?Red & Dead? ? Anakin Solo and Mara Jade ? Current Topic: ?Gone, Not Forgotten'--Part 2

Welcome to RED & DEAD, the Resource thread for discussing the combination of Anakin Solo and Mara Jade: as Master and Apprentice, as members of the Solo/Skywalker clan, as friends and comrades, even as enemies or rivals? or just as Mara and Anakin, however you want to imagine them - serious or mischievous, canon or AU...

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[b][u]Thread Contents[/u][/b]

[b]July '07 Update[/b]
1. Discussion Topic: [i]?Gone, Not Forgotten - Part 2?[/i]
2. Drabble Challenge: Five Themes.
3. The ?Red & Dead? Open Challenge

[b]The Mara Jade & Anakin Solo Fan-Fic Index[/b]

[b]Discussion Topic Archive[/b]

[hr]

[b][u]JULY DISCUSSION TOPIC[/u]: [i]?Gone, Not Forgotten - Part 2?[/i][/b]

Well, both of them are "gone" from the canon storyline now. How does this change things for those of us who're fans of the Mara-and-Anakin dynamic? Simple question.

As usual, there's a 'fic challenge attached, and it's a simple one: [i]write a story reacting to the events of [/i]Sacrifice[i], within the context of Mara Jade Skywalker's relationship with Anakin Solo. No other limits, beyond the obvious one of keeping it TOS-compliant[/i].

[u][b]DRABBLE CHALLENGE[/u][/b]

?Five Themes?: write five Marakin drabbles on five linked themes, such as the five senses, or five different times of day - thanks to [b]Lonewolf89[/b] for the idea!

This challenge has been kept open yet again, largely because of [b]Zonoma[/b]'s [link=http://boards.theforce.net/fan_fiction_resource/b10304/24319852/]Ultimate Drabble Challenge[/link], based around sequences of five linked titles: if you write a Marakin drabble for that, then let us know right here!

[u][b]The ?Red & Dead? Open Challenge[/b][/u]

This will be a showcase to highlight the potential and variety possible within the Anakin/Mara dynamic. We?re looking for short pieces no more than 300 words long, giving different authors the chance to express and explore their thoughts on the characters, in any mood or style their fancy takes them...

Post them right here in this thread - and, have fun! [face_grin]

[hr]
And now... [i]Red & Dead[/i] is proud to present?

[u][b]The Mara Jade & Anakin Solo Fan-Fic Index[/b][/u]

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/27126602/p1/]Verlangen[/link] by [b]Earthknight[/b] - [i]Luke Skywalker's wife tries to fight her feelings for a young Sith Lord. AU one-post.[/i]
Status: [color=green][i]complete[/i][/color]

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/23368019/]Cages[/link] by [b]Inara[/b] ? [i]an amazing AU vignette.[/I]
Status: [color=green][i]complete[/i][/color]

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/23515625/]Operation Little Fish[/link] by [b]JDH3[/b] - [i]Mara, Anakin, Tahiri, voxyn... and a fish![/i]
Status: [color=red][i]ongoing[/i][/color]

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/23659002/]Sunshine[/link] by [b]Lonewolf89[/b] ? [i]a Jedi Master and her favourite assassin have a little talk....[/i]
Status: [color=red][i][b]NEW 14th Apriil 2006![/b][/i][/color]

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/23348785/]Fire & Ice[/link] by [b]Lonewolf89[/b] ? [i]a superb sequence of canon-compliant Mara/Anakin vignettes.[/i]
Status: [color=red][i][b]UPDATED 20th Apriil 2006![/b][/i][/color]

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/23484951/]Baby Brother[/link] by [b]Lonewolf89[/b] ? [i]Jaina and Anakin discuss life and love.[/i]
Status: [color=green][i][b]complete[/b][/i][/color]

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/23477582/]Pleasure & Pain[/link] by [b]Kidan[/b] ? [i]what happens when the Dark Lady of the Sith wants Anakin Solo, and she looks and acts a lot like Mara Jade...?[/i]
Status: [color=red][i][b]UPDATED 27th April 2006![/b][/i][/color]

[link=http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/25450458/]As his Father Before Him[/link] by [b]sabarte[/b] - [i]?Legacy of the Force? vignette: Mara Jade Skywalker meditates on her son, and the man she want

 

[grabs first reply]

*thought provoking response filled with witty word play coming soon*

 

IT'S BACK!!!

