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

Beyond - Legends Second To None--Sacrifices : L/M, TK/J, J/J, OCs: COMPLETE: 3/10/2013 with Fan Art

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by Jedi_Lover, Nov 30, 2012.

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  1. Book-Geek

    Book-Geek Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    May 28, 2011
    I have no idea how I managed to miss three chapters. :oops:

    Chapter 16: Loved Ben’s chats with his mom and Mark. Especially loved Ben and Mark discussing love lives. Don't worry, Benny, the girl for you is out there somewhere! Just, do as your uncle says and avoid the half-Twi'lek, half-human chick in the Imperial Detention cell. Especially if her human half looks anything like your dad. *shivers*

    Chapter 17: Well, now they’re hot on Lumiya’s case, and Mark’s making sure Jace stays out of trouble. Love the mush between Mark and Kira, and especially loved his excuses for being late. I love how basically after every one, Kira’s basically like ‘That the best you can come up with?’[face_laugh]

    Chapter 18: Alright, Mara’s gone after Jacen. Boy, is he going to get an earful when she gets ahold of him… if she doesn’t kill him first, that is. And Mark and Ben are going after them. This should be interesting.
     
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  2. Jedi_Lover

    Jedi_Lover Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2004
    Thanks Demendora, Briannakin, Jade_eyes, SiouxFan, and Book-Geek for reading and taking the time to review. I keep writing and rewriting this story to the point that I am not sure how it will end. :p

    Here is the next chapter. I hope it doesn't sound OOC. Sorry about the formatting. It always gives me fits. Sometimes it has one space between paragraphs, sometimes two, sometimes none and it freezes up when I try to delete a space. I will continue to try to fix it, but I am not confident about success.
    ____________________________________________


    Hapes Consortum: Tenel Ka’s Command Ship, Dragon Queen

    Queen Mother Tenel Ka Djo sat on the couch in her private quarters watching her daughter play. The young redheaded girl looked up at her mother and smiled before her attention went back to her toys. She was having fun, but Tenel Ka could feel the underlying nervousness her child still projected through the Force. She had fully recovered from the blaster wound after a few days in a bacta tank, but the psychological scars remained. This was Allana’s first injury from an assassination attack and it resulted in anxiety in the little girl. Since her recovery Allana refused to sleep alone and had remained in her mother’s quarters since she was discharged from the infirmary.

    Allana’s injury also greatly upset her grandfather, Prince Isolder. He demanded that his daughter and granddaughter remain on the Hapan Battle Dragon until things settled down on Hapes, especially when it came to the anti-Jedi sentiment that he was sure his mother, Ta’a Chume, was dredging up.

    Tenel Ka sighed inwardly. Commander Tavik was right—Luke’s call for the Jedi to put the order above all else was being used by her political opponents to discredit her. She immediately tried to quell the rumors. She made a formal address to her subjects making public her decision to step down from the Jedi Order and reaffirmed the Jedi Order has no authority over her or the Hapes Consortum and although they are part of the Galactic Alliance the Hapan military will never be placed under Galactic Alliance operational control. Nor would the GA impinge on Hapan sovereignty. That appeared to pacify most of the Royals, but there were still grumblings and the threat level remained high.

    Her security team was working on split half-cycle shifts. She had guards stationed inside and outside her quarters, with the remaining on-duty security personnel patrolling the Queen’s deck, along with the deck above and below. Right now the guard on duty inside her quarters was a short, stocky man named Sergeant Rycus. He was a highly decorated former Galactic Alliance Explosive Ordnance Disposal expert and Void Jumper. He was probably handsome in his youth, but a nasty battle scar running from his forehead to his chin now gave him an ominous look. His disfigurement in no way bothered Allana, his laidback personality and jovial manner made him one of her favorite protectors.

    The sergeant’s comlink beeped. He reached up to where it was secured to his ear and pushed the button on the device. “Rycus here.”

    She couldn’t hear the conversation but she could tell the soldier’s alertness spiked. “I’ll let her know.” He stood to address the Queen. “Your Majesty, a Jedi Jacen Solo has entered Hapan space and requests permission to board.”

    Tenel Ka sighed and closed her eyes in frustration. She was hoping for more time to quell the anti-Jedi sentiment before officially requesting Jacen’s presence. It appeared that he grew impatient and decided to show up unannounced.

    Sergeant Rycus must have noticed her irritation. “Do you wish me to send him away?”

    “No, grant him permission to dock and have one of my guards escort him here.”
    .
    .
    .
    Jacen sat nervously in his StealthX as he powered down within the Dragon Queen’s hangar. He had recently picked up the antidote and virus created by Dr. Draco and was anxious to inoculate his family before Ta’a Chume realized Lumiya wasn’t going to follow through on the assassination attempt and found somebody else to do the job. The doctor said the antidote was guaranteed to protect his family from the virus he created, but could not guarantee it would provide protection from another strain constructed by another geneticist. It didn’t matter. Jacen was sure that once Ta’a Chume was dead the main danger to his family would be gone.

    As he unbuckled his crash webbing he pulled the antidote out of the pilot storage compartment. The drug was militarized, meaning it had been ground down until it was the tiniest possible spore form and could be easily transmitted via air. A person inhaling the spores into their lungs would be inoculated from the virus. All he needed to do was scatter it over a common area that Allana, Tenel Ka and hopefully Prince Isolder would use, exposing them to the spores.

    He placed the small vial in his pocket, then opened the canopy of his fighter and hopped down to the deck. A large blond man in his late forties or early fifties wearing a dark blue Hapan military uniform came through the docking bay doors and marched up to Jacen at a quick gait. He recognized the man as Commander Tavik from Tenel Ka’s personal security force.

    “Welcome Jedi Solo.” The officer motioned his arms toward the door. “I will escort you to the Queen.”

    Jacen followed the man down a maze of corridors and turbolifts until they arrived to the Queen’s private quarters. Commander Tavik talked into his comlink and then pushed the door entry panel and walked in.

    Jacen had to smile when he saw his daughter on the floor playing with toy interlocking blocks, which she was using to create some type of building. The young girl turned and smiled upon his entry. “Hello Jedi Solo.”

    Jacen gave her a small bow. “Hello Princess Allana. It is wonderful seeing you again.” Jacen turned to Tenel Ka who was standing near her daughter. He gave a formal bow of the head. “Queen Mother, it is good to see you both in good health.”

