Beyond - Legends Together Again [L/M "Back from the Dead" challenge] - COMPLETED JUNE 8TH!

Title: Together Again
Author: Briannakin
Timeframe: Post-Crucible (46 ABY)
Characters: Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade Skywalker, Ben Skywalker
Genre: Romance, Angst
Categorization: Legends (I guess some would consider this AU, but since it is post-Crucible, no one can tell me it can’t be canon-compatible)
Notes: This is a ‘reality/universe hopping’ fic, sorta inspired by others of its kind. Mega angst warning!

I originally started this fic back in early 2015, but I just never got it to work. So I decided to resurrect (ha!) the plot idea for the LM “Back from the Dead” challenge (which will more so be next chapter) and just get it all out there even if it doesn’t work, the bunny just needed to be done and posted. It’s not my best writing, and I don’t want to write the 50k word epic this should be, but the story just wanted to be written.

Spoiler: challenge details

1. The fic can be any genre (romance, fluff, horror, angst) and any length (there is no due date)
2. The fic must remain Legends canon-compatible, meaning Sacrifice, the rest of LOTF, FOTJ and Crucible (as horrible as it was) must have happened (though having read them isn’t required). So the fic must take place post-45 ABY (if the events were not dreamt)
3. You must return Mara back from the dead in some way.
4. You must also include (at least) one of these phrases (or a slightly edited version)
- “Yes, yes, yes. Mara Jade Skywalker: back from the dead”
- “What happens when ‘till death” is merely a technicality?”
- “So, does this make you a zombie? Are you suddenly craving brains?”
- “Mara Jade was never one for resting in peace.”
- “Because I could not stop for Death, he kindly stopped for me, so I punched him in the face.”

Prologue

Chandrila

Mara Jade Skywalker nearly collapsed under the weight of her husband as she dragged him away from the exploding Yuuzhan Vong compound. It had been another small victory for the Skywalkers, but Luke had taken an amphistaff to the stomach. Blood was bubbling all over their grubby robes.

“Mara, please,” Luke moaned.

“No, Skywalker. I need to get you back to the camp. We need to get that cauterized and bound,” she said, dragging him on.

They continued on until they unceremoniously collapsed in a grove of trees. A breeze swept by, rustling the light green leaves.

“Okay, fine, we can take a break,” Mara said, positioning him so that he was lying with his head in her lap. She kept pressure on his wound.

“Mara,” Luke said as he reached up and brushed her face. “I don’t think….”

“Shut up. No talking. Save your energy.” She brushed her fingers through his greasy grey hair. Neither of them had seen a sanisteam in months.

“Mara. Please. I’m not going to make it.”

She felt tears forming in her eyes. She wanted to scream in resistance, but found herself whispering, “Okay.”

“It’s been a wild ride, Jade. But it’s my time.” He reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out a small square device about the size of her palm with a small red button. He handed it to her.

“Luke, we said it wasn’t worth the risks. And that’s Jade Skywalker to you.”

He chuckled. “We did. But it isn’t going to be we for much longer.” Luke huffed and swallowed. He coughed blood over his beard. Time was running short. “Use it, please.”

“Okay, okay,” she said, putting the device in her pocket. “I love you.”

Luke struggled to grin. “I love you too.”

She held him, calmly, as he drifted off. Mara kissed her husband’s bearded face one final time before he became one with the Force.

Then she was alone in the galaxy.

She leaned her head against one of the trees and let the tears fall down her face. She was now the last Jedi, probably the last human left alive in a galaxy invaded and taken over by Yuuzhan Vong.

After a moment, Mara began to weigh her options.

“Ever the clinical one, Jade,” she murmured to the wind.

She could continue to fight the ‘Vong, be a thorn in their side, as she and Luke had been, until they eventually killed her too. She could go into hiding in some nice cave on outer rim plant, but without Luke, or any other civil being, what was the point? What was the point in anything now? She could die here, and by the amount of blood coming out of the gash on her leg, that may not take that long.

She then found herself playing with the device Luke had given her. They had called it the Reality Transporter Thingyamjig. It was a really dumb name, but apt. In theory it would permanently transport her to another reality. They had built it off of some experimental plans they had found ten years ago. They had never used it, even when everything went to chaos. They had never been sure if it would transport them both, or even where they would end up - it might have been worse. They hadn’t even been sure if it would work.

