The Birth Of Acceptance 

Chapter 12

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

 

Coruscant, Imperial Palace, Skywalker Apartment, Morning

Sunlight was pouring into the room, warming it and its occupants. The curtains drawn back, Mara Jade Skywalker relished the view she had over the large city and its dozens of traffic lines.

The sleeping room of their apartment was one of Mara's favourite places to be. She remembered that she had been fairly surprised to find a largely impersonal apartment when she had moved into her husband's home. It had seemed like a hotel suite - ordered and beautiful, but devoid of personal belongings.

The only room that had borne signs of the occupant - of Luke - had been the sleeping room, which he had furnished and decorated according to his own gusto. Drawers were worked into the walls. One side of the room consisted completely of transpariglass that could be dimmed if one so wished. The only other things that stood in the room were a large bed, two nightstands and a couple of plants.

Some would think it looked empty, but Mara appreciated the space she had. And she appreciated the view. One didn't have to get out of bed to see Coruscant in all its splendour and the sun shone exactly onto the bed, waking its occupants softly. Usually that was.

This very morning, the golden rays had found Mara already awake, propped up on one elbow, silently contemplating the features of her husband. In his deep sleep - his body sedated by a drug, his subconscious held in mute check by her own Force powers - he looked peaceful and serene. No sign of fear, of despair or distress.

It was difficult for her to grasp what had happened the other day. When she saw him lay there, the boyish, beautiful face smooth and untroubled, Mara found it impossible to recall the image of Liin Kwaad.

Luke was not Liin Kwaad. He was gentle, caring, compassionate and loving. Beautiful from the outside as well as from the inside. The soft features didn't seem suited to ever bear blood lust, ferocity or hate. And yet, it was in him. A Yuuzhan Vong personality, waiting for the right moment to come out and seize him. Completely. To erase this wonderful creature that so many people adored, that was loved by its family.

And as if the sheer horror of Mezhan Kwaad's scheme hadn't been enough, Mara had had to fear that Luke would give up. She couldn't understand how she had managed to stay so calm and composed the past evening. The thought of Luke refusing to fight, of thinking the best course of action was to dispose of himself, to kill himself.... It was a terrible thought, one that she didn't want to contemplate any further.

Nodding in determination, Mara bent low and kissed the unresponsive lips of her husband softly, taking his warm, limp hand into her own. "You don't have to worry, my love. We beat them once, we will beat them again."

She was sure of it. And if she had to tear every single Yuuzhan Vong ship apart from aft to stern - she would find Mezhan Kwaad and then the Master Shaper would regret to ever have challenged the ex-Emperor's Hand.

A wicked smile on her face, Mara concentrated for a moment, called the Force to herself and reached for Luke's soul. As she had left it the previous evening, she found it bound by her own power, enshrouded, like in a veil. Protected.

Softly, not too quickly, she withdrew her influence and gave more and more of his conscience free while she carefully scanned for any hint of Liin Kwaad trying to force an appearance. To Mara's utter relief, the "Slayer", as Miiram had called him, seemed to have been neutralised for the moment. There was nothing that worried the female Jedi Master and when the sky-blue eyes of her love finally fluttered open, trying to take in reality, she relaxed visibly.

It worked. Their little counter-measure worked. One point taken over Kwaad. Mara swore to herself that it would be the first in a long, long row.

"Mara?" his voice still sounded a little sluggish, but it was almost visible how he strengthened with every breath he took, his deep azure orbs taking in every detail of the room.

"I'm here, love." She whispered reassuringly. The medical droid had warned her that the drug she had given him could create slight disorientation, but only temporary, after the patient had regained consciousness. Being a Jedi Master, Luke was able to overcome such nuisances far quicker than the average human being and it took only a minute for him to sit up slowly and smile at her.

"So it worked?"

Mara nodded, grinning from ear to ear: "I told you it would work, Luke. She can't get to you anymore. Not even while you're sleeping."

He smiled back, yet his voice didn't sound as confident as she would have liked it.

