Star Wars Fic and Meta - From All The Spaces Between Times - Chapter 39

[elrhiarhodan]

Title: From All The Spaces Between Times
Chapter: Chapter 39 — This Learning In the Absolute
Author: elrhiarhodan / elrhiarhodan / elrhiarhodan
Fandom: Star Wars, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars — Obi Wan Kenobi (TV), Star Wars — Jedi Apprentice Books
Characters Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn, Shmi Skywalker, Anakin Skywalker, Watto, Quinlan Vos, Padmé Amidala, Sabé, Darth Maul, Yoda, Mace Windu, Adi Gallia, Quinlan Vos, Professor Huyang, The Force, Plo Koon, Vokara Che, Siri Tachi, Aayla Secura, Bant Eerin, Bruck Chun, Xanatos du Crion, Sheev Palpatine | Darth Sidious, Hego Damask II | Darth Plagueis, Komari Vosa, Bail Prestor Organa, Bail Antilles Prestor, Rael Averross, Nim Piana, Original Characters, Other Characters To Be Added
Pairings: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Shmi Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi & Qui-Gon Jinn, Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker, eventual Obi-Wan/Qui-Gon Jinn (but not for a long while)
Word Count: ~ 5100 this chapter
Spoilers: None
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: Graphic description of a sexual scene depicted in an artwork where consent may or may not be present (between a Twi’lek and a Devaronian). Mental manipulation. Suicidal ideation.

Summary: Obi-Wan Kenobi has never known it, but he has always been the Force’s Champion, destined to suffer infinite sadness in defense of the Light. On his last turn on the wheel, responsibility for The Chosen One, the false child of prophecy, had been thrust upon him with no warning, and Darkness held the upper hand.

But this time, the Force has marshaled its power and will protect its Champion until the time is right, no matter how long Obi-Wan has to wait and how much he has to suffer.

Or,

Obi-Wan is reborn as a twelve-year old.

He wakes up on a slavers’ ship, with all of his prior life’s memories intact, and he’s bound for Tatooine with a Force-inhibitor collar around his neck, a bomb implanted in his spine, and no way of knowing what state of the Galaxy is in.

Just another day in the life of the Force’s Champion.

Chapter Summary: Kheyshaay Artel, the Secretary to the Caretaker of the Council of First Knowledge has been selling secrets to a very interested Senator who has paid very well for all kinds of information. But between the attempted assassination of High Councilor Qui-Gon Jinn and last night’s psychic attack on the Jedi, Kheyshaay is consumed by guilt for all his betrayals and feels compelled to confess.

He hopes the High Council is mercifully swift when they execute judgment on him for his crimes.

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From All The Spaces Between Times — Chapter 39 — This Learning In the Absolute (On AO3)

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Meta — Chapter 39 — This Learning In the Absolute

As always, I am deeply grateful for all the love you’ve given this story, the outpouring of comments on the last chapter — the guessing on where the story is heading — makes me so very happy.

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317,052 words, 58 chapters

Sharp eyes and good memories might note that even though there’s only a 5k jump in wordcount, there are two additional chapters. That’s because I did some editing. A few months back, when I wound up Book III and started Book IV, I mentioned a monster chapter, nearly 10k, that was opening up Book IV. I had some misgivings about the placement of it — it really belonged within the timeframe of Book III, but I set it as the opening of Book IV because I wanted to end the Qui/Obi action of Book III a certain way.

But the more I reread it, the more I realized how misplaced and confusing it was. It was also too long. So I chopped it into to two chapters (this one had a natural break point) and I finished another chapter. So now I’m back to a twenty-chapter buffer and that feels a little better. A bit more breathing room.

I’m also going to be making a concerted effort to write shorter chapters — sticking to 5-6k rather than 7-8k. That may actually be possible, since the story is moving forward action-wise. Less thinky and more do-y. I hope.

The Council Secretary

So who remembers the Council Secretary from Chapter 17?

The tintinnabulation of the ancient Temple bells resounds not only within the Temple itself, but all throughout the Federal District of Coruscant and beyond. These bells have one purpose, they are the call to arms in times of mortal danger to the Jedi and the Republic itself, but that purpose has been long since forgotten by the Jedi.

Not by everyone, though. Sheev Palpatine might be a Sith Lord, but that doesn’t mean he’s ignorant of his enemy’s history and by extension, its weaknesses.

He’s half-asleep in his pod, as some senators are debating a funding bill for famine relief to some unimportant Mid-Rim planet, when the bells start to toll. He doesn’t so much hear them, but he feels them — a deep and existential — dread resounding in his midi-chlorians.

Palpatine looks around him to see if any of his colleagues notice what’s happening, and yes, a few of them do, as the ringing becomes audible. The sound of the bells grows louder and Palpatine struggles to breathe, as the Light begins to choke him. No one notices as senators and functionaries start to panic and that ineffectual fool, Valorum, calls for order.

But just as abruptly as the ringing had started, it stops, and he can breathe again.

He waits for the chamber to empty, as long as that takes. Sheev Palpatine knows better than to be conspicuous in a situation like this. He moves slowly, nodding to colleagues, making inane small talk until he reaches the exit for his tier and then walks purposefully to his office. His aide, of course, wants to talk about those bedamned bells, but he cuts the man off and locks himself in his inner office.

And waits.

It takes about an hour, but one of his contacts within the Temple reaches out to him. Not his new acolyte, a disgraced Jedi who is bound to menial service in the Senate. This contact is a functionary highly placed within the Order, and while he hasn’t yet been turned to the Dark, he’s a venal sort. Sheev pays him well for the accurate information he provides.

"Well?"

"The bells in the Great Spire started ringing."

"Yes, they were heard in the Senate chamber."

"Ah, that is good to know."

Palpatine frowns, annoyed at himself. Information should only go one way. "Anything else — I’m not paying you for something I already know."

"The Temple walls lit up with protective spells. The Great Tree bloomed."

He leans back in his chair, more concerned than ever. "Any reason why these things would happen now? Anything unusual going on?"

"Not that I’m aware of. And I’m a Council Secretary, I am aware of everything."

"All right. Your fee will be deposited in your account tonight."

"Thank you, Senator. Always a pleasure doing business with you."

Palpatine ends the call. He needs to tell his Master what has happened. But not just yet.

I really do try not to leave plot threads hanging loose, you know. But I hadn’t thought about weaving this one in until, well, I sat down and started writing. I did have his name, his "hobbies", and his near-suicidal guilt-trip, but I didn’t know that the Nightmare was going to trigger everything until it actually did.

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About the Book

I meant to talk about The Book in Chapter 23 when Obi-Wan finds it under the Lothal Moon Vine pot, but I got distracted by reformed cutie patootie Bruck Chun and offered up a cut scene instead. Then I meant to talk about it last week, but I was in an off mood and just chattered on about process and the Sith and a weird connection to the last scene in Terminator II.

But I really do want to talk a little bit about The Book. It’s a real piece of Star Wars kit, created for The Last Jedi. It’s the book that Luke found in the Ach-To Temple:





Credit: The Art of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Written by Phil Szostak, © and ™ 2017 LucasFilm Ltd., page 62-63

I actually didn’t remember the Book from The Last Jedi. I found it when I was digging around on the AO3 pages for the Dai Bendu conlang. If anyone is interested in learning more about the language of the Ancient Order of Dai Bendu, I refer you to Pragmatics of the Jedi, a site on AO3 dedicated to creating and maintaining the Dai Bendu conlang project.

I’m eager to know your thoughts on this chapter.