What Dreams May Come
What Dreams May Come
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What Dreams May Come
Nike
Rating: NC-17 for
sex, violence, and language.
WARNING:
chapters get increasingly disturbing and somewhat graphic.
non-consensual m/m sex, and character death.
There may also be regular scenes following this pattern, depending on which
direction my creative urge takes this fiction.
If any or all of the above bother you then you should not read this.
Disclaimer: I do not
own Star Wars and George Lucas would probably sue me anyway if he ever read
this because of how seriously I (quite literally) screw with the
characters. He would not get much, though,
because I am not making any money off
this. His characters include Jedi Master
Luminara Unduli and her Padawan, Barriss Offee.
The plot, the “rivalry” between Anakin and Barriss, and any original
characters, like the slaver, Jedi Master Zaria “Z. Z.”f, Tf, Taro, Trinity,
Starla, Destiny, Latisha, and Morlu, are mine.
Category: Um,
general, I guess. There are too many
different things happening at once for it to really be
any one thing. Oh, by the way, this is
AU compared to the book series, I suppose, because I haven’t read any of
them. As for the movies, they should
remain the same. There are some spoilers
for AOTC if you haven’t seen it, though.
Summary: Anakin
Skywalker keeps having increasingly disturbing dreams warning him about the
future. He may be in over his head,
however, when someone from Obi-Wan’s past starts making them come true.
Setting: This is
supposed to take place just before AOTC and sort of sets things up for it.
Ansion border dispute, which is where the movie claims our heroes were before
the movie started. Anakin is eighteen so
it is about a year, year-and-a-half before AOTC.
Author’s Note: The
first three chapters of the WIP was taken off of the
place that shall remain nameless, so here they are.
get my rear in gear and finish the darn thing.
Italics indicate dream
sequences.
*****Anything in these things are memories*****
-----And these stand for a change in scene in the regular
story line-----
To die, to sleep
Ay, there’s the rub!
Oh what dreams may
come!
Now our feature presentation…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
yet he ran without tiring. No sense of
direction existed in this strange place; he could have been running in circles
for all he knew. He might as well have
been standing in one spot for nothing ever changed.
chasing him and nothing lay ahead. For
some reason he felt that he had to run and the faster the better.
determined end. He felt as if he had
been running forever and that he would continue to do so…
Anakin
Skywalker awoke with a start. His blue
eyes roamed around, taking in the familiarity of his room in the
he had better be getting up. Freeing his
entangled limbs from his twisted sheets, the handsome eighteen-year-old swung
his legs from his sleep couch and sat on the edge, running his fingers through
his spiky blonde hair.
It was the
same dream over and over again.
running aimlessly through it. This
particular dream had been repeating itself for three nights in a row now and Anakin
still did not have a clue as to its meaning.
Anakin
stood up, stretched, and quickly got ready for the day ahead of him before
heading for the food prep unit. It was
time to go to his master for some advice.
------------------------------
“That’s
easy. You feel your current lifestyle is
aimless and incomplete. It is probably
the result of being forced to remain in the
and recuperate from our last mission with the gundarks’ nest and you miss the
freedom of body and purpose of mind that occurs within a mission.
young apprentice. We’ll receive a
summons soon enough and your dreams will cease to bother you.”
Anakin
resisted pointing out that he was not
the one who had fallen into that Sith-hole nest and, instead, nodded gravely as
Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi set two plates of scrambled eggs upon the
table. His master insisted on them
eating breakfast together, if for nothing more than quality time and getting
their schedules for the day straightened out, and eggs were one of the few
things Obi-Wan could cook.
to the dining hall to eat. Cafeteria
food, however, is not exactly the best food in the world, although the chefs
certainly tried their best. In pure
defense, Anakin had learned how to cook some dishes, which often came as a
welcome respite to the Jedi cooks’ cheerful, if only partially edible,
products.
“Today’s
your day off. What were you planning on
doing?” Obi-Wan inquired, purposely changing the subject.
“I’m going
to spar with Barriss Offee, like we do every week on our day off.”
“Wasn’t it
just last week that you came storming in and declared you weren’t going to spar
with Padawan Offee ever again?”
“Yes, well,
that was last week, Master.” Obi-Wan
Kenobi chuckled.
“One of
these days, you two will forgo all of the posturing you do and come straight
out and admit you’re best friends.”
“We are
Obi-Wan did not believe him. To be frank,
Anakin was not too certain that he believed it himself.
hand on the teenager’s shoulder.
“Good luck
on this next match, my Padawan.”
