Beyond - Legends The Jade Prophecy - L/M, H/L Thank you to the readers!!!

What's wrong with keeping the mind in the gutter?

My, my and my....ten breaths until you can respond. Let's see if I can get you up to an even dozen.

 

For heaven's sake, Toronto, don't be pointlessly argumentative.

*continues rummaging for Mara issue of SW Insider*

 

What is this courting death you speak of? I'm merely watching my back from the likes of a certain elderly few...

And yes i know you cant resist, thats what makes these things so fun!

:::waves her Mara issue of SW Insider at Gabri and raspberries:::



::Windstar Out::

 

More impertinence!

Bri, couldn't you at least have shared the information from that issue while you were gloating? *shakes head* Young people today...

Never mind, found mine! Star Wars Insider, issue 47, page 55: Mara's age is listed as approximately two years younger than Luke. Michele, I still very much want to know if you find information that says otherwise, please.

 

A-Windsor and Baby Bantha:

RebelMom: Mom! Woot! Welcome back! How was your trip? Did you have a JC meeting?

Toronto: My, my and my....ten breaths until you can respond. Let's see if I can get you up to an even dozen.

Grrrr.....

Gabri_Jade: * hugs evil twin * And yeah! You found the issue of SW Insider! Isn't it wonderful?

Bri_Windstar: * fingers gimer stick *

* also considers taking away plate of cookies *

More tomorrow night guys

 

Ahhh.

<Waits for next post>

 

nice start to this story for the first official post. I think you wrote Mara well. Gabri is helping you capture her personality.

I do have to disagree about the use of the word "worship" of Mara in the NJO though. I think its just a little too much admiration that was taken too far.

Though I'd like to see how Jaina and Jacen will react to Mara in this story if they meet her........

I think they'd be scared of her.

 

But its just so much more fun to tease you both!

And who is to say that i havent eaten all of the cookies?!

:::hoards the remaining few, taking a bite of one and following it with a swig of Dr. Pepper:::



::Windstar Out::

 

Nah, they wouldn't be scared. They'd realize she's simply too cool for words and naturally take her as their role model.

 

Beautifull H/L post! Ohh the mush!!
wonderfull post LP

DM

 

Jedi_Liz: Glad you liked Mara's characterization (winks at Gabri_Jade)

Bri_Windstar: Ahhh...so cookies are all gone, eh?

- All right, because you're just a baby, will lay out more cookies.

TorontoJediMaster: Actually, H/L's kids will not meet Mara in this story.

DarthMasan: Thank you! Glad you liked it

 

Bear with me a bit, guys. There are a couple chapters to sort of give a little background on where we are in the story.

---

[b]Chapter Three[/b]

A buzzing sounded over the intercom. ?Mara Jade is on her way in, sir.?

?Good,? Toth Tauro nodded his head. ?Bring her directly to my study.?

?Yes, sir.?

Tauro switched off the intercom and crossed the room to fix himself a drink. A brief chime sounded outside the door and then the door slid open. A tall, very statuesque blonde with hair piled high on her head poked her head in through the doorway. ?Toth, honey, aren?t you going to dance at all??

?I told you not to interrupt me in here,? Toth said shortly. Then, seeing the pout on the blonde?s face, he said, ?Look, Kylia, I?ll be out in a while. I?m finishing up business. Go outside and wait for me.?

Kylia pouted for a few more seconds to make her point and then backed out of the doorway and turned around. As she walked through the study antechamber toward the main hallway, Tauro could hear her muttering under her breath. ??don?t understand why he has these creatures in here. Gives me the creeps??

The door slid shut and Tauro went back across the room toward his desk where his computer console rested. ?Jade,? he ordered, and the screen flickered to life. An employment file holograph appeared on the screen, followed by the data that Mara had filled out when she applied for her job at Syndex. Underneath the employment application, however, was a blank. There was no obtainable past history. This led Tauro to think that Mara hadn?t wanted her true identity known. It wasn?t so unusual to have someone apply for a job under a pseudonym; what was surprising was that his investigative agency was unable to find any old data on her. They had never before failed to find the true identity of anyone employed under a false name. With Mara, it was as if she had materialized out of thin air three years ago.

Tauro shook his head. On record, Mara was an excellent pilot. When Tauro?s regular pilot had become ill three months ago, the vice president in charge of the Syndex division had recommended Mara based on her exemplary record. Tauro had called her to pilot him a few times and had always been pleased with the results of her flying. She was definitely qualified for the job?but he was intrigued by the mystery surrounding her past, and he found himself looking forward to meeting her. Although she had piloted for him, he had never actually met her. She had always stayed in the cockpit and the crews? quarters whenever she piloted his yacht Ptyrion. Based on her holograph, she was a very attractive woman, which was also always a bonus. He allowed himself a little smile of anticipation.

A chime sounded again outside the study door.

?Come in.?

The door slid open and Mara Jade entered the room, escorted by Tauro?s butler. ?Miss Jade, sir.?

?Very good, Alio,? Tauro said. ?You may leave us.?

Alio nodded and then withdrew.

Tauro turned toward Mara with an appreciative eye. She looked better in real life than she did on the holograph. Despite Mara?s protests to Tensoq earlier that day, she had appeared wearing a lovely, silky cream-colored sheath dress that was demure but very elegant. ?Miss Jade. What a pleasure to meet you at last.?

[hr]
Mara paused just inside the door to Tauro?s study. For once, she had been stunned out of her usual stern composure as she took in everything before her.

?Likewise,? Mara said, struggling to hide her emotions under a calm demeanor.

