Beyond - Legends Shaded Prism: Drabble Series (UDC 5)

Like seeing the companionship/friendship between Roganda and Luke. Very intriguing AU possibility - always, having her part of the Rebellion.

 

Nyota's Heart : Thank you!!!!



Challenge Set Ten (July 19, 2010) - UDC 5 - Han Solo


46. Captain


It was odd, seeing Corellia again after so long away. He took a moment just to look out at the planet, to let the reality sink in that the last time he'd been here, everything had been different. He'd been different. Different, but... the same, too. And Bria had been with him, recovering from everything she'd been through. He wondered for a moment if he should take his family to meet hers, and then squashed that thought because it was ridiculous and too hard to explain to anyone. And even if that was possible, how did he explain?


47. Pilot


He watched the kid walk away after disappointing him by not wanting to be any part of the rebellion, then turned back to loading the boxes. It didn't stop him processing the conversation continually in his mind, however, especially with Chewie glancing pointedly at him repeatedly. There were many reasons he didn't want any part of any of it, but chief among those reasons... not so long ago, he'd been on the other side. Those soldiers out there, he'd been one of them. It wasn't just because a drug lord needed to be paid off.


48. Mechanic


Luke watched as Han worked to repair the Falcon yet again, occasionally handing him the tools he asked for, suddenly reminded of another moment involving repairs... "Lando wanted me to tell you something, by the way."

"Oh?"

"Yes. You ought to be ashamed of yourself."

Han paused and blinked up at him, hydrospanner paused in his hand. "Why?"

"He was complaining about the state of a circuit board."

Han chuckled. "Ah. Well, he should be ashamed of himself, too. Had to get a new sensor dish."

"Plus, I said I'd tell you when we got you out of the carbonite."


49. Mercenary


"She's rich."

The words that had gotten him even further into this mess than he already had been had spoken right to his need to pay off his debts and all at once reminded him that his life wasn't his own. Hadn't been his own for years. Standing up and watching the princess greet the kid in front of an x-wing, his eyes narrowed in thought. A charter had landed him in the middle of government corruption and planetary tragedy... and now rebellion.

Luke was right, after all. He did know what they were up against.


50. Serenity

In this moment
with her in his arms
the only thing
that matters
is
right now

In this moment
in what might be
the last
contact
between them
nothing
is said

In this moment
time
has ceased
to matter

tomorrow
later today
yesterday
years ago
none of it
matters

together again
for so brief
a time

running away
has led
back
to facing
everything

she doesn't blame you
you do not blame her
it is what it is

In this moment
here
with her
everything
and nothing
feels
right

In this moment
with her in his arms
the only thing
that matters
is
right now

 

Fantastic character insights and SQUEEEEEE on Serenity.

 

Thank you, Jade_eyes.

 

Week 10 - UDC 1 - Roganda Ismaren (AU)


Bell


The sound rang through the night, into the darkness where she sat, perched in a tree, waiting for the moment when the light came on in the far off window. Waiting to do her duty, to follow orders, and get the job done.

The sound of the bells signaled a changing of the hour, of time passing, and nothing more. There was no room for anything else to be significant about it. Only the present, the warmness of the dark summer night, and her focus.


Book


The light came on, and she blinked at who entered the room her weapon was aimed at. It wasn't her target at all, but a woman who picked a book off of an out of view shelf. The action gave her pause, as she considered what it might mean...

Shaking those thoughts away, she settled down to wait once more as the light was turned off. Did it matter if there was more to that action than a woman simply looking for a book? No. And even if it did... orders were orders.


Candle


Another hour passed, in the silence and the darkness, and the night air chilled. She shivered, and then perked up at the sight of a lone candle, pushing back against the darkness. Was this....? No, it couldn't be. Who would come outside with a candle when one could use a flashlight or a lamp or a lantern?

She watched as the candle came all the way to the base of her tree, illuminating the form of a teenager... a boy who didn't look up, or around, but bent down and left something there, and then walked away again.


Bowl


The entire night passed like that, with little to break up the monotony. The target never did turn the light on in that room, and the other windows that were lit up had drawn curtains and she could see nothing. Eventually, she slept.