-----------------------------
Anakin
stood quietly with his eyes closed and breathed in deeply.
the fact that he held his lightsaber in his right hand.
button on the lightsaber’s handle. A
glowing blue blade of light sparked into existence as his eyes shot open.
Facing him
was figure swathed in a hooded black robe so that only the nut-brown skin of
her face and hands was visible. Her
sharp eyes closely watched Anakin’s every movement.
exotic tattoos, which ran across the bridge of her nose and settled on her
cheeks just below those keen eyes, proclaimed in their alien language.
Her master,
Luminara Unduli, had similar tos ros running from her bottom lip down to the
throat and voice box, showing the Jedi Master’s dependence upon her
silver-tongued vocalizations. Neither
Luminara Unduli nor Obi-Wan Kenobi was here, however.
and his beautiful foreign opponent.
Barriss
Offee signaled her readiness by letting her own blue blade spring to life.
“Hey,
Skywalker, are you ready to get your butt whipped?”
“In your
dreams, Offee!” Anakin Skywalker retorted as he lunged at her.
brought her lightsaber up and around, bringing Anakin’s blue lightsaber into a
deadlock with her own glowing blue blade.
“Why would “Ha “I thought “You need “Save your The rivals “I “You know, “Bold? “Actually, “So I’ll “The next “’Pert “Next time, ******************** Eleven-year-old “Would you “Sure!” “Barriss Anakin dove “Class The clash “Don’t “Master “Your level “Anakin’s a “What do “So that’s “She is “Sounds “Anakin, “She kissed “It’s not “Padawan “Sorry, “Come, my “’Bye, The next “Against “All I did “Nuh uh!” “So you “Nope.” “Come “How ‘bout “Rivals,” “Hey,” the “Tattoos. “Well, I “Ooh, “Oh, yeah?” Jedi Master Obi-Wan Obi-Wan and Obi-Wan and ******************** Anakin “Padawan, Opening the “What’s “I dreamed “The empty “It “Running to “Ask me “You “I’ve dreamed “Language, “That isn’t “You are no An unhappy “I’m sorry, “You’d They always “Not if ------------------------------ Lunch in “Hey,” Barriss “I thought “I didn’t “For crying “You don’t “What did “I stayed “Did you “Yes.” “Then he “If you say “Hopeless,” “You should “I’m not “There,” “Oh, no you “Oh, “Well, this “What?” he “Waste food “Yes, “Punished “Yes, Yoda Anakin stated as he scrubbed, “It was “Mmm hmm,” Barriss ------------------------------ “I’m “I take it “Nah, my “Someone “It was,” “What about “Actually “Indeed,” “I’ll give “You and “Don’t “What am I “Um, take “Oh, all “Maybe I “Come ------------------------------ Taro Taro’s head “Unless “You,” the “Good group, “The deal’s “No virgins “That still “400,000 it To be continued…
I want to dream about your
>
with a spin and barely parrying a thrust.
it was.”
to work on your sense of humor, Offee.”
breath, Skywalker.” Soon the speakers
were jumping, slicing, dodging, flipping, and attacking one another.
in the higher-level katas. Time was
interminable and silence ensued except for the clash of lightsabers and the
opponents’ heavy breathing.
paused facing each other, panting. Then
Anakin Skywalker turned his lightsaber off and fell forward.
falling forward. She realized her
mistake too late; Anakin had already dove underneath
her blade and pulled her ankles out from under her.
did so, and landed with a thump several feet away.
became aware of a blue glow at her throat.
Her eyes swiveled and she made out a familiar smirk on the person lying
next to her on the floor mat.
win.” Barriss Offee conceded defeat and
the two stood up, absent-mindedly swiping at their clothes to dislodge any
clinging dust and lint.
there’s a word for people like you,” Barriss told Anakin after she had recalled
her lightsaber to her hand.
I was thinking more along the lines of stupid…
and lucky. Throwing yourself under your
opponent’s lightsaber is a really stupid move and you
are extremely lucky that it worked this time around.
against me.” Anakin shrugged.
just have to have an all new surprise move up my sleeve the next time we spar.”
time we spar, I’m going to wipe the floor with that pert posterior of yours.”
posterior’? Don’t you mean
‘smart-ass’? Come off it, Barriss.
Skywalker.” With that, she stalked off.
Anakin Skywalker sat unhappily on the sidelines, watching the other children
spar. Obi-Wan had been teaching him so
hard and he was beginning to catch up with the others.
level avoided him because he was a Padawan and the Padawans scorned him because
he was not up to their level. Anakin
sighed. How was he supposed to get
better if no one would give him a chance?
