AS LONG AS WE'RE TOGETHER
~~~A Luke & Mara/Star Trek: Voyager crossover~~~
by Michele
Spoilers: All novels through "The Corellian Trilogy"
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: All Star Wars characters are the property of George
Lucas and his sanctioned pro-fic authors. All Star Trek
characters are the property of Paramount. Absolutely no money is
being made off this monstrosity, only the enjoyment of playing in
the Star Wars universe.
Author's Notes:
This was my first attempt at fanfic, back in 1999. Both Star Wars
& Star Trek fans, please overlook all technical inaccuracies in your
favorite universes, both intentional and unintentional. (i.e. I know
Trek vessels probably have sonic showers, real water just worked
better for my purposes).
I want to thank my friend Elaeia for all her invaluable suggestions,
and to her and my other fellow Luke fans who encouraged me to
continue.
*****************************************************************
The following is a slightly updated version of the original. I tidied
up the punctuation a bit, and inserted lines between the paragraphs.
But you will still find the same corny scenes, the same cheesy dialogue,
and Luke still delves into his same bag of flashy Jedi tricks. (Remember,
this was written before 'canon Mara' lectured him on listening to songbirds
in factories.) Hope you enjoy!
Oh, and by the way, do not post this on any site without my permission.
*****************************************************************
As Long As We're Together
Part I
Luke Skywalker was spending his last night on Coruscant
with the Solo family, minus Leia, who was at a late committee
meeting. Tomorrow he would return to Yavin IV for the beginning
of a new semester.
"So, Luke, who are you hitching a ride with this time?"
inquired Han, after they sat down to dinner.
"Well, I was going to go on the supply shuttle, but it's
being delayed a week waiting on some special orders, and I really
need to go sooner than that in order to make sure everything is
ready for the new semester. So I guess, if nothing else, I'll
ask Wedge if I can borrow a ship, though I don't especially like
doing that."
"Where's your x-wing, Uncle Luke?" piped up Jaina.
"It's still on Yavin, with Artoo. I came to Coruscant with
Lando, remember?"
"Luke, I'm not sure what you'll think of this idea," began
Han, "but, well, I was talking to Talon Karrde a few days ago,
before he left for the outer rim, and he mentioned that Mara was
planning on going to Yavin soon. Perhaps ..."
"Mara? Mara Jade?" interrupted Luke.
"Of course Mara Jade. How many Mara's do you know?"
"Isn't one enough? How soon was she leaving? Do you think
she'd even agree to let me ride with her? And why didn't someone
tell me she was going to Yavin? Is she actually enrolling for
classes, or does she have other business there?"
"Whoa, there. I think she's leaving any day now. As to
all those other questions, I guess you'll have to ask her,"
replied Han.
"I'd better call Traffic Control and make sure her ship
hasn't taken off yet. Can I use your comm unit?"
"Sure, kid, go ahead."
Han felt Luke seemed surprisingly anxious to travel with
someone who had once vowed to kill him. Mara was a strikingly
beautiful woman, but deadly and cold as ice nonetheless.
Luke returned a few minutes later.
"The Jade's Fire is still docked, and Mara is there now.
The controller said she has requested departure clearance for
tomorrow morning." Luke glanced up at Han. "I think I should
talk to her in person. Can you tell Leia I'll be back later
tonight?"
"No problem."
Luke made his way to Docking Bay Sixteen, and spotted Mara
studying a datapad. She glanced up and frowned as Luke
approached.
"Hello, Mara," Luke ventured tentatively.
"What do you want, Skywalker?"
"No 'Hi, Luke, glad to see you'?"
"Very funny, farmboy. Get to the point."
"Okay, I heard you were leaving for Yavin in the morning.
I was wondering if I could ride along?"
"With me? Don't you have a ship?"
"Not on Coruscant. And it's going to be at least a week
before another ship leaves for Yavin."
"So the great Jedi Master needs a favor. What's in it for
me?"
"Beside the pleasure of my company? It never hurts for a
student to do a favor for the teacher."
"Who says I'm going to be a student?"
"Then why are you going to Yavin?"
"Oh, all right. I am going to be a student. I thought I'd
finally finish my training."
"Why didn't you just ask me? I'd be glad to help you with
your training."
"I just wanted to do this on my own. I didn't think you
did any teaching anymore."
"I don't, actually. But I still like to address the new
students, and I occasionally hold a special training class."
"Sounds boring. What do you do with the rest of your
time?"
"Not much, I guess. Go on hikes through the jungle, advise
the teachers, meditate a lot, the usual 'Jedi Master' type
stuff." Luke grinned. "So can I have a ride or not?"
"Yeah, sure. Maybe I'll get extra credit. Be here at
oh-seven-hundred sharp."
"Thanks, Mara. I'll see you then."
Mara stared at Luke's retreating figure as he ambled away.
She could swear she heard him whistling. 'What have I gotten
myself into?' she wondered.
Luke returned to the Solos' home to say his farewells.
Leia had finally returned from her meeting, and expressed her
misgivings about Luke traveling with Mara.
"I can't believe you want to spend three days traveling
through hyperspace with that woman."
"She's not so bad, Leia. I probably won't even see her
much once we reach Yavin."
Luke arrived at the Jade's Fire the next morning a few
minutes before seven. He admired the sleek lines of the beautiful
ship. Just like her owner, he mused.
"What are you gawking at, Skywalker?"
"Just admiring your ship. I've never been inside, you
know."
"Well, it's time to get inside now." She glanced at Luke's
lone satchel. "Is that all of your luggage?"
"I travel light. Shall we?" He motioned to the ramp.
"After you, farmboy."
Mara frowned as Luke strapped into the co-pilot's seat.
"Comfy?"
"Sure thing, Captain Jade. Or did you want me to stay in
my cabin for the entire trip?"
"As tempting as that sounds, it's always easier flying with
a co-pilot. Ready for take-off."
Luke quickly familiarized himself with the controls, and
the ship gently lifted off and entered the atmosphere.
"Coordinates set for Yavin," Luke announced.
"Prepare for jump to hyperspace," came the reply.
Luke gazed out the cockpit window. "As often as I've done
this, I still love seeing the star lines fly by."
"Me, too," mused Mara, to Luke's surprise.
"Really?"
"You don't think I can appreciate the wonders of space?"
"I didn't say that."
"Did so."
Luke sighed. "Mara, I don't want to spend the entire trip
arguing. I apologize for my comment. I guess I was just
surprised that we have something in common, besides the fact that
we're both Force-strong, young, attractive, single, athletic ..."
"Enough already." An unwilling grin escaped Mara.
"... have a sense of humor, can swing a mean lightsaber ..."
"Enough!" Mara laughed as she swatted at him.
By now Luke was laughing as well. "Now isn't this better
than arguing?"
"Don't get used to it."
The rest of the day progressed much the same way, though
with perhaps more sarcastic barbs traded than good-natured humor.
After dinner, which consisted of ration bars and Luke's getting
bopped for commenting, "Don't you have any real food on this
ship?", they had pretty much run out of even hostile topics.
"I'm going to my cabin," announced Mara. "I've got some
trading run business to work on."
"I'll stay out here awhile yet," replied Luke.
"I wasn't inviting you along," said Mara tartly.
Luke just shrugged and grinned, which infuriated Mara even
more. She stormed off toward her cabin, and Luke swore he heard
her mutter "Damn Jedi."
Just then a strange feeling overcame Luke, and he stared
out the cockpit window.
"Mara, get out here!" he shouted, as he hurried to the helm
controls.
"What the ..." Mara's eyes grew wide as she too gaped at the
phenomenon in their path.
"Drop us out of hyperspace!" she ordered, but even as she
said it she knew it was futile. It was impossible to go to
realspace and change course in time to avoid this 'who knows
what.'
The ship lurched, as if being grabbed by an impossibly
powerful tractor beam, and both Luke and Mara were knocked to the
deck. A few moments later, the ship seemed to be 'spit out' of
whatever it was that had swallowed it. Jade's Fire sat dead in
space, its two occupants slowly climbing to their feet.
"What in blazes happened!" Mara screeched. "Did you touch
something on the controls?" she accused.
"No, I just looked up and saw this big hole looming in
front of us," Luke protested. "I didn't have time to get to the
controls before it pulled us in."
"We were traveling through hyperspace," Mara argued. "How
could we even see anything in front of us like that?"
Luke was as baffled as she was. "I don't know. It was
like a black hole, but we're still alive, so it couldn't have
been that."
"Are you sure we're alive? Maybe this is how it feels to
be 'one with the Force'?" Even Mara wasn't certain if she was
being sarcastic or serious.
"I'm sure. Your lip's bleeding, and I banged my knee
pretty good."
Mara touched her hand to her mouth and felt a trickle of
blood. She was also sore from her sudden encounter with the
deck.
"All right, so we're alive. We still don't know what that
thing was. Some kind of interdiction field?"
"I don't think so. It was more like a vacuum that sucked
us in, then spit us out," Luke answered.
"Well, let's check for any damage, then resume course."
They both went to the cockpit controls. The ship's systems
all seemed to be operational except for one, the navicomputer.
"I can't get a fix on our location anymore," Luke said.
"What do you mean? We can't be more than a couple
lightyears off from where we were before that thing pulled us
in."
"Apparently we are. The navicomputer's self-diagnostics show
it's working, but it doesn't recognize our location."
"Move over and let me see." Mara practically shoved him
aside. She couldn't come up with any better results, however.
"This is just great. How are we going to re-plot our
course? I doubt we're even still headed in the same direction."
She glared at him. "I'm sure this must be your fault."
"You sound like Threepio," he quipped, causing her to glare
even harder, if that was possible.
"All right, O great Jedi Master. How are you at dead
reckoning?"
Luke frowned. "I'll try feeling for Yavin's presence."
"Try not. Do," she retorted.
Luke frowned again, then closed his eyes and reached out
for the Force-sense of his students and teachers. Nothing. He
took a deep breath, calmed himself, and reached out again. Still
nothing. He should at least be able to sense Kyp, Streen, and
the other Force-strong teachers, even from this distance. It was
as if Yavin had vanished. He opened his eyes to find Mara
impatiently drumming her fingers on the console.
"Well? Which way?"
Luke didn't answer, but instead closed his eyes again and
reached out for Leia's presence. He could always sense her.
Always until now, that is. He expanded his scope, searching for
anything familiar. A bit of panic was starting to creep in. He
opened his eyes and looked at Mara.
"Which way?" she repeated, more harshly this time.
"I ... I can't sense anyone. Not anyone on Yavin, or
Coruscant. Not even Leia."
Mara could feel his anxiety. "Are you sure you still have
your Force powers? Maybe there's ysalimiri around."
Luke glared back at her, then levitated Mara a few
centimeters out of her seat. "Yes, I still have Force powers."
"I believe you. Put me down. I'll see if I can sense
anything." Even as she said it, Mara doubted if she would have
any better luck. This was one of the areas, one of the many
areas, in which Luke's skill far exceeded hers. After several
minutes of stretching out as far as she could, Mara shook her head.
"I could at least feel sentient beings, but they were very
far away, and they felt strange, unfamiliar," Luke offered.
"I couldn't even sense that much," Mara admitted.
"So now what, Captain?"
"Well, we can't just sit here. I guess we'll pick a
direction and fly in realspace until we reach a planet or
something." This sounded lame even to Mara's ears.
"And then we stop and ask directions?" Luke chided her.
"You know we could travel months before reaching anywhere. Even
if I can zero in on the beings I felt, I can't tell how far away
they are. But you're right, we just can't sit here."
"So I'm asking for the third time, which way?" Mara
grumbled impatiently.
Luke sighed, closed his eyes and briefly concentrated. He
then stood and looked out the cockpit window. "That way," he
announced, pointing slightly starboard. "The minds I felt that
way don't seem to be any closer than any of the others, but they
felt the most human."
"All right, that way it is," Mara acknowledged, unsmiling.
"Though I still think this only happened because I let you come
along. Bad luck follows you everywhere."
"It does seem that way sometimes. But cheer up. If I
weren't along, you'd be stuck out here all by yourself."
"And that thought is supposed to cheer me up?" Mara
muttered.
Luke and Mara continued on for several more days,
occasionally changing course slightly based on Luke's feeling of
the human-like minds. Luke kept to himself as much as possible,
as Mara's mood seemed to darken with each passing day.
"Are you sure you're still sensing the same minds?" Mara
complained one day after their ration bar lunch. "We've changed
course six times. Maybe you're confused," she said, though she
secretly doubted it.
"But have you noticed how we've changed course? We keep
adjusting in a starboard direction. I think they must be on a
ship, traveling at a fairly high rate of speed, but not
lightspeed. And we do seem to be getting closer," Luke defended
himself. "Perhaps in a few days we'll intercept them."
"And hope they're friendly, and speak Basic."
"Or at least something the universal translator can handle.
Say, to work off that delicious meal you prepared, how about a
little lightsaber practice?" Luke goaded hopefully.
"Okay, farmboy, you're on," Mara answered, to Luke's
surprise. "Let's go to the cargo hold. It's empty and big
enough for a good workout."
'She almost sounds eager,' Luke thought, as they each
retrieved their lightsaber. 'Perhaps she's reviving that old
death threat against me.'
He expected Mara to be a worthy opponent, and she didn't
disappoint him. They battled for nearly two hours before Luke
finally took advantage of an uncommon lapse in concentration from
Mara and knocked her lightsaber from her grasp. They both
collapsed from exhaustion.
"Whew!" Luke exclaimed. "You must have been practicing on
your own."
"Just with remotes. I prefer a live opponent, though,
especially when I wouldn't mind if I accidentally sliced off an
extremity or two." Mara grinned wickedly, then abruptly changed
to a look of dismay when she saw Luke's face. Gods, how could
she say something like that to him? He just sat there staring at
his right hand, flexing it slightly.
"Oh, Luke, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I wasn't
thinking," Mara gushed apologetically.
He looked up at her and smiled weakly. "It's okay. You'd
think I'd be over it by now."
He held out his right hand and her lightsaber flew into it.
Her lightsaber. Formerly his lightsaber. Formerly his father's
lightsaber. It had been a long time since he held it, but it
still felt comfortable in his grip.
Mara edged slightly closer. "Have you ever regretted
giving it to me?"
"Never," Luke quickly responded. "I just pray it brings
you better luck in battle than it did me." Of course, Luke knew
that luck, good or bad, had nothing to do with his defeat that
day. He handed the lightsaber back to Mara, got up quickly and
left.
Mara continued sitting on the deck, holding the lightsaber.
She had never seriously thought about the day Luke had lost it.
The day he lost everything -- his hand, his youth, his innocence,
his faith in Kenobi, his vision of a brave Jedi father who died
in battle.
*Don't feel sorry for me, Mara* she heard in her head,
instantly realizing she had unconsciously let her barriers down.
*You've had it a lot worse.*
Irritated, Mara slammed her barriers up to keep him from
hearing her thoughts. Trouble was, she wasn't sure if she was
more irritated at him or at herself.
After a couple more days of engaging in only superficial
conversation, Luke unexpectedly stared off into space.
"They're close," he murmured. He glanced at Mara. "Check
your sensors."
Mara looked at the controls and replied, "I detect a ship,
fairly large, unknown design, heading 269.3."
"So they surely can detect us too. Let's send a distress
signal when we're in visual range."
"Distress signal? I didn't know we were in distress," said
Mara hotly.
"Sorry, I don't know the proper signal for 'We're lost.'
Besides, you've seemed pretty distressed lately," countered Luke.
"Oh, all right. Send your signal. But you're doing all
the talking."
On board the U.S.S. Voyager:
"Captain, sensors detect a small vessel approaching, two
life signs. They're emitting a repeating message on a frequency
we've not encountered before in this quadrant," reported Lieutenant
Commander Tuvoc.
"On screen, Mr. Tuvoc," ordered Captain Janeway.
On the main viewscreen there appeared a small craft,
perhaps a cargo ship. It was bright red, with orange flames
painted on the sides.
"Wow!" exclaimed Tom Paris. "Will you look at that!"
"It is impressive," agreed the Captain. "Commander," she
continued, turning to Tuvoc, "try hailing them."
"Audio only, Captain," he replied.
"This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation Starship
Voyager. Do you require assistance?"
After a few seconds, she received a reply. Luckily the
universal translator was able to handle the unfamiliar language,
as it had throughout Voyager's journey.
"This is Luke Skywalker of the Jade's Fire. As a matter of
fact, we could use some assistance. We're having trouble with
our navicomputer."
"Of course. Come along side and we'll beam an engineer
aboard. Or if you prefer, we can beam you to our ship
first to discuss your problem."
Mara and Luke exchanged puzzled glances and shrugged.
"I'm afraid we're not familiar with the term 'beam.' Is it
not possible to dock with your ship?" Luke put forth.
Likewise, on Voyager, Captain Janeway exchanged puzzled
looks with her bridge crew.
"We do not have docking facilities for a ship your size.
We could tractor you into one of our landing bays, Jade's Fire,"
replied the Captain.
*They are not using a tractor beam on my ship,* Luke heard
in his mind.
"Voyager, if you tell me which landing bay to use, I can
land in it. A tractor beam isn't necessary," ventured Luke,
hoping they would agree.
Eyebrows raised on most of Voyager's bridge. They all knew
how tricky piloting into a landing bay on a moving starship was.
It was a Starfleet test that most pilots needed many tries to
accomplish.
"Jade's Fire, I assume you have experience with such a
landing?" inquired Janeway, more than a little skeptical.
"Affirmative, Voyager, I've done it many times," replied
Luke. Though not in this ship, he thought to himself. Realizing
he had not asked Mara's permission for, or even opinion of, such
a maneuver, he looked at her questioningly.
"Go right ahead, hotshot. You're the one who volunteered."
"Very well, Jade's Fire," came Captain Janeway's voice.
"Use Bay Six on the port side. It will be illuminated for you.
Janeway out."
"Thank you, Captain. Jade's Fire out."
Lt. Paris turned to his captain. "Permission to go to Bay
Six and observe their landing, Captain?"
"I wouldn't mind observing this myself," added Commander
Chakotay.
"So would I," came from Ensign Kim, "Captain, Ma'am."
Janeway smiled. She could understand their eagerness to
see how this unknown pilot would fare. She just hoped he didn't
put too many scratches on the docking bay's portal.
"Very well, you may all accompany me. Mr. Tuvoc, you have
the bridge. Unless you wanted to come, too?"
"Not necessary, Captain. I'm sure I will receive a full
report from the rest of you."
Luke headed the Jade's Fire toward the illuminated landing
bay. "Well, is that finely-honed danger sense picking up
anything?" he inquired of Mara.
"No, it's not. I just hope we're not flying straight into
the rancor's mouth. How about you?"
"I sense no ill-will or malice, only good intentions and a
genuine willingness to help us. Though I believe they will
exercise caution toward us. And they seemed pretty perplexed that
we didn't know what this 'beaming' business was."
"I agree. So how much do we divulge about ourselves? I'm
hoping we can just ask directions and head for home," replied
Mara.
"I hadn't planned on mentioning anything about being Jedi.
I myself prefer to blend in. They may not even know what a Jedi is."
"They didn't seem to recognize your name, at any rate. So
we're just two unfortunate space travelers who accidentally got
caught up in some kind of spatial anomaly," Mara observed.
"Which is exactly what happened, of course. I doubt we'll
be here more than a few hours, a day at the most," responded
Luke. "Coming up on the landing bay now."
"Not a scratch, Skywalker."
"Aye, aye, Captain Jade."
The Voyager crew was in the glassed-in observation platform
as the Jade's Fire gracefully entered the landing bay. Luke flew
the ship in exactly through the middle of the open bay door, then
more gently than anyone believed possible, lowered the ship down.
Not a sound could be heard as the landing struts made contact
with the deck.
"Very impressive," murmured Chakotay.
"Amazing," echoed Paris and Kim.
"I agree," added the Captain.
"Jade's Fire," she spoke through the comm. "Please remain
aboard during the decontamination cycle."
"Affirmative, Captain," Luke acknowledged.
Mara began strapping on her forearm blaster. Luke looked
at her in consternation.
"You can't wear that! Don't you think they'll scan us for
weapons? How can we expect them to trust us if we come out
wearing weapons?"
Mara grimaced. "How can we trust them? Are you leaving
your lightsaber behind?"
Luke hesitated. He rarely went anywhere without his
lightsaber. It had become part of him. But in this case ...
"Yes, I'll leave it in my cabin. Satisfied? Besides, we're
Jedi. There are many ways of defending ourselves."
Mara glared at him, but she knew he was right. They surely
would detect her blaster immediately, then probably throw them in
the brig. Without saying anything, she unstrapped the holster
and stowed the blaster in her cabin.
"Jade's Fire, the scan is complete. You may disembark,"
came a voice over the comm.
Janeway and the others had come down into the landing bay
itself. They watched as the ramp lowered and a woman walked out,
a beautiful green-eyed woman in a snug-fitting jumpsuit, with
luxurious reddish-gold hair in a loose braid down her back.
'Whoa, what a babe!' thought Ensign Kim.
'Hot, Hot, Hot!' echoed Lt. Paris in his mind.
Even Comdr. Chakotay was unnerved by the woman's fiery good
looks. The woman glared at all of them as if she could read
their thoughts. Right behind her followed a man, about the same
age, with dark blond hair and piercing blue eyes. He was
dressed all in black.
Captain Janeway strode forward and extended her hand.
"Greetings, I am Kathryn Janeway, captain of Voyager."
Luke took her hand and shook it, replying, "I'm Luke
Skywalker, and this is ..." turning to Mara.
"His wife, Mara," his companion answered smoothly.
It took all of Luke's Jedi skill not to drop open his mouth
in astonishment. *I'll explain later* he heard in his mind.
Luke tried his best to pay attention as the captain was
introducing her accompanying officers.
"We haven't met any other humans in this quadrant,"
Captain Janeway was saying, as Luke stole a glance at Mara, but
she wouldn't look at him. "Won't you please come with us to our
conference room? We'd love to hear where you're from, and we'll
be glad to help with your navigational problem if we can."
As Luke and Mara followed them down a corridor, Luke
thought to Mara, *All right, what was that all about?*
*Didn't you hear what all the male crewmen were thinking
about me? The last thing I want is to have every man on this
ship having the hots for me,* Mara explained impatiently.
*So you thought they would leave a married woman alone? Am
I the lesser of two evils? And you know I don't like being
deceitful.*
*Oh, Skywalker, you don't have to be so noble all the time.
Pay attention, the captain is talking to you.*
It was rather difficult to carry on a silent conversation
with Mara and an active one with the captain and her party at the
same time.
"You have a beautiful ship, Captain Skywalker. Perhaps you
will allow us a look inside?" ventured Janeway.
"Oh, I'm not the captain," Luke answered. One fabrication
was enough. "It's Mara's ship."
"Yes, but I let him pilot once in a while," Mara put in.
"Well, that was by far the smoothest landing I've ever seen
anywhere," Chakotay complimented Luke.
"Thank you, Commander," Luke replied.
By then they had reached the conference room, where they
were joined by Lt. Comdr. Tuvoc and Lt. Torres.
"So, where are you two from?" ventured the Captain.
"Coruscant," replied Luke.
"I'm not familiar with that planet. Is it in the Delta
Quadrant?"
"No. Is that where we are? Our navicomputer couldn't
determine our location, and none of the star patterns were
familiar."
"So how did you get here?" spoke up Lt. Torres.
"We were traveling through hyperspace when Luke and I saw
some kind of anomaly right in our path. It sucked us in, and
seemed to spit us out here, wherever here is," Mara explained.
"How long ago was this?" inquired Captain Janeway.
"About five standard days ago," Luke replied. "We've been
traveling with sub-light engines hoping to meet up with someone
who could assist us."
"That could have taken some time. Lucky we came across
your ship," said Comdr. Chakotay. Of course, Luke knew luck had
little to do with it; he had tracked their minds across space.
"Yes, it was," he replied.
*Now who's not being completely honest?* he heard in his
mind.
"That sounds similar to what brought us here," commented
Ensign Kim.
Voyager's crew related how a plasma storm hurled them
70,000 light years away, landing them in the Delta Quadrant, and
the long voyage home that was ahead of them.
"This doesn't sound promising," Mara said. "At least you
know which way to go. We don't even know which direction our
galaxy is, or how far away we are."
"You're welcome to all our star charts," the captain
offered. "And we can cross-match your own charts with ours.
Ensign Kim, I am assigning you to this project. You've done the
most work mapping this region."
"Aye, aye, Captain. I'll be glad to work on this. Request
permission to have Seven of Nine help. The Borg have been to
many other systems that we don't have charts on."
"Granted." She turned to Luke and Mara. "I'll have Lt.
Paris show you to some quarters."
"We don't want to inconvenience anyone," protested Luke.
"We didn't expect to be here that long," added Mara.
"It's no inconvenience. Even if you aren't here long, you
must be tired from your trip. We have many empty cabins. And we
look forward to hearing all about your galaxy. I do request,
however, that you both have a routine physical exam. Just to
make sure there are no side effects from your ordeal. If you
don't mind, I'll have Tom take you to sickbay first."
"Of course, Captain. Quite understandable," Luke agreed.
*I don't like physical exams,* Mara sent to him in protest.
*It won't hurt you,* he shot back. *Refusing wouldn't look
good. Besides, we have nothing to hide that an exam could pick
up.*
Even Mara agreed that the exam was relatively painless,
consisting of the doctor running a scanner over them. They were
surprised to find the doctor was a hologram. They also noted the
lack of droids anywhere on the ship.
"I will have to share these results with the Captain, you
understand," the Doctor told them. "Standard procedure. But I
foresee no problems."
Later, after they left, Captain Janeway entered sickbay.
"Well, how did our two new visitors check out?"
"They are both human, and they are both in remarkably good
physical condition. Each has had one or two broken bones which
mended some time ago. Luke's skeletal structure shows signs that
at one time he was hit by a jolt of electricity, perhaps even
lightening, but it must have been years ago. Mara also, but to a
lesser degree. The only thing really worth noting, is that
Luke's right hand is a prosthetic."
"Prosthetic? I shook his hand when they arrived. I didn't
notice anything unusual," Janeway observed.
"It's quite advanced technology, similar to the construction
of Lt. Comdr. Data of the Enterprise, only more sophisticated. He
said he lost his biological hand in an accident about sixteen years
ago. He didn't seem to want to talk about it."
"Well, I suppose that's understandable. Thank you, Doctor."
Tom led Luke and Mara back to the Jade's Fire to gather some
of their personal belongings. Mara kept him occupied showing him
the cockpit while Luke hurriedly moved his gear into Mara's cabin,
so Tom wouldn't notice they had two separate cabins. He needn't
have worried. Tom was so entranced by both the sleek ship and her
owner that he wouldn't have noticed anything else.
Finally, after Mara stored her gear in a bag with Luke's,
blasters and lightsabers included, they proceeded to the guest
quarters. As they had hoped, they were not scanned for weapons
this time around. When they reached their destination, Tom showed
them the security code for entering, then ushered them into their
new quarters, which consisted of a large common room with kitchen
facilities to one side, a bedroom and a refresher to the other.
Luke and Mara's eyes widened. "All of this is for us?" Luke
asked.
"I was expecting one small cabin with bunk beds," laughed
Mara.
"Everyone on board has quarters similar to this," explained
Tom. "This is an exploration vessel and Starfleet wants its crews
to be comfortable on long journeys. Though no one expected our
journey to last years."
Tom proceeded to show them all the amenities available to
them, even apologizing for the limited access necessary for the
replicators.
"But Neelix, who does the cooking, creates some, umm,
interesting dishes from what we grow in hydroponics, and also from
what he scavenges from the planets we visit. I'll be back in about
an hour to show you to the mess hall for lunch."
Tom had given them each a comm badge already, and told them
to contact him if they needed anything.
After he left, Luke wandered to the computer console, while
Mara inspected their quarters in more detail.
"This is like a luxury hotel," she commented. "Quite a
change from the monk's cell you live in on Yavin. Even your
apartment on Coruscant is pretty sparse, I've heard."
"I have everything I need. And who's been describing my
apartment to you?"
"Never mind," she retorted. Mara wandered into the bedroom.
"There's only one bed!" she called out to Luke.
"What did you expect? You're the one who told them we were
married."
Mara glared at him. "I didn't expect to be staying overnight.
You're the one who said we'd probably only be here a couple hours."
Luke relented. "All right, I'll take the couch. You can have
the bed."
"I suppose we could at least take turns," Mara replied.
"You're right, if I hadn't said I was your wife, we'd each have
quarters like this."
"I think this looks quite comfy. It's not every day that I
get to shack up with a 'hot babe'."
"You did hear what they were thinking!" she exclaimed, as she
threw a pillow at him. Luke dodged it easily, laughing. By the
time they had stored what little gear they had brought
from the ship, Tom arrived to take them to the mess hall.
"I believe today's entrée is stewed garbo root," he joked.
*You should be right at home,* Mara thought to Luke.
*You may have ration bar withdrawal,* he shot back.
When they arrived at the mess hall they got in line with trays.
Neelix was an alien unlike any of the others they had encountered so
far on Voyager. He was also different in that he did not wear a
Starfleet uniform, though he did have one of their comm badges.
"Afternoon, Neelix," Tom greeted him. "I'd like you to meet
Luke and Mara Skywalker. They are going to be staying with us for
awhile to work on some navigation problems."
Luke felt Mara wince at being introduced as Mara Skywalker,
but he wisely remained silent.
"What is this concoction you're serving us today?" Tom joked.
"This, my friends, is sautéed Obarian root and dried pentalu."
"I think it looks pretty good," Luke commented. He instantly
took a liking to the strange little man.
"Ah, a culinary connoisseur, how wonderful!" exclaimed Neelix.
"Though it appears your lovely wife doesn't share your opinion."
He hadn't missed Mara's wrinkling up her nose at the sight and
smell of his creation.
"Uh, Luke and I do have different tastes in food," she stammered.
She hadn't meant to offend him.
"Don't worry," Tom interjected. "We all had that same
expression the first time we tried Neelix's cooking. And the second
time. And the third time. But eventually you get used to it."
They all laughed, as Tom directed them to a table where Ensign
Kim sat.
"Good afternoon, Ensign," Luke greeted him.
"Hi, and please call me Harry."
Mara noticed right away that Harry was not eating the same
thing that had been plopped on their plates; he had some kind of
sandwich.
Harry followed Mara's gaze and chuckled. "I didn't think my
stomach would take it. I had to scrounge up something on my own."
It surprised him that Luke seemed to be enjoying his meal.
Soon, Lt. Torres, Comdr. Chakotay and Lt. Comdr. Tuvoc joined
them at the next table.
"So, what do you two do in your galaxy? To earn a living, I
mean," inquired B'Elanna.
"I'm a trader. I haul cargo for trade in my ship," Mara
replied quickly.
"Are you both traders?" Harry asked Luke expectantly.
"No, I'm a teacher," replied Luke.
"So you have to spend a lot of time apart?" B'Elanna
continued. They were all curious about the newcomers.
"Yes, too much." Luke smiled at Mara, who did not return the
smile, but at least she didn't glare at him.
"What do you teach?" inquired Chakotay.
"Meditation, mostly," replied Luke smoothly.
"You teach students how to meditate?" asked Harry. "That
sounds kinda ..."
"Boring," put in Mara. Harry, Tom and B'Elanna agreed, but
they were surprised to hear Mara say it.
"I believe it sounds fascinating," countered Tuvoc. "I
meditate on a daily basis."
"As do I, if at all possible," added Chakotay. "Perhaps
you could show Tuvoc and me some of your techniques."
"I'd be glad to," Luke replied, grinning.
"Oh, please don't get him started, at least not when I'm
around," groaned Mara. "He can sit cross-legged in some trance
for hours."
"I take it you don't meditate, Mara?" asked Chakotay.
"No, though it's not that Luke hasn't pushed me to. I'd rather
exercise or dance to clear my mind."
"Maybe while these old stuffed-shirts are sitting around in
trances, the rest of us can do something for exercise," put in
B'Elanna. "Do you play parrises squares?"
"Never heard of it, but I'm sure I could learn," answered Mara.
"Hey, I like to exercise, too" Luke said.
"You'll just have to play the winner," Mara challenged. "After
you're done m-e-d-i-t-a-t-i-n-g," she said, dragging the word out.
This time it was Luke who did the frowning.
After lunch, Harry took Luke and Mara to one of the science
labs, where they began studying star charts, even cross-referencing
those from the Fire. From Luke and Mara's own observations and the
Fire's recorders, they determined the anomaly disappeared immediately
after depositing them in the Delta Quadrant. A sensor sweep from
Voyager proved fruitless; there simply was nothing there. Several
hours later, they were all feeling frustrated.
"This is hopeless," complained Mara.
"We can't give up, honey," Luke put in, emphasizing the last
word. She kicked him under the table, but Luke thought a sore shin
was worth it. She had started this 'I'm his wife' business.
Harry and Luke, with Seven of Nine's help, spent day after
day working on star charts, studying wormholes, anything that
might give them a clue. Mara, meanwhile, spent most of her time
showing off her ship to B'Elanna and Tom.
Luke woke early one morning. He stretched out his legs,
hitting the arm of the couch. For once, he was glad he wasn't any
taller.
"Computer, what time is it?"
"The time is 0h-five-hundred."
Too early to get up. Too awake to go back to sleep. He
turned on his right side, then shifted to his left. Finally Luke
sat up, rubbing sleep from his eyes, running a hand through his
tousled hair. 'I need a haircut,' he thought. A haircut? Here
he was, sitting in the dark, on an alien spacecraft, in an unknown
galaxy, and he was worried about needing a haircut? 'I must be
losing my mind.' Might as well get up. Go exercise. Something.
Luke rose, then realized his clothes were in the bedroom.
And the 'fresher was off of the bedroom. The bedroom where Mara
was still sleeping.
He padded silently into the chamber, then paused. Light
from the common area fell across Mara's face. She looked so
peaceful, so gentle, so ... beautiful. One slim bare arm rested on
top of the covers.
Luke finally tore his gaze away and turned toward the
'fresher.
"I could give you a haircut, if you like," Luke heard from
behind him.
Luke turned around slowly. He knew he hadn't been talking
to himself aloud.
"Uhh ... Uhh ...," he stammered. "If you want to ... I guess ...
okay."
Mara started to ease out of bed.
"Right now?" Luke blurted out, grateful that she was at
least wearing a sleeping shift.
"Sure, why not?" Mara stifled a yawn. "I'm awake, you're
awake."
"I didn't mean to wake you," Luke apologized, as he located
his tunic in the now illuminated room.
"I don't think you did," she replied, wondering just what
did wake her. She saw Luke start to slip on the tunic.
"Don't." She touched his arm. "It'll just get hair all over
it. Sit down here," she motioned, as she pulled a stool into the
'fresher.
Luke warily took a seat. "You have done this before, haven't
you?"
"No, not really. How hard can it be? I trim the ends of my
own."
Luke started to get back up. "I think they have a barber on
board. I could just go there."
She pushed him back down. "Sit. I promise not to scalp
you." She rummaged through her travel bag and withdrew a small
vibro-clipper.
Mara laid one hand gently on his bare shoulder. Whether to
steady herself or keep him from bolting, Luke wasn't sure, but a
shiver ran down him nevertheless.
"Now, let's see. Where should I start?" She slid the
clipper next to his ear and started in. Luke didn't dare move.
There was a time when Mara Jade this close to him with a potential
weapon would have made him extremely nervous. But not anymore.
Well, at least not for the same reason.
"Relax," Mara soothed. "You're so tense."
Her fingertips trailed over his shoulders as she moved in
front of him. Her sleeping shift wasn't quite see-through, but
Luke thought it best to shut his eyes anyway. He suddenly felt
self-conscious without his tunic. He felt vulnerable. Why, he
wasn't sure. He'd occasionally gone shirtless while teaching his
students in the Yavin heat. For some reason, this was different.
"How did you know I was thinking about needing a haircut?"
he asked, forcing himself to ignore the tickling of the hair
falling on his bare skin. "I'm sure you were asleep before I came
into the room." He'd have felt it if she'd been awake and probing
his mind.
"I don't know, really. I just ... I guess I dreamed it."
"Ahh." That explained ... nothing. How could she dream his
thoughts?
"I wasn't eavesdropping on your thoughts," she went on.
"I wasn't implying you were."
"I know," she said quietly. No argument. No snippy retort.
Luke took a deep breath and tried to relax. He didn't get very far.
His eyes flew open as Mara blew the loose hairs off him. She
stopped as his gaze found hers. Time stood still for a moment,
then Mara straightened up.
"There, all done."
"Thanks."
"You'd better look in the mirror before you thank me."
He stood and examined Mara's handiwork, though he found his
gaze shifting to the petite redhead behind him.
"Looks good," he complimented her. The haircut did look
good. The barber looked great.
She reached up to brush a stray lock from his back, causing
him to jump.
"I'm in your debt," he managed to get out as he backed away
slightly, which was difficult in the decidedly close quarters of
the 'fresher.
"Well, I'm not ready for a trim, but I'll think of
something," she said with a wink.
He had to get out of there, before ... before ...
Luke edged toward the doorway.
"Guess I better get dressed," he stammered.
"Me, too."
Luke grabbed up his clothes and went out to the common room.
He decided to go visit the pool for a swim, a nice cold swim.
Mara leaned against the counter. She picked up her brush
and ran it absent-mindedly through her long tresses.
