ladyofleithian (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ladyofleithian) wrote2013-01-14 10:17 am
ladyofleithian) wrote2013-01-14 10:17 am
More trope_bingo!
Title: The Stories of Our Lives
Summary: Snippets from the life of Rose Tyler, secret child of Darth Vader and Padme Amidala, and those around her.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Prompt: Secret Child
Author's Notes: Playing around in the Rose-as-Anakin-and-Padme's-daughter-verse. Hope it's good, at least. Also borrowed some from the REVENGE OF THE SITH novelization -- for those who haven't read it, I definitely recommend it, as it's amazing. And borrowed a bit from the ending of "Forest of the Dead" -- I haven't seen the episode in its entirety, sadly, but there's something about the ending that really...breaks my heart and warms it at the same time.
1. By the time Anakin Skywalker manages to leave the Temple for the day, he's already tired.
He tries to tell himself that he's not tired, that it's all right, that if nothing else, he may have little choice but to spy on the Chancellor if only to save him, and yet a part of him doesn't want to believe it.
Being rejected for Mastery -- that he supposes he can handle, at least. But having to spy on a friend? Being rejected for Mastery is a bitter pill to swallow, at least. But having to spy on the Chancellor is even more bitter, and even harder to swallow, doubly so considering that the Council decided to put him up to it, and make him no more than the Chancellor's figurehead there. Even they, Anakin muses, couldn't possibly hate him that much.
He's almost relieved when he gets home if only to see Padme again. Padme -- even in the bleakest of times, she's been there for him. He can't quite tell Obi-Wan about their relationship; she wants him to, but if nothing else, there's nothing about the idea that won't possibly end in Obi-Wan having to tell the Council, and him being kicked out of the Order, and Padme herself being recalled to Naboo. He doesn't want to leave the Order. Even in spite of all the difficulties. And the idea of ruining Padme's career in the process -- that's something he doubts he can bear either. And yet at the same time, Padme Amidala...she's perhaps the closest thing that's ever been to home. She's standing there, watching the sunset, and for a moment, his anger fades away even as he watches her. Watches the deep hues of the sunset bring a flush to her ivory skin. He stands there, if only for a moment, content to simply watch her, to take her in again. Because in that moment, he is, if nothing else, home.
He can still remember that argument with Obi-Wan, about the Council being his family, of Anakin's retort. I'm not like you! I had a mother who loved me --
It's one of those moments where he, if nothing else, wishes he hadn't said that.
He didn't want to hurt Obi-Wan, and yet at the same time, all those things Obi-Wan was saying hurt so much -- Padme turns to look at him, almost as if sensing his approach.
"Annie?"
"Hello," he says, smiling if only a bit. He's almost too tired to smile. It doesn't mean that he won't do it.
"You're home early," she says, even as she draws him into a hug. He remains there, taking in the scent of her hair, the feel of her. There's something about it that calms him, at least enough. "I had to see you," he says. And that's not far off from the truth.
They sit now on the couch on the veranda, close to one another, even as Padme brings Anakin's hand towards her belly. There's something about the sheer life growing inside, the feel of the baby kicking, that's enough to make Anakin's heart skip a beat. This is their child. Anakin grins even as it kicks. "What do you want to name her?"
"Her?" Padme raises an eyebrow if only playfully. "How do you know if it's a girl?"
"A kick that hard?" Anakin says. "Definitely a girl."
Padme grins. "I was thinking a boy," she says. "Strong and brave, like his father."
There's something about it that makes Anakin grin if only a bit, before faltering. "I'm...I'm not sure if I'm that strong, Padme. Or that brave, for that matter."
The matter of the Tusken camp has spoken volumes in regards to his strength -- he lost control there, killed almost everyone in that camp. He can still remember his confession to Padme: Not just the men, but the women and the children too.
And those dreams he's had, so much like those he used to have about his mother before she died -- Padme is almost everything he ever wanted. He can't lose her -- not now.
"You're plenty strong enough," Padme says, if only softly. "At least in my eyes."
They snuggle closer now, and there's something about Padme's presence that soothes Anakin, making him forget if only for a moment about the idea of spying on the Chancellor, and nightmares, and so many other things. And for a moment, they can pretend that they're back on Naboo, away from politics, plotting, war and grief, by that calm, sparkling lake, simply taking solace in one another's company.
2. Obi-Wan Kenobi never thought that it would come to this.
If nothing else, he thinks, he never thought that Anakin would fall like this. Anakin, after all, never would have turned on his own comrades and slaughtered them. He never would have attacked his wife like that -- it's one of those things that is more than hard to swallow.
The very idea of Anakin doing what he had just done, the memory of Anakin -- Vader -- raging on Mustafar about how Obi-Wan turned Padme against him (which isn't' even true. Obi-Wan never wanted this. This couldn't have been him), and ranting about how he had brought peace to his new Empire, and how Obi-Wan was now his enemy
and there had been something in Obi-Wan that was all but screaming about "I never wanted this; you must believe me!" but it came out in no more than Jedi platitudes, of "Only a Sith deals in absolutes", because something in him already knew that Anakin would never have come to this a
nd screaming out that he hated him even as he burned. Obi-Wan wishes, if nothing else, he had been able to save Anakin. The best he can do, even in this moment, is save Padme -- protect her no matter what. And staying by her side, holding her hand even as Padme gives birth, trying to at least keep her safe, Obi-Wan doubts that he has ever felt more helpless.
