Drabblemania!
Tickle me inspired! I did quite a bit of writing today. I started some of these long ago, but I've now finished and organized bunches of drabbles for you all! Please tell me what you think! (Note that I'm particularly proud of "Into the Arms.")
The One Who Cries (220 words // Obi-wan, Anakin // 10min Challenge)
A field of blood like any other. It is a solemn moment as Obi-wan steps around the bodies to regroup with the troops, Anakin at his heels. It is a solemn moment, but it does not change the fact that they must hurry. The Jedi master looks at his datapad, recording the damage. He continues to walk as he does so. A few more steps and he stops. Anakin is lagging behind. He mentally calls for his former padawan through the Force. The young man drags himself away from the civilian he was speaking to, and jogs up to join his master.
It is the hitch in Anakin’s breathing that moves Obi-wan to look up from the pad. Anakin’s face startles him, it is streaked with the stain of blood...and tears.
“What happened?”
“That man...his wife...she--I--”
Obi-wan watches with concern. He has not known Anakin to be this empathic since he was a child. As soon as the astonishment rises, it settles, as the young Jedi regains control of himself.
“I wanted to help bury her. It didn’t take long.”
Obi-wan simply nods. Weeks later, he will see tears in Anakin’s face on a harsh red planet, fire and lava surrounding them. He will then look back on this memory and understand.
- . e . n . d . -
Imparting my Treasures (445 words // Vader, Piet // AU)
“Lord Vader, please--!”
“Piet, my friend...I am dying. This assasin’s poison has no antedote. I’m amune to any that do. Stop. Don’t try to tell me that I will live when neither you or I can fulfill that promise. Piet, I’m going to tell you a story. You’ve heard my battle stories, my tales of political intrigue. The one I’m going to tell you is a...fairytale. For lack of better word. It is not befitting a Sith, but niether is frienship.
“A long time ago, there lived a young boy. He was a slave, and he worked in his master’s shop. One day, the most beautiful person he had ever seen walked into his life. There was no doubt in his nine- year-old mind that she was an angel, and he would marry her one day. She was, and he did. He became a powerful and honored person so that he might be worthy of her. After they were wed, they created a place called Paradise. There were no troubles there. But after a time, Paradise began to fade. She was dying, even as she gave birth. She gave birth to twins, a girl and a boy. The moon and the sun. They became the man’s world, even as his lady died. He took his treasures to a gray castle, hoping to protect them from the outside world, as he himself decended into darkness. He left to serve a facinating, yet evil man in a bleak empire. He thought of his treasures from time to time, even as he thought of his lady.
“Piet, that lady...was my wife. I miss her. I miss her like a suffocating man misses air. It is only through the force that my will to surive without her has withstood the test of time. Now that time is gone, and I will soon be back in the paradise of her arms. There are no black suits, or respirators, or grotesque masks there. I’ve waited more that fifteen years; now I have less than fifteen mintues. But before I go, I impart my treasures--my children--to you. If you check the rightmost top hatch of the control center of my personal shuttle, you will find an autopilot command. It will take you to Bast Castle. It will take you to my son and my daughter. Take care of them. See that they continue to study what I’ve taught them. See that they do not forget their heritage. And if you treasure my friendhip at all, see that the Emperor never knows that they yet live.
“Promise me.”
“I...”
“Promise me.”
“Anakin--!”
“Promise me!”
“Yes, my Lord.”
- . e . n . d . -
If It Serves Its Purpose (400 words, Danni/Sekot)
He came to her as a boy, and she spurned him. When she saw him later, as a man, she began to regret that decision. For a small span of days, she believed that he might still want her. But his true loyalty was to the life's journey he needed to take. He answered the call of the Force and left her behind. Danni Quee said goodbye to Jacen Solo, but letting go of his memory was another thing entirely.
She returned to Sekot with a heavy heart, wondering what physical form the planet's mind would take next. She heard a rustling in the underbrush and saw the form of a man. She gasped. It was Jacen...and yet...not Jacen. Sekot.
"Why...why did you choose to look like him today?"
"You know that I take the form of whoever I think you will listen to. A year ago, taking this form would have been pointless. Now, it serves its purpose."
