Star Wars: The Royal Guardsman
written by agentmaul002/lukeskywalker
The glow of the gas planet of Yavin slowly desends on the dusk sky on
the Jedi moon. Luke stares intently into the blue sky. R2-D2, restless
after hours of scanning the skies, beeps loudly at his master, hoping
that the Jedi would wake up from his deep trance.
"There's something wrong, R2," he whispers. He turns to the fiesty
droid. "There's a disturbance in the Force. Come on, let's get Mara."
The droid and his master walk toward the Jedi Temple.
------------
Mara jumps from her seat on the bed. She greets her husband with a
loving embrace.
"You felt it too?" She asked more of a statement then a question. Luke
nodded. Mara noticed he looked awfully worried and tried to comfort
him. She rubbed his back soothingly but still his worry didn't wane.
Mara kissed the Jedi on the mouth and still he seemed to stare into
space as if haunted.
"Luke, please... talk to me," she said.
Mara then noticed Luke had lost consiousness.
------------
Luke found himself in a dark hallway. In the distance stood a dark
figure. He couldn't tell who or even what it was, but the figure held great
power in the Force.
"What do you want?" Luke cried out. No response.
Luke went to grab his comm-link, only to find it not there. His black
robes he wore a few hours ago were now common robes, like those he had
seen the Jedi Spirit wear (his father, Yoda, and Obi-Wan). He carried
with him a blaster and lightsaber. Why would he have weapons with him,
but his cloths change?
He thought back to the training in Dagobah. The failure at the cave.
Was this a test? A vision of the future? The past?
Luke removed his blaster and lightsaber. Then he proceeded to move
closer to the dark figure.
Then a voice... "Who are you?" Father? Or someone else?
"I am Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master. Tell me, who are you?"
"Ah," the voice replied. "Be mindful of what you do, son. What will
come will cost you dearly if you are wrong."
And before Luke could reply, a sudden burst of pain exploded across
Luke's body. Luke cried out in agony. And the next thing he knew, he was
staring into his wife's green eyes.
"Mara?..."
------------
Mara didn't even notice as she screamed wit relief and kissed him hard
with excitment and joy that he was awake.
"Are you okay? What happened? Do you know what the disturbance is?"
Mara bombarded Luke with questions.
"I don't have an answer to your questions, Mara," Luke said tryin to
lift himself.
Luke realized he couldn't move. More pain gripped him and he began to
convulse. His body shook and bounced uncontrolably and Luke screamed in
excrushiating pain. Mara held him under her arems but was knocked off
against the stone wall of their quarters and slumped down unconsious.
------------
Moments later Mara awoke a little dizzy from her encounter with the
wall. She focused her vison toward her husband. He's stopped convulsing
and was quiet. Too quiet.
"Luke," she called, voice shaking. "Luke." No answer.
Mara rose and walked cautiously toward the Jedi Master. Something was
wrong. She couldn't feel his presense in the Force. Mara reached him
and sat on the edge of the bed, fearing the worst. She placed her hand on
his neck. No pulse. She shook him violently.
"Damnit Skywalker, wake up!" she screamed crying.
"Help someone, Help! Please somebody!"
Her attention was changed to laughter behind her. She turned. The
lights in the room went out, except for the opening of her door. Standing
before her stands a dark robed figure, laughing. By instinct, Mara
reaches out with the Force to grab her lightsaber... Anakin's old
lightsaber. Instead, nothing happens. She tries to touch the Force to find it
gone. The figure is countering her power with his own!
A yellow, almost gold lightsaber blade peirced the dark. Through the
light of thelightsaber, she saw that the person wears an Imperial Guard
uniform! Mara quickly grabs her husband's lightsaber and activates it.
"What did you do to Luke?" she yells in a burst of rage, hoping that
someone will hear her cry.
The figure, it's voice distorter masking even his identity says, "My
battle is not with you. This is between me and Skywalker."
Mara reached one hand behind her head. Blood. She tightens her jaw and
utters "I am a Skywalker."
Mara stands before her fallen husband. She thinks "Where are the other
Jedi?" With her powers gone, she stands with just her skills as a
warrior to face this deadly attacker.
"The battle is already over, Jade. There is nothing that can stop the
process now."
Then she hears footsteps coming. Jacen arrives with 2 other Jedi,
lightsabers in hand.
"We'll see about that! Jacen get back!" Mara screamed as the Imperial
Guard lunged at him.
Jacen jumped back into the wall. Mara lunged at the guard and they
fought. Jacen stood onto his feet and cleared his eyes of the stars he saw
before him. He ran to his uncle, still appearing lifeless. The two
other Jedi, Corran and Kam, joined him.
"We need to get help!" the young Jedi screamed.
He heard Mara scream. He turned and something hit him. Things went
black.
The Imperial Guard decended toward Luke's motionless form. He smiled to
himself looking around at the Jedi that he'd defeated. Nothing would
stop him in his task. He pulled up the blade of the saber and held it
above Luke's chest.
"The process is complete," he whispered and shoved the blade into Luke.
--------------
Mara awoke in the medical ward. She winced at the pain all over her
body. Next to her is Jacen, also looking horrible, Corran who's on his
feet and Kam also in on piece.
"What happened?" she asked.
Corran and Kam exchanged glances then looked back at Mara. Corran took
her hand.
"There was a fight," He said softly. "You've lost your baby, Mara."
Mara's emerald eyes filled with tears. Suddenly she remembered the
whole thing. Th guardsmen, the fight, the loss of her Force powers and
Luke. she looked around her husband was no where in sight.
"Where's Luke?" she asked the two Jedi.
--------------
He holds his head in agony, stumbling through the dark. The pain isn't
physical, but more out of confusion and disorder. He cannot tell what
is real and what is false.
Luke has his visions come back in forth. He would appear before a dark
figure one minute, Mara another minute, the dark coridoor the next, in
the middle of the battle with an Royal Guard (holding a lightsaber?).
Now he finds himself back in the black passageway, searching for the
dark figure. During the flashes, the figure had disappeared from sight,
but when Luke came to the area where he saw him last, he finds a dark
cloak. "Is this mine or his?"
"Troubled you look, mmmm?" The voice is too recognizable this time.
Yoda.
"Master Yoda, what's going on?" Luke cries, not knowing where to look.
"Clouded the future is, Luke. Do not underestimate your foe." The
spirit appears before Luke. "Learn the ways of the Living Force. Let it
grow."
Luke bends down to look at his former master at eye level. Yoda places
his hand on Luke's chest. Luke finds great relief in an area that had
no pain before. Yoda looks straight into his eyes. "Look around. Here
answers you will find."
