by Angela Jade
Rated - PG
Parts I to IV of this series are at my website ... here.
Spoilers - 'Vision of the Future' by Timothy Zahn
e-mail - angela@yavin4.free-online.co.uk - constructive criticism and happy thoughts greatly appreciated, or just tell me you hate it.
Feel free to post these stories wherever, as long as it's got this spiel at the top.
Disclaimer - all these characters belong to Mr. Lucas (all hail) and Mr. Zahn (yay!). Please don't sue; I'm not making any money from this, and the only way I could pay a lawyer's bills would be to sell my HUGE SW book collection.
This fanfic is set during 'Vision of the Future' by Timothy Zahn - if you haven't read said novel, this will make zero sense, so get your butt down to the library/bookstore now.
I'm still a fan of the Bantam novels but ... well, I just can't leave anything alone. Mara and Luke's 'relationship' bimbled along for 10 years, then *wham* - they're engaged. Sorry, don't buy it: there's got to have been more 'romance' before he popped the question. I've added to and rewritten chunks of some of the other EU novels, including the Corellian trilogy and 'Specter of the Past'; this follows on from those. This is my second peek at 'Vision of the Future', commonly regarded as THE Luke-and-Mara novel, and still one of my favorites. And I warn you now, I'm starting to ignore a lot of the lines and events of that novel - please don't read on if this bothers you. The first line, however, is Zahn's.
Apology - sorry Tim - I really like your work, but the plot-bunnies around here have big teeth and a vicious streak - they just wouldn't leave me alone. (Like Timothy Zahn's ever going to read this?! Sheesh!)
Hello - to everyone on the Mara_and_Luke and Skywalker-Jade egroups - thanks for all the feedback and the plot-bunny inspiring conversations!
Dedication - to Aria - I'd never have written this without her constant reminders to 'get writing!' and her wonderful plot ideas whenever I got stuck. Wishing you peace, happiness, and dreams that are plagued by a cute, blonde Jedi in black...
Completed December 2000
Chapter 8 - (Mara has just been shot by the Chiss)
"'Night, Luke. Don't forget to wake me if the bad guys crash the party."
Mara's eyes drifted closed as she sank slowly into the Force-induced trance. As the pain subsided, she found herself once more able to sense Luke's obviously unshielded feelings and she cringed inside at the anxiety and fear emanating from him. Skywalker over-protectiveness to the fore, as usual. And yet ... there was something more. Underpinning his distress at her condition was a feeling of deep and profound affection.
Her muscles forcibly relaxed, her breathing and heartbeat slowed, but even as she slipped deeper and deeper into the trance, her mind was screaming out its new-found knowledge. He cared about her! Not just in the way that he cared about the fate of the New Republic or about his students on Yavin, but cared about her as an individual, as a person. As a woman. Cared more than she'd ever imagined. The revelation hit her like a stampeding bantha.
Luke! She fought to cry out, to acknowledge his feelings. Luke! He obviously couldn't hear her silent cry. Luke! Talk to me! Blackness enveloped her and she sank into the warm comfort of unconsciousness.
5 days later...
He sat with his back to the wall, arms pulled tightly around his knees, and watched her with worried eyes, just as he'd been doing on and off for the past five days. His frustrated sigh echoed slightly as he finally admitted to himself that the trance wasn't going to work in time. Her injured shoulder had healed to an angry red welt, but it would still cause her a great deal of pain if he brought her out of the trance now. And more pain was the last thing he wished for her. He should really leave her in the healing trance for another two or three days, but something kept telling him there was no more time; he had to rouse her soon.
When she had been shot, the shock had almost paralyzed him. His body had switched to autopilot, the only way he'd been able to get her away from danger. The shock had continued for several hours, until the adrenaline finally drained from his system and reality had hit. Then he had started to shake uncontrollably and it took all of his willpower to stop himself from crying. He had almost lost her. The laser bolt that had pierced her shoulder could just as easily have hit her stomach, her chest or her head. He wouldn't ... couldn't allow himself to love her, but he didn't want to lose her. It was bad enough seeing her dead in a vision that may or may not come to pass, but to have her die in his arms... It just didn't bear thinking about.
