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Title: Echoes in Blue
Fandom: Star Wars, Prequels
Ship: A/P I can not resist such glorious angst.
Disclaimer: do I look like a middle-aged bearded Californian? Don’t own, don’t sue.
Archive: I’d be flattered. Just let me know so I can go over, look and gloat.
Rating: If you are old enough to watch AotC, you are old enough to read this.
Setting: Some time between the end of AotC and beginning of RotS (thus no spoilers for RotS).
Dedicated to all the SW people on my flist. You always make me think.
Summary: Their partings are long and hard. Their meetings are short and harder.


She is waiting. The shades of blue in the apartment tint deeper with the setting sun. C3PO has informed her there will be no callers, as requested. None, save one.

He is back. The knowledge has rooted in her bones. She cannot meet him in public, with all her poise and control. Not after months. He will walk through that door, alone, and find her waiting. She both craves and dreads the moment.

Their partings are long and hard. Their meetings are short and harder.

The first week after he is gone is the worst. She busies herself. She is industrious Senator Amidala. She hurries from meeting to party to conference to show. All to avoid coming home to the ghost of warmth in her bed. To the loss that transcends emotion and becomes pure physical ache. If she were fanciful, she’d say she needs him to help her breathe.

The second week is better. She holds long conversations with him in her head. They are longer than any conversations they really have. If he were really here, the conversations would have been long over. He would have started kissing her, and after the kissing…Well.

She rebuilds her separateness brick by brick, day by day, week by week. Sometimes there are months and she almost forgets she needs him.

And then he is back, and the wall she has labored over comes falling down, a monumental, instant shock. Like a cliché out of a holovid, the world becomes a bit brighter, the colors sharper, the sounds more intense. Her existence slides into focus. She had forgotten she has missed him, and is always surprised to realize that alone she has only been half-self, half-alive.

She learns the topography of his scars. She maps his body by her kisses, marking mine mine mine. He whispers, once, in the tangled mass of her hair: “You are my world. There is nothing without you.” It is not a compliment. He is always unready with smooth flow of compliment, and his words of love come with the rough edges of earnest need.

“You are my world. There is nothing without you.” It is a truth immovable for him, and the stark enormity of it terrifies and exalts her.

He laughs in her presence, the wide expanse of teeth. He is reduced to a boy, worry utterly wiped from his face. She catches herself trying to make him laugh. Now she knows why she resisted her heart for so long. She knew once she lost the battle, there would be no control. She can no more stop herself now than she can fly.

He is there only long enough to get her accustomed to his presence. He is never long enough to make her complacent. Just long enough to make the scabbed over ache of his loss tear open again.

She has nightmares of him being dead. Of his ship spinning out of control. Of a blast tearing him apart. Of a light saber slicing through the tendons of the neck, cutting the bone. She sees the recognition dying out of his eyes, the face going blank, the long body crumpling, night, after night, after night. She has nightmares of him dying by the hand of someone who does not even realize his importance. She has nightmares of him dying by the hand of someone who realizes it all too well.

The blues of the apartment grow shadowed.

She has heard a noise, slight but there, and she turns.

He is on the threshold and something comes alive in his eyes. The sheer intensity in them holds her in a net. It is as if for him, everything that he is or will be is concentrated on that moment. She would revel in the fact that she is the only one who will ever see that look on his face, her secret against the world. She would notice the new scar, already fading, and add it to the bitter catalogue of her mind. But that will come later. Now there is nothing in her outside of a stumbling rush. They meet on the threshold and her tears scatter like summer rain. He is solid against her ribcage. Her hands tangle in his hair as he buries his head in her neck, eyes squeezed tightly shut. She tightens her hold and he makes an indescribable noise in his throat.

They have come together, story book hero and story book queen, their shadows gloriously mingled.

For now.

The End

Awesome...

Date: 2005-04-20 03:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kimbari.livejournal.com
Now I have to start reading SW fanfic. *sigh* This is something I've assiduously avoided, oh, shoot, all my life. Yours is acutally the first one I've ever read. What a wonderful introduction. :) Thanks.

Re: Awesome...

Date: 2005-04-20 04:01 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ewanspotter.livejournal.com
What kind of fanfic are you interested in? Maybe I can recommend some?

Date: 2005-04-20 04:02 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ewanspotter.livejournal.com
I am not a huge fan of romantic stuff... but my God... that was wonderful. Utterly wonderful.

Re: Awesome...

Date: 2005-04-20 04:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com
Thank you so much. It's actually the first SW fanfic I've ever written.

