Saga Turning Into Myself (slight OT AU) - (Mon Mothma, Leia, others) - Thank you!

You really should issue tissue alerts before these posts. So sad that she's so close to both of her children and totally unaware.

 

You'd better stop making this so sad Shaindl between my cold and crying over Padme/Mon's pain I've run out of tissues. I hope you post more soon.

 

Great work as usual! I really like how you give us two stories at once, both the past and present. I'm really wondering what will happen when Luke and Leia find out Mon is their mother -- they will find out, won't they?

Another niggling question... heh, I'm wondering if Vader will ever meet Mon? It would be so interesting to see them meet as leaders of opposing forces... but I understand you're trying to keep it as close to canon as possible. Just my little fantasy.

Ok, I've gone on long enough.. UP to this totally amazing story!!!

 

Hi, Shaindl,

I don't know how I've managed to miss out on this amazing story for so long - but I'm now caught up and caught up in it - Wow! Cool premise. All the Mothma haters need to read it (I'm not a Mothma hater, but seeing her name always makes me think of Mothra of 'Gojirra' fame... )

Looking forward to more of your story!!!

 

Oh poor Padme, lovely introspection on her relationship with Anakin and Luke, very sad.

 

Up!

Nice story!

 

This is story is great! You've captured the emotions of the characters perfectly.
Can't wait for more.

 

Thank goodness for delayed flights - I was finally able to catch up with this!

I have to go to class, but I wanted to say this before I procrastinate yet another thing. This is beautiful, Shaindl, especially Padme's agony over being around Luke. I can't imagine what she'll go through when she finds out about Leia, especially given her whole thing about not getting too close to people. And I have more to say, but Darth Class is calling. Yesssssss, Massssstteerrrrrrrrrr....

 

This is really good so far, Shaindl. Gripping plost and beautiful language, as always. I especially enjoyed these lines:

Rieekan stopped less than a metre from her. ?You?ve been in command before.?

She shrugged negligently. ?Once or twice, maybe.?

?You?ve done it in battle too.?

?We?ve all fought our own battles.?

?You know what I mean. No one does what you just did on the fly.?

She sighed. ?Everyone here has a past, Commander.?

He took the unspoken hint. ?And you?d rather not talk about it.?

?Most of us don?t.?



That was just, wow, flawless dialogue. And you gotta love the girl power. It gives the story so much depth. Wonderful work!

(Since I'm staring this kinda late tonight, I'll review more chapters tomorrow. )

 

More. Please.

 

Oh wow! how have I missed this for so long? My god! This is a fantatsic piece of work.

How heartbreaking for Padmé to watch her son's life from the outside, and she manages to survive, it would take a very strong person to be able to do that and Padmé is a very strong person. I think you've done a marvelous job of characterisation particularly with the situation you've put her in.

And to have Leia living right under her nose and her not even knowing it. Eventually she's oging to find out who her daughter is, and whether or not it is in this fic or not, I can imagine what it would do to her.

This is a simply brilliant piece of work, you've written it so well, and so much more with it than most people would have done.

Lovely, lovely work.

 

Wow! Look at all them new readers! So glad to see so many new faces around. Thanks!

Diane - how much pain can one family have is what I want to know.

OE - sorry. I'll try to remember.

Aiel - sorry! Hope you're feeling better though.

DD - I think I'm finished with the past. The entire story's there now. You'll have to wait to see if she and they find out. I am trying to keep it close to canon, so I don't know that they'll ever meet. Sorry!

rxchiquita - hey, a new reader! Thank you! I'm afraid I can't take total credit since the idea belonged to Peregrine7 and he generously allowed me to run with it. Wish he still came on the boards. I'm glad you're enjoying it - and her name always suggests Godzilla to me too.

Hananiah - thanks!

PK - thank you, I think.

Izzie - new reader! Cool! Glad you like the story!

K23 - thank you. I'm glad that the emotions ring true.

Jade - aw, you stopped in! Thanks! Interesting point you raise about Padme and Leia.

LE - thanks on the dialogue. I love writing dialogue. I love writing Padme. Definitely my favourite character to write now.

