CHAPTER 2
Luke leaned against the terrace railing of his quarters in the Presidential Palace. His arms were folded across his chest and his eyes were closed. His breathing was relaxed and deep as if he was asleep.
"Hay, Kid," Han said as he came up and clapped his friend on the shoulder.
Luke jumped. "Ever hear of knocking?" He hissed irritably.
Han grinned impishly. "Mara chase you around the room last night?"
Luke shot a warning glare at Han, but kept silent. He turned and limped into the common room.
"Come on, Luke." Han said, following him. "I'm kidding. I know you were alone last night."
"Don't remind me." Luke growled testily.
"Where'd you get the limp?"
"Sparring with Mara."
Coruscant's sun dripped slowly toward the western horizon, sending golden rays feathering out into the star-studded night sky. Both men kept silent as the light slowly faded.
A soft glow came from the light appearing all over the Imperial City. Luke stood at the window, watching the traffic speed to and fro, lost in thought. He knew exhaustion was beginning to set in and he was acting like a spoiled child because of it. He wished Jediah were here. Just her presence was soothing. She never had to do anything, maybe it was what came from being what she was, but he was always grateful for it. He felt uneasy. He wanted his wife and wanted everyone else to leave him alone. He knew that wasn't likely to happen while he lived.
"Mara didn't mention anything about that." Han said, breaking the silence and startling Luke out of his reverie.
"It's only a minor burn." Luke sagged into an overstuffed chair wearily.
"You look exhausted, Kid." Han commented, "If you keep this up your
apprentices won't have a master left. You need to get some rest."
"Yah?! Try telling that to Leia." Luke sighed, "Though I doubt she will listen to you any better than she does me."
Luke was relieved to see Han heading for the door.
"The kids are excited about having you here for a while, you know."
"Yah?" Luke gazed absently out the window.
"What's wrong, Luke. This isn't like you."
Luke turned back to his friend. "Just tired, I guess."
"Well try to get some rest. Don't worry I'll talk to Leia about giving you some time off for good behavior."
"Thanks," he answered, shifting his gaze back to the window.
Night had spread her diamond studded cloak over the Imperial City. Speeders and other transports whizzed past the window. Below, in the business district, lights glared and blinked advertising Coruscant's night life and other entertainment.
Luke walked back out onto the terrace, still favoring his left leg. As he leaned against the railing again, a cool breeze toyed with his sandy blond hair. He had let it get too long again and Jediah would love it. She always braided her bell crystals into his hair when they were alone. He missed her. He hated being away form her and the kids for too long. Not being able to get back to them on Yavin without someone knowing where he was, made him feel like a puppet. As he listened to the hum of the city, he heard the door open behind him.
"Luke?"
"Out here." He called trying not to growl as he watched the lighted parade speed past.
Mara slipped her arms around his slender waist. "I thought we were going out tonight, Luke?" She asked as she kissed the back of his neck playfully.
"I had thought about it," he answered fighting down the urge to push her away.
She really knew how to annoy him. Jediah never did this. Not that she didn't play with him but it was different. It was the gentle ministrations of a loving wife, not Mara's clumsy attempts at finding out what pleased him. Irritated, he removed her arms from his waist.
Mara turned him to face her. "What is going on?" She demanded, "First you get all lovey dovey, now you're practically pushing me away."
Luke pushed past her and went back inside. He couldn't do this anymore. All he ever wanted was a home, a wife, and children. Now that he had those things, being one of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy kept him from acknowledging what he held most dear. What he feared most was them being used against him or harmed in any way. Luke sighed in frustration.
"You've got to talk to me."
His eyebrows disappeared under his hair. "My own council will I keep, Mara." He snapped at her.
"Look, I'm practically your fiancee. What's going on?"
Luke rounded on her, "Who told you that?!" He could feel the anger rising again, however he managed to wrestle back under control. "If you thought I meant those things. . ."
"You're tired, Luke."
"Yes, I am. I'm exhausted but no one seems to give a damn. Why is it that people
choose to believe that I'm indestructible."
Mara opened her mouth to say something, but Luke cut her off.
"NO! I realize that I am acting like a spoiled child. But I don't like having to disappear to some god forsaken hell hole in hopes that no one will find me and I can finally get some well deserved rest!"
"Don't you love me?"
Luke glared at her, eventhough he could hear the hurt in her soft alto voice.
Grabbing his cloak from beside the door, he stalked out.
"Are you coming?" He called over his shoulder.
"Are you going to be a jerk?"
"Only if you continue to try to get me to marry you." He hissed.
"Then, no, I'm not." With that she swept past him; down the corridor.
Luke sighed with relief. Although he cared a great deal for Mara, he just could not imagine being married to her. He could barely stand to be with her for an entire mission. She was always rubbing him the wrong way.
"My life is way too complicated." He breathed softly to himself as he descended into the streets of the Imperial City.
"I whole-heartedly agree, I'Sha. I wish it didn't have to be this way, either." She fell into step beside him. Her jet black cloak made her tiny form nearly invisible next to him. "However, you still need to pretend to pay court to Mara, Luke."