Her offer to cut his hair had been innocent enough. At
least in the beginning. Being that close to him was unnerving.
She hadn't realized he was so muscular. She was glad he had his
eyes closed most of the time; he didn't see her gaze traveling up
and down his physique. And the powerful aura surrounding him was
overwhelming. Why had she never felt it this strongly before?
Mara shed her shift and stepped into the bathing stall. Men
weren't the only ones who sometimes needed a cold shower.
By the end of their second week on Voyager, even the ever-
optimistic Jedi Master could see no solution to their dilemma. He
sat sideways on their couch, staring at the datapad in his hand.
Mara sauntered into the room and took a similar seat at the
opposite end of the couch.
"You look pretty glum," she observed, poking his bare foot
with her own. He glanced at her and laid the datapad down.
"Mara, we need to talk." Mara could hear the seriousness in
his voice. He gazed into her bright green eyes and sighed. "I'll
never give up, but I just don't know what else to do. I can't find
any clue to the way home."
"So we're stuck here?"
"We don't have to stay on Voyager. We could get on your ship
and just fly off. But in what direction? Voyager has collected data
from every region they've visited here in the last four years. I've
been reviewing it, looking for clues, and so have Harry and Seven of
Nine. I don't think any world we could go to would be better equipped
to help us than Voyager has been."
Mara considered his words carefully. "Then we may as well stay
here, for now. Captain Janeway said we were welcome to stay as long
as we want."
"I agree. But I think we should offer to take on duties. We
can't expect to be treated like guests indefinitely."
"I agree," replied Mara, then looked at him strangely. "This
is eerie. We've been agreeing on more things in the last two weeks than
we have in the last ten years."
Luke laughed. "Well, to test that observation a little more,
how much do you think we should tell them about us?"
"Such as, we have Force powers, you're a Jedi Master, and we're
not really married? Things like that?"
"Precisely."
"What good would it do to tell them now? Other than have them
think we can't be trusted?"
Luke nodded, but his thoughts were in conflict. Jedi shouldn't
lie. It went against everything he believed in and what he taught
his students. Perhaps not revealing their Force powers wasn't really
a lie, just an omission. From a certain point of view. But this
business of pretending to be married. Though Luke had never come
right out and called Mara his wife, he had went along with the ruse.
Was that any different?
Mara could read his thoughts. She seemed to be getting better
at that, the more time they spent together, or maybe Luke was letting
his guard down.
"I'm sorry I got you into that one," she apologized. "If you
want, I'll confess to Captain Janeway, and we can get separate
quarters."
Luke looked at her quite awhile before answering. "No, let's
leave things the way they are, if it's all right with you. They may
question everything we say or do otherwise. Besides, I don't mind
staying with you. Unless you're wanting to distance yourself from
me."
It was Mara's turn to stare at him. "I want to stay with you,"
came out in a rush. She took a deep breath. "Anyway, if they know
we've been sharing these quarters, unmarried, they'll just assume
that we've been ..., that we're ..."
"Lovers?" Luke finished, instantly wondering what made him
say that. It suddenly seemed to be getting very warm in the room.
He hoped he wasn't blushing. Mara seemed to be uncharacteristically
speechless.
Luke got up from the sofa and started pacing. "All right,
we ask the captain if we can stay, and we ask to join the duty
roster." He stopped and looked at Mara. "What do you think?"
She had been thinking 'he's cute when he's nervous,' and
then 'why in the worlds am I thinking that?' She was glad she
had all her barriers up.
"Sounds fine." This conversation definitely needed a new
direction. "Do you have a job in mind for yourself, if the Captain
gives us a choice?"
Luke relaxed visibly. "I was thinking that Neelix could use
help in the galley."
Mara groaned, but was smiling at him. "Just what we need,
swamp stew every night."
"So what about you?" Luke asked.
"Maybe something in engineering," she replied thoughtfully.
"Well, we'll go see the captain in the morning. I guess if
we're going to be stranded, this isn't a bad place to be."
Mara yawned. "I think I'll turn in."
Luke impulsively reached down and squeezed her hand. "Goodnight,
Mara."
She headed into the bedroom, as it was her turn. Mara hadn't
allowed him to take the sofa shift every night when he had offered.
"Goodnight, Luke," Mara whispered.
Neither one of them got much sleep that night, each lost in
their own thoughts, and all those thoughts were centered on the
person in the adjoining room.
After breakfast the next morning, Luke and Mara requested
permission to see the captain. They entered her ready room at the
time appointed them.
"What can I do for you two?" Captain Janeway inquired, as she
motioned for them to sit. "Harry tells me you haven't had much luck
in finding your galaxy in any of the star charts."
"No, we haven't," Luke replied. "And that's why we're here.
We have two favors to ask."
"Go on," the captain invited.
"You've been very generous so far, allowing us to stay here,
and we are grateful," began Luke. The captain nodded, but remained
silent as Luke continued. "When we first arrived, you said we were
welcome to stay as long as we wanted. We were hoping that offer
still stood," Luke said as he glanced sideways at Mara.
"Of course." Captain Janeway smiled. "All of us are glad to
have you. As I said, we'd like to learn more about your galaxy.
And the other favor?"
Mara spoke up, "We'd like to join the duty roster. We feel
like we're taking charity from you. We want to pull our own weight."
"Well, I don't want you to think we ever considered you
charity. But I can see that neither of you is the type to want to
sit around while others are working. So I will grant your request.
Did you have any preferences to the type of assignments?"
Luke nodded at Mara, so she went first. "I've been observing
B'Elanna in engineering, and I worked for awhile as a hyperdrive
mechanic. I thought perhaps I could be of some use there."
"I see," the captain responded. "And you," she turned to Luke.
"My idea isn't quite so technically oriented," Luke began.
"I've noticed that Neelix seems extremely busy in the galley at meal
times. I would be glad to help him. Of course, any tasks you assign
would be fine."
Janeway smiled at that. "I believe that's an excellent idea.
I've never had anyone volunteer for K.P. before."
"K.P.?" Luke was puzzled.
"Kitchen Patrol. Old Earth military term. And Mara, we'll
see what we can do about your request." She tapped her comm badge.
"Commander Chakotay, please report to my ready room."
"At once, Captain," came the reply. Chakotay entered a few
moments later.
"Commander, the Skywalkers have requested placement on our
duty roster, and I see no reason to deny that request," Janeway said.
"They even had some ideas, which I'll let them explain to you. Will
you please see that they are assigned appropriate tasks, and on the
same shifts?"
"Of course, Captain," Chakotay responded.
"Well, Luke and Mara, welcome to Voyager's crew. At least
until you find a way home."
Luke shook her hand. "Thank you, Captain. We appreciate
everything you and your crew have done for us."
"You're welcome," replied Janeway, smiling.
"If you'll follow me, we'll go check out the duty roster,"
said Chakotay as he ushered them out.
Luke's request for mess hall duty met with surprise and
immediate approval. Neelix could indeed use the help. There
were no actual openings in engineering, though.
"The Doctor could use assistance in sickbay, however,"
Chakotay explained.
Mara's face paled, but she heard in her mind, *These people
are doing us a great favor just in allowing us to stay. We can't
act too picky.*
"That would be ... acceptable," Mara acquiesced. "Though I've
not had any formal medical training."
Mara's expression didn't escape Chakotay's notice. "How
about you spend half a shift in sickbay, training with the doctor,
and the other half as an engineering intern, learning from B'Elanna."
Mara's face brightened. "That sounds fine, Commander. When
should we start?"
"There's no time like the present. I'd like you, Luke, to
work in the mess hall eleven-hundred to nineteen-hundred. That will cover
the lunch and dinner meals, when Neelix is the busiest."
"Very well," Luke acknowledged.
"And Mara, I'll have you work in engineering from eleven-hundred to
fifteen-hundred, then in sickbay from fifteen-hundred to nineteen-hundred.
Of course, you'll both have time off for meals yourself."
"Sounds fine," Mara replied.
"Then I'll go make arrangements with Neelix, the doctor, and
Lt. Torres. Be at your stations at eleven-hundred."
"Aye, aye, Commander, and thank you again," Luke answered.
Eleven-hundred found Luke and Mara at their assigned duty stations.
Luke plunged right in, following Neelix's directions in preparing
and serving that day's entrée. He'd always enjoyed doing 'real
world' labor, as he called it. Even growing up on Tatooine, he
really didn't mind working with his hands, tinkering with ships and
droids and landspeeders, despite his rounds of whining and
complaining to his Uncle Owen. He even liked helping Beru in
the kitchen. She had instilled in him an appreciation of the art
of creating palatable dishes out of what little they could grow.
That skill had sustained him during his years of bachelorhood. But
he was seldom allowed in the Academy's kitchens; Tionne and the
other teachers thought it was undignified for a Jedi Master, the
only Jedi Master, to be cooking and serving up swamp stew. So Luke
immersed himself in the delight of working with his hands, amid the
joy of anonymity.
Mara, meanwhile, was also enjoying herself. B'Elanna took
her from station to station, giving her a preliminary overview of
the general workings of the engineering department. Mara learned
that many of Voyager's systems were not much different than those
of ships in her galaxy. The only thing that troubled her was when
she suddenly realized she was looking forward to sharing her new-
found knowledge with Luke.
About thirteen-hundred, B'Elanna suggested they take a lunch break.
As they entered the mess hall, Mara noticed Luke behind the counter
and smiled. He looked happy and content, more relaxed than she'd
ever seen him in the ten years she'd known him. He had carried the
weight of the galaxy on his shoulders ever since becoming a Jedi,
and it showed in the troubled lines on his face. Now those lines
had all but disappeared.
Luke glanced over and saw Mara watching him. He smiled and
waved. He found Mara, well, absolutely captivating. Though she'd
probably kill him to hear him thinking such a thing. And she'd
actually been friendly toward him in the last two weeks.
Neelix came up beside Luke. "You, my friend, are one lucky
man," observed Neelix, as he followed Luke's gaze.
"What?" Luke was startled out of his reverie.
"You have a beautiful wife who is enamored with you."
"Mara?" Luke was surprised.
"Of course. I can see it in her eyes. She's proud of you,
proud to be your wife, and completely in love with you."
Luckily for Luke, Mara and B'Elanna reached the counter by
then, saving Luke from having to reply.
"Hi, there," Mara greeted him. "You look like you're having
fun back there."
"Uh, yes, I am," stammered Luke. He couldn't keep Neelix's
words out of his mind, and he was careful to keep his mental barriers
up.
"You can take a break now, Luke," Neelix was saying to him.
"Go join your wife for lunch."
Luke glanced at his 'boss.' "Thanks."
Luke filled a plate for himself and joined Mara and B'Elanna
at their table. Soon Tom ambled over and sat opposite B'Elanna.
Mara launched into a detailed description of everything she'd
learned. Luke fixated on her face, though he was finding it hard
to concentrate on what she was saying. Neelix's earlier comments
had shaken him. He knew it couldn't be true, of course. Mara
could never love him. No, it was ridiculous.
"Luke? Luke?" Mara reached over and swatted him on the arm.
"Are you listening to me?"
"Sure, Mara, of course I am."
"So what did I just say?"
Luke gave her a blank look.
"Just as I thought," she said, though amazingly she looked more
amused than angry. "I asked if you were ready to learn to play parrises
squares. Tom and B'Elanna challenged us to a match tonight."
"I guess so. All right, sure," Luke answered, as he took in
the grins on Tom and B'Elanna's faces.
*Where is your mind today?* he heard Mara ask him silently.
*Did something happen I need to know about?*
*No,* he thought back quickly. *Not at all.*
Mara gave him a strange look.
"Meet me here for dinner at the end of your last shift?" Luke
asked her, trying to change the subject.
"Okay," she answered, still wondering what had gotten into him.
Mara and B'Elanna headed back to engineering.
"Luke seemed a little distracted at lunch," commented B'Elanna.
"So I noticed."
"But it's still obvious how much in love with you he is. He's
really got you on some pedestal."
Mara suddenly stopped walking. "It is? He does?"
B'Elanna laughed. "Of course. He's your husband. This is a
good thing."
"I know, I know. He's just, uh, he's usually shy about showing
his feelings in public. Don't say anything to him."
"All right," B'Elanna said, shrugging.
Now it was Mara who was distracted the rest of the afternoon,
even during her training sessions with the doctor. How could
B'Elanna even imagine something like that? She doubted Luke would
ever love again, after Callista. This was definitely the most
ridiculous thing she had ever heard.
When Mara reached the mess hall just after nineteen-hundred, Luke
was already seated at a small table waiting on her. After collecting
her tray she sat down opposite him.
"Hi," he said warmly.
"Hi, yourself."
"How did the sickbay training go?"
"All right." Mara tried to sense any abnormal emotions coming
from him, but he was keeping his barriers up tight and his gaze
locked onto his tray of food.
"So what time is this parrises squares match?"
"In an hour. So eat light."
Luke just nodded. The rest of the meal was mostly silent,
each of them lost in their own thoughts.
After dinner, they retreated to their room, changed clothes,
and headed to the recreation level. Both were secretly glad for
this diversion. It would have been awkward sitting in their room
alone together.
Luke quickly picked up on how the game was played. He and
Mara were giving Tom and B'Elanna a run for their credits, even
without using the Force. The tense moments from earlier had all
but disappeared.
Serve, slam, return, serve. The match continued for over
an hour.
"Mine!" Luke shouted, as B'Elanna returned his serve.
"I've got it!" Mara called, as Tom miraculously returned
Luke's volley. The disk ricocheted off the ceiling, then the wall,
unfortunately in a different direction than Mara was anticipating.
She just missed making the return.
"Game and match!" shouted Tom triumphantly.
"Can I help it that I have a partner as slow as a Hutt?" Luke
whined, laughing.
"Who are you calling a Hutt?" Mara rejoined, laughing just
as hard. With that, she unexpectantly jumped on Luke's back,
wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.
"Am I as heavy as a Hutt, too?" she kidded him, as he
pretended to stagger under her weight.
Tom and B'Elanna were doubled over in laughter, even though
they had no idea what a Hutt was.
Caught up in the fun mood, Mara leaned around to the side
of Luke's head. "Hutts have long tongues, remember," she said,
then promptly licked his ear. Nearly dropping her in surprise,
he fell to his knees and they both rolled on the floor in mirth.
Luke found himself lying on top of her, their faces inches apart.
They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, until
they suddenly remembered Tom and B'Elanna were still present.
Luke scrambled to his feet, then helped Mara up. Mara glanced
over at their victorious opponents. "We'll get you next time," she
challenged, though she wanted to hide in embarrassment.
"Sure," B'Elanna answered, "and then we want a full description
of what a Hutt looks like."
Mara grabbed Luke's hand and practically dragged him out of
the court. "Goodnight," he called over his shoulder. "Looks like
we're leaving." She let go of his hand as soon as they were alone
in the corridor, but didn't speak.
"That was fun," Luke commented, trying to get a response out
of her.
Mara fumed. "Not another word," she ordered him, and wisely
he complied. What in the stars had come over her? She couldn't even
think of any way to blame this on him.
When they reached their quarters, Luke showered first, while
Mara fixed herself some herbal tea, hoping it would calm her and
wishing she had something stronger. When Luke was finished in the
'fresher, Mara brushed past him without a word. The shower seemed
to relax her, thankfully, as the tea had not. When she emerged,
she found Luke standing near their large window, staring out at the
stars. He glanced over as she entered the room. They both wore
loose-fitting sleep attire, were barefoot, with damp hair, though
his tended to dry much faster than her long thick mane.
Not wishing to remind her of anything to do with the parrises
squares match, Luke brought up a subject he had been pondering
in recent days.
"Mara, have you wondered what is happening back home? I
assume time is continuing on just like it is here."
She came over and stood next to him, grateful for something
else to think about.
"I'm sure it is. We've been gone nearly three weeks. That
would make us two and a half weeks overdue at the Academy."
"Did anyone there know exactly when you were coming?" Luke
asked.
"Well, no, but they were expecting me by the beginning of
classes. How about you?"
"Same here. They probably thought I was coming on the supply
shuttle, but that would have landed over a week ago. I suspect
they have contacted Coruscant by now," he mused. "Leia must be
frantic. I can't sense her, so I know she can't sense me."
"Do you think they've sent a search party?" Mara wondered
aloud. "For you, that is. No one would bother searching for me."
"Mara, that's not true. I'm sure they're looking for both
of us. Unless they think we just ran off together," he said with
a wink.
"Oh, I'm sure that was Leia's first thought. She doesn't
like me or trust me." Mara sighed. "Karrde is somewhere in the
Outer Rim by now. No, no one else would even notice I'm gone.
No one would ever miss me."
Luke turned and took her hand. "I would miss you," he said
softly. "And I would never stop searching for you." He reached
up slowly with his other hand and cupped her cheek.
"I'm glad you're here with me," she whispered. She gazed
deep into his eyes, then laid her hand lightly on his chest.
"If I have to be stuck in another galaxy, there's no one I'd
rather be stuck with." Her admission surprised even herself,
but somehow it felt right.
Luke's only reply was to lean over and gently kiss her on the
lips. When he leaned back, Mara tightened her grip on his tunic
and pulled him closer. He let go of her hand and encircled her
waist instead. This time the kiss was deep and prolonged. Mara
relished the feel of him as her own hands traveled up and down his
sides and back. He was trembling, and then she realized she was
too. His lips moved to her neck as he ran his fingers through her
hair.
Luke gently pulled Mara to the floor, his lips never leaving
her. The desire in him swelled as he felt her soft, warm body
beneath him. He was overcome with the sensuality of her.
Mara, for her part, could not believe this was the same Luke
Skywalker she had known for ten years. He was both strong and
tender at the same time, caressing her with his gentle touch and
soft lips.
Eventually they rolled over and she lay on top of him with
her head on his chest. Mara could hear Luke's strong heartbeat as
he held her tightly and stroked her hair. Neither spoke, but both
had the same thoughts. How far were they going to take this?
Finally Mara broke the silence. "It's your turn to have the
bedroom tonight," she whispered, though she didn't think she could
bear to be that far apart from him.
Luke obviously felt the same way, as he whispered back, "I
would be honored if you would join me."
Mara raised her head and nodded, "I accept."
They both got to their feet, then Luke scooped her into his
arms.
"Are you sure?" he said quietly. He didn't want to pressure
her.
"I don't think I've ever been so sure of anything in my life,"
she answered, thinking that if he tried to back down now, her hold-out
blaster was still hidden in her gear.
Entering the bedroom, he set her down next to the bed. Mara
reached out and removed his tunic, and he returned the favor, pulling
her nightgown off her. Mara noted he was not blushing, as she had
expected him to do. He lightly caressed her, as she removed his
pants.
Luke used the Force to pull back the covers and they eased
onto the bed. Their love-making was slow and gentle, as neither
wanted to rush the experience. Afterwards, they drifted off to
sleep in each other's arms.
Luke awoke first the next morning, feeling slightly disoriented.
Why was there hair in his mouth? Suddenly his eyes flew open and he
cautiously reached out next to him. So it hadn't been a dream!
Mara stirred at his touch and turned over to face him. She
popped open one eye, then abruptly sat up in bed, clutching the
covers around her.
Luke smiled up at her. "Good morning. I had the same reaction
when I woke up just now," he chuckled.
Mara lay back down and eased over closer to him. She reached
up and brushed the hair away from his face. "Well, I guess we've gone
and done it now," she observed. "I suppose there's no turning back."
A shadow of a frown crossed Luke's face. "Did you want to turn
back?"
"Never," Mara replied firmly. "I'm not letting you go."
They spent the next several hours talking, touching, kissing,
caressing, making love, and getting to know one another in ways they
had never imagined.
"We have to get up and get ready for our duty shifts, you know,"
Luke said reluctantly. He swung his legs over the side of the bed
and wrapped one of the covers around himself. Mara smiled at his
modesty.
"You know, I'm seeing a whole new side of you, Skywalker,"
she laughed.
"Would that be the front side or the back side? To the best of
my knowledge, both sides should be new to you, madam."
"Um, perhaps I need another look," she teased, as she used the
Force to yank off the cover around him.
Luke lifted up one side of the sheet that still covered Mara.
"I've been enjoying some new scenery myself." He flung the sheet
back and levitated the shrieking Mara into his arms.
"Join me for a shower?" Luke invited.
"Yes, I believe I could use someone to wash my back," Mara
acknowledged.
When they reached the shower, Luke set her down carefully.
"You're a beautiful woman, Mara, both inside and out," Luke
said softly. He wasn't gazing at her perfect body though, he was
looking deeply into her eyes, those endless emerald pools. He
traced her lips with his finger, then her cheekbones and forehead.
"I love you, Mara," he whispered.
Mara froze. She could feel the sincerity that poured forth
from him. These were not words he took lightly. These were words
he'd only spoken to one other woman in his life, a woman who had
then broken his heart. How much courage had it taken him to
finally say these words to someone new?
Mara started to speak, not sure what she was even going to
reply. Luke put a finger against her lips.
"You don't have to say anything now."
Mara gratefully remained silent, a thousand thoughts running
through her mind, none of them coherent. Luke kissed her gently,
but did not speak again.
After their shower they dressed in silence, both stealing
awkward glances at the other.
Finally, Luke gave Mara a hug. "C'mon, Mrs. Skywalker,
we don't want to be late for work."
Part II
Later that day:
Luke smiled openly when he saw Mara enter the mess hall for
lunch. This time she came alone. He fixed them each a plate of
salad greens and joined her at a small side table. He gave her a
lingering kiss before sitting down.
"I've missed you all morning," Luke began, not taking his
eyes off her face.
"I can tell," Mara smirked, "and so can the entire mess
hall."
Luke leaned back in mild embarrassment, as he realized they
had become the center of attention. Mara smiled slightly as she
felt Luke direct everyone's thoughts away from them.
"Should I meet you here for dinner?" Mara continued.
"I was thinking, if it's all right with you, I would bring
something back to our room for dinner."
"Hmm, dinner for two, alone. I think I like the idea," Mara
agreed.
After a few minutes of silence, Mara spoke up. "Luke, you
don't think we're, well, rushing things, do you?"
Luke looked at her in surprise, but the thought had crossed
his mind too. "We've known each other ten years. I hardly think
we could be accused of rushing anything."
"I know, I know. But last night just seemed so ... sudden."
Luke squeezed her hand and nodded. "Maybe we just needed
to be by ourselves, away from trading runs and academies and New
Republic politics ..."
"And sisters and brothers-in-law and smuggling bosses," Mara
continued. "Who knows, we might have gotten together years ago."
"Do you really think we were ready years ago? Maybe it was
our destiny to wait until now," Luke mused.
"You think everything that happens to you is your destiny,"
Mara kidded him.
"Don't you?"
"I don't believe in destiny, or fate, controlling my life."
She looked him square in the eye. "But I believe in us."
Luke's only reply was to squeeze her hand again.
Late that afternoon found Mara in sickbay, carrying out the
second half of her duty shift.
"Mara, would you please bring me those paradol samples?" asked
the Doctor.
"Of course, Doctor," she replied. "Doctor, there's something
I would like to ask you about. Something personal."
"Go ahead. I am programmed for the strictest doctor-patient
confidentiality."
"Well, it's nothing that serious. It's just that, Luke and I,
well, we expected to be home weeks ago, so we ran out of ..." Mara
was finding this rather embarrassing. "We seem to be in need of some
type of birth control. Is it possible ...?"
"No problem at all," the Doctor replied. "Believe it or not,
that is needed on this ship on occasion."
The Doctor outlined to her the various methods available. She
chose a hypospray that was effective for one month.
"As soon as you finish your next menstrual cycle, you simply
come in for another injection. There are no side effects, and you
may stop whenever you're ready to have children."
Mara nodded. Ready to have children. Mara had never, before
now, considered such a possibility.
"I do need to administer a pregnancy test before giving the
first injection," the Doctor was continuing. "If you'll have a seat?"
Mara sat as the Doctor ran a scan over her. What if she were
already ...? What would Luke think? What would they do?
"The results are negative," the Doctor was saying, jolting Mara
out of her reverie. "I'll prepare the hypospray."
"Thank you, Doctor." Mara exhaled the breath she hadn't realized
she'd been holding. Perhaps she should have talked this over with Luke.
But surely he wouldn't object. Even with all of his 'happy family'
fantasies, they both knew they weren't ready to start making babies.
The rest of the afternoon, Mara let her mind drift to her
relationship with Luke. Relationship? Is that what they were in?
An hour ago, she was asking the Doctor for birth control.
Yesterday she was denying the idea that he could possibly be
interested in her, and now she was anticipating sleeping with him
on a regular basis.
This can't be happening, Mara thought. Why did he have to
say he loved her? She didn't want to be anyone's lover, least of
all his.
Mara felt herself panicking. And Mara Jade did not panic.
This was all Skywalker's fault. It was like he cast a spell over
her. She was no longer in control, which infuriated her the more
she thought about it. She would not let Luke Skywalker control
her life. Period.
She would break it off tonight. That's all there was to it.
Maybe they should even get separate quarters. What's this 'maybe'
business? Of course they should. It was time for this being
married charade to stop. Mara resolutely ignored the voice inside
her that kept telling her she'd be miserable without him.
At nineteen-hundred Mara headed for their quarters. She was
greeted by her smiling 'pretend' husband. He had dinner waiting
on the small table in front of the couch.
"That actually smells good," she said truthfully. "Just let
me change clothes."
When Mara returned, she found Luke pouring them glasses of
what looked like wine.
"Synthesized Chablis," he explained. "A gift from Neelix."
"Not bad," Mara commented as she took a sip. They sat on
pillows on the floor, leaning against the couch. Mara began
picking at her food with her fork. Why did it have to taste this
good? Why did he have to be so good at everything? Why did he
have to be so nice to her? Mara suddenly felt Luke prodding her
mind. She looked up to see him staring at her.
"Stay out of my head," she ordered sharply.
Luke blinked in surprise.
"What's the matter? I thought we ..."
"You thought wrong," she snapped.
Luke was taken aback. What had happened between lunch and
now?
Mara set her fork down harder than she intended. "This is
happening too fast, Skywalker. I'm not ready. I may never be
ready."
"You seemed ready last night." Gods, what a thing to say to
her.
"You took me by surprise. I didn't expect you to be so ...
so forward."
Mara could feel the turmoil going through Luke, the
disappointment.
"Listen, Skywalker, it just wouldn't work. We're too
different."
"I don't think we're so different."
"You just don't get it, do you? You think just because
you're some hero of the galaxy that I should be grateful you
decided to favor me with your attention."
"Mara, I would never ..." How could he have misjudged their
relationship so badly?
"For all you know, you could've knocked me up last night."
"What?!"
"It's not like you did anything to prevent it."
"Mara, I ...," Luke stopped suddenly, as realization of her
last comment dawned on him.
"I had to go to the doctor and ask for birth control," she
continued accusingly.
"Then you're not ...?"
"No, no thanks to you."
"Mara, I'm sorry. It's just been so long since I've ..."
"And you assume I sleep with men all the time?" she
interrupted.
"Of course not."
"Just leave me alone."
"If that's what you truly want."
"Yes, it's what I want."
"Then why did you get birth control to use?" he asked
quietly.
Mara blinked back angry tears and turned away from him.
"Mara?" he prodded, gently touching her shoulder.
She shrugged him off, burying her face in her hands.
"You know I would never force myself on you. So why ...?"
"Because ... because ..." Mara was sobbing by now.
"Because I'm in love with you, too."
He gently turned her around, enveloping her in a loving hug.
"I'm so scared, Luke," she cried into his shoulder. "Being
with you scares me. I don't know if I can do this."
Luke stroked her hair. "I'm scared too, Mara," he
whispered.
He lifted her chin and brushed away the tears streaming down
her cheeks. Why did he have to go and blurt out that he loved her
this morning? He should have waited. And why did he have to
brush her off when she voiced her concern about their rushing
things?
"I'm sorry, Luke," Mara was saying. "I didn't mean to say
those awful things about you."
"I know. And I'm sorry you had to ask for the birth control
on your own. It was irresponsible of me. You'd think a grown man
would know better."
"Shhh. We're in this together, remember?" Mara clung to
him tightly. "Luke, tonight, can you just hold me?"
"I could hold you forever."
The next morning, Luke rose quietly, went out to the common
room and sat down to meditate. He would not push Mara. He
wondered if that was why Callista left him. Maybe she felt
pressured. He didn't want to make that same mistake with Mara.
He loved Mara deeply, and for now, it was enough just to
know she loved him. He would be patient. He smiled to himself as
he remembered Yoda's words from long ago -- 'The boy has no
patience.' Well, he wasn't a boy anymore.
After awhile, Luke felt Mara enter the room and sit next to
him. She stretched one arm across his shoulders, laying her head
against him.
"I remember the first time you put your arm across my
shoulders," he reminisced. "Course you were also poking your
blaster into the side of my head."
"Didn't pull the trigger, though, did I?"
He just shook his head, and they sat there in silence, both
relishing the comfortable feeling of just being together.
Luke and Mara resumed their platonic relationship for the
next several days. They used the time to deepen their friendship
and come to grips with their new involvement.
Finally, at lunch one day, Mara asked Luke subtly, "So, what
does Neelix have on the dinner menu tonight?"
"Boiled peckfish, I believe."
Mara made a face, then continued, "Perhaps you could fix us
something different and bring it home. How about what you made
last time?"
Luke looked at her in surprise. They had rarely spoken of
that night. "Sure, if you like. We still have that bottle of
wine to go with it."
"Perfect."
A sense of deja-vu came over Mara as she entered their
quarters that evening, though this time Luke had their meal set
out on their small dining table.
After Mara changed into the closest thing she had to
comfortable loungewear, Luke pulled out a chair for her.
"This really is delicious, you know," Mara complimented him.
"Perhaps you could teach me to make it sometime, or do I not want
to know what's in here?"
Mara wants to learn to cook? he thought skeptically.
"Secret recipe, but I guess I can share my secrets with you," he
said with a wink.
They continued on with small talk, discussing each other's
afternoon.
"Do you suppose this is how normal people live when they get
married?" Mara wondered aloud.
"Now what makes you think I know anything about normal
people? I haven't felt normal since I left Tatooine."
"I don't remember ever feeling normal."
"Maybe we'll both have a chance now, while we're on this
ship."
After dinner, they settled themselves on the couch.
"Luke, do you ever wish you could turn back time?"
"How far back did you have in mind?"
"To our first night together, or rather, the next day."
She intertwined her hand with his. "I know I told you that morning
I never wanted to turn back in our relationship. I've changed my
mind. Can we redo the rest of that day? Pretend it never
happened?"
Luke reached out and cupped her face. "We can't deny it
happened, but it doesn't have to affect the rest of our lives."
He gave her a half-smile. "I won't mention it again if you
won't."
"Deal."
Luke cautiously kissed the palms of her hands. He drew her
close and gently brushed her lips.
"Make love to me, Luke," Mara whispered.
*Yes* she heard in her mind.
Luke drew her closer and kissed her again. Suddenly the past
few days were forgotten as their arms encircled each other
and their tongues seemed to want to trade places. Ten years of
pent-up emotions gushed forth from both of them. They barely made
it to the bedroom, and once there, practically ripped each other's
clothes off. This would not be the slow, gentle lovemaking of
their previous night together. 'A Jedi Knows No Passion' flew right
out the porthole. They were consumed with desire, and they would
not be denied.
The next day, B'Elanna looked up as Mara rushed in. "You
just made it," she commented as she glanced at the chrono.
"Sorry," Mara mumbled.
"I came by your room about an hour ago to see if you wanted a
cup of coffee before work, but no one answered your door."
"I guess I was in the shower about then."
"Oh, and where was Luke off to already? I didn't see him in
the mess hall."
"He was home, with me."
B'Elanna gave her a strange look. "You were both in the shower?"
Mara hoped she wasn't blushing. "Well, actually ..."
"Never mind, I don't want to know," B'Elanna said as she held
up a hand to silence Mara. "And it's none of my business."
Mara exhaled gratefully. She'd never engaged in girl talk about
a man before, and didn't feel ready to start now. This conversation
definitely needed a new subject. "How about you show me more about
the warp core?"
Luke had sprinted to the mess hall in record time.
"There you are!" Neelix boomed. "I thought I was going to have
to cook by myself today."
"Sorry. I guess we overslept." Luke couldn't suppress the grin
on his face.
"Until eleven?" Neelix laughed. "You seem to be in an awfully
good mood. Ah, young love is a wonderful thing."
"It certainly is," Luke agreed. "I haven't felt this relaxed
in years. Being on Voyager is like being on a second honeymoon.
Actually, we never had much of a first one."
"Well, then, by all means, enjoy it, my friend." Neelix smiled.
"Though I would have thought a meditation teacher would be relaxed
all the time."
Luke stopped. "Well, uh, with Mara always gone on trading
runs, things were sometimes a little strained."
"I see," Neelix answered, though he had the feeling Luke was
hiding something.
Luke suppressed the urge to listen in on Neelix's thoughts,
as Neelix seemed to be mulling over Luke's explanation.
"What are we cooking today?" Luke asked, as he attempted to
change the subject.
*Things going as well for you as they are for me?* Luke heard
in his head.
*I think we should give them something to talk about every
morning* he replied to Mara.
*In your dreams, flyboy*
Luke smiled to himself. *See you at lunch, my beautiful
dream-come-true.*
When Mara entered the mess hall a few hours later, Luke was
already waiting for her at what had become 'their table.'
"How has your morning been going?" he asked.
"You mean besides admitting we were both in the shower and
couldn't hear the door chime when B'Elanna came by this morning?"
Mara frowned, but didn't really seem too upset. "How about your
day?"
"Okay, except for explaining how I was nearly late because
we both overslept."
"Well, we'll just have to get up earlier tomorrow."
"I know, I promised Tuvoc I'd meditate with him in the morning."
"You should have plenty to meditate about." Mara winked at him
wickedly.
Luke reached over and took her free hand. "I just hope I don't
get so absorbed in a trance I start levitating off the floor."
Mara laughed lightly. "Concentrate, you must concentrate," she
said in her best Yoda imitation, causing Luke to chuckle.
"Mara," Luke turned serious now, "I feel things are going
to be fine between us from now on."
"Jedi intuition?"
Luke shrugged, smiling. "Perhaps."
"Then I must be a Jedi, because I have the same feeling."
Indeed, only two Jedi could make love mentally in the middle of
a crowded dining hall.
The next morning, Luke awoke first again. Darn farmer's
chrono, he thought. He was giving the still sleeping Mara a
gentle hug when his early morning appointment occurred to him.
He checked the time and leapt out of bed. When he came out of
the shower, Mara was looking at him. She remembered his
meditation date with Tuvoc.
"Remember me when you're in that trance," she teased him.
"How can I think of anything else?" he replied, as he leaned over
and gave her a kiss. Luke left quickly, before the temptation to just
get back into bed got any stronger.
"Enter," Luke heard as he pushed Tuvoc's door chime. The quarters
he entered seemed rather sparse, then he realized they reminded him of
his own back home.
"Good morning, Commander," Luke greeted his host.
"Thank you for coming, Mr. Skywalker," Tuvoc replied.
"Please call me Luke."
"As you wish," Tuvoc replied, though it went against his nature
to be so informal.
They seated themselves on the floor, cross-legged.
"How would you like to begin?" Luke asked tentatively.
"Perhaps you could go through the basic concepts of meditation as
you would to your beginning students, and I will compare these concepts
to my own methods."
"All right," Luke said slowly. Why did he ever agree to this? He
wasn't sure if he could explain anything without using the concept of the
Force. Well, he'd just have to give it a try. No, he would do.
"Let's close our eyes," he began, "and take several deep breaths.
Let your body relax. Clear your mind. For now, there is no Voyager, no
Starfleet, no Delta Quadrant. There is only the sound of my voice.
Relax. Relax," Luke's soothing voice emphasized.
The thought crossed Luke's mind that Tuvoc may have invited him
here only to disprove his claim to be a meditation teacher. He would
just have to do his best.
"Open yourself to the power of your mind," Luke continued, careful
not to say power of the Force. "Now choose one thing, or one person, to
concentrate on." Luke felt Tuvoc think of his wife.
"Good. Now think only of her face, her features. Her expression
the last time you saw her. Let her strength flow through you. Let it
fill you."
Luke continued in this manner for some time.
"Now, it is time to come back to this room. Back to Voyager.
Back to Starfleet. I want you to open your eyes now, Tuvoc."
Tuvoc's eyes fluttered open. "That was very relaxing. But
tell me, how did you know I was thinking of my wife?"
Oops! Luke had to think fast. "Neelix told me you were married.
I imagine everyone on this ship thinks a great deal about their loved
ones back home."
"I see," Tuvoc replied, in his usual deadpan voice.
"Perhaps you could show me some of the things you do when you
meditate," Luke suggested.
Tuvoc retrieved an old-fashioned wax candle in a candleholder
and set it on the floor between them. He lit it with a small
incendiary device.
"I have found, with enough concentration, I am able to make
the flame flicker."
"Fascinating," Luke encouraged him. "Please proceed."
Luke thought of how he had used this same exercise with his
beginning students. Some things were the same even galaxies apart.
Tuvoc closed his eyes briefly, then slowly opened them and
stared at the flame. It began to flicker, almost imperceptibly at
first, then stronger.
After a few moments Tuvoc exhaled, and the flame stilled.
"That is very good. It takes a well-controlled mind to be
able to manipulate objects," Luke praised.
