Beyond - Legends "More Than a Candle" - FotJ AU (multi-post) - Jacen, Ben, L/M, Vestara - now with ginchy-shine!

Title: "More Than a Candle"
Author: JediMara77
Characters: Jacen Solo, Ben Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade Skywalker, Vestara Khai
Timeframe: 43 ABY
Genre: Drama, Character Study, AU

Summary: It has been two years since Jacen Solo left the Galactic Alliance to join his sister's newly founded Imperial Knights. Sixteen-year-old Ben Skywalker, feeling scorned and betrayed by his former master's hasty departure, has hardly spoken to his cousin since.

When Imperial Knights begin falling prey to a mysterious illness, Jacen contacts his Uncle Luke for assistance. The Skywalker family, along with the reclusive Jacen and his determined apprentice, embark on a treacherous journey into the Maw to face the dark being Jacen encountered on his sojourn across the galaxy many years ago.

But deep inside Jacen's heart lies a secret he has never revealed?the true reason for his abandonment of the Jedi. And in facing the darkness that lies within the Maw, he must also confront the darkness inside himself.

A/N: This story spawned from the idea of writing a Skywalker family fic. While trying to think of an idea, Jacen Solo kept popping into my mind and telling me he wanted to play, too. This universe is a weird hybrid of canon and alternate, where some events of the Dark Nest Trilogy and Legacy of the Force occurred, the main exceptions being Jacen becoming a father and turning to the Dark Side. And of course, Vestara is not a Sith.

Thank you to George Lucas for everything and Matt Stover for the quote:

The dark is generous, and it is patient, and it always wins - but in the heart of its strength lies weakness: one lone candle is enough to hold it back. Love is more than a candle.

---

PM list:
Jade_eyes
Lady_Misty
kataja
Clarizabel
haleyskywalker2
Briannakin


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[b]Winner, 2011 Beyond the Saga Fanfiction Awards:
[i]Best Short Story[/i][/b]


[hr]


[u]Part One[/u]



Jacen Solo was not happy.

To be fair, he hadn?t been happy very often during the past two years, ever since his arrival on Bastion. Sure, he had his moments of contentment, such as when he spent a rare evening with Jaina and Jag or when one of the students finally caught on to a new Force skill.

But things had never been the same since he left Coruscant, and of course Jacen was much too stubborn to confide in anyone the reason for his perpetual disquiet.

With a sigh, Jacen picked up the comm and sent a message to his sister, asking her to come see him in his office.

He had just finished speaking to his uncle, and it had not been a pleasant conversation. Young Imperial Knights had been falling ill to a mysterious illness in which they believed that everyone around them were impersonators who had killed and taken the places of all the ?real? people. It was troubling to say the least. Jacen hadn?t wanted to ask for Luke?s assistance, but the situation had forced his hand. He knew what was causing the Knights to go crazy, and was humble enough to know that he could not face it on his own.

But he still wasn?t happy, especially since Luke had insisted on bringing Mara and Ben along. Jacen understood why, and was more than glad for Mara?s competent assistance. Ben, on the other hand, would be a complication?a big complication, and not just because he had once spent so much time at Shelter.

Jacen had no idea what to say to his old apprentice.

The door chime rang and Jaina entered. She took a seat on one of the chairs facing Jacen?s desk and stretched, rubbing her swollen belly. ?What?s the problem, little brother??

Despite his unease, Jacen smiled. Jaina still insisted on calling him ?little brother? even though she was only a few minutes older. Well, he couldn?t really blame her.

?I figured out why the Knights have fallen ill.?

Jaina leaned forward. ?That?s good news, Jacen! Why do you look so sullen??

?Because it?s not going to be easy to fix, Jaya. I?m not even sure if we can.?

?What do you mean??

?I realized something?all the Knights affected spent time at Sh

 

Nanci, you read my mind again!

Just a few days ago, after I read your latest drabbles to be more precise, I wished for someone to write a sort of FotJ with Mara in it and give us some of that Luke/Ben + Mara banter. I even thought you could do it .


So I'm very happy to see this.

Tell me there's gonna be banter.

