Original title: “Fangirl”

New title: “Rage, rage against the dying of the light”

Author: AzureAngel2, a silly person with weird ideas at times

Co-Author and editor: DarthUncle, still-husband

Chief editor now: Kahara

Genre: Drama

Rating: PG

Original editors: SWpants and @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

Time frame: The story starts shortly before Sheev Palpatine, the Supreme Chancellor of the Republic gets kidnapped by General Grievous.

Summary: As usually I do not fully agree what the Scottish actor Ian McDiarmid said about his character (Sheev) Palpatine (aka the Emperor) in an interview once:

"He has a black, irredeemable heart. There's nothing that can be said about him that's good. When we first saw Vader in the original trilogy, we thought he was the heart of darkness, and nobody could be darker. But now we understand what happened to him. And one of the exciting things about seeing this movie is that you can follow Vader through Anakin's journey every step of the way even if you don't agree with the choices he's making. In part his decisions stem from his traumatic childhood, and his impatient lust for power. And it's that which my character takes and then uses against him."

What has gotten into me that I say he really loves somebody with his dark, black heart?

Well, blame it on me watching President Snow in “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire” movie recently. See, I like the relationship that he has with his grand-daughter.

Everybody has to love somebody. Like vampire Russell Edgington in the HBO series “True Blood”. Or like the Sir Guy of Gisbourne version in the BBC series “Robin Hood”.

And it is not secret for people who know me that I love chocolate and kindergarten teaching very much. They are my life.

But this is more like some crazy self-insert. My main character Nagina may have some things in common with me, but that is about it.

Overall, I do not agree with the massacre on-board the Palpatine family yacht that appears in the “Darth Plagueis” novel by James Luceno. And so – extra inspired by the animation movie “Anastasia” from the 20th-Century-Fox-Studios – somebody was spared death.

And here the poem by Dylan Thomas that made me rethink the entire story and my aim:

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on that sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.


