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Welcome
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Nathaniel Reed's
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:: An ongoing episodic story of fan-fic set after Episode VI Return of the Jedi, and inspired by George Lucas' historical draft concepts ::
FAQs
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| February 2021 |
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The emotional heart of the VE Episode X
28th February 2021 |
In my VE 'Sequel Trilogy' project, I have continued the story into Episode X, The Riddle of the Pirates. One of the aspects I wanted to explore within this timeframe was not only the rebuilding of the Jedi Order under the auspices of Master Jedi Luke Skywalker, but the emotional weight that would carry where now his students - who had previously all been older than him as a result of the 'Curse' on the Force brought about by his father's massacre of Jedi Younglings - were much younger. Once his sister, Leia Solo, had reconciled their parents, Anakin and Padme, in Hell and returned them to the Netherworld, thus resolving the Curse, children all over the galaxy were being born who now had an attunement to the Force ; Leia herself gave birth to twins, Gana and Corsa, about a year after this momentous event. Luke would later marry Alana, and they would become parents to Benji.
Luke was acutely aware that these pupils were still children, and were his wards. Granted, they may have an unusual maturity afforded them by their connection to the Force, but vulnerable minors they remained. Luke promoted the nourishing strength that came from the love and connected support of family - unlike the Jedi Order of old - so ensured that his schooling was structured around terms that allowed the children to return home for brief holidays. Perhaps retaining this bond with far-flung families helped to balance the childrens' psychological maturity. Their studies would locate them in the Principalle Temple on Coruscant or in the newer satellite Temples around the Galaxy, such as the one headed by Chewbacca and other Jedi Wookiees on Kashyyyk, and could include field studies held aboard 'Multi-Purpose Consular Vessels'.
It was one such field mission that took Luke and Alana and thirty children to Serreillea, an agri-planet in the mid-disc of the galaxy, for a study into diplomatic negotiations under the insightful guidance of the Force. Unbeknownst to them, pirates from the Troig gang had also targetted that world to loot its food silos, and these marauders were strong in the Force ! The two Jedi and their young students put up a valiant defence, but tragically eight children are killed. Subsequently, the group returns to Coruscant, and a Remembrance Service is held.
I wanted to explore a little the weight of such responsibility and the emotional outcome of this tragedy that would be upon Master Luke Skywalker : he may be a heroic warrior, but he is now a teacher and guardian, and a father too. This was an opportunity for me to address this, even if only briefly. Where Luke may have previously 'shared' the sense of responsibility to students older than him with those same students, who were therefore not inexperienced or ignorant of life's dangers, this time he would be shepherding the wide-eyed naive. Strong in the Force they may be, but they are still vulnerable. In fact, Yoda would have no doubt been faced with such psychological challenges over his eight hundred years mentoring younger Jedi, and a scene between Luke and Yoda hopefully signals that even the mighty Yoda was not immune to loss.
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The illustrated virtual edition of Episode VII : Plague of Doom continues, and, a little earlier in the story, Captain Prue updates Commander Kane of the assault on the tower holding Princess Alana Seren.
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| You can see the VE artwork in the 'Kessel' art gallery as well as in the online illustrated story, and you can discuss this in the forum here ! |
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My prose writing for virtual edition Episode X 'The Riddle of the Pirates' has continued, and here I present Leia and her twins being reunited, followed by the Remembrance Service in the Jedi Temple......
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| Nathaniel Reed, 28th February 2021 |
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“Oh, my darlings !”
Leia swept up the twins in a loving hug. Gana and Corsa buried their faces into her shoulders, muffling their greetings. Corsa began to softly sob with delight and relief. Gana twisted his face up, and whispered in to his mother’s ear.
“Mom, was that really you back there on Voc Kadow ?”
“Shh, shh,” cooed Leia. “Hm-mm, shhh.”
Turning her head, she nuzzled into their hair. Then she gently pushed them back, and fixed them in the eye.
“We’ll speak later, yeah ?”
The twins nodded eagerly, Corsa scrubbing a hand over her cheek.
As the shuttle outgassed with a hiss, Leia heard the heavy tread of footsteps on the boarding ramp, and glanced up past the twins. Chewbacca was striding down to the platform, with Threepio shuffling along just behind him. The ship had been directed to the Jedi Temple, since Leia was present getting ready for the Remembrance Service.
