Jedi Council Forums - Take My Hand (L/M, canon characters) Epilogue - 10/19/09

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Author	Topic: Take My Hand (L/M, canon characters) Epilogue - 10/19/09 - COMPLETE!
Jedi_Emeritus Registered: Dec '05	Date Posted: 7/7/08 8:35am Subject: RE: Take My Hand (L/M, canon characters) Chapter 5 - 06/16/08
	Tych_sel posted: And now, methinks the Sand People may have bitten off a bit more than they can chew. Yeah, this isn't exactly Luke in ANH any longer. dianethx posted: This was wonderful. I just found it and I loved your AU. The characterization is just perfect. Please put me on your PM list. Looking forward to more! Thanks! Consider yourself added! walker-of-minds posted: I am really enjoying this fic very nice characterzations and rewrite of the original. I look forward to more and seeing what transpirers with Luke and Mara. Please PM, Thanks Ditto! Jade_eyes posted: Up and huggles!!!! Thanks for the up J_e! OK everyone, I think I'm about to get back into it. For the last three weeks or so of June I was so busy and writing was waaaay down my list of things to do. (I felt a little like this at times... ) However, now, with my wife and kids gone to visit her mother until early August and my university course settled into with a much lighter workload than I anticipated (three short papers due at any time until the end of the semester - nothing else other than the readings and finals and some class participation stuff) I now find myself with some time to actually do some writing. What a concept! So, I will try and finish the next chapter some time this week, send it off to my beta and then have it ready to post early next week, all things being equal. Thanks everyone for your support and patience, while I get the next installment ready! JE -----signature----- "The road to hell is paved with adverbs." - Stephen King There is a very fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness.' Take My Hand: http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28300611/
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Jedi_BMK Registered: Sep '04	Date Posted: 7/9/08 11:35pm Subject: RE: Take My Hand (L/M, canon characters) Chapter 5 - 06/16/08
	This story is great. You did a great job infusing Luke's emotions into that last post. Can't wait to see how they deal with the Tusken Radiers. Please add me to the PM list. -----signature----- Destiny of the Skywalkers II: Splintered Paths OT AU (L/M H/L A/P) http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28042042/
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jedi_enigma Registered: Jul '02	Date Posted: 7/12/08 10:20am Subject: RE: Take My Hand (L/M, canon characters) Chapter 5 - 06/16/08
	That post was AMAZING! You portrayed Luke's feelings and reactions to visiting his old home and Mara's reactions to being there with him and what he told her with such genuine emotion. Bravo! It was great to see Mara's feelings and perceptions of him and the emperor change. I can't wait for your next part! j_e -----signature----- "I run this ship!" "Oh, so you're Jeff Vader." Eddie Izzard I am Madam Gimps-A-Lot! Fear my gimpiness for I shall hobble after you and smite you with my crutches!
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AvenKiel Registered: Oct '03	Date Posted: 7/16/08 5:47pm Subject: RE: Take My Hand (L/M, canon characters) Chapter 5 - 06/16/08
	AHhhhh, so good! Please put me on the PM list! -----signature----- I'm a naughty little Kitty... Meow! Grilled Cheese..... mmmmmmmmm..... http://www.livejournal.com/~jediliz/ I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't dance , sing and hop around all day, I'd probably die. Death from fidgeting!
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JediNat Registered: Jan '08	Date Posted: 7/17/08 12:49pm Subject: RE: Take My Hand (L/M, canon characters) Chapter 5 - 06/16/08
	I love this story! Could I please be on the PM list? -JediNat- -----signature----- May the Force be with you! I'm a little teapot short and stout here is my handle and here's a note from my shrink he says I'm getting better. Last week I thought I was a toaster oven crazy laughter -Dot
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Jedi_Emeritus Registered: Dec '05	Date Posted: 7/17/08 11:10pm Subject: RE: Take My Hand (L/M, canon characters) Chapter 5 - 06/16/08
	Thanks everyone for being patient. My beta finally has the next chapter and has promised me she would get it back to me tonight. As soon as I have it back, I will make the final revisions and post, likely some time tomorrow. Of course, this is assuming she doesn't tell me it's all garbage... This chapter has not cooperated and I'm very curious to see what the reaction is. Anyway, replies: JediBMK posted: You did a great job infusing Luke's emotions into that last post. Cool, I'm glad you liked it. It was emotional to write and one I thought needed to be included. I would like to see a little more of Owen and Beru than you normally see. And consider yourself added. jedi_enigma posted: You portrayed Luke's feelings and reactions to visiting his old home and Mara's reactions to being there with him and what he told her with such genuine emotion. It was great to see Mara's feelings and perceptions of him and the emperor change. Ditto to the reply above. I'm trying to be very careful and deliberate in how I portray Mara's gradual change. Nothing irks me more than the 'Mara falls immediately in love with the farmboy and defects' type stories - she's been under the Emperor's influence too long to be swayed immediately by a pair of pretty blue eyes. AvenKiel posted: Please put me on the PM list! Done! JediNat posted: I love this story! Could I please be on the PM list? Great, I'm glad you like it! You're on the list! Thanks everyone for the replies - the next installment should be up tomorrow. -----signature----- "The road to hell is paved with adverbs." - Stephen King There is a very fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness.' Take My Hand: http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28300611/