Finally, the birthing process is finished. Two girls -- Padme turns to look at one, smiles if only weakly.
"Rose." And the other, "Leia."
Perhaps Obi-Wan can't save Anakin, but at the very least, he will be able to save Padme and her children. It is the best he could do, at least in the end.
3. Padme doesn't want to give up Leia and Rose. If nothing else, it's the last thing that she wants. But she knows, at least, that the Emperor will be searching for both of them. So it's with reluctance that she and Obi-Wan deliver them -- Rose is delivered to Tatooine, to the Tyler family. Moisture farmers that Padme once met. And Leia is delivered to Alderaan, in the care of Bail and Breha Organa. The two of them have always wanted a daughter. It's the best that Padme can really do for two of her dearest friends, in the end. Give them a daughter.
Long after the delivery process is finished, Padme turns away from Alderaan, feeling the first hints of wetness on her cheeks. She tries to steel herself; if nothing else, she may no longer be a Queen or a Senator of the Republic, but she has to stay strong nonetheless. She can feel Obi-Wan's gentle touch on her shoulder, quietly reassuring. "They will be all right," Obi-Wan says, if only softly, but it sounds almost as if he's trying to convince himself more than just her.
Padme bites her lip. "I don't know. Perhaps they will." She sighs. "I just don't know." It's not that she doesn't trust the foster parents in question. She only fears when or if Vader finds them. And knowing Vader and the Emperor, "when" is probably more likely.
4. Rose Tyler has always known that she is different.
Though her mum tries to persuade her otherwise, if nothing else, Rose has a feeling that she is. The dreams that she keeps having, for example -- dreams of a beautiful young woman dressed in green. Dreams of a fire planet, dreams of a Jedi Temple. And her tendency to move things if only unconsciously.
The first time that it happens, it's at school, when one of the girls is relentlessly teasing her. Before she knows what she's doing, she's found herself lifting one of the books in the air and sending it at the girl, almost unconsciously.
When the haze clears, she notices the girl rubbing her eye, and there's something in Rose that wishes that she hadn't done it. If nothing else, she runs over towards the girl. "I'm so sorry!" she says. "I'll take you to the medic, I promise -- "
Rose gets detention nonetheless. The teacher doesn't really seem to know what's happened, but if nothing else, the fact that the girl all but blubbered that Rose hit her with a book is enough to warrant Rose staying after school to help the teacher clean. It's not exactly having to stay after school that hurts -- although honestly, Rose muses, that's bad enough, if only because of the sting of humiliation that follows.
If nothing else, it's the fact that something is wrong with her. Rose doesn't know what. If nothing else, she thinks, it's that somehow, in a fit of rage, she hurt that girl. It's not even the thought of her parents being angry, but simply, the fact that she hurt someone. Granted, Lia isn't exactly the nicest girl there, but nice or no, Rose doesn't like the idea of hurting someone. It's simply something she can't bear.
5. It's at seventeen years old, at the Life Day party that she sees the old man. There's something about him that seems vaguely familiar, Rose thinks, and yet she can't put her finger on exactly what.
She's already heading home, if only because of the fact that her mom's going to give her quite the scolding if she's late, and yet at the same time --
"You all right?" she asks.
"I am," the old man says. He has a very pleasant voice, Rose thinks, very comfortable, very smooth. "I was simply finding my way back home. Nothing to fear." A pause. "And what of you? Are you all right?"
"I am," Rose says. "I mean..." She bites her lip. "A bit nervous about a new year starting is all."
The old man raises an eyebrow. "Indeed?"
"Yeah," Rose says. She's fully aware of how absurd the idea sounds, but it's true. "A little bit."
"Well," the old man says, "I would not worry about it." He smiles; Rose likes it. There's something lovely about it. "I believe you're going to have a wonderful year."
"You really think so?"
"Of course," the old man says. "And now I'd best be heading home."
"Right," Rose says. There's something about it now that's somehow sad, and yet somehow wonderful (a wonderful year? How does he know that?). "See you." The old man smiles. "See you." And then he's gone.
6. It's later in the summer that she meets C-3PO and R2-D2.
By now, Rose is frustrated, if nothing else -- she loves her mum dearly, and yet there are times, she thinks, where she simply doesn't understand. Rose, if nothing else, wants to travel beyond the stars, while her mother wants her to stay on the farm for another season if only to help with the crops.
Rose supposes that it's fair. And yet at the same time, it doesn't really make things any easier. If nothing else, it only serves to bother her more than it should.
But when she meets C-3PO and R2-D2, her entire life changes. All with one hologram recording. All with seven words or so: "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope."
7. In short, Rose muses, even as they head to Mos Eisley spaceport, there's good news and bad news. The good news is, at least, that she's finally getting off Tatooine, her mum's all right, and Luke's going with them (good news for Luke as well, Rose muses. As far as she was concerned, he was getting just as sick of farm life as she was).
The bad news is that the stormtroopers are now after them. That, Rose muses, at least puts a slight damper on things.