 

Before you, deareest Nanci, I wouldn't touch FoTJ anything with 3 10 foot poles, but after your WONDERFUL drabbles, I'm even going to tackle a short piece --

And this looks stunning, with none of the gaffs of profic and all of the stuff we like to see: drama, Imperial Knights, J/J, naturally and Jacen with hopes of not falling into becoming Darth Poopie Pants

And bestest of all, Mara! Dear, soul-mate kick-arse Mara!!!

Definitely want PMs for this one.

And bless you and thanks!

HUGGLES!

 

Good start! I love any post LotF story where Mara is still alive.

I've never read FotJ but have read summaries about the books...would you recommend reading them?

I love all of your stories! Great Job!

 

Nanci, you're the greatest writer I've ever known - I LIKE your Jacen.

Wonderful start - somehow it makes much more sense than in profic and this FOTJ I'd love to read more.

 

Thanks, everyone. I didn't know if anyone would be interested in reading about FotJ, so I'm glad I got a few bites.


Hazel: Heh, the drabbles are what got my mind thinking, but like I said, Jacen kept butting in. Banter? It's Luke, Mara, and Ben in the same story. What do you think?

Jade_eyes: You are too kind. Mara is definitely alive. Couldn't have my FotJ any other way. You're welcome and thank you for reading!

jaded_jewel: Thank you! Honestly, I'm enjoying FotJ much more than I expected. I'd sworn off the EU after Betrayal, because I just couldn't stand the idea of Jacen becoming a Sith. Then Mara died, and I was really done. But I'd heard such good things about the Luke-Ben relationship in FotJ that I had to give it a try. Some of the storylines are lame and there is a lot of filler, and the Jedi Order needs a big smack in the head, but the Luke-Ben plotline is strong and definitely makes the books worthwhile. I'm just about to finish the fifth book and am still enjoying it.

Piper: It's funny, I don't even like Jacen but for some reason I really enjoy writing him. And thank you very much.



Next post coming up.

 

Part 2:





Klatooine was an arid, desert planet that reminded Ben too much of Tatooine. He?d once hoped that he would be able to live his entire life without ever stepping foot on his father?s home planet, but his dad had rather odd ideas of where to take a family vacation. That was how, the previous year, the Skywalker family had spent an entire week on that Force-forsaken planet. After arriving back on Coruscant, Ben had prayed that he would never see sand again.

And now they were arriving on yet another barren wasteland of a world with a similar-sounding name. Wonderful. Just fantastic. The mission hadn?t even started yet and Ben couldn?t wait for it to be over.

His father, sitting in the co-pilot's chair, glanced over his shoulder and raised his eyebrows. ?What?? Ben asked innocently.

?Attitude.?

Ben waited until Luke had turned back around before he rolled his eyes. His father may be the Grand Master, but thankfully he hadn?t yet learned to grow eyes on the back of his head.

?I saw that,? his mother announced from the captain?s chair.

?I didn?t do anything!?

?Transparisteel, Ben. It?s reflective.?

Ben huffed. ?Can?t I go stay in my room??

?We?re almost there, son," his father said. "We?ll need to you to pick up some supplies before we head out.?

?So that means I can?t stay in my room while we land why??

?Ben.? His mother?s voice was hard, her tone indicating that she was getting sick of listening to Ben?s smart mouth. Even at sixteen-years-old, Ben still quivered when she spoke that way. ?Listen to your father.?

?Sorry,? he mumbled. In front of him, his parents shared a glance and he rolled his eyes again, not caring if they saw. He hated when they did their Force talk, because it always meant they were talking about him.

That, or they were talking romantic, which was just as bad.

Ben was quiet during the rest of the landing. The ship docked in Klatooine's main spaceport, in one of the upper levels. His father immediately handed Ben a list and a credit chip. ?Here are the supplies we need. If there are any credits left over, buy whatever you want.?

Ben perked up for the first time since they?d left Coruscant. ?Really??

?As long as it?s not living. Now go, we want to leave as soon as possible.?

?Yes, Dad,? Ben said. He shoved the list and chip in his pocket and hurried out of the cockpit.

