Chapter 2 (Mara's POV)
The rest of our afternoon didn't hold any more emotional revelations, thank the force. But that wasn't to say it was completely uneventful. No, little did I know just how eventful it was going to get. But first, I had to make it through another botanical lecture…
"The poisonous variant has spots, but this one should be safe to eat or make tea from."
I frowned at Luke dubiously. "You sure about that…? Because if you're not…"
I held Ben's tiny hand, waving it at Luke. "Say bye to daddy."
Luke smirked at me. "I'm sure, but when you put it that way maybe we'll just stick to what the locals recommend…"
"Yeah, maybe we will," I wholeheartedly agreed. "Though don't you Jedi have something for poison too?"
"Yes, but I'd rather not try it out here…"
I laughed. "No, let's, that could be very interesting!"
"Mara…" He shot me one of those weary looks.
"Sorry, I'm just getting bored out here, I wouldn't mind a little excitement."
His forehead creased at the very mention. "Please don't say it, you might make it happen."
"That's what I told you days ago, but look we're still here picking at plants in a forest." I grinned. "Face it, Luke, we're probably too old for excitement to find us now. It's finally happened, over the hill and down the other side."
He seemed in love with the thought. "That would be lovely, wouldn't it?" He sighed. "If only I could believe it…"
I opened my mouth, a reassuring retort at the ready, but I swallowed it as soon as the warning light in my brain flickered on. Within an instant we were back to back, lightsabers humming. I knew he sensed it too, so I didn't bother to ask. Our eyes were too busy scanning the surrounding forest. A deadly calm had set in, an eerie silence that seemed to hush the wildlife.
Within a few more seconds the silence was broken by the sound of mechanical feet coming our way. Luke stepped in front of me the green of his blade glowing against his calm but determined face. It was a face that showed much more Jedi calm than he actually felt. I could feel that much. We'd gotten ourselves out of all sorts of problems, but not with Ben close enough to be caught in the crossfire.
I shared his worry but didn't have time to even feel it. Clutching Ben, I gripped my lightsaber with the other hand, my senses extending out into the rustling brush. Within an instant, the forage parted, and out stepped two droids. Scout models but blasters in hand all the same.
"Target detected, transmitting location-" The droid didn't have much time to finish his thought before he had a blue blade slicing through him and his buddy. I'd thrown my saber and guided it through them before bringing it right back to my hand.
"I take it back, Luke," I muttered. "I'm not bored anymore."
He frowned. "Who were they transmitting to and did it still get through?"
"No clue." I nudged the fallen droid with my foot. "There are no markings this time around," I said thinking of our last escapade."
He stepped beside me, his saber still ignited. "The danger hasn't passed, there's more of them."
Sensing something that wasn't alive was hard even for a Jedi to manage, but the danger was lighting up the force like a beacon. But it was more than that. "People…" I whispered. I quickly read the emotions of the two men I was detecting. "They're still looking, I don't think they know we're here."
"Right," Luke agreed as he deactivated his lightsaber and pulled me along behind him. I was reluctant to do the same, but I thought stealth might be the best course. We kept moving through the underbrush until beyond the hilltop we could just make out Marcus' cottage in the valley below. Four more droids were stationed outside while the men focused on kicking the door in. We watched from a distance, no little anger rising in my throat at the sight.
But Luke touched my shoulder softly, his emotions reminding me of all that Jedi calm and clear-thinking jazz. I took a deep breath and tried to set my feelings aside. But still, Marcus' memory deserved better than this. And who were they anyway? Random robbers at a place this remote? The possibilities were running through my mind at lightspeed as the minutes ticked down. After what felt like ten minutes the men reappeared from the house, hands empty. They were certainly no ordinary robbers. Which meant…apparently they wanted us.
Well, it wouldn't be the first time, but having Ben along for the ride certainly was. My hands felt tied, I wanted to confront them, but I had to protect Ben before all else. I assumed Luke's thought process was much the same, only he included me in the protect camp. But we couldn't be in two places at once, we'd have to figure something out. After a bit, the men and droids disappeared back into the forest, but it hardly felt like a retreat.
