THE HEART OF THE JEDI

 

DREAM OF CHANGE

by Martina

 Disclaimer: The people and situations used in this fic are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. 

This chapter NC-17

Warm breezes. Clear blue water. White shores.

A sunset at a private beach, as far as the eye could see.

All of this surrounded Mara in this very moment. And she felt tremendously

at peace.

 

The beaches of Spira truly were as beautiful and secluded as Kyle Katarn had

told her. Mara had always wanted to follow her friend’s advice and go to see

them herself one day, renting a private beach. But she hadn’t wanted to be

there all alone.

But now she was finally there.

And she had not come alone.

 

She smiled slightly as the warm evening wind grabbed her red hair and

white-green dress, moving the thin fabric around in soft movements. She

leaned against the thick trunk of a palm tree to her left, hugging herself

as she watched the sun begin to set over the horizon. The soft sand

underneath her bare feet was probably the finest she had ever walked upon.

This was paradise. The true paradise Mara had always dreamt of but never

believed she would experience.

 

For once, she was so pleased that she had been wrong.

 

There truly seemed to be some good in this universe as well after all. If

the Force could create something as beautiful as this place and provide her

with the sense of hope, peace and happiness that she was feeling in this

very moment, then there was always something worth fighting for. Even with

your life.

And if Mara were given all this, then so many more deserved the same

happiness. It was her duty to make sure it would happen. Experiencing it

herself, she fully understood why. There was no doubt or hesitation left in

her mind and heart. She would gladly defend all that was good so that there

could be a paradise for everyone.

 

- “It’s finished.”

 

Mara slowly turned her head to the right. Her smile broadened as she looked

upon the only other human being in sight. The one and only man she would

ever want to bring to a place like this. The only one that could make her

every day into a paradise.

Her beloved Luke.

 

He sat on a small cliff a few meters away from her, just below their

bungalow. He was wearing but a thin, white shirt and dark pants. The blue of

his eyes shone brightly in contrast to the white he was wearing. In his

hands he held the sketch he had just finished.

- “How did it go?” Mara wondered with curiosity.

- “Come over here and find out.”

 

He had that teasing look about him again. It always made Mara warm inside.

It was contagious, too. Whenever Luke was teasing her, she usually wanted to

tease him back. The impact he always had on her, it was no more than fair

anyway.

Mara walked up to him and sat down in his lap. Luke put his right arm around

her and gave her a little kiss on the cheek. Then they both looked down at

the piece of paper he held in his left hand.

- “Do you like it?”

 

Mara studied the sketch for several seconds, taking it in with all her

senses, not just with her eyes. She had heard of Luke’s ability to draw but

had had no idea that he was this good. Now she finally got to see for

herself just how skilled he was.

The sketch was of her, leaning against the palm tree, looking out across the

sea, her hair and dress moving in the wind. It looked like a frozen moment

in time. Mara was stunned.

- “Yes, Luke. I like it. It’s very good, actually.”

It was simple and in black and white only. But it was more than enough to

impress Mara. The details were all there and no one could fail to see that

it was her in the picture.

 

A silent sigh of relief escaped him as he received her praise. Mara had been

so excited when he had asked her if he could make a sketch of her, to keep

as a memory of this place. Luke had not wanted to disappoint her.

And he hadn’t.

- “When I draw something really beautiful I want to do it justice,” he

stated. - “Making that extra effort.”

 

She turned her head to look at him, her jade eyes filled with love. Her

red-gold hair touched his right hand as he held her firmly in his lap. Luke

intended to colorize the sketch, to really do her justice. He was quite

pleased with how it had turned out but he wanted to make it even better. The

green and red that were a part of the woman he loved should be a part of

this picture as well.

He would not work any further on the sketch this day, though.

Right now, the only thing he would work on was to make Mara even happier.

 

She pulled herself even closer to him, clearly accepting his compliment.

- “Thank you.”

She kissed him.

- “I told you that you are a man of many talents, Luke Skywalker.”

Luke continued to hold her close, feeling her arms around his neck. He met

her green eyes once more.

- “I think I can recall you mentioning that once, yes,” he admitted.

- “That was just about two months ago, remember?” Mara added. - “The evening

we danced at my apartment.”

Luke nodded.

- “I remember.”

 

A short silence fell between them as they kept holding each other, simply

enjoying the closeness of the other.

- “A lot has happened since then,” Luke said as he thought back. - “That’s

what makes it so incredible. Sometimes I find it hard to believe that all

that has happened for real.”

Mara brought his face to her and pressed her lips to his, softly, deeply,

lovingly. Her tongue found its way into his mouth, reaching for his own

tongue and found it quickly. They both moaned softly at the delicate

passion.

The kiss did not end until they both needed to catch some air.

- “Does that feel real enough for you, my love?” Mara asked him. Luke

gasped, still catching his breath.

- “Very real…” he mumbled with satisfaction.

 

Mara leaned her head against his right shoulder. A smile spread across her

face as she felt more at peace than ever, sitting in his lap, feeling the

secure and loving embrace of her beloved.

- “Thank you for bringing me here.”

She looked up and met his gaze once more.

- “It was Kyle’s idea,” she reminded him.

