By Skywalker's
Dream
September 2000
Revised January 2002
Disclaimer: I do not own Star Wars, nor do I want to. I'm not sure I could handle fans as messed up as me. None of the characters belong to me either, not even the tiny bugs in the forest so please don't yell at me if they don't know how to behave. I am just a tool with the sole purpose of cranking out useless drivel to entertain myself and hopefully a few others in this day of Luke and Mara starvation.
Summary: Luke discovers a person forgotten from his childhood. However, when his past meets his present strange things develop. How Luke deals with it could directly affect the course of his future.
Setting: This story takes place sometime in the Star Wars universe. Where exactly I don't know, but definitely after Darksaber and before the events in The Hand of Thrawn Doulogy. I tend not to follow a strict timeline so you do the math.
Thanks to my wonderful beta Sherry!!!! For putting up with me through this one. You are the best!
Chapter 13
They came out of hyperspace minutes after the ship they were pursuing. They stayed far enough back so that they would not spook them, but close enough that they were still able to track them. Knowing that there would no longer be a question to the other ship whether or not they were being followed, Admiral Ackbar ordered them to hail the other ship. The message was repeated without any reply. The only response they received was the sight of a mass of small attack fighters rising from the planet. Standard procedure was for them to deploy their owe fighters, and this time was no exception.
Leia fidgeted in her seat as she watched the ship continued to move towards the planet. She could feel that they were running out of time. She could see by the way Mara was watching her, by the look on her face, that the other woman was feeling the same. Standing up, Leia quickly approached the Admiral.
"She's getting away," she told him. She new full well that he was already aware of the situation. However she felt it necessary to reiterate the facts.
"We will deal with them. They will not get far. First we must take care of those fighters. There is no need to worry we have everything under control."
Leia nodded and returned to her seat, but did not sit back down. They may think they have it under control, but in actuality they did not. She looked down at Mara and made her decision.
"We can't wait any longer," she told the red head. Mara bounced to her feet, the look of frustration gone from her features.
"Let's take my ship," she insisted. She sounded as on edge about the situation as Leia herself was feeling. They left the bridge unnoticed, then forced themselves to walk calmly through the corridors. The time it took to cover the distance between the bridge and the hanger seemed to take forever. The sense of urgency Leia felt grew stronger until
by the time the reached the Fire they ended up running on board.
As Leia was trying to close the hatch, Mara pushed past her and headed towards the bridge. She was rushing through the preflight as Leia entered. She took her seat and tried to help as much as she could. It seemed like an eternity before the ship was ready to fly, but Leia knew Mara had cut every corner she could to speed things along. Finally they were in the air, exiting the ship and pulling away from the fleet.
"Jades Fire, this is Admiral Ackbar," the calimarri voice boomed across the com system. Mara quickly reached up and lowered the volume. "I order you to return to the ship. You are only going to put them in greater danger if you go down there now."
"I am sorry Admiral," Leia said into the pickup. "My brother and husband are down there, and we cannot waste anytime now getting them out. If we wait, we will be too late."
"I cannot allow you to do this," the Admiral warned.
"Then you will have to shoot us down," Mara barked. "Fire out." She slammed her palm over the com switch and shut it off. Leia was shocked at her behavior but she understood why she did it. Leia looked out the view screen and her heart sank.
"Maybe you shouldn't have suggested that they shoot us down," Leia told her. We watched as a whole squadron of X-Wings broke away from the battle and moved to intercept.
"He wouldn't really shoot us down would he?" Mara asked, the shock causing her voice to rise.
"That's what it looks like."
"Well I hope not," Mara announced. "I would hate to be forced to fight back. It would take up way too much time."
The X-Wings drew steadily closer and as each second passed Leia's heart sank a little more. At last they were upon them and all she could do was watch as they settled into an escort formation. With an entire squadron of X-Wings surrounding them, there was no chance of them getting down to the planet.
The com crackled once, making her jump, then went silent again. Static filled the air before a voice finally came across.
"Did you get it fixed yet?" the distracted male voice demanded. He was answered by a series of beeps. "Good. Antilles to Jades Fire…you need a little help?"