The wookiee saw Leia and let out a happy roar. She rose and stepped towards him. Chewbacca leant down and wrapped his long furry arms around Leia in a tight embrace, and purred contentedly. From under the straggly hair, Leia beamed and squeezed back. The embrace broke, and Leia glanced down at the bandage on Chewie’s right thigh.
“Injured ?” asked Leia with concern. “How are you doing ?”
The wook gave a soft rumble and nodded.
Leia recognised only a few nuanced barks, but, enhanced by her Force senses, she understood the sentiment.
She smiled, and squeezed his arm affectionately.
“Good !”
“Oh, Mistress Leia, how lovely to see you again !” See Threepio’s arms jerked in excited recognition.
“And you, Threepio,” smiled Leia.
“I can report that Master Gana and Mistress Corsa have only slightly misbehaved on the journey home,” informed Threepio impartially, “but I think it’s fair to say that it was offset by their bravery against the pirates we encountered.”
The twins sidled up to their mother, and each took a handful of skirt. Leia rested her hands on their heads, and gently tousled their hair.
“Pirates ?!” she answered with surprise. Although she was fully aware of what had transpired on the Ithorian colony-world, she still wanted to preserve the secrecy of her unique ability.
She looked past Threepio and spoke to Chewie. “Luke’s just arrived too. They had a run-in with pirates on Serreillea, and tragically some of his students lost their lives.”
Chewie gave a soft moan, and tipped his head to one side.
“The Grand Council has arranged a Remembrance Service which will begin soon. Many of the families have arrived for it.”
Gana tugged at Leia’s skirt. She glanced down.
“Yes, dear ?”
“Mum, we all saw dad in a vision...”
“Yes !” interjected Corsa. “There seemed to be some danger... but then everything went calm again...” The little girl scowled in confusion.
“Oh ?” Leia was worried, but also a little confused that she hadn’t sensed anything to give her cause for concern. She trusted the Force enough to guide her. “I’m sure all is well, then, if the vision didn’t alarm you, but I’ll meditate on it after the memoriam.”
Leia took the golden droid by the arm and steered him towards the elevator on the far side of the hangar bay. The twins followed beside her, still holding on to their mother’s grey skirt.
“You must tell me what happened with the pirates, Threepio...”
“Well, I’m surprised I didn’t fry my poor circuits. I fear it would have been a lot worse if I hadn’t been able to alert the local authorities...” he began sagely.
Luke gazed around the Chapel Hall in the eastern quadrant of the pentahedron Temple. The cool cream and ochre stone work that had borne witness to countless centuries and suffered weathering and damage in its time, nevertheless exuded a calming reflective ambience that was appropriate for the event. Although its religious use may have been lost in its origins when the Jedi pioneers first built a temple upon the pinnacle of this ancient mountain, the Chapel still attracted those who particularly sought the Cosmic Force when they meditated. A currently open colonnade ran down the outer wall, and shafts of sunlight slanted in and fell on the small grove of green trees that grew at the far end of the hall. A water course trickled through it, circling via a discrete fountain.
A five-headed choir of trumpet-florettes murmured a humming lament, a hive-sentient creature that moved on a bed of slime but from its pillars produced a sound of such sweetness. The choir was positioned between the arboretum and the seated congregation, with the latter made up of Jedi Knights and padawans, political dignitaries, and the families of those students who died on Serreillea. The High Council was seated on a raised dais behind Luke, who stood beside a lectern. Eight plain metal caskets hovered a few feet off the ground between the Jedi and the congregation.
The keening lament came to an end, dwindling away to silence. All present reflected on the emotions that had been brought to the surface.
Luke listened to the Force drift and penetrate, meander and bind. It whispered to him. He focused his attention upon those seated before him, and took a breath.
“My friends, we meet on the saddest of days.
“Tobyn, Kerule, Kinji, Karr-Gartzy, Quivance, Francer, Sheel-Yung, and Rose paid the highest price of service to the Jedi Order and to the citizens of the Galaxy.”
Snuffles and a sob could be heard from the rows.
“These padawans’ deaths were not in vain. They died absolutely focused on attempting to apprehend the bandits who came to steal from Serreillea. In retaliating the marauders, their actions ensured that only a minimal amount of supplies were taken, and the people there could eat and drink once more.”
