Beyond - Legends Tales from the New Jedi Order - current story: Idle Hands, post 3 of 4, by Sache8 (1/9)

STAR WARS
Tales from the New Jedi Order

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[b]Introduction[/b]




What follows is a series of short stories and vignettes that take place during various points during the New Jedi Order series. The New Jedi Order is a series of novels taking place during the timespan of 25 to 30 years after the original Star Wars movie, and has sparked a torrent of feelings, both positive and negative, from many fans. The Fan Fiction world contains many unique, interesting stories ? some of them alternate universe, some of them fitting into the continuity ? that occur during this timeframe. Many of these focus on the characters we grew to love in the original trilogy, while an equally large number focus on the exploits of a new generation of heroes, led by the Solo children.

Whatever form they take, these Fan Fiction stories can be just as well-written and enjoyable as the officially licensed stories and, because they are written by fans, careful attention is given to capturing the feeling of the Star Wars universe we have come to know and love. Many of the stories you will read in this collection are about lesser known or even original characters, or stories about main characters that take place between or during the officially licensed novels.

These stories are written by myself and several other authors ? all of them better writers than me at varying levels ? who have agreed to take the time and effort to contribute to this collection. I hope you, the reader, enjoy these stories, and the contribution we all make to the wonderful world of Fan Fiction.

As usual, it isn?t our galaxy, we?re just playing in it. We don?t own Star Wars, any characters you recognize are the property of LucasFilm Ltd.

Now, without further ado, Tales from the New Jedi Order.

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

 

Light, Dark, and Nothingness by Mcily_Nochi



The fabric of the universe ripples with quiet power, touching some and watching all as time flows on in dimensional simplicity. The Force is woven inextricably into the light and darkness. Shine and shadow. Good and evil.

Light cannot exist without Dark, and so when the Chosen One came, he was both good and evil. The Dark and the Light fought, and eventually the Light drove away the Dark. It was then so bright that it could not exist, because the darkness was burned away. The Chosen One rejoined the Force and brought balance to it once again.

But where there is no Light and no Dark there is Nothingness, and the Nothingness is growing, just as the Light and the Dark are growing. They grow towards each other and then they touch, and the Light and Dark cannot fill the Nothingness.

Where there is no Dark, the Light cannot penetrate, and where there is no Light, there is no space for Dark. Creatures of the flesh must battle with creatures of the flesh to restore wholeness and unity to the universe. That is the way of things.

Suddenly there is a bright point in the midst of the emptiness, of the Nothingness. A few small points of Light and Dark try to illuminate the nothingness, but all they can do is cut it back. Then the strongest and brightest of these points, a creature of both flesh and the Force, a creature of Light and Dark, is there. The son of the daughter of the Son of the Suns.

As a creature of the flesh, he can defeat the Nothingness, but he is not full enough of the Force to defeat it. As his flesh weakens and withers, the Force fills him, substituting matter for victory. He is no point of light?he is a burning pyre, a Chosen sword of Light and Dark to fill the void.

When the coiling mass of Force erupts, the nothingness is driven away and the Light and Dark have victory. The creatures of the flesh and the Force have defeated the creatures of flesh and void, and the universe rocks with the impact.

As long as a single dying star can fill the void, there is hope, and as long as the Sons of the Suns still live, there will be peace, and Light, and Dark, and the Force.

 

Wow Em, very nice. Like the way you showed the war from the POV of the Force.

 

Oooh, very impressive, Em! I especially loved how you described how the Chosen One brought balance to the Force. That's quite an interesting concept, writing from the Force's point-of-view, and you pulled it off wonderfully. Great job!

 

Very deep. I must say that I was thoroughly impressed by that story.

 

Thank you, everyone. That's probably the hardest concept I've ever tackled, but when I got the idea I couldn't let go of it. I had to wrestle with it until it released me.

 

That was a great concept, and you did a great job with it, Emily . That may be the most unique piece of fanfic I've ever read

 

I like this whole idea, and I especially like this first viggie! Very, very well written and interesting! Light, dark, and nothingness...such an apt way of putting the whole situation...

Is it too soon to ask for more?