- “I know it was,” Luke stated, his blue eyes still looking quite serious. -

“But it would mean little to me if I had been here alone without you. I will

never feel complete if I’m not with you. Wherever you go, Mara, I will

follow.”

He placed a soft kiss on her temple, taking in her sweet scent at the same

time.

- “You make me so happy,” he concluded.

- “I always will,” Mara promised. She brought up her left hand for him to

see and wiggled with her thumb at a ring of gold with red and green stones

placed on her ring finger.

- “That is part of the deal, isn’t it?”

 

Her other hand reached for his left, moving slowly across his fingers,

reaching and caressing the ring of gold situated on his own ring finger. A

smile met her as she did this. His eyes were full of love and gratitude. Had

Mara ever seen Luke looking happier than this?

 

- “Luke, my love, I have something I want to tell you.”

 

Her jade eyes turned serious, but there was nothing troublesome about them.

Nonetheless, it made Luke’s heart beat a little faster.

- “I learned about it already before we left the Academy but I wanted to

wait until we arrived here. Where there’s just you and me.”

Luke swallowed. He had no idea what she had to tell him, that he did not

know about. And he could not help but feel a little nervous.

- “What is it, Mara?”

 

His left hand, which was located by her waist, was suddenly moved a little

further by her gentle touch, placing it on her belly. Then Mara leaned in

closer to him.

And whispered softly.

 

Mara felt how he started to tremble. Gasps escaped him as he fully

comprehended the impact of her revelation. His serenity was gone, replaced

by a joy that wasn’t sure of where it should go, except to fully embrace him

utterly. Luke’s eyes were filled with happy tears and it didn’t take long

until they started to fall down his cheeks. His gasps slowly transformed

into giggles.

And finally into uncontrollable laughter of happiness.

- “Dear Force, Mara!”

 

He picked her up into his arms as he rose to his feet, swirling her around.

Not sure whether he should laugh or cry with joy, Luke ended up doing both.

And Mara, sensing his emotions and letting them mix with her own, joined him

in his aphrodisiac of content. Tears fell down her face, too. She was as

happy as he was.

- “We have been given a new chance, my love!” she said, her words mixed with

laughter and joy of her own. - “A chance to start over…”

 

She felt as he lowered her down to the ground, the still warm sand touching

her feet. He still embraced her, though. And he started to kiss her

passionately, his lips wandering all over her face and down her neck,

nibbling and sucking. The tip of his tongue devoured every tear drop of joy

that he could find on her skin.

Mara sighed at his sweet affection. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to

be swept away. The warm breeze that moved in from the sea as well as the

heat of her lover’s passion increased the arousal that had already awakened

within her.

- “Oh, Luke… I love you so much.”

- “I know.”

 

Luke slowed down for a moment, gazing into her eyes and only nibbling

teasingly at her lips once in a while. His hands, however, started to move

on her body. Touching, caressing, feeling and exploring – moving further and

further down. Slowly.

So very slowly.

- “My precious Mara… I can’t get enough of you.”

He started to kiss the side of her neck again as his hands reached her

buttocks and squeezed gently. He received the sigh of satisfaction from her

that he had been looking for.

 

- “I’m being overpowered by very erotic tendencies here,” Luke explained

playfully as his fingers began to grasp the thin fabric of her dress,

pulling it upwards to expose her bare legs underneath even further.

As his fingers moved in underneath the fabric and felt her naked skin

against his touch, Luke realized that she was not wearing anything else

underneath. It brought a wicked grin of approval to his face.

- “Very naughty tendencies…”

- “So I notice…” Mara concurred, almost out of breath by the touch of his

fingers.

 

Just as she thought that she would no longer be able to stand the touch of

his fingers on her thighs and buttocks, he removed his hands.

 

- “Maybe I shouldn’t,” Luke stated and took a step away from her. Mara could

tell, however, that the excitement in his eyes told a different story than

the one of his words. He was simply teasing her, driving her even crazier

for him by playing hard to catch.

- “I’m noticing an increasing amount of heat and heartbeats within both of

us,” he continued. - “Desire of this kind could be fatal.”

The boyish grin on his face revealed his true intentions. He wanted her to

be the dominant one. And Mara happily accepted. She held on to his hands,

not allowing him to increase the distance.

- “It’ll be fatal only if you back away from what I want to do to you right

now, Master Jedi!” she stated with a wicked grin of her own.

- “And what is that?” Luke asked, passing on the dominance to her even more.

- “Show me.”

 

Right behind him was the thick trunk of the palm tree. Mara pushed him

against it and then pulled herself on top of him. Luke was quick to follow

her command and grabbed her thighs so that she could to remain where she

was.

- “Show me, Mara..!” he begged as she pressed her whole sweet body against

his and kissed him with an almost desperate passion.

 

The slight angle of the trunk made it easier for her to push him against it

and for him to hold her in place. As the heat of their passion increased,

Mara’s hands moved even further up until they held and caressed the very

bark of the trunk, fully pressing her whole body against his. Her feet made

no longer contact with the ground as Luke held her steady where she was -

pressed against him. Only the thin fabric of their clothes was keeping them

still apart. A fact that Mara intended to change.

