Beyond - Legends Dawning (2.0) - Luke/Mara, Ben - AU repost & revamp - Completed August 12th

Yay! Luke is on his way to recovery.

 

Mara is evil to her husband. LOL I'm glad to see he's taking the first baby steps to recovery.

 

Mara is highly loyal person and she would never give up on Luke. Besides she has been waiting for 4 long years... preying, hoping for the mere chance of Luke being awake again. I am so proud of her!

 

AN: This is where it really changes from the original Dawning and I'm not going to apologize for what I did. Thanks for reading everyone!


Chapter 7

Mara did not have to wait long. Within a few minutes, Luke was brought back in, still sound asleep, by Cilghal and a medical droid. Both his hands were above the blanket and the access panel to his right hand was open, exposing wiring and the battery.

“The attachment went fine, Mara,” the healer said as she pushed him back into his spot. “But, the scanned images of his spine showed us something.” Cilghal pulled up one of the others chairs put in the room and Mara was suddenly frightened. “There is an incomplete break at his C7 vertebra. He is considered to be a quadriplegic.”

This did not make any sense to Mara. Luke just woke from four years in a coma, it was a miracle. They were supposed to be done with this hell. He was supposed to be fine. This was not fair. What had Luke ever done to deserve this?

Cilghal continued. “Ashlana Tano will be able to give you a better prognosis, but he will still be able to use his arms had have some fine motor skills in his hands. I’m very sorry Mara. Will you want to tell him?”

“I’ll tell him,” Mara’s voice was detached, though her mind wasn’t. “When will he wake?

“In his weakened state, he was affected by the anaesthetic more. He should sleep for the next few hours. Unfortunately, we have to make the finer adjustments to her cybernetic now. It’s simply a lot easier if we have to remove it, to do it now.”

The droid that came in Cilghal walked up to the side of the bed. “Ma’am, it may be beneficial if you stand on his left side and keep him calm as well as give him my instructions.”

Mara nodded and leaned over his left side, taking that hand.

The droid poked Luke’s right index finger with a sharp point.

Luke grunted and his finger twitch.

His brain could still relay signals to his body. It was something.

The droid continued poking his fingers and they continued twitching, and he continued grunting, slowly waking, though he did not open his eyes.

“Ma’am, can you ask him to open his hand?”

“Farmboy,” she whispered in his ear. He smiled as she did so. “Can you open your hand for me Luke?”

She watched Luke struggle and ultimately fail. He did not have fine motor movement.

“Ma’am, Can you please ask him to flex his wrist?”

“Move your wrist for me,” she said.

He opened his eyes a crack, he was awake, but heavily sedated. “Dooo I geeeeet a kiiizzzz?”

She tried not to laugh. Many would kill to see and talk to a drugged up grand master. “Yes. Move your wrist and you’ll get a kiss.”

He flicked his wrist, which made Mara smile, and then tried to pucker his lips up. He was obviously more concerned about his kiss than the fact that he could barely move his hand.

The droid closed the access panel on the forearm. “The cybernetic replacement seems to be in working order. My programming suggests that another examination be done when the patient is more alert. If there are any issues, please contact an actual medic or cyberneticist.” The droid then left.

“Mara, can I talk to you in the hall, please?” Cilghal asked.

Mara nodded. She patted Luke’s arm. “I’ll be right back.” She followed Cilghal out.

As soon as the door closed, Mara asked. “Why can he move his cybernetic hand a bit and not his real hand?”

“Cybernetics, for the most part, only involves nerves. He will eventually be able to move his arms and real hand when he is stronger. For now, he needs his rest. I suggest you talk to him to lull him back to sleep, they say it helps. He needs rest to clear the drugs out of his system. Don’t mention the quadriplegia, try not to even think about it so he doesn’t pick up on your thoughts.”

“You want me to think happy thoughts?” Mara asked in disbelief.

“I just don’t want Luke to be too overly emotionally stimulated in his state. If you need anything, call me.”

The healer left and Mara went back in. She commanded the lights to go out and took her spot on the edge of the bed, putting her feet up so it was like she was laying beside him without encroaching upon his space.

It wasn’t until then that she noticed Luke was quietly crying. Mara knew it was the effects of the heavy drugs and the premature awakening. It was not pleasant for anyone to wake up from a deep sleep to be poked and prodded.

“Luke? What’s wrong, Skywalker?” she asked as she put her elbow above his head, stroked his hair with one hand and took both of his hands with her other hand.

“Yooou doooon’t wwwlove me any mooooore,” he said through tears.

“I don’t love you anymore?” she clarified. “Why do you say that?” She knew it was the drugs talking, but he could also be stating real feelings and fears.

“Yooou neverrr kiiizzzed meee.”

“Oh, sorry,” she said, rolling her eyes. She then kissed him on the lips. “There. I love you. You know that, Farmboy.”

“Why? Why doooo yooou still wwlove mee? Zzzjust put meee in a nuurrsing hooome. I can’t moove. I can’t spppar. I can’t make wwlove to you.” Between the drugs, weakness, tiredness and tears, it was exceedingly difficult to understand him.

She almost laughed. Sex! He was worried about sex! He was making the whole ‘happy thoughts’ thing easy. She grabbed a few tissues and started cleaning his face of the tears, snot and drool. She knew people with complete spinal cord injuries could make love.

