Beyond - Legends 100 Ways to Leave Your Lecture: Emerald_Lady's Drabbles (Week 20: Jaina Solo)

Week 5 focuses on Zekk, mostly as a kid. It took me forever to finish these, but I was re-inspired by my recent obsession with [shameless plug] The Office [/shameless plug], one of the best TV shows ever. I hope the wait was worth it.

---

[b]---SMELL---[/b]

It was the smell that took him back. The scents of rain and damp, fertile soil drifted through the window slit to where he lay, semi-conscious, on the cot. Resisting would have taken more effort than he was prepared to give. Besides, even this was better than what now haunted his dreams.

The last time summer had floated through his window, he had been just a boy, still on Ennth with his mother to sing him to sleep and his father to go exploring with after school.

They had never seemed farther away, but still he couldn?t stop the memories.

[b]---SOUND---[/b]

The sound of his own voice echoed back to him from the canyon walls as Zekk started counting. He could hear his friends scurrying away in search of hiding places. He smiled contentedly and gave them an extra five seconds before he opened his eyes.

It was over within two minutes. His friends reacted with annoyance, admiration and everything in between as he unerringly found them all. He knew some of the other children were already starting to whisper that he cheated, but principle wouldn?t let him stop playing. He couldn?t help it if he was good at this game.

[b]---TOUCH---[/b]

He was first in his class too, but he got along well with his classmates. There was one in particular, the girl whose desk touched his. She was his only real rival for first, and they both delighted in competing for it.

While walking her home one day, he discovered that she liked the same holodramas he did: tales of adventure and heroes and Jedi. As they parted ways, she glanced back shyly at him. ?I think you?d make a good Jedi, Zekk.?

He felt bigger somehow when she looked at him like that. He decided he liked the feeling.

[b]---TASTE---[/b]

The air was different. He could taste it, a sulfurous taint in his mouth when he inhaled. His arms and legs felt too heavy, and he was always sweating. Restless, he walked to the window and looked out. The night was barely darker than the day now. The moon was so big that it filled the sky, and the planet trembled at its approach. He sighed. There would be no stargazing tonight.

His father, tall and solemn, came and stood beside him. Zekk could tell from the way his father?s arm tightened around him that the disasters were coming back.

[b]---SIGHT---[/b]

The disasters came back, and they took everything.

He was on the refugee station when his parents died. No one had to tell him; he knew. He almost passed out when it happened. All the warmth and safety left his universe in one instant. He?d never felt so alone.

He let himself cry for three days before he started planning ways to escape from the station.

He wasn?t staying. There was nothing left to stay for. He?d find a life somewhere, anywhere but this empty, broken shell of a world. Ennth was one sight he never wanted to see again.[hr]

 

Aw.

Just. Aw.

You know I love young!Zekk and Ennth and bits of backstory YJK hints at but never explores. Thanks for writing these.

The last time summer had floated through his window, he had been just a boy, still on Ennth with his mother to sing him to sleep and his father to go exploring with after school.

Such a bittersweet memory.

It was over within two minutes. His friends reacted with annoyance, admiration and everything in between as he unerringly found them all. He knew some of the other children were already starting to whisper that he cheated, but principle wouldn?t let him stop playing. He couldn?t help it if he was good at this game.

Hehe, love that his talent for finding things manifested itself in a game of hide-and-seek. Cheating, indeed.

While walking her home one day, he discovered that she liked the same holodramas he did: tales of adventure and heroes and Jedi. As they parted ways, she glanced back shyly at him. ?I think you?d make a good Jedi, Zekk.?
He felt bigger somehow when she looked at him like that. He decided he liked the feeling.

CUTE.

The air was different. He could taste it, a sulfurous taint in his mouth when he inhaled. His arms and legs felt too heavy, and he was always sweating. Restless, he walked to the window and looked out. The night was barely darker than the day now. The moon was so big that it filled the sky, and the planet trembled at its approach. He sighed. There would be no stargazing tonight.

Lovely description here.

He wasn?t staying. There was nothing left to stay for. He?d find a life somewhere, anywhere but this empty, broken shell of a world. Ennth was one sight he never wanted to see again.