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Jedi_Emeritus Registered: Dec '05	Date Posted: 7/18/08 9:32pm Subject: RE: Take My Hand (L/M, canon characters) Chapter 6 - 07/18/08 - Date Edited: 7/19/08 12:07am (2 edits total) Edited By: Jedi_Emeritus
	A/N: Here it is everyone. I ended up rewriting the entire final section, because it simply did not work the way I had originally written it. Hope you all enjoy it. Also, kudos to Rigil_Kent for guessing where I was going with the Sand People attack. Chapter 6 The look on Arica's face was intense, but focused, her grip on the tiny blaster she held in her hand bespoke a casual familiarity - she was comfortable with the weapon and had used it before. Luke wondered again at the origins of his companion. He had confided in her, told her much of his time growing up on the planet, and although he had not told her everything, he was certain had given her plenty of insight into the details of his life. But to him, she was still an enigma, wrapped in the shadows of her own secrecy, seeming unwilling to talk in any great detail about herself. But it was a question for another time - now the demands of the moment were begging to be met, the approaching creatures dealt with. Again, he would have to wait before his questions were answered. Giving the grave of his only family one last look, Luke motioned to Arica and stepped away, concentration now intent on the task at hand. They made their way around the side of the house toward the waiting speeder and as they rounded the corner, they were met by a group of Tusken Raiders, perhaps a dozen in number, approaching from the opposite direction. As a group, the creatures howled their rage and defiance, brandishing their gaffi sticks and charging toward the two humans in a wave of sandy robes and raised weapons. Blaster fire erupted from behind as Luke leapt into the fray, his lightsaber igniting to cleave through the lead Tusken's gaffi stick and deeply into the creature wielding it. The attacker fell from his blade with a hoarse cry and Luke moved to the next of the attacking creatures. What met his eyes astonished him as he heard the loud war cries of the Sand People turn to howls of fear and consternation. They backed away hurriedly, leaving two of their number dead on the sands - the one from his lightsaber, the other cut down by Arica's blaster. The attackers withdrew several meters and as a group broke into chatter, their arguments with each other seeming forceful, but their manner toward the two humans fearful and almost... respectful. Luke had never seen anything like this from the normally ferocious Tuskens. "Is this normal behavior for these things?" Luke shook his head, his attention never leaving the party before them. "I've never seen Sand People act like this." He waved his lightsaber experimentally, noting their cries as they backed even further away, their discussion intensifying. "They seem to be afraid of my lightsaber." "Do tell," Arica's wry voice drifted toward him, causing him to smile involuntarily. The discussion amongst the raiders abruptly ceased and one of the warriors disengaged hesitantly from the rest of the group and approached the two humans, his motions cautious and almost deferent. In his hands he held a gaffi stick, but instead of brandishing it as a weapon, the Tusken held it out in two hands, almost as if it were an offering. It approached until it was almost two meters away from Luke, before bowing its head. The creature carefully placed its gaffi stick on the ground in front of Luke and prostrated itself on the ground, where it lay motionless. A quick look at the rest of the war party revealed nothing. The stood there and watched Luke with interest, until as if by some signal, they began moving away - retreating away from the Jedi swiftly, many fearful glances thrown back at the two humans as they withdrew. Risking a quick glance back at Arica, Luke noted she had not relaxed her stance in the slightest - her feet were spread apart and anchored firmly, her blaster held out in front of her, ready for action in a moment's notice as she gazed at the retreating raiders. Her eyes met his briefly, her eyebrow raised in question. Unable to account for the Sand Peoples' actions, Luke spread his arms out in bafflement. "I don't know. It's almost as if this one is a sacrifice, but why they would be that afraid of us, I don't know." "So what do we do?" Luke motioned toward the speeder, his lightsaber still pointed protectively at the prone Tusken. "Let's get out of here before they change their minds." Nodding her agreement, Arica cautiously edged her way around the alien, her eyes never leaving his prostrated form, Luke keeping his lightsaber ignited, while watching the area for further danger. In the distance, he could see the clouds of dust being kicked up by the fleeing Sand People, their pace such that they were already a distant speck on the endless horizon of the planet's desert. Within moments, the two humans were strapped into the speeder, the homestead falling back in the distance. Luke's last glimpse of the remaining Tusken was the creature staring around in apparent bewilderment, as his slayers retreated, leaving his life intact. The return journey was largely a silent affair. To Mara's eyes, Skywalker was deep in thought and although his shields were of