Beyond - Legends Dust of Empire (H/L/L/Imperial OCs). **COMPLETE** Author Replies Up 2/22!

First off -- 100th post happy dance!

Now that I have that out of my system....

I could say something here, but I'd probably get in trouble, so....

Ack...run away! Actually, I'm surprised no one's ever mentioned differences in gravity before, but if I'm the first then I guess I'll have to give myself a pat on the back.

Gee, and here I thought I had mentioned it in Chapter 2; there's a mention of Linden in the first section of the chapter when Markus wonders how she is, and then she thinks about Markus when it's in her p.o.v. later in the chapter. Read carefully, children...there will be a quiz at the end!

Well, I figured there had to be some survivors scattered throughout the galaxy, so I tried to come up with a reasonable explanation of why Linden wouldn't have been on Alderaan when it was destroyed.

Hi, Anna! Welcome to the party!

Yes, part of my development of Viraess came from the fact that I thought Daala was just a leetle too over the top. OK, way too over the top! And I also wanted to write a story that would still involve the canon characters in a meaningful way. I was interested in having a strong Imperial female OC so that I could sort of contrast her with Leia, whom I love as a character. Oh, and congrats on the Tem DVDs...don't wear 'em out too fast!

Can't have that! But thank you...with the canon characters I try to imagine the actors' voices in my head as I write their dialogue in a desperate attempt to avoid OOC-ness!

It's not just you.

Blessing or curse? Stay tuned to find out!

Next update probably on Wednesday....

 

I'm late as usual, but like Will Smith, I just like to make a grand entrance. No, not really, I'm just a slacker.

Anyhow, thanks as always for the update! If your story is any indication, I need to expand my little comfort bubble so it creeps over to "Beyond the Saga" as well. But as far as these stories go, I'm pretty clueless, so y'all would hafta go easy on me.

Fantastic story as always GAV, and I'm lookin' forward to the next installment.

 

Chapter Eight

This could take some time, Ghent had warned Leia when he finally appeared at the Imperial Palace, three days after Linden Arelle?s arrival on Coruscant. Still, she hadn?t expected it to take so much time. He?d been here almost one standard week, and nothing. Well, almost nothing. Only half an hour after Ghent had taken his place in the burrow that housed the computer link-ups and relays he?d sent her a report informing her that Markus Klem had emptied his credit voucher while on Alsinde and subsequently disappeared. Unfortunately, that had been almost five standard days ago. There was no telling where Klem had gone to after that.

?Even I can?t trace cash transactions,? Ghent had explained with a shrug, but Leia was in no mood for excuses. Logically she knew there wasn?t much Ghent could do until Markus did something else that could be recorded electronically. It seemed he was being warier than a Jawa trapped in a box canyon.

Annoyed, she?d set Ghent to sifting through transmissions tapped from the Core Worlds, seeking to go at this from a different angle. Perhaps Markus wouldn?t betray himself?but possibly his Imperial pursuers could. She?d specifically asked Ghent for any information he could find on this new Grand Moff who?d risen in the Core, and by extension anything to be had on his High Command.

Then, late this afternoon, Leia had received word during a meeting with the Doranni ambassador that Ghent had something she might possibly want to look at. She?d made her excuses as gracefully as she could and removed herself to the dim, cramped office where Ghent had been working.

To her surprise, she found both Han and Luke already there. Luke calmly leaned against a pillar and watched the displays before him, while Han fished through a bag of sugar-rock candy for the flavor he preferred. For a moment Leia wondered where he could have gotten the sweets, but she didn?t have to look far for the answer. Similar bags lay discarded all around Ghent?s workstation, along with empty tubes of fizzi drinks. She looked at Ghent?s lean form with some awe and wondered how he did it.

?You had something to show me?? she asked crisply, for the displays before them showed only the stalled midpoint of what appeared to be an elaborate computer game.

?Um, right,? Ghent said, and typed something on his keyboard. Most computer experts she?d seen preferred voice commands, but Ghent seemed to get immense enjoyment out of banging away on the keys.