But there was still one thing left to try. Mara had an incredibly strong Force-presence and they already shared a bond; perhaps he could tap into her power and use it to supplement his own in a last-ditch attempt at speed-healing. He wouldn't feel particularly comfortable doing it - morally, it was akin to reading her mind - but she was in no state to give her consent, and it seemed to be unavoidable if he was to stand any chance of healing her.
He kept trying to convince himself of this as he stood and crossed to her, carefully stepping around the cooker the Qom Jha had brought. As he sank to the floor beside her, he noticed the avian they had provided had only just started to cook. "Well, we've got to get you out of this soon, Mara. Dinner's on. Roast ... umm ... thing." He smiled at his own feeble joke, suddenly desperate for her company again.
He held his breath as he carefully brushed her hair from her temples. "I hope this works, my friend." Stretching out beside her, he once again laid his arm across her chest and placed a hand gently on her injured shoulder, just as he had every day for the past five days. "And I hope you will be able to forgive me if you ever find out I've done this." He closed his eyes and slipped into her mind, tentatively at first, then more confidently as he detected her Force presence and realized their bond would make it easy to draw her strength to himself.
As he descended into a deep meditative state, he tried to ignore the images around him. They were Mara's memories, her hopes, her fears, her past, her present. And even though she often accused him of 'reading her mind', he would never consciously do such a thing. But in her present condition, her mind was laid completely open to him, and he could not help but recognize familiar images as they flashed across his own mind. People, places, events; many were totally strange to him, but some he could identify. Karrde raising a glass to her; Mirax and Corran Horn; Leia on Corellia; Lando... Even though he knew it was only a memory, Luke could feel his hackles rising. Lando smiling at her, his eyes twinkling as they shared some private joke. Luke counted Lando as a good friend: although often reticent because of personal responsibilities, Lando would always come through if the New Republic needed him. But for years Luke had heard the rumors of an affair between the ex-General and Mara, and now it was starting to annoy him. REALLY annoy him. Lando had recently married, and Luke had never asked him if the rumors were true. Yet here he was in Mara's memories; maybe it was about time he got the truth out of Mara... Suddenly he noticed another common figure in Mara's mind: himself. Over and over again, he recognized his own image; in his Jedi robes at the Academy on Yavin, sparring with her on Drall, in the med bay of the 'Starry Ice'... And along with the multitude of images came feelings; Mara's feelings. A kaleidoscope of respect, happiness, fear, contentment, frustration, and...
"No!" Abruptly he pulled out of his trance and out of her mind, his eyes flicking open, his hand leaving her shoulder as if scalded. "No, Mara. No! You can't care about me. Not like that." He wiped a hand over his face, suddenly realizing he was covered in sweat; a glance at his chrono showed more than two hours had passed since he'd started meditating.
Slowly, he backed away from her, then drew his knees up and hugged them. "Please don't do this, Mara." His voice was thick with emotion, and even though he knew she couldn't hear him, he carried on talking. "I'd be no good for you; I'm no good for anyone. People who get close to me always get hurt sooner or later, and I care about you too much to..." He choked back a sob as he squeezed his eyes shut and dropped his head to his knees, rocking gently as he tried to come to terms with what he had discovered. Did she love him? As a friend, certainly. As something more... he didn't think even Mara knew the answer to that question. But if she did...
He looked up, still rocking. He hadn't had a proper relationship in years, and had recently resigned himself to a life alone. He thought he had accepted this as his destiny but now, with the chance of happiness before him, was it possible... For a fleeting moment he imagined holding her in his arms, listening as she declared her love for him; marriage, children... No. He couldn't love her, wouldn't allow himself to love her. It was too dangerous, for them both.
Taking a couple of deep breaths, he forced his brain back to a state of calm and composed his features. He had to pretend that it had never happened, that he had never found out about her feelings for him. For if Mara discovered what he had done, she could easily give in to her anger and finish him off for good. And he knew that if he acknowledged her feelings as having some truth to them, he'd also have to admit to his own emotions, something he was not willing to do. At least, not yet.
Edging back towards her, he leaned over to inspect her wound. Clear, unblemished skin showed through the damaged suit and a slow smile crept across Luke's face. "I'll be Kesseled! It actually worked!" His gaze drifted slowly back to her face, looking so innocent and beautiful as she slept. Now that he thought about it, he was pretty sure Mara's feelings were subconscious; mostly subconscious, anyway. "We're such good friends, Mara. How about we just leave it at that? I'll worry about you and you can tell me when I'm being an idiot; is that a deal? And then after this is all over..." He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat as the vision of her dead rose unbidden to his mind once more. No. He refused to believe she would die. "Well, after it's over, maybe we could see each other more often, spend some time together..."
