Chapter Three

            Luke walked slowly down the seemingly deserted corridor, his lightsaber unlit but ready in his hands.  Echoes lingered in the Force in this corridor; without a doubt, this was where Mara was before she was taken.

            His ice-blue eyes traveled along the durasteel walls, noting the burned scorches at chest level.  When he experimentally touched the soot on the wall, the dark side of the Force practically screamed at him. 

            Someone had taken Mara.

            That thought rebounded through his mind, trying to suck him down into fear and despair.  With an effort, he pushed the emotions away--they led to the dark side.

            "Do you see anyone?" He called softly into the comlink he had placed on his robe's low collar.

            Artoo-Detoo gave a low whistle in reply.  His scanners were picking up just the one lifeform that they had detected while coming in to the station.  Luke had been in a light trance when he had suddenly felt Mara's presence waver, and then disappear completely.  It wasn't death…he was sure he would feel her pain and surprise had it been death.  It had been more like someone was hiding her from him.  Someone strong in the dark side who had an agenda with him…and Mara.

            He had a very short list of suspects as to who that would be.

            "Has it moved?"

            Artoo blatted a negative.

            Luke, still gliding slowly down the corridor where a battle had obviously occurred, nodded once to himself.  One lifeform, ahead and to the left of him.  One lifeform that he could feel from here that was dying.  It wasn't Mara.

            He hoped that his assurance was more from the Force, than from wishful thinking.

            "Hello?" He now called softly toward an open door on his left near the end of the corridor.  "I'm Jedi Master Luke Skywalker.  Do you need help?"

            A low groan answered him, and the sound of labored breathing.

            Luke didn't sense any malice towards him specifically, so he quickened his pace somewhat.  Being extremely cautious, he peeked around the corner of the doorframe and found a short human male with a hole in his stomach.  He panted for every short breath while blood pumped onto the floor from his apparent lightsaber wound.

            Luke swiftly hooked his lightsaber back onto his belt and knelt by the man's side, oblivious to the blood seeping into his gathered robe.

            "Calm," he said, as he focused on the man's presence in the Force.  "Who did this to you?"

            The little man panted faster.  "She…gave…no na-…me…"

            Luke frowned.  "Did she have red hair?"  He was sure Mara had not done this deed--unless she had been fighting for her life.

            "No…" The man gasped.  "Light…brown…gray…eyes…"

            Luke's eyes widened and his heart stilled in his chest.  Gray eyes….light brown hair…That took his list of suspects to only one.

            "Where did she take Mara?" Luke asked, forcing his voice to remain calm.

            The man tried to shake his head, but stopped his motion almost before it had begun.  "She…gave…message…"

            "Take your time…" Luke soothed him, though he could feel that the man was almost dead.

            The man stared directly into Luke's eyes.  "Said…go…to where…you…began to…know you were…different…She'll…be…wait…" and he slumped, dead, to the floor.

            Luke narrowed his eyes as he stood slowly.  Go to where he first began to notice he was different?  That could only be Tatooine.  Why would she take Mara to Tatooine?

            "Artoo?" He called as he strolled swiftly back toward where he had docked his X-wing.  "Set a course for Tatooine.  Have the ship ready to go by the time I get back to you."

            Artoo trilled something at him.

            Luke nodded once, then said, "Yes, Mara is there.  And Callista better hope she hasn't harmed a single hair on her head…"