A quick glance showed the boy that Obi-Wan was
still busy with a class of initiates.
like to spar?” a voice interjected into the boy’s thoughts.
Padawan about two years older than him.
She had the typical medium-dark skin of a Mirialan and had all of her
long raven hair pulled back except for the Padawan braid hanging over her
shoulder.
<
Anakin agreed, happy to meet someone from another desert planet, “I’m Anakin
Skywalker. What’s your name?”
Offee.” They scrambled to prepare and were
soon facing one another with their lightsabers ignited.
in forcefully, surprising Barriss and catching her off balance.
trained, however, and quickly recovered.
dismissed,” Obi-Wan Kenobi announced to the clan of
initiates. The children departed,
giggling or groaning depending on their feelings.
remembered when he used to do
that. Knight Kenobi shook his head
regretfully. Everyone had to grow up
soon or later. Speaking of growing up,
where was Anakin?
of lightsabers drew Obi-Wan’s attention to a sparring couple.
inexperienced apprentice holding his own against an older and more learned
opponent.
worry, Kenobi. He’s doing remarkably
well for his first time,” a soft voice with a marked lilt murmured by his
ear. Obi-Wan looked slightly down at his
companion, smiling as he acknowledged her presence.
Unduli.” Luminara Unduli was a pretty,
olive-skinned thing with ebony marks, which ran from her bottom lip down her
chin and throat, and surprisingly bright blue eyes.
of training must be remarkable. Your
student is quite impressive for having spent only two years in the
fast learner,” Obi-Wan stated, neither claiming nor denying the praise as he
watched the Padawans .
you think of my new Padawan learner, Barriss Offee?” Luminara asked.
who that is. She looks to be fast,
agile, and intelligent. She doesn’t like
being caught off guard, but she quickly
compensates. She will be a fine Jedi one
day. You must be proud of her.”
brash, reckless, impudent, insolent, and foolhardy.
trouble.”
like Anakin,” Obi-Wan replied. He winced
slightly as Anakin crashed to the padded floor, only to roll out from
undeth Bth Barriss’s blade and leap back up to his feet.
Anakin’s lightsaber hit hers, crossing them into a deadlock.
lightsabers, each face etched with determination.
locking with Anakin’s. Anakin broke away
and sat down with a thump, his lightsaber deactivating.
what happened?” Obi-Wan demanded in alarm, running over to his fallen student.
me!” the child cried out in disgust.
Obi-Wan’s hand went to his mouth as he tried desperately and
unsuccessfully not to laugh. Anakin
glared at Obi-Wan.
funny, Master.” Then Luminara Unduli
stepped in.
Offee, you will apologize to Master Kenobi’s Padawan learner now!”
Padawan Skywalker,” Barriss said with a supercilious smirk, “I hope you will
let me spar against you again soon.”
Obi-Wan, who was still laughing and not paying proper attention to the
proceedings, and Master Unduli, who was standing behind Barriss, did not notice
that Barriss’s apology was not truly sincere.
Padawan learner,” Master Unduli said, leading Barriss Offee away.
Anakin. I’ll be seeing you later.”
realized that he had lost his first sparring match simply because a girl had
kissed him. He sulked for the rest of
the day.
day brought another practice time with no one to spar with.
couples when he heard a familiar voice ask, “Want to spar?”
you? No way.
was kiss you and now I probably have boy germs.
won’t spar with me?”
on! No one else will.”
a pact?” Barriss asked, “Rivals?” Anakin
stared at the outstretched arm and then smiled.
he agreed, shaking her hand.
boy asked as they warmed up, “what was that stuff on your master’s face?”
beliefs. My Master’s tattoos show her
faith in the spoken word. It comes from
helping to defuse so many situations by getting everyone involved to sit down
and talk about it. When I reach eighteen
in five years, I’ll be tattooeth mth my own beliefs.”
guess the tattoos will be easier to look at than the rest of your face.”
you’re going to pay for that insult, Skywalker.”
Anakin smirked, “Bring it on.”
Luminara Unduli was known as a very skilled diplomatic
negotiator. She had an astonishing
faculty for finding and remembering large amounts of detailed information, and
she would eventually be of tof the favorites of Palpatine and the Senate for
negotiations at the beginning of the Clone Wars.
Kenobi did not meet her until after she was Knighted and sent on a diplomatic
mission with he and Qui-Gon. The reasons
why they had never met before then was because Luminara was slightly older than
Obi-Wan and had belonged to a different clan of initiates.
number of individuals, were created for a practical learning
environment but also ended up fostering close friendships and intense rivalries,
as was the wont of children. The
various clans had little to do with one another and many Jedi did not meet one
another until they were Padawans or even Knights and Masters.
been at the top of their respective clans, neither had anything to do with the other
before their first mission brought them together.
