Luke found he needed to use a calming technique as they neared Padme Amidala's Lake house. It was one of the older lake houses, made of stone with a large garden of floral in full bloom. Servants, some much older than himself were standing on the stone pier waiting for them. He sensed uncertainty in them, as much as he found in himself. He didn't know what he would fine here, or what he wouldn't find. Just as he took another calming breath, Mara slipped her arm though his and kissed his cheek.
"Relax, Skywalker." She said softly. "It's not like your mother is still going to be here." But even as she said it, they both new Luke felt as though she was. He could feel a faint presences that he'd never felt before, yet it was familiar. He'd felt it once before, a long tine ago.
"I can feel her, Mara. She must have loved it here." Luke said with wonder, taking in the sight of the large Lake House.
"She did." Luke glanced up. They were docking at the pier, and a gray haired servant was tying a rope to a post. "She came here as often as she could." He said with a faint smile.
Luke climbed out of the boat, and then helped his wife out after him. The older servant pointed towards the balcony just up some steps, so Luke headed that way, Mara next to him. He moved slowly, trying to take it all in. He'd never seen such a beautiful place, and if he had he no longer had any memory of it.
Mara leaned against the stone railing over looking the garden and the water beyond. "There's the Jade Shadow." She said, pointing. "And there's where we swam." Sure enough, Luke could see the small island they had called paradise for the past day. It was tiny in comparison to the island Amidala's Lake house was on, just big enough for the Jade Shadow and a kilometer of exploring.
"Oh wow!" Ben exclaimed, joining them at a run. "You can see everything from here!" The boy took a good look at the water and the garden then was off at a run to see what else was left to explore. "Hey, Dad, did you know they have a private beach?" He called over his shoulder, not waiting around for an answer. Luke laughed at his son's excitement.
Mara slid into his arms and gently kissed him. "Is it as nice as you thought?" She asked softly. Luke grinned down at her.
"It's better." He kissed her back then started for the doors into the house. "Lets see what else there is."
"Hello, Master Skywalker. I'm Sabe. I was one of your mother's handmaidens when she was Queen." Luke spun around in the middle of a living area with a fireplace to face a woman who was old enough to be his mother. She was very pretty for someone over the age of 50, and dressed in light clothing fit for the weather.
"Sabe." Luke said. "It's nice to meet you." He said cautiously. "You could tell me about my mother?" The woman nodded then motioned them to sit down. They sat on a black sofa adjacent to the still fireplace. Sabe took a chair across from them.
"What would you like to know?" Luke opened his mouth to reply, but the stopped. What did he want to know?
"Could you…" He hesitated. "Could you tell me about the times when she came here? What she might have done?" Sabe smiled at his hesitation.
"Padme was a dear friend to me as well as my Queen, Master Skywalker. Don't be afraid to ask me anything of her. I loved her dearly, so I am willing to share fond memories." She paused. "Padme, she came here with her family, usually around vacation time in between her studies. She was studying politics and the like. Anyway, she and her sister, Sola, always swam out to the islands and played holoboard games in here by a blazing fire. They still did this when she was Queen. One thing she particularly loved to do was lie out on the sand and guess the names of the birds singing. I know many of them now, because of her." Sola smiled and her gaze became distant, as though she were reliving memories. Luke stood and walked around the room. There were holos set on the wall and on a few end tables of the Naberrie family. One was of a beautiful young woman in a yellow dress standing next to a tall young man dressed as a Jedi Padawan. The Jedi was holding a picnic basket and the woman had a blanket in her hands. She said something to the holocam that Luke couldn't hear and turned towards the pier, and then the holo started over.
"Who's this?" He asked, turning to Sabe. The woman joined him and smiled as the holo showed the couple laughing at what the yellow clad woman had said.
"That's Padme and Anakin Skywalker, her Jedi protector. They were here just before the Clone War started. Assassination attempts were being made on Padme's life so the Chancellor ordered her back…" Luke stared at the holo as it replayed for him, no longer hearing Sabe's words.
"That's my mother?" He asked in fascination, not realizing he'd cut Sabe off. She was beautiful. Luke could see a lot of Leia in the way she moved and talked. This was his mother. "Mara, look, that's my mother and…that's-" Luke finally realized what Sabe had called the other figure. "-that's Anakin Skywalker?" Sabe nodded. "My father was a Jedi."