such strength that no hint of his thoughts or emotions penetrated them, the faintly puzzled look adorning his features told her all she needed to know. To be sure, the Tuskens' reaction to his emerald blade was a mystery, but Mara found her thoughts engaged in a far more pressing matter. When she had first agreed to accompany him and his friends it had seemed like such a simple task - get Skywalker alone and kill him, then escape and report to her master. In fact, the morning's outing had presented a perfect opportunity. With Skywalker dead at the homestead, she would have been free to take the speeder back to her ship waiting in Anchorhead and leave the planet far behind. She doubted Solo and the others would ever even have found the body. But the change in orders was much more difficult to accomplish. Somehow in the next half day she would have to get him to trust her, to get him to accept her as one of his circle... as one of his companions. She had wracked her brain, but she could only think of one plausible way to induce him into allowing her to travel with them. She was certain they would be rejoining the Rebellion once they left Tatooine and since she was not supposed to know they were involved, there was no way for her to bring it up with them. And even if she could, a sudden declaration that she wanted to join the Rebels would be met with suspicion and hostility. Only one option was possible, but it was one she was hesitant to take as she was certain her master would not approve. It was a quandary to be certain and one which was becoming more pressing by the moment - once they had arrived back at the hut she would be severely curtailed in her ability to converse alone with him, due to the presence of the rest of the party, and she may very well lose her chance to make any impression on him. But of course there was his mention of leaving tomorrow when they had talked that morning - she had not missed his singular pronoun and wondered what it had meant. If he were planning to leave Tatooine alone, he did have his X-wing after all, it was possible she would be able to persuade him to take her along. She glanced over at him, taking in the sight of his introspection, his knitted brows and sandy hair and the sunlight reflected off his face. Shuddering, she turned away from him, aware of what his presence was doing to her and the effect he had on her emotions. It would take all her strength and focus to remain impassive. It was several more moments before she began to realize they were rapidly approaching their goal. Aware that there was no hole deep or dark enough for her to hide in should she fail in her mission, Mara focused on Skywalker and made a decision. "Farmboy," she said, watching as his head snapped toward her, his features startled at her sudden words. "Arica?" "Please, can we stop for a moment? I would like to ask you something before we rejoin the others." Skywalker's face gave nothing away - she could not tell whether he was surprised at her sudden request, but he immediately eased up on the throttle of the vehicle and they coasted to a stop, no more than a few kilometers from the hut. When they had stopped, he turned his full attention on Mara, causing her heart to jump slightly at the sight of his impossibly blue eyes, which once again seemed to bore into her, ferreting out her darkest secrets and shining into her soul. She gathered herself, reminding herself he could not see through her shields. "So, you all leave tomorrow, right?" At his nod she continued. "Will you be leaving with the rest of the group?" He seemed to consider his answer for several moments. "No. Our ultimate destination is the same, but I have a promise to keep to an old friend before I join the others." As intrigued as she was by his statement, Mara could not allow herself to become sidetracked from her purpose. "So where are you going then?" "I'm not certain you want to know," he replied carefully. "It would almost definitely be safer if you didn't." "Look Farmboy, I think I'm smart enough to realize there's something going on here you haven't told me about. I'm not asking for details, but I've reached something of a crossroads here and I need to know certain things before I make a decision." His expression grew puzzled. "I'm not certain I know what you mean." Taking a deep breath, Mara forced herself to continue, aware the Emperor's displeasure would surely be greater if she was not allowed to accompany him. "You offered to teach me about the Force. Did you mean it?" His eyes widened in surprise. "Arica, I wouldn't have offered if I hadn't meant it." She nodded. "In that case I would like to take you up on your offer, but if you're leaving tomorrow, I will have to go with you." He was silent for several moments while he considered this new development. It was all Mara could do to force herself to breathe normally and relax while he thought about her request. "I must say," he answered at last, his face suffused with a wide grin, "you seem to have a habit of saying the unexpected." "I wouldn't be interesting if I always acted exactly as expected, now would I?" Mara responded with an arch look, causing Skywalker to chuckle lightly. "No, I guess you wouldn't at that." His face once again lapsed into the serious expression. "I must admit I was not expecting you to want to go with us. I was more referring to the possibility of giving you a few pointers before we left than training you. I'm not certain I'm ready to take on a trainee..." "You said you would..." Mara responded with what she thought was a hint of a pout in her voice. "I was completely serious in my offer to assist you, Arica," Skywalker said hurriedly in response. "I've already warned you I am not a