Qui-Gon were also famed negotiators, but in a different way.
Luminara Unduli was invariably called in.
bound to release trouble, the Order’s finest swordsman/diplomat, Qui-Gon Jinn,
and his apprentice were sent in.
both. Qui-Gon’s calming presence,
Luminara’s vast knowledge, and Obi-Wan’s quick dispatchment of a would-be
assassin defused the tricky situation.
Luminara worked together several times after that and would continue to do so,
even after both had gained Padawan learners of their own.
their “rivalry”, both Jedi Masters simply smiled knowingly and quietly
encourage it.
by brown/gray grass. The only relief
from the flat, empty plain was the monotonous gray sky.
towards an unknown destination for some hidden purpose as fast he could.
one side. Squinting, Anakin realized it
was person; anything more was impossible to make out for the person was too far
away.
to realize that they were not coming any closer.
same direction,’ Anakin thought to himself.
He moved from a trot into a loping canter and then,
when the figure remained in the distance, into a full gallop.
remained just that, a featureless figure off on the horizon…
stumbled into the ‘fresher, rubbing the sleep from his eyes in a touchingly childish
gesture. After splashing some cold water
upon his feverish brow, he morosely contemplated his reflection.
however.
are you almost finished in there? You’ve
been in there for half-an-hour longer than usual.
Are you all right? You didn’t
fall in, did you?” The attempt at humor
snapped Anakin completely back to the present and a soft smile crossed his
good-looking features before settling into something considerably more somber.
door, Anakin found himself face to face with his master.
looked mildly shocked before he openly smiled.
At thirty-four, Obi-Wan Kenobi was no longer a young man.
his handsome features and lovely eyes earned him just as many admiring, if
somewhat voyeuristic, glances as Anakin’s own physical appearance.
however, he looked his age, if not older.
wrong, Ani?” Obi-Wan asked, falling comfortably into using Anakin’s pet nameke tke the old friend he was.
it again,” was the curt reply.
plain?” A short nod was Obi-Wan’s
answer.
changed. There was someone there.
though, no matter how fast I ran.”
catch up or running to keep up?” Obi-Wan asked, intrigued.
again tomorrow morning.” Obi-Wan
frowned.
believe you’ll dream it again tonight?”
of that damned empty plain every single other night for the past four days, why
not tonight?”
Padawan. What would the other masters do
if they heard you swearing?” Anakin
shrugged again.
half as bad as some of the other words I learned as a slave.”
longer a slave, Anakin, and many people would not care for the words you use.”
wanting to get into a fight with his unruly apprentice this early, let it drop.
look came to Anakin’s features as Obi-Wan turned away.
against a lecture, but it was obvious that his master was disappointed in him.
but, no matter how hard he t, he, he always seemed to.
Anakin defended himself by pointing out that he was, indeed, trying, Obi-Wan would
invariably respond by quoting or paraphrasing an odd saying of Master Yoda’s on
how there’s no such thing as trying.
Master.” Obi-Wan sighed.
better get going.” An odd stifled sound
came from the teenager.
had breakfast together.
you’re going to get to class on time.
You’d better go now.”
the cafeteria was always a noisy affair.
Anakin Skywalker, for once, was not adding to it.
unappetizing food, and wished he was eating Obi-Wan’s
eggs instead.
said, punctuating each word by poking at the unmoving lump sitting next to her
with her fork, “Hey!” After several
pokes, Anakin finally looked up at her.
Mild surprise traversed his features, as he had not been aware of her
sitting next to him.
you’d be crowing over your victory yesterday by now.
funk. What’s wrong, Skywalker?”
eat breakfast.”
out loud! You’re sitting here and
staring at your food because you didn’t eat breakfast!
understand. I always eat breakfast with
Obi-Wan,” Anakin, jarred out of his funk, hotly retorted, “He insists on
it. He’s angry with me, or disappointed
at the very least.”
you do?”
in the ‘fresher for a half-hour longer than usual and talked back in the
conversation that followed. He told me I
didn’t have time to eat if I was going to class.”
come to Master Fisto’s class straight after this “conversation”?”
was right. You barely made it in
time. He just wanted you to be punctual
and not get in trouble with the other masters is all.”
so,” Anakin replied, too busy feeling sorry for himself
to believe it. Barriss noticed and gave
a little snort.
she muttered before applying herself to her meal.
