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Awards 2009 Beyond Fanfic Awards Excerpt Thread

Discussion in 'Fan Fiction and Writing Resource' started by Beyond_Fanfic_Awards, Jul 1, 2009.

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  1. Beyond_Fanfic_Awards

    Beyond_Fanfic_Awards Beyond FanFic Awards Sock star 4 VIP - Game Host

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    Best Series

    Nearly Zero, Should Be Going, & The Good News by Darth_Lex

    With that, Zekk spun on a heel and hustled toward his StealthX. Jag turned to see Luke and Jaina concluding a close, firm embrace. Luke gave her one last reassuring squeeze on the shoulder, then turned around, gave Jag a brief smile, and headed off across the hangar.

    Jaina and Jag strode toward each other, closing the gap in a heartbeat.

    She grinned. ?Came to see me off??

    ?Of course.?

    ?Got your assignment yet??

    ?Stay on-station and wait for orders.?

    She rolled her eyes. ?And what are those orders likely to involve??

    ?Assist the evacuation of the station,? he replied, ?or the raid to rescue Isolder. Whichever operation needs me more.?

    She chuckled. ?Doesn?t take a genius to know which one that?s gonna be.?

    He chuckled too. ?You?re probably right.?

    ?I usually am.? She put a hand on his arm. ?Watch out for my mom and dad while I?m gone, all right??

    ?I will.?

    ?You?d better.?

    Jag held up his hands defensively. ?I promise.?

    ?That?s more like it.?

    He took her hand. ?And you watch out for yourself.?

    She peered up at him with mock surprise. ?Are you actually worried, Jag??

    ?Yes.?

    She smiled meekly. ?Yeah, me too.?

    ?I?d tell you to be careful,? Jag said, squeezing her hand, ?but considering what you?re planning, that might sound a little silly.?

    She laughed, just a bit. ?I appreciate the sentiment all the same.?

    ?Good.?

    ?Besides, you don?t need to worry,? she said, squeezing his hand back. ?I?m going to win.?

    He raised a brow. ?Is that the Force talking? Or just your Solo bravado??

    ?Not telling. Could be either? Or both.?

    ?Very helpful, thank you.?

    ?I?m going to win, Jag.? She left the rest unsaid, but he knew full well what her next words would have been. I can?t afford not to.

    He grinned down at her. ?As long as you?re confident.?

    ?Hey,? she said, flashing him the trademark Solo smirk ? the one she hadn?t shown Jag, or probably anyone else for that matter, in far too long, ?it?s me.?

    ?Exactly,? Jag replied, broadening his grin. ?That?s what I?m worried about.?

    She laughed again, longer this time. ?You?re such a gentleman.?

    ?Occasionally.?

    For a moment longer her eyes twinkled, before they grew sad and sober. She slid her hand from his and placed her palm flat on his chest. Over his heart. ?Before I went to Mandalore I promised you I?d come back, Jag. And I did.?

    ?Yeah, but Fett hadn?t already tried to kill you the week before.?

    ?Let me finish,? she insisted, pressing her palm harder against him. ?I came back then. I?m going to come back this time, too.?

    Jag nodded. To undertake this mission, she had to believe that. To let her, so did he. ?I?ll be waiting.?

    ?Just like last time.? Her hand still on him, Jaina took a step closer. Their bodies were almost touching. She looked up into his eyes. ?I?ll try to make it in one piece, but I can?t promise.?

    He reached up and brushed a stray lock of hair off her face. ?I?ll settle for alive.?

    She smiled, just a little. ?I may hold you to that.?

    ?I?? He stopped himself from saying, I don?t want to go on without you. She didn?t need that burden. Not now. Not for this. Instead he finished, ?I hope not.?

    ?Me too.?

    He wrapped his arms around her. She hugged him back ? fiercely. They held each other for a long moment. Then she let him go, and stepped back. But only a centimeter.

    Her brown eyes gazed up into his. ?Anything else you want to tell me before I leave??

    He smiled wistfully, but said nothing.

    She affected a mock-sad frown. ?Guess you?ll just leave me wondering??

    Jag shook his head, and cupped her face in his palm. ?You know.?

    Jaina?s eyes went wet. She nodded once.

    He started to lean down ?

    When a l
     
  2. Beyond_Fanfic_Awards

    Beyond_Fanfic_Awards Beyond FanFic Awards Sock star 4 VIP - Game Host

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    Best Series: Part 2

    Legacy of the Red Sun & Children of the Red Sun by Darth_Marrs

    ?Uncle Kale,? Jaina managed to say with a weak smile.

    Kale studied all three. ?You?ve grown up since I saw you last,? he said gently. ?Your parents must be very proud.?

    ?We are,? Leia said from the door leading to the cockpit. She stepped quickly across the hold and hugged Kale. ?It is so good to see you again.?

    ?And you. Where?s Mara??

    ?Here.?

    Mara stood exactly where Leia had stood a moment before. Kale was by her side faster than the Jedi could follow. Karia, used to her parent?s overt affection, stifled an urge to cover her cousin?s eyes when she saw how Jaina and Jacen blushed furiously and Anakin grinned stupidly.

    ?Nice to see you too,? Mara said. ?So now we know what it takes to get you off Naboo.?

    Kale shook his head, and the hard gleam returned to his eyes. ?No joking about this.? He looked up and saw Han coming behind Mara. ?General,? he said with odd formality. ?What?s our situation??

    Han shrugged and stepped past everyone. He moved past his wife, past his kids, and to a locked storage cabinet curving along the rear of the hold. He placed his palm against it and when it opened reached in to remove a bottle of Correllian whiskey and a single shot glass.

    ?That bad?? Leia asked.

    Without turning his back, Han said, ?The bastards pulled a moon down on Sernpidal. The whole planet?s been cracked in half. Refugees are starting to flood the nearby systems, but even so we?re looking at hundreds of millions dead.? He took a long, deep breath and then downed three straight shots of the whiskey. He poured a forth before calmly placing the battle back into the locker.

    Only then did he turn to face the others. His eyes sought and held Kale?s. ?What intelligence we?ve managed to gather is that these creatures call themselves Praetorite Vong. That?s it. That?s all the intelligence we have, and yet the Republic has already lost hundreds of millions of civilians. We?re engaging them militarily at Dubrillion, but from what I understand Traest is having a hard time of it. They?ve caught us with our pants down.?

    Karia drifted toward her father, and he accepted her in one arm while holding her mother in the other. ?My first order of business has to be Jor-El,? he said. ?I?m not in the Defense Forces any more. But once my son is safe, I will help you protect the refugees.?

    Karia saw Han?s lip turn up. ?This isn?t a civil war,? Han said. ?We?re not fighting our brothers and sisters who just happen to wear different uniforms. These are invaders who are killing millions of innocent people.? His voice grew steadily louder until suddenly he threw his empty shot-glass across the room. Everyone there winced as the sound of shattering glass filled the air. Han took a deep, long breath.