“Farmboy, I fell in love with you, not your body, though I still find you damn sexy, even without those rippling muscles. I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m not exactly young anymore either.” She then whispered in his ear, “I hate to disappoint, but things are starting to sag. We have made love to each other in difficult situations before. Remember that time in the droid cleaning closet at Rogue Squadron Headquarters?”

He stopped crying and snorted.

“Or that time just after Ben was born? Leia was looking after him and we somehow ended up by the hyperdrive in the Errant Venture.”

“Thaaat time I waaaas toooo tireeeed tooo geeet ooout oooof my X-wiiiing?”

She laughed. “Oh, yes. I remember that time. You were still suffering from the after-effects of Shimrra’s poisoning. You were gone for a month and you were so tired but wanted me so badly we somehow did it right there in your cockpit. It brought a new meaning to the word, didn’t it?”

Luke now smiled.

“It will be like when I was suffering from the spore disease. Not just our love life, but our entire lives together,” she said, finishing wiping his face. “Only now it will be me helping you. You will do whatever you can do, and I’ll be there to help you with whatever you can’t do on your own. Okay?”

“Oooookaaaaay.”

“And I’m certainly not sending you to some fancy nursing home so some twenty-year-old twi-lek can change your bladder catheter and bag,” she knew he had no idea what she was talking about, but he would the next time she had to change his ‘drainage system’. “Farmboy, if you survived Palpatine’s torture, you can survive my care giving skills. Remember our wedding? Remember what I vowed. I vowed to be your companion, partner, aid and comforter for the rest of my life. Now, go back to sleep and we can talk more when you’re not talking like Han when he has had one too many ales.” She then kissed him again and continued to stroke his head long after he had gone to sleep. There would be no more fun when he woke.

. . .

When he awoke he found Mara tacking children’s artwork to the walls. Holographs, few he recognized, of his family littered the bedside table. Some, like Jaina’s wedding pictures, had obviously been taken while he was in his coma.

“Hey there Luke,” she said, finishing her task. “The younger students have been sending in pictures for you since they found out you were awake. Leia’s press announcement about your awakening was brief, but it went well.”

“I’ll have to thank them when I send out a broadcast to all the Jedi,” he said, trying his best to look around. “Can you set up the holo-comm unit so I can do that? I want to thank everyone for having such a smooth transition without me and --”

“Fine,” Mara interrupted him. She sat on the edge of the bed and took his hands. “But I need to talk to you.”

“Mara? What’s wrong?”

She let out a deep breath. “Before I do I want to make sure you know you aren’t going to a nursing home.”

“Yeah, I know. Believe it or not I remember our earlier conversation.”

“But there is one condition to go with that.”

“What?”

“You have to let me know whenever you need help. Don’t be ashamed if you can’t do something. Just be a man, a real man, and ask, no matter what it is or what I‘m doing.”

“You know it might need some getting used to this whole situation, but I will,” he promised. “What is wrong with me?” When she didn’t speak, he figured it out. “Is it from the poison or a spinal cord injury?”

“A spinal cord injury,” she sighed. “C7. You should regain most of the function in your arms and hands, but they don’t know beyond that.”

“Okay.”

Mara lied down on his bed beside him. No words were exchanged for a long time.

“You’re really okay with this aren’t you?” she asked.

“No,” he answered. “I’m sure the five or seven or whatever stages of grief will start tomorrow or next week, but I just woke from a four year coma. Four years in which I stuck in a world where you were dead, then Ben died. For now, I’m still on a high. In my dream I would have given everything to see you and Ben again. This isn’t everything, but I have you and Ben so I really don’t care that I may never walk again. Not right now. How are you doing?”

She wrapped her arm around him. “I would have given almost anything to have you wake. Even before your coma dragged on, we knew that there was a good chance that there was going to be permanent damage. I even prepared myself for something like this. It’s just not fair.”

“I got you to take care of me,” Luke said with a smile. “It’s completely fair.”

Mara rolled her eyes. “I think you’re brain damaged.”

“I think I’m in love.”

“Is there a difference?”

“Touché. Can I get a kiss?”

“I guess.” She carefully rolled over, straddling his legs, facing him. They shared a long, intimate kiss.

“I love you, Mara. You are my everything, you and Ben. I love you so much.” Tears of joy ran down is face and soaked her tunic.

“How did I ever manage four years without you? I love you too, Luke,” she said, holding him tight.

. . .

A few hours later, Luke sent Mara to go find some dinner. They had decided to wait until Ben got home before telling him, or anyone else of Luke’s condition. That way they’d know a proper prognosis.

Cilghal came in to check on Luke. “How are you doing?”

“I feel like I’m on an emotional roller coaster, which I guess is better than the emotional free-fall my dream was.”

“Well, we all know how unique your situation is. We are all here for you.”

“Thanks. I’m just wondering; I know there is a ton of experimental stem cell research going on in the area of spinal cords. How good is my case for something like that?”

“Luke, you just woke up from four years in a coma. I think you should focus on recovering from that first. Then, maybe in a few months, we can look into spinal injury treatments. I have a knight working on a side project with using the Force to regenerate damaged nerve cells. I have her looking at your scans now, but I really want you to focus on resting.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

 

Oh, poor Luke...I just want to cry. Don't worry, Farmboy, Mara will love you no matter what.