    Jacen could see the flicker of a smile on her face. That was a relief; he was afraid she would be angry at his unannounced visit. “Jedi Solo, what an unexpected pleasure.”

    “The pleasure is mine.” The Jedi walked up to his daughter and knelt down beside her. “What are you making?”

    Allana beamed at Jacen as she showed him the building she was constructing. “It is Kliffen Palace.” She motioned her head to the guard. “Sergeant Rycus read me a book about it. It’s on Comm..Commaen…” She hesitated and looked at the sentry.

    Sergeant Rycus smiled warmly. “Commenor. It’s on the planet Commenor.”

    Allana turned back to Jacen. “Yes, Commenor. It was in a storybook. I like it when he reads to me.” She said enthusiastically.

    Jacen forced a smile. “That’s wonderful. I’m glad you have people to play and read to you.” He stood and took a step toward the Queen while projecting through the Force his desire to be alone with her.

    She gave a small nod of understanding as she turned to the guard standing in the corner of the room. “Sergeant Rycus, you are excused.”

    The soldier bowed with a click of his heels. “Yes, Your Highness.”

    Tenel Ka turned to her other guard. “Commander, please escort Allana down to her playroom until I call for her. I would like to talk to Jedi Solo in private.”

    The soldier nodded and walked up to the little girl and knelt down while offering her his hand. The man gave Jacen’s daughter a tender smile. “Your highness, if you would be so kind to accompany me.”

    She grinned happily at the guard and wrapped her tiny hand around his and stood. As they walked out the door she turned and waved at Jacen. “Bye, Jedi Solo.”

    Jacen more than anything wanted to scoop her up in his arms and hold her tight, but he knew he couldn’t. “Goodbye, Princess Allana,” he said with a sad smile.

    When they were gone a pang of melancholy hit him. He should be the person reading stories to her; he should be allowed to walk and hold her hand. Time with his daughter was slipping away. She was growing up fast and without a father. Jacen already lost four years with his daughter. He didn’t want to lose another minute. The situation was breaking his heart.

    He turned to his wife and wrapped her in a warm embrace. “I missed you.” His voice was husky with emotion. He leaned in and kissed her softly, lovingly, savoring every second of her touch.

    “I’ve miss you too,” Tenel Ka said as she leaned back from his embrace and gave him a questioning look. “Why have you come?”

    A spike of frustration surged through Jacen. He pulled out of her embrace with annoyance. “Why have I come?” He gave a caustic laugh to her question. “I came to see my family. You said you would request my presence. I would like to occasionally see my daughter…and my wife. It’s been weeks.”

    Tenel Ka sighed as she went and sat down on the couch. “Jacen, the situation on Hapes has deteriorated. My grandmother is causing political unrest concerning my association with the Jedi.”

    Jacen gave a sarcastic roll of the eyes. “When is your grandmother not causing trouble?” He paced the room agitated. “You could have at least let me know of the delay.”

    “Jacen it was best to avoid all communications to the Temple or other Jedi. There has been a motion of No Confidence within the Royal Court. Debates are going on now within the Palace Court.”

    Jacen stopped and frowned. “I didn’t think that was a political possibility?”

    She gave him a wry smile. “Usually an unpopular Queen is merely assassinated. My enemies are having a problem accomplishing that objective, so they opted for a nonlethal solution.”

    “That’s ridiculous. They couldn’t find a better leader of the Consortium.”

    She smiled softly. “I appreciate your confidence in my ability. I doubt my enemies believe they will prevail in their political endeavor. They are simply trying to lure me back to the planet so another assassination attempt can occur.”

    Jacen’s eyes narrowed. “Who called for the vote of No Confidence, your grandmother?”

    Tenel Ka shook her head. “I am sure it was her idea, but she convinced her distant cousin To’a Docha to bring forth the motion. This week the members of the Royal houses will discuss the issue prior to a vote at the end of the week.”

    “What are you going to do?”

    She gave a quick gesture of disgust. “I am required to be present for the vote. Hopefully I will be able to survive the encounter.”

    Jacen fought back a sour taste in his throat and he could feel a flush rising in his cheeks as he clinched his fists angrily. “This is insane! This needs to end. What kind of life is this?”

    “What would you have me do?” Tenel Ka asked, her voice a mixture of frustration and sadness.

    Jacen squared his shoulders. “I’ll tell you what you should do. If you insist on remaining Queen, then we announce our marriage and reveal Allana’s paternity. The royals are already trying to kill you; we might as well be a family working together to survive. Allana needs her father. Your security personnel are more of a father figure to Allana than I am.” Jacen struggled to hold his temper, but was failing miserably. “I want to be her father and I want her to know my parents, my brothers and sister. My mother and father are grandparents; they should know.”

    Tenel Ka stood and put a hand on his shoulder. “I can’t do that, not now.”

    Jacen shrugged her hand away. “No, you won’t do it.” His eyes hardened. “I love you Tenel Ka, but I don’t believe I am a priority in your life.”

    She buried her head in her hand in frustration. “Jacen, my grandmother won’t live forever. She’s an old woman. When she is gone… the biggest threat to Allana will be gone also...it would be much easier to implement change then. You need to be patient.”

    He fought to keep his voice steady. “I am tired of being patient.”

    “I’m sorry,” she said in manner that told Jacen her mind was made up.

    He sat back down on the couch bristling with frustration and looked up to his wife. “I could use a stiff drink. Do you have anything?”

    She gave him a confused look and Jacen understood why. He rarely drank alcohol, but he thought it would be more suspicious if he asked the Queen Mother to fetch him some water. He didn’t know where the alcohol was kept, but he hoped it was somewhere out of the room.

    “I keep a bottle of whiskey in case my father stops by,” Tenel Ka said as she moved to the kitchen. As soon as she was out of the room, Jacen jumped up and grabbed the vial out of his pocket and quickly unscrewed the ampoule. He sprinkled the vaccine spores across the carpet and returned the vial to his pocket and sat back down. A moment later Tenel Ka returned with a tumbler with whiskey.

    Jacen took the glass from his wife and tried to smile, but was having problems doing so. “Thank you.”

    He chugged the contents of the glass down in one shot. He looked at the glass thoughtfully and considered asking for another round, but decided he didn’t need to drink and fly.

