Beyond - Legends A Second Chance (SJRS EP7 Challenge) Updated: 11/15/14 - COMPLETE!

OMG!This was just WOW! Luke and Mara as zombies! That's new interesting twist. Please, please, Jedi-liver, update soon!I hope, your son are feeling better now!

 

By the way, I wanted to write a LM story with a synopsys of "Dead space"))

 

JL, wow! That was intense and very Great tie-back to Jacen's dream/vision. Whew! How are they gonna get out of this one and then get down to mushy business?

 

Wow, what a twist! The description of the horror chamber was appropriately vivid and creepy, made my skin crawl. Well done!

 

I like the story Death Troopers, I couldn't help throwing some of the previous canon in. Thanks!

Yeah, I think that was a change of pace from the usual flirty banter.

Thanks. That I sort of stole that dream sequence from my story Second to None: Sacrifices where Luke has a horrible vision of Mark as a Sith with a dead-looking Mara Jade in his arms. Then you find out...okay having a yellow-eyed Mark with a dead-like Mara in his arms really isn't as bad as it seems. Thanks for reading.

Thanks. I can write creepy sometimes. Mavjade once told me, "No you can't have someone tear a person's head off and then make their disembodied head into a hand puppet." She's no fun.

I still have my allergies, but my son's toes are feeling better. My cat was sick, but a trip to the vet fixed that. Thanks! Okay, I am updating soon because I am anxious to get to ginchy-shine.

Hey, if you knew you were going to die and you had sexy Luke locked in a room with you...you will find a way to get down to mushy business!

Thanks! I'm glad that you were able to visualize what was totally creeping Jacen out. I didn't want to make him look like a wuss, but I think if your childhood boogieman showed up...it would mess with your mind.

Thanks everybody for reading and taking the time to review. I also want to thank ginchy for looking over my chapter and giving me helpful advice.


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Chapter 15

After Jacen left Mara crawled over to Luke, each movement eliciting a sharp shooting pain throughout her body. Her skin became flushed as perspiration dripped down her face and soaked her jumpsuit.The journey across the room was horrendously painful and slow, but she didn’t want to die alone. She wanted a comforting hand holding hers when she became one with the Force.

She sidled over next to Luke who was leaning against the security door, his face red and breathing heavy. He turned to her as he felt her body pressing against his. “I’m sorry Mara.”

She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder. “Don’t blame yourself. I came here willingly.”

He shook his head and then grimaced in pain. “I think reluctantly would be a better way to describe it.” He put a hand to her forehead and gently brushed her red hair out of her face. “I want to try to put you into a healing trance. Then I will go into one also. Maybe we can slow the progression of the disease long enough for help to come. Did Palpatine teach you about healing trances?”

She nodded and tried to talk, but her mouth was suddenly dry and parched.

“Good.” Luke gently helped Mara down to the floor. “For this to work you have to trust me. Trust me like you once trusted Palpatine. You need to let me in through the Force. You can’t resist me or I can’t help you.”

His voice was strained and she could tell he was in as much pain as she was. She licked her lips a few times and managed to speak. “I’m too weak to resist. Whatever you are going to do, do it fast.”

