Part 6
Luke slowly opened his eyes and realized he was no longer in any pain. Whatever had happened after he blacked out, he'd been healed completely. He could move his jaw again. But he still felt so disoriented. He couldn't focus. He felt weak, felt he was dying. Like something was eating away inside him. Something was killing his defenses. He was dying! Luke swallowed hard and focused into himself. He searched desperately for the new plague inside him. Just as he had suspected, the Vong had poisoned him. It was slowly killing him.
"Not if I can help it," He said to himself.
Luke went inside himself, using all his power of the Force to rid his body of this new poison. He wasn't going to die now, not like this. He was determined to see his family again.
Anor entered the cell just as Luke has put himself into the Jedi Healing Trance. He walked over to the technician assigned to Skywalker triumphantly. Upon reaching her, she saluted him. He nodded in acknowledgement.
"Troggs Br'rav, are the seeds in place?" he questioned her.
"Yes sir, they are in place and shall begin to work soon. He has no idea what he's in for." Troggs said slyly.
Nom Anor laughed evilly and he left Luke alone at the mercy of Troggs Br'rav.
***
Mara hadn't left her balcony since she was returned to Coruscant and treated for any injuries she had. She sat there staring out into the city, Cavalli Jade sitting on her lap playing with her hair. The only thing she seemed to care about now was Cavalli and the longing that some day her husband, Luke Skywalker, pronounced dead, would walk back through the door of their home.
But she knew it would never come true. She knew Luke was gone, forever. She was left alone to raise their only boy. The only heir to the Skywalker name, she was determined to keep him save and see him grow. She had to.
The place was decorated with flowers and balloons and unopened gifts. All of it from friends and family that were apologizing for her "loss". She knew he wasn't dead. But still, the flowers kept coming and her small apartment was getting cluttered. Cavalli cried late at night, always waking calling for his father. He'd cry when his father never came. And Mara would cry with him. This was not how they wanted to live their lives.
"Oh Luke, my one true love," she cried. "When will you come back to me?"
***
He had never been knocked unconscious so many times than he had it the past few hours and it was taking it's toll on him physically and mentally. He was now being drug by his feet down a dimly lit corridor, but all he cared about was assuring that the poison had been removed.
His head was racked with pain and newly added to that was his back. there was nothing between his flesh and the floor on which he was being drug. He gathered his strength to see where they were headed and what was next to come. His jaw felt fixed, but very painful, especially his cheeks.
His hands were binded with something that dug deeper into his wrists when he tested them. He was extremely disoriented and had trouble focusing on anything but the pain...the pain of having lost his son.
His thoughts and feelings almost drifted toward the Dark side before he caught them. NO. I must not let my family down he thought. Gotta keep fighting he tried to relax but found it impossible with all the pain and his own touch with the Force slipping
He didn't understand why he was having such problems, but he felt that the poison was out of his body and that allowed him a momentary victory. Suddenly they had stopped and were entering a chamber.
"Put him in" he heard and realized that his hearing was also impared... That poison took a lot out of me. His body was easily hauled up into the creature/ contraption and how it grabbed him by his flesh around the back of his legs and his skull, squeezing both with such force Luke let out a little scream.
"Ahhh, the Jeedi will scream again and again if this is all he can take" the one Vong said mockingly
He turned his head slightly to see if he could catch his bearings when he felt something odd in him... and on his flesh. Just then Anor walked in but he could do nothing at this point. "Aaah. I see he is taking the seeds better than we imagined" he said as he examined his skin closely. What?!?! Luke was in shock and began to struggle. The last thing he remembered as the pain overwhelmed his more fragile body was the grin on Anor's face and the feeling of abandonment.
What is going on! Luke's mind screamed. Why do I feel this way? Why is he looking at me like I'm one of them?
Of course no one answered his questions. And he felt himself overwhelmed with another presence. Suddenly he didn't feel like himself anymore. As if the man who was Luke Skywalker, was replaced with something else, dark and scary. And he lost his touch to the Force. He threw into panic and then all went black.
***
The days rolled on and they turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months and months into years. And still no word from Luke. It had been close to 3 years and still nothing from him at all. Mara eventually lost all hope of ever seeing him alive again.
Cavalli Jade was almost 5 now. He looked more and more like his father each day, except for the red hair. He had that smile and those eyes. It was hard for Mara to look at him sometimes, for she kept seeing Luke. But her overwhelming love for her son made that pass quickly. It was a shame he'd never be a Jedi like his father.