 

Nooooooo! Please, don't do this to him! He deserved a chance to walk again, to be completely indipendente person!He surely did not deserve to spend the rest of life in a wheelchair.

 

quadriplegic

bad Brianna Luke deserves to be able to walk again

 

Very honest reactions from Mara, and Luke's other emotins will come I'm certain but it is wonderful that he has his family still LOL The droid-cleaning closet and the hyperdrive - yowsa! Love it! L/M are deliciously insatiable and wonderfully spontaneous.

 

Poor Luke!

 

I feel bad for the Skywalker family.

 

AN: Hey. I’m really sorry for such a late update. About a week and ago I got some really horrible news which lead to a death of an immediate family member just a few days ago. I fly out tomorrow for the funeral. I swear I’ll try to update more frequently when I get home. This is a fairly long chapter, hopefully that will make up for my absence.


Chapter Eight


The next day Mara simply watched Luke sleep on her pillow. Whenever he slept, he had this look of deep thought, but at the same time he looked like he seemed completely carefree.

When they had finally untangled the previous evening, they had eaten supper together, she had spiceloaf while he got mashed tubors, and she had helped him feed himself. Luke, with his new cybernetic hand, could hold utensils, he simply needed help with his elbow and bringing the utensil up to his mouth. It was clear that he wanted to regain strength in his arms as soon as possible. She and Cilghal then unhooked him from the monitors, but they had to leave the drips in, and put him in a nightshirt and pyjama bottoms Mara brought from home. She never had the strength while he was in the coma to get rid of any of his belongings.

Then he had sent a short broadcast out to all the Jedi in the galaxy, thanking them for their support and blabbering on about the Force. By the end of it all, he had been tired, so they argued about her staying and in the end he won. She was thankful that he didn’t ask about the data-pad that had all the images of him just after his fight with Jacen. She wasn’t ready to re-live that day in her life.

That morning, Mara had come to watch him wake up, and then they had breakfast, talking about nothing and everything. They avoided the subject of his paralysis.

After, Mara had to pull down the covers to change his urine catheter and collection bag as well as check for bedsores. Even with his high-tec mattress, sores could still form, but it was rare. When she pulled down the covers Luke got to see himself for the first time since he had woken up. He had told her that wasn’t too alarmed by the massive scarring - he had always had scars, but seeing his body so thin and puny was quite odd for him.

Then the slightly embarrassing part came; the changing of the catheter and bag. Mara removed his shorts and quickly worked on his ‘package’ while annoying him about blushing.

But the next part definitely made up for the mental discomfort he had suffered. To check for bedsores, Mara had flipped Luke onto his stomach and ran her hands down the entire back of his body, checking the skin. He had quite enjoyed it and was looking forward to the fact that Mara would have to do it daily once he got into a normal bed.

He then decided that he would take a short nap before meeting Ashlana Tano, his physical therapist, and going through his first session of therapy. Mara had agreed that it was probably better for his health and recovery if he took plenty of short naps throughout the day, as his body still wasn’t used to being active, instead of running his body to the point of exhaustion.

Mara gently reached out her hand to smooth out his greying hair. He looked so much like a boy when he slept - so much like their Ben. She had watched him sleep plenty of times over the past four years, but this was different.

"Um, hello."

Mara turn to see Ashlana in the doorway. "You can come in," she said. She then turned to her husband and put her hand on his shoulder. "Time to wake up, Skywalker."

He opened his eyes. "Hello there," he said to Ashlana. He lifted his right hand the best he could.

She smiled and shook his hand. "Hello. It’s a pleasure to meet you Master Skywalker. I’m Ashlana Tano, I will be your physical therapist. You are going to hate me, but I will help you regain movement in your arms and help you adjust to love in a hoverchair."

Luke smiled back. "I could never hate anyone, Mrs. Tano. I am very thankful to have you help me."

She grinned. "You obviously have never been through physical therapy. And please, call me Ashlana. Mrs. Tano was my grandmother."

Mara was confused for a moment, then she realized that when togruta women got married, the husbands took their wives’ last names.

"Now," Ashlana continued. "First I'm going to build up your neck muscles, then I’m going to take the blankets off you and exercise your body for you. I want to make sure all the joints are fine."

. . .

"Alright," Luke said. He was eager to get going. Ashlana stood at the head of the bed, and she reached up and tilted his head forward so his chin was on his chest.

"Now. See if you can lift your head."

He tried. But he couldn’t do it.

"I’m going to check if there’s any movement in the tissue," Ashlana said, putting her fingers on his neck. "Try again."

He did and he still couldn’t do it.

"You're definitely trying. The tissue is trying to work," she said enthusiastically. "It’s just too much for it yet."

"So, basically, his head is too big?" Luke could hear the smirk in Mara’s voice.

"Basically," Ashlana confirmed. "I’m going to help you, but you need to help me."

He then felt a finger on his forehead and felt her pushing. With Ashlana’s help, he managed to lift his chin off his chest a few centimetres, then the palm of her hand took over for her finger and she helped him most of the way. Before his head reached the pillow, she let go and his head had two options: to go back or go forward. It chose forward and he ended up with his chin back on his chest.

"Let’s try that again," Ashlana said, encouragingly.

After the sixth time, his head finally went back to the pillow.