He's as broken and empty as his planet. Poor Zekk.

Great set. Loved it.

 

Lovely bunch of drabbles. I especially like the Han and Leia ones.

Outside of her family, she?d never met anyone who could outfly her before. Naturally she hated him.

This is priceless.

 

I love that you wrote about young Zekk and his childhood. It's so sweet to hear about him playing with friends, and having that little childhood crush.

That poor guy had to grow up way too fast.

Great drabbles!

 

I just blitzed through these EL, and I have to say they were really good. The fanfic that fills in the spaces otherwise left blank are often my favorite sort of fic, and you do it exceptionally well.

Thank you for sharing this.

 

JoE:

You know I love young!Zekk and Ennth and bits of backstory YJK hints at but never explores. Thanks for writing these.

Aww, you?re welcome.

Such a bittersweet memory.

Thanks. My dad used to take me for ?explores? in the little woodsy area by our house when I was little, so it seemed like a good thing for Zekk?s dad to do.

Hehe, love that his talent for finding things manifested itself in a game of hide-and-seek. Cheating, indeed.

hehe Well, what good is innate talent if you can?t impress your friends/make them jealous once in a while?

CUTE.

I was thinking of ?The Lake? when I wrote that.

Lovely description here.

Thank you! Like a true YJK devotee, I went back and studied the whole paragraph or two in SoA that describes what happened to Ennth during the cataclysms.

He's as broken and empty as his planet. Poor Zekk.

*huggles poor homeless Zekkie*

dark_jedi_lover:

Lovely bunch of drabbles. I especially like the Han and Leia ones.

Thank you! I enjoyed writing those, so I?m glad you liked them too.

This is priceless.

lol It seemed like a Jaina thing to do.

ZekksGoddess:

I love that you wrote about young Zekk and his childhood. It's so sweet to hear about him playing with friends, and having that little childhood crush.

I tried to imagine what Zekk might have done as a kid, and those seemed like pretty universal childhood experiences. And after all, he had probably at least looked at another girl before he met Jaina.

That poor guy had to grow up way too fast.

He really did.

Great drabbles!

Thank you!

Neo-Paladin:

I just blitzed through these EL, and I have to say they were really good. The fanfic that fills in the spaces otherwise left blank are often my favorite sort of fic, and you do it exceptionally well.

Thank you for sharing this.

You?re welcome, Paladin! I like those fics too, and you write Zekk so well that it means a lot that you liked these. Thanks for stopping by.

 

For this belated update, we have Anakin Skywalker.

---

[b]---WATER---[/b]

Even after his dreams came true, he couldn?t stop thinking about the women he loved. The masters were kind enough, certainly, but they couldn?t replace his mother. Space was beautiful, but it couldn?t replace Padmé.

He trained diligently, but always in the hope of seeing them again. They were constantly with him, in his thoughts and dreams, but memories weren?t enough. He needed the real thing, and the Force assured him he would have it.

He saw them again, but at a price. In the end, he paid it gladly, only to watch his dreams evaporate like water on Tatooine.

[b]---FIRE---[/b]

Obi-Wan came to save him, but Anakin no longer wanted to be saved. His mother was dead, the Jedi had lied to him, and Padmé had betrayed him. Everything he lived for was gone; his rage was all he had left.

Obi-Wan was a fool. Not only was he unwilling to kill his opponent, he truly thought he could win by using only half of the Force. Anakin sneered and attacked with even more ferocity.

Overconfident, Anakin went for the kill.

Heartbroken, Obi-Wan Kenobi made his choice.

What was left of Anakin Skywalker perished alone in the fire of Mustafar.

[b]---EARTH---[/b]

He was conscious of nothing but the pain. It permeated his body, dulling his mind and blurring his senses. He was only cogent enough to register his master?s presence and to ask the fate of the one person he still loved.

The answer shattered his soul, leaving it as broken and incomplete as his body. His anguished screams spilled over into the Force, destroying every object nearby.

In a cold Imperial chamber, in a maelstrom of grief and rage, Darth Vader was born.

