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

Wonderful update!

I loved them going to the cantinia where Luke and Han first met!

A pause, oddly pensive. Then Luke added, ?I suppose this was the most water he ever saw.?
That made me really sad, the way he said it!

?Ulterior motives?? Mara murmured.
Well they are on their honeymoon!

It?s a good thing we have a lifetime, Mara reflected ruefully. This marriage thing is going to take some work.
Of Course! All relationships take work, no matter what kind!

I can't wait for more!

 

Very nice!
The banter and reflection on their relationship is wonderfully balanced.

 

Great update, memories of Callista not withstanding.

 

yeah, another Luke & Mara story from Knight Aragorn. Will there be squibs in this?

 

What a super post. At first I could not really figure out why Luke took Mara to Tatooine for their Honeymoon in the first place. Now I get it! She is learning about his foundation and what truely makes him the man she loves. Am I close or have I still missed it? I am so proud of Mara not going super nova when Callista is brought up. One more thing that I have noticed. Why does Luke keep putting his hand on Mara's tummy. Is it just his way of showing affection or is he looking for a little one. Great to have you writing again it is always a pleasure noble Knight.

 

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.

I'm really proud of Mara for being emotionally mature enough to realize that. Lots of people with more normal, nurturing backgrounds than hers would miss something that subtle.

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, Don?t mess with me.

I know I mentioned this earlier, but it's worth repeating. I think you hit on an integral part of who Luke is, and somehow found exactly the perfect words to describe it.

Her own edge was, she liked to think, somewhat less subdued.

It amuses me greatly that Mara takes pride in being plainly threatening. Perfectly understandable, of course, but still rather amusing.

?Which just shows how insane you can be at times, Skywalker.?

He looked at her a moment, then showed her a slow, full smile ? she swore he turned that on just to spite her, sometimes. It always threw her utterly off-balance. ?Things worked out in the end, didn?t they??

You sure do write romantic Luke well. You get all those little nuances that show exactly how much he loves Mara, with the serious, lifelong love of a husband for a wife.

What right did any of them, that undefined mass that sat in judgement

Again, exactly the perfect words. That definition of "them" should be in the dictionary.

Mara laughed until she choked, somewhat ungraciously.

Luke looked at her and smiled. ?You?re drunk.?

?I am not,? she said, indignant.

His smile widened. ?You think you?re not. I told you that stuff was strong.?

It's so adorable that Luke gets the opportunity to be smug like this. You know, you've got to give the guy credit. It's affectionate smugness. That makes all the difference.

Mara shook her head at him chidingly, and he smiled. Together, they watched the dark waters ripple gently under the brilliance of the cerulean sky above, harboured by the durability of ancient rock walls.

Closing her eyes, Mara listened to the gentle lapping of the water against its sedimentary prison. Luke ran his fingertips down her arm, and Mara leaned against his shoulder.



Sitting on the other side of the bed, Mara tilted her head and frowned. After a few seconds, Luke leaned and prodded her leg. ?Hello??

She glared at him. ?I?m thinking.? For a Jedi Master, he could be exceptionally impatient. It was a point she would have to note next time he extolled the quality at her in that insufferably righteous tone he was liable to take on such occasions?

?Sometime this year,? Luke muttered as he leaned back over his map.

I really love this part.

It?s a good thing we have a lifetime, Mara reflected ruefully. This marriage thing is going to take some work.

Ah, but they'll figure it out.

 

Missed a chapter.

I just love the warmth between L & M in this story. It's tangible without being sappy, if that makes sense.


?My,? Mara purred. ?I never knew flying sand would bring out the romantic in you, farmboy.?

Luke laughed quietly, his body warm against hers through the softness of their clothes. ?You bring out the romantic in me,? he murmured into her ear.

Mara snorted gently. ?Like that?s hard to do.? But she lifted her hands and wound them through his hair, looking into his eyes that were the colour of a sky she currently couldn?t see. He kissed her lips softly, and they lay together in the semi-dark.

*sighs*



?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.

