Jungle Sunlight
He collapsed to the floor, gasping and shaking fiercely, but it was done. One of his aids ran to him, dropping down and pulling him to his knees. "Master, Master Salen are you all right?" the aid asked. Salen looked up at him, and the aid saw that glittering insanity back in his eyes. The insanity had been gone for weeks, and Salen had seemed normal, quiet and composed, but always tired. He'd been channeling his insanity somewhere else, to something called a Jedi. The aid didn't know what that was, but his Master had wanted something from the Jedi. Now, as he looked at Salen's face, it seemed he'd gotten what he'd wanted.
"I have never felt better," Salen panted, struggling to get to his feet. He mopped sweat from his face with the sleeve of his robe, tucking some strands of jet-black hair behind his ear. His violet eyes glittered as he stared out at the stars. "It's done at last. My mind is once again captured, but it was worth it," he said.
"What was worth it Master?" the aid asked.
Salen turned, surprised to see the aid still standing there. "The act of creation is worth everything. Soon that power, that child, will be mine."
Luke watched as Mara laced up her boot, her long, fiery hair set a blaze by the morning sun. He couldn't recall a time when she'd looked so lovely. She caught him watching her and smirked, rising from her crouch in one fluid movement. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her close, kissing her warmly. The pain was gone, that fiery, screaming, shredding pain was gone, and his head was completely clear. He reached out with the force to touch Mara's mind, and the instant he did horror gripped him. Mara was drugged. He could feel it in her body, running through her mind like some sweet poison. He pulled away, and held her tightly to him, feeling guilt fall on him like a bolder. "What have I done," he whispered.
"I could show you, but then we'd never leave this cave," Mara purred, kissing his cheek, her breath warm against his ear.
"Mara, we've got to get you to Coruscant," he said.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because you're not yourself," he said, trying to pull away.
She wouldn't let him go. "I feel fine Luke, I don't know what those aliens did to me, but I feel fine. Maybe the force had something to do with that," she said.
"Come on Mara, come with me," he urged, gently pulling out of her grasp.
She hugged him again, kissing him gently. "I don't want to go anywhere. I want to stay with you," she said.
He sighed heavily, swallowing the lump back in his throat. If only she meant it, if only she'd meant any of it. How could he have been so careless? "I'll be with you, let's just get out of here ok," he said.
She gave a resigned sigh. "All right. Hey, brain all clear?" she asked.
He smiled humorlessly. "It's never been more so," he answered.
She took his hand. "Good," she said, squeezing his fingers gently. He squeezed back, closing his eyes and drawing on the force for strength. She was his friend, his comrade, how could he have done something like this to her? He took her hand, leading her out of the cave, and into the jungle.
Med-center on Coruscant
Luke, his hand still in Mara's walked towards a waiting medic. "She has a drug in her system. Please, do what you can for her," he said quietly. The medic nodded, and then Luke turned to Mara. She put her arms around him, and he hugged her back, feeling a lump form in his throat. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, stroking her hair.
"Why?" she asked.
"You'll find out in time," he said.
She chuckled. "Always the Jedi," she said.
He smiled, and then kissed her, knowing he would probably never see her again after she found out what he'd done to her. If only it had meant more to her than the drug had made it seem. She kissed back, and for a few wonderful moments, he was lost in her again. He touched her mind, and felt her reach back towards him. "I love you," he said silently, letting all his emotions flow through the force to her.
"I love you too," she responded, and he felt the truth in it. Had it meant more to her after all, had it really? He dismissed that thought, why fool himself. She'd never forgive him after this, ever. He pulled away, and let the medics take her. He turned away then, beginning to walk towards the doors. Pain settled over him, guilt, and sadness at knowing she was lost to him. Suddenly a surprising thought occurred to him. He didn't regret it, not one moment. He loved her. He had for a long time, and would for the rest of his life. The night before had meant everything to him, and he might feel guilty about it, but he knew he would never regret it.
