Saga This is Not Our Fate (post-ROTS, Barriss, Cody, Ahsoka, Ensemble, OC's) 12/17 Complete

It was really nice to see another scene of Ahsoka meeting Leia. Already, one sees how Leia is growing into her future self - more politician than Jedi.

My guess is that Ahsoka feels this way because of her own upbringing - to some extent, most people wish for children to whom they are close to have an upbringing that includes what they feel to have been the positive aspects of their own. I personally don't think it's so bad if Leia's Force potential is not developed completely - many people are multi-talented, and choosing to specialize in a particular area usually involves paying less attention to other areas in which they may be gifted; as long as they've had a taste of each option and chosen the one they prefer best eventually, I would support them in their choices.

Glad to see Barriss on the team! And Bail has been very busy indeed - I'm sure all his efforts will pay off well eventually, though!

Great update!

 

I can't believe I have not commented on this story yet!

This is absolutely the best Barriss story I have read so far!!

 

I love the chance to check in on Alderaan, Bail, and Leia. Ahsoka's conversation with Leia was awesome, and I loved the way she planted that little seed of her mother in there. I also love the Ahsoka/Rex private moment, and that Barriss is getting brave enough to help now. Lovely update... I'd love to see what happens when Leia brings up Padme!

 

*shy wave* Hi. I think you might know me better as 'Light'. xD I know you better as 'Queen'. But anyway, seeing as how I didn't review on FF.N, I thought I'd do it here instead. Great chapter again. The development of the characters is amazing, and I love how you do the clones, as you know. The part with Leia was an interesting twist; I can't wait for more.

P.S. I thought I'd let you know that I've posted an Ordo/Besany fic both on here and on FF.N and would like your opinion on it...?

 

Hello!

I'm making the rounds over here, slowly but surely.

Anyway, this is such a lovely chapter! I really enjoy seeing young Leia and Ahsoka's take on her, how she realizes that Leia will have a difficult time; she needs to be prepared for the inevitable challenges she'll face. Great job with their interaction!

And of course, shirtless Rex. That's all I have to say about that!

 

anakinfan: lol, Ahsoka has a lot to appreciate, lucky girl. And writing little!Leia is a lot of fun, you know she'd be so precocious and into everything.

Valiowk: That, and there are so few Jedi left, Ahsoka probably would see Leia not training as a waste of a rare talent in that day and age. Even though we all know Leia grows up to be awesome anyway.

barrissoffeefan: lol, thank you! Barriss is pretty awesome, and it's been fun writing her. Even though she's been kinda down most of the time....

Luna_Nightshade: Padme makes a great role model for little Leia, really. Not that Bail wouldn't be too.

ObsessiveFantasy: As always, thank you! And good to see you over here on TFN too!

laloga: lol, good to see you over here too! And yes, the world needs more shirtless!Rex. Because...why not?

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[i]This is Not Our Fate[/i]

Chapter 12. A Winter of Discontent
[hr]

Pantora?s peace was an illusion.

Subsumed into the Empire upon the fall of the Republic, Pantora tried to weather the storm of change, to quietly continue its existence without interruption. Its leaders posed no challenge, its people made no threat. Though there was little enough welcome, neither outrage nor defiance was shown. Like many, the people of Pantora were tired of war, and were relieved to see the bloody Clone Wars come to an end. That attempt to soldier on had long since faltered and failed, as it had on so many worlds. Once widely affluent during the days of the Republic, Pantora now suffered under the control of the governor appointed to the Sujimis Sector, with each Chairman of their Assembly burdened more and more heavily under the yoke of the Empire. The loss of power and prestige chafed against them, and everywhere there were whispers of discontent.

The governor merely tightened his control at the whispers; there was no rebellion, though there was no friendliness. They were quiet little aliens, living on their frosty little moon, wealthy and spoiled from their prosperity during the days of the Republic. He paid no attention to the grumblings. Ignored the ripples of anger that began to build when Senator Chuchi died under mysterious circumstances, a death too many believed was no accident. The forced retirement of Chairman Papanoida for a more docile leader brought only a deepening of the Pantorans? suspicion, a resentment of the Empire and the leaders it foisted upon them.

