Beyond - Legends Odd Kind Of Honeymoon - Luke/Mara - COMPLETE 24th March

Great story! I'm sure it will take a lot of time, and probably many more bruises, before Mara's used to Luke sleeping next to her. Love how she's learning more about Luke all the time too.

 

Mara elbowing Luke out of bed is absolutely priceless. I love Luke having some surprisingly inventive curses, too. Luke's so cute when he's teasing Mara. Poor Mara, though - she's trying so hard to be a good wife, and it's very different from anything else she's done. You've done a beautiful job expressing how they're slowly getting used to each other, and the newness of marriage.

 

I like the thought process you're giving Mara. Not just the 'my way only skywalker because I don't feel stuff naive boy' that you often get in pro-fic.

Much cuteness.

 

I love the expressiveness and imagery in your writing, especially in your descriptions of how Luke and Mara are finding out new things about each other.

Thank goodness they'll be sleeping on the ground for a few nights. Luke won't fall out of bed when she elbows him again.

 

ginchy: Luke does seem to have taken more than his share of injuries over the years? Thanks!

RebelMom: LOL, that?s very true. Maybe Luke should consider wearing some kind of padding to bed, just in case? Thank you.

Rynne: Oh, my. Thank you for the kind words. I?m fond of this story, so it means a lot that it rings true in terms of the journey Luke and Mara are taking together. And that?s quite a compliment, coming from someone with such a beautiful writing style, so thank you again. Glad you?re enjoying the story.

Jedi Trace: He?s very easy to love, isn?t he? Thanks for the feedback.

RedGold: Mm, it?s not a healthy habit of Mara?s. Especially for Luke. Thanks for reading.

JadeLotus: Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the post.

TKeira_Lea : Well, it?s great to have you along. Welcome, and thank you!

VaderLVR64: Especially when you?re a highly independent ex-smuggler? Thank you!

mavjade: So long as I get a reply, I?m happy. Sounds like you and Mara might share some similarities? Thanks for the feedback.

StarFighter5: That?s pretty much what I?m aiming for. Characters who have human traits ? anxiety and insecurities and doubts ? always seem far more interesting than superhuman-type characters who never experience such things. Or that?s how I feel, anyway. Glad you enjoyed the post.

Yodan: I guess you could say that? More is coming!

Jedi_Tigris: Very true! Thanks for the feedback.

Gabri: Thank you! The whole 'wife' thing isn?t as easy as Mara expected, no doubt.

SpiritofEowyn: Mara?s a tricky character to look at. Glad you like my take on her, and thanks for the feedback.

Jedi-2B: LOL, I didn?t think of that! Luke must be relieved. And thank you!

 

---

The following days passed quickly. They travelled mostly by morning and afternoon, avoiding the searing heat of midday where they could. Luke gave up his fires as they travelled further into the desert, and Mara noted subtle signs around dawn and dusk: he watched shadows carefully, and his hands grew more still, making each movement precise. He was wary; she was warier, scanning for movement amongst the dunes.

He must have noticed her sudden caution, because he assured her the Raiders were rare in this part of the desert ? apparently they preferred the rocky Jundland Wastes on the other side of Anchorhead.

?So why are [i]you[/i] watching shadows?? she asked narrowly.

He cleared his throat, and didn?t attempt to reassure her again.

Speeding under the double suns on the third day of their journey, Mara glimpsed a bulky shape far away on the horizon, wavering with heat and distance. Pulling herself higher in the seat, she narrowed her eyes. Sometimes the eyes rebelled against the sameness of the landscape by throwing up odd shapes and images, but this one showed no sign of flickering to nothing. A rock outcropping? No, the shape wasn?t right. Too angular.

The metal edge of the windshield was hot against her stomach through the fabric of her tunic as she leaned forward. The wind riffled hot and dry through her drawn-back hair. ?Luke?? she asked. ?You know what that is??

?Hm?? Luke, staring somewhere off ahead, blinked and followed the line of her finger. ?Probably an old wreck. There are a few out here.?

?Wreck? A landspeeder, you mean?? What an ugly way to die.

