Saga - OT [DDC 2017]Teenage Rebellion--Updated 11/27/2017 (Mara/Ezra/Luke)

Title: Teenage Rebellion
Author: Raissa Baiard
Characters: Mara Jade Blayne (AU Mara); Luke Skywalker; Ezra Bridger; other mostly canon characters
Time frame: Saga, immediately following the Battle of Yavin
Synopsis: the journals of three teenage members of the Rebellion.

This is my first attempt at the DDC; it is a companion piece to my Raissa Baiard/Doran Blayne stories and my OTP Challenge entry, Star Crossed.

A huge Thank you to Ewok Poet, because this is ALL HER FAULT. She first had the idea that I should do a diary for an angsty, teenage Mara, and then upped the ante by suggesting that I should do journals for all three of the main characters in this story. THEY'RE NOT ANGSTY; NO ONE UNDERSTANDS THEM!1! If half the crazy ideas she and Findswoman and I tossed around make it into this story, it's gonna be a wild ride.

This is an AU in which Mara was never discovered by the Emperor and remained with her family, to be trained in the Force as a Jedi. In this universe, the non-attachment doctrine is strongly encouraged but not not as strictly enforced as in canon. The characters involved are canon for the most part; the OC's that appear are listed beneath the spoiler.

Spoiler

The Blayne family lives on the (fanon) planet of Merkesh near the Corporate Sector. They, along with a few others, make up the Rebel cell, the Idiot’s Array, which specializes in helping those persecuted by the Empire escape to the Corporate Sector under new identities. They assisted the crew of the Ghost with one such mission. (See Star Crossed for details)

Mara Jade Blayne:17 year old daughter of Raissa and Doran Blayne. As well as being trained in the ways of the Force, she is an expert slicer and forger, thanks to the tutelage of former Bothan spy, Dev Breil’lya. She works as a waitress/barista at her father’s cantina, the Café Alderaan. Her call sign in the Idiot’s Array is Ace of Sabers.

Doran Blayne: né Dominic Jade, a fugitive Jedi who escaped the fall of the Jedi Temple. He fled Coruscant and eventually made his way to Merkesh, where he sold the crystals in his lightsaber to buy the Café Alderaan. There he met the Force-sensitive Vice-Prefect Raissa Baiard and took her on as his padawan. Despite Jedi doctrine discouraging attachments, they fell in love and were married. (See Everyone Comes to Doran's Place and In the Cards for their early relationship) Call sign: Master of Flasks

Raissa (Baiard) Blayne: Prefect of the Imperial garrison at Merkesh City. Discovered she was Force-sensitive in her 20’s and, disillusioned by the Empire’s empty promises of justice for all, chose to train with Doran even as she remained at the garrison to fulfill what she saw as her duty to the citizens of Merkesh. She owns an aging pygmy roba named Frugly with whom she shares a strong empathic bond.
Call sign: Mistress of Staves

Domnic Blayne: 15 year old son of Raissa and Doran. The serious middle child, his call sign is Balance.

Annina Blayne: 10 year old daughter of Raissa and Doran. She is in most ways the opposite of her older sister, and loves everything ruffly and sparkly. Like her mother, she is empathic towards animals; her companion is a pittin named Princess. Call sign: Star

Dev Breil’lya: Mara’s teacher in slicing and spycraft. Trained as a spy on Bothawui, he became a fugitive after assaulting an ISB agent and wound up as a pickpocket and petty thief on Merkesh. When Raissa became Prefect, she recruited him as an informant and information broker. He now operates a tech-repair shop as a front; he has a wife, Keffria, and a daughter, Tris. Call sign: Commander of Coins

Mara

Today, I joined the Rebellion.