"What about the Sabre," I whispered. "They must have seen in on the way in?"
"They know we're trapped without it," he mumbled softly back. "I imagine they stationed guards by it in case we come back."
It made sense, but that meant we were cornered. I reached out with the force, trying desperately to detect who else was out there. But all I could feel were the same two men. Apparently Luke was doing the same because we wordlessly nodded in agreement.
"Seems they like letting droids do their dirty work for them…" I said.
"Who does that remind you of…?" he asked lightly.
I swallowed the lump of frustration in my throat and stated the obvious. "Echo Drivers."
"It could be," he agreed thoughtfully. "But all that matters now is keeping you two safe."
"And you," I added firmly.
He shot me a weak smile. "I'd rather that, yes."
"So what's the plan?"
"First, I have to get Ben's lightsaber from the house, we can't leave without it. Then we have to get to the Sabre, fighting our way through might be the only option." He glanced down at Ben, his eyes filled with worry.
"So the direct approach? That's alright with me."
I was already on my feet when he stopped me. "Mara, please, be careful… We can't take chances, not with Ben along."
Normally, I would have scoffed and assured him I had this, but I understood what was at stake... "I know, Skywalker, I know…" I whispered softly.
He squeezed my hand before quickly making his way down the hill. I watched on edge as he disappeared inside, going after Ben's lightsaber.
"I wish you were old enough to use it, baby…" I whispered to Ben. Though that thought was equally horrifying…
Without incident Luke reappeared, now with the heirloom clipped to his belt. Motioning me onward, I prepared for the trek ahead. It was a trek that lead us through the forest, our every sense tense with anticipation. Things were quiet, too quiet. And as the story goes…I had a bad feeling about this.
A feeling that only intensified when the Sabre came into view. No one was there…or were they? Suddenly the use of so many droids made sense. They knew they were after Jedi, was that why? So couldn't so clearly sense them?
Either way, I knew the ship could have already been boarded. They could be lying in wait for all we knew. I didn't like it, but we had to face this head-on. Luke activated the landing ramp, bracing himself in a battle stance as it lowered. With only one hand free and Ben in the middle of things, I felt less than at my best. But it would take a lot more to make me feel helpless.
The ramp settled to the ground with a light thud, silence the only answer to our suspicions. Luke took one step forward before jumping back, our sense of danger suddenly igniting. A barrage of blaster fire erupted from on board the Sabre as a line of droids marched down the landing ramp. Deflecting the bolts, Luke was making short work of them, but just how many were there, was the better question.
A question I didn't want the answer to, I just wanted off this planet and Ben safe in his crib. A human presence appeared behind me as the two men dashed from the forest, blasters pointed at me.
"Don't move, it's over Jedi!"
A second later Ben started to cry, more than that he started to wail. I felt my jaw clench as that same anger rose in my chest. They said that anger could lead to the dark side, but sometimes you had a right to be angry… What really mattered was what you did with it.
Through the force, I snatched the blasters from their sweaty grips and compressed them until they hummed dangerously. They gave way to a small explosion as I flung them into the shrub line. One of the men reached for a smaller weapon strapped to his side, but it met a similar fate, only this time by Luke's hand.
The droids ended, he stood next to me, his lightsaber still setting his grimace in a green hue.
"Explain yourselves," he said both calmly and sharply to the two men shaking in front of us.
They were wholly inexperienced when it came to handling Jedi, that much was for sure.
"I-It was just a job, no hard feelings!" one of them trembled out.
"Making an infant cry?" I bit out with venom. Ben screamed louder as if to make my point all the more valid. "You two disgust me."
I saw real fear in their eyes, and it was obvious they were suddenly more afraid of me than Luke. Which, I rather liked actually. But all the same, I didn't have time for this.
"Let's cuff them and get out of here, Ben's been through enough today."
