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Author	Topic: Just Another War (L/M, post-NJO, vignette)
Lady_Moonbeam Registered: Aug '02	Date Posted: 6/23/03 9:59am Subject: Just Another War (L/M, post-NJO, vignette) - Date Edited: 6/23/03 9:59am (1 edits total) Edited By: Lady_Moonbeam
	Okay, this is my first L/M story ever, not to mention my first Mara story, so please tell me if I've gotten any characterizations wrong, since I'd really love to improve! Tell me what you think. _______________________________ Luke Skywalker lay awake and listened to the whispery sound of the water hitting the beach. It was the first time he could ever remember being close to the ocean, and the one thing he was discovering was that the sounds were hypnotic. The steady rise and fall of the waves mesmerized him and kept him awake, listening for the continuous silk-on-silk noise. He stared at the ceiling, hands folded across his chest, wrapped up in a cool black veil. Once, Malastare would have glowed like a torch at night, with signs and advertisements glittering above the soft beach and reflecting off the vast mirror of the water. That was how he remembered it. Once, there had been enough light to disguise the darkness, and enough noise to hide the sounds of the sea. There had been trillions of humans instead of only hundreds, millennia of knowledge instead of only decades, and a temple-full of Jedi instead of only two. The name they had given to all of it was civilization, and Luke thought it had been nice. Better than nice. Beautiful. Civilization hadn’t died until its greatest lights were extinguished. Leia was assassinated shortly after she took control of the underground communities, the twins had died alone, on separate missions, and Han had been taken down in a suicide run against a Vong stronghold. The Jedi Order fell and the New Republic peeled away at the edges until there was nothing left. Nothing left but Luke, Mara, and Ben, escaping from the wreckage, unable to fight against the Vong because there was no longer anything to fight for. Everyone Luke cared about was sealed up in this beach-side apartment after three years of running and temporary stops on deserted planets. The road had led to Malastare, and that was where Luke had just stopped running. The Vong were holed away on Coruscant—they had ignored Malastare’s small store of resources after the initial fight for purity had driven the original inhabitants away. Besides, Luke liked Malastare. He had the sounds of the ocean at night, Ben could start a seashell collection, and the nearest town was only half a kilometer away—walking distance. Easy walking distance. It probably had salvageable food and water supplies, enough to get them through until they could find an alternative method of getting nourishment. Farming, maybe. Life was one large cycle, after all. He had started as a farmer, and that was how he was going to end. Moisture to vegetables. Aunt and uncle to wife and son. The changes were only external. “Stop it,” Mara murmured next to him, the sound muffled where her lips were pressed against his arm. Luke propped himself up on one elbow and turned to her with a smile tweaking at the edges of his mouth. “Stop what?” he asked. With a small sigh, Mara pulled her face back from him and sat up, horizontal bars of moonlight streaking her. “Thinking like that. We’re safe now.” “Since when do you want to be safe?” Luke lifted up his hand and touched her hair, weaving his fingers through the heavy locks. She leaned her cheek into his palm in an unusually tender gesture. “Since I got a family,” she said brusquely. “And since the galaxy went to hell.” “Better safe than dead,” he said aloud in nod to her statement, but part of him wondered if he really agreed with that statement. Jedi weren’t supposed to fear death, they weren’t even supposed to view it as the closing of a circle. They were just supposed to accept it as something natural, like adolescence, something designed to move them on to another state of being. Luke thought he had reconciled himself with his own death, but lately, he found himself wondering about that, too. If he despised the perpetual secrecy and stillness that his life was now founded upon, would a few moments of light and activity compensate for the necessary death that would follow? But Luke could only decide for himself, he couldn’t make that decision for his family, so as long as they needed him, he would be there. Because that was what being a Jedi meant, really. “Did you ever think it would end up like this?” he asked when the stillness slipped in between them again. Mara gave a short laugh, and her head moved abruptly out of his hand. She replaced it with her fingers, and they looped them together tightly. “Running and hiding? All of our friends dead? The battles fought… and lost? Yes.” Luke felt himself drowning in surprise and sudden shock—yes? That