The Ship – part 12

By Ash

Disclaimer: The characters and situations used in this fic are the property of Lucasfilm Ltd. I have only borrowed them for a short while and will return them soon.

Barancz gunned the engine in his speeder and moved it away from the place where he’d spent most of his life. If what the data card said was true he could afford to go anywhere and do anything. He hadn’t realised the old man had been so rich. The card had left the yard to the rest of the men but all his off-world finances to Barancz. He sighed. He wasn’t stupid. Ciri Elo had seen that Barancz would not be able to lead the men. He had said often enough that he needed to see more of the galaxy. So now he had the money to do so, but he had to honour the old man’s wishes first. If he had any honour in his life he knew he had to do that. It was the other data card that gave him pause for thought and the rest of the instructions. They wouldn’t notice his absence this evening or tomorrow either. He’d said his goodbyes to the old man. Parnello and the rest of them would be drunker than a bunch of Rodians in charge of an illicit still. He didn’t want that image to colour his last memories.

“I need to find out if the beings on the data card are alive or dead. How do I do that?” he asked himself. The image of the vivid blue eyes of a stranger came to him. It was worth a try. The stranger might help him… Barancz trusted him and that was peculiar in itself because he trusted few beings. Why would he do that – trust a man he’d only met once?

An hour later saw him entering the centre of the busy spaceport. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d been here. It must have been several months. The place was busy. Ships of every size and shape lay in the numbered docking bays. Where was he going to start? All he knew was the man was called Luke and the woman Merah. Those might not even be their real names. For over an hour he wandered between ships carefully keeping his wits about him for danger and trying to spot the two people he knew. Sighing, he finally headed for the tapcaf as he was hungry and thirsty. This was impossible - he was never going to find these two. There were hundreds of ships in port and possibly thousands of beings. It was a stupid idea.

He squeezed past a couple of Duros and a strangely coloured humanoid, finding an empty seat in a booth. The serving droid took his order for a tankard of draf and he sipped slowly, wondering what he was going to do.

Barancz had been sitting for ten minutes hugging his depression close about him, when slightly raised voices penetrated the blanket of misery.

“I tell you, Luke and Merah could be in trouble,” the spherical little man protested. “Come on, let’s go.” The man rose to his feet, which didn’t make him any taller and began to weave his way through the crowds now pouring into the tapcaf.

Barancz stiffened as the names leapt out at him from the conversation in the next booth. ‘Merah and Luke.’ It had to be. Of all the lucky coincidences in life this had to be one of them. He rose up slightly and peered above his seat, spotting the odd little group. Surely they weren’t talking about him. No one knew he wanted to speak to beings going by the names Luke and Merah. He wanted their advice - not to harm them.

“Follow him, follow him,” chanted an old fur-covered creature merrily.

“You’re out of it, Malyre.” A large heavily built man with shaggy grey hair accused.

“Maybe so, but I’m off to help rescue the fair Merah and her farmer Luke.”

Barancz sank back into his seat and closed his grey eyes. They were in trouble? He would go and help them too – the coincidence was too strong. He had to speak to them – had to.

So when the oddly assorted company of Lek, Forrell and Malyre left the tapcaf they had a shadow.

***************************************************************

Mara gave the Jedi Master a narrow, green-eyed glare. Her lips still tingled from the kiss, her mind tumbling to the conclusion that she may have made the biggest mistake of her life - her biggest mistake or her greatest triumph. She placed her carryall on the floor and leant against the bulkhead. After following Palpatine so blindly for years she was wary of committing to anyone or anything, and though she knew that Luke wouldn’t demand or expect that from her, she would expect it from herself. Mara sighed silently. Luke wasn’t the Emperor - he was a good man. He was a kind, generous and honest to a fault. He was also more than a little idealistic, a little reckless, impatient, and… Qualities that only added to his charm, in her opinion. Mara’s mind closed off the list. There was so much about Skywalker that she loved.

“I’m sorry, Mara,” Karrde apologised smoothly.

“What?” She looked at him blankly.

Karrde’s pale blue stare intensified. Mara hadn’t been paying attention; her mind had been somewhere else. “I know you don’t like the Dignity…”

“I hate it. It’s nothing but a flying tin can and not a very good one at that.”

“But surely you won’t be here for much longer? The sale finishes in two days.”

“I don’t know,” she muttered vaguely.

Karrde was intrigued. He liked to know what was going on and in this instance he sensed a mystery. Skywalker and Jade hadn’t said there was anything going on, but his suspicions were rarely ill founded. No use trying to trick it out of the pair of them either. If they wanted him to know they would tell him and he respected them for that, but it was damned frustrating all the same.

“Here is your next list of assignments.” He handed Mara a stack of data cards and watched closely as she reluctantly took them. “I’m expecting you on Brentaal in eight days.”

Mara’s eyes momentarily shifted to Luke’s and she pursed her lips. “I don’t know if I can make it by then… in fact…” Her eyes flickered strangely. “In fact… I think I may need a leave of absence.” She handed the pile of cards back to an astounded Karrde.

“But, Jade.”

“And I need it now.”

“Excuse me!” he exclaimed in surprise, his expression mirroring the rest of the faces apart from Skywalker’s. Karrde focused on the Jedi Master but could tell nothing from his impassive visage. This was obviously nothing to do with Luke then, or perhaps it was but it was totally Mara’s decision to make. “Can I ask why?”

The redheaded trader’s eyes moved to the silent Jedi by her side. “You can ask,” she answered guardedly.

Karrde turned to stare at Luke, but the blue-eyed man was examining the state of his dusty black boots with an intensity that was almost strange. “Skywalker?”

“It’s nothing to do with him,” Mara snapped angrily.

Luke lifted his tousled head. “Nothing to do with me,” he repeated, his face oddly blank. “Why would it have anything to do with me?”

Mara clenched her fists. She’d hurt him again, hadn’t she? “I can’t…” Her voice turned despairing and she sent the thoughts to him through their ever-strengthening Force bond. ‘This is for us, Luke. It’s our business – our lives. I don’t want Karrde intruding on this yet. He means well, but…’

Luke pressed a comforting hand on her arm. “It will be okay,” he whispered. “You’re doing fine.”

Mara gave him a quick, quelling frown and opened her mouth to try and say something to Karrde.

“It’s all right, Jade. If this is your decision I’ll get one of the others to go to Brentaal.” He was more certain than ever that something was up – he didn’t need to be a genius. Luke was acting the same as he usually did but Mara was not. He hesitated. “Could I help?”

“With what?” Mara’s voice was dismissive.

“Jade,” Luke intervened with a quiet warning voice and shook his head.

He stared at Karrde and the older man couldn’t help shivering at the banked power Skywalker controlled so well. It wasn’t often that he let him see he was controlling it.

Luke’s lashes closed over his eyes for a moment and the image was gone. “This is personal, as I said before,” he murmured softly. “It’s between Jade and myself.”

“Skywalker!” Mara’s voice began to rise angrily.

“You have to give him a reason… It’s a Jedi thing.”

“Oh!” Mara bit her lip. “I’m sorry, Karrde. Farmboy here is right.” Her tone deflated but the look she shot the Jedi Master was one that promised retribution. “It’s a Jedi thing,” she echoed.

Karrde somehow couldn’t clear his head of the notion that this was only part of the mystery, but he knew his second-in-command too well and if she didn’t want him to know then that was that. “Come on, I need to get this cargo on its way.”

“Sure,” Mara answered lightly, picking up her carryall and ramming her ugly hat on top of her head.

‘Damn!’ Luke thought sourly. He was really beginning to hate that offensive piece of headgear. He pulled his cloak over his shoulders and grabbed his own well-worn duffle bag. “I’m all set.”

Mara handed the beckon call to Aves and followed Luke from the ship.

***************************

“The hatch is opening,” Malyre whispered loudly from behind Lek.

“I can see that,” snapped the tapcaf owner.

“Quiet, you two,” ordered Forrell. “They’re coming out and they’re surrounded by smugglers.”

Lek peered from behind his pile of crates. Karrde and his men flanked Luke and Mara. He couldn’t see any weapons in evidence but he had no doubts that they were there.

“Come on,” Malyre suddenly sang out.

“What’s he doing?” Lek hissed.

Forrell swore. “That spice-inflicted Selonian has gone off too early. Look!” he exclaimed pointing.

“Oh no,” Lek groaned and watched as his large furry friend weaved an oddly graceful pattern towards the small group exiting the Valiant Vornskr.

Malyre turned and waved to his cohorts. “Come on… set weapons to stun. No time like the present… come on. Time to rescue… to rescue…”

“He’ll blow our cover. Can they hear him?” Lek asked.

“With any luck they’ll think he’s drunk or high on spice and won’t pay too much notice.”

Lek gave his round little friend a disgusted glare. “He is high on spice and there’s no telling what he’ll do. We’d better go after him.” He lurched to his feet and limped after the wavering Selonian.

Forrell sighed and trotted after the other two. Being the leader in this little rescue jaunt wasn’t turning out the way he’d expected it to.

Barancz crouched in his hiding place unable to believe his eyes or ears. He recognised the couple from the yard and they were indeed being walked out of the ship. He pulled his own pistol from its holster and set it to stun and crept after the unlikely heroes.

Luke spotted Malyre first. “Mara,” he whispered. “It’s Malyre; he doesn’t seem too steady on his feet.”

“He smokes spice flakes. He’s probably in a lovely little world of his own.”

“Then what’s he doing and why are Lek and Forrell following him?”

“I don’t know.”

“You know these characters, Mara?” Karrde threw over his shoulder at her.

“Yeah, it’s Lek, he owns the tapcaf. The other two are his cronies – they’re harmless.”

“Ah, I have heard you speak about them before. They were very interested in us while we were in the tapcaf.”

Mara chuckled. “They’re nosey old sods - nothing else to do but gossip. Lek has a good heart though.” She grinned at Luke. “What do they look like? One is seven foot tall and furry, one is four feet tall and four feet wide and the other is limping.”

Luke returned her grin. “I don’t know what they look like but there have been stranger heroes in the galaxy over the years.”

Mara frowned. “That was an odd thing to say.”

“I only meant that you cannot judge by appearances,” Luke answered calmly.

Karrde smiled. “They’re certainly heading this way.”

“Hello, gentlemen, and may I ask where you are escorting our friends to?” Malyre stood swaying gently in front of Karrde barring his way. Behind Malyre, Karrde could see his two accomplices.

Luke frowned. Something didn’t feel quite right. “Malyre…” he began. “Malyre…” He raised his voice. “No!”

“I’m…” but that was all the words Karrde got out before Malyre brought up his pistol and fired several shots in various directions. Karrde felt his world go black as he slumped to the grey spaceport floor. He wasn’t the only one. Luke just managed to catch Mara as the erratic shots splayed in all the wrong directions. Aves and Dankin rolled aside with lightning reflexes, bringing their own weapons to bear.

“No!” thundered Luke again, still clutching Mara with one hand. He stretched out his other hand and the weapons belonging to Lek, Forrell and Malyre flew into it. “Aves, Dankin…” he murmured softly. “Put your weapons away. They’re only stunned.” His own heart was racing at seeing Mara collapse in front of him. He eased her onto the ground and smoothed the hair away from her face and under her hat, his heart rejoicing when she groaned. “Easy, Jade,” he whispered gently.

The three guilty beings stood shocked at what had happened. Malyre seemed to have sobered up a little. Luke hadn’t behaved like the farmer at all and the way their guns had flown from their hands… This was the Jedi they were seeing. There were a few moments of stunned inactivity.

From his hiding place, Barancz could also see everything that happened very clearly. He felt the reassuring grip of his own blaster and edged a little nearer. The woman had gone down, caught in Luke’s arm. Was she hurt… or worse? Suddenly Luke had stretched out his hand drawing all the weapons to him. Barancz gasped in shock. This surely was the sorcery the other men in the yard had told him of. Was this Luke one of those Jedi that Ciri Elo had spoken about? He had been seen by the other men wielding the lightsaber. Parnello and Tobia had spoken of the lighted sword and how he had shrugged off a blaster wound without any trouble. These were not ordinary feats.

His fingers felt into the pocket of his robe and touched the data card and the leather pouch. It was more important than ever that he see Luke and talk to him.

Luke stared at Lek, Malyre and Forrell sternly. “Okay, I don’t want to know what you’ve been cooking up between you. This could have turned out very badly.”

“We were trying to help…”

“We weren’t in any trouble,” Luke explained slowly. “Karrde is an old friend.”

“You are friends with the smuggler chief?” Forrell asked.

“For many years. Look after…” Luke hesitated. “Merah.”

“But,” Lek protested.

“See she’s okay. Do you know what a stun setting does to someone’s nerve endings? She might be out for a few more minutes.” He frowned and walked towards Aves and Dankin. “They didn’t mean any harm.”

“What the Sith was that about, Skywalker?” Aves muttered quietly.

“They thought you were arresting us, I think, and were trying to help.”

“Oh… that’s why they were so suspicious of us earlier.”

“Probably,” Luke grinned wearily. “Act first and think later. How’s Karrde?”

“Fine.” The voice was thin and a little weak. “Vader’s bones, Luke. It’s a long time since I’ve been taken out so easily – and by an old Selonian waving a poor blaster pistol in my face.”

Luke chuckled. “They didn’t really mean you any harm, Karrde. They’re friends of Mara’s of long standing and were only thinking that she might be in trouble.”

“Yes, I think you are right. I should be glad that she has people watching out for her.” Karrde coughed feebly.

“She does.” Luke’s face grew serious. “Even if she doesn’t want it, we do.”

“I know.” Karrde lifted his head. “Help me up, men. I feel as if I’ve taken a pounding.” Aves and Dankin carefully lifted Talon to his feet. “Here.” He offered Luke a pad. “This has the codes to the Dignity.”

“I’ll take Mara there and I’ll see you soon. Don’t worry about our three elderly culprits.”

“I’m not. In some ways I’m impressed with their ingenuity and bravery. There aren’t many that would take on Talon Karrde directly.”

“No, I suppose not.”

Luke watched as Aves and Dankin helped Karrde away before turning to see how Mara fared.

“You okay?” he asked, kneeling beside her.

Mara blinked and smiled hazily into Luke’s eyes. “I think so. What on earth were they playing at?”

“We were only trying to help.” Forrell interjected.

“Well I think that’s enough of that kind of help,” Luke replied. “Come on, let’s get you on your feet,” he murmured quietly to Mara and picked her up as if she weighed less than a pitten.

“I can walk,” she protested weakly.

“I know you can, but it will be another half hour at least before you fully recover.”

“Yes, Master.”

“And impudence won’t get you out of it.”

“What a pity,” she mouthed.

Luke smiled at her but changed his expression when he spoke to the three miscreants. “We’re changing ships. The Vornskr has to deliver its cargo elsewhere in the galaxy. Karrde brought the Dignity. It’s not much of a ship apparently, but should get us from A to B. Help me get Merah to the ship.”

**************************************

Half an hour later, Luke and Mara were ensconced in a small boxy shuttle-like ship. Mara was right about the Dignity, it was little more than a flying box. Lek, Forrell and Malyre had been only too pleased to leave and return to the tapcaf, but Luke had thanked them for their concern. He’d said Merah needed to sleep off the effects of the stun blast and that was what she was hopefully doing, when he’d helped her onto the bed in the main cabin. He sat alone in the cockpit watching the lights of ships landing and departing the spaceport. It was even busy at this hour.

He flicked on his com. “Artoo!”

A soft whistle could be heard at the other end.

“Just checking to see if you’re okay?”

A couple of electronic snorts echoed over the channel.

“Sorry I asked.” Luke chuckled. “It’s an easy place to hide in. Artoo, I never doubt your ability to hide. Have you seen anything yet?”

A long whistle followed by a quiet bird-like chirp.

“You’re going to try to get nearer tonight. What do you mean, don’t come tonight?”

“Ah… I see. They’re holding some sort of ceremony for the old man. Lot of people and drunken ones at that. As long as you’re okay.”

A disdainful beep echoed down the channel.

“Alright, Artoo. I’m sorry. Just be careful and what do you mean ‘I’m a fine one to talk’?”

******************************************

Luke wandered through to the cabin and stared at the sleeping form of Mara Jade stretched out on the bed and a wave of tiredness overcame him. Without conscious thought, Luke pulled off his boots and lay down beside her, curving her into his body, his arm falling around her waist and dropped into sleep.

“Never fall in love with a Jedi,” the dark haired woman murmured bitterly.

“But my lady…” The handmaiden Luke had seen before, the one with Mara’s face, protested.

“It’s too late for you too.” The woman sighed knowingly and covered her face with her hands. Luke recognised those too. This was the owner of the perfume jar. “They come into your lives and nothing is ever the same. All of them… reckless and exciting.” Her hands dropped to cover her swollen abdomen. “We shouldn’t have done what we did, but I couldn’t live without him. Against my better judgement and yours…

“The babies?”

“Are fine. Obi-Wan says they will be born soon.”

“How will we keep them safe?”

“I don’t know.”

“You need to rest, Senator.”

“Thank you, I will.”

Luke twisted in his sleep, drawing the slim form of Mara Jade closer, and the scene changed. He was in a bed in a shabby cabin and he was making love to Mara, their bodies rose and fell with the passions that rippled through them. This was a snatched time between them – all they could have now. “Obi-Wan!” Mara cried. Luke jerked awake and sat up gasping. This wasn’t Mara and it wasn’t Luke. ‘Obi-Wan’, she’d called out to his former master. One good guess was that the woman with Mara’s face and Obi-Wan had been lovers. He felt strange at being in a vision that had been so personal.

Mara opened her eyes and immediately focused on the man next to her. Luke was sitting breathing heavily, his face pale.

“What is it?”

“Things have become clearer. Why now? Why at this point in my life, when I would have given anything to know this a long time ago?”

“I don’t understand.”

He lay down again and pulled Mara into his arms. She struggled a little, but his arms remained strong about her and she gradually relaxed. Luke rubbed his cheek against her bright hair. “I think the owner of the perfume jar was my mother. I saw her again and she was heavily pregnant. I saw her face this time…”

“Her face?”

“She looked like Leia,” he explained carefully. “The same dark eyes and hair… something about the curve of her face… It’s just an instinct.” He ran a strand of her hair idly through his fingers. “Leia once told me that one of the few things she remembered about our mother was that she was ‘beautiful but sad.’

“And…” Mara drawled. She could tell that the Jedi Master was keeping something from her.

“What makes you think there’s more?”

Mara twisted in Luke’s grasp, her green eyes bright as she stared down at him. “I can feel it. Either I’m getting better at penetrating your shields, you are slipping or our Force bond is strengthening.”

Luke smiled, a whimsical glint appearing in his blue eyes. “All three?” he said.

Mara lifted a graceful finger and poked it firmly into his chest. “Cut the crap, farmboy.”

“Ow! That hurt,” he complained capturing her hand and bringing it to his lips. “We had some unfinished business…”

“Skywalker!” Mara threatened. “Tell me or I’ll finish any business you have in your little Jedi mind.”

Luke flushed a little. “I saw you and I making love…”

“I thought I’d said when Hoth melted…”

“Anything’s possible,” he whispered, his eyes staring into hers. “Hoth is undergoing a heat wave right as we speak.”

“Is it?” Mara swallowed. “You’re still not telling me…”

“No?” Luke’s tongue drifted out to moisten his lips.

“No. You saw us… me with you?”

“That’s right, but then you called me ‘Obi-Wan’ and I had to conclude that it wasn’t you or me.”

“That’s a name we both recognise.” Her face lowered closer to his.

“That’s when I woke up. I felt like a voyeur.”

“Oh.” The word emerged a little breathy.

Luke lifted his hand and placed it on Mara’s head, propelling her nearer to him, and finally managed to get her lips touching his. With a grateful sigh she sank into his embrace as he began to kiss her properly. It started slowly, gently, his mouth moving on hers, his thumbs stroking across her cheekbones – and suddenly she felt the betraying warmth flood her entire body. A muted sound of male triumph sounded low in Luke’s throat, but Mara didn’t mind because she wanted this – she wanted this so much.

************************************

Barancz pulled his shabby cloak around his shoulders as he paced back and forth outside the Dignity’s docking bay. He had to speak to this Luke. Who knows how important this information was? On the other hand, the old man had been hiding on Zathoq for many years. Perhaps all this was just a complete waste of time. But still, the data card burned a restless hole in his pocket and he entered the docking bay, his heart and mind filled with trepidation.

***********************************

Luke murmured her name as his hands brushed the undersides of her breasts sending pleasure spiralling through her body. Mara groaned and Luke caught the sound with his mouth as he deepened their kiss. A tremor went through her and then another. The fire of his mouth on hers had ignited something in her blood. Mara shifted, her head falling back against the pillow, and she felt the heaviness of Luke’s body as he moved to cover hers.

A herd of banthas could have walked past them both and they wouldn’t have noticed a thing, but when the banging started on the ship’s entrance hatch and continued for at least five minutes they began to notice.

“Not again,” whined Luke.

Mara shifted away from Luke, her hair in disarray, her creamy cheeks flushed and her mouth revealing a ripeness that indicated that she’d been kissed at some length. “Perhaps some things are not meant to be.”

“Oh no, Jade. I’m not falling for that one. I get the feeling this is exactly how you and I are meant to be. We just haven’t got the timing right. One of these days…” He swallowed and willed his body to return to normal. “One of these days, Mara Jade, Hoth will melt.”

“You think?”

Luke stared at her, his passion still evident on her features. “I know,” he said soberly. “And I want this so bad that my body is aching to be in yours.”

Mara gulped in shock. Mainly because he’d dared to say what he had. Now she knew she was way out of her depth. Luke Skywalker would demand the greatest commitment she’d ever given anyone and it scared her. She wasn’t ready for this… would never be ready for this. She didn’t need messy emotion clouding her life. She didn’t need Skywalker… In her head a little voice laughed mockingly. Who was she trying to fool?

Luke sensed Mara’s unease and his shoulders slumped imperceptibly in defeat. He couldn’t force her to love him.

“Luke…” Mara uttered his name softly.

“It’s all right, Jade.” He grabbed his belt and fastened it around his waist.

“Luke…” Mara called after him. “Luke!” She sighed frustratedly. “Oh, Luke.”

Luke gripped his saber and stretched out with the Force. To his surprise he recognised the presence of the man from the run-down shipyard. “Mara, it’s the guy from the yard.”

“The dark haired one?”

“Yeah, he seems very nervous.”

“Is he alone?”

“Yes, he’s alone.”

“He’s not hostile or anything?”

“No, I said he was nervous.” Luke glanced at Mara. “He doesn’t mean us any harm.”

“He told us his name was…” she fished around in her memory. “Barancz. He was most insistent that we remember it. Go and let him in. ”

“I wonder what he wants?” Luke pressed the release hatch and the door slid up. “Enter, friend. How can we help?”

Carefully looking all around him, Barancz entered the small ship and followed Luke into the main hold.

“This is not a big vessel,” Luke explained with a smile. “So our meeting will have to be here. It’s a cargo hold, crew area… whatever.”

“Hello again. I’m Merah,” Mara murmured carefully. “Of course, you remember, Luke.”

At the sight of her, Barancz could only gape in astonishment. She was still the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

“I need your advice,” he muttered warily.

“If we can, we’ll give it.” Luke answered calmly.

“I need the counsel of the Jedi. The old man left me a task to do and I don’t know of anyone that can help me apart from you. Are you… Jedi?”

“Why do you want to know?” Luke sat down, his face impassive.

“Tell us,” Mara urged, coming to sit close to Luke.

The Jedi Master smiled at her and took her hand in his. “The Force wills it,” he said.

Barancz pulled the packet from his pocket and emptied the contents onto the table in front of Luke and Mara and handed them a data card. The soft leather pouch lay innocently drawing their curiosity, but it was forgotten as he glanced down at the data card. Luke’s eyes widened in shock at the names etched on the card.

“How?” he gasped.

The Ship – part 13

By Ash

Disclaimer: The characters and situations used in this fic are the property of Lucasfilm Ltd. I have only borrowed them for a short while and will return them soon.

“Luke…” Mara got ready to deal with the shocked and startled emotions she could feel coming from the Jedi Master. As soon as his eyes had locked on the names written on the data card his shields had locked up tight. She knew him well enough to guess that something had seriously disturbed that damned Jedi calm of his.

The Jedi Master jumped to his feet and immediately started rummaging through the supply lockers. “Karrde surely…” he mumbled. “Ah…” Finally his hand wrapped around the neck of a slender bottle. “Get glasses, Jade,” he ordered.

Mara frowned as she recognised a bottle of top quality Savareen brandy. “But you don’t drink, Luke, and that stuff is strong.”

“Whoever told you that one?” Luke scoffed darkly. “How long have you known me, Jade? ’Course I drink… just don’t see the need to get drunk as a Tusken Raider on sugar water and fall over. Bad for the image.” He uncorked the bottle with determination. “But I have had my moments in the past… He pulled his attention from the open bottle, with a look much more befitting his brother-in-law. “Get glasses - I need a drink. This could be another such moment.”

Reluctantly Mara moved to the galley and returned with three glasses.

Luke splashed the amber spirit into the glasses and immediately tossed the entire contents of his own straight down his throat.

Mara hesitated, her drink almost at her lips. This was most unlike Luke… most unlike him. “Watch it farmboy, I told you that stuff was strong.”

“You also told me I didn’t drink. I’m okay… the names on that data card…”

Mara picked up the card and peered at the spidery handwriting that had almost faded with age. She paused, her brow furrowed, then turned to Barancz, her heartbeat loud in her own ears. “How did you know?”

“Know what?”

“Who we are.” She placed the card back on the table.

“I don’t know who you are – not really,” Barancz stuttered. This was way above his head. The reactions of the couple were extremely strange. “I got the card from the old man. He left it to me with some other things. He wanted me to find the people on this card if they still exist. He was good to me, I owe him that, but I haven’t got the faintest idea how to go about looking for them. That’s why I thought you could help me.”

“Why us?” Mara wondered aloud.

“I’m not sure… maybe because you’re the first offworlders to visit the yard in months, maybe even in a year. I guessed you might even be one of those Jedi that the old man told me about.” He looked at the silent Jedi Master. “Parnello told me you were wounded but there was no sign you had been injured when we met. It was as if the shot had no effect at all. The old man reacted really… weird when he saw you. It was almost as if he’d seen you before. Had he seen you before?”

Luke shook his tousled head. “No.”

“I’m not stupid. I know he wasn’t well and a lot of the stories he told were all in his head, but he did definitely recognise you, Ma’am.”

“Yes,” Mara whispered. “But he’s never seen me before either, so who did he think I was?”

“Did you know who he was?”

Mara picked up her drink and sipped at the spirit, its warmth melting the numbness in her brain. She avoided the question saying instead. “The old man struck me as highly intelligent even though his health was failing.”

“He was.” Barancz’s eyes took on a faraway expression. “Even in the last few days he seemed so sharp and so determined to keep going. I’ll miss him… and I have to honour his last requests but I’ve never been off Zathoq in my entire life. I know how to fix a starship but I’ve never flown one.” He touched the data card with the tip of a grimy finger. “I’d never heard of the places the old man talked about…. Alderaan, Naboo…”

“Coruscant?” Luke put in.

“I’ve heard of that one,” he mumbled defensively. “I told you I wasn’t stupid. The old man taught me my letters. I can read and write better than any of the others in the yard.”

“Goody,” Mara muttered dryly.

Luke poured himself another shot of spirit.

“Slow down,” Mara bit out caustically. “Or you won’t be any help to us tonight.”

Luke paused, his glass halfway to his lips. “So?” he muttered and tipped the measure of pale brown liquid into his mouth. His hand reached again for the bottle before changing his mind and placed the tumbler and the bottle carefully back on the table. “This is the Force at work.”

“Yeah, sure,” Mara laughed, without amusement. She could hardly believe it herself. “One of those strange coincidences.”

Barancz shook his black, curly head. “The Force? I don’t understand.” He picked up his hitherto untouched glass of brandy and gingerly tasted its contents. “This is good stuff,” he said in surprise.

“Yeah,” Mara answered waspishly, glaring at the Jedi Master. “Much too good to be throwing down the back of your throat without it touching your taste buds.”

“I can filter out the effects of the alcohol, Jade.” Luke defended himself stoutly. “What’s the problem?”

“What a waste,” Mara replied succinctly. “Luke?” she questioned and then nodded to herself as she guessed what was bothering him. “Just tell him, Luke,” she urged softly.

“Why?”

“Because you want to,” she said softly. “He didn’t have to bring these things to us. He could have destroyed them or left them to deteriorate. It’s reason enough.”

“I’m one of the names on that card,” Luke murmured quietly, flicking a veiled glance at the other man.

Barancz swallowed and choked as a small amount of alcohol went down the wrong way. He coughed as Mara slapped him on the back. “You!” he managed once he had finished spluttering. The chances of such a thing happening, to his mind was incalculable.

Luke nodded. “Me.”

“I don’t believe it.”

“He’s telling the truth,” Mara insisted.

“My name is Luke Skywalker… so I guess the ‘son of Skywalker’ refers to me.”

“How do I know that this is true?”

Mara’s mouth formed a tight straight line as her eyes followed the Jedi master as he tensely paced back and forwards. “Do you think he acts like this for no reason?” she asked pointedly. “Luke…”

“Sorry,” he apologised but continued to moved restlessly around the tiny crew room.

“It’s true.” Mara confirmed. “He doesn’t lie.”

Barancz stared at Mara curiously. “Are you the daughter of Skywalker then?”

“Sith no!” Mara gasped in horror. “He…” she pointed at Luke, “…has a sister. I have enough problems with him without being related to him.”

Luke blinked. The thought that another woman he was in love with could have been a relative crossed his mind and then disappeared. He knew Mara was no relative. That was quite enough of that kind of thinking. He was in love with her? Of course he was. He’d been in love with Mara Jade for a very long time but he just hadn’t realised it. The feeling had become as natural to him as his own heartbeat. He pushed his thoughts deep into his mind. Mara wasn’t ready for this kind of declaration, inadvertent thought it may be. He couldn’t let it leak through his shields - she was reading his emotions rather too easily of late. Reluctantly he returned his attention to the other pressing matter in his confusing life.

“What about the other names?” Barancz enquired curiously.

Luke scanned down the half-dozen or so names. “Most of these are long dead,” he said. “Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda… My first teacher and my Master.” Sorrow permeated his sense and Mara moved to his side in reassurance. “Bail Organa of Alderaan… my sister’s foster father. He’s dead too.”

“Senator Mon Mothma of Chandrila and General Bel Iblis are both still with us,” Mara said. “So there must be information for them on that data card.”

“I don’t know these other names… Merah?”

Mara shook her red-gold head. “Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo, Lady Sabe and Lady Farae of Naboo,” she read. “No, these don’t strike any chord of recognition.”

“I think Naboo was Ciri Elo’s home planet. He talked about it the most and how beautiful it was but that they had killed it. He never said who they were. He never actually said he was from there either, but there was something in his eyes when he mentioned it.”

“Barancz… Luke hesitated. “We’re certain that Ciri Elo wasn’t the old man’s real name. In another life he was a pilot called Ric Olie.”

Barancz nodded as many things fell into place. “That doesn’t surprise me. He was always looking over his shoulder as if someone was going to come after him. He didn’t like strangers. Zathoq’s not exactly the centre of the galaxy. Why would someone with his abilities choose to stay here?”

Luke eyed Mara carefully. “There could be a lot of reasons…”

“Maybe he liked it here,” Mara threw in irreverently. “The scenery… the open-hearted friendliness of the locals…”

“Mara!” Luke cautioned shortly. “It’s a good place to hide… just like Tatooine. Did he talk about any of the people… mention any names?”

Barancz shook his dark, curly head. “He only talked about flying a beautiful queen out of danger.”

“A queen,” Luke mused aloud. “A Queen of Naboo or maybe a Vicereine of Alderaan – did Naboo have queens?”

Mara lifted a shoulder. “I’ve never heard of Naboo, so how should I know? Maybe there’s something on the data card.”

Luke sighed and searched around for a data reader. As he did so his eyes fell on the leather pouch. “What’s in there?”

“I didn’t look,” Barancz murmured. “Didn’t seem right.”

Luke tipped the contents out on the table. Two thin braids of hair rolled neatly together, a small piece of something carved, a small key mechanism and a dull polished stone.

Mara stared at the objects in disbelief. “He kept this for all those years? These are worthless – no use to anyone.”

But Luke ignored her and stretched out a shaking hand to touch the soft coiled braids of hair. Something shimmered in the Force as he let one of them run through his fingers. “Anakin,” he whispered softly. “This is my father’s hair.” His blue eyes were strangely bright as a sheen of moisture covered them. “They are perhaps not worth anything in a monetary sense, but in other ways they are priceless.”

“How do you know?” Mara asked, absently noting that the thin plait he fingered reverently was almost the exact same colour as his own hair

“I can feel it.”

“Who does the other braid belong to?” Barancz asked in amazement. “Do you know that too?”

