Saga "Twists in sobriety", UDC XX complete now, a thanks to everybody!!!

I am so excited posting this for I never did any drabbles before. Chitter-chatter box that I am fanfics of mine always have epic length, going "Blah, blah, blah!".

But then I saw earlybird-obi-wan and other brilliant fanfic writers doing it.

And even though DarthUncle had no time to give me his opinion and no Kahara was asked to beta this, I sat down and had a try.

Suddenly, I had various twists in my sobriety:

1. Valour
2. Honour
3. Sacrifice
4. Defeat
5. Victory

Reader warning: Please excuse my weird English! I am German. English is only my Second language!

Here it comes:




“Twists in sobriety”, drabbles 1:



Week I



1. Valour

Little Garoche Tarkin is crying because of his sire. Because of poisonous teachings. You had your own share of those.

Valour is to stand up for one's ideals. Your foster father, Chetan Anil, taught you that.

You kneel down to be at eye level with the boy. “Your heart can be your compass. If you allow it to be thus.”

His gaze widens. “B… but… I… I am… not… supposed to...”

“What?” you ask mildly in order not to scare him. “Not to be human? To have genuine feelings for another being?”

You will help the poor child to heal.



2. Honour

You cannot believe your eyes when you watch her walking into Agent Callus' office.

“Long time no see,” you mutter to yourself.

She has put on weight, at least thirty kilograms, but it is definitely her. You always remember a face.

Her brown hair has gotten slight whips of grey. She still is an extreme winter type when it comes to her garments. This time she wears a tunic in midnight blue.

When the door closes behind her, you make a mental note to contact one of your best people to hunt her down. It is a question of honour.



3. Sacrifice

Your fiancé matters to you and she knows that. But you both agreed on saving Jedi artefacts from the grip of her uncle. A little sacrifice for a much greater course.

“Coruscant again?” she asks sleepily, hugging her pillow instead of you.

“He wants to find Ahch-To,” you answer and lean down to plant a kiss on her right shoulder blade. “I must find the map before he does.”

Suddenly, Nagina is wide awake. “That map is a myth.”

“And Sheev believes in myths as far as we know. Don´t we?”

“Please be careful!” she begs.

Nagina always says that.



4. Defeat

The Aotan cathedral will come down on the four of you. There is no escape. Not even for the child your lover carries under her heart. Lord Vader made sure of that.

In defeat, you put your arms around your family.

All of you will die because Saro tampered with the mind of the Sith. The visions of his dead wife were meant to heal his scarred heart, not to commit suicide.

Strangely, your last thoughts are about the woman who implored you once to let your heart be your compass. You should have been more like your father. Cold.



5. Victory

Today´s events are a true victory for you. Not because Galen works his scientific miracles for your project. You were given a couple of days off. The best place to spend them is Lothal. It is an unimportant provincial world, but your most favourite person in the universe happens to live there. Not that she had much choice in that.


Gazing at your loyal Death Troopers makes you shake your head. Their lot won't be needed.

The only scary thing about Ina is her wits and the children she teaches. You cannot stand children. They are even worse than Tarkin.


"Who is who":

1. Valour = Nagina my OC tells the story how she meet Garoche Tarkin for the first time (41 BBY).

2. Honour = (Wilhuff) Tarkin sees Nagina entering the office of Agent Callus (20 BBY).

3. Sacrifice = Lor San Tekka in an intimate setting with his fiancé Nagina (19 BBY).

4. Defeat = Garoche Tarkin, his lover Saro & their unborn child are unwillingly involved in Vader´s suicide attempt. Tarkin´s son remembers his meeting with Nagina (19 BBY).

5. Victory = Orson Krennic is on his way to Nagina, hostage of the Empire (19 BBY).

 

Yes, lovely start for your drabbles involving Nagina and the children

 

These are on the whole fantastic, and a very intersting story, and common theme that can be glimpsed by looking at them together AzureAngel2; Also, they are overall quite scary. Though at least we get to see a tender bit of director

 

earlybird-obi-wan: What other drabbles do I need to do? Kahara wrote a PM about it, but can you also tell me in addition? Just to be on the safe side with the new job coming up and the old one ending after 3 years.

DarthUncle: Thanks for taking the time and doing some corrections. I better do them tomorrow evening, because I am too tired to think properly right now.

 

These are lovely, although so sad. It's easy to get lost in the epic adventure of Star Wars but there is such human tragedy there, too. I love the way the first and the third are connected to each other.
I guess I had better start reading up on your works! The characters are so beautifully drawn. I love this:

Such a sad context, but such a beautiful image.