In the early morning hours, as she finally gave up and got down from the tree, she found a covered bowl sitting at the base of it, with a note: "Mother wanted you to have this, whoever you are. Don't be a stranger next time."


Blade


Roganda stared hard at the note, wondering for all the world how they'd even known she was here, watching them. It had been pitch black when she'd arrived, and she'd done nothing to give herself away. So... what?

Someone cleared their throat and she spun, startled, and fell into a defensive stance before she even had a chance to think. The woman from the night before simply looked at her and held out her hand expectantly. She blinked, then nodded, and handed her weapon over without a word.

"Come inside," the woman told her. "I'm about to start breakfast."

 

Daena - intriguing sets, here; as usual, your take on obscure characters makes them sing, and you get the Big Three and their inner circle just right.

 

Onderon: Thank you.


Week 10 (11.26.07) - UDC 2 - Ptarmaia Calrissian and Irek Ismaren Solo


46. Water


Just as he'd promised, she reflected as she sipped a cool glass of water in the shade of a tree at the private retreat on a planet she'd only ever heard of as they'd landed... there was no one here but them. No holoshills looking for a scoop, no parents to tell them what to do... no one. It was perfect.

The wedding had been perfect, once she'd managed to forget all the details and just focus on the simplicity of the ceremony. On the joining. On the people they'd shared it with. A probing presence made her smile.


47. Wine


The bottle he appeared with when she opened herself up and let him know where to find her was a surprise. "What is that?"

Irek smiled. "Something for later, that your father first threatened to beat me over the head with, and then Dad handed it to me and told me to share it with you."

Ptarmaia stared at him. "My father what?"

"He was defending your honor, like any reasonable man, and wanted me to be good to you."

"Oh." She watched as he set it on the small table between them, and then set her own water glass down. "Sit with me?"

He did.


48. Ale


The end of the second day at the retreat found them both at the local tavern, enjoying the atmosphere and the company of the people. He'd spent time around Corellians, growing up amid the Rebels, and thus knew the difference between good Ale and bad Ale. What they were partaking of at the moment... was on the good part of the spectrum.

She leaned closer to him. "We are not telling my father that we went to a pub on our honeymoon."

"Why not?"

"He'd demand to come here."

Irek paused at that thought, then nodded.


49. Tea

A week into their stay, and all she wanted to do was sleep for another hour in his arms. Had anyone told her that nightmare of planning a wedding was followed by lots and lots of together time and snuggling with her love... she'd have complained less. Much, much less.

Irek mumbled in his sleep about flavored tea and she smiled.

Eventually, she fell asleep again, to dream of him, of each other, of the dance they'd shared in front of family and friends at the reception.


50. Juice


He found her drinking juice in the kitchen, and smiled. "You were up before I was."

Ptarmaia nodded. "Internal alarm."

"Oh?" Irek frowned at the tube of crackers. "Um..."

"Hungry?"

"You seem to be."

She studied him for a minute before standing and moving to join him, then guided his hand to her belly. "Feel."

Irek blinked and did as she instructed... "Wow."

"That's why I was up before you were," she said softly, smiling up at him. "Are you mad?"

"Never."

They stood like that for long minutes, basking in the glow of life just emerging and letting itself be known.

 

Week 10 - 11/3/08 - provided by BigFatty - UCD 3 - Dolph...


46. Cantina


Kirana Ti watched with reservation as he stared into his untouched drink, not at all surprised that he was lost in his own thoughts. He'd barely said a word since she had convinced him to walk away on Almania, to come back with her rather than stay there and fester with anger. Even now, she could feel it emanating from him, rolling and roiling between them like an untamed Rancor.

She wanted to calm him, to touch his hand and get his attention. To remind him that he wasn't alone in his thoughts. She didn't dare.


47. Tapcafe


He could feel her watching him as he stared into his drink that he hadn't even taken the first sip of yet. He knew she wanted to reach out, to do something besides watch. Could feel the intent, as if she already had. Just sitting across from her was calming, even if he was raging inside his own head and not wanting to let anyone in.

Dolph wanted to stand up, find a ship, and head straight back to Almania. Wanted to... what? He knew what he'd wanted to do, staring up at the Great Dome. If Kirana hadn't been there, would he have? He didn't know.