Nodding her head, she tried not to question it. Sekot kept Jacen’s form. In doing so, it served its purpose. It was Jacen's voice, so she listened. It was Jacen's expressions, so she paid attention. It was Jacen's hand, so she grasped it to steady herself. Yet, through it all, it wasn’t Jacen.
In time, she found she didn't mind. It was Jacen's appearance that had initially set her at ease, and that was good. But Sekot was the mind, the soul, and that was good too. It was Sekot that demonstrated the workings of this strange paradise. It was Sekot that listened with rapt attention as to how other ways of life unfolded. It was Sekot that was with her and around her as the sun set and the wildlife quieted.
It was Sekot all along, and never Jacen. Almost as soon as Danni found herself accepting it, she began to embrace it. She felt something change inside herself. The longing she had felt upon first returning was gone. It had been replaced with a different desire entirely. She looked over her shoulder. Sekot was there, a shadow against the sun.
Danni didn't think. She simply asked.
"Would you mind if I kissed you?"
"Kissed me? You walk in me, on me, though me. You breathe me in with each passing moment. Do you think I should mind if you kissed me?"
Danni supposed not. She then kissed her home.
- . e . n . d . -
Into the Arms (660 words // Allana, Jacen)
“Run!”
Her mother is the Queen Mother of Hapes. Her will is to be obeyed. The little princess obeys. She runs to the newly-built launch pad on her mother’s battle dragon, and slaps the button. It is only for the absolute worst of emergencies. It is the end of secrecy, the beginning of a new kind of vulnerability. The pod launches, carrying the child on a pre-programmed flight, following a transmitter. The signal is always carried by one man, wherever he may be.
The flight is long, hazardous...frightening. It gives her time to think, which is what makes it frightening. She remembers seeing the blood-ridden bodies of her chamber guards on the palance floor. She recalls her mother wisking her away on an unregistered ship, resereved only for the three of them: her, her mother, and her protector droid, Dee. She remembers the ship being assaulted...scattered droid parts strewn accross the panneling...all that now remains of Dee.
They had come for her, for her mother. Her mother fought them. They were stronger. She was commanded to run. The little girl knew it was no simple flight from danger. She was supposed to run to *him*. He was all that was left to protect her now. She trembled within the tiny pod. She had never run to him before. He was a secret. Her secret. Just as she was his. But now is not the time for secrets. It is time for survival.
A light strobes over her head. The time has come. The pod is tiny, just big enough for her body, some shields, an engine, and a hyperdrive. It lands in the middle of an upper-level Couruscant street, setting off hundreds of alarms, upsetting traffic. She reaches into a tiny compartment beside her, pulling out the wristband hidden there. It will help her follow the transmitter signal. She runs till she finds a big, important-looking building. She slides past the outer guard, running underneath their legs. She accends several levels. She sees Nohgri move out of the shadows to stop her. They hesitate. They have never seen her before, but they cannot deny that her scent is familiar. She passes through. She stops before a set of double-doors. The humming on her wristband stops. This is it.
As she yanks open the doors, she realizes how it must look. A little girl, seven years old, covered from head to toe in rags and blood...she cannot hide the ghosts that hover about her eyes. Her body is thin and weary, but still ready to run. Her eyes rove...and she sees him.
He stands proudly in black robes among fellow council members and relatives. They are all there. His mother, his father, his sister, his uncle...even Ben is there, the only other to know of their secret. Ben stands with him, tense. Both felt her presense before she even entered the building.
He turns. His brandy eyes meet hers, filled with concern and a fear she has never beheld before. At least, not in him. The galaxy halts for an instant. With a twinge of panic, she realizes that he is afraid too. He is afraid of revealing everything, being forced to share and admit all the times he lied to keep her safe. He can still do it. He can pretend not to know her, appologize to her in private later...but she needs him. And he needs her to need him.
Without a word, his knee bends. He kneels, and extends his arms. She runs to them...crying, choking out the only thing she can say...
“Father!”
He picks her up, clutching her with a jealous fervor. She squeezes her eyes shut, and the tears dampen her cheeks. When he’s holding her close enough, tightly enough, her own hold loosens...her eyes open. She stares into the eyes of every single sentient watching. His family...and hers.
