The Circle (AU futurefic) -- big question posted 8/1

Darth Flu bites. Big time.

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Hal was on his fifth drink by the time he realized that not only was he as sober as ever, but he was also out of the local currency.

Grumbling under his breath, the smuggler heaved himself up and made his way to a more private booth where he could brood in silence. There was something going on that he could not quite put his finger on - something that made him think he should be looking over his shoulder.

"Hey, kid."

Hal looked up. Solo was there, sure enough. With him were two people he did not recognize: a boy about Melody's age and a girl a year or so younger. He decided that the latter of the two could probably outfight him if she really wanted to, but the former probably would have trouble hitting the broad side of a Star Destroyer. [Great,] he thought irritably. [Just wonderful.]

"I'm Hal Horn," he offered as he rested one leg on the booth's sticky table. "Copilot of the Millennium Falcon."

"Jessa Calrissian." The girl jabbed her thumb at the boy. "Ben Darklighter. We're going to Bakura."

"If it's a fast ship," the boy added.

Hal looked at Solo and started to grin, but stopped himself. For as long as he had known the older man, Solo had always claimed that the slagheap known as the Millennium Falcon was the best ship in the galaxy. Maybe there was some truth behind that outrageous boast after all.

He settled for eyeing the boy disdainfully. "Fast ship?" he echoed. "You've never heard of the Falcon? It made the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs - according to Solo here, anyway."

"We've outrun Imps," Solo added. He had a strange look to him; if Hal had not known any better, he would have said that he was reciting the words from memory. "Not the small local stuff. I'm talking Star Destroyers."

"It's fast enough for you," Hal added. "What's the cargo?"

The girl settled herself opposite him. "Me, Ben, an astromech droid - no questions asked."

Hal grinned. "Local trouble?"

Calrissian gave him what could only be described as an evil eye. "Guess again."

[You just want me to fry in frag, don't you, Solo?] Hal sighed. He was only the copilot and did not really have veto privileges here. He looked up at his captain and raised an eyebrow. Solo immediately held up a single finger, then a thumb.

Right. "Ten thousand," Hal said. "All in advance."

The boy's jaw dropped. "Ten *thousand*?! We could buy our own ship for that!"

The girl rounded on Solo angrily. "I thought it was free passage, you lying space slug."

Solo shrugged, probably with a lot more indifference than he actually felt. "We all need to eat."

[And buy blasters for the Alliance,] Hal added. That was where the money would go, of course. "Who'd fly it?" he asked Darklighter. "You?"

"You bet I could!" the boy snapped. "I'm a good pilot!" He grabbed for the girl's arm. "Come on. We don't have to listen to this."

Hal started to laugh, but stopped himself as something caught his eye. He had seen Darklighter before - or someone who looked like him, anyway. It was the eyes. Maybe the boy had a relative or two running around the Rebellion.

Calrissian shut the boy up by the simple means of hitting him upside the head. "We'll pay fifteen hundred now," she said simply, "plus twenty thousand when we reach Bakura."

Hal's jaw hit the table. "Twenty-one five?" he said weakly. When Calrissian just smiled smugly, he recovered himself and tried to sound suave and smooth. "What do you think, Solo?"

"They've got themselves a ship." Solo raised an eyebrow at Jessa. "Didn't know your father would lend you that much."

"He won't." Calrissian leaned back and glowered at Solo. Hal had the sudden impression of a niece being teased by her favorite uncle - which was crazy, of course. The girl had taken pains to suggest otherwise, but she was obvious wealthy. Solo, on the other hand, probably would not have two credits to rub together if he and Hal ever parted ways.

[Maybe Solo's girlfriend knew her father,] he mused before pushing t

 

Upseedaisy!

 

Next post won't be for a day or two, unfortunately. My computer went and ate it.

 

So similar and yet so different...I love it! Hal created his own distraction, didn't he, without even realising it. Well done, Hal!

 

That was great, Lisse! I loved all the familiar phrases from ANH.

 

Jane Jinn - Hal *is* Corran's kid, after all - and that sort of thing probably runs in the family. Poor kid's in for a shock if he ever figures out what he's doing.

princess-sari - I'm glad you like the similarities. The problem with writing this sort of fic is that it's hard to make everything just different enough. That's one of the reasons why Ben has absolutely no sense of adventure whatsoever. Not that that seems to be helping him any.

