Beyond - Legends E pluribus unum - L/M Hi-mush action/drama

Super job! Mara is right about wait he needs to do. Do not think the Alliance will like it but the will get over it. Thanks.

 

Soz i missed out posting on the last post - it was brill - and a great twist at the end with Mara coming to the rescue.

This post was amazing also - i love Mara wandering thoughts and her comment about his love letters. Interesting that he will agree to quit the rebels just because of her... can't wait to see where this leads.

Eagerly awaiting the next installment.

s_r

 

Hmmm... interesting seeing Mara's thoughts on Pellaeon's death.

Her and Luke living in the wild?

So far, Luke is one of the few men I know that can give a sincere compliment ( SW or real life!) I do know a few though...

The last little bit about her and Luke being on different sides even though she's helping him was kinda cool.

 

Jade_eyes I liked Luke's honest compliment and Mara's appreciation of it. Liked the two things she asked of him, and the fact he readily agreed. Brilliant & delightful.

Mara?s setting her boundaries, defining behaviors that will and will not be tolerated. Luke cannot be her partner and fight for the Alliance. Probably wise to get that out of the way ? when romance does blossom, it?s going to be perfect. As Shakespeare said, ?Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments.?

Luke readily agreed to Mara?s demand that he resign from the Alliance, but he could have gone further. If he?d had his wits about him, he could have sealed the romance right there. But because he was so dead tired and not thinking straight, the buildup will have to continue till October!


Jedi-2B I'm glad Mara recognized how impressive it was that Luke lasted as long as he did during his escape.

Yeah, Luke?s actually very tough. And he was motivated.

I also liked her comparing him to Dirk. Hmmm... wondering if Dirk could be one of those thought dead who might pop up again.

By now, Mara?s realized that when it comes to men, all that glitters isn?t gold. Dirk became toast in the blast that disabled the troopship, and no, he?s not coming back. But in that regard...There aren?t a lot of extraneous characters in this fic. If you see someone in a casual role, chances are that being will reappear later in the story.

Luke always lucks out, having beautiful women hunt food for him in the forests.

Good for you for noticing the parallel. Note that Mara is much more respectful of the animal she takes. Nos just blew the bird away with a blaster, destroying half the carcass. Mara used a kylie (a type of boomerang that doesn?t return when thrown, considered Australian, but actually found in nearly all hunter-gatherer cultures). That weapon afford her prey better odds of survival, and it still looks like a bird when it?s dead. She tells Luke to eat the whole thing, so as not to waste it. Though she hunts, Mara loves animals. Note how carefully she instructs Luke on the eqs, so they won?t inadvertently be hurt or captured.

He was so gentle, but the gentle nature floated on a bottomless well of strength.

What a wonderful description of Luke. Now let's see how Leia and the rest of the NR react when he returns and announces that he's pledged not to fight the Empire anymore.

Yup. Bombshell. Somebody?s gonna be madder than a wet hen. But that won?t be for a while. Today?s revelation of the mystery character will take us in a different direction.

But ?perspicacity? is philological nothingness compared to ?lambent? (check your dictionary), which Jedi-2B used in A Journey of Discovery to describe Luke?s eyes.

I did? I swear, you remember more about that story than I do. Do you recall where I slipped in 1138 in Prism?

Couldn?t find ?1138? in Prism. But I?ll tell you, I woke up last Thursday thinking that Mara should lie next to Luke to use her body warmth to counter his hypothermia. Then I remembered you had a similar scene in Pledge, with Mara the hypothermic one. Luke and Mara?s escape on Rona already had enough overtones of their trek on Myrrkr in HttE, and I didn?t want to max out the credit limit on borrowing from other authors, so I left Mara sitting on the rock while Luke curled next to the fire.

RebelMom It really was only a matter of time before Luke would leave the military. His ethical disagreements with Nos were an indication. He needs to concentrate on training Jedi and he can't do that from a cockpit.

