Author's note & Disclaimer: Go read the first part of this trilogy, "Doomed Love," if you haven't already. None of these characters is mine, yada yada yada. I'm getting no money for this, so don't sell it. If you haven't read "Doomed Love" go read it now. Don't scroll down unless you have, for the summary/introduction gives away almost everything. This is rated R.
888
888
888
888
888
888
888
888
888
888
888
Thanks for reading "Bastard Jedi." In part one, Luke and Mara had a fling that led to dire consequences. Luke proposed marriage, Mara refused; Luke killed himself a month later. Mara reconsidered, and arrived at the academy too late to save Luke from suicide. Our story begins on Yavin IV, two weeks later.
Mara lay on the bed of her borrowed room. The ceiling of the Great Temple was gray. She was sleeping in the pilot's wing, unused for four years. She and Corran Horn had been the only students to ever use this part of the building. He was below her in his old room, the one Biggs Darklighter, Jek Porkins, and Wedge Antilles had shared before the Battle of Yavin. She was in Luke's old pilot quarters.
All of Luke's students, past and present, had come to the Academy. On Kyp's steady support, Tionne had blossomed into a competent administrator and a strong leader. Kam Solusar and a few others had moved back to Yavin permanently. Kirana Ti and Teneniel Djo had brought along a good portion of the Singing Mountain Clan from Dathomir. Luke's family had come from Coruscant, and his friends had come from all over the galaxy to mourn his death.
And all of them had studiously avoided her.
She couldn't blame them, of course. It was because of her idiotic independence that Luke was dead. Because of her, the galaxy had lost its greatest hero (although he'd been taken down quite a few notches after his suicide).
Mara rolled over on her side and faced the opposite wall. She'd been crying herself to sleep at night, and during the day she was tired and weary. There was a knock at her door. Confused, Mara sat up. "Come," she replied. She smoothed her hair away from her face and stared at Luke's sister.
Leia stared back in silence. Finally, she said, "We're ready to listen to Luke's will. I thought you'd like to know." She turned and Mara called to her.
"Leia, I loved him. I was coming here to tell him that, to apologize and accept his proposal." Leia stared at her, then nodded and left.
Once she was safe behind her own door, she sank to the floor and wept. Her brother had died for nothing. One day. If Mara had been one day earlier or Luke had waited one more day, everything would have turned out all right. But that was "if," and this was now.
Quickly, she composed herself and walked to the Main Throne Room.
"This is the Last Will and Testament of Luke Skywalker. By this recording I verify that I am of sound mind." There was a pause. "Sound mind? Yeah right! I'm committing suicide, here. I'm loonier than a Kowakian lizard monkey! I don't have a sound mind."
The sound of her brother's voice, light-hearted and cheerful, made Leia laugh. Chuckles spread around the room. Luke cleared his throat, and the Jedi students fell silent.
"All of my financial holdings are to be divided equally between my niece and nephews, with a little emphasis on Anakin," he whispered conspirationally. "Most of my personal property is up for grabs, although I would like Artoo-Detoo to be given to the academy. Streen and Tionne will decide how best to use him. My X-wing I'd like to have kept here as well, if it's possible. They work well together and the academy could use the extra firepower. My lightsaber is to be held aside for Anakin until he's ready for it. The rest of my personal effects are to be handled by Leia.
"If it is discovered, and proven beyond a reasonable doubt in my sister's mind, that I have left behind any number of children, my finances are to be divided in half. One half is to be divided into thirds and distributed among Leia's children as previously stated, and the other half goes to my own. Kyp will be in charge of these monetary matters, and he will answer any questions you should have.
"The rest of this recording is a series of private messages. The first one is for Leia. I'll pause here." The screen froze and Leia switched off the recording. She stood and addressed the assembly.
"Everyone here has come to mourn not only the galaxy's most famous Jedi Master, but a great man as well. Luke was a friend to everyone ever met, even to his enemies. But his life was plagued with sadness.
"Ever since our father died, Luke has lived alone. He's endured pain and suffering and hasn't had anyone to turn to. Finally frustrated with solitude, he took his own life." Here she paused, forcing back the tears that threatened to flow. Hindsight was perfect vision, as the saying went.
"However, even in death he was thinking of others. He has left behind a Holocron, a record of all his knowledge for his students to access. He didn't leave his students unprotected, either. He was caring and concerned to the last. He will be sorely missed." She left the auditorium, and the crowd of mourners filed out of the chamber.
