Beyond - Legends My Life Reclaimed ~Luke/Mara and others.

by WarmNyota_SweetAyesha

Disclaimer: Borrowing the characters with love and the idea from @mavjade & her fascinating EAD post where Mara was in the midst of finding out about her past/family.

I adopted this fascinating story and am running with it.

Luke and Mara are engaged at this point.

Timeframe: They're together as soon as they should have been, a couple years or so after TLC.

~~

Prologue:

Luke and I were talking about the differences between the Old and Jedi Orders and he said, "I didn't know much but I knew I wasn't going to take kids away from their families and have them cut off all ties. Training is one thing that needs to be done starting early, but that's no reason to sever their ties to their birth families so that there isn't any contact at all."

I frowned. "The Old Jedi Order had all kinds of strict rules it seems like. From what I've found out in Tionne's archives, what should have been recommendations or broad stroke principles were hard and fast rules."

Luke agreed. "And that kind of thing forcing choices that shouldn't be there to begin with made for impossible conflicts of loyalty."

There was a pause as Luke studied me closely. "Do you ever wonder or think about your family? Have you ever wondered about them?"

"Not really. I didn't give myself the luxury. I don't even have a flicker of an image." I sighed. "When I served the Empire, it was irrelevant in the extreme. When I started working with Karrde, it still was. I can't say I'm exactly curious, but I'm not deadset against finding out about them. I just don't think it's likely there's anything to find out."

Luke's blue eyes were tenderly sympathetic in a way I should've found irksome but didn't, oddly. "If there was a way to find out, for us to uncover the memories, would you want to?"

I answered, "That'll take some thinking over."

"Take all the time you need. I just want to be there for you, give you whatever you feel you need."

I gave one of my rare smiles. "Thanks for that."

+++

TBC

 

interesting beginning comparing old habits with new

 

Nice. Looking forward to more.

 

"I didn't know much but I knew I wasn't going to take kids away from their families and have them cut off all ties. Training is one thing that needs to be done starting early, but that's no reason to sever their ties to their birth families so that there isn't any contact at all."

I love your Luke for such statements.

 

One:

I am not one to want closure for its own sake or to probe mysteries that can never be solved, and yet I am not one to back down from a challenge. Luke has always been interested in finding old Jedi lore, facts relating to past Academies and eras, to use these as learning points--things to avoid and examples to emulate.

The Old Republic and the High Republic were studies in contrast, one steeped in darkness and near extinction of the Jedi ranks versus a time of growth and optimism, whether warranted or not I could not tell.

Thinking of these things made me wonder if perhaps clues to my past could lend themselves to helping me grow as a Jedi in training and also as someone in a committed relationship.

So I took a deep breath and plunged, telling Luke I would be willing to explore any nascent memories and any traces in the old Imperial archives which were now housed in the NR Museum and Archives.

He smiled and embraced me, sending waves of tendeer support through our Force connection, which was never intrusive, more like a gentle breeze or the ocean waves.

+++

TBC

 

A great start to a very intriguing concept! It's so brave of Mara to face her past like that.

Very true. Luckily it seems that Luke has learned from the old Jedi Order's mistakes.

 

There's not much to this presently, so I'll simply say that the premise is appropriate. Investigating Mara's background, with Luke supportive and her skeptical, seems exactly how the issue would unfold. I also sympathize with Mara's impulse that there's likely little to find. I mean, it's hard to imagine Palpatine not being brutally thorough in terms of tying up loose ends.

 

Brilliant, you continue this one! Yeah!

And you write such a wonderful Mara, willing to learn and to let go of old concepts!

 

Can't believe I missed this gem---I agree with @AzureAngel2 you write a great Mara (and a great Luke!). She's lucky to have such a supportive guy like him by her side as she probes into her past.

 

Thanks for such great reviews!

---

Two:

With their Force connection, it was a pleasure for Luke to help Mara plumb the depths of her nascent memories through meditation. Their essences merged and they rode the swells of the Force, letting its eddies take them where it might.

These attempts hadn't been successful, unfortunately. It wasn't as if the memories had been purged, so much as perhaps, more than likely, she had been taken from her birth family at too tender of an age.

Luke had found his and Leia's extended family on Naboo and wanted Mara to have that kind of experience with her own relations, whomever and wherever they might be.

Mara shrugged. "Well, if they were living obscure lives and escaped Imperial notice, they probably wouldn't make the connection ... any reaching out would have to come on their end."

Luke agreed.

**

It wasn't long after this when news of a fascinating find swept through the HoloNet. A unique world on the brink of the Unknown Regions, the world of Lira San.

"Just think, helping the Lasat refugees reclaim their heritage and home!" Tionne Solusar enthused. The entire venture stirred her historian's soul and her compassionate nature.

Mara felt something kindle. What a way to somehow make reparations for what the Empire had taken. She wanted to be part of this grand and noble venture.

She suggested this to Luke. "Let's help with this."

He squeezed her breathless. "What a marvelous idea!"

Mara felt that even though her personal quest to recapture her elusive past had been thwarted, her present and future were full of promise and soul-deep fulfillment.

+++
Fini

 

Mara looking towards the future nice and a great ending for a short story

 

It's only fitting that my first review on the boards after such a long absence would be on a story of L/M written by Ny! This is such a great concept of Mara unable to find her past and looking to the future. As Mechalich said above, Palps would have been thorough at tying up loose ends. However, both Luke and Mara would definitely deem it worth it trying to find if there was something to find in the first place, and neither would feel lesser if their search was inconclusive. When I saw the title I expected that Mara would actually be able to find her past, but it was a wonderful twist that she would reclaim a free future instead. Great little story

 

Thanks so much!! I loved giving Mara a future with a meaningful and altruistic pursuit and sharing Luke's Jedi journey.

 

What a lovely conclusion!

Beautifully written.

Although it's bittersweet that Mara couldn't find her birth family, it's a perfect ending to have her facing the future with Luke and her chosen family. I love the mention of Lira San too. Awesome job on this!

 

Thanks. I love having Mara helping with such a wonderful project!

 

I'm reading from my phone, so I have trouble quoting text to point out exactly where up there, but... you had "deadest" when you might have meant "deadset"

And I loved this exploration of Luke trying to help Mara find her family, even if they failed to do so.

 

I too enjoyed exploring this... I think if they didn't at least try there'd always be a what-if.