"What?" Mara replied. "We figured you were sent to bring us back."
"Back?" Wedge questioned. "No we're not bringing you back. We asked permission to help you and it was granted." He took a deep breath, audible even over the com, before he continued. "Luke is one of our own, and we owe both Luke and Han our lives. We will do all we can to get them back. What do you need us to do?"
"A distraction would be nice," Mara told him. "Something that would draw their attention so we might be able to sneak in."
"A distraction it is," Wedge announced energetically. "Good luck."
"May the Force be with you," Leia whispered before the com went silent once again.
Rogue Squadron continued in escort formation until they were entering the planets atmosphere. Mara rechecked the coordinates that she had recorded as the ship landed. With enough luck they should be able to land without trouble. Five more ship rose from somewhere on the planet and shot towards them. Rogue Squadron flew after them with their weapons blazing. As the enemy returned fire, Mara and Leia made their way to the planet.
Mara breathed a sigh of relief as she put her ship in stand by. They had landed without incident and were sitting in a clearing not far from their destination. She could see the ship they had been following sitting not far from them, sitting seemly empty. Stretching out with the Force she confirmed that fact. She refrained from reaching out any further, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention.
Looking past the ship all she could see was a big house. It was an old house in need of minor repairs. The paint was peeling and the porch was in need of some attention. From the outside it looked obvious that the house was never meant to hold prisoners. Unbuckling her restraints she grabbed her blaster and hooked it to her belt. Reaching into a closed compartment she grabbed her lightsaber and did the same. She was on her way out when Leia came up behind her. They left the ship together and began the short walk to the house.
It was quiet outside, nothing out of the ordinary. That fact bothered Mara more then she cared to admit. She paused long enough to begin to shield her presence in the Force then instructed Leia to do the same. It occurred to her that they may have got in over their heads. It would have probably been a good idea to gather a few more people as before they boarded the ship. However at that moment they had not taken the time to think in through. A mistake they may or may not regret later.
They walked along the ship, using it as cover as long as they could. As soon as the back of the house came into view they made a dash for the wall. Looking around Mara noted that up close the house was enormous. It would make it that much harder to find the captives that were held somewhere inside. She also noted that there were no obvious ways to get inside the house that would not draw attention. With an idea in mind, Mara began examining the lower level of the house.
"The window locks are all welded tight," Leia told her. "I can't budge it." Mara accepted the news with a nod and walked over to where Leia was. She stretched out slightly with the Force and took hold of the lock. It would not move. They tested each window in line until they came across one that was not as solidly welded as the others. It took a little effort and time, but Mara, with the aid of the Force, was able to work the lock undone and the window open.
Mara sat on the ground and slipped her feet inside. With a deep breath she slid down and threw the window frame and landed silently inside the house. She grumbled silently over the fact that it was a tighter squeeze through that window then it should have been. She placed her hand protectively over her swelling belly. She was amazed that she could feel so strongly for a person that she had never even met, a child that was hers and had no father. Not one she could remember at any rate.
As Leia worked her way inside, Mara began looking around, her hand still resting on her stomach. They were in what looked to be an ordinary basement. It was dark, dank, and dirty.
"Can you feel them?" Mara asked when Leia came to stand beside her. She was still trying to shield herself but they needed to know where to start looking. No matter the danger she still could not detect anything. Neither Luke nor Han were detectible by her. What she could feel were three defiant all too familiar dark spots in the Force.
"It's ysalamiri," Mara said. She knew it beyond any doubt. That's what she was not able to pick anything up, she was not able to sense them. But she could sense the black spots, they were all around.
"We keep moving. We'll find them," Leia insisted.
"Agreed." It took only a couple of heartbeats for them to locate the staircase and made their way up. Mara took each step carefully but still was startled when she encountered a creaky one. She paused, motioning for Leia to stay still while she waited to see if anyone had noticed. She could hear voices now that they were closer to the top. They were still far away, and she could not make out what was being said, but she could hear them.
