Beyond - Legends The Definition of Duty (Family Album AU--Solos, OCs) - WINNER - Update 8/30

Confessed lurker here.

I just thought I'd drop a note to say that I'm enjoying the story. You have a real talent for fleshing out original characters that I enjoy reading, Fatty. I'm looking forward to the next post. I'm hoping to see more of Captain Cyor. He intrigues me.

 

Yobi: Yes, this is definitely AU. No Evil!Jacen in this series. When you live on the same planet as the Jedi headquarters, you see a lot of strange stuff, I'm sure. Thus, I didn't think it would take very long for Cyor to ask Gavin if a Jedi could start a fire without using anything but the Force. Thanks for reading.

Z: Thanks for delurking. Glad you like it so far.




The next post will be up as soon as I have it back from beta.

 

Chapter Five

He was seven when he began to help his uncle with the small menagerie he maintained on Ossus to ?train empathic students?. He was eight when the first shadowmoth ?Jacen?s favorite - died on his watch. When his uncle returned, they buried the small creature beneath the jubba tree that guarded the path to the lake. He remembered that the air smelled of fresh rain and rotting leaves ? altogether clean. Jacen spoke of life and death as the insects sang a cheerful refrain. Nik cried. Jacen, laying his hand on his shoulder as they walked home, spoke to fill the silence between Nik?s tears.

?The Jedi of old said that there is no death, only the Force and, I think, some Jedi die understanding that. Anakin did. But for the rest of us? Death comes to us all. Whether it is the Force or simply a long sleep, it comes and it keeps us apart. I like to think we will be together again, someday.?

They were strange words to comfort a child but Nik never forgot them. He clung to them when his little sister was lost only six months later- never to be seen again.

Nik pushed the memory aside and focused once again on the mission his brother needed him to accomplish. He rushed out of his meeting ignoring the incredulous look on the face of the Admiral and the concerned faces of the other men who respected him. He knew the holonet would inform them shortly why he went AWOL. Swinging by his office, Nik grabbed a small sack from the closet and then called Major Dennick and ordered him to clear his schedule for the next week. The next call was to the Captain in charge of his wife?s schedule. He would swing by to get her, first.

The two of them had experienced their fair share of deaths as leaders of the clawcraft-only Grakit Squadron. While the Grakits had never seen war, there were still skirmishes with errant warlords and unfortunate accidents that occurred under Nik?s command. The numbers were not nearly as high as his parents and grandparents had experienced but they were more than enough for him.

Renna was officially the newest member to the Fel family, despite marrying Nik sixteen years ago. And even though they?d lived on Denon for their entire married life in order to serve at their posts at Starfighter Command, Renna still spent enough time around his family to have her own special relationship with his Uncle Jacen. He didn?t want to give her news over the comlink. She would need him there. Despite what some pilots and officers said about him, there was more than Chiss ice flowing through his veins.

Catching the turbolift, Nik made his way to the wing of the naval headquarters building that housed the flight school where his wife?s office was located. He nodded to the captain who guarded his wife?s door with the same fierceness that Major Derrick displayed when guarding his own. The captain returned the nod and informed him, ?She?s expecting you, sir.?

The swoosh of the door opening didn?t faze Renna. Nik knew his wife was aware of his presence, but he didn?t want to interrupt the message she was typing to an unknown recipient. Sitting down, he waited until she was done. Once finished, she spun her chair to greet him but, as soon as she saw his face, her smile slipped. Unlike most beings, Renna Fel had spent enough time around Nik to read the subtle changes in his face, shoulders, and jaw; she could read him better than any of his family members.

Maybe I need to start spending more time with them, Nik mused.

?What is it?? Renna asked.

?Gavin just called. Uncle Jacen passed away a couple of hours ago.?

Renna leaned back in her chair, the expression on her face telling Nik that she was analyzing the information as if it were new intelligence on an enemy?s defenses that needed circumvented. ?Networks have it yet??

?They?re already running it.?