had been her answer? That all this time, all these wounds, she had truly seen it coming? That she had fought for an ideal she knew would fall? “You knew?” he whispered, his voice suddenly low and torn between admiration and accusation. “You knew that things would turn out this way?” He could have gone on for hours with relentless questioning of the things Mara might and might not have seen, but her fingers stilled his lips. “I didn’t know.” Her voice was husky and sweet. She brought herself in closer to him, until he could feel her breath on his face. “I never knew. But this was what I was afraid of happening. When we weren’t doing anything, when there was a lull—I thought about this. About what would happen if they won, and we lost. If the war ended just the way they said it would.” “Why didn’t you tell me?” Luke placed his free hand on the back of her neck. Once, when he was younger, his aunt had helped him after a swoop accident. While he was crying and Beru was plastering on bacta and murmuring platitudes, she had cupped the back of his neck gently, a soft reminder of her presence. Years later, he still remembered it as one of the most touching expressions he’d ever felt. He gave it to Mara now, his hand against the silky beginning strands of her hair. “You were the optimist, Skywalker,” she said gently. “I didn’t want to dampen your spirits.” “You still should have told me.” “I also don’t go around stating the obvious.” The gentleness had left her voice and was replaced by a dry humor. “We were in a war. I was afraid we would lose. Well? What else was there to fear?” “What are you afraid of now?” He kissed her on the forehead, and then touched his to her own. Her hand tightened in his grip as she said lightly: “Same old thing. Losing the war.” “There isn’t a war to fight anymore,” he said. “So you don’t have to be afraid of that anymore. See? I can help.” She laughed and her lips brushed his. For a moment, they lay in silence, hardly even breathing. He tried to fill his senses with her—his lips with her taste (sweet and warm, like dried fruit), his nose with her scent (the same, only paler), and his fingers with her touch (her smooth skin and her callused fingers). The only thing lacking was to be able to see her—she was barely a shadow in the dark room. “We are fighting,” she said. “We’re fighting just to be alive and away from the Vong—mutually inclusive terms, for the most part.” “But what do you have to lose?” “You,” she said bluntly. “Ben. Life. Freedom. And stop begging for affection, Luke. It’s a bad habit.” He smiled. “I wasn’t begging.” “Asking me what I had to lose! What do you call it except begging?” “I call it a reasonable question.” “It had an obvious answer that you already knew, Master Jedi.” She rolled over and leaned back against him as he put his arms around her. Unwilling to relax, she muttered, “What do I have to lose. Really.” “It was just a question,” he said patiently. “If this is a war, I wanted to know what you were fighting for.” “Well, what are you fighting for?” she asked. “Now who’s begging for affection?” he retorted, smirking. He loved getting Mara fired up, and he knew that if anything was going to make her turn around and face him again, that would be it. Sure enough, she flipped over instantly, almost colliding with him. He laughed at the indignant look on her face as it raised up into the soft bar of moonlight from the window, and when she saw his expression, she mellowed a little and grimaced. “What are you fighting for?” she asked again. “You. Ben. Life. Freedom,” he repeated verbatim. A soft, lost smile curved over his lips. He was fighting for more than that, though. The fight to stay alive—a fight that he sometimes wished he was losing—was amplified by other things. “I’m fighting because Han and Leia never got to see their daughter get married. I’m fighting because Jaina was pregnant when she died. Because Anakin died so others could live. There’s no one left for us to die for, so I guess we’re the ones that are supposed to be living.” He felt Mara lie her head on his chest, and he wrapped his arm around her. “That’s hard for you,” she said flatly. “Accepting that.” “It isn’t for you?” “Not as much.” She shifted her weight and he saw her legs move underneath the covers. “I’ve been selfish before. It’s just a matter of getting back into the habit.” “And is that what we’re doing? Being selfish?” “You said it yourself. There’s no one left to save.” “You are pessimistic,” he said softly, resting his head on top of hers. He wondered vaguely if she was listening to his heartbeat. “Pragmatic,” Mara said. “And you should understand that. We’re both used to fighting in wars, and this is another one.” “Just another war,” Luke agreed. “Maybe we’ll even win this one.” “You think so?” Mara murmured. Luke could tell that she was sliding off into sleep by the soft, drowsy tone in her voice. He kissed the top of her head gently, and didn’t answer until he heard her breathing become slow and steady—she was asleep. “I don’t know,” he said. Everything was quiet. -----signature----- And Into the Black http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=13881821 Mooné, Handmaiden of the Crest
