Nalori
Luke landed the ship, and began to unstrap himself from the pilot's seat. The trip had taken ten days, and he and Mara had hardly said a word to each other. He hadn't been bothered however; their time together when they'd first met had prepared him for long periods of silence. He'd concentrated instead on holding to Mirelle's trail through the force, and he could sense her here on the planet. He knew they were close, but the building she seemed to be held in was almost a two days walk from where they'd been able to land. They would get to her as quickly as they could, he promised himself that. He turned to Mara as they exited the ship. "Be careful out here. There are a lot of pit-falls and blind drop-offs," he warned, having seen them on the sensors. She didn't answer him, only picked up her bag, and walked into the forest in the direction of the building. He followed; reminded of the time she'd led him through a planet similar to this one. Here though, he could feel the force, and every living thing, which existed on this world. The forest was similar to Yavin, thick, green, lush foliage that covered everything, but the atmosphere on this planet was different. Instead of being warm and humid, the air here was cool and sharp, and filled with the acrid scent of some kind of plant. He watched the woman in front of him. Her thoughts were still fierce towards him, but her concern for their daughter outweighed that. "You've trained her well Mara," he began softly.
"She had to learn somehow," she said, not turning towards him.
"Could I continue her training?" he asked.
She stopped, turning around to look at him. "I'll think about it," she said quietly.
He nodded, gazing at her. She looked beautiful standing there. The sun made her hair shine, and it was a perfect contrast to the green leaves, which framed her. His feelings for her hadn't changed, and he fought the urge to put his arms around her and hold her to him. "I don't regret what happened Mara," he said gently.
Her head came up, and she glared at him. "You what?" she almost snarled.
"I don't regret what happened," he repeated, "what happened meant everything to me," he said.
"You took advantage of me," she said, her tone almost disbelieving.
"We did that to each other Mara, and for my part, I'm sorry, but I don't regret one moment," he said.
"If that's how you sleep at night fine, but," she began, but he interrupted her.
"Do you regret her?" he asked.
"What?" she asked, seeming to freeze.
"Do you regret having Mirelle?" he asked.
She softened visibly. "No, of course not," she answered calmly.
"Neither do I, and if I do have any regrets at all it's that what happened that night meant nothing to you. I meant what I said to you that night, and I still do," he said.
"Just what did you mean Skywalker?" she asked.
"You're smart, I think you know what I meant," he said.
She nodded curtly. "I'm sorry you said it," she said, and she felt the pain her words had caused him.
She turned, and began to walk quickly forward. Suddenly, she disappeared, and he felt his heart leap into his throat and stay there. She'd fallen off one of the drop-offs and he ran forward to try and catch her. He leaned over the edge, looking for her, but not being able to see her. Suddenly he heard movement, and he saw her gripping a branch on the side of the drop-off for dear life. "Hold still," he said silently, and she nodded, her eyes never leaving his. He let the force flow through him, and surrounded Mara with it. He lifted her, and pulled her gently back towards the edge of the drop-off. When she'd reached the edge, he offered his hand, and she grabbed it. A jolt, like nothing he'd ever felt ran through him the instant their hands touched. He hadn't felt her in so long, and feelings were coursing through him like the current of a fast moving river. He pulled her up and into a tight embrace, clutching her to him. She was warm, and the feel of her against him made him dizzy. He ran his hands through her damp hair, the feel of it exactly the way he'd remembered it. She lifted her head to look at him, and her eyes met his. The look in her eyes was soft, and bright, and simply too much for him. He kissed her, feeling fire race through his blood. She immediately kissed back, wrapping her arms around him and sighing audibly. He let every sense fill with her, let himself become just as lost as he had that night. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed her until now. Having her in his arms was like coming in out of the cold, like cold water after a long hot day, like holding life itself. He pulled back from her then, wanting to look at her.
"Don't," she whispered, pulling him back to her. They kissed again, gentler this time, but just as heatedly. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so alive, so full of energy. He lifted her off her feet, cradling her to him, his hands touching her at will. He began covering her face with kisses, stroking her hair back from her temples, and relishing it's silky feel. "By the force you feel so good," she whispered, kissing him again. Their minds touched, and he could sense her thoughts. She wanted him, she'd missed him just as much as he had missed her, and the night they'd shared had meant more to her than the drug had made it seem, much more.
"I love you Mara," he said silently, cradling her mind with his own.
He felt her shrink from him then, and the kiss broke. "Put me down," she said softly, her gaze steady on his.
He set her on her feet, resisting the impulse to take her in his arms again. "Mara what's the matter?" he asked, this time aloud.
"Nothing, we should go, Mirelle needs us," she said.
"Mara, what is it?" he asked gently, resting a hand on her shoulder, and feeling that spark jump between them again.
"Skywalker, I told you nothing was wrong," she insisted, stepping back from him. She was shaking.
He met her gaze. "I love you," he said, so softly she almost couldn't hear him. He felt a sudden wave of emotion coming from her, longing, pain, and fear. "Mara," he whispered, taking her hand in both of his, his eyes imploring to let him help.
"Luke, let me go," she whispered back, her eyes shimmering. He dropped her hand, unwilling to see her struggle, and she turned, beginning to walk. He sighed heavily, watched her for another moment or so, and then followed.