I suppose technically I’ve been a Rebel since I first sliced the Imperial database when I was ten, or even before that. When you are born the Force-sensitive child of Jedi parents, your whole existence is an act of rebellion. Thanks to Uncle Dev and his cousins, I arrived on Yavin and presented myself for service to Mon Mothma and the Council. I don’t think they were impressed that the seasoned slicer and agent they were promised turned out to be a seventeen year old girl, but Princess Leia Organa asked when age became the sole determinant of ability. None of them dared to argue after that. Annina would have squealed so hard at the idea of meeting a real princess that the transparisteel tactical screen in the middle of the room would have shattered, but, honestly, I think she would have been disappointed. Princess Leia is not nearly fluffy enough for her taste. Don’t tell my sister that real princesses wear military uniforms--she’ll never believe it.

So, here I am, officially official, making myself at home on my new, standard issue lumpy bunk in the women’s barrack, which is really just an area of an old stone temple partitioned off with temporary walls. We are next to the laundry, of course. It’s damp in here and it smells like mildew and feet. There are two portable ‘freshers for all of us. And it is all because of someone I’ve never met...some hot shot pilot named Luke Skywalker. I know nothing about the man except that he blew up the Death Star and the Force thinks someone (and by someone, it means me) needs to keep an eye on him.

You had better be worth this, Luke Skywalker, whoever you are.

 

Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot.mp3

This is going to be crazy. This Mara is such a snarky teen and I love the way she asserts that Leia is not your average princess. Love the phrase "officially official" and wow...if she gets in an argument with Luke because it's HIS fault that she's sleeping next to laundry...OMG. I AM GOING TO LOVE THIS.

 

I'm not too familiar with your OCs, but this looks like it's going to be so much fun! I'm really enjoying Rebels thus far, so I'm interested to see another Rebel cell.

I'm loving Mara thus far. She is still Mara yet the changes fit the circumstances of this AU Mara. And she is so snarky and sassy that I am instantly having flashbacks to 17-year-old me.

I can't wait to see if Luke Skywalker is "worth it"

Please tag or PM me when you update, if you are doing that.

 

Such fun! I like Mara here. She's still "our Mara," snarky and smart and totally in charge. Loved the comments about what a "real princess" looks like.

The descriptions are awesome - the idea of a damp laundry room right around the corner and the whole place smelling "like mildew and feet." All because of some dude named Luke Skywalker.


Great job and I'm looking forward to reading more!

 

I love this look at Mara!
She's still got Mara's fire and spirit, but she's going to look at life in a different way because her early, formative years are different.

There were so many parts of this I loved:

Yeah!! Right on!

And that last line... perfect! I can't wait to see if she thinks he's worth it!

I look forward to reading how this is going to play out, especially as we're going to get it from multiple POVs?

Would you mind tagging me when you update?

 

Great start! Looking forward to finding out if Mara thinks Luke is "worth it".

 

Thank you! I hope that I can live up to your expectations, since a lot of the craziness stems from our brainstorming sessions. Mara is indeed full of snark, so who knows what she's going to get into it with Luke over...but you can be sure they will get into it...and when they do--Luke, you should RUN.

My OC's, Raissa and Doran, were created with the idea that they became Mara's parents, so they have a lot of the characteristics that the Real!Mara exhibits--loyalty, a sense of honor, and of course, snark from both sides. This AU!Mara gets all of that, even though she loses a lot of the trust and interpersonal issues that plague her "officially official" version. It's also fun to play around with a Mara who's been raised on the Rebellion's side, sort of a mirror image of her usual self.

Yeah, you've got to imagine all those old, stone temples couldn't have been well ventilated or well lit. Sure, they were convenient for housing a Rebellion, but probably not very comfortable.

For two of the three narrators, this is their first time away from home, and their first chance to assert their independence...and maybe do things that parents or strict aunts and uncles wouldn't approve of. And yet, it's probably not what they pictured when they signed on for this gig (reality almost never is)...and Mara has to be questioning whether this really was a good idea, even if it did come from the Force (THANKS A LOT, FORCE. I'M SLEEPING BY THE LAUNDRY FOR YOU)

One of the things that bugged me about Rogue One is that besides Jyn and Mon Mothma (and that tantalizing mention of General Syndulla) there weren't many female Rebels. It seemed to me that the women's barracks would be small, and sharing some of the less desirable real estate at the Yavin base. And, women do laundry, right?