Half a galaxy away, Anakin Skywalker?s beloved wife was laid to rest in the earth of Naboo.

[b]---AIR---[/b]

Vader still dreamt of her, twisted nightmares of fear and failure that were unworthy of a Sith Lord. She appeared as the angel he?d once thought her, until he touched her. Then she cried out in agony and died with accusation in her eyes, every time.

He did remember his old life, but he refused to acknowledge it. That was a path he had forsaken long ago, and even if he had wanted to go back, there was nothing left to return to.

Somewhere in the Outer Rim, Luke Skywalker watched the suns set in the shimmering air of Tatooine.

[b]---SPIRIT---[/b]

Luke had his mother?s gentle but unyielding faith in people. But his idealistic pleas had fallen on deaf ears, and now it had come to this.

Seeing his son tormented by the Emperor woke something in Vader. As Luke writhed in pain, Vader?s mind raced. This boy and his sister were all that was left of Padmé. This was his second chance.

Vader made his choice, and died for it. But unlike the last twenty years, this was not something he wished to take back.

And in the velvety night of Yavin IV, Anakin Skywalker?s spirit was finally at peace.

 

Ooh, lovely angst for Anakin/Vader.

The masters were kind enough, certainly, but they couldn?t replace his mother. Space was beautiful, but it couldn?t replace Padmé.
Poor guy. All the women he cares for come to some tragic end.


He saw them again, but at a price. In the end, he paid it gladly, only to watch his dreams evaporate like water on Tatooine.
*sigh* Ani, Ani... I really liked your simile, and how you really showed that Shmi and Padme were a huge part of his motivation towards the Dark Side.


Obi-Wan came to save him, but Anakin no longer wanted to be saved....Everything he lived for was gone; his rage was all he had left.
You really showed that Anakin really worked himself into a bad place- and eventually just gave into rage, because he believed there was nothing left.


The answer shattered his soul, leaving it as broken and incomplete as his body.
Thus, begins Darth Vader.


Vader still dreamt of her, twisted nightmares of fear and failure that were unworthy of a Sith Lord.
I love this line. I love Air alltogether, but this line is jsut great.

I really liked the symbolism you put into his dreams as well.


Vader made his choice, and died for it. But unlike the last twenty years, this was not something he wished to take back.
And in the velvety night of Yavin IV, Anakin Skywalker?s spirit was finally at peace.
Huzzah!!


Another wonderful week.

 

I was thinking of ?The Lake? when I wrote that.



He saw them again, but at a price. In the end, he paid it gladly, only to watch his dreams evaporate like water on Tatooine.

I like the way you used the "water" theme.

Overconfident, Anakin went for the kill.
Heartbroken, Obi-Wan Kenobi made his choice.

Love those two lines. That just about sums it up.

In a cold Imperial chamber, in a maelstrom of grief and rage, Darth Vader was born.
Half a galaxy away, Anakin Skywalker?s beloved wife was laid to rest in the earth of Naboo.

Nice parallels.

And in the velvety night of Yavin IV, Anakin Skywalker?s spirit was finally at peace.

Great ending.

 

Beautifully written.

 

ZekksGoddess:

Ooh, lovely angst for Anakin/Vader.

Thanks! Coming from you, that means a lot.

Poor guy. All the women he cares for come to some tragic end.

He?s not the most fortunate guy ever.

*sigh* Ani, Ani... I really liked your simile, and how you really showed that Shmi and Padme were a huge part of his motivation towards the Dark Side.

Yeah?maybe I?m a hopeless romantic, but I like to think that in the end, it was all about a woman.

You really showed that Anakin really worked himself into a bad place- and eventually just gave into rage, because he believed there was nothing left.

Pretty much.

I love this line. I love Air alltogether, but this line is just great.

I reworked that one several times, so I?m glad it came out well.

I really liked the symbolism you put into his dreams as well.



Another wonderful week.

Thanks for the support!

JoE:

I like the way you used the "water" theme.

Thanks. That?s actually what gave me the theme for this set; I think I?ve heard that expression before, and it kind of just took off from there.

Love those two lines. That just about sums it up.