He collapsed to the floor, gasping and shaking fiercely, but it was done. One of his aids ran to him, dropping down and pulling him to his knees. "Master, Master Salen are you all right?" the aid asked. Salen looked up at him, and the aid saw that glittering insanity back in his eyes. The insanity had been gone for weeks, and Salen had seemed normal, quiet and composed, but always tired. He'd been channeling his insanity somewhere else, to something called a Jedi. The aid didn't know what that was, but his Master had wanted something from the Jedi. Now, as he looked at Salen's face, it seemed he'd gotten what he'd wanted.
"I have never felt better," Salen panted, struggling to get to his feet. He mopped sweat from his face with the sleeve of his robe, tucking some strands of jet-black hair behind his ear. His violet eyes glittered as he stared out at the stars. "It's done at last. My mind is once again captured, but it was worth it," he said.
"What was worth it Master?" the aid asked.
Salen turned, surprised to see the aid still standing there. "The act of creation is worth everything. Soon that power, that child, will be mine."
Luke watched as Mara laced up her boot, her long, fiery hair set a blaze by the morning sun. He couldn't recall a time when she'd looked so lovely. She caught him watching her and smirked, rising from her crouch in one fluid movement. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he pulled her close, kissing her warmly. The pain was gone, that fiery, screaming, shredding pain was gone, and his head was completely clear. He reached out with the force to touch Mara's mind, and the instant he did horror gripped him. Mara was drugged. He could feel it in her body, running through her mind like some sweet poison. He pulled away, and held her tightly to him, feeling guilt fall on him like a bolder. "What have I done," he whispered.
"I could show you, but then we'd never leave this cave," Mara purred, kissing his cheek, her breath warm against his ear.
"Mara, we've got to get you to Coruscant," he said.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because you're not yourself," he said, trying to pull away.
She wouldn't let him go. "I feel fine Luke, I don't know what those aliens did to me, but I feel fine. Maybe the force had something to do with that," she said.
"Come on Mara, come with me," he urged, gently pulling out of her grasp.
She hugged him again, kissing him gently. "I don't want to go anywhere. I want to stay with you," she said.
He sighed heavily, swallowing the lump back in his throat. If only she meant it, if only she'd meant any of it. How could he have been so careless? "I'll be with you, let's just get out of here ok," he said.
She gave a resigned sigh. "All right. Hey, brain all clear?" she asked.
He smiled humorlessly. "It's never been more so," he answered.
She took his hand. "Good," she said, squeezing his fingers gently. He squeezed back, closing his eyes and drawing on the force for strength. She was his friend, his comrade, how could he have done something like this to her? He took her hand, leading her out of the cave, and into the jungle.
Med-center on Coruscant
Luke, his hand still in Mara's walked towards a waiting medic. "She has a drug in her system. Please, do what you can for her," he said quietly. The medic nodded, and then Luke turned to Mara. She put her arms around him, and he hugged her back, feeling a lump form in his throat. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, stroking her hair.
"Why?" she asked.
"You'll find out in time," he said.
She chuckled. "Always the Jedi," she said.
He smiled, and then kissed her, knowing he would probably never see her again after she found out what he'd done to her. If only it had meant more to her than the drug had made it seem. She kissed back, and for a few wonderful moments, he was lost in her again. He touched her mind, and felt her reach back towards him. "I love you," he said silently, letting all his emotions flow through the force to her.
"I love you too," she responded, and he felt the truth in it. Had it meant more to her after all, had it really? He dismissed that thought, why fool himself. She'd never forgive him after this, ever. He pulled away, and let the medics take her. He turned away then, beginning to walk towards the doors. Pain settled over him, guilt, and sadness at knowing she was lost to him. Suddenly a surprising thought occurred to him. He didn't regret it, not one moment. He loved her. He had for a long time, and would for the rest of his life. The night before had meant everything to him, and he might feel guilty about it, but he knew he would never regret it.