They're standing before Mos Eisley spaceport. Even looking over it, Rose sighs. The good news is that they might be able to lose themselves in the crowd. The bad news is that there might be more stormtroopers as well. A rock and a hard place, as they say. Still, if they can do it...
"Well," Rose says, "Let's get going, huh?"
Silence.
"Yes," Ben says, "Let's."
8. Darth Vader can't say exactly where he is.
If nothing else, the planet he's crash-landed on -- it's not Yavin, he knows. And yet there something about it that seems oddly familiar. As did that one Force signature. If nothing else, two of the pilots he pursued -- the Force was so strong with them. They were all but glowing with it. And Red Five -- she seemed too familiar for his tastes. Almost as if he should have seen her before.
But that couldn't be true, could it?
He would have to research her when he got back to Coruscant. Find out about her. And then find a way to convert both her and Red Six to his cause.
Vader stands up now, if only unsteadily. His TIE fighter is smashed beyond repair; he will need to find a way to contact the Emperor if only to get off this new planet -- which he is not looking forward to, to say the least. The fury of the Emperor could make an entire army turn and run away, if nothing else -- and then...then he can do his investigations on this pilot.
This Red Five. And this Red Six. There...there he can find out what is to be done.
9. It's on Bespin that Rose finds out the truth. Even as she's clinging to the pillar, in agony, in pain, she can see Vader, in the distance, looming over her like a shadow.
"There is no escape," the Dark Lord intones, so somberly. "Don't make me destroy you."
Rose isn't going to back down. No matter what happens, she is not going to back down from this monster.
"Rose," the Dark Lord says, "You do not yet know the extent of your power. Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy."
"You think I'm going to join you?" Rose laughs. "You're completely mad."
Then again, she supposes that if Vader weren't completely mad, he wouldn't have done all of what he had done in the first place.
Vader continues on; Rose can't help but wonder if he ever stops monologuing. "If you only knew the power," he says, "Of the Dark Side. Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father, did he?"
There's something about the question that cuts Rose too deep. "He told me enough," she says. "He told me that you killed him."
And then Vader says it. Five words that tear the galaxy as she knows it out from underneath her. "No. I am your father."
10. Vader should have known that Rose would not accept his offer -- to say that this girl is stubborn to the last is an understatement, to say the least -- but if nothing else, he doubts that it hurts any less. And if nothing else, it's really not her rejection that hurts him the most, even though it still hurts. It's the image of her in the Millennium Falcon's cockpit, badly wounded, and him being unable to help her. It's enough to make his heart ache -- granted, not in the traditional sense, but it still hurts and it aches.
It's easy for others to say that he is more machine than man, unable to feel. But if nothing else, Vader muses, it's quite the opposite. He still feels far too keenly. And the idea that he had to hurt his own daughter -- it's almost too much for him.
It's in his chamber that Vader has time to think. He's almost grateful for the solitude; he's still trying to take everything in. Because if nothing else, he should have known that they would happen. And yet he can't help but wonder -- why do they hurt?
It doesn't matter. After all, he will find Rose. He will reclaim her, and his wonderful, impossible wife, and they will be together as it should be. They will kill Palpatine, that treacherous monster that calls himself Emperor, and rule the galaxy in justice and peace. He will do that. They will do that, together. And yet at the same time he can't help but wonder -- sweet Malachor, why does it hurt?
11. The matter of attaching an artificial hand is, to say the least, difficult. Because even as it's attached, Rose knows that it's not just a matter of a missing limb being replaced -- although the warnings from the medical droid of possible needing tests to make sure it's not malfunctioning don't exactly help either -- it's a matter of putting the pieces of her life back together.
Vader scattered them in that moment at Bespin. She hates him -- she can't help but hate him. It doesn't matter regarding the fact that no, children can't hate their own fathers -- she simply hates him. If nothing else, she hates him for torturing Leia and assisting in Alderaan's destruction and killing Ben and so many other things -- and she can feel her adoptive mother's hate as well.
"It doesn't matter what's happened to him," she can hear her adoptive mother say from outside the medbay. "When I catch up with him, he's going to pay for what he's done to her."
Rose can't help but smile if only feebly at her adoptive mother's protectiveness -- frightening as it is. She's almost like a mother bear protecting her young. And though Rose is nearly full-grown, to her mum, she is still her young.
And yet at the same time, she is almost afraid for Vader. She's felt her father's anguish and grief in regards to her real mother
nothing but mechanical parts and dead friends and loves, so to speak
and she can't help but wonder how he became who he was. Then again...perhaps it's better not to know?
12. It's learning more about the other "lost Jedi" that Rose finds more information than she can possibly take in. The fact that Leia could be Force sensitive as well, and Luke (Obi-Wan's son, at that!), is almost too much to take in. And yet at the same time, there's something about it that's wonderful. If she can find a way to defeat Vader and the Emperor, find more ways as well, then that's worth everything.
Because the Empire has to end. She knows that. She's seen it -- all the innocents that the Empire's murdered in the name of establishing dominance, all the planets they've razed. The Emperor doesn't care about anything but his own power, no matter how he pretends otherwise, and her father...
