Beyond - Legends Choices (L/M/OC ) Very AU ***9/20/06*** EPILOGUE***COMPLETE!!!!!

Cool!

 

I don't blame Luke for being gun shy. It's pretty creepy having his dead wife send messages. I hope it turns out happy ever after.

 

i wanna know what is in that last envelope

 

Great update JLo. The ending was a tad abrupt, but I suppose that's what the epilogue is for, eh?

Thanks for taking the time to finish off your story! I had been anxious to get a Choices fix!

 

Go both of you!!

Another very nicely structured piece of writing...

The opening scene, Luke and Mara, is a brilliant piece - entirely driven by dialogue and body-language...

Then we move to Mara and Luke individually, and see them allow themselves to reflect on their real wants and needs and situations...

?It is like a cruel joke.?

Is the author having fun?

For years Skywalker had been chasing after her and now she found herself yearning for him, spending sleepless nights in a cold bed, longing and hoping that he would once again venture to start a relationship with her. How did she get herself into this mess?



...

She loved Luke Skywalker and now he wasn?t interested in her. Mara scoffed at the irony.

Hah!

And as if that irony wasn't enough...

He wanted to tell Mara, but he couldn?t face her rejection for a third time...

How could he explain to her the complexity of what he felt?

It amounts to the same thing, but it's very different in wording and phrasing - great characterization...

?What the hell am I going to say to her,? Luke thought panicked. ?Hi, Mara, my dead wife gave me a permission slip allowing me to start a relationship with you, so to you want to start one?? Luke rolled his eyes. That sounded so pathetic.



He started to turn to leave when the door opened. ?Luke?? a concerned voice called out.

Heh!

Luke turned to face Mara, already her hair down and body wrapped in a robe for bed. He felt like an idiot, even if he wanted a relationship, even if he could follow his wife?s advice, Mara still had a say in all of this.

?I uh? I?m sorry, I will talk to you tomorrow,? Luke stuttered. He turned to leave, but a petite but strong hand grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

?Luke.? Mara whispered, her eyes staring at him full of compassion. ?Why don?t you come inside. I think we have a lot to talk about.?

?We do,? he answered just as quietly, following Mara?s lead into the reception area of the hotel room.

?Luke,? Mara started, ?I can?t stay with you on Yavin.?

?Why not?? was his quick retort, and he immediately mentally kicked himself for sounding like his children.

?It would make things more complicated,? she seemed to struggle with the words, ?I should do what?s best for Ben.?

A sinking feeling started in his chest and fell into knots in his stomach, first he lost Jadie and now he was loosing another woman he loved, yes, loved, he could admit that now. He loved both women equally. ?Mara, I can?t tell you how to live your life, but please, don?t go.?

?What is there to stay for?? it was almost a challenge.

?Mara,? he moved just close enough to reach out and gently touch her cheek, ?you know I loved my wife.?

?Yes,? she held her head up as she answered.

?Funny thing about love,? he moved slightly closer, embolden by the words of his wife, ?is that it never dies.?

?I know,? Mara whispered and for a moment he though she would flee from him but he had to go through with this, now or never.

?Never dies, Mara,? and in a sudden bout of Skywalker recklessness he leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers, only receiving a second of hesitation before she returned it with passion, revealing her own emotions.

When they finally pulled apart, there was a mix of horror and joy on her face as she touched her fingers to her lips. ?Can we do this??

?I never stopped loving you, Mara,? Luke confessed, ?but my love for Jadie took over and I would have happily spent my life with her? but that?s not to be, and I?ve come to be reminded that you still

 

Whoa, I fell way behind in this story. Finally I'm all caught up.

and...

I love it! Can't wait to find out where this conversation goes.

 

Oh, Luke and Mara kissed. Thats a major development in their relationship.

And I'm happy that they are getting together. I liked Jadie, but I was chearing for Mara from the begining.



More please?



jacky

 

another great little post there JediLover!


great job!

 

Argh!!!!!!

