Beyond - Legends "Shadow Flickers" 3/3 (AU; 22-23 ABY, NJO, First Order, action/angst/etc.)

A/N: This is actually a combination of several posts from earlier in the year, but I didn't want to make readers hunt for old links/etc. This is decidedly Legends at its core, but with a lot of TFA elements worked in (and, down the line, a very AU timeline ... )

A major point of difference from TFA, here - thrown out early so as to avoid confusion later on:

Spoiler

Kylo, here, is Kylo Skywalker - L/M's son. Ben Skywalker will show up later, and I don't want readers to have to figure out which Ben is which.

Also, for anyone who read the stories earlier this year:

Spoiler

Anakin Skywalker will NOT be revived in a clone body this time. That jumped the firaxan shark, IMHO. That said, Force Ghost!Anakin will be around eventually ...

The "angst" warning is more for the perceived tragedy here than actual loss, etc. I thought about putting "tragedy" in the headline, but it's not really accurate, given where things are going to end up.

That doesn't mean the ride is going to be smooth; after all, there be Vong ahead, among other things ...

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22 ABY: Coruscant System.
Core Worlds:
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When they breached the airlock, Kyp knew things were going to be bad - blast scorches greeted him.

Chaos, someone had a firefight, he thought, extending his Force senses outward through the gloom of the ruined, poorly-lit CR90 cruiser - his flight suit's helmet lamp was only so effective.

"Master?" Miko Reglia asked, unusually subdued as he followed Kyp into the starboard main corridor. The boy's hesitation was understandable, and Kyp signaled for quiet as he tried to concentrate.

He was nervous too, given the stakes and the sheer damage to the Theed Highroller.

"I need to focus, Miko, OK? Run the bioscanner, look for life signs, while I check the Force," Kyp encouraged, trying not to bark - Miko was a good apprentice, loyal despite Kyp's detractors.

And how many of them would think I'm even capable of subtlety like this? Kyp mused, squinting.

He sank into the energy field, setting aside hopes and dealing with the facts - the Order needed those, not conjecture. Answers were going to be the only thing that mattered to them, in the end.

Well, a little hope wouldn't hurt, either, Kyp thought, surfacing with morose certainty.

He started forward, satisfied that there were no traps - his danger sense wasn't as good as Mara's, but he did fairly well - then asked Miko, "Anything on the scanner? Is it OK to bring Zero in here?"

"... we're the only life signs, Master," Miko whispered, visibly pale through his helmet's visor. He took a deep breath, nodding - Kyp was proud of his Padawan's ability to handle the situation.

Gods of Deyer, I'm barely keeping it together, Kyp thought, taking a deep breath himself.

When the CR90 had emerged, half-shattered and tumbling, after vanishing from Yavin, the Order had had a collective conniption fit. (Given the passengers, said fit was quite warranted, Kyp thought.)

Luke and Mara weren't back yet from the Unknown Regions; the Solos had wanted to rush to the scene, but the last thing anyone wanted was to risk more of the Order's core bloodline.

(Kam, Tionne, and company denied it, but it was Master Skywalker's show, and Kyp had no problem with that. What bugged him was that everyone pretended it wasn't true.)

Kriff, Tionne has it in the holocrons; 'Pass on what you have learned.' I mean, if they're going to pretend that Yoda didn't tell Master Skywalker to restart the Order, why are they at Yavin?

Kyp shook off the distraction, nodding as Zero, his somewhat ... eccentric astromech, plugged into the cruiser's computer, while Miko asked, "Master Kyp ... what do we do now?"

"You stay with the droid; Zero tends to wax philosophical and not focus on doing basic astromech work. We need anything we can get from the computer. There's no way this was just pirates," Kyp insisted, turning to follow his instincts. "I'm going to see what I can find - I'll holler if I need anything."

"BWAAT. Frewteep-bwuurt," Zero complained, but Kyp just glared at the droid and headed down the hallway. He would've thought about finding a different astromech, but the budget was tight, and Kyp wasn't entirely sure about what he'd do as a "second job" to earn enough credits to buy his own.

Anything to keep from thinking about what happened, Kyp? he rebuked himself, floating; the gravity was unstable, at best, and he wanted to get what he could and get out before the ship broke up.