 

Your enthusiasm is very appreciated, J_D_D . Unfortunately, the next story probably won't be up until this weekend at the earliest, we're trying to spread the stories out a bit to give people a chance to discover this thread before everything is posted .

 

Excellent so far

 

Very, very interesting piece, Emmy! This line really struck me: Light cannot exist without Dark, and so when the Chosen One came, he was both good and evil. It's such an intriguing--and very true--concept.

 

*blushes* Thank you so much!

Kev, when can we expect the next story?

 

The second offering is a vigentte of mine that takes place between Rebirth and Star by Star, enjoy .

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[b]From the Heart[/b]
By Jedi_Anakin_Solo




Anakin paused just before the door to Tahiri?s cabin, hiding the bouquet of flowers he had bought for her behind his back on an impulse, despite the fact that he knew it would be blindingly obvious that he was doing so. Oh well, it was better than nothing. He reached for the door-chime, but before he even depressed it, Tahiri?s amused voice called, ?Are you going to stand out there all day, or were you just waiting for an invitation??

The door hissed open, and Tahiri was waiting just a few feet from the doorway. Anakin flashed a smile as he entered. ?Hi,? he greeted.

?Hi yourself,? came Tahiri?s customary reply, though with an obvious hint of curiosity. She tried to glance past Anakin to see what he was hiding behind his back, but he intentionally positioned himself so that she couldn?t. She raised an inquisitive eyebrow, but said nothing.

?Well, are you going to invite me in?? Anakin asked with a disarming smile, taking another step towards her.

Tahiri laughed. ?To what do I owe the honor, oh great Jedi hero??

Finally, Anakin withdrew the bouquet from behind his back, presenting it to Tahiri with a proud smile. ?I come bearing gifts,? he answered.

A wide grin lit up her face and she rushed forward to enfold him in her arms. ?You remembered!?

?Yeah,? Anakin acknowledged. ?It?s only fair, after I forgot the last one.?

Anakin offered a mock wince at the verbal thrashing he had received for that particular mistake during their reunion at Yavin Four, eliciting a giggle from Tahiri. She swatted at him with a playful grin, ?I guess I can forgive you in light of this.?

?What if I add dinner into the equation?? Anakin asked, his eyes shining with a speculative gleam.

Tahiri laughed. ?In the wonderful accommodations of the [i]Errant Venture[/i]?s mess hall?? she replied. ?I fail to see the advantage of that over just keeping you right where you are.?

?Oh, you wouldn?t have to try very hard to keep me here,? Anakin replied, slipping an arm around her shoulders and gently kissing her on the cheek.

Tahiri?s eyes drifted closed as she smiled. ?That?s extremely close to what I was looking for.?

Anakin kissed her on the temple. ?How about that? Warmer or colder??

?Mmmmm, colder,? Tahiri answered, ?but that feels good.?

Despite being well aware of where Tahiri wanted to be kissed, Anakin next moved to kiss her on the forehead. ?How about this?? he asked innocently.

?You?re going to make me wait all day, aren?t you?? Tahiri murmured. ?Dummy.? Without giving him a chance to answer, she snaked her arms around the back of his neck and drew his lips down to hers, kissing him firmly.

Unresisting, Anakin allowed himself to be drawn into the kiss and eagerly kissed her back. After several long heartbeats, the initial intensity of the contact started to fade, leaving them kissing softly, as gentle as a summer breeze, and with a lingering sweetness that effected both of them more than any amount of intensity could.

?I love you,? Anakin breathed, pulling her close.

?I love you, too,? Tahiri whispered back, settling into his arms and sighing contentedly.

Anakin kissed the top of her head, smiling at the sweet scent of her golden hair. ?Happy birthday,? he whispered.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again:

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Aww, Kev, that's sweet.

 

Awwwww cute.

 

So sweet! I was wondering when you were going to write this - it said in your profile that it was coming for a long time. It was well worth waiting for.

 

Oops... I'm sorry! I knew I forgot something last time! I just found this, and my mind was on the last one I had read.

Anyway, Mcily_Nochi - yours was truly awesome. That was very deep and well written. I was incredibly impressed. Amazing.

