Shadows of the Mind

Chapter Nine

The trip back to Elaan and Aren's homeworld was made without incident. Elaan and Aren shared the captain's cabin, Griffin took the co-pilot's cabin, and Luke took a passenger cabin. They approached the planet while their destination was still in daylight, but Luke wanted to avoid any further cultural contamination and waited until the middle of the night, when the locals were most likely to be fast asleep, to land the ship near Doran's family's farm. He avoided the farm itself, just in case someone other than the immediate family was there, and they waited for the sun to rise before they'd make their way to the farmhouse.

The shuttle Aren had used to return to Croyus Four was loaded in the Falcon's cargo bay, just in case.

Unable to sleep after the landing, Luke sat in the main cabin and switched the main monitor to the feed for the exterior cameras to watch for any signs of approach.

He didn't really think there was any need, but since he couldn't sleep, he might as well.

A soft noise made him look up from the monitor. It was Elaan, restless herself at the knowledge of being so near to home.

"Hey," Luke said quietly.

"Are we home?" she asked.

"We've landed," Luke confirmed. "As soon as dawn breaks, we'll head to your brother-in-law's farm." He patted the seat next to him. "Come look at the monitor, if you like."

She limped to the couch, with a small degree of difficulty, sat down and slid over. She leaned against him, and Luke let his arm wrap around her. She sighed and laid her head against his shoulder, and Luke let his head rest on top of hers. It was so…comfortable, felt so right, but he couldn't let himself believe just yet that this closeness would last.

"Nervous?" he asked her.

"Yes," she replied. "I will feel much better once I see that they are home and alive."

"And if they are, you'll have a decision to make."

"If they are not, I will not rest until I have found them."

"Well…I guess we'll find out in the morning."

She pulled away, and regarded him. "Why do you do all this for me? You know that I am not Briande. You know that I may choose to stay, and yet you still do this for me. You rescued Timmon for me before, despite that I chose him over you. I know you want me for yourself, but your actions show otherwise. Why do you do it?"

Luke smiled a little. "I know you're not Briande. But there's still part of her in you. You're so like her, and I don't mean just your physical appearance. I do it…for the part of you that is like her."

"I could never repay any of this."

Luke pulled her back against him. "Just let me hold you a bit longer, and we'll call it even."

She relaxed a little. "And this is enough for you?"

"It's enough…for now."

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They had fallen asleep like that in the main cabin. Any awkwardness was saved by the fact that the co-pilot Griffin had awakened first, gone into the main cabin, and shaken Luke awake. Luke in turn woke Elaan, who went back to her cabin to change. She and Aren emerged a short time later, and if Aren had any hint that his mother had been missing, he didn't show it. The group waited until the dawn had lightened enough to navigate the rough terrain, then left the Falcon and walked toward the farm. Luke helped Elaan over the difficult spots. Her "good" foot was still weak and actually gave her more trouble than the prosthetic foot.

The family wasn't about yet when they arrived. Luke nodded encouragement to Elaan, who hesitated only a second, then knocked a pattern on the door.

It was opened a few seconds later by Ranaad, whose eyes widened at the sight of Elaan and who then squealed in delight. "Momman!" she yelled back into the house. "Momman, come quickly! See who is here!" She launched herself at Elaan in a hug, released her, then picked up Aren—who was almost too big for her to pick up—and tried to wag him back and forth.

Ranaad's mother Kayleen appeared then, dropped the wooden cup and towel she'd been using to dry it, and enveloped Elaan. When Ranaad finally set Aren down, Kayleen reached out and pulled him into the three-way hug. After a moment, she released them, and seemed to notice Luke and Griffin for the the first time. She pressed her hands together in front of her mouth, and pressed the edges of her hands to her lips. Her eyes glistened as she looked from Luke to Griffin. "You saved her! Thank you!"

"Not me," Griffin said laughingly, hands in the air, stepping back.

Luke nodded once, stiffly. He had saved her, but not for Kayleen's sake.

