Comments | jedinemo: [FIC] The Protege' 11/14 (Vader, ensemble, PG-13)

jedinemo

[FIC] The Protege' 11/14 (Vader, ensemble, PG-13)

Apr 20, 2008 17:03

Title : The Protege'

Author : jedinemo

Rating and disclaimer : Rated PG-13. The Star Wars Universe belongs to George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd, and I have gained nothing but satisfaction from this fanfic.

Summary : Darth Vader has an unsettling encounter within the Imperial Palace that changes the course of Galactic history.

Timeline : A few ( Read more... )

Comments 18

luminations April 21 2008, 04:53:02 UTC

To know, to know without doubt or fear or worry, that his decision was right was a comfort he had craved all of his life. Had the Jedi always known such certainty?

I WANT TO HUG HIM.

He'd never considered that the Force might stop speaking if he stopped listening, but that had apparently been the price. Somehow, Palpatine had retained his ability to forsee the future, but maybe that was only because Palpatine had bewitched the Force as he had all those around him.

GUH.

/capslock review

Nice to see the change in Anakin, his blossoming friendships with Obi-Wan and Luke.

And Bail's plea to Vader! Eeeeee!

I'm always happy to see you've updated :) Thanks for another wonderful chapter!

jedinemo April 22 2008, 03:25:33 UTC

Glad to oblige!

Nice to see the change in Anakin, his blossoming friendships with Obi-Wan and Luke.

And likewise, their friendships with Anakin.

And Bail's plea to Vader! Eeeeee!

Bail just doesn't get enough credit. He's smart and smooth and brave and we don't get to see any of him in ANH.

bagheera63 April 21 2008, 07:26:38 UTC

What??!! Only 14 chapters and we're already up to #11!!

"
He didn't know what was worse: Obi-Wan keeping him company, or Obi-Wan loose in the Palace.
"
LMAO!

"He imagined the mask dissolved, and the clone's face there instead."
Reminded me of when Luke went into the tree on Dagobah, cut off Vader's head and found his own.

It's almost as if one Anakin (the clone) is moving back in time in terms of skills, attitude and behaviour and the other Anakin (Vader) is moving relentlessly forward to its logical conclusion.

"
No, he would have to be at least as brave as his Jedi friend, because it was suddenly clear that to save the Alliance, he would have to betray it.
"

Very, very good indeed.

Look forward to the next chapter.

jedinemo April 22 2008, 03:32:15 UTC

What??!! Only 14 chapters and we're already up to #11!!

It's kind of like That Which Remains: it's not that there isn't more story in this universe, but this story will have run its course.

It's almost as if one Anakin (the clone) is moving back in time in terms of skills, attitude and behaviour and the other Anakin (Vader) is moving relentlessly forward to its logical conclusion.

Clone Anakin is moving towards the young Anakin of the past. One of the questions remaining from when this story was just the stand-alone first chapter is, what would you do if your clone was a better person than you?

(The comment has been removed)

jedinemo April 22 2008, 03:34:28 UTC

Yeah, Bail definitely deserves more airtime. I mean there he was, showing up alone at the Jedi Temple, diving into his speeder and blasting off, rescuing Yoda from Palpatine. The guy's got guts.

indiefic April 21 2008, 20:58:53 UTC

Yay!!

And now it's 11/14. I'm both excited and sad. I don't want it to end.

And now onto the feedback ..

For the record, I never just read and reply. I have to read and let it simmer.

In my first reading, I felt a little disappointed with the shift forward in time. Because I felt like it robbed us of some pivotal moments with Anakin. But on subsequent readings, I really think that the way you chose to approach his shift really helps the story and serves to illustrate the larger themes. Anakin simply lets go and gives in to the will of the Force. And it's beautiful to behold because gone is all his turmoil and flailings and doubt. And it's exhilarating to see it from Anakin's perspective. His peace is palpable. His surety of his actions and his faith in the will of the Force. But at the same time, it's heartbreaking. Because we know on some level that is how Vader used to feel. He knew what it felt like to have the Force speaking to him and through him. And he turned his back on it. So he has not only that void, but ( ... )

indiefic April 21 2008, 20:59:09 UTC

"Don't you listen to the Force?" Anakin said, his tone bordering on a reprimand.

Nothing? Obi-Wan called brainwashing nothing? "What happened to the Sith who said the Force is my servant?"

Anakin shrugged. "I couldn't hear its voice before. Don't you?"

"Of course I do," he said indignantly. He was not about to admit to a deficiency in front of both his son and Obi-Wan.

"Then why would you go against its will?" Anakin persisted.

"The two of you obviously cannot be trusted together," he said, glancing between his apprentice and his old master. "Luke, take Anakin somewhere and keep him occupied."

And yet again, the absolute brilliance of the framework of this story is illustrated. Because you have Vader arguing with himself, literally and figuratively. It's beautiful to pit the two different sides of this man against one another in such a literal and enjoyable way.

Had Anakin told his new friend everything?LOL! And again, it's doubly amusing because Vader's not only irritated at Anakin, but I'm sure can't help thinking back to ( ... )

jedinemo April 22 2008, 04:04:40 UTC

How do you write Vader so in character and so funny at the same time?

He is pretty snarky in the OT ("Apology accepted, Captain Needa."), though who knows how he developed a sense of humor, since PT Anakin doesn't have one.

And I forgot to address Bail in the other reply because I was waxing so philosophic. I think Bail's fascinating because he knows from the start who Darth Vader is, when the rest of the galaxy is clueless. I think part of how Palpatine kept Vader in thrall is that he allowed him around no one who knew his former identity. Palps knew that being around anyone who could stir Anakin Skywalker's memories was a dangerous thing.

jedinemo April 22 2008, 14:15:20 UTC

Oh, and the other thing I forgot: He isn't the Emperor's pawn and his actions aren't solely driven by the literal need to save his son's life.

The end of ROTJ is so perfect that it can't be outdone by any other scenario. But you're right, what is he really choosing, except to save Luke's life? If he were to be truly redeemed, the choice would have to be more reasoned and less immediate. With Palpatine already gone, he is finally choosing for himself.

Thread 6

pronker April 21 2008, 22:49:14 UTC

The pace of this is very on target, and particularly the change in Anakin; his softening with Leia and friendship with Luke are so reasonable! The Obi-Wan 'voice' to me sounds like Guinness and not McGregor.

" Vader was definitely not Palpatine. Not a politician, but a soldier."

This sentence stood out particularly because in ROTS, when Anakin says, "I can overthrow him, we can make things the way we want them to be," I pictured Anakin/Vader as a blunt Emperor, impatient with protocol and needing Padme to temper his proclivities to quick action ... oh, what a pair of rulers they would have been ... what am I saying?

jedinemo April 22 2008, 04:07:34 UTC

Definitely the scenes with Obi-Wan in the cell sound like Guinness. When he's fighting with Vader, he sounds like McGregor to me.

And I think Vader would be a very poor Emperor in the long run. He hasn't got the stomach for it.

pronker April 22 2008, 06:16:23 UTC

He might grow into the role, though such a change from being a slave in his formative years to being a ruler might be beyond his capacity. If he could delegate as in a democracy, that would be okay. Wouldn't that make the whole SW saga different, though, as it is concerned greatly with kings and queens, princesses and so forth.