The Birth Of Acceptance 

 Chapter 13

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, Medical Centre, Restricted Area, Afternoon Of The Same Day

Luke Skywalker walked slowly along the polished corridors. If the situation hadn't been that serious, he would have smiled. For all the times he had been here, in the Coruscant Medical Centre, he had never even set foot into this section. Whenever he had been injured - whether gravely or not - Leia had made sure that he had a wing of his own, with highest security. No one was to come near him without a certain clearance on his or her identity card.

The people who had been brought here enjoyed the safety of high security, too, but out of completely different reasons. It was not because of the care of a loving sister that barely anyone was allowed to come visit them. It was because there were still suspicions and the fear of what they might be able to do that they were restricted here, monitored.

The doctors and med-droids did their best to help, but they, too, were afraid. Fear. It permeated the whole area and Luke felt extremely uncomfortable in these white, sterile corridors.

"Next time I volunteer for something like that, shoot me." Corran Horn, Jedi Knight, mumbled. His robes drawn about him, he walked at the side of his Jedi Master, glancing around in obvious discomfort.

Luke couldn't help but smile. "You didn't even see them yet, Corran."

The Corellian grimaced: "And I can't claim I'm looking forward to it."

In the empty corridor, his voice reverberated for several seconds, giving the two men the feeling of being lost in a cave. All the sunlight that shone in through the glass walls of the corridor didn't help to ease this awful feeling.

On the barren floor and walls, painted white, there was not even a warm glow. Just bleakness. For a moment, Luke wondered whether one could get snow blind by looking too long at a single place.

"I'm neither. But we have to. Out of several reasons."

Corran sighed: "I know that 'I' have to."

Luke perched an eyebrow, glancing sideways at his companion. The stress the other had put on the word "I" hadn't slipped by his ears.

Aware that his Master had understood the unspoken implication and that he did NOT appreciate it, the green-eyed man began to slow his pace, an expression of stubbornness written on his face.

"You see, if I didn't know you for so long, Luke, I'd think you're trying to avoid talking to me."

"I don't know what you mean."

The Corellian Jedi snorted and lightly jogged a few steps until he had caught up with his Master again.

"Come on. Since yesterday evening - since I know about IT - you're not all too keen to get into any sort of talk with me." Seeing the lips of the blond man tighten to thin strings, Corran continued: "What are you afraid of? That I despise you for it?"

Luke's head veered around and two narrowed, blue eyes focused on the other man's face, searching his features.

"Do you?"

The seriousness in the Jedi Master's voice took Corran aback and he couldn't help but stare open-mouthed at his friend. "Of course not!"

"Are you sure about that? You don't have to say that out of courtesy. Nor out of some feeling of having to go light on me."

The certainty with which Luke had determined that his friend suddenly looked down on him for what he had been through succeeded in doing something that had hardly happened in the last years. It made Corran angry. Forcing himself to breath in deeply, trying to hide it from the Jedi Master, the Corellian counted to ten. This was a delicate field and he knew it.

For long hours the previous day, Corran had listened to Mara, to Leia and to Han about what had happened to Luke. For the first time, he had learned what the former farmboy from Tatooine had been through. That torture could inflict severe damage on one's soul hadn't been new to Corran. He had dealt with a lot of such cases. His experience in both the field of crime and Luke Skywalker himself had kept him from worrying too much about any ill effects this might have had on the renowned war hero's soul.

But being almost brainwashed, forced into mindless submission, into servitude without limits - he couldn't even start to imagine what that would do to a human being. Especially to someone like Luke, who had fought all his life for the freedom of beliefs, thoughts and spirit that had been a rare treasure under the Empire, reserved to those who were wealthy enough to be actually important to Palpatine.

Together with his own knowledge about psychology, the Corellian had been able to pierce together a scenario of the last few months of Luke's life that he was sure to be more or less correct. Recalling this, he was not really able to stay angry with Luke for too long.