"We are done, right?" He said, smiling hopefully.

Ashlana shook her head as she pushed his head to the side. "Now, see if you can turn your head."

. . .

After his ‘neck-exercises’, Luke was huffing. "Are we done now?"

Mara smirked. "What? Are you getting weak in your old age Skywalker? You move your neck for a few minutes and suddenly you need a nap?"

"Actually, a nap would be nice," he said with a smile.

"Later, Master Skywalker," Ashlana said as she took the covers off of him. "For now, Mara and I are going to massage, bend and stretch your arms and legs. It’ll ease the mild pain you are suffering from. "

"Please, call me Luke." He smiled as he had two beautiful women rubbing his body.

. . .

"We are done for today," Ashlana said, putting Luke’s leg down as he sighed in relief. She then turned to Mara. "I’ll send you a schedule of his physical therapy appointments along with my building's address. Luke, how do you feel about water therapy for the first few weeks? We will put you in a pool and I, and possibly even your wife if she wants, will get into the water with you. You will get the therapy that you need in the water, but it won’t put as much strain on your body."

"Alright," Luke said with a smile. ‘I’ll do it just so I can get you in a bathing suit,’ he sent to Mara.

Mara snorted. ‘Who says I’m joining you in a pool?’

"Good," Ashlana said, oblivious to the dirty Force talk.

Then Cilghal came in, directing a bright blue hoverchair.

"Ah, yes," Ashlana said. "Luke, I would like to show you how to use your hoverchair. Do you think you can stay awake for a small walk around the healing ward with Mara?"

"Of course."

Ashlana then told Mara: "If you put the hoverchair right beside the bed and lift up the armrest, you will be able to do the transfer without a sling."

Mara nodded and did as she was told. She then supported her husband as she sat him up and she slid him into the wheelchair quite easily since now she was much buffer than he was. She then made sure his head was appropriately positioned before putting his feet on the footrest.

He felt like such an invalid, but he knew he had to get used to it. There was no other option.

Ashlana then showed them both how to drive and operate the chair.

"Now," she said to them both. "Go hold hands, walk around and gross people out. I’ll see you next week." She then left.

Mara turned to Luke, "Well, Skywalker. Are you ready?"

"No," he replied. "I’m cold."

Mara rolled her eyes. "When aren’t you?" she put the extra blanket that was on his bed on his legs.

"When I’m in bed with you," he quipped.

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Did you hit your head?" she asked as she dug through the duffle bag that she had brought. "Because you’re dirtier than Han now." She then crouched in front of him and slipped on his old Loafers.

This small, simple act made him fall in love with her all over again. First, because she took so much care putting his crumpled feet (the tendons in his feet had shrunk, causing his feet to look crumpled) into the slippers; second, because she had actually kept the old, amazingly comfortable slippers that she had sworn to throw away so many times.

He laughed. "You actually kept these? I remember the few times when I saved them from the trash bin."

She looked up at him. "Of course." She then looked away from him as she got up. Something instantly changed in her mood, Luke could feel it through the Force.

"Mara?" He never wanted to use his arms to reach out to her so much as he did now. "What did I say to upset you?"

She sat down and put her face in her hands. Despite her feeling of great sadness in the Force, Mara laughed. "Do you know what the last thing you said to me before you left to face Jacen was?"

"No. What was it?" he asked earnestly.

"You pointed to those damn slippers that you just put by the bedroom door and said, and I quote: ‘those had better be there when I get back, hot-stuff’."

"What a good-bye," Luke laughed.

"And do you know what I said?" she looked at him with a small smile.

"What?"

"‘We’ll see about that, Farmboy,’ then you left."

There was silence for long moments.

"I love you, Mara," he said.

Her smile grew bigger. "I love you too." She then stood up. "Do you want to go for a walk now? Now that you look like an old geezer with your hover chair, blanket and your gods awful ‘old man’ slippers."

He chuckled. After all that, she still hated his loafers. "Yes. Hold my hand?" He turned the power on for his hover chair with his right hand.

"Of course." She then took his left hand.

Hand-in-hand, they slowly roamed the hallways of the healing ward. After being cooped up in the bed, Luke felt a tremendous sense of freedom as he drove his hover chair while his wife walked beside him. He knew, at that moment, he was a tremendously blessed man. Despite his new disability, his family was still treating him as if he were the same man, which he was. Plus, he had Mara at his side. With her there he could do anything.

. . .

After their stroll around the relatively quiet healer’s ward, Mara slid Luke back into the bed.

"Are you comfortable dear?" she asked, taking his slippers off and pulling the sheets up over his body.

"What happened while I was asleep?" he asked. "You’re suddenly nice to me now. Where’s the abuse I fell in love with?" he joked.

She sarcastically laughed to cover up her nervousness. She decided that Luke didn’t need to know what she went through while he was in his coma. It would only bring up bad memories for her and upset him.

"I’m just waiting till you get out of here. Then there won’t be any witnesses to me abusing my physically disabled husband," she sneered as she pushed the hover chair into the corner and took her seat on the lounger.

"I can’t wait," he said with a smile, but she could tell he knew something was up "What happened while I was asleep?"