    ?This isn?t one you can sit out, Kale,? Han finally said. ?The Ssi-Ruuk, the Yevethans, the whole of the Civil War after the Emperor fell and then came back. You sat all these out. You said you didn?t want to be a murderer, so you made the rest of us have to murder even more. You made us watch as our friends and loved ones died for years, so you could sit on Naboo and keep your kriffin? hands clean!?

    The Solo children found themselves drifting to their mother. No one had ever seen Han Solo rage quite so strongly. In the end, Han must have realized he was screaming. He stopped and wiped a little spittle from his lips. ?You can?t sit this one out, kid,? he finished at last.

    Kale stood silently during the whole tirade, and finally nodded. ?I?m sorry I hurt you, Han,? he finally said.

    Solo grunted. ?Yeah, I bet you are.? He strode back across the floor. ?We?re going to Dubrillion first. That?s close enough that you can take a shuttle to Helska. But I need to know what my ships are up against. I know you?re worried about your boy. I am too. But my
     
  3. Beyond_Fanfic_Awards

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    Character

    Best Canon Interpretation, Male

    Thrawn in The Reason I didn't update by MsLanna

    This time, I did get the museum treatment. It was amazing and it took some time until I started to walk toward Thrawn. The walls were full of copies of Kaspar David Friedrich; one more beautiful than the other. Sculptures of trees were scattered around the room, some like white marble, some iridescent like self-contained holograms.

    "Of course, you like them." His voice was neutral, as if he was still to decide how to take my sudden appeal for a visit.

    "They are beautiful," I agreed, unable to take my eyes off them. "I love trees."

    "I know." Something was - off about the way he said it, but I ignored it.

    "You try your best not to be impressed."

    "Seems my best is not good enough," I replied.

    His eyes flashed and he shook his head slightly. "Obviously not."

    Still smiling I shrugged. "I know, it never is."

    There was a long silence. My eyes roved around the room, but I knew I would not have enough time to appreciate everything properly. "I am worried about the mission to Carida," I said instead. "I am not sure I understand your intentions."

    "What is there to be uncertain about?" He raised a brow.

    "Everything?" I asked. "Am I to contact and or pick up that guy, or just stand around looking like a fool in the entourage?"

    "I am sure it will be quite a sight." He was making fun of me again. "Just make sure you are always available for new orders."

    "Yes, Sir." No answers were answers, too; only not. But if this was all the information I got, I'd just have to go by the seat of my pants and hope for the best. Even if I didn't know where this was going, Thrawn knew, and he had it all sorted. At least that was the message the artwork was suggesting.

    "I just hope you know what I'm doing," I said.

    "I do."

    That made one of us. "In that case, I'm sure I won't disappoint you, Sir."

    "Dismissed."

    I left again, not sure what had just happened. We had certainly come to some kind of agreement, though I was not even sure which and about what.




    Luke Skywalker in [link=http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/29990227/r29992238/]Presque Vu[/link] by Knight_Aragorn

    Luke turned and set off toward the sheltered grove he could make out through close-growing stands of vegetation. There was an outcropping of rock in the small clearing, before which lay an area carpeted by soft, low-growing plantlife that sank and retained the imprint of his boots.

    He paused, taking a moment to breathe in the leaf-rot scent of the vegetation. Something wisped under that scent, a sensation half-alive, half-remembered. For a brief instant, less time than it took to blink, he saw dead earth instead of forest, bodies instead of ground-clinging vines, a burnt sky. Blood against the rock.

    He wondered how old the forest he stood in was. His familiarity with such terrain was limited; it still felt a little alien to him, so much life, sucking in moisture. But this forest had none of the density and age of the forest on Endor?s moon, or of Dagobah?s swamps. He guessed it to be only a few decades old, grown on the bones of an older landscape. Fed on bodies strewn like dirt.

    He crouched in the soft pale ground-covering, staring at the rock, looking for bloodstains long since worn away by wind and rain. Had death been short, sudden, a gasp and a flare, or was it long, hunted and lingering?

    Luke stood and returned to Threepio and the Qanar. Threepio waited, patiently attentive. The Qanar turned as Luke approached, regarding him with filming eyes. He fluted something, low and long.

    ?What?? Luke said, caught in the emotion in the voice.

    ?I ? I?m not certain, Master Luke, I can?t seem to ? ? Threepio was flustered again.

    ?Never mind,? Luke said. He realised it was more song than words, and remembered the Qanar were empathetic. For the first time, he unders
     
  4. Beyond_Fanfic_Awards

    Beyond_Fanfic_Awards Beyond FanFic Awards Sock star 4 VIP - Game Host

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    Best Canon Interpretation, Female

    Deliah Blue in Beyond the Wall by divapilot

    Deliah put her elbows on the armrests and dug the heel of her hands into her eyes. Her blue hair fell in soft curls around her. Cade gently, hesitantly, put his fingertips to her bare arm. She shuddered slightly. ?It?s not the jewelry. It?s not the money. It?s not the software you didn?t get. It?s not even the missed rendezvous.? She lifted her head slightly to meet his eyes. ?It?s you, Cade.?

    ?Me??

    Her shoulders sank slightly as she sat back and crossed her arms. ?I?m a Zeltron.?

    Cade smirked. ?Really? I hadn?t noticed. Wait ?till I tell Syn.?

    A small smile flickered across Deliah?s lips at Cade?s comment. ?What I mean is, I have ? needs. Needs that you humans don?t understand.?

    She pulled her arms closer around herself. ?You know how we get our bounties, and sometimes it?s messy?? Cade nodded. ?I feel it,? she continued. ?I mean, I physically feel it. I can feel their fear, their hate, their desperation. Sometimes if the bounty we?re after is a real sleemo, I can actually feel the cruelty. Their emotions go right into me. It?s like a kick in the gut.?

    Deliah turned and looked at Cade intensely. ?So I find ways to make that pain go away. I go shopping. I buy pretty things. I get facials and manicures and let someone pamper me for an hour or two. And with every little pleasure, the pain goes away.?

    She took a deep breath. ?Sometimes the pain hurts a lot. Sometimes I can?t stand it. It?s like my bones are on fire, or my head is burning up. I can?t hardly work. So I take a man into my bed. For a few hours, there?s nothing to feel but pure pleasure ? pleasure that scrapes away the pain and burns the hurt off.? She shook her head. ?You see? I know something about how to make the hurt go away, too. You aren?t the only one.?

    She reached out and wrapped her slim pink fingers around Cade?s rough hand. ?But you, you take it to the extreme. Do you know what you do when you get those death sticks and abuse yourself like that? You build this wall between you and the rest of the universe. I can?t reach you. I can?t turn to you when I?m hurting, because there?s this karking wall in the way. You think it protects you, but it just makes a prison around you.?