 

Dear divapilot, thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment.

I wanted to thank you earlier, but I am in between jobs and have a lot of upset colleagues, parents & especially children to deal with in my old work place. Instead of being online much, I try to be strong and give comfort to others, who want to give me a big good-bye party in the kindergarten building tomorrow.

But I thought, heartbroken and eager for the new working place with a new team, new parents & new children, I should stop by tonight and say thanks before running to my weekly meeting with my sauna ladies.

My OC Nagina, the illegitimate niece of Sheev Palpatine, helped me going through a lot of those human tragedies you just mentioned the past months. I owe her a big deal and the SW universe as well. When I was feeling the worst, the vignettes about her & the folk whose life she touched in one way or another came to live.

 

Oh, earlybird-obi-wan. Thanks for pointing out the new challenge prompts to me.




"Twists in sobriety", drabbles 2:



Week II



6. Name

You are tired and worn out beyond all means. But you know that your half-brother will not abuse the situation. He is a difficult man, always brooding and actually more cruel than the man who sired you both. You in secret and him as the heir of House Palpatine.

When you address Sheev, he makes a joke that shows he cares, he genuinely cares. It also means the daughter you just delivered will receive a name by a male family member. As it is Naboo tradition: Nagina. It means 'pearl' in some regions of this galaxy and 'star' in others.




7. Title

'The Declaration of a New Order' just cements your new title as their emperor. It is a formality and you go through the words as you go through the motions. But you cannot enjoy your moment of triumph to the fullest. The most important person in your life is not around.

Nagina still has to lead a shadow life. Not that she has to hide under stair cases, up an old attic and other queer places any more. You made sure that she can live in the light. Far away from the mighty shadow you throw. But she is missed. Dearly.



8. Number

She always was the number one person in your life. But you hate the constant arguing. She is even more notorious than Galen's wife Lyra was.

“Do you ever listen?” You try to play it polite. “It is not safe to go up there today. I only have six men in undercover modus.”

Ina is not impressed by logic or reason. “Seven,” she disagrees.

It is a test of will power really.

You were already surprised that she suggested Jedha. Now she wants to see the temple of the Whills itself. As if she knows what you plan to do.


9. Date

Your foster daughter is engaged to be married. This should be joyful news, but you know her uncle. He will not be pleased to hear about it. Especially when he will hear who the groom is.


Not only is Lor San Tekka a son of Jedha's holy city. He is also a driven historian with knowledge of the Sith.


You and your husband Chetan gaze at one another.


To invite Sheev for the wedding is out of question. You must keep this bond a secret at all costs.


“Do you have a date yet?” you ask as the bride's mother.



10. Legacy

It is outrageous how your master is played by this impossible woman. She is the thorn in his side, making him bleed in ways you never imagined. Her verbal incontinence caused chaos on Jedha.

Lothal is the right place for her exile. You should bury Mistress Samye right here, in the hot sands of Jakku. Once and for all.

Sheev's legacy needs to be protected. His secrets, too.

Perhaps it is time to contact an old enemy of Mistress Samye. One who believes in the glory of the Empire, too. He will not hesitate to cut her down.

You smile.




“Who is who”:

6. Name = The kitchen maid Mandré Dorje, half-sister to Sheev Palpatine, gives birth to her daughter Nagina (59 BBY).

7. Title = The Emperor misses his only living relative Nagina during his greatest triumph (19 BBY).

8. Number = Orson Krennic has to guard Nagina Samye, who used to babysit him as a child (19 BBY).

9. Date = Gita Anil hears about the betrothal of her foster-daughter Nagina (31 BBY).

10.
Legacy = Gallus Rex hates the greatest chitter-chatter-box of the Empire. Unfortunately, Nagina is the beloved niece of his Emperor (19 BBY).

 

Off to a beautiful start here, Azure. I'm going to have to get to know your characters better too, but you definitely have some beautiful images here: Garoche's tears (poor thing, it wasn't his fault!), the pillow hugged instead of the fiancé, the heart as compass, the life led in shadow, the thorn in the side, the hot sands of Jakku. The image of the child "under the heart" struck me too—if I remember aright, there's a very similar image in the cathedral scene of Faust, part 1, when the Evil Spirit is speaking to Gretchen. Indeed, from what I understand of Nagina's story, there's a distinctly Faustian element to it!

 

Quite different again - I see a theme of caring about another; but also of trying to understand the other, wondering how they will react and what moves them. I thought my favourite was "Title" as in a way it shows the central premise of what you wanted to show with the Rage,Rage story.