48. Diner


They were both startled by a waitress who came to their table and asked if they wanted to order food. Kirana Ti took the initiative and ordered food for both, and she bounced off to fill the orders. "I forget, sometimes, that I'm not still on Dathomir. We didn't have restaurants."

Dolph glanced up at her. "Not at all?"

"No. You going to drink that?"

"Too upset to want to."

She nodded in understanding. If not right now, then he would eventually. Kirana knew that to be angry was natural, expected.


49. Mess Hall


They were sitting down to Evening Meal on Yavin 4 when Kirana Ti returned with Dolph and pulled Luke aside to tell him about the Je'har and Dolph's family. Luke studied the young man as he joined students at another table, then nodded his thanks to Kirana and gestured for her to join him.

One by one, he others of his students look up and frown at the faint tinge of anger and upset floating in the air. Streen caught his eye as he himself sat back down, and Luke shook his head. There would be time enough to pull people aside and explain it in private.


50. Dining Room


Cray Mingla sat across from him and listened to his story over dinner, at once apalled that anyone could do something like that to another, and enthralled at how he was telling the story. She didn't remember their first meeting clearly, but this man who had shown her nothing but kindness in her moment of drunkenness was someone she was starting to respect. Starting to like.

That thought gave her pause. Had it been long enough, since Nichos passed? Was she disrespecting his memory, even sharing a meal with another man?

 

A/N: I was going to skip the Author's Choice set... until BrightFeather convinced me not to. **evil laugh**


Week 10 - 6/8/09 - Author's Choice - UDC 4


46. Extirpate


On a far-off world, far outside the Core, an old man sat in repose. In meditation, he could sense all the life in the universe. Breathing, living. Going about whatever it was they did all day, every day. At the edge of his awareness, a distant nova of energy rushed towards him, engulfing everything in it's path.

The energy, the screams, the terror crashed into him, and he joined in the screaming. It went on for long minutes, seeping into his bones and dancing around him, until nothing was left of him but an empty shell.

Streen of Bespin knew nothing else.


47. Obliterate


Hands on her hips, the woman watched as the young man manipulated the ancient controls. They'd flown all the way here, to Corellia, as soon as the meeting had let out. She knew they didn't have long, that every passing second wasted still more time, but it wouldn't be long now.

"I got it!"

Beneath and around them, a deep thrum sounded and made their bones vibrate... it was working, Mara knew, as soon as the cavern lurched with released power.

The Millenium Falcon dropped out of Hyperspace into a newly-made asteroid field, and Han had only enough time to course correct. He had no time to consider other things.


48. One-Way Ticket


It was a desert wasteland. No one came for her, there were no people... just sand in every direction. She walked for five days, through sun and shadow. Thirsty and hungry, the young girl found nothing. No one. They'd just left her here with no one, anyone in sight, and no provisions.

After two weeks in the desert, suffering from exposure, the girl laid down and went to sleep. Eventually, a sand storm covered her remains.


49. Offing


The visions had driven him into solitude once. Had driven him to contemplate their meaning, and then reject the idea of teaching one so young. As Leia led her son up the steps, with Han on his other side, Luke shook his head. Leia paused, considering him, then looked down at her son. "You saw something."

"In the offing. There will be no training. I will not take that risk."

Ben looked back at him, uncomprehending as Han led him away.

The visions had nearly driven him mad with grief. He would not risk them becoming reality.


50. Liquidation


Inside of a fortnight, Snoke's forces dwindled to nothing as the money dried up. One of the destroyed planets had been part of their operation, and without their support, without the money still flowing... the movement died. He stared at the datapad, disgusted and dismayed that they had caused their own downfall with a vaunted show of power.

When the Rebels dropped out of Hyperspace, with Kylo Ren at his side, he almost welcomed destruction. Almost.

 

Wow. That last series of drabbles. Everything disintegrates. Everything ends. And in some timelines, some things end sooner than later.

 

Catching up - these last ones were literally all kablamo, ka-boom, whoosh!

 

darth_treyvah: Yep. Thank you.

Ewok Poet: That was kind of the point. Thank you, Ewok Poet.


