Chapter Nine
Mara watched Luke as he floated, unconscious, in a bacta tank on Coruscant. He had been in this position for two days now and she admitted to herself that he looked a lot better than when he first went into the pink fluid. The doctors had healed his broken arm by resetting it and wrapping it in bacta patches for a double dosage of the healing liquid. His leg and his internal injuries were proving to be more bothersome.
"Jedi Skywalker, there is a call for you," one of the aides called out into the large room that housed the bacta tanks.
Mara turned around and walked toward the small communit kept for the families of those critically ill and injured. She activated the comm, and was surprised to see little Wennai Dru'ya on the other end, a patient Kyp Durron standing behind her.
"What is it, Wennai?" Mara asked, sitting down to get the weight off of her mostly-healed leg.
The Bothan girl gazed at her. "I see Master Luke found you."
Mara felt a chill go down her spine. She and Luke had both been impressed by how strongly connected to the Force this small Bothan child was at such a young age. Usually, her visions through the Force always came true.
Cautiously, Mara asked, "And what did you see?"
Wennai blinked her small eyes at her, hesitating. Kyp murmured encouraging words and she finally said, "No trouble now. But...just a few days ago...Master Luke died."
Mara's heart stopped in her chest, before her brain caught back up with her. Wennai was not old enough yet to properly put her visions into perspective. She must be talking about a vision she had. Soothingly, Mara told the girl, "He almost did, Wennai. But he is recovering now." She paused, then asked haltingly, "Did...you see...anything else?"
Wennai glanced back at Kyp, who nodded. She sighed and answered, "He will heal, but needs to be resting." She gave Mara a look far older than her own years to emphasize her meaning.
Mara burst out laughing. "Put Kyp on," she choked out between fits of mirth.
Kyp grinned into the screen as Wennai jumped down. "I thought you might find that one amusing, Mara," the younger Jedi told her.
Mara shook her head, still chuckling. "Someone needs to grow up faster, I see, or we might all be caught in embarrassment by her visions before she gains the tactfulness she will need."
Kyp chuckled, then sobered. "So Master Skywalker is...okay now?"
"For now, though he has some severe internal injuries," Mara answered quietly, all mirth gone now. Some would find Kyp Durron asking about Luke strange in the extreme since it was he in his younger days who had almost killed Luke while under the influence of Dark Lord Exar Kun. Mara didn't particularly like him herself, but trusted Luke's judgment on the younger man. "He's staying in a healing trance to speed his internal healing. The doctors say that he will be released in a week."
Kyp nodded. "I will pass on the good news to the students. We had...several worried children here a few days ago."
"As was I, Kyp," Mara replied, standing. "I will keep you updated."
Kyp nodded again. "Until then, may the Force be with you."
"And you." She signed off.
Once Luke emerged from his healing trance two days later, the doctors could not keep him in the tank. He insisted on coming out to see his family, who were gathered in the waiting area. It was an exasperated doctor who came out to tell them that he was awake and wanted to see them.
Mara ran to Luke and melted into her husband's arms, letting him hold her, though conscious of the fact that he was still healing. She buried her face into his neck, letting her feelings of love for him flow to him through the Force.
Someone cleared their throat behind them.
Mara turned, glaring at Han, who had an innocent look on his face to indicate his guilt. "Shove it, Solo," she growled, though half in play as she reluctantly stepped away from Luke.
Leia was next to hug her brother. He patted her back and murmured words that none of the others could hear into her ears as they embraced. When Leia joined Mara, there were tears in her eyes, unshed.
Jaina, Jacen and Anakin shoved their way in front of their father. The three teenagers were careful in their expresses of love, scared of hurting their uncle, whom had never seemed so frail as he did in that moment. He stood in a white robe, his skin clinging to his bones and his eyes tired, though his Force presence was as strong as ever.
Finally, Han and Chewbacca were left. Chewie squeezed Luke as gently as a Wookie could, though Luke was even paler once the hairy friend had let him go. Chewie whuffed at him and Luke nodded, used to his friend's language enough by now to guess at what he said.
Then it was Han's turn. Han wordlessly gave Luke a hearty hug, then quickly stepped away. He cleared his throat before speaking. "You know, kid, you've got to stop waking Leia and me up like that," he tried to joke. "We'll never get any...um, sleep."
Luke laughed shakily and wavered a little on his still healing leg. Mara quickly summoned a chair and he sank gratefully into it, now looking up at his family.
"Thank you all," he said quietly, locking gazes with each of them in turn, even Han. No one needed to ask what he was thanking them for.
Mara knelt by his side and grabbed his face, bringing him to her for a fierce and passionate kiss. When they had parted, she touched her forehead with his and whispered, "I don't need gray hairs yet, farmboy, we've only been married a year."
Luke laughed and brought her into another embrace.
