Shadows of Light and Dark
By Silver Twilight
* * *
Chapter One: To Care Again
* * *
Two hours later, Luke, Mara, Han, Leia, and Ben were crowded around the counter in Luke and Mara's kitchen. There were some freshly ordered, original Corellian appetizers sitting on the top, and a large glass of ale for Luke, Mara, and Han. Leia was daintily sipping at some water.
Ben sat gurgling in Mara's lap, his head resting on her shoulders. Mara's face was serene, and she had one hand enfolded in Luke's. She had a look of ecstasy on her face that Luke hadn't seen for a long, long time.
This is my wife happy, Luke thought, and look what makes her happy. The simple act of being able to see her son again.
Luke sighed, and squeezed Mara's hand a bit. She turned at him, in surprise, but smiled nonetheless. She glanced at the chronological piece on the wall. "Well," she announced, "It has been great seeing you guys again! And I can't begin to thank you for delivering Ben safe and sound." Here she smiled, and fondly stroked her son's hair, "But I think we ought to call it a night. There's a meeting with the Advisory Council tomorrow. Ought to be just dandy, but I think we should all get the best amount of sleep possible."
Leia yawned slightly, and nodded. "Anyways, Jacen is staying with us tonight. We haven't seen him in awhile. I really want to see how he has been holding up, what with Vergere's death and all. . ."
There was a pause in the conversation, then Han put an arm around his wife and said, "Thanks for your time, Luke, Mara. We were happy to deliver your package safe and sound."
Luke smiled at them graciously. "I'll see you tomorrow, right Leia?"
"Of course," his sister said. Her brown eyes glanced at him for a moment, seeming to probe his mind. But he had had his barriers firmly down the entire night. She stared at him a final moment, then turned away, and followed her husband out of the door.
Mara smiled after them, then wheeled on Luke the second the door slammed shut. "What is your problem?" she asked, sparks flying out of her ears.
Luke looked at her innocently. "What makes you think there's a problem?"
She glared at him, and Luke could feel the energy of the Force surging, and he knew she was trying to send him a telepathic message. But his barriers were down, and she could not. He shrugged somewhat helplessly. "Mara," he started patiently, "Nothing is the matter."
Her green eyes began to blaze, and Luke knew that he better get out of this pretty quickly. "Mara, I just need some time to think. Alone."
Her gaze traveled around the contours of his face. "Luke, I married you. We're in this together. You can't leave me so easily."
Beside them, Ben gurgled impatiently. Through their bond, Luke saw he was hungry. He reached across the counter and grabbed a bottle of toddler formula. Luke gave it to Ben, who began to drink enthusiastically.
Mara ran an affectionate hand through her son's red hair. Luke smiled at them both. "He looks like you, Mara."
"Yeah, but he has those piercing blue Skywalker eyes. Lucky kid." She grinned playfully at Luke.
Luke crossed over and kissed her quickly on the lips. "I'm going to go to sleep. Big day tomorrow." She glanced up at him, sighed, then turned away. He felt guilty, but couldn't stay with her, not tonight. There was so much at stake. "Good night, Mara." He hugged Ben. "Good night, little fellow." Ben smiled at him, then returned to his drink.
Luke left quickly, without one last look at his family. Mara stayed in her spot, watching the door he had exited through for a long time.
* * *
"Some people ask about the secret of our long marriage," Luke heard Han saying to some fighter pilots, "We take time to go to a restaurant two times a week. A little candlelight, soft music, and dancing. She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays." [1].
Luke laughed softly to himself. Han was still a comedian, if nothing else. He, however, was concentrated on more important things than his wit. Such as the fate of the entire galaxy.
Leia crossed over to him. She looked regal, as always. Her dark brown hair was pulled into two, long, dark plaits, and piled into two crowns on top of her head. She wore a symbolic white gown of peace, familiar to Luke from her old days as Princess of Alderaan. She wore that stiff smile on her face, reserved for diplomatic meetings.
Flanking her on both sides were Jaina and Jacen, her two twin children. She had had a third, Anakin, but he was killed, tragically, in a suicide mission. Leia still could barely look Luke in the eye, he was the one who had authorized the mission, and allowed Anakin to lead it, to his death.
Jaina had her hair tied back into a practical ponytail, and was dressed in her flight uniform, lightsaber and blaster close by her side. Her officer's insignia decorated her sleeves. She looked like a serious, younger version of Leia.
Jacen was dressed in all black. His brown hair flopped about his eyes, and he seemed to be taking in everything. He wore his lightsaber strapped to a belt at his waist. His eyes were cold, and fearless.
They had once been children. Carefree, laughing children. What had changed them, to make them so serious? Luke couldn't even remember the last time he had heard either of them laugh.
