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Author	Topic: Noise (L/M vignette)
Gabri_Jade Title: Fan Fiction Archive Editor Emeritus Registered: Nov '02	Date Posted: 9/14/04 12:01pm Subject: Noise (L/M vignette) - Date Edited: 12/27/04 10:37am (3 edits total) Edited By: Gabri_Jade
	Title: Noise Summary: Luke and Mara deal with noise. A/N: Thanks to my wonderful evil twin LadyPadme for her always insightful beta work. You're the best, Jieh. Edit: Adding a link to the sequel, Sparks. The trip had gone wrong from the very start. Luke had thought himself fortunate at first when Mara offered to take him along when she left the next day for her scheduled rendezvous with Karrde - after all, Leia had asked him to meet with Talon Karrde to discuss a classified intelligence deal, and who else but Mara could both find Karrde quickly and be trusted to keep a secret? But from the moment Luke had stepped on board Mara's ship, the Jade's Fire, he knew that things wouldn't be as smooth as he'd first thought. For one thing, Jacen and Jaina had been leaving the ship as he was boarding. That the twins would visit Mara wasn't particularly strange, but their hurried good-byes and exit were unnervingly reminiscent of previous incidents that had resulted in stern discipline from Han and Leia. Luke took the final step from the boarding ramp into the ship itself, and was struck with a wave of heat that easily rivaled that of Tatooine. With an increasing feeling of dread, Luke wiped his brow and found his way to the engine room, where he discovered Mara furiously working the controls on the heat distributor. "That niece of yours is never setting foot on my ship again, Skywalker," Mara spat - and then the cockpit's comm beeped. "Fix that," Mara snapped, pointing to the heat distributor. "She's got in overdrive somehow," then she dashed off to the cockpit. Luke's uneasiness increased as he fiddled with the controls. Once he'd gotten the ship's internal temperatures reset, he went to the cockpit himself and found Mara arguing fiercely with the comm. The call disconnected from the other end with an audible click, and Luke was left alone with a fuming Mara, who wasn't simply angry over her ship being tampered with, but also over a business deal that had cost her a month of time and had suddenly gone sour. So much for a pleasant trip, he thought resignedly. An hour into the flight, things got considerably worse as a more subtle vein of Jaina's meddling suddenly became evident. The noise was everywhere. A deep, pervasive, and above all, loud rumble, it shook Luke's teeth right along with the bulkheads of the Jade's Fire, and with each successive change of pitch it also seemed to shake even more curses from Mara, who was currently engulfed by electronics from the waist up. "-dead," came Mara's muffled voice. She pulled back out of the service shaft and began to rummage furiously through the toolbox that was sitting on the floor beside here. Grabbing a hydrospanner, she paused to glare at Luke with angry green eyes. "She's dead, Skywalker, you realize that? I don't care if she's your niece, I don't care if she's only seven, she's dead." With that declaration, Mara dove determinedly back into the ship's innards, leaving Luke to open his mouth, then close it again as he reconsidered the wisdom of defending Jaina. Jaina was, after all, light years away on Coruscant, safe (for the moment) from Mara's temper, while Luke himself was entirely too close to an angry ex-assassin armed with heavy tools to risk angering her further. Besides, Luke had to admit (in a quiet, dark corner of his mind where Jedi principles had yet to reign supreme) that had Jaina played mechanic on Luke's own beloved X-wing, he'd likely feel the same as Mara did now. And it wasn't as though Han hadn't made similar threats the last time Jaina had rearranged the Falcon's hyperdrive. "Are you making any progress?" he asked instead. A sound that seemed vaguely different from the rumble of the malfunctioning engine wafted toward him, and he concentrated. "What?" Another faint sound, higher in pitch than the almost painfully deep, shuddering din came from Mara's general direction. Luke leaned closer to the opened panel and shouted, "What?" With a pulse of irritation through the Force, Mara emerged so quickly that she nearly banged heads with him. "I said, no!" she shouted back, and since she was now mere inches from his face, Luke heard that comment fairly clearly. "You don't have to shout!" Luke yelled over the grinding noise. "Yes, I do," Mara yelled in return, and Luke didn't need the Force to sense her frustration. "I need to shout because your niece decided to rearrange my ship's hyperdrive, and ever-so-conveniently managed to find a rewiring that shouts back! So I'd behave myself if I were you, Skywalker, unless you want to be pushed out an airlock so I only have to listen to the engine!" "Sure, and then who would you yell at?" Luke shouted back. Mara glared evilly at him, and Luke took a moment to admire her skill in that area (long years of practice as Emperor's Hand, he supposed) while simultaneously blessing Uncle Owen for having given him so many opportunities to practice his own innocent look. "Are you sure you don't want any help?" Luke asked again. "Positive! It's my ship; I'll take care of it!" Mara expelled her breath with an exasperated huff, then with a final glower she reburied herself in the service shaft. Luke sat back with a sigh of his own, impatient as only a pilot and mechanic forbidden to come near a recalcitrant engine could be. His first two offers of help had been sharply rejected as well, and Luke himself had been ordered not to touch anything, except the toolbox that he'd better bring quickly unless he wanted her to use him as target practice. Luke knew that Mara was perfectly capable of finding and fixing the problem (Karrde had once told him of the first time he'd met Mara, and how she'd been