Beyond - Legends Honour Thy Father (Anakin lives post-ROTJ - L/M, H/L) - Completed Nov. 4

Thanks you guys. I know this was an evil cliffy, but it won’t be the worst of this fic. Be prepared!

Tag list PT1: Jedi_Lover Lady_Misty Hazel Tribaldancer JediMaster_Jen

 

Tag list PT2: JainaSoloYJK Jedi_Liz CurtisZidaneZiraa Zer0 ginchy


Chapter Fifteen

Mara had managed to get herself, an unconscious Luke and Artoo onto the Second Chance and fly away from the Eye of Palpatine before it blew up, just in the nick of time. Contacting a hospital on Ryloth, she was given instructions on how to help Luke and had set a course for the planet. She had put Luke on the medibunk stomach down, head turned to the side and was now tending to his wounds as best as she could. Artoo Detoo was watching her and occasionally emitted a mournful sound.

The turbolift had scraped Luke pretty badly. The skin on his back and butt was gone, though it was his head that worried Mara the most. He had a large bleeding gash in the back of his head where the turbolift had taken a chunk out of his hair and scalp.

Mara took a moment from trying to help Luke to plead with him. She was holding his hand and staring at his closed eyes. “Luke, you have to wake up.” She took a deep breath. “I can’t do this without you. You can’t leave me now that I depend on you.” She couldn’t believe that she was saying this. “I need you because I love you and you have to be alright.” Before she realised what she was doing she leaned towards him and touched her lips to his.

When she pulled away he let out a soft sigh and his lips curled into a smile. “That’s how I want to be woken up from now on.” He slowly opened his eyes and Mara had never been so relieved in her life.

“If you ever do that to me again, I swear to the Force and all living things that I will skin you alive,” she threatened, yet her voice held no malice.

“Alright,” he said softly. “But it feels like the turbolift already started for you.”

“It did,” she confirmed. “I managed to get the chunks of fabric out of the lesions, but I have to cut the rest of your clothes off you. I’ll get you a robe to wear backwards to cover up your front.”

She left, coming back with one of his brown robes. Using a cutting tool, she cut off his tunic and undertunic. At that point Mara helped Luke put his arms through the arms of the robe and positioned it under him so that he would be somewhat covered. She then hooked the cutting tools inside of his hip of his pants and cut away both his pants and underwear.

“How are you doing?” she asked, trying to take both of their minds off of the task at hand.

“I’ve been better,” he admitted. His cheeks were bright red. “Personally, I hoped that the first time that you saw me naked would be more romantic.”

“You and me both,” she said, peeling off his pants and underwear. She covered up his uninjured legs with the robe. “How’s the pain?”

“Not bad. I’m numbing it with the Force.”

“I’m going to spread bacta over the wounds and cover you in bandage cloth now,” she informed him. She started with his head, squeezing bacta out of a tube and into the gash before bandaging it.

She noticed a goofy smile on his lips. “What’s making you so happy? You didn’t slip yourself anything while I wasn’t looking, did you?”

“No, I just have the prettiest woman tending to my wounds. She’s so gentle – I love it. I love her. I’m hoping if I woo her enough that she’ll give me another kiss and tell me that she loves me again.”

She cupped his cheek and looked down at him. “So, that’s your angle.”

“Yup. Is it going to work?”

“Yes, but only because you’re cute.” She leaned down to kiss him. It felt so natural to be so intimate with him. She pulled away even though she felt that he wanted more. He had to be mended first. “And because I love you.”

He sighed wistfully. “I love you too.”

She spread bacta over his back and butt and covered both wounds with strips of bandages. She washed her hands, and then took a seat on a stool beside Luke’s head. “It’ll be a few hours before we reach Ryloth.”

“Ryloth?”

“You need a bacta dip.”

Luke let out a noise that sounded like a whine.

“Do you need anything?” she asked.

“I’m kinda hungry.”

She nodded. “I’ll go get something to eat for the both of us.”

“Alright. But before you do, can you tell me if the mission was completed?”

Mara nodded as she got up. “It was.” Before she left, she paused. “Callista did not suffer. I felt her become one with the Force. She was happy.”

Luke closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. “I’m glad.”

* * *

Two days later, Mara sat in a waiting room while Luke was pulled out of his bacta tank. She had gotten Luke into the care of the medics on Ryloth. Due to the fact that she was not immediate family, the nurses had not permitted her to be at his side while he was in the tank. So, she had spent her time waiting by upgrading the Second Chance’s systems and buying supplies to last them for the last leg of their mission. She predicted that they should be done in six to eight months. She wondered what would happen once they got back to their ‘regular’ lives. Would they continue to escalate their relationship? Mara found herself hoping so.

A green Twi’lek nurse approached her. “Jedi Jade?”

