Saga Night Must Fall - sequel to AoH - ESB-era AU (L/M, H/L, Vader, Yoda, Rogues) - Completed

Thanks for the PM... Palpy is like a creepy bad ex-boyfriend leaving his nasty shadow in the relationship all the time.... on a more galactic scale of course.

 

Awwwww!!!!!

They're so sweet. Luke is really the best boyfriend ever.

 

I have to keep reminding myself that she's only nineteen - and while that's an adult, it's still young enough that sex wouldn't be expected in a relationship. .
Hmm, I think that varies on your cultural background...

Or maybe I just think about these things way too hard
Not at all... And that's not a question of cultural background. But admitting it probaly is...

Anyway, that would be an interesting question on the Mara thread...


But he could only imagine the look of disdain on her face right now as she was reminded that Han was, in her words, a scoundrel. (- - -) Han stood up, shook the generals' hands, and waited for Leia to reach the door. He politely gestured for her to go ahead. She gave him an odd look, then left.
I just love how you write those two...


The reports mention an ?Emperor?s Hand? working in the system
Uuuhhh... Looking forward to she who!

Mara continued to glance back and forth between them, utterly confused?and then she got it.

Other Hands.

She hadn?t been the only one.
Poor, poor, Mara! You broke the news so well - much better than in canon!



?Nothing?s wrong, Skywalker. Just leave it be.?

?Well now I know for sure that something?s wrong, ?cause you called me Skywalker.?

?Luke??

?Mara.?
Lovely dialogue - and great play with the famfic tradition that has her call her Skywalker all the time! Not it was the opposite (sort of)


She couldn?t tell him about this. It was stupid. Why did she care what Palpatine had done? That part of her life was over. She wouldn?t let him get to her, not anymore.
Oh, Mara. Still so young!



why would you need to pick me up??

?Because that?s what men do on dates. They pick up their girlfriends.?

?Luke, don?t be silly, we?re just going to your room??

?What time should I pick you up?? he repeated, staring down at her solemnly.

Mara sighed. ?2000. Is that acceptable to you??

?Whatever my lady wants.?

?Oh dear Force,? Mara muttered. But she still kissed him good-bye.
I Looove when he insists being a gentleman! I actually love every time he insists!


He didn?t care what Wes said; staining your shirt just so you could take it off in a woman?s presence was idiotic.
Mayeb it would still be a good strategy, Lukie boy? It would work on me!


She was wearing green jumpsuit?a very tight, very fitted green jumpsuit that accentuated every curve on her body.
Oh, oh, poor Luke!



?Shove it, Jade, and sit down and eat.?

She complied and gave him an impish look. ?Oooh. So demanding.?

?Yup. Got a problem with that??
I'm amazed she doesn't insist on including sex into their relationship! But then, I'm not nineteen anymore...



It was a very small box made of fijisi wood
Awwww, now that was a gift!!! I'm not a gift person at all myself, and I often miss the romance of giftgiving in fanfics - but this gift was special! As was hers to him! Bravo!!! Also very realistic, considering they're in war!


I'm a horrible person. I?ve let him ruin our date.
I absolutely LOVE her logics here, as that's exactly how I would think myself. CoO fresh in mind, though, I can't help thinking that this isn't Zahn's Mara at all, but honestly, I like your's better!!!



It?s part of being human. You think I?d rather have you not care??
Oooh, Luke!!!



Still, his young blood boiled in his veins as he felt her sinuous curves underneath his arm. You really shouldn?t trust me to do that, Jade?
Ooooh, Luke!!!!!!!!

And she falls asleep!!! How utterly sweet -and of course he's th

 

"I care for you deeply, Mara."

Oh dear. It is going to take till the end of this trilogy for him to say those 3 little words. 

Despite this, Luke is still the sweetest boyfriend ever. He really helped Mara through a rough time. As much as she hates him now, Palps was still a huge part of her life for 18 years. I love your portrayal of L/M.

 

Han, Leia, and Mara together on a mission?I smell so many possibilities?

Who is more stubborn Luke or Mara? Well personally I?d have to say it?s a tie.

Squee! Luke is too cute for wanting to pick Mara up.

Good job Luke, Lesson number one for dating?NEVER!! Listen to Wes? advice on how to woo a woman. So far you have a 10.0.

Aww Luke is blushing, Mara is blushing, and now they both are exchanging blushes.

Both of the gifts are perfect.

Once again I love how you balance Luke?s and Mara?s relationship between being a mature adult relationship and at the same time being so new and kind of awkward because they are young.