Oh, I think that maybe 41 isn't too old for a child, but perhaps the constant moving, not being together of those two lovers, and stress due to having to be careful in acting against the empire, aren't so conductive to it; they should date more! It seems though that both have made a choice of what to dedicate their lives to before they met, and aren't (yet?) decided on a different course together, so that their paths may cross frequently, but not quite align, a bit like The Doctor and Dr. Song; hopefully with as much fun, but a bit less sadness!

 

again a nice set with Nagina, Sheev and their friends and allies or not

 

@Findwoman = Garoche Tarkin is a canon figure that I met in a Vader comic series and I was intrigued by him & his lover Saro.

As for the common German expression "ein Kind unter dem Herzen tragen" I was dying to use that in a story of mine for a long, long time.

As for "Faust", I am going to send you a PM about an acquaintance of my old grammar school pal. She does a gorgeous one-person stage play with puppets on that very subject. My husband DarthUncle and I were intrigued about it, when we saw that fantastic stage act about one year ago in my friend´s humble theatre.

DarthUncle: Thanks for your sharp focus and meeting one of our friends without me, because I am still hanging around in my night gown & have to read plus write fanfic.

Mira_Jade: Yes, Sith are made as far as I am concerned as a kindergarten teacher. There was this boy at my former work place who has huge trouble to keep his anger & frustration in. So we sat down now and then, talking about the differences about the Sith and the Jedi. It usually calmed him down a bit to focus on talking with me about his beloved Star Wars instead of taking the place apart or hurting everybody in his way.

As for the characters in Legacy: it is actually Gallius Rax. I hurt so much of him the past weeks that I wanted to have my go on him as well.

You also tempted me to write a "Who is who" for all my drabbles, hoping that is allowed and not against the rules.

earlybird-obi-wan: Nagina gave me strength the past months for I had to deal with a lot of heartbreak and darkness. But finally, when I faced the persons who are responsible for terrorizing a brilliant teaching stuff and forced them to let me go on the 31st March, I started a healing process for the other six women involved in the crying game. That still feels good. (Even though it turned my life upside down in many ways. I have to start a new job position without the security of a fixed working contract for the next half year.)

My Nagina is no Jedi knight, but slightly Force-sensitive and believes in (self) sacrifice plus a better universe when everybody contributes in it.

DarthUncle even joked that I have foreseen me leaving a long time ago (* see Chapter 10 about it, the good-bye party).

And now I am off because just mentioned husband and pal wait for me on a hotel terrace nearby, not daring to have dinner without me.

 

"Twists in sobriety", drabbles 3:



Week III



11. Helpless

You are three years old and helpless. The other kids are way stronger than you are. Especially Berch and Bay. They beat you into a pulp. Your tears do not matter to them.

But then Ina shows up out of nowhere. As if she felt your distress. She was supposed to help Mistress Anil cooking.

At her sight the boys stop immediately.

You never saw her looking like this before. A dark angel of revenge and scorn.

She is at your side within a few heartbeats. “Shame on you!” she states regally. “Poor Orson!”

You end up in her arms.




12. Satisfied

Skirts do not really matter to you. You pick them up, have your way with them and afterwards you drop them like filthy underwear.

Here at Brentaal IV you keep a HoloPicture of your former babysitter inside your student closet. Ina is the only female person that ever won your heart. Yet you keep her at safe distance.

For your real pleasure the power that you feel when yielding a weapon. You know that since you shot Lucky, the family dog.

With a smirk you look at your architectural drawing. You are truly satisfied with it. Your battle station.

“Beautiful!”



13. Enough

Ina has had enough. Of that you are certain. The chemistry of her body is interesting. Kava kava has a greater impact on her than alcohol.

While you try to carry her upstairs she is singing strange stuff. About the Force and Jedi having been slaughtered.

And your Emperor laughs, while you are utterly embarrassed. He seems to love his niece above everything else.

Sharing her, even with him, is a problem. She is yours. You should be the one in charge of her and of the battle station.

Neither Sheev Palpatine or Tarkin should interfere. It is unfair, really.




14. Non-stop

Your mother talks non-stop. But you do not listen. When you were a tiny baby boy she was not there for you. The doctors said it was a severe depression and sent her back to Chandrilla. To her husband.

You hated the fruit farm. The only interesting thing there was Ina, the neighbour girl. She had all those smiles and hugs for you that you desperately craved.

“Good night!” you say and switch off the HoloNet connection to Lexrul.

For tonight you have heard enough non-sense from that religious community. Why she moved back there is really lost on you.



15. Burn

The flame thrower and your canister of combustive agent work hand in hand. The trees burn like torches in the night.