He shook his head. ?Spaceship. In the old days, before the Empire, battles between pirates and rival smugglers would often spill into the atmosphere. The loser ended up part of the landscape, so to speak. You come across them every so often.? Despite his matter-of-fact tone, he was eyeing the distant wreck with barely-concealed interest.

Mara bent and rummaged through the scattered belongings at her feet for the macrobinoculars, raising them to examine the shape. ?It is a ship,? she confirmed. ?Crashed hard, from the look of it.?

?We might as well take a look. In fact, it?s probably a good idea.?

Something in his tone woke alarm bells; Mara lowered the macrobinoculars to check his expression. There wasn?t much there. ?Problem??

?Maybe. I think a storm?s brewing.?

?Oh?? Mara glanced around and saw only flat sand and endless sky. ?And you know this how???

?That faint haze over the horizon,? Luke explained. ?And there?s a certain smell. Kind of sharp and dry.?

Mara couldn?t smell anything, and had to squint to catch the haze he referred to. But then she hadn?t been raised on featureless plains where sandstorms were sudden and often deadly. ?If you say so.?

?I do.? He quirked an eyebrow. ?If I?m wrong, at least we?ve got an interesting detour.?

?Ah yes. A rusting old wreck.?

?I know you?re secretly intrigued.?

?Am I??

?Absolutely.?

Mara sighed. There wasn?t much she could say to that. ?Sometimes you?re insufferable.?

?Thank you.?

She flicked him a glance, and he smiled. Mara narrowed her eyes at the horizon. It was all right, she consoled herself. Her payback could wait?

[hr]

So they lay staring at the underside of a rusting ancient spaceship as sand-laden winds howled past a mere few metres away. The storm was so furious that it seemed like night: the light of the suns was blotted so thoroughly it was as though they didn?t exist.

?What kind of ship was it, I wonder? And did any of the crew survive the crash?? Mara startled herself, speaking the random musings aloud. The hiss of sand over sand was eerie; it sounded as though it had no end. It seemed to fill the world?

Luke shifted a little closer at her side, his voice soft. ?You think it?s haunted? They always used to say the desert ate the souls of those it took.?

Mara scowled in the semi-darkness. That sounded like a line. ?If you?re trying to get me to snuggle, you?re going about it the wrong way.?

?I can try.? He leaned

 

Sand, shadows, Luke, and Mara. I can only imagine what thoughts one would have when surrounded by nothing but sand all day. Really enjoy Mara's thoughts on their future...so frustrating that they're so close to so much death, darkness, and despair...and they have no idea. But, I guess that's the way of it.

At least they have each other.

 

Wonderful update. I loved Mara's reflections on the what-might-have-beens and what-might-not-have-beens. So accurate. And some great L/M banter thrown in is always appreciated.

 

Wonderful!

Great update... nice little moments and thoughts on Mara's end.

 

Awesome update!

?Sometimes you?re insufferable.?
?Thank you.?
What a comeback!

I loved Mara's musings about Luke and how he gives and gives getting nothing in return!

...she dreamt disturbing dreams of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Luke against a galaxy of stars that winked out one by one in a tide that crept ever closer;
*shutters* This dream really freaked me out

I can't wait for more!

 

The sandstorm was a nice added touch. More of an opportunity to get into Mara's head.

 

ginchy: There isn?t really a lot to occupy you in the desert, is there? I suppose you?d get pretty sick of the sight of sand after a while? And there are a few challenges ahead for these guys. Like you said, at least they?ll be facing them together.

Thanks for your feedback.

Jedi-2B: Thank you! Luke and Mara banter is always fun to write. Glad you enjoyed the update.

RedGold: It seemed a good moment for some late-night musing? Thanks for the reply.

mavjade: I was trying to hint at the Vong war in the dream. That in itself is pretty frightening to consider, I suppose. And I liked Luke?s comeback as well. Thanks for reading!

StarFighter5: True. And Mara's thoughts are generally worth a look, especially if she's musing on her new husband. Thanks for the feedback.



DRL permitting, the next update should be posted within the next couple of days. Thanks for the replies!

 

Love the fic (as I like all your other material )

(psst is there going to be another post for splinters at any point?)

 

As one who, like Luke, spent the first eighteen years of my life growing up in a desert, many thoughts are either focused on getting away or are daydreams.

