Beyond - Legends Resistance (massive AU)

Hi, everyone. It's been a very long time since I've posted anything here and I doubt most of you know me. But in the event that you were around back in '04, the story you're about to read used to be called Edge of the Night, and I abandoned it after only a few installments. Now I've knocked out a much bigger chunk and fully intend to finish it, not to mention the two sequels I've outlined. I'm tentatively planning to add new posts on Sundays and Wednesdays. We'll see how that works out.

PM List:
Lady-Brangaine
ccp
Golden_Jedi
Ultima_1
EGKenobi
Ceillean
Jag4Me
smash128
_sticks
jedi_princess18
angry_bendu1
MiralukaJedi

The usual disclaimers apply--I don't own any characters in this story except for a minor OC. I'd like to thank NYCitygurl for being a fantastic beta. And now, without further ado, I give you:

Resistance

Eighteen years after the Battle of Yavin, Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo were assassinated. The Empire, formerly confined to a minuscule territory, rose to dominate the galaxy once more. Families were divided. Allegiances shifted. The lines of power were redrawn.

Twelve years later, several lives that were scattered in the wake of this history-changing event have been brought back together. A fledgling resistance movement faces the might of the restored Empire, which has just captured its most valuable prisoners. Conflicting agendas will vie for supremacy, and the galaxy will never be the same.

-----

A sandstorm raged through Mos Eisley, blinding anyone unlucky enough to be out in the streets and planting silica particles in every available space. A fresh wave of such coarse specks accompanied a small, cloth-wrapped figure into Chalmun's Cantina. Once inside the door, the newcomer took a moment to doff the scarf and goggles that protected her face. Warm brown eyes scanned the interior of the cantina, and when she had assured herself that there was no imminent threat in the room full of customers waiting out the storm, the woman made her way down the stairs and to the bar, where she ordered a Corellian spiced ale.

Drink in hand, she seated herself at a booth equipped with a secure data terminal and produced a heavily-modified datapad from a vest pocket. She connected it to the terminal and sipped her drink while she waited for her custom security codes to slice into the system.

After a few seconds, the datapad pinged triumphantly and she inputted a command. On her screen, a list of messages appeared, five of which were unread.

Three were discarded immediately, and she twisted her lips ruefully as she removed them from the queue ? the most secure, closely-guarded textcomm number in the galaxy, and she still got colorful advertisements for special discounts on enhancement meds. "Guaranteed to work on any species," indeed. She took another swig of the ale, letting its spices burn her throat and warm her stomach, and turned her attention to the other two messages.

"J," said one, "time is short. If you can make it back, fine. Otherwise don't risk it. I am proud of you. Love, W."

The message was expected (she had received similar ones for some time now), but that didn't keep the woman's eyes from watering in a way that had nothing to do with her drink. She saved the text to her datapad and quickly switched to the next note, which was significantly less distressing. "Glad you chose to join us," it read. "Coordinates embedded in this message. Meet you in two standard days. Fly well."

This, too, was downloaded to her datapad, and without further ado she disconnected the terminal and downed the rest of her drink. She tossed a few coins onto the bar as she left and replaced her scarf and goggles in preparation for returning to the howling winds, taking care to cover her dark hair completely. From the cantina it was a five minute walk to the docking bay, through convoluted but empty streets.

The wind buffeted her cruelly, and despite the scarf she felt sand make its way into her clothing. She reflected that they had been fortunate to make it out of the Dune Sea before the s

 

A very interesting beginning... I like it!

Winter is dying?? Luke and Leia are dead? How sad!

I'm looking forward to seeing where this is going!

 

Looking pretty good.

Can I be added to the PM list?

 

Very interesting. Is Han still around?
Please add me to PM List.

 

Wow! Very interesting start! Put me on the PM list, please, if you have one!

 

Thanks, everyone!

mavjade: Keep the crying emoticons handy, 'cause this is gonna be dark as heck.

Lady-Brangaine: Thank you! I've added you to the list, but only after I had to look up what in the world PM lists are. Crazy newfangled technology. Back in my day, people had to find out for themselves if stories had been updated!

ccp: Han is most definitely still around, but it'll be a while before we get to see him. I'm thirty pages into the writing process and I haven't even given him a scene yet. He'll be there, though!

Golden_Jedi: Added!

And as a small teaser to tide you over until Wednesday, here's a chronology of major events in this AU leading up to the story.