After glancing around to make sure they were alone, Corran cleared his throat: "Luke, knowing that you had to go through all this doesn't make me think less of you. On the contrary."

Luke bit his lower lip, turning his head and staring ahead, at the glass door that separated the restricted area from this corridor. Big, red letters warned everyone to stay away if they couldn't provide proper entrance codes. The guards wouldn't have to worry about any intruders. No one WANTED to go there and see what was behind. Not really.

"I could have become like them, you know." The voice of the Jedi Master was suddenly very soft and his eyes stared at the Corellian in an obvious challenge. Confrontation. That was always the first step of those who felt insecure. Of those who battled with their own inner demons.

Corran's heart contracted in genuine sympathy. Luke had pulled himself together admirably since yesterday evening. He himself didn't think he would have been able to calm down like that, to carry out his duties again after having learnt that something as terrible as this protocol had been well under way to vanquish his very personality. Yet, there was a doubt. And of course it was natural.

"You could never become like them, Luke. Not you."

The surprise about this statement immediately registered on the other man's face, an ice-blue challenge reversed into sky-blue confusion and insecurity when the sparkling orbs turned to the side, staring out at a skyscraper some half a dozen kilometres away. The afternoon sun gleamed on its windows.

When the Jedi Master didn't say another word, Corran closed the distance between them and laid a hand on Luke's shoulder.

"We all have trust in you. Why can't YOU have trust, too?"

Luke shook his head, making himself free of the other's touch and turning completely to the window-wall of the corridor. His arms folded in front of his chest, he portrayed a set of mind in which not many of his pupils would have dared even say a word to him.

"You don't know what it feels like, Corran, to slowly lose control. You don't know how close I've been."

Corran sighed: "No, I don't know. I just know that it doesn't matter."

This simple statement broke the grim, glum expression on the youthful face the Corellian had come to identify with one of the most admirable persons in the galaxy.

"What?"

The Rogue-turned-Jedi grinned. The best way to get a person's attention was to startle them. It worked every time. In case of Luke, he naturally waited until they were in a public place. The last time he had startled the Jedi - at the Academy, some one or two years ago - he had gotten a black eye and a severely displaced shoulder out of it.

Catching the other man's thoughts, the Jedi Master grinned, too. "That was an accident. It will teach you not to side with my students and try to pull a trick on me."

Corran snorted: "I'm a Rogue. I'm supposed to do such stuff."

Luke laughed: "And I founded Rogue Squadron. I know all of these tricks. But now seriously. What do you mean, it doesn't matter?"

The Corellian sobered again: "You see, Luke, I don't have all the background information here." When the blond haired man opened his mouth to say something, Corran lifted a hand to interrupt him: "And you DON'T have to tell me more than I already know. But a fact is that you are still here, standing right before me, as Luke Skywalker, Jedi Master. Not as whoever, Yuuzhan Vong Warrior. Do you understand what I mean? You may have had to fight hard. You may have almost succumbed. But you haven't. And that's all I need to know. And I'm sure NOT going to despise you for it. Heck, I admire you for it! And in case you haven't noticed, you get me quite worked up with this stuff, so I'd really, really appreciate it if you just accepted that I'm your friend now and will always be and that's it. 'Kay?"

For a long moment, Luke just stared at him and Corran had the feeling to be teleported back in time. Tales of a wide-eyed kid that had rushed into the Rebellion, blown up a Death Star and become the hero of the day sounded in his ears, told countless times by Wedge, Wes or Hobbie for new recruits of Rogue Squadron who had demanded to be let in into the squad's history. These eyes must have looked exactly like that all these years ago. And this smile must have been the same.

"I guess I'm kind of paranoid at the moment." The head of the Jedi Order said, suddenly sounding a lot more cheerful than only a couple of minutes before.

"I sure can understand that. But YOU are the one who always tells me duty goes first."

"You're right. Let's go."

*~~

"We are very honoured that you out of all people come here to check on our progress, Master Skywalker." Bowing deeply, the lekku of the green-skinned, elderly Twi'lek male almost touched the floor.