The game disappeared, and a blur of flat video images scrolled past. ?I did as you asked, and started sifting through information coming out of the Core. Most of it?s scrambled, but the codes were nothing. Seems like it?s Imperial business as usual down there. To hear them talk, you?d never think they?d lost the war.?

?And you found?? Leia prompted. Behind her, Luke grinned.

?Well, you said to check out Kezler and his High Command.? The young man shook a lock of light brown hair out of his eyes and frowned. ?They don?t like to publicize who they are, that?s for sure. They?re running things, but they don?t seem to show themselves much. But I did a little digging, and I got their names, to start. Kezler?you already know about him. Moff Naren, head of Intelligence. Grand General Nivri?runs the Army. Grand General Linzer, head of Stormtrooper Command. And Admiral Viraess, commander of the Imperial Navy?or what?s left of it.?

He grinned. ?But, as they say, a holo?s worth a thousand words.? Ghent typed a command, and an official holo of a handsome, unsmiling man suddenly appeared. ?That?s Kezler,? Ghent offered.

Uneasy, Leia studied the holo carefully. She heard Han set down the bag of candy, but she paid him no mind. This, then, was the face of the enemy.

In a way, it was worse than looking at Darth Vader, worse than seeing the Emperor?s shriveled visage for the first time. The evil in their natures had manifested itself just as clearly in their outward aspects, but this man?s face was clear and handsome, unthreatening at first. Only on second glan

 

Just wanted to let you know I'm trying to read along with all of this.

I'm sorry I haven't managed to get any comments in yet. I'll try and pick out some highlights of the story thus far anfter I get my next chapter posted on HBWT.

 

The interaction between Ghent and H/L, Luke was priceless. It has a great pacing to it. Very well written! Great work! Looking forward to more, as always.

?You?re digging yourself deeper every time you open your mouth, Han,? Luke said affably. ?Don?t worry, Leia. Nothing happened. We just had a few drinks with her, that?s all.?

That had me laughing.

 

?Um, right,? Ghent said, and typed something on his keyboard. Most computer experts she?d seen preferred voice commands, but Ghent seemed to get immense enjoyment out of banging away on the keys.

<Scroobian Tangent> Voice commands are terribly inefficient; it's much quicker to type. Plus it would be incredibly boring to say the most common commands out loud again and again and again and again.

In a way, it was worse than looking at Darth Vader, worse than seeing the Emperor?s shriveled visage for the first time. The evil in their natures had manifested itself just as clearly in their outward aspects, but this man?s face was clear and handsome, unthreatening at first. Only on second glance did she notice see the blue-steel coldness of his eyes, the humorless set of his mouth. Just the expression she would have expected of a COMPNOR fanatic, she decided.

Maybe the Emperor was evil but that does not mean ipso facto the Empire is evil. I'm offended by your imputations of evil. () It's also a common fallacy to assume that good-looking people are morally virtuous and ugly people are evil. Just look at me, I'm super good-looking and an evil genius. Or is it disfigured and ethical? I can't seem to recall.

?Well, how was I supposed to know??

I'm not a mind-reader for crying out loud. Plus now he's got a cool nickname: torso-boy. So what's he complaining about? Say, that reminds me of another amusing anecdote... (My apologies for the Weird Al quotation, I'm in one of those moods.)

?I?m glad you find so much in her to admire,? Leia said, her tone frosty enough to drop the temperature in the room by at least ten degrees.

Is that Farhrenheit or Centigrade? There would be a big difference. Or not.

She?d never understand them?and right now she wasn?t sure she wanted to. Did they have no sense of proportion? Even Luke. Sometimes he was as bad as Han. She was sure that they wouldn?t have been nearly so amused if the roles had been reversed. Thank the Force she ran things here. Men were always the ones who seemed to cause the most trouble, and leave it to a woman to pick up the pieces.

So who's the gender-ist now? Leia gets no sympathy from me; she knew he was a scoundrel when she married him.

Somehow it wouldn?t feel right going alone, even though he knew logically that he had more chance of getting himself elected President of the New Republic than he did of riding a hover-sail with Shelarne Viraess.

