Saga One Prick to Bleed - an AU beginning in AotC (Obi, Ani, Sabe, Yoda) - Mar. 1

GAh! That was soooo close! Why didn't you do it, Sabe? Pull the trigger an be done with that mushy gushy man!

Sigh, Amidolee, you characterize her so well! The whole idea of oaths just creep me out!

A cool, aloof corner of her mind scoffed. How delusional could Amidala be? Skywalker did not honor oaths. What made her think one sealed with a kiss would be any different? Sabé gritted her teeth. Clearly an understanding of oaths still eluded Amidala.


Go, cool, aloof corner of Sabe's mind!

 

A cool, aloof corner of her mind scoffed. How delusional could Amidala be? Skywalker did not honor oaths. What made her think one sealed with a kiss would be any different? Sabé gritted her teeth. Clearly an understanding of oaths still eluded Amidala.

*wince* Ouch. Sabé's bitterness really cuts to the core.

Excellent post, Amidolee! I loved how Sabé and the others found the romance between Anakin and Padmé sickening. That was a great touch!

AQ

 

Darn Sabe' and her oaths and sympathies- just do it!


oops- I guess I sound a little blood thirsty this evening

 

If she succeeded, the galaxy would be better off.

Emotions have a funny way of making us stray from what needs to be done.

 

?Since when do Jedi own droids??

?Since when do Jedi marry??

Gosh, I also wanted her to kill him! How you manipulate our feelings that I would want her to kill such a hot specimen of humanity!

 

Okay, I have no excuse for the delay, other than procrastination and some DRL. This will be the last flashback for awhile, and I meant to post it with the next part, because it's probably more effective that way, but I didn't want to make y'all wait.










?You trounced him! I still can?t believe it!?

Sabé barely had time to turn before the shouting blur plowed into her, nearly swinging past and taking Sabé with her. The blur righted herself, long dark hair swinging wildly as she locked an arm through Sabé?s.

?Trounced,? Saché declared gleefully. ?Absolutely trounced!?

?Yes, you keep saying that,? said Sabé, glancing nervously around the pillared west corridor. All she needed was one of the schoolmasters to come storming out of a classroom, hissing for quiet and slashing their scores?or worse?forbidding them from sitting the exams?

?Oh, come on!? Saché giggled. ?I know you?re pleased.?

Sabé ducked her head, trying to hide the grin threatening to split her face. ?Yes, all right,? she said after a moment, lifting her chin. ?I am pleased.?

Saché?s laugh bounced off the marble pillars, echoing down the long curve of the outside corridor. Students hurrying to class or taking a moment to gather themselves in the gardens looked up, either curious or disturbed as they passed. It was review day and tomorrow the exams would start in earnest. Sabé bit her lip nervously, thinking about the long week ahead.

?You can take longer to gloat,? said Saché. ?Save your seriousness for the classroom, missy.?

Sabé grinned at Saché. The fourteen-year-old?s hair was still damp from the showers and falling in frizzing waves around her shoulders. Sabé had likewise forgone the time it took to dry her hair, but she had the mind to make three thin braids on each side of her head and pull them back with a clasp to keep tidy. Getting a demerit for untidiness would dampen the warm glow of triumph in her, surely.

?I still can?t believe it,? Saché said, her arm still through Sabé?s. ?You got Ashdon, and you smashed him! How did you do it??

Sabé shrugged, thinking back an hour ago to her weapons exercise test. What would her mother say? She was already horrified her only daughter was studying the old dance-art of fighting instead of ?actual dance? beyond the school?s requirement. Nor had she been pleased when Sabé?s marks in weaponry and tumbling edged over her academics. Sabé could very well imagine the defeated eye-roll when her mother learned she?d just topped everyone!

Especially Rodhric Ashdon! Sabé could barely suppress her glee as she replayed the kill point in her mind. She?d beaten Rodhric Ashdon. Trounced him. When it came to marksmanship, Sabé reigned in the class, but physical floor dueling was her weak point. She was too slight, too small against bigger, stronger opponents. Sometimes her agility and instincts helped her, but the boys in the class were quick to use their strength to their advantage. Especially Rodhric Ashdon. Tall and broad, arrogant and cunning, he ruled the school as well as the duel floor. He took it as a great offense whenever Sabé bested him in marksmanship, and so took great pleasure in killing her on the mat or pestering her in the corridors.

Not anymore.

Sabé could not quite say how she bested him today. Maybe her intense desire to rid Ashdon of that arrogant smirk, or the pressure to do well today . . . She only knew everything had been right, every move perfect. She didn?t remember feeling anything except the rhythm and dance of the duel. Perhaps she had finally excepted Ashdon was a better fighter than her, that she never would be top in any one class, just close to the top, and that was fine . . . and somehow coming to terms with this had cleared her of any inhibition, any emotion that would interfere.

