Disclaimer: Most of the characters featured are the property of G. Lucas.
No copyright infringement intended. I am NOT making any money with this.
ONLY TO BE ARCHIVED AT FANFICTION.NET
Timeline: Post- Vision of the Future, replacing Union
To M. For feedback, excellent company, fellowship in SW-madness and fun around the clock ;=) (Especially behind the wheel - I sure would like to see you with an X-wing!)
SPOILER ALERT: Planet of Twilight, Showdown at Centrepoint, Specter of The Past, Vision of The Future, Vector Prime as well as some later New Jedi Orders. (And naturally the Thrawn trilogy, how can anyone possibly avoid that? ;=)
WARPED UNIVERSE ALERT: For the sake of storytelling, Isard's not dead at all. Condolenses to those who get stomach cramps from the woman. I know what you're going through. Just thank the stars of Alderaan I didn't bring Callista back.
Star Wars: The Rising By Heidi Ahlmen (siirma6@surfeu.fi)
Amarice, the Solo twins, Leia and Kyp ran to the Great Hall of the temple, and bolted the doors. In silent agreement, they formed a circle, fingers entwined as they called the Force to the help of the others. They sensed seventeen minds in agony as tiredness came over them. Some of them were engaged in combat, some winning, some losing. They felt a sadly familiar tremor in the Force, like a ripple in water dissolving away as Ceela's life line faded. They had suffered their first cost.
Amarice icened her heart. She would mourn for the loss of one of her best friends later. Now there were different deeds in waiting.
After rekindling the mutual connection they bolted the doors of the hall, the first echoing footsteps of Imperial stormtroopers already audible from the temple halls. Here they would wait, and battle.
Garia Mondian left her ship, and crossed the grassy mounds separating their landing point from Luke Skywalker's Jedi academy housed in the old massassi temple. Most of the Jedi had disappeared into the jungle and she was certain that the troops would soon find them as their strenght ran out.
She had a genuine dislike for the Jedi - they'd wiped out all but one of the true Masters of the Force, the Sith. All but her. She didn't feel sad for being the last of her kind as she could now decide the direction the Order would take. Only those that she would select would learn the ways of the Force, their minds free of that passive Jedi doctrine that had chained the Force for so long. The Jedi feared the power they could gain, she reasoned, and therefore sought to maintain such a tight code of practice, mistaking it for a 'good' side of the Force, not seeing its limitations.
For her there were none. She didn't coverse with the Force, she steered its course and directed it where needed.
But her contempt for the Jedi wasn't personal, as she had not been there to witness the fall of the Sith. Her personal resentment and vengeance were directed towards one person only, the one who had stolen her position at the Emperor's side. Mara Jade. Her becoming the Emperor's Hand was forgivable in itself - Mondian had been long gone at that time already. But the way Jade had betrayed the greatest mind, the greatest Force user and her mentor, Palpatine, was incomprehensible. How could the woman be so arrogant, so contemptuous?
She had to avenge on her former Master's behalf. Palpatine had had his faults, and he had mistaken Vader for his heir, but still, he had taught Mondian nearly everything she knew.
As she walked, she sent out a flow of determination to the Imperial fleet, barraging their formations as they moved against the rebels. A smile appeared on her lips as she saw the fight in her mind, clear as a three- dimensional map. They were not doing as well as expected, but as she walked, she organized the fleet into better positions, creating new tactical traps for New Republic ships. She abandoned all traditional tactics, and created order in chaos in ways not even Admiral Thrawn could've come up with.
She reached the temple and left the fleet on their own. It was time to have some fun on the expense of the terrified Jedi.
For terrified they were, and Garia boosted their feeling, reaching out with the Force, enveloping their minds like a dark blanked, trying to make all hope fade.
She walked in, admiring the sight of stormtroopers taking tactical positions inside the temple. The Jedi would not get out alive.
Guided by the Force, she walked to the Great Hall doors, and closed her eyes. On the other side, the pawls bolting the stone doors fell clattering on the floor as lightly as if they had been feathers.
The doors opened slowly. Garia smiled. The Jedi did not betray her expectations. Five of them were standing, lightsabres ready, waiting for her in the middle of the Great Hall. She could recognize four of them - Organa Solo with her two older children, and Amarice Rieekan. There was also a man somewhat resembling Luke Skywalker, but younger.
She would not disappoint them. It was time she showed them what could be done without limiting rules. Using the Force, she flung her lightsabre from the folds of her cloak, and lit it. She took a low stance, waiting.