Kayleen took her hands away from her face and laughed. "Where are my manners?" She opened the door and held it open. "Come in, come in! All of you! Elaan! And Aren! And Luke! And…whoever you are! Please! Come in! We shall have a celebration! Ranaad, fetch preserves from the barn! And two—no, three—of the fattest cook-fowl. Doran and Timmon are gone, but here is our Elaan returned to us!

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Kayleen refused to let Elaan help prepare any of the food for the "celebration." In fact, she refused to let any of them help, except her daughter Ranaad. Elaan was grateful to sit and rest her aching feet, both the good one that was still weak from the damage caused to it, and the artificial one, whose ankle joint between the prosthetic and her real leg ached from the trek down the hillside. She'd refused to take a pain narcotic, saying that she wanted to hold this company in memory as best she could.

"Did not Aren tell you of the danger, that I had been captured?"

"Of course he did," Kayleen replied. Ranaad nodded concurrence.

"Yet you stayed, knowing that I might betray you?"

Kayleen stopped plucking the dead bird she was preparing and leaned down to touch her cheek to Elaan's. "You would not have done so."

"I nearly did."

Kayleen smiled. "You did not."

"You should have left for safer pasture when I was caught."

"But this is our home. The villagers think that Doran and Timmon died in a barn raising accident, that you and Aren have gone off to live with your brother for a time. Faleen and Sandin are living on your farm, safeguarding it for you and Aren. Faleen shall be glad of your return. Beyond being relieved to find you safe, Faleen prefers to live in the village, where her friends are nearby. Ranaad shall fetch Faleen and Sandin as soon as she is done that other bird."

Ranaad nodded again. "She will be relieved that you and Aren are safe."

Kayleen finished the plucking, wiped her hands, then grasped Elaan's on the tabletop. "Oh, Elaan, it is so good to have you back, and in one piece."

"Not completely in one piece," Elaan answered, with a meaningful glance at Luke, "but close enough. And I should not be here at all, were it not for Luke. I hope it will not lessen his welcome here for me to explain that he is not really my brother at all, but was my husband in my before-time."

Kayleen smiled and moved to the back of Luke's chair to embrace him from behind. "Ranaad suspected as much and told me so when she returned from the bonder's fair last year. You are welcome in any case."

"Thank you," Luke said softly.

"And I do not think," Kayleen added, "that Timmon would mind overmuch if you worked the farm, lived in the house, or even…slept in his bed. So long as the farm passes to Aren in time."

Luke laughed. "My farming days are behind me, I'm afraid. No, I'm just visiting. Aren may want the farm eventually, but not me."

Kayleen seemed disappointed. "Well," she said, "it would be a shame if it were to fall out of the family's possession." Abruptly she stood up and returned to dressing the cook-fowl. "Perhaps Sandin's brother can help Elaan with the work until Aren comes of age. He is a bachelor, still, and was raised to farm work. He has offered to help us here when his family's farm can spare him. I think he is sweet on Ranaad, but she says he only comes for my cooking."

Ranaad rolled her eyes.

Elaan laughed. "Perrin is a worthy young man, though perhaps a bit too young to think of marriage yet. But if Faleen and Sandin could just check on the farm from time to time, make sure the buildings stay in good repair and keep it in stewardship for Aren, I should be very grateful."

Every other pair of eyes in the room, except for Griffin's, snapped to Elaan. Elaan's eyes were looking at Luke.

"Luke has offered," Elaan went on, "to give Aren and me a home on his world. As long as Luke understands that I am Elaan, and only Elaan, I would like to accept his offer."

"I understand," Luke said, smiling slowly.

Elaan shifted her gaze to her son. "And when Aren is of an age, he may decide for himself whether to stay at our new home, or return here to our old."

Aren continued to return her gaze, but said nothing.

Kayleen was crestfallen. "So this is to be a farewell, as well as a celebration of your safe return?"

"I am afraid so," Elaan replied, a little sadly.

Luke patted Elaan's hand from across the table and looked from her to Kayleen and Ranaad. "Don't worry," he said. "I'll bring her back every now and then for a visit, say, once or twice a year. Will that work?"

"It is more than I hoped for," Elaan told him, eyes shining.

"And I'll leave the shuttle again, same place as before, so if there's danger to any of you—" Luke's eyes swept the group, "—one of you can use it to fetch me, and I'll come as soon as I can."

