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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Beyond - Legends ~~Paternal Instinct~~ 20 ABY, L/M, some H/L/Solo kids, OCs *DONE! EPILOGUE 12/14*

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by Ridley Solo, Jul 17, 2011.

  1. Jedi_Lover

    Jedi_Lover Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2004
    I just started reading this story today. I love it. Can you put me on a PM list so I don't miss an update! Thanks!
     
  2. Ridley Solo

    Ridley Solo Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2010
    Sure! Thanks for reading! [:D]
     
  3. CurtisZidaneZiraa

    CurtisZidaneZiraa Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 18, 2010
    I'd love to be added to the PM list. Thanks!
     
  4. Ridley Solo

    Ridley Solo Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2010
    A/N: Production on the FanFilm has been delayed, so I managed to find time to type up another chapter. This one isn't quite up to par with the others, I'm afraid, but editing the work has proven difficult. Hope you like this one!
    ~19~

    Since Luke?s last visit, there was quite a bit of progress made in the North. The unfinished
    buildings had been completed and more trees had been planted. The people also seemed less
    suspicious of him. He noticed them whispering when he walked by. Luke wasn?t one to invade
    anyone?s thoughts but couldn?t help hearing things like ?Look at the lightsaber!? ?He?s a Jedi??
    ?It?s Skywalker, haven?t you heard of him?? No one made a move to speak to him directly, but
    whoever did encounter him made an effort to shake his hand and speak pleasantly to him. He
    was curious to see what the South looked like.

    As the speeder streaked along the streets, Ami was the happiest Luke had ever seen her. She
    couldn?t stop smiling and bounced in her seat until the driver of the speeder had to tell her to
    stop; she was rocking the vehicle, making steering a bit more difficult. Meekly the little girl
    stopped bouncing but she couldn?t stop smiling. Shortly after the wiggles were worked out, Ami
    craned her neck to look up at Luke.

    Luke looked down, smiled, and gave a playful tug on Ami?s braid.

    Ami smiled back, her big blue eyes shining like turquoise stars. For the moment, all was right
    with the galaxy.

    They arrived at Mynce?s main orphanage building, which looked either brand-new or recently
    renovated. It was some fourteen stories tall -the average for buildings in the North- and was built
    in the classic Mynce style, with a bright white paint job and sea green transparisteel windows.
    All corners were rounded off and there was a bright white awning out front with stylized Aubresh
    letters reading ?Capital City Home for Children?.

    It looked nice enough, at least from the outside. There was a large fenced yard on the left
    which had children?s play equipment on a bed of springy ground cover. There was one tree for
    each corner of the yard and one bench on each side, with the exception of the side next to the
    building. Outside was a group of some 30-40 children a year or two older than Ami, most of
    them human but with several Bothans and one or two Sullustans in the mix. They all wore
    matching sea-green and white outfits; the girls in green dresses, green hair ribbons, and white
    blouses, the boys in green trousers and white shirts. They were watched over by both a droid of
    a type that Luke did not recognize, and two workers in spotless attire that was several shades
    darker green than the children.

    Upon seeing the speeder pull up to the front of the building the children stopped their games
    and one by one walked up to the fence, staring with wide eyes at the newcomers. Their
    expressions varied; most recognized the Ambassador and stood up a little straighter. One or
    two boys gasped and pointed when Luke got out with Ami.

    ?Hey, look! A Jedi!? cried one. The others pressed closer to the fence. ?Wow!? ?Astral!? ?Neat!?
    ?Hey!? piped another, ?that?s Luke Skywalker!? The voices went from amazed to excited. They
    waved frantically, saying things like ?Luke! Luke!? ?I wanna be a Jedi!? or ?Pick me!? ?No, pick
    me!?

    A sharp whistle got their attention, and a female caretaker ushered them back inside. The
    children let out a chorus of groans and shuffled back to the door.

    Luke wasn?t sure what to make of the seemingly charming orphanage or its? eager children, but
    couldn?t be distracted for long, as Ami was tugging on his sleeve to get his attention. With Tarfful
    in one hand and Luke?s hand in the other, Ami bounced excitedly next to him.

    ?This way, Master Skywalker,? said the Ambassador, ushering them inside. Luke followed with
    Ami clinging to him.

    The interior of the orphanage was equally impressive as the outside. Skylights and large
    windows let in plenty of natural light and potted plants decorated the alcoves. A large
     
  5. Book-Geek

    Book-Geek Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    May 28, 2011
    Is it wrong that I hate that receptionist?:mad:

    But the paperwork trail has begun![face_dancing]
     
  6. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    I'm glad that Ami isn't staying.

