Chapter Twelve

Luke answered the door on the first chime, peering behind Han and Leia as they stood in the hallway.

"No one next in line to meet me today?" he said evenly, and Han thought he could detect a hint of bitterness in his brother-in-law's voice. Oh, this was going to be fun.

"No, but Chewbacca is anxious to see how you're doin'," Han said, following Leia and Luke into the apartment.

"The … Wookiee?" Luke asked, his eyes betraying his curiosity. Han wondered if Luke would still be able to understand Chewie.

"Yeah, maybe we'll bring him by in a day or two, if you're feelin' up to it," Han replied.

"Maybe," Luke muttered, slouching into a chair, hands clasped across his stomach, opposite the sofa where Han and Leia seated themselves. He was dressed in an old tan shirt and brown slacks that Han couldn't remember seeing in ages.

"Luke, we need to speak with you about your … uh, occupation," Leia began cautiously. "We weren't entirely forthcoming about what you do."

"You mean I'm really a notorious underground crimelord who's killed hundreds of beings?" Luke quipped, though there wasn't much mirth in his tone.

You've got the 'killed hundreds' part right, Han thought. Millions, if you count the Death Star.

Luke's sharp gaze shifted to Han, and for one brief moment Han was afraid Luke might've already relearned how to 'read' people's minds.

Leia attempted a small chuckle. "Hmm, no. You are a peacekeeper, in the true sense of the word, but not the ordinary kind."

His eyes narrowed, but Luke didn't reply. He waited for Leia to continue.

"As we told you in the medcenter, you're a Jedi. A Jedi Master, to be precise." Leia glanced at Han, but he decided Leia could explain this as well as he could. "Being a Jedi means you have, well, special powers."

"Like, magic powers?" Luke asked, clearly skeptical. "Or are you talking about some kind of political power?"

Leia rubbed her forehead wearily.

"Of the magic powers variety," Han inserted, earning a frown from Leia. "Hey, why honey-coat it? We're here to tell him the truth. You're a wizard, Luke."

Luke didn't change his casual pose, but the set of his jaw was telling enough. "A wizard," he repeated evenly. "A wizard called a Jedi."

"Han!" Leia rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Luke, you have a power called the Force. It's a kind of energy that's all around us," she waved one arm around the room, "and certain beings can manipulate … hmmm, use it, to … do things."

Han wondered if Ben Kenobi was this tongue-tied when he first explained the Force to Luke. Where was the old blue ghost when you needed him?

"If you're my twin sister, does that mean you have this magic power, too?" Luke asked.

By Leia's pained expression, Han knew she'd caught the intentional 'If you're my twin,' not 'Since you're my twin.'

"Yes, I do," Leia replied. "But I don't have a tenth the proficiency in using the Force that you do."

"You do now," Luke said with a snort. He sat upright a little more, gesturing with his hand. "This tale is getting more and more entertaining. How about a little demonstration, sister?"

Leia scooted forward, determination and frustration mixing on her lovely face. Her all-trusting brother was a distant memory. Holding out one hand, she focused on a caf mug that Luke had left on the room's low table. It rose slowly, then steadily floated into Leia's grasp.

To his credit, Luke barely flinched. That unflappable Jedi calm must be ingrained deeply, Han decided.

"I can do that?" he said, staring intently at the mug.

"Yes," Leia returned simply, not adding that Luke could do that to his X-wing when he felt like it. She held the mug out on her palm. "Focus on the mug, call it to you in your mind. Picture it floating into your own hand."

Luke shifted in his seat, gazing from Leia's face to the mug. Schooling his features into an unreadable mask, he started to hold out his right hand, paused, then extended his left hand outward.

It'll work with either hand, kid, Han refrained from saying.

As Luke narrowed his eyes in concentration, the mug wobbled slightly on Leia's palm. With a glimmer of awe escaping, Luke stopped, glancing at Leia as the mug fell still. She nodded in encouragement, and he resumed his effort. This time the mug barely trembled as it levitated across the open space.

"Could come in handy when I don't feel like getting up," Luke said with a smirk. He directed his attention to Han. "Can you do things like this, too?"

Han held up his hands in protest. "Not me, pal. I'm just an innocent bystander that got sucked into a family of sorcerers."

"Your children?" Luke's brief lighthearted moment had already disappeared.

"They are imbued with the Force, but haven't begun their formal training yet." Leia reached out and took Luke's hands. "Luke, you are the most powerful Force-user in the galaxy. You just need to relearn what you've forgotten."

Luke digested this in calm silence.

"What other tricks can I do?" he finally asked stiffly, pulling away and rising to gaze out at the city.

"All kinds of things," Leia said quickly, standing and moving around so she could see his face. "You can perform seemingly impossible acrobatics, you have lightening fast reflexes." Leia paused, but no response came. "You can sense people's emotions …"

Luke's eyes suddenly shifted momentarily to his sister, and Han knew in that moment that Luke had already discovered that particular talent for himself. Leia's cautious expression showed that she deduced as much also. They needed to be very careful what they thought and said around him.

"You can hide your presence," Leia continued slowly. "You can heal wounds and—"

"Can this Force heal my mind, and bring back my memory?" Luke bit out, once more staring out his window. "Can floating trinkets restore my life as it was?"

"There is a chance …" Leia looked to Han, then moved closer to Luke's side, laying a hand on his shoulder. "There's no way of knowing for sure, but we're hoping that your memories could be retrieved through the Force. The best chance is for you to once more learn to use it."

"You will teach me these skills?"

Leia's eyes again flicked quickly at Han, then she focused on Luke. "We thought it would be best if someone outside the family conducted your training. I don't really feel qualified, and my schedule leaves so little time …"

"And you've already used up your allotment of spare time on me," Luke said casually. Too casually.

"No!" Leia grabbed his arm, shaking him. "Luke, you're my brother, and I love you! If I thought I had the skill to train you in the Force, I would give up my career right now to do so."

Luke softened, placing his hand over Leia's where she still clung to his arm. "I'm sorry, … Leia. I spoke too harshly." He paused as Leia nodded her acceptance. "When can I begin this training?"

"Whenever you're ready," she returned, smiling.

"I'm ready now."

"Then we'll go make the arrangements today." Leia gave Luke a gentle hug, squeezing her eyes shut in obvious relief as he tentatively returned her embrace.

As Leia and Han left a short time later, Han recalled that Luke never pursued the question of who would be carrying out his training. It was just as well, since they had yet to find out if Mara Jade was ready. Ready, or even willing.

***

Always the consummate host, Talon Karrde had Leia's favorite tea brewed and waiting when she and Han arrived at his office, as well as Han's preferred blend of Corellian whiskey. It wasn't until they were settled in the comfortable loungers in front of Karrde's desk that Han noticed Mara sitting in a corner of the room, her legs crossed casually and her arms draped over the arms of her straight-back chair. Her nodding acknowledgement of their greetings was just polite enough to not be considered rude.

"How is Luke adjusting to being home?" Talon asked, pouring their drinks. "We put extra operatives at the medcenter and his apartment, but there's still no indication that any of the holoreporters suspect anything out of the ordinary."

"Thank you," Leia said, wrapping her fingers around the steaming cup of tea. "We appreciate all you're continuing to do for us."

"It's the least we can do," Talon returned, nodding slightly in Mara's direction. "If there anything else you need—"

"Actually, Talon, that's why we're here," Han said. "There is something we need from you."

"Oh?"

"Luke is not adjusting as well as we'd hoped," Leia said. "He's moody, almost defiant at times. He seems overly wary of everything we tell him. From the dark circles under his eyes, I don't think he's been sleeping well, either."

"I suppose much of that is to be expected," Talon said. "None of us know how we would react faced with the same situation. He'll need time to come to grips with his life."

"Yes, we realize that," Leia returned. "And we've come to the conclusion that the Force may be the best medicine for him."

"Ah, you've told him about being a Jedi, then?"

Leia nodded. "A superficial explanation. We're hoping that gradually learning about the Force will help in his recovery."

"His reaction?"

"He was … cautiously curious."

As Leia and Talon conversed, Han stole a peek at Mara out of the corner of his eye. She appeared to be hanging on to Leia's every word, despite her relaxed pose. Whether that boded well for their proposal remained to be seen.

Talon leaned forward. "How can I help?"

Even though she was still addressing Karrde, Leia looked Mara straight in the eye. "We want to borrow Mara."

"Borrow?"

"We want Mara to train Luke in using the Force," Han put in.

Breaking her silence, Mara said, "I'm not a teacher."

"You only have to show him the basics," Leia said. "Meditation, defensive moves, levitation. Lightsaber techniques, eventually."

"I have duties here," Mara murmured, a distracted look on her face.

Talon gave Mara an odd frown before turning back to Han and Leia. "How long do you think this would take?" he asked. "I have been counting on Mara to help me set up the new joint Intelligence operation between the New Republic and the Remnant."

"It's hard to say, really," Leia replied. "We don't know how quickly Luke will be able to relearn the fundamental skills. He seemed willing this morning, so hopefully his natural talent will hasten the training."

"And there's also the possibility that his memory will suddenly return," Han added.

"Forgive me for saying this," Talon's apologetic look seemed to be directed as much toward Mara as it was toward the Solos, "but do you really believe Mara is the best person for this? Would not one of the instructors at the Academy be better suited?"

"We considered them, but a prolonged absence for any one of them would be hard to explain, and still keep the amnesia secret," Leia began. "Plus, we thought—" She stopped as Mara abruptly stood up.

"All right," Mara said. "I'll do it."

Talon looked even more spooked. "Mara? Are you sure about this?"

"If you don't want to give me a leave of absence, then I'll quit," she stated firmly. "I owe Luke my life. I want to help him."

"Of course you can have time off," Talon said. "I only meant, do you feel ready to train a Jedi, a Jedi Master at that?"

"I'll manage," she said, as if daring her employer to disagree. She turned to Han and Leia. "When can we start?"