Beyond - Legends A Burning Brand and Brilliant Fire (Jaina, Luke, Wedge and others :-) ) Updated 2-27-07

This was a really funnny chapter with a lot of jokes

I loved the joke with strip sabacc. Lukes face must have been priceless.

It was a really well chapter, I loved the jokes and the talk, they seemed so natural. And that you don't forget your last joke, like the thing with Hoth, really good.

I'm hoping for more

 

GIMPY!!!! YAY!! I am so happy to see you back! Like I said, I know you get busy at work, so I stayed patient, but you have no idea how happy I was to see your reply, and seperate replies for every post you missed. Oh by the way, don't EVER apologize for essay replies! I love them. I would make it a rule that all replies have to be essay replies, but I don't think I'd get very many readers. LOL!

The fact that it's a dream could account for all of that

Yep, I made that part odd on purpose for that very reason. I was trying to drop clues that it was only a dream.

Additionally, unless we learn further history on him (which is possible) it's hard to see how/why he would continue to try to seek revenge so personally. Few people - not that they don't exist - would go to such extreme lengths to pay back once they have already lost soundly and are locked away themselves. It would only work if there's some past incident we don't know of which fuels Yates' hatred of Jaina as well, methinks.

Okay, I gotta call you on this one. Where did you get that? I didn't think I had written anything that showed Yates taking out revenge accept him showing up in her room, but that was a dream.

LOL! I was so expecting her nervousness to harken back to something with Yates, and instead it's her Solo mechanical prowess making itself known!

I'm glad you found that funny even though it wasn't meant to be. But I guess the way you put it, yeah it could be pretty funny.

Again, I'm so happy to see you back! Don't too over worked okay?


TnTornado: Luke probably wouldn't have been in as much shock at the strip sabaac comment - he did after all found the rogues, and was a fighter pilot for many years.

Shocked about the comment in general? No, probably not, but when that comment is coming out is coming out of the mouth of his niece? I would think yeah.

Cem_Fel: I'm glad you found it so funny. Since we're experiencing a bit of down time (compared to the craziness the story was having before) I figured I would try to pick it up with humor. Glad to see I succeeded.

 

I'm really enjoying this. The story is really interesting and well-written, and all your characterisations are great. Can you add me to your pm list? Thanks

 

this story is great so far.
hope for a update soon.
can i be added to the pm list.

 

Alright! Two new readers! Thanx for reading you two. You most definitely will get PMs when the next post is up.

 

I'll try and get the next post up tomorrow. It'll be my Christmas gift to you guys.

 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!




Jaina?s eyes flew open as her body jerked, panting heavily. She continued to lay there until her breathing calmed, instantly relieved that she had decided to leave the lights on. As her rapid heartbeat began to slow its pace, she sat up, noticing for the first time the dampness on her shirt and pillow.

Jaina?s comlink suddenly buzzed. Reaching over, she snatched it from the floor. ?Yeah?? she spoke into it.

?You okay, Jaina?? Luke?s voice came back and she knew that he knew.

She wiped some sweat off her brow, trying to clear her mind. ?Yeah, I?m okay.?

?Why don?t you come up to the cockpit. We?re about due out of hyperspace anyway.?

Grateful that her uncle hadn?t suggested to try and get some more rest, Jaina nodded. ?I?ll be right there.? She quickly threw on a fresh change of clothes and joined him.

Luke swiveled in his chair as she took her seat next to him. ?Jaina,? he said, ?I?m glad you?re here. There?s something I?ve been meaning to talk to you about.?

Jaina lifted her eyebrows, curious. ??Bout what??

?The girl?s guardian got in contact with me just before leaving Coruscant.?

?Oh really??

Luke nodded his head and Jaina thought she detected a hint of annoyance. ?Yes,? he responded. ?The time and place to meet her have changed. She couldn?t tell me yet. We?ll be contacting her once we?re out of hyperspace.?

Jaina looked at her uncle, confused. ?So what did you want to talk to me about??

Luke paused but did not allow the silence to linger. ?I want you to be the one who contacts her, and I also want you to be the only one who knows the location.?

She eyed him with mock-suspicion. ?Trying to get out of it??

The corner of his lips drew up. ?Hardly. I just want you to be the one who leads out on this mission.?

?Why??

Luke shrugged. ?Do I need a reason??

Jaina smirked at her uncle. ?Not necessarily, but you usually have one.? He only smiled in return.

There was another moment of silence before Luke cleared his throat and spoke again. ?Jaina, Mara told you why we haven?t spoken to any of the government officials yet, right?? She nodded her response. ?Until we know more about the situation, I want to make sure that the information you receive from the guardian is not going to be easily accessible.? Luke paused and noticed Jaina?s frown. She was obviously waiting for him to continue. ?There is a way, Jaina, to bury a memory so deep within yourself to the point where you forget it.?