Rose's thoughts halt at the thought of her father. She knows her father has done despicable things, more than despicable. And yet, who is she to simply kill him? Who is she to simply refuse to redeem him? Who is she to all but decide who lives and who dies? She doesn't know. But at least, if she can end the war with a minimized death toll, then she's made a difference.
13. It's removing the mask from her father's face that Rose sees him, not as a monster, but as a man. There's something about those eyes; they're bright blue and poignant and almost vulnerable, and yet at the same time, there's something in them that is smiling even as Rose looks at him. It's in this moment that she sees him not as the masked monster, the creature pursuing them all these years, but instead as a man.
He begs her to leave him. And yet Rose can't do it. She doubts she ever could. She doubts she ever would.
"I made my choice a long time ago," Rose says, "And I'm not going to leave you here."
Anakin laughs if only softly. "You remind me so much of Padme...near the end."
"I do?" Even the idea is almost ludicrous. Her mother is so graceful and dignified and calm, when if nothing else, Rose is nothing but passion and fire and rage and so many other things that she fears, if only in herself. She can still remember Yoda's words to her much anger in her, like her father and in a way, it still stings. And yet....
"Yes," Anakin says, "For your part."
Rose swallows. "I can't just leave you there," she says, "I've got to save you."
"You already have, Rose. And one more thing...tell Leia that you were right about me. Tell Leia..." Anakin's voice is getting more labored now, almost hoarse. "You were right."
14. It's years before she sees her father again. She never thought that she would see him again, and certainly not on the beach of Telos. And yet here he is -- when she, Luke, Leia and the others had gone out if only to find more possible Jedi, she hadn't expected to encounter her father's Force Ghost there as well. "What are you doing here?" she asks.
"I've always been there, Rose," he says. There's something in the way he smiles that makes Rose see, at least for a moment, the man that Obi-Wan had described. This sweet, good man who fell into evil.
Even the idea of it is almost terrifying to think about.
Anakin continues on. "I needed to see you, at the very least. To speak with you. I thought that now would be the time."
Rose smiles. "I thought I'd need to speak with you too. I just never thought that you would be...here."
Anakin laughs, but it's a soft, gentle laugh. He looks up now, and it's only then that Rose realizes that he's looking behind her as well.
"I can't help but wonder," he says, "How are Leia and the others doing?"
"They're doing fine," Rose says. "I mean, Leia...she's the Grand Master now. Of the Order." She grins. "Pretty fitting, I think."
There's something in Anakin's voice that is filled with pride. "Leia Organa Skywalker -- Grand Master of the New Jedi Order." He's grinning, and there's something in that grin that is almost infectious.
"I know, right?" Rose is grinning as well. "It's...it's amazing."
Anakin grows more serious now. "I also wanted to at least apologize," he said, "For my actions."
"It wasn't your fault."
"But it was," Anakin says. "If nothing else..." He sighs. "There was so much that I wanted to give you. To give Leia, for that matter, and your mother. But I lost sight of the bigger picture. I wanted to save you, and yet there was a part of me also...it wanted so much more than I had been given."
"Don't we all want that?" Rose says.
Anakin smiles, if only slightly.
"In a lot of ways, yes," Anakin says. "For your part."
Rose shakes her head. "You're completely mad."
Anakin laughs. They continue talking in that moment, talking about Han and Leia ("More Solos on the way. Force help us."), about rebuilding the Jedi Order, and so many other things. It feels almost like a lifetime since she's talked with Anakin, and somehow, there's so much of it that's wonderful and yet at the same time, hurts. And somehow, by the end of their conversation, Rose looks at him, feeling that sudden burst of emptiness begin to wash over her. "Dad -- am I ever going to see you again?"
It feels so odd calling him "Dad". And yet it feels right.
"Of course you will," Anakin says. "I mean...I see no reason why not. I might pop in for a few visits or so. Just promise me this, Rose." He becomes more serious now, though still gentle. "Just....have a good life for me. Do that. Have an absolutely wonderful life."
Rose nods. "I will."
15. It's long after duties at the Temple are finished that Rose returns home with Luke and her children. If nothing else, though she loves working with the Order, helping rebuild the galaxy, loves the sense of fun and adventure, there is something about spending time with her husband and her children that is so, so blessed. It's long after they've finally managed to get Anakin and Jenny to bed that Rose has time to read them a story.
Rose is not one for storytelling. If nothing else, Martha Jones is the storyteller of the group, not her. But she's done her best. At least, she's managed to preserve the story of their lives in the book she's written. And so she sits by their beds and reads them a story of the moisture farm girl and finding the lost princess, of a smuggler and a moisture farm boy, of a magnificent Rebellion against an evil Empire. She tells them a story about one of the most broken and yet bravest men who ever lived -- their grandfather, really. She tells them a story about the friendships of Rogue Squadron, about Ben Kenobi, about starcrossed lovers and space battles and so many others. She tells them a story about bravery, about hope, and about redemption. She tells them a story about the redemption of a former Emperor's Hand, and fighting evil clones, and one of the most cunning tactical minds they ever witnessed.
It's not just a bedtime story that Rose made up. Even acting out the voices and everything, it's not just a bedtime story. It's, in all honesty, the story of her life. Of the Rebellion and the Empire.
"And did they live happily ever after?" Jenny asked.
It's a good question, really. They've had many losses along the way. But ultimately...