Challenge Set Eleven (July 26, 2010) - UDC 5 - Dolph of Almania and Cray Mingla


51. Office


Two months after the funeral found her seated in an office on Yavin4, staring at the man she'd been talked into visiting one more time by her new love. Or... someone she was starting to love. Would love someday? Did it matter? She hadn't wanted to come here, to discuss her force sensitivity at all.

Dolph clutched her hand in his, silently supporting her as she met Master Skywalker's gaze and nodded her assent to let him test her.

He closed his eyes and seemed to relax deep into himself, and suddenly she found him probing, questioning, until... he grunted and slammed bodily against his chair.


52. Sales


"You don't have to sell me on the idea," she muttered at him as they looked up at the night sky together. Above them, the gas giant Yavin hung in the sky, big and beautiful, and stars beyond.

"I don't? I had to plead and beg to get you here!"

"So did he. I had projects to complete, Doll, or I would have come before."

Dolph sighed. "Are you ever going to stop butchering my name?"

"No, because it infuriates you." She leaned into him and he put his arm around her. "Dolph. There. Happy now?"

He laughed. "A bit."


53. Accounting


She dragged herself into their rooms after a hard day of training, only to stop and stare at the table set up with candles and food. "What...?"

"Go get clean," Dolph ordered with a playful grin. "And change. I'll wait."

She did so quickly, then joined him at the table. "What's the occasion?"

"Us." He slid her cup closer. "It's three months since we first met."

Cray paused, staring at him with her drink half-way to her lips. "Really?"

"Time flies, doesn't it?"

She took a sip, nodded. "It does. I just... this feels odd, somehow."

Dolph simply nodded. There was nothing to say to that.


54. Management


She woke out of a sound sleep and stared at the ceiling for long moments, wondering why she was awake. What had woken her? Then he moaned softly into her hair, trembling against her, and she knew.

Slowly, she extricated herself from his grasp, and then turned to wake him carefully. Nightmares weren't uncommon for either of them, but his had a tendency to lead to outright screaming and wake everyone on this floor of the Temple living quarters. Soon enough, he was staring back at her, confused. "Hey. Just me. We're on Yavin4."

"Cray?"

"Yes. Go back to sleep now, Doll. I'm here."


55. Temp


She studied the hologram of the great tower administration building, wondering why he chose to show this particular thing to her right now when all she'd asked were questions about his homeworld and family. "I don't understand."

"You asked about home, Cray. This was home. It's not anymore. There's nothing left there for me."

Cray nodded slowly. "At all?"

"No." He turned the hologram off, studied her for a long moment. "My home is here, now. With you." And then he kissed her, and she forgot the rest of her questions.

 

I am not familiar with these characters, but I wanted to tell you that a) I'm still reading and b) clever mangling of a moon's name to get to 100 words.

 

A/N: What mangling of the name of a moon? (If I did it, it was unintentional.) Thank you, Ewok Poet. **HUGS**!!! And with that... time to visit an AU with the combined Hallan/Melyan Family from The Table Was Crowded/So They Met In A Bar...


Week 11 (09.16.06) UDC 1 - Home, after so long...


51. dawn


"I thought I'd find you out here."

Ailee startled at the sound of her brother's voice, and turned to find him watching her from the back door, smiling. "It's peaceful. And I haven't watched a sunrise, an actual one, in far too long."

"Oh?"

"Couldn't see anything past all the trees on Endor."

Drev laughed. "Ailee..." He noted the bracelet she was wearing. "What is this?"

She hesitated, then handed it to him. "You're going to hate that we had the wedding without you, big brother."


52. morning


He studied the craftsmanship of the simple, wooden bracelet, then handed it back to her. "Why would I hate it? It's pretty. And you know Pettia will want to hold an actual ceremony, if you tell her."

Ailee sighed. "I know. Not planning to tell her."

"She'll be happy for you, too, you know."

She looked again toward the rising sun, admiring how pretty her native sky was at dawn. "I know."

"But you're not going to tell her."

"No."

After that, his three-year-old son came outside and latched onto Drev's leg. Drev laughed, and Ailee grinned as he picked Amos up. "And you! Early riser!"

"Dada!"


53. noon


Her sister-in-law looked very pale, even for the middle of the day. "So..."