I?m not sure that this was Lucas? intention, but I always sympathized with Obi-Wan much more than Anakin. Poor Obi-Wan.

Nice parallels.

Thanks.

Great ending.

Thanks for reading!

dark_jedi_lover:

Beautifully written.

Thank you! I?m glad you enjoyed them.

 

For Week 7, we have YJK Zekk.

---

[b]---BREAKFAST---[/b]

Today it had started just after breakfast.

?So, Trash Collector,? Norys sneered, ?Too bad Mommy and Daddy aren?t here to save you.?

Zekk?s body tensed against his will, and he could feel his control slipping.

?Of course, if you?re any indication, your father couldn?t hurt a botfly, and your mother?well, who knows what ryll den he found her in.?

Zekk sprang at Norys with a feral cry, but Norys? goons threw Zekk across the corridor before he could land a hit. Zekk slumped against the wall, shaking and spent from rage.

Someday he?d be big enough to get Norys back.

[b]---LUNCH---[/b]

?Find anything good today, boy??

?Not much. I?ve been trying to get the parts you wanted for the [i]Lightning Rod[/i], but all the wrecks I?ve found have been picked over.? Zekk retreated around the corner just as Peckhum emerged from the storage closet. He didn?t want Peckhum to see his fading bruises; he knew Peckhum would be sympathetic, but Zekk didn?t think he could handle the sympathy right now.

?Don?t worry, kid. I?ll be fine.? Peckhum grinned cockily at Zekk, but that didn?t assuage the pang of guilt Zekk felt.

Somehow he?d get Peckhum what he needed, no matter what.

[b]---DINNER---[/b]

She?d snuck out of the Palace again and was waiting for him in the grubby little diner they?d discovered last year. It was early for dinner, but he [i]was[/i] hungry, and he wouldn?t have turned Jaina down regardless.

They ordered from the creaky serving droid, and she fidgeted excitedly, a mischievous smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. He knew she was planning something completely inappropriate, and he grinned. She might be leaving soon, but this was going to be a night to remember.

Maybe while she was gone he?d figure out how to be good enough for her.

[b]---FOOD---[/b]

Zekk hadn?t tasted food this good since before?well, just [i]before[/i]. He was trying to stay angry, but it wasn?t really working.

Zekk?s hand darted out to take one more pastry as he eyed Brakiss warily. He thought of Peckhum, probably eating stormtrooper rations while Zekk dined on rich man?s fare. Peckhum would worry, wouldn?t he? But?when Zekk came back, he?d be able to get Peckhum everything he ever wanted. And Jaina?when he came back, he?d be like her. He?d be her equal for once.

Zekk stuck out his hand. ?Deal.?

He?d make it up to them all. Eventually.

[b]---DRINK---[/b]

Brakiss instructed him in the ways of the Force, and Zekk drank in his teachings. He quickly became Brakiss? best student, and Zekk thrived on the pride he saw in Brakiss? eyes when he mastered a difficult lesson.

Here he wasn?t a trash collector, and no one dared bully him. He was [i]important[/i], and he was respected. He wondered if this was how it felt to be in Jaina?s world.

He?d find out soon. He?d show them all what he was capable of. He smiled, pleased with himself.

It was finally time to take his rightful place in the world.

 

?Of course, if you?re any indication, your father couldn?t hurt a botfly, and your mother?well, who knows what ryll den he found her in.?

Oh no you didn't, Norys.

Someday he?d be big enough to get Norys back.

Poor Zekk. Always feeling that he's not strong enough, not good enough.

Somehow he?d get Peckhum what he needed, no matter what.

There's the boy who's never broken a promise to Peckhum.

They ordered from the creaky serving droid, and she fidgeted excitedly, a mischievous smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. He knew she was planning something completely inappropriate, and he grinned. She might be leaving soon, but this was going to be a night to remember.

Aw!

Maybe while she was gone he?d figure out how to be good enough for her.

And there's that inferiority complex again.

Great set of drabbles!

 

?Of course, if you?re any indication, your father couldn?t hurt a botfly, and your mother?well, who knows what ryll den he found her in.?