* * * * *

Mara took her time going through the post-landing checklist. While doing so she glanced at Luke, who was studying his datapad. ?You sent him off rather quickly. And we really don't need supplies.?

Luke spoke without meeting her gaze. ?I figured it would be better for Ben not to be around when Jacen showed up.?

The checklist completed, Mara turned in her chair and sighed. ?They?re going to have to talk eventually, Luke.?

?I know.?

?Maybe this was a bad idea.?

?No,? Luke affirmed. He set down his datapad and took her hands in his. ?Ben needs to be here.?

?Is this a father thing, or a Force thing??

Luke smiled. ?Both. Besides, Ben lived in the Maw for two years. There was something there that caused him to withdraw from the Force. I think it was the same creature that Jacen encountered.?

Mara nodded. ?I feel it too, it?s just?it hurts to see him so upset, even when he's acting like such a brat.?

?I know, but he needs to face this." Luke paused. "Both of them do.?

?I wish Jacen would realize why Ben is so upset. He thinks it's lingering animosity towards the Imperial Knights as a group, and that Ben's protective of the Jedi Order because of you. Jacen doesn't realize that Ben has no problem with Jaina or Tahiri or anyone else who went over.?

?Jacen doesn't want to see it. He either doesn't realize how long the others considered their decisions or he just doesn't want to acknowledge it. He thinks his explanation of ?I think I?ll join my sister? is adequate.?

Something in Luke?s voice gave Mara pause. She remembered back to that fateful Council meeting t

 

Anything that is AU that also has Mara in it is bound to be good!

Please add me to the PM List!

 

wonderful family confidings and warmth - & snark Even under Ben's grousing and normal teen angst etc., you can feel he respects and loves his folks and cares about their feelings, and will listen and try to do what they ask, and it doesn't hurt that Ves's pretty LOL

Very understandable emotions-- you can grasp mentally why someone did something but at the same time it feels like a personal rejection. It probably did Ben worlds of good to hear that Luke also has those kinds of feelings surrounding Jacen's leaving.

 

I loved every bit of it. My favorite though would have to be seeing how Ben acts with both parents, just Mara, and then just Luke around.

Brilliant as always!!

 

Great conversations and emotions all around.

 

Post the First

Jacen Solo was not happy.

Oh you?re never happy

of course Jacen was much too stubborn to confide in anyone the reason for his perpetual disquiet.

And stubborn.

Ben, on the other hand, would be a complication?a big complication, and not just because he had once spent so much time at Shelter.

Jacen had no idea what to say to his old apprentice.

I?m sorry, perhaps? At least say something!

She took a seat on one of the chairs facing Jacen?s desk and stretched, rubbing her swollen belly.

Oh Jaina. I hope your children provide you the same headaches you caused Han and Leia

He?d been young and curious then, eager to learn all the secrets of the Force and conceited enough to believe that was possible. Then he?d found Abeloth, a being so powerful it was truly frightening, and she?d offered him everything.

An enticing being, Abeloth. Those who are ambitious can easily fall under her thrall.

But once he finished she said nothing of the sort. She merely nodded and said, ?So when are we leaving??

Jaina. You?re preggers. You ain?t goin anywhere.

?Seriously, Jaina, you?re staying here. Jag would kill me if you came along. Then Kyp would revive me so he could stab me with his lightsaber.?

Jaina laughed. ?And then Dad would dig up your body and shoot you.?

Jacen is smart. The only thing that can come from brining Jaina is certain death

?But I would like to remind you that Aunt Mara fought a war while she was pregnant and ill.?

?Yes Jaina, you remind me of that every day. But someone needs to stay here and keep watch over the students while I?m gone.?

?You mean keep watch over Kyp.?

Well yeah, we all know Kyp needs a babysitter!

?But yeah, they?re bringing him along. Insisted he might have some good insight. Plus he?s close to Knighthood. I guess Luke doesn?t want to leave him alone right now.?

?Interesting concept,? Jaina muttered.

Burn. Walked right into that one, Jacen

?What am I supposed to do??

TRY!? How about starting there!?

?You asked to see me, Master Solo??

