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crack_van2005-01-16 09:58 pm
alara-r.livejournal.com) wrote in crack_van2005-01-16 09:58 pm
Star Trek:TNG/Star Wars: Phantom Menace era (PG)
I see I'm not the only one stymied in my desire to post a crossover link on Jan 15th by the LJ downtime... and by the way, damn but it's hard to find good TNG crossovers! I found only two others I wanted to rec... and they had both been recced already! Argh.
Title: Crossroads, by Selena
Characters: Wesley Crusher, Anakin Skywalker
Author on LJ:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
selenak
Why this must be read:
Stories that are sympathetic to either Wesley Crusher or Anakin Skywalker are rare in their respective fandoms. A crossover featuring them both would either be unbearable, or great. Since it's Selena writing it, it's great. :-)
A jump with the Traveller goes wrong, and Wesley finds himself in the cave on Dagobah, with Obi-Wan and Anakin wondering how he got there and if he has a connection to the Dark Side. Seeing the Jedi through Wesley's eyes allows Selena to make a number of points about how disturbing the Jedi actually are, and her characterization of Wesley and why he chose not to enter Starfleet is far more perceptive than I've ever seen anyone apply to this character. She also draws some very interesting parallels between Wesley and Anakin.
"Master, he's awake."
"I can see that, Anakin," said another voice, and another figure knelt down. An adult man with ginger hair and a beard, wearing some kind of robes. A feudal society? Wesley wondered, some half-forgotten lessons in analysing data in preparation for first contact situations coming to the fore. Yet what had drawn him here had been some kind of sophisticated and very powerful energy maelstrom. But that could have been a phenomenon unrelated to these two. It was best to wait with volunteering any information, then, and handle the situation very carefully. Wesley might not be Starfleet anymore, but he did believe in the Prime Directive. Involuntarily creating some sort of cult was only one of the ways things could go wrong.
"I am Obi-Wan Kenobi," the man said, voice strictly neutral. "Would you mind explaining to us what you are doing here?"
"I don't even know where ‘here' is," Wesley replied, which was the truth but also allowed him to avoid the question.
"You're on Dagobah," Anakin said. He didn't wear the same type of light robes Kenobi did, but some sort of dark leather tunic and brown trousers. Wesley wondered whether this indicated lower social status, given the way the boy had addressed Kenobi. "Or you could just call it the swamp planet."
"That is enough, Padawan," Kenobi said chidingly, giving the boy a disapproving look. Either Anakin wasn't supposed to tell Wesley the location, or he wasn't supposed to talk at all. Yes, this definitely looked like a feudal society. Anakin did not look happy at the reprimand, but seemed to accept it.
"Well then," Kenobi said briskly to Wesley, "since you do know where you are now, would you mind explaining your presence? This planet is not exactly a galactic vacation spot."
Wesley had to adjust his original estimation somewhat. Since they obviously knew about space flight already, a number of caveats didn't apply anymore. Still, caution was called for. This did resemble an interrogation, and he didn't know how long he was going to be stuck here. There was no sense of the Traveller being anywhere near, and he could not feel anything beyond what he had been able to grasp in his normal human existence.
"I'm not sure," he replied slowly. "I don't remember the exact series of events, but I think it was an accident. I certainly didn't mean to come here, but something drew me in and then I woke up and saw you."
Which was the truth but left the method of his arrival open. He didn't want them to know he didn't have a space craft, or that he got separated from his companion and had no possibility to leave on his own. In his memory, he could hear Picard say "a lie of omission is still a lie", but then the Captain also approved of stealth in tricky situations.
Kenobi frowned.
"Then it seems we have a problem," he finally said. "The Dark Side is strong in this place, there was a recent resurgence, and now suddenly here you are, with no explanation. I'm afraid you'll have to come with us to the Council."
"Of course. The Council. We can't take a step without it," Anakin muttered. This time, Kenobi didn't look disapproving as much as he looked disappointed. He did not say anything, though, which produced interesting results in the boy; Anakin flinched and looked contrite.
"I'm sorry, Master," he said.
Kenobi still did not comment, and Wesley, partly because the entire exchange suddenly reminded him of the past awkwardness between himself and Picard and partly because he wanted to establish his harmlessness, interjected:
"I'm certainly willing to be questioned by the local authorities, but I would be grateful if you could arrange for some doctor to have a look at me as well. You see, the fact I don't recall the exact way I ended up here worries me, too."
"I'll bring you to the healers once we're back on Coruscant," Kenobi said politely.
Apparently there was nothing local about the authorities, Wesley concluded, and felt a chill. The farther they got from the point where they had discovered him, the less likely it was anyone could find him.
Don't be ridiculous, he told himself. The Traveller can find you anywhere. And who else would even look?
No one. The realisation suddenly hit him with an unexpected sharpness. He had not talked to another human being for – how long had it been? Two years? Three? As far as all his friends were concerned, he was off exploring the galaxy. He could die without Mom ever knowing what had become of him, or the Captain, or Geordi. Or any of them.
To his surprise, Anakin suddenly said: "Don't worry, they'll help you. You'll remember, and you'll get back home again."
It was so clearly intended as a comfort in response to what he had just thought that Wesley wondered whether Anakin had some telepathic or empathic abilities. Then he noticed the wistful expression on Anakin's face, and the slight break in his voice when he pronounced the word "home".
"Thank you," Wesley replied, and only realized it was true when he heard himself adding: "But I'm not sure where my home is anymore, or whether I've got one left, and that has nothing to do with memory loss."