"Yes," Taloh told her without preamble as she made sandwiches. "And yes, he knows."

"But you're not feeling all that fine."

Taloh glanced at her, smiled. "I'm not your patient now, hon. And Rala said that pregnancy never sits well with me. Amos was hard, too."

Ailee frowned. "How would she know?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Really? Maybe I should ask her..."

Taloh laughed.

"Ask me what?"

Ailee froze and turned to look at Rala. "Why pregnancy is hard and you know it?"


54. dusk


Rala grinned. "My mother went through three pregnancies after me. Morning sickness really bad every time, and Dr. Vernen ordered her to bed rest for three months for the last one. Aunt Tally shares that propensity for hard pregnancies with her twin."

"You have... three brothers and sisters?"

"A twin brother, three younger sisters, and a brother." Rala shrugged. "The last one was also a twin pregnancy."

"Which I'm glad this isn't," Taloh grumped as she finished the first sandwich. "Not that it wouldn't be a good thing."

"You do know what they say about older women and multiples, right, Aunt Tally?"

"Rala!"


55. evening


They sat on the front stoop, watching Amos chase Rala and Whuki around the yard, and Taloh sighed in contentment. "It's good to have everyone home."

Drev glanced over at Ailee and Darvis, also seated on the stoop, enjoying the warm evening air. "It is."

"And don't ask Rala about her mother and siblings."

"Oh?"

She leaned harder into him. "Unless you want age jokes and thinking about the possibility of twins."

Drev chuckled. "No, we don't need to think about that, love. One at a time is enough. Age jokes?"

"Ailee made the mistake of asking."

"Ah."

 

Once again, not quite sure how these people are, but the story flows quite nicely, from drabble to drabble.

And I meant Yavin4, as opposed to Yavin 4.

 

Ewok Poet : That's okay if you have no idea who they are. Welcome to the ride that is this run through multiverses... **sends links** Thank you.

 

Week 11 (12.03.07) - UDC 2 - Home Sweet... Ball of Ice...


51. Young


He watched as she began packing up their things in preparation for getting off the ship, and suddenly couldn't stop himself. "You could come with us."

Roganda paused, looked at him. "Oh?"

"Doesn't feel right to leave you and the kid here."

"I have an obligation, Captain. I must fulfill it."

"An obligation for what?"

Her hands stopped moving momentarily as she stared down at the shirt she'd been folding. "To serve. I've known nothing else."

"Ganda?"

"Don't call me that, Captain."

"Maybe it's time you did something else. If not for you, then for the kid."


52. In-Between


She sighed, resumed packing. "My duty is to serve, Captain."

"Han."

Roganda startled, looked up at him. "What?"

"Names, Lady Ismaren. Use mine. And I understand the duty to serve. To whom? Whoever it was, left you in the cold without any way to get where you were going on your own. So... to whom?"

She hesitated, tried explaining, and nothing came out. "I..."

"And I'm not leaving you on this backwater without an explanation. A good one."

"I... can't. Can't."

Han stared hard at her, then nodded decisively. "Right, then. You and the boy are coming with us."

Roganda was left holding a shirt, staring after him in bewilderment.


53. Old


When they landed, all she could see out of the viewport was an expanse of white as she held her son close. She had a mild headache, but ignored it. "Where are we?"

"Home sweet ball of ice," Han muttered as he and Chewie brought the ship in for a landing through an arch made of snow and ice. "It's as cold as it looks."

"Why here?"

Chewbacca barked a laugh and Han waved him off. "Can't tell you that. Irek, have you ever had a snowball fight?"

Irek craned his neck to look at her in confusion. "Snow?"

For the first time in ages, Roganda couldn't stop herself from laughing.


54. Foolish


He'd jogged into the landingbayofEcho Basejust in time to see the Millenium Falcon land effortlessly, and Wes grinned. Oh, the fireworks that were going to happen, now that Captain Solo was back! Then he frowned when the departing figures from the ship included not only the Captain and his co-pilot, but also a woman and a five year old boy.

Walking right past him, Captain Solo shrugged and the woman nodded curtly in greeting while the boy... hid behind her the entire way.