"I know I'Die. I know."
It took every ounce of control he had not to reach out to her. Every fiber of his being cried out, even after fifteen years of schooling his thoughts and actions around her in public.
"You were being a bit of a jerk, you know."
Her voice still held traces of her thick Rijellian accent that Luke secretly hoped would never be lost. He noticed it more when she was admonishing him or the kids about something. They rarely argued, only because he could never stay angry enough at her. Especially when her accent and native tongue got mixed up with Galactic Standard. He had never laughed so hard in his life. However, she had taken after him with her lightsaber for that. It still made him chuckle. Luke couldn't help smiling down at her as she kept pace with him. This was the only woman he would ever love.
"She's not giving me much choice, I'Die. Yet she's just going to write it off as irritability from total exhaustion."
"True. You still need to be careful, though, or someone will think you have a girl
hidden on Yavin or something.
Luke chuckled. "I'm glad you're here," he whispered.
He was in agony. Having her this close and not be able to reach out and touch her. He needed her as much as he needed air to breath or food to eat.
As they passed an alley way, Luke ducked into its sheltering darkness; pulling her with him. Panting slightly and shaking, from both excitement and fear, he pinned her to the wall. He knew full well that Jediah could and would throw him to the end of the alley if she thought he was being too reckless.
Not only did she not push him away, she actually took the initiative. She grabbed him behind the neck and pulled him into a desperate, hungry kiss. Surprised slightly, he fumbled a link to her and felt the full force of her power surge into him. Quickly he broke the connection.
"Sorry." She chuckled breathlessly, as Luke rested his hands on his thighs.
"You're going to be the death of me someday, woman!" He laughed back at her. He knew that she hadn't meant to hit him with such a power surge. This only happened when his own resources were severely depleted.
He felt her slender callused hands caress his shoulders then trace the line of his spine. He shivered involuntarily.
"Are you all right, Luke?" She asked, squatting down so he could see her face. "You don't normally fumble like that."
"No, love," he groaned. He straightened, pulling her up with him. "My reserves are completely gone. Not to mention wanting and needing you."
Jediah laughed. "We will take care of both when we reach the temple."
She wrapped her arms around his waist; laying her head against his shoulder, just under his chin. "Gods, I've missed you, Luke."
"I don't like leaving you or the kids, 'Diah." He said, kissing her forehead, "I know it has to be this way, but I still don't like it."
Jediah kissed the line of his jaw as she toyed with his shirt buttons.
"Stop that, I'Die." Chuckling softly as he stilled her oh so curious fingers.
"When I'm dead, Ch'Karah," she countered as he pinned her hands gently against the wall again.
"I love you." He whispered, kissing her petal soft lips.
Jediah managed to free one of her hands to pull him closer. This time the link between them flared slightly then settled. Luke felt her soothing presence more clearly. All of his injuries healed and his power reservoirs were replenished as she passed.
Luke noticed that the link stayed in place even after he let her go.
:I need it in place for now, Luke.: She sent, squeezing his hand, :I'm going to channel as much raw power through you as you can handle, between now and the time we reach the Jedi Temple.:
:Why?:
:I'm putting part of the binding ritual in place tonight.:
Luke nodded. She had taken him through the rite several months ago. With this first section in place, he would have access to Jediah's inexhaustible power source. It would also provide a way for her to identify him if something happened. He knew she had her reasons for doing this now. He also knew it came with a price, usually in blood. Life with a K'tala never came without a price, though Jediah always made sure that it was never too much. She had a way of gauging his limits. That was why he trusted her.
He turned toward the busy street as Jediah squeezed his hand, then gazed down at her. Beneath the hood of her ebony cloak, Jediah's eyes glowed a faint luminescent gold in the half light of the alley. Raw power surged along the bond now, making Luke a little light headed.
:I'm sorry that I didn't give you fair warning, Luke. : Her mind whispered as she steadied him.
:It needs to be done.: He swayed a little as another power flux hit him, "I'll be all right, I'Die."
:I've got you, Luke. Let's get going or we'll miss the moon.:
Luke nodded as they stepped out into the lighted boulevard.
They moved silently through Coruscant's bustling avenues, stopping only long enough for Luke to catch his breath, once or twice. The noise of the business district assaulted him from all sides, making it difficult to cope with the onslaught of raw Force
power.
Jediah hovered protectively at his elbow, ready to steady him, if the need arose.
"I need to sit, I'Die," he moaned quietly. "Just until this wave passes."
"The temple steps are just ahead, you'll be able to rest there." She slipped her arm around his waist to support him. As she did so, she dampened the flow of the Force just enough that Luke wouldn't pass out on her.
The Jedi Temple rose before them. Four ancient haunting spires guarded the four cardinal compass points of an archaic yet still imposing edifice. Out of the center of the massive structure another spire rose majestically, taller than the other four.
Luke sat gracelessly on the bottom step, exhaustion overwhelming him. He was shaking and drenched with perspiration.
"I think I'm going to be sick, 'Diah." He rested his head against his knees, willing his stomach to stop churning.