    I look forward to the next update, whenever that may be.
     
  7. Hazel

    Hazel Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2010
    GO LUKE! :D [face_dancing]

    That was really great [:D]
     
  8. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Aggravating receptionist but yay for Luke and thusly for Ami :D :D !!!

    I am very happy the process has started.
     
  9. CurtisZidaneZiraa

    CurtisZidaneZiraa Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 18, 2010
    Ooh, very nice. Ya, I can imagine Luke sensing something off about the place. It's too perfect. And anything not perfect isn't welcome. And likely made into drudges, The Little Princess style. So where are those boys?
     
  10. Ridley Solo

    Ridley Solo Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2010
    Book-Geek: No, not wrong at all.

    Lady_Misty: :) Glad you like. It may be a while. We film in two weeks. :eek:

    Hazel: Luke rocks, huh? [face_dancing]

    Jade_Eyes: Another vote that the receptionist is awful. Exactly what I was going for, LOL. And yes, the process has finally started.

    CurtisZidaneZiraa: Not quite...I wanted the illusion of perfection to make everyone uneasy. Looks like it worked.


    Thanks everyone for your patience. Again, no gaurentees when the next chapter will be up. Hang in there! [:D]
     
  11. CurtisZidaneZiraa

    CurtisZidaneZiraa Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 18, 2010
    Patience is a virtue... which we have no choice but to participate in, particularly when it comes to updates in fanfiction. I'm sure all the veterans are saints by now. Like me. ;)
     
  12. Ridley Solo

    Ridley Solo Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2010
    Hang in there, LOL. Been busy with work and the Fan Film. I won't forget about you. [:D]
     
  13. Ridley Solo

    Ridley Solo Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2010
    A/N: Sorry it's taking so long to finish! Been plagued with a bad case of writers' block and the Fan Film is not going well. I felt like I had to get another chapter up before the end of the year, so here you go. Look out, it's kind of sad...

    ~20~

    If Luke thought there were a lot of forms to fill out to become a temporary guardian, he was
    proved wrong when he saw the number of forms he had to fill out for adoption. He was
    disappointed, though not surprised, to learn it was a long and complicated process. Adoptions
    from the same hemisphere took between two and four months. Cross-hemisphere
    adoptions took longer, and off-planet adoptions were a whole other story. There had only been
    two in the entire history of Mynce, and one of those had been a relative adoption. In order to
    even qualify one had to take parenting classes, have secondary residence inspections (this
    included the Jedi Temple on Yavin IV) income verifications, and have several letters of
    recommendation from non-family members. The cost was also very high. Upon return to
    Coruscant, Luke would be subject to an unannounced visit by a child services representative
    between four and six months after the adoption had been finalized to be sure Ami was being
    well-treated. It could take up to two years before Luke and Ami were free from any outside
    scrutiny.

    The red tape nor the long wait weren?t what bothered Luke most, however. Until the adoption
    was finalized, Mynce law stated that Ami was to stay in a planet-sponsored orphanage.

    Luke?s blood ran cold when he read that particular line on the form. Since he was Ami?s
    temporary guardian, why should they have a problem with him keeping her for the duration of
    the adoption process? After turning the problem over in his mind several times, he reasoned
    that he could probably explain the situation and it would be corrected. Still, his uncooperative
    midsection continued to twist. He had to call on the Force for calm and patience before finishing
    up the last page of forms on the datapad and handing it in.

    The snooty receptionist flinched a little at his approach and gave a look of surprise. ?Ah? yes.
    Master Skywalker. You?have completed all the forms?? she flipped through digital pages of
    material.

    Luke nodded. ?Yes, I have.?

    The receptionist nodded. ?I see. Thank you, Master Skywalker,? she said, plugging the datapad
    into the desk console.

    ?May I ask a question?? Luke inquired politely.

    ?Of course,? she answered with another false smile.

    ?Can you tell me how long it will take for the application to be processed??

    The receptionist shrugged casually. ?Oh, it depends. As the forms clearly state, they themselves
    could take as long as a month or more to be processed, let alone the rest of the requirements.
    That, of course, is under normal circumstances when a prospective parent is adopting from their
    own hemisphere,? she said, stressing the word ?normal?. ?The last off-planet adoption we had,
    the forms took over six months just to be processed.?

