#precious jedi farmboy

[anakin-sleepwalker]

A lot of the art/headcanons I see for AUs where Luke and Leia grew up together are in agreement that Leia beats the shit out of anyone who's mean to Luke. Which I don't disagree with, but let's not forget how Luke absolutely whaled on Vader at the mere suggestion of turning Leia to the dark side.

My point being that both twins would be ready to throw hands with anyone who upsets their sibling (despite the fact that said sibling is more than capable of doing so themself)

[rarepears]

Krell (Star Wars) and Harry Potter cursed ideas

I got so many ideas for this combination.

-

We can have Krell being Tom Riddle’s future incarnation. Add in Harry Potter X Tom Riddle cliche (soul mates or whatever it is), and you can get Potter X Krell. No this isn't a Krell redemption - he would still Fall because this is Lord Moldy-Voldy with an ego the size of the Republic. But at the very least Lord Voldemort wouldn't kill off so many minions (clones) since Harry Potter imprinted on them.

It's kind of like having to avoid killing the spiders in the house because your husband thinks all life - even bugs - are precious.

-

Alternatively, we can have Krell be MOD!Harry Potter's son. It's practically canon (well, fandom but JK Rowling's epilogue doesn't promise much) that Harry Potter isn't a very good parent. And this is MOD! version of Harry meaning he's even more distant and aware of how proper relationships are supposed to work, so he would indeed yeet his son to the Jedi Temple, popping in every now and then to say hi and drop presents.

-

Or an AU in which Krell is a Bad Jedi but Anakin style - aka he married one Harry Potter in violation of the rules. But Harry Potter's duck (with an "i") is indeed all powerful healing that restores a bit of Krell's morals, so Krell is an asshole, but he's the clones' asshole.

(It helps that Krell's disdain for the clones isn't that they are clones but that they aren't Jedi. It's an important distinction! Meanwhile Harry just sighs at how Krell is basically preaching pureblood supremacy without realizing.)

Tsundere!Krell I guess. Only Krell is allowed to mistreat his clones. Everyone else who tries to abuse them gets wrecked by Krell.

-

Imagine if Krell was just Harry Potter's magical lizard pet, but Potter accidentally gave Krell 2 more arms, thumbs, and a working mouth to curse at people.

And then once-a-snake-but-now-considered-sentient Krell goes through his puberty phase and decides to rebel against Harry by joining the Jedi Order.

And then cue awkward reunion when Harry runs into Krell during the Clone Wars.

-

Lmao so the Jedis are all very repressed creatives with no proper outlets for their emotions.

Harry is also very effusive with praises. Harry showers Krell with compliments and Krell discovers what Praise Kink is (without realizing that it's a Thing) and Krell now calms down and is less of an asshole.

A fix it fic.

Obviously Krell gets interested in Harry because both speak the very very honored/sacred/holy secret language of parseltongue.

Krell still appears to be an asshole on paper with his massive casualty rates, but in reality, it's cause he smuggles his clone troopers to Harry's massive farm/estate (which is actually an entire planet because it's Harry and he's Extra) where they no longer have to fight.

The idea that these clones call Krell and Harry "Buir" fills me with so much crackish glee.

And of course the blanks amour is to hide the fact that Krell keeps reshuffling the clones under the amour - some of the farmboy clones get bored and decide they want a rotation of fighting again and some of the soldiers aren't finished fighting completely but want a month vacation.

[azems-familiar]

Completely unrelated to an ask prompt I'm just bored so rate all the swtor companion crews from your most to least favorite.

*rubs hands together* excellent i needed something to procrastinate on anyway

OKAY. so. my least favorite crew probably has to end up being the consular crew, i’m sorry guys! i would actually die for Felix, and Nadia is precious and needs to be protected, but i could take or leave the other three (although Zenith makes an interesting companion for a ds consular). overall, i’d give it a 5/10, with a fem consular automatically bumping it up to a 6/10 because Felix is wonderful.

next up, at a solid 6.5/10, maybe 7/10 if i’m feeling generous, is the Trooper crew. Elara is my Wife and i actually love the extremely overenthusiastic war droid you get but other than that, most of them don’t stand out too much? but they’re a solid squad for the trooper, i respect that.

next we have the smuggler crew, who cannot rise above a 7/10 because of Corso. i’m sorry, i really am, Risha and Akaavi are fabulous, but Corso. just. Corso. i had to play a male smuggler because i could not handle the farmboy. 

after this, bounty hunter crew, 7.5/10, physically incapable of going higher because i want to throw Skadge out an airlock. but they also have Gault and Blizz, who are amazing, and Torian, who i also love dearly, and just. the aesthetic of the four real companions and the most prestigious bounty hunter in the galaxy causing chaos and running around in a stolen, remodeled school bus is so fucking funny.

8/10 would be the agent’s crew. i actually really enjoy all five companions (yes, even SCORPIO, she doesn’t turn into a bitch until kotfe, at which point i will gladly murder her), Vector is one of my favorite base game romance options, Lokin is such a unique character, i don’t like Kaliyo so much as a person but as a character she’s a fascinating part of the agent’s crew and has the dubious honor of being the only older woman who isn’t dependent on the player character for at least part of the story, so there’s that, and then Raina is a delight and has such a cool story.

sitting at a solid 9/10 for literally two people is the knight’s crew. Scourge and Kira are possibly my favorite companions in the game. i adore them SO MUCH. Scourge is such a horrible dramatic bastard man and his and Kira’s dynamic in the expansions is possibly my favorite part. the entire time spent wandering through Satele Shan’s ship? Scourge’s “I NEED MY SPACE” line? please just kill me now. for the rest of the companions, T7 is a precious droid, i really could care less about Rusk, and i’d like to throw Doc out an airlock please. multiple times, preferably.

10/10 is the warrior’s crew. like, i don’t much care for Broonmark or Pierce (mostly i get tired of the “black ops black ops black ops” every time Pierce opens his mouth), but they’re both interesting characters that have a lot to add to the story in terms of the warrior’s arc. Jaesa and Vette are both WONDERFUL, i cannot overstate that, and gods, Quinn my beloved, i have so many Thoughts about him and my warrior and how that goes and i love the fact that we get to have a companion who isn’t completely loyal to us the whole time and i wish the game explored the fallout of that more! the quinncident is so interesting! please bioware i’m begging you explore the consequences of the things you put the player character through (where is my knight’s fucking Vitiate trauma you fuckers-)

finally. 12/10, literal perfection, could not have asked for a better crew - the inquisitor. the ancient Dashade assassin that eats Force users and shows his affection with death threats! the overenthusiastic archeologist with very little concept of “oh Sith temples are probably dangerous and i shouldn’t go there without a Sith”! an actual apprentice from Korriban Nox gets to train! the half-fallen Jedi who is also the Single Impulse Control on this ship! the disaster pirate husband who brings his girlfriend LITERAL SWORDS to show his affection oh my god has there ever been a more perfect ship in existence i think not. i think not.

[jasontoddiefor]

I have a prompt idea for your Tiny Emperor AU. So, you mentioned a while ago that Luke LOVES ponchos, even though he isn’t a farmboy. So my idea is that every year on his birthday he gets a crap ton of ponchos. And one day a snotty news reporter asks him what he wants for his birthday and they’re expecting something like “idk I want a luxury space yacht I guess” but what they get is “ PONCHOS” and then suddenly ponchos are the next big thing. Sorry if this is long and rambly.

THIS IS THE BEST THING EVER

Eirtaé weeps because of all the fine designs she makes, Luke will always choose the poncho when he is given free reign. Vader doesn’t see anything wrong with it (of course he doesn’t) but to a designer it’s just a little disappointing. (Oh well, at least she can sew extra pockets in there way more easily.)

And then they become trendy!!! The whole galaxy looks towards Coruscant for the latest fashion and the Emperor made ponchos fashionable so that’s the next big thing!!!

And also it probably never really occurs to Luke to ask for like fancy stuff for his birthday? On Tatooine - and to Jedi - gifts are small and personal. Their meaning matters. So yeah, he probably has like a fancy shop collection but what he actually gets for his birthday (from his family at least) are small but precious items.

[notbecauseofvictories]

Rey?

Let’s say the captain, sweeping his spyglassover the hills, after all this time, found us.

There’s a world in which Han Solo makes planetfall on Jakku. Mostly because he hasn’t been there in a decade and a half and is curious—wants to know what’s left behind, in the wake of war. (Not that every port or planet he’s ever docked at isn’t a study of the wake of war. From Coruscant to the Outer Rim, there’s no part of the galaxy that isn’t a study in the leavings of war. If not the Rebellion then the Separatist, and if not the Separatist then the Jedi-Sith, and if not—

Well. He grew up in the slums of Corellia, he remembers how wars came and went and you were still poor, still angry, still hopeless. Never let it be kriffing forgot.)

Anyway. Han Solo and Chewbacca come to Jakku, and there’s a skinny, defiant girl in the marketplace, arguing she should have four portions, Unkar, come on. Her chin is a spade, and she’s too thin, too brown, too hungry. Han has always liked hungry. He liked it when it was some wide-eyed farmboy wanting to get off Tatooine and he liked it when it was that kid’s sister, trying to shape the galaxy by force of will and a blaster. Han liked it when it was his kid, following at Han’s heels and saying why how what is why tell me tell me.

The girl in the marketplace’s eyes go very wide, when Han lays down his (well. Leia’s) credit chip beside her beat-up, three generations-old hyperdrive. “I’ll have what she’s having,” Han drawls, and watches the non-human sentient behind the counter splutter. 

Afterwards, once he’s cajoled the sentient—Unkar, the girl says, like it’s a curse—into gift what’s owed, the girl hunches her shoulders in. “I’m sorry,” she says, clutching the measly dehydrated portions like Han might try to actually take them away from her. “I don’t have credits, I can’t—”

“Come work for us,” Chewie growls, which saves Han the indignity of offering no, whatever you want, you can clean out our cupboards, take that too. The girl flinches, but nothing else; she must have been here a while, if that’s her only reaction.

“It’s honest work,” Han adds, as gently as he dares—the tone he used to use to talk Ben down from whatever nightmare he’d been having, with all its blood and screaming. “Just transpo, loading and unloading. You’re tough; if you can read Aurebesh, then you’re already leagues ahead of whoever else we might get.”

