Beyond - Legends Realizing my Heart's Fondest Dream. (DDC 2020)

#7

Coalitions and alliances amongst the various independent trading organizations came and went, but Karrde was interested in consolidating his group of contacts he could trust. He was an astute judge of character and those who carried out business with honesty and candor were the type he was looking for.

He had met Shirlee Faughn - captain of the Starry Ice - and wanted to make her part of our circle of contacts.

I met her and agreed with his assessment.

Then, my path crossed an old acquaintance, someone who was running an underground market for phony Corusca gems. He was Jouren Ceryss.

He asked me if I wanted to join in the trade or at the very least, let it pass.

I had more than a pang of conscience, to be candid, which I never would have guessed would be my response.

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phony gems, she shouldn't get into that trade

 

#8

When I told Jouren Ceryss I would not be joining his venture, he gave me a "Your loss," kind of glower, as if he thought I'd be losing out on a lot of adventure and even more credits.

It took me a long time after the death f the Emperor for me to scrabble out a new existence, a new sense of self, and I wasn't about to throw that away.

Karrde's estimation and my own for me apparently weighed heavier than I realized.

What surprised me even more is that I might have accidentally let slip about Mr. Ceryss during a HoloComm chat with Mirax Horn, with whom I kept in touch. I knew her husband Corran still had CorSec contacts, and if she incidentally told him what I told her ...

I am not developing an altruistic tendency, of course not.

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Mara is great making the right decision

 

#9

Ghent and I regularly shared second or third meal together. I had some knowledge and interest in slicing since I had to know of such things while working as the Emperor's Hand and uncovering hidden cyber trails.

I discussed with him the ins and outs of frustrating tech on backrocket worlds or strategies to offset jamming either intentional or otherwise.

Ghent frequently seemed to be lost in a fog - relishing the intricacies of esoteric codes. I could empathize with that sort of singleminded attention. Of course, my objective was different from his, but the intensity was the same.

*

When I purchased the Jade's Fire, I let Karrde and crew know I would be freelancing more often. I caught a glimmer of something in Ghent's eyes at that disclosure ... regret, wistfulness?

I must be imagining things ...

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Love how Ghent comes to life

 

#10

I was supposed to meet with Mirax for an information exchange, but I got stuck on a backrocket world and caught something viral. They gave me bacta for 3 days.

It was a nasty thing, gave me fever, chills, and auditory hallucinations.

I was late for the meet-up with Mirax, so she contacted Karrde who told her where I was.

Word went from Mirax to Corran and then to Luke.

When I surfaced, I found concerned messages from all of them!

I was surprised Luke had commed, but when I sent a group reply that I was fine, he sent me a reply message full of relieved smiles.

When I expressed my surprise, he said with his unfailing easy manner: "That's what friends do."

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Mara and her virus and getting 'that' message from Luke after she recovered

 

This is an impromptu gift for the amazing @divapilot. !!!

#11

I am not a gushy type, anyone who knows me even slightly knows that fact beyond dispute or doubt.
But when Ghent showed me the five moons of Baroli as they are in rare times in close proximity to one another, in varying phases of waxing and full, in their lovely colors, I came very close to enthusing.

We were visiting his home world because his childhood friend had asked him to attend his joining ceremony.

"It's not something that is highly attended," Ghent explained. "Usually just close friends and family, so it's an honor to be asked."

The joining ceremony itself, and the celebration afterwards, would take place during this rare junction of moons. The experience was moving, simple and eloquent. I found myself wondering and indulging in a very rare moment of speculation. Would I ever find someone that cared enough about me to join their life to mine, to share the highs and lows?

And why, by the Force, did an image of Luke's vibrant blue eyes and infectious grin flash across my mind?

Especially when I knew, stang it, that the Force doesn't do coincidences.

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EEEK look at this! Look at this! You are the best!

The beautiful moons of Baroli! I have gotten behind in EVERYTHING and I apologize for not keeping up here. But you did a nice job in having Mara wonder whether some day she might be enjoying a "joining ceremony" of their own.

 

Watching moons and getting that image of Luke, that's nice

 

Understatement of the year goes to Mara Jade!

And aww, Ghent! That's so sweet of him to invite her; he's really a treasure. And there are no coincidences, because the natural beauty (lovely incorporation of the five moons there!) combined with the significance of the joining ceremony does seem to spark some associations for Mara...