- . e . n . d . -
Pain of Consequence (570 words // Ben, Jacen // 12_fics Prompt: fling, one-night stand)
Fling. One-night stand. Ben Skywalker is too young to fully understand what these words mean, but he knows that they can’t be good. He’s heard his father’s friends--the rogues--talk about them. Sometimes they--whatever they are--involve cunning and calculation to arrange them. Sometimes they happen spontaneously. But no matter how they begin, they always end the same way. Somebody leaves someone and never looks back. Even if Ben doesn’t really know what a one-night stand is, he knows what it is to be left alone.
He’s heard that sometimes women have babies after those temporary flings. The father goes away, and the mother cares for the baby all on her own. The baby has only half a set of parents, and that makes things twice as hard. Ben has both his parrents, and he knows that things are hard enough as it is. His mother and father love each other and they love him, but sometimes he gets left alone anyway. They are the Skywalkers, and their life is dangerous. Ben knows that he’s left behind for his own saftey, but that doesn’t change the fact that he is left behind.
He looks down into a richly ornate bassinet. He sees a tiny baby girl there. Her name is Allana, and he doesn’t need the Force to know that she is Jacen’s. As he looks down, he feels a rotting sense of betrayal sink low into his belly.
Because Jacen Solo, his cousin, his idol, has had a one-night stand. The result of that fling is sweet baby Allana. The thought that Jacen, perfect Jacen, would leave such a little girl to brave the cold years with a hunted one-armed mother...Ben feels part of his heart break. Jacen has snapped off a corner of it. He can feel it.
Ben listens to his older cousin protest. He loves Tenel Ka, he says, that’s all that matters. But Ben knows that love isn’t enough. Love doesn’t make people stay. His parrents love him, but they always leave him with someone else. His cousin Jaina has loved many men, but has never remained with any of them. Jacen may love Allana, but he will not raise her. He has let go of that right. He has not claimed Tenel Ka as his, has not bound himself to her. He may come and see her again, her and Allana, but it will not be for a long time and it will not be often. He will slave away on missions and Jedi duties without pause. He will have to, he will have no excuse not to. He will not be able tell his uncle Luke that he needs a break to see his wife and child; he won’t be able to claim that he must see his family. He cannot ask to see what his not his to see.
Being left behind hurts. Ben knows that these thoughts and emotions are all connected and that they are profound. But Ben in young, and can never seem to get the depth of what he feels put properly into words. He feels concerned. Dissapointed. Sorrowfull. Yet when he speaks, he hides his hurt behind wide eyes and an insulting smile. He can’t help sounding like the child he is.
“But you’re not married--and you had a baby! You guys are gonna be in so much trouble!”
- . e . n . d . -
Childish Resentment (160 words // Tahiri)
A few years ago, Tahiri knows she would have been considered a child. Yet, she has always assumed that the war made her an adult. Now, she is not so sure. An adult would not have these feelings. An adult would not suffer from such petty jealousy. She knows this, but the emotion remains.
Why is it that Jacen gets to live, but her Anakin does not? Where is the fairness of it? Jacen was the timid one, the coward. Anakin was the genius, the hero without fear. Why is it that Jacen can accept the Yuzzhan Vong with open arms, while she had their mentality so cruelly forced upon her? Why is he now happy, confident, and self-assured while she is still struggling with who and what she is?
Tahiri tells herself that she is seeking answers as she adds fuel to the fire inside her. In the end, it all burns down to this...
It isn’t fair.
- . e . n . d . -
Perfect Mirror (175 words, Anakin/Padme)
Sometimes, when they are alone and sharing things with each other, they see one another though each other’s eyes.
Padme catches a glimpse of herself, and realizes she is beautiful. Her cheeks are flushed and her hair is in disaray, but she knows she is beautiful. She knows, because Anakin loves her that way. She feels the liquid whisper of tears in her eyes. She relaxes. Whether they fall or not, there is no shame in such things before her husband.
When she holds him, Anakin is amazed at his own strength. The way she curls around him...so secure, so trusting. He feels unstoppable. He believes it, knowing it is what she feels when he embraces her. He watches over her through the night, until his eyes drift shut. He can whisper his thoughts and dreams in her ear without fear. There is no shame in such things before his wife.
