Luke stared at his reflection, gloved hands trembling as he gripped the counter. He breathed in short, shaky breaths as he stared into his own eyes. The fading yellow and red orbs that now replaced his originally blue and white ones sent a chill down his spine. He lifted his real hand, rubbing it down his sweat-covered face. Was his skin always so pale?
So this was who he was now. Lines under his eyes and messy blond hair plus the new eyes and skin tone truly made him appear wicked. It made him appear like he was on the Dark Side. Like he was a Sith... Luke threw both hands over his face, moaning in despair. This isn't who he wanted to be!
How long would this terrible trial last? It was tearing him apart inside! He couldn't tell his friends, but if he did not release his emotions to someone, then he would surely destroy himself! Or worse... He would destroy them. Luke took his gloves off, placing them on the counter anxiously. The thought made him shiver, but it also filled him with rage.
Rage... Oh, how well he had become aquainted with that emotion the past few weeks. Luke openly groaned in frustration, slamming his fists against the glass of the mirror. It cracked, and he slammed it again. Shards of glass flew across the room, some scratching his face and others his arms. The pieces littered the counter and floor, and Luke could feel blood drizzle from his real hand.
The Jedi welcomed the pain.
He looked up into the few remaining pieces in the mirror, seeing his eyes had returned to their normal blue. However, they still appeared to be faded. It was as if they could turn that sickly yellow any second. Tears ran down Luke's cheeks as he heard his friends call to him from the other room. They sounded concerned about him.
They're worrying about the wrong person. he thought bitterly, warm tears burning the cuts on his face. Luke knew they should be worried about their own lives rather than his. Why did things have to be this way? He thought this Dark Side temptation would end after the Emperor had been destroyed, but he was clearly wrong.
It all started to get worse a few weeks ago.
...
"Are you going to tell him?" Luke asked his sister quietly, glancing towards the doorway in case Han walked in. Leia looked down nervously, ringing her hands together. The princess was clearly anxious, although Luke honestly didn't understand why. There was nothing to fear in the slightest.
"I know I'll have to eventually, but... I don't know." Leia mumbled the last part. Luke raised his eyebrows, taking her by the shoulders. He shook her slightly.
"What do you not know? All you have to do is tell him!" he smiled at her. Leia sighed, shaking her head. It just wasn't that simple...
"Luke, what if Han doesn't want to have a child?" she blurted. That was the whole reason she was so afraid. Leia was ecstatic to discover she was pregnant. Ever since she and Han had married, Leia had craved the feeling of holding her little boy or girl's hand as they lived in a peaceful and happy home. She imagined Han playing games with them both, laughing as their child brought warm smiles to both of their faces.
It was truly something the princess wanted, but would Han want it as well? It was clear he was not as independant and self-centered as he let on. Han loved Leia, Chewie, and Luke dearly, so it would make sense for him to love their own child just the same. However, Leia was still nervous. Han might think it was too soon, or he might not want children at all.
But Leia was already pregnant, so it was too late for him to say no now. Unless he left... Although, Han rarely stayed commited to leaving. He came back to help destroy the first Death Star, and he stayed to save Luke when he went missing on Hoth. No, Han would never leave, but would he be happy?
Luke hugged his sister, placing his chin on her head. He rubbed her shoulder soothingly. "Of course Han wants children, Leia. You know how big of a softie he actually is." he laughed at the end, and Leia did as well. Luke pulled back slightly, keeping his hands on her shoulders as he planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. "It is going to be alright." he comforted.
Leia smiled just as there were the sounds of footsteps coming up the Millennium Falcon's ramp. "I'm back." they heard Han call. Leia froze, but Luke just smiled reassuringly.
"Tell him." he whispered, slipping away from the Main Hold. Of course, he didn't go far. Luke simply hid himself behind the wall, listening in on the conversation that would soon happen. He heard Han step in, then walk over to Leia.