    He put the glass down on the caf table then stood and took a pensive posture. “I’m sorry I lost my temper.” He wrapped her in his arms giving her a tender, lingering kiss before he dropped his head so their foreheads were touching. “I don’t want to make things worse for you and Allana. I’ll leave and wait for things to calm down on Hapes.”

    She hugged him back fiercely and Jacen could feel a wave of warm gratitude coming from her. “Thank you.”

    He reached out to caress her face lovingly before he turned to leave. “I can find my way back to my ship.”

    Tenel Ka simply nodded as he left. As the door closed behind him a cold feeling of foreboding crept up her spine. She had never seen Jacen act like this before. She could feel the frustration rolling off him in waves…frustration and anger.

    For the first time since their marriage, Tenel Ka truly worried that she was losing Jacen.
     
  3. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Oooh, foreboding [face_worried] :( I wish we could telll her it was nothing. [face_sigh]
     
  4. Jedi_Lover

    Jedi_Lover Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2004
    My feeling of foreboding comes from the damn formating. I had three paragraphs bunched together. I tried to add a space and the paragraph disappears. I had to go back to my story on MS Word and get rid of all formating and now it looks worse. These boards are giving me fits.

    Thanks for reading!:D

    EDIT: ACK! I think I got it fixed. Now I have to reread it to see if anything disappeared.
     
  5. Book-Geek

    Book-Geek Jedi Knight star 3

    Registered:
    May 28, 2011
    Tenel Ka, you bring that boy back in there right now and tell him he's right! You're only going to loose him if you don't see that he's got a point! UGH!!!! Why is she so stubborn? Well, I know why she's stubborn, she's half-Hapan, half-Dathomir, but she should listen to reason!:mad:

    And because I know she won't listen to me, I'm going to go bang my head against a wall.
     
  6. Hazel

    Hazel Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2010
    Poor Jacen! A desperate man takes desperate measures. :(
     
  7. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Uh oh. This isn't a good thing for Jacen's dark side problem.
     
  8. Jedi_Lover

    Jedi_Lover Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2004
    Jade_eyes, Book-Geek, Hazel, Briannakin thanks for reading. I don't know how Jacen survived being away from his family in the profics. I think if he could have stayed with Tenel Ka as her consort then he would have healed from his Vong torture and lived out a normal life. She would have kept him out of trouble.

    Thanks for reading and taking the time to review.

    ________________

    Mara’s ship was currently moored at a civilian docking port orbiting the planet Ut in the Hapes Cluster. She initially followed Jacen to the planet Lavisar, but he was on and off the planet before she could even arrange to land. Currently he was docked on the Hapan Battle Dragon, the Dragon Queen, which was in a holding position near the planet Harterra.

    Her subspace transceiver buzzed pulling her attention away from a holozine article she was reading. She put down the datapad and reached forward from where she was sitting in the Captain’s chair and flipped it on. She smiled when her husband’s handsome face appeared on the screen. Judging from the background, he appeared to be transmitting from one of the Temple’s shuttles. “I got your message,” Luke said. “Where are you now?”

    “I followed Jacen to Lavisar and then Hapes. He’s on the Dragon Queen now. I don’t know what he was doing in Imperial space, but other than that I don’t see anything suspicious.”

    “Who’s with you?”

    Mara gave a sheepish smile. “Nobody.”

    An exaggerated look of reproach crossed Luke’s face. “Mara! I know I said to follow him, but I didn’t mean alone. Why didn’t you bring Ben or Mark as back up?”

    She shrugged looking slightly embarrassed. “To be honest, all your talk about Lumiya wanting to turn Ben made me nervous. I wanted to keep him as far away from her as possible.”

    “Then why didn’t you bring Mark with you!” His voice had risen, but she could tell it was out of worry and not anger.

    She raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Oh, you mean the man you thought was going to turn Sith and kill me?”

    Luke groaned in exasperation. “You said yourself that it was just a dream.”

    “It was a dream. Mark would never harm me. But if I was going to leave Ben behind I want somebody watching him. I know Mark will keep Ben safe. Besides, I thought you didn't want them to know we suspected that Jacen was with Lumiya.” Her features softened as she made a placating gesture. “Farmboy, this is surveillance. I’ve done it a million times while working as a Hand and even more as a Jedi.” She gave him a warm smile. “Don’t worry. Anyway, I may be coming home. It looks like his rendezvous isn’t with a Sith but a possible suitor.”

    Luke raised an eyebrow. “Jacen and Tenel Ka?”

    Mara chuckled. “Why not? Solo men seem to have a soft spot for Royal women.”

    Luke flashed an amused grin. “That they do.”

    “How's your search going?”

    Luke shook his head in frustration. “It was a bust. I’m on my way back to Coruscant. Jag has yet to capture the Tof that actually made contact with Lumiya and I couldn’t sense her anywhere in the area. If that was Lumiya in the Temple, then she knows Force stealth. I could look for her forever and never find her.”

    “That’s why it’s important to follow Jacen. Even if there is only a one percent possibility that he's involved with her…it’s all we’ve got.

    Luke regarded her with conflicted, unsure eyes. “Do you think we should have pulled him into my office when we first suspected? He could be in danger now.” He ran his hands through his hair in frustration. “If he's with her, she must be tricking him. If I couldn’t sense her in the Force then Jacen probably couldn’t either. I can’t think of any reason for him to want to dabble in the darkside. My father did it to protect his family, Palpatine did it for power…Jacen seems the least likely person to be seduced to the darkside.”

    Mara sighed heavily. “Luke we discussed this before. Yes, we couldn’t think of a reason for Jacen to be with Lumiya, but one fact remained—if that was Lumiya in the Temple doing Force cloaking, it’s too much of a coincidence that Jacen learned the same skill shortly before she showed up.” She leaned forward in her seat and stared at her husband’s image intently. “Luke, we can second-guess our decisions all day. If it wasn’t Lumiya then there’s no reason to worry. If it was and he knew about her…then confronting him could result in him fleeing. With his ability to Force cloak we would never find him and we could lose him forever to the Sith. We need to get her out of the picture before we confront him …that is if she is actually in the picture.”

    He considered this for a moment and then gave a stiff nod. “You’re probably right.”

    “It’s going to be alright,” Mara reassured him. "We'll make things right."