Again, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do this, but I remembered what I had forgotten about two seconds after I clicked "Post". I tend to do that a lot with other things, as well.

 

Ah, nothing like good A/T mush.

Nice job

 

That was.... sweet. Mushy, but sweet. Excellent work.

 

Thanks everyone . The next story will be up in the middle of this week, probably wednesday.

 

Here is my entry for this. *tips hat* Tis an honor to be working with such fine authors.

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I, Soldier


1100 hr, Ithor

Blaster fire. Massive amounts of blaster fire. That was all I could see as I charged blindly through that forest on Ithor. Luckily, it was all going with me, but it didn't make me feel any better about the situation I was running in to.

Ahead of me I could see a Yuuzhan Vong duck behind a tree. I leveled my blaster, feeling the comforting weight of it on my shoulder. I squeezed the trigger, sending a hail of blaster bolts towards the tree. It caught fire, the fire adding to the smoke that was already swirling in the air. The alien stepped out from behind the tree, and threw something in my direction. I jumped behind a tree, but too late. The bug dug into my left hand. I screamed a curse, then ripped the living weapon from my hand and threw it to the ground, where I crushed it beneath my boot.

I side stepped from behind the tree, right hand holding the pistol grip of my rifle, left hand keeping the barrel pointed mostly level. The Vong was in my sites. I fired, fired, holding nothing back. The laser bolts ripped into the invader's skull, dropping him to the ground. I sighed, relieve that, for the moment, I was out of danger.

I looked around. None of my platoon was with me. Where are those blasted soldiers? I thought.

Turning, I jogged back the way I'd come. There, in the shrubs, I saw the helmet of my second in command. I ran over and grabbed his shoulder, hauling him out of the bush. But I found he was missing everything from his waist down. "Sith," I silently cursed. I ripped his ID tag from around his neck, then placed him back on the ground and marked him for burial duty.

"Lieutenant Flak, are we glad to see you!" I turned to find half a dozen of my men come up. "We were right behind you, but a group of Yuuzys cut us off. Everybody's dead 'cept for us."

I rattled off a handful of curses in my mind. This was bad. With only seven men, there was no possible way of achieving our objective. We were severely out-numbered.

"Ok," I started. "We're going to move forward and take out any Vong we see."

They all nodded. It was satisfying to see that none of them were scared. Well, not obviously, anyway.

"Split up all ammunition evenly. If it's not your weapon, blaster clips, or therm-dets, drop it. You won't need it. Except for you, Myler, we need your comm equipment." I followed my own advice by dropping my pack and the case full of anti-personal mines I had been given just before we took off. Blasted commanders tried to equip us for any situation.

"Let's move."

I jogged back up the path. My rifle was up and ready. I could hear the foot steps of my troops behind me. This was it. Do or die. I prayed it wouldn't be the later.

*=*=*=*=***

1800 hr, Ithor

Several hours later, we were still walking. We hadn't seen any Vong the entire time. It was like they all left. Which they might have.

I stopped, turned to Myler. "Ok, call in a shuttle. Get us off this blasted rock." The man nodded and pulled off his pack.


*=*=*=*=*=***


Several Years Later, over Borleias, 1000 hr

Back at it again, I thought as I looked around the makeshift-troop transport. I had been told we were heading to Borleias. I didn't care what we were doing, as long as I got to shoot some Vong. Blasted creatures had taken Coruscant, and probably killed my wife and son in the process. I had heard nothing from them. My son was a turbo laser operator on one of the Golan Defense Platforms. My wife was an innocent on planet. She might have survived, but I saw no way my son could have.

I fought back the tears. I had to lead my men on this mission, had to survive, had to find out the fate of my wife and son.

I stood in front of my men. "Ok," I said, then cleared my throat of the lump that was forming in it. "When we hit ground, Mr Calrissian's Vong Hunter droids go out first, then we

 

Whoa, Wompy! That's intense! You need a "do not read if already suffering from nausea or dizziness" warning on this one.

*sniffles and goes off to find more Tylenol*

 

Up!

 

Thanks Em. I didn't really think it was all that sad.