    Cade stared at the floor. Deliah moved around so that she was facing him, then took his other hand in her left hand. She bent over to catch his eye again. ?Stang it, Cade. This is where life is, beyond the wall. Not locked in your little drug-induced prison. You build this great big wall and I come to you, I come to you for your help, but you won?t let me in. And each time you go into these binges, your pain is like knives to me. You might as well cut me up with each drug-trip you take.?

    She stopped, caught her breath and blinked quickly. ?Cade, you idiot,? she said quietly. ?I?ve had lots of men in my bed. But you make the pain go away best.? Deliah paused and ran her fingertips gently along his forearm. ?You know something? When you?re with me, when we?re together, it?s special. I keep my eyes open. With anyone else, I just close my eyes and get lost in the physical sensations. But not with you. I want to see you, not just feel you. I look into your eyes and I see respect and caring when you?re with me. You do more than just erase the pain, you make me better. I wake up happy when you?re beside me.?

    ?I do care,? Cade replied quietly. He took her hand in his, slowly closing his fingers around hers. ?You?re my friend.?

    ?Then why do you make it so hard on me? You hurt me in ways you don?t even imagine.? Deliah?s voice caught as she spoke. ?I found you in the garbage, Cade. You broke my kriffing heart. You were in the garbage.?

    She locked into his gaze, and her eyes were moist. ?Is that what my favor means to you? Garbage? I invite you into my bed, I give you the best of me, and in return you dump yourself in a filthy alley, you throw your
     
  5. Beyond_Fanfic_Awards

    Beyond_Fanfic_Awards Beyond FanFic Awards Sock star 4 VIP - Game Host

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    Best Original Character, Male

    Jaxan in Party Girl by Jedi Trace

    Jaxan was looking at me. Scowling, more like it. "Your dad was the finest apprentice I ever had," he said in flat, disapproving tone. I didn't know what to say, so I nodded. My dad, Dezi, had told me all about Jaxan. "Your dad says you're better than him," he continued. "I'm takin' his word for it. An old man like me has no business taking on a new apprentice."

    I had to say something now. "I work hard. And I learn fast."

    His expression didn't change, but I felt his frown. "Who is your Ma?"

    Guess Dad wouldn't have had any reason to tell him that. "Tilly," I said.

    "I remember her. Nice lady." He looked me over, closer this time. "Tilly didn't teach you any manners, girl?"

    Took me a minute to figure out what he meant and then I was embarrassed. "I work hard and I learn fast, sir."

    "Huh." That grunt again. "Well, you saw most of the place on the way in. Reception?s up front, garage is in the back. Office and my room are down that hall and your room is upstairs. Follow me."

    Jaxan led me up a narrow staircase and opened a plain, brown door at the top. I squeezed past him with my bags and put them down in the middle of the room. "We?ll have to share the laundry unit in the kitchen, but anything else you need should be here.? He glanced around, announced that dinner was in an hour and headed back down the stairs.

    [...]

    I lost track of time trying to arrange all my clothes and things and Jaxan was frowning for real when I got to dinner. "If I'm gonna feed and board you, girl, I expect you to be on time."

    "Yessir." Spast. I waited for him to motion to one of the chairs before I sat down. The food smelled delicious and there was a lot of it. We ate in silence and I tried to study him without looking like I was looking.

    He'd called himself an old man, but he only sported a few lines around his eyes and mouth. Genetics, that was. He was half human, half Zeltron and full-blooded Zeltrons don't show wrinkles. Well, not for a very long time. His hair was white, pulled back into a long braid, and the color accented his skin tone. Humans would have said that he looked "tanned." It took me forever to understand the concept of "sun tanning" when I was a child. The fair-skinned humans who came to Zeltros would lay out by the pools for days at a time and Ma tried to explain that they were trying to get their skin to change color. Never made any sense to me.

    Jaxan pushed his empty plate away and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest. He was lean and firm with the kind of muscles you get from years of hard labor and his hands were speckled with black, even though he?d washed them before dinner. "Tell me your name, again."

    I hadn't told him the first time. "Deliah."

    "How old are you?"

    "Seventeen."

    "I never trained a girl before." It wasn't a question, so I took a bite and waited.

    "You may have noticed that we aren't in the nicest part of town," he continued. "I get some rough types in here. Pirates, bounty hunters, smugglers, small-time crime lords. They may give you a hard time. That gonna be a problem?"

    I shrugged. "I got six older brothers and I crewed with one of them in Hutt space for a year. I can handle myself."

    "Can you fight?"

    "If I have to."

    "Can you shoot?"

    "Sniper-level stats with blasters, bows and darts."

    "You work with fingernails like that?"

    What? I looked down at my hands and my manicured nails, painted my favorite shade of purple. I thought they looked really good with my skin and was about to say so when Jaxan stood up and took his plate to the counter. "Never seen a mechanic without grease around his?her?.nails," he mumbled.

    "Rex-Wax soap," I said. He turned and cocked an eyebrow like I'd just spoken some obscure language. "That's what it's called," I smiled, holding up my hands. "Gets rid of the grease and keeps your hands soft. I brought so
     
  6. Beyond_Fanfic_Awards

    Beyond_Fanfic_Awards Beyond FanFic Awards Sock star 4 VIP - Game Host

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    Best Original Character, Female

    Pemberian Canaille Skywalker in Dear Tam by DarthBreezy

    A/N ? In an alternate Galaxy, Far, Far Away, The Skywalker Saga grew to include a Corellian Pilot wife, and children. Everything in this story is told from his eldest daughter Pemberian?s POV?

    **

    Dear Tam,

    Oh Goddess! Where to start today? I am officially a sister and an Auntie now!

    My little brother was born at the Jedi Temple today, up in what Pay-pa calls the Council Chamber ? it?s a big room where all the head Jedi will meet. Pay-pa and Gra-mere will be a part of the main council, Kay and Toa will ?advise?, and Ma-mere will come to some of the meeting but she says she?s not ready to be a Jedi Master like Pay-pa.

    My brother?s name is going to be ?Ben?. I know Ma-mere thinks it?s a funny name, but ?Ben? was Pay-pa?s first teacher and Pay-pa wants to honor him. He is really little, Ma-mere says he?s the same size I was and Tam when we were born, but I don?t think I was ever that tiny! He has light hair like Pay-pa and when you can see his eyes, they are blue. Pay-pa thinks they may become brown like Ma-mere?s but Ma-mere says it seems that all of Pay-pa?s babies have his eyes. I asked Pay-pa if he had more babies somewhere else, and he got embarrassed and said he was ?pretty sure?. I wanted to ask if it was because he was like Uncle Toa who only was with other boys, but I could tell that this was something that was ?too grown up to talk about right now?, but then I remembered that my Pay-pa isn?t interested in boys at all because I heard him talking to Uncle Han about it once. I?ll tell you about that some other time though.