 

Posts are going to be a little slow for awhile. I'm working backstage for a local play and we just hit tech week. For those of you who don't know, tech week means running through a play two or three times a night, working out the kinks, and not getting home until midnight or so.

I'll post what I can. Sorry, folks.

 

"Mikel Ismaren Rage, Prince of the Empire, we give to thee our daughter Asaria Chume, Princess of Hapes."

King Isoldur's voice was steady and his face was impassive, but Denilee could feel the anguish radiating off of him. It was more than just a sadness at the loss of an heir, more than just the knowledge that with this inescapable step the Hapan systems lost both their future queen and their autonomy from the Empire. It was a father handing his child to an unknown fate - and, no matter how much he wished to stop it, being completely helpless to do so.

The Emperor knew it too, Denilee realized. He reveled in the pain he was causing and the lives he was destroying.

And suddenly she could take it no longer.

"You can't do this!"

Her furious outcry carried across Emperor Palpatine's court, overpowering the murmurs of the hundreds of bureaucrats and sycophants crowded into the enormous chamber. She squirmed free of the grip her mother tried to place on her shoulder and hurried up the steps of the dais, dropping to her knees. "Please, Your Highness! You can't do this! Look at her!" She jabbed a finger at the veiled princess. "She doesn't want this! It's wrong!"

_Denilee!_ Her brother's mental reprimand was desperate. _Denilee, you'll get yourself killed!_

_I don't care!_ Mikel was the only one she could speak to with her mind. Now she used that tiny manifestation of the Force to her full advantage. _I won't let them hurt you!_ Shutting her mind to her brother, she glowered up at the Emperor. "He doesn't have to do what he doesn't want to."

Emperor Palpatine looked down at her. The silent scream clawed at the back of her thoughts. "You have something to say, Princess Denilee?" His voice was dangerous. And Denilee realized in that moment that, royalty or no, she was going to die unless she backed down. That was what her mother would want.

But when was the last time she had ever cared what her mother thought? Her father would not apologize for speaking the truth.

"You're going to break people's lives just so you can keep holding on to the galaxy." She kept her voice flat and impassive. "That is something I won't allow."

"Child!" Nanny's soft hands scooped her up, fancy dress and all. The regal, white-haired woman held her close and bowed low to the Emperor. "Forgive her, Your Majesty. She doesn't know what she says."

The Emperor was silent for a moment. Finally he spoke, his voice a low croak. "Remove her."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Nanny carried her out of the throne room through the servants' door, hurrying down the simple hallway until they reached a utility closet. Glancing around as if afraid of being watched, she shoved Denilee inside and sealed the door behind them.

[I'm in for it now,] Denilee thought bleakly. And, sure enough, the storm came.

"What in the name of all creation did you think you were doing?" Nanny hissed. "You can't stand up to a man like the Emperor - not like that!" She grabbed Denilee's shoulders, brown eyes boring into hers. "You are at his mercy, child. Never forget that."

"I haven't. That's why I wanted to say something." She swallowed around a lump in her throat, determined not to cry again. "Nanny, am I going to die?"

"Not if I have anything to say about it." Gentle, ever-patient Nanny smiled tightly and touched the Jewel above Denilee's brow. "You think like a queen, even if you don't have the sense the Maker gave seagrass." Suddenly her face was serious again. "You can't go home. I'll bring word to your brother if I can, but until then I want you to stay where I take you. Promise me you won't do anything stupid."

"I promise." Denilee hugged Nanny around her waist. "Thank you."

She blinked. "For what, child?"

"For being my grandma."

Nanny laughed slightly. "Your grandma? Is that what I am to you?"

"All of my grandmas are dead. I never knew them." She grinned. "And you're too old to be my mommy."

"I'm not sure the Lady Ismaren would like hearing that." Nanny scooped her up. "But you're very welcome, sweetling." The folds of her simple

 

Good luck at tech week! Survive!

I like this Denilee, standing up to the Emperor and telling him what's what, then being afraid later that she might die. So Nanny's going to take her someplace safe, is she? I do wonder where that will be. Why does the word "Rebel" spring to mind, or am I completely off the track? And what will Rage have to say about this?

 

*Stunned into speechlessness* Wuh... wow... This is great! I've never read a better AU fic! Everything here is perfect! The characterization is incredible! This is how the entire EU should have been...

