners became more prosperous, they had added onto the original dwelling, each bringing their own taste and budget to the project, all of which had produced a rather odd looking home. For some reason, Shmi found the effect enchanting, though she would certainly never say so.

The cart came to a stop and the scarred man jumped out and ran around to the back, where he opened the small door and held out his hand. The woman?s steps were slow and plodding and Shmi had to tamp down a sense of impatience.

She wanted to get it over with and start to get a feeling for her new circumstances. It was the not knowing that was making her so nervous.

As the man offered Shmi his hand, he leaned in and whispered, ?I?m Granthus.?

?I?m Shmi Skywalker,? she replied politely. Her mother might be gone, but the lessons she had instilled in Shmi were still there. It was a way of holding onto her memories, and even as a child, Shmi could see the value in that.

?Shmi,? Granthus said with a smile. ?Nice to meet you.?

She did not speak, for she was too busy taking in the place that was to be her home for however long her new owner wanted her. The doors were large, much taller than even Granthus, but the wood was worn and splintered and had not been painted in a long while.

Granthus led them to the door and then opened it, and Shmi blinked at the sudden change in light. Inside it was cool and dim, and from a distance, she could hear the soft tinkling of falling water. Immediately she thought of cool gardens where flowers bloomed and birds sang.

?Ah Granthus, you?re back,? a middle-aged woman said as she approached, wiping her hands on her apron. She wore a simple dress of deepest green, and the color exactly matched the tunic that Granthus wore. She stopped at the sight of the little girl. ?And you?ve brought home an extra.? There might have been laughter in her voice but Shmi was too nervous to notice.

?Esmy,? Granthus said, tugging Shmi forward because she had slipped behind him. ?This is Shmi Skywalker. I thought she might prove helpful in the kitchens.?

No field work then. Shmi felt relieved

 

These people seem kind, which is good. Hopefully Shmi won't have cause to fear this master.

Good job!!!

 

will her master be kind? that woman sure is.

Thanks for the PM

 

More than anything, she simply wanted her mother. Even slavery would be bearable if she had her mother with her.

What a heartfelt and sad thing! Poor young Shmi, alone and facing something we all would hate, the lose of the freedom of self-determination.


Cautiously, Shmi looked to see if there was a lock and was relieved to see there was. She locked the door and slowly undressed, carefully folding up the pathetic dress and putting it on a chair. Then she sank into the hot water with a sigh of bliss.

For a long while she simply closed her eyes and savored the feel of a real tub of water. Finally, she that she should get cleaned up before Esmy decided she had had enough time. There was no softly scented soap, not for slaves anyway, but the soap was not harsh and it did the job.

A bottle of hair cleaning gel was on a small table and the fragrance was pleasant and subtle. Shmi lathered her hair three times before she was satisfied that she could no longer smell the cramped cargo hold of the pirate ship in her hair.

At least she can feel more herself to face what is coming.


Shmi felt a sense of relief that she would be working with someone she was at least somewhat familiar with. Esmy seemed kind enough, and Shmi was certainly no stranger to a kitchen. In the fields, she would have felt stupid and out of place, but a kitchen would not be nearly as intimidating.

?And then later I?ll take you to meet the Master,? Esmy said casually.

Shmi tried to ignore the painful hammering of her heart.




This is a lovely series on an underutilized character. May I please get updates?

 

Hey! where was my PM? but seriously, this was great...I hope the master isn't cruel...