Disclaimer: SW is owned by George Lucas, Lucas Lt. and now Walt Disney

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

Prologue:
The German folk tale "Rapunzel" by the Brothers Grimm, Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786–1859)
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 1, Sources:
“Do not go gentle into that good night”, a poem by the Welsh poet and writer Dylan Thomas (1914 – 1953)
Song “9 crimes” by the Irish musician and song-writer Damien Rice
LucasFilm – now of course, owned by Disney
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 2, Sources:
“Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”, a popular English lullaby by Jane and Ann Tyalor
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 3, Sources:
the lyrics of the score “Duel of the Fates” from “Music From Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace by John Williams” by Warner Bros. Publications
“Dies irea”, a Medieval hymnus about Judgement Day
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 4, Sources:
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 5, Sources:
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 6, Sources:
“Itsy bitsy spider”, a popular English nursery rhyme and finger play
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 7, Sources:
Prologue to "King Edward the Fourth" by the English poet, painter, and printmaker William Blake (1757 – 1827)
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 8, Sources:
The disease ostia-phromitia was invented by Briannakin for her SW fanfiction “So Much More Than Fairytales: The Courtship of Prince Bail”
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 9, Sources:
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 10, Sources:
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 11, Sources:
The plot of the ballet “Swan Lake” composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893)
Several lyrical lines from the Bollywood movie “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham” (2001), directed by Karan Johar
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 12, Sources:
An extract from the Fantasy Novel “The Never-ending Story” by the German writer of fantasy and children´s fiction Michael Ende (1929 - 1995)
Again several lyrical lines from the Bollywood movie “Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham” (2001), directed by Karan Johar
A Wicca chant
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 13, Sources:
“The Whole Earth Shall Cry Glory” – A George MacLeod prayer from the Iona Community
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 14, Sources:
Palpatine´s “Declaration of a New Order”, written by Daniel Wallace and Pablo Hidalgo
The strategy game “Triominos”, invented by Allan Cowan
The board game “Take-it-easy”, invented by Peter Burley
The card and stick game “Digit”, invented by ?
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 15, Sources:
An altered version of the prayer “All above” by John Birch
The lyrics of the song “Boat on the river” by Styx
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 16, Sources:
A Wiccan chant
An extract from the poem “The Lady of Shalott” by the British poet Alfred Lord Tennyson (1832)
Prayer by Michael James Kitchen, his alternative form is based on the “Serenity Prayer” by Reinhold Niebuhr
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 17, Sources:
Quotes from the Fantasy book “The Last Unicorn” by Peter S. Beagle (1968)
One of the frequently paraphrased statements of German philosopher and economist Karl Marx (1818 – 1883)
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 18, Sources:
Daily work with the 'Mega Magnets Construction Set' & '3-D Magnet Builders' from the Lakeshore Company at my kindergarten
A changed version of 'The Oath of Obedience', first mentioned in the “Riot Trooper” entry in the in-game data bank of the PlayStation 3/ Xbox 360 versions of “STAR WARS: The Force Unleashed II”, a LucasArts video game (2010)
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 19, Sources:
“Religion is the opium of the people”, one of the most frequently paraphrased statements of German philosopher and economist Karl Marx
The novels “A song of Ice and Fire” by George R.R. Martin
The movie “Labyrinth”, directed by Jim Hendson and produced by George Lucas (1986)
A website about wines in the SW universe
A website about kava kava
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 20, Sources:
Daily work with the 'Mega Magnets Construction Set' & '3-D Magnet Builders' from the Lakeshore Company at my kindergarten
The words of the traditional Jedi lightsaber ceremony
The STAR WARS Disney Frozen Parody “Let it go!” from youtube
The 12th Doctor calling Amy Pond: “My impossible girl”
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 21, Sources:
A changed version of the prayer “O Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof, but speak the world only and my soul shall be healed.” [e.g. in Old Catholic Church Communion]
A prayer to the goddess Diana by Livius Andronicus Equos Troianos
A Hindu prayer by Chandogya Upanishad
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 22, Sources:
A wiccan chant
A Hindu prayer
Complete Wermos Guide for Mandalorian
SWC Mandalore.Com
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 23, Sources:
Some lyrics of the song “I wake up” by Lions Head
A saying from Chan Buddhism
The online Philosophy section of the Shaolin Kung Fu.org
Precepts of Confucianism, Taoism and Zen as used in the show western adventure “KUNG FU” by channel ABC (1972-75)
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 24, Sources:
Some song lyrics of “Running up that hill” by Kate Bush (1985)
A Zen Buddhism quote
Ben Mendelsohn's own words during an interview
The movie “Labyrinth”, directed by Jim Hendson and produced by George Lucas (1986)
A Jewish saying
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 25, Sources:
A Jewish pro-verb
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 26, Sources:
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 27, Sources:
Text bits from the song “Another love” by Tom Odell (2012)
The world famous “Happy birthday song”
The song “The Last Unicorn” from America for the identically named soundtrack “The Last Unicorn” (1982)
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 28, Sources:
Website of the Official Home of Sith Ministries international, founded 2008
https://www.sathyasai.org/history/refs/diction.htm
An altered version of the Serenity prayer written by the American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 29, Sources:
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 30, Sources:
“Star Wars: Episode III – The Return of the Sith”, a movie by George Lucas (2005)
Quotes from Max van Sydow himself
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 31, Sources:
Quote from the Ramayana (book 2)
The Rig Veda
The website mandoa.org
The website swc-mandalore.com
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 32, Sources:
Tibetan Prayer by Tsongkhapa
Changed lines of a Wiccan song
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 33, Sources:
“And death shall have no dominion”, a poem written by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 34, Sources:
A discussion in the JC 'Prequel Triology' started by @ObiWanKnowsMe, with the brilliant find of @Iron_lord, hinting to the website Holonet News Com
Plus a moving speech by the character Jud Paynter in Season 1, Episode 2 of the BBC series “Poldark” (2015)
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

Chapter 35, Sources:
Words from the fairy tale “The wolf and the seven young kids” by The Brothers Grimm
A famous rhyme from the Star Wars series “Rebels”
Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia

 

Hahaha! Come to the dark side, we have chocolate!

