In Memory Of...
By: Skywalker's Dream
February 6, 2001
Disclaimer: The normal disclaimer on this one. None
of the characters in this story belong to me. I am
making no money off them and claim no rights.
Chapter 1
Han Solo entered his bedroom, to find his wife
sitting on the edge of the bed. He watched as she
slowly ran a brush through her long hair. She did not
seem to notice he was even there. He sat down beside
her, taking the brush out of her hand. When she
turned to protest he pulled her hair back off her
shoulder, then began to brush her hair for her.
"That feels nice," she commented.
"Have I told you recently how much I love your
hair?"
"Hum... So you don't think I should cut it?" She
teased.
"No way. You would get into way too much trouble."
"How would me cutting my hair get me in trouble?"
"All that extra time you would save not having to
fool with it... come on, you are a Skywalker, you
can't have that much idle time without something
happening."
"Why you..." Leia said, trying to turn to face
him.
"Kidding, kidding," he said, throwing his hands out
as if to protect himself.
"Touchy, touchy. Are you about packed?"
"Not quite. I will finish this evening. Don't you
worry, I will be ready to go."
"Why not pack now?" Han asked his wife.
"Because I have a last minute meeting in a bit."
"I should have known that I could not get you out
of here without one of those."
"It's nothing too bad. Ackbar is just worried
about us going off alone. He is wanting to send some
support with us."
"Support? This is a vacation, not an assault."
"As I pointed out to him. He countered me by
pointing out that we get into the most trouble when we
go on vacation. He just wants to send some people out
with us on the first leg of our trip; once we have
determined that everything is fine we can send them on
their way."
"I shouldn't have to tell you how much I hate this
idea, Leia. Who is he planning on sending?" The
dread he was feeling seeping into his voice.
A growl from the door indicated Chewie's entrance to
the room. He added his own barking comments,
revealing his thoughts on the conversation.
"You knew about this too?" Han asked, turning
towards the door to see his friend. "Am I the last
to know?"
"Of course not dear," Leia said, placing a loving
hand on his shoulder. "Wedge and the squadron have
not been told. We were going to leave that one up to
you."
"Well at least it's going to be them with us. I
can probably stand having them around for a little
while, anyone else I would not allow."
"I know dear," Leia told him, sporting her sweetest
smile.
"But why not just bring Luke along," Han
questioned, ignoring his wife's mocking manner. "I
know he needs a break by now."
"I tried a few days ago to get him to come visit,
but he wouldn't. He seemed a bit depressed, but he
wouldn't tell me what was wrong."
"He gets depressed about this time ever year,
Leia," Han told her.
"You think so? I've noticed that he gets depressed
every so often, but never that he had formed a pattern
to it."
"It's been going on for a few years."
Chewie growled.
"Are you sure?" he asked him.
"What?" Leia asked, turning to look at Chewie.
"Chewie said it has been going on for longer then a
few years," Han explained to her. He picked up the
brush and resumed brushing her hair. "He says he has
become depressed and disappears about this time every
year since we met him."
"Then I guess that it's past due for me to talk to
him about this. I will give him a call and get him to
come here."
"I don't think that's such a good idea," Han told
her. She turned around, looking him in the eye. "He
already knows you want him to come here and has said
no," Han continued. "I have a better idea. We were
gong on vacation anyway, lets get Luke to meetus.
We'll make it someplace he will be near, and take it
from there."
"Where?"
"Somewhere I am sure he will go."
"OK, again, where?"
"Karrde is in the area. We will head out that way
and have Luke meet us there. It would even help if we
made sure Mara was there."
"That sounds good. Luke never passes up a chance
to try and convince Mara to complete her training,"
Leia said with a smile, not noticing the look shared
between her husband and his co-pilot.
"Well, you go on and get to your meeting. I am
going to go talk to Wedge. Or do I need to wait until
after this meeting?"
"No, you talking to him now is a good idea. He
will be briefed on it in an hour. I would rather have
you tell him before he gets there."
"Well, good then. I'll see you later."
----
Han walked into the hanger sectioned off for Rogue
Squadron just as Wedge hopped out of his X-wing.
"Hey Han," Wedge said, not stopping, causing Han to
walk beside him to keep up the conversation.
"Wedge, how you doing? You look tired."
"I am tired," Wedge admitted, rubbing the back of
his neck.
"You got a minute?"
"Sure, if you don't mind taking this to my office
so I can sit down. I have about an hour until my next
briefing."
"Busy, busy, busy," Han said.
"The life of a pilot," Wedge agreed, opening the
door to his office.
"That it is."
Wedge nodded his head in agreement, as he entered
his office. "So what did you need to talk to me
about?"
"Well, it's actually about your briefing. I was
sent down here to give you a heads up so you'll know
what to expect when you get there."
"Great. Mind if we sit?"
"Not at all."
Wedge didn't exactly sit, more like he fell into
his chair. Turning to a table behind him, he poured
them both a glass of water, handed Han his then took a
long drink of his own. "Is it bad?"
"That depends on what you think of as bad. You are
being assigned to baby sit Leia and I while we are on
vacation."
Wedge almost choked on his water in an effort to
keep from laughing. Wiping his face with his hand he
smiled. "You're kidding right?"
"No. I just found out a few minutes ago."
"And you are all right with this?"
"I wasn't, until I saw how badly you guys needed a
vacation of your own. Looks like you get paid to do
it, as long as you don't mind following us around."
"If that's our orders, I guess we will have to
suffer though them."
"Oh, and you sound so upset about that," Han said,
returning his friend's smile.
"How many of us will be going?"
"I am assuming all of you. I was just told that it
was your Squadron going."
"Twelve X-wings to cover the Falcon? Can we say
over kill?"
"Maybe a little, but I wouldn't complain, you might
be the one they leave behind to work."
"You're right," Wedge exclaimed in mock horror,
switching over to being sarcastically serious. "It
will take the whole team to make sure no one bothers
you. Who all is going with you?"
"Just Leia and me. Chewie is taking the kids with
him to see his family. We get some much needed time
alone."
"With Rouge Squadron along for the ride," Wedge
laughed.
"Makes me glad the Falcon isn't big enough to dock
all of you."
"Great, so we get to spend the whole time in our
X-wings?"
"No not all of it. We will be meeting up with
Talon Karrde first. Hopefully to meet up with Luke."
"Luke is with them?"
"No, he will be meeting us there. Anything to get
him off that blasted planet."
----
Karrde was sitting at a console, scrolling through
the last of the reports when he heard Mara grunt.
"No luck?"
"Where did Tatooine learn their encrypts? I cannot
get more than the local weather out of that system."
"Well, lets give it to Aves and see what he can do
with it. Ghent will be back in a few days, and I am
sure if no one else can get into their system to
confirm that information, he can."
"Yeah, Ghent would probably break this system wide
open in his sleep."
"True enough. It's time for a break anyway. The
Solo's are due to arrive any minute now."
"Last I heard they were going on vacation. Why are
they coming here?"
"It's actually a ploy. I agreed to help them get
Luke to leave Yavin for a while."
"They are all coming here? Great."
"It gets better, they have a squadron of X-wings in
tow."
"Well, this is just turning into a regular party
isn't it?"
"Ah, cheer up Mara, they will only be here a few
days, then they will be on their way. Lets go, they
should be landing soon."
"I hope you charged them a landing fee," she said
with a smirk.
"Now that's my girl."
They arrived at the landing bay just as the ramp
lowered. Some of Karrde's people went to help the
X-wing pilots, and showing them where they could go to
rest. Leia exited the ship looking around; she
stopped in front of Karrde and Mara.
"Something wrong?" Karrde asked, as he noticed the
puzzled look on her face.
"Luke's not here yet?"
"No, not yet, we haven't heard from him," Mara
replied.
"We purposely waited so Luke would get here before
us. The last I talked to him, he said he had to make
one stop, and then he would meet us. He should have
been here two days ago," Han said, joining the
conversation as he made his way down the ramp.
"Two days? Where was he going?" Mara asked.
"He didn't say. Just that he had something to take
care of, then he would met us here."
"Only one thing to do then," Karrde stated, as he
lead them away from the Falcon, "Call Yavin and see
when he left, and if he said where he was going."
They called Yavin, and found out that Luke had in
fact left as planned, and was even kind enough to have
filed a flight plan. Upon reading through the
information, they departed for Luke's first scheduled
stop, Tatooine.
"Great," Mara said, sitting back in her seat. "Now
we get to see if the only problem we were having with
their computers was distance."
"You're not in a very good mood today, are you
Mara," Karrde commented as he looked over at his
second in command.
"No, I'm not."
----
"Leia, we have located his shuttle," Karrde told
her in a grave voice. "However, Luke was not
there."
They had begun looking on the planet in the area
they thought Luke was most likely to visit, near where
he grew up. After finding no hint of him in the area,
Wedge and Corran had agreed to go out and search from
the air for his shuttle, as Karrde's people searched
on the ground. They had searched for two hours,
before the X-wings' scanners had picked up his shuttle
sitting on one of the many landing fields.
"Did you find anything in the shuttle that might
give us a clue as to where he is?" Leia asked.
"We had trouble getting in the shuttle; he had it
locked up tight. Nothing was out of the ordinary,
though. It looked like he had locked it up only
expecting to be gone a short while. We found a book
left open where he had been reading, nothing
significant there. He left his clothes on the foot of
his bed. He also left some food out on a table.
Everything indicating he did not plan to be gone
long."
"Then there are no leads?" Corran asked, not
familiar with what they found. He and Wedge had been
forced to return to the ship or risk running out of
fuel.
"I didn't say that. I found this laying outside."
Karrde handed Leia a pile of cloth.
"Outside the shuttle? But that makes no sense.
These are his Jedi robes. He wouldn't leave them just
laying around outside."
"Right, so we can deduce that when he exited the
shuttle he was wearing his robes. He had time to lock
the shuttle. What would happen to make him take them
off?"
"Besides it being too hot?" Han tried joking.
"Yes, besides that. Even if he was hot, which I
have hardly ever seen happen. He would not just toss
them to the ground," Mara said, clearly still not in a
joking mood. "Perhaps a fight? He takes them off
when he is fighting."
"Not a scenario I am hoping is true," Karrde said
looking from his second in command to Leia. "But the
best possibility we have as of yet. Leia do you know
where he was going when he came here?"
"No. I have no idea. I didn't even know he was
coming here. All I know was that he was leaving
Yavin. He said he had to make a quick stop then he
was going to meet us. He never got there."
"Another dead end," Han needlessly stated.
"Did you find anything else?" Leia asked with
frustration rising in her voice.
"Do you know who this is?" He handed her a
hologram of a young girl, long curly blond hair, and
sparkling blue eyes.
"No, I have never seen her before."
"Are you sure?" Karrde asked. "Luke would have
known her before he met you, before he left Tatooine."
"No, I have never seen her before. The only girl I
have ever heard him talk about was Camie and she
looked nothing like this. He said she had dark hair
and eyes. Why? What does this have to do with
anything?"
"This was found in Luke's robes. There is also one
with Luke in it. Here look," he switched to a picture
of the girl, and Luke. Leia could also recognize
Biggs in the back ground with a few other guys. "Luke
looks to be about 16," Karrde continued. "We thought
maybe it would lead somewhere. At least give us a
clue as to whom he was meeting. Maybe he was meeting
her."
"Do you know any of his friends down on the
planet?" Mara asked.
"No, he never really said he wanted to come back
here when we talked about it."
Wedge looked around with everyone else, looking for
an idea to materialize in front of them. Suddenly a
thought occurred to him. "Wait, Gavin is here."
He got questioning looks from everyone.
"Gavin Darklighter. He is Biggs' cousin. He knew
Luke back then too. Not as well as Biggs, but he
might know who this is."
"Thanks Wedge, can you find him and bring him
here?"
There was a beep of the com as Wedge stood.
"Hold on," Karrde said, stopping Wedge from leaving
the room. "They found him."
"How is he?" Leia asked. The worry she was feeling
evident in her voice.
"Wait..." he said, listening once again to the com.
He turned sad eyes on the group. "He is in bad
shape."
"What's new?" Mara asked sarcastically.
"They are on their way back. My men will take him
directly to the medical bay. You can meet him there."
"OK," Leia said, doing the only thing she could do
in this situation, take charge.
"Wedge, can you bring Gavin and meet me there?"
"Sure thing."
"I am going too," Mara said, standing and leading
the way out of the room.
----
Gavin walked into the medical bay with Wedge. He
had no idea why he was here. He had been sitting in
the ready room they had been given with the other
members of Rouge Squadron, watching the sabaac game,
when Wedge came running in. He didn't say much; he
just grabbed Gavin by the arm and pulled him out of
his chair.
"I need you to come with me," was all he said as he
pulled him out the door. He never spoke during the
short walk to the medical wing. Gavin knew better
than to question a superior officer,no matter why bad
he wanted to know, so he kept his questions to
himself. There were a hundred different reasons why
Wedge could be so upset, and a hundred more why he had
brought Gavin down here. *I could be in trouble,*
Gavin thought. However, he couldn't think of anything
he had done. *Wedge probably just needed someone, and
I was sitting closest to the door. So much for
getting some rest tonight.*
They entered the medical bay and approached Han who
was standing in the hallway.
"How is he?" Wedge asked as soon as he was near.
"Bad," Han said, covering his eyes with his hand.
"He took a shot in the side, but they got to him in
time. He should be OK."
"Did they say where they found him?"
"In an alley just inside Anchorhead."
"Anchorhead?" Gavin asked, shocked out of his
silence. "We are over Tatooine?"
"Yes, we followed him here," Han informed him
distractedly.
"Where are they?" Wedge asked.
"No visitors yet. They just brought him in."
"I know, but Leia told me to get Gavin and meet her
down here."
*OK, there went me being a random selection,* Gavin
thought. He still could not help but wonder who they
were talking about. He didn't know they were looking
for someone. Then again, he did not know they were
going to Tatooine, either. He was under the
impression that the Solo's were on vacation.
"All right, I will let her know you're here." Han
walked into a room, coming out barely a minute later.
"Come on in."
Gavin followed the two men into the room. The
sight before him sent his head spinning. He was
standing in an observation room, with Leia, Mara,
Corran, and Karrde watching the progress of the four
doctors in the next room. However, that was
secondary, it was the figure that laid on the bed that
threw him for a loop. Luke Skywalker was lying there,
as pale as the sheets he was laying on. He had a
severely charred area in his side and was covered in
bright red blood. The doctors were working on him,
trying to get the bleeding to stop.
"Oh man, what happened?" he whispered.
"We were hoping you could help us figure that out,"
Leia informed him.
"Me? How can I help?" He could not keep his eyes
off the scene in the next room. Luke had not moved
since Gavin had entered the observation room. The bed
he was laying on now looked as if it had been covered
with red paint. He started feeling lightheaded and
the room slowly started to spin. Suddenly he felt a
hand on his shoulder.
"Gavin, you all right?" Corran asked, squeezing
his shoulder, steadying him.
"Huh?" He muttered tearing his eyes away from the
table.
"Maybe we should have talk to him outside," Leia
belatedly suggested.
"Snap out of it, flyboy," Mara barked at him. "I
am sure that's not the first time you've seen someone
get shot,"
"No, he has seen plenty of that first hand, isn't
that right Gavin," Corran asked, turning him away from
the window. "Still got the scar to prove it right?
He'll be OK. He just wasn't expecting to see this."
"Yeah," Wedge said, looking like a small child
being scolded for something he knows he did wrong. "I
didn't tell him what we were doing down here. Never
thought about it, all I wanted to do was get down
here."
"I'm OK," Gavin said, ashamed that his commander
was making excuses to cover his reaction. Pulling
himself together, he decided the best thing to do was
to get down to business. "You don't know what
happened to him?"
"No," Karrde said, a look of understanding crossing
his face. "He was late meeting up with us, and we
found his shuttle down on the planet. Some of my men
found him like this and brought him here."
"Then how am I supposed to help?" Gavin asked,
truly confused. "I hardly ever talk to him."
"Show him the picture," Leia demanded, and he
accepted the data pad Mara thrust at him.
"This was found with Luke's things when they found
his shuttle," Mara continued when he turned the data
pad on. "Do you know who this is?"
Gavin studied the picture for a moment. His eyes
grew wide in recognition, then his forehead knitted
together with dread. He shifted his feet
uncomfortably and handed the picture back.
"Do you know her?" Mara asked him again, eyeing
him expectantly.
"No, sorry, I don't know her," he lied, doing his
best to ignore the glare he got from Mara.
"Are you sure?" Leia asked.
"Look," Gavin said, almost succeeding in keeping
the defensiveness out of his voice. "Luke was Biggs'
friend, not mine. I hardly hung around him."
"Gavin," Corran said. "Why are you lying about
this?"
*I should have remembered, there are just too many
Jedi in this room,* Gavin growled to himself.
"We need to know," Leia pleaded to him. "This is
the only clue we have to finding who did this to him."
"I was just a kid when he was there. I was barley
11 when he left Tatooine. I was only 8 or 9 when this
picture was taken."
"Gavin, you are his friend. He talks about you a
lot. About how close you and Biggs were. If that is
the truth, then you should at least know who Luke was
friends with. Who was this girl? Can you at least
tell us what her name is? Why did he have this
picture in his pocket, was she who he was meeting?"
Gavin interrupted her with a sorrowful laugh.
"Trust me, he wasn't meeting her."
"You do know her."
"Yeah, and I can tell you that Luke was definitely
not going to meet her. She died about two years after
this was taken."
"Oh," Leia whispered. "Well, this is another dead
end then."
"Wait," Mara said, eyeing Gavin suspiciously.
"What are you not telling us, Darklighter?"
"Why am I being interrogated about this?" Gavin
exclaimed, tired of the whole line of questions and no
longer caring if he sounded defensive or not.
"Because my brother is in there," Leia countered
with just has much heat. "He is in there with a very
nasty blaster shot, that could have killed him. We
don't know who he was meeting or who did this to him.
And you are the only one that has even a shred of
information about any of this. And you won't even
give us a name!"
"Arielle."
"What?"
"You have a name. Her name was Arielle."
"Arielle? He never mentioned an Arielle."
"I know," was all Gavin gave as an answer.
"What else do you know?" Leia demanded.
"Look Leia, I knew her," Gavin admitted
reluctantly, not positive he was hiding the pain he
was feeling. "And when I first got here, I asked Luke
about her. He told me that he didn't want to be
reminded. I honored his wishes and never talked about
it again, to anyone. I didn't then and I won't now."
"I'm sure that he's grateful for you keeping your
word, but if it helps..."
"I don't think that what I know will bring you any
closer to finding out who did this than you are now."
"Please, let us make that decision," Leia pleaded.
Gavin looked over at Wedge and Corran, hoping to have
them step in and help him get off the hook. Didn't
any of them realize how wrong it was for him to give
out this information? No, of course they didn't,
because no one has a clue what you are talking about.
Because for reasons of his own, Luke Skywalker decided
not to share this piece of his past with them, and if
he had wanted them to know, he would have told them.
"Gavin, even if it does not help us, I am sure Luke
will know that you were only trying to help. He will
understand."
"But who am I to tell you when he didn't tell you?"
"He'll understand, Darklighter," Mara said,
speaking softly for the first time that day, getting a
surprised glance from Karrde for her trouble.
"Look, I am sure that you guys all think you are
doing what's best. But you knowing who this girl is,
will doing nothing but relieve your curiosity. The
best I can do is to tell you to check with Tatooine
authorities and make sure that a girl named Nyela
Coramar is still locked up. If this is the only clue
you have to go by, and she is free, you might want to
start looking for her."
"Great, back to dealing with Tatooine files again,"
Mara said in a huff, all her previous gentleness gone
as if it had never been there.
"That's all?" Han asked.
"That's all I am willing to tell you. I am a man
of my word, and I swore to him that I would never talk
about this. I'm sorry for the big secret, but it just
would not be right for me to tell you. When to
explain this to you should be Luke's choice, not mine.
You check on Nyela, and when he wakes up, you can see
if he will give you more information. I believe that
I have only made things worse with what I have already
told you. I am begging you, that if he does not want
to talk about this, that you will not push the
subject. It is a wound that took a long time to
close, and he will not open it easily. If you'll
excuse me." With that Gavin walked out of the room,
leaving a stunned crowd behind him.
To be continued? Of course.
Ok that's it everyone. Tell me what you think.
**Biting fingernails, waiting for responses**
=====
Skywalker's Dream
Come explore in mysteries
Inside the Mind of Skywalker's Dream:
http://www.oocities.org/skywalkers_dream/index.html
Ok this is the thried try to post this here. The previous tries were
returned as an unknown group. HUm...I probably just spelled it wrong.
Either that or this will so up a few times. Sorry if that happens.
This is what I was trying to send:
After reading the feedback from the first time I
posted this, I have repaired it. Fixed some of the
formatting, layout, and grammar. I have also titled
it. But most of all I have fixed a major plot hole.
(Karrde's ship) For those of you that don't know what
I mean. It was brought to my attention that I had all
12 x-wings docking on Karrde's little ship. That has
been amended.
The next chapter is almost ready. Should be posted in
the next day or two. I am just waiting to get the
last half back from one of my beta readers (When you
have time Jenn I know you're busy)
I wanted to get this out, so you can understand the
next chapter a bit better. Thanks everyone for the
wonderful support I have found here.
OK enough babbling here you go:
In Memory of...
By: Skywalker's Dream
February 6, 2001
Disclaimer: The normal disclaimer on this one. None
of the characters in this story belong to me. I am
making no money off them and claim no rights.
Chapter 1
Han Solo entered his bedroom, to find his wife sitting
on the edge of the bed. He watched as she slowly ran
a brush through her long hair. She didn't seem to
notice he was there. He sat down beside her, taking
the brush out of her hand. When she turned to
protest, he pulled her hair back off her shoulder, and
then began to brush her hair for her.
"That feels nice," she commented.
"Have I told you recently how much I love your hair?"
"Hum... So you don't think I should cut it?" She
teased.
"No way. You'd get into way too much trouble."
"How would me cutting my hair get me in trouble?"
"All that extra time you'd save not having to fool
with it... come on, you are a Skywalker, you can't
have that much idle time without something happening."
"Why you..." Leia said, trying to turn to face him.
"Kidding, kidding," he chuckled, throwing his hands
out as if to protect himself. "Touchy, touchy. Are
you about packed?"
"Not quite. I'll finish this evening or in the
morning. Don't you worry, I'll be ready to go."
"Why not pack now?" Han asked his wife.
"We are not leaving for a couple of days yet, besides,
I have a last minute meeting in a bit."
"I should have known that I couldn't get you out of
here without one of those."
"It's nothing too severe. Ackbar's just worried about
us going off alone. He's wanting to send some support
with us."
"Support? This is a vacation, not an assault."
"As I pointed out to him. He countered me by pointing
out that we get into the most trouble when we go on
vacation. He just wants to send some people out with
us on the first leg of our trip; once we've determined
that everything's fine, we can send them on their
way."
"I shouldn't have to tell you how much I hate this
idea, Leia. Who's he planning on sending?" The dread
he was feeling seeping into his voice.
A growl from the door indicated Chewie's entrance to
the room. He added his own barking comments,
revealing his thoughts on the conversation.
"You knew about this too?" Han asked, turning towards
the door to see his friend. "Am I the last to know?"
"Of course not dear," Leia said, placing a loving hand
on his shoulder. "Wedge and the squadron have not
been told. We were going to leave that one up to
you."
"Well at least it's going to be them with us. I can
probably stand having those guys around for a little
while, anyone else I would not allow."
"I know dear," Leia told him, sporting her sweetest
smile.
"But why not just bring Luke along," Han questioned,
ignoring his wife's mocking manner. "I know he needs
a break by now."
"I tried to get him to come visit a few days ago, but
he wouldn't. He seemed a bit depressed, but he
wouldn't tell me what was wrong."
"He gets depressed about this time ever year, Leia,"
Han told her.
"You think so? I've noticed that he gets depressed
every so often, but never that he had formed a pattern
to it."
"It's been going on for a few years."
Chewie growled.
"Are you sure?" he asked him.
"What?" Leia asked, turning to look at Chewie.
"Chewie said it's been going on for longer then a few
years," Han explained to her. He picked up the brush
and resumed brushing her hair. "He says he has become
depressed and disappears about this time every year
since we met him."
"Then I guess that it's past due for me to talk to him
about this. I will give him a call and get him to
come here."
"I don't think that's such a good idea," Han told her.
She turned around, looking him in the eye. "He
already knows you want him to come here and has said
no," Han continued. "I have a better idea. We were
gong on vacation anyway, lets get Luke to meet us.
We'll make it someplace he'll be near, and take it
from there."
"Where?"
"Somewhere I'm sure he'll go."
"OK, again, where?"
"Karrde is in the area. We'll head out that way and
have Luke meet us there. It would even help if we
made sure Mara was there."
"That sounds good. Luke never passes up a chance to
try and convince Mara to complete her training," Leia
said with a smile, not noticing the look shared
between her husband and his co-pilot.
"Well, you go on and get to your meeting. I am going
to go talk to Wedge. Or do I need to wait until after
this meeting?"
"No, you talking to him now is a good idea. He'll be
briefed on it in an hour. I would rather have you
tell him before he gets there."
"Well, good then. I'll see you later."
----
Han walked into the hanger sectioned off for Rogue
Squadron just as Wedge hopped out of his X-wing.
"Hey Han," Wedge said, not stopping, causing Han to
walk beside him to keep up the conversation.
"Wedge, how you doing? You look tired."
"I am tired," Wedge admitted, rubbing the back of his
neck.
"You got a minute?"
"Sure, if you don't mind taking this to my office so I
can sit down. I have about an hour until my next
briefing."
"Busy, busy, busy," Han said.
"The life of a pilot," Wedge agreed, opening the door
to his office.
"That it is." Wedge nodded his head in agreement, as
he entered his office. "So what did you need to talk
to me about?"
"Well, it's actually about your briefing. I was sent
down here to give you a heads up so you'll know what
to expect when you get there."
"Great. Mind if we sit?"
"Not at all."
Wedge didn't exactly sit, more like he fell into his
chair. Turning to a table behind him, he poured them
both a glass of water, handed Han his then took a long
drink of his own. "Is it bad?"
"That depends on what you think of as bad. You are
being assigned to baby sit Leia and I while we are on
vacation."
Wedge almost choked on his water in an effort to keep
from laughing. Wiping his face with his hand he
smiled. "You're kidding right?"
"No. I just found out a few minutes ago."
"And you're all right with this?"
"I wasn't, until I saw how badly you guys needed a
vacation of your own. Looks like you'll get paid to
do it, as long as you don't mind following us around."
"If that's our orders, I guess we will have to suffer
though them."
"Oh, and you sound so upset about that," Han said,
returning his friend's smile.
"How many of us will be going?"
"I'm assuming all of you. I was just told that it was
your squadron going."
"Twelve X-wings to cover the Falcon? Can we say over
kill?"
"Maybe a little, but I wouldn't complain, you might be
the one they leave behind to work."
"You're right," Wedge exclaimed in mock horror,
switching over to being sarcastically serious. "It
will take the whole team to make sure no one bothers
you. Who all is going with you?"
"Just Leia and me. Chewie is taking the kids with him
to see his family. We get some much needed time
alone."
"With Rouge Squadron along for the ride," Wedge
laughed.
"Makes me glad the Falcon isn't big enough to dock all
of you."
"Great, so we get to spend the whole time in our
X-wings?"
"No, not all of it. We'll be meeting up with Talon
Karrde on some new ship he has first. He says it's
big enough to dock all of us and then some. Hopefully
we will meet up with Luke."
"Luke is with them?"
"No, he'll be meeting us there. Anything to get him
off that blasted planet."
"When do we leave?"
"In three days. You think your men will be ready to
fly by then?"
"My men could fly now if we had to. Three days is
plenty of time."
----
Karrde was sitting at a console, scrolling through the
last of the reports when he heard Mara grunt.
"No luck?"
"Where'd Tatooine learn their encrypts? I can't get
more than the local weather out of that system."
"Well, lets give it to Aves and see what he can do
with it. Ghent will be back in a few days, and I'm
sure if no one else can get into their system to
confirm that information, he can."
"Yeah, Ghent would probably break this system wide
open in his sleep."
"True enough. So Mara, what do you think of her?"
Karrde asked, gesturing around him.
"This ship, she's big. That contact must have owed
you a lot to be willing to part with her."
"He made one too many deals, and wasn't able to cover
them. It was either give up this ship, or give up
everything else."
"Everything else?" she questioned, her eyebrows
raised.
"Not what you are thinking, though it never hurts for
them to fear for their lives. I was meaning that he
was low on cash. He would of had to sell everything
he owned to pay me and keep this ship. I think he
made a wise choice."
"Of course you would," she stated, turning back to her
console. "You got this in the bargain. If I were
you, I would change her name. What kind of ship name
is Wishing Star anyway?"
"You think she is worth keeping?"
"That's what we are on this little trip for, isn't it?
A test drive? From what I've seen, this ship needs a
lot of work. It will also take a lot of personnel to
man her. She would be a prize in any fleet, we just
need to see if we can incorporate her into yours."
"True. For now, we can at least see what other bits
of information we can get out of these computers."
"Oh like this thing you have me working on here? I
can't imagine what could be so important in a file
from Tatooine."
"I have found that Tatooine has produced some
interesting things in the past."
"Skywalker is as about as interesting as a sand fly."
"You say that with such convection. Come on, leave
those files for Aves, before you break something,"
Karrde said, commenting on the manner she was banging
on the keys. "It's time for a break anyway. The
Solo's are due to arrive any minute now."
"Last I heard they were going on vacation," Mara
inquired, standing to stretch. "Why are they coming
here?"
"It's actually a ploy. I agreed to help them get
Skywalker to leave Yavin for a while."
"They're all coming here? Great."
"It gets better, they have a squadron of X-wings in
tow."
"Well, this is just turning into a regular party isn't
it?"
"Ah, cheer up Mara, they'll only be here a few days,
then they'll be on their way. Lets go, they should be
landing soon."
"I hope you charged them a landing fee," she said with
a smirk.
"Now that's my girl."
They arrived at the largest landing bay inside the
Wishing Star, just as the ramp lowered. Some of
Karrde's people went to help the X-wing pilots, and
show them where they could go to rest. Leia exited
the ship looking around before stopping in front of
Karrde and Mara.
"Welcome aboard the Wishing Star. Something wrong
princess?" Karrde asked, as he noticed the puzzled
look on her face.
"Thank you Karrde. Luke's not here yet?"
"No, not yet, we haven't heard from him," Mara
replied.
"We purposely waited so Luke would get here before
us," Han said, joining the conversation as he made his
way down the ramp. "The last I talked to him, he said
he had to make one stop, and then he'd meet us. He
should have been here two days ago."
"Two days? Where was he going?" Mara asked.
"He didn't say. Just that he had something to take
care of, then he would met us here."
"Only one thing to do then," Karrde stated, as he lead
them away from the Falcon, "Call Yavin and see when
he left, and if he said where he was going."
They all accompanied Karrde to the bridge. From there
they called Yavin, and found out that Luke had, in
fact, left as planned, and was even kind enough to
have filed a flight plan. Upon reading through the
information, they departed for Luke's first scheduled
stop, Tatooine.
"Great," Mara said, sitting back in her seat. "Now we
get to see if the only problem we were having with
their computers was distance."
"You're not in a very good mood today, are you Mara,"
Karrde commented as he looked over at his second in
command.
"No, I'm not."
----
"Leia, we've located his shuttle," Karrde told her in
a grave voice. They were standing in an observation
room, off the bridge of Karrde's ship. The room had
become the organization center for Luke's search.
"So I've heard," she stated, indicating Wedge and
Corran sitting near by.
"However," Karrde continued, despite the hopeful look
that sprang to her eyes. "Luke was not there."
They had begun looking on the planet as soon as they
reached Tatooine. Beginning in the area they thought
Luke was most likely to visit, near where he grew up.
After finding no hint of him in the area, Wedge and
Corran had agreed to go out and search from the air
for his shuttle, as Karrde's people searched on the
ground. They had searched for two hours, before the
X-wings' scanners had picked up his shuttle, sitting
on one of the many landing fields.
"Did you find anything in the shuttle that might give
us a clue as to where he is?" Leia asked.
"We had trouble getting in the shuttle," Mara told
her. "He had it locked up tight. Nothing was out of
the ordinary, though. It looked like he had locked it
up only expecting to be gone a short while. We found
a book left open where he'd been reading, nothing
significant there. He left his clothes on the foot of
his bed. He also left some food out on a table.
Everything indicating he didn't plan to be gone long."
"Then there are no leads?" Corran asked, not familiar
with what they found. He and Wedge had been forced to
return to the ship or risk running out of fuel.
"She didn't say that. We found this laying outside."
Karrde handed Leia a pile of cloth.
"Outside the shuttle? That makes no sense. These are
his Jedi robes. He wouldn't leave them just laying
around outside."
"Right, so we can deduce that when he exited the
shuttle he was wearing his robes. He had time to lock
the shuttle. What would happen to make him take them
off?"
"Besides it being too hot?" Han tried joking.
"Yes, besides that. Even if he was hot, which I've
hardly ever seen happen. He wouldn't just toss them
to the ground," Mara said, clearly still not in a
joking mood. "Perhaps a fight? He takes them off
when he is fighting."
"Not a scenario I am hoping is true," Karrde said
looking from his second in command to Leia. "But the
best possibility we have as of yet. Leia do you know
where he was going when he came here?"
"No. I have no idea. I didn't even know where he was
going. All I know is that he was leaving Yavin. He
said he had to make a quick stop then he was going to
meet us. He never got there."
"Another dead end," Han needlessly stated.
"Did you find anything else?" Leia asked with
frustration rising in her voice.
"Do you know who this is?" He handed her a hologram
of a young girl, long curly blond hair, and sparkling
blue eyes.
"No, I've never seen her before."
"Are you sure?" Karrde asked. "Luke would have known
her before he met you, before he left Tatooine."
"No, I've never seen her before. The only girl I ever
heard him talk about was Camie and she looked nothing
like this. He said she had dark hair and eyes. Why?
What does this have to do with anything?"
"This was found in Luke's robes. There is also one
with Luke in it. Here look," he switched to a picture
of the girl, and Luke. Leia could also recognize
Biggs in the back ground with a few other guys. "Luke
looks to be about 16," Karrde continued. "We thought
maybe it would lead somewhere. At least give us a
clue as to whom he was meeting. Maybe he was meeting
her."
"Do you know any of his friends down on the planet?"
Mara asked.
"No, he never really said he wanted to come back here
when we talked about it."
Wedge looked around with everyone else, looking for an
idea to materialize in front of them. Suddenly a
thought occurred to him. "Wait, Gavin's here."
He got questioning looks from everyone.
"Gavin Darklighter. He is Biggs Darklighter's cousin.
He knew Luke back then too. Not as well as Biggs,
but he might know who this is."
"Thanks Wedge, can you find him and bring him here?"
There was a beep of the com as Wedge stood.
"Hold on," Karrde said, stopping Wedge from leaving
the room. "They found him."
"How is he?" Leia asked. The worry she was feeling
evident in her voice.
"Wait..." he said, listening once again to the com.
He turned sad eyes on the group. "He is in bad
shape."
"What's new?" Mara asked sarcastically.
"They are on their way back. My men will take him
directly to the medical bay. You can meet him there."
"OK," Leia said, doing the only thing she could do in
this situation, take charge. "Wedge, can you go get
Gavin and meet me there?"
"Sure thing."
"I am going too," Mara said, standing and leading the
way out of the room.
----
Gavin walked into the medical bay with Wedge. He had
no idea why he was here. He had been sitting in the
ready room they had been given with the other members
of Rouge Squadron, watching the sabaac game, when
Wedge came running in. He didn't say much. He just
grabbed Gavin by the arm and pulled him out of his
chair.
"I need you to come with me," was all he said as he
pulled him out the door. He never spoke during the
short walk to the medical wing. Gavin knew better
than to question a superior officer, no matter how bad
he wanted to know, so he kept his questions to
himself. There were a hundred different reasons why
Wedge could be so upset, and a hundred more why he had
brought Gavin with him.
*I could be in trouble,* Gavin thought. However, he
couldn't think of anything he had done. *Wedge
probably just needed someone, and I was sitting
closest to the door. So much for getting some rest
tonight.*
They entered the medical bay and approached Han who
was standing in the hallway.
"How is he?" Wedge asked as soon as he was near.
"Bad," Han said, covering his eyes with his hand. "He
took a shot in the side, but they got to him in time.
He should be OK."
"Did they say where they found him?" Wedge asked.
"In an alley just inside Anchorhead."
"Anchorhead?" Gavin asked, shocked out of his silence.
"We are over Tatooine?"
"Yes, we followed him here," Han informed him
distractedly.
"Where are they?" Wedge asked.
"No visitors yet. They just brought him in."
"I know, but Leia told me to get Gavin and meet her
down here remember."
*OK, there went me being a random selection,* Gavin
thought. He couldn't help but wonder who they were
talking about. He didn't know they were looking for
anyone. Then again, he didn't know they were going to
Tatooine, either. He was under the impression that
the Solo's were on vacation.
"All right, I'll let her know you're here." Han
walked into a room, coming out barely a minute later.
"Come on in."
Gavin followed the two men into the room. The sight
before him sent his head spinning. He was standing in
an observation room, which over looked another room.
Leia, Mara, Corran, and Karrde were watching the
progress of the four doctors in the next room.
However, that was secondary, it was the figure that
laid on the bed that threw him for a loop. Luke
Skywalker was lying there, as pale as the sheets he
was laying on. He had a severely charred area in his
side and was covered in bright red blood. The doctors
were working on him, trying to get the bleeding to
stop.
"Oh man, what happened?" he whispered.
"We were hoping you could help us figure that out,"
Leia informed him.
"Me? How can I help?" He could not keep his eyes off
the scene in the next room. Luke hadn't moved since
Gavin had entered the room. The bed he was laying on
now looked as if it had been dipped in red paint. He
started feeling lightheaded and the room slowly
started to spin. Suddenly he felt a hand on his
shoulder.
"Gavin, you all right?" Corran asked, squeezing his
shoulder, steadying him.
"Huh?" He muttered tearing his eyes away from the
table.
"Maybe we should have talked to him outside," Leia
belatedly suggested.
"Snap out of it, flyboy," Mara barked at him. "I am
sure that's not the first time you've seen someone get
shot,"
"No, he's seen plenty of that first hand, isn't that
right Gavin," Corran asked, turning him away from the
window. "Still got the scar to prove it right? He'll
be OK. He just wasn't expecting to see this."
"Yeah," Wedge said, looking like a small child being
scolded for something he knows he did wrong. "I
didn't tell him what we were doing down here. Never
thought about it, all I wanted to do was get down
here."
"I'm OK," Gavin said, ashamed that his commander was
making excuses to cover his reaction. Pulling himself
together, he decided the best thing to do was to get
down to business. "You don't know what happened to
him?"
"No," Karrde said, a look of understanding crossing
his face. "He was late meeting up with us, and we
found his shuttle down on the planet. Some of my men
found him like this and brought him here."
"Then how am I supposed to help?" Gavin asked, truly
confused. "I hardly ever talk to him."
"Show him the picture," Leia demanded, and he accepted
the data pad Mara thrust at him.
"This was found with Luke's things when they found his
shuttle," Mara continued when he turned the data pad
on. "Do you know who this is?"
Gavin studied the picture for a moment. His eyes grew
wide in recognition, then his forehead knitted
together with dread. He shifted his feet
uncomfortably and handed the picture back.
"Do you know her?" Mara asked him again, eyeing him
expectantly.
"No, sorry, I don't know her," he lied, doing his best
to ignore the glare he got from Mara.
"Are you sure?" Leia asked.
"Look," Gavin said, almost succeeding in keeping the
defensiveness out of his voice. "Luke was Biggs'
friend, not mine. I hardly hung around him."
"Gavin," Corran said. "Why are you lying about this?"
*I should have remembered, there are just too many
Jedi in this room,* Gavin growled to himself.
"We need to know," Leia pleaded to him. "This is the
only clue we have to finding who did this to him."
"I was just a kid when he was there. I was barley
eleven when he left Tatooine. I was only eight or
nine when this picture was taken."
"Gavin, you are his friend," Leia told him. I have
heard him talk about you. About how close you and
Biggs were. If that's the truth, then you should at
least know who Luke's friends were. Who was this
girl? Can you at least tell us what her name is? Why
did he have this picture in his pocket, was she who he
was meeting?"
Gavin interrupted her with a sorrowful laugh. "Trust
me, he wasn't meeting her."
"You do know her," Mara demanded, glaring at him once
again.
"Yeah, and I can tell you that Luke was definitely not
going to meet her. She died about two years after
this picture was taken."
"Oh," Leia whispered. "Well, this is another dead end
then."
"Wait," Mara said, still eyeing Gavin suspiciously.
"What are you not telling us, Darklighter?"
"Why am I being interrogated about this?" Gavin
exclaimed, tired of the whole line of questions and no
longer caring if he sounded defensive or not.
"Because my brother is in there," Leia countered with
just has much heat. "He's in there with a very nasty
blaster shot, that could have killed him. We don't
know who he was meeting or who did this to him. And
you are the only one that has even a shred of
information about any of this. And you won't even
give us a name!"
"Arielle."
"What?" Leia asked, taken aback by his sudden answer.
"You have a name. Her name was Arielle."
"Arielle? He never mentioned an Arielle." Leia
looked at her husband, but he had never heard of her
either.
"I know," was all Gavin gave as an answer.
"What else do you know?" Leia demanded.
"Look Leia, I knew her," Gavin admitted reluctantly,
not positive he was hiding the pain he was feeling.
"And when I first got here, I asked Luke about her.
He told me that he didn't want to be reminded. I
honored his wishes and never talked about it again, to
anyone. I didn't then and I won't now."
"I'm sure he's grateful for you keeping your word, but
if it helps..."
"I don't think what I know will bring you any closer
to finding out who did this than you are now."
"Please, let us make that decision," Leia pleaded.
Gavin looked over at Wedge and Corran, hoping to have
them step in and help him get off the hook. *Didn't
any of them realize how wrong it was for him to give
out this information? No, of course they didn't,
because no one has a clue what you're talking about.
Because for reasons of his own, Luke Skywalker decided
not to share this piece of his past with them, and if
he had wanted them to know, he would have told them.*
"Gavin, even if it doesn't help us, I'm sure Luke will
know that you were only trying to help. He will
understand."
"But who am I to divulge that information when he
hasn't?"
"He'll understand, Darklighter," Mara said, speaking
softly for the first time that day, getting a
surprised glance from Karrde for her trouble.
"Look, I'm sure you guys all think you are doing
what's best. But you knowing who this girl is, will
doing nothing but relieve your curiosity. The best I
can do is to tell you to check with Tatooine
authorities and make sure that a girl named Nyela
Coramar is still locked up. If this is the only clue
you have to go by, and she's free, you might want to
start looking for her."
"Great, back to dealing with Tatooine files again,"
Mara said in a huff, all her previous gentleness gone
as if it had never been there.
"That's all?" Han asked.
"That's all I'm willing to tell you. I'm a man of my
word, and I swore to him that I would never talk about
this. I'm sorry for the big secret, but it just would
not be right for me to tell you. When to explain this
to you should be Luke's choice, not mine. You check
on Nyela, and when he wakes up, you can see if he'll
give you more information. I believe that I have only
made things worse with what I've already told you.
I'm begging you, that if he does not want to talk
about this, that you'll not push the subject. It's a
wound that took a long time to close, and he'll not
open it easily. If you'll excuse me." With that
Gavin walked out of the room, leaving a stunned crowd
behind him.
To be continued? Of course.
Ok that's it everyone. Tell me what you think.
**Biting fingernails, waiting for a response**
=====
Skywalker's Dream
Ok, after many rereads this is ready to post.
Thank you Sherry and Jenn for your help. Without you I would never
had been able to pull this together.
Here you go
Chapter 2
It was a day later before Luke first regained consciousness.
Groggily he opened his eyes. He found himself alone in a room with
unfamiliar walls, but the sounds in the room were all too familiar.
He was once again in a Medcenter. I wonder what happened to me this
time. Closing his eyes again, he shifted into a more or less
comfortable position and attempted to go back to sleep. I must be
extremely tired; to be able to fall asleep with my lightsaber on and
cutting into my side, he thought sleepily just before he dozed off
again.
Mara sat beside Luke's bed as he slept. She had felt him wake up
earlier that day, but before any of them could reach his room, he had
gone back to sleep. She was reluctant to wake him again, but they
needed answers. He was tossing and turning as if in the grips of a
terrible dream. She touched his arm and stretched out with a small
tendril of the Force to him.
~Why are you still here? You should have died a long time ago. I
should have just killed you when I had the chance. Well, there is no
time like the present. ~
The fear and pain she received forced her to pull back from him
quickly. When her brain caught up with what happened, she realized
that she had witnessed part of his dream. The words were so much
like the words she had said to him many times in the past, but this
voice was not hers.
She hesitated before reaching out her hand again, but when she
touched him this time nothing happened. "Come on, Luke, time to wake
up." She gently rocked his shoulder, quietly calling his name. He
snapped awake with a jerk. Throwing his eyes around in a panic, his
gaze falling on Mara. He relaxed with a sigh.
"It was just a dream," she told him.
"A dream," Luke repeated, his voice a raspy whisper.
"It's over now, Luke."
"Where am I?"
"You're in the Medcenter on one of Karrde's ships. You were found
unconscious in an ally. You took a shot in the side, and were
brought here as soon as they found you."
"In my side?" He asked, confusion over taking any expression the
news of being shot would have planted on his face. "Well that would
explain why I thought I was sleeping with my lightsaber stuck in my
side."
Mara smiled at his attempt at a joke.
"Leia will be in here in a few minutes," she told him. "She is
going
to want to know what happened."
"I could use a few answers to that question myself."
"You don't remember?" Mara asked, suddenly becoming worried.
"Huh? Oh no, I remember. Hum... I wish I could forget. I just
can't figure out how it happened."
"That question has crossed my mind as well."
"I was standing not 100 yards away when she ran; I can't believe I
didn't notice."
"Whoa," Mara said placing her hand back on his arm. "Back up a
bit.
What are you talking about?"
"What are you talking about?" He repeated, looking at her strangely.
"I was asking how anyone could get past your defenses to shoot you.
What are you talking about?"
He sat back in his bed. "I would've thought you'd have all the
details by now."
"It's not from lack of trying let me tell you," she said, rolling
her
eyes.
"You tracked me this far."
"Hah! That was easy. You filed a flight plan when you left Yavin.
It's a good thing, for you that you did. If we had found you any
later, there might not have been a reason to go looking. You were in
bad enough shape when you were found you as it was. Once we got here
though, it was practically a dead end. We show up and find your
robes lying outside your shuttle, with nothing but a holo in the
pockets."
"Outside the shuttle?" Luke asked, confused.
"Yes, in a pile in front of the shuttle. However, no one knew what
that meant. Leia even went as far as to ask Gavin."
Luke's eyes snapped up. "Why ask Gavin?"
"Because Wedge said he knew you. He thought Gavin might be able to
tell us who the girl in the holo was. That stubborn son of a sith!
I think he deserved more then having his flight status revoked for a
month"
"Why, what did he do?"
"What did he do?" Mara repeated, her voice rising in
frustration. "He became all noble, and refused to answer our
questions. He stood there and tried to lie to me. When he was
confronted, he completely closed up and wouldn't tell us a thing."