By now, Luke finds that this is a vision, but suddenly reappears in a
bacca tank. Faintly, he hears the medical droid say, "...unexplainable.
The wound just healed itself." The droid looks at the readings and
turns toward Luke. "He's well," B9-9R1 says in a bit of a surprise. R2
beeps in encouragement. Through the liquid, Kam carries on his shoulders a
deeply shaken Mara.
His heart sank as he saw Mara crying onto Kam's shoulder. He'd never
seen her so vulnerable. He wanted to be there next to her, but he had no
idea what had happened to him or why he was here.
"He's going to be alright, isn't he?" Mara asked wipping tears from her
eyes.
The medical droid's prone voice replied "Its hard to say, we must wait
and see."
Mara began to cry more, Kam held her trying to keep her quiet. Then he
told her she needed to rest and he would take her to her room. She
shoved him away. Kam moved back not wanting to feel her wraith.
"I will not rest," she screeched. "I rested before and look what
happened."
"This is not your fault!" Kam said. "This is not anyone's fault."
Mara collapsed in his arms. She was crying harder this time. Kam pulled
her to her feet and took her to her room. She did not resist. Luke took
comfort to see this before he had to close his eyes.
-------------
As the two walked through the temple cooridors to Mara's room, a figure
came out of the shadows of a side cooridor. The Royal Guard stood
before her. His lightsaber ignited and in fighting stance.
"You interefered!" He cursed. "Prepare to die!"
Mara and Kam drew their sabers and began to battle. Kam reached his
hand to push Mara back, but she wasn't one to take such a challenge lying
down. The battle became furious.
Some of the Jedi had heard of Luke's injury and were walking through
the hallway toward medical facility to check up. Soon, up to 5 other Jedi
had joined the existing battle. By shear nuumbers the Jedi looked to
win, but the Royal Guard seemed to have powers to counteract their Jedi
abilities. Try as the Jedi could, they were simply outpowered by the
guard, who moved with such grace and agility.
The battle ranged on, despite the Jedi's loss of powers. The Jedi have
learned the strength in loyalty and discipline, and it was evident in
the way they fought.
Lightsabers swinging, blocking, slicing. Despite his advantage, the
Royal Guard began to grow weary. Grabbing inside his belt, the threw a gas
detonator to the ground and began to run.
"Dioxide!" Ench-Ohn cried. Everyone inhaled. 3 Jedi ran after the
dasterly figure, led by Mara.
-------------
Kam, now in the lead, began to feel some of his powers returning,
sidestepped just in time. A blast landed on the floor a few steps back.
"That was aimed at my chest! You punk!" Kam yelled. Ench-Ohn returned fire
with his blaster.
The battle seemed like it lasted for hours, as it was lead out of the
temple into the dense forest.
"Now we're on neutral territory," the young Nein-Num stated. Kam
replied, "Actually, he's been in control the whole time."
The elder Ench-Ohn nodded. He reached for his belt and got out his
comm-link. "Can someone get a ship out here to scan for him?"
A reply came. "Don't worry. I'm already above you." The 4 Jedi look up.
Ench-Ohn blasted into the air, but to no avail. An advanced tie fighter
zoomed past the ground forces and headed off to space. Kam exhales.
Mara looked up to where the ship had vanished. She sighed half out of
impatience and half out of grief. She had no more answers then when this
all began and now it was too personal. Not only had her husband been
injured but she also lost her baby. Whoever this guardsman was, he would
pay.
She looked to the three Jedi at her side. "Kam, you come with me. You
two stay and leave your comm-link on and let us know if there's
trouble."
Mara turned with a whip of red-gold hair and headed for the temple. Kam
looked back at the other two Jedi.
"I'm glad I'm not that guardsman," he teased.
-------------
When Kam finally found Mara, she was with Luke. He was sleeping
peacefully and calmly, recooping from his ordeal with Mara's head pillowed on
his chest. Just then the alarm sounded and Mara and Kam both fled to
see what was happening. They came face to face with the guardsman.
They both ignited their lightsabers and began another battle. After a
short time they got the better of him. He hit the ground and the helmet
rolled off his head.
Luke emerged from his room just in time to see what the others had not.
"You guys are not going to believe this!" he called looking at the now
identified guardsman unconsious on the temple floor.
Mara and Kam came over to where Luke stood. "It's a droid."
Kam looked at his Master. "That would explain why we couldn't sense..."
Luke bent down to look at the damage done to the droid. "Maybe. But if
you think about it, how would a droid be able to block a Jedi's powers?
Also, there wasn't much damage done to the droid. My conclusion would
be that..."
"...the droid was a decoy." Mara finished. "It did seem pretty easy
when we battled him this time." The three Jedi looked up into the sunset
sky, wondering of the future.
---------
"We're going to need some help," Luke said as he dressed for bed. Mara
stopped brushing her hair and looked back at her husband. "Who would
you find that could help us? Winter? Talon?"
"Kir Kanos." Mara lifted an eyebrow. It was an interesting idea. Get
one Imperial Guard to find another Inperial Guard. "He's got to have the
answers." Luke smiled as he leaned over and tried to kiss his wife.
She dodged his attempt.
"Quit trying to use your charm on me. It hasn't improved much since I
met you." Luke laughed. "I'm going to go contact Lando right now."
Before she left the room, she turned. "And quit looking at my butt
whenever I leave." The two laughed.
----------
"I really am sorry about your baby, Mara," Lando said. Times like this,
Lando became one very sensitive guy. She wonders if that was a good
thing.
"Could you just get the info? We need to get Kanos now. It's been a
rough few days."
"Sorry." From the hologram, Mara sees her old partner disappear,
probably talking to his cyborg Lobot. Dispite his appearance, Lando was one
of the most well connected people out there. But time was an issue and
she needed him to be at his best right now.
-------
Kanos arrived on Yavin 2 days later. The news he had heard about the
Jedi and the attacker deeply disturbed him. As his ship landed, he was
met by 10 Jedi, and by the looks of some of them, they were as troubled
as he was.
Mara and Luke walked up to their new guest.
"Mara Jade. It definately been a long time."
"Welcome to the academy, Kanos. You've met my husband before."
"Yes."
"Thank you for coming in such short notice. We need your help."
----------
"The Emperor was not a stupid man. He knew his life was in danger ever
since he revealed himself to the Jedi. So along the way, he 'found'
special individuals to protect him. One was your father, Darth Vader.
Another was your wife. And then, there were the Imperial guard."
"I heard a rumor that the guard were trained in the Force," Luke asked.