Mara looked up from the novel on her datapad, which she wasn’t exactly concentrating on. “Yes?”

“Master Skywalker has been extracted from his bacta tank. His wounds have been healed. He is conscious and asking for you. We should be able to discharge him within the hour.”

Mara had predicted this so she had brought some of his clothing with her. “Can I see him?”

The nurse nodded and led Mara to a room. Mara entered to see Luke in a tan gown, lounging above the blankets on a bed. He smiled as soon as he saw her.

“I’ll go get the discharge forms,” the nurse said before leaving.

“So, how are you feeling?” Mara asked.

“Fine. But I’d be better if I could get a kiss,” he said with a sly smile.

“I knew I’d regret kissing you the first time. It’s bad for my image to be kissing Rebel heroes.”

“So I don’t get a kiss?” he asked, slightly disappointed.

“Not here and certainly not with the bacta breath I smell on you,” she teased.

Luke brought his hand to his mouth, let out a deep breath, and then smelt his hand. His face was priceless – he scrunched up his nose and mouth and his left eye began twitching. “I don’t blame you,” he said, returning his face to normal and wiping his hand on the blanket.

She set the bag of clothes she brought on his lap. “Get dressed. I’m going to sign the discharge papers for you. Once you smell better, I may let you cuddle with me.”

* * *

Once Luke rid himself of his bacta breath, he joined Mara in the cockpit of the Second Chance. He now wore a pair of black sweat pants and a dark grey sweatshirt. He leaned over Mara in the pilot’s seat and gave her a kiss. The first kiss that she had ever received... that she knew of anyways.

“Now do I smell better?” he asked.

“Yes.” She then remembered something. “While you were in the tank, your sister called. She wants you to contact her.” It had been about five months since Luke had last spoken with his family. He had yet to tell them about the change in his and Mara’s relationship.

He nodded and sat down at the comm station. He was connected with his sister within a few minutes. “Hey, Leia,” he said as her image appeared in holograph form. “How are you doing?

“Excellent, Luke. It is so good to hear your voice. How are you feeling? I was so worried I almost made Han bring me to Ryloth.”

“I’m fine,” he assured her. “Mara is here to fix me up. Speaking of Mara…” he trailed off, getting up and grabbing her by the hand, pulling her off the pilot’s chair.

“Skywalker!” she shrieked in surprise and annoyance.

He plopped back into the comm station chair and made Mara sit in his lap. He wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his chin on her shoulder.

She rolled her eyes at his actions, yet felt completely at ease in this position.

Leia looked on with excitement.

“Mara and I are in love,” Luke said simply.

Leia let out a small squeak, and then quickly composed herself. “Wow. That’s wonderful. Ani will want to hear about this. Let me get him and Han. We have some news for you. For both of you.” Her hologram disappeared momentarily, and then reappeared with Anakin and Han behind her.

“What’s this about?” Anakin asked.

“We both have news for each other,” Luke said. “Ours is that Mara and I are now a couple. We love each other.” Luke sealed the news by kissing Mara.

“Way to go, kid,” Han said with a smirk.

Anakin smiled from ear to ear. “Is that it?”

“Yes, Anakin,” Mara said, making her voice sound extremely annoyed. “That is it. No redheaded grandbabies from us anytime soon.”

“Oh,” he said. “But I am happy for you two.”

“Thanks, Dad. So what was your news, Leia?” Luke asked.

Leia glanced back at the two men behind her then looked back to Luke and Mara. “I’m six weeks pregnant with twins.”

Luke laughed in joy and Mara smiled.

“I’m going to be an uncle!” Luke exclaimed.

“Congratulations,” Mara said to everyone, not sure what else to say.

“Will you guys be back in time for the birth?” Leia asked.

“Mara’s the one who has been keeping track of our mission timeline,” Luke said, looking at Mara.

“We should finish in about eight months. That’s counting for Skywalker tendency of finding trouble.”

“Hey.” Luke scowled.

“What task is next?” Anakin asked before the new lovers could get into a quarrel.

“We have to go into the Maw, retrieve the Sun Crusher, blow up the star at the coordinate points you gave us, then cast the weapon into the resulting black hole.” Luke then looked directly at his father. “I’m a little confused though.”

Mara smirked “I’m not. I gave up trying to figure out Anakin’s thought processes a long time ago.”

Anakin rolled his eyes.

Luke ignored her jab at his father. “Can’t we throw the Sun Crusher into any black hole? You could’ve done it while you were in the Maw on that mission last year. And won’t the star just go supernova when we fire the Sun Crusher at it?”

“No,” Anakin said. “I picked that star because scientists believe that it has an unstable core. When you fire the Sun Crusher it won’t be able to go supernova for long. The unstable energy will cause it to collapse into a black hole,” he explained. “I could have dumped the Sun Crusher into any black hole in the Maw, but we need to create this black hole at this exact location.”

