Beyond - Legends One Sword Rising (LOTF, post-Exile, Jaina-centric) Updated 8/30 - Nominated!! Thanks everybody!

Great job!

 

Love, love, love your way with dialogue. This story is such a pleasure to read, well written and character driven. I look forward to the updates.

The whole scene with the Vong armor was intriguing. I never thought about that much before and like how you introduced this.

And of course, I'm a big Ben fan, so it's great having him in the story.

LOL Moment: ?They grow ships here?? Ben said. ?Astral! Can I have one??

Bravo!

 

And Ben's turmoil was just... well. She felt for him. She felt what he felt ? betrayal, yes, and shock, and fear ? but underneath all of that: pure, emotional agony. Ben was heartbroken.

Poor Ben.

Ben. Stars, she'd missed him. She should have been there for him when he was growing up, should have taken the time to get to know him earlier. Jaina made a mental note to redouble her efforts now.

Aww. I hope it works.

?Been rifling through her panties again?? Kyp queried.

?Ew,? opined Ben.

I agree with Ben. Stop being a dirty old man, Kyp.

?In other words, everyone wants to see us beat the snot out of each other,? Zekk translated.

?More or less.?

Are they selling tickets?

?You look like a lobster,? Jaina corrected him with a smile, deciding not to point out that he was way too short to be a stormtrooper.

It runs in the family.

?Kyp's got a very delicate ego,? she stage-whispered to Ben. ?You have to be careful not to let him inflate it, or it'll break.?



?Heavy,? Zekk agreed. A mischievous note crept into his voice. ?You know, by the time your mother was that age-?

Jaina pushed him off the log. ?Not helping!? But she had a reluctant smile on her face anyway.

It's good to see them friends again. I love their rapport.

Nice update!

 

Definitely answered some questions.

And true, Jaina does have a lot on her plate.

Looking forward to the next installment!

 

Sorry I'm such a slacker getting here. It was a fantastic chapter. I hope that we get to see a lot more of the Jaina/Ben friendship. I've always clung to the moment in "The joiner King" where Ben is really excited to see Jaina, that they had some good times during his youth, while Jacen was traveling the galaxy. I have high hopes for their friendship here too- keep it coming.

Great emotion from Jaina. You've continued to invest a lot in conveying her emotional state, and its paying off.


Please keep up the great work. I promise I'm still reading.

~padawanlost

 

Hi guys! Sorry again for the delay; I was camping (read: being drowned by rain) up in the Bruce Peninsula last week, so, no update. But this week's is extra long, so, no whining.

Also, I haven't read "Inferno" yet, as my store hasn't got it unpacked (we're six skids behind in receiving; it's kind of scary). Anyway, SHHH, if I get something right that happens in Inferno - don't tell me!

G__Anakin: Thanks!

Jade_Pilot: *blush* Dialogue is my favourite. Glad you like. I hope the canon authors fix Ben soon... he worries me.

Emerald_Lady: Kyp's a bit of a weirdo, but I think he means well. Maybe.

Are they selling tickets?

TICKETS! GET CHORE TICKETS HERE! TWENTY CREDITS FOR THE JEDI DUEL....

I feel like the friendships in the SW canon are suffering... not just Jaina and Zekk's, but all of them. We don't get the friendly back and forth like we did in, say, the Zahn novels or the X-Wing books or even the *cringe* YJK series. So I'm glad you appreciate it.

Solo_and_Fel: Well, here it is! Hope it doesn't disappoint.

padawanlost: Thanks for commenting; don't worry about being late - this chapter's pretty late, too. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Jaina and Ben could be such a great team if they ever got a shot at it in canon.

Well! That's where I'll leave off, to give you:

Chapter 18: The Hounds of War
Suggested Listening: Fighter - Christina Aguilera

?Well,? Kyp said, tossing his duffel into the storage compartment of the borrowed shuttle, ?That's the last of it.? He brushed off his hands and turned around, a slight smirk on his face. ?What do you say, Goddess?? He motioned to the amphistaff fields. ?Once more for old time's sake??

Jaina raised her eyebrows. ?You want to have a go at me now?? Boys. ?You're going to stink up the shuttle.?

?Was that a yes??

Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, Jaina nodded. Since Kyp, Ben and Zekk had arrived on-planet a week and a half previously, she'd got in rather a lot of practice ? with her lightsaber, a handy amphistaff, or even plain old hand-to-hand. She went to bed exhausted every night and woke up a little sore every morning, but she couldn't help but feel that she was finally getting somewhere with her combat skills that she hadn't been in a while. Years in the cockpit of a fighter, or on diplomatic missions, had dulled her ground-fighting skills... and it was high time she did something about it. ?You want amphistaffs or lightsabers??

?Want to try one of each??

