Mirelle
Yavin IV.
Luke sat, cross-legged on the sun-warmed roof of the great temple. The jungles of Yavin breathed and lived all around him, as did the force, which flowed through him, but he was unable to concentrate, and with a sigh, he gave up his attempts to meditate. He opened his eyes, and stared up at the blue sky. Today would make thirteen years since he'd last seen Mara Jade, but in his mind, it seemed like only hours ago. He'd searched for her, even before the child had been born, but especially after. He'd felt the new presence in the force, had felt the warm rush through his mind when the new life had been born, but he'd never found them. He'd looked for a long time, coming close to ignoring his duties as a jedi, but soon he'd stopped looking. Mara Jade, did not want to be found. He'd come back to Coruscant after returning to Yavin to see to his students, but when he'd arrived back, she'd already gone. He'd contacted Karrde, asking if he knew, and the smuggler had said he hadn't known where Mara was. Luke had sensed he was lying, but also sensed that Karrde would never tell him where Mara had gone. After searching, Luke had gone back to his teaching, always hoping for some news when Karrde contacted Leia, or when one of his people dropped something off for the new republic. The years had gone by, and now, after more than a decade, he sensed something different in the force. He sensed it before he saw the metal glint in the sky, a ship. He climbed down from the roof, and walked out to the landing platform. The small shuttle had just landed as he approached it. He stopped and stood still. The hatch opened, and the ramp came down. He looked up as boots sounded on the ramp, and his eyes took in the loveliest girl he'd ever seen. She was slim, with a small, but well built frame. Her face was smooth and held a healthy look to it. Her hair was a dark, strawberry blond, pulled up in a twist, with only a few loose curls blowing in the breeze. He met her gaze then, and saw Mara Jade's eyes in her face. "What's your name?" he asked, reaching out with the force to try to touch her mind. He felt enormous power there, which was well controlled. This girl had obviously had training.
"I came to see you for myself," she said, her voice soft, not giving away anything.
"And?" he asked, his tone even.
"And you confuse me," she said.
"How?" he asked.
"You seem like a good man, but then how could you do that to my mother, to both of us?" she asked calmly.
He sensed anger from her, but it wasn't ready to boil over, she wouldn't let it control her. "What did your mother tell you?" he asked.
"Enough to know whom you are," she said, and this time he caught a hint of fire in her words.
"Did she send you here?" he asked, feeling his own anger rise, and pushing it back down.
"No, I came to see you for myself. She gave me that choice," she said.
"How much do you know about me?" he asked.
"I know that you took advantage of my mother, and that she never saw you again after you found out I was on the way," she said.
Luke was about to answer, when suddenly another voice spoke from behind the girl. "That was my fault Mirelle," Mara said. Both turned to look at her and she spoke again. "I couldn't afford to let anyone find you," she explained.
Mirelle turned to her mother. "You could've just told me that instead of letting me think he'd abandoned us," she said, her tone edgy.
"You're right, and I'm sorry, but don't take that tone with me Mirelle, and I want you to leave, and rendezvous with the Wild Karrde," Mara said.
Mirelle nodded. "Yes Ma'am, but what about you?" she asked.
Mara cast an icy look at Luke. "Skywalker and I have some things to talk about," she answered. Mirelle nodded, and with a last look at Luke, she disappeared back into the ship.
Luke's eyes then focused on the woman descending the ramp towards him. She hadn't changed a bit since the last time he'd seen her, but in her eyes he saw the same cold, deadly intent of the first time they'd met. He watched her walk towards him as the ship took off, thinking about all that had happened, and about what she'd done. "She's beautiful Mara," he said, his tone a bit awed.
"Yes she is, but let's leave her out of this," she said, her tone calm, but very cool.
"Yes, better it be late than never at all," he said, trying to keep his anger in check.
Her eyes flashed. "Excuse me?" she asked.
"You didn't have to bring her into this Mara," he said.
"I told her the truth. What did you expect me to do?" she asked, almost spitting the words out.
"She's just a child Mara, and what happened is between you and me, and has nothing to do with her," he said, reaching for the force, and feeling it calm him.
"I told her who her father is, and let her make her own decisions after that. She had a right to know," she said, moving closer to him.