working as a hyperdrive mechanic), but that didn't mitigate his frustration at having to watch while having nothing productive to do himself. Besides, the noise was giving him a headache. Suddenly a sharp, reverberating sound rang above the thunderous hum, a clank of metal on metal, and the near-roar that had been rattling the ship for the last hour simply stopped. Luke found himself blinking in confusion, the abrupt silence almost unnerving after the seemingly endless cacophony. Mara emerged once more, plopping herself down on the deck and leaning against the bulkhead with an obvious air of relief. "What did you -" Luke began, then stopped himself and started again, quietly this time. "What did you do?" Mara gave him a smile of grim satisfaction, and held up the hydrospanner, which now sported a dent in its side. "Sometimes the old-fashioned way really does work best." Luke gave a startled laugh. "You hit it? You hit the Fire? And you were afraid of me touching it?" Mara grinned at him, and it was the closest to sheepish he'd ever seen her. "Shut up, Luke." Luke shook his head in amusement, then pushed himself up off the deck and went to the galley, returning a moment later with two bottles of the mineral water that Mara favored. He handed her one, then sank down beside her and took a swig from his own bottle, while Mara eyed hers. "There wasn't anything stronger?" she asked, half serious and half joking, then took a sip and leaned her head back against the bulkhead, looking at Luke sideways. "I still might kill her." "Okay," Luke said companionably. Mara snorted with suppressed laughter. "No arguments to make this time?" "I didn't argue the last time," Luke pointed out mildly, leaning his own head back against the bulkhead and relishing its cool stillness. "You're kind of scary when you're mad." Mara elbowed him. "I'm kind of scary all the time, farmboy." Luke grinned at her. "If you say so." Mara grinned back. "I do say so. Now come on." Mara rose, shook out her now-disheveled hair, and held out a hand to help Luke rise. She winked at him. "There's brandy behind the water. You just didn't look hard enough." Luke laughed and followed her to the galley, grateful that the tension that had permeated the day had finally dissipated. And to think, all it took was a little noise. -----signature----- Evil Twin of LadyPadme This concept of "wuv" confuses and infuriates us! - Futurama All I can do is be me. Whoever that is. - Bob Dylan Serendipity (Leia-Mara vig) - http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/30178069 !!11!1eleventy
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LadyPadme Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Sep '02	Date Posted: 9/14/04 12:09pm Subject: RE: Noise (L/M vignette) - Date Edited: 9/14/04 1:00pm (2 edits total) Edited By: LadyPadme
	First post! Will give more substantial reply in a mo... EDIT: What an adorable viggie. A nice showcasing of Luke's and Mara's personalities, and done without any major drama or angst. A lovely slice of GFFA life The noise was everywhere. A deep, pervasive, and above all, loud rumble, it shook Luke's teeth right along with the bulkheads of the Jade's Fire, and with each successive change of pitch it also seemed to shake even more curses from Mara, who was currently engulfed by electronics from the waist up. - That part about shaking more curses from Mara was just beautifully done! So very easy to picture Are you making any progress?" he asked instead. A sound that seemed vaguely different from the rumble of the malfunctioning engine wafted toward him, and he concentrated. "What?" Another faint sound, higher in pitch than the almost painfully deep, shuddering din came from Mara's general direction. Luke leaned closer to the opened panel and shouted, "What?" With a pulse of irritation through the Force, Mara emerged so quickly that she nearly banged heads with him. "I said, no!" she shouted back, and since she was now mere inches from his face, Luke heard that comment fairly clearly. "You don't have to shout!" Luke yelled over the grinding noise. "Yes, I do," Mara yelled in return, and Luke didn't need the Force to sense her frustration. "I need to shout because your niece decided to rearrange my ship's hyperdrive, and ever-so-conveniently managed to find a rewiring that shouts back! So I'd behave myself if I were you, Skywalker, unless you want to be pushed out an airlock so I only have to listen to the engine!" "Sure, and then who would you yell at?" Luke shouted back. - This exchange just sums up beautifully the relationship between Luke and Mara. She being crusty and cranky and deadly and him being basically patient and tolerant, but not above poking fun at her just to see her temper explode. Wonderful! "You're kind of scary when you're mad." Mara elbowed him. "I'm kind of scary all the time, farmboy." - EXACTLY!! Great job, Mei! Your muse is so good. When she deigns to work, that is -----signature----- Evil Twin of Gabri_Jade When a baby smiles the world is happy
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TahiriSoloFan Registered: May '03	Date Posted: 9/14/04 12:09pm Subject: RE: Noise (L/M vignette)
	Wow! I love the way you write Luke & Mara! Both are written so true to form. Bravo! Very funny! -----signature----- Auntie & the Chickens ~ Keepin' hope alive A/T ~ Greater than the sum of their parts J/J ~ Unstoppable force vs. unmoveable object AKA ~Auntie ~ Chicken Wrangler Extraordinaire~ Joshua 1:9
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dreamspirals Registered: Mar '03	Date Posted: 9/14/04 12:11pm Subject: RE: Noise (L/M vignette)
	Very good as always. You have a way of writing that makes it easy to put yourself in the story. -----signature----- Insane people are always sure that they are fine. It is only the sane people who are willing to admit that they are crazy. None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsy believe they are free.