Cody sipped his hot caf and tried to hide his smile behind the curve of his cup; Pantora had never been weak. As a people, they did not lash out wildly. They bided their time, and collected information. The intelligence network Papanoida had built for himself long ago was fragmented, but not eliminated. Those based on Pantora itself watched, and waited, and spun a web of spies, casting them out across first the Sujimis Sector, then further into nearby systems in the Outer Rim. With Papanoida himself secreted away from the rest of the world by a cadre of Imperials, there was no clear head to the resistance. Information gathered was left to be collected by whoever could pay for it.

Pantora was becoming a place to barter and trade information. Despite Imperial restrictions on trade in the area, Pantoran ports remained open, and drifters, mercenaries, travelers, spacers and bounty hunters flowed through.

He set his caf down, picked up a fork and began to stir the meal in front of him. The dive was a complete hole in the wall, a run-down café in a not-so-pleasant part of the capitol, all bare walls and mismatched chairs. Cody hadn?t understood its? popularity until he tried the food.

Breakfast was brought out to him in a steaming skillet, a raw nuna egg shining on top of a mound of sprouts, bean curd and minced nerf, with some kind of vibrant green vegetable leaves wilted throughout. All lay on a bed of gingery, spiced rice. The egg cooked into the piping food as he stirred, and he breathed in the piquant smell of it, feeling it flood hi

 

Oh, Cody. Poor, poor Cody. I can understand his wish for a family of his very own, and how he interpreted Barriss's rejection to be even more painful for him because of that. Just want to give the guy a hug! And the description of that breakfast! Seriously, if someone doesn't give me some of that caf and rice/vegetable thing soon I'm going to be very grumpy. Richly written update. Can't wait for more.

 

Oh, poor Cody. I can understand how he must feel very lonely seeing all his other brothers have a partner (or in Waxer's case, a bunch of kids). If only somebody were able to find out Barriss' reasons for keeping Cody at a distance, and let him in on that knowledge - I'm sure it would give Cody a lot more confidence to know that Barriss isn't rejecting him just because he's a clone, and that it's really more a matter of giving Barriss enough time to get over her past before trying again!

And that breakfast!! //joins the queue at this café

 

Luna_Nightshade: I know, Cody needs hugs. *hugs Cody* As for the food...I was mostly thinking of a Korean dish called bibimbap. Minty caf was my own random idea....

Valiowk: Oh yes, if only someone could get Cody to understand Barriss' reasoning! As I mentioned to Luna Nightshade...it's based on a Korean dish called bibimbap.

anakinfan: So glad the description of the breakfast came out so well! It was nice writing Embo and Sugi. I don't see them written about much, and Sugi and her crew seemed like an interesting group.

---

[i]This is Not Our Fate[/i]


Chapter 13. To Restore Amends



[i]Felucia.[/i]

The world was little different than she remembered it; its fungal forests were primordial, dense with fungi and thick with spores. Barriss pressed a hand against the oversized velvety petal of a pitcher plant, her hand a splay of darkness against a bioluminescent aquamarine, the plant?s veins pumping golden flecks of brightness from its lamina into its petiole. The phosphorescent process was slow now, but growing stronger as the sun began to edge over the horizon; fresh light was feeding the flora.

The forest was alive. It breathed, in inhalations and exhalations too slow for any to see. As Barriss stretched out with her feelings, she could sense it, flowing old and deep, the light feeding the plants, the flora feeding the fauna, and remains of both plant and animal feeding the fecund soil. Felucia hungered, and inevitably it was fed.

A bird?s cry drew her from her thoughts, its wild caw slicing across the air. She withdrew her hand, moist from the luminescent mucus secreted onto the pitcher?s surface. It had rained, as it so often did, while they were there. The [i]Drake[/i] set down amid a tropical storm that eventually lightened into a drizzle, turning everything muggy and humid. Steam was rising from puddles and pools, and though little streams of water were still trickling from the tops of the massive purple mushrooms that served as the forest?s upper canopy, clouds of mist rose from them as well, streaming upward and making the land into a natural sauna.