He was interrupted by the cooker as it gave a gentle beep, indicating the food was cooked. "Time to wake up, I guess." Impulsively, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "And this time, try not to get shot."
He touched his fingertips to her temples and closed his eyes, drawing on the Force to rouse her from her trance.
Chapter 9 - (after fighting their way out of the Chiss fortress, Luke is in a healing trance and Mara has settled herself on a cliff edge to watch the impending carnage she has already set in motion...)
As her eyes scanned the starry night sky, Mara shivered and wished she'd brought some kind of blanket, or maybe a jacket. She drew her knees up and hugged them for warmth, yet still she shivered.
She couldn't believe she was actually doing this. Sacrificing her ship. Sacrificing her freedom. And all for a government that continued to regard her with scorn and contempt. She shifted her body, unconsciously trying to burrow her back into the cliff behind her. She hadn't felt this cold in a long time.
No, she decided, she wasn't doing it for the New Republic government. And she wasn't doing it for Luke Skywalker, either. Her gaze drifted down to the overhang that hid their stolen ship. Closing her eyes, she tentatively stretched out with the Force ... he was still unconscious. Good. He'd only try to stop her.
"Why didn't you tell me you cared, Luke?" She opened her eyes when she realized she'd actually spoken out loud. Hugging herself tightly, she began to rock, the pain in her gut building with every passing minute. Maybe if she thought about Skywalker, she'd be able to dampen the agony threatening to overwhelm her soul. At least for a while...
For ten years, she'd struggled with her feelings for the Jedi Master, never quite sure if the conflict she felt was normal or not. She disliked Yavin 4 and its Academy full of pretentious students, yet still she had felt drawn to the place, to him. When she had seen him with Callista, she had felt strangely ambiguous; unaccountably miserable, yet happy because he was happy. In recent years especially, whenever they met her heart pounded in her ears, breathing had suddenly become more difficult, and a smile from him was enough to banish any dark mood. Even his touch had made her skin tingle...
Her eyes were drawn to a meteor as it burned its way across the upper atmosphere. She smiled grimly; couldn't be long now. In some ways, she wished that the time it would take for the 'Fire' to crash would last forever; she wanted to hang on to her freedom, to the life she'd built for herself, for as long as possible. But most of the time, she just wanted it over with. It was inevitable.
It was also inevitable that she'd have to talk to Luke about their feelings for one another; the tension was starting to drive her crazy. When she had first come out of the healing trance Luke had put her in, she'd felt so disorientated that she'd had trouble remembering where she was and what she was doing. Then her empty stomach had commandeered her brain and she'd eaten like a half-starved vornskr pup. They had talked about the Chiss, discussed her service to Palpatine, and he'd nagged her again about becoming a Jedi. But it wasn't until they'd argued about her supposed affair with Lando Calrissian that she'd suddenly remembered about her dip into his emotions as she slipped into the trance five days earlier. But by then it was too late. He hadn't mentioned his feelings for her at all since she'd regained consciousness; if anything, he'd steered the conversation away from thoughts and emotions onto safer, more logical ground. Until he'd totally given himself away by asking about Lando. Mara smiled as she remembered the jealousy shining in his eyes.
Another meteor pulled her thoughts back to the present. Moving the 'Fire' had undoubtedly dislodged some of the asteroids that had been camouflaging its hiding place. Belatedly, Mara wondered if the Chiss would notice the extra astronomical activity and therefore her ship. Doubtful. They'd be too busy repairing the damage she and Luke had already caused, and readying their one remaining ship for the flight to Bastion. To Bastion and to the Empire. Or, at least, to what the Empire had become. She clenched her fists so hard that her nails dug into her palms. She wouldn't allow that to happen. And if that meant sacrificing her ship, her freedom, even her life, then so be it.
