Saga Sleeping And Dreaming (AU)---Han In Carbonite--update 8/28, "Ending and Beginning"--Finished!

Nicely done on the dialogue. This is getting more and more intriguing, keep it going, please!

 

Great update, Hmm, this is all so very interesting and I?m very curies to how things will go.

Thanx for the pm and I?m looking forward to read more.

 

I think I have more questions than answers right now, but that's okay!

He shrugged. ?Only the future will tell.?

A great way to end the post!

Looking forward to more!

 

Once again, thanks to all of you that have stopped by and read this ongoing whatever-you-call it.

PonyTricks --Well, Nalieza has been thrown into a situation where she has no clear idea what is going on. For all she knows, he COULD be dead. Or...she might simply be dense. I simply don't know with her.

Golden_Jedi--Thanks, and I will be keeping it going. It should get more interesting as things go along.

ophelia--To put it simply, an "aident" is like a dream interpreter. And a "tshaud" is the higher calling referred to in the title. As for the detail about Nalieza and the carpet black hole...well, I've done that on occasion, too. I think it's like a defense mechanism, when you feel helpless, and the thoughts are closing in. And the line about too much preciptation...well, the planet they're on isn't like Michigan, but they do only have three seasons. Two of them just happen to be chilly and really, really drippy.

Chewie-Fan--Hopefully, my woefully brief explanation above of what an aident is helps you. I might just have to post those Cliff Notes for this story after all.

dm1--Thanks for your compliment about the dialogue. That's one of the hardest things to write sometimes, especially in something of this nature. Nice to see that I can pull it off.

Star_Angel--Thanks for dropping by and reading what's been going on so far. And I promise that the update PM's will be sent to you from now on. I'm new at this, but I'm learning!

VaderLVR--"Clear your mind of questions." Okay, not really. But hopefully as the story progresses, your questions will be answered. If not, I can provide a refund.

EDIT: I'm going to try for updates every Friday. That might help out if you prefer to drop by and see how the story's progressing.

 

I love the cultural tidbits you included along the way- very interesting... I hope we get to hear more about them.

Ah, they're having to suffer through assigned reading- boring assigned reading. I know how that goes a little too well.

I think htis is a really interesting premise- a suggestion for a thread in Resource you might enjoy- OCs anonomous. It's a haven for all OCs.

 

I absolutely love this and can't wait for more. Maybe she'll be able to help Han!!

 

Thanks for the reviews, kotorchick and Fan_Of_Han.

Now, to reply to a couple of things you both brought up in your posts:

kotorchick--I'm glad that you liked some of the cultural elements that I've been including. Since this is an AU, I try to take the time and develop as much of the cultures and places that I mention as possible. Since there isn't a familiar frame of reference for the reader, seeing as how not all the places and cultures that I mention come from canon.

As for the assigned reading, yeah, that's a familiar burden for anyone who has ever been, or is, a college student. Not even in the GFFA can students escape the dreaded "assignments".

And I've begun to haunt the OC Anonymous thread recently.

Fan_Of_Han--Oh, I think Nalieza will be able to help Han out. But as you will see in the next installment (which will be right below this post ), he's going to be an active participant in this process as well. Han was never the type to let anyone do everything for him, right?

 

And now, gentlebeings, the latest installment of the continuing work that is...continuing.


Death And Life

Dream World: Nothi Sautn

?Tell me about yourself,? Nalieza said.

Solo picked up a stone and tossed it into the river. ?I?m not open to discussing myself.?

?Am I allowed to ask why?? She sat down on a nearby medium sized boulder.

?It?s simple. Talk too much about anything, especially yourself, and there?s no mystery. Everybody knows all about you, and they can use it to their advantage.? He threw the stone high into the air. It landed on the other bank, the side representing the entrance and exit to the conscious world.

?Damn, I can?t walk over there, but I can throw a rock on that side. Doesn?t make any sense,? he said in a low voice.

She leaned back, and gave the sky above them an inspection. Grey, overcast, dreary. An obvious sign of Solo?s underlying feeling about the situation. Dramatically appropriate. ?Can I at least ask about your philosophy on life??

He had another stone in his hand, and bounced it in his palm. ?Well, philosophy bores the hell out of me. But just to keep the conversation going, I?ll tell you. It?s a game of chance.?

?How did you come to that conclusion??

He dropped the stone and spread his hands out in front of him. ?Think of a sabacc table. The cards are spread out in front of you, and the little trick to remember in this game is the random factor.? He paused. ?Wait, how much do you know about sabacc??

?Only that it?s a card game. And that some people goof around and use the cards for fortune telling.?

?I forgot all about that.? Then he returned to his original topic. ?Okay, the cards change face values at random. That?s the beauty of the game. When you?re playing, a hand gets dealt, and each card changes its value. Like, if the hand you have at the moment has cards like the Idiot and the Four of Coins in it, then the dealer passes out some more cards, and then a randomizer in the table shift the values of all the cards everyone has.?