Where is the rest of it????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Welcome back and Happy Birthday! Take the dive Mara, I know that she proubly fells a little creepy about the whole thing especially with Luke bring up Jadie in this talk. Not so sure that was the best tact he could of used, but that is just me. I wonder what the last letter Conner has for him is. I am sorry that this wonderful story is comimg to an end but, I know that you said that it has been abit rough writing such a long one. You have done a masterful job my friend with a topic which I know you have expressed has not been well recieved with some readers. In my humble opinion they sould of opened thier minds and given it a chance. They have missed out on a super and well written epic. I also appauled you for the correct and knowlegable science. Thank you.

 

Great update! L/M shipper that I am, it's always nice to see them getting together...or trying to.

 

Lovely. Always enjoy seeing Mara and Luke in a parental role -- even if it's not their children!

At last! Mara and Luke together. Boy, they sure do things backwards -- but as long as it works out...

 

Loved the chapter! It certainly is a hard situation for both of them, having to come to terms with their feelings and for Luke especially, how his motivations may look to Mara. Great introspection from Luke weighing up the pros and cons, and his devotion to Jadie's memory is so sweet.

I think he made the right decision, especially considering Jadie forseeing the event and effectively giving her blessing. And as if Mara is going to reject him! Famboy has nothing to worry about there, I think.

Looking foward to the epilogue

 

hi Jedi_Lover! i really loved seeing them struggle in this one. especially since it's leading them together. now i'm really curious as to what the last envelope contains!

paige

 

Great work for this story, good development of the plot and characters - now on to the last secret - what about that envelope!

 

Hi, Mara, my dead wife gave me a permission slip allowing me to start a relationship with you, so to you want to start one??
That was so typical of you... Great chapter, very well written and so very human to you and RG

 

Yay, we still have a chance for a happy ending.

 

G__Anakin: Thanks for stopping by and commenting!

RebelMom: Yeah, it is a little creepy. Jedi Trace, who is one of my betas (I need two since I can't write ), had read a rough draft and told me that getting a permission slip was sort of creeping. But I wanted to end this story, so I didn't want to change it. So I ended up having Luke acknowleding that it is creepy. Thanks for reading!!

tasujad:I left that out in case I wanted to have a really shocking ending. Like Connor getting a message to go to a certain location and then Jadie shows up. But nah, I am sure what is in the last envelope will be something uneventful.

HanSolOKniser3: Yeah, I thought it was a little abrupt, but RedGold, my beta, is the queen of cliffies and she thought it was best to leave the audience hanging. You will find out what happens during the epilogue. I am pretty sure it will not be a surprise to anyone.

Thrawn McEwok: I want to thank you, my friend, for being such a supportive reader. I always love reading your feedback. You are a great guy... I don't care what everybody else says.

Blue_Milkshake: Thank you for reading!

Jackyyy17: Yeah, I was cheering for Mara all the time also. This plotline was never meant to go past the creepy viggie first chapter. I can't believe I wrote over 70,000 words!! Thanks for reading!!

Kidan: Thanks for reading!!

MarJadeSky: It's coming, I promise you!

JEDIFLYSWATTER: Thank you for your kind words. It has been rough writing such a long story. I really appreciate your support throughout this epic undertaking!

Jedi Trace: Thanks! And thank you for all your wonderful support!

DivaPilot: Thank you! Yeah, those two always seem to do things the hard way!

JadeLotus: Thank you so much for reading and commenting. Yeah, I think Luke should not have any worries about Mara's answer. Now when am I going to get a Chimera update? I LOVE that story!!!

AriaPaige: Thanks. Yes, it has been hard for Luke. The poor guy has lost just about everybody whom he has ever loved romantically.

ImperialRemnant: Thank you for your kind words.

Feng Huang: Thank you so much! I really appreciate you reading this story!

StarFighter5: Luke and Mara deserve to be happy. Thanks for reading!

I want to thank everybody who has been reading this story. I really appreciate all of you who have read and have taken the time to comment and encourage me to continue writing.

I sent the Epiloge to my beta today. I hope to have it posted in a few days.