"What were you trying to get him to tell you," Luke accused,
sounding
like he already knew the answer.
"Wait, I was the one asking the questions."
"So you were," he reluctantly conceded.
"Are you going to tell me what happened those two days you were
missing?"
"I was never missing."
"Whatever."
"I would like to know that too," Leia pronounced, from her position
at the door.
Luke sighed. "Hello, Leia."
"Glad to see you awake."
"No big deal. I just thought it was time to add a new addition to my
collection of scars."
"That's not funny, Luke Skywalker, and you know it. So are you going
to answer Mara's question?"
"Fine. I arrived on the planet, and left the shuttle. I never
returned to it. While I was there, I became caught up in the chase
for a fugitive who escaped on the way back from a trial. When I
caught up with Nyela, I cornered her, but she had a little girl with
her. Said she would shoot the little girl if I moved. When she
finally let the child go, I turned to watch and make sure she made it
out of the alley. I just couldn't get my saber around in time to
block the shot."
"You didn't try to move out of the way?" Mara inquired.
"I did. That's why I took the shot in my side, and not my back.
That's the last thing I remember. She must have taken my robes back
to the shuttle, though I have no idea why."
"Maybe she figured she would leave a few clues so that someone would
find you."
"Who knows."
"We'll have to ask her when she's captured again. Karrde's men are
helping to apprehend her."
"Already?"
"Her name was part of what little we could get out of Darklighter,"
Mara growled, the bitterness she felt over the whole situation still
evident in her voice.
"About that, Leia..."
"It's out of my hands, Luke," She told him as he tried to cover a
yawn with his hand. "Come on Mara, Luke needs his sleep."
"This is not over Skywalker, but we will continue it a bit later.
Rest well." With that, the two women left.
---
A half-hour later, as Luke shifted restlessly in his bed, he noticed
Wedge peek his head into the room.
"You're awake," Wedge stated, sounding slightly surprised.
"That I am."
"I was told that you were supposed to be sleeping. How are you
feeling?"
"Like I've been shot," Luke said with a straight face, causing
Wedge
to laugh.
"What are you doing here?"
"Corran and I were helping search for your shuttle," Wedge told him.
"Oh," Luke said, clearing waiting for more of an answer.
"Oh, you mean what am I doing here? We were assigned to watch out
for your sister while she was on vacation."
"Oh. How fun."
"Not as boring as I would have thought. Can't you go anywhere
without getting into trouble?"
"Sure I can, but this keeps life interesting. Honestly, it's been
almost eight months since I have seen any sort of action."
"Well, that doesn't count. From what I hear, you haven't left Yavin
in all that time."
"No, that's actually not true. I just don't announce it to
everyone. I get off the planet about once or twice a month."
"Do you now? Where do you go?"
"Anywhere I want."
"And this time you just decided to take a trip to that dust bowl
planet you grew up on?"
"Yes, something like that."
"So, if you would have known about this," he said pointing to
Luke's
side.
"Would you have stayed home?"
"No. This trip was something I had to do, but if I had known about
this, I would have been better prepared."
"Well, I'm not sure if anyone told you, but we have captured
Nyela 'whatever her name is.'"
"Coramar," Luke supplied.
"Coramar, right. She is back in custody and wants to see you."
"Yes, I bet she does."
"Any idea what she wanted?"
"To kill me, it would seem."
"You tend to get that a lot, don't you?"
"That's the story of my life. Mara mentioned to me that Gavin is
stuck onboard. What is going on with that?"
"He made a bad choice. I was forced to temporarily revoke his flight
status, pending a further decision from his commanding officer. Me.
He... ugh...withheld information in an investigation."
"Mara said he would not reveal information on the search for me."
"Yeah. He clamed up and wouldn't tell us anything. It wouldn't have
been so bad, but it could have cost you your life."
"Wedge, I understand why he didn't say anything. He was doing that
because he understood the situation."
"There are a few others out there that would like to understand the
situation. Myself included."
"I know, but it's over now. I'm here, and there's no reason to
punish Gavin."
"I wish it was that easy Luke. He was disrespectful, not only to a
commanding officer, but the Chief of State. With others present in
the room."
"Mara, Karrde, and Corran?"
"Right. I have to put something down."
"There are ways around it Wedge, and you know it."
"Yes, I know."
"So you'll do it?"
"Of course," Wedge relented. "You trying to take over my job
again,
boss?"
"No," Luke answered, confused. "Why do you ask?"
"Now you are looking out for my guys. You know I like to cut my guys
slack when I can. They work very hard, and deserve a break every now
and then."
"No, not taking over," Luke laughed. "I'm just trying to help
out a
friend. You know, this 'hero of the rebellion' thing comes in handy
every once in a while."
"I seem to recall using that to call in a favor or two myself."
"I would like to talk to him though," Luke said, suddenly becoming
serious again.
"Sure, I can send him over."
"Thanks, Wedge," Luke said. Making it sound like a dismissal.
"Take it easy."
Wedge left, and Luke found himself once again alone in his room.
Squeezing his eyes tightly shut, he sighed. This could be bad.
Gavin walked down the hall towards the room number Wedge had given
him. He had a good idea what Skywalker wanted, he was just unsure if
he wanted to hear his reaction to the situation. He made is way
inside the door to find Luke Skywalker sitting propped up on the bed.
"Gavin, come on in." Luke said, shifting into a more comfortable
position.
"You wanted to see me, sir?"
"Come on Gavin, we have known each other all your life, don't start
this 'sir' stuff."
"Sorry, Luke," Gavin said, relaxing his stance.
"That's better. Have a seat."
"Thank you."
"I wanted to talk to you. I heard about what you did."
Gavin sat a bit straighter in his chair. "I suspected that you
would. I was only trying to help. I didn't really tell them
anything."
"No?"
"No, of course not. I told you that I wouldn't."
Luke smiled. "That took courage to deny information to such
influential people. Not many individuals would have the guts to do
what you did," Luke laughed. "I've seen entire groups of people give
in to them. I thank you for being courageous and honorable enough to
do so, my friend."
"I gave my word. That's very important to me."
"To me too. You upset a lot of people that day."
"I imagine I did. That wasn't my intention, I assure you. I did
what I felt was right."
"Oh I agree," Luke told him. "Sometimes people forget that we
keep
things to ourselves for our own reasons. Perhaps you gave my
overprotective friends and family a gentle reminder of such. I've
noticed them becoming a little complacent lately. They've become so
used to being handed everything the want, that having to fight to get
it was probably a good thing. It's about time someone stood up to
them."
"Sometimes you have to dive right in and stand up for what you
believe. Then deal with the consequences."
"That sounds like something Biggs would have said."
"Yeah, I learned a lot from him," Gavin said, eyes downcast.
"Yes, well I talked to Wedge. He told me how he felt about your lack
of suitable answers."
"I still wouldn't change what I did," Gavin stated, pride showing
in
his face.
"Even if it meant being grounded for a month? It's a high price for
a pilot to pay for his word."
"Even if it means that I couldn't fly for 6 months. I was raised to
believe that nothing should stand in the way of doing what's right."
"I knew you would say that," Luke said with another grin.
"Don't
worry. Nothing's going to happen to you. I pulled a few strings.
Your record should only read that you were given a warning for
disrespect, or something like that. I doubt it will be anything too
severe. I have a few of those on my record. I was just wondering,
your word and everything aside. Why didn't you tell them? I mean,
it's not like I told you to never talk about it."
"Not in those words, no. What you said was that you didn't want to
be reminded. I didn't say anything because I remember the day it
happened like it was yesterday. I'm not sure I'll ever forget it.
Biggs' mad dash to the hospital, to find you sitting there, clothes
covered in blood. There was so much emotion rolling around that
room, I felt like I could reach out and touch it. Moreover, the
anguish in your eyes...even at that age I could see how it hurt you.
Then there was the fact that no one here knew what happened. It was
just too personal for me to tell them."
"You know, I never thought about what seeing that would do to a ten
year old. I know I've told you this before, but I'm sorry you had to
see that."
"And I have told you before, there was nothing you could have done to
stop it. Biggs was in such a hurry to go, after he found out about
your call; he didn't even take the time to tell me to get out of the
speeder."
"He was a good friend. You remind me a lot of him."
"Thank you," Gavin said with a smile.
"You know that all this might be for nothing, don't you?"
"Why's that?"
"I now have Leia and Mara on the scent of a mystery," Luke
sighed. "Those two won't rest until they know what happened. If
they get too bad then I guess I'll end up telling them."
"That, of course, has always been your choice."
"Yes, but it's easier to have that choice when they had no idea."
"It would make getting away for the Remembrances a lot easier if they
knew."
"Don't need to tell me that," Luke agreed with a nod. "I have
another year before that comes around again. I just hope the next
one doesn't end up with me being shot. I would hate to have a repeat
of this year."
"Well, do what you think is best. I'll never say anything if that's
what you decide."
"Thanks."
---
Mara was back on Coruscant, Karrde having dropped the whole party off
three days previously. Mara had stayed on the planet to arrange to
sell the Wishing Star. Though it was nice to have a ship of that
size, Karrde decided that it was too expensive to maintain, and asked
Mara to try to sell it to the New Republic.
That fact didn't explain what she was doing in the halls of the
Palace in the middle of the night, though. Mara had taken it upon
herself to monitor Luke, as soon as she had found out he had returned
to his apartment. She had been checking up on him regularly and he
seemed fine, until now. She had woken up to a feeling that there was
something wrong with him.
Arriving at his apartment, she let herself in. She rushed into
Luke's room to find him still asleep in his bed. His blankets were
twisted around his sweat soaked body, getting more tangled with every
movement. She sat on the edge of the bed and ran her fingers across
his forehead. Well, no fever, that's good, she thought.
"Who's there?" came the sleepy voice next to her.
Glancing down she noticed he had yet to open his eyes.
"It's just me, Luke."
He cocked his head to the side, "Arielle?"
Mara sat back shocked. There was that name again, she thought. That
was the girls name in the holo.
"No, Luke, it's Mara."
"Why are you here? You can't be here... Arielle, you can't be here."
"Luke, did you hear me? It's Mara." He moaned softly and turned his
head towards her. "You are not here." Mara sat back, belatedly
realizing that he was still asleep.
"You cannot be here because you're dead. I watched you die. I
watched you die and did nothing to stop it. I stood there and
watched both of you die."
Both? Now who was he talking about? He watched her die? Who was
this girl? Mara wanted, more then anything, to know what was going
on in this guy's head. He had said both...Mara suddenly realized
what she was doing, and had the feeling that Luke would not be too
happy to find out she had sat here listening to his dream. She got
up and walked to the door.
"Who's there?" She heard the drowsy voice again. Smiling slightly
she turned to get one more look at his face, to find a pair of sleep
dazed eyes staring back at her.
"Mara, is that you?"
"Luke, you're awake," she said, surprised.
"What are you doing here?"
"You were dreaming, and upset. I felt it all the way over at my
place. I came to make sure you were alright."
"Oh. Thank you," he said, propping himself up on one elbow.
"You are alright, aren't you?"
"I'm fine, Mara, just a bad dream. Even I get them once in a while."
"OK. Well I guess I should be going."
"I'm awake now anyway, would you like something to drink?"
Mara smiled. Always the gentleman, she thought. "No I'm fine,
thanks. What I would like is to know how you are really doing, not
what you want everyone to think."
"I'm fine."
"Luke, I worry about you."
"Why?"
"What do you mean why? I worry, because you're my friend. I don't
like to see you hurt."
"Thank you," Luke smiled. "I just wanted to hear you say it."
"As your friend, you know you can talk to me about anything," Mara
continued, not completely hiding the smile his comment produced.
"Yes, I know. Right now there is nothing to talk about."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm positive."
"Well, I don't want to keep you awake. You need your rest."
The Next Day.
Luke was standing on the balcony off his apartment, lost in thought.
His arms rested lightly on the rail, as he was looking out at the
view in front of him, but it was going unseen by the distressed
Jedi. The breeze picked up, tossing his sandy blond hair around in a
playful dance. First, the slightly long strands covered his eyes,
and then blew off again. It was moments like these that proved to
people that he was not as well as he would have everyone believe.
Something about this rattled him, Mara thought from her unnoticed
position at the door. He's just too stubborn to talk to anyone. I
should just let him suffer, why should I go out of my way to help
him, when he has made it clear that he does not want my help... She
looked up quickly, a thought running in right behind the last.
Because he would do the same for me. He picked that moment to move;
slowly turning pain filled eyes toward her. That did it. She took
the last few steps and crossed to him, annoying or not, he was still
her friend.
"Luke, look at you. You look terrible. Please, you need to talk
about this with someone. This is eating you up. If not to me, then
talk to Leia, or Han."
He closed his eyes, apparently trying to block out her words. "It
hurts," he whispered. "I have been trying to bury it again. It
hurts to talk about it. If I talk about it then I have to
remember..." He turned around in frustration. "Just forget about
it, Mara," he growled, the pain in his voice quickly turning to
anger. "It's not important. It was a whole other lifetime."
"No, Luke, someone shot you. You could have been killed. That's
what bothers me. What happened, did you let yourself get shot?
Luke, this is important."
"It's over, and I'm fine."
"No, you're not!" Mara yelled, taking another step closer to
him. "You're still in pain. You've been hurt one too many times and
I am sick of it! Now talk to me or I walk out that door!"
"You'll never get him to talk that way," a male voice behind them
stated. They both spun around to face the door, to find Leia and Han
standing there.
Luke threw his hands up in frustration. "What, did I leave my door
open today?"
"No, kid, but you did give Leia the access code. You know, Mara,
threatening him is not a good way to get him to talk."
"He has just recovered from being shot, so I didn't want to inflict
my other persuasive methods on him. I didn't think you guys would
want to spend any more time with him in the hospital."
"Like I would have let you," Luke sent back hotly.
"Like you could have stopped me," Mara said, resuming her previous
position mere inches from his face.
"ALRIGHT!" Han yelled, wedging himself between the two before they
decided to prove who was right. "This is not solving anything. This
is not the time to have one of your fights. Luke, your getting her
upset will not chase her away this time. I won't let it happen."
Luke backed up and looked out over the balcony. For a split second,
Mara thought he was considering it as a means of escaping them. Leia
put her arm around her brother and lead him to a chair.
"Face it, Luke," she said. "The only way you're going to get
rid of
us is to tell us what you know." Luke sat there, looking at his
hands.
"OK, look, Luke," Mara said, taking a seat across from him. Her
anger was dying as fast as it had appeared. "You should know
something. I didn't want to tell you, but I guess I should...before
you woke up last night, I heard you talking in your sleep."
Dread filled his face. "What was I saying?"
"You were calling out Arielle's name. You told her that she couldn't
be here, that you watched both of them die."
"I said a lot," Luke said, not meeting her eyes.
"Not really."
"Wait," Han interrupted, with a sly smile. "Mara, what were
you
doing here in the middle of the night?"
"Not what you are thinking. I felt him, he was upset, but he
wouldn't answer my calls, on the comm or through the Force. So I
went to check on him, and found him asleep." Luke remained
silent. "Luke, who is Arielle?"
"You're not going to let this go are you?" Luke asked, directing
the
question to everyone at once.
"No," Mara answered.
"Why not? Nyela has been caught, she's no longer a threat."
"For the same reason I told you a few minutes ago," Mara told
him. "You're pretending everything is OK, and doing a good job of
it. You always do. However, when I catch you when you think you're
alone, I can see how bad this is affecting you. She may have been
caught, but what happened before is still bothering you."
Luke sighed, seeming to give in. "I haven't told anyone about this
since I left Tatooine. Her name was Arielle Skywalker."
"Skywalker? Another relative?" Han asked.
"You could say that..." He hesitated before answering, looking at
all three of them in turn. "She was my wife."
"Your what!?" Leia screeched, almost rising from her seat.
Did I hear that right? Mara thought.
"Yes, you heard it right," Luke answered her unspoken question.
"But you couldn't have been more than seventeen in that holo," Mara
protested.
"We were married when we were sixteen. She was killed two years
later."
"Sixteen? Isn't that a bit young?" Leia asked.
"In most places, maybe, but on Tatooine no, not really."
"So," Mara asked tentatively, "when you said you watched both
of
them die, the other was..."
"My daughter, MaCayla. She was 6 months old."
"Luke, why in the worlds would you not tell anyone about this?" Han
asked, looking like Luke had just told them that he had sold his body
to science.
"Because, when I first met you two," Luke said, indicating Han and
Leia, "there was too much going on. Too much had just happened to
me. Not only to me, but you, Leia. You were too upset for me to
bother you with too much, and Han, you just seemed like you wouldn't
care. After a while, it just seemed better for me not to talk about
it. I was even able to almost forget about it."
"But your records when you joined the rebellion...," Leia started
to
point out.
"When they asked me if I'd ever been married, I told them yes, but I
had no proof. It's not like I was able to bring anything with me
when I joined. The guy explained that it was really only so that
they listed the next of kin. Since she was dead, it didn't matter,
so he put no."
"I've asked you plenty of times since then about your growing up,"
Han told him.
"All you ever talked about was your uncle's farm..."
"We lived on my uncle's farm. My uncle offered to let us live there
when we told him we were getting married. My aunt and uncle were
very supportive, even happy with our getting married." He hesitated
a moment. "Leia, do you still have that holo?"
Leia reached into her pocket, pulled out her data pad, and handed it
to him.
"This holo," Luke told them, "Was taken the day after our
wedding.
Her family sent this to me when they asked me to come visit."
"How were they killed?" Mara asked.
"It's..." he stopped, gathering his thoughts. "They were shot
by her
best friend."
"Nyela Coramar?" Mara asked, a few more pieces of the puzzle
falling
into place.
"Yes."
"Was it an accident?" Leia asked.
"No, it wasn't, but that's what she said to the courts. I was
there. She meant to do it."
"Oh, Luke, that is terrible!" Leia cried out.
Luke only looked at her. She rose from her seat and walked over to
him.
"Leia, don't," he told her, standing up and walking back to the
edge
of the balcony. "There's something else I would like to show you,
but there are a few calls I want to make first."
---
Luke opened the door a short time later to greet Corran and his
wife. He then showed them into his already occupied living area.
The room was full of all of Luke's friends. Han and Leia sat on one
of the over stuffed couches set in the room. Mara sat next to them.
Karrde had perched himself on a stool sitting against the dividing
counter separating the living area from the rest of the house. Wedge
and Gavin had taken both the chairs in the room, leaving Corran and
Mirax the other couch.
Luke followed his company into the room.
"I'm sure you are all wondering what this is all about. I wanted to
go through this only one more time. It's time to clear the air..."
He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "As you all know by
now, Gavin already knows this story. He withheld the information
because that was what I wanted. The girl in the holo, her name was
Arielle Skywalker..." He held his hand out to stop any
comments. "My wife. I also had a daughter, MaCayla, who is not in
the holo you all saw. Before you say it, I didn't tell you because I
didn't want to. Nothing against anyone, the situation was just too
painful for me to talk about."
He opened the cabinet standing against one wall. Reaching inside he
pulled out a holovid.
"This is a holovid that Arielle's family modified and sent to me a
few years ago." He put the holovid on as the murmurs quieted
down. "It was supposed to go to MaCayla, when she was older. But
she died along with Arielle." Luke looked around for a place to sit
as the holovid started. Not finding an empty seat, he opted to sit
on the back of the couch behind Leia and Mara. Leia patted his knee
as he sat down, then turned to the screen.
---
It holo started out as just clips of Luke and a few teenagers
laughing and joking with each other. Biggs was saying something that
made Luke laugh. There were two girls in the picture. One was the
same girl they had all seen in the holo, and the other was a bit
shorter with short black hair. The two girls were laughing, and the
blonde, Arielle, put her arm around Luke. Biggs patted Luke on the
back, as the dark headed girl looked at them, no longer smiling.
---
Then it cut to a view of a sign reading:
'Congratulations Luke and Arielle Skywalker!' and showed Luke and
Arielle dancing in the middle of a huge room, with people on the
sides watching and smiling.
Luke's aunt and uncle stood talking to another couple, and smiling at
the two kids.
---
The recording cut to Arielle walking in front of the recorder,
giggling as she made her way down a dark hallway. She opened a door
to find Luke lying sideways on a bed, fast asleep.
"Look at that sleepy head," Arielle said, turning to smile into the
recorder. "What does he think, just because uncle Owen gave him the
day off he can sleep in the middle of the day? I'll take care of
this." Arielle jumped on him, causing him to grunt as he woke up.
"Happy Birthday. Come on sleepy head, dinner's ready. There's even
a cake for the birthday boy."
Luke looked at the recorder. "A cake? Aunt Beru?"
The picture shook as the person holding the recorder spoke. "Don't
look at me. Your uncle would have my hide if I spent money on
something like that."
"My mother sent it over," Arielle said happily.
"Oh yeah," Luke said, his eyes lighting up. "Let's eat."
---
The scene changed once again, showing that it was now light in the
house. Beru and Arielle were both tiding up the kitchen when Arielle
suddenly bolted from the room.
She returned a few minutes later and sat wearily at the table.
"Are you alright?" Beru asked.
"I'm fine. I'm just not getting enough sleep, I think."
"You still look a little pale," Beru noted, taking a closer look at
her face.
"No, really, I'm fine. Just give me a minute and I'll be as good as
new."
"How long has this been going on?" Beru continued to question,
wiping
off the table.
"Oh, a few days..." she once again bolted from the room.
When she returned this time, she gladly accepted the glass her 'aunt'
offered her.
"Child! Does Luke know?"
"Does he know what?" Arielle asked, sipping at her drink, then
shoving it away in disgust.
"Even you don't know," the older woman said in wonder.
"Know what?" she asked again.
"Let's go child. We should get you to the doctor."
"Why?" Arielle asked, panic flooding her voice. Beru didn't answer
her, just gently escorted her towards the door.
"I'm fine," Arielle continued. "I just have a touch of something."
"Yes, I bet! Don't worry. I'll call your mother and have her meet
us there." As they were about to exit the room, Owen entered.
"What are you doing here?" Beru asked him.
"I needed some replacement parts. Is everything alright?"
"Fine. Everything's fine. Where's Luke?"
"I left him in the fields working. If everything is fine, where are
you going? Owen questioned, indicating the poncho in her hand.
"Oh, that. It's nothing bad. I just thought it would be a good idea
to get Arielle checked out. She has not been feeling well. You
might want to bring Luke back in early, though. I suspect his wife
will have some good news when we get back."
"OK. Are you going to leave that thing running?" Owen asked,
indicating the recorder.
"Goodness, I didn't even realize that it was running. I must have
accidentally turned it on when I put it up there on the shelf." She
walked over, and the scene ended, opening again with Arielle laughing
and turning her back to the recorder.
"Come on Arielle, we have to get this recorded. You have to have it
to give to the baby." Beru's voice came from behind the recorder
once again. Arielle's face lit up with a smile.
"Sure!" Arielle said, suddenly becoming excited. "I still have
the
one my mom made of me. She has recordings of her and me up until I
was 5 years old."
"Go on Luke, you too." Luke got up off the chair he had been
sitting
in. He put on a clearly forced smile, looking at his aunt. Walking
over to his wife, he stood behind her. Wrapping his arms around her
expanding belly, she threw her head back and laughed, and this time
his smile was genuine.
---
Luke is sitting in a chair holding is newborn baby daughter.
"Look at that proud daddy!" Arielle said.
"She beautiful Luke, Arielle," Beru gushed. "With a beautiful
name
too."
Owen walked over to Luke and let the baby curl her hand around his
finger.
"Just think, little MaCayla. One day your dad will leave all this to
you."
Luke smiled. "Someday." Owen beamed at that comment.
---
The scene changed to show the family sitting at a table a few months
later. MaCayla was sitting in a high chair, surrounded by blankets
to keep her upright. She turned to the recorder, and raised her
clear blue eyes, like her father's, to look at it.
Not seeming to find anything interesting, she continued to look
around the room until she suddenly found something terribly
fascinating about banging her tiny hands on the table, the way only a
baby can. She then lowered her head just a bit too fast and the
table caught her nose. She started to whimper until Arielle looked
over at her, smiled, and kissed her daughters cheek. Tears
forgotten, MaCayla anchored her hands in her mothers hair. Arielle
just smiled as she disengaged the pudgy little fingers from her blond
curls.
Luke looked on and smiled. Then he turned back to his uncle who was
discussing the things that needed to be done the next day. Not
paying attention, Luke set his hand down by his daughter. Taking
this as an invitation, MaCayla took his hand. She put one of his
fingers in her mouth, biting down with her toothless gums. She then
started smiling when Luke looked at her, laughing and pulling his
hand away.
Getting quiet all of a sudden, MaCayla's head drops slightly and her
eyes start to droop, like she's about to go to sleep. Luke caressed
her cheek and smiled again. She looked at him, and her face lit up
with a smile of her own.
---
The scene changed again, MaCayla looked to be a few months older,
about 6 months old. She crawled over, and stopped at Luke's feet.
She squealed as he picked her up, and steadied her up in his lap.
She instantly started bouncing up and down. She stopped and wrapped
her short little arms around his neck, cooing happily. Arielle
walked over and held her hands out to her daughter, who screamed
happily and hugged Luke again.
"She's daddy's girl," Luke said with a smile.
"Well," Arielle said, playfully placing her hands on her hips.
"Then
Daddy can take 'daddy's girl' and get her ready for bed."
"Does MaCayla want to go to bed?" Luke asked, making a face at the
child. She screamed again, bouncing up and down. "All right, let's
go." Luke stood up, placing MaCayla on his hip and disappeared down
a hallway.
---
It cuts to a clip of law enforcement gathered in front of a house and
medical personnel going in every direction.
"It's still unclear as to the circumstances of this tragedy," a
professional voice said. "We will report more facts as they become
known. To repeat, a shooting has occurred in Anchorhead. Our
sources tell us that officials have apprehended Nyela Coramar, a town
resident, as the main suspect. The three victims are being helped
from the scene of the crime. It is rumored that the three victims
were a child, and her parents. Their conditions are unknown."
The footage continued, showing medical personnel pushing a gurney out
of the house. Luke followed, clutching his daughter, both of them
covered in blood.
He was talking to one of the medical personnel. What they were
saying was not understandable. It was obvious he was trying to take
the baby away from Luke, but he would not let go. He kept looking
over at the gurney, which held Arielle, then putting his head down
and hugging his daughter, who lay limp in his arms.
The scene changed to a hospital waiting room. Luke was there, his
clothes were caked in blood, and a bandage was wrapped around his
left arm. He sat, head in his hands, with his aunt and uncle sitting
protectively next to him. Biggs sat at the other side, and other
people are seen as well.
Luke bolted to his feet as a doctor came in. The doctor sadly shook
his head, as he spoke.
Luke's eyes went wide and he fell to his knees crying. Biggs was
beside him in an instant, wrapping his arms around his friend. Luke
sat on the floor in shock. His aunt and uncle joined in the embrace.
"This young mans family, tragically ripped from his life by a single
shot fired by a trusted friend," the same professional voice
announced. "Our hearts go out to the members of this family."
---
The scene changed one last time, to a holo of Luke, Arielle, and
MaCayla.
The caption under it reading:
Dedicated to a loving Husband and Daddy.
In memory of
Arielle Skywalker -- 18 years old
MaCayla Skywalker - 6 months old
The holovid ended and the screen went blank. Not a sound was
uttered, and there wasn't a dry eye in the room.
"I've never seen all that before," Gavin admitted. "The news
footage
was on a lot for a while, but I never watched it."
Karrde stood up from his seat. "I can see now why he didn't want to
talk about it."
"Where did Luke go?" Wedge asked, noticing for the first time that
Luke was no longer in the room.
"He went out on the balcony," Leia said, glancing in that direction.
"How much did he stay for?" Corran asked, following her gaze.
"He left at the beginning." She started to get up, but Wedge
stopped
her.
"Please Leia, I need to talk to him."
Wedge walked out onto the balcony to find Luke looking out over the
city.
"Is it over?" He asked, not turning around.
"Yeah, it just ended. Are you OK?"
Luke turned around and smiled. "Sure," He said, not a trace of
sadness in his voice. Hopping up, he sat on the rail of the
balcony. "I'm fine."
"Are you really, because I am sure there are a few people in there
that can come out here and tell me that for sure."
"No Wedge, I'm not," he admitted, the smile falling from his
face. "I just couldn't sit there and watch that. I've had that
holovid for two years now, and never watched it."
"I'm sorry."
Luke sighed, looking out at the city again. "Don't be," he told his
friend.
"But if I had known, I wouldn't have let them push Gavin so hard."
"No," Luke assured, turning back around. "This is Leia we're
talking
about. That holo alone was enough to get her started. And," he
paused to think about it. "I think that is what Nyela wanted."
"Why is that?"
"Why else would she leave me alive and put my robes back by the
shuttle where she knew they would be found. I would never claim to
understand that woman completely. I'm sure I'll never understand why
she has now tried to kill me twice."
"Jealousy?"
"It could be. I guess I'll never know. I've tried talking to her on
a couple occasions. All she ever does is laugh. She hardly ever
talks to me." Luke became quiet, lost in his thoughts.
"There are a lot of people in that room back there that want to talk
to you," Wedge said quietly.
"Yes, I know. Lets get this over with." They walk back in the
room. "Listen," Luke said, drawing everyone's attention to him.
"I
don't want sympathy from anyone, especially you, Leia." Leia sat
back in her seat. Her eyes watching every move he made. Looking
around he noticed the same reaction on everyone's face. Not for the
first time he regretted not telling them sooner.
"I dealt with that a long time ago," he continued. "I think
one of
the hardest parts was hiding it, so that none of you would notice. I
guess..." he paused, bringing his emotion filled voice back under
control. "I guess I should have told you a long time ago. At
first, I could never seem to find the right time. Then, after a
while, it was just awkward to come up and say, 'Oh and by the way, I
was married once.' I guess when you come right down to it, I didn't
want you to know. After all that was over, I let my aunt and uncle
drown me in sympathy, and I never broke free from that. I wasn't
looking for that again."
"The recording didn't say how they died," Karrde said.
"The black haired female, that was Nyela Coramar. She was Arielle's
best friend. Arielle and I didn't notice it at the time." He looked
at Wedge and smiled. "But I think she was terribly jealous of me
whenever I was around both of them. Oh, she was nice enough. She
acted like Nyela always acted. She would always offer to watch
MaCayla whenever my aunt or Arielle's mother couldn't do it. It
happened one day when I went with Arielle to pick MaCayla up. When
we got there, Nyela would not give her to us. She got upset, saying
we should not have a child, so she was keeping her. We got into an
argument. I took MaCayla, giving her to Arielle, then told them to
leave. Nyela then shot me. The shot grazed my arm, and then hit
Arielle in the back. It went completely through her and hit
MaCayla. The baby died instantly, Arielle hung on for a while, but
there was nothing the doctors could do."
"Oh, Luke. I'm so sorry," Leia told him again. The tears in her
eyes trying to spill down her cheeks.
"Luke, at the risk of sounding like an insensitive jerk," Corran
said
hesitantly, and then gaining more confidence as his wife urged him to
continue.
"I would like to point out that things would be a lot worse today,
had she lived."
Luke whirled around. "What?" he demanded shocked.
"Listen, hear me out. I think I know what I'm talking about here.
Had Arielle lived, I'm not even sure you would have ever left
Tatooine. I can't say for sure, but it seems to me that it's what
your aunt and uncle wanted. From what you have told me, I would say
they wanted you to settle down so you would not leave the planet."
"He's got a point there," Mara added. "Even if nothing
changed, and
you did leave Tatooine. Do you think you would you have taken half
the risks if you had a family to worry about? Would you have pushed
to become a pilot, during the first Death Star battle, knowing you
would probably be killed? Would you have surrendered to Vader,
knowing the same thing?"
"I don't know. I would like to think I would, but I don't know."
"Maybe it was just the will of the Force, that she not live,"
Corran
stated.
"So that you were able to complete the things set before you."
Luke thought about it, a sad smile touching his lips. "If you think
about it that way, it makes a twisted sort of sense. It would not be
the only time something was taken away from me to ensure I completed
my destiny. That doesn't make it any easier, but I can understand it
a bit better... Well now you all know the big secret."
"Well all right then," Han said stretching. "So, this is the
last
thing, right? We know all your secrets from Tatooine."
A sly smile appeared on Luke's face as he looked at his bother in
law. "Of course you do," he replied.
Han shook his head. "Why am I having trouble believing that?"
Ok thats it. Let me know what you think.
Ok everyone here it is.......see I said I would post today and I
did.....Hope you enjoy this next chapter....thanks go out to Jenn and Sherry
your ideas really helped put this one together....And also Una...for also
telling me to go ahead and post today.
In Memory Of... Chapter 3
By: Skywalker's Dream
See first part for summery and disclaimer.
The last we visited, Luke had been found on Tatooine shot in the side.
Luke's family had found that Luke had been hiding the fact that he had been
married when he was young, and when confronted about it, he had showed them
a holovid that he had be given concerning his life with his now deceased
wife and child.
On with the story
Chapter 3
Luke's apartment
Luke made his way to the kitchen. He was too emotional to stay in the room
to see his friends' reaction to his speech. No matter how much he had tried
to convince his friends and family that he had dealt with the loss of his
wife and child, he had still felt his emotional control slipping. It would
do no good to break down and cry in front off all of them. Stepping quickly
to the sink, he helped himself to a large glass of water. He gulped it
down, trying desperately to wet his dry mouth. Two glasses later he felt he
had downed enough and set the glass back down. He turned his back to the
sink and rested against the counter. Luke took several deep breaths before
he felt the emotions slamming around inside him began to settle. He felt
torn apart, empty, and amazed that something as innocent looking as a
holodisk could affect him that much. He wanted to scream, and cry, but most
of all he wanted all those people out of his home. He wanted to feel that
he could still handle this alone. That nothing had changed, and he could
continue to deal with this pain in his own way.
*You no longer have to, * he heard in his mind, knowing right away that it
was Mara. *You have been trying to deal with this for how many years? Let
someone help you. Why are you still trying to do everything alone?*
*Mara, you don't understand...Forget it. I don't want to talk about it. *
*What, you going to hide in there until everyone gets the hint and goes
home? *
*Sound like a bad plan to you?* He rested his hands behind him and sighed
when he felt Mara's frustrated approach. He braced himself for the
tongue-lashing he just knew he was about to receive.
"What's your problem?" Mara asked after she had entered the kitchen.
"What do you mean? You know what my problem is."
"So why are you hiding in here? You have a roomful of people out there
that
want to help you."
"I don't want their help," Luke said, defiantly.
"You're withdrawing into yourself just like you always do when consumed
with
pain."
"Lay off Mara. I am not in the mood for this."
"Ok, enough," Mara stated, the heat dying from her words. "I'm
sorry. I
don't want to fight right now. You are in no shape to argue and I don't
want to leave you here more upset then you already are."
"Leave, where are you going?" A sudden feeling of dread flooding his body.
Mara took a deep breath, letting it out with a sigh. "I'm going on a
supply
run. There are some things that Karrde needs picked up but I'll be back in
a week."
"Where are you going," Luke asked again, unable to keep the dread
from
showing on his face.
"I'll be going out to the outer rim, to Barab."
"Never heard of it. Do you have to go?"
"What kind of question is that? This is my job. I'll only be gone a
week."
Luke didn't say anything. There didn't seem to be anything he could say.
This was Mara, she had a job to do, and she could take care of herself. He
couldn't figure out what about that was bothering him. Something with the
Force for sure, but what exactly he couldn't track down.
"Oh, come on Luke, don't go getting all emotional on me." Suddenly
she
smiled. "Save all that for Leia. She would love it."
Luke scratched his head, and smiled. "Yeah, she would. It would let her
feel like she has to take care of me."
"You going to be OK?"
"Sure. I think I'm going to be fine. Just keep a look out, OK Jade?"
"I always do. I live by the rule to be prepared because what ever can go
wrong will go wrong," Mara said with a smirk.
"No, whatever can go wrong, has already gone wrong, you just don't know
it
yet," Luke concluded, flicking her lightly on the nose.
"Oh, thanks for the vote of confidence, that makes me feel so much better."
"Just be careful, Jade. I have a bad feeling about this."
"Thanks for worrying about me, Skywalker, but I'm a big girl. Unlike
some
people, I don't need someone looking out for me."
"I wish I could have your confidence, but unlike you, I like to have
someone
there to watch my back."
"You normally need it," Mara quipped.
"Na...I just do that to get your attention."
"Oh, is that was it is?" Mara laughed.
---
Han Solo had sat back and watched Luke excuse himself and then vanish into
the kitchen. He couldn't blame the kid for wanting to disappear. Everyone
in the room looked as if they had just watched the Emperor himself state his
intent to return. To say that everyone was shocked was grossly
underestimating the situation. To think Luke had kept something like this a
secret for all this time... it had to have been tormenting him all these
years. His friends had every right to be upset with only finding out about
this now. Then again, the people that were included in the impressive list
of Luke's friends alone were enough to send the toughest man into hiding.
He had been watching his wife digest the information, knowing from personal
experience that anger normally followed shock for his wife. Therefore, he
was surprised when he saw Mara suddenly leap to her feet and stalk into the
kitchen. He figured Leia would be the first to recover form the shock and
browbeat him into an explanation. He had to give it to the kid; he sure
knew how to keep this group on its toes.
"Hey those two have been in there ten minutes and I still don't hear any
yelling. I think they've set a new record," Wedge said from his spot on the
couch.
The snickering that followed his comment helped to alleviate the tension
that filled the room.
"It feels so unreal," Leia said, speaking for the first time since
Luke's
exit. "I can't believe he didn't even tell me," she said more to
herself,
then to anyone else.
"You'd think he'd at least tell his friends," Wedge said.
"I thought he already explained why he didn't," Gavin said
defensively, from
his seat beside Wedge.
"Gavin, don't you get it?" Leia said, glaring at the younger man.
"Luke
tells me everything. At least that's what I believed. I would think that
this was something I should have known about."
"Do you mean to tell me that he knows everything there is to know about
you,
Madame Chief of State?" Gavin boldly asked.
"Gavin," Wedge interrupted. "Let's not get this started again.
Informal
setting aside, you need to watch the way you speak to people."
"Calm down, Wedge," Leia said, dismissing his discomfort. "I'm
interested
in what he has to say. Gavin, I understand that you are just trying to help
Luke. You have been a good friend to him, but I think this, here today,
proves that he wanted to tell us. He wouldn't have done this today if he
didn't want us to know."
"It proves nothing of the kind," Gavin stated, sitting forward to
rest his
elbows on his knees. "What happened here today only proves exactly what he
was saying. This room is full of people that are too used to getting what
they want. He told you only because he felt you wouldn't leave him alone
until you found out."
"No," Leia whispered, and then looked up. "Luke, is that
really why you
told us?"
Luke and Mara had reentered the room while Gavin was talking. Luke looked
over at Gavin and offered a slight smile.
"Yes, Leia that's exactly why I told you."
"Why?" Leia asked, her voice laced with incredulity.
Luke took a breath and let it out, looking towards the window for a few
seconds.
"When I woke up in the med center," he started, his voice held
under strict
control. "I knew it would be hard to explain what happened without telling
you everything. Then I found out that you had brought Gavin into this. It
was clear that I wasn't going to be able to keep this quiet for too much
longer. I just wanted to get it over with. I knew you would find out what
you wanted to know eventually. I just gave it to you sooner."
"Well," Han said, clapping his hands together and standing up.
"That clears
everything up for the time being. I think we have all had enough excitement
today. Let's say we call it a night." He quickly threw in, before the
topic could develop. Han had lost his own fianc?years before, and
sympathized with Luke's emotions. He could clearly see the exhaustion, both
mental and physical in his brother-in-law's eyes. He knew Luke was truly
stretched to the limit and needed to be alone, and a fight with his twin
would do nothing to help his morale.
"Excellent idea," Karrde said, standing to indicate his intention
to leave.
"I think we have infringed on Luke's life enough for one day."
Luke smiled at the comment, and followed his guests as they made their way
to the door.
"Your timing with this run is wonderful, Karrde," Luke said,
glancing at
Mara talking off to the side with Corran. "Don't work her too much."
"I never do," Karrde said, wondering what the Jedi had meant by
that
comment. Luke walked away and he turned to his second in command who had
approached beside him. "Did you tell him that I am asking you to go on this
run?"
"No, I didn't," Mara stated.
"Ok, because I thought you wanted to go on it. It's not too late to find
someone else to do it."
"No. I need to go. Skywalker is just over reacting."
Why are you running this time, Mara? Karrde thought to himself. Could it be
that Luke being married has affected you that much? He wisely kept that
thought to himself, and simply told her goodbye as she left the apartment.
"Meet us for dinner, Kid?" Karrde heard Han ask Luke.
"Am I still welcome?" Luke asked, looking over at Leia, who was
making her
way to the door.
"She'll be fine."
"I've seen her mad at you plenty of times, Skywalker," Karrde said,
slapping
him lightly on the back. "But I've never seen her stay mad at you for
long."
"True," Luke agreed.
"You seem to have that effect on people," Han said laughing.
"Well, I'll be
seeing you at dinner, right Luke?"
"I'll be there." Luke took the time to say a few words to each of
his
friends as they made their way out the door, stopping to say a special
thanks to Gavin. After they were all gone he picked up a few things off the
table and sat them on the counter. Walking over to the Holo player, he
ejected the disk. Taking the disk in his hand, he sat on the couch, and
studied the object in front of him. Placing his head in his hands, he let
go of the tight rein he had on his emotion and wept silently.
---
"Glad you could make it," Han said in greeting when he opened the
door for
his brother in law. He took the time to look him over. Han noted the way
he stood at the door, like he was ready to flee any moment. He also noted
the kid's red-rimmed eyes and realized that he had probably been crying. I
was refreshing to see that Luke could still show that much emotion, even if
it was only while he was alone.
"What am I in store for?" Luke asked into the silence that Han's
inspection
caused.
"She's really bent out of shape about this," Han explained to him,
inviting
him in and closing the door. "She feels hurt."
"What about you?" Luke asked, turning to face him.
"I understand why you felt you couldn't talk about it," Han
admitted. "You
know Leia will too, as soon as she takes the time to look at it that way.
What you need to do now is get her to calm down. Let her know that you
still care."
"How do you do it?"
"Do what?" Han asked.
"Live with that? How do you deal with the stubbornness everyday?"
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Han said, thinking that Luke
was one to
talk. "It's just part of being married, I guess."
"Not for me it wasn't. Arielle was easy to get along with. Nice try by
the
way," Luke added, "getting information out of me. Some of Leia's
tricks
are starting to rub off on you."
"Don't remind me."
"Where is she?"
"In the living room. I'll leave you two to talk and go check on the
food."
Leia felt Luke enter the room, but continued looking out the window, willing
herself to stay calm. She turned around when she realized he was not going
to say anything. He was standing by the door with his hands at his side,
looking at her. He looked so tired, and the familiar sadness filled his
eyes. She reached out to him and felt a hint at the depth of his pain. He
was still trying to hide it from her. Walking over to him she felt her
anger melt, now that she knew what was going on with her brother she just
wanted to help him.
Looking into his eyes she was once again assaulted by the pain she saw
there. Reaching out to him again, she felt him lower his guard a bit. His
emotions flowed over her and she sensed the sorrow he still felt over
Arielle's death, and the pain he held at the sight of watching that tape.
She also felt his hesitation about talking about it, and his determination
to convince her to understand.
"Leia, I'm sorry."
"Luke," she said, shaking her head, sadly. "I thought I knew
everything
about you. It's hard to believe you could keep this from me."
Luke opened his mouth to respond, but Leia stopped him with a finger to his
lips. "But, I do understand why you didn't. You were never one to talk
about your feelings. I just wish you would have told me sooner, I would
have liked to have been there for you. You should not have had to go
through that all alone."
He took his sisters hand from his face and held it in his own hand. "I
wasn't alone. Arielle's family has always been great to me. They were
always there, and they already understood."
"Are they still on Tatooine?" Leia asked, remembering that he had
been on
the planet when this had all started.
"Yes. They still live in Anchorhead. I go back ever now and then, to see
them."
"Well, I'm glad you had someone to love. But Luke, don't shut me out
anymore, please." Leia pleaded.
"This is very hard for me, Leia. All I can say is I'll do my best."
"I guess that is the best I could hope for." Leia hugged her
brother close
and shakily reached out to him with her intense feelings of love for him.
"Just remember that I love you and will help you in anyway I can."
Luke drew back to kiss her on the cheek. "I know that and thank you."
They held each other tight for a few more minutes until they could hear Han
yelling in the background about dinner being ready. Luke was laughing as he
let go of Leia and extended his elbow to her. "Shall we eat now,
sister?"
Leia smiled up at her brother and let him lead her out to where Han waited.
There it is....Let me know what you think
Skywalker's Dream
Hello everyone,
Here is Chapter 4. I want to send a quick thanks to Sherry, Una, and Jenn.
You three have been priceless in keeping this story on it's feet.
(Yup, here is one of Sherry's excuses.) Hehehehe
Thank you everyone for your wonderful reviews so far. It really makes these
fun to write.
Skywalker's Dream
In Memory Of... Chapter 4
By: Skywalker's Dream
See first chapter for summery and disclaimer.
Chapter 4
It was dark in the small cabin; the only sound to be heard was the sudden
change in pitch from the engines, as the ship exited hyperspace. The
unexpected change went unnoticed by the person stretched out in her bed.
Mara tossed and turned as the same dream accosted her mind that had done so
many previous nights...
She pushed another annoying branch away from her face and trudged through
the dense undergrowth that seemed intent on tripping her at every step.
Searching ahead of her, she tried to get the first glimpse of her
destination. All her vision greeted her with was more shades of greens and
browns. Wiping the sweat from her face, she hoisted herself over a rather
large log. Pausing to scan the surrounding foliage, she stopped when she
noticed an all too familiar woman standing alongside a tree. The woman, a
girl really, was bathed in one of the many patches of sunlight that found
its way to the jungle floor. She stood staring back at Mara as the gentle
breeze caused her sleeveless, white dress to billow around her ankles. As
the breeze picked up, the girl reached up to brush a stray, blond wisp of
hair from around her delicate face. Although concerned with the fact that
this woman-child kept appearing in her dreams, Mara knew that the girl meant
her no harm.
Her innocent, liquid blue eyes were the type that seemed to twinkle with a
friendliness that was rare anymore. The young woman took a step closer to
Mara, impatiently tossing waves of blond hair over her shoulder as she did
so.
"You again," Mara said. "Why do you keep bothering me?"
She knew she was
dreaming, but she couldn't fathom why she kept dreaming about this girl.
Their paths had never crossed, as far as she could remember. In every
previous dream, the girl would flee whenever Mara ventured too close. There
was never a word spoken, leaving Mara to wonder at her presence. Deciding
she was not in the mood for this, she turned to leave, but was stopped by a
soft pleading voice calling out to her.
"Wait, Mara. I need to speak with you."
"So, you can speak," Mara said, turning back to face her.
"What do you
want? Why are you here?"
"You are an interesting person, Mara. I've appeared to you in your
dreams
so I could get to know you." The girl brought her gaze back to the ground
as she lowered herself into a sitting position. She absentmindedly fingered
a blade of grass and seemed fascinated by how it moved. "It's beautiful
here. Where are we?"
Mara looked around at the familiar surroundings. "We are on Yavin IV."