    His troubled features softened as he gazed at her through the holocam. “I can’t wait to be with you again. Hurry back to Coruscant.”

    Mara gave him a sly grin. “I wish you were with me now. You always found a way to make surveillance so much more interesting for me.”

    Luke blushed and looked over his shoulder to see if anybody was listening. When he turned back to the screen he spoke in a hushed tone. “That’s probably not the best idea. If I remember correctly, the last time we pulled surveillance together the suspect eluded us…and wasn’t that when Hanna was conceived?”

    She gave a deep sensual laugh. “I think you’re right. You are such a distraction while on stakeouts.”

    “Only with you, love.” He said tenderly. “Come back soon. I love you.”

    “I love you too, Farmboy.”

    “Bye.” Luke said before his image disappeared.

    Mara switched off the transceiver with a wide smile on her face. She wasn’t sure what she did to deserve such a wonderful husband, but she was so glad her life turned out the way it did.

    Now that their twin boys, Jak and Owen, and daughter Hanna were in college, her and Luke had a lot more time together as a couple…which was wonderful. Now all they had to do was get Ben married and out of the house...then they wouldn’t have to worry about their children catching them doing any extracurricular activities. She chuckled as she recalled the almost comical look on Ben’s face when he found her and Luke necking on the couch. It was the horrified expression of a son who just realized his sixty-something parents were, in all probability, still sexually active.

    “I may be old, but I’m not dead,” she chuckled to herself as she readied to leave docking orbit.

    She transferred the docking fee and guided the Jade Shadow away from the orbital-dock. As she was typing in the hyperspace coordinates for Coruscant she noticed that Jacen’s StealthX was on the move again.

    “That was a short visit, Jacen,” she thought to herself out loud. “I guess my surveillance isn’t over.”
     
  9. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Wait! I thought this chapter was going to end happy! JL, you cruel woman.

    Great update though. I loved the loving, casual tone of LM's talk.
     
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  10. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    I was melting and squeeing like a fool until the last sentence then :oops: - I was looking forward to ... her homecoming, as well; yikes! Now I really wish Luke were along for distraction AND back-up. [face_nail_biting]
     
  11. Hazel

    Hazel Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2010
    The way these two are, I'm surprised they only lost one suspect. :p
     
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  12. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    What a terrif bunny that would make [face_dancing] =P~ [face_batting]
     
  13. SiouxFan

    SiouxFan Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 6, 2012
    “That was a short visit, Jacen,”--Yeah, well he's got a grandmother-in-law to kill, a Sith Empire to join--Jacen's a busy guy.

    As to Tenel Ka--Honestly, what the heck does she expect? She has kept Jacen at arms length for years; he's got a wife and daughter that he loves but is unable to tell anyone about, his little girl was shot in an attack and was kept from seeing her. How long did she expect him to follow this crappy plan? Until Allana was 18? If they both manage to survive all of this, she owes him a HUGE apology.
     
  14. Jedi_Lover

    Jedi_Lover Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2004
    Thanks Hazel, Jade_eyes, Briannakin, SiouxFan for reading. Sorry for that twist at the end. :( And Hazel, I am surprised only one suspect escaped. Jade_Eyes that would be a good plot bunny. In fact the conception of all their kids would probably be a good story. ;) SiouxFan, I have a feeling Tenel Ka will be feeling very sorry soon and hopefully she can make it up to Jacen.
    ___________________________________________

    Hapes Cluster, Kavan

    Jacen maneuvered his stealthX into an expansive ship hanger hollowed into the side of rocky hill on the Hapan planet of Kavan. The ship bay was part of an elaborate and wide-ranging maze of excavated tunnels used by the local Kavani people as emergency shelters in the winter. Since it was the middle of the summer the tunnel system would be empty and an idea place to meet somebody discreetly. He had transmitted a copy of the tunnel map to Lumiya and requested her to dock in another hanger on the other side of the hill; he didn’t need their ships to be seen together.

    He powered down and climbed out of the StealthX and immediately found himself sweating in the Kavan summer heat. He pulled out his Jedi Robe anyway and threw it over his shoulder. He knew once he got into the tunnel system it would cool to its near constant temperature of twelve degrees Celsius. He took a deep breath testing the air for breathability and frowned. It was tolerable, but very humid and with an underlying organic odor that reminded him of decaying foliage. He shrugged his cloak on and then pulled out his datapad and displayed a diagram of the tunnel system. He oriented himself and then moved down a tunnel to the area where he was to meet Lumiya.
    .
    .
    .
    “Kavan?” Mara muttered to herself once she exited hyperspace. She went to her ship computer and pulled up all data available on the planet while hoping she could discover a perfectly sensible and benign reason for Jacen to be here at this time and place. The records indicated that Kavan was a sparsely populated planet whose pronounced axial tilt meant there were extreme variations in temperatures. The area Jacen traveled to had emergency underground shelters where the populace could hunker down and endure the extreme winters.

    She frowned in confusion. Since it was summer the emergency tunnels should be vacant and there were no towns or occupied facilities within fifty kilometers of where he landed.

    So why are you there, Jacen?’ Mara wondered to herself.

    She sat back in the pilot’s chair looking grief-stricken. She had hoped she wouldn’t find anything suspicious concerning her nephew. She would have been happy to discover he was off on these unauthorized jaunts to gamble and party on some seedy pleasure yacht. Unfortunately, Jacen went to a desolate planet and landed near what should be an abandoned tunnel system. It was a perfect place for a clandestine rendezvous.

    Mara gave a despondent sigh. If he was meeting with Lumiya, the Sith must be misleading him somehow. That was the only reason she could fathom. And if that were the case Jacen may very well be in trouble. She needed to confirm his association with the Sith and then she and Luke could plan their next move.

    Mara maneuvered the Shadow into low orbit and prepared to descend.
    .
    .
    .
    .
    Hapes Cluster

    As they came out of hyperspace Mark Tantiss looked over the Navigation controls of his Headhunter and then checked the homing beacon sensor. “It looks like Jacen has been all over the place.”

    Ben was sitting next to him in the cockpit co-pilot chair. He leaned over to look at his uncle’s datapad. “Where is he now?”

    Mark ran his fingers over the datapad screen to update the information. “It looks like he is on Kavan.”