"At least not at the moment, Mar. We don't know exactly how strong her link with me is. How deeply Liin is established."

"No, we don't know. But it doesn't matter." Seeing the doubtful look on his face, Mara laid both her hands onto his cheeks, forcing him to look straight into her eyes. Insecurity was still obvious in these blue depths, those windows to his soul that showed everything to those who knew how to read them.

"You won't let Liin win. You won't let Kwaad win. You belong to me, to us, and that's how it is. Correct?"

He stared at her, taking his time to answer, but then broke into a smile, leaning his forehead against hers. "Correct."

"Good boy." Mara teased, pecking him on the lips. She rose from the bed and went over to one of the drawers.

"I'm going to take care of breakfast. You go shower to wake up. And stop worrying."

"Yes, ma'am." He mock-saluted.

With a laugh, she exited the room.

For a couple of minutes, Luke stared at the door through which she had left, lost in thoughts. She had saved him. Once again, as she had countless times before. Only this time, it hadn't been from a mighty foe, from someone who hated him. This time, she had saved him from himself.

Shaking his head, Luke slowly left his bed, standing up with all due care and giving his body time to adjust to the new position after having lain unmoving for the whole night. When the slight dizziness that had enveloped him had vanished, he went over to the window, leaning against it and staring out at the incredible skyline of the city he had been calling home for over a decade now.

What had he been thinking, the previous evening? Suicide! Never had he thought that he would consider something like this. It went against his beliefs. He had never given up - not completely at least. Even when he had felt the membrane engulf more and more of his brain and his being, he hadn't ceased to fight. Hiding had been his way of fighting - making sure Luke Skywalker wouldn't vanish.

What had possessed him yesterday? What had made him think that he couldn't stand up against Liin Kwaad?

It had simply been too much. Closing his eyes, relishing the coolness of the glass he was leaning against, Luke tried to recall the details of the previous day - up to the moment in which he had landed his X-Wing fighter in the giant hangar bay of the growing worldship that would serve Supreme Overlord Shimrra as home in this galaxy, he could recall everything perfectly. At least everything except this one training hour.

But what had happened on the growing worldship? What had happened between the moment he had opened his canopy and set foot onto the yorik coral and the moment he had suddenly stared into his wife's beautiful, but distressed face?

Drawing onto the Force, he tried to stimulate his memory, surprised to find a barrier that he hadn't been aware of. Like a thick, black wall it blocked his conscious from this time in which something crucial had happened.

Gathering his bravery, Luke concentrated a little harder and pushed through the black haze. He barely met any active resistance and this startled him. When his thoughts passed through the curtain - for that was a more fitting term for it, Luke thought - he felt like being watched, almost scowled at.

Liin. Liin had created this. Now more determined than ever to discover what had happened to him yesterday, Luke doubled his efforts, gathering the light of the Force around him and dissolving every little piece of the dark mass.

Was it a hallucination or did he hear a faint hiss? An angry hiss? It didn't really matter. He had to find out about the whole thing. And finally, all these blocked memories were accessible to him. It was a curious feeling. It wasn't as if he remembered actually DOING these things - rather, he felt like watching a holo movie, an actor that portrayed him. A part of him had been aware of all these things, had filed them away in this far-away corner of his memory, hidden from Luke Skywalker. And Liin Kwaad had reinforced the automatic barriers of the subconscious, taking the knowledge of ever having been there from the Jedi Master.

But Liin Kwaad was not mighty enough to withstand the Force. Luke felt his heart beat faster with exhilaration as he realised that he had indeed MIGHT over this Yuuzhan Vong personality.

Like in a holo drama, Luke watched how he descended from the X-Wing, told R2 not to draw too much attention and catapulted his helmet back into his canopy. Then he turned towards the coral vault that led deeper into the ship, to where the rooms of the Warmaster and his son were located.

So far, nothing seemed to be different from his usual self. But halfway from reaching the vault, he saw himself stop. A hand fleetingly reached to his temple, his head turned and without further preamble, he changed directions and headed down a totally different corridor.

