Saga Blue Sun Down: A SW/Firefly XO--Winner, Best Crossover, 2008 Fanfic Awards

?So that?s Toprawa,? Mal said. Uh-oh. I remember that planet...

River smiled weakly. ?You gave me the Force. Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for life. You?ve taught me to live. You?ve given me the power to survive. You have done everything I hoped you would, when I first found you. But we both know you won?t stay with me. If we had our daughter, I know you would. But she?s gone.? Aww...

Oy... Mal working for Car'das. That's an image.

*hisses* Vong...

By Kiffar tradition and the birth of their son, she was his wife. ?I am where I belong,? Vos finally said. But it isn't where you want to be.

Congrats on the nominations!

 

Lobo?Vos did return to Khaleen, but in the comics that is not the last we see of him. And the visions of the future don?t bode well.

Golden_Jedi?Thank you very much, I really appreciate your support.

TigerofRobare?Thank you.

VaderLVR64?Believe it or not, I?ve tried very hard to follow what I know of the canon events in Vos?s life. That canon does not end with him and Khaleen.

Dianethx?Anor is a monster. I didn?t realize I was adding him until toward the end of the chapter. I?m glad you?ve enjoyed it, and thank you for the encouraging words.

Jedi_Aurelan_Carter?I?m glad to have you lurking. Thank you for reading.

Laine_Snowtrekker?There is one more fairly long chapter. As for the Maw?I don?t think so. The Maw is a little more coreward. Thank you for reading!

Thumper09?Yeah, I figured Mal and Car?das would get along well. But remember the story isn?t over quite yet. So although Vos?s reunion was bittersweet, who?s to say what the future will bring (well, beside?s me, obviously, since I wrote it. Thanks for the congrats!

Independence1776?Yeah, Toprawa has a history. Which makes since with its newly transplanted humans. And thanks for the kind words!

 

Well, this is the end. Special thanks to those folks who nominated and then confirmed the nomination in the Summer 2008 fanfic awards for this story. Win or lose, I am honored that you thought enough of this story to nominate it. Thank you again for reading, for your great support and kind words, and for just being a great group of people.

* * *


Author?s Note: The meeting in this chapter between Vos and one of our favorite canon characters is from the Dark Horse comic Ghost. The events described in this last chapter are inspired partly by his appearance in that comic, and what I believe are the inevitable progression of events in the New Order.


Chapter Twenty-Seven: Ghosts of the Future


The young freighter captain moved through the junkyard on Socorro with alert, inquisitive eyes. He held a blaster in hand and made sure it pointed where his eyes went.

Quinlan Vos watched the young man with mild amusement, until the swoop gang that had been hunting the old Jedi burst over the ridge. The young man ducked and rolled and would have been killed instantly if Vos did not Force-pull him to safely.

The swoop gang spun about, looking for their quarry, but after failing to locate it, continued with their hunt.

?Who were they?? the young man said when he spied Vos.

?Bounty hunters,? Quinlan said. ?They have been chasing me for weeks. They believe I am Jedi.?

The young man snorted. ?Must be high on spice,? he said. ?All those crazy old wizards are long dead.? He looked around. ?Hey, there?s supposed to be some type of treasure here. Known anything about it??

Before Vos could answer, a huge Whiphid bounty hunter jumped down from a pile of junk and struck the young man down. His blaster went sailing against a jagged, rusting piece of equipment and broke apart. Vos responded instinctively by Force-pushing the bounty hunter. The Whiphid groaned as his fell into the same equipment that broke the blaster. A jagged piece of metal ripped up through his chest.

Other bounty hunters returned, and both Vos and the young treasure hunter scrambled for safety. The young man did not see the pit until he was almost in it. With a startled grasp, he started falling forward into a massive Sarlacc pit.

He cried out when his fall came to an abrupt halt just over the pit. He looked down into the massive creature?s clasping beak, then back at Quinlan. The Jedi stood on the edge of the pit with his hand outstretched. Slowly, the young man drifted back to the edge. ?How did you do that?? he demanded.

?I?m just one of those crazy old wizards,? Vos said with a grim smile.