Absolutely. The key event was killing the woman TIE pilot over Coruscant. She was only defending her planet against what appeared to be an unconscionable Rebel attack. Luke for the first time felt shame over his conduct in battle. After that he knew that something was wrong, but it took Mara to see the big picture and send him in a new direction.

TnTornado[/

 

Chapter 28. The Other

Luke sat on the stone by the fire, absently chewing a drumstick and sorting through jumbled and pained thoughts. Had he really just agreed to quit the Alliance? A radical change, but so obviously the right decision. He wondered what his first post-Alliance mission would be. No. Jedi mission. He felt Jade lift off about ten minutes after she left him, sensed her ship sail overhead. She wasn?t blocking her Force presence, but she didn?t try to communicate. He knew he would see her again, and hoped it would be soon.

Explaining his resignation would be difficult. Leia would support him, not because he had given his word to Jade, but because she would recognize that the Rebellion had become a distraction from the path to knowledge. Han would approve because Leia approved. Wedge might understand. Nos would be relieved, not that he cared. No one else would understand. Or forgive him.

Luke heard a twig snap. He looked up in the direction of the sound and saw a shadow figure move along a line of trees. Luke picked up a big stick and slunk away from the fire, hiding behind a tree. The shadow was a Force user. Luke realized he might be in extreme danger. He lifted the stick, ready to strike. The shadow was three trees away, then two, then one. Luke jumped forward and saw a nun?s habit. He froze. She was startled for an instant, then pushed off his left side with both hands and ran back the way she had come. Luke thought of the nun at the bottom of the Palace of Arts pillar. He ran, calling after her, ?Stop!..Wait!..Come back!? He felt a tightness in his side. She had done something to him. His legs slowed. He became dizzy. You obviously weren?t brought up by a Force-strong mother. The nun hadn?t been looking for him! His vision blurred, then he was falling. As his consciousness was shutting down, Luke sent *Let me help you* and a picture of Jade in her green ballgown.

* * *

Luke opened his eyes to view a face he knew. Jade, but with dark hair. And it was a face brushed with the gentle kiss of time: a few silver threads among the brown, skin a little dryer and looser. Jade would look like this in fifteen or twenty years. Skywalker lay on the ground. Jade?s mother sat with his head on her lap, kneading the place where she had touched him.

?I gave your spleen a little tap from the inside ? one can do that with the Force. The spleen gorges on blood and your brain goes dark. It reverses in a few minutes. I?m helping it along.? Her strong hands had the confident touch of an expert caregiver.

Luke smiled. ?You missed her, just by a few minutes.?

?I know. I can sense her when she?s on the planet.?

?Did my uniform scare you??

?It?s a uniform I see in my nightmares.?

?I?m not an Imperial. I was escaping from the Imperials. My name?s Luke Skywalker.?

?Luke Skywalker?? She looked at him closely. ?So you are! I?m Finai?toq Toquin. Call me Fina. So Mara?s a Rebel??

?No. An Imperial. A very high ranking one, I think.?

?Oh.? Fina stopped kneading. ?Then what were you and she doing? Are you lovers??

?No. She was helping me escape. In fact, she saved my life, helped me escape, and left me with a vision for what my life could be like as a Jedi.?

Fina smiled down at him. ?Then Mara loves you.?

?But she?s tried to kill me three times.?

?She won?t ever kill you. A woman who saves you, risks everything to set you free, and who sees truths within you that you yourself don?t see, loves you. Do you love her??

Luke thought of his boyhood vision, the joy of dancing with her, his anxiety as Mara lay dying in his arms over Coruscant, the trust he?d had in her as they raced from the forest troopers, the loneliness he?d felt the moment she walked away.

?Yes. I love Mara, more than I?ve ever admitted, even to myself.?

?Then I love you too.?

?I?ll find her for you.?

Fina stared at his face, then seemed to find what she was looking for. ?You won?t do anything until you recover. Eig

 

Totally. Luke admits his true feelings. Yay!!