His wife frowned at the news. Granted she didn?t bear the brunt of the burden when it came to holo reporters harassing her family, but in the fifteen years she operated as Nik?s executive officer and the sixteen years of marriage since, she stil

 

?The Jedi of old said that there is no death, only the Force and, I think, some Jedi die understanding that. Anakin did. But for the rest of us? Death comes to us all. Whether it is the Force or simply a long sleep, it comes and it keeps us apart. I like to think we will be together again, someday.?
They were strange words to comfort a child but Nik never forgot them. He clung to them when his little sister was lost only six months later- never to be seen again.

Yeah, I like the Jacen quote too

?That?s all well and good, but please don?t talk that way in front of our niece,? Renna chastised.
Nik?s eyebrows furrowed slightly, ?What do you mean??
?Those girls weren?t raised by pilots, and they?re not going to appreciate being referred to like a piece of cargo,? she answered.

lol

He essentially wanted to go in with proverbial blasters blazing

If by "proverbial," he also means "literal," I'm with Nik

She, on the other hand, remembered vividly what it was like to be eighteen and trying to establish your own identity. It would be unbelievably not ?wizard?, if her niece?s generation were still using that particular piece of slang, for Nik to cause that kind of scene in front of her classmates.



Josslyn?s shoulders slumped at the news. She shut her eyes, a look Renna saw often enough when one of her in-laws was trying to communicate with another relative in the Force. After a moment, she opened her eyes and asked, ?How did he die??
?We don?t know.? Renna answered

I think he was murdered

Another good post, Fatty Nice to see Nik and Renna together, and I enjoyed their different ideas on tactics for retrieving Josslyn Can't wait to see what happens now that the family is all coming together.

Post more soon

 

Wise Jedi Master Jacen made my cry.

?I?m a pilot--I?ll do my mourning with a bottle of alcohol,? she answered.

Truer words were never spoken.

?Father was adamant about the way we treat women, but mostly,? his eyes twinkled at her, ?I figure if my hands are full of baggage, then yours are free to fill out all those boring mission reports.?

Jagged Fel obviously learned his lesson! And passed it on to his boys!

Grandpa Han is probably very proud of Nik wherever he is.

You've gotten my curiosity all ramped up again. Now I really want to know what Jacen was hiding. I'll work on my patience!

Great update.

CJM

 

Yobi: You and Nik would make quite the pair with your blasters-blazing entrance. I'm glad you like the dynamic between Nik and Renna. Their marriage alternates between being the easiest and hardest to write in this story. It's almost time for the family to be reunited and to learn more details about what's going on.

CJM: Yes, Jag passed many knowledgeable tidbits to his sons, and Nik is certainly most like his father. You will have to work on the patience, because we're not going to learn what Jacen had that was so important just yet.


The next update will be up as soon as I have it back from beta.

 

I really like Nik's wife. That girl has sense

Poor Josslyn

I particularly liked this line: ?Dad doesn?t think it was an accident.?

Great chapter!

 

Fun chapter! Renna, I think, is going to be a favorite of mine if this chapter was any indication of her. "I do my mourning with a bottle of alcohol" and "Pilot, remember?" were probably my favorite lines of hers. Nik's, of course, was when he admitted to his true intentions when carrying her bags. Very awesome. Great chemistry and what I would expect from former squadmates turned lovers/spouses but then I guess you have some experience writing that, don't you? Those Fel boys might ought to learn not to fish off the company pier, if you know what I mean. Of course, it seems to be working...

The saddest part of the whole chapter was the memory of Jacen-that-should-have-been-but-canon-forgot.

Hands down the best parts were the banter between Nik and Renna, though! I love how you are able to humanize your characters. Bravo.

I can't wait to see what you do with the next chapter. It's about time to stop nibbling at the edges and get into the meat of the plot! Tell your beta to stop slacking- they must really suck to be so late with everything.

Z

 

Nat: Glad you like Renna. She's one of my favorites, too.

Z: No bad mouthing the beta, they had a lot of work to do with this chapter. Nothing like writing the majority of a story then rewriting the impetus of the whole thing and leaving it up to the proofreader to make it all mesh together.

And now onto the update...