"She had a right to know the whole story Mara. I can never tell you how sorry I am for what happened but,"
She scoffed. "Sorry? You're sorry? I thought you were my friend. I thought I could trust you," she said, her voice shaking.
He grimaced at the pain he felt coming from her. "I know, we both should've had more self-control than we did, and I never meant to hurt you, but maybe this happened through the will of the force," he said, feeling that living energy flow more strongly into him.
"Please," she spat, "if you want to use that excuse," Suddenly, her words were cut off as the force claimed them both. Luke saw Mirell's ship surrounded by smaller ships he didn't recognize, and then a green planet flashed before his eyes. The last thing he saw was the face of a man, with glittering, violet eyes, laughing at him. The force released them, and Luke looked down at Mara, who'd fallen forward into his arms. He saw her looking up at him, her eyes wide and afraid. "What the hell was that?" she asked.
"Mirell's been taken," he said.
"Where?" she asked.
"Come on," he answered, grabbing her hand and heading for his personal shuttle.
He climbed in, immediately starting up the ship, and bringing up the charts. "Skywalker, where are we going?" she demanded.
"There," he said, pointing to a green planet labeled Nalori.
"But that's all the way out in wild space. Do you even know how to get there?" she asked.
"I trust the force," he said, plotting a course.
She grabbed his shoulder harshly, turning him to face her. "You trust the force? Skywalker, it's not some ancient artifact we're looking for, someone has my daughter!" she almost shouted.
He placed a hand over the one still gripping his shoulder. "Do you trust me Mara?" he asked quietly, his gaze level with hers. She was silent for a long moment, reading his eyes, and the thoughts behind them. She then nodded, and let go of his shoulder. He lifted the ship off the ground, and Mara felt the jolt in her seat as they took off for space. A silent truce had formed between the two, at least for now. Their problems didn't seem to matter, and the only thing, which did, was finding Mirelle.
A/N
Just a thank you to all who've been reviewing. This is my first fanfic here on this page and I'm grateful for the reviews. In case I forgot, the characters in this story belong to their respective creators and I'm not making any money from this. Thanks again, Meara
Luke sat, cross-legged on the sun-warmed roof of the great temple. The jungles of Yavin breathed and lived all around him, as did the force, which flowed through him, but he was unable to concentrate, and with a sigh, he gave up his attempts to meditate. He opened his eyes, and stared up at the blue sky. Today would make thirteen years since he'd last seen Mara Jade, but in his mind, it seemed like only hours ago. He'd searched for her, even before the child had been born, but especially after. He'd felt the new presence in the force, had felt the warm rush through his mind when the new life had been born, but he'd never found them. He'd looked for a long time, coming close to ignoring his duties as a jedi, but soon he'd stopped looking. Mara Jade, did not want to be found. He'd come back to Coruscant after returning to Yavin to see to his students, but when he'd arrived back, she'd already gone. He'd contacted Karrde, asking if he knew, and the smuggler had said he hadn't known where Mara was. Luke had sensed he was lying, but also sensed that Karrde would never tell him where Mara had gone. After searching, Luke had gone back to his teaching, always hoping for some news when Karrde contacted Leia, or when one of his people dropped something off for the new republic. The years had gone by, and now, after more than a decade, he sensed something different in the force. He sensed it before he saw the metal glint in the sky, a ship. He climbed down from the roof, and walked out to the landing platform. The small shuttle had just landed as he approached it. He stopped and stood still. The hatch opened, and the ramp came down. He looked up as boots sounded on the ramp, and his eyes took in the loveliest girl he'd ever seen. She was slim, with a small, but well built frame. Her face was smooth and held a healthy look to it. Her hair was a dark, strawberry blond, pulled up in a twist, with only a few loose curls blowing in the breeze. He met her gaze then, and saw Mara Jade's eyes in her face. "What's your name?" he asked, reaching out with the force to try to touch her mind. He felt enormous power there, which was well controlled. This girl had obviously had training.
"I came to see you for myself," she said, her voice soft, not giving away anything.
"And?" he asked, his tone even.
"And you confuse me," she said.
"How?" he asked.
"You seem like a good man, but then how could you do that to my mother, to both of us?" she asked calmly.
