Beyond - Legends The Boy Who Lived (FicGift for Jedi_Lover) Updated 03/14

For: Jedi_Lover
I want a story in Beyond with
1. A surprise:
2. A romance or friendship
3. A trip

I do not want: a sad story.
Characters: Talon Karrde

I'm filling in for whoever couldn't finish your story on time. I haven't written a Talon story in years but this is turning out to be a lot of fun.
It's a multipost story, because short Vigs just don't work as well.

And I'm fairly certain, this is not what you were expecting.

Enjoy.

Jedi_Lover

**

1.

Coarse sand bit into his bare skin and a cool wind gave him the chills. It was the first sensation he’d felt since…oh, he couldn’t remember. Consciousness slowly returned and he opened his eyes. For a moment, everything was blurry but then, after so long, he knew what it was like to see again.
And the first thing he saw was an ocean of sand.

He sat up, running his fingers through it and leaving behind long streaks, an intricate pattern that had meant something to him in another life. The sand tickled his fingertips and it made him smile.
A smile…it meant lifting the sides of his lips. He liked that.

The young man slowly stood. The heels of his feet settled into the warmth of the golden sand. He wiggled his toes and took a small first step forward. He hadn’t used his muscles in a long time but walking came natural to him. So did jumping. And spinning around with his arms at his sides.
It felt wonderful.

He stood in the middle of a vast desert, a carpet of space above him with twinkling stars woven into the fabric. He remembered stars. It felt like a lifetime ago but he truly remembered the stars.
He’d loved the stars once.

Tilting his head back, the young man smiled and lifted his sand covered hand as if to touch the gems that were so far away.

“Stars.”

As the word left his mouth, the young man had no recollection of his voice. It was strange, hearing himself speak, knowing that the sound was his. But he liked it.

He spun on his heel and took in his surroundings. Sand and black sky star sprinkled sky and…lights. Coming closer.

The young man sat down and waited. And while he waited, he cupped his hands and gathered up kernels of sand. With wide eyes and still smiling, he watched the sand slip through his fingers.
And then he laughed.

“I’m back.”

*

Talon knocked back his drink and quietly set the glass back on the table while he surreptitiously glanced around the little tapcaf.

Tattooine.

He didn’t like the planet. The harsh weather conditions aside, dealing with the individuals could, at times, be quite tedious. As he sat there, watching a pretty blue skinned Twi’lek girl tend to the patrons at the bar, he saw a huge Deveronian male that walked into the tapcaf with a bit of a shuffle. At his hips he carried an assortment of tools but it was the blaster, supposedly hidden, that caught Talon’s eye.

Wasn’t his business so he went back to nursing his drink. He was seated in the farthest corner of the little tapcaf, away from prying eyes but still close enough to listen in to a few conversations.

Obviously, it was the easiest way to gather information. Not necessarily the most professional way since mostly what he heard was gossip and rumors but now and then he caught bits and pieces that spiked his interest.

It was a fairly good way to pass the time while he waited for Mara to show.

A look at his time piece told him that she was already fifteen minutes late, which was very unlike her.
Talon signaled for another drink by raising his hand as the pretty Twi’lek glanced his way. She nodded, he took the last sip and then settled back against the rather uncomfortable chair. He decided to give Mara another ten minutes before seeking her out.

As the Twi’lek girl sauntered towards his table, swaying narrow hips from side to side, she gave him a beautiful smile and he’d have been lying if he’d said she didn’t have a certain affect on him.

“If there’s anything else you need,” she said, leaning forward quite provocatively as she placed his glass on the table, “anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask.”

The double entendre was not lost on him. He lifted his lips into a sly grin and gave her a little nod. When she walked away, he noted how she made a show of sashaying back to her workplace. She looked over her shoulder and winked before she went to take care of another patron.

Smiling to himself and, for just a moment, playing with the thought of actually considering her offer, he took another look at his timepiece. Five more minutes.