Anyway, another wonderful chapter!

I love how they're learning about each other, their reactions, what they should say and should not, like Luke reassuring Mara that there's nothing to worry about, even though she noticed his wariness.

?I know you?re secretly intrigued.?

?Am I??

?Absolutely.?

Mara sighed. There wasn?t much she could say to that. ?Sometimes you?re insufferable.?

?Thank you.?

I loved that whole exchange, the bantering that is one of the reasons I love this couple so much. And the light-heartedness that is still so much a part of Luke, despite the solemnity that his life brings, comes out around Mara, and that he feels free enough with her udo banter like that...I've always loved it, and you've got it down perfectly.

The sand trickled between his fingers and flew away in a spray of gold-red, caught in the remnant breeze and the glow of the now-dying suns.

A beautiful image! Your imagery is one of the things I like best about your writing--you have such an ability to take words and string them into sentences like a strand of pearls, elegant and shining.

And the paragraph about Luke's hand, with Mara understanding that it's the kind of loss that has to be experienced to be truly understood, and her acknowledgement that perhaps she would never know what he saw whenever he looked at it...lovely insight.

Would she, Mara was forced to wonder, have overcome her own strange melding of stubbornness, conceit, and apprehension to approach him herself, rather than watching him fumble through his self-created mire at a distance?

I'm glad Mara thought about that, her own role in the prolonging of their strange courtship. I remember reading Visions of the Future and being frustrated when Mara put all the blame on Luke for them spending ten years barely friends. *sigh* I'm glad that Mara acknowledged that she had some part in that, even if as only wondering what she would have done had Nirauan not happened.

Lovely chapter, and I can't wait for more!

 

Luke gave up his fires as they travelled further into the desert, and Mara noted subtle signs around dawn and dusk: he watched shadows carefully, and his hands grew more still, making each movement precise. He was wary; she was warier, scanning for movement amongst the dunes.

Very good, to have Mara catching such subtleties.

?So why are you watching shadows?? she asked narrowly.

He cleared his throat, and didn?t attempt to reassure her again.

Busted.

Luke shifted a little closer at her side, his voice soft. ?You think it?s haunted? They always used to say the desert ate the souls of those it took.?

Mara scowled in the semi-darkness. That sounded like a line. ?If you?re trying to get me to snuggle, you?re going about it the wrong way.?

Great exchange. That is so Mara.

Sometimes she went for months without being able to sleep properly, never for a solid reason ? at least, never one that deigned to raise itself from the restive murk of her unconscious.

I really like this part. I can see Mara having to deal with things like unexplained sleeplessness. The poor girl got so scrambled mentally and emotionally growing up, it's a miracle she's even functional, let alone as well-adjusted as she's managed to become.

She far preferred the Luke Skywalker she?d rediscovered at Nirauan, infuriating and illogical in all his uncertainty and ego, to the carefully composed stranger who?d greeted her at the academy on her passing visits in the years previous.

Me too.

Rubbing her eyes as Luke teased her ? he seemed never to have lost his farmer?s internal clock and had no problem rising at horrendously early hours, to her disgust -

"Damn morning people, annoying, cheerful, energetic morning people. People better off dead. Shoot them just on principle. Blaster, near. Shoot. No. Stay. In bed. Forever. My place, my bed. Mine, mine."

Sorry, but every time I read a story where Mara doesn't like early mornings I remember that passage. Not least because it sums up my own attitude so perfectly.

Beautifully written as always, my dear.

 

Hehehe. I love your replies, Gabi. They're so loooooonnnnggg.

I love this story! It's done so well! Keep it up!

Emmi

 

jade51999: Thank you! And I'd kind of forgotten about poor old Splinters... I hate to neglect a story that way - I'll have to see if I can figure out a way to continue it. Thanks for the reply.

Rynne: As one who, like Luke, spent the first eighteen years of my life growing up in a desert, many thoughts are either focused on getting away or are daydreams.

So you're a desert dweller? That must come in handy when writing Luke. I'm making an assumption or two, not really having first hand experience myself...