Jediah sat down beside him, pulling him gently so that his head lay in her lap. He remembered watching her do this for Obi and Kneesaa when they were ill. They always rested easier after she had been there. Maybe it was just a mother's touch, but he felt a comforting sensation move through him along the bond.
"Just rest here until your stomach settles, Ch'Karah." She said, gently stroking his head and back. In doing so, Luke's stomach stopped threatening mutiny.
"I've never heard you use that term before," he asked quietly, "what does it mean?"
Jediah smiled. "It's actually the language of the K'tala. A tongue about as dead as the Jedi the once taught here. It means 'My other self' or 'soul-mate'. Slightly more possessive than its Rijellian counterparts."
Luke sat up and gazed at the quiet, loving woman sitting next to him. He pushed
back the hood of her cloak. With a flick of his wrist, her snow-white mane came loose from the tight knot at the base of the graceful neck. It fell free, cascading over her slender shoulders like a fall of captured moonlight. The blood-red bell crystals that hung in her Adept braid winked and chimed softly. As he smoothed her hair, he felt a lone tear slide down his cheek. Jediah reached up and gently wiped it away, transferring the precious tear to the exposed petal soft skin over her heart.
Luke leaned over and kissed her gently, a long-time lover's kiss. One that is meant for one's spouse. It's neither needy nor hungry. It just is. He knew now, if he hadn't before, just why it was he loved this tiny woman with every fiber of his being. She had a quiet strength and loving presence that eventhough she could not physically stand beside him, he always knew she was there. She had a wisdom that rivaled Master Yoda's. That was why he loved and trusted her. He also trusted her instincts before he trusted his own.
"Do you feel steady enough to press on?"
"How much farther?"
"Up there." She pointed to the center spire.
Luke groaned softly, "Stairs or lift?"
"There's a lift. Unless you really want to take the stairs." She grinned mischievously.
"The lift, please." Luke sighed wearily.
As she helped him up, she replaced her hood. She could feel his exhaustion. If it wasn't so urgent that this be done, she would have given him more time. As it was, Luke was going to be very ill in the morning.
"I'm sorry." She said, kissing his forehead. As he laid a gently well callused hand against her cheek, she felt reassurance and unwavering love surge along the bond.
"Let's go," he said softly. "The moon won't wait forever."
Together they climbed the temple steps, pausing long enough to open the heavy
carved doors of the ancient building and slip through. Silently, reverently, they moved
through long abandoned corridors toward the lift. Once inside, they were whisked up the shaft. Finally the lift stopped and opened on a dusty, but still ornate hallway.
Jediah strode swiftly and silently toward some stairs that were coated with a thick layer of dust. She passed the long unused grand council chamber. Twelve chairs waited in the semi-darkness for their occupants return.
Luke moaned softly behind her.
"Just a little farther, Luke. These lead to the Shrine of Wisdom."
"It's just that I'm so tired, 'Diah." Luke inched painfully along, using the wall for support.
Coming up beside him, she steadied him. "Come," She whispered, "I'll help you."
Using her as a kind of human crutch, they slowly climbed the two flights of stairs. By the time they reached the top, Luke's breathing was ragged and pained.
"Rest here." She whispered as she helped him sit on the top most step. "The door is right here. I'll open it, then come back and help you."
Luke's smile was weak. She worried. She wished, to the gods of her people, that she had more to go on than a vague unease and a sense of urgency. The raw Force power she was feeding Luke, she knew, was burning new channels but it also made him very weak. All she could do was hope that he would survive this. If he did, he would be the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy, next to her.
Jediah shivered a little under her dark cloak as she approached the door. Moonlight bathed the delicately inlaid wood in an eerie iridescent light. When she touched it, the pearlescent inlay began to glow faintly. Slowly the ancient door creaked open on rusted hinges.
Luke gasped behind her. Turning to help him up, she saw the look of wonder on his face.
"Damn, more stairs." He hissed painfully.
"Only four that I see. Seven at most."
Luke's face was set with grim determination as he clung to the wall and started up
the steps.
They emerged through a sanded wood floor of a tower room, all sides open to the elements. Jediah stepped out onto the weather worn floor, her soft footfalls echoing eerily through the tower room. Luke followed her without hesitation. She stopped just outside a circle of sliver runes inlaid in the timber floor and turned to Luke.
He knew that look on her face. "Don't coddle me, Jediah. I have walked this path with you for fifteen years, I don't intend to stop now just because of a little fatigue." He held up his left hand. The silver ring on his index finger glinted brightly in the soft light. "I married you, all those years ago, knowing full well that there would be prices to pay because of what you are. I'm not turning back on those promises now."
Luke took her left hand in his and tenderly kissed the identical ring that encircled her index finger. "Someday, my love, someday you will stand beside me, rather than behind me."
A fierce determination lit his dark blue eyes as they stepped as one inside the circle, facing east. Jediah knelt down at the circle's center, her ebony cloak falling from her bare shoulders in a whisper of fabric against flesh. Instead of her usual stark black attire, she wore a well fitted sleeveless shirtwaist and pants made of heavy moonlight colored shimmersilk. The slender silver hilt of her lightsaber at her slim waist glinted in the starlight. Next to it hung a small dagger, no bigger than the palm of her hand. The fiery red FireFox jewels in the hilt and quillions burned eerily in the darkness.