Briannakin, mavjade

Disclaimers:
WARNING: vague references to the events of Rogue One
I am not caught up on Season Three of Rebels, so if something here contradicts it, remember this is an AU

Mara
I met Princess Leia in the mess hall this morning. She was wearing khakis again--sorry, Annina--and her tray had the same gloppy gray porridge and ration bar that the surly Besalisk cook handed out to all of us, but I was still surprised when she sat down next to me at one of the long common tables instead of with the officers. She motioned for me to sit back down when I stood (what’s the proper way to greet royalty? It’s not like we got very many visiting Merkesh!). “Mara, isn’t it?” she said. “How are you settling in?”

I shrugged. “I’m adjusting.” I sloshed the brownish liquid in my mug. “It would be easier if I could get a decent cup of caf.” I never thought I would miss Sparky, my cranky old caf machine, but the dishwater at the Café Alderaan was stronger than that stuff.

The princess laughed and held up her own mug. “The tea isn’t much better. Partly, it’s because we can’t get good supplies, but mostly Dexter just can’t get hot beverages right. Porridge, now…” She pulled her spoon out of the bowl and glob of sticky cereal fell off with a “schlurp”. “He can make porridge. And does. Get used to porridge.”

“The glamorous life of a Rebel, huh?”

She laughed again, more of a snort this time, but then gave me a serious look. “May I ask you something? You were already part of a Rebel cell; I looked into it and the Idiot’s Array has helped dozens of people escape the Empire’s persecution. You had a noble work and a good home back on Merkesh. Why leave it all behind for this?” She waved her spoon again, a gesture that included the gray porridge, the banged up plastene tables and benches, the dank stone temple that served as the mess hall--all of it.

What could I say? I couldn’t tell her the truth: “The Force sent me here to keep an eye on some guy I’ve never met because--oh, by the way--I’m a Jedi.” She would never believe it. The Jedi are dead, and the Force is a myth, right? That’s what the Galaxy believes, anyway. So I told her part of the truth, the part I knew she’d accept. “Alderaan.”

Because Alderaan is when it all started to fall apart.

Dad is a fugitive Jedi who escaped the Empire on Coruscant pretending to be an ordinary cantina owner. Mom is an Imperial Prefect who also happens to be Force-sensitive. She discovered the truth about him and about herself at the same time, but instead of being a good little Imperial and turning him in, submitting herself to the glorious will of the Emperor, and becoming an Inquisitor, she became his padawan. And instead of being a good Jedi and staying unattached, Dad fell in love with her, and married her. All while she stayed at the garrison and became the first female Prefect on the Hydian way.

Balancing our double identities is like juggling vibroshivs sometimes; there’s always some part of you that has to stay hidden, even with friends. Somehow, Mom and Dad managed it for eighteen years...until the Empire started blowing parts of the Rebellion off the Galactic map permanently.

Jedha and Scarif were bad enough, because they were officially “accidents,” though anyone who believed that either ate Imperial propaganda for breakfast or was dumber than a box of hydrospanners. But Alderaan….

I felt the planet die. I woke in a cold sweat, in the middle of the night, panicked, feeling like I was being crushed by a giant, sinister hand. I didn’t tell anyone, not even Dad and especially not Mom, but my first thought was Ezra…. I haven’t seen him since Life Day, haven’t talked to him since he was at Scarif… Right after that, they sent him and the Ghost’s whole crew on some top secret mission, and I can’t reach him by comlink, not even a text… Good skies, when did I become this kind of girl? Next thing you know, I’ll be painting my nails and crying at stupid holo-roms. But dear Force, keep him safe wherever he is…

Anyway...At first, everyone assumed that Alderaan, too, was some freak cosmic occurrence. Dad held vigils at the Café Alderaan, and Mom declared a day of mourning in Merkesh City. Then the Empire admitted it--bragged about it--they’d destroyed Alderaan as punishment for its “treasonous activities.” The news carried a threat, other disobedient worlds beware, you could be next.