He was getting anxious. Which he didn’t show, of course. On the outside, he made sure his demeanor was calm. Just another simple guy out for a few drinks.

And this simple guy suddenly caught bits and pieces of a conversation that spiked his interest.
His drink forgotten, he listened closely. Beside him, two tables down, beneath a small oval window, sat two humans whose skin had seen far too much sun. Leathery and burnt, it was obvious they were outside laborers. One of them was middle aged with eyes the color of the sky and the other was probably his son. A younger version with much more hair.

“He scares half the staff.” The younger one said, gripping his glass with both hands. “We should get rid of him.”

His father cast him an irritated look. “He’s a great help and you know it. Without him, we wouldn’t have gotten this far.”

The boy slumped in his seat with a furrowed brow. “He isn’t natural.”

“Don’t you say things like that!” The father hissed, leaning closer to his son.

“The things he can do.” The boy shook his head. “You haven’t seen him, Dad. It’s not right. And he talks in his sleep.”

“We all talk in our sleep, son.”

“But do you talk about the Vong in your sleep?”

“Keep your voice down!” The father snapped. “We’re good people, son. And we saved his life. The least we can do is give him a roof over his head until he can find work and a place of his own.”
The boy snorted and got up. His father followed after leaving behind a few cred coins.

Talon glanced at his time piece again. Ten minutes were up, it was time to go. With a bad feeling settling into the pit of his stomach because Mara hadn’t shown, Talon finished his drink just as the Twi’lek girl approached the other table to clear up.

“Do you know the two that were just here?” He asked.

She smiled at him. “Yes. Why do you want to know?”

“Just curious. I’m looking for business partners. Moisture farmers, I take it?” He asked, hoping he was on the right path. With skin like that, there weren’t very many occupations that fit the bill.

The girl nodded. “Out at the Boris farmstead. About half an hour from here by speeder.”

Talon nodded. “Thanks.” Just as he was about to turn around, he smiled at her. “I might be back later. When do you get off?”

*

Mara cursed loudly, throwing the hydrospanner threw the air. She watched, with wide eyes and a growl on her lips, as the useless piece of crap landed with a heavy thump. At the same time, her com link chirped hidden away in the folds of her tunic.

Shoving darkened goggles to her forehead, she took a step back from her speeder and glared at it as it simply sat there, unmoving, unfixable.

The incessant chirping of her com link nearly made her rip her tunic apart as she grabbed for the damned thing. “What?” She growled, clutching the com link in a tight fist.

“You’re late.” Talon’s smooth voice came through loud and clear.

“Yes. I know. I’m having mechanical troubles.”

“Where are you?”

Mara shrugged. “Not sure. But I can see the city from here.”

“Stay where you are.” Talon said. “I’ll pinpoint your position through the open com link. And there was a change of plans.”

Mara didn’t like the sound of that. A change of plans was usually never a good thing. “Do I want to know?”

“The Boris farmstead. About twenty minutes from my current location. That’s where we’re headed.”
“Why?” Mara asked slowly, while she shuffled towards her hydrospanner, kicking up sand with her boots. “What’s so special on a farm?”

“A mystery, my dear.” He said and she could almost hear his smile through the open com link. “A mystery I intend to solve.”

 

Cool and intriguing beginning A mystery indeed.

 

A mystery! I like it! Very nice start. I didn't have anything specific in mind for a story, so don't worry that this is probably not what I expected. I just like the character of Talon Karrde and wanted to see a story with him in it. I look forward to reading the rest of this fanfic. Thanks for taking over from whoever was supposed to write the story. I appreciate it!

 

Very nice beginning! I'm looking forward to more!

 

Thank you, sweetie.

Yes, a mystery! And I hope a good one. When the mystery is finally solved.
And it's really fun writing Talon. Not sure whether I'm getting him right because I haven't read a book with Talon in YEARS but still, it's fun.