The old bow had felt wonderful and comforting in her hands. She could still feel it, like solid liquid, however ridiculous it sounded to anyone else.

Saché elbowed her

 

You quoted me!!! I'm so honored!

Anyways, love the flashback! It's like, deep and depressing, transition to cute and light. Totally reminds me of school/harry potter.

?Hours of my life I will never get back,? she muttered to Saché.

Poor Sabe! They should go easy on those poor, exhausted, spent children!

?Maybe he?ll ask you to the relief ball . . .?

Sabe and a guy? Who isn't Obi-wan???

?If this is about the headmaster?s prize equine, then it won?t matter what we look like.?



Yepyep, great to see this side of Sabe, contrasted with our kick-butt assassin.

 

Yay! All caught up!

Too much good stuff to really touch on, though I wish she'd kill him already!!

And I want some Sabé/Obi mush, dangit!

 

Action and Obi will be coming shortly, I promise!

ACK!! I just spent the day packing for England! I THINK I'm under the weight limit for checked baggage, but we'll see when I get there. Dude, dude, dude!! I'll be there next week!! I am WAY too hyper!!

Yes, bobilll, Sabe and another guy. Sort of. Just a crush. Obi/Sabe is my OTP And they are trying really hard to be a ship in this fic. *sigh* Silly lovers . . .

 

Excellent post! I loved it. Cannot wait for more...Obi-Wan!

 

broke in to the headmaster's office, did something to his horse... those girls are the BEST! Oh and love her calling the mistress "dragon lady"

 

My best friend's dad just died this morning, so I don't know how the posting will go this week. I'm still hoping to reach the point I want by Friday, but I can't guarantee it.

 

I am so sorry about your friend's dad. She needs you for support. Don't worry about the story.

The latest post was good. I liked the background about how the handmaidens were chosen. Post when you can.

Your friend is in my prayers.

~SL~

 

Aw, man, another guy!?! I wish *I* thought of that!!

*jealous*

 

LOL, Yui-chan, it's not a big deal. Nothing comes of it. I really should get at least one more post up before I go. Maybe I will. I just got back from the visitation, and I have two friends/roomies coming down tomorrow for the funeral, staying the weekend, then we're taking Heather back up to school, and then Stacy and I are going to England. So . . . I might squeeze a post in there while Heather's using Labor Day to catch up on her homework, and maybe I can get something written on the car and then maybe I can use my friend's net to post the night before we go. Um, so, basically, we're planning it by ear. But I'm still planning on writing this while in England, just at a slower rate. I don't think Sabe would let me sit on this for 3 months. Or Obi, cuz he's all jealous of his lack of screentime, even tho I've graced him with flashbacks! Silly Obi.

Thanks, Senator_Lorena!

 

Sorry about your friend's dad. Hope she's ok.

 

I relied heavily on my friend's support when I lost my dad. You are a good friend- she is very lucky

 

Thanks for understanding, peeps! It's my second day in England, and I think I'll have some writing time tonight and the next few days. It'll be freshers' week come Sunday, so I'll mainly just be hanging around waiting for classes to begin, unles I do a little of traveling before then. Dunno, we'll see.

Btw: Any of you in the UK?

 

Glad you made it to England safely. I hope you have a great time and learn a lot!

Write when you can, but take full advantage of the opportunity you have to learn about and enjoy another country.

~SL~

 

Hi, guys! Ok, I wanted to have a bigger post for you by now, and I was just going to post this little one with the next bigger one, but it's taking some time to get the next one up, so here's a taster.







The moment continuously replayed in her mind. Skywalker, exposed and vulnerable, her finger on the trigger, her heart pounding in her ears, everything deathly silent?and then she shattered through it, wrenching all duty and training aside to be radiant and oblivious and foolish and?

Sabé took a calming breath but exhaled it too quickly. She tried again, concentrating, until she could breathe without sound, without emotion.

Yet her throat remained tight and dry.

She forced her pacing to still under the dappling protection of the evening trees. Had she not hesitated, had she been ruthless and steadfast, she would not be in this predicament now. She would be on her way back to Coruscant, safe in hyperspace with only her morbid thoughts to plague her.

But no. Sabé gazed down at the comlink clutched in her palm.

I don?t want to do this. Breaking her own code. I have broken it already. It was the only way. Too weakened by emotion, old emotion. She had to, or the mission was lost.

But there are other ways, a voice whispered silkily over her shoulder. Other ways to cover her hesitation, make her feel the trigger and mortal strike. Old anger, old hurt. Revenge.

