And now for a massive AU!
Aug. 13th, 2008 07:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
matrilI'm going to go ahead and start working in earnest on this AU I've been toying with. My original novel is going fairly well, but I think it might be best served if I step back from it for a bit and work on something else entirely. Plus I need a bit of a distraction from all the stress in my life lately. So, without further ado....
A Small Thing
Padmé watched closely as the ship landed in the docking bay, eager to catch her first glimpse of the mother and child. The first person to leave the ship, however, was the pilot, and after that came Sorné. Impatiently, Padmé craned her neck and was finally rewarded with the sight of a woman hesitantly walking down the ramp, pulled along by the little boy who was tugging on her hand. He was chattering excitedly, though Padmé couldn’t catch any words from where she stood.
Sorné saw her and waved. She went to the woman, said something to her, and the three of them started over. The little boy, his eyes bright and curious, continued to talk until his gaze fell upon her. Then those eyes widened, and he fell silent.
“Padmé, this is Shmi Skywalker and her son Anakin,” Sorné said brightly as they came to her side. “Shmi, this is the girl whose hard work has allowed you to be here.”
“Oh, don’t put it that way,” Padmé said, blushing. “All I did was ask people to contribute money. It’s the contributors that you should thank.”
“I’m sure you played an important part in it,” Shmi Skywalker said. Her voice was soft, with an accent Padmé didn’t recognize. “How can I ever thank you enough? We owe you our freedom.”
“I only wish I could do more,” Padmé said earnestly. “When I first learned about the situation on Tatooine, I was horrified. I can’t believe there’s still slavery in the galaxy! The Republic’s anti-slavery laws are very specific; I don’t know how the slave traders manage to get around them.”
Sorné cleared her throat meaningfully, and Padmé stopped in the middle of her rant, chagrined. As one of the adult advisors of the Youth Relief Committee, Sorné had been the one to tell her about slavery in the first place. She had spent many a breath trying to explain to Padmé that Tatooine, on the Outer Rim, was largely outside of the Republic’s control, and it would be fighting a losing battle to try to eradicate slavery. Padmé, undeterred, had decided to raise funds to free as many slaves as possible. She was devastated when months of canvassing had garnered no more than the cost of one adult and one child.
It was a small thing. Not nearly enough to satisfy Padmé’s sense of justice. Someday she’d have to make her voice heard where it could really make a difference, maybe in politics. But for now, Sorné had used to funds to purchase this woman and her son, and Padmé intended to make them as welcome as possible on Naboo.
“She’s determined to single-handedly right every wrong in the galaxy,” Sorné said to Shmi, but her tone was affectionate. Padmé knew better than to protest. “Quite a goal for a ten-year-old. Now, if you’ll come with me to the registration office, we can see about getting you settled.”
Padmé glanced down at the boy, who seemed to have been watching her the whole time. When he saw her looking at him, he smiled shyly. “He doesn’t need to come, does he?” she said suddenly. “It would probably be boring for him. He can stay here with me.”
His smile widened. Shmi looked at Padmé in surprise. “I suppose that would be all right. Just don’t let him try to take anything apart,” she added, with a glance around the docking bay.
“Mom!” he protested. She gave him a smile and walked away with Sorné.
Padmé watched them go and then turned back to the boy, wondering why she had volunteered to keep him entertained. She liked little children, but she wouldn't have much in common with this one. He had been born into slavery; he had come from a world where it never rained --
“You’re very pretty.”
“What?”
He was looking at her very seriously. “Very pretty. The prettiest person I’ve ever seen.”
No one had ever told her that, except her parents. Padmé would have laughed at his seriousness, but she felt it very important not to hurt his feelings. “Well, thank you very much. Your name is Anakin, right?” He nodded. “How old are you, Anakin?”
“Five.”
“You’re very smart for a five-year-old.”
“That’s what Mom says,” he said matter-of-factly. “Only she says it gets me into trouble, because I’m always trying to figure out how things work...and sometimes I break them.”
“I see,” Padmé smiled. “Maybe you could be an engineer here on Naboo. They’re good at figuring out how things work.”
“I don’t think so,” Anakin said, still perfectly serious. “I’m a pilot.”
“You mean you want to be a pilot, someday,” Padmé corrected. He shook his head.
“No, I can already pilot lots of things. Landspeeders and speeder bikes, and even a podracer, once.”
Padmé wondered if he were merely making things up. “And your mother let you pilot all of those things?”
“No...she usually didn’t know about it.” Anakin was sheepish. Padmé could only stare at him. He wasn’t lying. “Mom is always worrying about me. But she’s a lot happier now that we’re free.” His expression, already quite sober, turned even more serious as he gazed up at her. “You did it for us. That means we need to pay you back.”
“Of course you don’t. I just asked people to donate their money, and they were glad to do it. You don’t owe anyone anything. Everyone deserves to be free.”
He shrugged. “But we weren’t free, until you helped us. I’ll find some way to pay you back, I promise.”
“Ani, we’re ready to go now.” That was Shmi, returning with Sorné. She looked quite happy. “They have a place for us to stay until we can pay for our own home. Isn’t it wonderful? We’ll be able to buy everything we need. I’ll start working at my job tomorrow.” She turned to Padmé, her eyes warm and grateful. “We owe you everything. What can we do?”
“Don’t think of it,” Padmé said. “Please.” She paused, looking at Anakin’s sober face, then smiled. “What if I get to come and visit you every now and then? That will be repayment enough, I think.”
Shmi laughed. “I can’t quite agree with that. But we’ll be glad to have you visit. Thank you so much, Padmé.”
As they started off, Padmé waved at Anakin, who returned the gesture with a broad grin. “See you soon!” he called.
But it was another year before their next meeting.