His blood chilled as he looked down ... and saw, mixed among the slain crew, Stormtroopers.

Rogue warlord? Pellaeon wouldn't be stupid enough to throw away the peace like this; makes more sense that it might be some group like the Empire Reborn ... kriffit, I hope I'm wrong, Kyp thought.

He followed his Force-sense, fearing and hoping what he'd find in the crew quarters - the crew themselves had fought to protect their passengers, and Kyp once again cursed the situation.

Why didn't WE take them to Coruscant?! I get operational security, but it FAILED here!

He confronted and worked through the negative emotions - or, at least, used them to motivate his search through the Force, trying to find some trace of the people whom he sought.

Kyp came to the escape pods - three were missing, but there was a ... chill in the corridor that had nothing to do with the ruined life-support systems, and he knelt beside the last clue.

A shattered, scorched nanny droid was sprawled beside the pods, and Kyp swallowed hard as he picked up a child's stuffed Ewok; the traces of fear, uncertainty, and confusion were strong.

"Master? We've found something - it appears three escape pods were jettisoned as the cruiser came out of hyperspace," Kyp heard Miko say, and his gut twisted at the implication.

Pods jettisoned into hyperspace ... how the Imperials executed Nil Spaar, if the rumors are true ...

"I ... I read you, Miko. Good work," Kyp whispered, standing and fighting to keep calm.

He wasn't sure how he'd be able to explain this to Luke and Mara ... couldn't imagine what to say.

We lost their children. To - what, a botched kidnap attempt by dark-siders? Kyp thought.

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It was bright. And hot. And her Ewok was gone, and her head hurt.

And Nanna died and Jemma and Kylo are gone too ... Rey thought, stumbling through the sand.

She was hungry. And thirsty, and lonely, and it was like Tatooine, but with just one sun -

"HEY?!" Rey cried, as she rolled down a sand dune, and she tried not to bawl. Momma was tough, and she wanted to be tough too.

Even if she was all alone, and she couldn't hear her brother and sister or cousins or aunt or anyone.

Rey tried not to shiver when an old man - old old, older than Streen - looked at her. He walked over, and he felt OK - not mean, like the Pale Man in the black robes had - and asked, "Are you all right?"

Rey nodded, but just gasped, "'M tired - my pod crashed an' I dunno how t'get home."

"Well. You're very small to be out here alone. I'm Lor. Come, little one, let me help," the man said, and Rey thought he was really trying to be nice.

Everything just got heavy, then, and Rey cried, and let Lor pick her up.

She didn't know when she might see her family again, but maybe it'd be OK to stay here 'til then.

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The landing had been rough, but Kylo had been wrapped in the crash webbing; he was more upset.

Wish the girls'd come with us, but dumb Nana sent their pods off before the Pale Man zapped her, he thought, pulling off the crash webbing and following the tall, pale man out into - snow!

"Apologies, child. While I was able to ensure our safe escape to Mygeeto, I could not guarantee the exact location of our landing. At this stage in your training, it is best for you to take my cloak. In time, you will learn to control temperature's effects upon you," the Pale Man - maybe a Muun - said.

Kylo thanked him as the Muun gave him his cloak, and wrapped himself in it; there was a tower ahead. "And you'll teach me 'bout my grandpa more?" he asked, pulling the hood over his head.

"Oh, much about Lord Vader, Kylo. And far more," the Muun said, as Kylo tried to keep up.

Kylo wanted to believe him; there was so much more to the Force than Aunt Tionne or Mom or Dad would teach him. Nobody ever wanted to talk about when Grandpa Anakin had been Darth Vader.

(And his dumb scaredy-felinx cousin Anakin Solo was afraid. Kylo was only 5, and he wasn't scared.)

'Sides, it's not like I was using the Force to hurt people or animals. Just scare 'em, he thought.

He wished Rey and Jemma had come with him - his twin sisters were OK, just pesky sometimes.

The Pale Man said he'd teach us all about Grandpa, if the girls hadn't been sent off, Kylo sighed.

"What's your name 'gain? You had those Stormtroopers, but none of'em said," he asked.