"Funny that you would be dreaming about this place," she commented
offhandedly.
"What's funny about it?"
"Nothing, I guess," she said with a knowing smile. "It's beautiful here."
"If you say so. Too hot for me." Mara said, wiping her face again
to
emphasize her point.
At that time, the girl looked up from her inspection of the jungle floor.
Mara met her gaze for the first time since the girl first appeared in her
dreams. Blue eyes met green, and something to Mara felt strange.
"I know you," Mara suddenly realized, though she wasn't able to
place the
face. "You look familiar."
"Do I?" she said, her smile beginning to look forced. "So the
truth has
finally been discovered."
"You seem surprised," Mara asked, while raking her brain to place the face.
"A bit. We've been wondering if he was ever going to tell his family."
*Tell his family?* The pieces clicked in Mara's mind. "Arielle?"
The girl only smiled, once again pushing her hair out of her face. Thoughts
began tumbling around in Mara's mind, and she strained to make sense of them
all. She was unable to keep the look of confusion off her face. One
thought rose above the rest. Why was Luke's dead wife now stalking her in
her sleep? "How are you here, in my dream? Why are you here?"
"It's so hard to let him go, you know," she explained, displaying
her now
ever present smile. "He gets to you. Once he's in your heart, your world
begins to revolve around him. It makes it hard to give him up." She
paused, studying Mara, the smile slowly fading from her lips. "I was chosen
for him. Did you know that?"
"Chosen? No." Mara found herself drawn to this woman, wanting to
know more
about her life with Luke.
"No," she said, disappointed. She sighed and lowered her gaze once
again.
"I guess not. I'm not sure if he ever realized it."
"What do you mean, chosen?" Mara asked, sitting down next to the
tree beside
her. "By whom?"
"We didn't know, Luke and I." She looked up once again. "But
when the
Force wills it, you don't need to notice to obey."
"The Force? Are you trying to say that you are Jedi?"
"We were meant to be together from the beginning," she said, as if
she did
not hear Mara's question. "My father was a friend of Obi-Wan back before my
parents adopted me. When Obi-Wan disappeared, my father knew where he would
be. That was right after my real parents died, so I guess I was about a
year old. We ended up meeting him there a few years later, though at the
time I did not understand why. Luke and I grew up together. We went to the
same schools, the same stores. My family never went out of their way to
introduce us, though. We took care of that on our own. My best friend
lived next door to Biggs, and I did not live far away. I saw them all the
time. Imagine my father's delight when we became friends. I have to admit
that at the time I thought he was just happy that I was making more friends.
"It started because one of the boys liked my friend, so they all came
over
to talk to us. I guess I was about ten at that time. He didn't say much,
but even then, I was drawn to Luke. He was this shy boy that the others
liked to pick on, but he was the sweetest person I had ever met. He was
always very nice to me, and we had so much in common. He became one of my
best friends; we understood each other. I'm not even sure when we started
dating. We were together all the time. All our friends just assumed that
we were a couple... guess we just became one. He was very special to me."
"You sound like you regret it," Mara stated, turning so she could
see
Arielle's face clearly.
"No, not at all," Arielle said, astonished. Her features softened
as she
continued. "I cherish the time we had together."
"Did you love him?" Mara asked, wanting to keep the conversation
going long
enough for her to get some real information out of this girl. She had a
feeling that eventually Skywalker would want to know about this, and she
wanted to have something to tell him.
Arielle took a deep breath. "As much as a teenager could I suppose.
Neither of us were ready to be married. I would hate to think where we
would have ended up without the support of our families...and then there was
MaCayla. His aunt did most of the work with her. Luke and I took it for
granted. We were still able to be kids. We would go be with our friends
while MaCayla stayed with Beru."
"Luke loved you." Mara was uncertain why she felt the need to tell
her this,
but the look in the child's eyes confirmed that it was a good thing.
"I know that now. He is very special, and has an endless heart, one that
I
will cherish always."
"But if you were chosen, why are you not here?" To Mara the
situation was
running far from her understanding. Her jumbled thoughts giving no
indication of settling down soon, she tried her best to ask the questions
she wanted to know.
"I was supposed to be there for Luke, to help him though the hard times.
All three of us were the ones to be given the weight of reviving the Jedi.
He was not meant to do it alone, but I guess even the Force cannot control
everything. The shooting was not supposed to happen."
"So, the Jedi's right," Mara stated. She felt a pang of sympathy
for him.
*It just wasn't fair! Why can't he be happy too?* "Because of what
happened when he was eighteen, he is domed to live alone. He wants a family
so bad, he can't *not* have one."
"As soon as that shot hit me, another was chosen for him." She
locked gazes
with Mara. "They have just not realized it."
"So why not tell him that, why come to me?"
"I have tried to tell him. The dreams of me still hurt him too much. He
will not listen."
"So that is why you have come to me? To have me tell him?"
"Yes, so to speak." Suddenly the ground beneath her shook. The girl
in
front of her started to fade.
"What do you mean 'so to speak'?" The girl did not answer. Suddenly
Mara
felt panicky, like she was missing a big piece of information.
"What are you trying to say!" she yelled as the person in front of
her
disappeared.
"Wake up, Mara." Mara snapped awake to the face of her co-pilot.
"What!?" she yelled.
"Snap out of it, girl. Can't you hear that alarm?" Faughn said,
bracing
herself as the ship rocked. Mara, still not completely awake, fell out of
bed.
"What is going on here?" Mara asked, getting her hands and feet
under her
and standing up, hearing the blaring alarm for the first time.
"We're under attack."
---
"What happened?" Mara demanded, running into the cockpit of the
*Jade's
Fire* while pulling on her flight jacket on the way.
"I noticed a malfunction in the hyperdrive. I dropped us out of
hyperspace
so I could take a look. They were just sitting there! I tried to jump back
out, but they started shooting."
Once inside, she dropped into her seat and started checking out the
situation. The ship rocked again and she grabbed Faughn's arm to keep her
from falling as she sat in the co-pilot's seat.
"Who does this idiot think he is, firing on *my*, ship? Well, he's about
to
learn who he's dealing with."
"Um, Mara." The tone her friend's voice caused Mara to glance in
her
direction. She was looking at her displays in shock.
Leaning over, she took a peak at the display. She bolted to her feet to get
a better look at what they were up against, as color drained from her face.
"We're in trouble." No less then thirty ships surrounded the
*Jade's Fire*.
All with weapons, all trained on them.
"What have I gotten us into?" Faughn asked in shock.
---
Leia was sitting in her office finishing up the last bit off paperwork for
the night when her comm beeped.
"Organa-Solo."
"Leia, I'm glad I caught you before you went home," a male voice
said in
return.
"Karrde, is everything alright?"
"No," he said, his voice sounding strained. "It's Mara. I need your help."
"What happened?" Leia asked, suddenly worried. "What's wrong
with Mara?"
For Karrde to be calling, Leia knew it was bad.
"She's missing."
"Missing?" Shock filled Leia at the sound of those two words.
"Leia, where's your brother?"
"He should be at my place. He was meeting us for dinner."
"Do you mind if I join you? I think this is something you guys need to
know
about."
"Talon?" She asked, intending to get more information.
"Just meet me there, ok?"
___
Leia burst into the apartment with Talon hot on her heals. Her heart was
beating so fast she was sure it was going to explode. *I'm out of shape.*
She scolded herself.
"Is Luke here yet?" Leia asked, skidding to a halt in front of her husband.
"No, he hasn't got here yet, what's wrong?" Han asked, glancing
from Leia
to Karrde. "Leia, what's going on? What's wrong?"
Leia took a breath and looked at her husband, willing her heart to slow
down. "Mara's missing," she told him.
"Missing how?"
"Her ship was attacked," Karrde informed him. "Her co-pilot,
Faughn
returned a few hours ago on public transport, they are asking for a
ransom."
"And Luke..." Han asked. The look in his eyes, Leia knew he
understood the
depth of her worry.
"Doesn't know yet," she admitted.
"He knew something was going to happen," Han said, rising his hand
to his
face. "He told me so the night at dinner after she left."
"He normally does." Her heart was breaking. This was the last thing
Luke
needed to deal with, but there was no way she could not tell him. He would
know anyway.
"Have you talked to him?" Karrde asked Han. "Do you know when
he will be
here? We need to move on this."
"I talked to him just a few minutes ago. He is on his way over."
"He's already here," Leia said, just before the door announcer
sounded. Han
walked quickly to the door and escorted Luke back inside.
"What's wrong?" Luke asked, as soon as he entered the room. He
looked from
one person to the other.
"There is no easy way to say this, Luke," Leia began. "Mara
had trouble on
this run, her ship was attacked and captured."
"What? What did you say?" Luke stepped closer to his sister, his
apprehension growing.
"Mara has been kidnapped." Leia whispered and prepared herself for
Luke's
reaction. She fully expected him to break down with this newest trauma in
his life and was saddened to know she was right when Luke whispered no and
his shoulders slumped. Just as she started to envelope him in a loving
embrace, her brother transformed right before her eyes. Luke's shoulders
squared and he took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly. When they
reopened, Leia shivered at the intense heat of his gaze.
"Luke?"
The calm Jedi demeanor had returned, but there was something else there that
Leia had not seen since Bespin. Luke was withdrawing into himself, hording
his emotions and showing only his legendary strength of will.
"Where is she?" he asked.
"We are going to get her back," Karrde told him, carefully.
Luke turned his ice blue eyes on the man standing across from him.
"No," he
stated, his voice hard. "Just tell me where she is. I can handle
this."
"Luke, that's crazy. There is no reason for you to go on your own."
He
turned his gaze to his sister. The intensity of his gaze killed anything
she would have said next. Looking back at Karrde he asked him again.
"This is the ransom letter we got. It's all the information I
have." Luke
took the data pad Karrde offered and read it over.
"That's it?" Luke asked, handing the datapad back.
"This was sent back with Faughn. We have heard no other word."
Luke sighed, and looked at his sister and best friend. With a frown, he
turned for the door. Karrde grabbed his arm. "Luke, wait! There is no
reason for you to do go out there alone."
"Why should I let you help?" Luke asked, his voice lowering in what
sounded
like anger.
"Why should you *let* me? You're not going on your own. She is a member
of
my crew. I have to help her."
"You could have helped her by *not* sending her on this run," Luke snapped.
"What?" Karrde shot back. "Let's get one thing straight, here
and now,
Skywalker. I never send my employees into a job where I know that their
lives may be in danger. If I know there is serious risk, I simply don't
send anyone, unless they volunteer. When they *are* in danger, I do what I
can to rescue them. Which is what I plan to do now." Karrde's eyes went
wide when he realized what he had just told the young man.
"Volunteer? She wanted to go?" Luke asked, the anger in his eyes
quickly
turning to confusion. "Why? Why would she want to leave just after..."
He shook his head as if to clear it. "It doesn't matter, I'm going. I'll
call if I need your help." With that, he was out the door.
"That confidence of his is going to get him killed one of these
days," Han
stated.
Leia signed, rubbing the back of her neck. "It's not that, Han. He
actually feels that he is the only one that can save her."
"Sister or Jedi thing?" Han asked.
"Both."
Karrde stood watching the two of them in astonishment. "Are you two just
going to let him leave like that?"
"You are the one that told him where to find her," Han pointed out.
"You saw how he was, Karrde," Leia said, her frustration finding
it's way
into her voice. "Do you know a way I could have stopped him?"
"What if he can't get her out? Maybe I should just give the guy the
ransom."
"Just give him some time, Karrde," Leia pleaded, worried how Luke
would
react to interference in his current state of mind. "Luke has accomplished
harder things then this."
"He was in a more rational state of mind at those times."
"When have you ever known that kid to be in a rational state of mind?"
Leia threw her husband a warning look. "Just please give him a little
time."
<<<Takes a deep breath and dives right in>>>
Ok everyone, here is chapter 5. As you can see I now have no idea how many
chapters this will have. So we will have to wait and see. Please overlook
any mistakes in this chapter. I, along with a few others, have read this
over countless times, and I am frankly ready to get on with the story. :)
Please let me know what you think.
Want to thank all you out there that has had to deal with me over the past
two weeks over this chapter. I am sure I have pushed you a bit closer to
the blissfulness of insanity :) Thanks to Jenn, Sherry, and Una. You guys
are great.
Skywalker's Dream
Ok here we go:
In Memory Of...
Chapter 5
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, I wont keep these characters, I just wanted to
play with them for a while.
Luke sat alone in his X-wing as it rocketed him towards his destination. He
looked over the coordinates once more and decided that the guy who did this
was no pro. It took little time to figure out that he was waiting at his
base to receive the money he had demanded for Mara's release. The man was
either not very smart or had no clue of the type of people he was causing
trouble with. Luke had no doubt that this guy would try something if
provoked too far, but Luke was confident that he could handle anything this
guy could dish out. Mara would probably be upset at the thought of being
'rescued' but an upset Mara was better then none. A light on his instrument
panel flashed and Luke brought his ship out of hyperspace, ending the
two-day flight to reach the planet.
---
Mara stumbled as she was forced into a small dark room, grabbing the bundle
that was thrown at her, and swore to herself for the hundredth time since
this whole thing had started. At the time, surrender seemed the best coarse
when facing down thirty ships, but her treatment since then left much to be
desired. After their forced landing, her and Faughn had been separated, and
she had not seen her since. From what she could tell, nothing had happened
to her, but Mara had no clue where she was sent. After a short ride to what
they considered their base, Mara had been locked up alone in the room she
now found herself in. The room held shelves upon shelves of towels. There
was nothing there to really help her. She unfolded the bundle she still
held and realized it was a change of clothes. Glancing at her own she
frowned when she saw the large tear running quite high on her right thigh,
showing off too much of her leg for comfort. Shedding her clothes quickly,
she pulled the new material on.
It was a blue suit, much like the green flight suit that now lay in a pile
on the floor. Only this one was about two sizes too big and the pockets ran
the length of her thigh. She felt like she was getting lost in the folds of
the material, but at the moment anything was better then the one she had
just shed. She dismissed the urge to empty her pockets. She knew they had
removed anything of value when they took her off her ship, along with her
lightsaber. She wondered briefly if they would have found her blaster had
she been wearing it, but tossed that thought away. She had not grabbed the
thing during her dash to the cockpit. The door suddenly opened and a man
entered, probably hoping to catch her still changing her clothes. Well he
would not get the satisfaction, Mara thought as she pulled the belt as tight
as she could get it.
When he grabbed her arm, she threw her weight away from him, taking a few
steps back when he released her. She tried to jump out of the way when he
drew his blaster, but the room was too small and she had no where to go.
The blaster discharged hitting her in the leg with a stun bolt. She fell to
the floor, but instead of her leg going numb like she expected, it was just
a prickly sensation. She glared up at the guard.
"The next time I will set it on a higher setting. No better way to keep
you
in line then to keep you stunned."
"So go ahead," Mara spat, as she got back to her feet, abet a
little
shakily.
"I would like nothing more, but then that would mean that I would have
to
carry you."
"Wouldn't want to make you do a little bit of work, now would we."
He stepped closer and put his hand on her cheek. "Your stay here doesn't
have to be a bad one sweetie. I could talk to the boss. Get him to allow
me to take care of you." Mara turned her head slightly and sank her teeth
into his hand. He jerked his hand back and pushed her away with the other.
"I would rather have you shoot me," Mara snarled.
He grabbed her arm and dragged her out into the hallway, where six other men
met them. One stood behind her with one hand holding a blaster against her
back the other taking hold of her free arm. The first guy still held her
with one hand and nursed the other, which was showing the first signs of a
set of angry teeth marks. She thought about running, thinking if she timed
it right she could knock a few guys down and get away from them. She
thought better of it when she noticed that they were all sporting nasty
looking blasters. She did not resist when they urged her to walk forward,
deciding to wait until a better opportunity showed itself.
Glancing around she tried to absorb every detail that came into view. There
was a way out of this, she knew there had to be. They obviously did not
plan to be holding her. They were too ill prepared. She was bound to catch
a mistake, then she would take advantage if it. Her mind briefly returned
to the time when she and Karrde 'happened' upon Skywalker the first time.
She sighed inwardly. At least they did not have any lizards lying around
here. They didn't seem too well equipped for a group of small time
smugglers, she had no doubt that she would be out of their soon.
She stumbled once again and this time caught sight of the grubby old man
walking ahead of her, more so her lightsaber hanging from his belt.
Grinning, she started walking a bit faster to get closer to him. She had
just about closed the gap between them when the guy behind her shoved again,
knocking her into the man she was trying to reach, causing them both to
fall. She scrambled to her feet with more then a little trouble.
"Watch what you are doing!" The man shouted, pushing her off him.
"I would not have fallen if your guys here would stop pushing me,"
she shot
back.
The guy turned away from her with a huff, and Mara once again felt the
blaster in her back. She walked on without further incident. Soon her
destination became clear as they all stopped beside a door. They opened the
door, and 'helped' their captive inside, much to Mara's dislike. She once
again tried to free herself from their grip and stumbled as the resistance
on her arms was suddenly released, causing her struggling to over balance
her. She turned to offer her thoughts concerning her treatment only to be
greeted with the door slamming in her face. Her anger boiled to the surface
and she slammed her fist into the door. The only reaction was the men
laughing at her from the other side.
Taking a moment to calm herself, she surveyed the room. Noticing nothing
too life threatening, she dropped herself on the old pallet that sat in the
corner. Glancing around the room once again, she took in the desk and chair
that sat pushed up against the opposite wall, the old faded wood that made
up the walls. Not a picture or window to break the surface. Stretching,
she reached out around her with the Force to make sure she was not being
watched. She did not wish to be stunned again for acting inappropriately.
Grinning at the fact that for the time being she was alone, she reached into
her thigh pocket for the object she has stashed there. Pulling out her
lightsaber, she stashed it under the bed. 'Amateurs,' she thought as she
sat back up.
A few hours later, the door to her room opened. A tray of food was slid
into her room and the door quickly closed again. Mara picked up the tray
and sat it on the table, then walked away and sat back on her pallet. A
while later, after deciding that enough time had passed, she walked silently
to the door and listened to the men on the other side. Mara judged that the
group was about as relaxed as they were going to get, marking her time to
act.
"Hey!!!" she said banging on her door. "Hey!"
"What do you want?"
"Could you please get this tray out of here before I gag? And tell your
cook that I have ate garbage that tasted better then that."
The guy made his way over to the door and slowly opened it. Mara, who was
standing next to the door, punched him in the face, and he fell to the
floor. His friends came running when they heard the commotion. Mara took
care of them in a series of punches and kicks.
She took off down the hall, stopping at the first series of doors. Pulling
out her lightsaber, she made quick work of the door and advanced towards the
only entrance she knew of. She made her way down the hall as fast as she
dared, hiding in rooms whenever someone happened by. The halls twisted and
turned with no apparent pattern. She stopped at the end of one hall and
realized she had no idea where she was. What a time to get lost! She
screamed to herself. Turning she headed back the way she came, thinking
that if she ever met the person that designed this place she would shoot
that person herself.
She returned to the end of the hall where it opened up to a larger hallway,
which then branched off into three different directions. Realizing that
this was where she made her mistake, she reached out to judge the other
hallways. The first one had two people just out of sight around the next
corner. The second had people a little further down. No clear passage.
She would have to go through them. Then she felt that someone was coming up
from behind her. She knew that if they caught her there, she would be as
good as caught. This time she would be lucky if they locked her back up in
that room. Peeking back in the hall, she dashed across the corridor in
seconds, sliding to a stop around the next corner. Glancing back to make
sure she was not being followed she took off around the next corner, not
noticing until it was too late that something had her arm. The force of the
pull on her body as she shot past caused her to spin and crash into the
owner of the other arm.
"Mara," a softly spoken, male voice said as he steadied her on her feet.
Mara's head snapped up in surprise at the familiar voice.
"What are you doing here?" Mara asked quietly, keeping her voice
low, as to
not have it travel too far down the hall. She studied the man now standing
in front of her, not knowing if she was glad to see him or not. She sighed,
putting her hands on her hips. She had the satisfaction of feeling Luke's
reaction to the fact that she did not seem thrilled at him being here.
"Um." Luke whispered, looking around uncomfortably. "Coming to
rescue
you."
A smile came to Mara's lips as she watched Luke waiting for her reaction.
'You came all this way to help me?' she sent through the Force, keeping her
smile sweet, the smile quickly turned to a frown. 'Thanks, but I can take
care of myself. I don't need your help.'
'Obviously.' His expression did not change, nor did the intensity of his
gaze.
Mara's frown deepened when she realized how Luke's eyes were clouded with
sadness and something more she could not place. Was it relief? She felt
him squeeze her arm and realized he had never let go of her. She jerked her
arm away, inadvertently smacking her hand against the wall.
'I seem to be doing fine on my own,' she sent him, while bringing her hand
up to her mouth and glancing back the way she came.
'I would never suggest otherwise.' He watched her wince as she held her
hand to her lips. "Are you alright?" he asked aloud, carefully taking
her
hand and bringing it closer to inspect it.
'I'm fine!' she announced loudly in his mind, taking her hand out of his
reach. She started to remind him that she did not need his help when she
noticed the puzzled look on his face. 'What!?' she demanded.
Luke shook his head, frustration flowing off him in waves. 'I was just
wondering why this is the second time you passed through this hallway.'
'I had to double back,' Mara defensively shot back. 'I didn't see you.
Where were you the first time?'
'I had just entered the hallway.' Luke shrugged his shoulders. 'I tried to
call out to you but you did not seem to be receiving.'
Mara glanced behind her once again to cover her grimace at being caught off
guard. How could she not notice he was there? How could she not think of
reaching out further then right in front of her? 'I was concentrating.'
Was the only thing she could think to say.
'I can see that,' he sent with a smirk. The self-satisfaction she felt from
him feeling like grinding paper to her nerves. With the smile still in
place, he also looked around to see if they had been spotted.
"Stop doing that!" She yelled at him, all the frustration of her
situation
finding its way into her voice. They both jumped at the volume of her voice
compared to their pervious silent conversation. His head snapped around to
look at her once again.
"What?" he asked, his voice a harsh whisper.
"Agreeing with everything I say," she said, frowning at her
inability to
control her voice. 'Why do you keep doing that!' she yelled though the
Force.
'Look, Mara I came to help.' His voice had become soft, a pleading look
over taking his features.
Mara squared her shoulders and crossed her arms across her chest. 'I did
not ask for your help.'
'You did not have to,' Luke told her. His patience was clearing wearing
thin.
His frustrated expression faded as he studied her. The hurt look the
appeared in his eyes was like a dagger slicing right into her. She felt a
need to change the subject. 'How did you find me anyway?'
'Karrde told me. Faughn showed up with a note demanding a ransom for you.'
"So this was all to make a few credits off me?!" she said in
disbelief, her
anger rushing back in a flash.
"Would you quiet down before someone hears you," Luke scolded.
'Mara you
are upset,' she heard Luke once again in her mind. 'But I need you to be
calm. We need to concentrate on getting out of here.'
"I don't need you telling me what to do, Jedi!" Mara took a step
closer to
him.
'Maybe you do,' Luke shot back.
"What?!" Mara asked, her voice almost a screech.
'If you had listened to me in the first place, you wouldn't be in this
situation,' Luke continued.
'What is that supposed to mean?' she asked him through, really wishing she
had her blaster right now.
'Exactly what I said. I told you I had a bad feeling about this. That
something would happen.'
Mara bristled at his implication that this was her fault. 'I am a big girl
Skywalker. I don't need you to take care of me.'
'Well someone sure better, you would have been recaptured if I hadn't come
along.'
"No way, I was doing just fine without you," she told him, once
again
speaking aloud. Where does he get off, she thought, thinking he can just
come in and take credit for me getting away from this place.
'Mara, we are not out yet,' he sent her. 'What do you think happened to
those guys that were chasing you?'
'I lost them,' she announced.
'Oh you lost them, did you? Just by running around a corner? Yes, that
must be it. And our terrific hiding place fooled them as well right?' He
asked, indicating the very open hallway they had been arguing in.
'You are keeping them away?' she asked, not really wanting to hear the
answer.
'If I wasn't, your yelling would have had them all casing us down by now.
However, I can't do it for much longer. Do you think we could get out of
here now?' Luke asked.
She stared at him, willing herself to tell this man before her exactly what
she thought of his help. However, that's not what came out of her mouth.
"I'm assuming that the hanger is that way," she said between tight
lips.
"We need to get the Fire."
'Jedi don't assume, Mara. Reach out with the Force and find out.'
Mara stared daggers at him as she passed to lead the way, fuming at the
knowledge that he had been right. She had been so close to being
recaptured. One wrong turn had cost her way too much time and she watched
her plan fall apart before her eyes. Over all, she couldn't help but feel
that she would have rather been recaptured then seeing the smug look on the
Jedi's face.
---
They reached the landing pad with little trouble, and Mara could not control
the misgivings she was starting to get about the ease of the whole
situation.
"It only seems easy, Jade," Luke said from behind her.
"How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of my head?" she
said,
smiling when she felt her elbow connect with his stomach. His groan of pain
succeeded in making her day a bit brighter. "The Jades Fire is over
there."
They walked in silence across the landing pad. It wasn't until they were
huddled under the hull of the Fire before Luke spoke again.
"Someone's coming."
"I thought keeping people away was your job," Mara asked, grabbing
her
lightsaber and looking around.
"I missed one."
"You have a flair for stating the obvious, don't you?" She keyed
open her
ship without waiting for his answer. Running up the ramp before it was
fully open and closing it just as fast, causing Luke to run to get on the
ship in time.
"I'm beginning to get the feeling you don't want me here," he
stated, once
he was safely inside.
"Just now feeling that, huh? I should have tried harder."
She made her way to the cockpit. Sitting in her seat, she did not comment
as Luke sat next to her. Together they started preparing her ship to fly.
"Uh oh," Luke mutter quietly.
"What did you do?"
"I didn't do anything," he said, taking his hands off the
instruments. "But
what ever happened here, means that we are not getting very far in this
ship."
"What is it?" She studied the readouts and sat back in her chair.
"This is
really not my day. Well let's at least get out of here. We will figure the
rest out when we are a bit further out of their reach."
"With the hyper-drive not working, we won't be getting much further."
"I don't recall asking for your opinion," Mara said, as the Jade's
Fire
lifted off the ground, and it's occupant's set about to find a place to land
the wounded ship.
---
Ok there is chapter 5. What did you think? comments are welcome. In fact I
live for them. :) Chapter 6 is in the works. I hope to have it out
within the week but you never know.
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. I am just doing this for fun.
Summery: (wow these sound silly when you write them don't they?) Luke was
missing and turned up in Tatoonie, with a wound in his side. In all the
commotion his family and friends stumble upon the knowledge that Luke at
been married and had a child, but they were both killed before he left home
and joined the rebellion. Now that the secret is out Luke must now deal
with the tragedy instead of ignoring it. Soon after the secret was reviled
Luke discovers that Mara has been captured and went running to the rescue.
This chapter picks up after they discovered that Mara's ship had mechanical
problems.
Chapter 6
Mara walked along the hangers reading the signs posted above each entrance,
looking for something that fit her needs. They had landed during the night,
deciding to get a few hours sleep while waiting for the town to wake up.
She had left the ship early that morning, leaving before Luke exited the
refresher so that she would not have to tell him she wanted to do this on
her own. Locating a hanger that looked promising, she went inside.
"May I help you?" asked the young man inside. He was leaning
casually
against a desk, wiping his hands on a rag.
"That depends," Mara stated, placing her hands on her hips. "I
am trying to
find someone in this town with the knowledge needed to fix my ship."
"Your ship?" he repeated, his eyes shining. "Yes, of course.
We fix
everything here."
"I bet you do," Mara said, wishing she could just get this over
with so she
could be closer to getting away from the planet.
"For a price."
"Of course," Mara said, tossing her hands up and rolling her eyes.
Everyone
was the same, always worried about credits.
"What seems to be the trouble with your ship?" The young man asked,
reaching behind him and snatching up a datapad from the desk. "Then we can
be certain that I'll be able to help you."
"The hyperdrive. All I really need is the parts. I can fix it myself."
"That's a big job to do alone," he said, smiling.
"Who said I was alone? Do you have the parts or not?" Mara knew she
had no
desire to fix the ship herself. She would not only end up with having to
buy all the tools, but the extra hours she had to put in - with Skywalker,
she added silently - were too much.
"Yes," he said, checking the datapad again. "We either have
the parts you
need or can get them fairly quickly. Though I can't just sell the parts, I
can fix your ship for you."
Mara looked at him with disbelief. "You do not even know what type of
ship
I have, or the damage."
"Doesn't matter," he said, matter of factly.
Mara stared at him, raising one eyebrow. "Worked on a lot of hyperdrives
have you?"
"Sure," the guy said. "We get them a lot."
"Do you now? And why is that?"
"Because," he said, smiling at her. "The best way to stop a
ship from
leaving is to have another ship knock out the hyperdrive."
"What?" Mara exclaimed, shocked that this guy would know what
happened to
her. As she thought about it a little more, something else occurred to her.
"You're saying this is a common thing?"
"We get a lot of people coming here looking for ship repair. We don't
question it. It's one of our biggest businesses around here."
Mara just stared at him, her anger starting to rise. To think she flew into
this scheme with her eyes open was nothing less then irritating. "How long
will the repairs take?" she asked, changing the subject. The frustration
she felt threatening to send her into a rage.
"A few days. A week at most, depending on the extent of the damage."
"A week!"
"That's at most," he added quickly. "Most likely sooner. I'll
do my best
to get the work done as quickly as possible."
"See that you do." Mara said. A week. If it wasn't bad enough that
she
would be stuck on this planet, she just knew Skywalker would not leave until
he knew she was on her way home.
She informed the guy of where she had landed her ship and arranged for it to
be moved to the shop's hanger, filling out all the proper forms. Then she
stormed back to her ship.
Luke climbed the ladder to his X-wing. He was preparing his ship, making
sure it would be secure during the repairs. When he woke up that morning,
Mara had still been on the ship, but she had left before he had spoken to
her. It was just as well, he decided, it saved them from arguing over the
point of who would search for someone to fix the ship and who would stay
behind to secure the ship. Leaning inside he reached behind the seat and
grabbed the sliver case he had stored there. Placing it on the hull of his
fighter craft, he proceeded in closing and locking the hatch. Mara had been
adamant about locking everything down before letting anyone work on her
ship. Not that there was much left on the ship that needed to be secured
after her captors were done with it. Understanding her reason for the
precautions though, he was making certain that the only thing of his that
would be left on the ship would likewise be protected. He felt Mara
approaching, grabbed his belongings, jumped to the deck, and headed to the
front of the ship. He snatched up the bag she had dropped just inside the
ship and was walking down the ramp as she arrived.
"Everything set?" he asked, handing Mara her bag. He studied her,
noticing
how tense she was. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Mara said, shaking her head to clear it.
"No, what's going on?"
"It's everything," Mara admitted, reluctantly. "This whole
thing was just a
big scheme."
"What was?" Luke asked, thoroughly confused as to what was upsetting her.
"It's not important Luke." Luke did not back down, he continued
starring at
her. "Oh, it just gets under my skin," she continued. "To think
that those
guys set a trap, shooting down ships so that this town could make some money
off the repairs. It would seem that when they found out who I was, they
decided to make a little more money. It just makes me mad that I stayed for
so long. That I didn't blast my way out of there when we first landed on
this blasted planet."
"You escaped and no one was hurt. Whether you realize it or not, Mara,
that
's something to be proud of." Mara just snorted in response. Luke smiled.
"Let's just get out of here. I talked to a few people around here and I
think I can find our way to the hotel. Do you have everything you need in
that bag or do you need to go back inside?"
"No, everything is here," she said, looking at him. "I'm all
set,
Skywalker, I will be out of here in a week. Thank you for all your help."
"I'm not going anywhere," he told her, sounding shocked that she
would
suggest such a thing.
Mara rolled her eyes. "How did I know you would say that? You have other
things you need to do. You should get going. Don't worry about those
goons. I am sure they figured we blasted off this rock by now. I don't
think they will come looking for me."
"But they might. If what you said is correct then they may know we are
still here. No, I'll be fine here until you get underway."
Mara was frustrated as she stormed away from her ship. They left, following
the directions Luke hand managed to get from the owner of the hanger they
were renting.
"Now what?" Mara asked, dropping into a chair in the lobby of the
hotel.
They had arrived there to find out that there was not a single room for rent
in the entire town. It seemed they had the wonderful timing of breaking
down during one of the towns biggest festivals.
"We could always stay on the *Fire*," Luke offered.
"Bad idea. If I have to watch the repairs I may end up shooting someone."
"Not a good idea if you want the job done well," Luke said.
"Oh, I don't know," Mara said, looking up at Luke. "It worked
well for some
people."
"Naw, you're too pretty to be my father," Luke replied with a
straight face.
That made Mara laugh and soon had Luke laughing with her. Then they lapsed
into silence, trying to decide what they should do next
Behind the counter, a man and woman talked while glancing back at the two
people that had entered looking for rooms.
"They are waiting for repairs," the woman said. "They could
not have known
about the festival."
"They will not find a room in this town," the man said, with
genuine regret
in his voice. "Not this week."
"Is there anything we can do to help?" The woman asked.
"Maybe. Hey, wait right there," the man called to the two that were
still
sitting in the lobby. "I might be able to find something. Could you wait a
few minutes while I check on something?"
"It is not like we have much of a choice," the red haired woman called back.
"Mara!" The rest of the conversation was spoken too low to be
heard, and the
clerk turned to the task of finding these two some rooms.
It was twenty minutes later before the clerks were finished with their
search.
"We found a few things," the male clerk explained, after he called
Mara and
Luke back over. "It's not exactly what you were looking for. We have
located a double room. Two beds."
"Oh, no," Mara said, looking at Luke. "I am not sharing a room with you."
"Well," the clerk added. "We did find one other room."
Mara's eyes lit up
at his words. "On the other side of town." Mara looked at Luke,
knowing
before he spoke that it would not work. There would be no point in him
staying if they were that far apart.
"No way," he said, shaking his head. "There would be no way I
could get to
you if the need arose."
"Fine!" She said, turning away from them. "Do whatever you
want. I am
tired of all this. I just want a room."
They arrived at the room and Luke opened the door. Mara walked past him and
threw her bag on one of the beds. The room was small, with the two beds
taking up most of the it. A long dresser sat in front of them and a small
table was pushed over in the corner, next to the windows.
"Mara, I wish you would cheer up, it's not as bad as you're thinking.
See,
two beds. Everything will be fine."
"If you say so."
"What are you so upset about?"
Mara looked him astonished. "What am I upset about? I was shot at,
kidnapped, harassed, and made to look like a fool. Now I have to sit around
until some grease monkey has a chance to fix my ship."
"But you forgot the worst part, Mara." Luke said as she sat down on the bed.
"Oh, what's that?" Mara asked, letting herself fall backwards.
"You're stuck here with me."
"No," Mara said, waving her hands in the air. "I have been
thinking about
that. It could be worse. You could have been Lando."
Luke laughed along with her as he looked out the window. "It seems like
we
got here just in time. It looks like rain." He looked over at Mara who had
got up off the bed and had looked into her bag. She pulled a box out and
was looking at it with disgust. "What?"
"Nothing," she said, stuffing the box back in her bag.
"Mara would you stop doing that," Luke said, walking from the
window to
stand in front of her. "What's the matter?"
She looked up at him, a smirk forming on her face. "I just realized I
was
hungry."
"You brought food from the ship didn't you?"
"Sure. Rations." She pulled the box back out, opening it and
showing it to
Luke. "Anything here look good to you?"
"Ugh . Mara, how old are those?"
"I have no idea. This was all that was left." She closed the box
and
tossed it in the trash compactor. "Seems they took the rations along with
everything else."
"I see the problem." He glanced back out the window. "Well I
guess I need
to go out and get something."
"You sure?"
"Well, I am certainly not eating that!" Luke said with a smile.
"I could go with you." Mara offered, not sounding like she really
wanted
to.
"No, I think I can handle it."
"I don't know. Those food venders are a tough lot. You think a Jedi
Master
is enough to handle them?"
"It's a tough job, but I think I can handle it." Mara shook her
head and
smiled as he walked out the door. She looked in her bag, pulled out a
travel cup and filled it with water. Taking her water, she sat down at the
small terminal in the room and logged in to check her messages. She sat the
cup down after taking a sip, and it splashed over the side onto the table.
Walking back to the refresher, she grabbed a towel. Scolding herself, she
cleaned up the mess and sat the towel aside, then began scanning through her
messages. She did not see anything majorly important, so went to the first
one and began reading.
The door opened again as she finished a message to Karrde, telling him that
she was fine and informing him when she would be arriving back. Luke came
running in with two bags in his hands.
"What happened to you?" Mara exclaimed. His hair was plastered to
his head
and his clothes were dripping.
"I tried to beat the rain back. I didn't make it." Luke ran his
hands
through his hair, making it stand on end. "I am completely soaked," he
said, shaking his head, spraying water everywhere.
"Yes, and now I am too!" Mara exclaimed, protecting her face with
her hands.
She grabbed the towel she had discarded and threw it at him.
Luke laughed as he dried his hair. He reached under the bed, pulling out
the sliver case he had stashed under there.
"What put you in such a good mood?" Mara asked, his smile becoming
contagious.
"I don't know," Luke said, his eyes shining. "Nothing put me
in a good
mood. Must be your company, Jade."
"Sure it is. So, what did you get to eat?"
"I found a little place not far from here. I got a little bit of
everything," Luke told her, finishing with his hair and wrapping the towel
around his neck. Pulling uncomfortably at his clothes, he crouched down on
the floor and opened the case. "Good thing I remembered to grab this
thing."
"What's in there?" Mara asked, glancing over his shoulder.
"Clothes," he told her. "I have had too many trips take longer
than
expected. So, now I always keep extra clothes in the X-wing."
"Really?" Mara asked, surprised. "Do you still use that ship a lot?"
Luke made a face. His smile threatening to break free at any moment.
"Not
as much as I used to. I don't even remember what I have packed in here."
"I bet I know," Mara said, placing her hands on the case to keep
him from
opening it. "Black Pants and a matching black shirt."
Luke opened the case and looked at her in mock surprise. "You're right!
How'd you know!"
Mara laughed, his mood bringing her spirits up.
"Good, I even have a pair of sleep pants and a shirt," Luke said to
himself,
pulling the old white clothes out and placing them on the bed.
"Hey wait a minute, those can't be yours."
"Why?" Luke looked confused.
"Because they are not black!"
Luke smiled too. "Well that just goes to show that you do not know
everything about me. I wear all sorts of colors when no one's looking."
"Ohh. Like what?" Mara asked trying to peek into the case.
"Nope, nothing in there. Guess you'll never know."
He was laughing again, Mara noticed as she stepped over to the window. He
really seemed to be relaxed and she found that pleased her. His mood lately
had worried her, and she felt relieved that he was feeling better. Luke
continued looking through his case gathering the things he would need for a
shower. Collecting everything he needed, he left the room. Mara stayed at
the window for the ten minutes it took him to shower and re-enter the room.
"You are not eating?" he asked, still towel drying his hair.
"I was waiting for you," she said. He was standing there in his
lose pants
and shirt and bare feet, organizing the things before them away.
"Oh well, I will be done in just a second." He went back to his
case,
rummaging through it again. Mara turned her attention back to the rain
beating against the window. Suddenly she was assaulted by a strong sense of
loss. She spun around to see Luke still crouched on the floor.
"What's wrong?" she asked worried.
Luke started, then gathered up something in his hand, and crammed it into
his pocket. "Nothing's wrong."
"That was nothing?" she asked, her eyes wide from the adrenaline
that was
suddenly rushing through her body.
"I just found something," he told her apologetically. "I
forgot it was
there."
"What is it?"
He pulled the object out of his pocket, and held it out to her. He let it
fall and hang from his fingers. It was a small metallic heart bound to a
chain.
"That's beautiful. Where did you get it?"
Luke cleared his throat and put it back in his pocket. "It was
Arielle's.
I forgot I put it in there."
She now understood his feeling of loss. The sudden reminder of such a
painful event seemed to change his mood considerably. "I'm sorry,
Skywalker. If I had never asked you to go out."
"I would have just found it later. This is not your fault." She
looked at
him again. The pain had returned to his eyes, and Mara found herself
wishing she could have kept it a bay for more then a few hours.
She walked to the table where he had put the food down and started pulling
things out of the bag.
They sat down to eat, and neither dared to look up at the other. Mara,
being so well attuned to the Jedi Master's mood, could feel his distress.
It pained her that events that had been out of his control still touched him
so deeply. The meal proceeded in complete silence, each lost in their own
thoughts and pains.
Luke finished the last of his food, pushed his empty containers away, and
stood up. "Well, it's getting late." He gathered up his trash and
dropped
it in the compactor. Then he walked to his bed and laid down. Mara sighed
and walked into the fresher, returning a few minutes later. She turned off
the lights and sat at the edge of her bed. She was removing her boots when
Luke rolled over to look at her.
"You're sleeping in that?" he asked, indicating the oversized blue
flight
suit she still wore.
"Well, it's not like I have much of a choice," came Mara's annoyed reply.
"Why?"
"They took all my clothes when they cleaned out my ship."
"Why didn't you say something? I can let you use mine." He crawled
to the
edge of the bed, flopping down on his stomach and reached for the case that
was still on the floor. Opening it, he pulled out the black shirt and
started to hand it to her.
"I'm not taking your only clean shirt. What would you wear tomorrow, the
wet one?"
"It might be dry by then," he said, returning to his previous
position on
the bed.
"Come on, Skywalker. I'll be fine in this," she said, undoing the
belt and
dropping it next to her boots.
"No, here, use this one." Mara turned just in time to see him
remove his
shirt and toss it at her.
"What are you doing?" She asked, shocked to see him sitting there
without
anything covering his chest.
"Don't worry about it, Mara," he said, getting back under the
blankets. "I
will sleep better without it. I hate sleeping in a shirt anyway."
"Then why did you have it?"
"Just in case. Sometimes it's not appropriate to sleep so . freely."
Mara snorted and walked into the refresher again.
Luke squinted his eyes when Mara opened the refresher door, until she turned
out the lights. She exited holding her pile of clothes, clad only in his
loose shirt, her hair loose around her shoulders. She walked to the bed,
dropped her clothes on her bag, and climbed into her bed.
"Goodnight, Skywalker."
"Night, Jade." Luke pulled the blanket up around his shoulders and
took a
deep breath, trying to keep his emotions under control. He was upset that
he had let his emotions jump all over the place the way they had been doing
over the past few days. He pulled the necklace out of his pocket to gaze at
the only belonging of Arielle's he had kept over the years. He could not
believe that after all the time that had passed, seeing it could still
affect him so much. Taking another deep breath, he closed his hand around
the necklace and he tried to get comfortable enough to fall asleep. Pushing
the feelings deep down where they normally stayed.
"You are not helping, you know." He heard Mara state from her bed.
"The
reason you are still having so many problems with it is because you will not
let yourself deal with it."
Luke sighed and turned over so he could see her face. "Mara, if it has
not
gotten easier after all this time, I doubt it ever will."
"How do you know that?" Mara asked, propping herself up on her
elbow. "Have
you ever given yourself the chance to deal with it?"
"Deal with what?" he asked, his voice rising slightly. "How do
I deal with
the fact that I stood there and watched my family get murdered and did
nothing to save them?"
"What could you have done?" Mara asked.
"Something, anything," he said, rubbing his face with both hands,
the old
frustration starting to burn his insides again.
"You have said, many times, how hard it was to deal with the death of
your
aunt and uncle, and all your friends you lost during the war."
"Your point is?"
"That you were able to deal with their deaths. Why is this so different?"
"Because," he said, wondering why he was even taking the time to
explain it.
"I was not in a position to prevent the others. I didn't do anything to
save them, Mara. I did not move, yell, anything. When I saw her with the
blaster I froze. I couldn't move. I keep thinking that if I had moved, or
spoke, they would be alive."
"Luke, you were just a kid," she told him, sounding shocked at his
statement.
"But they were still my responsibility!" he exclaimed, sitting up
in bed.
He felt like he was going to explode with all the emotion that was flowing
through him at that moment. "Don't you see? If I had been stronger, less
afraid, they would not be dead. This is my fault. I should have been able
to save them."
"You can't save everyone, Jedi," she shouted at him.
Luke took a deep breath, running his hands over his face again. He fought
to get his emotions under control again. "You know what, Mara," he
said a
few moments later. "I will do everything in my power, to save as many
people as I can."
"Saving all those people Luke, it won't bring your family back."
"I know," he said, knowing she was right, but still wanting her to
understand what he felt. "But maybe, one day, it will help me get over the
guilt."
Ok everyone, sorry for the long wait, it couldn't be helped, but I see that
you had plenty to keep you busy while I was away. Here is the next Chapter.
I hope you enjoy it.
Oh and btw sorry for any typos or anything. I am having Word problems so I
am trying to post this a different way (did that make since?)
Skywalker's Dream
In Memory Of.... Chapter 7
Disclaimer: Hummmm this is not mine, I do not assume to take credit. I
am making no money off it. Yada yada yada. It's just to stop the crazy
ideas bouncing around in my head. They were giving me a headache.
Thanks to Sherry and Jenn and Una for catching my absentminded mistakes.
For letting me bounce some unorthodox ideas around, and not making it hurt
when my ideas flew off the deep end LOL. A big shout out to Una. I can
literally say that this post would not have made it today without you.
Ok on with the story.
Oh now I guess I should put a summery up because it has been so long....
well ok quick recap.
Luke had a wife and kid and they are dead. His family and friends just
found out about it. Mara leaves on a mission and Luke goes after her. While
she is away she has a vision about Luke's dead wife. Then the Jade's fire
get messed up and they are waiting for repairs. While looking for a place
to stay the realize that they will have to share a room with two beds. (Got
to love that huh?)..... I think that is about it. Oh one more thing. The
last we saw the two they were preparing to sleep and Mara ends up having to
wear Luke's pajama top. (Got to love that too)
OK here we go!
Chapter Seven
Mara sat in the pilot's chair of the Jade's Fire. Looking around, she tried
to track down the cause of the uneasy feelings fluttering through her
senses. Looking to her right, she was not surprised to see the young blonde
suddenly sitting beside her.
"Arielle," she said, turning to look out the view port. "I was
wondering if
you would be back." With the arrival of the deceased Tatooine native, she
knew for sure she was dreaming again, and this time she planned to get
answers.
The girl beside her just smiled, resting her slender hands on the arm of her
chair. "Are you surprised?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with the
question.
"Well, yes," Mara admitted. "After that first dream, and you
never returned,
I began to wonder if it was, in fact, just a dream."
Arielle sat forward and Mara found her pensive gaze a bit unsettling. Soon
the blonde girl sat back in her chair, her smile never faltering.
"Why," she
inquired, "Do you think you would be dreaming about your friend's dead
wife?"
Mara took her time answering the question that had caused her a few uneasy
moments over the past few days. "The first time," she continued, with
confidence. "I would say it was because I had just learned about you."
"Then what about this time?"
Mara thought about that for a few more moments. "If I had to guess? I
would
say because of his reaction to finding your necklace tonight."
"What do you mean?" she asked, the shine in her eyes dimmed being
replaced
by a hint of worry.
"He ran across something of yours this evening, and it upset him greatly."
"You said he found my necklace?" She asked, her hand going to her
neck as if
just realizing it was not there.