I loved that whole exchange, the bantering that is one of the reasons I love this couple so much. And the light-heartedness that is still so much a part of Luke, despite the solemnity that his life brings, comes out around Mara, and that he feels free enough with her udo banter like that...I've always loved it, and you've got it down perfectly.

I don't think banter is one of my stronger areas, so thank you. It's good when an exchange comes off right. And their banter is a lot of fun.

A beautiful image! Your imagery is one of the things I like best about your writing--you have such an ability to take words and string them into sentences like a strand of pearls, elegant and shining.

Thank you! You have quite a skill for that yourself, from what I've seen...

I'm glad Mara thought about that, her own role in the prolonging of their strange courtship. I remember reading Visions of the Future and being frustrated when Mara put all the blame on Luke for them spending ten years barely friends. *sigh* I'm glad that Mara acknowledged that she had some part in that, even if as only wondering what she would have done had Nirauan not happened.

'Strange courtship' does describe it well. And admitting potential flaws or lapses of judgement perhaps isn't Mara's best area... but she would have to realise that there were hangups on both parts that made the relationship between of them so - um, unique?

Thanks for the feedback. Glad you're enjoying the story.

Gabri: Very good, to have Mara catching such subtleties.

She's good at that.

I really like this part. I can see Mara having to deal with things like unexplained sleeplessness. The poor girl got so scrambled mentally and emotionally growing up, it's a miracle she's even functional, let alone as well-adjusted as she's managed to become.

That's what I figure. Considering everything she's been through, the occasional bout of insomnia is fairly understandable.

"Damn morning people, annoying, cheerful, energetic morning people. People better off dead. Shoot them just on principle. Blaster, near. Shoot. No. Stay. In bed. Forever. My place, my bed. Mine, mine."

Sorry, but every time I read a story where Mara doesn't like early mornings I remember that passage. Not least because it sums up my own attitude so perfectly.

Ah, the indescribable goodness of Stuff. I feel Mara's pain as well.

Thanks for the reply!

EmilieDarklighter: And authors always love looooong replies too. Glad you're enjoying the story, and thank you for the feedback!

 

And cue the happy couple's arrival in Mos Eisley...

---

Mos Eisley was larger than Mos Espa had been, less run-down but somehow far seedier. It lay between rocky rises: the outer edges of the craggy and unforgiving Jundland Wastes, Luke told her. The city sprawled in two untidy sections, old and new and virtually indistinguishable.

The traffic running through the city appeared to consist largely of landspeeders, Jawas and humans on various mounts, and a variety of droid-run smaller transports ? all moving apparently without any uniform system of road rules or regulation. Luke coasted through the chaos with relative ease, eliciting a profanity or two from passersby who seemed to judge it their duty to impede the flow. He shook his head as they passed a hobbled old woman who shook her fist and bellowed, ?Slow down!? ? ?I swear the same woman used to tell me off in Anchorhead twenty years ago,? he muttered ? and swore under his breath as a spindly droid piloting a squat transport swerved wildly into the flow of traffic before them. Mara tamped down a smile.

They stayed four nights in Mos Eisley, in an inn with an actual refresher and real beds. While in the desert, portable ?fresher kits had sufficed for their hygiene needs ? but, Mara reflected, however effective the things were, they just couldn?t recreate the clean feeling of washing in real water. Luke seemed vaguely uneasy, and Mara was sure he felt guilty on some level as though the lush refresher unit was wasteful. He refused to admit anything when she prodded, though; Mara limited her time under the water, in any case.

Really, he hadn?t needed to go to such lengths ? she would have been content with far more basic lodgings. Surely he knew that? Mara considered saying so, but decided against it. Luke could be inexplicably touchy about such things, she?d found. A comment now would probably sound like a criticism or complaint, which would be ungracious considering his effort to please her... as perplexing as that effort was.

Mara gave up and decided to just enjoy it.

The next few days were leisurely: Luke showed her some of the sights of Mos Eisley? or what qualified as such, on Tatooine. They walked through the markets in the newer quarter of the city, trying to guess which stallholders were hawking shadier goods beneath the glossy outlander-oriented front on display. Probably all of them, Mara thought. Despite the seeming innocuousness of the newer sections of the town, there was a darkness that ran somewhere not far beneath the surface. Mara had been in enough sinkholes in her life to sense it, a feeling that had nothing to do with the Force and everything to do with instinct and survival.

