I want to thank all the people who are reading and a special thanks to those who take the time to review. I usually try to respond to reviewers using the PM system, but if you are not signed in then I can't. So I want to say thank you to the anonymous reviewers. This chapter does make references to a few things from the two previous fanfics. If you don't understand the reference, Coruscanti Swirl, then you are not alone, nobody knows exactly what it means but everybody suspects the term is a sexual reference. In the previous fics we find out that Luke has some sort of Force bond with Mara, but so does Mark to a lesser degree. Mark wanted to be as far away from the Skywalker quarters because he could pick up things from Luke and Mara through this bond when they were either very stressed or very excited. In other words, he didn't want to sense Luke and Mara being 'playful'.

Thanks again to all the readers!

~JL~

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Myrkr

After Luke and Mark left the room Talon Tantiss gazed down at his unconscious cousin totally dumbfounded as to what had just transpired. He looked to Jaina, Ben and then to his brother Jaden. "What just happened?"

Jaden chuckled. "It seems Dad has another secret."

Talon sat down on the corner of the bed somewhat dazed. "Dad and his secrets," Talon muttered before he turned to his brother and eyed him suspiciously. "By the way, you didn't look very surprised by his performance. Why is that?"

Jaden shrugged. "I suspected for quite a while. Or at least Mom suspected and told me."

"If Dad was hiding this from everybody how would Mom know and not us?" Talon asked bewildered. "She's not Force sensitive."

"This is how I found out," Jaden said with an amused smile. "A couple years ago, I was over at the house and Mom asked me to look at the ysalamiri, she thought they were sick." Jaden smirked. "I guess she thought she sent me to veterinarian school. Why do people think doctors should know everything about animals? Or dentistry? Or psychiatry?"

"Yeah, yeah," Talon moved his hand in a 'hurry along' gesture. "Get to the point."

Jaden gave his brother an irritated glare, but continued. "I didn't see anything wrong with Nibbles or her companion. So mom asked me to come down the hall near her room and see if their Force-void bubble reached that far. I said yes, that I couldn't connect with the Force. Then she asks me to come into her and Dad's bedchamber and asks me if I could feel the Force. I say 'no'. Then she drags me to the Master bedroom 'fresher and asks me again. Once again, I tell her I couldn't feel the Force. She looked perplexed and said 'That's weird. Even with the ysalamiri, I think your dad can feel the Force around here.'"

Talon's face screwed up in confusion. "Why would Mom think that?"

Jaden brought his hand up to hide a smile. "I asked her that and she turned bright red…and at that point I realized I didn't want to know."

"I don't get it?"

Jaden rolled his eyes. "I didn't want to ask our mother why she thought Dad could access the Force in the bedroom."

Talon was still confused. "Why?"

"For Sithsake Talon," Jaina yelled from where she sat on the floor. "Your dad could do Force-enhanced sex while the ysalimiri were in their quarters!"

Talon grimaced. "Oh gross…they are almost sixty, please tell me they don't still do it."

Ben shook his head. "They probably do, I know my parents do. I walked in on them."

Talon cringed and gave a shudder. "I really didn't need to know that."

"Well, how do you think I feel?" Ben complained. "I have to be careful when I go into my own house." He shook his head ruefully. "It's not fair that they're having more sex than us."

Talon raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'us'?"

Jaden chuckled. "Yeah, I think you are the only one having problems, Ben."

"Of course being in your late twenties and still living with your parents probably doesn't help matters," Talon said followed by a snarky laugh. "And you can't even sneak a girl into your room with two Force-strong parents in the apartment."

"Funny guys," Ben said as he moved toward the door. "I'm going to see if there is anything to eat around here."

"Food sounds good." Talon said as he followed his cousin out. "I'll go with you."

"I don't know how you guys can eat after what happened." Jaina said bitterly.

"It's a coping mechanism for them, plus they're always hungry." Jaden explained. He looked over at Jaina who was still sitting on the floor her head buried in her hands. "Are you okay Jaina?"

"No," she said softly her voice strained with emotion.

"It'll be alright, Uncle Luke is here." Jaden tried to reassure her. "He'll know what to do. He'll make everything better."

She looked up at Jaden her eyes red and glistening with tears. "I hope so Jaden. I really hope so."

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Mark followed Luke down to the facility's large dayroom where they found a lounge area and took seats facing each other.

Luke sat with his elbows on his knees and hands clasped under his chin. "So, tell me about the ysalamiri."

Mark looked at him a little shamefaced. "It was so gradual that at first I didn't know it was happening. I realized I could feel the Force slightly while Nibbles was with me." He looked up to his pet that was still sitting calmly on his shoulder despite the recent firefight. "Nibbles is old… she's probably older than me. I thought her ability to create a Force-Void bubble was decreasing with age."

"But it wasn't," Luke encouraged him to continue.

"I noticed the students in the Temple still became Force blind in her presence, so I realized it must have been just me."

"Do you know why?" Luke asked.

Mark pondered the question. "I don't know. I think after twenty-five years of living with a ysalamiri the Force found a way to get to me."

"Why didn't you tell me about this? That would be an important skill to be taught."