Brilliant work!

 

Luke, just look at it this way, buddy--you've gotten more 'action' here than you did in many, many years of profic... well, with Mara, anyway. I just hope that they can at least declare their love before the you know what hits the fan...

I like how you handled her shock of finding out about the other hands. And I'm interested to see this mission... (Also, as an aside, nice gifts that they gave one another. That's always hard in fic, to come up with realistic gifts, especially when they're stuck on Hoth. LOL) Thanks for the PM!!

 

He stepped toward her again. ?For our date. You didn?t forget, did you??

?No, of course not?but why would you need to pick me up??

?Because that?s what men do on dates. They pick up their girlfriends.?

Awww.

He didn?t care what Wes said; staining your shirt just so you could take it off in a woman?s presence was idiotic.



Great update.

 

Love that this was how they got to spend the night together for the first time. It is quite sad, though, that Mara wasn't the only Hand...I keep hoping they find out that's wrong, but I don't think it is. Very Palpatine-esque. Great update!

 

Despite everything, she still remembers about subordination. Very Mara.

No, Mara, it's not! It makes you human, not a droid! Well, Luke will tell you about it later, anyway.

I want to see his solemn face this moment!

Very realistic, I love it. I'm kinda tired of descriptions of fancy dresses in fics...

Oh, these flyboys. *rolls eyes*

Now, Mara, it's a real torture for poor guy. And looks like you realize it very well...

I think, this step is much more important than, well, action. Mara trusts him enough to sleep in his arms and knows that he will never hurt her.

 

Comment time!



Lou:

I've got a bad feeling about this

What? Whatever could go wrong?

To believe that you're special and being told otherwise. If I were her, I'd be terribly angry myself.

Angry, hurt, betrayed...and all thanks to someone you despise. She is definitely having a hard time with this.

Number one most used lie by a girlfriend. Really. There's actually a statistic to prove it.

I use it a lot. Mostly because I just don't feel like getting into a big discussion.

Finally someone is giving Luke a run for his credit. I mean, come on, ESB-Luke is extremely hot. I'm so glad Mara said "you look pretty hot" instead of saying "you don't look so bad".

This is me writing this, so I will always give Luke credit where credit is due. Come on, look at this:

[image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v109/JediMara77/The-Legacy-Collection-Luke-Skywalker-Snowspeeder-Pilot_Big_6.jpg]



Man, I really like this Luke.

He's got a pretty girlfriend. That has to stroke the ego a bit.

Please don't let him fall down drunk. Please. I beg you.

Nope, he's safe!

Perfect characterization! A very believable anguish coming out of Mara.

Thank you! It's hard to strike a good balance between grief, anguish, and anger.

With the amount of mush present in this chapter, I assume the next update's gonna make us all bawl like a baby or worse teetering on the edge of our seat, biting our nails off.

What? I'm offended. I'm giving you at least one more happy, mushy chapter.


Queenbee: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter so much, and happy belated birthday!


Ocelotl: That is a good description of Palpy! He's always ruining everything, that jerk.


Hazel: He really is. I have to remind myself to play up his flaws otherwise he'll just be perfect. Thankfully his flaws come out in spades once he gets to Dagobah.


kataja:

Hmm, I think that varies on your cultural background...

That is true. I'm trying to remember what I was like when I was 19. Seems so long ago!

I just love how you write those two...

Thank you. It's a nice change, writing a different couple. They've been a lot of fun.

Uuuhhh... Looking forward to she who!

Unfortunately you never find out. It's just a macguffin to get her to find out she wasn't the only one. But you can make your own guesses. (I personally was thinking Roganda.)

Poor, poor, Mara! You broke the news so well - much better than in canon!

Thanks again! Personally I always enjoyed that scene in CotJ, even though she was with Lando when she got the news.

Lovely dialogue - and great play with the famfic tradition that has her call her Skywalker all the time!

Heh, I love when she calls him Skywalker, but I figured it would change after they became a couple.

I Looove when he insists being a gentleman! I actually love every time he insists!

I'm sure you do.

Mayeb it would still be a good strategy, Lukie boy? It would work on me!

I think it would work on most of us!

I'm amazed she doesn't insist on including sex into their relationship! But then, I'm not nineteen anymore...

Patience, kataja. I will personally guarantee that you will be satisfied by the resolution of this subplot (as will Luke ).

Awwww, now that was a gift!!! I'm not a gift person at all myself, and I often miss the romance of giftgiving in fanfics - but this gift was special! As was hers to him! Bravo!!! Also very realistic, considering they're in war!