---

[b]Chapter Six[/b]

The pounding water massaged his muscles as steam filled his nostrils. He felt them twitch again and almost reached for the soap for a third time. Instead, he turned the shower off and ran his hands over his hair and then his face to scrape away the water before reaching for his towel. He could feel Liyani slowly waking up in the bedroom from her Force-induced sleep. Gavin winced in anticipation of her wrath. If she realized what he?d done in the night- well, he would much rather face a couple of starving rancors with nothing but the clothes on his back than face his wife after that. [i]Maybe,[/i] he thought as he stepped out of the shower, [i]just maybe, I?ll get lucky and she won?t realize what I did.[/i] While he realized now that it probably wasn?t the smartest thing he?d ever done, he wasn?t really thinking at the time. He only remembered wanting to be there when she found out. Even now, he couldn?t say that he was looking forward to telling his wife about Jacen, but if he was honest with himself - something of a family code for the Fels ? then he would admit that he needed her to know.

He was just wrapping the towel around his waist when Liyani opened the door accompanied by a blast of cold air. He could just see the tip of her red robe out of the corner of his eye as he dried his hair with a second, smaller towel. She stood there in silence for a moment, watching him.

?There must be something really wrong,? she teased, ?because whenever I start looking you up and down like this, you start trying to get me back in bed.?

Bracing himself, Gavin put the smaller towel back onto the rack and met Liyani?s playful gaze. The smile melted off her face as he let her see what no one else was allowed to ? his pain.

?Who?? she whispered.

?Uncle Jacen.? He was surprised how quiet his own voice was.

?Oh, Gavin.? And, almost before he knew it, she was there. Her touch was healing as she filled his arms and nuzzled into the crook of his neck, breathing deeply. ?Ungh!? she snorted as she pulled away from him almost as quickly. ?How much soap did you use??

?Sorry,? he muttered, looking down again. ?There was a fire. I felt like I couldn?t get the smell off me.? Running his hand through his hair, he gently brushed past her towards the walk-in closet they shared.

Liyani, still behind him in the ?fresher, was uncharacteristically quiet. It was good odds that she was fighting off the urge to play psychiatrist with him ? it had been a point of contention in their marriage before. When she finally came to the bedroom, she fairly screamed determination in the Force and seemed to be attempting to do what she thought a normal wife would do if she had a normal husband who?s mentor had just passed away.

?Is your mother okay??

?Other than being devastated? She?s? I don?t know. Nawra sent a healer after her, but I haven?t heard any word back about how that went.? He didn?t want to think about what this would do to his mother. She and Uncle Jacen had almost never been separated, and the one time she thought he was dead ? well, the stories of her detour to the dark side were anything but encouraging.

?Do you still think the vision you had last week of the fire and the one of her stepping down from the Foundation are somehow related?? Liyani asked cautiously, handing his over tunic to him from her seat on the edge of the bed.

?I don?t know,? he sighed, accepting the robes absently. ?I really don?t.?

?Look,? she reached up and touched his hand, ?I know it bothers you when you see something happen in the future and don?t know enough to stop it. I won?t pretend to understand that feeling. But, Gavin, from what you told me, there i

 

I love the interaction between Gavin and his wife. So sweet!! And interesting sibling stuff. I also enjoyed the descriptions of the Council members.

 

Thanks, Nat. Gavin and Liyani can have their moments when they can be at each other's throats, but they do love each other very much. And as for the Council, I'm glad you liked their descriptions. I had more on them in bits that came before all of this, but I cut the first ten chapters or so of this story in order to help pacing. So they might be feeling a little neglected.

 

While he realized now that it probably wasn?t the smartest thing he?d ever done, he wasn?t really thinking at the time.

It was a crummy thing to do

?Oh, Gavin.? And, almost before he knew it, she was there. Her touch was healing as she filled his arms and nuzzled into the crook of his neck, breathing deeply. ?Ungh!? she snorted as she pulled away from him almost as quickly. ?How much soap did you use??

lol

?Do you still think the vision you had last week of the fire and the one of her stepping down from the Foundation are somehow related?? Liyani asked cautiously, handing his over tunic to him from her seat on the edge of the bed.

That's an interesting thought. What could that mean?

