Sixteen Years Later
Parry. Slash. Swipe. Deflect. Thrust. Chop.
All of her surroundings became fuzzy as she concentrated on the lightsaber in her hand, and the green blade of her opponent's weapon. Reaching out with her feelings, she tried to predict his next move, and the best way to counter it.
Slash. Parry.
She was losing, that much was clear, but she wouldn't be defeated without a fight. Swinging her blue saber in a wide ark, she managed to graze his midsection. He ignored the wound and used the opportunity to push her backwards with the Force. Caught off guard by this attack, she had no time to react before she found herself flying backwards. Her opponent quickly summoned her lightsaber to him, effectively disarming her.
She hit the wall roughly and slid downwards, landing in an inelegant heap on the floor.
"Ow," Mara Jade grunted out, glaring up at Luke Skywalker. The boy smirked at her and turned her lightsaber over in his hands.
"I think I might keep this - start a collection of my own. Like that General Grievous, you know?"
"Give me it," she growled. Luke rolled his eyes and threw it in her direction. With lightening fast speed, she reached up and snatched it out of the air.
"Touchy, touchy," said Luke, hooking his own lightsaber onto his belt. "Are we a sore loser today? You'd think you'd be used to it by now . . ."
Mara glared. "I could beat you any day."
"But not today, apparently."
"I was distracted."
"Whatever you say, Mara."
"I'm at the top of my class, Skywalker."
"Under me," he said haughtily.
"Don't you have your own classes to be at?" Mara demanded, annoyed. She pulled herself to her feet.
"Not right now. Actually, I'm supposed to be mediating."
"Then why aren't you? Isn't that one of your strengths?"
"Yes. But I'd rather duel with you. I find it more . . . stimulating."
"How nice," snapped Mara. "I hope Kenobi makes you clean 'freshers for the next two weeks."
Luke huffed. "Well, Jade, what are you supposed to be doing right now?"
"Practicing my lightsaber skills."
"And you have. Now come meditate with me."
"No."
"Yes," said Luke, grabbing her arm and pulling her towards the door. "I dueled with you, now you meditate with me."
"I hate meditating!"
"Of course you do. You have no patience."
"I have enough patience to deal with you," she snapped, trotting to keep up with the fast pace Luke set.
"And I have enough to deal with you. We deal with each other."
Mara sneered and opened her mouth to reply, but Luke abruptly darted into a side room, cutting her off.
"What is it?" she demanded, but Luke thrust a hand over her mouth.
"Be quiet," he whispered. Glaring, she forcibly removed his hand and turned around to peek around the side of the open door.
Luke leaned over to look out as well, pressing against her. Mara looked over her shoulder and glared, but Luke gestured impatiently at the door. She slowly turned her head back around, just in time to see Obi-Wan Kenobi walk by.
The man paused a few feet away from their hiding place. "Have you seen my padawan?" he asked a passing healer.
The blue Twi'lek shook her head. "No, Master Kenobi. I haven't seen Skywalker anywhere."
"Thank you," he said, sounding discouraged. The healer and Jedi Master parted ways.
Luke slumped backwards in relief. "Thank my various gods. He probably would've made me clean 'freshers for the next year and half. He's too strict."
"But yet you never seem to do what he wants you to," said Mara, leaning back against him.
"Because I have a mind of my own. Apparently the trait runs in the family."
Mara raised an eyebrow at him, looking puzzled for a second. Then it seemed to click into place. "Oh, yes. He was your father's master, too, wasn't he? The famous Anakin Skywalker."
"Infamous, now," said Luke.
Mara nodded. "The hero of the Clone Wars, kicked out of the order sixteen years ago for marrying. I remember now. We read about him—"
"In history, yes. I remember the incredible awkwardness of the moment more than the actual lesson."
Mara slowly peeked out the door again. "All's clear. So are we going to meditate, or what?"
Luke grabbed her arm and pulled her out the door. "Come on!"
"Where, exactly, do you have in mind?" she demanded after several minutes of jogging through various long corridors.
"The Room of a Thousand Fountains."
Mara's eyes widened. "Oh! I . . . actually don't mind meditating there," she admitted, flushing.