That's wonderful! I can imagine a teenage Luke got quite a few similar comments, LOL.


Looking forward to Jabba's Palace!

 

Have now had a chance to read all installments thus far and I really like the descriptions of newly married life between L&M, the awkwardness, learning, adjustments, and new discoveries and realizations. Loved the mara elbowing Luke in the night scene! priceless. and her learning how much he knows about Tattoine life just having grown up there.

And your discussion about Mara feeling protected - which is mostly a foreign and new feeling, yet it must be comforting and feel good to her. I've always thought this about Mara, she has always had to be "on guard" to varying degrees, but when you're hanging around with Luke Skywalker you don't have to be on guard as much or at all, and when you're married to him, it must be positively liberating. She knows he would and will protect her. And that is a nice feeling, to be able to rely upon someone else.

enjoying your writing as always. I do wish someone would write a good Luke and Mara and squibs story.

 

Have now had a chance to read all installments thus far and I really like the descriptions of newly married life between L&M, the awkwardness, learning, adjustments, and new discoveries and realizations. Loved the mara elbowing Luke in the night scene! priceless. and her learning how much he knows about Tattoine life just having grown up there.

And your discussion about Mara feeling protected - which is mostly a foreign and new feeling, yet it must be comforting and feel good to her. I've always thought this about Mara, she has always had to be "on guard" to varying degrees, but when you're hanging around with Luke Skywalker you don't have to be on guard as much or at all, and when you're married to him, it must be positively liberating. She knows he would and will protect her. And that is a nice feeling, to be able to rely upon someone else.

enjoying your writing as always. I do wish someone would write a good Luke and Mara and squibs story.

 

moving it up. sorry for the double post. Hope I didn't scare everyone away. that sith rumor is totally baseless...

 

Hello? I'm delurking to beg another postie. This is a great and loving, fun adventure, full of learning about each other. Characterization is perfect, as always.

 

Yes, I am alive? First off, I?m very sorry for the long delay in updating or even replies on this story. It?s not that I don?t appreciate feedback--I really do. DRL has just been somewhat crazy of late. So I apologise, and I do have a new post. But first some overdue replies..

ginchy: Reading fanfics over breakfast sounds like a great way to start the day off to me. As for the next chapter, it?s coming right up?

RedGold: Yes, mostly? Thanks for the feedback.

ThePariah: Good to know I have that creepy stalker vibe? Just kidding. Thanks very much for the comment. Glad you?re enjoying the story.

jade51999: Thank you! I think bringing Callista in in person on their honeymoon is just a little too cruel, even for me. Thanks for reading.

JadeLotus: Being on the journey with Luke and Mara makes perfect sense, and it?s great to hear, because that?s pretty much what I?m aiming for.

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.

Once a farmboy, always a farmboy? I don?t think Luke would let Mara settle for less ? I can see him being set on making the honeymoon as perfect for her as he can get it.

And I like the rockpool section too. I remember coming across a comic ages ago set during TPM that had some kind of reference to Anakin and Padme visiting a waterpool on Mos Espa?s outskirts, and I thought it might be fitting to work in an oblique parallel in this story with Luke and Mara?

Oh, and thanks for the comment about Callista being willowy. I?ve always thought the word fit her, as it has a very flighty kind of feel to it that suits.

Thank you for the feedback!

StarFighter5: They do indeed? Thanks for reading!

JediTigris: Believe it or not, Luke does have a purpose for all this. It will come out eventually? but I?m not telling. Great to hear that you?re enjoying the story so far.

mavjade: Well, a visit to Tatooine wouldn?t be complete without a stop at that particular cantina... Thanks for reading!

SpiritofEowyn: Thank you. Hopefully the reflections don?t get too boring? Who needs a plot, after all. Glad you?re enjoying the story.

Jedi-2B: I had to add it, if only to make Luke squirm. Thanks for reading!

GirlJedi: I have to admit I didn?t pay enough attention in Tatooine Ghost, because I can never figure out who those squib people the books refer to are? I?ll have to read the book again, I think. So no, none planned for the moment, sorry. Glad to have you reading though.