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Jedikma Registered: Feb '04	Date Posted: 9/14/04 12:54pm Subject: RE: Noise (L/M vignette)
	I enjoy a good L/M story and this one was fun. -----signature----- Twice in a Lifetime 7/31 http://boards.theforce.net/The_Saga/b10476/16813029 A Quiet Afternoon http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/23305946 follow up vig to: A New Order http://boards.theforce.net/The_Saga/b10476/17525231
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Bri_Windstar Registered: May '02	Date Posted: 9/14/04 12:55pm Subject: RE: Noise (L/M vignette)
	LOL! Gabri, that was funny! Just a fun, mundane little snippet of normal, everyday life. Those are some of the best ones. Although Mara did seem right ticked. Bwahaha, poor Jaina At least Luke had enough sense to more or less stay out of the way. Force knows what troubles he can get himself into by getting on her bad side -----signature----- Mediocrity- it takes a lot less time and most people won't notice the difference before it's too late. * OMG! SO RIDICULOUSLY AND AGGRAVATINGLY PERFECT!- Gabri * 11010110101000101011
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Ariapaige Registered: Feb '02	Date Posted: 9/14/04 2:52pm Subject: RE: Noise (L/M vignette)
	LoL Gabri. This is awesome! My favorite part had to be the bit about the quiet, dark corner of his mind where Jedi principles had yet to reign supreme. You write Luke and Mara so well, especially them together. Paige -----signature----- sometime lurker
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TheCrazyRodian Registered: Mar '04	Date Posted: 9/14/04 4:33pm Subject: RE: Noise (L/M vignette)
	Gabri, coming to the boards to find a new vignette from you is kind of like going to check my mail and finding a package of cookies--first I frown in surprise, then I smile, then I make a gleeful sound, and then I enjoy the sweet contents. In other words, you've just sated my appetite for Luke/Mara-ness. Thank you. -----signature----- My body wears a green scent, as on the verge Between green laughter and green sorrow I have walked all day Until my legs have gone lame, and still the spring seems spirited away. --Yi Sanghwa
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StarFighter5 Registered: Jul '03	Date Posted: 9/14/04 4:36pm Subject: RE: Noise (L/M vignette)
	How cute and funny! Kids, they get into everything, don't they? -----signature----- "I hope I slept with you to get the job. if not, then who the hell was that guy?" - Carrie Fisher "Now that I'm a pez and a lego, I shall want for nothing else." -Jeremy Bulloch "Thank you for going to the movies. Especially mine." - George Lucas
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Jedi-2B Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 9/14/04 4:56pm Subject: RE: Noise (L/M vignette)
	Loved it, Gabri!! Besides, Luke had to admit (in a quiet, dark corner of his mind where Jedi principles had yet to reign supreme) that had Jaina played mechanic on Luke's own beloved X-wing, he'd likely feel the same as Mara did now. This was such a wonderful description of the way Luke is. Mara glared evilly at him, and Luke took a moment to admire her skill in that area (long years of practice as Emperor's Hand, he supposed) while simultaneously blessing Uncle Owen for having given him so many opportunities to practice his own innocent look. Loved this paragraph! LOL! A great viggie all around, dear. You really need to do more of these. -----signature----- It was on her fifteenth day in the darkness of the Nirauan cave when Mara Jade awoke to discover a rescuer had finally arrived. It was not, however, any of the potential rescuers she would have expected. It was Luke. ~~And the rest is history~~
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TKeira_Lea Registered: Oct '02	Date Posted: 9/14/04 5:13pm Subject: RE: Noise (L/M vignette) - Date Edited: 9/15/04 6:38am (1 edits total) Edited By: TKeira_Lea
	You do write Dorkwalker and Mara so well. I have did a great job of capturing Luke's thoughtful introspection mixed with farmboy innocence. And Mara - what can I say but just perfect. There is a lot I could reprint but this one line caught my eye... Luke sat back with a sigh of his own, impatient as only a pilot and mechanic forbidden to come near a recalcitrant engine could be. It's amazing how words can capture a character's state of mind so powerfully. I can just see Luke rubbing his itchy palms on his thighs while a myriad of possible fixes fired through his brain. Great! Oh how can I not comment on the fact my girl Jaina was the instigator of Mara's bountiful headache! Bravo! -----signature----- http://www.lominalecantina.com Dark Journey, the EU's version of a head fake current fanfic ~ Return to Bolis Island http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/29571370/p1/?19
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Vongchild Registered: Apr '04	Date Posted: 9/14/04 5:34pm Subject: RE: Noise (L/M vignette)
	Wonderful! I might have to read more L/M. -----signature----- "Oh," the other clerk said, as if it was nothing new, "You got one of the kid's drawings." http://boards.theforce.net/Beyond_the_Saga/b10477/21158399 - Mechanical Dreams Apprentice to Zonoma "I'd take a Yuuzhan Vong Warrior over Jacen Solo any day."
