Beyond - Legends Children of the Red Sun--Final Four Chapters Posted. Complete 10/3/2009!!!!

JediXManSerenaKenobi?Thank you, I?m glad you?re enjoying it!

Stookymalarkey?They will definitely not enjoy their first meeting with Kale Naberrie. But the war is far from over.

Lobo?Very true?it?s bad timing all around. As for Mara?s illness, the books essentially glossed over it. It became a cheap plot device that they never bothered to explore. I will admit that at some point I will diverge completely from any hope of following the original story line because, I?m ashamed to admit, that I gave up on the NJO halfway through. So from that point on, I?ll just be winging it.

Skreed01?Thanks. After a few decades of being both Jedi and Kryptonian under a comforting yellow sun, Kale is a bit more powerful than his offspring. I will say regarding his technology that Hoth was captured in the original Trilogy. That included his Fortress.

Talon-Kenobi?Of course, be glad to. And as I PMd you, I retconned the original ending to dovetale into this story. I didn?t have this one fully planned out when I ended the Legacy trilogy and so I wasn?t sure exactly how Kale would get the news. I only knew his children were what pulled him back into the fray.

TigerofRobare?Gosh, I?m embarrassed. You?re right, of course, but I?m still embarrassed. As for the Vong?that comes a bit down the road, but you?re not too far off the mark.

Jedi_Aurelan_Carter?Glad you enjoyed it, here?s the next one!

RedGold?You don?t have to sneak, ever. You?re always welcome to pop in. See?

Ultima_1?Will do, glad to have you onboard. And just wait until I start posting my SW/Harry Potter story. Of all the Harry Potter/SW crosses out there, mine will be another one.

VaderLVR64?No worries, I?ll be glad to add you on. Hope you come through okay!

Cggunnersmate?I will say that saving Mara is beyond Kale?s personal abilities, but they find hope.

 

Well, definitely no complaints about responses this week. Thanks to everyone who posted! I have an updated PM list. Again, I only add if you specifically request it. If you want on or off, please let me know.

cggunnersmate
Jedi_Aurelan_Carter
JediXManSerenaKenobi
Kevin_Solo
LOBO
Talon_Kenobi
TigerofRobare
Ultima_1
VaderLVR64

Now, I present Chapter 6, in which Han plays with his toys, throws a few drinks back, and reminisces about the good old days.


Chapter Six: Sorry


Admiral Traest Kre?Fey did not like what he saw when the Bothan assault cruiser Ralroost reverted to real-space in the Dubrillion System.

?We?ve got civilian traffic under fire,? Leiutenant Arr?yka said from communications. ?Signal coming in from the Rejuvinator.?

Kre?Fey nodded.

A 2-D holoimage of a shaven-headed Correllian appeared. ?This is Commander Rojo of the Rejuvinator. Admiral, it is a pleasure to see you.?

?Likewise, Commander. Status??

?We responded to Jedi Durron?s distress signal and encountered heavy enemy resistance,? Rojo said. ?They are tough little buggers. They already attacked Dubrillion, but Calrisssian?s security forces held the first time. Since then Calrissian has suffered major losses.?

?And you??

?I?ve lost half my fighters,? Rojo admitted. ?I also have hull damage and have lost two gunships. The enemy has some type of gravitic shielding that can take a lot of punishment. My squad leaders tell me if you vary fire intensity you can sometimes fool or wear down the enemy shields. But it?s tough going.?

Traest nodded as he absorbed the information. Both men turned when they heard Arr?kya gasp. ?What is it?? Kre?Fey asked.

The lieutenant turned and stared with teeth bared. ?We just received a military-wide alert. The planet Sernpidal has been destroyed. New Republic intelligence determined than an artificial gravity field pulled the smaller moon down on the planet. There were few survivors.?

Traest growled. ?Commander, our mission is to save as much of the civilian population as possible. I am launching all fighters. I will also send via holonet our situation to General Solo. I believe we are looking at a possible invasion.?

?I would concur, Admiral,? Rojo said. ?Frankly, I thought I was going to sweep these vermin away. I?m lucky to still have my ship. Rojo out.?

In the fighter bay, Colonel Inyri Forge pulled her helmet on. ?Major Varth?? she called.

Major Alinn Varth checked in. ?Flight two ready.?

?Major Nevil??

The Quarren male clicked a quick reply. ?Flight 3 Ready.?

?Rogues, let?s go.?

The most famous squadron of fighters in the New Republic burned out of the bays of the Ralroost at full throttle and made straight for the unfolding battle.


* * *


The Millennium Falcon came out of hyperspace over the world of Belkadan. Almost immediately, Han became aware of three things at once.