"All Vulcans have highly controlled minds. It is the foundation
of our society." Tuvoc nodded at the flame. "Do you, Luke, have the
ability to move the flame with your mind?"
Luke hesitated. Of course he could make the candle dance
through the air with no effort whatsoever. But that wasn't an option
right now. Surely, however, it wouldn't hurt to exercise as much
mind control as Tuvoc had just demonstrated.
Luke didn't reply out loud, but instead fixed his gaze on the
candle. The flame seemed to grow brighter, then moved in a circular
motion in one direction, then stopped and moved in the opposite
direction. Tuvoc's eyes widened, and Luke thought he had gone far
enough. Perhaps too far. The flame returned to its original position,
and Luke raised his eyes to Tuvoc. "The mind is a powerful object,"
he stated simply.
"Indeed, most impressive," Tuvoc bestowed a rare compliment.
"I would be grateful if you could teach me your methods of control."
"Of course. But I seem to have run out of time this morning.
My shift starts shortly."
Luke excused himself and left hurriedly. He had the sudden
feeling that Mara would not approve of what he had just done. He
hoped she was not paying attention to his thoughts this morning.
With luck, she had gone back to sleep.
Luke continued on to the mess hall and had just about put
the candle flame incident out of his mind. After several hours,
Mara and B'Elanna entered. As Luke happened to be busy at the
moment, they joined Chakotay and Tuvoc, who had also just arrived.
"Wasn't it this morning that you were going to share
meditation techniques with Luke?" Chakotay was asking Tuvoc.
"How did that go?"
Mara's ears perked up.
"Very well," Tuvoc replied. "I found many of his methods
to be very helpful. And he has an extremely controlled mind.
Do you recall, Commander, that exercise I do with the candle flame?
Luke was able to make the flame grow brighter, and then have it
move in a controlled circular pattern. I have not seen that kind
of mind power since Kes left."
Mara couldn't believe her ears. "Excuse me," she interrupted
Tuvoc. "Did you say Luke moved a candle flame around, with his mind?"
"Yes, that is correct. Were you not aware what your husband
is capable of?"
"Yes, I am," she replied coldly. "And he is aware what I am
capable of."
Mara got up quickly and marched back to the kitchen area.
B'Elanna and the others watched in astonishment as Mara grabbed
Luke by the hair and pulled him off to one side.
"Ouch!" Luke protested. "What are you doing?"
"What is wrong with you?" Mara said in a low and menacing
voice.
"What are you talking about?" Luke kept his voice equally
low.
"I'm talking about your little dancing candle flame trick.
Aren't you the one who wanted to keep our powers a secret? So the
first chance you get, you start moving things with your mind?"
Mara emphasized her point by poking him in the chest. She was
hopping mad. Luke managed to pull her farther out of anyone's
earshot.
"Now hold on. It wasn't that bad." Luke was not going to
let her rattle him. "Tuvoc moved the flame first. I did nothing
more than he himself did. That shouldn't arouse any suspicion."
"Well, Tuvoc seems to think you did more. And he's telling
everyone about it."
B'Elanna, Chakotay, and Tuvoc couldn't hear what was being
said, but they could see the angry expressions and gesturing arms.
"I see now what's happening," Mara was continuing in a
deadly tone. "Tuvoc asked if you could match his control, and
you couldn't back down from the challenge. I'd expect something
like this from Calrissian or that half-witted brother-in-law of
yours, but I thought you were above this kind of thing." Mara
was certainly wound up now.
"Just one minute. You're blowing this all out of proportion.
And since when do I have to answer to you for my actions?" Luke's
eyes were cold and menacing. Anyone but Mara would have been
trembling in fear. "I don't have to listen to this!" Luke turned
and stormed into the rear of the kitchen.
Still fuming, Mara stomped out of the mess hall.
"What do you suppose brought all that on?" B'Elanna echoed
everyone's thoughts. "Why should his moving a flame upset her so?
I mean, no offense Tuvoc, but if you can do it, it's not too far
of a stretch that a guy who meditates constantly would be able to."
"It seems to me," Chakotay put in, "that her reaction was
triggered by the fact that he moved the flame in Tuvoc's presence, not
by any surprise that he was able to."
"I agree, Commander," Tuvoc answered. "It appears there is
more to the Skywalkers than meets the eye."
"Well, I have to get back to my shift," B'Elanna said as
she stood. "Perhaps I can sound Mara out a little."
But Mara was not to be sounded out at all, B'Elanna discovered.
Instead, she concentrated on her engineering work, refusing to talk
about 'that stubborn schoolteacher she had the poor judgment to marry.'
She continued her aloofness during her shift in sickbay, where the
Doctor thankfully hadn't heard about the incident in the mess hall
yet.
Meanwhile, Luke had his hands full evading Neelix's questions.
Though he knew Neelix meant well, he would only reply that he didn't
want to talk about 'that hard-headed woman he had married in a
momentary lapse of judgment.'
At the end of his shift, Luke didn't feel like going directly
back to his quarters; their quarters, that is. Instead he headed
for one of the holodecks and played a game of parrises squares
against a computer-generated opponent. How dare she talk to him
like that? He was a Jedi Master. No one ever scolded him, or
even raised their voice to him.
He'd overheard Leia tear into Han on more than one occasion,
and now realized why Han sometimes retreated to work on the Falcon
when, oddly enough, it didn't even need working on. Wasn't that
the same think he was doing here in the holodeck? Hiding out?
Licking his wounds? Taking out his frustrations on a phony
opponent that wouldn't talk back?
"Computer, end program."
Luke sat cross-legged on the bare floor of the holodeck.
He contemplated Mara's words to him and considered the possibility
that she was right. Tuvoc had challenged him and he foolishly
thought there would be no consequences in taking up that challenge.
Had he subconsciously been wanting to 'show off' his abilities
every since they arrived? Pride was not a trait a Jedi should
possess. He had some apologizing to do. It was time to go 'home.'
Luke entered their suite and found Mara sitting up in bed
reading a datapad. She didn't even glance at him as he walked
through and went to the 'fresher. When he came out she had turned
out the lights and was lying on her side, facing away from him.
For one fleeting moment Luke wondered if she expected him to
sleep on the couch.
*You can sleep here. It's a big bed,* he heard in his mind.
Quietly he slipped under the covers, but kept his distance.
"Mara, I'm sorry," he whispered. She turned over, but did
not move any closer. "I acted foolishly and impulsively. You
were right. I took it as a challenge. I ..."
"Luke," Mara interrupted, as she inched nearer to him.
"You're human. It happens."
"It's not supposed to happen to me. I'm supposed to be the
one setting the example for Jedi to follow. Now you know why Yoda
didn't even want to train me."
She heard him roll over and sigh in the darkness. She scooted
over next to him and put one arm around his waist. "Luckily there's
no Jedi here to see your example."
"You're here," he stated simply.
"I don't count. I already know all your shortcomings, farmboy.
And if it makes you feel any better, I don't think anyone would have
thought much about you moving that flame if I hadn't made such a
spectacle in the mess hall. I handled that all wrong, and if we're
caught, I'll be more to blame than you."
Luke pulled her close and stroked her cheek.
"I don't think it'll do us any good to debate who's to blame.
And what would it hurt if we were caught? Being a Jedi is nothing
to be ashamed of. Maybe we should just tell the captain."
"I think that would just make us look guilty. No, let's wait
and see what happens."
A few moments of silence ensued, during which they held each
other tightly.
"Mara?" Luke whispered.
"Yes?"
Luke hesitated, then spoke quickly before he lost his nerve.
"I wish you really were my wife."
Mara was momentarily stunned, then found her voice. "Why,
Skywalker, is this a proposal?"
He kissed her lightly. "What would be your answer if it were?"
"Try me."
Luke doubted he had ever been this nervous in his life. He
knelt up in the bed, then pulled Mara up to face him.
"Mara, I've admired you and treasured your friendship ever
since I met you. Well, since a few days after I met you, anyway."
Mara stifled a snicker.
"In the past few weeks, though, I've realized how much you
mean to me," Luke continued. "I need you, Mara." He squeezed her
hands tighter. "I love you, and I want to marry you, if you'll have
this sorry excuse for a Jedi Master."
A jumble of emotions was running through Mara. She could feel
his anxiety. "Luke," she began, "you are the only person to know
the real me, perhaps even better than I know myself. From the moment
you came back to check on me when we crashed in the forest on Myrkr,
I knew you were different from anyone I had ever met. I was supposed
to hate you, but I found I couldn't. You trusted me when no one else
did. You are the only one to ever truly be my friend, no strings
attached. All that snapping at you was because I was scared to admit,
even to myself, that I liked you."
Mara took a deep breath, trying to steady her pounding heart.
"And now, I've fallen in love with you. But not because you're a
Jedi Master, or a war hero, or powerful in the Force. I love the
naïve farmboy, the tender lover, the caring, compassionate man you
are. Yes, Luke, I will marry you."
Luke thought his heart would burst with happiness. As he pulled
her into a passionate kiss, he dropped all his barriers and let his
emotions flood into her. She gasped, then relaxed and did the same.
He felt her love for him pour through him. They both knew they would
never again have any barriers between them.
The next morning Luke awoke to strains of music coming from
the outer room. He instantly sensed Mara was no longer in bed
beside him. He got up, pulled on some pants, and went out to
investigate.
Mara was dancing gracefully, swaying to the music in perfect
harmony. Luke knew she had used the undercover guise of a dancer
at more places than just Jabba's palace. As he leaned against the
doorway, smiling, Mara paused and glanced at him.
"And what are you staring at?" she asked.
"My beautiful fiancée," he responded, as he sent a feeling
of love her way.
"So why don't you come over here and join her?"
"You know I don't dance."
"It seems to me you've been doing other things lately you've
never done before. I know you're light on your feet. It's time
you learned." She tugged on him with the Force, and his resistance
weakened.
Mara had been dancing to lively, exotic music. "Can we at
least start out with slower music?" Luke pleaded.
Mara laughed gaily. "Of course. Computer, play 'Love in
the Morning'."
She took his hands, and transmitted the step instructions
to him via the Force. Luke, on his part, was a fast learner.
"So what inspired you to get up and dance this morning?"
"You," she answered. At his surprised look she continued,
"I just felt happy, carefree as a Judok bird. I felt like dancing."
"So you don't regret your answer last night?"
"Not at all. You don't regret asking the question, do you?"
"Never," Luke answered with a smile.
"So how do you propose this marriage should take place?
Everyone here thinks we're already married. It's not like we
can just pull over to the nearest planet and find a wedding
chapel."
"I know. If we were going home soon, I'd say wait until
then. But ..."
"But we may never get home. We have to face reality."
Luke held her tighter. "I guess we could admit the truth
to the captain. Surely they have some way for people to get
married here. I'll consult the computer later."
"We're getting too melancholy here. This is an engagement
celebration. Computer, livelier music."
The mood lightened as the happy couple twirled, swayed,
and kissed till mid-morning.
B'Elanna saw Luke and Mara leave their suite hand in hand,
and caught up with them at the turbo-lift.
"Well, you two seem to be in a much better mood this
morning."
"We are in an incredibly wonderful mood." Luke grinned.
"Contrary to what everyone thinks back home, this is one
understanding woman."
Not surprisingly, that comment invoked a bop on the head
from a certain redhead.
They reached the level of the mess hall, and Luke gave
Mara a quick kiss as he exited. "See you at lunch," he called.
"You'd better be fixing something good today, or you'll
see just how understanding I can be," he heard in reply.
"So are you going to tell me what happened to put you two
in an incredibly wonderful mood?" B'Elanna inquired when she
and Mara were alone.
"Uh, it's, uh, rather personal." Mara didn't know what to
say. "Suffice it to say that being here is like a second honeymoon
for us."
"I see," B'Elanna said, grinning slyly. "And when are we going
to hear the patter of little feet around here?"
"What!" Mara protested as the meaning of B'Elanna's words
sunk in. "No, oh no. We're not ready for that. Not for a long
time. I'm not ready," she repeated.
"If you say so," B'Elanna acknowledged, in a tone which
suggested she didn't believe a word.
Luke likewise was interrogated when Neelix caught him
humming to himself.
"I don't see any black and blue marks," Neelix commented
as he looked Luke over.
"Pardon me?" Luke questioned.
"I take it you and your lovely wife patched things up.
You, at least, seem pretty chipper."
"Couldn't be better. It was really a minor disagreement.
We worked it out."
"Glad to hear it. By the way, Voyager is scheduled to reach
a planet called Antare in a few days. If sensors show an abundance
of plant life, perhaps I'll be able to gather some new provisions."
Luke's interest was aroused immediately. "How many crew members
are allowed to leave the ship when you arrive at a planet?"
"Usually the captain sends a small away team of about six to
scout the local communities. On occasion, more of the crew can beam
down on a rotating basis."
Harry had explained to Luke about matter transfer, or beaming,
as they called it.
"Do you think the captain would allow me to go along? It's
been a long time since I've spent this many weeks on board a ship.
I could help you collect food provisions."
Neelix looked thoughtful. "Well, it's possible. We can ask
her when we reach orbit."
Luke's mood became even brighter the rest of the day, if that
was possible. He longed to set foot on a planet, any planet. He
missed the richness of animal and plant life. Mara could see the
anxious look in his eyes when he brought up the subject at lunch.
"I hope it doesn't turn out to be a desert planet," Luke mused.
"I would think that would make you feel at home," Mara kidded
him.
"Tatooine wasn't that bad, really," he rebuked. "Though I
thought it was, growing up. I've been in a lot worse places since
then."
"I've been to Tatooine, and it's not somewhere I'd want to
call home."
"And where would you like to call home?" Luke asked. "We'll
have to discuss that one of these days."
"You mean if we ever get back. Right now it looks like this
ship is our home." Mara sighed. "But if we do find a way ..."
"When we find a way," Luke interrupted.
"When we find a way home," she conceded, "then, I don't know.
Coruscant is the closest thing I've ever known as 'home.' But I
know you like Yavin better."
He reached across and clasped her hand. "I'll live wherever
you want. As long as we're together, even if it's on your ship.
I don't want to spend half our time apart."
Mara smiled at his earnestness. "I want us to be together,
too. I guess we can discuss the location when we arrive back in
our galaxy."
Luke nodded in agreement.
The next morning Luke had agreed to spend some meditation
time with Commander Chakotay.
"He doesn't do candles, does he?" Mara mumbled from under
the covers, as Luke dressed.
"Let's hope not. And I promise not to repeat the other
morning's episode. I don't want to lose any more hair," he joked,
rubbing his head.
Luke and Chakotay started off with breathing exercises, and
then Chakotay explained the vision quests he experienced, passed
down from his ancestors. Luke thought they sounded similar to
visions he sometimes had.
"Do you ever have visions when you meditate?" the Commander
asked Luke.
A Jedi doesn't lie, Luke kept telling himself, though he
and Mara had not been doing a very good job of keeping to that
axiom.
"I let my mind wander and have daydreams, of a sort," Luke
answered, though he didn't sound very truthful to his own ears.
"Well, how about we meditate and see what happens," Chakotay
suggested.
"Fine," Luke agreed.
They both settled on the floor cross-legged. Chakotay lit
a small incense burner, surrounded by several Indian artifacts.
Luke noted his entire room was decorated with wall hangings and
other objects Luke supposed were of his ancestors. Chakotay began
chanting softly, and Luke closed his eyes and let the Force flow
through him. Though Luke knew he could enter his companion's mind,
and follow Chakotay's vision quest, that is not something he would
do without permission. No, he would simply meditate on his own,
listening to Chakotay's soothing chant. Perhaps some visions of
his own would come his way.
Images did indeed come to Luke. He saw himself on a strange
planet, along with several of Voyager's crew. Suddenly he had his
lightsaber out, fending off shots from an opponent he couldn't
quite make out.
After a few moments, he seemed to be back on Voyager. He
saw Mara, smiling at him, then he saw her holding a small bundle.
What was it? The scene then changed, and he saw Leia's face. She
looked strained with worry, with deep lines on her face and streaks
of gray beginning to show in her hair. She started weeping, and
then Han appeared and held her close. Luke instinctively knew she
was crying for him, and he wanted to reach out and touch her, tell
her he was all right. The children appeared around them. They
all looked older. The boys were trying to look stoic, but Jaina
buried her face in her father's chest. Luke's heart felt heavy.
He wondered if they believed he was dead, since they wouldn't be
able to sense him. He was filled with guilt. How could he and
Mara be frolicking together here, while Leia and her family were
mourning?
Luke felt like he was being watched. He came out of his
trance to find Chakotay looking at him.
Luke spoke first. "Did you find anything on your vision
quest?"
"Actually, yes. I saw you, holding some kind of lighted
stick. We were being attacked, I think. That was all I could
tell. Then I awoke. How about you?"
Luke was surprised that Chakotay's vision matched one of
his own, but decided not to mention it.
"I dreamed of my sister," Luke answered dejectedly. "She
looked very sad. This must be hard on her, not knowing what
happened to me. To Mara and me." He looked up at Chakotay.
"We're twins, we're very close."
"I understand. All of us on Voyager left loved ones at
home. At least you have your wife with you."
"I do feel fortunate in that regard. I guess we should
consider ourselves lucky. And we've only been here a few weeks.
You've been here four years." Luke chuckled softly. "But you
do know which direction to head."
"And that it will take us another fifty years," Chakotay
added.
"Perhaps a miracle will come along."
"We're always hoping."
Luke returned to his quarters before his duty shift started,
and Mara met him at the door. She hugged him tightly. "I felt
your sadness. What happened?"
Luke walked over and sat on the couch, pulling her onto his
lap. "I had a vision while meditating. I saw Leia and Han and
the kids. They seemed to be in mourning. Leia looked in terrible
shape. I don't even know if it was the present or the future."
"And the future is always in motion," Mara reminded him.
"We may be back before things get that bad." She laid her head
on his shoulder.
"We'll never give up hope," he whispered, as much to himself
as to her.
They sat there in silence until it was nearly time for their
shifts to start.
Four days later, Voyager reached orbit of the planet Antare.
The bridge crew was busy taking readings on the planet. Or at
least trying to.
"It is a Class M planet," Tuvoc reported. "However, it has
a dense ionic outer atmosphere that prevents our sensors from
getting accurate readings. Also, we would not be able to transport
or send a communication through the atmosphere."
"I see," replied the captain. "Still, our food supplies need
replenishing, if we want a variety to eat that is, and we could use
some iridium if it's available. Therefore, I believe I'll send an
away team in a shuttle. Commander Chakotay, you will be in charge.
You can scan for life forms, cities, and agricultural areas once
you are through the outer atmosphere. Tuvoc, Kim, Paris, and
Neelix can accompany you. You may depart as soon as you are ready."
"Aye, aye, Captain," acknowledged Chakotay.
Luke had made his way to the bridge as soon as he sensed their
approach to the planet, and had been standing quietly to the side.
It was now or never.
"Captain, request permission to accompany the away team."
Janeway turned and looked at him. "And your purpose for this
request?"
"I could help Neelix gather foodstuffs. There may be varieties
that I would be familiar with but the others would not." Luke
resisted the temptation to use mind control to convince her.
Captain Janeway, for her part, doubted his story of possibly
being knowledgeable of the local plant life, but she could sympathize
with his restlessness in being on board a ship this long.
"Ordinarily I would not assign someone this new to the crew to
join an away team, especially when the planet is virtually unknown
to us. Of course, it's been a long time since we had anyone new to
the crew." She smiled, as if she were considering his request, then
turned serious. "If the planet turns out to be hostile, Chakotay
and the others may not be able to look out for your well being."
"I assure you, Captain, I can look out for myself," Luke replied,
putting as much conviction in his voice as he could without using the
Force.
Chakotay remembered his vision quest from the other morning.
"I don't believe there would be any harm in letting him come along,"
he said on Luke's behalf.
Janeway hesitated, then nodded toward Luke. "Very well, you
may join them. But you will be under Commander Chakotay's direct
supervision. I expect you to obey orders just like any other member
of this crew."
"Understood, Captain." Luke smiled graciously. "And thank you."
"Report to shuttle bay nine in one hour. Consult with Neelix
on what you need to bring and wear," Chakotay instructed Luke.
"Yes, Commander," Luke replied, as he turned and left.
Janeway turned to Chakotay. "Are you sure about this? What
prompted you to vouch for him?"
"Just a feeling." He was reluctant to discuss his vision.
"Remember his manual landing in the shuttle bay when they first
arrived? I don't believe he will be a detriment to the mission."
"I hope you're right. With communication to the ship impossible,
you will all be on your own down there."
"I know. We will be cautious. You will have a full report
as soon as we return."
"Very well, Commander," Janeway dismissed him.
Luke found out what type clothing was usually worn on away
missions, and it was not much different than his usual clothes. He
and Mara had been allowed to continue wearing ordinary clothes, not
Starfleet uniforms, and Luke had been adding variety to his wardrobe
instead of just black Jedi wear, much to Mara's delight. Since
nothing was known about the planet Antare, the away team could only
hope they would blend in.
"This isn't fair, Skywalker," Mara whined. "I want to go,
too."
"The captain barely let me go. There's no way she'd let us
both go."
"So how come I can't be the one who goes, and you stay
here?"
"And you're going to help Neelix gather plants for food?"
"Don't make me laugh," she retorted. "I know you, Luke
Skywalker. That's not the real reason you're so anxious to go."
Luke looked at her for a moment. "You remember when I
meditated with Chakotay a few mornings ago, and I told you about
my vision?"
She nodded. "About Leia and Han and the kids."
"Yes, but I had another vision as well. Two, actually.
Anyway, in one of them, I saw myself on a strange planet, with
the same crewmembers that are going on this mission, and we were
attacked. And to top it off, Chakotay told me he had a vision
of me holding a lighted stick. Mara, I feel I need to be there."
Mara's only reply was to go get his lightsaber and hand it
to him. He stuck it inside his outer tunic, then pulled her close.
"I love you so much," he whispered, and kissed her tenderly.
Finally she pulled away reluctantly, and tugged him toward
the door. "C'mon, you don't want to be late for your first mission.
I'll walk you to the shuttle bay."
Hand in hand, they entered shuttle bay nine.
"There you are," Tom said boisterously. "We'll be ready to
go in a few minutes."
Chakotay approached them. "Hello, Luke, Mara. Luke, we'll
be carrying concealed phasers. Are you familiar with a phaser's
operation?"
"I have not actually used one, but they are similar to the
blasters we have at home," Luke replied, as he took the phaser
and slipped it in his tunic, opposite his lightsaber. He had no
doubt in his mind as to which one he would pull out to use first
if needed.
Mara pulled Luke to the side and gave him a kiss goodbye.
"Hey, do we all get a goodbye kiss?" asked Harry.
"Dream on, flyboy," Mara said with a laugh. She turned back
to Luke. "Be careful," she whispered to him.
"I will," he answered quietly, "and I'll keep in touch."
He started to turn away, but she touched his arm as an
afterthought struck her. "You said you had two other visions.
What was the second one?"
He grinned at her. "I saw you, smiling, and you were holding
a ... baby." Of course, he hadn't been able to tell what was
wrapped in the bundle he saw, but somehow he just knew.
Mara's mouth dropped open, and Luke hurried onto the shuttle
before she could retaliate.
*I'll get even with you* Luke heard in his mind.
*Can't wait* he sent back.
The shuttle veered away from Voyager. As they entered the
ionic atmosphere, communication between the two ships ceased.
"Well, Luke, I guess this will be quite an adventure for you,"
Neelix commented.
"Why do you say that?" Luke replied.
"I wouldn't think a meditation teacher would go on many
undercover missions."
"I didn't know we were going undercover?" Luke gave Chakotay
a puzzled look.
"We're not, really," Chakotay answered, kidding Neelix.
"Neelix tends to get a little melodramatic. That doesn't mean
we'll be telling our whole life stories, though, either. We'll
just play it by ear, since we don't know what to expect on the
planet."
"I see. But in answer to you, Neelix, I have been on quite
a few undercover missions. I wasn't always a meditation teacher."
This brought questioning looks from the others.
"So what were you before becoming a teacher?" Harry spoke up.
"During the war I was a fighter pilot, but I saw a lot of
groundside action also."
"What kind of war?" asked Tom.
"There was a senator who was very powerful and very evil.
He declared himself Emperor and gradually his troops took over
most of the galaxy. I was part of the rebellion against him."
"And your rebellion won the war?" inquired Chakotay.
"Yes, it did, and peace was restored, though skirmishes still
crop up now and then."
"What rank were you?" asked Neelix.
Luke seemed to look a little embarrassed. "Well, my last official
rank was general, but before that I was a squadron commander."
"How long ago was this?" Tom asked.
"The Emperor was defeated about fifteen years ago, and I resigned
my commission about a year after that."
"Fifteen years!" Neelix seemed astonished. "How old are
you?"
"Thirty-six," Luke replied uneasily. "Remember, it was
wartime, and officers were in short supply," he added.
"Is that where you met Mara?" Tom asked.
"No, I didn't meet her until about five years after the
war. Anyway, she was on the other side."
"She worked for this evil emperor?" Neelix asked incredulously.
Luke wished he hadn't brought that part up. "You'll have
to ask her sometime."
Thankfully, Tuvoc announced they were coming out of the ionic
atmosphere by then.
"Sensors show a town to the north," Tom reported as their
shuttle neared the planet's surface. Luke, of course, could sense
the inhabitants immediately. Most of them felt harmless, though
he was picking up pockets of hostility.
"Put down just outside the town," Chakotay ordered. "We
don't want to attract any unnecessary attention."
Tom skillfully brought the shuttle down in the midst of a
small clearing surrounded by trees and dense foliage. They exited
cautiously, but the area appeared deserted. Luke stretched out
with the Force, but felt no presences nearby.
The short walk into town was uneventful, and they soon
reached a marketplace. The crew did not see any evidence of
this being a technologically advanced society. They seemed to
be more agricultural oriented. As they wandered through the
open-air market, Neelix and Luke stopped to inspect the various
fruits and vegetables for sale. Luke kept his eyes and senses
open for possible danger, and was relieved to notice the rest
of the crew seemed alert.
"Let's continue on," Chakotay said. "We need to inquire
about the availability of iridium, though I don't expect to
find any."
The villagers didn't appear to be paying much attention
to them, which seemed odd to Luke, since they looked different
than the humanoid residents. Perhaps they had received alien
visitors previously.
Suddenly Luke's danger sense flared. He looked around,
narrowing his gaze, and noticed Chakotay watching him curiously.
Luke stretched out with the Force, and felt ten, no twelve,
hostile minds.
Luke quickened his pace and walked next to Commander
Chakotay. "Commander," he murmured quietly, "we are being
followed."
Chakotay glanced at him, concerned. "How do you know?
I've seen no one."
"I just know. Trust me. There are twelve beings following
us." He paused, then continued. "Two are moving up to each side
of us now. They mean to do us harm."
Chakotay seemed to be absorbing his words. He whispered to
the others, "Everyone, be ready with your phasers. We may have
company."
Luke noted the street was crowded with passers-by. "Commander,
might I suggest we move to a less crowded side street? There are
many bystanders here they could use as cover."
Chakotay nodded in agreement, and they casually detoured
through a deserted alleyway.
Chakotay jerked as Luke suddenly spun around. Out of the
shadows behind them appeared a dozen aliens. They were obviously
a different race than the villagers, and were all armed.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Chakotay demanded of them.
The apparent leader of the aliens waved his weapon threateningly
and sneered at them. "You are in no position to be questioning us."
Just then, Chakotay saw one of his crew behind him make a
sudden movement, and the firefight began. Both sides were armed,
but Voyager's crew was outnumbered 2 to 1.
In a blur, Chakotay saw Luke reach into his tunic and withdraw
some kind of silver handle. A green light sprang out of one end,
and Luke began deflecting the enemies' phaser shots, ALL of the
enemies' phaser shots. The crew stopped firing; they didn't need
to fire. They stared as Luke moved faster than they thought humanly
possible.
The aliens stopped firing momentarily also, and in that moment
their weapons suddenly flew out of their grasps and landed at Luke's
feet. Luke raised his free hand and clenched his fist. The phasers
at his feet crumpled as if being crushed by an invisible iron hand.
All of the aliens except the leader made a hasty retreat. The
leader felt himself being tugged toward Voyager's crew, his arms
pinned to his sides. Luke clipped his lightsaber to his belt.
Chakotay stepped forward, giving Luke another curious glance.
There would be time for explanations later. "Now then," he addressed
the leader, "why did you attack us?"
"I don't have to tell you anything," the leader spat.
Luke stared at the man. "You will tell him what he wants to
know," he said in an eerie voice.
The man seemed hypnotized. "I will tell you what you want to
know," he repeated slowly.
By this time the rest of the crew, even Tuvoc, seemed mesmerized.
This couldn't possibly be the same Luke that had been living with them
for nearly a month.
"Who are you?" Chakotay began again.
"I am Vanore, of the Ubossi clan," he replied in a monotone
voice.
"Why did you attack us?"
"To steal your weapons. We have no technology to build our
own phasers or ships, so we take them from visitors who land here."
The man's tongue was loosed now. "Even as we speak, your shuttle
is being moved to our compound, and your ship in orbit will soon
be attacked."
"Where is your compound?" Chakotay asked. He wanted to get
as much information out of the man as he could.
"North of the city," was the reply.
Chakotay turned to Tom and Tuvoc. "Tie him up, gag him, and
stash him out of sight. We need to get to that compound."
"Commander," Neelix spoke up. "Ensign Kim was hit in the
arm by phaser fire."
"It's nothing," Harry put in quickly. "Just grazed me."
"I wasn't aware any shots even got through," Tom put in.
"It was right at the beginning," Harry explained, "before ..."
Luke felt everyone looking at him. There wasn't time for
lengthy explanations just yet. He looked at Harry. "May I see
it?" he asked, nodding toward Harry's arm.
Harry removed his hand with which he had been covering the
wound. Luke tore the sleeve open more to get a better look. It
wasn't very bad. He put one hand over the wound and closed his
eyes. Harry felt a tingling sensation.
After a few moments, Luke pulled his hand away. Tom and
Neelix both examined Harry's arm.
"You can't even tell he was hit!" Neelix exclaimed.
"We should get moving," was all Luke said. Chakotay nodded
in agreement.
"I wish we had a way to warn the Captain," Chakotay said,
as they waited for the alien to be bound.
"We do," Luke said quietly. He stared straight ahead, his
eyes seeming to glaze over. "Mara, hear me," he whispered.
Aboard Voyager, Mara was helping B'Elanna when she suddenly
stopped and got a far-away look on her face. "Luke," she said
softly.
"What's that?" B'Elanna asked.
Mara seemed to be listening intently, though B'Elanna could
hear nothing.
"I've got to see the Captain," Mara said quickly, and she
raced for the turbolift.
"Wait, I'm coming too," B'Elanna called. They reached the
bridge in record time.
"Captain," Mara began, "the away team has been attacked."
Janeway looked at her strangely. "How do you know that?
We aren't able to communicate through their atmosphere."
Mara took a deep breath, then decided it was time to be
honest. "Luke and I can communicate telepathically. He says
the beings who attacked them claimed that their ships would soon
attack Voyager. Your sensors wouldn't be able to detect them
until they emerged from the ionic atmosphere."
Janeway stared at Mara, who appeared dead serious. "Was
anyone injured?"
Mara paused, as if listening, then replied, "Ensign Kim
was grazed by a phaser bolt, but he's all right now."
"Red alert," the captain ordered.
Tom and Tuvoc returned from hiding the alien inside an
empty doorway.
"Let's go," Chakotay ordered the others.
As they headed through the back streets, Chakotay fell
into step next to Luke. "Are you ready to start accounting for
yourself?" he asked.
"I am a Jedi," Luke replied simply, as he continued scanning
the areas they passed through. "I have certain powers I can call
upon."
"Obviously." Chakotay smiled. "Thank you. We are in your
debt."
"No thanks are needed. I will go into more detail when we
return to Voyager."
"I, for one, look forward to that, as I'm sure the captain
will, too."
They reached the northern edge of the city and came upon a
fortress of some sort, surrounded by a solid wall about eight
meters high.
Chakotay turned to Luke. "I don't suppose you can see through
this wall and tell if our shuttle is in there?"
Luke shook his head and smiled. "No, 'fraid not. I could
cut a hole in the wall, but I think it would attract less attention
if we just looked over the top." Dusk was falling by this time,
and a lightsaber would show up easily.
The others looked up at the top of the wall, then at Luke.
"You first," Chakotay invited. "I'll believe anything at this
point."
Luke nodded. "I'll bring the rest of you up if I spot it."
He crouched, then sprang up in a blur and landed gently on the
top of the wall, where there was a narrow ledge. He saw their
shuttle sitting in the middle of the compound, along with two
guards standing next to it. He easily directed the guards' attention
in the opposite direction, then looked back down at the crew.
Chakotay suppressed a gasp as he felt his feet leave the ground.
Luke levitated him to a spot next to him on the ledge. Chakotay
looked at him with raised eyebrows, then followed Luke's gaze toward
the shuttle and guards. Luke put his finger to his lips, then made
a hand gesture toward the guards. They slowly fell to the ground,
as if in a deep slumber. Luke shrugged. "They were very sleepy."
Luke proceeded to levitate Tom, Harry, Neelix, and Tuvoc to the top.
They were fairly well hidden in the shadows, and no other guards
had appeared.
"Will the trip down be as smooth?" Tom whispered.
Luke nodded affirmative, then looked at Chakotay.
"Let him go first," Chakotay acceded. Luke scanned the open
compound, but felt no other aliens there.
"There are several dozen beings inside the fortress' main
building," Luke whispered.
"I'll be quiet," Tom promised, then found himself floating to
the ground. He hugged the inside perimeter of the wall, and was
soon joined by the others.
Meanwhile, on Voyager, the crew remained on red alert.
"I want continuous scans in all directions," ordered Janeway,
though she knew the order wasn't really necessary. The ship's
sensors would automatically alert them to any incoming ships.
"Shields up," she added.
"Captain," said Seven of Nine, who was occupying Harry's
station, "aren't you overreacting to this ... questionable report?"
She glared at Mara, who stared back with equal intensity.
"That's enough," the captain commanded. "Seven, there is
no harm in taking extra precautions, no matter ..."
"No matter how ridiculous my claim sounds," finished Mara
with irritation.
"Mara, please," Janeway began, then stopped when she saw
Mara staring out the viewscreen. "Mara, look at me when I'm
addressing you."
Mara turned and looked at the captain. "There is
a ship approaching through the atmosphere. It is not our shuttle."
Janeway looked to Seven for confirmation. "Sensors are
still unable ... wait, a ship has just exited the atmosphere.
Its weapons are powered up."
"Ready torpedoes," ordered the captain.
"Another ship is coming," Mara suddenly interrupted.
Sure enough, within moments the second ship appeared.
Almost immediately both ships began firing on Voyager.
"Fire torpedoes," Janeway declared. "Target their weapons'
systems."
"Shields holding," Seven reported.
The firefight was short-lived. The alien ships were no
match for Voyager, and they retreated back toward the planet
without acknowledging Voyager's hails.
Janeway turned to Mara. "What is the situation of the away
team?"
Now they believe me, thought Mara. *Luke,* she sent
through the Force, *the enemy ships have been repelled. And how
are you doing, my love?*
As the away team surveyed their path to the shuttle,
Chakotay started to say something to Luke when he noticed the
grin on the latter's face.
"Something funny?" he questioned him.
"No, no." Luke became serious again. "Mara says Voyager
defeated the attacking ships. The captain wants a report on
our situation."
"Then give it. You seem to know what's going on better
than anyone."
"Yes, Commander," Luke replied, then fell silent as he
'talked' to Mara.
The away team silently made their way across the compound.
Luke hid the sound as Tom lowered the shuttle's ramp. They quickly
entered and strapped in. As soon as they powered up the engines,
more lights in the fortress came on, and the Ubossi poured from
the building. Their phaser shots bounced harmlessly off the
shuttle's shields.
"This is one piece of technology they're not getting their
hands on," Tom declared.
"Yes, and they weren't in possession of it long enough to
be able to copy any information. The computer's security systems
were not breached," added Tuvoc.
"But we weren't able to get any of that delicious looking
suni fruit," Neelix lamented, causing everyone to laugh.
"I, for one, will just be grateful to get back to Voyager,"
Harry put in.
Luke silently transmitted to Mara that they were all safe
and on their way back 'home.'
When the shuttle landed in the docking bay, Janeway was
there to greet them. She gave instructions to the bridge for
their immediate departure, then turned to the away team.
"Chakotay, Tuvoc, I want a full report in my ready room
at once."
Mara had meanwhile also entered the bay, and greeted
Luke back with a hug.
"You two," Janeway directed her attention to Luke and
Mara, "stand by. I will want to talk to you also."
"I guess the Bantha dung will hit the fan now," Luke
whispered, as they walked away, arms encircled around each
other's waist.
"Why? Just because we are telepathic ..." She looked
at him curiously. "Luke, what all happened on the planet?"
He hadn't given many details during their communications.
"Oh, you name it," he replied with a sigh.
She frowned at him. His lightsaber hanging openly from
his belt hadn't escaped her attention.
"I had no choice," he continued defensively, as they
entered their quarters. "We were outnumbered. You and I both
knew that eventually we would be forced to reveal our powers.
It will almost be a relief to have it over with." His calm
blue eyes beseeched her pleadingly, hoping she would understand.