    Auntie Leia?s babies are called Jaina and Jacen, and I get to see them tomorrow. They are at the Healer?s center but will go home really soon as Kay said that they (the babies and Auntie Leia) are really strong and healthy.

    We are going to move into a ?family part? of the Jedi Temple soon! Pay-pa says that our apartment is too small for four people. It?s funny to think of baby Ben as a full person, but I guess he?ll need his own room soon in case Ma-mere and Pay-pa have another baby soon after.

    But the biggest thing I want to tell you about is my boy-friend, Nico! He kissed me at the Temple when Ben was born. He is older than me as he is 10, and he is very cute! I haven?t told Pay-pa or Ma-mere about it yet, and he wouldn?t hold my hand in front of Pay-pa or Ma-mere. In fact, he acted like nothing had happened! Maybe he is afraid Pay-pa will cut him up with a lightsaber if he found out?

    Oh well, much as I want to see Auntie Leia?s babies, I can?t wait to see Nico again. As Auntie Gi is his Jedi Master, maybe they will be at the Healer?s center tomorrow?

    I hope so!

    Love,

    Pem




    Renna Fel in [link=http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/30010508/p1/?36]The Definition of Duty[/link] by BigFatty

    The swoosh of the door opening didn?t faze Renna. Nik knew his wife was aware of his presence, but he didn?t want to interrupt the message she was typing to an unknown recipient. Sitting down, he waited until she was done. Once finished, she spun her chair to greet him but, as soon as she saw his face, her smile slipped. Unlike most beings, Renna Fel had spent enough time around Nik to read the subtle changes in his face, shoulders, and jaw; she could read him better than any of his family members.

    [i]Maybe I need to start spending more time with them[/i], Nik mused.

    ?What is it?? Renna asked.

    ?Gavin just called. Uncle Jacen passed away a couple of hours ago.?

    Renna leaned back in her chair, the expression on her face telling Nik that she was analyzing the information as if it were new intelligence on an enemy?s defenses that needed circumvented. ?Networks have it yet??

    ?They?re already running it.?

    His wife frowned at the news. Granted she didn?t bear the brunt of the burden when it ca
     
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    Best Child

    Pemberian Skywalker in Dear Tam by DarthBreezy

    A/N ?Where Pem finds out the truth about her infamous ?Grey-pa Skywalker?

    **

    Pay-pa cleared his throat, and then he said, ?You?ve had some bad dreams, haven?t you, Little Pilot?? I nodded and I wanted to put my thumb in my mouth like a big baby, but instead I just squeezed my Pay-pa and nodded.

    ?Do you want to tell me about them?? and I think his heart beat a little faster for a minute ? Pay-pa can see in people?s heads, even when they don?t want him too, and I think it was easier then trying to tell him in words. It kinda startled me because I knew that the man in black scared him too, but he just held me, and stroked my hair for a minute and I knew that it was OK.

    Finally, he started talking again. ?Pem,? he said. ?What to do you know about ?Darth Vader??? I shivered ? I didn?t mean too, but I did, and I think it made Pay-pa sad. I told him that it was someone we couldn?t talk about at home when Grey-pa was alive, but during lesson on Corellia, some of the older kids would talk about him. He was a mean angry person, or a droid, that did a lot of bad things, and that he (my Pay-pa) had killed him and the Emperor and won the war! Then I had to stop because I remembered what Miss Vassor had said, and I really wanted to just be a baby then. Pay-pa squeezed me and said in a real sad voice, ?That?s not all, is it??

    I wanted to cry, Tam, so I buried my face in Pay-pa?s shirt and said it really quietly ? what Miss Vassor had said ? and then I looked at Pay-pa?s face and he nodded that it was true!

    I couldn?t help it, Tam, I really did cry then! I told Pay-pa that he was just being mean and teasing me, and it wasn?t nice, and I wanted to run away to Ma-mere, but Pay-pa made me stay put, and said my name again really softly.

    ?Pem,? he said. ?Your other Grey-pa, my father was Darth Vader, for a long time. He was also Anakin Skywalker, do you understand??

    I told him that I didn?t, and besides, I didn?t want to talk about it anymore, and I wanted to go find Ma-mere and get something to eat, but Pay-pa got all stubborn and said that I had to listen, even if I didn?t want to. He sighed and started again.

    ?Anakin Skywalker was born a slave?(Like Uncle Toa? I asked and Pay-pa nodded.) ?He got ?sick? with the Dark Side of the Force,? (I asked if it was like when Uncle Kay had, and instead of getting mad at me for interrupting him, he just nodded like ?everything in it?s own time? like Gra-mere says.)

    ?But unlike your Uncle Kay?leb,? he said. ?Anakin Skywalker didn?t let go of his anger and hate, and instead of healing from it, he got sicker until there was only a little bit of Anakin Skywalker left. He became the very thing that he hated??

    ?But why, Pay-pa?? I asked him. ?Didn?t Grey-pa Skywalker have healers to help him??

    Pay-pa sighed again. ?I don?t know why, Little Pilot,? he said. ?But you need to know that in the end, it was your Grey-pa, Anakin that destroyed the Emperor, and brought peace back to the Galaxy.?

    ?But you fought him, didn?t you?? I asked, and Pay-pa nodded, and flexed his fake hand. ?But I was fighting Darth Vader, Pem. Not the good man that was your Grey-pa??

    ?But you said they were the same person, Pay-pa!? I said back. ?How is that true??

    ?I knew that somewhere in there, your Grey-pa Anakin was still in there,? Pay-pa said softly. ?And in the end, he came back??

    ?Why??

    ?Love,? Pay-pa smiled. ?He loved me and your Auntie Leia enough to come back??

    ?Like Uncle Kay??

    Pay-pa shook his head, but he smiled. ?Kinda,? he said, like I do a lot. ?It?s much more than that, but I?m afraid it?s??

    ?Something I?ll understand when I?m older., right, Pay-pa?? I said sighing. Boy, grown ups have to understand a lot. Pay-pa just laughed and said ?Yes?.


    Love,

    Pem




    Carlisle Franagen in [link=http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_
     
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    Best Non-Human

    Luda in Dear Tam by DarthBreezy

    A/N ? As everything is told from Pem?s POV, it?s difficult to find one passage where Luda is ?complete? ? she was originally intended to be a foil for Pem, but as all characters do, they took the story into their own hands and hearts, and in the end, have become steadfast friends? this scene is at the turning point.

    **

    Dear Tam,

    Lessons today were very different. Instead of our regular Lessons (maths, star charts and Basic writing) with Master Nox, we (Luda, Nassa, T?both and a few others) and I had to have our ?regular? Lessons with other children. Nothing ?Force? related at all, because they couldn?t know we were Jedi, so we ?had to use our thinking brains as well?.