"I’ve told you already, Gilad Pellaeon approached --"

Luke interrupted his wife. "No. I don’t mean with politics. I mean with you. You personally. And don’t give me any ‘certain point of view’ shavit. I was gone for four years, did you deal alright?" he asked her, ever blunt and to the point.

"Skywalker, I went to the dark side and killed hundreds of people and declared myself Empress Jade Skywalker, then I married Wes Janson and became Empress Jade Janson."

"Mara, be serious."

"I was fine," she lied. "Do you want to go through some holos now?"

"Mara, please. Don’t change the topic. You went through a period of depression, didn’t you?"

He hit a sensitive subject with her. "Luke, I don’t --"

"Want to talk about it?" he finished for her. "I do."

"Well I don’t." Mara couldn’t believe that they were arguing already.

"Why not?"

"Luke, please, just drop it."

"No," he said defiantly.

"You’re being stubborn," she rolled her eyes.

"Mara, please."

"I’m alright now, okay Luke. Just drop it," she snapped at him.

"I just want to make sure," he said calmly. "We can talk about this. I’ll understand. In my dream, after you died, I went through a terrible grieving process. Ben even accused me of acting like I wanted to be dead. I guess I did, some days."

She laughed, sardonically. "See, that’s the thing, Skywalker: you don’t understand," she was completely blunt. "You had a ‘natural process’. Even if it was bad, you still had a process. There is no grieving and healing process when your husband goes into a coma, is expected to wake in weeks but doesn’t."

She then got up, hooked a data-pad up to the wall screen and set the data-pad under his right hand.

"These are the holos I took after your fight with Jacen. Just tap the screen when you want to see the next one."

Luke looked at her, hurt.

"I have to go meet with some people," she lied simply before leaving. She couldn’t be in that room anymore, especially when he viewed the horrific images of himself after the fight.

. . .

Luke sat alone viewing bloody, gory pictures of himself. He had seen many horrific sights in his life but these… these were definitely some of the worse he had seen. Mara had instructed Are-Six to take still holos for the soul purpose of sending them to Cilghal during the journey so that the healer could prepare.

One was of his entire body. His right leg had been bent sideways at mid thigh - the femur obviously snapped in half. Bone protruded up, out of his left knee. Deep, cauterized gashes covered his torso. His left elbow was at a unnatural angle; same with his wrist. His right arm was a mangled mess of machinery, tissue, blood, wiring and bone. The right side of his ribcage was crushed, almost flat. He had obviously survived on one lung. His face had been smashed in. Mara was in this holo, clearly trying to open his mangled airway, he could almost hear her: "Stay with me. I know you can. Just stay with me".

It was the last picture, however, that got to Luke.

Mara had probably taken it to confirm Jacen’s death.

Jacen’s eyes were open, bright yellow with rage but empty of a soul. His mouth was in a twisted snarl and Luke’s own lightsaber hilt was where Jacen’s heart was supposed to be.

Luke’s breathing became laboured and he uncontrollably trembled as visions took his mind over.

. . .

"Jacen! Please! Listen to me!" Luke heard himself begging as he fought his nephew, green blade against green blade. "I know about Lumiya! I know everything. Jacen! Please! It doesn’t have to be this way!"

"It does!" Jacen screamed as their blades continue to clash. "I’m doing this for the future, for Ben!"

"For Ben?! Ben needs you to be you, Jacen. Where’s the little boy that would scream every time your father would squish an insect? Where’s that boy I trained and lov--"

Luke was cut off when the wind was knocked out of him as his body was slammed against a wall of the sewage pipe. A poison dart came flying and was implanted into the back of his neck. Every part of his body became limp, but he could still feel everything. Jacen continued to beat him until he was a hair’s breath from death. Pain ripped through him.

"I’m sorry, Uncle Luke," Jacen whispered as he was about to carry out the killing blow.

"I’m sorry too," Luke breathed. He was sorry that the single shred of Jacen that still remained in this monster had to die, but Jacen had to be killed, or more innocent people would die. It would be a tragedy either way.

Luke did not care about Jacen’s defences. If he was going to die, Luke would take what was formerly his nephew with him. He used all his strength and all his love to jump up, ignite his lightsaber. Luke slammed it into Jacen’s heart before his own broke and everything went black.

. . .

Mara rushed back to her husband’s room. Something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong.

Luke was trembling and gasping for air. His eyes snapped open when she entered. The look on his face and the image on the data-pad told her everything.

She instantly shut off the data-pad and the image went away. She put an oxygen mask over his face and held him.

"It was just a flash-back, Luke," she told him. "Calm down and it’ll be fine. Try your best to breathe."

Eventually, he stopped shaking and his breathing went back to normal.

"What did you see?" she asked, taking the mask off and rubbing his shoulder.

Luke shut his eyes and did not respond.

"Luke?" She grabbed both of his hands and sat down. "You’re obviously upset about this. Please. We can talk about this. I’ll understand." Mara then realized that she was being a hypocrite. She sighed. "If you tell me what you saw, I’ll tell you what I went through while you were in a coma."

He opened one eye. "Promise?"

She rolled her eyes. "I promise Skywalker."

"I saw the last minutes of the fight between me and Jacen."

"And?"

"I did not strike in hate. I pleaded with him and in the end, I did what needed to be done. He needed to be stopped, but I wish I would have found another way," he said, avoiding her gaze.