"And what if the captain doesn't appreciate us hiding our
powers? What if she wants us to leave Voyager?" Mara countered.
"Then we'll leave. We won't be any worse off than we were
when we first landed in this galaxy."
"I suppose you're right. We'll just have to wait and see
what the captain has to say."
Mara laid her head on his shoulder as they sat together
on the couch, awaiting their fate.
Captain Janeway seated herself behind her desk, and motioned
for Chakotay and Tuvoc to take seats opposite her.
"Now, then," she began, hands clasped. "I want a full
report of what happened on the planet, from the beginning."
Chakotay glanced at Tuvoc's impassive face. "Well, we
landed without incident, hiding the shuttle, we thought, in a
grove of trees. There was a large village nearby, to which we
walked. Neelix and Luke looked over the wares for sale in a
marketplace we came to. After leaving there, we continued up
the main street." Chakotay paused.
"Go on," Janeway prodded.
"As we walked, Luke came up to me and said we were being
followed."
"Had you seen anyone suspicious?" asked the captain.
"No, but he seemed certain. He said there were twelve of
them, behind us and moving to the sides. He suggested we move
to a side street to prevent bystanders from being possibly hurt."
"Did he explain how he could see these beings if you could
not?" the captain asked.
"I don't believe he did see them; it was more like he felt
them. At the time, he said he just knew they were there."
"So you moved to a side street?"
"Yes. As we cut through an alley a few blocks over, the
aliens made their appearance, twelve of them. They confronted
us, and began firing. We began to return fire, but then ..."
"Then what, Commander?" The captain's curiosity was piqued.
"It seems, Captain, our meditating fry-cook is some kind
of wizard," Chakotay answered.
"Wizard?" Janeway repeated.
"He has certain powers," Tuvoc spoke for the first time.
"Explain," she ordered.
"He pulled an object out of his tunic, a metal handle. A
beam of light shot out of one end, and he began deflecting their
phaser shots with it. Captain, there were twelve of them firing
at us, and he deflected all their shots. In fact, he was
deflecting the shots back at them, but he was careful not to
mortally wound them."
"Amazing," Janeway answered intently.
"Actually, Captain, Chakotay hasn't even gotten to the
amazing part yet," Tuvoc put in. Janeway looked at him. Rarely
did Tuvoc consider anything 'amazing.'
"Both sides were so surprised, everyone stopped firing.
In that instant, the aliens' weapons literally flew out of their
hands and landed at Luke's feet. He made a clenching motion with
his fist, and the weapons crumpled."
"He picked up the weapons and crushed them with his hand?"
the captain asked incredulously.
"No, he didn't touch them. He crushed them with his mind,"
Chakotay explained slowly.
"I see," Janeway said, though she didn't see at all, she
thought.
"The aliens then turned and ran. All but one, that is.
Their apparent leader."
"And he ...?"
"It was as if he had been lassoed and pulled in, but of
course, there was no rope."
Janeway's eyes narrowed, but she said nothing as Chakotay
continued.
"At first the alien remained defiant, then something happened.
Luke spoke to him, and it was as if he were suddenly hypnotized. He
answered all my questions without even blinking. He told us our
shuttle had been captured and brought to their compound. He also
told us about the imminent attack on Voyager. He said his clan
steals technology from strangers because they're unable to produce
their own."
"And then?" Janeway encouraged him to go on.
"We tied him up and continued north to find this compound."
"You omitted the healing of Ensign Kim's wound," put in
Tuvoc.
"Oh, yes. Harry was grazed by one of the first phaser
shots. Luke covered the wound with his hand, closed his eyes
for a few moments, and the wound completely healed," Chakotay
explained.
"At any time did Luke say how he was able to do all these
extraordinary things?" Janeway inquired.
"He just said he was something called a Jedi and has special
powers. He said he would explain further when we returned to
Voyager."
"I'm looking forward to it. And your shuttle was at this
compound?"
"Yes, but there was a high wall surrounding it, perhaps
eight meters tall. Luke jumped to the top, then levitated each
of us up to join him. There were two guards at the shuttle. He
put them into a deep slumber, then lowered us down to the ground.
We made it into the shuttle without incident. More aliens appeared
as we started the engines, but their shots simply bounced off the
shields. And here we are," Chakotay concluded.
"Hmm," replied the captain thoughtfully. "Did Luke, at any
time, try to take command of the mission, or usurp your authority
in any way?"
"No, not at all," came Chakotay's quick reply. "He made
suggestions, but it was always clear that I was in charge. In
that regard, he was still the same as he's always been. But it
was also certain that he's been in this kind of situation before.
He saw what needed to be done, and he didn't hesitate. In fact,
Neelix and the others managed to find out from him that he had
been an officer during a war in their galaxy."
"Interesting. Well ..." Janeway let out a breath. "I guess
it's time to talk to our guests." She tapped her comm badge.
"Luke and Mara Skywalker, this is the captain. Please report
to my ready room."
"At once, Captain," came the reply.
The captain's door signal chimed.
"Enter," she invited, as she opened the door via the control
on her desk.
Luke and Mara walked into the ready room, both looking rather
apprehensive. Janeway motioned for them to sit in the chairs just
vacated by Chakotay and Tuvoc, who stood nearby.
"And I thought your telepathic abilities were impressive," she
began, looking at both Luke and Mara. "But the report I've received
from Chakotay and Tuvoc is incredible."
"I suppose it would appear that way," was Luke's reply.
"First of all, I wish to thank you for everything you did
during the away mission, and for the warning of the attack on
Voyager. Now, you may have been under the impression that I don't
run a very tight ship here," the captain continued. "I assure you,
nothing could be further from the truth."
The captain directed her attention to Luke. "I don't care
for surprises, Mr. Skywalker. I expect to be informed of the
capabilities of every member of this crew, and that includes both
of you."
Luke could feel Mara becoming agitated without even looking
at her, but he wasn't expecting her to use her anger to defend him.
Mara leapt to her feet. "How can you talk to Luke like that?!
He's a Jedi Master, for Sith's sake. Don't you realize he could
crush your puny ship with just a thought?"
"Mara!" Luke grabbed her arm and pulled her back down.
"That's enough. The captain's right. We should have said something
long ago." He turned back to Janeway. "I ... We ... apologize. We
should not have hidden our powers."
Mara continued to fume, but Captain Janeway seemed to accept
Luke's apology.
"Perhaps, then, you will indulge us with an explanation."
Luke finally let go of Mara's arm, and taking a deep breath,
began his story, much like Obi-Wan Kenobi explained to him so many
years ago.
"There is an energy field generated by all living things.
It surrounds us, and binds us. Certain individuals in our galaxy,
both human and alien, have the power to use this force. It both
controls our actions and obeys our commands. Many who have this
ability to use the Force choose to become Jedi, such as Mara and I.
The Jedi are the guardians of peace and justice in our galaxy."
"I believe Mara 'mentioned' that you are a Jedi Master,"
Janeway interjected.
"Yes, I am. I began an academy to train Jedi. You see, I
really am a teacher, though I guess you could call me
semi-retired. And meditation is an important subject there." Luke
smiled at Tuvoc and Chakotay.
"And do you teach at this academy, Mara?" asked Chakotay.
"No, I ... haven't quite finished my own training yet," Mara
replied sullenly.
"I would think a Jedi Master's wife would rate private
lessons," Janeway quipped.
Luke and Mara exchanged glances. *We have to come clean
on this matter too,* Luke sent. Mara just nodded.
"Actually, Captain, we're not married," Luke admitted,
shifting uncomfortably in his seat.
"But we'd like to be," Mara put in, much to Luke's surprise.
"Indeed." The captain seemed surprised also. "Well, you're
certainly giving a good impression of being married. So why all
this subterfuge? As I said before, I don't appreciate being kept
in the dark in regards to my crew."
"When we first arrived, we didn't expect to be here very
long," Luke began. "And then when it looked like we were staying,
well, it would have been hard to say, 'By the way, we have special
powers.'"
"You could have tried," the captain countered.
Luke didn't bother to explain that Jedi do not 'try.' "In
our galaxy, Jedi are either revered or hated. Very seldom do I
get to enjoy anonymity. I suppose it was selfish, but it has
been a lifetime since I was able to be a regular person."
"Hmm. But why pretend to be married? We're fairly open-minded
here. We wouldn't have objected to your sharing quarters," the
captain stated.
"I'll defer this explanation to Mara," Luke replied.
Mara frowned at him, but knew she was trapped. "All right.
When we first landed in your docking bay, and I came down the ramp,
well, you see, sometimes it's a curse to be able to hear other
people's thoughts. The truth is, some of your crew," and Mara
glanced at Chakotay, "especially Tom and Harry, were thinking
rather suggestive thoughts about me." Janeway thought she noticed
Chakotay blushing slightly. "And I figured if they thought I was
married, they'd leave me alone. We only planned on being here a
few hours. We haven't even ever been on a date," Mara added,
glancing at Luke.
"Well, we can move you to separate quarters now, if you
wish," Janeway offered.
"No!" Luke and Mara spoke at once. Luke continued,
"Staying together is the best thing that's ever happened to
us."
"I understand," Janeway said with a smile. "One thing bothers
me, though. Mara, you said you heard the crew's thoughts. Does
this mean both of you listen in on all our thoughts?" The
captain was no longer smiling.
"Certainly not," Luke assured her. "We don't eavesdrop.
It's just that those particular thoughts that day were coming
through loud and clear."
"The next time you want to know anyone's thoughts, please
ask," the captain instructed them.
"Of course," they agreed.
"Captain Janeway." Luke knew it was time to find out
their fate. "We apologize again for not disclosing our true
selves. We never meant to disavow your authority on this ship.
If you wish us to leave, we will do so at once. We do not wish
to cause you further trouble."
Janeway studied them carefully, clasping her hands. "Master
Skywalker," she began, then stopped and looked at him. "That is
how you are addressed, I suppose?"
"Yes."
"Master Skywalker, Mara," she began again, "I would like to
learn more about the ways of the Jedi. I feel you must have
fascinating tales to share. And how can I do that if you leave
so soon? I invited you once to stay as long as you wish. That
invitation is still open. It is I who should be apologizing to
you." She smiled slightly. "You don't know how many times I
escape to the holodeck just to hide away and be a regular person.
Please stay."
Mara reached over and grasped Luke's hand. They looked at
each and Janeway surmised they were talking it over silently.
Luke spoke first. "We will stay, if you truly want us to.
But there must be something we can do to atone for our deception."
"Perhaps there is, Master Skywalker." Captain Janeway appeared
thoughtful. "I believe everyone you know on this ship has the right
to the truth concerning both of you. I am going to call a meeting
of the entire senior staff, and you two will address them, explaining
yourselves as you have here, and answering all their questions."
"Agreed, and please call me Luke." Luke relaxed visibly.
Perhaps this wasn't such a fiasco after all. It would be a relief
not to hide anymore.
"Now, in gratitude for your most likely saving the lives of
my away team, what can I do for you?" the captain asked them.
"You have done so much already, and Jedi never act in the
hope of receiving payment, but there is one small favor we would
ask." Luke hesitated, then looked to Mara for reassurance. "During
our stay I have availed myself of a few of your computer's many
files, and I discovered that in your Starfleet, a ship's captain
has the authority to perform marriage ceremonies for passengers."
Luke took a deep breath and Mara squeezed his hand tighter. "Would
you do us the honor?"
Janeway broke into a wide smile. "It would be my pleasure."
There were many handshakes and congratulations issued, then
all began leaving to prepare for the upcoming staff meeting in one
hour.
Captain Janeway stopped Mara just as she headed for the door.
"Mara, might I have a few moments with you, alone?"
The others left, and Mara seated herself apprehensively in
the lounge area where the captain indicated.
"I'm sorry for my earlier outburst, Captain. I have quite
a temper at times, I'm afraid."
"No need to apologize. I can see why you and B'Elanna have
become friends. Mara, I had a few more questions, and I think I
would get more honest answers from you than from Luke. He seems
a bit on the modest side."
Mara laughed. "That's an understatement. What would you
like to know?"
"You said, and I quote, 'he could crush your puny ship with
just a thought.' Was that, hopefully, an exaggeration?"
"No, Captain, it was not. I've seen him do many amazing
feats, and heard of many others. His brother-in-law told me Luke
once built a massive fortress out of a pile of rubble with the
Force, and then later demolished it into oblivion, all without
lifting a finger. Destroying this ship would not be beyond his
capabilities. But to allay your concerns, Captain, even though
he could do it, he wouldn't do it. He never harms anyone or
destroys anything unless it is an absolute last resort."
"I'm glad to hear it, and I believe you. Chakotay and
Tuvoc relayed how none of the aliens were harmed on the planet."
"Luke is the most kind, compassionate, righteous man there
is. He believed in me and called me a friend when no one else
would. I still find it hard to believe he's fallen in love with
me." Mara's eyes were bright with passion.
The captain continued in her curiosity. "I take it Luke
is well-known in your galaxy, more so than you?"
"Luke is a war hero, the top war hero. He destroyed a
huge space station of death when he was just eighteen, when he barely
knew what the Force was. He formed an elite squadron of fighter
pilots and became the youngest commander ever. He then played
a key role in the end of the war, and has continued to fight for
justice for all races of beings. There are many statues and
monuments dedicated to him. He resurrected the Jedi Order,
which had become all but extinct, and is the only living Jedi
Master."
Mara leaned back in her chair. "You didn't know him before
we came here. He was a very different person, always serious,
always worried about how his students would turn out. He rarely
laughed or joked in public. He has borne the weight of the entire
galaxy on his shoulders, and has never asked for anything in return.
And yes, Captain, he is very modest."
Captain Janeway could hear the admiration in Mara's voice as
she spoke. "And you, Mara, what is your story? And what is your
last name, by the way?"
Mara sighed. "My name is Mara Jade."
"As in Jade's Fire," the captain deduced.
"Yes, and my story ... is quite different from Luke's.
The war in our galaxy began when a senator took control of the
government. He had Force powers, but he used them for evil,
and declared himself Emperor. He took me from my home when I
was very young, because he recognized my Force potential, and
molded me into his personal servant. Luke turned out to be his
greatest enemy, and his enemies were my enemies. I was ordered
to kill Luke, but failed, obviously. I did not actually meet
Luke until five years after the war, after the Emperor was dead.
He was not the vile person I expected, and eventually we became
friends, though somewhat distant. I've been helping the new
government for some time now, though many still do not trust me.
Sometimes at night, as I lie beside Luke, I still cannot comprehend
the miracle that has brought us together. Now, I can't imagine
life without him."
"I believe, Mara," the captain observed, "that you two
compliment each other; two lonely people who have found comfort
and love in each other's arms. Apparently it has taken you both
many years to realize that you need each other."
"You're a very intuitive woman, Captain Janeway."
"As are you, Mara Jade."
When Mara returned to her quarters, Luke was waiting for
her. He enveloped her in a passionate embrace and kissed her
tenderly. "So, what did the captain want?" he asked curiously.
"Just girl talk," Mara teased.
The senior staff assembled in the conference room at the
appointed time. Present were Chakotay, Tuvoc, Paris, Kim, Torres,
Neelix, the Doctor, and Seven of Nine. Tom, Harry, and Neelix had
filled in B'Elanna, the Doctor, and Seven on the events of the
away mission, though their story met with much disbelief. Luke
and Mara entered, followed shortly by the captain.
Janeway addressed the group. "We are here to clear up any
rumors or guesses that may be circulating. The Skywalkers are
prepared to explain their unique abilities, and to answer any
questions you may have. Luke?" She yielded the floor to the
Jedi Master.
Luke rose, and launched into his explanation of the Jedi,
much as he had for the captain an hour earlier. As he concluded,
Seven of Nine was the first to speak.
"I have heard your claims, and what the away team says they
saw, but I have seen no proof of these claims. I wish to see a
demonstration of these so-called Force powers," Seven stated.
"It seems we have a doubting Thomas among us," Janeway said
with a smile.
"What's that?" Luke and Mara and several others looked
puzzled.
"An old Earth expression," Jane explained.
"Well, I really don't do demo ..." Luke started to say
when Mara elbowed him.
"It won't hurt you, just this once," she chided him.
He turned to her, "Why don't you, then? You can levitate
objects."
"I'm not nearly as skilled as ... oh, all right." She
looked around the room. There were several datapads lying on
the table. Mara concentrated, and one of them rose slowly,
then moved through the air. Luke watched proudly; he hadn't
really been sure how Mara's levitation skills had progressed.
As Mara moved the pad above the heads of the crew, suddenly
the rest of the datapads rose one by one, and sailed behind her
lead one.
"So you decided to join in the fun after all," Mara called
out to Luke, while maintaining her concentration. "Up for a game
of follow the leader?"
"Lead on," he replied.
Mara's datapad suddenly sped up, engaging in a series of
abrupt twists and turns in and around the astonished crew. She
even stopped it in mid-air once, and Luke caused all the rest to
stop without missing a beat. She pushed it forward again, in
even more intricate patterns, weaving and dodging around the room.
Luke kept the rest following behind like a tail on a kite, matching
her motions exactly. Finally she settled the datapad back in its
original position on the table, and Luke did likewise with the rest,
gently lowering them without a sound.
Mara grinned at the crew. "The lead datapad shows what a
half-trained Jedi can do with the Force. Those that followed are
only a small demonstration of what a Master can do."
"It was an effective demonstration," Seven admitted.
At the very least, it was an ice-breaker. All at once,
everyone had plenty of questions. Luke and Mara answered them
all with patience and humor. Finally, Neelix brought up a question
on the one subject they hadn't gotten to yet.
"So, do you have a home near this academy?" he asked, looking
at both of them.
"I live at the Academy, but Mara ..." Luke began.
"We're not married," Mara confessed. "Just engaged." A
frown from Luke caused her to continue. "And only friends when
we first arrived here."
Stunned silence filled the room.
"You fell in love after you got here." It was more a
statement than a question from Neelix.
"Yes," was Mara's quiet reply. "Maybe." She looked at
Luke. "Or maybe it was ten years ago."
"And we just admitted it," he put in. "To ourselves and
to each other."
"How romantic," Neelix exclaimed. "You said you were
engaged. When did you plan on marrying?"
"Captain Janeway graciously agreed to perform the ceremony,"
Luke replied, nodding toward the captain. "So I guess whenever
she is ready."
"I'd say the sooner we get these two married, the better,"
Janeway said, laughing.
"But we have to plan a celebration!" Neelix protested. "With
a party, and food."
"And a wedding cake," added Harry.
"And dancing," B'Elanna put in.
"You must give us a few days to prepare," Neelix beseeched.
"At least three days."
The captain looked at Luke and Mara with raised eyebrows.
"Will three days be all right with you?" she asked.
"Yes, but, we really don't need a party. Just a quiet
ceremony is all ..." Luke began. He felt bad enough about
pretending to be married already.
"Nonsense," Neelix interjected. "We haven't had a wedding
here on Voyager yet. Please allow us to do this for you. You
don't have any objections, do you, Captain?"
"Of course not. I think everyone could use a celebration,"
she agreed.
"Then it's settled. A wedding in three days."
Everyone rose, and began congratulating Luke and Mara.
Even more questions poured forth about the Force and the Jedi.
Finally, Neelix, Tom, Harry, and B'Elanna excused themselves to begin
the wedding preparations.
Luke and Mara were eventually able to extricate themselves,
and walked back to their quarters.
"It's been an interesting day, farmboy," Mara teased.
"What makes you say that?" Luke replied, a dead-pan expression
on his face. "Just because I had to use the Force, now everyone knows
about us, probably the whole ship by now, and all of a sudden we're
getting married in three days. You call that interesting? You must
have a dull life when I'm not around, Jade."
"Compared to the monk's life you led, you mean," she retorted.
They fell onto the couch, laughing and kissing.
"You know, a marriage ceremony for two Jedi isn't the same as
for anyone else," Luke commented as he held her tightly. "There is
a Force-bonding ritual that follows the vows part."
Mara pulled up and looked at him. "What kind of Force-bonding?
I thought we already had a bond."
"We do. We're probably halfway there already." He kissed
her lightly. "But the ritual makes the bond even stronger, and
permanent. My thoughts and feelings will be your thoughts and
feelings, and vice-versa. For the rest of our lives, no matter
how far apart we are. We will be as one soul. It is the strongest
connection possible for Jedi."
"Stronger than your bond with Leia?" Mara asked.
"Yes." He stroked her hair.
"And how do you know about this? I don't recall any Jedi
getting married to each other in the last twenty years," she continued
her questioning.
"I read a lot. About Jedi history. There isn't much else
to do when you lead a monk's life."
"And you know how to perform this ritual?"
"Yes, I do." He brought her face up to meet his gaze. "Mara,
we don't have to do that part, if you don't want. We can just have
a normal wedding, like regular people do."
She reached up and stroked his cheek. "But we're not regular
people, are we? You said yourself we're halfway there, and I like
what we have together now. I don't want to feel like we're missing
out on having something even better. We should do the ritual. I
want to, Luke."
He pulled her closer and they kissed passionately, each
reveling in the feelings of love pouring from the other. Luke rose
effortlessly with Mara in his arms, and started for the bedroom.
"Are you sure we should ...," Mara asked demurely. "I mean,
we'll be married soon, maybe we should wait ..."
The look on Luke's face was priceless, Mara thought. He
stopped and blinked at her several times. All of a sudden, he
dropped Mara on the floor right where they stood.
"You're right. You take the couch tonight. I'm going to
go get some dinner." She wasn't going to best him. He headed
for the door.
Mara sprang up and tackled him from behind. "You go out
that door and it'll be the last thing you ever do!"
"But my dear, didn't you just say ..." Luke wasn't done
with her yet.
"Never mind what I said, funny man. You are not going
to leave me unfulfilled."
"Unful ..., so, you admit I fulfill your needs, hmm?"
"You ...you ..., wipe that smirk off your face right now."
Luke was sure he had never been this happy or carefree
in his entire life. He stood, pulled Mara up, and slung her
over his shoulder. "Then I guess we've got some fulfilling
to do. We can eat dinner afterward."
They never did get around to going out to dinner that
evening.
Part III
The Next Day
The next morning it was back to work. At least that's what
Luke thought. Neelix appeared startled when Luke entered the
galley just before eleven o'clock.
"What are you doing here?" he asked.
Luke glanced around. "Don't I still work here?"
"You're a Jedi Master. We can't have you working in the
mess hall," Neelix protested.
"But I like working here. I don't want things to change,"
Luke said wearily. "Don't you see? We want to be treated just
like everyone else. That's why we didn't say anything about being
Jedi when we first got here. Please, Neelix, let me stay."
"Oh, all right. But if you want to use your magic powers
in here, go right ahead."
"Thanks." Luke was relieved. "Now, what's on today's
menu?"
Mara wasn't receiving quite the same reaction in
engineering, however.
"It's about time," B'Elanna scolded. "We've got a lot of
work to do."
Mara looked around. "What should I start on?"
"Not here, silly." B'Elanna grabbed her hand and started
dragging her out. "We have to design you a dress."
"A dress? What for?"
"A wedding dress! Were you planning on getting married in
your work clothes? Or do you have a wedding dress hidden away on
that ship of yours?"
"No, of course not. But..."
"Then c'mon. Ensign Taneka worked in the fashion industry
before joining Starfleet, and she can't wait to help with this.
It'll be fun," B'Elanna insisted.
Mara allowed herself to be pulled to Ensign Taneka's
quarters, and the three of them did indeed have a good time,
sketching out and discarding numerous ideas before settling on a
final choice. It was a shimmering, off-the-shoulder, tea-length
gown in an emerald green that matched Mara's eyes. Mara had
rejected their idea of a white gown almost immediately. White
was not her color, and she didn't think it was appropriate,
anyway, after hearing what the color white stood for. The other
two made her promise not to describe her dress to Luke at all;
they insisted it must be a surprise.
The next couple days passed quickly. Tom and Harry had
outfitted Luke in black formal wear, though he wasn't sure why
they insisted on an emerald green sash to complete the outfit.
He had toyed with the idea of wearing his Jedi robes, but decided
Mara never seemed too happy to see those robes on anyone, much
less him.
Finally, the big day arrived. Luke had stayed up most of
the night meditating. At first Mara had been annoyed, but then
she realized that kind of thing came with marrying a Jedi Master.
She used the time to do some meditating of her own. When Luke
did finally slip into bed, they held each other in silence before
drifting off to sleep.
The wedding was scheduled for noon in one of the holodecks
Neelix had designed personally.
Mara awoke first, showered, and slipped away to B'Elanna's
rooms. Tom and Harry arrived later to help Luke get ready. They
then made their way to the holodeck.
Neelix had outdone himself with decorating. The setting
was a beautiful garden with exotic flowers and a rose-covered
trellis. The men entered, acknowledging the captain and all the
guests who had already arrived. Luke glanced around, but saw no
sign of Mara.
"She'll be here, don't worry," Tom chuckled. Luke had
chosen Tom as his best man. This wedding was to be in the Earth
tradition, which didn't differ too much from Coruscant's customs,
they discovered.
Harry was the designated wedding photographer, using Mara's
holorecorder from her ship.
Soon, music filled the air. Luke and Tom stood near the
trellis, where Captain Janeway waited in her finest dress
uniform. The holodeck door opened and B'Elanna walked through
slowly, proceeding toward the front. Tom thought she never
looked lovelier. As maid of honor, she wore a simple gown of
burgundy and cream.
Luke was staring at the open doorway, oblivious to everyone
else. Mara appeared, and Luke thought his heart would burst.
She was more beautiful than he could ever have imagined. Their
eyes locked as Mara walked slowly forward. She carried a bouquet
of flowers, and had some braided into her hair as well.
Mara, for her part, thought Luke couldn't possibly look any
more handsome. Her hands felt clammy as his bright blue eyes
were filled with his love for her. She reached his side, and
they turned to face the captain.
"Friends, we are gathered here to join Luke Skywalker and
Mara Jade in the bonds of matrimony. They joined us as
strangers, and now stay with us as friends. They will now pledge
their commitment to one another. Luke," the captain nodded at
him.
"Mara, in the years we have known each other, we have
progressed from enemies, to comrades, to friends, to lovers. And
now I will be proud to be your husband. I will love you, and
treasure you, for the rest of my life."
The captain smiled and turned to the bride, "Mara?"
"Luke, you have called me your friend even when I didn't
feel worthy. You have given me your unconditional trust and
respect when no one else did. I will be proud to be your wife.
I will love you, and treasure you, for the rest of my life."
Captain Janeway nodded at Tom and B'Elanna, who produced
the matching simple gold rings. Although wedding rings were not
that common at home, Luke and Mara thought they would like that
particular Earth custom. They didn't mind that the gold bands
had been replicated.
Luke held Mara's left hand, and slipped the ring on her
finger, saying, "Mara, I give you this ring as a symbol of my
eternal love and fidelity."
Mara, in turn, placed Luke's ring on his finger, echoing
his words.
Holding hands, they faced the captain once more.
"We have witnessed your vows of love and commitment, and
are honored to be included in this celebration. And now, by the
authority vested in me by Starfleet Command, I now pronounce you
husband and wife." She nodded to Luke, "You may kiss your wife."
Luke wasted no time in pulling Mara close and kissing her
enthusiastically, invoking applause from the happy on-lookers.
Luke felt so light-hearted he actually levitated them off the
floor for a few moments, then gently lowered them back down.
From there everyone proceeded to the feast Neelix had
prepared. Luke and Mara were seated at the head of the table,
joined by their new friends.
"So, Mara," began Neelix, "during the away mission Luke was
telling us about a war against an evil Emperor that was fought in
your galaxy. He said you two were on different sides."
Mara looked at Luke with raised eyebrows, but Luke chose to
remain silent.
"So how did you two meet?" Neelix continued.
Everyone fell silent, waiting for Mara's reply. Mara, for
her part, decided if Luke thought they should be truthful in
everything, that's what she would do.
"Well, if you really want to know, I wasn't just on the
Imperial side. I was the Emperor's personal assassin. Luke was
one of my targets."
You could have heard a dava pin drop in the room. Everyone
looked from Mara to Luke and back again.
Luke broke the silence. "She missed."
"My only miss, you might add," Mara humphed. She waved her
fork at Luke. "And you know that was only because Jabba wouldn't
let me on the sail barge."
"For which I am eternally grateful," Luke quipped, grinning.
"Though you had plenty of other opportunities later. And that's
not how we actually met, anyway. I didn't even see you that day."
"A technicality. I saw you. Okay, so we didn't meet face-
to-face until five years later."
Mara turned to the others and began the story. "You see,
this hotshot here had burned out both hyperdrive motivators on
his x-wing, and was sitting stranded in space, in the middle of
nowhere. My associates and I rescued him."
Luke suddenly choked on his food. "Rescued? You mean you
and your smuggler friends captured me."
"I didn't see anyone else around trying to save your sorry
behind. We could have just left you there to die."
"Most rescues don't involve being knocked out and locked
up."
"I seem to recall it didn't take you long to break out, even
without the Force. So then I had to capture you all over again."
"Which gave you plenty of other chances to kill me, that
you didn't take."
"I thought I might need you to get out of the forest," Mara
said defensively.
"Seems you've needed me for a lot of years now," Luke said with
a chuckle. "Why, just the other night in bed, you said you needed
me to ..."
Mara swiftly kicked him under the table.
"Ow!" Luke cried out in mock pain.
Voyager's crew was enthralled by the newlyweds' banter, who
in turn did fill in the details of that first meeting on Myrkr.
"Are we finally getting to know the real Luke and Mara?"
questioned the captain, as they concluded their story.
"'Fraid so, Captain." Luke smiled. "Whether that's a good
thing or not remains to be seen."
"You've given up this assassin career, I hope?" Chakotay
turned to Mara. "And smuggling career?"
"Of course. I'm a legit trader now. Everything above
board." Some of the others weren't quite sure if Mara sounded
proud or remorseful.
"On that note, I believe it's time for some dancing,"
Neelix announced. Everyone moved to the dance floor, as Neelix
instructed the computer as to which songs to play. He looked
expectantly at Luke and Mara as the first song started. "You
know, the bride and groom have to lead the dancing."
Mara smiled widely as Luke paled. She grabbed his hand and
dragged him out to the center of the floor. *At least it's a
slow song,* he thought.
*I'm sure there'll be faster ones later,* she returned.
Luke's nervousness slipped away as he held Mara close. His
confidence grew as Mara guided him through the steps. He even
eventually asked B'Elanna and the captain to dance, as Mara took
a turn with most of the men in attendance. She loved to dance,
and it showed in her happy countenance.
Finally, the joyous evening drew to a close. Everyone took
their leave, and Mara and Luke returned to their quarters, arms
encircling each other's waist.
Mara disappeared into the 'fresher as Luke began to change
clothes. He gave a low whistle when she emerged. She was wearing
a very provocative black negligee, with her long hair hanging
loose down her back.
"Heck, I would've proposed years ago if I had known you were
so sexy," he teased.
She came over and rubbed her hands across his bare
shoulders. "You're not so bad yourself, farmboy."
Luke had stripped down to a pair of silk boxers. He cupped
her face lightly and kissed her softly on the lips.
"Are you ready?" he whispered. She didn't have to ask to
what he was referring. The Jedi marriage ritual. Luke had
explained what would be involved, and though Mara was
apprehensive, she knew this bond would be an important part of
their marriage.
Luke gently took her hand and led her to their bed, where
they sat cross-legged, facing each other, fingers intertwined.
They had agreed Mara would go first, so she would know what to
expect when Luke entered her mind.
Luke nodded to Mara, and they both closed their eyes. The
room was lit only by a single candle. Luke opened his mind
completely, and Mara tentatively entered his awareness. Luke
guided her to his deepest feelings and memories. She felt his own
apprehensiveness, though he encouraged her to continue. She
finally reached the spot where his earliest memories lay.
Together they remembered his childhood on Tatooine, his strict
uncle and loving aunt. Mara felt Luke's pain at being an outsider
to his friends, except for Biggs. They continued through his
wonderment at learning about the Force from Ben, his anguish at
his guardians' and mentor's deaths, his jealousy over Leia, his
years with the Rebel Alliance. Mara felt his determination while
training with Yoda, and his despair over learning Vader was his
father.
Seeing the events in Luke's life through his mind was
decidedly different than the Emperor's point of view had been.
She felt his attraction to her from the first moment he saw her,
confirming his admission to her the night he proposed. She also
felt his disappointment that she didn't seem interested in him,
and his many years of loneliness. She squeezed Luke's hands a
little tighter as his memories of Callista flew by, his hope that
he had at last found someone who loved him, and his deep
depression when she left him. Mara could feel Luke's acceptance,
on Nam Chorios, that it was not his and Callista's destiny to be
together.
The newlyweds journeyed through the rest of Luke's memories,
ending with their wedding this very day. There was no doubt in
Mara's own mind as to Luke's overwhelming love for her, much
stronger than he had had for Callista or anyone else. They both
opened their eyes, as Luke recited, "My memories are now your
memories; my thoughts are now your thoughts; we are one."
Mara took a deep breath and shut her eyes. She felt Luke
gently entering her mind now, seeking her innermost secrets,
reassuring her all the way. She relaxed, feeling comforted by his
presence. They began at her earliest memories, that of being
taken from her family by the Emperor when she was about five years
old. Mara's breath caught as she saw glimpses of her mother and
father, crying and being pushed back by stormtroopers. Images
rolled by of being tutored by Palpatine's hand-picked instructors,
with lessons in the Force by the Emperor himself. The recollections
of all her missions surfaced, beginning when she was about eighteen.
Luke finally got to see her as a dancer at Jabba's, and experienced
the Emperor's anger at her failure.
He journeyed with her through her many wanderings after the
Emperor's death, ending up with Karrde's organization. He felt
her doubts and hesitations when she finally caught up with him,
and her relief at eventually being rid of Palpatine's last
command. He felt her growing attraction to him weighed against
her pride and need for independence. He now knew how much she
regretted her previous aloofness when he took up with Callista,
but also how she felt his pain when Callista rejected him in favor
of her quest for the Force.
Luke saw how Mara always kept track of his whereabouts,
never hesitating to help if he needed it. He felt her
unconditional love for him, and her desire to be with him always.
They opened their eyes slowly, and Mara took her turn in
reciting, "My memories are now your memories; my thoughts are now
your thoughts; we are one."
Luke and Mara both felt an overwhelming sense of peace and
love come over them, more comforting than they could ever
imagine. They were now ready for the final part of the Jedi
marriage ritual, the physical joining.
Luke pulled his bride to a standing position next to the bed
with him, and kissed her gently on the lips. He caressed her
slowly, while his lips traveled down her neck and shoulders. He
effortlessly removed the negligee, and continued his ministrations
over her entire body. When he straightened back up, Mara reached
down and removed his shorts, kissing his chest and abdomen, while
caressing the rest of him.
The ability to now feel their partner's emotions as clearly
as their own was intoxicating. Though they had previously been
able to sense the feelings coming from each other, with their new
bond there was no need to reach out with the Force to sense the
other; it was instantaneous. Even Luke couldn't have predicted
the indescribable exhilaration they were experiencing.
Finally they collapsed onto the bed, where the real
lovemaking began in earnest. There was no need for verbal
communication; as soon as one of them expressed a thought, the
other shared that same thought.
Hours later, they lay still, wrapped in each other's arms.
Mara drifted off to sleep first, but Luke lay awake a while
longer, marveling over what had just transpired between them.
Truly, their lives would never be the same again. His thoughts
drifted to the fact that he and Mara were the only two married
Jedi in existence, that he knew of. So were they the only ones
who could achieve the level of ecstasy that they had experienced
tonight, and would continue to experience? He quickly dismissed a
pang of sympathy for Leia and Han. They had their own special
union; it wasn't right for him to dwell on anyone else's
relationship.
Luke did come to the conclusion that Mara was the only woman
possible for him to have this bond with. Even if Callista had
never lost her powers, though he loved her, he had never hungered
for her the way he did for Mara. He doubted he would be able to
go on if anything ever happened to her. Luke finally joined Mara
in sleep, and they both shared the same blissful dreams.
Uncharacteristically, Mara awoke first. She felt Luke's
presence so clearly it almost startled her. How could she ever
have doubted that she was meant to be with Luke Skywalker? If
anyone had tried to tell her two months ago that she would be
married to him, she would have had them committed to the insane
asylum on Loravie III. Yet, here she was, Mrs. Luke Skywalker,
and so infatuated with him she couldn't see straight.
She glanced over at her sleeping lover. All the years we
wasted, she thought. But maybe Luke was right. Maybe they
weren't ready to be together until now. He had been busy with his
academy, in between rounds of saving the galaxy. She needed time
to adjust to being with the New Republic, and establishing herself
as an independent trader. She still didn't like Luke's ideas on
destiny, but perhaps in this case he was right. Something brought
them to this galaxy, giving them a chance to be together. Well,
whatever it was, she was grateful.
Luke and Mara lounged around until noon, then fixed
themselves a light lunch. Afterwards, they both sat back and
looked at each other as if to say "Now what?" Captain Janeway had
given them the day off.
Finally Mara jumped up, went into the bedroom, and got
dressed in exercise clothes. She emerged and tossed Luke his
lightsaber.
"C'mon, get dressed. We haven't had a good lightsaber
workout since we arrived on this ship."
Luke noticed she already had her lightsaber clipped to her
belt. He got up grinning. "I suppose only Jedi would do this on
their honeymoon," he said, laughing.
