Beyond - Legends Wingman (post-Invincible, J/J) *Invincible Spoilers* Complete 12/6

Yes.

 

Uh. Wow.

That was very powerful TKL. You really have a way with pacing and imagery. *shivers* Poor Jaina.

 

A beautiful, well-written story. I like how you write Jaina's struggle with so much compassion. It has a very realistic flavor to it, given the fact that she has to deal with killing her twin for the rest of her life. Great portrayal of Jag as well - a strong rock for Jaina to lean on. I love the depth and complexity you give the relationships. As for Soontir . . . . I don't know much about his character, but wow, the way he treated Jag (and Jaina) was powerful. But manipulative.

I look forward to reading more.

 

Good evening!

I?ll apologize in advance if I?m horribly elusive on discussing Soontir?s motivations specifically. I have my own opinion on him but I?d like to leave it vague until the story is done?



Chimpo: Look at you! First reply

Jag should have kicked Soontir's ass. I'm disappointed in him.


EDIT: Hmm I read it again and I got the feeling that Soontir is doing the same job with Jag that Luke is doing with Jaina. ( According to Soontir )
Takes one to know one

Scrubs: Now you've gone and done it! You made me sign in so I could say something.
And I?m not apologizing for that

It has never been more clear that Syal is the one who raised all those kids. Their father became interested in them when they were old enough for military service.
Yes, she did, but she also loves Soontir enough to leave a holostar life behind. She must find some redemptive qualities in him?

Jaina's response ought to be interesting. I'm hoping that she's going to stand up and show the Fel family what she's made of. Then maybe Han Solo's daughter could spit in the old man's one eye.

Friday

It's sweet that Soontir said "your wife" in reference to Jaina--and that is sure to tug at Jag--but his purpose for Jaina is also self-serving. He wants her to be a Knight of the Empire, and if his plan plays out, Soontir will replace Luke-the-Incompetent as her puppeteer.
Possibly? Or perhaps Jaina will choose that role willingly after Luke pushes her away?

JAGSGURL15: You bring the whole situation alive so vibrantly.

It?s very vivid in my mind

Can't believe Jag got bested by old Soontir, that was definitely interesting!
Fathers tend to do that though.

I kept reading and reading waiting for Jag to just beat the living hell out of Soontir, and was kind of disappointed when he didn't, but I think that may just be part of the Jag worshiping thing that makes me think he's better than everyone.
That?s the response I wanted. When is Jag going to stand up? Or can he? The father-son relationship is always compelling to explore.

Jag4Me: I know Soontier can be brutal - but I did not expect him to kick the shavit out of Jag!
Haahaa! Neither did I originally but that?s what he kept doing in my mind as I wrote.

Wow. Will we see what Syal thinks about Soontir and Jag's "meeting" in her diningroom? She does not strike me as a parent who would be pleased
with a father and son brawl.
There will be implication of what happened but you?ll have to imagine it on your own otherwise.

angry_bendu1: Wow, in a kind of backwards way, I totally understand what Soontir is saying, even though I didn't really want to at first.
Yes in a backwards way we all might. Is that scary?

Jaina_and_Jag: Also, Jag should've been able to get the upper-hand on Soontir! But I guess when you underestimate your enemy, you're the one that ends up on your back.
It?s so true!

TheOnlyJediPrincess: Ouch! Poor Jaina! but it's a very intresting way of looking at it!
A very Soontir way.

He is really dosn't think much of Luke!
Not really

How could he do that to his own son?
To spare his life possibly?

Jainasolo101: Luke Skywalker Grand Jedi Master messed up badly with lots
of Jedi.
In a way he was unprepared to be the Grand Master.

And Jaina being a knight for the empire is not what I expected.
Well I?m just playing down the road with the comics.

Voz: That's all I've got.
I?ll take crazy faces

Jedimaster_JainaSolo: all I can say is Wow...
Wow is good too!

Sticks: I love Soontir's attitude toward Luke--and the best part is that he's totally right. That stupid farmboy ruined everything.
Okay score one for Tir!

