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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Beyond - Legends Even Masters Must Learn (Valin, Corran, and Jysella) Fic-gift for brodiew

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by Briannakin , Dec 20, 2017.

  1. Briannakin

    Briannakin Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Feb 25, 2010
    Title: Even Masters Must Learn
    Author: Briannakin
    Timeframe: Post-FOTJ/Crucible (~50 ABY)
    Characters: Corran, Valin and Jysella Horn
    Categorization: Legends
    Notes: Written for the 2017 fic-gift exchange for brodiew ! It’s been awhile since I’ve written much for Star Wars, and MUCH longer since I’ve written for these characters, but I hope you still enjoy!

    I would like a story in Beyond Legends with:
    1. "There are times, however rare, when Master does not mean expert."
    2. a new talent is discovered
    3. Jedi lives are in danger

    I don’t want silly, but humor is encouraged.
    I don’t want: Mirax or Booster in the story.
    Characters: Coran, Valin, and Jysella Horn



    Master Valin Horn sat by his younger sister’s bedside. Occasionally she’d wince in pain and cry out in terror in her sleep, so Valin would dab at her ashy skin with a warm, damp cloth. It seemed to help for a few minutes at a time. The healers would come into Jysella’s room, try some new drugs or a new healing technique. They weren’t giving up on his sister or her comrades, though the healers had stopped trying to suggest Valin take a break and go back to his chambers to rest. His sister and their friends’ lives were in danger and it was all his fault, so Valin wasn’t going to leave.

    Valin had been a Jedi Master for a few months now, just a few weeks after he had turned 37, as part of Grand Master’s Skywalkers’s push to get the next generation - the first generation to be born into the New Jedi Order - into leading roles. Valin had never been much of a teacher, nor a healer, nor did a Jedi Librarian really interest him. Then his father had suggested “Missions Master” and it made perfect sense. As Missions Master he decided what Jedi Knights got what assigned to what task and he formed task forces for more in-depth missions.

    Knowing the talents, weaknesses, and personalities was critical to the job as Missions Master, and Valin, being one of the oldest of kids of the first generation born to New Jedi, knew the current batch of knights well. Valin had watched them grow up and had even cared for them during the Yuuzhan Vong war. He knew what knight was suited for what solo task and who worked well on a team.

    And no one worked better on a team then his sister - Jysella - Vardan Marlel, Yaqeel Saav’etu, and Ben Skywalker. They represented the best and brightest of the Jedi Order in terms of knowledge of Force abnormalities. So, when the 6th moon of Achia reported that their dead were coming back to life, Valin figured these four were best equipped to deal with Force Zombies, so he had sent them. It had seemed like a no-brainer.

    Of course, the Force wasn’t to blame, but a virus which caused recently deceased Achians - a non-humanoid species - to become reanimated. But because Valin did not send a healer or Jedi with a background in biology with the team, they had failed to recognize this before it had been too late. They as humanoids - two humans, a Bothan, and a Twi’Lek - had become living hosts to the virus, which was slowly turning them mad and threatening their lives.

    And it was all Valin’s fault.

    * * *

    Jysella knew it was a nightmare; she was cognitively aware that she was experiencing a flashback, but knowing made it no less terrifying to experience over and over again.

    She ran down the narrow, streets of Achioba city, every one of the stone buildings lit blue by the 4th and 5th moons. Her boots were landing in puddles, covering her with water and mud. Her heart pounded and her chest hurt, but she didn’t care, she had to get away from the sickly grey-green Achian - his 6 boneless legs carrying his bulbous body quickly. Achians were normally such graceful creatures, on land or in the water - but this one’s movements were disjointed and jerky, making him unpredictable, even to a Force-user.

    Ahead of Jysella was Yaqeel, running, growing tired. The Bothan tripped and fell, sprawling out on the packed gravel.

    “No! Jys!” Yaqeel screamed as Jysella stopped to help. Yaqeel’s knee was bleeding, staining her light tan fur. “Go! Catch up with the guys!”

    “And leave you?” Jysella’s throat burned with pain, but the thought of leaving one of her best friends behind to die a horrible death alone nearly tore her heart out. “Never! Your fate will be the same as mine.”

    Then, the creature was upon them.

    It hurt. It was only a dream and it was all over - they had escaped from Achia, but not before first becoming infected. It still hurt.

    * * *

    It was difficult to for Valin to see his sister in such pain, but all he could do was hold her hand and hope that this new treatment Tekli was going to work. The Master healer had seemed hopeful and had reported that Ben Skywalker was now awake and a “normal human colour again”, but Valin couldn’t enter any of the other rooms. He felt too guilty to face the other families. It was bad enough that his father was nearly here.