55. Wise


Leia watched as all of Rogue Squadron, Han, Chewie, and Roganda engaged in a snowball fight with Irek, who loved every moment of it. Someone came up to her shoulder as she stood at the landing bay's entrance. "He'd never seen snow before."

General Rieekan laughed. "Never? Good a time as any to introduce him to it, then. Aren't you going to play, too?"

"I have a duty shift in half an hour."


"Not anymore you don't." And then he pushed her out into the light of day. She threw a snowball back at him.

 

Daena: Another fascinating set of AUs. You really have a knack for writing the Ismarens, and it's fun to read.

 

Onderon: Thank you. (Funs! Funs was had!)


A/N: Context note... The start of this AU happened during Edge of Life Week Eleven UDC 3, and Continued for Prismatic Edges Week Eleven(UDC 3). There's also an expansion, called Detour To Hoth, that serves as Back Story for The Table Was Crowded.


Week 11 - 11/17/08 - provided by Zonoma - UDC 3 - Detour to Bespin


51. Denial


He found her laying on the floor beside the game table, seemingly asleep, but with her eyes open. "There is a bunk, you know."

Roganda peered up at him. "Warm deck plates."

"Ah. Want a pillow?"

"No. Just... quiet."

Han paused, taking in the fact that she hadn't moved yet. "Quiet?"

"And she is too a committee. Of one."

He chuckled. "I'll see what I can do, keep the noise to a minimum."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Captain."

He wanted to argue, but knew she was absolutely correct, that he and Leia tended to argue left and right. "Want to help with repairs?"

"Later."

"Ganda..."


52. Sadness


"I promised not to punch any more walls, Solo."

That brought him up short as he stared down at her. "Right. Later it is."

Roganda listened to his fading footsteps, and then let the vibration of the deck plates take her attention. Letting it lull her into a kind of state where she could almost tolerate everything again. Had this month really happened? She wanted to forget all of it, forget the base, the Rebels... sitting amid the rubble of a ruined operating suite on a backwater after a ground quake.

A soft, barked question and suddenly she was in a pair of very furry arms hyperventilating.


53. Anger


Chewbacca held the woman as she tried to catch her breath. He could understand, did understand what was wrong. It was everything, all at once, crashing down around them, the evacuation... and her own personal loss that also tugged at his heart, for he, too, had a child that he'd only seen once in years.

He watched as the Princess entered the cargo hold, stared at them only for an instant, and then joined the hug. Eventually, Roganda caught her breath again, only to realize it was now a group hug.


54. Guilt


Leia led her to the game table and made her sit down. "Now let's see what we can get you to eat, hmmm?"

Roganda traced shaped on the table's surface. "Not hungry."

"I wasn't asking."

"It's just... hard."

Glancing back at her, Leia frowned. She'd heard the woman speak that way only once recently. "Hard?"

"Get used to being in one place, and Star Destroyers show up, as if they knew I'd joined up."

The phrasing of that gave Leia pause, and she shook her head. "No, there was a probe droid. It wasn't you."

"I know that, Princess. Doesn't stop me from feeling guilty."


55. Acceptance


The ache behind her eyes that had previously caused her to see auras around everybody and thing, had blossomed into a full-scale migraine well into their second week on Cloud City and was now in league with the wail of a siren. She lay bunched up into a ball, in a corner, trying to get away from it. Finally it cut out, and she tried opening her eyes, only to discover being in a cell with the Wookiee. Was he really trying to put Threepio back together, or was that her pulsing migraine? Did it matter?

 

A/N: Hmmm... **goes and looks** Last time was Renna Jaden from The Table Was Crowded, saving her father. This time... **grin**


Week 11 - 6/15/09 - provided by brodiew - UDC 4 - Mara and Luke


51. Bite the Bullet


After weeks of so much stress and running around, preparing for an event that should have been simple and private, it was hard to relax. She stood in his arms, forehead to forehead with her love, and finally allowed it. Allowed him to soothe her frayed nerves. She could hear Solo's voice, off in the background, but was too lost in the moment to care about anything but being right here.

She would remember this moment, always and often, for years to come. It was the first time she truly felt as one with another person.


52. Break the Ice


An hour later found Luke looking at an intricate ice sculpture near the punch bowl, puzzlement written on his face. "This..."