As they proceeded to the gym, they were met by Commander
Chakotay.
"So where are you two newlyweds off to?"
"Lightsaber practice," Mara replied easily.
Chakotay saw then that Mara also had one of the interesting
weapons. "What, you shoot at each other and deflect the shots?"
"Not exactly," Luke answered. "We duel."'
"Like fencing?" Chakotay asked.
"That depends on what fencing is," Luke answered.
"Would you mind an audience?" Chakotay inquired hopefully.
Mara and Luke looked at each other and shrugged. "Why not?
Sure, come along," Luke agreed.
When they reached the gym, Chakotay stood to the side, not
quite sure what to expect. Luke and Mara slightly bowed to each
other, then took defensive postures as they ignited their
lightsabers with a snap-hiss.
Mara struck first, swinging her blade in a wide arc toward
Luke's head. He swiftly ducked, and countered with a slice to her
knees. Mara spun out of the way, and returned a swing at his mid-
section. He flipped over her head, landing behind her. Mara spun
to face him, and their blades sizzled as she blocked his swing.
Chakotay quietly spoke into his comm badge. "Captain, would
you please come to the gym on Level Three? You have got to see
this to believe it. And you might want to bring Tuvoc with you."
"What's going on, Commander?" came the reply.
"You'll see when you get here."
Moments later, Janeway and Tuvoc entered the gym. They were
greeted with the sight of Luke and Mara slashing, blocking,
flipping, and spinning. The spectators stared wide-mouthed as
Luke avoided Mara's quick blow by springing in a blur up to the
catwalk which surrounded the room. Mara frowned at him, then
jumped and joined him. They continued their duel on the narrow
platform as gracefully as they had on the floor.
Finally, the competition came to an end. Mara and Luke shut
down their lightsabers and saluted each other. Janeway noticed
Mara was panting slightly, but Luke was barely breathing hard.
They clipped their weapons to their belts, and walked over to
greet their audience.
"Most impressive!" came the admiring reaction.
"You Jedi certainly have strange honeymoon customs," Janeway
quipped.
"Well, we were out of practice, and you did give us the day
off," Luke explained, smiling.
"But why do you need to practice fighting each other? Do
you have enemies that also wield lightsabers?" asked Tuvoc.
"Unfortunately, yes. There are a few dark Jedi left who use
their powers for destruction," Mara answered.
"Lightsaber practice is an important part of a Jedi's
training," Luke went on. "But only the advanced students use real
lightsabers. It can be very dangerous."
"Have you ever had to battle a dark Jedi?" Chakotay asked
Luke.
"Yes, several times, unfortunately," he answered solemnly.
"And you were always victorious? With skill like yours, I
don't see how anyone could defeat you," Janeway asked curiously.
Luke looked down uncomfortably. "I was defeated in my first
battle. I rushed to fight before I was fully trained." He flexed
his right hand, then raised it. "That's how I lost my hand," he
added quietly.
Janeway felt terrible about bring up what must have been an
awful memory. Luke reached out and touched her arm gently. "It's
all right. It was many years ago. And I learned ... many
valuable lessons that day."
The others were silent. Mara could hear the questions in
their heads.
"I never had to face another Jedi in a prolonged battle,"
Mara answered their unspoken wondering. "But I know if I do,
I'll be ready." She glanced at her husband. "I've been trained
by the best."
Luke noticed Tuvoc was staring at his saber. He unclipped
it and handed it to him. "Would you like to see how it works?" he
asked, ready for a change in the conversation. Tuvoc and Chakotay
were fascinated with his explanation of how a lightsaber is
constructed.
Mara and the captain wandered over to a locker, where Mara
grabbed a towel. "The teacher is in his glory," Mara said, smiling,
as Luke was demonstrating the proper hand grip.
"I'm so sorry we asked about battling other Jedi," the
captain apologized. "We didn't mean to bring up bad memories."
"Don't feel bad, you couldn't have known. It's just that
the first dark Jedi who defeated him ... was his own father."
Janeway was stunned. "I'm so sorry. Is his father ...?"
"He's dead now," Mara quickly put in. "He turned back to
the good side and saved Luke's life just before he died."
"I see," said the captain, not sure quite what to say.
"Anyway, I think Luke's stronger for it." Mara fingered her
lightsaber. "This had been Luke's father's lightsaber, before he
turned to the dark side. It's the one Luke was using when he ...
when he lost his hand. His father was trying to talk him into
joining him, but Luke refused."
"How did he survive?"
"By letting himself fall down an air shaft. He didn't
recover his lightsaber until several years later, not long after
we met. He had already made himself a new one by then, and he
gave me this one."
"He must have thought a lot of you already then."
Mara watched Luke coaching Chakotay on how to swing the
blade. "Yes, I suppose he did."
The days passed quickly for the newlyweds. Luke did worry
about how Leia was handling his disappearance, and Mara
occasionally lost her temper still, but overall they were happy
and contented.
One night as Luke was drifting off to sleep, Mara's thoughts
turned to the possibility of having children. While they'd only
been married a month, they weren't getting any younger either.
Luke always seemed to enjoy his niece and nephews whenever she had
seen them together. She had no doubt he would make a great
father; it was herself as a mother she had a harder time
picturing.
Luke rolled over, making himself more comfortable.
"Luke," Mara said softly.
"Hmm ..." Mara faintly heard.
"What do you think about children?"
"Like 'em," was the sleepy reply, as he turned on his side
facing away from her.
"Do you think we're ready to have one?" she ventured.
No answer. Mara frowned, as she realized he was fast
asleep. She was due for her monthly hypospray tomorrow, but she
was reluctant to take it. Somehow, she knew she and Luke should
have a baby, and that the time was right. They weren't getting
any closer to finding a way home, so there was nothing else to
wait for. Mara smiled to herself as she snuggled up behind Luke
and put an arm around him. She had made her decision; she would
not get that hypospray tomorrow.
Several weeks later, Mara woke with a start. Something
wasn't right. The computer alarm hadn't announced that it was
time to get up yet, and Luke was still sleeping. Mara tried to
relax, thinking to the previous night. They had made love far
into the night, even more passionately than usual. So what could
be wrong?
Mara reached out with the Force, and sat up with a jolt.
She had felt another presence. But how? Where?
"Computer, lights," Mara ordered, then squinted in the
sudden brightness. They were alone.
"Computer, lights off."
This was ridiculous. She was being paranoid. But still,
she could feel a third presence in the room, and it felt somehow
familiar. She thought about waking Luke, then started picturing
him teasing her for imagining things.
Luke had been giving her lessons in Force-awareness during
their time on Voyager. Maybe it was time to practice what she'd
learned. Mara took a deep breath and cleared her mind. She
extended her Force sense out into the room, but the farther out
she reached, the fainter the presence felt. She reversed
direction, and the closer she drew to herself, the more intense
the presence seemed. Mara's breath suddenly caught in her throat.
She shakily placed her hand on her abdomen, and reached inside
herself with the Force. There was no mistaking it, inside her was
a tiny being that felt like Luke, felt like her, and yet felt
unique all at the same time. She was pregnant!
Mara was both elated and scared. What would Luke think?
She had never gotten around to telling him she didn't use the
Doctor's hypospray this month. She hadn't really even thought
much about it since then, which is probably why Luke hadn't picked
up on it. She hadn't expected to get pregnant this quickly.
Wasn't it supposed to take longer the older you were? Surely Luke
will be happy. Won't he? Or will he be disappointed that she
didn't consult him first? He hadn't been upset with her when she
started taking the birth control. Maybe he didn't want to have a
baby. But that was different; they hadn't been married yet then.
Luke stirred next to her. She wasn't ready to face him just
yet. Quietly Mara slipped into the shower. As the warm water
streamed over her, she felt again for her son or daughter.
The baby felt so tiny. They must have just conceived him
last night. Him? Yes, a son. Either intuition or the Force told
Mara they would have a son. The water helped relax her. She
began thinking about their lovemaking last night. Who would have
thought a moisture farmer could make her feel so good?
"We could repeat those maneuvers in a vertical position,"
came a low voice behind her. How could she be so relaxed she
didn't notice him coming!
"Up kind of early, aren't you?" Luke asked.
"Well, I, uh, couldn't sleep, so I got up," Mara stammered.
"Anything wrong?" He sensed Mara's nervousness, but she
didn't seem sick or injured.
"No." Mara shook her head.
Luke began kissing her neck, then stopped suddenly,
straightened, and looked at her. His puzzled look slowly turned
to surprise, as realization of what he felt dawned on him.
"Mara?" he whispered. He slowly placed his palm on her
stomach, and reached out with the Force. "I thought you were
still using the hyposprays."
"I stopped a few weeks ago," she confessed. This was not
the reaction she had expected.
"Without asking me?" Luke questioned further.
"I don't need your permission for everything I do." Mara
was getting irritated. He was supposed to be happy, not
interrogating her.
"Obviously," Luke retorted. Without another word, he exited
the shower. After a few minutes she felt him leave their
quarters. Mara leaned back against the shower wall, tears
streaming down her face.
Luke wasn't sure where he was heading when he stormed out,
or even why he was leaving. He eventually found himself in hydro-
ponics. He slumped down in a corner, barely glancing at the
carefully tended plants that surrounded him. He had once joked
this room was as close to Yavin IV as he could get, the only place
with hundreds of live plants, not holographic ones.
Luke buried his face in his hands. What was wrong with him?
For years he had dreamed of having a family of his own. And now
that it was a reality, why did he feel so ... frightened? He
hadn't been nervous when he and Mara had married. A baby should
be a welcome addition. He could feel Mara's sorrow and
disappointment over his reaction. The child must have a very
strong Force-presence for them to be able to detect it so early.
Luke tried isolating his fears. Could he and Mara
successfully raise a Force-strong child? Without it turning to
the dark side?
*There are no guarantees in life, Luke,* he heard in his
mind. He felt Mara's warm presence fill him. *We can handle
anything together, my husband.*
Luke felt ashamed. *I'm so sorry, Mara,* he sent back.
Luke quickly got to his feet and hurried back 'home.'
When he arrived, he found Mara sitting on the floor, looking
out at the stars. She had her chin resting on her knees, arms
hugging her legs. Luke sat down next to her, and gingerly turned
her face to look at him. "I was so foolish. Can you ever forgive
me?"
Mara gave him a weak smile and nodded. "I was wrong not to
discuss this with you first. It seems I've been making all the
procreation decisions by myself. It is I who should be asking
your forgiveness."
Luke started to say something, but she laid a finger on his
lips to silence him.
"I started to talk to you about this once, but you fell
asleep before I could get it out. And then, well, I didn't think
it would happen this quickly. I thought I had plenty of time.
You must be pretty potent." She laughed softly.
"Just crazy in love with you," Luke replied, as he hugged
her close. "This will take some getting used to, though."
"We'll manage. Leia and Han do okay with their kids."
"You haven't seen all the scrapes the kids get themselves
into. And I know Leia is concerned about how they will turn out.
Growing up knowing Darth Vader was your grandfather is not an easy
legacy for a child."
"I imagine all parents wonder how their children will turn
out. You worry too much. We'll raise him the best we can."
Luke pondered her words. "So you believe it's a boy?" he
finally said. "I can't tell yet."
"I think it's more a feeling."
Luke leaned down and kissed her stomach. "Welcome to the
world, my son."
Luke and Mara decided to keep their news to themselves for
awhile. Luke, however, did insist they visit the Doctor.
"You need to have a check-up, make sure everything is fine,"
he pointed out.
"I'll talk to him during work this afternoon," Mara
rationalized. "A few more hours won't matter."
"No, I want to go along. It's about time I take an active
part in this baby-making business."
Mara snickered. "I'd say you had a very active part last
night."
He took her arm. "Very funny. Let's go."
They were greeted by the Doctor as they entered sickbay.
"Well, to what do I owe this pleasure? It's too early for
your shift, Mara."
"Mara needs a physical exam." Luke got right to the point.
"She's pregnant."
"I can speak for myself," Mara said indignantly.
Luke merely motioned for her to continue. She glared at
him, but he could tell she wasn't angry. Mara turned to the
Doctor.
"What he said," she stated simply.
"Come lie down on an examination table," the Doctor invited.
"You can't be very far along, you only stopped the hypo-sprays two
weeks ago."
"Last night," Mara murmured.
"Last night?" the Doctor repeated. "How can you possibly
tell already?" The Doctor began running his medical tri-corder
over her.
"We can feel the baby's presence," Luke explained.
"Both of you?" The Doctor clearly found this hard to
believe. "Well, it seems you are correct." He interpreted the
tri-corder's readings. "You are less than 24 hours pregnant.
Of course, it is too early to determine which sex the child will
be." He noted the look that Luke and Mara exchanged. "Don't
tell me you think you know that, too. That's impossible."
The Doctor raised one eyebrow at them.
"We're going to have a son," Mara replied. "We just know,
don't ask how."
The Doctor shook his head. "Your diagnostic skills are
truly amazing." He resumed his medical readings. "At any rate,
your overall physical condition is excellent. You shouldn't
have any problems with this pregnancy. Congratulations."
Mara sat back up. "Thank you." She glanced at Luke.
"We're going to wait awhile before making any announcements," she
added.
"I understand. My lips are sealed, so to speak," the Doctor
assured them. "I'd like to check you every few weeks," he went
on. "We need to make sure you don't develop any vitamin
deficiencies."
"Of course," Mara agreed.
Luke and Mara took their leave, and walked back to their
quarters in silence, hand-in-hand.
A few weeks later, Luke awoke to find a nauseated sensation
coming from Mara. He found her in the 'fresher, retching.
"Mara, honey, are you all right?"
"Do I look all right?" she mumbled, in between heavings.
Her face was pale, and sweat glistened on her forehead. Luke
hurried to get her a damp cloth and glass of water. He wiped her
face gently, and sent feelings of comfort her way as she rinsed
out her mouth.
"Morning sickness! I can't believe it," she grumbled. She
leaned back against him as they sat on the floor of the 'fresher.
"Surely the Doctor can give you something for this," Luke
suggested hopefully.
"Yeah, if I can make it all the way to sickbay without ...
oh ..." Mara quickly leaned over the commode again, as another
round hit her. Luke held her hair back, feeling rather helpless.
When she settled down again, she eyed him critically.
"I don't see you throwing up. What happened to feeling what
I feel?"
"Well, I don't feel too good, but I guess it doesn't go
quite that far. C'mon, let's get you to sickbay."
He helped her dress, and they made their way to see the
Doctor.
"You don't have to hold my arm. I'm not an invalid," Mara
scolded.
"Sorry. You just don't look too steady on your feet yet."
"I'll be fine."
Despite her assurances, Mara had to hurry to a nearby sink
as soon as they entered sickbay. To their relief, the Doctor did
indeed have a remedy for morning sickness. "Ah, the joys of
motherhood," he commented.
"Save it," Mara retorted sourly. She was in no mood to be
joked with.
"Thanks, Doc." Luke smiled weakly as he guided Mara back
out. The hypospray was starting to help already. Mara fervently
hoped they wouldn't pass anyone on the way; she knew she must look
a fright.
"You look fine. Beautiful as always," Luke assured her,
receiving a glare in reply. Fortunately it was early enough they
made it back unnoticed.
One day, about a month later, Neelix mentioned to Luke their
upcoming talent show night.
"Talent show? What's that?"
"Every three months, members of the crew take turns putting
on a show for everyone else. As morale officer, I had to come up
with things to boost the morale of the crew. They were reluctant
at first, but now everyone looks forward to it."
"What kind of show is it?" Luke asked.
"A variety show. Each person performs something that
they're good at. They might sing, or play a musical instrument,
or recite poetry, or do magic tricks. You'd be good at that."
Luke grimaced. He was almost afraid to ask the next
question. "You don't expect Mara and me to ...?"
"Of course. As the newest members of the crew, you have
to."
"We're not really good at getting up in front of an
audience," Luke protested. Mara would kill him.
"Nonsense! We're all friends here. There's no need to be
nervous," Neelix assured him. "Everyone takes a turn. No one
gets out of this."
Luke thought a moment. "Did Seven of Nine do this?"
"Well, no one except her," Neelix admitted. "She adamantly
refused, and I didn't think my having a broken neck would be good
for morale."
"You don't know Mara very well," Luke muttered under his
breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing. When is this show?"
"Day after tomorrow. At twenty-hundred, in the main crew lounge."
"Okay, I guess we'll think of something," Luke reluctantly
agreed.
"It'll be fun. You'll see," Neelix grinned.
"A talent show?!" Mara screeched. "You have got to be
kidding."
"Hon, maybe it won't be so bad. Neelix says everyone has
fun."
"So what are you going to do, farmboy?"
"I don't have the faintest idea. I was hoping you'd come up
with something," Luke ventured.
"Hmm ..." Mara started to get a wicked gleam in her eye.
"Let's see. We could do a dance routine together."
Luke's eyes grew wide. "No way. I'll think of something on
my own." He eyed her appreciatively. "You could dance, though.
You're a great dancer. Pretend you're dancing for Jabba."
"And if they don't like me I get thrown to the rancor?
Thanks a lot."
"They'll love ya'." He slipped an arm around her waist and
pulled her close. "Course not as much as I do."
"Now we just have to decide what you're talented at," she
teased, as Luke nuzzled her neck. "I don't think we can do that
on stage, sweetheart," she said with a laugh.
Two nights later, it was time for the big show. Only a
skeleton crew was left on duty, as everyone else packed into the
crew lounge. Commander Chakotay started off the evening by
playing an Indian flute, followed by Ensign Nelson singing, and
several other various acts.
Luke and Mara sat near the front, next to Tom and B'Elanna.
Mara was wearing a loose-fitting outer garment tied with a sash.
B'Elanna leaned over and whispered, "What are you going to do for
your act?"
"Dance," came the simple reply.
"What about Luke?" B'Elanna continued.
"He wouldn't tell me. Said it was a surprise. Probably
because I teased him about dancing with me."
Luke was wearing his black Jedi tunic and trousers, which he
seldom did anymore.
At last it was the Skywalkers' turn.
"Are you ready?" Neelix asked them. He was acting as master
of ceremonies.
"Ladies first," Luke motioned to Mara.
Mara rose and slipped off her outer robe. She was wearing
an exotic-looking dancing outfit. Luke smiled as several admiring
whistles ensued from the crowd, but Mara didn't seem to mind.
She called up the appropriate music from the ship's
computer, and launched into a captivating dance routine. Everyone
was entranced as she twirled, soared, and gracefully pirouetted
across the stage. As she ended with a delicate bow, the audience
rose in applause.
"Encore!" shouted Harry.
Mara gave him a puzzled look.
"He means 'do another dance'," B'Elanna explained with a smile.
Luke was surprised and delighted when Mara readily complied.
This time she did a jazzier routine, which also brought a round of
cheers.
"Thank you, Mara, for a beautiful performance," Neelix said
in gratitude. "And now we have one last act to go. Luke?"
Luke rose to his feet. "I should have went first. How can
I top that?"
He walked onto the stage and turned to face the audience.
"Since I don't sing, dance, or play any musical instruments,
I felt somewhat limited in what I could do," he began. "Mara and
I have told you many stories about our friends and family back
home, so I thought you might enjoy my impressions of them."
Mara was as intrigued as everyone else, wondering what Luke
was going to do.
Luke dropped his hands to his sides, relaxed, and let the
Force flow through him. His entire body shimmered, and suddenly,
standing in his place, was ... Leia!
"Greetings. I am Leia Organa Solo, New Republic High
Councilor, and sister to Luke Skywalker," Luke proclaimed in a
passable imitation of Leia's voice. Even Mara was impressed.
She'd seen him use Force disguises before, but nothing this
detailed.
"Now I would like you to meet my husband, Han Solo," Luke
continued. Leia's image blurred, and transformed into Han. He
proceeded through Jaina, Jacen, Anakin, Lando, Wedge, Admiral
Ackbar, Ben Kenobi, Yoda, and Talon Karrde.
He finally returned to his own self. "So, are there any
requests?"
"Your droids," Harry shouted.
Luke thought a moment. "For them, I will use a power called
the White Current, instead of the Force." He concentrated, and
next to him appeared R2D2 and C3PO.
"I am See-Threepio, human-cyborg relations. I am fluent in
over six million forms of communication." An indignant whistle
issued from Artoo. Threepio bopped Artoo on top of his dome.
"I'll get to you, you near-sighted scrap-heap." Threepio turned
and addressed the audience. "This is my counterpart, Artoo-Detoo.
He is an astromech droid. His main function is helping to pilot
Master Luke's X-wing."
Another squeal emitted from Artoo.
"Yes, I know you are capable of more functions than just
that. If you would quit interrupting, perhaps I will mention some
of them."
By now the crew was roaring in laughter. "That's exactly
how they act!" Mara exclaimed. Luke continued with the droids a
few more minutes, then let them fade away.
"Anyone else?" he asked.
"I want to see a Hutt," B'Elanna requested.
Luke smiled at the memory of that first parrises squares
match, where he had kidded Mara about being as slow as a Hutt.
Using the Current again, an image of a huge slug-like
creature appeared.
"Ho, ho, ho. So, I see you have found someone new to dance
for, Arica." He fixed his gaze on Mara.
"That's a Hutt?" B'Elanna exclaimed.
"That's the now-deceased Jabba the Hutt," Mara explained.
"How about doing that evil emperor?" Neelix called out.
Luke glanced at Mara, and she nodded.
Jabba disappeared, and this time Luke went back to using the
Force, changing himself into an image of Palpatine. Even though
she knew it was Luke, Mara still felt a stab of fear course
through her. Luke, naturally, felt her anxiety as clearly as she
did.
"Now, now, my dear," he cackled as he slowly approached her.
"I forgive you for not carrying out my last command. Some things
work out for the best, don't you agree?"
Mara just stared at Luke, finding it hard to believe he
could mimic the Emperor so perfectly, though Palpatine never
forgave anybody for anything.
"Do someone else now," Mara managed to say.
"I would like to see Darth Vader," Seven spoke up.
Mara wondered if Luke would agree, but apparently Seven
caught him in an agreeable mood.
He shimmered once more, and there stood Darth Vader,
breathing mask and all. He approached Seven of Nine.
"Ah, Seven of Nine, it is fortunate that your Borg never
encountered a Dark Lord of the Sith. You would have found us
quite formidable opponents," he hissed.
"That was Luke's father, who saved him from the Emperor?"
Janeway whispered to Mara.
"No, Captain," Luke interrupted, swirling around to face
her. His image then changed to a gentle-looking man, dressed in
Jedi robes.
"It was I, Anakin Skywalker." He turned to Mara. "Ah, my
new daughter-in-law. My son is indeed a lucky man."
Mara had never seen Vader's true self. She had always
wondered how Luke turned out so different from Vader, now she
understood.
Luke then transformed back to himself.
"I hope you don't have any more requests tonight. I'm about
changed out."
The crew erupted into thunderous applause.
"Bravo!" Neelix led the standing ovation.
"Amazing." Janeway shook his hand. "How do you do that?"
"It is all an illusion," Luke said with a shrug. "I merely project
an image that I want you to perceive."
"Well, it was very impressive," she replied.
"Thank you," he accepted her compliment modestly. Mara came
up to stand beside him. "Just promise me we won't have to get up
there again at the next show," he said.
"Yes, I don't think I'll be in any shape to do that dance
three months from now," Mara went on.
*I think it's time we tell them,* Luke heard in his head.
He merely nodded an affirmation.
"What do you mean?" The captain was confused, as were the
others around them.
Mara slipped her arm around Luke's waist and grinned.
"We're going to have a baby," she announced happily.
Suddenly everyone was hugging Mara and clapping Luke on the
back.
"Congratulations!" "When is it due?" "Boy or girl?" "How
long have you known?"
Mara and Luke answered their questions as best they could,
except for Neelix's last question -- "You'll stay on Voyager until
the baby comes, won't you?"
"We don't know what fate holds in store for us, Neelix,"
Luke answered. "I had a vision of Mara holding a baby, but I
couldn't tell where she was at the time."
"We wish you the best, wherever you are," Captain Janeway
put in.
Six months later, the Skywalkers were indeed still on
Voyager. Each time the ship entered a new system, Luke poured
over star charts, but in vain. They were no closer to finding a
way home than when they first arrived.
Luke and Mara had long ago learned English, and now only
spoke Basic when they were alone. They both continued with the
same jobs on the duty roster. Mara even practiced some Force-
healing techniques in sickbay. In fact, she completed her Jedi
training under Luke's personal tutelage.
They occasionally took the Jade's Fire out for a spin,
sometimes taking their friends from Voyager along. Mara
eventually even let Tom pilot her beloved ship a couple times,
much to his delight, though she did not let him try to land in the
docking bay.
Shore leave on the next few planets they stopped at went
without a hitch. Mara and Luke both usually got to accompany the
away teams.
Yes, things were going well for the Skywalkers. So,
naturally, Luke had to find something to fret about. One night,
they had been in bed about an hour, when Mara awoke, sensing
Luke's uneasy mood. He was sitting up in bed, chin resting on his
knees, staring out into the darkness.
"Honey, what's wrong?" she said sleepily.
"Sorry I woke you," he apologized. "I've been thinking about
Leia. I miss her, Mara. Growing up, I always felt there was an
empty spot inside me, a spot she filled as soon as I met her.
I've relied on her being there for me for half my life now." Luke
sighed. "I've been gone over ten months. This has got to be killing her."
"She's strong, Luke. She'll make it. And she has Han to
help her."
"Hmm ..." Luke murmured, lost again in his own thoughts.
After a few minutes of silence, Mara spoke up again. "Now,
tell me what else is bothering you. It isn't just Leia, is it?"
"No, I suppose not. Oh, I guess I'm feeling kinda useless
here. Who knows what's going on back home, and here I am, acting
like I'm on vacation. It's like I'm hiding out, avoiding my
responsibilities in our own galaxy."
"I'd comfort you on all these worries, but I don't think I
can sit up by myself," Mara mumbled. Her increasing girth was
making everything she did more difficult.
Luke chuckled softly, and lay back down beside her. She
reached over and stroked his face. "Luke, you know you're not
responsible for everything that happens, back home or here. Jedi
Knights, even Jedi Masters, cannot spend every day of their lives
trying to make things perfect for everyone else."
She could hear Luke exhale wearily, his breath warm on her
cheek. She continued, "What were Ben Kenobi and Yoda doing for
the twenty years before you met them? Do you think they were just
hiding out, trying to avoid their responsibilities?"
"No," Luke responded. "Of course not. But I wish I had
gotten the chance to ask them about things like this. I still
feel like I'm having to make up the rules as I go along. And now
I'm not even there anymore to give the other Jedi any direction."
"Luke, your students are more than capable. It'll be good
for them to be on their own, without you holding their hands.
They run the academy themselves now, anyway."
"I know, I know," Luke conceded.
"And you are doing important work here," Mara continued.
"You're creating the next generation of Jedi Knights. Admittedly,
Leia beat you to it, but our children will have important roles in
the future, and they'll need your guidance."
"They? So you want more children?"
"Let's see how it goes with this one. By the way, don't you
think it's about time we give 'this one' a name?" Mara broached
the subject that had been on her mind lately.
"Yes, it is. Did you have any ideas?"
"I figured you might want to name him after someone, like
Ben, or Han," Mara went on.
"Hmm, it crossed my mind." Luke shifted so she could lay
her head on his shoulder. "But our son will be his own unique
person, and I think he should have his own unique name."
"So did you have a name in mind?"
"I did read a name in a story once that I liked." Luke
kissed the top of her head. "What do you think of the name Dane?"
"Dane Skywalker. I like it. It has a nice ring to it.
Sounds very noble."
Luke stroked her hair. "Didn't you have any names to
suggest?"
"Not really. Tell you what, you name all our sons, and I'll
name all our daughters."
"This is sounding serious." Luke laughed. "Okay, deal."
Luke reached down and rubbed Mara's swollen abdomen. "I can
hardly wait to hold you, Dane."
"You and me both," Mara joined in. They were both silent
for awhile.
"You know, Luke, this is my favorite time of the day. I
love being alone with you, talking, sharing. I can't imagine my
life without you."
Luke cupped her cheek and kissed her tenderly. "That's
good, cause you're not getting rid of me. I love you so much,
Mara."
"And I love you, Luke," she replied. As their kisses became
more passionate, Mara began caressing him and sliding his shorts
off.
"Are you sure it's all right to still do this?" he
whispered, wanting to make love to her, but concerned for her and
the baby.
"The Doctor said it's all right for as long as we want, as
long as I'm comfortable," she assured him.
His only reply was to carefully undress her, then pull her
atop him. Their lovemaking was slow and gentle, and afterward
they fell asleep in each other's arms.
They both awoke about the same time, and Luke gave Mara a
good-morning hug.
"Care to take a shower with me?" he asked hopefully.
"No, I don't think so," Mara turned him down.
"Why not? You used to like to."
"But now I'm fat and ugly. I don't want you looking at me."
Luke pulled her out of their bed. "You're pregnant and
you're beautiful. And I love looking at you, all of you."
Despite her protests, he ushered her into the shower. "How
are you going to twist around to wash everywhere, anyhow?" he went
on. "You need me."
Mara relented, and let his soothing hands wash all her
concerns away. *Do I really deserve to be this happy?* she
thought to herself.
*Of course you do,* came the reply.
They dressed casually, then settled themselves down for
their morning meditation. Luke had been delighted several months
ago when Mara unexpectantly decided she would like to join him in
his meditations. She wasn't sure if it was the pregnancy, her
Jedi training, or if he was just rubbing off on her, but she found
herself enjoying their shared contemplations.
Mara lowered herself to the floor, cross-legged, and Luke
slipped down right behind her, wrapping his arms around her. They
closed their eyes, and immersed themselves in their silent
thoughts.
Only about a half hour had passed when the door announcer
chimed. Luke brought himself out of his trance, and reaching out,
felt Tom's and B'Elanna's presence. He opened the door from
where he sat.
*Come in* the two guests heard in their minds.
"That's eerie when you do that," Tom complained good-
naturedly as they entered. Luke started to get up, but Tom
stopped him. "Stay sitting, you look pretty comfortable." He and
B'Elanna sat down on the floor across from them.
"What are you doing on the floor, anyway?" B'Elanna asked.
"Meditating," Mara answered easily.
"I thought you said that was boring," B'Elanna countered.
"I've changed my mind about a lot of things since we've been
on Voyager," Mara admitted. "And this guy can be pretty
convincing," she added, squeezing Luke's arm.
"Maybe we should go then," Tom put in. "We didn't mean to
disturb you."
"No, please stay. We haven't visited lately," Luke said.
"Would you like some guava juice?"
"We don't want to be a bother," B'Elanna said.
"No trouble at all," Luke explained.
They all sat and watched as Luke used the Force to remove
the juice pitcher from the cooling unit, get out four glasses,
fill them, put the pitcher back, and levitate all four glasses
over to them.
"I don't suppose you could teach a non-Force-sensitive guy
to do that," Tom kidded.
"No, but he could teach you to meditate," Mara grinned.
"Uh, some other time," Tom replied, laughing.
B'Elanna noticed Mara rubbing her stomach. "So you got any
names picked out? You only have about a month and a half to go."
"As a matter of fact, we decided on one last night," Mara
answered. "We're going to call him Dane."
"Dane," B'Elanna repeated. "I like that."
"Thanks. Luke thought of it," Mara went on.
"Yeah, she's going to let me name all our boys," Luke said,
laughing. "But she does the girls."
"Whoa! Is this the beginning of a Skywalker dynasty?" Tom
joked.
"How else are we going to populate this galaxy with Jedi!"
Mara exclaimed.
After the laughter died down, Tom commented, "You know,
we're coming up on a planet called Hidalia. It's supposed to be a
very peaceful place. You should see if the captain will let you
go, Luke."
"Wait a minute, I want to go too," Mara interrupted.
"Hon, I don't know if you should," Luke tried to dissuade
her.
"I'm just pregnant, not an invalid," Mara protested. "I
need some fresh air. I could go stir crazy on this ship." She
suddenly looked at Tom and B'Elanna. "No offense."
"It's okay. We know how you feel," B'Elanna reassured her.
"Well, we'll ask the captain about it," Luke relented.
"Now, how about we all go get some breakfast?"
"What, you're not going to float it down to us from the mess
hall?" Tom wisecracked.
They all laughed as they got up, though Mara needed a little
help from her spouse. *Not an invalid, huh?* she heard. No
wonder she 'accidentally' elbowed him as she rose.
Voyager reached Hidalia in two days. To Luke's surprise, the
captain did allow Mara to accompany the first away team, along with
him. Captain Janeway even went herself, leaving Chakotay in charge
of the ship.
They were briefed that the Hidalians were a gentle, peaceful
race, though extremely superstitious. They worshipped a variety of
mythological-type gods.
Before departing for the planet, Captain Janeway pulled Luke
to the side.
"Well?" she asked him. Luke didn't need to guess what she was
talking about. It had become standard procedure for Luke to 'feel out'
the inhabitants of every planet they visited and ship they encountered.
Luke had misgivings about doing this, despite Captain Janeway's noting
that a Captain Picard of the Enterprise used a Betazoid in the same
role.
It was Mara that finally convinced him. "You know you'll be
sensing if there's danger anyway, so what's wrong with sharing this
with the captain?" she argued. "If you did sense something was wrong,
you'd tell her, wouldn't you?"
"Of course."
"Well, then. And aren't you the one who always says we should
do everything we can for this crew, since they're giving us a place
to live?"
Luke winked at her gratefully. "What would I do without you?"
The crew beamed down in front of the main administration
building, having received permission from the government ahead of
time. Mara and Neelix began observing all the unusual sights of the
strange new city, while Janeway, Tom, and Luke entered the front
vestibule. The chief magistrate strode forward to receive them.
"Greetings, I am Chancellor Elodu." The portly official bowed
to them. "Welcome to Hidal, capital city of Hidalia."
Captain Janeway thanked him, introduced herself and her companions,
and then they rejoined the others. Hidal was a beautiful city, with
colorful flowers and tree-lined streets. The crew strolled through an
open-air market, filled with both useful and extravagant wares. Captain
Janeway and Mara were drawn to a vendor displaying unique-looking quilts.
The elderly saleswoman proudly showed them a variety of quilts, all
handmade by her.
"Oh, my dear, I have just the thing for you," croaked the old
woman, noticing Mara's condition. She reached into a trunk behind
her and pulled out a very small, beautifully decorated quilt.
Mara was momentarily puzzled. "It's so little. What do you
do with a covering that little?"
The captain laughed. "Mara, it's a baby quilt. Babies are
little."
Mara's face reddened in embarrassment. "I guess I've got a
lot to learn."
The old woman tried to push for a sale.
"Wouldn't you like to have this beautiful little quilt for
your baby? It is only twenty denars."
"It's lovely, but I have no money, and besides, my
husband ..." Mara gazed down the street and saw Luke, Tom, and
Neelix inspecting some produce. "Well, anyway, I have no money,"
she repeated, handing the quilt back reluctantly.
"How do you do business on these planets?" she asked the
captain as they walked away.
"Usually we try to barter. For instance, Neelix is
attempting to trade teranium for fruits and vegetables."
"Well, I have nothing to barter with, and I doubt a baby
quilt would be considered essential to Voyager, anyway," Mara
reconciled. They continued on down the street toward the others.
Neelix had a wide grin on his face.
"Captain, they've accepted our terms. Ensign Smith is
bringing down our excess teranium, and then will take the produce
up to the ship. Tomorrow, for dessert, we'll have fresh monari
fruit."
"Excellent, Neelix. I'm shall look forward to it."
The group continued through the city. Some time later, they
stopped to watch a band of street artists. As they stood there,
Luke suddenly started looking around, a worried expression on his
face.
"Something's happened. Someone's hurt," he said softly to
the others.
Just then, a man ran through the crowd shouting. "There's
been an accident! We need help! This way!" he indicated, running
back down a side street.
Mara turned toward Luke, but he was already close on the
man's heels. The rest of Voyager's crew followed, along with a
crowd from the marketplace.
As Luke reached the scene, the man related what had
happened. "There's an abandoned well here. It was covered over,
but the boards must have rotted. The walls are crumbling in.
Some children were playing here, and a little girl fell in."
Luke could sense the child at the bottom of the well.
"We can't get her to answer. We fear she may be dead," a
nearby woman cried.
"No, she's alive, but in pain," Luke said, as he neared the
top of the well.
Someone was calling for a rope. "We are afraid the sides
will cave in at any moment," another man said frantically.
"Please, stay back," Luke said quietly. "I will bring her
out."
Something in Luke's eyes led the others to believe him.
Luke walked to the edge of the well, called upon the Force, and
stepped off into the shaft. He floated down in mid-air, careful
not to touch the precarious sides.
By now, the crew had reached the scene. "We should help
him," Tom said as he started forward, but Mara stopped him.
"No, it is better to stay back. He doesn't need help," she
assured him.
Luke reached the little girl. She was sobbing softly. Her
leg appeared to be broken and she had many bruises.
"Don't be afraid," Luke said gently. "I'm going to bring
you out of here."
He lifted the small child in his arms, and levitated both of
them to the surface. The crowd gasped as Luke floated up out of
the hole. He laid the girl on a patch of grass some distance from
the well.
"Who is that?" one of the bystanders whispered to another.
"He came from the ship in the sky," another answered.
Mara pushed forward and knelt next to him. Luke had his
hands on the girl's leg, beginning to heal it. "Help me draw away
her pain," he said to Mara.
