The Birth Of Acceptance

By Sienn (2002)

 

Rating (for chapter): PG-13

Protagonists: Luke/Mara

Category: Action/Angst/Drama

 

Series: Part III of "Soul's Trial" Trilogy

 

Time Frame: 26 A.Y. (immediately after "Soul's Trial II: Healing")

 

Spoilers:

See Chapter 1

 

Disclaimer:

See Chapter 1

 

– Chapter 1

By Sienn (2002)

 

Rating (for chapter):  PG-13

Protagonists: Luke/Mara

Category: Action/Angst/Drama 

Series: Part III of "Soul's Trial" Trilogy 

Time Frame: 26 A.Y. (immediately after "Soul's Trial II: Healing") 

Spoilers:

See Chapter 1 

Disclaimer:

See Chapter 1

 

 

~2 weeks after "Healing"~

 

Coruscant, Evening, Solo Apartment

 

Luke Skywalker leaned back in the comfortable bodyform couch, tracking a passing speeder with his eyes. Although it was late in the evening, there was enough light on Coruscant to see the small vehicle until it veered sharply to the right and disappeared behind a huge skyscraper.  

It felt good to be home again. Mara and he had arrived on Coruscant two weeks prior and had immediately become involved in the peace making process that momentarily reigned the whole political life on the centre of the known galaxy.

Luke had been working almost constantly, having only the evenings and nights to spend with his wife and the unborn life in her belly.  

A soft smile played around his lips when he sipped at his red wine and glanced over to Mara who stood in a corner of the nearby kitchen, intently discussing with Jaina.

She bore his child. His child. The thought alone made him want to dance around the room. In a certain way, it was so unrealistic that he sometimes feared he would wake up and everything would have been a mere dream. But so far, he hadn't woken up and the dream had stayed truth. A wonderful, sweet truth.  

He couldn't wait to tell the news to his sister, to Han and his other friends. He had waited for the right moment to come and he had the feeling that this day would see this moment.

Rising from the couch, he went out onto the balcony and breathed in the cool night air, smelling the faint traces of civilisation. Although this city planet smelled different from Chandrila, it felt nonetheless good.  

He had enjoyed the two months away from chores, away from politics and wars and pain and worries. But he had to admit that he was glad to be back on Coruscant, where he was in the middle of things and where he was with his family.

Whereas Chandrila had helped soothe his soul with his peaceful, calm loneliness, Coruscant made him feel alive when he reached out and the pulse of thousands of energetic beings echoed through his mind. This technology-oriented planet was the contrary of the planet he had called home in his childhood and the one he had called home during the last two months and yet if he had been asked where his home was, then it was here.  

Luke wasn't surprised when two arms wrapped themselves around his waist and a head snuggled against his shoulder.

Only nine weeks ago, he would have been startled, would have been absorbed in depressing thoughts, isolated from those who loved him and whom he loved. But now he was in peace with himself, once again in tune with the Force, and it felt good to be his old self again. Incredibly good.  

"The view out here is beautiful, isn't it?" the soft voice of his sister asked, while she squeezed him gently, then released him and went to stand beside him.

Luke glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes and smiled. She was beautiful - as beautiful as she had been all these yyears before, when he had first seen her. Petite and slender, she wore a wide, violet gown and her hair open. It flowed in the gentle, slightly cool breeze that was common in Coruscant's autumn. Her face bore almost no marks of time, just around the eyes one could see that she had been through too much worry - more than anyone should have been through.  

"Yes, it is." He replied, laying his arm around her when she leaned her head on his shoulder. Since the day he had been back, they had been together for hours every day, but it had always been business meetings. Political or military discussions, Senate sessions, appointments with some of Tsavong Lah's secretaries… it had never been calm around them.  

It was because of this that Leia had invited her entire family and all her friends this evening, to celebrate the newfound peace and enjoy the companionship and friendship that had survived the last two decades. It was also the first time for brother and sister to be alone and free from things to do.  

For a while, neither of them said a word. They just stood, watched the traffic and enjoyed the feeling of being near each other.

Luke became painfully aware of the fact that this hadn't been the case for far too long a time - that he and his sister had just enjoyed the company of each other.  

Suddenly, Leia laughed softly, hopped onto the railing of the balcony and looked at him. Didn't say a word, just looked at him and smiled.  