Suddenly the bounty hunters were there. They formed a ring with blasters ready. Vos stared at the young man a moment, then smiled dangerously. With a solute, the Jedi master jumped directly into the Sarlacc pit.

?No!!? one of the bounty hunters roared. ?Now we?ll never get that bounty!?

?We still can,? another said. He pointed at the young man still standing with a stunned expression on the edge of the pit. ?Shoot him. We?ll pass his body off as the Jedi.?

A ring of blasters directed their aim. Before they could fire, though, a humming sound seared the air. A moment later Quinlan Vos flew out of the Sarlacc pit with a green lightsaber in hand. With efficient strokes and preternatural speed, he sliced easily through the bounty hunters. After only a minute of fighting, he ended the fight once and for all.

?You?re sword was in that Sarlacc?? the young man said.

?Sometimes the Force will lay a path before us that even we do not wish to walk.? The Jedi smiled sadly. ?I had a family. My son would have been close to your age.?

?I?m sorry,? the young man said. ?You know, I don?t really believe in the Force.?

?Don?t worry,? Vos said. ?Soon this will all seem like a distant dream, and I?ll be nothing more than a ghost.?

Vos disappeared with Force speed. Han Solo shrugged and walked away with a shake of his head. ?Crazy old wizard.?


* * *

Thinking of Korto, Vos retu

 

Awwww, you got me crying by the end!

This has been an excellent reading, Marrs, thanks for writing the story!

 

?Sometimes the Force will lay a path before us that even we do not wish to walk.? The Jedi smiled sadly.
Ain't that the truth...


?I had a family. My son would have been close to your age.?

?I?m sorry,? the young man said. ?You know, I don?t really believe in the Force.?

?Don?t worry,? Vos said. ?Soon this will all seem like a distant dream, and I?ll be nothing more than a ghost.?

Vos disappeared with Force speed. Han Solo shrugged and walked away with a shake of his head. ?Crazy old wizard.?
Nice cameo


* * *


He remembered Khaleen reaching for him as she cradled their ten-year old son. Korto took the brunt of the first blaster bolt as the army of bounty hunters invaded them. Khaleen used her body to try and protect the boy as Vos fought off still more of the cursed hunters. All for naught. He felt as if a piece of his heart was ripped out of his chest when the presences of his wife and son faded from the Force.
Harsh. Very harsh.


He arrived on the planet as Captain Vilmahr Reynolds. He had no ID, but Chandrila control didn?t require it.
Vilmahr???


The newcomer received the bottle, poured a glass, and then said, ?Shu ma nyaow. Stuff is awful. Give me a glass of Londinum Bourbon, now, and I?ll show you a man?s drink.?

Vos turned and stared at a ghost. ?I saw the name Reynolds on the landing board and thought maybe I had another brother running around,? Captain Mal Reynolds said. ?Instead I find you. Just my luck.?

The past twelve years gave Reynolds time enough to grow a well-trimmed beard lined in gray, but had no other discernable effect. ?What are you doing here?? Vos asked.
Somehow, I just knew Mal had to be running around somewhere.



?Shipping wine,? Mal said. ?Got a pretty lucrative contract for one of the better Chandrilan wine makers. I make the run pretty much every six months.? He shook his head. ?Still hard to get used to your calendar. So, how you doing??

Vos shrugged. ?As good as a fugitive could be.?

Mal nodded wisely. ?Yeah, I know all about that. I heard tell you had a family.?

?Had.?
Still harsh.


Mal nodded again. ?You know, funny thing happened. Wife and I were in our bunk, just minding our own business, when River just walks on in. Her timing was pretty awful, but she didn?t even blink. You remember her? She says, ?We need to make the Chandrila run early this month.? Didn?t know what she was going on ?bout, but she?s steered us right these past few years. Cried like a little girl when Jayne got shot.? Mal?s eyes hardened. ?That was a bad day. But that was no fault o? hers. She did her best. Since Zoe and Wash had their babies and retired, she?s been co-pilot and my second, and we?ve done good. Went independent from Car?das and his organization, and we got ?nough creds socked up that we bought ourselves a little ranch. Can you believe that? Inara ?n me are be ranchers on Naboo. Have kids, too. Three little darlings.?
It's cool that things are going well for the crew. Somehow, that even seems fitting for Jayne.


