Saga Ring of Fire - The Final Story in Anakin's Saga - Author's final replies and goodbyes 2/23

Great post as usual! This story (series) just gets better and better. Oh uh....the desperation in Anakin's voice....I've got a bad feeling about that.

The line about Typho and Anakin not liking each other much was a nice touch....hehehe.

 

I'm always thrilled that so many of you take the time to leave a comment. Thank you!

rhonderoo I loved Anakin's intensity. Padmé has always had a very calming affect on him and you highlight this wonderfully.

That she has, and I hope for all their sakes it continues?

Great post, geo!

Thanks!

stacysatrip Great post as always! Padmé and Anakin are almost sick for each other, aren't they? *Sigh* Young love. I also appreciate the detail of Padmé's sleepiness--I remember that oh so well. Poor thing. Wanting to nap around the clock probably makes her duties as a Senator quite difficult--though they're already difficult enough.

Yes, young love. Honestly, they haven?t really had very much time together, have they? And as for the pregnancy? I remember it well. Too well. I admire the woman for carrying on the way she does! Who knows, maybe it?s all easier in the GFFA?

Can't wait for more, and an impending A/P reunion!

It?s coming. I promise.

VaderLVR64 Loved the conversation between Anakin and Padmé! I felt bad for both lovers. Another superb post!

Thank you!

LukesTheMan A great chapter! Padmé's handmaidens are watching out for her!...The conversation between husband and wife was very normal. Good for her! Look forward to more!

I like the idea that they have some ?normal? times, too? thanks!

qinguak Oh boy an Anakin and Padmé meeting is coming. What a lovely chapter. It showed how devoted her friends are and how our couple is on the same wave length. I will anxiously be awaiting their reunion

It?s coming. When have you ever known me not to provide such a reunion?

jazz_skywalker Oh, I can't wait until they are reunited! And Anakin and Typho's overprotection was sweet.

Thanks! Typho?s overprotection is a continuing theme, as is the Typho/Anakin standoff?

DarthBreezy Ahhh, reading this story is like sinking into a warm bubble bath, no matter how tragic the circumstances of our heroes are...

It?s lovely to re-visit favorite characters. Especially when accompanied by a great group of favorite readers.

MissPadme ?Who would have imagined that Jedi Padawans could cause so much trouble?? Heh heh. I also liked the line about Typho's enthusiasm for Anakin's appointment as husband.

Heh heh!

A short conversation conveyed the powerful bond between Anakin and Padmé, how nothing can get between them for long.

Exactly! That?s how I see it, anyway.

(p.s.--Don't worry about your last response. I know what you mean.)

Thanks! Selective focus is definitely of the dark side?

Lando_Plenty Nice post. Dialogue is on target as usual. And I especially liked the imagery in the Padmé/Anakin conversation scene...the banners blowing, the blurry holo-projector, etc. Subtle and powerful.

Thanks very much!

nya Wonderful update! That was a very natural conversation for Padmé and Anakin to have. Padmé is afraid that he's hurt or in trouble, and because of the short strings Palps keeps on Anakin, he can't tell her anything. The best thing for a relationship is honesty and openness. I wonder if that is also what Palps has been devising as well: to facilitate a wedge between them. I hope Anakin can learn to see beyond that. I am forever the optimist.

Hold onto that optimism! Somebody has to?

Looking forward to your next Chapter!

The next piece will be up shortly.

bobilll Ah, very interesting what Sabé and Dormé have there. Love how Dormé sews and Sabé just can't stand it. And the whole Anakin/Padmé conversation was very interesting how they kept it a secret and all. Tee hee, love how you included the Delia bit in there so subtly.

Well, it?s not subtle, exactly, but Dellia is kind of insinuating her way into this story?

GunraysLawyer All right, I have begun to think that I have been too hard on Padmé, but I still think that she need

 

Chapter 3. Plans and Schemes (Part 1 of 3)



?Have you ever watched a Star Destroyer die??

From the lofty vantage point of a turret balcony in the Jedi Temple, this evening the sunset over Coruscant looked like nothing more than a muddy haze. As he did so often lately, Obi-Wan Kenobi pulled his heavy traveling cloak more tightly around him, slipped his arms into the wide openings of the opposite sleeves, and hunched over a little, as though he was protecting his heart.

?That?s an odd turn of phrase.? Mace said thoughtfully beside him.