“Beautiful!” you mutter to nobody in particular.

Your old man is not there to stop you, but he will find the path of destruction when he is back from his monthly hospital stay.

A lopsided smile appears on your face.

This freking apple orchard always meant more to him than you did.

The very idea of biological dynamic agriculture insults you. Even more when Galen joined this ridiculous cult for a while. But you forced him back on track.

Your old man is not there to stop you, but he will find the path of destruction when he is back from his monthly hospital stay.




“Who is who”:

11. Helpless = Orson Krennic has issues with some of Nagina's foster brothers (53 BBY).

12. Satisfied = Orson Krennic has issues with women who try to stay (26 BBY).

13. Enough = Orson Krennic has issues with Nagina's behaviour (19 BBY).

14. Non-stop = Orson Krennic has mammy issues (21 BBY).

15. Burn = Orson Krennic has daddy issues (19 BBY).

 

Love how you weave a tale of moments in Orson's life

 

earlybird-obi-wan: The new words for the challenge basically screamed: Orson Callan Krennic!!!!

 

"Twists in sobriety", drabbles 4:


Week IV



16. Hunger

Normally, you prefer to eat at exclusive Coruscanti restaurants, where you like eating Moonglow three or four times a month. But this homely kitchen wakens a new type of hunger in you.

Throughout dinner your hostess laughs heartily. She even proves you how enjoyable the contains of a soup can with some bread slices can be.

To escort Nagina to Lothal is not only an honour for you. It is a real pleasure. As a vigo of the Black Sun syndicate you seldom have those.

Tomorrow, you must return to your duties though. Which is a pity!



17. Thirst

It was not thirst that made Mistress Samye drink kava kava. It was Lieutenant Commander Krennic, a manipulator par excellence. It was a dare he should have left alone though.

This woman always does the unexpected. This is what your master loves so much about her. Only she has the power to make him laugh.

Right now Mistress Samye is high on kava kava. The Living Force seems to speak with her directly, giving her intense visions of beauty.

Through the visor of your guard helmet you watch her with growing amusement, especially when she starts singing.

Wonderful, simply wonderful.




18. Itch

Your god child is like an unpleasant itch. Yet Sheev is overly proud of her clumsy efforts of rebellion against the newly founded Empire.

“Nagina did cost us Scarif!” you point out.

He rolls his sithly eyes at you, unconvinced. “Krennic and his business with Saw Gerrera are to blame.”

It is useless trying to talk sense into the man who is your commander-in-chief since kindergarten days.

“You may leave now, Sate!” he says.

One day you will make Nagina pay for all the inconveniences she causes you. You have no idea how, but you will find a way. Definitely.



19. Yearn

On your long way to Coruscant, back into the danger zone, you yearn for your lover. Her smile, her warmth, her giggles.

But it cannot be helped. The teachings of the Jedi Order, their wisdom about the ways of the Force need to survive.

Only you, a historian, can do what must be done. You owe that to poor Jocasta Nu, slain in her library.

You stare at your controls.

Nagina has your bracelet now. It is more than just a token of love. It is a promise. You are engaged to be married.

There is always a new hope.



20. Impulse

Your first impulse is to Force choke the fat, ugly woman in front of you. She dares to wear garments that have so much meaning to you. It´s the dress with the black feather wrap. Padmé wore it during the fateful night at Varykino.

But the slimy Falleen who is with the imposter enrages you even more.

Suddenly, the Supreme Chancellor is back and rebukes you like a little boy. Just because you hurt the feelings of that elderly bantha cow. What about your feelings, don't they matter?

You feel like leaving the Opera House at once, but you can't.


“Who is who”:

16. Hunger= Prince Xizor visits his new friend Nagina on Lothal (19 BBY).

17. Thirst= On Scarif Kir Kanos, a Red Guard, witnesses his Emperor´s favourite getting into trouble (19 BBY).

18. Itch = On Coruscant Sate Pestage is annoyed with his troublesome godchild still (19 BBY).

19. Yearn= Lor San Tekka cannot be with his fiancé Nagina because he is on an important mission (19 BBY).

20. Impulse= Inside the Galaxies Opera House Anakin Skywalker is faced with a total stranger wearing a certain black dress (19 BBY).



Okay, I hope that I am allowed to tag DarthUncle, Kahara, Darth Gangrenous & earlybird-obi-wan.

Because I am not sure if Mira Jade and Findswoman are okay with a tag like this...