Mara chuckled. "I like it. Just the right amount of garish to cap off this whole affair."

"It's going to leave a mess. A big and watery mess."

She motioned to the botanical gardens surrounding them. "Not so. The workers will use it to water the plants."

"But why would Leia order an ice sculpture of Artoo and Threepio?"

Slowly, they both turned and looked toward the dance floor, where Leia and Han were still dancing. Then they looked at each other. Mara shrugged. "I'm not asking her."


53. Knock on Wood


It wasn't a hotel they ended up at, but a private retreat in the Manarai Mountains. She didn't ask him how he'd found it, or anything else as she paused just inside the doorway and took in the bare splendor. It was furnished sparsely, but wonderfully. "Luke?"

"Hmmm?"

She closed the gap between them, put her arms around his shoulders, and leaned up to share their second kiss as husband and wife.

Later... "We really have to try for the bed next time."

"You don't like the rug? It's plush!"

A chuckle. "Oh, Farmboy..."


54. Off the Hook


They'd finally managed to make it to the bed, and as she laid in his embrace, she smiled at the wall. No interruptions, no news from the outside... no need to do anything but lay here and enjoy each other. After all the commotion of the wedding, to have this time with this much peace and quiet... it was welcome.

"Can we wake up like this all the time?" Luke mumbled into her hair.

She smiled again. "As often as you want."


55. Back Seat Driver


It had been five weeks since their last sighting by the media, and it wasn't nearly long enough to fully want to be in the public eye of holoshills again. If she had it her way, they'd never try to take another picture again of either of them. On her morning perusal of the overnight news cycle, she stumbled across an article by a gossip columnist, about their whereabouts. The columnist was so far off the mark that Luke found her still chuckling about it an hour later when he woke.

 

Daena: Really liking this latest set. We don't get enough L/M in these latter days.

And I really want to know the backstory behind Artoo and Threepio getting an ice sculpture, now. Either epic, hilarious, or both.

 

You're churning these out at such impressive speed, that it's almost impossible to follow them. But yes, your L/M stuff is great and I want to know the story behind the sculpture, too. Is it supposed to class up some particular place? Impress somebody?

54 is so cute. And LOL at the velvet rug!

 

Onderon: You just solved my problem for UDC 5, Week Twelve... (Actually, both of you did!) Thank you, Onderon!

Ewok Poet: I actually had to go look up velvet carpeting, because I was thinking of that carpet that had enough bounce that Leia did gymnastics on during Shadows of the Empire. Really. Apparently, we're talking about the same thing... **shrug** Thank you, Ewok Poet.


Challenge Set Twelve (August 2, 2010) - UDC 5 - Han, Leia, and an Ice Sculpture...


56. Terrorists


Watching him as he rocked their newborn baby boy to sleep, Leia couldn't help but wonder what kind of a galaxy they were bringing their children into. First the Rebellion, then Grand Admiral Thrawn, and now the Reborn Emperor and Luke turning, temporarily, to the dark side while captured.

"You're thinking too hard," Han quietly told her, and she startled. "We are going to be fine."

"You don't know that."

"Leia..."

"There are so many things-"

Han sighed. "There are always going to be things that come up, no matter what we do. The trick is to work past the bad ones."


57. Deadline


Leia hesitated while he stood up from his chair and deposited Anakin into her arms. "Work past it?"

"Yes. Like we always do." He sat on the edge of the bed and looked her squarely in the eyes. "And I'm worried, too, that we'll do this wrong. So... I'll make a deal with you. If and when the time comes, that Luke settles down, no matter who with..."

"You think he'll settle down."

Han smirked. "Have you seen him when Jade is around?"

"Yes, and half the time, she looks like she wants to kill him. It's not exactly encouraging."


58. Jack


"Maybe not, and she's probably a bad example to use. I'm just saying, that if the time comes... make the best of it."

She peered at him. "How'd we get from my fears of our kids growing up in a world where there are bad things, to talking about Luke in a context of matrimony when he's technically never dated anyone, and is now recovering from being held captive?"

Han smiled. "Isn't it the same thing?"