"Yes," Rose says. "Yes, they did."
Summary: Snippets from the life of Rose Tyler, secret child of Darth Vader and Padme Amidala, and those around her.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Prompt: Secret Child
Author's Notes: Playing around in the Rose-as-Anakin-and-Padme's-daughter-verse. Hope it's good, at least. Also borrowed some from the REVENGE OF THE SITH novelization -- for those who haven't read it, I definitely recommend it, as it's amazing. And borrowed a bit from the ending of "Forest of the Dead" -- I haven't seen the episode in its entirety, sadly, but there's something about the ending that really...breaks my heart and warms it at the same time.
1. By the time Anakin Skywalker manages to leave the Temple for the day, he's already tired.
He tries to tell himself that he's not tired, that it's all right, that if nothing else, he may have little choice but to spy on the Chancellor if only to save him, and yet a part of him doesn't want to believe it.
Being rejected for Mastery -- that he supposes he can handle, at least. But having to spy on a friend? Being rejected for Mastery is a bitter pill to swallow, at least. But having to spy on the Chancellor is even more bitter, and even harder to swallow, doubly so considering that the Council decided to put him up to it, and make him no more than the Chancellor's figurehead there. Even they, Anakin muses, couldn't possibly hate him that much.
He's almost relieved when he gets home if only to see Padme again. Padme -- even in the bleakest of times, she's been there for him. He can't quite tell Obi-Wan about their relationship; she wants him to, but if nothing else, there's nothing about the idea that won't possibly end in Obi-Wan having to tell the Council, and him being kicked out of the Order, and Padme herself being recalled to Naboo. He doesn't want to leave the Order. Even in spite of all the difficulties. And the idea of ruining Padme's career in the process -- that's something he doubts he can bear either. And yet at the same time, Padme Amidala...she's perhaps the closest thing that's ever been to home. She's standing there, watching the sunset, and for a moment, his anger fades away even as he watches her. Watches the deep hues of the sunset bring a flush to her ivory skin. He stands there, if only for a moment, content to simply watch her, to take her in again. Because in that moment, he is, if nothing else, home.
He can still remember that argument with Obi-Wan, about the Council being his family, of Anakin's retort. I'm not like you! I had a mother who loved me --
It's one of those moments where he, if nothing else, wishes he hadn't said that.
He didn't want to hurt Obi-Wan, and yet at the same time, all those things Obi-Wan was saying hurt so much -- Padme turns to look at him, almost as if sensing his approach.
"Annie?"
"Hello," he says, smiling if only a bit. He's almost too tired to smile. It doesn't mean that he won't do it.
"You're home early," she says, even as she draws him into a hug. He remains there, taking in the scent of her hair, the feel of her. There's something about it that calms him, at least enough. "I had to see you," he says. And that's not far off from the truth.
They sit now on the couch on the veranda, close to one another, even as Padme brings Anakin's hand towards her belly. There's something about the sheer life growing inside, the feel of the baby kicking, that's enough to make Anakin's heart skip a beat. This is their child. Anakin grins even as it kicks. "What do you want to name her?"
"Her?" Padme raises an eyebrow if only playfully. "How do you know if it's a girl?"
"A kick that hard?" Anakin says. "Definitely a girl."
Padme grins. "I was thinking a boy," she says. "Strong and brave, like his father."
There's something about it that makes Anakin grin if only a bit, before faltering. "I'm...I'm not sure if I'm that strong, Padme. Or that brave, for that matter."
The matter of the Tusken camp has spoken volumes in regards to his strength -- he lost control there, killed almost everyone in that camp. He can still remember his confession to Padme: Not just the men, but the women and the children too.
And those dreams he's had, so much like those he used to have about his mother before she died -- Padme is almost everything he ever wanted. He can't lose her -- not now.
"You're plenty strong enough," Padme says, if only softly. "At least in my eyes."
They snuggle closer now, and there's something about Padme's presence that soothes Anakin, making him forget if only for a moment about the idea of spying on the Chancellor, and nightmares, and so many other things. And for a moment, they can pretend that they're back on Naboo, away from politics, plotting, war and grief, by that calm, sparkling lake, simply taking solace in one another's company.
2. Obi-Wan Kenobi never thought that it would come to this.
If nothing else, he thinks, he never thought that Anakin would fall like this. Anakin, after all, never would have turned on his own comrades and slaughtered them. He never would have attacked his wife like that -- it's one of those things that is more than hard to swallow.
The very idea of Anakin doing what he had just done, the memory of Anakin -- Vader -- raging on Mustafar about how Obi-Wan turned Padme against him (which isn't' even true. Obi-Wan never wanted this. This couldn't have been him), and ranting about how he had brought peace to his new Empire, and how Obi-Wan was now his enemy
and there had been something in Obi-Wan that was all but screaming about "I never wanted this; you must believe me!" but it came out in no more than Jedi platitudes, of "Only a Sith deals in absolutes", because something in him already knew that Anakin would never have come to this a
nd screaming out that he hated him even as he burned. Obi-Wan wishes, if nothing else, he had been able to save Anakin. The best he can do, even in this moment, is save Padme -- protect her no matter what. And staying by her side, holding her hand even as Padme gives birth, trying to at least keep her safe, Obi-Wan doubts that he has ever felt more helpless.