"... Snoke, Kylo. You may call me Master Snoke," the Muun said, and Kylo nodded.

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The pod had rolled, tossing Jemma out onto a hillside - she wasn't hurt, just scared and alone.

Mommy? Daddy?! she called, pushing brown hair out of her eyes - it was dark, and cold -

"Rupert! Over here, it's a girl! Oh, you poor dear!" she heard, and a lady picked Jemma up.

"My word, Ruth! There's a wreck over there - is she all right?" Jemma heard, and she nodded.

These people seemed nice, but she was still scared, just managing to say "Jemma" when they asked her name - the pod was burning, and they got away from it, toward what looked like a speeder.

'Cept it has wheels, Jemma thought, sitting in the back seat as the lady, Ruth, looked her over.

"You seem all right, dear. Do you have any parents? Rupert, get us to hospital!" Ruth said.

"I ... I don't 'member, ma'am," Jemma said - these people sounded Coruscanti, like her and Mama.

Jemma tried not to be afraid again - her thoughts were all blurry, and she was tired ...

"Lean on me, Jemma. I'm Mrs. Simmons - this is Gloucestershire. We'll get you help," the lady said.

Jemma nodded, yawning; she hoped everyone was OK ... Rey and Kylo and Mama and Daddy.

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Yavin IV:
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The cursing had been less frightening than what Mara did to the training droid - with its own arms.

Corran found Luke sitting on one of the temple tiers, hands steepled as he tried to meditate.

If either man noted the half-finished bottle of Whyren's Reserve beside Luke, they didn't mention it.

After a long moment, Luke managed to say, "... I don't think they're dead. I'd've ... felt it."

"I believe that, Luke. We all do," Corran said thickly, wanting to be supportive despite the evidence.

Mara was - well, the words extended leave of absence were the safest phrase Corran would use. (The rest of Luke's senior Knights were awaiting word of some calamity befalling a Remnant world.)

From what Kyp and Miko had discovered, it appeared that the cruiser had been intercepted by a cutter-class troop transport just before entering hyperspace; the gutted transport had been found wrecked on an asteroid near the jump point for the Yavin system. It'd had a sophisticated cloak.

The best theory was that the Imperials had fought the crew, then tried to force the cruiser to revert from hyperspace before reaching Coruscant. The Skywalker triplets had been en route to visit "Uncle" Talon Karrde, then the Solos, who'd been the ones to raise the alarm.

The Rogues, Karrde, and all of Han and Lando's contacts were turning over every stone.

But the ... lost look in Luke's eyes didn't do much for Corran's hope for a positive outcome.

Luke managed a weak smile, standing - without a wobble - and said, "Come on."

"Wha - you want to go looking?" Corran asked, willing to aid his friend and mentor however he could.

That lost look became stricken, but Luke took a deep breath and said, "Absolutely, Corran."

"But the problem is, even though I didn't sense the kids die ... I can't find them, either."

The nuance wasn't lost on the Corellian Jedi, and Luke leaned against the stone, clearly in pain.

"... Master. Luke. We'll all -" Corran started to offer, but Luke tried to smile again.

"I appreciate that, more than you know, Corran. But ... without direction ... I can't ..." Luke stumbled.

He closed his eyes and whispered, "Mara and everyone else is out there, but they shouldn't have to be ... why can't I find my own children through the Force?"

There were several possibilities, none of which made Corran very comfortable.

After a moment, Luke nodded, composing himself, and said, "Someone has to hold things here."

"I won't give up, Corran. Not until I have proof. And not until I've exhausted all options."

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A/N: Bit of a time jump here ... I'll update the main header to reflect that.

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23 ABY: Keldooine, Hutt Space:
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It was a nameless bar in a backwater part of a minor world on the edge of the galaxy's cesspool.

The kind of place I started out at when I strove to master what Car'das threw my way. It's not the sort of place someone with my reputation is expected to be seen ... which works in my favor, the traveler mused.

He dodged a minor scuffle - well, as minor as two Weequays sparring could be; it wasn't Gamorreans, so by Hutt standards, the duel hardly mattered as a bar brawl - and ordered an ale, finding a booth.