Luke agreed and we found our two new prisoners very easy to deal with. They were so scared I was honestly afraid they might wet the floor of the guest cabin we'd locked them in. Before I closed the door I sent one more glare their way.
"Listen up, this is my ship, mess anything up in here and you'll be answering to me. Got it?"
I didn't even wait for their whimpering reply.
Making my way to the cockpit I found Luke preparing our take-off. Ben was quiet but still red-faced as he clung to Luke's shirt for dear life.
"Great…" I mumbled in some mixture of guilt and anger. "He's already traumatized."
Setting the auto-pilot, Luke leaned back in his chair, softly rocking what was left of Ben's shattered nerves. "He'll be alright, Mara. He was just frightened by our emotions, I imagine."
I let out a heavy sigh as I collapsed into the chair next to him. All the swirling questions about what had just happened or why could wait. I just wanted to know he was okay…
Reaching for Ben, he reluctantly let go of Luke and melted into my arms. "I'm sorry, buddy… But it's alright now. I promise I'll never let anyone hurt you…"
Apparently, he could sense how much I'd meant those words because his frown slowly relaxed until he was close to falling asleep. Seeing it was a relief, but a part of me wondered if it would be enough. If I really could keep that promise…?
It was a feeling that didn't escape Luke's notice. Sliding his hand into mine he tried to ease my fears. Like some tether of warmth, I squeezed his hand back. Wordlessly, we watched as the treetops of Grairr gave way to stars, then to starlines.
We were safe, at least for now.
The bustle of Coruscant was just how we'd left it. Normally, I would have been relieved to be back among the living again, but under these circumstances, I wished we were still back in the forest. Handing off goons to security detail wasn't my idea of a relaxing welcome back home. Our would-be assassins seemed pretty spooked at the thought of what a New Republic integration would entail. I knew they were in far better luck than if the Empire was still around, but I didn't bother telling them that. Let them sweat a little instead…
Luke seemed to pick up on the mischievous satisfaction I got from that and sent me a mildly disapproving frown.
"Oh come on," I said as we made our way toward the apartment. "You and I both know the New Republic is nothing but civilized and fair, but who said we had to tell them that? It gives us great leverage to get the information we need."
He sighed. "I know, but anger and resentment can still be dangerous…"
I bit my lip. "Now you sound just like the old order…"
"Some of what they said was true, uncontrolled hate can lead to the dark side."
"Or to marriage, apparently…" I mumbled like the Jedi deviant I was.
He smirked, not able to refute my point. "Or that, in some cases… But you never did play by traditional rules, Mara."
"You bet I didn't, not even the dark side knew what to do with me."
He gave up the lecture with a weary smile. But it didn't mean I missed his point entirely. Dark side or no, I knew my temper could be a weakness if it got the better of me. But the thought of someone hurting Ben got to me like nothing else did. The Jedi of old would have said that was why attachment had to be avoided, but it wasn't realistic. People were emotional, it was just how we were made. It was better trying to figure out how to control it than attempt living an empty life that didn't elicit it at all. Besides, I'd already tried living an empty life with no attachments, it made me even angrier.
Arriving home, I headed down the hall to put Ben in his crib. He was already asleep, still exhausted from our little wayward adventure apparently. For a second, I just stared down at him, some sense of relief washing over me. Below all the anger was fear, fear that I'd lose him… It was also a very human emotion. A very forbidden emotion in the old scheme of things…
Luke and I had a heavy assignment in trying to create a balanced Jedi order, but one thing was becoming clear… I thought of all the emotional suppression that was touted as law back then. It only worked with some people, those whose personality types were apparently suited for it. But what about the rest? The Jedi who weren't really evil at heart, just of a different disposition. The Order's rigid approach might have been the very thing that pushed them toward the dark side, to begin with… I wondered what I would have done if I'd been born back then…?
Trailing from Ben's bedroom, I left a trail of heavy thoughts behind me. Slumping into the couch I kicked off my boots, not caring where they landed. Emerging from the kitchen Luke took one look at me and frowned with concern. Normally, he relied on reading my emotions through our bond, but today, my face said it all anyway.