Mara was crying today. Her husband's Force presence had been stripped away suddenly, making it known to her he was dead and never coming back. Her son came up to her, pleading with those blue eyes.
"What's wrong mamma?" he asked her, climbing up on her lap.
"Nothing Cav dear, nothing." She cried holding him close.
The boy looked up at her. "I'll protect you mommy."
Mara set him aside on the couch. He was so innocent. She then wrapped her arms around the tiny boy and looked him directly in the eyes. A smile spread on her face, the first in years. She rested her hand on the boys shoulder and he gave her his father's farm boy smile.
"How will you protect me Cav?" she asked.
The boy smiled again and Mara felt her heart melt. He took her hand and took her out the door of their Coruscant apartment. The tiny boy dragged his mother further down to the turbo lift and dragged her inside. He reached up his tiny hand and pressed a button to send them up.
"Cavalli Jade Skywalker, where are we going?" Mara demanded.
"To the upstairs," the boy said.
"Oh," Mara smiled. "What's up there?"
He smiled and turned to the doors of the lift. The lift came to a stop and the lift doors open. They were on the roof of the apartment complex. The same roof she'd been on years ago. When Luke had given her his father's lightsabre. She felt tears going on again. Her gaze shifted down to Cavalli Jade. Now was time.
She unhooked her Luke's sabre from her belt, then bent down next to her son. He looked at the deactivated hilt of the weapon inn her hands. A smile crossed her face again.
"Cavalli, this was your father's lightsabre," she started. "Even though you will never learn how to use it, I want you to have it, to remind you of him always."
The boy looked at her, blinked and wrapped his small arms around his mom. He wiped away her tears. "Don't cry mommy!"
Corran Horn stepped out of the turbo lift and stood before them. He smiled and crossed his arms across his broad chest waiting for him to be noticed. At the same time he too almost felt the wetness on his cheeks. It had been hard on Mara and Cavalli to lose Luke. It had been hard on all of them.
Mara looked up at the sense of another presence. As she had so many times before, any Force presence she sensed before seeing the face, she always expected Luke. But when she looked up, she saw Corran. And then reality came back to her in a horrible wave of pain.
"Sorry," he said. "Is this a bad time?"
"No Corran its never a bad time, you are always welcome." She came and hugged him tight.
"So Mara, where's this "partner" I'm supposed to have?"
"Late as usual!" she snapped.
Just as she finished her disgusted comment, the turbo lift door opened once more. Kyp Durron strutted out toward the three of them, cocky and self assure. Corran shot an angered glance at Mara and she gave him a slight smirk. Kyp stopped in his tracks upon seeing Corran.
"Well look who it is," Kyp taunted. "Mr. Run out just when we need him most Horn!"
Corran stepped forward so they stood eye to eye, almost as if ready to face off. Ready to rumble.
"Watch your mouth Kyp, before you get yourself into something you can't get out of."
Kyp glared daggers and Corran did the same. Mara stood on the outside of them both, her hands on her hips. Cavalli Jade at her side doing the same.
"That's enough you two!" Mara Screamed.
Both men backed up and stared at Mara in shock. She closed her eyes and tested herself to keep her cool and regain her composer. When she opened her eyes again they were filled with tears. Both of them tilted their heads in shame.
"Luke wanted nothing more then to see his Jedi come back together. Now I know why he never saw it. There is too much bickering and senseless slamming of each other and not enough attention to our real problem. You two are two of our leaders. And you aren't setting a very good example at all. I'm asking both of you to come together, work together, differences aside, to find Master Skywalker. Dead or alive. I need to know what happened to my husband. And I know Corran was planning a trip himself. Well this is a good opportunity for the two of you to learn to GET ALONG!"
With that Mara whipped her chin length red gold hair around and walked toward the turbo lift. She left the men to work out their differences alone. She needed to feed her son. Cavalli Jade ran to catch up with his mom waving to Corran and Kyp as he left.
"Well, that being said, lets make a plan friend." Corran said holding out his hand for Kyp to shake.
Kyp took his hand, started with a shake, and ended with a friendly hug. They were going to work together, even if it killed them. There was so much at stake, they had no other choice.
*Authour's Note: Thanks a million to my mate Jedi Traveler, or should I say Kyp. Without you man part 6 would be dull and have like a page. He created the bobby dazzler of a transformation scene, ya know the torture Luke went through up at the beginning. Anyway, bonza job mate. May the Force be with you!