It is only like this, each with the other that they feel complete and content. Not only with each other, but with themselves.
- . e . n . d . -
The One Who Cries (220 words // Obi-wan, Anakin // 10min Challenge)
A field of blood like any other. It is a solemn moment as Obi-wan steps around the bodies to regroup with the troops, Anakin at his heels. It is a solemn moment, but it does not change the fact that they must hurry. The Jedi master looks at his datapad, recording the damage. He continues to walk as he does so. A few more steps and he stops. Anakin is lagging behind. He mentally calls for his former padawan through the Force. The young man drags himself away from the civilian he was speaking to, and jogs up to join his master.
It is the hitch in Anakin’s breathing that moves Obi-wan to look up from the pad. Anakin’s face startles him, it is streaked with the stain of blood...and tears.
“What happened?”
“That man...his wife...she--I--”
Obi-wan watches with concern. He has not known Anakin to be this empathic since he was a child. As soon as the astonishment rises, it settles, as the young Jedi regains control of himself.
“I wanted to help bury her. It didn’t take long.”
Obi-wan simply nods. Weeks later, he will see tears in Anakin’s face on a harsh red planet, fire and lava surrounding them. He will then look back on this memory and understand.
- . e . n . d . -
Imparting my Treasures (445 words // Vader, Piet // AU)
“Lord Vader, please--!”
“Piet, my friend...I am dying. This assasin’s poison has no antedote. I’m amune to any that do. Stop. Don’t try to tell me that I will live when neither you or I can fulfill that promise. Piet, I’m going to tell you a story. You’ve heard my battle stories, my tales of political intrigue. The one I’m going to tell you is a...fairytale. For lack of better word. It is not befitting a Sith, but niether is frienship.
“A long time ago, there lived a young boy. He was a slave, and he worked in his master’s shop. One day, the most beautiful person he had ever seen walked into his life. There was no doubt in his nine- year-old mind that she was an angel, and he would marry her one day. She was, and he did. He became a powerful and honored person so that he might be worthy of her. After they were wed, they created a place called Paradise. There were no troubles there. But after a time, Paradise began to fade. She was dying, even as she gave birth. She gave birth to twins, a girl and a boy. The moon and the sun. They became the man’s world, even as his lady died. He took his treasures to a gray castle, hoping to protect them from the outside world, as he himself decended into darkness. He left to serve a facinating, yet evil man in a bleak empire. He thought of his treasures from time to time, even as he thought of his lady.
“Piet, that lady...was my wife. I miss her. I miss her like a suffocating man misses air. It is only through the force that my will to surive without her has withstood the test of time. Now that time is gone, and I will soon be back in the paradise of her arms. There are no black suits, or respirators, or grotesque masks there. I’ve waited more that fifteen years; now I have less than fifteen mintues. But before I go, I impart my treasures--my children--to you. If you check the rightmost top hatch of the control center of my personal shuttle, you will find an autopilot command. It will take you to Bast Castle. It will take you to my son and my daughter. Take care of them. See that they continue to study what I’ve taught them. See that they do not forget their heritage. And if you treasure my friendhip at all, see that the Emperor never knows that they yet live.
“Promise me.”
“I...”
“Promise me.”
“Anakin--!”
“Promise me!”
“Yes, my Lord.”
- . e . n . d . -
If It Serves Its Purpose (400 words, Danni/Sekot)
He came to her as a boy, and she spurned him. When she saw him later, as a man, she began to regret that decision. For a small span of days, she believed that he might still want her. But his true loyalty was to the life's journey he needed to take. He answered the call of the Force and left her behind. Danni Quee said goodbye to Jacen Solo, but letting go of his memory was another thing entirely.
She returned to Sekot with a heavy heart, wondering what physical form the planet's mind would take next. She heard a rustling in the underbrush and saw the form of a man. She gasped. It was Jacen...and yet...not Jacen. Sekot.
"Why...why did you choose to look like him today?"
"You know that I take the form of whoever I think you will listen to. A year ago, taking this form would have been pointless. Now, it serves its purpose."
Nodding her head, she tried not to question it. Sekot kept Jacen’s form. In doing so, it served its purpose. It was Jacen's voice, so she listened. It was Jacen's expressions, so she paid attention. It was Jacen's hand, so she grasped it to steady herself. Yet, through it all, it wasn’t Jacen.
