Chapter Eight
Leia woke with a start. Laying in bed beside her husband, with her children safe in their rooms, the universe was quiet and peaceful where she was—for once.
So what had wakened her?
Even as she wondered it, she suddenly knew.
Han propped himself up on an elbow beside her in the darkness. Even after several years of relative peace, he could still wake quickly and alert at any sudden, subtle chance during the night.
"Trouble?" He asked quietly.
Leia stretched out in the Force. "It's Luke..." she murmured as she tried to determine what exactly about her brother had wakened her. Before she could fully sense what it was that had startled her awake, Jaina, Jacen and Anakin ran into their room.
The teenagers had identical expressions of worry on their faces.
"Mom!" Jaina gushed, her eyes wide.
Jacen, as usual, finished his sister's thought. "It's Uncle Luke!"
Anakin was very pale. Quietly, more reserved than his older brother and sister, he added, "He's dying."
Han was shocked, but Leia simply nodded.
"What should we do?" Jaina fretted.
Leia thought for a moment. When Anakin had been a newborn, she had been taught a few old Jedi techniques by Vima de Boda. The old Jedi had mainly shown her battle techniques, but there were other things about healing that she had been shown that Luke had tried to teach her in earlier years and she had just not paid attention to. She knew them now.
"Join me in the Force," Leia ordered as she sat up to make room for her children on the bed. Han also scooted his legs up. Quickly, the three teenagers scrambled onto the bed and settled themselves around their mother.
Leia closed her eyes and gathered her children's Force signatures to her.
Help him heal...
She did not know if that thought was hers, or from someone else. The only thing she did know was the feeling that her brother was slipping away from her.
A surge in the Force—a swirling, a gathering—suddenly occurred. Leia felt herself being pulled along. At the source, she felt Mara's desperation to save her love.
"Help me..." Mara's voice pleaded. "Keep him here with me..."
Leia felt her brother slipping away fast, though she also sensed him fighting to stay alive. Without conscious thought or action, she pooled herself into the Force, providing an anchor for her twin to keep him in the world of life. She dimly sensed her children giving their uncle strength as Mara's Force sense desperately held onto her husband's.
After what seemed like only a few minutes, Luke's sense brightened and steadied, reversing from the dim flicker that he had been. Leia was relieved. Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin pulled away, their task done, but Leia lingered.
"Thank you, Leia," she heard Luke whisper; then he settled into a healing trance.
Leia blinked, suddenly finding herself back on her bed. To her great surprise, it was full morning and several hours had passed. Her three kids were slumped on the bed in various positions, exhausted but happy.
"Well?" She heard Han ask tensely.
She smiled tiredly at him and leaned against him. "He's safe, for now. Contact Mara on her comlink to find out where they are and how long to expect them. He's going to need a lot of medical attention." Then she fell asleep.
Leia woke with a start. Laying in bed beside her husband, with her children safe in their rooms, the universe was quiet and peaceful where she was—for once.
So what had wakened her?
Even as she wondered it, she suddenly knew.
Han propped himself up on an elbow beside her in the darkness. Even after several years of relative peace, he could still wake quickly and alert at any sudden, subtle chance during the night.
"Trouble?" He asked quietly.
Leia stretched out in the Force. "It's Luke..." she murmured as she tried to determine what exactly about her brother had wakened her. Before she could fully sense what it was that had startled her awake, Jaina, Jacen and Anakin ran into their room.
The teenagers had identical expressions of worry on their faces.
"Mom!" Jaina gushed, her eyes wide.
Jacen, as usual, finished his sister's thought. "It's Uncle Luke!"
Anakin was very pale. Quietly, more reserved than his older brother and sister, he added, "He's dying."
Han was shocked, but Leia simply nodded.
"What should we do?" Jaina fretted.
Leia thought for a moment. When Anakin had been a newborn, she had been taught a few old Jedi techniques by Vima de Boda. The old Jedi had mainly shown her battle techniques, but there were other things about healing that she had been shown that Luke had tried to teach her in earlier years and she had just not paid attention to. She knew them now.
"Join me in the Force," Leia ordered as she sat up to make room for her children on the bed. Han also scooted his legs up. Quickly, the three teenagers scrambled onto the bed and settled themselves around their mother.
Leia closed her eyes and gathered her children's Force signatures to her.
Help him heal...
She did not know if that thought was hers, or from someone else. The only thing she did know was the feeling that her brother was slipping away from her.
A surge in the Force—a swirling, a gathering—suddenly occurred. Leia felt herself being pulled along. At the source, she felt Mara's desperation to save her love.
"Help me..." Mara's voice pleaded. "Keep him here with me..."
Leia felt her brother slipping away fast, though she also sensed him fighting to stay alive. Without conscious thought or action, she pooled herself into the Force, providing an anchor for her twin to keep him in the world of life. She dimly sensed her children giving their uncle strength as Mara's Force sense desperately held onto her husband's.
After what seemed like only a few minutes, Luke's sense brightened and steadied, reversing from the dim flicker that he had been. Leia was relieved. Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin pulled away, their task done, but Leia lingered.
"Thank you, Leia," she heard Luke whisper; then he settled into a healing trance.
Leia blinked, suddenly finding herself back on her bed. To her great surprise, it was full morning and several hours had passed. Her three kids were slumped on the bed in various positions, exhausted but happy.
"Well?" She heard Han ask tensely.
She smiled tiredly at him and leaned against him. "He's safe, for now. Contact Mara on her comlink to find out where they are and how long to expect them. He's going to need a lot of medical attention." Then she fell asleep.