?Yes, Vestara. Please, have a seat.?

VES!

?Bloah. That?s getting more difficult.?

?I thought you insisted could do anything while you were pregnant, Jaya??

?Oh shut up.?

Oh Troy. Why did you have to go and kill off two-thirds of the Solo offspring?

?Is there a problem, Master Solo? Have I done something wrong??

?No, Vestara, not at all. You really shouldn?t jump to that conclusion whenever I ask to see you.?

It?s that whole Sith upbringing. Screws with your expectations

?I see. And their son??

?Dammit. She had caught him. Jacen wondered why he had thought to take on such an intelligent apprentice.

Yeah, Jacen. You?re not dodging that issue

?All the more reason for another Knight to come along with you.?

?Apprentice, you mean.?

Vestara looked down, crestfallen. ?Yes. Apprentice.?

Oh come on Jacen! You?re breaking that girl?s heart!

Just as with his encounter with Abeloth, he had never told anyone of the vision, fearing people?s reactions.

Now, Jacen realized that he wouldn?t be able to hide forever.

Time to face the music, eh?


Very interesting start, Nanci! Can?t wait to see where you go with this one.

 

Yes it is a very interesting start, though I hope somewhere down the line you might explain where your fic differers from cannon.

 

Awkward family relations?! Teenage angst?! Banter?! Mara lives post-loft?! Luke Skywalker?! Ben?! SNARK?!

Good gods, I think I'm in love with this fIc.

Also, why do we all often make Jaina pregnant in AU fics like this?

 

Thanks for the PM - and could you please add me to the list? This looks very promising - and while I should have guessed since it's you I was still a little worried - I've spent a great deal of effort coming to terms with canon as it is, which is why I'm not always eager to indulge in AU's. But I love the athmosphere you've already managed to create here! Also you manage a great mix of your own stuff and FOTJ - very well done!

Ves Jacen?s apprentice ? interesting dynamics - and the explanation that he father was a moff and she therefore is closed off is perfect!



Jag would kill me if you came along. Then Kyp would revive me so he could stab me with his lightsaber.?

Jaina laughed. ?And then Dad would dig up your body and shoot you.?



his dad had rather odd ideas of where to take a family vacation. That was how, the previous year, the Skywalker family had spent an entire week on that Force-forsaken planet.
Why do I get the idea of Divapilot?s Ben?s Diary here?


He hated when they did their Force talk, because it always meant they were talking about him.
Uh, it must be so hard to have Jedi parents! Wait! Was that the reason for the non-attachment rule?


That, or they were talking romantic, which was just as bad.
Weeell...


I?ll tell you a story about working with people you can't stand.?

Ben groaned. ?Oh no?this isn?t the story about how you met Dad again, is it??

?How?d you guess??

?Because you always get that nostalgic, lovey-dovey look in your eyes that?s disgusting.?



after so many years, Kyp was tired of wearing drab, boring robes.

Well, Ben couldn?t really blame him there.

Neither can I, though I blame him for much.



wishing he'd thought to ask Uncle Lando for some tips on how to talk to girls
Oh no! Good he didn?t!


Loved Luke?s feelings and thoughts about Jacen and Jaina leaving, very realistic!

Loved about all of it, actually!

 

if you have a PM list please add me

 

I love how you write Ben's relationships with Luke and Mara. So different and so wonderful.

 

Misty: Thanks, and done!

Jade: Writing the Skywalkers as a normal family is wonderful. In fact, it even spawned an idea for a new Lane-Nanci collaboration. And I agree that Ben is going to feel a lot better after Luke's confession.

jaded_jewel: Thank you.

Hazel: Thanks!

Lane:

Oh you?re never happy

He's not happy unless he's brooding!

I?m sorry, perhaps? At least say something!

That's where that whole "stubborn" thing comes into play.

Oh Jaina. I hope your children provide you the same headaches you caused Han and Leia

With that child's genes? Oyah! Don't let it NEAR a cockpit until it's old enough to walk.

Jaina. You?re preggers. You ain?t goin anywhere.

YOU go tell her that, Lane.

Well yeah, we all know Kyp needs a babysitter!

