Beyond - Legends Forever in the Force (After the Death of Mara Jade Skywalker) 09/13/03 Surprise!

Twelve year old Ben Skywalker woke up in the middle of the medical bay in the temporary base for the Jedi. His body was covered in cuts and brusies that had finally begun to heal after several dips in the bacta tank. Many of the Jedi's best healers had been looking after the Master's only son and all had been shocked by the amount of his wounds. And doubly shocked that Master Jade Skywalker had not survived the mission.

Wetting his mouth, Ben tasted the sour sweet remnant of bacta on his breath. Remembrance of that mission to Vronia, where he and his parents he been trying to help a sect of Yuuzhan Vong escape from the angered Vronians had not yet come. For now all he knew was that he felt like a herd of banthas had decided to do a rain dance on his entire body, one at a time.

He groaned as he sat up, clenching his eyes tighter with the pain. "Why me?" he thought or did he say that outloud.

"About time you woke up, Junior," a voice said from within the room.

"Uncle Han?" his voice was rough and grated, another side effect of multiple bacta treatments. He peaked his eyes open and saw that half cocked Solo grin that actors tried to replicate but could never come close to. "What did I do to myself this time?"

"How you feeling?" Uncle Han asked, dodging this subject.

"I've been better," Ben answered honestly, his throat cracking due to the bacta induced dryness.

Uncle Han moved to raise the medical bunk so that Ben did not need to exert himself. "You gave us all a worry, Ben. But Luke will be happy to hear that you are doing better."

Ben rubbed at the sleep in the corner of his eyes. "Where is Dad? Why isn't he here?" His parents were usually hovering around him like Kryat dragons watching over their young.

"He's making preparations," Uncle Han stumbled.

Ben frowned, crinkling his young boyish features. "Preparations? For what?"

For a moment he swore he saw panic cross over his uncle's usual cool facade. "Yeah, he had some things that he needed to discuss with the Council."

"Oh," Ben murmured, trying to with hold his disappointment.

"He just stepped out for a while. He should be back any minute," Uncle Han was quick to reassure him.

Ben closed his eyes and settled deeper into the cushioned medical bunk. "Well then I'll just wait up for him."

"You really should rest kid," Han admonished him. "You've been pretty sick."

"I feel I need to talk with him, Uncle Han," Ben said, confusing himself.

"Then I'll go look for him. Promise me that you won't try any Jedi stuff though, alright?"

Doing the best he could to shrug with the healing cuts, Ben said, "Sure, Uncle Han."

---

Han Solo stepped out of the medical suite and cursed mentally in every language he could think of and headed towards the nearest cantina. Of course Luke would chose this moment to disabuse himself of his no drinking policy.

 

Yay! I get first reply! (About time)

Here we (you) go again, Zara. I'm a little frightened for Ben when he finally gets his memory back. Seems a little strange that he wouldn't remember immediately, especially since what happened to Mara was one of his visions.

And Luke gone to drink?! I've got a bad feeling about this...

 

Poor Ben.



And poor Lukie too.



Jedi and alcohol do not mix. Though I certainly can empathize with him.

 

Ooo! More

~~Jilly

 

Shloz
Yay! I get first reply! (About time)

Here we (you) go again, Zara. I'm a little frightened for Ben when he finally gets his memory back. Seems a little strange that he wouldn't remember immediately, especially since what happened to Mara was one of his visions.

And Luke gone to drink?! I've got a bad feeling about this...

He's still trying to figure out his visions and is right now repressing such a horrible event. If you remember the vision of Mara's death came shortly before the actual event so they are so close together that he could repress them all in one instant. Luke's really not the drinking kind and I'll imagine he'd be a pretty terrible drunk.

JediMasterKobe

Poor Ben.



And poor Lukie too.



Jedi and alcohol do not mix. Though I certainly can empathize with him.

I know the Skywalkers never get a break.

JainaDurron

Ooo! More

~~Jilly

Definitely.

 

Poor Ben. So, there will be more? I sense a lot of anguish is coming.

