Beyond - Legends Splinters (J/J, post-Dark Nest Trilogy novella) - Long neglected Replies 12/14

Wow. This is... angsty.

I love it.

You need to write in profic, TK.

 

That was beautiful! It will be very interesting to see when the profic Legacy comes out how closely this idea of Jag's & Jaina's surprise at Jacen's motives and machinations behind the scences, and how it all unfolds.

Trading the questions was great, and it allowed them to slowly work their way to the deeper matters naturally.

What's with the rash? A reaction to the Chiss reagent still in the atmosphere? Or just an irritation to add to her troubles?

 

awesome work...

 

Fantastic!

I agree! I was running late out the door when I read this last night and didn't get to respond. But, as a description of my reaction, my husband (as he tried desperately to pull me out the door) didn't understand why I couldn't/wouldn't move until finished the post! I just looked at him and said, "I've been waiting two weeks for this, and it's totally WORTH the wait!" (Not being into Sci-fi or books in general, my husband simply shook his head and told me he loved me. Wonderful man.)

Great post TKL! I echo flowerbee when I say they should call you to do some profic! You write these chars so realistically (to me anyway), and the emotions so realistically. Just awesome.

Can't wait to see where this next flashback will take us... ::rubs hands together in anxious glee::

::Hands the author an espresso:: Here's to you!

*~Telanna~*

 

Wow. What incredible emotional intensity. You do an amazing job of interweaving elements of their past and their present to drive their actions. It?s a marvel to watch Jaina and Jag slowly rebuild a bit of trust by speaking openly; it makes the scene feel very real and true to life.

You also do a great job of showing us Jag?s emotional state. Even though we?re in Jaina?s POV we see all sorts of subtle cues. In the end, we know just as much about Jag?s emotional transition as Jaina?s. Awesome.

Glancing down, she realized why that simple brush had felt like an insect sting; her forearm was raw and oozing. Worse yet, she had done this to herself.
Ouch. Now that?s a really creepy Killik withdrawal symptom.

When he raised his face, Jag stared at Jaina, his green gaze as focused as a hard lock. She stared back, caught in the cool depths, wanting to remember the hard lines of his jaw, his cheek, his scar.
He is one good lookin? guy, huh? Seriously, though, I like the parallel to the previous scene when Jag admires Jaina?s body and compares her current state (too thin, scar on her back) to his memories. It?s one of those subtle moments that makes their ability to start rebuilding a connection credible.

?Just blown to smithereens a time or two.?
Oh, now that?s a Solo zinger!

?Some part of me will never stop caring, Jaina.?
Very realistic, very true, and very Jag.

?I won?t,? he replied, not looking back. ?This is for me. I don?t want to feel like I owe you anything.?
Another perfect Jag moment. When he realizes how great a price Jaina has paid to rescue him, he becomes all the more determined. He would treat any rescuer that way to some extent; he would feel an obligation to return the effort. But with Jaina, in their current circumstances, he doesn?t want any debt or guilt getting in the way of doing what must be done ? on Tenupe, and between the two of them.

?To be honest, a basic trainee could have knocked me from the sky by the time I caught up with the Falcon.?
Yep. The Fels have a sense of humor too.

?How long have you known me? Known what I?ve valued most from the Chiss?? Jag?s voice was cold.
Great portrayal of the betrayal Jag feels. He trusted Jaina not to let him down, and she did. (But not as much as he thought? )

?Leave your boyfriend out of this! Just admit you gave the order!?
Wow. Harsh. But a very believable angry outburst. In the heat of the moment, sometimes hurtful words fly?

Jag sat there, looking like he had been kicked in the gut. ?It couldn?t?? He shook his head in an adamant refusal. "No! It was -" he jabbed his finger in accusation "- you."
Hey, at least this time it?s Jag in denial, instead of denial about Jag.

His chest rose and fell slowly. ?I can?t say.?
?Can?t, or won?t??
?Both?And don?t ask me again, Jaina.?
Don?t ask, because you already know?

?I have to know before he hurts my family. I have to.?
Yep. She does. Even if she can?t face the truth yet?