One, the Supreme Commander of the New Republic Defense Force had no business flying a freighter by himself when he had assets being engaged in the field. Two, Belkadan was a rusty brown wasteland of poisonous chemicals; and three, a very large, rocky-shaped object was directly in front of him firing large glowing balls of plasma at his ship.

?That?s not good,? he muttered.

?Han?? Leia asked. ?Thinking about changing course any time soon??

?Not all of us need the Force to fly, Sweetums,? Han growled. He leaned his whole body forward into the controller. The Falcon dipped down so abruptly that even with the inertial dampeners those in the cockpit felt the pits of their stomachs drop out. Han then corkscrewed and came out of the dive heading straight toward the pole of the planet, presenting the narrow port side to the enemy fire.

?Any volunteers for the quads?? Han called over the com.

From the rear of the ship, he heard three voices call out. ?Oldest kids first, please,? Han called back. Jaina and Jacen left Anakin pouting in the hold while one took the dorsal quads and

 

Great chapter, lots of drama and action. Good grief, I can't use the word Drama anymore without thinking about Laguna Beach. *cringe cringe shudder*

Anyhoo, it was a fantastic chapter and I'm looking forward to reading more!!

- Serena

 

Awesome chapter. Are the Vong politics still like they were in the books?

 

He was right. Before he even finished the sentence, a slim figure shot out of the expanding cloud of gas like a torpedo. The figure shot through the strange gravitic shields of the enemy vessel and ripped directly through the hull.



Suddenly the frigate, at least five hundred meters long, shot toward the surface of the planet in an uncontrollable spin and an impossible speed. It struck the roiling atmosphere of Belkadan on its side and shattered like an egg dropped from upon high.

Well, that answers the question of how effective Kale can be against Vong tech.



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.?

I can see why Han is upset with Kale, and he has a point, but what's done is done and I hope that this doesn't wind up creating rifts between some of the characters as bad as the ones in canon NJO.







*IMHO, you aren't missing anything in the second half (i.e. post SbS) of the NJO. If anything, this story will only be better without that influence.

 

I've said it before but I'll say it again - you're a superb action writer! And this chapter was just another shining example of your skill.


?Mines don?t do much in active combat,? Mara pointed out.

?I work with what I have,? Han said.

Any other father might have balked about bringing his two sixteen year olds and a fourteen year old on a possible combat mission. But no other father had children who could track an enemy with quad laser cannons the way Jaina and Jacen were doing. He watched as laser fire followed the path of fighter so perfectly that almost every shot hit, though most of the shots seemed to be absorbed by the strange shielding.

?Let?s see if this gets its attention,? Leia said. As soon as it flew in range she unleashed a barrage of heavy turbolasers. The fighter evaporated in a cloud of rock.

?I love this ship,? Han muttered.

 

JediXManSerenaKenobi?The constant surge of Laguna Beach images in connection with the word ?Drama? can lead to lasting psychological issues. I think there?s a pill for that. Anyway, thanks for reading and reviewing!

TigerofRobare?Hmm, they are as far as the books I?ve actually read.

Lobo?Good to know I?m not the only one who wasn?t able to plow through the NJO!

VaderLVR64?Thank you.

 

For your reading pleasure, I present Chapter 7, in which Han and Mara experience deja vu, and Leia says: "Oh no they didn't!"

Enjoy.



Chapter Seven: The Theatre of War

The Falcon bucked violently as she came out of hyperspace near Dubrillion. Instantly the dark skies outside the cockpit of the Falcon exploded into a cacophony of color, scintillating between red, green and orange.

?By the Force,? Leia whispered.

They could see ships launching from the burning surface of Dubrillion under escort from X-wing and Y-wing fighters, while heavier B- and K-wing fighters flew a second line of defense. Even before the small convoy of ships left the atmosphere, the strange, rocky fighters of the enemy darted in and opened up with their balls of plasma energy.

Nearby, four frigate-sized enemy ships continued to engage the Ralroost, Rejvuinator and the two capital ships? escort craft. The space between the two sets of ships burned with heavy fire. Even with the naked eye Han could see ships flare and then fade into dust as they died.

?New Republic Defense Forces, this is General Solo,? Han announced over the com. ?Senior officers report.?

?This is Kre?fey, General,? the Bothan admiral said. ?Please forgive me if I am brief. I have a few things dividing my attention.?

?I?ll bet you do. Traest, the Obi-Wan and Defender are en route with escort and support ships. They should be here in about two hours.?

