Beyond - Legends Past Behind

Title: Past Behind
Author: Neo-Paladin
Timeframe: Post NJO
Characters: Zekk, Jaina
Genre: vig, angst, probably AU
Keywords: Zekk, Seedship
Summary: Zekk comes to grips with his history to allow him to
Notes: Someday I'll post a Bey.t.S. Story without Zekk in it and none of you will know how to deal with it.
This has nothing to do with the JainaZekk_Index JZ Kilt challenge.
This is probably AU, as I haven't read NJO or TDN trilogy.

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This work is unofficial and has no connection what so ever with any established copyright. Wow, you must have seen a bajilion of these if you've spent much time reading fanfic. And yet here you are reading another. Crazy. Oh, right. I did this for fun. I'm sharing it because I hope other people might enjoy it too. No relation with any established copyright is implied. No financial profit is derived from the following work.
The first flashback is copied from ?Crisis at Crystal Reef?, Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta
[hr]

?Shh, quite now,? Zekk said soothingly. His Zonama Sekot seed ship was nervous. She couldn't hear Zekk speak, but she picked up the message through their bond. Still, she was not completely comforted. To be fair, Zekk was not exactly tranquil, and the living ship didn't know quite how to handle it. It wasn't that Zekk was unbalanced, but the ship had never seen his emotions as fitful as they were now.

In life, Zekk made a point of not dwelling on the things in his past he regretted.
His parent's death.
His fall to the Dark Side.
The war and the friends he lost there; specifically Myrkyr and the price that was paid by those living and dead.

The list was shockingly long and painful for one so young. Zekk didn't think about that either. But now he found he could not avoid it.

Zekk strode easily to the airlock. He knew that the docking seal had been completed, but he stood there waiting a moment as the door refused to open for him. Zekk sighed, and looked up at the ceiling of the passage.

The Zonama Sekot seed ships were the fastest ships in the galaxy, a near perfect harmony between the living and mechanical. However, when one described the ships as temperamental it wasn't a personification. Zekk couldn't get mad at the ship though. She was picking up Zekk's unusual state of mind and it made her nervous. Shielding his mind from her would only make it worse.

In a few years the ship would be more mature, and not be upset by strong emotions from Zekk. For now she wanted to protect him. Zekk's pain was her own, she was not desensitized by it as he was.

Zekk drew in a deep breath for four seconds, held it for four more, and let it out over eight seconds. He felt a calm wash over him in response to the breathing exercise, and said again, ?Shh.? Zekk could feel the ship relax a bit, and Zekk said, ?Let me through. I'll be fine. I'll be right back.?

It seemed to be against some better sense, there was a hesitation, but the airlock did open. Zekk took a deep breath again, and walked into his other, older, ship, The Lightening Rod.

Unbidden memories were evoked as he crossed the hatch.

[i]
You're awfully attached to this scrap heap, aren't you?" Jaina observed with good humor.

Zekk looked into her brandy-brown eyes, raised and eyebrow, and grinned. "Jealous?"

"Maybe just a little." Jaina took a sudden interest in a minute scratch on the hull plating. "Kinda silly, I know. but sometimes I wonder if you don't care about your ship more than, um... more than most people do," she finished lamely.

He gave her a playful look. "Not only that, but it seems like every time I need to fix up my ship, there you are helping me." he paused, as if searching for the words. "So in a way, you - and Jacen and Lowie and Tenel Ka - are all a part of how I feel about the Lightning Rod."
[/i]

It had been a dodge, and they both knew it, but neither had been self assured enough to challenge

 

?Shh, quite now,? Zekk said soothingly. His Zonama Sekot seed ship was nervous. She couldn't hear Zekk speak, but she picked up the message through their bond. Still, she was not completely comforted. To be fair, Zekk was not exactly tranquil, and the living ship didn't know quite how to handle it. It wasn't that Zekk was unbalanced, but the ship had never seen his emotions as fitful as they were now.

I loved the way you wrote Zekk's bond with his seedship; their bond kind of reminded me of the connection the Dragon Rider in Eragon had with his dragon.

The Rod would be left like that on a the surface of one of the unnamed airless moons. Zekk had no doubt it would be fine. The sector of space was quiet, the star was stable, and vacuum was a terrific preserver. Zekk wouldn't be surprised if the old girl lasted longer than he did, just as he left it.

Nice way to get the Rod out of the picture, but amazingly bittersweet.

The flashback to Dhalbreth Square was wonderful; as I'm sure I've said a thousand times in your Interludes thread, I love flashbacks to Zekk's past.

It is said that the Force takes care of children and fools. If that is the case, it certainly gives a double helping to children who are fools.



