A Thread of Gold – Part 3
Disclaimer - The characters in this story are owned by Lucasfilm. I'm only borrowing them for my amusement and hopefully yours. My thanks to JT, Angela and Mona for suggestions and help. This story is for Sheyla as she once told me she liked it.
Ash
Solo Apartment
Leia opened her eyes in shock.
"Luke!" She jerked upright and shook Han awake.
"Luke!" She mumbled her dark eyes wide and staring. "I felt Luke. I felt his presence. Something's happened to him."
"Good or bad?" He took in the flushed face and the untidy hair.
"I don't know," she cried. "But until now I've sensed nothing from him. Not even by a tiny ripple in the Force has he reached out to me."
Han grabbed his com from the side of the bed and sent an urgent call to the medical centre. "This is Solo. Check on the Jedi Master please. I repeat. Check on the Jedi Master's condition."
"Come on," he pulled back the covers, dressed quickly and then helped his shaking wife into her clothes. "We'll go and see. It's okay, sweetheart," he soothed gently. "We'll go see."
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Manarai Medicentre
'Intruder alert'. The warning signal flashed around the building, mobilising the security teams to search for whosoever had breached their impeccable security system.
Mara sat sprawled on the floor, her red-gold head lying on the bed just next to Luke's arm. Something brushed gently over her tumbled curls as light as a defel's shadow. The touch, gentle as it was, awoke her and hardly daring to breathe Mara felt the almost invisible caress.
Easing back on stiffened limbs she drew herself upright and eyed the figure in the bed, but the Jedi master lay still, his eyes closed. Mara's heart sank. She'd felt something - she was sure she had and with her heart in her mouth, she stretched out to Luke with the Force. At first his existence flickered and twisted weakly in her grasp, but then with a burst of joy it caught and held.
'Luke'.
'Mara?
'I came to get you,' she whispered.
'You came to get me'. His bemused sense contained wonderment. 'Why? I've been here all the time.'
'You've been hurt, Luke - badly. They say that you're…'
'I'm dying?'
She'd never been able to keep very much from him – he knew her too well. 'Yes, so they said but I knew it wasn't true.'
'I don't feel as if I'm dying,' he murmured, his voice echoing inside her head.
'You're not going to die now.' Mara closed her eyes and gave him her strength of will and purpose. 'I knew I was the only one who could reach you. You've a fighting chance now Luke - use it'.
'Mara…' his voice grew fainter. 'I can't see you any more.'
'I'm still here.' She swayed, suddenly fatigued by the effort it took in maintaining contact. She wasn't as strong as she could have been. Luke was extremely weak, but at least now he had a chance. Mara only prayed that she'd done enough.
Abruptly her danger sense flared as the sirens roared through the medicentre. "Oh Sith!" she swore quietly. "I must have set off something… Wonder why they took so long?" Then she remembered Karrde's scanner scrambler. It would only work for so long. The best security scanners worked on rotating modular frequencies and eventually the system would catch up with the gadget. She'd lost track of the time and a quick glance at her chrono told her that she'd been by Luke's side for at least a couple of hours. It was a wonder that no-one had been in to monitor him.
She heard the quietly efficient marching feet of a security patrol - could feel them coming closer. Should she stay and brazen it out? Would they believe her? She'd broken in to a top security, class one, priority medicentre and had been alone with its star patient for several hours. There was the certainty that he was unharmed, in fact he was in better shape than he had been. He now at least had a chance of life.
Leia and Han would believe her, but if anyone else got to her first they would have the excuse they wanted to incarcerate her in a cell until Karrde pulled strings and as many favours as he could to have her released. Mara was under no illusions about certain individuals in the New Republic. To them she was a smuggler and also a former Imperial at that. Sometimes she thought that she would never be rid of the burden of her servitude to Palpatine. This spelled out 'Not to be trusted' in glowing letters. 'Please limit contact with heroes of the New Republic.'