"Yes, he had it hidden away, and forgot where he put it. You know, if I
didn
't know any better, I would have thought that your death only occurred a
short while ago. His pain seems much closer to the surface then it should be
after all these years."
"I think you already know the answer to the question you have there?"
"What question?" Mara asked.
"Your comment suggested you wondered why he was still hurting so badly.
Do
you have any idea why?"
Mara rolled her eyes. "Yes, you have definitely spent time with
Skywalker,"
she stated, running a hand through her hair. "You even sound like
him." Mara
sat forward until her face was mere inches from Arielle. "Look, I have to
deal enough with him telling me that I need to open myself to other
situations and methods of observations. I really don't need someone invading
my sleep to try and get me to do the same thing."
"Then what would you like? Is there anything you would like from me?"
"Oh yes, definitely. I want you to solve the puzzle," Mara told
her, sitting
back in her chair.
"What puzzle would that be?"
Mara spread her hands out in front of her. "The one sitting in front of
me,"
she told her, then rested her hands in her lap.
"You want to know my story?" Arielle asked, with a look of doubt
crossing
her face.
"Well, you obviously know Luke's reluctance in talking about it. And you
are
the only other one with the information I seek."
"Just tell me, Mara. Why do you want to know?"
Mara sat up straighter at her question. "Because he is my friend,"
she
answered almost instantly. "He has been there for me more times then I care
to count. I see the pain he has been suffering though all these years. Now
that I know the reason, I want to help."
Arielle took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "One day Mara, I hope
you
realize how much your friendship has already helped him. Luke needs his
friends. He is very important, and he has a great destiny in store for
him."
"He has already done so much," Mara stated.
"He has done some great things, but the Force is not done with him. He
is a
genuine child of the Force. He will accomplish many things . this has been
known since before he was born."
"What are you trying to say?" Mara said, suddenly feeling bad for
the Jedi
Master. He deserved a normal life, not more of the pain he seemed to get
when it came to the Force.
"I was wrong," the young lady stated. "The last time I talked
to you, I did
not tell you the whole truth and I need to set the record straight."
"About what?"
"I think it's best that I start at the beginning. I have found out a
great
many things that others should know about. I would like to explain them to
you, if you don't mind."
"By all means," Mara said, her interest peaked.
"I had the potential, as you have already figured out," she began,
shifting
to a more comfortable position. "However, I was untrained, unaware, just as
Luke was." She shook her head to clear it. "I am getting ahead of
myself.
Let me tell you what I know. I never knew my parents, and their names were
kept from me. You see, my parents where killed when I was born. I have been
told that the birth was greatly anticipated by the Masters of that time,
because it marked the next piece of the future of the Jedi. They knew then
what their fate was, and they were already looking to what the future held
for them. It was known then, the asset Luke would be. He, by that time, had
already been safely tucked away in some corner of the galaxy. Only one man
knew where he could be found. The council thought it was better that way.
What they did not plan on was part of their plan being discovered.
"There was a raid on the Temple the day I was born, that ended with the
destruction of the med center. Everyone that lived through the raid thought
that all left inside the temple had perished. However, one man risked his
life to save the child born that day. He dodged the fighting and slipped
into the nursery where a baby could be heard. He ran with the baby, having
no choice now but to flee, for now the plan was in motion. I was that child.
I was placed in the care of a childhood friend to be raised, also not
knowing my history. The whole thing had been planned, even to the age when
Luke and I would meet. Everything went just as it should. Luke and I met,
and we had a child. It wasn't until I was killed that Obi Wan found out that
he had made a terrible mistake. From what I can find out there were two
girls born that day. And when Obi Wan grabbed me.he grabbed the wrong
child."
"Two? The wrong child? What happened to the other child?"
"She was thought to have been killed in the raid. Obi Wan continued for
years without knowing that the mistake had been made. Then, when he watched
the carefully crafted plan fall apart with my death, there was nothing left
to do but to hope for the best. It wasn't until right before his own death
that Obi Wan found out the truth. He sensed her, the second child, in the
hands of his enemy, and tried to call out to her."
"What happened?" Mara asked.
"She didn't notice."
"Why are you telling me all this?" Mara suddenly asked. Her
thoughts were
tumbling all over themselves, and she was doing the best she could to sort
out everything she was being told here. "Well, besides the fact that I
asked, but you did not have to tell me."
"I found all this out, and I planned to tell Luke. He has been kept in
the
dark about so many things in his life. I think it's about time he found some
of the answers he seeks. When he discovers these details, I am sure he will
find his life a little more . enjoyable."
"So, why didn't Obi Wan or Yoda tell him? Why was all this kept secret
from
him?"
Arielle suddenly sat up in her chair, glancing around.
"What's wrong?" Mara asked, knowing the look of worry that suddenly
surfaced
on the others face.
"Did you feel that?" Arielle asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"What?" Mara asked, then sat silently, trying to figure out what it
was that
had alarmed the woman sitting next to her. She reached out around her,
feeling Luke nearby. Her gaze went unfocused as she concentrated on Luke's
presence, a smile going unnoticed on her face.
"What is it?" Arielle asked, looking intently at Mara.
"Luke's here," she told the girl, sounding distracted. "He's
looking for
me." Her smile turned into a frown. "Something's not right. He's
upset."
"I should be going then," Arielle decided, standing up and facing
Mara. "I
don't want to be the reason he's unhappy."
"You want to see him, don't you?" Mara asked, turning back to the
girl, but
still feeling Luke's troubled mind.
"Yes, but I want him happy more. I have a question for you now, Mara Jade."
"And what is that?" Mara questioned, wondering what this girl would
want to
know about her. Up until now, she had asked no question about Mara
personally.
"How is it that you can sense him so easily?"
The question startled Mara. It was a question that she knew people often
wondered when it came to her and Skywalker. "Maybe because we're friends.
We
have always been able to feel each other when the other is near. But right
now? It is so strong because we are asleep in the same room."
"What?" Arielle asked, dropping back into the chair.
Mara had the pleasure of seeing her shocked expression and she did little to
hide the smirk that appeared on her face. "We ended up having to share a
hotel room. There is nothing to worry about."
Arielle took a breath and relaxed. She shook her head. "It's not that
there
is something between you two that worries me, quite the opposite. It's that
there is nothing going on that bothers me," she said sadly.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Mara demanded. Every time she
thought she
had this vision figured out, this girl threw in another loop. Was she
implying that she WANTED something between her and the Jedi? Her words
hinted at that, but her voice told a different story, and it proved to
totally confuse her.
"Those are answers for another time," Arielle told her, standing
again.
"Right now Luke needs you."
Mara took a deep breath, knowing that getting angry with a Force vision was
no way to get answers, and just a good way to make her visit end sooner.
Taking another deep breath, she felt herself relax enough to ask another
question that had been bothering her. "Have you been watching him all these
years?" she asked.
"Yes," Arielle admitted, her face shinning. "Some say it has
become an
obsession of mine. I have been waiting for him to get through this, so I
could talk to him. There have been so many times that I have wanted to call
out to him, but every time I do, he reacts badly. It is all still very
painful to him."
"But I don't understand. If he will not listen to you, why not send
someone
else?" Once again, she felt there was a lot she was not being told here,
and
she could feel the frustration building.
"There is much you do not understand, Mara. And many questions I am not
permitted to answer. I hope that some day, the entire truth will come out.
Now go, he needs you."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
--- Mara woke with a start, looking arounnd the room. For that moment, she
could not remember what had woken her. It was still dark in the room and she
guessed that she had only been asleep for a few hours. She sensed movement
next to her and could barely make out Luke, who was tossing in his bed. She
watched him for a moment, waiting for him to settle back into a restful
sleep, but instead he moaned softly. She quickly got out of bed and went to
him to get a better look. He was tangled in his sheets, his hair in total
disarray, and soaked in sweat. She touched his arm, softly calling out his
name. She jumped back in shock as he bolted upright, their heads almost
colliding. He sat there looking around the room, looking completely awake.
His hands were trembling, and he seemed confused. She scooted closer to
touch his arm again.
"Are you alright?" she asked softly.
He gaze seemed to go right through her, then he ran his trembling hands
across his face. Mara lightly touched his leg hoping to help calm him.
"Don't," he snapped, tucking his legs under him. "Just leave me alone."
"Luke, it's alright, it's just me," she said, hesitating when she
thought
about reaching out to him again.
He shook his head, his breathing still shallow. He let himself fall back
onto his pillows and rubbed his eyes.
"Luke, what is wrong with you, talk to me. I'm only trying to help."
Luke started to sit up, the slumped back again against his pillow and turned
his head away from her. She scooted beside him and brushed some of the hair
out of his eyes. He was still trembling, so she started to pull the blanket
back up to cover him. He surprised her by turning back to face her. He
looked at her with a haunted gaze, looking at her but not quite seeing her.
"Luke," she called to him, hoping to get a reaction. She had never
seen
anyone in this state before. Never had she seen someone so unresponsive
after a dream. She could only guess what that dream had been about, but what
she needed to do now was to help her friend, as he had done so many times
for her.
She scooted down to where she was laying beside him and he instantly buried
his head in her neck. She pulled the blanket up to cover both of them and
gently stroked his shoulder. His breathing slowly returned to normal, and
the trembling soon subsided.
Luke turned his head to look at her and it was as if he had just realized
she was there. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before speaking.
"Thank you, Mara," he whispered. "I am sorry you had to see
that."
"Are you kidding?" she asked, concern overriding her normally
sarcastic
tone. "I could not imagine waking up like that to an empty room."
Luke laughed slightly and hugged her closer. "And everyone thinks I do
those
morning runs because I think they're fun."
Mara watched as Luke once again closed his eyes and she found herself
stroking his hair, smoothing it back away from his face. Memories of her
latest dream flowed in her mind, and she began to wonder if she could
believe what she thought this girl was trying to tell her. Deciding there
was nothing else she could do about it, she relaxed into Luke's warm embrace
and felt sleep overtaking her once again.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----
---- Mara stirred awake and attempted to orient herself to her surroundings.
The first thing that her still sleep foggy mind registered was the sense of
warmth that seemed to be concentrated along her right side. She felt
something brush her waist and smiled at the tingling sensation that washed
across her body. She snuggled closer to the warmth, letting herself swim in
the calmness surrounding her. She felt the feather touch again, her stomach
fluttering with the rhythmic movement across her bare skin. Her mind flagged
that thought and she froze. She realized she was lying in a bed with someone
whose hand was caressing her side.
She opened her eyes, and found herself staring into the peaceful still face
of Luke Skywalker. Her shocked threat dying on her lips when she noticed
that he was still sleeping. His hand moved again and she shivered in
response, pulling the blanket more snuggly around her shoulders. Mara
studied Skywalker's peaceful face and wondered what sort of dream he was
having. Was he dreaming of holding someone the way he was her right now? And
if so, who did he think he held in his arms? Mara sighed as the visitor of
her dreams resurfaced in her mind. Luke had known that feeling of security
and love once before. It would seem that he had spent the last few years
looking for it again, so he was most likely just remembering that happy
time.
Mara tried not to look too close at the feeling of sadness that she felt
over that thought. She had watched Luke struggle over the past few years,
and with this knew information about his past that he had revealed, she felt
she could understand his pain just a little more. He was a complicated
fellow, this Skywalker. Always full of surprises. He would make someone very
happy, who ever he decided to settle down with. The thoughts were cased away
when she felt Luke's hand resume its exploration of that patch of skin. His
hand continued to make lazy circles, causing Mara's breathing to quicken
slightly. She shifted, trying to get into a more comfortable position, but
careful enough not to disturb the person asleep beside her. She felt her
bare leg rub against his covered one, as her fingers brushed against his
bare chest. Her eyes followed her fingers as she ran them slowly across his
muscled chest. Her gaze traveled further down, as she took in their current
state of dress. She suddenly recalled how she had woken up to find the Jedi
in the grips of a terrible nightmare, and had rushed to his side despite the
fact that she was only clad in the top half of his sleep attire. She had
fallen asleep while helping him to relax, instead of returning to her own
bed.
It seemed that during the night, her shirt had failed to stay pulled down,
and the hem rested well above her waist. Leaving quite a revealing view for
Skywalker had he been awake to see it.
Mara finally woke up enough to realize the awkwardness of the situation. It
dawned on her how intimate their position would seem. She felt the color
rise to her cheeks as she thought about how close they were to each other.
Get a grip, Mara! She yelled to herself. You are thinking about Skywalker
here. You can be sure that he is not dreaming about you right now.
Moving with careful ease as to not wake him, Mara disengaged her limbs from
Luke's and eased out of bed. A few steps and she was again climbing back
into her own bed. Pulling the blankets up, she snuggled under them. Turning
to her side, she propped her head on her pillow. Letting her gaze drift
around the room, she finally rested it on the peaceful face of the Farmboy.
She wondered at the feeling of loneliness that seemed to roll over her.
Pushing the thoughts aside, she settled down to sleep. Her hand rested on
her side, covering the area where Luke's hand had been. Her last thought
before dosing off, was the feel of Luke's hands as he had unknowingly
reached out to her in the night.
Ok that's it for this post what did you think?
Skywalkers Dream
I was going to wait until I had more of Chapter Nine done before posting
this, but I got bored. So I will go ahead and post it now. Sorry again
about it taking so long to post this chapter. With the move and everything,
it was really hard to find down time to write. But here it is.
Skywalker's Dream
Disclaimer: None of this is mine, I make no money off of this. I just have
too much time on my hands.
Summery: Ok lets see a quick overview. Luke's family finds out that he
was once married and had a child while still in his teens. Both of them
were died a violent death. While trying to coup, Luke finds out that Mara
has turned up missing and runs off to find her. During the rescue they
realize that Mara's ship has been damaged. They are stranded on the planet,
during the local festival, until the ship can be repaired. Being that so
many people have flooded to the town for the festivities, they are required
to share a room. When we last saw the two, Mara had spent the night helping
Luke through a very emotional dream.
OK I think that is a decent quick summery. That should help everyone
remember where we were the last time I posted :)
In Memory Of.....
Chapter 8
Luke stood, still clad only in his sleep pants, gazing out the hotel room
window, sipping his caf. He had an unobstructed view of the rising sun that
had just appeared over the distant horizon. The sky was a mix of colors,
starting at the brightest yellow of the sun itself to the deepest purple and
blue as the rays stretched across the sleeping sky.
He had not been up for long. Having woke up feeling strangely refreshed, he
had not been able to lie in bed. He got up as quietly as he could, as not
to wake the person in the other bed. Thinking of Mara, he turned so he
could look at her. She was laying on her back with her arms draped lightly
across her stomach.
Luke had a strange sensation settle in his gut like there was something
that he had forgotten and felt he really should remember. Maybe something
that had happened while he was sleeping. The Jedi Master concentrated and
was able to receive a few images, but nothing that made any sense. He could
feel that he had another nightmare and he remembered Mara sitting on the
edge of his bed. He also recalled another dream he had. The color rose to
his cheeks as everything came back to him. He had thought he was laying
next to Mara, holding her closely, and was disappointed when he opened his
eyes to find her in her own bed. He tried not to think about that too much
or the feeling of wanting that had remained after he woke up.
Luke turned his thoughts towards himself. He realized, when he woke up this
morning that his moping around had reached the excessive stage again. And
this time it was over something that happened in another lifetime. Sure, he
had loved her, but it was time to move on. He was sure of that now.
However, it was what he was to do next that remained lost to him. Could he
continue in the way his life had been leading him, or should he search out
whatever it was that always seemed to remain out of his reach. He did not
mind at all helping a friend when the need arose. However, he knew there
was more to life then always running to the rescue. He was not about to
give up to the notion that he was not meant to be alone. He figured that if
he were meant to be alone then he would not crave the companionship so
strongly.
His thoughts traveled to his and Mara's present situation. It could be a
shinning example of their friendship. Not quite comfortable, but nowhere
near unwanted. From his point of view, the relationship was strained, but
from Mara's, it was one of the very few friendships she had. Looking
closely at the situation, Luke realized just how easy it was for him to
convince her of the necessity of them sharing a room. He knew that the only
other person she would have permitted herself to arrive in this arrangement
would be Talon. However, had it been someone like Wedge, Mara would have
shot him for suggesting it.
As if sensing her presence in his thoughts, Mara stretched and slowly opened
her eyes. She looked at Luke standing at the window and returned his smile.
She rose from her bed, and disappeared into the fresher with her bag in
hand. Returning only after she had dressed.
"Mara, how did you sleep last night?" Luke asked, as she sat on the
edge of
bed, pulling her boots on.
"Sporadically," she said with a smile. "You are a loud dreamer."
Luke returned her smile. "I was sitting here trying to figure out what
happened last night."
"You had a nightmare," she said standing up and attaching her
lightsaber to
her belt.
"I hate when I get so caught up in a dream and I never fully wake
up," he
said, dropping him in a chair at the table. "I am sorry if I was a bother
last night."
"Do you get dreams like that a lot?" she asked.
"Not that bad, no. Not very often."
"What are they about?" she asked, sitting at the table with him.
He thought about telling her. Tell her that since everyone had found out he
has had dreams about Arielle's death. Then figured he would then have to
tell her about everything else. "I don't want to talk about it," he
told
her instead.
"Well, Ok. Are you hungry? . Wait I don't need to ask that question.
I'll
go get breakfast."
"I can get it," Luke said, starting to stand.
"And so can I," she informed him, placing a hand on his shoulder
preventing
him from standing. "I am already dressed so I will go."
Luke was suddenly aware of his state of dress. He suppressed the urge to
try to cover himself, it would look pretty foolish after sitting and talking
to her for so long. If Mara noticed his discomfort, she did not show it.
Luke waited for Mara to leave before sitting down at the com. He had been
out of touch for a few days and new it was time to check in. He logged into
his message box and scrolled through the messages. He smiled when he saw
the numerous ones from Leia and Han. At the bottom of the list, he spotted
a message that had just arrived in the past day. It was a message from
Arielle's parents. It read:
Luke,
We haven't heard from you since you left. We are hoping that everything is
fine. Tom noticed NR ships in the area just as you left and found out they
were searching for you. No one ever came by to talk to us. Therefore, we
figured that they did not know that they should have. I thought you said
you were going to have a talk with your sister. It is not healthy for you
not to tell them. Contact us when you get this, we are worried. In
addition, when you do decide to tell them we would love for you to bring
them for a visit. We will always consider you as a member of our family,
and we would like the rest of your family to know that as well.
Morgan
Luke sent Arielle's parents a quick note telling them that he was fine, not
to worry, and he would get in contact when he got back to Coruscant. He was
smiling when he closed down the terminal. Then turning it back on, he
dialed up Leia's number. The face of his best friend greeted him almost
instantly.
"Luke! Great to see you, Kid. Everything alright?" Han inquired,
smiling
at the screen.
Luke couldn't help but return the smile. Han's good humor was always very
contagious. "Everything's fine Han," he told him, picking up a napkin
that
had fallen on the floor by his feet. "I figured Leia would be anxious to
hear from me so I decided to check in."
"She has been climbing the walls since you left. Mara alright?"
"She's fine. They did a little damage to the <I>Fire</I>, so
I will be
sticking around until she is underway."
"I bet Karrde is happy to hear that you got her out. He seemed really
upset
that you stormed out the way you did."
"But everything worked out," Luke said, not quite able to keep the
defensiveness out of his voice.
"Yes it did, this time." He noticed the now expected look of worry
cross
his friends face, and watched it disappear just as quickly.
"Han," Luke warned, the last thing he wanted was a lecture. His
friends
have been doing that on and off over the years, but it was getting stifling
this time. He was tired of being treated like he was going to break.
<I>The first thing you have to do,</I> he thought to himself,
<I>is stop
acting like it and maybe they will stop treating you that way.</I>
"Ok, I understand," Han said, worry now showing clearly on the
familiar
face.
"I'm fine now, Han. Is Leia around?" It was time to change the
subject.
Not that talking to Leia would lighten the conversation any, but maybe she
would have her mind set on different things and not feel the need to lecture
him.
"No, she stepped out, but she should be back in a little while."
Just as he
said that, Mara walked into the room.
"Well, I will try and call her back a little later," he told Han,
while
glancing over at the smirking Mara.
"She will be disappointed that she missed your call."
"Tell her that I will call back." He cut the transmission and stood
up.
Mara stood facing him.
"Ahhh that is so sweet," she teased. "Checking in with your babysitter?"
"Haha Mara," he said, feeling her good mood almost as well as he
could feel
his.
"Well why did you call her?" she asked, smiling widely.
"Are you saying that you didn't send a message to Karrde?" Luke
asked. He
knew she was teasing and he was not about to back down this time.
"Different story," she said with a flick of her wrist.
"Sure it is," he said, as Mara walked passed him. She dropped one
of the
three bags she was carrying on the table and the other two she tossed on the
bed.
"Chow down, Farmboy."
"What did you get?" he asked, while pulling stuff out of the bag.
"Enough for even you, I suspect," she said, and he could not help
but laugh.
"So what do you want to do today?" She asked.
"Well first I want to check on the <I>Fire,</I>" he
told her. "After that I
have no clue."
"We could check out that festival," Mara asked, her voice less then
enthusiastic.
"Not a good idea for two people on the run," he told her,
separating the
food in two and sitting hers across from him.
"Good point," she said, sitting down. "I wouldn't have much
fun. From what
I can see, there is not much else to do around here."
They were silent for a few moments before Luke brought up the subject that
had been nagging at him since she came in the door.
"So not to pry," he asked, pointing to the bags. "What else did you get?"
"I picked up some clothes for myself," she told him, glancing at
the bags
also.
"Well that's a good idea." He continued eating then stopped and
looked at
her. "Just curious, Mara, but where did you get the money for that? When
you said they took everything, I assumed you meant your money also. I would
think that drawing from your account while we are still stranded on planet
might not be the best way to stay hidden."
"You should know me better then that, Jedi," she shot at him, and
then took
another bite of her food. "They did take all my spare money. I found
access to some money that the locals forgot or never even knew about."
"Mara, you did not steal from these people did you?" he asked, but
knowing
that Mara would never deliberately try and hurt these people for no reason.
"It's not what you think," she explained. "It seems there is a
small
abandoned Imperial Stronghold not far from here. I was still able to use my
old codes to withdrawal from some of the old accounts. There was not much
there, but enough to get me some clothes."
"So you are stealing from the Empire," he said, unable to keep the
faint
smile off his face.
"Oh get off it, Skywalker. They don't even know it's here. And I was not
about to spend the next few days wearing this!" she said, indicating the
oversized blue flight suit she was wearing. "It's no big deal."
"Why? I think you look good in that mass of blue material."
"Fine, you like it so much, you can wear it."
"I think I'll pass. An old imperial base huh?" He suddenly asked,
his eyes
sparkling.
Mara smiled at his reaction. "We could go check it out?"
"It sounds interesting," he said, finishing the last of his food.
He stood
and dropped his trash in the garbage collector. "Well, while you are
cleaning up, I am going to look around a bit. Meet up with me later?"
"Sure."
---
Mara approached the hanger. She could feel Skywalker close by, but she
could not see him anywhere. Finally deciding that he would show himself
when he was ready, she walked into the hanger. As she entered, the mechanic
she spoke to the previous day approached her in greeting.
"Welcome, Ma'am. How can I be of service?" He asked, wiping his
clean hands
on an old cloth.
"I came to check on my ship. How's it coming?"
"It's is coming along nicely," he said, looking back at the
<I>Jade's
Fire</I> sitting in the middle of the hanger. "Trust me that we are
working
as fast as we can, just as I said. My men are pulling double shifts. We
should have her flying again in three or four more days."
Mara could feel something not right, but before she could put a finger on
it, she pinpointed Luke's presence. He was standing directly behind her.
She knew that he had revealed himself to her first to not startle her, so
she did not flinch when he suddenly spoke. The same could not be said for
the man standing across from her.
"It's not a very wise thing to lie," Luke said, his voice deep and powerful.
"I do not lie," the mechanic said, standing up straighter as he
addressed
the newcomer. "We are working as hard as we can."
Luke's eyes narrowed. Mara could sense that it took a lot for Luke to keep
up the tough look and not just start laughing. He was enjoying himself, she
realized. "Do you have any idea who you are dealing with?" He
demanded, his
voice booming across the entire area.
"You . you are Luke Skywalker?"
Luke simply nodded.
"Sir," the mechanic said, panic raising his voice. "I do not
lie. We are
working as hard as we can. The ship will be flying again in four days."
"Wrong answer," Luke stated, stepping around Mara to stand in front
of the
man he was speaking to.
"Three days?" the young man squawked.
"Try again," Luke told him, their faces mere inches apart.
"OK I might be able to get it done in two. But that is the best I can do."
"I have been inside the ship and seen the work you have left to do. With
a
minimal of three people, you could have the job done in eight hours. Now I
understand that we may not be your only customers," Luke said indicating
the
otherwise empty hanger, "But I am sure you can make an exception in this
case. We will be back tomorrow morning. I expect the work to be completed
by then."
Mara followed Luke as he turned and walked out the door. It wasn't until
they were down the street and out of sight of the hanger that he started
laughing.
"What got into you back there?" Mara asked, struggling to keep her
own
laughter from getting loose.
"I had been watching him. He just sent some people home against their
wishes telling them that they had to take their time working on your ship.
I decided that he needed to be taught not to take advantage of stranded
travelers."
"Oh? But you seemed to enjoy that," she said, finding that she
enjoyed
seeing him so relaxed.
"It was fun. I sometimes forget what that name can do to people. Come
on."
He extended his arm to her. "Shall we?"
"An old abandoned building? You have a way with women, Jedi."
He only smiled as he led her away.
----
Mara heaved herself up securing herself on the next hand and foot holds she
found on the wall, and glanced down. Luke had not moved, he stood leaning
up against the wall with his arms folded across his chest.
"What are you doing?" She called down to him.
"Enjoying the view," he called back and began to laugh. Mara also
began to
laugh then had to catch herself as she lost her footing.
"Would you just get up here?" she shot down to him, feeling a bit
frustrated. He was the one that wanted to take a look at this old building,
now he did not seem to want to do any work to get to it. "I'm not going to
wait for you once I get top the ledge."
"I'll be waiting for you at the top," he announced.
"You think so?"
"Sure," he said, not seeming to see the absurdity of his statement.
"Without using the Force?" she challenged.
"Without using the Force," he agreed.
"I would like to see that."
He smiled and glanced around. Taking a few steps forward, he jumped up and
flipped backwards, landing solidly on the wall he had just been leaning on.
Running lightly across the wall, he leaped up and across to land on the
balcony just above him. He proceeded to climb onto the rail and used his
legs to propel him up and onto the roof. He nimbly worked his way across
the uneven roof. Suddenly sliding, he dropped down to the landing Mara was
just reaching up to climb upon. He reached down and grabbed her arm,
pulling her up onto the balcony next to him.
"I'm impressed," Mara admitted. "You enjoy yourself?"
"Immensely," he announced, wiping a line of sweat from his forehead.
"Glad to see you are doing that more often," she said, noticing the
gleam he
had in his eyes since she had woke up and found him staring at her. He
seemed not to be upset over the dreams he had. In fact, she would almost
say that they had helped him. If not the dreams, then something had
happened. Whatever it was, she was glad to see him doing better.
"Your suggestion," he told her. "If I remember right, you told
me to get
things together and loosen up a bit."
"I did. I don't remember saying that."
"Well it sounds like something you would have said. I must have thought
that one up on my own this time." He joked with her.
"You are making up things you thought I said. I think you have finally
lost
it." She shook her head at the Jedi.
"Naw. I lost it a long time ago. I am just beginning to find it again.
Let's go, this is our way in." They proceeded to pull a few loose boards
out of the way and entered the long abandoned building.
It was short work getting a space big enough for them to squeeze through.
Luke went first and held the boards for Mara. As Mara worked her way
through the gap, the older boards started to give way. Luke pulled her
through just as they all gave way and came crashing down. As the dust
started to clear, he reached out and held her hand as she stood up.
"Are you alright?" Luke asked, as she dusted herself off.
"Sure, I'm fine," she assured him. "See not a scratch." He smiled at her.
"What has gotten into you today, Jedi," she asked him. His mood was
contagious and she found herself unable to keep the smile off her face.
"Me? Nothing," he said, looking away. "Why do you ask?"
"You just seem so . unlike yourself," she told him. He seemed in a
very
good mood, but she could feel he was keeping something from her.
"Are you complaining?" he asked, locking eyes with her.
"Not at all." She wanted to turn away from his intense gaze. She
felt the
need to move, but her body was not honoring the wishes of her mind at that
moment. She could not explain why she suddenly felt anxious, why her heart
started beating faster. She suddenly knew, though, that something was about
to change.
Luke stood still, not daring to move, as he studied the woman standing in
front of him. His dream suddenly came back to him. He had been with Mara
in that dream. They were sitting on a couch, watching some holovid, and had
relaxed into each other's arms. The dream itself was not that disturbing,
but when he woke up to find that she remained in her own bed, he had felt
lost and alone. For some reason he expected her to be close to him when he
opened his eyes. He wanted nothing more then to get up, go over to her, and
hold her for the rest of the night.
Realizing that he was staring, he tried to look away, but he couldn't. He
wanted to study her face, to memorize every feature. Looking at her now, he
knew he was able to see a side of her that no one ever saw. Every now and
then, she gave him a glimpse at the person she was always trying to hide
from everyone else. He had never told her, but he felt honored that she
would feel even that close to him.
"What is it, Luke?" Mara asked.
Luke stood holding Mara's forearms. Afraid not to move, but afraid to let
go. He knew she was waiting for him to explain himself. Figuring it was
now or never, he decided it was time to tell her.
"I was just thinking that's all."
"About what?" she asked, the corner of her mouth turning up slightly.
"You," he whispered. He tried to control the intense mix of
emotions that
were threatening to burst forth. The last thing he wanted was to scare her
away.
"What are you thinking?"
"I have been doing a lot of thinking today." He took a deep breath
and
plunged forward. "Look Mara, I know that this may not sound right, but I
need to say it. I know I have been acting like a jerk lately, and I'm
sorry." He looked away from her. Truly embarrassed over the way he had
been acting.
"Luke, you were acting like everyone would have expected you to act."
"Yes, if she had just died recently. She died when I was sixteen!"
he told
her. "That was a very long time ago. I am over it. I have been for a long
time. I just never let myself admit it. I have had relationships since
then. I think the hardest part was letting everyone else know about it. I
am tired of being depressed."
"So what now?" Mara asked.
"I get on with my life," he said, locking his gaze with hers.
"And now I
know what I want."
"What do you want?" she asked.
Bracing himself, knowing she could react to this in two very different ways,
he took her face in his hands, drew her close, and kissed her softly on the
lips. When she did not pull away, he relaxed, brushing his lips against
hers once again, enjoying the sensation of her soft lips on his. Her hands
traveled up his back and rested around his neck. Deciding it was now or
never, he opened himself to her, letting her feel, through the Force, all
his pent up feelings for her.
He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Unable to
believe that she had not pushed him away, and shot him for what he was
doing. When she initiated the next kiss, all thoughts on his part,
scattered.
When they finally parted, it was for lack of air more then either wanting to
stop. He stood looking at her, and felt relief wash over him when she
looked up at him and smiled.
"Well I have to say, when you know what you want you don't waste any
time do
you."
"Well, yeah, I . uh . I'm."
"No, don't," she told him, placing a finger over his lips.
"Don't
apologize. You have no reason to."
"Are you upset?"
"You would know if I was." She looks around. "So now what?"
"Now? What do you mean?"
"Was that all you wanted? Just to kiss me?" He looked in her eyes,
and
thought he saw worry in them. He wondered what part was bothering her. Was
she worried that he would want more, or could he hope that she was worried
that he didn't?
"I want you, Mara. I have for a long time, I think. I have been looking
for the one person that could fill that void in my life. I never realized
that she was standing in front of me the entire time. I am not sure when my
feelings for you changed, I just know they did."
Mara did not say anything right away, and Luke could feel the mix of
emotions churning inside of her. He held his breath, waiting for her
reaction. He watched as she ran her thumb across her lips, and then looked
up at him.
"I think we should go. We have some talking we need to do. I would
prefer
to be somewhere a bit more comfortable then inside this drafty building."
"Yeah?" he asked, concerned that he had made a mistake after all.
"No need to worry, Skywalker, well nothing more than usual anyway."
She leaned close and kissed him again, melting all the tension of the last
few minutes away. "Let's get out of here."
"Ok, sure," Luke said, looking at the mess that was once their way
in.
"Give me a second to cut our way back out of here."
"I'll leave that one up to you."
As Luke worked, Mara started looking around the room. Scanning the shelves,
her hand rested on a tattered box. Pulling it out she shifted through the
data cards. They were all old and faded. Most were discolored to the point
that she could not even read the labels. She spotted one and took it out of
the box. The label read, Jade Experiment. She took the data disk and stuck
it in her pocket. She then went and stood next to Luke just as he cut his
way through the wall to the outside. They stepped through and headed back
to the hotel.
________________________________________
Ok well that's all for now. What do you think?
Ok I am now happy with the way this turned out. I am
looking forward to your thoughts on this story. I
guess since it has been close to two months since I
posted any of this I should do a summery. Don't
laugh, I always think these sound so silly.
Luke informs his family about a secret he kept about
is life on Tatoonie. He never told them that he was
once married with a child who both died before he left
the planet. Meanwhile Mara had been having dreams of
Arielle, Luke's dead wife, visiting her. Mara,
feeling she would be fine, left for a job alone, only
to be captured. Once Luke found out about it he
rushed after her. Once she was free they discovered
that they had sabotaged the Jade's Fire and they were
stuck on planet until it was fixed. In an attempt to
relieve their bordom, Mara and Luke went to explore an
old abandoned Imperial Base, where Mara not only
discovered that Luke also had feelings for her, but
found a data card that she thought might have
something on it about her.
Ok well that about sums it up. LOL
Chapter 9
Luke crept softly into the hotel room. Looking
around, he breathed a sigh of relief. He was
satisfied to see that nothing had changed. Everything
in the room was exactly the way they left it. So far,
they had been lucky that they had not been found. It
had been a few days since he had helped Mara escape,
and they had not heard a peep from her capturers. He
hoped that meant they were not looking for them, but
he would rather be safe than sorry. So he tried to
keep a close eye on the changes going on around him.
"Mara, you in here?" he called out. He did not see
her, but he could feel that she was near.
"Yeah, I'll be out in a second," came the muffled call
from behind the closed refresher door.
"I was wondering where you took off to," he called
back, placing the bag he was carrying on the table and
emptying it of its contents. "I turned around and you
were gone."
"You had food on your mind again," she told him, humor
evident in her voice. "I just wonder how long it was,
after I left, that you noticed I had gone."
"Haha, Mara. Maybe we should have splurged and picked
up something to take with us to eat. Then my stomach
would not have growled the whole walk back."
"At least I know what was on your mind then," she
said, emerging from the refresher with a smirk.
Luke busied himself with the things on the table to
hide his blush. He did not want to tell her that he
tried the whole way back to keep his mind off the
memory of the kiss they had shared. Kissing her was
something that he had wondered about quite a few times
lately. He tried the entire way back to the hotel not
to think about the intense emotions they had stirred
up.
"Thinking about food kept my mind busy," he told her
instead.
"And what is it you were keeping your mind occupied
for?" She asked, taking his shoulder and turning him
around.
Luke looked deep into her eyes. There was no way to
hide the blush that rose in his cheeks this time.
Taking a deep breath, hoping what he was about to tell
her would come out right. That he could tell her
enough to satisfy her, but not offend her.
"Mara, I would not insult you by disclosing what
direction my incorporating mind wanted to travel," he
told her, only a hint of laughter in his voice. "But
food was the only thing that helped." <i>Well there
goes not telling her what you were thinking,
Skywalker!<i> He yelled at himself. Mara giggled.
"I heard that," she said, giggling more at the shocked
look that must have appeared on his face. "So what?
You are embarrassed by that?"
Luke took another a deep breath, determined not to
stick his foot in his mouth again. He was bound to
knock his teeth out if he did that much more.
"I just know that I sprung my feelings on you
suddenly. I would not dream of expecting anything
from you that you were not ready to offer."
"I would not offer anything I was not ready for Luke.
Don't forget that I can take care of myself.
Sometimes you are too much of a gentleman for your own
good." She looked at him, her smile turning
mischievous. "What a pity though," she said. "That
you tortured yourself so much when I was enjoying my
train of thought."
"You were thinking about me?" he blurted out. It was
still hard to believe that she could feel the same
about him that he felt for her.
"About a lot of you," she said, and then clamped her
hand over her mouth. They both blushed at her
admission. "That kiss affected me just as much as it
affected you," she finally forced out.
"Then why did you stop?" Luke asked, confused, his mix
of emotions growing more intense. When she had first
pulled away, he thought she had realized what she was
doing and wanted to get away. However, her last
statement told him that he might have been wrong about
that.
"For exactly the reason I said," she told him. "It
was a drafty old building, and I did not care to stay
there any longer."
"But you said we needed to talk," Luke reminded her.
He felt there was more that went on then what he was
seeing. He was curious as to what she was thinking,
but wanted desperately to not push her too far too
fast.
"Yes, I did didn't I?" Mara looked uncomfortable.
"There is something I need to tell you. And I think
that time should be now."
"What's wrong, Mara?" Luke gestured that they sit at
the table. She was obviously having a hard time with
whatever she wanted to tell him, and he wanted to help
her. "Mara, whatever it is, you can tell me. I never
want you to feel like I expect you to do something you
don't want to do."
"I know this, Skywalker," she snapped.
"Okay, because I just wanted to make sure you did," he
said, and hesitantly took hold of her hand. All this
was so new to him. He did not know what would be
crossing the line when it came to the woman sitting
across from him. "If you want to continue this or
not, I will understand. I will accept whatever you
decide." He paused, but when she did not say
anything, he plunged ahead. "I would wait as long as
I need to. I have been searching my whole life for
whatever it was that would complete it. I now know
that something was you. I feel like this was meant to
be."
"It was," Mara whispered. She wanted him to know what
she knew, but she did not want to upset him. She had
no idea how he was going to react.
"What was that?" Luke asked. The look in his eyes was
so concerned she wanted to do anything to get him
laughing again.
"Nothing important. So, what did you get to eat this
time?"
"Not exactly sure about all of it. I figured we could
try something different."
"Sounds good." She was happy he had taken the hint
and changed the subject. Studying her food, she
decided it at least looked edible, even a bit
familiar. Spearing a piece of the meat, she took the
bite and chewed it. "I have had this before," she
realized.
"It's pretty good. I like the cream."
"Just wait," Mara said with a smile. Slowly Luke's
eyes got wide until he jumped up from the table and
grabbed a glass of water.
"Oh, I guess I should have warned you," she said,
taking a bit of pleasure out of his discomfort. "It's
a little spicy."
Luke took another two gulps before answering her.
"Yeah, just a little bit. What is it called? I have
never had it before," he choked out.
"It's called Un'Agoloshii. It's dewback, with a cream
sauce. Nice and sweet, with that little spicy
aftertaste."
"Little?" Luke's eyes bulged at her understatement.
"It looks like this has extra cream sauce. It makes
it better. Well, you should probably take smaller
bites."
"I'll remember that," he said. "This is pretty good."
"I have always enjoyed it. So what's in the other
bag?"
"Dessert. One of my favorites," he said, smiling, but
offered no other explanation. They finished their
dinner with few distractions. After the dinner was
cleared away, Luke brought out the dessert dish. It
was a yellowish fruit, which had a claret middle, and
what looked like little white seeds throughout it.
Using the knife that was included in the bag, he cut
the fruit up into bite-sized pieces.
"What is this?" she asked, unsure of the strange
fruit.
"It's called Sher'Rygh. Leia got me hooked on it. I
think you will like it. Here try some." He took a
piece and held it up to her mouth. Smiling, she
slowly wrapped her lips around it. The fruit was
tangy, with a burst of sweet when she bit into the
seeds.
"Very good," she admitted. Taking a piece, she
mimicked Luke, and fed it to him. She watched as he
slowly chewed the succulent fruit. A small droplet of
juice ran down his chin. He reached for a napkin, but
she held his hand.
"I'll get it," she told him, reaching across and wiped
off the juice. They were both startled at her sudden
show of affection. She was shocked that she did it
without even thinking about it. Luke smiled, but did
not say anything. He reached across and grabbed the
last piece of fruit. Breaking it in two, they both
took a piece and ate it.
"Luke?" Mara asked, trying to settle the conflicting
feelings coursing through her at every thought.
"Yes?" Luke asked.
"What are we doing? I mean why now?" She was unsure
if she was getting her point across. She knew why she
decided to act now, or react, seeing how he made the
first move, but what she wanted to know was why he
decided to make it.
"Does it matter?" he asked, looking at her.
"I think it should. You have been my friend for a
very long time. Why would this happen now?"
"I am not sure about you, but I have always felt
strongly towards you," he told her, seeming to choose
his words carefully. She could probably guess what it
was that he was trying not to say, and she was glad.
She had not yet come to terms with the fact that they
had feelings for each other. She was not ready to
find out just how deep she suspected those feelings
ran. "But why now? What has changed?" <i>Were you
just waiting for me? <i> was the question she wanted
to ask.
"I'm not sure, Mara. I honestly don't know. Just
over the last few days, I have felt very close to you.
It all just sort of happened. I did not feel the
need to hold back from you in any way, and my feelings
for you just came to the surface." <i> Because I
stopped pushing you away,<i> Mara thought. It
saddened her to think that Luke would have opened up
to her a lot sooner if she had just lightened up.
"Mara, did I say something to upset you?" Luke asked.
Once interrupted from her thoughts she could feel that
Luke was monitoring her feelings. Not intruding any
further, but keeping a close eye on how she was
feeling.
"No, I was just thinking," she said, planting a smile
on her face. "Thank you for being so nice to me."
"It's easy to be nice to you, Mara." She had to laugh
at that one. It had to be the first time she had ever
been told she was easy to be nice to.
"Thank you." She walked over and kissed him lightly.
She felt his hands reach up and rest on her back,
caressing lightly. Not wanting to pull away, she
planted light kisses along his jaw. She felt his
hands go around her waist and did not protest when he
drew her into his lap. She drew back to get a look at
his face, and her heart swelled at the look of
happiness that showed there. His hands went to the
sides of her face, and drew her in for a kiss. He was
hesitant at first, and while she found it endearing,
she was not in the mood for it. Taking the
initiative, she deepened the kiss. She was greeted
with a soft moan in response.
Mara, who had her hands loose on her lap, slowly ran
them down his sides, releasing a shiver from him.
Taking this as a good sign, she worked her hands under
his shirt. He jumped when she encountered bare skin.
Massaging his tongue with hers, she continued to
caress his stomach and chest. Her body started to
tingle when Luke finally got the hint and began
exploring her neck with his mouth. His hands traveled
the length of her back, leaving a trail of fire where
ever he touched.
As if waking from a dream she slowly realized what she
was doing. Breathing heavily, she pulled back
slightly. Luke was looking at her with concern in his
eyes.
"What's wrong?" he whispered, and her heart almost
melted.
"Nothing's wrong, Luke. I had to stop now, before I
could not stop at all." Their heads touched, and they
sat like that for a moment, each trying to calm their
racing hearts.
Slowly Mara rose from his lap. Walking slowly, she
grabbed his sleeping shirt from her bag, and with a
smile, she disappeared into the refresher. She
quickly changed out of her clothes and into the
comfortable shirt that Luke had given her. She knew
that she could have bought herself something else to
sleep in, but even before she found out how Luke felt
about her, she wanted to make sure she was greeted
with the sight of his bare chest when she woke up
again. She could recall every move that he made this
morning, while they were talking, and she wanted to
see more of it.
Shaking herself from the exact state she had pulled
herself from a minute previous, she finished pulling
on the sleep shirt. She exited the refresher, pulling
the door closed behind her. Luke had changed into his
loose sleep pants while she was out of the room. He
was cleaning up the remainder of the dinner trash. He
turned to her, and she could feel the worry pouring
off him.
"Mara, I'm sorry. If I made you feel
uncomfortable..."
"You didn't, Luke," she tired to explain. "I was
enjoying myself as well, but I don't want to move too
fast. Can you understand that?"
"Of course I can," he told her, smiling. "You take as
much time as you need."
"Thank you, Luke." She kissed him lightly, and sat on
her bed. Luke smiled at her as he turned out the
lights.
"Sweet dreams, Mara."
"You too." She heard Luke moving around and could
just make him out in the darkness as he laid down in
his own bed. Even though she knew it was early, she
closed her eyes, falling instantly into a restful
sleep.
Looking around, Mara found herself standing on a
beach. Off in the distance she could see a family
approaching. A young man and woman, both dressed in
light airy clothing, held the hands of a female child
of about three years. As they drew closer, she was
able to start making out their features. It was Luke,
and who Mara would guess was Arielle and their
daughter. They were laughing and talking like a
normal happy family, while the child happily skipped
along. However, as she watched, Arielle started to
change. Right before her eyes, Mara watched as
Arielle disappeared and was replaced by Mara herself.
Mara turned away from the dream and yelled into the
air.
"Why do you keep showing me that? I got the message
already." Her voice fell to a whisper. "That should
have been me."
She buried her head in her hands, and tried to control
the sadness that she felt. She had missed part of her
life, because of that monster. The longer she went,
the more she realized what Palpatine had taken from
her. It tore her apart thinking that she had been
denied her life, and she just did not have the heart
to shatter the dreams Luke had about his life. Though
she knew that she had to tell him, it was just a
matter of when.
She could sense someone coming up behind her, but she
did not look up until she felt the hand touch her
shoulder.
"Mara, are you alright?" She turned, and was greeted
with the face of the Luke Skywalker she knew. He was
much older then the version that appeared in her
dream. "I thought I wished you sweet dreams," he
said, flashing one of his most dazzling smiles.
"Yes, I think you did," she told him, trying to hide
her tears.
"What has upset you? It looks so beautiful here," he
told her, looking over to the waves breaking softly on
the shore. She welcomed the loving arms that he
encircled her with. Fighting as hard as she could,
she tried to hold off the tears that were threatening
to spill over.
"I don't want to talk about it," she told him. "Just
don't leave me right now, please."
"Of course not, Mara." Suddenly waking from her dream
she stared at the ceiling. As her eyes adjusted to
the darkness, she saw Luke sit up in his bed.
"I haven't gone anywhere, Mara." Sighing deeply, she
wiggled out of bed and crossed over to Luke's. Lying
next to him, she melted into his embrace. "Now sleep,
Mara." She let his rhythmic heart beat lull her back
to sleep.
"Oh, this is just nasty," Mara exclaimed, from one of
the rear engine compartments of the Jade's Fire. Luke
finished wiping down the console before venturing back
to where Mara had her hands full.
He had awoken early that morning to find Mara still
asleep beside him. He kept still and watched her for
the longest time before she too woke up. Neither one
did much to break the initial awkwardness of the
situation, but they set about their morning routine.
Then they had set off to get the ship and get off the
planet. He had wanted to stall. To make the morning
last longer, but did not want Mara to feel like he was
pushing her. He had been worried that she would soon
wake up and realize what was going on. He did not
want her to suddenly think that she had been pushed
into something that she did not want to do.
Therefore, they had left the hotel and headed straight
to the ship, stopping to pick up just enough supplies
to last them for the two-day trip home.
He stopped half way down the hall, and leaned against
the nearest wall for support, a pounding in his head
interrupting his thoughts. His head had begun to hurt
over the last few hours, and it had yet showed signs
of letting up. Gritting his teeth, and pushing the
pain back, he finished his walk.