Barriss? breath was made heavy by the heat, and she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, then pushed her hair back from her face, sweat causing the strands to cling to her skin. Her boots squelched on the wet ground as she stepped away from the pitcher plant, to better look out over the terrain. A pair of rocky bluffs jutted out in the distance, and another almost directly overhead. A ravine crept its way through an embankment to the west of their camp, though the remaining angle led directly into more jungle. A shrill whistle sounded from within, and though she peered closely, it came from the depths of the forest, too deep to see.

She was on edge, and she reminded herself it was because this was Felucia. The sooner off, the sooner she could relax. When Ahsoka announced the destination of their next arms trade off, she?d paled, grown lightheaded, and excused herself to go to the refresher and vomit. She?d given herself an injection so that she could sleep through the trip. So far, not eating before disembarking to meet the gun runner, Artos Esus, had served her well. Nothing had come back up, though the queasiness had yet to subside.

The sooner away from Felucia, the better. She could sleep properly. Drawing on Felucia?s endless energy had soothed her headache; the planet devoured everything, but it had energy in abundance, and as she?d learned so desperately after Order 66, that power could be channeled, even though the thought of it nauseated her.

An engine?s whine caught her attention; Rex was slowly navigating one of the last containers up the [i]Drake[/i]?s ramp and into the cargo bay, the repulsorlifts fastened to the sides of the crate skittish. Whatever was inside was almost too heavy for them to bear.

Esus and two of his crew were fastening another set of repulsors onto another crate, preparing it for moving. Their vessel sat near the [i]Drake[/i], a more squat

 

Indeed, poor Barriss. I feel bad that she had to face so many old ghosts on Felucia, but on the other hand, it's probably better that she has done so and is now in a better position to come to terms with the past. It's certainly understandable that it was hard for the Padawans too, especially when their Master was having difficulties herself and wasn't able to provide them as much guidance as possible - I'm very proud of them for having performed so well.

And of course it's good that Cody finally understands what was causing Barriss to avoid him earlier on. A precipice indeed...but I think he'll find something beautiful at the bottom of the valley.

 

I'm happy for the progress between Barriss and Cody, even though to get there we had to see such bad parts of Barriss' memories of Felucia. I hope info of the encounter doesn't go out to any prying eyes. The description of Barriss' confusion, fear, and pain in this was fantastic and really showed what she has gone through. I also feel bad for Maera and Rithron--their first real battle, and it seems like they're scarred now. Beautiful update. Looking forward to more.

 

anakinfan: Thank you. And yes...progress for Barriss and Cody. More to come...now.

Valiowk: I think Barriss has come out stronger for it, as well. As for that valley...we'll see.

Luna_Nightshade: I think Barriss needed to face some of her fears...hence sending her back to Felucia. And Maera and Rithron needed to have their first real battle sometime.

---

First off, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who has so kindly stayed with me throughout the course of this fic, in all its parts. Writing this trilogy has been a labor of love for about two years, and all your support and interest and feedback has been tremendously kind and helpful. I want to thank all of you who took the time to vote for this fic during the 2011 Awards Ceremony. [i]This is Not Our Fate[/i] won for Best Drama, Barriss Offee won for Best Canon Interpretation: Female, Maera won for Best Child, and all three parts of [i]Said the Joker[/i] won for Best Series. I'm really honored by the awards and still a little stunned! It's such a lovely note to end this series on. Thank you all.

[hr]

[i]This is Not Our Fate[/i]


Chapter 14. To One Day Wake



She slid the door open, letting it roll smoothly aside, before stepping out onto the patio.

There was just enough of a warm wind to lift her hair away from her face, and she smiled into it for a moment, feeling the waxing warmth of a spring sun. Barriss closed the door behind her before stepping up to the rail that ran around the back porch, taking up a position just beside the steps that led down onto the lawn. She set her hands down on the rail, folding one over the other neatly, before turning her head to the side and nodding once, in greeting, to Cody.