The girl looks at them, each in turn. “My family is coming back for me,” she says. “I’m sorry, I have to wait for them.”

Han does convince her to come back to the ship, and she wolfs down their shitty rations like someone not used to having food around, who never learned to be precious about it. Han suspects that might be true. She insists on helping Chewie with a particularly tricky rewiring that Han had been putting off, and it’s nice, Han thinks, slipping a couple extra ration-packs into her sack when she’s not looking.

They watch from the gangway as the the girl hops onto her skimmer and vanishes into the dunes. She looks very small, set against the horizon.“So I should power-down the ship for the night,” Chewie growls suddenly. “Since we’re obviously staying.”

Han is too old to get offended when Chewie guesses what he’s thinking about; he does anyway, at least for the look of it. “You—don’t know that! I could be thinking that we’re better off, without some scrap-of-nothing kid on board.”

“Is that a no?”

Han sighs. (She had been so small.) “No.”

“You’re a soft touch, Solo,” Chewie growls fondly. 

“Eh,” Han says with a half-hearted shrug, rubbing the back of his neck. He’s too old not to know that about himself. “You like that about me, remember?”

.

She makes a soft, startled noise when she sees them there the next afternoon—Han fussing with a datapad and Chewie sunning himself on the ship like a lizard. She’s on foot this time, dragging a net full of engine parts behind her through the sand. “You’re still here,” she says, approaching Han warily. “Why are you still here?”

“Ceren junction’s broken,” Han lies cheerfully.

The girl narrows her eyes. “I was down in the maintenance bay yesterday, it’s fine.”

“Nope. Broken. Broken beyond all repair. Chewie and I are thinking of settling down here, actually, since we can’t leave. What do you think, is Jakku a good place to spend your retirement?”

She looks at him like he’s a crazy person, which is fair. “I told you, I have to wait for my family,” she says more slowly, like he might not have heard her the first time.

“Oh, I heard you the first time, kid.”

She gives him another suspicious look, and then huffs, goes on dragging her net of engine parts over to the knot of tents around Unkar’s place. From where he’s lying in the sun, Chewie mumbles something that sounds like an insult; Han chooses to ignore it.

It’s a couple hours later when she comes back their way, her net is empty. Han’s got a fire going by then—easier than using up their fuel to heat the ship—and she edges up to it like a wild animal. Her face has odd shadows in the firelight. “How’d you do?” Han finally asks.

“Good. A portion and a half.”

Han still feeds her from their rations anyway, shows her how to cook them over the fire so they’re warm through, and taste less like pasteboard. He falls asleep there in the sand, to the sound of Chewie’s voice, telling her lies about that time on Mephisto—

.

The next day, she actually says good morning to them both, and then promptly makes a face like there’s something in her throat. Han grins, and almost convinces himself it’s unrelated.

That evening, they all three of them sit by the fire, and Han composes a transmit in his head. Dear Leia, there’s a girl in the desert, and sometimes by firelight, she looks just like you. You’d tell me if you had a daughter, right?

(He knows the girl isn’t Leia’s. Not because of some abiding faith in her fidelity—Han’s pretty sure that fathier’s out of the gate—but because Leia’s been walked away from too many times to ever leave anyone behind.)

The girl falls asleep with her head on Han’s shoulder, and Han has Chewie carry her to his bunk. Asleep, she looks even more like Leia, the durasteel princess Han knew on Yavin who wanted to charge into everything with blasters blazing. (Han wonders if he’s always going to be this homesick for a time that’s gone, people who are only shadows now.) “Come on,” Chewie growls lowly, and with a sigh, Han follows. He takes his place in the cockpit, editing his imaginary transmission until he falls asleep. 

When he wakes up, the girl is gone, but someone has laid a blanket over him in the night. It’s from his bunk.

.

Her story comes out in bits and pieces—though there’s not really much of a story to tell, it turns out. An orphan, waiting for her parents to return. Left to raise herself, in the sandy wastes of the war. She likes mechanical things, running flight sims on an old sim-drive she found. “My favorite is the Death Star run, from the Civil War Mod!” she says, and Han chokes on a mouthful of rehydrated protein. Chewie is laughing as he pounds on Han’s back.

It turns out she does know who he is, has since the beginning. She looks a little shy saying so, and Han shakes his head. “I don’t even know your name,” he says plaintively, and the girl shrugs. Goes on eating.

Once that comes out, she has a hundred questions. What’s Luke Skywalker like? Was the Death Star really that big? Did he really make the shot? Did Senator Organa really kill Jabba the Hutt? What was the Rebellion like? What was Darth Vader like? Her ideas of what happened a little stranger than Han expects, but then, she has grown up on a dirtball Outer Rim trading post; stories didn’t make it out that far unless they were stranger, wilder than the rest.

“Don’t you want to know what I’m like?” Han complains after the fifth question about Luke Skywalker and his lightsaber, and his stunning victories and his Jedi-ness.

The girl blinks, and then smiles a little quizzically at Han. “Why? I have you.” 

.

“If we don’t get a move on, this shipment will be late,” Chewie growls softly on the seventeenth day. Rey is amusing herself with the datapad by the fire, playing some sim that Han honestly forgot he had loaded onto it. She’s still young, and the thought of her alone and small against the horizon makes him want to do something drastic, like kidnap her.

“I know,” Han says. “I know.”

(When he tells her they have to leave, she doesn’t cry–-crying is a luxury in the desert, Luke told him once. But her hands spasm tightly into fists, and she turns away; Han suspects so he won’t see her eyes. 

His hand is shaking when he reaches out and touches one of her fists. “Come with,” he says, and for a second it’s awful, too-open, raw; he’d meant to make it gruff and offer her a job, if you wanted one, Chewie likes you—

Her shoulders hitch. Under his fingers, her fist opens.)

.

“My name is Rey,” the girl from Jakku says, as she straps herself into the co-pilot’s seat. Chewie doesn’t even grumble, just makes a low churring sound as he pets her hair, and then goes off to see to the engines.

“Good to know,” Han answers pointedly. “Push the thrusters—no, not like that, what are you, trying to kill us all?”

When they get into hyperspace, that blank expanse of nothingness and horrible beauty, Rey draws in a sharp breath. “Oh,” she whispers, leaning so close to the transparisteel of the window that her nose leaves a faint smudge. So do her fingers, where she presses them against the glass.

“Welcome to the galaxy, kid,” Han tells Rey. “We hope you like it here.”

[clairen45]

Luke Skywalker: Biblical Hero?

While reviewing the photographs from TROS published in Vanity Fair, I stopped on the one featuring Luke with R2D2.

At first glance, I honestly thought it was teasing about finally getting the true story behind the infamous Jedi Temple massacre, that one fatal night that tipped the scale into the birth of Kylo Ren. But as was kindly reminded to me by @tricaurelie, nope, because this is “old Luke”, the one that Rey got to meet on Ahch-To. The picture can sure be misleading as it reprises key elements from the Jedi Temple massacre, mostly R2 and fire. And the planet where Luke decided to establish his temple does exhibit some traces of vegetation, as seen here:

But, nope, this shot is not supposed to be about a flashback that finally tells us all about what and how it all went down, something that is important about the premices of Kylo Ren. Even though, you could very well imagine Force Ghost Luke (in his old form as recorded) coming to tell the story all over again. I don’t really believe in that theory as I enounce it. It’s possible, but meh... How Luke will play out, and this particular scene, who knows, but still, I want to come back to the way Luke is portrayed here and the symbolism behind it. This is very obviously a Moses display. The bearded patriarch. The burning bush. Alright. Let’s pause. Come to think of it, there is more than one biblical figure that can be related to Luke Skywalker.

Some Luke’s superfans would vehemently argue the case for Luke as a Christ figure. Savior. Super powers. The son. The Force is with him... And maybe the EU pushed forward this notion of superhuman, godlike Luke Skywalker. Though, let’s be honest, the only one clearly designed to look like people’s most popular mental picture of what JC may look like is obviously young Obi Wan. Like come on. To the point that you find countless stories and memes of Obi Wan honestly mistaken by people for Jesus. Obi Wan, you will always be the one and only Space Jesus! For real.

Fun fact is the same people who will shout that TLJ was #notmyLuke! should ironically rejoice in the fact that, in a way, Luke achieved some Christlike dimension by sacrificing himself to “atone” for others’ sins and redeem the lost sheep, aka Kylo. And when I say atone for others’ sins, no, this is not solely for Kylo Ren’s sake. He says it very clearly when he tells Rey about the Jedi:

the legacy of the Jedi is failure. Hypocrisy. Hubris. At the height of their power they allowed Darth Sidious to rise, create the Empire, and wipe them out. It was a Jedi Master who was responsible for the training and creation of Darth Vader.

He is atoning, through his penance and death, not only for his own hubris and failures (his pride in the mighty Skywalker blood), not only for the sins of his father, but also for the sins of thousands of generations of Jedi teaching, that eventually failed. That’s a pretty big plate. Yet, I don’t think this is completely fair to see Luke as just straight Christlike figure. There are lots of other major biblical figures that ring truer to his personal arc, such as:

1.DAVID

As in David and Goliath. Why? obviously the shepherd/farmboy that gets to be God/The Force’s agent against an enemy so massive that the fight initially seems like a joke, and who eventually delivers the lucky strike that takes the enemy down.

Bonus point: the severed head from Goliath is evoked in ESB when Luke cuts off Vader’s head...

Also David is a key figure into the lineage that brings forth the Messiah, as exemplified through the symbolic of the tree of Jesse. Out of the house of David, a Savior is supposed to come that will usher in a new kingdom. Hence why it was paramount in the New Testament to have Jesus Christ being a descendant of David to establish his legitimacy as the Messiah.

In SW, the “mighty Skywalker blood” is also supposed to create a chosen one who will bring balance back into the Force. A prophecy that was at the core of the second draft script for ANH, in the piece that Lucas referred to as The Journal of the Whills: “ …And in the time of greatest despair, there shall come a savior, and he shall be known as THE SON OF THE SUNS."  If Lucas had clearly originally thought that Luke could be this one (binary sunset, the son), the OT does not totally play that out. It was even totally dropped out of the storyline. Luke is not Obi Wan and Yoda’s “only hope” after all... and there was no reference whatsoever to a prophecy, or a savior, in the OT. Though, of course, Lucas decided to come back to his initial idea in the PT, with the prophecy becoming the leitmotiv of Anakin’s rise to the status of Jedi and eventual demise into Lord of the Sith. Remains in the ST the mighty Skywalker blood and lineage, with Kylo at the seeming end of the line... (seeming because, eventually, more babies will be on the way). Thus the title, The Rise of Skywalker, could not be more clear, like the tree of Jesse rising high into the sky to bring forth a savior...