?You can feel it in the Force long before you can see anything happen. On a long-range scanner or from the viewscreen of a nearby ship everything looks normal ? but you know what is about to happen. You just know. Inside the ship, they know, too. Maybe their scanners told them. Maybe they saw it coming. You can feel the panic, the frantic activity. Then, inevitably, the final blow comes. The one that cripples the ship?s systems and destroys the delicate balance that keeps it functioning.?

He paused again. Mace gave him the space to continue.

?It might be a single blast, or a volley of them. Even if it?s a larger blast, you see the flash, and then everything goes quiet. Even the Force seems still for that moment.?

On silent feet a figure approached the two Jedi Knights where they stood at the balcony railing. Mace made a quick gesture and the figure froze, and then endeavored to become part of the shadows at the rear of the balcony. Obi-Wan kept talking in that curiously flat, dead voice, against the faraway backdrop of the usual city sounds.

?The thing is, I don?t think I?ve ever seen one of those huge Destroyers killed cleanly, with a single huge explosion. From a distance, across space, it always looks as though the damage might be sustainable. But it isn?t, because the ship?s systems are beginning to fail one by one. Those big Star Destroyer are tough. They are designed to balance out all kinds of extremes. Things can go wrong in one place and be compensated elsewhere on the ship. But it?s a question of degree. Beyond a certain threshold it?s not possible for the systems to absorb that much damage, to keep making up for the losses. The balance goes out of kilter and the ship begins to die.?

Obi-Wan paused, and then asked, ?Don?t you want to greet our visitor??

?It can wait.?

The figure in the shadows melted more deeply into them. Mace remained as stolid and still as the pillars that supported the balcony on which they stood. Obi Wan shifted and sighed and then, almost involuntarily, began to talk again.

?When the propulsion systems fail, the ship loses its ability to hold its place in space. It still has momentum, but its orientation begins to disintegrate. It begins to lean sideways. To twist. To drift. When you see it on a viewscreen your eye interprets the motion as falling. Really, it?s just gliding on its remaining momentum. Unless something stops it, the hulk will drift forever.?

?And so the Star Destroyer dies.?

?The thing is, Mace, it was dead long before that. At some point in this chain of events its death became inevitable. But at the time, you don?t know which point it is. A Star Destroyer is huge and incredibly complex. You don?t know what is happening on every part of the ship while you defend your own area. You could cross that threshold to the inevitable outcome at any time, and yet not realize that you?ve gone over it ? until it?s too late.?

?I see.?

?What do you see??

?At the beginning of your tale you were watching the Star Destroyer from a distance. Through a viewscreen. Now you?re on the ship. Facing death with it.?

Obi-Wan stared out over the darkening city below for a long time before he answered.

?Aren?t we all??

?Obi-Wan??

?That?s the point, you see? I keep wondering whether we will even know when we have crossed that threshold ? how will we know when we have begun to die? As a government? As a civilization? As an Order? How will we know, in this chaos??

Mace signaled to the figure

 

?V?ar,? Mace announced, ignoring his battle-worn colleague for the moment, ?I have an assignment for you. It is not an easy one. It will require strength of character, devious thinking, tact, immunity to disappointment, and unrelenting stubbornness. You are to become Obi-Wan?s partner.?

Great injection of humor there!

Something makes me wonder if Obi-Wan's musings about the Star Destroyer were only an analogy to the Republic and Jedi Order--or if he might also have been thinking about the ruined relationship between himself and Anakin? He had to watch it die, and probably knew there was nothing he could do--not that he didn't try. I just don't know that he tried hard enough. But then, it's been awhile since I read WOC, so I might be mistaken.

At any rate, great post. I'm curious to see what Obi-Wan and V'ar's assignment will be....

 

Poor V'ar. It will be interesting to watch this partnership unfold.


I agree with Stacy, the Star Destroyer analogy works on so many different levels. And brilliantly written!

 

WOW what an analogy that was! You did an amazing job with that one. My heartfelt congratulations.. but why does he need a partner? He is getting old ?

 

?V?ar,? Mace announced, ignoring his battle-worn colleague for the moment, ?I have an assignment for you. It is not an easy one. It will require strength of character, devious thinking, tact, immunity to disappointment, and unrelenting stubbornness. You are to become Obi-Wan?s partner.?

After reading the serious beginning, I fell out of my chair laughing at this one! The death of the Star Destroyer section was very interesting as well!

Uppies!

JS

 

Poor V'ar! She doesn't know what she's in for .

The Star Destroyer analogy could be applied on many levels, all of them applicable to the situation. Obi-Wan knows the end is upon them but he's not sure what to do if it's even too late to do anything.