Someday he?d be big enough to get Norys back.
I'm torn between feeling bad for Zekk, who's always wishing he were better, and hoping he does get bigger to get Norys back.

Somehow he?d get Peckhum what he needed, no matter what.
Such selflessness- so Zekk.

It was early for dinner, but he was hungry, and he wouldn?t have turned Jaina down regardless.


Maybe while she was gone he?d figure out how to be good enough for her.
Oh, poor Zekk. He has such a good heart, but he never realizes that he is good enough.

He thought of Peckhum, probably eating stormtrooper rations while Zekk dined on rich man?s fare.
I love that he thinks of Peckhum- I thought there should have been a few more little asides about him than there were in the books.

But?when Zekk came back, he?d be able to get Peckhum everything he ever wanted. And Jaina?when he came back, he?d be like her. He?d be her equal for once.
Oh, Zekk- don't you know they already love you? You don't need to earn it.

He?d find out soon. He?d show them all what he was capable of. He smiled, pleased with himself.
It was finally time to take his rightful place in the world.
I loved the parallels you used; always wanting to be better, his want to help others, his inferiority complex...and then, his misguided turn, fully believing that it's the right thing.

You showed his motivations, and all the things that really, ultimately, led to his turn.

Nice work!

 

JoE:

Oh no you didn't, Norys.



Poor Zekk. Always feeling that he's not strong enough, not good enough.

Hugs for Zekk!

There's the boy who's never broken a promise to Peckhum.

Isn?t it great?

And there's that inferiority complex again.

Yep. And if that wasn?t enough, he also has a guilt complex that would make Peter Parker jealous.

Great set of drabbles!

Thanks for reading!

ZekksGoddess:

I'm torn between feeling bad for Zekk, who's always wishing he were better, and hoping he does get bigger to get Norys back.

Those were my sentiments too.

Such selflessness- so Zekk.



Oh, poor Zekk. He has such a good heart, but he never realizes that he is good enough.

The poor kid definitely needs a hug.

I love that he thinks of Peckhum- I thought there should have been a few more little asides about him than there were in the books.

Thanks! Zekk must have thought about Peckhum too; he can?t think about Jaina all the time, and he loves Peckhum too.

Oh, Zekk- don't you know they already love you? You don't need to earn it.

*sigh* I guess if he?d known that, there wouldn?t have been a story. But still.

I loved the parallels you used; always wanting to be better, his want to help others, his inferiority complex...and then, his misguided turn, fully believing that it's the right thing.

You showed his motivations, and all the things that really, ultimately, led to his turn.

Thanks! He wouldn?t be Zekk if he wasn?t at least trying to do the right thing, even if he was deluded about it at one time.

Nice work!

Thanks for reading!

 

The Legacy comics and the near-total lack of said comics in fanfic led to having Cade Skywalker for this week's guest star...I don't know if I got his "voice" right, but it was fun.

---

[b]---BROKEN---[/b]

Cade was on the ship when he saw Master Sazen fall?just in case feeling the blow hadn?t been enough. He knew his father was fighting alone now, knew that he was forbidden to help him, but he did it anyway. Something just wouldn?t let him watch someone he loved die, no matter how much the Jedi objected.

He raced into the battle, but it did no good; his father sent him away again, and Cade left. He wished he could forget that. It was just another proof that taking orders didn?t get you anything but broken in the end.

[b]---FIXED---[/b]

Cade fixed what he could before he left. He healed Master Sazen; that cost a lot, but not nearly as much as living with a sacrifice on his conscience. But he saw the way everyone on the ship looked at him when he tapped the dark side; it was as if they all thought he?d be breathing heavily and killing younglings at any moment. It didn?t seem to matter that he?d just saved a life, only that he?d touched the dark side. He was still fighting the bitter resentment when he saw his father fall, wreathed in unholy blue fire.

[b]---LIGHT---[/b]

The Sith were going to pay for what they?d done. He?d make sure of it. And if he had to pay in turn for his revenge, so be it.