They resumed their climb, now taking extra care with each step until they finally reached the top. Looking out, Mara was relieved to discover that the area around them was clear. Taking care to constantly scan the area, they continued on.
"What are you doing?" The shout was far off in the opposite direction and the man was extremely distressed. "What do you w ant now?" Mara started forward again but stopped when Leia grabbed her arm. She turned to see Leia's attention aimed back the other way, her features tight.
"That's Han," Leia whispered. Mara paused to listen to the angry man's yells once again, surprised that she had not recognized it herself.
"Get your hands off him! … Leave him alone! … Snap out of it kid!" Han's voice was cut off with a sickening crack then they heard a door slam shut. Leia's grip on Mara's arm grew stronger. "Leave him alone!" This time Han's shouts were muffled. It was obvious that whom ever he had been shouting at had locked him up in a room. "Luke!" Mara's heart sank. She was not sure why she had not thought of it before, but it was a blow to realize that he was yelling after Luke. Where they too late?
"I can feel Han," Leia whispered. "I know where he is." She started back the way they had come and turned corners confidently. Mara was now sure she could track where Luke was. His presence was still hidden from her, and the dark spots were still there, but one of them was moving. As Mara was concentrating on that, Leia skidded to a halt in front of a door.
"I hear you out there," Han yelled angrily. Leia fought with the lock but it would not budge. Mara, feeling her dark spot moving further away, pushed Leia aside. She produced her viroblade from its hiding place and went to work on the lock. The door swung open and she burst into the room with Leia hot on her heals.
"How are you?" Leia asked as she hugged him as she rushed up to her husband and held him tightly. The relief pouring from her cause Mara to pause, they were not out of it yet.
"I'm good, fine," Han said in a rush. "They just took Luke out of here. We have to go after him."
"Where did they take him?" Mara demanded. Han moved from his wife's embrace to the door and looked around.
"Down this hall," he said pointing to the right. Mara concentrated again and homed in on the dark spot she had been following once again.
"Lets go," Mara demanded. "I think I'll be able to find him." She set off at a determined pace never looking back to see if the others were following her. She was forced to stop not long after when she encountered the first person.
"All you should find here are guards," Han told them. "That's the only people that survived the trip.
"What do you mean survive?" Mara asked, turning to look at him.
"I mean that not everyone survived Callista's wrath. She was not too happy when you all showed up."
"Callista killed them?" Leia asked. Mara could understand her shock, Leia had told her how Callista had showed up to help look when her and Luke and been missing, and how helpful she had been. However Mara was not that surprised. She knew what the darkside could do to people, and she knew what it was that Callista wanted. At that point Mara doubted she cared about anything else.
"She s more than capable, Leia," Han told her.
"Then why are you still around?" Mara asked. It wasn't until after the words were out of her mouth that she realized how it had sounded. She knew she had hit a nerve when Leia turn to her with a glare. "I was only wondering if she had a reason," Mara explained. Han swallowed loudly and Mara knew then that it was not good news.
"She told me why," he explained. Leia turned her attention back to her husband. "I was to be the final test." Mara sighed, she had a very good idea what he meant by that, and it was in fact not very good news.
"A test for what?" Leia asked.
"For Luke," Han said concentrating on Leia's reaction. "She was going to have him kill me after she turned him."
"Does you standing here mean that there is still time?" Mara asked, not able to keep the worry out of her voice. She did not want to think that they had worked all this time, been through everything they had been through to only be halfway successful. And she knew, just as a lot of people knew, that if Luke ever did turn it would mean pain for a lot of people.
"He hasn't turned yet," Han said. "Not that I can tell. But I'm worried about him. He is not well. This has been really hard on him. We need to get him out of here."
They all quieted down as they approached the guard. He was sitting on the floor studying his gun. They quietly ducked into a nearby room, and using Mara's lightsaber, cut a hole in the wall into the adjacent room. Once through the room they returned to the hall, well past the guard without ever catching his attention. It was after they passed the third guard that Mara voiced her opinion on their lack of skill.
"They're better at causing pain than they are at anything else."
"Figures." They rounded yet another corner, still following the dark spot that Mara had tracked earlier.