Luke landed the ship, and began to unstrap himself from the pilot's seat. The trip had taken ten days, and he and Mara had hardly said a word to each other. He hadn't been bothered however; their time together when they'd first met had prepared him for long periods of silence. He'd concentrated instead on holding to Mirelle's trail through the force, and he could sense her here on the planet. He knew they were close, but the building she seemed to be held in was almost a two days walk from where they'd been able to land. They would get to her as quickly as they could, he promised himself that. He turned to Mara as they exited the ship. "Be careful out here. There are a lot of pit-falls and blind drop-offs," he warned, having seen them on the sensors. She didn't answer him, only picked up her bag, and walked into the forest in the direction of the building. He followed; reminded of the time she'd led him through a planet similar to this one. Here though, he could feel the force, and every living thing, which existed on this world. The forest was similar to Yavin, thick, green, lush foliage that covered everything, but the atmosphere on this planet was different. Instead of being warm and humid, the air here was cool and sharp, and filled with the acrid scent of some kind of plant. He watched the woman in front of him. Her thoughts were still fierce towards him, but her concern for their daughter outweighed that. "You've trained her well Mara," he began softly.
"She had to learn somehow," she said, not turning towards him.
"Could I continue her training?" he asked.
She stopped, turning around to look at him. "I'll think about it," she said quietly.
He nodded, gazing at her. She looked beautiful standing there. The sun made her hair shine, and it was a perfect contrast to the green leaves, which framed her. His feelings for her hadn't changed, and he fought the urge to put his arms around her and hold her to him. "I don't regret what happened Mara," he said gently.
Her head came up, and she glared at him. "You what?" she almost snarled.
"I don't regret what happened," he repeated, "what happened meant everything to me," he said.
"You took advantage of me," she said, her tone almost disbelieving.
"We did that to each other Mara, and for my part, I'm sorry, but I don't regret one moment," he said.
"If that's how you sleep at night fine, but," she began, but he interrupted her.
"Do you regret her?" he asked.
"What?" she asked, seeming to freeze.
"Do you regret having Mirelle?" he asked.
She softened visibly. "No, of course not," she answered calmly.
"Neither do I, and if I do have any regrets at all it's that what happened that night meant nothing to you. I meant what I said to you that night, and I still do," he said.
"Just what did you mean Skywalker?" she asked.
"You're smart, I think you know what I meant," he said.
She nodded curtly. "I'm sorry you said it," she said, and she felt the pain her words had caused him.
She turned, and began to walk quickly forward. Suddenly, she disappeared, and he felt his heart leap into his throat and stay there. She'd fallen off one of the drop-offs and he ran forward to try and catch her. He leaned over the edge, looking for her, but not being able to see her. Suddenly he heard movement, and he saw her gripping a branch on the side of the drop-off for dear life. "Hold still," he said silently, and she nodded, her eyes never leaving his. He let the force flow through him, and surrounded Mara with it. He lifted her, and pulled her gently back towards the edge of the drop-off. When she'd reached the edge, he offered his hand, and she grabbed it. A jolt, like nothing he'd ever felt ran through him the instant their hands touched. He hadn't felt her in so long, and feelings were coursing through him like the current of a fast moving river. He pulled her up and into a tight embrace, clutching her to him. She was warm, and the feel of her against him made him dizzy. He ran his hands through her damp hair, the feel of it exactly the way he'd remembered it. She lifted her head to look at him, and her eyes met his. The look in her eyes was soft, and bright, and simply too much for him. He kissed her, feeling fire race through his blood. She immediately kissed back, wrapping her arms around him and sighing audibly. He let every sense fill with her, let himself become just as lost as he had that night. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed her until now. Having her in his arms was like coming in out of the cold, like cold water after a long hot day, like holding life itself. He pulled back from her then, wanting to look at her.
"Don't," she whispered, pulling him back to her. They kissed again, gentler this time, but just as heatedly. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so alive, so full of energy. He lifted her off her feet, cradling her to him, his hands touching her at will. He began covering her face with kisses, stroking her hair back from her temples, and relishing it's silky feel. "By the force you feel so good," she whispered, kissing him again. Their minds touched, and he could sense her thoughts. She wanted him, she'd missed him just as much as he had missed her, and the night they'd shared had meant more to her than the drug had made it seem, much more.
"I love you Mara," he said silently, cradling her mind with his own.
He felt her shrink from him then, and the kiss broke. "Put me down," she said softly, her gaze steady on his.
He set her on her feet, resisting the impulse to take her in his arms again. "Mara what's the matter?" he asked, this time aloud.
"Nothing, we should go, Mirelle needs us," she said.
"Mara, what is it?" he asked gently, resting a hand on her shoulder, and feeling that spark jump between them again.
"Skywalker, I told you nothing was wrong," she insisted, stepping back from him. She was shaking.
He met her gaze. "I love you," he said, so softly she almost couldn't hear him. He felt a sudden wave of emotion coming from her, longing, pain, and fear. "Mara," he whispered, taking her hand in both of his, his eyes imploring to let him help.
"Luke, let me go," she whispered back, her eyes shimmering. He dropped her hand, unwilling to see her struggle, and she turned, beginning to walk. He sighed heavily, watched her for another moment or so, and then followed.