 

Poor Ben!! But I'm loving your writing.

 

I love reading your fics Zara, please keep it coming!

 

Thanks all more tonight.

 

Yay! More tonight!

*throws an ewok party!*

 

Postpone Ewok party due to the fact that the writer's head cold is causing her to think in less then satisfactory ways. I keep sitting down to write, but each time I can't get my sentiment out. Hopefully tomorrow.

 

Postpone Ewok party due to the fact that the writer's head cold is causing her to think in less then satisfactory ways. I keep sitting down to write, but each time I can't get my sentiment out. Hopefully tomorrow.

 

Aw Sithspit!

Come back here, Kettch. We've got other threads to invade.

 

Luke sat inside a cloud of tabacc smoke, totally oblivious to the noxious fumes that floated around him. Blurry-eyed he scrutinized his drink and smiled happily that miraculously the glass had been refilled. In celebration he raised it to the air, before bringing it to his lips and downing half of it.

Overhead the plasma screen switched to the latest breaking story and an instant later, Luke spotted the face of an angel. The holo had been taken probably from an old archive, because the picture showed Mara the way Luke had first seen her. She was smiling but in that lazy cynical way she had coined, the one that their son had adopted. Her eyes were flashing green like the jewels under the sea his aunt Beru had used to tell him about as a child. Her hair was long and fell across her shoulders in coils.

Now she's gone. How can I go on without her? How can I raise a twelve-year-old boy without my ground? Luke wasn't even sure he was going to get the chance to raise his son. Ben had been close to death when Luke had bursted through the rebelling Vronians with New Republic security. What if Ben joined the Force with his mother?

At another table nearby the equally inebriated occupants were beginning to show the results of such flippant drinking.

"Did you hear about that Jedi wench?" The tufted Whiphid yelled to his friend.

"Yeah, about time someone got rid of at least one of those troublemakers," the Whiphid's buddy said. "Wish it could happen more."

It had been years since Luke had been so angry and the alcohol was more of a catalyst for Luke's downtrodden and divided heart. He turned around, slapping his glass against the dingy table.

"Escuse me?" he slurred.

The Whiphid and his buddy glared at him. "None of your business, little one."

Luke shot to his feet, well basicaly staggered to his feet, but for a Jedi it was pretty much the same thing. "It iss my business. I'm Luke Skywalker, that wench's husband."

The Whiphid stood up and he easily towered half a meter over Luke, but right now there was nothing more daunting then spending the rest of his life without Mara.

"You don't look like, Master Skywalker. There isn't a lightsaber stuck up your...," the Whiphid was cut off by Luke's fist impacting with his rock like chin.

The Whiphid's buddy caught him, for there was enough Force-backing in that punch to ring the bells of a Hut.

"I'm going to kill you," the Whiphid exclaimed after getting his balance. Promptly his hands formed around Luke's neck and began squeezing, cutting off all opportunities for oxygen.

Please do, Luke thought. Still, he was a Skywalker and even in his muddled state his amrs came up to try and push away the iron like grasp of the Whiphid.

"Alright who started the party without me?" Han said out of Luke's sight. The Whiphid swiveled to face the voice and Han's blaster muzzle came up to center on the Whiphid's temple, while his free hand kept the Whiphid's willowy friend at bay. "I hate it when I'm late for a party. It kind of puts me on edge."

"Listen we don't want any trouble. He's the one who started this," the Whiphid's buddy stuttered.

Han's cocky grin didn't waiver. "And I'm finishing it. I'd appreciate it if you removed your hands from the neck of my friend."

The Whiphid released Luke and the Jedi Master barely managed to stay upright. Han wrapped an arm around his chest, holding him up, his blaster never wavering.

"Smart move. I thought that you looked like an intelligent guy," Han said with his usual bluster. "Continue with that thought."

Luked stumbled as Han helped him, forcefully, out of the cantina. Once they were outside and the cool night air hit Luke, he sobbered up some, angrily pushed Han away. "Stay out of my business, Han."