    By first break, Luda already had a new boy-friend among the new students. He is a human boy called Tor, and he is fourteen! . Thank the Force that only lasted until mid-meal!

    At mid-meal break Nassa and I were listening to the older kids talking (well, most of them, Luda and Tor were holding hands and being all kissy faced.) Some of them were saying how worried they were because their parents are all worried about what?s going on in the Outer Territories (Auntie Leia is going to host a delegation with Pay-pa ?in attendance? very soon.) Then Tor stopped kissing Luda and said that his parents said it was ?all the fault of the Jedi? and that ?they should go back to where-ever they came from?. I wanted to tell him to shut his big ugly face up, but Pay-pa had warned me that some people just didn?t understand and ?not to take it to heart? even when it?s hard, so I just breathed like my Pay-pa had taught me, and I felt better.

    Poor Luda though, she got really upset and stared to cry (especially when Tor said that ?non humans were OK, but Jedi non-humans should know their place in the galaxy?. That was bad!) I wanted to hit him then (but not with the Force) but Luda ran into the fresher, and Nassa and I went after her. Luda was really upset because her Ma-mere had been ?pleasure slave? until Master Fin (who is a Nautolan) bought her and her Ma-mere and ?saved them from that life?. Nassa ran to tell our instructor for the day (Miss Doukan) that we would be late for the second part (but not why) and I stayed with Luda, and cuddled her (because that always makes me feel better) and told her that Tor was nothing but a stinky old bantha?s butt, and there were nicer boys out there, and she deserved a lot better. She hugged me close with her arms and her lekku and stopped crying after a while, and apologized for being such a silly shaak all this time. She said it was partly because she was afraid of not being a good enough Jedi student, and she was jealous of me, because I was so good and my Pay-pa was so famous.

    I was really surprised Tam! I always thought she didn?t like me, and Pay-pa said that we should always try to make ?an enemy at least someone who we can agree to disagree with?, but Luda has always just been someone I didn?t care about! I said I would be glad to help her with her lessons, and maybe she could even come have last meal with me and Ma-mere and Pay-pa and Ben sometime soon.

    She started to cry again then Tam, but this time it was because she was so happy! Then she told me her clan name (which is only told to other Twi?lek!) and asked if we could maybe be ?non-clan sisters?!

    I really like that idea because Ben is too young to be a brother really, and while being an Auntie is fun I?m so glad to have a ?sister? my own age to talk to now!

    After lessons, Luda gave me a kiss on the cheek and said ?Vak nah-ha-na, te? Pem-sa (which means ?See you non-clan sister?) and laughed when I tried to say it back because I got it wrong, but Luda said she would teach me. Nassa was surprised, and asked me why ?mean old Luda? was being so nice?? and I told her that I think that we?ve seen the end of ?mean
     
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    Moff Lecersen in The Cloak by oldjedinurse

    ?This is a farce!? Lecersen burst from his chair. ?With all due respect, Grand Moff, this woman is your paramour, is she not? Are you going to tell us that you don?t know why she?s here, or that you haven?t strategized something together??

    ?Are you certain, Moff Lecersen, that you wish to pursue this particular discussion?? Jag received a contemptuous look from the old Moff.

    ?I see. So you are telling us that you have never made a rear-hall deal before coming to this table?? Jag hesitated. ?I?m wondering, then, whether you protest out of innocence or ignorance.?

    It wasn?t the first reproach Lecersen had received from the Grand Moff nor would it be the last. He sat down looking extremely displeased.

    ?Very well, then,? Jag continued. ?To answer your question, Moff Lecersen, I do have foreknowledge of the issue about to be presented to the Council. I see no conflict of interest in having already discussed an idea that could potentially benefit the New Empire. Is asking the person best able to speak on the matter to attend our session today not satisfactory to this Council??

    Lecersen looked to his cronies for support but found them busy with datapads or flimsies.

    ?By all means, Grand Moff. I am sure the entire Council is interested in hearing what the Jedi has to say.?

    ?I no longer use the title, ?Jedi?, Moff Lecersen.? Jaina said politely. ?Miss Solo will do.?

    Jaina felt a growing hostility from the ill-tempered Moff that sent chills up her spine. Lecersen once again leapt from his chair, this time pounding a fist on the table.

    ?She murdered her brother!?

    ?Enough!? All eyes flew to the tall young man at the head of the Council table.

    ?You would do well, Lecersen, to remember that stopping Darth Caedus was an act of defense for the entire galaxy, a task that no one else would or could have accomplished. And while you?re at it, give a thought to the shocking personal cost to Miss Solo, which is something that will always remain totally inconceivable to the rest of us.?

    The Moff was not ready to give up. ?Well, her ?impersonation? today was a travesty. Vader indeed! An insult to the Empire and its great history,? Lecersen baited Jag.

    ?Lecersen, if your wife was an expert in, say, biotechnics and had developed a very good idea that would benefit the Empire, might we greet her less cordially than any other guest of this Council? Would her suggestions be any less welcome? Or would they be brushed aside simply because she is married to you??

    The Moff?s face looked like a red sun. Sweat dripped onto the ribbons across his chest.

    Jag couldn?t resist one final laser shot. ?Or perhaps you would prefer to make an example of your mistress??

    Lecersen exploded. ?How dare you? How can you possibly? you have no right? such unfounded?,? he sputtered until he was at a loss for words then fell back into his seat. ?You are entirely too well-informed.?


    ***


    ?Status report.? The comm crackled from interference in the bottom levels of the Council Tower on Bastion. The stench suggested something, or someone, was dead in a dank corridor nearby.

    ?Confirm device installed as ordered, sir.?

    ?Good. Are you sure she can?t detect it??

    ?Even Jedi can?t sense mechanicals, sir.?

    ?And you are on your way??

    ?My transport leaves in twenty minutes.?

    ?Good. You could be recognized.?

    ?We wouldn?t want that. If you need me in future??

    ?I know how to contact you, yes.?

    ?Out, sir.?

    Only dust heard the whisper, ?Indeed, time is running out for someone.?


    ***


    Just over ten kilometers from the Grand Moff?s Estate?

    ?What do you mean, the shuttle arrived on time? It was not supposed to arrive at all.?

    ?I don?t know what went wrong. I was assured that the detonator was installed as planned??

    ?Incompetent fool!? It was unclear wh
     
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    Best Villain: Part 2

    Jacen Solo in Dark Legacy by ImperialSolo

    Author?s Note: The villain is technically Jacen Skywalker in this story, but he's still Leia's son and Luke's nephew. We hope you like him, too!

    Jacen felt the deck lurch slightly as his personal assault shuttle entered Derilyn?s atmosphere, and turned his thoughts away from what had happened to his sister, to focus on the present.He was traveling with his usual bodyguard, a platoon of ultra-loyal stormtroopers from Torrent Company, but it felt a little strange to not have Tahiri leading the mission: she had been trained as his personal shuttle pilot, and she also functioned as his transceiver with the white-armored soldiers, translating his will into brisk orders for the troopers.