Luke nodded as he ran a hand across her brow and closed his eyes. A powerful feeling overwhelmed her and Mara could once again feel the Force. It was a strong and powerful current sweeping through her body. It had the intensity that Palpatine once infused within her, but there was no underlying darkness, no scheming machinations, and no incessant thirst for power. The Grand Master projected peace, comfort and love…all the things that were missing in her life when she served the Empire. She basked in his Force presence thinking she never wanted to be apart from such magnificence. Eventually the pain subsided and she drifted off to sleep.

~~~

She woke up sometime later lying on the hard floor. She looked to her side and found Luke leaning against the door, his legs out in front of him, his arms stretched out by his side. His chin was down and resting on his chest and she could hear a soft snore.

She let him sleep. He needed to recover from whatever hit them. She slowly sat up. Her muscles were sore, but at least the shooting pain was gone. She unzipped her jumpsuit and slipped out of the top revealing a while sleeveless undershirt. Her skin was still warm and wet from perspiration, but she felt a thousand percent better. She grabbed the sleeves of the jumpsuit and tied them around her waist to keep the top from flopping down the back of her legs.

Holding out her arms she examined her skin. If they’d contracted the Blackwing virus fast replicating cells would be affected first—her skin, hair, fingernails, digestive track—although it might take a few days before she saw the first signs of decay. Other than the hot blush that covered her skin, she looked normal. Perhaps the healing trance worked.

She turned when she heard Luke snore loudly followed by a snort that woke the man up. His gaze drifted to Mara and he smiled. “You’re alive.”

She scooted back towards the wall until she was leaning next to him. “Thanks to you.”

“You didn’t fight me. You let me in so I could do the healing. Your attitude made the difference.”

She closed her eyes and leaned her head against his shoulder. “It felt good when you were inside me.” She made an unladylike snort when she realized what she said. “I didn’t mean it that way, although I am sure that would feel great also.”

“Mara…I think you enjoy embarrassing me.”

She opened her eyes and gazed into his piercing blue eyes. “I do. You’re cute when you’re mortified.”

“Then I must be absolutely gorgeous right about now.”

Her brow arched in clear amusement as she gave a warm chuckle. “Are we going to live or did you just prolong the inevitable?”

His mouth set in a grim line. “I don’t know.”

She reached out and clutched his hand. “What does the Force tell you?”

“I think it’s now telling me that I should have listened to you every time you wanted to wait for back-up or eliminate the threat instead of investigating.” He sighed deeply and squeezed her hand. “The Force…I don’t know why the Force wanted me here, but I felt its pull.”

“Maybe the Force wanted you to die a painful death before coming a dreadful flesh-eating monster.” She muttered sarcastically. “I guess I’ll find out if I wake up and find you nibbling on my body.”

Luke scoffed. “The way you’ve been trying to dissuade me of my no-attachment vow…I may not have to become a monster for that to happen.”

Her eyes widened in surprise at his uncharacteristic comment. “Grand Master Skywalker I’m shocked you would say such a thing.”

He heaved a sigh but then chuckled. “People say things they wouldn’t normally divulge when they think they’re going to die.” He turned to her and gave her a inquisitive look. “I’m curious. Why have you been flirting with me? It seems odd that you would be attracted to an older man and we haven’t known each other very long. Why the sudden infatuation?”

She laughed softly. “It’s not sudden. It was thirty-four years in the making.”

His eyes narrowed. “How so.”

She hesitated for a moment but then gave a slight shrug of her shoulder. “I might as well be completely honest with you and since it’s a long story and I’ll be dead soon…I guess I shouldn’t delay.” She shifted her body so she was facing him fully. “My disenchantment with Emperor Palpatine started about a year before the Battle of Yavin.” She lowered her eyes and hesitated. “If I was capable of defecting I would have become a Rebel, but with the Emperor able to pop into my head and find me…that was not an option.”

She paused while she fought the nausea and exhaustion running through her body. Eventually, Luke reached out and brought a finger under her chin and tilted her head up so he could look her in the eyes. “What made you want to defect?”