 

Ahhh. Now I know who Uncle is! I wonder how he feles about her Anakin mug
Tsk. Xizor. He makes much more sense now.

 

Nagina is a lovely name & a fascinating character. Rhetorical question: Who doesn't love chocolate? Now, on the other hand, if this were about Palpy's daughter Not the mental image you want.

 

If Xixor knows what's good for him he will leave her alone or he will meet his fate twenty years plus sooner than expected.

 

I love this! Beautifully written, and I adore Nagina.

 

a lovely OC (based on your life)

 

Yep, she's the Emperor's niece.

 

Then proof positive and exhibit #1 - you can't pick your family even if you'd really like to.

 

Cannot forget that adorable cookie monster poster, using that very slogan, Revanfan1

Thanks for editing one of the many versions here, SWpants

@Nyota's Heart: I wanted a kindergarten teacher to be a very unlikely heroine once in a while.

@Lady_Misty: Let us put this to the test.

Thanks for taking the time to read, sweet Darth Gangrenous.

You make me blush, dear aleja2.

@earlybird-obi-wan: INSPIRED and NOT based. Palps is not my uncle, nor is my husband dead. I also do not live on Coruscant.

@Darth Gangrenous: You will get pardoned should you ever cross the Empire, okay?

I simply love and adore you, Nyota's Heart.

 

Palps might want to go on Maury to prove the relationship.

 

Or Nagina will. That is not my uncle!

 

* whacks Tyranus230 with her German soccer flower necklace

Ich komme da gleich rüber, Mr!

* hugs Ty anyway and updates:


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Prologue:

If it had not been for her flaming red hair, he would not have noticed her. She was but a plain kitchen maid of about sixteen years of age, just an average face in the mass of household servants.

Besides, he had no interest in females, no matter what species they belonged to. And he was certainly not into males either. Above all he craved power and knowledge. Through the latter, he had observed, he was able to steer single individuals at times.

Mandré Antigone Vané Dorje seemed to be a figure that he could use. And so he started watching her from the shadows.

Hours transformed into days.

Soon, days turned to weeks.

Weeks became a series of months.

Even though Mandré had friends among the other staff members, she preferred to stay on her own most of the time. During her breaks she liked to spend her time as far away from the Palpatine property as possible. She would lie down in a meadow and gaze at the clouds passing by in the sky. Or she would sit by the lake, her eyes fixed on the water.

During one occasion he found out why Mandré was so quiet and withdrawn from the world now and again. His father had private sessions with her, too. He was not as privileged as he had thought. That was an unexpected surprise and he did not know what to make of it.

Judging Mandré’s body language, she got hurt by his father in regions that were not to detect easily. Her service gowns covered all the bruises and cuts from the whip, but he knew them to be there. From his own life-long experiences he also could tell how each inflicted wound felt.

He did not feel pity for Mandré. But the curiosity within him rose. Why she get that special treatment, too? She was a nobody. The regular abuse turned her into somebody of means. Not only for his father, but for him as well. He decided to find out who exactly she was.

But there was not much to say about Mandré. She was an orphan that got born a couple of months after him. Her birth certificate at least said so.

He dug deeper and deeper, but there was nothing of significance about Mandré apart from her cooking skills. And that red mane of hers, that was so much like his own.

Frustration turned him moody until he got leverage on Mandré from an unexpected source. It was the way she drew in her breath. How her skin shone. There was an entire story underneath her clothing.

One afternoon he caught Mandré in the kitchen garden, collecting salad leaved for dinner.

It was a golden autumn day. The sun stood high in the sky.

Mandré knelt in the Black Rampion, also known as ´Rapunzel´ here in Theed. Somewhat feverishly, she dug out a bulb. A keen little rodent, driven by instinct. Before she could bite in, he rose his voice.

“You are not really consuming that, are you?” he asked more harshly that he intended to.