Luke slowly opened his eyes and realized he was no longer in any pain. Whatever had happened after he blacked out, he'd been healed completely. He could move his jaw again. But he still felt so disoriented. He couldn't focus. He felt weak, felt he was dying. Like something was eating away inside him. Something was killing his defenses. He was dying! Luke swallowed hard and focused into himself. He searched desperately for the new plague inside him. Just as he had suspected, the Vong had poisoned him. It was slowly killing him.
"Not if I can help it," He said to himself.
Luke went inside himself, using all his power of the Force to rid his body of this new poison. He wasn't going to die now, not like this. He was determined to see his family again.
Anor entered the cell just as Luke has put himself into the Jedi Healing Trance. He walked over to the technician assigned to Skywalker triumphantly. Upon reaching her, she saluted him. He nodded in acknowledgement.
"Troggs Br'rav, are the seeds in place?" he questioned her.
"Yes sir, they are in place and shall begin to work soon. He has no idea what he's in for." Troggs said slyly.
Nom Anor laughed evilly and he left Luke alone at the mercy of Troggs Br'rav.
***
Mara hadn't left her balcony since she was returned to Coruscant and treated for any injuries she had. She sat there staring out into the city, Cavalli Jade sitting on her lap playing with her hair. The only thing she seemed to care about now was Cavalli and the longing that some day her husband, Luke Skywalker, pronounced dead, would walk back through the door of their home.
But she knew it would never come true. She knew Luke was gone, forever. She was left alone to raise their only boy. The only heir to the Skywalker name, she was determined to keep him save and see him grow. She had to.
The place was decorated with flowers and balloons and unopened gifts. All of it from friends and family that were apologizing for her "loss". She knew he wasn't dead. But still, the flowers kept coming and her small apartment was getting cluttered. Cavalli cried late at night, always waking calling for his father. He'd cry when his father never came. And Mara would cry with him. This was not how they wanted to live their lives.
"Oh Luke, my one true love," she cried. "When will you come back to me?"
***
He had never been knocked unconscious so many times than he had it the past few hours and it was taking it's toll on him physically and mentally. He was now being drug by his feet down a dimly lit corridor, but all he cared about was assuring that the poison had been removed.
His head was racked with pain and newly added to that was his back. there was nothing between his flesh and the floor on which he was being drug. He gathered his strength to see where they were headed and what was next to come. His jaw felt fixed, but very painful, especially his cheeks.
His hands were binded with something that dug deeper into his wrists when he tested them. He was extremely disoriented and had trouble focusing on anything but the pain...the pain of having lost his son.
His thoughts and feelings almost drifted toward the Dark side before he caught them. NO. I must not let my family down he thought. Gotta keep fighting he tried to relax but found it impossible with all the pain and his own touch with the Force slipping
He didn't understand why he was having such problems, but he felt that the poison was out of his body and that allowed him a momentary victory. Suddenly they had stopped and were entering a chamber.
"Put him in" he heard and realized that his hearing was also impared... That poison took a lot out of me. His body was easily hauled up into the creature/ contraption and how it grabbed him by his flesh around the back of his legs and his skull, squeezing both with such force Luke let out a little scream.
"Ahhh, the Jeedi will scream again and again if this is all he can take" the one Vong said mockingly
He turned his head slightly to see if he could catch his bearings when he felt something odd in him... and on his flesh. Just then Anor walked in but he could do nothing at this point. "Aaah. I see he is taking the seeds better than we imagined" he said as he examined his skin closely. What?!?! Luke was in shock and began to struggle. The last thing he remembered as the pain overwhelmed his more fragile body was the grin on Anor's face and the feeling of abandonment.
What is going on! Luke's mind screamed. Why do I feel this way? Why is he looking at me like I'm one of them?
Of course no one answered his questions. And he felt himself overwhelmed with another presence. Suddenly he didn't feel like himself anymore. As if the man who was Luke Skywalker, was replaced with something else, dark and scary. And he lost his touch to the Force. He threw into panic and then all went black.
***
The days rolled on and they turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months and months into years. And still no word from Luke. It had been close to 3 years and still nothing from him at all. Mara eventually lost all hope of ever seeing him alive again.
Cavalli Jade was almost 5 now. He looked more and more like his father each day, except for the red hair. He had that smile and those eyes. It was hard for Mara to look at him sometimes, for she kept seeing Luke. But her overwhelming love for her son made that pass quickly. It was a shame he'd never be a Jedi like his father.