"Is it that bad?" he asked as he came around the
corner, to see what she had found.
"I have never seen such filth," Mara grumbled. "You
would think they would at least wipe off their hands
every once and a while. It's going to take me a year
to get all these greasy hand prints off."
"Only about six months with my help," he said,
grabbing a rag and attacking the smudge closest to
him. He would put the pain in his head away for the
time being. Mara's ship was very important to her, he
knew that. If getting it clean was what was important
to her, then it was important to him too. A few hours
in a healing trance after he finished would take care
of his discomfort.
Mara sat back and relaxed, glad to be back on her
<i>clean <i> ship. Luke and her had stayed up late
into the night cleaning. Even though she had been
dead tired when she went to sleep, she woke up early
the next morning. She had hours of free time before
Luke got out of bed. She used that time to do a few
things around the ship that she had not gotten to the
night before. After that was finished, all she had to
do was think. Even after Luke woke up, they did not
talk very much.
It had taken them all the first day of the two-day
trip to get the ship up to her standards. Now she
felt she could relax a little. She looked over at
Luke who sat in the co-pilot seat, looking out into
the view they had of hyperspace. She had spent all
her free time cleaning, not thinking about what had
changed in her life over the past days. Now, with
everything finished, there was nothing left to occupy
her mind. She found herself wondering if she would
have ever realized how she felt if it wasn't for her
visions. She could not come to any conclusion about
that. She just found that she was happy with the way
things were. And Luke seemed happy too, but still a
bit nervous. She knew he was worried about upsetting
her, she just hoped that he would realize that she
knew what she was doing, and that he would do it soon.
Her thoughts turned to their last morning on planet.
She woke up late in the morning, still wrapped in
Luke's warm embrace. He had not said much but offered
her the first turn in the refresher. After a quick
shower and change, they packed up their bags and
headed out to collect the Jade's Fire. She had no
doubt in her mind that the mechanic would have her
ship ready when they got there. There were not many
people that could defy an angry Jedi, even if he was
only trying to scare him. Just as she had thought,
her ship had been waiting for her. They paid the
mechanic, and where out of the system with no trouble.
She knew that she and Luke had started something she
would have never guessed at if asked about it a year
ago. She still felt that these dreams she was having
had pushed her towards Luke, but what seemed
surprising was that Luke opened up to her with little
effort on her part. It was almost as if he was
waiting for her to be ready. <i> That might be just
what he was doing,<i> Mara thought to herself. <i>He
was never one to make the first move. <i>
Thinking that Luke had been waiting for her brought on
a completely new set of questions. Why was he
waiting? How long had he felt that way? Why did she
not notice? They were all questions that she would
have to bring up, when she was ready. Right now, she
was enjoying the ... what was it exactly? It was
obvious that they were now more then friends. So was
this what it was like to be in a relationship?
Possible, though in the very early stages of one.
They did nothing more then a little kissing. They
both knew that it was much too early to get too
intimate. However, they had come close a few times
already. But she never had a feeling that he would
demand more from her. Not her Luke. They would wait
until they were both ready. And there would be no
rush.
OK Thats it. What do you think?
OK everyone. Here is chapter ten. I would have
posted this sooner but my computer finally gave up. I
have to visit friends now to get online. I am having
major withdrawls. I miss my computer. But I promise
to still give regular updates to this story. There
are enough people around here that has computers I
should not have a problem getting online every once in
a while.
I would like to thank Sherry and Jenn for beta'ing
this for me. You guys have been a wonderful help. I
would like to thank everyone else in advance for
reading this. You guys make it all worth it.
Ok I am in a hurry to post this. sorry if I have
forgotten anything.
Skywalker's Dream
Chapter 10
Sitting back in her chair, Mara checked her board.
They had this last short jump then they would be back
home. She was almost sorry to see this trip end.
Being in a relationship with Skywalker, and she was
sure that's what they were starting, would be a new
experience for her. Having everyone around was bound
to make things harder for the two of them.
"You know, we should have stopped somewhere and sent a
message," Luke said, interrupting her thoughts.
"There are a lot of people that are worried about
you."
"If everyone was so worried, then why were you the
only one that came to help?" She asked, checking her
board once more before turning to look at him.
"Trust me, they wanted to," he said, not quite looking
at her. She wanted to tell him that she was starting
to worry about him. He had said he was going to rest
for a while after they had finished cleaning the day
before, but when she went in to check on him, he was
deep in a healing trance. He had not told her hat
anything was wrong, but he had to have been hurt in
some way to feel the need to put himself in one. He
woke late in the morning, and had only mumbled
something about not meaning to sleep in so late. He
had not mention the reason at all. Deciding he would
probably tell her when he was ready, she stuck to the
topic at hand.
"So, what stopped them?" she asked him. She found it
hard to believe that anyone would be concerned about
her.
"Well, that would be me. I took off, saying that I
could handle it on my own," Luke said, his head
hanging slightly in shame.
"You did what?" Mara exclaimed. "Of all the stupid
things... Why would you do that? How did you find out
where I was?"
"Karrde got hold of Leia who found me and they both
told me. I overreacted and took off. From what Han
said, Karrde is not too happy with me."
"I would have shot you," she said, and meant it. <I>
This was a perfect example of how people did not know
how to deal with the Jedi Master, Mara thought, even
his own family. During the times when he needed them
to control what he was doing the most, they tended to
let him go on his own.<I>
"I know," he said, smiling. "If you had been there, I
might point out, I would not have had a reason to act
that way."
"That's not what I mean," she said, smiling despite
the frustration she was feeling.
"If it were someone else and you were the one that
told me?" He asked, his brow creasing as he thought
about it. "Yeah, I can see you not letting me go
alone, but letting me tag along with you."
"Tag along with me?" she asked, unable to keep the
laughter out of her voice. "Yeah, I like that. Good
answer." She looked at her board, smiling. "Ok, here
we are. Let's get this thing down."
They busied themselves with the procedures to land the
ship. Neither talked, it was all business now as they
went about the familiar tasks of landing the ship.
Twenty minuets later, the Jade's Fire set down on one
of the many docking platforms on Coruscant.
Mara was just beginning to unfasten her restraints
when she saw Luke tense slightly.
"Oh boy," Luke said, glancing towards the exit of the
ship.
"What's wrong?" Mara asked, not feeling anything but a
slight annoyance coming from Luke.
"Looks like Leia has decided to pay a visit," he told
her, shutting down his control board and unfastening
the belts holding him in place. "She's waiting
outside the ship."
"What's wrong with her being here?" Mara asked,
finding it interesting that he did not always enjoy
the presence of his overbearing sister. She was also
dreading the initial conversation for her own reasons.
"Nothing, I guess," he admitted. "I am just not in
the mood to deal with it if she goes off about the way
I live my life."
"Oh, but you need to listen to someone," Mara kidded
him.
"Oh no, you can't side with her!" he said in mock
horror.
"Well, someone needs to get you to listen," she told
him, then kissed him lightly. "So, what are you going
to tell her?" It was important that she know exactly
what he was willing to talk about so that she would
not find herself stepping on his toes.
"Unless she asks, nothing," Luke stated. He hurried
to explain when Mara started to protest. "On a public
docking bay is not the place to tell her. There are
too many people listening. Could you imagine the
headlines if we are found out that way?"
"I would rather not think about it," Mara admitted.
She tried not to think about what would happen if the
announcement of a relationship between the two of them
were not handled right. The last thing she wanted was
for people to get the wrong idea. "Do you think she
won't ask?"
"Well, only one way to find out, let's get this over
with." They both stood and walked together to the
exit ramp. Leia's excited face could be seen as the
ramp slowly lowered. Luke had barely reached the
bottom before he was trapped in a loving hug from his
sister.
"Luke, I'm glad to have you back," Leia said, letting
him go and looking at his companion. "And you Mara.
I am glad you are safe. Everyone has been so
worried."
"It's good to be back," Mara told her. Leia's com
beeped and she looked at them apologetically.
Stepping away, she talked quietly. A few minutes
later, she shut it down and joined them once again.
Luke was leaning casually against Mara's ship, talking
quietly with Mara.
"I am so sorry you two," she told them, drawing their
attention back to her. "I have to get back to work."
"It's alright Leia. I'll meet you at your place in
just a little while," Luke assured her.
"Great. Bye you two. Once again, it's good to see
you safe, Mara. We have been so worried." With that,
she left the bay.
Leia was just outside the landing bay when something
occurred to her. She turned around, meaning to invite
Luke to dinner. When she reentered the hanger, Luke
was still leaning against the hull of the Fire. He
and Mara were talking, but they were standing much
closer they normally did. Closer then a normal
conversation called for. Deciding her question could
wait, she left the two of them alone. She would
definitely ask Luke about that one though.
"They would not have been worried had the little Jedi
controlled himself now would they," Mara asked,
stepping in closer, just shy from actually making
physical contact with him. He backed up slightly but
just encountered more of the hull of the Jade's Fire.
"Yeah and then we could have had three people in the
room. That would have been fun," Luke teased.
She could feel her heart start to race from just being
near him. <I>Why did I never notice that before?<I>
She asked herself. "Hum, then maybe it could have
been Han or Talon that helped you through that dream.
I can see the fun in that."
"Ok, maybe not," he said.
"Maybe not," she agreed. Dreading the thought that
suddenly occurred to her, she frowned because she knew
there was no way she could really get out of it.
"Well look, I just thought of something. Unless he
found someone else to take care of it, I am going to
need to make a run for Karrde. Nothing dangerous, but
I was the one that was doing it."
"I would not want to keep you," Luke said, looking
around, pretending to be scared. "I wouldn't want to
get any further on Karrde's bad side," he whispered.
She could not help but laugh.
"So, what will you do?" she asked. Mara wished that
she could just invite him along, but knew that would
just be a distraction. She wanted to get this done
and over with as fast as she could. "Are you going to
hang out here or go back to Yavin?"
"No. I was thinking about taking Leia, Han, and the
kids to Tatooine. I guess it's past time."
"Yes," Mara agreed. "I would think so."
"I would ask you to go," Luke said, taking hold of her
hands.
"And I would probably say yes," she said, honestly
wishing she could go. "If I didn't have to work." It
didn't bother her that they were talking about
visiting the parents of his dead wife. She was more
intrigued to get a glimpse of what he was like when he
was young. Where he grew up, and maybe even some of
the friends he had.
"So will I see you when I get back?" He asked her, his
voice taking on a slight pleading tone.
"I think that can be arranged," she told him. <I>He
is so incredibly gorgeous when he is like this,<I> she
thought.
"Well, when do you have to leave?"
"Tomorrow morning." She hated having to leave again
so soon, but she had missed a lot during the few days
she was gone. She had to get caught up on her work.
"So, what are your plans tonight?" he asked, taking
hold of her hands.
"I don't have any," she told him, wondering what he
was up to.
"Would you consider going out with me?" he asked,
barley hiding the smile that tried to appear on his
face.
"A date?" Mara asked, shocked but delighted all at the
same time. She had never seen this side of Luke
Skywalker. He was playful, outgoing, even chipper,
and she could admit that she liked it very much. She
knew that she too did not act the same when it came to
Luke. She had always told herself that she would
rather be shot then to ever act in such a manner.
However, her opinion had changed suddenly, when she
realized that Luke Skywalker shared her feelings.
"Yes, a real date," he said, his eyes dancing as he
watched her.
"Sure. Where would you like to go?"
"Your choice," he decided, letting go of her and
running his hands through his hair.
"Wow, you are brave," she announced, idea's flooding
her mind of the different places she would like to
take him.
"I think I can handle anything you can pick out," he
told her.
"You think so?" she asked, rubbing her hands together.
She started mentally listing places that she just
knew that a farmboy like him would never set foot
into. "Oh, I love a challenge."
"You pick the place," he said, a sly smile lighting up
his face. "And I get to pick what you are going to
wear."
"Sounds acceptable," Mara agreed. <I>What could he
possibly pick out that would be worse then what I am
planning,<I> she thought to herself.
A few hours later Leia was in her bedroom picking
clothes out of her closet. She selected a pale blue
dress from her selection and pulled it on. Dropping
the towel she was wearing next to Han, she fastened up
the dress.
"I'm telling you, something is going on with those
two," she told her husband as she sat at the mirror to
fix her hair and makeup.
"Just because you thought they were standing too
close?" Han asked, while buttoning up his shirt and
grabbing his shoes. "Maybe they just couldn't hear
each other."
"Then they would have used the Force like they always
do. They were standing close because they wanted to."
There was a buzz from the door, and Han stood up to
answer it, throwing an amused look at his wife.
"It's Luke," Leia told him. She followed him out of
the bedroom. She went to the kitchen while Han let
her brother in.
She had just finished filling three glasses of wine
when the two men joined her. Handing them their
glasses she took a sip of hers.
"It's good to see you, Luke. I was hoping you would
get here before we left."
"Yeah, well it's been a long week," he said, smiling.
"I had to unload the X-Wing out of the Jade's Fire.
Then I went home for a while."
"Well, I am glad you made it," Leia told him. There
was something different about him, but she could not
put her finger on it.
"Did I interrupt anything?" he asked, indicating their
state of dress.
"No, not really, I was just fixing myself up."
"Yeah kid, you know how long that can take," Han said,
then ducked the dishtowel Leia sent his way.
"So, what are you two planning?" Luke asked, hiding
his laugh behind his wine glass.
"We have a dinner meeting with someone. Oh, I know,"
Leia exclaimed, throwing her free hand up. "Luke, why
don't you come with us? You have time before we have
to be there. It'll be fun."
"It sounds like it," he said, the sarcasm only
slightly evident in his voice. "But I'll have to pass
this time."
Leia watched him, and could now plainly see the
difference in her brother. Whatever had happened to
him on this mission had a positive effect on him. He
was calm, even happy. Now she wanted to see if he
would tell her what exactly happened.
"Why?" she asked. "So you can sit alone in your
apartment?"
"No," he said, the smile never diminishing from his
face. "As a matter if fact, I have a date tonight."
"You do?" she exchanged a knowing look with her
husband. <I>Time to confirm, little brother,<I> she
thought. "Care to tell us with whom?"
"I am sure you would find out even if I did not tell
you. I am going out with Mara."
"Good for you," Han said, slapping him on the back.
Totally ignoring the 'I told you so' look he got from
his wife. "About time you found someone that can
challenge you. So where are you going."
"I don't know," Luke said. "I'm going to let her
decide."
"Good luck," Han told him.
"I don't think I'll need it, but thanks." The room
down the hall suddenly exploded in loud screams and
laughter. Han excused himself and went to check it
out. "When did the kids get back?"
"Yesterday. Chewie brought them back so that he could
have some time alone with his family."
"Speaking of that," Luke said, looking a bit uneasy.
"I know you mentioned taking some time off, are you
still planning on doing that?"
"Well, yes. I start my vacation tonight, why?"
"Do you two have any plans?"
"Just some quiet time hiding out," Leia told him. She
was really looking forward to spending some time alone
with her family without her job getting in the way.
If need be, they would lock their doors and never
leave the apartment. "What's on your mind, Luke? Why
are you asking?"
"I had an idea, that's all. Arielle's parents have
been pushing to meet you. I thought this would be a
good time."
"You wanted what, just me to go..." <I>He finally
decides to open up this part of his life, but would he
really want to take me away now, when I finally have
time to spend with Han and the kids?<I>
"No, all of you," Luke assured her with a smile.
"They want to meet my family."
"I would love to Luke, but I'll have to talk to Han
about that."
"Talk to me about what?" Han said, reentering the
room, from the now quiet hallway.
"Luke wants to take us to Tatooine," Leia explained to
him.
"Why would you want to do that?" Han asked, glancing
at Luke.
"To meet his in-laws," Leia told him.
"Now that's a whole different story isn't it?" Han
said, smiling, cheerfully. "Is that really what you
want, kid?"
"I think it's time," Luke told him.
"When are you planning this exciting adventure?" Han
asked.
"Well when ever you guys are ready, my calendar is
open."
"Hey, kid, give yourself some credit. Mara may still
want to see you again after the first date. Don't go
making escape plans so soon."
Luke laughed at that. Han could always get a reaction
out of him. "It's not that. I already know that Mara
is leaving tomorrow morning."
"So, she has her escape plan mapped out already so you
thought you should too?" Han asked.
"No, not that at all," Luke said, his good mood still
apparent. Leia had expected Luke to get upset at
Han's teasing, but he was taking it well. Smiling to
herself, Leia figured Luke had made a good choice this
time. Mara seemed to have a good affect on him.
"I know," Han said. "I was just messing with you."
"When would you guys be free to go?" Luke asked.
"Well seeing how we all have plans already tonight,
how about we leave sometime tomorrow?" Leia asked.
Now that she thought about it, she couldn't wait to
meet some of the people Luke grew up with. She had
met Biggs, but only briefly. She had to see a picture
of him before she even remembered who he was. It did
not give her any insight on Luke's childhood.
"And seeing how you have no idea what time you are
going to be getting in tonight," Han said,
interrupting her thoughts, "We can make it later in
the day so you can get some rest."
Luke shook his head. "Something tells me I am going
to regret telling you about this."
"If you had not told me, I would have found out
anyway."
"I'm sure you would have."
Ok Thats it. Hope you liked it.
Chapter 11
Corran stumbled through one of the shadiest nightclubs
he had yet seen to see on Coruscant, side stepping
people, and avoiding bottles that where thrown across
the floor. <I>Remind me to never let Wes pick the
spot anymore,<I> he thought as he located the table
where most of Rouge Squadron had gathered. Sitting
down, he accepted the drink that was offered to him.
The club was packed, and the music was loud. It was
just the place where someone could hide in. No one
figured that any high standing citizen would step foot
in a place like this. It was the perfect place for
Rouge Squadron to relax.
"What took you so long?" Wedge slurred, leaning
heavily on the table.
"Um... Someone moved the refresher," Corran mumbled
back, trying to remember who he needed to thank for
this round of drinks.
"Yeah," Wedge said, seriously. "I hate when they do
that."
Corran took another sip of his drink while watching
the rest of his pilot buddies. He suddenly sensed
something through the Force. Trying hard to
concentrate he pinpointed the feeling; someone very
familiar was standing behind Wedge. Turning to look,
his jaw dropped open when he saw the person that stood
with her back to them. Wedge turned, trying to see
what he was looking at. Beyond them stood a shapely
redhead wearing one of the shortest black skirts
Corran had seen in a long while, and an equally tight
black shirt. Her hair was piled on top of her head,
with a few strands hanging loose around her face.
"Isn't that Mara Jade?" Ooryl asked. Obviously, their
study of the female did not go unnoticed.
"It sure looks like her," Klivian agreed.
"It is her," Corran confirmed, knowing, even without a
clear view, that the woman was indeed Mara Jade.
"But I thought she was off with Luke somewhere," Wedge
asked, looking over at Corran. "The last I heard of
Luke, he took off somewhere after her."
"Normal Skywalker behavior."
Just as the statement was made, a blond male handed
Mara a drink as he approached her. She took it and
they smiled.
"Oh man, that's Luke!!" Wedge yelled. The mumbling at
the table exploded into hysterics when Luke leaned in
and kissed her.
Luke worked his way through the crowd until he finally
reached Mara's side. The place was dark, too crowded
and it smelled bad, but he had to confess he was
enjoying himself.
"Here you go," he said, handing her one of the drinks
he was carrying. "This is fun. I'm glad I let you
talk me into this."
"What!" she exclaimed, turning to face him. "I had to
dare you into it."
"What's wrong Mara? You are not happy holding up your
end of the dare?" He said, indicating her outfit. He
had searched her closet looking for exactly the
perfect outfit. His goal was to make her as
uncomfortable as she was trying to make him. However,
he had to admit that she looked great in it.
"No, I'm fine with it," she said. "I have had to wear
less in public. I was just wishing you were a little
more ill at ease with your end. How come you are
still so relaxed here?" She asked, indicating the
club they were in.
"I was not always a Jedi Master you know," he told
her, smiling.
"Oh, thank goodness," she said, and stepped in close
as they kissed lightly.
Luke felt happy for the first time in a long while.
It was pleasing to know that they had just enjoyed
their first kiss in public. It was a step in the
direction of letting everyone know. Life was taking a
turn for the better, he was sure of that now. He drew
her in a bit closer before ending the kiss. When the
area behind him exploded in shouting, he almost jumped
out of his skin. He buried his face in Mara's
shoulder so he could whisper in her ear.
"Please tell me I am mistaking the familiarity of that
shouting," he groaned, low enough that only she could
hear it.
"Who is it?" Mara asked, then moaned as she too
realized who had noticed them.
"Looks like you don't have to worry about letting your
friends know about us, Skywalker. They seem to have
found out on their own."
"It does look that way," Luke said, laughing as he
looked back at his friends, who only shouted louder
when they saw him looking.
"What are they doing here?" Mara demanded. This was
their first night out and she did not want to spend it
in the company of his pilot friends.
"That's what I was trying to tell you," Luke
explained. "Rogue Squadron is most comfortable in
places they are not noticed in."
"Figures they would decide to be here, tonight," she
fumed.
"Rogues tend to be at the right place at the right
time." Luke said as he led Mara slowly towards the
table. <I>I am hoping to quiet these guys down before
they cause more of a scene.<I>
<I>I didn't say anything,<I> Mara sent back, trying to
deny what she knew she was going to ask.
<I>I know. But I agree, why now?<I> Luke asked.
<I>Had I known they would be here, I would have found
another place to take you,<I> she assured not only him
but her too.
<I>It's nothing to worry about. We'll just say hi and
then we'll be on our way.<I>
"Something tells me that it will not be that easy,"
she declared, when she got close enough to tell that
the guys had maybe had a bit more to drink than they
needed.
"Luke!" Hobbie called out.
"Never knew you had it in you!" Tycho shouted.
"Way to go boss!"
"Hi, Mara," Corran said, leaning on the table. "Good
to see you."
"What are you guys doing here?" Luke asked, saving
Mara from having to say anything. She knew what she
wanted to say would not have kept this drunken group
of men in a very good mood.
"Obviously not as much as you," Gavin blurted out.
The table burst into laughter once again. No one
seemed upset about what they saw, which pleased Mara.
All they seemed concerned about was they caught Luke
doing something they all thought he did not want them
to see.
<I>Why should they be upset, Mara? You have a lot of
friends here.<I>
<I>It seems that way. I think they have had a bit
more then their limit tonight.<I>
<I>I agree.<I> "So, what's the occasion?" he asked
aloud.
"Time off. It's the first time all of us have been
off together in a long time."
"As good a reason as any," Ooryl mumbled.
"I'm hurt, Luke, the last to know? I thought we were
pals," Wedge whined.
Luke laughed and shook his head. "What do you mean
the last to know? You are one of the first."
"That's good to hear," Wedge said, obviously
satisfied.
<I>Options?<I> He silently asked Mara.
Mara laughed. <I>I can think of a few things. I'll
be back.<I>
<I>What are you going to do? <I> He asked as she got
up from the table.
<I>You'll see,<I> she sent back, turning to offer him
a slight smile before disappearing into the crowd.
"Hurry back!" Hobbie yelled as she moved away from
the table. She walked to a quiet corner of the club
and pulled out her personal com unit. She entered the
code and waited for the sleepy answer she knew she
would get.
"Hello?" came the confuse female on the opposite end
of the transmission.
"Hello, Mirax?" she asked.
"Mara? Mara is that you?" Mirax was sounding more
awake with every second. "It's good to hear from you.
When did you get back on planet?"
"Just today. Mirax, do you know where Corran is?"
"He went off with Wedge somewhere," she explained.
"You should be able to reach him on his com."
"No need to do that. I can see him where I am." It
crossed her mind that maybe she ought to feel bad
about what she was doing, sending Mirax in to bust up
the party, but she knew it was what needed to be done.
Not only if she wanted to save what was left of her
date with Luke, but for the safety of the men at the
table. "I think you should send someone after them,
if you want to see him home in one piece."
"One piece is preferable. That is until I can get
hold of him. How bad is he?"
"Personally, I think he should be cut off. He on the
other hand would say he could have a few more."
"Ok, tell me where you are," the other woman
suggested. "And I'll make sure he and all the other
boys make it home safely."
Mara relayed her whereabouts and discontinued the
call. Returning to the table, she noticed another
round sitting in front of each of them. With one
added for herself and Luke.
<I>I ordered them,<I> Luke sent her immediately.
<I>Why?<I> She asked.
<I>They asked me to,<I> he explained. <I>However,
they are mostly water. These guys have had so much
they won't even notice.<I>
She could feel something odd and noticed Corran
staring at them funny. He pointed a shaky finger in
there direction.
"You're talking about us," he told them. "It's not
nice."
"What makes you think we are talking about you
Corran?" Luke asked, studying his former student with
the same intensity they were being given.
Corran taps his temple with two fingers. "I just
know," he slurred. "What are you saying?"
"They are saying that you need help, Corran!" Wes
declared with glee.
"No, no, no," Corran interrupted. "They are saying
that .... Oh, never mind, I forget."
<I>What is this plan you have?<I> Luke asked her.
<I>Don't worry, she'll be here soon,<I> she assured
him, delighting in the worried look that crossed his
face.
<I>She'll be here?<I> He asked her. <I>What did you
do?<I>
"We just can't let you men out of our sites can we?"
Everyone turned at the new voice coming from behind
Wedge. Mirax stood behind Wedge with her hands on her
hips.
"Aw, who called in the wives!" Tyco complained.
"Time to go you boys," she said, patting Corran on the
shoulder. "It's getting late." There were moans all
around the table. Mirax looked at Mara who only
smiled in response. "Don't you think you've had
enough?" she asked, sounding more like she was talking
to a group of children rather then grown men. "How
did you plan to get home?"
"Luke is still sober," Wedge announced, putting his
arm around his long time friend. "He could have drove
us home."
"I am sure Luke and Mara have more important things to
do then play babysitter to a bunch of drunk pilots
that should have known better."
"I bet they do," Hobbie said, grinning stupidly at the
couple sitting opposite him.
Mara could tell Mirax was intrigued that Hobbie didn't
get as much as a glare from her for that statement.
Normally, anyone implying that there might be
something going on between her and Luke was met with
much hostility. Mara was sure she would be getting a
call the next day so Mirax could try and find out if
she had missed anything. "Come on, Corran," Mirax
said, smiling slightly in her direction. "You and
your friends can continue this at our house."
<I>Where she can keep an eye on them,<I> Mara added
silently.
Luke only received minimal looks when he laughed at
Mara's comment.
Once the group was gone and safely on their way home,
Luke and Mara decided they had had enough fun for the
night. They slowly made their way out the door and on
down the street.
"I will be a nightmare to try and get a cab out here
this late," Luke said, glancing up and down the busy
street.
"It's not too bad of a walk back to my place, I think
we will be fine."
"Sounds good to me." They began walking slowly in the
general direction on Mara's apartment. The further
they got from the club the more peaceful the walk
became. She was not surprised when Luke took hold of
her hand and held it as they walked. She was
beginning to think that she would never stop being
amazed at the things she permitted Luke to get away
with. She could remember plenty of times when men
would have been lucky to walk away with just a punch
if they had tried to do such things. She strangely
did not feel that it made her soft. She was still as
tough as she always was. No, what it did was make her
happy.
"Well, our first night out went well," Luke spoke
softly as the walked.
"I think next time we try to arrange it do we are not
spotted," Mara said, turning him down a side way, a
shortcut that would get them there faster.
"Or just plan for it," he explained. "That way it's
not such a shock."
"I'd rather have you to myself for a while, if you
don't mind."
"Well," he said, looking around at the deserted
streets. "I think you have managed to get that."
"At least for a little while."
"So, when do you leave?" he asked quietly. She wanted
to kick herself for having to leave again so soon.
She had to keep reminding herself that no matter what
happened, she still had a job to do.
"First thing tomorrow morning," she told him. "You?"
"Tomorrow afternoon. I won't be gone long. I mean I
like the Serears and all, but I am no longer very
comfortable there. I can never stay long."
"Well, naturally you still have some friends there,"
she said, glancing at him. He was casually looking
around, she had the feeling that he still was aware of
everyone that strayed near.
"Oh, I still have people there that I know," he told
her. "But I have never looked anyone up."
"Why not?"
"I've told you about how things where for me growing
up. The only good friend I had was Biggs. Since he
is not there, I did not think anyone would care if
they ever saw me again or not."
"I swear, Skywalker. You are the biggest baby I have
ever met."
"Why do you say that?"
She just sighed in frustration. "How do you know they
would not want to see you if you have never tried?"
"I guess I really don't." She was satisfied when he
lapsed into silence, the last thing she wanted was to
start one of their arguments tonight.
The couple arrived at her apartment a short time
later. They walked quietly through the building until
they arrived at her door.
"I'll see you when I get back?" Mara asked, leaning
back against the door.
"I should be here," Luke assured her.
"Do you want to come in?" Mara asked, hope evident in
her eyes.
"I'd better not," Luke said reluctantly. He knew that
he should turn and leave because it would not be right
to push the situation, but he also knew that what he
wanted more than anything was to stay with her, even
just a little while longer.
"You know, it would not make you a bad person if you
did," she told him. It was as if she could still read
his mind even though he was keeping those thoughts
safely shielded.
"You are not making this easy, Mara."
"It's not that difficult," she told him, a
good-humored grin tugging at her features. "You just
take a few more steps and you are there." He could
see the game she was playing, and he decided to play
along for a little while. He took a few steps closer
to her.
"You mean like this?" He asked, standing close enough
to hear her soft intake of breath.
"Not exactly what I meant," she said, looking into his
eyes. "But this is nice."
Luke had intended to return some of her teasing, then
leave, but he debated that decision. He wondered why
it was he was resisting. For years, they had been
trying to push each other away. Now that they were no
longer doing that, it was almost impossible to stay
apart from her. He wondered how he had ever done it
before and how he all those years had never noticed
the feelings he had for her. With all the things
going on in his head, he found himself struggling for
an answer. He ran his hand down her arm.
"Mara?" he croaked, the uncertainty he felt a little
to evident in his voice.
"Don't worry about it Luke," she assured him, running
her hand across his cheek. <I>For once do what you
want, not just what you think is right.<I>
Luke opened his mouth to say something. Then he
realized that the things he wanted to tell her, he
could not find the words to express. He decided that
there was really only one way, he knew, to tell her
how he was feeling--to show her. Without any more
second thoughts, he captured her lips with his. Luke
closed his eyes as the intense sensation washed over
him. He ran his hands down her arms as he deepened
the kiss. She responded by running her hands through
his hair. Signing contently, he ended the kiss and
looked into her beautiful eyes.
"I would be lying if I said I wanted to leave," he
whispered.
"Then don't," she said, as she backed up to her door
and unlocked it. Grabbing Luke by the collar, they
disappeared into the apartment, closing the door
behind them.
"Can I get you something from the kitchen?" She asked,
indicating the room off to her left, as they walked
into the living area. She emptied her pockets,
tossing the contents on the table beside her. She did
not seem to notice when some of it fell to the floor.
"No," he breathed, pulling her back into his arms, and
kissing her with all the passion he could muster. He
had made the decision to stay and could not help
himself. Seeming to understand how he felt, her hands
immediately went to his chest and he could feel her
unbuttoning his shirt.
He shrugged himself out of the garment and let it fall
to the floor. He slipped his hand behind her neck to
pull her closer, and trailed small kisses across and
down her neck. Grasping the clasp of her dress, he
worked to undo it, fighting the slight shivers that
occurred every time Mara ran her hands across his bare
chest. He traveled his kisses down her neck to her
collarbone.
Mara stepped away and let the cloth that was passing
for a shirt tonight fall to the floor. She smiled
when she saw how Luke was studying her. She took his
hand that was resting on her hip, and brought it to
her mouth to kiss the palm. Letting him go, his hand
drifted across her skin between her breasts. He used
his thumb to tease the nipple sending a tingling
sensation shooting through her.
Taking his hand again, she encouraged him to join her
on the floor. She laid softly on her back and smiled
when her laid down beside her. Positioning himself on
his side, he once again ran his hand down her body.
Bending he took one nipple in his mouth. She was
unable to stop the moan that escaped her lips. She
arched her back as he continued to tease and entice
her with his mouth. She ran her hand through his hair
and down his back.
Somewhere in her passion fogged mind she noticed an
insistent beeping. She chose to ignore it, but it did
not go away.
"I think you should get that," Luke said, looking at
the offending piece of metal lyingon the floor beside
them. Mara fumbled through all the stuff on the
floor. Finally locating the com unit, she turned it
on.
"Jade," she barked, deciding that who ever it was must
have a death wish.
"Mara," came Karrde's relieved voice. "I just got the
message you left me earlier. I feared that it would
be too late to call tonight, but I see I did not wake
you. I'm glad you made it back."
"So am I," she said, tersely, throwing Luke and
apologizing look. "There had better be a good reason
for this."
"Are you going to be able to make that drop for me?"
he asked, unfazed by her curt manner.
"Yes," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'm leaving first
thing in the morning, but..."
"Great," he declared, interrupting whatever she had
planned to say. "Where are you?"
"At my place, but..."
"Great," he said again, causing Mara to ball her free
hand into an angry fist. "I have some last minute
things I need from you. I'll be right over."
"But..." she started to say, but the transmission ended.
"I'm going to kill him." She looked up to find Luke
watching her, unable to hide the amusement he felt.
Seeing how easily he was taking the interruption, she
decided to lighten up.
"Company coming?" Luke asked, for once finding it
amusing to see Mara feeling just as frustrated as he
was. To finally be able to relax and enjoy
themselves, only to be stopped by an insistent boss
that decided to get a little business done at the last
minute.
"It seems that way," she said, still holding the com
unit. She looked like she was ready to crush the
device so he took it out of her hand and set it on the
table.
"I guess I should be going then," he said, starting to
pick himself up off the floor.
"No, you should stay," Mara told him, holding his arm.
Her voice sounded strained and he knew that she
wanted this distraction about as much as he did.
"Stay and let Karrde come over in the middle of the
night to find me here?" Luke asked, feeling extremely
lighthearted about the entire situation. He felt like
shouting his feelings from the highest rooftops, but
knowingly allowing Karrde to walk in on them, barely
half dressed, was not the best way to go about
announcing the news.
"Sure, why not?" she said flippantly. "He deserves a
shock after what he just pulled. He had no right to
just invite himself over to my place."
"He's never done that before?" Luke asked.
"Well...yes he has," she admitted. "But this is
different. I was never busy before."
"You are unique, Mara," Luke said, kissing her
lightly. Mara could be a very frightening person, and
he never did understand how he was able to get as
close to her as he had. If anyone took the liberty to
say the things to her that he did, there would be a
lot less people around. He never felt any fear when
it came to her. If anything, he always knew that he
was safe as long as she was with him.
"I will take that as a complement," she said, with a
raised eyebrow.
"Good, because that is how it was meant," he said as
he searched the floor around them. Finding what he
was looking for, he grabbed his shirt and pulled it
on. He looked at Mara and smiled. "Karrde is near,
you going to get dressed?"
"It would be interesting to see his expression." She
drew the straps to her shirt back around her neck, and
fastened the garment in place. Pulling Luke into
another embrace, she kissed him deeply. "I wish I
could just stuff you in my closet, and keep you
close," she whispered after they once again ended the
kiss.
"I think people would start to miss me," he said,
kissing her forehead.
"Humm. I really want to kill him," she admitted,
resting her forehead against his.
"We will have plenty of time when you get back," he
told her, looking into her eyes.
"I am going to hold you to that," she swore, smiling
brightly at him. "So?"
"I'll stay just a while longer," he agreed. "I don't
think I will get in the way too much."
"Trust me, you will not be the one in the way."
With one last kiss, they prepared themselves for the
visitor that was drawing closer. Mara left Luke
standing in the living room while she opened the door
for Karrde. Luke could hear them talking, but it
wasn't until they walked further into the apartment
that he noticed was noticed by the visitor.
"Karrde," Luke greeted him with a nod of the head.
Luke began to have second thoughts about staying here
when he saw the look on Karrde's face.
"Skywalker." Karrde looked from Mara to Luke, the
color draining from his face. "Did I interrupt
anything?"
"I was just leaving," Luke said, smiling at Mara, then
turning to the other occupant of the room. "It's good
to see you again Talon."
"I'm sorry, Luke," Talon said, offering his hand.
"For what?" Luke asked, shaking his hand hesitantly.
"For doubting you. Thank you for bringing Mara back.
You are a good friend."
"No, Talon," Luke said with a smile. "Thank you. I'm
sure you rushed over here for a reason. Sorry Mara,
you sound like you have some work you need to get
done. I should be going."
Luke made his way to the door, and could feel Mara
follow. He could feel that she was up to something,
and he was almost afraid to ask what it was she was
planning. "I will see you when you get back. You
have a safe trip."
"I'm sorry about this, Luke," she told him, speaking
softly.
"Don't worry about it. It's not your fault."
She glared in Karrde's direction. "No, your right.
It's not." She brought her gaze back to the man in
front of her.
"Good night, Luke." Luke could feel Mara's plan blast
to the front of her mind. He tried to find out what
she was up to but she kept that carefully hidden from
him. He started to smile as he braced himself for
whatever she had thought up.
"Good night, Mara," Luke said, running the tips of his
fingers down her cheek. Knowing Mara, she was
planning whatever would shock him the most. Also
knowing Mara, he had a good idea of what she was up
to.
Therefore, it came to no surprise to him when Mara
leaned in for another kiss. Trying to ignore the fact
that they were showing off, he kissed her lightly on
the lips. When she did not pull back right away Luke
decided it was time to know for sure what she was up
to.
<I>Remember we have an audience watching,<I> he sent
her silently.
<I>Good, then he knows that he did, in fact, interrupt
something,<I> she answered back, wrapping her arms
around his neck to pull him even closer.
<I>Yes, I am sure that fact came across loud and
clear. In fact, any more and you may just give the
poor man a heart attack.<I>
<I>No, I would not want that to happen.<I>
They separated and both automatically looked in
Karrde's direction. The smuggler was staring at them
with his jaw hanging open. Luke only smiled at him
and walked to the door. "I think you have a lot of
explaining to do," he told Mara.
"Yeah, but it was fun."
"See you soon." Luke took her hand in his, but
keeping Mara's guest in mind, he turned to leave.
"Bye," Mara said, wishing there was a way to convince
him to stay. She knew she was not the reason he was
leaving. She could feel how much he wanted to stay.
He had a point though. She did have work to do, and
it would become a bad habit if she suddenly started to
disregard her responsibilities when he was around.
Sighing she released his hand and allowed him walk out
the door.
"What was that all about?" Karrde asked, as soon as
the door had closed behind Luke.
"I don't think you really need it explained do you?"
Mara asked.
"That's not what I meant. How long has this been
going on?"
"A few days," she said, disappearing into the kitchen
to grab a much needed glass of water.
"So are you two together?" he asked.
"Yes," Mara said automatically. "Now that we have
that out of the way, can we get to work? I have to
get up early."
"One question, if I may," he asked, she could feel the
barly controlled curiosity he was feeling, and she was
not in the mood to answer every question he had about
her personal life. "Are you happy?"
A smile spread across Mara's face. "Yes. I am
happy."
Ok everyone almost there. I hope I am not boring
everyone with this :) I want to thank everyone who
has been helping me on this story. Sherry, Una, Jenn
you guys have been great, even though I have not been
around alot latley. And now Matt, you helpped me out
alot today.
ummm I think thats it.
I hope you all enjoy the story. I should be online
for a few days now so maybe I can get around to ready
a few of the stories that have come out. I have
really missed alot.
OK I will stop my rambling and get on with the story.
Skywalker's Dream
Chapter 12
"You missed it, Han," Corran said. "You should have
been there." He was sitting at the kitchen table in
the Solo's apartment, squinting in the bright morning
light.
"It sounds like I missed a good time," Han said,
sipping his caf. "What time did you get in?" The man
in front of him looked in bad shape, his clothes were
wrinkled and his hair was messy. Feeling sorry for the
pilot, he poured him another cup of caf.
"I have no idea. Mirax showed up and took us all back
to my place. We all lasted a while longer there."
"Man, then why are you even awake?" Han asked, amazed
that the man would even be showing his face so early.
"My wife, she made sure I got up," he admitted. "I
think I made her mad. She had to come get me. I had to
get out of there as soon as I could, that's how I
ended up here. Oh, that's not all! We ran into Luke
while we were there. Seems him and Mara have something
going on."
"I heard," Han said, suddenly wondering how the fact
had spread so quickly. He had thought that Luke and
Mara would end up keeping their private life quiet a
little longer.
"You did?" he asked, disappointed. "I thought he said
hardly anyone knew."
"Hardly anyone does," Han assured him. "As far as I
knew, Leia and I were the only ones. Now I guess who
ever else was with you. What happened?"
"We were at this club when someone spotted Luke and
Mara. It was the weirdest thing. Just when I realized
it was him for sure, I saw them kiss."
"Oh yeah?" Han asked, intrigued. "You will get to say
that you were witness to a historical event. Something
people have been waiting to happen for years. Their
first kiss."
"Well, I don't know about that. If I were to try to
kiss Mara, I would at least be nervous about it. Well,
on second thought, I would not try to kiss Mara, but
this is Luke we are talking about, and he never was
easy to understand. Nevertheless, it did not seem like
a first kiss to me. I saw no awkwardness between them
what so ever."
"Hmm," Han said, a sly grin spreading across his face.
"I guess I am going to have to see just how that date
went."
---
Luke sat on a crate and watched as Mara stood by her
ship studying a data pad. He had been unable to get
much sleep during the night. He had, along with
everything else, been fighting a headache. He knew it
had been a while since he had anything to drink, but
he did not think he had near enough to make him feel
as bad as he did. However, that was only half of what
had kept him from getting to sleep. The events of the
previous evening kept replaying in his mind, and he
couldn't decide if he had done the right thing. He had
been ready to spend the night with Mara, and she too
had seemed to like the idea. He was wondering now if
he was relieved or disappointed about the turn of
events. He had told her that they had plenty of time
when they got back to explore that aspect of their
relationship. He did not want to feel that they had
rushed anything because of bad timing. However, there
was another part of him that kept telling him that he
was wrong, that the only thing that stopped him was
his misplaced selfless manner. Mara, on the other
hand, seemed to know exactly what she wanted and was
just waiting for him to get around to finding that out
also. He watched as she looked up and counted a few of
the crates she had sitting out side her ship and
tapped a few things on the pad. Satisfied, she started
loading the boxes on the ship.
He started to announce his presence a few times, but
was stopped by nervousness. What he had to be nervous
about he had no idea, but never the less there it was.
Fearing she would finish her preparations and leave
without him speaking a word, he stood and approached
her just as she was walking down the ramp intending to
grab the last of the boxes.
"You need a bit of help?" He called out, making his
way over to her.
"Hello, Luke," she said, smiling. He watched her in
amusement as she scanned the hanger before stepping
closer.
"You don't seem surprised to see me," he said.
"I would have been surprised if you had not shown up,"
she told him. She started to turn to pick up the last
set of boxes, but stopped when Luke picked them up for
her. He walked quickly to place them inside her ship.
"I am getting that predictable?" he asked, after
returning to her, portraying the perfect display of
mock worry.
"Only to the people that really know you," she said,
flashing yet another smile. He loved her smile, she
showed it very rarely, but he had been seeing it more
often lately.
"I was thinking about you all night," he told her. "I
wanted to see you before you left." He wanted her to
know that there was a meaning to him dropping by after
they had said their good byes the night before. He
felt awkward, and had trouble figuring out what he
should do and say.
"Well, that's straight forward," she said, laughing
lightly. "At least it wasn't something corny like you
thought you left something inside the ship."
"No," he said, smiling slightly, then frowning and
pinching the bridge of his nose to try to relieve the
pressure there from the still present headache. "I
think I took care of that yesterday when I unloaded my
X-Wing. Do you need any more help?"
"No, I think I've got it. I am due to lift off in just
a few minutes."
"Then I'm glad I caught you." He felt like he was
talking on auto pilot. He could not stop thinking
about her face, her hair, how great she looked. When
she did not say anything, he reached over and pulled
her into a kiss. He felt like he would explode every
time he kissed her, and the feeling did not go away.
The more they kissed the more intense it became. They
were both out of breath when they parted.
"Well, that is definitely a reason to hurry back," she
said, clinging to him.
"Have a safe trip," he whispered into her temple. She
hugged his neck before turning away from him. She
disappeared up the ramp, and it closed behind her. He
felt her reach out to him and felt his regret for her
leaving mirrored back at him. He stood on the platform
until he could not see her ship anymore. As he was
leaving, he noticed Han standing over to the side. He
was smiling as he approached.
"Artoo said I could find you here," the ex-smuggler
told him, making no effort to hide the sly smile on
his face.
"I bet he did," Luke said, returning the smile. "You
did not terrorize my droid again did you?"
"No more then normal. You are up early. Needing to
escort Mara down here?"
"I was meeting Mara down here," Luke corrected.
"So, she did not spend the night at your place?"
"No. It's not like that." He was feeling defensive and
knew that if Han noticed that at all, there would be
no stopping him until he found out what he wanted to
know.
"Well, why not?" Han asked, laughing lightly
"Han," Luke said, his voice dropping to a warning
tone.
"Ok. I got it. Leia wanted to know what time you
planned on leaving."
"I'll come up with you," he offered. "And we'll set
everything up."
---
Luke drove in silence across the dusty city streets of
Anchorhead, while the rest of his family chatted
quietly. He maneuvered the streets in practiced ease.
It felt strange to be back in the town he spent so
much time in as a child.
"So, dad. What happened this time?" Jacen asked from
the back of the landspeeder.
"Nothing happened," Han grumbled, looking out at the
buildings as they past.
"Then what was that big bang when we landed?" the
child asked.
"Nothing!" Han grumbled defensively. All three
children fell back in their seats and laughed.
"How long will it take to fix?" Leia asked, sighing in
frustration.
"Not long," Han assured her. "I can repair it during
the flight back home. I just need to get parts here
before we leave."
The kids got quiet, and Luke stole a quick glance back
at them. They were looking out at the sand dunes
whizzing by. He decided to turn on the radio to give
them something to do. It was already tuned to the only
station that reached the small town they were headed
to. He listened to the vaguely familiar song by a
female artist named Kiya before turning his mind to
other things.
He made the final turn into the residential area. As
with every other time he had visited, he was flooded
with memories. He could see himself, as a boy, running
down these same streets, hiding between the buildings,
and Biggs always trying to sneak up on him.
"Are you alright Luke?" Leia asked, taking hold of his
arm. He looked at his surroundings again before
answering.
"Yes. There are just a lot of memories here," he told
her. He continued to drive as they drove past the turn
he would have taken to go to Biggs' place, the same
road that would have taken him, eventually, to his
uncle's farm.
"How much further?" she asked, smiling reassuringly.
"Just around this next corner." He quieted down again
as they progressed down the street. His eyes were
drawn to one of the houses.
"What is it?" Leia asked, following his gaze.
"That's Deak's old house. They moved away a few years
ago. I'm not sure who lives there now. The next house
is where Arielle lived. Her parents still live there."
An older couple was sitting in chairs resting in the
shade created by their house.
"Here we go."
---
Mara looked around the plaza and sighed. The drop had
gone well. In fact, it had taken less time then she
had thought. She was walking around the open-air
market, trying to relax before she took off again the
next morning. She began to think about what she would
do when she got back. She knew that she would want to
spend more time with Luke. She was also thinking that
it was time to start telling people.