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RebelMom Title: TFF Secretary Registered: Apr '00	Date Posted: 9/14/04 6:17pm Subject: RE: Noise (L/M vignette)
	Wonderful job, Gabri. I enjoyed the laugh. characterizations were right on as per your usual. You really must write more often. -----signature----- Short Story: Pressure Point http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/26961243/p1/?7 Jacen Solo and Anakin Skywalker - as it should have been. TFF: Cheryl
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Jedi Trace Title: • SouthEast RSA • FanFiction Manager Registered: Dec '99	Date Posted: 9/14/04 7:26pm Subject: RE: Noise (L/M vignette)
	OMG, how fun! I loved it. I think Michele already mentioned this part, but it was my fave: Mara glared evilly at him, and Luke took a moment to admire her skill in that area (long years of practice as Emperor's Hand, he supposed) while simultaneously blessing Uncle Owen for having given him so many opportunities to practice his own innocent look. Perfect!! -----signature----- "Luke Skywalker kicks ass. Next question." - Tom Taylor "Sometimes bad guys are the only good guys you get." - Leverage
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Lonewolf89 Registered: Sep '01	Date Posted: 9/14/04 8:46pm Subject: RE: Noise (L/M vignette)
	Lovely vignette, Gabri! "She's dead, Skywalker, you realize that? I don't care if she's your niece, I don't care if she's only seven, she's dead." That is so Mara. Good characterization of both her and Luke. I also really liked the way you wrote the story: descriptive, so that I could almost hear the noise myself. Great job! -----signature----- Nom Anor: I witnessed the death of perhaps the greatest of them all, the one called Anakin Solo. Anakin Solo: You want me to move? Come on and move me! Jacen: Count on Anakin to be the last Human to get out of Duro space alive. Member of the FADA & ATF
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Jaded_Girl Registered: Aug '01	Date Posted: 9/14/04 9:47pm Subject: RE: Noise (L/M vignette)
	This was such a cute viggie, Gabri Jade! And spot on characterizations too! With a pulse of irritation through the Force, Mara emerged so quickly that she nearly banged heads with him. "I said, no!" she shouted back, and since she was now mere inches from his face, Luke heard that comment fairly clearly. "You don't have to shout!" Luke yelled over the grinding noise. "Yes, I do," Mara yelled in return, and Luke didn't need the Force to sense her frustration. "I need to shout because your niece decided to rearrange my ship's hyperdrive, and ever-so-conveniently managed to find a rewiring that shouts back! So I'd behave myself if I were you, Skywalker, unless you want to be pushed out an airlock so I only have to listen to the engine!" "Sure, and then who would you yell at?" Luke shouted back. Mara glared evilly at him, and Luke took a moment to admire her skill in that area (long years of practice as Emperor's Hand, he supposed) while simultaneously blessing Uncle Owen for having given him so many opportunities to practice his own innocent look. I LOVED this exchange! Mara gave him a smile of grim satisfaction, and held up the hydrospanner, which now sported a dent in its side. "Sometimes the old-fashioned way really does work best." Luke gave a startled laugh. "You hit it? You hit the Fire? And you were afraid of me touching it?" Mara grinned at him, and it was the closest to sheepish he'd ever seen her. "Shut up, Luke." Awwww! So cute! "You're kind of scary when you're mad." Mara elbowed him. "I'm kind of scary all the time, farmboy." Luke grinned at her. "If you say so." It just gets better and better, Gabri Jade! Awesome job! -----signature----- L/M since reading HttE in '96. The Avengers' battle cry is "Avengers Assemble!" The Fantastic Four's is "Johnny WAIT!" ~Mark Waid Jaded_Girl exits, pursued by a bear
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