His forehead furrowing with the effort, Luke forced more and more memories out of this hidden spot, recalling the profuse light-headedness that had overcome him only seconds before he had stopped in the hangar.

From this very point on, Luke Skywalker hadn't been aware of anything. Liin Kwaad had taken command, had at some point shed his boots, wanting to feel the yorik coral below his feet. Liin Kwaad had headed straight for the big hall of the ship. Destined to house the great gathering of domain heads and the Supreme Overlord when the peace treaty would be signed, it now offered shelter to two whole contingents of trained Yuuzhan Vong Warriors.

Fascination had completely overcome the Yuuzhan Vong personality. He saw Liin Kwaad, in HIS very own body, stand at the walkway that led around the whole hall - later, it would be the place where Priests and Shapers would watch the festivities and discussions - twinkling eyes taking in every movement of the Warriors.

He had been so fascinated. And at the same time despised and full of contempt. These Warriors were nothing but imperfect impostors. HE was better than all of them. If they only gave him an amphistaff, he would kill them here and there. All of them, single-handedly, without them having the opportunity to land a hit on him.

Luke felt himself shake his head. This was how it felt to be Liin Kwaad. Contempt and the craving to fight. It was all he could think of, all he HAD thought of. Fighting.

- Well, what else would a Slayer do, my precious? -

Unlike all other times, the voice suddenly seemed to be more real and Luke's awareness in the Force spun around, meeting a pair of green, cruel eyes. Yuuzhan Vong eyes.

She had been there. Mara had been right; Mezhan Kwaad had been on the growing worldship, had met with Liin Kwaad. Shock froze his thoughts while he continued to stare, in a mix of fear and anger, at the face that had burned itself into his brain - contorted in delight while carving a hole into his head, while torturing him mercilessly, intent to break his will. Alone the mere thought of having been so close to her again made him want to throw up.

- Such thoughts, dear Liin? And so wrong, too! -

The apparition snarled and only belatedly Luke became aware of the fact that she was talking to him in the present tense. Casting a glance backward, onto his memories, he still saw himself, Liin Kwaad, standing on the walkway watching the Yuuzhan Vong Warriors.

- Caught! -

Too late - much too late - Luke remembered what had immediately followed the light-headedness. It had felt like being sucked in by a black hole, suddenly, quickly, without warning. On the Yuuzhan Vong worldship, there had been no possibility to fight back, because he had not suspected anything like that to happen.

But now he knew about Liin Kwaad. He knew about Slayer's Mind. And he had promised Mara to fight. Promised it. Clinging to this one thought, Luke's spirit turned back to Mezhan Kwaad.

*~~

When Mara had entered the living room of their apartment, she had found Han and Leia just waking up. After Corran had left the previous evening to take care of some important administrative matters Luke hadn't succeeded in turning his attention to yet, the Jedi Master's sister and her husband had stayed and talked a long, long time with the ex-Emperor's Hand.

Mara had given them an exact summary of everything Miiram Shimrra had found out, shocking them in the process, but also pointing out how important it would be to have an eye on Luke and find the Master Shaper Mezhan Kwaad as soon as possible.

When they had finally decided that the rest had to be talked about with Luke present, it had been very late. So the both of them had decided to stay here. Mara suspected that they also were not sad about being able to watch Luke a little more closely after the terrifying news.

"Good morning, Mara." Leia called from the balcony, the wind blowing in her open hair. Mara nodded to her, smiling, her gaze travelling through the room and finding Han Solo still lying on the couch, awake but obviously not inclined to get up.

"Not a good morning for you, Smuggler?" she inquired, making her way over to the kitchen.

"There have been worse ones." The Corellian grumbled, fighting to sit up and then glaring at her out of two sleepy, hazel eyes. "Your couch is NOT very comfortable."

"It isn't destined to serve as bed, you know. And probably it doesn't like you. It only likes people with a certain amount of taste, you know."