Mal stopped talking and looked closely at Vos. ?You didn?t hear a gorram thing after I said her name, did you??

Vos sat up straighter. ?Is she well??

?Why don?t you ask her?? Mal winked, and then nodded toward the door behind them. Vos turned as if afraid, and saw.

River Tam stood alone just inside the door of the bar. She wore a spacer?s vest over a revealing brown shirt and beige pants. A blaster hung low on her right hip. She bore herself with a casual lethality that made the young couple sitting at a table near her get up and leave.

She had filled out with age. No longer was she the whip-thin child he remembered. She was a woman. Still thin, but mature now. And strong.
That's just how I would picture her.


He almost stumbled from his stool and crossed the floor until he stood before her. She reached up and touched his chest. ?I was lost,? she said softly. ?I was lost, and you foun

 

Oh wow.

The woman named River, who seemed as ageless as the man beside her, smiled. ?Are you sure, Mara??

Mara shrugged. She never knew her exact day of her birth, so technically it was possible, however it seemed highly unlikely. Still, ?Well, thank you very much.?

?It was our pleasure, Mara Jade Skywalker,? the jeweler said. ?You are a beautiful, powerful woman. You?ve overcome much to be where you are today. I?m sure your parents, wherever they may be, are very proud of you.?

Mara smiled. ?Thank you,? she said again. ?I?? She stopped and realized she didn?t know what else to say.

River smiled. ?Your husband needs you. Go to him, and be happy.?

A second later Mara?s com beeped at her. She looked down and saw it was Luke signaling that he needed her signature as a witness on the formal treaty document. She looked back up, but inexplicably the stall was empty.

She looked back down at the exquisitely detailed bracelet and the large piece of jade set in it, and smiled. ?Thank you,? she said again. Then, ?I?m coming, Farmboy. Keep your boots on.?

 

I can't believe it's over already. That was an excellent story. I loved the ending. So sad and beautiful.

 

Aww... Yes, her parents are proud of her. They just told her in the only way possible.

Wonderfully done!

 

That was a good ending to a good story.

I really enjoyed reading it and watching all the twists and turns the story took. You told it quite well, and I'm glad that all the characters had some resolution at the end. They deserve that peace.

 

Oh, I'm so glad that River finally had a happy ending to her life. It was too bad about Vos's family but at least he found peace with River after all.

Had to laugh about Mal and Inara having kids and ranching. Mal seems almost surprised by it.

Great job.

 

What an awesome story. I can't even imagine trying to weave all the elements together like you did, but you did an excellent job, and it all flowed so smoothly together. I know it's been mentioned numerous times here, but your characterizations were super. Add that to the intricate, realistic plot, and you've got some seriously good stuff here. Very nice wrap-up and closure.

Great job, and thanks so much for posting this!

-Thumper

 

Awesome chapter, nice conclusion. Thanks for writing this.

 

Thank you, Thank, Marrs! It was beautiful!

 

Golden_Jedi?Thank you very much. I?m glad you enjoyed it!

LOBO?It was my pleasure. That?s the fun thing about fanfiction. Without any monetary reward, the only benefit I get is from the enjoyment of the writing, and the enjoyment of the readers. I?m glad you enjoyed it.

VaderLVR64?Thank you.

TigerofRobare?The other fun thing about fanfiction is that it only needs to be as long as the story requires. This was the right amount of story for what I wanted to say. I?m glad you enjoyed it as well.

Independence1776?Thank you!

LadyLunas?Thank you. And I agree that they did deserve that peace. Not just River and Vos, but Mal and the rest of the gang. Except Jayne, who died.

Dianethx?I didn?t read the comic, but I knew enough about it to know that Vos was alone when he met a very young Han Solo. So that seemed to imply he had lost everything, at least to me. So in his time of deepest despair, River came to save him.

Thumper09?It took two separate, completely different drafts. I?m glad it worked out to your happy satisfaction!

Laine_Snowtrekker?Thank you, and you?re very welcome.

Callista_gseran?You?re very welcome. Thank you for reading.