master, but as long as you don't expect any more than that, I'd be happy to pass on what I know. But before you make a decision, I feel I should warn you we are not heading to safety. I don't think you know what you are getting yourself into." "Of course I don't," Mara responded somewhat peevishly. "How can I when you haven't told me anything?" Skywalker's eyes bored into her, his expression was intense and demanding. Had Mara thought his attention was disturbing and unbearable before, she now realized with the full might of his gaze focused exclusively on her, what she had experienced before was nothing in comparison. "Arica," he began, his expression serious, "you have to realize this is not something I can divulge lightly. There is simply too much at stake." "Look, Farmboy," Mara responded, "I think I'm intelligent enough to know there is something important going on here, but I've spent my whole life hiding from my heritage and I'm tired of it. It's time I began to make my way in the galaxy and acknowledge my birthright." "There's plenty I haven't told you yet," he said with a shake of his head. "You must understand that if you were to leave here with us, you will never be able to disappear into an anonymous life again. If you choose to go along with us, you will be tied to us forever - there will be no going back." "I think I know that, Farmboy," Mara insisted. "You haven't exactly been forthcoming with information about yourselves - you've shown up here to face Jabba by yourselves, you've been careful not to give me any more information than you can, you've only given me first names... Shall I go on?" "Obviously you've thought this through, but I'm not certain the tale is mine to tell." "Look Farmboy," Mara responded, becoming increasingly impatient with his reticence, "we're alone out here, isolated from the rest of the galaxy. Even if you do tell me this deep, dark secret, what could I do with it? If you tell me what this is all about, I can decide whether I want to get involved and if I don't, then you just leave me here and be on your way. By the time I'm able to get back to civilization and pass the information on to someone else, assuming I knew who to pass it on to, you would be well away from here. What do you have to lose?" The look on Skywalker's face was inscrutable, but the emotions leaking past his shields told her he was at least considering her request. Not for the first time, Mara wished she were able to apply some pressure with the Force to push his mind in the correct direction, but knowing his skill, which exceeded her own substantially, Mara refrained. "All right then," he finally replied, causing an intense wave of relief to flood through Mara's body. He looked at her quizzically at this, but made no comment. "Arica, we are members of the Rebel Alliance against the Empire. Once we leave Tatooine, we will be rejoining the rebel fleet." Mara made a show of considering this new development, while ultimately deciding it was in her best interests to appear as if she had already expected it. "I thought it was something like that," she admitted. "I realize developing my abilities will put me in direct conflict with the Empire - being a Jedi is considered a crime after all - but I stand by what I said before. If you will allow me to go along, I would like to take you up on your offer." Skywalker continued to scrutinize her for several moments before he turned away with a sigh. "All right then, I will talk to Han when we get back. They can take you with them and I will meet up with you when I have completed my errand." Mara knew by now he was likely good for his word and if he said he would meet up with them later, there was no doubt in her mind he would show. But her master's commands were explicit - she was not to let him out of her sight and she intended to do exactly that. "No, I didn't agree to this to go with them. I want to go where you go, so you can begin instructing me." Skywalker glanced back at her, his face once again showing no hint of his emotions. "I only have an X-wing, Arica. It would be incredibly uncomfortable if we had to travel several days through hyperspace in a one-man snub fighter." "I have a ship," she responded quietly. "It's a shuttle - not much more than a box with a hyperdrive, but it will get us to where we are going. You can leave the X-wing here." "Leave my X-wing...?" he asked incredulously. "That's my ship, Arica! I can't leave her here and even if I did, I'd be in hot water with the Alliance Command - it's not like we have unlimited resources" "Look Farmboy, there is no reason for me to go with your friends - I am in this to learn after all. Don't you see? Your friends obviously don't trust me and if I were to go with them, I would probably end up in a cell until you got back - not an appealing prospect." "I think you underestimate them," he responded quietly, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Does your ship have enough space to carry my fighter?" Mara shook her head. "I'm sorry, it isn't. If it were big enough I would gladly do it." He stared at her suspiciously for several moments, before he turned back to the controls of the speeder and began accelerating once again toward the hut. It was several moments before he once again spoke. "The Falcon has docking clamps - I should be able to get Han to take my fighter back for me." Mara nodded her head in assent, immensely relieved at her success. "But if we're going to do this, I have a condition." Startled, Mara peered back at Skywalker, motioning him to continue. "I will pilot your shuttle and will lock the navicomputer while we are en route to our destination, both the first one and then our rendezvous with the others." Mara