He sensed anger from her, but it wasn't ready to boil over, she wouldn't let it control her. "What did your mother tell you?" he asked.
"Enough to know whom you are," she said, and this time he caught a hint of fire in her words.
"Did she send you here?" he asked, feeling his own anger rise, and pushing it back down.
"No, I came to see you for myself. She gave me that choice," she said.
"How much do you know about me?" he asked.
"I know that you took advantage of my mother, and that she never saw you again after you found out I was on the way," she said.
Luke was about to answer, when suddenly another voice spoke from behind the girl. "That was my fault Mirelle," Mara said. Both turned to look at her and she spoke again. "I couldn't afford to let anyone find you," she explained.
Mirelle turned to her mother. "You could've just told me that instead of letting me think he'd abandoned us," she said, her tone edgy.
"You're right, and I'm sorry, but don't take that tone with me Mirelle, and I want you to leave, and rendezvous with the Wild Karrde," Mara said.
Mirelle nodded. "Yes Ma'am, but what about you?" she asked.
Mara cast an icy look at Luke. "Skywalker and I have some things to talk about," she answered. Mirelle nodded, and with a last look at Luke, she disappeared back into the ship.
Luke's eyes then focused on the woman descending the ramp towards him. She hadn't changed a bit since the last time he'd seen her, but in her eyes he saw the same cold, deadly intent of the first time they'd met. He watched her walk towards him as the ship took off, thinking about all that had happened, and about what she'd done. "She's beautiful Mara," he said, his tone a bit awed.
"Yes she is, but let's leave her out of this," she said, her tone calm, but very cool.
"Yes, better it be late than never at all," he said, trying to keep his anger in check.
Her eyes flashed. "Excuse me?" she asked.
"You didn't have to bring her into this Mara," he said.
"I told her the truth. What did you expect me to do?" she asked, almost spitting the words out.
"She's just a child Mara, and what happened is between you and me, and has nothing to do with her," he said, reaching for the force, and feeling it calm him.
"I told her who her father is, and let her make her own decisions after that. She had a right to know," she said, moving closer to him.
"She had a right to know the whole story Mara. I can never tell you how sorry I am for what happened but,"
She scoffed. "Sorry? You're sorry? I thought you were my friend. I thought I could trust you," she said, her voice shaking.
He grimaced at the pain he felt coming from her. "I know, we both should've had more self-control than we did, and I never meant to hurt you, but maybe this happened through the will of the force," he said, feeling that living energy flow more strongly into him.
"Please," she spat, "if you want to use that excuse," Suddenly, her words were cut off as the force claimed them both. Luke saw Mirell's ship surrounded by smaller ships he didn't recognize, and then a green planet flashed before his eyes. The last thing he saw was the face of a man, with glittering, violet eyes, laughing at him. The force released them, and Luke looked down at Mara, who'd fallen forward into his arms. He saw her looking up at him, her eyes wide and afraid. "What the hell was that?" she asked.
"Mirell's been taken," he said.
"Where?" she asked.
"Come on," he answered, grabbing her hand and heading for his personal shuttle.
He climbed in, immediately starting up the ship, and bringing up the charts. "Skywalker, where are we going?" she demanded.
"There," he said, pointing to a green planet labeled Nalori.
"But that's all the way out in wild space. Do you even know how to get there?" she asked.
"I trust the force," he said, plotting a course.
She grabbed his shoulder harshly, turning him to face her. "You trust the force? Skywalker, it's not some ancient artifact we're looking for, someone has my daughter!" she almost shouted.
He placed a hand over the one still gripping his shoulder. "Do you trust me Mara?" he asked quietly, his gaze level with hers. She was silent for a long moment, reading his eyes, and the thoughts behind them. She then nodded, and let go of his shoulder. He lifted the ship off the ground, and Mara felt the jolt in her seat as they took off for space. A silent truce had formed between the two, at least for now. Their problems didn't seem to matter, and the only thing, which did, was finding Mirelle.
A/N
Just a thank you to all who've been reviewing. This is my first fanfic here on this page and I'm grateful for the reviews. In case I forgot, the characters in this story belong to their respective creators and I'm not making any money from this. Thanks again, Meara