Luke gave a soft breathy moan and Mara jumped. Was he coming round? She leant over him. His sense was stronger and his colour better, she would swear on it.
The intent of the security personnel behind the door could be felt. She was going to have to get out.
Mara brushed the minds of those on the other side of the door.' You don't need to check this one, there's nobody in here. Your scanners won't register a lifeform'.
The head of security turned to his squad with a grave expression. "We don't need to check this one. It's Jedi Master Skywalker's room. He's not to be disturbed. He's not expected to recover which is a tragedy. Our scanners aren't detecting any other lifeforms."
"Aye, Sir."
It was time to go. She bent over the Jedi and on impulse gently kissed his lips, willing the life to return. Mara didn't see his hand move a little and tangle in her hair.
"I've done my bit Skywalker, now you do yours," she whispered, before pulling reluctantly away.
There was no reply.
"Ow!" Mara winced as her hair snagged on one of Luke's tubes. She pulled at it frantically, hoping to free herself. Voices could be heard at the door and these ones she recognised. It really was time to go. With a swift tug she was free. Moving swiftly she made her way to a set of cupboards against the far wall.
Standing on top of the cupboard she carefully eased off one of the roof tiles. She had just slid it back into place when she heard a medic complain and Han's voice sounding truculent.
"I tell you, someone could have been in here with Luke."
"It's not possible," the head of the medicentre security argued hotly.
"It is very possible."
"This is most irregular; there's been a guard here for most of the day. You know that, General Solo."
"Guards can be got past." Han was adamant.
"Not in this medicentre," the man protested.
Mara chuckled to herself and made her escape. No one saw her as she brushed down the medic's uniform she'd donned in the turbolift and strolled out of the main door completely unchecked.
'I must tell them about their security lapses,' she thought, grinning. But her face changed to one of worry as she considered the state Luke had managed to get himself into.
"I swear that man needs a twenty-six hour a day keeper. He makes me so angry at the risks he takes with his own life and why am I so upset about it?" Her mouth closed with a snap.
Mara caught a speeder car and returned to her apartment trying to keep the dream she'd had about Luke from the forefront of her mind, but it wouldn't be denied. Was it a vision or just wishful thinking? 'If it is wishful thinking what the hell is possessing me?' She would never kiss Luke Skywalker in that brazen fashion and actually enjoy it – would she?
"Luke Skywalker!"
She trailed dreamily around her quarters, shedding her clothes and surveying her body in the bedchamber reflector. Mara placed her hands over her smooth skin the way Luke's larger hands had covered it in her dream and traced and stroked. She saw a woman with sleek limbs, a curved feminine shape with full breasts and slender shaped hips. In the dream Luke had enjoyed all of her.
Her eyes fixed upon her own image, Mara untied her hair and the rippling, curled mass of living fire tumbled over her shoulders and fell to her waist covering her rosy tipped breasts. Mara slid a smooth red-gold lock through her fingers. Heavens! It had grown so long. But Luke would like it. He'd once admitted that he found her hair fascinating and lately she'd catch his eyes hungrily gazing at it. No - not at her hair, but at her. Mara's bright green eyes widened at the unexpected notion that Luke Skywalker found her as attractive as she did him. As she…. 'Oh no Jade, not that again. But the memory of the dream was so vividly arousing that she viewed her own body's reaction as her nipples peaked.
Mara strode determinedly into the 'fresher and switched on the shower - to a cold setting.
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Manarai Medicentre
"I don't believe…" The doctor's voice rose in astonishment as he frantically checked the monitors stationed next to Luke's bed. "This is just not possible. He was dying. There wasn't enough brain activity to…" he rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "There must be a mistake… It's not possible. It must be a miracle."
"What is it?" Han rushed into the room.
"Wonderful news, General Solo. He's actually regaining consciousness. I don't know how or…" The medic turned to the 2-1-B droid that rolled into the room after Han. "This isn't real."
"What!" Han's voice went off the scale. "Leia!" he bellowed. "Hurry!"
"Han!"