"Leia. Jaina. Jacen," Luke greeted solemnly, inclining his head ever so slightly to his sister, niece, and nephew.
"Hey Uncle Luke," Jaina chirped, her serious demeanor fading away. Her smile found itself back onto her pretty face. "How is Ben? Can I come see him soon?"
"Feeling matronly all of a sudden?" Luke asked playfully. His niece had been steadily dating Jag Fel, a Chiss fighter pilot for many months now. It was only a matter of time until they were married. Luke had a feeling both were waiting for the end of the war.
Jaina blushed deeply, but continued to smile. "Maybe," she said, "But for now I just want to see my cousin."
Luke laughed. "You can see him later. Right now we have a meeting." He nodded to Leia, who clapped together her hands, using the Force to magnify the sound.
"Your attention, please," she called to the silent room. When everyone stopped moving, and all their eyes were directed at her, she began to speak again.
"We have been fighting the Vong for years now. Years they have pushed us back, caused us to run for cover. They attacked when we were down, when we were not expecting it. They do not care for our people, or our lives. They want one thing. Complete domination."
There was silence in the room.
"We have been successful in a few attempts to keep them from gaining ground, and have won an offensive attack led by Jaina Solo." She smiled at her daughter fondly, and paused before the applause died down. "But we have to do more. My children, your children, and their children deserve to have a life as more than slaves. They deserve to have the right to live freely, and without fear. They deserve more than a death. They deserve life." She stopped, allowing her words to sink in.
"What should we do?" some pilot near the back asked. "They are killing more and more of us each day!"
Leia raised her head high. "To most of us, one single death is a tragedy. Millions of deaths is a statistic. [2] We have lost our ability to think of each and every death as a tragedy. We must begin to think that way again. We must begin to care again!"
There was a rousing among the audience. They liked what they were hearing.
"We can't fight mechanically! We must put our hearts, and souls, into this fight. We must give ourselves completely to this cause." She paused, and drew a deep breath, "Otherwise, I fear all might be lost."
* * *
Notes:
[1]: 'Some people ask the secret of our long marriage. We take time to go to a restaurant two times a week. A little candlelight, dinner, soft music and dancing. She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays.'- Henry Youngman
[2]: 'A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic.'- Joseph Stalin
Soon, I might be requiring an artist! I am in need of a beta, desperately! Sorry these chapters are so short! They will be longer when I have more time!
~Silver Twilight
By Silver Twilight
* * *
Chapter One: To Care Again
* * *
Two hours later, Luke, Mara, Han, Leia, and Ben were crowded around the counter in Luke and Mara's kitchen. There were some freshly ordered, original Corellian appetizers sitting on the top, and a large glass of ale for Luke, Mara, and Han. Leia was daintily sipping at some water.
Ben sat gurgling in Mara's lap, his head resting on her shoulders. Mara's face was serene, and she had one hand enfolded in Luke's. She had a look of ecstasy on her face that Luke hadn't seen for a long, long time.
This is my wife happy, Luke thought, and look what makes her happy. The simple act of being able to see her son again.
Luke sighed, and squeezed Mara's hand a bit. She turned at him, in surprise, but smiled nonetheless. She glanced at the chronological piece on the wall. "Well," she announced, "It has been great seeing you guys again! And I can't begin to thank you for delivering Ben safe and sound." Here she smiled, and fondly stroked her son's hair, "But I think we ought to call it a night. There's a meeting with the Advisory Council tomorrow. Ought to be just dandy, but I think we should all get the best amount of sleep possible."
Leia yawned slightly, and nodded. "Anyways, Jacen is staying with us tonight. We haven't seen him in awhile. I really want to see how he has been holding up, what with Vergere's death and all. . ."
There was a pause in the conversation, then Han put an arm around his wife and said, "Thanks for your time, Luke, Mara. We were happy to deliver your package safe and sound."
Luke smiled at them graciously. "I'll see you tomorrow, right Leia?"
"Of course," his sister said. Her brown eyes glanced at him for a moment, seeming to probe his mind. But he had had his barriers firmly down the entire night. She stared at him a final moment, then turned away, and followed her husband out of the door.
Mara smiled after them, then wheeled on Luke the second the door slammed shut. "What is your problem?" she asked, sparks flying out of her ears.
Luke looked at her innocently. "What makes you think there's a problem?"
She glared at him, and Luke could feel the energy of the Force surging, and he knew she was trying to send him a telepathic message. But his barriers were down, and she could not. He shrugged somewhat helplessly. "Mara," he started patiently, "Nothing is the matter."
Her green eyes began to blaze, and Luke knew that he better get out of this pretty quickly. "Mara, I just need some time to think. Alone."
Her gaze traveled around the contours of his face. "Luke, I married you. We're in this together. You can't leave me so easily."