Notes from the Author, in case anyone cares:

Well, that?s it for another Darth Marrs story. I don?t have as many as some, because my stories tend to be a tad on the long side. At over 70,000 + words, this was actually one of my shorter ones. (Legacy of the Red Sun I consider a single long story in three parts).

When I first started writing a SW/Firefly crossover (originally titled Children of the Blue Sun) I always knew it was going to end with Mara Jade Skywalker encountering River and Vos without ever truly realizing who they were. This was the vision I had from the first story. However, with Children I also had a role for Lorana Jinzler just because I thought she got short-changed in Outbound Flight and deserved more story time. Unfortunately, she was completely extraneous and even started to slow the story down. So, I scrapped that whole idea after about 50,000 words, and started from scratch. Which, considering my Legacy of the Red Sun sequal is now titled Children of the Red Sun, was quite serendipitous. I was able to salvage some parts, but the whole thrust of the story changed. It became a mystery. What was the Blue Sun Corporation? Why did Miranda really happen? What was the point of the things done to River? By addressing these times, I was able to do a completely immersive crossover in which there was no difference between the Firefly universe and Star Wars. They were one and the same. And when they met, well?that was another reason for the method I chose. In outright conflict, the Alliance never had a chance. So why write about that type of conflict? The Alliance military never really had a role in this story at all.

The introduction of the Vong was also very early in the initial concept because of the surface similarities to the Reavers. The Vong provided the perfect outside antagonism to Force the Empire into taking more drastic action, which of course led to the fall of Mal Reynold?s universe.

It was never intended as a happy story. I tried my best to have moments of humor and happiness, but this was always intended as a drama. A tragedy, even. But one with a hopeful and sweet ending. Although this one did not garner the reviews as Legacy or Gods of Dark and Light, I admit that I am prouder of it for the plotting and characterizations. So I am very proud of those nominations, win or lose.

Well, enough talking about my story. Thank you all very much for reading, and for the nominations. Your reviews are the reason I keep doing this, even though I should be working on my original stuff.

Thank you again!

Darth Marrs

 

Vader!

The Empire is very cool in a terrifying, overwhelming, evil kind of way, and you bring that attitude here wonderfully. Particularly Vader, whose little appearance is very in-character.

The light is always too weak to save those we love.

Oh, Anakin, you?re in there somewhere, all twisted up and bitter.

?You are the last,? Vader whispered. ?Just another dead Jedi.?

Chilling line accompanying a heck of a lot of tragedy. But all the deaths were well-done.

?You get one word why I shouldn?t kill you where you stand,? the captain said.

?Escape.?

Mal blinked. ?That?s a good word. You get a few more now.?

It?s stuff like this that I loved so much about Firefly.

?And they?re back! Well, Vos and River anyway. I really thought they were gone. Nice (to say the least!) to see they aren?t.

?That?s no planetoid; that?s a space station!?

And wow, so much destruction. All of it, gone.

Oh, Mara?s their kid! Good to see River and Vos got to see her as an adult and Jedi. It?s another instance of the fascinating way you weave the two galaxies in together. What?s really incredible is that this fic still pretty much holds to the galaxy as we know it.

A great finish to a wonderful story! Awesome work on this all the way through!

 

I can't believe it's over! This was such a great story. I love Firefly and Star Wars and this was an exceptionaly well done crossover, as was Legacy of the Red Sun. I still need to read Gods of Dark and Light. I was sad for Vos' loss of Khaleen and Korto but I'm glad River found him again. Also the "off camera" loss of Jayne was sad too (though not really suprising). I liked Vos helping out a young Han Solo. I'd still love it if you did a short story (quasi-sequel) where a young Han Solo (maybe with a newly aquired Falcon) maybe got some mentoring from a certain Captain Reynolds. It'd also be interesting to see Wash and Han compare flying abilities/stories. It was also a nice touch with Mara meeting Vos and River (I STILL don't see the resemblance ) Well, I'm already onboard with "Children" as you know but if you ever come back to these characters go ahead and put me on the PM list. Heck, just add me to fics you write. I'm onboard.

 

callista-gseran--Thank you for reading, and for the kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Laine_Snowtrekker--And thank you as well for reading.