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

Saga - ST "The Old Man & the Sea", Luke one-shot, canon/ legend mix with fanart

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction- Before, Saga, and Beyond' started by AzureAngel2, Apr 6, 2020.

  1. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    Title: “The Old Man and the Sea”, a Luke one-shot

    Author: AzureAngel2

    Co-editor and muse: @DarthUncle

    Main beta editor: @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    Length: one-shot

    Genre: Drama

    Rating: no PG needed

    Summary: In his self-imposed exile on a water planet in the Unknown Regions the Jedi master Luke Skywalker tries to distance himself from his past and life in common. And even from the Force itself.

    Time frame: The story takes place in 34 ABY.

    Place of choice: Ahch-To

    Reader warning: Please excuse my weird English! I am German. English is only my Second language!

    Disclaimer: SW is owned by George Lucas, Lucas Ltd. and now The Walt Disney Company


    [​IMG]


    I hear your voice on the wind
    And I hear you call out my name

    Listen my child you say to me
    I am the voice of your history
    Be not afraid – come follow me
    Answer my call and I'll set you free
    I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain
    I am the voice of your hunger and pain
    I am the voice that always is calling you
    I am the voice and I will remain

    I am the voice in the fields when the Summer's gone
    The dance of the leaves when the Autumn winds blow
    N'er do I sleep throughout all the cold Winter long
    I am the force that in Springtime will grow

    I am the voice of the past that will always be
    Filled with my sorrow and blood in my fields
    I am the voice of the future
    Bring me your peace, bring me your peace
    And my wounds they will heal
    I am the voice in the wind and the pouring rain
    I am the voice of your hunger and pain
    I am the voice that always is calling you
    I am the voice


    I am the voice of the past that will always be
    I am the voice of your hunger and pain
    I am the voice of the future
    I am the voice
    I am the voice
    I am the voice
    I am the voice



    The climate on the island was as unpredictable as the ocean around it, but the four seasons had their own specific traits.

    Spring and autumn were both temperate seasons. They could include bright sunny days as much as heavy rainfall. Summer sometimes brought heat waves only to be interrupted by occasional deluges of rain. Winter was a very different affair: With its soft displays of light it could be wonderfully atmospheric. As the general rhythm of days slowed down, the islanders retreated indoors. Far away from the heavy storms that roamed the waters as much as the land.

    Right now it was still summer. It brought “a grand stretch in the evenings” as the locals called it. That meant about eighteen hours of daylight with a sunset close to midnight.

    Like every day, no matter what season, Luke Skywalker emerged from his stone hut at dawn. He was a creature of habit. Those habits were one of the few things that he had left in life. They helped him to stay alive, to stay focused.

    Of course he had tried suicide when coming to the island in the first place, but he had been by far too stupid and inept to go through with it. Or it even had been the Force itself preventing it.

    In the end it did not matter. The result was the same. He was still breathing and had a body that needed to be nourished, washed, clothed and housed. His austere life style made it possible for those simple needs to be fulfilled. He did not have much, perhaps less than he used to as a boy on Tatooine, but that was okay.

    One of his more unwanted possessions though were his memories. He tried to tune them down and made them fade in the background like the Force itself. There were times when distancing himself was more easy.

    Today seemed to be such a day.

    After the usual morning errands the Jedi Master paused at the highest point of the island and gazed down at the ocean.

    The wind was playful today, had nothing of its usual crisp bite.

    As he stood there, just watching the waves, the quote of an old friend of his - Lor San Tekka - came to mind.

    “Ah yes, the sea is always good. There is nothing I can look at for very long, except the sea.”

    It had not been the seasoned explorer himself though who had come up with those beautiful words. They originated from a book that the belated Misses San Tekka had been very fond of.

    Lor had lost his Nagina within the first year of the Galactic Empire. The kind kindergarten teacher was said to be killed by a notorious terrorist by the name of Saw Gerrera.

    Thoughtfully, the Jedi Master moved a hand through his dense beard.

    Around that time of this unfortunate death he had been less than one year old, hidden in the care of Aunt Beru and Uncle Owen on Tatooine. While his twin-sister Leia had been whisked off to Alderaan and had been made a princess of royal blood by Senator Bail Organa and his wife, the Queen.