Jacen, in his youthful vigor, was the first to break their formation and attack. His contact to the Force was weak, as if the woman standing a few feet away from their small group was somehow reserving all of it for herself.
He took no time in attempting a triagonal strike, but the woman, the Sith, parried it with barely a slight movement of her sabre, its blade glowing more brightly than his, its colour deep bloodred. Jacen tried from a different angle, noticing his sister running forth to help him as well as Kyp. Leia and Amarice remained, waiting. They'd have to take turns in attacking. This blacknes sin the Force was too consuming to battle with for long.
Noticing his sister lining up behind the woman, Jacen took a waiting stance - Jaina was obviously attempting the simultaneous sideways strike they'd been practicing at home. But the Sith danced away from them with just a few steps, attacking Kyp from the behind. She moved so fast it was barely possible. Jacen stood, disoriented for a second as she nearly lost sight of her. Then she was battling all of them at once.
She forced Jaina to back down, and then turned swiftly as if in the air, stretched out her hand and hurled the attacking Kyp high into a stone pillar. He fell and was left lying. Leia hurried to him, but soon was forced to retreat and the Sith attacked.
Jacen ran after her, but startled for a second as she saw the cloaked figure throw her lightsabre in the air. It flung to meet Jacen's, and for the next few moments he was occupied in keeping the airborne weapon at bay. It levitated and struck as if it had a mind of its own. As he battled to protect himself, he had to admire the skills of this woman. Her Force connection was unfraying, and she was obviously capable of doing several things at the same time.
Jaina dashed after the Sith to protect her mother, knowing Leia's lightsabre skills were not as honed as her own. The Sith levitated the sabre back to her waiting palm, and Leia had to stop to counter her strikes.
Her concentration never failing as she attacked Leia with such aggression that Leia felt already defeated she began flinging chairs at Jaina by using the Force to levitate them. She ducked, but one of them knocked her off her feet.
Now there were only three of them left.
Amarice decided she couldn't wait anymore. Leia was cornered, Kyp probably unconscious, Jaina obviously injured. There were only her and Jacen left.
The Sith was now trying to break Jacen's defences. He fought bravely, but the Sith was blocking him from the Force, taking the edge of his fighting skills.
Strangely, Amarice was well connected to the Force. She left her place at the end of the hall, and joined the battle. "Go find the others!" She yelled to Jacen, Jaina and Leia as the Sith abandoned attacking him and began moving against Amarice. There was something in her voice, and the easy that she countered the Sith's first strikes with that silenced their protests. Amarice could hold her own - the Dark Side didn't seem to reach her at all. She wasn't afraid, or angry, it felt as if the emotions did not even exist for her. She simply concentrated, and fought with almost the same vigour as her counterpart.
Mara leapt down from the tangy rope ladder attached to the hull of the Falcon and landed on her knees in the fields half a mile away from the massassi ruins. She stood up, patting grass off her pants, waved her hand at the already departing ship, and began the run towards the Great Temple.
Her mind felt as if it was on fire. There was fighting in the temple - she could feel six Force presences, one of them quite silent. She recognized it as Kyp - he was unconscious but not dead yet. Jaina was in distress but alright, and she was moving away from the temple and Mara with Leia. Then there was the Sith, obviously, and one more presence Leia could not recognize. It was from the Light Side, very strongly so, and it seemed quite resistant to the overwhelming darkness emanating itself from the Sith.
Mara quickened her pace.
Leia, together with Jacen and Jaina, limping but keeping the pace, fought their way through a stromtrooper barrage back to the stairs of the temple, just in time to witness the best sight they could've hoped for: an X-wing was just taking down on the grassy lawn, its ion lasers blazing away at the stromtroopers trying to encircle it. Soon the cockpit hull opened, and Luke climbed out, lightsabre ready. He felt their presence and leapt out, deflecting shots.
"Great welcoming committee," he shouted at them, taking out two soldiers, "Where's the party?" Leia pointed inside, as if it was really necessary, and Luke dashed in, battling his way through the same trooper barricade that Leia together with the twins had just gotten through.
There were now less troops on the yard - the battalion sent down on the planet wasn't as big as they'd thought and most of them were in the jungle already. The three of them split up and headed for directions where they could feel the other students.
Out in space, the situation was even. The Imperial fleet fought well, but the Rogues had already inflicted more than enough damage on two of the star destroyers than what was enough for decapitating their weapons arrays. War was now going at full, and the Millennium Falcon joined it, ion cannons ready.
************************************************'
Thank you for reading. Reviews and feedback would be greatly appreciated - they're the fuel that feeds this creative furnace.
