Chapter 6

The Echo Drivers' mainframe was like a treasure trove. Granted, we didn't have complete data, they started dumping everything once they detected a breach, but I'd already gotten more than enough. Enough for us to blaze a trail again. I liked the thought of this mission not being over, but there was just one problem…

Luke.

I didn't think he'd be as happy about me going toe to toe with more droids, no matter the reason. In his mind, the Jedi rock problem was a closed book, or at least that's what he said openly. Obviously, deep in his feelings, I could tell he was still curious about it…

I lightly tossed a data pad on the desk and propped my feet up next to it. I had leads, so many leads I didn't even know which one to follow first, but he'd be angry if I took off by myself.

I smirked. "What have you become, Jade?" I heard my thoughts whisper. Hesitation had never been an issue for me. Permission even less so. But now, I felt like there was something holding me in place. Worry about how he'd react, or more, that I didn't want to do something that would hurt him. I didn't want to imagine the jolt of worry and fear if he came back and found me gone…

I closed my eyes. It was strange to me, the realization, even after all this time. It was like we really weren't two separate people anymore. Instead, one person who couldn't live or act without the other. The me from a decade ago would have laughed at such a ridiculous idea, but now… I got it.

We'd both given up at least a portion of our independence, but we'd gotten something stronger as a result. Not that strength was the only reason I was still hanging around. Shockingly, I'd gotten pretty used to Luke Skywalker being underfoot…

The feeling of his presence swirled around inside my senses. At first, I assumed it was just my thoughts centering on him, but as the seconds drifted by, I thought it was something else entirely. He was here, on Coruscant, I was sure of it.

He wasn't due back from Yavin for over a week, so why was he so early?

I tried to push against his emotions enough to figure out if something was wrong. He pushed back, a wave of his emotion drifting over me. Worry, concern, awe at my ability, and frustration at my stubbornness.

I grinned slightly. So he already knew, huh? But how?

Did Leia go out of the way to contact him? I guess that made sense, but I didn't think she would, she was usually very respectful about not overstepping into our business. After all, she was always drowning in her own anyway.

However he'd found out, I assumed I'd find out soon enough. A half-hour passed, and I could sense his presence strengthen with each passing minute. Finally, I knew he was standing outside our front door. I waited, an eye toward the door, but didn't bother to take my feet off the desk. Better to just act casual…

Within another half-second, the door slid open, and in walked a very handsome Jedi Master. I smiled.

"Why hello, Luke, what brings you back so soon?"

He frowned, his forehead creasing in worry. "I felt a disturbance in the force. Apparently, my pregnant wife was getting shot at."

I took my feet down and turned in the chair to look at him directly. "You make it seem really dramatic when you put it that way. But come on, we've both been shot at so many times it's practically just another part of our week."

"I'm afraid I don't really see it that way…" His voice was low, perfectly controlled, but clearly a mix of frustration and worry.

I leaned forward in my chair. "We're fine, Luke, both of us are." I smiled, attempting to lighten the mood between us. "Hey, I even got a chance to show the baby his first encryption hack job!"

I watched his shoulders deflate in weariness, some trace of humor mingling with concern. "You are certainly a very unique woman, Mara…"

"Aren't I though?" I agreed. Standing, I walked over and left a small kiss on his cheek. "All this disturbance in the force business, it's okay to say you just missed me, Luke."

He sighed again, some of the tension between us vanishing. "Has anyone told you you're very good at manipulation?"

"I think it might have been the last words of a few of my targets," I joked. "But I'm being sincere this time. So," I ventured. "How'd you know?"

"After I felt the disturbance I left Yavin immediately. Of course, along the way, I tried to call you, but you didn't answer."

I frowned, feeling a little guilty. "Sorry, I might have been ignoring your calls until I figured out how to explain this mess…"

"So I called Leia, and asked her to explain," he finished.

"Which she did, huh?"

He nodded. "Yes, though a little reluctantly. I think you women have a sort of loyalty pack against the rest of us," he teased, pretending to be angry. "Han was right."

I shrugged. "What can I say, your sister is a very smart woman? In fact, she might just be the smarter twin."

He took my banter in playful stride, but I wasn't going to get him off the subject anytime soon.

"Tell me exactly what happened." Now his voice was the serious Jedi Master, not that I was intimidated in the least. So I filled in the missing details for him, including some of the juicer tidbits of data I had collected. This so-called local gang had expanded its scope since Luke had been on Tatooine. Now they were stealing artifacts and valuables across a dozen worlds. I didn't get how Karrde and I had never heard of them…

"The guy who owned the Jedi rock, it was stolen from him," I explained. "The auction house on Tatooine was in on the whole thing I think. But something must have gone south, I don't think the auctioneer was expecting the very gang that sourced the artifact for him to steal it back."