“Well…” Luke drawled slowly and carefully picked up the other braid. It wasn’t quite as fair as his father’s one had been; there was a hint of chestnut there too. He stretched out with his senses and immediately reeled as the feeling of grief and pain assaulted him.

‘It was too soon… this wasn’t right – cutting off his own braid like this. His Master should have done it. He’d said he was ready to take the trials, but he’d never thought that his ordeals would end so devastatingly. The grief assaulted him once again. He should have been able to prevent this – his Master shouldn’t have died like this. The thought of his new responsibility added years to his young shoulders. His padawan…’

Mara watched the Jedi Master anxiously as she’d immediately felt something coming from him. “Luke…”

He snapped back to attention with a little jerk. This was getting out of hand – opening himself so totally to the power of the Force was ruining his ability to concentrate. ‘Padawan!’ What or who was a padawan? The visions were becoming more frequent and more perplexing. What was it about Zathoq that turned everything into memories of a past life? Luke was beginning to live in a dream world and it worried him. ‘Be mindful of the living Force.’ The calmness of the deep, unfamiliar voice echoed reassuringly in his mind.

He shook his head at her. “I think I need a little air,” he mumbled distractedly and headed towards the exit. “Be back soon.”

“Luke!” Mara called after him in frustration. She tried to reach him through the Force but his shields were at maximum strength.

Barancz looked at the objects still remaining on the table. “Do they mean anything to you?” He pointed to the second rolled up braid. “Luke didn’t say who it belonged to – maybe he doesn’t know.”

Mara shook her head. “No, it’s obviously triggered off something for Luke, but he just needs some time to sort it out. He knows who it belongs to and when he’s ready he’ll tell us.” Her hand hovered over the small carved object, but something made her withdraw. Instead she picked up the data card and peered at the names. She wanted to know what was on it but would be patient until Luke returned. Mara peered once more at the faded inscriptions on the card. Her own name wasn’t on it.

Suddenly the communications console activated itself.

“Looks like someone is trying to contact me,” Mara said. What she really wanted to do was go after Luke, but perhaps he did need some time alone. “I just don’t like letting him think too much. He always ends up doing something I’ll regret.”

“What?” said Barancz.

“Nothing,” she answered. “Just talking to myself.”

Barancz grinned, the first smile he’d produced since he’d entered the small ship and Mara smiled in response.

“You do that often… talk to yourself?”

“Where Skywalker is concerned… all the time.”

Barancz glanced nervously at his wrist chrono. “Look, I need to be going. The others won’t have missed me for a while, but if I’m gone too long…”

Mara nodded her head. “Yeah, I get your drift. Thanks for bringing the data card and the rest of the… stuff.” She escorted Barancz to the hatch and prepared to open the door. “We’ll probably be taking a little trip back to the yard at some point.”

“Why?” his grey eyes went wide.

She thought she could trust him, but she sensed the sudden stab of fear. “We’re looking for something. You know… parts for an old ship.”

“There’s nothing there,” he replied quickly – too quickly.

Mara’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Oh, nothing is there?”

“You saw the yard,” he said. “We haven’t repaired or sold anything for months. Its just junk.”

Mara gave him a look filled with derision. She’d heard the thinly disguised desperation. “Oh yeah,” she drawled and made a decision. Skywalker wasn’t here to tell her this was a really bad idea. “Junk like… a ship that’s been hidden there for over forty years?”

“A… a… ship?”

“That’s what I said.” Mara closed in for the kill. “A ship or the remains of one. The old man was hiding something and it was more than just a couple of data cards and rolled up bits of Skywalker’s relatives hair. What was he hiding - what are you still hiding?”

“I…”

“Come on, Barancz.” Her tone dripped with scorn. “Do you really think that the rest of your so-called comrades will sit idly by if they think they are sitting on some money-making opportunities now that Ric Olie is dead? Will they listen to you and do what you say? You’re not like them.”

“I don’t know.”

“What are you hiding?” she repeated. “Luke is a Jedi Master and I am also a Jedi. Don’t you think I can find out easily enough?”

“You’re Jedi… How could you find out?”

“Haven’t you heard stories about what the Jedi can do? Imperial propaganda hasn’t helped our image but there are truths about our powers. I could read your mind if I wanted to.” Mara hoped it wouldn’t come to that, because she knew Luke would frown at such goings on. To him it was dangerously tainted with the Dark Side motives. Mara grinned sardonically. She wanted the information so she would get it. Barancz was about to crack. The threat would be enough.

“Okay, okay. It’s still there.”

Mara froze. “What do you mean ‘it’s still there’?”

Barancz hunched his neck into his grimy tunic. “The… ship you’re looking for is still there.” He stared fixedly at the ground. “It’s almost buried under years of junk and stuff…”

Mara’s eyes widened. “It’s still there?” she repeated. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest. ‘Luke!’ she sent, but he still had his shields up tight.

Barancz rubbed at an oily stain on his tunic sleeve. “You’re right – there is an old ship there. The old man said it was older than the Clone Wars, but that doesn’t mean much out here.”

“Of course not. Beings are still flying vessels that are even older.” Mara thought about Han Solo’s beloved ship. “Have you ever been inside it?”

“No – the old man wouldn’t have it. He said it was too dangerous and we were messing with things we didn’t understand. None of the others would dare touch it when the old man was alive and now that he’s gone…” He sighed. “Parnello and the others will kill me for sure. I’ve said far too much.”

“We would have found out in any case.”

“How did you know?”

“Luke,” she said simply. “He has been sensing something for many months and it drew him here.” The sound of the com still beeping pushed itself into her conscious hearing. “Oh, sithspit! I need to answer that. It’s probably Karrde, and if I don’t answer he’ll be over here quicker than the rancor faced with raw nerfsteak.”

“You shouldn’t come back to the yard… but I guess there’s no stopping you.”

Mara’s eyes flashed green fire. “No – you won’t stop us. We have to find out and soon before the rest of your colleagues start breaking and entering.” She activated the hatch and it slid aside revealing the pale grey light of a Zathoq dawn.

“I’ll try and divert them, but it won’t be easy.”

“Just keep them out of the way. We’ll come when it’s dark.”

Barancz nodded and with a nervous final look at Mara, slipped from the ship and disappeared into the anonymity of the rest of the spaceport.

Mara stood for a moment at the door watching him go. Of Luke there was no sign, but he wasn’t far away. ‘Skywalker!’ she called. There was a subtle shifting of layers and his presence was revealed to her.

‘I’m okay, Mara. I’ll see you in a bit.’

‘Okay, farmboy, just don’t do anything foolish.’

She felt a wave of something warm surround her and for a moment surrendered to the comforting feeling. It almost felt like her idea of what love might be like.

The com intruded on her musings for a third time. “Emperor’s black bones!” she swore. “Sorry… I’m coming.”

With a wave of her hand she shut the hatch and ran the couple of steps it took to get her to the com unit. “Jade.” She said sharply.

“Where the hell have you been, Mara?” Aves voice came across loud and clear.

“Busy trying not to walk into the walls in this box.”

“I’ve been comming you for at least twenty minutes.”

“You have an urgent message for me or have you just called me to complain that I’m not answering you back?”

“Very funny.”

“What is it, then?” Mara took hold of her rapidly dwindling patience and yanked it still.

“Organa-Solo has been trying to contact her brother. I’m sending the call to you. I think the Dignity’s holo-imager is working.”

“That’s the one thing this shuttle hasn’t got.” Mara groused.

“What?”

“Dignity,” she bit out. “Okay, Aves… patch the Senator through. Just what I need, another Skywalker to deal with.” Her fingers traced the shape of the data card. She wanted to know what it said, but now was definitely not the time.

The holo-monitor in front of her shimmered into the attractive features of Leia Organa Solo. “Mara. I’ve been trying to contact you for the past three hours.”

“I’m sorry, Leia. But Karrde arrived unexpectedly and wanted the cargo I had in the Vornskyr. So if I wanted to stay and keep an eye on your brother I had to move into the Dignity.” Mara’s face told Leia all she wanted to know.

“It’s that bad?”

“It’s that bad. So small you can barely move. I don’t know how Skywalker puts up with the x-wing on long missions. I certainly couldn’t do that these days.”

“Where is he?”

Mara hesitated for a moment. “He’s not here.”

“He’s not in any trouble, is he?” Leia’s voice rose slightly.

“No, he’s not in any trouble.” Mara didn’t think Leia needed to know about the altercation with Parnello’s men. “He said he wanted some fresh air. Leia, he’s fine. Well, as much as Skywalker will ever be,” she muttered hotly.

“Oh,” Leia’s expressive face fell with disappointment. “Han and Threepio spent all day at the Coruscant library researching the two names you gave us…”

“And you found out something and wanted to give Skywalker the glad tidings.” Mara mocked lightly.

“Well… yes. We didn’t find out much. Most of the information is buried under layers of encryption so complicated that it would take Ghent years and years to crack these codes. I’ve tried everything I know, including some that I know the Emperor used. I don’t suppose you still…”

Mara shook her head. “I gave the New Republic all the codes I could remember.”

“I suspected as much, but you never know…”

Yeah,” Mara answered a rueful smile curving her lips. “You never know, but I’d have to see it.”

“Have you discovered anything yourself?”

Mara bit her lip. “We have… but we’re not sure what to make of it. It’s as if being here on Zathoq has opened us both up to the power of the Force more than ever. I haven’t had a night free from strange dreams and neither has Luke. We cannot understand it because this planet isn’t teeming with natural life forms.”

Leia leant forward in her office on Coruscant. “What do you mean?”

“Why us, why here and why now. These things have been hidden a long time. What made Luke get up one morning and come here? What made me decide that Karrde needed a particular cargo I could get far easier on Zathoq.” Mara held out her hands. “I decided I would go and he arranged for a buyer. Was it my decision or was it…”

“The Force?” Leia supplied the rest of Mara’s sentence.

“Now that we’re here…” she sighed. “Luke’s coming,” she announced suddenly. “You can give him the information.”

“Thank you,” Leia said.

**********************************************************

Luke had spent some time just wandering around the spaceport. Even in the early hours of dawn there was still activity. It didn’t matter what the hour was – day or night someone had someplace to go. Eventually he’d ended up at the tapcaf and had shared a drink with Lek. Malyre had been fast asleep, snoring gently in the back of the booth.

“You must be tired,” Luke spoke quietly so as not to wake the old Selonian.

Lek had shaken his head. “I don’t sleep much. You don’t need much shut-eye at my age. Look, son…”

“I know, you’re sorry. It doesn’t matter.” Luke soothed with a little Force infused calmness.

Lek stared at the younger man. “How long have you been a Jedi? Cradle to the grave like it was long ago?”

“Cradle to the grave?” Luke frowned at the phrase.

“The Jedi tested babies and took them to be trained.” Lek pronounced. “At least I think they did.”

“Away from their parents?” Luke murmured, a far away expression on his face.

“Only if they wanted them to be trained,” Lek finished.

The Jedi Master nodded in understanding. “I discovered my abilities when I was eighteen and have been training ever since. The Jedi were not as popular when I was growing up. It’s a hard life but a rewarding one. I was a farmer once - I didn’t lie to you.”

Lek nodded his old grey head slowly. “I remember the Jedi, but then things went dark and times were troubled. Working in some factory turning out machine parts or weapons didn’t appeal. Life out on the rim has its dangers but I was fortunate. I ended up here and made enough money to buy the tapcaf. I do hear things, but it all seems a very long way from here.”

“It’s closer than you think. This place seems to have had a pivotal role in the preservation of the Jedi order.”

“Have you met the guy who is rebuilding the Jedi?”

Luke blinked. ‘How do I answer that one?’ he thought. “I know him,” he hedged carefully. It’s a very difficult task and he’s doing the best he can. He’s had some failures and a good many successes. He’s just an ordinary human being.”

“Not if he brings the order back right. There is still a lot of respect for the Jedi even though they’ve all but vanished. You’re the first one I’ve seen in forty odd years…”

“You met a Jedi?” Luke interrupted, a spark lighting his eyes.

The old man sighed. “I met one once – never knew who he was. The Jedi were always so dignified - if that’s the right word. They travelled in pairs – a master and his apprentice around the galaxy. I was a third rate smuggler with a spice habit I was trying to kick – not exactly the correct companion for a Jedi Knight.”

“How did you meet a Jedi?”

“I’d landed here and had been picking up casual work around the spaceport.” Lek gazed into his mug of draf. “I kept getting fired because of my spice habit. I was a mess. I lay at the entrance to this very building and willed myself to die. I’d sunk that low until a voice echoed in my ears.”

‘You want to change don’t you.’

“It wasn’t a question and I wondered how this person knew.”

‘I sense your thoughts. I will help you.’

“I peered up through the fogginess of my spice-numbed brain and a man stood there, dressed in the brown robes of a Jedi, his lightsaber at his waist. He waved his hand and I felt everything becoming clearer. By the time I’d stood up to thank him, he had gone. I emptied my pockets of the hated spice and never craved it again. I owe that Jedi my life – whoever he was.”

Luke shook his head in understanding. “I want to make the galaxy a better place too. Sometimes it’s a near impossible task.”

“Have you worked out what you’re on Zathoq for?”

“I’m here to find something, but the Force hasn’t indicated to me what it is. You wait and it gives you little clues.”

“Could be a frustrating experience.”

Luke chuckled and downed the last of his lum. “Something I’ve had to learn over the years is patience.”

“Is there anything I can do to help? I would be honoured to aid a Jedi. I never believed all the bad things they kept telling us. How the Jedi and the old Republic were corrupt…”

Luke sighed. “There are elements of truth in that, but most of the Jedi were trying to maintain order and balance in the galaxy.”

Lek peered at the younger man. “My offer stands. I’ve been here for a very long time and so has Malyre. Don’t let his fondness for the occasional spice flake fool you. He’s sharper than he looks under all that fluff.”

Luke’s face lit up in a tired smile. “I know. Never underestimate anyone. I learned that lesson a long time ago. You can find help from the unlikeliest sources.” A vision of Yoda swam into his mind and he chuckled. “Can you remember any reports of a ship exploding on Zathoq about forty years ago? This is a long shot, but people do remember disasters more readily than successes.”

Lek exhaled noisily. “Now you have me, son. Forty years ago, you say?”

Luke nodded. “About that.”

“Can’t think of anything. Big ship or little one?”

“A good size I would guess.”

“No… nothing.” Lek shook his shaggy grey head slowly.

Luke thought hard. “There might have been an increase in Imperial activity or perhaps the beginning of what we know as Imperial activities. The white armoured stormtroopers still being around in greater numbers even though the Clone Wars had finished. Were there ever a large amount of stormtroopers on Zathoq?”

“Now you’re talking… but I can’t really remember.” He shrugged apologetically. “Sorry. That’s probably about the time I was spice addicted.”

Luke smiled. “It’s okay. If you do remember anything let me know.” He eased out of the booth and stood up. “I should be getting back to check on my ship.”

“You’re looking for a ship?”

“Possibly… probably even. I don’t know. There’s a ship tied up in there somewhere.” He pushed his fingers through his hair, raking it back untidily.

“What about, Merah, she okay?”

Luke sent a light Force probe in the direction of the Dignity. “She’s fine. We’ll see you later,” he murmured with a yawn.

Heading back to Mara’s ship, Luke was a little surprised to find that his legs were somewhat unsteady. Then he recollected he’d had several glasses of brandy plus a rather large tankard of lum. Still, it hadn’t managed to drive away the strange feelings he’d got from touching the second braid. He closed his eyes and leant wearily against the hull of the Dignity. Again he saw a young bearded man in Jedi apparel, but this time he was pressed close to a young woman dressed in the by now familiar robes of a handmaiden. “It is getting close to her time… but she has grown so weak. Her spirit is bitter and she blames herself for falling in love with a Jedi.”

“And what of you, my love?”

“My lady warned me against falling for a Jedi, but I had to confess that it was too late. I do love you, Obi-Wan, and I hold no one to blame.”

“Even though we cannot be together?”

“Even though. I’m no Jedi but we all know what we have to do for the safety of the galaxy. You are going to take the boy to safety. He is the brighter light and must be hidden more carefully. I will go with his mother and his sister to Alderaan. Her abilities are no less potent than her brother’s will be, but will emerge in different ways.”

“Yoda said this would be so.”

“My lady is being shielded by him.”

“He is the only one powerful enough left to do so.” Obi-Wan pressed the woman to him and kissed her deeply. “We cannot let Anakin and Palpatine know about the children.”

‘Luke!’ Mara exclaimed through their link. ‘It’s Leia.’

Luke opened his eyes and found that he was still leaning against the hull of the ship. With a muffled oath he entered the code. The hatch slid open with a hiss and he leapt up the ramp as quickly as he could.

“Leia!” Luke moved over to the monitor and sat next to Mara.

Leia frowned at her brother. “Are you alright, Luke?”

Mara rolled her eyes. She might have known that Leia didn’t believe her one hundred percent when she’d said Luke was ‘fine.’

“I’m fine.” He unwittingly repeated the little word. “You have some news?”

“We found a little about Panaka and Olie,” she said, some of her excitement shining in her dark eyes. “They’re both from the planet Naboo.” It only took her a moment but Leia registered that Luke and Mara were not at all surprised by the news. “Oh, you know.”

“We suspected, but we didn’t know for sure.”

Mara sighed. “We met Ric Olie… here.”

“You met him… he’s still alive? But…”

“What did you find out?” Luke questioned.

“Not much. I told Mara that anything on Naboo is under so many layers of encryption that it has been difficult to confirm anything. Winter thought that Olie had been killed in a shuttle accident. He lived on Alderaan for a time along with Panaka who retired there.”

“Ric Olie is dead, Leia.” Luke said.

“But you just said…”

“I know, but he was very sick and the shock was too much for him. He died in front of us.”

“It was as if he was waiting to see us,” Mara murmured. “He seemed to know who we both were.”

“We got the children involved, Luke. They were playing a game with marbles and Han turned it into a mini map of the galaxy. With Force strong children placing planets in place everything began to make more sense. We ended up with four planets forming the shape of a diamond. Tatooine, Zathoq, Dagobah and Naboo.”

Mara pushed a mug of steaming caf into Luke’s hands. “Can you or Han get to Naboo, Leia?”

The Alderaanian woman shook her head regretfully. “I’m afraid not. About forty years ago there was some sort of bio-war on Naboo. The whole planet was rendered uninhabitable for generations, just like Dentaal and Honoghr. It’s too dangerous to even set foot on the planet.”

“The Empire did this.” Mara stated gravely.

Leia nodded, her eyes dark with sorrow. “I think so. Whatever was so important about Naboo had to remain a secret.”

Luke went white and very still. “Yes,” he whispered. “It’s all coming together – all the strands weaving into the fabric of our lives. Keep digging, Leia. See if you can get into any of these files. It’s our history, Leia. Yours and mine and I think Mara’s too.”

“Mine!” Mara interjected sharply. “How can it be mine?”

“The files are all heavily encrypted, but we’ll see what we can do.” Leia’s expression was serious.

“Goodbye, Leia. May the Force be with you.”

“May it be with you too, brother.” Leia’s face vanished from view.

“Skywalker,” Mara demanded, her voice thin. “What do you mean by this?”

He turned towards her. “The handmaiden… was involved with Obi-Wan.” He placed his too hot drink on the console.

“You’re saying I’m the daughter of Obi-Wan Kenobi,” she snorted. “Now I know that your wits are addled on too much alcohol. She stood up but Luke did too and pulled her to him.

“Mara! Think about it.” Luke gazed into her green eyes. It always amazed him what a vivid colour they were.

“Let go of me,” she protested trying not to let the Jedi Master draw her into his snare yet again, but she didn’t move away.

Luke brought his hand up and cupped her cheek gently. “I can’t decide whether she looked like you because you took on her identity in the vision or if she resembled you so closely because you are her daughter.” His thumb stroked lightly over her silken skin sending little prickles of awareness throughout her body. “She was beautiful, but not as lovely as you.”

“Skywalker…”

“No,” he insisted. “Luke… call me Luke.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s my name?” he teased lightly, but his eyes darkened as Mara ran her tongue nervously over her dry lips. “I’d like to hear you say it, that’s all,” his voice deepened.

Luke,” she whispered breathlessly and closed her eyes as his head descended towards hers. Finally his lips covered hers again. The feelings that swept through her with all the intensity of a tidal wave on Mon Calamari fuelled her own desire to pull him closer and tangle her fingers in his thick hair. A warmth that was almost liquid flooded through her bones and she groaned as her lips opened and his tongue caressed hers.

Luke could feel the heavy beat of his own heart as he continued to kiss Mara. He could feel the blood flowing through his body on an elemental level. It was desire he concluded with a dizzy rush of feeling. His body was letting him know how much he desired this woman. This prickly, maddening, beautiful woman with eyes like polished emerald jewels and a temper which could ignite easier than the most combustible of gases.

Gasping for breath, he stared, his eyes heavy-lidded and turbulent with his feelings, into her beautiful face. “No interruptions this time, Mara.” He gathered her even closer, feeling her soft curves meld with his own harder shape and began to carefully manoeuvre them towards the cabin.

Mara blindly hit the door control to open as Luke continued to guide them into the cabin towards the bed. His hands threaded into her hair and began to undo the braid until it fell about her shoulders in a shining curtain of red-gold fire. Still kissing, Luke began to trace the outline of her body and Mara felt her breasts swell in the suddenly too tight confines of the black leather suit. She moaned deep in her throat and guided the Jedi Masters hands to the hidden fastenings. He needed no second bidding and began to divest her of her leather outer skin. The sounds of their moans and heavy breathing coupled with the snap of fasteners liberated added to the heady sexual mix. Luke and Mara had passed the point of no return as soon as his lips had covered hers.

“Mara…” was all that Luke managed to say but she understood and with trembling fingers managed to remove his tunic and shirt. Once more her hands trailed over his muscular torso, revelling in the warmth of his smooth skin. Luke slammed his eyes shut as her hands traced intricate patterns lower and lower across his abdomen. He pulled away and dragged his boots off his feet before carefully kneeling before her to unlace her boots. Mara kicked them off and launched herself into Luke’s arms.

The Jedi Master slipped the leather suit off her shoulder and over her slender hips. Mara stood shaking before him in nothing but a thin undershirt and shorts. Luke swallowed trying desperately to cling to sanity. “You are so beautiful,” he whispered, adoration shining in his blue eyes.

“No,” Mara rasped through dry lips. “You are.”

Luke chuckled. “We’ll agree to disagree. But, I’m right and you know it.”

“Skywalker…”

“Luke,” he insisted, pressing a gentle kiss on her soft mouth. “Luke… Call me Luke when we’re like this… please, Mara.” He pulled her to him and his hands went to her hips curving around her buttocks - pressing her to the heat of his desire. “Why did I never see before what we could be together - why?”

“Oh, Luke,” she acquiesced to his wish immediately, her voice losing the astringent tone she hid behind. Mara curved her slim arms around him, her mouth covering his face with soft, passionate kisses.

Suddenly Luke pulled from her, his chest heaving as he fought for control. “Mara… I…”

“Luke?” her voice was bewildered.

“This is not something I do on a whim, Jade. If we do this, then it’s for keeps - not a once in a lifetime event.” He took a shuddering breath. “No more interruptions, not even a third Death Star or the Emperor being reborn over and over until there’s an army of him.” He waited. He had made his position clear - it was up to Mara.

“Keeps!”

“Yes.” Luke’s tone was firm. “Unless you don’t think you can do without the attentions of… Lando…”

“Lando… that… that… self-fixated…” she interrupted heatedly. Mara’s head lifted proudly and her eyes flashed. “I agree. How many signals do I have to give you before you act on them anyway?” she asked haughtily.

His jaw dropped open in shock. “You were giving me signals!” He closed his jaw with an audible snap. “Me? Farmboy, Jedi Master, Skywalker… Me!”

“Yes, I mean no… I mean yes… Oh, hell.” She shifted in his grasp, breathing unsteadily. “You know what I mean.”

“No I didn’t know. Threatening to kill me, ignoring me… all some kind of assassin’s foreplay! Oh I get it,” he muttered sarcastically. “You only threaten to kill people you really like.” He swallowed, her body moving against him dangerously threatening his self-control. He murmured thickly, his throat tense. “I was giving you signals. I’ve been hoping you might have reacted to them.”

Mara ran her tongue slowly over her dry lips. “You always needed to have things spelled out for you really thoroughly before you got it,” she whispered, her pupils dilating with arousal.

Luke ran his eyes over her body, noting the outline of her nipples pressing against the soft, clinging material of her undershirt. He could feel her heart thumping against her chest, her gasping breaths and passion clouded eyes. She was right, her signals were all there. He was also aware of his erection painfully constricted inside his black pants. “No more wasting time, Jade. No more convincing ourselves that we’re making mistakes…”

“No more fooling ourselves that I don’t want you any more than you don’t want me,” she stated, her voice low and serious.

They moved closer to each other, their eyes locked together, their hands moved to loosely clasp one another around the waist.

“Whatever happens we’re in this together,” Luke asserted, his breathing changing as his awareness of her sweet, spicy scent kick-started his arousal into hyperspace again.

Mara found the fastenings to his pants and as her hands fumbled nervously, brushing against Luke’s groin, the Jedi master closed his eyes and groaned. “Sith, Jade. What are you doing to me?”

Amusement flickered briefly in her passion-clouded eyes. “I’m not trying to kill you… I think it’s myself I’m trying to kill.”

With a sigh of exasperation, Luke finished the job himself and stripped himself of his trousers. “You talk too much,” he muttered as his mouth found hers.

“Me!” she squeaked in outrage, but then forgot the rest of what she was about to say as his hands and lips brought her to a peak of wanting him.

With mutual consent they lay down on the bed and the loving moved to a higher level. Her hands moved over him, learning every detail of his body. For the first time she had the complete freedom to touch him in ways and places she had longed to do. Carefully they removed their last items of clothing until skin met skin and the sensation was beyond anything they had dreamed of. Luke wooed Mara with his lips at her breasts, his hands trailing a fiery path over her hips until he found the centre of her woman’s core. She caressed him, drawing years of loneliness and hurt from him as he gasped her name. Finally they could no longer prolong their joining and Luke moved over Mara, his eyes meeting hers refusing to look away. She arched to him as he entered her, meeting each thrust with all that she had until they both reached fulfilment in showers of stars and lightning flashes.

After an eternity of silence stunned blue eyes met astounded green. “Luke, that was… Words are…”

“I know,” he whispered. “Just not enough to say what we feel.” And he pulled her into his arms, kissed her gently and they fell into an exhausted sleep.

The Ship Chapter 14

By Ash Darklighter

Disclaimer: the characters and situations in this fic are the property of Lucasfilm Ltd. I’ve just borrowed them for a wee while to play with them.

Spaceport Security Office, Zathoq

“What are you doing?” Forrell slapped Lek cheerfully on the back and tried to stare over his shoulder at the monitor.

“Research,” the older man grunted.

“What are you needing to research?”

“Just… stuff,” he muttered vaguely, peering over a grubby pair of thick viewframes.

“You’ve not asked to use a computer for years…”

“I asked ten minutes ago and you said yes,” he protested. “I didn’t expect you to set a torture droid at me.”

“I only made a comment.” Forrell screwed up his little, round face in indignation. “We do not use torture droids here.”

“Well, I’m not completely clueless when it comes to technology.”

A feline howl of amusement rumbled throughout the room. “No, he’s not completely clueless.” Malyre wandered into the office slowly and perched on the edge of the desk.

Lek gave an imperious sniff and pushed his viewframes firmly back up his nose. “Don’t see you trying to use one.”

“Don’t see the need.”

“Haven’t seen those before.” Forrell pointed at the viewframes trying to defuse the potential argument between Malyre and Lek.

“They’re not new, he just refuses to wear them. Thinks he’s still a cub,” Malyre chipped in snootily.

“I don’t need them,” Lek snapped. “I was told that you need these for working with computer screens. It protects your eyes.”

“That’s a load of Hutt dung, old friend and you know it.” Malyre started fumbling in his tunic pocket for his pipe. “Docdroid told him he needed ’em.”

“I don’t really need them. This is so I don’t strain my eyes. You can do that staring at a viewscreen for too long. What does he know?” Lek protested irritably, glaring at the old Selonian. “Not a lot. These docdroids just tell you what the current trend is.”

Forrell shook his head. “He’s a docdroid. That’s what they’re for.”

“Who’s afraid to admit they’re getting old?” Malyre baited.

“I’m not old… Just not as young as I was.” Lek staunchly refused to rise to any more teasing. “These droids… they get newer and fancier every year. What happened to a good old-fashioned two-one-bee? This new one couldn’t have been more than a hundred years old.”

Malyre and Forrell shrugged.

“Complaining about a new docdroid won’t cure you of old age,” Malyre muttered. “Or improve your sight,” he added under his breath.

“I heard that,” Lek retorted. “Ah hah!” he pronounced triumphantly.

“What have you found?” Forrell tried to peer again at the screen.

“I’ve switched it on.”

*********************************************************************

Luke opened his eyes slowly, willing the moment to last just a little while longer. He wanted the feel of Mara Jade in his arms to remain with him, but he had things to do and places to go. Easing from her embrace he sat up and stared down at the still sleeping woman. Had they made a mistake? It hadn’t felt like one, but Luke was under no illusions about the life of a Jedi and the place of relationships within it. None of the other women he had been involved with had been able to measure up to the life he was destined to lead. His hand trembled as he reached out to touch Mara’s fiery hair, but hesitated and withdrew the gesture.

He carefully swung his legs out of the bed and stood up. Mara didn’t stir. She remained deeply asleep, her breathing even. Luke picked up his clothes and moved out into the main hold where he dressed quickly. The data card on the table drew his attention. How could he have forgotten about it? Luke shook his head, a mirthless smile curving his firm lips. No, he hadn’t forgotten about it. He’d just put off the inevitable because he didn’t want to find out anything that would change his life once again.

He picked it up, his mind churning, and traced the square edges with a fingertip. Next he picked up the dull stone and was surprised when he felt it pulse through the Force. He closed calloused fingers over it and absorbed the comfort it seemed to give him. The carved object called to him but he couldn’t quite bring himself to touch it so he left it where it lay. Luke picked up last night’s untouched mug of caf and emptied out the cold liquid, the routine task giving him some peace. He sighed deeply and reluctantly picked up the data card once more.

A slender hand touched him gently on the arm. The Jedi Master looked up, faint surprise crossing his face. Mara stood beside him, her hair loose and untidy and her eyes still cloudy from sleep. “Hey,” she whispered, a faint blush dusting her cheeks.

She had stood watching him for some time, her mind picking over the earlier events. Had she made a mistake sleeping with Luke like that? Would she regret feeling so much emotion as his body had claimed hers? He’d sucked her into the world that Skywalker inhabited - full of colours, lights and warmth. She experienced such things and was spoiled forever – the touch of his lips on hers, the sensation of his hand as it caressed her body bringing it higher and higher in an ever-dizzying spiral of consciousness, the completely whole feeling of being in the right place. Life was far more vivid with Skywalker in it than without him.

Mara could see before her the dreamy boy he had been reported as being, his blue eyes focusing on something far away. “You didn’t sense me, right?” Mara drawled, pulling the fastening of her robe tighter and tying it in a secure knot.

“I was thinking,” he excused himself.

“You’ve been thinking a lot. I don’t like it.”

“What!” Confusion etched itself across his features.

“Skywalker!” she chided softly. “I always have to dunk you in bacta if you’ve been ‘thinking’. It doesn’t just stop there. The thinking translates into some foolhardy stunt and then I have to go and rescue you. The end result of all this higher cognitive functions is the bacta dip.”

Luke shifted his arm irritably, causing Mara to drop her hand. "You make me sound so reckless."

Mara raised sardonic eyebrows. “Reckless… you?”

He shuffled his feet. “Well…”

She sighed noisily. “It was a joke, Luke. I was teasing you, but now that you mention it… there is some truth in the rumour that you can be a little rash.” Mara pulled him round to face her. “What is it? What are you worrying about now?” Her gaze met his, bright green and totally direct.

Luke met her eyes and stared into their jade depths. “Earlier on… did we make a mistake?” he asked, his voice barely a thread of sound. “Tell me this wasn’t a mistake.”

Mara’s hands tightened on his upper arms. “Is that what you think it was?”

“No… By the Force, no! But I’ve wanted you for a long time and I…”

“Wait a minute, Jediboy.” Mara’s eyes narrowed. “What was that?”

Luke tried to remember what he had said. ‘Oh, sithspit! He was for it now. She won’t want to know about your feelings’. “We’ve been friends for a very long time…” He tried to avoid her shrewd green eyes.

“No, that wasn’t it.” Mara leaned closer

Luke sighed and gave in. “I’ve wanted to be with you like we were last night for a very long time and I didn’t want to think I’d pressured you into something you didn’t want to do.”

“Luke!”