    He stepped a bit closer to the edge of the cliff, the abyss right underneath his feet.

    The dune sea of Tatooine, made of sand and stone only, was no match for the giant water masses down there. Always in motion with ever changing colours. Even if the surface was as smooth as a mirror, there was still movement underneath.

    It was commonly known that Naboo, the birth place of his true mother, hosted a lot of sea monsters in its depths. Such as Opee sea killers and sando aqua monsters. But nobody had found out about the biggest monstrosity of them all until it was too late.

    Even though Sheev Palpatine was dead, his unholy heritage lived forth in the First Order. And in madmen like Gallius Rex or, even worse, Supreme Leader Snoke.

    The Jedi Master shivered as a large black cloud started to block the two suns of Ahch-To.

    The brave sacrifice of his father, Anakin, should have brought balance back to the Force. But seen how things had developed for the galaxy after the Battle of Endor and the destruction of the Second Death Star there seemed to be none. The dispute between the light side and the dark side of the Force seemed to be eternal.

    “Well, I am out,” he muttered to no one in particular than himself.

    The Force ghosts had stopped visiting long ago. And he hoped it would be the same with his failures. As a teacher. As an uncle. As a brother.

    Abruptly, the Jedi Master turned his back towards the double suns.

    To think of what had occurred between him and Ben was bad. But the memory of his beloved Mara still scourged him.

    He stirred his thoughts into much smoother waters.

    Lor had accepted the burden of widowerhood with much more grace. As a member of Church of the Force the archaeologist had believed that human beings were in a cycle of death and rebirth called samsara. When a person would die, their atman were to be reborn in a different body.

    That was a calming thought, even though he was sure that Mara was one with the Force. If she had chosen for a mortal life though she would have rather returned as a graceful animal. Such as fathier or raawk.

    And the Jedi of old used to have a Litany against Fear:

    There is no emotion, there is peace.
    There is no ignorance, there is knowledge.
    There is no passion, there is serenity.
    There is no chaos, there is harmony.
    There is no death, there is the Force.


    Of course, Luke Skywalker had tried to live by those words, but they had failed him. All those he had ever loved were either dead or out of reach for him.

    Biting his teeth together, he started to return to the stone village, where he lived among bird like aliens. A stranger among them, an outsider by choice, but cared for and accepted.

    The Lanais had a long history with the Jedi Order on their island, that still hosted the first temple.

    As he walked around a corner, he heard a young female ask a much older matron, “Why do old men wake so early? Is it to have one longer day?”

    The Jedi Master grinned inwardly, glad that he had bothered to learn their sophisticated language. It was a combination of spoken words and hand motions, not unlike the one that the Jawa of Tatooine used for communication.

    With deliberate slowness he signalled the two caretakers a good morning, taking satisfaction that the young one blushed extremely.

    He walked towards his hut, closing the door right behind him.

    Immediately, he spotted something amiss.

    A book of his was lying on the floor. It was a strange coincidence for it was the one he had thought about it earlier on. Lor's good-bye present for him: “The Last Unicorn”.

    With a grave face, he picked it up and read immediately, “I know you! I almost knew you as soon as I saw you on the road coming to my door. Since then, there is no movement of yours that has not betrayed you! A pace, a glance, a turn of the head, the flash of your throat as you breathe... even your way of standing perfectly still - they were all my spies!”

    Gingerly, he closed the old fashioned medium.

    It was a bad omen. He was sure of it.

    Biting his teeth together so much that it hurt, he placed the book back on the window sill.

    Lor's wife had been a Palpatine. A fact only known to those very close around her. Such as the Naboo couple that had adopted her. Or to some of her illustrious foster siblings like General Madine.

    Gloomy, Luke Skywalker stared at the book cover as if it was a poisonous snake from the swamps of Dagobah.

    Of course Sheev Palpatine had known about his much younger niece. She had been the only person allowed to survive massacre on-board a star ship. Love, twisted as it had been, was still a notion not common for a Sith Master.

    He tucked the book back where it belonged.