--MissPadme

 

I remember V'ar. In WoC, she was the one with Lon when he picked on Anakin. The one who took her time telling the people who should know that it was not Anakin who started the fight.

I also remember her lightsabre techniques as being rather rusty... I hope she's improved to some level.

The rest - fantastic, as always.

 

Wonderful update! I loved Obi-Wan's musings on the death of the ship. So nicely done! I'm jealous!

?The thing is, Mace, it was dead long before that. At some point in this chain of events its death became inevitable. But at the time, you don?t know which point it is. A Star Destroyer is huge and incredibly complex. You don?t know what is happening on every part of the ship while you defend your own area. You could cross that threshold to the inevitable outcome at any time, and yet not realize that you?ve gone over it ? until it?s too late.?

?I see.?

?What do you see??

?At the beginning of your tale you were watching the Star Destroyer from a distance. Through a viewscreen. Now you?re on the ship. Facing death with it.?

 

Er?sorry! I didn?t think you spent much time over here any longer. It?s great to see you!

You're one of the reasons I still visit.

I really like the analogy with the Star Destroyer. As someone said earlier, it can apply to many things - the Republic, the Order, Galactic civilization as it is currently known, as well as Anakin's and Obi-Wan's relationship. What I wonder is if Obi-Wan, in all his years in the desert, ever figured out what that threshhold was. I'm not sure he ever did.

 

Wow! I loved your opening piece, with Palpatine and the firestones. What a perfect (and obviously two-faced) ornament for him to leave lying around!

Your Anakin and Padme are brilliant, as usual. His darkness, intensity and weariness, her devotion and fighting spirit, are all so well written. I can feel the anguish of their separation. Really looking forward to that reunion, BTW.

Loved your Obi-Wan too! The relationship he will, no doubt, form with his new partner is bound to be an adventure.

Your Bail was cool as well (but then, you already know I liked him in SToG), as was your Dorme/Sabe characterization (the wondertwins, I think Black calls them - how apropos. Thanks, Black, for plugging this story. I almost missed it). Loved the imagery, the detail, the beautiful use of language, the...

Anyway, good job!

 

Loved how you weaved the analogy into the situation, instead of just telling us what was happening. Gives a slower, more intense tone to the story. Also loved the humor w/ Mace/Var vs Kenobi... really brings out the less serious sides of the Jedi.

 

Heh heh. Mace made it sound like the tough mission was being Obi-wan's partner It will be very interesting to see what happens next.
BTW, I like the way you write Mace.

 

Finally got around to checking this story. I wasn't disappointed, it's even better than the previous ones in the series.

 

Ahhh, at last someone touched on the poetic imagery o fthe 'death of the Star Destroyer', I'm a happy person now.

 

Oh, this pesky Chapter 3, where the replies tend to be longer than the posts!

[Yoda Voice]How Embarassing![/Yoda Voice]

I?ll try to make up for it in later chapters. We?re still setting scenes here, and laying out threads?

Still, I?m delighted that you all come around to tell me what you thought!

stacysatrip Something makes me wonder if Obi-Wan's musings about the Star Destroyer were only an analogy to the Republic and Jedi Order--or if he might also have been thinking about the ruined relationship between himself and Anakin? He had to watch it die, and probably knew there was nothing he could do--not that he didn't try. I just don't know that he tried hard enough. But then, it's been awhile since I read WOC, so I might be mistaken.

Well, in the post-WOC universe of this story it hasn?t been that long since Obi-Wan?s final failure with Anakin, so he is bound to still be reeling from it. Add that to the War and a number of other things that will become clear in time, and we can say that right now, it?s not easy being Obi-Wan.

At any rate, great post. I'm curious to see what Obi-Wan and V'ar's assignment will be....

Thanks! All will be revealed in time.

rhonderoo Poor V'ar. It will be interesting to watch this partnership unfold.

I have to say, I?m looking forward to it.

I agree with Stacy, the Star Destroyer analogy works on so many different levels. And brilliantly written!

Thank you!

qinguak WOW what an analogy that was! You did an amazing job with that one. My heartfelt congratulations.. but why does he need a partner? He is getting old?

HeeHee. We?ll see. Soon.

Jazz_Skywalker After reading the serious beginning, I fell out of my chair laughing at this one! The death of the Star Destroyer section was very interesting as well!

Thanks!

MissPadme Poor V'ar! She doesn't know what she's in for.

No, I?m sure she doesn?t.

The Star Destroyer analogy could be applied on many levels, all of them applicable to the situation. Obi-Wan knows the end is upon them but he's not sure what to do if it's even too late to do anything.