Luke watched her in breathless wonder. She appeared to glow from within. Her entire countenance changed. As the moon rose in the eastern most arch, her face shone with an unearthly beauty. Bathed in its celestial radiance, raw yet controlled power swirled about her. Her soft blue eye now blazed a fiery crimson-gold. A gentle breeze stirred her snowy hair. The bell crystals that hung in her Adept braid chimed softly as though the sound came from a great distance.
He could smell the damp forest of Yavin on her, mingled with the natural spicy
scent that came from Rigel. That was something that never left her, something he used
to identify her.
Without a second thought, Luke removed his own cloak and knelt at her side and drew the FireFox dagger from its sheath on her belt. The tempered silver of the blade
glistened as he held it out to her hilt first.
Jediah unbuttoned his left sleeve, rolling it up past his elbow. Grasping his wrist, she swallowed hard as she tried to push her worry to the back of her mind. It had no place here.
She gazed into his calm blue eyes as she took the dagger from him.
:I worry about you,: she sent.
Luke smiled at her reassuringly, :I know you do.:
He laid his hand over hers, his steady gaze giving her more confidence. She heard him gasp as the sharp cold blade penetrated the flesh of his forearm. Surprise flashed across his eyes, but the fierce determination that burned in them never wavered. She held his gaze a moment longer, then bent over her task.
This was not quick work. Each rune had to be incised with exacting precision. Each of them had to be just deep enough to draw a fair amount of blood so the Morphore blend could take hold. If she went too deep, he could bleed to death. With each rune she made, she chanted their meanings softly.
"Humbly we Sacrifice with Honor," her soft soprano voice echoed through the chamber. "Ever seeking Truth and offering Compassion to those in need. We council with Wisdom, in Faith, in Hope, and in Love." Luke's deep tenor joined hers. Both voices reverberated through the room.
As she inscribed the last symbol, she put just enough pressure in his biceps to slow the bleeding. Laying the dagger aside, she extracted two vials from a pocket in her cloak. One was a liquid Morphore/Fireore mix. The other was pure liquid Fireore. As she laid both vials in his hand, he gave her a questioning look.
:The Morphsilver is for you. It makes the runes invisible, until I trigger the set-spell.:
Luke nodded, swaying slightly. The metallic scent of blood was strong. Quickly she opened vial of Morphore. Luke hissed in pain as she poured the searing liquid into the open wounds. However the scent was not that of burning flesh, but of the fresh sweet air of the Silverfire mountains on Rigel. He closed his eyes against pain, trying to remember the order of the runes and their meanings. He knew he would have to repeat the ritual for her. Soon he felt a soft cloth being pulled tight around his wrist. Opening his eyes, he saw Jediah wrapping a piece of gossamer shimmersilk around his forearm. Beneath the wispy fabric, the angry red symbols slowly faded to the color of his skin.
As she tied it off, he picked up the tiny dagger. Gently he grasped her left wrist and lightly pinned her and against his thigh. She made no sound or movement as the cold silver blade pierced the soft skin of her forearm. Her breathing was slow and even as he etched each rune precisely in her silky flesh. He was surprised at how little blood there seemed to be.
By the time he finished, he was shaking from total exhaustion. Before he picked up the vial of Fireore, he unfastened the buttons of his shirt. Carefully, he dipped his fingers into the blood that was pooling on the runes that he had just finished. Looking her straight in the eye, he touched the still warm sanguine liquid to the tanned skin over his heart.
"You are my life's blood, Jediah." His voice shook with emotion.
He noticed that surprise flashed across her crimson colored eyes. Yet she said nothing. Then, she dipped her slender fingers in to his blood that had collected in the depression in the floor and repeated the gesture.
"As you are mine." She whispered, returning his steady gaze.
Luke picked up the vial and let the Fireore flow over the incised symbols, its sweet scent engulfing him a second time. For a moment they shone brightly. It was almost as if sunlight radiated from them. The light flared then dispersed, leaving the runes a burnished ruby streaked silver. He took the second strip of shimmersilk and wrapped her forearm.
Jediah reached out to him, being careful not to disturb the small pool of blood in the center of the circle. Gently, Luke took her hand and pulled her into his embrace. He kissed her tenderly and passionately. As his hands stroked her silvery hair, the blood-red bell crystals chimed softly. He needed her. As he lay back on his cloak, she rested in the crook of his arm, caressing him lovingly. Luke sighed contentedly as her lips touched the smudge of blood over his heart. His exhaustion completely forgotten for the moment. He held her tightly, silently willing the lump in his throat to disappear.
"Gods, Jediah," he whispered as he kissed her, "I need you more than anything else in my life."
"Shhhh." She chided gently, "Speak to me without words."
That was all the encouragement he needed. For a long time, the only thing that filled his senses was his beautiful and powerful Jediah.