He was three steps out the door when he remembered he had yet to confess his action of lulling her into a deep sleep. ?Shavit,? he muttered. Looking back towards the front entrance he debated on what to do. He could turn around, make his confession, and erase at least part of the guilt from his mind before meeting with the Council. Or he could avoid being late, postpone his wife?s fiery temper, and simply deal with the distracting thoughts. Shaking his head, he continued moving forward; she would have to lash out at him later.

Why do I get the feeling this is going to come back to haunt him?

No one seemed surprised by this and he felt a hint of pride in the beings who now sat in the room at his side. Of course they already knew that, they weren?t on the Council because they ignored the Force and all the treasures it had to offer.

Very perceptive.

Wow, great post, Fatty I really enjoyed the Gavin and Liyani moment. They make a really good couple. I think my favorite part was in the council meeting, however, when Gavin told everyone about the lightsaber wound. It sort of reminds me of the Old Republic Jedi hearing from Qui-Gon Jinn that there may be a Sith out there and being in disbelief about it.

Can't wait to see what their meditations reveal and how they decide to proceed Post more soon

 

Sorry for being slow with this story, guys.

Yobi: The vision is something I had in the story, but I ended up chopping the first ten chapters out of this to help with pacing. But the vision was pretty much what Liyani described: Gavin saw an image of a fire and then the image of his mother's name being removed from the nameplate by the door of her office at The Asha Fel Foundation. What would you have thought it meant if you'd seen that? I'm glad you like Liyani and Gavin; they can be a little rocky at times, but they do make a great pair.

Again, sorry for the delay in getting the next part up. This whole thing was my Nano project back in November, and while I did get around 55,000 words in on it, it needed an obscene amount of editing. Thus my beta has practically become my co-writer and she's been on vacation the last couple of weeks. I'd like to think that I'm not so completely co-dependent on her for this story, but I am and honestly the storytelling is better for it. We'll get the next part up as soon as we can. In the mean time, thank you to those who nommed this story and Renna for the awards. I greatly appreciate it.

 

Yes, finally an update. Trust me, I've been wanting you to read what's next just as much as you (hopefully) have been. If you like anything in the story, credit probably goes to my beta. I gave her a start, told her where I wanted it to go and she did the rest.

---

[b]Chapter Seven[/b]

On the edges of her awareness, she heard her young apprentice approaching and began the slow process of withdrawing from the holocron before her. It was tricky business, sometimes. She?d learned in the past that if she interrupted a lecture, she would offend the recording and it was difficult to convince it she was worthy of its instruction once it felt slighted.

?Master Dehbat, my apprentice returns and I must go.?

?Your apprentice comes and he should wait on you. You are his Master.?

?And I choose to deal with him now.?

She didn?t think a recorded consciousness could experience anger, but it was there- or the illusion of it- burning just below the surface. ?Very well.?

V?Kari switched the cube off and wondered, briefly, why she couldn?t have found one of the dry, lecturing holocrons that she?d heard of instead of this touchy one. She found the glowing image insufferable most of the time but the things he taught her were wondrous beyond words.

She was locking the cube up when Fri?sat?s echoing footsteps came to a stop outside her small office. Keeping her back turned to him, she spoke softly, gently. ?You have five seconds to explain why I shouldn?t use your hide as a floormat in my ?fresher.?

?I panicked. I?m sorry, Mistress.?

Her anger flared again and, without thought, she lowered her shields and let it burn through him for a single moment before closing up again. She heard his utility belt rattle as he shifted positions and she turned slowly to see him kneeling on one knee before her.

?You panicked? You?re [i]sorry[/i]? What good does [i]sorry[/i] do me? You killed Jacen Solo!?

She realized she was shouting and huffed loudly, dismissing her anger. Eyeing Fri?sat, who was still kneeling with his eyes lowered, she rolled her eyes and told him, ?Get up, you idiot. Tell me what happened.?

?I was able to get in without a problem. It didn?t take long to find his notes and research ? they were all over his desk. He?s obviously been working on them recently. I had them gathered up and was ready to go when I saw a holocron on the shelf. It felt important. When I reached for it, though, I knocked something over. I?m really not certain what it was, but it shattered.?

?And the noise woke him.?