He streaked between Imp fighters, bringing all of his skills to bear as he left a trail of destruction in his wake. But he was young still and uncontrolled, and it was only a matter of time. Laser fire blazed into his line of sight, and his hand reached for the eject button before his mind could catch up.

The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was a bright light.

[b]---DARK---[/b]

Cade awoke on a ship. He could smell the tang of repulsor fluid and feel the shuddering tremors of the engines, but he knew it wasn?t a Jedi ship; there was too much fear in the air.

He was dragged before a fierce-looking Feeorin with a mechanical leg; a wary dark-skinned man was next to him. They ?offered? him a place on the [i]Crimson Axe[/i]. That was good enough.

It was dark onboard in more ways than one, but Cade didn?t mind. At least it kept him from seeing his father?s disappointed eyes looking back at him from the mirror.
[b]
---SHATTERED---[/b]

A few years later, he?d had enough. He left Rav?s ship and managed to convince Jariah to come with him; they picked up Deliah along the way. With the three of them together, they could catch any bounty.

Hunting, death sticks, women?Cade welcomed anything that kept him from remembering. It was a lonely existence, but he took what he was given gladly this time.

Deliah helped sometimes, but not enough. He didn?t want to hurt her, but it was inevitable. People who stuck around tended to end up just as shattered as he was. Just another proud Skywalker family tradition.

 

He wished he could forget that. It was just another proof that taking orders didn?t get you anything but broken in the end.

Great opening, and the title was a great way to tie your drabbles into the comics.

But he saw the way everyone on the ship looked at him when he tapped the dark side; it was as if they all thought he?d be breathing heavily and killing younglings at any moment.

I like this look into Cade?s head.

Cade awoke on a ship. He could smell the tang of repulsor fluid and feel the shuddering tremors of the engines, but he knew it wasn?t a Jedi ship; there was too much fear in the air.

I love this paragraph; the great descriptions really set the scene.

It was dark onboard in more ways than one, but Cade didn?t mind. At least it kept him from seeing his father?s disappointed eyes looking back at him from the mirror.

I love the atmosphere of hopelessness here.

People who stuck around tended to end up just as shattered as he was. Just another proud Skywalker family tradition.

Great ending!

 

jedi_of_ennth:

Great opening, and the title was a great way to tie your drabbles into the comics.

Thanks! I was going to go in a different direction with these, but then I read Broken, and that settled it.

I like this look into Cade?s head.

Thanks! I thought it would make sense for him to be resentful just then.

I love this paragraph; the great descriptions really set the scene.

I?m glad you liked it. I?m trying to work on descriptions.

I love the atmosphere of hopelessness here.

That?s what I was going for.

Great ending!

Thanks for reading!

 

Week 9: Tahiri Veila

---REBIRTH---

I don?t know who I am. Nothing makes sense anymore.

I vaguely remember my training as a Shaper and my service to the gods, but it?s so far away that it all seems like someone else?s life.

I also remember listening to ancient stories underneath the dusky red glow of twin suns, and running through lush jungles with a dark-haired human boy.

All I feel now is confusion, and the pain above all. It never lessens, never disappears, and never becomes easier to bear. Somehow part of me still hopes for rescue, for a rebirth from this womb of agony.

---SCARS---

Rescue came. Anakin came. When I saw him, I remembered everything?most of all, I remembered what I was fighting for.

Riina won?t leave. I?ll probably never get rid of her; I may not even be able to control her. Maybe she?ll win, leaving me an empty shell inhabited by a stranger. But I?ll die fighting before I?ll let that happen.

I don?t recognize myself in the mirror. My eyes changed the most, but there are other, more obvious markers, like the three vertical lines on my forehead. I could have them removed, but I think I?ll keep the scars.

---DISEASE---

I think she?s winning, and it scares me. I can feel her getting stronger every day, sending thorny tendrils through all my thoughts and invading my mind like a disease.

Anakin helps...when he?s around, I start to think that I might actually beat this.

I?m no longer just Tahiri, but I?m not Yuuzhan Vong either. I don?t know how to deal with that, but I?ll have to learn, especially since I?m more useful this way than I was when I was just Tahiri. Now I understand how the enemy thinks. I have a feeling that?s going to come in handy.