Luke leaned against the terrace railing of his quarters in the Presidential Palace. His arms were folded across his chest and his eyes were closed. His breathing was relaxed and deep as if he was asleep.
"Hay, Kid," Han said as he came up and clapped his friend on the shoulder.
Luke jumped. "Ever hear of knocking?" He hissed irritably.
Han grinned impishly. "Mara chase you around the room last night?"
Luke shot a warning glare at Han, but kept silent. He turned and limped into the common room.
"Come on, Luke." Han said, following him. "I'm kidding. I know you were alone last night."
"Don't remind me." Luke growled testily.
"Where'd you get the limp?"
"Sparring with Mara."
Coruscant's sun dripped slowly toward the western horizon, sending golden rays feathering out into the star-studded night sky. Both men kept silent as the light slowly faded.
A soft glow came from the light appearing all over the Imperial City. Luke stood at the window, watching the traffic speed to and fro, lost in thought. He knew exhaustion was beginning to set in and he was acting like a spoiled child because of it. He wished Jediah were here. Just her presence was soothing. She never had to do anything, maybe it was what came from being what she was, but he was always grateful for it. He felt uneasy. He wanted his wife and wanted everyone else to leave him alone. He knew that wasn't likely to happen while he lived.
"Mara didn't mention anything about that." Han said, breaking the silence and startling Luke out of his reverie.
"It's only a minor burn." Luke sagged into an overstuffed chair wearily.
"You look exhausted, Kid." Han commented, "If you keep this up your
apprentices won't have a master left. You need to get some rest."
"Yah?! Try telling that to Leia." Luke sighed, "Though I doubt she will listen to you any better than she does me."
Luke was relieved to see Han heading for the door.
"The kids are excited about having you here for a while, you know."
"Yah?" Luke gazed absently out the window.
"What's wrong, Luke. This isn't like you."
Luke turned back to his friend. "Just tired, I guess."
"Well try to get some rest. Don't worry I'll talk to Leia about giving you some time off for good behavior."
"Thanks," he answered, shifting his gaze back to the window.
Night had spread her diamond studded cloak over the Imperial City. Speeders and other transports whizzed past the window. Below, in the business district, lights glared and blinked advertising Coruscant's night life and other entertainment.
Luke walked back out onto the terrace, still favoring his left leg. As he leaned against the railing again, a cool breeze toyed with his sandy blond hair. He had let it get too long again and Jediah would love it. She always braided her bell crystals into his hair when they were alone. He missed her. He hated being away form her and the kids for too long. Not being able to get back to them on Yavin without someone knowing where he was, made him feel like a puppet. As he listened to the hum of the city, he heard the door open behind him.
"Luke?"
"Out here." He called trying not to growl as he watched the lighted parade speed past.
Mara slipped her arms around his slender waist. "I thought we were going out tonight, Luke?" She asked as she kissed the back of his neck playfully.
"I had thought about it," he answered fighting down the urge to push her away.
She really knew how to annoy him. Jediah never did this. Not that she didn't play with him but it was different. It was the gentle ministrations of a loving wife, not Mara's clumsy attempts at finding out what pleased him. Irritated, he removed her arms from his waist.
Mara turned him to face her. "What is going on?" She demanded, "First you get all lovey dovey, now you're practically pushing me away."
Luke pushed past her and went back inside. He couldn't do this anymore. All he ever wanted was a home, a wife, and children. Now that he had those things, being one of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy kept him from acknowledging what he held most dear. What he feared most was them being used against him or harmed in any way. Luke sighed in frustration.
"You've got to talk to me."
His eyebrows disappeared under his hair. "My own council will I keep, Mara." He snapped at her.
"Look, I'm practically your fiancee. What's going on?"
Luke rounded on her, "Who told you that?!" He could feel the anger rising again, however he managed to wrestle back under control. "If you thought I meant those things. . ."
"You're tired, Luke."
"Yes, I am. I'm exhausted but no one seems to give a damn. Why is it that people
choose to believe that I'm indestructible."
Mara opened her mouth to say something, but Luke cut her off.
"NO! I realize that I am acting like a spoiled child. But I don't like having to disappear to some god forsaken hell hole in hopes that no one will find me and I can finally get some well deserved rest!"
"Don't you love me?"
Luke glared at her, eventhough he could hear the hurt in her soft alto voice.
Grabbing his cloak from beside the door, he stalked out.
"Are you coming?" He called over his shoulder.
"Are you going to be a jerk?"
"Only if you continue to try to get me to marry you." He hissed.
"Then, no, I'm not." With that she swept past him; down the corridor.
Luke sighed with relief. Although he cared a great deal for Mara, he just could not imagine being married to her. He could barely stand to be with her for an entire mission. She was always rubbing him the wrong way.
"My life is way too complicated." He breathed softly to himself as he descended into the streets of the Imperial City.
"I whole-heartedly agree, I'Sha. I wish it didn't have to be this way, either." She fell into step beside him. Her jet black cloak made her tiny form nearly invisible next to him. "However, you still need to pretend to pay court to Mara, Luke."
