Feedback: oooohhh! love it , yes please!
Disclaimer: Much as I love 'em, I don't own 'em :(
Summary: Set during Rebirth. Luke and Mara's escape from Coruscant goes badly and Luke gives himself in to save his wife and child.
Warnings: V. angsty! involves beatings and torture, though not too graphic...
A.N. this story was written asa sort ofapology for all those who havebeen wanting me to update on other fics! sorry guys but those have died for the calls... thanx for being so patient!
A.Jade xxx
The Jade shadow sailed through space sharply turning as it's pilots spotted the four ships heading towards them. As each ship came closer to the Shadow it would twist gracefully away from them, changing course at crazy angles, slipping away again and gradually getting closer to the hyperspace point. Seeing that they had to change tactics or lose their prey the leader of the small squad hailed the larger vessel.
On board Luke Skywalker opened the hail and activated the visual array.
"Jade Shadow, this is Coruscant planetary security. You must return to ground immediately. Slave yourselves to us for escort" the bothan on the screen did not look happy with this latest duty. His fur bristled and he had obvious trouble meeting Luke's eyes.
Luke smiled tightly.
"This is Luke Skywalker of the Jade Shadow. We're outward bound and not prepared to turn back."
The young captain began to shift uncomfortably and glanced out of his cockpit. Sudden worry pooled in the Jedi's gut and he wanted to know what was coming up to them the bothan was wanting. More words snapped him out of his thoughts.
"I have my orders, Master Skywalker. Please help me carry them out with minimum fuss."
"I'm sorry for the inconvenience Captain, but we aren't returning to ground."
"I'm authorized to use force, Master Skywalker..." before either Luke, or Mara Jade Skywalker who was still desperately piloting to the jump point, could warn of firing back the bothan continued. "... and so are they, I'm afraid."
Just then the vessel radar blared loudly, warning of a large ship heading their way. The read outs showed it to be a Calamari war ship. Out the corner of his eye Luke saw his wife fall back in her seat. A cold despair seemed to fill her eyes as her face grew pale. He knew what she feared. Their child would be born in custody, surrounded by yslamiri and in danger of being used as blackmail. But still, he had no choice.
"We stand down, Captain. Give us a few moments please." he was on automatic, speaking into the comm while he thought furiously for and escape of some kind, some way to get his son to safety.
Two weeks in a Virginia jail
For my lover, for my lover
Twenty thousand dollar bail
For my lover, for my lover
And everybody thinks
That I'm the fool
But they don't get
Any love from you
The things we won't do for love
I'd climb a mountain ifI had to
And risk my life soI could have you
you, you, you...
She's gone. They've gone
Luke slumped down against the wall of his holding cell. The senate had decided he was too dangerous to put under house-arrest, that he would just use one of Mara's hidden entrances to escape. The same would have happened to his love, despite how heavily pregnant she was. The idea that they would have held her in this dank, dark pit, that Ben could have been born here, it made him sick. He felt...
No! Calm, they've gone. Both Mara and the child are safe worry about yourself, your swimming in it up to your neck Skywalker!
He knew what would happen to him. The horror on Fey'la's face as he'd walked from the shuttle towards the Senator. It had made his fate only to clear. When Kenth Hamner had found him he'd been given the full story. The senate had known that Kenth would warn both himself and Mara. They used it as proof that the Jedi were out of control, had voted on how they should deal with the 'renegade magicians'. For once a vote had gone smoothly in the senate.
Kenth had hopefully fled to the lower levels by now. Luke had had to order him before he had left, the man being determined to save him and take him back to Mara. Too late. The space lanes had been closed, that he knew. Every ship that was to depart the capital was searched in as many ways as the government could think of.
Anyway, if he had escaped the turmoil after would only mean the other Jedi couldn't. He was aware that none of his students had been flushed out yet. The guards had been grumbling all day about that fact.
If they knew they could be but meters away... yes most should be in the old Imperial passages by now. Hopefully they found the store rooms Mara spoke of.
It wasn't the Force that warned him, not with the ysalamiri. Still something made him tense and back from the door. Sudden electricity swept through the air. The guards hushed and a key was worked in the old lock of his door.
It would be useless to fight, yet his muscles still tensed, ready to spring him at the enemy. The door opened, slamming against the wall. Fifteen of them piled into the room, mixed species, gender, build. But the similarities were few but enough. All had a small symbol sewn into whatever they wore. It was just over where the human heart would be, as if showing the one thing they did not have. It showed them for what they were.
Peace Brigade.