"I should like to see the farm again, before we leave?" Elaan asked hopefully.

"Sure," Luke said. "Whatever you want."

"Will you at least stay the night here?" Kayleen asked. "To find you and then lose you again, all in the same day, would be unbearable."

Elaan looked at Luke, eyebrows raised in question.

"Whatever you want," Luke repeated.

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The celebration/farewell dinner had been consumed, sleeping arrangements had been made not only for Luke, Elaan, Aren, and Griffin, but also Faleen and her husband Sandin. Cramped space and modesty was settled by putting all the women in one room, and all the men and Aren in the other. Luke didn't mind. He now had all the time in the galaxy to spend with Elaan now, and he was happy—so happy that he didn't take much notice over the fact that Aren wasn't with the group when he woke up.

He just assumed that the boy had gone to the privy, and when he didn't return in a short amount of time, he decided that Aren must have gone ahead of the others to see his home for the last time before they left, which is what Elaan also assumed when she woke up and Luke told her that Aren wasn't with the group.

But when Faleen, Sandin, Griffin, Luke, and Elaan arrived at Elaan's old homestead and there was still now sign of Aren, it was worrisome.

And when Sandin admitted that Aren had asked him if he knew the name of a black-haired, black-bearded bonder with a scar on his face who lived between Peaslee and Westfall, and when Elaan confirmed that she hadn't told Aren about the bonder, Luke suddenly knew he had a very serious problem.

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"I'm sorry, Elaan. It's my fault. I should have been watching for it."

Luke helped Elaan over a rock as they hurriedly made their way back to the Falcon. Griffin turned back with a questioning look in his eyes, but Luke waved him on ahead.

"Your fault?"

Luke tried to explain it to Elaan. "The only way he could have known about that bonder is from spill-over."

"'Spill-over'?"

"It's like eavesdropping on our mind-link. When you wanted to know if you had betrayed Doran's family, and I helped you remember, Aren must have been accidentally…uh, listening in. He must've seen the rape memories. I'll bet he's going after the men who hurt you, starting with that one."

"'Going after'? To what purpose?"

"To kill them, most likely. Or try to, anyway. He's more likely to get killed by them."

"Are you sure?" Elaan asked. "Couldn't he have…just gone to visit some friends?"

"It's what I would have done at his age. Before I learned better."

"We have to stop him!"

"Yes," Luke replied.

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There was only one road that Aren could have taken to head towards Peaslee and Westfall. It was a simple matter to go back to the Falcon and hop to where Luke judged they'd be well ahead of Aren. By waiting until nightfall to do the hop, they were even able to pinpoint his position on the road, the lone humanoid lifeform camped just off the road. Luke and Griffin navigated the Falcon to a clearing that was a couple hours ahead of Aren's position, and at first light the trio of Luke, Elaan, and Griffin made their way down the hillside to a spot Luke liked as the best place to "ambush" the boy.

As they made their way down the mountainside, Luke motioned for Elaan to hang back. When Griffin was out of earshot, Luke said to her quietly, "Elaan, I'd like to try and undo the damage I caused with that mind-link."

"Not you," she corrected. "We."

Luke nodded. "We. But as the more experienced participant, I should have been paying attention and watching for that. Anyway, he's got a lot of anger right now. I can't say that I blame him. But I'd like to help him redirect it to something…less destructive. With your permission, I'd like to take him as an apprentice. Help him…change the system here. Eliminate the whole bonding practice."

Elaan sucked in a breath. "That is dangerous work. More dangerous, even, than what Timmon did."

"Yes, but not as dangerous as going after the men who hurt you like he's doing now. And he wouldn't be alone. I'd be there to guide him as best I could. And it would take time. Between now and whenever he's ready, he might just change his mind altogether about this…revenge-quest he's on."

Elaan sighed. "He is…out of place on your world. As am I, but he moreso."

"I know. That's why you saved the farm for him, isn't it?"

"Yes. So that when he is a man grown, he can make his home where he is comfortable, where he knows…how things work. But he cannot stay on this present course. He is too young to understand what it would do to him."

"Agreed," Luke said.

