Disclaimer: I am nothing but an outlet for the characters that George Lucas and his affiliates
created.
RETURN TO SELF--Chapter 6
Tionne held the child in one arm as she answered the call that Master Skywalker had made.
"Yes, Luke?" she asked, dropping the formality. It was the middle of Yavin's night, and the
baby had not afforded her much sleep lately.
His frown deepened. "I woke you up, didn't I? I forgot about the day cycle change."
Tionne shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Ryft isn't one for sleeping much. I'm learning to
get by on two or three hours." She smiled. "What can I do for you?"
He shook his head. "Bad news here. The Senate is getting closer and closer to doing some-
thing drastic, which effectively puts all of those on Yavin IV at risk for death." He paused to
breathe. "How many students there do you think could speak competently to the Senate?
Preferably the younger ones."
Tionne thought, shifting Ryft to her other arm. The infant reached out towards his father's image
and cooed with curiosity.
"Hello Ryft," Luke said quietly. "I hope to see you again soon. Don't give Tionne a lot of
trouble."
The Jedi woman smiled and so did the baby. "Well, I can send you one of the Calamari...
maybe the young male from Bothan..."
Luke let himself smile. "That sounds fine. I'll send Anakin to pick them up in a few days." He
looked at the chronometer on the wall. "I'll let you get some sleep."
She nodded. "Good luck."
******
Mara wasn't sure whether to be angry or blush furiously. This was the woman who had been
with her husband, the woman he had loved intensely, and yet...Mara was not angry. Or bitter.
"Were you hiding your thoughts from me the entire time I was on the Vong ship?" Mara finally
asked.
Callista lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, Mara; I was too shocked when I first saw you and then
when I went to read you about how Luke was doing..."
Mara nodded. "I can understand how that would be a shock."
The rest of the Force-sensitves around the two women looked very confused. "We go way
back," Callista finally said.
*****
The Senate had not been moved. Luke, Leia, and her two sons sat around a table, picking at
a dinner that Threepio had made. They were all very afraid.
"Maybe Kyp is right," Anakin finally ventured, causing his family to look up at him with
perplexed eyes.
"How so?" Luke asked before Jacen could rant.
"Maybe the Jedi just need to go out and take charge. If the Vong want us, we should go to
them, but not in the way they think."
Jacen shook his head. "We can't attack them, Anakin. Dark Side, remember?"
Anakin grinned. "What if we let them attack us first? Then it's really just defense."
Leia chuckled, surprising everyone. "Avoiding the Dark Side with semantics; you'll make a
politician yet."
Luke leaned back in his chair, observing the three Jedi around him. They were all strong in
the Force in their own ways, bright lights. Unlike his young son, who was a black hole when
it came to Force energy.
He shook the thought off with a slight twitch. He had to save ALL the Jedi, not just focus on the
anamoly that was Ryft.
"Anakin, come up with a plan," he said suddenly. "Then let me review it. Maybe we can do
something."
*****
"Time finally caught up with you, I see," Callista said as she handed Mara a bowl of nutritional
supplement.
Mara raised an eyebrow and Callista gently tugged at a strand of white hair. Mara looked at it
and shrugged.
"It was bound to happen." Mara realized then how long she'd been away from the comforts of
home that her white hair was beginning to show again.
The two women ate in a strained silence. Both were glad to have a familiar face, but the
extreme awkwardness of the situation did not escape either of them. Callista was desperate to
know how Mara had won Luke's heart, but afraid to hear that he had trully gotten beyond her.
Mara wanted to know how Callista had suddenly regained the Force, but didn't want to open
any old wounds.
"How long have you been here?" Mara ventured when she had finished her meal.
Callista looked up at the other woman, calculating. "Two months, maybe three. My body is so
out of whack that I can't really be certain."
Mara nodded, understanding. "My body was out of whack to begin with; much more time here
and who knows what'll happen."
A raised eyebrow from Callista seemed to invite more information on the subject. Mara
wondered how much to tell the older Jedi. Pulling the brown-haired woman closer, she
whispered into her ear.
"I had a baby almost 3 months ago. I really haven't recovered yet."
Callista's eyes went wide with fury, jealousy, and countless other emotions. "Congratulations,"
she finally murmured.
Mara changed the subject quickly. "So, what do they have us do here?"
Callista shook her head. "Nobody really knows. We all arrived about the same time and have
just been sitting here eating ever since."
Mara furrowed her brow in thought. "So the Vong want all the Jedi to put us in a room together.
That doesn't make a lot of strategic sense."
"Maybe they need more of us."
Mara blinked slowly. "That is a definite possibility."
Hours later, when all those around her were asleep, Mara tiptoed to the corner of the room and
clicked her tongue once.
At first, nothing but static came back, but then the grumblings of a woman could be heard.
"Just wanted to get your attention," Mara whispered. "Did you hear my conversation with
Callista?" she asked.
The woman on Coruscant responded. "Yes, it's very interesting and I'm passing it along."
More static. "How are you holding up?"
Mara shrugged, even though the woman couldn't see her. "I'm okay. Just remember...I'm not
really here."
