This is something I wrote like six years ago. If you hate it, I don't care. I don't own Star Wars. Only Lana, Michael, and this storyline.

Kara Metallium

Now - Part 5

They approached Boba Fett's ship, Slave I. Lana felt for any life forms on the ship. One and it was unconscious. Come on, wake up!' As they neared the ship Lana engaged the tractor beam and pulled Slave I on board Dark Side. Lana nearly ran all the way to the landing bay after she sealed the safety doors. By the time she got there she wasn't even breathing hard. Luke arrived a minute later, panting.

You run fast, he remarked. Lana shrugged and approached the ship. It looked like it had been rammed by a very large object. When she was within fifteen feet of it, the hatch opened.

Lana ran on board, searching with her grasp of the force. She found Boba in the cockpit. It looked like he had fell unconscious right after he had sent the message. Lana widened her eyes, that meant he had been unconscious for a week. She turned the seat and switched on her medical reader. Its many lights blinked for a moment and then gave her a full readout of his condition. Fractured ribs, broken right leg, and in a state of terrible health. Lana turned and nearly fell down. She had crashed right into Luke, who had been reading over her shoulder. Strange,' she thought, I should of known he was there.'

Luke, go back to the medical bay and bring the stretcher. It's in the large metal locker to the right.

Without replying, Luke ran off the ship. Lana picked up Boba Fett's gloved hand. She suddenly squeezed it tight and let it drop. All of the sudden, the bounty hunter moved. Lana was shocked and stepped back, the T- visored helmet turned to her.

It wasn't a statement, nor a question. It was more like a sigh of relief. he said again,Thank you for coming.

Lana began.

Luke suddenly came in carrying the stretcher. The two, grown men looked at each other. It was a long time before anyone spoke. Lana finally broke the silence by grabbing the stretcher and brought it over to the bounty hunter.

She threw a look at Luke,Come on, help me get him on it.

Luke strode over and picked up him by the arms. Both men grunted. Lana made a quick support for Boba Fett's leg.

Luke and Lana picked the stretcher up and proceeded to the medical bay. When they got there, Lana told Luke to call Mara and tell her to set course for home. Lana turned around to find the bounty hunter looking at her in his mask.

Perhaps, you would like to remove your helmet, she said, gesturing toward it. He did not reply, but merely took it off. She could see scratches all across his face. Some were bleeding and looked pretty nasty. Do you want painkiller?



She shrugged and removed the leg support, plus the armor, and started to set it. He groaned the whole way through. When she was done, she retrieved a needle and injected the contents into his blood stream. The contents of the needle, highly concentrated bacta, would increase the level of white blood cells in his body. The densely numbered cells would then attack the injured parts of his body, causing him to heal faster than normal. Most people who were injured as he was, would normally just be dunked in the bacta tank for two days. But she didn't have one aboard the ship.

After she cleaned the needle, and turned around, the bacta was already working. The scratches on his face were healing and closing up.

Feel better? asked Lana.

Yes, thank you, replied Boba Fett in his usual expressionless voice.

Any idea what hit your ship?

I'm not sure, he said as he got up.

You better rest for a while, she said, walking over.

I've fought with worse.

Is that so, she said with a touch of sarcasm, well your not fighting now, so lay back down. He continued to get up. Her expression was still neutral, but Lana was burning up inside. I mean it Boba Fett. Lay down, now.

The bounty hunter looked at her, he knew her. There was a quiet menace in those words. He knew he could not get into a fight in his condition, especially with her, as much as he would like too. It was not often that he got a challenge. Last time they had fought, she had won. It had surprised him, he did not remember how it felt to lose. For he was Boba Fett, the most notorious and feared bounty hunter in the galaxy. He was always the one that emerged with the prize. And she had out done him, though she had an advantage, the force. But then again, she had not used it at all,' he thought. The bounty hunter sat back down.

she said with satisfaction in her voice,you'll get your strength back soon enough. Just rest for now. She turned and left.

***

After they landed, Lana and Luke loaded Boba Fett on to a stretcher. As they carried him down the ramp and across the hanger, Michael came running up.

Mom, is this the bounty hunter? asked Michael, gazing at Boba Fett.

Lana hesitated, then said, Boba Fett stared at Lana, showing no expression. Just then, Mara walked over. She looked at the bounty hunter in disgust. Lana said quickly, Michael, will you go open the door?

Michael got the hint,Sure, Mom, and he ran over to the large doors of the fortress.