?What?s the purpose of that, exactly??

?To keep things interesting.?

?It sounds chaotic.?

?Well, if you like boring, then it?s not the game for you.?

?So, that?s why life is like sabacc. Because of randomness.?

?Pretty much.?

Nalieza stood up and walked over to the river?s edge. ?Does your theory account for concepts like death??

?None that I can recall.?

?So, it?s not a convenient way to explain everything in life.?

?It works for the most part.?

?But that can?t help you with death.?

?I?ve done pretty well so far not giving much thought to that particular matter.?

This conversation was quickly approaching a point of no return. Time to shift focus so she could keep the flow of words going. If she was meant to help him, then she needed to know as much about him as possible.

?Is Solo really your last name??

?Why shouldn?t it be??

?I don?t know. ?Solo? sounds like an alias. Or something you decided to use because it might be good for business.?

?Tell me about your name first.? He grinned.

?Why should I do that??

She sighed. Of course he was going to make this difficult. But she had to play along, so she might as well go ahead and indulge his question. ?The first one comes from my mother?s side. And the last one is fairly common on Ultraia. Where I was born, by the way.? She bent down to pick up a stone with jagged edges. ?My father and I moved to Aeithera when I was two. He got a job teaching at one of the universities there.?

?Didn?t your mother go with you and him??

Nalieza swallowed hard. ?She was dead by then.?

Her answer silenced him for a moment. When he replied, it was with one word, spoken in a low and solemn tone. ?Sorry.?

She tossed the stone over her left shoulder without looking backwards. ?It was the Will of the Creatrix, I guess. No one could help it.? Then she wiped some nonexistent dirt from her palm. ?Enough about me. Tell me something about where you come from.?

He began to pace along the shoreline. ?No

 

Hmm, I always love Han and there is no different in this fic.

?Can I at least ask about your philosophy on life??

He had another stone in his hand, and bounced it in his palm. ?Well, philosophy bores the hell out of me. But just to keep the conversation going, I?ll tell you. It?s a game of chance.?

Well, why am I not surprised by that?

Hmm, those two are too funny, hmm, I guess that Han finally have met someone with the same kind of personality as him.

Wonderful update and thanx for the pm, I?m really looking forward to read more.

 

I'm really enjoying this- Nazalia seems natural and unforced and Han is just... Han. Nothing more that can be like him.

Could I also be added to the PM list? I'd hate to miss an update..

 

Wonderful chapter! I liked the idea that for him life is a game of sabaac very much.

 

So Han agreed to this. I love that he gave his word as a Corellian, you can count on it when they are sober! That was funny!

Han was very in character here, not wanting to reveal anything, yet trying to get her to talk.

It would be interesting to see how this proceeds from here, what he chooses to let her see.

 

He stood up. ?Maybe it?s the Force?s way of telling you something about the rest of your life.?

?Like what??

He smiled quickly. ?I don?t know. That maybe you?re meant to become a Jedi.?

Nice glimpse into the RL of Nalieza. Her friend just might be onto something.

Han picked up a stone and tossed it into the river. ?I?m not open to discussing myself.?

Typical Han...

"I can't say for sure. But I'm thinking that since I've been tossed into the middle of this with you, then I'm going to be a dream guide. Where I'm from, it's called an aident."

"Which means...?"

She smiled. "You can say that I'm sort of a tribal dream counselor. My mother was one, and so was most of her family. It's been a tradition on Ultraia for longer than anyone can remember."

O.k. you just answered a question for me (Whats an aident?)

All caught up, I'm really glad you decided to continue leiamoody.

Does Josym know who it is in her dream? And does Nalieza perhaps have a crush on Han? She seems awfully curious about his relationship with Princess Leia...
Keep them PMs coming!

 

I loved the "We're always trustworthy. At least when we're sober," line.

I'm very intrigued by the possibility of getting a look into Han's past, as well . . . I don't really read the EU, but my understanding is that there's not much information on Han's history even there. Is this an "alternate EU" of yours, or is this from the books somewhere . . . ? Just curious. I like making up character backgrounds, but have somehow never dared make one up for Han. I don't quite know why . . . he seems to refuse all attempts to get information from him, just as he's doing to poor Nazalia.

The job of "aidant" is a very interesting one as well . . . they have "jurisdiction" over dreams as well as over the land of the dead? That makes sense, given the mythic connections between death and sleep. I would ask more about what the aidant's role is, but actually I think I prefer to let the mystery persist. Mystery is what's appealing about dreams and the afterlife, anyway. (Unless of course, you aren't *ever* planning on telling us what Nazalia is trying to do for Han, in which case I'll cry.)