Exactly so.

leia_naberrie I remember V'ar. In WoC, she was the one with Lon when he picked on Anakin. The one who took her time telling the people who should know that it was not Anakin who started the fight. I also remember her lightsabre techniques as being rather rusty... I hope she's improved to some level.

I went back and checked. Actually, she?s always been pretty good at the saber, and she was also willing to be taught new things. She wanted to be as good as Anakin, and worked hard to get there.

The rest - fantastic, as always.

Thank you!

VaderLVR64 Wonderful update! I loved Obi-Wan's musings on the death of the ship. So nicely done! I'm jealous!

Awww?. Don?t be! And thanks!

Darth_Lothi You're one of the reasons I still visit.

Hooray!

I really like the analogy with the Star Destroyer. As someone said earlier, it can apply to many things - the Republic, the Order, Galactic civilization as it is currently known, as well as Anakin's and Obi-Wan's relationship. What I wonder is if Obi-Wan, in all his years in the desert, ever figured out what that threshhold was. I'm not sure he ever did.

And therein lies much great and wonderful fanfic?.

Reihla Wow! I loved your opening piece, with Palpatine and the firestones. What a perfect (and obviously two-faced) ornament for him to leave lying around!

Thank you! It wasn?t a one-off. I?m sure the firestones will reappear.

Your Anakin and Padmé are brilliant, as usual. His darkness, intensity and weariness, her devotion and fighting spirit, are all so well written. I can feel the anguish of their separation. Really looking forward to that reunion, BTW.

Coming from you, that?s high praise indeed! Reunion soon, I promise.

Loved your Obi-Wan too! The relationship he will, n

 

egads...another post up so quickly...

Two days away and I miss so much.....

 

I don't get on the boards that often, so I'm a bit behind. But just wanted to say BRAVO!

 

GunraysLawyer I hope you had a realy nice two days away...

DreamofKenobi Welcome! thanks for checking in!


Here is the next post....



Chapter 3. Plans and Schemes (Part 2 of 3)


The Captain of the Star Destroyer Victorious tugged at the high collar of his gray uniform, which for some reason was beginning to feel tight. From his vantage point on the command bridge he had watched Skywalker prowl the walkways above the pits for hours now. Back and forth he had stalked. Back and forth. He had stopped by every pit, conferring with the duty officers, studying readouts and setting them new tasks. However, he, the Captain, still didn?t know exactly what Skywalker was up to, because the Supreme Chancellor?s emissary hadn?t seen fit to confer with him.

He ought to be angry. He ought to challenge the usurper. This was his ship, and he should be firmly in command?

He tugged at his collar again.

This had been going on since Skywalker had returned from his meeting with the Alderaanian Delegation. Skywalker had given them two gun ships ? two!!! As if they could be spared!!! ? and had sent them on their way. Then he had returned to the Victorious? bridge ?

? my bridge?

? and without offering a briefing to anyone had begun what looked like a massive intelligence gathering operation.

The Captain backed up toward the bank of consoles behind him and spoke softly to his second in command.

?Any idea yet what he?s looking for??

?Not so far, Sir. All the star charts they have analyzed so far are for areas outside of the Core, past Corellia, all the way through the Mid-Rim. He seems to be taking a particular interest in obscure trade routes that lead to some of the Outer Rim territories. He also has asked for an analysis of all incident reports along a broad corridor extending through that area, going all the way back to the years just prior to the war.

?Incident reports??

?Not just battles, Sir. And not only military operations. He wants to know about local skirmishes. Police operations. Anything that Intelligence has flagged. They?re having to access Central Intelligence on Coruscant for some of what he wants.?

?He?s bypassing Military Intelligence?

?Apparently so, Sir. And without any difficulty.?

The Captain frowned. He had complete access to all the data and the search parameters that Skywalker had requested, of course. Any function on the ship could be accessed from the command bridge. He just couldn?t piece together the larger question that Skywalker wanted answered.

What in the Sullustian Hells is doing? And why?

Well, it was time to take some action. Skywalker had ignored him since he began all this. That had to end.

With more confidence in his stride than he actually felt, The Captain of the Victorious walked the long, long ramp to the bridge?s forward viewscreen, where Skywalker finally had come to rest. Once again the Chancellor?s emissary was staring out into space.

And as usual, the Captain didn?t have to announce his presence. Skywalker addressed him first.

?Curious, Captain??

That wasn?t the opening salvo he had expected. ?Er, yes?? he conceded, unable to come up with a more impressive reply on the spur of the moment. As it turned out, he was even less prepared for Skywalker?s next comment.