"What?" he asked, slightly unnerved by the fact that every woman in his life tended to do just that. Look at him and laugh.

"I'm just glad that you're happy, Luke. Really happy." She took both his hands in hers and caressed them softly. "You had me worried a lot."  

He sighed, guilt shadowing his still boyish features. "I'm sorry about that, Leia. I…"  

"No." his sister shook her head determinedly. "Stop apologising for it. I don't want to have any of that and you know it. It is over and I'm glad about it."  

Luke was relieved, he didn't deny that. He had felt guilty for having caused his sister so much distress. Now that he had overcome his trauma and his depression, he could see how he had behaved all this time. He couldn't even imagine what he had done to those dear to him. The presence of his sister brushed his soul reassuringly and he finally accepted what she had said.  

There was no reason for him to feel guilty and no use in it, either.  

After a while, he cleared his throat. "Leia, I…. when I came back, I told you there was something I wanted to share with you."  

"Luke, you don't have to. This is over. I don't want you to open any wounds that have healed." Leia's wonderful brown eyes rested on his face, worriedly tracing his features, searching for a sign of distress.  

"Leia, I want you to know that. You are my sister. I… I trust you and I think you have a right to know what happened."  

The Alderaanian woman pressed her lips together, shaking her head stubbornly. "I don't want to hurt you and I don't have to know that. Luke, I know that you trust me, you don't have to prove it."  

Luke smiled lovingly, taking her face into both his hands and sought her gaze: "Leia, I am through with it. I can talk about it without breaking down. In fact, I want to talk about it with those I'm close to. And I think that it is important that you know. Especially with the role I'm going to assume in all this."  

His sister sighed, then nodded. "All right. I'm listening. Tell me."  

"You might want to get down from this railing."  

Her beautiful, soft laugh echoed through the air: "My over-protective brother. I'm not falling down - my sense of balance is perfect and even if it wasn't, there are security measures and you know that."

 

"I just thought that perhaps after you hear what I have to say…." Luke trailed off, his features growing serious all of a sudden. Leia frowned, then slid off the railing, leaned against the cool stone and focused on her brother.

 

*~~

 

About an hour later, Leia Organa Solo was shaking with rage. Her fingers trembled when she clutched the railing, staring out onto the city she called home through a mist of moisture that had suddenly appeared in her eyes. It took her a long time to summon enough of her courage to turn around and look at Luke.

 

Her brother sat on the small bench that was worked into the balcony wall at one side. He was slightly paler than sixty minutes before, but otherwise calm and composed. His presence in the Force was serene and his beautiful, blue eyes were resting on her face, tinged with worry.

 

When she had looked at him before, she had seen just this - a still handsome, grown man, one of the sweetest beings she knew. Her brother whom she loved dearly and without whom she couldn't picture her life.

When she looked at him now, after everything she had just heard, she was assaulted with pictures of a diminutive Luke sitting at the feet of a Yuuzhan Vong woman, of his face contorted in agony and pain, of his voice crying and shouting in terror.

 

"I… I can't believe…. If she wasn't dead, Luke, I would…. I would…." she stammered, her hands helplessly clenched into fists. Fighting against the tears that threatened to overcome her, she went over to him, slid beside him and laid her arm around his shoulders.

 

He leaned willingly into her embrace and a moment later their fingers were intertwined, giving reassurance to each other.

 

"Leia, don't. This comes from the Dark Side. You know that." He whispered, his voice a little shaky, but not worryingly so. His sister felt how he relaxed and closed his eyes next to her and was able to calm down a little herself.

 

"I had vague pictures of what she'd done to you - of what she wanted to do. But I never imagined…. I had never thought…." unconsciously, Leia whispered now, too. "I'm so sorry, Luke."

 

"You don't need to be. There is nothing you could have done - not more than you have, anyway." Anxiously, Luke waited for some sort of acceptation coming from his sister.

He had felt that it was the right thing to share everything with her - his torture, what Elan had intended him to become. Everything. But now, now that he felt the turmoil in his beloved sister's soul and heard the pain in her voice, he wasn't so sure anymore.

The last thing he had wanted to do was causing her more pain, more distress. But it had always been like this - he had always told her everything. She was his sister, she was him and he was her and there was no way that he could keep anything from her. Not much, at least. But if it hurt her….