"The person it was stolen from…" Luke mumbled in curiosity. "Does that mean he's a Jedi?"

I shrugged. "I don't know, Karrde said it was dated pre-clone wars. More likely this guy is a relative."

"A relative of a Jedi…?" he whispered to himself, his thoughts seeming far away.

I stared at him for a beat, letting the silence linger around us. Finally, I acknowledged the bantha in the room. "So, do you wanna go check it out? Their records are pretty detailed, they were even nice enough to give us the coordinates."

Luke's face showed the tug of war going on inside of him. "I could go…" he softly said, no real conviction in his voice.

"And leave me here to put up with politicians?" I gently teased.

His blue eyes focused on my green in silent intensity. As usual, I said what we both were thinking. "We're stronger together. If we are heading into something dangerous, then we stand a better chance facing it as one."

He nodded. "I know… It's just…" He stopped short, without explaining.

"Just what, Luke?" I asked gently.

"Sometimes, I wish we could just live. Quietly, without having to be the ones to stick our necks outs. But I'm a Jedi so…"

"We're Jedi," I reminded him.

He was the most selfless person I'd ever known, so I thought he deserved to be a little self-centered every now and then. Still, adventure always seemed to find us, didn't it? I guess I didn't resent it quite as much as he did… In spite of the way the galaxy must imagine him, I knew the truth. Republic hero: happiest spending a quiet evening at home, perfecting a recipe…

"It's up to you," I whispered. "I don't care either way, honestly."

Or at least, I didn't now… Everything about proving myself seemed to melt away when I saw that earnestly sad look in his blue eyes. He wanted more than anything to just stay put. The two of us playing house in this life we'd somehow made for ourselves. I didn't want to take that from him…

"We have to go," he replied softly. "It could be a very important relic. Not to mention, this relative of a Jedi could very well be force sensitive themselves. We should try to find him."

I nodded, knowing it all made perfect logical sense. But then, emotions were rarely logical.

"Stop worrying," I reassured him with a soft touch on his arm. "The force will look out for us, always has."

We both felt the stir of the little life inside of me. His emotions rose in what almost felt like excitement. It was hard to believe, surely he couldn't understand what we were saying yet…

Luke smiled tenderly. "I think I'm outnumbered on this decision anyway."

"Yeah, I think you are…"

It was a strange sensation, sensing the adventurous little soul now living inside of me. His emotions were some wordless response to our own. I wondered if he might be sensing us at the same time we were sensing him.

Whatever the case, we both knew the legacy we wanted to give him. One that both had the courage and the nobility to face challenges. To do what was selfless, to do what was right.

That was what it meant to be a Jedi, wasn't it…?


The planet of Grairr was as green in person as it was from orbit. Isolated was another word coming to mind. I was sure nothing of significance had ever happened here. To the rest of the galaxy, being the site of a stolen rock wouldn't have added much weight to its reputation. But Luke peered into the woods surrounding us with all the wonder and curiosity that a relic temple deserved.

"What is it with us and forests anyway…?" I mumbled through the light mist.

"It's a little nostalgic, isn't it?" he said with a smile, always the romantic optimist.

I grinned, before poking a blaster-shaped finger into his cheek. "Now it is," I teased. "So get moving, Skywalker, or else."

"Okay, no need to get upset," he joked back.

It felt strange to be able to look back on it with some amount of humor. That feat had been a long time coming, but we had come a long way. We both found it easier to laugh at those old demons. An absurd prospect just a few years ago, but now…I liked it. I liked it a lot.

We were already ten minutes into our hike, Luke figured parking on top of our target's house might be a bad first impression. Personally, I wouldn't have minded a little less foot travel, but I wasn't about to say that. Not that I needed to…

He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye; with a hint of concern. "You're getting wet, here."

Removing his jacket, he offered it to me.

"Since when did you turn into a gentleman?" I asked with a smirk. "Or better yet, when did I turn into a damsel?"

"Weakness doesn't have anything to do with it," he softly scolded. "It has to do with being nice and showing I care."

I chewed on that loophole for my pride a second, before reluctantly accepting it. "Just don't tell anybody about this, I might lose my image…" I muttered playfully as I draped it over my damp shoulders.

"Not a word," he promised sincerely.

Silence lingered between us for a few moments, just the snap of branches at our feet. "There's just one thing I've gotta know, Luke," I said finally.

"Hm?"

"Does your constant niceness wear you out, because I know I'd be exhausted?"

He tossed a glance my way, his smile innocent and amused. "What a silly thing to ask, Mara. But if you must know, no, I'm not tired at all. And I'm especially fond of being nice to you."