Thanks. It's hard to think of gifts that make sense. I realized after I wrote this that I had them exchange gifts three times now. I really need to stop doing that.

I absolutely LOVE her logics here, as that's exactly how I would think myself. CoO fresh in mind, though, I can'

 

There's actually a way for it to be worse -- if Mara finds out that she was the only one NOT in on the secret of multiple Hands, and that even Madine had figured it out back in his Imperial days but just never seen fit to bring it up to her (to Cracken though, that's a different story)...

 

A wonderful update and very telling on both sides that they want the first time with each other to be special; that says a lot about their actual level of closeness and commitment to one another which is absolutely wonderful in young folks experiencing a real affection in lieu of mere crushing from afar

And congratulations on all your nominations -- especially on the L/M characters, stunningly the best I've read ... particularly in the OT and an epic. Because not only do you have to get them "right" but the character/personality growth has to make "sense" IC-wise.

 

update update update!

 

nice just nice and could i be added to the PM list again plz
thanks

 

you know all this mushy stuff has me on the edge.

Really it does. Because you told me you're gonna tear my heart out. I don't doubt that one bit.

I like how you told us about the other Hands and how Mara is reacting to it. I also love how you have Luke and Mara in this fic ( and again, I wince when I think about what you might do to them. because all this mushy stuff only leads to angst).

Now I must go read Choices of One and remember that Mara is part of the Empire...not the Rebel Alliance. (that is if I can at lunch today).

 

Chortles:

There's actually a way for it to be worse -- if Mara finds out that she was the only one NOT in on the secret of multiple Hands, and that even Madine had figured it out back in his Imperial days but just never seen fit to bring it up to her (to Cracken though, that's a different story)...

Hmm. You're onto something there.


Jade_eyes: Thank you so much for your kind words and all your assistance with this story. I hope you still enjoy it when I get to the bad stuff.


JediKaren: Hello! Updates are posted every Monday morning. Perhaps I should add that to the info at the top of the thread.


anakin_sal-solo: Will do!


Master_Jaina1011:

you know all this mushy stuff has me on the edge.

Really it does. Because you told me you're gonna tear my heart out. I don't doubt that one bit.

I know. But TRUST ME. Plans, I have them.

Now I must go read Choices of One and remember that Mara is part of the Empire...not the Rebel Alliance. (that is if I can at lunch today).

My work here is done!




Chapter 3 coming up tomorrow morning, in which we introduce some new Rogues and then proceed to mushy angst. The last real character development chapter until we hit the actual plot.

 

CHAPTER 3





The Rogues were assembled in the briefing room, drinking caf and talking about the previous night's activities. Wedge stood in front of them, preparing himself to deliver his first solo briefing. Luke had asked Wedge to take the lead on this one, most likely because Luke would be ?recovering? from his date with Mara. Wedge was more than ready for a leadership role; he had been promoted to Captain right after the near-disastrous confrontation with the Executor and Starfighter Command was always badgering him to take on his own squadron, but he wouldn?t hear of it. He was a Rogue, and he would always be a Rogue.

And as the briefing's head Rogue, Wedge's first order of business was to make sure the other pilots didn?t ridicule the CO too badly. However, the chance of that happening was slim to none, especially since Luke and Mara were five minutes late. They were never late. Dack and Wes were now taking bets on how long it would take before Luke or Mara showed up. Avy Valla, Dack's girlfriend, gave him her best annoyed look. ?What?? Dack asked innocently.

"Must you do that?" Avy demanded. A blue-skinned Twi'lek, she'd piloted freighters on Ryloth before being captured by the Empire and sold into slavery. Avy's father had trained her in combat, and she'd managed to escape and join the Alliance. Everyone had embraced the young, amiable pilot?and she, for some reason, had taken an immediate liking to Dack.

"Yes," he replied, grinning.

?Now now, Avy, let your boyfriend have his fun,? Wes said.

Kasan Moor, who'd taken Tiom Pettis?s spot in the squadron after that pilot was reassigned to a new group, rolled her eyes and smacked Wes on the head. A tall, striking woman who rivaled Mara in attitude, Kasan had instantly fit in with the Rogues. Wedge offered her a grin and listened to the pilots' antics for a few more minutes until the door to the briefing room finally slid open, revealing a tired-looking Luke Skywalker.

Nobody said a word as he took a seat at the front of the briefing room. Wedge leaned in to Luke and stage-whispered, ?Where?s Mara??