"Really?" said Luke, an eyebrow jetting up in surprise.
"Well . . . it's just that it's so peaceful. It's easy to relax there."
Luke shook his head, muttering something along the lines of "amazing" under his breath. He turned and started down a long flight of stairs.
Suddenly, something whooshed past his head. He ducked instinctively, and drew his lightsaber. He glanced from side to side, only to spot Mara standing at the bottom of the stairs, smirking up at him.
"I love doing that," she said to him, putting her hands on her hips and flinging her padawan braid over her shoulder.
Luke sighed in exasperation and put his lightsaber away before launching himself into the air, flipping, and then landing softly beside Mara.
She scowled. "Show off."
"One of my better qualities, or so I'm told."
"Right," Mara muttered, turning and heading down the hallway in the direction of The Room of a Thousand Fountains.
Luke ran after her, and they didn't stop until they reached the entrance of the Room.
Slowly walking down one of the many pathways, Mara sighed in appreciation of the peace and serenity that radiated throughout the large space. Luke followed her until he eyed a spot that he thought would be conducive for meditating. He diverted from the path and gracefully sat down on a small bench. A stem from a large blue plant with purple blossoms brushed the side of Luke's cheek, but he didn't seem to notice or care.
Mara settled into a spot on the ground, crossed her legs, and closed her eyes.
Luke sighed quietly and reached out with his feelings, letting the Force flow through him. Everything was calm, as it usually was in the Jedi Temple. The Force was clouded with the Dark Side as it usually was, though Luke could still sense every Jedi in the temple, and the bustling city beyond the building's walls.
Suddenly, Luke's eyes snapped open. The Room of a Thousand Fountains, usually filled with the low noise of wildlife and water, had become deathly silent.
His eyes sought out Mara, only to find the girl had disappeared.
"Mara?" called Luke, slowly standing up. "Mara!"
There was no reply.
Luke slowly began to walk through the winding paths of the Room, but Mara was nowhere to be found. Finally, after what seemed like a millennium of walking, the path came to a dead end at an ornate fountain, one that Luke couldn't recall ever having seen in the Room.
Luke approached the fountain and each step he took seemed heavy. Finally, he was able to look into the water.
The boy sighed in relief when all that he found was normal, clear liquid. Though, his relief was short lived. Before his very eyes, the water stopped rippling and became still.
Luke stared at it for a moment before impulsively reaching down and running his hand over the surface of the water.
At his touch, the water turned red.
Luke recoiled as if burned, though the water still changed to that awful scarlet red that looked so much like . . . blood. Soon all the water had changed to blood, and slowly an image began to appear on its surface.
Luke wanted to look away, but he found his eyes couldn't be torn away from the image in the fountain.
Dead Jedi. So many dead Jedi.
Luke shuddered violently.
"Luke."
The voice that was suddenly calling his name seemed familiar to him somehow, though he couldn't place it. He was too busy looking at the dead Jedi.
"Luke!"
It was a female voice, and it was getting louder.
"Luke! Wake up!"
Luke Skywalker opened his eyes. Mara Jade looked back at him. She smiled.
"Welcome back to the world of the living."
"What?" asked Luke dumbly. His surroundings slowly registered in his horror filled mind. He was still sitting on that little bench next to the blue plant with purple blossoms. The Room of a Thousand Fountains was still filled with white noise. Mara was right in front of him, in the same clothes she had been wearing earlier that day.
It hadn't been real.
"You've been in a bloody meditative trance for six hours. You've missed dinner, too. At least Kenobi is happy that you were obeying him for once. Although, he was going on about how he needed to talk to you about . . . something - I don't know what. I never really listen to him when he rants."
Luke laughed weakly. "Then - then I better go and see him, I guess."
Mara nodded. "You should."
Luke shakily got up and followed Mara out of the Room, but not before glancing at one of the fountains. The water was still flowing, and it was clear.
It wasn't real.
That's what he kept telling himself.
It wasn't real.
Author's Note: I got the idea of the water in the Room of a Thousand Fountains going still from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords. Kreia makes a comment about it.
-snarryvader81 (aka Anna)