Beyond - Legends Peace and Peril - Updated again and COMPLETED 8/25/03

Alright, here it is, the long-awaited sequel to As Long as You Both Shall Live. I finally decided that the only way to force myself to write and beat my bout of writer's block is to start posting. I hope everyone enjoys the sequel . Those of you who are more A/T fans than Jacen or J/J fans will probably enjoy the third installment of "War and Mush" (special thanks to Mcily_Nochi for coming up with that nickname ) more than the second, but I encourage anyone who liked ALaYBSL to read this .

EDIT: Made a few changes to the dramatis personae.

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[b]STAR WARS
[i]Peace and Peril[/i][/b]

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[b]DRAMATIS PERSONAE[/b]











Jacen Solo; Jedi Knight; Alliance Ambassador to the Unknown Regions (male human from Coruscant)
Aylina Rendar; captain, [i]Outrider[/i] (female human from Corellia)
Commander Jaina Solo Fel; Jedi Knight; commander, Rogue Squadron (female human from Coruscant)
Colonel Jagged Fel; commander, Spike Squadron; Chiss military envoy to the Alliance of Free Planets (male human from Nirauan)
Tavion; Sith Apprentice (female human from Dathomir)
General Wedge Antilles; Supreme Commander of Starfighter Command (male human from Corellia)
Dash Rendar; Vespera Three Colonial Militia leader (male human from Corellia)
Major Kalyn; executive officer, Rogue Squadron (female Trianii from Coruscant)
General Shawnkyr?nuruodo; commander of CEDF Fleet Group Omega (female Chiss from Nirauan)
Baron Soontir Fel; syndic of Colonial and Border Regions (male human from Corellia)
Kasim; Colonial Militia member (male Chiss from Vespera)
Caddarik; Chiss militant loyalist (male Chiss from Vespera)


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[b][color=blue]A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...[/color][/b]

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[b][i]Seeking Balance[/i][/b]












Balance. It was a state all living things naturally aspired to, even as the material world naturally gravitated toward entropy. To an unskilled observer, it would appear that the Force, too, was full of disorder and chaos. But to a trained eye, the Force was order and balance. Like a wise sage, it could guide. Like a powerful sword, it could strike.

But it sought the same balance living things sought. The Force was warmth and coldness, light and dark, star and shadow. It was a Jedi?s duty to guard that sacred balance; but to guard the balance of the Force, a Jedi first had to find balance within himself. It was that balance that Jacen Solo sought.

Jacen drifted through the Force, letting the current of energy wash over him and not trying to guide it in any particular direction. It was in meditations like these that he often achieved the highest level of insight; to Jacen, the Force was not meant to be guided, it was meant to guide. Inner balance could only be achieved when a Jedi was totally calm, passive.

Even as alarming power was just outside of Jacen?s reach, power that many Jedi would grasp for without second thought, he left it right where it was. Jacen wanted to know and understand the power, not wield it. He wanted to see it for what it was, let it teach him how best to use his talents. And he still sought confidence as to [i]when[/i] to use them, which was just as vital.

Eddies and currents of energy swirled throughout the vibrant pulse of life surrounding him, and Jacen watched as they seemed to drift back into the infinity from whence they came. Thoughts, hopes, desires, all of these things fled Jacen?s mind as he reached the deepest levels of meditation. The galaxy was no longer a collection of stars, constellations, and clusters. To Jacen, the cold, physical reality was replaced by the beauty and completeness of the Force.

But even here there was not perfect purity; just below the surface, there was darkness. The Force had been tainted, for there was a great evil gathering strength somewhere not too far away. Jacen tried not to grow frustrated as he was unable to interpret the ominous whispers the Force was trying to plant in his ears. It was as if he we

 

Whew! Very nice beginning to what is sure to be an enthralling story. Great job and hopefully your writer's block has subsided by now.