Thanks again,

JL

 

Epilogue:

~~ One year later ~~

The wedding party filled the Diamond level grand reception hall located deep in the bowels of Booster Terrik?s personal ship, the Errant Venture. The bright red, one-and-a-half kilometer long Star Destroyer, currently drifted in orbit high above the urbanized world of Coruscant and was the location of what many considered ?The Wedding of the Century?.

?It was a beautiful ceremony,? Leia gushed as she gave her brother a warm hug.

?Thank you Leia,? Luke said softly as they pulled apart. ?We want to really thank you for all your help in the preparations.?

?Anything for you, Luke,? Leia replied warmly and then shifted her attention to the woman next to him, ?and you, Mara, I?m so happy for both of you.? Leia stepped over to her new sister-in-law. ?I know that we have considered you and Ben as part of the family for years now,? tears filled her brown eyes, ?but I?m so happy that you are now officially part of the Skywalker family.?

A few wayward teardrops escaped the eyes of the usually stoic trader as she struggled to regain her composure. ?I?ve never been happier,? Mara?s voice cracked with emotion as she reached out and embraced her new sister-in-law.

The former Imperial warship was the only place that Luke and Mara could be assured privacy for their wedding and reception. Any location planet-side had the chance of Holo-reporters bribing their way in and causing a commotion. And after the last year of dealing with the press the last thing Luke and Mara wanted were more reporters hounding their every step in their pursuit of the truth. No, that wasn?t right, they were relentless for any scrap of scandalous gossip involving Luke and Mara?s courtship, not the truth.

Luke turned to his wife and smiled at the thought of their last year together. He fondly recalled that night after the children?s birthday party?the night Connor gave him the message from Jadie.

He had returned to Mara?s hotel room and put his heart on the line one more time. That was the night they decided to be completely truthful with one another. And so they?d talked. They talked all night and into the early morning hours before they both fell asleep on the couch next to each other, Mara?s head propped on Luke?s shoulder. Of course, the holonet reporter that tailed him and saw him enter Mara?s room that night, reported a whole different story. Luke mentally cringed at the thought of that holo-report. For a month after that story broke Han constantly asked Luke if he and Leia would borrow his stun cuffs and light whip.

Shaking his head, he could have laughed. No, they?d only talked that night, but in a way that was a more intimate encounter than if he took her to bed. For the first time their feelings for each other were completely laid out in the open. He discussed his overwhelming desire to find love again, and his lingering guilt about moving on so soon after his wife?s death. He confessed his love for the lovely trader turned Jedi, and his abject fear of her leaving him.

To his surprise, Mara was just as forthcoming with her feelings. She admitted to loving Luke for years, but had feared that their situation was now too complicated to make a relationship work.

As the conversation progressed, Luke felt a closeness with Mara that he had not experienced since that horrific day on Nirauan when they had experienced their life altering Force-bond. But this time there was no stress of combat or a Force-melding to account for the closeness. They both realized their bond was from a higher force. They loved each other and probably always had.

Within the week, they were ?officially? courting each other. Mara had decided not to take up Karrde?s job offer and returned to Yavin with Luke and the children. Six months later they had announced their engagement, which started a whole new deluge of rumor mongering.

First Ben?s parentage was brought into question? again. There was speculation that Luke was really the father and was now doing the right thi

 

Jedi_Lover: Epilogue:

The end of the 'fic!!

The wedding party filled the Diamond level grand reception hall located deep in the bowels of Booster Terrik?s personal ship, the Errant Venture. The bright red, half a kilometer long Star Destroyer, currently drifted in orbit high above the urbanized world of Coruscant and was the location of what many considered ?The Wedding of the Century?.

...

The former Imperial warship was the only place that Luke and Mara could be assured privacy for their wedding and reception. Any location planet-side had the chance of Holo-reporters bribing their way in and causing a commotion. And after the last year of dealing with the press the last thing Luke and Mara wanted were more reporters hounding their every step in their pursuit of the truth. No, that wasn?t right, they were relentless for any scrap of scandalous gossip involving Luke and Mara?s courtship, not the truth.

Perfect setting. Except that the Errant Venture should be 1.6km long (1 mile)... ;
DId it get broken?

