Saga - ST Notes from Underground (OCs / post-TFA / Fifty Titles Challenge)

Title: Notes from Underground.
Author: Lazy K
Timeframe: post-TFA with OT and post-OT flashbacks
Characters: OCs
Genre: drama
Keywords:
Summary: An Alderaanian woman receives a plea for help from her long-lost brother in the Resistance to go on a salvage mission at the remains of Starkiller Base.
Notes: Written for the Fifty Titles Challenge

---

Notes from Underground


Jaan Izanarris hated zero gravity. It wasn't the disorientation or the nausea brought on by the sensation of falling - though that was bad enough - but the memories it brought back.

She had been in her second year at the University of Corellia. Her friends had pressured her into checking out the Null Grav Lounge. After getting over her mild panic attack, she had actually begun to enjoy herself. And then her comm link had buzzed, and when she answered it her brother told her that Alderaan was gone. Destroyed, along with almost everyone she knew and loved.

Now, more than thirty years later, she still felt a pang of nearly physical pain every time she entered free fall.

Unfortunately, there was no way of getting around the experience. According to company policy, all employees were required to spend at least one continuous hour in zero gravity per local month. And though she was the head of her small firm and thus technically not an employee, she felt a moral compulsion to stick to the rules she had laid out.

Taking deep breaths helped. So did keeping perfectly still, though that was difficult without gravity to keep you in place. After much trial and error, she had found a brand of space sickness pills that were surprisingly effective. Although they would work a lot better, she thought, if I remembered to take them beforehand . . .

From experience, she knew it took roughly half an hour for the pills to take effect. She also knew that staring at the chrono, trying to will the digits to progress more rapidly, would only make matters worse. She was down to twenty-three bottles of fizz on the wall when the wall comm buzzed, provoking a surprised jerk than sent her spinning slowly across the empty room.

"Lanton," you nit, she added silently, "I told you not to interrupt me for anything less than world-shattering."

"Sorry, ma'am," her secretary said, "but we've just received word that . . . um, I don't think you should be in zero G when you hear this."

Jaan rolled her eyes and immediately regretted the chaos it added to the scene rotating around her. "You know, there are less dread-inducing ways of announcing bad news."

"I'm sorry, ma'am. But I really, really think you should be on your feet for this."

She glanced at her wrist chrono and saw twenty minutes of nauseating free fall had passed. While she had no desire to repeat those twenty minutes again any time soon - and judging by how apologetic Lanton sounded, it was a sure bet the pills would have worn off by the time she got around to zero gravity again - she trusted his judgement and if he thought it was important, it probably was.

Sighing, she fiddled with her master remote until she floated "upwards" to the floor, then carefully righted herself before restoring gravity. Then, swaying slightly as her inner ear tried to remember which way was which, she made her way to the control room.

 

Another great beginning! I'm going to be running this challenge every year, if the result is this kind of story. Your summary alone had me hooked, and then this:

If I am guessing correctly where this is going... oh the irony.

 

I love the mundane kind of feel to this story, as far as characters and premise. Refreshing shift from the usual Jedi/Sith struggle. Looking forward to more.

 

I enjoyed this start. Jaan's reflecting on the devastating loss of Alderaan is grounded within the context of "I do not like zero G!" Not at all. And then her secretary says - the SW equivalent of "Sit down. You need to sit down." That is a big fat red flag for seriously icky news.

In just a few words, you have us invested in what comes next and in the character herself.

Lord almighty but I love OCs.

 

An unusual and intriguing start! She's been through a lot, and it sounds like she is going to have to deal with more. That news isn't going to be good.

 

I love this!!! A very compelling intro to a compelling character! I feel like I feel her pain as best I can--I'm terrified of flying, and I always forget to take my dramamine until 5 minutes before take-off! Super excited to see where you go with this, I'm sure there will be amazing characters just like Jaan!

Will you tag me when you update, if you're doing that please?

 

Great start. I love the feel of this. Something big is going to happen, but it is nice to see a story from a different prospective than the big Jedi/Sith struggles.

But this saying must take on a whole different meaning for Alderaanians:

Going by the timeframe, I am worried.