Jag4Me: Well,*high five* to you both because it's freaking awesome!
*h

 

Well, I've been lurking here for a while now and finally decided to post.

I agree with oldj. Soontir pisses me off. And maybe he's right in some respects, but I'm not letting him off the hook for 1)badmouthing Luke! 2)hitting his son 3)or trying to undermine Jag's authority in the Empire.

Now, I'm guessing you're playing #3 that way because of the timeline with Legacy, maybe, but I've been wrong before! Anyways, I'm interested as to where you go with this.

*goes back to lurking*

 

aurra: Finally someone who's mad at me for badmouthing Luke Glad you delurked to do that. I posted this sort of cringing about whether the Luke fans would come after me. Granted Soontir's view isn't far from mine so I'd assume it's reasonable for some to think of our SW hero.

#3 directly ties into future canon links to Legacy comics. I don't think Jag's going to be in charge from LotF...but he'll be important to the Empire's future.

 

Part Six
later that day?

Hidden away ? in an isolated private estate, on a world covered in snow and ice ? the room still felt crowded. Yet there was no one else but Jaina. It was her thoughts that ran amuck in the darkened room, filling the space to bursting. They all clamored to be heard; she didn?t even know where to start.

After Jag finally had left Cherith?s old bedroom, Syal had tried her best to pacify Jaina?s sorrow while patiently plaiting her hair. Then Wyn had offered food. None of it had worked; Jaina just wanted to be alone.

But not in that room. In search of a quiet corner to meditate ? upstairs, definitely not down there ? in the end she had slipped into the darkness of Syal?s sitting room. The bay window protruded from the stone wall, giving the sensation of being exposed to the elements on the frozen tundra it faced. The room wasn?t lit; the brightness of the sun projecting off the snow offered sufficient illumination in daylight.

For some reason this room felt different. Distant from thoughts of war or battle, or even day to day work. This was a happy place, one where bleak thoughts were banned. A haven. Safe.

Jaina had chosen to bypass the few comfortable chairs. Instead she curled up in the window?s cushioned seat. Alone.

Time had passed immeasurably as the snow fell outside. It was the longest day of the year ? solstice. And, quite possibly, the longest day of her life.

When Jag had left the room, she had wanted him to go. Suddenly he had become a painful reminder of all that she had lost. It wasn?t even his fault?

Jacen. Was it Jacen?s fault? Or had she been remiss as a twin sister? Where had she lost him? Jaina turned inward, and her twin was there. He had been missing for a long time. Since Myrkr, now that she finally admitted it. Relief over his return from captivity had clouded the truth ? for all of them, even Jaina. But he hadn?t actually come back.

Memories long locked away peeked down the hidden passages of her mind. Jacen and his latest crystal snake. Anakin and Jacen hanging from Chewie. Running through the Falcon?s curved halls. Happy moments, in a seemingly endless parade.

Jacen was gone, but he would live inside her, forever. Somehow she felt him now, free of the dark shroud. Had he gone into the light?

Suffering. That was the one concept Jacen had never been able to grapple. At first he fixed animals; as he got older he tried to fix problems. He was a healer, a connector. Yet faced with his own suffering, he had lost the voice of reason that kept a person rooted in compassion. Jacen thought he could save the entire galaxy from suffering at the cost of only his own soul. He was wrong. Terribly, terribly wrong.

Fear is the path to the Dark Side.

Jaina remembered sitting by Jacen?s side ? at any number of training sessions, at whatever moment could be spared ? and staring up with reverent eyes as her uncle spoke those words.

Fear leads to anger?

Anger at losing Anakin had given Jaina the excuse she?d needed to stray into the darkness. Anger was a natural emotion, especially when confronting the many stages of grief. But her friends had shown her the error of her ways. Kyp, who faced every waking moment, and nightmares besides, with knowledge of his failings to his family and the millions of innocent lives his powers were meant to protect. Jag, who already had lived beyond the loss of two of his siblings. Life always went on. They had proved it to her.

? anger leads to hate?