 

So Mara's mother is a nun, head of a convent of nuns, and Luke is nursed back to health there. This is definitely going where no fanfic has gone before.

Fina will be quite the surprise for Mara. I wonder if Luke will be given instructions to keep this all a secret from Mara when he leaves, at least for the time being, or if he'll be allowed to tell her and bring her there. And does Mara have a father around somewhere?

Couldn?t find ?1138? in Prism.

Find the chapter where Leia is reviewing the Regent's treaty proposal. Pay attention to the section number where they discover the Lorrdians' subterfuge.

 

Whatever for??!!

I like a good mix, as long as it is strong on both, with an occasional dose of philosophy mixed in makes for my favorite type of fic. Which you seem to have done.

So Mara's Mom is Mother Superior at a convent. Her view of Luke and Maras relationship is very good, and does describe them very good at this point in their relationship.

I think Luke has a good idea with how to do the acadamy, I think he should broaden the classes a bit, and possibly bring in outside instructers who may not be jedi. That would help to balance the education.

One question I have for you however, is in this fic Luke and Maras skills seem to be balanced, however Luke is the son of the chosen one, and is also one of the most powerful force users of all time, if not the most powerful. He is also known to be the most controlled of all. How are you going to deal with this? Are you going to keep them about the same level?

Great job, enjoyed the dialog.

TnTornado

 

I love the twist that Luke's rescuer is Mara's mother, and a nun no less! An interesting combination - I wonder how and why Mara was taken away from her - she seems a strong woman who is unlikely just to 'give up' her child. Maybe you will explain further on...

I also love how you've tied in the academy idea - it seems all the more probable from this direction than in the pro-fic.

Looking forward to the next twist....


s_r

 

So now we know who the lady in the habit was. Well Luke better watch out because if hw thinks Yoda can wield a mean glimmerstick, watch out for Mother Superiors wielding rulers! That coming for someone who grew up with "the sisterrs". You are right maybe it will bring Luke and Mara together, but I also think that Luke needs to focus on what he needs to do about the Jedi and not war. Great job cupid and please say a prayer for the 343 of my firefighter/paramedics brothers that died on 9/11 at WTC. Peace.

 

Hmmm... interesting. Lots to think about.

I can't believe he confesses to Mara's mother! A nun, no less. Most interesting.

I agree, Luke needs to quit fighting the war and work on being a Jedi. Like ^^^ said, this plot makes the Jedi Academy much more plausible.

In all, a lovely couple of chapters.

 

Jade_eyes Totally. Luke admits his true feelings. Yay!!

Yeah, and about time! Or is it too late...?

Jedi-2B So Mara's mother is a nun, head of a convent of nuns, and Luke is nursed back to health there.

I can tell you?re skeptical, or possibly tormented by memories of Catholic school. Trust me, Jedi-2B. You?ll see that Fina has every quality you could wish for in Mara?s mother.

This is definitely going where no fanfic has gone before.

Today we have an action sequence with nuns.

Fina will be quite the surprise for Mara. I wonder if Luke will be given instructions to keep this all a secret from Mara when he leaves, at least for the time being, or if he'll be allowed to tell her and bring her there.

Fina still has nightmares about Mara?s abduction. She wants her daughter back without a millisecond?s delay.

And does Mara have a father around somewhere?

I?m afraid he passed away. We?ll learn something about him in Monday?s post.

TnTornado I like a good mix [of action and romance], as long as it is strong on both, with an occasional dose of philosophy mixed in makes for my favorite type of fic. Which you seem to have done.

A relief. Actually, I misremembered your earlier objection, which was to Nos, not to romance per se.

So Mara's Mom is Mother Superior at a convent. Her view of Luke and Maras relationship is very good, and does describe them very good at this point in their relationship.

Yes, Fina is ecstatic that Luke is going to reunite her (somehow) with Mara, and she?s thinking of Luke as excellent son-in-law material.