 

amazing two posts

(perhaps I have later more to say then just amazing )


~ Mags ~

 

I can't believe it!
Another TKL masterpiece in the making!
Very cool premise.
And, as always, amazing writing!
L8R

 

Amazing job! I'm absolutally floored by this one. Loved the emotions. They were so real. I feel so bad for each of them I can understand where they're coming from (well except perhaps Jag because I don't know who's trying to kill Jaina and why and why telling her will be bad) anyway... Awsome post! As always I'm looking foward to next week's addition.

 

Great update! They seem to be getting along a little bit better now...right? Since you already have the next part written, you could always post it a little early!!

 

I told myself I would wait until this one was done and read it all in one go (for time reasons) but the other day i had a few minutes and was looking for something good to read and had seen that you just updated this. And I have to say, that post was so incredibly emotionally driven, it was almost tough to get through. Perhaps I won't be able to stand not knowing what happens next until its over and read a few posts every time i get a good block of time. I just wanted to let you know I read that one and it was superb.

 

Fantastic, TKL. I love the way you're writing Jaina's withdrawal, and the tension between J/J is so palpable.

Well done, as always.

oldj

 

Dude! I just read this...IT'S AWESOME!!!!!

Ahhhh....this thing has taken so many turns....I really hope that Jaina's going to be okay.

...is it Wednesday yet?
--kt

 

?But I have no desire to see you suffering.?
?Just blown to smithereens a time or two.?

She's one to speak

Then there is the membrosia??
He looked up, his eyes dark and sad. ?You?re suffering from withdrawal.?

Busted! Denning really let that part from the prologue to TUQ drop, didn't he...?

He inhaled a long breath. ?Supply Depot Thrago. Why did you do it??
Her trembling body turned to stone. ?I?I don?t even know where to start, Jag. At the time it seemed like the right thing to do. The Force had shown premonitions of a terrible war ??

Jaina, your brother is evil! *shakes head*

?We were trying ??
?Leave your boyfriend out of this! Just admit you gave the order!?
?But I didn?t,? she answered softly.
?Lies! You chose to forget what I had done. Do you think I care if they tore that hairy oaf limb from limb?

Yikes! Jag is pissed He must have gone through hell for helping Jaina and Lowie.

She held on, using the Force this time, and placed his hand over her pounding heart. She wasn?t sure who was shaking worse, Jag or her. ?Please, listen to me. I swear on Anakin?s name I did not lead the attack.?
Jag stilled.
?I made a choice, I admit that. Jacen asked me to assist in a raid because he had foreseen the beginning of a terrible war. I had to choose between honoring my brother and honoring you." Tears streamed down her face, but she didn?t dare let go to wipe them. "Jacen betrayed me. We could have turned back, but he made sure we couldn?t. You have to believe me.?

This is my favorite part of the story so far. You really did a great job of capturing the intense emotions, Jaina's desperation to convince Jag she didn't betray him Incredible!

With her back to him, she asked, ?Who betrayed my parents??

At last

?To your family??
?No, Jaina. To you.?

Yep, that's who I was thinking

Wow, this is my favorite post in Splinters Glad to see Jag and Jaina finally talking somewhat candidly about the events of the Dark Nest trilogy and revealing what was going on. The emotion really carried the scene and there were some great exchanges. You write Jaina and Jag incredibly well, and I though their emotions rang true for the situation and was moving to read.

I love the way you're touching on things that were left ambiguous in DN and shedding some light on them. Can't wait to see Jaina's reaction when she finds out it was Jacen who betrayed her parents to the Chiss.

Can't wait for more

 

So that's what happened. See I knew I missed something by not reading TSW

 

GOOD MORNING!

Piggy: EDIT: I would love to have heard all the questions that were asked, especially the answers that went with them.

Ha! Those will be up to you. I?m only filling in some of the blanks?

Can't wait to read what the corresponding flashback is.

Soon enough. There will definitely be some parallels though.


goddess45: The first thing that came to my mind : It started out Jaina saving Jag. T me in this chapter, Jag was 'saving' Jaina. (Not so much saving but the roles seem reversed.

Absolutely. In the end we?ll see that when they work to help each other they are at their best.

It gave a great insight to what was happening during the Swarm War. (Or what you thought it should be).