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Jedi_Liz Title: Former CR Lincoln NE, USA Registered: Apr '00	Date Posted: 6/23/03 10:04am Subject: RE: Just Another War (L/M, post-NJO, vignette)
	oh wow, for someone who has never written Luke and Mara, I think you did really well. -----signature----- Current Fic: Lightswords of Fury: Special Edition - L/M Romance http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/24270936/ Chapter 19 posted on 7/21/08 Coming SOON: Mara Jade of Chandrila Grove Coming SOON to SAGA Fanfic
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Puggy Registered: Oct '02	Date Posted: 6/23/03 12:16pm Subject: RE: Just Another War (L/M, post-NJO, vignette)
	Wow! This was the first L/M story I've ever read, and I thought you did a wonderful job! Civilization hadn’t died until its greatest lights were extinguished. That was such a pretty line... A perfect way to describe what you said in that paragraph. Beautiful work, Lady_Moonbeam! I enjoyed the L/M interaction.
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obaona Registered: Jun '02	Date Posted: 6/23/03 12:29pm Subject: RE: Just Another War (L/M, post-NJO, vignette)
	HA! I knew you could do it. Lovely, Moon, but you SHOULD already know that! I think you wrote L/M very well. See? Stretching gooood. huggies Nice job. -----signature----- atty is the bestest! MS Word is designed by sadists with masochists in mind. - teh atty
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Jedi-2B Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 6/23/03 3:01pm Subject: RE: Just Another War (L/M, post-NJO, vignette)
	Excellent job! I think you got L&M's characters just right, including the part about how Luke would go on fighting, instead of hiding, if it weren't for Mara and Ben needing him. Hope to see more M&L stories from you. -----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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JediMasterKobe Registered: Apr '03	Date Posted: 6/23/03 4:48pm Subject: RE: Just Another War (L/M, post-NJO, vignette)
	Noooooo! You killed Jaina! Not only that, but she was pregnant too!
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RebelMom Title: TFF Secretary Registered: Apr '00	Date Posted: 6/23/03 6:17pm Subject: RE: Just Another War (L/M, post-NJO, vignette)
	You did a fine job with the characterizations. I too hope to see more from you. -----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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Knight-Ander Registered: Jul '02	Date Posted: 6/23/03 9:24pm Subject: RE: Just Another War (L/M, post-NJO, vignette)
	Yep, excellent job, Moonbeam. You're one of the writers on the boards that I find intimidatingly good. You hit the nail that is L/M characterization right on the head. Now, if you can do something a little more upbeat... -----signature----- An Introduction - Ahsoka and Padmé finally meet http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/29181766/p1/?0
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Gabri_Jade Title: Fan Fiction Archive Editor Emeritus Registered: Nov '02	Date Posted: 6/24/03 1:14am Subject: RE: Just Another War (L/M, post-NJO, vignette)
	Oh, my stars, Mooné. This is fantastic. The writing is so eloquent and evocative, and the characterization is flawless. I would never have guessed that this is your first L/M venture. I love the description of the ocean sounds as 'silk-on-silk'. Perfect. And Luke's reflections about beginning and ending as a farmer were perfectly in character, as was Mara's sensing his thoughts and chastising him before he ever said a word. “Since I got a family,” she said brusquely. “And since the galaxy went to hell.” Again, perfect. As Jedi-2B said, Luke would go on fighting if Mara and Ben didn't need him. Likewise, Mara would begin to value safety and security as never before for the sake of her family. Years later, he still remembered it as one of the most touching expressions he’d ever felt. He gave it to Mara now, his hand against the silky beginning strands of her hair. I don't think I even have words for this bit. So incredibly true-to-life, perfectly Luke, and very vivid. “You,” she said bluntly. “Ben. Life. Freedom. And stop begging for affection, Luke. It’s a bad habit.” LOL! Utterly Mara. “Now who’s begging for affection?” he retorted, smirking. He loved getting Mara fired up, and he knew that if anything was going to make her turn around and face him again, that would be it. You've captured a very important aspect of Luke and Mara's relationship here. I've heard many say they don't understand how