“Why?” Luke asked the question that was on everyone’s minds.

“Because, to put it in terms that everyone will understand,” Anakin glanced at Han, “there is a hole in the outer wall of this galaxy. If we don’t ‘patch’ it with a black hole, an intergalactic alien race will come in a few years to destroy all life as we know it. The black hole will prevent any potential invaders from coming into our galaxy. ”

Mara looked at Anakin skeptically. “Really?”

“I am not joking, Mara Jade. The Emperor knew about this threat and was taking actions to prevent total galactic domination by these invaders. For experimental reasons he wanted them to come into our galaxy, but I don’t want to deal with them. You two cannot fail on this mission.”

Luke nodded. “We won’t, Dad. We’d better get going if we want to complete this quest before the babies come.”

“He just wants to get going so he can snog with Mara,” Han snickered.

Luke rolled his eyes but slight pink touched his cheeks.

Leia elbowed Han in the ribs. “Behave, you.” She then smiled. “It was nice seeing you two again. May the Force be with you on the rest of your missions.”

“Thank you, Leia. Keep us updated on the babies. May the Force be with you too,” Luke said as he disconnected the comm line. “Is the ship ready to take off?” he asked Mara.

She nodded. “And the first hyperjump calculation is locked and loaded.”

“Then let’s get up in the air. I still haven’t thanked you for saving me.”

“Huh?” She looked at him, bewildered. “It was you that saved me.”

“Let’s not argue about this. I just want to get going so I can snuggle with my love.”

“Does that snuggling involve your love picking out a holo?”

“Only if it’s not one of your Imperial propaganda filled superhero movies. I don’t appreciate how you ogle over that Hemsworth guy.”

“Fine,” she muttered. “Anything is better than your boring documentaries.”

* * *

Mara, at the controls of the Second Chance, stared into the black hole that Luke had just created, a nervous wreck – not that she would ever admit to it.

She and Luke had used the Force as well as tractor beam technology to extract the Sun Crusher from the mess formerly known as the Maw Installation. Luke had devised a plan to rid the galaxy of the weapon while simultaneously preventing an invasion from a threat they knew nothing about. It was their best chance for success, yet it also put Luke’s life on the line.

Luke, in a space-capable orange flight suit, had piloted the Sun Crusher to this location. Mara had followed in the Second Chance.

He had destroyed the star. Witnessing the star start to go supernova, then collapse into a black hole had been amazingly beautiful. The star had exploded into a fire of colours, spreading across space, but it had been swallowed by nothingness in an instant.

Now Luke would set the weapon on a trajectory that would hurl it into the black hole. He would eject at the last possible minute, making sure that the Sun Crusher reached its final destination.

Mara’s job was to rescue Luke. She would guide him to Second Chance using the Force.

“You ready?” he asked via comlink.

She did her best to keep her nerves from seeping out into her voice. He was getting so close. “Yes, whenever you are,” she answered.

“Ejecting in three… two… one.”

She saw him eject just as the Sun Crusher was swallowed. He was a single orange dot against black nothingness.

As she reached to grab him with the Force to pull him to the ship, the symbolism was not lost on her. He was a bright orange beam of light in life that was darkness, and he was hers. He needed her as much as she needed him.

 

I love the cutting the clothes off part. also the kissing and snuggling! Nice update.

 

No Vong, what a shame.

Great chapter though, I love their relationship.

 

Like the warning of more evil cliffies. Intriguing.

Ani's getting closer to those red haired grandchildren. Loved the relationship between Luke and Mara. A little jealousy by Luke over the Mara ogling someone? Cute.

 

No more Vong? YEAH!

Loved the sweetness of the scenes.

 

I agree with Hazel and have a SQUGGLES!!!!!!!!!! for good measure. You're having L/M take care of business in a grand fashion. With potential invaders and with each other LOL

!!!!!

 

WHEW!!! Luke's OK, no more Vong (WOOT!!!), no more Sun Crusher, and Luke and Mara are getting closer. I love how Luke pulled Mara into his lap. That was just too cute! Great chapter!!!

'Won't be the worst?' Uh-oh...

 

Aww!

So let's see the Vong try to come here now!

 

I know tearing off clothes is more preferable to cutting them off, but we aren’t quite there yet Thanks for all the comments.

Tag list PT1: Jedi_Lover Lady_Misty Hazel Tribaldancer JediMaster_Jen

 

This chapter begins the event I like to call “the two weeks in which Briannakin ran for her life from her readers, all of whom were under Ginchy’s brave hat”.

Tag list PT2: JainaSoloYJK Jedi_Liz CurtisZidaneZiraa Zer0 ginchy



Chapter Sixteen


“Oh great forces that be!” Leia screamed from inside her closet. “This doesn’t fit either!”

