Beyond - Legends ~Goodbye and Hello~ (L/M)

TITLE: Goodbye and Hello
AUTHOR: Irish_Jedi_Jade
SUMMARY: They said them so often.
CHARACTERS: Luke and Mara, of course.
NOTES: So, this is my very rusty first stab back in this universe that I love so much...hope it isn't too horrible. But after so many goodbyes to the one that I love because of this life called the military...this came from experience. Hope you enjoy, missed you all, and its good to be back! BIG thanks to Jade_eyes for the amazing and super-fast beta!!!




Slinging her bag over one shoulder, she signed the last form that was being shoved in her face; why Coruscant required more paperwork to depart planet than any other system in the known galaxy was beyond her. But it was kriffing annoying.

Stepping away from the droid now happily beeping and digesting her signatures into its memory banks, she started towards the ship, and something close to a smile flitted across her face. It had been a fun little adventure, confronting a mad Jedi clone in the Emperor's secret facility on an out of the way planet...but she was glad to get back to normal life. That is, normal for Mara Jade.

Her boots clanged against the ramp as she started up, out of sync with the second set of booted feet she could hear running towards her. Half tempted to simply lock the hatch behind her and not spare a second thought, she instead turned around when she realized who it was.

"Skywalker."

"Mara. I, I just wanted to say goodbye. And thanks again."

The blue eyes that had haunted her nightmares twinkled up at her with an unfamiliar emotion. She shrugged it off as one of those Jedi things.

"See you around. Keep your ass out of trouble."

He gave her a mock salute and a smile as she raised the ramp.

~**~

She was sitting at a table in the back, pretending to watch the musicians as they danced and generally made fools of themselves, but he knew better.

Pulling out the chair, he sat down beside her and flicked the heads-up menu on the table for his selection. She gave him a cool, appraising look that made him want to laugh and hide at the same time.

"Looks like I forgot to take down the sign that said "Hey, annoyingly sunny people, please come join me."

Luke only rolled his eyes and took a sip of the drink the droid handed him; strong and velvety going down. Delicious.

"Well, I was in the area and I couldn't resist. This is the best micro on the planet."

Mara smirked. "I won't let it get out that the grand and glorious Jedi Master likes the occasional libation."

Luke only smiled at her, that infuriatingly calm and unruffled look.

"Well, now that the usual pleasantries are over, hello Mara. How are you?"

~**~

She was walking with that determined gait that meant she was angry, he noticed. Breaking away from his conversation, Luke rose and fell into step next to her.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Skywalker, I've just gotta burn it outta here. Galaxy to save, illegal stuff to smuggle, that kind of thing."

She stopped at the edge of the tarmac, and it struck Luke for a moment the division of their lives. The cool smooth stones of the Jedi Praxeum that was his calling, his home...and the rough and tough surface of the landing pad that was hers; always on the go, always moving.

Shrugging the musings off, he reached out and grasped her shoulders--that was the closest to an embrace he felt safe attempting.

"It was good to see you Mara. Thanks for the intel, I'll pass it on."

Something passed through her eyes, but it was gone before he could even begin to identify it. She nodded briskly and, breaking out of his grasp, walked towards the waiting Headhunter, only to stop and turn around.

"Oh and Skywalker? The female? You sure know how to pick 'em."

Something in her Force sense wavered for a moment, but then she threw him a grin and sauntered off.

~**~

For the fifty-third time in the last fifty-three minutes, Luke glanced at his chrono. She would be here in two hours...could time go any slower?

Their first time apart as a married co

 

"You guessed right. Obi-wan gave me some flowery speech that's customary to say when someone brings a spirit home...but I forgot it. It was bantha fodder anyways. The gist was, 'Your work is done, good job."

I like both of Mara's much better...


Good story, Irish.

 

And you still have it, girl!!

The military didn't take away your storytelling skills.

This was a great concept that was uniquely executed. I loved the structure of the small scenes of their hellos and goodbyes in various forms during their many phases of their relationship. I could see it as an 80's movie montage done by John Hughes with the Psychedelic Furs playing in the background. Ooops, I've dated me!

Cleverly done and may I say,

Welcome back, Irish!

 

Rusty? This was fabulous! Gorgeous, lovely, and poetic. Your writing style is beautiful. I loved how it spanned their whole relationship in all its various stages. You absolutely nailed it.
Great to have you back!!

 

Oh this was lovely. Lovely. Lovely.
I love the varying tones to the phases of their hellos and goodbyes -- blossoming friendship to snarky Mara who is the queen of snark! To Mara getting her honest jab at Callista -- yay!!!!! Always up for that! Then their post VOTF life together full of warmth and tenderness and Mara's warning "Don't you dare get me pregnant again!" The last two scenes -- heart tugging.

Your writing style is gentle and intimate; rather than rustiness LOL I think you've matured as a writer or evolved into something deeper and richer than ever.

Ah! Our L&M-verse is now complete again.

 

Wow, that was really, really, REALLY good! I almost cried... Absolutely amazing.

 

First off, Welcome back, Irish!!!
And that was certainly not a rusty effort in the slightest!!

This was such a beautiful look at their life together. For a moment I thought you were going to end it with Mara dying and while it would still be beautiful, we would have been left with a sad feeling. Your ending left us feeling happy and warm! Thank you for that!

I especially liked the mention of Obi-wan and how she wasn't going to give his flowery speech. So very Mara!

Wonderful job!!

 

Hey, you--welcome back!! I haven't been able to read and review as much lately so it's such a treat to come back and find you here!

What a wonderful story you've come back with, too. I love the look over Luke and Mara's lives together, and I don't think I can entirely blame my hormones for the tears in my eyes by the end! Wonderful work, gal and hope to see much more from you now that you're back!

 

Yay! This was lovely!


'specially:

~The blue eyes that had haunted her nightmares twinkled up at her with an unfamiliar emotion. She shrugged it off as one of those Jedi things... "See you around. Keep your ass out of trouble."

Classic Mara.


~She gave him a cool, appraising look that made him want to laugh and hide at the same time... "Looks like I forgot to take down the sign that said "Hey, annoyingly sunny people, please come join me."
~Luke only smiled at her, that infuriatingly calm and unruffled look... "Well, now that the usual pleasantries are over, hello Mara. How are you?"

I loved her comment, and Luke's classification of such as "the usual plesantries". Not that he's incorrect...


~"Oh and Skywalker? The female? You sure know how to pick 'em."

Petty? Nawww! *innocent look*


~Tilting her head up, Mara gave him a look that was one part welcome and one part hate.

Pregnancy discomfort wars with a sense of stubborn independence!


~You'd better be ready for when I get out, farmboy. You're not going to be leaving my bunk for quite a while."




~"Hey." Her voice was a soft, throaty whisper, but then it filled with the caustic humor that was so her. "Get up, sleepyhead. Time to go... Obi-wan gave me some flowery speech that's customary to say when someone brings a spirit home...but I forgot it. It was bantha fodder anyways. The gist was, 'Your work is done, good job."

Perfect ending! Yay!

 

Not rusty at all, Irish! I loved this one just as much as your other fics.

I was worried that you were going to have a depressing ending at first, but instead it was heartwarming.