"I know I'Die. I know."
It took every ounce of control he had not to reach out to her. Every fiber of his being cried out, even after fifteen years of schooling his thoughts and actions around her in public.
"You were being a bit of a jerk, you know."
Her voice still held traces of her thick Rijellian accent that Luke secretly hoped would never be lost. He noticed it more when she was admonishing him or the kids about something. They rarely argued, only because he could never stay angry enough at her. Especially when her accent and native tongue got mixed up with Galactic Standard. He had never laughed so hard in his life. However, she had taken after him with her lightsaber for that. It still made him chuckle. Luke couldn't help smiling down at her as she kept pace with him. This was the only woman he would ever love.
"She's not giving me much choice, I'Die. Yet she's just going to write it off as irritability from total exhaustion."
"True. You still need to be careful, though, or someone will think you have a girl
hidden on Yavin or something.
Luke chuckled. "I'm glad you're here," he whispered.
He was in agony. Having her this close and not be able to reach out and touch her. He needed her as much as he needed air to breath or food to eat.
As they passed an alley way, Luke ducked into its sheltering darkness; pulling her with him. Panting slightly and shaking, from both excitement and fear, he pinned her to the wall. He knew full well that Jediah could and would throw him to the end of the alley if she thought he was being too reckless.
Not only did she not push him away, she actually took the initiative. She grabbed him behind the neck and pulled him into a desperate, hungry kiss. Surprised slightly, he fumbled a link to her and felt the full force of her power surge into him. Quickly he broke the connection.
"Sorry." She chuckled breathlessly, as Luke rested his hands on his thighs.
"You're going to be the death of me someday, woman!" He laughed back at her. He knew that she hadn't meant to hit him with such a power surge. This only happened when his own resources were severely depleted.
He felt her slender callused hands caress his shoulders then trace the line of his spine. He shivered involuntarily.
"Are you all right, Luke?" She asked, squatting down so he could see her face. "You don't normally fumble like that."
"No, love," he groaned. He straightened, pulling her up with him. "My reserves are completely gone. Not to mention wanting and needing you."
Jediah laughed. "We will take care of both when we reach the temple."
She wrapped her arms around his waist; laying her head against his shoulder, just under his chin. "Gods, I've missed you, Luke."
"I don't like leaving you or the kids, 'Diah." He said, kissing her forehead, "I know it has to be this way, but I still don't like it."
Jediah kissed the line of his jaw as she toyed with his shirt buttons.
"Stop that, I'Die." Chuckling softly as he stilled her oh so curious fingers.
"When I'm dead, Ch'Karah," she countered as he pinned her hands gently against the wall again.
"I love you." He whispered, kissing her petal soft lips.
Jediah managed to free one of her hands to pull him closer. This time the link between them flared slightly then settled. Luke felt her soothing presence more clearly. All of his injuries healed and his power reservoirs were replenished as she passed.
Luke noticed that the link stayed in place even after he let her go.
:I need it in place for now, Luke.: She sent, squeezing his hand, :I'm going to channel as much raw power through you as you can handle, between now and the time we reach the Jedi Temple.:
:Why?:
:I'm putting part of the binding ritual in place tonight.:
Luke nodded. She had taken him through the rite several months ago. With this first section in place, he would have access to Jediah's inexhaustible power source. It would also provide a way for her to identify him if something happened. He knew she had her reasons for doing this now. He also knew it came with a price, usually in blood. Life with a K'tala never came without a price, though Jediah always made sure that it was never too much. She had a way of gauging his limits. That was why he trusted her.
He turned toward the busy street as Jediah squeezed his hand, then gazed down at her. Beneath the hood of her ebony cloak, Jediah's eyes glowed a faint luminescent gold in the half light of the alley. Raw power surged along the bond now, making Luke a little light headed.
:I'm sorry that I didn't give you fair warning, Luke. : Her mind whispered as she steadied him.
:It needs to be done.: He swayed a little as another power flux hit him, "I'll be all right, I'Die."
:I've got you, Luke. Let's get going or we'll miss the moon.:
Luke nodded as they stepped out into the lighted boulevard.
They moved silently through Coruscant's bustling avenues, stopping only long enough for Luke to catch his breath, once or twice. The noise of the business district assaulted him from all sides, making it difficult to cope with the onslaught of raw Force
power.
Jediah hovered protectively at his elbow, ready to steady him, if the need arose.
"I need to sit, I'Die," he moaned quietly. "Just until this wave passes."
"The temple steps are just ahead, you'll be able to rest there." She slipped her arm around his waist to support him. As she did so, she dampened the flow of the Force just enough that Luke wouldn't pass out on her.
The Jedi Temple rose before them. Four ancient haunting spires guarded the four cardinal compass points of an archaic yet still imposing edifice. Out of the center of the massive structure another spire rose majestically, taller than the other four.
Luke sat gracelessly on the bottom step, exhaustion overwhelming him. He was shaking and drenched with perspiration.
"I think I'm going to be sick, 'Diah." He rested his head against his knees, willing his stomach to stop churning.
