Beyond - Legends The Road Not Taken. Luke/Tionne. New post on 9/14/2009

Okay... this one's been simmering since 1995, actually.

To explain this fic requires a legit history lesson on my fandom, so here goes.

I first watched a SW movie in 1987. ROTJ on HBO, in its entirety. Loved the Endor Space battle, thought Luke/Vader/Palpatine kicked copious amounts of butt. Loathed the Ewoks. For the next 8 years, I watched ROTJ a few more times, 75-80% of ANH but not all in a row and from 'No, I am your father!' on for ESB. In other words, not a huge Warsie.

Then came the first YJK book, 'Heirs to the Force'. I gobbled that up along with the entire YJK. And who was absent through out that series? Mara. Who was in it, exchanging glances and weird touches? Luke and Tionne.

So for a while, I thought they were either married or seriously dating. But definitely in love.

This is a post-ROTJ rewrite, all the way through to the end of the YJK.

Thanks to brodiew for the title.

Important!!!!!!! Please read!

If you want PMs when I update, please tell me! I won't be doing my usually prompt updates like usual!

PM list:

G__Anakin
Kidan
SilSolo
Feng_Huang
AvaVisarra
Thrawn McEwok (maybe)
emeraldshadow
Darth_Drachonus
BottledUpInside
iamobiwan1970
Jade_eyes
LadyKethry
Darthme1011


Here we go!

*****
Chapter One: Exis Station
Luke steered his borrowed freighter in a series of seemingly haphazard maneuvers, each twist and turn narrowly avoiding a solar flare from the star known as Teedio. Very soon, he picked out the orbiting Exis Station; little more than a central core with dozens of solar-collection panels jutting out. And inside that central core, he could feel a single life form.

Beside him, Artoo sent out a stream of beeps, whistles and hoots that roughly translated as, [Are you out of your kriffin? mind?]

Luke chuckled as he circled the station, looking for a docking port or hangar bay. ?It?s all right, Artoo. I know what I?m doing.? I hopep, he silently added. Finally, he spotted a hangar door that would accommodate the freighter. ?I?m going in. Artoo, hack into the central computer and open the door, okay??

A slender computer jack extended from Artoo?s cylindrical body and hooked into the freighter?s transceiver array. He transmitted a series of instructions to Exis Station?s central computer and, within minutes, had the hangar doors opening. With deft hands, Luke steered the freighter inside. The ship touched down with nary a shudder as the doors closed and a breathable atmosphere was reestablished.

Luke exited the freighter, glow rod and lightsaber in hand. ?Better stay behind, Artoo,? he instructed. The astromech blatted, but rolled back up and into the freighter.

Luke focused his attention on the life form he felt. As he approached it, he began picking out details about it-her. Female, humanoid. Some Force sensitivity. Also feels cute? where the heck did that come from? He walked along the darkened corridors, feeling history itself leap out at him.

A light grew bright ahead. He turned right at an intersection and entered a large room. Several shelves lined the walls, containing ancient lightsabers, robes, holocrons? all manner of artifact lay on the dust-covered shelves. His mind almost boggled at the treasure trove of items there, but that?s not what his eyes landed on.

A young humanoid stood in front of a set of lightsabers with a holo-recorder whirring. She wore a silvery dress that left her pale arms bare and seemed to be made of liquid metal. Mother-of-pearl eyes and slightly pointed ears pointed to a slightly nonhuman origin. Luke?s breath caught slightly in his throat. ?My-my name is Luke Skywalker,? he finally announced, startling her. ?Oh, sorry.?

She took several deep breaths before speaking. ?I know. I?ve read all about you.? She took a few steps forward, her hands clutching the holo-recorder nervously. ?For as long as I can remember, I?ve admired you and your drive to bring back the Jedi.?

Luke nodded, ?How long is your memory? You?re not much younger than I am.?

The woman?s eyes looked down. ?I don?t remember where

 

This looks realy cool

I would like a PM please

 

RK_Striker_JK_5
You finally posted it!

I like this. Pm's please

It has an interesting concept, and is a fun read...and artoo's comment was quite funny


Great job!

 

This looks good. A ship unseen...

Update soon.

 

Very interesting concept. Looking forward to more.

 

PM me too!

 

OK, you hooked me. Please add me to your PM list.

 

This is not what I expected ... it's better. And yeah, I thought there was some serious chemistry between Luke and Tionne in the YJK. While I'm a huge L/M fan(It's my 3rd fave pairing behind J/TK and A/T), I always thought that if Mara was out of the picture, Luke would have wound up with Tionne.

 

I like this, Jon. Tionne seems a little like Data being discovered for the first time. There is an innocence there. Let me know when you update.

 

I like originality. Can you add me to the PM list?

 

Wow. Lot more responses than I thought...

I'm working on the next post. Either Sunday or Monday.

G__Anakin-Thank you. And added.

