Beyond - Legends 48 ABY Star Wars: Serenity - Crossover between Firefly and Star Wars! - Chapter Seven posted!

Chapter Six
Enroute to Persephone, Arkanis Sector, Outer Rim Territories

Luke Skywalker's eyes bored out at into hyperspace. The blinding lights did not phase him, and did turn cause him to blink. The tunnel of white threw shadows upon his face, dark shapes that shifted and moved, as if there was some terrible monster writhing beneath his skin. Some demon, with an unspeakable name.

Jaina busied herself with checking the computers. There wasn't any need. The three brains that made flying the Millennium Falcon so difficult prior had been removed, as had the ridiculous modifications Han Solo had placed inside the ship. Han and Leia had withdrew from Luke and the Jedi Order themselves, for they'd supported the losing side. That stung.

Luke had once believed that his sister and brother-in-law were innocent, but the laws they broke became too numerous for him to count, and the bodycount even higher. United in grief, once, the family had struggled to stay together as it became apparent what Luke had become.

Become? Jaina thought. What has he become?

It wasn't dark, not like Jacen. Not nearly like Jacen. Jaina's heart sung in pain, but she pushed it down, and checked her defences. Jaina had to keep Luke out. She didn't approve of the Order's approval of the Alliance Parliament and it's extreme dictatorship, started by her late brother, and Jaina didn't want Luke to know what she'd been doing with Jag.

Once, that sentence would have sent a playful thought across Jaina's mind, but she was forty now, and innuendo had lost its luster so long ago. A decade ago. It had survived the Yuuzhan Vong, and the Killiks, but it couldn't survive Jacen's utter betrayal of the Skywalker-Solo family.

What could?

"Stop fidgeting with the ship."

Luke spoke, softly. Jaina started. Even spoken softly, his voice had a harsh edge to it. Jaina swallowed, and narrowed her eyes. "I hate it. The Falcon is supposed to be falling apart. It should have been left for dead. Lando gave Dad the Love Commander, and Jag shouldn't have recovered it."

"That's Emperor Fel I to you, Jaina."

Jaina silenced herself. Her uncle hadn't bothered to address Jag properly in person, so why would he private? Was he warning her, subtly, that he knew about Jag and Jaina? Was he threatening her? Jaina suddenly realised, to her astonishment, that she was scared.

Scared of Luke Skywalker.

It was then she realised what was wrong with Luke.

He was broken.

She remained silent until they decanted.

---

The Millennium Falcon tumbled into the Persephone system. The hyperdrive aboard the Falcon, like all modern vessels, was abbreviated. Nothing like the old systems Jaina had taken for granted so many years ago. It was impossible to believe the Galaxy had deteoriated so much. No hyperdrives. No nonhumans. No democracy. No Jedi.

Jaina would fix the last one, she silently vowed.

More troubling was how Luke reacted to arriving. His eyes lit up, and his body leaned forward, looming over the displays. Jaina couldn't think of it as anything other than a predator searching for his prey. And that smile...it reminded her far too much of Tamith Kai.

He isn't just broken, is he?

Luke jabbed his finger at the board, and looked at Jaina. "There. A Firefly-class transport. It has the same exhaust signature as the Serenity did after it's refitting. Fly us. I'll be at the docking port." The Jedi Grandmaster scooped his lightsaber from the charging port that had been installed in the Falcon by the Empire, and strode out. Jaina panicked, and grabbed the controls.

Now she was afraid for the Serenity. Captain Malcolm Reynolds, if the reports suggested anything, and the Battle of Miranda demonstrated, fought even harder when backed into a corner. But, Jaina did as ordered, darting towards a beat-up Firefly-class transport. It was in a trade lane, with several elderly freighters and transports to either side of it. Part of a convoy,

 

Become? Jaina thought. What has he become?


Whoa!! I agree.

It was then she realised what was wrong with Luke.

He was broken.

She remained silent until they decanted.


Yikes, that is a very scary thing indeed, and seeing him resort to torture and murder!!

 

Chapter Seven
Hapes

?Finally,?

Inara let out a deep sigh, and instantly regretted it. A blush crept to her cheeks, and she turned to face her host. ?I apologise from the depths of my heart, your Majesty. Truly, I didn?t mean that.?