"I DO have taste, Jade. I married her." Pointing to Leia, who winked good-naturedly at him, Han finally managed to get to his feet, looking around for his belt. Nodding over to the door of the sleeping room, he queried: "How is he?"

Mara smiled, programming the food-prep unit and gathering some cups out of one of the kitchen drawers. "Better. This night has done a lot of good to him. He doesn't look half as tired as in the past couple of days."

"So our little scheme works? We can block out Kwaad and neutralize his subconscious?" The Alderaanian princess sat down on one of the chairs at the kitchen table, taking the dishes from Mara and putting them onto it.

The ex-Emperor's Hand nodded: "It seems so. The sedative shuts his body down, I control his soul. There is nothing that could go wrong, actually."

"Sure." Came a stifled mumble from the living room and both women glared at Han's backside, which was the only thing of him visible at the moment. Only a few seconds later, he straightened, triumphantly twirling his belt around his index finger, which was pointed straight at his wife and his sister-in-law.

"There is always something that can go wrong. ESPECIALLY if Luke is involved. You see, a couple of months after Yavin IV, we were headed for..."

Before he could finish his little tale, a loud noise that came out of the sleeping room let him fall silent at once. Leia and Mara, both with hands full, could do not much but stare at Han and at the door, but the Corellian had already vanished before they could tell him to check on the Jedi Master.

**~

Han stormed into the sleeping room of the Skywalker couple, his eyes first focusing on the bed, but finding it empty. Letting his gaze wander, his heart almost froze upon seeing the figure of his brother-in-law sprawled onto the floor.

"Luke!"

In an instant, he kneeled next to the Jedi Master, slowly lifting him and leaning him against his shoulder. Luke's face was pale and blank, only his hands twitched and his eyes fluttered open and closed.

"Hey, kid! Snap out of it! Come on, you're scaring me here!! Luke!!

*~~

It was so difficult. So terribly difficult. He still stared into those evil, green eyes, and felt something tug at his conscious, more and more intense. Its strength multiplied by the second. Like stardust sucked into the black holes of the Maw near Kessel, Luke felt his conscious slip away from him.

He mustn't allow that. If he gave up, if he let himself flow with it, Liin Kwaad would gain control again. The Master Shaper had ambushed him. She had waited, aware that she couldn't get past Mara's protective walls of Force energy. Had decided that she would take him unaware. And by trying to find out what exactly had happened on the growing worldship, Luke had opened a door for her.

He was dimly aware of his legs giving way from under him, of the world around him suddenly swimming, then blurring, then vanishing entirely. It was, Luke mused, like swimming against a current that wanted to keep you under water. Only that it was far worse than anything dragging at his body. They dragged at his soul, from every side, wanting him to give up the fight.

It wouldn't hurt anymore. That was what they promised him. He just had to give up and they would stop hurting him.

Tempting. It was oh so tempting. He was so tired of hurting all the time. It seemed as if the past few months hadn't consisted of anything else than hurt. Desperation once again threatening to overwhelm him, the weeks with Mara on Chandrila - peaceful, sheltered - shrank in his memory.

"… kid .... scaring... snap out... Luke!"

The voice seemed to come from far away, for the first time making him aware of the fact that he had probably lost consciousness for a time.

That was Han! Force, it had almost happened again. As if he had suddenly found a dictionary for a language he hadn't understood up to now, the Jedi Master grasped what was happening. Liin Kwaad was a fighter, yes, but amphistaff, thud bugs and his body - these weren't his only weapons. Now, on the spiritual level, he fought with other things - he fought with emotions. With fear and desperation.

And Luke had done exactly what Liin Kwaad had wanted. Focusing his strength on this might that tucked at his soul, he had not even recognised what was happening to him. Of course! There was no way for Liin to actively overcome him. Without Luke's help - without him losing himself in sleep or in just that, desperation - Liin would not be able to seize control.

Forcing himself to abandon the "defence" against the tugging, Luke clung to the one presence he felt could drag him out of his present state.

*~~

Han was about to call for Mara and Leia - especially Mara. Though he was aware that it had been mere seconds since he had come in and found Luke like this, the unresponsiveness of his brother-in-law began to unnerve him, if not even scare him.