JEDIFLYSWATTER: Luke?s choice of locations for the honeymoon wasn?t random, but I?m not telling any more than that he does have a purpose. And no, I didn?t think of that explanation for the hand on the stomach thing! Just affection. Sorry to disappoint. Thanks for the feedback.

Gabri:I'm really proud of Mara for being emotionally mature enough to realize that. Lots of people with more normal, nurturing backgrounds than hers would miss something that subtle.

She?s definitely learning, and you can?t call Mara a slow learner. And I almost changed that section re Luke?s edge, because it didn?t feel right to me, so I?m glad that I left it.

It's so adorable that Luke gets the opportunity to be smug like this. You know, you've got to give the guy credit. It's affectionate smugness. That makes all the difference.

LOL, I guess so. Can?t see him passing up the opportunity any more than Mara would if things were the other way round, either.

Thanks for your com

 

And here it is. Luke and Mara were heading out to Jabba's Palace at the end of the last post, so we pick up from there, if anyone can remember...

---

The trip to Jabba?s Palace was long, but sped past in a blur of flat sand and gleaming skies. The landscape, such as it was, began to look more familiar to Mara as they neared the ancient structure. It had been over fifteen years since she?d last been there, and she had been rather preoccupied at the time, so she wasn?t certain whether the familiarity was real or a product of her imagination.

They arrived in the afternoon of a featureless steaming day. Heat rose off the sand in waves, almost visible in the still air as they crossed toward the door. Luke walked in front; Mara followed, shielding her eyes from the suns with one hand as she gazed up. She?d forgotten how [i]big[/i] the palace was, hulking against the sky like a small mountain. It was far more run-down than she remembered, but no less impressive for that.

A gust of wind blew around her. She?d taken in Mos Eisley to wearing the looser, plainer clothes of the native women: chiefly because they were more comfortable in the heat, though Luke had smiled an odd little smile when she?d first donned local garb. ?Melding, Mara?? he?d asked, and she was a little disconcerted by both the realisation that there was an old instinct at play, seeking camouflage; and by the way ever-candid Luke Skywalker had read her so quickly.

But those clothes hadn?t felt right here, so Mara had gone back to the litheness and efficiency of dark pants and sleeveless tunic with a matching bolero in dark green. Luke?s eyebrows had risen when she dressed, but he?d made no comment.

He walked ahead of her now, wearing tunic and trousers in a dark shade ? not black, but close. More like a deep grey, shadows in a cloudless night.

A spray of sand coloured the air between them momentarily, carried on a gust of wind. Mara looked up again at the palace rising above them.

Twenty-two she?d been, last she?d come here ? or somewhere thereabouts; she?d never been certain of her age, and Palpatine had never seen fit to inform her ? twenty-two, young and arrogant and so very stupid, raised and shaped to do her master?s bidding, without even the dignity of slavery to hold a semblance of autonomy. A pawn, she?d been, and she?d been proud of it. There were times when Mara thought that was the greatest injury of all.

And she?d come to this place, fifteen years ago, without any particular emotion at all. Kill a man who was her master?s enemy, a threat to his rule and sovereignty, an affront to order. That was her duty. That was all. She hadn?t even hated, then; not yet. That came after, when that man became her sole failure, and then her every failure as he destroyed the breakers of her carefully checked life.

She?d studied Luke Skywalker meticulously before the mission: for Mara Jade was always prepared. She knew he came from the wastes of Tatooine, from a farm that barely rated in a planet full of tedium. She knew he?d accompanied the hoary old Jedi Vader had killed on the Death Star, rescued the traitor Organa, and been instrumental in the destruction of the Death Star and the murder of Imperial personnel there. He?d been a Rebel pilot ? an exceptional one, Imperial commanders grudgingly admitted ? founding and commanding the notorious Rogue Squadron that caused the Empire so much inconvenience. He was Force-sensitive to some degree, an aspiring Jedi, agents of disorder and treachery in themselves. He?d fought Vader on Bespin, and there things grew complicated. Vader severed his hand, but then ? this last conveyed in personal conference with the Emperor ? then, the traitorous Sith had tried to entice Skywalker to join him in overthrowing the Emperor.