 

She reluctantly pulled away from his lips and put her feet back down once

more. She was pleased that his steady grip of her remained. He followed her

actions perfectly, their bond making them act in unison.

- “I want you, Luke..!” Mara stated hungrily as her hands gripped the front

of his white shirt and then, uninhibited, ripped it open and pulled it off

him, tossing it to the ground without care. - “I want you so badly!”

She leaned against him, nibbling at his neck as her hands moved over his

naked torso, her fingers eagerly exploring every curve.

- “You should not tease me like this..!” she whispered.

Luke was gasping, breathing heavily.

- “Look who’s talking..!” he managed to utter.

 

The sweet touch of her hands was like erotic fires on his skin, burning him

with desire. Mara knew exactly how to arouse him. He pulled her closer

still, lifting her off the ground. The trunk provided better comfort than he

would have thought. It was no effort or discomfort at all to hold her in

place.

Their lips met anew and Luke moaned with surprised anticipation against her

mouth as he sensed that she suddenly and unexpectedly began to use the Force

to remove his pants from his body.

Even more aroused by her sudden choice of action, he obliged her and

assisted her to make it easier for her to perform her task. By the time the

pants were down to his ankles, Luke kicked them off entirely.

There was no other garment left on him to remove.

 

- “Your skills have certainly improved,” he stated proudly, not hiding his

desire for her, especially not after her very effective means to arouse him.

- “I’ve had a good teacher,” Mara explained.

- “I’ve never taught you to use the Force for such purposes,” he quickly

reminded.

- “You taught me to use my imagination.”

Luke grinned.

- “You are so naughty,” he whispered as he continued to hold her close.

- “The way you have taught me to be, my lover,” Mara added teasingly. - “I

know I promised you not to try to impress you. But right now I can’t contain

myself.”

- “I would never tell you to.”

 

His last words were the only acceptance she needed.

Mara placed herself exactly in the right position; the rest Luke was doing

for her by holding her. He needed no further encouragement; he was ready for

what she wanted to give.

She moved down and a little closer still.

And their bodies became one.

 

They both trembled and gasped as she let him enter her, their half closed

eyes never leaving each other.

- “Oh Mara, my sweet..!”

The feel of her, in this way at this place, was incredible!

Mara kept pressing herself against him, utterly enjoying the feeling of him

inside her.

- “Yes! Say my name, Luke..!” she begged. - “Say my name…”

Embracing her in full, letting their bodies become completely as one, Luke

obliged her.

- “Mara… Beloved Mara… You’re so wonderful… I need you. Mara…”

 

Still trembling and their hearts beating faster with each passing moment,

they looked into each other’s eyes once more. Just by remaining as they

were, they became even more aroused – the feel of the other, the bonding of

their bodies increased the lust.

- “You know how much I love your naughty tendencies!” Mara reminded. - “It’s

very contagious.”

- “It is.”

She was handing the dominant role back to him. It was his turn again. And

Luke happily accepted. In fact, she had even given him some inspiration.

 

Both his hands were still resting on her buttocks as Mara suddenly felt how

the zipper of the back of her dress started to move downward, seemingly by

itself. But it wasn’t. It was the will of her lover’s mind that reached out

to the Force to help him remove her dress.

The zipper moved slowly, almost painfully slowly. And Luke’s blue gaze never

left hers for a second as he observed her every reaction.

- “And you dare call me naughty!” she stated with a grin. Within seconds,

the white-green dress was removed from her body.

 

They started to kiss as Luke moved away from the palm tree, still holding

her close, their bodies remaining as one. His first intention was to head

for the privacy of their bungalow. But the heat of their passion was too

great for them to remain patient any longer. Besides, the beaches of Spira

did not only provide paradise, they also provided absolute seclusion for

those who wished for it.

No one was near to see them. Not that either Luke or Mara cared at this

point.

It was just her and him now.

 

Slowly, they sank down to the ground, allowing the soft and warm sand of the

beach to become their bed of love for the evening.

- “My love for you is insatiable,” Luke said as he placed himself on top of

her, finally starting to move his body against and within hers. The feel of

her naked skin against his kept driving him on. Mara closed her eyes in

pleasure, embracing the man she loved.

- “My darling…!”

 

The pace of their bodies was constant, only increasing with time as their

lust increased along with the pleasure. Mara began to kiss the side of his

neck, drawing wet circles with the tip of her tongue. Luke moaned deeply,

clearly loving what she did. His sounds were sweet music to her ears. Music

that became louder and stronger and eventually mixed with her own.

 

*************************

 

Mara woke with a jerk.

 

Her whole body was covered with sweat. Her breaths came quick and her heart

was pounding. Her nipples were erect, her skin sensitive to all contact. Her

whole body was shaking with lust and desire.

 

It had happened again.

Like numerous nights before, she had had yet another erotic dream.

Of him.

 

- “Oh no, not again..!”

 

Laying back again against her pillow, she shook her head, hiding her face in

her hands. She was getting so sick and tired of this! Why could she never be

allowed to sleep in peace!? If it wasn’t Palpatine’s cursed nightmares it

was these erotic fantasies.

The nightmares Mara at least understood. She knew the reason they came to

her. But why the erotic ones? And why so frequently?

Under normal circumstances she had maybe a nightmare once a month, no more.

