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Author	Topic: Awakening -- Luke & Ben vignette, end of NJO
Knight_Aragorn Registered: Jun '03	Date Posted: 11/7/06 2:24am Subject: Awakening -- Luke & Ben vignette, end of NJO
	Title: Awakening Summary: Luke and Ben adjust at the end of The Unifying Force A/N: Random family mush - I hope this isn't as boring as I suspect it is. Who needs a plot, after all? Feedback is appreciated. ~~~~ Awakening ~~~~ Luke Skywalker woke abruptly, which was hardly unusual. What was unusual was the absence of humming ship’s engines or whispering intake valves. Even more unusual was the absence of Mara beside him. It took a few moments of groggy confusion before the natural-hewn walls of the room began to register, before Luke’s Force awareness kicked in and caught the strange depth around him, the presence of a life far vaster than any other he’d known. And then there was the smaller, brighter life sense nearby, familiar and yet unfamiliar, stirring restlessly. Ben. It was early morning on Zonoma Sekot, Mara had left for a meeting with some of the Jedi who’d arrived during the night, and Ben was awake. Luke blinked against the pre-dawn light spilling into the room via the windows in their cliffside dwelling. His body was still recovering from the poison in Shimmra’s amphistaff, and he felt enormously weary despite sleeping far longer than his usual. His body ached, and the Force hovered between moments of blinding insight and periods of muted detachment. His awareness seemed to be going through one of its more intense phases at the moment, the Force in all its brilliance seeming unnaturally close, Luke’s sense of it rendered raw and painful. The massive presence of Sekot felt like a weight against his mind, sitting sharp-edged and bruising in his perception. Rubbing his forehead, Luke pushed back the rough-spun covers of the pallet he and Mara shared and stood. Ben’s sense was increasingly distressed, so Luke went to him. The rooms of their temporary home were cramped, barely large enough for their small unraised pallet. Ben had not yet adjusted to the change in circumstances and had been having trouble sleeping nights, however, so Luke and Mara had made up a pallet for him beside theirs despite the lack of space. Ben was curled in a tight ball under his blankets when Luke knelt beside him. The small bundle radiated an unhappy mix of emotions, from fear to confusion to uncertainty. Luke consciously suppressed the weariness and aches in his body, concentrating on evoking a warm equanimity that would soothe Ben. He knew how receptive his son was; letting his own discomfort seep through into the Force would only upset him further. The bundle made a muffled sound and curled in tighter on itself. Luke frowned. “Hey,” he said softly. “It’s okay, Ben.” There wasn’t any response. The unhappiness in the emotions radiating from the bundle deepened further, if anything. It hurt, but it wasn’t unexpected. Luke had to face the fact that his son had been raised through the earliest years of his life by other people, somewhere else. Ben was used to Tionne and Kam being there when he woke, and he looked to them first for comfort in his mind. He was used to being on a ship, used to the movement and the steady day-cycle and the recirculated air, used to living amongst other Force-strong children. He wasn’t used to being only with Luke and Mara, two people who, save for a few too-fleeting visits in the past two years, had become all but strangers to him. It had been the safest thing they could do. The only option through which they could truly ensure Ben had a galaxy in which to grow to his full potential in was to be absent. Luke had been the one to convince Mara of that, back when Ben was an infant. He didn’t regret that choice. He regretted that it was necessary, regretted it had been their only option through which Ben would be kept safe, but he didn’t regret choosing it. That didn’t stop the result from hurting, a muted dull stab in the centre of his stomach. “Ben,” he tried again. “Come on, Ben. It’s all right. It’s okay.” The bundle sniffled and shifted slightly. Luke took that as a good sign. “Come on,” he cajoled softly. “It’s okay.” More sniffling. In honesty, Luke couldn’t say that he hadn’t thought of taking his family and leaving the fight behind. Going back to Tatooine and raising water from the sand, settling down as a farming family, Mara a moisture farmer’s wife, Ben growing up bored and safe, dreaming of the stars that his parents had left behind. Their biggest worry would be whether they’d gather enough moisture to raise hydroponic crops in the off season, and whether the Tuskens were moving in closer. There was no telling what road the war with the Vong might have taken, had that been their path. Perhaps their people would have won nonetheless. Perhaps they would have lost, star system by star system, and Luke’s little monotonous idyll of safety on Tatooine would only have lasted until the Vong descended on their world at last, razing Tatooine’s atmosphere or perhaps remaking the planet, killing he and Mara and making Ben a slave, rendering all their sacrifice for nothing. There was no way to know. The war had played its course out, and they had won their galaxy back. Ben was with them again, and would adjust in time. Luke and Mara would never get back the years of his life that they