Anakin opened his mouth as if to say "me, too", then glanced at Kenobi and closed it again.
"I'm sorry," he said instead. Still, obviously Kenobi had drawn the same conclusion about Anakin's original intent that Wesley had. He looked troubled.
Crossroads
Title: Crossroads, by Selena
Characters: Wesley Crusher, Anakin Skywalker
Author on LJ:
selenakWhy this must be read:
Stories that are sympathetic to either Wesley Crusher or Anakin Skywalker are rare in their respective fandoms. A crossover featuring them both would either be unbearable, or great. Since it's Selena writing it, it's great. :-)
A jump with the Traveller goes wrong, and Wesley finds himself in the cave on Dagobah, with Obi-Wan and Anakin wondering how he got there and if he has a connection to the Dark Side. Seeing the Jedi through Wesley's eyes allows Selena to make a number of points about how disturbing the Jedi actually are, and her characterization of Wesley and why he chose not to enter Starfleet is far more perceptive than I've ever seen anyone apply to this character. She also draws some very interesting parallels between Wesley and Anakin.
"Master, he's awake."
"I can see that, Anakin," said another voice, and another figure knelt down. An adult man with ginger hair and a beard, wearing some kind of robes. A feudal society? Wesley wondered, some half-forgotten lessons in analysing data in preparation for first contact situations coming to the fore. Yet what had drawn him here had been some kind of sophisticated and very powerful energy maelstrom. But that could have been a phenomenon unrelated to these two. It was best to wait with volunteering any information, then, and handle the situation very carefully. Wesley might not be Starfleet anymore, but he did believe in the Prime Directive. Involuntarily creating some sort of cult was only one of the ways things could go wrong.
"I am Obi-Wan Kenobi," the man said, voice strictly neutral. "Would you mind explaining to us what you are doing here?"
"I don't even know where ‘here' is," Wesley replied, which was the truth but also allowed him to avoid the question.
"You're on Dagobah," Anakin said. He didn't wear the same type of light robes Kenobi did, but some sort of dark leather tunic and brown trousers. Wesley wondered whether this indicated lower social status, given the way the boy had addressed Kenobi. "Or you could just call it the swamp planet."
"That is enough, Padawan," Kenobi said chidingly, giving the boy a disapproving look. Either Anakin wasn't supposed to tell Wesley the location, or he wasn't supposed to talk at all. Yes, this definitely looked like a feudal society. Anakin did not look happy at the reprimand, but seemed to accept it.
"Well then," Kenobi said briskly to Wesley, "since you do know where you are now, would you mind explaining your presence? This planet is not exactly a galactic vacation spot."
Wesley had to adjust his original estimation somewhat. Since they obviously knew about space flight already, a number of caveats didn't apply anymore. Still, caution was called for. This did resemble an interrogation, and he didn't know how long he was going to be stuck here. There was no sense of the Traveller being anywhere near, and he could not feel anything beyond what he had been able to grasp in his normal human existence.
"I'm not sure," he replied slowly. "I don't remember the exact series of events, but I think it was an accident. I certainly didn't mean to come here, but something drew me in and then I woke up and saw you."
Which was the truth but left the method of his arrival open. He didn't want them to know he didn't have a space craft, or that he got separated from his companion and had no possibility to leave on his own. In his memory, he could hear Picard say "a lie of omission is still a lie", but then the Captain also approved of stealth in tricky situations.
Kenobi frowned.
"Then it seems we have a problem," he finally said. "The Dark Side is strong in this place, there was a recent resurgence, and now suddenly here you are, with no explanation. I'm afraid you'll have to come with us to the Council."
"Of course. The Council. We can't take a step without it," Anakin muttered. This time, Kenobi didn't look disapproving as much as he looked disappointed. He did not say anything, though, which produced interesting results in the boy; Anakin flinched and looked contrite.
"I'm sorry, Master," he said.
Kenobi still did not comment, and Wesley, partly because the entire exchange suddenly reminded him of the past awkwardness between himself and Picard and partly because he wanted to establish his harmlessness, interjected:
"I'm certainly willing to be questioned by the local authorities, but I would be grateful if you could arrange for some doctor to have a look at me as well. You see, the fact I don't recall the exact way I ended up here worries me, too."
"I'll bring you to the healers once we're back on Coruscant," Kenobi said politely.
Apparently there was nothing local about the authorities, Wesley concluded, and felt a chill. The farther they got from the point where they had discovered him, the less likely it was anyone could find him.
Don't be ridiculous, he told himself. The Traveller can find you anywhere. And who else would even look?
No one. The realisation suddenly hit him with an unexpected sharpness. He had not talked to another human being for – how long had it been? Two years? Three? As far as all his friends were concerned, he was off exploring the galaxy. He could die without Mom ever knowing what had become of him, or the Captain, or Geordi. Or any of them.
To his surprise, Anakin suddenly said: "Don't worry, they'll help you. You'll remember, and you'll get back home again."
It was so clearly intended as a comfort in response to what he had just thought that Wesley wondered whether Anakin had some telepathic or empathic abilities. Then he noticed the wistful expression on Anakin's face, and the slight break in his voice when he pronounced the word "home".
"Thank you," Wesley replied, and only realized it was true when he heard himself adding: "But I'm not sure where my home is anymore, or whether I've got one left, and that has nothing to do with memory loss."
Anakin opened his mouth as if to say "me, too", then glanced at Kenobi and closed it again.
"I'm sorry," he said instead. Still, obviously Kenobi had drawn the same conclusion about Anakin's original intent that Wesley had. He looked troubled.
Crossroads