She gave a forced smile. “Puberty.” She laughed bleakly. “I was in my teens and fell in love with a young man whose parents worked in the royal court.” She took a deep breath and continued. “Things were going well between us. One day he slipped into my quarters and we…” She looked over to Luke feeling embarrassed. “We didn’t have sex, but we probably would have if Vader hadn't interrupt us.”

“What?” Luke said slack jawed.

“It appears Palpatine popped into my head during my romantic rendezvous and didn’t like where things were going. The next thing I know Darth Vader marches into my quarters and pulls my boyfriend off the couch by his neck.” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “He had his clothing on, we both had our clothing on. It was just getting a little heated. We weren’t doing anything wrong.” She stopped and wiped a tear from her eye. “Vader dragged him out of my quarters and I never saw him or his parents again.” She pinched the bridge of her nose before wiping more tears away. “I don’t know if the Emperor killed them or not. He never answered my questions.”

“Gods, that’s terrible. I can see why you would want to defect.”

She nodded sadly. “At that point I hoped the Rebels won. I wanted them to totally defeated the Empire and killed Palpatine so I could be released from my bondage. Until that happened I knew I had little choice but to continue doing my missions. It was like I was under continuous Sith observation.”

“How do I come into this story?” Luke asked. “You said your interest in me was thirty-four years in the making.”

She smiled. “One can admire the enemy when he does extraordinary feats. Blowing up the Death Star was an impossible shot…I was impressed. And when I was spying on your squadron…the way your friends talked about you...” She smiled. “It was obvious that you earned their respect and admiration. After I told Palpatine the name of the man who destroyed his super weapon he became intensely interested in you…almost fearful. I know he saw you as a threat.” She looked away. “I think my younger self hoped that someone who could invoke such fear in the Emperor’s heart might one day appear and strike him down…so I could be free.” She gave a caustic laugh. “I was so young and idealistic back then.”

“Mara you didn’t need me or the Rebels. You freed yourself.”

She shrugged. “Thanks to you. And your… father. If Palpatine was alive I wouldn’t have been able to hide from him. Even after his death I carried out my orders. I was afraid that if I wasn’t there with his clones when his soul transferred he would hunt me down and make me wish I were dead. But as the weeks went on I suspected the transfer couldn’t take place. After I read his journals I was determined that the transfer wouldn’t take place.” She closed her eyes and leaned back against Luke. “Palpatine is gone and I’m glad…and I’m glad I finally met you…even if it means I am going to die with you.”

He rubbed his hand across his jaw. “I’d rather you live…that we both live.” He leaned his head back against the door and closed his eyes. “There are so many things I still want to do…so many regrets and wrongs I’d like to right. If I knew then what I know now. I would do things differently.”

“Like what?”

He shook his head forlornly. “I wouldn’t have dismissed your concerns so casually. You may not have the Force but your ability to read a situation is uncanny. I should have trusted your instincts.” He gave a sad smile. “You were able to figure out Jacen had a secret. I never saw that one coming. Obviously one cannot entirely rely on the Force for guidance.”

Mara gave a sardonic laugh. “I wasn’t completely truthful about how I knew he had a secret.” She chuckled and then gave a sidelong glance at the Jedi. “Truth be known…Tenel Ka’s apartment is adjacent to mine. Every night I could hear her bed headboard banging against the wall…all kriff’n night long.” Her lips curved into a smile. “I just had to know what man had such amazing stamina. So one morning I hid down the hall and watched her door. Eventually Jacen poked his head out and looked up and down the hallway to see if anyone was looking before he quickly moved down the corridor and out of sight. It was obvious that he was hiding the relationship. The only thing I didn’t know was why.”

“You cheated, Jade.” He gave a queasy smile. “And that’s way more information than I need to know about my nephew’s nocturnal activities.”

“Sorry.” She turned to him questioningly. “What other regrets do you have?”

Luke fell silent for a long time. Mara thought he wasn’t going to answer at first, but eventually he talked. “I regret not having children. Jaina and Jacen are very close to me. They spent more time with me training than with their own parents…but it’s not the same. I wish I had a family.”

She looked at him sadly as she reached out and ran a finger over his facial stubble. “Maybe Jacen will get help in time and you can fix the situation.” She gazed at his face intently. “Are you trying to grow a beard?”