"You did what needed to be done Luke-- and it needed to be done then." she assured him, squeezing his hands. "Don’t convince yourself otherwise. If you couldn’t bring him back to the light, then he was beyond anyone’s abilities to do so."

. . .

He squeezed back. "Thanks, Mara." He knew Mara wasn’t lying to make him feel better about what he did, she never did that. "Now can we talk about you?"

"Are you sure you want to do that? I’m boring."

"Jade, you are anything but boring."

"That’s Jade Skywalker, thank you very much. It was before and during your coma and it will remain so for many years to come." She poked his nose.

Luke smiled. He was glad that they could still exchange loving words amidst a serious topic. "I’m holding you to that. Now you're avoiding the topic. Was it really that bad?"

The mood suddenly went sombre. "For the first few weeks, surprisingly, no. There was no depression at all. Yes, I was terribly worried about you, but you were expected to recover in a decent amount of time. When you weren’t in surgery, you were in a bacta tank. At that time I also had plenty of things to keep me busy, between Lumiya, Alema Rar, the change in leadership of both the Jedi and government, and dealing with Ben."

Luke had many questions, but one topped them all. "How was Ben at that time?"

"Ben was… confused. He had just lost his father and his cousin. He refused to see you for the first few weeks and he refused to go to Jacen’s funeral. Since no one knew exactly what happened during your fight, he didn’t know who to support. I talked to him, Kyp and Corran both talked to him - we wanted him to decide who his ‘temporary’ master would be, he eventually chose Kyp who led him into knighthood. Han also talked to him and Leia basically took him in after she recovered from the shock. I think it was good for all of them. Leia got someone to dote on, Han had another man in the house to take attention away from him and Ben got the compassion and ’man-talk’ he needed. Of course, he constantly talked to me when I wasn't out hunting Lumiya or Rar."

"Did you catch them?"

Mara nodded. "We got ’em. I rather enjoyed kicking your ex-girlfriend’s ass while Jag helped Jaina take down bug-girl while making gooey eyes at each other."

Luke laughed.

"We charged them with crimes, they were convicted and sentenced to life living in a cell with each other surrounded by ysalamiri."

"I wish I hadn’t been an idiot and had brought others when I went to face Jacen. He might be alive today."

"Maybe. But he would be an angry Sith locked in a cell. You decided to take a risk and went as his concerned uncle. You knew that only you could both defend yourself against him and try to turn him back. You didn’t want to put anyone else at risk and you wanted to go with peaceful intentions. It was an idiotic idea, yeah, but you did what you thought you had to. Don‘t beat yourself up over it."

"I won’t, with your help."

"Good." There was a pause. "As the weeks went by, things started to quiet down and you were taken out of the bacta tank. At that time, Ben was adjusting. When I took him to see you for the first time, he was horrified. It was more your condition than you. Kyp thought it best to keep him distracted and busy, so we sent them on mission after mission. It seemed to work. He adjusted well, though he still didn’t visit you at all. I was the one to stay at your side, waiting, just waiting day in and day out.

"When weeks turned into months, then it started to get bad for me. After six months, there was little hope that you would wake. I slowly slipped into a horrible depression. There were times when I would sit at your side, staring at you for days on end without eating or sleeping. Lowbacca had to physically carry me out a few times. Then I would go back to the apartment and sleep for days. I never wanted to get out of bed.

"I just was not myself. I would throw myself into work in fear of throwing myself into alcohol or something worse. Everyone tried to help me, but I didn’t want help. I finally snapped out of it a years after the fight. Ben had come back from a mission and found me in bed after I spent nearly three weeks in our bedroom doing paperwork night and day. I hadn’t bathed or eaten during that time. I was so weak from not eating that Ben had to help me walk out. I totally was not myself. At that point, I knew there was something wrong with me."

Luke had tears silently streaming down his face.

Mara brushed them away. "Ben put me in the healing ward and I stayed there for weeks getting my strength back. He stayed there too. It was then that we finally figured that I needed him. We talked a lot. He was knighted shortly after I left the healing ward and we spent the next two years together every day, going on many missions together. I slowly became myself again, but still visited you every day I was on Coruscant. A few months ago they found the new planet Kesh. We traveled there together. After all the diplomatic meetings, it was decided that six Jedi knights would stay there and teach the inhabitants of Kesh about the rest of the galaxy. I knew Ben wanted to stay for several reasons, one being was that a girl he likes also wanted to stay. I let him stay, I needed to learn how to live without him at my side every day. He was worried about me, and he made me promise to send him a message every week and to contact him if I needed him."

Luke smiled. "He’s a good kid.’

Mara smiled back. "He takes after his father." She then leaned forward and kissed her husband.

 

Marvelous as usual. I love all the extra details. The last part had me both smiling and teary.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

 

Jacen did a real number on Luke, I knew it was bad enough but just to imagine the images was ten times worse and no wonder Mara didn't want to stay and look at them

Condolences on the loss of your family member

 

That was an incredible chapter

 

Great post Bri! Loved Mara's recap of the last several years. Very much what she and Ben would feel and do. Kyp as Ben's master - much better. Mara vs. Lumiya, I bet thatw as one cool duel!
Huggles, I'm outlining a quick L/M short story. After your icky bumpy RL ride, I've just decided to make it your fic-gift in particular

 

That was a rolercoaster ride of a chapter.