In time, she found she didn't mind. It was Jacen's appearance that had initially set her at ease, and that was good. But Sekot was the mind, the soul, and that was good too. It was Sekot that demonstrated the workings of this strange paradise. It was Sekot that listened with rapt attention as to how other ways of life unfolded. It was Sekot that was with her and around her as the sun set and the wildlife quieted.
It was Sekot all along, and never Jacen. Almost as soon as Danni found herself accepting it, she began to embrace it. She felt something change inside herself. The longing she had felt upon first returning was gone. It had been replaced with a different desire entirely. She looked over her shoulder. Sekot was there, a shadow against the sun.
Danni didn't think. She simply asked.
"Would you mind if I kissed you?"
"Kissed me? You walk in me, on me, though me. You breathe me in with each passing moment. Do you think I should mind if you kissed me?"
Danni supposed not. She then kissed her home.
- . e . n . d . -
Into the Arms (660 words // Allana, Jacen)
“Run!”
Her mother is the Queen Mother of Hapes. Her will is to be obeyed. The little princess obeys. She runs to the newly-built launch pad on her mother’s battle dragon, and slaps the button. It is only for the absolute worst of emergencies. It is the end of secrecy, the beginning of a new kind of vulnerability. The pod launches, carrying the child on a pre-programmed flight, following a transmitter. The signal is always carried by one man, wherever he may be.
The flight is long, hazardous...frightening. It gives her time to think, which is what makes it frightening. She remembers seeing the blood-ridden bodies of her chamber guards on the palance floor. She recalls her mother wisking her away on an unregistered ship, resereved only for the three of them: her, her mother, and her protector droid, Dee. She remembers the ship being assaulted...scattered droid parts strewn accross the panneling...all that now remains of Dee.
They had come for her, for her mother. Her mother fought them. They were stronger. She was commanded to run. The little girl knew it was no simple flight from danger. She was supposed to run to *him*. He was all that was left to protect her now. She trembled within the tiny pod. She had never run to him before. He was a secret. Her secret. Just as she was his. But now is not the time for secrets. It is time for survival.
A light strobes over her head. The time has come. The pod is tiny, just big enough for her body, some shields, an engine, and a hyperdrive. It lands in the middle of an upper-level Couruscant street, setting off hundreds of alarms, upsetting traffic. She reaches into a tiny compartment beside her, pulling out the wristband hidden there. It will help her follow the transmitter signal. She runs till she finds a big, important-looking building. She slides past the outer guard, running underneath their legs. She accends several levels. She sees Nohgri move out of the shadows to stop her. They hesitate. They have never seen her before, but they cannot deny that her scent is familiar. She passes through. She stops before a set of double-doors. The humming on her wristband stops. This is it.
As she yanks open the doors, she realizes how it must look. A little girl, seven years old, covered from head to toe in rags and blood...she cannot hide the ghosts that hover about her eyes. Her body is thin and weary, but still ready to run. Her eyes rove...and she sees him.
He stands proudly in black robes among fellow council members and relatives. They are all there. His mother, his father, his sister, his uncle...even Ben is there, the only other to know of their secret. Ben stands with him, tense. Both felt her presense before she even entered the building.
He turns. His brandy eyes meet hers, filled with concern and a fear she has never beheld before. At least, not in him. The galaxy halts for an instant. With a twinge of panic, she realizes that he is afraid too. He is afraid of revealing everything, being forced to share and admit all the times he lied to keep her safe. He can still do it. He can pretend not to know her, appologize to her in private later...but she needs him. And he needs her to need him.
Without a word, his knee bends. He kneels, and extends his arms. She runs to them...crying, choking out the only thing she can say...
“Father!”
He picks her up, clutching her with a jealous fervor. She squeezes her eyes shut, and the tears dampen her cheeks. When he’s holding her close enough, tightly enough, her own hold loosens...her eyes open. She stares into the eyes of every single sentient watching. His family...and hers.