Finally, the birthing process is finished. Two girls -- Padme turns to look at one, smiles if only weakly.
"Rose." And the other, "Leia."
Perhaps Obi-Wan can't save Anakin, but at the very least, he will be able to save Padme and her children. It is the best he could do, at least in the end.
3. Padme doesn't want to give up Leia and Rose. If nothing else, it's the last thing that she wants. But she knows, at least, that the Emperor will be searching for both of them. So it's with reluctance that she and Obi-Wan deliver them -- Rose is delivered to Tatooine, to the Tyler family. Moisture farmers that Padme once met. And Leia is delivered to Alderaan, in the care of Bail and Breha Organa. The two of them have always wanted a daughter. It's the best that Padme can really do for two of her dearest friends, in the end. Give them a daughter.
Long after the delivery process is finished, Padme turns away from Alderaan, feeling the first hints of wetness on her cheeks. She tries to steel herself; if nothing else, she may no longer be a Queen or a Senator of the Republic, but she has to stay strong nonetheless. She can feel Obi-Wan's gentle touch on her shoulder, quietly reassuring. "They will be all right," Obi-Wan says, if only softly, but it sounds almost as if he's trying to convince himself more than just her.
Padme bites her lip. "I don't know. Perhaps they will." She sighs. "I just don't know." It's not that she doesn't trust the foster parents in question. She only fears when or if Vader finds them. And knowing Vader and the Emperor, "when" is probably more likely.
4. Rose Tyler has always known that she is different.
Though her mum tries to persuade her otherwise, if nothing else, Rose has a feeling that she is. The dreams that she keeps having, for example -- dreams of a beautiful young woman dressed in green. Dreams of a fire planet, dreams of a Jedi Temple. And her tendency to move things if only unconsciously.
The first time that it happens, it's at school, when one of the girls is relentlessly teasing her. Before she knows what she's doing, she's found herself lifting one of the books in the air and sending it at the girl, almost unconsciously.
When the haze clears, she notices the girl rubbing her eye, and there's something in Rose that wishes that she hadn't done it. If nothing else, she runs over towards the girl. "I'm so sorry!" she says. "I'll take you to the medic, I promise -- "
Rose gets detention nonetheless. The teacher doesn't really seem to know what's happened, but if nothing else, the fact that the girl all but blubbered that Rose hit her with a book is enough to warrant Rose staying after school to help the teacher clean. It's not exactly having to stay after school that hurts -- although honestly, Rose muses, that's bad enough, if only because of the sting of humiliation that follows.
If nothing else, it's the fact that something is wrong with her. Rose doesn't know what. If nothing else, she thinks, it's that somehow, in a fit of rage, she hurt that girl. It's not even the thought of her parents being angry, but simply, the fact that she hurt someone. Granted, Lia isn't exactly the nicest girl there, but nice or no, Rose doesn't like the idea of hurting someone. It's simply something she can't bear.
5. It's at seventeen years old, at the Life Day party that she sees the old man. There's something about him that seems vaguely familiar, Rose thinks, and yet she can't put her finger on exactly what.
She's already heading home, if only because of the fact that her mom's going to give her quite the scolding if she's late, and yet at the same time --
"You all right?" she asks.
"I am," the old man says. He has a very pleasant voice, Rose thinks, very comfortable, very smooth. "I was simply finding my way back home. Nothing to fear." A pause. "And what of you? Are you all right?"
"I am," Rose says. "I mean..." She bites her lip. "A bit nervous about a new year starting is all."
The old man raises an eyebrow. "Indeed?"
"Yeah," Rose says. She's fully aware of how absurd the idea sounds, but it's true. "A little bit."
"Well," the old man says, "I would not worry about it." He smiles; Rose likes it. There's something lovely about it. "I believe you're going to have a wonderful year."
"You really think so?"
"Of course," the old man says. "And now I'd best be heading home."
"Right," Rose says. There's something about it now that's somehow sad, and yet somehow wonderful (a wonderful year? How does he know that?). "See you." The old man smiles. "See you." And then he's gone.
6. It's later in the summer that she meets C-3PO and R2-D2.
By now, Rose is frustrated, if nothing else -- she loves her mum dearly, and yet there are times, she thinks, where she simply doesn't understand. Rose, if nothing else, wants to travel beyond the stars, while her mother wants her to stay on the farm for another season if only to help with the crops.
Rose supposes that it's fair. And yet at the same time, it doesn't really make things any easier. If nothing else, it only serves to bother her more than it should.
But when she meets C-3PO and R2-D2, her entire life changes. All with one hologram recording. All with seven words or so: "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope."
7. In short, Rose muses, even as they head to Mos Eisley spaceport, there's good news and bad news. The good news is, at least, that she's finally getting off Tatooine, her mum's all right, and Luke's going with them (good news for Luke as well, Rose muses. As far as she was concerned, he was getting just as sick of farm life as she was).
The bad news is that the stormtroopers are now after them. That, Rose muses, at least puts a slight damper on things.
They're standing before Mos Eisley spaceport. Even looking over it, Rose sighs. The good news is that they might be able to lose themselves in the crowd. The bad news is that there might be more stormtroopers as well. A rock and a hard place, as they say. Still, if they can do it...
