Characters The Skywalker-Jade Revival Society Discussion Thread

Hey, at least you knew that they would be together when you started reading the EU. I remember the shipping wars. And I didn't even have the internet back then! That's how bad they were!

 

I started to like Luke and Mara after I read fanfic I had been a fan of Luke with just about any female (Gaeriel was my 2nd choice for him) and even started a tiny fic (that I deleted from my mind) of Luke going to find Callista. By the time Vision of the Future came out, I was DEFINITELY a Luke/Mara fan and hated Callista.

 

I've always been in love with Luke and I wanted him to have some romance. I remember reading about the Callista books before they came out and pounced on those things... not realizing what was in store for me... yipes. Anyway, I remembered Mara from the Zahn books and wondered if they'd been together but not much seemed to be going on with them at that time (though I liked when she showed up in one of those Callista books... I've blocked most of them from my mind). A couple of years later I read about more Zahn books and read the duology and loved it! I loved Mara, and I loved L/M together. But I didn't have the internet at that time and I was so X-Files crazy that I stopped reading the EU and went on to other things. I used TF.N for years reading prequel spoilers but never wandered into fanfic. One evening after seeing ROTS I pulled VOTF from my shelf to re-read and the mania began. I finally found TF.N's fanfic and promptly lost many years to fandom.

As to what draws me to them, I love that they bring something so different into one another's lives. I love that Mara reminds Luke of the man inside the Jedi. I love that Luke is so unlike anyone Mara's ever known and that he brings out a side of her that no one else sees. I love her line from VOTF, "We complement each other perfectly, Luke, all the way down the line. In many ways, we're two halves of a single being." And I love the Force-bond. (Haters can hate.) I just love L/M, for everything they are together and apart.

 

I've been a Star Wars nerd since early 2003. I was 9 and staying with my father and we watched the OT. I was instantly hooked. My father would often say, "(Insert my incredibly boyish first name here), I am your father." I would, of couse, reply in my increadably whiny nine year old voice, "NOOOO! That's NOT true. That's impossible!". I've always related to Luke Skywaker as I was raised by various family members, often going months, sometimes years, without seeing my father. I was basically my father's "son" as I was much more boyish than my sister. I related to Luke especially when my father died later in 2003. I hadn't seen him since that visit that we watched the OT.

Then, in early 2007, I was introduced to the EU. I learned of a character named Mara Jade Skywalker. She wasn't just Luke's wife, she was her own established character. She was sarcastic, snarky, independent, strong-willed and loyal. Me, basically. (Then a few months later, they killed her off. Yeah. I was pissed. I certain book might have been thrown across the room).

So I guess I see myself in both Luke and Mara. Maybe that is what attracts me to them. But I also love that they are their own characters, yet they make the perfect team. I love just Luke, I love just Mara and I love Luke and Mara. They are not your typical cookie-cutter relationship. They do have their mushy moments (not enough of them in profic though), but they also kick butt. I just love how Luke is so optimistic and kind, yet Mara is brash and rough. They balance each other out. I also love how Luke brings out a kind side of Mara that no one else sees.



I found this site in like 2010, just by surfing the internet. I mainly sticked to the Lit board, but was browsing around here one evening and I found a heading titled fan fiction. I was skeptical at first, but I clicked anyways and I found a world were you could do whatever you wanted. If you didn't want Mara to be dead, you could bring her back just by clicking, reading or writing.

I've always been one to make up stories in my head. so one night, I decided to get the words out of my head and on the computer screen. The monster I already was transformed into a fan fiction writing monster.

We do not talk about my first fic (I was in a mood, pissed off at the whole Clone Wars thing, anf wanting to kill a few characters) but after that, I decided to try my hand at writing my favorite two characters. I was so scared that i would mess up Luke's and Mara's characterizations, that my first few fics went to the recylce bin half done. I wrote a few not about Luke and Mara and posted 2 of them. Finally I went off the deep end and entered a quote challenge, wrote a LM fic and posted it. People actually liked it. I was amazed.