Zekk could see in Jaina's eyes at that moment that no noble Jedi of mythic age, no hero of the Rebellion, not her great and powerful Uncle, nor even her father (for just a moment) held a candle to Zekk in her eyes.

That's so sweet!

For it, Zekk knew that Jaina today would never again look at him like she had that night below Dhalbreth Square.

And that is so sad I don't know where to start.

Zekk looked at the tunic again. Defiance flared in his heart. He still liked the tunic.

Ah, typical stubborn Zekk.

Nice ending, too.

 

I don't know whether to cry or grin. I think I'll go with... That was great! There were so many great moments! I think JoE took all of mine though. So I'll just say great job! Very interesting way for Zekk to get rid of the Lightning Rod.

 

Thanks for all your comments JoE.
I'm glad you liked to way I did the bond. I tried my best to guess how it would work based on Rogue Planet and Anakin's seed partner, which I read back when it first came out in paperback.

Yeah, giving an account of Dhalbreth Square was part of the fun of this story. Looking back with changed perspective was part of it too. It was obviously an important moment for both of them. I think in every relationship that goes from friends to more there is some point where it takes on a different aspect. Dhalbreth Square in my mind was that moment for the two of them.

And the defiance was of particular importance to me too. It's his strength of character that keeps these memories from disabling him. It allows him to let go of the pain, and leave under his own strength, and it is the majority of the reason I've always like Zekk so much.



I'm glad you liked it Amanda. I was afraid you never liked the thought of Zekk parting with the Rod, but I suppose this way he never really lets it go.

This was my first stab at writing how Zekk would part with the Rod, I wrote it months ago. Of course the kilt challenge is the other stab I took. It's been on my brain for awhile. I see such a potential for Zekk to have a renaissance and cross a threshold from how he was through the war to how he will be after the war. It's a symbol of change.

If The Dark Nest trilogy screws with his character even more I'll have to find another threshold to get him over that character abuse too.

 

N-P,

Great story, very nostalgic and realistic. And as for DNT screwing with Zekk... well, he's in there. But I'm not saying anything else.

Z

 

Hi Zonoma,
I'm glad you liked the story. I liked writeing it.

And dang it, I'm running out of things for Zekk to part with to signify a change!

Actually I had an idea of a story where Jaina shows up at Peckham's funeral, and she's like 'Sorry it didn't work out between us.' In response Zekk is like, 'Eh, as compared to everything else I've had to deal with, it's no biggie.'

Fill in the details, and boom a fic. Not a very good fic, so I'll probably never get farther than that, but for a few weeks now the idea of Zekk snubbing Jaina has been appealing to me.

 

Awesome fic. I love the way he parts with the Rod... very in character for him


and I adore the idea of him snubbing Jaina *grin* you should write it...maybe brainstorm a little...

Uh... uh oh, maybe I can create another challenge for that... *ponders*

Anyway, I love the fic

 

This was great. I liked reading about Zekk looking back at his adventures when he was younger. Nice job!

 

Hey Jade Max, I'm glad you like it. Yeah, just setting it away seemed a good way to not let it go, but put it behind him.

Hmm, a challenge you say? Somehow I don't think I'd be able to resist it as a challenge. I do think Jaina needs a good snubbing, you know, just to show that it can be a two way street.

I haven't done much with it because really want to do something with a strong plot to drive the fic rather than characters driving the fic, but I haven't had a good plot line reach up and grab me in awhile. Ah well, muses keep to their own schedule, don't they?

I'm glad you liked that CS27. I liked the idea of Zekk swinging around like Batman too. I think there should be some fun but gritty stories left undelved in Zekk's past. That was sort of a peek of what I have in the back of my mind.

 

N-P,

Um, Neo, my friend? Have you been having (gasp) girl trouble? They ain't nothing but trouble, ya know.Fact. Oh Boy.

*aside to Jade_Max* It's all your fault I'm talking like Tenel Ka! (I just finished reading your two J/TK stories... can't seem to find the sequel... I saw it just this morning though) Thoroughly enjoyed them, btw.

N-P, whatever you do I'm sure will be great. Looking forward to it!

Zonoma

 

Girl trouble
Aside from the fact that my girl is in Europe while I'm in the States, I've got no complaints.

I just have read way too many stories where Zekk gets jettisoned like like refuse from a Star Destroyer about to go to light speed. It's like seeing a buddy get shot down over and over again.
Hmm, kind of like High School

Like I said, I want a solid plot before I write my next fic (unless there is a challenge I just can't resist). Actually, I was driving for awhile yesterday and something did start bouncing around. However, I may need some background help with it if I get to the point where I'll write something...
Thanks for the vote of confidence though.