2.ST LUKE

Easy one. Don’t think names have no meaning, they do. And writers pick out names for their characters for very good reasons, though not always totally conscious. Case in point, Luke. Lucas may have been drawn to the moniker for obvious homophonic reasons: Luke/Lucas. Luke means light. Sure, son/sun, binary suns, only hope, yadi yada. Comes the ST. Very clever thing happens. St Luke becomes handy. As one of the Evangelist, he is thus entrusted with “recording” precious testimonies about Jesus’s life and God’s message to mankind. Cool thing for old Luke is that he plays the same role, kind of. He is the custodian of the Jedi teaching. He is the last custodian of their legacy. He is also very literally custodian of books. And also, as I pointed out many times in my metas, like this one, the way Kylo Ren is always portrayed as a bull, well, guess what animal is symbolic of St Luke’s? Would you? Right!

3.ABRAHAM

Note that Luke did not end up in an inverted scenario where he could have been Isaac to Vader’s Abraham if Satan, instead of God, had demanded the head of Abraham’s son. Palpatine did not specifically request the death of Luke. It was never expected of Vader. The Emperor wanted to have Luke and possibly turn him. No sacrifice was required. And when Luke refused to bow down, Palpatine did not ask of Vader to put him down. He just took matters into his own hand.

In the ST, though, the way we get to see Luke’s temptation to kill sleepy Kylo is very evocative of Abraham raising his knife to strike down his son.

Debating the will of the Force over Kylo’s dreams was pretty much akin to Abraham listening to God’s voice putting him to the test... With more dramatic consequences in Luke’s case...

4.MOSES

Ok, so that’s the first one I mentioned when bringing up that VF photoshoot. Moses is a good one for Luke. The burning bush is obviously a symbolic they had fun with on TLJ with the whole burning of the Jedi library tree, with Yoda playing the voice that talks Luke back into reason and send him onto completing his mission.

Moses is mostly about guiding people to a better world that you will never reach. Thus, in SW lingo, balance of the Force. Peace to the galaxy. Happy end in IX, right? You betcha!

5.ST JOHN OF PATMOS

That one is a great one. St John is the famed author of the Book of Revelation, the final book of the New Testament, and thus, one could say, the last apostle (wink wink). The Book of Revelation is of course better known as the book of the Apocalypse, which is not only about the myriads of horrible things likely to shower upon mankind and the world (like, the end of the world) but also about the promise of a new world ushered in, the new coming of Christ and a new Heaven and Earth coming to replace our current ones. No more suffering and death. And no more sin. Interesting piece of information about this revelation is that it came to St John on the island of Patmos where he was sent into exile....

Ummmm.... Exile on an island? Where have I ever seen that? I also love the way that St John is always represented with a bird...

And that, in fine, the Luke we get at the end of TLJ, is about to deliver a prophecy of sorts: “The Rebellion is reborn today, the war is just beginning and I will not be the last Jedi.” One that is about death and destruction (war is beginning) but also mostly about hope. Luke,the prophet, is also the first voice we hear in the teaser for episode IX. One that is very much about hope. And also very much reminiscent of the tree of Jesse:

A thousand generations live in you now. But this is your fight 

Mind you then who the son of suns is at this point...

[threadsketchier]

Whumptober #17 - “Stay with me”

Some of y’all may remember my old Melodramatic Space Trash™, I’ll Come With You.  I took it down a few years back after getting epically stuck and then growing displeased with it overall.  It’s in Princess Bride “mostly dead” territory, but...only mostly dead.  After I wrote “A Hard Question” I decided that if ICWY were to keep existing I stubbornly wanted to connect them by having AHQ become the prologue of ICWY, and just bridge everything with my Zahn 2.0 series.  But I digress.

For those of you thinking WTF is this story, ICWY is a “I LOL’ed & then I srs’ed” take on “Shattered Ties” by Jedi_Lover.  AKA, Mara suffers irreversible amnesia of the events of Vison of the Future and is stuck with a dubious Force bond that’s not all rainbows and sunshine to deal with.  Because, taken seriously, this plot is arguably a disservice to Mara in saddling her with more mental issues for sake of Luke’s manpain, I wanted to take more consideration on the consequences for her in any future revision.  BUT I DIGRESS.  This is the opening of Chapter 1, which has only had minor tweaks from its original version to make it fit with the new prologue.  The first several paragraphs consisted of direct quotes from VotF in order to dovetail the story from there, so there’s a bit of that snipped here.  Note the difference in Luke’s catchphrase for attempting to wake Mara carried over from AHQ.

He was standing in a pool just off the edge of the last of the underground rivers he and Mara had passed during their trip through the caverns.  Five meters to his left, the torrent that had brought them here had vanished, leaving only the river rippling its sedate way along.

And two meters to his right, bobbing gently in the pool as she floated beside the craggy rock, was Mara.  Her eyes closed, her arms and legs limp.  As if in death.  The precise image he'd seen of her in that Jedi vision on Tierfon.

And then he was at her side, raising her head out of the water, gazing at her face in sudden fear.  If the trance hadn't kept her alive – if she'd struck something hard enough to kill her after he'd lost his grip on her –

Behind him, R2 whistled impatiently.  “Right,” Luke agreed, cutting off his sudden panic.  All he had to do to bring her out of it was speak the key phrase she'd chosen, the phrase she'd wondered aloud if he could handle.  Almost as if she was afraid he couldn't…

He took a deep breath.  “Come with me.”

There was no response.

A sickening dread began to clench his gut.  Forcing calm into his voice, he repeated himself, a tremor still escaping him as he enunciated each word more clearly.  “Come with me, Mara.”  An almost manic hope that perhaps this was just a fiendish little trick of hers skittered across the back of his mind.  Perhaps she had heard him all along and was only pretending, trying to scare the wits out of him for old times' sake.  But he knew it wasn't true even as the thought crossed; however brief it was, the disorientation upon emergence from a trance wouldn't have allowed her to pull it off.

Only the quiet rush of the river answered him.  Mara lay still and flaccid, eyes closed and mouth slack, a blue tinge to her lips.

“No.”  The denial left him in a moan.  “Mara, no. Please.”  Echoing slightly off the cavern walls, R2's anxious fluting joined his exclamations and went ignored.  Despair made his grasp on the Force as slippery as the sodden rock around him, and he crushed it down until it coalesced into a near-physical pain deep within his chest.  He needed his senses now more than ever, to find if–

Instantly Luke was hefting her up and struggling his way out of the pool toward the nearest surface where he could lay her flat.  She was not gone.  Not yet.  But she was near the edge and fading fast, her heart locked in either v-fib or a faint spasm of pulseless electrical activity.  He didn't know if her lungs were waterlogged, but it was irrelevant at the moment. How many minutes had she already been in this state?

As it had been with the sentinel droids, his entire focus was narrowed to this one desperate task: to revive her, somehow.  Fear, fury, and even expectations had to be cast aside as he began vigorous compressions.  He could not fight the will of the Force, but he would fight as long as he still had her, even if only by a thread.

“Artoo!” he shouted, splitting his concentration just long enough to seize him in a mental grip and lift him over the water and terrain.  “Get your arc welder out. I'm gonna need a charge.”  More elaborate ideas were quickly dismissed in favor of the simplest solution. With the extra power packs, R2 likely still carried enough energy to spare at least one, possibly two, jolts strong enough to attempt defibrillation, although the effort would drain it significantly.  A monophasic electrical impulse was not ideal, requiring more power and risking serious burns, but there was no other choice.  The fact that they were all drenched just made it that much more dangerous.  There were so many factors that he could not control without having a medpac's auto-defib for diagnostic measurements and adjustments.

All he could do was listen for the songbirds, to tell him how much and when.

“You ready?”  At R2's affirmative chirp and the whir of his arc welder extending, Luke paused compressions for only a moment to gather a fistful of the charred fabric around Mara's shoulder and tear it violently to expose enough bare skin for the tip of the appendage to rest near her heart.  The incurable gallantry within him, in a bittersweet way, was relieved that there was no need to fully expose her.  Despite her usual crassness and pragmatism, this was not the way he would have ever wanted to see her, the last of her dignity literally ripped away.

“You need to press down hard, Artoo.  Now juice it up, and I'll tell you when to shoot, okay?”

Beneath his hands he felt something give way with a soft pop, and strangled down sharp regret at having either broken cartilage or bone.  It was almost inevitable with crude manual resuscitation.

Be careful.

Always, Farmboy.

But he hadn’t been careful enough.  He’d come here to protect her, hoping to save her.  But the harder he tried to prevent his visions, the more inevitable they seemed.

R2 blurted readiness, and Luke plunged into the Force, pleading for that precious guidance. Electrons gathered until…

“Now!” He pushed himself backwards, completely away from Mara and any residual water around her, and the astromech shot current straight into her.  He watched her body twitch from the shock.  Wheeping urgent queries, R2 leaned back to lift the welder off of her.  Luke reached for her neck, but the tension had not cleared from his mind; it hadn't worked. To his horror, he noticed her arms starting to curl up and her fingers gnarling in decorticate posturing, an ominous sign of brain damage.

Gritting his teeth, he resumed compressions.  “Again, Artoo.  We have to try again.  Same thing.”  The droid's reply was blatantly nervous; it certainly wasn't accustomed to delivering what, in any other situation, would be harmful toward a non-hostile organic being. Astromechs weren't medical droids, no matter how heavily modified.

If it failed a second time, other options were far less viable.  His bionic hand wouldn't contain enough power for that kind of discharge, and releasing energy from the few other electronic items they had left would either be inadequate or potentially deadly.  Even after years of study, he knew he did not quite have the same deep, fine biological control that an instinctive healer such as Cilghal possessed.  His own body was a living battery, but he had never attempted a Force technique for making any use of it that wouldn't involve Sith lightning, not to mention that he stood the chance of killing himself with such a wild endeavor.  After everything they'd been through and divulged to one another, Mara would sooner prefer to die than see him call upon the darkness as a solution to save her.