After having passed the security doors, Luke and Corran had immediately been greeted by the whole staff, led by their chief medic, Lor'Ardo. Nurses, helpers and guards alike had been whispering behind his back, throwing awed gazes his way while keeping a distance they felt obviously necessary. Yet, only a minor reaching out into the Force showed him that there was no fear or distrust causing these reactions. All Luke felt was admiration.

It was hard to keep the grimace that threatened to betray his emotions from coming through. He was not proud of what he had done above Ithor. Hadn't been proud of it back then and was even less proud of it now that he knew more about the Yuuzhan Vong.

They were not cold-blooded murderers. Their people sought new planets to live on, to save their culture from dying. It was an unfortunate play of fate that they and a civilisation as different from them as the one of this galaxy had had to clash together.

To his utter dismay, no one seemed to understand his point of view on things. The adoration that came his way was genuine and under different circumstances, he might have been flattered by it. But not here and not now. This was no place to feel flattered, no place to brag and no place to allow people to think about anything else than to help the poor creatures that were entrusted into their hands.

"It's my pleasure, Chief Medic. But I suggest we start right away." Turning towards the gathered people - around two dozen, Luke estimated - Corran standing slightly behind him to the right, the Jedi Master addressed the crowd. He had never felt all too comfortable about something like this, but as Jedi Ambassador and head of the Yuuzhan Vong committee, he had to get used to it. The sooner, the better.

"I'm no man of elaborate speeches and I'm sure you're all more than relieved to be spared an hours long rant about what the Senate has asked me to do. So let's just begin with showing me and Jedi Horn around."

Lor'Ardo nodded, his head-tails twitching in a way Luke had come to know as anticipation and nervousness. Obviously the Twi'lek was very sure that the results of the whole operation would please the Jedi. At the same time, though, the alien was frightened and this very palpably so.

For a fleeting moment, Luke wondered what was weighing down on the consciousness of the other. A light Force probe quickly informed him that it had nothing to do with the project he had been chosen to preside upon. Thus, it was of no concern to the Jedi.

"Of course, Master Jedi. If you were so nice as to follow me. This way please."

His senses on alert, Luke listened to the elaborate descriptions of the rooms, halls and gardens he was led through. Though this section was heavily guarded at the moment, these measures of security were not usual here.

The psychological section of the Coruscant Medical Centre had been designed to offer those who had suffered from traumatic events or were mentally ill a refuge and a place to heal, if possible, or to live peacefully and unbothered by the outside world when a cure was out of question.

Wide lawns, dotted with lakes, little groups of trees and carefully maintained fields of flowers stretched out towards the mountains that were not that far away anymore.

The aseptic corridors had been replaced by coloured walkways, walls dotted with pictures, that led to several booths and rooms in which the patients lived. Every species found the perfect environment according to gravity, oxygen, humidity and whatever else might be important for their physical well-being.

Out in the gardens, numerous pairs of beings walked around, sat under the trees or at the lakes, deep in conversation or simply enjoying the autumn sun. Though many species were present, every pair was basically alike. One psychologist, one patient. Just like it had been proposed in the therapy scheme the Senate had been presented with by the Ministry of Health that had been entrusted with finding a way of curing beings that had been subjected to Yuuzhan Vong slavery.

"I figured it would be easier for you to gain an opinion if you could watch it from here. You can see everyone and the patients are not aware of your presence. So they can't be distracted." Lor'Ardo explained, folding his hands on his belly, smiling in satisfaction.

"Thank you, Chief Medic. But I think we would have gone largely unnoticed. We didn't come here to draw attention to ourselves."

"Of course you didn't, Master Jedi. But you would have. Perhaps you're not aware of it, but many of our patients know that you have been the one to free them from Belkadan. They hold you in high regard."