?Yes, Mistress. He woke and there was no place to hide myself. I,? V?Kari saw his fur ripple in embarrassment before he continued, ?I wasn?t sure I could beat him and still escape unknown. I attacked because I had a chance of escaping if I took him by surprise. I killed him because to let him live, after that, was dangerous to us.?

V?Kari ran a hand through her hair and sighed. ?Yes, I don?t see that you could have done anything differently. You couldn?t have taken him in a fair fight. Worse, he might have taken you alive. At this point, the important part is that you were not seen.?

?I was not.?

?And did you leave any trace of yourself??

?I made myself small the entire time I was on planet, Mistress. The only time I used the Force beyond that was to open his door and to start the fire.?

?That you know of. It will take me quite some time to figure out how to hack into Ossus security and erase you from the public scanners.? Fri?sat?s fur began to ripple again and he opened his muzzle. She raised a single finger and glared at him, ?If you apologize again, I really will get angry. It doesn?t do anything but make you feel better. When you have something useful to say, then speak. But do not apologize.?

His muzzle snapped shut with the loud click of teeth on teeth.

Satisfied, she held out her hand. ?Let us see this holocron that was worth the life of Jacen Solo.?

The Bothan stooped down to the bag of data cards and research notes lying at his feet and pulled from it a smal

 

Sorry for the drive by review, but it was great, and can't wait for more!



CJM

 

On the edges of her awareness, she heard her young apprentice approaching and began the slow process of withdrawing from the holocron before her.

Oh yeah I've been very much looking forward to this

?Master Dehbat, my apprentice returns and I must go.?
?Your apprentice comes and he should wait on you. You are his Master.?
?And I choose to deal with him now.?
She didn?t think a recorded consciousness could experience anger, but it was there- or the illusion of it- burning just below the surface. ?Very well.?
V?Kari switched the cube off and wondered, briefly, why she couldn?t have found one of the dry, lecturing holocrons that she?d heard of instead of this touchy one. She found the glowing image insufferable most of the time but the things he taught her were wondrous beyond words.

Great details. Is this a Sith holocron, by chance? Either way, I hope we find out more about "Master Dehbat."

?I was able to get in without a problem. It didn?t take long to find his notes and research ? they were all over his desk. He?s obviously been working on them recently. I had them gathered up and was ready to go when I saw a holocron on the shelf. It felt important. When I reached for it, though, I knocked something over. I?m really not certain what it was, but it shattered.?

Jeez, what a klutz

?That you know of. It will take me quite some time to figure out how to hack into Ossus security and erase you from the public scanners.? Fri?sat?s fur began to ripple again and he opened his muzzle. She raised a single finger and glared at him, ?If you apologize again, I really will get angry. It doesn?t do anything but make you feel better. When you have something useful to say, then speak. But do not apologize.?

I really liked that bit.

After he left, footsteps receding in the darkness of the warehouse, she locked away the new additions to her collection with regret. As much as she wanted to examine them now, there was work to do. From the top drawer in her desk, she pulled a small data stick, a pair of gloves, and a cleaning solution. Then, using great care, she cleaned the data stick of any environmental traces and then placed it in a small envelope. Once this was finished, she sat it before her on the now clean desk and fell into a light meditation and cleaned from the stick any traces of her Force signature that it might have picked up during the weeks she worked with it. When she was finished, she placed it all in a plasteen baggie and tucked it into her pocket.
She hoped the Jedi would understand her message. She also hoped they would enjoy the little ?gift? that came with it.

Alright, what the heck is on the datastick?! And what is this "gift" that comes with it? My first thought was some sort of virus but I'm not sure V'Kari is really at the point where she wants to launch an actual attack on the Jedi. Just taunting them with something, perhaps?

Can't wait to see what this is

Great post, Fatty I'm really enjoying V'Kari and Fri'sat in this fic and it's nice to see them together for the first time. I loved the way she scolded him without wasting a lot of time on regrets, even scolding him for doing it. Both are really interesting characters and I'm looking forward to learning more about them

Post more soon!

 

CJM: Drive-bys are better than no review at all. Thanks for stopping by!

