Lost Light
Mara could feel the pull of the insane man through the force, which had returned without her realizing it. She'd been too wrapped up in trying to find her daughter. Mirelle stopped when they felt that cold envelope them. It felt like a current of icy water, running through them like winter wind, and drawing them closer to Salen with all the seductive power of a lover's touch. Mara looked at her daughter, and saw her shaking slightly. "Mirelle?" she asked softly.
"I can hear him. He's inside my head and taunting me. He has dad, and I can't feel him anymore. He's alive, just, just lost," her daughter said, her voice and face strained.
"Keep him back, put up that barrier I tought you," Mara said, and Mirelle nodded.
"Let's go," she said a moment or so later.
Mara nodded, and they let that cold current take them to the door where they knew it came from. No guards had been sent to stop them; Salen had wanted them to come to him. Mara opened the door and stepped in. She saw Salen standing there, his face very pale in the flickering torchlight. She saw Luke, lying sprawled on the floor, ashen and lifeless. "What do you want?" Mara asked calmly, gathering the force around her to keep that cold out.
"Why to kill you of course. I'll kill you, and then take your daughter back to my galaxy and train her," he answered.
"I'm sorry," Mirelle said, walking up to stand beside her mother.
Salen smiled, and it was horribly gentle. "Don't pity me Child," he soothed, his voice warm.
"I do, anyway," she answered.
His eyes darkened. "Why?" he asked quietly, his voice a growl.
"Because this is all you've become. You can't manage anything anymore, and all you're plans are falling apart along with your mind. You don't belong out here. You belong in a medical facility where people can,"
She was stopped as Salen ignited his lightsaber, a steel gray beam of light shot out from a black handle and he walked towards her, his eyes on fire. "You could've been so great, and now you'll die before your time. I'll see you delivered to hell Bitch," he snarled, his voice almost inhuman.
She was ready for him, her own lightsaber, a white beam which seemed much too bright in the dark room came into being and the two met with a crackling clash. Mara watched as they dueled, their bodies and sabers simply blurs of spinning light. She could feel Mirelle amerced within the force, and she had never been more impressed with her. Mara could've never done what her daughter was doing now, and though part of her felt sadness at that, a bigger part of her simply swelled with pride. The two combatants spun and seemed to dance as their weapons clashed and sparked. She could feel Salen's now consuming rage and Mirelle's growing fatigue. She knew she couldn't keep this up for much longer. She then felt her daughter touch her mind. "Shoot him Mom. Let him have some peace. His body's wasted enough, and he won't survive," she said silently. Mara pulled her blaster from its holster and took careful aim. Mirelle and Salen were still moving too fast for her to get a good shot, but then they were suddenly locked together, the blades sputtering and hissing between them. Mara squeezed the trigger and the orange bolt struck Salen in the head. He dropped, his saber falling with him, and dark side energy was immediately released.
Mirelle was lifted, flying back and into her mother's arms. Mara caught her and fell with her to the floor, rolling over and shielding her from the dark energy, which howled all around them like some sick dog. She felt bathed in warmth, somehow protected and she let her eyes open. She saw Luke, still lying on the floor, but awake, and with a hand raised to shield them. When the energy passed, she looked down at Mirelle. "Mirelle, Sweetie?" she asked softly.
Mirelle's lovely eyes opened and she smiled at her mother. "I'm all right Mom," she whispered, looking more tired than Mara had ever seen her.
She hugged her daughter close, kissing her forehead and then her cheek. "I'm so proud of you. You did such a wonderful job," she said.
Mirelle smiled. "Thanks," she said.
Mara then looked over at Luke, who sat looking at them. He looked exhausted, but thankfully alive. "Look," she said to Mirelle, and the girl turned her head in that direction. She rose and went to him, hugging him when she saw him. He hugged her back, stroking her hair and smiling contentedly. They whispered a few words to each other, sentences that were only meant for the two of them, and it made Mara smile. After they'd separated, she went over to them and looked at Luke. "How did you come out of it?" she asked.
He met her gaze, smiling gently at her. "When Salen concentrated on you two, he left me alone, and his hold was lost on me. I could feel the force then, and I concentrated on it, letting it heal me and bring me back. I saw Mirelle fighting and heard what she said to you. I knew the dark side energy would hit you, so I shielded you both from it, and made sure Mirelle was pulled away from it," he explained.
Mara laid a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, for helping her," she said.
He reached for her, and she let him pull her into a tight hug. "Thank you for training her so well. I'm proud of both of you," he said, stroking her hair.
She looked up at him. "I told you we'd come for you," she said.
His face turned serious then. "Yes, and you disobeyed me," he scolded gently.
Mara smirked, her eyes flashing. "And since when have I ever listened to you?" she asked.
Luke grinned, leaned forward and kissed her cheek. She could feel the emotions he was trying to hold back, and although a part of her felt the sting of disappointment, a much bigger part of her felt rueful relief. "Thank you so much Mara," he whispered in her ear, and she shivered slightly at the feel of his warm skin against hers.
She nodded. "You forgot this," she said, sliding his lightsaber back into his hand.
He took it from her. "Thanks," he said again.
"Can you stand?" she asked.
"I think I can," he answered.
"Good, let's go," she said, helping him to his feet. They all walked out then, making their way towards the ship.