Anyways, sorry about the tangent. I love writing LM because part of me goes onto the page. I relate to both characters, so I can get in their heads. I like to write scenes displaying how they each bring out a person in their parner that no one else can bring out.

Also, I just love writing snark.

 

Alright. I think it is time for our first challenge. Drumroll please.

Late Nights - August 2011

For this challenge, you must write a fic about Luke and Mara having a late night, the reason and timeframe is up to you. 

You must include a Star Wars-ified verson of one of these phases (if you can include all five, I will bow down before your greatness):

- "You have lost your marbles"
-"If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck, and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck"
-"Speak softly and carry a big stick"
-"The opera isn't over till the fat lady sings"
-""To the ends of the earth"


The due date for this challenge is August 28th

 

Fun challenge. And I love reading the whys and hows of Hazel, Briannakin, and ginchy.

!!!

 

Ooh! Bunnies are hopping.

 

If I can extricate myself from the trilogy for a bit (which I really shouldn't!), I'll work on something for this challenge. Otherwise, I'm looking forward to reading the entries.

 

Hi, my Aug. challenge entry is up in Beyond.

Antsy with Anticipation

!!

 

Great to see this thread alive again! A revival of the Skywalker-Jade Revival Society was indeed needed

What do I love about writing Luke and Mara? Well, Luke has always been my favourite character so I naturally gravitate to writing about him but what I love about Luke and Mara is that their relationship is quite complex, and out of the ordinary. You don't often see ten-year courtships (if you can call it that!) and you don't often see the depth of the individual characters having to find their own peace with themselves and deal with their own issues before they are able to be with one another.

While it may have been frustrating, I love the fact that it took so long for L/M to get their act together and realise they were perfect for each other, because, imo, at the end of TTT they probably wern't. Their love took time and maturity and you don't see a lot of relationships like that.

 

JadeLotus - You don't often see ten-year courtships (if you can call it that!) and you don't often see the depth of the individual characters having to find their own peace with themselves and deal with their own issues before they are able to be with one another.

So true, JadeLotus. That's part of what I love with Luke and Mara too - plus the fact that there is so much UST right form the start. Those two things balancing - it's pure yum yum!

Add to that that Luke is my absolute favourite hero and Mara has all that guts you gotta love and her unique history - that really makes it for me.

As so many of you have pointed out, L&M really balance so well, managing to bring the best out in each other. I discovered EU very late, in 2005 or 2006, I think, and at that time I hadn't even heard of fanfiction. But while the PT never excited me, it still stirred my old love for SW and I bought the OT on DVD and started to imagine my own little EU. The fun thing is, that the story I created had very much in common with stuff in the EU (of which I knew nothing at that point): Palpatine returned as a clone, Luke found a greeneyed love interest (Tara, not Mara) who was tightly connected to Palpatine (his grand daughter, not his hand) and they walked a long struggling road before they found together and she could embrace her Force heritage. But when I discovered Mara and the EU, I dismissed Tara easily; Mara was so much more ambiguous and full of flaws - but on the other hand she and Luke balanced so much better. I think the Tara I created reminded of a young Callista, very likeable and soo grand of mind - and much less fun than Mara.

Maybe I shold confess that back in the OT days I was a staunch L&L shipper, even if I had to deny that the sparks between Han & Leia were better. But I considered Luke the hero, so he should have the princess - and when he didn't I was in for a huge disappointment. I shoved away my passion for SW as a childish fancy and refused to acknowledge it for many years. It wasn't before my hubby gave me ANH in birthday present that I started to admit that maybe my old love wasn't dead after all (and even then I was a bit ashamed that I'd been talking about it so much that he'd noticed ) Anyway, today I'm of course happy that Leia chose Han - even without that sibling-thing, she and Luke would never have been as graat a couple as Luke and Mara!

 

It is so wonderful to see this thread up and running again!