 

Jane Jinn - Thanks. Denilee's a brave kid, but she's only six - and she seems to be lacking a survival instinct.

Sticks - Ooh! Ooh! New reader! I'm glad you like it.

 

I hope Nanny is able to save Denilee somehow. Anyone with the spunk to stand up to the Emperor at six is going to do great things later on.

 

princess-sari - We'll see. Like I said, Denilee seems to be lacking in basic survival skills.

~~

Ben stared at the pile of credit chits for a moment, hardly daring to believe his eyes. "That's almost fifteen hundred right there," he said in a hushed voice as he followed Jessa through Mos Eisley's crowded streets. "I know the landspeeder wasn't worth *that* much."

Jessa grinned. "I told you I could out-bargain a Bothan, didn't I?"

He stopped and stared at her. "What did you tell the dealer?"

"Nothing," she said a little too quickly.

Ben narrowed his eyes.

Jessa sighed. "All right. I told him it used to belong to Wynssa Starflare. Happy?"

"He actually believed you?" Ben asked weakly.

"Yep. He had a shrine or five up in his office. Kind of pathetic, actually." He must have had a horrified look on his face, because she flashed him another one of those bright smiles and tilted her head so the ribbons in her braids reflected the suns' light. "Besides, it's not like she'd mind. She owes my father a favor."

Ben could only gape at her. "Your father knows Wynssa Starflare?"

"Not personally. She hates his guts, actually." Jessa patted him on the shoulder. "Don't try to keep up, space waste. You'll get lost." She glanced around her. "So where's this docking bay anyway?"

Ben shrugged. "That way, I guess." He pointed off to a more crowded part of the street. "I thought I saw a ship taking off from there a while ago."

"Sounds good." Whistling some holoprogram's theme song, she steered him in the indicated direction. As he was hauled off, Ben managed to reach over long enough to tap Blue on his domed head and get the little droid's attention.

The three set off into the crowded streets.

~~

Few people could look Darth Rage in the eye, even via a holotransmission. It did not surprise the Sith in the least that his children's nanny numbered among that scant number. She was one of the only beings in the universe whom he was unable to fathom. Although he could sense her presence as easily as anyone else's, she had a sort of natural mental barrier that kept him out of her mind.

At least that was what he had told his master. Privately Rage suspected that the enigmatic woman had known a Jedi or two in her long life. That made her all the better for raising Mikel and Denilee. If she knew his master's tricks, she was less likely to fall prey to them.

"You said you needed to speak to me," he said without preamble.

The woman did not incline her head or show any sign of respect. Not that she ever did. She had listed her name as Alis Depai of Rhomamool, but he knew that no such name actually existed. Perhaps she was a Rebel spy. It did not really matter so long as she held his children's lives first and foremost.

As she was doing now. "I believe the Emperor is going to kill Denilee," she said quietly. "I have taken her to a marginally safe place, but I cannot risk disclosing it to you even over this channel." Her perfect, aristocratic speech was clipped with urgency. He had tried to place her accent once or twice, but had never been able to find any match for it. Perhaps she was from Alderaan or Emberlene or another planet with few surviving natives.

In any case, it hardly mattered at the moment. "Why does my master wish to kill my daughter?" he asked softly.

"She called him to task before the Imperial Court and the Hapan delegation," she explained. "Additionally, I have found some incriminating evidence in her rooms. I am transmitting copies to you now. The originals have already been destroyed."

Rage glanced down at the titles of the different documents, his raspy breath catching in his throat. 'A Call to Reason', 'In Support of the Bothan Rebellion' - and most damning of all, the infamous 'Declaration of a New Republic'.

He looked up at Alis Depai's concerned face. "She was researching the Rebellion?" he asked softly.

"More than that. Her particular focus seems to have been on the Battle of Yavin."

Rage's hands curled into fists. Why would Denilee be doing anything as

 

OOOH, yeah! I knew I liked this nanny. Sounds like Darth Rage has got plans--but let's see what becomes of them. And Denilee definitely seems to be lacking in survival instinct, but it sounds like her nanny's got more than enough for both of them.

Good banter between Ben and Jessa!

You're really weaving all the strands together expertly. Keep going, I love it!

 

Was some time ago that I read th whole of your story but the Nanny couldn't by chance be Padmé. Or it might just be me who is kind of fixated on Ani/Ami.
Anyway, a great story.

