Part 3
Mara held his head in her lap and stroked his hair. She was so lost, and she couldn't think. And, her husband couldn't talk.
Calm down Mara, his voice rang in he head.
How can I calm down, she barked back. Look at us!
He let out a sigh and opened his eyes. There wasn't much he could to do reassure her. He lifted his hand to touch her cheek. The cell door creaked open again. Luke groaned not wanting those creatures to hurt him anymore. He just wanted a little more time with Mara.
A Vong soldier stepped in slowly as if taunting them. In his arms sat their little boy. The solider bent down and let the boy go. He toddled the best he could to the waiting arms of his mother. The three shared a brief moment together and Luke found himself taken away again.
Cavalli appeared confused as he watched the Vong take his father away. Mara held the boy close. She was trying her hardest to be strong for her son, and for Luke. The face Cavalli made at the dismissal of his father tore at her heart.
"Where da go?" he asked her with a child like innocence.
"Oh Cavalli," Mara began to cry again.
***
He couldn't take much more of this. It was just too painful. He couldn't scream he couldn't curse, he couldn't even reason. In some ways that was more painful then the torture. He had to think of away to get Cavalli, Mara and himself out... alive!
Luke just wanted to go home.
"Well, Skywalker... I'm going to let your family go. However, I'm afraid I must keep you I need to find your Jeedai some how. And holding you as a hostage is the best way to take care of you and them all together." Anor informed.
Luke winced, partly from pain and mostly from the Vong's words. He didn't know whether or not he could trust Nom Anor or not, but...he wasn't in a position to be choosey. Before he could give it anymore thought his consciousness was enveloped in darkness and shadows ... shadows from which came vividly the haunting memory of...
8 months after Cavalli's Birth, Skywalker Suite
Luke sat on the floor against the couch watching the holonet with one eye and his son crawling on the floor with the other. Mara was in the bedroom, and Jacen Solo was laying on the couch flipping channels. It was hard to believe that the galaxy was on the brink of war...
"Cavalli what are you doing?" Luke asked looking at his son in front of the holonet.
"Boo," the boy said touching the screen.
"He wants to watch Blues Clues, Jacen." Luke clarified to his nephews confusion.
Jacen nodded and changed the channel. When the blue puppy appeared the boy crawled over his fathers lap and over to sit next to Jacen, just under the older boy's arm.
Luke smiled and stood up.
"I'll be right back, watch him okay?" He directed his nephew.
"Sure uncle Luke." Jacen yawned.
Before Jacen realized it he'd fallen asleep. The remote fell from his hand and it hit Cavalli in the head. The boy began to cry and scream. Luke and Mara both rushed out of the bedroom. Jacen awoke.
"What happened?" Luke asked picking up his son.
"Jacen, weren't you watching him?" Mara asked.
Jacen rubbed his eyes. "I guess I fell asleep.
Cavalli stopped crying then looked at his dad. He wrapped his small arms around Luke's neck and smiled at Mara. He then signaled that he wanted to get down. Luke put him down out of confusion. The boy crawled over and sat under Jacen and held his arms up. Jacen picked him up.
Cavalli smacked Jacen with his little hand. "Ow."
Jacen laughed.
Luke and Mara exchanged glances and soon they were laughing too.
Luke awoke.
The Vong prison...present time
"Mara Skywalker, you and your son are free to leave." Nom Anor said opening the cell door wide.
Mara glared. "What about my husband?"
Anor sighed and shook his head. "I'm afraid the Jeedai Skywalker is dead."
Mara's glare hardened. That wasn't possible. She would have known, she would have felt her husband go. There was something wrong with Anor just letting them leave like this. He was hiding something. He was hiding Luke.
"That's a lie!" she said standing and setting Cavalli on his tiny feet.
Anor stepped aside as Mara took her son back in her arms and stormed out toward the Falcon. She tested herself to keep going and not run to find Luke. Something didn't feel right about leaving him behind. But she couldn't run to find him, it would put Cavalli in danger.
She had no choice. And if they wanted to kill Cavalli, they'd have to get her and Luke first. No, she had to save her son first, above all else. So she continued toward the Faclon.
"Don't worry Cavalli, we'll get daddy back, I promise." She whispered.
Mara entered the docking bay to see a painful sight.
Before her stood Nom Anor and a few of his soliders. In front of them lay Luke Skywalker, bond and chained like some sort of animal. Each taking their turn at beating the Jedi with all they had, And Luke had no choice but to take it.
"Leave him alone you monsters!" Mara yelled.
Mara ran into the Falcon and put Cavalli inside the commons. She buckled him into the seat, then planted a soft kiss on the small boys head. He giggled and smiled at her. She felt tears welled up in her eyes. He had that farm boy smile.
"Mommy and Daddy will be right back okay?"
Cavalli giggled.
"Be a good boy and we'll get you some new toys when its all over."
With that, hoping they weren't her final word to her son, she departed down the ramp. Then she turned back a second. She looked at her boy. He was adorable, with his father's blue eyes and her red gold hair. And Mara's tears began to roll down her cheeks.
"I love you Cavalli!" she called.
"Wuv ooo!" Cavalli said.
