"My Dear Padme"- Anakin's death

Weeeeeeell, technically I just broke my own promise to finish my homework before I posted, but.... who cares? I mean, what's more important?

So... just a li'l bit more while I'm taking a "short" break (my concept of short is quite different from most people's).

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"Sir?"

General Tarkin turned, irritated, to give the young lieutenant approaching him his trademark black scowl. "Yes? What is it?" he inquired impatiently.

The young man quailed slightly, but spoke up, albeit rather timidly. "Sir, the probe droids have returned."

"And? Hurry up, I'm a busy man."

The lieutenant gulped audibly, obviously very uncomfortable. "The droids have recorded evidence of a meeting between the leaders of the Rebel Alliance."

Tarkin's expression didn't change, but his eyes now held a strange glint. "How very interesting," he said, in a tone that said it was very interesting indeed. "Suppose you tell me more."

The young officer perked up slightly. "Sir, we were unable to get any visuals--"

"Yes, yes," cut in Tarkin with a wave of his hand. "Tell me what you DID get."

"We were able to obtain voice samples. We have identified Bail Organa of Alderaan, Mon Mothma of Chandrila, and Garm Bel Iblis of Corellia."

The first two were no suprise-- they couldn't have been more obvious traitors if they carried signs. But General Bel Iblis... now he was a subtle one. He, mused Tarkin longingly, would be worth taking down personally.

The lieutenant was bursting with more news. "Also, sir, we have identified the voices of Queen Amidala of Naboo and her servants Sabe and Panaka."

"Good work, soldier," said the general, giving the lad a condescending smile. "Is that all you have to report?"

"Yes, sir."

Tarkin resisted the urge to say, "Then get out of my sight." It would be unprofessional. "Return to your post then, and alert me if anything new turns up."

"Yes sir!" The young officer practically sprinted away, relieved to get out of the general's presence. Tarkin watched bemusedly. I do have that effect on people, don't I? he reflected sardonically as he activated the comm link at his command desk.

Instantly, the cloaked visage of Palpatine filled the air above him. Tarkin dropped to one knee and bowed his head.

"Arise, General. What have you to report?" His voice was brittle and cranky. Somehow, the Emperor always sounded as if he were in a hideous mood. Tarkin tried not to smirk as he thought, That isn't so far from the truth. He composed himself and spoke.

"Your Excellence, intelligence has confirmed that Senators Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, and Garm Bel Iblis are engaged in treason. Also, and perhaps even more interestingly, Queen Amidala, wife of the late Anakin Skywalker, was also observed."

Palpatine cackled. "Excellent, General. That is interesting, indeed."

"What are your orders?"

The image smiled, a horrible twisting of the mouth completely unrecognizable as such. "For now, do nothing. I will deal with them when the time comes. Remain just outside of the Alderaan system. Do not let your presence be known."

"As you command, Your Excellence." Tarkin bowed as the Emperor terminated the comm.

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Nothing too emotionally moving today, but this was a necessary part. I'll get around to some good stuff soon, but probably not tonight. In the meantime, may the Force be with you!

--Mara Jade

 

Cool. The Force is with you.

Actually, I'm not really supposed to go online unless my work is done, either. Breaking a rule here...

So what's happening w/ Obi and Ami? Do tell! (More angst?)

 

This next will be a lot of short (short being a relative term) parts to set up for a few MAJOR events... I don't want to spoil it all, but let's just say that soon to come will be several as yet unintroduced characters, at least one completely original character, a lot of action, and a VERY VERY VERY important event, not just to this story but to all of Star Wars. You probably know what I'm talking about... Also, expect to see a couple new writers....

But, that's all in the future. For now, I offer this:

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The most powerful man in the galaxy stood silently on a balcony on Coruscant, admiring the view.

His. All of it, his to control. He ruled each and every citizen, held power of life or death over every last one of them. This world was his plaything; the entire galaxy his possession. And he had done it almost entirely by himself.

And yet, there were those who thought they could take it all away from him. His lips curled in distaste at the thought. There were those who harbored rebellion in their souls.