“Wishful thinking and all that.” His mouth curved into a rueful smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

‘He wanted her.’ Mara shook her head at her own foolishness. Of course he did but until she gave him signals he would exist on the edge of her life hoping to be nearer the centre. The blindness of the man was quite something, only equalled by her own, but of course this was Skywalker and he had been thinking far too much. She would dip him bacta herself. The fact that he had voiced what she herself had been thinking when she’d awoken and found the bed empty and cold beside her was irrelevant. “Luke…” Mara did the only thing she could think of at that moment and rising up on her tiptoes, pressed her mouth to his in what she thought would be a healing kiss. That’s what she meant to happen, but Luke’s arms snapped around her tightly and pressed her firmly to him. Her mouth opened allowing his tongue entrance. His hands tangled in her red gold curls and the dull stone dropped from his grasp and clattered to the ground. Neither of them heard it as they continued their passionate embrace.

Eventually they tore themselves apart with gasping breaths. “Force, Jade,” Luke muttered hoarsely. Their eyes met almost feverishly as they searched for hidden truths.

“I’ll go and get dressed.” Mara mumbled as she moved to the cabin door. “Luke…” She hesitated. “It wasn’t a mistake,” she gabbled quickly. “I’ve never felt like that before ever.” Her fingers nervously closed around the lapels of her robe and she disappeared into the cabin.

Luke stared out the transparisteel viewport at the slowly darkening sky. With his mind still full of Mara he wandered towards the cockpit and slumped into the co-pilots chair. He was amazed by the effect she had on him, his whole body throbbing from the effects of another kiss from Mara Jade. For the umpteenth time he asked himself, ‘What was it about Zathoq?’ He was either dreaming of Mara Jade or these visions. He had to focus on his main task. He nodded with determination and stood up. His foot touched the dull stone and he pulled it into his hand using the Force, placing it in the leather pouch with the two braids of hair. The key mechanism he pocketed absent-mindedly. They would have to get going. He glanced at his wrist chrono – it was getting late.

The carved object remained forgotten on the table.

When Mara returned to the cockpit. Luke had placed the data card in the reader.

“I was just waiting for you,” he said with a warm smile, his eyes travelling over the black leather jumpsuit. “That’s what you wore the very first time I saw you,” his voice deepened. “Still want to kill me?”

Mara chuckled. “Unfortunately at times – yes.”

Luke pressed his hand over his heart. “You wound me, fair lady.”

“Oh, Sith! We have the next rising holo-star.” Mara bit out with dark amusement. “You ready to read that data card?”

“As ready as I’m gonna be. I’ve linked it up to the main monitor so we can both see.” He slid the card all the way home into the slot and the screen filled with strange little hieroglyphics.

“Damn!” Luke swore vehemently.

“Wait…” Mara soothed, her voice calm as she tapped some commands into the computer.

The signs and symbols formed into neat little patterns on the Dignity’s basic screen.

“What did you do?” Luke asked incredulously. “Whatever it was… worked.”

Mara shrugged her slim shoulders. “I just typed in your name.”

“My… name.”

“It was as good a guess as any and we lucked out with it.”

“You’re not joking, are you?” He shook his head, a bemused expression on his handsome features. “Mara Jade…. what would I do without you?”

“Get into trouble a lot more, I would guess,” she retorted dryly.

“Ha-hah… you’re turning into quite the comedienne.”

Sending him her best withering look, she turned her attention to the viewscreen. “They must have been in quite a hurry to leave classified information without high levels of encryption. Anyone could have found this data card.”

“But no-one did,” Luke said slowly. “They were lucky.”

Mara furrowed her smooth forehead and peered at the numbers on the viewscreen. “It looks like a location,” Mara uttered in surprise. “That’s a set of co-ordinates.”

“It’s several sets of co-ordinates,” he corrected mildly.

She turned to Luke eagerly. “Perhaps that’s the exact location where the ship was left…” She broke off abruptly as she absorbed Luke’s lack of excitement. “Oh…”

“What is it?” Luke felt her sudden misgivings.

“I forgot.”

“You forgot what?”

“Barancz says the ship is still there,” she whispered shamefacedly.

“The ship? You mean… the one that I’ve bean dreaming about… Mara!” Luke’s voice rose sharply, his calm deserting him rapidly. “How could you forget that?”

“You made love to me.” She bit her lip worriedly, her eyes darkening. All her uncertainties coming to the surface. “I forgot everything except us.”

Luke’s anger fled as hastily as it had arrived. “Force… I’m sorry, love.” He brought his hands up to cradle her face. “I didn’t mean to shout at you.”

A little of her caustic temper returned. “Well, you shouldn’t have, Skywalker, and I’m sorry I forgot.”

Luke rubbed his thumb across her cheekbones. “It’s past. I know about it now.” He slid an arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. “There is no way these co-ordinates connect with the ship in our visions. I hate to say this, but…” he sighed, “I recognise most of these.”

“You do?” Mara pulled away from him.

“Yup.” Luke rubbed his face. “Look at them, Mara.”

Mara narrowed her eyes and Luke could see her working out exactly the locations on the screen.

“Oh!”

“Yeah, ‘Oh’.” He held his hands out. “I can understand why these were vitally important at the time… can’t you?”

Mara nodded. “Of course. This guy… Olie was hiding here, hiding something. Even if he didn’t know what it was. It figures that the locations of the most powerful weapons against the Emperor needed time to mature.”

“Sure, but how long was this poor man prepared to wait?”

“Until someone he recognised came to him… except we were too late.” Mara’s face showed her melancholy. “We were too late. It’s not fair.”

“Life hasn’t been fair to any of us, Mara. We cannot undo what has been done.”

“But…”

Luke pushed his hands through his slightly overlong hair. “It’s Obi-Wan’s Tatooine hideout, my location…”

“There are files attached.”

“Probably saying who and what I am.”

“Jedi hunch?” asked Mara.

“I suppose so. The other co-ordinates…”

“It’s Alderaan, so it’s Leia.”

Luke clicked on one of the attached files and a grainy holo of a tiny baby filled the screen in the arms of a slender woman with dark, melancholy eyes. “That’s her,” he stuttered, his voice rising. “That’s the woman in my vision.”

Mara peered at the writing underneath. “Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo formerly Queen Amidala of Naboo with Leia Skywalker. Your mother was a Queen?” She cleared the file and brought up the attachment added to Luke’s co-ordinates and the same woman appeared, much more distraught, but holding a tiny child in her arms. “Luke Skywalker,” Mara read and turned to the shaken Jedi. “Hey! You okay? There are genetic code markings down here. I presume they are yours.”

“It would make sense if they were. I was hidden away on an inhospitable planet and there was nothing else to say who I was. I suppose that would be the ultimate proof.”

“There was your name.”

“I guess so, but Skywalker could be common enough around the galaxy.”

“I’ve never met any others - one is enough.”

“It sounds as if my people came from Tatooine. The name appears as if it belongs amongst the Darklighters the Whitesuns and the Sandskimmers. My Uncle Owen told me once that my father hated Tatooine and couldn’t wait to leave. He was so afraid that I’d turn out like my father and in some ways I did. I couldn’t wait to leave either and it was the safest hiding place for me. Obi-Wan watched over me and must have been waiting until I was ready to train to knighthood. That’s if my Uncle Owen would have let him near me. In the end he had no choice.” Luke swallowed shakily. “This poor man had the human equivalent of the Death Star in his possession. No wonder he was scared that I’d turn out bad.” He lifted a trembling hand and grasped Mara’s own. He still felt the pain of his losses very deeply – his family, his friends, the Jedi Masters who had instructed him - and not even Leia had been able to ease some of the hurt. Tears seeped from below his lashes and trickled down his tanned cheeks. “If that’s my mother, that is the only holo I have ever seen of her.”

Mara laid her bright head on his shoulder and tried to lift some of his despondency. “I understand. She was very beautiful and that kid is certainly you.”

“How can you tell?”

“The chin. Looks as stubborn as yours does now.”

“Funny, Jade.” He gently kissed the top of her head. “There’s nothing about you here. No locating co-ordinates… nothing. I’d hoped…”

“I’m completely in the dark about my origins… It doesn’t make any difference to me. I am my own person.”

“I don’t think anyone would dispute that, Jade,” Luke said fondly. “You are strong and walk in the light side of the Force. Whoever your parents were… they should be proud of you. I’m proud of you.”

Mara blinked as a strange feeling assaulted her senses and a peculiar pricking behind her eyelids indicated the weakness of tears. She couldn’t ever have imagined the feeling of having Luke proud of her. “Anything else we should take note of?” Her voice was gruff.

“I think there are a couple of codes. Could be to open a file or perhaps access the ship’s database.”

“Good idea, Skywalker. We need to get going. It’s almost dark.” She hesitated. “Do you think I could be related to Obi Wan?”

“Anything’s possible. But if we never find out I hope your parents are somehow aware of your strength and abilities through the Force, if it is my first Master and the handmaiden. You accepted me with my dubious parentage and I don’t care who your parents were. You are indisputably Mara Jade.”

“I suppose…” But she’d only seen holos of Obi-Wan Kenobi as an old man and it was difficult to think of him being young, and in love and fathering a child. Her lips trembled. “Come on, Luke. It’s time to go.”

“Mara… all I wanted when I grew up was to have my father with me. When I discovered who he was… well the rest, as they say, is history. You can keep your illusions a while longer. It’s not a great comfort and I’m sorry I can’t offer you more.”

Mara nodded. “Thank you,” she whispered. “Luke… we really must go.”

“Fine. Get the gear and I’ll get the speeder warmed up.” Luke kissed Mara firmly on the lips before jumping to his feet. Suddenly he could feel the anticipation bubbling in his stomach. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t adopt the proper Jedi attitude towards adventure – he craved it and he knew with absolute certainty that Mara did too. They were so alike in many ways and yet so different – a true partnership.

*******************************************************

“Now that you’ve managed to switch it on I don’t suppose you could share what the topic of this research is?” Forrell grumbled.

Lek stretched out his hands joining them together, waggling his fingers like the most celebrated kloo horn player in the whole galaxy. “I’m looking up Jedi activity about forty years ago on Zathoq for Luke.” He gave the other two a smug stare. “Luke asked me to do this for him.”

Forrell furrowed his brow. “There are a couple of sites you could search. I may know a couple of access codes.”

“I can do this,” Lek muttered. “I can.”

Malyre snickered.

“Where is the ‘J’?” His hand hovered over the keyboard.

Malyre pointed out the letter.

“And where is the…”

“It’s next to the…”

“I’ll type,” Forrell insisted. “Unless Luke and Merah aren’t in any hurry?”

“Yeah, I guess Luke and Merah would like the information during their lifetime.” Malyre added helpfully.

“I was just getting warmed up.” Lek reluctantly got out of the seat and Forrell slid into it.

“I’ll type in the word ‘Jedi’, will I?” the diminutive security officer asked.

“Yeah.” Lek pulled up seats for himself and Malyre.

“Aha!” The security officer waggled his head excitedly from side to side. “Smuggler’s ruin! He cursed. “There’s so much information here I don’t know where to start.”

“Just pick something and see what we get,” Lek grumbled. Forrell chuckled and tapped in some commands. “Success,” he crowed delightedly as pictures formed on the monitor in front of them. “Jedi Master Luke Skywalker attends Coruscant ball accompanied by Master Trader Mara Jade,” Forrell read in disbelief. “Look at the holos – it’s Luke and Merah.”

Lek shook his head. “It’s not them. These are fancy Core World folks, not a Rim trader and her Jedi friend. Luke doesn’t seem the type to enjoy these do’s.”

“Still think it looks like them,” Forrell persisted. “His name is Luke…”

“I don’t know. That guy is smaller than Luke is and Merah looks nothing like that woman.” Malyre added, “She looks kinda stuck-up.”

“Merah can be grumpy, but she doesn’t give herself airs.” Lek put in.

“That ain’t them after all.” Forrell gave in. “Mara would look much better than that woman if you cleaned her up a bit. That face of hers is always covered in engine oil.”

“That is not what we’re looking for, it’s too recent. We want Jedi on Zathoq,” Lek insisted.

“The only Jedi on Zathoq is farmer Luke.” Malyre said grinning.

Lek rolled his eyes and sighed. “Not now, you idiot. We want strange incidents on Zathoq just around forty years ago.”

Forrell climbed off his seat at the computer and went to scrabble in a drawer for a tray of discs. “Just after the Clone Wars?”

“That would be the perfect time.” Lek muttered. “That’s what Luke said – just after the Clone Wars. I was here on Zathoq, but that was in my spice days and a lot of things weren’t as clear as they could have been and that is why…” he turned to Malyre. “You should cut down on smoking those flakes.”

The Selonian snorted.

Forrell wrinkled his forehead, his dark little eyes gleaming as a thought struck him. “There was something… but I was still a boy at the time.”

“And?” Lek sat up straighter.

“You know my father worked here before me. I’d come in to spend the day, but my father was beginning to think it hadn’t been a good idea. There was an awful lot of activity in the spaceport. I loved it - the noise, the beings, the whole atmosphere…”

“Get on with it,” growled Lek.

“These new white stormtroopers were everywhere searching things. My father felt that it insulted his security operations, but he wasn’t given a choice. They were looking for something – possibly…”

“A ship? Yes?” Malyre interrupted, entranced with the tale. “Or Jedi.”

“I don’t know. My father never knew.”

“Or he didn’t tell you.” Lek grunted.

“Would there be records?” Malyre asked keenly.

“There might be,” Forrell murmured and turned to rake in the drawer once more.

“What have you got there?”

“Data rods,” he answered holding out a long slim glass tube. “This one stores all the records for the first ten years after the Clone Wars.”

Lek grinned. “I’m trying to remember if there was a time that the spaceport was overrun with troops. We didn’t see the Empire much on Zathoq… unless they were hunting something.”

“There’s not much on Zathoq for the Empire.” Malyre mumbled. “I remember… I remember a dark skinned man blasting off in a ship and a tall man in black… He was staring into the sky but you couldn’t see his eyes. He just stared as if he could will the ship to turn back.” He shivered with distress. “I can recall troopers everywhere. They were beating people and they didn’t like sentients like me… not human… so I hid.”

“When was that?” Forrell asked holding the glass tube up to the light.

“I don’t think it was quite forty years,” Malyre mumbled. “Not good with dates.”

“How old were you when your father brought you to the spaceport?”

“That was easy. This was my first time and I was nearly twelve – in fact it was the day before my twelfth birthday. I’m forty-nine now. So we’re talking about thirty-seven years ago. I can remember my father…”

“You remember far too much,” muttered Lek.

“Setting the scene, just setting the scene.” Forrell waved his little short arms around in an expansive gesture.

“Come on, let’s have a look at those records now that we can narrow it right down to an actual day.”

Forrell chuckled and slid the data rod into the slot. “I don’t believe it!”

“What!” the other two exclaimed.

“That’s really strange.” Forrell ran the screen down over several items.

“What don’t you believe?” grated Lek.

“The records are missing from that day and the whole of the following week.”

“Could be a computer glitch. These are old records,” suggested Malyre thoughtfully.

“Maybe old records, but all the others are there. All the files are in place. Nothing is missing apart from the files for that date.” He slid from his chair and headed over to a cupboard where he produced another set of rods.

“You’ve looked in the wrong one,” Lek said slowly. “They are there and you just didn’t see them.”

“No, I did not look in the wrong place. I’m going to check a couple more years worth of data.” He grinned apologetically. “I can’t actually check all the data unless I do it in detail, but I should be able to tell if there are large gaps.”

“We haven’t got all night. I’d like to get back to Luke and Merah with something even if it is nothing,” Lek began to grumble irritably. His leg was aching and that always put him out of sorts. He cursed under his breath. ‘Rheumatism, huh!’

Malyre began to fiddle with a couple of spare power packs on the shelf.

“Stop that, you old fool,” admonished the tapcaf owner. “We’ve already caused enough trouble by shooting Talon Karrde with a stun bolt.”

“Large gaps mean no data… no files… no data…” Forrell muttered frantically to himself. “There are files missing. It’s strange…” he shook his head, his normally ever-smiling mouth tight with frustration. “I’m done and there are no other interesting spaces. Just that one week. But…” Forrell dug into a box and produced a selection of tapes. “I’ve got holo footage of all arrivals and departures.”

“Oh, hell,” Malyre muttered. “I’d give anything to be back in my den, even with the females running things… right about now.”

“We don’t have time to sit through hours and hours of holofootage,” Lek snapped and then felt horrible as Forrell’s cheery countenance fell. “It’s just not my day,” he mourned theatrically. Look, we better go and tell Luke and Merah about the records. They’ll want to know. Then perhaps we can come back and watch the tapes.”

“You have a point. It will keep Malyre out of mischief for several hours.”

“I resent that,” the old feline said with a dignified air.

Lek got slowly to his feet. “Come on, we’d better go and see the young ones.”

Forrell grabbed the power packs and stuffed them in his belt.

“Why did you do that?”

“I always take spares. I’m never without them.”

***********************

They left the security office and made their way across to where the Dignity was berthed. “Wait!” Forrell hissed, stopping so abruptly that Lek, hard on his heels, almost bowled him over.

Leaving the Dignity were two figures both dressed in black, both with lightsabers clipped to their belts, both with serious intent expressions on their faces. Two people more alike in temperament and feelings than either would admit to.

“What we going to do now? They’re going somewhere,” Forrell whispered

“And they mean business too,” Malyre observed.

“Do you think we should go and help?” Forrell asked

“I don’t reckon we should get involved.” Lek tried to inject a note of caution into his voice.

“But…” Forrell protested.

“Merah’s a Jedi too,” Malyre murmured. “I should have seen that one, but I didn’t.”

“I think they might need back up.” Forrell nodded his head as he spoke, making his little beard quiver on the end of his chin.

“No one has said that we shouldn’t go.” Malyre reasoned.

“My speeder is the quickest.” Lek gave in.

“What do we do if they discover us?” Malyre wondered.

“Hope they don’t shoot first and ask questions later.” Lek muttered dryly.

The Ship – Chapter 15

By Ash

Disclaimer: The characters and situations used in this fic are the property of Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for my own pleasure and will make no Imperial or New Republic Credits from this. My thanks to the girls as usual.

Luke watched as Mara prepared herself for their mission with all the thoroughness of a seasoned professional. Grabbing a small pot, she dipped a finger into it and began to rub a thick, black, greasy-looking paste onto her fair skin. She held out the jar. "I suggest you do the same, Skywalker," she ordered.

"Don’t tell me…" he drawled, a twinkle lighting his blue eyes. "It’s good for the complexion."

"It’s nerf-grease," she replied succinctly.

"Oh!" Luke made a face.

"Come on," she cajoled. "Your baby-soft face will glow in any light, including the moon." She stuck her finger back in the jar and waved it inches from his nose.

"Mara," he whined just to see if she would react. Mara sighed and moved the tip of her finger closer. Luke grinned at her.

She took her finger and smeared the paste carefully over his cheekbones and forehead. "There," she said cleaning her finger by wiping the remaining grease on a rag. "Perfect."

"I now look as if I haven’t washed for years." Luke grinned again, his teeth showing white in his now black, grimy face. "I’m touched, Mara."

"What for?" Mara frowned at him as she plaited her waist-length hair tightly, into a thick braid.

"That you care enough to make sure I go out looking perfect." Luke gave the end of her braid a quick tug.

"Leave my hair alone." Mara wrinkled her nose at him in disgust. "We’d better go, farmboy."

"You sure you’re ready, my lady?"

Her sharp retort died on her lips as he tauntingly dangled the misshapen hat on the end of a finger. "Give me that." Mara snatched it from him and firmly pulled it over her bright hair. But the expression on his face, the smile curving his lips made her want to hold him and just keep him safe. But he wouldn’t want that and neither would she.

Luke chuckled and rummaged in his duffle bag for a black woollen hat that he stretched over his head. "So you won’t feel left out I found this. I, too, can wear hideous head gear."

"That’s worse than my hat."

"No," Luke tipped his head to one side and surveyed her with an intent stare. "Nothing’s that bad." He grabbed his saber and attached it to his belt and noted that Mara did the same to hers, before looping a length of synthrope over her shoulders.

"Right, Skywalker," Mara said briskly.

"I have everything." He patted the carryall at his feet.

"Glow rod, rations, med-kit, gloves, ammunition, spare power-packs and a couple of…"

"Yes, yes, Mara. A couple of thermal detonators." He finished off her list hiding his smile. Mara gave him a serious, abstracted smile. Luke could tell that she was already thinking ahead to their mission. He should be too, but part of him felt strangely reluctant to do so. Just being with Mara, being part of a team, planning to gain their objective was so rewarding. He hadn’t felt so closely tied to another person since the heady early days of the rebellion. Fighting and hiding with Han and Leia or flying with the ‘Rogues’ had been so much a part of his life. Such closeness with another person was something precious because they had lost so many people during the war. He had lost so many people.

"Skywalker!" Mara held out her arm sporting her empty wrist holster.

Luke nodded and picked up her small hold-out blaster and fixed it in place. It was an intimate gesture for Mara to ask him to do and he felt the honour. But addressing him by his surname meant that she was ready for business.

Mara felt the need to explain. "I don’t feel ready without it. It’s as much a part of me as my lightsaber, your father’s saber. Just because we… did it… once," she shifted uncomfortably, her eyes avoiding Luke’s, "doesn’t mean I’ve gone soft." She waved a hand at the carved object still lying on the table. "Do we need?" For some reason she couldn’t bring herself to touch it.

"Leave it." His hand hovered just above the carved surface, almost touching it. "It will be here when we get back." Luke couldn’t bear to handle it either. Some great pain was linked with it - great pain and great love. Luke wasn’t sure how he knew that, but the love and the pain were entangled too closely to be separated.

Mara lifted her hand and smoothed a bit of the black paste into Luke’s face. "Missed a bit," she said simply. "Skywalker…" She hesitated, her green eyes flickering oddly. "I only wanted… nothing." She stopped.

"Jade, what is it?"

Mara took a deep steadying breath. "I only wanted… Don’t do anything foolish," she finished in a rush.

"I won’t," he reassured her.

"If I had a credit every time you swore to come back unharmed I could retire and buy my own fleet of top-of-the-range ships or at the very least a small moon."

"Mara!" he protested.

"Just be careful, hmm?"

"Of course, my lady." He brought up his hand to imitate a New Republic salute. "We’ve delayed long enough. I have a droid to pick up."

"Skywalker… you and those droids."

"What can I say?" He shrugged weakly. "All part of my charm."

Mara snorted and hit the door seal. She scanned outside, Jedi senses on full alert, but it was dark and the spaceport appeared quiet.

Luke quickly moved to get the speeder warmed up while Mara secured the ship. Suddenly she straightened and cast an anxious look around her. "For a moment, I thought we were being…"

"Watched?" Luke asked as he performed his own scan.

"Yeah, but I can’t sense anything now."

"It’s this place, Mara. There’s something about Zathoq – as if something has protected this place… I feel so much of the Force around me. It’s like Dagobah… just different. I feel too much here – everything is more intense. My link with you, the visions… it’s as if I’m part of them, not just watching from the sidelines. I sometimes feel that if I stay here any longer I’ll lose my focus on reality."

"Did you ever have one of those?" Mara’s voice was sardonic. "A focus?"

"Yeah, but who knows we’re us? If you know what I mean?"

"Quite," Mara answered. "I don’t, but I’ll think about it."

"I only meant that…"

"It doesn’t matter, farmboy."

Luke gunned the engine as Mara climbed into the speeder beside him. "Okay?"

"Okay," she echoed. "Let’s go get your droid."

"Let’s go get Artoo and maybe find what we’re looking for."

Mara bit her lip. "I thought we’d found that."

His teeth gleamed white in the darkness. "Maybe we have, Jade."

**************************************************

Luke kept close to the shadows as they made the trip out to the outskirts of the city. The night was totally dark, only broken by the occasional blink in the low clouds revealing a small, dull moon.

"Stop here, Skywalker. We don’t want to leave the speeder too near the entrance, nor do we want to advertise our presence."

"Good idea, Jade. The engine isn’t noisy, but best we take no unnecessary risks."

Mara gave him a hard stare which he ignored.

"We do need to hide it."

Mara nodded. "There must be enough debris around here to place in front of it or over it. Just to disguise it. It’s dark, so we won’t need much."

Just then the clouds parted and the moon shone coldly over the eerie landscape of the deserted city streets. "What’s that?" Luke’s keen Jedi-enhanced vision caught sight of something. A small rodent-like creature scuttled past and moved underneath a flat, dark shape.

"It looks like a metal panel of some kind," Mara murmured softly.

"We can lay it against the speeder."

"That should do it," Mara agreed as she quickly jumped out of the vehicle. The panel wasn’t large but it was quite a struggle to lift it by herself.

‘Use the Force, Mara,’ Luke spoke in her head.

Glaring at the dark figure, she concentrated on raising the panel. Grunting with the effort, Mara could see it beginning to move and then it seemed easy. All the struggling ceased and the panel moved smoothly towards Luke.

"Good girl," he praised as he manoeuvred it into place. "Come on," he said.

The effort had taken more out of her than she had suspected. ‘Perhaps I can get Skywalker to give me as much Jedi training as he can while we’re together.’ "I’m ready," she answered breathlessly.

They made their way swiftly to where the high stone wall encircled the shipyard. Wordlessly they stared at the smooth surface. Inside they could hear the men calling and laughing to each other.

"Is the front entrance watched?" asked Luke in a whisper. "There is surveillance?"

"Are you the Jedi Master?" Mara replied in the same tone.

"What kind of an answer is that?" His voice got louder.

"Ssh!" Mara pulled a couple of power packs from her backpack and attached them to her belt. "Of course the front entrance is watched. This is not the Imperial Palace, but even backworld thugs have things they want to protect. The old man was hiding too, remember. I noticed them when we were here before. Holocams that probably came out of the Clone Wars, but effective in their way. We stroll in there and someone comes gunning for us."

"I didn’t think." Luke sounded apologetic, his face a shadowy blur in the gloom. "Forget I asked."

"So we need another way in. How are we going to get in?" Mara said dryly. "You got any bright ideas?"

"Over the wall." Luke replied in an undertone. "But you’d thought of that already, hadn’t you?"

"Best to be prepared," she quipped, tapping the synthrope.

"You won’t need that, but I might." Luke assessed the wall and bent his knees a couple of times as if preparing to jump.

"Hold on, Skywalker," Mara hissed. "There is no way I’m jumping over that wall. Have you really calculated the Jedi math?" She felt his amusement curl around her. What was he finding funny now, for Sith’s sake?

"You’re not going to jump over the wall. You’re going to land on top of it."

"And how, pray, am I going to do that?" Her tone was decidedly frosty.

"Simple," Luke murmured. "I’ll boost you up." He pulled on a pair of black leather gloves and cupped his hands together. "Put your foot in there and I’ll propel you upwards. You did gymnastic and dance training along with your Jedi skills. You’ve got good balance."

"That would work, Skywalker, but… how will you…?"

"You then let down the rope and I’ll carve a couple of foot and hand holds in the wall. I don’t want to do too many, just in case we’re heard. Trust me, it will be fine."

"Okay," Mara agreed and placed her booted foot in Luke’s cupped hands. Drawing on the Force she linked her mind with Luke’s, appreciating the rush of warmth he always gave her. The next moment she was flying upwards, her slim figure seeming to hover miraculously in the air before landing lightly on top of the wall.

Luke grinned with satisfaction. Mara had such promise and ability in the Force and there wasn’t anyone he would rather have by his side. She was cool in a crisis, quick thinking and innovative and they worked brilliantly together – they always had.

‘Mara, what can you see?’

‘I can see most of the yard from up here. I just hope the cloud cover doesn’t break or I could be extremely visible.’

‘The clouds are quite thick, but I agree. I’ll start on some footholds.’

‘Check on Artoo. He might be able to tell us the exact location of the ship.’

‘We have an idea where it is. It’s behind the main building... I think.’

‘That’s also where everyone else is. I can see the main building and just behind it they’ve lit a huge fire. I’m not sure how we’re going to get past that. Can’t you smell the burning wood?’

Luke sniffed the air and immediately the faint, but acrid aroma of burning wood and plasti assaulted his nostrils. A fire… Luke closed his eyes and saw the fire he’d built for his father on Endor.

‘Skywalker! Wake up!’

He blinked as Mara’s voice resounded irritably in his head. He had to keep his focus… had to. He quickly flicked on his saber and deftly carved some niches into the smooth stone wall.

Mara lowered a length of the synthrope and tensed with the strain of pulling Luke onto the top of the wall. "You’re heavy… Why didn’t you levitate us up?"

"Could have." He lifted a shoulder dismissively. "Never thought about it."

Mara frowned at him with concern. He seemed distracted – there was a palpable air of anxiety about him. He was not calm or at peace. "Luke…" her voice tailed off.

"I know." He took a deep steadying breath. "I’ll be fine."

They both crouched down on all fours and stared across the wilderness of rusting starships and strange towers of twisted metals. Ahead, the flickering glow of the fire drew their attention and turned the dead starships into an eerie forest. Luke touched Mara’s hand and she nodded. It never ceased to amaze her of her ability to communicate with the Jedi Master without words. A simple touch of his hand and she knew exactly what he wanted her to do. They had to go down and try to get to wherever the ship was lying.

"How many?"

Mara stretched out with the Force. Immediately she caught Barancz’s familiar presence. He was nervous and wordlessly she shared the newfound knowledge with Luke. "I think there could be as many as twenty."

Luke nodded. Two against twenty - it wasn’t brilliant odds, but as Han often said. ‘Never tell me the odds.’

Mara laughed softly.

"What’s funny?"

"You thinking about Solo."

Luke stared at her. "You knew I was thinking about Han?"

"You didn’t hide it."

Luke tilted his head to one side as he considered her words. "Yeah, but I didn’t broadcast it either. I’m a trained Knight, Mara. My shields are not made of transparisteel."

Mara paused thinking hard, but keeping her mental barriers up. ‘Our bond in the Force has only intensified since we got here…’

"And we’ve gotten so much closer. This bond… It’s a good thing."

"I don’t know, Skywalker. I just don’t know."

"We’ll deal with it later… if it becomes a problem. I need to see what my droid is up to."

Luke pulled out his comlink. "Artoo," he called softly. "Artoo… you there?"

***********************************

If Luke had considered giving Artoo Detoo a memory wipe from time to time, the little droid would not have managed to land himself in so many tricky situations. Artoo had almost managed to achieve something approaching true sentience. Ally that to a stubborn, quirky personality and he was ready to save his master and the galaxy if he had to. He trundled carefully behind a smashed cockpit of a tramp freighter that would never fly again. Giving it a hoot of sympathy, he sheltered in its welcoming shadow until the people passed by.

Artoo had managed to move unnoticed around a fairly large area of the yard, but he still hadn’t set his photoreceptors on the ship his master was seeking. The bio-signs moved away from his hiding place. With a silent twirl of his little domed head, the droid extended his third leg and moved carefully towards the large object he’d sensed half buried in a particular area, not too far from the office building.

He’d noticed rough barracks-like buildings, what he discovered was a crude armaments store and this area which seemed to be guarded by extra cameras and motion sensors. To get there he had to get past the carbon-based life forms and their fire. Artoo was always a little wary of fire; he associated it with being blown up and shot at from time to time. With a tiny whimper of remembered pain, Artoo carefully manoeuvred himself across uneven ground strewn with metal debris. His master was depending on him and he wasn’t about to let him down this time.

*******************************

Barancz frowned darkly into his draf without enjoying it. The bitter taste turned his stomach, which was already queasy with nervous tension. What would happen when the Jedi and his woman arrived at the yard? He didn’t like to think of the consequences if Parnello and the others found out. They considered the old ship to be a source of credits. That the old man had hidden a treasure inside it had been the popular opinion. Barancz wasn’t so sure. Ciri Elo had hidden himself on Zathoq. If it had been such a treasure he could have sold it and left but he had waited – why? The sketchy explanation given to him by the Jedi had only increased his nervousness. He was inclined to believe the other man. He had a calming aura about him Barancz had never encountered before. The woman… she was totally different. Beautiful, fiery and determined to protect the man she accompanied. Together they were a powerful and charismatic combination.

He’d arrived back at the yard in the early hours of the morning and as expected most of the others had been sleeping off the alcoholic excesses of the night before. He’d crept into his bunk fully clothed and had lain there with his eyes closed until he had heard them stirring. After that Barancz had just kept out of their way.

Parnello took a hearty swig of his cloudy yellowish draf, smacked his lips with a satisfied air and then wiped the remaining flecks off his ill-kept beard and moustache with the back of his hand. He glanced over towards a group sitting by the fire and his expression darkened. Barancz sat on the edge of the group, part of them, but yet alone. The younger man’s face was grey with the grief he was trying to keep at bay.

Parnello’s eyes narrowed. "Tobia," he grunted.

A heavy-set man with a flat spoon-shaped head wandered closer. "Yeah?"

"What’s Bar been up to since yesterday? This is the first time I’ve seen him in two days. He’s up to something."

At that moment Barancz caught Parnello’s accusing stare and he moved uneasily on his seat.