    Jysella cried out in her sleep again. Her blood pressure spiked and her breathing became rapid.

    “No, shhh, shhhh,” Valin said as he dabbed at her grey skin with the cloth. “You’re okay. You’re with your big brother and Dad is on his way.”

    Thinking of his father, Valin decided to try something, something he had never tried before, but he knew his dad could project images into conscious minds. Maybe Valin could figure it out and project good memories onto Jysella’s unconscious mind. It was worth a try.

    Rubbing his hands together for warmth, he stood up. He put his hands on his sister’s head, closed his eyes and thought of the best memory they had together: them as kids playing in the snow at Corellia’s southern pole. With the help of their father and a couple other members of Rogue Squadron, they had built a massive snow-fort with tunnels, bridges, slides, and towers. It had been Jysella’s own customized castle playground.

    Valin opened his eyes again to see that his sister’s breathing had calmed and she now seemed to be sleeping peacefully.

    “You’re good at that.”

    Valin looked up to see his father. Corran Horn seemed tired from his travel, and concerned for his daughter, but not mad.

    “I am so sorry,” Valin began. “I messed up sending them on that mission. I should have known,” he said, gritting his teeth in frustration.

    Corran sighed. “It’s probably useless for me to tell you what everyone else knows: this isn’t your fault. You sent the best Jedi you thought could handle the situation. And, although they returned hurt, they accomplished their mission in figuring out what was wrong. Now we have Master Healers doing their mission and trying to make them better.”

    “I just don’t know if I can be Missions Master. I feel so guilty. I know I shouldn’t feel emotions this intensely, but I do.”

    "There are times, however rare, when Master does not mean expert."

    Valin scowled. “What little data pad of Luke Skywalker sayings have you been reading?”

    Corran shook his head. “What I mean is, you are still learning how to do your job. Heck, I’m still learning. There are times when I mess up, if you can believe that.”

    Valin rolled his eyes.

    His father continued. “But, if you are having doubts about your current position, speak to Masters Skywalker and Tekli. How you just calmed your sister was… an incredible new power. There are unfortunate mental health risks to being a Jedi. What you just did might be able to help a lot of Jedi.”

    Valin nodded at his father’s words. They both knew all too well that PTSD and other conditions were rampant within the ranks of the order. Was a career change in order? He knew he shouldn’t abandon his post as Missions Master after one foul-up, but Valin did find he was a level-headed person and could help people, maybe not with medical issues, but certainly by counselling people through tough trauma. Goodness knows Valin had gotten through a lot of trauma, mostly with the help of his family and friends.

    “I’ll meditate on it,” Valin replied.

    “Now who’s reading the little data pad of Luke Skywalker sayings?” Corran teased his son.

    * * *

    Jysella had fought for her life, and thankfully, with the comfort of her brother and her father, and the expertise of Master Tekli, she (and all her friends) had gotten the virus out of their systems. Jysella was still recovering, but she was in her parents apartment, on their couch, cuddled in a dozen blankets as her brother served as her personal slave.

    “Oh, Val,” she chimed, holding her empty glass in the air. “You wanna be the best big brother ever?”

    Valin put down his data-pad reader. He was researching different mental health degrees and certificates at Corellian and Coruscanti universities. He wasn’t quitting his job as Missions Master, but the position was now going to be held by a number of Jedi, so he was going to have some more free time to explore his own budding interests and maybe help Jedi once they returned from missions. Valin grunted at his sister. “Dad will be back any moment with take-out.”

    “Yeah, but I’m thirsty now, and Master Tekli said I shouldn’t spend too much time on my feet.”

    Valin sighed, got up, and grabbed the glass from her. “More guitvara juice?”

    She nodded.

    “You’re like a Hutt now,” he mumbled as he made his way into the kitchen. “In your demeanour and, if your laziness keeps up, in size too.”


    “I heard that!” she called. “I’m telling Dad when he gets home!”
     
