Title: Many waters cannot quench love

Characters: L/M

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars.

Author's notes: This fic is my entry to a Rewrite Challenge: I was to Rewrite a scene from a Tim Zhan book.

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'Great, I got both of us killed,' Mara thought somberly. Moments ago, as her lightsaber had cut through the wall of the cave, all she thought about was stopping the sentinel droid from killing her and Luke. Little did she know but she was signing their death warrant. The hole she made in the wall made an opening to the water above and now they were now trapped in a chamber with the water swiftly rising and no way to escape.

The horrible feeling that enveloped her was overwhelming. She could handle her own death but the thought that she was the cause of Luke's soon-to-be untimely demise was crushing.

"Don't give up yet," Luke was telling her. He was always the optimist, but this time Mara could tell he was simply trying to keep her mind from dropping down into deep despair. His words were encouraging but there was no real hope in his voice. "There has to be a way out of this," he continued.

'Yeah right, 'she thought despondently.

"It's too bad we're going to die," Mara said sadly. "We did make a good team."

"We really do," Luke corrected her. "You know, when we were fighting those sentinels down there, something happened to me. To us. We were so close in the Force that it was like we'd become a single person. It was… it was something very special."

Mara rubbed her temples where a headache was forming. Luke was right, it was special. She now felt closer to this man than any person in the galaxy. It was like he was an extension of her. She knew all of his fears, desires, hopes and dreams. And now she had to face the fact that her actions would soon cause the destruction of all that he hoped for in the future.

Why in the worlds would the Force pull such a horrific trick on them? She finally found a man she could love and now they were going to die. It was like Palpatine himself wrote this particular scene in her life. It was cruel and twisted.

Luke watched her, probably expecting some type of response. When she didn't say anything he squared his shoulders and continued. "Mara…will you marry me?"

Mara head shot up in surprise. "Marry you?" She was dumbfounded by this turn of events. Hadn't he noticed they were about to die? "Luke, unless Artoo is a ordained minister droid, I really don't think that's possible before we drown."

Luke looked crestfallen.

"Mara, just for a moment, believe that we'll get out of this alive," Luke pleaded, "what would your answer be?" He gave her a hopeful look. She didn't think there was a snowballs chance on Mustafar that they would live through the day, but she couldn't break his heart before he died.

"I would say yes," she said and was a bit surprised when she realized she wasn't just saying it to make him happy during his last moments, but she really meant it. This realization should have given her some comfort, but the fact that it would never come to pass only made her more miserable.

"Hey," Luke said as he pulled her into a hug. "We'll be alright. I have found the love of my life and there is no way I will let some water stand in the way of our honeymoon."

Mara had to smile. "Oh really, did you have something special planned for us?"

Luke gave her a lopsided smile as he projected through the force his desires.

Mara's eyes went wide in surprise and yearning. "Why are we just sitting here, let's find a way out of this place!"

After what seemed like an eternity of Luke poking his lightsaber into the ceiling of the chamber dome, Mara began to wonder if they should give up this hopeless attempt of an escape and just get to some honeymoon activities. At least she would die a happy woman.

'I can think of something better than a cave ceiling for him to poke at,' she thought as a grin crossed her face.

She heard Luke's lightsaber deactivate. "Is that so?" he said with a smirk.

'Blast this damn Force connection!' She thought while flushing red with embarrassment.

"Mara, stop thinking to yourself," Luke laughed. "I can still hear you."

She didn't think it was possible, but she turned an even brighter red. She let out a deep breath and tried to gain her equilibrium.

"Well, does it make sense to try to prevent the enviable and die in a desperate struggle to live while we can take the next few hours and…" she broke off in embarrassment.

Now Luke was grinning as her discomfort instead of the other way around. "And what Mara?"

"You're not going to make this easy for me, are you?" she growled.

"Oh come now," he said, mock accusingly. "When have I ever made anything easy for you?"

"Not very often," she conceded. Visibly bracing herself, she reached over and took his hands. "Why don't we take our last hours of life and..." She just couldn't bring herself to come out and say what she wanted to do.

"And what?" Luke gave her a false look of confusion.

Mara scowled. "You know what!" she bit out as she pulled him closer and gave him a passionate kiss.

Luke responded with a ferocity that shocked her. He kissed her hungrily, his hands wandering over her body. Eventually they pulled away from each other breathing harshly.

"Oh, that's what you mean," he chuckled and Mara couldn't help but smack him on the shoulder.

"Oww," he joked, but then his gave her a serious look. "Mara, do you really want our first time to be on the cold wet floor of a cave, while we are soaking wet, reeking of sweat and our clothes smelling of Qom Jha and fire creeper guano?"

She shook her head at his everlasting optimism. "Luke, I just want there to be a first time. At this point I don't think I care if we have to do it in the water like a couple Mon Calamarians."

Luke looked at the rising water. "I really don't think that will work, Mara," he said with a laugh. "That water's cold!" He dragged out the last word for emphasis.

"Arrggghhh! You're impossible!" She said turning away from him.