He would have to let her go.

You've defeated my clone, you've slain a mad Dark Jedi, you've braved vornskrs, you've prevented Thrawn's rebirth, you've spat in the face of death a dozen, a hundred times. Fight back, Mara. Fight back for us.

Again R2's welder came down on Mara's chest.  “Go!” he cried, and held his breath.

She convulsed a little harder than before.  This time R2 rolled backwards, knowing a third try was beyond its capacity.  Electrons dispersed haphazardly, depolarizing wayward cells, and for a split second her heart and his world were still.

Then he felt nerves fire in return, and it might as well have been the ignition of a new star.

Springing forward, Luke sealed his lips against hers and sighed out his pent-up conviction into her lungs, half the battle won.  That's it, Mara. Come on. You're almost there.  He breathed for her until he felt her diaphragm hitch, and sour water suddenly shot into his own mouth before he could detach; he rolled her onto her side as she gagged and coughed weakly.  Her pulse was rapid and thready at first, but gaining strength.  Hot pressure built up behind his eyes and a sob of relief escaped him.

“You did it, Artoo.”  There had been many times, Luke mused, when his faithful droid had been worth double its weight in platinum, and this was one more of them.  No, truly, R2 had no price.

Mara was breathing but not regaining consciousness; her eyes remained half-lidded and rolled back in their sockets.  Luke refocused his senses on her to try to discern any injuries she might have suffered from their brutal journey through the lake's drainage that had caused the hibernation trance to fail.  He shuddered to consider that it was his fault, that he had not done a thorough job in slowing down her functions and she had nearly drowned from his own hasty negligence.  He'd been so certain that it was effective when she'd gone to sleep in his arms.

Across her head, however, he picked up a glaring area of inflammation, and it soon became clear that she had indeed collided with something on the way.  It didn't lessen the pangs of guilt.  If only he'd managed to hang onto her the entire way…

He would have needed a greater level of consciousness, enough that he would have run out of oxygen sooner and drowned himself.  Or even slammed into the same spot she had, and neither of them would have survived.  He could perfectly picture her chiding him once more about uncontrollable factors.

“Mara,” Luke whispered, still afraid but now suffused with hope, “we're getting out of here. Hang on.”  The words were more for his own encouragement, for he knew she couldn't hear him.  He bent and brushed his lips against hers before carefully lifting her again, and set his concentration on healing her as he began to follow the river's path out of the caverns.

[klivianjade]

Fifty Credits Says I Don’t

Chapter 2

Mara washed her hands in the fresher and for a brief moment, considered spending the rest of the evening basking in her current state of intoxication. The woman looking back at her in the mirror was practically glowing, carefree, and definitely pretty drunk. Mara shook her head at her own pathetic introspection. It was a stupid idea. She needed to cleanse her system of most of the alcohol to be at her best. Taking a deep breath, she reached out with the force preparing to ground herself in it, only to hit a wall. Her eyes flew open. She couldn’t feel anything.

It was subtle enough to go unnoticed until she tried to reach out but once she was aware of the change, it’s all she could feel. Like having a damp blanket over her shoulders. It made her feel heavy and the alcohol certainly wasn’t helping.

“Fracking hells.” She gripped the bathroom counter. This couldn’t be happening. She checked her com link, confirming her suspicions that the signal was being jammed. If someone went through enough trouble to interfere with a person’s connection to the force, it would be stupid to leave an open com signal. Mara gathered herself as best as she could considering the room was slightly spinning. Leaving her mask on the counter, she cracked the fresher door enough to see into the ballroom.

She didn’t need the force to sense the panic of the crowd as she searched for familiar faces, easily slipping into assassin mode. She was just about to close the door when it was suddenly yanked open, bringing her face to face with a menacing trandoshan.

The alien bared his teeth and grabbed her upper arms, tearing the sleeves of her gown with his claws. He drug her over to what she assumed was one of his accomplices, who then held up a piece of equipment to her face. The machine beeped and Mara realized that it was a facial recognition scanner. Great. So these guys aren’t amateurs.

They were obviously looking for someone, she just hoped it wasn’t her.

“Mara Jade, as I live and breathe.” The second guy was a human as far as she could tell, though his face was heavily scarred. “It looks like we’ve caught ourselves an assassin.” He grabbed her face with one hand, inspecting her like a piece of wooshyr fruit. “I think you’ll do nicely.”

Before Mara could react, he slammed the butt of a blaster into the side of her face and everything went black.

—-

Mara woke to someone calling her name. The voice sounded familiar but she was too intoxicated to put her finger on who it belonged to, not to mention the throbbing pain on the left side of her face. She struggled to open her eyes and immediately regretted it when the room began to spin. She focused on her breathing, trying to ground herself when she noticed her arms were restrained behind her back and there were several other beings pressed up against her.

Certain she had her bearings, she opened her eyes one more time to see two guards blocking the entrance to the room and a body lying in a pool of blood several meters away. Their captors looked young and inexperienced, to which she thanked the force. There were others in the room, restrained against the wall, but no one she immediately recognized.

“Mara! Can you hear me?”

Skywalker.

She turned her head towards the sound of his voice and was rewarded with a sharp pain in her neck. She could feel a warm trickle of blood running down the side of her face coming from her hairline.

“Mara, can you hear me?” He repeated.

“Loud and clear farmboy.” She managed, gritting her teeth. She realized that her restraints were connected to his and for a brief second thought that maybe their captors weren’t as clever as she originally thought. That is, until she noticed that the two other beings in their cozy little hostage circle were Corran Horn and Wes Janson. Great. We’re doomed.

“Nice of you to join us Jade,” Corran said, sounding a little too enthusiastic. “You don’t look too hot.”

“Thanks Horn. That means a lot coming from you.” She rolled her eyes to the best of her ability as she continued to scan the room. They were in a holding room just off of the main ballroom. It was typically used for coat storage and the likes, but tonight it served a different purpose. “What’s with the dead guy?” She addressed the bantha in the room.

“Some delegate from Ithor. He wasn’t having a good time so they put him out of his misery.” Wes chimed in. “It’s like a murder mystery, without the mystery.”

Luke groaned. “Too soon, Wes.”

“Alright, so what did I miss?” Mara asked as she tried to clear her vision.

“Not much. Just that we’re all a little drunk, can’t feel the force, and our new friends over there have decided to start killing people.” Corran supplied with a shrug.

“Fantastic.” Mara replied and turned to Luke. “What do they want?”

“Leia.”

Mara nodded. She figured as much. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first attempt on Organa-Solo’s life and it probably wouldn’t be the last. It came with the territory.

“Is she safe?”

Luke nodded. Mara was certain there were safe rooms hidden throughout the ballroom. The original architects were so clever that even the former Emperor’s hand didn’t know exactly where they were located.

“Good. We need a plan.” Mara thought for a moment. “I suggest we use Janson as a human shield to get past the guards in this room.”

Wes turned towards her with a horrified look on his face.

“Come on Jade! I thought we had something special?” He whined.

“Only in your wildest dreams.” She would never admit it out loud, but Mara had a soft spot for Wes Janson.

“If you two are done flirting, we need to make an actual plan because if I’m being completely honest here, Jade’s idea is more of a ‘plan B’ sort of thing.” Corran supplied.

“Plan B? Come on Horn! You’re supposed to be on my side. Bros before—“

“Wes,” Luke interjected. “Please don’t finish that sentence.”

A brief moment of silence passed between the four of them.

“Surely between the four of us we can equal one sober brain and a decent plan that won’t get half of the people in here killed.” Luke said. “Mara, do you still have those zenjii needles?” He knew it was a long shot but he was holding on to hope that she was still somewhat armed.

She wriggled a bit, feeling for her weapons and grunted in frustration.

“Negative. I guess they were pretty thorough while I was unconscious.” Mara was pretty sure she wouldn’t be drinking for a while once she got out of this. It was more of a blow to her pride than anything. She didn’t like being on this side of things.

Mara was just about to resign herself to a lifetime of being chained to three drunk idiots when she had an epiphany.

“My hair!” She exclaimed in a quiet voice.

“Yes Mara,” Corran said with his eyes closed, looking like he was about to fall asleep from boredom. “We all think your hair is pretty.”

“No, jackass” She shoulder checked him as best she could considering their current situation. “I have a pin in my hair!” She whisper-yelled. “Can one of you reach it?”

Luke leaned towards her, trying to be inconspicuous as he looked for what could possibly be their way out. He tried to contain his excitement as he spotted the silver glint of a hair pin in her mass of red gold curls.

“I see it! Lean towards me, I think I can reach it.”

Thankful for once in his life that he was cuffed to Mara Jade, he buried his head in her mane attempting to maneuver the pin out with his teeth. He would never admit it out loud but he had fantasized about burying his face in her unruly hair, however, the circumstances in his mind were vastly different.

The minutes ticked by as Mara and Luke worked together on the task at hand, their companions growing more impatient by the second until Wes couldn’t keep his mouth shut any longer.

“Look, I enjoy a good hostage situation just as much as the next guy, but maybe we could try to wrap this up? I’m starving.” Leave it to Janson to think with his stomach at a time like this.

“Ughh, I would LITERALLY die for a nerf steak right now.” Corran said, sounding exasperated.

“If you stop whining and we survive this,” Mara bargained, “I’ll buy both of you a nerf steak. Now shut up and let the farmboy work!”

After several failed attempts, Luke worked the pin out with his teeth and dropped it over his shoulder, barely catching it with his restrained hands.

“Got it!” He found her wrists and began to pick the lock on her restraints. He had to admit that he wasn’t very skilled in picking locks the old fashioned way, but determination was a powerful thing.

—-

Once Mara’s hands were free, they formed a plan. The two guards in their room appeared young and easily fooled, but just in case they were wrong, Luke crossed his fingers as Mara set things in motion.

“Listen Skywalker, I’m tired of protecting your family.” Mara raised her voice, sounding irate. “I should have ended you on Mrykr when I had the chance!” She pretended to fight against the restraints, drawing the attention of the guards. “If I give you information on the whereabouts of Organa-Solo,” she addressed their captors, “will someone get me away from these kriffing rebels?”

Corran and Wes had the good sense to look offended at her tirade.

The guards, two young human males, approached their group glancing at each other not entirely convinced.