I'll stop by with comments soon!

 

Well, I can give some brief thoughts.

Why Marakin? Why not? They're two of the coolest characters in the EU. Both seem to have a temper, both can be aloof and distanced (Anakin more when he was much younger, it seems to me), but both show incredible loyalty and courage when it counts.

And both have a sense of humor I can appreciate.

What I like the most is the master/apprentice thing they had going on Dantooine. Seriously, it was about time someone reminded Anakin that physical activity works just as well as the Force.

 

I wrote a response to the challenge It's called Anakin is seduced by the dark side of the force.

Here's the link
http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/23477505/p1/?0

 

Lonewolf, Inara:

JadeSolo: you just keep an eye on us now, d'ye hear, ma'am?

Mu: Well, it's a very different take... and poor Ben!

Is there any deep thought behind this, or is it just in response to what I did to Wyn in In the White?

As to the question...

Why Marakin?

Well, it's fun! The two characters just seem to make a good team within the lightsabers-and-snubfighters context of Star Wars...

*tries to think of comprehensible things to say*

Is it significant that they have personal issues with the legacies of Palpatine and Vader respectively - Mara is, in a way, a trajectory away from Palpatine, and Anakin wants to avoid heading in that direction himself?

And, I wonder if the way they were set up in Dark Tide defined (or at least revealed) what made them work well together: Luke and Jacen were being serious-minded Jedi together, framing everything in terms of Light and Dark, Sith and heroism; Corran and Ganner were squabbling like they were a dysfuncional marriage; Jaina was being programmed with the tactical triage of the professional soldier by Traest and Gavin...

And Anakin and Mara? Well, they were being practical; they were dealing with a series of specific situations, from pitching a camp to using the Force, and looking at how to create an outcome that made everyone happy...

*shrugs* That's pretty much just a spur-of-the-moment thought, and I'm ignoring a lot of complexity that would maybe make what I'm trying to say a lot clearer - in particular, it was building on characterisation that stretches back to both their first appearances; but it just seems a healthier attitude to me - more honestly human...

Am I overreading?

More thoughts later. I like what JS said, though!

- The Imperial Ewok

 

Regarding Ben's fate.
The vig was somewhat limited because of the 300 words limit.
But don't worry Thrawn, it's not a response to what happened to Wyn. It's just to show Anakin's evilness.

I had a bit of backstory that I guess you should know.

Legions of Dark Jedi have been attacking the Jedi Praxeum.
And Luke and Mara had attempted to put a stop to it by hunting those Sith followers down.
Before they left, they put Anakin in charge of Ben.
Little did they know that Anakin was the Sith Lord they have been looking for
And that dark figure that talked to Mara at the beginning of the vig was actually Anakin behind a hood and a mask.

Unfortunately, those info could not be put into the vig due to length restrictions.

 

300 words? I can handle that. Maybe even before I logoff. The main reasons why I like Marakin are because it's fun and it WORKS, with a minimum of manipulation from the author. Serious or humorous, they're a great pair, and fun is something that from time to time gets lost. They make a good team no matter what they're doing. A Master and a young (and unofficial) Knight; an aunt-by-marriage and a nephew; even potential romantic partners in very AU stories. Their connections to the Dark Lords of the Sith are part of this, as well.

ETA: My first attempt at writing Mara and Anakin is posted here (Extension of the Hand). It went over the word count - it's around 650 - so I put it in its own thread.

 

It's back! Force knows I know next to nothing about the EU and this pairing. But it sounds intriguing.

 

*nods* I got that it was Anakin at the start... I can see the logic there; though I'll note that they've done the same thing with Jacen in canon...

Is there that much difference between the Solo brothers, in some lights?

Eleventh_Guard...?

Ahh, there you are!

*nods* I think that covers everything. I might quote that in a revised thread-header...

I like!

Thanks for being around - I hope you enjoy finding out more!

And an "honorary update" for the Index: Kidan's Pleasure & Pain, an Anakin/Lumiya ongoing 'fic!

- The Imperial Ewok

 

Definitely like what I've seen coming from this thread so far.

 

Is it significant that they have personal issues with the legacies of Palpatine and Vader respectively - Mara is, in a way, a trajectory away from Palpatine, and Anakin wants to avoid heading in that direction himself?



It is now! I'd never thought of it that way. Anakin even has ties to the Emperor, what with that Clone Emperor's spirit trying to take over Anakin's unborn body. Wow, can you imagine how weird that would've been for Mara, had he been successful?