Jediah sat down beside him, pulling him gently so that his head lay in her lap. He remembered watching her do this for Obi and Kneesaa when they were ill. They always rested easier after she had been there. Maybe it was just a mother's touch, but he felt a comforting sensation move through him along the bond.
"Just rest here until your stomach settles, Ch'Karah." She said, gently stroking his head and back. In doing so, Luke's stomach stopped threatening mutiny.
"I've never heard you use that term before," he asked quietly, "what does it mean?"
Jediah smiled. "It's actually the language of the K'tala. A tongue about as dead as the Jedi the once taught here. It means 'My other self' or 'soul-mate'. Slightly more possessive than its Rijellian counterparts."
Luke sat up and gazed at the quiet, loving woman sitting next to him. He pushed
back the hood of her cloak. With a flick of his wrist, her snow-white mane came loose from the tight knot at the base of the graceful neck. It fell free, cascading over her slender shoulders like a fall of captured moonlight. The blood-red bell crystals that hung in her Adept braid winked and chimed softly. As he smoothed her hair, he felt a lone tear slide down his cheek. Jediah reached up and gently wiped it away, transferring the precious tear to the exposed petal soft skin over her heart.
Luke leaned over and kissed her gently, a long-time lover's kiss. One that is meant for one's spouse. It's neither needy nor hungry. It just is. He knew now, if he hadn't before, just why it was he loved this tiny woman with every fiber of his being. She had a quiet strength and loving presence that eventhough she could not physically stand beside him, he always knew she was there. She had a wisdom that rivaled Master Yoda's. That was why he loved and trusted her. He also trusted her instincts before he trusted his own.
"Do you feel steady enough to press on?"
"How much farther?"
"Up there." She pointed to the center spire.
Luke groaned softly, "Stairs or lift?"
"There's a lift. Unless you really want to take the stairs." She grinned mischievously.
"The lift, please." Luke sighed wearily.
As she helped him up, she replaced her hood. She could feel his exhaustion. If it wasn't so urgent that this be done, she would have given him more time. As it was, Luke was going to be very ill in the morning.
"I'm sorry." She said, kissing his forehead. As he laid a gently well callused hand against her cheek, she felt reassurance and unwavering love surge along the bond.
"Let's go," he said softly. "The moon won't wait forever."
Together they climbed the temple steps, pausing long enough to open the heavy
carved doors of the ancient building and slip through. Silently, reverently, they moved
through long abandoned corridors toward the lift. Once inside, they were whisked up the shaft. Finally the lift stopped and opened on a dusty, but still ornate hallway.
Jediah strode swiftly and silently toward some stairs that were coated with a thick layer of dust. She passed the long unused grand council chamber. Twelve chairs waited in the semi-darkness for their occupants return.
Luke moaned softly behind her.
"Just a little farther, Luke. These lead to the Shrine of Wisdom."
"It's just that I'm so tired, 'Diah." Luke inched painfully along, using the wall for support.
Coming up beside him, she steadied him. "Come," She whispered, "I'll help you."
Using her as a kind of human crutch, they slowly climbed the two flights of stairs. By the time they reached the top, Luke's breathing was ragged and pained.
"Rest here." She whispered as she helped him sit on the top most step. "The door is right here. I'll open it, then come back and help you."
Luke's smile was weak. She worried. She wished, to the gods of her people, that she had more to go on than a vague unease and a sense of urgency. The raw Force power she was feeding Luke, she knew, was burning new channels but it also made him very weak. All she could do was hope that he would survive this. If he did, he would be the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy, next to her.
Jediah shivered a little under her dark cloak as she approached the door. Moonlight bathed the delicately inlaid wood in an eerie iridescent light. When she touched it, the pearlescent inlay began to glow faintly. Slowly the ancient door creaked open on rusted hinges.
Luke gasped behind her. Turning to help him up, she saw the look of wonder on his face.
"Damn, more stairs." He hissed painfully.
"Only four that I see. Seven at most."
Luke's face was set with grim determination as he clung to the wall and started up
the steps.
They emerged through a sanded wood floor of a tower room, all sides open to the elements. Jediah stepped out onto the weather worn floor, her soft footfalls echoing eerily through the tower room. Luke followed her without hesitation. She stopped just outside a circle of sliver runes inlaid in the timber floor and turned to Luke.
He knew that look on her face. "Don't coddle me, Jediah. I have walked this path with you for fifteen years, I don't intend to stop now just because of a little fatigue." He held up his left hand. The silver ring on his index finger glinted brightly in the soft light. "I married you, all those years ago, knowing full well that there would be prices to pay because of what you are. I'm not turning back on those promises now."
Luke took her left hand in his and tenderly kissed the identical ring that encircled her index finger. "Someday, my love, someday you will stand beside me, rather than behind me."
A fierce determination lit his dark blue eyes as they stepped as one inside the circle, facing east. Jediah knelt down at the circle's center, her ebony cloak falling from her bare shoulders in a whisper of fabric against flesh. Instead of her usual stark black attire, she wore a well fitted sleeveless shirtwaist and pants made of heavy moonlight colored shimmersilk. The slender silver hilt of her lightsaber at her slim waist glinted in the starlight. Next to it hung a small dagger, no bigger than the palm of her hand. The fiery red FireFox jewels in the hilt and quillions burned eerily in the darkness.