 

Very good. I can't wait until the next postie! Will it be some J/J mush??? I love J/J mush but it could be just J/J or J/A. Whatever, as long as I get a postie!

 

great start! and i love the interaction between them. it's very cute!!!

-jj00

 

Loved it. Absolutely classic. Here are some of the highlights:



?Hey, Your Cute Jediness, I?m still here,? Aylina said, giving him a slug in the arm as she interrupted his contemplation. A playful grin that Jacen was starting to get used to lit up her features. ?No staring out into space until you answer.?

LOL! Classic Aylina! Jacen needs someone like that to keep him in line. Someone bossy and authoritative.

He knew there was a reason he?d never had it, but he couldn?t recall? then it hit him. ?Hey, wait a minute; isn?t this stuff made with Corellian whiskey??

*cracks up*

Besides, I know you, Solo. You?re more easily intoxicated by a smile than Corellian whiskey, I think.?

*giggles* This is soooo cute . . .

?Since when have you decided to become a flatterer, Jacen??

?Well, I met this beautiful girl??

LOL, he's getting a little less shy around her now. This is good. Now he just has to get up the nerve to propose . . . *flees the author's mock wrath*

?You?ll make me emotional, you don?t want to see what happens when I get emotional.?

?Yeah, things probably explode?ow.?

If I don't stop soon, I'm going to paste the entire conversation into my reply . . .

We share this ryshcate as we share the celebration of the fact that I actually made Jacen the Wonder Jedi smile when he was hell bent on being in a gloomy mood.?

JACEN THE WONDER JEDI! I LOVE IT!!!

?Protection?? Jacen blurted. ?I?m a Jedi Knight??

?And a particularly cute Jedi Knight,? Aylina said with a shrug. ?One that I think I?d like to keep around for a while.?

These are so dang cute! I can't wait to read more, Kev! You're doing a wonderful job.

 

Great, you finally started the sequel!!!!

The first post is superb, as always.



I enjoyed how you're using the badgirl from JO as the evil one in this fic.

 

A great beginning.

The dialogue between Jacen and Aylina was extremely funny.

 

YES!!!!THE SEQUEL!!!!!WOO-HOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

A great start to this Jedi_Anakin_Solo, i've been waiting for ages for this sequel!!

nina

 

Good, good, very good. Heck yeah. I like it already, especially the mush. Jacen and Aylina make for a very interesting couple. I haven't read the first story but I guess I'll have to now. More!

 

Solo_13- Thanks . Yeah, writer's block is gone for the most part.

Jaina_and_Jag- Glad you liked it. Well, J/J won't be coming in for a few chapters, but it won't be too long, I promise. The main action of the story doesn't occur until they show up, so I kinda need them .

JainaJag00- Thanks .

Em- Thanks for the mini-essay . Wow, I think I see most of MY favorite lines in there...

Jek_Windu- Yay! Someone recognized Tavion's name!

jonng- Thanks .

Jedi_jainafel- Glad you like it so far .

JediMasterKobe- Thanks . Well, I would and do encourage you to read ALaYBSL, but I understand if you don't, as it's 332 pages in Microsoft Word, single spaced .

 

?Hey, Your Cute Jediness, I?m still here,?

THAT IS SOOOO AYLINA!!!!!!!!

I am sooooooooooooooooo stupid for missing the sequel, Kev, but I'm alive

Awesome post!

-Kitkat

 

Huraaahh!!!! The sequel has finally come!

*Darth Vader Voice*: I have been waiting for you, Jedi_Anakin_Solo

 

Ooh, yeay!!! I can't wait until the next postie. Jaina and Jag are coming soon. *dances around* Well, a few Chapters is kinda soon so it works! *smiles broadly and starts dancing again*

 

Two Chiss guards were waiting for Jacen and Aylina at the bottom of the boarding ramp. They wore the same burgundy uniforms Jacen that Jacen had seen worn by every other member of the Expansionary Defense Force. Both saluted, and one of them said, ?Captain Rendar, Ambassador Solo. Follow us, please.?