Heh. Is it sad that I miss hotheaded Kyp in canon?

TRY!? How about starting there!?

In Jacen's defense, it is a rather awkward situation to discuss.

Oh Troy. Why did you have to go and kill off two-thirds of the Solo offspring?

And in Troy's defense, he had no choice about Anakin. But yeah, everything else...sigh.

It?s that whole Sith upbringing. Screws with your expectations

Well she's not Sith in this story, just the daughter of a very well-respected Imperial who has the same expectations of the real Sith father Gavar. Still not easy to live up to.

Oh come on Jacen! You?re breaking that girl?s heart!

Thankfully, he relented so Ben and Ves can meet. But will that be a good thing? Hmmmm.

Very interesting start, Nanci! Can?t wait to see where you go with this one.

Thanks! Me too. Lol.


Riches: Thank you. Unfortunately, it would take way too long to explain all the differences between this and canon. The main are explained in the summary, that Jacen never became Darth Caedus and never had Allana. Some events in Dark Nest and LotF happened, but not all. And obviously Jaina is with Jag and the Imperial Knights have already been founded.


Briannakin: I'm glad you're enjoying it. There will be lots of angst in the next few posts. And snark. As to why we make Jaina pregnant, it's because she's supposed to have amazing fighter pilot babies with Skywalker/Solo/Fel/Antilles genes. And it was a good plot device as to why Jaina couldn't come along to fight Abeloth.


kataja:

This looks very promising - and while I should have guessed since it's you



I was still a little worried - I've spent a great deal of effort coming to terms with canon as it is, which is why I'm not always eager to indulge in AU's.

Now that I'm back to reading the EU, I know exactly what you mean. But I still like writing/reading AUs.

Ves Jacen?s apprentice ? interesting dynamics - and the explanation that he father was a moff and she therefore is closed off is perfect!

I'm glad you think so. I wanted to give her a reason to still be very formal and desiring perfection, as she does in FotJ, and thought that having her parents be hard on her was a good reason. (Not that they're bad parents, they're just strict.) The idea of Ves being Jacen's apprentice came to me when I was trying to think of ways to get Ben and Ves to meet and there be some kind of animosity between them, and then I just really liked that idea.

Why do I get the idea of Divapilot?s Ben?s Diary here?

Because that's exactly what I was thinking when I wrote that.

Uh, it must be so hard to have Jedi parents! Wait! Was that the reason for the non-attachment rule?

Now we know the truth!

Oh no! Good he didn?t!

Aww come on, Lando is a old smoothie.

Loved Luke?s feelings and thoughts about Jacen and Jaina leaving, very realistic!

Thanks, I'm glad you think so. It would be hard to imagine Luke not taking something like that personally, but he's wise enough to know that he shouldn't. Ben on the other hand is only sixteen and needs some perspective.

 

Part 3:





?Well,? Jacen said, pointing out the viewport, ?there it is.?

?Looks?cozy,? Ben observed. He leaned forward in the captain?s chair to get a better look at the planet, then glanced at Jacen. ?You sure that's it??

Jacen closed his eyes for a moment. ?Absolutely sure.?

Ben also reached out with the Force, then shuddered. "Yeah. Creepy."

Luke was also sure that this was the planet where they would find the being Jacen referred to as Abeloth. Even from orbit, the planet reeked of the dark side. He reached forward and placed a hand on his son?s shoulder. ?Take her in for a landing, Son.?

?Yes, sir.?

With the grace of a pilot much older than himself, Ben guided the Jade Shadow into the atmosphere of the strange planet. Ben had inherited his father?s knack for flying and his parents had allowed him to fly the Shadow from an early age. Jacen, the de factor leader for the mission, sat in the co-pilot?s chair, having guided him during the trip through the Maw. The two of them had found Abeloth's planet with little trouble. Jacen had focused on his past confrontation and Ben honed in on the strange being he'd felt while he lived at Shelter.

Luke glanced at his wife, who was wearing a satisfied expression. It had been her idea for Ben to fly with Jacen's guidance, and Luke had to hand it to her. The two hadn?t argued since the first day and ended up working quite well together, almost as well as they had when they were still master and apprentice. Mara met her husband?s gaze and smiled, gesturing at their son and nephew who were now conversing as if nothing was bothering them. Luke smiled back.