"Hey, Sweetheart." Han said, wrapping his arms around Leia and kissing her softly on the lips. Leia smiled, but she seemed uneasy. The smuggler tilted his head, noticing his wife's strange behavior. "What's wrong?" he asked. Leia sighed, staring at the floor.
"I have something I need to tell you." she said, then hastily added. "It isn't bad, I just don't know what you'll think." Han nodded, taking her hand and pulling her down beside him on the couch. He looked into Leia's eyes, placing a gentle kiss on her hand.
"Whatever you need to say." he smiled. Leia gave a small smile in return, nodding. She stared at their intertwined fingers as she began to speak.
"I've known this for a few days now, but I just didn't know how to explain it to you and Luke. Especially you." she started, her voice uncharacteristically nervous. Han nodded as he listened, wondering what she had to say. Leia sighed, looking away to the floor. "Han, I... I'm pregnant." Han froze, his grip on her hands loosening.
There was silence a few moments, the only noise being Leia's pounding heart. Eventually, she heard her husband whisper. "You're... Pregnant? Like... We're gonna have a... A kid?" he sounded dazed. Leia nodded, refusing to look him in the eye. Was he mad?
"Y-Yes," she stuttered, closing her eyes. "Are you upset..?" she asked worriedly. Han turned to her in shock, his eyes wide.
"Upset?" he repeated. Leia looked at him, only to see a large, stupid grin spreading across her husband's face. "Upset?!" he excaimed, "Are you kidding me?" Han leapt to his feet, pulling Leia up with him. He wouldn't stop smiling, and now he was laughing hysterically. "This! This is wonderful!" the Corellian shouted.
He lifted Leia, laughing as he spun her around in excitement. Leia was shocked for a moment, but then she joined his laughter, thankful he wasn't upset. However, she was even more happy that Han was so excited. They laughed and laughed, until Han finally stopped spinning and pulled Leia into a passionate kiss.
The princess wrapped her arms and legs around Han to hold on as she kissed back, laughing as she did so. Han held her close and tight as his heart fluttered with joy. They were going to have a child! He was going to be a father. This was truly one of the happiest moments of Han's life.
The couple heard a laugh from behind, only to turn and see Luke watching them with a large smile on his face. "Well, aren't you two adorable." he grinned, walking over to his friends. Han sat Leia down and hugged the young Jedi, tears of joy starting to form in his eyes. Luke laughed as he hugged his brother-in-law.
"I'm gonna have a kid, kid!" Han said excitedly, causing brother and sister to continue laughing at the man. They continued to talk for a few minutes, Han and Leia discussing names for their children. Luke just smiled as he listened, happy to hear his friends so joyous.
However, Luke frowned when a sudden wave of emotions spread over him. His head began to ache terribly, causing the blond to stumble into the Denjarik table. His friends looked at him startled, running over and steadying him. "Are you alright?" Leia asked, concern in her voice. Luke nodded slowly, rubbing the side of his head. What just happened?
The strange sensation left him with a dull headache, one strong enough to make him shaky. The main factor that made him uneasy, however, was the emotions he had felt during the spell. There was so much sudden anger, hatred, and fear. It was gone now, but he could still feel his heart rate speed up.
Luke sighed. "Yes, I am alright. I... I guess it was just headache." when his friends didn't look better, Luke smiled. "It is okay. I will take some pain-killer and lie down. That should help." Han and Leia still appeared skeptical, but they eventually nodded and allowed him to go on his way.
Luke returned to his room, downing two pills as he entered. That should help. he assured himself as he pulled off his boots. He didn't bother to change from his clothes, but instead just laid down on top of the blankets, closing his eyes as he rested on the comfy bunk. This was probably nothing more than a headache. There was no reason to worry.
Luke smiled as he began to drift into sleep, thinking how ridiculous it would be to worry over such a thing. However, as his thoughts slowed into the process of sleep, he couldn't help but sense a disturbance in the Force. Not only that, but there was also a brooding darkness looming about. A feeling of dread he had felt before.