Beyond - Legends "Floof-losiphy" (TUF/nucanon AU; SkySolos, OCs, fluff, philosophy)

A/N: I'm at a rather hard-to-describe point right now - bunnies are running with springtime, but I'm still trying to catch them, if that makes any sense.

So, here's something I wrote for a friend. Mild spoilers for my ongoing "Betsyverse" AU ...

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28.1 ABY: Zonama Sekot,
edge of habitable zone of
Coruscant System:
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The damutek was well-heated, although Sekot was able to keep its (her? Jaina was never quite sure) temperature stable. The living planet had had to move away from Coruscant to avoid any more severe gravitational disruptions.

At the moment, though, the quirks of sentient worlds and peace treaties were less important than this first meeting.

"Babies?" asked Ben Skywalker - who, himself, at all of 15 months was hardly much older than his first cousins once removed, who were already crawling (or, in Rian's case, occasionally attempting to levitate).

"That's right, Ben. You were that little, not so long ago. See if they want to play. Just play nice, OK?" Uncle Luke encouraged.

The red-headed toddler glanced at his father, then at the now-attentive, babbling figures rolling around on the playmat (Tahiri had sworn the Vong-carpet was completely pain-free, but Jaina had tested it herself first, just in case). "'Kay," Ben said, sounding a bit wary.

He crouched down as Roan reached out a hand to pat his older cousin's face, and Jaina could sense the brown-white-haired infant's curiosity and hesitation. Rian had already rolled over and squinted at Ben, then laughed and returned his attention to the stuffed Ewok he was attempting to make fly.

"Hi," Ben said, smiling, and he let Roan play with his stuffed X-Wing (a delightful creation of Grandma Padme's, which had elated the boy when Padme' and Zekk had finally been able to reunite with the rest of the family after the end of Naboo's blockade by a distant Yuuzhan Vong picket).

"Hrmm. Rebel subversion. He should have a clawcraft or a TIE," Jag half-joked, shrugging at Mara's glare of mock offense. "What? I'm not allowed to play favorites?"

"Pretend it's an ugly, Fel," Mara teased back, sitting down with the children. "Rhysode, your kid's about to enter orbit."

"Whoa there, big guy!" Ganner exclaimed, grabbing Rian before the baby could actually lift more than a half-meter into the air. Rian fussed, but Ganner added, "Hey, you've got lots of time to learn how to levitate."

Jaina smiled, sincerely happy in a carefree way she hadn't felt since the earliest days after her sons' birth. Anakin and Tahiri were chatting with Mom and Dad while Jacen and Tenel Ka were flirting so blatantly it was almost like Jacen had had a personality transplant during the war (for the better, Jaina thought behind her shields).

Chewie and Malla were celebrating the impending birth of their daughter, while Lando regaled Kylo, Rey, Grandma, and Zekk with tales of Tendra's daring as an agent of the Great River. And Threepio, Artoo, and Cappie were talking or chirping amongst themselves in the corner. In all, it was as much of a happy ending to the war as Jaina could've imagined.

And yet ... she thought, catching Luke's glance as he shone with happiness. He'd been quiet all day, and not just from recovering from the amphistaff venom; Jaina nodded at him when he glanced toward the damutek hatch.

They stepped outside, wrapped in Jedi robes - the enclave had gone well enough, everyone pledging to explore their individual "Jedi paths," but remain in contact. It'd been a bit bittersweet, what with Ani and 'Ri planning to head off with Kunra, Niirit, and Kettch to help the Remnant-GADF coalition keep the Bothans from attacking Yuuzhan Vong noncombatants, and Jacen and Tenel retiring to Coruscant to help with un-Vong-forming the planet.

Neither job is particularly Jedi-centric, though ... and there's my decision, Jaina reflected, sitting on a moss-covered bench beside Luke as he looked at the increasingly-distant Coruscant Prime. Sekot would jump to hyperspace once the Jedi and their families and friends left - only Tekli and Cherith Fel (revealed as Danni Quee near the war's end) would remain.

"So. Here's the part where you tell me in that patient way you have that I'll always be welcome in the Order," Jaina said, trying not to sound scathing - her uncle meant well, but she'd made her decision.

She felt a little bad as Luke winced, but he managed that farmboy smile he had - his politeness always seemed sincere.

"You will be welcome, Jaina - you and Ganner, and your sons, when and if they choose to become Jedi," Luke offered.

"And I appreciate that, Uncle Luke. But Ganner and I - and Jag, in Roan's case - all decided. We'll teach the boys to control their powers. That doesn't mean they should have to become Jedi," Jaina reiterated, politely but clearly.

Luke shifted a bit, his discomfort showing in ways only his closest relatives (or students, who often were one and the same) would detect. He had this minor facial twitch that betrayed his annoyance, and his eyes became a bit less bright-blue.

"We've never forced anyone to become Jedi, Jaina. And I did learn the lesson of our mistake involving Anoth," Luke said.

Jaina nodded, deciding to be politic and not retort that she'd always felt a familial expectation to become a Jedi, and that Luke and Mara hadn't sent any of their children away as infants (other than Ben, but there'd been a real threat to him).