All the other nights in between were filled with these erotic visions, all

the true fantasies of her heart.

 

Mara could accept that she had erotic dreams, all people had once in a

while. But this was not normal.

This had been happening almost every night for the last decade. And they all

were of him, no other.

 

Sometimes, the dreams comforted her, gave her hope. They reminded her why

she loved this man so much. But the dreams brought along just as much pain

for the very same reason – they reminded her of her love for Luke Skywalker.

A love that she so drastically had to ignore!

For the last ten years she had been trying to forget her feelings for this

man. It was for the better if he never learned of her love for him. But the

dreams denied her oblivion.

It was as if she was being punished. She was not getting any closer to him.

And she was not allowed to move on either.

Her whole life was standing still. And it hurt tremendously.

 

Why was this happening?

 

In the morning she would be going to the Jedi Academy. She was about to

embark on her journey to become a Jedi Knight. Maybe the Force would one day

give her the answer to why she had these dreams?

For it was the Force that brought her the dreams in the first place. Mara

was certain of that. She always felt her connection to it the most while she

was dreaming.

 

She would have very much liked to have her answer. To become a Jedi would

increase her chances to learn. But there was one catch to all this.

The one that could help her learn the reason to her erotic dreams was the

same man she dreamt of night after night. And there was no way she could let

him know about it. The bond between student and Master was always close,

though. Luke would demand of her to be honest and to confide in him. Would

she ever be able to hide this from his powerful senses?

 

She must. She had no alternative.

‘Luke must never know of my dreams,’ Mara concluded for the thousandth time.

‘Never.’

 

To tell him of her dreams would mean confessing her love for him.

And that was something she could not do.

Not under the current circumstances that reigned between her and Luke.

 

Reluctantly, Mara turned on her side and tried to fall asleep again. Her

wish was granted. And this time she slept the whole night without any

further interruptions.

 

*************************

 

Luke was drifting between consciousness and sleep. He wasn’t really sure

where he was. Everything was in a blur. It did not make him feel nauseous.

But nothing seemed to make sense.

In one moment he saw the stars and constellations over his head that

confirmed to him that he was on Yavin 4. In the next moment, he saw a

fabulous sunset at a beautiful beach that he knew he had never seen or

visited before.

And she was there!

 

She was right there. Her long, red hair glowing in the rays of the sun. She

was smiling as she looked upon him. Her voluptuous, petite frame made her

exceptionally beautiful and attractive in that white-green dress she was

wearing.

So close…

The scent of her was so clear.

He could feel her touch. It felt so real! She had never touched him like

this before. Her small hands seemed to be everywhere. It was hot, sensual.

Erotic. And so pleasurable.

He felt his own touch upon her as well. His hands moved across her body in

ways and in places he had only dared fantasise about. And the taste of her…

Her lips were soft but moved against his with a hunger he had never felt

from any woman.

By the Force, what was happening? What his heart longed to do, to give her,

was suddenly displayed right before his very eyes!

 

He sensed things he could not explain. Felt pleasure he had almost forgotten

by now. It was arousing. It was almost too much to bear. Still, he wanted

more. He needed more.

 

- “Mara…” Luke mumbled in his dream as he slowly moved to his side on the

step of the temple wall where he had fallen asleep. - “Beloved Mara… You’re

so wonderful… I need you. Mara…”

 

Deeper sleep safely captured him. He was not allowed to wake just yet. He

had been given a vision of the future. But if that future ever was to be,

the Jedi Master must be allowed to rest.

- “Insatiable…” he whispered as his dream ended and he drifted into deeper

sleep.

 

*************************

 

Kyle Katarn’s worry decreased as he found what he had been looking for. And

just where the Force had told him to look, too.

But in the unfamiliar state in which he found his friend, it created another

kind of worry in its place.

 

However, after facing the Empire’s Dark Troopers, Jerec’s group of Dark

Jedi, after almost falling to the Dark Side and nearly losing the woman he

loved, saving the Jedi Academy from the outcast student Desann and assisting

his own students against the 5 000 year old spirit of the Sith Lord Marko

Ragnos and his followers, there was not much that could easily frighten

Master Katarn these days.

 

So, finding Master Skywalker lying on a step of the Holocron Temple’s wall

was not enough to make all his senses go to high alert. It was not what he

had expected and it was quite original, even for Master Skywalker. But as

Kyle approached he saw that there was no reason to worry. Kyle quickly

sensed that there was nothing wrong with Skywalker at all.

 

The Jedi Master was sleeping.

Nothing more.

 

The Jedi instructor silently walked up to the sleeping Jedi Master and bent

down. It was two hours past sunrise and the whole clearing lay bathed in the

morning light; the birds were kept busy singing.

The slightest sigh or shimmer of light or the most careful of movements were

usually enough to wake the Jedi Master. He was sleeping like a baby, though,

and it was way past his habitual waking hour. Skywalker was usually among

the first to wake at the Jedi Academy, every day. This morning he would be

the last.

 

Kyle could not hold back his grin as he watched his friend sleep so

peacefully on the hard block of stone, using his own robe for a blanket.

That Luke had been able to fall asleep here did not surprise Katarn. To find

him like this, however, was a rare privilege –especially considering

everything that was going on.