But now, there was nothing left here but death, or loneliness followed by death. And as much as she wanted to be with Luke again, she knew he didn’t want that for her. He would want her to take the risk. She truly had nothing to lose. If worst came to worst, she could just kill herself in the new reality. It was sad that the thought of suicide was simply a normal thought for her.

Afterlong moments of sitting in the dirt, Mara got up, neatly folded Luke’s stained clothes and buried them in a shallow grave along with his lightsaber. She put his wedding band on her thumb and wrapped herself in his robe.

“This is for you, Farmboy,” Mara sighed as she hit the button. Her world was consumed in white light. Then everything went black.

 

intriguing beginning

 

Woot! Fascinating! I love time/dimension hopping. Looking forward to the differences she'll find.

 

Wow - Luke is dead? She was the last one? The Vong had destroyed EVERYTHING? It's interesting that you've started with an AU. It gives you freedom to go absolutely anywhere with this. This is not exactly our Mara; she's more battle-weary and has seen far more death and pain. No mention of Ben; either he's dead too or he was never born.

I'm intrigued where this Mara will go now.

 

I LOVE THIS SO MUCH ITS SO EVIL AND OH MY GOSH YOU KILLED LUKE IN THE FIRST POSTING AND MARA IS SO SAD BUT SO MARA AND I LOVE IT AND WHAT IS THIS THINGYMAJIG????????/

That's pretty much an accurate snapshot of my brain this morning when I read this right before work. Haha, I read it twice because I didn't realize you opened with an AU, so I was like "wait...that doesn't happen???" But then I slowed down, and it made a ton of sense, and I am in LOVE!!! I cannot wait for you to post more of this!!!!!!!! Will you tag me when you update, pretty please??

Irish

 

I love universe-hopping fics SO MUCH, and this was a great beginning. What a depressing universe Mara has left, I hope she finds some hope in the Legends 'verse.

 

How this reminds me of ginchy's poignant! Echoes of Always. But yay this time looks like Mara can stay where she ends up.

 

Awesome start! Can't wait to see where this goes! And I live the way you've made this reality so awful that even the horrors of the Legends universe will seem like a holiday in comparison!

 

What if there is another Mara in that dimension and she doesn't want to share Farmboy?. Cat fight! . Nice beginning!

 

earlybird-obi-wan:

Thanks!

Nyota's Heart:

Thanks. There will be no time difference, but the reality she arrives in will be familiar to us!

Irish_Jedi_Jade

HAHAHAHA! I KNOW I am evil for killing off Luke in the prologue, BUT IT GETS BETTER!!!!!!!! YOU know thins Thanks so much, and yes, I will tag you.

JadeLotus:

Thanks. This is my 2nd attempt at writing a universe-hopping fic. I'm not the best at writing them, but this plot bunny bit and I just couldn't shake him off.

Annia Piet

Thanks, and yes, Legends got weird, but I guess it could have been worse.

Jedi_Lover

There won't be, but you just gave me an idea for a smut fic Thanks

 

A/N: First off, a special thank you for Irish_Jedi_Jade for beta-ing for me and brainstorming with me! As mentioned in the first post, I could never get this bunny to work, but it just wanted to be written for the fun of it. She has made this much better.

Chapter 1

Mara Jade woke from the blackness. The first thing she was aware of was prickly, short grass, poking her back through the warmth of Luke’s robe around her. She was lying in a field. The temperature was mild with a light breeze. She heard the rustling of leaves nearby. It felt like Chandrila still.

Had she traveled? Or had she merely blacked out?

More senses came to her. She squinted her eyes against the bright light and winced as the pain from the gash on her leg. She felt the warmth from the sun.

Then, she heard voices - humanoid voices.

“Ma’am? Are you okay ma’am?” came a male voice.

“Look, sweetheart, there’s blood on her.” That voice was female. Twi’lek from the slight, song like, accent. “I’ll call a medic.”

Mara heard soft crunching of grass next to her. “She’s breathing.” She felt hands cup her head and she was too tired to resist the unfamiliar touch. Part of her simply wanted to die. “Can you tell me your name?”