18 ABY - Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa Solo assassinated
20 ABY - Han Solo leaves Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin Solo in the care of Winter and Chewbacca
21 ABY - Jacen Solo abducted on Bakura
22 ABY - The Corellian Resistance founded by Wedge Antilles, Corran Horn, and Garm Bel Iblis
23 ABY - Winter, Chewbacca, Jaina Solo, and Anakin Solo seek asylum on Hapes
26 ABY - Garm Bel Iblis apprehended by Imperial forces and executed for treason
27 ABY - Jagged Fel assigned to detention center #1806
28 ABY - Jaina and Anakin Solo leave Hapes with Chewbacca in the Millennium Falcon
29 ABY - Wedge Antilles and Corran Horn apprehended by Imperial forces
30 ABY - Events of Resistance

 

I love this!! I think I already told you that, but it bears repeating

 

Bump! New post tomorrow...

 

Wow, very nice start. I already had a rough idea of the continuity from the first post, but the details you gave were nice too.

Please add me to your PM list.

 

Ultima_1: Thanks! You've been added!

Here we go...

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Space was a precious commodity on the crowded Imperial shuttle, so Jacen Solo was not particularly surprised when he was abruptly pulled from meditation by a sharp pain in his ankle. He opened his eyes to see the young officer who had just tripped over him. Jacen didn't care for Imperials, but the oafish officer didn't bother him--not right away, anyway. What did bother him was the fact that the gangling man hastily stood, dusted himself off, and proceeded to sneer at Jacen, as if he were the clumsy one. Jacen calmly met his gaze until, unnerved, the man walked off with forced dignity.

His distaste for Imperials in general renewed, Jacen directed his stare across the narrow passageway at Brakiss, who showed no signs of disturbance at the events of the past few moments. He accompanied the stare with a sort of mental poke, and at last his master stirred and sighed. "They're afraid of you, Jacen."

"Of me?" Jacen echoed. "Or of you, Master?"

Pulled from meditation at last by a questioning pupil, Brakiss opened his eyes and straightened his legs. "They don't know the difference between a master and an apprentice. They don't care. One is dangerous enough. Two is best to be avoided, but that man has not learned that yet."

The reply sowed a new idea in Jacen's mind, and he grinned with a decidedly feral edge. "Shall I teach him, Master?" he asked.

Brakiss sighed again and shook his head. "If there is one thing I'd like to teach you, it is patience. He will learn in time. Perhaps by your hand, perhaps not. In any case, it is not your responsibility. Not now."

The younger man leaned back against a bulkhead. "What am I to learn on this journey, Master?"

The Master's answer came softly, no longer in a tone of chastisement. "Perhaps patience. Perhaps the ability to better conceal and control your emotions. Perhaps neither," he added quickly, in what seemed to Jacen to be a cautionary tone. "And," he continued, "you will learn everything you ever wanted to know about the Empire's efficient and highly successful prisoner processing system."

Jacen smirked at his master's sarcasm. The young man was impatient by nature, and over the past twelve hours en route from Bastion to Corellia he had frequently wondered why Brakiss was bringing him on this glorified field trip. His master had mumbled vaguely about the Force telling him that something valuable would be waiting for them there, and Jacen knew he would get no further details from this fierce man.

The sounds of conversation drew his attention aft, and his gaze found a noble looking grey-haired man speaking with the officer who had tripped over Jacen only a moment before. This was General Fel, their only notable traveling companion. The young officer spoke in low tones and glanced furtively back at Jacen and his master; the general nodded solemnly and gestured for the officer to carry on. As the younger man walked away, Fel looked up and met Jacen's gaze with obvious contempt--but unlike the other Imperials Jacen had encountered, he was not afraid to show it.

"Don't dwell on their insolence," Brakiss advised, and Jacen looked back to see that his master had watched the exchange and was now eying the general serenely. "One day, you shall judge whether those men live or die, and no one will dare to disdain you then."

This, Jacen knew from experience, was Brakiss' grand plan for his apprentice, the reason he abducted Jacen on Bakura nine years earlier. His master devoted half his time to training Jacen, and the other half to courting a tentative alliance with between the Empire and the Sith, so that when the time was right he could bring his plan to fruition. For what, after all, was the Empire without an Emperor?

 

So Jacen's been trained as a Sith and future Emperor? Urgh...

Han, Han, where are you?

 

Nice twist.

Can't wait to see more

 

Interesting. Can't wait to see where this goes.