Beside them, Ben gurgled impatiently. Through their bond, Luke saw he was hungry. He reached across the counter and grabbed a bottle of toddler formula. Luke gave it to Ben, who began to drink enthusiastically.
Mara ran an affectionate hand through her son's red hair. Luke smiled at them both. "He looks like you, Mara."
"Yeah, but he has those piercing blue Skywalker eyes. Lucky kid." She grinned playfully at Luke.
Luke crossed over and kissed her quickly on the lips. "I'm going to go to sleep. Big day tomorrow." She glanced up at him, sighed, then turned away. He felt guilty, but couldn't stay with her, not tonight. There was so much at stake. "Good night, Mara." He hugged Ben. "Good night, little fellow." Ben smiled at him, then returned to his drink.
Luke left quickly, without one last look at his family. Mara stayed in her spot, watching the door he had exited through for a long time.
* * *
"Some people ask about the secret of our long marriage," Luke heard Han saying to some fighter pilots, "We take time to go to a restaurant two times a week. A little candlelight, soft music, and dancing. She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays." [1].
Luke laughed softly to himself. Han was still a comedian, if nothing else. He, however, was concentrated on more important things than his wit. Such as the fate of the entire galaxy.
Leia crossed over to him. She looked regal, as always. Her dark brown hair was pulled into two, long, dark plaits, and piled into two crowns on top of her head. She wore a symbolic white gown of peace, familiar to Luke from her old days as Princess of Alderaan. She wore that stiff smile on her face, reserved for diplomatic meetings.
Flanking her on both sides were Jaina and Jacen, her two twin children. She had had a third, Anakin, but he was killed, tragically, in a suicide mission. Leia still could barely look Luke in the eye, he was the one who had authorized the mission, and allowed Anakin to lead it, to his death.
Jaina had her hair tied back into a practical ponytail, and was dressed in her flight uniform, lightsaber and blaster close by her side. Her officer's insignia decorated her sleeves. She looked like a serious, younger version of Leia.
Jacen was dressed in all black. His brown hair flopped about his eyes, and he seemed to be taking in everything. He wore his lightsaber strapped to a belt at his waist. His eyes were cold, and fearless.
They had once been children. Carefree, laughing children. What had changed them, to make them so serious? Luke couldn't even remember the last time he had heard either of them laugh.
"Leia. Jaina. Jacen," Luke greeted solemnly, inclining his head ever so slightly to his sister, niece, and nephew.
"Hey Uncle Luke," Jaina chirped, her serious demeanor fading away. Her smile found itself back onto her pretty face. "How is Ben? Can I come see him soon?"
"Feeling matronly all of a sudden?" Luke asked playfully. His niece had been steadily dating Jag Fel, a Chiss fighter pilot for many months now. It was only a matter of time until they were married. Luke had a feeling both were waiting for the end of the war.
Jaina blushed deeply, but continued to smile. "Maybe," she said, "But for now I just want to see my cousin."
Luke laughed. "You can see him later. Right now we have a meeting." He nodded to Leia, who clapped together her hands, using the Force to magnify the sound.
"Your attention, please," she called to the silent room. When everyone stopped moving, and all their eyes were directed at her, she began to speak again.
"We have been fighting the Vong for years now. Years they have pushed us back, caused us to run for cover. They attacked when we were down, when we were not expecting it. They do not care for our people, or our lives. They want one thing. Complete domination."
There was silence in the room.
"We have been successful in a few attempts to keep them from gaining ground, and have won an offensive attack led by Jaina Solo." She smiled at her daughter fondly, and paused before the applause died down. "But we have to do more. My children, your children, and their children deserve to have a life as more than slaves. They deserve to have the right to live freely, and without fear. They deserve more than a death. They deserve life." She stopped, allowing her words to sink in.
"What should we do?" some pilot near the back asked. "They are killing more and more of us each day!"
Leia raised her head high. "To most of us, one single death is a tragedy. Millions of deaths is a statistic. [2] We have lost our ability to think of each and every death as a tragedy. We must begin to think that way again. We must begin to care again!"
There was a rousing among the audience. They liked what they were hearing.
"We can't fight mechanically! We must put our hearts, and souls, into this fight. We must give ourselves completely to this cause." She paused, and drew a deep breath, "Otherwise, I fear all might be lost."
* * *
Notes:
[1]: 'Some people ask the secret of our long marriage. We take time to go to a restaurant two times a week. A little candlelight, dinner, soft music and dancing. She goes Tuesdays, I go Fridays.'- Henry Youngman
[2]: 'A single death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic.'- Joseph Stalin
Soon, I might be requiring an artist! I am in need of a beta, desperately! Sorry these chapters are so short! They will be longer when I have more time!
~Silver Twilight