Heidi Ahlmen siirma6@surfeu.fi
ONLY TO BE ARCHIVED AT FANFICTION.NET
Timeline: Post- Vision of the Future, replacing Union
To M. For feedback, excellent company, fellowship in SW-madness and fun around the clock ;=) (Especially behind the wheel - I sure would like to see you with an X-wing!)
SPOILER ALERT: Planet of Twilight, Showdown at Centrepoint, Specter of The Past, Vision of The Future, Vector Prime as well as some later New Jedi Orders. (And naturally the Thrawn trilogy, how can anyone possibly avoid that? ;=)
WARPED UNIVERSE ALERT: For the sake of storytelling, Isard's not dead at all. Condolenses to those who get stomach cramps from the woman. I know what you're going through. Just thank the stars of Alderaan I didn't bring Callista back.
Star Wars: The Rising By Heidi Ahlmen (siirma6@surfeu.fi)
Amarice, the Solo twins, Leia and Kyp ran to the Great Hall of the temple, and bolted the doors. In silent agreement, they formed a circle, fingers entwined as they called the Force to the help of the others. They sensed seventeen minds in agony as tiredness came over them. Some of them were engaged in combat, some winning, some losing. They felt a sadly familiar tremor in the Force, like a ripple in water dissolving away as Ceela's life line faded. They had suffered their first cost.
Amarice icened her heart. She would mourn for the loss of one of her best friends later. Now there were different deeds in waiting.
After rekindling the mutual connection they bolted the doors of the hall, the first echoing footsteps of Imperial stormtroopers already audible from the temple halls. Here they would wait, and battle.
Garia Mondian left her ship, and crossed the grassy mounds separating their landing point from Luke Skywalker's Jedi academy housed in the old massassi temple. Most of the Jedi had disappeared into the jungle and she was certain that the troops would soon find them as their strenght ran out.
She had a genuine dislike for the Jedi - they'd wiped out all but one of the true Masters of the Force, the Sith. All but her. She didn't feel sad for being the last of her kind as she could now decide the direction the Order would take. Only those that she would select would learn the ways of the Force, their minds free of that passive Jedi doctrine that had chained the Force for so long. The Jedi feared the power they could gain, she reasoned, and therefore sought to maintain such a tight code of practice, mistaking it for a 'good' side of the Force, not seeing its limitations.
For her there were none. She didn't coverse with the Force, she steered its course and directed it where needed.
But her contempt for the Jedi wasn't personal, as she had not been there to witness the fall of the Sith. Her personal resentment and vengeance were directed towards one person only, the one who had stolen her position at the Emperor's side. Mara Jade. Her becoming the Emperor's Hand was forgivable in itself - Mondian had been long gone at that time already. But the way Jade had betrayed the greatest mind, the greatest Force user and her mentor, Palpatine, was incomprehensible. How could the woman be so arrogant, so contemptuous?
She had to avenge on her former Master's behalf. Palpatine had had his faults, and he had mistaken Vader for his heir, but still, he had taught Mondian nearly everything she knew.
As she walked, she sent out a flow of determination to the Imperial fleet, barraging their formations as they moved against the rebels. A smile appeared on her lips as she saw the fight in her mind, clear as a three- dimensional map. They were not doing as well as expected, but as she walked, she organized the fleet into better positions, creating new tactical traps for New Republic ships. She abandoned all traditional tactics, and created order in chaos in ways not even Admiral Thrawn could've come up with.
She reached the temple and left the fleet on their own. It was time to have some fun on the expense of the terrified Jedi.
For terrified they were, and Garia boosted their feeling, reaching out with the Force, enveloping their minds like a dark blanked, trying to make all hope fade.
She walked in, admiring the sight of stormtroopers taking tactical positions inside the temple. The Jedi would not get out alive.
Guided by the Force, she walked to the Great Hall doors, and closed her eyes. On the other side, the pawls bolting the stone doors fell clattering on the floor as lightly as if they had been feathers.
The doors opened slowly. Garia smiled. The Jedi did not betray her expectations. Five of them were standing, lightsabres ready, waiting for her in the middle of the Great Hall. She could recognize four of them - Organa Solo with her two older children, and Amarice Rieekan. There was also a man somewhat resembling Luke Skywalker, but younger.
She would not disappoint them. It was time she showed them what could be done without limiting rules. Using the Force, she flung her lightsabre from the folds of her cloak, and lit it. She took a low stance, waiting.
Jacen, in his youthful vigor, was the first to break their formation and attack. His contact to the Force was weak, as if the woman standing a few feet away from their small group was somehow reserving all of it for herself.