Startled, Mandré dropped the bulb and rose to her feet.

“If you crave a plant like that, you must indeed be pregnant.”

Horrified, she looked at him, her hand flew to her mouth. “Milord, I...”

“I am not here to judge you, but let me break with one Naboo tradition. Who is the father?”

Her panic increased.

“This is all I want to know. And I should know as heir of House Palpatine, don’t you think?”

She was as pale as an eopie now. “Are you assuming that His Lordship...?”

“Is Cosinga the father of your child?” he pressed on.

Suddenly, Mandré laughed. It was a hysteric laugh and he gazed towards the house, wondering if anybody could hear that sound from there.

When he was about to scold her, her round face turned serious again.

“Your father is capable of cruelty beyond imagination, but he would not share the pillow with a child of his,” she said.

It took him a couple of heartbeats to grasp the meaning of her words. “You are my sister?” he bit out.

She nodded, sad and embarrassed alike.

“I have a half-sister who is a kitchen maid.” This revelation was as startling as it was hilarious. But it was also strangely liberating. He – Sheev Aurelius Cosinga Palpatine – was not the only unwanted offspring of his father.

Suddenly, there was an obstacle. “He does not know yet, does he?”

Tears shimmered in her eyes. “If he comes to know about the child, he will kill it.”

Perhaps it was boredom speaking. He was not sure, but suddenly he had a new focus in life. To protect the unborn deep inside his half-sister.

“Then we need to make sure that he never does. Together.”

It was not the way of the Sith, but it felt right to give the child a chance.





“Rage, rage against the dying of the light”, Chapter 1:

The first alarm goes off. It is my LCD screen, tuned to a local radio station. The tunes of a so-called 'oldie' fill the air.

“Leave me out with the waste
This is not what I do
It's the wrong kind of place
To be thinking of you

It's the wrong time
For somebody new
It's a small crime
And I got no excuse

And is that aright? Yeah
Give my gun away when it's loaded
That aright? Yeah
If you don't shoot it how am I supposed to hold it?

That alright? Yeah
Give my gun away when it's loaded
That aright? Yeah, with you?

Leave me out with the waste
This is not what I do
It's the wrong kind of place
To be cheating on you

It's the wrong time
She's pulling me through
It's a small crime
And I got no excuse

And is that alright? Yeah
To give my gun away when it's loaded
(Is that alright with you?)
That alright? Yeah
If you don't shoot it how am I supposed to hold it?
(Is that alright with you?)

Is that alright? Yeah
If I give my gun away when it's loaded
(Is that alright with you?)
Is that alright
Is that alright with you?

That alright? Yeah
If I give my gun away when it's loaded
(Is that alright with you?)
Is that alright? Yeah
You don't shoot it how am I supposed to hold it?
(Is that alright with you?)

That alright? Yeah
If I give my gun away when it's loaded
(Is that alright with you?)
Is that alright?
Is that alright with you?

And is that alright? Yeah
(To give my gun away when it's loaded)
Is that alright? Yeah
(You don't shoot it how am I supposed to hold it?)

And is that alright? Yeah
(To give my gun away when it's loaded)
Is that alright? Is that alright?
Is that alright with you? No”

I feel my husband Barin beside me. “Almost there,” I smile without turning around.

“Sure, min larel!” I hear him answer, his voice drenched with irony. My darling!

The old Corellian scoundrel knows that I am not a morning person. This comes with being a follower of the ancient moon goddess of my people – the Naboo – I guess.

Yawning, I stay in bed and cling on to my pillow.

I still have not put up any curtains in my bedroom. This suits my inner clock better.

Besides, a Coruscant dawn is a breathtaking sight to behold. It gives the planet-wide city moments of grace and beauty. For some heartbeats there are no grey steel constructions, no industrial pollution, no rigid class system- just the rosy fingers of light stretching and flexing. A sea of serenity and calm that not even the traffic can harm.

Yet the blessing of brightness does not reach certain areas of the actual planet-wide metropolis. The lower levels are plunged in darkness. The twilight of the neon signs are not enough to illuminate the minds and hearts of the people who live down there.