Her life? Would it actually cost her her life? The thought sent a shiver down her spine and into the pit of her stomach. If she was totally honest, Mara couldn't see how they would ever get off the planet alive, especially after what she had already set in motion. The Chiss would blast them out of the sky without more than a glance, and the chances of an NR rescue mission were virtually nil. And yet, Mara didn't mourn her own probable death. Perhaps it was something she had accepted when she'd first landed on the planet. Or maybe it was the hints Luke had dropped about a vision he had experienced, a vision which he had been unwilling to share with her. She wasn't stupid; the first time he'd mentioned it, she'd seen the look of pain in his eyes and guessed what he'd seen. No, Mara didn't fear her own death. But she didn't know how she would face the death of Luke Skywalker.
The stars blurred as her eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Luke, I am so sorry," she whispered, blinking madly until her vision cleared. "I don't want you to die." The only thing that overwhelmed the pain she felt at losing her ship, her freedom, and her life, was the agony she felt when she thought of losing him. "I'm sorry," she whispered one last time, before resolutely pulling the Force to herself and concealing her Force-presence. The waiting was almost over...
//Mara//
His voice in her head cut through the layers of camouflage and barriers she had set up as if they weren't there. For a fraction of a second she considered hiding her presence from him for as long as she could, but she dismissed the idea just as quickly. There was just no point anymore. //Up here//
***************
She managed to hold back the tears right up to the point where Luke realized exactly what she'd done. But then his own anguish rekindled her distress, and she wept like she'd never done before. When his arm slipped around her back, she overrode her automatic reaction to pull away and melted into his chest, sobbing out her pain and misery as he pulled her to him and murmured quiet platitudes into her hair. She couldn't hear his words, but could feel him trying to absorb her pain, to ease her suffering. Her arms slid tightly around his waist and she cried herself out to the tempo of his heartbeat.
The tears had almost dried completely when she felt his body stiffen as he sucked in a sharp breath. Lifting her head, she loosened her grip and watched as the 'Jade's Fire', already damaged beyond repair, drifted into view. A quiet determination gripped her heart as the ship bore down on the fortress, and she leaned forward, resolved to watch until the bitter end. The deadly green lasers from the towers continued to rip into the shields and into the ship itself, and Mara was surprised when the sadness she felt slowly ebbed away, to be replaced only by immense pride that the 'Fire' had lasted as long as it had. And then, in a huge, incandescent fireball that she knew she would see in her dreams for the rest of her life, her ship rammed its target and completed its mission.
It was gone. It was over. Just as her life as the Emperor's Hand had disappeared in the flicker of an eye, so the life she had spent fifteen years building for herself also vanished. The 'Jade's Fire' had been her home, her livelihood, her only true possession. But it had also symbolized her freedom, and now that freedom no longer existed. Mara Jade had taken that last, irrevocable step and become part of ... what? The New Republic? The Jedi? She glanced up at the one person in the whole galaxy who could understand what she had just gone through.
His blue eyes radiated concern as he watched her, his brow crinkling with anxiety. "Are you okay, Mara?"
She nodded silently, her gaze never leaving his. Her whole life had just gone in the flash of an explosion; maybe it was time to let go of some other perceptions she'd held for far too long. Perceptions of herself, and of the man comforting her in his arms. Closing the distance between them, she pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek, a last tear escaping from the corner of her eye. "Thank you, Luke. Thank you for coming for me, for being here..."
He crushed her to him, murmuring against the top of her head. "Mara. Oh, Mara."
Her arms held on to him securely; he was her rock in the storm of her emotions, the man she could finally admit she loved. When he firmly tilted her face up to his she offered no resistance, and when his lips descended to hers she closed her eyes and lost herself in his kiss.
When she finally pulled away, she looked up to see his eyes burrowing into hers. Reading her mind? No; only her face, her expression.
He swallowed hard, his lips moving silently before forming words. "Mara, I think I..."
"Shhh." She pressed a shaky finger to his lips, cutting him off. "Don't say it. Not right now." She tore her gaze away from him and stared at the smoldering fortress. "It's not finished yet. We have to go back inside."
Chapter 10 - (just before the Qom Qae fly Luke, Mara & Artoo back to the Fortress)
They worked silently, efficiently, winding the last of their synthrope round and under the little blue and white astromech so that he would be able to make the flight. Artoo gurgled worriedly and Mara hid a smile as Luke absentmindedly rubbed a comforting hand over the top of the droid's dome.
"It's okay, Artoo," he muttered gently, "you'll be fine."