Luke watched her in breathless wonder. She appeared to glow from within. Her entire countenance changed. As the moon rose in the eastern most arch, her face shone with an unearthly beauty. Bathed in its celestial radiance, raw yet controlled power swirled about her. Her soft blue eye now blazed a fiery crimson-gold. A gentle breeze stirred her snowy hair. The bell crystals that hung in her Adept braid chimed softly as though the sound came from a great distance.
He could smell the damp forest of Yavin on her, mingled with the natural spicy
scent that came from Rigel. That was something that never left her, something he used
to identify her.
Without a second thought, Luke removed his own cloak and knelt at her side and drew the FireFox dagger from its sheath on her belt. The tempered silver of the blade
glistened as he held it out to her hilt first.
Jediah unbuttoned his left sleeve, rolling it up past his elbow. Grasping his wrist, she swallowed hard as she tried to push her worry to the back of her mind. It had no place here.
She gazed into his calm blue eyes as she took the dagger from him.
:I worry about you,: she sent.
Luke smiled at her reassuringly, :I know you do.:
He laid his hand over hers, his steady gaze giving her more confidence. She heard him gasp as the sharp cold blade penetrated the flesh of his forearm. Surprise flashed across his eyes, but the fierce determination that burned in them never wavered. She held his gaze a moment longer, then bent over her task.
This was not quick work. Each rune had to be incised with exacting precision. Each of them had to be just deep enough to draw a fair amount of blood so the Morphore blend could take hold. If she went too deep, he could bleed to death. With each rune she made, she chanted their meanings softly.
"Humbly we Sacrifice with Honor," her soft soprano voice echoed through the chamber. "Ever seeking Truth and offering Compassion to those in need. We council with Wisdom, in Faith, in Hope, and in Love." Luke's deep tenor joined hers. Both voices reverberated through the room.
As she inscribed the last symbol, she put just enough pressure in his biceps to slow the bleeding. Laying the dagger aside, she extracted two vials from a pocket in her cloak. One was a liquid Morphore/Fireore mix. The other was pure liquid Fireore. As she laid both vials in his hand, he gave her a questioning look.
:The Morphsilver is for you. It makes the runes invisible, until I trigger the set-spell.:
Luke nodded, swaying slightly. The metallic scent of blood was strong. Quickly she opened vial of Morphore. Luke hissed in pain as she poured the searing liquid into the open wounds. However the scent was not that of burning flesh, but of the fresh sweet air of the Silverfire mountains on Rigel. He closed his eyes against pain, trying to remember the order of the runes and their meanings. He knew he would have to repeat the ritual for her. Soon he felt a soft cloth being pulled tight around his wrist. Opening his eyes, he saw Jediah wrapping a piece of gossamer shimmersilk around his forearm. Beneath the wispy fabric, the angry red symbols slowly faded to the color of his skin.
As she tied it off, he picked up the tiny dagger. Gently he grasped her left wrist and lightly pinned her and against his thigh. She made no sound or movement as the cold silver blade pierced the soft skin of her forearm. Her breathing was slow and even as he etched each rune precisely in her silky flesh. He was surprised at how little blood there seemed to be.
By the time he finished, he was shaking from total exhaustion. Before he picked up the vial of Fireore, he unfastened the buttons of his shirt. Carefully, he dipped his fingers into the blood that was pooling on the runes that he had just finished. Looking her straight in the eye, he touched the still warm sanguine liquid to the tanned skin over his heart.
"You are my life's blood, Jediah." His voice shook with emotion.
He noticed that surprise flashed across her crimson colored eyes. Yet she said nothing. Then, she dipped her slender fingers in to his blood that had collected in the depression in the floor and repeated the gesture.
"As you are mine." She whispered, returning his steady gaze.
Luke picked up the vial and let the Fireore flow over the incised symbols, its sweet scent engulfing him a second time. For a moment they shone brightly. It was almost as if sunlight radiated from them. The light flared then dispersed, leaving the runes a burnished ruby streaked silver. He took the second strip of shimmersilk and wrapped her forearm.
Jediah reached out to him, being careful not to disturb the small pool of blood in the center of the circle. Gently, Luke took her hand and pulled her into his embrace. He kissed her tenderly and passionately. As his hands stroked her silvery hair, the blood-red bell crystals chimed softly. He needed her. As he lay back on his cloak, she rested in the crook of his arm, caressing him lovingly. Luke sighed contentedly as her lips touched the smudge of blood over his heart. His exhaustion completely forgotten for the moment. He held her tightly, silently willing the lump in his throat to disappear.
"Gods, Jediah," he whispered as he kissed her, "I need you more than anything else in my life."
"Shhhh." She chided gently, "Speak to me without words."
That was all the encouragement he needed. For a long time, the only thing that filled his senses was his beautiful and powerful Jediah.