    Taking a deep breath, the Jedi Master decided to re-dress in his finest robes. If a visitor was on the way to see him, he better not looked like a strange old hermit. Somehow he had turned into a mix of Ben and Yoda the past years. Not a good thing. Not really.

    When he had finished, he walked straight out of his stone hut, not daring to look back at the book that had caused all the trouble.

    Yes, summer was indeed almost over and autumn kicked in with a chill in his bones.


    Sources:
    The song “The Voice” by Eimear Quinn (1996)
    A quote from the book “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway (1952)
    A quote from the book “The Last Unicorn” by Peter S. Beagle (1968)
    The Jedi Code
    A reference to the Litany Against Fear from the book “Dune” by Frank Herbert (1965)
    Wookieepedia – The Star Wars Wiki
    Jedipedia, a free German Star Wars-Encyclopaedia
     
    Last edited: Mar 8, 2021
  2. WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

    WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2004
    A lovely mix of fanon and canon. How seamlessly Nagina's back-story fits. Luke's musings are heart-wrenching. [:D] The setting is lovely and should be a source of serenity. [face_thinking]
     
  3. Nehru_Amidala

    Nehru_Amidala Force Ghost star 7

    Registered:
    Oct 3, 2016
    How on Earth is “The Last Unicorn” an evil book? It’s a classic, and Nagina was more than her last name. Just like Rey. Luke needs to see beyond all things earthly matter.

    Lovely one-shot and first rate art accompanying it.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     
  4. earlybird-obi-wan

    earlybird-obi-wan Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Aug 21, 2006
    love your artwork and what you wrote.
    But Luke deserved better (like in Legends where he has a son and Mara)
     
  5. Darth_Furio

    Darth_Furio Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Apr 17, 2008
    You're art work is fantastic Azure. Agree with Early. Luke's fate was the only thing that bothered me about the Last Jedi.
     
  6. gizkaspice

    gizkaspice Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 27, 2013
    A powerful and beautiful piece of work --poor Luke! But I love the artwork of him you illustrated, and yes, he deserved better.

    This part in particular is very thought-provoking and love that bit of Buddhism you put in here.
     
    DarthUncle, Kahara and AzureAngel2 like this.
  7. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha: The sea/ an ocean can be as wild as it can be calm. The soul is the same.

    This story contains some my own memories & impressions of the Irish Westcoast, which I visited in autumn 1995, during my Au Pair year (summer 1996 until summer 1997) & then, of course, while being on a trip with three friends in autumn 2002.

    @Nehru_Amidala: There is actually a ghost knocking the books over. A sort of an imp, who is no other than Nagina´s first husband, Barin Samye. That guy has experiences with Poltergeist activities. Ask Orson Krennic about it.

    Barin actually has company. The man who was trusted with the map. Nagina´s second husband, Lor San Tekka. Those two get on well and I might write about that unusual friendship after-death at one point.


    @earlybird-obi-wan: That coming from you means a lot to me. Van harte bedankt!


    @Darth_Furio: The fanart was inspired by the comic to TLJ. And yes, that fate bothered me, too. So I was trying to find my own answers about his life and thoughts on that isle.


    @gizkaspice: I am glad that you noticed my religious sources. And that you took time to leave such a kind, clever feedback. Thank you!

    To all of you: stay happy, safe & healthy! Throughout Good Friday, Easter and this worldwide pandemic. @};-
     
    Last edited: Apr 10, 2020
  8. DarthUncle

    DarthUncle Jedi Grand Master star 5

    Registered:
    Mar 20, 2005
    As you know, but it bears repeating, love the art - both the visual and the written - you produced here.

    One of the things I liked about Luke in TLJ was his sense oh humor, and this is scene very strongly invokes him for me.

