Disclaimer: Star Wars and all the things associated with it belong to George Lucas. I'm not really sure I'd want to claim them at this point in time.
Rating: PG-13
Author's Note: Sorry again for the delay, I needed to be infuriated by Rebirth before I could start writing another chapter.
Return to Self: Chapter 10
Jaina, Anakin, and ten other young Jedi crept through the Rogue Squadron hanger. They were playing it safe on many levels—Wedge had made sure the area would be clear, and each Jedi projected a blank space around themselves in case someone happened to wander through. Hopefully, it would be enough.
Wedge had thought this theft through, and had even programmed the astromech droids to listen to anything the Jedi told them to do. Twelve x-wings powered up in quiet mode, as twelve Jedi thickened the air to make the sounds even quieter. They had fifteen minutes to clear orbit before things got really, really complicated.
Jaina, nestled comfortably in her cockpit, flipped to the agreed upon channel as she put on her helmet.
"Okay, folks, you know the drill. Get the hell out of here as quickly as you can, and don't stop until you've reached Tatooine. Master Skywalker, my mother and father are already on route."
She got a round of "yes ma'ams" and then silence. She stretched out with her senses, smiling at the excitement they all felt at this great heist. Even Anakin was getting eager to break out and save the galaxy.
With a word to her astromech, they were off the ground. Eleven other x-wings followed as Jaina's astromech told the hanger doors to open. It was nerve-wracking and made her feel vulnerable; she knew there wouldn't be anyone waiting on the other side of those doors…would there? She shook her head. No, if they were there, she would have felt it. They were safe. They would make this escape.
"X-Wing Alpha, please state your destination."
Sithspawn, Jaina thought. I knew this looked too easy.
"I'm sorry tower, could you repeat? I've got a lot of static up here."
"You heard me, Alpha. Turn your ship around and return to the planet's surface."
"Sorry, tower, no can do."
"Alpha, we will release patrols to come to retrieve you and your group."
"Catch us if you can, Tower." Jaina grinned and turned her comm to the secured Jedi channel. "We're about to have company all. See you in the desert."
*****
Luke stood on the sands of Tatooine, looking out over what had once been the Lars homestead. If he had known at eighteen what is life was going to turn into…no, he still would have done it. Even now, with the Vong creeping across the galaxy, and the Jedi being persecuted, he still would have followed R2 D2 into the desert. Better that than dying at the hands of Imperial Stormtroopers before he could help save the galaxy.
He reached out again with his mind, searching desperately for the wife he hadn't seen in over a month. She'd been closed off, distant. There had been an instant where Luke had felt excruciating pain from Mara, but beyond that…there had been nothing. He knew only that she was not dead.
He felt his sister walking towards him, and a sudden burst of anger welled up in him. Leia knew something about the disappearance of Mara. Everytime he brought up the subject of his missing wife, Leia became closed to him on all levels. He had asked her, even pleaded with her for some information on Mara, but she would not say anything to him about it.
"She made me promise, Luke. It's better for everyone that you don't know. I know Mara wishes that I didn't know either."
Luke turned, and his anger was taken over by sadness. His sister still relied heavily on her cane, and sometimes the pain shot through him with each of her steps. "She's my wife, Leia. I just want to know that she's okay. I want to be able to see that she's okay."
Leia wrapped her brother in a hug. "She's fine. She's doing what she has to do. And you have some of your own things to do. We have to find a way to hide twenty-four x-wings and almost one hundred people out here in the desert." She smiled. "Han's not as fast as he used to be; he could use your help setting up the shelters. Whether he wants to admit it or not."
Luke nodded and started to walk away. Leia began to follow, but then she felt something pressing against her hip. Sighing, she took the padd out of her pocket.
"Luke, I…I have a message for you. From Tionne."
He whirled around and stalked across the sand. "Why didn't you give it to me sooner? Is Ryft okay?"
Leia nodded. "He's fine, but he misses his father. Tionne just wanted you to see him."
He took the padd from her but did not turn it on. Luke looked his sister over and sighed. "How did you do it, Leia? How did you save the galaxy and still find time to raise your kids?"
Leia shook her head. "Luke, you were so busy that you didn't notice…I didn't really raise my kids. Han did, Chewie did, C-3PO did. But I didn't. I couldn't learn how to balance my work and my family." She rested her hand on her brother's shoulder. "You could go to him now, Luke. You could go see Ryft, bring him back here…"
It was Luke's turn to shake his head. "He's safer at Yavin IV than he is with me. At least for now. Plus I can't…we couldn't have him around. He would be like a yslarmmi…"
Leia opened her mouth but then closed it again. She didn't need to say anything for Luke to know what she was feeling. "Maybe you should go help Han. They'll be here soon, and then we have to make our final plans." She paused, thinking. "Take your time to look at Tionne's message first, though."
Luke walked away, and Leia knew he might never resolve all the issues he had at this moment.
*****
It took Mara awhile to realize she was awake. The room she was in was as silent as her sleep had been, except for the persistent humming of the Vong ship. Pain began to filter into her brain as well—her right arm was probably broken, and her left ankle throbbed with a sprain. There were no massive internal injuries that she could decipher, so she had lucked out there.
Slowly, she opened her eyes. At first, everything around her was a blur. But shadows slowly came into focus, and a pair of very worried grey eyes looked her over.
"Finally," Callista said, holding a glass of water in her hand. "Please have something to drink; your body is nearly dehydrated."
Mara sipped at the water slowly after two sets of hands helped her to sit up. She looked around the room, and saw that there were more Jedi than ever in the room.
"I guess I didn't tell them anything," she said hoarsely. "Why'd they bring me back?"
Callista shrugged, handing the glass to someone to go refill. "You were gone for two days and asleep for three. We've been training and monitoring you at the same time. We set your arm as best we could, but you won't be using it for several weeks."
Mara groaned. Broken limbs certainly complicated things a great deal. "What's our status?"
Callista sat down next to Mara, a fresh glass of water in hand. "Everyone in here is as ready as they're going to be. The newer Jedi have had more outside training, and were very eager to help." She waited for Mara to swallow some of her water. "Ilian here was the last to be picked up," she said, pointing to a tall male Rodian who was standing in the corner. "He said that they'd found him just outside what used to be Alderaan."
Mara felt her stomach tighten. "Coreward. We've got to stop them."
Callista nodded. "I know. Believe me, I know. We're prepared to do it, as soon as you think you're ready."
Mara began to reassess her physical wellness. The arm she could deal with, but she couldn't very well fight with her ankle as it was. Still, if the sprain had been there for five days, she should be better in two or three…
"No, you won't wait for me. We'll figure my part in with some of the weaker talents. I'll be able to boost them, and still have their physical agility as protection."
Callista nodded. The older Jedi woman knew better than to argue. "We'll assemble soon."