Still a very original and fascinating idea.

 

Once again, I really, really have to thank you all for stopping by and reading this as it's progressing. It gives me the extra push to continue. And many of your comments also make me think about exploring angles I didn't see before. You guys are great.

Star_Angel--Han and Nalieza do have similar personalities in certain ways. They have some differences as well, but Han would never have decided to do this if he didn't have something in common with her.

kotorchick--Sure, I'll add your name to the PM list.
And I couldn't write Han any other way than what he is. If I tried to do otherwise, he'd send the Wookiee after me.

Golden_Jedi--Yes, Han's view of life as a game fits him perfectly. He never could think of it as tennis.

dm1--Han definitely isn't one of those people who wants to reveal anything about himself. Eventually, he's going to have to adjust that way of thinking. Just enough to accomodate the kind of relationship he wants with Leia.

correllian_ale--Yep, Nalieza has a certain destiny in front of her that she's not aware of yet. And would refuse anyway, even if she knew it for sure.

And Josym (and the other two friends) know who Nalieza's in contact with in the dream world by now. And in regards to that crush matter...well, if Nalieza DOES have a crush on Han, she'd better let me know! I've got other plans for her!

ophelia--The background that I created for Han is of my own invention. Like I said in the notes at the beginning, this story is the first of many that I hope to write, set in my own little GFFA. Which means I had to do my own version of Han's history.

Aidents usually don't get involved with the dead people. They deal with the dreams of living people. But in Han's case, he happens to be in a unique position.He's not technically dead...but he's not exactly what one would call alive, either. He has just enough brain activity to dream. (I do have another character who works with the dead people, as Nalieza had explained to Han in this recent chapter).

As for what Nalieza is trying to do for Han...well, she's acting as a dream guide. That's pretty much it. But there is a purpose to this experience for Han. Have you ever heard of the statement "gnothi seauton*" ("know thyself")? Well, that's what Han is supposed to be doing. Looking over his life, and using it to understand himself better.

*"Gnothi Seauton" also inspired the name of the moon Han was born on. A little creative spelling, and, voilam "Nothi Sautn".

 

Han is very much himself, even in a very different place!

?Can I at least ask about your philosophy on life??

He had another stone in his hand, and bounced it in his palm. ?Well, philosophy bores the hell out of me. But just to keep the conversation going, I?ll tell you. It?s a game of chance.?

And that about sums up everything important in his philosophy!

Brilliant portrayal of Han!

 

The latest installment, which provides more background about the mythical stuff.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Katabasis

Real World: Aeithera

?Kata...what??

Nalieza and Meaithe were sitting on a permacrete bench outside the Municipal Library. They were waiting for Josym and Civriel to come from their risnet practice so the group could go inside and have a study session.

Meaithe took a long drag from the cret in her right hand and blew a trail of smoke up into the air. ?As I said, katabasis.?

?Okay, however it?s pronounced. But it?s a journey to the underworld, basically.?

?In many ways, yes. You have to cross a body of water in order to travel through his unconscious. It?s a journey you make at night, which is the traditional time for making any trip to the underworld. Plus, he is in a state that is something like death.?

?So, that?s it? Katabasis is just running around in the afterlife??

?Hardly. If that?s all it was about, then there?s no reason to have some form of a katabasis story in almost every culture in the galaxy.?

?What else is katabasis about??

?Ultimately, it?s about one thing. Something more important than life, death, or the journey in between.? After sending one last puff of smoke into the air, Meaithe tapped the cretbutt into the bench, and then threw it in the waste bin next to her. ?Transformation. That is more important than life or death, and certainly matters far more than the little sojourn in between the beginning and the end.?

?What do you mean??

?Transformation is the one truth that stands above all other factors in the evolution of a conscious being. Knowing oneself, that?s half the purpose of being a conscious soul. The other half is using that knowledge to make yourself someone better.?

?You aren?t trying to say that what Han?s going through is something that he needs in order to become a better person? Because if you're trying to say that?? Nalieza shook her head.

?You aren?t getting my point. A path is discovered and traveled when the person finds the gate and opens it. Of their own will. That doesn?t mean he had to go through any of this. He opened the gate to his path long before he was frozen.?

?He didn't mean for that to happen,? Nalieza said in a small voice.

?Of course not. We never have complete control over their lives. Other things have influence.?

?Is that why you?re suddenly filling my head with this stuff??

?Well, you need to know as much as possible. You?re doing what I?ve done with the souls of dead beings for most of my life. On a different level, but it?s still guidework.?

Nalieza was about to respond, but the sound of a clearing throat followed by a light ?Ahem? interrupted that intention.

The two young women looked up and saw Josym standing there, with Civriel just off to the right. Both had the similar look of a recent and hurried cleanup, followed by a quick jumble of an outfit change.