"Well," Rose says, "Let's get going, huh?"
Silence.
"Yes," Ben says, "Let's."
8. Darth Vader can't say exactly where he is.
If nothing else, the planet he's crash-landed on -- it's not Yavin, he knows. And yet there something about it that seems oddly familiar. As did that one Force signature. If nothing else, two of the pilots he pursued -- the Force was so strong with them. They were all but glowing with it. And Red Five -- she seemed too familiar for his tastes. Almost as if he should have seen her before.
But that couldn't be true, could it?
He would have to research her when he got back to Coruscant. Find out about her. And then find a way to convert both her and Red Six to his cause.
Vader stands up now, if only unsteadily. His TIE fighter is smashed beyond repair; he will need to find a way to contact the Emperor if only to get off this new planet -- which he is not looking forward to, to say the least. The fury of the Emperor could make an entire army turn and run away, if nothing else -- and then...then he can do his investigations on this pilot.
This Red Five. And this Red Six. There...there he can find out what is to be done.
9. It's on Bespin that Rose finds out the truth. Even as she's clinging to the pillar, in agony, in pain, she can see Vader, in the distance, looming over her like a shadow.
"There is no escape," the Dark Lord intones, so somberly. "Don't make me destroy you."
Rose isn't going to back down. No matter what happens, she is not going to back down from this monster.
"Rose," the Dark Lord says, "You do not yet know the extent of your power. Join me, and I will complete your training. With our combined strength, we can end this destructive conflict and bring order to the galaxy."
"You think I'm going to join you?" Rose laughs. "You're completely mad."
Then again, she supposes that if Vader weren't completely mad, he wouldn't have done all of what he had done in the first place.
Vader continues on; Rose can't help but wonder if he ever stops monologuing. "If you only knew the power," he says, "Of the Dark Side. Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father, did he?"
There's something about the question that cuts Rose too deep. "He told me enough," she says. "He told me that you killed him."
And then Vader says it. Five words that tear the galaxy as she knows it out from underneath her. "No. I am your father."
10. Vader should have known that Rose would not accept his offer -- to say that this girl is stubborn to the last is an understatement, to say the least -- but if nothing else, he doubts that it hurts any less. And if nothing else, it's really not her rejection that hurts him the most, even though it still hurts. It's the image of her in the Millennium Falcon's cockpit, badly wounded, and him being unable to help her. It's enough to make his heart ache -- granted, not in the traditional sense, but it still hurts and it aches.
It's easy for others to say that he is more machine than man, unable to feel. But if nothing else, Vader muses, it's quite the opposite. He still feels far too keenly. And the idea that he had to hurt his own daughter -- it's almost too much for him.
It's in his chamber that Vader has time to think. He's almost grateful for the solitude; he's still trying to take everything in. Because if nothing else, he should have known that they would happen. And yet he can't help but wonder -- why do they hurt?
It doesn't matter. After all, he will find Rose. He will reclaim her, and his wonderful, impossible wife, and they will be together as it should be. They will kill Palpatine, that treacherous monster that calls himself Emperor, and rule the galaxy in justice and peace. He will do that. They will do that, together. And yet at the same time he can't help but wonder -- sweet Malachor, why does it hurt?
11. The matter of attaching an artificial hand is, to say the least, difficult. Because even as it's attached, Rose knows that it's not just a matter of a missing limb being replaced -- although the warnings from the medical droid of possible needing tests to make sure it's not malfunctioning don't exactly help either -- it's a matter of putting the pieces of her life back together.
Vader scattered them in that moment at Bespin. She hates him -- she can't help but hate him. It doesn't matter regarding the fact that no, children can't hate their own fathers -- she simply hates him. If nothing else, she hates him for torturing Leia and assisting in Alderaan's destruction and killing Ben and so many other things -- and she can feel her adoptive mother's hate as well.
"It doesn't matter what's happened to him," she can hear her adoptive mother say from outside the medbay. "When I catch up with him, he's going to pay for what he's done to her."
Rose can't help but smile if only feebly at her adoptive mother's protectiveness -- frightening as it is. She's almost like a mother bear protecting her young. And though Rose is nearly full-grown, to her mum, she is still her young.
And yet at the same time, she is almost afraid for Vader. She's felt her father's anguish and grief in regards to her real mother
nothing but mechanical parts and dead friends and loves, so to speak
and she can't help but wonder how he became who he was. Then again...perhaps it's better not to know?
12. It's learning more about the other "lost Jedi" that Rose finds more information than she can possibly take in. The fact that Leia could be Force sensitive as well, and Luke (Obi-Wan's son, at that!), is almost too much to take in. And yet at the same time, there's something about it that's wonderful. If she can find a way to defeat Vader and the Emperor, find more ways as well, then that's worth everything.
Because the Empire has to end. She knows that. She's seen it -- all the innocents that the Empire's murdered in the name of establishing dominance, all the planets they've razed. The Emperor doesn't care about anything but his own power, no matter how he pretends otherwise, and her father...
Rose's thoughts halt at the thought of her father. She knows her father has done despicable things, more than despicable. And yet, who is she to simply kill him? Who is she to simply refuse to redeem him? Who is she to all but decide who lives and who dies? She doesn't know. But at least, if she can end the war with a minimized death toll, then she's made a difference.