"I don’t know about yesterday because we weren’t here, but he was still in his bed when I got up this morning. He was just lying there with his eyes open."

"Really?"

"The old man’s death hit him hard."

Parnello gave a derisive laugh and spat on the ground to show what he thought of that sentiment.

"Come on, the old man brought him up. Nearest thing to a father he had."

"We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the old man," added Topper Fahtts, a skinny humanoid with green pock-marked skin."

Parnello laughed again, but this time the sound was bitter. "We’re not running a nursery for younglings. No, we would have been somewhere else earning a decent living."

"You didn’t have to stay here." Moving quietly Barancz stood behind them, his voice cold. "There was nothing keeping you."

"Now look here…" Parnello started to bluster, surprised at being caught.

"No," Barancz cut him off. "The old man was good to all of us. In fact you have no idea how good."

"That’s a funny thing to say," muttered Topper.

"I say it because it’s true." Barancz protested.

"The old man didn’t think about us before he died; all he was interested in was hiding that…" Parnello griped resentfully waving his arm in the direction of the half-buried shape. "Didn’t he think that we might want to earn a decent living? No, he did not. Tomorrow I’m going to go and get inside. Once and for all!" he began to shout defiantly.

"The gods will curse you. Do you want to die like your father did?" Fahtts gulped at his draf nervously.

"My father was a drunken animal. He fell off the roof and hit his head. No curses necessary. In fact… I’m going to go and open that useless hulk of scrap now and you can all watch. Get me a vibrocutter"

Barancz’s grey eyes widened with something approaching panic. "No!" he screeched, searching wildly in his head for an idea to delay the inevitable. "We haven’t observed the proper time for respecting his life and death. His spirit will be restless."

Parnello curled his lip with disbelief. "Oh please. He’s dead… gone. Won’t come back."

But the others standing around were muttering agitatedly under their breaths and Parnello glaring at them from under his unkempt eyebrows, understood that they would try and stop him.

Barancz tried to calm his heart. "Let’s do it tomorrow when it’s light and besides, I have something to share with all of you." Barancz could see their interest rise and moved closer to Tobia. "I found a data card with his last wishes on it. Part of it you have already done and his spirit will be assuaged."

"His sending off on the last journey?" Tobia asked.

Barancz smiled sadly. "Yes, you did exactly what he wanted."

"His spirit will leave us be." Topper took a mouthful of his draf and bowed his head in respect.

"Oh for…" Parnello bit out, his annoyance at the superstitions of his men coming forth.

Barancz smiled cynically. It was time to distract them completely. "You will be glad you respected the wishes of his spirit."

"Why so?" Tobia asked curiously.

"He’s left the place to us all. You can run this yard as a going concern."

"What!" Parnello’s jaw went slack. "I thought he would have left it to you?"

"That’s why I’m still alive?" Barancz’s tone was glacial. "I told him I didn’t want it."

Parnello began to sneer. "Why not… this place not good enough for you?" He advanced on the younger man, his manner threatening.

"I thought it wasn’t good enough for you. You were complaining about it a moment ago."

"Is this true?" Tobia stepped forward and clasped Barancz on the shoulder.

"Yes. I have lodged copies of the data card with lawyers in town. They will see this place is run fairly."

Tobia stepped back and aimed his rifle into the air delightedly letting off a peal of shots.

"Stop wasting the ammunition, Tobia." Parnello glowered at the other man before turning back to Barancz aggressively. "I don’t like your tone of voice, boy,"

"I know my letters quite well. The old man saw to that, but when it comes to reading and such like, Ciri Elo was light years ahead of any of us. I was just doing the right thing."

Fahtts screwed up his face. "It sounds as if you don’t trust us."

Barancz sighed. "I don’t and if you were realistic you would say the same thing."

"What you going to do, son?" questioned Tobia quietly, his rifle for one moment forgotten.

"Can’t tell you that."

"Why not?" Parnello challenged.

"I can’t tell you, because I don’t know." Barancz knew that this was the truth. He felt lost and uncertain of his future. He wasn’t one of them; he never had been and his closeness to the old man had only estranged him from them further. They had admired and respected the old man… Barancz had loved him.

Suddenly out of the corner of his eye he spotted something moving. Something that shouldn’t have been in the yard at all, but he recognised it even though he had only seen it once. It was Skywalker’s droid. ‘Shit!’ he swore inwardly.

His grey eyes widened as he watched Parnello turn away and head in the direction the droid was moving. He couldn’t let Parnello see that droid. "I could stay and help get the place on its feet," he called shakily after him, his nervousness returning in shovelfulls.

The older man stopped and swung back to the group.

"I could help with the administration. I don’t know as much about fixing starships as you do, but I’ve lived here all my life and I need time to think before I decide what to do." He tried to peer past Parnello in the gloom without looking as if he was peering. Barancz began to move away from the droid’s location and talked loudly as he did so. He was probably spouting complete nonsense, but with any luck the droid would get the message. "Why should I want to get away from here quite yet?"

"What are you going on about?" Topper queried in confusion.

Barancz moved round the other side of the fire. The droid had seemed to freeze in place. "It may be time to get moving, but part of me wants to stay put."

"Come on Bar, no one is throwing you out." Tobia took the younger man by the shoulder and led him to where another of the men was sloppily dispensing draf from a greasy-looking barrel.

Parnello’s suspicious gaze followed them and then swivelled around at the surroundings. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but Barancz was up to something and he didn’t trust him at all. Still, part of him accepted the man’s words as true. Barancz did know his letters better than the rest of them and he would be useful. The old man had let him manage much of the business before it had dwindled to almost nothing. He wandered over to the barrel and eyed Barancz closely. "I’m interested," he said."

***********************************************************

Artoo knew that the grey-eyed human had seen him and his lubricant coagulated inside him with sudden fear. ‘By the maker, he was discovered!’ As Threepio would say in the annoying way he had, Artoo Detoo had no business rising above his station in life. He was little more than a dustbin full of circuits. But the human had talked in a loud voice telling him to move. Artoo was convinced of it. His bio-signs had been increased - especially his pulse - and he had definitely prevented the others from seeing him. Life returned to his wheels and as quickly and as quietly as he could Artoo shot into the cover of darkness away from the flickering fire.

The Ship – Chapter 16

By Ash

Disclaimer: The characters and situations used in this story are the property of Lucasfilm Ltd. I am not making any credits, Imperial or Republican. My thanks to the girls on the lists for their help and encouragement.

The Millennium Falcon - somewhere in hyperspace

“Sweetheart…” Han called from the cockpit. “Remind me why we’re here instead of back on Coruscant. You at another Senate meeting. Me at another security staff, let’s-deal-with-the-people-who-don’t-want-to-obey-the-rules meeting.”

Leia moved into the cockpit and kissed him on the cheek. “I wanted to see Naboo.”

“I don’t think we’re going to be able to see very much,” Han warned.

“I just wanted to see it.”

“Why?”

Leia sighed, her brown eyes sad. “I’m not sure. I think…” She hesitated. “I think… it has something to do with the loss of Alderaan.” She spread her hands out helplessly. “How long has this world been abandoned and neglected? You know that I can never forget…. Finding another world that people have forgotten about - a world that died because of Palpatine’s evil.”

“We don’t know that was what happened, but…” Han swivelled around in his chair to face his wife. “I agree with you that something has to be done. But we have no real proof that the Emperor was behind it.”

“We have, Han. All those encrypted files…”

“They prove nothing apart from the fact that something happened on that planet - something so terrible that millions of beings were killed.”

“No, there’s something else, Han. I spoke to Mon Mothma yesterday morning. She… she… was very surprised when I mentioned Naboo and I asked her why nothing had been done about it. Why there wasn’t a single mention of it anywhere.”

“And…” Han drawled. The tone of his wife’s voice indicated to him that this was going to be a big shock.

“The Senator…” Leia swallowed nervously. “The Senator representing the planet of Naboo was… was Palpatine.”

Han gave a soft whistle. “Go on.”

“There was some sort of problem… or political crisis on Naboo.” She opened her hands. “It was a long time ago. In fact, it could have been as long as fifty or sixty years ago. The ruler of the planet arrived on Coruscant to plead for the help of the Republic. Apparently the Naboo were a very insular society and the rulers rarely left the system. The other species – the Gungans - were mainly aquatic although they could ffunction very well out of water. Mon Mothma had dealings with some but she was very young at the time. It might have been before she even entered the Senate.” Leia smiled wearily at her husband. “Something that Mon Mothma and I share. We were the youngest senators ever to be elected to the Imperial Senate.”

“That’s why she regards you as her daughter in politics.” Han commented wisely.

Leia gave a half laugh before continuing. “The Gungans… leaving Naboo was not something that they did. I can remember holos of Gungans. At least, I think I can remember them… it’s all very vague. There might actually have been a real live one on Alderaan visiting my father. But it was all so long ago and I’m not sure how much I actually remember, or if this has anything to do with the discussions I had with Mon Mothma.”

“What else did she say about the problems on Naboo?” he prodded.

“There was another, more aggressive nation who tried to occupy Naboo and were succeeding, aided by the Republican Senate’s inability to make any decisions. That was why the ruler came to Coruscant.” Leia frowned. “Tying up decisions because of bureaucracy still annoys me…”

“The Bothans are good at that,” mumbled Han.

“Don’t start me on the Bothans,” muttered Leia. “The Naboo…” she continued determinedly. “They didn’t get the help they needed and the opposing faction took the chance and started to invade the planet.”

“Red tape,” said Han under his breath. He raised his voice. “We see it so many times. The difference between the Rebellion and an elected governing body - red tape. You can’t just go in and do something – you have to talk your way around it.”

“Mon Mothma wasn’t too clear on the details, but the Naboo objected to the Senate’s inaction and by some trick or political manoeuvre managed to bring down Chancellor Valorum. His weakness failed to spur the Senate into action and Palpatine got himself elected as the new Chancellor out of the whole mess.”

“Oh Sith.”

“He never looked back.”

“Oh boy.”

“Say something, Han.”

“Oh hell.”

“You’re not helping, laser brains.”

“Leia, sweetheart. I can’t think of anything that would help.”

“No, neither can I.”

“Why didn’t Mon Mothma speak up about this before?”

Leia sighed. “As I said before, I think she was only a child at the time and still on Chandrila. Apparently the situation on Naboo was resolved and the people enjoyed some years of prosperity. I suspect that the build up and the aftermath of the Clone Wars and the destabilisation of the Old Republic meant that people had other things on their minds and somehow Palpatine engineered a war between the two dominant species on Naboo.”

“This planet… Naboo…” Han drawled thoughtfully. “Naboo was the catalyst to the rise of Palpatine and the destruction of the Old Republic and there was something on that planet which Palpatine feared.”

Leia’s eyes opened wide. “You’re right. I wonder what it was?”

Han pulled his wife into his arms and cradled her against his chest. “We’ve heard it all before, haven’t we? The political wrangling, the jockeying for position and power. I don’t think our work will ever be done. We have to prevent another Palpatine from ever inflicting such damage upon the galaxy again.”

“I agree. You know you’ve a good brain under all that machismo, nerfherder.”

“Hey!” Han stuck his chin out indignantly. “It still doesn’t tell us why Naboo has been deliberately forgotten.”

“Mon Mothma couldn’t tell me any more than she did. I think she, too, was horrified at the wanton destruction and even more so at the lack of awareness. It’s over fifteen years since the Emperor died. I can’t understand why we’re still ignorant of such atrocities.”

Han shrugged. “We do what we can to right the wrongs, but we can’t know everything. Why does anything happen? Why is there war, hunger, disease and poverty? As I said, we do what we can. People have had enough unpleasantness in their lives, sometimes they don’t want to know about another disaster.” His mouth quirked a little. “How many beings avoided you because they didn’t want to hear about Alderaan?”

“Yes, sympathy has a limit.” Leia ruffled his hair. “I wonder if Luke has found out anything more?” she reflected.

“Trouble probably. Who knows what kind of a mess he’s…” The com chimed and he lifted his hand to flick the switch to open the channel. “Yeah!”

“General Solo, this is Winter.”

“Winter!” Han winked at his wife. “I take it the kids are behaving?”

“Of course,” she returned evenly. “I located some old files on Naboo and am sending them through. They are old files,” she stressed. “That is why the encryption on these was the easiest to break. I managed to contact Ghent and he’s having a look at the others. But even he was amazed at the level of encryption involved.”

“And?” Han drawled.

“I left him to them. As for the ones we deciphered… It’s not much, but it’s a basic guide to Naboo before whatever happened… happened.”

“So we could see how it looked,” Leia mused aloud. “That would help, I suppose.”

“How would it help?” Han muttered.

“It would tell us some of the basic facts… like…”

“Like what?”

Winter cut in. “It states average temperature, oxygen mix in the atmosphere and where the populated areas were.”

“Thanks, Winter,” Han said with a smile. “I appreciate it. Her Highnessness here, can’t believe she jumped into the Falcon and let me fly her all the way out to the middle of nowhere. There is more Skywalker in her than she realises.”

“You’ve hardly flown me anywhere!” Leia interrupted. “Eighteen hours in hyperspace doesn’t get us anywhere near Naboo.”

“We’re nearer than we were eighteen hours ago,” Han muttered sotto voce.

Leia gave him a warning glare. “I’ve had quite enough of the current bickering in the Senate and thought that this would be a worthwhile exercise. A reminder of what happens when things go too far. Then we can make some attempt at reparations or at the very least make the galaxy aware.”

Han nodded at the fire and passion behind her words – it was understandable. Then he murmured carefully. “It’s going to be at least another three days in hyperspace before we get to the Naboo system and then I don’t think we will be able to land.”

“I’m quite sure these reports are accurate.” Winter’s voice echoed over the com. “I would be wary even about entering the lower atmosphere.”

“We may carry on to Zathoq and see how brother Luke is faring, although I can’t see why we would need to go there. Zathoq is not a place I ever wanted to visit again and he has Mara Jade nurse-maiding him this time.” Han grinned crookedly.

“The Jedi Master is in good health?” Winter sounded almost as if she were in the next room instead of thousands of light years away on Coruscant.

“He is. As I said, Mara Jade is with him and that did relax her worshipfulness. I keep telling her that Luke can fend for himself these days.”

Leia’s former handmaiden gave a low chuckle. “Tell her to enjoy the break. Believe me when I say she’s not missing anything that’s happening in the Senate.”

Han laughed. “I do believe you, Winter… implicitly.”

Leia scowled. “Stop talking about me as if I weren’t here and I do want to see my brother.”

“Leia… It’s another two days to Zathoq from the Naboo system. Can you afford to be gone from the Senate on a whim for that length of time? I want to get home to my children – I’m away from them far too often as it is. Force knows what they are putting Winter and Threepio through.” He grinned and pulled Leia back into his arms. “I’m not missing the Dackmaali or any briefings from General Cracken, but don’t tell him I said so. Don’t want to hurt his feelings.”

“I won’t, General.” Winter’s voice rang with amusement.

“Winter…” Leia chimed in. “Kiss my babies goodnight for me. Tell them we’ll be home soon and that we love them.”

“I will.”

“And Winter…” Leia tenderly smoothed her hand across Han’s face. “Keep digging for information.”

“Bye, Winter.” Han cut the connection swiftly and stared deeply into his wife’s dark eyes. “I love you,” he said.

“I know.” She murmured the old phrase they’d used between them ever since those terrible, wonderful days on Bespin when they’d realised that they loved one another.

“Do you know something?”

“I know quite a lot, but tell me.”

“Even though I’m away from the children this jaunt definitely has its positive side. The best thing about this impromptu little trip is that I get my beautiful wife to myself for a few days. Han covered her lips with his own and for a while there was only the whispered sighs and moans of true lovers. Eventually they parted, flushed and shaking.

“We’ll continue this later,” Han said with a devilish twinkle lighting up his hazel eyes. “I think we need to have a quick scan at Winter’s information.

Leia sighed over the beauty of the planet, read about its culture and its history and how the beings on the planet had co-existed peacefully for years. They looked at holos of a tranquil world – a bright jewel of green and blue and saw marvellous vistas of rolling hills and triumphant waterfalls.

“It truly was a beautiful place,” Leia whispered, a catch in her voice. “And Palpatine came from such a world?”

“Anything about the ruling family or the government?” Han wondered aloud. “Had they no say in Palpatine’s dealings with the Senate?” He scanned over some data and blinked in surprise. “Apparently no ruling family, but an elected monarch instead.”

“Goodness.” Leia read over the information Han pointed out to her. “There’s nothing after the reign of King Veruna and he ruled before the time frame we’re talking about. We don’t know the name of the ruler that brought down the Senate.”

“If Palpatine was involved it could have been one of his puppets.”

“He bided his time and schemed well.”

“Yeah. Look at this holo of the city. This is Theed - apparently the capital - and this is the palace.” He gave a little whistle. “Whew!”

Leia stared fixedly at the picture. “Han…”

He ignored her and continued to enthuse over the beauty and grandeur he saw on the screen. Picture after picture flashed in front of their eyes detailing the wonders of the interior of the Theed Royal Palace. “Hey, sweetheart! It says here that…”

Han glanced at his wife. “Leia… what is it?” She had gone very pale.

Leia rubbed a hand over her mouth. “Han… Go back. No, not that picture… the one before it. Yes… that one.” She pressed her hand over her mouth. “I know that place. I’ve seen it before.”

“You’ve seen a holo of the Royal Palace on Theed before. It’s possible. You’ve seen a lot of palaces and throne rooms over the years. It’s a heck of a lot of gilt and marble.”

“No that’s not it, Han. I think I’ve been in that room - the throne room in the Royal Palace on Theed. I’ve been there,” she repeated.

Her voice was so positive that Han could only gape at her before his common sense kicked in. “Leia…”

“No, Han. I’m not confusing it with anything else. I’m sure I’ve been in that room before.” She closed her eyes and reached deep inside her mind for the memories. They were faint but sure and she tugged at an image of a woman sitting on the throne behind a huge desk. The woman had been almost unapproachable and awe-inspiring in her finery. Leia had been sitting on someone’s knee. Was it her mother’s…? Yes it had been her mother’s, but it wasn’t her real mother. Her real mother was someone else – the woman dressed in a hooded crimson robe sitting quietly to one side.

She’d wanted to wriggle off the woman’s knee and run across the polished floor. She’d wanted to see if she could see her own reflection in the sheen of the cold stone, but she’d not been allowed. The woman she’d called ‘mother’ had gripped on to her wriggling body, her fingers digging painfully into Leia’s twisting little form.

With sudden conviction Leia knew, but couldn’t explain why, or how she knew, or why this memory had been all but forgotten. Her real mother had crossed the polished floor and taken her from the other woman’s lap. She’d drawn her close to her breast and Leia had curled into that feeling of warmth, the smell of a perfume she’d never fail to remember. Her mother’s face had been sad.

“I was there,” she said, opening her eyes. “I don’t know why I was there, but I was, and I was little more than a baby.”

“So your mother was not Alderaanian?”

“I had always just assumed… although when I discovered Luke was my brother I thought she might not have been. We’ve never been able to confirm any bona fide facts about her. She could be Alderaanian but it does look as if she had some connection with Naboo.”

“Yeah,” Han nodded thoughtfully. “That is the one thing in this whole escapade that I’m beginning to agree with.” He peered at the holo. “You sure about this?”

“Yes,” Leia’s voice was flat but definite. She got up and left the cockpit, her mind whirling. The more she tried to remember, the more the memory stood out. The room had been extremely imposing with a high vaulted ceiling, yet it didn’t strike the tiny Leia as being over festooned with decoration. She remembered it as being grand but plain and full of light. She had wanted to run because there was so much space. There had been the enormous throne and a huge desk, but little else. Leia closed her eyes and could hear the click of her booted feet on the polished marble floor. She’d wanted to run so that she could hear her clicking feet.

Han checked the navicomp and the Falcon’s systems dazedly. ‘Well, old girl,” he spoke affectionately to the ship. “Just something else crazy about this family. Keep on course and don’t let me down. I need to go and see if my wife is okay.” Gently he patted the console and eased from the pilot’s seat.

“Hey!” Han tapped Leia gently on her shoulder and she lifted her head from her hands.

“I can’t remember anything else. All I can remember is wanting to run across a polished floor. What use is that to anyone?”

“Leia you were a child, little more than an infant. That’s what children want to do... run and play. They don’t know that they are the secret offspring of a Jedi turned Sithlord or have an important destiny in intergalactic politics.”

“Sorry, Han.”

“You have nothing to feel sorry about. I’m surprised you can remember that far back at all with any clarity.”

“Now that you mention it,” her lips curved into the smile he loved so much. “I am too.”

Han chuckled. “So where are we?”

“What do you mean?”

“You think you’ve been on Naboo…”

“I don’t think, I have.” Leia uttered staunchly.

“Okay, Highnessness. Don’t get the senatorial lingerie tangled.”

Leia bared her teeth at him. “Funny.”

“I want to know what we have so far, that’s all. Luke lands on Zathoq where he comes across the names of two men, both of whom have connections with Alderaan, or so we think.”

“They do have connections with Alderaan, but they’re not Alderaanian, they’re both from Naboo.”

“We think they’re both dead and lo and behold Luke finds one still alive, but he dies in front of him. I’m sorry the guy is dead, sweetheart, but isn’t it just typical. He could have told Luke and Mara everything we needed to know but he dies before he can get a word out, leaving us in as big a mystery as before.”

“It would have been too easy, Han.”

“True, we never did things the easy way!” He tapped the little scar on his chin.

“Still don’t.”

“We would have never thought about Naboo, if Anakin hadn’t kicked the planet to the right place.”

“Your children are quite something.”

“They take after their old Dad.”

“Yes, I think they have all of his bad habits.”

“I’m hurt,” he said, mock soulfully.

“You’ll survive,” she murmured dryly.

“Yeah, sure,” he mumbled. “Anyway… next thing we know. The planet we now call Naboo is home to the two names Luke recalled in his vision and then you think you’ve been there.”

“I was there.” Leia finally lost her patience and snapped at him.

“Okay.” Han held up his hands in surrender. “You were there and not long after you left the Empire engineered some sort of conflict that destroyed the whole world, killing millions and millions, and no one is aware that it happened. A major world and it might as well never have existed.”

“I think you’ve got it about right.” Leia murmured sadly. “I wonder if Luke and Mara are having any more success than we are?”

“We’re not doing too badly, but who knows?”

“Luke was rather quiet, when I spoke to him yesterday,” Leia remarked.

“Gone all Jedi on you, had he?”

“Han!”

“Sorry, but he does… go all Jedi.”

“He’s the Jedi Master - why shouldn’t he?”

“He’s Luke too. Don’t forget that, sweetheart. He’s a Jedi Master… sure, but don’t put him on his statue plinth just yet.”

“How could I forget who he is?” she huffed. “Anyway…” Leia continued irritably, her dark eyes glaring at her husband. “Luke thinks that this whole thing has the Skywalker family right…”

“Slap bang in the middle of it. Of course it has.” Han placed his hands on the hologame table. “Your old man managed to get round quite a lot of the galaxy creating fear and mayhem.”

“For once I wish I could go through my life without anyone mentioning my old man.”

“He’s part of you. A reaction against the evil regime he embodied has directed your whole life.” Han shrugged helplessly. “You know it.”

Leia dropped her eyes for a moment, avoiding Han’s earnest gaze. “Luke thinks we are some sort of key and…” she said, changing the subject quickly.

“Just suppose…” Han grinned at his wife, the twinkle appearing in his hazel eyes. “Naboo was where your mother was from or where she was hiding. I know this is pure speculation, but just consider this theory. Old Palpy annihilated Naboo to try and destroy Anakin’s wife.”

Leia shook her head. “Han, that’s ridiculous… I think, or maybe then again, it’s not.”

“Just consider it,” Han entreated.

“Okay.” Leia drew the word out slowly. “I still think it’s a little far-fetched, but I’ll take your theories into account.”

“The poor woman married Vader; she had to be running scared.”

“Pregnant too, with children she suspected the Emperor would have killed if he learned of their existence.”

Han chewed on his lip. “What kind of woman would marry Darth Vader?”

“But was he Vader when they married?”

“Probably not or she might not have been so foolish.”

“She was so sad…”

“Because she loved him.” Han said triumphantly. “She loved him and was sad at what he had become.”

“She’d also given up her son,” Leia reminded him. “Luke was brought up on Tatooine.” She wrapped her arms defensively around her body. “I had my children hidden away on Anoth, but I was still able to see them, still able to hear them call me ‘mother’.”

“Yes.” Pain crossed Han’s face. “I never want to be separated from the children like that ever again. Yeah, Leia, we still have our children – it was hard at the time, but we always knew they would come back to us. Poor woman… she must have soul-searched to make such a decision.” He drew his hand slowly across his face. “What I still don’t understand is how no one knows who she is. Didn’t someone ever say your mother’s name to you?”

“I thought Bail Organa was my father and he never talked about her after she died. My adoptive mother died soon after. I thought it caused him too much distress, so I didn’t mention her either.”

“Yes, but…”

“I just didn’t… and a child learns very quickly to move on. I didn’t forget her, but I can barely remember her face. I know she was very beautiful…”

“She must have been. Because you are beautiful.”

“Han!”

“It’s true. Your father was an important Jedi before he turned. I would have thought whoever he married would have become well-known.”

“You would have thought so, but it didn’t happen. Besides, most people thought that Anakin Skywalker was dead. No-one thought to link him with Vader.” Leia bit her lip in frustration. “Why would I link my name with that of Skywalker?” she entreated Han. “I had no reason to. I’d never even heard the name until Luke introduced himself to me that very first time we met in the Death Star detention block. I didn’t connect Leia with Skywalker until Luke told me and then everything made sense - the feeling of not quite belonging in my allotted place in the universe.”

Han wrapped her in his arms. “It was just an idea. Forget I ever suggested it.”

“No, Han, I can’t. It’s very plausible. Perhaps I was on Naboo because they were trying to hide me there. Luke was hidden on Tatooine and me on Naboo.”

Han frowned and nodded. “That’s possible too. Naboo and Tatooine are closer than we thought, and then there is the proximity to Dagobah and Zathoq.”

Leia sighed dejectedly. “As I said earlier, I hope Luke and Mara are having more success figuring this out than we are.”

**********************************************

Zathoq

“Artoo!” Luke tried again. “Artoo Detoo!”

He sighed and pocketed his com. “He’s not answering.”

Mara frowned worriedly. “Do you think he’s okay?”

“I hope so - maybe he’s not able to communicate.”

“Maybe not. Try again later.”

“Good idea, Jade.”

Luke gave her a smile and began to creep along the top of the wall until he reached a point where the piles of scrap metal reached almost to the level of where they stood. Carefully he stepped off the wall and stood cautiously until he was sure it was safe. “It will bear our weight,” he whispered. “But be careful.”

“You’re telling me that!” Gingerly, Mara stepped behind him and step-by-step descended until she reached the ground. For a second they stood, blending in with the shadows until Mara heard the sound of booted feet coming towards them. Quickly she moved out of the way until she realised that Luke was still standing motionless.

With a muffled oath, Mara grabbed the Jedi Master and dragged him swiftly behind a hyperdrive generator that would never function again. ‘Luke! Where is your mind tonight?’

Luke shook his head. “I saw… I saw…”

Mara pushed him into a seated position and stared at him with concern. “What is it, Skywalker?”

He shook in her grasp, his eyes wide. “I saw stormtroopers!”

“What!”

His hands went over his eyes and Mara could only watch him, unable to fathom what exactly he was seeing. “I heard the marching feet and then I saw them. I don’t know how many there were but…”

“Luke, it was a couple of Ciri Elo’s men. I pulled you out of the way before they passed. There were no stormtroopers.”

“But I saw them.”

“No,” she whispered. “You didn’t.”

“I was standing in position,” he murmured slowly. “I was waiting for them. I had to warn the lady that they had to go.”

“Luke… it was another flashback.”

He bowed his head, bringing his hands up to cradle it. “Oh, Sithspawn!” he swore tiredly. “I still have an issue with stormtrooper armour. I should be over it by now.”

“Eh!”

“I still think the stormtroopers are after me. They always were before.”

Mara rolled her eyes. Skywalker was the absolute limit. “Can you tell me anything else – anything at all?”

He sighed. “I don’t know what’s real any more, Mara.”

She knelt beside him and placed her hand on his dirty cheek. “I’m real.”

Luke closed his eyes and she felt him drawing comfort from her touch. She drew on the sensation and cradled it as she felt him reaching for her through the Force.

“Hold on to reality, Skywalker. Hold on to me.”

“Yes, I will.” He clutched agitatedly at her shoulders.

Mara was concerned about Luke. She watched as he took several deep breaths, his heartbeat slowing down, and his mind calming. She felt him reach for his focus.

“That’s better,” he said, exhaling softly. “Force, I’m sorry, Mara. I seem to be drifting from the present into the past and back out again. I’m going to have to rely on the Force a little less - which isn’t a bad thing, but it is so natural for me to do.”

“You don’t have to explain. I can feel it… tugging at my senses, begging me to listen. It would be so easy just to let go and let it all claim me.”

“Perhaps we may have to let it, if we want to find out everything.”

“Not at the cost of our lives,” Mara returned a little sharply.

“No, Mara.” He regarded her determined face. “It will be all right. You’re so strong. Have you doubts at all?”

“I’m a walking, seething mass of them, Jediboy, but now is not the time. We need to keep our focus or we’re in trouble.”

He took a careful breath and nodded. “I had to signal the lady when the troops arrived. She had a plan and it was important that we didn’t move until the troops arrived. We had to get them to follow the decoys…” Luke broke off, amazement crossing his features.

“An escape plan.” Mara murmured thoughtfully. “I want inside that ship. Whatever we need to know must be inside.”

“Well, what are we waiting for?” He scrambled to his feet and moved lightly from their hiding place towards the central buildings, where the fire flickered and burned.

“Luke!” Mara hissed. ‘Luke!’ she echoed in his mind. “Oh for…” Mara bit off the rest of her curse and followed him.

***********************************

Barancz grabbed his bedroll and placed it slightly away from the fire. Near enough to feel the heat, but sufficiently far enough away to enjoy the anonymity of the shadows. So Skywalker had left his droid here. It was possible that the Jedi was actually in the yard at this moment. He lay down and pulled his blanket over him, closing his eyes he yearned for sleep but his rest didn’t come. He turned over and opened one eye. Parnello sat a few yards away, his eyes trained on him with suspicion. Barancz grimaced to himself. What did Parnello think he was going to do? He pushed his pillow under his head and resolutely closed his eyes, but he could feel the older man’s distrustful watch. Eventually he drifted into an uneasy sleep.

************************************

“What do you mean you’ve lost them?” Lek questioned Forrell angrily.

“They went round that corner and it’s dark. Now I can’t find them on the scopes.”

“So we’re lost.” Malyre yawned.

“’Course we’re not lost!” Lek snapped, straining into the darkness. “We’re not lost, are we?”

“’Course we’re not lost.” Forrell laughed and then frowned. “At least I think I know where we are.”

“We’re lost,” Malyre pronounced gloomily.

“Did anyone think of asking Luke and Merah where they were going?” Forrell wondered.

“Oh for crying out loud!” Lek exploded. “What was I going to say? I’m sorry we shot at you earlier on and now we’re just going to follow you in the middle of the night for our entertainment!” He lowered his voice. “Luke would probably feel quite justified in running me through with his lightsaber.”

“Not a good idea then,” Forrell muttered meekly.

“No!” Lek bit out flatly.

“There are no shipyards round here,” Forrell insisted. “I may be in spaceport security but I used to know quite a bit of the city. Haven’t been out this far in a long time.”

“And it’s dark,” put in the old Selonian.

“You don’t see things so well in the dark.”

“I see quite well as a matter of fact,” Malyre insisted. “Even at my advanced age - but I’ve never been out of the centre this far.”

“We should keep moving,” Forrell murmured. “It’s not safe otherwise.”

“Now he tells us,” griped Lek.

“I shouldn’t have to tell a man well past his seventieth year, that,” Forrell retorted, finally reacting to the older man’s barbed comments.

“We should just go home,” Malyre said.

“Yeah, I guess we sh... What was that?”

A volley of rifle fire echoed across the quiet streets. In the gloom three faces turned grave.

“We’re too late!” Forrell lamented.

Lek bit off a curse, but Malyre sat quietly and listened.

“I have good hearing too,” the Selonian announced

“We all heard those shots. They were quite loud.” Lek’s voice was sarcastic.

“But it tells us there are sentients ahead, does it not?”

“Luke and Merah may be unhurt, but it could be where they are heading. They shouldn’t be that far ahead of us. The direction was southeast I’m sure.”

“Well, old fellow, you’re not so choked up with spice flakes after all,” Lek murmured, surprised.

“I am old, I am not senile.”

“The jury is still out on that one,” Lek answered as Forrell cautiously gunned the engine.

The Ship Chapter 17

By Ash

Disclaimer: The characters and situations used in this story are the property of Lucasfilm Ltd. I’m only using them for my own entertainment and am not aiming to make any credits. My thanks, of course, go to the girls. I would write nothing without you.