stared at him, indignant at his audacity. "No one pilots my ship, Farmboy. If you think you're just going to take over..." "This is non-negotiable," Skywalker interrupted, cutting her off. "There is too much at stake here and I cannot jeopardize our destination. I'm sorry, Arica, but we've only been acquainted for the past day and I don't know you yet. I'm not willing to take any chances until I know you better." She was not happy about it, but she could sense he was unfortunately determined and nothing would change his mind. On the one hand, she could understand his hesitation - she was, after all, a near stranger to him and she could hardly expect him to trust her so implicitly without knowing her. "How do I know I can trust you?" Skywalker glanced at her with a huge smile on his face, causing her heart to flutter most disconcertingly. "I can give you my word, but I suppose that doesn't count for much," he responded, his voice wry and ironic. "You can back out any time you want, Arica. But I told you I would help you and I take my promises very seriously. It's really up to you." Knowing there was no alternative, Mara nodded her consent. "Fine, I will go along with you, under your terms." "Luke, are you out of your mind?" Luke just stood there, his hands clasped behind his back, his legs fixed shoulder width in a pose Leia recognized as a battle stance - one she had seen the young man use many times in the past. It was a particularly stubborn stance, one which she knew from experience would be accompanied by Luke's, in her opinion, unreasonably obstinate refusal to see sense. "You leave at first light without telling anyone where you are going, taking that... woman with you to who knows where, you tell her of our ties to the Alliance and now you inform us you will be leaving with her? On her own ship no less? What are you thinking?" "Leia, I told you where we went this morning..." was his only reply. "But why take her with you? You don't even know her. Do you have any idea how worried we were?" "Leia, I can take care of myself." His deflection of her questions served to infuriate Leia even further and the mulish stare on his face only exacerbated the matter. Leia turned to Han in desperation. "Tell him, Han!" Han simply shook his head, an amused glint in his eye as he regarded the standoff. "You want me to try and reason with him? He's just as stubborn as you are and I've never had any luck making you see sense - why do you think I'd succeed with him? The two of you are so much alike you could almost be siblings." Leia glared at Han, feeling slightly betrayed at his words. "Luke, why do you have to leave us anyway? The Alliance fleet should be gathered by now - they don't have any time to wait around for us." "I'm sorry Leia, but this cannot wait - I've put it off already." "What is so important?" Luke shifted, allowing his posture to relax slightly. "I'm going back to Dagobah - I promised Master Yoda I would return." "Luke, you don't have time for this now," Leia said with some exasperation. "Can't you go back after?" "Leia, I don't intend to actually finish my training right now. But I must return to let him know I'm all right and that I survived my encounter with Vader." Leia sensed a certain tension in Luke's voice on the mention of the dark Lord, but ignored it for the time being. "But what does Arica have to do with it?" "She's asked me to train her." Leia could not believe what she was hearing. "She wants you to train her?" she shrieked, frustrated with Luke's obstinacy. "Doesn't that seem a little convenient?" Finally Luke's eyes began to show some fire as he regarded her coldly. "I think I know what I'm doing, Leia. Arica is Force sensitive and has spent her entire life hiding from the Empire. If I am ever to restore the Jedi order, I will have to seek out others I can train - she is the first I've ever met. If she's willing to be trained, I won't turn her away." "And you believe her story? Luke, please tell me you've thought this out - you can't afford to be the same naive young man I met three years ago." "I'm not the same person - this proves it!" Luke responded, brandishing his mechanical hand, the hole in the back showing the intricate internal gears in sharp contrast to the blackened edges of the synth-skin. "This conversation is over, Leia, I do not wish to discuss it any further." He turned his attention to where Han stood, watching the exchange in silence. "Han, I would like to attach my X-wing to the Falcon tonight so we can get an early start in the morning." Han glanced uneasily at a still fuming Leia, before turning his attention back to the recalcitrant Jedi. "Sure Luke, whenever you're ready. It'll be a little tricky though - we don't have any heavy machinery to lift it with." Luke smiled. "Leave that to me." With that, he turned on his heel and left the hut without a further word. "How could you agree with him?" Leia demanded, feeling betrayed that Han had not agreed with her more forcefully. "Leia, in case you haven't noticed, Luke's not a child any longer. He's not the same kid I knew on Hoth." "But surely you don't think he knows what he's doing." Han shook his head. "I don't know, Leia, but he seems to have considered this carefully." Leia snorted indelicately, knowing there was no need to enunciate further her opinion on the matter. It was obvious that Luke had made his decision and nothing was about to dissuade him. A part of Leia longed for the old days, when he had been much more willing to accept her advice. "Leia, are you jealous?" The question stunned her. She gazed back at Han incredulously, immediately taking in Han's shrewd expression - the one he wore when he considered himself clever or insightful. Leia