A Small Thing
Padmé watched closely as the ship landed in the docking bay, eager to catch her first glimpse of the mother and child. The first person to leave the ship, however, was the pilot, and after that came Sorné. Impatiently, Padmé craned her neck and was finally rewarded with the sight of a woman hesitantly walking down the ramp, pulled along by the little boy who was tugging on her hand. He was chattering excitedly, though Padmé couldn’t catch any words from where she stood.
Sorné saw her and waved. She went to the woman, said something to her, and the three of them started over. The little boy, his eyes bright and curious, continued to talk until his gaze fell upon her. Then those eyes widened, and he fell silent.
“Padmé, this is Shmi Skywalker and her son Anakin,” Sorné said brightly as they came to her side. “Shmi, this is the girl whose hard work has allowed you to be here.”
“Oh, don’t put it that way,” Padmé said, blushing. “All I did was ask people to contribute money. It’s the contributors that you should thank.”
“I’m sure you played an important part in it,” Shmi Skywalker said. Her voice was soft, with an accent Padmé didn’t recognize. “How can I ever thank you enough? We owe you our freedom.”
“I only wish I could do more,” Padmé said earnestly. “When I first learned about the situation on Tatooine, I was horrified. I can’t believe there’s still slavery in the galaxy! The Republic’s anti-slavery laws are very specific; I don’t know how the slave traders manage to get around them.”
Sorné cleared her throat meaningfully, and Padmé stopped in the middle of her rant, chagrined. As one of the adult advisors of the Youth Relief Committee, Sorné had been the one to tell her about slavery in the first place. She had spent many a breath trying to explain to Padmé that Tatooine, on the Outer Rim, was largely outside of the Republic’s control, and it would be fighting a losing battle to try to eradicate slavery. Padmé, undeterred, had decided to raise funds to free as many slaves as possible. She was devastated when months of canvassing had garnered no more than the cost of one adult and one child.
It was a small thing. Not nearly enough to satisfy Padmé’s sense of justice. Someday she’d have to make her voice heard where it could really make a difference, maybe in politics. But for now, Sorné had used to funds to purchase this woman and her son, and Padmé intended to make them as welcome as possible on Naboo.
“She’s determined to single-handedly right every wrong in the galaxy,” Sorné said to Shmi, but her tone was affectionate. Padmé knew better than to protest. “Quite a goal for a ten-year-old. Now, if you’ll come with me to the registration office, we can see about getting you settled.”
Padmé glanced down at the boy, who seemed to have been watching her the whole time. When he saw her looking at him, he smiled shyly. “He doesn’t need to come, does he?” she said suddenly. “It would probably be boring for him. He can stay here with me.”
His smile widened. Shmi looked at Padmé in surprise. “I suppose that would be all right. Just don’t let him try to take anything apart,” she added, with a glance around the docking bay.
“Mom!” he protested. She gave him a smile and walked away with Sorné.
Padmé watched them go and then turned back to the boy, wondering why she had volunteered to keep him entertained. She liked little children, but she wouldn't have much in common with this one. He had been born into slavery; he had come from a world where it never rained --
“You’re very pretty.”
“What?”
He was looking at her very seriously. “Very pretty. The prettiest person I’ve ever seen.”
No one had ever told her that, except her parents. Padmé would have laughed at his seriousness, but she felt it very important not to hurt his feelings. “Well, thank you very much. Your name is Anakin, right?” He nodded. “How old are you, Anakin?”
“Five.”
“You’re very smart for a five-year-old.”
“That’s what Mom says,” he said matter-of-factly. “Only she says it gets me into trouble, because I’m always trying to figure out how things work...and sometimes I break them.”
“I see,” Padmé smiled. “Maybe you could be an engineer here on Naboo. They’re good at figuring out how things work.”
“I don’t think so,” Anakin said, still perfectly serious. “I’m a pilot.”
“You mean you want to be a pilot, someday,” Padmé corrected. He shook his head.
“No, I can already pilot lots of things. Landspeeders and speeder bikes, and even a podracer, once.”
Padmé wondered if he were merely making things up. “And your mother let you pilot all of those things?”
“No...she usually didn’t know about it.” Anakin was sheepish. Padmé could only stare at him. He wasn’t lying. “Mom is always worrying about me. But she’s a lot happier now that we’re free.” His expression, already quite sober, turned even more serious as he gazed up at her. “You did it for us. That means we need to pay you back.”
“Of course you don’t. I just asked people to donate their money, and they were glad to do it. You don’t owe anyone anything. Everyone deserves to be free.”
He shrugged. “But we weren’t free, until you helped us. I’ll find some way to pay you back, I promise.”
“Ani, we’re ready to go now.” That was Shmi, returning with Sorné. She looked quite happy. “They have a place for us to stay until we can pay for our own home. Isn’t it wonderful? We’ll be able to buy everything we need. I’ll start working at my job tomorrow.” She turned to Padmé, her eyes warm and grateful. “We owe you everything. What can we do?”
“Don’t think of it,” Padmé said. “Please.” She paused, looking at Anakin’s sober face, then smiled. “What if I get to come and visit you every now and then? That will be repayment enough, I think.”
Shmi laughed. “I can’t quite agree with that. But we’ll be glad to have you visit. Thank you so much, Padmé.”
As they started off, Padmé waved at Anakin, who returned the gesture with a broad grin. “See you soon!” he called.
But it was another year before their next meeting.
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no subject
Date: 2008-08-14 01:18 am (UTC)Is there going to be more?
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Date: 2008-08-14 01:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-14 02:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-14 11:27 am (UTC)I'll look forward to seeing more of this!
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Date: 2008-08-14 12:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-14 01:02 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-15 02:03 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-26 04:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-08-26 01:18 pm (UTC)