THE END
Mara watched Luke as he floated, unconscious, in a bacta tank on Coruscant. He had been in this position for two days now and she admitted to herself that he looked a lot better than when he first went into the pink fluid. The doctors had healed his broken arm by resetting it and wrapping it in bacta patches for a double dosage of the healing liquid. His leg and his internal injuries were proving to be more bothersome.
"Jedi Skywalker, there is a call for you," one of the aides called out into the large room that housed the bacta tanks.
Mara turned around and walked toward the small communit kept for the families of those critically ill and injured. She activated the comm, and was surprised to see little Wennai Dru'ya on the other end, a patient Kyp Durron standing behind her.
"What is it, Wennai?" Mara asked, sitting down to get the weight off of her mostly-healed leg.
The Bothan girl gazed at her. "I see Master Luke found you."
Mara felt a chill go down her spine. She and Luke had both been impressed by how strongly connected to the Force this small Bothan child was at such a young age. Usually, her visions through the Force always came true.
Cautiously, Mara asked, "And what did you see?"
Wennai blinked her small eyes at her, hesitating. Kyp murmured encouraging words and she finally said, "No trouble now. But...just a few days ago...Master Luke died."
Mara's heart stopped in her chest, before her brain caught back up with her. Wennai was not old enough yet to properly put her visions into perspective. She must be talking about a vision she had. Soothingly, Mara told the girl, "He almost did, Wennai. But he is recovering now." She paused, then asked haltingly, "Did...you see...anything else?"
Wennai glanced back at Kyp, who nodded. She sighed and answered, "He will heal, but needs to be resting." She gave Mara a look far older than her own years to emphasize her meaning.
Mara burst out laughing. "Put Kyp on," she choked out between fits of mirth.
Kyp grinned into the screen as Wennai jumped down. "I thought you might find that one amusing, Mara," the younger Jedi told her.
Mara shook her head, still chuckling. "Someone needs to grow up faster, I see, or we might all be caught in embarrassment by her visions before she gains the tactfulness she will need."
Kyp chuckled, then sobered. "So Master Skywalker is...okay now?"
"For now, though he has some severe internal injuries," Mara answered quietly, all mirth gone now. Some would find Kyp Durron asking about Luke strange in the extreme since it was he in his younger days who had almost killed Luke while under the influence of Dark Lord Exar Kun. Mara didn't particularly like him herself, but trusted Luke's judgment on the younger man. "He's staying in a healing trance to speed his internal healing. The doctors say that he will be released in a week."
Kyp nodded. "I will pass on the good news to the students. We had...several worried children here a few days ago."
"As was I, Kyp," Mara replied, standing. "I will keep you updated."
Kyp nodded again. "Until then, may the Force be with you."
"And you." She signed off.
Once Luke emerged from his healing trance two days later, the doctors could not keep him in the tank. He insisted on coming out to see his family, who were gathered in the waiting area. It was an exasperated doctor who came out to tell them that he was awake and wanted to see them.
Mara ran to Luke and melted into her husband's arms, letting him hold her, though conscious of the fact that he was still healing. She buried her face into his neck, letting her feelings of love for him flow to him through the Force.
Someone cleared their throat behind them.
Mara turned, glaring at Han, who had an innocent look on his face to indicate his guilt. "Shove it, Solo," she growled, though half in play as she reluctantly stepped away from Luke.
Leia was next to hug her brother. He patted her back and murmured words that none of the others could hear into her ears as they embraced. When Leia joined Mara, there were tears in her eyes, unshed.
Jaina, Jacen and Anakin shoved their way in front of their father. The three teenagers were careful in their expresses of love, scared of hurting their uncle, whom had never seemed so frail as he did in that moment. He stood in a white robe, his skin clinging to his bones and his eyes tired, though his Force presence was as strong as ever.
Finally, Han and Chewbacca were left. Chewie squeezed Luke as gently as a Wookie could, though Luke was even paler once the hairy friend had let him go. Chewie whuffed at him and Luke nodded, used to his friend's language enough by now to guess at what he said.
Then it was Han's turn. Han wordlessly gave Luke a hearty hug, then quickly stepped away. He cleared his throat before speaking. "You know, kid, you've got to stop waking Leia and me up like that," he tried to joke. "We'll never get any...um, sleep."
Luke laughed shakily and wavered a little on his still healing leg. Mara quickly summoned a chair and he sank gratefully into it, now looking up at his family.
"Thank you all," he said quietly, locking gazes with each of them in turn, even Han. No one needed to ask what he was thanking them for.
Mara knelt by his side and grabbed his face, bringing him to her for a fierce and passionate kiss. When they had parted, she touched her forehead with his and whispered, "I don't need gray hairs yet, farmboy, we've only been married a year."
Luke laughed and brought her into another embrace.
THE END