Yobi: Don't worry. V'Kari has plenty of goodies surrounding her that will crop up from time to time. The Jedi are going to want to figure out what's on the datastick as badly as you do, don't worry. Hopefully you'll like what she has in store. I know I had fun writing that scene. I forgot this would be the first time you saw Golad and V'Kari together. They had a moment earlier, but it was cut to help speed up the story. Maybe I'll have to do missing scenes later on.



And, a huge THANK YOU to whoever voted this story as Most Underrated. It's always nice to have your work recognized.

 

I love the beginning

I can't wait to see Gavin's reaction to her message - probably not a favorable one.

Hope you post soon!! And congrats on the win

 

Thank you, Nat.

I just wanted to pop in and apologize for the slowness of the updates. Life is a bit crazy at the moment for both my beta and myself. when I made this my Nano project in November, I was all excited because I could get the story knocked out and updated it on a timely and regular basis. What I didn't realize was how much editing would be required, and that life would get a little nuts. Sorry that you've been on the receiving end a little bit with that. Thank you all for sticking with me. I hope it's worth your while.

 

Chapter Eight

Gavin frowned at his reflection in the transparisteel and adjusted his robes once more, waiting for the knock on the door. His sister had been radiating determination the entire length of the corridor and he was out of excuses. Clearing his throat, he called, ?Come in.?

?Are you ready?? Nawra asked as she strode into the room.

?No.?

?Too bad. They?re waiting on us.?

Gavin snorted. There was a very good reason that Nawra?s family nickname was Jaina Junior. She did a fair imitation. ?Since when do you worry about people waiting on you??

?Since the entire galaxy is waiting on us.?

?Well,? he admitted, ?there is that. Did security find any recording devices??

?Only a few. Not,? she reassured him, ?on any of the Jedi.?

He was grateful for that. Probably too grateful, if he was honest. There was a time not so long ago when the Order operated on trust. Now, everyone jumped at shadows and eyed one another a little too closely. The mystery of Jacen?s death had to be solved. If not, the Order would die of this new cancer.

?And did the Queen Mother arrive??

?You haven?t noticed all of the disgustingly tall and attractive bodyguards stationed everywhere??

Gavin felt his lip pull into a smirk. Nawra, like his mother and his grandmother, railed against the Force from time to time about her appearance ? especially when there were taller women around.

He shook his head and answered, ?I?ve been hiding in my office all day.?

?You should stop doing that.?

?You should stop impersonating my wife.? Gavin muttered under his breath.

?What was that??

?Nothing.? Gavin paused before asking his next question. ?Is her husband with her??

?No.? Nawra answered.

?Interesting.?

?It?s really not, and please don?t start. I?ve already had to listen to Mom and Dad go back and forth on this. I don?t need to hear the arguments again.?

?She broke his heart when she left.? Gavin argued.

?And there was nothing stopping him from chasing after her.? Nawra countered.

Gavin turned to face his sister and repeated, ?She broke his heart,? saying each word slowly and deliberately.

His sister crossed her arms and asked, "What was so wrong with his life, Gavin? It was a good life.?

?He could?ve been happy. He could have had a family.? Gavin replied.

Uncrossing her arms in a partial shrug, Nawra rolled her eyes to the ceiling before countering. ?He was happy and he did have a family. Besides, who are you to say he wasn?t happy??

Gavin felt a wave of anger wash over him and took a breath before allowing it to dissipate. It had been a hard week for all of them and it wasn?t getting better any time soon. ?Let?s not argue about things that happened before we were born.?

?Actually,? Nawra corrected with an insufferable smirk, ?I was a couple of months old when Tenel Ka got married.?

?Oh, I?m sorry,? he said as he strode past her to the doors, ?sometimes I forget how old you are.? He tried to escape into the safety of the public hall but wasn?t quick enough. No sooner was the insult out of his mouth than an invisible hand slapped him on the head?a nasty trick Nawra had picked up from their mother. ?Ow.? He muttered as he rubbed the back of his skull before opening the door and stepping out into the corridor.

They walked in silence until they reached the small exit that fed onto a well worn path but before he could join the rest of the council waiting a few meters away, his sister grabbed his arm and asked, ?Are you going to tell me why you?ve been holed up in your office all day long or not??

?I have to have a reason?? he nearly winced. That was way too obviously a stall tactic and his sister knew it.