He smiled a little, his weight forward and forearms pressed against the rail so that he slouched, a relaxed position that did not change with her presence. He shifted his weight, tilting himself just enough to one side so that it seemed, now, that they were standing together, rather than merely standing side by side. Barriss lowered her head slightly, and gave him a small smile in return. His broadened.

It took roughly six weeks, for them to deliver all the materiel they?d received from Artos Esus. The smuggler had contacted Ahsoka a few days after the incident on Felucia, with a briefly worded message that they had discovered the reason the Empire had found them, and that measures would be taken to ensure it would not happen again. Barriss was not sure if she wanted to know who their traitor was; Esus? anger was such that they all suspected it was a person rather than a beacon that had betrayed their location.

For a time, now that the deliveries were made, they would lie low and keep quiet, and focus on things that did not involve smuggling and foundation laying.

Ahsoka stood at the front of all twelve younglings, lightsaber in hand, the children in neat little rows of four, staggered so that they wouldn?t whack each other with their practice swords. She led them, step by step, through the first of the Shien kata. Though she took them through the positions slowly, the broad sweeps and powerful thrusts that defined the form were blended with what would be quick, darting jabs and feints when done at full speed, a lithe, clever style Ahsoka had refined down the years. Each step brought the rows around, not in the signature circles upon circles of Soresu, but what would someday become a bitingly fast series of switches and interwoven steps, spinning spirals cut through by straightforward slides forward.

In the hands of the youngest, the swords bobbed unevenly as they worked to keep up with their older peers, but keep up they did, even though their motions often lagged a second behind. Even from Barriss? vantage point on the patio, she could see their faces, see determination on some, concentration on others. They slid as one unit to the right, their swords slipping into a horizontal block across their chests. They tilted forward, swords crossing in front of them as they blocked to the front, with

 

This was awesome. Your writing was excellent and you made such an incredible counterpoint to what the Sith were trying to do. Instead of two volatile and malicious beings ruling a hierarchal galaxy, you've made a family of Jedi, soldiers, and civilians all working together: defying the Empire not only through Rebellion contacts and helping to pave the way for the Alliance, but also simply by living their lives.

I am very curious to see these Epilogues and what happens when Alderaan is destroyed and when Luke and Leia finally achieve their destinies and perhaps find this family network. Excellent job, iceaffinity. I have greatly enjoyed enjoyed reading this.

 

It's been a great pleasure to follow your series from beginning to end, iceaffinity. I'm extremely proud of the way each of the characters has grown and the fact that they have managed to live such meaningful lives, never complaining about how the Empire turned each of their lives upside down.

I'm extremely glad that both Cody and Barriss have come to a better understanding of their feelings post-Felucia. Also love the respect that Barriss accords Cody, choosing to understand his feelings by observing him externally instead of using the Force, as this is the only way available to Cody.

Love the double meaning here - the reference both to walking together now, as well as their entire journey to get to this point.

For some unknown reason I get the impression that this might be mirroring a scene in some cartoon series, but I can't put my finger on it at the moment...is this impression correct?

It's a beautiful, beautiful moment when one makes this conclusion about the world around, and I'm glad that Barriss, too, is able to come to this conclusion!

Congratulations both on the awards as well as on completing this series! I look forward to reading the epilogues!

 

I love the way you ended this, particularly with the dinner scene. I grinned with my whole face when Roo-Roo "told" everyone she was a padawan, and also when Barriss and Cody had their little intimate moment. I agree with Roo-Roo--sometimes there are good endings for people. What a beautiful, emotional story, and all the awards were very well deserved. I look forward to the epilogues, and I'd kind of LOVE to see a little side story with Barriss, Roo-Roo, and Cody....

 

darth_treyvah: Thank you so much! I've really enjoyed writing this trilogy...it really grew out of what was just going to be one story, though! I hope you enjoy the epilogues.