The woman sitting across from him looked up, her expression promising a mildly painful, fast death.

For her, it was basically a look of annoyance. Actual wrath would've metaphorically frozen the target.

But there was something hauntingly missing from the redhead's glare, something that the traveler mourned the absence of. Oh, he was sure she could hurt him - and the rest of the bar - if she wanted.

But the focused passion she so frequently exerted and channeled into her art - deadly though it could be, and had been at the height of her reputation-making days - was gone. The traveler missed that spark.

For that matter, he missed the woman's usual composure. She looked ... well, disheveled.

Her hair was clean, but a mess; her makeup, basically absent (although he'd seen her without it, and she could look high-class with nary a trace of eyeliner or lipstick if she wanted). For someone who prided herself on appearance and poise, the woman was quite simply not caring about such things.

Be charitable. It's been more than a year since the incident; she has more important things on her mind, the traveler thought, smiling faintly beneath his hood as the woman relaxed - a bit.

At the very least, the man didn't think she wanted to kill him quite as much.

"You came a very long way for little return," she said, masking her Coruscanti accent well.

"I'm not asking you to rejoin me. I just ... there were rumors, of your ... wandering, and-" he started.

Twin chips of emerald ice pierced him, but he refused to show fear. She'd pounce on it.

After a moment, the woman leaned back in her seat and sighed, her lips twisting. "I was using old personae to infiltrate Hutt slave markets. I had to make sure I looked everywhere," she admitted.

The man nodded; it was a horribly unsettling possibility, but one he knew she'd had to examine.

"And did you find -?" he asked, thanking the Nikto waitress when she brought his drink.

"No," the human woman replied, her voice very near absolute zero - but not out of anger.

This was a struggle for self-control, and the man was more afraid than he'd ever been - but for her.

For Talon Karrde, seeing Mara Jade-Skywalker - Mara - nearly at her wits' end was ... haunting.

She gave him another angry glance, muttering, "I don't want pity, Karrde. I want leads."

"Fragments of shards of ghosts, unfortunately. The Second Imperium doesn't seem to be the group who took your children," Karrde breathed, keeping his voice low - even in this hole, there might be ears.

Mara nodded, something near relief in her eyes, replaced by a blazing death-rage that almost warmed Karrde.

Homicidal Mara was better than Emotionally Fragile Mara. At least Karrde was used to Homicidal Mara.

"Dare I make a joke about which parts of Brakiss' anatomy he should fear for the most?" he asked.

Mara's laugh wasn't quite as brittle as Karrde had feared, and she cut it off quickly - the barflies glanced their direction, but went back to their drinks, games, or banter at Mara's warning glance.

"Eh. Jaina's probably already redecorated those idiots' base with their shebse. Girl's got the makings of a fine Knight, but without the stunting that Corran suffers from. Not that I want my niece to take after Durron. The idiot's got his uses, but he and his are getting too caught up in their damn fool crusades," Mara rambled, glancing at her drink as if it'd offended her.

She turned just the minutest shade of pink - suggesting she "blushed" had usually resulted in the speaker's vocal apparatus suffering some kind of painful, temporary dysfunction - then frowned.

Karrde merely nodded, replying, "You're a grown woman. If you want to get drunk, get drunk."

Mara started to growl something - most likely a warning not to patronize her - and Karrde smiled.

She looked at the table, annoyed again, and said, "You know me too well. You're trying to play the whole 'concerned father-like mentor' routine without talking down to me. Murglak."

"I had to ... dissuade several of the more well-meaning, but not-understanding, members of the Order who knew you'd come here from attempting to talk to you. Luke has too few graduated Knights as it is; you take so poorly to others' offers of assistance that I feared for their safety," Karrde mused.

Mara snorted, killing her drink with a verve that made Karrde almost feel sad for the liquor.

Mara Jade does not get drunk. Mara Jade's gastrointestinal tract interrogates liquor, he recalled from one of Dankin's perennial lists of "Mara Jade is so bad-shebs" jokes.

They stood - Karrde had been sipping the ale steadily - and he walked with her, tossing a few credits on the table as they stepped into the temperate night. Keldooine had little polar tilt, so most of the world was remarkably welcoming to many species - boring, but livable.