  2. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    What an intriguing dilemma the Jedi faced and of course Corran is right; they could not have foreseen what the cause was so of course Valin sent out the best team he knew to send and unexpected injuries occurred. That is a very wonderful talent Valin discovered in himself and it looks like it is going to lead to a very fulfilling career path. Loved the teasing and warm affection between the family members. [face_laugh] Jysella knows how to recuperate in style [face_mischief]
     
    Findswoman and Ewok Poet like this.
  3. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    Great to see the Horn family.
    and the lessons learned by Valin.
    I love the Corellian Jedi
     
  4. mavjade

    mavjade Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Sep 10, 2005
    Poor Valin, to have your first task as Master be something that goes wrong. :( Anyone would be upset, but when it's your first that doesn't make you have much self-confidence. And for your sister and Grand Master Skywalker's child to be on that mission, well that just really hits hard!
    I loved the reasons he would be a good fit for missions Master.

    TEKLI!!! :D

    I loved this memory and the power that Valin shows here. I adore how Corran thinks he should use it. It would make sense that Jedi seeing so much death and suffering, they would also suffer psychologically.

    [face_laugh] I kinda want to see this data pad of Luke Skywalker sayings!! :p

    This was so lovely! Valin clearly loves his sister, even when she's annoying him!
    Fantastic story!! =D=
     
  5. Cowgirl Jedi 1701

    Cowgirl Jedi 1701 Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Dec 21, 2016
    Yay! PTSD Jedi!

    That sounds so wrong. I'm not really happy that Jedi have PTSD, but I'm happy that Jedi have PTSD. It's a complicated emotion, and I can only hope you all know what I mean, because I really have no clue how to express it in words.
     
    Ewok Poet likes this.
  6. Findswoman

    Findswoman Fanfic and Pancakes and Waffles Mod (in Pink) star 5 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Feb 27, 2014
    Even though I don't know these characters well, I enjoyed this story. You always do a wonderful job of portraying characters' feelings in a way that's sensitive but not overly sentimental—and with just the right amount of humor and snark thrown in, as we see here in (for example) Valin's little crack about the little datapad of Skywalker sayings. Because yes, as true as the requested quote most definitely is, that is pretty much exactly how it sounds—and I didn't realize it until you had written exactly that! :D Of course the brother-sister snark at the end is spot on—shows just how well Jysella really is recovering.

    I think I see what @Cowgirl Jedi 1701 may be getting at about PTSD. It's completely plausible that Jedi are not immune from it and its effects, and I imagine that the Force could be somewhat of double-edged sword here, functioning as a means of healing from the trauma but also making the memory of it stronger and more present.

    Brava on a wonderful little story, and thanks as always for sharing! =D=
     
  7. brodiew

    brodiew Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Oct 11, 2005
    Excellent story, @Briannakin! It was nice to see most of the Horn family in 'action' again. I appreciate you doing this for me. I enjoyed the idea of Valin as mission's master, but can also see him feeling guilty. I also enjoyed is new empathy power that helped his sister even in her night terrors. And then there is Corran. I loved the use of the quote and the data pad of Master Skywalker sayings. Thank you, again@
     
  8. Chyntuck

    Chyntuck Force Ghost star 5

    Registered:
    Jul 11, 2014
    Yikes! That situation on the moon of Achia sounds supremely creepy, and the idea that the Jedi sent to investigate it became hosts to the virus even creepier!

    But the family time with the Horns was nice to read [face_love] I really liked the idea that Valin discovers his new skill out of necessity, to help his sister, and then, with a little prodding from his dad, decides to take it one step further. This is very much how I imagine a grown-up Valin – still engaging in silly sibling banter with his sister, but very caring and thoughtful about others when it matters.

    And the datapad of Luke Skywalker sayings had me in stitches [face_laugh]
     
  9. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    The only things I know about the Horns are their names, that the kids had something called "Force psychosis", that the daddy is married to Mirax and that some folks have these fixations.

    None of that stopped me from enjoying your fic. :D

    Valin has, undoubtedly, matured a lot from what I know of him. The fact that he's now 37 and wise (not that all 37-year-olds are wise, mind you[face_tee_hee]), that he has a special knowledge of the Force abnormalities, much like his friends do and that he has the pretty unique title of a Mission Master is great. Awesome. :)

    Kind of sounds like something @Sith-I-5 would come up with. Intrigued. [face_thinking]

    EEEK! Poor woman. :( And this is a perfect depiction of trauma based disorders. I'd say that it's more like cPTSD than "plain" PTSD. The night terror sequence is perfect, with running through those puddles. Whoa! [face_skull]

    What a wonderful brother, he is. [face_love]

    But it's his dad who assures him that it's okay to fail sometimes, that we are not born know-it-alls and that, unlike Anakin's "mistakes", these are very Human, indeed. :) Love the end scene, too. Hutt, LOL. [face_rofl]

    A sweet and heartwarming family story. =D=
     
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