    Jacen?s expression remained neutral. He had come to realize that Tahiri?s loss was only a temporary setback. He would destroy the last active opposition to the Empire's rightful authority, and then he would get her back, having proven once again that he represented the winning side of history, and the focus of her personal destiny. She would be reminded of the fact that she belonged at his side.

    With that in mind, Jacen found that he wasn't particularly bothered by his brother's escape, or his sister's ejection from her TIE Fighter. The Force told him that events were still serving his purpose, and he could see the logic of the results: Jaina, now safely sedated in a bacta-tank attended by his own medical droids, was more in his power than ever, and Jacen had sensed her displaying unexpected Force abilities in the moment before her fighter exploded. She would need his guidance to develop and strengthen her abilities, and to ensure she didn't become a danger, but he would be able to do far more with her than he had hoped. Anakin, meanwhile was surely returning to Tahiri, where he would play his intended role in Jacen's inevitable destruction of the Rebellion.

    Anakin Skywalker, he thought, giving his brother his correct surname. Jacen planned to strip the disgraceful Solo name from him, eventually. Like the grandfather for whom he'd been named, his Anakin would also become his servant - his Vader.

    And unlike grandfather, my Anakin will not betray me, Jacen smiled. Nor will he be as weak and foolish as Uncle Luke....




    Nyna Calixte in [link=http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/29360890/r29361311/]Of Her Own Making[/link] by Jedi Trace

    In a high tower on the fortress of Bastion, Nyna Calixte stood before a wall-sized viewport, arms crossed loosely over her chest. From here, she could see mountains and valleys, sky and stars alike. The din of chaos in the streets below did not ascend to her ears, but she knew it was there - a hot wave of shock that would eventually cool to a simmering river of change.

    She did not turn around when the door opened behind her.

    "I cannot be long," came a familiar voice. "The people will expect a statement."

    Calixte nodded. "You have done well."

    A vidscreen flickered to life seemingly of its own volition and the news poured into the silence: [i]The Emperor is dead![/i] The holostation changed, but every channel spouted the same desolate proclamation: [i]Emperor Roan Fel - dead![/i] Speculations of Sith or Jedi or Alliance ran rampant, a desperate din of confusion.

    The vidscreen flicked off.

    "Was it a difficult assassination?" Calixte asked, still gazing straight ahead.

    "Of course not." Princess Marasiah Fel moved to stand beside the older woman. "Like you always taught me, Mother. He was just a man."

    * * *

    "I have sealed the deal with the Jedi and with Stazi," Marasiah continued. "The true Empire and the Imperial Knights will rally behind me."

    Calixte smiled thinly. "The Sith will not be able to stand against our forces combined with the Jedi and the Alliance."

    "What of the Imperial troops on Coruscant?" the princess asked.

     
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    Wingman by TKeira_Lea

    Proximity alarms wailed, announcing an impending crash just as the bulk of a gleaming silver craft erupted from the Mists. The hailing channel squawked. An instant later the ship vanished beyond the viewport when the Falcon twirled up and away.

    ?You better get that,? Leia said, pointing over Han?s shoulder toward the flashing light.

    He slapped on the pilot?s headset. Han barely had acknowledged the hail when a voice barked so loud its muffled anger was audible to everyone in the cockpit. Whirling his finger in a silent instruction for Jaina to reverse course and close on the other ship, he replied blandly, ?Acknowledged. Next time, try saying that to my face.?

    All eyes were trained on Han as he closed the feed.

    ?Do you know who that is, Dad??

    Leia cleared her throat. Han replied, ?Let?s just say your little flyby didn?t do much to help Jag?s cause.?

    The silver craft once again burst from the ever-shifting gases, but Jaina?s eyes were glaring at her father. ?What kind of an answer is that??

    The Falcon decelerated, pivoting to starboard on her axis. Even Han seemed a bit alarmed by their approach vector. ?That ship is carrying a Chiss ambassador. The one they sent to meet with the new leader of the Imperial Moff Council. So do Jag a favor and don?t hit it.?

    ?A Chiss??

    Jaina reversed thrusters sharply, feathering the maneuvering jets. The freighter slipped within a meter of the other craft. With practiced ease the docking rings aligned. In a matter of minutes the two ships were beginning to equalize atmospheres.

    No one had said a word the whole time. Finally Jaina turned away from the console. ?Why am I starting to get the feeling the arrival of this ambassador wasn?t a coincidence??

    ?Good question.? Han unbuckled his crash harness and rose. ?Well, I?d better go see to our guests.? He offered Leia a hand, then gave Jag a somber look. ?Good luck, son.?

    Hurrying toward the docking ring, Leia almost felt sorry for the young man. Leaving him to deal with Jaina alone probably hadn?t been fair. ?Remember this is the Chiss ambassador you?re speaking to, Han.?

    ?I can remember a lot of things about this guy. Not one of them suggests he?d make a good diplomat ??

    They arrived to find the Imperial trooper preparing to open the airlock. ?Wait here until I report clear, sir.?

    Han threw his hands up in mock despair. ?Do I get to make any decisions around here??

    ?No.?

    A few impatient heartbeats later, the trooper stuck his head back through the hatch. ?All clear. Permission to come aboard.?

    Han charged into the airlock. ?Thanks for nothing.?

    Leia followed and emerged into a vat of testosterone. Han hadn?t been this charged with dominant male aggression since? She pushed that thought aside quickly.

    ?What kind of foolish, hairbrained stunt was that back there, Solo??

    ?Jealous because you don?t have the skills to match it, Fel??

    ?Oh, I do. With one eye and one hand tied behind my back.?

    Just when Leia figured she?d better put an end to the machismo before fisticuffs broke out, a tall blonde stepped forward. ?Han Solo,? she purred, all liquid charm, ?you?ve aged better than a fine Corellian brandy.?

    Her aura demanded both men take notice, and a blissful silence graced the small receiving foyer. Seamlessly Syal Antilles Fel shifted from charming beauty to a mother who understood the loss of a child all too well. ?Leia, I am so sorry.?

    The two women embraced. For a moment they shared sorrow and found comfort in each other?s pain. Then they separated, and the past was pushed aside in favor of the future.

    Syal glanced at the docking portal, then back to Leia. ?Where is Jaina??

    ?Right behind me.? Jag stepped through the threshold, leading Jaina by the hand. He guided her to Leia?s side and let go.

    Wrapping her fingers into Leia?s robes, Jaina watched Jag reunite with his parents in fierce hugs. Leia studied Jaina in turn. She had removed
     
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    Best Ensemble Cast: Part 2

    Children of the Red Sun by Darth Marrs

    ?Uncle Kale,? Jaina managed to say with a weak smile.