A/N Just so you all know, this is not the final chapter. I really do have more and you know I couldn't just leave our characters hanging like that. Once again, thank you so much to all who've reviewed. Meara
Mara could feel the pull of the insane man through the force, which had returned without her realizing it. She'd been too wrapped up in trying to find her daughter. Mirelle stopped when they felt that cold envelope them. It felt like a current of icy water, running through them like winter wind, and drawing them closer to Salen with all the seductive power of a lover's touch. Mara looked at her daughter, and saw her shaking slightly. "Mirelle?" she asked softly.
"I can hear him. He's inside my head and taunting me. He has dad, and I can't feel him anymore. He's alive, just, just lost," her daughter said, her voice and face strained.
"Keep him back, put up that barrier I tought you," Mara said, and Mirelle nodded.
"Let's go," she said a moment or so later.
Mara nodded, and they let that cold current take them to the door where they knew it came from. No guards had been sent to stop them; Salen had wanted them to come to him. Mara opened the door and stepped in. She saw Salen standing there, his face very pale in the flickering torchlight. She saw Luke, lying sprawled on the floor, ashen and lifeless. "What do you want?" Mara asked calmly, gathering the force around her to keep that cold out.
"Why to kill you of course. I'll kill you, and then take your daughter back to my galaxy and train her," he answered.
"I'm sorry," Mirelle said, walking up to stand beside her mother.
Salen smiled, and it was horribly gentle. "Don't pity me Child," he soothed, his voice warm.
"I do, anyway," she answered.
His eyes darkened. "Why?" he asked quietly, his voice a growl.
"Because this is all you've become. You can't manage anything anymore, and all you're plans are falling apart along with your mind. You don't belong out here. You belong in a medical facility where people can,"
She was stopped as Salen ignited his lightsaber, a steel gray beam of light shot out from a black handle and he walked towards her, his eyes on fire. "You could've been so great, and now you'll die before your time. I'll see you delivered to hell Bitch," he snarled, his voice almost inhuman.
She was ready for him, her own lightsaber, a white beam which seemed much too bright in the dark room came into being and the two met with a crackling clash. Mara watched as they dueled, their bodies and sabers simply blurs of spinning light. She could feel Mirelle amerced within the force, and she had never been more impressed with her. Mara could've never done what her daughter was doing now, and though part of her felt sadness at that, a bigger part of her simply swelled with pride. The two combatants spun and seemed to dance as their weapons clashed and sparked. She could feel Salen's now consuming rage and Mirelle's growing fatigue. She knew she couldn't keep this up for much longer. She then felt her daughter touch her mind. "Shoot him Mom. Let him have some peace. His body's wasted enough, and he won't survive," she said silently. Mara pulled her blaster from its holster and took careful aim. Mirelle and Salen were still moving too fast for her to get a good shot, but then they were suddenly locked together, the blades sputtering and hissing between them. Mara squeezed the trigger and the orange bolt struck Salen in the head. He dropped, his saber falling with him, and dark side energy was immediately released.
Mirelle was lifted, flying back and into her mother's arms. Mara caught her and fell with her to the floor, rolling over and shielding her from the dark energy, which howled all around them like some sick dog. She felt bathed in warmth, somehow protected and she let her eyes open. She saw Luke, still lying on the floor, but awake, and with a hand raised to shield them. When the energy passed, she looked down at Mirelle. "Mirelle, Sweetie?" she asked softly.
Mirelle's lovely eyes opened and she smiled at her mother. "I'm all right Mom," she whispered, looking more tired than Mara had ever seen her.
She hugged her daughter close, kissing her forehead and then her cheek. "I'm so proud of you. You did such a wonderful job," she said.
Mirelle smiled. "Thanks," she said.
Mara then looked over at Luke, who sat looking at them. He looked exhausted, but thankfully alive. "Look," she said to Mirelle, and the girl turned her head in that direction. She rose and went to him, hugging him when she saw him. He hugged her back, stroking her hair and smiling contentedly. They whispered a few words to each other, sentences that were only meant for the two of them, and it made Mara smile. After they'd separated, she went over to them and looked at Luke. "How did you come out of it?" she asked.
He met her gaze, smiling gently at her. "When Salen concentrated on you two, he left me alone, and his hold was lost on me. I could feel the force then, and I concentrated on it, letting it heal me and bring me back. I saw Mirelle fighting and heard what she said to you. I knew the dark side energy would hit you, so I shielded you both from it, and made sure Mirelle was pulled away from it," he explained.
Mara laid a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, for helping her," she said.
He reached for her, and she let him pull her into a tight hug. "Thank you for training her so well. I'm proud of both of you," he said, stroking her hair.
She looked up at him. "I told you we'd come for you," she said.
His face turned serious then. "Yes, and you disobeyed me," he scolded gently.
Mara smirked, her eyes flashing. "And since when have I ever listened to you?" she asked.
Luke grinned, leaned forward and kissed her cheek. She could feel the emotions he was trying to hold back, and although a part of her felt the sting of disappointment, a much bigger part of her felt rueful relief. "Thank you so much Mara," he whispered in her ear, and she shivered slightly at the feel of his warm skin against hers.
She nodded. "You forgot this," she said, sliding his lightsaber back into his hand.
He took it from her. "Thanks," he said again.
"Can you stand?" she asked.
"I think I can," he answered.
"Good, let's go," she said, helping him to his feet. They all walked out then, making their way towards the ship.
A/N Just so you all know, this is not the final chapter. I really do have more and you know I couldn't just leave our characters hanging like that. Once again, thank you so much to all who've reviewed. Meara