longed to wipe it off his insufferably smug face. "Why would you think that?" she demanded. Han shrugged his shoulders while regarding her curiously. "You don't seem to like Arica..." "That doesn't mean I'm jealous of her." "No," Han admitted, his expression never changing. "But for years now you've been the most important person in the kid's life and now you have a rival. You're not behaving like a concerned friend... more like a jilted lover." Leia had never heard anything so preposterous in her entire life. "Han Solo, where do you get these delusions? Luke has only known her for one day and now he's considering running off with her to who knows where... shouldn't I be concerned?" "Look, sweetheart, I'm not suggesting you shouldn't be concerned. But Luke's a big boy now - he's all grown up. You can't browbeat him into doing what you want. He's changed, grown, and now he has that hokey religion the old man foisted off on him... All I'm saying is maybe you should consider for a change that he may have learned a thing or two and knows what he's doing." Leia stared at him, confused over Han's behavior. Han had always discounted and ridiculed Luke's devotion to the Jedi ways, but here he was now tacitly admitting the existence of the Force and taking Luke's side in an argument she knew he would have fully supported her in before his capture. "I can't believe it. The great skeptic himself acknowledging there may something to the 'hokey religion'?" Han grinned. "Never thought you'd see the day, did you?" When Leia could not find the words to respond, Han continued, "Look princess, I don't know nothing about no all-powerful Force, or Jedi, or anything like that. But I do know Luke did some pretty amazing things yesterday - things I ain't never seen before. All I'm saying is the kid's grown up and he can take care of himself. If he thinks Arica is worthy of our trust, then maybe we should give her the benefit of the doubt." Seeing she was defeated, Leia threw up her hands in disgust. "Fine, it seems obvious he'll do whatever he wants anyway. Just don't expect me to trust her implicitly. Or stop worrying for that matter." "I wouldn't expect you to," Han soothed, gathering the angry princess into his arms. "Just give him - and her - a chance. I suspect you may be surprised when it's all said and done." Mara watched impassively as Skywalker's X-wing was secured to the side of the ancient freighter, her mind playing over and over the look in his eyes as he told her his plan for attaching the snub fighter to Solo's ship. She never would have believed it possible if she had not witnessed for herself the graceful rise of the fighter as he had lifted it with the help of the Force and brought it alongside the Falcon - a sentiment which she suspected was shared by the rest of the group, if their disbelieving and slightly awestruck faces were any indication. She had of course challenged him on what he had been about to attempt, but his only response had been an insufferable smirk and the slightly mysterious comment, "Size matters not." She had never known what could truly be accomplished with the Force, a fact she had begun to consider somewhat sullenly as she pondered the Emperor and his insistence on only training her in what he felt she would need to know in her position as his pet assassin. She was not happy about that in the slightest. She had not missed the fireworks which had erupted when Skywalker had informed his friends of his change in plans - in fact she suspected half of Tatooine was privy to the princess's displeasure, such had been her vocal opposition to the arrangement. If Organa only knew... With the Emperor's new instructions, Skywalker could now find no more zealous and determined a protector, aware as she was of her master's displeasure if Skywalker should not make it to his appointment with the Sith Lord. And she had certainly not missed the dark looks of reproach which Calrissian had directed at his friend upon their return. Indeed, she suspected Skywalker would hear from his friend before they left the following morning, such was the confusion which rolled off the man in waves. Mara herself had been cool, but polite to the oily man upon their return, even though he had latched himself on to her as soon as they had pulled up in front of the hut - at least until she had had enough of him and told him to get lost. She knew men like Calrissian - knew what they wanted and how they viewed themselves. She had had to deal with his like in the past during her assignments. She knew it was now a matter of pride for the annoying man - whereas before she had been nothing more than a new conquest, now Skywalker's managing to abscond with her for the day was a personal insult to his ego. She seriously doubted Calrissian was conceited enough to make a scene over so trivial a situation, but she was certain Skywalker would hear some subtle, underhanded digs from his friend at the very least.Calrissian was certainly not happy with her and had not been since she had told him in no uncertain terms to leave her alone. Maybe if she was lucky, he would say something to set Skywalker off and the Jedi would spit the annoying man on his lightsaber and rid her of his presence. One could only hope. With the starfighter secured to the side of the Falcon, Luke wiped the sweat from his brow and sat wearily on a small crate set to the side of the freighter. If he were honest with himself, lifting his X-wing up so it could be fastened to the side of the Falcon had been an exhausting effort, one which he would not like to repeat any time soon. He understood now what Master Yoda had said about size not mattering, but he still could not fathom how the master had managed to lift