“Jade, please don’t do this.” Luke pleaded quietly, sounding desperate. “If you want credits I have plenty, just don’t betray my sister like this.” He drew in a breath. “Especially after Leia pardoned you for your crimes against the New Republic.” He paused for dramatic effect. “You owe her this much.”

Maybe it was the liquor, but he swore he saw her shudder involuntarily.

“You’ve controlled me long enough with your Jedi mind tricks Skywalker. Now that you’ve had your precious force abilities taken away from you, Im free to make my own decisions.” She spat. “I will do whatever it takes to survive.”

That last little quip seemed to seal the deal as the guards came closer, taking the bait.

“Take me to your boss. I’ll tell him everything I know.”

One guard, the shorter of the two, leaned down so that he was at eye level with Mara. He grabbed a lock of her fiery hair and twisted it around his fingers.

“Nice try assassin, but you’re going to have to do better than that.” He chuckled, his rancid breath hitting her square in the face. Mara looked disappointed for a brief second.

“Oh I plan on it.” A feral grin flashed across her face before she struck.

Lunging forward, she kneed the first guard between the legs before punching him in the throat, temporarily disarming him. Guard number two raised his weapon, preparing to shoot when she ducked and swept his feet out from under him. He landed on his back with a thud and she kicked the blaster out of his hand before diving on top of him.

She used her momentum to flip him into his stomach and slammed his face into the floor repeatedly until he lost consciousness. She stood and picked up the discarded blaster before striding over the the first guard who was still clutching at his damaged member. She noticed the tears leaking from his eyes as she slammed the butt of the blaster into the side of his face, knocking him out cold.

Looking pleased with her work, Mara stretched her arms, happy to be free of the restraints. Turning to her companions, she noticed their slack jawed expressions.

“What?”

“That was...intense.” Wes sputtered.

Mara looked genuinely offended.

“Did you expect me to sing them to sleep?” She huffed, nudging one of the guards with her foot for emphasis. “Now, do you want me to take off those restraints or have you formed an emotional attachment to them?”

They made quick work of freeing the other beings in the room, instructing them to stay put while they dealt with the rest of captors in the main ballroom.

“Should we crawl through the ventilation system?” Wes suggested excitedly. “I feel like we should. I saw it in a holovid once and it looked pretty fun.”

Luke chuckled to himself, hoping that Wes was just trying to give Mara a hard time.

“You know Janson, if I didn’t have your personal file in my apartment, I would find it hard to believe you fought in the rebellion and actually survived.” She shook her head. “So to answer your question, no. We’re not going to crawl through the ventilation system when we could just walk through the damn door.” She picked up the remaining blaster, keeping one for herself and giving the other one to Luke.

Wes looked hurt that he didn’t get a weapon and was about to say something when Luke patted him on the shoulder.

“Maybe next time buddy.” Earning a snicker from Corran.

[coleroz]

The End

This isn’t the one I posted six sentences of last Sunday, that one still needs plenty of work. Instead here is this. I wanted to put a happier spin on the end of The Last Jedi without actually changing any of the events, but I think I just made myself cry.

“See you around, Kid.”

He said it as a last jab at his nephew, as a last tribute to the man who had been his dearest friend.

As a last farewell to everyone, to the galaxy.

We’ve reached the end.

Luke released his hold on the Force projection of himself with a gasp, and tumbled backwards off the rock he’d been seated on.

Breathing heavily with the exertion he had just put himself through, he carefully clambered back onto the rock.

He could feel it. His strength was fading, almost draining out of his old, well worn body. And he knew he was nearing the end.

Well Skywalker, you came here to die. Now you get your wish.

But…..The sunset….

The sunset was so beautiful….Twin suns….just like then….

Just like then.

And he remembered.

He was a naive young farm boy, staring out to the horizon, watching the suns of Tatooine set. Longing is in his heart, longing for something more than this mundane, simple life. It is something he finds himself unable to describe. A feeling he’s meant to be so much more than a moisture farmer his whole life.

Because this planet is too small.

And his heart is too big.

His heart is a galaxy,

and his soul is lined in stars.

All this he felt and more.

On the day before his life would be changed forever.

Thus you might say all this began with a sunset. How fitting that it should end thus. Time has passed. An adventure has come to an end. The hopeful young farmboy is now the tired old Jedi master.

A quest has come to an end,

And home’s around the bend,

And here you are, my friend.

What could be more right?

Let go.

Can he really leave? There is so much to do, so much to atone for. He still has much left to teach, still plenty of spirit, though he’d believed he’d lost it long ago. He still has so much to give the galaxy.

Let go.

But it was alright now. The suns shone on his tired face. And he knew peace.

Let go.

He let go.

And his spirit passed into the Force.

And so it was.

That Luke Skywalker.

The last Jedi.

Died.

~o0o~

“Whatcha workin’ on, Kid?”

Luke looked up to see his best friend in the doorway of his workroom. “Oh, hey Han. You’re just in time, can you help me with this?”

The former smuggler walked closer to where his friend was messing with his prosthetic limb.

“If you could just hold these two wires?”

Han smirked, which only meant mischief.

“So what you’re saying is…”

Luke’s eyebrows shot up. “Don’t!”

“You-”

“Don’t you dare!”

“Need a hand!”

Luke attacked him with one-handed swats, and Han made to grab his arm, laughing.

“What are you two doing hiding in here?”

Both men paused in their minor tussel to watch their sister and wife stride gracefully into the room. She pretended to look disapprovingly at them, but the obvious smile gave her away.

“Hi Sis.”

“Hello Beautiful. And for your information, we are not ‘hiding’, we’re simply having a guy moment.”

“Oh yes? Can your guy moment wait?” She looked intently at her husband. Han we need to set up an extra room in our apartments.”

Han frowned, confused. “Uh, what for?”

“For the newest member of the family of course. The little one.”

Han blinked.

Luke frowned, then his eyes widened as he understood. He looked quickly at Han, who clearly didn’t get it yet.

“Little one? What little one?”

Leia just smiled at him. Then she glanced down.

Suddenly comprehension seeped into Han’s face, and a slow, huge grin spread over it.

“Really?”

Leia nodded, and Han abruptly scooped her up and spun her around, both of them laughing. Secretly, the idea of being a father was a daunting one for him, but he buried it down for now, instead giving in to his elation. Nothing would ruin this moment.

Grinning, Luke joined them. “Congratulations!”

Leia turned and embraced her beloved brother. “Congratulations to you too, Uncle Luke.”

And they stood, reveling in the moment, smiling.

Because despite all they’d lost, they could smile. And these were happy times.

The early parts of their lives had been spent under the thumb of the Empire, and later fighting in a war. Now, though, the Empire was gone. What was destroyed could be rebuilt. They were well on the way to peace. The galaxy overall was becoming a happier place, and the stars themselves seemed to shine all the brighter for it. It was really as though their lives were just beginning.

Leia sighed. “I wish we could stay like this forever.”

“Well, in a way, we will. The memories we make now will last the rest of our lives.” Luke said.

Leia’s eyes shone. “And may nothing ever come between us.”

Luke slipped his arm around his twin, and glanced at Han. “Are you kidding? We’re friends for life!”

Han matched Luke’s grin albeit his was a little cockier, and he reached to put his arm around Leia on her other side while he mussed Luke’s hair with the same hand.

“That’s right! Nothing’ll ever come between us!”

Luke smirked at him. “Right, well, something might if you don’t help me with this.” He held up his non-functioning right hand to illustrate his point.

“You mean give you a hand, right?”

“Shut up.”

The trio laughed.

~o0o~

The first thing he was aware of was that he was underwater.

There was no panic however. No instinctive thrashing about. No burning need for fresh oxygen in his lungs, merely the innocent desire to get to the surface of it. A desire he obeyed. He stroked his arms and kicked his legs, and his limbs seemed to grow stronger as he did so. He could see light above him, and he wanted to reach that light. It looked so warm and bright.

He finally broke the surface, sending a swinging spray of water upwards as he did so.

He did not gasp or pant as one might expect, he merely breathed in, then proceeded to brush the water streaming from his face and hair out of his eyes. The water was neither warm nor cold, and impossibly clear, almost like crystal. Clean and sweet tasting. It rippled gently, though there was no wind, and the late afternoon light reflecting off it making it appear as molten glass.

He only then realized he was standing, waist deep despite it being deep enough to swim mere moments ago. He also noted he was naked, but oddly, felt no shame in it.

He glanced around, and glimpsed a beach not too far from him on his left. He trudged through the water towards it, paying no mind to the small waves breaking upon it. The sand was the whitest and softest he’d ever seen. And he’d seen quite a lot of sand. He stood, dripping, and glanced around him again.

“Hello?” The echo bounced off seemingly nothing. Though now that he looked he could dimly make out the shapes of distant mountains, coated in mist?

He’d also vaguely noted his voice sounded a bit younger than he was accustomed to.

Receiving no reply for now, not that he’d really expected one, he took a moment to study himself. He was….young, he decided. And it might be his imagination, but he very gradually seemed to be getting younger still. His body showed nor felt the slightest sign of age, and another interesting thing, he had not a single scar. He felt his right hand and wrist. His hand was not metal, and there was no distinct bump to mark where his prosthetic began. He touched his chin to find there was no beard there at all. He pulled one of his long locks of hair in front of his eyes to find it golden, with no traces of gray.

This was getting more bizarre by the moment. And he knew bizarre.

“Hello.” He said again, louder than before. “Is anyone here?”

Before he realized, two strong-looking arms appeared in front of him, and draped a simple tan-colored robe over his shoulders.

Mystified, though not alarmed, Luke Skywalker turned.

And all last vestiges of age abandoned Luke in that moment, and he was once more a slight young man, a bright-eyed boy, staring up to into look into the face of his beloved father.

Anakin Skywalker.

~o0o~

He looked not a bit as Luke had seen him last, alive that is. Rather, he looked as he’s seen his ghost beside Obi-wan and Yoda on Endor, except now without the blue aura of a Force ghost. He also was young. A little older than he himself now was, he somehow knew. He sported a full head of dark golden hair, darker and curlier than Luke’s. Like him he had no scars visible on his body. He also wore only a simple robe, in a darker hue than the one he’d placed on Luke.

And, he was smiling, fondly, joyfully, lovingly at his only son. That more than anything made him look younger, and at the same time, so old.

Luke didn’t blink or speak for a long time.