    Ben sat back in this seat and gave his uncle a somber look. “I still don’t understand all of this. Jacen isn’t power hungry. Do you think something happened when he was out on his search for Force knowledge?”

    Mark shrugged. “I don’t know. We don’t even know if Jacen is working with Lumiya. I could be completely wrong about that woman who was with him.”

    “Mom was obviously watching him. Why wouldn’t my parents tell us about Jacen?”

    Mark thought about it. “You would have to ask them that, but my guess is they don’t want to harm Jacen’s reputation unless they had proof. Some activities are seen as so indefensible that the mere suspicion can devastate a person’s standing in the community, especially in the Jedi Order. If it got around that Jacen was suspected of colluding with a Sith, that would destroy his repetition and the accusation would probably haunt him even if it’s proven false. I don’t think your parents wanted to stigmatize Jacen unfairly. They needed proof before they told anybody.”

    Ben nodded. “That makes sense.” A haunted look crossed his face. “What if he is Sith?”

    Mark didn’t answer right away. He wasn’t sure what he would do. He didn’t want to kill his nephew. He was sure Leia and Han would never forgive him, even if the situation was justified. He would have to capture him and hold him until an answer could be found—if an answer could be found. He wasn’t sure how one deprograms a Sith. Vader was supposedly redeemed, but he didn’t know of any other Sith that repented for their misdeeds. He looked over to Ben and gave him a hesitant smile. “We’ll capture him.”

    Ben didn’t look reassured and it didn’t help that Mark’s words sounded more like a question than a statement. “Capturing him could be difficult,” Ben ventured. “He’s good with a lightsaber—better than you or me.”

    Mark snorted. “It’s not hard to be better than me. I prefer a blaster. Decapitating and eviscerating people up close and personal never appealed to me. A blaster bolt through the head of the enemy at a thousand meters out using a high power sniper blaster suits me just fine. I don’t like to see the horror in a person’s eyes when they suddenly realize their arms are gone.” Mark shuddered. “I’ll never get used to that.”

    “It’s not one of my favorite parts of being a Jedi either,” Ben admitted.

    Mark looked over to Ben and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Don’t worry about Jacen. Nobody’s going to die today.” He gave Ben’s shoulder a gentle squeeze. “I promise.”
    .
    .
    .
    Jacen pulled his cloak around him is an effort to ward off a chill as the temperature dropped the further he went into the tunnels. Solar powered glowpanels on the ceiling provided enough light for Jacen to study the map on his datapad and allowed him to maneuver through the passageways to the designated meeting place. He moved hurriedly. He wanted this done and over with. If Tenel Ka was expected to be on Hapes at the end of the week he wanted Ta’a Chume dead by tomorrow.

    As he came around a bend he could sense Lumiya in the distance. He followed her Force signature until he could make out her outline in the dim light.

    “Did you come alone?” she asked, sounding uneasy.

    “Yes,” he said as he came up to the petite woman. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a vial. “Here’s the virus,” he said as he handed it to Lumiya. “It’s mircroscopic spores. If you can get them into a room Ta’a Chume will be in, that should be enough to infect her.”

    “I don’t know about getting that close to the former Queen mother, but I can get the virus into the ventilation system. The person who hired me sent me information on the Palace duct system. I just need to know if and when Ta’a Chume will be in the Palace.” Lumiya said as she examined the nanovirus ampoule.

    “She should be there all week. She is meeting with representatives of the other royal families. They are trying to oust my wife from the throne.”

    Lumiya raised an eyebrow. “If she wasn’t Queen, wouldn’t that end the assassination attempts?”

    He gave a faint embittered nod. “It might, but she is opposed to the idea.”

    Lumiya rolled the vial over in her hand. “I have a forged passport and visa. Of course, I’m sure the person purchasing my services made sure the documents are eventually traceable to me in order to pass suspicion off of them.” She gave him a hard gaze. “When this is done I will be the most wanted woman in the galaxy. Swear you will come and train afterwards.”

    Jacen nodded somewhat reluctantly.

    She put the vial in her pocket. “Fine. I’ll get this done and then you will come to The Home.”

    Jacen shivered as an uncomfortable feeling of uncertainty washed over him. He wasn’t sure if it was nerves or the Force trying to tell him something. For probably the hundredth time since he embarked in this endeavor, he was having doubts. Was he doing the right thing? He stood there in a frowning silence, debating with himself. He was about to order an assassination and once it was done there was no going back.

    Lumiya must have sensed his hesitation. “Jacen, She deserves to die.”

    He closed his eyes tightly. “I know,” he muttered reluctantly.

    “I should go before you change your mind.” She turned to leave but Jacen grabbed hold of her arm. “Wait, I need…”

    Lumiya’s head snapped up abruptly, interrupting his sentence. “You’ve been followed!” She growled as she gazed down the tunnel he just came from. “You led me into a trap!”

    Jacen looked at her in confusion until he sensed the Force essence of Mara Jade Skywalker approaching. “I didn’t bring her here. She must have followed me.”

    Lumiya scowled as she upholstered her blaster and aimed it down the tunnel.

    “No!” he shouted as he knocked the blaster upward toward the ceiling. The weapon discharged and a large chunk of rock dislodged from the tunnel roof and fell to the ground. Jacen quickly brought his free hand up and wrapped it around her throat tightly as he glared at her angrily. “I won't let you hurt my family!” The words came out in a roar. He would go along with her plan to learn more about the Force and the darkside, but he was not going to let her harm any of his loved ones.

    Lumiya glowered at Jacen before she put a hand to his chest and Force shoved him away. “I’m not shooting her. Do you even see her? She’s too far down the tunnels. I’m going to block this route. We can make our escape in my ship.” She aimed the blaster up again and this time he didn’t stop her. She fired out a number of quick blasts that fractured and crumbled the ceiling until there was a loud crack and a ton of stone and gravel toppled down, completely blocking the corridor.

    Lumiya turned to Jacen with a furious look on her face. “For Sith sake, Force cloak. There’s a chance she didn’t sense your presence with me.”

    “Even if she didn’t, she’s probably seen my ship!” Jacen protested but cloaked his Force signature anyway.

    “That’s why you need to come with me,” Lumiya said as she grabbed the sleeve of his cloak and urgently pulled him in the opposite direction.