As most members of the middle class I live at the edge of the abyss. We seldom mix with what is below or above. Literacy and democracy matter to us, not money and power. We believe in life-long learning, are even social to our enemies and all those who try to drag us into the shadows.

I turn around to face Barin, but the pillow next to me is empty.

Sometimes I forget that he is gone. How foolish of me!

It has been three years now that the Separatiststook him from me, murdered him.
“Rage, rage against the dying of the light,” I mutter.

It is a line from one of my most favourite poems. Since my husband's death it has become a sort of Force mantra to me.

The sound of the second alarm – my comm – makes me rise, but not shine. I walk straight into my tiny bathroom unit. Soon sonic pulse vibrations remove dirt, grime and my weariness.

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

After the brief shower, I feel more like a human being again. I smile at myself in the mirror. “Good morning, Nagina!” I say. “There you are.”

Wrapped in a towel, I leave the bathroom unit and return into my bedroom. There I put on a scarlet tunic and a pair of sneakers.

Luckily, there is no dress code at the kindergarten. There was one in the last place that I worked for.

I love my current work. My team of fellow teachers is brilliant. The location is a dream: much greenery which is rare here on Coruscant.

I go back into the bathroom and bring my brown hair in order as much as possible. My magnificent head of hair is what I always liked best about me. But I do not force it into weird buns, topknots, bobs or chignons like Padmé Amidala does.

With my 1.65 meters I am but one centimetre smaller than the very popular Naboo senator and ex-queen. But to my shame I weigh almost double than the frail politician. I must stop eating before I start looking like some Hutt overlord.

Sighing, I enter the kitchen and walk straight to the refrigeration unit. I open it and my hand moves towards the blue milk. But then I think better of it and reach for the chocolate milk container.

I heat my drink while listening to more songs of the local radio station – Radio Free Coruscant. In between they are interrupted by dire news from the front line.

A third alarm goes off. It is personal text message from my colleague Shakti.

“Remember the observation files! You need to talk to some parents soon. Let us check out the data together. Hugxxx”

Cursing, I put down my mug.

I will be seriously late for work if I stand around here glued to my hot chocolate and Anakin Skywalker, ´the Hero With No Fear´. The mug bears his illustration. I got it in a cheap gift shop recently, when I looked up something for my kindergarten group. The children love him as much as I do, but for totally different reasons.

With forty I should be ashamed anyway falling for a much, much younger man. Besides, he is no match to Barin, my deceased husband.

Quickly, I clean the mug that is smeared with the evidence of my not-so-secret chocolate addiction.

“Come to the dark side!” I smirk. “For we have all the chocolate.”

My uncle Sheev Aurelius Cosinga Palpatine would strongly disagree here. He leads a rather austere life. With no chocolate in it.

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

As I walk out of my building complex I carefully scan my surroundings. In my neighbourhood we have some jokers selling death sticks just opposite the building complex that I live in.

The dealers are a street gang of fourteen kids. The youngest one is eleven and the oldest one is barely seventeen. I can see them quite clearly each time when I look out of the living-room window. Nine humans, a Wookiee whose gender I do not know, a Miraluka female, a Nagai male and a species that I cannot name. But the life form is definitely male, has green skin and an ape-like face.

Anyway, to me the gang has not done any harm with their electric tasers. Not yet.

Praying to the Goddess of Safety or even to divine Shiraya herself just buys me precious time. I have this ugly certainty: Sooner or later I will have another near-death experience. I had one when I was three years of age. The next one with five.

There is no sign of the youth gang to be seen.

I walk on, spotting familiar faces here and there.

My next door neighbour walks by, her pittin running ahead of her happily. I wave at them and while I do so, I walk straight into another pedestrian.

Very artfully, I drop my bag, which does me the unwanted favour of opening immediately. The lunch box, my water bottle, a story book and a myriad of children paintings spread all over the pavement. And I join them. I end up on my back with my legs spread wide.