Suddenly, patrons who’d been coming to the Café for years were whispering and grumbling that Dad needed to change its name, that to keep it the Café Alderaan was anti-Imperial, treasonous. Dad was livid; he’d served on Alderaan during the Clone Wars protecting refugees when General Grievous attacked. He said that anyone who believed Alderaan deserved its fate could go bork themselves and get the hell out of his cantina. Regulars stopped coming and half our wait staff quit. There were times when it was only me, Sascha and Haaz in the Café.

And Mom...well, it was even harder on Mom than the rest of us. She couldn’t ignore what was going on in the Core, couldn’t pretend that it didn’t matter that she was working for the kind of evil schutta-spawn who’d blow up an entire world as long as she was doing good for the people of Merkesh. She couldn’t ask--and wouldn’t order--Dad to change the Café’s name, and that Hutt-toady Donal reported her to Grand Moff Cassius, who reprimanded her, saying if she couldn’t even control her family then perhaps she wasn’t strong enough to be part of the Emperor's new order.

It was like living with a pair of rancors after that. They snarled all the time--at each other, at us, at Sascha and Dev. Nick mostly hid, Annina sulked, and I worked long shifts at the Café and tried not to think about...anything, especially Ezra. It didn’t help…

One night, Uncle Dev showed up after dinner, his fur sticking up in twelve different directions at once. “They did it!” he shouted. “The Rebels at Yavin blew up the Death Star! Some backrocket fly boy from Tatooine named Luke Skywalker made a lucky shot and blew Tarkin’s toy all to bits. His first time in an X-wing, too, if you can believe it!” We all sat there, stunned. Annina even stopped styling Ultimate Braids Bastila’s hair long enough to listen, but Dad had a strange look on his face, like he’d seen Lord Nyax coming to eat his soul.

“What was that look all about?” Mom asked when Uncle Dev left.

“I knew a Jedi named Anakin Skywalker.” Dad’s voice was hard, and I could feel that he was holding back old anger and pain, the way he got sometimes when he talked about his life before Merkesh. “He was one of the strongest Jedi--maybe the strongest Jedi. The Council even thought he was some mythical Chosen One, come to bring balance to the Force. The last time I saw him, he was leading the Clone Army through the Jedi Temple, running his lightsaber through his friends.”

“And you think this pilot, this Luke Skywalker, is related to him?” Mom shook her head. “That’s a pretty large coincidence, don’t you think?”

“Bigger than a kid who’s never flown an X-wing before making the one-in-a-million shot that destroys the Death Star? One thing I’ve learned is the Force doesn't do coincidences. Maybe Skywalkers are as common as Antilles on Tatooine, I don’t know, but my gut tells me that any rookie who could make that shot has more than a bit of the Force in them. And it says someone needs to find out for sure.”

“Oh, no. You’re not going anywhere, Doran Blayne!” Mom crossed her arms over her chest and gave him the rancor-glare she’d perfected over the last couple of weeks. Annina hastily went back to braiding Bastila’s hair, and Nick shrank down into his seat.

“If he is related to that Skywalker, he could be stronger in the Force than any of us! Someone needs to keep an eye on him, so he doesn’t get himself in trouble.”

“Let someone else go! We need you here!”

“Let someone else go? Who? Who else is left to go?”

“I’ll go.” I knew as soon as the words were out of my mouth this was one of those Not My Idea promptings from the Force, and I knew that one way or another I was the one who’d wind up babysitting this Skywalker. My parents argued, of course. They argued with me. They argued with each other. They argued with the Force. But in the end, the Force won. It always does.

I told Princess Leia the parts that didn’t involve the Force or Luke Skywalker-- I didn’t want to wind up having my head examined by some military shrink on my second day here-- I still need to find this Skywalker and get clearance for their computer system. Then, secret mission or not, I can find out where Ezra is and if he’s okay…. The Empire can’t keep me out of their “secure” databases, I doubt the Rebellion can do better!

I hope my dad was overreacting and Luke Skywalker is nothing special, after all, but the fact that I’m here in the first place argues he was right: there are no coincidences in the Force.