It was the love of friends, family, and, most importantly, Jag that had tugged Jaina back. It seemed so long ago now.

? hate leads to suffering.

In her heart, where the light of her twin once again resided, Jaina knew one thing with absolute certainty: Jacen, her Jacen, would not have hesitated, even for a second, to sacrifice his own life to stop the tragic swath Darth Caedus had sown across the galaxy. Her love for the heart of her brother, the heart which had beat in tim

 

First?

Excellent post. It's hard to write hours' worth of a character's reflections and keep the pacing tight, but you did an admirable job. And yay for the return of the Blue Flame!

 

Great Job.

Jaina is admitting her problem and that IS always the first step.

Can't wit till next post!

 

Awesome! That beginning part almost made me cry a few times. And that end bit was lovely.

Can't wait for more.

 

Talk about "cutting to the power cable". Jaina does everything at lightspeed--even emotional recovery. She accomplished an incredible amount in just a day. But somehow that is typical of Jaina Solo.

There's not much else I can say about such a personal post. The SW/Fanfic world differs too much from the real world in many ways and I am too close to some similar issues in the here-and-now to separate my feelings about one from the other. I read this just after you posted it last night but couldn't think of a response then. In the light of morning, I understand that I'm unable to formulate an objective reply this time.

Nevertheless, your writing is stellar--as usual--and I'm extremely pleased to see Jaina's progress toward making herself whole (even if it is proceeding incredibly fast, which is one of the big differences between fiction and real life). As I write this and consider my own words, I must applaud your ability to incite such a visceral reaction. You do what great writers do--cause readers to feel based on their own life experience. Job exceedingly well done!

 

wow. once again you make the emotions come alive and jump out from the screen, which is exactly what makes reading this so enjoyable, even if nearly every post makes me want to bawl.

 

She nailed it. Wonderful writing.

 

that was lovely. I'm glad that they've all taken that first step toward healing. And bringing the Blue Flame back, precious gesture.

Dana

 

Catching up! I fell a post behind.



?I?m sorry. I honestly thought she was doing better.?
?You were right.?
That?s what I figured? Poor Jaina.

?Where is he??
Uh oh. Then again, Jag is always fun to read in buttkicking mode.

And hot, too. Or so they tell me.

?So many questions.?
?Because I want answers,? Jag roared.
Great dialogue here. So true to life, and to the characters. Soontir is patient, and fully prepared to explain himself. Jag, in his rage, isn?t quite ready for that kind of discussion yet. Irresistible force and immovable object?

Not often you get to see Soontir in the Yoda role. Very cool.

Even the takedown was very Yoda-worthy. Underestimate him, even for a second, and you have no chance.

?It most certainly was not. It?s a fairly simple concept ? called, keeping your mouth shut and your blasted opinions to yourself.?


?Can she? Shatter a beskar chestplate using her mind??
You know, he?s got a good point...

?Luke Skywalker ? ?
?? is an idiot.?


Not that I disagree, about the subjects under discussion anyway.

?Jagged, I won?t lie to you. Perhaps I did not do the right thing today. But I did the necessary thing.?
Wonderful connection to the themes of Invincible, and LOTF as a whole, really. Soontir may have been a bit ruthless, but that doesn?t mean he?s dark ? not by itself. Sometimes the necessary thing is the right thing, like stopping Caedus, and other times it isn?t. Jacen?s fall to the dark side was all about losing his moral compass for understanding the difference ? when he stopped caring about whether what he was doing was right, and only whether it worked. Soontir, by contrast, clearly still has his core moral values in place. (They may not be the same values as the Jedi, but they are moral values, not the evil of Palpatine?s Empire.) He?s willing to accept responsibility if he did the wrong thing ? because he understands that he might not have done the right thing. Although he may be selling himself short on that. Sometimes the right thing to do is painful, even traumatic.

Awesome work here!

?So how about we face this together, as a family, rather than provoking psychotic episodes??
Great line. Very true to SW ? a bit of humor to deflect from the very intense emotions of the moment.