He took no time in attempting a triagonal strike, but the woman, the Sith, parried it with barely a slight movement of her sabre, its blade glowing more brightly than his, its colour deep bloodred. Jacen tried from a different angle, noticing his sister running forth to help him as well as Kyp. Leia and Amarice remained, waiting. They'd have to take turns in attacking. This blacknes sin the Force was too consuming to battle with for long.
Noticing his sister lining up behind the woman, Jacen took a waiting stance - Jaina was obviously attempting the simultaneous sideways strike they'd been practicing at home. But the Sith danced away from them with just a few steps, attacking Kyp from the behind. She moved so fast it was barely possible. Jacen stood, disoriented for a second as she nearly lost sight of her. Then she was battling all of them at once.
She forced Jaina to back down, and then turned swiftly as if in the air, stretched out her hand and hurled the attacking Kyp high into a stone pillar. He fell and was left lying. Leia hurried to him, but soon was forced to retreat and the Sith attacked.
Jacen ran after her, but startled for a second as she saw the cloaked figure throw her lightsabre in the air. It flung to meet Jacen's, and for the next few moments he was occupied in keeping the airborne weapon at bay. It levitated and struck as if it had a mind of its own. As he battled to protect himself, he had to admire the skills of this woman. Her Force connection was unfraying, and she was obviously capable of doing several things at the same time.
Jaina dashed after the Sith to protect her mother, knowing Leia's lightsabre skills were not as honed as her own. The Sith levitated the sabre back to her waiting palm, and Leia had to stop to counter her strikes.
Her concentration never failing as she attacked Leia with such aggression that Leia felt already defeated she began flinging chairs at Jaina by using the Force to levitate them. She ducked, but one of them knocked her off her feet.
Now there were only three of them left.
Amarice decided she couldn't wait anymore. Leia was cornered, Kyp probably unconscious, Jaina obviously injured. There were only her and Jacen left.
The Sith was now trying to break Jacen's defences. He fought bravely, but the Sith was blocking him from the Force, taking the edge of his fighting skills.
Strangely, Amarice was well connected to the Force. She left her place at the end of the hall, and joined the battle. "Go find the others!" She yelled to Jacen, Jaina and Leia as the Sith abandoned attacking him and began moving against Amarice. There was something in her voice, and the easy that she countered the Sith's first strikes with that silenced their protests. Amarice could hold her own - the Dark Side didn't seem to reach her at all. She wasn't afraid, or angry, it felt as if the emotions did not even exist for her. She simply concentrated, and fought with almost the same vigour as her counterpart.
Mara leapt down from the tangy rope ladder attached to the hull of the Falcon and landed on her knees in the fields half a mile away from the massassi ruins. She stood up, patting grass off her pants, waved her hand at the already departing ship, and began the run towards the Great Temple.
Her mind felt as if it was on fire. There was fighting in the temple - she could feel six Force presences, one of them quite silent. She recognized it as Kyp - he was unconscious but not dead yet. Jaina was in distress but alright, and she was moving away from the temple and Mara with Leia. Then there was the Sith, obviously, and one more presence Leia could not recognize. It was from the Light Side, very strongly so, and it seemed quite resistant to the overwhelming darkness emanating itself from the Sith.
Mara quickened her pace.
Leia, together with Jacen and Jaina, limping but keeping the pace, fought their way through a stromtrooper barrage back to the stairs of the temple, just in time to witness the best sight they could've hoped for: an X-wing was just taking down on the grassy lawn, its ion lasers blazing away at the stromtroopers trying to encircle it. Soon the cockpit hull opened, and Luke climbed out, lightsabre ready. He felt their presence and leapt out, deflecting shots.
"Great welcoming committee," he shouted at them, taking out two soldiers, "Where's the party?" Leia pointed inside, as if it was really necessary, and Luke dashed in, battling his way through the same trooper barricade that Leia together with the twins had just gotten through.
There were now less troops on the yard - the battalion sent down on the planet wasn't as big as they'd thought and most of them were in the jungle already. The three of them split up and headed for directions where they could feel the other students.
Out in space, the situation was even. The Imperial fleet fought well, but the Rogues had already inflicted more than enough damage on two of the star destroyers than what was enough for decapitating their weapons arrays. War was now going at full, and the Millennium Falcon joined it, ion cannons ready.
************************************************'
Thank you for reading. Reviews and feedback would be greatly appreciated - they're the fuel that feeds this creative furnace.
Heidi Ahlmen siirma6@surfeu.fi