“Mara,” she rasped. Whatever had happened, if she really had traversed reality, it had knocked so much out of her. “Water?”

“Of course,” the male voice said. She heard a click, then a pop, then something hard pressed against her lips. She sucked greedily. She had been so thirsty for decades.

Mara heard another figure approaching. She cracked her eyes to see the Twi’lek, who spoke. The woman looked young, beautiful and happy. There was concern across her face, but simply for the minor inconvenient situation at hand. “There’s a medical speeder on the way. Can you tell us what happened?”

Mara froze. What was she going to tell people? That she had traveled across realities? No, then they would just lock her in a white padded room.

“It’s okay,” the male human spoke. “We just want to help.”

The two stayed with her until medics came.

* * *

“Ma’am, can we please get your name?” the doctor with olive skin and short brown hair asked gently as Mara was moved backwards down a blank white hall. She had been rushed to a medcentre and quickly examined by doctors who had determined that she needed surgery to mend the gasping wound on her thigh.

Mara didn’t speak. She was feeling ill, probably from blood loss. Despite nurses’ best efforts to tourniquet her, red seeped into the white fabric surrounding her.

“Alright,” the doctor said. “Can we contact anyone for you?”

Again, Mara didn’t speak.

“Okay,” the doctor breathed. “We can try again after.”

She was moved into a room with bright lights. There were so many people; so many bright lights. A Zabrak with light brown skin approached her with a clear mask. He placed it over her mouth and she breathed in and let darkness take her.

* * *

Mara, once again woke groggily. Her plush white surroundings startled her for a few moments. She was in a pale blue gown and tubes were stuck out of her. Out of curiosity, she folded over the blankets and lifted up the gown. Her leg was bandaged and in a splint. It hadn’t even occurred to her that her leg might have broke.

The door to the private room opened and the doctor - the one that had tried to get her name - entered. However, the woman who had looked so confident and in-charge before was now pale and shaking. She tried to mask it by putting her hands in the pocket of her white coat, but she wasn’t fooling the woman who had lived in a galaxy with her husband as the last humans.

“Hello,” the doctor bobbed her head as she approached Mara’s bedside. “I’m Dr. Sindea, head of medicine here at Mothma Memorial Medcentre. I have some questions.”

Mara nodded.

“The joggers who brought you in told us your name was Mara. We did a full body examination while you were under anesthesia, which included a head-scan. You have several unhealed bones, in addition to some other medical issues including exhaustion. However, part of that battery of tests was and a DNA test. You came back as a deceased woman.”

Mara gasped. She was dead in this reality?

Dr. Sindea continued. “Are you really Jedi Master Mara Jade Skywalker?”

“I am,” Mara breathed. “This is going to sound insane.”

“More insane then knowing you are operating on a dead woman?”

She reconsidered. “Perhaps not. I am from another reality.”

Dr. Sindea nodded slowly.

“I am from a place where a race called the Yuuzhan Vong invaded the galaxy.”

“The Vong invaded here too,” the doctor said quietly. “It was over 20 years ago.”

Mara didn’t know if she should be relieved, or horrified. “They… killed everyone. Everything. We fought them for 20 years. We tried to escape, but, in the end, there was no escape. Luke,” she then realized she was talking to a stranger. “My husband, found this crazy theory that inter-dimensional travel between co-existing planes of reality was possible. He built a device - ” She began patting down her body, searching for the device in a panic.

The doctor walked to a small box on top of a skinny table across the room. She searched through it and produced the device. Mara merely nodded.

“We had no idea it would work or what would happen. Then…” Mara trailed off, but she knew she had to say it. She had to say it because it was true. “He died. I figured I had nothing to lose.”

The doctor nodded, slowly. She was speechless.

“You probably think I am insane.” Mara let her head fall wearily back onto the pillow.

Sindea finally spoke. “If the DNA didn’t prove it, I probably would. But that explains why you have so many improperly healed injuries. I hate to have to tell you this, but, you are going to need multiple surgeries, time in bone-knitters, time to rest; your body has been pushed to it’s limits. It’s a miracle you are not dead.”

Mara should have expected as much. “I have no idea what I am doing here. I should have died in my reality. I never was one for resting in peace. But because I could not stop for Death, he kindly stopped for me, so I punched him in the face. How stupid of me.”