?I?m getting too old for this.?
?My skull says otherwise.?
Another great line!

?I?ll admit, I was wary of politics. But it never occurred to me to beware of a coup by my own father.?
Great ending.

Can?t wait to see how all the implications of this shake out.

your wife


Okay, I?ll catch up on the next post soon!

 

I'm slow but I get here eventually.

We don't get to see much of Jaina's emotions in profic, so this is a nice change.

 

That was great! and Jaina was crazy to jump out of the window into the frezzing cold, but it made for a great moment! I'm glad to see Jaina is feeling better.

 

Good afternoon!

Thanks again for the great response, even over the holidays.
Sticks: First?
Yep!

Excellent post. It's hard to write hours' worth of a character's reflections and keep the pacing tight, but you did an admirable job.
That?s so true. One of the reasons I did it as a reflect back as opposed to real time, then pushed it into her current thoughts, jump! The mulling isn?t so important as where Jaina goes with it.

Jainasolo101 : Jaina is admitting her problem and that IS always the first step.
I feel like we should be part of a galactic superheroes self-help group.

Jaina_and_Jag: Awesome! That beginning part almost made me cry a few times. And that end bit was lovely.
Tears? I love it

Scrubs: Talk about "cutting to the power cable". Jaina does everything at lightspeed--even emotional recovery. She accomplished an incredible amount in just a day. But somehow that is typical of Jaina Solo.
Ah not recovered, just admitting that she can move forward.

There's not much else I can say about such a personal post. The SW/Fanfic world differs too much from the real world in many ways and I am too close to some similar issues in the here-and-now to separate my feelings about one from the other.
We always see our fictional heroes rise above. But there is some proof that even in real life people can withstand extraordinary events.

As I write this and consider my own words, I must applaud your ability to incite such a visceral reaction. You do what great writers do--cause readers to feel based on their own life experience. Job exceedingly well done!
Yes there is always some truth to fiction.

JAGSGURL15: wow. once again you make the emotions come alive and jump out from the screen, which is exactly what makes reading this so enjoyable, even if nearly every post makes me want to bawl.
Oops. Not that much crying, really?

carr3107: She nailed it. Wonderful writing.
Thank you so much

Jag4Me: I wonder if I was the only nut sitting here pumping her fist in the air shouting "YES!"
when Jaina leaped out the window?
Hahaahaa! No I was too

This statement really stopped me for a minute. From some characters this would sound so arrogant or just wrong. From Jag it's natural!
Why thanks. It?s his confident air that is confused with arrogance at times. He?s got the goods to back it up.

Jedimaster_JainaSolo: that was lovely. I'm glad that they've all taken that first step toward healing. And bringing the Blue Flame back, precious gesture.
I guess repairing the ship is a way for them all to heal?

Lex: Great dialogue here. So true to life, and to the characters. Soontir is patient, and fully prepared to explain himself. Jag, in his rage, isn?t quite ready for that kind of discussion yet. Irresistible force and immovable object?
Ah yes. There is that dilemma.

Even the takedown was very Yoda-worthy. Underestimate him, even for a second, and you have no chance.
Never underestimate the man who taught you everything you know

Wonderful connection to the themes of Invincible, and LOTF as a whole, really. Soontir may have been a bit ruthless, but that doesn?t mean he?s dark ? not by itself. Sometimes the necessary thing is the right thing, like stopping Caedus, and other times it isn?t.
Well I think Soontir?s never lost sight of his objective or how he?d reach it, and to what extremes he?s go to.

Great line. Very true to SW ? a bit of humor to deflect from the very intense emotions of the moment.
I try.

Auntie: I'm slow but I get here eventually.
It?s all good. Whenever you can

We don't get to see much of Jaina's emotions in profic, so this is a nice change.
What we have fanfic for methinks.

TheOnlyJediPrincess: That was great! and Jaina was crazy to jump out of the window into th

 

Okay, now I?m caught up!