Artoo whistled and beeped at length, and Mara glanced up at the datapad they'd rigged to translate. "What does he mean, he doesn't like flying?" she asked Luke incredulously. "He's an astromech!"
"I think he means when he's not at least partially acquainted with the computer controlling the ship." He peeked round the cylindrical body and a wry smile escaped his lips. "Sometimes I don't think he trusts sentients."
Artoo burbled a retort, but Mara didn't even look at the datapad; her eyes were fixed on Luke's as her breath shallowed. She'd been avoiding touching him, even talking to him since they'd come down from the cliff ledge, as she concentrated on the mission before her. But now he was so close and she could feel something well up inside as tears stung her eyes and something unfathomable gripped her heart.
The smile fell from Luke's face as he watched her expression change, and he held her gaze for as long as he could. "Mara, we have to talk."
She swallowed and looked away, her lips tightening. She had thought it would be her that would end up asking him to discuss their feelings; he'd always seemed so closed off, so ... unwilling. But now reticence gripped her heart and her mind, and suddenly she wanted to avoid this awkward discussion. "I don't think that's such a good idea, Luke. We have to go back into the fortress and we don't know what will happen..."
Standing up, he reached out a hand to her. "I think that's why we must talk," he said quietly.
Her eyes locked on his boots, staring but unseeing, for a long moment. Finally she took his hand and allowed herself to be pulled up, before meeting his eyes.
He stood somewhat stiffly, watching her carefully and holding her hand as if he were afraid she might run. "Mara, what's wrong?"
"You mean, apart from the obvious." Her death. His death. They were never getting off the planet, that much was pretty certain. Her eyes dropped to their joined hands as she felt his thumb rub across her knuckles.
"Mara, I'm sorry." He dropped her hand. "I'm sorry if I upset you. I realize now that when I kissed you, I was taking advantage of the situation. It ... it won't happen again."
And there it was: her get-out clause. She was distressed, he kissed her, they came to their senses, they stayed 'just friends'. It was quite simple, really. Except for the fact that her heart was breaking into a million pieces at the mere thought. Logic said 'stay friends ... it will never work ... there's no point'. Mara decided Logic could go jump off a cliff. "Maybe I want it to happen again," she whispered, almost inaudibly.
Luke's heart was thudding in his chest so loudly that he was sure she must be able to hear it. "You do?" Incredulity, fear, and unadulterated happiness fought for dominance in his brain.
Their eyes met once more. "I'm not sure, Luke. I ... I care about you, but..." Her teeth clenched in frustration. "Why did it have to happen now? When we're stuck on this Sith-forsaken rock, when our chances of surviving to see tomorrow are slim, when we've got to go back inside..."
He pulled her into his arms and hugged her body to his. "We're Jedi. We'll survive."
She stiffened against his embrace for a fraction of a second, then surrendered herself to his warmth. "Jedi doesn't mean indestructible, Skywalker."
"I know, Mara, I know. But we have to believe... It can't just end like this." He spoke into her hair, crushing her firmly to him. "Mara, I care about you. I didn't want to, but I do..."
She pushed him away, her palms flat on his chest as she searched his face for the truth. "Didn't want to care about me? Why not?"
He shrugged, meeting her unflinching gaze. "People I care about get hurt." His eyes dropped to her hands. "They get killed, or they run away. They end up shot or injured or blasted out of the sky. Besides..." His grip on her waist tightened as his blue eyes drifted back to her face. "... I didn't know how you'd react. I don't want to jeopardize our friendship." There. He'd said it out loud. Their friendship meant more to him than almost any other, yet still he'd kissed her, breaking his vow to himself that he wouldn't drag her into his life. What had he been thinking...?
And yet, she remained in his arms, carefully watching his face as she assimilated his words. Maybe there was hope...
"Luke, I get shot at on almost a daily basis. I don't think being on the same planet as you makes a whole lot of difference." He opened his mouth a little as if to speak, but she pressed a silencing finger to his lips. "And I would hope that whatever may happen between us, our friendship is strong enough to survive."
