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)
In a conference room nearby, Mara also felt frustrated and ready to fling the damn rag she was trying to put on straight out of the window. The idea had been great, but putting it into practice was just agonizing. "Stang it!" she finally stammered and slumped down on a table.
Han Solo grabbed her hand and pulled her back up gently. "Come on, Mara, it's not that difficult."
She picked up the lavishly decorated waist piece again. The corset-like top she'd handled easily, but getting the pearl-embedded top skirt on was getting on her nerves.
"Remind me to issue the Senate about modernizing Corellian wedding practices," she sighed, "There. You happy now?"
Han laughed at her incessant whining. Mara had wanted to wear a traditional Corellian wedding dress as a solution to her wedding gown problem. Half of the guests were looking forward to seeing her in a Jedi attire, but didn't consider it festive enough. And an Imperial uniform, which was probably what a couple of Senators were expecting was naturally out of the question. And she didn't want to choose an ordinary white dress - she and Luke weren't an ordinary couple, so the dress shouldn't be so either.
So she'd asked Han for help and he had been more than willing. He'd always been proud of being a Corellian.
And Mara was glad for finding out that she was one as well. Corellians had always been quite of their own brew - wanting to stay independent and free, they'd always tried to stay outside useless political banter. Renowned smugglers and tradesmen, their talents for business were also present in Mara, as well as their quirky sense of humour. In Mara's opinion a perfect counterpart for Luke's Outer Rim backwood, silent charm.
Had the wedding taken place a few weeks earlier, she would've been jumping out of her skin, but the thing itself no longer made her nervous. It was just the occasion, hundreds of eyes fixed at her and not all of them with a favourable expression.
She had made her decision - or more or less, the Force had made it for her. They were beyond a perfect match, even more so than Han and Leia, between which his non-sensitiveness to the Force would always be a barrier. But his personality and love made up for it more than enough.
"Perfect," Han replied, and pointed at the mirror he'd dragged in for her. He watched Mara, his beloved sister-in-love gaze at herself, seemingly slightly perplexed. "What is it?" he asked, making one final correction to the position to her diadem.
"It's just..." Mara stammered, "I.. Well, I just feel so weird. I know this is what I should be wearing, but you know," she didn't know hot to phrase it.
"You just don't feel so Corellian," Han concluded, and they shared a laugh. Mara looked beautiful, she had just the right colour of skin for the different shades of blue of the dress.
Mara turned to face him. "Thanks for help. And for giving me something to start from. You knew it all along, didn't you? That I was from Corellia?"
Han shook his head. "I remember wondering about it once, when you cracked some joke at Lando, or something. But apart from that, not really, until I saw you and Luke at the party." After checking his chrono, he pulled her in for a good-luck hug. "I love you both to pieces. See you after the ceremony." He left the room and walked to the Festival Hall, and took his place on the podium, next to Leia.
The music began - a high-voiced Almanian soprano with an accompanying orchestra. She was apparently very famous and very popular and Leia had did a great deal of work to get her to perform, but Luke had to admit she'd never heard of her. She did sing well.
The hall was full of both familiar and unfamiliar faces - Senators and other politicians as well as friends from the times of Rebellion and those who'd stuck around after it.
He stood in the middle of the podium, now filled with flowers and guests. Leia, Han, Lando, Chewie and the entire Rogue Squadron were seated near where he stood with Admiral Ackbar who looked awash with joy. he'd told Luke he'd been incredibly honoured to be asked to perform the ceremony.
Luke took a deep, ragged breath. This was it.
The doors opened, the music took a different beat, and the hundreds of pairs and groups of eyes in the Hall turned to face the entrance.
And suddenly, there was Mara, and Luke no longer had eyes for anything else in the Universe.
She looked incredible, dressed in a decorative blue dress, her red hair plaited and pulled in a delicate and complex style. The dress consisted of a corset-like top from which hung a veil-like piece of cloth decorated with tiny drop-shaped, glittering stones. The top perfectly adorned her features, leaving a wide cleavage. Her midriff was bare, and she wore a long skirt, dark blue on the waist, the colour lightening towards her feet. She wore no shoes.
She seemed to hesitate at the door, but then drew a quick breath, and began the long walk across the hall, a bouquet of flowers clutched in her hands so tightly it almost shook.