Mark shook his head. "How would you teach it? We don't know why it's occurring. I have a theory, though. I think it happened to me because I spent more time with ysalamiri than any Jedi probably in history. They are with me while I'm instructing in the gym and they come home with me at night. Talon and Jaden are still Force blind around them because their contact with the ysalamiri was limited. When they were young they were only exposed to the animals in the evenings or when they were working out in the gym. When the boys moved into the Temple bachelor quarters eight years ago they were rarely around ysalamiri at all. That's why I think it takes decades of continuous, close proximity to build up immunity." Mark ran a hand through his hair nervously. "As for why I didn't say anything…I didn't want anybody to know. I found it useful when raising my two hellions. They never understood how I always knew when they were up to something. Plus, I really didn't want Mara to know."

Luke sat back in his chair. "And why is that?"

Mark blushed. "Don't you remember why you assigned me quarters as far away from your apartment as physically possible and let me keep the ysalamiri?"

Luke thought about it for a moment. "We wanted the ysalamiri away from the cadre quarters…right?"

Mark rolled his eyes. "Does the term Coruscanti Swirl bring back any memories?"

"Oh kriff!" Luke covered his eyes looking extremely uncomfortable. "Yeah, that's right; it was because you could sometimes pick up on our thoughts and emotions when we were…um…having…when we were in a highly emotional state." Luke shook his head. "I remember and I can see why you wouldn't want her to find out."

"I guess she's going to find out now."

Luke gave a grunt. "Is there anything else you are hiding from me?"

Mark thought about it for a while. "Yes, a lot of things, Palpatine things." He shrugged his shoulders. "Things I don't want to talk about."

Luke let out an exasperated breath. "I should know what my Jedi are doing or capable of doing. I definitely should have been told you could heal the sick and resurrect the newly dead."

Mark gave him a hard look. "Luke, that's the LAST thing I wanted anybodyto know. You have no idea what guilt I have been living with for decades."

"What do you mean?"

Mark gave him an incredulous look. "Luke, I know the GA Military doesn't debrief you with every detail of my missions, but you do know I've fought countless scrimmages and battles. Do you have any idea as to how many of my friends and comrades have died in my arms—men I personally pulled from the battlefield, injured and near death?

"Who do you think they send to retrieve soldiers pinned down in the kill zone? They send the guy who can deflect blaster fire with a lightsaber. I pull them out of danger and the medic would cauterize the wounds while I tried Jedi healing techniques that Cilghal taught me." Mark's jaw tightened as he tried to compose himself. "But not all men survived. Some perished in front on me, usually clutching a holo-locket or photo of their loved ones. Before they died, they would look up and using their last dying breath they'd ask me to give their family a message, 'Tell my wife and kids I love them.'" Mark swallowed hard.

"I delivered dozens of messages like that, some over the HoloNet, but not all. I've had the great, but heartbreaking, honor of escorting the bodies of a few of my fallen comrades home. I got to look into the eyes of their grieving family members and give them that message in person. And as wives or mothers wept and leaned on me for support...my heart was wracked with overwhelming guilt. I knew I could have saved them, just like I saved Mara." Mark had to stop and take a couple deep breaths to compose himself.

Mark gave Luke a pleading look. "I absolutely don't want anyof those families to know I was willing to make that dark side sacrifice to save my sister, but not their sons, husbands or brothers." Mark ran his hand over his face in an effort to hide his tears. "If we can restrict that knowledge to our immediate family, I'd appreciate it."

Luke looked shaken. "I'm sorry Mark. I never realized how difficult a decision that was for you."

"Yeah, well…" Mark trailed off as an awkward silence fell between the two men.

Luke sat mutely for a moment before he cleared his throat and continued. "Please understand my position. You are a Jedi and I am the leader of the Order. You can't decide what and what not to tell me when it comes to Jedi business."

Mark gave him a steady gaze. "Maybe I'm not Jedi material."

Luke shook his head. "Don't say that. Your Jedi record is exceptional."

"Luke, I just want you to know," Mark said hesitantly, "I'm not comfortable with your call for Jedi allegiance—that I should put the Jedi above all else. I can't do that. My priorities are my family, the Galactic Alliance and then the Jedi." He paused. "If that's not good enough for you…then maybe it is time for me to leave the Order."

"Wait," Luke said while making a gesture to stop. "How did we get on this subject?"

"Luke, I have been thinking about this for a while. Kira is getting tired of me spending days in a bacta tank. She knows that one day you will bring me home in a body bag." He stood feeling very uncomfortable. "I'm not fit for duty right now anyway. I think I should take some time off at least."

"Sit down," Luke's voice was firm letting him know it wasn't a suggestion.

Mark frowned and sat down grudgingly.

"Emotions are high right now," Luke started. "Let's not make any major decisions. Let's concentrate on what to do with Jacen." Luke paused. "He tried to kill you and Mara. It's a crime…what are you going to do?"

Mark sat back in his seat confused. "Are you asking me if I am going to press charges?"

"It's within your right."

Mark guffawed. "Luke, I rather not involve the GA Law Enforcement. When Jacen shot me he was genuinely fearful for your safety. Besides, my hands aren't exactly clean. I nearly beat Jacen to death and I have a dead woman at the end of the hall. When it comes to the law, you need to talk to Mara."

"You're right." Luke sounded miserable and his face held the expression of a man who needed to make a decision between equally appalling options. "I also need to contact Han and Leia. We can't make a decision on Jacen's fate without their input." Luke stood and walked to the exit. "When Jacen wakes up we'll talk to him and see what we are dealing with."