Then he better start working on kissing babies and the beauty queen wave.

It was the same face he remembered, only more refined now, more chiseled.

Chiseled? Is that a compliment to a woman? I had no idea.

My apologies for the lack of substantive comments. Hopefully they are at least amusing. This is an excellent update; I'm looking forward to Viraess putting the moves on Klem.



EDIT: JediMindTrick000 -

From dictionary.com:

Opus - "A creative work, especially a musical composition numbered to designate the order of a composer's works."

I've most often seen it used as the phrase "magnum opus" or "great work". It's kind of a pretentious way of saying things, but also implies a sort of Ahab-and-the-whale type relationship with the work.

 

What's an opus?

Oh, I mean, good stuff! I love your characterization, and your dialogue is damn near perfect GAV! I'm glad I started reading this - I'm actually learning a lot from it! Thank you!

Oh, forgot to mention before, nice cover art too! I want some of that...

Great job. =)

 

I loved Leia's thoughts on Kezler. And uh-oh. Markus has been found! Will he fall for the trap? Will Shelarne turn her back on the Empire for love?

Can't wait to see what happens.

 

That scene with Han and Leia was hysterical. Poor Han. Of course you can't really come out and say it in a fic, but I got the feeling Leia was sort of PMS-ing. I thought it was also a good way of revealing more about the Imperial High Command without making it sound like a lot of necessary but boring exposition.

Nice bit about the Intelligence agent, too. Never thought I'd feel sorry for a member of Imperial Intelligence!

And now Shelarne and Markus are finally together. Can't wait to see what happens next!

 

The Leia, Luke and Han interaction is very well done and the addition of Ghent--great little computer nerd.
Ghent chose that moment to pop open another fizzi drink, remark, ?Cool,? and lean back in his seat, grinning.

You've also captured a lot of the old Leia/Han banter:
?Well, how was I supposed to know?? Han protested in wounded tones. ?It?s not like she was in uniform. She said she was a member of the Castopol silk guild, and she had on this red sort of clingy thing??
Leia could feel her own nostrils flare but was powerless to prevent them from doing so.
?You?re digging yourself deeper every time you open your mouth, Han,? Luke said affably. ?Don?t worry, Leia. Nothing happened. We just had a few drinks with her, that?s all.?
?A few drinks?? Leia demanded. Here she?d been stuck on Coruscant, riding herd on three children and a droid with a persecution complex?not to mention running a government?and her husband had been dragging her brother into bars to drink with strange women! And not just any strange women?strange Imperial women!

This was great! HA!
For a second she felt an odd sort of sisterly sympathy toward the unknown woman, and then she shook her head.

Naren's dirty scheme!!! I love it!

Markus and Viraess on a beach--I'm waiting for the "From Here to Eternity" scene.


Brilliant work.
Absolutely brilliant.

 

I'm a post behind, but I figured I should just reply already instead of putting it off.

Linden's got quite the past! I love how all your OCs are so real. There must be something special about her, if she does indeed know where Markus went. Because otherwise Viraess might feel like she was cheated on, since someone else knows about the special hiding place.

 

First of all I am not even done with your post and my sides are aching so badly from the laughing that I thought I would take a short break and post a short reply on your characterization of Leia. I. LOVE. IT. The internal dialogue you've given her is... WOW. I esp loved :

1- how you had her in awe of Ghent's then frame despite the sweets he constantly eats.
You got a few *snrks* out of me here!

2- how she was so angry at Han not for having a drink with another woman, but because she didn't get to! -I had to wipe the tears out of my eyes at this one. As a mom living out in BFE without family anywhere for HOURS and very young children, I sympathized. Oh, did I sympathize. Loudly.

3- her momentary pity of the Admiral for having to put up with the two clowns she called husband and brother on her shore leave.

Beautiful, beautiful. You are able to get her the contrast inherent in, I believe, every woman without losing any of her spunk or turning our fiesty Leia angsty. Bravo! Now, on to read the rest!