"Partially. He trained all in the discipline of the Force. But only
those that were powerful in the Force would he train. I was not one of
those few." He paused and stood up to stretch. Luke and Kir stood on top
of one of the ancient temples. "I'm no Jedi, but I assume you think it's
one of those few."
"Yes. I've begun to have visions that lead me to believe it has
something to do with the past, possibly before the time of the rebellion."
Kir nodded. "Then I suggest that we go to Coruscant to find some
answers."
"I can't leave the academy. Not now, with all that's going on," Luke
protested. "He may come back, and the students can't handle it
themselves. It wouldn't be fair."
Kir glanced at the Jedi for a moment. He chose his words carefully.
"So, what do we do then, if you know the answer?"
"I never said I knew the answer, I don't know anything right now."
Mara snorted at them. "So, Luke will stay!"
Then she thought about it. She wasn't going to leave him here when he
was in this condition. Before she could retract it, Kanos added to her
thought.
"Mara and I will go to Coruscant!"
Luke nodded which stopped Mara's oncoming protest to leaving her
husband. Luke got up to leave and she followed. When she entered the hallway,
she saw Luke leaning against the wall for support.
"It's not about the academy is it?"
"How'd you guess?"
"Your in no condition to travel anyway. You can barely keep it together
here, let alone on a ship in lightspeed. Don't worry, I'll let you know
as soon as we find anything." They kissed.
---------
Mara and Kir began to boared the ship Kir had brought. It was a piece
of junk similar to the Falcon but in much better shape. She huffed at
the thought of traveling with the former guard. Memories of him brought
back memories of the past she wanted to leave behind. Memories of the
dats with the Empire as the Emperor's Hand. Days when she wasn't happy.
"Almost ready?" Kirs asked. The ship jumps to lightspeed. Kanos turns
to Mara, who sits in the co-pilot's seat. "So exactly what are we going
to do about this guy? After all, he was trained by the Emperor
himself."
Mara looks down and rubs her stomach, to where there was once life.
"We'll do what's neccessary."
-------------
Luke watches from the Massachi Temple as the ship flew away. He sighs
at turns to Jacen. "Go take another Jedi with you and go to Coruscant.
They'll need you."
"I know, Uncle Luke. I felt it also."
------------
Deep within the confines of his hideaway, the former Imperial Guard
sits down on his bed and sighs. "This is going to be difficult... Why did
I have to get into this?" he thinks to himself.
Just then he hears someone by the door. "Come in."
Mara opens the door and leans by the doorway. "Sorry we had to get you
into this mess. You were the only one we could turn to."
"Not exactly, Mara. You knew about the Emperor's guards too." Kanos
stops, realizing that Mara was once 5 months pregnant. "You have tons of
Jedi crawling around you and yet your husband, who could be one of the
most powerful people in the galaxy, does this!"
"I cannot make excuses for my husband. I know his methods are not what
you wish, but you have to understand that the Jedi are also the
protectors of the entire galaxy. What would happen if we took that away?"
"You know that this isn't going to be easy."
"I know, but this time, we're the hunters."
The ship comes out of hyperspace. Before them is the planet
Coruscant...
-----------
On Yavin a storm raged into the late night. Luke tossed and turned in
his sleep trying to make sense of the images in his head. And what was
happening to him.
A fight, an imperial guardsman, a darkhallway, Yoda, Mara's tears, the
bacta tank, a yellow gold lightsaber and miscarrige? Could it be true?!
Why didn't Mara say anything.
Lightning flashed filling the room with light. It was then Skywalker
realized he was not alone. He turned his head nad in the doorway stood
the guardsman.
---------------
Mara dug up all she could and found nothing in the computer records.
Kir had also come up empty handed. It was late. Very late.
"I suggest we rest and try more tomorrow, Mara."
Mara yawned. "Jacen and Jaina will arrive tomorrow to help us. As far
as I can tell we have no more leads. Palpy kept no records on Force
strong guardsmen, not any we can access anyway."
Kir stood and stretched. When he looked back at Mara something was
wrong. Tears were running down her face.
Mara had a sudden vision of what was to come on Yavin. The image was
unthinkable and unsettling...
---------------
The storm continued to howl in the background as the battled raged on.
Luke had drawn his lightsaber from the floor just in time to block the
guardsman's blow. The fight continued on the balcony, with the rain
pouring down. Luke withdrew his lightsaber and hooked it onto his belt. He
wasn't going to let it short circuit. The guardsman turned off his too
and out of nowhere drew out his pike.
"So I see that you've been here all along. Why do you continue to hold
onto the ways of the Empire? The Republic has a place for you here."
The guardsman stood motionless. "I have a duty. This is it. Once it is
over, so is my life. There is nothing left for me after that."
"But why must you seek to destroy me?"
The attacker did not reply. He started to run toward him. Luke drew
further back, toward the end of the balcony. "Here we go..." He
backflipped off the balcony.
--------------------
Kir had left Mara in her room. Actually, he locked her in it. That
wouldn't stop her, he knew, but he would have enough time to get the things
he needed before she bursted off to go save Luke.
The former Royal Guard called for a taxi. The vehicle hovered to a stop
and he got in. "Vader's Palace."
----------------
Luke fell pretty far down, but he calmed himself and had grabbed hold
of a branch before smacking onto the ground below.
His body had not fully recovered from the bacta tank, but it was mostly
just stiffness. With the current weather conditions, that didn't help.
He was soaked to the bone.
Luke wasn't about to get the other Jedi involved because he knew this
was his battle. This was what the visions had be telling him. That was
why he told Mara to leave. That's why he sent his nephew and neice to
Coruscant. He couldn't lose those he loved most.
Luke had reached the Gaunadi caves. He would now wait for his attacker.
For now, he would meditate.
-------------------
Mara scolded at herself. "Why did I give Kir my lightsaber?" She looked
around the room. He must have known about this and prepared. Luke. Kir
had been talking to Luke. ARG! Luke set her up!
Mara got a hold of herself. She almost chuckled. "I've got quite a
husband."
But when she thought of that vision she couldn't wait around anymore.
The image of Luke lying on his back in the rain, bleeding and killed
mercilessly was still fresh in her mind. She had to go to him.
Mara opened the window and stepped out onto the balcony. "Kir forgot
the windows."
-----------
"I know your in here, Skywalker!"
The guardsman entered the cave to finds Luke meditating. The perfect
time to strike. Luke blocked the blow just in time, again. The fought
harder then last time and took a blow to the shoulder. He stumbled out of
the cave, still feeling weak from his injury.
Then something hit his head. Blood ran down the left side of his face.
Luke collapsed onto the ground breathing heavily. He knew that his time
in this life was almost up.