Anakin had yet to touch his food.
eat.”
hungry.” Barriss frowned but her
expression soon gave way into a thoughtful smirk.
fingers into the mashed potato-like substance and proceeded to paint it across
Anakin’s mouth and cheeks.
she proclaimed, leaning back to inspect her work, “Now it at least appears that
you’ve made a dent in your food.”
Anakin’s jaw dropped as he stared at her.
at Barriss and smeared it across her face, partially covering the tattoos.
of the surrounding students began to giggle.
don’t, Skywalker. You aren’t going to
beat me at this.”
really, Offee? Prove it.”
expression right off of Anakin’s face, but settled for grabbing a handful of
her own mashed vegetable and throwing it at him.
into the poor Bothan Padawan sitting on his other side.
be outdone, flung some of his food. Both
Barriss and Anakin ducked and it hit the student on Barriss’s other side.
cafea.
dodge the worst of it and dove into the relative safety behind an upturned
table.
is fun!” Anakin shouted above the commotion.
Barriss nodded with a smile, which quickly faded.
asked as silence suddenly fell. Someone
behind him cleared their throat.
panic. Standing there with his arms
crossed over his stained tunic and with a bit of mashed vegetable residing upon
an ear, was Master Yoda, who was currently glaring balefully at the two
impulsive Padawans.
you should not! Eighteen- and
twenty-standard-years-old you be! Old
enough to know better, you are!”
Master Yoda,” both of the Padawans replied in unison, kneeling contritely before
the vertically challenged Jedsterster.
you will be. Clean cafeteria with
toothbrushes you shall!”
Master Yoda.”
finally relented enough to give them leeway to use large brushes instead and
left them soon after they were set to work.
worth it.”
agreed.
down on the couch in his and Obi-Wan’s quarters.
that you aren’t planning on cooking.”
back aches.” However, Anakin did get up,
scrounged up a snack, wol wolfed it down.
Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow as he watched his apprentice.
watching you would probably thyou’you’re last feeding time was yesterday.”
Anakin mumbled around some food. A
startled expression crossed his master’s face.
lunch? Didn’t you eat then?”
my food ended up in the food fight before I ate any of it.”
Obi-Wan replied, crossing his arms, “And who started this food fight?”
swallowed his food before answering.
you two guesses.”
Barriss Offee.”
worry, Master. Master Yoda already
punished us by having Offee and I scrub the floor.
going to have us wash down the cafeteria with toothbrushes but we convinced him
that if he wanted everything sparkling before dinner, we’d need something
bigger to clean with.” Obi-Wan sat down,
let his face fall into his hands, and shook his head.
going to do with you?”
me out to dinner?” was the hopeful reply.
Obi-Wan looked up sharply, about to angrily refute that.
Anakin’s puppy-dog look and remembered that the boy had not had anything to eat
all day aside from the snack he had just gobbled up.
right. Since Master Yoda’s apparently
punished you already, and you’re not cooking, we’ll go out to eat,” Obi-Wan
caved with a sigh. A brilliant smile lit
up the Padawan’s face and, for a moment, Obi-Wan thought the young man would
rush over hug him like used to when he was small.
should mention food more often, since it seems to make you so happy,” the Jedi
Knight quipped. Anakin rolled his eyes
and gestured for his master to stand up.
on. I don’t want to wait in line
forever.”
hair and skin of a Shi’an. Glancing at
the chrono on his large wrist, he frowned.
It was getting late; the first of Shi’a’s moons had risen and the air
was turning nippy with frost.
jerked up when he heard a feminine screech.
Quickly rounding the corner, Taro found one of the men supposed to be
unloading the goods from his transport trying to rip the single garment off a
beautiful young Twi’lek girl. Taro
grabbed the man and w hiw him against the wall, holding him there.
you’re planning on buying her, you don’t touch the merchandise, got it?”
eyes. Taro released him and the man
stumbled away. Taro glared down at the
Twi’lek, who was attempting to straighten the knee-length tunic.
brute said, pointing at her, “Get back with the others now!”
ran to join her fellow slaves in the holding pen.
boss man.
good group,” the Toydarian was muttering to himself, “I pay you 350 for the
lot.”
for 400,000 credits; more if we get you a virgin.”
in there. I’d bet my wings on it.”
leaves you 50,000 short and my boss would be very angry if she thought you were
swindling her,” Taro threatened. The
Toydarian turned an interesting shade of periwinkle.
is,” the Toydarian agreed, handing over the credit chips.
transport. Business as usual…