Luke tried gently to link to her, but Mara was too preoccupied with moving her feet in turns, as nervous as he himself was. Then Mara looked up on the podium and saw him, her features melting in the warmest smile Luke had ever seen, and his heart melted. Their worries vanished into thin air as they held their shared gaze.
She soon joined him on the podium, and Ackbar began his speech.
After the vows which were as fumbled as they could get as Luke and Mara couldn't help but stare at each other which mixed up their words completely, they turned to walk off. Leia stood up and held her hand up, signaling them to wait a bit.
Suddenly, a group emerged from the crowd and made its way next to the podium stairs, forming a guard of honour. Luke's students! Apart from Ceela Caet and a few others who'd been lost on the battle of Yavin, every and each Jedi he'd ever trained stood there, honouring their teacher and the woman he loved.
The widest smile was on Amarice Rieekan's smile. She'd just been granted the status of Full Jedi knight for what she'd done on Coruscant and on Yavin; for the bravado she'd showed in going against Garia Mondian. It was now obvious that her true talents lie in her ability to resist the influences of the Dark Side - something that simply couldn't have manifested itself during her training as chances for encountering live Sith Lords could hardly be summoned just for teaching reasons.
The Jedi of the new generation ignited their lightsabres in unison, and raised them high above their heads. The blades touched in pairs, and the silent humming and crackling on the weapons were the most perfect music that ever could have been played at the occasion as well as being the highest distinction to the pair of greatest Jedi Knights in the history of the New Republic.
Mara and Luke, hands joined as tightly as their spirits in the Force, leaned in for a kiss, and then walked down the stairs, and then under the humming lightsabre blades all the way across the Hall.
As in their visions, they would now be together. Forever.
The End
Thank-yous:
Timothy Zahn: I could never equal your skill, so I'm not even trying. I hope I've learnt at least something. Thank you for giving us Mara. Michael A. Stackpole: How on Earth (or on Coruscant) would I know how to dodge a Star Destroyer without you? Tim Radley. Is there anything I could possibly do with which you wouldn't back me up?
Thank you for reading. Feedback would, as always, be much appreciated.
Heidi 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)
In a conference room nearby, Mara also felt frustrated and ready to fling the damn rag she was trying to put on straight out of the window. The idea had been great, but putting it into practice was just agonizing. "Stang it!" she finally stammered and slumped down on a table.
Han Solo grabbed her hand and pulled her back up gently. "Come on, Mara, it's not that difficult."
She picked up the lavishly decorated waist piece again. The corset-like top she'd handled easily, but getting the pearl-embedded top skirt on was getting on her nerves.
"Remind me to issue the Senate about modernizing Corellian wedding practices," she sighed, "There. You happy now?"
Han laughed at her incessant whining. Mara had wanted to wear a traditional Corellian wedding dress as a solution to her wedding gown problem. Half of the guests were looking forward to seeing her in a Jedi attire, but didn't consider it festive enough. And an Imperial uniform, which was probably what a couple of Senators were expecting was naturally out of the question. And she didn't want to choose an ordinary white dress - she and Luke weren't an ordinary couple, so the dress shouldn't be so either.
So she'd asked Han for help and he had been more than willing. He'd always been proud of being a Corellian.
And Mara was glad for finding out that she was one as well. Corellians had always been quite of their own brew - wanting to stay independent and free, they'd always tried to stay outside useless political banter. Renowned smugglers and tradesmen, their talents for business were also present in Mara, as well as their quirky sense of humour. In Mara's opinion a perfect counterpart for Luke's Outer Rim backwood, silent charm.
Had the wedding taken place a few weeks earlier, she would've been jumping out of her skin, but the thing itself no longer made her nervous. It was just the occasion, hundreds of eyes fixed at her and not all of them with a favourable expression.
She had made her decision - or more or less, the Force had made it for her. They were beyond a perfect match, even more so than Han and Leia, between which his non-sensitiveness to the Force would always be a barrier. But his personality and love made up for it more than enough.
"Perfect," Han replied, and pointed at the mirror he'd dragged in for her. He watched Mara, his beloved sister-in-love gaze at herself, seemingly slightly perplexed. "What is it?" he asked, making one final correction to the position to her diadem.