Valiowk: Hmm...cartoon series? Roo? I don't think so...I didn't have any other scene in mind when I wrote it, so if it mirrors something else, it's unintentional. And thank you so much for sticking with this series from beginning to end! I really appreciate it.

anakinfan: Thank you! The reaction to Alderaan's destruction was actually covered in the epilogue to the first story, Said the Joker to the Thief. I didn't see a need to do a second one. As for Obi-Wan or Yoda, and Ahsoka learning of Anakin's redemption...read on, and you'll find out. I don't think you'll be disappointed....

Luna_Nightshade: You seriously have me wanting to write a ficlet about Barriss, Roo and Cody. I'll have to see if I can work something out. And thank you so much for following the fic!


On to the epilogue....

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[i]
This is Not Our Fate[/i]


Epilogue 1. White Footprints





?Take me as your padawan.?

The words were simple, to the point, and entirely unexpected. Ventress had only agreed to the sparring match with the brat out of pity. Offee didn?t use dual sabers, and though Tano occasionally utilized a [i]shoto[/i], its? use was not the same as a pair of regular length lightsabers. The girl favored her right blade too much, and would likely get herself needlessly killed if no one corrected the problem. Why the brat decided to take on a style so different from either of her Masters, Ventress did not know, nor did she particularly care.

Nor did she care about taking on padawans. She rolled her eyes and flicked off her lightsabers, returning them to their holster at the small of her back. She replied, bluntly, ?No.?

The girl twitched, extinguished her own blue blades and returned them to her hips, before balling up her fists, glaring at the ground, then dropping to one knee as though in supplication. Ventress? brow lifted, and she snorted once, interrupting the girl before she could make another plea. ?I am no Jedi, brat. Surely your Masters have told you that by now.?

Ventress turned to leave, to go find somewhere on this overpopulated little ship where she would not be badgered by a girl who had no idea what she was asking. The [i]Drake[/i]?s cargo bay was where they each came to practice. At the moment, it was abandoned save for the two of them and a set of communication relays, stored in large durasteel crates.

?That is why I am asking,? the girl shot back, still on one knee with her head bowed. Now, though, it was tilted to the side, and Ventress could see the curve of her face though messy tendrils of hair. She was the youngest of the brats on the ship, Tano?s newest tagalong, a pale little girl named Olwen. ?Don?t underestimate me, just because I?m not up to your skill level with a lightsaber. Yet.?

A second brow lifted to join the first. Mouthy little thing. She snorted and turned again to leave.

There was a motion behind her, and the sound of two lightsabers igniting in unison, as the girl vaulted overhead, landing just before the stairs leading up into the rest of the ship. She stood defensively, blades outward in a basic Soresu stance, the light of the sabers making her blue eyes gleam.

There was [i]determination[/i] there, but no killing intent. No [i]anger[/i] or [i]malice[/i], though there was an underlying sense of [i]desperation[/i]. She was still tired from the sparring, her breathing still heavy and her pale hair escaping its chignon, damp with sweat. ?Do you honestly think you can challenge me?? Ventress asked her, amused, and the girl did not flinch.

?No. If there was any doubt of that, it was proven earlier when we sparred.?

?Tano can teach you technique.?

?It?s not technique I?m after. I want vengeance.?

She spoke with such cold clarity Ventress did not doubt her. She waited, holding the girl?s gaze, and the brat took her silence was permission to cont

 

Whoa..
Ventress?
Did I miss a chapter? I don't remember Ventress in any prior chapters!
AND acting less than full on Sithly!
How did Ventress join their group of survivors? WithOUT betraying them to Vader?
She may not be a Jedi in this epilogue, but she certainly is not Darth anything......
Weird...

 

Yup, you did. Ventress has a few chapters in the preceding story in this series ("What any of it is worth" - I don't recall if she shows up in "Said the Joker"). I won't give it away - you really outa go read it - but this epilogue picks up Ventress after those chapters. And you're right - she's no Jedi, but certainly no Sith, either.

 

Wow, cool! I love the idea that Ventress would make a better teacher for Olwen than Ahsoka or Barriss, because she would be in a better position to understand Olwen's mentality and guide her along a moderate path from there. And I'm certain that Asajj will learn many things about herself (a soft side, perhaps? ) from this experience.