?That?s welcome news, General.? The Admiral?s voice was lost in static. Han looked up and saw the shields around the Ralroost glimmer against an enemy onslaught. As soon as the barrage ended, his voice cleared. ?Things are becoming somewhat unpleasant out there, General. Might I suggest you come aboard??

One of the supporting New Republic gunboats flared out and split in two under concentrated Vong fighter fire. A nearby B-wing began tumbling wildly through space as its primary foil vaporized under enemy plasma. ?I might at that,? Han said.

Docking was easier said than done. With Jacen and Jaina once more on the quad lasers and Leia once more on the heavy turbolasers, Han wove and dove and blasted a path through enemy ships when suddenly they heard something. ?What is that?? Han said with a note of panic on his voice. ?What is crawling on my ship??

Just then Karia arrived. ?Dad?s going out to see what?s going on,? she announced.

Han shrugged and continued flying as best he could. Finally he saw the Ralroost?s hangar bay doors open. ?Coming in!? he announced to the Ralroost, his cockpit, and the galaxy in general.

The Falcon soared through the shields of the Bothan heavy assault cruiser and slowed immediately. Han was out of seat the second the engines started to cool down. He ignored everyone as he ran to the loading ramp and dashed out. Bothan officers stood staring up and Han turned to see Kale Naberrie standing on top of his ship with a meter-long insect gripped in one hand. The insect was kicking giant rear legs and flapping its wings in an attempt to get away. Kale simply held it in place as he hopped lightly down from the top of the converted freighter.

?These were launched by the enemy fighters,? Kale said. ?You have some hull damage where they chewed through. I got them as fast as I could.? He turned to the bay technicians. ?These things need to be studied. Do you have any shield containment areas? It will eat through any other material.?

?We have hypermatter storage cubes,? one of the technicians said. ?That?s held in a magnetic stasis field.?

?That should do,? Kale said.

Han watched as Kale walked away. He turned at a presence expecting to find Leia. Instead he found himself facing Mara Jade. ?Look, Mara??

She slapped him. The blow stung as if she struck him with a closed fist. Her eyes flashed dangerous as she let her hand drop. Even so, she still swayed from the effort. Leia was there almost instantly, but Han waved her off.

?If it was Anakin or Jacen, y

 

Awesome chapter. I don't get why Mara slapped Han.

 

Good chapter. Everyone seems to be a mite ticked in this update - I think they all need a good vacation. I hear Aruba's lovely this time of year.

Update soon!

- Serena

 

I can empathize with Mara, but I enjoyed Leia's reaction even better.


Kale certainly hasn't lost his touch either. If anything, he is even more powerful than in LoRS. Good thing too - this is still only Praetorite Vong after all...


Han is da' man. That is all.

 

Kale is back, and he's got kids! 3 times the fun, now...

PM's, please.

Raptor517

 

Well done! You do action scenes very well and can capture the true scope of Kale's power. (In Legacy when the Super laser lifted off the surface of Coruscant I could hear John Williams' music from Superman and could picture it much like the end of SM Returns when he lifted the Kryptonian island). Looking forward to more from this story (I'd like to see what he can do to a YV world ship)!

 

TigerofRobare?She slapped him because 1) He chewed out her man for something she felt wasn?t his fault; and 2) Because Han was refusing to help them save her son. It was the instinctive action of a desperate and ill mother. She eased up as quickly as she did by his offer of the Falcon and the realization, belatedly, that he was doing what he could.

JediXManSerenaKenobi?Lots of bad things happening. I take the opposite of the ST: TNG approach. On TNG, when bad things happen, everyone remains happy and calm and bestest friends. In my fics, and often times in life I?ve observed, when bad things happen even good friends get a mite puckish and irritable. When lives are in the balance, they may even get angry. But a vacation definitely would be nice. And why Aruba, when the GFFA has Zeltron?

Lobo?Yeah, shades of their past. They might be friends on the surface, but Leia to this day remembers Mara kidnapping her in the first LOTRS. I?ve still got you on my PM list, and I?m still getting the errors for some reason. Just FYI.

Raptor517?He is indeed, and you?re on the list. Welcome back!

Cggunnersmate?Thank you, there?s a lot more coming. (And incidentally, I had some John Williams on when I wrote that scene you mention. It wasn?t Superman, though. It was actually the Map Room from Raiders of the Lost Ark, which also very able projects awe and power.

Thank you all for reading. As always, I greatly appreciate it!

 

Chapter Eight: Heroes


Danni listened to the young man?s gasping, and clung to him a little tighter. ?Are you okay?? She whispered softly.

He made a motion with his head that could have been either a nod or a shake, and nothing more. His breathing came in ragged gasps as he fought back the cold waters around them.