Luke coughed and tried to cover up a very red flush on his cheeks. ?She?s on her way.?

?Is she all right?? Hobbie asked in mock concern.

?She?s fine, she just had to?um??

"She had to what, commander?? Kit Valent teased. Tall and blond, Kit was an excellent pilot and the most arrogant man in the Alliance. He had no love for the Empire but, being raised on Coruscant, tended to have old-fashioned attitudes toward females and aliens. ?Did she forget to bring a change of clothes to your room??

?Please don?t answer that, Luke,? Tycho groaned. ?I really don?t need to think about Mara that way.?

?Well I don?t mind thinking about Mara that way, so please, continue!? Wes chimed in.

At that moment Mara entered the room. She crossed the room in several long strides and glared at the assembled group. ?Anyone have anything cute to say?" There was complete silence. "No? That?s what I thought.? She took a seat next to Luke and clasped her hand possessively over his.

Wedge stepped behind the podium and cleared his throat. ?Now that we?re all settled, let?s get started. There is only one item on the docket, as I'm sure you're all aware?the speeders.?

At the mention of the T-47s, everyone groaned. Wedge, like the rest of the Rogues, had been assisting the techs with the speeders since they'd arrived at Echo Base. They were all more than frustrated with the lack of progress, but the previous day's work had seen a breakthrough.

?You can keep your groans to a minimum,? Wedge announced. ?We finally have determined the problem, and two speeders should be ready for testing next week.?

A loud cheer burst throughout the briefing room. Wedge, too, couldn?t keep the smile off his face. ?Good work, Rogues?you've been hard at work for several long months and you haven?t let it get to you. Luke and I will discuss over the next week which pilots will make the test. Any questions??

Rade Ticarus raised his ha

 

The ending of the chapter should make me happy but it really only served to make me sad. They think they have all the time in the world to be together and happy but we know the timeline. And Luke's going to be SO messed up by the end of this...

I fear for what's going to happen to them as a couple and the regrets they're going to have... actually the regrets they could have either way they go. Mara has her demons to overcome, but soon Luke will have his, too, and though I know they're stronger together I just don't know how this is going to play out.

As much as I hate to say it, maybe Luke and Mara DO need 10 years apart, to work on their own personal demons. Wow, I never thought I would say that! (Okay, I've been thinking about it. 10 years is too long. How about 1 year... 6 months??? )

Or maybe I'm just morose this morning. Yoda would sense fear in me. Great, thought-provoking, chapter.

 

I DIDN'T GET FIRST!!!!!!

In my defense, I was.... tired.

hold on, let me just calm myself down before posting a more appropriate review.

EDIT: Darn, it took me a day before I finally recuperate and assemble an appropriate review. It's your fault, you know. Really. You and this wonderful story of yours. Oh, and the fact that I've found GIFs of Luke Skywalker in Tumblr. And a picture of him with the Yavin Ceremony suit minus the jacket. Yes. The one he used for the date in your story.



[image=http://30.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lnlqo9j0bW1qge3c5o1_250.jpg]

I know.

ANYWAY..


?She?s fine, she just had to?um??

"She had to what, commander?? Kit Valent teased. Tall and blond, Kit was an excellent pilot and the most arrogant man in the Alliance. He had no love for the Empire but, being raised on Coruscant, tended to have old-fashioned attitudes toward females and aliens. ?Did she forget to bring a change of clothes to your room??

?Please don?t answer that, Luke,? Tycho groaned. ?I really don?t need to think about Mara that way.?

?Well I don?t mind thinking about Mara that way, so please, continue!? Wes chimed in.

Oh, if only ESB had this much fun. It would've made the movie five times more epic than it already is.


Wedge knew what his friend was really asking: what if the Empire finds us before then? It was something they were all on edge about. If the Empire attacked Echo Base before the speeders were ready, the base would have no defense against a ground assault. The energy shield would need protecting until everyone had evacuated on transports, and that wasn?t possible without the speeders.

I sense that we are heading toward the ground assault on ESB. CAN. NOT. WAIT.

Wedge nodded. ?Might as well get started. Oh, and by the way,? he added as they left the room, ?can you two please tell your astromechs to stop driving us crazy??

Luke and Mara shared a glance. ?Sure, but I don?t know if it?ll do any good,? Mara said. ?Artoo?s got Luke?s attitude.?

?And Red?s got Mara's sass,? Luke retorted.

Tycho clasped a hand on Wedge?s shoulder. ?And we wonder where their droids get it."