Luke's closest friends and family held a private gathering in his quarters. Leia and Han had already listened to their files, so she forwarded it and turned the message cube over to Kyp. He entered Luke's office and locked the door. Leia and Han quietly walked around Luke's apartment, mentally choosing what they wanted to keep for themselves.
Mara sat stiffly in a wing-backed chair, ill at ease with her surroundings. This peaceful, comfortable home might have been hers. If only she hadn't been stupid. How could she have valued her independence over the adoration and love of an exceptionally good man? She couldn't stop blaming herself. She knew she must, to go on living, but she couldn't. She just-
She paused mid-thought. Maybe she didn't have to go on living. Maybe if she took her own life, as Luke had, she could earn forgiveness in death. The more she thought about it, the more it made sense and seemed like a good idea. Then she dismissed it from her mind. Dying was not the answer.
In the corner of her eye, Leia handed something to Tionne and pointed towards her. Tionne approached her with a small box. Without a word, she gave it to Mara. Mara examined it, opened it.
Her ring. It was the engagement ring Luke had presented to her. A single stone of jade, with three onyx stones on each side and encircled by twenty-five diamonds, it was exquisite and priceless. She hadn't really seen it before, when Luke had offered it to her, but now she knew how valuable it was.
Kyp approached her with the message cube. She took it and went to Luke's office. As she closed the door, she glanced around. Very stately, very elegant. Luke's personal study had been a place of business and peaceful meditation. She sat in his chair and played the message.
"Mara. My darling, sweet Mara. I just want you to know how much I love you. You made me complete, Mara. My life is nothing without you. And I'm tired of waiting for love. So, I decided to end the glob race. I realize that this is a drastic solution, but it was my only choice.
"If you ever require anything, money, a good word, just go to Leia. She's been instructed to give you whatever you ask for, within limits, of course. I may be a farmboy, but I'm not stupid. May the Force be with you, my love, though I will not." His face disappeared and "Tionne" flashed in the air. She paused it.
This room was peaceful and quiet. Why couldn't she hide out in here? She stood and left the office. On her way to her room, she tossed the cube to Tionne.
In her quarters, she packed her belongings and locked the door. She needed to be alone, and knew the perfect place to go.
Dagobah, four days later
Mara set her ship down expertly among the swamp near Yoda's home. She'd gotten the exact coordinates from Artoo before leaving Yavin. This had been the spot of most solid ground years ago, and that was apparently still the case.
She hiked a fair distance in the forest and finally came upon the remains of Yoda's home. She used what was left of his home and built a decent shelter around it.
Mara spent her next few days exploring her general surroundings. This planet was a great training ground. Mara could see where Luke became the Jedi Knight needed to save the galaxy.
At first, she wondered why Luke hadn't brought his students here. Then, a discovery on the first day of the new week clarified her puzzlement. Three weeks after Luke's death, she found the cave.
Luke had told her about it, long ago when she had done her Jedi training. The cave was infested with the dark side, creating visions of possible pasts and futures. Wary but curious, Mara entered.
**Out of the darkness, a child ran for her. A young, tow-headed boy with blond hair and stunningly adorable blue eyes, he screamed, "Mommy!" and wrapped his arms around her leg. She was about to pull him off when he let go and ran into another room. He shouted, "Daddy, Mommy's home!" The boy came back and dragged her into the other room.
Mara had barely a glance at the room around her before she was swept up into a strong pair of arms and spun in a dizzy circle. "Mara, you're home!"
Her captor put her down and kissed her passionately. He stepped back, and she almost fell over. Luke Skywalker was standing in front of her, healthy and happy. She whispered, "Luke?"
"Mara are you all right? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"No, I'm fine," she stammered.
"That's good. Now come on, sit down." He led her into a cozy dining room, and sat at the table. "Tell me all about your trading run." He stared at her attentively, blue eyes sparkling with love and fascination.
She cleared her throat and settled back, but before she could speak, the room disappeared around her, leaving only herself and Luke in the cave.**
He was glowing faintly, the way most spirits would. Mara looked at him with painful understanding. "Do you see now?" His voice echoed off the walls of the cave. "I only wanted a simple life with you, Mara. I didn't want to tie you down in chains or reign in your fiery spirit. I only wanted to love you, to spend the rest of my life loving you. But you didn't want that."