"It's just..." Mara stammered, "I.. Well, I just feel so weird. I know this is what I should be wearing, but you know," she didn't know hot to phrase it.
"You just don't feel so Corellian," Han concluded, and they shared a laugh. Mara looked beautiful, she had just the right colour of skin for the different shades of blue of the dress.
Mara turned to face him. "Thanks for help. And for giving me something to start from. You knew it all along, didn't you? That I was from Corellia?"
Han shook his head. "I remember wondering about it once, when you cracked some joke at Lando, or something. But apart from that, not really, until I saw you and Luke at the party." After checking his chrono, he pulled her in for a good-luck hug. "I love you both to pieces. See you after the ceremony." He left the room and walked to the Festival Hall, and took his place on the podium, next to Leia.
The music began - a high-voiced Almanian soprano with an accompanying orchestra. She was apparently very famous and very popular and Leia had did a great deal of work to get her to perform, but Luke had to admit she'd never heard of her. She did sing well.
The hall was full of both familiar and unfamiliar faces - Senators and other politicians as well as friends from the times of Rebellion and those who'd stuck around after it.
He stood in the middle of the podium, now filled with flowers and guests. Leia, Han, Lando, Chewie and the entire Rogue Squadron were seated near where he stood with Admiral Ackbar who looked awash with joy. he'd told Luke he'd been incredibly honoured to be asked to perform the ceremony.
Luke took a deep, ragged breath. This was it.
The doors opened, the music took a different beat, and the hundreds of pairs and groups of eyes in the Hall turned to face the entrance.
And suddenly, there was Mara, and Luke no longer had eyes for anything else in the Universe.
She looked incredible, dressed in a decorative blue dress, her red hair plaited and pulled in a delicate and complex style. The dress consisted of a corset-like top from which hung a veil-like piece of cloth decorated with tiny drop-shaped, glittering stones. The top perfectly adorned her features, leaving a wide cleavage. Her midriff was bare, and she wore a long skirt, dark blue on the waist, the colour lightening towards her feet. She wore no shoes.
She seemed to hesitate at the door, but then drew a quick breath, and began the long walk across the hall, a bouquet of flowers clutched in her hands so tightly it almost shook.
Luke tried gently to link to her, but Mara was too preoccupied with moving her feet in turns, as nervous as he himself was. Then Mara looked up on the podium and saw him, her features melting in the warmest smile Luke had ever seen, and his heart melted. Their worries vanished into thin air as they held their shared gaze.
She soon joined him on the podium, and Ackbar began his speech.
After the vows which were as fumbled as they could get as Luke and Mara couldn't help but stare at each other which mixed up their words completely, they turned to walk off. Leia stood up and held her hand up, signaling them to wait a bit.
Suddenly, a group emerged from the crowd and made its way next to the podium stairs, forming a guard of honour. Luke's students! Apart from Ceela Caet and a few others who'd been lost on the battle of Yavin, every and each Jedi he'd ever trained stood there, honouring their teacher and the woman he loved.
The widest smile was on Amarice Rieekan's smile. She'd just been granted the status of Full Jedi knight for what she'd done on Coruscant and on Yavin; for the bravado she'd showed in going against Garia Mondian. It was now obvious that her true talents lie in her ability to resist the influences of the Dark Side - something that simply couldn't have manifested itself during her training as chances for encountering live Sith Lords could hardly be summoned just for teaching reasons.
The Jedi of the new generation ignited their lightsabres in unison, and raised them high above their heads. The blades touched in pairs, and the silent humming and crackling on the weapons were the most perfect music that ever could have been played at the occasion as well as being the highest distinction to the pair of greatest Jedi Knights in the history of the New Republic.
Mara and Luke, hands joined as tightly as their spirits in the Force, leaned in for a kiss, and then walked down the stairs, and then under the humming lightsabre blades all the way across the Hall.
As in their visions, they would now be together. Forever.
The End
Thank-yous:
Timothy Zahn: I could never equal your skill, so I'm not even trying. I hope I've learnt at least something. Thank you for giving us Mara. Michael A. Stackpole: How on Earth (or on Coruscant) would I know how to dodge a Star Destroyer without you? Tim Radley. Is there anything I could possibly do with which you wouldn't back me up?
Thank you for reading. Feedback would, as always, be much appreciated.
Heidi siirma6@surfeu.fi