Luke can stand Mara's abrasiveness and quick temper. They don't realize that Luke loves that part of Mara. It's a game they play. They wouldn't be themselves without it. “I’ve been selfish before. It’s just a matter of getting back into the habit.” Definitely Mara. As analytical about her own character traits as she is everything else. “You think so?” Mara murmured. Luke could tell that she was sliding off into sleep by the soft, drowsy tone in her voice. He kissed the top of her head gently, and didn’t answer until he heard her breathing become slow and steady—she was asleep. “I don’t know,” he said. Everything was quiet. That's one of the best endings I've ever seen for any story. Seriously. This vignette is so poignant, I could just cry. I'm assuming the NJO won't end with the Vong winning (it had better not ), but if it did, this would be it. Phenomenal, Mooné. Please write more Luke/Mara stories! -----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 The Space Between Heartbeats - L/M AU vig http://boards.theforce.net/b/b1/28870280 !!11!1eleventy
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Lady_Moonbeam Registered: Aug '02	Date Posted: 6/24/03 7:29am Subject: RE: Just Another War (L/M, post-NJO, vignette) - Date Edited: 6/24/03 7:35am (1 edits total) Edited By: Lady_Moonbeam
	Wow! Thanks for all the replies, everyone! Jedi_Liz--Thanks! It was pretty hard, but I've read a lot on Mara and Luke's relationship, so I kept trying to keep that in mind. Puggy-- Since this was your first L/M story, I'm glad you liked it! That line was one of my favorites, too. obaona--Yes, I did kind of promise you an L/M, o greedy taskmaster cough beta. huggies Jedi-2B--You don't know what a relief it is to hear that I've gotten the characters right! I was scared I had gotten them completely wrong. JediMasterKobe--Sorry RebelMom--Thanks! It's very cool to have L/M critiques from you, since you're famous for the genre. Knight-Ander-- I'm intimidating? I could definitely get used to that! And I do write upbeat pieces (sometimes), they just aren't nearly as fun. My idea of a good day is if I kill the universe... twice. marvels over Gabri's reply I'm flattered! Really, if there's anything good in this vignette, it's probably because I was reading your Infinite Possibilities at the same time. (And it was absolutely wonderful, by the way.) I love the description of the ocean sounds as 'silk-on-silk'. Perfect. And Luke's reflections about beginning and ending as a farmer were perfectly in character, as was Mara's sensing his thoughts and chastising him before he ever said a word. I love throwing in interesting descriptions, and I have to admit, the "farmer cycle" was the one thing in this that I was a little self-consciously proud of. I'm glad someone else liked it, too! I always see Luke as mellowing Mara and Mara as being able to keep her husband from being too inwardly focused (ie, long morbid thoughts are a no-no). Since Mara is a mother, I thought that even with her Jedi duties, her family would probably be what is most important to her--and so it would be the one reason she could stop fighting. Or direct her fighting in a different direction, anyway. Same with Luke. I don't think I even have words for this bit. So incredibly true-to-life, perfectly Luke, and very vivid. It was a Luke moment! And who doesn't love Luke? See, again, I see Luke and Mara as complementing each other, and I think that Luke would like seeing her fired-up, especially considering the depressing circumstances they're living in. That's one of the best endings I've ever seen for any story. Seriously. This vignette is so poignant, I could just cry. I'm assuming the NJO won't end with the Vong winning (it had better not ), but if it did, this would be it. Aww! I knew I had to try for a good ending to stick with a reader, and if I pulled that off--that makes me happy. Definitely. And I agree with you about the NJO ending--destruction is more fun if it's just an AU. (This reader-reply thing may actually be longer than the vignette! ) Up! (For everyone who asked, I will definitely be writing more L/M! I loved this experience and I don't quit easily!) -----signature----- And Into the Black http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=13881821 Mooné, Handmaiden of the Crest
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Sash Registered: Jan '03	Date Posted: 6/24/03 9:32am Subject: RE: Just Another War (L/M, post-NJO, vignette)
	Your first fic?? Wow.. thats quite a good attempt.. great infact. now theres an outcome that I dont even want to think about. shudder it would be pretty awful having nothing left to fight for....the line;"“I’m fighting because Han and Leia never got to see their daughter get married. I’m fighting because Jaina was pregnant when she died. Because Anakin died so others could live..." was just i dunno... made me feel awful it is soo sad.