“These students came to the Jedi Order willingly and with enthusiasm. Their eyes would light up with pride and confidence each time they mastered a task. In feeling the touch of the Force upon them, they would take another step into a larger world.”
The Falcon was bathed in the ever-changing blue and white marble of hyperspace. In the main hold, Han was standing in the doorway of the central core maintenance room that stretched around the gun well. In his hands he held two power cables that he had just rigged up to the cortex, and he was paying them out back to the auxiliary console next to the captain’s chair. Harker had remained at the holo-table, engaging in small-talk.
Han reached the desk, leant across and flicked the comms switch.
“I’ll be with you in a minute,” he called, and Artoo beeped happily in response. Han returned to the job at hand at the desk.
Harker glanced up, and casually asked Han if he was finished at the forward station.
“Nearly,” he answered, with a quick glance to the young woman. “A couple more things to check off here, and then back up to the cockpit to compare the results with Artoo.”
As Han grappled with the ends of the power cables, Harker pursed her lips together, her eyes narrowing as she thought through her options. She glanced around and spotted the captain’s open toolbox on the floor grating near the portside corridor, and a hefty hydrospanner poking out. She gave a quick nod to herself, and then carefully slid out from behind the round pedestal table.
As she strode across to the toolbox, she pointed to the spanner and called out.
“Hey, will this help... ?” she asked, reaching down, and swiping it up.
Han spared a glance.
“Thanks, I think I got this, but bring it over anyway, ya never know, I might need it....”
Harker gripped the spanner tightly and stepped over to Han.
At the Jedi Temple on Coruscant, Luke had moved on to the subject of grief and memory.
“The loss of a child must surely be the cruellest blow to a parent.
“Grief is like an ocean : the waves ebb and flow. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn to swim in that ocean.
Although it's difficult today to see beyond the sorrow, let us remind ourselves of their spirit, their kindness, and their laughter.”
Leia was sat next to Alana in the line of seats reserved for the High Council on the dais behind Luke. Suddenly, Alana felt and sensed her friend stiffen, and, turning her head slightly, she glanced out of the corner of her eye. She could see Leia had shut her eyes, and a frown had creased her forehead. Her hands clasped the arms of the chair tightly, and her knuckles were white. Alana sent a querying thought of concern towards her friend’s mind, and was surprised to find a dark wall blocking her way.
“Leia,” she whispered. “Are you alright ?”
When her friend did not respond, Alana discretely slid her hand across and over Leia’s, and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Governor Tagge was near the front row, just behind the grieving relatives. He and his aides were not far from President Mon Mothma and other senior politicians. A handful of Pan-Alliance military generals sat behind, some of whom he recognised.
Since his interest was specifically upon Leia Solo, he was the only other person to recognise the slight change in Leia’s composure. He registered the Jedi Master to Leia’s right subtly shift her hand, and place it over Leia's. From where he sat, he thought that Leia had her eyes shut as well, and the other lady had slightly inclined her head as if in concern. Was Leia suddenly ill ?
“I tell you this, they have not left us,” announced Luke. “Truly, their spirit and your memory of them, lives on, and those memories will give you comfort and peace. Death is a natural part of life. Do not mourn for them. Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force.“
In the forward hold of the Millennium Falcon Han was muttering to himself.
“Well, the power flux coupling is holding, so....”
Behind him, Harker raised the hydrospanner high above her head. She rocked gently on her feet, adjusting her balance, steeled herself, and then whipped the tool down and across the back of Han’s head with a thunk !
Han toppled forward, knocking the front of his head against the auxiliary console and briefly sprawling across the desk, before slowly sliding down to slump on the decking.
Harker wasted no time. She leapt back to the holo-table and grabbed her travel backpack from underneath. She dived a hand inside, rummaged around, and pulled out a small vari-screwdriver. Still clutching the bag, she returned to the prone captain.
She pulled him over on to his back, and ripped open his white shirt. The vital statistics panel monitoring his cardiac performance blinked back at her, with one amber light flickering indignantly. Her fingers nimble, she deftly flicked open an access compartment, and poked inside with the end of the screwdriver.
“Sorry Rabahht, or General Solo, or whoever you are,” she muttered. “I really do need this chip to give me a new identity out there...”