“Yeah…” He gave a sheepish smile. “I’m trying and not succeeding.”

“I think you would look sexier clean shaven.” She ran her thumb over his chin before she leaned in and kissed him.

He stiffened in surprise but eventually relaxed and returned the kiss passionately, his shadow-beard lightly chaffing across her jaw. His mouth wandered across her cheek before he started a tortuous trail of kisses down her neck and across her collar bone. Eventually he paused and drew a ragged breath. “I also regret not doing that the first day we met.”

She snickered. “That might have been rushing the relationship a bit.”

He pulled away and leaned back against the door as he tried to catch his breath. “This is not the time or place. The situation is wrong.”

She leaned against the door with him. “I suppose having living corpses across the hall can affect one’s libido.” She snaked an arm around his waist and pulled him closer. “Promise me that if we live…we can finish what we started. And maybe we can work on resolving some of your regrets.”

He smiled sadly. “If we live…and we’re not some monstrous walking cadaver…I promise we will finish what we started.”

A wide smile blossomed across her face. “Now we have something to live for.” She grimaced as her vision began to swim. “I’m feeling a little dizzy. It must be your kiss. It’s intoxicating.”

Luke let out a laugh that became a raw cough. “I’m sure that’s it and not some deadly virus we were exposed to.”

She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him close, looking at him sadly. “I want to think it’s the kiss.”

Luke leaned his forehead against hers, but didn’t kiss her, murmuring against her lips instead. “If I’m going to die. Let me die with your lips on mine.”

Mara groaned. “That sounds like a line from a corny holodrama…but that’s what I want also.” She leaned in and planted a searing kiss on his mouth. She savored the subtle, sensual variations of his kiss before her world turned black.

 

I loved what Mara shared about her disenchantment and Luke's candor about regrets. SQUEEEE! on the kisses and the promise. I was hoping that healing trance had knocked the virus out but good, but it still seems to be lurking there.

 

Awwww! Even if they are dying from some horrible disease, that was still very sweet. I loved the beard comment.

 

sqeee! Silly Lukie understood, that in this situation he can resolve at least one of his regrets .Now or never.I hope they'll get all needed help, otherwise the shine would be a little bit..strange))) JK)

 

Well, I mean, we know they're not gonna die...

Luke still needs to get it in his head that while Mara looks younger than him, she's actually not.

 

Very nice and sweet, but I still have to wonder if they'll survive....

 

I adored the conversation pieces above. I like that he admits she's wearing him down. (Give in Luke -- she's the one for you.)
I giggled when she admited how she knew Jacen's secret -- too funny about Luke mentioning it to be TMI.
Of course their kisses were wonderful - and the end of this scene was perfect. Glad that he admitted he had wanted to kiss her in the beginning and then amending that regret.

 

Missed the last two posts..this was wonderful and I absolutely loved it! Ahhh that kiss scene more please

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

 

Ahh man this was awesome! Crazy things going on.

 

Love this chapter! It's sweet that Mara admired him from the Battle of Yavin, and the kiss was gorgeous

 

Hmm, looks like they managed to buy some time, at least. Time for adorable, awkward conversations.

Aww. Good for them. Hopefully they get a chance to figure this out later without dead people intervening.

It was interesting to learn that Mara had hated the Emperor from her teens; a not-so-subtle difference from canon Mara who seemed to adore him. One Sithly mistake, prune boy. Just one. Very expensive.

 

“If you are one of those things….” He choked up and had trouble continuing. “I promise you…I will come back and kill you!”

Well that explains Jacen's dream...yikes! Hold on, Luke and Mara!

 

Well, you know I love this, gal. I just love the whole idea of the story. I love how L/M's lives have sort of been entwined for a long time, and I love how each is showing the other what they've been missing. I love this!!! And I want more.

 

Very much enjoying this story so far, and am enjoying the interactions between mara and luke but hopefully some more Jacen/Tenel ka

 

Yeah there is something lingering inside both of them. Maybe it is an aphrodisiac.

Thanks. I had to get in that beard after seeing Mark Hamill sporting a very Jedi Master looking beard.

Yeah, having zombie shine wouldn't be that great. Who am I kidding...ginchy could make zombie shine great! She's that good!