Exactly. What I thought it should be, not Denning?s vision for sure. Of course he left us a lot to interpret.

Wildcat: First, I will say that's disgusting. Then I will wonder what caused her skin condition. If that's what it is. Judging by the title of this chapter. I'm guessing it's some sort of withdrawl side affect.

That?s exactly what it is?

That's ridiculous. The fact that Jag can be kind to her after all that's happened should make her happy.

Yeah well, she?s in withdrawal. Her whole mindset is ridiculous.

I feel so bad for both of them right now. I really hope they can make it right. Like I said, they obviously still care for each other. They just have A LOT of issues to work out.

Well the truth heals in miraculous ways. Let?s see where we go from here. There?s lots more truth you haven?t even seen yet.

The sense of betrayal is what I think gets at him the most. Even more than the fact that she attacked, but that he had put himself on the line for her, and in her "hive mind" state she had betrayed him.

Well deep down, Jag knows now that Jaina chose Jacen over him, not chose to betray Jag. There?s a subtle difference, which he might just understand.

Jaina_Solo_15: So, Jaina's going through withdrawals. I'd say given everything that she's dealing with, Jaina is handling things very well indeed.

She?s certainly trying. Coming from the one tough cookie mold, she?ll have to be in dire straights before she admits how bad it actually is though.

And may I just say...Jag, buddy...just keep telling yourself that.

You tell him.

Pilots! That's what she chooses to ask him! How her mother outshot her! So Jaina and it was perfect the way that Jag new exactly what she was asking.

Pilots = ego

You write Jaina and Jag so well with so much understanding of their characters it just always shocks me. Awesome! I loved how Jaina still took responsibilty for her actions after she admitted that Jacen led the attack though.

Thank you. I?ve never subscribed to the Jaina is a spoiled brat with not a responsible bone in her body mindset. She?s sacrificed most of her life to fight in wars, flown in Rogue Squadron, led her own. Wedge wouldn?t have put her in those positions if she didn?t have a great sense of responsibility to her pilots and her missions. Being a Jedi is ultimately about sacrifice. Certainly, Jaina can be a princess at times, but her heart is generally in the right place and she?s always been honest with herself.

It's nice to see that Jag still cares enough to protect Jaina, both from the knowledge of what Jacen did and Jacen himself. Very angsty ending, but perfect.

Well I think poor Jag took a shot between the eyeballs with that confession. He still needs to sort things out.

I can't wait for the rest of this post.

jags_gurl: [elegant placemarker reads ... For Squishy's Reply]

I like the elegant placemarker Don?t worry about a reply, just knowing you?re reading is reward enough for this chica.

WynssaStarflare: Awww he still cares about her safety.

Yes, he does.

I wonder how bad she will be when the hypos run out. She was so edgy

 

Yeah well, she?s in withdrawal. Her whole mindset is ridiculous.

I'm feeling impatient, I want her to be better. I want Jag to be her magical cure. I understand that her going through this is important to the story and to her growth and development but I'm choosing to be illogical right now

Well the truth heals in miraculous ways. Let?s see where we go from here. There?s lots more truth you haven?t even seen yet.

Yeah the truth does heal. Sometimes, getting it out is the only way, no matter how much it hurts. I'm very excited to find out the rest of those truths.

Well deep down, Jag knows now that Jaina chose Jacen over him, not chose to betray Jag. There?s a subtle difference, which he might just understand.

Yeah. I hope he does. I had the same raw reaction he might have but I see your point.



Is it Wednesday yet???

 

lol. Denning didn't really get anywhere with DN. I like this story for the reason it completes all the unanswered questions. It cleans up Denning's mess.

 

So you answered some of my questions and now I just have more questions!! You're so devious TKL, it's not fair
So now I want to know who this horrible person is. Aghhhh
Totally unfair by the way, splitting that post in half...haha, just kidding! Still, Wednesday never seemed so far away.
Still, I am hypnotized into waiting
God speed week, god speed
But honestly, just another great post! ^-^
-Flygirl <--- teehee

 

Wildcat: I'm feeling impatient, I want her to be better. I want Jag to be her magical cure. I understand that her going through this is important to the story and to her growth and development but I'm choosing to be illogical right now

All righty then...