Notes: credit for Annina's "Ultimate Braids Bastila" goes to Findswoman, from her story "Early Morning Thoughts of a Hutt's Gardener"

 

Man. I love the strength of this moment. Yes, Mara is using the reason as a cover - kinda - but the fact that this reason is accepted without question shows that Alderaan's destruction was not in vein. It shows that it was a sort of martyr (I always saw it as such). I'm enjoying the budding friendship between Mara and Leia.

I enjoyed all the mentions to R1 and I hope Ezra is okay, wherever he is.

Hehehehe. Luke is something special alright I'm really excited to see how this all plays out

 

Mara's description of how she felt when Alderaan was destroyed was so powerful, "like I was being crushed by a giant, sinister hand". That really moved me. I imagine that would be even worse to be awakened to such a feeling, and from your words we get a glimpse of how terrible that might be.

I loved learning about Mara's parents and their backstory! That was really interesting and felt very real!

I can't wait to see what happens when she actually meets Luke.

 

Love the Rogue One and Rebels references. Sure hope Ezra is okay.

 

Gah, I hate it when I'm the beta for something, I point a poignant moment during the initial read of the draft...and then, before I can comment, two eager people come and say the most important thing already. WELL, THANKS OBAMA MODS.

And wow, you changed the cook to Dexter since the last time I looked. Awesomeness! Now, seems that he's short on supplies, given that the food is awful caf, awful tea and awful porridge. I have heard that there is fish on the planetoid...should be explored, perhaps.

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. That's diner food gone all Yavin. I hope they have ANGRY MACE.

Everything that happened to the Baiard-Blayne family after Alderaan was destroyed sounds so painful. The fact that Doran could not mourn his home planet, heck, the one he named his cafe for and the connection that costed Raissa her position are frightening.

Let's see what happens next!

 

I think that the destruction Alderaan must have been a wake-up call and a turning point for a lot of people in the Empire. You can ignore or disregard what's happening in other sectors, to other species for a long time, but when the government shows they're willing and able to destroy an entire planet and everyone living on it...you can't hide that kind of evil. Not that the Empire tried to hide it. There must have been an influx of Rebel recruits soon after.

He is certainly that. Thanks, and hope you continue to enjoy this!

Thank you. Her experience is based on what it's like to wake up with a panic attack, except that I imagine sensing the deaths of 2 trillion people (according to Absolutely Everything you Need to Know About Star Wars would magnify the feeling exponentially.

Raissa & Doran are dear to me, having been my OC's for over 15 years now, so putting them in such straits was hard, but, unfortunately in character. What happens to the Café Alderaan once Alderaan is destroyed. Stubborn Doran would tell the Emperor to go bork himself before he would change its name. And what happens to the Imperial Prefect who's working within the system, when it becomes unavoidable how broken the system is? Ironically, Raissa may have done to good a job making things fair and just on Merkesh, when its citizens don't seem to realize how bad things are.

Thanks... I will say that Ezra is one of the narrators, so you don't have to worry that anything too horrible has happened to him.

A little Ewok suggested that I change the generic "Cookie" to Dexter. It seemed like a good idea. (WHY IS THERE NO EWOK EMOJI?!?) And of course it's diner food, Yavin-style; he owned a diner, after all. Fish...hmm..perhaps Rogue Squadron could take a fishing trip? There also plenty of insects, which are supposed to be high in protein, with a very piquant crunch! Yum! (Now why do I get the feeling the fare in the mess hall may become a running gag?)

Not sure if this ever made it out of my head canon and into the stories but Doran is actually Corellian. He spent significant time on Alderaan during the Clone Wars, working with with the war refugees there. The Café Alderaan was named that because it seemed to me when I was writing Everyone Comes to Doran's Place that Alderaan best represented the spirit of hope and freedom that America represented to the refugees of Casablanca. Someday I need to return to Doran's backstory in Proud of Your Boy and explore his service on Alderaan.

Ok, let's go!

