1st place: Star Wars Fanfiction Awards
Luke Skywalker is turning 8 in just a few days on Empire Day. Unfortunately, the Empire has ordered a galaxy-wide census on Empire Day. Instead of heading to the pod races, like his Uncle Owen had promised him...
The golden protocol droid waddled after the speedy princess. "Princess Leia, don't you dare turn on the holovid. Your father left specific instruc—"
"Oh, hush, Threepio," the princess said as she dragged a dining room chair through the rooms. "I promised daddy I wouldn't turn on the holovid."
Threepio caught up with her in the long hallway. "Well, that's good. I never know what to expect these days."
Leia dragged the heavy, carved chair to a back bedroom that overlooked the city's central square.
"Wait a minute." C-3PO's arm jerked up. "Where are you taking tha—"
With a push of a button, Leia locked him out of the guest bedroom. She pushed the chair beside the window and crawled on top of it. With the lights out and the privacy screen deactivated, she could see the electronic billboards that extended hundreds of stories with a running caption imposed on each screen.
In unison, the variety of advertisements cut off. A shaky vid output stabilized to reveal the exclusive War Crimes Trials coverage by Holo Net News Channel. "—is Jena Duar with a report on the two civilians injured in last week's coup. A young boy is recovering from electrical shocks and burns. His doctors expect a full recovery in a few weeks. Our investigative reporters have confirmed the boy is Luke Skywalker. Speculations are that he is a distant relative of the Clone War hero General Anakin Skywalker."
A bystander in the crowd yelled, "What about the woman? There was a woman taken in, too. We hear she was an accomplice with Darth Vader." The crowd around the journalist started chanting, "Kill Darth Vader! Kill Darth Vader!"
The journalist adjusted her orange hair with purple tips and smiled at the screen. "Our sources have been unable to unearth any information on her. The med center has reported her in stable condition. We'll bring you more news as soon as we have it. And, now, back to you, Lang."
The video cut away to a Twi'lek male with deep purple eyes and claw-like fingernails. His purple lekku draped over his shoulders in a seductive manner. "Thanks, Jena." The camera panned back and then cut to an aerial droid's shot of the Senatorial Complex. "I'm standing here in the Senatorial Judgment Chamber awaiting the war crimes trial of Sith Lord Darth Va—."
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The camera and audio cut to the proceedings. The immense chamber illuminated by stark white wall lights held a single catwalk that led to the defendant's circle. Two clone troopers escorted Anakin Skywalker down the path, his wrists bound in front of him by stun cuffs. His torn black cape swung limply from his back as the man in life-support suit thudded across the metal planking. Only the helmet was missing. Two other troopers awaited him there.
Leia lifted the macrobinoculars that swung around her neck to her eyes. After focusing in on the face of her father, she saw a man she didn't recognize. Sure, the face was the same, but the dark circles under his eyes and the sagging skin around his face told her how hard this last week had been on him. He had been allowed no visitors. Her father Bail had said he had refused legal representation.