But such people were fools. For to oppose Palpatine was to court death.

A faint gurgle of laughter formed in his throat. Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, Garm Bel Iblis... those fools had the nerve to plan a revolution. Palpatine found the idea quite amusing. There was no conceivable way a handful of pathetic traitors could stand against the power of the New Order. He was going to take pleasure in their deaths. He figured he'd let Tarkin take care of that part when it came up. Knowing the general, he would probably enjoy the task.

And then there was the matter of Queen Amidala, or "Padme" as she went by increasingly more frequently these days. It wouldn't be fitting to kill the woman who started this all. Anyway, Darth Vader wanted her back. That, of course, was out of the question, but with Padme's fate in Palpatine's hands, Vader would never disobey. She would be a very useful tool... and leaving her alive didn't mean she would not suffer...

Palpatine watched the landscape of Coruscant a little while longer, then headed back inside the Palace. He had planning to do.

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I have a lot more planned for tonight, but dinner's ready. Check back later on!

--Mara Jade

 

Okay, if my parents find out I'm still online they are going to KILL me (even in Californy it's late ), but... here's just a bitty bit more...

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Darth Vader's body may have been confined beneath the white sheets of his bed in the medical center, but his mind knew no boundaries.

Even as he lay in the semi-dark, hooked up to various machines and monitors, he was on the planet Alderaan. He had known all along she was there, but he had said nothing to his master. Not that it mattered. Palpatine had figured it out quickly enough anyway.

He could feel her presense, and yet the bond which had once existed between them was gone. He wanted nothing more than to touch her thoughts for a moment, but he was not yet strong enough to make contact. It was frustrating, but he was not going to give up. He closed his eyes, reached out with his mind to Padme.

It was like trying to touch someone through glass. He couldn't reach her.

Tears welled in his eyes. Angrily, he forced them down, feeling ashamed at his display of emotions even in private. Still, he couldn't stop a single teardrop from slipping out. It rolled down his scarred cheek silently.

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That's it for now. Enjoy!

--Mara Jade

 

cOOOOOOOOOl.

 

It certainly is.

 

Amen. I loved Darth Vader's scene.

Um, MJEH, just tell me when...

Waiting anxiously for a bit more!

 

Eeep! Page 3? I guess it's been a while, huh?

Anyway, I'm back, and despite the threat of evil homework (oh, it's sooo evil) I've got more story. Enjoy!

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Bail Organa rubbed his tired eyes with numb hands. How long had it been since he'd gotten a decent night's sleep? He couldn't remember. Certainly not since he'd become a leader of the small but rapidly growing Rebel Alliance.

It had been even longer since he'd been able to spend time with his wife, who was now past eight months pregnant-- about as far along as Padme. He missed her. A lot. It had been so long....

Reluctantly, he dragged his thoughts back to the present, where he was seated in his private office with Garm Bel Iblis. The Corellian was intently studying a datapad displaying the current resources of the Rebel Alliance. It wasn't a very long list, but it wasn't nearly as short as it'd been even five weeks ago. The arrival of the Naboo accounted for a lot of the gain. They hadn't much, but three capital ships, two squadrons of fighters, and a fair amount of recruits was nothing to sneer at, either.

The general scrolled to the end of the datapad. "Very good," he said, sounding pleased. "We've done well." He frowned suddenly, checked his timepiece. "Has anyone seen Mon Mothma around? She was supposed to be here..."

The third member of their meeting, the Jedi Obi-Wan Kenobi, shook his head. Organa shrugged. It was rather out of character for the female senator to be late, but maybe she had an errand to run. It didn't necessarily mean anything.

Still, Bail's imagination conjured up some rather gruesome possibilities regarding her tardiness. He shuddered, pushing the thoughts away.

"So... does anyone have any other business?" Bel Iblis continued, obviously a bit put out by Mon Mothma's absense. "Kenobi? You said you had something to share...?"

