Beyond - Legends An Alliance at Alida's (L/M) ~ Part the 15th -A Pledge and a Promise (update 3-9)

Outstanding! When I grow up, I want to be just like you! You ARE the diva-pilot, writer extraordinaire!

Wonderful character insights and voice throughout. No one writes Karrde like you do, girl!

Bravo and well done!

 

Squee, squee, squee, squee!!!! An update at Alida's!

Talon raised a knowing eyebrow. ?To further the advantage, someone you know is already working on the problem. I hear from my sources in the New Republic that Luke Skywalker has joined the project.? Talon glanced at Mara to see her reaction. She froze for an instant at the sound of the Jedi?s name, and Talon noticed a faint blush play across her cheeks before she quickly recovered. Talon smiled to himself.

Talon, you sly vornskr you! I can just imagine how self-satisfied Talon felt to have confirmed that little mystery. Cats and canaries come to mind...

Assured of her privacy, Mara quietly reached into her jacket and retrieved a piece of flimsi from the inside pocket. Carefully, she unfolded the flimsi and pressed the wrinkles down. Her eyes scanned the handwritten words again. She traced the signature beneath the Coruscanti post-code, her slender fingers looping through the letters of his name. To have something he actually wrote her, something she could literally hold onto, was almost like having a part of him with her.

Girl, you've got it bad. But that's oh so good!

 

Great to see an update on this!

Mara's discourse on the Jade's Fire just makes her decision to sacrifice it that much more poignant.

To have something he actually wrote her, something she could literally hold onto, was almost like having a part of him with her.

Now you've got me thinking of Mara's last scribbled note to Luke, and how he'll carry it with him the rest of his life.

Wonderful chapter.

 

Awesome! I've always admired how Mara, though independent, can learn from others and gracefully tweak her weaknesses...Especially if its someone like Karrde. That was perfect how she acts like no one will change her mind, and then gives in without letting it seem like she gave in. You did a wonderful job. And the letter? beautiful touch.

BTW, can you add me to the PM list?

Dana

 

I want to know what the letter said! Did like the little notion of Mara placing it inside her jacket next to her heart. Also liked the little teenage love type thing about her having a piece of him with her. Cute. Those feelings are always wonderful to go back to when you become a mature adult. Reminds you that you are still alive. Love Talon. He can read people so well that sometime you have to think that maybe he is somewhat Force sensetive. Wonderful post and thanks.

 

I love it when Talon makes an appearance - you know he's going to talk sense!

Love love love Mara explaining what the Fire means to her an why. The best explanation I think I've ever read.

And letter!

 

I love the way you write Talon! And Mara's off with Shirlee, now. Very nice tie-in with canon events.

But I can't even imagine where you're going next...


Wonderful chapter!

 

Hooray for Bruno! Qualifying as Best Male OC!!

 

Well... congratulations on Best Male OC for Bruno LOL I still think of Alida frequently--she and an OC I mention in my bio are the standards for classy ladyness. Hugles!!!!

 

Jade_Eyes: Thank you! Talon is interesting to write. I try to think ?elegant? when I write him. And he is very smart. The challenge is to be smarter than Talon and Mara when I write them! I think Talon wishes he had someone to love him, and he knows the happiness it has cost him because he chose his career over love. That?s what makes it so poignant when he finally does have a relationship.

Jade_Pilot: Thank you, Jade_Pilot! I had a good time with this one, getting Talon to make Mara see some sense and perspective without driving her away by becoming preachy. Luke must have eventually taken some lessons from him, huh?


Blue_Milkshake: Yes, Mara has it bad, but she is too unsure of exactly what she has to allow herself to enjoy it. The fact that she cherishes his letter proves that she cares much more than she?ll admit to. Thank you!


Jedi-2B: Mara's discourse on the Jade's Fire just makes her decision to sacrifice it that much more poignant.

That?s what I was after. I couldn?t see at first why it was so big a deal that her sacrifice of a ship was what made Luke decide she had advanced as a Jedi. A little back-story on Jade?s Fire seemed in order.

Now you've got me thinking of Mara's last scribbled note to Luke, and how he'll carry it with him the rest of his life.

Again, that was deliberate. I?m thrilled you picked up on that.

Thank you very much for the thoughtful reply!


Jedimaster_Jainasolo: Thanks so much! I wanted Mara to hear it from someone that cared about her enough to not allow her to throw away a chance at true love. She respects Talon, she will consider what he tells her. Thanks for the reply, and I would be happy to add you to the PM list.


JEDIFLYSWATTER: She keeps the letter handy, but it?s because of what the letter represents. Wearing a wedding ring is like having a piece of the person you love with you, too. And that Talon ? who wouldn?t want a friend like him? (I sure know I wouldn?t want him as my enemy!) Thank you for the comments and the reply.


