Part 9
The President's ship landed a short time later. Neither side had moved or started battle. Luke and Mara still stood face to face, both unwavering and neither backing down. They were silent. In fact it was so silent the Chief of State thought he was walking into a funeral, not a battlefield.
He cleared his throat as he approached Luke and Mara. Of course, he had no idea what he was getting into.
"Excuse me Mrs. Skywalker, but the War Master and I have a deal to make," he said lightly moving the Jedi woman aside.
"With all due respect sir, you have no idea what's going on here!" she said.
"I know they took your husband, but this is politics."
Mara smirked to herself. She moved aside gently and allowed Fey'lya to stand face to face with the Vong who had once been Luke Skywalker. If Luke had really changed as much as she saw, then the Chief of State had a hard road ahead.
"Now, War Master what exactly did you want to discuss?" the Bothan asked.
Skywalker smiled. Then he lifted his clawed hand up as if to shake hands with the Bothan leader. Fey'lya perked his ears and a wide smile spread on his face as well. Their hands went together and instead of shaking, Luke used his superior strength to flip the unsuspecting leader on to his back and to the ground. Then he took a staff from Anor who stood at his side, and placed it just inches from the Bothans throat.
"Your leader is weak," he began. "Many have seen it, few have acknowledged it. However this creature who has control of your people will be the end of your pathetic government unless you chose a better leader, we will destroy you!"
Nom Anor's eyes grew wide in confusion. They're new War Master wasn't starting war, but offering peace if the enemy picked a new leader. This was not the plan. The plan never included this.
"Tell them President Fey'Lya how you have a personal vendetta against Jeedai Skywalker and that is why you refused to sanction any of the their actions. Tell them how you secretly hate the Jeedai and what they stand for and were considering, somewhere in the back of your mind, surrendering all of them to us. Tell them of you evil President, they might be interested to know!"
Not a single beings mouth didn't drop. Stunned most by this was Borsk Fey'lya himself. How had the Vong known all this? Why was he reasoning instead of fighting? What possibly was going through his head?
Skywalker stepped back allowing the Bothan a little more space then he deserved. Fey'lya bowed his head in shame. All of it was true.
"The Vong speaks the truth," he noted.
The crowed, including the Yuuzhan Vong warriors gasped in shock. This was indeed a strange turn of events. Not only had the Vong delayed war on this field, but they had broken their chief of state. This new War Master was good. And to the three Jedi who knew his true identity they also understood.
"You have exactly 3 standard seconds to get out of my sight before I kill you Bothan traitor!" Luke said his voice filled with scorn.
The Bothan was quick, but Luke was quicker. With one flick of his wrist, the former Jedi sent the staff whirling toward the leader. Borsk turned to look back and the last thing he saw was the staff soaring toward him. He fell to the ground of the forest, the Yuuzhan Vong ampistaff protruding from his forehead.
A satisfied grin spread across Luke's face and he turned to greet the eyes that's gazed upon him. When he turned the grin changed to an enraged frown as the Vong legions had begun war without his specific instructions.
Before he could do anything, a blaster shot hit him squarely in the chest, sending him backwards into darkness.
***
"... Is healing nicely," 2-1B stated just as Luke began to revive. "How ever, I am still deeply concerned about the shot he took. It is less then inches from his heart, it could appear to be deadly."
He opened his eyes. Something was different. Something inside him had changed. He could touch the Force again. The shock nearly caused him to stop breathing. He turned his head to the left and suddenly realized he was on a breath mask, the tubes practically strangled him. He saw his beautiful wife talking to the med droid.
"So he will be Luke again though right?" she asked.
"Master Skywalker should regain normal human state very soon." The droid replied.
Mara let out a sigh of relief and turned to take her seat back at Luke's side. She picked up his hand, kissed it gently and realized that it was a human hand, not a Vong one. She smiled and saw his eyes were open. Those beautiful eyes she'd longed to see for years while they were apart. He gave her a weak smile, and tears of joy came down her cheeks. Her husband was coming back to her.
"Luke, I love you!" she cried.
He reached up a hand and stroked her cheek. It felt good to have her soft skin under his hand once again. How he'd missed her. Of course, he wasn't exactly sure why'd he missed her. He wasn't exactly sure of anything.
"I love you too," he whispered.
She smiled again. Her husband remembered her, and who he was. She leaned up and kissed him on the mouth. It felt good, to both of them.
"What happened? I remember you leaving the fortress with the twins, but that's all. What happened?" he asked her.
"Well Luke, it's a long story. There will be time to explain it later. When you've recovered." Having said that she kissed him again and gave his hand a light squeeze.
He closed his eyes again and continued to heal.
Mara stood and departed the room, hardly able to control her tears of joy. She walked out into the waiting room to greet her sister in law, brother in law and her niece and nephews and a few close friends, including Corran, Kyp and Wedge. In Jaina's arm sat Cavalli Jade, happily playing with his cousins hair.
"So, what's the news?" Corran asked.
"Luke's back!" she said happily, the tears falling again. "But he doesn't remember anything about being a Vong, so don't hound him about beating you up okay!"
Corran laughed and gave her a hug. Mara began to laugh too. Now Mara would cry no more. Everything was going to be fine, she could feel it.
