Hey, I'm malabud. Sorry for the late start this month. Hopefully I will make up for it with the slate of great SW fic I have to rec. So, without further ado, let's get started.

Fandom: STAR WARS OT
Pairing: Gen
Length: 51,000 words
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Websites: Sheila Snow's FFN Profile

Why this must be read:

Within the Luke-Vader father/son sub-genre of Star Wars fic, there is a sub-sub-genre (probably started by a fic challenge somewhere) of "Luke and Vader go camping." Sounds corny, doesn't it? But such fics actually tend to be surprisingly good. Some of the plot contrivances the authors go through to get Luke and Vader on what passes for a camping trip can be very interesting, to say the least. Most of these fics simply isolate Luke and Vader in the wilderness on some forsaken planet and force them to work together for their mutual survival for a period of time. Character interaction and reconciliation is often the point and the goal of these stories.

In this particular version of the father and son camping trip, Luke is dying from a rare disease. The Alliance cannot waste resources on a lost cause, but Han Solo and Leia Organa work tirelessly to save their friend. They manage to wrest an aging ship from the Alliance, and Han and Luke set out on a desperate mission to a forgotten planet that may have a cure for Luke. Naturally, they crash, and Vader just happens to crash as well.

What follows is an interesting character study of Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, and Darth Vader. Vader plots to kill Solo, but does not want to unnecessarily alienate his unknowning son. (The story is set post-A New Hope, but pre-Empire Strikes Back.) Luke is confused by the feelings he senses from Vader. And Han is just trying to keep himself and Luke alive long enough to find a cure, which looks less and less likely as time goes on. On top of all that, Luke was injured in the crash and is slowly getting worse.

This is the best of the camping fics I've read. The addition of Han Solo to the mix is inspired. He muddies the waters just enough so that Vader and Luke do not reach an understanding too soon. The end of the story leaves ample room for a sequel, which has not yet been written, if it ever will be. Even so, this is an excellent and well told story. Highly recommended.

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( Excerpt )

Between Flight and Longing

Fandom: STARSKY & HUTCH
Pairing: none
Length: long
Author on LJ: not known
Author Website: HERE
Why this must be read:

Yes, it is a Christmas story and yes, I know it's not December. But trust me – you would love to read it, no matter what season. Have you ever wondered why Starsky can not live without a Christmas tree? Or why Hutch never asked him to give up on this euphoric sentimentalism? This story answers all the questions you could ever had.

"But we always throw them away afterwards," Davey said. "What sort of honor is that?"

"Davey," his father said patiently, "pines only grow to become Christmas trees. When a pine is cut off in order to be sold as a Christmas tree, it´s the best thing that can happen to it. All the other pines are jealous of it."

Frowning slightly, Davey leaned a bit more against the tree he was still holding, his father quickly reaching out to support it from the other side. "Really?"

"Of course," Michael nodded, his genious expression reminding Hutch so much of his partner, he had to smile softly. It really looked as though the man was believing every word he said. Just like 'his' Starsky would years after that.

"Hm," Davey made, not yet convinced, but getting there.

"See," his father explained, searching for a concrete example, "it´s like when you become a, uh..."

"Baseball player?" Davey asked, understanding visible in his young grin.

"Yeah," Michael nodded eagerly. "Right. Like that. It´s nice to just be there, but becoming a baseball player´s the best that can happen to you."

"So the Christmas trees are the pines´.... baseball players?" Davey asked with a frown.

"Exactly," his father nodded, snapping his fingers. "All the other pines look up to them."

D´You believe in the North Pole?
Of trees and ghosts

Fandom: DUE SOUTH
Pairing: Maggie MacKenzie/Frannie Vecchio
Length: 400 words
Author: cmshaw
Author Website: cmshaw's stories
Why this must be read: Maggie/Frannie is one of my favorite femslash pairings, but there's very little fic for it. This is a sweet little epistolary story, and I love Maggie's progression from formality to familiarity.

Dear Francesca