 

The next moment, he felt soft lips on his cheek and Leia gently turned his face so that he looked at her. She smiled and no more tears glistened in her eyes.

 

"Stop thinking like that, brother. Yes, it hurts to hear what you've been through and what more she wanted to do to you, but I am happy that you share this with me. That you trust me like this. This is more precious than anything else and I want you to know that."

 

For a long moment, azure eyes met brown ones and they sunk into each other's soul like they had done often during the last years, searching for reassurance and comfort. Then they embraced, strongly, and Luke relished in the familiar smell of his sister.

It made him feel secure. There was only one place in the whole universe where he felt even safer than in his sister's arms and that was with Mara.

 

"I'm just sorry that I couldn't protect you, Luke. That you had to go through such terrible things yet again." Leia said next to his ear.

 

Luke couldn't help but smile. "I know, Leia. But not everything in the immediate past has been terrible. I had a wonderful time with Mara on Chandrila."

 

His sister drew back from him, mustering him carefully. "Yes, Mara." she said. "You two… you have worked out the problem you had, yes?"

 

"Yes, Leia. I love her and she loves me. I do know that now." Luke's eyes had become dreamy and a smile played around his lips. He was in love - it was obvious to Leia. But that was not what she doubted, either.

 

Luke, catching her slightly suspicious gaze, giggled softly: "Now who's over-protective?"

 

Leia rolled her eyes, folded her hands in her lap and stared at the floor. "She has hurt you. In a way she has hurt you more than Elan ever has. Do you want to deny that? Do you simply want to forget it?"

 

If she had looked, Leia would have seen how her brother's face was full of love for her, but for she didn't look in his direction, she had just his soft voice to go by.

 

"No to the first question. Yes to the second."

 

As he had expected, his sister's head spun around to him, her expression incredulous. "You can't believe her, hu?" Luke asked, a slight desperation creeping into his words.

 

The slender woman in front of him sighed: "I do want to. But it's not that easy, you know. I wonder whether she is honest with you. What if she's lying?"

 

"Mara has never lied to me." Luke stated, stubbornly trying to will this into Leia's mind with his eyes. But his sister wasn't about to back off. She wouldn't have been his sister if she had.


Cocking an eyebrow, she replied: "She hasn't?"

Now it was Luke who rolled his eyes: "That she didn't want a child with me WAS a lie. And I'm not exactly sad about that."

 

For a few seconds, brother and sister stared once again at each other, then Leia broke the eye contact, stood and faced the city and its millions of lights. "Oh, fine. But if she dares to hurt you again, I'm going to kill her with my own hands."

Although she did her best, it didn't sound as harsh as she had intended and Luke could very well picture the smirk on her face.

 

Laughing, he whirled her around and sat her down carefully. "Don't you ever dare call ME overprotective again."

 

"Luke Skywalker, you…."

 

Before Leia could come up with some appropriate insults to throw at her teasing brother, Han Solo popped his head out onto the balcony, grinning as he saw that they were both in good mood. He had been a little worried when he had glimpsed out and seen the pale face of his wife some twenty minutes ago.

 

"Care to come in again, you two? Dessert is ready."

 

*~~

 

"You told her?" Mara Jade Skywalker sank next to her husband onto a huge armchair near to the Solos' living room chimney, chewing on a caramel sorbet that she had managed to snatch for herself before young Anakin had had any chance to get to it.

 

Her husband nodded, his light-brown hair bobbing up and down in front of his eyes. Obviously, he didn't think it necessary to cut it again. Although it was back to the length it had been when he was very young. Mara had seen holos from decades ago, during the time around Yavin and Hoth and he looked quite like that. Only more mature.

 

"And she's telling Han." The ex-Emperor's hand stated, focusing on the Alderaanian and her husband who stood in the corner of the room, quietly talking to each other.

Solo had paled visibly and his eyes were repeatedly wandering towards Luke who pretended not to notice and concentrated on his orange-chocolate cream.

 

"Seems so." He just murmured.

 

"You sure this has been a good idea?"

 

Finally, Luke looked at her, his big, blue eyes open and reassuring. "It was. I had to tell her. And I knew that Han would know if I told her. I'm comfortable with it."