"And I cannot keep him with me forever."

"No."

"This is the best solution?"

"The best one I can think of, anyway."

She sighed again. "Promise me that you will keep him safe?"

"I'll do the best that I can."

"That was not a 'yes.'"

"No, it wasn't. But I will do everything in my power to make sure no harm comes to him."

"Well, I thank you for your honesty." She drew in a deep breath. "There really is no other way, is there."

It was not a question, and Luke did not reply.

She let out the rest of the air in her lungs and drew a new breath back in. "Very well. I agree on the condition that I am involved in all aspects of this…apprenticeship."

Luke smiled. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Now all we have to do is convince Aren to agree."

"That will not be easy. He sees you as a rival to his father."

"Yeah, I get that. Time might take care of that. Maybe he'll see things differently when they aren't as raw for him."

"Perhaps. You should know that…despite your help…things are…a bit 'raw' for me, as well, and I may not be…all that you expect me to be."

"Take as much time as you want, Elaan. And I don't 'expect' anything. Hope for, maybe, but not expect."

"Thank you." She smiled a little ruefully. "I feel a bit like a 'kept woman.' I would like to earn my keep, but I am afraid that I do not know how…"

Luke shrugged. "I've got a few jobs I could use you for."

"Do you plan to return to farming, then? You will have to teach me what I need to know on your world."

Luke laughed. "No, I think I'm done with farming. But there's this…little girl I'm trying to help, and you're uniquely qualified to help me with her. You can 'earn your keep' by spending time with her, help re-socialize her. Interested?"

"Very. Tell me about the girl and what you want me to do."

"Later," Luke promised. "Right now, let's just concentrate on finding Aren and stopping his mad quest. First things first."

"Yes," she agreed.

They caught up to Griffin again, and Luke positioned Rupert's co-pilot where he judged the best place to see Aren's approach would be, and positioned himself and Elaan a bit further up the road, where it would be difficult for Aren to see them until it was too late.

The wait wasn't as long as Luke expected; Aren was making good time. From his position, Griffin contacted Luke over the com-link they had taken from the Falcon, to warn him that Aren was approaching. Luke didn't really need Griffin's warning. He could feel the anger coming off the boy like waves of heat. He wasn't shielding now, and what Luke felt from the boy was anger, and determination, and a sense of purpose that was very dark.

Luke switched off his com-link and signaled to Elaan, and they took up positions behind large trees on opposite sides of the road.

Luke waited until he could physically hear the boy's footfalls on the road. He was about to step out from his tree, but before he could, Elaan had already stepped out from behind her tree to confront her son.

"And just where do you think you are going?" she demanded.

Aren gaped. "How did you—" Then he shut his mouth. He knew how, of course. "The flying ship." He blew out a breath of frustration and looked around. "Where is he?"

Luke stepped onto the road, but held back, allowing Elaan to deal with her son.

"'He' has nothing to do with this," Elaan said angrily. "You are the one running off to get yourself killed! Do you think to leave me son-less as well as husband-less? They will kill you, Aren, and it will be neither swift nor pleasant."

"Not if I kill them first," Aren replied, head held high. "And I see that you have quickly found a new husband to replace the one that you lost."

Elaan's face flamed red, and her eyes burned fiercely. "How dare you," she hissed. "You, who know nothing of the world, of how I feel, of what he has done for me—and have you forgotten so soon what he has done for you? The collapse of the old barn, the saving of your father—have you forgotten that?"

"He is not my father!"

"Nor have I ever said that he was! Nor has he ever pretended to be! Yet he could be a mentor to you if you but give him a chance!"

Luke did a quick mental tally of the people he was now "mentor to": Brenna, Rupert—well, he hadn't really been doing much for Rupert lately, maybe he could discount his son-in-law—DC, and now Aren. Maybe Elaan, if she wanted him to teach her. They hadn't discussed it yet, but he sensed in the mind-link that she was eager to learn. The nice, quiet, semi-retirement he'd been looking forward to, with just Brenna to tutor and grandchildren to enjoy was quickly becoming non-existent. Even with Elaan's promise of help with DC, he figured he was going to be keeping fairly busy.