Mara held his head in her lap and stroked his hair. She was so lost, and she couldn't think. And, her husband couldn't talk.
Calm down Mara, his voice rang in he head.
How can I calm down, she barked back. Look at us!
He let out a sigh and opened his eyes. There wasn't much he could to do reassure her. He lifted his hand to touch her cheek. The cell door creaked open again. Luke groaned not wanting those creatures to hurt him anymore. He just wanted a little more time with Mara.
A Vong soldier stepped in slowly as if taunting them. In his arms sat their little boy. The solider bent down and let the boy go. He toddled the best he could to the waiting arms of his mother. The three shared a brief moment together and Luke found himself taken away again.
Cavalli appeared confused as he watched the Vong take his father away. Mara held the boy close. She was trying her hardest to be strong for her son, and for Luke. The face Cavalli made at the dismissal of his father tore at her heart.
"Where da go?" he asked her with a child like innocence.
"Oh Cavalli," Mara began to cry again.
***
He couldn't take much more of this. It was just too painful. He couldn't scream he couldn't curse, he couldn't even reason. In some ways that was more painful then the torture. He had to think of away to get Cavalli, Mara and himself out... alive!
Luke just wanted to go home.
"Well, Skywalker... I'm going to let your family go. However, I'm afraid I must keep you I need to find your Jeedai some how. And holding you as a hostage is the best way to take care of you and them all together." Anor informed.
Luke winced, partly from pain and mostly from the Vong's words. He didn't know whether or not he could trust Nom Anor or not, but...he wasn't in a position to be choosey. Before he could give it anymore thought his consciousness was enveloped in darkness and shadows ... shadows from which came vividly the haunting memory of...
8 months after Cavalli's Birth, Skywalker Suite
Luke sat on the floor against the couch watching the holonet with one eye and his son crawling on the floor with the other. Mara was in the bedroom, and Jacen Solo was laying on the couch flipping channels. It was hard to believe that the galaxy was on the brink of war...
"Cavalli what are you doing?" Luke asked looking at his son in front of the holonet.
"Boo," the boy said touching the screen.
"He wants to watch Blues Clues, Jacen." Luke clarified to his nephews confusion.
Jacen nodded and changed the channel. When the blue puppy appeared the boy crawled over his fathers lap and over to sit next to Jacen, just under the older boy's arm.
Luke smiled and stood up.
"I'll be right back, watch him okay?" He directed his nephew.
"Sure uncle Luke." Jacen yawned.
Before Jacen realized it he'd fallen asleep. The remote fell from his hand and it hit Cavalli in the head. The boy began to cry and scream. Luke and Mara both rushed out of the bedroom. Jacen awoke.
"What happened?" Luke asked picking up his son.
"Jacen, weren't you watching him?" Mara asked.
Jacen rubbed his eyes. "I guess I fell asleep.
Cavalli stopped crying then looked at his dad. He wrapped his small arms around Luke's neck and smiled at Mara. He then signaled that he wanted to get down. Luke put him down out of confusion. The boy crawled over and sat under Jacen and held his arms up. Jacen picked him up.
Cavalli smacked Jacen with his little hand. "Ow."
Jacen laughed.
Luke and Mara exchanged glances and soon they were laughing too.
Luke awoke.
The Vong prison...present time
"Mara Skywalker, you and your son are free to leave." Nom Anor said opening the cell door wide.
Mara glared. "What about my husband?"
Anor sighed and shook his head. "I'm afraid the Jeedai Skywalker is dead."
Mara's glare hardened. That wasn't possible. She would have known, she would have felt her husband go. There was something wrong with Anor just letting them leave like this. He was hiding something. He was hiding Luke.
"That's a lie!" she said standing and setting Cavalli on his tiny feet.
Anor stepped aside as Mara took her son back in her arms and stormed out toward the Falcon. She tested herself to keep going and not run to find Luke. Something didn't feel right about leaving him behind. But she couldn't run to find him, it would put Cavalli in danger.
She had no choice. And if they wanted to kill Cavalli, they'd have to get her and Luke first. No, she had to save her son first, above all else. So she continued toward the Faclon.
"Don't worry Cavalli, we'll get daddy back, I promise." She whispered.
Mara entered the docking bay to see a painful sight.
Before her stood Nom Anor and a few of his soliders. In front of them lay Luke Skywalker, bond and chained like some sort of animal. Each taking their turn at beating the Jedi with all they had, And Luke had no choice but to take it.
"Leave him alone you monsters!" Mara yelled.
Mara ran into the Falcon and put Cavalli inside the commons. She buckled him into the seat, then planted a soft kiss on the small boys head. He giggled and smiled at her. She felt tears welled up in her eyes. He had that farm boy smile.
"Mommy and Daddy will be right back okay?"
Cavalli giggled.
"Be a good boy and we'll get you some new toys when its all over."
With that, hoping they weren't her final word to her son, she departed down the ramp. Then she turned back a second. She looked at her boy. He was adorable, with his father's blue eyes and her red gold hair. And Mara's tears began to roll down her cheeks.
"I love you Cavalli!" she called.
"Wuv ooo!" Cavalli said.