    Jacen jerked his arm out of her grip. “No! If you sensed her, then she sensed us. She knows I’m here and if I run away I’ll be cutting my ties to my wife and child, to my parents.” He hesitated in thought, frantically trying to think a way out of this situation. “I can talk my way out of this. I’ll tell them I was approached by you and I was going along until I could figure out your motives. They’ll believe me.” He gestured for her to leave. “Just go, and get the nanovirus to the Royal Palace. I won’t betray you,” his voice was tinged with desperation and panic. His world was crumbling around him, but if Ta’a Chume could be eliminated it would be worth it. At least his family would be safe. “Please go,” he pleaded.

    Lumiya swore under her breath. “You don’t have to betray me. Once Grand Master Skywalker has confirmation that you were with me, he's capable of pulling whatever knowledge he wants from your mind. I’ll end up with a hundred Jedi at The Home.”

    “He wouldn’t do that.”

    She shook her head in disbelief. “Maybe… but only if he wasn’t sure you were with me. I think I know a way out of this mess,” Lumiya said quickly as she groped for something in her side satchel. “If Mara Jade could forget we were together, then we’re in the clear. Here.” She pulled out what looked like an anaphylaxis auto-injector. “This is a Lecapanine dart. It’s a tranquilizer but it also causes short-term memory loss. Use it and she won’t recall sensing us. She possibly won’t remember why she even came to this planet.”

    Both jumped as they heard the sound of a lightsaber cleaving at the rock on the other side of the rubble. “If she forgets, you’ll have an easier time lessening their suspicions. We’ll have to be more careful when meeting in the future.” Lumiya gave Jacen a determined look. “Ta’a Chume will soon be dead and you will resume your training.” She then turned and ran down the corridor to the direction of her ship.

    Jacen watched Lumiya disappeared down the tunnels as she made her escape. He looked down at the dart. Could it be a way of salvaging this disaster?

    Despite the chill in the tunnels he felt light perspiration break on his arms and face as a feeling of helplessness wound its way down his spine.

    He gave a low, miserable moan. “Oh kriff.”
     
  15. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Aaaaahhhhh! Why must you torture us with these cliffhangers!!??
     
  16. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Jedi_Lover, a dart?! Is it only a trank dart? :eek: [face_nail_biting]
     
  17. Hazel

    Hazel Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 9, 2010
    [face_worried][face_worried][face_worried]

    Uh-ho! I have a bad feeling about this.

    * goes off to find ginchy's brave hat *
     
  18. Demendora

    Demendora Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Apr 9, 2010
    Aahhhh[face_praying]Please, please, please. Don't turn out the way I think it will be. I always have a bad feeling...and I always think the worst. That's why it's pleasant to be wrong sometimes.
     
  19. SiouxFan

    SiouxFan Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 6, 2012
    Welcome to Camp Catch-22, Jacen. Population: you. Now you know to bring your own damned ship! A smart Jacen would simply admit to hiring an assassin to kill Ta'a Chume; hide in plain sight, as it were. No one trusts him anyway, he might as well own up to something.

    Odd how everyone is asking the why only after they've already decided to track him.
     
  20. Jedi_Lover

    Jedi_Lover Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2004
    Thanks Briannakin, Hazel, Jade_eyes, Demendora, SiouxFan for reading and taking the time to comment. This next chapter was very difficult for me because I have never written a series of events where I follow the actions of one person from time A to B, and then skip to another person and follow them from time A to B and then do the same for a third person. So it is like you are jumping from past to present over and over. I hope I pulled it off.

    Two posts earlier Mara said “Luke we discussed this before. Yes, we couldn’t think of a reason for Jacen to be with Lumiya, but one fact remained—if that was Lumiya in the Temple doing Force cloaking, it’s too much of a coincidence that Jacen learned the same skill shortly before she showed up.”

    So that is my way of saying that 'off camera' these things were discussed. Mark was more curious as to the identity of the woman. She was familiar to him and he thinks maybe she is familiar because she might be Lumiya and that familiarity was coming from Palpatine's memories. And Ben I don't think had put two and two together when it came to Lumiya being sensed around the temple and Mark's interest in the mysterious woman until Mark told him he was following Jacen...or at least he wasn't overly suspicious. It is hard to cover all the bases. I watch movies now and think, "Hey, why didn't they do this or that?" Well, because the movie would be over in five minutes if they did. :p

    _____________________________________



    Mara had maneuvered her ship down to where the shadow transponder indicated Jacen’s StealthX was located. She could see a large hangar built into the side of a hill but deep shadows hid whatever was inside the structure. She opted to set her ship down outside the bay. She wanted to ensure she could make a quick departure once she identified Jacen’s contact. The plan was not to confront but confirm. If Jacen was being tricked by Lumiya a skirmish could could result in the Sith taking him hostage or somebody getting hurt or killed.

    Upon landing, she powered down the Jade Shadow and lowered the boarding ramp. Checking the power pack to her blaster she moved out of her ship and made her way across the grassy field that led to the mountain facility. As she entered the dimly lit hangar she saw Jacen’s StealthX parked in the center of the bay. She cautiously moved up to the fighter, her ears and eyes searching for any indication as to where Jacen had gone.

    The docking bay was cavernous and with multiple exits leading into the mountainside. She knelt down and gazed at the hangar surface. The facility was clean, but over time fine particles of dirt and pollen from the outside fields had blown into the hangar leaving a thin layer of dust on the floor. Leading away from Jacen’s ship were a set of footprints. She watchfully followed the prints up one tunnel entrance.

    She had moved a couple hundred meters down the corridor before the tunnel split. Now that she was further away from the bay there was less dust and debris littering the floor and the dim light from the ceiling glow panels made it difficult to see which way he went. She decided to risk detection and opened herself fully to the Force in an effort to discover his location. Almost immediately she sensed Jacen…and Lumiya. Neither was shielding and her stomach sank upon realization that if she could sense Lumiya then so could Jacen. It wasn’t as Luke hoped—that she had been using Force stealth to trick the Jedi. There was a definite residue of darkness clinging to Lumiya’s Force presence…Jacen had to know who and what he was dealing with.

    There was still a chance that Jacen wasn’t Sith and that Lumiya had yet to turn the young man. It was a prospect that almost pushed her forward to confront the Dark Lady of the Sith, but she promised Luke this was only a surveillance mission. She would not go up against Lumiya without backup. Reluctantly and with a heavy heart she had turned to leave when she heard Jacen shouting “No!” followed by a blaster burst and then and almost feral scream, “I won't let you hurt my family!”