I think Luke has a good idea with how to do the acadamy, I think he should broaden the classes a bit, and possibly bring in outside instructors who may not be jedi. That would help to balance the education.

I agree, best to obtain wisdom from wherever it?s available, and not restrict yourself to people in your private club.

One question I have for you however, is in this fic Luke and Maras skills seem to be balanced, however Luke is the son of the chosen one, and is also one of the most powerful force users of all time, if not the most powerful. He is also known to be the most controlled of all. How are you going to deal with this? Are you going to keep them about the same level?

That is SUCH an interesting question! Their balance goes something like this.

As you point out, Luke is extremely strong in the Force. He has other virtues: bravery, strongly held set of values, loyalty to friends and comrades, willingness to sacrifice himself, even for beings he doesn?t know. Yes, he has intelligence and ingenuity, too, but his strengths (besides the Force) are primarily emotional. He received little education on Tatooine, is a little awkward socially, and has little aptitude for diplomatic, political, or military affairs, which are left to Leia, Mon Mothma, and Ackbar. By contrast, though Mara was never properly trained in the Force, she has reached the peak of what is possible for a non-Force user. She has a phenomenal IQ, extensive education, lethal physique, and a self-discipline that makes her the best at whatever she chooses to do, be it dance, combat, or statecraft. So Luke and Mara are each very powerful, but in completely different (one could say complementary) ways.

Let?s look at Yin and Yang. (This is going to sound New Age so brace yourself, TnT! You said you liked an occasional dose of philosophy, but you might not have had Taoism in mind. Don?t take me too literally.) Yin is the female principle, symbolized by darkness and water. Yang is the male principle, symbolized by fire.

Luke is no wimp, but he is definitely not a musclebound supermale like Dirk. His approach to everything is emotional and intuitive. Look at how he motivated the Rogues, then won the Battle of the Tandoor Strait by a series of unanticipated strategems rather than a by-the-book shootout. He?s very strong in Yin. This ability to appear weak yet repeatedly triumph baffles

 

Chapter 30. Raid

Before dawn on the seventh day, Luke woke up. He knew something was wrong from his danger feeling on the back of his neck. He heard an urgent knock at the door, then the door slid open. Shan Auré.

?Luke, grab your clothes. Imperial stormtroopers just landed on the grounds. I?m taking you to safety.? She wore a jacket and trousers, more functional for flight than her nun?s habit.

Luke was in his underwear. He bundled his clothes and sandals and didn?t try to put them on. ?How many??

?About fifty.?

?I can fight fifty.?

?No. You can?t fight. You?re under our protection. We?ll deal with them.?

?How can you??

?Nuns aren?t helpless. We?re prepared for this. The Superior has a plan. You?ll see.?

They had jumped down two flights of stairs and were below the level of the ground. Shan Auré touched a wall panel and it swung ajar on hinges to reveal a tunnel wide enough for two abreast to walk. They entered. Luke pulled the panel shut behind him and Shan Auré lit a glow stick.

?Put your clothes on now. Luke had his jacket on and he pulled on his trousers and sandals. They ran along a stone corridor. Then Luke sensed three humans. No, six, at the far end of the tunnel.

?Shan Auré, two groups of three stormtroopers just entered the tunnel, coming this way.?

?Thank you.? She didn?t question him. Shan Auré looked around and fixed her gaze on something on the wall. Then she put her glow stick out. She took Luke by the hand and paced off sixty steps in complete darkness. She again found a door in the wall, opened it and entered, pulling Luke behind her. The door and ceiling were low. Just inside, Luke bumped his head on some kind of lever. The side passage behind the door curved and then went parallel to the main corridor. ?Luke, we?ll wait here. Hopefully they?ll pass by, then we?ll continue on out.?

?Stormtroopers often carry a sensor that detects spaces behind walls.?

?There are a lot of spaces. They may pass over us.?

?If they don?t??

?Then I?ll fight them.?