"I did, at the end," she interrupted in her defense.
"Too little, too late," he retorted. Taken back by his bitter tone, she was silent. He spoke again. "I wanted to show you what our life could have been like, together. That's why I sent you this vision."
"You wanted to hurt me a little bit for all the pain I've caused you."
He looked stunned and was about to deny it, then he admitted, "Yes I did! I killed myself because of you, Mara. I felt you needed to feel some of the pain you caused me. You have no idea how hard it was, leaving my sister and her family. I love them very much."
"And they love you. Did you ever think of how hard it would be for Leia to keep on going after you killed yourself?"
"Yes, I did, but that's beside the point. The point is merely to show you what you could have had, and what you lost through your own stupidity." With that, he vanished.
She sank to the floor of the cave and cried. How could she go on with her worthless life now?
Coruscant, one week later
Mara landed the Jade's Fire on Pad 92 and requested a meeting with President Skywalker-Solo. She shut everything down and opened her cargo bay as she waited for Leia.
The chief of State granted her request, and stood on the edge of the landing platform, patiently waiting. Mara descended the ramp and approached her, hands spread-eagle at her sides. "Hello, Leia," she said.
"Hello, Mara," she replied coolly. "What do you want?"
"Here." She handed Leia a data card. "Read this when you get back to your quarters." She spun around and walked up the ramp. Leia stared at the card, then at the ship.
Finally, she turned and started to walk away. Both she and her bodyguards froze at the sound of a blaster shot. "No," Leia whispered. "Not again." She turned and ran for the Jade's Fire.
They found Mara just inside the entryway, her favorite blaster clenched tightly in her right hand, a smashed shotglass in her left. She was lying in a pool of whiskey that had spilled out of the bottle, her eyes open. Leia bent down and closed them. At long last, her vision had been fulfilled.
She casually glanced over Mara's body, and noticed a small bulge in her midsection. She pushed against it, curious.
Her brain went dead as something inside Mara's body pushed back. She quickly gathered her Force sense around her, and probed Mara's womb. When a tiny young presence returned her probe, she fell back. Mara was having a baby! One still alive, so it seemed.
"Guards!" she screamed. They gathered around her. "This woman's having a baby," she explained. "Help me get her to the infirmary. Khabarakh, lock up the ship and stand guard." The Noghri guard bowed and obeyed.
Leia opened a comlink to Han and explained the situation. He agreed to meet her in the medical wing. She ran ahead of her guards, alerting the medical ward of their arrival.
Kyp sprang into action as soon as Han shut off the comlink. Mara dead? And pregnant?! This put a whole new twist on things. He contacted Cilghal, the Calamarian Jedi healer, and bolted for the medical wing. He'd seen Luke do something once in a similar situation. He only hoped he could replicate it.
When he got to the receptionist's desk, he didn't slow down. Kyp knew where to go. Han slowed, shouted, "Maternity?" and pointed off in Kyp's direction. The droid nodded and waved them through.
Kyp ran past Mara's room. Leia poked her head out of the doorway. She and Han, who was coming around the corner, shouted, "Kyp!"
He switched gears instantly, smoothly spinning in the other direction. He ran full-tilt down the hall.
He entered Mara's room and sprang into action. He snatched a laser scalpel from a table. He made an incision into Mara's womb, just as he had seen Luke do once, a long time ago on a mission. A pair of spreaders flew to him through the air, levitated by the Force. He applied them to Mara's stomach, pulling back the skin so his hand would fit inside. He reached in, and gently lifted out the bundle, breaking the amniotic sac as he did so. There were two umbilical cords leading to two babies, one male and one female. He placed both infants in an incubator. Calling upon the Force, he fed life into each twin.
He gently pushed on one baby's chest. The tiny little boy let out a healthy, piercing scream. The spectators let out sighs of relief. Kyp moved away so the real doctors could work their magic.
Tionne came up behind him and gently touched his shoulder. He turned. She asked him, "Will they be all right, do you think?"
Cilghal, who had entered with Tionne, approached the baby girl. Kyp answered, "They should be fine. It'll be a few days before we can tell, though. They spent quite a few minutes without oxygen."
"It's hard to believe. Could they be Luke's?"
"Yes, I think they are," he replied.