    Mara heard enough. Jacen was in danger; she couldn’t leave now. She unhooked her lightsaber and bolted down the corridor toward the sound of his voice. She heard more blaster shots and then abruptly Jacen’s Force presence disappeared. Mara stuttered-stepped as the cold realization that her nephew might now be dead washed over her. She reached out for him in the Force and she realized she couldn’t feel Lumiya’s presence any longer either. Either they were both dead or they were using Force stealth. Mara could only hope that Jacen was cloaking his presence to evade the Sith.

    She sprinted a few hundred meters up the tunnels until she came around a bend and was forced to a stop by a blinding swirl of dust in the air. She activated her lightsaber to help light the way and proceeded cautiously, stepping over stones and rubble before she realized the tunnel had completely caved in. She didn’t have time to find another way to the other side. Jacen could be hurt or fighting for his life.

    She swung her lightsaber wildly, hacking at the rubble, hoping she could tunnel a way through. After a few minutes she realized digging an opening to the other side would take too long. She had to try another method; she only hoped Jacen wasn’t standing on the other side that the moment. She reached out to the Force, pulling it in until she could feel the power of the light swirling and building up within her. Then with palm open, facing out she projected a powerful Force shove at the rocks blocking her path. The Force hit the cave-in with a loud explosion the fallen boulders, gravel and debris were hurled away from her and shot down the corridor. When the air cleared she could see a hole in the debris larger enough for her to pass through. With saber in hand she warily made her way to the other side.
    .
    .
    .

    After Lumiya ran off, Jacen paced on the other side of the cave cursing himself for his own foolhardiness. The situation with his family and the assassination attempts had given him tunnel vision. He was so focused on getting rid of Ta’a Chume he didn’t fully think out the consequences of his actions and now he was conflicted as to what to do. He leaned against the corridor wall heavily before he allowed himself to slide to the ground. He could still hear his aunt on the other side of the rockslide forcefully slashing at the debris with her lightsaber. He needed to decide what to do before she made her way to him.

    He could tell the full truth and confess to his family he conspired with Lumiya to kill Ta’a Chume. Unfortunately, conspiracy to commit murder was a serious crime in the Galactic Alliance and he doubted his uncle, as leader of the Jedi Order would engage in a cover up. No, he would be arrested and face the full legal ramifications.

    He ran a hand over his face, frustrated. If he was convicted of the plot to kill a Hapan Royal he could forget about ever living with Tenel Ka openly as her consort. Even if he served his time for the conspiracy plot, Tenel Ka may cut all ties to him just to maintain her throne. She would also deny all access to his daughter. His family would be lost to him.

    His best bet was to admit that he met with Lumiya and tell the Jedi Order an abbreviated version of the truth. Lumiya approached him saying a great evil threatened the galaxy and she wanted him to train to defeat it.

    “Yes,” Jacen whispered to himself. “That might work.” His family would reprimand him for his stupidity, but he would be forgiven and eventually he would work his way back into their trust. He would forget about Lumiya and the training. He believed Lumiya was telling him the truth about a great evil coming, possibly another Sith, but he wasn’t certain he was the Jedi fated to conquer that dark foe. Maybe the Jedi Order would believe her warning and start looking for the threat.

    He made a decision. Once his Aunt Mara had sliced her way to his side of the tunnel, he would surrender to her and confess to training with Lumiya in order to combat the darksider predicted by the Prophets of the Dark Side on Dromund Kaas.

    Then a sudden realization occurred to him. If Lumiya was right…that the person who paid her to kill his family intended for her identity to be revealed…then if Jacen was linked to Lumiya he could be linked to Ta’a Chume’s murder. He could admit meeting with Lumiya as long as the Dark Lady wasn’t linked to the murder of Ta’a Chume.

    He had to stop her!

    “Shavit!” Jacen pulled out his comlink and tried to contact Lumiya but the tunnel system was blocking his transmissions.

    He needed to get outside of the tunnels and contact Lumiya. The assassination must be called off. He pulled out his datapad and looked for another avenue to his ship. He analyzed the map and saw there was a side tunnel ten meters behind him that was a quicker route to his ship. He turned to depart when rock and rubble suddenly exploded down the tunnel showering him with debris and knocking him hard against the sidewall.
    .
    .
    .
    Mark had landed his Headhunter in the open field next to the Jade Shadow. He didn’t see Jacen’s StealthX, but it was probably located in the large opening on the side of the hill. He powered his ship down and he and Ben unclipped their crash webbing and moved to the rear of the spacecraft. Mark went to the back storage area and put on his leather shoulder harness. He then picked up his pet ysalamiri and set the creature on the shoulder carrier. The animal dug his long claws into the leather securing her firmly to the shoulder harness.

    Mark looked at Ben. “You ready?”

    The younger man nodded. “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

    “Good.” Mark went over to the ship exit and pushed a button lowering the ramp and then exited into the warm Kavan air.

    They walked over to the Jade Shadow to inspect the spacecraft. The ramp was up and there was no sign of Mara Jade Skywalker.

    “It’s locked up tight.” Mark looked to Ben. “Do you know the code to get in?”

    “I do, but it appears the exterior supplementary locks are engaged, meaning she was outside when it was secured.” He motioned his head over hangar. “I think I see Jacen’s ship.”

    They walked across the ankle high grass and into the massive bay where they located Jacen’s ship. Mark went up to Jacen’s StealthX and hovered his hand just above the engine. He could feel heat coming off the metal. “He hasn’t been here long. The engines are still hot.”

    Ben looked down at the ground. “Look, footprints. Two sets. It looks like Jacen and Mom’s.” He motioned for his uncle to follow as he ran in the direction the prints went.

    Mark followed behind trying not to jostle his pet ysalamiri too much. Up ahead Ben had slowed and then stopped as he came to a split in the tunnel system.

    “The tracks are gone,” Ben said, frustrated. He looked at his uncle. “I think we should split up. We’ll cover more ground.”

