Fic: Birthright (Star Wars)
Jul. 25th, 2017 09:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
redrikkiTitle: Birthright
Fandom: Star Wars, Star Wars Prequels
Rating: PG
Characters: Anakin Skywalker, Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, baby Skywalkers
Summary: The Force called him to his family and Anakin is not prepared to give them up. Not even to the Jedi Council.
You don’t belong here. The thought came unbidden in the middle of a Council meeting. It wasn't the first time Anakin had thought it in that room. The Jedi Council had never bothered to hide how little they wanted him, not when he was nine, and certainly not now that the chancellor had forced him upon them. The feeling was different this time though. It was less a sense of rejection and more that there was someplace else he needed to be. You don’t belong here. Go. Now.
Miles away, Padmé cried out from her birthing pains and Anakin shot to his feet. Master Mundi broke off mid-sentence and all eyes turned on Anakin.
“Skywalker, what—”
“My wife’s in labor. I have to go,” Anakin blurted and fled before anyone could stop him.
Six hours later, Anakin sat rapt beside his children’s crib as Luke blinked sleepily up at him. Two minutes ago he’d been sure that Leia’s little yawn was the most magical thing in the galaxy but, watching Luke’s tiny golden lashes flutter, he wasn’t sure any more. A tie maybe? Both his children seemed too perfect to be entirely real. Anakin had seen them born, held them each in turn, sat here for hours as Padmé slept, and he still couldn’t get his head around them. Some how in their love, he and Padmé had managed to create two tiny human persons. Not even the Force could create life like that.
The Force gave him a split second of warning and then Master Yoda appeared in the door flanked by Obi-Wan and Master Windu. Anakin scrambled to his feet to greet them. Windu was as stone-faced as always. Obi-Wan’s expression was somewhere between disappointed and devastated. Anakin kept his focus on Yoda out of sheer self-defense.
Yoda wasted no time on pleasantries. The little master pursed his lips. “Renounce this wife, do you?”
Anakin raised his chin. “No.” Not now, not ever. The Jedi had never accepted him, but Padmé had. The Force had called him to her side and he wasn’t going to leave it.
Obi-Wan winced and turned away, but Yoda simply nodded as if he’d been expecting it. “Then banished from the Order, you are.”
Anakin had been dreading the moment since he’d said his wedding vows but, now that it had come, he felt strangely light. The weight of being the Jedi Chosen One had been heavier than he’d realized. He could float away now that it was gone. “I understand.” He tried to sound contrite, if only for Obi-Wan’s sake, but he wasn’t sure he managed it.
“Removed from your influence, the children must be.”
“What? No.” He leapt in front of the cradle. Children followed the mother and Padmé was a free citizen of the Republic. Anakin may have broken his vows, but he had violated no laws. The Jedi had no right to his children.
Obi-Wan shook his head. “It’s bad enough you’re throwing your life away. Please don’t deny them their birthright.”
“Their birthright?!” Padmé stirred in her sleep. Anakin lowered his voice, but not his intensity. “What do you even think that is? Following orders? Fighting for their lives? Being thrown to the rancors they second they become inconvenient?” Obi-Wan blanched, backing away from Anakin’s anger. He’d been holding it in for so long, it felt good to get it out. “They were made in love. That is their birthright. Can you give them that?”
They answered with stunned silence. Anakin stood trembling before them, feeling strangely empty now in his catharsis. If releasing his feelings into the Force had felt this satisfying he might have done it more often.
“This is a waste of time.” Mace stepped towards the crib and Anakin moved to intercept him.
“Take my children and there will be consequences.”
“Mean to fight us, do you?” Yoda sounded mildly amused, but his hand drifted toward his saber hilt.
Mace shifted into a fighting stance and, for a moment, Anakin did mean to fight them. He meant to put his blade right through Yoda’s smug, shriveled face. Their anger at being denied called to called to his. The tang of plasma filled the room, as if anticipating their sabers’ ignition. Anakin’s hands itched for his blade.
Luke yawned and the spell was broken. What had he been thinking? He couldn’t kill with his babies in the room. “I wont fight you,” Anakin said. “I don’t need to. My wife is a senator. Take her children while she sleeps and I guarantee she’ll have a bill to destroy you before the Senate by the end of the week.”
“Hmmm.” Yoda studied Padmé’s sleeping form. The birth had been hard on her, otherwise she might have been awake enough to argue with them now. “A reasonable woman, Senator Amidala is. Come back, we will, to speak with her.”
“She’ll agree with me.” Anakin wasn’t sure she would have before, but she certainly would after this. She’d deny it with her last breath, but his wife had a contrary streak a parsec wide. They’d blown any chance they had at convincing her with their arrogance.
Yoda narrowed his eyes. He bowed in what he probably thought was gracious defeat, pulling his anger tight around him like a cloak. He limped for the door as fast as his arthritic legs could carry him, Master Windu hot on his heels.
Obi-Wan lingered in the doorway. He nodded towards the sleeping twins. “They could have been great,” he said sadly. That Anakin could have been great was implied, but not said.
Anakin sank back down on his chair beside the crib. He felt too tired to fight, especially with Obi-Wan. Why couldn’t he just accept Anakin’s decision and be pleased for him? “There are many paths to greatness.” He laid his head on the side of the bassinet and stroked his daughter’s cheek. “I’m alright settling for happiness.”