"They are," Leia confirmed. She was perusing Mara's datacard in the corner of the room. "I can feel a tiny glimmer of Luke's presence. It's coming from the boy."
"We'll have to name them both," said Han.
"We can do that later, " Kyp replied with a wave of his hand. "Right now we need to make sure they survive thier first week of life."
"Right," Leia agreed. "How are we going to care for them?" she whispered to Han.
"I am," Kyp answered for him. "It's what Luke wanted." He dug into a pocket and pulled out Luke's message cube. He forwarded it to his message from Luke.
After a short pause, the Jedi's message began. "This is going to be the hardest message to record. For as long as I've known you, Kyp, you've been my best friend. You've always been here for me, offering advice when I needed it, making me laugh when my life got too depressing.
"But now our time has passed. And I have one last favor to ask of you. Keep an eye on the New Republic, it's your duty now. And if it should be discovered that I have any offspring, raise them as your own. My children could find no better father than in you, Kyp.
"This is my final request, these my last wishes. Please accept them, Kyp, if you can. I will be with you in the Force, my friend. Sho'lam'be, ma'ticea."
"Kyp," Leia said after digesting this new twist, "are you sure you can handle this?"
"I can only do my best Leia," he replied. "Luke is watching me. If I blow this chance, he'll kick my butt in the Afterlife."
She smiled and patted him on the shoulder. "If Luke is watching over you, you can't fail."
"Thank you," he replied, touched by her faith. They left the hospital and headed towards the Presidential Suite.
Mara opened her eyes and stared into the emergency room of a medical wing. She watched, curiously, as the medical staff cleaned up her dead body and prepared it for incineration. She looked down at the part of herself that was aware. She felt all of life surrounding her, but she had no feeling in her "body."
She looked almost like a real-time holo. There was a luminous outline around her, and she could see the floor of the hallway through her feet. She jerked suddenly, and felt a strong pulling to her right.
She glanced up. Luke was standing there, an inscrutable look on his face. Behind him stood an older gentleman, distinguished-looking and kind. He whispered something in Luke's ear. Luke nodded, his eyes never leaving her.
Finally, he turned and said, "Come." Mara could hear the anger in his voice. There was something beneath it, too, an emotion she couldn't put her finger on. Silently, she followed him and the old man to a room further down the hallway. She stopped as first Luke, and then the other man walked through the wall next to a door labelled, "Maternity." Mara shrugged her shoulders and followed them.
The old man, she noted as she entered the room, was calm and thoughtful, though his face beamed with joy. Luke, she could tell, was eager and excited. About what, Mara wasn't sure.
Luke seemed to have forgotten her completely in his excitement. He whispered to the old man, "Which ones do you think they are?"
His reply made both of them smile. "I should think the boy, at least, would be the one with 'Skywalker' on his incubator and 'I'm the son of a whiner' tattooed on his forehead. And then your daughter would be the girl in the incubator next to him."
"Dad," Luke scolded, picking his way through the babies.
"Well, he is. You're a whiner, and he's your son. That makes him the son of a whiner."
"I'm not a whiner," he declared.
"No, not anymore. Now you're just a dead Jedi. But you were a whiner, and he's still your son, dead or alive. That makes him…"
"Shut up, Dad!" Luke shoved the old man over a meter and a half. The old man chuckled to himself. Luke shook his head ruefully and continued looking.
"Here they are," Mara said quietly. She'd been walking through the ailes during their exchange and had found the babies they were looking for.
Luke was at her side in an instant. "Well, Dad, here's your grandchildren," he said, leaning over the double-wide incubator designed to hold twins together.
"Two of," Anakin corrected. They all stared down at the tiny lifeforms, who had joined hands in their sleep. Anakin watched the actions of his newest grandchildren with great pride and interest. He was thankful that, in his duties as guardian spirit to his own two children, he had been in attendance for the births of all five of his grandkids.
Mara stared at the baby girl with shock and amazement. She had reddish hair, and on her nameplate was the name "Skywalker."
The question burned inside her, but she was too afraid to speak it aloud. Were these babies hers?
"Yes, they're our children," Luke replied quietly from her side.
"I didn't know." She felt a marked change in him at her revelation. She glanced up at his face.
"You didn't know you were pregnant?"