Katarn had been told by his fellow Jedi what was happening, as far as

everyone knew. They were all waiting to learn what Master Skywalker had

discovered at Endor. And Tionne had filled him in a little on her

conversation with Skywalker from the past night, just before he had gone to

consult Master Baas. Kyle also sensed himself that something was not right.

He, like the others, had been plagued by terrible nightmares, all reflecting

back to Dark Side memories.

And Master Katarn had plenty of those to go around.

 

Not as many or as dark ones as Master Skywalker, though. For Kyle to see him

sleep so well in this time of haunting nightmares terrorising all Force

users every night felt almost like a blessing. Not just for Luke’s own

well-being but also for the hope for all Jedi and the whole galaxy.

Had Skywalker learnt something from the Holocron last night? Something that

could save them all from what was going on, whatever it was? Had the Jedi

Master found some solution to whatever evil he had found on the Moon of

Endor?

A solution that had brought him so much comfort that he had finally been

allowed a whole night of peaceful sleep?

 

Kyle hated to do this. But he had to. A lot of people were waiting. There

was work to be done. And they could not do any of it without their Master.

He had to wake him.

Gently, he started to shove his friend, something Kyle had never thought

would be necessary with this man.

- “Luke? Hey, wake up.”

 

It took several seconds until Skywalker’s eyes finally flickered. Something,

probably something much more powerful than his own fatigue, had kept him

asleep the whole night. Katarn even had to gently pat the other man’s face

several times to really get some kind of reaction.

The patting finally seemed to bring a result. Slowly and with a very tired

grunt, Luke opened his eyes.

- “Wha…? Kyle?”

 

The first second, Luke felt quite lost. He was not in his bed but he was on

Yavin 4 - he immediately recognised the morning jungle heat and the birds’

singing. Then he jerked slightly as the bearded face of Kyle Katarn came

even more into focus. Whatever was going on, Luke had not expected to see

this particular face first thing in the morning.

- “Kyle?” he asked again.

- “In the flesh,” Kyle replied, smiling slightly. - “Are you all right?”

- “Yeah…”

Although, his whole body ached he suddenly realized. Luke felt stiff all

over and he noticed the solid material he was lying upon. Aside from that,

however, he was feeling quite fine.

He started to look around, reaching out with the Force as well, to pinpoint

his exact location.

- “Where am I?”

 

- “Just outside the Holocron Chamber,” Kyle explained. - “Well, on one of

the steps of the temple wall, to be exact.”

Kyle Katarn had the habit of always telling the truth in an ironic way, very

similar to how Han Solo regarded the universe. Still, it was always the

truth nonetheless. Luke’s eyes widened. He came fully awake.

- “Don’t tell me I fell asleep out here,” he stated with a frustrated sigh

as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. Luke did not even want to imagine what

wondering thoughts were circling around in Katarn’s mind after finding him

like this. It was not embarrassing but Luke did not want to unnecessarily

worry his friend. And besides, this was not like him.

 

Why had he not gone back to his quarters last night?

Luke could not even remember having fallen asleep out here in the jungle.

The last thing he could remember from the past night was Mara.

And that she was destined, according to Master Baas, to be loved by the

descendant of the Chosen One. A fact that did not hurt any less after having

slept over it.

 

- “It looks that way,” Kyle confirmed as Luke sat up next to him. - “It also

looks like you’ve had a good night’s rest, though. You were still so deeply

asleep when I found you that I felt almost ashamed to wake you. Did you have

a pleasant dream for a change?”

It was an ironic question that meant no harm. Kyle was certainly aware of

the nightmares that had been circling among the Jedi – he had very likely

suffered from them himself and must have concluded that Luke had, too.

Still, his question triggered an entire storm of feelings within Luke’s

heart. All swirling around, battling against each other for seemingly no

reason. It was not out of control in any way, but it made him tremble for a

second.

 

Kyle had been ironic. But there was no irony in the indeed very pleasant

dream Luke had experienced in the past night. All the images were returning

to him and with them came the sounds, the scents, the colours. And the touch

– her touch!

 

It had been an incredible dream – not just because of what it had shown him

but also because of the way it had been presented. Luke had experienced many

strange dreams, good as bad, over the years – the Force had tremendous power

over the ones who were sleeping. But he had never experienced a dream that

had been this physical!

He could even now, fully awake, still feel her hands moving over his body.

And by just concentrating slightly, the memories of the dream seemed to

bring him away from his own reality into another dimension that seemed as

real as the one he came from.

 

Mara.

 

All that was happening – from the threats of Palpatine to the very inner

secrets of his own heart – it all circled around Mara somehow. Nothing had

confirmed that clearer than the Holocron last night.

 

A realisation suddenly hit him.

Today was the day when all the Jedi that could make it would come to the

Academy to hear his briefing of the current situation and to learn of what

Master Baas had told him the past night. This rather large meeting was

scheduled to take place in the morning.

Luke rarely stressed because he always made sure that he was on time. He was

never late.

But now he felt stress increase within.

- “What time is it?”

- “Uhm, it’s day time,” Kyle stated and gestured quickly to the still rising

sun that had already gone quite high up in the morning sky. - “No,

seriously, it’s ten past eight.”