This is basically the AU version of all the fights Luke and Mara had in the canon. If only someone told either Luke or Mara to do *something* about it when they both drive each other to insanity.

?Aw come on, Luke,? Wes whined. ?We need to live vicariously through you.?

Wes Janson, ever the blunt one. Well, I guess you'd do that if you're a sexually frustrated person who lives in a cold barren planet. I pitied him. Not as much as I pitied Luke, though



Wes put his arm around Dack?s shoulders and grinned. ?Oh yeah? You get some action??

Dack grinned back and leaned forward over the table. ?She let me touch her lekku,? he whispered.

There were a few coughs as people tried not to laugh. ?Um?that?s nice?? Hobbie said, clearly not educated about Twi'lek biology.

?It is nice,? Dack insisted. ?It?s a very personal thing for Twi?leks. It?s a sign of trust and love. Plus?it made her go absolutely crazy. But, um..don't let her know I told you. She'd kill me.?

the idea of men comparing notes on progress... but hey, it's not like us females don't do that.

?We don't make out!? Tycho insisted. "We've never even kissed."

?Whatever you say,? Zev said sagely. Tycho ignored them and threw some chips into the pot. Things just weren?t like that with Winter. They were good friends, and that was all. Besides, how could he even think about another woman so soon after Alderaan? His beloved Nyiestra had perished on the planet. Tycho had once pledged to spend his entire life with her. To move on so quickly would be disrespectful.

Denial is the first sign of attraction, you know.


?Kasan is single.? Everyone chuckled as Luke glanced around the sabacc table, confused. ?What? What?d I say??

?About Kasan being single,? Rade answered.

?Well she is, right? And she?s attr

 

Very sweet and comforting ending for Luke and Mara, and I love how he handled her fears. I loved seeing the guys and girls' nights, and the situation with the speeders as well. Looking forward to more on Hoth! Great update.

 

The Rogue briefing was fabulous! I loved Mara?s entrance.

Men?s night and girls night?just shows that while yes these are soldiers, fighters, and leaders, they are all still human/sentient beings and need to act like ?normal? people at times and need to relax. Great job at showing that.

The ending scene with Luke and Mara was beautifully written. You managed to make me feel every emotion like it was my own.

Another great chapter!

 

Tastefully done... a little risque... but well done. And I too believe some things are worth waiting for...

 

Great scenes!


Loved all the boy and girl banter.


Dack is dating a Twi'lek? Way to go Dack!

 

LOL, poor Rogue pilots, there's not much action in ther girls, is there? Good Luke's following Zev's advice thought. Even if he's such a gentleman that he knows to keep his mouth anyway.


can you two please tell your astromechs to stop driving us crazy??

Luke and Mara shared a glance. ?Sure, but I don?t know if it?ll do any good,? Mara said. ?Artoo?s got Luke?s attitude.?

?And Red?s got Mara's sass,? Luke retorted.

Tycho clasped a hand on Wedge?s shoulder. ?And we wonder where their droids get it."



Luke?s eyes widened. ?You mean she?s??? Everyone nodded. ?Oh. Well, now certain things make a lot more sense...?

The laughter grew louder and Tycho shook his head in disbelief. He would never understand how the commanding officer of Rogue Squadron had turned out to be the most innocent one of the group.
Oh, Luke, you're learning all the time...
And the girls are steaming Leia about Han... excellent, excellent The teasing about "You?re just saying that 'cause you don?t want to hear about Mara having sex with your old crush" made me lol too!


Luke's so sweet and I'm so proud he pulled back! (of course he did ) The entire scene was fun and well written - though I don't follow why they 'can do' one thing but not the other - but that's probably a cultural thing again . Anyway, I liked that they could find a way to get closer and that's really what' it's all about!

As ginchy was mentioning, there was some stuff about Luke & Vader taht I too saw foreshadowed here, so I truly wish Luke & Mara to have all the joy together as they can!



I'd like to give a big THANK YOU to everyone who nominated Alliance of Heroes for the Saga fanfiction awards.
You deserve it!!!

 

Ah, Rogues. Fantastic.

The men's night, and the women's night... both gossiping (about themselves AND each other). A wonderful spot of humanity and community there.

And poor Mara. Don't listen to those crazy women (except maybe Leia and Winter, they usually have good advice). Waiting is not a crime, and if no one else understands that, that is their problem. And if Luke didn't respect that... well, then he wouldn't be our dear Farmboy, would he? And he wouldn't be worth it.

Excellent update!