Beyond - Legends A Certain Affinity - Han and Mara vignette

Title: "A Certain Affinity"
Characters: Han Solo, Mara Jade
Setting: Coruscant
Timeframe: Sometime before Specter of the Past
Keywords: Missing moment, canon, vignette

Summary: Mara?s not one of them, exactly, but she?s not an outsider.

A/N: I've written Luke and Han bonding and Mara and Leia bonding, so I figured I'd given Mara and Han a go. As it turns out, they have a bit to say...

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[b]A Certain Affinity[/b]

?You?ll put someone?s eye out with that thing,? Han commented.

The redhead woman at the end terminal turned, hand dropping to the blaster holstered by the familiar lightsaber. Her stance relaxed somewhat as she saw it was him. ?Solo,? she said. Her gaze flicked past him and returned.

?Mara,? he said in greeting.

She tilted her head. ?What are you doing here??

?Checking on my ship.?

?The [i]Millennium Falcon[/i] is docked in a public spaceport??

Han crossed his arms. ?Wouldn?t want people thinking I?ve gone soft.?

He thought he saw her lip twitch. ?Ah,? she said. She turned back to the transaction window she?d been interacting with, keyed something into the datafield, and turned back, tucking away a barter card.

?Doesn?t hurt to have her out on display, either,? Han added. ?Just to remind everyone she?s still in top shape. Gives them something to aspire to.?

?Oh, everyone sees that,? Mara agreed, falling into step with Han.

He gave her a narrow look. ?You making a comment about my ship??

?Only that she?s worthy of her fame,? Mara said.

?Huh,? Han said dubiously. His ability to read Mara Jade tended to ebb and flow. Or maybe it was her that shifted ? easy to read sometimes (far easier, he suspected, than she intended to be); and then other times, completely inscrutable. ?So where are you docked??

She nodded toward the Red sector. ?I?m using one of Karrde?s bays.?

?I heard you?d gone legit,? he said. ?Left the smuggling trade behind.?

?Mostly.? She eyed him. ?I still do the occasional job for Karrde on the side.?

?How?s the business thing working out??

?Very well. Why??

Han shrugged. ?I always took you for more of a team player.?

She frowned at him, her body language shifting. Defensive. ?Meaning??

?Pooling your skills, having something or someone to back you up,? Han said. ?You can be a loner and still prefer working for something bigger than yourself.?

She blinked. ?I think you?re confusing me with someone else.?

?Hey, I know the feeling myself,? Han said to mollify her.

?That?s what I meant.?

Han narrowed his eyes at her, then smiled deliberately. ?How?s Lando??

She looked blank for a moment, then her gaze flattened. In another instant her expression was smooth again. ?Haven?t seen him.?

?You?re not working together anymore?? Han asked innocently.

?Not at the moment,? Mara said.

?I thought that you and he?? Han twirled a finger idly.

Mara narrowed her eyes, then shrugged and looked away. ?He?s good at what he does,? she said. ?But I think we may be a little too alike in some ways.?

Han wondered what to make of that. Lando?s strong regard for her had been plain for a while. Han wasn?t sure there was anything in it, beyond Lando?s almost instinctive reaction to a certain type of woman ? generally the more confident the better. Lando?s love life usually consisted of short-lived affairs with little chance of messy fallout at the inevitable end. That was part of the reason Han had been surprised at the hint that Lando was seriously interested in Mara.

He rather suspected Mara went for a similar relationship type, something where she?d be firmly on comfortable ground. Beyond Lando, he?d heard surprisingly little about her private life. He hadn?t exactly been searching for information, but he kept a well-tuned ear out. Something like self-preservation, he thought.

?Good at what he does,? was probably a strong compliment in her book. That said quite a bit about her priorities. Han scratched his chin, felt an odd recognition, then almost sorry for h

 

You absolutely NAILED both Han and Mara! Perfect exploration of these fascinating characters!

?Brings back some memories. Did you know I used that thing to cut open a Tauntaun once? Now that wasn?t pleasant at all.?

?Do I want to know what a Tauntaun is??

Han curled his lip. ?Probably not. Woolly things that stink, live on Hoth. We used to ride them on patrol. Snowspeeders couldn?t handle the weather.?

?And you were cutting it open why??

?To stick Luke inside,? Han said. ?He was dying of hypothermia at the time. Kept raving about Ben and Dagobah. He was very grateful later, but then he didn?t have to smell himself after spending the night in a Tauntaun.?

?That?s a story I?ve not heard before.?

?Yeah, Luke doesn?t tell it too often. Probably not very Jedi-like, being saved by a smuggler sticking you into a dead Tauntaun while you?re unconscious.?

?If it keeps you alive ? ? Mara shrugged.

?That?s what I figured.?

?I trust the lightsaber was thoroughly cleaned later?? She was regarding her belt with a new suspicion.

?Yeah, Luke cleaned it while he was in the infirmary. He got suddenly rather ungrateful about the Tauntaun innards in the control mechanisms. Weird.?

Loved it!

 

The tauntaun story was priceless!

Wonderful vig, as always!

 

OMG!