Just as he opened his mouth, a sharp intake of breath let him turn his head back to the up to this moment prone figure in his arms. Panting, Luke grasped Han's biceps, his blue eyes wide and pleading when he met Han's gaze: "Don't call them. Please. Please, don't call them."

The Corellian narrowed his eyes: "Luke, I think it'd be better if a Force sensitive..."

Strengthening his grip on his friend, the blond man sat up, struggling, adopting a more comfortable position.

"Han, please. I'm fine. It's just..." averting his gaze, Luke looked directly at the door to his private room. Following a sudden urge, noting with a slight smile that Han hadn't called for either Leia or Mara's help, he tugged at the other man's shirt.

"Help me up, please."

Han shook his head, dubiously eyeing his brother-in-law, and nodded towards the door that led out into the living room.

"They will come nonetheless, you know. You made quite some noise when you decided to kiss the floor, kid."

Luke smiled more broadly: "They won't come, Han."

"One of these crazy Force things?"

"One of these crazy Force things. Now please help me up. There is something I want to show you."

The Corellian sighed, bend down and sneaked his arms under Luke's armpits, dragging him upright carefully. The moment he loosened his grip, his friend tumbled to the side, his hands flying to his head when a sudden fit of dizziness hit him.

Reacting with experience gathered in long years, Han managed to steady him in time, glaring at him darkly: "You're fine, eh? Yeah, sure looks like it. Kid, it's better if we call for a medic. I won't stand by and watch when..."

"Come on." Luke interrupted him, dragging him softly towards the door to his private room. With every step he took, his dizziness became less and by the time his hand lay on the sensory field that would open the door, he felt much better already.

"Luke, I know you hate medics, but you're..."

Blue eyes twinkling amused, the Jedi Master smiled at his older friend: "Han, I'm fine. Now, will you come? We don't have all day." And with that, he vanished into his room.

For a moment, the Corellian ex-Smuggler stared after him, unsure what to do. On the one hand, Luke was not a child anymore. He had to know how he felt and whether he needed a medic or not. True, the kid hated medics and hospitals, but if it was serious - if he KNEW it was serious - he usually didn't object.

On the other hand, Luke's behaviour was odd. One second lying there, looking as if caught in a spasmodic fit, the other one acting as stubborn as ever. Could it be... Han almost cringed at the mere thought of it, but could it be that this hadn't been Luke, but Liin Kwaad?

His heart, his soul, cried out that he would see the difference. He would see when his friend vanished, when there was only this murderer, this butcher that wanted to replace him. He would, wouldn't he?

His steps hesitant, Han entered the sanctuary of Luke. He had seldom been in here, the last time when Luke had moved into the apartment and he and Chewie had helped him to get some furniture into the room. Since then, things had changed.

As with the drawers in the bedroom, shelves had been worked into the walls - into three of four walls, to speak exactly. They were packed full with ancient books, dozens of data chips, flimsiplast and paper readouts, holo cubes and discs.

The fourth wall of the room was - also as in the bedroom - a huge transparisteel window, letting him see out, but no one see in. In front of it, a large desk was situated, also filled with books, and equipped with a high standard computer access terminal.

The shelves on the right wall ended some two meters before they met the window, making room for a large, comfortable looking couch and a corner with drawing utensils.

In front of this sofa, on the floor, Luke kneeled. Serious eyes, dark because the sun was shining right through the window, tracked the tall man while he went over to the Jedi Master and kneeled down himself.

"I'm not Liin Kwaad." He stated, his voice calm and very intense. Han had the feeling that it was crucial for Luke that he believed it. Perhaps, if Han didn't believe it, Luke couldn't believe it himself? All this was so very complicated.

"I'm not Liin Kwaad." His brother-in-law's voice repeated.

Han stared into his face, the sun not changing colours anymore when Luke used the Force to draw heavy curtains before the window.

Dark was replaced by the familiar, azure blue, obscurity by the familiar kindness, love and loyalty.