 

love your various insights in those characters

 

earlybird-obi-wan: Thanks for telling me, because your drabble postings inspired me in the first place. So I took courage and a heart, trying drabble writing out. I wish that WarmNyota_SweetAyesha was around to see that, too. But I feel Kahara always is and DarthUncle is forced to check a text before it goes online.

 

Great little bits of insight indeed earlybird-obi-wan, I too love them, and it's great to have this balance of people who care/love Nagina and find hope in her being there and those that intesely dislike her, for much the same reason as others love her.

 

DarthUncle: You binge read tonight. I can clearly see that. And you sum up love magic with just a few words. Almost haiku like!

This is why I am coming around with some chocolate for you now, because the past months made me as fat as a Hutt. This is why you are better of with some the presents I got from folks recently (= former Kindergarten parents with their kids, ex-colleagues and our neighbours).

 

Thanks for understanding why I had to write this DarthUncle before going to bed. It helped me to... almost... forget about what happened on the bus home yesterday.

And thanks earlybird-obi-wan for pointing the 5 new words out to me via PM!



"Twists in sobriety", drabbles 5:


Week V



21. Dinner

The scales speak an unmistakable language.

With your fingers you count down the occasions where things went out of control.

First Sheev invaded your kitchen to prepare a luxurious dinner and afterwards he took you for dessert at Dexter's famous CoCo Town diner.

The same night Aurra felt the need to fill you up completely.

A day later Bail gave you lunch in his private apartment.

Having eaten together with Xizor and Orson also did not help to improve things.

“I will turn into a Hutt,” you sniff and stare at the number that is apparently the weight you have.




22. Theatre

As a Sith Lord you loath a lot of things, but actually you love the fine arts. Especially, the theatre.

This is why you took care that your niece had a decent education. You did not mean for her to get insulted shamefully during a visit at the Galaxies Opera House. And certainly not by the insolent boy that you groomed for ten years.

Anakin Skywalker is a failure. No finesse, no style. And he is a bully. “No, you are no son of mine,” you think while you see tears in Nagina's eyes. “Just a Force experiment gone wrong.”



23. Pint

After Nagina is literally out of the closet, you feel in need of a pint. Corellian ale would do.

“K'oyacyi, me'suum'ika!” you mumble into your helmet microphone.

Suddenly, a strange old woman comes out of the ladies restroom. She frown at you, as if she heard what you just said.

You take a closer look.

It's an orange alien with ridiculously huge goggles.

You are sure that you have seen this face some place before. Tatooine perhaps. Or Theron. Malastare is an option, too.

For a while she just gazes at you.

You feel exposed, even with your helmet on.




24. Shot

You shot the Krennic family dog a long time ago. This loss still festers inside your soul.

In favour of 'Project Celestial Power' you killed quite a lot of people.

You certainly feel like taking Lyra Erso down, because she keeps getting between you and Galen all the time.

But you could never aim at Nagina. Not even to stun her with your laser blaster. And so you let her run through the Scarif night. Drunken as she is, you know for certain that she will not jump into the ocean. As a Naboo woman she never drinks and swims.



25. Alcohol

You feel tempted to serve Mistress Anil alcohol to loosen her tongue even more. There is an old saying, “In vino veritas. – In wine (there) is truth.” But Breha, knowing the campus stories as well as you do, would never forgive you if you did.

And so you do the decent thing: you offer Mistress Anil tea. She chooses lemon grass.

But later on, when she confronts you with the Return of the Sith, you both have Alderaanian whiskey together.

“To honesty! And courage in dire situations,” you say.

Next, you offer her your condolences for being Palpatine's niece.



"Who is who":

21. Dinner = Nagina herself (19 BBY)

22. Theatre = Sheev Palpatine & Anakin Skywalker (19 BBY)

23. Pint = young Boba Fett & Maz Kanata (19 BBY)

24. Shot = Orson Callan Krennic (19 BBY)

25. Alcohol = Bail Prestor Organa (19 BBY)

 

Very diverse set of drabbles here, all quite intruiging - apart from the 1st one that makes me sad for Nagina.

 

Great work with that first set, particularly the Agent Callus one, and the one where someone gave Vader memories of Padme. Nice tie-in to the first drabble.

Then, a Rage, Rage chapter in short form.

Good work across the range.

 

nice set with your characters

 

Oh, these are wonderful in how they cast what we know from other stories through a prism. Seeing the small moments and perspectives that we don't know directly from that story is fascinating. I'm not sure which one is my favorite, though I have a soft spot for the Palpatine POV ones (of all the things I never thought I'd say! ) and the one from Bail's perspective. The chapter where Nagina met with him and Breha was one of my favorites when reading through the early chapters of Rage.