 

Awesome update!

 

Chapter Nine

Luke held his head up as Mara brushed his hair. It had been a few days since his first physical therapy session and he had been doing his neck exercises on his own and he could already hold his head up and turn it. Mara had just given him a bath and now he was back in bed.

Mara glanced at her chrono. "I gotta leave for that stupid senate meeting now," she explained. "Are you sure that you're okay with Tekli helping you eat supper? If you don’t mind waiting an extra hour or so, I can come back and feed you and stay here the night."

Luke rolled his eyes. He hadn’t allowed her to stay the night with him again since when he first woke. "No, Mara. I told you. I don’t want you spending another night with me, you need some rest, in a real bed. Now go. After your meeting I want you to go out and have some fun. It might be your last chance to do so. Cilghal says she is going to release me as soon as she feels confident that I am breathing fine on my own. That’s going to be any day now."

"Fine. Be that way," her voice was full of humour. She then kissed him. "See you later, Farmboy."

"I love you Mara!" he called as she left.

"Love you too," she said with a smile on her face as she left. After her senate meeting, she would have some fun because it was her and Luke’s 25th wedding anniversary. She had it all planned out with Cilghal. Luke wouldn’t get supper at his regular time, instead, Mara would return after the meeting and after running to the apartment to change. She would roll in another bed, feed Luke dinner by candlelight and lie beside him all night long.

. . .

Luke meditated, as he always did when Mara was gone from his room. He was using the Force to slowly re-generate his muscle tissue. He continued the work on his neck. It had taken him awhile to figure out how to do this and the process was quite slow, but it worked. Mara had no clue he was doing it, she would have called it unnecessary use of the Force. He had to agree with her, he was being lazy when physical therapy would work. But, by using the Force, he didn’t need anyone to help him.

He then felt three figures coming and groaned. He wasn’t opposed to visitors, but they never came this late. He had been expecting a quiet evening to himself after so many people came and went during the past few days.

Moments later, Luke opened his eyes to see Wedge Antillies, Wes Janson and Derek "Hobbie" Klivian entering his room. At least he would get a few laughs.

"Hey boss!" they all said in unison. They then took turns embracing him.

Wes then turned to Hobbie. "So, Hobbs, how are you going to one up ‘Grand-Master-Fourteen-Surgeries-Fifty-Five-Days-In-A-Bacta-Tank-Four-Years-In-A-Coma’?"

Hobbie threw his hands up in defeat. "I don’t." He turned to Luke and bowed. "You truly are the Master of the Bacta, Luke."

"Thanks," Luke replied sarcastically. "So, what are you three doing here so late? I love company but visiting hours are over. Cilghal is going to kill all of you."

Wes looked hurt. "Do we need an excuse to visit our favourite boss?"

Wedge huffed, but then smiled. "Actually Luke, Cilghal knows we are here. We are here to bust you out of here."

"Really?" he asked excitedly. He was done with Pablum, mashed tubers, and sleeping alone. He wanted fluffy hotcakes, nerf steak and to be tangled in Mara’s limbs.

Hobby nodded. "Consider it our anniversary gift for you and Mara."

"What anniversary?" he asked, confused.

"Oh, great gods," Wes muttered, putting his face in his palm. "I can’t believe he forgot!"

"Even I didn’t forget Iella’s and mine," Wedge muttered and turned away in disgust.

"Forget what? I don’t know what month it is! I’ve been in a coma for four kriffing years!" Luke railed, realizing that in his time awake he had not bothered to ask the date.

"You brought the catalogue chip right Hobbie?" Wedge asked.

Hobbie nodded, stepped forward and placed a datapad in Luke’s hands. On it were pictures and prices of jewellery.

Luke was still lost.

"It’s yours and Mara’s 25th wedding anniversary," Wedge explained with a grin.

Luke started panicking. "Oh, Force! I have to do something special. I have to--"

Wedge laughed and put a hand on Luke’s shoulder. "Wes, Hobbie, Han and Leia and I have everything planned. Corran and some senators have Mara distracted for awhile. All you gotta do is pick out something for Mara, order it and Wes will go get it while Hobbie and I get you ready."

Hobbie held up a bag of clothes. "And it looks like we got the easy job after all. I'm guessing Mara already shaved and washed you."

Luke nodded then picked out and ordered an attachment to go onto Mara’s wedding ring to make it larger. It was two thin bands inlayed with diamonds to go on either side of her ring. He also ordered her a pair of matching earrings.

Wes went off and Cilghal came in to disconnect him from all of his drips.

"Now Luke," the healer said as she worked. "I am releasing you but there are some conditions. Make sure Mara checks your skin daily for sores, and tell her if you experience any shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. If you can’t eat much, you will have to come back and we will have to put you on a drip again. Sleep if you need it, whatever time it is.

"On another note," she continued. "I know what you and Mara are going to be doing tonight and I can assure you, you will be fine. I’ve checked your blood for dysfunctions men your age sometimes get and you will have no issues. Also, since you can feel everything, it should still be pleasurable for both you and Mara."

This elicited blushing from Luke and stifled laughs from Wedge and Hobbie.

Cilghal then finished Luke up, and Wedge and Hobbie began dressing him.