Fandom: Star Wars, Star Wars Prequels
Rating: PG
Characters: Anakin Skywalker, Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Mace Windu, baby Skywalkers
Summary: The Force called him to his family and Anakin is not prepared to give them up. Not even to the Jedi Council.
You don’t belong here. The thought came unbidden in the middle of a Council meeting. It wasn't the first time Anakin had thought it in that room. The Jedi Council had never bothered to hide how little they wanted him, not when he was nine, and certainly not now that the chancellor had forced him upon them. The feeling was different this time though. It was less a sense of rejection and more that there was someplace else he needed to be. You don’t belong here. Go. Now.
Miles away, Padmé cried out from her birthing pains and Anakin shot to his feet. Master Mundi broke off mid-sentence and all eyes turned on Anakin.
“Skywalker, what—”
“My wife’s in labor. I have to go,” Anakin blurted and fled before anyone could stop him.
Six hours later, Anakin sat rapt beside his children’s crib as Luke blinked sleepily up at him. Two minutes ago he’d been sure that Leia’s little yawn was the most magical thing in the galaxy but, watching Luke’s tiny golden lashes flutter, he wasn’t sure any more. A tie maybe? Both his children seemed too perfect to be entirely real. Anakin had seen them born, held them each in turn, sat here for hours as Padmé slept, and he still couldn’t get his head around them. Some how in their love, he and Padmé had managed to create two tiny human persons. Not even the Force could create life like that.
The Force gave him a split second of warning and then Master Yoda appeared in the door flanked by Obi-Wan and Master Windu. Anakin scrambled to his feet to greet them. Windu was as stone-faced as always. Obi-Wan’s expression was somewhere between disappointed and devastated. Anakin kept his focus on Yoda out of sheer self-defense.
Yoda wasted no time on pleasantries. The little master pursed his lips. “Renounce this wife, do you?”
Anakin raised his chin. “No.” Not now, not ever. The Jedi had never accepted him, but Padmé had. The Force had called him to her side and he wasn’t going to leave it.
Obi-Wan winced and turned away, but Yoda simply nodded as if he’d been expecting it. “Then banished from the Order, you are.”
Anakin had been dreading the moment since he’d said his wedding vows but, now that it had come, he felt strangely light. The weight of being the Jedi Chosen One had been heavier than he’d realized. He could float away now that it was gone. “I understand.” He tried to sound contrite, if only for Obi-Wan’s sake, but he wasn’t sure he managed it.
“Removed from your influence, the children must be.”
“What? No.” He leapt in front of the cradle. Children followed the mother and Padmé was a free citizen of the Republic. Anakin may have broken his vows, but he had violated no laws. The Jedi had no right to his children.
Obi-Wan shook his head. “It’s bad enough you’re throwing your life away. Please don’t deny them their birthright.”
“Their birthright?!” Padmé stirred in her sleep. Anakin lowered his voice, but not his intensity. “What do you even think that is? Following orders? Fighting for their lives? Being thrown to the rancors they second they become inconvenient?” Obi-Wan blanched, backing away from Anakin’s anger. He’d been holding it in for so long, it felt good to get it out. “They were made in love. That is their birthright. Can you give them that?”
They answered with stunned silence. Anakin stood trembling before them, feeling strangely empty now in his catharsis. If releasing his feelings into the Force had felt this satisfying he might have done it more often.
“This is a waste of time.” Mace stepped towards the crib and Anakin moved to intercept him.
“Take my children and there will be consequences.”
“Mean to fight us, do you?” Yoda sounded mildly amused, but his hand drifted toward his saber hilt.
Mace shifted into a fighting stance and, for a moment, Anakin did mean to fight them. He meant to put his blade right through Yoda’s smug, shriveled face. Their anger at being denied called to called to his. The tang of plasma filled the room, as if anticipating their sabers’ ignition. Anakin’s hands itched for his blade.
Luke yawned and the spell was broken. What had he been thinking? He couldn’t kill with his babies in the room. “I wont fight you,” Anakin said. “I don’t need to. My wife is a senator. Take her children while she sleeps and I guarantee she’ll have a bill to destroy you before the Senate by the end of the week.”
“Hmmm.” Yoda studied Padmé’s sleeping form. The birth had been hard on her, otherwise she might have been awake enough to argue with them now. “A reasonable woman, Senator Amidala is. Come back, we will, to speak with her.”
“She’ll agree with me.” Anakin wasn’t sure she would have before, but she certainly would after this. She’d deny it with her last breath, but his wife had a contrary streak a parsec wide. They’d blown any chance they had at convincing her with their arrogance.
Yoda narrowed his eyes. He bowed in what he probably thought was gracious defeat, pulling his anger tight around him like a cloak. He limped for the door as fast as his arthritic legs could carry him, Master Windu hot on his heels.
Obi-Wan lingered in the doorway. He nodded towards the sleeping twins. “They could have been great,” he said sadly. That Anakin could have been great was implied, but not said.
Anakin sank back down on his chair beside the crib. He felt too tired to fight, especially with Obi-Wan. Why couldn’t he just accept Anakin’s decision and be pleased for him? “There are many paths to greatness.” He laid his head on the side of the bassinet and stroked his daughter’s cheek. “I’m alright settling for happiness.”