Maybe Luke should introduce DC and Aren—not now, but later, after Aren had a chance to cool off a bit and adjust to his new life. On the other hand, putting two angry children together might just cause them to feed off each other.

"I want no mentor!" Aren said. "Especially not one who would do nothing to defend you from the ones who hurt you!"

Luke finally decided it was time to take a hand in the goings on. "Aren," he said, "you were never intended to experience those memories of your mother. That was an accident. I'm sorry about that. I should have been more careful. All I can do now is help you deal with the aftermath. If your goal is simply to murder the men who hurt your mother, I'll not help you. And I'll do everything in my power to keep you from doing it. Not because of what you would do to them, but because of what it would do to you. On the other hand, if you want to…destroy their way of life, change your entire world, institute a system of justice so that all bonders—and bondsmen, and bondswomen, and fremmin—are held accountable for their actions—then I'll do my best to help you get what you want."

"You do not know what I want."

"I can guess," Luke replied. Aren's anger and aggression were as visible in his face as they were in the Force. "You're after the bonders that hurt your mother, starting with the one with the scar."

Aren was surprised into silence for a second, then waved an arm. "After what they did to her, they do not deserve to live!"

"Perhaps not, but I'm more concerned with what killing them would do to you."

"But what they did—"

"Have you talked to your mother about your plan? She was the one who was hurt. Is this what she wants? Aren, it was never intended that you should experience those memories of your mother's. That was an accident, and I'm so sorry that you saw them."

"Do not pretend that you have concern for me. You want my mother. That's all you want. You're glad my father is dead! So you can have her to yourself!"

"That's not true, Aren. I do love your mother, but I also liked your father. What happened to him wasn't my fault. After we rescued him from the bonder's fair last year, I warned him not to go out again. I told him I wouldn't be there the next time."

"You burned him! You burned your mark into him!"

"I had to, Aren. Your father understood. The mark wasn't permanent. It was the best way to get him out safely. He was supposed to explain all that to you."

"He told me your story. But you are still glad he is dead."

"No. I'm glad that your mother has decided to come with me. There's a difference."

Aren's hand went to the hilt of his father's old sword, awkwardly large for him in its equally awkward baldric. "You cannot stop me."

Luke sighed, called his lightsaber to his hand, activated it, and easily sliced a branch off a nearby tree. "Care to see what this would do to that little 'toy' of yours?" He deactivated the energy weapon and bared his neck, which still bore the scar of where he feigned his death to help Brenna. "This was the barest touch, and let me tell you, it hurt like a son-of-a-gun." He re-hooked his lightsaber to his belt, used the thumbnail of his good hand to slice into the syntheskin of his bionic hand enough to peel it back and reveal some of the circuitry. "Losing my hand to a weapon like that hurt a lot worse. You should know that I'm willing to do anything—short of killing you—to stop you from this vengeance quest."

Aren was young, but he was not stupid. He sank to the ground in utter defeat, and dropped his head into his hands.

It wasn't a moment too soon. Luke could hear crashing in the underbrush that indicated Griffin's approach, and he didn't want to put Rupert's young co-pilot in the position of either having to keep secret a gross violation of New Republic laws, or feeling obligated to report it. Luke needed to finish this, at least for the time being.

"Aren, I promise I'll help you end what happened to your mother as a common practice. I promise to help you bring justice to the bonders. We'll talk more about it in private, but not right now."

Aren looked up, and Luke indicated the noise from the underbrush and held a finger to his lips, hoping the boy would heed the signal.

Fortunately, he did. When Griffin broke through the brush, Aren simply asked, "Let us begone, then. Where is your ship to the other worlds?"

Luke nodded up the side of the mountain, and Aren rose to his feet, found the all but invisible deer trails, and started climbing upward, using the branches and younger trees as aids.

Griffin watched him go, let out a groan, and followed after.

Luke smiled and held out his hand to Elaan. "Shall we?" he asked,

Elaan gave him a brief smile in return, held out her hand, but resisted when Luke started to pull her up the hillside.

He stopped and looked at her.

"Thank you," she whispered. "You saved my husband. You saved me. And now…you saved my son."