    Luke frowned. ?Pardon me, but is there a reason why the off-planet adoptions must take such a
    long time??

    He was greeted with what could almost be described as a thinly-veiled eye-roll. ?Everything
    does take time, you know.?

    Luke took a deep breath. ?I realize that. Is there a reason why the children must stay in an
    orphanage until the adoption is finalized??

    The receptionist nodded. ?Yes. It is for the good of the child.?

    ?I understand, but Ami knows me,? Luke said cautiously. ?Wouldn?t it be better for her to stay
    with me, just until the forms have been processed.?

    ?No,? The receptionist shook her head. ?I cannot allow that.?

    Fereen, who had stuck around to see what would happen to Ami, listened to this conversation
    with a frown. Even with the short time he had known Luke and Ami, he had never seen an adult
    and child matched so well together. How could the receptionist not see that? He looked from
    Ami -who had found the child?s play table and was coloring in
     
  14. Hazel

    Hazel Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2010
    I really dislike that receptionist. Poor Luke, and poor Ami when she fonds out. :(

    Thanks for updating before the new year, I hope your film goes better.
     
  15. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    Don't know much about adoptions but I do know that adoptions from China can take about a year. I did some research because my Mom said something about adopting from China but she was just wishing)

    I hope that Ami is going to be well during the process. [face_praying]
     
  16. Book-Geek

    Book-Geek Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    May 28, 2011
    Now worried about those teenage boys. This is where they are going to make a return, isn't it? Once Luke and Ami are seperated?[face_worried]

    Too bad Ami couldn't stay with a different foster family until she's adopted. (My little brother stayed with a foster family while were in the process of adopting; I'm sure if it had been local, he would have stayed with us, but ours was an international adoption.)

    Can definetly understand all the paperwork and the wait. We had a nine-month long process between the time we got the first picture of my brother and when he was carried off the plane stateside. The wait's the hardest part, espcially when people aren't cooperating on the other side of the paperwork. Hopefully, that won't be the case with Luke.
     
  17. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Hello:

    I too feel that the Ambassador sympathizes @};- and would do all he could within the strictures :( :( But poor Ami! Especially!

    I don't blame her or Luke for getting attached :* and I'm glad she has found someone who would really love her and take care of her - I just wish!!!!!!!!! the process were easier [face_worried]

     
  18. Jedi_Lover

    Jedi_Lover Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2004
    If there was ever a time for Jedi Mind Tricks...it would be now. [wave of the hand] ~~You will expedite the adoption forms~~~ ~~~You will allow the child to remain with me~~~~
    Too bad Luke is to honest to do such a thing. Nice update!
     
  19. CurtisZidaneZiraa

    CurtisZidaneZiraa Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Nov 18, 2010
    Awww. I almost hoped Luke would play a small prank on that witch of a receptionist. So sad. Hmm, so this is where those boys from earlier are going to come from.
     
  20. Ridley Solo

    Ridley Solo Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2010
    Hazel: Yeah, I know. I'm not looking forward to writing Ami's reaction.:(

    Lady_Misty: I tried to do a lot of research about real adoptions and then pull some info to make it more beleivable. But don't worry too much about Ami. She'll be OK.[:D]

    Book-Geek: Not sure when the teenage boys will make another appearance yet...but yeah. Conditions on Mynce are too harsh and too restrictive to put Ami somewhere else. I'm glad your family's adoption worked out, though I'm sorry that it took so long.

    Jade_Eyes: What person wouldn't get attached to Ami? or Luke, for that matter? ;)

    Jedi_Lover: But mind tricks only work on the weak-minded anyway, and that receptionist is pretty strong-willed.

    CurtisZidaneZiraa: Nope, sorry. Luke isn't the type to pull pranks. As for the boys, you'll have to wait...

    Wow, everyone really hates that receptionist! :p I kind of based her on the social workers who were giving my family a hard time with my nephew.

    Thanks so much for reading, everyone! Hopefully once my film is in the bag the updates will come faster.
     
  21. Mondra

    Mondra Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Apr 12, 2010
    I just discovered this story! Very cute and sweet...

    I think that social workers everywhere in the world become emotianally numb with time - it's a very hard work and the pay is minimal, no wonder they're frustrated; but that is no excuse for treating people bad, right?

    Your story's got me thinking! Keep up the good work! :D
     
  22. Ridley Solo

    Ridley Solo Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2010
    Mondra: Yeah, that could be. Glad you like it!