?Shan Auré, let me, please! There are six armed stormtroopers. You?ll be killed!? Luke suddenly remembered his promise to Jade. Never raise a hand against the New Empire again, as long as you live. Shan Auré would have to prevail. Or he would have to surrender.

?Remember your place, Mr. Skywalker. You?re under the protection of the Cornuthin Order, not vice versa. And you?re underestimating me because I?m a nun. The Cornuthins have a system for subduing unruly patients or unruly relatives without inflicting injury, and I?m very good at it. That?s why the Superior chose me as your caregiver. She foresaw this happening.?

Shan Auré?s words were clear, but her voice was wavering. Luke put a hand on her shoulder and felt her trembling.

?I do not fear death,? she said. Luke was about to answer when he realized she was reciting a litany. ?I give my life for my Order. I give my life for those I help. I give my life for my enemy who kills me.?

?You?re the bravest woman on Rona, Shan Auré,? Luke whispered. She put her hand on top of his, on her shoulder, and squeezed. She repeated the litany. This time her voice was firm and she stopped trembling.

?If I die, Luke, save yourself. But please don?t kill anyone.?

?I understand the Cornuthin way, and I?ll respect it.?

The stormtroopers were opening doors along the way. Finally Luke heard a door open at the far end of the side tunnel he and Shan Auré were in. Then the door in front of them started to open. Shan Auré shot out, dropped to the floor and kicked out at the knees of the stormtrooper who had opened the door. He toppled. She grabbed his blaster hand and hit near his elbow with the palm of her other hand. His fingers flew open, releasing the blaster. The trooper?s two comrades opened fire and a bolt cut across Shan?s shoulder blades. It had nearly hit her spine. She cried out, but darted back into the side tunnel, blaster in hand. Luke slammed the door behind her. They heard blaster shots hit the door, but the stone was s

 

These are definitely not like the nuns I had in Catholic grade school. Or the ones I know now. I think it's time for Luke to move on. I wouldn't want any more nuns to get hurt protecting him (and I'm sure he wouldn't, either).

 

Enjoyed Shan & Luke's conversation. The raid was extremely gripping action. Fina & company are nothing if not ... resourceful.

 

Luke needs to go before anyone else gets hurt.

Nice to know Nos isn't all she was cook up to be. Heh. Glad Luke knows it too!

Wow! Nuns with personality.

 

First off, great update, the action here was perfect, though I think if the nun (Shan I think it was) was going to fight, she should have let Luke help at least a little, with his greater combat knowledge he would have been able to immobalize them faster and with less effort then her.

Other then that small detail great action sequence along with tying in the reason they were there.

Now my response to your response!

Your correct, romance per se I have no objection to, and rather like, as long as it is well done.

 

Crikey! Nuns that kick Imperial Stormtrooper rear!!!

I loved your chase scene and especially the 'ball trap'- a particularly ingenious design...

- Looking forward to mondays post and Maras first meeting with Palpatine.


s_r

 

Those sisters are tough. Like the nuns I grew up with, they can sure command a situation. Never did see one get into a fight though. You go girls! Pull out your secret rulers and tear them up. That Nos, told you I did not trust her. She is just sneaky to me and seems to be hiding something. Just have not figured it out yet. Double agent? Love the prayer and thanks. I sometimes, when I get real tried of always helping others without much thanks, just tell myself that maybe it will help me get a pass at the Pearly Gates. Great post my friend.

 

Jedi-2B These are definitely not like the nuns I had in Catholic grade school. Or the ones I know now.

I?ve known just one nun. She had a PhD in Biochemistry, and was known in our group as Sister Barbara the Cloning Nun. Very sweet person, but hit the right topic, like the then-Pope?s attitude toward women, and she?d give you an earful. I can?t picture her disarming a stormtrooper by dislocating his thumb. But now that I think back, Sister Barbara was studying a toxin from cobra venom. Perhaps she would have disarmed him in a more permanent way...

I think it's time for Luke to move on. I wouldn't want any more nuns to get hurt protecting him (and I'm sure he wouldn't, either).