JadeLotus: Thank you! I?m glad you liked this. Like I said earlier, I felt it necessary to explain why Mara felt that way about Jade?s Fire. I?m glad it came out making sense.


Jedi Trace: I love the way you write Talon! Only because I learned from the best, my friend.

Yes, I?ve started wrapping the story into the canon. Hopefully we can fill in some missing scenes along the way. Thank you!


PM list:
JadeLotus
Jackkky17
Jedi-2B
MagnusPrimal
JEDIFLYSWATTER
Valiowk
Myriad_Daydreams
Dawn7191
Master_M_Sky
Irish_Jedi_Jade
MaraJade001
Jedimaster_Jainasolo

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Thank you very much for considering this fic when voting for the Beyond the Saga Summer Awards. The OC in this story, Bruno Maritin, has qualified for Best Male OC. I?m honored![face_rose]

Thanks, Jade_eyes and Jade_Pilot, for the congratulations![face_hugs]

 

Hi there. I just finished reading what is here and I really like it. I think you captured Luke and Mara really well. I would love to see this finished.

 

nooooooooooooooooooo!

/Vader

But seriously! How did I not review this???? Was this during my lost period earlier this year? *checks date* Ah, yes. I think it was when I was totally brain dead and just sitting around like a lump on a log!

Well, girl, you know anything you write is automatically loved by me. But I love your conversation between Mara and Karrde. Excellent characterization!

And I'm sorry I never reviewed. I totally didn't realize my fault!!

 

JediMike2372: Thank you! This has definitely slipped way, way in the back of the burner, but I do want to finish it. I appreciate you taking the time to check this story out.

Ginchy: Hey, girl! Thanks for the reply. I like to write Talon -- that guy knows a lot more than people think he does, and not just about politics, business, and military intelligence. He's a poet at heart.

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For those who are still following the story...

[b]Story Summary:[/b]

Mara and Luke acknowledged an attraction between them, but their courtship had been anything but smooth. Since neither person had had successful past experiences with love and trust, they agreed to meet as friends ? an ?alliance? rather than a romantic relationship ? and see what developed from there. They decided to meet at their favorite restaurant, Alida?s, and the delighted owners designed a private dining area just for them, so that Luke and Mara could meet without the glaring lights of the public staring at them.

The alliance worked well, and Mara and Luke enjoyed sharing their friendship over dinner. Soon, however, they realized that they needed each other more than they anticipated. Unsure of where or how to continue this, Luke turned to his friends Leia and Han, while Mara received advice from Talon. Their most helpful advice, however, came from Alida and Bruno, the owners of the restaurant. Alida and Bruno had gone through many challenges in their years of marriage, and they happily encouraged Luke and Mara to find their path to their own happiness.

As with any romance, after a while the first thrill wore off and the issues that could destroy the relationship began to emerge. One night, what should have been a wonderful evening out deteriorated into a cold, bitter argument. They discovered that their opposing viewpoints about how to deal with the power of the Force revealed uncertainties they harbored about each other. Mara warned Luke not to fall prey to the seduction of power, as his father once had, but Luke bristled at the implication that she somehow understood Anakin Skywalker better than Luke himself did. Stubbornly refusing to admit that there could be more than one way to look at a situation, Luke lashed out at her by claming that her years ?mind-linked to a Sith lord? gave her no bearing as to how to judge right from wrong. Mara stormed out of the restaurant, and Luke did not hear from her for a while.

Eventually, Luke realized that Mara had only tried to help him. Her comments came from a concern about him trying to do too much on his own. Bruno and Han helped him to understand that Mara must have truly cared deeply for him in order to risk being hurt so much. To show his remorse, he wrote a letter to her, expressing his apology.

Mara, meanwhile, had retreated into her work. It took a conversation with Talon for her to realize how deeply she missed Luke, and how much he meant to her. Her anger with him could not destroy the bond she had made with him. As she accepted Talon?s mission, to investigate the Cavrilhu pirate?s activity on the planet of Nirauan, and Talon noticed two changes in her: one, that she was willing to trust someone else to repair her beloved ship, and two, that she was visibly affected by the idea of working with Luke Skywalker again.


[color=blue][i]Coming soon ~ Chapter 15: A Pledge and a Promise[/i][/color]

 

*jumps up and down* Diva!!!!! Alida's is BACK!!! Oh my goodness you have NO idea how happy this makes me!!! I may go back and read the whole thing again...OOH!!!!! Yay!!!!!!

Hugs and e-cookies for you and the muse!
Irish

 

Baby that chapter title ... I'm already melting LOL



Hugs!!

 

Cannot wait. What you've told me about the chapter only makes me want to read it more!

 

Diva - I'm liking this, a lot. Please add me to your PM list so I can keep up with this wonderful tale.

Keth

 

Irish_Jedi_Jade: Thanks! I?m glad you didn?t forget this. Hope basic training is coming along.

Jade_Eyes: I hope you?ll like this; it?s a little romantic. Thanks for keeping the faith.