The frown on her face did not disappear. ?How??

?It?s a Force trick. It works much in the same way as the Jedi trance in respect that a phrase will bring you out of it. A phrase that you choose will bring the memory back after it?s been buried, but only your voice will bring it back. No one else can speak the phrase.?

?But if I bury a memory so deep that I forget it, how am I supposed to remember that I even have it??

Luke nodded his head. It was a good question. ?You remember that you have it. You just don?t remember what it is.?

?Are you sure that this precaution is necessary??

He shook his head. ?I?m not really sure about a lot of things with this mission. The extra precaution won?t hurt it at all.?

All the uncertainty and the secrecy were beginning to annoy Jaina. ?Uncle Luke, how much do you know about Niftal??

He sighed. ?Unfortunately, not much. People from Niftal like to keep to themselves, very much to themselves. When your mother was the Chief-of-State, she tried to be diplomatic with them and open up negotiations, but they never responded to any of the messages she sent to them. They make very little contact with who they consider to be outsiders. They occasionally do business outside of Niftal selling their excellent VR technology, but that?s it.?

Jaina grimaced. ?Should I count on them being not friendly??

?I think we can expect less than a warm welcome, but they?ll probably be hospitable enough.?

Any further questions that Jaina might have asked were cu

 

I'm loving the interaction still. Luke can be sneaky. He's made a good point to Jaina too.

 

Splendid moment between them. I love how Luke is bringing Jaina into her own. I love the thought of him returning to Tatooine to help make his point, and Jaina's assessments of Luke are brilliant observations.

You've done a great job mixing in so many canon sources as well. I hadn't thought about Luke's doubts over training new Jedi in the Thrawn books for a long time. You write a very thoughtful Luke, and I'm always a firm believer in his inexhaustable compassion.

Fabulous update, and happy christmas

 

A sly uncle indeed. Great idea to have them stop off on Tatooine first, good for both of them. Once again...love the interaction between the two.

Thanks again for sharing.

 

Hehe, Luke can by sly,sneaky and a whole lotta things when he wants to be!

Interesting how Luke wanted Jaina to bury the memory, wonder if that is force prompting or not.

Cool view on Obi-Wans house, how it changed, and with them in it.

Good job,

TnTornado

 

Gaspage! Jaina, a TEACHER!! what has the galxy come to!? The kid will probably end up headstrong, stubborn, and have a extremely evil sised that comes out in certain types of situations. It's a great story so far, keep it up!!

T_S

 

A new post

I don't have so much time, to give you an extended comment, but I like this chapter.
It's very interesting and makes me curious about what you have planed of the future. The thing with the "buried memory" is VERY interesting, I have to admit. I like your Luke more from chapter to chapter, he reminds me so much at my own picture of Luke in the movies, he seems to be innocent but like we all know silent waters can be very depth

So, I hope for more soon and I wish you a happy new year!!!

 

Wonder why Luke feels the need to teach Jaina that technique. Is that a hint of what will come?

I loved the Jaina/Luke scenes here. I really think there should be more of this moments, esp in the novels.

More soon?

 

Loved the Jaina/Luke interactment.

Great posts!

 

RebelMom: Well, I', glad you're still loving it. Which point were you referring to?

padawanlost: I hadn't thought about Luke's doubts over training new Jedi in the Thrawn books for a long time.

I hadn't even remembered that that had been one of his issues. I was lucky that I re-read them recently. It's fun bringing the older issues back into the stories.

izzard: It seems to be most peoples' favorite thing about this story is the interaction between these two. Since that was the beginning of my plot bunny, I'm glad it's working.

TnTornado: Interesting how Luke wanted Jaina to bury the memory, wonder if that is force prompting or not.

I think you'll like what's coming up.

Twin_Saber: Hey! Ease up on Jaina. Afterall, Mara was trusted with HER training.

Cem_Fel: I'm glad you enjoyed the buried memory bit. To re-interate what I said to TnTornado, I think you'll like where this goes.

Chilla: Again, everything I've said above. I am glad you're liking it.

JainaEnnth: Thank you!

 

Hey guys, sorry it's taking so long to get the next post up. I've had some things happen that are taking up a lot of my time, and my internet availability has once again become limited. I hope to be able to get to the library soon and post the next part. Till then, thanx for your patience.

 

Yikes, I fell behind.

I love the way you're writing Jaina. She's smart, funny, very sassy. But mostly I like how she's struggling to balance all her identities. Before it was just military and Jedi, but now she might have to include teacher in that as well. Luke's doing a great job of helping her along, though.

 

Jade_Skywalker: Afterall, Mara was trusted with HER training.
LOL!!

That's what I'm afraid of! I mean, Mara's influence is half the reason Jaina's the way she is. Han's the other half.