Thirst was not a problem, but her stomach hurt from lack of food. She could feel her ribs protruding, and her limbs trembled any time she tried moving.

There was rock under them. This was their only relief?that they did not have to stand. At some point, they both had laid down on the cold, bitter rock. She let him spoon against her for warmth, and let his arm hang over her. There they remained, conserving energy and warmth.

There was no way to track the days. There was no way to determine where they were?only that there was darkness and cold and death all around them.

At first Danni was sure she was going to die of thirst, until she felt Jor guide her hand to the edge of his Force bubble. Somehow, her hand passed through into the numbing cold of the water. She pulled her hand out, and drank. The water was brackish, but potable. She drank.

The hunger, however, she had no solution for. The hunger pains became so intense she cried. Her stomach growled angrily with need. And then there was waste. Though she had no bowel movements, she had plenty of urine. She relieved herself against the edge of the Force bubble. Somehow, though, the air never smelled of the urine for long. The bubble moved to expose the fluid to the icy water.

She chose not to consider the fact this was the same water they were drinking. The dilution had to be sufficient enough make it safe.

During the first few hours (or days?she couldn?t say for sure), Jor was still able to speak to her without losing his concentration. He spoke to her about growing up on Naboo. About how much he looked up to his father, and how hard it was to arrive at Coruscant and realize that no one else shared that respect.

He admitted how lonely it was, being the son of Kale Naberrie.

He spoke about his mother, and his sister Karia. ?You?d like her,? he said. Because of the way they laid, he spoke almost into her ear. ?She?s brilliant. Scored top tier on every standardized test for kids twice her age.?

?Is she strong like you?? Danni asked.

She felt him nod. The motion of his chin shuffled the lank strands of her hair. ?Not quite as strong, but stronger than anyone else in the galaxy. And there are other things she can do better. She got some of her powers before me, and developed some I don?t even have.?

?That must have been amazing, growing up in your family.?

?It was different,? Jor said. ?The only time we had family over was when our cousins would show up. Every time they were in danger or there was a kidnapping plot, Aunt Leia would bring all her kids to Naboo for dad to watch them. No one bothered them there, ever.?

It was a mark of her exhaustion and hunger that Danni did not immediately realize that Jor was talking about the Solo family, perhaps the only family more famous than the Naberries. While the Naberries were well known, the Solos were still famed leaders of the Republic and the Jedi Order and more often in the public eye.

His hand shifted, and accidentally brushed against her nipple. ?I?m sorry!? he gushed. She could feel a rush of heat from his cheeks.

She reached up and took the offending hand in hers. ?It?s okay,? she said. Then she grinned. ?I?d let you feel more, but I?m afraid your bubble would burst.?

She heard a mild snip and knew he was grinning. ?Yeah, that would do it.?

After a time, though, the effort of maintaining the Force bubble grew too great for him to talk to her, and the pain of her hunger became too great for her to respond. They lay in silence, in positions more intimate than any Danni had ever known during her short life, yet with nothing on either of their minds than just sheer survival.

She tried her

 

Wow, that was a fantastic chapter!!! Really like Danni's characterization here. Her conversation with Jor was great. Update soon!

- Serena

 

I'm slowly getting caught up and loving this!

 

Hm...I am going to make my appeal and beg you not to have a love triangle between Jor, Jacen, and Danni.

Raptor517

 

Another great chapter! I do hope they can cure Mara, this Vong virus seems worse than the one in NJO.

Am I sensing a possible love triangle between Jor-El, Danni and Jacen?

Looking forward to more, as always.

 

Loving this one Darth_Marrs, as usual with you, brilliant stuff. Please add me to your PM list.
The only thing I've found so far that I haven't like is Wedge.
Don't get me wrong, I love Wedge, I love the way you've written him so far. I'm not complaining that he's in the military, I'm very happy that he made general. But what really baffles me is why Wedge Antilles, arguably the greatest non-force using pilot in the galaxy, the top brass... In The Army???
Everything else, totally top notch. Loved it when Han told Kale off too, that was cool. And Leia warning Mara... The temperature in that ship went way down...
Keep up the good stuff Darth,

fanficfan

 

I really enjoyed this chapter. I think your writing style and the depths of your characterizations are both becoming more intense with each update. It is very compelling.

 

Yet another beautiful and satisfying read! Your work never fails to deliver on the early promise of the story!

 

Great couple of updates Darth...

Loved the fact that the Vong are getting that "OH CRAP!" feeling lol

 

JediXManSerenaKenobi?Thanks, this first section is among my favorite of the story so far. I especially like Danni?s character. She?s a good view from the outside.