Thanks! More should be up in a few days.

 

Intriguing! Looking forward to more!

 

Tried to read this earlier, got sidetracked, and had to come back later... it's later. Love it.

Interesting and wonderful beginning.

 

You have my attention and I love the character of Talon --- I always hear his voice as being Jeremy Irons. Tag me, please I'm like to read more. Thank you.

 

Jedi_Lover I have no excuse.
Well, actually I do and they're legitimate excuses but I'm not going to go into details.
But I will admit to this -- I'm sorry, sweetie, but I truly and honestly forgot.

But I'm back. So I hope you'll enjoy the update.

 

Mara slid off the back of the speeder bike. The suns had set and a welcome cool breeze replaced the acrid heat. She took off the helmet and ran her hands through her red hair, loosening up strands that had stuck to her forehead and the nape of her neck.

“Tell me again about this mystery.” She tucked the helmet underneath her arm and raised a brow towards her old friend.

Talon had been curiously quiet throughout the short trip to the Boris farmstead and even now she could tell that he was brooding. Slightly narrowed eyes, rubbing his unshaven chin with a gloved hand; but when he turned to look at her, Mara caught a twinkle in his eyes that she hadn’t seen in quite a while.

“Rumors, my dear.” He said, nodding towards the farmstead. Surrounding it was a tall security field to keep out the sand people. At the gate, two armed men stood carrying heavy rifles across their chests, eying Mara and Talon suspiciously.

Mara sighed, annoyance creeping into her voice. “Can you be more specific?”

She followed Talon to the gate where the two men, having grown weary, stiffened at their approach. Mara saw their hands tighten around the rifles but they didn’t take aim. Good sign.

“Gentleman!” Talon announced with a beaming smile. “This is the Boris farmstead, yes?”

One of the men, a brutish looking young man with short crapped blond hair and wearing heavy goggles on his forehead, spit into the sand. Mara grimaced. The kid was chewing on a tobacco stick. “Who wants to know?”

“Friends.” Talon said, spreading his arms in greeting. Mara looked at the other kid, a freckled young man no older than eighteen standard years. Behind him, Mara made out a few igloo shaped residences and farther behind, there were colorful lights and she heard music.

“We’ve come from the city.” Talon continued. “And it’s getting dark and we hoped that you might have a place for us to stay for the night.”

She heard how he let his voice imply he was afraid, which wasn’t true at all. But with these two younglings, it seemed the best tactic to get what he wanted.

The blond kid shuffled his feet and frowned. “Go get Boris.” He said to the freckled kid, who gave a curt nod and ran down a path towards the colony.

“There a party going on?” Mara asked.

“Wedding feast.” The kid answered. “Old man Stargazer found himself a young one. They got married yesterday.”

“Well.” Talon said with a warm smile. “We’ve arrived just in time to wish all the best to the happy couple.”

The blond kid came back, followed by the man Talon had seen in the tapcaf earlier. He was a short, thick human male in his mid forties. A tool belt hung low on his hips, below a round belly over which his tunic sat a bit too tightly.

“Friends!” He said, beaming and gesturing for Mara and Talon to enter. “Night’s about to fall. Can’t have you wandering the dunes with sandpeople about. Come right in and celebrate with us!”

*

And celebrate they did. In the center of the colony, the colonists danced around an enormous fire pit. A band played native music and half the colonists sang along with the tunes. Drinks were handed down, homemade food was given out and everything revolved around the happy couple, dressed in ceremonial robes and seated near the fire.
“Quite a celebration.” Mara commented. “Tell me again why we’re crashing a wedding?”

But Talon seemed preoccupied.

She followed his gaze towards a group of children, dancing near the fire pit. They held hands and ran around in a circle, singing to the song the band was playing. It was the man standing in the center of the circle who made Mara gasp.

Her legs moved on their own accord while her mind tried to wrap itself around what she was seeing. Because it just wasn’t possible.