But instead of killing me three times over, the tall Falleen just sweetly smiles at me. He wears an exclusive robe, which proves he does not live in this area. “Excuse me, milady!” he booms with a deep voice. “I am deeply sorry. I did not see you coming.”

Dizzy from the intense gaze of his lavender eyes, I run a hand over my now reddened face.

“If you would allow me to help you out of this unfortunate situation, milady.”

I nod – perplexed at the huge, yet well manicured claws that dangle before me.

The exact moment we touch, his green skin turns into orange-scarlet.

I blink hastily.

“Are you alright, milady?” he asks.

A wet tongue touches my left ankle.

I yelp and this sound gets answered happily by the over-excited pittin that is at my side suddenly. So is my neighbour, his Twi'lek mistress.

“Nagina?” Aola Auyapgajo pipes up, visibly anxious as her twitching lekku tell me. “Shall I walk you back into the house and call a Jedi healer?”

The eyes of the Falleen darken for a brief heartbeat at the word “Jedi”.

“No, I am okay,” I manage to say. “But I am running late for the kindergarten.”

“Ah,” the Falleen muses and his facial colour deepens. “You are a caretaker. How nice. It must be fulfilling to work with the little ones. Shiny, happy faces all day long.”

I am not sure what to say so I grin like some sort of idiot instead of rolling my eye, my hands on my hips.



Aola watches the Falleen nervously, especially when he says, “Let me give you a ride to your working place.”

I know better than to have a ride with a total stranger. “No, thank you,” I speak with as much dignity as I can muster. “There is my ride already.”

The Falleen does not gaze at the public transporter as I do. He bows deeply, his eyes still lingering on me. “Take good care, milady. I am sure we meet again.”

With the elegance of his reptile race, the Falleen disappears into the now somewhat busier traffic. His pony tail makes a bobbing movement.

My neighbour reaches out for my cheek. “You look as if you have seen death itself, child.”

“That was Prince Xizor,” I stutter.

Aola usually has bright pinkish skin. Now it looks somewhat paler. As a Twi'lek woman she has heard about him. “Are you sure?”

“The Force is my witness,” I get out.

The public transporter honks at us. The passengers inside look cross with me. “Please join us!” calls the somewhat desperate pilot. “We are running behind schedule.”

Aola and I exchange a quick look of concern. Public transporters never wait for any individual. I have a bad feeling about this.

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

My face is flushed and I sweat like a Tusken Raider under his desert robes. If looks could kill, I would be dead by now. There is not a single passenger on-board who feels any sympathy for me.

“I have no clue who you are, lady,” growls a dishevelled looking human, “But I will remember your face. Next time we meet, you are bantha poodoo.”

I do not wish to argue with him. All I want is to be out of this transporter.

As I pass the pilot on my way out, I notice that his pupils are widened. Fear stands written all over his bearded face.

“I am sorry,” I whisper.

“You better be, muppet,” an elderly lady complains. “I hate favouritism. Your daddy must be in flight control.”

The fact is that my father is dead. So is my mother.

I am an orphan since I am three years old.

Ever since my uncle took care of me. In secret.

The express transporter is already there and I flee inside like a scared nerf.

I bury my nose straight into my book pad, wishing that I would possess a holoband. Or would at least carry headphones with me so I could drown it all out – the past, the present and the future.

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

The flight is quick because it does not stop until I reach the level where the kindergarten is. One of my children spots me and calls out my name in adoration.

I pause my steps, look at little Beaplli and his mother. They are both Muun. So was Hego Damask, the magistrate of Damask Holdings. I give my best not to flinch at the very thought of him.

“How good of you to be at work at least fifteen minutes before your shift starts, my dear Nagina,” the tall Muun woman beams. “I love punctuality. It is a virtue.”

Right now, I do not feel very virtuous. Of course my uncle cannot leave my life alone. He cannot fully steer it, but he can interfere. Traffic control. Imagine that!

My thoughts are interrupted by a happy voice. “Look, I made an Obi-Wan painting!”