He nodded, unable to say anything. Whatever may happen? He knew what he wanted to happen, knew it with all his heart. Her emerald eyes drilled into him, and for a moment he had the notion he could hear her thoughts. But no, their bond wasn't that strong. He could only read the emotions she was projecting, both through the Force and written as clear as dawn on Tattooine on her face. Whatever may happen? Tentatively, he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, a kiss which soon deepened as the taut feeling in his gut threatened to overwhelm him. His eyes shut tight and he pulled her close, barely noticing her arms snaking round his neck.
She was floating, soaring ... melting in his arms. Her heart pounded in her chest, but it could have just as easily stopped beating altogether as she succumbed to his kiss. Enchanted, she willed it to go on forever.
It was Luke who finally broke away gently, his forehead resting against hers. "Mara, what are we going to do?"
She inhaled a ragged breath before replying. "I don't know. Get on with the mission, I suppose." Finally, she felt her depression, her certainty that they would die, lifting. If anyone could get out of this, she and Luke could. They were a team; Faughn had said as much, a mere lifetime ago.
"You mean so much to me, Mara, I ... I don't suppose you'd consider staying..."
"...staying out here while you and the droid face whatever's in there? Not in this lifetime, Skywalker." Her eyes nervously met his, her breath tickling his lips. "I'm afraid you're stuck with me now."
His slow smile lit up his eyes as scanned her face, memorizing her features. "I think I like being stuck with you, Mara." Slowly, his finger ran round the curve of her jawline. "When we get back to Coruscant, could we perhaps spend some time together?"
"Luke Skywalker, what are you suggesting?" she asked, an eyebrow raised in mock-indignation.
A blush tinged his cheeks and he looked down, embarrassed. "I only meant dinner or a visit to one of the gardens or..." The touch of her hand on his cheek brought his gaze back up to meet hers.
She smiled. "When we get back to Coruscant, we'll go to one of the most exclusive restaurants on the planet and spend an indecent amount of credits on a shamefully decadent meal. And we'll talk."
"I'd like that, Mara."
There was a moment of silence, of peace, of two friends realizing that camaraderie had somehow deepened into affection. No words were spoken in that short time, yet still emotions were conveyed, powerful feelings that stabbed into their hearts, changing them forever.
The sound of wings rhythmically beating the air made them both look up. "The Qom Qae," said Luke. "They're back." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Time to go, I guess."
"I suppose so," replied Mara, a frown gathering on her face. "Once more into the rancor pit, so to speak."
One blue eye opened. "I really wish you wouldn't use that expression."
"Sorry." Mara placed a gentle hand on either side of his face, a worried smile tugging her mouth as his gaze met hers. "Be careful, Skywalker."
"You, too, Mara." He pressed a short, firm kiss to her lips. "May the Force be with you."
Chapter 11 - (a cavern under the 'Hand of Thrawn'. Italicized lines are Zahn's...)
The flight to the tunnel entrance had been uneventful, and the same could almost be said for the journey underground. A few traps, obviously set for the Qom Jha, had proved a minor diversion but nothing else had impeded their progress.
Nothing, that is, until the moment they decided to grab Artoo and leave the underground cave they'd discovered. Suddenly they found themselves standing back-to-back, fighting for their lives. No time to think, they could only react. Each of them sank deeply into the Force and drew on the power inside themselves to wield their lightsabers as never before, deflecting shot after deadly shot, struggling against the seemingly insurmountable odds of facing two indestructible sentinel droids.
Then their problems switched from dodging blasters to avoiding drowning, as the water rose higher and higher, cutting off their escape route. Yet even as she accepted her own death, Mara inwardly rejoiced in the strength of her bond with Luke when she realized that she could almost hear his thoughts, could instinctively understand his hopes ... and his fears. Mara knew there was some kind of bond between every Jedi, a result of their Force-legacy. But the connection between herself and the Jedi Master was somehow more powerful than any she had ever heard of before. And that bond had been growing almost continuously since they'd met in the Qom Jha caves all those days previously; sometimes the improvement had been almost unnoticeable, on other occasions it had been a blaster bolt from nowhere. When she'd woken from her healing trance. When he'd held her in his arms as her ship made its final, suicidal flight. And now, when they'd fought together for the first time since she had become a Jedi. If only they could have survived to explore the depth of the bond between them...
"Don't give up yet," Luke said. But there was no particular hope in his voice that she could detect. "There has to be a way out of this."
Reaching out her hand, her fingers carefully entwined with his. "Luke?"
His gaze connected with hers and he was surprised to see the calm acceptance in her eyes.