 

And why, by the Force, did an image of Luke's vibrant blue eyes and infectious grin flash across my mind?

Especially when I knew, stang it, that the Force doesn't do coincidences.

That´s because Luke is your destiny, woman. And you are more stricken of them then you want to admit.

 

#12

I was supposed to meet Mirax on Borleias for a quick information exchange. She never showed. That was not like her.

I felt a pang of keen concern. Besides being a reliable contact, she was a good friend, one of the few I could and did unwind with.

I contacted Horn over the holocomm and asked him about Mirax.

A sharp spike of apprehension came through the Force and lit his eyes. "I don't know, Jade. She's ... gone missing."

"What the kark?"

"Is this channel secure?"

"As secure as Ghent can make it." I answered crisply.

Then he told me she'd been kidnapped by the Invid pirates.

I felt my gut clench.

"Let me help," was all I said, and the relief and gratitude that showed in his expression was as tangible as the earlier anxiety had been.

 

A tense situation for the Horns and her/ I hope she will be able to help

 

Oh, no. A missing!

I hope this can be solved soon!

 

#13

With help from the Rogues and Iella Antilles who had an undercover agent in the pirate cell, we were able to turn the pirate trap back on the culprits and Mirax and Corran were reunited.

I had helped with my knowledge of infiltration and false codes and my lightsaber also came in handy.

As a beaming, grateful Mirax was squeezed breathless by Corran, I felt an unexpected, unfamiliar pang.

Corran said: "We don't know how to thank you, Jade. Or the Antilles."

"No thanks needed." I answered, trying to sound curt, but I smiled, nonetheless.

 

Corran and Mirax united with help from Mara; great

 

Mara, "the dating assistant" and maker of happy endings.

 

#14

It was only due to my loyalty and business affiliation with Karrde that I agreed to team up with Lando Calrissian and look for a former cohort of Talon's, a Jorj Car'das.

They had been colleagues and Talon was always wary of his resurgence.

We had been conducting the search on and off for several years and finally ran him to ground on a backrocket world.

When I reported this to Karrde, he thanked me and sat on the information for later use.

I was glad that my undercover ruse was over, I must admit.

During our hunt, Lando and I had to pose as a couple. Something he did not mind.

I will not deny he knew some of the better places to take a lady for a "date," but I could have done without his flirting.

A few months after this ended, the Holonet started to buzz with the news that he was taking a lady out exclusively, a Tendra Risant.

This gave me no small bit of relief.

 

Lando always after the ladies.

 

Lol! Lando is such a flirt. He can’t help it.

Mara is having such adventures! Pirates, kidnappings, nasty viruses...but she’s a tough one. And all through it, the image of Luke is never far from her mind.

 

#15

I got a holocall from the Horns less than a week ago. They were full of excitement over recent finds on Ossus, related to the first (supposed) Jedi temple as well as a group of Force sensitives, the Ysannans.

Corran said, "I need hardly tell you Luke was thrilled!"

"I'll bet," I answered with a smirk. Nothing got Master Skywalker so stirred up as a Jedi-connected discovery.

"You know, Mara," Mirax put in, "Corran's training was always a bit sporadic, but we've been talking and he's decided to commit to honing his abilities."

"Being in CorSec and then a Rogue I didn't think I needed to get 'schooled,'" Corran grinned. "But after that whole mess with the pirates, I guess it wouldn't hurt and might do worlds of good."

I felt an unexpected pang at their words. If anyone's training could be described as sporadic post-Empire, it certainly would be mine! I would have a hard time pinning down a solid reason as to why that was. I guess I just wanted to start over and find a completely different niche.

Mirax's teasing remark pulled me out of my reverie when she said: "Speaking of the Ysannans, there was this very attractive lady, so Kam told us, who couldn't keep her eyes off Luke, not for more than a minute!"

"Smitten with the glam of Jedi/Rebel hero, I guess," I rejoined.

"Whatever the motive, the effect was the same. She hung on his every word and fairly glowed if he so much as spoke to her directly," Corran laughed.

I scowled. "What're you telling me all this for?"

"Only to say he wouldn't have any of it. He was polite all right, but absolutely not interested. Odd wouldn't you say?"

"How should I know?" I asked rhetorically, feeling an inexplicable surge of relief that Luke was unimpressed by sighing fangirls.

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Love the discussion between Mirax and Mara