---AGONY---

I should be in agony, but I can?t feel anything?not yet.

Anakin is dead.

I don?t know what to do.

I keep forgetting he?s gone. I keep expecting to see him, and then the realization hits all over again. But the feeling isn?t sharp or piercing; it?s just cold and numbing, like space without a vac suit.

I?ve kept up with my duties, but I don?t care about what I?m doing. I know the others are worried, but I can?t seem to care enough to pretend for their sakes. Why fake it? Why do anything? I don?t know anymore.

---HEALING---

Nine years hasn?t been enough to get over him, but I?ve managed?although it?s never been more than that. Now I?m stuck on Dagobah in exile, but sometimes survival is an end in itself. With that happy thought in mind, I headed off to find food.

I stiffened, my senses crystallizing into awareness as something brushed the boundaries of my mind. I cast out with the Force but felt nothing. Then I saw him.

Anakin.

It didn?t chase away the pain, but it seems easier to take now. It?s not a healing, exactly, but maybe it?s enough for a start.

 

Nice set of Tahiri drabbles there, Emerald_Lady! You've done a good job at capturing her character, very nicely done.

My favourite one was Agony.


Ant.

 

Hey Ant! Thanks for dropping in. I know you like Tahiri, so the compliments just mean that much more coming from you.

 

Timewise, I guess these would have to be during the beginning of Crisis at Crystal Reef...they're a bit angsty for that book, but hey, it's Zekk.

---

[b]---BELL---[/b]

The bell rang out, ending the training session, and Zekk shut down his lightsaber. Two meters away, Jaina did the same, brandy eyes still bright from the exertion.

?That was really good, Zekk. But you?re still holding back. You won?t get better if you don?t fight.? She was smiling, but there was barely concealed worry in her eyes.

?It takes some time, Jaina. Give me a break.? Irritation edged into his voice at his own failings, and he looked away, but not quickly enough to miss the bewildered pain that flashed across her face.

Would he ever stop hurting her?

[b]---BOOK--- [/b]

He?d been at the Academy for several weeks before he stumbled across the library. The sight of so many actual books, so readily available, sent a surge of emotions coursing through him. His mother used to read to him?Force knew where she?d gotten books in the Outer Rim, but she?d always been resourceful.

Most of the volumes here held Jedi lore, but there was some literature mixed in with the histories. He found his father?s favorite on one of the shelves and touched its spine reverently. For a moment, it was almost as if the last decade never happened.

[b]---CANDLE---[/b]

Some trainees used candles when they meditated, but Zekk didn?t like candles. They were too much like Brakiss? flare stick, so he just went into the jungle to meditate. He had yet to find release in the exercise. He knew it was because he refused to fully immerse himself in the Force, but he was afraid of what would happen if he did. Would he just hear the song of power again, dragging him under like a sinister lullaby? He didn?t know, and until he was strong enough to resist, he?d rather be a crippled Jedi than a dark one.

[b]---BOWL---[/b]

The brilliant blue bowl of the sky arched overhead, broken only by the towering Massassi trees. Beneath their shade, Zekk heard Jaina?s excited greeting.

?Hey, Vent Crawler!?

?Hey, Princess. How was Coruscant??

?Hectic. Mom?s trying to pass another bill, Threepio?s going through empty nest syndrome, and Dad?s taken to replacing perfectly good parts on the [i]Falcon[/i]. Peckhum asked about you, though. I told him you were becoming a great Jedi.?

?Don?t great Jedi usually win their sparring matches??

?We could give it another try and see.?

?Deal. But don?t you dare hold back.?

She smirked. ?I think that?s my line.?

[b]---BLADE---[/b]

His weapon crashed against hers, and it was too much like the first time, when his blade was blood rather than flame. He hesitated. Their eyes met, hers full of determination and trust, and with a shock he realized that he wasn?t going to hurt her. He attacked, and he could see the fierce joy unfolding on her face as they both lost themselves to the dance, striking and feinting in perfect harmony until he broke through her defenses and won.

?Zekk! You didn?t hold back.?

