Beyond - Legends "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" - Mara as Master Challenge (Mara, Jaina)

Title: By the Light of the Silvery Moon
Author: JadeLotus
Rating: PG
Characters: Mara Jade Skywalker, Jaina Solo
Timeframe: Post NJO, Pre Dark Nest
Summary: Mara and Jaina have a heart-to-heart in the most unlikely of circumstances.
A/N: Response to the "Mara as a Master" Challenge. This is also the first time i've written Jaina, so I hope she's up to scratch.

Write a vignette in which Mara and an apprentice are faced with a critical decision. Can be canon or AU. Must include the words: precedent, fortitude, and refine.

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[COLOR=#2a2a2a][FONT=Lucida Grande]Ignoring the sharp burning in her lungs, Jedi Master Mara Jade Skywalker pumped her legs even faster, running through the jungle with an entire native army on her tail. Jaina was in front of her, blazing a path through the undergrowth with her lightsaber. Mara was close on her heels, spurred on by the unmistakable sound of blaster fire and the shouts and hollers from their pursuers. They were gaining ground but Mara and Jaina had the advantage of the dense plant life, which kept their movement and position hidden. All their would-be captors could do was search the area on foot and fire randomly into the undergrowth.

If they could just make it to the [FONT=inherit][I]Sabre[/I][/FONT], hidden in a secure location some distance away, they would be safe. But luck, or the Force, did not appear to be on their side that day. For a moment Mara didn’t even realise why she had fallen until a terrible, biting pain ripped through her abdomen.

“Aunt Mara!” Jaina immediately crouched down beside her and disengaged her lightsaber.

“I’m fine.” Mara gritted her teeth and tried to stand, but the pain consumed her and she fell to her knees once again. She examined her side just below the ribcage where her tunic had been charred and already dark blood was flowing from the wound. Mara pressed her palm to the spot in order to stop any more fluid from escaping, before sitting back against the truck of a tree which happily accepted her weight.

One of Jaina’s hands covered Mara’s own over her wound, the other bracing her shoulders. “I’ll help you,” she whispered, careful to keep her voice too low for their pursuers to hear.

“No,” Mara said shortly, knowing that such an action would get them both killed. “We’ll be too slow.” Even calling upon the vast resource of the Force, Mara wasn't sure she could make it the great distance to where the ship was hidden. Even a small decrease at their pace would make them easy fodder for even more blaster fire. “You go.”

Horror struck Jaina’s face. “I’m not leaving you,” she declared.

“Go to the [FONT=inherit][I]Sabre[/I][/FONT],” Mara ordered, ignoring Jaina’s protests. “The fleet should still be in orbit. You have to get this information back to the Galactic Federation, it’s too important to wait.” Mara managed to produce the datadisc she had stolen with her free hand, giving it to Jaina.

“What about you?” Her friend and former apprentice looked at her with a clear determination not to leave her behind.

“Don’t let your judgment be clouded,” Mara reprimanded her, knowing that Jaina held the same weakness as her uncle, that undying compassion and fortitude which drove her to try and save everyone no matter the odds. “You know this is the way it has to be.” There was a heavy-set determination in Jaina’s eyes, but Mara couldn’t afford to argue with her on the issue, not when the enemy was growing closer. “Hurry, before it’s too late.” She gave Jaina a push with her free hand as the sound of blaster fire intensified.

“But they’ll find you!”

There was no time to debate. Mara knew that Jaina possessed the combined stubbornness of the Skywalker and Solo lines, and while such traits were admirable, Mara knew there was only one way to get through to her. With her free hand, she rapidly drew her own blaster and pressed it to Jaina’s temple. “Go,” she said through clenched teeth.

For a moment, the two women stared each other down, but eventually Jaina relented, perhaps realising the dire situation and the importance of relaying the intelligence as quickly as possible. That and the fact she couldn’t entirely trust Mara not to pull the trigger.

She pulled away, and Mara lowered her blaster in relief.