"No." The Corellian finally said, smiling. "You're not Liin Kwaad."

Luke smiled back, making Han swallow hard. In this moment, it seemed as if he grasped for the first time what had almost happened the day before. He had almost lost him. Lost the dearest, best friend he had ever had - aside from Chewie.

The thought at the Wookiee only added to the lump in his throat, but Han forced the paralysing grief out of his heart, his soul. He couldn't allow this to take control of his life again. Not as long as he had to fight for those of his friends, his family, who still lived. Like Luke.

He lived. It seemed like Han knew the kid forever. It seemed like they had always been together, always able to rely on each other. Often enough, Luke had rescued him, or his family. Had rescued the reasons he lived.

And he had taught Han so many things. Compassion, loyalty, idealism ---- the need to fight for what you believed in, the need to do good no matter whether you got paid, the need to make the galaxy a better place.

By his selfless friendship and devotion, Luke had given him - and all other friends of his - something wonderful and new in their life and had it made a thousand times more worthy of living.

Chewie had liked Luke from the beginning. Han had liked him, too, and had been flattered by the admiration the young boy had showed for him, the experienced, hard space pirate. But in the course of the years, Luke's nature, his big heart, had succeeded in letting Han's feelings for him surpass mere appreciation of the flattery. They had become genuine, deep friendship.

They were like brothers and they would always be like that. If he could, Han would prevent anything from ever happening to Luke again. This included Liin Kwaad, too.

Perhaps he couldn't handle a lightsaber, or an amphistaff. Perhaps he couldn't use the Force. But still, he would fight against this being and its creator, and if he had to strangle it with bare hands to keep it from hurting Luke.

"Thank you, Han."

The Corellian grinned awkwardly: "Always eavesdropping, these Jedi." He murmured, not able to fight a slight blush.

Luke smiled, then reached with one hand under the couch.

"Han, I know that you're my friend and that you trust me. And I trust you. Sometimes..." he paused for a moment when his hand found what it had sought, then continued: "Sometimes you're able to help me much more than Mara or Leia can. You understand things they can't."

His suspicion peeked, the former smuggler folded his hands in front of his chest: "Such as?"

Luke drew in a deep breath, then dragged the yorik coral case out from under the couch and put it in his lap. As he stroked softly over the surface, the coral reacted and slid open, revealing the amphistaff in all its splendour - and horror.

"Such as this." The Jedi Master softly whispered.

Han's eyes grew wide and with instinctive curiosity, he extended one hand to touch the weapon. Almost immediately, Luke caught his wrist in a vice-like grip, his eyes more serious than ever.

"Don't touch it. It would bite you. Kill you."

The Corellian stared at him for a moment, then withdrew his hand, nodding. "This is the amphistaff this Shaper person sent to you. As a gift."

It was obviously not a question.

Luke was surprised only for a moment. "So Mara has told you."

Han nodded. His friend's eyes were once again hefted onto the weapon, his natural hand stroking the animal that began to hiss contentedly. There was an expression in Luke's eyes that made Han's stomach protest. This weapon fascinated him. More than it should.

"It is mine, you know." The Jedi's voice cut the silence like a vibro-blade, sounding rougher than usual. "She has bred it especially for me. It obeys only me."

"Luke, I don't think you should..."

Once again, the farmboy-turned-Jedi Knight from Tatooine interrupted his older friend: "I shouldn't keep it, that's what you want to say, right?"

Han swallowed, forcing himself to nod. There was a sort of ferocity in the other's features that seemed very unnatural. Noticing how Luke's hand that still stroked the amphistaff trembled, his body tensed.

Of course it would be certain suicide, but in case this was Liin Kwaad surfacing, he would not simply sit here and watch.

Through the tension, Luke's sudden, soft laughter seemed almost surreal.