Lowering himself into the chair across from me he gave an honest frown. "I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to imply you were close to the dark side, not just because you were upset about Ben. I was upset too, of course we were."
It felt good to hear him say that, but I still felt a little torn. "I didn't think you trying to imply that, Luke, I mean not directly. I guess I'm just a little worn out… Balance is such a big concept, one that seems to always be slipping through our fingers."
"Balance calls for constant maintenance, it's true," he sympathized. "But I do think it will get easier with time. We've only just started, you have to be patient with yourself, Mara."
I sighed softly. "Patience, another trait I excel at…"
He smiled, reaching to squeeze my hand. "No, but courage, determination, and loyalty are among your strengths."
His words really did encourage me, we both could feel that. "Thanks, Skywalker…" I mumbled playfully. "You're not half bad yourself."
His smile widened, but whatever he thought of saying was cut off by the door chime. It was Han and Leia, we both could already sense that. I'd been so distracted I didn't even notice their approach earlier. After neatly setting my boots aside, he went to answer the door. I assumed word had already spread of our little escapade on Grairr.
Sure enough, Leia's face reflected that same worry. "Are you all alright?" she asked as Luke gestured them in.
"We heard your trip was a little less than restful?" Han added.
"Yes, but we're fine. Thanks for coming."
"The security report reached me less than an hour ago," Leia explained. "Something about bounty hunters?"
"Bounty hunters just love us, Leia," I said with a quip.
Han sighed. "Trust me, I know the feeling…"
They sat down in the conversation area with us. "Security is still working on the updated report, but from what I heard, your friends were very easy to work with," Han went on. "We should know more about who they're working for before long."
"Good, but I already have a few ideas," I confessed.
Luke seemed to agree. "The Echo Drivers knew the location of Marcus' home from when they stole the crystal from him. Given how remote it is, I find it unlikely it could be anyone else. And they seemed to be after us specifically, besides."
"Echo Drivers?" Leia questioned. "I thought they were all in detention by now?"
"There's always one or two left behind, Sweetheart," Han commented.
"And we would certainly be on top of their hit list," I agreed. "Though they mustn't have much money to spare given the lame hunters they recruited."
"It almost felt too easy…" Luke whispered thoughtfully.
"I wouldn't overthink it, kid," Han tried to reassure him. "Not many people can take on two Jedi and come out on top."
"Yes, but something tells me this isn't the end of the matter. That's what worries me…"
"I've already asked for an increase in security presence for you and Mara," Leia assured. "And a more elaborate screening process for all incoming ships. But I recommend you two stay on Coruscant for a while until we get this figured out."
I leaned back, slumping into the couch. "Well, looks like the vacation is officially over…"
Leia smiled sympathetically. "I'm sorry, it always seems to be one thing after another with Skywalkers, doesn't it?"
"No kidding, you should have warned me about that," I teased.
"I seem to remember you found enough of your own trouble too," Luke kindly reminded me.
"Oh?" I raised both eyebrows. "And usually you were at the center of it. But let's spare Han and Leia from that old argument," I joked.
He sighed playfully before turning back to them. "Can I get either of you something to drink?"
"A little brandy never hurts, does it?" Han smirked.
"I'm afraid it'll have to wait," Leia said with a smirk of her own. "The children are waiting, we really should get back."
"Right, what she said," Han reluctantly agreed. "Anyway, let us know if you need anything." He smiled. "I just might know a guy who can help."
"Will do, Solo," I said as Luke saw them out the door.
"And please, give Ben our love," Leia added before turning to leave.
All in all, it would have felt like a pretty routine family visit, if not for the veil of worry overshadowing all of us.
Just where was this heading…?
I didn't know, but I thought of Durban again. Did he really get out, or was he somehow still caught up in this mess…?
I assumed only time would tell.
Thanks for reading, more coming soon!