I have killed off both Mara and Luke in other stories...so don't be so sure. Seriously, if I killed them off Briannakin would probably give me a temp ban. And you are right, Mara is the same age as Luke. If she was in a coma for thirty years he wouldn't have the same concerns. This is just a bonus of having a young and sexy Mara.

I think my writing is predictable enough that you guys know when I will kill a character and when I won't. Besides, ginchy promised to write me a bonus chapter some time in the future.

Thanks! Jedi monk Luke is just so wrong.

I am glad you caught up. Thanks for reading!

Thanks! I'm glad you are enjoying this story.

Thanks. I don't think she was secretly in love with Luke all those years ago, but more like, "This guy is good and I hope he will one day show up and kill Palpatine for me."

I wanted to add up some more reasons for her to snap and kill the Palpatine clones. She is there at the cloning facility reluctantly, she should have just killed the clones right then, but at that point all she knew was Palpatine made her boyfriend disappear and he might not be dead. I assume the boy wasn't mentioned in his journal, but the fact that Mara's parents were killed was in there and that was the last straw. Bye bye clones!

Yeah, that was the reason.

Thanks. I've got more just for you.

Wow, ThePhenakism, I see by your profile that I was your first post! I am honored. It is always great when people delurk. Thank you for reading and thanks for taking the time to give a review. It is much appreciated. I will have a little more J/TK. I need to wrap up that subplot.

I am slowly getting back to writing. Life is still stressful, but I am putting up a good fight against DRL.

Thanks everybody for reading!!

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Chapter 16

Mara drifted in a dream-like existence filled with light and sound. She couldn’t focus her eyes but she did hear a man’s distraught voice calling out to Luke. There was a flash of a glowrod beam cutting across the room and Mara blinked rapidly as the light focused on her face. She brought a hand up to shield her eyes and could make out the outline of a helmeted individual.

“She’s alive,” came a voice over a containment suit communicator. After a moment she realized the voice belonged to Jacen Solo. She tried to sit up but gloved hands stopped her. “Just relax. Don’t move. Everything is going to be alright,” Jacen reassured her. She could see the blurry motion of more people enter the room, all wearing bulky containment suits. Eventually strong hands lifted her off the ground and loaded her into some sort of medical cylinder before she was whisked out of the underground laboratory.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her sleep was interrupted sometime later by the sound of people talking, the incessant noise of medical equipment humming and beeping and the muffled rumble of hyperdrive engines. She tried to open her eyes, but couldn’t manage to make her body obey.

“I have to tell my mother something,” she heard Jacen’s voice in the distance. “Will he live?”

“Jedi Solo, we are still analyzing the substance they were exposed to. It’s too early to give a long-term prognosis, but I can tell you they are both in stable condition.”

“Then why is my uncle still unconscious?”

“We had to sedate him. We had to sedate them both. Have you ever seen a Force-user have a seizure? Things were flying around the ship infirmary like a bad horror movie. They are under sedation for everybody’s protection.”

“This one is regaining consciousness.” Mara could hear a female voice next to her.

“Increase the sedative.”

That was the last thing she heard before she drifted back into blackness.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She didn’t know how long she had slept, but finally her eyes opened. She blinked until her vision adjusted to the light and focused. She looked around and realized she was in some sort of isolation unit. It was a room very similar to the Imperial laboratories, with large transparisteel windows and full of medical instruments. She found herself lying on a hospital bed while garbed in a white short-sleeve hospital robe. She had a light sheet pulled up to her waist, but her bare arms were visible. She was relieved to discover her skin was now normal looking and no longer a harsh flushed color. An intravenous needle was attached to her left arm and she had a heart monitor wired up to her chest. She attempted to struggle to an upright position, but the exertion made her lightheaded and her vision swam for a moment.

A silver bipedal medical droid moved into the room and gazed at her briefly before picking up a syringe from a small cabinet. “I am here to take some blood samples before you undergo further tests,” it said in a dispassionate monotone voice.