She narrowed her eyes and asked, ?Are you mad because you feel like the Force has been withholding answers from you??

Gavin sighed. Though that was part of it, he found himself reluctant to share with Nawra his biggest concern. Searching the distant tree line for answers, he decided that not opening up to her was stupid. She was hands down his biggest supporter both on and off the council and h

 

*cries for the Jacen the EU should have had*

But the nick name "Jaina Junior" did make me laugh.

Great update!

CJM

 

Gavin felt his lip pull into a smirk. Nawra, like his mother and his grandmother, railed against the Force from time to time about her appearance ? especially when there were taller women around.

Yeah, Leia and Jaina made it work

Uncrossing her arms in a partial shrug, Nawra rolled her eyes to the ceiling before countering. ?He was happy and he did have a family. Besides, who are you to say he wasn?t happy??

I have to agree with Nawra here. I'm not convinced solitude was necessarily a bad fit for Jacen.

The Caldera was an ancient place, created long ago by the impact of an asteroid and eventually carved out by the native Ysanna into an arena surrounded by endless descending steps of stone. There, even the most Force-blind sentient could feel the electrifying currents of life. The Ysanna, and later the Jedi, had brought their dead to the Caldera for centuries. It was unknown whether the Force had always been this tangible here or whether the constant return of so many Force-sensitive beings had made it so. It hardly seemed to matter when you were standing before the pyres, though.
The path that they walked was equally as ancient, lined on either side by the sinewy and spiraled trunks of native kingwood trees. Above them the thin crowns of golden foliage whispered and danced where there was no breeze, allowing the waning moonlight to fall in silver pools along the way. It was the same every time they were forced to walk this path. Once, after Mara?s funeral, Jacen had confided that he believed the kingwood trees were semi-sentient. Jacen loved these trees and would often walk among them.

Great bit of history and descriptions

Tradition held that all kept their hood up as they spoke but Gavin recognized Bren, Jacen?s first apprentice. He spoke of Jacen?s gentle heart and his patience. ?Jacen,? he said, ?once asked me, ?Is it what the teacher teaches or what the student learns??? Then he addressed the pyre itself, ?Master, I learned to never stop asking questions and to never assume that I know the answers.? With a bow, he stepped back and another figure took him place.
?Jacen Solo saved me.? Zekk lowered his hood and Gavin pressed his lips together in frustration. Oddly, he felt only fondness from his parents at the blatant break from tradition. ?I was lost and when I was found,? he nodded to Jaina, ?it was Jacen that helped me overcome the darkness in my heart, to reconcile what I?d done with who I am, and to embrace my right and true place in this universe. Though it took many years, he never gave up on me. I am forever grateful.? With those words, Zekk recovered his silvered ponytail and melted back into the crowd.
An older woman stepped forward and with a voice full of emotion repeated Zekk?s words. ?Jacen Solo saved me.? She raised her head for a moment and Gavin was shocked to recognize the face of Danni Quee, someone he had never met but recognized from his histories. Jaina started and began to raise her hand but Danni faded back into the crowd and Jaina let her arm fall back to her side. Gavin doubted many noticed.

Great stuff. It reminds me of Anakin's funeral

?My cousin Jacen was a great man. To see his legacy, you need only look around you. He saved some of us because he loved us and all of us because he loved life. I can?t imagine a galaxy where he wasn?t there to stand in the gap. I have a hard time imagining tomorrow without him. Mourn tonight. Shed your tears, drink your ale, sing your songs. Tomorrow, though- tomorrow we continue to live as he taught: in the moment, not tethered to the past, but moving with the Living Force.?



The funeral scene was great, Fatty A really beautiful chapter.

 

I'm a horrible, horrible person for letting this thing go so long between updates. I'm truly sorry. I'll do my best to get that fixed. But in the mean time, thank you CJM and Yobi for your kind words. Odds are, any really good part you liked, was more than likely the work of my beta. We'll do our best to get the next bit (with one of my favorite scenes to write for this story) up as soon as we can.

 

That was so sad!! But so beautiful as well. A very touching ceremony - I loved the "Jacen Solo saved me."

Hope you're able to update soon! I'd love to see what happens