“I’ll go,” Jaina gave her a resolute nod. “But at least I can buy you some time.” She closed her eyes and Mara felt her call upon the Force. She heard a huge crash to her left and saw that several of the trees in the distance had been disturbed and one had even fallen to the ground with a resounding thump. She also saw the flash of twin lightsabers wielded by two shadowy yet familiar figures which turned and ran in the opposite direction, away from where Mara and Jaina were huddled. Almost immediately the blaster fire shifted towards the illusion.

“Good work,” Mara winced, the pain becoming more acute. “Now go.”

Jaina gave her another regretful look, and Mara knew it had not been an easy decision for her. The young woman was no stranger to demons which questioned her own courage and responsibility at the plight of a loved one. But to her credit, as Jaina disappeared swiftly into the brush, she didn’t look back once.

As the blaster fire and course shouts grew fainter, Mara concentrated on her own body. She tasted blood in her mouth and realised that the blaster bolt must have grazed her stomach. She tried not to focus on the fact that it greatly limited her chances at survival, and instead turned her mind to how she was going to get out of this mess. She could slip into a healing trance, probably the best option if she wanted to repair her body, but then she ran a great risk of being discovered.

Of course, she could spilt her concentration and keep a Force illusion as she healed, blending in to her surroundings until she became invisible to the untrained eye. But that might exhaust her and should she would have very little chance of fighting off any attacker that discovered her. But healthy or not, she was still on a hostile planet without a ship, which proved even more disastrous. Really, her only chance was to heal herself as quickly as she could, at least until she could walk, then sneak back to the planet’s base and steal a ship. Yes, she decided, that was probably the best recourse.

Mara leaned back against the tree, allowing the Force to flow through her and wash its healing power over her. She wondered how she had gotten herself into this mess. Honestly, she was getting as bad as her husband, a thought that cheered her up as a stab of longing quickly overtook the pain. And to think that she had insisted on accompanying Jaina on this mission, a chance to see her former apprentice serve the Jedi Order outside of a war setting. So much for that idea.

It had been a routine mission to an Outer Rim planet, a simple invitation and negotiation for the system to ally itself with the Galactic Federation. It had started well, although the people seemed to be rather insular and fanatical about retaining their own culture and religious precedents. They were quite technologically advanced, and had built up a relatively large store of weaponry, something which had greatly appealed to the Federation in an ally.

But political crisis, as Mara had discovered over the years, was not always created by galactic events or a clash in ideals. Sometimes, a species just took offence at the way they were spoken to, or the fact that a young Jedi Knight had refused to dance with the handsome young son of their spiritual leader. And of course, such an offence was punishable by death in these cultures, where simple ignorance was not readily accepted as a defence. That and the fact that Mara had discovered their hosts were not being completely honest about the level of their technology. The disc she had given Jaina had information downloaded from the central computer, detailing hidden and illegal bio-weapons it seemed the planet intended to test on their surrounding systems.

Mara sighed, knowing that sometimes the Force had a wicked sense of humour, and threw such hardships at its warriors simply to keep them on their toes. And she was not about to suffer the indignity of being beaten by a clumsy hit from a blaster.

Instead, she cleared her mind of its cluttered thoughts and set to healing her wound.[/FONT][/COLOR]
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It was dark when Mara heard a rustling in the trees that surrounded her. She could have sworn that her pursuers had long given up their search, but obviously there was a straggler. She was quite sure that she would remain undetected, unless of course, the perpetrator had a heat-sensing device, or the Force, which she could not disregard. As quietly as she could, Mara cocked her blaster and aimed it at the source of the disturbance.

She was actually quite tempted to shoot when Jaina appeared through the undergrowth, a medpack and ration kit from the [FONT=inherit][I]Sabre[/I][/FONT] in her hand. “I thought I told you to leave,” Mara spat, infuriated that Jaina would jeopardise the mission with such pithy sentiments as saving her life.

“And I did,” she grinned. “But you didn’t say anything about not coming back.” She kneeled beside Mara and examined her wound. The bleeding had stopped and Mara had started to repair the cell damage with the Force, but she was still in danger, the pain that ripped through her from the slightest movement told her that all too clearly. In truth, she was more than happy to see Jaina, not that she would ever give up the opportunity for a reprimand.