"Who are you?"
"Since your going to die anyway it doesn't matter if you see my face!"
The guardsman took off his helmet. "Take a good look at me Skywalker,
I'm the last thing you'll see."
--------------
"Kir Kanos!"
Kir turned at the entrance to Vader's Palace. He saw the Solo twins
running toward him. He sighed, now he had some help.
"How'd you two find me?"
"I told them."
He looked past Jacen and Jaina to see Mara also running toward him. She
looked horrible. She ran straight to him and stood there.
"We need to leave now, Luke will die if we don't."
"I'm under orders by Luke to keep you three here no matter what. He
said this is his fight and if he must die, then thats the way it needs to
be. He was determind to keep you three safe."
Mara's eyes burned with fury at what Kanos had just said. The look
scared Kanos, he didn't want to be in Mara's wake.
"The answers we seek are in there."
Kir Kanos led the group of Jedi into Vader's Palace. Enormous in size
and complex in design, a person could get lost for days and starve to
death in it. Or so the legends go... Kanos apparently had time to scout
the area before meeting the group, for he knew exactly where to go.
"So did he tell you what you were to get?" Jiana asked.
"Yes and no," Kanos answered.
"That's comforting to know," sarcasically replied Jacen.
Kanos turned around at the small group. His tone turned dark. "Do not
question me."
Jacen took that into offense, but Mara extended her arm to hold back
her nephew. "Let's just go, okay?"
After what seemed to be forever, Kanos stopped. The others stopped
also, staring at what Kanos was staring at. Up high on the left column was
a forcepike. Kanos suddenly leaped into the air, placed his left foot
onto the wall, and grabbed the pike. There he lifted himself and seemed
to disappear into the shadows.
Mara squinted at the area. There seemed to be a hole, masked by dark
shadows. Whoever the architect of this building was, he did one fine job.
Kanos' voice called down to the party. "Hurry up! We don't have all
day."
Jiana and Jacen each jumped into the air and into the hole above. Mara
muttered, "And Luke doesn't either." She lept into the hole.
----------------
The group crawled through this small tunnel for another long expanse of
time. The group did not have much for conversation while in Vader's
Palace. Perhaps it was the incident before. Perhaps it was just the idea
of being in the former Sith's sanctuary.
The tunnel ended, leading to a fair size room. On the far side of the
room was a pod. It looked to be open. Jacen ignited his lightsaber.
"Don't bother, there's no one here," Kanos said bluntly.
Kanos grabbed Mara by the hand and took her to the pod. "It's been
recently openned. It looks to have been set to open when a series of events
took place."
He lead her to a side wall, where a computer panel blinked. Kanos slipt
a disk into a slot. "One was the betrayal of the Emperor's Hand."
Mara was startled. "What does it mean? So are you saying that the
mysterious figure is connected to me? Is it a clone?"
"No." Kanos pressed a few buttons. "Wish I had a protocol droid right
about now. This might take a while."
Mara went over to the pod, where the other 2 Jedi were looking inside.
"Take a look," Kanos said, and started walking out of the room.
The group of 3 went over to the holoscreen. Spinning in 360 turns was a
young man. Mara gasped. It was Darth Vader!
"So your saying our attacker is Vader?" Mara asked confused looking
back at Kir.
"It would appear so, but it could be someone sent by him." he answered.
"I think Vader knew you'd betray Palpatine."
Mara forced a half smile. But it faded quickly as the image appeared in
her head again. She tired to shake it to but to no avail. When pain her
she screamed and collapsed to the floor.
"Mara, are you alright?" Kir asked bending down at her side.
She raised her head and her eyes flooded with tears. Jacen and Jaina
also looked shaken. She stood shrugging Kir off.
"We need to get to Luke!" she said, clenching her fists.
"Alright, let's go!" Kir sighed and he followed Mara out the door.
-----------
Kir sat in the pilot seat ready yo make the jump to hyperspace. He
didn't know what Mara had felt or saw but all he knew was it was bad. He
turned when she appeared behind him.
"He's dying," Mara cried. "I told you we should have gone, I told you!"
"I was following his orders Mara, I'm sorry." Kir answered coldly.
Mara ignored him and shut her mouth because before them was the fourth
moon of Yavin.
-----------
Mara Jade Skywalker sprinted to the Gaundi caves like she'd never
sprinted before. She needed to get to her husband and make sure he was okay.
Although she knew he was dying because is presence was fading in and
out of the Force. She needed to get to him. Mara didn't even know it
Kanos and the twins were behind her, but she didn't have tome to worry
about it now.
She came up on the caves struggling against fatigue. There she saw it,
what she had seen in her vision. Luke lay on his back soaking, blood
running down his face. Though his shirt was undamaged, it was soaked with
blood. A forcepike laid on the body's side.
She bent down next to him. She picked up his head and layed it in her
lap. She was losing him. "Luke," she cried. "Luke!"
Mara bent down and held him in her arms, weeping. But as she brushed
aside the blood on his face, she realized that this wasn't Luke. It was a
young Darth Vader.
Kir walked over to the dead body and picked at the clothing. "But why
the clothes change?"
"In honor of my father, who was and is a Jedi." Luke laid in the dark
shadows, leaning on the cavern wall, bleeding in several areas. His
nephew and neice grabbed hold of Luke and hugged him. Mara dropped the body
and rushed toward her husband. "But how? I thought you were dead?"
Luke smiled, hugging his wife. "Well, it all began with my visions.
Yoda and Ben came to me, warning me about the past. So I had R2 dig for
some information about the Jedi history. Through that, I learned a form
of meditation. The reason why you saw me dead was the same reason why
you couldn't sense the Force before. My father, or his clone, clouded
your mind and even distorted it. That's why I had to get Kir to get you
and the kids away. He wasn't after the other Jedi, just those tied to me
by blood starting with me, but that's a far more complex story which
I'll tell later. Kir was a believable distraction to get you to leave."
Mara turned to her companion. Kir smiled.
"When my father came to kill me, he was using his power to try to cloud
my Force sensitivity, but I knew about the meditation and as he was
about to strike, I was able to use the Force to push him to a wall." Luke
looked remorseful. "It was unintentional that the forcepike was driven
through the chest within the inpact on the cave wall." Luke looked at
Kanos. "Did you get what I requested?"
Kanos grabbed a disc from his belt and handed it to Luke. "This was all
the information I could get before the computer became corrupt. Hope
this tells you more about the clone wars."
Jacen's eyes grew wide. "The clone wars?"
Luke tried to smile. "Come and help your uncle back to the temple and
I'll tell you about my theory of the clone wars..."