We all know Luke, and we all know that he feels absolutely terrible that Sister Xochit was gravely injured on his account. He?ll be gone as soon as he has his final debrief with Fina. I sense your concern about the turn the story?s taken. See note below.

Jade_eyes Enjoyed Shan & Luke's conversation. The raid was extremely gripping action. Fina & company are nothing if not ... resourceful.

Shan Auré is very likable, a mild person with steel beneath the surface. The Cornuthins were resourceful, but part of their success in repelling the stormtroopers was in the preparation ? tunnels, traps, hidden speeder bike. Did Fina foresee the raid, was she just paranoid, or did something make her wary?

Arwen_Djo Luke needs to go before anyone else gets hurt.

A last revealing conversation with Fina, and he?s outta there.

Nice to know Nos isn't all she was cook up to be. Heh. Glad Luke knows it too!

Yeah, a bit of an eye opener. And someone like that doesn?t fib just once. In fact, she might be telling more lies right now!

Wow! Nuns with personality.

And I bet Shan Auré could skate better than Nos, too!

TnTornado First off, great update, the action here was perfect, though I think if the nun (Shan I think it was) was going to fight, she should have let Luke help at least a little, with his greater combat knowledge he would have been able to immobalize them faster and with less effort then her. Other than that small detail great action sequence along with tying in the reason they were there.

I agree that it would have made logical sense for Luke to fight ? on the surface it?s kind of absurd for a nun to be defending a Jedi. One reason he didn?t was his promise to Mara, but there was something much more basic at work. A very fundamental ethical belief among medical people, the Cornuthins included, is that a hospital is a sanctuary. A patient goes there to be treated for disease or injury, and during his stay he is protected from enemies, unruly relatives, co-cultists, insurance adjusters and the like ? anyone who might detract from his recovery. Nobody gets access without permission from the hospital and assent from the patient. Even the police can?t extract him. That?s the principle Shan Auré was enforcing when she said: ?Remember your place, Mr. Skywalker. You?re under the protection of the Cornuthin Order, not vice versa.?


Now my response to your response! First off, thanks for explaining this in detail, it helps me understand where you are coming from. I agree with everything you said in answer to my question.... except for part of your last paragraph!

I understand what you are showing in this fic is Maras transformation, and I think you are doing a kick butt job of it, kudos to you, I agree with your balancing of their skills.

My only thing is, as Luke gets out in the galaxy more, and starts getting more Jedi training, Luke should pull ahead of Mara, at least in combat, and general force usage. Mara is a very powerful force user in everything I've read, (only a few people are more powerful after Palpatine and Vader are killed. Luke, Kyp Durron and one or two others I think).

I don't want to make it seem like I'm starting an argument because I'm not, all I'm saying is so far they have been evenly matched, but I th

 

Chapter 31. Fina?s Story

Luke knelt in front of the operating theatre doors. He had wanted to get away from the Lenticor Center the moment he heard about Xochit, but a message back from Fina said that he needed to stay one more full day. And so he stationed himself at dawn outside the O.T. and focused a Recovery Aura on Xochit. He felt her life force almost go out during the first hour, but it gradually built up to a weak level. He was thankful Fina had taught him the technique. Now it was sundown.

Shan Auré had stopped by several times and argued that he should focus on his own recovery. Luke disobeyed her orders, and finally explained that helping another recover was part of his own healing, not a distraction from it, which she accepted.

The O.T. door opened and four Sisters lifted Xochit out. Luke couldn?t make out her condition, but she was definitely alive. Other Sisters emerged and went separate ways. Some smiled at him. No Fina. Luke walked in. Fina was alone. She stood bent over the operating table, crying. Luke put an arm over her shoulders and pressed his cheek against her head.

?You saved her, Fina.?

?Yes, we saved her.? Neither spoke for a minute. ?We saved her, and reattached her leg. Her spine was damaged. She won?t walk for three months. She won?t recognize herself when she wakes up, but she?ll live, and she?ll recover.?