 

Mara's face didn't exactly soften and she still had her eyes hefted on the smuggler-turned-general.

 

"Mara…" Luke took her hand into his and gave her one of his cutest smiles: "Han is like a brother to me. I don't mind him knowing about everything that has happened."

 

"Okay, okay, I get it." His wife huffed, seemingly not too overjoyed.

 

Luke decided to cheer her up a little. "And he doesn't really know EVERYTHING that has happened. I have not reported about every minute on Chandrila, you know."

 

Mara shot him one of her coldest glares, but her lips were tugged into a smile: "You better hadn't if you want to live to see your child born, Skywalker."

 

He laughed softly and snuggled up to her, his arm sneaking protectively around her belly, as it did always in the last weeks. "I want to tell them this evening." He said suddenly.

 

Luke felt Mara tense just a moment, then she relaxed and nodded against his chest. "Fine with me."

 

"Leia won't be bothering you." He added seriously. Mara sighed, sat up and looked him square in the eyes. "How do you want to know that?"

 

"I talked to her."

 

"Did you tell her about my pregnancy?"

 

Luke frowned at that: "Well, no, but…"

 

"Then how do you want to know how she will react? Skywalker, she hates me!" Mara put her dessert glass on the table and fell back into the armchair, sliding into Luke's lap in the process.

 

"First: would you stop calling me that? I'm feeling like we're not married at all." His wife opened her mouth, but he quickly interrupted her: "Second: she doesn't hate you and you know that."

 

Mara cocked a dubious eyebrow, but then nodded hesitantly. "Probably not. But still, she is miffed with me. She's practically waiting for me to disappear again."

 

"You won't." Luke said, a stubborn streak to his voice. Mara smiled at him: "Of course I won't. But that's not what she thinks."

 

"Mar, you're seeing ghosts. Leia knows I'm happy with you and if I'm happy with you she will be happy, too. At least that's what she says."

 

"She is a politician. I do not believe politicians. Never have." Mara insisted, relishing the feel of teasing her husband. Whereas she really was not quite sure about Leia's attitude towards her, she didn't think her sister-in-law would really try to sabotage their relationship or anything like that. That was not Leia's style and she loved her brother far too much.

 

"Stop that." Her love hollered into her ear, clearly annoyed that she tried to make fun of him. Once again. Now she laughed aloud, kissing the tip of his nose. "Why? It's so much fun. And you want me to have fun, don't you?"

 

"Not on my expense." Enticing, green eyes locked with his and Luke couldn't help but smile. "At least not always." Determined to not let her get on with teasing him, Luke emptied his own dessert glass, put it beside Mara's on the table and rose.

Straightening, he cleared his throat audibly, gaining the attention of the crowd. With a fond smile, he assessed the group of friends that were assembled here.

 

Leia, his sister, who smiled at him, slightly curious. Han, his best friend that was more like a brother than anything else to him. The Corellian was visibly moved and looked as if he wanted to come right over to Luke and ask him about what Leia had told him. Lando and Tendra were there, Wedge and Iella, Tycho, Wes and Hobbie. Corran, Mirax and Kam. And of course his niece Jaina and his nephews, Anakin and Jacen. His family. All of them were his family and he felt eternally grateful for all of them.

 

For a small moment, the absence of Chewbacca let a cold shadow creep into his heart, but he didn't let it destroy the atmosphere. Chewie would always be with him and the Wookiee wouldn't want to be the reason for sadness and melancholy. Surely not.

 

With a low twitter, R2 rolled to his master's side and Luke smiled. How could he have forgotten his loyal, little friend? Letting his gaze wander, Luke found C-3PO in one corner, over and over decorated with paper snakes and colourful foam. The very creative artwork of Myri and Syal Antilles, who had decided that 3PO was just what they needed to cheer up a boring grown-up party.

 

"Well, you know, I'm not that good at this. Speeches, I mean." He finally brought out, feeling a little awkward now that every gaze was turned on him.

 

"Since when exactly?" Hobbie chimed in from behind the counter of the kitchen, still chewing on something that looked like cake.

 

"Since I have no other listeners than the likes of you, Klivian. Sit down and shut up." Wes Janson snickered from the other end of the living room. Hobbie shot him a devastating look, then settled down on a chair and grabbed another piece of cake.