The kind of life I now sometimes dream of. The spacer's adventures are for the young, and I ... I've grown old before my time, with the losses of those dear to me, Karrde thought, looking at Mara.

She wasn't drunk, not any longer. The star-filled sky had struck her silent; with few lights, the view was stunningly beautiful.

But Karrde could tell his once-protege was seeing something more - or someones.

"The triplets had such different views of the stars, Talon," Mara whispered. "Jemma was a bit scared of them - she was the most grounded of the three. Kylo liked them, but cared more for the Force."

Karrde felt a chill that had nothing to do with the hour of the night; the past tense sent ice down his back.

Mara's smile was thin, but warmed for a second as she added, "And Rey - Rey wanted to fly to all of them, you know. The best on the simulators, even as a little girl ... little ..."

Karrde risked reaching for her, and let Mara cling to him as she did the one thing she NEVER did.

She shook, silent, hitching as more than a year's worth of pain and fear and fury escaped her.

"You don't know they're ... gone," he whispered, wishing he could comfort her with certainty.

The viciousness of Mara's replying laugh made Karrde step back as she looked at him.

What was worse than the expected anger was the fearful loss that made her tears bite him deeper.

"Oh, they're not. That's the most WRETCHED thing, Talon. I'd KNOW, you see," Mara snarled.

"But the only thing worse than if they'd died? It's sensing them and not being able to reach them."

Karrde steeled himself - if he was going to suffer a spectacular, horrific death-by-Force, it'd be now.

But Mara just shrank within herself, in a way somehow worse than her lashing out, and frowned.

"They're distant - Wild Space, the Unknown Regions, somewhere. Still within our galaxy ... but I can't pinpoint where they are. That's why I've been avoiding Luke, even though I know we need each other - he wants to comfort me, and yes, part of me wants that, but if I let it all out and lose the urgency, or if I overlook some trail that gets by me while I'm resting ..." Mara trailed off, looking ... lost.

Talon Karrde's heart broke at that look.

He reached out a hand, but Mara managed a very weak, brave, not-very truthful smile.

"Take me back to Yavin, Karrde. The Jade Sabre is back there, with Luke - I didn't want a cantina sign blazing 'here's Mrs. Skywalker' while I tried to infiltrate the underworld," she asked.

Karrde nodded, still not quite sure what to say, so they just walked.

Mara glanced at him, a bit of her old steel back in her frame, and Karrde asked, "What is it?"

"... family is more than blood. Thanks for coming to get me," she said, her smile stronger now.

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23 ABY: Jedi Temple, Yavin 4:
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Mara had never particularly liked Yavin.

Of course she'd known about the moon's Sith history. (While Palpatine hadn't wanted her to be a replacement for Vader - different tools for different jobs - neither had he kept Mara from indulging her curiosity into the real history of the galaxy, and she'd poked her nose into some questionable holocrons.)

Had Luke simply asked her for some forewarning, maybe the "fallen apprentice of the week" business could've been avoided by opening shop on Ossus - but the Massassi temples were hardly her idea of comfortable. She tried to avoid rubbing Luke's nose in the Exar Kun fiasco, and he had learned from it.

Even if Tionne had Force-cleansed them, and the last few dark-side nexii had been purged or just plain levelled, the jungle moon still had a sticky, untamed aspect to it - cluttered, grating to Mara's upbringing. Yes, the life-strong, risky world was suitable for challenging Jedi trainees, but ...

Oh, now I turn into a Corist snob? I thrive in dives that'd make Solo blush, but I can't stand a little rain and wildlife? Urgh, she thought, thanking Karrde as he dropped her off and some of the apprentices started offloading supplies that Kam Solusar had contracted with the infochant to bring in.

"Mara? Mara!" she heard, managing a smile as several of the senior Knights - basically the equivalent of Masters, now, although Luke had yet to really dole out the titles - approached, happy and relieved.

She returned Tionne's hug, clasped one of Cilghal's flippers in her hand, and shook Corran, Kam, Streen, and Kirana Ti's hands - very expressive for the former Hand, but she had been away.