    Luke was always quick to dismiss himself - though in the first part of Return of the Jedi, he showed himself as quite at ease with himself and the world, that was partly due to certainty about the mission, and the need of projecting that to his friends, in my mind. When I watched TLJ, I felt somewhat sad that Luke hadn't, ultimately, been able to get over it, I do think that it was a very contemporary view at heroes, only perhaps a bit too realistic a take for many, and in the end he regained himself, as he always does (in my mind). Love how you give voice him here, and show how tuning out of the Force doesn't mean he is isolated and alone, as he thinks he must be. Yes, the world is intruding into his isolation, and for the better, though right now he doesn't yet want to acknowledge the this truth, deep down, he must be aware of it, which is why he is so resigned :)
     
  9. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005

    Thanks for this wonderful Luke analysis, dear @DarthUncle. And for finding positive aspects in TLJ and sharing them with us. @};-
     
  10. Ewok Poet

    Ewok Poet Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Jul 31, 2014
    Before I say anything...I thought the other day that you, and only you out of everybody here, were onto something with your character/author avatar Nagina and everything related to her. In the end, the freakin' SEQUEL TRILOGY PROTAGONIST turned out to be related to the sheevy sheev himself. How cool is that, really? =D=

    I am not a fan of Ernest Hemingway, apart from the story that inspired you to write this - that was so out of character for him to write, in a way. The original "Old Man and the Sea" is brilliant in its heart-wrenching pain, and you have taken its very essence and transferred it to the Star Wars universe. The reasons and motives are different, but the bleakness interspersed by beautiful, yet lonely 'scape remains. And the quote you chose to insert in the story proper is fitting. :)

    The drawing, with all those wrinkles and the haunting glare fits the story perfectly.

    Wonderful contrast AND great symbolism, of the kind that not only transcends the experience, but time itself. And then you just feel like...like he's getting slower because of so, so much humidity. And the said humidity is described perfectly.

    But of course. He is, essentially, a hikkiomori.

    Not a good thing, indeed. :D

    I love it how you connected Lor to this story and how you found a tiny place for Mara Jade in it.

    P.S.

    This and Saw's last name were typos that you and Ny didn't notice, right? Just a heads-up there.
     
  11. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    Thanks, @Ewok Poet for taking the time to read, comment and even finding some mistakes that my dear beta & I did not see. By now I changed the BBY into ABY and also put a year in. Plus did give Saw his rightful name. [face_whistling]

    As for old Palpatine, yeah I was definitely right there. [face_laugh] Like I was with my SW-Disney crossovers a couple of years ago. [face_rofl] There are some laws to madness. They make others write great and fun stories for example you, @gizkaspice and other wonderful fanfic authors in here.

    I am not a Ernest Hemingway fan myself, for I was forced to read some of his work at grammar school. And some language teachers have the ability to spoil the love for novels, short stories, theatre plays, poems and other texts forever more. But I thought that particular author would fit here and so I re-read that story of his. All of a sudden Luke seemed like that Old Man.

    And thanks that you liked the descriptions of the sea there. Having been at the Irish West Coast several times (autumn 1995, during my Au Pair year between summer 1996 until summer 1997 plus autumn 2002) I actually felt the humidity that you found sticking out of my fic. One should always wear a rain jacket or rain coat when visiting that island.

    As for Luke being a "hikkiomori", you are so right about that. He reminded me of my former best friend who died this way. (She started to push me and my other friends away, turned our invitations down and wanted no visitors all of a sudden. None of us was aware that her neat apartment had turned into a "gomi yashiki" and she herself into a heavy alcoholic.)

    Since that particular friend of mine did bring me in contact with SW when I was at elementary school, I wonder what she would have thought about the Luke of TROS. @};-
     
    Last edited: Mar 14, 2021
  12. Kahara

    Kahara FFoF Hostess Extraordinaire star 4 VIP - Game Host

    Registered:
    Mar 3, 2001
    Somehow I've managed not to comment on this in the thread itself in spite of recommending it in other threads. :p Anyway, all that is to say that this is one of my favorite Sequels-related stories and manages to make the Luke that we see in TLJ mesh with the one from the OT so well. =D= (Nice if sad to see that Mara exists here as well, and that Luke remembers meeting Nagina at some point. I can see how Rey's impending arrival would bring that other unconventional Palpatine relative to mind!) And I really like how the landscape permeates everything and adds so much to the emotional side of the story -- it's a harsh place but there is also beauty to be found there if Luke chooses to see it. At least that's the feeling that I got from it. (Also really liked the little bits and pieces that we learn about the Lanai here, and that Luke seems to have a sort of neighborly camaraderie with them. Even in his bitter isolation, he's cared enough to connect with the other residents.)
     