It was her thoughts that ran amuck in the darkened room, filling the space to bursting. They all clamored to be heard; she didn?t even know where to start.
I just loved this description to set the tone of the scene. It?s introspection, yet it?s a great ?visual? of her emotions. You always have so much going on, even in the ?slow? scenes.

Time had passed immeasurably as the snow fell outside. It was the longest day of the year ? solstice. And, quite possibly, the longest day of her life.


Memories long locked away peeked down the hidden passages of her mind.
Awesome. So much with so few words, and lyrical to boot.

Suffering. That was the one concept Jacen had never been able to grapple. At first he fixed animals; as he got older he tried to fix problems. He was a healer, a connector.
Wonderful description of Jacen. You know, I?ve never really understood why so many people seem to think Jacen?s fall was so out of character. Even if it wasn?t intentional, considering most of the YJK series had been published before George even finished the script for TPM, Jacen is very similar to his grandfather. Jaina may have inherited Anakin Skywalker?s mechanical skills, but Jacen got the other side of fixing things ? fixing injustice and suffering. No surprise that it led him down the dark path when he failed to control his emotions?

Jacen, her Jacen, would not have hesitated, even for a second, to sacrifice his own life to stop the tragic swath Darth Caedus had sown across the galaxy. Her love for the heart of her brother, the heart which had beat in time with her own since the womb, had given her the strength to bury a lightsaber inside it. To stop its beat, forever.
Another lovely, lyrical ? and heartbreaking ? passage. There?s a great connection here with Obi-Wan?s ?your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough? line in ANH. Just as the good man who was Anakin would have wanted Luke to stop Vader when the time came, there?s no doubt that Jacen Solo, the Jedi hero, would have wanted Jaina to stop Caedus ? no matter the price, even Jacen?s own life.

Jacen always thought. Jaina did ? because thinking was a sure path to paralysis.
Great insight into the difference between the two twins, going all the way back.

?Are you crazy,? he said, holding her out to arms? length, ?running out here after me??
Rhetorical question, I think.

?Guilty as charged. Crazy in love.?


?Can we call off the shadows for a few??
Yep, Jaina?s already getting the hang of it.

a small, perfectly engineered chamber concealed within the confines of the terrain. It was a testament to a man?s legacy, and his failings as a father. There had been only three things inside: the partial debris of a vaped TIE fighter, the fractured cockpit ball of a TIE bomber, and the shattered clawcraft that rested before them.
Such a wonderful, creative idea. This seems like exactly the sort of thing Soontir would have built ? a memorial to his loss, and what he perceives to be his own failings. And yet keeping it secret from everyone but his wife. Your characterization of Soontir never ceases to amaze me.

?I have a problem with what my father said to you today. It?s none of his business.?
There?s that great Fel wit. Love it.

?You see,? she said, cocking her head, ?you?ve admitted it. We?re halfway there.?
And the great Solo wit firing right back. Perfect.

?Oh, I?m angry, Jag. Trust me. I?m angry about a lot of things. I?m sad, too. Miserable, in fact. But I refuse to let those emotions define me.?
And there again is the difference between Jaina and Jacen. He fell because he couldn?t stop his emotions, his impulses to use any means toward the end of fixing the galaxy, from defining him. Unlike the PT Jedi, Jaina is wiser than to try to ignore or suppr

 

Excellent update.

Jaina recalled watching Medrit work the beskar during her stay on Mandalore. The preparation of the metal was an integral part of the process. Without the proper care, the raw ore would fail to become the legendary Mandalorian iron. Creating a Jedi Knight, it seemed, wasn?t so different.

I loved this. Beautiful comparison.

And because I'm so late in getting here, I don't have to wait long for the next one.

 

Just a quick note to let everyone know I'm postponing the post until tomorrow. I'm not happy with it, yet, so I'm going to sleep on it. The brain's too pooped to fix what needs fixing.

Sorry for the picky author moment

 

Excellent post, glad to see Jaina starting to pick up the pieces.

And Jag... ! I so love the way you write him in this story. I WANT ONE!

Great job!

 

Tomorrow?

I'm weak.