Whether Skywalker had agreed was uncertain, but? he was a Jedi, after all?

So Palpatine had played her like putty. So she came to Jabba?s Palace in dancer?s garb, painted and deadly and filled with righteousness, waiting for the moment Skywalker would surface and w

 

Loved the VOTF reference!

and the Luke of now, her Luke, standing in dark grey, his head lowered, his pose thoughtful. A little heavier, a lot older, wiser and more weary

what do you mean, heavier? I am picturing Luke with a beer belly or something like that, it's a funny thought though.

Great chapter!

 

I also loved the VOTF reference. I was also touched by Luke's major regret being wasting and missing out on ten years with Mara. That is also my biggest regret with them. I empathized with Mara's purging of her demons. I felt her coming to grips, in her inimitable, courageous way. That's one of the things I love about her. Thanks for capturing it so perfectly. BTW, this was worth the wait. Where can the story go from here? Have they learned as much as they can or will? If so, I'm sorry to see the story end; if not, that means it can only get more emotionally compelling from here. *roots for the second choice)

 

Oh, this was a great chapter! Loved how Luke kept asking about the mental demons that don't exist. Hee, hee. And the ending, with Mara asking about Byss and Luke meaning something else entirely, was perfect. Just shows how strongly that weighs on her mind...not just Luke's.

?That?s a little difficult?? Luke leaned closer and adjusted the blanket she?d draped around herself, tucking it up around her shoulders. ?I?m used to being in there now.?



Great update!

 

Gabri told me I should give this a gander, so here I be, and boy am I glad.

I really like this story so far. You have quite a way with description and imagery. And you write the characters really well. This story fully engaged me.

Wonderful, wonderful start. Count me in for the rest!

 

I'm too ineloquent at the moment to comment on details, but just know that you've made my rainy, uneventful Friday a million times warmer and fuzzier. It just doesn't get better than this.


...well, until you write the next installment.

 

Married they might be, but she would rather die than let him fight her battles for her.
***
She showed him a look. ?I?m fine.?

?Yes, but you always say that. You could be dying and you?d say that.?

Both these passages are proof of how you've got Mara's character nailed so perfectly. The canon authors could take a lesson.

Great chapter! And so appropriate that I just happened to have the radio drama with the Jabba's scene playing right now, complete with 3PO talking to 'Arica.'

 

I missed so many updates! I need to come to beyond more often...

The updates I did miss were wonderful, and I loved this line: ?And I told you I can handle a strong drink.? The room was a little unsteady.

I can't wait for more!

 

Nice to see you've updated this. You make you characterization of Luke and Mara so very realistic.

 

Great update!

I love how they went back and exlored the past a bit.

Lots of closure going on here... or trying to at least...

 

Twenty-two she?d been, last she?d come here ? or somewhere thereabouts; she?d never been certain of her age, and Palpatine had never seen fit to inform her ? twenty-two, young and arrogant and so very stupid, raised and shaped to do her master?s bidding, without even the dignity of slavery to hold a semblance of autonomy. A pawn, she?d been, and she?d been proud

I really love the insight into Mara in this chapter - the reflection on her own life and the changes in her - her growth and gradual wisdom. Luke's too. There was very much a sense of acceptance with her and Luke coming to terms with the people (children, really) they were then and with who they became. Loved it!

 

Mmm cute. Yay faced demons.

Spawned a few plot bunnies.

 

You know what part moved me? The introspection in Jabba's Grand Chamber..particularly the comparison between the two very distinct phases in their lives..

He turned, and for a moment as he looked at her, there was a flicker of oddness about his eyes, some unspoken question, some unrealised concern. Crossing to where she stood on the raised lip at the edge of the room, he lifted his hand to her? His hand, now: a husband?s hand, tender. His hand, then: an enemy?s hand, loathed. He waited there in the half-light.

Nice.
Very well done.