The End
written by agentmaul002/lukeskywalker
The glow of the gas planet of Yavin slowly desends on the dusk sky on
the Jedi moon. Luke stares intently into the blue sky. R2-D2, restless
after hours of scanning the skies, beeps loudly at his master, hoping
that the Jedi would wake up from his deep trance.
"There's something wrong, R2," he whispers. He turns to the fiesty
droid. "There's a disturbance in the Force. Come on, let's get Mara."
The droid and his master walk toward the Jedi Temple.
------------
Mara jumps from her seat on the bed. She greets her husband with a
loving embrace.
"You felt it too?" She asked more of a statement then a question. Luke
nodded. Mara noticed he looked awfully worried and tried to comfort
him. She rubbed his back soothingly but still his worry didn't wane.
Mara kissed the Jedi on the mouth and still he seemed to stare into
space as if haunted.
"Luke, please... talk to me," she said.
Mara then noticed Luke had lost consiousness.
------------
Luke found himself in a dark hallway. In the distance stood a dark
figure. He couldn't tell who or even what it was, but the figure held great
power in the Force.
"What do you want?" Luke cried out. No response.
Luke went to grab his comm-link, only to find it not there. His black
robes he wore a few hours ago were now common robes, like those he had
seen the Jedi Spirit wear (his father, Yoda, and Obi-Wan). He carried
with him a blaster and lightsaber. Why would he have weapons with him,
but his cloths change?
He thought back to the training in Dagobah. The failure at the cave.
Was this a test? A vision of the future? The past?
Luke removed his blaster and lightsaber. Then he proceeded to move
closer to the dark figure.
Then a voice... "Who are you?" Father? Or someone else?
"I am Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master. Tell me, who are you?"
"Ah," the voice replied. "Be mindful of what you do, son. What will
come will cost you dearly if you are wrong."
And before Luke could reply, a sudden burst of pain exploded across
Luke's body. Luke cried out in agony. And the next thing he knew, he was
staring into his wife's green eyes.
"Mara?..."
------------
Mara didn't even notice as she screamed wit relief and kissed him hard
with excitment and joy that he was awake.
"Are you okay? What happened? Do you know what the disturbance is?"
Mara bombarded Luke with questions.
"I don't have an answer to your questions, Mara," Luke said tryin to
lift himself.
Luke realized he couldn't move. More pain gripped him and he began to
convulse. His body shook and bounced uncontrolably and Luke screamed in
excrushiating pain. Mara held him under her arems but was knocked off
against the stone wall of their quarters and slumped down unconsious.
------------
Moments later Mara awoke a little dizzy from her encounter with the
wall. She focused her vison toward her husband. He's stopped convulsing
and was quiet. Too quiet.
"Luke," she called, voice shaking. "Luke." No answer.
Mara rose and walked cautiously toward the Jedi Master. Something was
wrong. She couldn't feel his presense in the Force. Mara reached him
and sat on the edge of the bed, fearing the worst. She placed her hand on
his neck. No pulse. She shook him violently.
"Damnit Skywalker, wake up!" she screamed crying.
"Help someone, Help! Please somebody!"
Her attention was changed to laughter behind her. She turned. The
lights in the room went out, except for the opening of her door. Standing
before her stands a dark robed figure, laughing. By instinct, Mara
reaches out with the Force to grab her lightsaber... Anakin's old
lightsaber. Instead, nothing happens. She tries to touch the Force to find it
gone. The figure is countering her power with his own!
A yellow, almost gold lightsaber blade peirced the dark. Through the
light of thelightsaber, she saw that the person wears an Imperial Guard
uniform! Mara quickly grabs her husband's lightsaber and activates it.
"What did you do to Luke?" she yells in a burst of rage, hoping that
someone will hear her cry.
The figure, it's voice distorter masking even his identity says, "My
battle is not with you. This is between me and Skywalker."
Mara reached one hand behind her head. Blood. She tightens her jaw and
utters "I am a Skywalker."
Mara stands before her fallen husband. She thinks "Where are the other
Jedi?" With her powers gone, she stands with just her skills as a
warrior to face this deadly attacker.
"The battle is already over, Jade. There is nothing that can stop the
process now."
Then she hears footsteps coming. Jacen arrives with 2 other Jedi,
lightsabers in hand.
"We'll see about that! Jacen get back!" Mara screamed as the Imperial
Guard lunged at him.
Jacen jumped back into the wall. Mara lunged at the guard and they
fought. Jacen stood onto his feet and cleared his eyes of the stars he saw
before him. He ran to his uncle, still appearing lifeless. The two
other Jedi, Corran and Kam, joined him.
"We need to get help!" the young Jedi screamed.
He heard Mara scream. He turned and something hit him. Things went
black.
The Imperial Guard decended toward Luke's motionless form. He smiled to
himself looking around at the Jedi that he'd defeated. Nothing would
stop him in his task. He pulled up the blade of the saber and held it
above Luke's chest.
"The process is complete," he whispered and shoved the blade into Luke.
--------------
Mara awoke in the medical ward. She winced at the pain all over her
body. Next to her is Jacen, also looking horrible, Corran who's on his
feet and Kam also in on piece.
"What happened?" she asked.
Corran and Kam exchanged glances then looked back at Mara. Corran took
her hand.
"There was a fight," He said softly. "You've lost your baby, Mara."
Mara's emerald eyes filled with tears. Suddenly she remembered the
whole thing. Th guardsmen, the fight, the loss of her Force powers and
Luke. she looked around her husband was no where in sight.
"Where's Luke?" she asked the two Jedi.
--------------
He holds his head in agony, stumbling through the dark. The pain isn't
physical, but more out of confusion and disorder. He cannot tell what
is real and what is false.
Luke has his visions come back in forth. He would appear before a dark
figure one minute, Mara another minute, the dark coridoor the next, in
the middle of the battle with an Royal Guard (holding a lightsaber?).
Now he finds himself back in the black passageway, searching for the
dark figure. During the flashes, the figure had disappeared from sight,
but when Luke came to the area where he saw him last, he finds a dark
cloak. "Is this mine or his?"
"Troubled you look, mmmm?" The voice is too recognizable this time.
Yoda.
"Master Yoda, what's going on?" Luke cries, not knowing where to look.
"Clouded the future is, Luke. Do not underestimate your foe." The
spirit appears before Luke. "Learn the ways of the Living Force. Let it
grow."
Luke bends down to look at his former master at eye level. Yoda places
his hand on Luke's chest. Luke finds great relief in an area that had
no pain before. Yoda looks straight into his eyes. "Look around. Here
answers you will find."
