Beyond - Legends I'll Come With You

YOU UPDATED!!!!!!! All my harassment paid off

Loved Leia and Mara sparring and so chuffed to see Leia with a shoto, and the Alderaaian opal (I loved all of cross-fic headcanons appearing) - she is a badass.

This description is lovely and vivid - and so in character for Leia - and then them both talking shop as it were, great stuff.

Nice to see Mara a bit flustered and inquisitive - cataloging his possessions which all give such insight in Luke, finding out he actually made the bird himself which makes is much more of an intimate and important gift, and of course the matching bracelets! Sweet Jaina, she's got her uncle's back.

 

Unfortunately you've already read these updates. But thanks for leaving the lovely commentary again anyway!

 

[Story removed.]

 

Beautiful and amazing contrast of moods here! First the outspokenness and sincerity of Jaina with Mara. Then the mixed consequences of a fragmented bond and regaining empathy - Mara does know how to restore a lighter tone, none better. And he sure knows how to give space and support at one and the same time.

I do really love this process they're on.

 

The fact that the bond is present but damaged means it can act in unpredictable ways; Mara isn't quite in full control of it at all times. I know I'm taking more than a few liberties with it, however, given that the EU never really defined it in concrete terms and I don't recall the books ever establishing that they'd be sensitive to areas or objects with lingering psychic scars. But hey, all in the name of angst.

 

Jaina is a L/M shipper. HA!

 

And the most unapologetic one too.

 

I love love love the relationship you have between Mara and Jaina - all the groundwork is there for future Aunt-Neice and Master-Apprentice.

And Mara's nerves, because this time it's different and real, is lovely.

 

It's funny that Jaina conflates Mara marrying Luke with getting to have her as a Jedi Master but in her mind she figures it's the best guarantee that Mara will stick around. In reality marriage shouldn't need to be involved with Mara attaining rank as a Knight/Master (that's actually quite a problematic thing) but Jaina just doesn't see any downsides to the situation, in her opinion.

 

[Story removed.]

 

Incoherent delight!!!!!! Oh, how I love dialogue, and this is just the best!!! Stunningly insightful and vulnerable!

 

It's one of those types of conversations I wish they'd had in the EU...but alas, that's our job. (Or at least, this is one rationalization I made to explain why the EU hardly had them together...)

 

I loveeeeee this story!!!!! And yes....FanFic writers are the ones who really know what is going on!!!!

 

This was a very, very satisfying chapter to write; it's cathartic for me too, lol. (I'd stumbled across the blog post with the bread recipe like a year earlier or more and I never forgot it because of the moving story that went along with it, and I thought it'd be a nice thing to incorporate into their talk. Plus, Mara is really turned on by watching Luke kneading dough... )

 

This was always my favourite chapter

 

*squees quietly* XD

I mean - there are certainly sundry other headcanon explanations as to why Luke and Mara didn't have more of an in-universe friendship (out-of-universe is a whole other gundark), but...I actually wish this wasn't a possible reason why, even though I chose to make it the background angst for my story, because I personally feel that Dark Empire was character regression for Luke (if that story had to happen, I would have preferred a different approach, yada yada). I have to make quite a few mental gymnastics to justify his choices there. But anyway - as so you beautifully highlighted in your older fic "Stars Did Wander Darkling," this topic of Mara being potentially fearful and resentful of Luke for seemingly falling to the Dark Side and serving Sheev-O 2.0 isn't one I've seen covered in a lot of stories. (It's actually a subject I started exploring years ago in a semi-crack!fic about Luke going grocery shopping and inviting Mara over for dinner, when she decides to vent about all this unexpectedly; I mined some of that here. )

And I'm going to frankly admit right now that I swiped more than a bit of inspiration for Ch. 13 from your "Darkling" ficlet.

 

JadeLotus -- Stars Did Wander Darkling?! OMG, just the title is poetical. Could we perhaps get a repost with a cherry on top at the JC?

 

Yay, you're back! Okay, I'm just a few weeks late in saying this, but I've been hiding under a rock recently

I hope your mom is better now because, well, I hope she's better, but also (entirely selfishly) because it means that we see more of you

Coming to this fic after everyone else has already been here, I have little to add to the comments. I too loved Leia in full Jedi mode and I particularly enjoyed how there are some Vader-ish traits in her combat style. Also, Jaina as a L/M 'shipper was a niiiiice touch.

What really stands out in this story for me is how Luke and Mara's relationship-building is a two steps forward, one step back process, not a highway that leads to them being a couple a bit too easily, you know what I mean? It was great to see them discovering the negative side-effects of their bond early on and working out their issues over the Dark Empire story arc (although I'm with you on that one, I'm not sure at all that this story arc needed to happen in the first place )

And now, I'm waiting for the action in chapter 13. Bring it on!

 

PFFFFFT, that's nothing compared to MY hiatus.

Mom is a little better in some ways, but having other issues at the same time (it seems like she's developing arthritis in her right hand already, which is not only painful but super annoying). On the bright side, though, she's not having any more dizzy spells and she can get around a bit more.

These two poor nerds are always going to have issues, no matter how good they really are for each other...

GOOOOOOOOOOOOD, JOIN ME IN MY DISLIKE. I know we're kind of in the minority in these forums, lol.

HAHA, action. Yeah. No pressure there, nope. *rolls away into a pit*