She was jarred out of her musings when a young female
bumped into her, almost knocking them both to the
ground.
"Oh, I'm sorry," the blonde exclaimed. She reached out
and touched Mara's shoulder, only to have them both
jerk away on contact. The shock that was passed
between them startled Mara almost as much as it
startled the other young woman.
"I am really sorry," she said again, then quickly
disappeared into the crowd.
Shaking her head, Mara turned and walked the short
distance back to her ship. She had been in the mood
for a walk in the fresh air, but there were just too
many people packed into the narrow streets. She
figured she had the pleasure of once again arriving in
a city just in time for some local event. Just like
last time, she was not interested in discovering what
was going on, much less attend.
Once back in her cabin, she dropped into her cot. Her
thoughts traveled back to the night Karrde had found
out. The first few minutes with him after Luke left
had been interesting. He had gone from being shocked
to being embarrassed that he had interrupted. Then he
had apologized repeatedly about barging in. He had
even offered to forget what he had come over to do,
and call Luke back over. She had been interested in
the offer, but he had brought over some documents and
arrangements for her run that would have made this job
a lot harder if she had not had them.
So far, her and Luke had received good reactions, but
if it continued to spread this way, people were bound
to get the wrong idea. Figuring there was nothing she
could do until she could discuss it with Luke, she
began looking for something to do. She spotted the
data disk she had located at the old Imperial base a
few days before.
Pulling her data pad out of the nightstand beside her
bed, she checked the label of the disk. Jade
Experiment was hastily written across the top, curious
as to what she had found, she inserted the disk.
It looked to be just another one of the Emperor's
experiments. As far as she could tell she had never
met anyone even remotely related to this one. Figuring
that the title might only have been a coincidence, she
continued to scan, looking for anything linking it to
her. Then she found it. On the second page of the
document, when they began to describe the details of
the experiment was her name listed under subject one.
She quickly read the rest of the information. Her face
paling as she did. She rubbed her eyes after she was
done. "What have I done," she whispered to herself.
Shaking herself from the initial shock, she walked to
the ComStation, not sure who exactly she could call
about this. Then realizing there was really only one
place to turn, she started the call.
--
Luke walked out onto the porch. He, Leia and her
family had arrived a few hours ago to the warm
greetings of Gores and Shiella Serears, Arielle's
parents. Luke was glad he decided to call the Serears'
upon landing on the desert planet. Because he had
thought ahead, they arrived just as the suns where
setting and were welcomed with a hot meal waiting for
them. Luke had informed the older couple that he made
arrangements at the local boarding house so they would
not be a burden on them. Mrs. Serears' response was
simply that he was being silly, and it was fine if
they stayed in their house.
It was now after dinner, and Han and Leia were trying
to get their children calmed down for the night. Luke
had gone outside to get some air and found Shiella
sitting alone.
"Your sister and her family seem very nice," she said.
She was looking out at the dark sky, but Luke
suspected that she was aware of everything he did.
"They are great," Luke said, sitting in the seat
beside her. He found that he was strangely nervous. He
had kept these two parts of his life separate for so
long, he had no idea how they were going to mix
together. It all seemed to be going well, but it was
now, while they were alone, that he would hear what
she really thought.
"They seem to love you very much," she said.
"It's nice to still have some family around," Luke
admitted.
"You have always had family Luke," Shiella said,
finally turning to look at him. "I've told you many
times that we will always be your family."
"And you always will," Luke assured her. He wanted her
to understand what he was thinking. He wasn't sure
what to tell her though. How could he make her
understand something when he wasn't sure himself what
it was. "There are just things that I think may be
uncomfortable to discuss with you. I would not want to
make any of you feel bad. Your family has been great
to me, and you're always there when I needed you. But
it's because I was married to your daughter. Whereas
Leia is my sister, it's easier to talk to her."
"You are worried about how we would feel when you move
on." It was a statement, not a question. He knew that
he should no long feel surprised when she seemed to
jump right into a conversation, but it still did every
time. She was always able to pick up on the unspoken
problems. He had even checked her once, thinking she
was Force strong and that was how she did it, but he
found nothing.
"This is a little different," Luke said, trying to
stay on the subject to see where she was leading. "I
have told you before when I started seeing someone.
It's hard to explain."
"Can I make a guess?" she asked, smiling.
"Sure."
"You have found someone, haven't you?" she asked.
"Someone who you have feelings for that match or even
exceed the feelings you had for Arielle. Luke, there
is nothing wrong with that. She died a very long time
ago. We would not be upset if you found someone else.
In fact, we have been worried that you have been
waiting so long. You need to be happy. After
everything you have been through, you deserve to have
someone in your life that loves you as much as you
love her."
"You think so?" Luke asked. He felt shocked, this
conversation was not going at all like he thought it
would. When he thought that she was picking something
up that he wasn't telling her, he had no idea just how
right he was.
"Yes," she continued. The look in her eyes matched the
feeling Luke was getting from her. She was honestly
concerned about him, and it felt good to know that.
"Just think about it, Luke. Everyone deserves to be
happy."
"Thank you, Shiella," he said. He could not help the
smile he displayed. He was not even aware that he was
worried about what she thought, but it was nice to
know that she was happy about the turn of events.
"You are welcome, Luke," Shiella said as she got up
from her chair. She squeezed his shoulder as she went
past and walked back in the house.
Mara sat in her chair in front of the controls of her
ship. Readings flashed across the screens, but she saw
none of it. She was so lost in thought that she did
not hear the com until the third signal. She reached
over, flipped a switch, and watched as the com came to
life. She was surprised to see the handsome face that
appeared on her screen. She automatically reached for
him through the Force, but did not feel him. He must
have been too far away. Although she was happy to see
him, she was also concerned about him.
"Luke, how are you feeling?" she asked.
"I'm fine Mara," he said, his brow creasing at her
strange greeting.
"Well," she said, trying to explain her behavior to
him. "You seemed like you were feeling under the
weather the last time we saw each other."
"Oh, that," Luke said, with a wave of his hand. "No,
it was nothing. A few hours in a healing trance
cleared it right up."
"I'm glad," Mara said, even though his mention of the
healing trance had made her feel anything but glad.
"So, how is the drop going?" he asked. He was starting
to look worried, and she did not want that.
"All finished," she said, forcing a smile. "I am
heading back home in a few minutes."
"Really? That's great!" he exclaimed. "Then I caught
you just in time."
"What's on your mind, Jedi?"
She watched as Luke faltered when she slipped back to
her pervious behavior towards him. Realizing she was
causing him to worry, she decided that she needed to
lighten up.
"Well?" she asked, her decision lightening her mood.
"I was just wondering if you had run across anything
of mine," he inquired.
Mara smiled. She recalled a conversation they had
before she began this trip. He had shown up just as
she was getting ready to leave. She had made the
comment that at least he did not say that he had left
something on her ship was the reason he was there. Now
here he was, doing exactly that.
"Just in general or are you looking for something
specific?" she asked, unable to stop the small laugh
that came out. Luke smiled back at her.
"I was going to give Arielle's necklace back to her
mother, but I think I left it with you."
"Let me go take a look." She knew she had not run
across the necklace, but she thought she should look
anyway. She pulled her bag out of her closet,
remembering that she had not unpacked it yet. She
searched through the contents, fearing they may have
left it at the hotel.
She began pulling out articles of clothing, shaking
them in case the necklace had gotten mixed up in her
things when she repacked her bag. She was just
beginning to think that it was not there when she
heard something hit the floor. She bent down and
picked it up, holding the now familiar piece of
jewelry in her hand. Smiling, she returned to the com.
"I found it in my bag." She was pleased to see him
smile. She wanted so bad to see him happy. She would
do what ever it took to make sure he stayed that way.
"Do you think you could bring it by here? I would like
to see you." He seemed so relaxed, there was no way
she could tell him now. This was something that
deserved to be told face to face.
"Sure, Luke," she said. "I would love to."
"Thank you, Mara. I will see you soon."
They ended the transmission shortly after that. Mara
began the calculations for her new flight, letting her
mind wonder as she did. He's giving it back, she
thought to herself. He was going to give back the
final string he felt he was holding to that part of
his life. The thought would have made her flattered
and excited, knowing she was the reason for the
change. I would have been happy, had I heard the news
yesterday. I would do anything to keep him happy, she
thought. With that depressing thought, and everything
it meant in mind, she lifted her ship off the ground
and made her way to Tatooine.
Ok thats it. I wont beg...ok yes I will...Please,
Please, Please tell me what you think :)
=====
Skywalker's Dream
"I know that the Lord would not give me more than I could handle, I just
wish he
did not trust me so much."
Ok, as I posted I am going to go ahead and post
chapter 13. I have chapter 14 done but the very end
of it. Thanks alot to Sherry for jumping in and
Beta'ing this for me so quickly.
Chapter 13
Mara sighed as she landed her ship. The trip had only
taken her a few hours and she knew it had done nothing
to improve her mood. She had done a lot of thinking
during the trip. She had dealt enough with the
Emperor to know not to trust everything she read. She
also knew that she had been lead to the disk by the
Force. She figured she just needed to be careful
until she could find out if the information she had
discovered was true or not. With her decision
weighing heavily on her mind, Mara quickly went
through the shut down procedures for the <i>Jade's
Fire<i> and exited her ship, stepping onto the sand
caked ground that had resulted from the bright suns of
Tatooine.
"Mara!"
She turned, hoping to find Luke, but saw Han waving
her down instead. Wondering why he was the one
waiting for her, she headed in his direction to ask
just that.
"Luke's on his way here, but I was closer," he told
her, answering her unspoken question. "Need a ride
in? I'll call Luke and tell him to turn around and
meet us there."
"I don't plan on staying," she informed him.
"Skywalker asked me to bring something for him. I
plan on dropping it off and then I'm out of here."
"It has been a long flight," he explained with an
apologetic smile. "I was told to not let you leave
until after you have rested. Sorry, Mara."
"Agh! Why did I even bother to come here?" she fumed,
regrettably following Han back to his speeder. She
knew that the longer she waited the harder time she
was going to have when she had to talk to Luke.
Han drove them out onto the main street and headed out
of town into the endless vastness of sand.
<i>How could anyone live in such a place?<i> She
thought to herself.
<i>It's home,<i> Mara heard. Her first instinct was
that she let her guard down and Luke had gotten
through to her, but the voice she heard was distinctly
female. She turned to see if Han had heard that
strange female voice, but he gave no indications of
having heard it.
<i>When it's all you know it's easy to love it.<i>
<i>Who are you?<i> Mara asked the voice inside her
head.
<i>You know who I am.<i> It was when she said that,
that Mara figured out that it had to be Arielle. The
voice matched, but she had never talked to her this
way. There was only a handful of people that had ever
been able to talk to her through the Force.
<i>Since when can you talk to me?<i> Mara asked,
wondering if she had finally gone crazy.
<i>I'm not sure. I've never done this before. I was
just thinking about you and I heard your question.
Maybe you being on Tatooine has something to do with
it. ... What's wrong, Mara? You seem worried, what has
happened?<i>
<i>Please, just leave me alone<i>, Mara said. <i>If
it weren't for you, none of this would be
happening.<i>
<i>But...<i>
<i>STOP!<i> Mara quickly drew her barriers up tight
around her, block out anything else the Force was
trying to send her.
She looked behind her and realized they were now away
from the larger city and on their way to the much
smaller one where she knew Luke grew up near. Han
picked that moment to contact Luke.
"Hey Luke, you out there?" Han said into the com unit.
"Yeah, I'm here."
"Hey kid, I saved you a trip. Mara's here with me."
"Great," Luke's voice came back. "Thanks, Han. Is
everything alright?"
Mara could feel Luke's concern. He had been
attempting to reach her through the Force for nearly
an hour. She had been able to ignore him up until
now. The first time she actually talked to him she
wanted it to be in person. So when Han offered her
the com and she looked away. If she had not wanted to
contact him through the Force, she certainly did not
want to speak to him now. Han took the hint and
addressed Luke once again.
"Everything's fine kid," he said, glancing back at
Mara. "I arrived just as she was landing. We will be
there soon."
"I see," Luke said. The cheerfulness in his voice
diminishing slightly. "I'll see you when you get
there then."
"Mara, relax," Han said as he put the com unit away.
"Luke wants for you to be happy. We all understand
how you feel. Just let Luke know, when we get there,
that you are having second thoughts."
"Second thoughts?" she asked, wondering if Luke had
picked up what she was thinking after all.
"About staying with us at Arielle's parents, the
Serears'. Luke told me how you said you wanted to
come. No one would blame you if you found out that
being here made you feel uncomfortable."
"Thanks," Mara snapped, "But I think I can handle
them."
"Then what's wrong?" Han asked.
She opened her mouth to explain. She wanted to get
this over with, but she closed it without a word. She
wanted it over with, but telling him anything but
maybe what he thought of when he looked at her.
"I don't want to talk about it," she said instead.
"Well, then you don't have to," he said, relaxing into
the driver's seat. "Just listen to me, OK," he
pleaded with her, smiling reassuringly. "Whatever is
bothering you, talk to Luke about it. You are the one
that is always telling us that we need to stop doing
what we think is best for him, and tell him the truth.
He deserves it now as much as he ever did."
"And what would you say if I told you that I know now
why you guys did what you did," Mara whispered.
"I would say that Luke was lucky to know you," Han
said, smiling again.
"Why is that?" Mara asked, looking out at the endless
sand dunes.
"Because it would mean that you care about him and
realize he deserves better than the life he has now."
"He deserves to live... happily," she said, attempting
to count the numerous sand dunes that zoomed pasted
her.
"Exactly," Han exclaimed, slamming his hand down on
the seat next to him to emphasize his point.
"Well... what if he can't have both?" Mara asked, not
sure what made her ask him that question. For someone
who wanted to keep things quiet, she sure was talking
a lot. It took all her will power not to jump when
she saw Han looked at her shocked, and she knew she
had said too much.
"What is that supposed to mean?" he asked. She could
feel the heat of his stare and she wanted, more than
anything, to be out of the speeder.
"It was just a question," she said, dismissing it with
a wave of her hand. "You are right, he deserves to
hear the truth." <i>Just as soon as I can find a way
to tell him,<i> she added to herself. She sat in
silence for the rest of the trip. A trip that took
less time than she thought it would. Just like she
figured, Luke was waiting when they got there.
Han was first out of the speeder and grabbed Mara's
bag out of the back of the vehicle. Mara was out of
the speeder, before he got the bag situated on his
shoulder.
"Where is everyone, kid?" he asked Luke, who was
walking towards them.
"Gores and Shiella went shopping," Luke told him.
"Leia and the kids are inside."
"Thanks." Han walked to the house, glancing back at
them before disappearing inside.
"Mara, thank you for coming so quickly," he said
before he reached her side. A smile peeked through
her gloom at the site of him.
"You're welcome, Luke." She pulled a black cloth out
of her pocket, and unfolded it. "I believe this is
what you wanted."
"You know," Luke said, taking it with another smile.
"This was only part of the reason I called you," he
told her, his gaze never leaving her face.
"What was the other reason?" she asked. She could
feel her resolve melting just by talking to him.
Deciding that she could enjoy his company for a few
minutes, she whipped everything else out of her mind.
"Because I wanted to see you," he admitted. She
could feel her face blossom into a full smile. She
realized now how much she had missed him, how much she
liked having someone happy to see her. She found that
she was beginning to crave the attention.
"You're sweet," she said. She had seen such a change
in him over the last few days. She now looked forward
to his smile, that now tended to melt her heart every
time she saw it. She could also recall how he had
reacted to bad news in the past. She wanted him
happy, and she was sure she could hold off from
telling him anything, at least for a little while.
"Are you alright?" he asked. She could, once again,
feel his concern and it broke her heart. "I have been
trying to reach you for a while now."
"Have you?" Mara asked, trying to convince him that
she honestly did not notice his calls. "I was really
busy. I'm sorry." From the look on his face, she was
not sure if she had succeeded, and she did not dare
reach out and find out. Knowing Luke though, probably
not.
"Okay," he said. "I was hoping it wasn't just you
trying to avoid me." He stood, watching her, no
longer talking, and she knew that he was waiting for
her to say something, but she could not think of
anything to say. "You know you can tell me anything,"
he finally continued when it became apparent that she
was not speaking. "Whatever it is, we will deal with
it."
"I know," she told him. She was trying to organize
her thoughts when she heard something behind her.
Thankful for the interruption she turned to see an
older couple walking up to the house holding a bag in
each hand.
"Just a second, Mara," Luke said, touching Mara's arm.
"Do you need any help?" He called out to the couple.
"No, Luke dear," Shiella said. They were both walking
slowly but steadily up to Luke and Mara. "We can
handle it just fine. Is this your friend?"
"Yes," Luke said, turning so he could introduce
everyone. "Gores, Shiella Serears, I would like you
to meet Mara Jade. Mara, this is Gores and Shiella."
"It's good to meet you, Mara." Gores said, nodding at
her.
"Come, child," Shiella said. Nodding her head towards
the house. "You must be tired after all that
travelling."
"No, really, I'm fine," Mara argued. Wishing she had
taken what chance she had and talked to Luke, so she
could just leave.
"Shush now. Come inside, get out of the suns,"
Shiella said, walking up into the house then inside,
followed closely by her husband. Mara looked at Luke,
astonished at their behavior. She was now getting the
feeling that Luke had not been the one to insist she
stay, or at least not the only one.
--
It was later that evening when Mara found herself
alone on the porch of the old Tatooinian home. She
had taken a while to rest, but was bothered again by
dreams of Arielle. The girl seemed to be able to tell
where Mara was at, and seemed fascinated that Mara was
sleeping in what used to be her house. Her
fascination seemed to over shadow anything Mara might
have learned from that dream, so she found herself no
closer to any suitable answers to her problems. So,
she had been studying the night sky, trying to pull
herself back to the decision that brought her here.
The one she originally thought was the best idea. One
look into Luke's eyes had shattered every ounce of
strength she had. And in that moment of weakness she
had began to doubt her ideas. <i>There has to be
another way,<i> she thought. <i>She wanted him to be
happy, but what if it killed him? What would I do if
I knew something he was doing would harm him?<i> She
asked herself. <i>I would make him stop.<i> However,
it was not that easy. It wasn't too hard to tell Luke
what he should and should not do, but how could she
convince herself of the same thing? How could she
leave him, knowing that it would break his heart, but
also save his life? There had to be away to help him,
without hurting him.
"There are no answers there." Mara turned to the
sound of the voice. Shiella stood watching her from
the door. "Trust me, I have looked. The answers are
here," she said, placing her hand over her heart.
"You just have to know how to look for them."
"Thank you." Mara said. Shaking her head in
bemusement after the woman disappeared back into the
house. She was just settling back into her thoughts
when the door opened again. This time Luke came out
and sat beside her.
"Shiella thought you might need some company," Luke
said.
"As a matter of fact, company would be nice," she
said, watching him. "But I did not ask her to send
you out here."
"I believe it. It's really strange the way they can
pick things up. You would think they were Jedi.
Arielle was the same way, I guess that's where she got
it from."
"I thought she was adopted," Mara said, without
thinking. Realizing that she may had just let go of
her secret, she worried that he would start demanding
the answers that he had all rights to know, and she
knew she would have to tell him if he did.
Luke stopped and looked at her. "How did you know she
was adopted?" he asked.
"Oh, I did a little checking," she said, trying to
cover her slip the best she could.
He watched her for a minute, then smiled. "I figured
you would. Did it help you?"
"What do you mean help me?" she asked, wondering what
he was up to. Him getting quiet she expected, or even
getting upset, but to turn and be concerned about her
was not anything like she thought.
"Did you find what you were looking for?"
She smiled slightly when she realized that he was not
upset at all, and would not be asking her any
uncomfortable questions. "Yes, I think I found what I
was looking for."
"Well, I'm glad. As long as you are happy."
"Time to come in, you two," came the weathered voice
from inside the house. "We are locking up for the
night."
"Are you leaving tomorrow?" Luke asked, standing,
lifting his hands above his head to stretch.
"I'm not sure," she said, smiling as she watched him
move. The move was innocent in nature, but it stirred
such feelings in her, that she was afraid she would
not be able to resist.
"I would like for you to stay," he said, offering her
his hand, and helping her stand.
"I might be willing to be talked into staying at least
another day," she told him. Knowing, on some level,
that she would not be leaving anytime soon.
"What would it take to convince you?" he asked, a
playful gleam shining in his eyes.
"I don't know," she said.
"Will you please stay?" he asked, taking her hands in
his. Her pulse quickened, as he studied her face.
She wanted more then anything to spend more time with
him. The air grew thick as they drew closer.
"I can stay another day," she whispered, her lips
barley an inch from his.
---
Mara was sitting at the table having spent an
interesting morning with Luke and his family. Han and
Leia had just left to pick up a few things, and
Shiella and Gores had gone outside. Luke had just
finished cleaning away the latest round of memories
before lunch, and Mara found herself more and more
unwilling to spoil everyone's good time. So far she
had been able to keep in control of the situation,
deciding that unless something drastic changed, she
would wait until they left Tatooine to tell him on the
way back to Coruscant. It shouldn't take much to get
him to accompany her on the <i>Fire<i>. That way
everyone could have their vacation, without her
messing it up.
She was beginning to think that the data card had been
false. Luke and her had shared a nice intimate moment
on the porch and as far as she could tell Luke
suffered no ill effects from the experience. She was
beginning to think that the previous headaches had
just been a coincidence.
She had been thinking a lot again about the dreams she
had been having. It had occurred to her how different
her visits from Arielle had become. She wondered,
belatedly, which room was hers. Was it the one that
Mara herself was sleeping in? She had looked inside
each of the rooms in the house during her stay, and
there was no telling which room had been Arielle's.
There was nothing in any room that would suggest that
it once had a young teenager living in it.
Mara was surprised at how few pictures there were of
the Serears' daughter, and granddaughter. There was
one, she saw, of Arielle out in the living area. But
all the pictures of her, and her young family, were
all tucked away somewhere. They had spent the morning
looking through some of them. <i>It must be hard,<i>
she thought,<i> to keep the reminders around.<i> It
had been hard for her to deal with the reminders that
she had lost out on something in her life, but to lose
<i>someone<i>, it was almost too hard to picture.
Mara sighed to herself, <i>Come to think of it, I
didn't have a dream last night, but I almost wish that
I had.<i> At least in the dreams Mara found answers.
She felt like she was lost and there was nowhere to
turn. The Force was staying strangely quiet about
this one. As if, it itself had no idea what she
should do, or she was just meant to find it out on her
own.
"Mara, what is this," Luke asked, interrupting her
thoughts. He was walking out of the back hall holding
a datapad. <i>Her<i> datapad to be exact.
"Why are you going through my things?" she accused,
fear suddenly washing over her.
"I wasn't," he said. The look on his face was all she
needed to see to know he had read what was saved
there. "This was left out. I found it when I put the
picture book away. Why are you contacting these
people, Mara? You have a list of the most highly
sought after imperial agents that the NR knows about.
What are you up to?"
"I don't want to talk about it here, Skywalker," she
said, looking around to see who was still in the
house. She did not see anyone, but this was still not
the place for one of their arguments, especially with
what this one was about. "This is not the place or
the time," she told him.
"You have been acting strange since you got here," he
accused. "What's going on?"
"What's going on?" She repeated, her voice rising with
every word. <i>How dare he spy on me!<i> She thought.
She felt like she would explode, she wanted to tell
him everything, so that he would feel how hurt she was
feeling. "You want to know what's going on? I have
no idea what's going on." It boiled down that she
could not tell him. He had all rights to be upset
with her.
"You are making no sense!" he shouted.
"I don't want to talk about it!!" she yelled. "How
much more clear do you need it to be?"
"Fine, Mara," he said, his hands falling to his sides.
"Have it your way." He turned and walked out the
door. She had to really fight the urge to run after
him. He needed time to cool off, and she had to
gather her head. This trip was not going like she
planned, and it was making both of them miserable.
Luke walked out the door, fighting the urge to turn
back. She was acting strange and he had no idea how
to deal with it, much less figure out what it was
about. She refused to tell him what had happened on
that last trip that would have change things so
drastically? He had given her plenty of opportunities
to tell him.
He meant to go for a drive and noticed Anakin in the
speeder. "Why didn't you go with your mom and dad?"
he asked.
"They said I did not have to go," the little boy said.
"Well why didn't they tell me?" he asked, frustrated
that he could have left and not known that the boy was
there.
"Oh, they asked me to tell you. I'm sorry. ... What's
wrong, Uncle Luke?"
"Nothing," Luke said, knowing Anakin did not need to
hear about his problems. "I was going to go for a
drive. Do you want to come?"
"Sure," Anakin exclaimed, and jumped over to the
passenger seat. A little time spent with his nephew
might be just what he needed to
OK I managed to get it together, I hope. lol. This
chapter should clear up alot of questions. :) It's
one of my fav chapters. I want to thank Una for
jumping in and helping me. And Tracey and MJS for
offering. Feel free to send any comments. I enjoy
them.
ok normal disclaimers with this, nothing is mine, I
just have too much time on my hands. Ok here you go.
Chapter 14
Luke walked beside his nephew pointing out different
things to him. It was strange to be home again. To
see and smell everything that was once common to him.
He had returned to this place many times before, but
always to visit people. He never stopped to look
around the place that was once the only thing he had
known. Now he was here and he intended to enjoy it.
Then there was seeing the wonder in Anakin's eyes as
he heard stories from his uncle's past. Han and Leia
were on their way to find parts for the Falcon, which
was once again in need of repair. They had taken the
twins with them but Anakin had wanted to stay with
Luke. He had needed some time away, having had
another disagreement with Mara that he wasn't sure he
understood. So he had left, taking Anakin and showing
him around.
He had shown him a few of the places that he used to
frequent as a child, pointing out the places him and
his friends used to play, and hang out. They had
finally reached here, parked above Beggars Canyon.
Anakin had been fascinated to hear the stories of when
he had flown through these canyons as a young boy.
After all this time, Luke never tired of the energy
that these children displayed. He looked down at the
boy, his blonde hair blowing in the breeze. He was
staring into the canyon, with who knew what running
through his head.
His thoughts turned once again to Mara. He had
noticed her strange behavior since she had arrived,
and could not figure what had been going through her
head. Then when he had stumbled across the datapad
that she had so recklessly left out, he became more
lost than ever. She had told him she had buried that
part of her life, but did all this mean that she had
been wrong? There were more questions than he had
the answers to, and sitting here looking into a rocky
pit was not helping him any.
Looking around, he noticed that the suns had moved
considerably across the sky. They had been gone for
quiet a long time and he was beginning to think that
they should make their way back to the center of town.
That's when Luke's danger since exploded around him.
He scanned the area but saw nothing out of the
ordinary.
"What's wrong?" Anakin asked. Luke looked down and
smiled. "I don't know yet, Anakin," he said, trying
to keep the worry out of his voice. His skin was
crawling and he felt something very wrong somewhere
near by. He started leading Anakin away from the area
when a movement caught his eye. However, turning he
did not see anything, just the cliffs off to the
distance that he had been showing Anakin. There were
too many out-croppings of rock here. Hundreds of
places that danger could hide in. Picking up the pace
he headed back to the speeder.
"You decided not to heed my warning," hissed a raspy
voice from behind one of the rocks. Luke slowed at
the sound of that voice, and then stopped dead in his
tracks when the person stepped into view.
"Not again," he whispered, grabbing Anakin and pushing
him to stand behind him.
"You have always been a fool, Skywalker," cursed an
older woman, as she walked to stand in front of him.
"So ready to believe. Maybe you should not believe
everything you see."
"I have learned that lesson," Luke said, looking
around for anything that could help him get Anakin
away from this woman.
"You may know it, but you have not learned from it,"
she shouted, the hatred in her face sending painful
memories across his consciousness.
"What do you want?" he called out, trying to block out
the sound of the blaster fire from all those years
ago. The sound if his life hitting the floor, the
sound of the sirens and the mindless chatter when he
followed his wife's body out of the house.
"I want you to feel pain such as the pain you have
caused," she declared, taking another step towards
him.
"What do you mean?" he asked, dread filling his entire
soul. He felt behind him to assure himself that
Anakin was still there, that he was giving him what
little safely could be offered from the woman that had
tried twice now to ruin his life. There was no doubt
in his mind that this woman was crazy. The last two
encounters they had, had ended with either blaster
wounds or death.
"Your ignorance on the matter is precisely the
problem." She pulled a blaster from the folds of her
robes, aiming it in his direction. He could see her,
in that other lifetime, as he encouraged Arielle to
take their daughter out of the house. His vision
changed from the older and younger version until he
was completely confused.
Mara was sitting at the table looking over a data pad
loaded with figures for a shipment she was planning to
pick up. After the argument that happened between her
and Luke she decided that it would be best if she went
back to work and she would deal with Luke after he
returned home to Coruscant. She looked over at
Shiella and Gores who were sitting not far away,
talking quietly to themselves. They had entered the
house just after Luke had left, and seemed to be
trying to stay in sight of her. Mara figured they had
heard the fight and were trying to make themselves
available if she decided that she wanted to talk. All
she wanted to do was get off the planet as fast as she
could.
"Looks like there's a storm coming," Shiella said.
Mara looked and noticed that she had moved to the door
and was looking out at the distant horizon. "I hope
that everyone gets inside before it hits."
"I'm sure they will," Gores said, looking up at his
wife. "You mustn't worry yourself every time one of
these storms hit."
"I know, but they are so dreadful to be caught out in.
I would rather know that everyone is safe in their
homes."
"Yes, and everyone who has spent any time on this
planet knows to seek shelter when these things hit.
Everything will be just fine. Look, they have plenty
of time before that thing gets here. It's still very
far away."
Mara sat listening to their conversation, and her
thoughts turned to Luke. Meaning to give him a heads
up about the storm she reached out to him.
Gores tapped his wife on the shoulder and directed her
attention to their house guest. Mara was sitting
rigid in her chair with her eyes closed. As they
watched, all the color drained from her face.
Shiella walked over to Mara and gently touched her
shoulder. "What's wrong dear?" she asked.
Mara whispered something then dashed out the door. No
longer seeming to hear, or even see the other people
in the room.
"What did she say?" Gores asked, as he watched Mara
take one of the landspeeders they had parked out
front.
"She said 'Luke,'" Shiella told him, sighing as she
pushed in the chair Mara had just vacated.
"So, you were right," Gores said, looking at the door.
"They don't seem to realize what is meant for them,"
his wife pointed out. "Or they won't accept it for
some reason."
"I'm sure they will figure it out," Gores assured her.
"Luke is a smart boy, he figured it out the first
time."
"Yes," Shiella said, closing the door to prepare for
the up coming storm. "But he was a lot more open to
suggestions back then."
Mara stopped the speeder next to Luke's and scanned
the area for her best friend. The fear he was
projecting had not diminished, and that worried her
immensely. She could not recall a time when he was
even close to the state he was in now. He was
terrified. She hopped out of the speeder, grabbing
her lightsaber while holding her blaster in the other
hand. Whatever had Luke that frightened was something
to take all precautions with. She found him around
the bend. He stood about 100 feet away with his back
to her.
"Why do you keep coming back?!" she heard. Looking
around she tried to see who had spotted her. She
belatedly realized that it was not a comment directed
at her. "How many times do I have to shoot you before
you stay away from here?" Luke started to back
towards Mara's general direction but stopped again.
That's when she realized that he had Anakin with him,
and whoever was the cause of his fear was standing in
front of him, still out of her sight. "What's wrong?
Little Wormie can't speak."
Luke did not move or make a sound. She could feel him
struggling to get past the overwhelming amount of fear
building up inside him. He was not making much
progress. He would move a few feet, in each
direction, always keeping himself between Anakin and
the danger they were facing. Her danger sense flared
and she knew she had to do something. Wiping out her
blaster she tried to aim at his attacker, but Luke was
still between them.
She had begun to move to a better spot, where she
could get a better handle on what was going on.
That's when Anakin turned his head suddenly as if he
just noticed her there. He looked from her, to his
uncle, then to the woman that was threatening them.
She could feel his fear mixing in with his uncle's and
she knew she had to do something. She started to
move once again but was stopped when Anakin suddenly
turned and ran towards her as fast as his feet could
carry him. Abandoning her search for a better view,
she ran towards Anakin.
"Anakin, no!" Luke yelled, trying to grab the boy's
arm as he pulled away from him. Luke forced himself
through the terror gripping his body and tired to stop
Anakin from moving. He knew that running now would
only draw her attention, but the boy did not
understand that. He was reacting to the fear he felt
and trying to get somewhere where he felt would be
safer. Wondering what had caused his sudden reaction
Luke tried to determine where he was running to. That
is when he noticed Mara running towards them with her
blaster in hand.
It was like watching life in slow motion, nothing
seemed to move fast enough. Luke reached out for
Anakin, missing him by the smallest of margins. He
then could see and track the blaster bolt as it shot
passed his ear and headed towards Anakin. He watched,
unable to help, as the bolt hit the rock and sent
shards flying. Then had to watch in agonizing
slowness as Anakin screamed and fell to the ground.
Mara, still trying to cover the distance between her
and Anakin was forced to watch helplessly as Luke
threw himself at the boy to protect him from anymore
harm the woman meant to cause. As he turned, he gave
Mara her first view of the older woman as she aimed
for another shot. Mara was sure this one was set to
take out both Luke and Anakin. Deciding she had to
act quickly, Mara lined up her blaster and shot her
through the heart before the woman ever knew she was
there.
Putting her blaster away, and continued running until
she reached Luke's side, dropping to her knees, Mara
watched as he held Anakin, rocking him gently. He
seemed oblivious to the fact that the woman had gone
down behind him. Luke was carefully wiping some of
the blood that covered Anakin, out of the boy's eyes.
Careful not to touch the wound that he had acquired to
his head. Luke looked in her direction and she was
shocked to see the haunted look in his eyes.
"Come on Luke, we need to get Anakin some help," she
called out to him. He did not budge. He didn't seem
to even hear her. The wind picked up and she could
see the storm she had seen earlier had moved a lot
closer. If they wanted to get Anakin some help they
had to move soon. "Luke, come on. Lets get going."
Her words did not seem to be soaking in, and she tried
not to think about the reasons why Luke was acting
that way. She could not bear the thought that he
could also be hurt, and was incapable of understanding
her. She placed her hand under his chin making her
look at him.
"Luke?" she asked again. He shut his eyes tight, a
tear slipping down his cheek. "Luke, come on..."
"Not again," he whispered, trying to turn his head
away.
"What, not again?" She asked. It was good that he was
talking, it was better to keep him talking if she
wanted to get through to him.
"She can't do this to me again," he said, still trying
to break her grip on him. Mara let him go and he
buried his face in Anakin's shoulder. "She cannot
take away more of my family."
Mara looked over to the woman she had shot and
realized that she must have been the one that shot
Arielle. She was not sure how she knew that, but it
felt right. That would explain Luke's reaction to
her, as well as his reaction now. It would be all he
needed to bring all those painful memories straight
back to the surface, no matter how much he thought he
had dealt with them. With that one shot, this woman
had succeeded in sending Luke Skywalker into shock.
"Luke, you have to listen to me," she said, determined
now more then ever to get through to him. "We have to
get Anakin some help. Do you hear me? She cannot
hurt you or anyone any more, Luke. She's gone. There
was nothing you could do about the past. Trust me, I
know this. You can help Anakin, but you have to move
now."
Luke still did not respond to her pleas. He sat on
the ground, rocking his nephew in his arms. Mara was
beginning to wonder if she was going to have to
physically drag Anakin away. She was desperately
hoping not to have to do that. Luke's state of mind
was very fragile and anything that dramatic could send
him over the edge. But she found that she did not
have to do that. Luke seemed to pull himself together
enough to stand and start to carry Anakin back to his
speeder. Without a word, she helped them in and sped
away.
---
Luke sat in the waiting room of the med center. He
sat motionless, with his head in his hands, not saying
a word.
"How long has he been that way?" Mara asked when she
entered the waiting room. She handed Han a cup of the
caf she was holding, which he accepted with a small
smile.
"About an hour," he told her. "He wouldn't say much
to me."
Mara shook her head. "He needs to snap out of it.
I'll talk to him, you go back inside."
Han smiled again sadly and left the room. Mara
crossed the room silently and sat in the chair beside
Luke. She could feel the thick wall of guilt he had
wrapped himself in.
"Here," she said and handed him the other cup of caf.
He looked up at her, and accepted the cup, taking a
careful sip before lowering his head once again.
"The doctor said he's going to be fine," Mara told
him.
"I heard. Mara, it's just..." He paused, sighing as he
swirled the liquid in his cup.
"You should talk about it, Luke."
"It's just, when I saw her. I thought that was it.
She was going to end it now. And I felt like there
was nothing I could do about it. Then when I saw you
there... I hate to say it, but I was angry."
"Angry? Why?" she asked. It hurt her to know that he
was mad at her.
"Because, and now that I think about it, I know how
stupid it sounds, but I thought you had something..." he
ended there and looked at her.
"You thought I had something to do with it?"
"It's just that you have been acting so strange. I'm
sorry Mara."
"You have no reason to be, Luke." She knew now that
because she had not talked to him, it had caused him
even more pain. It was time to let him know. "I need
to talk to you about something. I should have done
this a long time ago."
"What?" he asked.
"I found something, just a few days ago. I didn't
want to tell you until I got more information. I wish
now that I had told you." She paused and took a
shuddering breath. "Do you remember when we were
stranded, waiting for my ship to be repaired?"
"Of course," Luke said, looking interested in
something for the first time that night.
"Well I found a disk inside that imperial building,
just as we were preparing to leave. I was looking at
a shelf and the label of one of the old data disks
caught my eye. I put it in my pocket and forgot about
it."
"Well obviously you ended up reading it or you would
not have brought it up. What was on it?"
"It was the details of an experiment ordered be the
Emperor. He had his scientists develop a virus, that
when injected into someone caused that person to
become their owe personal weapon. It was designed to
only affect the intended victim. Genetically
engineered only to react to their DNA." Luke looked
at her as if he understood where she was going with
this. But she had to make sure, she had to make sure
he understood. "According to the disk, they injected
it into me."
"And the target was me," he stated. There was no
question in his voice, only sadness.
"Yes," she whispered. She could barely force herself
to meet his gaze. She had never meant to hurt him.
She wanted to comfort him. To do anything that would
help ease the shock of what she had told him. But she
never got the chance.
"Anakin just woke up," Leia said as she burst into the
room, unaware of what she had interrupted. "He is
very upset and asking for both of you."
"OK," Luke said, his voice betraying his feelings.
"We'll be right in." Leia either did not notice the
change in her brother or figured that it was a result
of the stress of what he had just gone through. She
left the room without another word. Luke stood, but
did not move towards the door. Looking up, Mara
realized that he was looking at her.
"Luke?"
"I need time to think, Mara. We'll talk about it more
later. Right now, lets go
assure Anakin that we are alright."
He left it at that. She had bared her sole and he had
reacted in the perfect Jedi manner. He would take the
time to think it through, not just push her away like
she had been trying to do to him. Instead, he took
her hand and helped her to stand. Then they walked
together to see Anakin.
Hey Everyone! I know I know it has been a long time since I have posted any
of this. DRL took hold of me a few months ago and did not want to let go. You
will be happy to know that I am done with chapter 16 and almost done with 17. So
you will have more very soon.
I want to say thanks to Jenn and Sherry, my wonderful Beta's. They took on
more than they were thinking when they agreed to beta this one. No one, not even
me thought it would take this long to finish. thanks again you two!!!
OK summery. thats hard. Lots of stuff happened. Basics are that Luke was
married when he was young but her along with the child they had was killed. As
he tries to deal with finally coming to terms with everything, he relies on Mara
for support. During a trip to his home planet, Luke and Anakin are attacked, and
Luke discovers that the Emperor had developed a nasty surprise for him.
Um ok thats a basic overview. Enjoy.
Chapter 15
Mara followed Luke through the packed dirt streets to the speeder parked nearby.
It was late in the afternoon, and they had just finished shopping for the parts
Luke had agreed to pick up for the <I>Falcon.</I> The same parts
that Han and Leia had set out for but had been unable to get because of the
accident. Luke had not been talking much, to her or to anyone, and she suspected
that he was keeping something from her. He had asked her to join him, and they
had spent the afternoon going from shop to shop without saying much. Not that
she could really be upset about his behavior, seeing how much she had been
keeping from him.
She had finally sat down and explained the situation to him the night before
while they were waiting for Anakin to wake up. Mara realized that she had no
choice but to tell him, but realized that she may have waited too long to talk
to him. Now that she thought about it, she realized she had been expecting the
impossible. She had thought that she would be able to convince Luke to leave
her, without having to tell him. What she had not counted on was how hard it
would be to act like she wanted him gone, when she could not convince herself of
the same thing.
He had picked up on her internal conflict, and with the help of a situation that
had spun completely out of his control, he come to the wrong conclusion. In the
mists of a traumatizing moment, when he could have been spared an ounce of pain
had he known the truth, he had felt betrayed by Mara. Thinking that she had been
the reason he was being attacked. That because he had found out that she was
contacting old Imperial contacts right before he came under attack. He had jump
to the conclusion that she had to have been responsible.
The thought had crossed her mind that she should have been upset that he had
considered that she would betray him. But she dismissed it just as quickly. He
had been very distraught and was already feeling betrayed. That feeling had only
carried over when he had seen her. All his feelings of frustration at her
behavior had suddenly clicked, and he had not put much thought into it. Mara
felt that under the same situation, she might have done the same thing.
She had told him about the danger she was to him. She had tried to explain that
an intimate relationship between the two of them would result in his death. As
much as it hurt her to say it, she wanted him to understand that because she
cared about him, she had to tell him. No matter how hard it was.
"Luke are you all right?" she asked, wondering if he would chose now
to blow like she knew he was bound to do. He had taken the news about the virus
with a nod, and then had not spoken a word while they visited with Anakin. After
they had returned to the Seares', she had given him the data disk to look over
and he had read through it with tight lips. She had hoped that he would talk
with her about it, that they would begin to find a way to get past this. They
had made a start, or so she thought.
"I'm fine, Mara," Luke said. "I just want to get this over with
so we can get out of here." He reached the speeder and busied himself with
loading it with the parts they had bought.
"Hey," she said, catching his arm so he would look at her. She saw a
glimpse of what looked like pain reflected in his eyes. "He's going to be
fine," she assured him. They had spent a good portion of their time last
night talking about what happened with Anakin. Talking seemed to have helped
calm Luke, but he continued to worry about his nephew. He had told her a little
more about the woman she had killed, Nyela Coramar. She had in fact been the
same woman that had killed his family all those years ago. And it turned out
that she had also been the woman that shot him the last time he had been on
Tatooine. A point she had not grasped before. It had occurred to her that the
last she had heard, Coramar was safely locked away. It would seem that Tatooine
did not have a very well guarded prison system. It was far too common to see a
prisoner walking the streets without and hint of them being searched for.
"I know," he said, watching her face. It was then that realization hit
her.
"You are having another headache, aren't you?" she asked. The
realization that they could in fact be wrong in thinking that the data disk was
false was like a dagger to her gut. It had come up through the night that there
was a chance that she was wrong. That for some reason the disk was incorrect.
She had been so desperate to find a way out of the situation, she found herself
believing that it could be true. Luke had explained that the data disk mentioned
nothing about the virus causing a mere headache from contact with the host, and
that the pains he had experienced could have just been a coincidence.
"No," he told her. The feeling that there was something there that he
wasn't telling her did not go away. She knew there was something he was keeping
from her, and she just knew that it had to do with last night. During the
conversation about how they could be worrying about nothing, Luke had kissed
her. She had immediately melted in his arms, not thinking about what she could
be doing to him. The connection she had felt with Luke then had been like
nothing she had ever experienced.
She knew that Luke was feeling lost and hurt, and she wanted to do whatever she
could to help him through it. However she was unable to deny just how much she
had missed him. And in the end she realized that she was getting the chance to
see Luke like no one else ever did. Everyone was asleep but the two of them, and
he felt safe talking with her. She was able to catch a glimpse of what Luke was
like when he thought no one was looking. He was a completely different person.
She now had a good idea who the person was that she had only seen hints of, the
real Luke Skywalker. She had felt safe and cared about and she wanted him to
feel the same.
"Don't lie to me, Luke," she demanded, realizing that he really wasn't
going to tell her anything. He had been open and outgoing with her the night
before, but when he awoke, he was as closed off as ever. Probably more so.
"This is important. Are you in pain?"
"I don't want to talk about this now, Mara," Luke said hotly.
"Well, too bad," she told him. He could be stubborn, but she refused
to let him get away with it this time. "You are going to talk to me about
this. If you have a headache, then we know that the disk was right. That's
information we need to know. "
"What would it matter, Mara?" Luke said. The desperation was so
apparent in his voice, she would not have been surprised to see her tears
mirrored in his eyes. "All your contacts came back with nothing. No one
knows anything about this! So now I have been exposed to something that no one
has ever heard of it before. And why should they since the only person that
would get sick from this is me! How would me telling <I>anyone</I>
how I feel will change the situation? Would it change the fact that I can't be
with you? No one can help with this, Mara. There is nothing to do, because if
there were you would have found it already," Luke said, the desperation he
was feeling, raising the pitch of his voice.
"Luke, I'm... I'm sorry," Mara said. She was at a lost as to what she
could do or say to help the situation. For once in her life, Mara felt out of
control and she had no idea what to do to get it back. "I should have read
that disk sooner," she continued. "Before this went so far. I just
should have known."
Luke looked away and took a deep breath. She wanted to reach out to him, to help
assure him, but she found that he had completely shut himself off. He continued
to study the horizon for several seconds before turning back to her.
"Mara, don't say that," he pleaded with her, his voice considerably
calmer. "Please don't wish that any of this hadn't happened. I am happy
with what we had together. I would not want to have not experienced it. You did
not know it would turn out like this, and I believe that. You would not
intentionally try and hurt me like that. You want to know if I have a headache?
Yes I do. It started about an hour ago, and has been slowly getting worse. I
plan to put myself into a healing trace as soon as we are done here and get
back. As to what we are going to do? We are not going to give up until we find a
way past this." Luke's voice had grown determined and strong as he went on.
"What if there isn't a way?" Mara whispered. She did not want to let
him get his hopes up again. She had seen plenty of the Emperor's
<I>experiments</I>. She knew enough to realize that one of
Palpatine's requests was that the victims had no way out. If the experiment was
completed, she could bet that he made sure that it would not be easy for them to
find a cure.
"We will find a way," he assured her. She wondered once again about
what exactly was going on in his head. He had gone from needing comfort to
giving it in a matter of seconds. "Until then..."
"We keep our distance," Mara finished for him. She knew where he was
going, and wanted him to know that she understood.
"That's not what I was going to say," he corrected. She was shocked to
realize that he seemed offended by what she said. "I don't want to
<I>not</I> see you, Mara. We have been only friends for years before
this. We can do it again."
"I don't know if I can handle<I> just</I> being friends again,
Luke," she told him. She stopped and thought about what he was saying. He
now understood what would happen if they continued what they had started, but he
did not want her out of his life. He wanted to have her around any way he could.
Luke had always wanted her around, even if it wasn't always the safest thing to
do. Through it all, he had never really let her out of his life. "But if
that is the only way... then that is the only way."
"I'm glad we agree," he said, smiling for the first time that day.