"Thank the Force you've returned. We ... we've not had any ... particular luck, ourselves," Tionne said, growing sad, but Mara radiated support - she appreciated the chronicler's friendship, especially since the Knights had watched the triplets frequently when Mara and Luke had had to go on missions (and the Solos hadn't been available).

"It means a lot that you've kept looking. Thank you ... I've had little success, myself," Mara admitted.

Worry swept across their faces, but she quickly added, "I've not seen any sign that the kids are dead. I just ... I'm no closer to finding them, either. And ..."

Mara didn't want to say aloud what none of the others would voice (she was grateful for their circumspection - she wanted to avoid ripping someone's head off verbally, and none of them deserved to have their heads ripped off literally).

Instead, she forced her best Jade smirk and asked, "So, is Farmboy in?"

The others' looks were - interesting. Kirana looked a bit miffed (and, while shielding well in the Force, her disapproval was still obvious); most of the others were taken aback, or wary - even nervous.

"He's ... around, Mara. He's been rather occupied - your nephews and niece have been studying here, and between Jacen and Jaina's circle fighting the Second Imperium, and Anakin and Tahiri's hectic pursuit of some interesting old legends, Master Skywalker's hardly been in," Cilghal explained.

"And looking for the children, of course. He spends hours between classes, meditating," Kam added.

Mara nodded, hardly surprised; she was sure Luke had been busy, looking as much as she'd been.

Even if he seems to have taken up the Solo kids as surrogates ... a rather nasty part of her growled.

Mara checked the unfair thought - Luke had been as, if not more, devastated by the triplets' kidnapping as she had. It was easy for her to point fingers when she didn't have a praxeum to run.

No, I'VE been tearing across half the galaxy LOOKING for our missing children, she fumed.

Mara sighed, trying not to pour her frustration and resentment into the Force and on top of her - well, associates, certainly; she wanted to consider the other Knights her friends. There was just ... a distance.

It's not that awkward hesitation that we all had when I first really started dating Luke. We're past the whole "is she a Sith sleeper agent?" "Will they try to kill me because I worked for Palpatine?" dance we did; maybe it's more me than them, Mara considered, feeling a bit ... not sad, but regretful.

She shoved it down ruthlessly - she had a husband to chat with first - and forced another smile.

"I'm sure I can find him. I'll catch up with you all ... hmm. Aren't you missing a rather annoying, scruffy ex-miner?" Mara wondered aloud, glancing about. It wasn't like Durron to miss a chance to pester her.

Her "I smell a ranat" sense went off as the others' faces contorted, and Corran said in a tight voice, "Mara ... Kyp is ... sparring with Luke."

The way that CorSec said "sparring" really drew Mara's attention, and she opened herself to Luke.

What rolled back up the link - besides relieved welcome - was a strong sense of guilt, and she swore.

"You must be kidding. Luke kriffing Skywalker turned into a masochist without me?" Mara growled.

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If Kyp hadn't gone sprawling with the last pushing slash, Luke would've waved him off.

"That - kaff - one goes to you, Master," the Deyer-born Jedi allowed, smiling weakly as Luke helped him up from the sparring pista in one of the side rooms of the main temple. "Niman, huh?"

"I was getting a little rusty with the two-saber forms. I should break out my shoto again soon. Thanks, Kyp. Same time Katunda?" Luke asked, and Kyp nodded - then beat an uncharacteristically hasty retreat.

I can't entirely blame him, Luke sighed mentally, his earlier warmth buried beneath approaching ice.

She appeared at the other door, and Luke tried to smile as he Force-summoned a towel to his hand.

Mara, Luke thought with relief, fear, joy - and yes, a little ... resentment? It felt wrong, that.

She strode over, arms bare - she wore her usual black bodysuit, and ruffled his hair with the towel, just being, the ice cracking but not quite gone as they assessed each other. She looked good; a few more tiny scars, things only he'd notice, and Luke was sure Mara could see other traces in his face.

For his part, Luke wore a sleeveless undershirt, a brown coverall hanging down to his waist with the sleeves tied off - Jedi robes were fine for office work or teaching, but his Bespin look was sometimes comforting.