Han gulped and went to see what was frustrating his pregnant wife. He opened the closet door to find his wife trying to get out of a dress she had only bought a few months ago. She finally got out of the blue ceremonial dress.

She glared at her husband with her frazzled hair, bra, underwear, and inflated stomach. “What?”

“I am just wondering if I can offer any assistance to my beautiful wife.”

“Why would I want any help from the man that made me this way?” she snapped at him. She went back to filling through her clothing.

“Because I love you,” he offered.

She turned to him and sighed. “I know. I`m sorry for acting like how I look - like a Hutt.”

He grinned and went to hug her, enveloping her swollen stomach. “You are not a Hutt – you’re thirty-two weeks pregnant with twins. You’re glowing and you are handling this better than I could.” She laughed at the last bit, and he released her from his hold. “Now, what seems to be the problem?”

“Nothing fits me…again.” She had gone through this too many times in the past few months. Her work required her to dress formally, and that did not include elastic.

“You just went shopping with Winter a few days ago. None of that stuff fits?”

“I bought casual, comfy stuff for my last month of hell. I need something that looks somewhat ceremonial for this,” she explained. Today she was announcing her leave from office and inducting her cousin, Pooja Naberrie as interim Secretary of State.

“What about that dark red dress with the pink outer robe?” he asked.

“I wore it yesterday.” She sighed. “It’s dirty.”

He kissed her forehead. “Then I’ll wash it.” He got a purple bath robe off the back of the closet door. “Here,” he said, helping her put it on and tying it closed. “Go relax on the couch. I’ll do the laundry,” he assured her. He placed a soft, passionate kiss on her lips as he rubbed her belly.

* * *

Leia waddled out into the living room where Ani, dressed in his typical brown robes, was on the couch reading a datapad and drinking caf. He looked up and smiled. “Good morning. How are you feeling?”

“With the exception of my clothing crisis, fine,” she said as she settled on the couch next to him with his help. “What are you reading?”

“A mission report and message from your brother and Mara. Luke sent it to me late last night. They completed their second to last mission – destroying an ancient Sith ship on Ziost. They are currently performing their last mission. He said in his message that they were about to land on a planet in Wild Space called Nirauan. Since they only have to destroy some empty cloning tanks there, they said they should be on their way back by this evening.”

Leia’s eyes grew big. “You mean they will be back in…” She quickly did the math. “Five days?”

“Nope, since Nirauan is in the same quadrant as us, they’ll be back in two and a half if everything goes according to plan.

She sighed. “That will be nice. I miss Luke.”

Anakin nodded. “I do too. Part of me wishes that I could have gone with them.”

“Can I tell you something? I’m glad you didn’t. I’m glad I got you to myself for the past year and a half. You’ve been a great help to us. To both me and Han, and to the New Republic.”

“Thank you.” Slight colour touched Ani’s cheeks. “It means so much to me. I’m really glad that you have welcomed me into your heart and life. I hope I’ll be able to continue to help you, even when Luke gets back and we start rebuilding the Jedi order.”

“Me too. These two kids are going to need their grandpa,” she said, rubbing her belly.

“Please, may I?” He always asked before touching her.

She nodded.

He gently put his hand on her belly. “I’ll be there for them, I promise.” There was a moment of comfortable silence between them. “But until then, is there anything I can do for their mommy?”

“No,” Leia answered. “Unless you know how to braid,” she added, joking.

“I do.”

“Huh?” She wrinkled her nose at him.

“My mother taught me after one of our slave masters broke the fingers on her left hand. A few years later when I was a Padawan, some of the human female Padawans found out and they used to get me to do their hair in tight braids and buns before missions.” He chuckled. “I was very popular when the Jedi Trials came around. Then your mother found out and she made sure my talents did not go to waste.”

“Do you mind doing my hair?” she asked. “I get so tired lately; every little thing seems to help.”

“I know. You are carrying around two Solos. I want to do anything I can to help you. My hair styling talents may be a bit rusty though,” he warned her.

“You can’t be any worse than Han. Besides, it has been awhile since I’ve had my hair done.”

“Alright,” he said, getting up and walking down the hall. He returned with a hairbrush, small comb, spray bottle, and Leia’s box of hair pins.

“Sit back,” he instructed. She did and he stood behind her. He quickly went to work, trying to be a gentle as possible with her locks of hair.

A while later the majority Leia’s hair was pulled back into a bun, surrounded by a braid while another braid went across the top of her head. The bottom few layers were loose, cascading down her back. Ani gave her a hand-held mirror.

She gasped in amazement as soon as she saw her hair. “It’s beautiful.”

“You’re beautiful,” he corrected her. “When we first met, your mother had her hair done in a very similar fashion. I thought she was an angel.”

Leia smiled.

Han then entered with her clothing over his arm. “Hey Princess, I put it on a quick cycle.” He noticed her hair. “Nice bun. I haven’t seen that one before.”