Ginchy: Hey there! I appreciate the beta. Thanks for sticking around for this story.

LadyKethry: Thank you! I?m happy you took the time to get caught up with this. I?ll be glad to PM you. Unfortunately, the PMs don?t seem to be working at the moment.

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[b]Presenting (after almost a year):[/b]

[b] [i] An Alliance at Alida?s ~Part the Fifteenth: A Pledge and a Promise[/i] [/b]


[i] Author?s note: To keep in the spirit of the original challenge, I used 20 SAT words: paucity, peerless, peripheral, peruse, platitude, pragmatic, preclude, prestigious, pretentious, propensity, provincial, pugnacious, quandary, querulous, rancor, refurbish, relegate, relic, remorse, repugnant. [/i]

The suite was small and in some need of upkeep, but after the terrifying ordeal they had gone through, Mara felt that any building that was above ground and dry would work just fine. She and Luke had stopped at the outpost on Brind-Herrar to refresh themselves before joining the working galaxy again. Their quarters were far from some of the prestigious hotels she?d stayed in, but still, it was better than nothing. Most importantly, though, they were both alive to enjoy the paucity of luxury that a skeleton-crewed, provincial settlement like Brind-Herrar had to offer.

They had landed in the middle of the night, planet-time, and thankfully few had seen their arrival in the strange Chiss ship. Luke suggested that they stow it in the decontamination zone to discourage any curious eyes. Possibly, there was innovative technology that the New Republic may find valuable ? after Talon?s people were done taking notes on it all, of course ? and Luke didn?t want to leave the ship out in the open. Implying that there might be an infectious disease attached to the ship tended to keep those with a propensity for unwanted sight-seeing to a minimum.

Now, Mara mused, it was almost anticlimactic. Was it less than a day ago that she was in a hibernation trance, only moments from drowning or being bashed against some obstacle as a lake ? a [i]lake,[/i] for Force sakes! ? screamed through the underground chambers of Nirauan? Mara paused, hairbrush suspended in mid-stroke, as she pondered the incongruity of it. Here she sat, facing a mirror, brushing her newly washed hair. Less than a day ago, she was stoically facing her impending death. How did so much change so quickly?

Yet, her narrow escape from death seemed to pale when compared to the even more significant change that occurred over just the past few days.

The change in her. In them. She was part of a team now, a partnership. No, more than a partnership. It was almost symbiotic. She needed Luke. She loved him.

Even love wasn?t enough of a word to really cover it.

Her breath came from him. Her heart beat with his. And his heart worked the same way. They had become two expressions of one thought, two individuals who shared one soul. They had merged, somehow.

At first, Mara thought that when she was away from Nirauan, the bond would begin to break apart. They would still be close, even lovers, but this fusion would dissipate. It was forged under stressful conditions, so when the stressor was removed, the bond would collapse. But that wasn?t happening. If anything, the bond was as strong as the moment she had felt it snap into place, his mental shields molding to fit hers, his thoughts skimming the peripheral edges of her own.

She smiled. She still valued her privacy, of course, and Luke wouldn?t presume to batter down her guards if she wanted to keep something from him, but the idea that he was always there, like a caress in her mind, comforted her. Under other circumstances or in another time, she would have bristled at the intrusion. Back on Coruscant, when they were dating, she wasn?t prepa

 

They eloped! And it was perfect for Talon to conduct the ceremony. Just perfect!

I love how you wove this so seamlessly into canon, and yet it reads like a whole new story. And that dream sequence, especially, was eerie yet poignant.

Wonderful update! I'm so glad you decided to continue this awesome story.

 

Love doesn't quite cover how I feel about this update either LOL Oh melty! Oh scrumptious!!!!!! So incredibly right on time!!!!!!!!
Squggles! of course!!!

Much much much
jade eyes

 

You KNOW I love this, gal! The idea of Karrde performing the marriage ceremony is perfect. And I love how you come up with ideas that are just so right but ones that no one else would ever come up with!

Your L/M is lovely as always--I love how understated but intimate the actually wedding is. Can't wait for more... I just wonder what Leia's going to think of missing her brother's wedding!

 

Ooooohhhh!!! Leia is going to vape Luke where he stands for him and Mara eloping. Glad to see this one back. I started reading it a while ago and was hoping it would be updated. Can't wait for more.

 

Great to see an update in this! And to have Talon marry them on the Wild Karrde, now that was inspired. I thought maybe they'd get married at Alida's restaurant, but I'm sure she'll understand that even there wouldn't be safe from the holopress. Now we'll have to see how Leia understands.

 

A very satisfying update after a long, long wait.

I'm so happy they eloped. It just makes sense for them to do that.

Could you please add me to the PM list?

 

Look at you...writing fantactically as always!! Woot!

Great, great update, sister-pilot! *sigh* Very satisfying!!

Bravo!