Finally, Mara and Luke slipped their arms around each other, and she whispered, "Durron? Really?"

"Hey, he's a very good duelist. The training droids need to stay in decent shape for the students to use, and Corran's at a disadvantage against someone with telekinesis - that's not mockery, it's just that if I'm going to train, I want to be able to exercise all of my abilities," Luke said, feeling - nervous?

He tried not to get angry; it wasn't as if he'd been doing anything wrong ... but this wasn't going well.

Luke sighed, admitting, "Mara, I feel like a jerk. You're home, but part of me is -"

"Yeah, well, we're angry at each other when we want to redecorate this place with the scum who took our babies," Mara growl-laughed, sitting beside Luke on a bench. "OK, maybe I'd redecorate ..."

She looked at the floor, very uncharacteristically nervous, but quickly met Luke's eyes and said, "I know. I know, you've been looking in your own way. I just can't turn off my feelings, though, Luke."

"And I wouldn't ask you to. I wanted to go with you - to overturn every stone - but ... being unable to find them any faster through the Force ... I was ashamed, Mara," Luke said, his voice thickening.

Gentle fingers turned his face to hers, and Mara smiled despite unshed tears. You've no reason to feel that way, Farmboy. We're just hurt, and we needed time apart ... but I'm back now, she sent.

And I'm not going ANYWHERE. Now - you smell. You need a good sanisteam ... and scrubbing.

Oh, I do, do I? Luke replied, grinning in a very un-Jedi - well, un-traditional-Jedi - way.

Any sort of grief vanished as Mara's green eyes went nova, and her grin promised mayhem.

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When they were both - clean - they found the cot in Luke's office, the glowglobes turned down.

It didn't hide Mara's disapproving glance at the messy desk, and Luke felt somewhat embarrassed.

"Skywalker, what have you been doing while I was out? Are those ration packs? You're gone feral bachelor on me? There's a perfectly good cafeteria droid downstairs to cook for the Order's Master," Mara teased.

Luke grinned his best Wormie grin, the one that drove Mara crazy, and replied, "Hey, feral bachelors go and hunt in the jungle. I made sure to get good meals ... when I wasn't working late."

Mara rolled her eyes, and Luke's smile warmed, became the awed gaze he loved to indulge on her, as she blushed and muttered, "Besotted fool of a man ... I missed you, too."

He kissed her forehead and said, serious now, "I have flashes of them, sometimes - Rey's closest."

Mara sat up on her elbow, relieved concern obvious in her Force-presence, as Luke continued, "It's a desert world - not Tatooine, there's only one sun - but the distortions are so strong, I don't know it."

"Could be that stanging hyperspace distortion across the galactic center. Desert world doesn't narrow it down, much, either - not your fault," Mara said, concentrating. "What of Kylo and Jemma?"

Luke allowed his worry to show; he could be honest with Mara - certainly wanted to be honest. "Jemma's the furthest, I think. But she seems safe - loved, well cared-for, happy from what I can tell. It's some place green, with kind people," he said, recalling the few visions he'd had.

He frowned and said, softly, "Kylo ... he's some place shadowed, Mara. Focused - working hard."

The Skywalkers shared a chill, and Mara snuggled closer to Luke, whispering, "Training, but with who?"

"That's what worries me the most. The shadows are ... cloaked, roiling," Luke said, sighing.

Neither of them wanted to use the d-word - or worse, the S-word - but Mara just nodded.

"As long as he's alive. And we find him - them - soon. We can help them once we get them home," she insisted, sounding half-asleep but not fooling Luke one bit - she was as alert as always.

Luke nodded, continuing, "We ransacked the Second Imperium's computers for any trace of the kids, but they didn't have them. I even heard from Admiral Pellaeon - he offered to pass on any data."

'Hmm. Gilad's smart enough to know that we'd break down doors if we had any trace of the kids in the Remnant. That, and he doesn't want to disrupt the peace," Mara mumbled, quieter now.

Luke started to wonder if they should move to their quarters, but Mara added, "That door opens, whatever fool does so suffers my wrath. You're MINE, Farmboy, and so is this room for now."

Luke just smiled, curling up closer, and let the hundred things to do wait for another day.

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