“Ani did it,” she informed him.

Han’s glance diverted to the brush in Ani’s hand. He looked at the former Sith and broke down into hysterical laughing.

* * *

Something troubled Anakin. What was even more troubling was the fact that he could not place his finger on what, exactly, it was. As Leia, Mon Mothma, and Pooja Naberrie got ready to address the citizens of the New Republic, Anakin scanned the crowd forming in the plaza. It was customary for the New Republic leaders to have addresses like this to keep its citizens ‘in the loop’.

Anakin reached out with the Force and felt impending danger, yet he could not get a sense of how much or where it was coming from. He closed his eyes and went deeper into the currents of the Force. Then he found a hint of someone familiar - someone who he had once considered an apprentice. Someone who most definitely knew he once was Darth Vader and someone who most definitely wanted revenge.

“I knew I was going to have to deal with her sooner or later,” he muttered to himself.

“What?” Han asked. He was standing beside Anakin waiting for the address to start.

“Nothing,” Anakin responded. “But can you comm Chewbacca? Ask him to be near once the address starts.”

“Do you sense danger? Should we postpone the address?”

Anakin let out a deep breath as Mon, Leia, and Pooja approached the podium on the dais. “No, it’s too late for that. Just tell Chewbacca to be on high alert. And keep your own eyes peeled.”

Han whispered into his comlink just at Mon began the address. Anakin did not listen to her speech, nor did he pay close attention to Leia’s or Pooja’s short speech.

He was beginning to think something was wrong with his danger senses when they suddenly flared. He then felt her through the Force: Lumiya was here. He did a quick scan and found her, on a balcony above the plaza. She was holding a detonator launcher and was aiming it at Leia.

Lumiya didn’t want to kill Anakin, not yet anyways. She wanted to kill his daughter and unborn grandchildren. She wanted him to truly suffer.

But she wouldn’t succeed if he had any say in the matter.

“Leia!” he called, beginning to run to her.

He then heard the pop of the detonator launcher.

* * *

Leia gave her short speech, promising to still be of some service to the New Republic, and was about to declare her cousin interim Secretary of State when she heard her father scream her name in desperation. She looked to him, but then her attention was diverted by the unique sound of a detonator being launched and the crowd screaming in reaction. She looked to see a detonator coming right for her.

There was no time to move out of range. She folded down into a ball, protecting her two unborn children. A second later she felt someone lay their body on top of her, protecting her like a human shield.

The moment she realized it was Ani, who was giving up his life for her own, was the moment that pain wracked her body and blackness took over her mind.

* * *

“Leia? Leia!” Han’s voice sounded distant, yet Leia somehow knew that he was right there holding her. She tried opening her eyes and managed to get a short, blurry glimpse of him.

“Han…” she murmured. She felt no pain, only the wetness of blood on her body and between her thighs. She felt tears streaming down her face before the blackness consumed her.

 

Double post. Not my fault.

 

Briann! I wasn't expecting that. I was having a serious d'awwwwww! moment with Anakin and Leia - so stoked he would be around to enjoy his grandlings and so happy she wasn't copping an attitude and that he did her hair so lovely ... when oops! Breathtaking cliffie and holding my breath till Wednesday

I'm just relieved it wasn't Luke this time he's always the one in the ginormous bacta tank

 

I think the only reason it's not Luke is because he's still recovering from the last chapter.


Run, Briann, run!

Where the hell is ginchy and her hat?

 

I'd be tempted to kill you but seeing that I'd never find out how this would end and I'd be charged with murder..

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! For the end.

 

Anakin braiding hair? You're lucky you aren't posting this over at FFN because those Pro-Vader trolls can get flaming mad when their favorite Sith does something they think is unmanly. But you know, I could see Anakin flirting with the girls when he was young and doing their hair (especially before he was reunited with Padme).

I hope Leia is alright...and I hope Jaina is well...ah...and I guess Jacen. Okay I admit I am still angry at Jacen for what he did in the profics. By the way, it looks like you got a double post of your last entry. That happens a lot with me. There are still glitches in the system.

Very nice update!

 

Phew, for some reason my mind drifted to Galen Marek instead of Lumiya, thankfully you didn't take that road.

Sheesh, Anakin can't catch a break, can he?

 

I'm not coming out from under this hat until you fix this Bri!!!!!

 

Thanks for reviewing, even though I make you suffer through my evilness!!!! This whole thing was my solution to ‘Leia’s evil first born son problem’
I guess ginchy is going to be hiding under that hat of hers for quite some time

Tag list PT1: Jedi_Lover Lady_Misty Hazel Tribaldancer JediMaster_Jen

 

Tag list PT2: JainaSoloYJK Jedi_Liz CurtisZidaneZiraa Zer0 ginchy


Chapter Seventeen


“This it all your fault,” Mara grumbled as she continued to trudge through Nirauan’s underground cave system. “The one time I let you fly the Second Chance, you go and get us shot down.”

