Nightfall
The air grew cooler as the sun went down, and when the green plant- life around them turned a shade of black, Luke decided it was time to stop for the night. Mara agreed, and they found a small clearing in the forest and built a fire. They ate dinner in silence, water and cold ration bars. Afterward, nothing could be heard but the night animals all around them. At last, Luke spoke. "Tell me about her Mara. Where did you go with her?" he asked softly.
Mara watched him, watched the flickering light of the fire warmly paint his cheeks. He looked content sitting there, but she could sense the pain he was trying to keep hidden. He wanted to find their daughter as badly as she did, but there was a deeper pain, one of never knowing Mirelle, of never knowing what she was like as a child. She'd had to keep her a secret. Who knows what evil being would've come after her if she'd exposed her. Mara felt a twist of pain in her stomach; someone had still gotten her anyway. "It wasn't your fault," Luke's voice said softly inside her mind.
"I don't care whose fault it was. We just have to find her," she sent back, almost without thinking about it. Luke gave a slight smile, and she felt his presence warm. "She has your smile," she said, this time aloud.
"Really?" he asked, smiling even more.
Mara nodded, her eyes far away and almost dreamy. Luke thought she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. The firelight caught her falling hair, making it look like some exotic drink captured in crystal. The flames flickered in her eyes, like lights beneath water, and the dancing light warmed and softened her face, which was still so lovely. "After I found out what had happened, I knew what I had to do. I knew you'd come to look for me, and I wasn't ready for that yet. I left and explained everything to Karrde. He hid me, promising not to tell anyone where I was. I had Mirelle, and stayed with Karrde's organization. We mainly stayed on the outer-rim, hardly any news came in, and less than that went out. I raised her, and trained her in the force. I knew she was strong, I could feel it even before she was born, and I knew she'd need to be trained if she was ever going to take care of herself. Karrde's crew adopted her, and they taught her some other things. I've never seen so many grown men want to play with a little girl all at once," she said, smiling gently. Luke laughed softly and Mara chuckled. "Even Karrde," she said, and Luke laughed harder. Mara laughed a little herself, the image was comical. "I know it seems funny, but he loves that girl, and would do anything to protect her, even if he won't admit it," she said. The smile faded from Luke's face, and she could sense his emotions, regret, envy, and sadness. "I had to do it Skywalker," she said quietly.
"I know that," he answered, looking into the flames before him.
"She was the sweetest little girl, I've never seen anything so innocent in my life. She was always so happy. She was happy as a kid, and when she got older. She was happy until the day she asked about you," she said, trailing off.
He could sense pain coming from her, but he didn't cause it. She'd regretted what she'd said about him. "I forgive you for that," he said softly.
She nodded, expecting he would and sighed. "I forgive you too Luke. We were both at fault for what happened that night," she said quietly, the breeze, gently stirring her hair.
"Thank you," he answered.
She nodded. "We should get some sleep Skywalker," she said. He nodded,and the two lay down on either side of the fire. Luke watched her as she closed her eyes, and felt her thoughts fade into sleep. The stars shone brilliantly in the black sky, and he wondered how they could look the same on every planet he visited. The wind had grown sharp, and it bit through his cloak, making him shiver. He looked over at Mara again, and saw her shiver in her sleep. He crawled to her, and draped the cloak around her. He then lay down beside her, covering himself with the extra part of the cloak. He pulled her against him, immediately feeling her warmth wash over him. She sighed, a wistful, but peaceful sigh, and he closed his eyes, drifting into sleep with Mara in his arms.
A/N
Once again, thank you so much to all who reviewed. I love the support and it keeps me going. The reason for the quick posts is because I had most of this story written before working up the guts to post it. The response has been amazing and for that I again say thank you. Meara
The air grew cooler as the sun went down, and when the green plant- life around them turned a shade of black, Luke decided it was time to stop for the night. Mara agreed, and they found a small clearing in the forest and built a fire. They ate dinner in silence, water and cold ration bars. Afterward, nothing could be heard but the night animals all around them. At last, Luke spoke. "Tell me about her Mara. Where did you go with her?" he asked softly.
Mara watched him, watched the flickering light of the fire warmly paint his cheeks. He looked content sitting there, but she could sense the pain he was trying to keep hidden. He wanted to find their daughter as badly as she did, but there was a deeper pain, one of never knowing Mirelle, of never knowing what she was like as a child. She'd had to keep her a secret. Who knows what evil being would've come after her if she'd exposed her. Mara felt a twist of pain in her stomach; someone had still gotten her anyway. "It wasn't your fault," Luke's voice said softly inside her mind.
"I don't care whose fault it was. We just have to find her," she sent back, almost without thinking about it. Luke gave a slight smile, and she felt his presence warm. "She has your smile," she said, this time aloud.
"Really?" he asked, smiling even more.
Mara nodded, her eyes far away and almost dreamy. Luke thought she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. The firelight caught her falling hair, making it look like some exotic drink captured in crystal. The flames flickered in her eyes, like lights beneath water, and the dancing light warmed and softened her face, which was still so lovely. "After I found out what had happened, I knew what I had to do. I knew you'd come to look for me, and I wasn't ready for that yet. I left and explained everything to Karrde. He hid me, promising not to tell anyone where I was. I had Mirelle, and stayed with Karrde's organization. We mainly stayed on the outer-rim, hardly any news came in, and less than that went out. I raised her, and trained her in the force. I knew she was strong, I could feel it even before she was born, and I knew she'd need to be trained if she was ever going to take care of herself. Karrde's crew adopted her, and they taught her some other things. I've never seen so many grown men want to play with a little girl all at once," she said, smiling gently. Luke laughed softly and Mara chuckled. "Even Karrde," she said, and Luke laughed harder. Mara laughed a little herself, the image was comical. "I know it seems funny, but he loves that girl, and would do anything to protect her, even if he won't admit it," she said. The smile faded from Luke's face, and she could sense his emotions, regret, envy, and sadness. "I had to do it Skywalker," she said quietly.
"I know that," he answered, looking into the flames before him.
"She was the sweetest little girl, I've never seen anything so innocent in my life. She was always so happy. She was happy as a kid, and when she got older. She was happy until the day she asked about you," she said, trailing off.
He could sense pain coming from her, but he didn't cause it. She'd regretted what she'd said about him. "I forgive you for that," he said softly.
She nodded, expecting he would and sighed. "I forgive you too Luke. We were both at fault for what happened that night," she said quietly, the breeze, gently stirring her hair.
"Thank you," he answered.
She nodded. "We should get some sleep Skywalker," she said. He nodded,and the two lay down on either side of the fire. Luke watched her as she closed her eyes, and felt her thoughts fade into sleep. The stars shone brilliantly in the black sky, and he wondered how they could look the same on every planet he visited. The wind had grown sharp, and it bit through his cloak, making him shiver. He looked over at Mara again, and saw her shiver in her sleep. He crawled to her, and draped the cloak around her. He then lay down beside her, covering himself with the extra part of the cloak. He pulled her against him, immediately feeling her warmth wash over him. She sighed, a wistful, but peaceful sigh, and he closed his eyes, drifting into sleep with Mara in his arms.
A/N
Once again, thank you so much to all who reviewed. I love the support and it keeps me going. The reason for the quick posts is because I had most of this story written before working up the guts to post it. The response has been amazing and for that I again say thank you. Meara