"Luke, you told me of a technique for saving the spirit when the body dies. I know you don't have time to teach me, but I think you should do it yourself. Leia's children need you, and so do your students..."
"No!"
Even though she was half-expecting his sharp retort, it still made her flinch. "You must, Luke. The Jedi cannot live on without your guidance, the galaxy is relying on you..."
"No." His voice was quieter, but still determined. "I won't leave you. We can still get out of this. There has to be a way, there just has to be..."
"Luke, you said you saw me dead in a vision. If that's my destiny, then so be it." A tear trickled slowly down one cheek and Mara struggled to hold her voice steady. "Please try to save yourself, in whatever form you can."
He cupped her face in his hand and watched mesmerized as another tear followed the first, slipping slowly round his thumb. "I can't, Mara. I can't go on without you. If it's your destiny to die here, then it's mine too. I will do nothing to defer it, and nothing you can say will change my mind." He lowered his head to hers and kissed her fiercely, his passion for her obvious over their new-found bond.
She returned the kiss ardently, forcing herself to become momentarily blind to their predicament, deaf to the sloshing water as it rose further up the walls. "Please, Luke..."
He held her face in his hands, close to his own. "Mara, I won't leave you. I can't." He unhooked his lightsaber from his belt, the familiar weight suffusing him with intense, if slightly misplaced confidence. "There is a way out of this, I know there is. We just have to find it." His left hand gripped Mara's hand tightly and he relaxed as much as he could, listening to what the Force would tell him.
***************
When he'd first suggested blowing the cloning tank's fusion generator, Mara had felt only shock at the enormity of what he was suggesting. Then rationality kicked in and she realized that it might just work, but only if she was the one to take down the wall. For the first time in days she felt angry as she found herself having to convince him that she was the most logical choice for the task.
Luke glared at her. But she was right, and they both knew it. "This is blackmail, you know."
"This is common sense," she corrected him.
He saw from her cross-armed stance and her determined expression that she was resolved to execute his plan, and he wouldn't be able to change her mind. "I'm still not happy about this."
Letting her arms drop to her sides, Mara took a step closer to him. "Luke, let go."
"Let go of what?"
"Let go of the idea that you're the only one to save the day," she replied quietly, a slight smile tugging her lips. "I'm the right person for the job; you know it, I know it. Hey, even Artoo probably knows it." Her hand stretched out and rested on his shoulder. "Trust me. Let me do my part."
For a split second he tensed against her touch, his fear of getting close to her returning in the face of her endangerment. Then he took a step forwards and swept her into his arms, holding her tightly and whispering her name over and over as he buried his face in her neck. "Blast it, Mara, I don't want to lose you."
"You won't lose me, Skywalker." She drew back, encouraging him to do the same. As she studied his face, so close to her own, something grabbed her insides and twisted, squeezing the air out of her lungs and gripping her heart so firmly that she believed it might actually stop beating. The dim lighting softened his features, yet she could still see his eyes sparkling with unshed tears. She opened her mouth to speak, but he was faster.
"Mara, I love you."
The words were whispered, but they hammered into her brain with the power of Force lightening. Love? Was that what she was feeling? She knew loyalty, devotion, and friendship, but she had never before encountered true love. Until now. Until him. Dumbstruck, she battled to get her emotions under control.
She couldn't reply, couldn't say anything. She merely nodded, her lips pressed tightly together. Then she ruthlessly pushed her feelings for him to one side and stepped away, her green eyes blazing with fresh determination as she grasped her lightsaber firmly. She would have one shot at this and she would make it work.
"Ready."
***************
...two meters to his right, bobbing gently in the pool as she floated beside the craggy rock, was Mara. Her eyes closed, her arms and legs limp. As if in death.
"Oh, Gods, no! Oh, no! Oh, no!" Wet clothes and the shallow current dragging at his legs couldn't slow him down as he raced to her and pulled her towards him, cradling her shoulders and head against his chest. Was she dead?
"I love you, Mara."
Green eyes blinked slowly open as her chest heaved then coughed the excess water from her lungs. "Luke?"
"I'm here." He squeezed her tightly to himself, hardly daring to believe she had survived; his vision had passed and she was alive. Somehow he helped her to stand, although his own legs threatened to collapse under him and he could barely see through the tears filling his eyes.
