Vignettes
Pain She awoke screaming. The sheets tangled around her, suffocating, tying her down. Hands attempted to restrain her as she lunged for the black figure looming before her. Her voice was raw from the screams and her vision blurred from the tears of pain and anger. She freed one hand and clawed at the shadowy figure. "Leia!" A strong hand held her wrist inches from a pair of cold blue eyes. Blue eyes that had laughed, cried, smiled, with her. Eyes that had been frozen cold from a demon secret that he held close, allowing no one, not even her, to see. "Luke," she whispered. Leia lunged at Luke, wrapping her arms around his neck, she didn't want to see those cold blue eyes for fear that she would lose the last person she loved in the whole galaxy. Leia held on to Luke like a person drowning. Without questions, Luke wrapped his arms around her trembling shoulders. He whispered softly in an attempt to calm her. Luke rested his back and head against the wall, as he continued to hold his dearest friend close. He had changed, so much had changed. Han was gone. Luke felt the tears rise in his own eyes. In the days since Bespin, Luke had floated, detached through life, as if there were no more emotions to batter. A frightening calm had settled in his soul. But now in the middle of the darkened Alliance fleet, with a sobbing Leia in his arms, he felt for the first time in weeks, emotions rising from within. Pain. Pain that came from gifts that couldn't spare Leia from the hurt and tears, pain that came from a missing hand, a missing friend, and a father found. But the pain was a bitter sweet reminder to Luke, that he was alive, Leia was alive, and Han was alive. So he pulled the pain close, cradled it, marveling that he was still capable of feeling anything. Despite the assault on his very being, his soul was still his own. * * * * * Past Reflected in the Future He could feel him approaching. The boy was impatient, a cruel twisted smile formed under his monstrous mask at that thought. Much as he himself had been. It would be his undoing, just as the Emperor had forseen though not as he had intended. For Vader's plans for young Skywalker were not the same as his Master's. Strong, young, impatient, half-trained, his fear was controlled but not his anger, just as he had once been, but the ending would be different this time. Skywalker would turn, but not under the Emperor's tutelage, but rather his own. He would turn or he would die. It was Luke's destiny just as it had been his own. A destiny that had been set down long ago. Another painful twisted smile formed on the Sith Lord's lips. The same strengths the same weakness. He would show young Skywalker the true power of the Darkside of the Force. This was his moment the one he had waited for all his life. Together they would bring down the Emperor, and if the boy would not turn... Though Skywalker would be a great asset, unless he gave himself to the Darkside he was useless to Vader. The Sith Lord had no time for weakness, all that mattered was the Emperor. Thoughts of killing the Emperor were the only ones that could fill Vader's empty soul. Nothing would stand in his way... not even his son. * * * * * Princess They don't understand, she thought to herself. No one understands me!. The girl slumped back against the wall. She was sitting in a tiny niche high on the roof of the summer palace, feet dangling over the edge. She often hid there when she wanted to be alone. Sometimes it was all just too much...they expected too much of her. It seemed to Leia that every adult wanted to make her into the exact opposite of everything that she was. She understood perfectly that with the title of princess, would come special duty and responsibility to the people of Alderaan. So why did they always make her feel like she was so wrong? In class, she knew the answers before anyone else...sometimes before the question was finished. It was as though the solution had always been there, and she need only turn her conscious mind toward it. When confronted by tutors with some new challenge, some complex scenario, she knew instantly what must be done and said...yet they kept telling her to be silent. Why? "Patience, Leia! Think before you speak, Leia! Do not raise your voice like that, Leia! Sit, Leia!" They said these things to her so often, she had begun to hate the sound of her own name. But today was very different. Today, one of the instructors - frustrated as they often were by her forceful behavior - said something in front of the other students that she could not easily dismiss. "Leia! You are an embarrassment to your mother's memory!" The room fell silent, but there was a roaring in Leia's ears and her face felt hot suddenly. That was when she had fled from the room to the rooftop sanctuary where she now sat, cradled between two huge slabs of Alian granite. Mother, she thought, why am I so different? What's wrong with me? For a long time, her eyes traced the forested horizon beyond the gates of the city. The gentle slopes that she loved so much, began to blur in the distance, as her eyes brimmed with