Put that way... maybe it was. Maybe she didn't have to be fearful that they'd mess up, that the kids would be targets left and right, and that her brother would never recover from his brush with the dark side.


59. Defiant


It took them ten years, Han reflected as he watched Leia pour through datapads while writing on a piece of flimsie. Ten years, countless kidnapping attempts, at least one civil war (though there hadn't been anything civil about it)... and here they both were, knee deep in wedding plans. "So..."

"I remember what you said," she began before he could voice anything. "And you were right. We make the best of it. And Han?" She tossed a datapad at him, and he caught it. "Something for us, in all this."

Han studied the information, then stared at her. "You... how long have you known?"

"A week."


60. 24


Over Han's shoulder on the dance floor, Leia watched with a smile as the bride and groom pondered the oddity of the ice sculpture, knowing they wouldn't understand. It was her way of working past her fears, and acknowledging that life wasn't as perfect as she wished it could be. Who better to personify that, than Artoo and Threepio?

"So how long, do you think, before Luke notices?"

Leia smiled and looked up at him. "Judging by their dance earlier? A while..."

Han nodded. "Is very distracted, isn't he?"

"I would expect nothing less..."

 

Week 12 (09.22.06) - UDC 1 - Roganda Ismaren


56. good


Waking up in his bed was the only good thing about the mission so far, she reflected as she rolled over to look at him. He was dark-skinned and beautiful in the morning light, sleeping the sleep of the defenseless and the innocent. Smiling, she reached over and ran a hand along his jaw line, wanting to savor this moment, for it couldn't last. She had a duty to perform, after all.

Later, he would find a note left on the table, saying she was sorry to not be there when he woke. An hour after that, security would notify him of a suspicious death in his city that would bare investigating.


57. evil


It was four years before she saw him again. Four years in which everything changed and her world turned upside down and inside out. He didn't recognize her, for she was wearing Echo Base Whites and no make-up, and Captain Solo and the Princess distracted him enough so that he didn't ask about the woman named 'Ganda.' She wanted to tell him, to fall into his arms and give in to the pain that was dogging at her every thought.

She didn't. There was nothing to say, and no way to explain.


58. dream


"I know her," a man's familiar voice said, cutting through her migraine like a knife and she curled up even tighter against the pain pounding in her head. "Han-"

"Stop," Han's voice told him pointedly with a rasp. "And I can't explain right now... buddy."

Silence echoed for what felt like eons as hands pulled her upright, and she cracked an eye open to see someone unfamiliar looking back at her with concern. What they asked was garbled, and she passed out once more. Later, she'd wonder if it had been real, being in the cell and people talking in low tones around her.


59. nightmare


She sat at the Dejarik table, staring at the pattern and willing herself to stay awake. To stay alert... to fight the nightmares that would come without a doubt. Which was harder? To stay awake, or to give in and sleep? She was starting to think it was both, and neither.

She jumped a little when someone sat down across from her. "I'm not tired."

"You're not of any use to anyone if you're tired," Leia told her. "And yes, you are."

"Irek's there when I sleep."

"Oh?"

She nodded. "He always is."

Leia leaned in closer. "There's nothing wrong with dreams of your son."


60. truth


She noticed him in the doorway, watching, and sighed. "I know that. It's just... the circumstances of the dreams differ. Widely."

"Who is Irek?" Lando asked, arms folded across his chest. "Before or after us?"

Leia turned to him with a frown. "What?"

"Before," Roganda admitted. "And he's gone, now. My fault."

"Not the way Han told me, it wasn't," Leia observed. "And how do you know Lando?"

Roganda smiled, glanced at him. "I had a mission, once, that brought me into his orbit. I couldn't stay, because it was time-sensitive." He frowned at her. "That's the truth."

 

Bell through Blade: what a fascinating series of events for roganda, surveilling a house/target and then getting welcomed in for breakfast. Obliterate and Offing: Wow, especially for the latter. Ominous foreshadowing there. Liquidation: excellent solution to getting rid of Snoke. Office through Temp: Sweet and touching. Young through Wise: delightful set showing Roganda becoming part of the Echo Base experience. Denial through Acceptance: True ESB-ish. Bite the Bullet through Backseat Driver: Pure squeeliciousness.