?Oh my,? Vestara gasped as the ship approached the ground. ?This is quite an odd planet.?

?You can say that again,? Jacen agreed. ?When I Mind Walked, these landmarks are exactly what I saw. At first, I thought Beyond Shadows was an imaginary place, but as I meditated about my experience with Abeloth lately, I realized that the places I saw when I Mind Walked must have real counterparts. And since that was where I encountered Abeloth, that must be where I would find her.?

Luke nodded, remembering all that Jacen had told them during their journey from Klatooine to the Maw. Jacen had first encountered a group of Force users called the Mind Walkers on a small space station known as Sinkhole Station. They taught him the technique to separate from their bodies and travel to a place they called Beyond Shadows, which they believed to be the true reality. There, Jacen had experienced a feeling of euphoria and peace?that is, until he encountered the dark being who called herself Abeloth.

She was enthralling and powerful and she had showed Jacen many things, but in the end Jacen was lucky enough to catch a glimpse of her true self. He abruptly returned to his body and then his family, abandoning his quest to gather knowledge from different Force using sects in the wake of what Abeloth had showed him.

True to his nature, Jacen was reticent to describe the vision he?d seen while with Abeloth, but Luke knew that anything that could scare Jacen?the man who?d withstood torture from the Yuuzhan Vong and had become one with the Force while defeating the Yuuzhan Vong overlord, Onimi?deserved to be feared.

Mara leaned forward in her seat. ?This is definitely the strangest planet I?ve ever been to.?

?I agree,? Luke said. Abeloth?s planet orbited a blue star, tinting everything a deep azure color. Below them, Luke saw the crater of a volcano and a crimson river.

?Palpatine would have loved this place. If, you know, there wasn?t already another powerful dark side being living here.?

Luke smiled at Mara?s quip. ?Something tells me you?re right.?

Jacen suddenly pointed out the viewport. ?See that beach, Ben? Set down for a landing there.?

After a gentle landing, Ben turned around to face the rest of the group. ?So, what now??

Jacen released his crash webbing and stood up. ?Now, Luke and Mara join me Beyond Shadows.?

?Oh. That sounds like a great time. Why don?t V

 

Shooting Daala twice sounds like Mara. Besides Vader might just shake his head and the Emperor would most likely just laugh.

Anakin Skywalker gave good advice.

 

An excellent post! Made even more stunning by the juxtaposition of the Ben/Ves talk with all its normalness and banter beside the whole Beyond Shadows experience.

Great advice from both Anakins.

And Mara is a true joy and I enjoyed the Daala jokes



!!!!

P.S. A Lane/Nanci collaboration? Well, well.

 

i loved this chapter

 

Brilliant!

Once again, I love the Skywalker family unity stuff.

Both Anakins showing up made my day. I loved the Anakin Skywalker and Mara bantering/conversation.

Keep up the great work.

 

Great story so far. Glad to of cought up with this story all in one night unlike some of the other stories I have read.

Great to see both Anakins!

If you have a PM list going.. add me to it!

 

?Yeah, like Natasi Daala becoming Chief of State.?

Luke sighed. ?Not now, Mara. Let?s save the political discussion for later. Right now we need to get ready,? he lowered his voice an octave, ?for the trip Beyond Shadows.?

?Ugh, that sounds so creepy, Dad.?

?Just trying to lighten the mood.?

Ben and Mara rolled their eyes. ?Gotta give him credit for trying,? Mara said, ?but I still think Daala jokes are funnier.?

Ben nodded. ?Have you heard this one? Emperor Palpatine, Darth Vader, and Natasi Daala walk into a lift. Your blaster only has two shots left. What do you do??

Mara grinned. ?Shoot Daala twice, just to make sure.?

Luke groaned and walked toward the medbay, muttering to himself about the lack of respect for family members.


The entire chapter was great, but for some reason, that exchange made me laugh hard. Are you keepin a PM List for this one? Could you pleas add me if you are.