 

JadeSolo: What an amazing plotbunny! Especially if the spirit didn't fully come out until some time later. I'm going to have to go back and catch up on my reading now. (Potentially dumb question: what book was that in? I skipped some of the post-TTT, pre-YJK novels)

 

If memory serves it was in one of the comics...DE2 i believe....

 

Good thoughts, JadeSolo!

The whole Anakin vs. Palpatine thing runs through the entire Dark Empire saga - the orignial six-issue Dark Empire, the sequel series Dark Empire II (at the end of which Anakin is actually born) and the two-part Empire's End...

DE and DEII have also been released as graphic novels and audio dramas, though I think EE is only available in comic form... as early as the original Dark Empire, Palpatine reveals to the reader that Leia is pregnant - but when he reaches out for the as-yet-unnamed foetus, it answers with a burst of Force light that knocks Palpatine flat on his back and enables Leia to make a run for it... at the climax in #6, Anakin (still a foetus) again joins with Leia and Luke in a big glowy display of Force harmony that defeats Palpatine...

As made most explicit in Conquest, all this seems to have shaped Anakin's "bad stuff happens and good people stop it" attitude...

But certainly, anyone who can best Palpatine's clone a good few months before being born would likely appeal very strongly to Mara Jade...

- The Imperial Ewok

 

Mara and Anakin bring out the best and worst in each other. Their relationship is full of all the wonderful unsaid things and complicated role shifting that makes for interesting storytelling. That's why I enjoy writing them together, whether as a romantic pair or as platonic partners.

They understand each other on a basic level. They work together instinctively and play off of one another effortlessly. They're opposite enough to make things interesting, the same in all the ways that matter, and equal enough to breed a mutual respect from one another.

Also, one's weaknesses are canceled out by the other's strengths. Anakin's selfless covers for Mara's selfishness. Mara's level headedness makes up for Anakin's impulsiveness. Perfect contrasts.


Eleventh_Guard:

Well put!


JadeSolo:

LMAO! The mental image this produces is priceless!


Thrawn:

Sounds like me.

It took me a while to form any intelligible thought on this other than 'Marakin's cool... so there!'

I love how you summed this up.

 

The neat thing about Marakin is that they work in so many ways. As a couple, as friends, as master and apprentice...It's a pairing that isn't limited in what one can do with it. It can go many ways, and the vastly different Marakin 'fics posted is a testament to that.

I think what I love best about Mara and Anakin is that they're such pragmatic, well-balanced people. For me at least, it was such a refreshing change to read about them after pages and pages of the other NJO stuff. And there is the sense that in another life (or maybe in this one, who knows? ) that Mara and Anakin could have been a great couple. I like the fact that they have both opposing and similar qualities, and in many ways, their relationship is much more normal than some of the other ones happening around them.

Jacen and Jaina are very much Han and Leia's children - we see this emphasized repeatedly in profic. I wouldn't be at all surprised if the person Anakin was closest to was not either of his parents but his aunt...

In fact, I think Mara does see some of herself reflected in Anakin - perhaps as the person she could have been had life and circumstances not been so unkind to her. And Anakin sees someone who he would want to be. Mutual admiration and affection on both their parts. .

 

First things first: JDH3 tells me that Operation Little Fish was inspired by the Open Challenge, and while well over the wordcount (again! ) it's [Mara, Anakin/Tahiri]... so while I'm going to hold off adding it to the Index until I get his okay, I'll sieze the opportunity to mention it right here!

Perfect summary. Very nicely put - especially the bit at the end... but how does that contrast with Mara and Luke?

Should it worry you (or me - or anyone else?!) that our thought-processes seem to be working so closely in parallel...?

... is this the point we start rubbing forearms and clicking our throats at each other?

Versatility... practicality... and perfectly-symmetrical gender-bending psychological complexes?

- The Imperial Ewok

 

Here's my response to the challenge. It comes in right at 300 words, and it was harder than I thought it would be to keep it so short.


The space was cramped, not nearly large enough for two people to fit comfortably, and Mara cursed her poor choice of hiding places.

She and Anakin were wedged into the ventilation shaft, lying stiffly beside each other with their shoulders digging into the walls of their tiny prison. Some hundred feet below stood the pair of men they had spent the last five days tracking, suspected Peace Brigade allies who also happened to be high ranking New Republic officials.