13. It's removing the mask from her father's face that Rose sees him, not as a monster, but as a man. There's something about those eyes; they're bright blue and poignant and almost vulnerable, and yet at the same time, there's something in them that is smiling even as Rose looks at him. It's in this moment that she sees him not as the masked monster, the creature pursuing them all these years, but instead as a man.
He begs her to leave him. And yet Rose can't do it. She doubts she ever could. She doubts she ever would.
"I made my choice a long time ago," Rose says, "And I'm not going to leave you here."
Anakin laughs if only softly. "You remind me so much of Padme...near the end."
"I do?" Even the idea is almost ludicrous. Her mother is so graceful and dignified and calm, when if nothing else, Rose is nothing but passion and fire and rage and so many other things that she fears, if only in herself. She can still remember Yoda's words to her much anger in her, like her father and in a way, it still stings. And yet....
"Yes," Anakin says, "For your part."
Rose swallows. "I can't just leave you there," she says, "I've got to save you."
"You already have, Rose. And one more thing...tell Leia that you were right about me. Tell Leia..." Anakin's voice is getting more labored now, almost hoarse. "You were right."
14. It's years before she sees her father again. She never thought that she would see him again, and certainly not on the beach of Telos. And yet here he is -- when she, Luke, Leia and the others had gone out if only to find more possible Jedi, she hadn't expected to encounter her father's Force Ghost there as well. "What are you doing here?" she asks.
"I've always been there, Rose," he says. There's something in the way he smiles that makes Rose see, at least for a moment, the man that Obi-Wan had described. This sweet, good man who fell into evil.
Even the idea of it is almost terrifying to think about.
Anakin continues on. "I needed to see you, at the very least. To speak with you. I thought that now would be the time."
Rose smiles. "I thought I'd need to speak with you too. I just never thought that you would be...here."
Anakin laughs, but it's a soft, gentle laugh. He looks up now, and it's only then that Rose realizes that he's looking behind her as well.
"I can't help but wonder," he says, "How are Leia and the others doing?"
"They're doing fine," Rose says. "I mean, Leia...she's the Grand Master now. Of the Order." She grins. "Pretty fitting, I think."
There's something in Anakin's voice that is filled with pride. "Leia Organa Skywalker -- Grand Master of the New Jedi Order." He's grinning, and there's something in that grin that is almost infectious.
"I know, right?" Rose is grinning as well. "It's...it's amazing."
Anakin grows more serious now. "I also wanted to at least apologize," he said, "For my actions."
"It wasn't your fault."
"But it was," Anakin says. "If nothing else..." He sighs. "There was so much that I wanted to give you. To give Leia, for that matter, and your mother. But I lost sight of the bigger picture. I wanted to save you, and yet there was a part of me also...it wanted so much more than I had been given."
"Don't we all want that?" Rose says.
Anakin smiles, if only slightly.
"In a lot of ways, yes," Anakin says. "For your part."
Rose shakes her head. "You're completely mad."
Anakin laughs. They continue talking in that moment, talking about Han and Leia ("More Solos on the way. Force help us."), about rebuilding the Jedi Order, and so many other things. It feels almost like a lifetime since she's talked with Anakin, and somehow, there's so much of it that's wonderful and yet at the same time, hurts. And somehow, by the end of their conversation, Rose looks at him, feeling that sudden burst of emptiness begin to wash over her. "Dad -- am I ever going to see you again?"
It feels so odd calling him "Dad". And yet it feels right.
"Of course you will," Anakin says. "I mean...I see no reason why not. I might pop in for a few visits or so. Just promise me this, Rose." He becomes more serious now, though still gentle. "Just....have a good life for me. Do that. Have an absolutely wonderful life."
Rose nods. "I will."
15. It's long after duties at the Temple are finished that Rose returns home with Luke and her children. If nothing else, though she loves working with the Order, helping rebuild the galaxy, loves the sense of fun and adventure, there is something about spending time with her husband and her children that is so, so blessed. It's long after they've finally managed to get Anakin and Jenny to bed that Rose has time to read them a story.
Rose is not one for storytelling. If nothing else, Martha Jones is the storyteller of the group, not her. But she's done her best. At least, she's managed to preserve the story of their lives in the book she's written. And so she sits by their beds and reads them a story of the moisture farm girl and finding the lost princess, of a smuggler and a moisture farm boy, of a magnificent Rebellion against an evil Empire. She tells them a story about one of the most broken and yet bravest men who ever lived -- their grandfather, really. She tells them a story about the friendships of Rogue Squadron, about Ben Kenobi, about starcrossed lovers and space battles and so many others. She tells them a story about bravery, about hope, and about redemption. She tells them a story about the redemption of a former Emperor's Hand, and fighting evil clones, and one of the most cunning tactical minds they ever witnessed.
It's not just a bedtime story that Rose made up. Even acting out the voices and everything, it's not just a bedtime story. It's, in all honesty, the story of her life. Of the Rebellion and the Empire.
"And did they live happily ever after?" Jenny asked.
It's a good question, really. They've had many losses along the way. But ultimately...
"Yes," Rose says. "Yes, they did."
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