By now, Luke finds that this is a vision, but suddenly reappears in a
bacca tank. Faintly, he hears the medical droid say, "...unexplainable.
The wound just healed itself." The droid looks at the readings and
turns toward Luke. "He's well," B9-9R1 says in a bit of a surprise. R2
beeps in encouragement. Through the liquid, Kam carries on his shoulders a
deeply shaken Mara.
His heart sank as he saw Mara crying onto Kam's shoulder. He'd never
seen her so vulnerable. He wanted to be there next to her, but he had no
idea what had happened to him or why he was here.
"He's going to be alright, isn't he?" Mara asked wipping tears from her
eyes.
The medical droid's prone voice replied "Its hard to say, we must wait
and see."
Mara began to cry more, Kam held her trying to keep her quiet. Then he
told her she needed to rest and he would take her to her room. She
shoved him away. Kam moved back not wanting to feel her wraith.
"I will not rest," she screeched. "I rested before and look what
happened."
"This is not your fault!" Kam said. "This is not anyone's fault."
Mara collapsed in his arms. She was crying harder this time. Kam pulled
her to her feet and took her to her room. She did not resist. Luke took
comfort to see this before he had to close his eyes.
-------------
As the two walked through the temple cooridors to Mara's room, a figure
came out of the shadows of a side cooridor. The Royal Guard stood
before her. His lightsaber ignited and in fighting stance.
"You interefered!" He cursed. "Prepare to die!"
Mara and Kam drew their sabers and began to battle. Kam reached his
hand to push Mara back, but she wasn't one to take such a challenge lying
down. The battle became furious.
Some of the Jedi had heard of Luke's injury and were walking through
the hallway toward medical facility to check up. Soon, up to 5 other Jedi
had joined the existing battle. By shear nuumbers the Jedi looked to
win, but the Royal Guard seemed to have powers to counteract their Jedi
abilities. Try as the Jedi could, they were simply outpowered by the
guard, who moved with such grace and agility.
The battle ranged on, despite the Jedi's loss of powers. The Jedi have
learned the strength in loyalty and discipline, and it was evident in
the way they fought.
Lightsabers swinging, blocking, slicing. Despite his advantage, the
Royal Guard began to grow weary. Grabbing inside his belt, the threw a gas
detonator to the ground and began to run.
"Dioxide!" Ench-Ohn cried. Everyone inhaled. 3 Jedi ran after the
dasterly figure, led by Mara.
-------------
Kam, now in the lead, began to feel some of his powers returning,
sidestepped just in time. A blast landed on the floor a few steps back.
"That was aimed at my chest! You punk!" Kam yelled. Ench-Ohn returned fire
with his blaster.
The battle seemed like it lasted for hours, as it was lead out of the
temple into the dense forest.
"Now we're on neutral territory," the young Nein-Num stated. Kam
replied, "Actually, he's been in control the whole time."
The elder Ench-Ohn nodded. He reached for his belt and got out his
comm-link. "Can someone get a ship out here to scan for him?"
A reply came. "Don't worry. I'm already above you." The 4 Jedi look up.
Ench-Ohn blasted into the air, but to no avail. An advanced tie fighter
zoomed past the ground forces and headed off to space. Kam exhales.
Mara looked up to where the ship had vanished. She sighed half out of
impatience and half out of grief. She had no more answers then when this
all began and now it was too personal. Not only had her husband been
injured but she also lost her baby. Whoever this guardsman was, he would
pay.
She looked to the three Jedi at her side. "Kam, you come with me. You
two stay and leave your comm-link on and let us know if there's
trouble."
Mara turned with a whip of red-gold hair and headed for the temple. Kam
looked back at the other two Jedi.
"I'm glad I'm not that guardsman," he teased.
-------------
When Kam finally found Mara, she was with Luke. He was sleeping
peacefully and calmly, recooping from his ordeal with Mara's head pillowed on
his chest. Just then the alarm sounded and Mara and Kam both fled to
see what was happening. They came face to face with the guardsman.
They both ignited their lightsabers and began another battle. After a
short time they got the better of him. He hit the ground and the helmet
rolled off his head.
Luke emerged from his room just in time to see what the others had not.
"You guys are not going to believe this!" he called looking at the now
identified guardsman unconsious on the temple floor.
Mara and Kam came over to where Luke stood. "It's a droid."
Kam looked at his Master. "That would explain why we couldn't sense..."
Luke bent down to look at the damage done to the droid. "Maybe. But if
you think about it, how would a droid be able to block a Jedi's powers?
Also, there wasn't much damage done to the droid. My conclusion would
be that..."
"...the droid was a decoy." Mara finished. "It did seem pretty easy
when we battled him this time." The three Jedi looked up into the sunset
sky, wondering of the future.
---------
"We're going to need some help," Luke said as he dressed for bed. Mara
stopped brushing her hair and looked back at her husband. "Who would
you find that could help us? Winter? Talon?"
"Kir Kanos." Mara lifted an eyebrow. It was an interesting idea. Get
one Imperial Guard to find another Inperial Guard. "He's got to have the
answers." Luke smiled as he leaned over and tried to kiss his wife.
She dodged his attempt.
"Quit trying to use your charm on me. It hasn't improved much since I
met you." Luke laughed. "I'm going to go contact Lando right now."
Before she left the room, she turned. "And quit looking at my butt
whenever I leave." The two laughed.
----------
"I really am sorry about your baby, Mara," Lando said. Times like this,
Lando became one very sensitive guy. She wonders if that was a good
thing.
"Could you just get the info? We need to get Kanos now. It's been a
rough few days."
"Sorry." From the hologram, Mara sees her old partner disappear,
probably talking to his cyborg Lobot. Dispite his appearance, Lando was one
of the most well connected people out there. But time was an issue and
she needed him to be at his best right now.
-------
Kanos arrived on Yavin 2 days later. The news he had heard about the
Jedi and the attacker deeply disturbed him. As his ship landed, he was
met by 10 Jedi, and by the looks of some of them, they were as troubled
as he was.
Mara and Luke walked up to their new guest.
"Mara Jade. It definately been a long time."
"Welcome to the academy, Kanos. You've met my husband before."
"Yes."
"Thank you for coming in such short notice. We need your help."
----------
"The Emperor was not a stupid man. He knew his life was in danger ever
since he revealed himself to the Jedi. So along the way, he 'found'
special individuals to protect him. One was your father, Darth Vader.
Another was your wife. And then, there were the Imperial guard."
"I heard a rumor that the guard were trained in the Force," Luke asked.