Luke was backed into a corner by the front of the group while the rest sneered at him, obviously enjoying their strength over him. When he hit the wall at his back he looked at those around him in despair. None were moved.
He tried not to tense, but it was hopeless and before he could try to calm himself again the first fist hit home.
What seemed like hours later, but was in reality minutes, a wave of relief washed some of the agony away. But he couldn't grasp it. It was like tightening a fist around water. But still, he recognized its call even if he could cry out no answer. The Force!
They've killed the ysalamiri! Mara, I could call...NO! She'd come for me. She'd risk herself. She'd risk the baby!
He still felt her reach out to him, fear in her sense. He slammed up all his shields against her, stopping her from knowing what he felt. He would not have her put at risk. He'd give anything for those two lives, the one who was half his soul and the one who was half his being, the tiny life he'd created.
Soon the only thoughts in his mind were of the pain. When would it stop? How long had they been here? What was that? They've got a bat! He cried out to the darkness as it started to snake into his vision.
Please! Take me...make it stop!
Before it took him completely he had a glimpse of Borsk Fey'la at the door. The Bothan's back was to him but at the sickening crunch as something in him gave way he saw him flinch, then sway slightly, sickened at the sound. Then the bat struck again and he screamed as the darkness swallowed him.
Everyday I'm psychoanalysed
For my lover, for my lover
They dope me up and I tell them lies
For my lover, for my lover
And everybody thinks
That I'm the fool
But they don't get
Any love from you
He looked at the blood with a strange detachment. He should be worried by the amount of it trickling along the floor; surely he couldn't lose any more without dying. But he still felt the sharp pain across his chest as the whip sunk into his flesh, the wetness as a sheet of blood welled up from it.
They're giving up again. Their strikes aren't as hard.
Guttural voices muttered beside him as they prodded his ribs with their feet. Then silence. Not calm, they hadn't left him to rest, to try and heal. They were there still, and although he could not sense them their terror made the air in the room thick. More speech, whispered, chilling. The new blur in his vision reached towards the others. One began to struggle, then slumped to the floor following the sound of a wet crack.
Broken neck. Deserves it, that one did the same to Kenth... or was it Kyp they got?
Luke rolled his head limply. He knew it would attract attention but he didn't care. He needed to know who he had lost. Looking at the corpse, shock rippled through him. It was already rotting against the wall! Had he been trapped in the pain for that long! Tears threatened to fall as he realised he could hardly tell that the body was human, let alone its identity.
Cold hands gripped his chin, jerking hid head up even as he jumped in surprise. He tried to back away from the towering figure. The being spoke to the remaining guard, who then hurried out of the room to do his bidding.
The Yuuzhan Vong leapt towards the Jedi as he tried to escape into the darker corners of the pen. He caught him by the throat, lifting him up against the wall. Luke panted out his pain as his new wounds were infected with grit and grime from the wall's surface.
It's skin. It's a living ship. I have something's skin stuck in my back. Ah, gods!
He was snapped out of his thoughts as the Vong spoke to him in Basic. He let his head flop to one side as he concentrated on hearing instead. The voice was chilling, foreign, obviously uncomfortable with the softer human tongue.
"You know who I am?" At Luke's limp nod the being continued, "Good. You and your followers have fought well, Jedi Overlord. But I am Supreme Overlord Shimrra and I swore to the Gods I would make you fall to your knees or wipe you out. I am glad you decided to fight back." The thing before him seemed to grin at the thought of the blood it had shed.
Feeling sick to the core, Luke felt himself beginning to shake. At first it was just a faint trembling in his hands, but Shimrra's grin turned into a deep, chilling laugh as he noticed it.
"Ahh! I see they have already given you the... 'drugs' needed for the sacrifice. It would be a shame if you showed the symptoms at the sacrifice but after the birth of your child your mate seems very determined to free you, Skywalker. So we must move the sacrifice ahead, annoying but not overly unpleasant."
As he was dropped Luke felt his hand twitch and both legs jerk slightly as he hit the floor. His stomach churned at the idea of what was coming; no one had seen this happen to him yet. The very idea that the first to see his weakness would be this monster repulsed him.
Please... leave. Not in front of you, no, please!
Luke fought to stay in control of his body, breathing turning into gasps as he tried to stop the inevitable. He hadn't been able to stop the drugs' symptoms yet but he'd kept a shred of pride knowing that no one had seen them affect him. He looked up at the Vong standing over him, glaring hard.
Shimrra merely laughed again and left the room.
