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

Beyond - Legends "The Banks of Claudy" (AU; LOTF era, ?/Mara, others; angst/fluff - Celtic Song Challenge)

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by Onderon1, Jan 17, 2017.

  1. Onderon1

    Onderon1 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 18, 2008
    A/N: OK, I'm going to tackle this little idea ... :)

    The song I rolled for is The Banks of Claudy -
    AFA continuity, the song actually fits into a scene from the AU I'm working on, so SPOILER WARNING. :p.

    I don't know if there's actually a Claudy River on Ossus or not, but it's a big galaxy, so ... :)

    ********************************
    40 ABY: Claudy River,
    Ossus, Outer Rim Territories:
    ********************************

    She finally had an answer.

    It wasn't comforting, and yet, it was - she knew, at least, that he hadn't died in space, alone.

    "... managed to make it down to the planet's surface; only a pilot of his skill could've held together the X-Wing for as long as he did," Rey said, somehow managing to keep her voice steady.

    Mara nodded at her eldest daughter, examining the fragment of snubfighter stabilizer the children had found during their trek beyond the edge of the Unknown Regions. They'd taken the data from BB-8, provided by Lor San Tekka, and added it to Artoo's databanks after finding the astromech on a distant world, then followed the trail.

    Part of Mara wanted to ask more about "Earth," but she wasn't ready to discuss her possible birthworld.

    Instead, she turned to her gathered children - Rey, standing tall in her tan combat outfit; Ben, looking older than he should, in a functional black coverall; the twins, Analynn in her orange and white pilot's uniform, and Coric, wearing simple Jedi robes; and little Dack, clinging to Mara's leg.

    The 4-year-old brushed red bangs out of his blue eyes, confused, and he looked at the hooded man across the way. Mara ruffled her youngest's hair reassuringly; having spent his infancy in hiding with her, he was still shy, although he'd warmed up to his siblings after meeting them.

    She turned to the hooded man, seeing the hints of a beard at his throat, and asked, "You have news?"

    He nodded, not yet looking at her, and Mara realized he was shielding himself in the Force - even from her. She glanced at Rey, who shrugged and said, "He was staying nearby the crash site - gave us the stabilizer. We thought it best to bring him back here. Earth's ... wary of Force-sensitives."

    Mara just nodded; she'd read through the synopsis of Rey's report. She gently nudged Dack to stand beside Analynn, then approached the man, and said softly, "Tell me. What happened to my husband?"

    "It's as your daughter said," he whispered, eerily familiar, a gentleness in his tone. "The X-Wing broke up."

    Mara struggled to maintain her composure; the children were already having a hard enough time, and if she broke down, it might traumatize Dack.

    Besides, she was Mara Jade. She'd kept the Jedi alive through the First Order's rampages and her eldest son Kylo's backstabbing - she could handle this.

    "Well, then," Mara began, turning to face the mystery man. "I suppose I'll be alone as Grand Mistress."

    A flash of grief leapt from the man, then, and Mara's not-quite-voiced suspicions shattered - for the best - as he threw back his hood, stammering, "M - Mara - I was just hiding from -"

    "The First Order?" she laughed, allowing herself a triumphant grin as the kids lit up with joy.

    "Farmboy, you've got us to help you deal with those murglaks. Now - what is on your face?"

    ---------------------------------

    :):luke::bluesaber:
     
  2. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    Wow, what a fascinating GFFA interpretation of this ballad! You expressed your concern in the challenge thread that it was too positive, but hey, why shouldn't it be, given that this is one of the happier endings that the repertoire has to offer? Great job with the moments of nerve-wracking tension—made exponentially more so by the presence of the younglings—that lead up to the sudden relief and joy of the reveal. It's a very Luke sort of reveal, with his nervous stammering, and Mara has a very Mara reaction to it, "farmboy" and all. It's a very cool sort of "Harry's himself again" moment on both sides. :cool:

    And am I to understand that, in this AU, Earth is Mara's putative homeworld? Wow! I can indeed imagine they're very wary of Force-sensitives there. :p

    Thanks so much for taking part in this challenge—it's great to have you and this story on board! =D=
     
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  3. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Wow, you gave this song quite a spin here! The idea of Mara Jade's birth world being Earth is a risky one to tackle, but in this context, it's kind of...meta. And it adds a whole new meaning to the phrase "down to Earth" in Mara's case. :p

    I love how this scene with a seemingly "dead" Luke mirrors the scene with a seemingly "dead" Poe Dameron in The Force Awakens. It makes sense that Luke had to flee in disguise in order to escape the First Order.