Luke laughed and grabbed her hand pulling her back to him and giving her another long and lingering kiss. They parted leaving Mara wanting much, much more. "I'll tell you what, if I can't get us out of here before the water gets to the level of that pipe over there," he said while pointing to the bend in an old pipe leading down to the submerged generator. "I will let you have your way with me."

Mara rolled her eyes at his audacity, but then she smiled and called his bluff. "Okay farmboy, but you better hurry." She grabbed him by his belt and hauled him toward her until she was able to wrap her arms around him pulling him tightly against her. "I must warn you, there is a lot of ways I want to have you." She gave him a mischievous smile and let him get a glimpse of her intentions through the Force.

Luke's jaw dropped as his face turned red. "I, ah, I…"he shook his head to clear his mind of the images she was projecting. "As tempting as that is, I would rather enjoy a lifetime with you then just a few hours. I will find a way out of this place," he said with renewed determination.

Her fantasies must have inspired Luke, because within minutes he came up with a plan. It was a risky one, but when you are facing death anyway, is there really a risk?

He determined that the cortosis ore walls were weak enough to collapse if enough pressure was applied. The way to make this jolt was to blow up the submerged Braxxon-Fipps 590 fusion generator. Lucky for the Jedi, Mara knew how to perform a Paparak cross-cut, a technique for weakening a stressed wall, but giving you enough time to get out of the way.

Luke liked the idea, but he wanted to do the cut. "Okay," Luke said. "So give me a fast course."

"Luke, it's not that easy. I'll do it."

"Mara—," Luke started to protest.

"Besides," she added quietly, "when whichever of us goes down pops up again, the other one's going to have to get them back up here out of the way of the blast. I don't think I can lift you that far and that fast," Her lips pressed briefly together. "And frankly, I don't want to sit here and watch myself fail."

Luke shook his head. "This is blackmail you know."

"Luke, I'm the reason you are here and we are about to drown in this freezing water." Mara said ardently. "Please let me do this. I know I can make the cut and I know you can pull me out. We make a good team. Let's work like a good team."

The Jedi had no choice but to agree. "Okay, but be careful." He leaned in and gave her another tender kiss.

"I will," she said as she unclipped her lightsaber and then plunged into the water.

Luke could only gaze anxiously at the surface of the water waiting for Mara to make the cut weakening the wall of the generator. Finally her head breached the water surface. "Got it," she gasped.

Luke reached out with the force pulling Mara out of the water, over the railing and to safety. A large explosion rocked the chamber and the water started to flow out of the area.

Mara smiled. "Guess we should jump in and let the flow of the water take us out."

Luke frowned. "It's not that easy, the time it will take to get to the other chamber will be much longer than we can hold our breath. We will have to go into a hibernation trance."

"How fast can you put me into one?" Mara asked.

"Pretty fast," he told her. "Take a few deep breaths and tell me what phrase you want me to use to snap you out of it."

"A phrase, right" she said, inhaling deeply, a strangely playful mood touching her mind. "Okay, see if you can handle this one…"

Mara gave the Jedi the phrase. Luke smiled. "Okay, got it."

He put her into a deep hibernation trance. "Artoo," Luke called to his droid. "You go on ahead and we hopefully will meet up in the far chamber." The droid rolled to an area where the railing was missing and tipped into the water with a splash.

Luke maneuvered Mara into the water and holding on to the edge of the walkway until he could get himself into a partial trance. It would be deep enough of a trance to slow his breathing, but still allow him to remain conscious. Luke took a couple deep breaths and then let go of his handhold.

Luke clung to Mara tightly as the swift current dragged them down the tunnel system. It was a rough ride with the current battering them against the stone walls. As the minutes dragged by Luke could not help but worry about his vision of Mara lying in the water and appearing dead. Eventually, the current swept them into a large chamber where the water diverted along various passageways. The water was shallow in this area as Luke bobbed face up in the calming water. His eyes opened as he came out of his trance. He coughed, sputtering water out of his lungs. He went to reach for Mara but she was not with him. He quickly got to his feet, his eyes straining in the dim light, looking for his friend. Finally he saw her on the other side of the chamber floating on the surface of the water. Her eyes were closed and her face pale and Luke could not detect any rise and fall of her chest. She looked dead…just like in his vision.

"Oh no, no," Luke moaned as he splashed over to Mara. He reached her and cradled her in his arms. Her skin felt cold, but he could sense her presence in the Force. "I love you, Mara." He said warmly. She remained motionless. In his panic Luke forgot to give Mara her chosen phrase to bring her out of the trance.

He smiled and then said, "You will Kriff Luke Skywalker!"

Mara's eyes fluttered open. She smiled as she looked up into the face of her future husband. "How you like my new Last Command?"

Luke laughed. "I wish that was the original command. It would have made our stay on Wayland much more interesting."

Mara chuckled. "Come here," she said as she pulled him down into a kiss. Mara couldn't believe they had survived and they were going to get married. Now they could be together forever.

In her head she could hear Luke's response to her thoughts. 'Yes, forever.'