The woman probably nodded. "I understand."
created.
RETURN TO SELF--Chapter 6
Tionne held the child in one arm as she answered the call that Master Skywalker had made.
"Yes, Luke?" she asked, dropping the formality. It was the middle of Yavin's night, and the
baby had not afforded her much sleep lately.
His frown deepened. "I woke you up, didn't I? I forgot about the day cycle change."
Tionne shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Ryft isn't one for sleeping much. I'm learning to
get by on two or three hours." She smiled. "What can I do for you?"
He shook his head. "Bad news here. The Senate is getting closer and closer to doing some-
thing drastic, which effectively puts all of those on Yavin IV at risk for death." He paused to
breathe. "How many students there do you think could speak competently to the Senate?
Preferably the younger ones."
Tionne thought, shifting Ryft to her other arm. The infant reached out towards his father's image
and cooed with curiosity.
"Hello Ryft," Luke said quietly. "I hope to see you again soon. Don't give Tionne a lot of
trouble."
The Jedi woman smiled and so did the baby. "Well, I can send you one of the Calamari...
maybe the young male from Bothan..."
Luke let himself smile. "That sounds fine. I'll send Anakin to pick them up in a few days." He
looked at the chronometer on the wall. "I'll let you get some sleep."
She nodded. "Good luck."
******
Mara wasn't sure whether to be angry or blush furiously. This was the woman who had been
with her husband, the woman he had loved intensely, and yet...Mara was not angry. Or bitter.
"Were you hiding your thoughts from me the entire time I was on the Vong ship?" Mara finally
asked.
Callista lowered her eyes. "I'm sorry, Mara; I was too shocked when I first saw you and then
when I went to read you about how Luke was doing..."
Mara nodded. "I can understand how that would be a shock."
The rest of the Force-sensitves around the two women looked very confused. "We go way
back," Callista finally said.
*****
The Senate had not been moved. Luke, Leia, and her two sons sat around a table, picking at
a dinner that Threepio had made. They were all very afraid.
"Maybe Kyp is right," Anakin finally ventured, causing his family to look up at him with
perplexed eyes.
"How so?" Luke asked before Jacen could rant.
"Maybe the Jedi just need to go out and take charge. If the Vong want us, we should go to
them, but not in the way they think."
Jacen shook his head. "We can't attack them, Anakin. Dark Side, remember?"
Anakin grinned. "What if we let them attack us first? Then it's really just defense."
Leia chuckled, surprising everyone. "Avoiding the Dark Side with semantics; you'll make a
politician yet."
Luke leaned back in his chair, observing the three Jedi around him. They were all strong in
the Force in their own ways, bright lights. Unlike his young son, who was a black hole when
it came to Force energy.
He shook the thought off with a slight twitch. He had to save ALL the Jedi, not just focus on the
anamoly that was Ryft.
"Anakin, come up with a plan," he said suddenly. "Then let me review it. Maybe we can do
something."
*****
"Time finally caught up with you, I see," Callista said as she handed Mara a bowl of nutritional
supplement.
Mara raised an eyebrow and Callista gently tugged at a strand of white hair. Mara looked at it
and shrugged.
"It was bound to happen." Mara realized then how long she'd been away from the comforts of
home that her white hair was beginning to show again.
The two women ate in a strained silence. Both were glad to have a familiar face, but the
extreme awkwardness of the situation did not escape either of them. Callista was desperate to
know how Mara had won Luke's heart, but afraid to hear that he had trully gotten beyond her.
Mara wanted to know how Callista had suddenly regained the Force, but didn't want to open
any old wounds.
"How long have you been here?" Mara ventured when she had finished her meal.
Callista looked up at the other woman, calculating. "Two months, maybe three. My body is so
out of whack that I can't really be certain."
Mara nodded, understanding. "My body was out of whack to begin with; much more time here
and who knows what'll happen."
A raised eyebrow from Callista seemed to invite more information on the subject. Mara
wondered how much to tell the older Jedi. Pulling the brown-haired woman closer, she
whispered into her ear.
"I had a baby almost 3 months ago. I really haven't recovered yet."
Callista's eyes went wide with fury, jealousy, and countless other emotions. "Congratulations,"
she finally murmured.
Mara changed the subject quickly. "So, what do they have us do here?"
Callista shook her head. "Nobody really knows. We all arrived about the same time and have
just been sitting here eating ever since."
Mara furrowed her brow in thought. "So the Vong want all the Jedi to put us in a room together.
That doesn't make a lot of strategic sense."
"Maybe they need more of us."
Mara blinked slowly. "That is a definite possibility."
Hours later, when all those around her were asleep, Mara tiptoed to the corner of the room and
clicked her tongue once.
At first, nothing but static came back, but then the grumblings of a woman could be heard.
"Just wanted to get your attention," Mara whispered. "Did you hear my conversation with
Callista?" she asked.
The woman on Coruscant responded. "Yes, it's very interesting and I'm passing it along."
More static. "How are you holding up?"
Mara shrugged, even though the woman couldn't see her. "I'm okay. Just remember...I'm not
really here."
The woman probably nodded. "I understand."