"Look kid, I know you're having a rough time, and I know I wasn't much better after Chewie died, but you need to snap out of this," Han said.

"Why Han? Why do I have to? I have nothing. Mara is gone, Ben is probably following after her right

 

I'm going to add my encouragement to Han's. You're gonna get through this Luke. That Whipid did deserve to get smacked. How did he expect the Jedi Master to react?

 

Very good update. Poor Lukie.

 

Bah, darn double posts.

 

joy_noel

I'm going to add my encouragement to Han's. You're gonna get through this Luke. That Whipid did deserve to get smacked. How did
he expect the Jedi Master to react?

Whiphids? There just big mouths.

JediMasterKobe

Very good update. Poor Lukie.

Wonderful update, Zara. But poor Lukie!

Thanks. Lukie needs some serious help.

 

This is really cool! I can't wait for more.

 

So sad. I think I'll go read the first part of the series or whatever it is so I have a clue.

~~Jilly

 

Jaina_and_Jag

This is really cool! I can't wait for more.

Thanks.


JainaDurron

So sad. I think I'll go read the first part of the series or whatever it is so I have a clue.

It might be difficult. It's actually after Mara's death but tells the story of how it happened, inside the larger story of what's going on. Am I confusing you?

 

Luke is drunk, Ben has yet to remeber, and Mara is dead. Good thing Han there to help Ben and Luke.

 

"What do you mean by you created them?" Han asked as he watched Luke run through a detoxifing exercise.

Luke moaned, clutching the sides of his head as he caught the first reprecussions of his nightful of drinking. As the alcohol left he felt reason return in its place. He didn't know exactly what he had been thinking when he had started his 'fun', but he was pretty sure that he hadn't been thinking.

"Know that feeling," Han muttered and handed Luke a cold cloth. For which the Jedi Master promptly placed on his throbbing forehead. "How's your head, kid?"

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" Luke accused.

Han shook his head. "No kid, I'm not. After everything you've been through this is the last thing I would take joy in. But you've got to come to your senses because you've got a little boy who needs you to remind him of what happened and then help him deal with it." Luke could only remember a few times seeing Han so serious. "Now what did you mean when you said that you created them."

"Look at what I am Han," Luke proclaimed stepping off his knees. He was better now, despite the constant beat of his head and he refused to use the Force to diminish it. He needed the pain that helped distract him from the more terrifying pain that struck him. "I teach people to give up their lives."

"You teach them to see the bigger picture," Han argued. "You and Leia taught me that."

"And how long is it before I place you and Leia on the funeral pyre?" Luke asked sharply, then barked a laugh. "No wait, I can't even do that for Mara. I have no body."

"Is that what's bothering you?" Han asked. "That you can't give her the proper...ritual?"

"I didn't even get to say goodbye, Han," Luke said, deflating in defeat.

Han was beginning to regret his self-imposed duty of bringing Luke around to his old self. He was never really good at this, not like Leia would be. All he was good for was his crack shot with a blaster, but Leia was away at Myrkr and wouldn't be back for a while.

"Look Luke I don't know what to say, I can't tell you anything that you don't already know. That the pain will get easier to bear, that in time, you'll be okay. But it doesn't really mean anything because I still have Leia. And no matter how many times, I've almost lost her it doesn't compare to the fact that you did lose Mara. But if you don't do something for Ben then you'll regret it."

Luke felt as though Han had snapped a punch to his face. "I'm sorry Han. Here am I drowning in my own sorrow and I've conveniently forgotten that you've been here before. I did not mean to playdown Anakin's death."

Han's cocky smile was forced this time. "Don't sweat it kid."

"Will you come with me to the Med Center?" Luke asked hopefully. He didn't know if he could handle this on his own and Han had always been his backup.

"Sure thing, Junior."

 

Poor Luke. Poor Han. Good post.

~~Jilly

 

Han isn't giving himself enough credit. Like Luke said, he's been here before. The med center scene is going to be heartwrenching.