Chapter Thirteen:
Han glanced at Luke as he gasped yet again, cringing as though his stomach was churning. Han had never seen his brother so worked up, and the depth of his anger frightened Han immensely. Luke had always been a sure source of serenity and patience, something that Han now saw that he depended on greatly. Han had always taken comfort in Luke's calm and gentle demeanor.
They pulled up to where Han assumed Mara and Leia were being held. Luke was out of the speeder before it stopped, running full out for the entrance. Han scrambled to follow, silently cursing the Jedi's abrupt action. But Han pushed that away, knowing that he too, wanted to find the women.
Luke extended a hand toward the door, and without slowing he made first a pushing, and then a pulling motion. Han watched in awe as the heavy looking door buckled inward with a huge metallic screech, and then came away from the wall and went flying.
Seconds later they were inside. Luke made a motion with his hand again, and Han saw a Barabel slam violently into a wall, then slump to the ground.
Luke is in control, right? Han wondered. He just happened to see the Barabel's chest move as he passed it, and Han realized that the Jedi Master was in complete control, otherwise the Barabel would be dead.
And that made Luke even more fearsome, in Han's opinion.
Han didn't question Luke as the Jedi moved through the building… and directly to a closed door, almost as though he'd been there before.
A scream echoed down the hall, and Han pulled out his blaster. Another guard stood outside the hatch, and Luke flung him against the wall as well, then wrenched the door open and plunged through.
Han stopped in his tracks at the sight before him.
Mara lay on a metal table; broken, bloodied, and… naked. Her clothes had been torn to shreds, leaving nothing covered.
Han saw her left ankle swelling horribly, indicating a broken bone. She had cuts all along her legs, and there was a bleeding knife wound in her abdomen. An angry bruise shined on her cheek, and…
And a man was trying to straddle Mara.
"You sick bastard!" Luke bellowed in outrage, and milliseconds later, Mara's tormentor was against a wall, grabbing at his throat. A knife dropped from his blood-slickened grasp.
Han assumed this was Vered.
Mara lay gasping for air on her table, and Han tried not to look at her exposed body. It wasn't all that hard when his brother was choking the life out of someone… and when there was murder in Luke's blue eyes. Han began to reconsider Luke's control when Vered's face began to turn purple.
"Luke, stop!" Han warned.
He laid a hand on Luke's arm, trying to get his attention. "You're going to kill him! Luke, this isn't the way to do it!"
But Luke wasn't listening, and Vered was really in bad shape. Han glanced at the blaster in his hand, and made a decision. Switching the setting to stun, Han raised the weapon.
"Luke."
Han paused as Luke finally glanced away from the suffocating man. He followed Luke's gaze, and saw Mara's mouth moving.
"No, Luke, please!" Mara croaked. "Stop! Don't kill him!"
A single tear streaked down Luke's face, but he slackened his grip, and Vered crashed bodily to the floor, gasping horribly. Luke turned to Vered, and moved to where he lay. Grabbing two fistfuls of the man's tunic, he hoisted him up and slammed Vered against the wall with great force.
"If you ever come near my wife again, I will find you and finish what I began." Luke snarled ferociously. "And the entire might of the Imperial Navy won't be able to help you. Is that clear?"
Vered nodded, his eyes wild.
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear that!" Luke snapped.
"Yes… sir!" Vered stammered.
Luke dropped the man with a disgusted snort, and brushed past Han. He raised a finger, and Mara's restraints released, and with the angle her table was at, she began to slide. Luke was instantly by her side, holding her in place.
Han stripped out of his vest, and offered it to Luke. "Here, it's not much, but she can at least cover up."
Luke accepted it with thanks, and placed the article over Mara's chest. He then gently pulled Mara's underwear back into place. She sissed each time the soft fabric ran along her injuries.
Han moved to stand with her. "Mara, where is Leia?"
Mara shook her head. "I don't know." She croaked. "Can't feel her… they drugged me…after I blacked out."
Luke closed his eyes momentarily.
"She is in the room at the other end of the building, Han." He said, opening his eyes. "She's not in pain, just frightened."
Han rushed through the door, and made his way to the room, using more caution when he approached Leia's doorway. He didn't see any guards, and wondered how many people Vered had hired to help him.
"Captain Solo?" Fel said from behind him.
"Leia is in here." Han said, motioning with his blaster.
"She should be alone; Vered only had the two helpers." Fel said. "Stupid of him, but lucky for you."
"Yeah, whatever." Han growled. "Tell that to Mara. Vered is in the room over there." He pointed the way he'd come. "Last door on the left."
Han ignored anything else the man had to say and opened Leia's door. She sat huddled in a corner, her head bowed. When she looked up fearfully, her face was streaked with tears.
"Han?" She cried.
Leia staggered to her feet, and rushed at him, only to be jerked back by a chain linked to a cuff around her ankle.