"Now let's get out of here."
"Sounds good to me." They finished loading the parts into the speeder
and climbed in. She decided to drive and let Luke relax. He offered no argument
so they began the long drive back to the house. She suddenly thought of Arielle.
Her encounters with the girl had increased in intensity, but had decreased in
number. She wondered again if it was because of the house Mara was staying in.
She had thought more than once that it was odd for her to stay there, but she
never felt unwelcome. Realizing that the dreams and conversations were something
that she had not told Luke about she turned to him. He was leaning back in the
seat with his eyes closed, resting. She decided that it could wait. She had told
him the important facts, the rest could wait.
Luke found himself walking towards Mara's apartment about a week later. After
they had returned with the parts, Leia and Han decided that it was time to leave
Tatooine. They wanted to get Anakin looked at by someone back home, and the
twins had started to get restless. The Sears had been great, taking the twins
while the others were taking care of the younger sibling, but they decided that
it would be better to cut their trip short by a few days. Luke had returned to
his apartment the previous evening to find a message waiting for him saying he
was invited to a welcoming celebration for a new member of the NR. Luke had
headed straight for his sister's apartment for what he knew would be the same
conversation. He would say he did not want to go and she would spend the next
couple of minutes telling him he needed to go, and she would not stop until he
agreed. He decided to save himself the trouble and agree to go.
He smiled as he reached Mara's door. He had enjoyed the surprised look on Leia's
face when he agreed to go. He was beginning to think she enjoyed pestering him
into doing things. He was still smiling to himself when Mara answered the door.
"What are you smiling about?" Mara asked. She was dressed in a pair of
lose pants and shirt, and it dawned on him that she might have turned in early.
"No, I wasn't sleeping," she commented to his unspoken question.
"I just wasn't expecting company. Care to come in?"
"Sure," Luke admitted. He continued smiling as he walked past her. He
looked briefly around the apartment before sitting on the couch. He heard Mara
scoff before coming to join him and he knew she was wondering about his sudden
light-hearted mood. She sat at the end of the overstuffed couch, with out saying
a word, and tucked her feet under her. Reaching down she grabbed a blanket that
she had obviously discarded on the floor and wrapped herself in it.
"You seem in a better mood since I saw you last," she said. The last
they had seen each other he had still been a bit upset about everything. He had
been doing a lot of thinking since then and decided that if he got upset and
gave up, then the Emperor would have won. Just as he had felt when he was
younger, he knew he could not let that happen now. He just could not imagine the
chances that he would have fallen victim to a trap set for him years ago and
never implemented. He also wondered what the monster would think if he knew what
trouble he had caused this long after his death.
"So, what cheered you up?" Mara asked. He smiled again. He was
determined to not let things get him down, for the moment anyway. He wanted to
have a good time.
"I'm taking you out," he announced.
"What do you mean you are taking me out?" Mara asked. She was watching
him carefully, like she thought he had finally lost his mind.
"Tomorrow night, I am taking you out," he told her. He had expected
her reaction. He knew she would try to talk him out of it, but it was something
he wanted to do, so she would have to fight pretty hard to get him to change his
mind.
"Luke," Mara said, shrugging. "I don't think that's such a great
idea. Going out is not the best idea in our situation, don't you think?"
"You worry too much," he told her. He scooted closer and took hold of
her hands. "We agreed to cool the relationship, Mara, but I can still take
you out. There is some big <I>thing</I> tomorrow night. I have
already told Leia I was going and that I was taking you. So, you see, there will
be plenty of people there. I am sure I will be on my best behavior."
"I don't know, Luke, maybe we shouldn't," Mara said. Luke could tell
that she was trying her best to come up with something to change his mind. Since
they had returned they had spent their time together working out or going out to
eat. The times they did find themselves alone were a bit tense, but they had
always gotten through it just fine without risking his health.
"I think we should," Luke told her. "We have been keeping to
ourselves too much. We are going to drive ourselves crazy if we don't get out a
little. Please come with me. It will be fun."
"I hate those people," Mara pouted.
"I know," he said, smiling slightly. She was not fighting him about
the situation anymore, which was a good thing. He knew she was getting as tired
of hiding out as he was, and it was time they got out for a little while.
"I don't much care for these things either," he continued. "But I
need to go."
Mara laughed. "And why is that?"
"I don't know," he admitted, his features turning serious. "I
just feel I need to be there." He had told her the truth. Ever since he had
read the invitation he had a feeling that he should be there. He had meditated
about it for a while but had received not even a hint on why he felt that way.
He did not feel any danger, or joy, just that he needed to be there.
"A feeling, huh?" Mara asked, her brow creasing in thought. "And
here I thought you were going to say because you let your sister talk you into
it."
"No, not this time," Luke admitted. "I told her I had to
go." Though their time together had not progressed the way they had wanted,
Luke had to admit that he had enjoyed it. They now had a chance to really get to
know each other. They could now spend a quiet evening together talking and
laughing and not fight uneasy feelings they had been fighting over the last few
years. It felt good to really relax. He tried not to think too much about the
headaches he still got on a daily basis even though he was careful not to even
so much as kiss Mara. He tried not to mention to Mara that he spent time
everyday in a healing trance to rid himself of the pain, but he suspected that
she already knew.
"What's this feeling?" Mara asked, bring him back to the topic at
hand. "Is it something bad?"
"I don't think so. I just feel that it would be in my best interest to be
there. And if I have to go I would like to go with you."
"Well, since you put it that way how can I refuse?" Mara asked.
"Besides, it sounds like you might need someone to watch your back."
"And you have always been good at that. So, you will go?"
"Yes, I'll go."
Luke nodded to yet another dignitary that stopped to greet him. He had been
here over two hours and had talked to countless dignitaries and other well known
people that made up this celebration. He was beginning to wonder if all the
headaches had effected the way he was thinking. Why else would he have offered
to attend this party? He spotted Mara and started to make his way over to her.
"Excuse me, sir." Luke stopped in front of the droid that had
addressed him. It was holding what looked like an old fashion piece of writing
paper in his hand. "You are Master Skywalker, correct?"
"Yes, that is me," Luke said. He felt Mara touch his mind and quickly
looked over at her.
<I>You know for a date you have left me standing alone an awfully long
time,</I> he heard Mara send to him.
<I>I'm trying to get back over there, just give me a second.</I>
"What can I do for you?" Luke asked the droid. He saw out of the
corner of his eye Mara trying to see him through the crowd of people.
"I was asked to give this to you." The droid handed him the piece of
paper, then moved away. Sighing, Luke continued across the room. Spotting
another droid carrying drinks, he shoved the paper in his jacket pocket and
snagged two drinks as it rolled past. He finally reached Mara and handed her one
of the drinks.
"Having fun?" he asked taking a sip of his drink.
"Looks like more than you," she said. She was standing near a wall
looking around at all the laughing people. She looked back over at him,
frowning. "Are you really that bored?"
"Is it showing that bad?" he asked, suddenly worried if he had let his
guard down without realizing. He had been trying to act polite and gracious,
maybe he had not been doing as good a job as he thought.
"No, not at all," she said, a smile lighting up her face as she ran a
finger across his cheek. "You look the perfect Jedi. But anyone with any
sensitivity to the force can feel your unhappiness."
"It's a good thing there are no others here," he said, catching her
hand in his.
"Oh, you have checked have you?" Mara laughed.
"Well, no I haven't," he admitted with a frown.
"Well, well, well," she teased, one eyebrow rising in astonishment.
"That's an awfully big assumption you were making then." Out of reflex
he scanned the crowd, knowing he was doing it just because Mara had brought it
up. He smiled when he felt Mara following him in his search. He located Mara
standing beside him, and Leia across the room. He was not expecting to find
anymore, so he was surprised when he did. The person was young, and not
completely untrained. Looking around to find the source he spotted a young girl,
not more than fifteen. She was heading towards the door preparing to leave.
<I>I've seen that girl before,</I> Mara told him silently.
<I>We bumped into each other a while back. On that last run, right before
I got that call from you.</I>
<I>She looks slightly familiar to me too, but I can't place the
face.</I>
<I>She's probably a daughter of one of the stuffed shirts in
here,</I> Mara sent him.
<I>I need to find out who she is,</I> Luke said.
Mara laughed softly beside him. <I>What are you going to do? Chase her out
the door and grill her for answers?</I>
The image of a crazed Jedi Master chasing after the young girl caused them both
to giggle.
"No, I wouldn't do that. I can find out who she is later."
They both laughed lightly and Mara placed her hand on his chest. She looked up,
slightly surprised to hear a crinkling sound when she did.
"What's that?" she asked.
"Oh," Luke said, remembering the droid handing something to him. He
took the paper out of his pocket. Unfolding it he realized he was wrong, it was
in fact two pieces of paper folded up neatly together. The first one was fairly
new with a quick note written on it, the second was much older. As he read the
second letter, a lump started to form in his throat and he found it hard to
breathe. Mara must have sensed his discomfort because she turned a worried eye
on him.
"What is it, Luke," she asked, trying to get a look to the note.
He indicated the letter. "It's from Arielle," he whispered.
"How could it be from Arielle?" Mara asked him. He handed her the
note. She read over the page he had been looking at. "Could this be true?
Why would someone give this to you after all this time?"
"No, you don't understand," Luke told her. He was finding it hard to
think and he wanted to know if Mara would come to the same conclusion.
"Look at the other page."
She looked at the other piece of paper, which would have been the first one Luke
read. He knew what it said. The words were still burning in his mind.
<I> I found this in my mother's things.
I thought you would like to see it.
Sorry to bother you now, but I
wanted to make sure you got it.
K</I>
"She was here in this room," Luke realized. He began to search the
room again. Not finding anything out of the ordinary, he remembered the girl
that they saw leaving the room.
"It sounds that way," Mara agreed.
"We scanned the room Mara, remember. I think that was her that just walked
out of here. That girl was MaCayla."
OK please please let me know what you think.
OK I am going to jump in and post another chapter. Thanks to jenn and Sherry for
all your help with this.
Chapter 16
Mara stood bolted in place. Had she heard him right? Did he just clam that his
daughter was still alive?
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"I know this sounds crazy, Mara " Luke said, his voice taking on a
pleading tone. "But that was MaCayla. Don't you see? I have been feeling
something out of place in my life for a long time now. I have never been able to
put the pieces together... until now." He paused, and took a deep breath.
"I have no proof, Mara, but right now it<I> feels
</I>right." He paused and took a breath, his brow creasing in
thought. "No, it's more than that. I have never felt anything like this
before." Luke hands rose in frustration as he finished talking.
"Luke, you may be jumping to conclusions," Mara told him. She knew how
easily Luke would cling to something like this. After everything that had
happened to him over the last few months he would be looking for anything to
latch onto. However, Mara knew she could not blindly accept that Luke's daughter
survived an ordeal fifteen years previous, when there was never any doubt that
she was dead. Even if she had survived, Mara had to ask herself why she suddenly
trying to get back in his life?
"Mara, please believe me. This is real I can feel it. This was why I felt I
had to be here tonight. Don't you see, the Force was trying to tell me
something."
"But how can she be alive?" Mara asked, wanting desperately to
understand what was happening. "How could she be in this room?"
"I don't know," Luke admitted, his eyes traveling the room. "But
I intend to find out." He started out the door, and Mara stopped him.
"What, you intend to go now?" Mara asked, shocked. Luke had always
been impulsive, but he needed now was to think this though.
"She just left the room, Mara," Luke started to explain. "I need
to find out where she is going. I need to talk to her."
"How are you so sure that she is that girl?"
Luke looked around a bit, thinking. "It just feels right, Mara. I noticed
her, remember. With a casual scan I picked her up like I would pick up you or
Leia. When I did I felt a connection there. I dismissed it at first, but I know
what I felt. I have to go talk to her."
"Well, if you are going, then I think I need to go with you." There
was no way she was willing to let him out of her sight in the state he was
currently in.
"Thanks."
Mara followed Luke out the double doors of the grand ballroom. She stumbled
once and chided herself for her lack of concentration. She was letting herself
get wrapped up in the emotions Luke was broadcasting. Taking a deep breath, she
calmed herself and pulled back a little from Luke's mind. One of them had to
keep a level head. Looking around she could see no sign of the girl they had
spotted earlier. Closing her eyes, Mara joined Luke as he used the Force to try
and locate her. As she did she used the opportunity to get another read on her
friend. He must have picked up on her thoughts because he was now incredibly
calm. Searching the surrounding area with the skill of the seasoned Jedi that
she knew he was. He did not show any of the desperation she had felt pouring off
him just a few short moments ago. He acted nothing like a father searching for a
daughter, merely a Jedi looking for another Force sensitive. <I> Maybe he
realizes that he may be jumping the gun here, </I>Mara thought. Whatever
he was thinking, however, did not change the fact that by the time they started
looking, there was no trace of the girl.
"OK, this is not working," Luke admitted just as Mara was about to
suggest a change in action. "We need to try a different approach. I have an
idea."
"The transports?" Mara inquired. The idea had suddenly popped in her
head, but any idea was better than standing in the middle of a hallway looking
for someone that was long gone.
"Exactly," he said, his hand extending to take her hand. They started
walking as he continued to speak. "She had to have arrived on Coruscant
somehow. We just need to find out how, then we can track her from there."
"Well, at least it's a place to start," Mara agreed. She followed Luke
silently as he went in search of a computer terminal. It had been on the tip of
her tongue to try and talk Luke out if this crazy search. She wanted to convince
him that this was just some poor soul's idea of a joke. However, she stopped
herself, knowing that if she stopped him he would always wonder. Even though
Mara feared that this would turn to pain for her friend, she knew it was
something he had to do. All she could do is help him, and be there if he needed
her.
Locating a terminal was not difficult and they quickly went to work running
searches on the massive amounts of passenger carrying ships that had arrived in
system recently. Through it all, the name MaCayla did not turn up any results.
Deciding not to give up, Mara went back another week and ran another search.
Still nothing. She watched Luke as he sat back in his chair and sighed.
"Thanks, Mara, but this seems to be another dead end." It surprised
her that he seemed to be giving up so easily. She was about to voice that
thought, but the words died on her lips however when his com unit suddenly
beeped.
"Skywalker," he barked into the tiny device.
"Luke? Is everything all right?" It was Leia. Luke had mentioned
Leia's name during one of the few moments they talked while searching the
records. He told her that he had felt Leia brush his conciseness a few times
since they left the party, but she had not tried to contact him until I now.
Mara suspected that she had merely waited until he stopped focusing so much on
the search before trying to find out what he was searching for.
"No, Leia, it's not OK...," he continued, his eyes darting to
Mara.<I> Oh, no. Looks like another idea brewing there, </I>she
thought. "Have you got a minute?" Luke continued into the com. "I
need to ask you about something."
"Sure," Leia said, the concern in her voice coming through clearly.
"We are at home. Come on over, and bring Mara too."
Both Luke and Mara smiled as the com clicked off. Mara held her breath as she
studied the twinkle in his eyes.
"I don't think I want to know how she did that," Mara said, indicating
the com that Leia had just been connected to.
"She's just showing off," Luke explained, his head shacking in
bemusement.
"What, that she knows we are together?" Mara exclaimed lightheartedly.
"I am sure that just has her imagination running overtime." She
laughed at her own comment, and was pleased when Luke started laughing with her.
"Come on, let's go."
"And here I thought you had given up for the night," Mara said as she
followed him away from the terminal. "I should have known better."
"Yes, you should have," Luke said, looking over his shoulder with a
raised eyebrow and a grin. They walked down the hall a few minutes before Mara
spoke up again.
"So, what do you plan to tell your sister?"
"Huh?" Luke asked. He looked at her like he had no idea what she was
talking about, and Mara suspected that he probably didn't.
"Why are we going to talk to her?" She asked him.
"Because she would know how to trace anyone at that party tonight," he
told her in a voice that showed he did not think he should have to explain.
"She should be able give us a place to start."
"Us?" Mara asked, her pervious question forgotten at his choice of
words. "You still need my help?"
"I'm sorry," Luke said, his face dropping. "Really. I just
assumed you wanted to help. I should have asked first."
"No, it's not that I don't want to help," she quickly tried to
explain. "I just can't say that I am convinced that this is MaCayla... I
mean ... How would that be possible?" she asked, then noticed the concerned
look on Luke's face. "However, I would like to help you get to the bottom
of this."
"Thank you, Mara."
It was a short walk from the hall of the ballroom to the elevator that would
take them up to Leia's apartment. They walked in silence, both lost in their own
thoughts. She was replaying everything she could remember about the girl in the
ballroom. The list was extremely limited, but it might help if she could
remember anything about the girl that she had now ran into twice. Glancing over
at Luke as they exited onto Leia's floor, Mara studied her friend. His face was
like stone, and all she felt from him was a sense of peace. She had no idea what
he was thinking.
Leia greeted them with a warm smile as she opened the door. <I> She likes
seeing us together, </I> Mara thought to herself. <I> Luke hasn't
told her yet. </I> She needed to talk to Luke about that. The thought
brought back the situation full force. They had both been concentrating on
finding this girl so much that she was able to forget about Luke's health, at
least for a few hours. He was not as well as he would have everyone believe. She
knew how much pain he was in. She also knew enough about it call to Yavin asking
Cilighal to come for a visit. She had received a message from Kyp asking her if
everything was all right. He was worried that there was a message from Luke,
following which the Jedi Healer hurried to leave without any explanation. It was
apparent to Mara that Luke was only telling those people that needed to know.
She still thought that he needed to talk to his sister. He needed to tell her
something. Leia, when left to assume about any given situation, had been known
to try to take matters in her own hands when things did not go her way. If she
got it in her head that they needed help she was bound to hurt someone, without
even knowing it.
"Come in, you two" Leia said eagerly. She obviously knew something was
up and was just itching to know what it was. "Can I get you
something?"
"No, I'm fine," Luke said. "Mara?"
"No, thanks." Mara suddenly felt uncomfortable inside the Solo's home.
She had only been there on a couple occasions, never enough for her to feel
comfortable. Looking around she saw plenty of proof of the three children she
knew had to be there somewhere. The apartment was nowhere near messy, but there
was enough clutter around that she knew it was not just a couple of adults
living in the home.
"So, where's Han," Luke asked. Mara guessed that he was probably
wondering if he should expect him to walk in. It was hard to get someone caught
up on a conversation when they missed the most of it.
"In the boys room referring an argument," Leia told him. "Would
you like me to go get him?"
"No, don't bother," Luke assured her. "I just have a few
questions about the guest list of tonight's party." If Mara did not know
better she would not have guessed that there was anything wrong, and Luke truly
just needed her help. His tone and manner gave nothing away.
"Well, I did not personally make it out," Leia said, already deep in
thought. "But I would be glad to help." There was a loud crash down
the hall that caused all three of them to jump. The loud bickering of two angry
boys immediately followed it.
"Leia!" came Han's disembodied voice.
"I'll be back in just a minute," Leia said, her hand touching Luke's
arm as she passed. Mara raised an eyebrow at Luke and he shrugged.
"She always seems to be doing that," he told her, his brow creasing in
wonderment.
"Doing what?" Mara asked. <I> What was he talking about now?
</I>Mara wondered.
"Walking out of the room when I am trying to talk to her," he said
straight faced. Mara looked at him astonished then they both started laughing.
"Mom?" The voice coming from the top of the stairs caught their
attention. It was a young female voice that Mara immediately identified as
Jaina's.
Luke made his way up the stairs to talk with Jaina, leaving Mara standing there
alone. She had just wandered to the couch to sit when Luke called out.
<I>Mara! </I> He mentally yelled to her. He sounded upset, shocked.
She dashed up the stairs two at a time. She skidded to a stop at the door where
Luke was standing, and froze when she realized what had him so upset.
<I>That's her, </I>Luke sent her. It was a useless statement since
Mara had already come to that conclusion. Looking around the she scanned all the
pictures on Jaina's walls. Quiet a few were of the same girl, the one they had
been looking for all night.
"Where's Mom and Dad," Jaina asked.
"Um, they are taking care of your brothers," Luke explained.
"Everything all right?" He was trying to keep all the emotion out of
his voice, and he was successful for the most part.
"Oh, yeah," Jaina said. "They just told me to tell them when I
got done cleaning my room. Is everything all right, Uncle Luke?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, everything's fine, Jaina." Luke was looking around the
room in amazement. Mara did not have to use the Force to know what he was
feeling. He was looking at pictures of his daughter. He was convinced of that.
"You have just changed your room since I have been in here last."
"Yeah mom said I could. I have spent all day on it," she announced
proudly. "You like it?"
"Sure, it's wonderful," Luke assured her, his voice beginning to get
back under control. "But, Jaina, who are all these people."
"Holovid stars, singers," the child explained. "They are all
great. Don't you know any of them?" It was a simple question, coming from a
child who knew her uncle met lots of people. She had no idea of the impact the
question had made.
Luke walked to one of the walls. Not speaking, but projecting an air of only
minimal interest in the pictures on the walls. "I have seen her
before," Luke said, turning to Jaina while pointing to a picture of whom he
thought could be his daughter. "Who is she?"
"She's a singer, Uncle Luke. She's great, has such a pretty voice. You
heard her songs before, right Uncle Luke?"
"Not that I can remember."
"Here let me show you one of them." She busied herself putting on the
music and Luke stole a look at Mara. He listened to the song, realizing that he
was hearing his daughter for the first time. Her voice was beautiful as she
sang, just as Jaina had told them. The song struck a cord in him, and he began
to wonder where he had heard it before.<I> In the speeder on Tatooine.
</I> He had felt a tingle in the Force then, and stopped. But then he had
not paid attention to it much after that. He knew now that the Force was trying
to tell him even then.
"Do you remember now Uncle Luke?" The persistent child asked.
"Yes, I do," he crocked, unable to keep his voice level. This was his
daughter. No matter how he looked at it the feeling never went away. He had
tried to explain it to Mara. But the words did not do the feeling justice.
"You said she looked familiar," the girl asked, suddenly excited.
"When did you see her?"
"She was at the party last night," Mara offered, trying to give Luke a
second to compose himself.
"Really?!" Jaina exclaimed, looking back and forth from Mara to Luke.
"You saw Kyia? Did you get to talk to her?"
"Kyia?" Luke asked, looking intensely at his niece. It did not escape
Mara's notice the way the color was draining from Luke's face.
"Yeah that's her name," Jaina stated. Her tone of voice indicating she
thought he should have known that.
"No, I didn't get to talk to her," Luke explained. "Sorry."
The disappointment in his voice seemed to satisfy Jaina because she did not ask
any more questions. "Look Jaina I need to get going. I'll see you
tomorrow."
"OK, Uncle Luke. Is everything all right?"
"Yes, everything is fine," Luke said as he turned to leave.
Mara followed Luke out of the room then out the door. She had to practically run
to keep up with him as he left the apartment.
"Where are you going? I thought you wanted to talk to Leia?" Mara said
to him. She needed to get him to calm down. Not that she was worried about him,
well no more than usual. What she wanted him to do was slow down. He was
attracting too much attention as he rushed through the hall into the elevator
and out of the building. If he wanted to keep everyone out of his hair he had to
stop drawing everyone's eyes to him.
"I can't talk to her right now," Luke said. He stopped suddenly and
turned to Mara. She was glad she was on her toes, if she had not been she would
have collided with him. He took a deep breath and rested against the nearest
wall.
"What was that about back there?" Mara asked, joining him. "Luke,
it's only a stage-name. Most performers have them."
"I understand that," Luke said. He took a deep breath and closed his
eyes. When he opened them he was a bit calmer. "It's her choice in names.
Kyia."
"Yes?"
"It just sealed it. That is what I used to call MaCayla. How could it not
be her, Mara? This is too much to just be a coincidence."
Mara opened her mouth to speak, but she could not think of anything to say.
Everything he had said so far supported his theory. His daughter was still
alive.
"Luke, I don't understand. How could she be alive?"
"I don't know, Mara," Luke said, turning trouble eyes on her.
"All these years I have never even dreamt that she could be alive."
"But why didn't she tell me?" Mara asked herself. It occurred to her
that she said that aloud.
"Tell you what Mara?"
Mara rubbed her hands across her face in worriment. "Luke is there some
where we can go? I need to tell you something."
Luke rubbed his hands roughly over his face. Squeezing his eyes shut, he used
the heel of his hand to and pressed it into his forehead, trying to relieve some
of the pressure there.
Calling on the Force he set to work pushing the pain back once again until it
was nothing more than a dull ache. "So, let me get this straight, you have,
over the last month, had numerous visits with Arielle. Is that what you are
trying to tell me?"
"Yes." Mara was sitting next to him on the couch in his apartment. She
sat still, her hands clasped in her lap looking at the floor.
"Mara why did you not say anything before?"
"What was I supposed to say, Luke?" Mara asked, exasperated.
"That I was being visited by your dead wife?"
"For starters, yes!" Luke said. He shot to his feet and began to pace
the room.
"I wanted to tell you...but I didn't."
"Why not!" he snapped. He could feel the anger starting to build in
her before he finished the short question. All it did was fuel his own.
"Look, Skywalker," she said, her voice rising as she stood up to face
him. "No matter what you may be thinking, I do not have to report
everything to you."
"You were being visited by Arielle, I think that qualifies as something I
need to know about." She started to say something then stopped herself. He
watched as she pulled her emotions back under control.
"Luke, it wasn't that I didn't want to tell you...I would have told you. I
don't know...it was strange. Even Arielle thought you weren't ready to
know."
"Oh great. You are getting advice about me from my dead wife!" He took
a deep breath, fighting to regain control. "What did she say to you?"
"Lot's of things."
"What exactly?" Luke asked, his tone extremely calmer. Holding his
breath he braced himself for whatever she was going to say.
"I think she had a message for us. Well, she did, and I think that's the
only reason she visited me."
"Mara, you're killing me here," Luke exclaimed, his voice stressed.
"What message?"
"It's a bit complicated." Mara took a moment to prepare herself.
<I> Pull yourself together! </I>She scolded herself. <I> You
have been trying to tell him, now is your chance. </I> It was Mara's
voice. He figured she had not meant for him to hear that. But nonetheless he
had. "Ok, they way it worked is this..." They spent the next couple of
minutes talking about what was said and the possibilities it made. He was
shocked when he realized that his marriage to Arielle was all prearranged, but
it was the next part that really threw him.
"Ok, so what you are telling me here is that there was an attack on the
Jedi temple on the day of her birth, right?"
"Right."
"Then what happened?"
"According to Arielle, Kenobi dashed into the nursery and took the baby,
taking her someplace safe."
"All this because she was supposed to be some sort of, what,<I>
soul</I> mate for<I> me</I>? They knew all this when I was
that young?"
"Yes. But there is more. When Arielle died, Kenobi realized he had made a
mistake."
"A mistake?" The dread he was trying to hold back threatened once
again to break through.
"There were two girls born that day. Kenobi, knowing what the child's
destiny was, knew he had made a mistake when she was killed. He took the wrong
baby."
"Arielle wasn't the one I was supposed to meet on Tatooine?" He asked
the question slowly, trying to piece it all together. "But then who?"
Mara did not say anything. He could feel the agony of holding it inside as
threatened to rip her apart, but still he felt how she was trying to protect
him. She did not want to tell him.
"All this time there was someone else out there? Who is she? Is she still
alive?" He was not excited, only confused.
"It's me, Luke. I was the other girl born that day. I was born in that
Temple, and when the imperials found me, they took me, leaving the other child.
Kenobi in his rush did not notice his error."
"I don't believe it."
"It's true... It was I."
Those three words hung in the air between them. Luke held his breath as the
weight of that confession slammed into him. All this time through everything
that had happened, Mara would have, should have been there with him. He thought
of Kenobi, how he must of felt when he found out about his mistake. That Mara,
the child he should have taken was forced to grow up in Imperial hands because
no one even attempted to get her back. Luke closed his eyes again and sighed.
The Emperor knew. Of course he knew. It was the reason he had had Mara
kidnapped. He must have heard the rumors that a child was to be born. <I>
But if he knew everything, why did it take nearly two decades before he came
searching for me? </I>Luke thought. It was strange for him to think of the
Jedi of the old Republic making such a big deal about him. It made him
uncomfortable to think of all they had left on his then tiny little shoulders.
As for the Emperor, he could not have learned his name then. It must have been
just rumors that he had been acting on. He knew there was someone out there, but
it was not until Luke stepped into the public eye that Palpatine knew who he
was. However, he knew who Mara was, and what the Jedi believed her destiny was.
That must be where the virus had come from. He knew that Mara could not deny her
destiny, even if he never let her know that.
While he was thinking, Mara had moved over to the window. She stood with her
back to him, studying the landscape. <I>Things could have been so
different for her.</I>
"I don't believe you, Luke," she whispered, not turning from the
window.
"What?" he asked as he walked over to her.
"I just told you that they messed up yet another part of your life and you
stand there thinking how much it affected <I>me</I>."
"It did. Your life would have..."
"I know what my life would have been, Luke," she said, finally turning
to face him. "We can do nothing about that now. There are a lot of things I
wish could have been different, but what's done is done." He ran his hands
lightly down her cheek as her words sunk in. She smiled.
"What are you thinking?" he asked.
She shook her head, careful not to dislodge his hand from her cheek. "There
is something you can change." She paused and he knew she was waiting for
him to say something. He opened his mouth to comply but could think of nothing
to say. "You can find your daughter," she continued. "Find out
how she is alive. Go find MaCayla, Luke."
The feelings running through Luke at that moment would have been overwhelming
had he stopped to study them. He traced another finger down her cheek and across
her lips. He leaned closer, wanting nothing more than to feel her lips on his.
She stopped him with two gentle fingers on his lips. She lowered her head,
touching her forehead to his cheek.
"I'm sorry, Luke."
Monday already? Wow where did the weekend go? Well I told myself I would post
today, no matter what, so here you go. I should have the next chapter ready by
this time next week. A big thanks to Jenn for beta'ing and all you requests for
the next chapter. I'm working, I'm working. And to Sherry (hope you are feeling
better) for all your help. And you did help on this one, I wrote most of this
chapter a very long time ago. And thanks to everyone who has been reading this.
I am glad you are enjoying it.
Ok on with the story
Chapter 17
Luke quickly walked from the kitchen to the couch and sat down. He closed his
eyes in the attempt to block out the bright rays of the morning sun. Placing
both hands on his temples he pressed as hard as he could. He cringed as another
shot of pain lanced through his head. He barely registered the sound of the lock
on his door disengaging and the faint footsteps of someone entering his
apartment.
"Master Skywalker, I got here as soon as I could." He looked up into
the concerned face of Cilghal, the trusted Jedi healer.
"Thank you. I told you over the com what is going on. The headaches are
steadily getting worse."
"And the healing trance?" She asked, taking a seat across from him.
"It helps for a while," he explained in a wary voice. "But the
pain always returns."
"Okay let me take a look." Luke laid his head back on the couch and
relaxed as Cilghal knelt beside him. He could feel the gentle probe and inhaled
sharply as the pain vanished. "That should help for the moment," she
told him. "I need to do a few tests. I read the file you sent, that's
everything you know about this illness?"
"Yes, I figure that what the Emperor had done to Mara is what is causing
these headaches."
"It is a logical assumption," the healer agreed. "Surely you have
been careful since you discovered this information."
"Of course," Luke said, sitting up. "But the pain still
lingers."
"Okay," she said, deep in thought. "I need to read up on a few
things, then I will see what I can do."
"Alright," he said, standing up. "While you are doing that I have
something I need to take care of."
"What I have done is just a temporary relief for the pain, Master
Skywalker," Cilghal insisted. "You will need to enter into another
trance."
"I will," Luke said, grabbing his cloak as he headed for the door.
"Just as soon as I get back."
"As you wish."
Luke walked purposefully towards a restaurant located a short distance from
his apartment. Mara and him had found the listing for Kyia on a private ship
that had entered Coruscant space three days ago. From there they had been able
to track down where she was staying. He had called to try and talk to her but
instead had to make an appointment for the next day. He was told that she would
be here, at one of the more popular eating establishments, and she would be
expecting him. After completing the call, he assured Mara that everything was
fine and she should go home and get some rest. He had took the time to get some
much needed rest himself and was awake once again early the next morning,
awaiting his former students visit.
As he approached the entrance he stopped to calm himself. The guy that answered
his com call did not seem surprised that he was calling, and he had no trouble
setting him up with a time to meet her. <I>Could this really be MaCayla?
</I> He asked himself. He had little doubt but there was a voice in the
back of his mind that made him question everything. He had attempted not to get
his hopes up, but knew that if this turned out to be false he would feel
crushed.
Walking into the restaurant, he quickly looked around. There were not many
people there; only a few of the tables were occupied. A man approached him not
long after he stepped through the door.
"Master Skywalker, how good it is to see you, we have a table waiting for
you. Right this way."
"I am meeting someone," Luke told him, looking around the room as he
was lead to a table.
"Yes, you are a bit early, I am sure she will be here shortly. Can I get
you anything while you wait?"
"No thank you."
The man tipped his head politely and walked away. Luke did not have to wait long
before he saw Kyia walk into the room. She did not see him right away, but was
lead to the table by the same man that greeted him. Luke stood as she
approached, calming himself, he cleared all emotion from his face, even though
what he wanted to do was scream.
"Please, have a seat," he said.
"Thank you." She sat in the chair opposite him, and watched him
nervously. She did not look exactly like the pictures he saw of her, but he was
not disappointed. She looked to be no more than fifteen, which was about right
for MaCayla. She had the same long blonde hair like her mother, and her blue
eyes sparkled in the pale lighting of the restaurant. He wanted to jump up and
hug her, to insist she tell him how she was alive, to tell him anything about
what happened to her. Luke forced his jumbled nerves to relax. He had to find
out for sure if this was her. It was then that Luke realized he had no idea what
to say. She saved him the trouble by speaking first.
"I have to admit I wasn't sure if you would track me down," she
admitted to him.
"You did not make it easy," he told her.
"I wasn't hiding." She took a slow breath, before continuing. "I
know you are wondering about that letter I gave you. I will save you from asking
a bunch of questions and tell you what I know. About a month ago I was going
through some of my mothers things and came across that letter. I had never seen
it before, but I thought it was pretty self-explanatory. I mean the letter was
addressed to you, and she was telling you that we were both all right. I
..." She stopped and looked at him. "I have heard about you for as
long as I remember. On the news and everything. No one ever mentioned that you
were married."
"I never told anyone," he admitted. He never had a problem with that
fact before, but saying it now he felt a twinge of guilt.
"Why not?" She asked, her voice raising a notch. "I mean why did
you want to forget about us?"
"No, I wasn't trying to forget," he tried to explain. "No one I
know now knew about it. About your mother and you. And at the time it hurt too
much to talk about."
"I...but why weren't you ever around?" she asked, the confusion she
was feeling showing clearly on her face.
"What?" He asked. Her question threw him off guard. He knew why he was
not around, but he just assumed that she would also know. "My question is,
how you are sitting here right now? I saw both you and your mother get shot when
you were six months old. Up until yesterday I thought you were dead." He
paused when he realized he was babbling. "What were you told?"
"Nothing, really," she said, picking up the glass water in front of
her with shaky hands. "Mother never really talked about who my father was.
I remember asking her about it when I was young, all she said was he was a great
person and she missed him very much. She was very upset after that, I did not
like asking her about it again."
"So, you can't tell me how you survived?" He asked, disappointed. He
frowned when something she said occurred to him. "Your mother. She's still
alive?"
"Oh ... Well ... No," she said, nervously. "She died a few months
ago." Something felt wrong when she said that. She was hiding something.
And as of yet, she had not said anything that would prove what she was claming.
The only thing she had was the letter from Arielle.
"Like I said my mother never talked about it. I found a box once. It had a
bunch of junk in it. Inside were a few pictures and a letter. The letter I gave
to you."
"I was wondering where those went," Luke whispered. After Arielle
died, Luke steered clear of anything that would remind him. When he did start
going through their things he noticed a few of their pictures where missing. He
had assumed at the time, that his aunt and uncle did something with them, but he
never did find them.
"What?" she asked. Luke looked up and realized he had spoken out loud
and jumped to cover it up.
"Nothing," was all he could think of to say. She accepted it and
continued with her story.
"At the time I did not know who was in the pictures. My mom caught me the
first time I found the box. I had never seen her cry so much. She wouldn't talk
about it though. And I did not have the heart to ask her about it too often. But
I never saw the box again until now."
"I need to ask you a few questions," Luke said, forming his thoughts
into a sibilance of order. "Bare with me."
"Sure." Luke sat quiet while he determined what the best questions
would be. There was one that jumped to the top of his list.
"What is your name? Your real name." It was not one of the most
important questions, but it was one he had to verify.
"MaCayla." Luke just barely shook his head in recognition. This is all
still information she could have looked up. There had to be a way to prove
beyond a doubt who this girl was.
"I know you are looking for proof," she said. "I would give it to
you if I could. If there is anything I can do, just ask."
"There is the medical way," Luke said, knowing then that there was one
other way that he could get the proof he needed. "Some sort of blood test,
but there is something I would like to try. If you don't mind."
"Um...Sure I guess."
"Just try to relax," he instructed. "Try to think of the oldest
memory you have. The youngest you remember yourself."
Luke relaxed himself and opened himself up to the Force. His first try at
touching her mind ended with what felt like a small electrical shock. He backed
off then tried again, with a few barriers in place this time. He could feel her
immediately, and it surprised him that she showed signs of a little training. He
had barley entered her consciousness when she jumped.
"What was that?" she asked, her voice squeaking.
Luke became intrigued, so he backed out and studied her. "What was
what?" He asked, wondering who had trained her, she was able to feel him as
soon as he entered her mind.
"What did you just do?" She asked, her eyes wide.
"You felt something?"
"I'm not sure what it was. I felt a presence. Something overwhelming."
"Let's try it again and you tell me if you can figure it out." He
waited until she looked ready and once again began to scan her. She again seemed
to be triggered by his presence. This time she pinpointed his location and
latched on, clumsily reaching out and making contact with him.
"What is that?" She whispered.
"That's me." He opened his eyes and saw her watching him.
"What does this mean?" she asked.
"It means," he said, smiling. "I think it would be worth getting
more tests."
How could it be true? Mara thought. How could she be alive? What did it mean
that she had never been told this during the visits from Arielle? Also, how
could Luke remember their deaths, if they had not died? She kept repeating the
same questions over and over. She was back in Luke's apartment after he had
called her. He told her about the meeting, and she had to say she was curious.
However, there had to be an explanation. She grabbed two bottles of water and
left the kitchen.
"Luke, come here," Mara told him, going back into the living room.
"We need to talk about this." She joined him on the couch, handing him
one of the bottles of water and opening the other for herself. "What
exactly happened? What do you remember about that day? The day she died."
"I remember everything," Luke told her, setting his bottle down on the
table. "Why?"
"Just from what you describe," she stated, struggling to pull her
thoughts in order. "From what you remember they could not be alive. But you
are convinced that she is. How close have you examined those memories?"
"What do you mean? I have told you before that it is painful. I <I>
don't </I> examine them at all if I can help it. I was young, and it left
a great emotional scar. Besides, it's just a memory of what happened."
"Just humor me," Mara suggested. If she was going to get to the bottom
of this she had to start at the beginning. "Do you think you could take a
look for me?"
"I guess I could take a look," he said, though he sounded unsure.
"I think it will help."
Mara led Luke to the kitchen table. She watched as he prepared himself by taking
deep breaths and closed his eyes. Smiling because of the fact that she knew he
trusted her with all his heart she relaxed also. Reaching out she grasped his
hands and his mind. She followed as he led her deep into his memories. She could
feel the pain his headaches still caused, but pushed that thought away. That was
not what she was there for. She let him lead her until she was standing on a
desert street walking to a house.
It was hot like any other day on the water-starving planet. She was guessing
that was one of Luke's thoughts seeing she could not make that assumption from
her limited experience on the planet. Luke was getting out of the vehicle and
offered to the other occupant, who Mara assumed was Arielle that he would go
inside but noticed she was already out of the car. He seemed to accept it and
they both happily approached the house.
"It's too hot to sit out here and wait," she said, as she took his
offered hand. They walked together down the short steps and knocked on the door.
Nydia Coramar answered, looking a bit impatient.
"Oh, you guys are back early!" she exclaimed, nervously.
"Yeah," young Luke agreed. "We ended up not needing as much from
town as we thought. Is she awake?"
"Maybe you two should go out again get some time alone," Nydia
offered.
"No, I really need to get back to work," Luke insisted, trying to look
inside. Just a bit further into the house he could see the young child playing
on the floor.
"We'll just get MaCayla and go, before my Uncle starts yelling again."
"No really, I think it would be best if she stayed here."
"Nydia," Arielle said, her voice understanding. "We really need
to be going. Thank you for watching the baby for us, but she needs to go home
now." Luke walked past and scooped up the young girl who cooed when she saw
her father. He grabbed the bag from the nearby table and returned to the door.
Arielle took the bag from him and he shifted the baby more comfortably in his
arms.
Luke turned just in time to see Coramar pull out a small blaster.
"Are you crazy," he exclaimed. "What are you doing?"
"I have to..."
"No, you don't, put that away." Luke handed the baby to Arielle tried
to hurry them out the door.
"I said no!" she screamed.
At that point everything started becoming a blur. Mara watched as a blast raced
towards the young couple and she saw the girl fall to the ground. She tried to
get a clear picture of what was happening, but the memory was colored by Luke's
emotions.
Mara sighed as she opened her eyes and found herself back in Luke's apartment.
She noticed Luke looking at her, and knew he was waiting to hear her reaction.
"There is something there," she said, trying to place what she was
feeling. "I'm not sure what but something felt wrong."
"Wrong in what way?" he asked.
Mara was frustrated. "I don't know. Okay, I need a break."
"I think that's a good idea," Luke said, visibly relaxing. "Would
you like something to drink?"
"Sure that sounds great," she said. "I just don't get it."
"Don't get what Mara?"
"There just seems like I am missing something there. I mean from what I
saw, you were right. They were both dead when you left the house. But from your
point of view ..." She frowned, was she sure about what she was going to
say? Did she want to even think about what it meant?
"What Mara?"
"Okay, this is going to sound a bit strange, it just seems ... from your
point of view it did not look like she was hit."
"What are you talking about?"
"Watching what you saw, and the way she fell, it just doesn't feel
right."
Luke walked determinedly towards the auditorium. He knew what he needed to
do. He would talk to Kyia again, and see if there was anything else he had
missed. Before he reached the door he could hear voices. Looking around the
corner he could see Kyia sitting in a chair not far from the door. The person
she was talking to had her back to the door, so all Luke could make out was her
blonde hair that she had tied back in a ponytail. He guessed by the style of
clothes the other wore she was older than Kyia. Once she spoke again he was sure
she was an adult. Her voice had a strange since of familiarity, but he could not
place it.
"So, have you met him yet?" The woman asked.
"Yes, just this morning," Kyia said, she watched the other woman
sadly. "He said exactly what you said he would."
"Any problems?"
"He asked me where my mother was." She said it in a way that suggested
she was nervous about the reaction she would get. Luke, knowing she would feel
if he probed her, kept his barriers in place.
"What did you say?" The woman asked.
"I told him you died a few months ago." Luke pulled back into the
hall.<I> It was a lie, </I> he thought. <I> I should have
known. </I> But what did that mean? Was Mara right and this was just
another scheme? Someone had found out about Arielle and MaCayla and staged the
whole thing? Mentally bracing himself he listened to more of the conversation.
"Did he have a problem with that?" It was the older woman's turn to
sound nervous.
"I thought he was going to say something, but he didn't. From what I can
tell everything is going well, everything is back on track." Kyia looked at
the older woman. "He has no problem believing."
<I> I didn't, until now, </I> Luke thought. He quickly and quietly
made his way out of the building.<I> It was all a lie. I should have
known, </I> he thought again. He had been warned, and had tried to not get
his hopes up, but there was so much that pointed in that direction. What it
boiled down to was that he<I> wanted </I> his daughter to be alive.
He made it back to his apartment just has the pain in his head returned. At that
point he did not care. He dropped himself on the couch. All he wanted to do was
not think. But that was the one thing he could not manage. He began to mull over
everything that had occurred lately, and he came to the conclusion that he was
being punished. Punished just for being him. Lying back on the couch he decided
that he was tired of it all. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the pain in
his head that was slowly getting worse, only this time he did nothing to stop
it.
"Nooo!" Luke Skywalker shouted as he stormed across the room.
Cilghal stood with her hands resting at her sides as she watched the mighty Jedi
Master as he once again paced the length of his apartment. She had entered the
apartment to find him asleep on the couch. Her first thought was that he was
trying the trance once again, but she realized her error when he opened his eyes
during her approach. He was in more pain than she had ever seen him. However he
refused any help she offered, saying he did not want another temporary fix. So
he had been pacing the room, not saying much but clearly thinking. She had
worked with Master Skywalker long enough to know when he did not want to be
interrupted. He alone had to come to terms with what was happening to him. It
wasn't until he gripped the edge of a chair for support that she dared to
approach.
"Shall we try another healing trance, Master Skywalker?"
He waved his hand tiredly. He was considerably weaker than he had been this
morning. It worried her, but if he would not let her examine him, there was
nothing she could do.
"No, we have already determined that they are no longer effective," he
said, shacking his head as if to clear it. "You have done everything you
could."
"Do you realize what you are saying?" She asked, shocked that it
sounded like he was giving up. "I will not give up."
"You have more ideas?" he asked, looking up at her, a small spark of
hope appearing and vanishing just as fast. ""Something we haven't
tried?"
"I have not." It pained her to tell him that she was out of ideas, but
it would do him no good to lie to him. "I have never encountered an illness
such as this. I haven't even been able to determined where it came from."
"I've told you where it came from," Luke told her. He did not look
like he could stand much longer, so she helped him to the couch. He did not
protest as he draped his arm across her shoulder and walked slowly across the
living area. It did not take her long to get him situated.
"All you have told me was how you came in contact with it," she
corrected. "Neither of you have been able to satisfy my curiosity as to
where this came from."
"You've spoken to Mara?" Luke asked, a small spark of hope entering
his dull eyes once again.
"Yes, this morning. She confirmed everything you told me about the disk,
and allowed me to check her out. We were unable to shed any new light on this
problem."
Luke slumped down further on the couch. "Then there is nothing more?"
he asked. "This is it?"
Cilghal placed one webbed hand on his shoulder. "You rest. I still have
enough hope for the two of us." Luke rolled his head slightly, resting his
cheek on her arm.
"Thank you."
"Have you talked to your sister yet?" Cilghal asked.
"She has enough to worry about with those kids," he said, his voice
already sounding sleepy.
"Anakin is fine, you know that right?"
"Yes, I know," he said, shacking his head. It puzzled her, why he
would agree with her while his body language suggested that he did not. "I
am really tired, I think I will rest now."
"Is there anyone you would like me to call then?" She asked. It did
not feel right that she was the only one here with him. He needed the love of
his family around him while he tried to fight this. He shook his head no.
"She already knows. She should be here shortly." Cilghal wondered if
they were still talking about his sister or the woman that had become the light
of his life, and unknowingly the cause of his death. She would not stop trying
to rid her master of the poison that raced through his vanes, but she was wise
enough to know that unless the Force decided to lend a hand, there was nothing
more she could do.
She had made herself comfortable at his desk and began searching once again
for a case that was even remotely similar to what Master Skywalker was
experiencing. It did not come as a surprise when his door opened a short time
later and Mara Jade walked in.
"He's on the couch," she told the young lady.