Luke frowned, deeply disappointed in himself.

- “And I’m late!”

 

He never liked being late, especially to important events that demanded his

presence. He had almost missed his sister’s wedding once, an irritating

error he still had a hard time to get over. And now this.

All the students and his fellow Jedi had already gathered; he could feel the

presence of every one of them. And he was out here – sleeping!?

What kind of leader was he, to not even greet all those that had travelled

far because he had asked them to come?

 

What was done was done, however. There was nothing he could do about it now.

No one would blame him for ten minutes of delay. And, in fact, to even give

in to such irritation was never a good sign for a Jedi. Luke knew to be

careful about even as seemingly harmless things as this.

Anger, disappointment and irritation were all natural feelings, even if they

were dark ones. But to give in to them without proper reason never had an

excuse.

Luke had learned that the hard way.

All he could do now was to hurry back and do what he was supposed to do. The

rest he could ponder later.

 

He quickly rose to his feet. Kyle did the same.

- “Has everyone come?”

- “Yeah, everyone except Kyp,” Katarn explained. - “But we just heard from

him, he should drop in any minute. Everyone is waiting for you in the Great

Hall but as you didn’t show up we decided to go looking for you. Luckily, it

wasn’t too hard to figure out where you could be.”

Kyle noticed the frown that escaped the Jedi Master. Luke was disappointed

in himself. That was never good; Kyle had learned that the hard way, too,

even if he had been lucky enough to not learn it in as hard and deep a way

as Skywalker. He very well understood the feeling.

- “What happened last night?” he asked, nodding towards the Holocron Temple.

- “Too much work for you? Or are you sleeping on the job?”

 

First there was confusion in the blue eyes of the Jedi Master. Then, as the

meaning of the words sank in, there was amusement. And Katarn was pleased

that he had managed to put a smile on his friend’s face.

Luke shook his head, giggling. It seemed like his once very reluctant Jedi

colleague always found a way to make him laugh, to cheer him up. This was

exactly what he needed. The sense of stress was no longer there.

Luke stepped closer to him and put his left hand on the other man’s

shoulder.

- “It’s nice to see you again, Kyle.”

There had never been distance between them. A mere second later, the two

Jedi were embracing in friendship.

- “Yeah, you, too, Luke.”

 

- “And thanks for coming back a lot sooner than planned,” the Jedi Master

added.

- “I really didn’t have much of a choice,” Katarn said with a seriousness

that wasn’t very common to find in his usual manners. - “The Dark Side is

rising, I feel it. I’ve recently had a couple of nightmares myself. I

realized that something serious must be going on. I had to return.”

 

The two Jedi began their trek back to the Great Temple, walking on ancient,

narrow paths of stone; most of them lay in ruin and were overgrown with

vegetation.

- “You’re going to tell us what’s going on at Endor, aren’t you?”

It was a question that really didn’t need an answer, and they both knew it.

Nonetheless, Luke wanted to give his colleague an answer, and hopefully one

that was not necessarily so very negative.

- “Yes. And perhaps give an answer or two as to how we can hopefully solve

this mess as well.”

Kyle merely nodded. He was silent for a moment, as if something had come to

mind that he needed to think over. Luke could easily sense the emotions stir

in his friend.

- “I heard what happened to Mara on Anargosa,” Kyle finally said. - “Is she

all right?”

 

The mention of her brought back the dream. Luke trembled. He could not think

of that dream, not now. The images, the feelings it created were too strong

for him to handle at the moment.

He also registered the emotion hidden in Kyle’s question. It made him feel

something he had not expected. It was unpleasant. Unwelcome.

Dark.

It wasn’t jealousy. But, by showing emotional interest in Mara Jade, it felt

like Katarn was intruding on his private emotional territory.

 

Luke quickly threw away whatever feelings and thoughts he had about that.

What was he doing? Kyle and Mara had been friends since way back. Katarn had

even trained her in the ways of the Force for a short period of time. He had

every right to be concerned for his friend.

Besides, as far as Mara was concerned, she did not belong to any private

territory, no matter how strongly the Jedi Master wished she would.

- “Yes. She is just fine,” Luke answered softly. He felt guilty for his

short-lived but still negative reaction.

 

His feelings for Mara were beginning to affect his consciousness. There was

no doubt about it anymore. His control was fading ever more often. If he

could not pull himself together, even a small, unnoticed reaction like this

could eventually turn into the most destructive power a living being could

produce.

In a way, Luke felt grateful that he had discovered this so soon. What if he

hadn’t and it had started to build up within his soul without him noticing?

That was probably how it had started for his father once. Luke had tried to

walk that path freely for a short time, in order to learn its secrets. What

he had learnt was that you should never walk there at all.

Not for any reason.

 

He reached for his face to try and rub the last signs of sleep away, only to

realize that he needed a shave and some other refreshments before facing the

Jedi Order. His hair was probably a total mess as well. And he needed to

change clothes; he had morning dew all over himself. He could not go on

display looking like this.

- “Look, Kyle… Give me fifteen minutes to get myself ready and I’ll join the

rest of you so we can get started.”

Katarn grinned.