    Sorry it's taking so long, but severe fanfilm delays coupled with a major case of writers' block makes for very rare updates.

    But here comes the next chapter![face_dancing]
     
  23. Ridley Solo

    Ridley Solo Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2010
    A/N: Look out, another long one. Oh you may want some tissues...

    ~21~

    The Southern Hemisphere of Mynce had changed much in a month. Old buildings were being
    repaired or rebuilt entirely. The dirt streets were being graded and covered over by an even
    layer of gravel. The citizens, rather than wandering aimlessly around the streets, were busily
    working on the tired old buildings or standing in long lines leading to New Republic-controlled
    medical facilities or food distribution centers. Inmates from a local prison, clad in bright blue
    jumpsuits that contrasted sharply with the rust-red surroundings, improved the roads under the
    watchful eye of both New Republic Security and Mynce prison guards. The people did their
    jobs with enthusiasm and gusto. No more children roamed the streets, however an inordinate
    number of the prison inmates were young teenagers. The citizens of Mynce had been through a
    lot, but managed to band together to heal their planet. They had already completed two
    hospitals and a large number of orphanages and were now focusing on individual businesses
    and dwellings.

    The biggest project was an old planetwide hover-rail system. During Mynce?s heyday the
    system had been the only one of its? kind to reach so far and transported thousands of kilos of
    goods from South to North and back. In the days of the Empire the Southern rail system had
    been disassembled entirely save for four lines to transport certain goods to the North. During
    the war the rail system had been all but destroyed entirely and had not run a single train in
    nearly 10 years. With the coming of the New Republic, the system was in the process of being
    repaired and improved. Thus far only two lines ran to the South, but in the hopes of reuniting the
    planet?s people there were now passenger cars that made a once-daily trek back and forth. The
    hope was to eventually have a line circle the entire planet. It was estimated a single trip around
    the planet would take about eight hours, not counting the layovers and stops. As it was a trip
    over the equator took about two or three hours.

    It was by this rail system that a Jedi, an Ambassador, and a little girl arrived in the Southern city
    closest to the midline of the planet. They were a motley crew when they disembarked, and
    certainly not a happy one. The Ambassador was concerned, the little girl was frightened, and
    the Jedi was lost in thought.

    ?Mithter Luke??
    Jedi Master Luke Skywalker flinched out of his troubled frame of mind to look down at the small
    girl clinging tightly to his hand. ?Yes, Ami??

    Ami, her blond hair tousled from sleep, looked up with blue eyes full on confusion and fear.
    ?Where are we??

    Luke flinched. ?We?re in the Southern Hemisphere, Ami.?

    Ami frowned. ?How come?? She looked around at her surroundings and shuddered. They were,
    incidentally, close to her old stomping grounds?a place she had hoped never to see again.

    Luke fought down the sadness and regret in his voice and looked straight ahead, walking briskly
    to keep pace with the surprisingly light-footed Fereen. He let out a heavy sigh before he
    answered. ?There?s?something else we have to do before I can adopt you.? That was true, but
    he still felt like he was lying to the little girl. He just couldn?t bring himself to tell her the whole
    truth. Not just yet.

    ?This way, Master Skywalker,? beckoned Fereen. He motioned to a line of large buildings up
    ahead. ?We are very close.?

    The orphanage was easy enough to pick out. The rippled metal walls were a fresh pewter color
    rather than rust, and the fading letters above the entrance were in the process of being
    repainted. It looked clean and sturdy, but of course it couldn?t compare to the one in the North.

    Luke felt his stomach twist but was grateful he had had the presence of mind to bring Ami?s bag
    of belongings with him. He told himself not to judge the place until he had seen the interior?and
    the children.

    The automatic doors made a slight grinding noise, but ope
     
  24. Jedi_Lover

    Jedi_Lover Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2004
    Now I'm depressed. Poor Luke and Ami. I hate to say it, but I just watched the movie "Case 39" and I started feeling a little creeped out while reading this post. It was similar to the scene where the little girl in the movie is supposed to go to a group home until a foster family can be found for her. Of course, I am sure Ami is not going to turn out to be a demon from Hell...I hope. Nah, that would be a twist I would put in to my fics to irritate everybody.

    I like this story. I hope you will give it a happy ending. I am glad to see your muse is back.
     
  25. Lady_Misty

    Lady_Misty Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2007
    I know the meaning of crowded: small bedroom and we have bunk beds.