After an awkward, uncomfortable half an hour later, Luke was dressed in black dress pants and a black dress shirt with the top two buttons un-done. The clothes were baggy since he lost so much mass and he actually needed the belt his lightsaber was clipped to. He was in his hover chair and Wedge was kneeling at his feet, putting on his socks and boots. Hobbie was currently packing for Luke.

Wes then appeared again with a black box with a silver bow. "We almost done here?" he asked, setting the box on Luke’s lap. "My speeder-van is parked at one of the side entrances so we can sneak out of here."

Wedge nodded and the four former Rogues made their way through the relatively quiet halls of the Jedi Temple.

Hobbie and Wedge loaded Luke into the windowless back of the van while Wes climbed into the front.

. . .

When he entered his home for the first time in four years, he found Han and Leia had rearranged the living room. It now looked like a wedding hall with an aisle, with the couches serving as seats, leading up to the large window. Just in front of the window sat a small table. Behind the table stood Han Solo, trying to memorize what he had to do for the vow renewal ceremony, since he was a captain, he could legally preform marriages. Leia was in the dining room, setting the table for two with candles and fancy china.

"Welcome home, Luke," Han said. He was wearing a nice pair of dress pants and a white dress shirt.

Luke trundled down the aisle and smiled as Wes, Wedge and Hobbie took off their jackets revealing similar outfits to the one Han wore.

"Everything is set, Luke," Leia said as she exited the dinning room. She was wearing a dark purple dress with long sleeves. "When Mara comes back, after she slaps us all for tricking her, I’m going to help her change and you and her are going to exchange vows… again. Then we are going to put the living room back in order and leave you and Mara to eat the dinner we made --"

"WE?" Han shouted. "Don’t worry, Luke. Leia had nothing to do with the cooking. I made dewback steak for you and nerf steak for Mara. They are in the warming drawer along with some side dishes. You two can enjoy them and the rest of your evening when we leave."

"Thanks guys," Luke said with a smile. "I think I sense Mara coming!"

Luke made his presence in the Force very small and waited in silence.

The apartment doors then opened revealing a very annoyed Mara. She had sensed the others’ presence, but not Luke’s. "What in Corellian’s Nine Hell’s Names is goin--"

. . .

When Mara saw Luke, she gasped, and then grinned at the sight of him in his formal attire, looking at her with huge blue eyes. The grin turned into a smile when she realised that she and Luke would get to spend their 25th wedding anniversary together.

In the same bed.

Before she could say anything, Leia ushered her into her and Luke’s bedroom to help her change.

Leia exited the bedroom first, sitting down beside Hobbie on one of the couches.

Music was then started by Wedge and Luke's anticipation rose.

Mara then came out of the darkness and down the hall wearing a one sleeve, tea length black dress. Her greying red hair framed her face and cascaded down her shoulders.

She slowly walked towards Luke with a huge smile. She stopped in front of him and turned to Han.

Han cleared his throat. "Could the bride please take the groom’s hands."

She turned to Luke and looked into his eyes while she reached down and took Luke’s own hands in her own.

He held onto her hands and looked up into her green eyes as best that he could.

Han continued. "Mara Jade Skywalker, do you promise to continue to freely bind yourself to Luke Skywalker. To be his companion, partner, aid and comforter for all the days of your life?"

"Farmboy," Mara started with her spur of the moment vow. "Even before I met you, I wanted to kill you. Over the past 25 years of marriage, there has been times when I have still wanted to kill you. I can promise you there will be more times when I want to kill you, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I freely got myself into this mess and I never plan to get out of it. I swore 25 years ago to be your companion, partner, aid and comforter for all the days of my life and I still promise, especially now, to stick by your side, to be the better half of you, to wipe your bum and to rub your back for the rest of my pathetic, wonderful life."

When Han stopped snickering, he addressed Luke. "And do you, Luke Skywalker, promise to continue to forsake all others, to be Mara’s comfort, confidant and friend, lover and companion for the rest of your mortal years?"

Luke smiled as he continued to gaze at Mara. "Mortal years? I plan to come back to annoy you when you finally come to your senses and put me out of my misery. Mara, my own personal assassin, you make every moment of my life worth living. I may not be able to do much now, but I will do whatever I can to comfort you. Even if I can’t do the more physical parts of our relationship…" This brought snickers from the other men and Luke blushed. "…Sparring, I mean, I still can talk for hours, especially with you. I don’t care what we do, as long as we are doing it together. I’ve been pretty non-existent for the past four years and I swear to make up the time. I love you, Mara. You are the half that makes my soul whole and I wouldn’t have it any other way."

"Mara, kiss your husband to seal the deal, again," Han said.

Mara leaned forward and down and gave Luke a long kiss.


AN: There is an EXPLICIT NC-17 bonus chapter that goes along with this. If you are over 18 (and I know if you are) and would like me to send it to you, PM me with an email address and I'll email it to you. I’m too lazy to put it on LJ (or to remember my password for the site, but the original version of the chapter is up there anyways and they are very similar).

 

That is a nice anniversary gift!

 

*sighs* I love this part immensely.

 

Very rewarding chapter.

 

Oh, Briann. Just squee! Splentabulous way to start the day, thank you.

 

Very nice!

 

I love this story!

 

Loved the update and they renewed their wedding vows which was awesome. More soon

just curious though but what happened to Ben or hasn't he gotten there yet?