- “Come on, Luke, there’s no need to shave,” he stated with a sense of irony

in his brown eyes and gestured to his own face. - “Don’t you know that the

ladies love guys with beards?”

- “Do not listen to Master Katarn, Master – even though he’s not entirely

wrong.”

 

Both men turned to see Tionne approaching them from the other end of the

ruined street between the temples, obviously aware of what they had been

talking about. The tall woman, dressed in another of her white robes, nodded

to her Master in greeting and then gave Katarn a little smile, a smile that

was answered by the charming Jedi. It was not often that Katarn received

compliments from the fair Tionne.

She was not alone. By her side was her husband, Kam Solusar and both were

closing in on the other two Jedi at a slow pace. Luke sighed and shook his

head. It was not hard to figure out why Kam and Tionne had come.

- “You wouldn’t have needed to send out an entire search party for me.”

 

The looks he received from Katarn, Tionne and Solusar told him that they did

not agree and that a search party was always needed as far as their Master

was concerned. Such determined dedication could not affect Luke in any other

way but to make him smile. How could he not when his friends and colleagues

were looking after him this way?

He stepped up to the tall, female Jedi, took her hands and they kissed on

the cheek in greetings.

- “Good morning, Tionne.”

- “Master.”

Luke turned to the man by her side, the man that had been his very first

student alongside Leia.

- “Hello, Kam.”

 

Solusar grinned and gave his Jedi Master and younger friend a swift hug.

- “Glad to have you back, Luke.”

Kam meant those words more than Luke could imagine. It was a relief to see

him back in one piece, to even touch him.

When Luke hadn’t appeared for the previously agreed upon meeting, Kam had

become very nervous that something could be wrong.

That Luke might no longer be quite himself.

 

Ever since Skywalker had told him that he was going to Endor in order to

check out the dark disturbance, Kam had felt uneasy. And once his wife was

able to confirm his unwelcome suspicions about Palpatine’s return from

Luke’s information last night, his worry for his Master had been even

deeper. Solusar had been one of Palpatine’s apprentices, too, just like

Skywalker. He knew the way the Sith Lord could twist your head around, the

way he could weaken you by bringing up emotional parts from the past.

Kam was sure that Palpatine had done just that to Luke on Endor. And he did

not want his friend and Master to go through those dark manipulations again.

The one time it had happened had almost sufficed to destroy Skywalker’s

soul.

 

Looking into the blue eyes of his friend, Kam could easily see the former

farmboy from Tatooine and the Jedi Knight he knew so well. He saw no

darkness or anything else that shouldn’t be there.

In fact, unlike with most of their kind these past weeks, there was no sign

of even fatigue in Luke’s eyes. Tionne had told him how tired Luke had

seemed to be the past night. Now there was no sign of it at all.

- “Have you finally managed to find some rest?”

 

Until now, Luke hadn’t paid so much attention. But Kam’s question made him

realize something.

For the first time since Life Day he felt no exhaustion or fatigue at all.

It had gone away during the night. But how could just one full night’s rest

be enough?

Had he slept so deeply?

According to Kyle, he had.

- “As a matter of fact, I have,” Luke stated and felt great relief and

comfort. Palpatine’s nightmares seemed no longer able to reach him; why he

did not know. And now, fully rested, Luke felt stronger than ever to deal

with the problems at hand.

One of them was, in fact, standing right in front of him.

- “I’d like to speak with you later, Kam.”

 

What Tionne had told him about her husband’s nightmares and his recent

obsessive lightsaber training was not something that Luke intended to

overlook. Solusar might have completed his training almost a decade ago and

might be a very capable Jedi Knight and instructor, but the memories and

side effects of Palpatine’s lies and mind control were still there and would

always be, just as they would always be a part of his own dark fears.

Kam was afraid; Luke could feel it even in a moment as peaceful as this. And

it was his duty to look after his student and friend, to make sure that his

fear was under control. If he left Kam to his own fate he would abandon his

friend and student.

 

Maybe Kam could deal with it himself and there was nothing to worry about.

But Luke would never take such things for granted until he was absolutely

sure. He did not demand much from his students and fellow Jedi. But one of

the few things he did demand was for them to look after each other.

 

No one was ever going to be left alone to deal with his own Darker Side.

The way of the Jedi was not a solitary path.

They were a band of brothers and sisters.

Their duty was to protect each other as well as the rest of the galaxy.

 

Kam nodded. He had expected this.

- “I thought you would want to,” he said. - “Tionne told me of your

conversation last night. But I am okay, Luke,”

The Jedi Master put his hand on the taller man’s shoulder, giving him a look

that was as reassuring as it was determined.

- “Nonetheless, we must talk.”

 

Luke was right. Kam knew that. And, when he started to think about it, he

was even beginning to look forward to confide in his Jedi Master the same

way he had confided in his wife. Luke never blamed you. He always seemed to

understand. And, whatever you did – insignificant or large things – he was

always standing by your side, even if the fault was all yours.

Skywalker was the most incredible man that Kam had ever met. If not for this

man, he would have perished on the Dark Side years ago. His soul and honour

would not have been saved. And he would never have met his beloved Tionne

either.