Barancz shifted under his blanket, the cold seeping slowly in through his bones as the fire died down. He pulled the fraying edge closer to his chin and burrowed under it as far as he could.

‘Barancz.’

It was a whisper on the edge of his consciousness. Barancz muttered tiredly, without opening his eyes, and tugged the blanket over his tousled black curls.

‘Barancz!’

He heard it again – more insistent this time – but it was inside his head. ‘No,’ he decided sleepily, blinking open his grey eyes. ‘It wasn’t… or was it?’ It had to be a dream, but he could have sworn that Luke’s voice had called his name.

His eyelids drooped heavily downwards and he sank back into the accepting warmth… or he tried to. His blanket twitched from over him and seemed to slither down his legs of its own accord.

“Gutter newts!” he hissed, suddenly awake. “Wha-at’s happening?”

There was no-one there.

Barancz frowned nervously and quickly surveyed his surroundings, but all the others were just anonymous lumps underneath the rough blankets. All were asleep. With a last suspicious look at the motionless shapes, he covered himself with the blanket and shifted back into a foetal position.

‘Barancz! Wake up!’

The blanket shot from his body a second time and with a snarled curse Barancz lumbered stiffly to his feet and peered beyond the dying fire into the shadows created by its flickering light. His hands reached out ready to grab the prankster and teach him a lesson. This was a joke he didn’t appreciate. “Hey!” he called, his voice hoarse from sleep and too much draf. “Cut that out. Can’t a fellow get some sleep around here?”

“Ssh!” The voice came out of the darkness.

Just behind the office building two shadowy figures stood silently waiting. One of them held the covering which had so inexplicably developed a mind of its own.

Carefully Barancz avoided stepping on any of his somnolent comrades and headed over to the pair. “What the hell are you two doing here at this time of night?” he whispered angrily.

“You knew we were coming,” Mara insisted, her voice barely audible.

“I just thought you might not…”

“You didn’t… not really,” Luke asserted in a soft voice. “You didn’t want to face whatever consequences might occur if we did come.” Luke’s voice slowed. “Things will change after tonight.”

“No they won’t,” Barancz tried to argue, but the Jedi master was having none of it.

“Things have already changed for you. You can’t go back. You are not one of them, Barancz.”

“Then who am I?” he demanded.

“I can’t tell you that. You’ll have to find out by yourself.”

“Luke.” Mara tapped him on the arm. “We don’t need a Jedi philosophical discussion at this precise moment.”

Luke turned to Mara. “My practical love. What would I do without you?”

Mara’s heart jumped into her mouth and back out again. This was the second time the casual endearment had crossed his lips. This was something else she had to think about – if he meant his words - but it would have to be later. “I don’t know what you would do, Skywalker. However, I keep thinking about your own personal bacta tank that they keep back at New Republic Headquarters - the one with your name inscribed upon it”

“Bacta! Yuck! I can’t abide the taste of that stuff - stays with you for days.” Luke screwed up his face.

“I don’t want to be fishing you out of it… again.” She gave a heavy sigh. “This is not the time for this, Skywalker.”

Luke nodded.

Barancz turned and stared uneasily behind him at the still sleeping men. “Luke… Merah… We…” He began to say something else.

“It’s Mara,” she said.

“Oh?”

“Long story and no time to tell it,” the trader finished succinctly then glared at the Jedi Master. “We need to get moving, Skywalker.”

Luke nodded. “Can you show us where the ship is?” he asked Barancz.

Barancz sighed. “Of course, but I feel I’m betraying the old man by doing this.”

“I understand, but he kept it safe for us, Barancz,” Luke murmured. “You would be doing more harm if you left the ship to Parnello and the others. It’s my right to see it. I’m the son of Skywalker and whatever happened to that vessel concerns me and mine.”

Mara wondered if Luke realised the possessive glance he’d sent her way and briefly, she contemplated whether she liked it or not.

“He would sell the parts worth anything and let the rest of it rot. The old man lived his life protecting it.” Luke said earnestly.

“For what and for whom.” Mara’s eyes gleamed eerily green as she spoke. It hadn’t been a question. The first name on the data card had belonged to Luke – the son of Skywalker. In Mara’s opinion he had every entitlement.

Barancz knew the two Jedi were accurate in their assessment of his situation even though he had not wanted to admit it to himself. “So be it,” he said. With a long forgotten prayer to an obscure deity, he indicated that they follow him. “Office,” he mouthed silently.

Luke and Mara nodded and slipped into the dark building behind him.

********************************

One of the motionless bodies stirred. Parnello opened a cold eye and a grim smile of satisfaction almost made it across his jowly features. He was right after all - the younger man was up to something and he was going to stop him. If he wasn’t mistaken, the couple Barancz was consorting with, was the same pair that had arrived in the yard the day the old man had died. There was something queer going on and he was going to find out what it was and was going to stop it. The old man had acted very strangely that day… almost as if he’d known them. He didn’t know what the strangers wanted but it could only be one thing. It was the only thing with any value in the whole yard. If two off-worlders wanted that ship so badly, what did it really contain?

********************************

“I need to disable the security cams.” Barancz spoke a little louder now that they were away from the danger of awakening the others. As he lit a small luma, his grey eyes darted anxiously around the dingy office.

The administration building was barely larger than Yoda’s hut on Dagobah. The main door opened straight into the office area with two other doors leading from it.

“What’s in there?” Mara pointed at the other doors.

“The old man sleeps…” A tinge of pain crossed Barancz’s face. “The old man slept in there,” he corrected himself sadly.

Curiosity overcoming her sense of urgency made Mara push one of the doors ajar. The room was painful in its neatness. “Force, Skywalker!” she exclaimed. “He had even fewer possessions than you have.”

Luke shrugged. “I’ve never had many things. I discovered that people are more important than possessions, Jade.”

“Sad that he had to live this way,” Mara whispered.

“But he felt it was worth it,” Luke insisted. “He wasn’t alone, Mara - he had Barancz.”

Barancz nodded vigorously. “He treated me like a son. I was a nothing… a nobody off the streets until he took me in.”

Luke clapped a hand on the other man’s shoulders. “He saw something in you and you haven’t let him down. His trust in you was justified.”

Mara chewed on her lip. She had this sense of impending trouble and she’d learned over the years to trust that feeling. “Luke…” She looked up at him.

“I know… I feel it too. We’d better hurry.” He peered into a small wall-mounted monitor at a tiny round shape wheeling itself towards some destination. “Artoo,” he muttered in a relieved voice.

“He seems okay, Skywalker,” Mara reassured quietly.

“Yeah,” Luke chuckled with relief. “He’s very resourceful.”

“You were lucky,” she said flatly. “If he’d been caught…”

“I spotted him earlier,” Barancz said. “I made sure no-one else saw him, but why you sent a droid on a scouting mission…”

“Thank you,” Luke replied cutting off the younger man in mid sentence, as an ominous feeling began pressing in on him. He lifted his head sharply and stared at Mara. “Sithspit!” he swore quietly.

“Luke,” she said urgently, as she immediately picked up on his mood. “We’ve got company.”

“Stang! I know,” he cursed. “We need to get out of here.” He clenched his fists, the black leather gloves stretching over his tight knuckles. “Bang goes the silent approach.”

Mara focused on the presences she felt approaching. “I think they’ve got us surrounded.”

Barancz peered at a small wall-mounted monitor. “I’m not picking up anything here… I should have thought that the holo… wait… Damn!” He yanked at a lever pulling it down. “This will shut off the security holocams, although I don’t think it will help us now.”

“They can still access visuals?” Mara asked.

“They could… from the barracks, but not now.” he replied. “Surrounded!” He slammed his hand down on the desk and dust rose into the air. “Surrounded!” he repeated. “Damn and blast!” With another curse he pulled at another lever and metal shutters slid down over the windows. “The old man was prepared, but it won’t hold them for long and we’re still stuck inside.”

“There’s no back way...?” Mara queried and then her tone dried, the sarcasm dripping off every syllable. “There’s no back way.” She scowled.

“I thought they were all asleep,” Barancz wailed. “There were supposed to be asleep!”

Luke paced back and fore for a few seconds, his mind furiously working out a solution and then turned to Mara. She grinned suddenly, her eyes pure green mischief in her blackened face as her mood abruptly switched. ‘Up?’

He chuckled low in his throat. ‘Got it in one, Jade. We go up.’ He turned to Barancz. “There’s nothing important up there?” He gestured at the grimy ceiling above their heads.

Barancz shook his black curls. “No. We just used it for storage purposes.”

Barancz started to rummage through a cabinet and produced several blasters and a couple of vibroknives. “Here.”

Luke shook his head, “We have our lightsabers. I don’t need anything else.”

Mara tutted briskly as she grabbed an extra blaster and tucked one of the knives into her boot. “Always good to have a spare.”

“Good idea,” Luke agreed changing his mind and, picking up one of the blades, copied Mara by sliding it carefully into his boot.

“You have a plan?” the younger man asked. “The door is reinforced durasteel but it won’t hold forever.”

“We go up,” the Jedi chorused together.

“I don’t understand.” Barancz’s confusion was evident.

Luke laughed recklessly, pulled Mara to him and kissed her - his mouth hot, dry and hard against her lips. The excitement started to course through his veins. ‘A Jedi craves not these things.’ ‘Maybe not, Yoda,’ Luke replied in his mind to the remembered admonition. ‘But it sure makes a change. Do or do not. It’s time to do.’ Then he took his lightsaber from his belt, ignited it and with a light flick of his wrist, tossed the weapon upwards. The saber flew in a graceful arc cutting a large hole in the false ceiling before returning to his hand.

“Right, Mara,” Luke’s face was suddenly serious under the carefully applied blackening. “Let’s go.”

She stared at him, her eyes penetrating and with a reluctant sigh climbed on top of the desk and easily hauled herself through the aperture. “I’m up,” she confirmed softly.

Just then the door shook as it was pounded by heavy fists. “Come on out… we know you’re in there.”

“It’s Parnello,” whispered Barancz.

“Of course it’s Parnello,” Luke mocked lightly. “But if you don’t mind… We have to go… NOW!”

A string of swear words echoed against the door as Luke began to push Barancz up into the ceiling space. Mara grabbed the other man and tugged him through the hole.

“Okay, Skywalker. Hurry up.”

Luke perched on the table and reached upwards and with a loud and threatening crash the door began to buckle. Mara leaned out and extended her hands.

The pounding increased in volume and intensity as Luke gathered himself to leap upwards. Suddenly he paused and glanced around the office.

“Luke!” Mara shrieked.

With a desperate glance upwards Luke shouted above the din. “Go… both of you.”

Luke!” Mara screamed again, her voice worried.

“Find Artoo and get to the ship. I’ll hold them off for a bit longer. I’ve got an idea… I think.”

“Luke, the motion sensors… they’re still on. Turn them off.” Mara shouted frantically. “As soon as anyone gets within a few feet of them… they’ll get fried. We need to be able to get near the ship.”

“Right… Where?” Swiftly he twisted around and waved his hand at a bank of obsolete looking switches. With a crackle all the lights went out. “I’ve turned everything off… I suspect I’ve just blown all the switches.”

More blaster fire peppered the door. It was holding but only just.

“Luke!” Mara cried, hoping that he would see sense. “Come on.”

“No time, Jade. Get out of here and look after Barancz.” He climbed off the desk and gripped his lightsaber tightly. He would be ready. The hostility from outside and Barancz’s fear washed over Luke in waves. He’d felt this here once before… no… he realised. It hadn’t been him… but someone like him many years ago.

Mara bit her lip to stop the anguish flooding her from getting out of hand. If Luke wanted her to get to the ship - then she would. “Artoo” she spoke into her com. “Artoo Detoo! For sith’s sake, where are you?”

“He’s heading south. This building faces north. The ship is located about a hundred metres behind it. It’s not far.” Barancz’s face loomed out of the darkness, pale with worry.

‘Luke!’

‘Just go, Mara,’ she heard the decision colouring his voice. ‘I need to stage a little diversion.’

‘Don’t get yourself killed, farmboy.’

He felt her worry and her displeasure coming at him though the Force. ‘Jade, you know I’m right.’

‘Is it worth me asking you to be careful?’

‘No time, Jade. Get going and I… I…’

‘What?’

‘Nothing,’

Mara gave one last look down at the Jedi Master as he climbed down from the desk and stood, lightsaber in his hands, waiting for whatever happened next. With a sigh, she moved away from the hole in the ceiling and carefully crawled along the roof supports until she sat next to Barancz. Around them and below them the noise was deafening.

For a moment she said nothing, her head bowed with some inner pain. With a quiet sigh she raised her chin. “Okay,” she said. “I’m going to carve us an escape route. We’ll slip through it and lie still for a few moments. The best thing you can do for the moment is to follow me.” Her voice wavered slightly. “Luke … will be fine.”

Barancz sat perched on a fragile looking strut. “There are at least twenty of them… How can he?”

“He’s a great man.” Mara said simply. “He thinks of others before he ever considers himself and why did it take me so long…?” Her voice tailed away. “He will do what he has to. Eventually the others will come to the conclusion that you and I are not in the building and we didn’t leave. We will be discovered if we don’t move immediately.”

“I don’t know if this roof will support our weight for much longer.”

“All the more reason to get moving,” Mara answered shifting uncomfortably on the spindly roof support. She grasped her lightsaber in her hand and flipped on the switch. Briefly the humming blue blade lit up the darkness of the ceiling space as Mara efficiently carved their escape route into the night.

Easing on to the roof Mara and Barancz lay flat waiting for the best time to make their getaway.

“What’s happening to Luke?” Barancz whispered.

Mara closed her eyes, her mouth a thin line. “He’s let himself be taken.” Her voice sounded so tired. “He said he’d distract them.”

The door to the office had finally been breached in a shower of molten metal and hissing sparks. Luke had patted away a few stray shots with his saber but hadn’t gone out of his way to evade capture. He was the diversion.

Parnello watched, a disdainful sneer crossing his face as some of the men brought Luke from the ruins of the office and bound his hands. Luke didn’t point out to them as a Jedi he could easily escape his bonds. Luke reckoned that it wouldn’t do him any harm to have a few Jedi tricks at the ready.

“Where are the others?” Parnello demanded.

“What others?” Luke said calmly playing for time.

“You weren’t alone.”

“I wasn’t?” Luke drew on the Force bringing all the attention on himself and for a moment or two the other men stared at the Jedi Master in confusion. ‘For Force’s sake Mara, get out of here.’

“Cut the crap.” At a nod from Parnello, Tobia backhanded the Jedi across the face - hard.

Luke’s head jerked back with the impact of the blow but he didn’t allow the expression of polite neutrality on his face to change.

‘If you are in any way able to, Mara,’ Luke tried to send a message, ‘For Force’s sake go now.’

*************************

“Barancz… come on.” Mara carefully gathered herself and with a lithe twisting of her body jumped off the roof in a neat somersault.

‘If she thinks I’m doing that, she can think again,’ Barancz thought to himself. “Okay,” he mumbled and began to slip down the edge of the building. He froze in panic clinging to the wall, his fingers digging tightly to the edge of the roof.

‘Relax,’ Mara sent to him. ‘Let go - you’ll be fine. Just let your fingers slip from the roof and slide.’

Barancz didn’t hear her words in his head. He only knew that his limbs began to move of their own accord. An invisible hand seemed to catch him and steady his descent in a way that he was unable to describe. Soon he had joined Mara on the ground.

With a quick nod of her head, they bent low and sprinted as quickly as they could away from the office building.

“They’ll catch on to our method of escape very soon.” Barancz puffed, still astounded at his escape.

“Maybe, but let’s make sure they don’t catch us,” she answered grimly. “Down!” Mara hissed firmly and pushed Barancz flat, as a stray shot sailed over his head. “Relax, they weren’t shooting at us with that one.”

“How can I relax?” he huffed breathlessly.

“Just keep moving,” Mara returned swiftly.

On all fours they crawled to the shelter of the ruined cockpit of what once may have been a sister ship to Han Solo’s beloved Millennium Falcon.

Panting heavily, Mara listened for any sounds of pursuit as she collapsed behind the makeshift cockpit shield.

Barancz rolled onto his back, his chest rising and falling rapidly. “They’re bound to have seen us.”

“Not if Luke didn’t let them,” Mara answered.

“He can do that?”

“He doesn’t like clouding minds but yes, he can…” She shifted, crouching low, all her senses alert. “I only hope he’s still able to do something about his own situation.” Mara was clearly anxious. “We’d better move again.”

The shooting had stopped and instead they could hear the angry cries of men thwarted in their actions. The heated voices seemed to be coming closer.

Mara almost chuckled, but not with mirth. “Our brief respite is over.”

Barancz peered out from their hiding place. “I would agree. We’re not safe if we stay here.”

“Where’s the ship?”

“Not far… It should be straight ahead.” He pulled a couple of crude cutting tools from his belt. “We may have a problem getting inside. These should help.”

Now Mara did laugh softly. “I have a lightsaber.” She patted the weapon hanging from her belt. “It can get through just about anything. Right now, however, I suggest we run. Our pursuers are getting too close for my peace of mind.”

They took off at a run, but all the while Mara’s mind called out to Luke and he did not answer.

******************************

Luke spat a mouthful of blood on the ground, just by Tobia’s feet. “You were saying?” he rasped. He had to give Mara and Barancz as much time as he could before the others started their search. He peered at the various faces lit by the light of the flaming torch. They didn’t look as if they were inclined to be reasonable. Sending Mara a warm caress through the force, he built up his shields and closed their bond. He loved her, but wasn’t going to tell her... not now. Now wasn’t the time. Maybe she knew; he’d given himself away on any number of occasions. “Force be with you… my love,” he whispered.

“What did you say?” Parnello swung a punch into Luke’s gut, but the Jedi had expected this and thought that the effect of hitting Luke’s taut abdomen would hurt Parnello more than it did Luke. The result was a red tide of rage which crossed Parnello’s features as he nursed his throbbing hand.

Luke winced as the pain in his jaw made itself felt. His lightsaber had been removed and one of the thugs had it hanging from his belt. Concentrating on the weapon, Luke made it drop unnoticed on the ground and roll harmlessly away. But as he attuned himself to the Force, the edges between Luke’s actuality and the past began to blur. Another blow to the head knocked Luke Skywalker into unconsciousness and clear into another reality.

“Where is the senator? This is her ship and she was on board.”

“Senator?”

“Lord Vader wants to talk to her most particularly.”

“Lord Vader wants to talk to the senator? Then he will have to catch up with my lady on Naboo. She is visiting there with Queen Jamila. We are on a humanitarian mission to outlier worlds devasted by the effects of the Clone Wars. Our ship was attacked and had to make an emergency landing. The lady is not on this mission.”

“You lie!” The speaker cracked a hand across the side of his head.

When his vision cleared, he stammered weakly, “It is the truth. The senator is on her home world.”

“Who is the senior authority on the vessel?” the white-visored trooper enquired coldly.

“Lady Sabé of Naboo… but…”

“Lady Sabé of Naboo,” he repeated. “Our invariably reliable sources informed us that Senator Amidala was travelling. It is her vessel.” The eyes behind the white helmet bored disbelievingly into him. “Search the ship!” he spoke into the comlink attached to his helmet.

“Sir, you cannot. When we crash landed the self-destruct was activated. The ship is going to explode!”

“This cannot be possible.”

“Use your sensors. You will see it for the truth,” he protested.

The trooper lifted a dismissive hand. “Check on this and then kill him.”

“You cannot!” The voice rang with authority. “He spoke the truth. The senator is at present on her home world. Lord Vader will have to speak to me or to Lady Farae.”

“Lady Sabé!”

Luke Skywalker slumped between the men who held him in their grasp apparently unable to fight back from the beating they were giving him.

*****************************

“This must be the place,” Forrell whispered, as he climbed out of the speeder. Suddenly he turned to the others. “All the lights went out – just now. Basic security lights… pretty poor ones…”

“Okay, okay.” Lek’s eyes darted around uneasily. “I don’t like it. One minute there’s laser fire and then all the lights go out.”

“Listen,” Malyre interrupted loudly.

“Ssh!” Forrell and Lek barked in unison, then immediately dropped their voices to low murmurs. “Do you want to alert the whole planet?”

“You have to exaggerate,” the old Selonian whined. “You were much louder than I was just now. I’d have done better on my own. Will you two listen?” Malyre’s voice began to rise again until Lek clapped a hand over his mouth.

“Quiet!” he hissed.

Malyre mumbled through the fingers covering his lips, “I only wanted to say… if you listen, you can hear beings shouting. The lights going out wasn’t planned.”

“Oh!” Lek muttered as his hand dropped from his friend’s face. “I wondered why it went dark.”

Forrell motioned with his hand and Malyre and Lek climbed slowly from the speeder. The three oldsters crept to the yard entrance and peered in. They could hear the sound of voices and more laser fire but there was no one at the gate. They made their way to the source of the noise with Forrell leading the way.

“You all have your blasters ready?” he asked.

Malyre tapped a claw on the weapon at his belt and Lek nodded his grizzled grey head and clutched his laser pistol in a shaking hand. “No rushing in this time. Make sure they’re really in trouble."

The Ship – Chapter 18

By Ash Darklighter

Disclaimer: The characters and situations used in this story are the property of Lucasfilm Ltd. I am not benefiting in any way from the writing of this tangled tale. Credits, Republican or Imperial have not entered my hands. My thanks as always to the girls for their help.

Artoo Detoo rolled carefully across the bumpy surface as fast as he could, his stubby legs protesting at the ill-usage they were receiving. He didn’t claim to be able to sense things like Master Luke did, but there was just that hint of a threat in the air. Artoo couldn’t explain why that was so – it just was. Perhaps because, in Artoo’s expert opinion, Master Luke’s vital signs showed the fluctuations corresponding with anxiety.

Up ahead his photoreceptors and his sensors told him that there was a large obstacle blocking his path. With a warble of frustration, Artoo rotated his little domed head until something connected in his neural circuits. It struck him that the impediment to his progress could be in fact, the very thing he was searching for. Master Luke would be pleased and he would definitely be one up on Threepio when they returned to Coruscant. Not that he liked to brag of course, but Threepio could get very self-important about his many accomplishments and Artoo was droid enough to relish the thought of a little one upmanship, or should that be one droidmanship.

Artoo extended his sensors towards what could only be described as a small mound – a small, debris-strewn hillock. If he wasn’t mistaken, Artoo reckoned that the mound was constructed from a chromium alloy, covered with encrusted soil, small pieces of obsolete hardware and hollow in the middle. Scanning around him he checked to see if he had acquired any unwelcome company. The little droid fancied that he was picking up a broader range of noise than before and it was possible that the noise had become more aggressive in its tenor, although there were no sentient beings near him at present. With a resigned hoot, Artoo decided it had to be that Master Luke had probably run into a spot of bother. For a moment the little droid hesitated in his task, but then remembered that his Master had been in trouble many times before. These humans had a propensity for bringing strife in their wake and Master Luke managed it more than most. Still, the unpredictable and rather intimidating Mara Jade was there to back up Artoo in the difficult task of keeping Master Luke free from harm.

Rolling close to the side of the mud-encrusted obstruction, Artoo carefully extended a claw-like appendage. He beeped softly as he cautiously scraped away at nearly forty years of grime. Underneath was a bright gleam of silver. Artoo’s gurgle of electronic noise sounded remarkably like satisfaction.

************************************

Peering from behind a pile of rusted rubbish, Lek, Malyre, and Forrell watched with growing horror. The scene in front of their eyes wasn’t one they believed they were actually seeing. Luke was rapidly being beaten into unconsciousness.

Luke was suspended between Tobia and a hulking, bearded giant by the name of Kroodyn, his arms stretched out from his sides in the rough grasp of their callused hands. His legs were wedged apart and pinned between those of his captor on each side, effectively making both the front and back of his body an open playing field for abuse. This was obviously a game that had been played many times in the past by the men in the yard. With the efficiency of a team choosing sides for sports they divided into two groups, one in front of Luke and one behind. Parnello gave a nod and Topper stepped up from the front group to take the first turn. Drawing back his fist, he snarled as he threw all his weight behind a punch to the left side of Luke’s face. Luke’s head snapped to the right from the blow and blood began to trickle from a cut near the eye. The group at his back were up next and the first man in line planted a booted foot in the small of Luke’s back. The force of it almost wrenched him from his abusers’ hold. Not to be outdone, the front group replied with a flying kick to the ribcage. With little delay a blow to the back of his head followed. Parnello, still nursing his hand from his earlier attempt to gut-punch Luke, took particular delight in kicking him in the abdomen…grinning the entire time.

“They’re killing him,” Lek whispered, horror colouring his voice.

“He’s letting them do it,” said Forrell. “He’s not reacting at all. Maybe he’s not in trouble.”

“Looks like trouble to me,” Malyre stated. “Maybe he’s hurt too bad to fight back. I think we should go help him this time. He doesn’t look too good.”

“He’s a Jedi. I thought they could defend themselves,” Lek muttered.

Malyre’s gaze was unexpectedly wise. “Forrell – you’ve got it right, my friend. He’s letting them hurt him and he’ll have his reasons for it – the Jedi always do.” He got to his feet and crawled as near as he could without blowing his cover. Selonians, even old ones, could move quite well when they had to.

Luke’s a Jedi?” Forrell asked, amazement crossing his plump features. “I knew he was more than a moisture farmer but I never suspected… How come you didn’t tell me? You mean he was that Luke we saw in the…”

“I don’t think he was that Luke,” Lek bit out irritably. “That Luke is the head of the Jedi order. Our Luke is…”

“What do you think a Jedi is doing so far out on the Rim?” Forrell’s eyes were inquisitive.

“How do I know? Oh, just come on and stop wasting time. Jedi or not, Luke’s in trouble and you’re the best shot amongst the three of us.” He crawled stiffly, his aging joints protesting, after Malyre.

“Okay.” Forrell snapped back, his goatee beard quivering with indignation. He peered after Malyre and Lek as they made their way along the dusty ground. “I have to do that?” he asked to their departing backs. “Not fair… This is my second best tunic,” he moaned to himself. “But I am the best shot, that’s true.

Luke hung between his captors yet did not seem to be fully aware of what was happening to him. Every man had taken a turn at his face and body but the Jedi seemed to be impervious to the pain. His discoloured face was rapidly swelling up, bruised and covered with blood. He stared at nothing, his one good blue eye half closed, a strange smile on his lips.

“That’s enough!” Parnello gave the order. “We need him to be able to tell us why he’s come back. He’s after the old man’s ship and if someone else is after it, there must be credits in it for us. Why would some guy come all the way across the galaxy? What’s in that ship that is so valuable?”

“He don’t look as if he can tell us much now,” Topper commented snidely and aimed a final swipe at Luke’s sandy head, his hair now matted with crusting blood. His black hat had long since gone. The rough hands restraining him reluctantly let him go and Luke sagged onto the hard ground. He smothered a groan as his cracked ribs shifted against each other at the motion.

“Give him a while.” Parnello’s surly face cracked into a smile. “We have the woman and Bar to get. I knew he was up to something. This woman… she will be worth getting to know and we can all take our time with her. If she’s unwilling - so much the better. I like it rough and I bet she will too. She’s probably only used to soft guys like this bugger.” He sniggered crudely. “Once I’m done…” He didn’t say any more but the look on his face told the three hidden onlookers exactly what he had in mind for Merah.

Luke heard Parnello’s voice through a haze of pain and he immediately used the Force to dull the agony. Not Mara, they couldn’t harm Mara.

‘I must protect the Lady,’ he thought. ‘I must help the Lady Sabé divert their attentions from the Lady Farae… She must escape. All our lives depend on this.’ Then another thought made fear turn his bones to liquid. ‘This wasn’t real – these were dreams from another time, but he had to protect his lady. She was out there and she was in danger. He was Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight, and somewhere - he knew it as surely as he knew about his love for Mara Jade - help was near’. With a struggle he returned from that place and time of long ago dreams and concentrated with difficulty on the here and now. Opening his one good eye, he saw help was at hand.

Luke was pulled roughly to his feet and as he tottered unsteadily, nearly collapsing on the ground again, he was brutally pushed and held upright by Tobia who grasped his right hand and twisted his right arm behind his back. The Jedi Master struggled to see through his half-shut eyes, his vision swimming and appeared to stare right at Forrell. He seemed to say, ‘If you’re going to help me… go on.’ But he couldn’t have said that… could he?

“Right!” Forrell said quietly but firmly as he stood up in plain view of anyone who cared to look. It was a good thing that the moon had gone behind a cloud and the only light was the faintly flickering flame of the dwindling torch held in one of the men’s hands.

“Will you get down!” Lek grabbed at Forrell’s pant’s leg. “You’ll be seen.”

“Luke can see me,” he whispered. “He knows we’re here.”

“Impossible,” Lek said. “How can he?”

Malyre gave a soft wheezy chuckle. “He’s looking straight at us.”

“He’s not…” Lek focused on the compact figure in black and with a small start of surprise noticed that the Jedi did seem to be looking in their direction. “Oh!”

*******************************************

Mara steadied her rapid breathing and glanced down at the man by her side. He lay on his back, his eyes screwed shut. “Barancz, we can’t stay here.”

“You go on. I’ll go back and see if I can help Luke. They’ll kill him otherwise.” He dragged himself to his feet and grinned faintly. “I know this yard as well as any of them and they’ll have to find me first.”

“But…”

“You go on,” he repeated. “The ship’s just ahead.” Barancz shrugged lightly. “You can’t miss it, really.”

Mara gave him a dry look. “Really,” she echoed.

“I’ll go and see if I can find Luke for you.”

Mara’s face changed, worry gnawing at her features. “He’s in pain. I can feel it, but he’s alive. He’s up to something… that wily, no-good, sith-spawned…” Her gaze rested on Barancz and her voice was almost amused, laced with a hint of pain. “Why do his plans nearly always involve him being beaten practically to death?”

“I…” Barancz opened and shut his mouth helplessly.

“It’s just Luke… don’t try and understand him.” She turned towards where her sense told her the Jedi Master was. Her mouth firmed and a new resolve echoed in her voice. “I have to go and help him. We’re a team and we work best together.”

“No, Mara... Wait!” Barancz shouted as Mara turned on her heels and began to run back the way they had come.

Suddenly there was a roar of discovery. “There they are!”

Mara jerked to one side as a shot whistled past her. The old danger sense flaring into action once more, she rapidly whirled around again and just ran. Barancz dived to one side and headed off in a completely different direction. ‘Good idea… to split up,’ Mara thought. Then all she did was run. She leapt over a long-discarded swoop bike and doubled back, then looped around in what she hoped was a circle. It was difficult to tell in the dark and at speed. ‘Try and lose them, Jade,’ she urged herself. ‘You won’t help Skywalker if you get caught too.’ She took note of her surroundings. ‘It won’t help if you get lost either. Lose them, not yourself.’

With her heart thudding loudly in her ears, Mara took a right turn and then a left, twisting through piles of long obsolete ships. She imagined that she could hear people pursuing her and ran all the faster, her Jedi reflexes keeping her wits active and her limbs functioning. Rounding another corner…

“Oh, sithspit!” she swore as she was confronted with a group of Parnello’s men.

The thugs rushed towards her gleefully cackling and shouting obscenities. With another oath Mara pulled her lightsaber from her belt and, crouching into the classic Jedi defence stance, ignited it with a snap-hiss. The men grew silent, but pressed forward. Mara waved it in their faces and then leapt high into the air landing lightly on top of a pile of stacked crates.

“How’d she do that?”

“Sorcery… Parnello was right.”

Biting her lip, Mara worriedly scanned her escape options and they didn’t look good. What would she have done as the Emperor’s Hand and what would Luke want her to do as a Jedi? She had two real alternatives. Pulling one of the thermal detonators from out of her backpack she fingered it lovingly. Then again… She replaced the device back where it had come from and smiled, her choice made. Taking a deep, calming breath, Mara relaxed and immersed herself into the Force, somersaulted over their heads and sped back into the metal labyrinth. For a moment the men stood stunned and then, galvanized into action, the chase began once more.

************************************

Luke couldn’t be sure but it seemed that there were three, hazy shapes ahead of him poorly concealed behind a couple of twisted TIE solar panels. ‘If you’re going to help me… go on,’ he thought hazily. He tracked the position of his lightsaber ready to bring it to his hand. The Force called out to him and he gave a half smile. ‘Ready?’

Forrell heard the word in his head and nodded at the other two. They all brought their weapons up. “Ready?” he whispered.

Lek moistened his lips with his tongue and brought his old rifle into position, his hands shaking slightly on the trigger. Malyre lovingly cradled a more modern blaster and the claws, which looked awkward at times wielding normal everyday items, seemed to hold the weapon with ease. They nodded in reply.

Luke dipped his head sharply downwards and jerked his hand and arm free. At that moment Forrell opened fire and his first shot wounded Tobia right in the shoulder.