 

Thanks, ccp and Jek_Windu!

Heyyyy, it's Sunday. Time for me to resurrect more of my favorite dead characters!

-----

The woman seated at a booth in the Fel Swoop cantina could have been a holostar from any of a thousand worlds, with large grey eyes, an elegant face, and flowing golden hair that belied her advancing age. The three men who sat with her had the mannerisms of bodyguards, if not the physiques; their eyes scanned the tavern's occupants restlessly, though they tried to be discreet about it. They needn't have worried, since none of the other patrons acknowledged the existence of the four humans at all. The Fel Swoop was a popular venue for clandestine meetings, which was exactly why these particular customers had chosen it. Meetings between the Jedi underground and the Corellian Resistance were best kept out of view of the planet's Imperial presence.

As he nursed a glass of one of the more potent drinks available from the bar, the youngest man ran a hand through his shock of blond hair and grumbled, ?He doesn?t respect us.?

The man to the left of the woman replied, "Corran's a Jedi, too. He respects us, and wants our involvement. If he doesn't meet us, there'll be a good reason."

"Like the last two times?" scoffed the third man, twisting his handsome features into a scowl. "If he doesn't show today, that's it. He can't just lead us on like this. An offer of our services to the Resistance is not an invitation to trample all over our goodwill.? He took a haughty swig of his ale.

The woman's eyes never left the tavern door. "Petulance doesn't suit you, Ganner," she chided gently. "Give him more time. He probably ran into traffic."

The oldest man nodded his agreement. "It's Coronet City, after all. And you, my friends--" he gazed evenly at the other two men--"need to learn patience."

"Sorry, Master Durron," sulked the youngest man.

Ganner Rhysode elbowed him good-naturedly. "Hey, Wurth," he teased, "maybe now that you're turning twenty-five, Kyp will lighten up a little." He shot Durron a mirthful grin, and Wurth Skidder managed a hint of a smile.

Kyp wasn't paying attention. His gaze was on the man who had just entered the cantina, but Callista Ming followed his gaze and declared, "Not him, Kyp. Too tall." The Jedi Master sighed, leaned back in his seat, and closed his eyes. "Don't drift off," Callista joked. "He'll show up as soon as you're asleep, and what kind of professional greeting would that be?"

With a scornful grunt, Skidder straightened. "We could all take a nap and he still wouldn't show," he said. "I'm going back to the ship--there's no reason to stay here." He started to rise from his seat when Ganner grabbed his arm and yanked him back down. Wurth yelped a protest, but Rhysode shushed him.

"There's something wrong," he said, voice low and distant. "Anyone else sense it?"

After a moment, Callista nodded. "Outside... there's organization. Intent."

Kyp nodded. "It's strategic, a web."

Failing to grasp the meaning of all this, Wurth demanded, "So?"

The other three Jedi turned to regard him. "We're at the center," Ganner explained. Skidder sobered immediately.

Silence laced with tension descended on the table. Kyp was the first to break it. ?All right,? he said softly, ?it?s definitely an ambush. Ganner, take point. I?ll bring up the rear. We?re going to walk, very calmly, out of here.?

Wurth started to argue. "What if they--"

"We'll deal with it," Callista cut him off as they stood.

Without another word, the four Jedi began the journey to the door, each making a conscious effort to look inconspicuous even as they reached for the lightsabers concealed in their jackets. Ganner stepped out the door and scanned the area. The Fel Swoop stood at the intersection of two walkways in Treasure Ship Row, and both of them, for as far as Rhysode could see, were empty and silent. At mid-afternoon on a Corellian holiday, that was very strange indeed.

His companions filed out behind him, and together they stepped forward. They made it no more

 

Whoa. Corran a traitor? Dude!
You brought Callista back. Yay. And Ganner!

I loved Wurth. How he's still so young compared to the other Jedi. He needs to control his temper, by the way.

And reading anything to do with Kyp is always good.

Could you put me on the PM list, please?

 

Interesting

 

Well, according to the timeline, Corran got captured a year before the events of this story. Maybe the Imperials broke him.

Interesting collection of Jedi characters. I bet that Jaina and Anakin will save them

 

Good chapter. Gripping action.

 

Wow. How have I missed this? I really like where this is going...keep it up!

 

For reference purposes, here's how the PM list stands now...

Lady-Brangaine
ccp
Golden_Jedi
Ultima_1
Ceillean

If I'm missing someone, do let me know.