Mara grasped the girl's hand, sending waves of comfort to
replace her suffering. The child stopped crying and looked up at
them in wonder.
"He is a sorcerer," someone in the crowd said.
A distraught-looking man hurried through the crowd.
"Manita," he cried, as he rushed toward the little girl.
"She will be fine now," Luke soothed, as the man hugged the
child.
"You have saved my daughter," the man said gratefully.
The crowd began to close in on Luke and Mara. "I have a bad
feeling about this," he murmured.
"You are the Cumo," a woman in the crowd shouted.
"You are the one promised to us," a man called.
"You must come with us, holy one," another voice implored.
Luke grabbed Mara's hand and pushed their way through to the
rest of Voyager's crew. People jostled them, both trying to get
close enough to touch them and to keep them from leaving.
When they reached the others, Luke turned to Mara.
"Sweetheart, I want you to go back to the ship. It may not be
safe here."
"I'm not leaving you," Mara said obstinately. "I can take
care of myself."
Luke's eyes narrowed as he held on to her upper arms.
"Mara, do not argue with me," he commanded sternly. "You have the
baby to think about now. What if someone starts shooting? Even a
stun blast could hurt our son. I want you on the ship."
Mara glared furiously at him. Luke did have a stubborn
streak, and he would worry endlessly about her if she stayed.
Instead, she tried a different tactic. "Why can't you come back
with me?"
"I want to make sure that well is filled in first," he
explained, hoping she was coming around to his point of view.
"Neelix, perhaps you and Mara could both go back now.
You're finished with your trading," Janeway interjected.
"Of course, Captain," Neelix agreed.
Mara looked at Luke, finally giving in. "All right, but you
be careful."
"Hey, it's me." He grinned in his best Han imitation.
"That's what I'm afraid of."
He kissed her lightly and stepped back.
"Voyager, this is Neelix," Neelix spoke into his comm badge.
"Mara and I are ready to beam up."
"Acknowledged," came the reply, and Mara and Neelix
disappeared.
Luke looked at the captain and Tom, shaking his head. "I
would like to make sure about that well, Captain. If it all right
with you ...?"
"Yes, go ahead. Tom and I have a bit more trading to do,
and we need to determine if it's safe for any more of the crew to
come down," the captain went on. "We'll meet you in front of the
administration building in one hour."
"Very well, Captain." Luke nodded, then headed back into
the crowd. He managed to make his way back to the site of the
accident, despite the fawning Hidalians. Luke confirmed that the
well was still empty, then using the Force, caused the walls to
collapse in on themselves. The villagers watched him work in awe.
When he finished, he noticed Chancellor Elodu was among the
spectators.
"It is true!" the chancellor exclaimed to him. "You are the
Cumo."
"I don't know what you're talking about," Luke answered.
"I'm Luke Skywalker, from Voyager. You met me earlier this
morning. Who is this Cumo?"
"Long ago our prophets foretold of a great wizard who would
come to help our people. They said he would come down from the
sky, and perform miraculous feats. This wizard is called the
Cumo. But of course you know that, for you are he. And you must
stay here and protect our people."
"I'm sorry to disappoint you," Luke apologized, "but I'm not
the wizard you're waiting for. Our ship just happened to stop at
this planet. I'm not staying here."
"But you have magic powers," the chancellor insisted. "You
floated in the air, and healed the child. We have never seen
anyone do such feats. You must be the one promised us."
"I do have certain powers," Luke admitted. "But that
doesn't mean I'm this Cumo you're expecting."
More people in the crowd had closed in on them by then.
"You must stay here," a man spoke up.
"We cannot allow you to leave," another said.
"Look," Luke protested, "I don't want to hurt anyone, but I
am not staying here. I have to go back to my ship."
"You must not leave," a voice called again.
"You cannot abandon us," another shouted.
The crowd was blocking his path. He couldn't ignite his
lightsaber without hurting someone, and there were too many in the
crowd to use mind control.
"Please just let me go," he repeated. "You're making a
mistake."
Luke started to reach for his comm badge, thinking it was
time to request a beam out, when his danger sense caused him to
whirl around. He was hit square in the chest with a stun blast.
His crumpled form was carried off by the crowd.
Meanwhile, on Voyager, Mara was in sickbay with the Doctor.
She was telling him about the child in the well.
"They are still arguing with him now," she related. "I can
feel him getting frustrated and ... oh no!" Mara suddenly
clutched the edge of a table.
"What's wrong?" the Doctor asked, concerned.
"I can't feel his mind," she cried. "He must be
unconscious. We have to do something."
"WE are not doing anything. I'll have Commander Chakotay
contact the captain. She and Mr. Paris can investigate."
"I'm going to the bridge," Mara called, as she hurried out
the door. By the time she reached the bridge, Chakotay was
communicating with Captain Janeway.
"Captain, is Luke with you?" Chakotay asked her.
"No, he went back to where the accident happened."
"Mara senses that he may have been knocked unconscious. Do
you want me to send a team down?"
"No, let Tom and me investigate first. We don't want to
start an incident if we can help it. Can she tell if Luke's been
injured?"
Mara answered her this time. "I don't believe he has,
Captain. He's alive, but just stunned. And stun blast effects
usually don't last very long with him."
"We'll find him, don't worry, Mara. Let us know if he wakes
up and you can communicate with him. Janeway out," the captain
ended the transmission.
"You see, Mara," Neelix spoke up, "it was a good thing you
came back when you did. A stun blast could've hurt your baby."
"I know, I know," she conceded.
When Luke awoke a short time later, he found himself in a
small windowless cell. Standing outside the door were two guards.
*They have a strange way of treating the great Cumo,* Luke
thought to himself.
*Luke, you're awake!* Luke heard in his mind.
*Keeping tabs on me?* he sent back.
*Somebody has to. The captain and Tom are looking for you.
Can you tell where you're at?* Mara asked.
*In some kind of cell. But I shouldn't have any trouble
getting out,* Luke assured her. *They didn't even take my
lightsaber, though my comm badge is missing. Find out where the
captain is and let me know.*
As Mara was doing as Luke asked, he walked up to the cell
door. The guards, suddenly overcome by extreme drowsiness, laid
down their weapons and fell into a deep slumber. Luke easily
unlocked the door and stole out into the corridor.
*Luke,* Mara's voice called to him. *The captain and Tom
are in the administration building, getting ready to see
Chancellor Elodu.*
*All right, I'll find them. Maybe they'll get some
answers.*
*Take care.*
*I will, don't worry.*
It didn't take Luke long to discover he was in the basement
of the administration building. He cloaked himself with the
Force, and made his way to the chancellor's office. As he
entered, the captain was addressing the administrator.
"Chancellor, I demand the return of my crew member. We came
here in good faith. You cannot just kidnap Mr. Skywalker."
"Captain, you don't understand. He is the Cumo. The
prophets foretold his coming. Do you deny his great powers?"
"No, but he is a Jedi. He and his wife are from another
galaxy," the Captain tried to explain. "You must release him
now."
"Not necessary, Captain," came a voice from the rear of the
room. Everyone turned in astonishment, as Luke appeared out of
the shadows. "As you can see, I am free."
An aide standing by Chancellor Elodu pulled out his weapon,
but it was instantly yanked from his grasp. Luke didn't intend to
be stunned again.
A puzzled look had come over Chancellor Elodu's face. "You
said 'he and his wife'? The red-haired woman is his wife?" He
looked toward the captain.
"Yes, she is my wife," Luke confirmed, wondering where this
was leading.
"But ... but she is with child!" the chancellor exclaimed.
"That is not possible!"
Luke, Tom, and Captain Janeway exchanged confused glances.
"What do you mean?" Luke questioned.
"The Cumo cannot father children. It is impossible. He is
a god." The chancellor was visibly shaken.
"But I am human," Luke said, as he moved closer, "not a
god." Luke ignited his lightsaber and grazed the palm of his left
hand with the tip. "See, I bleed just like anyone else. I eat,
sleep, and can most definitely father a child."
"May the prophets forgive us," the chancellor wailed as he
slumped to the floor. "We have made a terrible mistake."
Luke knelt beside the distraught man. "Please, Chancellor,
it was an honest mistake." He gently helped the chancellor to his
feet.
"But your powers, how can this be?"
"Simple magic tricks," Luke replied. "I did not mean to
give anyone the wrong impression."
"How can you ever forgive us?"
"There is nothing to forgive. We only wish to return to our
ship in peace," Luke assured him. He turned to the captain and
Tom. "Perhaps this would be a good time for an exit."
They walked back out to the street. The chancellor's aides
had already begun spreading the word that the mysterious stranger
was not the great Cumo.
Tom handed Luke his comm badge. "We did manage to get that
back."
As they prepared to beam back to the ship, an old woman
rushed forward. Captain Janeway remembered seeing her earlier.
The woman thrust a wrapped bundle into Luke's hands.
"You saved my granddaughter this morning. I will never be
able to repay you, but I wanted you and your wife to have this."
Luke looked at the package. "What is-?" but the old
woman had disappeared back into the crowd.
"Voyager, three to beam up," the captain ordered.
As they materialized in the transporter room, Mara rushed
forward and hugged Luke.
"I'm so glad you're back," she cried. "Who would have
thought your reproductive ability would get you out of a scrape like
this?" she continued, laughing. "And don't you usually cringe
when Han calls the Force 'a bunch of magic tricks'?"
Tom and Captain Janeway looked at the two Skywalkers.
"Isn't that rather unnerving, always knowing what happens to
the other one of you?" Tom asked skeptically.
"No, we find it rather comforting," Luke replied, with Mara
nodding in agreement.
"How else can I keep track of him?" Mara kidded. "You don't
realize how easily this guy can get himself into trouble."
"Well, all I can say is, I'm glad B'Elanna can't read all my
thoughts," Tom rejoined.
"What's that you've got?" Mara asked Luke, noticing the
package he was holding.
"I don't know. A woman from the village gave it to me just
before we left."
"So open it up."
Luke carefully unwrapped the parcel. He had a puzzled look
on his face as he held out the colorful cloth.
"It's the baby quilt!" Mara exclaimed.
"Apparently the shopkeeper that had this quilt was the
grandmother of the girl Luke rescued," the captain explained.
Mara held out the quilt admiringly. "A present for our
baby. How wonderful!"
Part IV
1 1/2 Months Later
Mara stood looking at her profile in the full-length mirror.
Her tunic was stretched to its limit. So engrossed was she that
she didn't notice Luke standing in the doorway holding her holovid
recorder. She had felt his presence, of course, but didn't look
up at him until he spoke.
"You are a beautiful mommy-to-be," he murmured.
"You're just saying ...," Mara finally glanced up. "What
are you doing?! Give me that!" she screeched, as he held the
recorder out of her reach. She tried tugging on it with the
Force, but he clutched it firmly.
"No, I want to document everything," Luke protested. "You
didn't mind when Harry recorded our wedding, or that most-
forgettable talent show."
"That was different. I didn't look like a Gamorrean sow
then."
"You look great. And pretty soon you'll be all thin again,
and then we'll have a beautiful baby to take pictures of."
Mara sighed and rubbed her swollen abdomen.
"I can't wait. I hope he comes soon." Mara looked at her
smiling husband. "Okay, you can film a few shots," she relented,
"but only if you're in them, too."
"Sure," Luke agreed readily, before she changed her mind.
He held the recorder in mid-air via the Force, then stood behind
Mara and triggered the RECORD button. They playfully waved to the
recorder, laughed, and kissed. Luke even tried to encircle her
waist with his arms, pretending he couldn't reach that far.
Mara finally switched off the recorder. "All right, that's
enough. You owe me for this, buddy."
"Fair enough. Name your price."
Mara gazed at him coolly. "You change all the dirty diapers
for the first month after he's born."
Luke's eyes widened. "A month! Wait a minute. Can't we
negotiate?"
"Nope. Too late. Can I help it there are no nanny droids
here?" Mara crossed her arms. "And don't think after the first
month you're off the hook. Then it becomes a fifty-fifty job.
Understand?"
Luke grimaced. "Yes, dear."
"Good, because I only pretended to turn off the recorder. I
have this all on record."
Luke only shook his head and pulled down the recorder,
making sure it was now off.
"And you are NOT bringing that recorder in sickbay when I'm
giving birth," Mara emphasized.
"Are you kidding? I'd be changing every diaper of every
baby we ever have."
"Every baby? Aren't you getting ahead of yourself? We
don't even have this one yet."
"But we will soon." Luke kissed her hand, then reached out
and rubbed her stomach lovingly. "Very soon." He pulled her
close, and kissed her passionately. "I love you, Mara," he
whispered.
"And I love you, Luke," she responded, clinging to him
tightly.
Later that night:
Luke awoke with a start. He could feel Mara's pain, but she
was no longer in bed next to him. He found her in the refresher,
leaning heavily against the wall.
"You had a contraction?" he exclaimed, holding on to her.
Mara nodded. "And my water broke."
Luke then noticed the wet spot on the floor. He called up
some Jedi calm for both of them.
"Okay, well, the Doctor said it would be nine or ten minutes
between the first few contractions. We should have plenty of time
to get you to sickbay," he rationalized.
"I'm in my nightgown, and it's all wet!" Mara wailed. "You
have to help me get dry clothes on."
"Sure, sure." He pulled over a small chair for her, then
dutifully helped her clean up and put on different clothes. He
was just pulling on some pants and a tunic for himself when the
next contraction hit.
"Use the Jedi techniques we practiced, hon," he counseled.
"I'll pull as much of the pain away as I can, but you'll have to
try to relax."
"Easy for you to say," she huffed. "Let's get to sickbay."
Luke helped her to her feet, and they made their way out
into the corridor. "I could have them just beam you into
sickbay," Luke commented, as they entered the turbolift.
"Don't be silly. I can walk that far," Mara growled,
clinging to his arm. "Maybe we can get this over with before
anyone gets up," she said hopefully. "The last thing I want is an
audience in sickbay."
Luke withheld comment, remembering that the Doctor had told
them labor could take hours. Mara had insisted she wanted to give
birth the old-fashioned way. She found the notion of beaming the
baby out abhorrent, unless it was an absolute last resort. She
was confident that between the two of them, they could keep the
pain tolerable and the baby free from distress.
They finally reached sickbay, thankfully before the next
contraction.
"Well, well, what have we here?" the Doctor greeted them.
"What does it look like?" Mara wasn't in the mood for
jokes. Luke helped her onto a special birthing bed the Doctor had
set up weeks ago.
The Doctor noticed, when the next contraction came, that
Luke seemed to feel the pain the same as Mara, though both of them
were relatively calm. Luke explained to him how he was helping
Mara using Jedi skills.
"Hmm," the Doctor replied. "Pregnant women all over the
galaxy will be envious."
Several hours passed, and even with Luke's assistance, Mara
was tiring. A loud groan escaped her as a particularly hard
contraction hit her. As she gripped Luke's hand in a vise-like
hold, he began making mental notes: 'If we ever go through this
again, don't let her hold my hand, at least not my left one.
Fingers could be broken, namely mine.'
Finally the Doctor announced, "You are now at ten
centimeters, and may begin pushing."
Mara gave him one of her trade-mark glares, and pushed hard.
Luke gave her additional endurance, and both of them sent feelings
of comfort to their infant son.
By now, of course, most of the ship was aware of the
impending arrival. Captain Janeway and B'Elanna entered sickbay,
while the new parents' male friends wisely remained waiting in the
corridor.
"How are we doing?" ventured the captain.
"Just dandy," Mara growled through gritted teeth, as she
gave another push. B'Elanna hung back, wondering if she would
ever be in this same position someday.
"Actually, Captain," the Doctor put in, as he checked the
baby's progress, "they're doing remarkably well. If they could
bottle these Jedi pain reduction techniques, they'd make a
fortune. Ah, I can see the head. Looks like a blond."
This news gave Mara added incentive, and she pushed again.
"I don't suppose," she said, grimacing, "that you could just pull
him out with the Force." She shot a momentary glance at Luke.
Luke started to hesitate, and then thought, well, why not?
He concentrated on his son's small body, and very gently, glided
him out to meet the world.
"Very impressive," the Doctor complimented him. "You may
have a new career as an obstetrician." The Doctor clamped and cut
the cord, then laid the baby in a nearby bassinet, where the
captain began tending to him. "Perhaps you would like to help
Mara expel the afterbirth also."
Luke did so easily, then proudly took his son in his arms
for the first time.
"Let me hold him," Mara entreated, straining to get a better
look at the baby. Luke carefully laid the blanket-wrapped bundle
in the crook of her arm. This was the sweetest sight Mara had
ever seen. He was indeed blond, and he barely let out a whimper.
"Hello, Dane," Mara whispered, as she stroked his soft
cheek. Dane kept his eyes tightly shut. "I'll bet you have blue
eyes, too," she cooed, "just like your father."
"I think he looks more like you, though, Mara," B'Elanna
spoke up.
"Really? I can't tell yet," Mara replied.
Captain Janeway took a turn holding the baby, but B'Elanna
declined.
"I believe there's a reception committee waiting outside, if
you want to give them a quick peek, Luke," the captain put forth.
"And after that, this baby is ready for breakfast," the
Doctor spoke up, "and then mother and son will need a nap."
"All right, I'll be right back," Luke said as he carried
Dane out to the waiting crowd, followed by B'Elanna and Captain
Janeway. He returned a few minutes later, as Mara was making
herself comfortable.
"They're pretty divided on who he looks like," Luke said.
Mara took Dane in her arms and prepared to breastfeed him.
The Doctor had given her suggestions ahead of time, and she
remembered watching some of the concubines at the Imperial Palace
doing it.
It didn't take her son long to start nursing greedily.
"Right now," Mara observed, "I'd say he looks a lot like you."
Luke frowned. He was glad the Doctor had gone into his
office to give them some privacy.
"I hope you keep that opinion to yourself," he said dryly.
Mara laughed, and stroked Dane gently. "Can you believe
this, farmboy? You and I, with our own baby?"
Luke pulled a chair up next to her bed, and propped his
elbow next to her, resting his head on his hand. He reached out
with his other hand and let Dane curl his tiny hand around his
finger.
"A year ago, I would never have believed this was possible.
But ever since our first night together, I couldn't imagine my
life without you. And having a child together, just seems
natural. I've never been so happy, Mara."
She reached over and ran her fingers through his hair.
"Neither have I, Luke, neither have I."
Luke sighed. "I only wish we could share our joy with Leia
and Han and our friends back home. The kids have always wanted a
cousin."
"We'll get back someday, Luke, I know we will," Mara said
encouragingly. "I can't miss the look on Karrde's face when he
finds out."
Luke didn't answer, lost in his own thoughts. It had been
just over a year. What could possibly change that would provide them
a way home?
Mara finished feeding Dane, and Luke gently laid him in the
bassinet, after dutifully changing his diaper. Mother and son
then settled in for a much-needed nap. Luke was tired himself,
but didn't think he could sleep. Instead, he wandered up to the
mess hall, where he was promptly inundated by another round of
congratulations.
"So," Neelix began, when they were finally alone in the
galley, "does it feel any different, being a father now?"
Luke thought a moment. "Yes, actually, it does. Before,
Mara and I were just a couple, and she has always been able to
fend for herself. She's probably better at hand-to-hand combat
than I am. Now, all of a sudden, we're a complete family, that I
feel responsible for. And I'm not doing too well at that, seeing
as how I can't even find us a way home."
Neelix observed the dejected look on Luke's face. "You want
to leave Voyager? You've both made so many friends here."
"I know, and we'd miss you a lot," Luke tried to explain,
"but I also miss my family and friends at home. Mara didn't have
as many close friends as I did, but she had some, plus a
profitable business she had built up. And I had my students at
the academy. They probably all think we're dead."
"Just remember, Luke, my friend, that you have a beautiful
wife who loves you, a handsome new son, and a shipful of comrades
who are grateful you have joined us. Things could be worse,"
Neelix chided him.
"You're right," Luke admitted. "Mara always tells me I'm
too morose. I should be celebrating." Luke smiled finally. "I
think I'll take Mara some lunch. She should be awake soon."
"Good idea. And send her my best wishes."
That evening, the Doctor allowed Mara and Dane to go home to
their quarters. Mara was glad to get out of sickbay. Working
there was one thing, being a patient was quite another. The
prospect of her and Luke caring for a newborn was a bit
frightening for the former Emperor's Hand, though. She was much
more at ease with a blaster in her hand than a wriggling baby in a
tabletop bathtub.
Mara was now on an official leave of absence from the duty
roster, and Luke only stayed in the mess hall during the busy meal
times. Mara did allow Luke to holorecord non-embarrassing scenes
of her and the baby, and she didn't pass up the chance of
recording him changing Dane's diaper.
"Taking care of one little baby is more exhausting than
anything I've ever done," Mara complained one evening, as she
plopped on the couch after putting Dane to bed.
"We've had plenty of offers from the rest of the crew to
help," Luke reminded her. "We could take them up on that."
"I suppose. I'll still have to feed him, and you're not
done with your month of diaper duty," Mara took pleasure in seeing
him grimace, "but others could watch him for awhile in between.
Maybe we could go to the gym, or the holodeck."
"Sure, I don't see why not," Luke agreed. "We are lucky to
have so many good friends here. They've all been so helpful to
us, I wish there was something we could do for them."
"Hmm. I feel sorry for them, that it's going to take them
so long to get home."
"I know, I feel selfish only thinking about how to get us
home. They're in just as bad a predicament as we are," Luke
continued. Suddenly he edged closer and grasped Mara's hand.
"Mara, let's take a break from looking for our galaxy, and put our
efforts into finding a way for Voyager to get home sooner. Surely
two Jedi can contribute more than just cooking lunch."
Mara smiled broadly. "You're right. We can look for a way
home just as easily from the Alpha Quadrant as from the Delta
Quadrant. And I'd like to see this Earth of theirs. We've been
cooped up on this ship for more than a year. I know you're got to have
cabin fever worse than I have."
"You've got that right." Luke chuckled. "With what you've
learned in engineering here, and what we already know about hyper-
drives, we should be able to come up with something."
The crew, naturally, was skeptical of Luke and Mara's
optimistic views. They'd been exploring every possibility ever
since arriving in the Delta Quadrant. Nevertheless, they promised
full cooperation in any undertaking. Even Tuvoc recalled how Kes
had propelled them ten years' worth of distance when she
transformed after leaving the ship. Luke, of course, was
enthralled with her story, and dismayed that he hadn't been able
to meet her. He wondered if her powers were a manifestation of
the Force, altered by the Ocampa's rapid aging process.
Luke and Mara weren't sure whether to approach this
challenging project from a technical aspect, a Force-driven
direction, or a combination of the two. Luke remembered how his
early students had banded together to repel a fleet of star
destroyers from Yavin. But they had been stationary on the moon,
not on the ships being repelled. The Skywalkers certainly wanted
to go along for the ride.
As usual, Luke decided meditation should be his first step.
Early one morning, he settled himself in his familiar cross-legged
position. He concentrated on an image of Voyager, and entered a
deep Jedi trance. He saw the ship near a planet, then suddenly it
flew away at an incredible speed.
Luke awoke, and hurried over to Mara, who was playing with
Dane.
"Mar, I think I may have something," he gushed excitedly.
"I had a vision of the ship, being repelled from a planet."
"So where do we find a planet that repels ships?" she teased
him, then turned to Dane. "Your daddy is so cute when he gets an
idea," she cooed. "His eyes get all bright and shiny, and his
voice gets high-pitched, and ..."
Luke rolled his eyes. "Mara," he whined, "if you don't want
to hear this, just say so."
"Oh, go ahead, Wormie," she joked.
"Don't call me that," he complained.
Luke tromped into the kitchen area, sulking.
Mara picked up Dane and followed him. "Oh, Dane, I think
we've insulted your daddy." She gave Luke her best penitent
smile. "So what's your idea, hon?"
Luke smiled brightly at Dane as he took him from Mara.
"Well, you know how my students repelled Pellaeon's fleet, by
pushing it away from Yavin."
Mara nodded, but her expression looked concerned. "I also
remember Dorsk 81 was killed." She eyed him worriedly. "What are
you thinking of doing?"
"They were students, and they were repelling an entire fleet
of seventeen star destroyers," he tried to reassure her.
"As I recall, several of them had graduated by then, and
there were about thirty of them." She glared harder. "You're not
thinking of trying to repel this ship off a planet by yourself?"
"No, I was thinking of having you help. And we won't try,
we'll do," he stated matter-of-factly. "Or, we'll do not," he
added.
"Luke, this ship is too big to do something like that."
"Listen, do you, to anything I say? Size matters not," Luke
mimicked Yoda, making faces at Dane as he did so. "That's just
what I said when my X-wing sank into the swamp," he told her.
"But, master," Mara drawled out, "lifting little x-wings up
is one thing, but this, this is totally different."
"No, no different," he continued the parody. "Only
different in your mind."
"Listen," Mara was serious now, "you may be a Jedi Master,
but you're not invincible. I finally have a family, and I don't
want my husband blowing out his mind with impossible stunts, like
Dorsk 81."
"Mara, that won't happen. If I can't propel the ship faster
than warp speed, then I just won't. So we'll think of something
else then." He pulled her close and kissed her tenderly.
"Nothing is going to happen to me."
She sent him a withering glare, but didn't answer. It was
no use. Once he got an idea in his head, he was as stubborn as,
well, as she was. Her only consolation was knowing that he
treasured their family life as much as she did, and wouldn't risk
doing anything to jeopardize any of them, including himself.
Later that day, Luke broached his idea to Captain Janeway.
To say she was skeptical was putting it mildly.
"I'm not saying I can get you back to the Alpha Quadrant in
one push, now," Luke said. "You said Kes propelled you enough
distance to take ten years off your trip. Even if I can duplicate
her feat, it will take several rounds. And I will have to rest in
between." He looked at her earnestly. "I believe I can do this,
Captain. Please allow me the opportunity to help your crew."
The captain called in Tuvoc and Chakotay, and Luke gave his
pitch once more. He told them about his students repelling the
star destroyers.
"Would there be any danger to the crew?" the captain
questioned him.
"No more than when Kes gave you a push," he assured her.
"And this time you'll be prepared ahead of time."
"Hmm. Luke, would you give us a moment to discuss this?
You may wait on the bridge," Captain Janeway instructed him.
"Of course, Captain."
"What do you two think of this?" Janeway asked, after Luke
had left.
"He has demonstrated amazing powers already," began
Chakotay.
"Indeed," added Tuvoc. "He has a very powerful mind. I've
never met or even heard of anyone with such control."
"And just because he has not done anything this monumental
so far since he came aboard, doesn't mean he can't. We really
don't know what he's capable of doing," Chakotay continued.
"Yes," pondered the captain. "That fact sometimes worries
me. I wonder if he even knows what he's capable of. But, in this
matter, I believe he's sincere." She looked at her two senior
officers. "I'm inclined to let him try."
Chakotay and Tuvoc both nodded in agreement.
"I'll call him back in," Chakotay said.
Luke returned to the ready room, and was relieved to learn
they had faith in him.
"You say you will 'repel' us away from a planet?" Tuvoc
wanted more details.
"Yes," replied the Jedi Master. "Much like a mountain
climber descends by repelling out away from the mountain."
"Do a lot of mountain climbing, do you?" asked the captain,
smiling.
"Yes, actually. We have high mountains on Yavin," he
responded earnestly. "But I don't use a rope," he added, grinning
slightly.
"What type of planet do you believe this will require?"
Tuvoc asked, straightfaced as always.
"Any kind, or even a moon. Anything with a mass
considerably larger than Voyager," Luke answered.
"I would like to find an uninhabited planet for this," the
captain put in, "just to be safe. At least for the first time.
While you believe there should be no consequences to the planet, I
don't want to take any chances."
"Of course, Captain," Luke readily agreed. "Perhaps you
could even leave behind a probe that would send you data on the
planet's condition afterwards."
"Good idea. Now all we have to do is find a suitable
planet."
About a week later, the captain and Chakotay approached Luke
during his break in the mess hall.
"Luke, we may have found a planet that will meet your
needs," the captain began.
"It's devoid of all life, and the entire surface is rock,"
continued Chakotay.
"Sounds promising," Luke agreed. "How soon will we reach
it?"
"In two days," Chakotay informed him. "Can you be ready by
then? If not, we can stay in orbit there until you are."
"Two days should be sufficient," Luke replied. "If I can be
excused from my duty shifts," he added.
"Of course," the captain assured him. "Do whatever is
necessary to prepare yourself. I'm sure we can have someone look
after the baby, if Mara needs to help you."
"That would be most generous," Luke thanked her. "I will
need a space to meditate where I won't be interrupted. Perhaps
one of the holodecks?"
"Absolutely. Just let one of us know if there is anything
else," the captain replied.
"Thank you, Captain. I shall begin meditating tomorrow
morning."
That evening, Luke and Mara began their preparations.
"What do you want me to do?" Mara asked.
"Well, I won't be able to help with Dane for the next few
days. The captain said they would have someone help you with him,
though," Luke answered her. "I thought I would meditate in one of
the holodecks, where there won't be any distractions."
Mara leaned over toward him and began kissing his neck.
"Distractions like this, you mean?"
Luke closed his eyes and sighed. "Unfortunately, exactly
like that."
"Then can I at least distract you all I want tonight?"
"Absolutely," Luke responded, as he pulled her closer.
The next morning, Luke rose early, showered, and dressed in
silence. Mara watched him moving around in the semi-darkness of
their bedroom.
"Can I bring you some dinner this evening?" she asked
quietly.
"Sure," he whispered, after a moment's hesitation.
"I'll be thinking of you all day, you know," she continued.
He came and sat next to her. "I know," he replied, as he
leaned over and kissed her. "You are part of me."
Luke reluctantly pulled away and started for the doorway.
"Luke?" Mara whispered.
"Yes?" He paused and turned.
"May the Force be with you," she said softly.
He sent her a feeling of love, and left for the holodeck.
In the holodeck, Luke recreated one of his favorite peaceful
environments. He placed himself on a mountainside, looking down
over the jungles of Yavin IV. He wished he could recreate the
feel of the animal and plant life through the Force, but pushed
that thought from his mind. He was there to meditate, not get
homesick. He settled himself down cross-legged, and closed his
eyes, then opened himself up fully to the Force. Images of Yoda,
Ben, and all the Masters he had seen through the holocron flashed
before him. He would need all their help and strength for what he
would do tomorrow.
After what seemed to Luke as only an hour or two later, he
felt Mara's presence nearby. He came out of his trance as she
lightly touched his arm.
"I brought you something to eat," she said gently. "It's
dinnertime."
"Thank you," he replied, smiling at her.
"I can tell it is going well," she told him. "I have never
felt so at peace."
"Nor I," he answered. "Mara, I feel I can reach out and
touch the Force."
"And I know you will succeed," she assured him.
After Luke finished the light meal, Mara left and he resumed
his meditating. He continued through the night and into the next
day. At about sixteen-hundred the next afternoon, Captain Janeway and
Commander Tuvoc entered the holodeck. Luke opened his eyes as he
felt them approach.
"We are in orbit around the planet," the captain advised
him.
"Yes, I know," Luke answered, "and I am ready."
"I was wondering if I might ask a favor," Tuvoc inquired.
"A favor, Tuvoc?" Luke hid a smile. "Of course."
"I would like to sit with you when you perform this feat,"
he stated. "I am hoping to gain a better understanding of the
Force."
"Yes, of course you may."
Luke had already planned ahead to position himself in the
lounge on Deck Fifteen, which would afford him a clear view of the
planet from the rear of the ship. He and Tuvoc, therefore, headed
for the now deserted lounge. Mara stayed with Dane in their
quarters, though she mentally sent him her support.
Luke settled himself in his familiar cross-legged position,
looking out the full-length windows. The barren planet filled
most of the view. Tuvoc took a similar pose next to him.
Luke tapped his comm badge. "Captain, we are ready."
"Very well," she responded. Her voice then came over the
speakers, "Attention, all hands. Be ready to brace yourselves in
the next few moments. Captain out."
Luke stretched out his arms and let the Force fill him. He
could feel Mara sending him her strength in the Force, and felt
Tuvoc's support as well.
Summoning all the Force strength possible, Luke PUSHED
against the planet, and suddenly the ship shot away from the
sphere at an incredible speed.
Mara clutched the armrest of her stuffed chair with one
hand, and held her other hand around Dane, who was snuggled
against the front of her in a baby carrier. The Force she could
feel emanating from Luke was almost overwhelming. She could tell
that even Dane could feel his father, and she concentrated on
calming him.
The rest of Voyager's crew clung to whatever they could. On
the bridge, no one spoke, though Harry's eyes widened as he saw
the velocity registering on his control panel.
Finally, after about thirty seconds, the ship slowed and
gradually came to a stop. Mara could feel Luke's exhaustion, but
he seemed fine, to her relief.
Harry announced how many light years they had traveled, to
everyone's astonishment. Captain Janeway's voice came over the
speaker and was quickly followed by a cheer from the entire ship.
"Attention, everyone. I am overjoyed to say we are now
twelve years closer to home!"
Luke relaxed and leaned back. "Whew!" was all he said, as
he grinned at Tuvoc.
Tuvoc, for his part, was nearly as speechless. "That was
astonishing," he finally said. "I can hardly believe it."
"The Force is a powerful ally," was Luke's reply.
About that time, Mara burst into the lounge, carrying Dane.
She knelt down next to Luke, and he hugged both of them.
"I knew you could do it," she cried.
"Is that why you tried to talk me out of it?" he kidded her.
Mara was saved from having to reply by the appearance of the
captain, Chakotay, and several others. Luke got to his feet, and
shook the captain's proffered hand.
"Congratulations, Luke," she beamed. "We can never thank
you enough."
"No thanks are necessary," Luke replied. "And we still have
a long way to go, remember."
"But you've given us renewed hope," she assured him. "What
we thought was impossible, now suddenly looks attainable."
"We may have to make you morale officer," Neelix put in.
"You've done more for morale in thirty seconds than I have in five
years."
"I doubt that," Luke said, laughing.
"Well, Tuvoc," Chakotay turned to the Lt. Commander, "could
you feel the Force?"
"I believe so," was the answer. "I could feel a power
emanating from Luke."
"I could feel it from our cabin," Mara put in. "It was
overwhelming. Even Dane felt something."
"Luke, no duty roster for you tomorrow, I insist," the
captain ordered.
"I will take you up on that," Luke said. "I am rather
tired."
Luke took Dane in his arms, and he and Mara headed for their
quarters. They were interrupted several times along the way by
grateful crew members. When they finally reached their
destination, Luke collapsed onto the couch. Mara gently took Dane
and laid him in his crib. He was asleep almost instantly. Mara
looked over and saw that Dane's father was nearly asleep himself.
Smiling, she pulled Luke to his feet.
"C'mon, you can make it as far as the bed," she chided him.
"Can't you just levitate me there?" he joked sleepily.
"And when I drop you ...?"
Luke just shook his head, not objecting as Mara helped him
undress. He gratefully crawled under the covers. By the time
Mara joined him a few minutes later, he was fast asleep. She
kissed him gently.
"I am so proud to be your wife, my darling Jedi Master," she
whispered.
Over the next month, Luke performed the 'pushing' technique
on Voyager two more times, bringing them ten to twelve thousand
lightyears closer to the Alpha Quadrant on each occasion. One
more similar push, and Voyager would be 'home.'
Nearly everyone on the ship was in a constant state of
excitement, Vulcans excluded. Seven was apprehensive about
returning to a planet of which she had no recollection. Chakotay,
B'Elanna, and the other former Maquis members wondered what their
fate would be as well.
At last, the day arrived when Chakotay informed Luke that
they were approaching a suitable planet for the final push. Luke
went through his now familiar meditation ritual, then positioned
himself in the lounge. Tuvoc, as was now his custom, joined him.
Everyone literally held their breath, waiting, then hung on
as the ship was suddenly propelled through space. When Voyager
finally slowed, the bridge was silent as Harry checked their
position. He broke into a wide grin and raised his fist in
triumph. "We're in the Alpha Quadrant!" he shouted.
As Luke felt the ship come to a stop, he knew his job was
over. Unexpectantly, he rose quickly and left the lounge without
saying a word to Tuvoc. While he was happy for the crew and glad
he could help them, this would be their celebration. He wanted
nothing more than to hold his wife and son. He even went so far
as to cloak himself as he made his way to his quarters.
Mara was waiting when Luke reached his destination. She
knew how he shunned the hero role, and she could feel his emotions
as clearly as her own. She enveloped him in her arms as he came
through the door, and he clung to her in his exhaustion and relief
that his self-appointed task was complete. Words were not
necessary between them. Silently, they laid down on their bed,
holding each other, with Dane snuggled between them.
Mara awoke first, and gently reached over and traced her
finger along Luke's sleeping face. Suddenly she froze, as she
realized Dane was no longer lying between them.
"I put him in his crib during the night," she heard Luke
whisper. She felt Dane's presence, sleeping soundly.
"At least he usually sleeps through the night now," she
responded quietly. "I wonder which one of us he takes after in
that regard. Surely it must be you."
Luke chuckled softly. "You didn't know me growing up. I
didn't give my aunt and uncle a moment's rest."
Luke rolled over and stared at the ceiling. "I suppose we
have to get up sometime. I can't hide in here forever."
Mara snuggled closer to him, stroking him with her
fingertips. "Oh, I think you could for a little while longer,"
she cooed.