She resolutely shook her head. "I"ve always been irregular, and missed months at a time," she explained. She gazed at the incubator. "What's going to happen to them?"
"Kyp will take care of them, raise them together. I've been given guardianship of my son, so I'll always be with him," replied.
"Guardianship?" she questioned.
"Yes," he answered. "Dad, you explain it." He went back to staring at his twin children.
"When I died, it was decided that I deserved a better chance to redeem myself," Anakin explained. "So I was given a crash course on how to be a guardian spirit, and then assigned to my son. They could have really tested me and given me Leia, but they must have known Luke's darker side was so close to my own.
"Ever since the dawn of the Republic, and the first Jedi Knights, the spirits of the dead have chosen to watch over these curious wizards. But all in all, the spirits have always watched over the Jedi. As more Jedi became one with the Force, they in turn, became guardians. So, when I died, I was placed by the side of my son. Now that he is dead, I thought I would be able to spend some quality time with him, looking for his mother. But it looks like I have to go back to work."
"What do you mean?"
"You don't really think I would leave my grandchildren unprotected in this galaxy, do you?" he asked her. "I'm going to look after one of them. Probably the girl, since I couldn't prevent my own son from turning to the dark side. Luke is going to have to be better than I was when he looks after his son."
"Or Anakin," Luke commented.
"True," he agreed. "Either your nephew or your son, but you should definitely look after one of them."
"What will happen to the other?" Mara asked.
"Jem has agreed to look after him, guide him," Luke replied.
"Who is Jem?" she asked.
"A former girlfriend of mine," Luke answered, "and your guardian."
"My guardian?"
"Yes. When she died, she had one request. She wanted to ensure that I would have love in my life without her. She asked to be allowed to watch over the one person whom I was destined to be with forever. That, apparently, was you."
At this point, Mara desparately wished she could undo her terrible mistake. She wished she could go back in time to that fateful night and accept his proposal. Dimly, she was aware of Luke's arms circling her waist. She heard his voice in her ear, "You really mean that? 'Cause we could still be bonded together. It happens here."
She burst into sobs and turned in his arms. After all she'd done to him, he still loved her. He still wanted to spend the rest of his existence with her. She embraced him and said softly, "Yes. I'm so sorry Luke. I never meant to hurt you. I was just afraid of your love. I never wanted any of this." She buried her head into his neck, wondering at his physical touch. They were dead, yet they could feel each other. It was a remarkable experience.
Luke held on to her as she sobbed, silently accepting her apology. He could tell her regret was genuine, and that put some hope back into his heart. Suddenly, the world around them blurred. The colors shifted, became shades of gray, and the distinct outlines of familiar shapes faded away, leaving behind cloudy images.
Mara felt something akin to a cool breeze against her skin. She glanced up and gasped. "Where are we?" She pulled away from Luke.
"Everywhere. Nowhere," Anakin replied cryptically.
Luke swatted him on the arm and chastised him. "Dad, don't confuse her."
"Why not?" he pouted, placing his hands on his hips. Mara burst into peals of laughter at his immature behavior. This seemed ten million light-years away from the Darth Vader she'd known as a young woman, a servant of the Emperor.
"It should," Anakin commented, reading her thoughts. "That man died a long time ago. There is nothing of him left anywhere now."
"Thank goodness, too, or we'd all be in trouble," Luke said, dodging a swing from his father.
"So," Mara began after a period of silence. "If we get married, do I have to call you Father?"
"Well, you don't have to, but you're allowed to, yes."
"I'd stick with Anakin, Luke said in her ear. "It's less confusing." He ducked to avoid another swing. "Cut it out, Dad!"
"No!" Anakin swung again, this time successfully catching hold of Luke's head. He dragged his son closer and ruffled his hair. Luke's cry of lament was muffled by the fact that his face was being pushed into Anakin's ribcage.
Mara grinned and wandered away. On one level, she was happy for Luke. He was spending some quality time with his father. On another level, she was saddened that it had to happen this way. Why did he have to die to be happy?
After a short distance, she turned back. She stiffened. Luke and his father were gone.
She looked all around her. There, just ahead, she could see a single shadowy figure. She quickened her pace and headed in that direction.