How do we know your not going to go sneaking around Fett? Mara asked.

I promised many years ago to Lana that I would never capture, sabotage, or spy. This is neutral ground.

Promises can be broken, said Mara with a sneer.

Boba Fett sat straight up despite the condition and pain that he was in. In a low, menacing voice he answered,I don't break promises. The meaning was clear and Mara got it. With a nod of her head she strode over to where Michael was. There was no conversation between anyone from there on.

***

When Lana awoke in the morning, her first thought was Boba Fett. She quickly got up and headed over to her security terminal. It was built into the wall, a few feet from her bed.

Lana pushed one of the many buttons, Boba was fast asleep in the large bed. She smiled. She thought about the time when she had been captured by him. Oh, never mind,' she told herself. It was time to go wake Michael.

***

He suddenly opened his eyes and sat up with a start. What a bad dream he had had. He looked at his surroundings. He was in Lana's palace.

He rose and got dressed, he put on a jumpsuit, from the large selection of clothes in the closet. He opened the door and walked down the many corridors. He almost forgot the way to Lana's room. It had been a long time. A long time.

***

There was a knock on Lana's door.

Come in, she said. She had just finished dressing. She had slipped on a jumpsuit, to get ready for her daily training with Michael. Boba walked in. Good morning, she said,is there something you want?

Where are you going?.

I have to go teach Michael, will you join me?

Sure, Lana. She picked up her lightsaber and they walked out the door together.

***

When they arrived, Michael was fighting with Luke. She watched them silently for minutes. While they fought, Luke was telling Michael about the light side of the force. When they were done, Lana walked over to Luke. Michael saw the look in his mother's eyes.

Mom, don't, he said. She looked at him and he shut up. When she was but a few feet from Luke, she ignited her lightsaber. She swung and he scrambled back. He quickly turned on his.

Lana felt the flow of the force, and also saw the two sides of it. She chose the dark. Hatred filled her, how could he have the gall to mess with her training. Michael was her pupil, not his. She set her jaw and swung hard, a stroke that could of cut Luke cleanly in half. He pulled his blade up and neatly blocked the attack. She came close and they locked blades. The hissing of the two emerald green lightsabers filled the air. She twitched the lightsaber, as if to distract him. Instead, she kicked at his leg to break the knee joint. But he saw that coming, Luke jumped, and as he came down to land, she crouched and tripped him with her right leg. She stood up quickly, cocked her her blade over her her right shoulder, and hacked forty-five degrees at the base of his neck. In theory, it was supposed to work, but at the last instant, Luke rolled to his left. The blade of the lightsaber left a large, dark cleft in the floor.

She switched off her lightsaber, she had worked off enough of her anger to think coolly now. But she was still jealous, she turned and walked out the door.

***

Luke and Michael looked at each other.

What was that all about? Luke asked.

I'm not quite sure, answered Michael.

While they were talking, Boba Fett crept out the door and ran down the hall to where Lana was walking.

he asked.

You figure it out, she said,Michael is my pupil, not Luke's.



Lana stopped, turned, and looked him straight in the eye.

she growled,Stay out of my personal life, I stay out of yours.

Boba Fett took her by the shoulders. You intruded once, he said.

She shook him off. That was a long time ago, Lana insisted.

That's beside the point.



You can't change the fact Luke was teaching Michael, why not let Michael become a Jedi Master instead of a Sith Lord? You said yourself that you embrace both sides of the force, Boba pointed out.

Lana ran down the hall and slammed her door in his face, and locked it. She put her head against the door, stood there and sobbed.

***


Mara quickly put her head in Lana's door.

Lana, I've got to take care of important business. Luke said he would stay here until he got back. I don't know how long it will be until I get back. Okay?

she said with a sigh.

***

There was a knock on the door. Lana was on her bed reading, she quickly hid the book as the door opened. Luke walked in.

What do you want? she asked coldly.

What was that fight about this morning?

You figure it out, she said with a sneer. She hopped off the bed and walked to the window and looked out.



She turned around quickly, with tears in her eyes. Luke, go away.

Luke looked at her. His heart ached, he couldn't stand to see her in pain.

Luke, go away, she repeated. A tear ran down her cheek. She turned back to the window, as if to hide from Luke that she was crying. He walked up behind her. She turned to him, tears were going uncontrollably down her cheeks now.

Why can't you just go? Just leave me alone? Just let me suffer in peace? she demanded.