    Still, war is war and it's good that Mara had a way of handling the possibility of Luke's death.

    P.S. Now you will take part in one of my challenges, OR I WILL CRY. TOTALLY NOT MAKING A SCENE HERE CAPS LOCK CAPS LOCK.
     
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  4. Onderon1

    Onderon1 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 18, 2008
    Thanks, everyone. :) This was a fun little piece to write, since I'd had variants of the scene in my mind (I have a bad tendency to skip around in my outlines AFA timeframe, which I think frustrates some readers ... [face_worried]).

    Findswoman: Thank you. :) The kids have, at this point, actually come back together after ... well, let's say the First Order forced Mara to make some hard choices a few years prior. Especially Kylo's treachery ... :( (But things are obviously on the upswing here. :D)

    I'm glad I was able to write #6, since the song does have something of a happy ending; that said, the tension needed to be built up, since Mara and Co. aren't sure what happened to Luke until the older children bring the Mysterious Stranger back with them.

    (And Earth, in this AU, is complicated - apologies for the vagueness, but there's a lot I'm not ready to write about just yet.)

    Ewok Poet: Thanks. :) Earth-as-Mara's-birthworld has been an idea I've had for a long while; the Unknown Regions, in my AUs, are very jam-packed with unexpected residents, and Mara's birth family are almost as complex as the Skywalkers ...

    I'll take a look at your challenges, soon, too. :)

    - Thanks again, everyone, :)
    Onderon1
     
  5. Pandora

    Pandora Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 13, 2005
    Firstly, I have no problem with there being a Claudy River on Ossus--it is a big galaxy, and Ossus is an entire planet likely filled with places besides the ones mentioned in the books.

    I should admit that I have not seen any of the new movies, so Rey and Lor San Tekka and BB-8 are only names to me. But I do know who Mara Jade is, and most of the other kids seem to be OCs; and overall, I think I can get the story, and the character of Rey, without having the reference of the movie she has appeared in. (Then there's that casual, and unexplained, reference to R2D2 just happening to be found on a "distant world," but I suppose that's another story.)

    It is an interesting take on the ballad: the general narrative line is similar, but the leading characters are very different from Betsey and her "faithless young man." Luke has serious reasons for taking on his disguise, and Mara is a Jedi and mother of (I think) six who would have found a way to carry on if Luke really had died in the X-Wing crash.

    And it seems that Mara is originally from Earth--and I'm going to wager a guess that, from what you hint in your reply, the issues with Force-Sensitives here are not based on the fact that we believe they are fictional characters.

    Oh, and finally--thank you for taking part in the challenge!
     
  6. Onderon1

    Onderon1 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 18, 2008
    Pandora - Thanks. :) It actually helped me clarify a few things in the larger AU ... [face_thinking]

    As to your guesses - there's actually 7 Skycrawlers here (one is just off-camera, to be revealed more at a later date). :)

    And Force-sensitives on this Earth are viewed warily, if they even openly identify as such. Without giving away too much ... enhanced power beings of any variety get attention from The Powers that Be (that's not a Buffy or Angel hint, just a generic reference).

    - Thanks again, :)
    Onderon1
     
  7. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Pandora - Onderon1 was so kind to explain this entire AU in this post, because - yes - I too was confused beyond belief. XD
     
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  8. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    Beautifully solved! ^:)^

    Most of the Skywalker Clan gathered around Mara, Earth mentioned, and so many other things woven into your fic! =D=
     
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  9. DaenaBenjen42

    DaenaBenjen42 Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    May 15, 2005
    Love, love... (And I agree with her, there, about the beard!)
     
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  10. Onderon1

    Onderon1 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 18, 2008
    Thanks again, everyone. :) These challenges are fun, not only for stretching my artistic muscles, but also for exploring plot bunnies without feeling I'm playing too much hopscotch with the timeline. [face_blush]
     
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  11. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    No, you are just doing fine. Making us Mara fans happy here!
     
  12. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    Large ginormous SQUEEEEE! Delightful - the joy of the family is palpable. :)
     
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  13. Onderon1

    Onderon1 Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 18, 2008
    WarmNyota: Thanks again - this was a fun challenge, and I'm glad I was able to do it justice. :)
     
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