 

Hal tried to put the strange events from the cantina out of his mind as he hurried toward the docking bay, but that proved to be impossible. It was not nearly getting blasted that bothered him so much as it was the mass hallucination that had kept that from happening. He had desperately wanted a distraction and everyone had obligingly imagined one for him. It was disturbing.

Then there was more than that. Jessa Calrissian ? a girl wealthy enough to promise more than twenty thousand credits without batting an eye ? knew Solo somehow. And Hal would have bet a shipment of ryll to a phony decacred that Ben Darklighter looked familiar.
He did not need these complications in his life. He needed to get this run to Bakura finished and hurry back to Melody before things really started getting strange.

The Falcon was exactly where he had left it ? in the middle of the filthy docking bay. The cockpit lights were on, so Solo was already inside getting it started. And there, standing in front of the ramp?

He stopped short. ?Mel??

Melody hurried over and threw her arms around his neck, nearly bowling the both of them over. He managed to keep his balance, although it was a near thing with Melody kissing him until he was forced to come up for air.

?Do you know what I had to put up with to find you?? she demanded as soon as he had set her back down on the ground. Besides being three standard years younger than him, she was also small enough to have to stand on tiptoe if she wanted to reach his chin. Not that that particular fact stopped her from prodding him with her finger and talking a millimeter from his face. ?I had a walking carpet and Ghent?s old droid following me around! *And* Solo acted like I was the fragging Imps!?
He waited out the tirade as he always did. The louder and more obscene Melody was, the more worried she had been. ?Your job didn?t go well, did it??

Melody answered with an eloquent snort. ?Take a wild guess. Where?s Solo dragging you off to now??

?Bakura.?

?Ba-where?? She shook her head. ?Fraggit. What for??

?Twenty-one five on delivery.?

Melody?s eyebrows climbed up towards the sweat-stained headband wrapped around her forehead. ?Huh,? she muttered. ?What?d you do, blast the Dark Prince and steal his spice stash??

?We?re flying two passengers and a droid.? Hal grinned. ?And I don?t care what Solo says. These credits are going to a real home on Corellia. A nice house in the capital, right along Treasure Ship Row.? Enough wealth would buy anyone safety on Hal's homeworld, even after the crackdowns and the Revolt umpteen standard years ago. As an added bonus, his great-grandfather - still alive and gardening - grew a particular variety of flowers that the local Imp governor swore by. ?Wait and see, Mel. We can get that family started.?

?It sounds wonderful,? Melody said softly. She was not one to get misty-eyed over anything, but that soft smile that came and went all too briefly told him how much she loved the idea. But that gentle light faded from her eyes and when she looked up at him, they were narrowed and worried. ?I need to talk to you about Solo.? She took a deep breath and visibly braced herself. So, for that matter, did Hal. ?He?s a Rebel.?

Hal blew out a deep, relieved sigh. ?Is that all?? When Melody pulled back her hand to club him upside the head, he ducked and retreated. ?Okay, okay. Sorry. I always knew he was a Rebel.?

"You knew?" Melody echoed.

"Yeah." He grimaced inwardly. [So am I, Mel. I just don't know how to tell you that.]

She glowered at him. "I risked my rear to kriffing tell you and - " She stopped suddenly as if some knew thought had occurred to her. "Hal, he was at Endor."

Hal blinked. Now it was his turn to echo her. "Endor?"

"Endor. As in Battle of. He was a general or a captain or something. In the whole thing up to his ears." Any other time she would have crowed triumphantly about showing him up. The fact that she did not told him something important. She was not only worried - she was scared. "Ghent told me he was working direct

 

I think I am now a Lisse fan!!

This is definately your best so far, though actually, I haven't read them all yet...

Aside from the constant SW swearing and Melody's 'significant other' status (which I can forgive because their marriage is practically a done deal unless the proom gets one or the other. ), I loved every post of it!

I especially liked all the connections that keep popping up in unlikely places (like Ghent)! You did a great job of repeating, but not repeating the original story.

What else can I say but MORE??

Sarah >^,,^<

(who is so sick of Obi-Love fics that she fairly squealed when she found these!)

 

Jane Jinn - Thanks mucho.

Yorthen - Wait and see.