“Jaina,” she began coldly, even as the younger woman placed a bacta patch to her side. “I know you’re not my apprentice any more, but I was in charge of this mission and expected you to follow my instructions. And I [FONT=inherit][I]know [/I][/FONT]you knew what I meant,” she added at Jaina’s argumentative expression. “And that information we uncovered is too important…”

“Don’t worry about that,” Jaina said. “I managed to encode the frequency and transferred the data to Commander Darklighter. They’re on the other side of the planet taking out that illegal weapons cache as we speak.” She smiled proudly. “They’ll be able to track the [FONT=inherit][I]Sabre’s[/I][/FONT]position and pick us up when it’s safe. Probably by morning.” Her smile faded and a determination appeared in her deep brown eyes. “I couldn’t leave you here Aunt Mara,” she continued softly, turning her gaze away under the pretense of dressing Mara’s wound.

Mara felt any anger evaporate at the sadness and hurt that was evident in her niece’s tone. “Well,” she replied. “There aren’t many people I’d rather pass the time with,” she admitted grudgingly.[/FONT][/COLOR]
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“Aunt Mara?”

Groggily, Mara shifted her head to face Jaina who sat nearby in a constant vigil. She refused to sleep, insisting that she would watch over Mara so she could concentrate on resting and allowing her wound to heal.[/FONT][/COLOR]
[COLOR=#2a2a2a][FONT=Lucida Grande]“What is it, Jaina?” she asked, her voice soft. She was certainly not adverse to speaking with her niece, even if it was in the dead of night. They had not had many opportunities to have a pleasant conversation in the past few years, with the Vong war and all the tragedy that had befallen the galaxy.

In truth, she missed the spritely debates they’d shared over the Force, the Jedi and any other topic that crossed their minds. Or even the mindless, casual talk of the latest ship models or hyperdrive enhancers. Simple things, unfettered by heartbreak or terror.

“How did you know you wanted to marry Uncle Luke?”

Mara looked closely at her young niece, her pale face illuminated by the soft moonlight. She was certainly no longer a girl. Her expression and air carried the burdens of her responsibilities, scarred by pain and suffering, hardened to the joys in life. She reminded Mara a lot of herself at that age, raised as a warrior and not as a woman, expected to live up to an ideal that seemed so far out of reach.

“The Force told me that it would be in my best interest,” Mara smirked, but Jaina did not seem to appreciate the joke.

“No, I mean really,” she said, turning towards Mara, and for the first time she could see the uncertainty that clouded Jaina’s eyes.

Mara sighed and contemplated the question, considering how exactly to refine the entirety of love she had for Luke into words. “Well, we had been friends for a long time,” she began slowly, mulling over her answer. “And even though we argued almost every chance we got, we agreed on the things that mattered. Eventually, I realised just how much I was missing out on [FONT=inherit][I]not[/I][/FONT] being with him. All that energy I exerted hating him, being frustrated with him, could be turned into something positive and could reward me with everything I had been without my entire life.”

“But you had to sacrifice so much,” Jaina countered. “You had your own ship, your own business, true independence. When you married Uncle Luke you had to give up all of that. You became a [FONT=inherit][I]wife[/I][/FONT].” The distaste was evident in her voice.

“And a mother, and a Jedi,” Mara added, not surprised by Jaina’s extreme action. She had once felt much the same way about matrimony. “But I think that when you love someone you don’t see it as a sacrifice. You give a piece of yourself to them, and they give themselves back to you.” She smiled as the memory of her husband and son washed over her, strengthening her will to fight. “Your Uncle…knows me,” she added. “That’s what made me want to marry him, the fact that he was aware of all of my faults and flaws, and yet loved me all the more for them.”

Jaina nodded, but did not question her further. Mara wondered what had caused to her ask the question in the first place, but then she remembered that Jaina had parted less than amicably with the Fel boy not too long before. A pity, in Mara’s opinion. They had both seemed to complement the other well.