Luke nuzzled her neck lovingly. "You can be pretty
persuasive, Mrs. Skywalker."
An hour later, as they lay in each other's arms, Dane began
to cry softly.
"He has good timing," Luke observed, kissing Mara as he
eased out of bed.
"Hmm. You shower first while I feed him," she answered
sleepily as she sat up, propping herself up with several pillows.
Luke laid their son in her arms, then headed for the shower. When
he finished, Mara took her turn while Luke changed and dressed
Dane. Finally the Skywalker family was ready.
"Well," Luke said, "I guess it's time to see what this Alpha
Quadrant is like."
They headed for the mess hall, where they were greeted by
Neelix and several others.
"So, Neelix, what's your impression of the Alpha Quadrant?"
Luke asked. "Will this make us a good home?"
"It's hard to say yet," Neelix answered. "They say it will
take another week to reach Earth. The captain has already
contacted Starfleet. I'm sure they're anxious to meet you."
Luke groaned inwardly.
"Anyway, we're going to dock at a Federation space station
in a couple days. I guess we'll have a better idea then."
Luke and Mara nodded, just as Captain Janeway walked up.
"There you two are," she greeted them. "Everyone's been
wondering when you would finally make an appearance."
"I needed to rest, you know," Luke said simply.
"So now that you're rested, I would like both of you to join
the staff and me for a dinner party tonight. We have to
celebrate."
"Of course, Captain. As you wish," Luke replied, as he held
Dane with one arm and clutched Mara's hand with the other.
"And Luke, Mara," Janeway added, "we can never thank you
enough. You've saved us."
"No thanks are necessary, Captain. Helping others is what
Jedi do."
The captain's dinner party that evening was a lively
celebration. Luke and Mara were even beginning to enjoy
themselves. Of course, they had had no trouble finding a
babysitter from the host of eager volunteers.
After dinner, the staff moved to the senior lounge. Mixed
emotions filled the air as they all realized this would probably
be the last time they would all be together on Voyager in such a
setting.
"Will you and Luke live on Earth?" B'Elanna was asking Mara.
"I'm not sure," came the reply. "It sounds like a nice
place, but we haven't really decided yet. I guess we're still
hoping to find a way back to our own galaxy."
"And I'm hoping the charges against the Maquis will have
been dropped by now. I suppose there will be adjustments to be
made for all of us."
"Yes, I suppose so," Mara answered distractedly, as she
gazed across the crowded room toward Luke, who was listening
intently to Tuvoc.
"You would be most welcome to make your home on Vulcan,"
Tuvoc was saying. "I'm certain my colleagues would find your mind
control powers as intriguing as I have."
Luke could feel Mara's disapproval of Tuvoc's invitation.
He smiled in her direction.
"Thanks for the offer, Tuvoc, but Mara and I haven't decided
yet where we'll live. But perhaps we can come for a visit."
Captain Janeway was engaged in conversation with Chakotay
when suddenly a swirling wind swept through the room, and when it
stopped a man in a Starfleet admiral's uniform appeared in their
midst.
"Q!" exclaimed the Captain. "What are you doing here?"
"My dear Kathy, do you think I would miss such a momentous
celebration? Why, when Q told me that Voyager was spotted in the
Alpha Quadrant, I had to rush right over," Q explained. "So tell
me, how did you manage it?"
Captain Janeway gave a smug smile. "You mean you don't
know? I thought the Q knew everything."
"I've been busy, of course. And I just saw you, happily
plugging along in the Delta Quadrant."
"That's been nearly a year and a half ago."
"To me, a year is but a moment," Q chided her. "But you are
evading my question, Kathy. How did you reach the Alpha Quadrant
in such a short time?"
Luke and Mara each listened to the conversation with much
curiosity. Who was this stranger who appeared out of thin air?
And had the audacity to call the captain 'Kathy'?
"Let's just say my crew has been quite industrious lately.
Never underestimate us mere mortals, Q."
Luke was mildly surprised at the captain's response, and he
felt similar reactions throughout the room.
"So, you're playing it coy, hmm, Captain," Q replied,
seeming slightly annoyed. "Sort of, it's for you to know and me
to find out, is it?"
Janeway only repeated her smug smile.
"Who is that?" Mara whispered to B'Elanna.
"He's called Q," B'Elanna replied quietly. "He's some kind
of omnipotent being, and can take any form, though he seems to
enjoy using this appearance when visiting us. Apparently all of
these beings go by the name of Q."
"So, I guess I'll just have to interview the crew," Q said.
He made his way through the room, stopping to chat with Chakotay,
Tom, and others, though none of them would reveal their method of
arrival.
Q spotted Seven of Nine. "A Borg! Now isn't this
interesting. And quite a knockout, too. But I don't see how even
a Borg could get you here this fast, Kathy."
Q then noticed Mara standing by B'Elanna.
"My, my, my, Kathy, how did you acquire such beautiful new
crew members?" He gave Mara another once-over. "In fact, where
did you find another human in the Delta Quadrant?"
"As I said, Q, never underestimate Voyager," the captain
taunted.
Q took Mara's hand and kissed it quite gallantly.
"Allow me to introduce myself, my dear. I am Q. And who
might you be?"
"You may call me Mara," she answered, with an exaggerated
imitation of being demure. "But I must warn you, my husband can
be quite jealous."
"Husband?" Q followed Mara's gaze across the room, settling
on a blond man wearing black. "Another new crew member? And why
don't you two wear these dashing Starfleet uniforms?"
Q made his way over to Luke. "You have a beautiful wife,
Mister ... ah?"
Luke extended his hand in greeting. "Luke Skywalker.
Pleased to meet you, Q."
"Luke Skywalker ... Skywalker ..." Q's brow furrowed in
concentration. "Where have I heard that name? Ah, yes, there's a
Jedi Master named Skywalker a few galaxies over. Rather unique
beings, those Jedi."
Luke's eyes grew wide. "What did you say?" he whispered.
Mara had also heard Q's prattling, and joined them.
"You know of the Jedi?" Mara asked him, incredulously.
"I've never personally met one, but Q has, and she says
they're quite intriguing, for humans."
The captain and the others had all gathered around by this
time.
Q glanced around, then stared at Luke and Mara. "You two
are Jedi, aren't you? You are the Jedi Master I've heard of," he
continued, looking at Luke. "Kathy, how did you ever manage to
acquire your own personal Jedi?" he asked the captain.
"It was more like they found us," was her reply.
"And they got you to the Alpha Quadrant!" He turned back to
Luke. "So how did you do it? You are, still, just a human. You
can't blink your eyes and magically transport a ship across a
galaxy."
"No, I can't," Luke responded, not sure how much to reveal
to this stranger. He glanced at the captain for guidance.
"Now, Q," she put in. "Can't we have some secrets to
ourselves?"
"Not from me," he answered conceitedly.
Indeed, the whole story did eventually come out, from Luke
and Mara's arrival in the Delta Quadrant, to Luke's propelling
Voyager to their current location.
"How fascinating," Q commented after hearing their tale.
"I've always wanted to see a Jedi in action. Do some tricks for
me, Jedi," he ordered.
"I don't do tricks," Luke countered. This time Mara did
not protest.
"Rather uppity, aren't we?" Q complained.
Just then, an overhead illumination fixture detached and
hurled itself toward several crew members. Luke held up his hand
quickly, and the fixture stopped in mid-air. He lowered it to
the floor, then turned to the grinning Q.
"Excellent!" Q cackled. "Now let's see what else you can
do."
"I'm warning you, don't test me," Luke growled.
"You're warning me? How quaint. Perhaps we should up the
ante."
Luke stared at him warily, not knowing what to expect.
"How about you run through a series of little Jedi
demonstrations for me, and in return," Q paused for effect, "I'll
send you back to your own galaxy."
"That's blackmail," Luke protested.
"It's what he's best at," Tom said dryly.
"What kind of demonstrations?" Mara put in.
Luke glared at her, but didn't speak.
"Oh, nothing a Jedi Master couldn't handle," came the
reply.
Mara hesitated. She could feel the conflicting emotions in
Luke.
"What if I performed your demonstrations?" she offered.
"Mara, no!" Luke interjected.
"Do you want our son to never see his aunt and uncle and
cousins? Do you want to never set foot on Yavin again? Luke,
this may be our only chance."
Luke sighed. It was hard to refuse his wife, especially
when it was an opportunity that he wanted just as much. He
looked over where Janeway and Chakotay stood listening.
"Captain, does he truly have the power to send us back?"
Luke inquired.
"Yes, he does," was the reply.
"Then why didn't he return Voyager to the Alpha Quadrant?"
was Luke's next question.
"That's a long story," the captain said with a sigh. "But
don't let that influence your decision, Luke. You and Mara alone
must choose the correct path for yourselves."
Luke nodded, then turned to Q. "If you would give us a
moment?"
"Of course, Jedi. Take your time."
Luke took Mara's hand and they walked over to a secluded
corner of the room.
"Luke," Mara began, "this should be our decision together.
I don't want to talk you into something you don't want to do.
I'll be happy whatever galaxy we're in, as long as we're
together."
Luke looked down at his and Mara's clasped hands. "Perhaps
what's bothering me most is that part of me, a big part, does
want to do this. Even though another part says I'd be violating
my own principles." He looked into Mara's eyes. "It's time for
us to go home, Mara."
At that moment, they both knew their decision had been
made.
"Q," Luke said, as he approached the newcomer, "if I
perform your demonstrations, you will send all three of us back,
myself, Mara, and our son, in our own ship. Is this correct?
And there will be no going back in time?"
"Of course, whatever you like," Q said casually. "I can
do anything, you see."
Luke suppressed a grimace. If he can do anything, why
doesn't he get himself a less obnoxious personality? "Very well,
I will do this. But there will be limits set up beforehand.
These demonstrations will not go on indefinitely."
"Yes, yes, whatever," Q snapped back. "Let's see. Captain,
you've given me an idea."
"I have?"
"Yes, your comment about their following their own path."
He turned to Luke. "I will direct you along a pathway, with
various obstacles as you go, naturally. Captain Janeway and I
will be waiting at the end of your trek."
Luke glanced at Mara, then the captain. "Agreed."
"Excellent!" Q smirked in satisfaction. "Now, what say we
begin tomorrow morning, right here."
"I'll be ready," Luke answered solemnly. "Now if everyone
will excuse me, I shall begin preparing myself." Luke bowed
slightly to the assembled crowd, and quickly left the lounge.
"He's gone to our quarters to meditate," Mara explained to
the raised eyebrows and questioning looks. She turned to Q.
"Listen, you, I want your word Luke won't be put in danger."
"Why, my dear, where's the fun in that?"
Mara could tell that Q wasn't joking. "Then perhaps I
should go along, to watch his back."
"You are most welcome, of course. Seeing a beautiful Jedi
such as yourself in action would be even more delightful."
Mara gave Q one of her nearly-forgotten patented glares,
then nodded. "I'll be here." She then turned and left the
lounge without so much as a glance at anyone else.
"You are not going with me," Luke said calmly from his
meditative pose, as Mara entered their quarters.
"It is not your decision," she replied in an equally
tranquil voice.
"Mara, please," Luke said, looking up at her.
"Don't 'Mara, please' me," she snapped. "You think because
we're married you can bat those baby blues and I'll give in.
Well, it's not going to happen."
Luke rose and started to open his mouth, but Mara cut him
off.
"Luke, I want to be part of this. I need to be. I am a
Jedi, too. Why should you take all the responsibility?"
"Mara, think of Dane."
"I am thinking of Dane."
"But what if something happens?"
"There will be less chance of something going wrong if
we're both there. We're a team, remember?"
Luke stared a moment at the determined look on his wife's
face, then nodded. "All right," he finally yielded. "We'll both
do this." He then cocked one eyebrow. "Of course this means you
have to meditate all night with me."
Luke and Mara arrived in the crew lounge the next morning,
where Q, the captain, and several others were assembled.
"Ah, there you are." Q rubbed his hands together in glee.
"Shall we begin?"
Luke bowed slightly. "We are ready."
In the blink of an eye, the Jedi couple found themselves in
a hedge maze.
"You've got to be kidding," Mara said with a snort. "He wants
to see if we can find our way out of a maze?"
Luke was silent a moment, reaching out with the Force.
"Perhaps things are not as they seem."
Mara stared at him, then stretched out with the Force
herself. Her danger sense flickered. She couldn't detect any one
single source; instead there seemed to be many smaller hazards.
"So now what?" she asked.
"Levitate me up. I'll look over the top."
Mara concentrated and Luke rose slowly upward.
"Hold it," he called out suddenly. He looked up, then took
his lightsaber hilt and held it above his head. It sizzled
against an invisible force field. Mara lowered him back down.
"I want to try something," she said, igniting her own
lightsaber. She carved a doorway through the hedge, but it
magically closed back up before she could step through.
Luke shrugged. "I guess we do this the old-fashioned way."
They proceeded cautiously through the first couple turns,
easily sensing and avoiding the dead ends.
As Luke started to step around the next corner, Mara shot
her arm out to stop him.
"Wait. Something's not right."
Luke stretched out with the Force and nodded in agreement.
Mara slashed off a large branch, pausing to watch as new
growth instantly took its place. She levitated the cut limb down
the narrow passageway. Two meters ahead, arrows flew out of both
sides of the shrubbery.
Mara gave a disgusted shake of her head. "C'mon," she
growled, leading the way to the next intersection. A few turns
later, they both stopped, sensing danger ahead.
"Now what?" Mara grumbled. Luke probed the sides of the
hedge, then directed his gaze to the ground. He pushed on the
path just in front of them. The ground gave way, revealing a
large pit. Mara peered over the edge, noting the upward-pointing
spikes at the bottom.
"This is so juvenile," she groused.
"Don't knock it," Luke rejoindered, as they easily leapt
over the open hole. "I hope all the tests are this simple."
They continued on, avoiding several more traps without any
trouble, eventually emerging from the maze without a scratch.
Mara began mumbling. "Surely he can come up with something
better than ..."
"Look out!" Luke shouted, igniting his lightsaber in one
fluid motion. Mara's saber also whooshed to life, as they blocked
shots from dozens of uniformed alien beings.
Green and blue blades sizzled against the onslaught. Their
attackers gradually abandoned their phasers and surrounded the
Jedi, who stood back to back.
"What are they doing?" Mara called over her shoulder. "We
could slaughter them."
Mara spoke prematurely, however, as their lightsabers
suddenly vanished from their grips.
"What the ...!" Luke gasped. There was no time for
questions, as the aliens pounced.
Mara spun and kicked the nearest adversary in the head, then
reached behind and slammed another over her shoulder. Luke also
had his hands full, ducking to avoid a blow while knocking a knife
from the grip of another foe. Both knights weaved, bobbed, leapt,
and twirled as their arms and legs flailed at the seemingly
endless oncoming warriors.
Suddenly Mara nearly lost her balance, as her pirouetting
kickbox met thin air. She and Luke looked around in astonishment
as the attackers completely disappeared as mysteriously as they
had appeared.
"All right, so that was a little more challenging," Mara
admitted, smirking.
Luke looked down, feeling the familiar weight of his
lightsaber once more resting against his thigh.
"Expect the unexpected." He smiled slightly, arching an
eyebrow at his wife.
The Jedi followed the trail into a narrow gorge. Sheer
walls rose up over five hundred meters, barely letting in the
filtered daylight. They made their way along the pathway for
perhaps a kilometer.
"So what's this test supposed to be?" Mara complained. "To
see if we have claustrophobia?"
"I doubt that," Luke returned. "Though it does look like
we're close to the end," he added, as he observed the increased
light ahead.
A shadow abruptly blocked that promising light. Luke and
Mara craned their necks in astonishment at a monstrous animal that
unexpectedly appeared in front of them.
"It must be a hundred meters tall." Mara gasped in wonder.
"We can't jump over it."
The huge beast filled the gap completely, its beady eyes
watching them warily. It made no move to attack, however.
"I don't want to hurt it," Luke stated, unnecessarily. Mara
always knew exactly how he felt. "Perhaps we can just scare it
away."
He sent thoughts of danger to the creature's miniscule
brain, but it remained rooted in place. He then sent thoughts of
food waiting in the opposite direction. Same effect -- none.
Next, Luke let loose with a krayt dragon call. The beast
seemed to think it amusing. Luke bit his lower lip in thought.
"I think you're losing your touch, sweetheart," Mara
commented dryly. "A young Jedi I once knew scared a vornskr by
tapping its nose with his lightsaber."
Luke just shook his head while he ignited his lightsaber,
levitating it toward the beast. The saber poked the huge creature
on its hopefully sensitive nose. It swatted the blade away like
an annoying gnat.
"As I recall, the vornskr didn't exactly shrink in fear
either," he reflected.
"Perhaps one blade isn't enough," Mara said thoughtfully.
They levitated both their lightsabers upward, careful not to
actually cut into the beast. The blades sizzled lightly against
the animal's thick skin over and over, however, having no effect
whatsoever.
"What I wouldn't give for a giant bantha electro-prod right
about now," Luke said off-handedly, as he tried to think of
options left.
His comment had inspired his spouse, though. Luke turned
and looked at her suspiciously, eyes narrowing.
"No way," he stated flatly.
Mara gripped his chin with her fingers. "I have all your
memories. I know you did it one day when you were out in the
jungle by yourself, just to see what it felt like."
"I won't now."
"Just enough to scare it away," she insisted. "It won't
hurt the creature. And you're not going to turn to the dark
side."
"I know that," he bit out, feeling frustrated.
Mara only crossed her arms in expectation.
Luke turned away from her, facing the pawing beast. Taking
a deep breath, he pointed his arms outward, and in that instant
blue lightening jumped from his fingertips, arcing through the air
toward the startled animal. It yipped in surprise. Luke let
loose another jolt, and the monster reared back this time.
"Once more," Mara whispered.
The lightening sprang out again, this time hitting its nose,
accomplishing what the lightsabers could not.
The animal decided these tiny beings were more trouble than
they were worth. It managed to back out of the narrow gap, and
stalked away into the surrounding forest, apparently in search of
a less bothersome mid-day snack.
"Let's go," Luke said quickly, cutting off Mara's upcoming
'I told you so.'
The Jedi resumed their trek along the path. Soon they came
to a number of metal grids imbedded in the ground. The grids were
laid out in a circular pattern, some 500 meters in diameter. Luke
and Mara stood at the end of the path, overlooking the strange
scene before them.
"What do you think it is?" Mara wondered aloud.
"I don't know," Luke said slowly, deep in thought. He
narrowed his eyes, then pointed toward the center of the gridwork.
"There's something out there, on a raised platform."
Mara frowned and stared out in the direction indicated,
enhancing her vision with the Force as much as possible.
"I see it," she finally acknowledged. "A gold-colored ...
something." She glanced sideways at her silent husband.
"Well? Are we meant to cross this?"
Luke nodded. "Yes, I believe so." He held out his hand to
her and smiled as she took his grasp.
Their boots clanged on the metal grids as they crossed to
the center. When they reached their objective, Mara picked up the
golden statuette. She turned it around, then rolled her eyes.
The statue was sculpted in the image of Q.
Luke chuckled at her reaction, then looked up sharply as his
danger sense flared. Mara also scanned the area in consternation.
Without warning, fire erupted from the entire gridwork,
shooting several meters into the air.
"It's a trap," Luke stated the obvious.
"Tell me something I don't know," Mara retorted, but she
received no answer.
The inferno encircled the platform on which they stood,
flames threatening to grow even higher.
"We need to get out now!" Mara shouted over the deafening
roar.
*No, wait,* Luke sent via the Force, touching her arm.
She looked at him as though he'd lost his mind. "Stang,
Luke ..."
*Silently,* he cautioned her. *He's surely monitoring us.*
*So?*
*Think about it,* he reasoned. *Every time we pass a test,
he's going to come up with a new one.*
She waited for him to go on, beginning to see where he was
going with this.
*These tests won't stop until we finally fail one.*
*So you think we should fail this one?*
*In a manner of speaking.*
*Go on,* Mara prompted.
*I can create an illusion of us staying here, while cloaking
us as we escape.*
*And you're going to protect us from being burned alive at
the same time?*
*No. You are.*
Mara started to protest.
*You can do it,* Luke insisted. *Just picture in your mind
a shield of cool water all around us.* He squeezed her hand.
*You have to believe in yourself. You have the ability.*
*You'd better hope so.*
*No doubts,* he ordered, the intense heat stinging his face.
*Now!*
As he and Mara stepped toward the conflagration, they
dissolved into invisibility. In the same instant, images of
themselves appeared where they had just stood.
Mara maintained their shield against the flames, rejecting
the fear that wanted to rise up inside her.
Finally they were through, though Luke kept them hidden from
sight. He spotted Q and Janeway a short distance away, as he had
suspected they would be.
"It seems your Jedi are having trouble with this one," Q
commented dryly.
"Q, you have to stop this madness," the captain protested
vehemently.
Luke and Mara, silent and unseen, came up behind the pair.
Luke had thought that Q might be able to sense them, but he gave
no indication.
"The tests are over, Q," Luke proclaimed.
Q and Captain Janeway whirled around in astonishment.
Luke held out the shining statue. "Not a very good
likeness, I must say."
The observers both glanced back at the now-empty ring of
fire, then again at the two Jedi.
"Indeed." Q bowed slightly. "I congratulate you, Jedi.
This was most entertaining."
"And now it's time for you to hold up your end of the
bargain," Janeway said to her companion.
"Certainly. A Q does not go back on his word."
"I'll remember that," Janeway said with a smile.
"Just tell me when you wish to leave," he informed the
Skywalkers.
"We have to pack, and say our good-byes," Mara answered,
still not quite believing the tests were over.
"How about tomorrow morning?" Captain Janeway suggested.
"Very well, I will return then." Q waved his hand, and Luke,
Mara, and the captain found themselves on Voyager's bridge.
The rest of the day passed quickly. Luke and Mara
alternated between packing up their much-increased accumulation of
possessions, and bidding farewell to each of their closest
friends. They declined the captain's offer of one last get-
together, citing the previous evening's dinner party had already
served that purpose.
Finally, after a mostly sleepless night, morning arrived.
The Skywalker family's gear was stored on the Jade's Fire by the
many helpful volunteers. Luke and Tom secured Dane's crib into
the main cabin, after equipping it with space-travel constraints.
By mid-morning, Luke and Mara stood at the bottom of the
Fire's boarding ramp.
"I can hardly believe we're finally going home," Mara said,
looking at their surrounding friends.
"And as we can all attest to, there's no place like home,"
Chakotay replied.
"Perhaps, instead of following Q's yellow brick road, all
you needed to do was click your heels together three times,"
Janeway said, smiling.
Mara looked down at her boots. "Too bad I left my ruby
slippers on Coruscant." She winked at the captain's surprised
expression. "We watched that one in your holo archives."
Luke turned, frowning. "That doesn't make Dane or me Toto,
does it?"
"No, you're the great and powerful Oz that brought the rest
of us home," Tom joined in, jokingly.
"For two people that wanted to leave here so badly, you
certainly are dawdling," Q complained.
Mara and Luke gave one more round of handshakes and hugs to
their comrades. When Mara got to B'Elanna, they were reluctant to
let go.
"I never had a real friend like you before," B'Elanna choked
out, trying to hold back her very un-Klingon-like tears.
"Me either," Mara confessed. "I'm going to miss you most of
all."
"I think that makes you the scarecrow," Luke quipped.
Mara shoved him toward the ramp. "See what I have to put up
with."
At last, they made their way into the ship, strapping Dane
into his crib, then settling into the cockpit. Luke lifted the
Jade's Fire out through the open hanger door as smoothly as he had
landed there a lifetime ago. As they drifted out next to Voyager,
Q's face appeared in mid-air.
"Ready?"
Luke hesitated, then reached over and flipped on their comm.
"Goodbye, everyone," he and Mara sent one last farewell.
"Goodbye, Luke and Mara Skywalker," came Janeway's voice.
"May the Force be with you."
The Jedi turned to Q's visage.
"We're ready."
Part V
Home
Luke and Mara both unconsciously held their breath as the
stars around them, and Voyager, faded from their view. Almost
immediately, new star patterns winked into existence. Star
patterns that seemed familiar.
"Quick, check the navicomputer," Mara blurted out, as she
unhooked her restraints. "I'm going to look in on Dane."
Her instruction to Luke was unnecessary, as he was already
studying the readings. He could sense Dane's warm and comforting
presence, though he could appreciate Mara's need to actually see
him. If she hadn't went, he would have.
Dane was wide awake, gurgling happily, as Mara looked down
into his crib. She heard a 'whoopee!' from the cockpit.
Releasing Dane from his crib restraints, she picked him up and
hurried back up front.
Luke hugged them both, grinning widely. "Mara! He did it!
We're home!" He swung them both around, as Mara laughed with
him.
"So where exactly are we?" she asked, when he finally set
her back down.
"A few hours out of Coruscant," he announced excitedly.
His eyes became unfocused for a moment, and Mara could feel him
reaching out for Leia's presence. A few seconds later, he smiled
quietly.
Without speaking, Luke enveloped Mara in a long, sensuous
kiss, Dane stilled clutched between them. He knew Mara had also
felt Leia's startled acknowledgment and subsequent joy.
Only moments before, Leia Organa Solo had been sitting
quietly in a morning Senate meeting, trying to pay attention to
an Ithorian Senator's long-winded oratory. The past fifteen
months had been hard on Leia. Luke's disappearance had broken
her spirit, something even the destruction of her beloved
Alderaan hadn't been able to do. This admission pained her
greatly, but she attributed it to the fact that she no longer had
a rebellion to take her mind off her sorrows.
Though Leia was the first one to note the absence of her
brother's presence, she was the last one to give up hope that he
would be found. But finally, after over a year of searching, of
reaching out with the Force as hard as she could, along with her
children and the other Jedi, of following up every lead that
surfaced, all of which proved fruitless, finally, exhausted, she
just gave up. She knew Luke would be disappointed in her, but,
sithspawn, he was the one who abandoned them. Abandoned her. He
was the one who willingly went off with that Jade woman, against
Leia's protests.
Leia at first was certain Mara Jade was responsible for
Luke's disappearance. She never trusted that woman any farther
than she could see her. Finally Han's arguments that no sign
could be found of either Mara or her ship, despite a galaxy-wide
search by both New Republic Intelligence and Talon Karrde,
reluctantly convinced her that perhaps it was possible that Luke,
Mara Jade, and the Jade's Fire could have met with complete
destruction. After that admission to herself, she spent weeks
hoping that Luke's spirit would appear to her, to comfort her.
But as the weeks turned into months, she finally resigned herself
to the fact that she would never see her brother again.
The New Republic government officially declared Luke
Skywalker and Mara Jade dead one year after their disappearance.
Luke had left a will, though he had only a few mementos and a
small amount of money to be distributed. Mara Jade had
significant credit amounts in several different banking
establishments, but left no will, causing all her accounts to be
frozen until the back-logged court system could decide what to do
with them. Talon Karrde seemed to hang on to desperate hope
nearly as long as Leia. He kept up Mara's rent payments for six
months, then reluctantly had her possessions put in storage, and
let her apartment go.
And so Leia was sitting in the Senate, her now graying hair
straggling loose from her ill-kept braids, when suddenly she sat
up with a jolt. She must have been daydreaming, she told
herself, as those around her gazed her way curiously. But no,
there it was again. Leia closed her eyes, feeling Luke's touch
on her mind. She smiled widely as he responded to her Force
probe. He was alive! He was coming home to her!
The senators looked on in amazement as Leia jumped up,
hastily announcing she had a family emergency, and ran from the
chamber like a madwoman. She reached her suite in record time,
oblivious to the startled onlookers she swept by.
"Han! Han!" Leia screeched, tears pouring down her cheeks
as she rushed into their apartment. Han ran out of the kitchen
and grabbed hold of his shaking wife.
"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly. "Is it one of the
kids? Did something happen at their school?"
"No, no," she gushed. "Luke! It's Luke! He's alive!
He's coming back!"
"How ...? When ...?" It was then Han looked closely at
her face and realized her tears were tears of joy. Her eyes
sparkled with excitement, something he'd not seen in fifteen
months.
"I felt his mind touch mine, just now, in the Senate."
"Are you sure you weren't, well, imagining things again?"
Han inquired, tentatively, not wanting to upset her, but not
wanting her to get her hopes up either, if this proved to be
another dream. Leia had thought she felt Luke presence several
times in the past fifteen months, only to go into a deep
depression afterwards, when Han convinced her she was only
dreaming.
"No, I'm sure," she stated emphatically. "This felt
different. It was real."
"So what did he-?" Han began, but just then their comm
buzzed. Han hurried to the unit.
"Solo here."
"General Solo, we have an incoming transmission for you."
The young operator paused, sounding perplexed. "Its responder
identifies it as coming from the Jade's Fire. Wasn't that-?"
"Put it through," Han answered hastily, cutting her off. A
familiar voice came on the line.
"Han, old friend."
"Luke, I can't believe it," Han replied, astonished. Leia
was at his side instantly.
"Luke, is it really you? Where are you?" she put in
anxiously.
"Leia, you know it's me. I felt your touch." Mara
squeezed Luke's hand. "And we're about two hours out of
Coruscant. It will be so good to see all of you again."
"Luke, where have you been all this time?" Han inquired.
"That's a long story, which we'll save until we talk to you
in person. Sorry if I worried you, Leia." An apology which
sounded woefully inadequate, even to Luke's own ears. "See you
soon."
"Luke, wait ..." Leia began, but he was gone.
Leia hugged Han fiercely. "Oh, Han, this is so
incredible." She pulled away from him. "I've got so much to do.
I'll have Winter bring the children home from school early."
"I'll get the kids," Han protested. "You'd better tell the
Senate you won't be back today. But, I wouldn't say why just
yet, in case ..."
Leia shook her head. "This is not a trick. I know it.
But we'll keep it to ourselves for now. Until he's actually
here." Leia gave him a quick kiss, and left for the Senate, a
thousand different thoughts swirling through her mind.
"You know, we could micro-jump in, and be there a lot
sooner," Mara commented to Luke.
He turned to her. "I think we'll need the two hours to
make plans."
"Plans? Such as?"
"Such as, what do we need to pack? Where are we going to
stay tonight?" He grasped her hand. "Where are we going to
live? Are we going to risk letting all of Coruscant see we have
a child?"
"You mean, things we've put off discussing because we
weren't sure we'd ever get back here," Mara replied. She
remembered the first kidnapping attempt on the twins, that she
herself had foiled not long after meeting the Solos. She thought
of how the twins had been hidden away the first two years of
their lives, and Anakin also for a short time, and of their
kidnapping several years later.
Mara rose and led Luke back toward the lounge. "Well, we
might as well get comfortable."
Nearly two hours later, the Jade's Fire was on an approach
vector with the main spaceport. Luke felt strangely
uncomfortable in his Jedi robes. Mara could feel his
nervousness.
"It'll be all right," she soothed. "We'll just play it by
ear."
"I know," he resigned. "I just have this strange feeling
of disappointment looming."
As soon as he finished the landing cycle, Mara went back
and brought Dane out. Luke helped her snuggle him into a small
baby sling which Mara strapped to the front of her. Luke gently
kissed Dane on the head, and stroked his back. "Sleep, Dane,
sleep," he whispered softly.
"You know this is for the best," he reminded Mara. "We'll
see how things go today. We don't even know what's been
happening here since we left."
Mara nodded. "And it's only until we get to Han and Leia's.
Well, help me with my cloak."
Luke fastened his extra Jedi cloak around Mara's neck, and
hooked it closed all the way down the front, effectively hiding
Dane from view. He had offered to carry Dane himself, but Mara
protested that their son would get squished with Leia hugging
Luke as soon as she saw him.
As Luke straightened up, he could feel Han and Leia
approaching the ship.
"Looks like the welcoming committee has arrived," Mara
commented, as Luke's smile widened. "Go on out. I'll be right
behind you."
Luke slapped open the hatch and hurried down the ramp,
setting down their bag. Leia practically leapt into his arms,
and he swung her around joyously.
"Luke, I can hardly believe it!" she gushed. "You've
finally come home to us!"
"Oh, Leia, I've missed you so," he cried as he hugged her tightly.
"And, Han, it's good to see you again." Luke extracted himself
from Leia long enough to give Han a friendly hug.
Just then, Han spotted Mara coming slowly down the ramp.
She was dressed in a black Jedi robe, and had a pleasant smile on
her face, quite different than Han ever remembered seeing her
before.
"Well, Mara Jade, I see you found your way back also."
"It is my ship," she responded smartly. "Did you think I'd
let Skywalker return without me?"
The frown that crossed Leia's face didn't escape Han's
notice.
"So," Han began, trying to regain the atmosphere of good
cheer which was threatening to evaporate, "just where have you
two been all this time?"
"Let's just say we made a wrong turn on the way to Yavin,"
Luke answered. "We'll explain everything when we get to your
apartments. If that's where we're going, that is."
"Of course." Leia tugged him toward their nearby speeder.
"You can sit in the back with me."
Luke stood his ground, however, and looked toward Mara.
Han, fortunately, took the hint.
"You're invited, too, of course, Mara," he said to her, and
he picked up the satchel Luke had left on the ramp.
The foursome headed for the Solos' speeder. Luke once
again resisted Leia's pulling on his arm in order to take Mara's
elbow and help her into the front passenger seat.
There's definitely something odd going on, Han thought to
himself as he put the luggage in the back and slipped into the
driver's seat. He could hear Leia chatting happily in the back,
with Luke answering patiently. Mara remained quiet, however,
almost subdued.
"This is a new look for you, isn't it, Mara?" Han ventured,
hoping she wouldn't bite his head off. "Does this mean you're a
Jedi now?"
Unexpectantly, Mara smiled. "Yes, I am. At least, Luke
says I am, and he's the master. I finally completed my
training."
"Ah, I see," Han said with a nod.
"That is what I was going to Yavin for in the first place,"
she said, shrugging.
They soon reached the palace, and rode the lift up to the
Solos' private residence. Luke remained attentive to Mara, his
hand hovering at her back as she entered and exited the lift.
They had barely made it through the front door when three
raucous children jumped Luke, amid cries of "Uncle Luke! Uncle
Luke!"
"Whoa, there," he said, laughing. "You don't look like the same
kids I remember."
"We've grown, Uncle Luke," Jacen answered for all of them.
"You've been gone a long time."
"I know, and I'm sorry." He hugged them all at once. "I
didn't mean to be."
As Luke was entangled with his niece and nephews, with Mara
looking on, Han pulled Leia aside.
"C'mon, Princess, let's get everyone something to drink, and
then we can sit down and find out where they've been."
They had a small entertainment bar in the corner of their
common room, and Han began pulling out appropriate refreshments.
He leaned over and whispered to Leia, "Don't you think they're
acting mighty peculiar?"
"What?" Leia was jolted out of the gaze she had transfixed
on Luke.
"Luke and Mara," he replied, still keeping his voice low.
"Have you ever seen them act this way together?"
Leia's line of vision shifted to the smiling Mara, still
standing to the side. "Surely she'll leave soon. This is a
family reunion."
Luke had already lost his outer cloak to the tugging of the
kids, and now Mara moved closer to him.
"Luke, honey, can you help me with my cloak?" Mara said
clearly to him.
Han, carrying a drink in each hand, stopped in his tracks.
'Luke, honey?' he mouthed to Leia, whose eyes had grown wide, an
unpleasant expression crossing her face.
Luke was dutifully undoing the clasps on Mara's cloak, and
pulled it from her shoulders.
A loud crash sounded through the room as the glasses slipped
from Han's hands. All the Solos stared at Mara. There, strapped
to the front of her in some kind of sling, was a small blond-
headed baby. As Luke gently extracted him from the carrier,
talking softly all the while, the child's eyes opened, bright blue
eyes that slowly took in his surroundings.
Han didn't need the Force to detect the chill coming from
his wife. Her eyes were as cold as ice.
Jaina broke the silence first. "A baby! You found a baby!"
Luke smiled, cradling Dane in his arms. "We didn't just
find him, Jaina. He's ours." Luke's eyes swept across the room,
stopping at Leia's stare. "This is our son," he added quietly.
Jacen and Anakin crowded in next to their sister, trying to get a
better look.
"How could you?" Leia snarled. "How could you do this to
me?"
Luke looked pleadingly at his twin. "Leia, please ...," he
began, but Leia had already stormed out of the room and into the
kitchen, wishing they had the kind of doors that would slam.
Han hesitated, not sure if he should confront Luke, follow
Leia, or clean up the spilled drinks. He decided the middle
option needed his attention first, and hurried toward the kitchen.
Leia's anger washed over Luke, Mara, even the children.
Luke and Mara exchanged glances, and Luke started to rise when
Mara touched his arm.
"Luke, wait. Try to see things from her point of view. She
thought she would never see you again, and now you come sauntering
back into her life, with a baby and me in tow."
"I know, Mara, but I have to talk to her. I need to make
her understand, we didn't do this to hurt her."
Mara nodded and squeezed his arm as he handed Dane back to
her. He then followed Leia and Han's path.
As Luke entered the kitchen, Leia was vehemently shrugging
off Han's attempts to comfort her. As she felt Luke's presence,
she whirled toward her brother.
"How could you!?" she spat at him, echoing her earlier
outburst.
"Leia, what do you mean?" he implored. "What did I do?"