“Forgive me if I seem bold; my friends call me a hopeless romantic. But, your husband is very much alive in this universe.”

Mara’s heart seemed to stop. She had never considered that possibility. The Mara Jade of this reality had married Luke, then had left him a widower.

Sindea stared towards the door. “Should I contact him?”

“No,” Mara regretted her reply, but deep down, she knew it was right. “My husband is died yesterday, to me. I think I need to morn him before I do anything else.”

The doctor nodded. “You should get some rest.” She leaned over Mara and changed a setting on the machine connected to the drip in Mara’s hand. Mara instantly felt tired. “I think you need to talk to someone who specializes in mental health.”

Mara was asleep before she could formulate resistance.

* * *

Ossis

Luke Skywalker was about to head back to his chamber for the evening. He was murmuring to himself as he quickly cleaned up his desk after a long, yet boring, day. “Maybe I’ll make some penyonki noodles and meat sauce for dinner. Yeah. That would be good. Oh. And I should watch that documentary that Tionne suggested.”

It was just him these days. Ben was off on a long-term mission with some other young Jedi knights and Luke was glad that his son was with kids his age. Of course, at nearly 20-years-old, Ben wasn’t exactly a kid. Luke didn’t mind being alone. Much had been taken off his plate in his state of semi-retirement. He had his routine and he was happy. It was the little things, like eating good food, and having a drink as he watched good holos, that kept him going.

He was about to head out when his holocomm rang. Despite his grumbling stomach, he answered it. A middle aged human woman, a few years younger than him, appeared. She had short brown hair and olive skin. “Master Skywalker?”

“Yes. Who is this?” he asked, confused.

“This is Dr. Olia Sindea, head of medicine here at Mothma Memorial Medcentre in Hanna City, Chandrila.” She paused momentarily. “Are you sitting down?”

Luke’s stomach dropped as he sat. He never liked hearing those words. “I am now. What is this about?”

“This morning a woman appeared in Hannai City Central Park by two joggers. She was badly bleeding from a broken leg. She was taken in and is currently being treated for several wounds. She was very disorientated and hesitant to give us her identity. But as part of her examination, her DNA was analyzed. There’s no way to easily say this, it came back as Mara Jade Skywalker.”

“What?” Luke’s jaw dropped as his heart began beating rapidly. “No… how? Is it her?”

The Doctor nodded. “She confirmed her identity. According to her, she is from another reality… alternate universe… dimension maybe? I honestly didn’t understand it. It sounded crazy, but the DNA confirms that she is Mara Jade, and I must add, she looks exactly like your late wife. She said she comes from a reality where, basically, the Yuuzhan Vong won the war. Her husband… you, died right before she transported here.”

He was so very confused in this moment. “Does she know that I’m alive here… and she’s - the Mara from this reality, dead?”

“She knows. We told her. She asked us not to contact you.”

Luke let out a huff as he leaned back in his chair. He began to stroke his beard. “I don’t doubt it. That’s Mara for sure.”

“She is fairly sedated now. The amount of shrapnel in her body is actually rather remarkable. I normally do involve myself in the personal affairs of my patients. Perhaps I care too deeply. Healing one physically can only go so far and this woman has nothing here. No one. I fear for her will to live.”

Luke’s heart broke. Mara had been there before, after the Emperor died.

Dr. Sindea continued. “If that wasn’t enough, she just lost her husband - you - and she comes from a place where the Yuuzhan Vong destroyed the galaxy. That, compiled with the fact that she is from another reality certainly calls for Jedi involvement.”

“It does. I will leave now. Tell her, I am coming. It will take me four days to get there, but it will be completely up to her if she wants to see me.” He paused for a moment, getting sentimental. This was his beloved wife, back from the dead. “Tell her, I want to see her.”

 

And so that is what we immediately did. I guess there are no medical privacy laws in a galaxy, far, far away. This should be an interesting reunion between the two.

 

Sympathetic and caring doctor is just what Mara needs right now and glad the DNA confirmed her "wild story". I bet Luke was floored but of course he wants to see her. And yes, Irish makes everything better.