Five strides later, she came upon a young woman standing patiently. Mara had seen a picture of her once in Luke's office. She had dark brown hair and athletic features. She was rather plain, compared to other women in Luke's life: Leia was possibly the most beautiful woman in the galaxy, Gaeriel Captison-Thanas had an exquisite air about her that was attractive, Callista had Cray Mingla's cultured looks and grace, and herself … What was she, in Luke's eyes?
"You're the flame that starts the fire," he whispered passionately in her ear, wrapping his arms around her waist. He kissed her neck softly, delighting in the moan that escaped from her lips. She leaned back into him, the stranger in front of her temporarily forgotten.
Mara closed her eyes and let the minutes pass. Luke's presence was all around her, flowing into her emotions like water into a stream.
The stranger cleared her throat, and Mara's private little bubble burst. "You're Mara. It's wonderful to finally meet you."
"You must be Jem." She held out her hand in a friendly greeting.
Jem shook it, and smiled warmly. "Sorry to interrupt, but it's time for orientation."
"I almost forgot about that," Anakin muttered.
"You did forget," Luke scolded. "I've been dead for a month and still haven't been shown around." He dodged yet another swing and trotted after Mara and Jem. Anakin sighed and said, "Well, this is going to be an adventure," and walked after the trio, now arm in arm.
Kyp woke with a start and the dream faded away. Before it could dissolve into irretrievable memory, he grabbed a journal and recorded everything from it. It would please Leia to know that her brother and father were both doing well and that Luke had found his love at last.
Kyp threw off the blankets and sat up on the couch. He stared down at the two children in front of him. The doctors had pronounced the twins fit to leave, and he had taken them home with him. The adaoption proceedings had finished just two hours ago, leaving himself and Tionne caretakers of the Skywalker legacy.
Kyp laughed at that. When Tionne found out he intended to raise the Skywalker twins on his own, she insisted on being named as a caretaker. She demanded that he let her help him raise the children.
Tionne woke, whether from his laughter or something else, he couldn't tell. She drew back the covers on Kyp's bed. She stretched, yawned, and rose from the bed, tightening the sash on her robe. "Is everything all right, Kyp?"
"Yes, everything's fine," he reassured her. As she bent down to stroke the girl's tiny cheek, he continued. "I just had an interesting dream about Luke and Mara."
"Oh." She picked up the boy and nestled him on her shoulder. "How did it turn out?"
"Fairly well." He leaned over to pick up Luke's daughter. "Luke and his dad were having fun, rough-housing around, and Luke and Mara were going to get married."
"That's good, I suppose."
"Something wrong?"
"No, I was just trying to think of a good name for her."
"Leia wants to pick out the names, don't forget."
"She'll probably suggest Luke for the boy and then pick something dumb for the girl."
"I don't know. There are a lot of good girl's names to choose from."
"Oh yeah, like Jaina."
"Do you have anything better in mind?"
"I can think of lots of better names than Jaina. Like Ami, or Allia, Alina."
"Okay, I get the picture." Kyp let her have her dreams. If he had his way, he'd make damn sure the kids weren't named after some famous Jedi or anyone else they'd have to live up to. If he had his way, he'd covertly name them after their parents. Such as Jade. Jade was a nice name, for either boy or girl. A little too obvious, but it fit with 'Skywalker' and that was the important thing.
He had plenty of objections to some superstar name. He and Luke had both agreed that Leia never should have named her son after the man who became Darth Vader. Anakin Solo had a dozen questions, with no answers to any of them. Kyp had watched the boy grow full of doubt and shame of his namesake where there should have been pride.
Kyp wouldn't allow that to happen to Luke's child, and would shoot down the first person who tried to name the children after some hero figure with unattainable standards. Besides, it was hard enough to live up to Luke Skywalker's legacy without tacking a name onto the problem as well.
He decided Jade would be a lovely name for the girl. The boy should have a combination of his parents' names, some way to name him after Mara. As he stared at the boy in Tionne's arms, the names appeared in the air, a handsbreath apart: Mara, Luke. The last 'a' vanished from Mara's name, the 'e' from Luke. The remaining 'Mar' superimposed itself over the 'Lu,' resulting in "Mark." Kyp ran over it in his mind. Mark Skywalker. It sounded good, it fit. He made a note to call Leia in the morning.
"Kyp, you don't understand," Leia said in her final attempt. "I want to name this child after his father."