There are some good archives out there, and depending on the kind you like to read, I can recommend some. There is actually a whole list for sw recs: [livejournal.com profile] swrecs

Date: 2005-04-20 04:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com
Thank you. *blushes*

Re: Awesome...

Date: 2005-04-20 04:11 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kimbari.livejournal.com
I'm interested in intelligent, romantic, sexy, grownup fanfic (a lot like yours ;). Right now I'm up to my eyeteeth in Battlestar Galactica, writing fic for that. I haven't written sci-fi fic since 4th season of Babylon 5, so it's new yet familiar.

I appreciate any reccs you can send me. Thanks!

Re: Awesome...

Date: 2005-04-20 04:13 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kimbari.livejournal.com
Bwah! I should've said "a lot like this one." It's early. I'm confused. :D

Re: Awesome...

Date: 2005-04-20 04:14 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com
Any particular pairing? (e.g. I would imagine Qui-Gon/Obi-Wan fic is quite different from Han/Leia which in turn is different from Padme/Anakin).

I know some good Prequel fic but I am less familiar with OT fic.

Re: Awesome...

Date: 2005-04-20 04:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com
P.S.

This (http://www.soulofthejedi.net/cgi-bin/stories/display.cgi?id=88&sort=rating&storyview=toc&chapter=1&cat=2) is a A/P story I like. It's a "missing scene" in AotC.

Re: Awesome...

Date: 2005-04-20 04:21 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] kimbari.livejournal.com
Not much interested in slash although I'll take a peek at (and have written ;) femmeslash. Prequel? OT? See, I'm not even familiar with the terminology. LOL

Re: Awesome...

Date: 2005-04-20 04:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com
I don't really care for slash so I am not an expert (and so couldn't recommend good slash anyway), but I don't think there is much femeslash in SW world. Just because of sheer scarcity of females.

Prequels are I-III. OT is IV-VI.

Date: 2005-04-20 06:41 pm (UTC)
ext_50: Amrita Rao (Anakin Skywalker)
From: [identity profile] plazmah.livejournal.com
Severely awesome! Your SW fic is always the best :)

Date: 2005-04-20 06:50 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com
Thank you :)

Date: 2005-04-20 09:23 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] scottishlass.livejournal.com
Wonderfully written :) Makes me almost a fan of A/P fanfic ... ;-)

Date: 2005-04-20 09:27 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com
Now, that is a compliment :D Thank you.

Where did you get that image of Mara (I assume it's she) for the icon? *curious*

Date: 2005-04-20 09:35 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] scottishlass.livejournal.com
Oh it definitely is :) If all A/P fanfic were like yours I think I would have stuck to reading it on fanfiction.net. Unfortunately it wasn't and most stuff was so *squee*aly teeny-bobber-rish I went back to EU fanfic.

That is actually not an official image of Mara Jade but actress Dina Meyer which I personally see as Mara Jade when I write any Luke/Mara fic. I think she has the looks that Zahn described in The Last Command.

Date: 2005-04-20 09:48 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com
Most of the stuff on ff.net, any ship and any fandom is scary horribleness.

See here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/dangermousie/11108.html) and here (http://www.livejournal.com/users/dangermousie/12997.html) for proof.

I LOVE your icon. It's totally hot and I don't even know much about EU.

Date: 2005-04-20 10:40 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] scottishlass.livejournal.com
You know ... alone from just reading the summaries I'm scarred for LIFE!
But then these kind of writers are OUT THERE. Can you imagine what kind of stuff ppl submit to my website? And then act all enraged when I tell them I WON'T host their dribble.
It is sad .. sad .. I tell you.
But I have to admit writing summaries is hard work, how to make your own work exiting and worth a read in a short, conscise manner? It's damn hard :s