“You know, Jaina,” Mara voiced her inner musings. “It took me a long time to realise I loved your Uncle. The feelings had been there for a long time, I was just too stubborn to admit it.” She smiled at the memory of how obstinate they had both been regarding their growing attraction. “But in a way I am thankful for it,” she continued. “I don’t think either of us would have been ready to deal with love and marriage any sooner. I was still damaged from my past, too unwilling to trust anyone with my heart, and Luke was so closed off to himself, suffering from what he believed was his duty and responsibility to the galaxy. But when we were both ready, the Force was there to show us the way.”

“So you think I should wait for a [FONT=inherit][I]sign [/I][/FONT]from the Force?” Jaina asked sceptically, giving Mara a derisive look.

“Not at all,” Mara laughed softly. “All I’m saying is that youth and marriage do not have to go hand in hand. You have to know your own heart before you can give it to someone else. For some people it’s much easier – like your mother and father,” she added.

Jaina giggled. “Not if you listen to Dad tell it wasn’t.”

“Yes, well,” Mara smiled. “I have it on good authority from your Uncle that neither of them really doubted they were meant for each other. It was just a matter of circumstances.”

Jaina nodded. “That’s what Mom said. She told me that if you know you love someone you shouldn’t let anything come between you. But I just have so many other responsibilities, to the Jedi Order, to my family, to myself. Jag just doesn’t understand…” Jaina clamped her hand over her mouth and looked horrified at her slip.

Smiling indulgently, Mara simply threw a spare ration stick at her. “Don’t give me that look, girl,” she grinned. “I knew exactly who you were talking about.”

Jaina laughed behind her hand, looking sheepish. “I suppose it was pretty obvious,” she admitted. “I love him, Aunt Mara, I do. And I seriously considered accepting his proposal. I mean, why shouldn’t I? He’s ambitious, loyal, kind…”

“Not to mention he looks damn fine in a flightsuit,” Mara added devilishly.

“Aunt Mara!” Jaina looked scandalised.

“An objective opinion,” Mara laughed heartily, ignoring the stab of pain it sent though her side. “I’m married, not blind.”

Jaina joined in with her own rich laughter, before suddenly silencing herself and casting a hurried glance around the area.

“Sense something?” Mara asked, and stretched out with her own feelings.

“No,” Jaina answered. “I’m just being cautious. They still could be looking for us.”

Mara doubted it, but indulged her niece by speaking quietly. “So why are you questioning yourself?”

Jaina examined her hands soberly, and Mara felt an intense sadness leak out of her Force-constructed barriers. “[FONT=inherit][I]You shall never know peace.[/I][/FONT] That’s what Uncle Luke said,” she began. “I feel as if my life is meant to be devoted to the Jedi, and how can I do that if I am distracted by personal feelings and attachments?”

“Being a Jedi is about give and take also, Jaina,” Mara replied softly. “I once thought that if I allowed Luke to train me as a Jedi, I would become just a drone to the Order, but that’s not true. Don’t think that marriage or being a Jedi is an all or nothing deal. You can have both,” she insisted heartily. She and Luke were living proof of that.

Jaina nodded, but Mara pressed on. “Just don’t let opportunity slip by you because of fear. I want every happiness in the world for you Jaina, you deserve it,” Mara’s Force sense reached out to embrace her niece in a warm cocoon. “But you have to know your own worth, and not let anyone decide it for you.”

Jaina looked up then, tears gleaming in her deep russet eyes and pulling Mara’s Force sense protectively closer. Mara smiled, and Jaina returned it gratefully, giving no thanks, but knowing the Mara would not want any. They sat there in the silence, waiting for morning to come, Jaina reaching out and adding her healing abilities to Mara’s own, reducing the stabbing pain to a dull ache.

Finally, the two women stirred as the harsh morning sun began to penetrate the canopy above them. Despite the circumstances, Mara was glad for the opportunity to reacquaint herself with the young woman her former apprentice had become. Pride sang out from her heart that she had been given the opportunity to play a part in shaping Jaina’s life and knew whatever choice the young woman made, it would be to please her own heart. Even if she took a long time to settle on a decision, Mara was sure that it would be worth the wait for her.

“You know, before,” Jaina began, even as the air rustled around them, signaling the overhead flight of an GFFA ships. “How you said that I’m not your apprentice anymore?”