had missed, however. “Ben…” Luke rested a hand on the bundle of curled-up child, patting gently, offering tactile confirmation of his presence. “Come on, Ben…” There was still a mound of uncertainty in the emotions rolling off that bundle, but Ben uncurled enough that a mussed head of pale reddish-gold hair was visible. Luke stroked the stray strands of hair gently into place. His fingers had a slight tremor and he was so tired still. So tired. So aching. He’d never felt old like this, and so ill. Ben’s hair was wondrously soft, though, finer than trails of shimmersilk against his fingers. “It’s okay, Ben,” Luke sighed, and suddenly there was a blanket-tousled, sniffling, red-cheeked armful of child in his arms, the weight setting him off-balance onto the cold floor. Ben snuffled into his shoulder, warm and damp and sweaty, smelling like bedclothes and soap and Mara. Luke patted his back and muttered nonsense and wondered how know how to comfort a three-year-old was so much harder than leading a fractured Jedi order. He wasn’t sure what had upset Ben, whether it was upsetting him still. Maybe it had been a nightmare, or just waking up in a strange place with people he was still getting used to. Maybe it was Sekot’s presence, the strangeness in air and the Force around them. There were so many things that could be unsettling to a child here. Despite all their efforts, they knew that Ben had been affected by the war. No one with even marginal Force sensitivity could fail to be; so much suffering and death had been wrought, so much violence, so many things of darkness that swept out the light. Luke dearly wished that his son had not been exposed to those things so early, though he didn’t know if it would have been easier or more difficult had Ben been at an age when he could have understood the horrors he’d felt. Time would only tell what effect it would have on him as he grew. Luke wondered how the Jedi in the old order had protected their young ones, the ones too small to understand some of the things the Force exposed them to. How his aunt had known what to teach him, even. Perhaps Obi-Wan had helped her in that regard. Mara had seen many ugly things as a child and as a young adult. She wanted to protect Ben from being exposed to such things, as did Luke. But it was hard to know where the line between protection and vulnerability lay. Sheltering Ben too much would be dangerous, because it was inevitable that no matter what they did, no matter what they gave, the fact that he was their child would one day put him at risk. Luke had to make sure that Ben was equipped to face that risk, because it was an unavoidable that there would come a day when neither he nor Mara would be there to protect Ben, and he would have to face those dangers alone, whether they be dangers from outside or dangers from within his own heart. Ben was calming now, his distress trickling away, settling into a drowsy warmth. Luke adjusted the blanket Ben was still tangled in, tucking it around him as Ben relaxed in his arms. He watched Ben’s eyes flicker shut, and open again, and shut. Luke had travelled a long way in his lifetime, and seen things that many people in many lifetimes would never have the chance to see. He’d never seen anything so beautiful as his son right now, drifting to sleep against his shoulder, sheet-creased cheeks faintly flushed, eyelids flickering to reveal shades of grey-blue, lips moving gently, ghosting the essence of unspoken words. He stroked his fingers reverently over his son’s pale hair. Whatever happened, he vowed, he’d give everything he had to ensure Ben had the best life possible. Just as Luke’s guardians, and his own father, in the end, had done. He’d never deserved anything less nor wanted anything more in his entire life, and he would be thankful for the gift that had been given to he and Mara forever. He fell asleep as the sun was rising, leaking golden light into their small room. Ben was a warm weight against his shoulder, easing all of his burdens. He woke later, sunlight now a solid pool of warmth over his legs. Ben was still curled against him, and Mara now lay beside them both, her hair pooled behind her, more brilliant than the sun. Her eyes were out the window on the clear blue sky, but when Luke shifted his head, she looked over at him and smiled. It was a smile he rarely saw on her, but each time he did it was a gift, because he knew it was for him – them – alone. Luke took her hand in his, pulled her close, and drifted to sleep and healing once again, his family safe by his side. ~~~~ -----signature----- Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so. Pieces of Air (ESB short story, complete) - http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/27283200/p1
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Jade_eyes Registered: Aug '04	Date Posted: 11/7/06 3:15am Subject: RE: Awakening -- Luke & Ben vignette, end of NJO
	Such a gentle, reflective piece. All Luke's parental feelings were so natural. The ending was so warm and tranquil. Not ... boring at all. Just a delightful de-stresser before a busy day starts. It's moments like these that bond a family closer through the hard times and deepend their happiness through the good. -----signature----- Luke/Mara, most melty, moving of soulmates Stoked to beta their stuff Mush's so nummily nice, I give one of these twice! Squee! Squggles!