“I’m sorry,” Luke said for the tenth time that hour. Seeing that this was their final mission of their quest, his father had left a relatively easy task on a supposedly uninhabited planet. Unfortunately, the planet was not completely uninhabited. They had spotted a structure on their approach and on their way towards it, TIE fighters had been launched. The Second Chance had been outnumbered and subsequently shot down. “At least I managed to land near the structure. We should be underneath it soon.”

After they had landed, the TIEs had pursued them and they were forced to seek refuge in a cave which had turned out to be an underground network.

“Let’s just hope they have a ship we can…borrow.”

“Borrow?” Luke asked with a chuckle. “Do we intend to give it back?”

“It depends on how easily we can convince them to give it to us, who they are, and whether they let us destroy their cloning tanks.” Their final task was to destroy the cloning facility built here.

“Do you have any idea who could be running this place?” he asked, making conversation

Mara shrugged. “All the moffs and high-ranking Imperial military personnel have been dealt with, but those were just the ‘official beings’. There are probably dozens, if not a hundred ‘unofficial’ Imperial staff.”

“People like you?”

“Yes,” she clarified. “Your father told me there were other Emperor’s Hands, plus I knew of Emperor’s Eyes – personal fortune-tellers for the Emperor – and I have no doubt that there were other Dark Side adepts like us. Then there were the few Dark Jedi within the Empire.”

“Emperor’s Hands? Emperor’s Eyes? Were there Emperor’s Spleens as well? What about Emperor’s Livers?”

“I think that is what you would have been had the Emperor gotten his hands on you,” Mara chuckled.

He stopped and grabbed her. “Instead, the Emperor’s Hand got her hands on me.” He placed her hands on his chest and held her close. Since their first kiss, he had been preparing her for the night when they would consummate their love. He was making her familiar with areas that he liked to be touched – his hips, chest, shoulders, and upper thighs – and getting her used to him holding her in intimate ways. “And I love it.”

“I’m so glad that I was sent to kill your father and found you.”

“Me too,” he agreed before kissing her.

Suddenly they both felt presences approaching. They quickly separated and got down to business. They motioned for Artoo to get behind an alcove of rocks while they backed up against a cavern wall. “I have a bad feeling about this,” he whispered into her ear.

Two Imperial stormtroopers came into view. Thankfully they did not see Luke or Mara.

“Is this some sort of drill or something?” one stormtrooper asked the other.

The other shrugged. “I don’t know. I heard the TIE fighter guys bragging they shot down the invaders.”

“If the invaders really got shot down, they wouldn’t have survived the crash, would they? Terak claimed he saw the wreckage; he said no one could have survived it.”

“What’s your point?”

“This has to be a drill. We wouldn’t still be on high alert if there really had been real invaders.”

“You’re probably right, but Lord Jerec is pretty paranoid about these things.”

Mara gasped.

“What was that?” the first stormtrooper said, raising his blaster and looking around.

“Ah, it’s probably one of those weird flying creatures,” the other said. “You’re paranoid too. Come on, let’s get back.”

Both Luke and Mara let out a deep breath once the two stormtroopers were gone. He turned to her. “Do you know who this Lord Jerec guy is?”

She nodded. “I’ve never actually had the pleasure of meeting the old geezer,” she drawled sarcastically. “But he’s no ‘Lord.’ The Emperor complained about him constantly. He even considered having me eliminate Jerec a few times.”

“Who is he, exactly?”

“I’m not completely sure of the details, but he was an Old Republic Jedi who went to the Dark Side after the Emperor took over. He was power hungry – he wanted the Empire for himself, he wanted to be the Emperor, but he was also useful as a Jedi hunter, so the Emperor kept him around. He was never on any official records and, although they hated each other, he never interacted much with your father. I guess that’s why he slipped through the cracks.”

“Well, he didn’t completely slip through the cracks, because we are here now.” Luke started walking again.

* * *

A few more minutes of hiking later, they could sense that they were close to Jerec’s operations. They now faced a fork in the cave network system but thankfully there was an unoccupied commuter terminal next to the door of one paths.

“Artoo Detoo, see if you can get a schematic of this place,” Luke said, nudging the droid towards the terminal.

The droid let out a bleep but plugged into the terminal. Luke plugged his datapad into Artoo and quickly got a map of Jerec’s base.

“It looks like that way,” Luke pointed down the path, “leads to the building we saw from the air. It’s the main base and hangar. This way,” he pointed to the doors, “leads to the cloning chambers.”