That was quite an opening line for the Admiral! And not what she had rehearsed at all! It is better! Hehe. The girl in me is hoping for some rip roaring fights and some mush, but I would never admit that out loud.

 

For a second she felt an odd sort of sisterly sympathy toward the unknown woman, and then she shook her head.

Probably because she's a fellow working woman, toiling away at a very tough job that can eat away at her but is still something she's believes passionately in. Right?

Every once in a while a wave tickled one of Markus Klem?s bare feet as he sat on the beach. Dark glasses shielded his eyes, and a barely touched glass of some local fruit drink sat propped up in the sand next to his elbow. He would, he supposed, have looked like the stereotypical tourist, if it hadn?t been for the data pad he?d been laboring over for the past several hours?or the holdout blaster tucked away under his loose-fitting shirt.

Now that's an image. Oh goodness! They finally met. I see sparks flying already. And as if they don't have enough to worry about, Naren's using Viraess to get back at Kezler. Ouch.

All caught up now!

 

I take it that's not a good thing.

Han, Han, Han. What would Leia say?

Ah, but of course.

Rather fitting.

All right, I believe almost all of your readers have commented on this already, but then, so must I. Surely the most poetically descriptive evocation of the imbibing of intoxicants as I've yet read.

 

I'm terribly sorry about the lateness of my reply--DRL, and all that jazz. Anyway, I'm here now!

I loved this chapter!!

Sorry about missing the earlier clue, btw. I guess I simply needed to go back and refresh my memory--or pay closer attention! Ok..now on to the current post.

I love how our Lieutenant has been dealt with--given crap duty but still well-employed. That's smart leadership!

I also loved that Viaress was the woman Luke and Han chatted up earlier in the story--I was wondering about that. That entire scene had me laughing!! More importantly, though, it had me thinking that they're going to have an interesting time once they actually meet her later on...

And now that Viaress has found her quarry, we're going to learn a little about her motivations--especially when she has a Delta squad bearing down on her!

This is making for some tense upcoming moments!!

Looking forward to you next post anxiously!!

 

Bet you never thought this story could actually make you laugh.

Well, hey, blame it on GL...he started it. Hey, I'm pretty and evil at the same time. I'm KIDDING!!

Torso-boy? Am I missing something?? Actually, I'm related to Weird Al by marriage. It's true -- he's my brother-in-law's cousin. My sister has a few odd things floating around her house that were presents from Weird Al and his wife.

Sure it can -- I know I lost a lot of baby fat in my face between 18 and 30. Your face gets more, I don't know...sculpted.

Wow, I had no idea I could be educational and entertaining at the same time. I knew that teaching credential would come in handy some day....

And the cover art? I can take care of that...for a small fee.

Tune in tomorrow for the next exciting installment! I know what I would do...but I'm not Viraess.

Yeah, I like to squeeze out sympathy for the oddest people.

You would. I've changed my mind about who I want to play Naren after watching some episodes of "Deadwood" on DVD. I want Ian McShane to play Naren. His face is perfect.

Oh, come on...neither one of them is wearing a bathing suit!

Well, I don't have kids myself, but I have friends who do, and I've listened to their particular beefs, so I know that is definitely one of them -- just feeling left out of things.

Um...isn't that what you just did? I'm sure they'll both act like adults...yeah, right.

Exactly. One of the things I wanted to point out were the parallels betwe

 

Chapter Nine

The man sitting at the head of the table watched as his fellow delegates filed into the conference room. Most were human, but not all. Two of the sharp-faced Bothans gave him a narrow beady-eyed stare, but he made sure his own level gaze did not flicker. Bothans were like that -- suspicious of anyone in charge who wasn't Bothan. Well, let them be suspicious. He hadn't gotten this far in life by worrying about the concerns of a couple of fur-faces.

He waited until most of the hubbub had died down before clearing his throat. ?Gentlebeings. Thank you for convening here on such short notice. We have before us, however, a most grave situation.?