Then he felt the tears gather at the corners of his eyes, and then fall. Precious tears, tears he’d been waiting all his life to cry.

“Father!”

And for the very first time, father and son embraced.

Anakin tenderly stroked a hand through his son’s hair, tears in his own eyes. “Luke. My Luke, you’re here at last! I’ve been waiting so long for you.”

Then he held out his hand to Luke. “Come, it’s time to go.”

Luke moved to take it but paused, and looked back out over the water, back from where he had come.

Anakin studied his son sympathetically. “What is it?” He asked, though he knew quite well.

“It’s just….Leia… Han and I are both gone. She’s all alone….again. And Ben, I failed him, he never would have turned if I hadn’t been so arrogant. And...Rey….She came to me for help, for guidance, but I just kept pushing her away. I left her with nothing.”

He shut his eyes tight. “She’s just like I was. Abandoned, alone in a battle against evil with none to show her the way.”

The tears fell freely from his eyes again. “I failed them all. When they needed me most. Han, Leia and I, we abandoned each other! We- we had an unbreakable bond , but we broke it! We-”

“No, Luke.” Anakin broke in on Luke’s rush of words.

“Your bond is unbreakable. You don’t truly believe it’s broken. Stretched or bended maybe, but broken? Never.”

Anakin placed his large hands on either side of his son’s face.

“Luke, look at me. You know, that I know better than any that you cannot change past mistakes. Regret will earn you nothing. You can only move forward from where you are. I’ve had to accept that myself.”

When Luke still refused to meet his gaze, Anakin continued in a lowered tone.

“Ben made his own choices. He had all he needed, but chose to turn his back on it. Destroy it even.”

“Your sister will carry on, just as she always has, and always will until the end. And she is far from alone.”

“And Rey.” He paused and smiled. “She will find her way.” Then he leaned forward and placing his forehead against Luke’s, whispered. “Just as you did.”

This was what caused Luke to finally look up, his blue eyes meeting his father’s, who smirked.

“She’s a lot like you, y’ know.”

That made Luke slowly smile. She really was, so much like he was. She held the kind of hope he used to.

Anakin put out his hand and tilted Luke’s head up, and Luke met his gaze. Anakin spoke deliberately, his next words interlaced with love and strength. Freeing them from his tongue. As if he’d been waiting an eternity to say them.

“I’m proud of you Luke. Know that. I have always been proud.”

Luke stared at him, his mouth parted slightly. The he pressed his lips together, tears flowing even more freely. He just buried his face in his father’s chest, heaving. And Anakin held him for a long time.

It was alright.

That’s the answer.

No matter what. It will be alright.

Anakin drew back, and held out his hand once more. Luke took it without hesitation this time.

“Now come. Everyone’s waiting.”

The legacy of the Skywalkers was at an end.

But the legacy of the Jedi was not.

I will not be the last Jedi.

Read on Fanfiction.net here.

[ooops-i-arted]

Who’s your favorite companion for each Swtor class?

Omg I love so many but I do have definite faves.  I hope you like long posts lol.

Impside:

Sith Inquisitor:  KHEM VAL IS MY MOST FAVORITE COMPANION IN THE WHOLE GAME.  There’s none of this ~misunderstood~ or ~a villain is a hero whose story hasn’t been told~ bullshit.  No, he friggin’ eats people and he is evil af.  He is a delightful ham and has great one-liners.  He also has a soft spot for the Inquisitor - but (depending how you play it, but Illi is full DS) it’s still evil.  Friends who murder together stay together.  He is everything I want in a bad guy character.  10/10 ilu Khem you’re the best

Sith Warrior:  Can’t go wrong with Vette.  Love her sarcasm and wittiness and how she never loses her cheerfulness and defiance and kindness even in the very dark situations she ends up in.  I also think Quinn is a pretty fascinating character, both in-universe and out.  In-game he’s a man of duty caught between two masters and there’s so much you can do with that, depending how you play it.  (Though it could’ve been so much more - I think the aftermath of the Quinncident is criminally underwritten.  That should’ve had huge repercussions in the story, and with the Warrior’s relationship with Quinn.)  Out-of-universe I just find it fascinating how half the fandom thinks he’s a dashing romantic hero and the other half thinks he’s a sniveling backstabber.  It’s just kinda fun to observe.

Imperial Agent:  Honestly I don’t really like any of them.  Kaliyo is pretty cool but an awful person, so she’s somewhat enjoyable in a cringey way, and Raina is very sweet with an interesting backstory.  But none of them really shine for me.  (And Vector is my least favorite companion in the entire game.)

Bounty Hunter:  I LOVE ALL OF THEM (except Skadge, but who even likes Skadge?)  Mako is sweet and adorable but tough as nails and is the little sister Vae’ra never had and would protect with her life (and also what made me to play Vae as LS instead of DS).  Gault is an asshole but charming enough to make you enjoy it, and I feel like he has a bit of a soft spot for the crew which redeems him a bit (ymmv on that), and he has the best quips.  Torian is quiet but there’s so much depth with his fascinating backstory and his voice actor is really good at hinting that there’s so much more going on beneath the stoic surface.  But if I had to pick a top fave it would have to be Blizz.  Blizz is perfect, too precious for this world, if anything happened to him I would kill everyone in this game and then Vae herself.

Pubside:

Jedi Knight:  I don’t like any of them except T7, the Actual Purest of Cinnamon Rolls.  T7 + Blizz = spinoff show plz.

Jedi Consular:  Felix the Underrated.  He’s kind and sensible and straightforward, which doesn’t make him the most interesting character on his own (imo) but in context of all the political stuff really makes him stand out in the Consular storyline as a continuous point of strength and reliability for the Consular, especially if you romance him.  Also his [spoiler] holocron in the head thing is an incredible cool story idea and there should’ve been an entire storyline arc about that imo.  Also Nadia is adorable and Qyzen is a badass, and his arc of shame to becoming a leader of his people is really cool.

Smuggler:  I LOVE ALL OF THEM SO MUCH.  Risha my snarky queen who doesn’t actually like you or want to be your friend except she’s so lonely and she so, so does, and reaches a point where she’s able to trust someone and be there friend after so long of not doing that.  Bowdaar, who’s a total badass and yet totally chill at the same time.  Goofy Guss the failed Jedi, who chooses to help you instead of his big bad boss just because he likes you.  (And one of the very few highlights of KotFE was seeing him all grown up as a Jedi!  SO PROUD OF MY FISH SON.)  Akaavi loses everything she loves and could’ve been consumed by vengeance but decides to make a new family with the ragtag smuggler crew instead.  And I’m sure none of you are surprised if I say Corso is my fave of the faves (and my 2nd fave in the whole game after Khem).  I love that he’s loyal and kind and that he makes a conscious decision to always be loyal and kind, even if he gets screwed over or screws it up himself, just because it’s the right thing to do (even after having his birth and found family murdered, something that would be enough to send someone without as strong a moral core down a dark side path).  Also the whole farmboy schtick reminds me of my grandparents’ farm and happy childhood memories.  And he has my favorite NPC voice in the game.

Trooper:  Honestly I can’t get into anything about the trooper, including companions, but Forex is the exception.  I crack up every time he speaks and I decided Tesh’s ship is named the Durasteel Eagle after his “WE WILL RIDE THIS DURASTEEL EAGLE TO VICTORY” line.  I salute you, patriotbot.

Bonus KotFE Edition:  I liked HK-55 the best but now that I’ve actually played Kotor it’s kind of obvious he’s just a watered-down version of the Original HK Droid, who cannot be beat.  I also like Koth and think he’s underrated, but he’s completely wasted by the writing (though who or what isn’t in KotFE?).  The perspective of a Zakuulan could be fascinating and also useful and he should’ve been way better utilized by the story.  Theron’s cool too.

[jedimordsith]

Because it’s Valentine’s Day, Have the Mandalorian Wedding I Cut From Gift

This is unedited and was summarily hacked from Gift when I cut out/replaced the arc in which Mara makes peace with her mother’s family and accidentally gets adopted by a handful of former Death Squaders. In this version of things, Mara inherited the title of Countess and her cousin Korkie Kryze, ruler of Mandalore insisted that he be allowed to officiate a proper wedding for her.

There was a dais at the center of the hall, ringed by concentric circles of people broken by two aisles directly opposite one another. The outer circle consisted of Alliance and Mandalorian guests, who parted as Luke came through. Luke entered from the left. Passing by the Alliance cohort to the middle ring, he found Rogue Squadron replete in its best service dress, pressed, polished and dripping with gleaming, rarely worn medals of honor. Every one of them wore at least one blaster prominently strapped hip or thigh, and their salutes were crisp as he passed into the inner ring, just at the edge of the dais.

Leia, Han, and Chewbacca waited. Mounting the wide, shallow steps, he stopped on the last one, just off the platform. He had no armor to remove, but took off his service jacket (heavy with his own medals) and handed it to Han. Pulling his blaster from his hip, he handed it to Han as well. Anakin's lightsaber he removed and gave to Chewie; his own, made under Mara's tutelage, he handed to Leia. Last, and with the most reluctance, he removed the wrist holster containing the hold-out blaster Mara had given him and relinquished that to Leia as well. Satisfied that he was unarmed, his family stepped aside and Luke took the final steps onto the dais and into its center to stand before Duke Kryze.

“I enter this place of union unarmored and unarmed, cognizant of my dependence on my clan for my protection and honor.” The Duke nodded affirmation, and they both turned toward the opposite aisle.

Your turn, Jade.

A moment later, Mara appeared, walking with an even, regal stride down the aisle toward him. Her eyes never left him as she approached. One hand went to the long skirt of her halter dress as she mounted the steps, passing first through her Mandoade, bristling with armor and weaponry, then reaching her family. She turned her back to him to face Corran, Mirax, and Madine, and Luke's jaw dropped. He felt ripples of amusement, but ignored them, transfixed by Mara's dress. Or rather the gloriously bare skin of her back where her dress should have been. Satin fell from the halter neckline and dipped deep into the small of her back, baring silky skin, and scars in an unprecedented display.

Nothing left to hide from, Farmboy.

Luke watched, transfixed, as she removed a wicked vibroblade from the top of her boot, a tiny blaster from her thigh, her purple bladed lightsaber, and – as reluctantly as he had – her hold-out blaster. The saber he had made for her, she held out, flat in her palm, toward Korkie.