  13. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    @Kahara: I am so pleased that you were finally able to come around and detect all those things in my humble story. With the true wit of a Sherlock Holmes. [:D][face_blush]@};-
     
  14. Seldes_Katne

    Seldes_Katne Force Ghost star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 18, 2002
    This was a well thought out character study. It makes a number of interesting observations about Luke Skywalker, and seamlessly integrates the material from the ST, some of the Legends novels, and what seems to be your own personal contributions to the Star Wars universe.

    The art is certainly fitting, too.


    Ah, I recognize these lyrics :) -- Celtic Women did such a lovely rendition of this song. An interesting choice, but it fits your story well. Given that Luke Skywalker ends up in a planet that closely resembles Skellig Michael, off the coast of Ireland, there’s a Celtic link there as well. I had that song playing in the background as I wrote part of this review.



    Luke has certainly come to the right place for that. I enjoy watching the ocean as well.

    I do like this comparison between the sea of sand and the sea of water, as well as the wildlife reference. And a well-done segue with monsters.

    Another interesting comparison. Surprising how much similarity there is between the planet were Luke grew up, and the one he inhabits during the last days of his life.

    Who says the New Canon and the old Canon can't co-exist? There's plenty of room to fit Mara Jade into the space between the OT and the ST.

    A fascinating idea. Is this part of official canon, or something you added yourself?


    Thank you. It’s nice to know I’m not the only person who includes a bibliography of sources for my stories!
     
    AzureAngel2 likes this.
  15. AzureAngel2

    AzureAngel2 Chosen One star 6

    Registered:
    Jun 14, 2005
    @Seldes_Katne, what a long kind review, but I did not come around to reply to it yet for spring time means getting new earth & plants for our balcony. Plus the "herb garden box" in front of the kitchen window. (There was also spring cleaning going on in the background. Apart from "Dungeons & Dragons" sessions with my husband & my brother-in-law and other online activities with family & RL friends. Oh and six new e-books & five new games bought in my local book shop.)

    Anyway, thanks for liking my art and that I really pulled it of with my mix of canon, legend & OCs. Phew! It's always a thin line to walk, especially when it's about such a beloved character as Luke Skywalker.

    The old Eurovision song contest song that I used is one of my favourites. I also chose it because it means something very personal & religious for me. My own calling, one might say when I stopped onto Irish ground a long time ago. Not the Force, but well something/ someone else. [face_whistling]

    Luke tried to sever/cut off all his connections, but we are never alone, even if we think so. There is something greater, watching us and caring. But we are all in charge of our own destiny as Maz Kanata would heartily agree.

    Luke returns to his roots when Rey comes to the island. Not willingly, not with enthusiasm, but in the end he comes around. He even gets this certain spark back into his eyes (which we see in the duel with Kylo/ Benny Bunny).

    As for the ocean, I also love it, because I am aquarius, but my true roots are the (Harz) mountains (in Germany) with its forest grounds & bog lands. I also love mist, storm & rain. And I am an autumn fan & winter person.

    As for the Naboo sea monsters, I did some extreme digging in SW facts for my OC character Nagina (later: "recreated" / reborn as Cassandra). For understanding the old Sheev-ster... ;)... well, I also did some diving into European mythology and Asian traditions & legends.

    It is told that House Palpatine were the gate keepers of hell. Well, you know what the German philosopher Nietzsche says about the abyss. If you watch it too long you turn into it.

    And dang, the boys wait for the silly she-dwarf who happens to be a ranger with a special connection to "the other world".

    Okay, I looked up online stuff on Lor
    MOSTLY on wookiepedia and connected it with Asian religion.

    As for using the twin suns, I re-watched the movie scene before I sat down writing and it immediately made click in my mind.

    Oh, my! I get teased with loosing hit points for my prolonged absence...

    And yes, I like to write my sources down, since a very annoyed DA user wrote me a furious PM some time ago.

    Okay, I better finish here, send this off and stop trying my luck with our DM... :_|