?It was a beautiful ceremony,? Leia gushed as she gave her brother a warm hug.

?Thank you Leia,? Luke said softly as they pulled apart. ?We want to really thank you for all your help in the preparations.?

?Anything for you, Luke,? Leia replied warmly and then shifted her attention to the woman next to him, ?and you, Mara, I?m so happy for both of you.? Leia stepped over to her new sister-in-law. ?I know that we have considered you and Ben as part of the family for years now,? tears filled her brown eyes, ?but I?m so happy that you are now officially part of the Skywalker family.?

A few wayward teardrops escaped the eyes of the usually stoic trader as she struggled to regain her composure. ?I?ve never been happier,? Mara?s voice cracked with emotion as she reached out and embraced her new sister-in-law.

Aww. They're all emotional. Nice... because it feels true. And unexpected. Thank you.

Luke turned to his wife and smiled at the thought of their last year together. He fondly recalled that night after the children?s birthday party?the night Connor gave him the message from Jadie.

He had returned to Mara?s hotel room and put his heart on the line one more time. That was the night they decided to be completely truthful with one another. And so they?d talked. They talked all night and into the early morning hours before they both fell asleep on the couch next to each other, Mara?s head propped on Luke?s shoulder. Of course, the holonet reporter that tailed him and saw him enter Mara?s room that night, reported a whole different story. Luke mentally cringed at the thought of that holo-report. For a month after that story broke Han constantly asked Luke if he and Leia would borrow his stun cuffs and light whip.

Farmboy... your new wife's been mind-tricking you...

Shaking his head, he could have laughed. No, they?d only talked that night, but in a way that was a more intimate encounter than if he took her to bed. For the first time their feelings for each other were completely laid out in the open. He discussed his overwhelming desire to find love again, and his lingering guilt about moving on so soon after his wife?s death. He confessed his love for the lovely trader turned Jedi, and his abject fear of her leaving him.

To his surprise, Mara was just as forthcoming with her feelings. She admitted to loving Luke for years, but had feared that their situation was now too complicated to make a relationship work.

As the conversation progressed, Luke felt a closeness with Mara that he had not experienced since that horrific day on Nirauan when they had experienced their life altering Force-bond. But this time there was no stress of combat or a Force-melding to account for the closeness. They both realized their bond was from a higher force. They loved each other and probably always had.

Aww...

Within the week, they were ?officially? courting each oth

 

Ack... I did look it up. I think I had meant to write one-and-a-half kilometer long. Thanks for pointing that out. I will go change it!

And thanks for your lovely commments, McEwok!!

And no, there will not be any sequel coming from me.

JL

 

Coming out of lurkdom to say that, even though I was wary at first, seeing Luke married to someone other than Mara, this turned out to be a great story. I think Luke waited plenty long to remarry, and I'm glad to see him and Mara happy together. Since you said there won't be sequel, does that mean Mara will never have a baby of her own, and become a seer?

 

thanks for the explanation on the last paragraph. I've not read that yet.

finally some happiness for Luke. Took some time but it happened. A star destroyer is a good place for a wedding. Don't have to worry about gate crashers.

 

What a heppy ending. Luke and Mara are finally together. *Under breath* About time */Under breath*

And Jadie prevented Legacy from happening.... Although I cant help but wonder Without the NJO happening, would it be Jacen who turns to the dark side in Legacy, or one of the three Skywalker children???

Luckly, though, because of Jadie and Jak Connor, we will never know.

Oh, and I loved how Mara's "Parents" were at the wedding. Nice touch.

But what about the bonus pm honeymoon chapter??




Seriously though. This was a very good story, and I am sad to see it come to an end.

Bravo, J_L, Bravo



(I'll shut up now. )



jacky

 

Yay! Happy ending I miss Jadie, but still, yay!

A holo-star, huh? You go Jak!

The lottery numbers idea was awesome.

I have so enjoyed this story. Thank you for writing it!

Someone help me with my memory--didn't this begin as a challenge response? I'd scroll back to page one if my dial-up connection weren't so painfuly slow. [insert turtle smiley here]