The Queen Mother smiled, bemusement reaching her turquoise eyes as well as her lips, signifying real humour. Anyone could smile with their lips. ?Yes you did, you simply didn?t mean to say it aloud.?

Inara dared a smile of her own, and took a breath. ?True, your Majesty.?

?But yes, you are right. The security process is incredibly?boring. Those eight hours of your life you will never claim back.? Tenel Ka?s smile grew, her eyes sparkling. Beneath those eyes Inara saw some terrible pain, deeply hidden, but Inara found herself instead glancing down the Queen?s robes. The gown was resplendent, a light blue that seemed to ripple in the evening glow. They were in the Hapan?s chambers, alone. Inara?s most opulent clothes did not match anything worn or displayed by the Queen ? even Tenel Ka herself was radiant, beauty only accentuated by the lines of age.

But Inara couldn?t help but notice that one of her sleeves was empty, and Inara felt her eyes drawn to it. She?d never had a session with a deformed client before. Modern technology simply made it impossible. Even with the shortages Galaxy-wide, due to the war, prosthetics were replete. So for someone with all this wealth to have a missing limb was a choice, and Inara was framing the question even when realising she shouldn?t.

Then Tenel Ka moved her hand up, pulling back the sleeve and displaying her limb, severed just above the elbow. ?An old wound, Inara. To show that overconfidence can affect the best of us. I lost that limb, oh, twenty five, six, years ago. To my future lover.? The Queen?s lip trembled a little, and Inara realised she?d picked at an appalling wound.

?Apologies, your Majesty. I have never seen someone with a missing limb in the Rim, let alone this close to the Core.?

Her hand waved, and the Queen Mother scowled. ?Enough of this ?your Majesty?. Unless you would prefer me calling you ?Companion?? ?

?I am no longer a Companion, erm, Tenel Ka.?

Tenal Ka smiled, turning away to look at the verdant Hapan landscape. When she took the pose, there was a flash of melancholy in her eyes, as if someone else had once sat at this window, and done the same thing. As a Companion, Inara was attuned to the tell-tale signs that denoted someone going into a private memory. It was why Companion?s were completely unable to lie to each other. Inara focused upon the Queen?s voice. ?Too true. My bodyguards found it concerning that I took a contract from someone so recently a Companion. But I was curious. So I decided to take you on, Inara. I could do with a confident whom I need not worry is reporting to my nobles. My friends rarely speak to me nowadays.?

?I was equally surprised that a Hapan Queen would want counselling from someone who has not officially done any.? Inara frowned, and then spoke, hastily, realising her error. ?Not that I am grateful you gave me this opportunity.?

Tenel Ka looked back at Inara, her eyes penetrating. ?And here I thought a counsellor would be more confident, and lead the conversation.?

Inara felt flustered. She never imagined it would be this difficult to deflect her feelings for Mal, and to concentrate on the job she?d forced her into. Inara closed her eyes, and spoke, clearly. ?Sorry, Tenel Ka. I?m not used to this.?

?A man made you give up your Companion position??

?No,? Inara said, forcefully, looking out into the sunset, indulging in Tenel Ka?s bittersweet moment. ?No, he didn?t. I gave it up for him. It would have come between us. He?s a little, well, possessive.?

Tenel Ka arched an eyebrow in a very Queen-like manner, an air of superiority and command returning to her seemingly without being bidden. ?Did he not love you in spite of your position??

?Oh, yes, Mal did, but it was obvious it?d be a problem eventually.?

The Hapan Queen?s eyes phased out, e

 

It's been quite a while. How nice to see more here.

I loved the interchange between Inara and Tenel Ka, how they seemed to bond so readily. I hope she is able to get Inara and company away in time.

The operative as a hand??? How insidious.

Superb post.

 

Leona, Ulic: I'm glad you enjoyed Inara and Tenel Ka meeting, that has been one of the most difficult scenes to write so far. I have an update I'm working on, so I've posted just to warn you all!

 

I have a plan for Chapter 8, over writer's block, but my laptop won't be back until Saturday. So, I'll have something up in a few days, one hopes. [face_pray]

More Inara and Tenel Ka promised, I assure you, and a mighty twist is to emerge.