Beaplli waves hastily with his art work, while his mother smirks with slight displeasure. She cannot stop her son adoring a Jedi who has fought against her people. But she respects his preferences and affections as long as he does not let her down. Mathematics and statistics are essential for the Muun.

“Why does Obi-Wan carry two light sabres into battle?” I inquire carefully.

“That looks more symmetrical,” Beaplli is happy that I noticed his addition. “He also can fight better with two sabres.”

“And pray, why are they red?”

“Blue is boring. Green looks ill.”

“I like boring,” I say, my voice soft as I remember the massacre on the Palpatine family yacht that I survived.

Beaplli frowns at me, but then he grins. “This is because you are a care taker.”

His mother holds her breath, insulted by her son's conclusion. I am not.

“Caretakers are boring for you?” I shoot back. “Fancy that.”

“You are different,” Beaplli explains quickly and tucks at my tunic with his pale hand.

“I love you, too,” I whisper and earn a happy beam from him.

The metal security gate opens when I hold my identity card against it.

We all walk through it together.

“Thank you for working with him.” His mother looks relieved. “You and your co-teachers are angels.”

I would like to tell the friendly Muun that I am more of a gate keeper.

We Naboo have a legend about six impenetrable gates that hold back chaos. House Palpatine is one of those gates.

 

Definitely one way to look at Imperial control, holding the master key Beaplli and his mom are pleasant and courteous to Nagina, although naturally Beaplli has the frankness of his age.

 

I don't blame the other passengers for being mad!

“Caretakers are boring for you?” I shoot back. “Fancy that.”

“You are different,” Beaplli explains quickly and tucks at my tunic with his pale hand.

*laughs* Yeah...she is.
If only he knew...

 

caring for an adorable little Muun. Does she know about Darth Plagueis?

 

Some of my teachers were boring but my second grade teacher wasn't from my memories. She taught the class how to do ASL for 'Somewhere over the Rainbow' and another song. I still remember a good bit of it.

It always is a bad thing when one of the gatekeepers in procession of the Master Key is for the wrong side.

 

So, finally I have some time to write something about your newest story.

I liked reading the first chapter, introducing Nagina. She seems to be very symphatic and I like her addiction to chocolate (there is a reason, why I forbid myself to carry more than one tiny stick of chocolate with me to work...) I also like your characterization of Palpatine, he isn't less cruel but... he has a tiny weak spot for his little niece, it seems.

The second chapter was a very enjoyable read as well. I like your little Muun, he is kind of cute with his frankness and I do like his explanation for adding two sabers. It does fit perfectly with the little sentence about Muuns loving maths

I really like your newest FF I'll try to keep on reading, to me the chapters have the perfect length

 

"I would like to tell the friendly Muun that I am more of a gate keeper. The Naboo have a legend about six impenetrable gates that hold back chaos. House Palpatine is one of those gates. Unfortunately, for all of us my uncle is the one with the master key. And he is about to use it."

I love the contrast between Nagina's quiet, peaceful if not 100% content life - you can tell how much she enjoys being a caregiver even as she feels the weight of her family - and the foreboding atmosphere, the sense of impending tragedy. So beautifully done! I am really enjoying this.

 

Yes, Nyota's Heart, they have a certain frankness around that particular age...

@SWpants, yepp, if only...

@earlybird-obi-wan: Nope, no spoilers. Sorry!

@Lady_Misty: Indeed!

@Cem_Fel: I have your telephone contacts plus email ones... oh and your home address, you are on my what´s app, I know where your house lives... so I make sure you can follow me, baby!

@aleja2: I am glad that you noticed! Here is more:



Chapter 2:

My colleague Shakti Treboh, a human from Ansion, is happy to see me. Like me she is early.

I hang up my bag in the closet and change into my slippers. Our kindergarten is like a second home for the children. So my only real dress code is to wear slippers inside the building.

Something or better to say someone collides with my legs. I look down and look into a pair of jade green eyes.