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verybusy Registered: Sep '06	Date Posted: 11/7/06 4:54am Subject: RE: Awakening -- Luke & Ben vignette, end of NJO
	You caught a wonderful moment here.... this is not boring at all, but very well written and believable! I just wished they would actually care to write moments like this in the Profics! It give the charaters much more depth. Yes, I can very much believe that Luke's had thoughts and feelings like this at the end of NJO. cheers, VeryBusy -----signature----- Proud Padawan of VaderLVR64 ~Arts-and-Crafts~ 11/6 - http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/26899638/p1/?0 ~Reality~ 06/25 http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/26989016/p1/?20
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ginchy Registered: May '05	Date Posted: 11/7/06 5:45am Subject: RE: Awakening -- Luke & Ben vignette, end of NJO
	Oh, I love it! And were you saying in your a/n that you thought it would be boring?! Not to me. I loved imagining this fic. I always love plotlessness, actually... the quiet moments we never get to see anywhere else. Great job with the quiet introspection of the piece... Ben, Luke, and Mara would need an adjustment period, and you've written it beautifully. I love the last scene with them all together, sunlight streaming over them. Great lil' fic! -----signature----- ginchy's gambit: http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/29089731/p1 ***
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Jedi-2B Registered: Nov '00	Date Posted: 11/7/06 5:55am Subject: RE: Awakening -- Luke & Ben vignette, end of NJO
	A perfect capture of Luke's feelings after the war. Tender, sweet, emotional... With the turmoil that's going on in their lives currently, I can see Luke reflecting back on days such as these, when he could protect Ben from the dangers of the galaxy. -----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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Luna_Nightshade Registered: Jan '06	Date Posted: 11/7/06 6:37am Subject: RE: Awakening -- Luke & Ben vignette, end of NJO
	What a sweet and tender moment between Luke and Ben. I love Luke's reflections, and as a parent they were perfect. Your description of a little sleepy Ben was adorable, and the ending was incredibly relaxing. A perfect calm start to the day. Nope, you didn't need plot! Much K_A! This was beautiful. -----signature----- You can learn a lot about things if you just step back and look. Catching up. Please be patient.
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VaderLVR64 Title: Fan Fic Manager in Combat Boots Registered: Feb '04	Date Posted: 11/7/06 7:17am Subject: RE: Awakening -- Luke & Ben vignette, end of NJO
	No, definitely not boring. Anything but. And it's simply because a writer of your talent can take what is, on the surface anyway, an ordinary family moment and give it such depth of feeling and meaning. More sniffling. In honesty, Luke couldn’t say that he hadn’t thought of taking his family and leaving the fight behind. Going back to Tatooine and raising water from the sand, settling down as a farming family, Mara a moisture farmer’s wife, Ben growing up bored and safe, dreaming of the stars that his parents had left behind. Their biggest worry would be whether they’d gather enough moisture to raise hydroponic crops in the off season, and whether the Tuskens were moving in closer. There was no telling what road the war with the Vong might have taken, had that been their path. Perhaps their people would have won nonetheless. Perhaps they would have lost, star system by star system, and Luke’s little monotonous idyll of safety on Tatooine would only have lasted until the