"Indeed," Obi-Wan replied. He leaned forward slightly. Bail Organa noticed a rather nasty bruise on the Jedi's cheek and wondered what happened.

Obi-Wan continued speaking. "I know a man who, shall we say, sees on our level. He would be a very powerful ally if pursuaded to help us."

"What's his name?" inquired Garm curiously.

"You might already know him," said Kenobi. "Senator Damon Jade."

Bail Organa's brow creased slightly. "I've heard of him, yes. Not well acquainted, I'm afraid."

"I know him through his wife, Ashla, a Jedi Master. He'd be very useful to our cause."

"We'll arrange a meeting with him," said Bel Iblis decisively, making a note of it on his datapad. "Now, does anyone have anything else--"

He was interrupted as the door flew open.

Mon Mothma flung herself inside, slamming the door behind her.

Garm Bel Iblis stared at her. "There you are," he growled. "What in the galaxy kept you?"

The Chandrila senator was white as a sheet, her slender body tense. Bail looked in her dark eyes and knew that something was wrong.

Bail Organa swallowed dryly. He had a bad feeling about this...

"We've got trouble," she said, untying her cloak with trembling fingers.

"What kind?" asked Bel Iblis, his voice sounding suddenly very strange.

"The Imperial kind, what else?" replied Mon Mothma, seeming on the verge of hysteria. She took a slow, deep breath and closed her eyes a moment. When she opened them, she was less frantic, but there was an unmistakable quiver in her words as she spoke.

"We've been discovered."

For one long moment, no one moved or spoke.

Bel Iblis was the first to react. He sputtered an inarticulate Corellian curse that would have shocked his fellow senators had they not been close to following his example. "How did you find out?" he demanded, his voice low but filled with quiet panic.

"I picked up a transmission just outside the system," explained Mon Mothma, slightly recovered but still obviously shaken. "I ran it through the decoder-- that's why I'm so late." She sighed. "It was a message from General Tarkin to Palpatine himself. Apparently, we were under surveillance all the while."

"You've got to be kidding," said Organa numbly, unable t

 

Hi all! It's me, and I'm the one who writes next...:audience groans and starts protesting:...Oh come on, I'm not going to kill it...

My post will be coming ASAP. I just have to edit a bit...

Ooh, awesome, Mara!!! That one's going to be hard to follow up! http://indigo.ie/~owenc/starwars/images/loopy.gif

 

Back to the top....

 

Is anyone else out there?? http://indigo.ie/~owenc/flash.gif

 

Perhaps they were all scared off by that psychedelic smiley....

 

Keep going! I'm out here reading.

 

Jedi Master Mara Jade e-mailed me and said she's having trouble posting her section, so it may be a little while. Thanx for your patience!

--Mara Jade (the OTHER Mara)

 

Keep going MJEH!! You're doing a wonderful job with your Episode 3.

 

Keep going! I need more! I'm bored! BTW.. *blinks* how'd ya get that flasy-bright smiley face, and how come I'm stuck with this one?

 

The story is going great. waiting patiently for new post I understand the technical error stuff. As a general rule, all computers hate me.

 

Just wanna thank everyone for being so patient; we're working something out right now, so the story will be progressing shortly. Jedi Master Mara Jade sent me a copy of what she was going to post, so it may be that I post it for her. So... in the mean time, hang in there! I swear, we won't keep you hanging there forever!

Thanx again,
MJ, EH

 

Well, people, here it is: Jedi Master Mara Jade's addition to the story. Please note that though I, Mara Jade, Emperor's Hand, am posting this, I am not the author. All congrats and compliments go to Jedi Master Mara Jade. If you're reading this, JMMJ, I just have to say you did a great job! Hope you recover from your computer problems....

Anyway, here you have it: the next section of "My Dear Padme"....

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Two blazing green eyes peered out of the cold, chilling fog. The face behind them was pinched, thin with the weight of grief and lack of food. The two ears listened sharply for a sound which might signify relief from her physical needs. However, the small soul couldn?t cultivate the same relief for her shorage of love. Instead, she amused her mind by finding out as much information as she could.