Jacen nodded automatically. He had gotten used to taking instructions from armed personnel assigned to protect him, being the eldest son of the Chief of State of the New Republic tended to have that effect on people. Aylina fell into step next to him, her look of wounded pride and her hand on her holster suggesting that she felt she was the only one who needed to offer him any protection, ambassador or not. Jacen smiled in her direction and nodded towards his lightsaber, as if to say, now you know how I feel. Aylina?s indignant expression suggested that she didn?t appreciate the sentiment, and Jacen had to restrain a laugh.

They reached the end of a long corridor, and the guards took up positions outside of the door. ?The General will see you now,? one of them said to Jacen.

Intrigued, Jacen nodded and responded, ?Thank you.?

? ?The General will see you now??? Aylina whispered in his ear. ?Boy, they sure have a high opinion of you.?

Jacen shrugged, and preceded Aylina through the door, feeling uncomfortable by the breech of normal protocol, but knowing that by technicality Aylina was considered no more than his pilot and bodyguard. He caught her eye with an apologetic look, and she waved it away with an amused smile. Trust a former smuggler not to be wounded by a breech of chivalry.

?Ambassador Solo!? a human wearing a Chiss uniform rose from the desk and circumnavigated it to extend his hand to Jacen. ?I don?t believe we?ve had the pleasure of meeting yet, but it?s always a pleasure to meet a Solo.?

There was something oddly familiar about the General?s features? then it clicked in his mind. He looked, for all intents and purposes, like an older Jag who just happened to be missing an eye. ?General Fel?? he asked, hoping he wasn?t wrong.

?My reputation precedes me, I see,? Soontir replied with a slight smile.

?Actually, I know your son,? Jacen clarified. ?He??

Fel laughed at Jacen?s hesitation. ?Married your sister. Yes, don?t worry, he did actually see it fit to inform me of this, I was very disappointed that I couldn?t tear myself away from my duties for the ceremony. Unfortunately, the Sitarans are making a major push, and?? he broke off, a pained look on his face showing that he hated being less than honest. ?My apologies. Operational secrecy, you?ll understand, prohibits me from going into much depth.?

?Of course,? Jacen agreed. And he did understand. Whenever Jaina was in danger, he was never told very much until after the fact. Not even where she was, much less what she was doing. Fortunately, he had never had the horror of receiving a letter that started with, The Government of the New Republic regrets to inform you? Jacen shook himself away from that line of thought. ?The Sitarans are moving??

?Yes, that much I can tell you,? Fel said. ?It seems at the moment they?re mostly just nibbling at the edges, so to speak. Many of their attacks have been directed at the Colonial Regions, and I?ve had trouble even convincing Chiss Command to??

Fel smiled apologetically again, but something in that smile told Jacen that he had intentionally given him more information than he was allowed to. He caught Aylina?s eye, and she nodded. She had noticed it, too.

?Well, I hope everything goes well,? Jacen said. ?The Alliance is, of course, willing to provide military aid. A treaty of alliance would??

Fel waved away the offer. ?I?m not authorized to negotiate, you just happened to be directed to land at my base. I?ll blow up a planet to stop the Sitarans or dissidents from getting their hands on you, but I can?t offer you any diplomatic concessions, I?m sorry.?

?You think the dissidents intended to capture us?? Aylina jumped in.

?Possibly,? Fel replied. ?We t

 

Very nice. Soontir seems kinda happy they're there. Can't wait til the next postie!

 

I agree. Another excellent post. Can't wait for the next one.

 

Great post. Will we be seeing more of Baron Fel?

 

I want more!

Hey, hang on, I can read the prequel, can't I?



- The Imperial Ewok

--
Shameless plug for idle fanfic

 

nice postie. so jacens meeting the general huh? nice....

-jj00

 

Yay! An update! The plot thickens . . . like gravy . . .

 

Mmmm, gravy. Yum!