Leia watched Mara as she looked around the corner of the T-juncture they were currently standing in. The house was an endless maze of hallways and rooms, and Leia knew that she would probably not be able to trace their way back. So instead Leia tried to sense whatever it was that Mara was tracking, but she could not do that either. It was frustrating, she wanted to find her brother, but she felt there was nothing she could do but to follow along. She did not have the extensive experience in tracking these things, and she had no idea how it was Mara had zeroed in on one specific spot. So she left it up to Mara, she was doing more then what Leia knew she could do herself. She felt an arm go around her waist and turned to see Han smiling down at her.
"We'll find him," he whispered. She smiled back at him then they continued walking. Mara had already disappeared around the next corner. Then there is was, Leia could feel it right in front of her. The dark spot. The Force was pushing her on, encouraging her to go forward. Mara was already making her way down the hall so Leia continued on, trying to downplay her panic when she entered the bubble. It was unlike anything she had ever felt before. Luke once had tried to explain to her how it felt, but she now realized that she had not even come close to understanding what he was talking about. The Force had become part of her life, and she felt lost without it. Her heart broke to think what Luke must feel like trapped inside one of these.
Mara stopped a few meters in front of them and pointed to a door, silently indicating that she had found the room they were looking for. Leia did not dare ask her how she knew that. Even though there was no way for Mara to be able to since Luke without the Force, but Mara had not been proven wrong so far so they took her word for it. Removing her viroblade once again, Mara skillfully popped the lock and quickly passed through the door.
The room they found themselves in was brightly lit, more so than any other part of the house they had been in. The sun was pouring in from the massive windows lining the walls. Luke sat on a bench across the large room in front of one of those windows. His knees were drawn up and he rested is cheek on them, his face basking in the sunlight. However he looked anything but peaceful. It was disconcerting not being able to automatically sense him.
Leia walked further into the room, crossing over to where Luke still sat. He had not moved when they arrived and that worried her. She was maybe halfway across the room when the sound of blaster fire tore through the area. Leia spun around and saw Mara taking aim. Leia followed the direction Mara was pointing and got a good look before Mara opened fire again. Looking around she spotted more of the ysalamiri. Leia's skin crawled at the sight. It was the result of those slimy brown creatures that she was not able to reach out to her brother.
She left Mara to her work and approached Luke. Han was behind her but did nothing to interfere. She reached her arm out and placed her hand lightly on his shoulder. He jumped so violently at her touch that she could not help but jerk her hand away. She reached out once again and whispered his name. It was only then that he opened his eyes and looked at her. The torment and aguish she saw swimming there chilled her to the bone.
As strong as Luke could be at times it was easy to think that nothing could ever stop him. However she was slammed back into the reality that he could be hurt. And someone he had once cared about had hurt him deeply, again. She heard another blaster shot and her breath caught in her throat as the Force was returned to her.
She opened her eyes and watched her brother. He had not moved, but had closed his eyes. His breathing became deeper and she could feel his jumbled emotions being pulled back under control. She was startled by the sound of a door being slammed open. She knew it was bad when she heard her husband swear. Turning she caught sight of the exact person she knew would be walking into the room. Callista walked into the room but did not notice the newcomers until she looked in Luke's direction. It was the first time Leia had ever been able to since the woman. She frowned knowing the feel of the dark side that coursed through her.
"No!" Callista screamed as she stormed across the room. "You cannot come here yet. He's not ready." Leia stood next to her husband ready to defend her brother, however Callista never made it that far. Mara had come up behind her, knocking her across the back of the head with her blaster.
"Give it up sister, you've lost," Mara said with a smirk as Callista struggled to her feet. "We're taking him home."
"You!" Callista snarled. "We'll just see about that. You have been a pain in my side foe long enough." Callista leaped to her feet, charging towards the red head. Mara sidestepped her, letting Callista sail past her. With a rise of her eyebrows Mara ignited her lightsaber, finding a since of peace knowing that it would be Luke lightsaber, the one he had giving her, that would end this wretched life. After what she did to him, she deserved nothing else. Callista answered her challenge, and blue met gold (right color?) in the first strike of battle.