 

Thanks to my betas and sounding boards, Ewok Poet and Findswoman
Briannakin, mavjade

Luke
I met the MOST BEAUTIFUL GIRL IN THE GALAXY today. Her hair is as red as a Tatooine sunset and her eyes are as green as...trees? I don’t know… We don’t really have much green on Tatooine.

Her name is Mara.

I met her at in the mess hall at lunch. I was looking for Leia...it’s so hard to get a minute with her when Han and Chewie aren’t around, but but today she was by herself. I guess she and Han had ANOTHER fight. (I don’t understand it. I mean, all they do is ARGUE! Han says something, and Leia gets mad, he laughs, and she storms off. He acts like it’s all a game. I would never treat her like that….)

Leia waved when she saw me, but when I went to her table, I realized she wasn’t alone. Have you ever had that feeling when you meet someone that you've met before? Like you’ve known them FOREVER? When I saw her, when I looked into those tree-green eyes….I KNEW. It was like there was only the two of us IN THE WHOLE GALAXY, until I heard Leia talking like she was a long way away. “Luke? Luke, are you alright? You look strange.”

“I’m fine,” I managed. “I’m great….I’m, uh, Luke.” I stuck out my hand feeling like a real nerf-herder, but she shook it anyway.

“Mara,” she said. “Mara Blayne.” And when she LOOKED at me, it was like suddenly she could see the REAL ME. “Wait...Luke Skywalker?”

I realized I was still standing, and plopped down onto the bench next to Leia. My tray hit the table with a bang that made the hash and biscuits jump. “Have we met? Because I think I would remember you. I mean, I think I’d remember meeting someone so… I mean, you’re very…”

Mara shook her head and smiled. She has a really cute smile, almost like she’s laughing. “No, we haven’t met. But I...heard about how you blew up the Death Star.”

“Luke is quite the hero,” Leia put in. (She was smiling the same way. Maybe it’s a girl thing?)

I think I blushed and mumbled something--me? A hero? I just did what anyone would have done. Even Han came back to help in the end.

“So, how did you get to be part of the Rebellion, Luke?” Mara was watching me, looking at me like I was a puzzle she was trying to figure out. I never thought I was mysterious, but suddenly I wanted to be.

Did I mention she has these gorgeous green eyes...like...like a forest you could get lost in. (Ooh..that’s good...need to remember that one…) I took one look in her eyes, and next thing I knew I was telling her everything that happened since we bought R2 and 3P0 and the stormtroopers burned the farm. (Well, maybe not quite everything...not some of the parts about Ben and the Force and hearing his voice on the Death Star run. I didn’t want her to think I was crazy…I’m not sure even I believe it all, sometimes!) And she listened, really LISTENED, like the story of Luke Skywalker from Tatooine was more interesting than the most fascinating holo-drama ever. No one has ever looked at me like that before, like I might actually be someone interesting-- a hero, even!--not some backrocket farmboy from nowhere!

I know this sounds crazy, since we just met, but I really think she’s THE ONE. I know I said that before about Leia, and Camie, and Anya, and...well, never mind, this time it’s REAL. I just have this feeling that Mara Blayne and I are MEANT TO BE TOGETHER. <3 <3 <3

 

Hehehehehehehe. Luke is just smitten! This is just adorable!

At least now maybe he won't kiss his sister as much

 

Oh my, I love the contrast in Mara's and Luke's voices here! It's so perfect. Mara sounds like I would expect from the girl we saw in Star Crossed, and Luke? Oh, sweetie! He's just so very, very ANH Luke and it's adorable. ALL CAPS LUKE SKYWALKER <3 MARA BLAYNE! Can't wait to see what Ezra's journal is like.

 

You TOTALLY got Luke right. <3 <3 <3

He's absolutely clueless.

Oh, poodoo, she has TWO heads.

Here comes trouble. Lots of it.

And poor Leia, she has to play the straight (wo)man to all these Weirdos of Yavin.