 

"To cut it short, I have an announcement to make. The Yuuzhan Vong have brought a lot of destruction upon the galaxy and now we're all busy to rebuild. To begin a new era once again, in peace with a race we haven't been aware of only two years ago.

Everyone is doing his share, is doing what he or she can to repair the damage that has been inflicted and create a new life for us all. A new future - I want to thank you for that. Because you're also helping to create a future for…. my child." Unconsciously, Luke released a breath he hadn't been aware of holding, looking around a little insecurely.

 

Everyone was staring at him, gaping and eyes wide open. He felt Mara laugh at this in his mind. She sat calmly in the armchair, legs folded, and had focused her gaze on her husband, on the face she loved so much. Warmth had spread all over her body when she had seen the pride in his eyes, the love, when he had said 'my child'. He would be a wonderful father.

 

But not long and the stunned silence was broken. Leia threw herself into her brother's arms, while cheers and congratulations erupted from the gathered people. He got various claps on his back, as well as embraces, and Wes and Hobbie used the opportunity to spring a kiss on both of Mara's cheeks, which she accepted laughing.

 

"Congratulations, brother. I'm so happy for you." Leia beamed, kissing him on the cheek and squeezing him a final time before releasing him and wandering over to Mara.

While the crowd separated into little groups and discussed the latest news, Luke was left alone with Han, standing at the window. The hazel eyes of the Corellian wandered over the younger man's features, a half serious, half happy expression in them.

 

"That's great news, kid. I'm happy for you. This is what you've always wanted." Han said softly, leaning next to Luke against the thick window.

 

His brother-in-law smiled. "Yes. That's what I've always dreamt of. I…. Sometimes I can't believe it myself."

 

"How long do you know?"

 

Luke averted his gaze from his friends and smiled at Han. "About two weeks now."

 

His best friend grinned: "Don't let Leia hear this. She'd be deeply wounded that you haven't told her the moment you knew."

 

The Jedi Master laughed. "I wanted to wait for the right moment. And this was it."

 

"Sure was." Han's features grew serious all of a sudden. "Luke... Leia has told me all about your talk out there. I just wanted to tell you that I wish I could have protected you from it. If I had come over to you this evening…"

 

"Han." Luke interrupted him softly. "There's no use in brooding about this. It has happened, but it is over now. And what could you have done? If you had been there, you would have been killed. I couldn't have protected YOU and I would have never been able to forgive myself that."

 

"Yeah. But still…" Han shook his head, feeling a little helpless. The whole horror of what his little brother had been through had hit him quite unexpected and he cringed in sympathy and sadness when he thought about what the younger man had had to endure once again. Why did he never manage to shield him from so much pain?

 

"Still nothing. Let's forget these things. Let's forget Elan and let's forget Kwaad. They're dead. And we're not."

 

Han sighed: "I don't know whether I can get these things out of my head that easily, kid."

 

Luke grinned: "Come on, let's play a round of sabacc with the others. I'm helping you."

 

The Corellian rolled his eyes: "Oh no. I don't even have any money to loose. Help Lando!"

 

The blond Jedi Master laughed and they both went over to the group of men that had settled around the dinner table.

 

~**

 

"Congratulations, Mara. This is quite a surprise." Leia said, sinking into the couch in front of Mara, giving the redhead a cool, but genuine smile.

 

Mara cocked an eyebrow: "Not the first one today."

 

The former princess of Alderaan frowned: "What do you…. Oh, you mean the Senate thing?"

 

Her sister-in-law's eyes narrowed. "Yes, I mean the Senate thing."

 

"I couldn't know that Luke hasn't told you about it." Leia stated, also folding her legs and settling deeper into the soft couch.

 

"It's not about that I didn't know about it. It's about whether Luke is ready for it. That's all." Mara replied, her voice fiery and chilling at the same time.

 

Leia narrowed her eyes, literally piercing the other woman: "He says he is. Do I have reason to doubt his judgement? Is there something you haven't told me?"

 

Mara met the Chief-of-State's inquisitive gaze, mentally going back in time, to a point earlier this day. When she had learned what exactly had been going on during all those top-secret meetings Luke had recently attended with his sister and a bunch of other high-ranking New Republic politicians.

 

Leia had asked her to sit in on the day's Senate meeting, but hadn't told her why.