 

Luke sensed that Kam understood the seriousness of the matter, that they

needed to talk this over before it could escalate into something they did

not wish for. He had never expected otherwise from Kam. Except for Mara, Kam

was the only one still alive that understood what it meant to be the slave

of Palpatine. Kam had helped him a lot with this burden throughout the

years. How could he now not repay his friend in the same manner?

 

In that moment, Luke suddenly felt something that he had not expected. He

turned his head to catch a clearer vision of what the female Jedi was up to.

- “What are you doing, Tionne?”

Her gentle, delicate hands touched his shoulders from behind, giving him a

massage.

- “Your muscles are all tense and stiff after lying on solid rock all night,

Master,” she explained and kept working on his shoulders and upper back. -

“If you don’t do something about it you might eventually hurt yourself.”

 

For a second, Luke was speechless. This was very rare, even for Tionne. And

the hardly contained smile on Kam’s face, as well as on Kyle’s, did not make

it easier for him to find the right words to say. But eventually, he had to

say something.

- “It’s very kind of you, but it’s really not necessary.”

- “Shame on you, Master!”

 

Kam could no longer contain his laughter as he watched his lovely and always

so serene wife take total control of their Master like this. They all knew

about the lack of a woman in Luke’s life and, as a consequence to that, the

surprise he always displayed whenever he did fall under the control of a

woman’s touch was quite amusing.

 

Once more, Kam was reminded of why he loved his wife so much. Her comedic

side, unknown to most people, did exist underneath her gentle ways and when

she let it out, her husband almost became lyric with emotions.

His uncontrolled giggles mixed with Kyle’s – the other Jedi even had to look

away for a second to keep himself from bursting out with insane laughter. If

Luke only could have seen the look on his own face!

 

- “You should know better,” Tionne added, continuing her massage. - “If you

don’t take care of yourself, then who will? Just a little more…”

Luke prayed that his face was not as red as it felt. The other two men’s

amused laughter on his behalf reminded him of when he was a boy back on

Tatooine and had just been caught doing some minor mischief and, in front of

all his friends, had been grounded for the rest of the month.

But, unlike in those days, today he could laugh with them. And Kyle and Kam

were not like Fixer and Deak.

But none of them were like Biggs either. After all these years, Luke still

had the best of memories of his childhood friend. He missed him. And he knew

that Biggs would have been proud of him.

 

He sighed and allowed Tionne to continue, no matter how much his face

burned. He did not feel embarrassment for what she did for him so openly in

front of the others. It was the fact that she cared so much about him. And

it wasn’t embarrassment. Luke was simply overwhelmed by her care.

Kam saw this; it was very obvious on Luke’s face.

- “Let her have her way, Luke. It’s quite nice, too.”

He knew very well how nice that touch of hers could be.

 

Luke’s eyes were somewhat suspicious, trying to figure out what their true

intentions were, if there was a deeper reason for all this attention. But

his suspicion faded as the sweet and well-needed massage Tionne was giving

him monopolized his attention.

 

Solusar had been around Skywalker long enough to notice these things. And he

did not mind at all that his wife did this for their mutual friend. In fact,

Luke needed to be reminded of what he was missing out on in life. He did not

suspect that they were all seeing it so clearly but they did. This was just

another way to gently show him that he should change his life and end the

solitude that everyone could see was not good for him.

 

Kam was right. Her touch was very nice.

But it was not like Mara’s.

Not like it had been in that dream.

Nothing could compare to that.

 

Still, once Tionne was finished, most of the stiffness of his back and

shoulders was gone. She had given him exactly what he had needed. Luke gave

her a quick hug.

- “Thank you.”

 

The four of them started to head back towards the main buildings, leaving

the outskirts of the Academy behind.

The attention of the four Jedi suddenly shifted to the sky when they sensed

a small vessel head towards the main hangar at very high velocity, far too

high than was recommended and standard procedure for a final approach.

- “Kyp?”

 

- “Yes,” Luke answered Kam’s slightly worried question. But, unlike his

elder friend, the Jedi Master felt no worry for the incoming Jedi.

- “And I thought you and I, Luke, were the pilot maniacs around here,”

Katarn added. He had never even taken his Raven’s Claw into landing at such

speed. What was Kyp doing?

- “I hope he doesn’t hurt himself,” Tionne said, her soft voice revealing

her concern.

 

The small ship disappeared inside the temple, out of their line of vision,

way too fast. The three Jedi Knights prepared themselves for the worst; to

any second hear the terrible sounds of explosions and crashes they did not

want to hear. The Jedi Master, however, was totally calm. It didn’t look

like it, but Master Durron had total control of his fighter. Luke had sensed

it long before their eyes had even spotted the little fighter.

Kyp was flying quite recklessly, yes. But he knew what he was doing. In

fact, he had already put his snub fighter down on solid ground.

 

- “Kyp’s just fine, Tionne,” Luke said, looking at his three friends with

confidence. - “He knows what he’s doing. And now he’ll be on time for the

briefing, too.”

Master Skywalker continued his way back to the Great Temple, gesturing for

his friends to follow him. He still felt the need to refresh himself before

facing the Jedi Order.

- “Come, my friends. I have a lot to tell you.”

 

 

To be continued in: "What Does He Want?"

 

Back to authors Page

Back to Fan Fiction