?Would you like a drink, Miss Jade?? Tauro asked, gesturing to his well-stocked liquor cabinet.

?No, thank you,? Mara shook her head and focused her attention on Tauro.

Her host, Toth Tauro, was a human male. He was in his early fifties; he was tall, nearly two meters in height, and had very handsome, distinguished features with dark eyes and wings of silver in his dark hair. Dispassionately, Mara thought that were she susceptible to the charms of the males of her species she might be very attracted to this man. But he wasn?t what

 

oooooooooh, you brought in Ysalimiri. Hehhehehe......you almost feel sorry for Mara as she was panicing (well, I do feel sorry for her, but she is still evil in this )

Hmmm, will she discover those could be useful in capturing Luke?

 

LP is using those little Force suckers...ysalamiri. I always thought that name sounded like an Italian dish. "welcome to the Olive Garden... tonights special is ysalamiri.."

 

I'm sure that Tauro has a shady background or even a shady present.

I had a wonderful vacation and great JC visit with Mcily Nochi and Padawan Lunetta. They are both lovely young ladies and fun to be with.

 

:::hoards the offered second batch of cookies:::

I'd reply, but I'm afraid that my novice vocabulary would not allow me to

I'll try anyway.

Now why does Tauro have so many Jedi aftifacts, and what in the world is he doing with ysalamiri?! He has to know what they can be used for. Interesting little puzzle you've set up.

Find out the mystery that is Miss Jade? Methinks not.

Mara always did come off as a bit of a conundrum to me, she's so enigmatic. That's what makes her so fun!

Technical stuff can be fun, LP. This paticular post added some mystery to the plot, IMO. Dont' sweat it.

::Windstar Out::

 

New reader alert!

Excellent story! I look forward to seeing more

 

This was very interesting background -- don't apologize!

Mara, my dear, I don't think the strange sensation of longing was about the pilot part...

Tauro is quite the interesting fellow. Jedi artifacts he must have acquired while they were still illegal. Ysalamiri. And she can't read his thoughts. And now he's out to find out who she is and what she wants. I'm already looking forward to seeing more of him.

But he also can't be too legit, either. Not to be in the position he's in this soon after the fall of the Empire. Perhaps he's one of Han's old buddies from smuggler days gone by?

Intriguing developments...



p.s. Tauro is an OC, right? There are some gaps in my EU reading (and memory ) so I wanted to be sure.

 

*B.B. bounces into the thread followed by a panting A. W.* He's been a bit hyper lately

Wonderful post, LP!!!! I like Mara Jade, though I'm much more of a H/Ler myself. B.B. thinks she's hot...

I'm SO intrigued by all this stuff! Where did he get all that stuff? Does he know what the ysalamiri do? I gotta know!!!!!

Awesome stuff. More soon, LP!!!


A. Windsor and bouncing Baby Bantha

 

...Tauro determined to get to the bottom of the mystery that was Mara Jade.

Just as Mara Jade is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery that is Tauro. Very interesting plot you've woven here, LP. Especially with the ysalamiri thrown in, too.

And just for the record, I've already let Gabri_Jade know that so far I can't find my proof that Lucas Publishing changed Mara's age after that Insider article came out. I'm not saying that it was all in my imagination. I hope I'm not that senile yet.

 

LOL, Michele! No, you're not senile. According to Bri, that's definitely my department. It's likely just one of those 'official' contradictions where no one really gives the fans a straight answer. More fun for us that way - we get to write things as we like them.

Beautiful Mara characterization here, Jieh. I loved her reaction to both the job offer and the ysalamiri. Speaking of which...

GreatOne, you're right! They do sound like an Italian dish! I'll never look at ysalamiri the same way again.

 

ohhhhhhhhh!!! Great post LP! Just caught up on the last two. I like the way your posting. One post Han/Leia and the next Mara/Luke. Keep it up!!!

 

Good post.

So, this is the first Mara's heard of ysalmiri. Interesting. I would've thought Palpatine would have been familiar with them.

This Tauro is interesting. He seems to be a composite of Karde, Thrawn and Xixor.

My analysis of his character is that he has done some work for Palpatine in the past. He has a unique collection of Jedi artifacts that would've brought him arrest and likely death during Palpatine's reign. As he's someone with a high profile -i.e. not someone who stayed undercover during the twenty year regime of the Empire, as Yoda and Obi-Wan did- he had to have had some type of special priviledge in having the collection.

My guess is that he did contract work for the Empire. I suspect that during the Jedi purges, his organization helped the Empire hunt down and kill the Jedi. The job was too big for Vader and Palpatine to do all themselves. I think Palpatine might have cotracted out some of the work -especially in more remote corners of the galaxy- and Tauro seems a likely candidate. His legitimate organization is probably a cover for his more lucrative programs.

Plus, he has ysalmiri. He keeps them, and obviously knows what they can do. That makes him even more likely a candidate for putting hits on Jedi during the purges.

He didn't know about Mara before because nobody knew about her in the Empire except Vader and Palpatine.

I think that Tauro's collection of Jedi memorabilia will come in handy at Luke's Jedi Academy.

Solo kids won't meet Mara just yet? Ah well, they'll have plenty of time to get to know her and start to worship her as a totally cool aunt and role model.

 

ooh the ysalimiri Always an interesting addition to any Star Wars story... And somehow, I can't help rooting for Mara, no matter what side she's on I just love her, and I love the way you're writing her LP!

 

Hmph. *puzzled* Mara may very well wind up with two enemies.

Interesting character, this Tauro. Keep it up!



~Ty