 

Thus, Mara had not been prepared to see her husband step out onto the speaker's pedestal along with his sister. Not at all prepared. He had worn a dark blue, wide suit and had looked every bit as respect demanding and stunning as his sister had. Still, it had been a shock to see him on the stage that had been Leia's for the entire time she had known him.

 

Then the Princess and her advisors had announced the news. A committee had been formed to would work closely together with the Yuuzhan Vong. That much Mara had known. She was a member of this committee. Luke was, too. That hadn't been what he and his sister had been cooking up behind closed doors. But the fact that Luke was now something called Jedi Ambassador was quite a surprise, to put it mildly.

 

Mara could remember straightening rigidly with surprise, could still hear the murmurs that had travelled around the Senate hall. Could hear the sudden cheers and applause that had erupted among the Senators. Luke had become more a hero than ever and most of the Senators were happy to have him at their side, especially during anything that concerned the Yuuzhan Vong. Luke had defeated them - that was what the whole galaxy was sure of. Because of Luke, there was peace.

 

Leia had stood beside a baffled Luke - a Jedi Master that hadn't expected such a greeting. And his sister had been about to burst with pride. That had not been hard to see for Mara.

 

But hadn't Leia thought about whether Luke could stand that? Jedi Ambassador and member of the committee? This meant a whole lot of work. A whole lot of work that would put him into even closer contact with Yuuzhan Vong. Because his first and only task at the moment was the peace between the New Republic and the alien race. And becoming an Ambassador meant becoming a sort of politician.

 

A very special one, because it was a JEDI Ambassador, but a politician nonetheless. Mara's immediate reaction had been fear. She had been afraid that Luke was overestimating himself and afraid that his sister had pushed him to do so, using his sense of duty and commitment to her and the government she presided.

 

With a jolt, she came back to the present and re-focused her gaze on the Princess. "No." she hesitantly admitted. "There is nothing I haven't told you. Luke is fine. He seems to be over his trauma. He is happy. Overjoyed in fact. Enthusiastic. He wants to do this to ensure our child a life in peace."

 

Leia nodded, a relieved smile gracing her features. "So what's your problem, Mara?"

 

The beautiful Jedi Master sighed: "I don't know. I just have…. a bad feeling about it."

 

Her sister-in-law frowned and leant forward: "About what? About the whole thing or about something specific?"

 

To Mara's utter surprise, Leia seemed to taker her deadly serious and she decided to use this possibility. "I don't know. It's very faint. But I…. I can't really say. There is something nagging me and I can't determine what it is."

 

The Alderaanian nodded slowly to herself. "Unlike what you're thinking of me, Mara, I'm taking this serious. I want nothing more than that Luke is fine. Healthy. Safe. And happy."

 

"Me either."

 

"Then let's keep an eye on your feelings and on him. Together."

 

Mara nodded.

 

They smiled at each other and both looked over to the table where the men were playing cards. Lando was grinning broadly, while every single of his opponents looked a little darkly onto their cards.

 

"I tell you he's using a skifter." Han murmured.

 

Lando shot him a wounded look: "I'm not! I'm a fair player."

 

"Yeah, sure." Wes huffed.

 

 

Yuuzhan Vong Chip Criarto, At The Fringes Of The Coruscant System

 

"I greet you, Supreme Overlord." Warmaster Tsavong Lah bowed his head slowly, so as to permit the villip of the head of his race to imitate the movement.

 

"I have received the peace treaty you've worked out with the human woman Leia Organa Solo." The impressive Yuuzhan Vong said without preamble, focussing his feral eyes on his subordinate.

 

Lah directed his gaze once again at the floor: "I hope you're satisfied with it. I don't feel as if I have given too much. And we will receive much in return."

Shimrra was silent for a long time. Then his deep voice reverberated through Tsavong Lah's private quarters. "And there is no other way? We have no chance to defeat them in battle?"

 

The Warmaster shook his head. "Certainly not. We are met with overwhelming powers. The Jeedai are too powerful for us."

 

"The Jeedai king…. Skywalker is his name. He has withstood a shaping?"

 

"Yes, Supreme Overlord. And, if I may add, I think that there are worthy individuals among those I'm in contact with. Luke Skywalker is an amazing personality and his sister, Leia Organa Solo, matches myself. We will not regret this peace treaty."