his ship out of the swamp without even breaking a sweat. Maybe it was one of those things one improved at with further practice. Or maybe it's some latent inability to truly believe, he thought morosely. Unwilling to continue in that line of thought, Luke glanced around the area, which had become somewhat quieter, with Han having retreated into the hut, likely to continue to try to placate the princess, while Chewie had returned to the inside of the Falcon, no doubt intending to raid the Falcon's store of food. Luke shook his head with a grin at the thought - some things never changed. The only ones of the party left outside the hut were Arica, who sat observing the scene from a small rock near the entrance to the hut and Lando stood inspecting the clamps holding the starfighter Indeed, the way Lando had reacted was a source of great amusement for Luke. Luke was very aware of Lando's opinion of him. During their time trying to rescue Han, they had developed a real camaraderie and mutual friendship, but beneath all that, Luke knew Lando considered him to be an unsophisticated hick, with no real experience or social skills, no fashion sense and little manners; a sort of country cousin who needed to be taken under his wing and shown how to behave. Of course, Luke's opinion of the former baron was a marked contrast. In his opinion the man was sometimes vain and conceited, with an overly favorable impression of his own charms, especially in regard to members of the opposite sex. But for all this, Luke knew Lando's heart was in the right place and considered him to be a valuable friend and companion. Arica's continual refusal to oblige Lando by giving into his attentions and flattery had almost certainly confused Lando, although he had undoubtedly been refused before, and her disappearance that morning in the company of one whom he obviously considered his rival had perplexed him in the extreme - after all, how could she possibly prefer the company of a plain, soft-spoken do-gooder, when she could have the suave, ladies' man? And then Arica had told him to go fly a garbage scow. Luke chuckled at the memory, intensely amused at the look on Lando's face as he walked away from the redhead, swearing under his breath. Luke was certain he was working himself up to commenting on the situation, but had not quite worked out what he wanted to say. And Arica - there was another source of exasperation! She certainly did not welcome Lando's attentions, nor was she moved in any way by his charms, but if the waves of amusement rolling off her were any indication, she viewed the situation with a certain amount of glee. Luke was not happy with her attitude, although he could not in all conscience accuse her of leading Lando on - her disinterest had been too marked for that. Putting the two firmly out of his mind for the moment, Luke directed his attention back toward the hut, in which he could still sense the anger and resentment flowing from his closest female companion. Leia had clearly not adjusted herself to the fact that he had changed - had grown in the past months. He was no longer the inexperienced youth she had met for the first time in the detention block of the Death Star - he had moved beyond that, developed into the Jedi he was now. And yet she continued to think of him as a child" It was frustrating and maddening. "So, Luke, buddy." Luke started and peered at his friend, who had taken a seat on another crate. "What can I do for you, Lando?" he asked. "You certainly seem to have made an impression on the lovely Arica," Lando said, his hand waving toward the redhead, who was still sitting, watching them closely with an irritating smirk on her face. "I would never have thought you had it in you - get the girl alone and turn on the charm." Amused at Lando's implication, Luke shook his head, a droll smile appearing on his face. "I think you and I both know that was not my intention. It was her idea to go along with me this morning, not mine." Lando's brows knitted in momentary confusion, but he shook it off and turned back to Luke. "I'm sure you're much too modest. And now I hear you're leaving with her tomorrow and not returning to the fleet with the rest of us... Plenty of time to put the moves on her without any distractions." Luke laughed. "Again, she's pretty much forced her way on this trip too - not my idea." "Well, I'll tell you what, buddy, make sure you pay attention to her, or you may just find that I've stolen her from you when you get back." With that, Lando rose and slapping Luke on the back, retreated into the Falcon. Luke glanced over in Arica's direction, where she was regarding him with an enigmatic expression on her face. "I didn't catch all that, Farmboy, but don't get any ideas," she called Luke grinned and standing, walked over to where she was sitting. "Don't worry, Arica, I haven't gone to Lando's charm school. I think you're safe from me." Her expression did not change a whit, but she acknowledged him with a nod. "Just don't forget it." -----signature----- "The road to hell is paved with adverbs." - Stephen King There is a very fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness.' Take My Hand: http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/28300611/
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DaenaBenjen42 Registered: May '05	Date Posted: 7/18/08 10:04pm Subject: RE: Take My Hand (L/M, canon characters) Chapter 6 - 07/18/08
	So... Mara wants to train and they both think they're "safe" from eachother... liked that... Well done and good post. -----signature----- "Say it with me now. Postcard. Zoo. Not. Shopping." master to jackyyy17, micky-nikki, & Trimaj e-sis to BrightFeather All cats are leopards after dark.