The President's ship landed a short time later. Neither side had moved or started battle. Luke and Mara still stood face to face, both unwavering and neither backing down. They were silent. In fact it was so silent the Chief of State thought he was walking into a funeral, not a battlefield.
He cleared his throat as he approached Luke and Mara. Of course, he had no idea what he was getting into.
"Excuse me Mrs. Skywalker, but the War Master and I have a deal to make," he said lightly moving the Jedi woman aside.
"With all due respect sir, you have no idea what's going on here!" she said.
"I know they took your husband, but this is politics."
Mara smirked to herself. She moved aside gently and allowed Fey'lya to stand face to face with the Vong who had once been Luke Skywalker. If Luke had really changed as much as she saw, then the Chief of State had a hard road ahead.
"Now, War Master what exactly did you want to discuss?" the Bothan asked.
Skywalker smiled. Then he lifted his clawed hand up as if to shake hands with the Bothan leader. Fey'lya perked his ears and a wide smile spread on his face as well. Their hands went together and instead of shaking, Luke used his superior strength to flip the unsuspecting leader on to his back and to the ground. Then he took a staff from Anor who stood at his side, and placed it just inches from the Bothans throat.
"Your leader is weak," he began. "Many have seen it, few have acknowledged it. However this creature who has control of your people will be the end of your pathetic government unless you chose a better leader, we will destroy you!"
Nom Anor's eyes grew wide in confusion. They're new War Master wasn't starting war, but offering peace if the enemy picked a new leader. This was not the plan. The plan never included this.
"Tell them President Fey'Lya how you have a personal vendetta against Jeedai Skywalker and that is why you refused to sanction any of the their actions. Tell them how you secretly hate the Jeedai and what they stand for and were considering, somewhere in the back of your mind, surrendering all of them to us. Tell them of you evil President, they might be interested to know!"
Not a single beings mouth didn't drop. Stunned most by this was Borsk Fey'lya himself. How had the Vong known all this? Why was he reasoning instead of fighting? What possibly was going through his head?
Skywalker stepped back allowing the Bothan a little more space then he deserved. Fey'lya bowed his head in shame. All of it was true.
"The Vong speaks the truth," he noted.
The crowed, including the Yuuzhan Vong warriors gasped in shock. This was indeed a strange turn of events. Not only had the Vong delayed war on this field, but they had broken their chief of state. This new War Master was good. And to the three Jedi who knew his true identity they also understood.
"You have exactly 3 standard seconds to get out of my sight before I kill you Bothan traitor!" Luke said his voice filled with scorn.
The Bothan was quick, but Luke was quicker. With one flick of his wrist, the former Jedi sent the staff whirling toward the leader. Borsk turned to look back and the last thing he saw was the staff soaring toward him. He fell to the ground of the forest, the Yuuzhan Vong ampistaff protruding from his forehead.
A satisfied grin spread across Luke's face and he turned to greet the eyes that's gazed upon him. When he turned the grin changed to an enraged frown as the Vong legions had begun war without his specific instructions.
Before he could do anything, a blaster shot hit him squarely in the chest, sending him backwards into darkness.
***
"... Is healing nicely," 2-1B stated just as Luke began to revive. "How ever, I am still deeply concerned about the shot he took. It is less then inches from his heart, it could appear to be deadly."
He opened his eyes. Something was different. Something inside him had changed. He could touch the Force again. The shock nearly caused him to stop breathing. He turned his head to the left and suddenly realized he was on a breath mask, the tubes practically strangled him. He saw his beautiful wife talking to the med droid.
"So he will be Luke again though right?" she asked.
"Master Skywalker should regain normal human state very soon." The droid replied.
Mara let out a sigh of relief and turned to take her seat back at Luke's side. She picked up his hand, kissed it gently and realized that it was a human hand, not a Vong one. She smiled and saw his eyes were open. Those beautiful eyes she'd longed to see for years while they were apart. He gave her a weak smile, and tears of joy came down her cheeks. Her husband was coming back to her.
"Luke, I love you!" she cried.
He reached up a hand and stroked her cheek. It felt good to have her soft skin under his hand once again. How he'd missed her. Of course, he wasn't exactly sure why'd he missed her. He wasn't exactly sure of anything.
"I love you too," he whispered.
She smiled again. Her husband remembered her, and who he was. She leaned up and kissed him on the mouth. It felt good, to both of them.
"What happened? I remember you leaving the fortress with the twins, but that's all. What happened?" he asked her.
"Well Luke, it's a long story. There will be time to explain it later. When you've recovered." Having said that she kissed him again and gave his hand a light squeeze.
He closed his eyes again and continued to heal.
Mara stood and departed the room, hardly able to control her tears of joy. She walked out into the waiting room to greet her sister in law, brother in law and her niece and nephews and a few close friends, including Corran, Kyp and Wedge. In Jaina's arm sat Cavalli Jade, happily playing with his cousins hair.
"So, what's the news?" Corran asked.
"Luke's back!" she said happily, the tears falling again. "But he doesn't remember anything about being a Vong, so don't hound him about beating you up okay!"
Corran laughed and gave her a hug. Mara began to laugh too. Now Mara would cry no more. Everything was going to be fine, she could feel it.