Mara withdrew her sword and was just able to get it around before Callista's connected with her head. Bring her sword down and around to try once again to get past the other woman's defenses. Leia watched fascinated as Callista and Mara circled each other. Her attention was distracted as Luke sat up straighter to better see the fight. Leia sat next to him and held him, feeling his need to help, but also realizing the bad shape he was in. He must have realized it too because he never made an attempt to get up. He just continued to watch.
Leia was not sure when it happened but her husband's concerned gaze brought her eyes back to Luke. Hey lay limp in her arms with his eyes closed once again. His breathing was normal, and she could sense that he was concentrating very hard. She became concerned until she noticed Mara look back at him and smile.
"Luke?" Han asked, touching his shoulder.
"No, Han," Leia whispered. For she had reached out to judge Luke's sense, and for the first time, was able to feel the connection between Luke and Mara. "He's helping Mara." Leia could feel it, and the power of the connection was nothing short of amazing. Was it always this way? Leia wondered. It was incredible and these two took it in stride. Leia wondered if they even realized how deep it seemed to run.
Mara blocked another blow by hitting Callista's blade with a loud crack. She jumped backwards to dodge the next swing. Spinning on her heal, Mara brought her lightsaber down towards Callista's head. Callista had to drop to one knee to get her lightsaber in to block the blow. The woman retaliated by swinging her lightsaber towards Mara's stomach. Mara jumped back once again to avoid the strike.
"Hey!" Mara yelled. "That section's off limits."
"Ah, so you know," Callista said, with a smirk.
"Yes," Mara said taking another swing. "And I know that you are a sick individual. Just give up now, and you can save us both a lot of time."
"Why should I give up now?" Callista asked. "When I am so close to having what I've always wanted."
"You had him," Mara growled. Their sabers lock mere inches from their faces and they glared at each other over the light of the blades. "And you gave him up. He'll never again be yours."
"You're wrong. He nearly is, and I will not give up now." Callista pushed away from Mara swinging low to try and slice at her legs. "I have put too much work into this already, and I always get what I want. One way or another."
"Not this time," Mara said, with a fierce confidence, and brought her lightsaber down across the handle of Callista's, and her blade died.
"Go ahead, kill me," Callista shouted. "I know you want to."
"No," Mara said as she shut her lightsaber off and replaced it on her belt. "I'm not like you."
Luke opened his eyes and looked around again. Mara glanced at him relieved. That seemed to be the opening Callista was waiting for, as she pulled out a blaster and aimed it at Mara. Out of nowhere the entire room was filled with an enormous sound that seemed to rip right through them. It was sever enough to cause all movement to stop as they all looked towards the window. The sound was repeated as another X-Wing soared pass the window. Looking further in the distance, Leia could see more of them approaching.
"That's my cue to exit, I know when I am out gunned," Callista said as she made a dash for the door. Without warning, Luke grabbed Leia's blaster and fired. But the blast only encountered the wall. Callista was gone. Mara ran to the door, but did not go through it. Luke continued to watch her until she walked slowly walked back over to them.
"She's gone," Mara said, not speaking to anyone in particular. "I can sense her. She got away."
"We'll find her," Han said, looking down as Mara knelt beside Luke. He was dazed, and Leia was not sure he was completely aware of where he was. He continued looking at Mara but made no effort to move. The X-Wings buzzed the building once again and Han glanced out the window. He then stepped away and pulled out his comlink.
"Let's get you out of here," Leia told Luke. She left out the reason she had suggested it. She was sure that they were all aware of the fact that Callista had only fled. She had not been defeated. If she was smart Callista was on her way to being far away. However Callista had never been the smartest person in the galaxy, the present incident proving her point.
Leia helped Luke as he struggled to his feet and joined Mara when she wrapped her arm around his waist to help support him. Wedge and some of the other pilots were entering the room as they reached the door. Luke continued on without acknowledging them as the exited the room. He seemed more than ready to leave, and Leis could not blame him. He had been away to long, it was time he went home.