Shakily, Mara pushed her wet hair from her face, leaning against him as she concentrated on settling her breathing. Luke's hand on her cheek brought her eyes up to meet his. "We made it?" she asked incredulously.
He nodded, a huge grin lighting up his face. "We made it."
"Oh, Luke." She flung her arms round his neck and hugged him close; fear, exhaustion and anxiety totally subdued by a dazzling euphoria. "I can't believe we got out of there!" When she finally loosened her grip, her own smile was radiant. Then she was kissing him urgently, confirming in her own way that they had indeed survived.
Eventually, somewhat reluctantly, they parted, foreheads touching as they caught their breath.
"Mara?" Her eyes looked darker as they gazed up from under long lashes. "Mara, I thought I'd lost you."
"I know. But you didn't; I'm here."
Luke continued as if she hadn't spoken. "I came round and I saw you floating there, and I thought you were dead. That you were never coming back."
She frowned at the seriousness in his voice. "I'm okay, Luke."
"Before I even landed on this planet, I knew there was a possibility that you might already be dead. When the fire creepers came, I worried that you wouldn't get out of the way fast enough." His voice trembled but still he didn't stop. "When the Chiss shot you, I didn't know if you would survive. And as for that cavern back there, well ... I thought we were both dead." He lifted his forehead from hers, his gaze intense as he reaffirmed to himself that she was really alive. "Mara, I never want to be apart from you again."
Smiling gently, she cupped his face in her hands. "I told you, Luke. We'll go back to Coruscant and spend some time together, and maybe I'll even come to Yavin with you for a while..."
His solemn expression didn't change. Could he let her know what was truly in his mind and in his heart? Could he live through the possible rejection that might follow? There was one way to find out. "No, Mara. I want more than that."
"More?" Her brow creased questioningly, even as their bond provided an inkling of what he was about to say.
"I love you, Mara. I thought I had loved before, but that was nothing compared to what I feel for you now."
And suddenly she knew, knew of his feelings for her as well as her own feelings for him. She had never loved another because no man had ever lived up to the subconscious template she held in her mind. A template that had ingrained itself ten years ago when she met a man who was both powerful and altruistic, confident in his abilities and yet shy of publicity, ethical yet tolerant; a man who had shown her a glimpse of what she might achieve, who had set her on the right path and helped her become the person she was today. This man.
"Luke, I love you, too." In her mind, the words had always sounded uncomfortable; synthetic words devoid of emotion. But whispering them to him felt like the most natural thing in the galaxy.
"Then marry me." He held his breath as he watched her face, losing himself in her eyes. "Please?"
Marry him? Commit herself to him for the rest of her life? Old fears of losing her independence surfaced automatically, and she struggled to subdue memories of the power Palpatine had held over her. Marry Luke Skywalker? Surely there was no need; they could meet as often as possible, maybe even live together... The thought of committing herself to another being terrified her, especially when that person was as Force-strong as Luke.
He watched her internal struggle, both on her face and through their bond, and tried to suppress his disappointment. "I'm sorry. It's too soon; you need time to think about it..."
She loved him. More than she'd ever loved anyone. And over-protectiveness aside, he would never try to control her or force her to do anything against her will; she knew that for certain. Independence was over-rated; deep in her heart she knew she wanted to be with him forever. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat as she felt his love surround her, and finally she accepted the inevitable.
"Yes."
"Yes, you'll think about it?" He smiled gently, hope filling his heart.
Mara shook her head. "Yes, I'll marry you."
The smile on his face became an ecstatic grin as he swept her into his arms and squeezed her until she thought she might burst. "I love you, Mara."
"Luke?"
He loosened his hold on her until he could see her face. "What?"
"Can we get out of here now?"
He nodded, not even attempting to hide the happiness bubbling up inside himself. "Let's go." He took her hand in his and squeezed it gently before stepping away from her in the shallow water. "Come on, Artoo."
Beeping quietly to himself, the little droid extended his front leg and followed the two humans as they walked hand-in-hand in front of him, leaving behind only a V-shaped wake that drifted away to nothingness.
The glimmer of light that Luke instinctively headed towards gradually brightened to become the delicate glow of dawn that marked the end of the cave labyrinth and the end of the mission that had irrevocably changed their future lives. A future they would face together.