 

Hehe...good post. Hmm....guards escorting them away. Sure, I betcha there's no threat, but guards make me nervous. Anyway...good post!

 

Jacen stumbled out of his room, trying to be as quiet as possible. That was no easy task; midnight had come and gone, and not a single light was on in the small secure residence the Chiss had provided him and Aylina while the assassination attempt was investigated. Aylina would be sound asleep by now, Jacen knew, so he was careful to be silent as he passed her room.

It took only a few seconds of guiding himself by every sense but sight for Jacen to reach the small kitchen. He probably could have simplified the awkward process by using the Force to feel his way around, but Jacen tried to use the Force only when necessary so as not to develop a habit of using it as a crutch.

The automated lights started to turn on when Jacen reached the kitchen, causing him to recoil, catching his foot on the doorway. Jacen felt the ground tilt up towards him as he lost his balance, steadying himself against the doorway with both hands just in time. He hoped the noise hadn?t woken Aylina. ?Lights off,? he whispered in a harsh voice, and a second later the room was once again bathed in darkness. Rubbing his eyes until his forehead stopped throbbing, Jacen finally withdrew a glass and poured himself some water.

A dark shape moved into Jacen?s field of vision as he slipped into the hallway. The water escaped from his hand as his reflexes forced him to take a step back and drop into a combat stance. The glass made an unsettling crash against the ground, spilling its contents at Jacen?s feet which made him yelp in surprise. A gasp also escaped from the dark shape that had startled him, and he recognized the inflection as well as he would have recognized his own voice.

?I woke you,? he murmured apologetically, lowering his guard and taking a careful step towards the dark shape which was now resolving into a slender silhouette as Jacen?s eyes adjusted to the dim light.

?I scared you,? Aylina?s wry voice noted in return.

Jacen was glad Aylina couldn?t see him; his heart had just finished trying to break the galactic record for beats per minute, and he could feel his hands shaking. ?No,? he lied. ?I was just surprised to see you up.?

?Ah. So you just didn?t need that glass of water after all?? Aylina took a step closer and even in the darkness her features were now visible to Jacen. She was a soothing sight to his tired eyes, despite the fact that her expression was contorted with concern. ?Jacen? are you all right? What?s wrong??

?I couldn?t sleep,? Jacen admitted.

?Bad dream?? Aylina asked.

Or bad vision. ?Yeah. Something like that,? he said, instead. No need to worry her even more.

Aylina surprised Jacen by taking a step forward and enfolding him in her arms. He didn?t protest, letting himself be drawn deeper into the embrace and closing his eyes with a shuddering sigh.

?You?re trembling,? Aylina whispered in concern.

?I?ll be okay,? Jacen assured her. ?Sorry I woke you.?

?I?m sure you were trying not to,? Aylina replied. ?Don?t worry about it, all Rendars are light sleepers. And all former smugglers, come to think of it. You couldn?t have kept me asleep without a rather strong sedative.?

?That?? Jacen broke off, realizing the absurdity of what he had been about to say, That?ll be a problem when we get married. ?That must get annoying,? he said instead, self-consciously extracting himself from Aylina?s arms and hoping she didn?t noticed the embarrassed flush of his cheeks.

She didn?t. ?It kept me alive for the past few years?not that I miss my old life, mind you. Being respectable is much better than a lot of people make it out to be.? She gazed at Jacen appraisingly. ?Sure you?re going to be okay??

?I think I?ll be fine now,? he assured her. ?Thanks.?

?Of course,? Aylina replied, reaching out and squeezing his hand. ?Good night, Jacen.?

?Good night,? Jacen answered, leaning down to brush his lips lightly against hers. The contact lasted only a second, but as usual left Jacen?s lips tingling.

As he started to pull away, he hesitated, and in that moment of hesitation Aylin

 

awwwww, so sweet. They sure make an interesting couple. More?

 

that was very cute! nice job on that one JAS!