Jaina stared at him. ?Are you crazy??

?Jacen can do it,? Kyp shrugged, closing the shuttle hatch behind him. ?But if you're not interested...?

Kriff it, Jaina thought with a sigh. Not that she didn't see what Kyp was doing. He was being pretty obvious about it. He was, at the same time, using her brother to push her farther along the path of a master swordswoman, and using her training to guide her into slowly accepting that someday she was going to have to fight, maybe kill, her own brother.

It was a very clever plan, and just because she knew he was doing it didn't mean it wasn't working. ?Alright,? she said finally. The past few sparring sessions, she'd had Kyp on his toes the entire time, and though he'd beaten her in the end, she knew she wasn't far behind him in skill any longer.

They squared off on the landing field, Jaina with her eyes half-closed, listening to the world around her. It had become almost a reflex to shut it out ? but if she was going to persevere, she would need to hear every whisper of leaves, every sigh of the wind.

?Are you ready?? Kyp asked, and she barely nodded.

Then they were on each other, weapons swirling and blazing, muscles straining, concentrating furiously on disarming the other. Though the power settings on their sabers had been switched low enough to cause no more than a mild burn, the amphistaffs were hard and would break bones if they were swung the wrong way.

It was like a floodgate somewhere had burst. Jaina spun herself into a fury of energy, meeting Ky

 

i love the story so far.
can i be put on the pm list.
please.

 

yea can i be put on the pm list too? great story, cant wait for next update.

 

Not that she didn't see what Kyp was doing. He was being pretty obvious about it. He was, at the same time, using her brother to push her farther along the path of a master swordswoman, and using her training to guide her into slowly accepting that someday she was going to have to fight, maybe kill, her own brother.

Well, I applaud Kyp's drive and practicality.

The thrill of the fight blazed in her mind, and she almost laughed as Kyp attempted a particularly transparent feint; rather than following him into it, she leapt high over his head and came down to the side to launch another attack.

I really like the way you write Jaina's "in the zone" feeling here. I love seeing her written as a true Sword; it gives me happy chills.

?Form seven,? Kyp said, picking up his lightsaber from the ground. He sounded, for the first time in his life, completely beyond shock. ?Vaapad.?

Schweeeet!!!!

?She kicked my butt!? Kyp said. He still sounded annoyingly surprised.



The Force had given her a valuable weapon, and she would use it ? she would become it ? but only when the time came.

Good girl.

And the ship sang to her in the Force, calming her, reassuring her, wrapping her up in its embrace as she had done to the seeds when they nested on her. Home, it said. Home. Safe.

This is super-neat. It makes sense that Jaina would feel more at home on a ship than anywhere else, and this ship is particularly suited for that purpose.

?Solo Flight,? she said softly, and the ship purred to her.

I like it.

 

Fantastic update!!!!

I just love this story. The characterizations, the dialogue, plotting and actions scenes are first rate! I squee every time I get a PM about an update!

Love the name of Jaina's ship.

Bravo, loneastronomer!

 

?You look like a lobster,? Jaina corrected him with a smile, deciding not to point out that he was way too short to be a stormtrooper. ?Come on, let's get out of the way. You don't want to be standing in the wrong spot when these two go at it.?

?Place your bets,? said Kyp cheerily.

Ben turned to her, his face solemn. ?Ten credits on Kyp.?

She fought down a snicker. ?You're too young to gamble.? She lowered her voice. ?Wanna make it twenty??





Sorry I've been absent -- busy with school, and I tend to let update PMs sit until I find some time (Luckily, Dad let me online for more hours that Mom does ).

Awesome post!! I love the Kyp banter, and Jaina's thoughts about Ben. I love seeing him here

Ug, Zekk should leave

Second post in a few


EDIT: That was even beter!! I like the fight, and how that form took so much out of Jaina. I forsee and epic battle between the twins -- a few years after the Vong wanted the same thing, come to think of it.

The part with Jag was great I love how he's taken charge, and the R/W squads are awesome Any chance of seeing Soontir and Cem Fel later on?

The last part was really beautilful I love the name of the ship!!!


Awesome posts Hope you can post again soon!!!

 

Yeah! Jaina beat Kyp, finally. Using Vaapad, no less- impressive.

Solo Flight sounds like a pretty ship too. Can't wait to see her put it to good use.

And to see Ben going with her.

Its nice to see the Skywalkers involved finally. Looks like Jag's going to get his war too.

Can't wait for more; friendship or bitter hatred, you're handling it beautifully.

 

Up! I miss this story.

 

I still miss it. Can I have a PM when you update it?

 

Wow! Thanks for upping this Emerald Lady. I'm not sure I ever would have read it if you hadn't.

Awesome story. Please contiune.

 

Status Check?