She was grinning, and he couldn?t stop himself from grinning back. ?No, I didn?t.?

 

I seem to have missed a week! *headdesk* Loved the Tahiri drabbles. They seemed very in-character for her; you did a good job of capturing her voice. ?Scars? and ?Rebirth? were my favorites of the set.

Love love love the new drabbles, but you probably knew I would! Zekk angst is nearly always welcome.

Irritation edged into his voice at his own failings, and he looked away, but not quickly enough to miss the bewildered pain that flashed across her face.

Would he ever stop hurting her?

Great little moment here. It shows a little of the anger, the rougher edges, that he?s trying to smooth over?or at least hide.

Most of the volumes here held Jedi lore, but there was some literature mixed in with the histories. He found his father?s favorite on one of the shelves and touched its spine reverently. For a moment, it was almost as if the last decade never happened.

Aw. Beautiful, beautiful scene. Unique and bittersweet. I love it.

Would he just hear the song of power again, dragging him under like a sinister lullaby? He didn?t know, and until he was strong enough to resist, he?d rather be a crippled Jedi than a dark one.

Perfect Zekk POV here.

?Hectic. Mom?s trying to pass another bill, Threepio?s going through empty nest syndrome, and Dad?s taken to replacing perfectly good parts on the Falcon. Peckhum asked about you, though. I told him you were becoming a great Jedi.?

Sounds like everything?s perfectly normal. The thought of Threepio going through empty nest syndrome makes me laugh.

?Deal. But don?t you dare hold back.?
She smirked. ?I think that?s my line.?

Yay, J/Z banter!

His weapon crashed against hers, and it was too much like the first time, when his blade was blood rather than flame. He hesitated. Their eyes met, hers full of determination and trust, and with a shock he realized that he wasn?t going to hurt her. He attacked, and he could see the fierce joy unfolding on her face as they both lost themselves to the dance, striking and feinting in perfect harmony until he broke through her defenses and won.

I love this last drabble. It was a great way to bring everything full circle and wrap up the set.

 

I love these!!!!

Especially:

Some trainees used candles when they meditated, but Zekk didn?t like candles. They were too much like Brakiss? flare stick, so he just went into the jungle to meditate. He had yet to find release in the exercise. He knew it was because he refused to fully immerse himself in the Force, but he was afraid of what would happen if he did. Would he just hear the song of power again, dragging him under like a sinister lullaby? He didn?t know, and until he was strong enough to resist, he?d rather be a crippled Jedi than a dark one.

This made me think a bit of the discussion at the Zekk Coalition page on the EU Community.

I think you captured his ideals perfectly!

 

JoE:

I seem to have missed a week! *headdesk* Loved the Tahiri drabbles. They seemed very in-character for her; you did a good job of capturing her voice. ?Scars? and ?Rebirth? were my favorites of the set.

Aww, don?t feel bad. Thanks a lot for the input; I wasn?t really sure about writing Tahiri.

Love love love the new drabbles, but you probably knew I would! Zekk angst is nearly always welcome.

Seriously, is there such a thing as too much Zekk angst? Because I haven?t found it yet.

Great little moment here. It shows a little of the anger, the rougher edges, that he?s trying to smooth over?or at least hide.

Well, we all know Zekkie has issues; I?ve always read him as having a whole lot of self-loathing during the early days, and even now at times.

Aw. Beautiful, beautiful scene. Unique and bittersweet. I love it.

Zekk is cool, therefore he must like books.

Perfect Zekk POV here.

Thanks!

Sounds like everything?s perfectly normal. The thought of Threepio going through empty nest syndrome makes me laugh.

Me too.

Yay, J/Z banter!



I love this last drabble. It was a great way to bring everything full circle and wrap up the set.

Thank you! Parallelism makes me happy.

iamobiwan1970:

I love these!!!!

Thank you!

This made me think a bit of the discussion at the Zekk Coalition page on the EU Community.

hehe Probably because I was thinking about that while I wrote this.

I think you captured his ideals perfectly!

Aww, that means a lot. Thanks for reading, O fellow Zekk and Twilight fan!