“Yes?” Mara wondered why she was bringing that up.

“I just wanted you to know that….” Jaina smiled nervously. “Well…you’ll always be my master, Aunt Mara,” she finished, giving her a broad smile.

Mara wanted to embrace her, but still didn’t quite have the strength to stand under her own power. Instead she gave Jaina an answering smile, indulgent and loving. “I know,” she replied softly, to herself as much as to the woman before her. “Thank you.”[/FONT][/COLOR]

 

I love this!

Very exciting and very sweet, too! (It's always a good sign when the heroes are running in the first line. Cut to the chase!)

For a moment, the two women stared each other down, but eventually Jaina relented, perhaps realising the dire situation and the importance of relaying the intelligence as quickly as possible. That and the fact she couldn?t entirely trust Mara not to pull the trigger.

That was great. You know, speaking as a mom, you always have an advantage if your kid thinks you're just a teensy bit crazy. My kids would concur.

Mara was glad for the opportunity to reacquaint herself with the young woman her former apprentice had become. Pride sang out from her heart that she had been given the opportunity to play a part in shaping Jaina?s life and knew whatever choice the young woman made, it would be to please her own heart. Even if it took a long time to be decided.

I always liked the Jaina/Mara interactions, and I think this hits it exactly. Jaina is like a surrogate daughter to Mara, IMHO.

You have to know your own heart before you can give it to someone else.

Completely agree. And Mara's the voice of wisdom here about more than just the Force or being a Jedi, which is one of the things that makes her so interesting. She's a just a very smart woman.

Very well done. Your interactions are realistic and meaningful.

 

Where to start? First: I loved the excitement and life-and-death setting--so plausible that ignorance of cultural morees and an insular attitude and having something to hide would lead to a confrontation between the Jedi and an unknown society.
Loved Mara and Jaina's characterizations throughout. Loved every single word of dialogue, so I can't pick a favorite quote.
I must say your Jaina is the best I've ever read, she has Leia's courage, Luke's compassion and Han's resourcefulness. She completed Mara's instructions, ensured their rescue, and made personally sure that she wasn't going to abandon Mara but contribute to her healing.
Mara's insights on love, Luke and Jag were wonderful.

 

Hooray!

This is just as wonderful as I had imagined it would be when you first told me about it! Excellent job, lady! Jaina is wonderful here--there's no way she'd leave her aunt there all alone for too long! And Mara is PERFECT...I can't tell you enough that you write her so well. I really can't.

The whole situation said so much, and I love how Jaina almost mirrors a younger Mara in many aspects.

I've got to go and read this again! Ooh, and I love the title!

 

Oh, JL. That was very good. I loved the interactions between Mara and Jaina, and I'm glad she came back for Mara. The talk about Mara and Luke was really good too.

Good challenge response.

jacky

 

Wow! Extremely well done! I can really see Mara being like this, and your portrayal of both of them was top notch!

 

?Not to mention he looks damn fine in a flightsuit,? Mara added devilishly.

?Aunt Mara!? Jaina looked scandalised.

?An objective opinion,? Mara laughed heartily, ignoring the stab of pain it sent though her side. ?I?m married, not blind.?



That was just so perfectly Mara

What a lovely response to the challenge. I'm glad you were inspired by it. Bravo!

 

Love it! Great interaction between Mara and Jaina. I like how you went from intense action to the quiet moment between them. Like poetry.

?But I think that when you love someone you don?t see it as a sacrifice. You give a piece of yourself to them, and they give themselves back to you.?

Wonderful line and so true. I have to pinch myself sometimes to make sure I'm not dreaming when I call you "master".

 

I liked this. A lot. Being a Jedi Master is so much more than teaching about the force. It is also teaching your apprentice about life, like you've demonstrated here. It's rare that we get to see the characters of Star Wars having a normal conversation, even with bloodthirsty natives on their heels.

 

I had to read this over a second time, it was just that good!

For Mara and Jaina fans, reading them together as Master and Apprentice was really amazing. You did such a fantastic job writing these two strong-willed women. As always, your work is complete in everything a reader hopes a story to be. There's action, moments of discovery, humor, hope, dispair, and it's beautifully written.