*snags spot without even skimming for later feedback*

Edit: I love the way Han is written here. He's always been very adept at reading people and keeping them on their toes, or so I've thought. It's what makes him a good anchor for seemingly nonchalant convos like this one. You don't see it a lot, but Han and Mara share a certain camraderie given similar traits and, at some point in their lives, occupations. That and their status as in-laws later on.

Loved the convo.

 

?The kids are pretty strong in the Force, I?m told,? Han said. ?Luke takes it for granted that they?ll be Jedi when they?re adults. Leia ? she kind of goes along with most of what Luke says in regard to the Force, especially with the kids. I just wonder sometimes what happens if one of them doesn?t want to be a Jedi. If Jacen wants to ? I don?t know, run a xenobiological zoo. If Anakin wants to work with droids and design ships. If Jaina wants to plot hyperspace routes.? -

Ah... if only THAT would have happened, instead of what the proficcers did to the Solo clan.

Great job!

 

Super characterizations. Just the perfect tone for this time.

 

I think I'm stalking JE today because I keep replying just after her. LOL!

I've always been interested in Han and Mara's relationship as brother and sister-in-laws, but I will admit that I hadn't thought much about it pre-L/M. Very nice look at a possible conversation between the two. Loved Han's insights.

 

I liked this vig because it gave us a look at Han as a father and Mara as a ... Thus the point, I imagine. Mara doesn't know what she really wants.

The story was a little awkward at the start because we don't see these characters alone together very often. But, as it progressed, it was apparent that these two were learining from each other.

My response is a little awkward as well. Sorry.

 

Well handled situation, I like the idea of Han and Mara interacting as just *people*, before family tied them together. I wish they had more bits like this in profic, they really are interesting people together. Nicely done!


[edit:] Also wanted to say, K_A, that you always have the best titles for your fics

 

Wonderful vig -- I love seeing Han and Mara "bonding", especially moments like these before Mara's married to Luke. And the tauntaun anecdote cracked me up! You really nailed the characterizations here.

 

?Brings back some memories. Did you know I used that thing to cut open a Tauntaun once? Now that wasn?t pleasant at all.?

?Do I want to know what a Tauntaun is??

Han curled his lip. ?Probably not. Woolly things that stink, live on Hoth. We used to ride them on patrol. Snowspeeders couldn?t handle the weather.?

?And you were cutting it open why??

?To stick Luke inside,? Han said. ?He was dying of hypothermia at the time. Kept raving about Ben and Dagobah. He was very grateful later, but then he didn?t have to smell himself after spending the night in a Tauntaun.?

?That?s a story I?ve not heard before.?

?Yeah, Luke doesn?t tell it too often. Probably not very Jedi-like, being saved by a smuggler sticking you into a dead Tauntaun while you?re unconscious.?

?If it keeps you alive ? ? Mara shrugged.

?That?s what I figured.?

?I trust the lightsaber was thoroughly cleaned later?? She was regarding her belt with a new suspicion.

?Yeah, Luke cleaned it while he was in the infirmary. He got suddenly rather ungrateful about the Tauntaun innards in the control mechanisms. Weird.?
I think this was my favorite part.
Very well done as always! Fabulous job!!


EDIT: Totally agree with Myriad about your titles!

 

VaderLVR64: Thank you so much! Glad you liked the characterisations.

Golden_Jedi: It amused me to imagine Luke's reaction. Thank you!

Bri_Windstar: Couldn't agree more about Han. He plays it down, but it's there. Han and Mara should get more bonding time, I think. I can see them getting on very well - if given the chance.

Thanks for reading.

PonyTricks: Things would have been much simpler. Thanks!

Jade_eyes: Thank you!

ginchy: I think Han's definitely an insightful guy when he's not pretending otherwise. Thank you!

brodiew: Not at all. I did have some difficulty at the start, because you're right, they don't - especially at this point - have a lot of time together. Ostensibly it seems they wouldn't have much to discuss, either. But they manage to work around it.

Thanks for the feedback.

Myriad_Daydreams: They really do have an interesting dynamic. I think there are a number of similarities in the way they view the universe - maybe it's a smuggler thing?

Thank you for reading! (And thanks for the note on titles - I usually struggle to find something that fits, so it's nice to hear that they work for you )

Idrelle_Miocovani: Thanks! I think Han would get what Mara's going through to a certain extent, so I'm glad their interaction worked.

dancing_star: Great to hear you enjoyed the story. Thanks for the reply!

 

Wonderful vig, loved the way you wrote Han and Mara together. Everyone could see it before Luke and Mara realized they were meant to be.

 

Once again you manage to nail the characters in a small, ordinary scene.
The outcome is extraordinarily great!!! Again!

What I love most in this is probably how you somehow managed to give the banter between Han and Mara completely diffent than the banter between Luke and Mara in othre of your viggies, and yet keep Mara "intact". I have to return to the text another day to try to nail how you do it - but it's brilliant!

I also like the way you make Luke the natural center for their talk - it's not only because they both know him - it's because his Luke - and because they both care about him, without really wanting to admit how much...