 

He's a smitten pittin. We can certainly hope he won't

Thank you! It was fun developing this version of Mara in Star Crossed, but I have to say it's even more fun here, where I get to get into her head and snark with her voice. I'm glad you liked the look at the Blayne family. Raissa and Doran both have a strong sense of honor and duty; it was part of Real!Mara's character that I wanted to include in them. (She was always loyal and honorable, even if that loyalty was undeserved.) They would definitely have instilled those values in their children.

I'm glad you had as much fun reading as I had writing From what we see of Luke in ANH, he seemed to the type of guy who would FALL IN LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT. He certainly seems to with Leia, instantly crushing on her holo-image and gazing moonily at her through the stormtrooper helmet. He cares! Really!

All credit goes to my awesome beta, Ewok Poet!

THANK YOU <3 <3<3
Sadly, yes he is... I don't think he got out much on Tatooine.

Hmmm....perhaps that should have been suns set?

You think?

For some reason, "Weirdos of Yavin" made me think of Sam the Eagle's assessment of the rest of the Muppet gang. It would also make a great name for a rock band

Thanks! I'm glad Mara seems like the same girl in this story. Luke...oh, dear Luke... In some ways, there's not as much contrast between him and Mara here as in Legends (she doesn't immediately want to kill him!) but she has a lot more attitude and independence than Farmboy Luke. And Ezra shows up in the next post, so things are about to get more complicated.

Mara and Leia really do have a common cause; they've both been working against the Empire since they were young, although in different ways. Even if Mara didn't tell Leia the entire reason she was on Yavin, they're on the same side and working toward the same goal...though neither of them appreciate the role Luke Skywalker will play in it.

I felt had to include the impact on the Blayne family, partly to give some context to Mara coming to Yavin, but also because it seemed there would be fallout for them, given their background. I've toyed with the question "what happens to the Café Alderaan once there is no Alderaan?" in the back of my mind for a while. Doran's Corellian stubborn and Jedi righteousness means he would never change the name even though it would be impolitic at best and dangerous at worst. Poor Raissa, who has been doing her best to do good with a bad system is confronted with its absolute evil

Yep, from old girlfriends showing up at his cantina to hidden messages in his sabacc cards, the Force has dropped plenty of Not Coincidences on Doran. Mara's learned enough to know there's no arguing with the Force, but it surely has plenty more challenges in store for her and Luke. Finding Ezra...well, there are no coincidences in the Force. He's certain to have his own opinions about Mara's mission and this Skywalker character.

I always loved that doll' she reminded me of this great Queen Amidala doll I had that came with tons of hairstyling accessories for making over-the-top Naboo hairstyles!

Yes, the drama-gualama who whines over power-converters and can't save the universe because he'll get in SO MUCH TROUBLE would use ALL CAPS ALL THE TIME. I think Legends!Luke is also the kind who falls in love and thinks every time it's really real, too. (How many girlfriends did he have before Mara?) Echoing Carly Rae Jepson must have been subliminal, though now that you mention it, it does seem to fit in with the teen crushing.

Hmmm....all I can say about the blacked out parts is and

 

Thank you to Ewok Poet and Findswoman for beta-ing, suggestions and support

Briannakin, mavjade

Mara
Luke Skywalker is not what I expected.

First of all, I didn’t think the Hero of Yavin would be almost as young as me. (Yes, I know, age is no determinant of ability. Still…) And I know Uncle Dev called him a “backrocket flyboy,” but what’s up with the shaggy hair? Reminds me of that old holo of Dad before he and Mom got married; no matter what he says, it’s not that hard to get a good haircut on the Outer Rim.

But mostly, I didn’t expect him to be so painfully earnest. Don’t get me wrong, I like him. Not liking Luke Skywalker would be like not liking a mooka pup...they’re both so cute and happy and eager! He’s a lot nicer than some of the other pilots. (If that Hobbie Klivian hits on me on more time, I’m going to kick his shebs from here to Coruscant!) Even though Luke hasn’t been here that much longer than me, it seems like he’s already friends with everyone. He’s been pretty helpful, too, pointing out which plants to avoid (unless I want to wind up in the infirmary like Jho Spivey), and which entrees in the mess hall are actually edible (the Rishi corn soup and the Endor chicken pot pie, but under no account the apple slug stew).