Ceillean: Thanks! Callista was a fairly last-minute addition to the Jedi side of things, but I knew from the start I had to throw Ganner in there. <3

ccp: Cheers!

Ultima_1: Heehee, the best I can hope for in the early stages of this story is wild speculation from my readers. Keep it coming!

Golden_Jedi: Thankya! The middle portion of this story will be fairly slow and dialog-heavy so I'm trying to squeeze as much action in as I can now. There will be some dogfight action shortly.

Trickster-Lead: I'm glad you stumbled upon it! Thanks!

I'm nearing the 15,000 word mark for what I've written so far, and it's really nice to have such a big buffer while I post. And I'm only about halfway through the story. Jeez!

 

Excellent fic so far.

PM me when you update please

EG

 

EGKenobi: Thank you! You've been added.

It's time for some italics abuse and slightly angsty, potentially traitorous Corran!

-----

As it turned out, Corran Horn was closer than any of the Jedi would have guessed. At that moment he stood about an hour's speeder ride outside of Coronet City, watching the blank grey sky above him. The small grassy valley where he waited was the perfect site for an ambush. Of course, that was the whole point, and Horn silently hoped that the people he was there to see would notice the strategic nature of the meeting place. Absently he wondered how smoothly the Millennium Falcon would fly if its pilot knew they were headed for certain imprisonment and possible death.

Ever since the Falcon's crew and the Jedi underground had contacted Corran a month earlier, Corellia's Imperial forces had trained for this day. One division was to handle the Jedi in Treasure Ship Row, and the other lent its strength to this undertaking. A camouflaged platoon of stormtroopers waited at the edges of the valley, observing the events below through macrobinoculars. They kept their comms silent and any noisy equipment switched off so as not to alert their unwitting targets.

Just in case Jaina Solo and her younger brother somehow discovered the trap that awaited them on the ground, the Imps had the aerial escape routes covered as well. A squadron of TIE Advanced fighters waited beyond the ring of hills, circling the valley at a safe distance beneath the range of sensors. Corran couldn't even hear the telltale ion engine whine over the breeze, but he knew they were there, just as he knew the man behind him had a holdout blaster in his coat pocket trained on Corran's back to discourage any deviations from the script they had used time and again for this purpose.

Kyp Durron was right: Corran Horn was not responsible for the Jedi's predicament in Coronet City. Under any other circumstances, he would have met them the first time, but for the past year Corran had been a prisoner of the Empire. They did not publicize his capture they way they had with Wedge Antilles or Garm Bel Iblis, the other two founding members of the Corellian Resistance. They used Bel Iblis and Antilles to weaken morale in the Resistance, but Corran had a far more subversive role. Anyone else who knew of the Resistance assumed that Horn was still free and very much in charge of the organization's daily operations, for he continued to return secure textcomm messages and arrange meetings with anyone who expressed an interest in joining.

The Empire made sure he did these things because it was the easiest way to trap rebel conspirators. The four Jedi in Coronet City had just experienced this firsthand, and the crew of the Millennium Falcon were about to do the same. When Jaina Solo's message had arrived, Corran had felt his blood run cold. He hoped never to see the day the Imps found Leia Organa Solo's children. To a galaxy plunged back into the thrall of Palpatine's New Order, they were symbols of enduring freedom. The fact that they had survived this long without being discovered gave hope to all who opposed the Empire's dominion. If they walked into the hands of the Imps, their faces would be on every holonet broadcast, their capture proclaimed across the galaxy as the final validation of Imperial supremacy. Horn wanted nothing to do with bringing them closer to this point, but it wasn't as though he had any say in the matter.

In exchange for Corran's forced cooperation in these deceptions, the Empire kept his wife and children alive, albeit under constant surveillance, and allowed Horn to see them once each month. It was a dire situation, and not the way he wanted to spend his time in captivity, but Corran was ultimately an optimist and knew that he at least had some chance of changing his condition and returning to oversee the Resistance again one day. And so, Horn was stranded doing what he loathed most: waiting.

At last he saw it, dropping from the low-hanging clouds like a round grey leaf depar

 

Ouch! Poor Corran!

 

Looks like I was pretty much right. They thought they had broken him (emotionally, not physically), but he managed to get the last laugh.

And it seems like he wanted to die rather than continue to be used against the Resistance since he didn't use his energy absorption when he was blasted.

Kind of surprised that Jaina and Chewie didn't try to take him with them.

 

Fabulous!