"Partially. He trained all in the discipline of the Force. But only
those that were powerful in the Force would he train. I was not one of
those few." He paused and stood up to stretch. Luke and Kir stood on top
of one of the ancient temples. "I'm no Jedi, but I assume you think it's
one of those few."
"Yes. I've begun to have visions that lead me to believe it has
something to do with the past, possibly before the time of the rebellion."
Kir nodded. "Then I suggest that we go to Coruscant to find some
answers."
"I can't leave the academy. Not now, with all that's going on," Luke
protested. "He may come back, and the students can't handle it
themselves. It wouldn't be fair."
Kir glanced at the Jedi for a moment. He chose his words carefully.
"So, what do we do then, if you know the answer?"
"I never said I knew the answer, I don't know anything right now."
Mara snorted at them. "So, Luke will stay!"
Then she thought about it. She wasn't going to leave him here when he
was in this condition. Before she could retract it, Kanos added to her
thought.
"Mara and I will go to Coruscant!"
Luke nodded which stopped Mara's oncoming protest to leaving her
husband. Luke got up to leave and she followed. When she entered the hallway,
she saw Luke leaning against the wall for support.
"It's not about the academy is it?"
"How'd you guess?"
"Your in no condition to travel anyway. You can barely keep it together
here, let alone on a ship in lightspeed. Don't worry, I'll let you know
as soon as we find anything." They kissed.
---------
Mara and Kir began to boared the ship Kir had brought. It was a piece
of junk similar to the Falcon but in much better shape. She huffed at
the thought of traveling with the former guard. Memories of him brought
back memories of the past she wanted to leave behind. Memories of the
dats with the Empire as the Emperor's Hand. Days when she wasn't happy.
"Almost ready?" Kirs asked. The ship jumps to lightspeed. Kanos turns
to Mara, who sits in the co-pilot's seat. "So exactly what are we going
to do about this guy? After all, he was trained by the Emperor
himself."
Mara looks down and rubs her stomach, to where there was once life.
"We'll do what's neccessary."
-------------
Luke watches from the Massachi Temple as the ship flew away. He sighs
at turns to Jacen. "Go take another Jedi with you and go to Coruscant.
They'll need you."
"I know, Uncle Luke. I felt it also."
------------
Deep within the confines of his hideaway, the former Imperial Guard
sits down on his bed and sighs. "This is going to be difficult... Why did
I have to get into this?" he thinks to himself.
Just then he hears someone by the door. "Come in."
Mara opens the door and leans by the doorway. "Sorry we had to get you
into this mess. You were the only one we could turn to."
"Not exactly, Mara. You knew about the Emperor's guards too." Kanos
stops, realizing that Mara was once 5 months pregnant. "You have tons of
Jedi crawling around you and yet your husband, who could be one of the
most powerful people in the galaxy, does this!"
"I cannot make excuses for my husband. I know his methods are not what
you wish, but you have to understand that the Jedi are also the
protectors of the entire galaxy. What would happen if we took that away?"
"You know that this isn't going to be easy."
"I know, but this time, we're the hunters."
The ship comes out of hyperspace. Before them is the planet
Coruscant...
-----------
On Yavin a storm raged into the late night. Luke tossed and turned in
his sleep trying to make sense of the images in his head. And what was
happening to him.
A fight, an imperial guardsman, a darkhallway, Yoda, Mara's tears, the
bacta tank, a yellow gold lightsaber and miscarrige? Could it be true?!
Why didn't Mara say anything.
Lightning flashed filling the room with light. It was then Skywalker
realized he was not alone. He turned his head nad in the doorway stood
the guardsman.
---------------
Mara dug up all she could and found nothing in the computer records.
Kir had also come up empty handed. It was late. Very late.
"I suggest we rest and try more tomorrow, Mara."
Mara yawned. "Jacen and Jaina will arrive tomorrow to help us. As far
as I can tell we have no more leads. Palpy kept no records on Force
strong guardsmen, not any we can access anyway."
Kir stood and stretched. When he looked back at Mara something was
wrong. Tears were running down her face.
Mara had a sudden vision of what was to come on Yavin. The image was
unthinkable and unsettling...
---------------
The storm continued to howl in the background as the battled raged on.
Luke had drawn his lightsaber from the floor just in time to block the
guardsman's blow. The fight continued on the balcony, with the rain
pouring down. Luke withdrew his lightsaber and hooked it onto his belt. He
wasn't going to let it short circuit. The guardsman turned off his too
and out of nowhere drew out his pike.
"So I see that you've been here all along. Why do you continue to hold
onto the ways of the Empire? The Republic has a place for you here."
The guardsman stood motionless. "I have a duty. This is it. Once it is
over, so is my life. There is nothing left for me after that."
"But why must you seek to destroy me?"
The attacker did not reply. He started to run toward him. Luke drew
further back, toward the end of the balcony. "Here we go..." He
backflipped off the balcony.
--------------------
Kir had left Mara in her room. Actually, he locked her in it. That
wouldn't stop her, he knew, but he would have enough time to get the things
he needed before she bursted off to go save Luke.
The former Royal Guard called for a taxi. The vehicle hovered to a stop
and he got in. "Vader's Palace."
----------------
Luke fell pretty far down, but he calmed himself and had grabbed hold
of a branch before smacking onto the ground below.
His body had not fully recovered from the bacta tank, but it was mostly
just stiffness. With the current weather conditions, that didn't help.
He was soaked to the bone.
Luke wasn't about to get the other Jedi involved because he knew this
was his battle. This was what the visions had be telling him. That was
why he told Mara to leave. That's why he sent his nephew and neice to
Coruscant. He couldn't lose those he loved most.
Luke had reached the Gaunadi caves. He would now wait for his attacker.
For now, he would meditate.
-------------------
Mara scolded at herself. "Why did I give Kir my lightsaber?" She looked
around the room. He must have known about this and prepared. Luke. Kir
had been talking to Luke. ARG! Luke set her up!
Mara got a hold of herself. She almost chuckled. "I've got quite a
husband."
But when she thought of that vision she couldn't wait around anymore.
The image of Luke lying on his back in the rain, bleeding and killed
mercilessly was still fresh in her mind. She had to go to him.
Mara opened the window and stepped out onto the balcony. "Kir forgot
the windows."
-----------
"I know your in here, Skywalker!"
The guardsman entered the cave to finds Luke meditating. The perfect
time to strike. Luke blocked the blow just in time, again. The fought
harder then last time and took a blow to the shoulder. He stumbled out of
the cave, still feeling weak from his injury.
Then something hit his head. Blood ran down the left side of his face.
Luke collapsed onto the ground breathing heavily. He knew that his time
in this life was almost up.