 

Such a different world Mara has been transported to. She's a hardened soldier, she's had to live with physical and mental pain so long that she doesn't really know what peace and security is. This is going to be a huge transition for her.
I'm not sure if she - or Luke - is ready for this meeting.

 

Different in probably more ways than one. If she was transported to the EU galaxy that we all know, then that means she is going to be hit with the news that her other self was killed by Sith Jacen and that Jaina had to kill her brother, Abeloth nearly destroyed Coruscant, the Jedi were exiled, Daala was Chief-of-State, a planet of Sith attacked them, Ben had his heart broken by his Sith girlfriend and...I can't remember all the other terrible things that happened in the EU. She may be horrified by what she finds. But then she has her husband back, so I guess it is worth it.

Did her and Luke have a child in the other universe? She might be surprised when she finds out she has a son in this universe. Nice story! There are so many interesting possibilities.

 

Yay!!! It's up!!!!

I love this so much (I mean you know that, but...haha, just had to say it). I'm excited for where we're going, and I am glad that you've taken us on the ride!

It will be such a huge shock for her, to be back. I think that's what intrigued me most about your first post, and continues into this one, the idea of them being the last two humans in a Vong universe. Super crazy idea. Haha, after you finish this one, you should write that one!!!! But anyways, I digress. I like Dr. Sindea and I think its good that she contacted Luke. I mean...this is not a "normal" circumstance by any means, and I think different measures are in order.

 

love the doctors in this universe. They really care for Mara and her sanity

 

Wow, I don't think Mara's going to be too happy with her doctor for disrespecting her wishes!

But I'm glad Luke knows.

 

Wow, immediate conflict brewing there! I hope that doctor gets out of the way quickly, before Mara can catch up with her! And I wonder how Mara will cope with seeing Luke again when she's only just started grieving for the husband she already lost...

Great update, raising some really interesting questions and personal conundrums already!

 

can you tag me when you update? I'm really curious on how the reunion will go

 

JediLover:

Apparently not (especially since this isn't exactly the best constructed fic )


Nyota's Heart

DNA confirmed because this fic is complicated enough and I just had to get them together.

divapilot

Oh, you know they aren't ready

Ewok_Slayer

Yes, Mara will find out that this reality has been no bucket of peaches either, but it really is the lesser of the evils.

You get to find out in the next chapter. Thanks.

Irish_Jedi_Jade

Hahaha. Thanks.

Yeah... no, I am NOT writing that story - you already have me writing something much eviler (and I love it)

earlybird-obi-wan

Thanks!

JadeLotus

This Mara might be more understanding, or too tired to give a shavit.

Annia Piet

Thanks. All the questions and conundrums have been difficult. I'M NOT USED TO WRITING THIS MUCH CONFLICT!!

Falcon

Yep, sure.

 

A/N: Thanks for reading everyone. Sorry I didn't update this last weekend. I am trying hard to get this finished though!

Tag list: Irish_Jedi_Jade Falcon

Chapter 3

Chandrila

Luke landed on Chandrila late in the afternoon. The bright orange sun hung low in the blazing sky as he quickly paid the docking fee and rented a speeder. He made his way though the city to the medcentre. The planet wasn’t a particularly strong in the Force, but it was incredibly peaceful.

Luke parked the speeder, then hurried into the placid building as he unconsciously straightened his dark brown pants and dark blue tunic. He was also wearing a lighter brown robe. He knew Mara liked seeing him in some colour, particularly blue. First, he stopped into the gift shop and bought a christalid vase that refracted the light into a million colours and twelve soft pink twelli flowers. As he paid, he asked for directions from the human cashier.

He followed the instructions to the administration wing and found the head of medicine’s office. He knocked.

“Come in,” a voice called. Dr. Olia Sindea was working on a data pad. “Oh, Master Skywalker,” she said, looking up at him. “Please, come in.”

“Hello,” Luke said, pulling out one of the plane chairs and taking a seat. “I thought it best to come speak with you first. How is Mara?”

“She is doing surprisingly well. Physically, she is resting. She is still in bone knitters and she is scheduled for a few minor surgeries. She has also been speaking and working with our psychiatrist. It’s going to be a long road to recovery, yet she seems open to the idea.”

He smiled, mostly to himself. “Good. Do you think I could see her?”

