Before - Legends Where Faith Is--A Qui-Gon/OC Jemmiah Chronicles long story--Author's note, 9/21

According to Qui-Gon, neither of them had wanted this, since Karina loathed the idea of speaking to her at all and Leona was loath to impose herself on anyone, much less the daughter she hadn't seen in two decades.

Nevertheless, the investigation had to move forward and Qui-Gon had to converse with the Archivists, the two P'lilas found themself eastbound in a rented landspeeder.

Karina was driving, since Qui-Gon had given explicit instructions for Leona not to be unduly agitated, but Leona hardly minded this arrangement, since she got her first opportunity to study her daughter more carefully.

The set of her jaw was familiar, as were the dark hair and eyes, but the lines of her cheekbones and her nose, the broad shoulders and height were all Romja.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you it's impolite to stare?" Karina interrupted her thoughts.

"No, but my Master tried," Leona sighed. "It usually works."

"Well, then we're on equal footing in some respect. Both abandoned to inferior teachings."

"How do you know that I would have done any better?" Leona retorted. "You're a doctor."

"I was kidnapped by slavers," her daughter countered. "I am a doctor because the last person they sold me to decided an education would make me look like a good buy. When he died two years after that, the laws of that world stipulated that I could be set free. I'd hardly say that such mercenary types were good role models."

"You know that I'd have done everything I could to give you a good upbringing," Leona assured her, "but neither of us were given the chance."

"The chance," Karina scoffed in a passable imitation of her father. "Did you even bother looking for me?"

"Thirteen days," Leona said quietly. "It took us three to find your father, but after thirteen, there were simply no organic life forms to be found in the remains and we still hadn't found you. You have a grave marker on Inoxia, which is the best I could do."

"Yes, I'm sure you were heartbroken to get on with your life," the girl sneered.

Her breath caught in her throat at such a bald accusation and naked hatred, something that should not have been coming from any daughter of hers, much less directed at her own mother, but she could find no words to condemn her beyond heartache.

"You will never know," she said quietly. "It took..."

Fourteen months of An-Paj's patience, administrative work, and serious mind-healing.

"So much to stop feeling the emptiness where your weight had been in my arms," she finished at last. "We hadn't weaned you yet, so losing that connection to you was painful on enough physical levels without even considering the mental. Every foundling we came across for those first five years, I kept hoping that it would somehow be you."

"Why should I believe you?"

"Two reasons," Leona said around a very dry throat. "First, I have no reason to lie to you. And second, your job here is to stop murder, same as mine. If we're to succeed, we need to trust each other further than we can throw each other."

Karina's face turned away pointedly, but she did not argue.

 

Not surprisingly, Leona's daughter has issues with abandonment. But I hope in time that she will come to understand that her mother searched long and hard for her, and that working together might help to resolve matters between them. I liked how Leona studied her daughter and saw so much of her husband there. And

 

Oops, double post!

 

You know, Karina is really starting to tick me off. Maybe it's because I care about Leona, but does she not think that Leona suffered. It wasn't as if she dropped Karina off in front of an orphanage or something. It was more of a being ripped out of her mother's arms who in turn lost everything! Karina didn't know her mother so didn't have that as much.

I know it'll take time and healing on both parts. Karina can be resentful and as bitter as she wants, but make it on your own time sister. You've got patients to save. As for Leona, I'm surprised she's as coherent as she is now. If it were me, I'd be stuck in the looney bin talking to a shrink.

 

Jemmiah--Not surprisingly, Leona's daughter has issues with abandonment. But I hope in time that she will come to understand that her mother searched long and hard for her, and that working together might help to resolve matters between them. I liked how Leona studied her daughter and saw so much of her husband there.

I figured that seeing so much of her husband in their daughter would be something a lot harder to cope with because she expects to see herself in Karina.

mouse2--You know, Karina is really starting to tick me off. Maybe it's because I care about Leona, but does she not think that Leona suffered. It wasn't as if she dropped Karina off in front of an orphanage or something. It was more of a being ripped out of her mother's arms who in turn lost everything! Karina didn't know her mother so didn't have that as much.

She has no sense of perspective or, if she does, she only cares if it's in her favor. But that's the angry side of her. Just wait until she starts acting like her mum.

I know it'll take time and healing on both parts. Karina can be resentful and as bitter as she wants, but make it on your own time sister. You've got patients to save. As for Leona, I'm surprised she's as coherent as she is now. If it were me, I'd be stuck in the looney bin talking to a shrink.

Yes, exactly.

 

Note: The fate of this fic is uncertain at this point. I won't say why, but it'll be on hold for a bit until I get more info.

Update: This is hereby out of my hands. I have decided that, because it seems to have gone unforgivably far afield from the original intent, it is best to leave this bunny to someone else.