"You're so right, Han. It's... it's ensnaring me. It's like a drug." Honest, blue eyes meeting worried, hazel ones, the Jedi continued. "I resent Liin Kwaad. All of him. All but this. You... you can't imagine how fascinating this weapon is. It means almost as much to me as my lightsaber. It's as if I have created it myself, just as my sabre, though I can't remember having done something like that. Yet, it is a part of me."

He stopped for a moment, swallowing, then stopped stroking the staff and stashed it back into its box.

"But it is a connection between Liin and me. The only one that really melts me into him. Do you understand?"

When Han shook his head, Luke continued.

"You see, Liin and I - we are separated, completely. He is a totally different personality. If he gets the control, I'm gone. As if he knocks me out. But Mezhan - she never only relies on one plan. She sent me this to convert ME into him. Liin has a connection to my mind - but only to my mind. This staff has one to my body."

When he saw the older man's eyes light up in understanding, Luke nodded. "I see you understand what I mean. This staff is like an addiction. And whenever I take a dose, it binds me more to Liin. "

"So what do you want to do?" Han asked, his voice rough. This was troubling news, indeed.

"I can't destroy it. If... no WHEN we have taken care of Mezhan and of Liin, I want to train with it. I want to know the Yuuzhan Vong like that to be more effective against them - should any of them try again to damage the New Republic. And the animal... it may sound funny, but I LIKE the animal. It is not evil, you know. It just does what it has been trained to do."

"But Luke, this is dangerous. If it is like you say, if it is addictive, you can't keep it."

"You have understood that it means much to me?"

Han nodded: "Yes."

The Jedi Master smiled, then - startling Han - put the box into the Corellian's lap.

"I want you to take it, Han. Don't worry, it can't hurt you through the box. I wouldn't give it to you if it could hurt you. Take it and keep it safe. Hide it somewhere. Don't tell me where. When the time is come and I can handle it safely, you will know and can give it back to me."

Han opened his mouth, needed some minutes, then finally forced something out: "I will. Trust me, I will. But I don't understand why you don't give it to Mara. Or Leia."

"As I said, " Luke explained, "they sometimes don't understand me. They wouldn't understand this. They wouldn't want me to keep it, would destroy it. But you understand that I can't destroy it, don't you?"

The Corellian shook his head, smiling: "Don't ask me to explain it, because I can't. But I do understand."

Luke nodded. "That's why I want you to have it."

For a long while, they just sat there, engrossed in their own thoughts, relishing the trust between the two of them.

Now, Han was sure that Luke would win against Liin Kwaad.

"We should go to Leia and Mara now. They will start to worry." He said after some more minutes.

Luke acknowledged that with a pat of Han's shoulder, then rose. "I think you're right."

 

Yuuzhan Vong Craft Moota, At The Edge Of The Coruscant System

So he had managed it. He had indeed managed it. Mezhan Kwaad clenched her hands into fists, ignoring the pain that stabbed through her forearm when her tool implants penetrated the soft skin of her palm.

Skywalker had not only found out about Liin Kwaad - the truth about Liin Kwaad - he had even found a way to counteract everything. The whole first stage.

She had underestimated him. Once again. It would be the last time. Of course she didn't absolutely need him for her plans. He would still be an assurance. If she had him, no one could stand in her way. Absolutely no one. With Liin under her control, she would be able to rule her race and perhaps even the infidel galaxy - with time.

She would not give up that easily. By no means.

She already had an idea how she could alter her plans for the Supreme Overlord's arrival in a way that would have Skywalker end up under her control anyway. Nothing was impossible. Not for a Shaper.

Stroking the villips on the coral desk before her one after the other, she contacted all the Shapers that had pledged themselves to help her at least in some organisational matters.

"Everything is going as I wish?" she inquired.

One of her old friends, Laal Toon, nodded: "The animals are about to be completely placed. Everything will go according to plan. What about you?"

"This is none of your concern. Report to me when you have placed them all. I will remember all this."

All of them nodded and soon after, the villips sagged together.

Kwaad leaned back, staring out into space.

"You haven't escaped me yet, Skywalker. Not yet."

 

| To Be Continued |

 

 

Back to author's Page

Back to Fan Fiction