Chapter 6: The Balcony
After a few hours of troubled sleep, Mara woke to the find the early morning sun in her eyes. She slowly rose to fit on the edge of her bed and brushed her hands through her hair. Mara had hoped, unrealistically, that telling Luke about her dreams would make them go away. Instead, she had been haunted with even more vivid visions over the past few nights. It was beginning to feel as if all the deaths she had seen were by her own hand. Who was she that she would have seen so much death? Why would she have killed so many in the name of some personal brand of justice?
Mara rose to her feet and took a deep breath to calm her troubled mind. She couldn't jump to conclusions just because of she was having dreams that may or may not be glimpses into a past she could not remember. Grabbing a robe, Mara made her way out of her room to find Luke. For some reason, his presence soothed her. Simply being around him made the dreams fade from her mind.
Not finding Luke inside the apartment, Mara slipped outside and took a deep breath of the cool, crisp morning air and made her way to where she knew Luke would be. Whenever she couldn't find him in the apartment, Luke was standing on one of the balconies lining the lakeside retreat. For some reason unknown to Mara, he could always be found on the same terrace. She admitted that it was nice, but didn't know what made him repeatedly choose that spot over the other equally enchanting vistas of the Naboo lake country.
Mara slowed her brisk walk when she found Luke looking out over the lake with a mug of hot chocolate in hand as usual. She couldn't help but smile briefly when the feeling of peace she had come to associate with Luke came over her once more. Mara slowly walked across the balcony and stopped at the railing next to Luke. Noticing her presence, Luke turned to Mara and smiled, but didn't say anything. Mara gave him a small smile herself in return but remained equally silent.
The pair remained standing in comfortable silence, neither wanting to break the serenity of the moment. They continued to watch the sun rise through the light clouds, reflecting its light off the surface of the lake, glancing at each other from time to time. The silence of the moment could not last, however, as Mara's earlier curiosity returned. "Why do you come out to this spot every morning?"
Luke smiled before turning to Mara and gesturing to the balcony behind them. "It's peaceful here. You can just feel the happiness that has permeated this place over the years. Can't you feel it?"
Mara gave Luke a curious look as he watched her intently. Now that Luke mentioned it, she could feel something more to this place. It wasn't just the simply beauty of the plant covered trusses and beautiful flowers. There was a comforting aura to this place that she hadn't felt before. It was much like what she felt around Luke, but different. "Yes. Now that you mention it, this place feels comfortable. It's like some ghost of the past is welcoming you to share their joy."
Luke smiled at Mara, happy that she understood why he liked this place so much. It was much better to be able to share something like this. Even if she never got back her past, Luke hoped he could help her build new memories to make up for what she lost. In fact, Mara seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood this morning. Perhaps, she had found something the night before. He glanced at her once more. "Any luck?"
Luke regretted his question when the peaceful look on Mara's face faded away as she shook her head. "No. I still can't remember anything, but I can do so much. How could I have possibly learned to do all those things?"
Looking back out at the lake, Luke shook his head slightly. Mara had been surprising even herself with her reflexes and ability to think on her feet. She had managed to slice her way into the Imperial network in her search for her identity and had thrown one of the kitchen knives with deadly accuracy when Luke had startled her while making dinner one evening. Mara showed the wits, intelligence and physical abilities of an Imperial agent, but Luke was still wary to tell her off his suspicion. He didn't want to raise Mara's hopes of unlocking her past on a whim and was also afraid. Luke was afraid that he would lose the connection he had made with Mara if she found her old life. How could they go on living on opposite sides of the war? Finally giving voice to his response, Luke murmured his answer while keeping his gaze fixed on the lake. "I don't know."
Mara thought she could hear hesitation in Luke's voice when he finally answered her question. The usual peace she felt around him had faded, adding fuel to her turbulent emotions once more. Feeling uncomfortable, Mara turned to make her way back into the apartment without a word. Luke almost followed her, but decided to stay out on the balcony. He was alone once more. Perhaps this was the way things were meant to be.
"You're never alone." Luke spun around suddenly at hearing the voice behind him. He quickly realized just who would be able to read his thoughts so easily when the shimmering form stepped across the balcony to join him at the railing. Luke smiled as his father's spirit leaned down on the railing with a grin of his own. Anakin's grin turned into a smirk as he turned to Luke. "I have to commend you on your choice for a vacation spot. I'm especially fond of this balcony myself."
Luke looked to his father's shimmering visage with a surprised expression. Realization quickly dawned on him as he thought about his father's words. If his father had been to this place, that could explain why Luke felt so at home in this spot. Anakin smiled up at his son. Luke could be quite insightful if given the proper push. "In fact, you're right now standing in the very spot your mother did the day I married her."
Luke's eyes went wide at his father's proclamation. His mother. His parents had been married on this balcony. The Force had called him to this place in order to give him the connection to his parents he had always been looking for. Still gazing out over the lake, Anakin began to speak again. "This was your mother's home world. Padmé was once Queen Amidala, ruler of the Naboo and later their Senator. If you ask around, I'm sure some of the locals will give you some great stories about the girl who defeated a conquering army. She's the source of that idealistic streak you're so known for. But, I'm not here to tell you about your mother."
Luke's face dropped, disappointed. He knew so little about the woman who gave birth to him. He had learned more about her in the last few minutes than he had in his entire lifetime. But at least now he had somewhere to start. He had a name and from his earlier visions, a face. And he knew she was once a queen. That would have to do for now. "Then why are you here?"
"I think you know."
"Mara." Luke turned his gaze to the opposite shore of the lake. If his father was telling him to drop it and leave Mara to her own devices, he could forget it. Luke knew that she wasn't an evil person in spite of the clues he was given, just as he knew that good still remained in his father when he was still Darth Vader. He was not going to give up on her.
"I'm not here to ask you to stop helping her. I just want you to be careful. The secrets of her past are not to be trifled with. The truth won't be easy for either of you."
"You know who she is." Luke didn't ask his father if he knew about Mara's past. He already knew. His father's appearance had just confirmed his suspicions that Mara's dreams were more than simple nightmares. They were glimpses into a dark past. If the Emperor was involved, looking into Mara's past could be dangerous, even after the tyrant's death. Luke could only hope they would both be able to deal with the consequences when the truth was found.
"I do, but it's not my place to tell you. She's not ready for that information yet and if I told you now, you wouldn't be able to keep it from her. When the time is right, you'll know. May the Force be with you, my son." Luke looked on as his father's spirit faded from view, leaving him with more questions than when he had arrived. He was alone once more to face an uncertain path.
Luke turned to return to his apartment and the woman waiting for him. Perhaps he wasn't alone, but only time would tell how long that would last. The truth was waiting for them. But would they be ready for it when the time came?