"He's coming round." The Corellian dashed the tears from his eyes. The kid was clinging to life with a will so strong that Han almost dared not believe it.
Leia stumbled tearfully into the room just as Luke's eyelashes fluttered. "Luke?"
The lids twitched and Leia saw a faded hint of blue. She sent calming tones through the Force and the Solo's were rewarded by another flicker and a soft moan of pain.
"Come on, buddy," Han urged. "Don't let us down. Come on kid - fight this. We all need you to be well again."
The eyelashes fluttered again and finally Luke's blue eyes squinted into the tear-stained face of his sister and the grey, strained face of his brother-in-law. Why were Han's eyes wet?
"Mara?" he whispered huskily on a shuddering breath, his voice so quiet they could hardly hear it. "Is she here?"
The Solos turned to look at each other in consternation.
"Is Mara here? I felt her presence."
"Hell, I forgot about Mara again," muttered Han guiltily. "She's not going to be very happy."
Leia brushed her lips over Luke's cheek. "I thought I'd lost you."
"No, not lost… misplaced… Mara… need… to… see…"
"Okay, I'll find her for you." Leia smiled with a quiet joy, which illuminated her face. They had him back. They had him back.
Han suddenly stared at something glinting gold on the blanket covering Luke. Just over his arm, entangled with one of the tubes was a long red-gold thread. Han frowned but on closer inspection decided it wasn't a strand of gold at all. Luke had one or two of Mara's distinctive red-gold hairs wound around his fingers.
"Don't worry kid," He told the drowsy Jedi. "I think Mara Jade knows exactly how you are."
"Course she does. She's here with me. Has been all along." The words were but faint whispers on breath.
Leia's brow furrowed for a moment, then nodded with a sense of amused resignation when she spotted what Han had seen.
Mara's effect on Luke had been the disturbance Leia had felt. Mara Jade had probably saved her brother's life. Leia didn't know how she'd managed to do it, but would forever owe her a debt of gratitude for that deed. For Luke had been as good as dead.
"I'll pay that debt too," Leia murmured and it was Han's turn to frown.
"We owe Mara a great deal," he said slowly.
"We'll think of something."
"Yup! We will," and he pulled the hairs from Luke's fingers and placed them carefully in his jacket's breast pocket.
The medical droid wheeled over to Luke's side and injected a sedative into his arm. "He needs to rest now, High Councillor. Come back tomorrow."
"Could I stay?" Leia asked tremulously. "Now that I know he's going to be fine, could I stay?"
"Of course, I'll arrange it." The chief medical droid intoned calmly.
"Thanks 2-1B," muttered Han his voice shaking. "I'll go home and get you some things and tell the kids."
"They already know, Han. I woke them up when Luke opened his eyes. The Force…." She tailed off.
Han laughed weakly. "I should have guessed Highnessness. But I think I still need to see then. Threepio will be coping with three very excitable children" He frowned. "I'll go give Winter a call. She will come and stay with them."
"Good idea," Leia grasped Luke's hand in hers, but turned her head for Han's kiss. "I love you."
"I know. Take care of him."
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Ten days later
Luke had awoken from his coma to find news reports and rumours of his imminent demise rife on the holonet. For the first few days he'd slept, too weak to do more than whisper the occasional word to Leia, who had remained by his side for almost the entire time. Han had prised her away to eat, sleep or spend some quality time with the children.
With Leia's help, he'd eased into a Jedi healing trance and remained in that state for several days. The doctors had told the Solo's that Luke's recuperation was going to be a long and slow process.
Mara had managed to do a couple of Core Runs for Karrde and the organisation, her mind clearly not on the job but it helped to be occupied. She returned to her apartment, tired and bad-tempered until she switched on the holo and watched the press conference given by Leia and Han regarding Luke's condition. She found that she was gripping the edges of her seat tightly as they detailed his recovery process to the galaxy. Forcing herself to relax she took a shaky breath. Luke was fine - he was going to be fine.