You know that patience is a must when reading my stories

goddess45: lol. Denning didn't really get anywhere with DN. I like this story for the reason it completes all the unanswered questions. It cleans up Denning's mess.

I'm sweeping...


Flygirl: So now I want to know who this horrible person is. Aghhhh

ALl in good time.

Totally unfair by the way, splitting that post in half...haha, just kidding!

Yes it was...unfair. But this next post has a good vavoom impact as well. Minds will start clicking I think.



Thanks again, guys! There is a teaser awaiting in the Cantina.

 

Withdrawal (Part 2)

Suspended precariously in the turbolift shaft, Jaina fought to dispel the tremors threatening to compromise her position. Even for a Jedi the climb had been difficult, and now she was preparing for the trickiest part of her ascent. With her legs braced on one side and her arms pressed against the opposite wall, she glanced up one more time to be sure she had gauged the distance to the base of the turbolift car correctly. To ease her protesting muscles she shook out one leg at a time, then her arms.

Wiping her right hand on her pants leg, she inhaled one deep breath and drew on the Force. Her lightsaber launched from its place on her belt, smacking into her palm and igniting with a snap-hiss. The blade sliced through the lift wall below the level of her braced hand. With practiced skill, she made two cuts big enough for footholds about half a meter on either side of the corner where the shaft walls met. Extinguishing the blade, she returned the weapon to her belt.

?Here comes the fun part.? Jaina readied her muscles for the effort. ?One. Two. Three!?

With a tremendous burst of power she leapt, ending with her feet in the holes and her fingers twined in the web of conduits that rimmed the bottom of the off-kilter lift car. She paused, mentally regrouping from the effort. Immersing herself in the currents of the Force, she searched for the lifeforms above her. One was semi-conscious; the rest were either unconscious or?dead.

Peering up, Jaina determined the best place to cut, then surgically sliced into the floor with her lightsaber. She didn?t even attempt to prevent the severed section of floor from falling. It tumbled past, bouncing and clanging a descent through the long shaft. Heaving herself upward, Jaina clambered into the lift.

The small area was dark, illuminated only by a slowly rotating red glowlamp that cast an eerie light on the pile of mangled bodies. The lift must have plummeted at a deadly velocity, rebounding off the shaft walls until it had become lodged in this precarious position. From underneath the crush of motionless Chiss came a plaintive moan. Taking care even with the dead, Jaina worked to extricate the lone conscious survivor. The sight of long black hair gave her reason to pause.

?Shawnkyr??

?Unhhh,? the usually reserved Chiss officer groaned.

Jaina offered a silent prayer of thanks. If nothing else, Jag had not lost his lifelong friend this day. She eased the tall woman?s head onto her lap, doing her best to soothe Shawnkyr with healing energy. ?You?re going to be all right. Do you know what happened to you??

?Jana duot nono b?lanhandtra.?

?Shawnkyr, it?s Jay-?

?I know is who it.? Abruptly Shawnkyr sat up. ?Towa dun. No help you from.?

Jaina caught the Chiss as she slumped back. Only then did she notice the trace of blood trickling from her hairline. ?Easy there. You?ve taken a nasty blow to the head.?

?Not first time have you cut nerohchi.?

?Not me. I didn?t cut you,? Jaina reassured her. ?It happened in the fall.?

?Cut Jag.? Shawnkyr batted Jaina?s hand away when she moved to tend to the bleeding head wound.

?No, Jag?s fine.? Jaina tried again to move aside the black hair matted with blood.

Shawnkyr slapped her hand, harder this time. ?No cut Jag you!?

Jaina?s brow furrowed. Obviously Shawnkyr was trying to get a point across, but the head trauma was interfering with her command of Basic. As best Jaina could tell, Jag?s friend had suffered a number of injuries, but none of them were life threatening. No matter, the sooner Jaina got Shawnkyr to real medical assistance, the sooner the injuries could be looked at. Swinging the emergency pack off her back, Jaina resolved to do just that.

?Let me get a bacta patch on that wound and then we?ll get out of here. Okay?? Very slowly Jaina peeled away the backing to a patch, then carefully placed it over the head wound.