Mara nodded in the direction of the path. “Artoo, go along to the hangar, see if you can get us something to fly off this rock, and then hide somewhere.” She then turned to Luke. “We have one more cloning facility to blow up,” she said, patting the combat bag on her back which contained copious amounts of explosive power.

* * *

It did not take long after going through the doors before Luke and Mara started to hear voices.

“I sense them, the invaders are nearing!” screamed a male voice.

At hearing that, Luke and Mara slowed their approach, hugging the wall in an attempt to hide their physical presences.

“Lord Jerec, we were just out on a patrol. We found no evidence of any invaders. They must have died when their ship was shot down.” They recognized the voice belonging to one of the stormtroopers they had almost encountered earlier.

“Fools! We are not dealing with some curious explorer. I sense…Jedi.” The voice, presumably Jerec’s, growled out the name as if it were an insult.

“Impossible. The only Jedi left are the Skywalkers.”

By this point they reached the end of the tunnel, which opened into a large cavern, dome-like in shape, about sixty meters in diameter and about a dozen in height. The only things inside the cavern were five Spaarti cloning cylinders, and their power supplies and controls. Three of the cloning cylinders were empty. Pacing among the tanks was an older humanoid being, Jerec, yelling at the surrounding six stormtroopers.

The figures inside the two occupied cloning cylinders chilled Luke to the bone. One contained a blue-skinned humanoid he recognized as Grand Admiral Thrawn. He and Mara had assassinated the brilliant tactician a year ago and had witnessed the Admiral’s skills before his demise. This clone, although innocent, had the knowledge and the expertise of a being who could have resurrected the Empire. The clone was dangerous and therefore had to be destroyed.

Inside the other cloning tank, which was absent of flash-learning cables, was a clone of Luke himself. Luke was momentarily hypnotized by the sight of his own body floating in stasis.

They retreated back a few meters so they could strategize.

“Plan of attack?” she asked him in a whisper.

He let out a heavy sigh. He didn’t like this situation one bit, but he knew what needed to be done. “We need to destroy those cloning cylinders and their contents, but something tells me that Jerec isn’t going to give them up easily.”

Mara shook her head. “No. He probably plans to use both clones to aid him in reaching his goals of becoming Emperor. His stormtroopers are probably very loyal to him. This may get nasty.”

“Let’s hope not,” he said, taking his blaster off of his belt. “Let’s see if we can stun a few of them before we have to take this to the next level.” He crept forward and was about to aim for one of the stormtroopers when he heard Jerec.

“They’re here!” Jerec activated his lightsaber. “There!”

Luke got off his stun blast just as one of the stormtroopers fired his own shot, right in Luke’s direction.

He had no time to defend himself, but thankfully Mara sprang out in front of him, her blue blade already activated. She deflected the bolts back towards the stormtroopers and Jerec.

Luke managed to unclip his lightsaber and activated the blade, assisting in their defense. They advanced and killed three of the stormtroopers.

Jerec put his hand up and ordered his remaining two stormtroopers to cease firing. “Skywalker, I presume? We were just talking about you. You mind humoring an old, blind soul and telling me who you brought with you?”

“Mara Jade,” she introduced herself. “You may not know me, Jerec, but I know plenty about you.”

“You’re right about one thing Miss Jade: I don’t know you. But what makes you so sure that you know so much about me?” He touched his free hand his chest.

“I know you were once a Jedi, but you betrayed our way of life.”

Luke smiled to himself at her use of the word “our.”

Mara continued. “I know you were a spike in the Emperor’s side. And I know that today is the day that you die.”

Jerec scoffed. “Are you sure that it is I who will die today? You are on the side that is outnumbered.”

“Two Jedi versus two stormtroopers and an old traghire?” she cursed, using a Huttese insult. “I think this fight is pretty even.”

“You, my dear, are gravely mistaken.” He turned to one of the stormtroopers. “Send in the droidekas.”

The stormtrooper turned and pressed something on a control panel. Two Clone Wars-era droideka model battle droids rolled out of small caverns, activated their shields and aimed their weapons at Luke and Mara.

“Fire,” Jerec ordered.

In that instant, time seem to slow. Luke could easily track the blaster-bolts coming towards him and moved his body and lightsaber accordingly to dodge or deflect the incoming fire. He moved so he was back to back with Mara. Feeling her body warmth on his back gave him the strength to go on. When she managed to deflect two blaster-bolts towards the two remaining stormtroopers, killing them, he allowed himself a small smile.

As the pair continued to deflect bolts toward the droidekas and Jerec, the world seemed to fall away from both of them. Their bodies went on auto-drive, continuing to fight with all their fleshly talents while their minds and souls were transported away from the chaos, noise, and battle.

Neither knew what was happening, but somehow it felt right to both him and her. While their physical senses were fighting with their bodies, their emotional Force senses were still with them. And these senses were being filled with the senses of the other person. Luke’s mind explored Mara’s and Mara’s mind explored Luke’s. They shared all of their memories, knowledge, strengths, failures, hopes, and fears. He saw completely into the depths of her mind and he knew she felt the core of his heart.