"You just left us," she stammered, "so you could run off
with that, that harlot! We were here mourning you, while you were
out sleeping with that Imperial tramp!" Leia was so angry she was
shaking. "You must be ashamed of yourself, the way you sneaked in
here with that little bastard."
Luke stood perfectly still. Han had never seen such a deadly
expression on his face.
"Don't you ever, ever call my wife or son names again," he
said icily. He had one hand raised slightly, and Han half-
expected lightening bolts to jump out.
"Luke, please, she didn't mean it." Han had to diffuse this
situation now, before it went any further.
Leia, however, was not about to back down. "Your wife!" she
shrieked. "You couldn't possible do something that insane! How
could you marry the Emperor's Hand? Where? Where have you even
been?"
"Please, let's all calm down and discuss this," Han
implored. Luke and Leia stared blaster bolts at each other. When
he thought there was a chance he had their attention, Han turned
to his brother-in-law. "Luke, maybe you should start at the
beginning. Where have you been all this time?"
Han could see Luke visibly bringing his anger under control,
shutting his eyes briefly, then opening them again slowly.
"On the way to Yavin, our ship was pulled into some kind of
spatial anomaly," Luke began, his voice even and low. "We emerged
in an unknown galaxy, with no way to know which direction to head.
We were picked up by a starship, a military exploration vessel.
We stayed with them until we found a way back."
"You called Mara your wife," Han prompted, trying to elicit
more details without upsetting him.
"We were married on the starship," he said simply, his eyes
never leaving Leia's face. "And we had a baby there."
"That can't possibly be a legal marriage," Leia stated
coldly. "We'll have it annulled."
Oh, no, thought Han. Here we go again.
Meanwhile, Mara tried to distract the children from the
anger emanating from their mother and uncle. She sent waves of
calm feelings toward Luke. *Don't lose your temper, Luke. She
doesn't realize what she's saying. We have to be patient.*
"Miss Jade, why are Mom and Uncle Luke so mad?" Anakin spoke
for the first time.
"I guess your mother was just surprised," Mara answered.
"This had to be quite a shock to her."
"Well, we're surprised, too," Jaina tried to rationalize
Mara's answer, "but we're not mad. I think this is a happy
surprise."
"That's what your Uncle Luke and I thought it would be,
too," Mara murmured.
"Miss Jade?" It was Jacen this time, eyeing her warily.
"Are you and Uncle Luke married?"
Mara glanced at their curious faces. "Why, yes, of course."
Obviously they had the knowledge that it was possible for two
people to have a baby without being married. "So you can call me
Aunt Mara, if you'd like," she added.
"Aunt Mara?" Jaina piped up. "Can I hold him?" she asked,
looking at Dane.
"Sure, just sit right here on the couch," she invited Jaina,
then carefully placed Dane in her waiting arms. "That's it, just
keep your arm behind his head."
"What's his name?" Jaina asked.
Mara realized they hadn't even given out that much
information yet.
"His name is Dane," she said, smiling, as Dane cooed up at Jaina.
"And he's almost three standard months old."
"Where was he born?" Jacen inquired, sensing his new aunt
was in a talkative mood. Except for a brief time on Drall, the
children hadn't been around Mara Jade much, but when they had,
she's always seemed rather distant to them.
"He was born on a starship, in another galaxy. That's where
your Uncle Luke and I were married, too."
"Is that where you've been? In another galaxy?" Jacen
continued.
"Yes, we didn't know how to get home," Mara explained as
simply as she could.
"So how did you get home?" Jacen asked, still not satisfied.
Mara had forgotten how many questions children could have.
"A very powerful being, with a lot of magic, sent us home."
Mara could read Jacen's next question forming on his lips. "Yes,
Jacen, more powerful than your Uncle Luke."
In the kitchen, Han was having his hands full playing
referee between the two Jedi. Thoughts of darksiders ran through
his head, as he realized what a precarious position he was in.
"Our marriage is perfectly legal," Luke was saying, his
voice still low and menacing. "Mara is my wife, and I love her."
"Then get out of my home," Leia countered, looking like a
coiled viper. "I don't even know you anymore. I wish you'd never
come back."
Luke didn't say a word, he just stormed out. Leia headed
the opposite direction, going out the rear entrance. Han wasn't
sure who to follow, but finally decided it was his own kids in the
common room who would need him the most.
Mara rose as Luke approached.
"We're leaving," he announced flatly, his voice allowing no
room for discussion. Mara took Dane back from Jaina and quickly
gathered up their cloaks. Luke was shouldering their satchel just
as Han entered.
"Luke, can't we talk this out?" he made one last attempt.
Luke paused at the door. "We're not welcome here. I'm
sorry, Han."
Mara glanced sadly at the bewildered expressions on the
children's faces, then followed Luke into the corridor. Han stood
at the doorway.
"Where will you go?" he asked.
"I don't know," was Luke's only reply. He then made a
slight gesture, and he and his family disappeared from sight.
Han sighed and turned back into the room, wondering how he
was going to explain all this to his three waiting children.
Luke and Mara made their way out of the palace in silence,
hidden from view by Luke. Once outside the gates, they moved
toward the public slideway system. In a secluded area they
reappeared, though their appearances were slightly changed with
Force disguises.
"Where are we headed?" Mara finally broke the silence.
Luke shrugged. "Any suggestions?"
"We can go to my apartment. The cleaning droid should have
kept the dust down."
"Okay," Luke agreed, then lapsed once more into stillness.
"You knew it would be a shock for her," Mara broached the
subject that weighed heavily on both their minds. "She's feeling
confused, and threatened. She probably feels she's still lost
you, this time to me."
"That's no excuse for what she ... what she called you. You
and Dane."
Mara slipped one hand under Luke's arm. "Hon, I've been
called worse. It's all right."
"It is not all right," Luke snapped back, then sighed,
raised her hand and kissed it. "I'm sorry, love. I was just looking
forward to coming back so much, and now, now I don't know what's going
to happen."
"Whatever happens, we'll get through it together."
They soon arrived at Mara's apartment building. No one paid
them any attention as they reached her door. Mara punched in her
security code, but the 'Invalid Code' sign flashed. She tried it
again, certain she remembered the right code, but received the
same response.
"I don't understand. I'm sure this is the right sequence,"
Mara said, puzzled.
"Mara, there's someone inside," Luke advised her.
Just then, the door flew open and a large burly humanoid
glared at them.
"What's goin' on out here?!" he bellowed. "You tryin' to
break in?"
"Who are you?" Mara shot back, "and what are you doing in my
apartment?"
"Your apartment?" the man snarled. "This is my apartment,
sister."
"But, but ..." Mara stammered.
Luke gently touched her arm, then addressed the occupant.
"Sir, how long have you had this apartment?"
"Nearly eight standard months," he growled back. "What's it
your business?"
Luke remained unflappable. "This had been my wife's
apartment," he explained. "We've been away a long time ..."
"I don't know nuthin' about that," the man retorted. "I
heard the last person that lived here is dead."
Mara was trying to peer around the man.
"Where's my belongings?" she demanded.
"Listen, lady, this place was empty when I rented it. Now
leave me alone." With that, the door swished shut.
"How far ahead did you have your rent paid up?" Luke asked
Mara.
"A couple months," she replied sullenly. "I figured I'd be
back from Yavin by then."
"Well, it's clear they put it back up for rent after you
quit paying. Someone must know where your things are. We could
ask some of your neighbors."
Mara looked embarrassed. "I never got to know any of my
neighbors. I was gone more than I was here."
"We could try the manager."
Mara shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I didn't have
much anyway. We just need someplace to stay tonight."
"I suppose we can get a hotel room, but we'll need some
credits." Luke shouldered their bag. "Let's go find a money
center."
Luke and Mara walked to the nearest banking kiosk, a few
blocks away. When she tried to withdraw a credit voucher,
however, she received the same response as at her apartment --
ACCESS DENIED. When she punched in an inquiry, the answer came
back -- ACCOUNTHOLDER DECEASED - ACCOUNT FROZEN.
"Let me try mine," Luke suggested, though he didn't hold out
much hope. However, the response he received was slightly
different -- ACCOUNT CLOSED.
"At least it sounds like your money is still there. They
probably gave mine to Leia."
"Lot of good it does us, until we are declared no longer
dead." Mara frowned. "This is just great."
"So, now what?" Luke asked. "We could track down Lando, or
Wedge, or Karrde. Somebody."
Mara shook her head. "Let's just go back to the ship. We
can stay there tonight."
Luke put his arm around Mara's shoulders. "It'll be all
right. As long as we're together, remember?"
Mara shifted Dane on her shoulder and gave Luke a smile.
"As long as we're together," she repeated.
Later that evening, Han slipped out of the palace, telling
the kids he had some business to take care of. Leia was holed up
in her office, refusing to speak to him, claiming he was taking
Luke's side in what she saw as a disaster.
As he made his way into the spaceport, whom should Han run
into but Lando Calrissian.
"Han, ol' buddy," Lando greeted him jovially. "What are you
doing out this way? The Falcon isn't docked here."
"Well, uh, I'm coming to see someone, if they're even here,"
Han answered uncertainly.
"Who?"
Han hesitated. He didn't think Lando would have any
objection to Luke and Mara being married, even though he had
pursued Mara himself some time back. And the kid and his new wife
would probably like to see a friendly face.
"C'mon along, and you'll see."
Han and Lando made their way across the docking bays, when
Lando suddenly looked up and stopped in his tracks.
"That's ..., that's ...," he sputtered, "the Jade's Fire." He
looked wide-eyed at Han's lop-sided grin.
"Yeah, it is. Let's see if anyone is home."
Mara had finished feeding Dane and was rocking him in the
lounge, when Luke looked up.
"Han's coming toward the ship," he announced, "and he has
someone with him."
"Lando," Mara put in, feeling their presence also.
"Our first visitors," Luke half-joked, as he got up to
answer the banging on the hatch.
"Well, I'll be a wampa's uncle," Lando exclaimed, as Luke
appeared at the top of the ramp. He grabbed Luke in a Wookiee-
sized hug. "I can't believe it."
"That's the general sentiment of the day," Luke murmured.
"It's good to see you, Lando."
Han noticed Luke was dressed in loose-fitting clothing and
led them quietly into the ship in his stocking feet.
"You weren't going to bed already, were you?" Han asked.
"No, no." Luke laughed. "Just wasn't expecting company."
They entered the lounge, where Mara still sat holding Dane
in the rocking chair that the Voyager crew had given them.
"My, you're looking very maternal this evening, Mara," Han
observed.
Mara looked at the shocked Lando. "You'd better close your
mouth, Calrissian, or bugs could fly in," she quipped.
"You're alive too, and you brought a baby back with you!"
Lando exclaimed.
"We weren't going to just leave him there," Mara answered
smartly.
"What's going on here?" Lando looked at each of them.
"Han?"
"Hey, I'm here for some more answers myself," Han shot back.
"And for a chance to hold my new nephew."
Mara rose, smiling, and indicated her just-vacated seat.
"Then you must sit in Dane's throne," she said, laughing.
"Nephew?" Lando exclaimed. "Would somebody please tell me
what's going on?"
Mara handed Dane to Han, then snuggled up close to Luke on
an adjacent couch.
"Have a seat, Lando," Luke invited. "This could take
awhile."
Luke and Mara took turns describing their unexpected arrival
in the Delta Quadrant, being picked up by Voyager, their
subsequent marriage, Dane's birth, and ending with their return to
Coruscant.
"Well, incredible as your story sounds," commented Lando,
"knowing you two, I believe it could happen. But what I don't
understand is, why are you still on your ship instead of at the
palace?" Lando glanced at Han, then back at Luke. "I wouldn't
think Leia would want you out of her sight."
After a few moments' silence, Luke finally spoke, his arm
firmly around Mara. "She was happy to see me, up until she found
out Mara and I are ... together. That upset her greatly." Mara
took Luke's hand and squeezed it gently.
"Leia doesn't view me as a suitable partner for her
brother," Mara added.
"She'll get over it," Han encouraged. "You just have to
give her time."
Luke and Mara didn't answer. They could both feel Leia's
continued anger and hurt.
"I wasn't sure you'd be on the Fire when I headed over
here," Han went on. "I thought maybe you would find a hotel room
or someplace else to stay."
Luke shrugged. "It's hard to get a room when you don't have
any credits."
"And it's hard to get credits when all your accounts are
frozen because everyone thinks you're dead," Mara added. "And you
find out there's some stranger living in your apartment."
"And we didn't feel like bothering anyone else," Luke
continued. "So we just came back here. We're doing fine."
"Bothering?!" Lando exclaimed. "You should have come
straight to me. I'll be glad to help."
"And you know I'd give you anything you need," Han added.
"Thanks, both of you, but we're comfortable here. This is
our home for now," Luke explained.
"Well, one member of your family is so comfortable he fell
asleep," Han noted, looking at the slumbering child in his arms.
Luke laughed quietly. "I'll put him in bed," he said, as he
effortlessly took Dane from Han.
Han followed Luke back to the cabins. "You handle him
pretty well," Han noted, as Luke changed Dane's diaper and tucked
him into his crib.
"I've had nearly three months to practice," Luke replied,
as he stroked Dane's hair, sending him feelings of comfort.
"Well, you and Mara seem to make pretty good parents, for
two people I never thought would ever get married, much less to
each other."
"We're very happy together," Luke said as he straightened
up, "and overjoyed to have Dane. I don't think either of us knew
what happiness was until we finally admitted we were in love with
one another. Mara's not just my wife, Han, she's my life. I love
her with every breath I take."
Luke sighed and leaned against the bulkhead. "I tried so
hard to get us home, Han." He raised a hand when Han started to
interrupt. "I know, I know, try not, do or do not. Well, I did
not. The great Jedi Master couldn't even find his way home. I
had to rely on someone else, who just blinked his eyes and sent us
home."
"Luke, buddy, no one expects you to be able to do
everything."
"So Mara reminds me." Luke stuck his hands in his pockets.
"I felt so guilty, I drove her crazy some days."
"Guilty? For what?"
"For being happy. For having fun while all of you were
mourning us. For not getting us home."
"Luke, that's crazy."
"I've been called crazy before. Han, I had visions of Leia,
of you and the kids. Even though I couldn't feel your presence, I
knew how you felt. And I couldn't do a damn thing about it."
Luke leaned his head back and shut his eyes. "And now Leia
hates me for it."
"She doesn't hate you. She just needs time to adjust. She
loves you, Luke, she always will. I think she loves you more than
she loves me."
At that Luke opened his eyes. "I'm sorry, Han. I'm so
sorry. Maybe we shouldn't have come back. Maybe everyone would
have been better off if we'd just stayed dead."
"You're talking nonsense. Luke, I'm not jealous. I never
have been." Han gave him a grin. "Well, maybe a little, before I
found out you were her brother. Look, you're my best friend,
besides Chewie. But you're as stubborn and thick-headed as your
sister."
"Hence the term 'twins'." Luke finally cracked a small
smile.
"Maybe you could talk to Leia," Han said hopefully. "You
have that way of changing people's minds."
"Not this time, Han. Leia doesn't want to talk to me." Luke
sighed again. "We're going to Yavin tomorrow. Maybe when we come
back."
"You're leaving already? You just got here."
"I need to check on the Academy." Luke looked up at Han.
"There still is an Academy, I hope?"
"Sure. All your teachers are still there, as far as I know.
Oh, Kyp's declared himself a Jedi Master. Actually, the Senate
pressured him into it. They thought the galaxy needed to have a
Jedi Master, and Kyp was the front-runner."
"Hmm. Well, Kyp was ready," Luke mused, then fell silent.
"It's getting late, we should be going," Han finally said.
Luke just nodded, and followed Han back out to the lounge.
Lando rose as they entered.
"I was just telling Mara how I knew all along she and Luke
made a good couple," Lando bragged.
"Yeah, yeah, Lando's a real psychic." Mara laughed. She got
up and slipped her arm around Luke's waist. She had felt his
frustration from a few moments earlier.
"Lando, how about we let these lovebirds get to sleep?" Han
said, then turned to Luke and Mara. "You sure we can't put you up
in a hotel?"
"No, no." Luke smiled wanly. "We're settled in for the
night. And like I said, we're leaving tomorrow."
"Well, you call me if you need anything," Han insisted.
"We will," Mara promised. She then slipped a small holovid disc
into Han's hand.
"What's this?" he asked.
"Just something we brought back for you and Leia. Maybe
you'll enjoy it, anyway."
"Uh, thanks," Han murmured, then lowered his voice as Luke
was talking to Lando. "Mara, it's going to take him awhile ..."
"I know," she whispered back, then winked at Han. "Believe
it or not, I've learned patience while we were gone. I'll help
him."
Mara gave Han a hug. "Something tells me you're going to
have a harder time than I am," she added.
Mara turned and gave Lando a goodbye hug as he and Luke
approached.
Han gave them a sad smile. "Take care, you two. And come
back soon."
"Will do," Luke replied, as he shook Han's, then Lando's
hand.
After their visitors' departure, Mara cupped Luke's face in
her hands. "Luke, sweetheart, you can't blame yourself for Leia's
actions. We haven't done anything wrong."
Luke kissed his wife tenderly. "I'm so lucky to have you.
Let's go to bed. It's been a long day."
As Mara lay in their bunk, one arm draped around her
husband, many thoughts were running through her mind. How could
Leia treat her beloved brother so poorly? She didn't care what
Leia thought of her, but Luke didn't deserve this. Maybe, Mara
thought, if I go to Leia tomorrow, beg her to ...
"Mara, don't," came Luke's voice beside her. "Neither of us
is going groveling for forgiveness."
"You're supposed to be asleep."
"So are you."
Mara sighed deeply, then thought with annoyance that this
was one of Luke's habits she had picked up.
"Lando said Karrde is due back to Coruscant anytime now,"
Mara began, wanting to change the subject. "I'd like to see him
before we leave."
"Of course," Luke mumbled, shifting to a more comfortable
position. "We'll wait until you can see him." Luke shifted
again. "You know, this bunk wasn't designed for two people."
"Good thing we're both small," Mara observed.
"Good thing we weren't here three or four months ago," Luke
returned, which elicited a swat from Mara, remembering how
uncomfortable she was toward the end of her pregnancy.
Just then, a whimper sounded from across the room.
"He can't be hungry already," Mara murmured. "Let's wait
and see if he goes back to sleep."
Dane, however, took his parents' inaction as a reason to cry
that much louder.
"I'll get him," Luke mumbled sleepily as he crawled out of
bed. He picked up his wailing son and held him close. "Hey,
Dane, what's the matter?" he whispered.
"Check his diaper," Mara suggested.
After a moment the answer came back, "Clean and dry. And I
don't sense that he's hungry, more like he's scared, or upset."
Luke gently rubbed his back, sending his son feelings of comfort.
"It's the ship," Mara said suddenly, as inspiration hit her.
"We're not on the ship."
"Honey, we're on a ship."
"But we're not moving. He's used to the feel of Voyager
traveling through space. He's never slept anywhere else."
"Could be," Luke conceded. "How 'bout it, Dane? Do you
miss Voyager? I'm kinda missing it myself tonight."
Dane quieted down as Luke stood rocking him back and forth.
Moments after Luke laid him back in his crib, however, the wailing
resumed.
"Do you want me to try?" Mara offered.
"No, you go on to sleep. We'll take a walk," Luke replied,
as he picked up his son once more. "I doubt I'll be able to sleep
tonight anyway."
So Luke and Dane explored every nook and cranny of the ship,
from the galley to the cargo hold and back again. Dane was
satisfied as long as they kept moving. Eventually they made their
way to the rocking chair in the lounge.
"Well, Dane, today's homecoming didn't go quite the way I
anticipated," Luke mused, as Dane cooed to the sound of his
father's soothing voice. "I thought sure your Aunt Leia would be
overjoyed to meet you." He leaned over and kissed the top of his
son's head. "I guess it's just going to take her awhile to get
used to the idea."
The gentle rocking motion eventually lulled Dane to sleep,
followed soon thereafter by his father. Which is how Mara found
them the next morning, Luke stretched out in the rocker clutching
Dane against his chest, both sound asleep.
Mara shook Luke's shoulder. "Luke, wake up!"
"What?" Luke mumbled.
"Wake up. What are you doing, sleeping like this? You
could have dropped him!" Mara chastised her husband.
"I didn't drop him," Luke grumbled.
Mara shook her head and picked the now awake Dane up out of
Luke's arms. "C'mon, sweetie. Let's get you some breakfast."
"Lando buzzed this morning and said Karrde landed during the
night," Mara said over her shoulder.
"That's nice," Luke said absent-mindedly as he fixed himself
a cup of caf.
"I thought I'd go see him right after Dane and I finish our
breakfast."
"That's nice," Luke repeated, yawning.
Mara looked at him strangely. "Then I thought I'd go rob a
banking center and get us some credits."
"That's nice," came the answer. Luke looked up and winked.
"I'm awake, I'm awake," he teased. "I promise not to drop him
while you're gone, either."
Mara gazed at her husband's twinkling blue eyes and youthful
grin. "You're in a better mood this morning," she remarked.
Luke shrugged. "Sitting around feeling sorry for myself
isn't going to do anybody any good. Despair can lead to the dark
side."
Luke walked behind Mara, and began massaging her shoulders.
"I have the most gorgeous wife in any galaxy and a wonderful son.
I'm not going to let this temporary rift with Leia affect my
family's happiness."
He leaned over and nuzzled her neck.
"Some more of that and we'll be expanding that family," Mara
said, laughing.
"Okay by me," Luke acquiesced, as he licked her ear.
Suddenly Luke straightened, as a frown crossed his face.
"Leia is coming toward the ship."
Mara nodded. "I don't sense any anger from her."
Luke squeezed Mara's shoulder, then moved toward the
hatchway. As he lowered the ramp, Leia approached tentatively.
"Hello, Leia," Luke said evenly.
"Luke," she nodded in response. "I ... I wanted to talk to
you ... you and Mara."
Luke gazed at her. "Come in," he finally said, promising
himself he would not lose his temper. He thought of the
conversation he had just had with Mara only moments before.
Luke led Leia into the lounge. Leia hesitated as she saw
Mara nursing the baby.
"Come in, Leia," Mara said warmly. "Forgive me if I don't
get up."
"Thank you," Leia answered uncertainly, as she sensed Mara's
genuine graciousness. She looked between Luke and Mara, then took
a seat. Luke sat close to Mara, keeping silent.
"Luke, Mara," the former Princess began, "I've ... come to
apologize for my behavior yesterday. There's no excuse for the
things I said. I don't expect you to forgive me. I was just
hoping we could, well, ..."
Luke leaned over and touched Leia's hand. "Leia, it's all
right. We understand."
"Leia, we're sorry we hurt you," Mara added. "We know the
last fifteen months have been incredibly difficult for you. And
then we just sweep in out of the blue, with a baby, and announce
we're married. It had to be a shock."
"Yes, it was," Leia admitted.
"It was rather surprising to us, too, and we were there,"
Luke said, laughing lightly. He glanced at Mara, then back at Leia.
"Leia, let's forget about yesterday. We'll put it behind us, and
start over."
"I'd like that, Luke," Leia said, tears of relief spilling
down her cheeks. She and Luke both rose and embraced in a long
overdue reunion.
Mara had finished feeding Dane by then, and stood up
uncertainly.
"Luke," she touched his arm softly, "I did want to see Talon
this morning. Perhaps you and Leia would like some time alone
together?"
Luke smiled. "Sure, go ahead. I'll take care of Dane." He
cradled Dane easily in one arm as Mara excused herself to change
clothes.
"Leia, I'd like you to meet my son, Dane Skywalker," he
grinned proudly.
"He's beautiful, Luke," she congratulated him.
Luke gave a jestful frown. "Handsome, not beautiful. Did I
ever call your boys beautiful?"
"No, you just called them holy terrors. May I?" Leia held
out her arms.
Luke looked down at his gurgling offspring. "Dane, this is
your Aunt Leia. Don't spit up on her too bad."
"Oh, Luke, don't you think I've ever been spit up on by a
baby?"
"I suspect Winter has more than you," Luke shot back,
instantly regretting his words.
Just then, Mara reappeared.
"I'll try not to be long," she assured Luke.
"Take your time," Luke responded. "We'll be fine."
"I know." She smiled at Luke. He gave her a gentle goodbye
kiss, and squeezed her hand.
*Everything will be fine now, sweetheart,* she sent to him,
glancing at Leia who was stroking Dane's cheek.
*Yes it will, Mar, yes it will.*
After Mara left, Luke sat down next to Leia.
"I'm sorry for the crack about Winter," he apologized. "I
know you wanted to spend more time with the kids when they were
little."
"And who's idea was it to send them away?"
"Mine. And it was a mistake. Children belong with their
parents."
"The voice of experience?" Leia chided him.
"I guess so." He looked at Leia intently. "Leia, falling
in love with Mara is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I
love her so much. She and I are so close, we've become one. We've
bonded through the Force." He exhaled slowly. "It's the most
incredible feeling, Leia. She completes me."
Leia could see the joy glistening in his eyes. She reached
out and grasped his hand.
"I'm so happy for you, Luke. And Mara has changed so much.
You must be a good influence on her."
Luke gave her a strange look. "Mara's not so different, not
really. She's always been a caring, loving person deep down. She
just kept it bottled up inside of her."
"If you say so," Leia replied, not quite believing him, but
not wanting to start a disagreement. "All I know is, you seem to
be good for each other."
Leia shifted Dane to the other shoulder. "The whole time
you were gone, Luke, I only thought of myself, how lonely I was
without you. I was angry at you for abandoning me. And then when
you showed up with Mara, and proclaimed you and her had a baby
together, all I could think of was that you did this to spite me.
I was jealous of her, Luke. I didn't want to believe you could be
closer to anyone than you were to me."
"I thought we weren't going to talk about yesterday," Luke
interjected.
"I need to, Luke. I need to get this out in the open."
"So what happened to change your mind?"
"The holovid."
"What holovid?"
"Your holovid. Han said Mara gave it to him."
"Oh, that one."
"I caught Han watching it in the middle of the night, when
he thought I was asleep. At first I was upset, then I found
myself watching it, too. I even made him start over at the
beginning. As I sat there, I realized I wasn't looking at a Jedi
Master and a former Imperial. I saw a man and a woman deeply in
love, a newlywed couple having fun together, new parents overjoyed
at the birth of their child. I haven't thought of you as a
regular person since ... since before Bespin."
Luke sat forward, his face intent. "I wanted so much for
you to be there, to share those moments with us. We even
considered waiting to get married until we returned, but we
weren't sure when, or if, that would ever happen."
"That would have been a long wait. You did right to go on
with your life."
"I'm so sorry to have caused you such sadness, Leia," Luke
apologized. "We tried and tried to get back. Not a day went by
that I didn't ask myself, what could I be doing different? What
am I overlooking?" He took Leia's hand in his own. "I couldn't
sense your presence, but I knew you were hurting, because I was
too."
"Luke," Leia soothed, rocking Dane, "I know you did
everything you could to get back to us. I'm sure that if there
was any way you could have avoided going into that anomaly, you
would have. But it happened and it's over, and now you're back
with us."
Luke's expression changed while Leia was speaking. Silently
he rose, facing away from his sister.
"Luke?"
"I was selfish, Leia," he said quietly.
"What do you mean? You couldn't help being there."
"No, but ..."
Leia noticed he was clenching and unclenching his right
hand, a nervous habit of his, she remembered.
Still not looking at her, he finally continued, his voice
near breaking. "Q had the power to send us back to the same point
in time as when we left. It would have been as if the last
fifteen months had never happened. But I didn't ..., I
couldn't ..."
"Luke." Leia came up behind him, still holding her new
nephew.
He turned his head and looked at her with sorrow in his
eyes. "I felt so guilty the whole time we were gone. I knew how
my disappearance was affecting you. I could have spared you all
that heartache. But I was selfish. I didn't want to lose what
Mara and I had together. I didn't want to lose my son."
Leia started to speak, but he cut her off. "I knew there
was every chance in the universe that Mara and I would have fallen
in love all over again, and had a baby again. But I was afraid."
Tears were welling up in his eyes. "I didn't want to take that
chance. I put my own desires above everything else."
He turned away again. "I'm so sorry, Leia. I'm so sorry."
Leia yanked him around, an incredulous look on her face.
"Listen to me. Never think that. I can't believe you could have
even considered possibly losing this precious child, just to
protect my feelings." She reached up and cupped his face. "My
dear, dear brother, I've never seen you so contented as I have
today. You deserve this happiness, Luke, you and Mara both. I'm
so ashamed I tried to spoil it for you."
"Try not," he quipped, smiling weakly.
Leia swatted at him. "How does Mara put up with you?"
"I'm not sure. You'll have to ask her." He hugged her
warmly. "How can I be so fortunate? The two most wonderful women
in the galaxy, and I'm related to both of them."
Leia only smiled. Yes, things were going to be fine.
Leia stayed several more hours, then talked Luke into coming
back to the palace with her, where Mara met them and Han for
lunch. They laughed over Mara's recounting of how Karrde nearly
fell out of his chair when she walked in.
"I should have brought Dane with me, he probably would have
fainted dead away," she said jokingly. "By the way, Luke, he
insists we join him for dinner sometime. Perhaps tomorrow?"
"We're leaving for Yavin tomorrow," Luke replied.
Mara glanced over at Leia, then back to Luke. "I thought
now that ..."
"I need to check on the Academy," Luke said adamantly.
"But, Luke, you can't leave this soon! You just got here,"
Leia insisted.
"We could delay Yavin a few days," Mara joined in.
"So now you two are going to gang up on me?"
"Welcome to married life, kid," Han quipped.
Luke just shook his head in defeat.
Three days later, the Skywalkers were preparing the Jade's
Fire for take-off.
"Feels familiar, doesn't it?"
"I just hope we make it all the way this time."
"Oh, I don't know, last time didn't turn out so bad."
Nevertheless, as they approached the coordinates of their
fateful disappearance, Luke and Mara stood on the bridge, staring
out the front viewport into the nothingness of hyperspace. Luke
wrapped his arms around his wife and held her close.
"We're past," he finally whispered.
"You realize dozens of ships have traveled this same route
after us without any trouble," Mara pointed out.
"I know."
"And those wormhole things could pop up anywhere, anytime."
"I know," he repeated, kissing the top of her head. "We're
going to make it to Yavin this time, Mara."
"Do you ever wonder what would have happened if we'd made it
the first time? Between us, I mean?"
Luke turned Mara around to face him, staring into her deep
green eyes. "I still would have fallen in love with you, Mara.
Perhaps it wouldn't have happened so quickly, but it would've
happened. I'm certain of it."
Mara leaned forward and kissed him lightly. "So am I."
They reached orbit over Yavin without incident, and radioed
in the ship's call number, with a request for permission to land.
"I didn't recognize that voice," Luke commented, as they
received clearance.
"Han and Leia said there were a lot of new students here.
And you're the one who didn't want to let them know we're alive
and on our way."
After they touched down, Luke and Mara donned their Jedi
cloaks, hoods up. Mara carried Dane, with Luke carrying their
small satchel, mostly filled with baby necessities. This time,
however, Dane was wide awake and able to see where he was going.
Though Luke and Mara kept their son hidden while on Coruscant,
they had no qualms about his safety here on Yavin.
At the bottom of the ramp, Luke paused to drink in the
sight, sounds, and feel of the abundant life that covered the
moon. "How I've missed this place," he murmured.
"Feels pretty good to me, too," Mara agreed. "If it just
wasn't so humid."
Luke grinned under his hood, and turned to face a young Jedi
student striding across the landing pad.
"Greetings," the young Calamarian welcomed them, bowing
slightly. "I am Jedi Denkiri. How may I be of service?"
"Greetings to you," Luke nodded in reply. "I am Luke, and
this is my wife Mara. We have come to see Kyp Durron. We are old
friends of his."
"Master Durron is in the Great Hall, addressing the
students."
The young Jedi trainee was about to ask their last name,
when strangely enough, he forgot. "I shall take you there."
*Feeling playful, are we?* Luke heard in his mind.
*I'd like to observe Kyp's oratory skills is all, without
making a scene.*
*Sure, sure. I noticed how you cloaked our presence as soon
as we reached orbit.*
Luke just lifted a corner of his hood to give her a smile as
they trailed behind their guide.
As they entered the back of the Great Hall, Luke tapped Jedi
Denkiri. "We shall wait back here until the assembly is
concluded. We do not wish to disturb anyone."
"Very well," came the trainee's reply.
So the small Skywalker family remained incognito, taking
seats at the rear of the hall. Kyp talked at length on the raised
dais, going over several aspects of the Force to his attentive
audience.
*He seems to be doing pretty well,* Luke sent.
*I'll admit, he has come a long way since I first met him,
thanks to you.*
Luke's eyes swept across the mostly unfamiliar students.
*Your students must have all graduated while we were gone.*
*Apparently.*
After Kyp's speech, Tionne gave a brief presentation on one
of the many chapters of Jedi history, then concluded with a
ballad.
Mara looked down at her now slumbering son. *She's going to
make a great babysitter. Put him right to sleep.*
Luke and Mara stayed in their places as the assembly ended.
The students mingled, discussing that day's lessons. The teachers
remained up front, talking amongst themselves.
Luke rose, gesturing for Mara to join him. He dissolved
their Force shield as they walked toward the front.
Kyp and Streen both looked up sharply at nearly the same
time.
"I feel ..." Kyp began, looking around in confusion.
The other teachers as well began to sense the presence of
their former master, though only Kirana Ti spoke what they all
were thinking. "It's not possible. It must be some kind of
trick."
By then, Kyp had spotted the two cloaked figures coming down
the aisle. He walked slowly toward them, not daring to hope, then
broke into a run when Luke pulled back his hood and flashed him a
wide smile. The two old friends embraced in a hug that would have
made a Wookiee proud.
"Luke!" Kyp cried. "I don't believe it."
"Didn't I teach you better than that," Luke said, laughing. He
turned to greet Streen, Kam, Tionne, and the rest of his friends.
"Who is that?" a student asked Denkiri. The Calamarian
blinked his huge eyes. "An old friend of Master Durron, here for
a visit."
"He looks familiar somehow," another student put in.
Mara pulled her hood back also, letting her red-gold hair
spill out over her shoulders.
"Mara Jade!" Tionne exclaimed, then fixed her wide-eyed gaze
on the sleeping infant.
"Everyone," Luke got their attention, "this is our son.
Mara and I are married."
Luke and Mara were instantly inundated with questions and
congratulations.
Both Kyp and Luke noticed the puzzlement flowing through the
student body. Kyp took Luke by the elbow and cajoled him into
accompanying him to the dais. The students had never seen Master
Durron act so animated.
"Students, we have a wonderful surprise today. May I
present to you Jedi Master Luke Skywalker."
Ripples of disbelief echoed throughout the room.
"I thought he was dead."
"He does look like his holos."
"He's not smiling like that in any of them, though."
Silence fell, however, as Luke began to speak, his soft
voice filling the entire chamber. The sense of peace and calm
surrounding him was overwhelming.
"My friends and fellow Jedi," he began. "I am overjoyed to
be back among you. With me are my wife, Mara, and our son, Dane.
I'm sure you were all told that Mara and I were lost and presumed
dead, but as you can see, the reports of our deaths were greatly
exaggerated." Luke paused briefly, as a small ripple of laughter
escaped the normally impassive Jedi. "I can see that Master
Durron and your other instructors have done an exemplary job in
upholding the ideals of this academy. In the days ahead, I hope
to meet all of you individually."
Luke raised one hand in a sort of blessing. "Until then,
may the Force be with all of you."
Applause filled the Great Hall.
The Skywalkers and the teachers finally made their way to a
nearby lounge. Luke and Mara patiently and humorously related
their tale.
Eventually Luke and several of the others brought their
luggage and portable crib from the ship and placed them in Luke's
old room. The Jedi hadn't disturbed any of Luke's belongings
after his disappearance, declaring the room off-limits to
everyone.
"I hope you weren't considering this some kind of memorial
shrine," Luke joked to them.
"I don't know, it's as stuffy as a tomb in here," Mara
complained good-naturedly.
Several of them cooperated in airing out the small chamber,
and that night Luke and Mara settled in, in 'their' room.
Luke awoke first the next morning and lay in bed, listening
to the singing birds and other jungle sounds of daybreak.
Mara stirred next to him on the narrow pallet. "We're going
to have to get a regular bed in here," she muttered. "And I get
to redecorate."
"You're willing to stay on Yavin?"
Mara rose on one elbow, and nodded yes. "I knew as soon as
we stepped off the ship. This is where we belong."
Luke kissed Mara gratefully. "We don't have to live in the
Great Temple, you know," he commented.
"Where else would we live? All the smaller temples are in
ruins."
Luke got an excited gleam in his eye. He jumped out of bed,
dragging Mara with him.
"Put on a robe and shoes," he instructed her, as he did the
same. He picked up the still sleeping Dane and pulled Mara out
the doorway by the hand.
"Where are we going?" Mara questioned, jogging to keep up.
"You'll see."
They exited the temple and crossed one of the few open
clearings nearby. Finally Luke halted in a small glade. Mara
looked around in wonder.
"It's beautiful here," she praised.
"Isn't it? There's a great view of the mountains, and it's
within walking distance of the temple." He turned to Mara.
"Sweetheart, we can build a cottage here, a real home for us."
Luke's jubilant expression was contagious.
"Yes, Luke, yes." She kissed him warmly. "We're home,
farmboy. We're finally home."
THE END
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