?Are you as bored as I am??

?Er? what??

Skywalker turned around and took a step that disconcertingly closed the distance between them. The Captain fought the urge to step backward. He had to tilt his head slightly upward because the Chancellor?s young Emissary was a head taller than he was.

?We?ve been chasing shadows and putting out fires for four weeks now. The Galaxy is being torn apart, bit by bit, in mighty battles that last for days at a time. The way things are going, it won?t be long before the Core is a battlefront, too. And yet all we?re doing here is keeping watch.?

The Captain couldn?t tear his eyes away from Skywalker?s. They were mesmerizing. ?It?s?it?s our mis

 

The Captain is a brave or foolish man...


I've noticed that The Captain doesn't seem to have a name... interesting... muse this over, we shall...

 

hmm...Breezy... an interesting quandry. He's too old to be Piett and Veers wasn't navy...

Hmm...there's always Ozzel....

Hmmm

 

If this collar kept bothering him, he was going to have to open that top button.

And here I was hoping Anakin would find it in him to choke the captain.

Oh, well, there's always the rest of the story for that!

JS

 

Already there's tension between Anakin and the officer corps. It doesn't get much better in the future .

--MissPadme

 

tugged at the high collar of his gray uniform, which for some reason was beginning to feel tight.

Watch yourself, Anakin. The line separating trademark from cliche' is thin indeed .

?my bridge?

Modified paraphrasing of a classic Run DMC track: Who's bridge? Anakin's bridge! Who's bridge? Anakin's bridge!

Not just battles, Sir. And not only military operations. He wants to know about local skirmishes. Police operations. Anything that Intelligence has flagged

Knowledge can be the most potent weapon on any battlefield. Even the setting of a space opera. Too bad Anakin can be so thorough in some areas and so lax or faulty in others. This artfully shows his character; bursts of world-weary street smarts mixed with the brashness and impulsivity of youth. Similar to the axiom of an old man living in a child's body.


What in the Sullustian Hells is doing? And why?

Things are not as they seem, Captain. There is always something lurking beneath the obvious. Always. Well, in good writing, anyhow.

?Are you as bored as I am??

Never let it be said that Anakin is an apt administrator. Man of Action, is he, through to the core. This makes for exciting reading, of course, but most of the time it is also cringeworthy--there's always something pitiable about watching someone leaping headlong into the dark unknown. And without a parachute.

They were mesmerizing.

Kiss me you fool!

?Not much glory in that, is there, Captain??

You're the Chosen One. How much more glory do you want? Or need. Unless you're deftly applying coercion to manipulate and exploit the weaknesses or character flaws of someone in a position of relative power to fulfill your implicitly justified whims. If the latter is true, and you aren't simply a glory-hound...where, or from whom, did you learn such techniques, dear Anakin ?

?I think our orders leave a great deal of room for discretion, Captain.?

Skwewing circumstances to suit one's desired ends? As a certain effeminate droid would say: Dear, oh dear.

?Let?s just say I have a feeling about it.?

This is probably my favorite line, as there can be varied and widespread interpretations on why this can be seen as a positive statement, or a negative one--on many levels--individual, social, philosophical, theoretical. Huzzah for multi-faceted fiction.

Skywalker went back to staring into space.

It would be so easy to make all of it yours, wouldn't it? Just drag all of them, kicking and screaming, to what could be conceivably thought of as what's best for them. Some will bicker about free will, and this and that, but is not the current intergalactic disintegration on all recognizant levels the byproduct of a series of poor choices that were invariably inter-connected, thus having shared consequences?

I'm a champion of free will, and freedom of expression, obviously, but it's a foregone conclusion that if the fundamental basis for decisions and consequences is the right to choose, there will undoubtably be some exceedingly poor and/or stupid choices made. It comes with the territory. Anakin now has the makings of a bad guy, and is well on his way to full-fledged super-villany, but the galaxy-at-large is by no means comrpised of unconflicted innocents. Anakin chose to become Darth Vader, and the consequences are his to reap, but to what extent did Anakin's environment warp his perceptions and conceptions of what's right & wrong to the point where he chose to become Vader? Of course he's a victim on several levels--of pure circumstance, of manipulation at the hands of Palpatine and the Order, and in this saga particularly, survivor's guilt--but ultimately we must own up to our choices, and I believe there's much more to Anakin's dark decision-making than a cackling puppeteer in the background, and a confused, vulnerable, developmentally stunted youth. I suppose that I'm intrigued by the nature of evil, and how intricate, complex,