    Kale studied all three. ?You?ve grown up since I saw you last,? he said gently. ?Your parents must be very proud.?

    ?We are,? Leia said from the door leading to the cockpit. She stepped quickly across the hold and hugged Kale. ?It is so good to see you again.?

    ?And you. Where?s Mara??

    ?Here.?

    Mara stood exactly where Leia had stood a moment before. Kale was by her side faster than the Jedi could follow. Karia, used to her parent?s overt affection, stifled an urge to cover her cousin?s eyes when she saw how Jaina and Jacen blushed furiously and Anakin grinned stupidly.

    ?Nice to see you too,? Mara said. ?So now we know what it takes to get you off Naboo.?

    Kale shook his head, and the hard gleam returned to his eyes. ?No joking about this.? He looked up and saw Han coming behind Mara. ?General,? he said with odd formality. ?What?s our situation??

    Han shrugged and stepped past everyone. He moved past his wife, past his kids, and to a locked storage cabinet curving along the rear of the hold. He placed his palm against it and when it opened reached in to remove a bottle of Correllian whiskey and a single shot glass.

    ?That bad?? Leia asked.

    Without turning his back, Han said, ?The bastards pulled a moon down on Sernpidal. The whole planet?s been cracked in half. Refugees are starting to flood the nearby systems, but even so we?re looking at hundreds of millions dead.? He took a long, deep breath and then downed three straight shots of the whiskey. He poured a forth before calmly placing the battle back into the locker.

    Only then did he turn to face the others. His eyes sought and held Kale?s. ?What intelligence we?ve managed to gather is that these creatures call themselves Praetorite Vong. That?s it. That?s all the intelligence we have, and yet the Republic has already lost hundreds of millions of civilians. We?re engaging them militarily at Dubrillion, but from what I understand Traest is having a hard time of it. They?ve caught us with our pants down.?

    Karia drifted toward her father, and he accepted her in one arm while holding her mother in the other. ?My first order of business has to be Jor-El,? he said. ?I?m not in the Defense Forces any more. But once my son is safe, I will help you protect the refugees.?

    Karia saw Han?s lip turn up. ?This isn?t a civil war,? Han said. ?We?re not fighting our brothers and sisters who just happen to wear different uniforms. These are invaders who are killing millions of innocent people.? His voice grew steadily louder until suddenly he threw his empty shot-glass across the room. Everyone there winced as the sound of shattering glass filled the air. Han took a deep, long breath.

    ?This isn?t one you can sit out, Kale,? Han finally said. ?The Ssi-Ruuk, the Yevethans, the whole of the Civil War after the Emperor fell and then came back. You sat all these out. You said you didn?t want to be a murderer, so you made the rest of us have to murder even more. You made us watch as our friends and loved ones died for years, so you could sit on Naboo and keep your kriffin? hands clean!?

    The Solo children found themselves drifting to their mother. No one had ever seen Han Solo rage quite so strongly. In the end, Han must have realized he was screaming. He stopped and wiped a little spittle from his lips. ?You can?t sit this one out, kid,? he finished at last.

    Kale stood silently during the whole tirade, and finally nodded. ?I?m sorry I hurt you, Han,? he finally said.

    Solo grunted. ?Yeah, I bet you are.? He strode back across the floor. ?We?re going to Dubrillion first. That?s close enough that you can take a shuttle to Helska. But I need to know what my ships are up against. I know you?re worried about your boy. I am too. But my duty to the Republic has to come first.?




    [link=http://boards.theforce.net
     
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    Jag4Me

    OMG. I am barely able to type these details, so be patient with me. Stud and I just survived the most harrowing experience earlier tonight.

    I convinced him that we should check out the store where I had seen my Stone the night we fell in love, right? So, we dressed as inconspicuously as possible and we headed out with the idea of staking out the store in hopes Stone would need something and stop in.

    Once there, Stud kept the clerk busy for me to make sure we could slip into the stockroom and find a good place to hunker down. I found the perfect spot... it was next to all sorts of control panels (plenty of power, yeah!) and big valves that I had no idea what they were for. I pulled the gear out of my trench coat and put it on a tall crate. Back out in the store I planted a few remote cams so that we could watch the entrance, adult beverage aisle, and the shelf of magazines. I really can?t imagine why anyone would want to see a nude Gamorrean, but I?m not going into that right now.

    I signaled Stud and we headed to the back of the store. Thankfully a large gang of folks had come in and the clerk was distracted. We slipped back and I showed Stud the spot I had selected, and he thought it was primo as well. He unloaded all the gear from inside his coat and we set up a mini control room. It was all so exciting!

    We sat there for several hours watching the cameras and willing Stone to show up. Stud got restless and started exploring the stockroom. He was curious about the funny valves too and was fooling around with some of them. I mentioned that it might be a bad idea, but he shushed me and reminded me to watch the cams. It still seems like it was a bad idea, but it doesn?t matter now... I?ll get to that part in a minute.

    I might have been nodding off when I spotted HIM. Yes! It was STONE! Or was I dreaming? I felt like I was having an out of body experience because everything was moving slower, and I was disoriented like I was in a fog. There was a yucky smell but Stud was convinced it was the trash over by the backdoor.

    But the main thing was that I saw Stone! He was in the store and was waving his arms and shouting something to the other shoppers. I tried to grab Stud?s arm to run after my fiance but I was so woozy that it took a few tries to actually get a grip on his arm. He said he was grouchy because of the smell and he wanted a nap. I swear, men!

    I shouted that Stone was there and we needed to catch him... that woke Stud up and we started heading for the front of the store. There wasn?t a soul in the area near the stockroom, but closer to the front I saw a small group of people filing out the door. A woman was pointing and directing people and saying something about a leak and to move it. She turned and I realized it was the one with the nest hair! Does she follow Stone everywhere? What the heck?

    People seemed to be angry, and some were pushing. I was trying to get the nest woman?s attention, but she was shouting and acting like she was in charge. The clerk was screaming at people not to leave and he was throwing packs of cigarettes at the woman. She was knocking them down and a group of Squibs were gathering them up and stuffing them in their pockets. Stud and I got caught up into the crowd being herded out the door and I heard the bossy woman shout something to Stone. We were heading in the right direction at least... Stud was behind me pushing and complaining about the crowd.

    We were outside the door and there were police arriving and informing the crowds to keep moving. Ugh! Do they not realize this was important and they were keeping me from getting to my man? Stud and I worked our way to the edge of the crowd... I had lost sight of Stone and his nest friend. Both of us were pretty upset, and we were trying to figure out going back to get our equipment when I saw the Squibs standing inside the door of the store. The clerk was yell
     
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    Jade_Pilot

    Impossible

    Absolutely impossible.

    Mara Jade shifted her weight from behind the polished column, hoping to get a better view.