Suddenly, she stopped. She could hear voices murmuring softly from an apartment nearby. Voices mean food, she thought. Aulos Rae spied a light up above. Without making a sound, she climbed up the tall building. Rae knew no one would see her, hear her, or care who she was. Over the eight short years of her life, she had learned how to "block" her presence from inquiring minds. Rae wasn?t sure herself how she knew how to; all she knew was that her silence was the key to knowledge, and knowledge always was helpful.

Inside the small apartment, four people were talking.

"I am no longer confident in the Chancellor?s rule," a woman?s voice confessed, "His ambitions have gone too far this time."

"The very idea! A whole new army for Palpatine?s personal service?! Why would this type of protection be necessary for any purpose other than for tyranny? The Sith threat does not require this much overprotection by any means."

Aulos Rae had heard of the Sith. Her parents used to talk about the Sith all the time. Her father had said that the Sith Darth Sidious was dangerous and a liar. She didn?t know what a Darth Sidious was, but she had played along anyway.

"What is he calling these new soldiers?"

"Stormtroopers, I think." Rae knew this soft voice, so much like her father?s. It sounded like Damon, her father?s old friend. She struggled to push herself up higher to be sure.

"I do not believe that Palpatine intends to use a million clones to capture one elusive--"

"-Clones?" the voices suddenly rose as one.

"Ssht. Yes, they are clones. I'm not sure if they are all clones, but all the ones I have seen have been identical." That voice again. Rae still couldn?t distinguish who it was for sure, but it could have been Damon.

"And when have you seen these soldiers, Damon?" That did it. Now what was Damon doing talking to these mysterious people?

The voices grew quieter. "I saw them in one of the worst moments of my life, Bail. I saw them...they were the cause of my dearest friend?s death."
* * * * *

Rae suddenly jerked in surprise. She heard quiet footsteps behind her. Furtively turning around, she spied the bottom of a long black cloak. Cautiously, she glanced upward. Who else would be walking these quiet streets at this hour?

"What happened...?" Rae still could hear the quiet voices eminating from the window shade. She clasped her knees, thinking with natural instinct, Maybe if I make myself smaller, no one will notice me...

The people in the room suddenly raised their voices. "This type of brutal treatment goes against everything the Old Republic stands for!" The women sounded serious- and defiant. "We, as loyal senators to the people, should not stand for such tyranny."

"I agree with you, Mon Mothma." Damon again. I probably shouldn?t call him that ~ like he always says, senators deserve respect. Especially when they are your main caretakers...

The footsteps suddenly stopped. Aulos Rae heard the faint sound of sobbing-or maybe just loud breathing. Who could that be? It isn?t one of the orphans; we know how to walk without being heard. It isn?t a pickpocket either; they know that no one with riches will be wandering around

 

Just random cheers from the peanut gallery. Yeuh! Keep it comin'!

 

So...I assume that was Anakin taking a stroll in his "new" duds, right?

 

Hello, everyone!

I hope you like the next few scenes~another different author, but not me. I just got the synopsis, and it sounds really cool!

Um...did anyone like my very short scene?
Thanks so much for posting it, MJEH!

I'm going to triple post to keep this story up. He he...

 

I guess you're talking about me, JMMJ... *silently curses the homework that keeps her from writing her piece* Yes, I'm doing research, but that doesn't mean I can't take a little JC break. Besides, this post serves a very important purpose-- bringing this story back to the top.

My piece should be up by, at the VERY latest, late Friday night, though I may put up a little teaser before then, that is, if semseter finals don't kill me first.

 

up

 

Hi! Sorry, no story yet (ducks as rotten tomatoes fly over her head) but I just HAD to bring this back to the top. Promise you there's more coming, and it's gonna be COOL!

BTW, [shameless plug] I'm currently working on another fan-fic entitled "A little Obi-Wan story, pre-TPM. Please come check it out-- feedback much appreciated![/shameless plug]

Bye for now, and may the Force be with you!
--Mara Jade