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Vivid_Scripts Registered: Jan '04	Date Posted: 7/19/08 1:15am Subject: RE: Take My Hand (L/M, canon characters) Chapter 6 - 07/18/08 - Date Edited: 7/19/08 1:15am (1 edits total) Edited By: Vivid_Scripts
	oh wow, this fic is so great Jedi_Emeritus posted: Han simply shook his head, an amused glint in his eye as he regarded the standoff. "You want me to try and reason with him? He's just as stubborn as you are and I've never had any luck making you see sense - why do you think I'd succeed with him? The two of you are so much alike you could almost be siblings." haha! I love the irony of this comment so much! -----signature----- "trickbind"
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Jade_eyes Registered: Aug '04	Date Posted: 7/19/08 4:50am Subject: RE: Take My Hand (L/M, canon characters) Chapter 6 - 07/18/08
	J_E, that was wonderful. Coolest beans how the Tuskens split and run!!! You got Han absolutely perfectly in how he wouldn't get in the middle with Luke and Leia and also how he is with Leia after her dust up with Luke LOL Stoked to bits that Luke and Mara will be going to Dagobah together Hugs!!!! -----signature----- Spock/Nyota, woven forever together in gorgeous bonds of Nyota's "Cherished Moments" diary's gonna be hawt, hawt, melty! Squggles! [face_melting into 10 buckets!]
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ccp Registered: Apr '05	Date Posted: 7/19/08 6:49am Subject: RE: Take My Hand (L/M, canon characters) Chapter 6 - 07/18/08
	Great update! -----signature----- Padwan to Big Fatty If someone says, "Have a nice weekend," I never say, "You too." Because I never know if, perhaps, by the time the weekend rolls around, I will have other plans for that person. Come Friday, I may wish to have them slain. - George Carli
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dianethx Registered: Mar '02	Date Posted: 7/19/08 9:25am Subject: RE: Take My Hand (L/M, canon characters) Chapter 6 - 07/18/08
	"Look, sweetheart, I'm not suggesting you shouldn't be concerned. But Luke's a big boy now - he's all grown up. You can't browbeat him into doing what you want. He's changed, grown, and now he has that hokey religion the old man foisted off on him... All I'm saying is maybe you should consider for a change that he may have learned a thing or two and knows what he's doing." Leia stared at him, confused over Han's behavior. Han had always discounted and ridiculed Luke's devotion to the Jedi ways, but here he was now tacitly admitting the existence of the Force and taking Luke's side in an argument she knew he would have fully supported her in before his capture. "I can't believe it. The great skeptic himself acknowledging there may something to the 'hokey religion'?" Han grinned. "Never thought you'd see the day, did you?" That had me grinning. Very cute. I love that Luke is more confident now but he's taking the Emperor's Hand to see Yoda and Yoda isn't young any more. I also think Yoda is very likely to see through her. Loved the conversations and the way you did the characterizations. Lovely! -----signature----- Betrayal - http://boards.theforce.net/s/b1/10935143 updated 9/22/09 jedidas3's Master Merlin - Diplomatic Immunity - http://boards.theforce.net/nswff/b10808/30459852
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Jedi_Liz Title: Former CR Lincoln NE, USA Registered: Apr '00	Date Posted: 7/19/08 12:12pm Subject: RE: Take My Hand (L/M, canon characters) Chapter 6 - 07/18/08
	nice long chapter! Jedi_Emeritus posted: Han simply shook his head, an amused glint in his eye as he regarded the standoff. "You want me to try and reason with him? He's just as stubborn as you are and I've never had any luck making you see sense - why do you think I'd succeed with him? The two of you are so much alike you could almost be siblings." Oh the Irony.....if you only knew, Han, if you only knew! -----signature----- Current Fic: Lightswords of Fury: Special Edition - L/M Romance http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/24270936/ Chapter 19 posted on 7/21/08 Coming SOON: Mara Jade of Chandrila Grove Coming SOON to SAGA Fanfic
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walker-of-minds Registered: Oct '06	Date Posted: 7/19/08 1:49pm Subject: RE: Take My Hand (L/M, canon characters) Chapter 6 - 07/18/08
	enjoying this very much and look forward to more-hmm what will yoda think when they show up?
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dancing_star Registered: Feb '07	Date Posted: 7/19/08 2:27pm Subject: RE: Take My Hand (L/M, canon characters) Chapter 6 - 07/18/08
	Han simply shook his head, an amused glint in his eye as he regarded the standoff. "You want me to try and reason with him? He's just as stubborn as you are and I've never had any luck making you see sense - why do you think I'd succeed with him? The two of you are so much alike you could almost be siblings." Loved that!! Yes, Han, if only you knew! He is very observant though and smart, so I wouldn't put it past him to figure it out. Terrific update! Great job!! -----signature----- God bless America and our troops. "The LORD gives strength to his people. The LORD blesses his people with peace." Ps 29:11 ~~~ "Darkest Hours, Brightest Hope" (fic below) http://boards.theforce.net/the_saga/b10476/29811085/p1/
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