Kazzy - another new reader! Cool! Thanks for the fantastic work - that's sweet. I see Padme as having walled herself off from a lot of things solely for the sake of survival and that's what she's done with Luke. Are you sure she's going to find out about Leia? I'm glad you're liking it.

And the next post...

* * * * * *

Chapter 14

Padmé found Chewbacca waiting outside her rooms when she got back to them after leaving Luke. If a Wookiee could be said to look haggard, she thought the first mate of the Falcom would qualify. His fur was matted in several spots, an indication of how long it had been since the normally fastidious being had brushed himself, his lips had paled from their normal black to a sickly gray and his eyes were bloodshot, just like those of a human.

It had been a surprise when their ship had landed. Chewbacca had been the one giving the orders; the others, including Leia, had followed them without argument. Leia and Luke had clung to each other, the big Wookiee and Lando ? as she had later learned his name was ? helping them off the ship. She had stood there waiting for some time before she realised she was waiting in vain, and that no one else was getting off the ship. She understood then the haunted, empty looks on Chewbacca and Leia?s faces. Han had been lost. Somehow, some way.

She waited until she was close to speak softly. ?What is it, Chewbacca??

Reaching out a hand, she squeezed a furry arm. Wookiees weren?t often seen in the galaxy anymore, thanks to the Emperor and his bias against non-humans, and many of the Alliance?s people had been fearful of the giant creature when he first arrived. But she knew from the time she had spent with Wookiees during the Wars just how kind and gentle they could be. She had watched the way he looked after Han, and the way he had taken care of her son, and she knew he was like all the other members of his species she had ever met. When she heard about the Life Debt he had sworn to Han, it had only increased her respect for both of them. It was because of that that she knew how he had to be hurting over the smuggler?s loss ? he had been unable to protect the one he had sworn himself to. If she could take some of that away, she would do whatever was in her power to make it so.

**Leia is hurting.**

?I know.?

**I cannot reach her, though I swore to Han that I would take care of her.**

?Asking for help is taking care of her, isn?t it, Chewbacca??

**I hope it may be so. She needs someone.**

?What happened between them?? she asked, though she wondered if she already knew the answer.

**They declared themselves to each other. My people would say they are as one.**

She nodded, not surprised. ?Where is she??

**On the Falcon.**

?I will speak with her.?

**My gods go with

 

Again, absolutely wonderful. I loved how Padme was able to reach Leia by telling her about her own past - without names because what name could she give now but with the ache of loneliness and loss. I loved how she made Leia realize just how important she was to the Rebellion and to give her a clearer purpose.

Shaindl, this is clearly your best writing yet and that's saying a lot since you know how much I love your Roads series. I will be very unhappy when this is over!

Great job.

 

As always, your characterization, dialog and everything is just, well, amazing!

 

when i use the word simple i mean it in the best way, the starkness of the emotion in both women was dome simply and therefore made the scene much more powerful. You made it seem like any women who has lost the man they loved and has to go on. I an eagerly awaiting the next post

 

Wonderful scene between Mon and Leia. I'm sure they'll both think back on it if or when the truth comes out. Keep up the excellent job.

 

I ditto what everybody else has said, EXCELLENT!

More soon? Please.

 

Are you sure she's going to find out about Leia? Well, logically, she does find out in the EU eventually, along with everyone else. Or at least Mon Mothma does. But whether she finds out in your fic is another question altogether. Still can you imagine the angst?

Strong words she brings, but it is probably what Leia needs to hear. I don't imagine Leia is someone who deals very well with platitudes. They wouldn't help her - she needs to keep herself busy, focused. And the Rebellion does need her.

It's so fascinating to the see the triology from this point of view. Everything is usually presented head on, in the action, this is just outside of it, beyond it, only seeing part of it.

Greta stuff!

 

Oh, Leia. She's just like her mom.

And I found my favorite part so far:

Without thinking, she reached out her arms for him, and he fell into them, broken apologies that she couldn?t understand falling from his lips. Over his shoulder she watched Master Yoda?s ears droop, and she knew that he finally understood. She watched him hobble from the room, leaving them some privacy.

Finally, Obi-Wan?s words grew more coherent and when she at last understood what he had been trying to say her blood ran cold.