Vong descended on their world at last, razing Tatooine’s atmosphere or perhaps remaking the planet, killing he and Mara and making Ben a slave, rendering all their sacrifice for nothing. There was no way to know. The war had played its course out, and they had won their galaxy back. Ben was with them again, and would adjust in time. Luke and Mara would never get back the years of his life that they had missed, however. I particularly liked this section. Once again, I'm awed by your genius. Truly, you're one of the most talented writers on these boards. -----signature----- If you have to choose between tears and laughter, remember that laughter burns more calories. Army Mom! HOOAH! Adopt a soldier: http://soldiersangels.org/
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KELIA Title: Fan Fiction Moderator Registered: Jul '05	Date Posted: 11/7/06 12:27pm Subject: RE: Awakening -- Luke & Ben vignette, end of NJO
	Awwwww.....that was so sweet. Loved the father - son bonding. Very nice job on this -----signature----- "Do or do not, there is no try." Master Yoda A Light In The Darkness: http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28150602/p1/?8 Undue Circumstances: http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28530583/p1/?10
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Blue_Milkshake Registered: Nov '05	Date Posted: 11/7/06 2:00pm Subject: RE: Awakening -- Luke & Ben vignette, end of NJO
	Ok, I am officially floored. That was wonderful!!! I especially loved the descriptiveness of this line: Luke had travelled a long way in his lifetime, and seen things that many people in many lifetimes would never have the chance to see. He’d never seen anything so beautiful as his son right now, drifting to sleep against his shoulder, sheet-creased cheeks faintly flushed, eyelids flickering to reveal shades of grey-blue, lips moving gently, ghosting the essence of unspoken words. It's like I'm there with them...and it makes me miss my goddaughter. -----signature----- Not all chemicals are bad. Without chemicals such as hydrogen and oxygen, for example, there would be no way to make water, a vital ingredient in beer. --Dave Barry
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izzard Registered: Jun '06	Date Posted: 11/7/06 2:30pm Subject: RE: Awakening -- Luke & Ben vignette, end of NJO
	Such a great little story! I've been looking for stories around this timeframe - Luke dealing with the venom - Luke and Mara dealing with Ben...you've done a great job. Thanks for sharing. -----signature----- Everybody lies. - House I wanna live 'til I die, no more, no less. - Eddie Izzard
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JadeLotus Registered: Mar '05	Date Posted: 11/7/06 5:15pm Subject: RE: Awakening -- Luke & Ben vignette, end of NJO
	Just beautiful Not boring at all. Love Luke's sensitivity to the Force, almost a reflection of Ben's own feelings. Love the sweet, calm, father-son moment. Wish there were more like these in profic. -----signature----- You are the only thing that makes sense Just ignore all this present tense
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Maul Brady Registered: Mar '99	Date Posted: 11/7/06 8:48pm Subject: RE: Awakening -- Luke & Ben vignette, end of NJO
	Simply beautiful! A nice contrast to other plot driven dark fics I've been reading. And yes, all those little details were so exquisite. I imagine every father, even here on Earth, feels the same way about their children. -----signature----- Anakin Solo Day : October 30, 2006 President of the "Tenel Ka sure has a lot of fun wink wink" Social Club. I WON'T LOOK AT SACRIFICE SPOILERS, I WONT LOOK AT SACRIFICE SPOILERS I WONT LOOK AT SACR----aahhh my eyes!!!!!!