Sindea nodded. “She wants to see you. She is in room 138 in the long-term care ward.” She then gave him directions and added, “Those flowers are lovely by the way.”

Luke felt a twinge of heat brush his cheeks. “Thank you.”

He followed her directions down the straight, yet endless corridors until he found 138. His heart seemed to stop. This was her. Behind the smooth curves of the brushed metal door was his wife. He froze. Should he knock? Of course.

There was no reply and Luke’s heard sank.

“Jade is fairly sedated still. Go on in, she usually comes around right before dinner,” a young human nurse said as he walked by.

Luke nodded and gently touched the control panel. His fingers lingered momentary as the door slid open.

There she was, as simple as a break of a new dawn. She was on the bed, surrounded by white linen and white walls. She looked frail, like she hadn’t eaten a decent meal in years; he could see the sharp lines of her bones. Her hair was just past her shoulders and contained more grey and white than red. She was hooked up to too many drips and the pale blue medcenter gown made her look ghastly pale. Her tired eyes were closed, but he wasn’t sure if she was asleep.

Her eyes then opened, clear green surrounded by red lines of weariness. They took a moment to focus. “Luke,” she gasped. She then covered her mouth with a taped-up hand.

He just wanted to rush to her, let the years melt away and just hold her. But he was frozen in fear.

He thought was going to be able to do this, but her voice. Her voice made so many memories flooding back.

She turned away and began to sob. Her body seem to break.

He finally found his own voice. “Mara.” He approached her bedside and gently put the vase of flowers on a table. “I can leave,” he said, even though his voice broke. He began to cry as well. Tears blurred his vision.

“Please don’t,” she whispered.

“Can I hold you?” No, that was stupid of him to ask.

She nodded and he immediately overwhelmed her with his arms. Luke simply had to. He held her close, but carefully, as not to hurt her. He gently ran his fingers through her hair while she rubbed her hands down his firm back.

Finally, when Mara’s sobs died down. He let her go… mostly. He clung onto her hand as he sat on the stool paced at her bed side.

There were moments of silence as they both tried to compose themselves while trying not to look at the other.

“Are those for me?” she asked, pointing to the flowers.

He blushed as he looked up to the flowers, then back to her with a smile. “Yeah. I didn’t know if they were appropriate.”

“Thank you,” she said, her voice cracking. “Sorry, I thought I was ready for this. I guess not,” she murmured wiping away tears with the corner of her blanket. “How long has it been for you?” she asked.

“Six years. And you?”

“Five days. Does it get any easier?”

“Oh, hells no.” Somehow, despite the economy of words, they both got what the other was saying. “I’ve been reading a bunch of academic works on alternate universe theories and I want to try something.”

“What?” she asked

He let out a deep breath. “Well, alternate realities are supposedly created when decisions are made. One decision creates one reality and the opposite creates a divergent.”

“Yes, I know. I helped you create a device from Force crystals that created a wormhole across planes of realities that landed me here.”

“Well, then, you know, obviously some decision was made at some point during the Vong invasion that altered your reality from mine. If that is true, then before that point, we were from the same reality and if that is true -”

“Skywalker, hurry it up and get to the point; I get the theories behind it better than you, but I’m drugged out of my mind.”

Luke couldn’t help but smile. “Sorry. I want to see if we have our bond.”

She paused. “I closed myself off from the Force bond as soon as you… rather he, died. I couldn’t bear the feeling of emptiness.”

“It just felt so blank on the other end,” he said with a nod. “I did the same after Mara - my Mara - died.” He took her other hand. “Do you want to try?”

“You’ll be reliving every moment of the past 20 some odd years my life. You should be the one preparing,” she said sombrely. “The Vong never left. Everyone we loved died.”

“I want to know what you had to go through. I want to understand. I also have to warn you, this reality hasn’t been all peace. Yes, we won against the Vong, but at a great cost. We lost many and the fallouts caused great wounds,” he said, looking away.

She took his other hand. “I want to understand too.”

They both closed their eyes. Their shields then fell and walls crumbled. Luke closed his eyes and relived everything through her. He was there as planets fell to the Vong and as he laid everyone he knew to rest. The only constant was her. He felt her pain and his heart broke. There was nothing but pain.