tears. I'm so sorry mother...I can't do anything right. Leia felt for the pendant around her neck, hidden beneath the rough cloth of her student's smock. She curled herself deeper into the rooftop hideaway. And as she clutched at the crimson jewel - the Jewel of Zenda - she lost the quiet struggle to hold back her tears... * * * * * Angel Amidala swiftly strode to the Jedi Temple. In her disguise she looked as an ordinary citizen did. She tried to look ahead without any regard to her sorroundings as if she had passed this way thousands of times from her way to work from home. Yet she soon discovered that this was a harder task than expected. She found her gaze wander skyward too peer at the tops of the tall skyscrapers or to a fountain made of fine marble in the middle of a residental court. *I hope Anakin is here*. Her growing anticipation was surprising enough to herself. She had never been so excitied to meet someone. She hadn't seen Anakin for awhile now. Not face to face at least. They had their occasional talks through the Holonet but it had been too long since she had felt his real presence. With his Jedi training, he was always on the move or in some deep meditation on an unknown planet. He was not the only one to blame for this lack of real communication. She had been just as busy ruling Naboo. The Senate was growing detached. Each Senator with his or her own troubles arguing that their's was more important then the next one in line was stressing. She had gone through long days of constant bickering and remarkably lived through it. As she strode up the stairs of the Jedi Temple a hand caught her on the shoulder. The touch was gentle, but it alarmed her, for her daze had caught her unaware of anything suspicious. She stood there stunned for a second without turning to face the person. "Are you an angel?" A soft voice spoke the words. A voice familiar and noble made her fear slowly disappear. Without turning, she knew who the person was. "Anakin." She spoke the his name softly but questionably. She slowly turned around. His smiling face brightened even more at the sight of hers. "Anakin!" She leaped into his arms. His arms enfolding her warmly. She slowly pulled away from the embrace to look fully upon him. He had grown considerably. Now, taller than she, she looked directly into his eyes. He wore a brown robe like those of the Jedi. His padawan braid fell over his shoulder. "How did you find me?" She glanced and saw the two droids behind Anakin. "You can always spot an angel in a crowd," Anakin said with a broad smile upon his face. His eyes were glistening with excitement. Padme's cheeks blushed slighly. "Lets go somewhere more private," she said looking around them. Anakin smiled and held out his hand tentatively. She reached out and took his hand in hers. His touch was electric. Sparks flew inside of her as a rush of emotions overwhelmed her. She could feel her palms begin to sweat. What is happening to me, she thought to herself. "I know just the place," he said confidently and with that they strode off among the crowd hand in hand. * * * Anakin knew where to take her. He could feel her longing to be away from the bustle of the city. She would always be uncomfortable in a place like this. As was he . He longed for the quiet and simple life of Tantooine. Yet his freedom, his Jedi training, his future was away from such a desolate place. Endurance was the key to surviving the always in motion life of Jedi training. After a few moments they finally reached their destination unknown to Padme'. "Close your eyes," Anakin whispered softly. She shot him an uncertain look but obeyed. He reached for both of her hands and led her to the place. "Now, open them" Her eyes opened tentatively. She gazed around them. Her breath caught in her throat. The scene she observed was a garden. Not an ordianry garden but one of enormous and majestic size and beauty. Thousands of flowers, trees, and vines of all different colors thrived in this magnificent place. Mesmerizing purples, brilliant oranges, midnight blues, and scarlet reds showered them with their exotic splendor. "Oh Anakin..." Her heart was beating fast. His kindness was overwhelmiing. The sweeping garden before them displayed a such a warm sense of friendship she was overtaken by it. Caught in the moment of the grandeur she did something unexpectedly. One that would be never forgotten. One that would begin a new path to an unknown future. For both of them. She gazed into his icy blue eyes and kissed him upon the lips. At first thier lips tasted each others, unsure of what was unfolding. Then slowly their hearts opened to one another and their lips moved into a passionate kiss. Now, with the touch of the other's lips the emotions that had been kept secret were being unlocked. As their lips were still together Anakin's hand moved to her pendant he had given to her a long time ago. The symbol of friendship and luck that he had worked with all his heart on back when her first met this angel before him. With the pendant in his hand he gracefully pressed it to her heart.
Journal Of The Whills