Luke sighed inwardly. Even more admiration he didn't want. Sometimes he wondered how it could be that everyone adored him for something he himself had never wanted to do in the first place. That everyone thought something to be heroic he himself thought of as cowardly.

But there was no use in pondering this once again. He would ignore this comment and therefore not give anyone the possibility to engage in another praise speech about the Battle of Ithor and his role in it.

Focusing on some of the patients - several humans and a couple of Ithorians - Luke surveyed their faces, paying special attention to their foreheads and cheekbones. "I see you found a way to take out the coral seeds that have been implanted by the Yuuzhan Vong."

"Indeed, we have. Some of the more complicate cases are still in stationary treatment. Mostly those who have been caught very early during the war. The seeds have managed to grow firmly into the bones and it is a riddle and a challenge to get rid of them while saving most of the original tissue of the patient."

"How many are still in this state?"

"About two dozen. But they are taken care of. The Master Shapers Warmaster Lah has sent to us have provided us with some potions that are neutralising the pain. The patients can't actually do anything alone, for with neutralising the coral, we practically neutralise them, but at least they don't suffer. So, we have enough time to figure out ways to assure complete recreation for all of them - individually."

"So you are confident that all of them can be freed from the coral growths?" Corran chimed in, feeling a cold shiver run down his spine. He had seen and fought against Yuuzhan Vong slaves that had been controlled by those growths. The dullness in their eyes had been terrible to behold and it felt good to know that there was a way to help them.

Lor'Ardo beamed visibly, his back straightening in pride: "We are very confidant indeed, Jedi Horn. And those who have been freed enjoy a lot of progress in their therapy. I think the Senate can rest assured that our way of doing this will guarantee a ninety percent success in complete healing and memory recovery for the rescued slaves."

"These are not the hundred we would like to have, Chief Medic." Luke said softly. While Corran had consulted the data pad the Twi'lek had carried with him all the way for statistics, the Jedi Master's eyes had settled on the form of a small girl. Her dark eyes and skin showed her to be from a world with at least a class 4 sun. Short, ebony curls reached up to her chin. She was perhaps six or seven years old, yet, when he looked into her face, the serious, sad expression on it..... that was not the way a child should look like.

The psychologist, an older woman with greying hair, was trying to get her excited about some small animal that was making its way towards one of the flower fields, but the little girl seemed fairly oblivious to it.

"Does she belong to our ninety percent or to the ten percent failure rate?" the Jedi Master's sarcasm didn't seem to get through to the Chief Medic, who came to stand next to the smaller man. Corran shot Luke a questioning glance, having caught the sudden change of mood in his friend.

"Unfortunately, little Shara belongs to the failures. She has been caught at the age of four. The coral had invaded almost all of her body. And this in a strange way. She had neither memories nor own will left. Not much of it anyway. Her parents were not to be found. We don't even know whether Shara is her true name. I'm afraid she will never be able to live on her own."

The sudden surge of anger and pain that erupted in his heart came as a surprise to Luke and he found it impossible to breath for a moment. Somehow, in some way, he felt connected to this little girl. Yet he was sure he had never seen her.

Like in a dream, he heard Corran ask the Chief Medic what he meant by the coral having invaded the girl in a strange way.

"We think she has been subject to experiments."

Reflexively, Luke closed his eyes, doing all he could to keep from clenching his hands into fists. Experiments. This girl had been in the hands of a Shaper. She hadn't just been caught, been implanted with a seed of coral and then sent to work.

- Show me the girl again, my dear. -

Feeling himself tremble slightly, Luke forced his mind into serenity.

- I wouldn't have thought to hear from you again, Kwaad. -

Was that really him? Could he talk to her like this? It felt downright surreal. Luke didn't feel up to facing her like this. Not mentally, not in reality. She was a figure of overwhelming might - at least in his head and in his heart.

- Do you really think the ridiculous idea of your little redhead is going to keep me from reaching my goals? -

Luke smiled softly. There had been something new to Mezhan's voice. Anger. He had never heard her angry before.