It all happened in an instant. One second Luke was wavering in Tobia’s rough grasp and the next… chaos - total chaos. The lightsaber flew from its innocuous position on the ground to become a green humming blade of destruction. Added to that were the weapons fire from Forrell, Lek and Malyre. A lightsaber in the hands of a master was a formidable weapon indeed and Luke hadn’t been standing still over the years in improving his swordsmanship. Even badly injured, with one eye almost closed from the beatings he’d received, he still managed to cut a swathe through Parnello’s men. Most of them, like the cowards they were, turned tail and ran away. Some of them would never run anywhere again. Luke, with a lightsaber in his hand, performed steps as intricately as did any premier dancer, a half smile on his face.

Malyre chuckled gleefully as he hit one of the running men right in the small of the back. “It was set on stun,” he said calmly. “I get the feeling the Jedi is not too keen on killing.”

Lek assessed Luke’s condition. He was still swinging the saber in a blur of motion, but the strokes were wilder, less poised. He was tiring.

“He can’t go on much further,” Lek said.

“Then we go in,” Forrell decided. “He’s taken down half of them anyway. Who would have thought that harmless looking tube could cause so much damage?” He pursed his lips, thinking hard. “Go back to the speeder, Malyre and bring me the large carryall… and do it quickly.” He aimed a couple more shots into the melee, allowing himself a grim smile of satisfaction when they both hit their targets.

With a mere baring of his toothy fangs, Malyre slunk out of sight and returned seconds later with a large bag.

“Surely it’s not time for a snack,” Lek hissed.

“Security vests,” Forrell said. “Put them on.”

“Eh?”

Malyre chuckled and slipped the bulky padded garment over his head. “I can’t bend with the wind like I used to, I’m getting old.” He picked up his blaster. “Someone might hit me.”

“Don’t tempt me,” grunted Lek as he struggled into his.

“It’s best to be prepared,” Forrell intoned sanctimoniously. “I suggest we all approach from different directions. That way they think there are more of us.”

Lek made a face. “Who made you Grand Admiral?”

“I’m the security officer here.”

“O-h-h!” Lek drew out the word, but he grudgingly gathered his courage and with the other two began to encircle Luke’s position firing carefully as they made their way forward. The Jedi was wilting fast, but still trying to fight his way out of trouble.

“Luke… we’re coming,” shouted Malyre genially as, with a final burst of fire, Forrell sent the remaining attackers scurrying into the night. Or to be accurate, the faint mist of a very early dawn. Light was beginning to think about making itself felt.

The Jedi swayed unsteadily on his feet and finally crumpled into Lek’s outstretched arms.

“Mara!” he moaned. “Mara… got to find… Mara.”

The three unlikely rescuers gave each other puzzled looks.

“I thought he said ‘Mara’?” Forrell frowned.

“It’s his accent. These offworlders can sound very strange,” Malyre decided. “Mara… Merah… whatever.”

“I don’t know… but there’s no sign of Merah anywhere.”

“Come on… let’s get him out of the open. It’s not safe to stay out here. They may regroup and return,” Lek said thoughtfully.

Luke coughed and a trickle of blood ran down his chin. “Mara,” he whispered. “They… they will regroup and return… but after… Mara.”

“Get him into the speeder,” Lek instructed. “Careful now.”

“No!” Luke opened his eyes and peered blearily up at his three champions. “Thanks guys. Just give me a moment.”

“You look rough,” Malyre said helpfully.

Luke tried to smile through his cracked and bleeding lips. “I feel a bit rough, but it will pass. I’ve been worse.”

“I think you need a bacta dip myself,” added Forrell.

Luke couldn’t help it. At the mention of bacta, he groaned and immediately the intense pain in the area of his ribcage made itself familiar to him.

Lek shone a glow-rod directly into the dazed Jedi’s face. “Luke… son… you okay?”

“Yeah, just a twinge.” Luke gave a grimace, his face white, and tried to get to his feet. He tried and failed. “No…” He held up his hand. “Just give me a minute. I’ll be fine in a minute.”

Lek frowned, what had Luke said? He’d mentioned Merah. Lek’s heart almost stopped as the credit dropped. “We may not have a minute, Luke. Merah may not have a minute. Where is she?”

Luke frowned “She’s… gone.” Panic and dread clouded his expression. “I don’t know where she’s gone. Fear is of the dark side. Fear leads to anger; anger leads to hate… hate leads to suffering. Why all this hate and suffering?”

“What’s he saying?” Forrell asked. “I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I,” Lek muttered under his breath and carefully placed his hands under Luke’s arms. “Can you lift him, Malyre?”

The old Selonian gave a grunt of assent and took the Jedi Master’s legs. Between them they carried Luke to the speeder

“I knew we could never be… so I took away her memory of our time together…” Luke’s voice grew more rapid – more agitated. “There’s been too much suffering already and it’s not going to end here. The hate will go on. She had to go away.”

“What! Is Merah dead? I thought she had escaped.”

“No… not dead, just gone. She’ll never think of me again. Our time together will just be a blank. Otherwise she’ll never be safe… never be safe.”

“Luke!” Worriedly Lek shook the younger man. “Where’s Merah?”

“Merah! Who’s Merah?” he asked, his voice odd. “Where’s Farae!” Luke suddenly screamed, the sound heartrending. “Farae!”

*********************************************************

Barancz couldn’t believe his eyes. He recognised the two old men from the spaceport tapcaf. What were they doing in the yard? Then the credit registered. “Well, I’ll be a kowakian monkey lizard’s joke!” he exclaimed quietly.

He stealthily crept towards their temporary hiding place.

“What do you think you are doing?” The question was snarled somewhere into the back of his shoulder blade, but there was no mistaking the feel of the blaster digging into his back.

Barancz sighed. He had slipped up there. There had been three of them, not two. “I’m a friend of Luke and Mara’s.”

There it was again – Mara.

The blaster dug a little deeper. “I’m a friend, honestly,” Barancz babbled quickly. “I saw you at the tapcaf when I came to speak with the Jedi. The others are after me, too. I shouldn’t have told…”

The blaster was removed but the face Forrell presented to Barancz was dark with suspicion. “Told what? How do we know you are telling the truth?”

“Because he is.”

The voice was tired, but unmistakeably Luke’s. They all turned to stare at the Jedi Master and he managed a weak smile. “I’m okay… A little crumpled round the edges, but okay.”

“You were saying some crazy things, son,” Lek said quietly. “Asking for people I’ve never heard of. I was getting worried.”

Luke sighed wearily. “I had a funny dream. Jedi have them quite often - I think it’s part of the job description…” His shoulders slumped - pain and exhaustion seeping through his normally imperturbable mask. “Bit of a bump on the head too. He gingerly felt the large swelling at the back of his head. “I’ll get it checked properly when I get home. If I have time.” Then his expression changed as he spied Barancz hovering next to Forrell. “Where’s Mara? I thought she was with you.”

“We got separated,” Barancz explained warily.

“Separated!” Luke’s voice rose.

“We need to get to the ship. She was heading there when we were spotted. I went one way and she the other to confuse them.”

“So they know that she’s still out there?” Lek’s voice was heavy with dread. He remembered the look on Parnello’s face as he had talked about Merah. “If they catch her, they won’t just beat her…”

“Of course they know.” Luke tried to swallow past the huge lump of terror that had just appeared in his throat. “How fast can you fly this speeder?” he asked Forrell. “How fast can it go?”

“I… er… It’s fast…”

“Move!” he ordered peremptorily. “I’ll drive.”

“But Luke… you’re in no fit state to drive anything anywhere,” Lek protested.

“I’m driving. Mara is on her own and there are… I won’t call them sentient beings… out there who will...” He shuddered, trying to banish the image from his mind of Mara being pinned down, unable to… “I’m driving,” he finished.

“Let the young one drive… he will do himself no good if he continues this. I am prepared to take the risk.” Malyre pushed Forrell out of the way and shifted Luke into the driving seat.

The Jedi Master gave him a grin and blocked all the pain he was feeling. Mara could be in serious trouble. “Hold on,” he warned and ignored the dizzying thump his own head gave as his foot touched the throttle.

The Ship by Ash

Chapter 19

Disclaimer – The characters and situations used in this story are the property of Lucasfilm Ltd and I will make no credits from this endeavour. My thanks to the girls as usual for their help and encouragement.

Mara could feel the pain in her side as she ran, but more importantly, behind her she could hear the pounding feet of the men pursuing her. ‘Got to lose them, Jade,’ she told herself firmly. ‘This is no time to play at being a fambaa.’ Darting swiftly around the abandoned hulk of what once was a pre-Clone Wars Corellian corvette, she stopped in her tracks. In front of her, nestled in a hollow, rose the gently sloping mound of what resembled the outline of a ship. “Yes!” she cried, an un-named emotion rising swiftly in her breast. It was so clear that this was what they’d been searching for. She could almost picture the elegant, graceful lines of the vessel – a product of a more gentle and refined age.

Without stopping any longer to think, Mara ran right up to the obstruction and gaped in astonishment at the outline of a door. The muck and rubbish which had built up around the entrance to the ship had been carefully scraped away.

Her danger sense abruptly gave her warning as she tumbled to the ground, her ugly hat flying off and tightly braided plaits coming free from their pins. The shot just missed her head by inches. Mara slipped her hold-out blaster from its concealed wrist holder and snapped off a couple of return shots as she ducked down behind a large, defunct racing-pod engine. Ignoring the angry cry of pain from a successful hit, Mara turned, reached up and fumbled at the outline of a long hidden key-pad. If this didn’t work she was dead meat - fit only for the rancor pit. She threw a glance over her shoulder as she crouched back down behind the pod engine, her vivid green eyes widening at the sight of her hunters lined up and ready. “Sithspawn!” she swore, panic setting in. ‘Keep calm, Jade…. Fear is of the darkside and all that. They can’t see you just now. I hope they can’t see you – not unless they can see through solid objects,’ she told herself, but no amount of reassurance could quell her accelerating pulse.

Luke’s voice echoed over and over in her head. ‘Run, my lady, Mara… Run!”

“I’ve nowhere to run to. I’m cut off”, she snarled sarcastically. “This is not helping, farmboy.” A few more shots hit the entrance hatch and one ricocheted off the engine which sheltered her, landing harmlessly. Mara stretched out her hand and her hat flew into it. With another muffled curse, she rammed it back on her head. It was easier than carrying it.

Another deeper voice – one she didn’t recognise, stated calmly, “The handmaiden - she knows the code,”

Mara ignored the unknown voice; she didn’t know any code. ‘Luke!’ She tried to contact him, but he was shielding or unconscious. Suddenly, she froze as events around her seemed to move into slow motion. Behind her, she could still hear the vicious threats and offensive taunts of beings baying for her blood but it was as if they existed on a different plane. Still, it didn’t make a lot of difference to her plight. She had nowhere to go – she was trapped. But if things had gone into slow motion....

Her fingers scrabbled frantically at the long-encrusted sand and dirt around the door panel. “Palpatine’s black bones!” she swore again in frustration. Once more she glanced behind her. The men stood assembled like statues – barely moving, but they still stood in her way. There was nothing she could do. No, there was something she could do. She could fight. Her fingers curved around the hilt of her lightsaber, the one that Luke had given her all those years ago - the one which had belonged to his father.. She could fight and she could die. Even with the Force aiding and guiding her, there were too many of them and she was trapped. She didn’t know enough about the Force to guess how long this state of affairs would last. ‘Where was a Jedi Master when you needed one?’

The lightsaber ignited and the familiar blue blade hummed into living life. Mara was astounded at the way it trembled in her grasp. The weapon truly felt alive and she knew that the Force was with her. It had never felt like that before, this feeling was different. For the first time in her life, her lightsaber wasn’t just a weapon - it was an extension of herself. Then an idea occurred and she ran the tip of the saber around the door seal. A lightsaber could cut through anything…

The blade fizzled out.

Mara’s brain spun wildly. “What!” This couldn’t be happening to her. She sifted through stored information in her mind until it came to her. “Bloody hell! Cortosis ore.” Whoever built this ship had wanted to protect it from Jedi but it could have been from dark side users rather than the light. Cortosis ore was something that slowed down lightsabers. Palpatine had it installed in the walls of his suite in the Imperial Palace. This was useless. She hadn’t time to work her way through a layer of cortosis ore.

Where the hell was Skywalker and more importantly, was he all right?

“Handmaiden… knows the code.”

“I don’t know any stupid code!” Mara ground out between clenched teeth. “Will you quit hounding me about it, whoever you are?” She moved into attack position, the saber grasped firmly, and gasped as the world around her began to speed up. This was peculiar, even if the Force was the root cause.

“Handmaiden...”

“Shut up!” she hissed, gripping her saber so hard that her hands hurt. “I’m talking to disembodied voices? That is all I need on top of this?”

“There she is!”

The cry came as Parnello and his men began to charge forward.

The fear hit her and for a moment her legs shook. She wasn’t someone who caved in at the sight of a group of hostile beings – she was proud and strong. Like Skywalker, she was more accustomed to fighting than loving, but somehow this seemed more desperate. Perhaps because this time she was going to die and she was frightened. Here she was pinned in place like a hunted morodin and the thought of the malicious glee her former master might have indulged in at her expense made her stiffen her backbone and raise her chin to the stubborn angle that Luke would recognise. Palpatine – how he would have punished her for her actions. Instinctively she dodged to one side and a shot pinged off the side of the ship. The outlined door and keypad held a big clue but the sound of metal hitting metal confirmed everything she already knew. There was definitely something inside that mound.

“Get her; she’s got nowhere to run.”

Mara’s hand touched the door once again, the dried dirt flaking off underneath her fingers. It looked as if a cleaning droid had been at it, she thought. Hold it! Artoo Detoo - where was Artoo? Then she had no time to think about Artoo. She was in big trouble.

‘The handmaiden, she knows the code.’

Mara heard the measured voice again, this time more insistent. She didn’t understand what she was supposed to do. She had Force abilities. Luke said she was a Jedi but she’d never truly believed. Maybe this was the time to try… And then a small flicker of mirth rippled through her, perhaps misplaced in her situation, but what the hell. ‘Do not try.’

‘Mara,’ Luke’s voice sounded in her head.

‘About time,’ she thought back. ‘Are you okay, farmboy? I’ve been worried about you.’

‘Thank the Force you’re all right.’

“I’m all right!” Mara exclaimed out loud, rolling her eyes with exasperation. This wasn’t the time for a discussion on each other’s welfare. ‘What about you? You were the one I could feel being beaten senseless. However, I think ‘all right’ is not quite the term I had in mind. I have company approaching fast and I hadn’t planned on being entertaining. I’ll talk to you later, Skywalker.’

‘We’re coming, just hold on.’

‘I don’t know if I can,’ she answered sombrely. ‘We, what ‘we’?’ she asked herself.

‘Mara, what do you fear? Do you fear the Force itself, or is it letting go of all your doubts? You are a Jedi; you are one of the strongest people I know. You have to believe.’

‘Luke,’ she prayed desperately, jerking the saber up in front of her face just in time to stop a blaster bolt from drilling into her skull between her eyes. “Vader’s bones,” she muttered. “That was too close, but I am beginning to believe in something... or someone.”

‘Hang on in there, Jade. I’m coming.’

“Skywalker to the rescue once again.” Mara turned and began arbitrarily punching numbers into the key panel, in between blocking a continuing barrage of shots. “Sith! Where is Artoo when you need him?”

‘Handmaiden…’

There it was again, that voice.

‘Trust in the Force, Mara,’ Luke’s voice told her. ‘Trust in yourself.’

Closing her eyes, Mara sank deep into the Force and drew on all the power she could muster, just as Luke had taught her over the years. Another shot grazed the sleeve of her tunic but she barely felt the stinging sensation, so immersed in her trance was she. Her fingers moved over the keypad in a seemingly random pattern until suddenly, after nearly forty years, the door groaned open. Quick as a flash Mara slipped in between its portals and banged her fist on the door control panel. The hatch slid shut with a barely audible click.

Mara leant on the bulkhead, breathing heavily as she came to full awareness. The silence was the first thing – the silence and the stale smell of something closed to sunlight and life for a long, long time.

“By the Force,” she whispered, stunned. “I’m inside.”

Taking another deep breath, Mara took a careful step inside the ship and immediately started choking as thick dust stirred from its long resting place.

The plaintive warbling of an astromech droid made Mara jump. “I know that sound,” she muttered. “I definitely know that sound.” Mara took a step in the dark and banged her shin on something hard. “But… but… I’m the only one that… How the hell did he get in?” She let the lid off her slowly simmering temper. “Artoo Detoo.” The words squeezed between stiff lips promised retribution upon one particular astromech droid. “How in wild space did he…” Mara’s fiery temper exploded.

“ARTOO!”

*********************************************

The Millennium Falcon

“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” Han placed his arm around Leia and pulled her close. “I know you were hoping for more.”

“I know,” she said, her voice small. “Why did this happen, Han?”

“Who knows?” he answered, his face grave. “The Empire did many things that none of us can, or will, ever understand.” He gave her shoulder a quick squeeze and slumped into the pilot’s chair.

The Millennium Falcon flew in a high orbit around the planet Naboo. The Falcon’s sensors trained on the planet registered no sentient life forms, no cities or technology. The nearest thing to civilisation they had picked up on the scanners was a ruin. Han had flown as near to the world as he could without entering the lower atmosphere.

From a distance things had looked promising. Naboo hung in space, a dark blue world with strange clouds wreathing the planet in mystery.

“It looks beautiful, Han,” Leia murmured as she sat next to him.

But Han frowned as he stared at the scanner. “It may be beautiful from this distance and from the safety of the Falcon, but it’s as dead as Jabba the Hutt is… and I would guess that in reality, it is just as horrible.”

“Dead!”

“I can’t get readings from it. The sensors have gone haywire. Whatever happened down there was pretty much cataclysmic. The whole balance of nature has been altered and has lost whatever fight it tried to put up.”

Leia focused intently on the small world ahead of her, but she felt nothing. The Force was silent. She could feel Han’s presence, pulsing with life and warmth, but from Naboo… nothing. It was just a ball of rock. When those clouds had parted, they had seen a barren world and the blueness looked tainted somehow.

“Can we land?”

Han shook his head. “There are, according to the scanners, enough toxins in the lower atmosphere to melt the hull of the Falcon itself. If we were to land…” He ran his hands through his hair making it stand on end. “The results could be worse. I’m not sure what they used for the bio war but if it was way back when, the most popular was the metridonai flu. It was said to shrivel people’s internal organs. Another strain attacked plant and animal life. Not worth the risk if the spores are still active...” Han left his sentence unfinished. “Whoever did this was very determined and left nothing to chance. I’m not saying it was metridonai… but it was something very similar.”

“Metridonai! I thought it had been eradicated years ago.”

“It was, but you would have been very young. I think I was either, still in the Imperial Military, or flying smuggler runs by then. It made all the holonet newsvids. We could ask Winter. She would know.” He stood up and wandered to the rear of the cockpit, checking something on the computer. “Look sweetheart, we would need a total environmental suit and the Falcon would have to have a specially reinforced and coated hull.” He shrugged. “Military issue. But as I said, we could try and see if Winter remembers anything.”

“She’s the same age as I am… we think.”

“Perhaps, but she’s got access to the Imperial library and we don’t.”

“True.” Leia moved from the co-pilot’s chair and smoothed the tufts back down again. “Scruffy nerf,” she murmured.

“If I could have gift-wrapped the people of Naboo and given them to you, I would’ve.”

She gave a quick, sharp sigh. “I’ve dragged us all the way out here for nothing,”

“No, you had to come and after all the ‘hokey religion’ stuff with the kids and that damned game brother Luke gave them…”

“Just because they beat you every single time.”

“They do not!” Han protested indignantly. “I managed to hold my own.”

“Yeah, right,” she drawled, a wry smile crossing her lips. “I believe you, thousands certainly wouldn’t.”

Han snorted and moved to the pilot’s chair. “What do you want to do? Find Luke on Zathoq or head back home to the kids?”

“I’d prefer to stay a few more hours. I would like to meditate on a few things. Luke has been encouraging me to do that and I actually find that it can help.”

“That’s something, sweetheart. You should use the Force more… if it helps. Although I still say that a gut feeling and a good blaster…”

“I think we should go home after that,” Leia interrupted, shaking her head at him. “I miss the children and there’s nothing for us here and nothing we can do to make the Naboo return. It’s like Alderaan all over again but in some ways, it’s worse. They can still see what they’ve lost. Let’s go home, Han,” she repeated.

“What about Luke?” Han asked.

“He has Mara Jade to keep him company.”

“So he has.” He flipped a couple of switches and then rose, yawning widely. “I’m going to take a nap… Coming?”

“No, I want to stay where I can see Naboo.”

“Okay, Princess,” he mumbled affectionately, dropping a kiss on her soft cheek and heading out of the cockpit, leaving Leia alone.

She monitored the ship’s systems for a while, enjoying her solitude, and then just sat peacefully wondering about the fate of such a beautiful and cultured world. The first inkling that all wasn’t well was a short, sharp pain in her abdomen. It only lasted for a moment but… “Ouch!” Leia rubbed her hand across the affected area. “Must have been a ration bar I ate earlier,” she murmured, wincing. But over the next hour the pains kept coming at regular intervals despite regular visits to the ‘fresher. ‘Maybe I should wake Han,’ she thought as she paced up and down the cockpit. A very sharp ache lanced across her stomach followed immediately by another one. She checked her chrono and noted that when the pains subsided for a moment, that they were increasing in frequency and intensity. Suddenly she doubled over as a wave of pain hit. This just couldn’t be happening. “Han!” Leia shrieked. “Han!”

He dashed into the cockpit, his chest bare, dressed only in his sleeping shorts. “Leia! What is it?”

She was sitting hunched in the co-pilot’s seat, panting heavily, her face flushed. “Han, I think I’m… Ahh!” Her words cut off in a sudden cry of distress.

Han picked her up and half dragging, half carrying her, moved to the cabin. “What happened?” He dived into the med kit spilling hyposprays and bacta packs on the floor.

“I just keep getting these pains… oh…” She doubled over again. “The only times I’ve ever felt like this was when the children were born. I feel like I’ve gone into some sort of false labour.”

“What!” Han’s mouth hung open as he stared at his wife’s flat stomach. “You’re not pregnant!” He paused, thinking hard. “Are you?”

“No!” Leia screamed as another pain overtook her. “Of course I’m not pregnant, you half-wit. But I feel as if I am and this is what it felt like when I was having the twins.”

“Lie down… lie down. I’ll get medication,” he babbled frantically. “How often are the contractions coming? Are you going to give birth to something?” Han’s voice grew higher and higher.

“How do I know…urghh!” she swayed.

“Leia… Leia!” Han leant over his wife, catching her in his arms as she fainted. He did notice that she was breathing easier. “Sweetheart.” He patted her face gently willing her to open her eyes. “Sweetheart.”

“Han?” she whispered.

“It’s okay.” He pushed back the damp, clinging tendrils of her hair, smoothing them away from her face with shaking fingers. “Here.” He carefully wiped her flushed cheeks with a moist cloth and held a glass of water to her lips.

“Oh, Han,” she whispered. “I feel so… not myself.”

Carefully he helped her to the cabin and watched anxiously. “Is that it…?” he asked. “No, it’s not is it?” He answered his own question as his wife continued to experience something resembling the birth of her twins, years after the event. He had to get her to the nearest medical base to get checked out. Forget any more time to meditate or whatever. He’d had enough of the planet Naboo and all its weird Jedi connotations right now. They were going home.

Eventually an exhausted Leia lay sleeping as Han pondered this strange turn of events. He recalled when Leia had been pregnant with the twins and had collapsed as the Falcon had flown through the exact spot that the Emperor had died. He scratched his chin and sighed. He did not understand any of it. It was time to leave Naboo.

‘They wouldn’t give you shelter, senator?’

Leia shifted restlessly in her sleep as the dream began to take shape.

‘How could they? It wouldn’t have been fair. Lord Vader must never know about the babies. I had hoped to birth them in Theed, but Queen Jamila was right. I am too dangerous a citizen. They could possibly shelter me alone, but the offspring of Vader... No, Sabé, in the end I could not ask it of them.”

“My Lady?”

“Yes, Farae.”

“I have prepared your quarters for your rest. Obi Wan… I mean, Knight Kenobi, insists that you rest.”

Leia turned over in her sleep but didn’t awaken. The dream was too powerful and the woman named Farae looked exactly like Mara Jade.

“I will do so,”

“Is there something wrong, my Lady?”

Senator Padme Amidala took a deep breath and clutched at her protruding stomach. “I just felt a twinge, but it’s gone. You must rest too, handmaidens.”

“We will when we are sure that you are resting,” Sabé answered.

“I will go now… ahh!” Padme looked at her handmaidens, her face stricken with fear.

“It cannot be her time now? She is two months yet from birth.” Farae looked at Sabé for confirmation. “We have not left Naboo and Obi Wan and Master Yoda wanted to be present when the twins are born. What will we do?

“We will do what we have to,” Sabé said. “Women have been birthing babies since the dawn of the core worlds.” She spoke hurriedly into her comlink. “Captain Panaka, the Senator…”

“On my way,” the voice cut off sharply.

“Farae…” Sabé spoke gently to her younger comrade. “I need you to escort the Senator to her cabin and then to contact Master Obi Wan and Master Yoda. Can you do that?”

The girl lifted vivid green eyes filled with tension and managed a hesitant nod. “I can. Obi Wan… I mean Knight…”

Sabé’s smile was full of sympathy and understanding. “I know, Farae. Go and speak to him and I will contact Bail Organa of Alderaan. It may be many hours yet, before the birthing time arrives.” She watched Farae help her mistress away. “We have to get out of this system.”

A dark skinned man, who Leia vaguely recognised from somewhere, came into the room, his face as anxious as the women tending to the heavily pregnant senator.

“It’s her time… now?”

Sabé nodded. “It appears so. We need to be as far away from here as possible. Lord Vader and the Emperor are far too interested in her doings. Palpatine would stop at nothing to find an excuse to have her arrested. Obi Wan says that the children are extremely powerful in the Force and we cannot risk Emperor Palpatine or Lord Vader...” a sneer crossed her face as she said the name of the Dark lord, “…finding out that these children even exist.”

The man sighed sadly. “A death sentence and not even born. How did we come to this?”

“I not know, Captain.” Sabé rubbed her hands over tired eyes. “The Emperor is too familiar with Naboo. We have to leave this system.”

“Dormé and my nephew Typho have the decoy plans up and running.”

“Thank the Force that my Lady Amidala made her name wearing elaborate costumes. It was easy to hide most of her pregnancy underneath them. It’s only in the last two months that she has had to hide away. It’s driven Vader mad with the desire to know what she’s up to and daily his agents grow closer. He suspects something is afoot.”

“We should not have come to Naboo,” said Panaka.

“She wanted her children to be born here.”

Panaka sighed. “It was a foolish hope. She’s endangered us all, but she’s always been headstrong.”

Sabé turned on him fiercely. “I would give up my life for her in an instant – we all would.”

“This is a fact, my lady, but the Emperor must not get his hands on these children.”

A cry echoed through the ship, one of pain and anguish. “Anakin!”

Sabé’s eyes filled with tears she could not hide. “By the Force, she’s calling for him yet.”

“He is the father of her children.” His voice was heavy with sorrow.

“She is dying inside, Captain. When she lost him… When Anakin turned…” The tears streamed down Sabé’s face. “They are all she has left of him. How can she give these children up?”

“She has to and she knows it. She has sacrificed much for her people. She will do her duty.” His dark gaze was troubled as it held the handmaiden’s.

“But she shouldn’t have to.” Sabé cried vehemently. “She shouldn’t have to.”

Panaka spoke into his comlink. “Take us out of Naboo’s orbit, Ric. Aim for the Dagobah system.”

The voice echoed back through the link. “Preparing for hyperspace and not a moment too soon. There’s a star destroyer just entered the system.”

“Just get us out of here… now!”

Panaka looked at Sabé, their faces showing the dread they were feeling.

************************************

Leia opened her eyes to find Han sitting by her side, his eyes closed. “Han…” she murmured.

The hazel eyes opened and a wealth of love just shone from them. “Hello, sweetheart. You were very restless. Bad dream?”

“Strange dream,” she said, her face sad. “I think the Force told me why I experienced what I did.”

“Your mother giving birth to you?”

“How did you…?”

“It made a weird kind of Skywalker sense. You have a connection to Naboo and then you went through the motions of going into labour and giving birth to twins.”

“I suppose so, but there was so much more involved.”

“More?”

“I’m pretty sure now that my mother was from Naboo.”

“You can tell me in the morning.” Han kissed her forehead. “We’re in hyperspace and we’re heading straight back to Coruscant. I’ve sent a subspace message to Luke, assuming that he gets it. You are going to go back to sleep and no Force induced dreams either.”

“Yes sir,” Leia chuckled weakly. “I’m glad I wasn’t really giving birth.”

“I wouldn’t have minded, but I prefer to be actively involved, Highnessness.”

Han could see that her eyelids were drooping shut and with a tender smile he got in beside her and drew her carefully into his arms.

The Ship by Ash

Chapter 20

Disclaimer: The characters and situations used in this fic are the property of Lucasfilm Ltd. I am making nothing out of this activity. Not so much as a credit - Imperial or Republican. Please enjoy my tales. My thanks, of course go to the girls, without whom I would have nothing written.

“ARTOO!”

Mara pulled a glow-rod from her back-pack and headed towards the sound of a working astromech droid. A ship this size was bound to be fitted for several, but that would have been nearly forty years ago. This astromech was obviously in good condition and strangely enough, sounded exactly like Luke’s faithful companion. For the moment she ignored the potentially fascinating surroundings of the mysterious vessel in which she stood. There would be time for that later.

“Artoo Detoo, come out and face me this instant,” she ordered grimly.

The only answer she got was silence.

“I know you’re there, you miserable piece of tin,” she said fiercely. “If you don’t show yourself I’m coming after you with my lightsaber. You’ll wish you were back in the forest.” Mara’s face cracked a small smile at her remark. “Better not let Jediboy hear me threatening his favourite friend,” she said below her breath.

A quiet whirr of droid servomotors indicated the reluctant Artoo’s compliance with her wishes. He had, on reflection, decided to join her.

Mara held up the glow-rod and stared sternly down at the little droid. “Artoo…”

Artoo gurgled up at her, with something akin to bewilderment tinged with a little fear. Mara could have sworn to herself that the droid was as confused by all this as she was at times. This whole adventure linked to the past – being on this planet and on this ship was beyond her experiences. Luke’s two droids clung to him with a devotion she had never come across in all her years of slugging her way across the galaxy. Threepio’s faceplate was cast in a perpetual air of bafflement but in this matter Artoo was the puzzled one.

Warily, he tootled another question.

“What do you mean, ‘How did I get in?’ I was going to ask you the very same thing.” Mara scowled. “Why didn’t you open the door for me? Luke and I have been comming you for hours.”

Artoo blew her a derogatory raspberry.

“You’d switched off your…” Mara’s blood boiled. Droids! None of them had the sense of a womp-rat - those attached to Skywalker in particular. “You should be taken away and given a complete memory-wipe.”

‘Mara!’ Luke’s voice cut through her dealings with the R2 unit. ‘Mara!’

“That’s your master calling me – we’ll finish this later. You’re still in big trouble and don’t you forget it. You’ve got some explaining to do and if I’m not satisfied, it will be a trip to the sarlacc pit for you… Oh, off you go,” she finished irritably and then propelled her afterthought directly to the droid. “This time Artoo… Keep in contact.”

Artoo sent out a mournful sliding wail. Why Master Luke continued to hang around with this human female quite fried his logic chips. Although, he did consider that the fluctuations in physiology to Master Luke and Mara Jade when they got close, were quite interesting to monitor. He supposed there must be something in it. He just didn’t understand Mara Jade at all and he hoped Master Luke, for his own safety, did. What had Threepio called it, when he thought he might have been of some help to 2-1B? Oh yes – elevated hormonal levels. Privately, Artoo thought, with Mara Jade it was probably just bad temper. He rolled a little further away from the fiery-headed trader.

‘Mara.’

She could hear the exasperation and worry in his voice as he called her again.

‘I’m fine, Luke and I’m inside.’ Mara heard the quiver of excitement in her voice. ‘A Jedi craves not these things’, she remembered Luke telling her on many occasions. Stuff and nonsense! She wanted to be here. Life had been dull lately and being with Luke always added a little spark.

‘Inside, inside?’ She heard her own anticipation mirrored in his voice. ‘What’s it like?’

‘It’s dark, Skywalker,” she replied tartly. ‘I don’t know what it’s like.”

‘We should have glow-rods in your pack.’

‘Course we have glow-rods. I packed them myself. Luke…’

‘Yeah.’

‘Parnello saw me get in here. He’s probably still outside or has gone to get cutting equipment. I don’t know if I can hold them if that happens.’

‘Sithspit!’

‘Where are you?’

‘Close,’ Luke admitted. ‘Probably not close enough and I guess that Parnello is between me and my destination. We’re on our way.’