They received a few odd propositions as they walked ? particularly towards the darkening hours ? but saw nothing overly sinister. Mara had opportunity to note as she?d noted many times before Luke?s strange ability to be at once utterly unthreatening, and yet to allow an edge of something else that said, softly but certainly, [i]Don?t mess with me.[/i]

Her own edge was, she liked to think, somewhat less subdued. But between them both they presented a discouraging enough front that no thieves or muggers approached in the darkness to ruin their evening stroll.

Luke showed her the old wreck that the community of Mos Eisley had originally sprung itself around, and told her the story of its past: that somewhere in history?s mists, an immense vessel named the [i]Dowager Queen[/i] had crashed into the rocky sand of the Grand Mesa Plateau. The survivors, having lived through fire and fury, had little choice but to eke a living from the dead soil around the skeleton of their ship. They?d settled around the ruins, first themselves, then their children, then their children?s children. The city of Mos Eisley ensued. As the city?s trade and docking facilities grew, smugglers and outlaws found it an amenable place for those seeking anonymity, and so it came to be known as the pirate city? eventually outranking the ancient settlement at Anchorhead, close by Tatoo

 

Hmmm...wonder if I'll get in first again? LOL I think it's because I get to work and eat my breakfast while reading fanfic. Start my day off right, you know?

And what a lovely way to start my day, today. Luke and Mara are just wonderful, and I loved the scene of them, near the water. Loved Luke wondering if Owen had brought Beru there. And Jabba's Palace, and Callista....eek! Wonder what the next chapter will bring us...?

Great job, as usual!

 

All marriages need work... looks like this one is on the right road...


... mostly

 

I read fanfic at work whilst eating breakfast too, ginchy! Now I won't feel so guilty anymore.

Geez, K_A, this fic just gets better and better. This is what I wish the profic was like. Did you secretly take a trip to the GFFA to go spy on our favorite couple, because you share Oba's proclivity for writing like you personally know these people!

 

Squee!

So cute!

And man so romantic--lets go see Jabba's Palace..oh and FYI how about bringing Callista into the mix..

awkward silence

that was great.

I love how they're so comfortable with each other,yest still adjusting
And her getting drunk! HA!

 

Wonderful chapter K_A. I really feel like i'm on this journey with Luke and Mara, if that makes sense? Their reactions and interactions are so real.

Luke seemed vaguely uneasy, and Mara was sure he felt guilty on some level as though the lush refresher unit was wasteful.

That's a great insight into Luke, that even after all of this time, he can't shake the habits of his youth. For him to cope this this uneasiness in order to improve the trip for Mara speaks volumes. I'm sure he knew that she would have been content with less, but he wants to treat her, all the same.

I love the imagery and meaning in the rockpool.

?I can remember the water, and my uncle. Not his words, exactly, but that he seemed ? well, almost reverent.? A pause, oddly pensive. Then Luke added, ?I suppose this was the most water he ever saw.?

Mara watched the light dance over the water. After a while, Luke sat by her side. ?There?s something very sad about that,? he murmured, very softly: more to himself than to her, Mara thought.

I love the way you're able to bring in little deatils and references like that which enhance the story so beautifully. When you think about it, Owen did have a sheltered and difficult life, and Luke realising tha probably helps him understand Owen's motivations and demeanor a bit more.

Can't wait to see what they dredge up in Jabba's Palace...


Edit: Forgot to say that "willowy" is just the perfect word to describe Callista.

 

I think that out of all of the chapters, I've enjoyed this one the most. Luke and Mara have a most interesting/entertaining relation ship.

 

I just love the way you write Luke and Mara! It is so sweet of Luke to bring her to all these places on Tatooine, even though it is obviously causing him some discomfort. I think maybe it is like a last visit to his past so he can move on for the future though. And I guess it also helps Mara learn more about his past. Of course, it helps that this is somewhere they can spend time together without being recognized!

Wonderful job! I love the descriptions, especially in the section about the little pond or well. Can't wait to see what's at Jabba's Palace.