- She has done a good first job. -

A snort echoed in his head and he had the strange feeling to see the Master Shaper, propped up on a yorik coral seat, against the background of space. Star patterns were visible, but Luke didn't pay attention to them. It was hard enough to cope with suddenly seeing the dreaded face right before his eyes.

Even though he was aware that he was not there, that she was not HERE - for he could hear Corran and the Chief Medic talking behind him - panic was close to his heart, ready to grasp it entirely.

- Luck. It was pure luck. Don't think you have overcome Liin. It would be a mistake, Skywalker. -

Skywalker again? Luke's smile became wider. Perhaps - only perhaps - this was not as useless a fight as he had thought in his moment of despair yesterday.

- You are too sure of yourself, Luke, my dear. Far too sure. -

- I don't think so, Mezhan. -

There was silence. A long silence. Luke basked in it. The feeling of triumph almost made him grin. He had gotten the better of her. He had gotten the better of Mezhan Kwaad. It felt good, awesomely good. Perhaps, if he...

- SHOW ME THE GIRL! -

The shout reverberated in his head like the echoes of his and Corran's voices in the corridor earlier this afternoon had done. His eyes flew open, his will not being able to hold his lids down. His heart thudding in his chest, almost painfully so, Luke focused on the little girl that was still sitting on the lawn, that was still being cradled by her psychologist and that was still unresponsive to the woman's words.

- Oh yes... -

Mezhan's voice purred after a couple of seconds. Luke shuddered, wanting to look around to make sure no one was aware of what was going on, but unable to move. The panic that had built up gradually for the past minutes was almost ready to grip him again as he realised what was happening. Liin... Liin had obeyed Mezhan's voice.

- I remember her. I tried to find a way of extracting memories and knowledge into the brain of a ship --- without the help of a yammosk. It didn't work. -

Luke felt his teeth clenching together. He wished he could do something. Anything. The need to go out there, take this girl into his arms and protect her was almost overwhelming. But he couldn't move. He could just stare at the delicate, little creature.

- Protect her? Why, I have a much better idea. Haven't I, Liin? -

At the fringes of his perception, Luke noted how Lor'Ardo and his accompany left to attend to an emergency elsewhere. Yet before he could wonder where Corran was, before he could even attempt to focus enough to get his body to move, he felt his arm drop and his fingers clench around his lightsaber.

- Not his weapon, but it will do. -

Mezhan's voice was tinged with amusement now. She enjoyed it. She enjoyed torturing him like this. She would enjoy making Liin kill this girl with Luke watching. But he wouldn't permit that. He was a Jedi Master. He would NOT kill this innocent girl.

- No. - His voice in the Force sounded like a whisper in comparison to Mezhan's. There was no power in it that made it reverberate like the one of the Master Shaper. He couldn't be that weak! It was impossible.

Meanwhile, Luke was clenching his teeth together so forcefully that pain shot through his jaw. He would not let anyone else but himself control his body.

Drawing onto all of his powers, all his reserves and the immeasurable might of the Force, Luke prepared himself for another confrontation with this foe in himself, while the hand gripping his lightsaber began to tremble.

*~~

"Luke?"

Corran had been busy checking statistics and progress reports with the Twi'lek Chief Medic. It had been obvious that Luke hadn't intended to do that. Judging by the way he had stared at the little girl out there, his eyes full of compassion and pity, the Corellian had drawn the conclusion that the Jedi Master wanted his accompany to take care of the administrative matters.

After all, he was the Master. It would make a big impression on the Chief Medic if Corran attended to this sort of stuff. And as the former CorSec officer had expected, it had done just this.

But now... now Lor'Ardo was gone and Corran had suggested to the Jedi Master to leave the section. It was a depressing and highly sober place to be. Although many of the patients were on their way to perfect sanity, fear, panic, pain and irritation still permeated the Force around here. For a Jedi and a normal human being capable of feelings it was the very last place to feel comfortable.