Sarah - Glad you like it. And don't worry about Melody. She's going to be seeing a lot more action soon. As for the swearing...*smacks her inner TV sitcom writer*

 

Excellent posts, Lisse. Now, Darth Rage thinks very similiar to Darth Vader. But he cares for his kids, that's a very redeeming trait.

 

Thanks everyone! Ulrike, I'll post this to the Scriptorium as soon as I get the appropriate tags into the chapter.

~~

"Your sister must learn to hold her tongue if she ever wishes to be Empress."

Mikel glared across the private meeting room at Princess Asaria. The two of them had been bustled off after Denilee's outburst and were now locked in a room guarded by Noghri and Hapan bodyguards. They were as safe as they could be, considering they were in the custody of a powerful, enraged Sith.

The eleven-year-old princess was hidden beneath layers of gossamer veils and heavy robes, with only her bright eyes visible to the world. She probably believed herself hidden, but Mikel had a tiny fraction of the Force on his side. He sensed her anxiety and her fear - not only of the Emperor, but of him.

Maker and Creation help him, she was actually *afraid* of him.

"Denilee's never known when to be quiet. She's too brave." He grimaced and looked down at his hands. "Braver than me."

"You don't want to be betrothed?" Her voice was calm, but there was a hint of disbelief in it. "The Empire will gain my family's territory when my father dies."

He snapped his gaze up at her sharply. "Why should I want any of that? I'll never be Emperor. I'm no tyrant." He felt a tiny, bitter smile tug at the corner of his mouth. "Palpatine doesn't want a pacifist on the throne."

"You? A pacifist?" The disbelief rippled off of her now. "When your father is a Sith lord?"

"My father is who he is." Mikel knew he was smiling now, although there was no humor behind it. It was a facade, like so many other things in his life. "I'm not my sister. I don't think he's a good man, but I know that he cares about me. And I think he would rule better than Palpatine."

"You think so?" Asaria nodded slowly. "Yes. I think you do. If my mother had been a woman more warlike than Queen Elian, maybe Hapes would not be doomed. But then my brother Dirrek and I would never have existed." Under the thinnest of her veils, Mikel thought he saw his smile reflected on her face. "Do you think that's funny, Prince?"

"What?"

"That every decision our parents made makes our choices for us. Only brave children have the will to make their own path." Her shoulders shook with silent laughter. "I am not one of those brave ones."

"I don't think I am, either." Mikel sighed. "But Denilee is. I wish I knew where she was."

"You don't know? Aren't you a Sith's son?"

He glared at her. "And what of it? Palpatine is my father's master. If I use the Force to call Denilee, I'd be handing her a glowstick in a dark room." He looked back down at his hands and noticed distantly that they were killed into fists. "Maybe if I was trained better, I could shield her or something. But there's nothing I can do."

There was a long moment of silence. The Hapan princess just watched him quietly, her intense eyes locked on his face. Then she spoke very softly, her voice almost a whisper.

"Prince Mikel, do you want to be a Jedi?"

 

Lisse fan?? Count me in.
I love your your story and all though I can't see who is who in here I think you've got a talent for rewriting strories without copying them.
Also love your Trust at Dragonlibrary.
Keep it up!

 

YEHAAA! She's posted!!

Well, you made my day. Great post! By the by, what's this Trust at Dragonlibrary thingy, Yorthen? Sounds interesting.

Keep it up and the sooner you post, the better I'll be pleased.

Sarah >^,,^<

 

Loved the last few posts, Lisse!
I think Hal better tell Melody that he is a rebel before she finds out in some other way. Realizing that he was less than honest with her will probably do more damage than the fact that he's a rebel.

I love the last post with Mikel and Asaria. Does Mikel want to be a Jedi?--I can't wait to hear his answer.

Oh, and I love the nanny. Interesting how Rage doesn't care what she is--even if she's a rebel--so long as her first loyalty is to his children.

Looking forward to the next part!

 

*Antennae perk up* Trust at Dragonlibrary? What's this, then?

And -does- Mikel want to be a Jedi? What's it to Princess A if he does? I like the way Mikel's aware of the situation with his father and Emperor Palpatine, and cautious about finding his sister.

More soon?

 

I just read the first chapter (I'm a terribly slow reader) and I reckon it's really good so far. I like Rowan Archimedes character, and she actually seems quite sympathetic, in a way. Anyway, keep up the good work!