Their souls became one.

Either a moment, or an eternity later, they were back in the cavern of Nirauan, defending themselves.

Luke could “hear” all of Mara’s thoughts and presumably, she could hear his as well. It was not unpleasant, nor did it feel like an invasion of his privacy. It felt reassuring to have her there and he knew she felt the same. It felt natural to be in this mental state with her.

It simply felt right.

He felt her physical strain and the exhaustion creeping up on her, but also felt her determination. He wanted to know what exactly had happened to their minds, so he shared in her fierce determination.

He tried to send her a very clear thought, so she could recognize it above all the rest. Mara, protect my back. I will engage Jerec.

Okay, she sent back.

They moved as one towards Jerec and Luke clashed lightsabers with the Dark Jedi. With full confidence in Mara’s ability to defend them both from the droidekas, Luke pressed against Jerec hard, yet he could not seem to find a break in Jerec’s defences. Jerec seemed to have a counter-move for every attack Luke knew. Luke was taught to observe an opponent to find a weakness, yet he knew he and Mara did not have the time for that. Either Jerec or the droideka, or both, would eventually get past their defences.

We need to surprise him, Mara sent Luke. Swipe high and after three, pivot one-hundred eighty degrees.

Alright. They counted to three together.

* * *

After hearing Luke think “three,” Mara dropped her defensive parries against the droidekas and pivoted on her right foot as he did the same. Since Jerec’s lightsaber was still raised high from defending Luke’s last attack, she sliced through his midsection. The Dark Jedi let out a final cry of frustration before quickly succumbing to his fatal wounds.

She then noticed something from this new position. There were water stains on the rock wall across from their position. Mara quickly recalled their descent to this planet just a few hours before. She had noticed vast amounts of flora and vegetation, yet no surface water, which meant all the water was underground.

From her mechanic lessons from her childhood, Mara knew that droidekas were designed and built for the single purpose of killing Jedi, but she also knew that droidekas has one weakness: vast amounts of water.

Luke must have followed her train of thought. “If you help me get over there, I will defend you while you set up the detonators.”

“Okay.” Together, they made it to the wall where Mara spotted the water stains. With Luke protecting her back, she retrieved several explosive devices from her bag and attached them in to the wall. She configured them to go off on her command. “They’re set,” she yelled over the noise. She picked up her lightsaber and began to help him once again. Both of their energy was waning. “Let’s get the droids as close as we can to this position and get as far away as we can.”

“I like the way you think,” he said, leading her away from the wall.

Once they got a safe distance away, she sent a warning to Luke before setting off the explosion. There was a loud boom and the wall was gone, letting in a gush of water. The droids were disabled – their circuits drowned - in a matter of seconds.

The water did not stop after the initial surge. It kept pouring into the cavern. It was already up to Mara’s knees.

There was no way out of this alive. They were going to drown.

Luke grabbed her and held her tight. “We are not going to die.” Mara knew he did not believe his own words.

“You so sure about that?” She was not afraid of death, especially if it came to her while she was in Luke’s arms.

“Yes, because I am going to ask you the most important question of our lives, then I am going to put us both in a hibernation trance.”

The water was at her chest now, and rising fast. “Which is what?”

He looked deep into her eyes. “Mara, will you marry me?”

Her body screamed to slap him. This was not the time for such a momentous question. And yet, it felt perfect. Before they died, they would each know how much they were loved.

With her last breath, she gave him her answer. “Yes.”

She felt his lips on her own, and then blackness took over.

* * *

Luke used all his love for Mara to put them both in a deep trance and to create a shield around them. He held onto her as the water rose above their heads and swept them both away.

Their bodies, as one, were at the mercy of the water. They would go where ever the water wished them to go.

Suddenly, Luke was pulled from the trace by suffering. He heard the cries and felt the pain of his sister, her unborn children, and his father.

In his agony and sorrow, Mara slipped from his grasp.

Luke screamed and allowed water to fill his lungs as his galaxy was torn into pieces as he was forced to be a helpless witness.



AN: NOW I shall run for my life.

 

Wow, nice cliffhanger. I didn't think you'd pull that, I have to give you credit, very ballsy. Neither of them better die, though. I'll be very upset.

 

That's very evil Briann. Now GET BACK HERE AND FIX IT!!!!

 

I was so SQUEEEEEEEEING over the yummy teamwork and the Force melding and the awesome!!!! way they were taking care of business when wow! And now they're separated without a wake-up from the trance signal Can I wait till Sunday?

 

Oh Bri you are as evil as me when I either don't feel like writing or in a mood to let my readers stew.

 

la la la la la still hiding under my hat la la la la la