VaderLVR64?Thanks, glad to have you reading.

Raptor517?No promises nor threats. Whatever happens probably won?t be what you?re expecting. ?Least, I hope not.

Cggunnersmate?Thank you. Things to remember with Danni, Jor and Jacen?they?re teenagers and she?s not.

Fanficfan?Done. As for Wedge in the army?I too have wondered why some people are generals and others are admirals in SW. Why would a starfighter pilot be a general? I don?t understand it myself, so I completely sympathize with you. Thanks for reading.

L0B0?Thank you. I?m glad you?re enjoying. And it appears we?ve finally licked the PM problem! Yay!

VaderLVR64?Thank you.

Jedi_Aurelan_Carter?Thanks, I?m glad you?re enjoying. The Vong definitely are feeling a bit less sure of themselves.

 

Here I present Chapter Nine, in which my Han proves why AU stories can be so enjoyable, and Kale just simply kicks butt.

Enjoy.



Chapter Nine: Superman Returns

Kale gratefully let Jacen take Jor?s charge back to the infirmary. He saw Karia sitting up on the bench next to Anakin. Her eyes were swollen with tears and sweat beaded on her flushed forehead. In his arms, Jor moaned. ?Dad?? Karia asked.

?He got a full dose of the sunlight,? Kale said. ?He was already weakened.? The ship jolted under Vong fire. ?Anakin, where?s Mara??

?She?s with Jaina in my cabin,? Anakin said. ?She?s in a healing trance.?

Kale nodded in approval and then carried his son into the infirmary. He noticed with equal approval that Jacen already had an IV drip going for Danni. ?What are you giving her??

?Basic nutrients in a saline drip,? Jacen said. ?She?s suffering severe starvation.? He looked at his cousin. ?How?s Jor doing??

?The same, plus radiation poisoning.? He placed his son on the table and then covered him in a blanket just as the ship jolted again. He touched Jor?s face, nodded to Anakin, and stepped quickly out.

He ducked into another cabin just up the narrow halls and found Jaina sitting in a folding chair holding his wife?s hand. He came in and smiled at the teen-ager before kneeling beside Mara.

With a whisper of the Force, he roused her. Her eyes flittered open. ?Don?t get up, don?t speak,? he told her softly. ?I got Jor, just like I promised. He?s going to be okay. Know he?s going to be okay.?

A ghost of a smile touched her lips, and then her eyes closed again. ?Thank you,? he said to Jaina. He kissed the young Jedi gently on the forehead, and then left the room.

?Is Jor going to be okay?? Karia asked as Kale emerged.

?He will,? Kale said. He stripped out of the damaged suit and then wrapped her in a hug. ?And so will you. You should go to your brother. Let him know you?re there. You too, Anakin. Friendly faces will do him good.?

Anakin nodded wordlessly as Kale made his way to the cockpit. Leia was alone, flying the ship desperately. ?Need any help, Cousin??

?Yes, but I guess you?ll have to do,? she said without looking up from the controls.

He took the co-pilot?s seat. ?You?re getting better at piloting this thing.?

?Practice,? she said. ?Han makes me take her out whenever I have Jedi business.? She pulled hard on the controls and sent the Falcon cork-screwing between showers of plasma.

She hit the hyperdrive controls only to growl in frustration. ?Something?s holding us in real-space,? she said.

Kale reached out, and held her hand. ?It?s okay, Leia. Han?s here.?

She looked, and he could sense her anger and desperation fade into relief.

Han arrived, with the entire Fifth Fleet. One hundred and seventy ships of varying sizes and armaments dropped out of hyperspace almost directly in front of the Falcon. At the lead was Ralroost, surrounded by two Imperial-II class star destroyers, and the newer Nebula-class destroyers that, although smaller, provided equal fire power.

?Millenium Falcon,? a beautifully familiar voice said, ?I trust you had good hunting. Make for the Ralroost.?

?Acknowledged, Ralroost,? Leia said.

As the skies began to light up behind them, she maneuvered the Falcon in the hangar of the Bothan assault cruiser while around it the capital ships of the fleet surged forward.

A New Republic aide waited for them as the ramp dropped. Leia was first out.

?Master Solo, General Solo requests your presence on the bridge,? he said.

Leia nodded. ?We have need of medical personnel.?

?I?ll see to it, ma?am,? the aide said. ?If you?ll come with me??

Kale emerged behind her. ?Medics are coming??

Leia nodded, and only then did Kale accompany her. The aide led them through the labyrinthine halls of the Bothan ship, which rarely held a straight corridor and had the overall feeling of a cave. It perfectly suited the Bothan psyche.