There’s something about Luke I can’t quite put my finger on. Even though he told me what seemed like his entire life story the first day we met, I could tell he was leaving something out. If he really is as strong in the Force as this Anakin Skywalker Dad mentioned, he either he hides it well or he doesn’t know himself.

It looks like I’m going to have plenty of chances to find out, though, because I swear he shows up everywhere I go...the mess hall, the common area…. If this is your idea, Force, ease up a bit! A girl needs some space. He even showed up outside intel HQ yesterday. Uncle Dev’s cousin, Malta, and Prisk Tre’myar had a field day with that, making the Wrendui equivalent of kissy-faces at me all day. Because any two Humans of the opposite sex must be in love...or something…

Luke is a nice guy, but a little too earnest, and...he’s not Ezra. I know I can find out where he is. Until then… I think of you every day, Ezra. May the Force be with you, wherever you are...

Ezra
On our way back to Yavin.

Never thought you could get homesick for drafty old temples infested with bugs big enough to eat your face, but after a couple weeks on Jedha, those temples are starting to look like the Hotel Imperial. Whose brilliant idea was it to send us here so Kanan and I could search for leftover kyber crystals like we’re a couple of Force powered puffer pigs? Remind me to thank them when we get back. I get that we couldn't let the Empire get their hands on any more kybers after what they did to Jedha and Scarif, but Jedha was...dead. There’s no other word for it. The Holy City was just gone and everything around it was dead....like a big blank spot in the Force. The kind of dead that makes you cold even when when you’re wearing six layers of enviro-suit. I think even Zeb could sense it.

The good news (I guess) is that since there aren’t any kyber crystals left, the Imperial salvage--sorry, “disaster recovery”--teams didn’t find any either. The better news is that Hera decided to cut this wild bantha chase short after seeing what being on Jedha was doing to Kanan and me. Sometimes it's good to have a general on your side.

Can’t wait to get back to base and have something to eat besides prepackaged rations--even if it is more hash--and take a real shower. Also, let’s just say that a Lasat who’s being stewing inside an enviro-suit all day is not the best smelling cabin-mate. (Not that a clean Lasat is the best smelling cabin-mate either...sorry, Zeb.)

...And I’ll be glad when we’re not running com-silent anymore. I haven’t talked to Mara since Scarif, and, okay, I’ll admit it….I’ve been thinking about her a lot since then. Wondering if I’d ever get to see her again. I guess Jedha and the battle at Scarif and whatever it was the Empire blew up that made usual cold of Jedha’s dead zone seem like summer have me thinking about the things--the people--that are important to me. Mara...I know this sounds strange since we mostly keep in touch by comlink, but I think she might be more important to me than anyone besides our crew.

Wonder if I can convince Hera to make a supply run to Merkesh?

 

I got behind - I'm so sorry! This is such an intriguing story.
Loved the girl talk between Mara and Leia. They have so much in common (more than they know) and the way the two of them kind of aligned in the next post, when Luke went ALL MUSH AND NO BRAIN is funny. It's like they were tag teaming him.

Interesting little triangle building here. Mara to Ezra, Ezra to Mara, and Luke to Mara. I really have no idea how you're going to sort this one out.

The description of Jedha is sombering. The idea that it is dead - the whole planet is dead - is so awful. I hope Ezra gets back to Mara soon.

 

Catching up!
Luke is just so cute!
I sometimes forget about the innocent farmboy he was. He had to grow up so quickly, but that innocence is so cute with him here.

Hobbie hitting on Mara-- I'd love to see that interaction!!

This is a powerful description and really gives us the idea of how this would feel in the Force. And it's just sad.



I'm curious how the Mara, Luke, Erza thing is going to play out! It should be fun!

 

Mara: So I guess it isn't love at first sight? I'd be a bit disappointed if it were. I want to see Hobbie and Mara interact now

Ezra: Glad to see he's okay... other than having to smell smelly Zeb (poor Zeb!). I can't wait to see the love triangle yo have forming. Though this part was very sobering: