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Author Topic: "Followers of the Force" -- Post-NJO, w/Luke, Leia, Ben, Mara - * Updated 6/16/05 *
CeeWulf 
Registered: Feb '02
6476_Darth Bane
Date Posted: 6/7/05 9:06pm Subject: "Followers of the Force" -- Post-NJO, w/Luke, Leia, Ben, Mara - * Updated 6/16/05 * - Date Edited: 6/16/05 7:07pm (10 edits total) Edited By: CeeWulf
Well, it's been a long time since I've worked on this. Two years, nearly, to be exact. In fact, it's been a long time since I've really been on these boards, but I wanted to toy around with this story again so here I am. I am moving it over into this forum from the locked Classic Fan Fiction forum and posting all the parts I'd done so far. I will be posting one section a day, which should buy me some time to get back into the swing of things and get a few more parts written. I was about half-way through the story when I stopped. happy Hopefully some old readers will return, and maybe some new ones, too.

This story follows Luke more than a decade after the NJO. Older and wiser, the Jedi Master begins to question his relavancy to the universe when a mysterious vision strikes him.

Drawn into yet another adventure, Luke - along with his son, Ben, and sister, Leia - travels into the Unknown Regions to learn that, perhaps, the Jedi are not the only Force users in the galaxy. And when an assassination attempt hits Mara close to home, she hires a ship to seek out her husband and child, who may be entering into a deadly trap.

Feedback is welcome - encouraged, actually - and I hope you all enjoy the tale.

Here's a quick DRAMATIS PERSONAE (Hey, Del Rey does it, why can't I?):

Main Characters:

Luke Skywalker; Jedi Master (male human)
Mara Jade Skywalker; Jedi Master (female human)
Ben Skywalker; Jedi student (male human)
Leia Organa Solo; Force user (female human)
Jai'Kob; Dark Sider (male - race unknown)
Innk; Smuggler and Pilot (male Mandarrin)

Minor Characters:

Jaina Solo; Jedi Master (female human)
Han Solo; retired smuggler (male human)
Owen Skywalker; Jedi child (male human)
Kyp Durron; Jedi Master (male human)

 

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CeeWulf 
Registered: Feb '02
6476_Darth Bane
Date Posted: 6/7/05 9:14pm Subject: RE: "Followers of the Force" -- Post-NJO, w/Luke, Leia, Ben, Mara
Followers of the Force
by CeeWulf

-------------------
Part One: Visions of Pain
-------------------

The sky over Yavin 4 was a clear blue. Clouds of white sailed along the gentle breeze, which passed through the branches of the low-hanging trees, sending a calming rustle of leaves over the air. Luke crossed his arms over his chest. His eyes were shut, and he enjoyed the feel of the warm air move over him. He’d missed this. Too many weeks spent on space ships and in his X-Wing. He’s grown tired of space travel. Perhaps other Jedi felt this way, too, as age began to creep up on them. His body wasn’t as it once was. No matter his strength in the Force, he couldn’t help but recognize that his back ached a touch when he exited his X-Wing, or sometimes when he awoke in the morning. Fortunately, his life had found a certain calm. The war with the Vong was a decade gone, and in that time the New Republic had found a new kind of peace -- one unheard of in half a century. That victory, hard won with the blood of many spilled, was a difficult journey and a dark age for the Jedi.

But, in the end, they had proven resilient. And once again found a place for themselves in the galaxy.

These days, Luke Skywalker was seeking a place for himself. His son, now eleven, was proving to be a capable apprentice -- or padawan, as he’d learned the Old Order had called their Jedi young. There was clearly some of his mother’s temperament in him, but enough of Luke’s calm to help him keep the balance. Luke was uncertain as to what effect the war may have had on him as a young child. Powerful in the Force, he was inundated with feelings and emotions he was incapable of understanding. Knowledge he couldn’t possibly process at such a young age. Perhaps that was why he remained quiet for hours at a time, rarely communicating with the other Jedi trainees.

“Padawan,” Luke said to himself with a smile. Many of the other members of the Council had already gotten used to the term, but Luke continually needed to remind himself. Perhaps I really am getting old, he thought.

The Jedi Master scratched his thin beard, peppered with grey hair, and turned back towards the temple. Although much of it had been damaged during the Vong occupation, after the war’s conclusion many of the young Jedi insisted on returning here. Over the past decade, the temple was restored and the atmosphere returned to it’s natural state. Although much of the planet’s natural inhabitants had died, some species remained and were flourishing once more.

Luke suddenly felt dizzy as a Force wave passed over him.

He was no longer on Yavin 4. No longer on solid ground. He stumbled, his head spinning with disorientation. For a moment, he hung in darkness, suspended, weightless. Then, all light. He screamed, but his voice sounded muffled. He tried to cover his eyes with his hands, but they failed to work. The light sank away, and he was standing in the center of a stone chamber. The floor and ceiling slipped into the darkness. Three candles surrounded him, their wicks lit, as they rested on tall, ornate stands a meter away.

Hello? Luke said, but his mouth didn’t move.

Help, a voice floated back to him. A female voice.

Who’s there? the Jedi master asked.

Please, come, we need you, the voice said, begging.

Where?

They will destroy us.

How can I-- Luke began to say, but stopped when the vision around him shifted. Suddenly, he was in space, floating over a blue and grey planet. His lungs burned for air, his eyes teared from the cold.

Please, help, the voice said.

Darkness. Light.

Luke was on his knees, breathing deeply. He was once more alone outside the temple on Yavin 4.

 

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Tahi 
Registered: Jun '02
19661_Tahiri
Date Posted: 6/7/05 10:36pm Subject: RE: "Followers of the Force" -- Post-NJO, w/Luke, Leia, Ben, Mara
Ceewulf - Is it really you?

I remember this. So glad you're reviving it. happy Great to see you here again.

 

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CeeWulf 
Registered: Feb '02
6476_Darth Bane
Date Posted: 6/8/05 7:00am Subject: RE: "Followers of the Force" -- Post-NJO, w/Luke, Leia, Ben, Mara
Glad to be back. happy I'm actually revising some of the entries as I post them, too. Just little edits here and there.

 

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VaderLVR64 
Title: Fan Fic Manager in Combat Boots
 Registered: Feb '04
40219_Obi- Wan<br>and Beru
Date Posted: 6/8/05 9:12am Subject: RE: "Followers of the Force" -- Post-NJO, w/Luke, Leia, Ben, Mara
Well, I'm very much a newbie compared to you, but I can already tell I have another favorite author to add to my list! applause

 

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Rime 
Registered: Sep '04
6884_Clone Pilot
Date Posted: 6/8/05 9:21am Subject: RE: "Followers of the Force" -- Post-NJO, w/Luke, Leia, Ben, Mara
Well, I'm interested. I wasn't around when this story was first posted, but I'm happy to follow along now.

 
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CeeWulf 
Registered: Feb '02
6476_Darth Bane
Date Posted: 6/8/05 12:09pm Subject: RE: "Followers of the Force" -- Post-NJO, w/Luke, Leia, Ben, Mara
-------------------
Part Two: Uncertain Future
-------------------

Ben Skywalker opened his eyes to see the other students standing over him. Their faces full of concern, they turned to watch as another face joined the crowd.

“You okay, little cousin?” Jaina said, smiling softly down at him.

“I think so,” he replied, sitting up.

“Okay, let’s let him have some air,” Jaina said to the other padawan. “Go back to your meditating.” Brushing a lock of long brown hair over her ear, she knelt down beside Ben and smiled. “Gave us all quite a scare there, Ben.”

“Sorry,” he said, embarrassed.

“It’s okay,” she smiled. “What happened?”

“I don’t know,” the young boy said, crossing his legs and clearing his mind. The Force wrapped him in a warm blanket, relaxing his muscles. A long exhale escaped.

“Did you feel that vision?” Jaina asked. Ben’s head snapped to look at her.

“You felt it, too?”

“Of course, it was rather strong,” the Jedi Master said. “But, the other padawan didn’t appear to sense it.”

“What was it?” Ben asked, excitedly.

“I don’t know,” Jaina said, closing her eyes, revisiting the images in her mind. “Darkness, and a voice.”

“Asking for help,” Ben said.

“A woman.”

“With dark hair and bright blue eyes,” Ben added, his eyes closed, the image of the woman vividly in his mind.

“You saw her?” Jaina said, surprised.

“I... you didn’t?”

“No, I just heard her voice.”

A muffled beep sounded from beneath Jaina’s robe. She reached between the folds, fumbling over her rotund belly, and pulled the comlink from her belt. “Jaina here,” she said into the small device.

“Jaina, it’s Luke. Did you just feel something?”

“Yes,” she replied. “So did Ben.”

“Is he all right?”

“He’s fine. He said he saw a woman’s face.”

The comlink was silent for a moment. “A face?”

“She was pretty, dad,” Ben said, “with dark hair and blue eyes.”

More silence. “I’ll be right there.”

***

Across the galaxy, deep within the jungle of a forgotten world, Jai’Kob sat up with a start. The galaxy around him had finally ceased spinning. The bright light had faded to the dimness that regularly shone on the surface of Regalia IV. The woman’s voice still echoed in his mind. Asking for help. Warning of danger. Neither particularly interested him. Help was not something he supplied to anyone. Not unless it could benefit him somehow.

But there was something about this woman’s voice that intrigued him. That touched him deep within his cold soul.

A bubbling growl snapped Jai’Kob back into the here and now. He reached out with the Force, feeling the presence of the grampak beast only a meter behind him. Moving closer. He could feel its breath on the back of his neck.

In a flash, he used the Force to propel himself into the air. He spun to face the beast. Three meters long and two meters tall, the four-legged creature launched itself with equal speed. Its scaley skin was littered with bulbous, oozing warts which produced thick, poisonous mucus. Red eyes watched Jai’Kob, as drool glistened in its large mouth filled with jagged teeth.

Jai’Kob dodged the beast in mid-air, arching his body. He then reached out with his hands, fingers extended, and launched a crackling stream of purple lightening at the animal. The electrical charge danced over it, surrounding it with burning pain. It cried out, gurgling with horrible ache. Its eye went wide, then bulged from its sockets. It’s tongue, forked at the tip, shot from its mouth and wiggled around throwing large drops of drools upon the ground.

All the while Jai’Kob kept it hovering a meter above the surface. He smiled, feeling the creature’s pain, growing from it. He felt his connection with the Force expand with every course of electricity that pounded the helpless animal. Finally, after several minutes of torture, the beast fell. Smoke rose from its skin, its eyes open, staring into the great unknown. One final gurgle of life escaped its lungs.

Jai’Kob looked down at his dark clothing and dusted himself off. He turned and disappeared into the jungle.

 

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Jedi_Liz 
Title: Former CR
Lincoln NE, USA
 Registered: Apr '00
47291_2008 NFL Playoffs
Date Posted: 6/8/05 1:37pm Subject: RE: "Followers of the Force" -- Post-NJO, w/Luke, Leia, Ben, Mara - * Updated 6/8/05 *
I remember this fanfic!

Glad you're going to repost it. happy

 

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Current Fic: Lightswords of Fury: Special Edition - L/M Romance
http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/24270936/
Chapter 19 posted on 7/21/08
Coming SOON: Mara Jade of Chandrila Grove
Coming SOON to SAGA Fanfic
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CeeWulf 
Registered: Feb '02
6476_Darth Bane
Date Posted: 6/8/05 6:36pm Subject: RE: "Followers of the Force" -- Post-NJO, w/Luke, Leia, Ben, Mara - * Updated 6/8/05 *
Good to have you back! happy Keep watching for the daily updates.

 

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CeeWulf 
Registered: Feb '02
6476_Darth Bane
Date Posted: 6/9/05 11:10am Subject: RE: "Followers of the Force" -- Post-NJO, w/Luke, Leia, Ben, Mara - * Updated 6/8/05 *
-------------------
Part Three: Difficult Departures
-------------------

”I don’t like this,” Mara said, as she cradled young Owen Skywalker in her arms. “Aren’t you a little old to be flying around the galaxy getting into trouble, let alone bringing your son along with you?”

Luke smiled at his wife, kissing her cheek. “You felt the vision, would you ignore it?”

“I’m not saying you should ignore it, but why do you have to go?” she argued. “The Jedi are many now, you don’t have to do it yourself.”

“I’m well aware of how many Jedi there are, Mara, but no one else on the Council felt the vision as strongly as Ben,” Luke said, as he finished packing. His bag sat open on the bed, as he placed an extra tunic inside it. “And I’m sure not going to send him out on his own or with another Jedi.”

“You’ve become stubborn in your old age,” Mara said, shaking her head. “Then let me come.”

“No,” Luke said, sternly, eyeing his significant other with hard eyes. “We spent too much time away from Ben when he was younger. We will not do that again. Owen will have a real childhood, not one of violence and pain.”

“Like Jacen and Jaina?” Mara said.

“And Anakin,” Luke added.

The two were quiet for a moment. After all the years, the pain still stabbed at both of them when they thought of their nephew. Mara moved to Luke and put a hand on his shoulder. “Don’t you think you’ve blamed yourself enough for one lifetime,” she said.

“It’ll take more than one lifetime for me to…” Luke closed his eyes and calmed himself, pushing the memory away.

“So that’s what this is about,” Mara said with a sigh. “You can’t protect them all, Luke.”

Luke turned and smiled. Through the wrinkles, she could see the farmboy he once was return with the glimmer of his blue eyes. “Take care of Owen,” he said, kissing her once again. He looked down at his son and smiled. The small child slept peacefully in his mother’s arms. Luke kissed his forehead, reaching out to him with the Force and wrapping him with warmth. For a moment, Luke felt a similar flow of the Force envelop him. “I’ll be back in a few days.”

The Jedi Master turned and exited the bedroom. Outside, Ben had been sitting on the couch, his bag beside him. He was meditating, eyes closed. “You ready, son?” Luke asked. The young man opened his eyes and looked disappointed.

“I couldn’t reach her,” he said.

“Do not lose hope, Ben,” Luke said. “We will know of her fate soon enough.”

The young man nodded, grabbed his bag, and followed his father out the door. Mara stood in the doorway and felt their presences move farther away.

***

“Master Skywalker!” came a voice from behind him as he approached his starfighter. Luke knew who it was before the voice was carried through the wind to his ears. He’d been expecting the visit.

“I’m on my way out, Kyp, can this wait until I get back?” the Master said as he turned to face his fellow Jedi.

“You know very well that the Council has regarded this trip of yours as reckless,” Kyp said, his arms folded over his chest. Garbed in the traditional brown robe, he eyed Luke with concern. “You should not be doing this.”

“The Council is free to make its own judgements,” Luke said, “but it doesn’t control me.”

“The Council doesn’t seek control, Master Skywalker, it only wishes you would heed its concerns and not accompany your son on this journey. Something like this is best left to knights in training.”

“Don’t quote rules to me, Kyp, I helped develop several of them with this New Jedi Order,” Luke said, a hint of disdain slipping into his tone as he said the last three words. “But they’ll forgive me where my son is concerned.”

“He is a Jedi,” Kyp said.

“He is my child, and that takes precedence over what the Council may think of what should or should not happen regarding his future,” Luke said, tension rising in his voice. Tension that took Kyp by surprise, causing the cocky Jedi Master to take a step back.

“At least take someone else with you,” Kyp insisted.

“Old I may be,” Luke said with a smile, the tension that once gripped his words suddenly gone. “But not that old. This matter does not require the presence of more people. The bigger our group, the higher the chances that this may get complicated.”

“But, just the two of you could be…” Kyp said, but stopped himself as another’s presence appeared nearby.

“Count me in, too,” Leia said. “Hello, Kyp.”

Luke’s sister handed her bag to Luke, who in turn passed it over to Ben. The young Jedi walked up the platform and into the ship. “Mistress Leia,” Kyp said with a nod.

“Is there something you need?” Leia asked, as a soft smile crossed her face. The one time Senator turned rebel was garbed in a blue jumpsuit that clung tightly to her fit frame. For a woman of her age, she still managed to carry an air of authority and glamour.

“This is your idea of companionship, Master?” Kyp said to Luke, as he waved a hand at Leia. “She’s no Jedi.”

“You say that as if it were a bad thing,” Leia said. Kyp eyed her angrily.

“I think you’ve made your point clear, Kyp, and I appreciate your concern, as well as the concern of the Council,” Luke said, moving between Kyp and his sister in an effort to deflect the coming argument. “Please tell them that I will be careful, and that I will keep them informed should anything questionable occur that would require their assistance.”

Kyp simply nodded and moved away. Luke turned and motioned for Leia to get into the ship. She walked up the platform, and he shook his head with a smile as he followed.

 

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CeeWulf 
Registered: Feb '02
6476_Darth Bane
Date Posted: 6/9/05 7:22pm Subject: RE: "Followers of the Force" -- Post-NJO, w/Luke, Leia, Ben, Mara - * Updated 6/9/05 *
Man, lot of posting going on here. Just wanted to keep this upped, as it were. happy

 

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CeeWulf 
Registered: Feb '02
6476_Darth Bane
Date Posted: 6/10/05 2:55pm Subject: RE: "Followers of the Force" -- Post-NJO, w/Luke, Leia, Ben, Mara - * Updated 6/10/05 *
-------------------
Part Four: Gathering Storm
-------------------

The fighter’s engines hummed softly as Jai’Kob sat on the deck, arms and legs crossed, eyes closed and mind quiet. Hyperspace streamed around him. Colorful storms of blue and white surrounding his vessel as he passed through space.

Memories floated through his consciousness. Times far gone and soon to come. He was floating in the Force, free of physical form and encapsulated in its powerful energy. He recalled his vision – the darkness, the voice, distant yet a whisper in his ear. A call through the Force. But, something was amiss. It didn’t seem directed at him. That much he could tell immediately. Whoever was seeking assistance, they were not looking for his help.

That didn’t matter. A call like this could not be ignored. A demand for help, passed through the Force, was something he was compelled to respond to. If not to help, but find out what could so terrify a Force user that they needed to send out a distress call through the galaxy.

Jai’Kob had remained hidden for many years. Perhaps this message was the sign he’d been waiting for to take action. To cease his solitude and take his place in the universe.

And while he felt the woman’s fear in the vision, he also felt something else. Great power. Power in the Force.

And if there was one thing a Dark Jedi sought – it was power.

***

Luke moved his hands over the controls and prepared his ship for the jump to hyperspace. He’d been flying the Anchorhead for several years, but still thought of the X-wing he’d spent a majority of his life piloting. The two-seat cockpit was white, with slick panels and comfortable black leather chairs. The outside was jet black, with hidden seals that gave the vessel a smooth finish.

The Jedi Master had designed the starship himself. He combed through volumes of ship designs, from the age of the Old Republic to modern day vessels. Armed with the latest turbo laser systems and the T24 Hyperdrive system, it was without a doubt the envy of many other pilots. Even Han, who helped him with the design, was impressed. After years of spending years in a cramped cockpit, Luke knew it was time he got something that allowed for more comfort.

Plus, Mara wanted something that could transport the entire family.

The last decade had been the most peaceful time of Luke’s life. No wars, no galactic conflicts. With a few exceptions, he’d finally gotten the rest he believed he deserved. It allowed him to spend time with Ben. Give him the attention a child needed from his father. The young boy had proven to be quite strong in the Force – would perhaps prove to be more powerful then himself when he matures. A boy with that kind of potential needed proper guidance.

A guidance he felt lacking with the New Jedi Order.

Decades spent fighting and struggling to restore the Jedi. To return them to their former glory… only to watch the same problems that plagued the Old Order resurface in the new. Arrogance. Pride. Many of the Jedi believed themselves superior to the bickering and corrupt Representatives that ran the Galactic Federation of Systems. And as much as he tried, he knew that some on the Council thought him old, out-dated.

Luke wondered if Yoda had ever felt that way.

“Stop thinking about it, Luke,” Leia said, as she sat in the seat beside him. “There’s only so much you can do.”

“How did I lose them?” Luke wondered, staring out the cockpit window.

“You didn’t lose them,” Leia said. “They lost themselves. Too concerned with their own power and abilities, not enough about what it means.”

“Isn’t that my failing?”

Leia smiled at him. “You can teach them the skills, but you can’t teach them heart.”

Luke looked at her. The console lights cast a soft glow over her face. For a moment, he could see the young woman he’d met so many years ago. “How do I regain their respect?”

His twin sister chuckled gently. “That’s a harder one.”

Luke nodded, then turned his attention back to the controls. With a single movement, he sent the Anchorhead into hyperspace.

***

“Are you certain this is necessary?” said the dark-skinned man. He eyed his companion, who sat beside him in the dark, domed speeder.

“We must do what we are told,” the other said, his voice deep and haunting, as he looked out at their target.

“What if he won’t come back here?”

“Of course he will,” the other said, looking at the dark-skinned man. “It’s his wife. He’ll soon forget the vision and be done with it.”

“How did Jarod know the Jedi would come?”

“I don’t ask these questions,” the other said, as he looked down at his blaster and checked the charge. “All I know is that we need to prevent them from getting to the planet. And what better way than to kill Luke Skywalker’s wife.”

 

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RebelMom 
Title: TFF Secretary
 Registered: Apr '00
44413_Luke Skywalker
Date Posted: 6/10/05 3:08pm Subject: RE: "Followers of the Force" -- Post-NJO, w/Luke, Leia, Ben, Mara - * Updated 6/10/05 *
I seem to remember this. I'm glad it's up and going again. I like seeing Luke be able to be a father to Ben.

 

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Short Story: Pressure Point http://boards.theforce.net/beyond_the_saga/b10477/26961243/p1/?7
Jacen Solo and Anakin Skywalker - as it should have been.
TFF: Cheryl
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Genimay 
Registered: Jun '05
43743_Mara Jade
Date Posted: 6/11/05 10:51am Subject: RE: "Followers of the Force" -- Post-NJO, w/Luke, Leia, Ben, Mara - * Updated 6/10/05 *
Intersting...I'll be wacthing.

 

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Everyone is alone in some way. That dosen't mean you have to stand alone.
I'm trapped here,so I might as well go insane too.
destinysdomain2.proboards98/index.cgi
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CeeWulf 
Registered: Feb '02
6476_Darth Bane
Date Posted: 6/13/05 1:13pm Subject: RE: "Followers of the Force" -- Post-NJO, w/Luke, Leia, Ben, Mara - * Updated 6/13/05 *
-------------------
Part Five: Gathering Storm
-------------------

Mara splashed water in Owen’s face, who responded with a gurgled laugh. He slapped the shallow water with his hands, sending it all about the small tub. Mara laughed.

“Having fun?” Jaina said as she stood in the doorway. Mara continued bathing her son.

“He’s a trouble maker,” Mara said. “Keeps splashing mommy.”

“He’s a Skywalker,” Jaina chuckled.

“That’s for sure.”

Mara turned to look at her neice. The young Jedi Master was holding her belly, rubbing it gently. “How are you feeling?”

“Today’s one of my good days,” she said with a sigh of relief. “This has been the longest couple of months. I just want it over and done with.”

“I know what you mean,” Mara said, turning back towards Owen as he lifted him out of the water. “Hand me that wash cloth.”

Jaina walked across the bathroom and gave Mara a thin white towel. She wrapped the baby in it, carefully rubbing his skin dry and tussling his hair. The two women watched as Owen played with the towel, grabbing at it happily and stuffing the cloth into his mouth.

“They’ll be all right, you know,” Jaina said.

“I know.”

“Uncle Luke would never let anything happen to Ben.”

“He’s a good father.”

Outside, the rumble of a large transport moved passed the wide window in the living room. Owen fell silent, listening intently to the noise as it faded away. “It’s amazing how quickly his mood shifts,” Mara said. “One moment, he won’t have a care in the world. Another, he seems completely focused on the moment.”

“I can feel it,” Jaina said, eyeing the young boy with wonder. “It’s like he’s connected to the Force without hesitation. Accutely alert in a way I’ve never seen in a small child.”

Mara turned and walked from the bathroom. Jaina followed closely as they made their way to the nursery. Mara then handed Owen to her niece and proceeded to dig through the child’s clothing for something appropriate.

The room was decorated a light blue. One wall was divided in the center with what appeared to be a sandy horizon. The upper half was a deep purple, which faded into orange and red as it rose to the ceiling. Two suns were set over the rocky terrain. Mara noticed Jaina admiring the wall.

“Luke’s idea,” she said, as she removed a maroon outfit for Owen. “A little piece of home.”

“I like it,” Jaina said. “Ben and Owen are lucky. To grow up in peace time.”

“And so will your child,” Mara said, taking Owen from her niece.

“I hope so,” Jaina said, her voice a bit distant. Mara thought to say something, but couldn’t find the words. After a few moments passed, she felt it was too late to say anything at all.

***

“You want to come shopping with us?” Mara asked, as she stood outside her apartment building. Dressed in a loose jacket, a deep green jumpsuit and her fiery red hair in a ponytail, she placed Owen in his stroller and strapped him in place.

The apartment building, a sleek, twenty-story construct of dark metal stretched into the bright blue sky. A gentle breeze moved over the street, which crawled with speeders going to and fro. Few people could be seen walking along the wide sidewalk.

Jaina knelt beside the stroller, caressing Owen’s cheek with her finger. “No, I have work to do back at the Academy,” she said. “I just wanted to stop by and make sure you were okay.”

“I appreciate it,” Mara said. The two embraced. Suddenly, Owen began to cry. Mara leaned close to him. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

An explosion of sparks fell onto her back. In a breath, Jaina had her lightsaber in hand and eyed the street. Her sense quickly guided her to a dark blue speeder several meters away on the opposite side of the street. Its black dome hid its contents, but the Force told her two lifeforms were inside.

Although pregnant, she quickly moved towards the vehicle as another blast was fired. She easily knocked the bolt away and continued her approach. “Jaina, wait!” Mara said. The former warrior suddenly felt naked as her hands moved to her waist to find it lacking weapons. Old instincts flooded back to her. She quickly moved Owen – who was no longer crying – into the apartment building, through the doorway and by the front desk. The droid doorman asked if there was a problem. “Call security! Now!” she yelled.

Outside, as Jaina made her approach to the speeder, a frightening realization hit her full force. What am I doing? she thought to herself. On pure instinct, she rushed into battle, without giving a thought to who and what she was endangering in the process. She hesitated, as the speeder’s engines roared to life and moved away. Her mind was suddenly filled with the image of Mara, and the lightsaber in her hand. Jaina turned to see her aunt charge out of the apartment building. The speeder was moving away, and Mara was moving to intercept it. Jaina switched off the blade and used the Force to guide it to her aunt’s waiting hand. She then had an image of Owen in her mind, and knew what her aunt was asking.

The speeder hovered passed and Mara moved in a blur to catch it. In a flash, she leapt through the air and grabbed hold of the craft’s starboard engine. She crawled atop the speeder, ignited the lightsaber, and cut into the darkened dome.

It cracked and shattered from the pressure, revealing the two passengers who cowered inside. One of them struggled to control the speeder, maneuvering to try and dislodge the unwanted stowaway. The other turned a rather large blaster rifle towards her, his faced tightened in an angry grimace. Long dark hair was pulled back tightly in a pony tail. He looked at her with blood red eyes set in a face of grey.

A second before his finger could depress the trigger, Mara sliced downward and cut the blaster in half. She then took a step into the speeder’s passenger area and prepared to slice down again – this time through the head of the gunman. But, the man reacted quickly, knocking into her leg and causing her to lose balance. In an effort to keep from falling, she dropped the lightsaber, which hit the outside of the speeder and fell onto the street.

It bounced away and was gone.

The gunman grabbed hold of Mara’s leg, pulling himself up as he forced her down. She quickly reached out and grabbed hold of his thick ponytail, yanking it back and slamming her other hand into his face.

Once. Twice. Three times.

Blue blood oozed from his nose. While his vise-like grip refused to release her leg, she leaned forward and slammed the side of his head into the console.

The speeder’s driver – whose appearance matched his partner, except his hair was cut short – attempted to intervene and grabbed hold of her. But she quickly brought her other leg up to slam her heel into his temple. Blue blood exploded from the powerful kick, and he fell forward. The speeder turned and headed directly into a duracrete park. It crashed into one tree, then another, and another, before coming to rest against a sturdy park bench.

Mara struggled from the craft. The Force flowed through her, numbing the pain she will undoubtedly feel in a short while. She struggled to calm her breathing, center herself in the Force, and find her balance.

“Clever girl,” came a voice from behind her. Mara spun around, her Force senses alerting her to the presence of another attacker armed with a blaster. She lifted her leg and caught him in the arm. The blaster flew from his grip.

Stunned, he watched as her body continued its spin, bringing her leg up again. It collided with his face and sent him tumbling to the ground. With the Force, she pulled the blaster into her hand, fell to one knee and turned all in one motion to catch a fourth attacker in the gut with a single shot. The grey-skinned man doubled over with a gurgled groan.

The park fell silent. She could feel several lifeforms nearby watching her. But, she could sense their fear. They were only pedestrians out for an early morning stroll.

Mara saw a speeder which looked similar to the one belonging to her initial attackers sitting at the curb, it’s dome open. They had watched the attack, then followed the speeder to make sure the job was completed.

Professionals, she thought. But why did they attack her? What had she done in recent years to attract such an organized attempt on her life? Maybe it wasn’t something I’d done, Mara thought. Maybe it was something she heard.

“Luke,” she said aloud.

 

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CeeWulf 
Registered: Feb '02
6476_Darth Bane
Date Posted: 6/14/05 6:29pm Subject: RE: "Followers of the Force" -- Post-NJO, w/Luke, Leia, Ben, Mara - * Updated 6/14/05 *
-------------------
Part Six: Just Like Old Times
-------------------

Luke’s eyes snapped open.

Danger.

But, not here. Not now. Distant.

Something happened with Mara. She was safe, but it was bad. He reached out, could feel her presence, as well as Owen’s. Yet, Mara’s presence was disturbed, angry.

“Is mom okay?” Ben asked. Luke turned to see his son sitting on the floor beside his bed. His legs were crossed, eyes closed.

“She’s fine, but something happened,” Luke said. “We may be seeing her sooner than we thought.”

“Owen?”

“He’s fine, too.” Luke looked down at him. Ben’s face was tense with concentration. “You’re trying to find our mysterious woman in the Force.”

“Yes,” he said.

Luke extended himself to his son. The two joined in the Force. As a result, he felt Ben’s connection grow stronger, broader. His senses extended deeper into space. The boy was strong, but still needed help. “Release yourself,” the Jedi Master instructed. “Don’t try to reach her, trust that the currents of the Force will bring you where you need to be.”

The tightness in his son’s body ebbed. Luke felt his son's concentration focus. Images began to float to Luke’s mind through the Force. The same images he and Ben had gathered earlier – a planet, lush with green forests. Then space. Stars, pulsars, binary systems. It was deep in the Unknown Regions.

But that was all they knew. A location. Try as he did, Ben was unable to recreate the unique connection he had earlier with the woman who sent the distress call.

“Frustrating,” Luke said, giving voice to Ben’s feelings.

“I don’t understand,” his son said, finally opening his eyes to look down at the deck. “It was so clear before. Why can’t I find her?”

“Perhaps when we get closer to the system, you’ll have better luck,” Luke said. “Besides, since the connection was made by her, then only she can re-establish it.”

Ben didn’t like that explanation, but shook his head. He continued to gaze upon the deck.

“Don’t pressure yourself, son,” Luke said, placing a hand on Ben’s shoulder. “You have all that you need. Time will give you the ability to use it.”

The young Jedi looked up at him and smiled.

***

”This is crazy,” Jaina said, as Mara shoved an extra pair of pants into her bag. “You shouldn’t go off like this.”

“Luke’s in danger,” Mara said, eyeing Jaina as she grabbed a few other items of clothing and stuffed them into the bag.

“You don’t know that,” Jaina argued. “None of us have felt anything through the Force to indicate that.”

“I don’t need the Force to tell me everything,” Mara said, closing her bag forcefully. She then looked across the room at Owen, who slept peacefully in his crib. “The two pairs of assassins were indication enough.”

“But, you don’t have a ship.”

“I’ll hire one.”

“Mara—”

“Enough, Jaina,” Mara cut her off. “I need your support here. Please keep Owen safe. I shouldn’t be gone long.”

“Wasn’t this exactly what Uncle Luke didn’t want? To separate both of you from Owen, like you were separated from Ben when he was younger? Like my parents were separated from me, Jacen and Anakin for so many years?”

Mara eyed her angrily. “How dare you!”

The younger woman’s shoulders sagged slightly. “I’m sorry, but I could sense it from you, his thoughts are strong in your mind,” Jaina said. “You know he wouldn’t like this.”

“It’s one thing to leave Owen alone, it’s another to let his father enter a trap and not try to make sure he comes back alive,” Mara said.

“I think I know a little bit about