Having gotten no answer from his friend, Corran had lifted his head for the first time, feeling his mouth fall open at the sight before him. Lightsaber clenched in his right hand, Luke was still staring out of the window, at the girl. But his face was not sad. It was grim, his teeth clenched together.

"Luke? Are you all right?"

As if he had been deep in thought, the Jedi Master turned around quickly, his eyes turning this way and that for a few seconds. Then he focused back on his friend. A small smile appeared on the youthful face and Luke nodded.

"Yeah, sure. I just... I was thinking about the girl. I wish I could help her."

For a moment, Corran mustered him doubtfully, but finally, he sighed: "I know. I'm feeling the same way. But we can't do more than make sure no one else is going to suffer through what she did. Are we done here?"

"You've got all the reports and data?"

"Yup."

"Then I guess we're really done here."

Corran brightened immediately: "Great. Let's drop that off at your sister's office and go fetch something to eat."

*~~

It had stopped as suddenly as it had begun. From one moment to the other, Liin had stopped fighting. From one moment to the other, Luke's muscles had obeyed him again.

This had surprised the Jedi Master. He had fully expected to have to fight a lot more to keep his Yuuzhan Vong personality from going out there and hurting the girl. Instead, it had been mere seconds of inner fight and he had been victorious. Hadn't he?

- Well, have you? -

The mocking tone of the Master Shaper's voice told him everything he had to know. Luke almost gave way to the weakness he suddenly felt. She was playing with him. He had done so much to keep her away and she was still playing with him. Would it never stop?

- You still haven't got it straight, precious. You're keeping Liin away, but not me. And even that won't be working for long anymore. -

- It worked this night. -

He replied stubbornly, following Corran slowly, wondering whether the other could catch anything at all of the tumult that was going on inside his soul.

A small, genuinely amused laugh sounded through his head.

- Oh yes, it did. I do not doubt that. But you can't keep him at bay. You can't keep the Slayer at bay. He is awake now. And whatever you do, he will want to come out. YOU won't hinder him. -

- We will see about that, Kwaad. -

A part of him felt almost insane to challenge her like that. He practically felt that something in him was brewing. He had felt the need to kill, to fight, cursing through his body, cursing through what was Liin and invading all his muscles. And almost his thinking. But as long as he didn't get back into his thoughts, Liin could not exact control over his actions. That was what he had to keep in mind.

- Indeed, we will. -

And with that, the voice fell silent. The challenge was spoken. She had done it for Liin. Because Liin had no own voice. She was his voice. He was her weapon.

Luke breathed deeply. Now - unlike every time before - he could feel him. Could feel Liin Kwaad. Like a ball of energy - devastating, bad, dark energy – did he sit somewhere in his soul, waiting to get out again. CRAVING it with an intensity that frightened Luke.

But on the other hand, it was logical and simple. Liin was not much else than a fighter. He could not think. He could just fight. It was the only way to unleash his power and energy. And if he could not unleash it, then it gathered and gathered.

Luke wondered whether he would be able to control this. He had to. Of course he had to. If he couldn't, he would hurt people he loved.

Following a sudden insight, he reached out into the Force. 'Mara?'

'I'm here. I'm with you.'

Luke smiled, relaxed. Yes. She was with him. He would conquer Liin because he had something the Yuuzhan Vong personality hadn't. Mara. Love.

 

Yuuzhan Vong Ship Criarto, Same Time

"Did you have contact with your mate, Mara?"

Miiram's dark eyes were focused on the face of her human friend. Both were sitting comfortably in the quarters of the Supreme Overlord's daughter, talking about the protocol of "Slayer's Mind" for hours.

They were mainly recounting everything they knew, trying to find holes and hints that could help them to fight Mezhan Kwaad. Most of all, they were pondering means to find the Master Shaper herself.

Mara hadn't been entirely content with the way things were going. She would have preferred to have Luke with her right now. He had to hear these things, too. Han and Leia should be present either. But unfortunately, more important business - at least to the politicians - had kept them all away.