‘It’s likely.’ Mara agreed as she headed forward. ‘Skywalker…’ She felt him smile at her use of his surname.

‘What?’

‘Artoo’s here. You can stop worrying.’

‘About him at any rate.’

‘I don’t need you to worry about me, farmboy.’

‘I know you don’t, but I do.’ She felt a tired mental caress from him and was appalled by how she leaned into it. When had she become so reliant on Skywalker? She reluctantly answered her own question. ‘From the moment you met him all those years ago, you’ve hated him, tolerated him, and now you… need him.’

‘Go and explore, Jade. I’ll call you when I need you.’ Luke’s voice inside her head interrupted her musings.

‘What are you going to do?’ she wondered.

‘When I think of something I’ll tell you.’

‘We don’t have a lot of time.’

‘When do we ever?’

‘Careful with that thing you’re driving,’ Mara warned. He was bone weary and probably in a lot of pain. She was beginning to read him very easily and knew when he was tired, distressed or in pain. She could feel his changing moods as if they were her own. Luke’s well-being mattered to her and she hadn’t counted on feeling that quite so deeply.

Luke took a careful breath trying to shunt the pain into a place where it didn’t hurt quite so much. He needed several days in a healing trance but he got the feeling that wasn’t going to happen any time soon. He suspected that he looked worse than he had after his encounter with the wampa on Hoth and his father on Bespin combined. He certainly felt worse.

Ahead he sensed various beings and beyond that, Mara’s bright identity resonating powerfully through the Force. He brought the speeder to a stop.

“Here you are, Luke.” Lek passed him a battered medkit. “It’s fully stocked.”

“Thanks.” The Jedi grabbed a hypospray, relief etched into his greying features.

“What are we going to do now?” Barancz looked tired in the early dawn’s light.

Luke moistened his dry lips. “I think I have a sort of… plan.”

Lek frowned. “Luke, this isn’t going to be one of those suicidal-type jaunts?” From what he had learned about Luke from Mara and the young Jedi himself, he had the feeling that Luke was possibly going to attempt something rather rash.

Forrell humphed. “I’ve already ruined my second-best tunic. So it can’t get much worse.”

“I just need for you to do what you do best… be distracting. If I can pull it off.”

Malyre tipped a talon under Luke’s chin and surveyed the damage to the Jedi’s face. “You need a medic, young one.”

“I need to be inside that ship.” Luke’s voice was as firm as he could make it without resorting to Jedi mind control.

“Okay. What do you want us to do?” Lek kept his tone matching Luke’s. The vague shadowy figure of the Jedi who had given him a fresh start on life came to the forefront of his mind. He had a debt to pay. Luke would be the recipient in place of that long ago Jedi.

*********************************

Mara stood motionless, the glow-rod held aloft and wondered at the sight before her. Someone had been in here a lot more recently than forty years ago, but not lately. She wondered if Ciri Elo or Ric Olie, to give him his real name, had tried to fix some things. There was evidence of partial rewiring, but also of considerable damage. She smoothed a gloved hand over the gentle curve belonging to one of the bulkheads, tracing her way back in time through the heavy layer of dust.

Artoo had been insulted and shouted at but now, even worse in his opinion, was being ignored. He began to utter quiet beeps, increasing in volume, but Mara was in another system altogether and continued unaware of his fussing. With a determined swivel of his little domed head he moved towards her and bumped into her once, - twice... He tried again; surely this should get her attention.

“What?” she barked irritably.

The droid tootled expressively.

“I haven’t a clue what you’re saying Artoo,” Mara said.

If droids could sniff disdainfully, the astromech might have done so. Master Luke usually understood him. Artoo tried again, moving so that the light from the glow-rod shone on his view-screen.

“Ah! Now I understand.” She smiled. “I guess so, since Luke said it was all right. Let’s go exploring.”

Artoo chuckled and jiggled from side to side in satisfaction - Mara was forgiven. This was more like it.

************************************

Mara held the glow-rod carefully in one hand as she traced the intricate carvings on a panel with the other. These bore the definite marks of a quality craftsman - like the perfume jar Luke had dug from the ground. The materials used, even after years of neglect, were still worth salvaging. This ship hadn’t been patched or extensively rewired. The designs were simple and elegant, designed to please the eye. This had been no ordinary runabout. Mara concluded that the design and construction of this starship had been so superb from the very beginning that she almost hoped she could just reach the cockpit controls and fly away. But the damage she could see, even using the limited light from her glow-rod, told the true story. This ship was undoubtedly here to stay. Someone had tried to fix things; she guessed Ric Olie had attempted repairs in vain.

“It’s not as big as I thought it was,” Mara commented to Artoo. “Although it’s not tiny by any means. It must have been beautiful once.” She stood lost in dreams of the ship in its heyday and days that once were. “Fast too. I would have loved to fly this and Luke… Luke would have been in heaven. We would have visited every star system, seen more of the galaxy’s wonders than anyone else. We would have been the first people to see it all…”

The droid rattled a stream of electronic gibberish at her. Then gave a surprised little squeal and fell silent.

“What’s wrong Artoo?” Mara questioned, her unaccustomed dreaming interrupted. “And what was all that fuss about?”

The droid hooted mournfully and repeated the electronic nonsense at her. Mara knelt in front of Artoo and carefully rubbed some dust from his viewscreen. “I don’t believe it, Artoo. Where did you get all this data?”

Artoo’s wail sounded even more pathetic than before.

“You don’t know?” Mara gave him a sardonic look. “Come on - you must have found a computer jack and it must still be working…”

Artoo beeped sadly.

“All you touched was the door control and it… let you in?” Mara’s voice slowed disbelievingly. “Okay, Artoo, let me get this straight. The ship let you in?”

The droid uttered a pathetic little cheep of assent.

“When was the last time Luke had you overhauled?” Mara demanded shortly.

Artoo blatted a pithy reply.

“Okay… okay, I’m sorry. I apologise. I don’t understand though. You’re saying you’ve acquired some extra memory chips from somewhere.” She shook her head.

Artoo beeped a five note comment.

“These chips are old ones and you thought there was nothing in them and it’s as if you’ve been here before. The ship let you in and you have data about it.” Mara expelled a lungful of air.

Artoo whistled softly, his voice almost human.

“You’ve always had this data, but didn’t know you had it.” Mara shook her head in bewilderment. “You think a memory wipe went wrong.” Her voice rose. “Artoo… this is just plain weird.”

Artoo swivelled his domed head. ‘Follow me,’ he seemed to be saying and made for something Mara guessed looked like a lift. “Artoo!” she called. “Where are you going?”

The astromech droid’s circuits scrambled. He was going to complete his mission for the Lady Padme after all these years and then his current programming kicked in. He rotated around until he could train his photoreceptor upon Mara Jade. He knew Mara Jade… he didn’t know the Lady Padme – did he? Master Luke liked Mara Jade. Artoo wasn’t so sure if he did – she could be… hostile, but she made Master Luke smile again. Something flashed inside his memory: a slim hand cleaning him, a tear-streaked face begging him to stay with her daughter. Artoo sent a worried cascade of melodic phrases towards his slim human companion. He had blanks in his neural pathways and old data was coming through. He definitely hadn’t felt like this since he had his last memory wipe and he couldn’t remember when that was.

“Artoo?” Mara enquired curiously. “You okay?”

His head spun faster… he’d been here before. He had been here before, but how and why? A thin film of smoke began to emerge from within his body.

Mara swore to herself. What was happening to the droid? “Artoo!” She rapped her hand on his head and he stopped jiggling and wailing. “Artoo, calm down.” She rubbed at the dust gathering on his photoreceptor. “Nothing about this place makes sense or it makes too much sense. There’s no in between.” ‘Just like Skywalker. There’s no in between about him either. He’s an all or nothing kind of man and I’m going to have to make a decision sooner or later. But somehow, Mara suspected her decision had already been made.’ She stood in the dark interior of the ship until something made her return to the entrance hatch.

‘Let me in, Jade.’

‘Luke,’ she breathed his name thankfully. ‘But… but if you’re in here, we’re all stranded rontos.’

‘Barancz is giving us some time.’

‘He can’t deal with… that lot all on his own.’

Mara felt him smile.

‘He has the old ones to help,’ Luke said.

‘Not…” One of Mara’s red-gold eyebrows rose sharply.

‘Yup,’ the Jedi did chuckle at her surprise.

‘How did they?’

‘I don’t think you want to know any more.’ Luke asserted.

‘Perhaps you’re right on this one, farmboy. Nosey old buzzards. I thought I sensed someone following us.’

‘So you did…’

Mara felt him fumble for the door release to no avail.

‘You going to let me in, green eyes?’

She closed her eyes and tapped a code into the door panel. With a hiss of protest it slid aside just enough for Luke to stumble through the gap and collapse onto the deckplates.

Instantly Mara was on her knees beside him. “Stars, Luke, what did they do to you? I thought you were going to be careful?” She glared accusingly at him for a moment and then her face crumpled and she threw herself into his arms, jerking away as he immediately cried out in pain.

“I’m sorry, Mara,” he whispered, his breathing laboured. “My ribs… and I need your help. I don’t have the strength to do this on my own.”

“Do what?” Her green eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What are you planning, Jedi?”

“I need you to help me project the illusion that we’re in the speeder with the others.”

“Luke…”

“It’ll work.” He closed his eyes as a fresh wave of pain crossed over his face. “I’m gonna give Barancz the signal and they’re going to make a run for it…”

“Leaving us in here.”

“That’s the idea.”

“Ingenious, farmboy.”

“Malyre’s rigging a smoke bomb to go off on the far side of the yard. He says he’s good at them.”

Her eyebrows shot into her hairline. “Malyre and a smoke bomb,” she echoed. “I definitely don’t want to know any more.”

“Please,” Luke entreated quietly. “I can’t do it on my own.” He hesitated a little. “Mara, I never could.”

Mara had the feeling that he was talking about a lot more than projecting their images into the speeder. She nodded her acquiescence. “Sure.”

Luke spoke into his comlink. “Get ready, Barancz. Kick the throttle and go for broke. Don’t stop until you get back to the spaceport.”

“No, we’ll come back and get you out,” Barancz said.

Mara grabbed the comlink. “Do as he says and no arguments.” She carefully picked up Luke’s hand and closed her eyes. “I’m ready, Skywalker.”

Luke reached for Mara’s bright presence in the Force and felt a warm loving tide wash through him and over him. Mara felt the Jedi Master’s irresistible pull and surrendered to the current of electricity racing through them both. She could feel his power, his gentleness, his sense of duty and his need for happiness. She also saw people, places, things from his past and from her own. But most of all – she just felt Luke.

“Now, Barancz.” Luke gritted his teeth and sent his image outwards. He could feel Mara joining him, augmenting his energy as his world spun out of control in a dizzying spiral of fleeting images. The three figures of Malyre, Lek and Forrell merged into the shapes of Luke and Mara.

**********************************

Parnello heard the sound of a speeder’s throttle being viciously revved. “What the…?” His furious eyes followed a vehicle being driven at a reckless speed towards the yard gates. Barancz was driving and in the back sat the Jedi and the woman. He knew it was her because he’d seen her hair. He’d never seen anyone with hair like that. He squashed his feelings of lust and concentrated on his anger. “Get them… “They’re probably going to the spaceport.”

Tobia limped awkwardly up to the obese man cradling the ugly cauterized stump of his arm. Luke’s wild slashes with his lightsaber had occasionally found a target. “They’ve gone, then.”

“Whatever they took – I want it back.” Parnello was nearly incoherent with rage. Somehow the whole thing had turned extremely personal.

“They took my arm – you gonna get that back for me…. Boss?” The last word was said sneeringly as Tobia waved the bloody remains of his arm in Parnello’s face. “You made a mistake!”

Parnello grabbed Tobia by the shirtfront and shook him. “Enough! You go and see a medic and I’ll get them. They won’t have left yet. We have some people at the spaceport.”

“No we don’t have them there anymore. They were all here to honour the old man’s memory and some of them are now dead. Maybe you didn’t honour his memory enough and we’ve all been cursed because of it. If you’d just left well enough alone…”

“Cursed!” Parnello screeched, spittle flying from his mouth. “I’ll give you cursed. The first thing I’m going to do after we finish that no good dweezel Barancz and his sorcerer friends - the woman is still going to be mine - I’m going to destroy that worthless ship once and for all.” He let Tobia go and watched dispassionately as he fell to the ground.

“They’ve gone, what good can this do?” Tobia choked out.

“We control this place. It is ours.” He stomped towards the vehicle sheds. “Stay here… I’m going to the spaceport.”

“But Boss!” Tobia whined as an explosion was heard on the far side of the yard. “You told me to go to the medic.”

**************************************

Luke sank back to the deck plates, his face ashen. Mara threw herself gasping from their entwined presence. Immediately she felt the cold, empty place in her being that he’d inhabited. She didn’t like feeling that way – alone and forsaken. She’d been alone for most of her life and had liked it, but then she’d never known anything else. Never been exposed to the Skywalker virus for which there was no cure. Now having experienced the warmth that was Luke being alone wasn’t such an attractive proposition.

“Do you think it worked?” she asked, her eyes still closed. When no response was forthcoming she turned and saw just Luke lying there, his breathing shallow, his presence in the force suddenly unsteady. “Luke!” She bit her lip, anxiety marring her features. “Luke! Come on farmboy… Luke…” She placed her hand on his clammy forehead, “Luke…”

Artoo let out a worried moan and then beeped a suggestion.

Mara’s eyes widened incredulously at the words crossing his screen. “No, I’m not letting you zap him with an electrical charge. Absolutely, definitely not. I’ll see if he’ll take some water.” She rummaged in her backpack and brought out a water carrier, carefully lifting his head so she could slide a few drops between his cracked and bloody lips.

“You weren’t really up to this were you, farmboy?” she asked quietly and was rewarded with a faint sigh. She sent some healing vibes towards him and finally, Mara let out the breath she was unaware of holding when he opened his eyes.

“Just give me a second,” he whispered as the sound of something exploding echoed far away. “I think that’s Malyre’s smoke bomb.”

“Probably. He always has bigger ideas than he lets on.”

“It was my idea, actually. Malyre was the one who admitted at being good at it.”

“Oh, Luke.” Mara helped him sit up, her green eyes piercing the gloom. “What am I going to do with you?”

He groaned weakly. “When I’ve stopped hurting I could give you a few suggestions.” He tried a roguish wink.

“Luke Skywalker! Clean your mind this instant!”

He attempted to chuckle but failed miserably and instead carefully took a breath. “Are you…?” He left the sentence unfinished, but she knew what he meant.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she said and then, unable to help herself but mindful of his injuries, she moved closer and let a soft kiss fall upon his bruised lips.

Luke put his soul into the soft contact of his lips upon hers. It was, despite the pain, so sweet as he drank in her presence, the taste of her mouth against his own.

Artoo watched silently as the lovers enjoyed their reunion, brief though this encounter was. He seemed to recall another such meeting, but this was a long time ago and convinced as he was over his need for an overhaul, Artoo ran through the stored memory.

‘Are you?’ the Lady Farae asked softly.

‘I’m okay, but it’s not me you should be worrying over.’

‘M’Lady is ready to go.’

‘And you? Then you’re as good as gone too,’ he stated.

‘Obi Wan…’She pressed a trembling hand to her lips. ‘We knew this to be so.’

‘We did and it hasn’t made anything any easier.’

‘What did you expect?’

‘We shouldn’t have…’

‘Don’t say that. Never say that,’ she cried forcefully. ‘I don’t regret our time together.’

Obi Wan brought Farae into his arms, his eyes red from tiredness and weeping. ‘I don’t regret it either, but I cannot take you with me.’

She twisted a little in his grasp, gazing up at him with eyes as clear and as green as a spring day on Alderaan. ‘I know this. You have to do your duty and I will do mine.’

‘Who would have thought we would have come to this?’

‘Who indeed. The Jedi certainly didn’t.’

‘That’s not fair, Farae.’

She traced the edge of his beard with a shaking finger. ‘But it is true. The Jedi grew careless and inward looking and the Sith crept up…’

Obi Wan rubbed his forehead wearily. ‘The babies…?’

‘Are sleeping. Leia just closed those dark eyes of hers and went straight off to sleep. Luke, on the other hand, fought like a krayt dragon to stay awake. He has the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen, just like his father’s and he locked them on M’lady. In fact he’s followed her every move ever since he was born. It’s as if…’

‘He knows,’ Obi Wan finished, grief prematurely adding lines to his handsome face, his shoulders slumping in defeat. ‘He knows they’re to be parted. He frets if she is out of his presence for more than five minutes. He’s so strong in the Force that he recognises the emotions around him. Leia is almost as strong in a different way, but she won’t be separated from her mother just yet. Luke is going to miss them both and he’ll never know quite what he’s missing. What have we done?’

‘Force, love…’ Farae reached up and pressed a kiss on Obi Wan’s lips.

‘Don’t,’ he twisted away, the agony clear to see on his face.

‘Don’t say it?’ she said fiercely as she captured his cheeks between her hands and compelled him to look at her. ‘Don’t say that I love you?’

‘Farae…’

‘I fell in love with you a long time ago. It took me long enough to get you to even look at me let alone talk to me. You were this lofty Jedi Master, friend and confidante to M’Lady and I was some child following her around doing her bidding.’ She shrugged self-deprecatingly. ‘I sound like a bad holo-romance.’

‘I never thought of you as a child, Farae.’ His voice deepened as he caught her soft lips with his own, parting them. ‘How could I when all I wanted to do was this…’ He delved beneath her robes and sought the smooth flesh concealed beneath, his calloused fingers sending shivers throughout her whole body. ‘We have only a brief time for romance.’ His tone at first whimsical, turned serious as she shifted sensuously in his lap. The Jedi caught his breath and groaned.

Artoo hummed noiselessly to himself. They’d forgotten he was there.

‘Obi Wan – I know what I have to do and I’m not afraid.’ Farae sat on his lap, her gown sliding off her shoulders, revealing the rounded curves of her breast, her red-gold hair tumbling about her shoulders. She’d divested him of his tunic and his strong muscular shoulders were coated with a light sheen of perspiration.

He lifted his head from where he’d been kissing her neck and sighed deeply. ‘I know, I’m afraid enough for us all.’ He hesitated. ‘Anakin…’

‘He’s not Anakin,’ she spat bitterly. Her resentful tone at odds with the wanton, sensual appearance she presented. ‘Anakin is gone… dead. Vader is alive and Anakin is dead -vanquished by his own evil.’

Obi Wan pulled back from her. ‘You’re right, of course. How someone can kill all the goodness in themselves is beyond my understanding.’

‘You’re a good man. Anakin turned to the dark side. He was weak...’

‘We have to be strong. The children are our only hope.’

‘For the survival of the Jedi Knights… maybe. But mark my words well – others will see the evil being perpetrated and will rise against it.’

‘Oh, my love. You fill me with hope. I cannot bear to lose you.’

‘Nor I you,’ Farae answered. ‘But it must happen.’

‘It must.’ Obi Wan bent his head and began to nuzzle at the sensitive points of her neck, his hands stroking the gown from her body. ‘Yoda meets us tomorrow before we all part. He will shield the children from the Emperor and their father.’

‘Then we must make the most of our last night. M’Lady knows I am with you. She could not begrudge me one more time with my Jedi.’

Obi Wan stood up and swept Farae into his arms carrying her into the tiny cabin he’d been allotted.

Artoo moved into his astromech station and hoped he hadn’t been seen. A memory wipe was such an unpleasant thing. The little droid rotated his head and stared at the couple in front of him. Where was the Lady Farae – did she even exist or were his neural circuits degrading to such an extent he was remembering things that had never happened? He was viewing Mara Jade and Master Luke together in a dusty airlock in the ship that his master had been searching for. He hooted gently to distract them.

“Artoo!” Luke’s bruised face attempted half a smile. “Mara tells me you’ve seen this place before.”

The droid moaned.

“Lead on, Artoo. I don’t know how much time we have here.” He tried to rise.

“Watch it, farmboy,” Mara warned, placing a steadying hand under his elbow.

“I’m…”

She smiled as he got to his feet, swaying gently. “Okay, I know you’re fine. I don’t believe one word that you’re saying, but… if you’re saying that ‘you’re fine’ what can I do?”

Artoo began to beep and rock from side to side.

“What is it, Artoo?” Luke asked.

Mara shook her head in amazement. “He says he’s found the lights and they work. Well what are you waiting for, chunky?”

Artoo’s reply was indignant and to the point.

“I’m sorry,” she muttered. “I don’t suppose this thing flies?”

“Mara…” Luke said.

Artoo gibbered a little.

Luke’s eyes widened. “How do you know all this, Artoo?”

“Know what?”

“Artoo said that this ship doesn’t fly because the hyperdrive generator was shot to hell and damaged beyond repair. It won’t even take a replacement… apparently. It was too badly destroyed. There are other things wrong too, plus it has been sitting here for forty years. This is its last resting place.”

“But we have lights,” Mara reminded Luke. “Better than this luma anyway.” She waved the glow-rod.

“So we have,” Luke said. “Artoo… Lights please.”

The Ship Chapter 21

By Ash

Disclaimer: - The characters and situations used in this fic are the property of Lucasfilm Ltd. I am making no financial gain from these small literary endeavours – not even an Imperial credit has passed my hands. Thanks to the girls as usual for making sure this story is half-way legible.

Leia descended the Falcon’s ramp slowly and carefully, feeling like an old woman. “Where are the children?” she asked Han.

“Winter’s bringing them to the docking bay.” He smiled at his wife. “We’re nearly home, sweetheart.”

“I want to see the children…” She paused and a blissful expression crossed her features. “They’re coming.”

Han grinned. “I know.”

“You do?”

“Yup. One…” Han counted on his fingers. “The expression on your beautiful face and two…” He pocketed his comlink with a cheerful smirk. “I just heard it on the comlink from Winter herself and three…” He paused dramatically. “I can hear them.”

They did hear the children before they saw them. The excited voices resonated through the hangar giving warning to their approach. Then they burst into the docking bay bringing with them new young life and boundless enthusiasm for living it. For their parents who had seen a dead world with no hope of new growth, they were a welcome and happy sight.

“Did you find it?” Jacen was the first to reach his parents.

“Yes, we did.” Han’s voice was solemn.

Jacen frowned at his father, all his ebullience gone. “You couldn’t go there, could you?”

Leia shook her head, her dark eyes sorrowful. “It was too dangerous.”

Jaina put her arm through her brother’s. “Was it so very bad?” she asked softly. “I can feel that you’re sad. Don’t worry Mama, we’ll make you better.”

Leia pulled her oldest son and her daughter into her arms and squeezed tightly, tears not far away. “I missed you,” she whispered. “So very much and you always make me feel better.”

With a joyful shout Han had picked up Anakin, swung him through the air and on to his shoulders. “Come on, Anakin. Tell me where you left Winter.”

Anakin giggled. “We left her outside. She couldn’t run as fast as we could.”

“I bet old Winter may surprise you one of these days,” he said dryly.

“Less of the old, General Solo,” the lady in question remarked as she walked serenely towards them.

“It’s our lovely Winter,” Han said with a twinkle in his eye. “Looks as if you didn’t wear her out too much, kids.”

“Dad!” All three of the children’s voices rose in unison. “We were very good… Tell them, Winter. We were… we were really good.” Jaina protested.

Anakin agreed. “We were perfect.”

Leia gave Winter a look from the corner of her eyes. “Perfect?” she questioned. “Now that would be a miracle.”

Winter masked a smile and nodded her white head gracefully towards her long-time friend and employer. “They were very good. I wouldn’t, Anakin,” she sent the youngest of the Solos a look that they obviously knew well, “say that you were ‘perfect’, but I’ll admit that you behaved yourselves.”

“So Threepio is still intact,” Han whispered out of the side of his mouth. Leia favoured him with a weary chuckle at his feigned disappointment.

“Ah, come on, flyboy. You’d miss him,” she murmured back softly.

*********************************

Back in their suite Han made sure that when the children had finally settled down enough to go to bed, that Leia went too. The minute his wife placed her aching limbs between the cool sheets, she was asleep. Han stood watching her for a moment, his heart visible on his face. He hoped Luke wasn’t going through anything like his usual troubles because he was staying with his wife where he belonged. Mara Jade would watch out for his brother-in-law. If Leia was like this after nothing more than a space trip what on the mists of Dagobah would Luke be like? He always seemed to suffer a more extreme fate than that of his sister.

Han returned to the lounge. “She’s asleep,” he told Winter. “They’re all asleep. I think I broke every record known to spaceflight to get us home. Leia would have my hide if she knew the risks I took. I could have flown us into a black hole and no-one would have ever known, more’s the pity.”

Winter sat on the well-stuffed sofa, smoothing her gown of grey silk over her legs. “What happened?”

Han sighed. “It’s difficult to explain. When isn’t something to do with the Skywalkers and the Force not difficult to explain?”

“I take your point,” Winter said composedly, her grey eyes gleaming.

“As we orbited Naboo, Leia went into…” He lifted his hands in a gesture of helplessness. “She experienced labour pains. That’s the simplest explanation I can come up with. It went on for what seemed like hours and hours. In reality it can’t have been that long but it seemed like it at the time. It was only when we were out of the planet’s orbit that the pains stopped. She was screaming and I could do nothing to help. When the twins were born we were both prepared for the experience and we got a wonderful reward at the end of it. This time she had all that pain for nothing.” Han rubbed his hand across his dry mouth. “I could really use a drink. I mean really use one.”

Winter stood up and headed to the drinks cabinet where she poured a generous measure of Corellian whiskey. “Here.” She handed him the glass and watched as he took a large swig.

“I only hope Luke and Mara are all right. You haven’t heard from them?”

Winter shook her head. “No.”

“Doesn’t mean anything.” Han dismissed it. “The kid can find trouble when it doesn’t exist.”

“True - he does have a propensity for disaster…” Winter sat down again. “I wondered about Naboo. What happened there - were you able to land?”

Han took a large swallow of the golden liquid in his glass. “Naboo was dead… completely dead. There was no trace of any sentient life whatsoever. Few life forms could survive in the atmosphere and environment that was left. The Empire did a very good job there.” He picked up his glass again and drained the contents, letting the fire of the spirit burn its way into his belly, easing some of his tension.

Winter collected his glass and went to pour him another generous measure of whiskey. Han looked as if he really needed it. On reflection Winter decided she needed something too and poured herself a glass of white Borleias Alderaanian-style wine.

“What do we know about the Skywalker parentage apart from the obvious - that old-black-mask-and-heavy-breathing was involved?”

“Not much.” She pulled a data pad and a selection of datacards from a bag at her feet, sliding the card into the reader. “We know where and by whom the twins were raised. Luke was brought up by Owen and Beru Lars on Tatooine. Leia was reared by Viceroy Bail Organa of Alderaan.”

“I know that,” he muttered.

Winter gave him a reproving look. “Her adoptive mother died when she was six. Her aunts then took over the job of training her to be a Princess.”

“Leia’s adoptive mother… I can’t ever remember her mentioning her.”

“She was severely traumatised by her adoptive mother’s death and refused to mention it. I suppose it grew into a habit. I found out something about this lady because I remember her clearly…”

“Of course.”

“Her name was Dormé.”

“Dormé,” Han echoed slowly. “Nice name and…”

“She was from Naboo.”

Han sat up, his whiskey glass arrested half-way to his lips. “Now this is just getting plain spooky.”

Winter’s lips twitched. “Quite,” she said. “I suspect Leia’s real mother was one of Dormé’s … Han!” Winter stopped, her mouth forming a perfect ‘o’ of surprise.

“Leia’s real mother was what?”

“One of Dormé’s handmaidens.”

“Ah.” Han put down his glass. He should have known what was coming – he really should. “The handmaiden thing.” He picked up his glass and clutched it tightly.

“Leia’s real mother died when she was four and that was before I arrived to become Leia’s companion.”

“So this handmaiden… a name?”

Winter shook her snowy head. “She was not spoken about. It was as if people were frightened and then they forgot. Most people do, you know, and a handmaiden...” Winter lifted a slim hand. “You are never the princess, you are always the servant.” But her smile robbed her words of rancour. “I never, for one moment, regretted being Leia’s handmaiden. She never treated me as anything else other than her equal.”

“But you do not forget, do you?”

“No, I do not.” Winter passed Han her data pad. A holo of a slender, dark-eyed woman dressed in elaborate old-fashioned clothing, her hair tied up in a complicated chignon was revealed.

Han’s mouth opened in shock. “This woman could be Leia’s mother – the resemblance to Leia is startling. Are you sure this is only her adoptive mother?”

“I’m sure.” The words were definite. “Leia says herself that Dormé looked like her mother, but wasn’t. Another thing…”

“Yes?”

“I was very young when I arrived at the royal court to be with Leia and children have a different perspective on the world… but with my abilities…”

Han nodded. Winter’s photographic memory had aided them on many occasions. Her blessing and her curse – she couldn’t forget the unpleasant things. She couldn’t forget the loss of Alderaan - not ever. “Of course,” he said.

“Exactly,” Winter smiled. “It drives Tycho mad.” Her husband as a fellow Alderaanian truly knew what had been lost. It had been one of the first things they had in common, but unlike his wife he didn’t remember it as if it were yesterday. “I heard things… rumours, whispers. They didn’t think that a child would remember and…”

“And?” Han sensed that there was something important about to be divulged, something Winter hadn’t ever considered before.

“The Organas did not share a bed. Theirs was a marriage of convenience.”

“It’s not unusual in those circles,” Han commented lightly giving the remaining liquor in his glass a speculative stare. “Dynastic marriages to secure lands or money are still common today. On Kuat, of course, it has gone to extremes. Imagine buying someone to father your children yet not be part of them.” He shook his head. “Now I don’t have your photographic memory, but…”

“You are known as a shrewd customer by many, General.” Winter emphasised his military title just enough. “Those who underestimate you, rue the day they did.”

Han gave her a quirky grin and pulled himself up from the sofa and made for the drinks cabinet. “Top up?” he asked.

“I shouldn’t, but…”

Han grinned and refilled their drinks. “Suppose Leia’s mother….” He waved his glass in a circular motion, the liquid splashing over his fingers. “She looked like… whatever her name? Dormé.”

“It is possible,” Winter said guardedly.

“Just go with the idea,” Han said. “I’m thinking.” He sucked the whiskey from his fingers with the enjoyment of a child.

“Quite,” murmured Winter, suppressing a smile.

“Leia does look like Dormé.”

“Yes she does.”

“Bail Organa was obviously a friend to the Rebellion.”

“He was a founding member of the Rebellion,” Winter instructed. “The Viceroy was more than a ‘friend.’”

Han continued unabashed at Winter’s gentle reproof. “Leia’s mother must have been Dormé’s handmaiden. She had a relationship with Anakin before he turned into Vader…”

“Leia thinks that her parents were married,” Winter interrupted softly.

“If Leia thinks that, then it’s probably right.” Han said nodding his head. “Her mother is pregnant and probably frightened, has a sith-lord as a husband…” He blinked. “Stars! The poor woman must have been ready to crack. I’m sure the Jedi got themselves involved once they found out the situation. Then they find out that the woman is expecting twins.” He turned to Winter, his hazel eyes fervent. “One would be difficult to hide – but two force strong children.”

“It all sounds extremely plausible,” Winter agreed.

Han was on a roll. “Obi-Wan takes Luke and heads off to Tatooine. Bail Organa agrees to marry this… Dormé person in order to shelter Leia and her mother. No-one can question the parentage of the little princess of Alderaan because the resemblance to Dormé is so uncanny.”

“Bail Organa had a swarthy complexion, with dark eyes and black hair. It would be very easy to say that Leia took after either parent.”

“I’ve got it… or I think I have.” Han stood up, slammed down his glass on the nearest hard surface, and began pacing back and forth. “No-one would know that Vader fathered children especially Emperor Palpatine and Vader himself. There had to be no suspicion that Anakin’s wife was pregnant. Did anyone even know that she was pregnant? Did anyone even know that he had a wife?”

“He didn’t know he had a son,” Winter said replying to Han’s first question. “Not until after Luke blew up the Death Star and he didn’t know about Leia until the time of the second Death Star. I cannot tell if the general populace knew Vader had ever been married. We’re not even sure. No one has ever found a marriage licence which names Anakin Skywalker and ‘x’, handmaiden of Dormé of Naboo.”

“Right.” Han continued to pace, hitting a clenched fist lightly against the flat of his other hand. “It was all to protect Luke and Leia then.”

“They were to be the hope for the future. If they had been discovered we could still be under Imperial rule today.”

“That is a logical assumption to make. I’d probably be a wall ornament at Jabba’s.”

“I don’t know about that, General Solo.”

“Either that or I’d be dead. Jabba would have found some way to finish me off.”

Winter watched as the Corellian continued to pace. “General…” The use of his title slowed him down. “I still can’t make anything out of the encrypted files we found. I did, however, give them to Ghent and he hasn’t been seen since.”

Han chuckled as he thought about the young man. Ghent, General Airen Cracken’s encryption specialist, was never happier than when he was cracking the most impossible encrypt. “That will please General Cracken.”