He made sure that his tone remained neutral. He prided himself on the Coruscanti accent he'd carefully cultivated; eight years in prep school and university there had done the trick, and he made sure the accent he'd picked up on Coruscant had not disappeared even after more than twenty years out on the Rim. Likewise, he took care to see that his suits were of the latest Coruscanti styles. It was an additional expense, having his tailor-droid reprogrammed every season, but one he felt was well worth the impression it made on others.

?Gentleman Director?? That was the representative from Cirraen, a statuesque blonde who somehow managed to make even Outer Rim styles look good.

?Yes, Madame Representative??

?Am I to understand that we are here to pass a resolution on the Corona Project situation??

?Succinctly stated as always, Madame Representative.? He stood then, and pressed a button on the console that was mounted flush on the tabletop. Behind him a viewscreen flickered into life, showing a series of images in quick succession: a small, glowing yellow sun; a pre-fab station on a rocky planetoid; an abandoned laboratory, its computers dark, every surface wiped clean of whatever it might have previously held.

?This is all that is left of our Corona Project,? he said at length, as the consortium's representatives whispered and muttered amongst themselves. ?Whatever might have been left when the original group of scientists evacuated following the detonation of Dr. Klem's device, there is nothing now. My staff informs me that the site was swept clean -- most likely by Imperial operatives.?

That produced consternation, as he had planned it would. He let the hubbub work its way through the group, and then cleared his throat. ?Why Dr. Klem fled the site so precipitously is not known at this time. Perhaps he feared Imperial intervention. Perhaps he simply did not want to be held accountable for the failed results of his research.?

?I find that second postulate rather difficult to believe,? the representative from Cho'kat Nul, an Ithorian, objected in his deep, mild voice. ?Dr. Klem's credentials are impeccable. He would not disappear like this if it were a simple matter of one experiment not working correctly.?

?We can argue the whys and wherefores until we suck the oxygen right out of this room,? Ry'elis, one of the Bothans, snapped. The fur around his snout bristled ever so slightly. ?What we want to know is what is going to be done about it!?

?As it so happens, I do have a solution,? the Director of the Consortium said then. As he'd intended, all eyes -- stalked or otherwise -- were on him. He let himself straighten slightly, made a mental note to thank his valet for persuading him to wear the new dark-green suit, and said, ?The easiest way to locate the elusive Dr. Klem and the missing data -- our missing data, I should say, since we're the ones who funded it -- is to hire a professional to do it for us.?

The Ithorian blinked his two large eyes at the Director. ?Surely you're not suggesting -- "

The second of the two Bothans, the one whose name the Director could never remember, sniffed. ?How much??

?I have been advised that a bounty of fifty thousand credits will be quite sufficient to attract the attention of the best in the business,? the Director replied. ?And before any of you argue the additional expense, please take th

 

Viraess continues to amaze me. I loved hearing about her mother and her childhood, what plans were being made for her, etc. You've written an intriguing OC, she's so detailed and she could have easily had her place in the official EU. She could whip Daala any day.

Wonderful chapter update. Can't wait for more.

 

Bounty hunters? They don't need that scum!

Nice action, GAV! Logically written-for lack of a better term- and well paced. And they're off... and he doesn't know. Can't wait for the next installment.

 

Another brilliant chapter!

Who the heck is this Consortium group?
And this mystery fellow? He's well dressed, hiring bounty hunters and going to get laid. Hmmm...
I'm intrigued.

Outstanding action sequence! You write these scenes so incredibly well.
The timing and physicality of it all is superb.
You write these action so clearly that I never have to read anything twice for meaning--that takes talent! Bravo!

And Naren's sneaky tricks...

Markus can't shoot and seems a little wussy, what was Viraess thinking? She needs a Grand Moff. Also, I like Markus's suspicion, very believable. I wonder if he still trusts her?

Favorite Lines:
?But I don't work for them anymore,? she pointed out. Which, she figured, wasn't a complete lie -- one might say that the Imperial Navy worked for her. HA! Right on, sister!