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Gabri_Jade Title: Fan Fiction Archive Editor Emeritus Registered: Nov '02	Date Posted: 11/7/06 10:11pm Subject: RE: Awakening -- Luke & Ben vignette, end of NJO
	VaderLVR64 posted: No, definitely not boring. Anything but. And it's simply because a writer of your talent can take what is, on the surface anyway, an ordinary family moment and give it such depth of feeling and meaning. Once again, I'm awed by your genius. Truly, you're one of the most talented writers on these boards. What Vadey said, on both counts. I know that you're rarely completely satisfied with your writing, but believe me, the rest of us adore it. It's the mark of a true writer that you always think it can be better - just don't ever let it stop you from writing or posting. You're way better than I suspect you think you are, and the rest of us would miss your stories horribly. As always, the description in this story is remarkably powerful. You have a way of taking situations that we're all quite familiar with from the profic and imbuing them with an entirely new level of emotional depth. I so admire that knack of yours. His body ached, and the Force hovered between moments of blinding insight and periods of muted detachment. His awareness seemed to be going through one of its more intense phases at the moment, the Force in all its brilliance seeming unnaturally close, Luke’s sense of it rendered raw and painful. The massive presence of Sekot felt like a weight against his mind, sitting sharp-edged and bruising in his perception. Now that's just brilliant. I can feel it along with Luke. It had been the safest thing they could do. The only option through which they could truly ensure Ben had a galaxy in which to grow to his full potential in was to be absent. Luke had been the one to convince Mara of that, back when Ben was an infant. He didn’t regret that choice. He regretted that it was necessary, regretted it had been their only option through which Ben would be kept safe, but he didn’t regret choosing it. That didn’t stop the result from hurting, a muted dull stab in the centre of his stomach. Another excellent mix, with Luke's certainty that he'd made the right choice and the pain of that choice both perfectly drawn. He woke later, sunlight now a solid pool of warmth over his legs. Ben was still curled against him, and Mara now lay beside them both, her hair pooled behind her, more brilliant than the sun. Her eyes were out the window on the clear blue sky, but when Luke shifted his head, she looked over at him and smiled. It was a smile he rarely saw on her, but each time he did it was a gift, because he knew it was for him – them – alone. Luke took her hand in his, pulled her close, and drifted to sleep and healing once again, his family safe by his side. Lovely ending. Just completely wonderful, as always. -----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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Jedi Trace Title: • SouthEast RSA • Fan Fiction Manager Registered: Dec '99	Date Posted: 11/8/06 2:06pm Subject: RE: Awakening -- Luke & Ben vignette, end of NJO
	Absolutely lovely, K_A! I particularly felt for Luke, wondering how it was harder to comfort a child than to lead the Jedi Order. It’s so true! Our own kids can stump us faster than the biggest baddies in the world. Beautiful vignette! -----signature----- “Umo ji muna, Cade mojo. ” ~ Jan Duursema Light, dark - They are just directions. Do not be fooled that you stand on anything other than your own two feet. ~ Shaak Ti, TFU
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divapilot Registered: Nov '05	Date Posted: 11/9/06 4:46pm Subject: RE: Awakening -- Luke & Ben vignette, end of NJO
	This is lyrical and beautiful, as is mostly everything you write. You have such a poetic way with imagery and introspection. I like that you chose a place where Luke is not "all powerful" -- in fact, he's sick and struggling. This is where you see what a person is made of, when they have to put aside their own discomfort and pain to tend to others. Luke consciously suppressed the weariness and aches in his body, concentrating on evoking a warm equanimity that would soothe Ben. He knew how receptive his son was; letting his own discomfort seep through into the Force would only upset him further. The bundle made a muffled sound and curled in tighter on itself. Luke frowned. “Hey,” he said softly. “It’s okay, Ben.” How beautiful. This is such a mature, nurturing Luke. This is exactly what a good parent does. There's so much love in this seemingly innocuous gesture. I love this part, too. Ben snuffled into his shoulder, warm and damp and sweaty, smelling like bedclothes and soap and Mara. Luke patted his back and muttered nonsense and wondered how know how to comfort a three-year-old was so much harder than leading a fractured Jedi order. The senses you evoke and the rhythm of this passage is just exquisite. The ending is just beautiful. Ben was still curled against him, and Mara now lay beside them both, her hair pooled behind her, more brilliant than the sun. Her eyes were out the window on the clear blue sky, but when Luke shifted his head, she looked over at him and smiled. It was a smile he rarely saw on her, but each time he did it was a gift, because he knew it was for him – them – alone. Luke took her hand in his, pulled her close, and drifted to sleep and healing once again, his family safe by his side. I like this so much because it gives the idea that it's not just Luke who is healing, they all are. Ben is trying to heal from the psychic damage of the war, and Luke and Mara are trying to adjust to "normalcy" in their family. And they face it together, embraced as a family. -----signature----- Never tell me the odds. AKL
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dianethx Registered: Mar '02	Date Posted: 11/21/06 9:14am Subject: RE: Awakening -- Luke & Ben vignette, end of NJO
	This was lovely. I could just picture Ben with his tousled hair and the fear of waking up with people he hardly knew. Beautifully done. -----signature----- Betrayal - http://boards.theforce.net/s/b1/10935143 updated 9/22/08 Fragments of Illusion- http://boards.theforce.net/bts/b10475/28456473 updated 11/20/08 jedidas3's Master At last - Hope for our country
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