?You saved me, too.?

?Yes, we kept you from them.?

?What?s wrong, Fina??

?I?m such a coward, Luke.?

?You don?t have a cowardly bone in your body.?

?I?ve been avoiding you.?

?I know you?ve been very busy.?

?I?ve been avoiding you because the conversation I must have with you means reliving the worst day of my life. And now I?ve relived it anyway.?

?Tell me, Fina. Tell me what happened on the worst day.?

Fina lifted herself up, looked at Luke and stroked his cheek. ?Come. Let?s get dinner.?

They walked to the dining hall. On offer was a vegetable and wheat protein stew, flavored with faramon. Luke served himself a big bowl and took a loaf of rich brown bread. He started toward an empty table, but Fina led him outside instead, and along the stone path toward the farmhouse that was the Mother Superior?s residence. ?We don?t want to be disturbed, and there are things I don?t want to share with the Sisters,? Fina explained.

The farmhouse was stone, and very old, far older than the other buildings at the Center. The main room was a combined sitting and dining room that had a kitchen alcove at one end. A refresher, door open, was at the opposite end, and two other closed doors opened onto the room. The wood furniture was simply made, utilitarian, but with an honest, elegant line.

Fina produced a decanter of brandy and two glasses. ?Made on Rona. It?s as good as Corellian, but a tenth the price.?

?Ronans are innately gifted in all the arts,? Luke said.

?Yes. Think of that man today who stepped into the role of Senator Coueron. I doubt he ever worked as an actor. He just drew on innate ability when the moment called for it.?

?And that reminds me that Shan Auré today played an utterly convincing operative for ?Ronan I. S. S.? to intimidate the stormtroopers in the tunnel. I gather there is no such agency.?

?My art was dance. I trained in the Ronan Dance Theatre, in Rondivel, the best company on Rona. We traveled to Coruscant once. That?s probably what sealed my fate.?

?How so??

?I was one of those beings born spontaneously with Force powers. Neither of my parents was a Force user, so I grew up not knowing my gift. On the Coruscant trip, when I was twelve, I danced with the Company. Palpatine was there. It was before he was Emperor. He certainly would have recognized that I was Force sensitive.?

?When I was sixteen, I was promoted to Principal. The same year, the Emperor visited Rona. And before his visit, a lot of strange incidents occured, which I realized later meant that I was under surveillance. Also, I was chosen to dance the lead in a performance for the Emperor. That itself was strange, becaus

 

Huggles for Fina, who I don't see as a coward at all.
Huggles for Luke's empathy.
Fina's story was gut-wrenching but I felt her love throughout. The fact about Mara's paternity doesn't change my feelings for her either. She's her own person & one that becomes unforgettable & indispensable real fast.

 

What a sad story, but good did come out of tragedy, with Fina building the medical facility. I'm looking forward to seeing Mara & Fina's reunion (though I know that won't be for quite a few more chapters). I was hoping that Motz would still be around, and that he'd go with Luke. Wasn't there some Hercules-type movie that had a mechanical bird?

 

Wow! So Mara is Palpatine's daughter. I take it she does not know this little tidbit. I also wonder if it would be smart to tell her at all. Sometimes it is just better to let sleeping dogs lie. I think that mentally Luke is stronger than she is and could deal with the knowledge of who his father was. Mara tries very hard to convence herself and others that she is unbreakable but truth be told, I think her mental state can tear like paper. Palpatine's daughter + Darth Vader's son = I guess the question of who should rule the Empire is now answered. The gossip newsvids would have fun with this couple. Imperial and Alliance. I can not wait to see Mara's reaction to seeing Motz. She will proubly wonder were Luke got and beat him up thinking he took it. Thanks and great job!

 

Sorry for not posting sooner - DRL caught me.

Wow, Mara as Palpatines Daughter, now theres a twist I hadn't seen coming, very shocking as was how she was born.

Great update as usual Cupid, keep it up,

TnTornado