?Because I don't have clearance for Coruscant, Markus. My ship is registered under my own name -- I've never tried to conceal who I was or what I did. Because of that, I very much doubt that I'd be too welcome in Coruscanti space.? Ah, post-ROTJ Coruscant is overrated. Markus would do better to spend some quality time on an Imperial superstar destroyer.

Women usually made better shots, anyway -- better hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, but they sure hadn't advertised that particular bit of trivia at the Academy. True, true, true,

 

Awesome update as usual, GAV! Your pure writing talent makes me extremely jealous. The details you add to your story make it that much more believable, a trait I feel my work lacks quite a bit. You give me something to which I can aspire...although I do think Daala was a brunette...how bout we settle for chestnut?

And it may sound weird, but I like how you used "COMPNOR"...it just reminded me of all the many acronyms and crazy abreviations used by the Navy.

Great job!

 

Great update, GAV -- the action was really well done! So far it looks as if Viraess is coming in on Markus's side -- or maybe she's just irritated at Naren.

Funny how he can't shoot very well -- it's these details that I really like about your OCs. They seem like real people.

Can't wait to see what happens next!

 

Great job, as always!!

This was so danged exciting, it's not even funny! My favorite image is that of Viaress gunslinging it. That was just cool

Now you've added a new cast of characters to the mix, eh? A consortium financing Markus' little experiment. Makes sense, come to think of it as he had to get money from somewhere. Seems like these aren't exactly reputable people, though. Now Markus has to worry about #(@*! bounty-hunters, too! Poor guy.

 

New reader here! Souderwan recommended your story to me. Please add me to your PM list.


I have really enjoyed your story. The backstory you provide for each of the Imperial characters makes me care about them--something the EU fails to do.

I found myself sympathetic to Kezler after seeing the way Palpatine treated him. How sad that he was useless to his father because he didn't have enough midichlorians to make him force sensitive. But I would expect nothing less from old Palpatine. Ruthless as always.

I also found myself rooting for Viaress. But wait, I'm supposed to hate Imperials...(or at least the EU would have me believe that, lol.) Her dedication to her career and to the Empire is admirable even though some of the things she's done are not.

You have done an amazing job of showing both sides of the issue. In the EU I know I'm only supposed to be cheering for Luke and Leia, but you've given me a reason to cheer for the other side as well. Very rarely is one side completely wrong and evil but the EU seems to like it that way.

I love the detail of her brother dying on the Executor during the battle of Endor. We forget that when the galaxy's superpowers (Anakin, Palpatine and Luke) were having their battle of wills, that a whole lot of average joes and above average joes were sacrificed. And the 'good' side never stops to remember those people because they were nasty Imperials.

Wow, I know I'm really rambling on. I'll stop now.

 

Well, I seem to have lost half my readers with this chapter. Maybe you're just lurking....

Sigh.

But thank you to everyone who took the time to R&R!

Yeah, I have to say that Daala really started to annoy me after a while. I'm glad you think Viraess could kick Daala's *ss!

Thanks! I always agonize over writing action -- it's the hardest thing for me to do. So I have to heave a big sigh of relief when people tell me they liked it!

They're the people who funded Markus' research project in the first place. The guy who's about to get lucky is the one who runs the group. And hey -- somebody might as well get laid in this story!

Oh, heck, my copies of the JA books are at work. I was going to pull a few choice lines to prove that she really was a redhead. I'll send you a PM once I have the damning evidence. But thank you for your kind words -- wow, I actually made you jealous? That makes a Grand Admiral feel good.

Yes, is it loyalty to a childhood friend, or just snarkiness? Tune in tomorrow to find out!

Yep, I have to admit I relished that mental image myself.

Welcome aboard, AF! I suppose a whole lot of things motivated me to start writing this story, but I know a huge amount of my motivation came from the cardboard Imperial characters in the EU. I just couldn't believe that every single one of them was that one-dimensional. I'm a big fan of the whole "shades of gray" philosophy behind the universe, anyway, so I wanted to write from that perspective. I'm glad you're rooting for Viraess -- I really wanted to write a sympathetic Imperial character.

Next post some time tomorrow, probably.