    How does he manage to propel himself so quickly catching his lightsaber before it melts into the floor?

    She stared, her lips slightly parted as the black clad figure flung his weapon again into the air.

    Why does the Force obey him? He harbors more metal than flesh.

    He stood as still as death in remittance. At the last moment, Vader leapt into a sideways?sideways?spiral and caught the saber centimeters before it singed into the floor of the practice gymnasium.


    Unlikely

    She stumbled back into the southeast hallway, frowning at what she had just witnessed. At times Vader had been hardly visible, he moved so fast. Her rival was as lethal as her master.

    It was unlikely that the emperor would ever take her as his apprentice as long as Lord Vader remained alive.

    Harsh realization flooded her senses. She felt her legs falter and reached out to the wall nearest her. She would never be able to match his prowess with the Force, not matter how hard she trained.

    Sliding down to the floor, she gathered her legs to her.


    Reasonable

    At sixteen, Mara had felt it reasonable to assume that she was the up and coming heir to the apprenticeship now held by the one who was a continual mystery to her.

    She had done her research.

    There were no records of Vader in any of the holo-sources. No birth parents or home planet. He seemed to manifest into existence the day the Empire rose to power.

    She even toyed with the idea that this man-machine was constructed by the emperor as a weapon like no other.

    Then what was her purpose? Mara stood and turned toward the throne room.


    Probable

    ?Come in my child.?

    Mara advanced to the throne, feeling the familiar power waft over her. It was intoxicating to be in Emperor Palpatine?s presence like this. She sank into obeisance, her chin against her chest.

    ?Master.?

    He smiled. ?I sense a certain curiosity about you today, child. What is it that has captured your attention so??

    She raised her eyes to his and swallowed. ?I have been considering my training and what probable plans you might have for me.?

    His eyes narrowed. ?Am I to understand that you are unhappy here in the palace??

    ?No, my master, just?without purpose.?


    Definite


    She left the throne room with the Emperor?s words still echoing in her ears. There was definite pride in his voice as he explained her new role.

    ?I have been waiting for the time when you would be ready for the position for which I have had you trained.?

    Her heart quickened even now as her master described the new duty she would assume.

    ?You shall be my hand. Able to go where I, and others, cannot go without scrutiny. As my operative, you will be accorded power and prestige while reporting solely to me.?

    The Emperor?s Hand was born.




    [link=http://boards.theforce.net/UserPages/Profile.aspx?user=Jedi-2B]Jedi-2B[/link]

    [i]A/N: From ?Shattered Remembrance?: Leia and Han accompany amnesiac Luke to his apartment, following his release from the medcenter.[/i]

    Leia swept into the sparse apartment and immediately began showing Luke the various rooms. Luke nodded obligingly, his face a blank mask.

    "Thank you," he said curtly when Leia appeared to have finished. "I'd like to be alone now."

    "But, Luke, we want you to have dinner with us, at our place."

    "There is food in the kitchen?" he asked, glancing that direction.

    "Yes, I had it fully stocked. But, Luke..." Leia laid one hand gingerly on Luke's arm, her brown eyes silently imploring her brother to see reason. "The children are anxious to see you again."

    Luke hesitated, but only for a moment. "Perhaps I can see them tomorrow."

    "But don't you want some company this evening?" Leia persisted. "I could stay here with you..."

    "No," L
     
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    Return to Bolis Island by TKeira_Lex

    Jaina Solo hated retreating. In fact, she hated the entire concept of retreating.

    Well, maybe that was an exaggeration. Admittedly there were times when retreat was the only strategically viable option, especially when it meant saving as many beings as possible to live to fight another day. But as a Jedi, Jaina had often been able to find ways to create alternative strategic options when other commanders would have had none. So while she hadn?t hesitated to order retreats when they were necessary, they just hadn?t ever been as necessary for her as they were for most people. Which meant she?d never really become accustomed to them the way she probably should have.

    Yes, Jaina Solo well and truly hated retreating. Especially in situations she could easily handle herself, if only external factors weren?t getting in the way.

    There was no small irony ? an irony not lost on Jaina for a second ? in the fact that she now fled from a lone man with a single knife like the galaxy?s biggest coward. And not for some noble cause or Jedi duty, either. No, she fled for the sole purpose of protecting a garment.

    Oh yes. Jaina Solo ran not for her life, but to save her wedding dress.

    If that objective didn?t matter so much to her ? and there was no way she was ever going to admit to anyone in the universe, even Jag, that she was fighting back tears at the thought of this dress getting ruined ? she would have laughed. Because really, deep down, this whole situation was laughable. Not to mention her priorities.

    But oddly enough, nothing had ever felt more right.

    So Jaina ran. Fast enough to keep ahead of the madman, but not so fast she lost him. Because as much as she cared about her dress, she couldn?t just leave an assassin at large. Especially not in the cathedral about to host her wedding.

    She ran, trying desperately to concoct a way to retrieve her lightsaber from its holster, or to think up a surefire method for knocking the man unconscious for at least an hour without killing him, or to ?

    And just like that it was over, so quickly her brain couldn?t process it in real-time. She saw a blur of motion, felt a burst of wind against her cheeks, heard a thrum and a whack and a thud.

    The next thing she knew, she turned around to see Luthor Korde prone, face-down against the stone floor, Luke Skywalker?s boot between his shoulder blades, the point of Ben Skywalker?s lightsaber leveled right at his throat.

    She blinked. ?Uh??

    And then the chimes began to ring. Great big enormous bells, sounding the call for everyone to take their seats and positions for the ceremony. Gigantic metal bells, loud enough to be heard from everywhere within the cathedral. Suddenly this narrow corridor was louder than a flight deck launching three squadrons at once.

    ?Go,? her uncle told her. Or at least, she read his lips to say that. ?We?ve got this.?

    ?Thanks,? she mouthed, and sprinted for the stairs.

    This time she ran not from fear, but joy.




    [link=http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/28747916/p1/]Sailing Little Boats[/link] by Louie_and_Rick

    ?Luke?? she whimpered, ?We seemed to have had a misfire??

    He stared at her, momentarily stupefied at the sight. ?Bé? Is it? Is it the baby??

    ?No! Of course not!? she snapped back irritably. ?I hit the wrong leaver and got a front full of swamp water! What the hell do you think it is??

    Luke stood there, rooted to the spot. ?Here? Now??

    ?Apparently so,? Aubé replied before doubling over with a groan, followed by a string of colourful Corellian curses. ?Oh by the stars!?

    In an instant, Luke was by her side, gently guiding her to one of the cushioned backless chairs and helping her to lie down. ?It?s all right Bé,? he murmured. ?Just relax??

    ?Relax?? Aubé cried, grabbing the front of Luke?s shirt, her eyes as wide as saucers. ?Luke, I don?t think you get it! He?s coming
     
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