"I am naming him after Luke, Leia. He's being named after both of his parents." She started to contradict him, but he ran ahead. "He already has Skywalker at the end of his name. People the galaxy over fear and honor that name alone. If you name him Luke, he's going to feel second best at everything because he won't be able to live up to Luke. No one can. Mark is derived from both parents, and it's a good, strong name. Try them both once, just to see which one sounds better. Luke Skywalker, junior. Mark Skywalker." Kyp revelled in the wince on Leia's face. She didn't like the sound of "Junior" any more than he did. Han, fortunately, came to his rescue.
"Leia, he's right. Luke Skywalker, Jr. stinks. I like Mark. It's something different, and like Kyp says, it's still a strong name."
"You're right. I just … I guess I just miss him so much I'm still looking for him in the shadows."
"Well, he's still hanging around. We might not be able to talk to him, but he'll be with us," reassured Kyp.
Her eyes grew bright. "What do you mean?"
He explained his dream to her. Then he told her about the inspiration for 'Mark.'
He was about to conjecture when a brightly glowing figure stepped through the wall. Kyp gasped and bolted out of his chair. It was Luke!
Han asked him, "Kyp, what? What is it?"
Leia, knowing the look in his eyes, searched the room for any sign of a specter.
Kyp swallowed and regained his composure. "Hello. I didn't think you could actually appear to us."
"I came to say helo to Leia. And to insist that she give my children the names Mara and I have chosen."
"Subliminal messages, Luke?"
"Yes. Mara, my father and I decided on the names of the children a long time ago."
"Why can I hear him but not see him?" Leia demanded.
Luke watched over to her. "The rules have been set down. You can either see me but not hear me, hear but not see, or have both, but only once. I think it would be better for both of us to have it this way."
She thgouht it over for a minute, as Luke's ghostly image framed her face in his hands. "Would you rather see me never change, never age, and not be able to talk to me? Would you rather see and talk to me once and never again until your death? This way, you can remember however you like, and hear my voice as well." She nodded tears falling down her cheeks.
"Shh. Don't cry. The children will always be able to see and hear me. I will be watching over Mark, guiding him through the Force. Dad will be watching over Jade, and Mara and Jem will be watching over Anakin."
"Why Anakin?" She asked, finding control.
"So that he doesn't follow my footsteps – or Father's."
She nodded with understanding. "I wish I could see you."
"Close your eyes." She obeyed his command. "Now, picture me, in your mind. Good. Listen to the sound of my voice, let it tell you where I am in the room."
"You're in front of me."
"Yes, that's right. Now what am I doing?"
The image of what he was doing was superimposed over the memory in her mind. "Stop playing with my hair, Luke." She smoothed her hair with a hand.
"See how easy it is?" She could hear the grin in his voice. The face in her mind was smiling.
"This is the way you want it, then?"
"This is best for all of us, I think. I should go now. You must continue on with your lives. I will always be here for you." With an audible sigh and a slight breeze, he left.
Leia wiped away the tear on her cheek. "I guess there's nothing else to say but good luck."
Kyp laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "The children will be well cared for. Tionne and I will do fine."
"Don't worry, Kyp," Han said as he took his leave. "You'll make a great father."
"I certainly hope so." He saw them to the door and said good-bye. The door slid shut as he turned away. He made his way to the make-shift nursery he, Han and Chewie had set up. He watched the Skywalker twins as they slept. Mark was tossing and turning. He let Mark wrap his hand around Kyp's pinky.
He smiled and sent soothing thoughts and warmth to the little boy. A pair of slender arms slid around his waist. Tionne rested her head on his bony shoulder.
"I didn't think they'd let us have those names," she commented.
"Well, Mark and Jade were what Luke wanted. Leia wasn't about to argue with him, and Han's been giving us a lot of support." He turned in her embrace and placed his arms around her shoulders. "It was pretty much a done deal."
Tionne squeezed her arms tight and snuggle her head in the crook of his shoulder . She put her nose, which was always cold, in the warm spot under his chin. "Are you sure we can do this, Kyp?"
"Yes." He stared into her eyes, framing her face in his hands. "As long as we stick together we'll be fine." Her eyes are so soft. They're a beautiful shade of pearl. "Just trust your heart and let the Force guide you." He brought her chin up, and gently kissed her.
Her kiss back was nothing of the sort.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and practically devoured his lips. He crushed her against him and closed his eyes. He reached out to her with the Force. She recprocated, sending him into a whirlwind of emotion.