I playfully jammed a finger in his cheek again. "Sweet talk will get you nowhere, you're my prisoner for life."

He sighed all mock sorrow and resignation. "All I can do is accept my fate…"

Our banter made the trek a little easier, honestly. I was used to tough missions and deprivation at every turn. But our son was not, and I felt that weight with each step. Each extra bit of fatigue that seemed to cling to me. Still, it would take a lot more than a damp forest to do me in.

The hill up ahead would lead us to a small house set back in a forest clearing. Taking my hand, he helped me up; an unnecessarily but sweet gesture nonetheless. The modest house came into view, its walls covered in green vines and weathered from age. Still, the scene had a certain serene homeyness to it. I could feel Luke's soul positively swoon as he looked it over. From the small well-kept garden to the blooming flowers beside the door. This was the sort of quiet place he fantasized about us escaping to.

At another time, as another me, I would have thought it the most boring fate imaginable. But now, just the feeling of his emotions swelling with contentment, brought a satisfied smile to my face.

But the decor wasn't the only thing catching our attention. No, before we'd even crested the hill a strong force presence appeared. At first, I thought it was alarming, but the person attached to it didn't seem dangerous at all. No, instead the man felt as gentle as the cottage he apparently lived in.

Seeming to sense us too, a short figure appeared in the doorway. His hair was mixed with gray, but his eyes crinkled in a simple sort of welcoming joy. Almost as if he'd been expecting us.

"Good day, Master Skywalker."

"Good day to you as well!" Luke called, the intoxication from the cozy scene still brightening his mood.

I was a little surprised he recognized Luke, this place was so secluded. But I guess it made sense, my husband was celebrity number one. An equally strange as funny thought.

"Nice place, you've got here," I added casually.

He smiled. "Thank you very much, miss." His eyes seemed fixed on me in a curious way, but he soon shifted them to Luke.

"I'd only seen holos," the man went on with some adoration. "I never thought I'd have the chance to meet you in person, Master Skywalker."

"Please, call me Luke," he insisted modestly. "And this is my wife, Mara," he explained, gesturing to me.

The man looked at me again, his stare almost out of place. Finally, he smiled, a warm sort of smile that meant he was thinking of distant memories, I wagered. "So…" he softly breathed. "The Jedi of this new era are permitted to marry?"

His question was not at all an accusation, but rather seemed to be tinted in joy and relief. Still, Luke seemed a little taken aback by the question.

"Well…yes."

The elderly man gestured us inside his humble home. "Please, come in, I've been expecting you."

That certainly got our curiosity up, but we still felt no danger. So we followed him in, sitting at the small table he motioned us toward. An old stoneware bowl was sitting on the table, filled with colorful alien fruit I couldn't identify. He took a piece and started to nibble at it, before offering us one. Luke took him up on the offer, but I got more to the point.

"Why did you say you were expecting us?"

"My name is Marcus, by the way," he began. "I failed to mention that. But on to your question, Mara, put simply, I sensed you coming through the forest."

"So you can use the force?" Luke asked in between bites of fruit. Though the answer was already obvious.

He nodded. "Like my father, and like his father before him. Our family has trained for some generations now."

"And they escaped the killing and fled here?" I asked, thinking it logical enough.

He sighed, putting the core of the fruit aside. "No. We were already here long before the killing began. My grandfather left the order many years before."

His emotions emanated an old sort of sorrow as if regarding a decades-old wound. "Honestly, I despise the thought of all that death, but I'd be lying to say I miss the order itself…" His eyes closed as if a certain guilt came with that admission.

A somberness fell across the three of us. Luke still respected that order greatly, me not so much. But all of us winced at the thought of how many lives were lost. And in our own ways, we were both so close to the ones who had done it…

"I'm building a new order," Luke finally said, as if to release the past. "I believe we can achieve balance from learning from the old while also bringing in the new. That's why we're here, Marcus, we're looking for the stone that was stolen from you."

He looked mildly surprised at first. "Yes, I'm afraid it was stolen. You see, even I have to go into town for supplies sometimes. I'm afraid I took the wrong barkeep into my confidence. The stone was a family heirloom you see. A sentimental treasure as well as a data storage device. My grandfather was once sent to a distant world on assignment. Their technology was nearly indistinguishable from nature itself. The most beautiful elegance he'd ever seen, he often said."

He smiled wistfully. "He said the same about my grandmother, he also discovered her on that mission."

Luke smiled sweetly, his own memories of our unusual meeting flickered through his feelings.

"But of course, it was forbidden…" Marcus related sadly, a slight edge of anger in his voice.

"And that's why he left the order?" I asked softly.