 

SO actually, I missed a whole other part of a trilogy..
NOT chapters in THIS story.
Its all very interesting.
I am used to thinking of Ventress as Vader-lite (missed spelled on purpose, Ventress and light ..opposites), so this is an odd turn..

 

I like how Olwen and Asajj dance between dark and light, not quite being either, and I don't quite know what I think will happen to Olwen in this particular situation. I do, however, know that Ahsoka will flip out. But I'd love to see what does happen to her... Bring on more epilogues, please!

 

wbsaw: Yep, as sacharias mentioned, you did miss a chapter. This story is the third in a trilogy. Though Ventress isn't actually in this specific fic, she is in the other two. If you choose to read them, I hope you enjoy Ventress's evolution towards something a little less...dark.

sacharias: Ventress has a chapter in Joker, but more in Worth. Thanks for the help.

Valiowk: Glad you like the idea! Olwen was very pushy about it.

Luna_Nightshade: Thank you! You'll get a glimpse of Olwen (and Asajj) a little further along in the next epilogue.

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[i]This is Not Our Fate
[/i]

Epilogue 2. Resilience



She [i]danced[/i].

The blue beam of her blade burned through the air around her, humming tunelessly though varying in pitch based upon her pose. It served as a more intricate counterpoint to the dull, steady thrum of hyperspace engines. The circles upon circles of Soresu made her spin, whirling smoothly through the stances of her kata, the pointed blade of her lightsaber bobbing and weaving with each movement. Whenever the blade passed close enough, it lit her face and made her eyes, half lidded in concentration, gleam.

Cody smiled a little, as he watched her practice. Much as it was on the [i]Drake[/i], the docking bay of the [i]Gadfly[/i] served dual purposes as both cargo hold and practice area. Now, though, the bay was empty of all but training equipment and a few practice mats laid out on the floor. The shakedown cruise they?d been on the past week had been successful; they?d worked out a few bugs in the computer mainframe, made some improvements to the power couplings on the starboard side, and successfully completed a trip to Ilum for a new crystal.

Barriss was, as she had been much of the last two days, testing out her new lightsaber.

She whirled, her weapon tracking a perfect arc around her, body low and legs bent before rising, a foot sliding around as she swept upward in a neat riposte, eyes now closed as she put herself through her paces. She slid from one stance into another, smoothly and without some of the hesitation he?d seen when she first began to adjust herself to her new weapon. She was growing in her confidence, her movements more certain with each pass.

Then it was over, and she was slipping back around into her starting position, saber above her head, horizontal to the ground, left hand outreached as though in warning, weight on her back leg.

He clapped.

Barriss flicked her lightsaber off and straightened, turning to look at where he stood, her head tilted slightly to one side. She nodded once, as though in thanks. When he smiled at her, she looked away for a moment before lifting her head and asking, mildly, ?Would you care to spar??

Cody?s smile broadened a bit. ?I?m not sure how fair that is, you having a lightsaber and all.?

Barriss lifted a brow, then the hand holding her lightsaber, releasing it to float in the air for a moment before turning her palm behind it and levitating it smoothly past Cody to where she had a small towel and a bottle of water lying on the floor. The lightsaber came to a rest on top of the folded towel, and she said, ?Now I no longer have an unfair advantage.? She waited, standing still in the center of the mats, her hands resting at her sides.

Cody slid off his shoes and pushed them aside before stepping onto the mat himself. He moved forward slowly, sizing her up again. As a Jedi, she was primarily used to fighting with her lightsaber, but she?d be good even without it. His arm twinged in memory, of their first meeting since Order 66, on Nar Shaddaa, and how she?d taken him down. This time, though, he knew better what he was up against, and what she was capable of. This time, they were on more equal footing, even if it was just practice.

He breathed in, trying to steady himself. Barriss? posture was relaxed, calm, her face unexpressive, except for her eyes, which he was getting somewhat better at reading, lately. Even without her lightsaber?s glow, they were gleaming a littl