 

The Supreme Overlord leaned back, his face vanishing in shadows. Only his eyes were visible, thoughtful and trained on the Warmaster's face. "There are those who are not so sure about that. I have received word that the Shaper caste does not agree with you on all points."

 

Lah's eyes narrowed: "The Shapers have disgraced themselves. They have no means and no guts to rebel against my decisions. They will not dare think about disagreeing with yours, Supreme Overlord."

 

"You will keep an eye on them, then? I have decided to go with this peace treaty. I have to think at my people. We need homes. Even if this means we have to agree to an alliance with infidels."

 

"You can be sure that I will take care of any rebel activity. Though I don't think there will be any. May I assume that you're going to attend the final talks personally?"

 

Shimrra nodded gravely. "You may. I will begin the voyage to this infidel galaxy soon. There is something else, though, I want to take care of now."

 

Lah inclined his head, indicating further, respectful attention.

 

"I'm very impressed by how you've handled the situation, Tsavong Lah. You have managed to keep the Yuuzhan Vong's face without actually winning and this is more than I could have wished for."

 

Tsavong was reasonably surprised and even a little happy about this praise, but he didn't let the Supreme Overlord see any of this. He was not supposed to show any emotion at all. "I thank you, Supreme Overlord."

 

"You have a son, haven't you? A good warrior. He has survived Ithor."

 

Now it was Lah's turn to narrow his eyes. Suspicion grew in him. Worthiness and respect from a Supreme Overlord could mean different things. There had been respected and worthy Warriors that had been sacrificed to the gods as a reward for good service. He would accept any verdict of the Supreme Overlord, but he would rather not see his son sacrificed.

 

"Yes, Supreme Overlord."

 

"He is not bonded?"

 

Lah had to keep himself from gaping. This was even more unexpected. Most unexpected.

 

"No, he isn't."

 

For the first time through the conversation, Shimrra actually smiled. "Very good. My daughter will arrive in four days from now. I wish her to meet your son. I will presumably arrive a week after my daughter. See to it that everything is ready." With this, the villip in front of Lah collapsed.

 

And a very baffled Warmaster remained. There was not much that could baffle Tsavong Lah, but Supreme Overlord Shimrra managed to so on a regular basis. There was no doubt about his intentions - he wanted a bonding between domain Shimrra and domain Lah. This was highly unusual. There were no bondings between different domains. This was not customary.

 

Yet, the Supreme Overlord was the only one who could make exceptions. And Lah should actually feel honoured.

 

It laid in his nature, though, to be suspicious. Shimrra was not Supreme Overlord because of nothing. He could always have second thoughts. One had to be careful. Very careful.

 

 

Deep Space, Moota, Mezhan Kwaad's ship

 

Almost everything was ready. In the past couple of days, she had gotten regular reports from the little circle of Shapers that had agreed to help her. In the back of her ship, a lot of materials were assembled - materials that would help her achieve what she wanted. Materials that would be fun to work with - for her.

 

She glanced at Nen Yim, who was busy exercising minor brain manipulations on a little lizard. And additionally, she thought satisfied, she had a resourceful, intelligent apprentice.

 

Everything was as it should be. She would soon be able to set her plan in motion. "Nen?" she called, using the first name of the young female to underline her status.

 

The young Shaper lifted her head, looking over to her Master. "Get the ship moving. I'll give you the coordinates."

 

Nen Yim's eyes lit up: "It begins?"

 

Kwaad smiled broadly and nodded: "It begins."

 

While her apprentice went to the pilot seat, Kwaad stared out into the starlit space, focussing her thoughts with little effort on a human infidel that was light years away. 'Indeed,' she thought, 'it begins. And you have absolutely no idea.'

 

 

Coruscant, Solo Apartment

 

He was in the middle of a sabacc round. Everything was perfect. He felt happy. He felt as if he could master everything, no matter what destiny decided to throw at him. He felt watched.

 

In the fraction of a second, his head had darted around and his eyes focussed on the dark balcony of his sister's apartment. There was nothing. Nothing and no one. Frowning, he returned his attention to his cards.

 

But Luke Skywalker couldn't help feeling that someone or something had an eye on him. And this someone or something felt uncomfortably familiar.

 

 

| To Be Continued |

 

 

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