Of course, that didn't keep Hux's lunatics from attacking the transport carrying Kylo, Rey, and Jemma. And even if Uncle Luke did find Rey on Jakku, Jemma's still missing, Jaina remembered, choosing her next words carefully.

"If the boys decide to take up lightsabers when they're old enough, then I'll support them. But I want them to have real childhoods, as much as they can," Jaina emphasized, holding Luke's gaze.

She glanced at the ground, sighing, as she added - admitted? - "Of course, that will be under fake names ..."

"I know you're doing it to keep them safe, and not out of shame of the family," Luke said, reasonable as ever. "I just wish ..."

Jaina glanced back at him, while his shields dropped - his expression-shields, at least, not his mental defenses - and real pain shone in his eyes.

"I never wanted all of this - restarting the Order, the unreconstructed Imperials, the Yuuzhan Vong - to interfere with any of you living your lives. It's just ... if we can do real good in the galaxy, shouldn't we?" Luke asked, sounding ... lost?

Jaina took a deep breath, finally replying, "I think Jedi can do that. I just think ... you need to be more careful of assuming you're always correct. There's a lot of difference between using a special skill to protect people in need, and using the same skill to enforce one's point of view. The Empire might not be right for you or I, but for some people ... it's what they know, what works and what protects them."

"There's a difference between responsibility and assumed authority," Luke whispered, looking grim for an instant.

Jaina gently squeezed his forearm, radiating support. "I know you still see your aunt and uncle," she said, hoping she wasn't being too blunt. "But most Imperials are nothing like Vader or Palpatine. Look at Jag."

Luke smirked and said, "Some Imperials would say the Fels aren't very Imperial."

"And some Imperials do need to be tossed out an airlock," Jaina mock-huffed. "Any word from Uldir and Klin-Fa?"

Luke sighed; the Jedi had been (after some serious high-level discussion among the Moffs and Admiral Pellaeon) allowed to help the nascent Imperial Knights scour the Remnant for signs of Armitage Hux's disturbingly Tarkinist movement. So far, there'd been no luck, and some of the more cynical Masters and GADF officers suspected Moff double-agency.

"Nothing so far. And every time I try to farsee the First Order's base ... there's an interference. Something ... dark," Luke said, keeping his voice down, as if he risked inviting whatever evil drove Hux's fanatics to infest Zonama Sekot.

"We'll root it out. Once Betsy's finished helping get the Hutts settled in the Galactic Alliance negotiations, she'll dig out whatever rot keeps assisting Hux's scum to hide," Jaina reassured her uncle.

Luke looked almost doubtful for a moment, but nodded; Betsy Braddock's telepathic and investigative skills had been more than proven during the Vong War, and she'd become one of the Order's most trusted and competent Knights.

"I need to focus on the here and now. I haven't spent nearly enough time with the kids since the treaty was signed; I've missed so much time with them and Mara," Luke admitted, smiling that gorntish smile he got when he was ashamed.

Jaina squeezed his hand, radiating sympathy. "You have time, now. Let the other Masters help shoulder the load," she advised.

She withdrew her hand, not wanting to nag her uncle or speak cruelly, but sensed Luke's mood shift as he said, "Kylo."

"Yeah ... I didn't want to -" Jaina began, looking at Luke, but he just smiled his smile - masking real pain and worry.

"Rey told me what he did to the Vong strike team that came after him, Rey, and Ben just before Coruscant fell," Luke said. "And while he's behaved generally well ... Kam and Tionne's observations can't be ignored. Mara's ... even more concerned."

Jaina nodded, hoping she didn't seem too relieved. Luke and Mara's firstborn son could be decent enough, but his temper reminded many of the family of stories of Anakin Skywalker - and Kylo tended to learn the wrong lessons from Vader.

"Uncle Luke ... I know how much you want Kylo to follow in your footsteps ..." Jaina started.

Luke's expression became distant, and Jaina knew the conversation was over - until a flicker of concern shone in his eyes.

"A half-trained Jedi is even more dangerous than one who's completed the training. I can't let him have a Bespin moment, Jaina. I don't want my children - any of them - to suffer what I went through. But Kylo just gets so ... angry, distant," Luke confessed, standing and shaking his head.

Jaina stood, grateful for Luke's trust in her, and she offered, "Just be there for him, make sure he knows he's loved. Or, if he won't talk to you or Mara, make sure he has someone he can reach out to. I'd suggest Kyp, but ... well."

Luke gave her a weakly sardonic smile as he replied, "Mara would not approve, and Kyp's off on his own mission. Maybe Kyle - we did name Kylo after him, after all."

"At the very least, Master Katarn could keep Kylo in line," Jaina agreed. "As for Ganner and I, and the boys - we'll be on Coruscant if you need us."

Luke's smile returned, honest and sincere, and Jaina was grateful for it. "'Ayja Deist, junk shop proprieter.' Has a ring to it," he said, as Jaina hugged him and they stepped back inside the damutek.

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Fantastic blend of candor and sympathy - talking about some sensitive issues relating to choices past and present and burdens imagined and otherwise.

 

WarmNyota: Thank you. Luke's got enough to deal with in this timeline, and anything that keeps him from being ... well, late-LOTF Luke is a good thing, IMHO.