“We need to investigate further back before my memories were entangled with the life of the Princess. I can’t go back far enough on my own. ”

“Back,” Han said flatly.

“Back to Bail Organa’s allies.”

“That’s easy. “Mon Mothma, Garm Bel Iblis…”

“That was during and after the Clone Wars. What about before?”

“Wouldn’t it have been the same people?”

Winter pursed her lips. “I doubt it. Mon Mothma is a little younger than the Viceroy was.”

I’d never thought about it like that. We need to search for someone who resembles Leia.”

“Or Dormé,” Winter suggested, a far away look in her grey eyes.

“I think I know where we can try,” Leia’s voice echoed behind them. She stood wan and tired in the doorway, but in her eyes was the desire to find out. Strangely enough she had never resembled her brother so closely before.

“Leia!” Han made his way to his wife and wrapped his arms around her.

“I heard most of what you said. I don’t think you’re far wrong, but my mother was not merely a handmaiden.”

“How do you know?” Winter questioned.

“In my dream they called her ‘Senator.’”

“Your mother was a senator? More than the Force runs strong in your family, sweetheart.” Han sat down again.

Leia curled up on the sofa and Han drew her into his arms. “Dormé was her handmaiden,” she whispered.

“Where do we search?” asked Winter.

“The Old Republican Senate records. There are still files in the Imperial collection. I hope Palpatine forgot to have them erased.”

************************************

Zathoq

The lights came on slowly and unwillingly after many years of lying dormant. Luke lay on the deck plates and let his eyes adjust. He drank in the atmosphere gratefully, opening his senses to the power of the Force. He forgot about his injuries and the beings howling for his blood. This unknown, inescapable thing he’d felt drawn to, across space and time, called out to him with a siren’s song.

Mara’s gasp of horror broke his reverie.

“Skywalker!”

“What is it, Mara?” he asked wearily.

“You should be in a bacta tank and immediately.”

“I’ve heard all that before and there’s not one handy. So I’ll have to do without.” He spoke briskly, the pain returning to him now that he no longer dwelt in his dreams. “I told you I was fine and I may have…”

“Stretched the truth a little?” She raised a graceful eyebrow. “I thought the Jedi didn’t lie.”

“They do when they’re trying not to worry their companions,” he muttered apologetically. “I’m sorry, Mara, but what do you want me to say?”

She knelt by his side. “It didn’t look so bad under the glow-rod’s light.”

“Thanks… I look that bad?”

“Worse,” she replied succinctly.

“Help me up,” he instructed.

Mara shook her head, the braids bouncing over her shoulders. “You’ll need a crutch.”

Luke glanced around, trying not to let his eyes linger on treasures his fingers itched to examine. “The pipe… over there. It’s hanging loose.”

He reached out with the Force and began to detach it from its surroundings. The pipe rattled and stayed where it was. Mara could see him gearing himself for another effort and then watched as he immersed himself in the Force. Mara followed his example and reached for him in the power of their mingled bond. The pipe snapped off and floated gently into Luke’s outstretched hand.

“You’ll have to teach me how to do that so smoothly,” she commented.

“I don’t think I’ll have to teach you very much.”

“I think there are always things we can learn.” Mara touched his hand in a brief caress. “Things like trust and hope.”

“Letting go the past?”

“In some ways.” Her mouth curved. “Considering our situation I don’t know if we can really add forgetting the past to our list.”

“You have a point.” He raised himself onto his elbows. “Gonna help me up? I don’t use the Force for everything.”

“I think I could forgive you this time, farmboy.” Mara hauled the Jedi Master to his feet wincing with him and each spasm of pain coloured his sense through the Force. Any other man would have collapsed long ago. “Here, I’ll give you another stim shot. I don’t particularly want to give you another one as I think you’re pretty near your limit. But I know you’re trying to hide a lot of pain under that Jedi mask of yours.” Her voice softened, grew tender. “You don’t have to hide it because I’ll know. Come on, let me give you the shot, but that’s the last one for a while.”

“Mara Jade, you say the sweetest things,” Luke mumbled as he tested the makeshift support of his crutch. “We gotta move, if we want to see this place.”

Mara frowned. “I don’t sense any danger.”

“Nor do I, but it’s just a feeling.”

“Okay, Skywalker. I take your point.” She stared with interest at her surroundings. This was something she and Luke both shared – a love of flying vessels and her whole being itched to start exploring.

Artoo Detoo rolled from a door on their left. It had been wedged open just wide enough for an astromech droid to squeeze through. He twisted his head and beeped loud enough to get their attention.

“What’s through there, Artoo?” Luke enquired.

Artoo gave a careful toot.

“What did he say?” Mara asked.

“He says it’s the droid station. He said it was ‘his’ station to be more exact.”

“He’s been behaving a little oddly since he got inside,” Mara commented. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen Artoo panic before. Threepio I’ve seen panic on a number of occasions, but never Artoo. Even when he’s being shot at or blown up, he...”

Artoo blew a raspberry, followed by an indignant electronic squeal.

Luke sighed. “Artoo, see if you can get into the main computer. Download any information you can. If there’s anything left.”

‘We should wipe the computer, Captain Panaka,’ the handmaiden said.

‘Lady Sabé…’

‘They know it is here. They can only be a few hours behind us.’

‘We don’t have time.’

She gave a heavy sigh. ‘At least M’Lady is safe on Alderaan.’

‘I hope she’s safe there.’

‘She should have been allowed to go to Naboo.’

‘It’s too obvious. He would find them. Queen Jamilla was correct in this. She is thinking of the people and the Senator always thought of the people first.’

‘I know. I’m still worried what Anakin and Palpatine will do.’

‘They will find out about Alderaan.’

‘Probably, but Bail Organa is highly respected in the galaxy and for the moment Vader will not press to have her extradited to Coruscant on whatever charges he dreams up. Even Palpatine would find it hard to implicate Organa in any sort of plot. Eventually they will find a way…’

‘But Luke and Leia will be safe.’

‘They should be, but as for M’Lady I cannot say.’

“Luke” Mara snapped loudly in his ear. “Where did you go to? I can’t give you another stim shot and I don’t like it when you zone out on me.”

“I saw…”

“Your mother?”

“No, Captain Panaka and one of the handmaidens… not you, though.”

“Try and focus Luke, please.” Mara begged.

“I have to let things run their course – it is the will of the Force.”

“You told me the future was always in motion. Make your own way in the galaxy, Skywalker. Make your own decisions”

Luke squeezed his eyes shut. “I… I can’t let myself ignore these things any longer. I have to know what happened to them. The Force is so strong here.”

“I know. I can feel it,” she whispered. “All right, let’s go and see where your feelings take us.”

Luke gave her a tired lop-sided grin in response. “It’s not just my feelings, Jade. I’ve always sensed you as part of this right from the very beginning. When my dreams called me here I knew I was right because you were here too. I told you that.” He leant heavily on his crutch as he started to move. “I have a confession to make.”

“Just one?” Mara quipped lightly.

“When I kept seeing you in my dreams I thought you might have been in some sort of trouble, but when I made enquiries…”

“Luke!” Mara turned on him.

“Discreet enquiries, Mara… honest.”

She glowered suspiciously. “I’ll believe you… this time.”

“When I’d reassured myself you were safe I began to research my visions more thoroughly. They indicated to me that I needed to be here on Zathoq. It was a surprise when you contacted me, but not as big a surprise as it should have been.”

“Oh,” she said quietly, her mind working furiously. “I didn’t have any dreams or visions. I suddenly thought about Zathoq and the killing Karrde could make if I did a run out this way. I wasn’t brought here by the Force - I came of my own free will.”

“Rubbish, Jade,” Luke said. “You can fool yourself, but I know better. I think Obi-Wan was your father and the Lady Farae, your mother.”

She swung away from him, her shoulders stiffening with anger. “Skywalker…” She turned back, ready to blast him for touching on the fundamental part of herself that she’d always wanted to know and had never been given the chance. She’d denied it, but she’d always wanted to discover where she’d come from.

Luke shrugged, his face white and weary in the unsteady flickering of long unused lights. “It’s what I believe, Mara. I’m just telling you the truth.”

Her face paled. “I can’t let myself believe…”

“What do you believe in, Mara?”

“You,” she whispered as he lowered his head and covered her mouth with his own.

“Time to move,” he said, reluctantly breaking their kiss. “You go first.”

Mara moved through the ship marvelling again at the finishing on the most mundane of articles. Luke limped slowly behind her, drinking in the atmosphere. This place was so important to him… he felt the ghosts of his past and also his hopes for the future. Most of them rested on the slim form of the red-head in front of him. Luke sensed fear, desperate unhappiness and hatred in the vessel, but there was more. There was love in all forms. Love between comrades, the pure love between a mother and her children and the passionate love between a man and a woman. He wasn’t sure if that last form of love was between the young handmaiden and Obi-Wan or between himself and Mara Jade. Unbidden, he sought the touch of the small grey stone in his pocket and a strange pulsing warmth tingled at the end of his fingers. He drew comfort from that small speck of warmth.

The Ship - Chapter 22

By Ash Darklighter

Disclaimer: The characters and situations used in this story are the property of Lucasfilm Ltd. I’m only borrowing them for a short while and will make no gains in credits. My thanks to the girls because without them, this story might not have come to fruition.

The explosion reverberated satisfactorily around the yard, as Malyre’s smoke bomb went up in a bright flash clearly visible against the lightening Zathoq skyline.

“Do you think that will slow them down?” Barancz asked anxiously as he gunned the speeder’s throttle. “Parnello has the devil of a temper.”

“You don’t say,” Lek murmured dryly. “I didn’t think he looked too pleased as we left.”

“Perhaps he wanted to offer us drinks?” put in Malyre wickedly.

Lek gave a heavy sigh. “I doubt that very much.”

“Will this stop them from coming after us?” Barancz asked nervously. He’d lived among the seamier side of Zathoq society for most of his life but their wrath had never been directed at him before.

“I don’t know if it will stop these people,” Lek said soberly and gave the young man a level stare. “You’re far more familiar with them than I am. I know the type of people they are, I was one myself once. The explosion may distract them for a short period. Depends how badly their numbers were hit when Luke began waving his lightsaber.”

“Speaking of Luke… What did Luke ask us to do?” wondered Forrell.

“He told us to do what we do best,” mumbled Lek, keeping his eyes trained for possible pursuers.

“What was that?”

“He said ‘be distracting.’”

Malyre gave a guffaw. “I suspect the Jedi had something else in mind. But if it works, who am I to complain?”

The faint sound of pursuit stopped their chatter and Barancz turned his energies to steering the craft adroitly through the twisting, ramshackle streets.

“Can we lose them?” Forrell asked worriedly.

“Of course,” Barancz said, though he sounded unsure. “I don’t even know if any of them followed us.” He swerved the speeder around a corner. “A short cut… I hope.”

“I hope so too,” grumbled Forrell.

“We’ll be all right once we get to the spaceport,” Lek soothed.

“If we manage to get to the spaceport,” Malyre threw in mischievously.

“Stop a moment,” Lek ordered.

“But they’re coming after us,” Forrell cried.

“Are they?” Lek countered. “I guess they are but… this will sound strange.” He paused as Barancz drew the speeder into a small side street. “When we left…” he hesitated. “I mean this will sound really strange, but if Luke is as powerful a Jedi as I suspect…”

“I’m still not convinced he is a Jedi,” Forrell argued. “I’ve seen no evidence of any Jedi powers.”

“Of course he is,” snapped Lek. “When we interfered by mistake that first time… Our weapons just flew into his hand. He stretched out and it was as if he held a powerful magnet…” He hunched his shoulders under his loose tunic.

“Maybe he did,” argued Forrell.

“He didn’t.” Lek’s tone was dismissive. “You were there – you saw it.”

“He has a lightsaber,” said Barancz. “Only the Jedi have those and know how to use them properly.

“That’s what convinces you, isn’t it my old friend,” Malyre observed sagely. “The man is so understated that it isn’t true. Only a Jedi is capable of such restraint. It’s not the talk of miraculous, magic feats and reading minds that has you convinced. It’s something more… something more… elusive.”

“Luke hasn’t done anything and yet I respect him. There is something about the man that I can’t explain and now I’ve seen things I cannot explain.”

“What kind of things?” asked Barancz.

“When we left the yard… for a moment, just for a moment, I could have sworn that Luke and Merah were in the speeder with us.”

“That’s ridiculous,” argued Forrell. “This speeder is barely big enough to hold four. There’s no way we’d fit five fully grown adults and one aging Selonian inside.”

“I’m in my prime,” remarked Malyre snootily.

“That’s what he did then,” Barancz muttered quietly. “That’s what Luke did.”

“What did he do?” Forrell screwed his face up.

“He made them think that they had left along with us,” Barancz answered carefully, almost unable to believe his own words.

“A neat trick.” Lek’s face was a picture. “If in fact that’s what he did, and if he fooled them. I swear on the name of my brewer - I hope he fooled them.”

“I usually like to swear at your brewer,” Malyre chipped in. “Couldn’t you find a better one? The draf has really gone downhill lately…”

“Malyre!” Lek hissed. “We have a small problem here, if you could bend your spice-addled brain to possibly being of some help?”

“I thought I was helping.” If Selonians could have pouted, Malyre would have adopted that expression immediately.

“Right then. These idiots think that Luke and Merah have left the yard. That puts us in the clear. If we carry on into the spaceport they won’t recognise us.”

“Of course they will. They’ll recognise… What’s your name again?” Malyre asked Barancz genially.

“It’s Barancz…”

“We also came at them with blasters blazing at close range,” Forrell mumbled. “Not the best way to aid anonymity.”

“What are we going to do then?” Lek asked, frustration evident in his voice. He looked at Forrell. “Do you ever come out of your spaceport office and deal with real criminals?”

“I resent that. It’s a slur on my professionalism.”

“I’m terribly sorry, but you’re the security expert. Think of something.”

“Think of something! Think of something!” Forrell echoed, his eyes wide and his little goatee beard quivering with indignation at the end of his rounded chin.

“Otherwise we’re going to have a reception committee at the spaceport,” Malyre threw in helpfully. “I’m not looking forward to that situation. Plays havoc with my digestion and I’m beginning to get hungry.”

“Malyre!” Lek bit out.

“I wasn’t the one who wanted to stop,” protested Forrell, his tone aggrieved.

Barancz bit his lip. “Don’t you have a comlink? Couldn’t you call ahead to security for some backup or wouldn’t that be allowed as this is a personal thing? You have some authority there, right?”

“I am one of the spaceport sector heads,” the little man said grandly. “So why didn’t I think of that?” Forrell’s face brightened, his fractious mood overturned as he beamed at his comrades. “If you ever want a job in security, young man, just ask.”

*********************************************

Coruscant

The young man stood swaying tiredly in the doorway, his face grey with fatigue. “Excuse me, your ladyship…”

Winter lifted her immaculately coiffed head from her senate reports in surprise and stared at her unexpected visitor.

He shuffled his feet and stared awkwardly at the floor. “I was going to go through security, but it takes so long and as I work in the palace I thought…”

“Ghent!” she exclaimed, her spirits lifting at the sight of General Cracken’s encrypt chief. “It’s good to see you. You’ve broken the encryption?”

He shook his head, almost in what appeared to be shock. His slightly too long hair hung limply around his pale face. “I thought I had, but I couldn’t do it.”

Winter moved out from behind her desk and carefully helped the stunned and shaken young man into a chair. He sagged into it and breathed deeply.

“You couldn’t do it - you?” This was unheard of. Ghent was a brilliant young man but out of his depth in the real world. He was never found far away from his beloved computers.

“At first I thought I had…”

He closed his bleary reddened eyes and almost drifted off to sleep. Winter had seen him after several nights of unbroken sleep, but never like this. She moved away to get a blanket and covered him up.

“You can tell me later”, she said.

“No,” he struggled to stay awake. “I’ve not gone to bed since you gave me the files.”

Winter’s mouth gaped open in surprise. He did look exhausted “But that was… You’ve not slept since…” Words failed her.

“I’ve never not cracked a code before. I can’t understand it… there have been codes that I thought were almost impossible, but I’ve never failed before. I believed I almost had it and then it was as if I just had one small part of the puzzle. It made no sense.”

“Never mind,” Winter soothed, as his eyes began to drift closed of their own volition. “It doesn’t matter.”

Ghent forced himself awake once more. “But it does matter and I do mind. I’ll have another go when I’m not so tired.”

“Of course,” she murmured.

Winter cast a surreptitious glance at the data cards containing the old Republican Senate files. Ghent was not fit to tackle these just now - he needed his sleep. Plus he still had all his usual work to do for the General. With a sigh, she lifted the cards and placed them carefully in her desk drawer, sliding it smoothly shut. These could wait until Ghent had rested. The cards were also heavily encrypted and from her own brief survey of the contents, she hadn’t been able to make head nor tail of these either. ‘It’s not as if I haven’t cracked the occasional code myself,’ she thought. ‘But I’ve never seen anything like them before.’

“I’ll do it when I’ve had… I just need more time. There’s got to be…” Ghent finally lay slumped in the chair, his head lolling at an angle and faint snores issued softly from him.

Winter smiled briefly at his recumbent figure and returned to her work.

*********************************************

Zathoq

“Good work with those lights, Artoo,” Mara called out. “What’s left of them,” she added under her breath. “Sithspawn!” she swore as she stood on something and there was the faint crack of breaking glass. She knelt down and the bulb of an ornamental light fitting parted in her hands into several fragile pieces. Mara, as a trader and as a lover of beautiful things, could have wept.

“Hey,” Luke soothed gently as he instantly picked up on her mood. “It’s not your fault.”

“I know, but what a waste of credits.” She held up the pieces. “This reminds me of the perfume jar.”

“It does, doesn’t it,” Luke agreed. “The same curved lines… the colours shot through the glass.”

“What is it?”

“I didn’t say anything.” His voice was oddly defensive.

“You don’t have to. You should know that by now, farmboy.”

“It’s tragic to see the ship like this. To know that such a beautiful bird will never fly again. It will never take to the stars as was its right.”

“More tragic is the lives lost during the Emperor’s reign.”

“I know, Mara. Perhaps this vessel saved many lives.”

“If it flew you to safety, then it did.”

“Yes, but I can’t help thinking of Obi-Wan, Ric Olie and of the handmaidens, Sabé and Farae. My mother… how and when did she die? They’re all dead now – all of them.”

“Come on, Luke, we’d better get going.”

Their progress was slow; they kept stopping to move buckled wall panels, fallen support struts and tangled wiring. Somewhere something fizzled, crackled then went silent and another light popped out. There was evidence of hasty repairs and an even hastier flight.

A door blocked their progress.

“Artoo,” Mara called. “See if you can open this door.”

The little droid twittered away at the station he’d attached himself to. Finally he gave a frustrated beep.

“He can’t get it open,” Luke announced quietly. He leant weakly on a dented bulkhead.

“Well, if he can’t, I can.” Mara announced firmly. “Do or do not, right Jedi?” she called defiantly.

Luke smiled tiredly. He was finding it more difficult to concentrate. Loss of blood, added to his other injuries, was making him light-headed. “That’s the maxim, Jade.”

Mara ignited her lightsaber and the satisfying thrum of sound slashed into the door. “They’ve not used cortosis ore on the inside then,” she muttered.

“Cortosis ore?” Luke mouthed faintly.

“Yeah, someone didn’t want a wandering Jedi or Sith-Lord passing by this little beauty.” She gave the bulkhead an affectionate pat and then determinedly plunged the blue blade of her saber into the door once again. “There’s cortosis ore in the door seals. The lightsaber kept going out.”

“There is? Not the usual thing you find in the makeup of an old star ship.”

“No, it’s not. Palpatine had a slab of the stuff filling the walls in his private residence.”

“I came across it once woven into a suit of body armour. It doesn’t stop a lightsaber but it slows things down considerably.”

“Well, they didn’t use it here. I’m almost through, Skywalker,” she said, the faint echo of triumph colouring her low-pitched voice.

“Good,” he whispered. His fingers sought the warmth of the small grey stone in his pocket and when skin and stone connected, he could almost see the occupants of this vessel, nearly forty years ago. They were ghostly, ephemeral figures. A tall young man, with bright blue eyes, dressed in the garb of a Jedi, a thin braid hanging behind his ear and a slender dark-haired woman dressed all in white. Luke recognised her from his earlier visions. She was younger, her face clearer from strain and he recognised the look in her eyes as she gazed at the man by her side. He suspected he had that same expression filling his own.

‘Anakin.’

‘Yes, M’lady.’ He was mocking her, wickedness and affection mixed in his blue eyes.

‘Stop it,’ she ordered and Luke could hear his sister’s voice in the early days of her courtship with Han.

‘What else am I to call you, M’Lady? I have to be serious with you being a senator.’

‘Annie!’

‘Anakin.’ His voice and expression were sullen. ‘I’m not a little boy.’ There was something indefinable in the young man’s voice.

Luke could hear the same quality in his own voice at times. For example, when he’d first met Yoda. “I am ready. Ben, tell him I’m ready,” he’d shouted up to his first master’s spirit. He wanted so much to prove he was his father’s son – the son of the Jedi, Anakin Skywalker and not just some bumpkin off a tenth rate farm on a tenth rate planet.

Mara gave a grin of accomplishment as she managed to cut a large aperture in the door. “Yes!” she said. “Luke… Luke.” When the Jedi didn’t answer, Mara swung round to see what he was doing. “Oh, sithspawn! Luke!”

The Jedi Master came round when a damp cloth wiped carefully over his face and he felt the cooling effects of water at his lips. A soft hand brushed his hair away from a cut on his forehead and a bacta salve was applied. “Mara?”

“Of course it’s Mara,” she finished, worry turning into irritation. “I turned around and you were lying slumped against the bulkhead – out cold. Don’t you dare frighten me like that again, farmboy or…”

“Or what? You’ll kill me?”

“You seem to be managing fine on your own. I don’t think I need to expend any effort towards you with that aim in mind. I’ll just leave you to it and you’ll kill yourself. Luke!” His name climbed higher and higher, stretched over several syllables. “Why are you doing this to yourself?”

He dipped his head meekly. “Because I can’t help it?” He swayed again and she clutched at his shoulders to steady him. “I do really need to be in a bacta tank.”

Mara’s eyes grew large in the dim lighting. “Force, he’s actually admitted needing a bacta tank. Now I know that you’re in bad shape. Forget all this. I have to get you back to the spaceport.”

“I can manage.” He peered over her shoulder into the dim interior of what looked to be a large cabin.

“Okay,” Mara gibed. “I get the hint.” She picked up his makeshift crutch which had fallen to the floor and placed it in his hand. His other hand she clasped firmly in her own. “Now for sith’s sake, Skywalker, be careful.”

Cautiously, Luke stepped through the hole Mara had cut in the door with her lightsaber. “Watch,” he warned. “The hyperdrive and shield generator have been pulled up at some point. There’s a gaping hole in the floor.

“You’re telling me to watch, Skywalker. Who’s in need of a bacta tank and is finally admitting it?” she asked sardonically, her green eyes narrowing. “You or me?”

Luke made a face at her. He knew he looked a sight. The black paste Mara had smeared on his face so many hours earlier was almost gone; instead a yucky grey residue resided on his skin mixed with blood and sweat.

“You don’t look so bad,” she said.

“I do and it amazes me that you…”

She scowled. “I look just as bad as you do.”

“No, you don’t.” The expression in his eyes was serious. “You look beautiful. I don’t know how you do it, but you do.”

“Farmboy,” she groused, but a small smile hinted at the corner of her lips. “What a time to tell a girl such things, especially when she knows she’s a mess.” Mara suddenly looked a little unsure of herself, the confident, tough-girl image wavering just a little as she tucked a stray curl behind her ear.

“But that’s just it, Mara Jade. I like it when you’re like this…

She gave a little burst of laughter. “What, messy?”

“No – strong, dangerous, vulnerable, beautiful,” Luke said, his hand clasping her arm, his bright eyes blazing into her own, a message that she didn’t want to, but couldn’t help but understand. “It’s just you – what you are. How I want and know you to be. You’re this complicated mixture of toughness and warmth. You try to hide your softer side but I can sense it.”

Mara’s eyes held Luke’s. She could feel his sincerity and knew that he didn’t say things that he didn’t mean. He kept surprising her – a warrior turned poet. She thought he preferred her in her court persona, elegantly groomed, but she should have known better. He liked her best just as she was.

“The lights aren’t very good in here.” Mara muttered her defences rising belatedly.

Luke nodded in agreement. “Mara, have you still got that glow-rod handy?”

Mara switched on the glow-rod and held it up to augment the meagre lighting in the cabin. One piece of furniture caught their attention immediately. The bed dominated the whole room. It was huge, an intricately carved headboard and at the foot - was a throne.

“Wow,” Luke muttered.

“This is a traditional handcrafted bed,” Mara said to Luke, her years as a trader coming to the fore. “See…” She pointed out several marks made by a master craftsman long ago. “This piece of furniture is priceless and fixed to the ship – damn it.”

Luke nodded sombrely and limped slowly to the headboard. The bed lay stripped of all its covering, the mattress lying on the floor covered in the dust and grime, plus various, assorted machine parts. It was a mess.

“Come on, Skywalker – a quick scan around and then we’d better move on… Luke, what is it?”

Luke had reached the headboard and had begun to run his hands over the carved birds and flowers depicted. Pushing his hand into his pocket once more he located the stone and gasped as sensation pierced the gloom he found himself in. Reaching further in, his fingers touched the key mechanism.

“Mara, can you see anything that might fit… this?” He held it up.

“How in the worlds did you remember to bring that with you?” she asked.

“The Force,” he replied simply. “Can you see anything?”

“No… I can’t,” she said, peering at the intricate carvings with amazement. “These look like… Wait…”

Right in the centre of the bed, the figure of a young woman stood holding something. Whatever she’d been holding was missing.

Mara, with a nod of consent from Luke, took the small key mechanism and examined it closely. “It looks like a globe of some sort with a metal piece at the end,” she pronounced thoughtfully. “I didn’t think it was wooden, but it is made from the material the bed is crafted from and that is made of some type of wood I’m not familiar with.

“Would it be her home world and the wood is native to that world?” Luke asked.

Mara peered at the object again. “You know, Skywalker, you just might be correct on this one. The minute detail on this is amazing. I can make out continents and…”

“All right.” He gave her a careful nod. “Place the piece where it’s missing.”

Mara did as instructed and nothing happened. “I didn’t do it wrong,” she protested.

“I know you didn’t. Try again.”

This time there was an audible click and Mara felt something swell within the Force.

Luke began to run his hands gently over the carvings. Slowly at first and then his hands moved faster, seeking, searching for that… “Aahh!” Luke exhaled as his fingers found the hidden catch below the carved figure’s feet.

With a whirr, a secret drawer swung open on the headboard. Mara’s jaw dropped open as Luke subsided onto the bare wooden framework of the bed, his breathing shallow.

“How did you know?” she asked. “It’s ingenious.”

Luke raised bewildered eyes. “I don’t know how I knew - I just did.” He reached in and pulled out a package wrapped in soft cloth. With a pained expression, his fingers tightened on the mysterious object he held. “We can’t look at this just now; we don’t have the time but Force, I want to.”

“Patience,” Mara said, but she knew exactly how he felt. She desperately wanted to examine the parcel too, but they had lingered too long in this part of the ship already.

“Here,” he said, thrusting the object into Mara’s hands. “Put it away.”

She took it – it felt like a… a book. But she’d rarely held one – a real one, in her hands, so she wasn’t sure. The Emperor had had an impressive library of holobooks and she had read her fill of those. The real books had remained on the shelves as decoration rather than education. Mara put it her backpack before glancing around swiftly. “Anything else worth taking with us?” Then she shook her head. “Probably not.” Her fingers pushed the drawer shut and again she marvelled at how invisibly the drawer disappeared.

Luke lifted his head as his eyes tracked the route Mara’s had already taken. “I’m not sure…” He limped over to a carved vanity unit that he somehow recognised as if from a dream, the looking glass cracked in thousands of pieces, yet most were still holding to the frame. “Mara,” he whispered, his voice trembling. Lying on its side, covered in broken pieces of glass, but unscathed, was another perfume jar. All the other beautiful things were smashed beyond repair but this one was as perfect as its twin which Luke had dug out of the ground. There was something strangely symbolic in the finding of a second jar.

Mara blinked away the unaccustomed moisture rising to her eye. She felt Luke’s joy and his pain through this bond they had developed. The one which had grown stronger the more time they had spent together. This Force connection which she knew would hold for as long as they both still lived. She watched as Luke prised the stopper gently from the slim neck of the jar and a faint perfume arose, teasing their nostrils. Mara swallowed, something unpleasant tugging at a memory. She recognised that scent…

The Emperor had once given her a tiny vial of perfume just prior to her appearance at her first court ball. He had told her that this fragrance was no longer made, in fact this was probably the last bottle. The essence had come from a far off world which had undergone a dreadful calamitous event. The flowers from which it had been taken had only bloomed on that one planet in one location. It was a truly precious gift for the woman she was to become – one of a kind.

Mara closed her eyes as a wave of nausea passed through her. Had these flowers grown only on Naboo?

“Mara, are you okay?” Luke felt her distress and ached to offer comfort. Mara didn’t take comfort from anyone, even him, very well, so he’d learned to judge the situation with caution.

“It’s nothing, Skywalker.”

Luke knew that it wasn’t ‘nothing’, but he knew by the use of his surname and not the more affectionate ‘farmboy’ or the even the careless ‘Jediboy’ that she didn’t want to be pressed. He yearned to have her call him ‘Luke’ the way she had done when she’d lost control in his arms. He wanted that more than anything.

“Mara, we have to get going, I have a feeling…”

“I understand,” she said, taking the perfume jar from him and also placing it carefully in her backpack

The Jedi gazed around the cabin one more time, drinking in the combined sense of destiny and history shimmering between and around them.

Luke spoke into his comlink. “Artoo, any luck getting into the computer?”

Mara moved back into the corridor. “What did he say?” she asked as she helped Luke back through the hole she’d cut in the door with her lightsaber.

“He’s having some difficulties, apparently everything is heavily encrypted.” Luke shrugged. “He says he’s almost into the system and he’ll download anything he finds.”

“That droid must be sentient,” Mara marvelled.

“I always thought so,” Luke muttered.

“More importantly,” Mara said briskly. “Has he got the turbo lift active? If he hasn’t - I can’t see how we’re going to get up into the upper level. You’re in no shape to go crawling through access shafts. If they aren’t blocked.”

“We’ll find a way,” Luke said confidently.

“We may do, Skywalker,” Mara returned tersely. “But you’ll be waiting down here if that turbo lift isn’t functional.”

“Aw, Mara!”

“Don’t ‘aw, Mara’ me, Jediboy,” she shot back. “I suspect you have more than a few broken bones which would take at least a week in a healing trance to even start fixing. Crawling through narrow access tube shafts is not what the 2-1B would order.”

They made their way back along the corridor until they reached the turbo lift. Artoo stood beeping impatiently at them and then let off a stream of electronic invective at Mara as his photoreceptors took in the state of his master.

“Don’t hassle me, short and round,” Mara snapped, catching some of what Artoo said and accurately guessing the rest. “He did most of this on his own and you should know that by now. So don’t give me any more of that nonsense.”

Artoo hooted something which could have been a grudging apology and then launched into another peal of whistles, hoots and beeps.

“Slow down, Artoo,” Luke instructed quietly.

“What did he say?” Mara tried to peer at the screen.

“He’s still having problems with the computer but has managed to get the turbo lift partially working. He doesn’t think we should risk it, but it is working… sort of.”

“Why don’t I like the sound of that?” she groused.

“Artoo says he suspects there are traps left for anyone trying to pull information and whoever last left the ship scrapped most of the data and scrambled the remainder. It’s almost unintelligible, even for Artoo.”

Mara felt Luke’s despondency. He’d been hoping for something – anything - but had been denied once more.

“So,” she said. “The turbo lift?”

“I’m willing to risk it, if you are?”

Artoo tootled a sharp reprimand.

“We’ll be careful, Artoo,” Luke said gently.

Mara opened her mouth to refuse. If the droid said it was risky, then she was willing to believe him, but the hopeful expression in the Jedi Master’s blue eyes made her change her mind. It was less Jedi Master and definitely more of the Tatooine farmboy – ever hopeful that she would grant him this favour. Mara pursed her lips thoughtfully. This inability she’d developed to say ‘no’ to the Jedi Master was going to cost her dearly one of these days and she had the feeling she would be gladly paying for the rest of her life.

“Luke’s right, Artoo,” she said softly. “We have to go and we’ll be careful.”

Artoo moaned but returned to the droid station and attached himself to the ship’s systems. With an unwilling creaking and groaning the turbo lift’s doors shuddered half open.

“That’s all we’re going to get, Artoo says,” murmured Luke. “There’s stuff jamming the rest of the mechanism.”

“Then it will have to do.” Mara said. She held out her hand and Luke placed his own into it.