DARTH-OBLIVIOUS

PS: I was previously Twin_Saber!

 

JadeSolo: Seriously! Where have you been! Thanx for coming back, I'm really glad it's going well.

Darth-Oblivious: New name eh? Darn, I thought I had a new reader there for a minute. You're so unfare to Jaina.



Okay, I know it has taken forever, but here is the next part!




Night had fallen on the desert world of Tatooine and Jaina found herself running in it. She did not know how long she had been running, and was grateful that her body did not tire. Twice, she glanced over her shoulder fully expecting to see someone there, but her pursuers were no where in sight. After a long time, she finally stopped to rest in a large abandoned hut.

Jaina sat there in the dark wishing that the twin suns would rise. She pulled out a ration bar and tore into it. There were still no signs of the mysterious beings that had been chasing her. She had been running long and hard and had gotten well ahead of them. They most likely had given up their pursuit by now.

Finishing the last bite, Jaina stuffed the wrapper in her pouch and continued on foot at a much steadier pace. A flicker of warning made her look over her shoulder. Off in the distance, she could see a shadow, and it was slowly moving towards her. Alarms went off in her head but she refused to believe that they had actually caught up to her. Nevertheless, her pace quickened until she was once again in a dead run.

All at once, Jaina?s body felt heavy as if large weights were attached to her wrists and ankles. She mustered all of her strength and willed her feet to continue forward but it proved to be fruitless. Her body slammed to the ground, unable to move at all. Helpless, she could feel the hands of her hunter seize her by the shoulders. The only thing on her body that seemed to be able to move was her head. Filled with dread, she glanced over her shoulder and screamed. ?No!?

The medical assistant, one of Yates? men, who had attacked her before now grabbed her paralyzed form and dragged her off into the night. Three more men wearing the same outfit gathered around her, helping in the effort.

?You must come with us, Jaina,? one of them whispered in his cold voice. ?You need help.?

* * *

Jaina bolted upright, tearing the blankets off of her and the makeshift bed she had made for herself on the floor of Kenobi?s home. She sat there panting; her breath coming out in short sobs. With all her strength, she willed her tears away. She frantically looked around, taking in her surroundings.

Dawn was approaching. Stars still glittered the sky, but the blackness of night was instead a deep blue that was gradually getting lighter. Everything else remained unchanged.

Fighting to keep her fear at bay, Jaina stretched out to the Force, letting it flow through her. She tried to think back to the warm memories of her life. She thought back to being a child again, getting into all sorts of trouble with her brothers. A fresh wave of pain struck her heart, and she wished that Anakin could be there.

Jaina quickly searched her mind for another memory. She thought of the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4 where her training had really began. Anger rose within her and she pounded her fist to the floor. Those years were gone, the temple destroyed. Even when she had been kidnapped by the Shadow Academy, she had had that naïve optimism that everyone would make it out alive, something she no longer held.

Jaina raked her fingers through her hair, desperately trying to find one single memory that might bring her some comfort. That was when she realized that she had none. The war had changed everything, and any memory tied in with it only brought a flood of despair. Anything before the war made her think of how things had been and never could be again.

Jaina got to her feet. Perhaps a morning jog would be more effective in helping her to calm down. She flicked off the glow rod she had kept next to her all night, and without even stretching, bolted for the door. She had barely made it three steps

 

Jaina reminds me of Leia - keeping things in. I really like the family angle. It's a nice change from profic which seems to tear families apart instead of bonding them. anyway, another nice chapter.

 

Great post!! Thanks!

DARTH-OBLIVIOUS

 

Wonderful to see you back.

I love the advice Luke's giving her. She really does need to make peace with her past, as her dreams may be a manifestation of, and move on with her life. You're continuing to do a splendid job conveying the emotional strain she feels because of her prophecy, and I love how understanding Luke is being- its rare that any of us give him the chance to be the teacher that he truly is.

Can't wait to see what happens next. Great job,

 

Yay, what an awesome chapter!

I loved this scene! You've written it so well!

You know there are tricks in RL you can learn to influence your dreams? Don't think it would work on Jaina, though.

I can't wait for more!

 

Forever, schmorever. You posted, I'm happy.

Ugh, for me that was the creepiest part of her dream. I hate those dreams where you're being chased or attacked, and in the back of your mind you know you should be able to run away or defend yourself, but for some reason you can't move fast enough...

Well, that sucks. No wonder she's having such a hard time just existing day-to-day.

Loved that! Luke's statement at her knighting has so many layers of meaning to it, but I never thought of this one.

I hope Jaina reconsiders mentoring. Sometimes the quickest way to move on is to realize that you have to set an example for someone else. Then again, it doesn't work with me, so who knows. Also liked the jappor snippet. Like father, like son.