Behind her, a white glow began to form in mid-air in the far corner of the hold. Harker remained oblivious, intent as she was on releasing the chip. She continued to work feverishly, and hissed in triumph as she finally extracted the module. She barely registered the life support panel flash red.
A humanoid figure, feminine, was now discernible against the white glow. Leia’s face appeared and she spoke firmly.
“Stop what you are doing !”
Harker spun around, frantic at the unexpected intrusion. Leia stood in her grey and white robes, the white glow reduced to a more discrete halo effect.
“Who the blazes - - ?” She gasped. “Where the hell did you come from ?!”
Leia spoke again, her voice steel. “Step away from him,” she glowered. “Step away now !”
Harker found a germ of courage and bravado. She needed this chip, this guarantee, after all.
“I don’t think so, lady !”
She gripped the chip tightly in her hand, and the screwdriver, her only weapon, just as tight in the other. She slowly rose to her feet, tensing, ready to strike at the woman.
Leia swiftly raised her right hand towards Harker, who involuntarily jerked in reaction. But then she found herself held fast and couldn’t move a muscle !
Leia stepped up to her and laid her hand upon the girl’s left shoulder. Harker, unable to move, swivelled her eyes in panic as she followed the woman’s gesture. She could feel a warm tingling sensation under the weight of the hand, and then....
Harker blacked out, and slumped to the floor next to Han’s body.
Leia quickly knelt beside her husband, and placed one hand on his forehead and the other over his upper chest, just above the cardio-panel. She closed her eyes and concentrated, willing the Whill of the Force to negate her greatest fear. Across from the unconscious body of Harker, the old woman who had appeared in Leia’s vision materialised. She was kneeling as well, and leaned in over the young girl.#
“What gives you the right to demand from the Whills ?” she demanded of Leia in a croaky whisper. “Who do you think you are ?! There will be a reckoning,” she added gravely.
“I am Leia Skywalker,” came the answer, through gritted teeth, eyes still shut. “Sister to Luke, daughter of Anakin and Padme, grand-daughter of Shmi.”
“And I will not let my husband die. Not like this.”
The old woman nodded, as if accepting the words, and then faded away.
Leia relaxed, and opened her eyes.
Han moaned softly and opened his eyes.
“L-Leia...” he gasped.
“My love,” she smiled. “You’re okay now, you’re safe.”
Han pushed his chin down and looked at the edge of the cardio-panel on his chest. Then he twisted his head a little to his right and saw Harker lying beside him.
“What --?”
“The girl wanted your cardio chip ID. I wasn’t going to let her kill you just for that. But I don’t think you’ll need it now anyway,” she gave a small wry smile.
“Rest. We’re nearly at Coruscant. I’ll get Artoo to bring her in.”
She rose to her feet.
“Wait,” whispered Han. “Are you... ?”
Leia shook her head. “No. I’ve seer-journeyed here. Into the Falcon !” She looked around. “I guess it’s familiar... and besides, there was a pressing need...” She smiled again. “Rest now.”
Han lowered his head and closed his eyes.
Leia quickly made her way through the access corridor to the cockpit, and patted Artoo on the dome.
“Don’t ask,” she began. “Han’s resting for a moment. Can you fly him in ?”
Artoo chirped affirmatively.
“Straight to the Temple. We’ll meet you there.”
As Artoo beeped and whistled and his interface arm rotated in the comp-jack, Leia faded from the cockpit.
Leia slowly opened her eyes, and, realising that Alana’s hand was gripping hers, she gave a quick tense of her own fingers to acknowledge her friend. She could sense her looking sidelong at her.
She smiled, and whispered her thanks.
“I’m fine. All’s fine now.”
Alana relaxed her hand, and slid it back to her lap. They returned their attention to Luke.
“Under the Jedi Code of Old, attachment used to be forbidden, possession used to be forbidden,” Luke was saying. “Under my direction, this Jedi Order promotes compassion and family, and gains nourishment from the Force through the love we hold for one another. Life creates the Force and love scintillates that life. Compassion is unconditional love.
“There is no emotion, there is peace. There is no ignorance, there is knowledge. There is no anger, there is serenity. There is no chaos, there is harmony. There is no death, there is, truly, the Force.”
He paused, sweeping his gaze across the congregation before him.
“The Force will be with us... always.”
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