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Sash Registered: Jan '03	Date Posted: 6/24/03 9:35am Subject: RE: Just Another War (L/M, post-NJO, vignette)
	Your first fic?? Wow.. thats quite a good attempt.. great infact. now theres an outcome that I dont even want to think about. shudder it would be pretty awful having nothing left to fight for....the line;"“I’m fighting because Han and Leia never got to see their daughter get married. I’m fighting because Jaina was pregnant when she died. Because Anakin died so others could live..." was just i dunno... made me feel awful it is soo sad.
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Bri_Windstar Registered: May '02	Date Posted: 6/26/03 12:06pm Subject: RE: Just Another War (L/M, post-NJO, vignette)
	I loved it Moon. I just love your writing in general. You have such a talent for putting thoughts and words together to form just the most amazing tapestry of stories. It's a talent i envy. I cant believe every Solo died! I loved how Luke remembered them, that he's still fighting, even the most basic levels, for them and for their memory. It's very in character. I loved it Moon, i really did ::Windstar Out:: -----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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LadyPadme Title: Manager Emeritus Registered: Sep '02	Date Posted: 6/26/03 7:56pm Subject: RE: Just Another War (L/M, post-NJO, vignette)
	Wow! Is blown away by this beautifully rendered depiction of life if the Vong war was lost. * LP takes a moment to compose herself as she thinks of a galaxy without H/L...and poor Jaina dying pregnant! * That was WONDERFUL! For someone who never wrote L/M before I have to say you've done a beautiful job with their characterization. Brilliant! Please write more! -----signature----- Crest MD Naimé Evil Twin of Gabri_Jade When a baby smiles the world is happy VOTE OBAMA '08
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rogue11lovesjag Registered: Jun '02	Date Posted: 6/26/03 8:06pm Subject: RE: Just Another War (L/M, post-NJO, vignette)
	cries That's so sad!!!! Especially the part about both twins dying, and Jaina being pregnant, and having completely lost the war... cries ~Rogue -----signature----- Carrolé, Handmaiden of the Crest! Give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change The courage to change the things I can And the wisdom to hide the bodies of everyone who ruins my ships.
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Lady_Moonbeam Registered: Aug '02	Date Posted: 7/2/03 9:33am Subject: RE: Just Another War (L/M, post-NJO, vignette)
	Sash--Thanks! Luckily, Luke and Mara did find something to fight for, after all--it just wasn't what they had always thought it would be. And I'm glad the story was so sad... [face_evil] Bri--Woah, thanks so much! That's beautiful praise--I'm not sure I deserve that! I'm grateful to have gotten Luke's character right--I always worry about that when he's in my stories. I wanted him to have something to fight for--because without that, he doesn't seem like Luke. LP-- Spectacular praise. I have a fondness in my heart for "post-apocalyptic" stories--there just isn't much in the genre, so I thought I'd write one myself. Jaina dying pregnant and getting married was sort of my nod to Jaina-shippers--I haven't read much NJO, so I'm neutral on that. So at least, before she died, she was married and happy. Carr--adds point to cry-rating See above for the Jaina being pregnant issue--it seems to have sparked several reactions! And where's the fun of being a writer if I can't be controversial? Thanks a lot for your feedback. And here's another up! -----signature----- And Into the Black http://boards.theforce.net/message.asp?topic=13881821 Mooné, Handmaiden of the Crest
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