“In keeping with the tradition of our people, my betrothed gave me this. Made by his own hands of parts precious and hard-won from shared enemies we vanquished together.”

She slid the blood-stone ring from her finger and handed it to Kryze as well. “In accordance with the ways of my father's people, he gave me this as well.”

Kryze examined the pieces solemnly. “You find these gifts, and their giver, acceptable and worthy of you, Mara Jade?”

Mara turned her head, meeting Luke's gaze firmly when she answered. “Yes. I find him worthy.”

Part of Luke sighed with a deep-seated relief, the words a balm to the hidden, wounded part of him that had despaired of ever hearing those words. The failed farm boy, child of a mother who did not live to raise him, the struggling Jedi – in that moment, Mara's limitless acceptance found it wholly healed.

Kryze nodded. “Who speaks for Mara's house?”

“I do,” Corran said, stepped forward.

“Do you also find her betrothed worthy?”

“House Halcyon is honored to bring Mara's beloved into our family. He shall be embraced as son and brother, blood of our blood, with pride and without reservation.”

“Who speaks for Luke's house?”

Leia stepped forward, alongside her brother. “I do.”

“Do you find his betrothed worthy?”

Luke felt Leia draw up her courage, but when she spoke her voice was clear and calm. “House Skywalker considers Mara one of our own already. We have shed our blood together, and will continue to love her with pride and without reservation.”

Leia felt her brother's startled gaze flick to her face, and felt the rush of emotion from him in the Force. Felt him staggered that she would, for him, align herself with the Skywalker name and all it carried with it in this moment. She smiled at him slightly before stepping back.

“Then it is time for the vows. Take note of where you stand, betrothed. Engrave it in your hearts as you do the Mand, for, within it, you will find everything you must know to meet the future with courage and honor. House Skywalker, begin.”

“You stand together,” Leia said, her voice clear and strong. “United in purpose. So should you face every day, until death takes you.”

“You stand unarmed and unarmored,” Mara’s Vod intoned next, as one. “Seeking neither to hide nor hurt - only to be, just as you are. So should you face one another every day, until death takes you.”

Corran stepped forward. “You stand among your kin, sharing your strength with us as we share ours with you. Whatever the future brings, Jorso'ran kando a tome - we shall bear its weight together.) So should all remain, until death takes us.”

Korkie lifted a hand. “With these truths held close to your hearts, you may speak your vows.” Mara reached out, taking Luke’s offered hands and clasping them tightly in her own. “Luke. Mhi solus tome, mhi solus dar'tome, mhi me'dinui an, mhi ba'juri verde - and Jedi.”

“Mara, my heart.” It wasn’t part of the plan, but he lifted her fingers to his lips, needing a moment to gather his composure. “We are one when together, we are one when parted. We will share all. We will raise warriors and Jedi. Until death takes us. Together.”

[anakin-sleepwalker]

This is how it went, right?

[fuzzybat]

The Locus Point of Yavin IV - Star Wars Megaverse

@jadelotusflower @threadsketchier @ta-dala

The Millenium Falcon arrives on Yavin IV, carrying insurmountably precious cargo, both personal and galactic. Artoo rolls down the ramp with Leia to deliver the plans, while Luke hangs back near the hunk of junk. Luke is approached by several people asking if he rescued the princess, or for his name, or Han's name. Eventually, a couple approach him and thank him for finishing their mission. Threepio chimes in that those must have been the ones who stole the plans to begin with, pointing towards the couple reuniting with a group.

It is then that Galen helps Lyra down the ramp, and they spot their kids across the hangar. Luke offers to help Lyra, and they oblige his kindness. When they reach the others and Lyra has sat down, Jak asks Luke how he knows their parents. Luke explains that they were on their way out of the cell block, and they couldn't just leave them. Luke notices Jade's lightsaber, points out he has one too, and tells her that's cool. Chirrut says there are many not quite Jedi around this base. Jade scoffs.

Ahsoka, having woken up and heard mentions of the name Skywalker, walks up and sees the resemblance to Anakin. She shakes her head free of nostalgia and says that she can heal Lyra, Galen nodding in approval. Luke notices Ahsoka's lightsabers and says he'd like to talk to her some time. Jade too, if she's not too busy being a hero. Ahsoka nods as she begins to glow white, Jade's brow furrowed in focus at her mom's health improving after so long. Luke says he'd better get going to the mission briefing for the attack run.

Jade asks Luke if he's a pilot, cuz he looks more like a farmboy. Luke just grins and says can't he be both, before sobering and really leaving for the meeting. After the meeting, as Luke gets ready he pleads for Han to help the Rebellion, commiserates with Leia and boards his X-wing. Ahsoka shouts at him a 'Good luck Skyguy!' Luke makes the shot, with Obi-Wan's voice echoing in his mind, 'There's no such thing as luck' among the other phrases.

As everyone celebrates victory, Jade is quipping that NOW he's finished their mission, but she's smiling a bit as she says it, the joy in the hangar contagious. As Luke and Han walk up the medal procession to their place in line, Jade is half-smirking the whole time. Han nudges Luke a bit pointing out he might have an admirer, Luke chuckles in disbelief. Everyone gets their medals and line up again. Artoo chirps happily, all shiny and fixed up. Jade slips a comm into Luke's pocket, saying he wanted to talk, so now he can reach her.

They all evacuate, Ahsoka joining them on the Falcon, while the Ersos board their U-wing with Rogue One.

[teagrl]

Negotiations: Survivor’s Quest vs Balance Point

So apropos of Jedihafren’s post, I decided to ramble some more about the representation of the post marriage Luke/Mara ship in two of the EU novels to heavily feature them.

My distaste towards Survivor’s Quest is well documented.

I don’t know how many times I’ve forced myself to read it telling myself I MUST like it. I WANT to like it. But man, it’s always a hard read for me. I pulled up some quotes just to go into why Survivor’s Quest misses the mark where Balance Point doesn’t.

Like I said, I’m not writing so I may as well procrastinate and navel gaze on why stuff doesn’t work for me.

Actually, I love stories that deal with relationships and the process of negotiation and *work* that goes into them. I hate to say it but the fact that Zahn handwaves the real work of negotiation in a relationship is part of what puts me off from the novel. One of the parts I most had an issue with is in fact this one... lemme dig it up:

In Luke and Mara’s case, his responsibilities at the Jedi academy and her need to disengage herself in an orderly fashion from the intricate workings of Talon Karrde’s organization had kept them apart almost as much as they’d been before their wedding. Their moments together had been few and precious, and they’d had only a handful of the longer periods of togetherness that Han had once privately referred to as the breaking-in period.

[...]

Luke turned back to the canopy, smiling out at the stars. Despite all the time they’d spent apart, he and Mara had a distinct advantage: They were both Jedi. And because of that, they shared a mental and emotional bond that was far deeper than most couples were able to forge in an entire lifetime together.

This irritates me to no end.  Like it irritates me like in VotF when Luke names Mara’s abilities as the most important catalyst for their relationship. Here this seems handwavy and lazy, and a perfect reason why a lot of readers felt the Luke/Mara ship was overidealized (I feel that way too)

I get the meta text. The YJK books never mentioned Mara so Zahn was locked into having them long distance, but like long distancing is fucking hard. Don’t give me that bullshit of chirping birds it’s all lovely because of their Jedi bond (like how the fuck does that even work? Zahn doesn’t care -- he can’t wait to get to the mystery, at least motherfucking tell me how the bond works so I can try harder to buy the Luke/Mara Relationship of Heavenly Paradise)

I mean like I said I’m cranky and assholish, but I don’t want to read about a relationship that works like a well oiled machine with no hiccups. I want to read about the process by which couples compromise and meet in the middle. The one moment in the novel where this seems like it will happen is when Luke confronts Mara about her being invited to join the Empire. I seem to recall all that takes like a page, he offers to go with her, she declines. Case closed. Let’s look:

“You know what decision,” Luke growled, not really in the mood for coy. “About whether you’re going to take Parck up on his offer to join the Empire of the Hand.”

“That would certainly be something, wouldn’t it?” Mara commented thoughtfully. “All those people on Coruscant who never really liked or trusted me would have a Harvest Day special with that one.”

“I’m being serious,” Luke said.

“Hey, relax,” she soothed. “I’m joking. You know I’m staying with you.”

“I know that.” He braced himself. “What  I meant was … if you really need to be there, I’m willing to go with you.”

“I know,” she said quietly, reaching over and taking his hand. “And you don’t know how much it means to me that you are.”

There’s more that’s kind of shoddily done about Mara’s survivor’s guilt, but I’m not talking about that here, so I’ll refrain from quoting, but this is the style. Their partnership is just rosy, and that’s mind numbingly dull for me. I don’t want them like bickering, but I do want a more realistic portrayal of a relationship *because* they’re both such independent people with a lot of responsibilities resting on their shoulders. That has to result in some tension that needs to be carefully ironed out.

Luke and Mara have been married for three years in Survivor’s Quest. Bond or no bond cohabiting or spending time together should always reveal matters that need to be worked through. That’s just fucking normal.

By contrast this from Balance Point is why that representation so hits the mark with me They’ve been married for EIGHT years at this point and still they have to negotiate things, especially now that Mara’s newly pregnant:

Luke uncrossed his legs and leaned forward. “You can’t deliberately risk that child.” The intensity in his eyes reminded her of the worst days of her illness, and his despondency.

“Do you think,” she answered, “that I ever—ever—deliberately risk myself? Grab some reality, Skywalker. If the Yuuzhan Vong get near Coruscant, I’m on the evac ship—in fact, I’m driving. But this isn’t even close to that danger level.”

His lips firmed. She could almost feel him preparing to outflank her—to bury her objections under patriarchal affection, or pull rank. Mara cherished her farmboy’s sincerity, but she refused to be sheltered.She wondered if arguing was simpler for women who couldn’t tell what their husbands would say next.

“My instincts are shifting,” she admitted, diverting his thrust before he could make it. “I’ve been running an inventory. I can already feel new hormones starting to kick in. I’m getting protective, too, Luke. Already.”

He leaned away from her, looking so wide-eyed hopeful that she hated to burst his bubble.“But in me,” she explained, “ ‘protective’ is active. I’m going with you. In fact, maybe I should take Anakin and head out,” she  suggested.