So far, neither man had done anything to reveal where their loyalties lie, and if something didn't happen soon, Mara was tempted to say the kriff with it all and go out for a cup of caf.

Obviously, she wasn?t the only one getting restless. Beside her, Anakin shifted, trying for the impossible as he searched for a more comfortable position. His weapons belt dug into her thigh as he wiggled backward.

Down below, the two men stood beside a ridiculous looking vessel, apparently discussing their recent smash ball game. Mara rolled her eyes. Yes, these were definitely the double crossing masterminds they?d been searching for.

Anakin had settled in, but now, it was her turn to fidget. Pulling herself forward with her elbows, she felt her back pop, easing her tension slightly.

?How much longer are we going to lay up here?? Anakin whispered.

?Don?t tell me you?re getting board already, Solo,? Mara admonished, her voice low as it drifted between them. The crimson stain spreading across her nephew?s face caused a grin to tug at her lips. ?I?m the only one who?s allowed to do that,? she added.

That earned her a megawatt smile.

?Care for a cup of caf?? Anakin questioned.

Mara quirked an eyebrow at having her own thoughts echoed back to her. ?Only if you?re buying.?

 

Hey, it works really nicely - the precision and clarity, the sense that everything has been consdered before being voiced, is perfect for the POV...

And that's especially true when coupled with the ambiguity of the situation, the things that aren't said or defined, but still implied...

Now you're mocking A/T!!

That said, I like the awkwardness, and the possible undercurrent...

Bad LW! You say everything about them without saying anything at all directly... on one level, it's just a couple of tense, very aware Jedi on a mission together - but that awareness, the awkwardness and the close physical contact, combine inevitably to create a... frisson of something...

It could be entirely unacknowledged, though, or it could be simply understood as friendship, like Mara and Corran or Kyle, for example...

It works well!

Heh. Yep - Anakin reacts fast to her feelings, be they disproval or amusement...

Did he read her mind, or guess what he was thinking - or is he just paralleling her thoughts?

And the closing line - perfect Mara!

Following on from here, and going off in a new direction ... a little something from a PM discussion...

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I think that goes back to the kind of sway Mara naturally has over him. He [i]needs[/i] her to understand him, he [i]needs[/i] her to see the things no one else sees. And, sometimes, unintentionally, he helps her along by revealing those things to her himself.[hr][/blockquote]

I think this is definately true, definately canon, even if in a non-'shippy sense - though even that then raises the question of how Mara's rapport with Anakin affects her relationship with Luke...

Anakin thinks of Mara as someone who understand his own concerns, and she certanly does seem concerned to help him - but does it works both ways: does Mara needs Anakin too, because he seems to understand her as more than trophy wife or scary ex-assassin...?

And, to get to the heart of Marakin - what does this say about Luke? As Master of the Order, he projects an illusion of confidence and clarity, like a con-trick... and for all his "hovering" and compassion, I wonder how much he really understands his wife...

Mara loves Luke, and always has... but does Luke love Mara? /:)

Perhaps any lurking L/Mers can help me here - I'm trying to think of any time he deferred to Mara on any important issues, any time he didn't lean on her guilt with his misguided certainty...

- The Imperial Ewok

 

Great entry, LW!

Impressive that you captured the dynamic that is Marakin with only 300 words - that's how long it takes me to get through descriptions of her hair

The entire piece was perfect Anakin and Mara, the way her thoughts ran, and the way that Anakin seemed to be hanging off her every mood.

My favorite parts:

Mara rolled her eyes. Yes, these were definitely the double crossing masterminds they?d been searching for.

I love peeks into her mind


The crimson stain spreading across her nephew?s face caused a grin to tug at her lips.

*glomps Anakin* Great how he went from blushing in embarrassment to grinning.

They're such a great pair. Thanks for sharing, LW!

Now, if only I could sit still long enough to write one too...

 

Okay... this thread needs upped, the index needs added-to with any Marakin'ish 'fic I might have missed, Inara needs to write a sequel to Cages...

... and, most importantly of all: we need a new discussion topic and 'fic challenge theme!

- The Imperial Ewok

 

*gives Inara puppy eyes* Please?

 

*tries to resist LW's puppy eyes*

*gives up in defeat*

Alright, I'll get back to work on that...

 

*keeps track of*

Response when my sinuses don't feel like they've been sandblasted?

And remember: I wub you all!

Elena