I discovered Star Wars because my mom is a fan and she had the OT on VHS tapes and I watched them when I was really too young to get into and remember them. Then I do remember going to see The Phantom Menace when it first came out...I was either 9 or 10. Let's just say it sparked my interest and I went home and watched the OT again and fell in love. When I was around 15 I think and after Revenge of the Sith came out, I was walking around a book store and saw Star Wars books. They were the Dark Nest trilogy and I read the character page and there was Mara Jade SKYWALKER! I was in shock so after I read those I looked her up on the internet and my love for Mara, L/M, and fanfiction was born.

I think I read the books in approximately this order: Dark Nest Tril, TTT, Thrawn Duo, Some of the Vong war books (the 1st 2 and Rebirth I think), SQ, LotF, and Alliegance.

I've always liked Luke and Mara just was pure awesome on her own. Together...well I just think they are invincible...especially with fanfic.

 

It's truly a case of them being a better version of themselves because they are together. (I'm trying hard not to spill the quote from Jerry M: 'You complete me.'

 

My entry - Sabacc Face.

Enjoy!

 

The index is now up to date.

As I was updating the index, I noticed I put someones name in the wrong place . Apparently, despite volunteering at a library for 3 years, I don't know how to alphabetize things. So if you see something in the wrong place, just tell me.

 

This is my entry for the Aug. Challenge:

The Night is Young

 

Now. I have a question. Would it be unfair if I wrote an entry for the challenge(s)?

I wasn't going to, plus I really gotta work on my sequel to Dawning, but I got bit really hard by a bunny.

If you guys think it would be unfair because I come up with the challenges, just let me know.

 

Nooooooooo, I don't think it's unfair. Go for it!




I wish some bunnies would bite me...

 

I wish a bunny would, too!! *sends bunnies towards Trace*


That's awesome that the index is being updated! And I agree, it's not unfair. The more L/M fic the better!!!

 

I was always a fan of Luke in the movies but when my friend told me about Mara's character I was hooked. I love Mara because she is a strong, independent woman who can kick some major butt, who also has a softer side, even if it is occasionally hidden deep within. My friend told me about how Luke and Mara got married and I finally decided I wanted to read them for myself; the idea of her with the naive farmboy was very interesting to me.

I like writing about them (when the muse allows) because of their dynamic. They are so different but their differences complement each other and together they are always better. I don't believe in soul mates but if I did, (and they weren't fictional characters ) I would think they were soul mates, made perfectly just for each other. It's the little bit of a romantic in me.

 

I must admit, I am not a romantic person, unless it comes to LM, but they don't exactly have an extremely mushy, typical romantic, relationship. I do not believe in soul mates, but there is something about their characters that just scream they were made (or written) for each other.



MY ENTRY FOR THE AUGUST CHALLENGE IS UP! I THOUGHT, SINCE I MADE UP THE CHALLENGE, IT WAS ONLY FITTING THAT I PUT IN ALL 5 QUOTES

The Night Isn't Over Yet

 

Me, too, Trace! There's nothing like The Epic of Gilgamesh to scare away any bunnies that may head your way (I'm talking me, of course!)

 

A bunny for this found it's way to me! It actually bit a little to hard and what I wanted to be a one shot story will end up being a few parts.


Stakeout

(I think I've been watching too much NCIS! )

 

My challenge response: "3 a.m."


Full disclosure: I actually wrote this fic a few months ago, but never posted to the JC (it was on livejournal) however the challenge topic was just such a perfect fit, I have revised the original version for it.

 

Hmmm... maybe this thread will ignite the SW bunnies again!

What do I love most about L/M?

Well first off, my first books for the EU were by far the TTT. I started reading and went oh, I love this Mara character. (Unlike Nanci, I adored her from the start ) I loved her unique history and the fact she wanted to "kill" Luke. I always liked Luke, but unlike some others, he wasn't my favorite character. (That title does to Han and Artoo. And Yoda)

Then I ventured elsewhere, really not knowing what shipping was. I barely remember any other books other than Rogue and Wraith Squadron and Zahn's books.

AND then... VOTF happened. And they then became my favorite couple. There was something about them that I absolutely adore, one being Mara knows Luke's weaknesses and strengths and understands them and vice versa.

Then I started reading the NJO and Stackpole did such a great job with them, that I loved them even more.