Kidan-Yeah, finally. Added, and thanks. Artoo's a blast to write.

SSM12-Unless you know where to look. Thanks.

Ish-Thanks. I look forward to writing more.

Sil-Added.

Blue_Milkshake-Hehe. Thanks, and added.

Zeb-Thanks. Glad you like. Yeah, Tionne and Luke had this... thing in the YJK. I'm a huge L/M fan too, but this... it begged to be written.

Feng_Huang-Thank you! And added.

brodiew-Thanks. She does have an innocence about her, I believe. ANd added.

 

Here we go!

*****
Tionne slid her hand out of Luke?s firm grasp and motioned to the various artifacts. ?I?ve taken scans of all of them, but I?m not sure if I should move them. They?re so old.? She leaned forward and peered at one of the old holocrons. ?And dusty, too.?

Luke suppressed a chuckle. ?Those ancient Jedi artifacts can take quite a licking.? he picked up a holocron and held it up to the light. ?So much knowledge, here. It?s a wonder Palpatine didn?t destroy the station.? He took a step back and gazed at all of the shelves. ?It would take-? his danger sense suddenly kicked in. ?Watch out!? he shouted, grabbing Tionne by the shoulders and jumping back mere seconds before the entire station shifted.

He rolled in midair so he could take the brunt of the landing. The pair hit the deck and rolled until they hit the opposite wall, their faces mere millimeters from one another. Tionne gazed into Luke?s haunted blue eyes while he gazed right back into her wide-open mother-of-pearl eyes. Suddenly, his comlink chirped.

[Luke, the station?s been hit by a solar flare and is tumbling out of control! You?d better get back here pronto!]

The Jedi Master got to his feet, aiding Tionne. He got his comlink out and held it up to his mouth. ?We?ll be right there!? he shouted. His gloved hand wrapped around Tionne?s. ?Come on, we?ve got to get out of here.?

Tionne stopped. ?Wait, what about all this?? Her free hand motioned to the artifacts. ?We can?t just leave them!?

Luke?s mouth worked around for a bit. The answers to so many questions were within reach, but he knew he didn?t have the time to gather the artifacts. And to pick and choose among them? ?I wouldn?t know where to begin, Tionne.?

The young woman glanced about. ?Begin? Begin where? I meant use the Force to stop Exis Station from tumbling out of control.? Her eyes darted about. ?Well, what are you waiting for??

Luke?s jaw dropped as her words sank in. Size matters not intoned in his mind, words of wisdom from Yoda. He looked back into Tionne?s eyes, and he suddenly knew he could do it. His eyes drifted half-closed as he began summoning the Force?

Two hands grabbed onto his own. His eyes opened and he saw Tionne standing there, a smile on her face. ?I believe in you,? she said.

Suddenly, the station lurched again, sending both stumbling a bit. Luke quickly regained his center and extended his sense beyond the confines of the corridor he and Tionne were in, reaching out to the out of control station. He telekinetically grabbed onto the main core, gradually slowing the spin and taking care not to do it too violently, lest the outer solar panels were to rip off. Exis Station began slowing down and swung back into its original orbit, as if it never left.

A sigh escaped Luke?s mouth as he suddenly felt quite tired. The stopping of Exis Station?s tumble proved quite exhausting, even to a Jedi Master. His shoulder slumped and his head lowered-just in range for Tionne to give him a kiss on the cheek.

?Thanks for saving us,? she said, a grin almost splitting her face in half. The smile turned into a frown almost as quickly as it blossomed, though. ?What?s wrong? Are you ill?? she asked, concern in her voice.

Luke swallowed as he tried to tamp down on the crimson color his cheeks were turning. ?I?m fine, nothing to worry about,? he practically spit out. He hesitated before speaking again. ?I know you?re Force-sensitive, but I can?t force you to-?

Tionne interrupted him. ?If you think the whole ?dangerous path? spiel is gonna dissuade me, forget it. Like I said, I?ve been admiring your work for as long as I can remember. And I would be honored if you took me as an apprentice.?

Luke could feel her determination but still... ?It won?t be easy.?

Tionne nodded, a lump suddenly in her throat. ?I know, but I still want to help.?

The Jedi Master thought for a moment before taking her hand. ?Then I will accept it.? He fished his comlink out of his pocket and activated it, ?Artoo, power up the engines. We?re leaving.?

 

Nice. So Luke stopped the station from falling...cool.

Update soon.

 

Impressive. He managed to stabilize an entire station. Loved Luke's line about Artoo behaving most of the time.

 

Cool

Thanks for the PM

 

aye...i liked it as well, plus luke's stopping of the station is in character with his throwing around large displays of power like he would often do during this time period...


great post, an thanks for the pm...

 

Very nice update. I hope this'll tackle how Tionne's not too strong in the Force. Somehow, the 'ship reminds me of Alberich/Myst from heralds of Valdemar.