"Who are you?"
"Since your going to die anyway it doesn't matter if you see my face!"
The guardsman took off his helmet. "Take a good look at me Skywalker,
I'm the last thing you'll see."
--------------
"Kir Kanos!"
Kir turned at the entrance to Vader's Palace. He saw the Solo twins
running toward him. He sighed, now he had some help.
"How'd you two find me?"
"I told them."
He looked past Jacen and Jaina to see Mara also running toward him. She
looked horrible. She ran straight to him and stood there.
"We need to leave now, Luke will die if we don't."
"I'm under orders by Luke to keep you three here no matter what. He
said this is his fight and if he must die, then thats the way it needs to
be. He was determind to keep you three safe."
Mara's eyes burned with fury at what Kanos had just said. The look
scared Kanos, he didn't want to be in Mara's wake.
"The answers we seek are in there."
Kir Kanos led the group of Jedi into Vader's Palace. Enormous in size
and complex in design, a person could get lost for days and starve to
death in it. Or so the legends go... Kanos apparently had time to scout
the area before meeting the group, for he knew exactly where to go.
"So did he tell you what you were to get?" Jiana asked.
"Yes and no," Kanos answered.
"That's comforting to know," sarcasically replied Jacen.
Kanos turned around at the small group. His tone turned dark. "Do not
question me."
Jacen took that into offense, but Mara extended her arm to hold back
her nephew. "Let's just go, okay?"
After what seemed to be forever, Kanos stopped. The others stopped
also, staring at what Kanos was staring at. Up high on the left column was
a forcepike. Kanos suddenly leaped into the air, placed his left foot
onto the wall, and grabbed the pike. There he lifted himself and seemed
to disappear into the shadows.
Mara squinted at the area. There seemed to be a hole, masked by dark
shadows. Whoever the architect of this building was, he did one fine job.
Kanos' voice called down to the party. "Hurry up! We don't have all
day."
Jiana and Jacen each jumped into the air and into the hole above. Mara
muttered, "And Luke doesn't either." She lept into the hole.
----------------
The group crawled through this small tunnel for another long expanse of
time. The group did not have much for conversation while in Vader's
Palace. Perhaps it was the incident before. Perhaps it was just the idea
of being in the former Sith's sanctuary.
The tunnel ended, leading to a fair size room. On the far side of the
room was a pod. It looked to be open. Jacen ignited his lightsaber.
"Don't bother, there's no one here," Kanos said bluntly.
Kanos grabbed Mara by the hand and took her to the pod. "It's been
recently openned. It looks to have been set to open when a series of events
took place."
He lead her to a side wall, where a computer panel blinked. Kanos slipt
a disk into a slot. "One was the betrayal of the Emperor's Hand."
Mara was startled. "What does it mean? So are you saying that the
mysterious figure is connected to me? Is it a clone?"
"No." Kanos pressed a few buttons. "Wish I had a protocol droid right
about now. This might take a while."
Mara went over to the pod, where the other 2 Jedi were looking inside.
"Take a look," Kanos said, and started walking out of the room.
The group of 3 went over to the holoscreen. Spinning in 360 turns was a
young man. Mara gasped. It was Darth Vader!
"So your saying our attacker is Vader?" Mara asked confused looking
back at Kir.
"It would appear so, but it could be someone sent by him." he answered.
"I think Vader knew you'd betray Palpatine."
Mara forced a half smile. But it faded quickly as the image appeared in
her head again. She tired to shake it to but to no avail. When pain her
she screamed and collapsed to the floor.
"Mara, are you alright?" Kir asked bending down at her side.
She raised her head and her eyes flooded with tears. Jacen and Jaina
also looked shaken. She stood shrugging Kir off.
"We need to get to Luke!" she said, clenching her fists.
"Alright, let's go!" Kir sighed and he followed Mara out the door.
-----------
Kir sat in the pilot seat ready yo make the jump to hyperspace. He
didn't know what Mara had felt or saw but all he knew was it was bad. He
turned when she appeared behind him.
"He's dying," Mara cried. "I told you we should have gone, I told you!"
"I was following his orders Mara, I'm sorry." Kir answered coldly.
Mara ignored him and shut her mouth because before them was the fourth
moon of Yavin.
-----------
Mara Jade Skywalker sprinted to the Gaundi caves like she'd never
sprinted before. She needed to get to her husband and make sure he was okay.
Although she knew he was dying because is presence was fading in and
out of the Force. She needed to get to him. Mara didn't even know it
Kanos and the twins were behind her, but she didn't have tome to worry
about it now.
She came up on the caves struggling against fatigue. There she saw it,
what she had seen in her vision. Luke lay on his back soaking, blood
running down his face. Though his shirt was undamaged, it was soaked with
blood. A forcepike laid on the body's side.
She bent down next to him. She picked up his head and layed it in her
lap. She was losing him. "Luke," she cried. "Luke!"
Mara bent down and held him in her arms, weeping. But as she brushed
aside the blood on his face, she realized that this wasn't Luke. It was a
young Darth Vader.
Kir walked over to the dead body and picked at the clothing. "But why
the clothes change?"
"In honor of my father, who was and is a Jedi." Luke laid in the dark
shadows, leaning on the cavern wall, bleeding in several areas. His
nephew and neice grabbed hold of Luke and hugged him. Mara dropped the body
and rushed toward her husband. "But how? I thought you were dead?"
Luke smiled, hugging his wife. "Well, it all began with my visions.
Yoda and Ben came to me, warning me about the past. So I had R2 dig for
some information about the Jedi history. Through that, I learned a form
of meditation. The reason why you saw me dead was the same reason why
you couldn't sense the Force before. My father, or his clone, clouded
your mind and even distorted it. That's why I had to get Kir to get you
and the kids away. He wasn't after the other Jedi, just those tied to me
by blood starting with me, but that's a far more complex story which
I'll tell later. Kir was a believable distraction to get you to leave."
Mara turned to her companion. Kir smiled.
"When my father came to kill me, he was using his power to try to cloud
my Force sensitivity, but I knew about the meditation and as he was
about to strike, I was able to use the Force to push him to a wall." Luke
looked remorseful. "It was unintentional that the forcepike was driven
through the chest within the inpact on the cave wall." Luke looked at
Kanos. "Did you get what I requested?"
Kanos grabbed a disc from his belt and handed it to Luke. "This was all
the information I could get before the computer became corrupt. Hope
this tells you more about the clone wars."
Jacen's eyes grew wide. "The clone wars?"
Luke tried to smile. "Come and help your uncle back to the temple and
I'll tell you about my theory of the clone wars..."
The End