“Hello!” crows Mara happily and beams up at me with her round face.

The two-year-old is our youngest student. We take in children from all species. Our only requirement is that they have to be between two years and six years of age.

I pat her head, enjoying the feeling of her frizzy red hair under my palm. “Hello there, too!”

She holds up a Master Yoda puppet. “Look!”

Her mother, also a brunette, shrugs bashfully. “Mara has loved that little green guy since she saw him on the holo news. What can you do? So I made this.”

I swallow any reprimand. If Mara's mother regards the powerful and wise Jedi master as a little green guy, so be it. He probably would laugh about it. My uncle once told me that Yoda has a quirky humour and loves working with the younglings of the Jedi order.

Mara babbles something unintelligible and starts dancing around me, with the Yoda puppet clenched to her chest.

Lucius, a blond human boy, walks by and says, “General Skywalker is way cooler, silly.”

Mara stops dancing, her little face suddenly transformed into a mask of concentration. Then she announces, “Do not like Skywalker. He silly.”

The preschooler looks angry, but then his best friend Jalen, a brown haired human, places a hand on his shoulder. “If Mara does not like Skywalker, then leave her be.”

“But Skywalker is mightier than Master Yoda,” Lucius sulks. “They say he has much more Midi-Chlorians in his blood.”

“Skywalker stupid,” insists Mara with the dignity of a little queen. “Yoda clever.”

Jalen laughs heartily. “You cannot force anybody to like Master Skywalker.”

“Yeah, says the absolute Obi-Wan fan,” complains his friend, while Mara strolls away, singing under her breath.

“Who do you prefer, Nagina?” Jalen asks me somewhat provoking.

I grin carefree. “I prefer good boys getting the breakfast trolley.”

For a split second Jalen makes a face, but then he reaches out for Lucius and drags him along. They run down the corridor, where Erisi, our female Besalik cook, already waits for them.

Mara's mother seizes the opportunity and steps closer to me. “Nagina, have there been any...” she hesitates, not sure how to formulate her nagging question.

I know exactly what ails her. “Mara is a sweet girl. The other children do not wonder in the least about toys hovering through the air. Due to the war reporting from the front lines, talents of the Jedi Knights are a normal sight for the children.”

The relief of the tall brunette is visible.

“Besides,” I continue, “I do not wish the Jedi Order to spot her potential either. I find it very cruel to take babies and toddlers away from their parents. Children need to bond and grow with their family.”

The tall brunette sniffs, her eyes filled with tears.

Before I can step aside I am trapped in a strong Wookiee-like hug that almost crushes my ribs. Mara's mother works for a security company as a bodyguard. I wonder what would happen to me if she was an assassin instead.

Lucius and Jalen come back with the trolley. It is time to gather the rest of my group that is still with the kindergarten teachers from the early shift.

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(To be continued!)

 

She holds up a Master Yoda puppet. “Look!”

Her mother, also a brunette, shrugs bashfully. “Mara has loved that little green guy since she saw him on the holonews. What can you say? So I made this.”

Her mother is talented and Mara is adorable!
(don't uh...don't tell her adult self that I said that


“But Skywalker is mightier than Master Yoda,” Lucius sulks. “They say he has much more Midi-Chlorians in his blood.”

“Skywalker stupid,” insists Mara with the dignity of a little queen. “Yoda clever.”

both are right! Though Yoda is mightier because he knows how to properly use the force. Skywalker's all RAWR POWER I USE YOU NOW!


I know exactly what ails her. “Mara is a sweet, charming girl. The other children do not wonder in the least about toys hovering through the air. Due to the war reporting from the front lines, the talents of the Jedi knights are a normal sight for the children.”

Good!

 

The new chapters look good!

 

cute little Mara already with a dislike for a Skywalker, funny

 

Mara is so cute! But, for what is to come for her.

Didn't Mara make fun of Master Yoda or at least Luke's description of him, or is it just in fan fics?

Both are powerful but as Pants put it Yoda knows how to apply is power while Anakin is raw power that could boil over at any moment.