Talon, having followed her to the fire pit, laid a hand on her shoulder.

“It can’t be.” Mara whispered.

The man in question was tall and athletically built. His hair, dark brown, was far longer than she remembered, curly at the ends and the tips nearly touched his shoulders. His eyes were the color of clear blue crystal. Mesmerizing, beautiful eyes…

“Talon –“

“I see him, Mara.”

“But…” She pulled her brows into a deep frown and suddenly her fingers began to tremble. “He’s dead, Talon. He died.”

“I know.”

“Then…” She turned to face her long time friend. “How the hell can he be here?”


Jedi_Lover, Gemma, DaenaBenjen42, divapilot, Tarsier, Nyota's Heart

 

Nice update! I'm still not sure who the mystery man is. I look forward to reading more.

 

Hmm, who could it be, who could it be... I loved Talon being all manipulative and handling the situation with the guards perfectly!

 

Hi, Ceil! This was a very intriguing update and Do you know how relieved I am to see you here/back?

 

Oooh, very mysterious! The writing is fantastic, of course and I liked his flirting with the Twilek girl, that made me smile

 

I look forward to seeing what happens next. Love your characterization of Talon and Mara.

 

Well, you're about to find out.
BUT there were hints throughout the entire story. Between the lines and all.

Who could it be??? : D
Talon is very fun to write. Always a joy.

Thanks, Jade. Glad you liked.
And if life is now finally finished throwing things my way, I might actually stick around for a while. So wish me luck.

Thank you for that wonderful compliment.
I think Talon is the kind of guy who knows how to use his masculine assets for his personal gain.

Thank you, Gemma. Glad you liked.

 

Nyota's Heart, Iverna, serendipityaey, Gemma

So...the final update. For this story. Obviously, this screams for a sequel...you'll see.

***


“Will you dance with me?”

The man without a name forced a kind smile but shook his head. “Wouldn’t be a good idea.” He said apologetically, glancing down to his fingers entwined in the hem of his white tunic. When he’d arrived, stranded out in the middle of nowhere, the colonists had given him a new name because…well, he couldn’t remember who he was.

Who he’d been. Where he came from.

And even after several weeks of living amongst these fine people, he had no recollection of his past.
It was a blank spot, a great white nothingness and he feared it.

“Just one dance.” The girl nearly pleaded. Her name was Ahna and she was barely an adult but she certainly knew how to wrap the men around her finger, even at so young an age. “Please, Joss?”

Inwardly he grimaced at the name.

It didn’t fit.

It wasn’t him.

The name didn’t belong.

He shook his head, curls of auburn hair falling into his eyes. He tucked wayward strands behind his ear. Her smile was radiating. Her dimples showed, brown eyes were alight with mischief and she shuffled her foot from side to side, batting her lashes. She truly knew how to get her way.

He laughed. “Fine.” He said. “But only one dance.”

Ahna grabbed his hand and tugged him to the fire pit where the others were already dancing around the flames to a popular song the band played. All around them, the wedding guests laughed and drank and forgot about the world around them.

Only they chose to forget.

He hadn’t been given a choice.

He simply was. Without memory, without a past, without a life.

“I don’t think I’ve done this before.” He raised his voice to be heard over the guests. Ahna laughed.
“Just do what I do.”

She took both his hands into hers and laid them on her waist. She went on to explain further but he wasn’t listening anymore.

He stared ahead at the newcomers standing just a few feet away. Absentmindedly he heard Ahna say his faux name, felt her tugging at his hands but he didn’t move, not even an inch.

He knew them.

Somehow, he knew them.

He stepped away from Ahna and ignored her as she called out his…no, it wasn’t his name.
Joss was not his name.

But they knew. The newcomers. He was sure of it.

The woman with fiery red hair, stared at him with wide open green eyes and tears ran down her cheeks. The man beside her was a statue but he felt…sensed…turmoil.