A third thing: I like it that you dare to jump into Tim Zahn's arguments for Mara's (and Luke's)holding back ten years - not many fanfic writers dare or care to do that. I sometimes think he messed things up even more by his "explanations", but never mind that - I respect it that you sick you neck out!!!

 

Dude...school/job/crazy drama hits me and I miss THIS?!?!?!!? K_A that was spectacularly amazing! Like....wow! Its so real, not at all contrived or forced or thought-up. I felt like I was walking along with them...and I love Han's questions. So pointed, but so honest and really would be things I can see him wondering. The whole thing about the kids wanting to do something else really hit me...amazing.

You're incredible! Thank you for a wonderful way to start the morning!
Huggles,
Irish

 

That was amazing.

Han and Mara's conversation was absolutely perfect!

He got suddenly rather ungrateful about the Tauntaun innards in the control mechanisms.

I can't imagine why



Great job on this

 

Great story, though I would have loved a Mara/Han story even more.

 

This was great. I loved the tauntaun story and how she was only finding out about it several years later. I also loved how both Han and Mara have a lot of things in common but that Han decided what he wanted a lot sooner than Mara.

Loved it.

 

I like the way that Han argues that it's not a terrible thing to be a Jedi.

?The kids are pretty strong in the Force, I?m told,? Han said. ?Luke takes it for granted that they?ll be Jedi when they?re adults. Leia ? she kind of goes along with most of what Luke says in regard to the Force, especially with the kids. I just wonder sometimes what happens if one of them doesn?t want to be a Jedi. If Jacen wants to ? I don?t know, run a xenobiological zoo. If Anakin wants to work with droids and design ships. If Jaina wants to plot hyperspace routes.?

?They can do those things and be Jedi, can?t they??

Han looked at her, quirked an eyebrow. ?From what I?ve seen, a Jedi is a Jedi, whatever he?s doing.?

The irony, of course, that Han is NOT a Jedi, and he is as valuable as any of them. Would that be a terrible thing if Jacen became a biologist instead of a Jedi? Did Han turn out terrible since he wasn't a Jedi? That's a conversation I could only see Mara and Han having.

very insightful and elegantly written.

 

JediFalcon: Thank you! I really wanted to keep them both in character, so I'm glad that they came across that way.

kataja: Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the story. And I'm glad that Mara's characterisation worked -- it was a little tricky writing her from Han's POV, given that while he is very perceptive about people, he doesn't really know Mara all that well.

I do try to keep things canon-compliant in this type of story, and one of the things I liked most about VotF was the fact that Zahn managed to explain some of Luke's bizarre behaviour in profic - I do like consistency. And if Luke was having some issues, Han and Mara would have noticed.

Irish_Jedi_Jade: Thank you! I've always thought it's interesting that in-universe, it's almost unquestioned that someone with Force abilities would want to learn to use those abilities. You can see why they would, but still, it doesn't seem all that fair that apparently the Force means not having much choice in the course of your life.

KELIA: Thank you so much! Really glad you enjoyed.

princess_of_naboo: Hm... There are some interesting AU possibilities that could lead to Mara/Han, though the mind boggles a little.

dianethx: Luke probably was embarrassed about being surprised by a wampa. Thanks for reading!

divapilot: Would that be a terrible thing if Jacen became a biologist instead of a Jedi?

It's an interesting question, isn't it. Sometimes you wonder if Han views the Force as something of a curse to have to bear, given what they've all been through.

Thanks so much for reading, and for the feedback.

 

Anyone up for some ridiculously belated feedback?

This is really great. Han and Mara interaction is always fascinating, and we don't see a lot of it in either pro or fanfic. Han and Mara are similar in a lot of ways, so it's really interesting to see how that plays out. I always get the feeling that Han regards Mara half as a kid sister, like he so often sees Luke as a kid brother, and half as he would a fellow smuggler - someone to be regarded with equal parts respect and wariness. At least until they're related, anyway. But it's a lot of fun to watch them dance around each other.

?No,? Mara said. As though he?d asked her if she?d seen Palpatine downtown, in fact.

That's probably my favorite part; it's beautiful wording. But I also love Mara's sudden suspicion about her lightsaber, and Han's talking her into coming to say hello to Jaina. I got the feeling that they were talking about a lot of things that they weren't actually speaking of openly; a lot of oblique subtext. Han's talk about the kids came off as also being a sort of conscious reassurance for Mara, that ordinary family things were within her reach at some point even if she didn't think so - even if she didn't want it - then, and the whole discussion about Luke was a good way to potentially set up some of Luke and Mara's interactions in VotF, as though Han was using the discussion as a way to casually let Mara know that he thought Luke needed some perspective, and that he and Leia weren't in the best place to provide that. I think that's the thing that most stays with me from this story: just how skilled Han and Mara both are at getting information across without ever saying it openly. You did an excellent job of showing that. And of course, it's as beautifully written as everything else you post. Always lovely to read more from you.

 

Wowza! What can I say that hasn't already been said, but this was spot-on. A real treat to read. Great job!

 

Spot on characterizations and a great snap shot of something that could have happened before Luke and Mara got together.

Hilarious and entertaining but serious too where it needed to be. A great vig!