Han glanced briefly around to make sure there were no surprises waiting, and then he rushed to her side. She threw her arms around him, weeping.
"Han, where is Mara?" She asked, pulling back. "I… I felt her pain, is she okay?"
Han grimaced. "It doesn't look pretty, but Luke is in there with her now so she will be fine."
Leia must have seen his face, because she placed her hand against his cheek. "What is it?"
Han closed his eyes. "Luke was seconds away from killing Vered, Leia. I mean, any longer, and the man would be gone." He whispered, shuddering. "It scared the hell out of me. Remind me never to piss him off."
"Hey." Leia patted his cheek, and waited until he opened his hazel eyes. "Luke was just protecting Mara. I felt his anger, but his thoughts were all for Mara. It was very scary, but it's over now."
"Are you sure?" Han pressed. "Because I don't think I've ever seen Luke snap so completely."
"I think there is more going on here than Luke and Mara have told us." Leia advised him.
"I think you're right." Han said, rising. "Luke seemed to know exactly where to go. He never once broke stride, nor did he have to ask the guard where she was. I think maybe he's been here before."
Leia's eyes widened as they both began to understand the implications of that. "Han, do you think…"
"I don't know." Han said softly. "Come on, Princess, let's get out of here. This place gives me the creeps."
Leia sniggered at that. Han glanced at her chains, and then thought of the guard.
"Hold on a second, Sweetheart." Han said. He went to the Barabel and searched him for the key. Finding it in a pocket, Han returned to free his wife.
00000
Luke wept freely as he removed his shirt and carefully pulled it down over Mara's head. He helped her into a sitting position so he could tug it down to cover her exposed body. Mara whimpered as the fabric clung to her wounds.
Luke used the Force to stop the bleeding in Mara's abdomen, wondering why she wasn't able to do so herself. Then he recalled her saying something about being drugged: there were concoctions out there that could block a Jedi's ability to use the Force. His hands trembled as he fumbled with the cloth, trying to make her as comfortable as possible.
Mara caught his hand in hers and squeezed it weakly. "Hey, come on, Farmboy. No big fuss for me."
Luke shook his head. "No, Mara, a very big fuss for you. I'm so sorry."
"We'll get through this… together." She panted; her breathing was shallow and labored.
"I'm sorry I lost my temper. I didn't really intend to kill Vered, I just…thank you Mara, for stopping me." Luke said, kissing her uninjured hand.
"Excuse me, Master Skywalker." He turned to see Fel coming through the door. "Thank you for helping me to retrieve Vered. He has a lot to answer for, and I will see to it that he does."
"Just get him out of my sight." Luke said harshly, then softer. "Thank you for bringing me to Mara."
Fel nodded in acknowledgement and hoisted a now unconscious Vered over his shoulder and carried him away. Luke pulled his comlink out and called for a medical transport, and then returned his attention to his fiancée.
"Why was he torturing you?" Luke inquired. "He didn't do that last time."
"I taunted him…" Mara breathed. "Guess I struck a raw nerve."
"I'll say." Luke muttered. "Medical help is coming."
Mara nodded. "Please hold me. I don't want to be on this damn table anymore."
Luke nodded and hoisted her off the thing and held her securely against him. She lifted her good arm up around his neck, and clung to him as silent tears fell. He buried his face in her hair, placing a kiss on the top of her head.
"Luke?"
He glanced back to find Leia coming through the door. She kissed his cheek, and placed a hand on Mara's arm.
"Is she okay?"
Luke shook his head. "She's going to need bacta submersion for sure."
Han was next to enter. "Luke, we wanted to ask. You two have been here before, haven't you?"
Luke felt Mara stiffen, but she shared a look with Luke before nodding her consent.
"Yes." Luke whispered. "This is the second time Vered has attacked Mara. The first time he… raped her," Luke's voice wavered. "And then left her for dead in the back alley."
He felt both Leia and Han's shock, washing over him like a tidal wave. Luke sat on the ground, overwhelmed by everything. He still held Mara, refusing to let her go for fear she would disappear.
Leia knelt beside him. "That is what you were hiding. Before, I mean."
Luke simply nodded.
"Why didn't you just tell us?" She asked softly. "We would have understood."
"It wasn't my story to tell." Luke said wearily.
Just then a pair of medics entered, carrying a hover-gurney. Luke reluctantly relinquished Mara, and they set her on the floating bed, covering her with a blanket.
Luke turned to Leia before he followed them out. "The wedding will probably need to be postponed…" he began, running a hand through his hair.
"We will take care of that." Leia promised. "The galaxy can wait until Mara has healed."
"Thank you." Luke placed a hand on his sister's arm. "Are you okay, too? Did Vered hurt you?"
Leia shook her head. "I'm fine, Luke."
"Good." He hugged her, and then hurried to catch the medical transport.