"Maybe I should go and see him." Her hand hovered over the com. But something made her stop and she watched as Leia's tired, white face answered question after question from the holo reporters. Mara smiled unwillingly. You had to hand it to Leia Organa Solo when the reporters sorted out all the information they would find that they'd been told very little. She was a politician from her fingertips to the ends of her carefully coiled and plaited hair. Han, on the other hand, had been strong and supportive in the background saying little. Mara knew he'd had his own Devaronian devils to deal with. The thought of losing Luke forever had shocked a few more lines onto his craggy face. Luke was his family, the brother he'd never had and his friend.
The com buzzed and she jumped.
"Yes,"
"Mara, it's Han."
She swallowed and faced Han's tired but happy face. "You're not appearing live on holo-cast news then?"
"That was taken yesterday, Jade."
"How is he?" She wet her dry lips nervously.
"He's in a healing trance, but will come out of it soon. He would like to see you."
"How do you know that if he's in a healing trance," she muttered sarcastically.
"I know that when he wakes up again, he will want to see you. So when are you available?"
"I don't know if I can make it. I have to go off planet … today. To do a run for Karrde," she improvised. "He's been quite busy lately."
"He has, has he?" Han raised a sardonic eyebrow. "Really."
"Really," Mara echoed.
Han's face changed and the pain was clearly visible. "Thank you."
Mara tried to school her face into one of curious enquiry. "What for?"
"I think you know, Jade. We nearly lost him for good this time." He regained control of his emotions and turned a shrewd glance on Mara. "You can't put this off forever."
"I'm sorry, I haven't a clue what you're talking about, Solo."
Han gave her a 'do you think I've just been sat on by a Hutt' kind of expression and the former Emperor's hand squirmed a little where she sat, but at least Han wasn't Jedi. He couldn't sense what she was thinking.
"You and the Jedi Master need to do some serious talking. It's because of you he's still alive and I bet the Falcon he knows it. It would be a good time for you to clear some air. If he had died, you would have lost the opportunity for ever."
Mara firmed her lips but said nothing and Han sighed. The Jedi 'stubborn gene' was alive and kicking. His wife had it, his brother-in-law had it and Mara Jade had it too. Han wasn't sure which one of the three of them had the strongest one, either.
"Think about it, Jade. When he does open his eyes, he talks about going back there. Whatever happened out there wasn't good."
Mara jerked her head up and for an instant Han could have sworn that he saw panic in her green eyes.
"Don't let him. Not unless he's healed."
"He's not healed. He's a long way from even getting out of that medicentre. The doctors are still worried about him – too worried and I don't like that. Mara, you need to see him or he will start to get difficult."
"Start!" She snorted elegantly. "Take care of him. Strap him down in a room full of Ysalamiri or something. Get Chewie to sit on him or Threepio to bore him into sleep. I'll try and see him when I get back."
"Nasty." He shrugged. "Okay. It's up to you. Clear skies Jade."
"Han!" She blurted out suddenly. "You okay?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine. We all will be now, thanks to you."
"He is…" Her hands came up in an oddly unsure gesture, as if Mara was unsure what to say or do."
"He'll be fine. We won't let anything happen to him."
Mara gave a tiny nod of her shining head and gave him a serious stare before cutting the link. There was a lot of trust there.
Han was left looking at an empty screen. So he'd told a couple of tiny fibs. Luke wasn't talking… much. But the military had already tried to debrief him. He'd had to write a lot of the information down on a pad, however he'd been unable to recall much and finally the medics had ejected the soldiers from his room. Leia had been worse than furious. General Cracken had been party to Leia's choicest threats and protests. Han winced in sympathy with the General. What he'd done was wrong, for Luke was in no way ready to give reports. Leia, when roused, for all her small stature, was terrifying and she'd had right on her side. What Mara would have done to the General didn't bear thinking about if she'd found out.
Han knew that Mara had without saying the words, charged him to care for Luke and make sure he was safe from harm. He would do that until the last breath was left in his body.
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