Heady relief rushed through the weary Jedi but the fit followed in its wake. Before he could regain control of himself the small trembling in his hands consumed his body entirely, quickly turning into shudders. His head hit the wall behind him as his body went into spasm; he felt blood fill his mouth as he bit down on his tongue. Desperately he tried to fight away from the way his body reacted to the poison in his system, his body thrashing on the floor of his cell. Once again his back arched viciously and as his head hit the wall for the second time darkness fell over him, his only reprieve anymore.
The things we won't do for love
I'd climb a mountain ifI had to
And risk my life soI could have you
you, you, you...
Unbalanced in his drugged state he stumbled and fell, landing hard on the floor. Dazed, he didn't react quickly enough and was rewarded with a swift kick. Pain shot through his body, enhance by whatever brew they'd pumped him with when they dragged him form the cell.
He heard the harsh muttering but still couldn't decipher the meaning, even after months with his captors.
to busy trying not to die on them to learn the sithing language!
The bitter thought was accompanied with a snort and then a groan as he heaved himself back up. He was in no real hurry. He new exactly where they were taking him and what they would do. He didn't need to understand the language to understand the leers and grim pleasure plastered across their alien faces.
Suddenly the guards around him stiffened. The reason soon showed itself. Shimraa once again stood in front off him. Satisfaction of victory was written over his face like words on a datapad. Obvious and cruel about his fate.
"Are you ready Master Jeedia? Ready to face our Gods head on? You will be a worthy gift for them. They may even honour you themselves... if you do not scream." At this the Supreme Overlords face stretched into a grotesque parody of a smile.
Luke refused to be beaten down and only glared at his nemesis. The smug look was wiped of the vong's face and was replaced with a frown.
"Yes, worthy indeed. Come, jedi. See if you are so proud when the pain sings through you!" with this he was shoved violently out into a court yard, the light blinding him and for a moment the only thing his senses would pick up was the pounding of blood in his ears.
I follow my heart
And leave my head to ponder
Deep in this love
No man can shake
I follow my heart
And leave my mind to wonder
Is this love worth
The sacrificesI make
As his eyes adjusted to the light, his ears adjusted to the roar and he heard it for what it really was. Looking up in astonishment he saw thousands of Yuzhan Vong; warriors, priests, shapers even shamed once cowering in the back ground. The cheering grew in volume and passion as he was pushed forward. Yet whenever he focused his gaze on a group or individual his saw something he never expected. Fear.
they fear me! But...even when I'm in this state they fear me?
Shock resounded through him as he reached this knowledge. Why they feared him even now was something he just couldn't grasp. The Vong were obviously suffering from the Jedi more than they'd ever believed. Here, a warrior race were staring at him as if her were a demon in the midst, liable to kill them all at any moment.
His mind still reeling his knees easily gave way when the hands on his shoulders forced him to kneel. Pain shot up his legs but he ignored it gathering the force to him, calling on the light he served, the loved he was sacrificing himself for. But it was not enough. That mystical energy, as if it had found a life of its own, seemed to scream at him to let go!
let go of what? I don't understand!
He pulled more to him still, aware of the danger but not caring. He was going to die anyway, why not follow the will of the Force to his death? Better than allow his enemies to choose his demise for their own pleasure. Yet still it urged him to let go, to give in.
Then he felt it. Whatever it was it's teeth sank into his neck and a tongue as sharp as a needle forced its way into the base of his skull. His body tensed as he bit onto his lip, allowing only blood to spill forth, holding back the scream. His back arched and his hold on the light tremble as fear spread through his mind. The screams of the Force began to quieten, slowly dimming as he lost the control of his emotions.
And then he understood.
Allowing the fear for himself, hate for Shimraa, love for his son and need for his wife to pour into his mind he let go of his barriers, let go of all his simple mortal morals ad ideals and allowed the force to consume him.
A vision came then tearing through his mind an escort to the pain. He saw himself on his knees, then an explosion of energy destroying and cleansing all in its wake, wiping out everything in the court yard. He saw the Vong surrendering as they heard the news of their overlords death to the force, that or killing themselves. But most importantly he saw Mara, weeping, clutching their son to her chest as Ben himself wailed. They were mourning him, but they were safe. He would do this for them, for her, for his lover.
The force crackled round him, become a visible entity, and the Vong guards hastily backed away. Whatever creature tormented him whimpered and desperately tried to detach itself. He let a scream of triumph and joy as the energy shattered his mind, tearing throw him to engulf the entire yard.
And after sacrificing all Luke Skywalker became one with the Force.
And everybody thinks
That I'm the fool
But they don't get
Any love from you
The things that we won't do for love
I'd climb a mountain ifI had to
And risk my life soI could have you
you, you, you...
Finis.