Mara was crying today. Her husband's Force presence had been stripped away suddenly, making it known to her he was dead and never coming back. Her son came up to her, pleading with those blue eyes.
"What's wrong mamma?" he asked her, climbing up on her lap.
"Nothing Cav dear, nothing." She cried holding him close.
The boy looked up at her. "I'll protect you mommy."
Mara set him aside on the couch. He was so innocent. She then wrapped her arms around the tiny boy and looked him directly in the eyes. A smile spread on her face, the first in years. She rested her hand on the boys shoulder and he gave her his father's farm boy smile.
"How will you protect me Cav?" she asked.
The boy smiled again and Mara felt her heart melt. He took her hand and took her out the door of their Coruscant apartment. The tiny boy dragged his mother further down to the turbo lift and dragged her inside. He reached up his tiny hand and pressed a button to send them up.
"Cavalli Jade Skywalker, where are we going?" Mara demanded.
"To the upstairs," the boy said.
"Oh," Mara smiled. "What's up there?"
He smiled and turned to the doors of the lift. The lift came to a stop and the lift doors open. They were on the roof of the apartment complex. The same roof she'd been on years ago. When Luke had given her his father's lightsabre. She felt tears going on again. Her gaze shifted down to Cavalli Jade. Now was time.
She unhooked her Luke's sabre from her belt, then bent down next to her son. He looked at the deactivated hilt of the weapon inn her hands. A smile crossed her face again.
"Cavalli, this was your father's lightsabre," she started. "Even though you will never learn how to use it, I want you to have it, to remind you of him always."
The boy looked at her, blinked and wrapped his small arms around his mom. He wiped away her tears. "Don't cry mommy!"
Corran Horn stepped out of the turbo lift and stood before them. He smiled and crossed his arms across his broad chest waiting for him to be noticed. At the same time he too almost felt the wetness on his cheeks. It had been hard on Mara and Cavalli to lose Luke. It had been hard on all of them.
Mara looked up at the sense of another presence. As she had so many times before, any Force presence she sensed before seeing the face, she always expected Luke. But when she looked up, she saw Corran. And then reality came back to her in a horrible wave of pain.
"Sorry," he said. "Is this a bad time?"
"No Corran its never a bad time, you are always welcome." She came and hugged him tight.
"So Mara, where's this "partner" I'm supposed to have?"
"Late as usual!" she snapped.
Just as she finished her disgusted comment, the turbo lift door opened once more. Kyp Durron strutted out toward the three of them, cocky and self assure. Corran shot an angered glance at Mara and she gave him a slight smirk. Kyp stopped in his tracks upon seeing Corran.
"Well look who it is," Kyp taunted. "Mr. Run out just when we need him most Horn!"
Corran stepped forward so they stood eye to eye, almost as if ready to face off. Ready to rumble.
"Watch your mouth Kyp, before you get yourself into something you can't get out of."
Kyp glared daggers and Corran did the same. Mara stood on the outside of them both, her hands on her hips. Cavalli Jade at her side doing the same.
"That's enough you two!" Mara Screamed.
Both men backed up and stared at Mara in shock. She closed her eyes and tested herself to keep her cool and regain her composer. When she opened her eyes again they were filled with tears. Both of them tilted their heads in shame.
"Luke wanted nothing more then to see his Jedi come back together. Now I know why he never saw it. There is too much bickering and senseless slamming of each other and not enough attention to our real problem. You two are two of our leaders. And you aren't setting a very good example at all. I'm asking both of you to come together, work together, differences aside, to find Master Skywalker. Dead or alive. I need to know what happened to my husband. And I know Corran was planning a trip himself. Well this is a good opportunity for the two of you to learn to GET ALONG!"
With that Mara whipped her chin length red gold hair around and walked toward the turbo lift. She left the men to work out their differences alone. She needed to feed her son. Cavalli Jade ran to catch up with his mom waving to Corran and Kyp as he left.
"Well, that being said, lets make a plan friend." Corran said holding out his hand for Kyp to shake.
Kyp took his hand, started with a shake, and ended with a friendly hug. They were going to work together, even if it killed them. There was so much at stake, they had no other choice.
*Authour's Note: Thanks a million to my mate Jedi Traveler, or should I say Kyp. Without you man part 6 would be dull and have like a page. He created the bobby dazzler of a transformation scene, ya know the torture Luke went through up at the beginning. Anyway, bonza job mate. May the Force be with you!