One of my favorite parts (it's so hard to choose) is when Jaina asks Mara how figured out she loved Luke. It was so dear seeing them share the sort or sisterly/mother relationship.

Jaina smiled nervously. ?Well?you?ll always be my master, Aunt Mara,? she finished, giving her a broad smile.

Mara wanted to embrace her, but still didn?t quite have the strength to stand under her own power. Instead she gave Jaina an answering smile, indulgent and loving. ?I know,? she replied softly, to herself as much as to the woman before her. ?Thank you.?

Beautiful. Just beautiful.

 

This was amazing, JadeLotus!

Your Mara/Jania dynamic was perfect!

I was so happy when Jania went back for Mara! I knew she wouldn't have left her there for long! I loved how Jania pointed out that while Mara told her to go... and she did, Mara said nothing about coming back for her!

I think my favorite part was...

"I just wanted you to know that" Jaina smiled nervously. "Well... you'll always be my master, Aunt Mara," she finished, giving her a broad smile.
and then Mara saying "I know". It really warmed my heart!

Great Job!

 

Excellent vignette! I loved both Mara's firm stand that Jaina should leave her, and then their talk about love and marriage.

 

divapilot - Thank you! Starting in the middle of the action is always fun I've always thought Mara and Jaina had a good master/apprentice, mother/daughter relationship. I'm glad it came across that way.

Jade_eyes - I figured that not every society would have the same standards of the core worlds, and that it might get the Jedi into trouble as negociators I was a bit nervous about writing Jaina, so thank you so much for the positive feedback on her!

ginchy - Thanks, girl! I had such a time trying to figure out the title - I think it's actually from a Doris Day film or something, but it seemed to fit...

Healer_Leona - Thank you Trust Mara and Jaina to have a heart-to-heart in the middle of a war zone.

jakyyy17 - Thanks! I think Jaina could take a lot from Luke and Mara's relationship

VaderLVR64 - Thank you!

TKeira_Lea - Thanks! I think Mara could appreciate a well put-together man like Jag

Jade_Pilot - Thank you so much It's such a pleasure to have you as a padawan.

StarFighter5 - I agree - they have to teach their apprentices how to balance a life along with their Jedi duties. I'm glad you liked it!

MirandaFair - Thank you so much, my friend There wasn't much Mara/Jaina interaction in the later NJO, but I think they would have such a strong connection and friendship. I'm so happy you enjoyed it.

mavjade - Thank you! I don't think Jaina would be able to leave anyone behind, especially someone she cared about, even if she knew Mara would be angry at her for it

Jedi-2B - Thank you!

 

Loved it, JL!!! I can see this fitting into profic perfectly!

Mara is dead-on, especially here:

There was no time to debate. Mara knew that Jaina possessed the combined stubbornness of the Skywalker and Solo lines, and while such traits were admirable, Mara knew there was only one way to get through to her. With her free hand, she rapidly drew her own blaster and pressed it to Jaina?s temple. ?Go,? she said through clenched teeth.

For a moment, the two women stared each other down, but eventually Jaina relented, perhaps realising the dire situation and the importance of relaying the intelligence as quickly as possible. That and the fact she couldn?t entirely trust Mara not to pull the trigger.

Now that?s what I call ?aggressive negotiations?! And you're right - does anyone really know how far Mara will go when backed against a wall?


I?m no expert on Jaina, but I think she has that Skywalker/Solo stubborn streak of loyalty that you portrayed beautifully here.

Incredible challenge response!

 

I loved this, it was so touching!! It was especially great how it contrasted, the beginning and the intensity of their escape to the last half where the two of them are just sitting down discussing love and relationships. I just loved the fact that they were having such a conventional female-bonding conversation in such an unconventional situation. Great!!

 

Thank you all who voted this the Best Response to a Challenge for the Summer Fanfic Awards!






Jedi Trace - Thank you! Mara is such a loose cannon sometimes - there's no telling what she will do to get her way

cheersweetie27 - Thanks! Mara nd Jaina are anything but conventional, I think