"Another trance?" Mara asked, kneeling down to check on him.
"No. The trances have stopped working. He is sleeping." Mara kept her
steps light as she approached. She did not want to wake him, but she felt the
need to be close to him.
"They have stopped working?" Mara asked. She tried to stop the fear
from rising, but was only partially successful. "What do you mean?"
"I mean that I don't know what to try next. Nothing I have tried has done
anything."
"He looks so pale," she said, more to herself than to anyone else.
"He's given up," the healer said, matter-of-factly.
"He said that?" Mara asked.
"Not in so many words, but I understood. I can do nothing if he is not
willing to let me."
"What will happen is he doesn't seek help?" She wasn't sure she wanted
to know the answer to that question. On the other hand she knew that she had to
know.
"He has a poison within him. The traces he has been submitting to have only
slowed it down, it does nothing to stop it."
"But we never..." She stopped herself. She did not wish to share her
personal life with anyone if she could help it. But she did not see any other
way around it. "We've never... we never slept together. All we did was
kiss, the disk never mentioned anything like that."
"As I told you this morning, we know so little about this. I am sure it was
never intended to be introduced in such a slow manner." Mara looked over to
the figure asleep a few feet from here.
"He needs you right now," Cilghal told her.
"He needs his family right now," Mara corrected.
"He needs everyone that cares about him. I believe you are at the top of
that list."
"We thought we caught it in time," Mara whispered. "We ... we
stayed apart to save his life, but it didn't. I did this to him."
"I told you not to say that, Mara." She looked down and smiled. Luke
still lay on his back, but his eyes were open.
"Hey, you," she said, unfazed by the smile that spread across his
face. She dropped to her knees next to him, he turned his head and returned her
smile. "You said you would call me after you got back. Did you talk to
MaCayla?"
"No," he said, taking time to take a deep breath. "You were right
Mara. She's not MaCayla."
"How do you know?" Mara asked. Her heart broke at the admission. She
knew how much he wanted it to be true.
"I heard her talking," he explained. "She and her <I>
mother </I> were talking about what they were doing. I should have
known."
"I'm sorry, Luke." He closed his eyes and sighed. "Luke, how are
you feeling?"
"I don't want to talk about that now, Mara. I'm just tired and I need to
rest."
"You can't give up," she ordered him. She wanted to shake him until he
understood. He could not give up, there had to be a way around it.
"I haven't given up," he said, his voice growing sleepy. "I am
just tired of trying things that don't work. I need to sleep."
"Then you should rest," she told him. "I'll be here when you wake
up." She stood and moved towards the kitchen. Cilghal was already there.
"It is bad," Mara said. "I have never felt him in so much
pain." Looking around, she noticed something wrong. "Where is
everyone? I thought Leia would have been the first one down here."
"He did not want me to call her," Cilghal explained. "He does not
want her to worry about him."
"And you listened to him?" She asked, shocked.
"Of course." Mara rolled her eyes while she flipped on the apartments
com unit and started calling in the family. The door buzzer announced someone at
the door, and Mara moved to answer it, fully expecting to see Leia standing
there. She did not expect Kyia to be the visitor. Mara's tempter suddenly
flared, and she could see the Jedi Healer backing up away from her.
"What are you doing here?" she demanded.
"I..."
"You are not welcome here," Mara told her, her voice rising in anger.
"What are you talking about?" Kyia asked. Her eyes became wide and
Mara would bet that she was about to cry.
"Look, you may have been able to pull this charade off for a while, but he
has wised up. He is in no mood to put up with any more of your lies."
"What lies? What are you talking about?" Kyia asked. She reached out
and Mara grabbed her arm. She let go just as quickly, her natural reflex to the
sharp pain that appeared in her hand. <I> Why does she always shock me?
</I> She tried to ignore it when Cilghal stepped closer, probably trying
to see what was going on. Pushing the thought away she concentrated on the
conversation at hand.
"He heard you talking to your <I> mother. </I> Big mistake
since you told him she was dead."
"What else did he hear?" the child asked.
"Enough. I think you should leave." The girl left without another
word. Mara closed the door with a huff. <I> The nerve of some people!
</I>
"She is strong in the Force," Cilghal said, her voice barely a
whisper. Mara knew most people from the Academy were leery of her. She might
even go as far as to say they were afraid of her when she lost her temper. Mara
had no problem with that.
"She is also a big pain in my side," Mara said. The emotional ride
this girl had sent Luke on sent her stomach into cartwheels. She hoped she never
saw her again. If she did she could not guarantee she would be as nice.
"You sent her away. Why?"
"Because she is not what she seemed to be," Mara explained. "Luke
did not want to see her." She went back to the com and called Leia,
ignoring the look she got from the Jedi behind her.
Ok that's the end of this one. I have chapter 18 about half way done. By the
looks of it this next chapter will be a long one ... maybe two chapters. :) I'm
sure no one will mind that. :) thanks for taking the time to read.
Skywalker's Dream
"I know the Lord only gives me what I can handle, I just wish he did not
trust me so much."
I would like to start out by saying thanks to everyone who has helped me get
through the snags in this story. It has been a very fun ride, and a long one.
Special thanks to Sherry, Jenn and Una. I could not have gotten half way through
this thing without all of your advice. And to everyone else, you know who you
are, your ideas have helped keep this story interesting.
OK I will not rattle on too much and let you all get to what you opened this
email for. Enjoy
Chapter 18
Mara stood and stretched. She had been attempting to find Leia, but it seemed
she was in a meeting and the assistant refused to disturb her. She then tried to
contact Han, but she had even less luck there; she could not even find out where
he was. Cilghal had moved out to the balcony while she was making the calls,
claming the need to meditate. Mara knew she was still thinking about the scene
with Kyia. She figured the Jedi wanted her to explain further, but it was not
her place. As far as she knew Luke had not shared the information with anyone
else, so if anybody were going to find out, he would have to tell them.
Mara walked to the couch where Luke still slept. She could feel him start to
stir, and winced when she felt the amount of pain he was in. No matter what, she
could not shake the thought that she was responsible. She had thought long and
hard, finally coming to the conclusion that had she not let herself be captured,
causing Luke to come after her, he would not be in this situation. It was then,
while stranded on that planet waiting for the incompetent mechanic to fix her
ship that they admitted how much they felt for each other. If they had never
spent that time together, they may have never had the nerve to admit it. If they
had never been on that planet, they would have never found out about the virus.
She put her barriers up tight around those thoughts. Luke would not want to hear
that right now.
There was a loud knock at the door and Mara ran to open it, cursing herself for
not paying attention. Whoever that was on the other side of the door was bound
to wake Luke if he kept it up. She opened the door and was greeted by the
grinning face of Han Solo. <I>Pull it together girl! </I> She yelled
at herself.<I> You should have noticed him before he even got close to the
door. </I>
"Well, Mara Jade," he said, leaning on the doorframe. "What a
surprise to see you here. Where's the kid?"
"He's asleep," she told him.
"Well, good for him," Han said, his trademark smirk appearing on his
face.
Mara glanced over when she heard Cilghal come in from the balcony. The Jedi
Healer greeted the new comer with a nod. Mara watched as the smile vanished from
Solo's face as he looked back and forth between the two of them.
"What's wrong here?" He asked, directing the question towards Mara.
"Luke never sleeps during the day when he has company." Mara's hands
went directly to her hips.
"Oh, but it was all right that he was sleeping when you thought it was only
me here?" She asked, her voice taking on a slightly offended tone.
"Hey, what goes on between you two is your own business." Mara did her
best to ignore the sarcastic look on his face as he said that.
"You know for someone that tries to be so observant, you sure do miss a
lot. Did you call your wife?"
"Was I supposed to?" Han asked.
Mara rubbed the back of her neck, trying to ease the tension there. "Didn't
you read the whole message?" she asked him.
"You lost me, Mara," Han said, his brow creasing in confusion.
Mara could relate to his confusion. "If you did not get my message then why
are you here?"
"Well, the last time Luke came visiting he left without a word," Han
explained. "I came to make sure everything was all right. Everything is all
right, isn't it?"
"No." It was simple and to the point. There was no reason to beat
around the bush about it. Luke may not have wanted to tell his family, but Mara
was beginning to worry and she thought it was time that they found out. If Solo
was the only person she could get in touch with, then she would start with him.
"What's wrong with him?" Han asked, looking around the limited view he
had of Luke's apartment. Mara took a deep breath and dove in.
"He was poisoned," she told him. She started debating how she would
tell him the next part. She found herself worrying that Han might think she had
done this on purpose.
"By whom?" He asked. His voice was laced with so much worry she
understood why Luke waited to tell him.
"By Emperor Palpatine," Cilghal offered.
"That's a neat trick since he has been dead all these years," Han
said, sarcastically.
"It's a very long story," Mara told him. She was trying her best to
keep her cool, but there was something about Solo's manner that tended to
frazzle her nerves at times. "Maybe you should call Leia. I'm going to move
Luke to his room so we won't keep bothering him."
"Do you need any help?" Han asked.
"I'll let you know if I do," she told him. It was a short walk to
where Luke still slumbered. She ran her fingers gently across his cheek until he
opened his eyes. He offered a weak smile when he saw her.
"Hey," he said in greeting.
"I want to move you to your room. You'll be more comfortable there."
"You are probably right." It took some effort on his part but he got
up without any assistance. Mara had to warn Cilghal off when she tried to help.
She could feel that Luke wanted to do this on his own. He did not protest
however when Mara wrapped her arm around his waist to help him into the room.
He did not notice his worried brother in law watching his slow progress across
the apartment. It was yet more proof how much this illness had advanced. Not
that she needed any more proof. It was getting worse and fast. She knew they had
to do something soon, before it was too late.
They had made it to the bedroom with no trouble, and Mara was glad it was a
short walk there. She had no problem supporting him, she was just conscious of
the fact that he would not permit himself this show of weakness in front of
anyone. She wanted to get him out of the room as fast as she could.
Once he was in the bed and comfortably under the covers she bent over and kissed
his forehead. "Now sleep," she whispered.
"Thank you, Mara," he said, pulling the covers up near his neck.
"Wake me when Leia gets here."
"Huh?" She had thought he was asleep when she made that call.
"I know you called her," he told her. "Let me know when she gets
here."
"I will." <I> What ever you want, right now, is yours.
</I> She paused at that thought, wondering if she really meant it. And she
did, she wanted him to have whatever he wanted as long as he was happy. Checking
one last time that he was covered she left him to rest.
She was just reentering the living area when the door opened. Leia walked in and
looked around.
"That was fast," Mara said. <I>Leia's here,</I> she sent
silently to Luke. He probably already knew it but he had asked her to tell him.
<I>I know,</I> he sent back.
<I>Just rest a while,</I> she told him, knowing he was probably
thinking about getting up as soon as Leia got near. <I> I need to talk to
her.</I>
<I>I will be out in a few minutes. </I> Mara felt him relax, so she
asked everyone to sit down. Grabbing the data disk off of Luke's desk she joined
them.
"What's going on here, Mara?" Leia asked. "Han calls and tells me
to get down here. What's wrong with Luke?"
"As I was telling your husband, your brother has been exposed to a poison
created by the late Emperor." The sneer on Mara's face betrayed her
irritation at having to go over it again.
"Poison? Is he alright?" Leia asked. She looked from Mara to Cilghal.
Mara could not read Leia very well unless she really tried, but she did not need
the Force to be able to sense what Leia was feeling. Everyone in this room felt
the same, immense worry for the young man in the next room.
"At this point your brother is not well," Cilghal explained. "We
have tried everything, and nothing seems to be helping."
"Nothing?" Leia asked. It was odd to see Leia lose her cool, but she
was very close to doing just that. If there was one thing that Leia was known to
get overemotional about, it was her brother. "There is nothing you can
do?"
"I have not given up hope," Cilghal assured her. "There are still
some things I want to try."
"What?" Mara asked, looking at her. "You said you had no other
ideas." It occurred to Mara that the Jedi Healer might have just said that
to Mara to pacify her, and had waited for Leia to show up before she let anyone
know her plan. But no, she would not do that. They may no like her, but when it
came to Luke, no one lied to her.
"I just thought of one," she said. "Mara, I believe you can
handle things from here. There is something I need to do before I can attempt
this."
"Attempt what?" Mara asked.
"I will explain when I get back." Cilghal got out of her chair and
moved to the door, not looking back as she exited the apartment.
"Mara, how did this happen?" Leia asked. Mara watched as Han took hold
of his wife's hand. He too could see how worried she had become all of a sudden.
"I can feel how much pain he is in. He was hiding it from me before, and I
never noticed, until now."
Mara closed her eyes trying to gather her thoughts. It was a few moments before
she spoke. "As I had explained to you before, the Emperor did many things
to ensure he got what he wanted. In this case he used me, to get to your
brother." She waited for one of them to say something, when neither spoke
up she continued. "I did not even know about it until a few weeks ago. I
happened across a data disk that explained it all."
"But if you were carrying this, why is it just now affecting him?" Han
asked. "You two have known each other for a very long time."
"Well... It not transmitted through casual contact." She tried to
control her temper when she saw the two exchange looks, and the sly smile that
appeared on Han's face. "Don't you two get it?" Mara exclaimed, her
voice rising. "He is lucky to be alive. If we had not found that disk when
we did, we would not have had time to realize what had happened, until it was
too late."
Leia softened her features as she regarded the woman in front of her. She had
known that Mara and Luke had been getting closer, but she never realized just
how much the redhead cared about her brother. She had never come right out and
said it, but by her out burst, Leia knew she cared about Luke more than she let
anyone know.
She had not meant to upset Mara. Leia was just as upset as Mara about her
brother. What she just said had hit a bit close to home. Han and she were just
talking the other night about how close they thought Luke and Mara were getting.
What Mara had said finally registered completely.
"What do you mean he is lucky to be alive?" she asked, and enormous
lump forming in her throat.
"Well, what would you rather me do," Mara asked. "You want me to
tell you or let you read the disk?"
"The disk I think would suffice," Han said, accepting the data reader
she handed them. Leia sat next to her husband reading, and a lump grew larger
the further she read. She began to understand why Mara was so upset. It was
incredibly hard to believe that even the Emperor could be that cruel.
"So he intended you as a weapon?" Han asked as they finished reading.
"Why did he never go through with it?"
"It's not that easy, Han. And it's a very long story. The short version is
that he knew we would get together at some point, so he made sure he would have
something ready for it."
"But how would he know that?" Leia asked. Mara was being very vague,
and it was hard to understand when she felt she was not getting all the
information.
"It boils down to destiny." Leia looked up to see Luke coming out of
the bedroom. "Just another aspect of mine I was never allowed to know
about." He walked normally but she could see he was straining. He had bags
under his eyes, and he was not breathing in a completely normal fashion. All
very small details, but ones she picked up on in an instant.
"Luke!" She got up and went over to him, hugging him warmly. "Why
didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want you to worry," he told her.
"I'm worried now." She wanted to strangle him at times, but she found
herself wishing there was something she could do to help. <I> There has to
be a way around this. We're just not looking in the right places. There is
always a way around everything, if you look hard enough, </I>Leia thought
furiously.
"Then I saved you a few days of it." He let her lead him back to the
couch, and sat in the chair next to Mara, while she went back to the seat she
shared with Han.
"Kid, you do like to spring the big ones on us, don't you?" Han said
good-naturedly. "You really should not try and keep things from us. One way
or another we always find out."
"I know that," Luke said, offering a weak smile. "It becomes a
challenge to see how long I can keep you from finding out." There was still
a little of his old humor there, even if it was muffled by the pain. He was
trying hard to give the impression that everything was fine, but Han had told
her what he saw when he first got to the apartment. There was nothing he could
do now to convince her that he was fine.
There was a knock at the door, and Mara got up to answer it. The conversation
was at a standstill and she was glad to get away for a few seconds. She was
almost to the entrance before she noticed that Han had gotten up with her. She
opened the door to see Cilghal standing there and stepped back to let her in.
"What is she doing here?" Mara demanded. Behind Cilghal stood both
Kyia and another lady. She did not attempt to hide that fact that she was upset
about the unexpected, and unwelcome visitors.
"Who's here?" Luke asked, getting up and coming towards the door. Mara
quickly tried to think of any way she could keep this from upsetting Luke. But
he was there faster than she would have given him credit for. <I> Don't
push yourself just because there are people here,</I> Mara sent to him.
She knew he was trying his best to ignore the pain, just as she knew he would.
He would not show that much weakness, even to the people closest to him.
"It's that girl from Jaina's wall," Han said. He sounded shocked at
seeing this mere child showing up at Luke's door. Mara barely registered his
comment as she tried to figure out why Cilghal, and friend of Luke's, would do
this after Mara had told her he did not want to see her.
"I believe she asked you a question," Luke said, regarding Cilghal and
the person standing behind her. His voice was strong, betraying none of the pain
she could still feel from him.
"Master Skywalker, you will understand when I explain. When she arrived
earlier I felt something through the Force. I could not place what it was, so I
decided to meditate. All I received for my efforts was a feeling that she needed
to be here."
"You are not welcome here," Luke stated. By this time the commotion at
the door had attracted Leia's attention. She had been reading through the data
concerning Luke's illness again. Being the only person left sitting she joined
everyone at the door.
"Please." It was not Kyia that spoke, but the older woman standing
with her. She maneuvered her way into the room, and Mara could not stop the
involuntary step back she took when she recognized the woman. It did not faze
her when she backed right into Han. Her mind was still trying to comprehend what
she was seeing.
How is she alive? She was not sure if that was her thought or Luke's. One look
at his face confirmed that the identity of the woman was not lost on him.
"Arielle?" He voice was unsure, a feeling that appeared on his face as
well.
"Luke," the woman closed her eyes and took a deep breath before
continuing. "It wasn't supposed to be this way. But I had no choice."
"But how?"
"Okay, hold on everyone," Leia demanded. "The hallway is not the
place to be having this type of conversation. Let's move this into the living
area."
No one said anything but they all began to make their way to the comfortable
chairs in the other room. Mara headed strait to Leia, it was time to have a talk
with her.
"What did you do that for?" she demanded, grabbing Leia's arm, forcing
her to stop walking. "Now I cannot throw them out as easily."
"Mara!" Leia exclaimed, a smile appearing on her face. "You can't
be serious."
"I am deadly serious. I don't believe her one bit. That is not Arielle, and
I no longer believe that girl is MaCayla."
"MaCayla?" Leia asked, her face one of pure disbelief. "What
makes you think that's MaCayla? What has been going on? How long have you known
about this?"
"Since the party the other night," Mara explained. She knew she had
said more than she had originally intended, but she figured it might be
necessary to have Leia to back her up when the time came to ask them to leave
again. "It was why Luke came to talk to you that night. We were trying to
track her down. Which was taken care of thanks to your daughter, as your husband
pointed out. However, we have since learned that she is not who she says she is.
I don't know how they are pulling this off, but I intend to find out and put a
stop to it. He does not need this right now."
Leia simply nodded and they both joined the others. Luke was sitting in one of
the bigger chairs and was just studying Arielle. He did not move when Mara sat
down next to him.
"Are you who we all here think you are?" He asked.
"There is only one way for you to know that for sure," she said. Luke
nodded his head in understanding. Closing his eyes, he submerged himself in the
Force. In doing so he caused his head to hurt more. He had an incredible urge to
attack the poison again. However that took too much out of him, and besides,
that was not why he was there. He sent a tentacle of the Force towards the woman
claming to be Arielle. His mind began screaming that it was really her. She
could not be alive. He had seen her die. He had seen both of them die. He opened
his eyes and looked around. Kyia was sitting there, her mind seeming a million
miles away. There was no way he could deny what the Force was telling him. It
was them; the two were not lying about it. However, what came as a bigger shock
was the Force sense around Arielle. She was Force sensitive, they both were.
What puzzled him was the fact that they were both at least partially trained in
the ways of the Jedi, though the aura around MaCayla was much brighter then that
of her mother. The Forced flowed around her like it was itching for activity.
Luke opened his eyes again, first looking at his sister then to Mara. He could
feel them also understanding. There was no mistaking the trueness of the facts.
"How are you alive?" he asked. "I saw you die."
"No, you only think you saw," Arielle told him. Luke saw Mara shift
position out of the corner of his eye. He knew that was one of the theories they
had talked about previously.
"Then was it you?" Mara asked. "All those visions."
"Yes."
"Why did you let me believe you were dead?" Mara asked.
"To explain it I would have to start at the beginning. Am I assuming that
not everyone here has heard of how this all started?"
"No, everyone has not," Luke said, knowing that Mara had told him the
story, but he had not passed that information on to his sister and brother in
law.
"I'll go over it then. From what I have found out, many years ago the Jedi
of the Old Republic believed that a child had already been born that would one
day save the galaxy from the horrors it was receiving in the hands of the
Emperor. It was also believed that there would be another child born to share
the burden of restoring the Jedi Order. They believed they would know this child
when she arrived. By this time the first child, obviously Luke, had been moved
to an unknown location. From then on every woman that became pregnant was
watched carefully, as they waited for a sign that the child was on its way.
"The whole thing was a carefully guarded secret. But eventually the Emperor
did find out. On the day the child was born there was a colossal attack on the
Jedi Temple. Three Jedi were sent to collect the child while the rest of them
tried to keep the Imperials at bay. There was a lot of blood shed that day. Out
of the three Jedi that were sent after the baby only one made it to the nursery.
Feeling the danger of the situation, the Jedi quickly grabbed the baby and fled
the Temple."
"How did you find out this information?" Luke asked. It was more
detailed then the tale Mara had told him, but she had not left out anything
important.
"Ben Kenobi," Arielle told him. "He told me the day he asked me
to leave Tatooine."
"So let me get this straight," Leia said. "You were the child
taken from the temple that day?"
"Yes."
"Then why would he ask you to leave? You said that the child was meant to
help Luke, how could you help if you were not there?"
"Well, to be honest, they took the wrong baby. There were too girls born
that day. In all the confusion, the wrong baby was taken. The Emperor took the
other baby."
"So if you were not the 'chosen' child. Who was?" Leia asked. She
looked around the room until her eyes settled on Mara. She had been quiet during
the tail, and something clicked.
"Mara?" Mara opened her mouth to speak, but changed her mind. When she
did speak her voice was strong.
"I was the other child born that day," she admitted. She said it with
such conviction that it left no room for doubt.
"When Kenobi realized the mistake, his mistake, Luke and I were already
married and MaCayla was already born. He came to me one day... Wait I missed a
point. Luke's uncle refused to let Luke know anything about his heritage, so who
I was in the eyes of the Jedi was kept a secret from them also. However, my
family did not feel the same way. I had been receiving training from the time I
was eight. Not extensive, but I was taught the basics. Kenobi's rationalization
was that since Luke would not be beginning his training right away, he could get
me started so that when Luke did finally realize what he was meant for Ben could
concentrate more on him. Well, he came to me one day, after he had found out
about the mistake and explained everything to me. About the foretold birth and
everything it meant. There was no denying the fact that she was the<I>
one,</I> not me."
"He said it, just like that?" Han asked. "What a nice guy."
"No, he was more polite about it, but that's what he meant. It was then
that he asked me to leave. He wanted to try and get her away from the Emperor.
In other words, I would be in the way."
"But I saw you die," Luke repeated.
"It wasn't real. It was preplanned. Kenobi was there, and between himself
and what he showed me how to do, we were able to fake MaCayla's death and mine.
We talked to Nydia and she agreed to help. I was hit that day, but it was not
deadly. By the time you picked MaCayla up I had already put her to sleep. We
were rushed off and Kenobi took care of the doctor. With what you saw, all it
took was the doctor saying we died. No one ever questioned it."
"But wouldn't they realize you were not at your own funeral?" Leia
asked.
"Not really," Arielle told them. "It was a closed coffin. No one
thought anything about it. Kenobi took care of the caretaker. He said it
wouldn't be a problem."
"Not a problem," Luke repeated in a low voice. He still portrayed and
air of indifference, but Leia could feel his mood darkening. She wanted to go to
him, hug him, let him know that she was there for him. He looked at her, as if
picking up on her thoughts. She knew then that he did not want her sympathy.
"So he was able to convince Nydia to take the blame for your death?"
"The truth is, she was not supposed to remember what happened. She agreed
to serve the 3 years it would most likely take to prove that she was not
completely sane when she shot us."
"What went wrong?" Luke asked.
"She started to remember. I think that's why she kept going after you. She
was remembering what happened and blamed you for it."
"What made you show up?" Leia asked. So far everything she had said
made since, but she had not gave a reason for being there after she said there
was no other way. "Why now?"
"Because of MaCayla," Arielle told them. "That and I mean I was
getting a bit tired of waiting for you two to get together. So I did a little to
help out there. I started by trying to visit Luke, but it upset him too greatly,
so I visited with Mara. It looked, there for a while, like things were working,
but then I saw you on Tatooine, and I knew something was up. By that time
MaCayla had started to figure things out."
"Figure out? How did she do that?" Cilghal asked.
"Well she is Luke's child, and very strong in the Force. She started having
dreams and visions about Luke, and started asking questions. I could not lie to
her, so I told her. She immediately said she wanted to meet you. There was no
way I could refuse. She wanted to meet her father. What I did was ask her not to
mention me and to try and see what was happening between the two of you. Maybe
the plan was not thought out, in a way I was hoping you would not ask, but I
could not ask my daughter to lie."
"I did that on my own," the child said. Arielle squeezed her hand then
continued her tale.
"That conversation you walked in on Luke, that's what we were talking
about."
"So the Emperor knew," Leia said, tapping the data pad. "That's
where this came from?"
"That's where what came from?" Arielle asked. "What is
that?"
Luke reached over and took the data pad and handed it to Arielle. "This is
why Mara and I are not together." Arielle sat back and began reading. While
she did Luke excused himself, claming the need for some air. He stood alone on
the balcony finding peace in the ever-moving traffic that weaved it way through
the landscape. He rolled his shoulders trying to relieve some of the tension
there.
"I'm fine," he stated. Turning around he was greeted by the knowing
smile of his brother in law.
"No, you're not. No one would be. That's your life they are talking about
in there," Han said, indicating the group of people still gathered in his
apartment.
"Han, what am I doing wrong?" Luke asked. He spoke before he thought,
by that time it was too late. Han would not drop the subject now until he
explained himself.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"With my life? I mean, just as soon as I think I have my life together it
gets completely messed up." His head picked that moment to announce its
need for attention. Luke grabbed the rail for support as he rode out the pain.
"I know I'm missing something here," he said through gritted teeth, as
the pain fell to bearable limits. "But what else could there be? I can't
... do it."
"Do what?"
"Deal with all this," he told him. He wanted to talk about it, but
when he did the feelings were so intense it scared him. "They are supposed
to be dead. And I should not be sick. I don't understand why all this had to
happen to me. It's not like I had a say in it. From the sounds of it I never
did."
"Luke, don't think of it that way. You had choices in your life, you
decided the way you would go."
"Not really," he argued. "Most of my choices were made because
that's what needed to be done, not because I wanted it. And when it is because I
want it, it turns out badly."
"Oh, that's not true," the other man argued. "Name me something
you have done lately that has turned out that way."
"Mara...and it could have killed me."
That sobered the other man up. It was a couple of seconds before he found his
voice again. "Luke, we'll find something."
"Yeah, I know," Luke said, though he did not sound so sure.
"This is horrible. He would actually do something like this?" Arielle
asked. They were still sitting in Luke's living room, patiently waiting for Luke
to return. Leia had been quiet since her brother and husband left the room.
<I>Probably trying to keep an eye on what's going on out there,</I>
Mara thought.
"That's nothing compared to some of the things he did," she told her.
<I> I guess I would know better than anyone else in this room,</I>
she thought. She got barley a nod in reply from the blonde woman.
Mara got out of her chair and walked over to the window. She wrapped her arms
securely across her chest as she looked out the oversized window. She had tried
to keep her emotions under control, but this was her <I>life</I>
they were talking about. She had not told Luke the whole truth to try and save
him from what she was feeling now, but he found out anyway. He had it happen to
him so much, having things planed out for him, and he had no control over them.
She always thought she had control of her own life, and that after she broke
free of the Emperor, she alone was in control. But that was not entirely the
case. From what Arielle had just told her, she too had her life planned out for
her even before she was born. It was impossible to imagine herself had she not
grown up how she had. She could not see herself with Luke as her childhood
friend and soon after her husband and father of her children. She could
definitely not see herself fighting along side him against the Emperor. It was
just so completely the opposite of her life. <I> That was the whole
idea,</I> she thought. <I>The Emperor wanted it to be that way. One
last cruel joke he could spring despite what he knew was going to happen to
him.</I>
There was nothing she could do to change her past, and wondering about it was
not going to do anything but put her in a bad mood. She closed her eyes and
sighed, trying to push the thoughts away. Settling herself, she could feel the
Force. It felt like it was dancing around her, trying to get her attention. She
let it fill her, enjoying the peace that it brought with it.
<I>"Luke, we'll find something."</I> It was Han's voice,
and Mara realized she was hearing the conversation going on outside.
<I>"Yes, I know,"</I> Luke replied. He did not sound
convinced. There had to be a way, she knew it. It was finding the answer that
was eluding her.
<I>"I'm fine, Han. I just need to be alone for a few minutes."
</I> She opened her eyes just as Han was walking through the door. He went
straight to his wife and started talking quietly. Focusing her attention on the
figure standing alone on the balcony, she got strange feelings flowing from him.
She headed straight out to him.
"Luke! What are you doing?" she yelled and ran for the rail along the
edge. "Are you crazy? Get back down here." Luke was standing atop the
rail with his back to her. He turned when he heard her voice.
"Go back inside, Mara," Luke said. He voice was as dull as his eyes.
"I want to be alone."
"I can see that, Luke. What do you think you are doing?" He ran his
hands through his hair and shifted his feet, never losing his balance.
"Mara, please go inside. This is something I need to do. I can't deal with
all of this. I am tired of it."
"I'm not leaving, Luke. You are going to get down right this second."
His feelings were flowing freely and she was surprised that none of the other
Force sensitives inside the apartment seemed to be picking up on them.
"If I get down, will you please leave me alone for a bit? Mara, I am just
trying to think that's all." He carefully got down off the rail and was
standing in front of her.
"But..."
"No buts, Mara. Please, just wait inside." She wanted to stay out
there to talk to him, but he was slowly closing himself off to her, and she knew
that she would do nothing by staying out there but upset him more. She agreed
with a nod, intending to wait by the door so she could keep an eye on him. She
was barely inside the apartment when he leaped back up onto the rail. She rolled
her eyes and had started back over to him, when he went over the edge. She ran
as fast as she could to the end of the balcony, and watched as he fell, his face
serene, towards the dark depths of Coruscant without ever making a sound.
Ok everyone. this is the last chapter. Hopefully it will repaired all the
damage I left open in the last chapter. thanks to Sherry and Jenn for all your
help! I could never have finished without you.
Ok on with the story.
Chapter 19
<I>No!!!!!! </I> Mara slammed her eyes shut at the sight before her.
She could not bear to watch Luke end his own life. When she opened them again
she was no longer on the balcony. She was back in front of the window. Looking
around, no one had moved from where they had been sitting. <I> What's
going on? </I> Looking outside she could see Luke still out there talking
to Han. Her hands planted firmly at her sides she approached them. She stormed
right past Han and grabbed Luke by the collar.
"You had better never even <I>think </I> of doing something
like that!" she yelled.
"Ok," Luke said. He stared at her confused while she backed him up
against the wall. "You mind telling me what I am not thinking about?"
"What?!"
"What is wrong with you, Mara?"
She stopped and thought about what this must look like to everyone. They had
been having a quiet conversation when she rushed out and, well, just about
attacked him. <I> It was not real, </I>she realized.<I> But
then why? </I> A vision. Was the Force trying to warn her of something?
"If I ever hear of you wanting to give up, I will save you the trouble and
kill you myself!"
"Mara, calm down. I have not given up," Luke said. He had his hands
hanging lightly at his sides, not trying at all to move hers away.
"You had better not," she said, pushing him harder against the wall.
"I promise," he said. She could feel that he meant it, which confused
her even more. Why had the Force showed her that possibility if he was nowhere
close to doing it?
"It was just a vision, Mara," Luke told her. "Whatever it was, it
was just something that could of happened, but didn't. I haven't given up."
He cleared his throat before speaking again. "Could you let me go now,
Mara? You press any harder and you would take care of it yourself."
It was then that she realized she still had him pinned to the wall. She quickly
let him go. He rubbed his neck and smiled at her.
"Must have been on hell of a vision to get you that upset." She turned
to see Han watching them both, clearly amused.
"What did you see?' Luke asked, trying not to laugh at Han's comment. Mara
was upset enough, that would be all she needed to explode right then and there.
She looked over at the balcony. "You jumped." Luke shook his head in
understanding while Han laughed.
"He was upset," Han said. "But not that bad. Besides, I would not
have let him kill himself over this."
She turned her back to Luke and faced Solo. "Well, that's not the way I saw
it," she spat at him. She disappeared back into the apartment just as fast
as she had appeared.
"You've got a handful there, Luke," Han said after Mara had left.
"She will surely keep you on your toes."
"Literally."
Leia looked around the room. When she came down here it had been because Han
said Luke was sick. When she left her office she had no idea of what she was
about to find out. Han did not seem that upset when he called, so she figured he
had not known the extent of what had been happening. Looking over to the window,
she could see Mara standing there lost in thought. <I>She needs someone to
talk to just as much as Luke does,</I> Leia thought. She did not go to
her, however. Mara was never one to talk to Leia and she suspected that if Mara
wanted to talk to her, she would have started the conversation. No, she would
talk to Luke. That was who she always went to.
Leia smiled to herself. No matter how hard she tried she could not picture Mara
growing up on Tatooine. If she had, Leia realized, she would not be the same
person that was here with them today. A large part of Mara was based on her
experiences at the hands of the Emperor. <I> When I met her, she would
have been my sister in law,</I> she realized. There is no telling what
would have been different had Luke had Mara by his side during the rebellion.
She watched as Mara shifted position. She was taking this over very hard. Then
the weight of everything that had been disclosed hit her. It was no wonder Luke
and Mara had been acting strangely the last few weeks. It bothered her that she
did not pick up on all it sooner.
Leia noticed Han still talking to Luke on the balcony. She could sense her
brother's feelings heating up, but knew it was only because Han was making him
talk. Han would know how to handle him. Cilghal had fallen quiet over the last
few minutes; she had been reading the data disk again. She was offering no more
information, probably waiting for Luke to return. Leaving Leia nothing to do but
think.
Leia sighed. There was nothing she could do now but wait. Arielle was talking
quietly with Kyia, who was not very happy. Arielle did not look much better.
"Why did you never tell <I>me</I> all of that?" the child
demanded.
"Honey," Arielle said, her voice soothing. "I couldn't tell you.
You have to understand, I was trying to look out for everyone."
"All this time I could have known who he was, but you did not tell me. How
could you have kept that from me?"
"MaCayla...Kyia," Leia corrected herself.<I> Try and keep her
calm, talk to her in a manner she is comfortable with. </I> It was the
same instruction she had given Han one night when Jaina was upset and he was
trying to calm her down. It was good advice that also applied here. "Do you
understand everything your mother is trying to explain to everyone?"
"Yes. She is saying that she was married to him and was asked to
leave," the child told her.
"Yes, but do you know why?" Leia asked. She could feel Arielle's
gratitude with help in this matter.
"Because this guy, Kenobi, did not want her around," the child said.
"I mean, from what my mom just said, that is what he told her, wasn't
it?"
Leia took a deep breath. This was a very delicate situation. It was obvious to
Leia that MaCayla knew little about Ben Kenobi. She was now a part of Luke's
family, and they were bound to talk about what had transpired. Leia, knowing how
much Luke cared for Old Ben, did not want his child to hate him. Not if she did
not understand why he did the things he did.
"Back then, before you were born, things in the galaxy were very bad. The
Emperor did some terrible things, and the Jedi back then needed someone who
could help them. They believed that Luke... Your father," she stumbled over
that title. <I> It will take some getting used to, </I> she thought
to herself. "He has done some wonderful things. Things that Old Ben thought
he would not do if they did not stick to the prophecy."
"So I was a mistake," she said. She did not know the girl well but it
broke her heart to see anyone feeling the way she did.
"You were not a mistake." It was Cilghal that spoke. She had discarded
the data pad and had rejoined the conversation. "When the prophecy was
made, the Jedi tried to follow it exactly. When they couldn't the Force took
over. Nothing is perfect. The future is always in motion. Your mother and father
had you, it was for a reason."
"But in the eyes of the Force, I am a mistake," the child demanded.
"In the eyes of the Force, nothing is a mistake," Cilghal insisted.
Leia was about to say something when she felt Mara's emotions explode around
her. She watched as she turned from the window and all but ran out the door.
Leia jumped up to see what was wrong, and everyone else followed her. She got to
the door just as Mara pushed Luke up against the wall.
"Here we go again," Leia said. Cilghal nodded her head in agreement.
"Aren't you going to do something?" Arielle asked, fear tainting her
voice. "She could hurt him."
"Mara?" Leia asked, looking at the woman standing next to her.
"Mara would never hurt Luke. She has spent too much time trying to protect
him. What ever set her off, she feels was Luke's fault. Once she gets her
answers, she will leave him alone."
"And if she doesn't get the answers she wants?" Arielle asked.
"Luke is not dumb, he knows how to handle Mara. He is probably the only one
that truly can." Mara finally stepped back away from Luke, and with a word
to Han she came back into the apartment. She headed straight to the couch and
sat down. Luke and Han came in a few moments later.
"Don't ask," Han said as he took hold of her arm and lead her back to
their seat. Luke walked up to Mara, who ignored him. He smiled slightly and sat
in another chair.
"Okay, where were we," Luke said, trying to get the conversation
back on track.
"I would like to say something," Cilghal said, interrupting whoever
was going to speak up. "If it's alright with everyone."
"By all means," Luke said, offering her the floor.
"Master Skywalker, it is no secret to anyone in this room how your
headaches have been bothering you. Though you look fine now, we all know how
hard it is for you to hide it."
"And your point is, Cilghal."
"Forgive me, I may have said before that I had no other ideas on how to
help you, but that is no longer the case. Something has come to my attention
that I think might help."
"Such as?" <I> Was she always this vague?</I> Luke
thought. He felt like pulling his hair out waiting for her to tell them what was
on her mind. He took a moment to calm himself, realizing it was the pain talking
not him.
"Let me try something first. Kyia could you come here?" she asked.
"Me?" the girl asked. She looked around uncertainly before getting up
and approaching.
"When you were here earlier I noticed something, but was not sure then what
it was. It wasn't until a few moments go that it finally dawned on me. Mara,
when she touched you, you jumped, why did you do that?"
"Because she shocked me," Mara said.
"Was it the only time it happened?"
Mara took a few seconds to think about it before answering. "No."
"Master Skywalker?"
"It happened to me also. Back at the restaurant," he told her,
wondering where she was going with this.
"Okay, that's what I thought. Now MaCayla, when those things happened what
did you feel?"
"Um, well there at the door, I had no idea why I touched her. I was scared
of her, but I could not help it. When I did it was strange. It scared me, so I
pulled away."
"Would you mind trying it again?" Cilghal asked.
"Um..." The child still looked unsure. Luke looked up at Cilghal and
nodded. "I'll be alright," he said, finally starting to understand.
"I see what she is trying to do. All she wants you to do is touch my hand.
We can see from there what happens." MaCayla looked over at her mother then
reached out tentatively and took hold of his hand. Luke braced himself, and was
able not to jump when he felt the shock. Reaching out with the Force he studied
her. Without her even thinking about it she reached back. There was a rush of
energy and Luke let go.
"What did you do?" Luke asked, hardly able to catch his breath. He
swung his head trying to look from Kyia to Cilghal. "How did you do that?
How did she do that?"
"Master Skywalker," Cilghal said awkwardly. It took her a few moments
to gather her thoughts. "This is just what I thought it was. This is how my
abilities first showed themselves. Started with one problem...one illness that I
just could not leave alone."
"What are you saying?" Leia asked.
"I believe that this child's Force talent will fall along the lines of
healing. That she tries, without realizing, to clear out the virus from both of
you."
"Really?" Leia asked. "Can she do it?"
"I don't honestly know," Cilghal admitted.
"Well, there's one way to find out," Leia said, looking at her
brother.
"Mom?" The child looked at her mother and it was easy to see how
scared she was.
"Everyone stop, right now," Luke demanded. He looked back at the
child. "Kyia, you don't have to do this. I make no one test their abilities
unless they are ready. You already know you have them. When you feel you want to
try and develop them, that's fine. Don't feel pressured into anything."
"Well..." she said, looking at her mother again. "Everyone has a
purpose, right?"
"Uh, right," Luke said, not knowing she was just repeating what
Cilghal had said to her earlier.
"Well, if I was given the gift to heal you two, then that must be
mine."
"That is a very wise thought," Cilghal told her. "There is
nothing to worry about, I will be watching very carefully."
"What do I do?" the child asked.
"Just what you have been doing," Luke told her. "But this time we
let it run it's course."
"Okay," Kyia said, looking back at her mother again.
"There is nothing to worry about," Cilghal assured her. "We will
be right here with you."
Luke sat on the couch and Cilghal instructed Mara to do the same. Cilghal knelt
in front of them, and MaCayla joined her. Forcing himself to relax, Luke closed
his eyes. He felt the light touch of MaCayla's hands on his and braced himself
for what he now knew would happen. Even though he thought he was prepared he
still gasped when the wall of energy hit him. It was unlike anything he had ever
felt before. It reached every inch of him and it felt like the muscle was being
pulled from his bones. He was unable to stop the moan as the pain continued to
wash over him. He tried to think of something, anything that would keep his mind
off of what was happening. He could feel Mara sitting beside him. She too was in
pain, and when she felt his presence she held on to him, and they rode out the
pain together. He could also feel, somewhere in the back of his mind, the
worried minds of his family standing nearby. There was a nervous air around all
of them that got worse every time he made a sound. His breath became shallow and
his jaw was set, but he refused to pull back. It would be worth all the pain if
this worked. Just when he thought he could take no more the pain was gone. He
could feel her presence retreat, leaving him exhausted and more then a bit
shaky. He reached out to Mara to make sure she was ok, and she returned his
touch warmly.
He opened his eyes to see Kyia still sitting in front of him. Her cheeks we
soaked by her own tears and he was suddenly filled with fear. Afraid that she
had felt the same pain he had. She turned and buried her face in her mother's
shoulder.
"Shhh, it's alright," she soothed. "Were you hurt?" The
child said something and Arielle looked up and shook her head no. "Then
what's wrong?"
"I could feel them. They were in so much pain, and it was because of
me."
"Luke, how are you feeling now?" Leia asked. He was sitting back on
the couch quietly listening to the exchange. When he heard the question he
concentrated on himself. A smile slowly began to spread across his face.
"I feel good," he said. "Tired, but good. No pain."
"Mara?"
"I'm fine," Mara said.
"See," Arielle said, once again talking to MaCayla. "You did
not hurt them, you helped them." She lifted the girl's chin with her hands
and looked her in the eyes. "You helped them." She turned and looked
at Luke and he made himself smile. She seemed to accept that and began to relax.
Cilghal stepped over to him and placed her hand on his. He could feel her
checking for the poison and her shock when she did not find anything.
She straightened up when she finished and announced her findings to everyone.
They were both completely cured. Luke sat back, relief flooding through him. It
was over, and he was able to live through this one. It took a few minutes for
anyone to speak. It was a surprise when Arielle broke the silence.
"So what happens now?" she asked.
It was an easy question for Luke, something he had already thought about.
"It has been a very trying couple of months. I have all intentions of
taking it easy for a while. And I am sure there are plenty of things that I can
do during that time. We have a lot of catching up to do."
Kyia smiled when he looked at her. <I> They are still alive.</I> It
was amazing to him that they were sitting here, after so much time had passed.
"Will you contact your mother?" he asked, the thought suddenly
occurring to him. "They would be glad to see you."
Arielle smiled sadly. "I just saw them last week, Luke. They have known all
along what was going on. They were asked not to say anything to you."
"They knew?" He asked. <I> Why am I always the last to
know?</I> He asked himself. He pushed the thought away though. It was all
out in the open now, and getting upset now would not change a thing.
"I don't see a reason to keep it a secret anymore. Do you?"
"But Luke, you can't just go to the press and say: 'Oh look I found my wife
and daughter after fifteen years.' When know one knew you were married."
Luke placed a loving hand on his sister. "That's why I have you," he
said with a smile. "I know this is something you can handle."
"Oh, thank you," she said sarcastically.
"But wait, doesn't this mean that you two are still married?" Han
asked.
"I don't know," Luke said, looking over at Mara. "I mean I
thought she was dead all this time."
"You have the death certificate, right Luke?" Arielle asked.
"Yeah," he answered, wondering what difference a forged death
certificate would make.
"Do you know where it is? Can I see it?"
"Sure. Let me go and find it." He walked quickly to his bedroom and
opened his closet. There in the back sat a box that he rarely ever touched.
Pulling it out he opened it. Inside were a few baby pictures of MaCayla and
pictures of Luke and Arielle together. There was also an empty box that had once
held the necklace he had given back to Arielle's mother. It was then that he
remembered seeing it since then. Arielle was wearing it. <I> I could have
probably figured all this out a long time ago if I had only been paying
attention,</I> he thought to himself. Looking under all the other memories
in the box he pulled out the envelope that he knew held the death certificate.
Putting the box away he went back out to the living room.
He handed the envelope to Arielle who opened and read over them. Leia asked to
see it and she two read over the information in front of her.
"Luke, you had to sign this right?" Leia asked.
"Yes, why?" he asked. Mara also sensing Leia's anxiety stepped closer
to Luke.
"Luke, these are divorce papers. Not a death certificate." Luke went
numb with shock hen he heard those words as Mara snatched the papers out of
Leia's hands.
"She's right, Luke," Mara said, breathless. "You two are not
married. You have been divorce for a very long time."
"Well I guess that takes care of that," Han said. "Mara, Luke,
you two looked exhausted and I don't know about the rest of you, but I really
have things I have to get done today. Luke, thank you for such an informative
afternoon."
"Oh yes," Leia said, looking uncomfortably at her husband. "I
really need to get back to work. Cilghal?"
"I will be needing to arrange a shuttle back to the academy," she
said.
"I could help you with that," Leia offered. "It can be a real
pain sometimes to get a shuttle out of here."
"I would appreciate your assistance."
Arielle looked around at the people beginning to leave and smiled. "Well we
will be needing to go also. Kyia still has rehearsals today."
"But mom," the child started to protest.
"But nothing," Arielle insisted. "Lets go. You will see them
later."
"Of course," Luke agreed. He walked everyone to the door, and closed
it after them. "Not one of Leia's best exits."
"Yeah I got the feeling they were trying to leave us along for some
reason."
"Yeah, Han noticed we were tried," he said with a sly smile.
"Do you really think that's why they decided to leave?" Mara asked.
"Well what other reason could there be?" he asked, slowly making his
way back over to her.
"I could think of a few," Mara said, her voice dropping slightly.
"Do you think you are really cured?"
"Cilghal thinks so," he said, finally reaching her, and slipping one
arm around her waist. "There is one way to find out."
"I've missed you, Luke," Mara whispered.
"I haven't gone anywhere," he whispered back.
"I've missed this." Their lips met in the first kiss they had shared
in a very long time.
OK that's the end. thanks for taking the time to read. I really enjoyed