“Who am I?” He asked, his brow furrowed. The woman stepped close and suddenly flung her arms around his neck. “Who am I?” He whispered into her hair.

She pulled back and he looked into her eyes…and he saw love.

She wiped the tears away and smiled. “You’re family.”

*

Mara held her cup of tea tightly in both hands and breathed in the spicy scent of local herbs. Boris had been kind enough to give them a small hut for the night, with separate beds and a small fresher unit in the back. The party outside was still going and wouldn’t end until the first light touched the sand.

Talon stood near the entrance with strong arms crossed over his chest, while their visitor sat cross legged on the ground, smiling.

“My name is Anakin?” He asked, trying out his name and speaking it as if it were a treasure.

Mara nodded. “Yes.”

“It feels…right.” His smile grew until his face was lit, until it reached his eyes, until it was all Mara could see. “How did I get here?”

Mara took a sip of her tea and let the warmth run down her throat, warming her from the inside. She was rarely shaken up by events but this…this was near to unfathomable.

“I don’t know.” She said slowly. “You shouldn’t be here.”

Anakin blinked and tilted his head to the side. “Why?”

Mara swallowed. How could she even begin to explain?

“Because you died.” Talon said.

Anakin turned towards the taller man, eyebrows raised. “I died.” He echoed and then a frown creased his forehead. “I…died.”

“It was a long time ago.” Mara went on, gripping her cup of tea. “A very long time ago. And you haven’t changed. You look just like you did before…” Her voice trailed off. She bit her lower lip and forced a small smile. “Anakin. This is a miracle. Your parents –“

“Parents?”

She nodded. “Yes. They’ll be delighted.”

“Well, Han might try to shoot you first –“

“Karrde.” Mara hissed in a warning tone.

“It’s true.” Talon said with half a smile. “Han’s a bit…testy.”

“And Han…is my father?” Anakin asked, twisting his tunic between his fingers.

“Yes.” Mara answered, setting her cup aside. “And Leia is your mother.”

“Leia…” Anakin closed his eyes for a moment. He breathed in deeply and then he smiled. “I would very much like to meet my parents.”

“And you will.”

“Are you family as well?”

Mara nodded. “Your aunt.”

“Aunt Mara.” He smiled as he spoke. “It sounds familiar.”

“It should. You always squealed it when I came to visit.”

Anakin pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs. There was a thoughtful expression on his features. And Mara was simply speechless. He didn’t look a day over seventeen and he’d died over fifteen years earlier.

How the hell was she going to explain this to Han and Leia?

And Jaina, for that matter.

Mara rubbed her brow. And, of course, there was Jacen. But no one had heard from him in ages.

“What do you remember?” Talon asked, crouching low to meet Anakin eye to eye.

The young man turned away and closed his eyes. “Pain. And nothingness. And then finally…freedom.” Anakin sighed. “But why now? Why am I here? And who brought me back?”

Mara forced a smile. “That’s what we’re going to find out.”

*****

Finis?

Obviously, there's more to tell.
I haven't plotted that bit out yet. At least not entirely. And it would involve the entire cast so it's a bit of a mountain that I still have to climb.

Even so, Jedi_Lover, I hope you enjoyed this...preface to a huge story that has yet to be written. I've always wanted to do this, to bring him back. Imo, that's where the EU started to go downhill.

 

WOOOOOOOOT Brilliant! Any sequel, anytime, I'm there!

 

Nice! It is interesting. I thought Anakin's death was a total waste of a great character. I look forward to reading the fic explaining how this miracle happened. Thanks for this gift fic!

 

Wow wow wow! This is great!

 

Holy macaroni! I thought it was the OTHER. Anakin. But this is better! Excellent story.

 

Actually my first guess was Ben when Reddish hair was mentioned; but this is even way better. I love the idea of bringing Anakin back. Please continue and tag me too, please.

 

Awesome ending!

I'd love to know the rest of the story!