“What type of tests?”

The droid leaned over and pricked her with a needle drawing out a small amount of blood from the crook of her right elbow. “The doctor ordered an X-Ray and Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan.”

She looked at the needle as it was pulled from her arm. “What’s the blood for?”

“Pregnancy test.”

Mara’s breath froze in her lungs. “A pregnancy test? Why?”

The droid straightened and swiveled his head to face her. “It is standard procedure.”

She looked around the room searching for Skywalker. “Where’s the Grand Master?”

The droid pointed to a curtain separating her bed from another part of the room. “He is sleeping on the other side of the privacy screen.”

The droid turned and walked to a side room where Mara assumed a laboratory was set up. She sat in bed slack jawed. “Is a pregnancy test really standard procedure?” she whispered to herself. She frantically tried to remember what she and Luke did before she blacked out. She remembered kissing him. Did the doctor ordered a pregnancy test because she was found in a revealing state of dress…or undress? Did she and Luke have sex while they were in an altered state of consciousness?

She didn’t know, but she was going to find out. She pulled the heart monitor sensor off her chest and the IV out of her arm before she slipped out of bed and threw back the curtain.

Luke was sleeping peacefully in the bed next to her. His beard was slightly thicker and she wondered how long they had been unconscious. She shuffled over to his bed on wobbly legs until she could lean on the side of his mattress heavily. “Luke!” She waited for a response from the sleeping Jedi. “Luke!” she said a little louder. Finally in an act of desperation she grabbed the front of his hospital gown and shook him. “Luke!”

His eyes popped open and eventually focused on her. “Mara?”

“Did we have sex?” she questioned him frantically.

The Grand Master gazed at her leaning on his bed in her flimsy gown before his eyes went wide in confusion. “You mean just now?”

She glowered at him. “I mean ever? They just came and took blood for a pregnancy test! Did we have sex in that laboratory either before or after I passed out?”

Luke looked offended at the mere suggestion. “Mara I would never take advantage of you.”

She sighed as she leaned forward pressing her forehead against his chest. “I’m not accusing you of sexual assault. We were both sick and out of our heads. If we did do something neither one of us was acting with a sound mind. I just want to know if there is a chance I’m pregnant!”

Luke looked hurt. “Mara, we didn’t have sex…or at least I don’t remember having sex with you.”

She groaned in frustration.

“Mara, Mara, it’ll be alright.” He brought his arms around her in a gentle hug. “If I did something while infected…I’m sorry, but don’t let this stress you out. Worse things can happen. A child is a blessing.” He pulled away and gave her a sad smile. “I’m not upset at the possibility of becoming a father. I’m sorry this is distressing you.”

She let out a harsh breath. “Luke, I only worry about this virus we were exposed to and what it could do to a baby. I don’t want some flesh-eating fetus chewing its way out of my womb.”

A look of understanding crossed his face. “Oh…oh yeah. That would be bad.”

Mara stood upright and gave a caustic laugh. “Yeah, that would be extremely bad.”

“Miss Jade! Please return to your bed,” the medical droid scolded her as it returned from the side room. “You are not pregnant and cleared for X-rays this afternoon.” It then turned sharply and returned to the side laboratory.

She let out a relieved breath. “Thank the Force.” She climbed back into her bed but not before fully opening the curtains so she could see Luke clearly. She gave him a shamefaced expression. “Sorry about accusing you of…something.”

He nodded. “I honestly don’t remember much after you kissed me. I don’t think we had sex. I do remember your hands were running over my chest and…other places before I passed out.”

She looked at him skeptically. “So you are saying I was the last person conscious?”

“I believe so.”

She laughed and looked away. “So if I was pregnant it would be because I took advantage of you.”

He shook his head with a smirk. “I am strong in the Force, but I don’t believe I am capable of performing while unconscious.”

She gazed at him for a long moment before she made a snorting laugh. “I guess we didn’t have sex then. No worries.”

“At least we don’t have to worry about pregnancy…dying might be another matter.”

Her face dropped when the reality of the situation hit her. She grabbed a call button and began pushing it. The medical droid entered the room but she waved it off angrily. “Not you! I want to talk to a human or whatever sentient species is caring for us.”