Shawnkyr watched, her red eyes wary. Finally she rasped, ?He waited.?

 

Snag!

Will read and do comments in the morning.




EDIT:

Shame on me for not remembering this was going to be all flashback when reading the teaser in the Cantina. Either I'm still not completely awake, or this was supposed to be on the confusing side, probably the former. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future regarding the words of both Chiss officers.

 

[Wildcat's Spot]

Multiple edits due to the fact that I'm very slow...

Okay. I'm back now (I can't believe it's in the same night either)

All righty then...

Hey, are you making fun of me

You know that patience is a must when reading my stories

*sigh* I know. But hope springs eternal

Excellent writing as always. It's a joy to read such well done characterizations.

Okay. I'm a total dope so I had to completely redo most of this review

Suspended precariously in the turbolift shaft, Jaina fought to dispel the tremors threatening to compromise her position.

So this is the tremoring to which she previously referred. Interesting how the little things can take us back.

Taking care even with the dead, Jaina worked to extricate the lone conscious survivor.

I like that. Gives them some dignity. Not that it matters to them, but it probably matters to their families.

Jaina offered a silent prayer of thanks. If nothing else, Jag had not lost his lifelong friend this day.

Well that's a comfort at least. It's a good thing he doesn't know what is going to happen in his future.

?Jana duot nono b?lanhandtra.?

Some things need no translation...

?I know is who it.? Abruptly Shawnkyr sat up. ?Towa dun. No help you from.?

She's always been very harsh with Jaina. I can see where she's coming from though. She's trying to protect Jag and she know that Jaina has the capacity to hurt him dearly.

Shawnkyr slapped her hand, harder this time. ?No cut Jag you!?

Well obviously she's not saying what she means to say. Possibly she's talking about Jaina hurting Jag? That would make sense. Of course, I could be totally off and she could be talking about something else entirely.

?No.? Shawnkyr snatched Jaina?s wrist, her fingers digging in painfully. ?Waited you for. Too long. Too late.?

Yes. He loved her so he waited. But she had a lot of issues to work out. It's hard to place blame on either of them in this situation. Both end up getting hurt. Of course, it's not hard for Shawnkyr, but she sees things from a different perspective (being Chiss). She thinks Jaina held him back and she knows that he was hurt that Jaina didn't commit to him. She's loyal to Jag and her feeling about Jaina seem to be reflective of how Jaina's actions affect Jag.

Not only truth, though. Also some deep-seated fear, or maybe even resentment, spilling forth from a being who was otherwise inscrutable.

Yes, she knows that if Jaina were to commit to Jag, he might make compromises for her that she (Shawnkyr) does not agree with.

Straightening, she saw Jag standing a few meters away. A smile slipped across her lips and she began to walk in his direction ? until a strange empty sensation awakened within her chest.

Furthering his loyalty to the Chiss. And distancing himself from the GFFA and Jaina.

In her heart she knew this was when Jag was at his finest. His mind worked like a fine-tuned computer, weighing odds, calculating risks, minimizing losses, all with practiced ease.

Yes. He's doing what he does best (besides flying).

They trusted his judgment even above Shawnkyr?s, although she was their direct superior. It should have made Jaina proud; instead all she felt was hollow.

Perhaps this is due to the fact that she now knows that her relationship with Jag is falling apart (if it hasn't already).

?Fear not. The state of the Rising Storm will not change the high regard for Ambassador Fel. He will always be considered one of our finest.?

Hopefully this will extend to his return in the present.

?Please assure the Ambassador that this incident will not tarnish his esteem throughout the Ascendancy. Those who have had the honor to serve under him would never allow it.?

Like I said, hopefully those people will speak up now.

Only then did she notice she was scratching at a raw spo

 

Hmmm, so Jaina's arm was hurting from the incident in the turbolift? Or was that just bleed through from the flashback and the real moment? There is no such thing as coincidence so now you have me really curious.

Very interested to see what happens next.

 

good job. is it just me or shawknyr a little crazy?

 

Great post! Poor Jaina. She did the right thing only a little too late and now it looks like her and Jag aren't going to work. I loved the illusion to the other reality with Jaina scratching her arm. Hopefully they'll figure something out.