Luke had gone to the Medical Centre with Corran to inspect the progress of the rehabilitation of the slaves rescued from Belkadan. Mara knew that much depended on the success of the way of treatment this Twi'lek medic had proposed. If it worked, there would be a chance to free all of the slaves.

Yet the thought of letting Luke alone - even with Corran - confronted with this kind of stuff didn't make her feel that confident.

Leia was in another Senate session and Han was sitting in some conference room with Wedge, Rogue Squadron and Admiral Kre'fey to talk about the security measures for the Supreme Overlord's arrival.

Only Mara had the possibility to take care of Mezhan Kwaad. And if she was honest, she thought with a slightly cruel smirk, she wouldn't have it any other way. This woman would pay for everything she had done to her husband.

Meeting the gaze of Miiram, Mara nodded: "Yes. Liin has once again tried to force an appearance."

The Yuuzhan Vong woman nodded gravely: "Your mate is strong. Now that he knows what is going on and what to do against it, he will resist."

Mara smiled: "I know he will. For as long as it takes."

Miiram returned the smile: "He is an impressive warrior. Khalee wishes to duel with him at some point."

The ex-Emperor's Hand's eyebrows lifted: "Indeed? I don't know whether Luke would like that. It is not our way of doing things."

The Supreme Overlord's daughter made a small, rough sound Mara had come to identify as the equivalent of a sudden, explosive laugh.

"Last time I heard him, he was all for cultural interaction."

The redheaded, female Jedi Master grinned: "That could be a way to persuade him, yes."

"I will inform my betrothed about it, then."

"Do so. But back to the topic. Do you have ANY idea what else we could do to find Kwaad?"

Miiram leaned deeper into her seat, the coral adjusting to the new position: "I'm afraid I wouldn't know of much else, Mara. Every Warrior knows she's alive and is searching. But she will know that. She won't be as dumb as to walk freely, even hidden by ooglith maskers. And if she is hiding in deep space - what I assume - we have no chance to find her. At least not anytime soon."

Mara massaged her temples. They been going through all information about Kwaad and Yim for hours, had sifted through reports of military scouts of the Yuuzhan Vong and the New Republic alike and had come up empty every time.

"Perhaps your husband is our best shot, after all." Miiram softly suggested.

The human female almost immediately stiffened: "You know what I think of that."

"And you know that I think it's just your over-protectiveness speaking here."

"It is not your place to judge that."

"I don't intend to judge it. I'm merely pointing it out to you. I suggest you inform the Jeedai Skywalker about the possibility and let HIM decide."

Mara folded her arms in front of her chest, staring darkly at a spot above Miiram's head.

It took her minutes to get out some words, and when she did, they were a mere growl.

"All right. I will talk to him about it. But I still don't like it."

"No one demands that of you."

 

Yuuzhan Vong Craft Moota, Evening, Same Day

"The ship has completed the fusion, Master."

Mezhan Kwaad smiled. The little chitchat with Skywalker had delighted and relaxed her. The tension she had felt after the latest failure due to Mara Jade Skywalker had been converted into eagerness.

When she was honest to herself, she preferred a good challenge to anything else. And Skywalker was shaping up to be much more of an adversary than she had thought.

He would give Liin a big fight. Almost a pity that, in the end, he would lose.

"Have the animals readied. They will be needed soon."

"Of course, Master. May I help you with your other preparations, too?"

Following the enthusiastically twinkling eyes of her apprentice, Mezhan glanced over at her Shaping place. Several coral instruments and coral pods with potions had been neatly arrayed there.

"No, Nen. This is none of your concern. Just take care of the animals." With this, she turned her back to the younger woman and adjusted some of the pods. She liked if everything stood at its place.

She didn't catch the gaze full of disappointment and anger that was cast at her from behind and was oblivious to the clenched fists of her apprentice as the young woman hurried out of the laboratory towards the storage room nearby.

 

| To Be Continued |

 

 

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