    Mark nodded as he pointed to one entrance. “You go that way and I’ll go this way.” Ben nodded, then the two men jogged off in different directions in search of Mara Jade Skywalker.
    .
    .
    .
    When the dust settled Jacen was knocked half unconscious and partially buried with rubble. He looked up and through blurred eyes he saw is aunt come through the hole she made, the purple blade of her lightsaber blazing in the dim light. In a daze he watched her approach and the green-eyed glare he saw on her face made his stomach clench. Briefly, and for the first time in his life, he wondered if she would kill him. Part of him thought it was impossible. Here was the woman who saved his life more than once and watched him grow from a toddler to manhood. This was the woman he had family meals with and was once Jedi Master to his sister, Jaina. This was also the woman who hated Sith and probably thought he had turned. He tried to move but only a groan escaped his lips.

    “Jacen,” Mara gasped as she cautiously moved toward him.

    Jacen could feel the Lecapanine dart in his hand. He needed to get out of here and call off the assassination. Then he would admit to meeting with Lumiya and he let fate take its course…but first he needed to get out of here.

    He could tell his Aunt the truth, that she needed to help him get outside so he could call off an assassination, but she might not believe him. He didn’t have time for questions; he needed to get ahold of Lumiya before she went into hyperspace and out of communication range. Once she was on Hapes she would most likely maintain radio silence. He needed to get out of here now.

    Mara moved towards him, her saber still active and held out cautiously. As she knelt down next to him to check his wounds, he moved quickly, plunging the dart into her leg before Force shoving her away to prevent her from killing him before the tranquilizer took its effect. Mara’s lightsaber dropped from her hand and the tip of it nicked Jacen’s leg before the safety kicked in and deactivated it. He gasped in pain as he reached down to try to stop the bleeding from the wound.

    Mara stumbled back and fell hard on the ground. She reached down to the injector site and then looked up to Jacen her face a mask of shock and betrayal. He struggled out of the debris and crawled over to his aunt who was twitching wildly. She opened her mouth to talk, but no words came out. He bent down so he could look her in the eyes. “I’m sorry I had to do this, but I need to get out of here quick and I don’t have time for questions. Don’t worry, soon it will be like none of this has happened.” With that said he stood with a groan and limped away. As he moved down the tunnel he cringed at the sound of his aunt gasping. He hoped she wasn’t in pain and the tranquilizer didn’t have any permanent effects other than memory loss.

    He moved as quickly as he could down the tunnels. He needed to stop Lumiya.
    .
    .
    .

    Ben had wandered through the tunnels for a few minutes before heard something in the distance. It took him a second before he identified the sound as coming from a lightsaber. He sprinted down the tunnel in the direction of the sound but after a minute or two, he could no longer hear the familiar hum of the lightsaber. He stopped and listened and was startled by a loud booming sound. When he recovered from the shock, he resumed running up the tunnel until he had to stop due to blinding dust. He coughed as he moved his way over the debris-strewn floor. He could feel his mother's Force signature up ahead and he moved toward her presence while calling her name.

    “Mom?”

    Ben squinted trying to keep the dust out of his eyes. Most of the ceiling glow panels in the area were damaged plunging the area into darkness. He could hear his mother in the dim recesses of the tunnel. He reached into his side pocket and activated a glow stick and gasped at the nightmarish sight before him. There lying on the ground was his mother, alive but twitching uncontrollably.

    “Mom!” he screamed as he scrambled over the rubble to her. He sat on the ground and brought her head up to his lap. “Mom, what happened?”

    Mara’s eyes were open, gazing upward at her son, as she struggled for air. Tears fell from her eyes as she brought a trembling hand up and gentle caressed Ben’s face. “Mom you need to put yourself into a healing trance,” Ben said frantically as he reached down and placed his hand on her forehead willing the Force into her. “Who did this to you Mom?” Ben cried. “Mom?” he repeated. She didn’t answer, but grew silent. Ben could feel the muscles relax within his mother as the life slowly drained out of her. Her panting gasps for air became slower and slower, until they finally stopped.

    A spasm of utter despair surged though Ben’s soul. “No, no, this can’t be happening. Uncle Mark!” He called out. “Where the kriff are you?”

    Ben put his mother flat on the floor in an attempt to resuscitate her. “Mom, don’t give up.” He did chest compressions followed by rescue breathing. “Come on Mom, don’t leave me.” Ben looked up sharply as he heard footsteps approaching in the distance. He hoped it was Mark because he didn’t want to have to abandon his resuscitation efforts to fight whoever did this to his mother.

    He gave her two more breaths and then stopped to feel for a pulse. There was none. He was about to restart rescue efforts when he felt a swirling of the Force around him and a soft whisper in his mind…a message of love and the sensation of ghostly fingers ruffling his hair. Ben’s stomach sank. It was his mother’s spirit touching him and that could only mean one thing... she was gone. “No, no!” Ben moaned as he pulled her limp body into his arms and hugged her tightly before letting out a heart-wrenching, guttural scream of anguish.
     
  21. Demendora

    Demendora Jedi Knight star 2

    Registered:
    Apr 9, 2010
    I can't believe you did it. :_|=((
     
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  22. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Either that's the biggest misdirection i.e. we're in for a pleasant surprrise, or I'm a blooming idiot; in all your posts /comments, I thought you detested that outcome for Mara as much as the rest of us, or is it somehow supposed to be logical this time around?
     
  23. Jedi_Lover

    Jedi_Lover Chosen One star 5

    Registered:
    Nov 1, 2004
    Mara was going to be logical and leave and wait for back-up, but hearing Jacen screaming and what seems to be a fight between him and Lumiya...don't you think she would go to save him? I think it would be OOC for her to go back to her ship at that point.

    The story is Sacrifices...but I don't know if anybody has guessed what the sacrifice is...yet.

    Hey...have faith in this L/M 'shipper.

    But tell me...was that too confusing the skipping back and forth in POV and timelines?[face_thinking]
     
  24. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Okay. That was just mean. I know you and you would never kill Mara, but everything in the story suggests that she's dead. Grrrrrr!

    Great update. I've seen the skipping back a bit in time/changing POV done in books and I've done it once myself, so I found it fine.
     
  25. ginchy

    ginchy Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    May 25, 2005
    I think you need to write some L/M smut to cheer me up after KILLING MARA. [face_not_talking]

    (*peeks around* Is it working???)

    Great work on shifting POVs and writing action here, gal. Ben's anguish was especially well written. Fantastic work!!
     
    Jade_eyes likes this.