Revenge she did not want, did not seek. Nor should I.

Sabé sighed and thumbed the comlink?s smooth, curved surface.

Old thoughts. Aged past the night and day she lived with them.

This was the only way. So be it.

 

Awww, Sabé... "You can do it!!"

Glad to see you're enjoying England, babe! Send me a post card!

 

LOL, is there something wrong in my readers cheering for Sabe to succeed at killing the Whinging One? Btw, I need your address in order to send post! Oh, I should give you my address if any of you would like to send money cuz the exchange rate has kicked my arse!

Btw, LJ updates also come with pictures, if any of you are bored or curious.

 

Enjoy- I'm really jealous that you are there. My family is about 2 hours north of LOndon by train, but I am sitting here in sunny Southern Calif. (same with Miana last I checked)

 

HAha, your "suicide note" on your LJ amused me. Anyways, I'm curious now... had a sudden thought that Sabe might be calling Amidala or Sache, but I then remembered she's probably trying to call Yoda... is she chickening out? Sabe's not that lame; she'd better carry something on!

Hope your friend Heather's feeling better.

 

Eh, this post isn't as good as I would like. I blame it on the hecticness of my life right now and the constant techno/Britney Spears concert going on next door.



Chapter Eight

A vague, hazy overcast clouded Thasyin?s usual brilliance as the gondola glided over the bobbing waters of the return dock. The calls of loaders seemed muted more than usual as they competed with the constant whine of gondolas and the shrill beeping and twittering of traffic droids guiding barge loads in and out of Thasyin?s canal thoroughfares. Sabé welcomed the need to concentrate as she guided her small gondola into its return slot. Not until she was stepping onto the solid platform did she let her focus return to its center, to her second return.

The dock buzzed around her, tweaking her senses; voices pounded into her ears, distinctive and droning at once; her eyes roved the swirling splashes of color as people, droids, and animals moved about. She felt attuned and detached, as if experiencing it all through a very thin screen. To the casual observer, she moved gracefully, steadily, but Sabé could feel the hesitancy in her steps, feel the balky shift of weight in her feet. If she were at liberty, she?d fancy the dock eternal and her steps only a timeless path in another life.

Now was not the time for fancy.

Now was the time for action.

For amending her error, her weakness. She mustn?t fail.

Sabé gritted her teeth.

Silly girl.

Before she even reached the end of the dock, Sabé spotted the figure she needed, but a little jolt in her chest made her wish it had taken longer. That she had not been there. Held up or unfaithful or?Veruna bless it?untrustworthy.

A slight woman stood at the end of the return dock, spooning a dish of cold sweet cream as she casually watched the activity around her. Glossy, dark hair was gathered back into a braided bun at the nap of her neck. Although she wore sensible, businesslike maroon and navy, she carried a young, whimsical air about her. Her forceful nose and strong chin pointed to mischief and a rare but impressive temper.

The last Sabé had seen of Saché Orzkal had been her friend?s sympathetic but warning look before Padmé delivered the shocking blow.

I have already spoken with the others . . .

Sabé?s jaw tightened.

As if sensing her, Saché?s dark, keen eyes spotted Sabé. Her familiar face swam in a mixture of joy, excitement, curiosity, and hesitance before old handmaiden training locked naked emotion away behind a quiet, guarded face. Just as her voice had been last night.

Sabé started toward her, last night?s transmission playing through her mind.

?I didn?t know if you would comm?I mean, I knew you would, why would you not? Oh, there?s so much to??

?I cannot speak of this. I need your help. You may refuse.?

Curt and emotionless. She cut Saché?s every attempt to connect, to speak to Sabé. This was business. This was the headdress, the hoods, the shadows. The handmaiden had taken over, but Sabé had heard the strain of hurt underneath the clipped tones matching hers.

?So much I want to ask,? Saché sighed, when they concluded.

?You cannot.?

?Ah, so are you Republic ops??

?I cannot say.?

?You are!? Pause. ?I know, I know, cannot confirm or deny. Trust me, I know.?

Better to let her believe it, Sabé knew. Saché could not know her help?help given from loyalty and the deep friendship that once bound them?would bear her former Queen?s husband?s death.

I have already spoken to the others . . .

Amidala had not been the only betrayal. Sabé focused on this as she met Saché Orzkal?s gaze and stopped before her former friend.

Saché?s eyes widened, making her childlike as she held her dessert bowl, a little cream dotting her top lip.

?Sabé,? she said quietly, almost warily. Wonderment flicked across her face, escaping the familiar mask of handmaiden stoicism. ?I?I can hardly believe it.?

Sabé stared back coolly. Saché had known. They all had.

Someth