He nodded, the anger vanishing like the mist outside. "Yes, they sought refuge on this planet. It has been a home for my family for generations now." His frown turned into a pleasant smile as he looked at me. "You see, surely you can understand my relief in learning how the order has changed since. I don't get much news out here, I wasn't aware Master Skywalker was married?"

I shrugged. "You didn't miss much, the wedding was a bit of a charade."

Marcus chuckled at my attempt to lighten the mood, but Luke stiffened beside me.

"Well, I thought it was nice…" he trailed off, pretending to be wounded.

"It was, it was, I'm only kidding," I quickly reassured him.

It was strange how comfortable we both felt in front of who was really still a stranger. Marcus' presence seemed to radiate a calm that not only put you at ease but..made you feel at home.

Home.

It was a concept I'd never realized I missed until after I'd found it…

"The stone," Marcus said, redirecting the conversation. "Has much of my grandfather's personal notes and journal entries. Besides the costly sentimental value to me, it might shed some light on the old order. It would be foolish to think we could learn nothing from them, after all."

"Well, we might have a few leads on getting it back," I said confidently.

His eyes lit up with newfound hope. "Could you really?"

"Yes," Luke agreed, now with a deeper determination to get it back in his voice.

"I'm sorry for being so careless as to lose it in the first place," Marcus confessed. "But I'm old, and the combat side of the force has never been my strength. The only lightsaber in our family was my grandfather's, but it finally ceased to function many years ago…"

"All the same, your wisdom and experience would be very helpful in teaching new students," Luke added, his patented academy recruitment speech in full swing. I knew I'd certainly heard it my fair share of times…

Marcus sighed. "Perhaps it would… But I'm so old now, I suppose I'm rather set in my ways."

Luke's disappointment settled softly, a certain gratitude still surrounding him. "Still, I'm honored to have met you, I wasn't aware of more Jedi here in this part of the galaxy."

"The force is my ally, dare I say, even a friend, Luke, but I don't know if I can really call myself a Jedi. A Jedi should do more than just pine away his time alone in a forest. He should be out there making a difference in the galaxy at large." His eyes sparkled as he looked at Luke. "Like you. For you, I am, as we all are, truly grateful, Luke."

The praise and deep meaning of his words almost brought tears to Luke's eyes. I felt the rise and fall of his emotions as he settled his composure into a soft smile. The easy silence lingered around us until Marcus gently broke it.

"Night will be falling soon, would you please think of staying? I don't want you to risk yourselves trudging back in the dark. I believe the young lady deserves a rest; it takes a great deal of strength and tenacity to safely harbor a new life."

I was a little shocked at first, a little awkward afterward. But I should have guessed, our son's presence lit up like a beacon to anyone force sensitive. Luke and Leia both had agreed to that.

"Thank you, I think we will," Luke said with a gentle nod.

Marcus smiled. "Wonderful. I'm not the greatest cook, but it will be nice to have more than this planet's naive lizards join me for supper."

I grinned. "As long as we don't eat the lizards I'm fine with it."

"No lizards, you have my word of honor, Mara."

In spite of Luke's insistence, he refused help preparing dinner. Instead, he told us to rest, it being the least he could do for our helping return his family heirloom. So we found ourselves sitting on a stone bench beside his garden. Twilight was falling gently around us as we watched some type of glowing insect flitter about in the peaceful gloom.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Luke asked softly.

I smiled at him. "It is, in a homey sort of way. Kind of like you, I guess."

"I'm beautiful?" he teased.

I elbowed him in the side. "No, I meant to say, scruffy as an old boot."

"I think handsome would have worked just fine, Mara."

I tapped my chin as if thinking it over. "Maybe…it depends on the mood I'm in."

"Well," he whispered as he put his arm around me, pulling me closer. "I know what sort of mood I'm in. The mood to say I love you, yet again."

"Is all this talk of old family generations making you sentimental?" I asked.

"Yes, and grateful…" His face took on a slightly more serious look. "As much as I still respect them, I'm glad I wasn't part of the old Jedi Order." He turned to look at me honestly. "I can't imagine my life without you…"

Something in my heart clenched, the tease on my tongue fading away, replaced by sincere honesty. "I don't want to think about that either, Luke…"

"Then it's settled," he whispered softly into my ear. "We'll be together forever…"

I scoffed gently. "And it wasn't settled before…?"

He only chuckled, wrapping me fully in his arms. Here on this little backwater planet, with the sounds of night insects and the smell of a humble meal in the background, I… I could have lost myself. I could have learned to cherish the simple ordinary life so many families had lived.

By some trick miracle, it was going to be mine too…

Ours.

The three of us, forever.

No amount of logic could convince me otherwise right then.

No amount of logic would dare to try…

So I held onto him, letting the sense of life from within and without take me. Take me, until my past was all but forgotten…