Most EU fanfic is NC17. Mara Jade and Luke engage in all kinds of drama, hot sex and mushy scenes :) Generally, the EU books are seen as pts. 7-9 of the movies. The timeline starts shortly after ROTJ though Timothy Zahn who introduced Mara Jade in the professional fics, hinted that Luke and her met as early as Jabba's barge and that Mara Jade was on a mission to assassin Jabba and posing as a dancing girl. It sparked all kinds of fics about the two :) Over a timespan of ten years Mara Jade tries to fulfill the last command from the Emperor, who wanted Luke dead. So Jade, Ex-Emperor's Hand (not a Padawan like Vader but Force-strong), hears his command even though Palpy is dead. But somehow she cannot kill Luke and a wary friendship is struck up between her and Luke. Luke sees the potential in her, and even though he has some flings with other women in the EU book series, sparks fly anytime he and Jade are on a mission together. Their dialogues are witty repartees and with Jade finding her footing as a Force user it becomes more and more apparent that she is equal to Luke.
Good thing, the PTB saw the potential of Mara Jade and in The New Jedi Order series acknowledged the love between the Jedi Master and the Ex-Imp. Officially in the books they are now married and have a son called Ben.
it took them more than ten years in real life to get them there, while fanfic already had them together or moving there, from the first time Zahn introduced Mara Jade :)
Most good EU fics have been banned from ff.net as they all were NC17 and R rated (the EU books are quite graphical on violence) and the fanfic writers spiced it up even more with smut.
A good place to start is here http://utopicworlds.net/swsb/index.php
the best SW EU fanfic writers as well as Prequel writers are gathered there.

Date: 2005-04-20 10:44 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com
Thanks for the recs. I will definitely check them out.

Can you imagine what kind of stuff ppl submit to my website? And then act all enraged when I tell them I WON'T host their dribble.


I can only imagine. *shudder*

Please excuse the prurient college student

Date: 2005-04-21 12:10 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] iheartpotatoes.livejournal.com
Their partings are long and hard. Their meetings are short and harder.

No pun intended, I hope.

Re: Please excuse the prurient college student

Date: 2005-04-21 12:17 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com
Heee. Mind out of that gutter, young lady! I am sure Anakin's lightsaber is quite...ermmmm...long. Haven't you seen the pics? :)

Date: 2005-04-21 03:07 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lazypadawan.livejournal.com
That was awesome. You really captured the need and loneliness Padmé likely feels for Anakin; sometimes her thoughts and feelings get shortchanged in fan fic.

You ought to send it to The Moons of Iego website and/or post it on the padmeanakin community.

Date: 2005-04-21 04:01 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com
Thank you. I love your fanfic, so it's beyond neat that you liked my story.

I can't write male POV so female it is. Besides I quite like Padme. She didn't have the easiest life or choices.

I posted it to the padmeanakin. Need to figure out how to submit to Moons of Iego, as I am new to the whole SW fanfic thing...

Date: 2005-04-21 05:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] lazypadawan.livejournal.com
Just shoot off an e-mail to [livejournal.com profile] ladyaeryn. She runs Moons of Iego.

Padmé is a great character to write. I like her a lot too.

Date: 2005-04-21 01:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com
Thank you....

Re: Awesome...

Date: 2005-04-22 12:04 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ewanspotter.livejournal.com
Ah, so you're looking for romance. Hmm, not really my thing. I know some excellent younger Obi-Wan stories. It's what I like most, if you can't guess from my username. lol

Date: 2005-04-22 01:59 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] elvensapphire.livejournal.com
Oh my goodness. I love this, it's beautiful, and you did an amazing job of capturing how they feel about each other. The light mixing with the shadows...*shivers* Thank you so much for pointing me to this!

Date: 2005-04-22 03:17 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com
Thank you...I kept thinking and thinking about how hard their separation must have been.

Date: 2005-04-23 06:45 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] elvensapphire.livejournal.com
Their love is so intense, they literally become life for one another, and if only they hadn't been separated so much...maybe everything would have turned out differently.

Date: 2005-04-24 03:04 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com
Of course, when you base your whole life around a person, it's going to base your sense of morality and perspective out of balance :(

Date: 2005-04-24 07:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] elvensapphire.livejournal.com
Yes. And sadly, it really does screw both of them up...

Date: 2005-04-25 12:54 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com
Though of course, there is a question of whether it's better to live a balanced empty life or a passionate scred-up one.

Date: 2005-04-25 05:00 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] elvensapphire.livejournal.com
Yes, but...Their passion sure ended up in lots of flame and destruction, and not just for them, but for innocents. So, was it really a positive thing? I think it could have been, had it not been so horribly twisted by those around them.

Date: 2005-04-25 10:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dangermousie.livejournal.com
Of course. But I think Palpy would have had his way no matter what, anyway. He would have corrupted some other powerful Jedi then (I bet it gave him extra pleasure to do it to the "Chosen One"). Maybe with Anakin on their side, the Jedi would have won sooner. But there still would have been tons of death and destruction.

Date: 2005-04-26 09:56 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] elvensapphire.livejournal.com
Palpy planned it all so well, I don't know how he could have lost. Anakin or no, he was going to kill all the Jedi, and if Anakin hadn't turned, he'd probably have been included. Having the Chosen One as a pawn was a bonus. Gah.

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