“Yes, Miss Jade. I will contact Doctor Minsk.”

The droid once more turned and left the room giving Mara and Luke some privacy. She looked over to her hospital companion as an awkward silence filled the room.

“I’m sure we’ll be okay,” she said, not entirely believing her own words.

Luke nodded. “I’m feeling better.”

There was another long pause between the two.

“We were acting crazy…weren’t we?” Luke whispered to her. “What do you think? We weren’t behaving rationally.” He looked at the ceiling and drew in a deep breath. “We thought we were dying and we ended up saying and doing things we normally wouldn’t do.”

She gave him a sidelong glance knowing he was either trying to recant what was said and done or he was allowing her the opportunity to do so while saving face. “Is that what you truly believe?” She turned to her side so she could get a better view of him. “Or are you trying to find out what I think about the situation?”

He regarded at her intently. “You are very direct, aren’t you?”

“I can when I want to be.” She returned his stare unflinching. “So tell me, are you now trying to disavow your deathbed confessions and distance yourself from me?”

He shook his head. “No…are you?”

“No.”

“Good.” He ran his hand through his emerging beard. “That virus must make hair grow. My beard feels fuller.”

She rolled her eyes. “Great.” She pulled the collar of her robe away from her body and peaked underneath. “No hair on my chest. That’s good. I’d hate to die looking like a Wookiee.” She turned back to him. “And you are just trying to change the subject.”

Luke blew out a long breath. “Mara, I meant what I said…about craving a family…about wanting to make changes in my life.”

She smiled warmly at his admission. “What I said about you was also true.”

Luke grinned. “Which part? About how my kiss was intoxicating, how you think I would look sexier without the beard or the fact you’ve been a Skywalker groupie for thirty-four years?”

She groaned. “I should have never told you that last one.”

Both looked up startled when strange sound came from the side laboratory. They could hear doors opening and closing and the hum of machinery. Eventually a human male in a full containment suit walked into the room. Through his facemask Mara could see he was an elderly man with gray hair and mustache.

“Hello, I’m Doctor Minsk.” He walked over to Mara’s IV line dripping on the floor and frowned. “My medical droid, 2-1B, needs to watch you better.” He stood between Luke and Mara’s beds and gave a forced smile. “I’m sure you have many questions.”

“Yeah, like are we going to die?” Mara blurted out.

He pursed his lips and Mara was sure she heard him sigh. “We are still examining the virus you were exposed to.”

Luke sat up in bed. “So it was a virus.”

The doctor nodded. “It was a Adeno-Associated virus or what we call an AAV…which is relatively harmless to humans, creating only a mind immune response.”

Luke looked to Mara and then to the doctor. “That’s good, right?”

“Yes and no. We use this particular virus as a gene therapy vector and we believe that was what the Imperials were using it for also.”



A chill ran down Mara’s spine. “A vector…meaning a carrier?”

“Precisely.” When the doctor didn’t expand on his explanation she became irritated.

“What was the virus carrying?” She stressed each word as she became more irate with the doctor.

Doctor Minsk took a deep breath before answering. “So far we have detected two genes inserted alongside the virus genome. As you both probably know, a virus enters a cell and hijacks the cell’s cellular machinery to replicate. In this case it also inserted two genes into the infected person’s cells. One is a telomerase gene and the other is a tumor-suppressor protein.”

The doctor paused in order for them to digest the information; unfortunately Mara had no idea what he was trying to tell her. “For Sithsake, we’re not doctors! Just tell me if I’m going to die!”

He shook his head. “If those are the only two genes…then the answer is no.” He put a hand on the footboard of Mara’s bed, leaning against it slightly. “Telomerase is an enzyme that promotes the creation and repair of telomeres. These are non-coding pieces of DNA located on the ends of chromosomes. They act as bumpers protecting the DNA. Each time a cell divides the telomere DNA sequences are shortened. After a cell divides fifty to sixty times the telomere cap is gone and the cell goes into what we called senescence…at this point all cell division stops. It is believed that increasing telomerase production will slow aging. If the enzyme is present the cells create replacement strings of telomere DNA to build up the telomere cap…and therefore protecting the chromosomes. Aging is believes to occur when our cells stop replicating normally. Our skin becomes fragile and our hair gets gray and thin. Telomerase has shown to be effective in slowing the aging process of lab animals. Unfortunately increased telomerase has also been linked to higher rates of cancer because it allows cancerous cells to continue to reproduce unabated. I believe this is where the second gene comes in. The tumor-suppressor protein has been known to cause apoptosis, meaning death, of cancer cells, but doesn’t harm normal cells.”