He had killed Anakin. It was kill or be killed, and Anakin ? her husband, his Padawan ? had grown into someone they couldn?t know. He was fully Palpatine?s servant and there was no ignoring that fact anymore. Her tears began to mingle with Obi-Wan?s and she never knew how long they sat entwined there.

Absolute most favorite part so far. I just loved the way Padme knew what Obi-Wan was feeling, partly because she was an outsider looking in on the Jedi, and partly because she had those same parental feelings.

 

I'm not sure any fic has ever given me as many fits as this one has. Thanks for sticking with it.

Diane - oh, thank you. I've put so much more work into this than I did either story in the Roads series. I think it's my best so far too. Thank you for agreeing with me.

PK - thank you. I'm so glad you'r enjoying it.

Hananiah - don't worry, I know what you mean. That's what I was aiming for - there's nothing that will make things better for either of them at that point. All that's left is a desire to win the war.

OE - interesting point...will have to think about that...

K23 - thank you!

Kazzy - trust me, I've thought about the angst a lot! I agree with you on Leia - she'd take a person's platitudes and shove them down their throat. She needs plain talking. Like mother like daughter?

Jade - could you imagine being Obi-Wan and having to come back to Padmé and tell her he'd killed Anakin? Oy. I'm glad you liked that.

And here's the end of Part II...

* * * * * *

Chapter 15

??the simple fact of the matter is that they didn't have as much intelligence as we did. That?s why nearly their entire damned squad was annihilated. They never knew we were coming!?

Padmé nodded, and leaned forward in her chair. ?Thank you for the report, Captain. We?ll let you go so that you can get some food and a well-deserved rest.?

The captain nodded and saluted, turned on her foot and left with her head held high. Hopeful silence followed her departure. Though it had been a tough few months for the Alliance ? raiding parties captured, supply lines disrupted, Bothan spies killed bringing back needed plans - they had more than visited the same on their enemies. And now they were coming to the biggest operation in their campaign yet. If things went right, it could be the one that would mark the beginning of the end. They could dream, at least.

Little was said, but encouraging smiles were traded as they gathered up their papers, departing to try and push their people to the next level despite the fatigue they were all feeling. As they exited the room, Padmé closed her eyes and wondered if she had ever been so tired. She was sure she had but if so, she couldn?t remember it.

Carlist's big hand squeezed her shoulder for a moment as he passed, but it was the small hand that rested on her arm that pulled her out of her reverie. ?You look tired,? Leia said.

That earned the younger woman a wry smile. ?You just earned the prize for understatement of the millennia.?

?I suppose that was stating the obvious, wasn?t it??

?A bit.?

?What I was trying to say is that you look like you need something to get you going again.?

?Leia, not even the waste they call caf in the mess will do it this time, I'm afraid.?

The princess laughed. ?Not caf. I'm not sure I would even subject Palpatine to that." She studied the older woman with the relaxed, open demeanour she had had even since Han had been returned to them. "You need something more active than that. I think I have it.?

Padmé looked up at Leia, unable to resist returning the confident smile the young woman wore. ?What do you know that I don?t??

The Alderaani just grinned wider. ?Come with me.?

She led them to an unused wing of the base, finally reaching an old, empty hangar. Someone had taken care and time in repairing it ? the light fixtures were in working order, the floor had been scrubbed clean. Crates had been stacked and secured at different heights, ropes and rings and platforms strung across the ceiling. A rack along one wall held training droids and blindfolds.

The leader of the Rebellion blinked at the sight, trying to figure out why the room seemed so familiar to her. And then it hit her ? she had seen rooms like this in the Jedi Temple. Her breath caught in her throat. It can?t be?who could have taught him? And realised that only one being, as far as she knew, could possibly have taught her son what he needed to know. She hoped he

 

The time was coming when she could tell him. She could feel it.

I bet that's going to be quite an angst-filled moment. But I'm still waiting for the big moment with Leia.

Actually, I can't wait to see how Padme deals with Anakin's death.

 

That was lovely but sad. Seeing Padme watching her son and thinking back on the Jedi she knew so well. Endor hum? I can't wait!

 

Exellent posts!
I liked that Leia learns those things about the Jedi from Padmé.
I can't wait to see how Luke and Leia take the news.