 

Cool chapter.
I take it they picked the holocrons before leaving, right?

 

Cool update, Jon. I'm loving Artoo's attitude. Plus, Tionne reminding Luke that "size matters not" was cool as well. I look forward to more of these too.

Tionne seems so refined and dignified and Luke is the naive hick boy from a backwater planet. Oh, the fun you'll have putting these two together.

 

*Sigh* My apologies for not updating for a bit. I'm doing 3.5 other epics, and it's difficult keeping up.

SSM12-Yeah, he did. He's cool like that.

Zeb-Thanks. I liked that line too.

G__Anakin-Thanks, and glad you liked it.

Kidan-Thanks. And yeah, that's why I had him do it.

Sil-Not sure if it will. She just has low potential. But what she does with it is amazing.

Feng_Huang-Thanks. And yeah, they did.

brodiew-Thanks. Luke always seemed a bit neive when it comes to women, at least to me.

Here we go!

*****
Kam Solusar?s head shot up as a familiar freighter landed in front of him, Gantoris and Brakkis. Keiran was in the Temple putting several containers of supplies but would be done soon. The grizzled Jedi walked up as Luke and some young girl exited. ?Great to see you again, Master. How was your trip to Exis Station?? He glanced at the girl, but said nothing to her.

Luke motioned to the freighter. ?Very, Kam. We?ve got a hold full of ancient holocrons and lightsabers, as well as a new student.? He smiled and stepped forward. ?Kam Solusar, meet Tionne. Tionne, this is Kam, one of the more advanced students.?

Tionne smiled enthusiastically and extended her hand. ?An honor,? she exclaimed. Her face fell when Kam arched an eyebrow at her and let out a deep breath.

?Charmed.? He looked over at Luke. ?Can we talk, Master??

Luke?s expression hardened as he sensed Kam?s feelings. ?Very well.? He nodded to Tionne as Kam fell into step beside him. They quickly reached the other side of the freighter. ?You don?t think she should be trained.? It wasn?t a question.

Kam looked askance. ?She?s not powerful, and a bit naïve. I can tell that much just by looking at her.? He glanced back at her. Tionne was making small talk with Gantoris, looking somewhat nervous. ?I think it?s a mistake to train her. What can she offer??

He turned back to Luke, but shirked back at the Jedi Master?s piercing gaze. ?What can Keiran offer us, or Gantoris? Raw power is not potential. It?s also skill and drive to better yourself.? He paused. ?And it?s not like I can afford to turn anyone away at this point, Kam.?

The grizzled Jedi sighed and tilted his head once. ?Very well, Luke.? Both men turned and walked back to the front of the Great Temple.

Gantoris, meanwhile, was standing in front of Tionne, his hard eyes boring into her. ?I don?t think you belong here,? he flatly stated.

Tionne?s mouth screwed up and she planted her hands on her hips. ?Hey, I?m getting enough grief from tall, pale and grizzled over there. I don?t need it from you.?

The colonist leaned back in surprise. ?You can hear that? How??

She pointed to her slightly-pointed ears. ?Luke and I brought about seventy holocrons and almost a hundred lightsabers back with us from Exis Station. I was able to access one and learned some rudimentary sense-enhancement from someone named Bastila. It was kinda easy.?

Gantoris grunted, but there was a slight twinkle in his otherwise dead eyes as he turned away from Tionne. She leaned forward and turned as he walked back to the cargo containers. ?Weird?? she muttered.

Luke and Kam approached her. ?Tionne, I think I know the perfect spot for the lightsabers and holocrons. Would you like me to show you??

The trainee smiled brightly. ?I?d be honored, Master Skywalker,? she said, walking up the steps to the entrance of the Great Temple.

The Sole Jedi Master blushed for some reason as he walked up behind her. At the foot of the stairs, Kam sighed and shook his head. ?And I thought it was bad with Jem.?
*****
Tionne placed the last of the holocrons on the shelf. Her gaze drifted out from them to the lightsabers still in the cargo containers. Here, in the old briefing room where the attack against the first Death Star was planned, Tionne could almost feel the old ghosts of the pilots.

?Nice place. Although it could use some curtains.?

Tionne turned and looked as Keiran Halcyon entered. ?Oh, hi!? she said, walking over to him. ?How do you like it??

?Keiran? smiled f

 

?And I thought it was bad with Jem.?

hehe...what a line!

Great job ont his post as usual! More soon please!

 

Awesome man. Kam is kind of a jerk at this point, isn't he? Oh, nice reference to Bastila, is Revan's, the Exile's, and the rest of the Force Sensitive crewmembers Holocrons in her collection?

 

Oh sweet, Tionne found Bastila's holocron. I wonder if she'll learn Battle Meditation. Either way, her putting Gantoris in his place was fun.

 

Nice update. Tionne can hold her own. Loved the Bastila's holocron reference.

 

Great post thanks for the PM

Can't wait for more