- . e . n . d . -
Pain of Consequence (570 words // Ben, Jacen // 12_fics Prompt: fling, one-night stand)
Fling. One-night stand. Ben Skywalker is too young to fully understand what these words mean, but he knows that they can’t be good. He’s heard his father’s friends--the rogues--talk about them. Sometimes they--whatever they are--involve cunning and calculation to arrange them. Sometimes they happen spontaneously. But no matter how they begin, they always end the same way. Somebody leaves someone and never looks back. Even if Ben doesn’t really know what a one-night stand is, he knows what it is to be left alone.
He’s heard that sometimes women have babies after those temporary flings. The father goes away, and the mother cares for the baby all on her own. The baby has only half a set of parents, and that makes things twice as hard. Ben has both his parrents, and he knows that things are hard enough as it is. His mother and father love each other and they love him, but sometimes he gets left alone anyway. They are the Skywalkers, and their life is dangerous. Ben knows that he’s left behind for his own saftey, but that doesn’t change the fact that he is left behind.
He looks down into a richly ornate bassinet. He sees a tiny baby girl there. Her name is Allana, and he doesn’t need the Force to know that she is Jacen’s. As he looks down, he feels a rotting sense of betrayal sink low into his belly.
Because Jacen Solo, his cousin, his idol, has had a one-night stand. The result of that fling is sweet baby Allana. The thought that Jacen, perfect Jacen, would leave such a little girl to brave the cold years with a hunted one-armed mother...Ben feels part of his heart break. Jacen has snapped off a corner of it. He can feel it.
Ben listens to his older cousin protest. He loves Tenel Ka, he says, that’s all that matters. But Ben knows that love isn’t enough. Love doesn’t make people stay. His parrents love him, but they always leave him with someone else. His cousin Jaina has loved many men, but has never remained with any of them. Jacen may love Allana, but he will not raise her. He has let go of that right. He has not claimed Tenel Ka as his, has not bound himself to her. He may come and see her again, her and Allana, but it will not be for a long time and it will not be often. He will slave away on missions and Jedi duties without pause. He will have to, he will have no excuse not to. He will not be able tell his uncle Luke that he needs a break to see his wife and child; he won’t be able to claim that he must see his family. He cannot ask to see what his not his to see.
Being left behind hurts. Ben knows that these thoughts and emotions are all connected and that they are profound. But Ben in young, and can never seem to get the depth of what he feels put properly into words. He feels concerned. Dissapointed. Sorrowfull. Yet when he speaks, he hides his hurt behind wide eyes and an insulting smile. He can’t help sounding like the child he is.
“But you’re not married--and you had a baby! You guys are gonna be in so much trouble!”
- . e . n . d . -
Childish Resentment (160 words // Tahiri)
A few years ago, Tahiri knows she would have been considered a child. Yet, she has always assumed that the war made her an adult. Now, she is not so sure. An adult would not have these feelings. An adult would not suffer from such petty jealousy. She knows this, but the emotion remains.
Why is it that Jacen gets to live, but her Anakin does not? Where is the fairness of it? Jacen was the timid one, the coward. Anakin was the genius, the hero without fear. Why is it that Jacen can accept the Yuzzhan Vong with open arms, while she had their mentality so cruelly forced upon her? Why is he now happy, confident, and self-assured while she is still struggling with who and what she is?
Tahiri tells herself that she is seeking answers as she adds fuel to the fire inside her. In the end, it all burns down to this...
It isn’t fair.
- . e . n . d . -
Perfect Mirror (175 words, Anakin/Padme)
Sometimes, when they are alone and sharing things with each other, they see one another though each other’s eyes.
Padme catches a glimpse of herself, and realizes she is beautiful. Her cheeks are flushed and her hair is in disaray, but she knows she is beautiful. She knows, because Anakin loves her that way. She feels the liquid whisper of tears in her eyes. She relaxes. Whether they fall or not, there is no shame in such things before her husband.
When she holds him, Anakin is amazed at his own strength. The way she curls around him...so secure, so trusting. He feels unstoppable. He believes it, knowing it is what she feels when he embraces her. He watches over her through the night, until his eyes drift shut. He can whisper his thoughts and dreams in her ear without fear. There is no shame in such things before his wife.
It is only like this, each with the other that they feel complete and content. Not only with each other, but with themselves.
- . e . n . d . -