?It must be an interesting discussion. Considering the two of us could hear you halfway down the steps,? Josym said. There was one empty space by Nalieza, so he sat down next to her. Civriel took the other place by Meaithe.

?What?s going on this time?? Josym asked.

?I?m being preached to,? Nalieza said.

?I?m just trying to tell you what needs to be known.?

?I don?t think metaphysical mechanics are going to help him very much.?

?Neither is refusing to accept the role that?s been presented to you. He has no one else in this world who can cross the borders between both worlds and keep him going. You have no idea how unusual it is for him to have this chance. Beings in coma states never get the opportunity to experience a life review.?

?But he?s in suspended animation, not a coma,? Josym said.

?The specifics don?t really matter. Both situations involve brain states of lowered activity. Coma patients never get a chance to deeply examine their lives until the time of reckoning.? Meaithe took a gold and red foil packet out of her satchel. She flipped one sid

 

Oh, creepy, I can?t even begin to imagine taking a fieldtrip to the land of the dead, that is a really cool idea.

Meaithe placed the remainder of the second cret on the ground, and crushed it with her foot. "Loads more. Let me back up and start at the beginning..."

Can?t wait to see what that was all about and I?m really looking forward to the next update. Thank you for the pm, this was an amazing update.

 

Nice update Lm

Meaithe shrugged. ?That?s not how I would put it. But he is the only being ever put in carbonite to not only retain his sanity, but full awareness as well.? She took an igniter from her satchel, then touched it briefly to the end of the unlit cret. There was a small puff of smoke, then an orange-gold glow. "You could say that the Force was sending you to him in the time of his greatest need. Because odd as it may sound, this is his opportunity to finally figure out what's most important to him. If he doesn?t get his priorities straight now?? a quick drag from the cret, then a deep breath out? ?well, there won?t be another chance like this until after he dies.?

Well, I think we all know what this was referring to...

You also did a fantastic job connecting your events with the 'current events' as we know them.


Great post!

 

Not only because the dreams weren't likely to end anytime soon, but also because she actually liked him. The notorious smuggler and space pirate was really a decent guy at heart. That, he is...

Hmm, there's a lot to think on here. They know about Luke and Vader's confrontation, too. Interesting.

I wonder where the beginning is, now. Keep this coming, it's fascinating.

 

Well now, this just gets more and more interesting!

?So, that?s it? Katabasis is just running around in the afterlife??

?Hardly. If that?s all it was about, then there?s no reason to have some form of a katabasis story in almost every culture in the galaxy.?

?What else is katabasis about??

?Ultimately, it?s about one thing. Something more important than life, death, or the journey in between.? After sending one last puff of smoke into the air, Meaithe tapped the cretbutt into the bench, and then threw it in the waste bin next to her. ?Transformation. That is more important than life or death, and certainly matters far more than the little sojourn in between the beginning and the end.?

?What do you mean??

?Transformation is the one truth that stands above all other factors in the evolution of a conscious being. Knowing oneself, that?s half the purpose of being a conscious soul. The other half is using that knowledge to make yourself someone better.?

What a wonderful exchange!

 

I really like where this story is going.

I especially enjoyed the mention of Han having opened the path to change, the change we all know is coming where he's less the cynical loner and more the caring leader and comrade we all know is buried deep down.

Keep it going!

 

?Transformation. That is more important than life or death, and certainly matters far more than the little sojourn in between the beginning and the end.?

Lovely little bit of philosopy, even well woven into the dialogue. I really love little bits like that- reminds me of Stover's writing, and I enjoy his ROTS novelization very much. this exchange deserves a round of applause...


"Even less were sane enough to withstand the onslaught of memories they were forced to experience in that state."

Wait... Han's sane? Since when?

If he doesn?t get his priorities straight now?? a quick drag from the cret, then a deep breath out? ?well, there won?t be another chance like this until after he dies.?

How true, yes how true. That' the only advantage to Han's time- he can get his life straightened out into what it will become. I think that's a terrific line, and a terrific meaning for his time frozen.

The notorious smuggler and space pirate was really a decent guy at heart.

She sighed. And I'm calling him by his first name, too. That definitely means something.

Now she's finally beginning to figure out what we all have known for a long long time. Han really is a chivalrous, decent guy under his rough exterior. He's a human being too.

This is a really great chapter. I'm loving all this cultural stuff, its so interesting and detailed.. you can tell a lot of work has gone into it. I'm also enjoying learning about their philosophies and such, that's always a personal favorite thing of mine. You've got an intiguing cast of characters with an intriguing plot. I can't wait to see what more this plot willl go to.

Oh, and thanks for the PM! It's appriciated!

 

Your story is fascinating. Excellent writing. Please put me on the pm list.

 

Excellent post. Han's lucky to have someone guiding him and helping him hold onto his sanity while frozen.