Suffer?' he asked himself. He hugged her and tried to comfort her. She continued to cry as she hugged him back. Then she pulled away, No, no! It can't be this way! she ran out the door. Leaving Luke alone in the room.

***

Lana continued running down the hall. She took the turbolift to the highest of the towers that rose above her castle. When she got to the highest room in the highest tower, she sat down on the pad in the middle of the sanctuary. She forced herself into the lotus position and put herself in a Jedi trance.

***

Walking through the corridors, fully concealed in his armor, Boba Fett stalked the halls in search of Lana. He walked down narrow tunnels, the only light coming from gloomy glowlamps on the walls. He came to a turbolift. Instinctively, he told the lift to take him to the highest floor.

When he arrived, he saw Lana in meditation, or perhaps,' he thought, a trance.'

She immediately flew against the wall, as if somebody had picked her up and thrown her. As soon as she recovered, she glared at Fett.

What do you want? then she realized what he was wearing,Are you going? she asked earnestly.

Yes, why?

She stood up. Her cheeks became red from blushing,I was, uh, hoping you could stay longer. I mean, with your leg still healing and all.



she looked up hopefully.

I know you feel the same stirrings as I do. I know you think, just perhaps, we could be together again. But it's in the past. You know we can't be together. We can't be what we once were.

She nodded,I understand, she looked away. He knew she was silently crying.

Lana, try to understand, he said reaching out toward her.

Do me one thing, she said, without turning around,Just go away. I don't want to see you as long as I live.



Just go. Now! Please!

Boba Fett couldn't stand it any longer. Any emotions at all he had, diminished with those final words. Without another word he left and did not look back.

***

Lana returned, crying, to her room. She could stand what she had just done. She could barely live with what she had just done. Lana knew what she needed. She needed someone's strong arms around her, telling her it was all right. She seemed to see a person in the room, walking to her, comforting her, but it was just an illusion. Not real,' she thought. It was evening now, the stars of the galaxy shown brightly in the sky. She walked out onto her balcony. She looked at the stars. She picked out her favorite ones, Orion's Belt. It just sparked imagination in her, filled her with a warm glow. She was lost in the beauty and serenity of the night. Then she felt an arm close around her. She looked up, it was Luke. He smiled and stroked her hair. Surprising Luke and even herself, she laid her head on his shoulder. He adjusted his arm to the new position.

What is your favorite star? she found herself asking.

He pointed to the brightest star,That one, he replied.

It is beautiful, she said.

She straightened herself and broke the grasp he had on her. She walked back inside, Luke followed her.

What is it? he asked.

she said turning to face him, she faltered. I don't know where to begin with you. Your just so understanding and willing to listen. I'm just not used to that. I don't mean to be rude or anything, but I-she faltered again. The more I'm around you the more my feelings get confused. I just don't know about you.

Lana, it is awkward for me too. But I can't deny the feelings I have toward you. Some things will never change.

She shook her head,Listen to you, you sound so much like your father. It makes me so depressed. That's why I get angry at you. You act so much like him, it just makes my heart break. Don't you see? she said looking at him,It puts me in agony.

Luke started to say something, but instead he left.

***

The next morning, when Luke awoke, he saw Michael hovering over him.

he asked.

Can you teach me some more?

You have to ask your mother.

I did. She said yes.

Luke probed him to see if he was lying, he wasn't. Surprised, he replied,Meet me there. With a nod of his head, Michael left the room. Odd,' Luke thought.

***

When Luke got there, Michael and Lana were doing some intensive fighting. When they stopped, Lana walked quickly out the door. Luke and Michael continued the fight.

***

Luke walked in before Lana could say anything. To his surprise, instead of wearing the usual jumpsuit. Lana was in a tight fitting dress. She took a step back and turned and walked out to the balcony. Luke stood there wondering if he should follow her or not. He did.

Why did you let me teach Michael? he asked.

It was for my own private reasons.

Why are you dressed up?

I just wanted to see what I looked like in it again.

You look beautiful.

She turned,Thank you, she turned back and looked off into the distance.

Lana, would you come back with me? And Michael too. I could take you to meet my sister and her husband. You could meet all my friends. I want them to meet you. You've been isolated too long, and Michael needs to see the galaxy. What do you say?

Lana hesitated and looked at him straight in the eyes. She seemed to study him for the first time.

He drew his arm around her and held her close. He bent down and kissed her cheek. Her skin felt smooth under his lips. He pulled away and walked back to her door. She followed him there.

she said,

He smiled and left.