“Then you could stay in touch with the Advisory Council. When they start using words like persecution, we have to pay attention.”

He arched his eyebrows. He didn’t want to be left behind, either!

I love so much about this exchange. The fact that her pregnancy and Luke’s instinct to try to protect her doesn’t come out of thin air, it comes from already having faced the prospect of losing her through illness. That’s specific character work right there.  

I love Mara’s recognition of this (a good faith moment) and how she’s drawing lines, being strict, but not cruel or mean about it (it’s a nice tone-down without being toothless). When she says she’s getting protective too that’s EXACTLY what I mean by negotiation. Mara is trying to meet in the middle and say hey, I feel like you do, it’s just I express it differently. ( I’m not crazy about the biological determinism, but whatevs a girl can’t have everything ) Mara offers to take Anakin, so she’s not exactly alone. AND then she appeals to Luke’s sense of duty. Good work there showing an adult argument Tyers.

Mara’s recognition that *Luke* also doesn’t want to sit back is another really awesome moment. It seems here that Mara recognizes that as something apart from his protectiveness. Luke likes being active too. Of course he does. They BOTH do, it’s who they are and why they make sense as a couple.

There you go. One scene and Tyers colors in what a back and forth in a mature relationship looks like. No theatrics, but also no handwaving or short cuts.

I can’t remember any scene in Survivor’s Quest being like this.

[delzinrowe]

Luke Skywalker

character: hate them | don’t really care | like them | LOVE them | THEY ARE MY PRECIOUS

ship with: I’ve never actually shipped Luke with anyone, if I really had to choose someone I’d go with his wife Mara

friendship them with: Han and Poe

general opinions: I love love love Luke okay. His whole plot and character and development is what I live for. I love smol farmboy Luke who never got to Toshi station, I love Jedi in training Luke who stops to help his friends and I absolutely love “I’m a Jedi like my father”-Luke

put a character in my ask

[klivianjade]

Whumptober prompt 9 and 10

Shackled and Unconscious

Somehow amidst the chaos, they’d been separated.

It was supposed to be a routine mission, but then again, wasn’t everything?

Her consciousness came in stages.

The first time Mara woke, she was disoriented to say the least. Her stomach churned in protest as the drugs ravaged through her nervous system, eating away at her like a plague. She tried in vain to open her eyes, but her body refused to cooperate. Her limbs burned with every labored beat of her heart. She begged for death before she drifted into the eb and flow of darkness once again.

As if the first wave wasn’t enough to end her, the second rivaled the ninth circle of hell.

The roar of her blood rushing through her head was quickly drowned out by blood curdling, piercing screams. Her hands clawed at her ears in a desperate attempt to silence the hysteria surrounding her, and it took a full minute of the agonizing sound for her to realize that it was coming from her.

She vaguely registered the blood on her fingertips and the glint of a silver restraint circling her wrist before she slipped away once more.

Hours passed, maybe days, before she woke for the third time.

It was blessedly silent.

She thought for a brief moment that she had died, had finally been released from this suffering. But then the pain came crashing down on her once again like a ton of duracreet.

Forcing her eyes open, she sought out the main source of the pain. The gaping wound in her thigh was a gruesome sight and she didn’t need a medical droid to tell her it was already infected. She probed the wound with a shaking hand and bit back a sob with the realization that she would likely loose the limb, that is if she survived at all.

Her teeth chattered, adding to the pressure building in her skull as a chilling numbness spread throughout her body. This was the end, of that much she was certain. She would die alone in a dark cell, shivering in a pool of her own blood. It was a death fit for the emperors hand.

Her eyes began to roll back into her head as she heard the protesting whine of the cell door being forced open. The sounds were muffled. The rustle of clothing, a few muttered curses and something delightfully warm pressed against her cold forehead. She leaned into the touch instinctively.

She felt the warmth of strong arms lifting her off the ground as a wail she didn’t know she had left in her escaped her cracked lips.

Captor or savior, she didn’t care. As far a as Mara Jade was concerned, she was already dead.

Luke stood outside the medbay doors on the Errant Venture. He hadn’t moved since they brought her in.

She looked so small and fragile in Wedge’s arms when he carried her out of the shuttle.

It was his fault.

He was supposed to have her back, protect her, and he failed. What good was he if he couldn’t keep her safe?

He could barely feel her now. She was slipping away but the medics refused to let him in.

They were supposed to retrieve weapon schematics from a hidden Imperial cell on Nar Shada. In and out. Simple. He should have known better. She took a blaster bolt to the leg. One that he failed to deflect. A detonator went off, forming a rift in the ground, knocking him on his back.

Her scream when they dragged her away echoed in his mind on a constant loop.

If she died, so would he. He couldn’t live with the gaping hole of her absence in his chest. He wouldn’t.

He vaguely registered Wedge approaching him with two cups of caf, hair still damp from a sanisteam. Luke absently wondered how long it took his friend to scrub Mara’s blood from his arms and chest.

Luke numbly took the proffered cup, more out of habit than intent to drink it. Wedge pulled a flask out of the inside pocket of his flight jacket and emptied the contents into his steaming cup.

“Drink.” He ordered. “It might not help, but it will make me feel better if you do.”

Luke nodded and downed the contents, savoring the burn as it hit his empty stomach.

“Karrde is on his way. Leia and Han too.” Wedge stated, staring down at his boots the entire time. “She’s gonna pull through.”

“She has to.”

Luke’s eyes never left the medcenter doors as his friend laid a hand on his shoulder before walking away.

The next time Mara woke, there was no pain, only bright lights and the whir of machinery. She felt cleaner now, every inch of her had been polished, blood no longer staining her porcelain skin.

Her throat was raw as she attempted to swallow, taking note of the mask covering her mouth and nose. She tried to move her fingers and let out a garbled grunt of frustration when her body wouldn’t cooperate.

A 21B droid appeared over her, shining a pen light into her eyes.

“Miss Jade, you’ve just come out of surgery. Try to relax. I’m going to administer something for pain.” The mechanical voice was oddly comforting as a warmth spread throughout her body, sleep taking her once more.

When the medbay doors finally opened, Luke rose from his seat. As the 21B approached, the hushed conversation between Leia and Karrde ceased and Luke could have sworn that everyone was holding their breath.

“Are you Miss Jade’s next of kin?” He questioned the Jedi.

“No,” Luke fumbled over his words. “Mara doesn’t have any kin.” He was prepared to dismantle the medical droid if it refused to give him information regarding Mara’s condition.

Han spoke up from his seat towards the back. “We’re the closest thing to family that Jade has so you better start talking.”

Luke swore he saw his friends hand twitch towards the blaster on his hip.

“Of course,” the droid looked as apologetic as could be expected from one of his kind. “Miss Jade is stable. We were able to cleanse the infection from her bloodstream, however, it was with great difficulty. We encountered a rather potent toxin preventing her blood from clotting. Once we flushed it from her system, we were able to stabilize her body temperature. Several liters of blood product were administered but unfortunately, we were unable to save the injured limb.”

“There was a great deal of damage to the ligaments in her left thigh, but we salvaged what we could. She will need a prosthetic once it is healed but I am afraid we do not have the necessary equipment on board to accommodate Miss Jade at this time. She will need a medical transfer to another facility in the coming days.”

Once 21B finished speaking, Luke sunk back into his chair, trying to absorb the information overload.

“I’ll handle the transfer,” Talon spoke up. “I’ll make sure she receives the best possible prosthetic.”

“Of course, Master Trader.” 21B replied. “Miss Jade will remain in recovery for the next hour before being moved to a room. Master Terrik has instructed us to ensure that she receives the master suite. I can allow one visitor in the recovery room at this moment, but you are all free to visit once she is settled.”

“Skywalker,” Talon addressed the weary Jedi. “You should go. I’ll make the proper arrangements for Mara.”

Luke nodded and followed the medical droid to the recovery room.

She looked so peaceful, laying there with her red gold hair surrounding her like a halo. Luke wanted so desperately to cradle her in his arms but he knew that she needed to recover in peace, so he settled for holding her fragile, bruised hand in his as he sent reassuring waves of the purest force energy over her.

Mara cracked one eyelid open. It took nearly all of her strength to do so but she could feel the strong presence of her best friend, beside her. She mustered what little energy she had to raise her head from the pillow as she removed the oxygen mask from her face.

“Farmboy.”

Her voice was raspy. Hoarse from the breathing tube that had been inserted upon her arrival.

“I’m here Mara. I’m here.” He stroked her hand with his thumb in a poor attempt to calm her nerves. It was like her aura was vibrating with nervousness and he was desperate to soothe it.

“I need to get out of here.” She raised up, fumbling with the iv in her arm.“

“Mara, wait-“

She cut him off, throwing the sheet back as she attempted to get out of bed.

She was about to swing her legs over the edge of the bed when the entire universe came crashing down on her.

“Gods. My—“ she couldn’t finish her sentence as the gravity of her injury hit her square in the chest. She couldn’t breathe. Her world started to spin when Luke grabbed her arms, grounding her.

“It’s going to be alright. Karrde is making sure you get the best prosthetic available.”

He fumbled once again over his words. “I know it won’t be the same...trust me, it never will, but it will be functional.”

Silence.

“Mara,” he pleaded. “Talk to me.”

“It’s...” she struggled to vocalize the sense of loss burrowed deep in her chest. “I cant...gods!” She shook herself. “I know I should be grateful to be alive but this...”

Their conversation was interrupted by 21B, insisting that Mara rest. Everything else would simply have to wait.

..Three weeks later..

“Come on Mara! You can do better than that!” Corran Horn taunted her as he dodged the ex-assassins blows for once in his life.

Mara silenced the cocky Corellian with a roundhouse kick to the jaw.

“How does the mat taste Horn?” She taunted her friend, practically giddy that she had finally floored him.

She had struggled immensely when she first received her prosthetic leg, both physically and mentally, but for reasons she chose not to admit, Yavin IV had been good to her. More than good, in fact.

She was just about to rub Corran’s nose in it when she felt her farmboy approach.

Her farmboy.

She had yet to admit it out loud, but she was head over heels for a certain Jedi.

Luke never left her side while she recovered from her injury, slowly coming to terms with her new reality.

She only saw it as a minor inconvenience now, losing her leg, because in the grand scheme of things, she gained something much more precious.

She smiled as her eyes met his, knowing that the best was yet to come.