His tunic and shirt were off in five seconds. He slowly undid the clasps of her blouse, for fear he would rip the delicate fabric. She flung it into a corner, revealing that she wore nothing underneath. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him again, pressing her breasts to his chest.
It took all of his conscious energy to keep from falling over. Realizing where this was headed, he sent her one word through the Force: Bedroom. He sensed her acceptance as she backed out of the nursery.
He lowered himself just a bit and grasped the back of her thighs. Taking the cue, she hopped up and wrapped her legs around his waist. He laced his fingers together under her butt and carried her to the bedroom.
As the door slid shut, he thought he heard a pair of giggling voices and a snickering laughter. He ignored them and concentrating on keeping his mind from going insane with passion.
As he set her down on the bed, Tionne wriggled out of her skirt. Kyp laid down next to her and grasped her hips. He pulled her on top of him, kissing her fiercely on the lips. She wound her arms around him and pressed her body to his.
His skin burned when it contacted her bare flesh, at her breasts, her stomach, and where her hands were stroking him. His manhood was straining against the fabric of his pants, aching to enter her sweet paradise.
He slid a hand down her back, across her tender buttocks and lower, between her thighs. He pressed a finger gently against her bud. She moaned against his lips and convulsed in a series of shivers. He stroked her up and down, ever so gently. She squirmed and writhed in exquisite passion. She was trembling violently, and tried to get away from that engaging member, only to discover there was no where to go.
She began to cry, for want of relief from his explorations. Between kisses she begged for satisfaction, pleaded for a release from the exquisite pain of his loving. He finally did remove his hand, to her sigh of relief, only to hear them turn into gasps of passion as he flipped them over and entered her womanhood again, this time with his engorged and quivering phallus.
With one hand she clung to him, her nails digging into his shoulder as he throbbed and pulsed within her. With the other she squeezed his buttcheeks, pushing him deeper and deeper into her.
The heat from the point of their joining seared him, burning his blood with an aching hunger for her. Tionne arched her back severely, taking him in deeper and deeper with each thrust. His climax came first, and she cried out as his seed spilled into her. With both hands on his butt, she continued to thrust, pushing his phallus and his seed into her until she had reached her climax.
He cried out and begged her to stop. When he finally believed he couldn't take anymore and he was going to die, she screamed and froze every muscle in her body. Her grip on his penis became so tight he groaned with the torture of it.
After an eternity, their muscles unclenched and relaxed. He kissed her gently and rolled over, so that she sprawled on top of him, joined only where his manhood was plunged into her.
He knew, as he stroked her back, that neither of them could move. He knew, also, that there was no turning back. They were joined forever, at a point so deep in their souls no one would ever be ablee to separate them. He knew, without asking, what her answer would be if he suggested they marry. He couldn't see himself with anyone else, and knew in his soul she felt the same.
Silent, he stroked her back, trying to form the words and group them together in a way that would appeal to her. She startled him though, and spoke first. "Yes, Kyp, I'll marry you." He wrapped his arms around her and snuggled her close. He had no energy for anything else.
The marriage ceremony was held quietly a week later. Tionne and Kyp exchanged simple vows in the presence of the Solos, their friends, and four guardian spirits.
Everyone present wished Kyp and Tionne happiness and the best of luck. After the party had begun in earnest, Kyp talked with Han and Leia, while Tionne mingled with some of the witches from Dathomir that had made it to the occasion.
A woman pushed her husband toward the Solos. When he began to back away, she said softly to him, "Honey, you missed your chance to know him. Go to her, introduce yourself and tell her the truth."
"Tia, I can't."
"Ranik, you have to. You owe it to them and to your father, may he rest in peace."
He sighed and walked towards Leia. She watched him calmly as he approached, though Han and Kyp gasped.
Mara had first noticed him and told Luke, who went and warned Leia. Kyp whispered to Han, "Am I seeing things or does he look just like Luke?"
Han replied, "I must be seeing things too, then."
Ranik had dark blond hair, a tall, thin frame, and Luke's crystal blue eyes. He stopped in front of Leia and stuck out his hand. "Hello. I'm Ranik Vader."
The spirit of Anakin Skywalker gasped. Luke stared at him with wide eyes. Leia shook his hand and said, "Hi. Leia Skywalker Solo."
END OF PART TWO