Finally, he opened his eyes, and saw her do the same. She was smiling. “You have a son.”

He nodded softly. “You lost the pregnancy.”

He saw tears form quickly in her eyes as she nodded. “I was five months along when our living quarters on Coruscant were attacked. They got into the core worlds so fast. No one expected it. Luke and I were one of the few to survive to get of world, but I was struck as we were almost at the Errant Venture and I miscarried shortly after we left orbit.” She quickly wiped her eyes. “We always said we would give it another try after, but after never came. I’m glad you got a son, though. He is so handsome. Ben.”

Luke smiled. “He’s a great kid.”

Mara got off the topic efficiently. “Luke what are we doing?”

“I love you. I hope that is clear.”

“It always has been.”

“I want to be with you.”

“I don’t think that is possible… at least not right away. It’s not that I think you are different from the Luke that I just lost, but I need to respect him. I thought I accepted his death, but seeing you made me realized I haven’t. I need to grieve for him.”

“I understand. I was a mess after you died. But Leia and others have been annoying me to think about dating again. I’ve been open to the idea. I know the Mara that died would have wanted me to try to find happiness again.Who better than to date than my wife?” he asked rhetorically with a light laugh. He then squeezed her hand. “But I understand. I didn’t go through what you, and he, went through. You want to respect him. You don’t want to feel guilt over moving on so quickly, even if I think he would approve of me.”

Mara rolled her eyes and gently slapped his forearm. “How long did it take you to realize you were comfortable moving on, to be happy again knowing your wife would have wanted you to be happy?”

“Honestly?” he looked down at their intertwined hands. “It took until the moment I walked through that door and fell back in love.”

“Such a sap,” she commented, letting her head fall back onto the pillow.

He let go of one of her hands and rubbed his knuckles against her cheek. “It took me six months to smile when I saw a holo of her, instead of wanting to break down in tears. Perhaps that was just an arbitrary number. My Mara was killed by Jacen in a war orchestrated by him.”

“I know. I saw.”

“Well, it was after the war ended and after Jacen had…” He knew he didn’t have to finish that thought. “The galaxy was at peace and I returned to my office in the Academy on Ossus for the first time since you - she - had died. I was at peace and when I saw the holo of you on our wedding day, I smiled. I did not feel the loss, but instead, I felt joy that I had so many wonderful memories with you.”

“Then give me six months. I know we will have much to figure out once we are together, but I have much more to figure out. The doctors here will probably want to keep me here for at least that long.”

Luke resigned. “I know you want this, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

“I know,” she said, rubbing his hand.

“Do I have to leave?”

“You should, the longer you stay, the more I want you to be here.”

“I hate leaving you like this,” he said, looking around at the bone-knitters, the wires and the machines.

“Well, how about you take the device that got me here,” she said, reaching for a small red device on the bedside table. “You can destroy it. I doubt it has enough power to create another worm-hole through realities. My Luke and I were pretty sure it was a one time thing, but I hate for this reality to be linked with mine and anyone attempt to recreate this device and end up where I came from.”

He took it. “I will destroy what I can and scatter the pieces. Can I get you anything?”

“No, my doctors are very kind. They have provided me with data-pads; readers; they are going to get me some more clothing once I am up and about. They’ve also been working with legal documents to give me my identity here.”

“Hush,” he told her. “I will take care of everything. Will you contact me if you need anything?”

“Of course,” she said, putting his mind at ease.

Luke hesitated to stand. “I love you.”

She nodded. “I’m sorry to do this to you. I love you too.”

They embraced before Luke forced himself to leave.

 

*SNAGS FIRST POST!!!!*

Ahhhhhhh.....my heart!!! It hurts but its so sweet all at once! I know you've heard this already (but I don't care!) but I LOVE the idea of the Vong winning. Its so clever...and it seems fitting that the toughest human in the galaxy (Mara!) would be the last one...but I'm so glad she's getting a second chance. I hope it turns out well with this Luke and this universe!!!!!

I love that part so much!!! What a Luke thing to say!!!

 

I hope they will get together

 

Oh how them that was even in that unique! situation! The timeframe request is totally understandable and doable, but still hard for both/each. Truly, truly loving this reunion. Luke is a sap but that's why we love him to unashamed bits! LOL