“I see,” Luke said as he turned to Mara. “Don’t you get it? The Imperials were trying to rectify the problems with the Blackwing virus, which was the cells wouldn’t replicate. The substance we were infected with must have been their solution. The Blackwing virus inhibited cell replication. This virus enhanced replication of normal cells without encouraging cancerous cells.”

The doctor smiled brightly. “That’s correct Grand Master Skywalker.”

Mara was still concerned. “If everything is great…then why are we still in isolation? Were we infected with the Blackwing Virus along with this other good virus?”

“We have not detected the Blackwing Virus in your system, but we would like to keep you in isolation and run tests just to be cautious.”

She raised the back of her bed until she was in a sitting position. “If we were infected only with the good virus…what will that do to us?”

The doctor’s smile widened a bit. “It could slow aging in humans considerably or perhaps reverse some of the signs of aging…we won’t know for sure until our laboratory experiments manage to replicate the results you have experienced.”

Luke’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “What do you mean by manage to replicate? Have you been doing experiments on humans with that virus?”

“Oh no, no, no,” the doctor reassured Luke while making a calming gesture. “We’ve experimented on non-sentient primates. Unfortunately, they appear to experience severe pain, flushing of the skin, nausea and vomiting before they fall in a coma and eventually die. We have no idea why a usually innocuous virus has this effect on the animal.” He looked at Luke questioningly. “Were you two exposed to any other chemical while in the office…anything that could have helped you survive?”

Mara’s eyes went wide as she turned to Luke. “The healing trance…could that be it?”

Luke nodded. “That may have been the difference.”

The doctor’s face fell. “A Jedi trance?” He shook his head in disappointment. “We can’t jump to human studies legally until we have successful results with animals and unless you can train a primate to do a healing trance…this knowledge has been rendered useless.” He looked to Luke expectantly. “Can you train Jedi techniques to a primate?”

Luke laughed. “No.”

Mara shrugged while suppressing a grin. “You did a good job with Jacen.”

Luke smirked. “Funny Mara.”

Mara turned to the doctor. “So when will we be released?”

Doctor Minsk chewed on his bottom lip in thought. “A month.”

“A month!” Mara shouted. She looked over to Luke and groaned. “You better not snore.”

He smiled broadly. “I guess you’ll find out.”

 

So they're alright!

BAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!! Love that reply!

 

Well, this should be a fun month. plenty of time to get to know one another better..maybe fall in love

 

Did she and Luke have sex while they were in an altered state of consciousness?

I don't care if they didn't in this fic, I WANT THIS GINCHY SHINE!

Yay! They are going to live! Great chapter.

 

Love it! Glad they're both all right.

 

So...the virus reverses aging, huh? So in another month Luke will look as youthful as a newborn babe. Or someone age appropriate for Mara.

 

Telomerase has been used on Earth to rejuvenate prematurely aged mice in the laboratory. So cells that have stopped dividing could have their telomeres repaired and they will start dividing again. In mice the negative effects of aging were reversed. It didn't make the mouse get younger, just healthier. So we have no fear of a Benjamin Button thing happening here, but the laugh lines around Luke's eyes might disappear and any gray may go away. Mara is young enough that there might not be any noticeable effect from the virus with the exception that she might not age normally. She might stay young looking for some time.

It is a really interesting study they have been doing at Harvard and other institutions on telomerase therapy. When I got my Master's Degree in Biology 15 years ago my professor was very excited about the role of telomeres in human aging. Since then I have been fascinated with the enzyme. Unfortunately there is a chance of cancer, so that is why scientists haven't been doing human studies.

You can read about one interesting study here: http://www.theguardian.com/science/2010/nov/28/scientists-reverse-ageing-mice-humans