Archive of Our Own

Title: Till There Was You: Book 4--Resolution

Author: kimara

Disclaimer: Everyone in the Star Wars universe belongs to George Lucas and Lucasfilms. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money is being made from this.

Summary: This story is an adventure in the life of Luke and Mara Skywalker. It takes place about six months after their wedding. There are minor spoilers for some of the expanded Universe books. This is part 4 of a 4 partstory. Book 1 is titled Separation, book 2 is titled Reunion and book 3 is titled Tribulations. The overall rating for this is NC-17 and this book would be considered NC-17. Thanks to Mona for all your assistance. Without your constant support, ideas and patience, I would not have been able to finish this. Feedback is always welcome. Send feedback to [email protected]. Hope you enjoy the story.

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The sound of blaster fire and an unfamiliar hissing filled the hallway as Hope emerged from the exercise area. She moved tentatively towards the noise while trying to remain out of sight. As the melee came into view, she halted in terror at the scene that played out before her eyes. There were four men firing blasters at Mara Skywalker and she was defending herself from them with her lightsaber.

While Hope attempted to think of some way to help Mara, things took a drastic turn. A blaster blot skimmed past Mara's blade. As the arc of blue energy washed over Mara's body, she crumpled to the floor. Hope had to cover her mouth to keep her scream from escaping and not draw any attention to herself. She saw Mara's lightsaber roll from her grasp and disengage, then watched as two of the men picked up her lifeless form. Staying hidden, she tried to store as many details as possible in her terror stricken brain.

After watching the group take Mara out through a side door, Hope made her way down the hallway towards it. She caught a glimpse of a black speeder pulling away as she peered carefully out the door.

**********

Iella said goodbye to her daughters and broke the comm connection. She grabbed her swimsuit and headed for the door and thought back to her conversation. Syal was definitely enjoying her independent time away from her parents and seemed to be coping with the separation well. Myri had cried while she was talking to her but Mirax said this was the first time that she had seemed at all unhappy. She entered the lift deep in thought and exited the same way.

The scene Iella walked into brought her quickly out of her reverie. Hope was sitting on the floor sobbing, holding Mara's lightsaber and swimsuit. "Hope," She yelled. "What happened? Where's Mara?"

Hope turned to look at her and when she recognized Iella her sobs just got louder. " Blasters……men…..took…her…" came out between sobs.

Iella sat back on her haunches and put her arm around Hope's shoulder. "Try to calm down a little and tell me everything you saw."

Hope wiped the back of her hand across her face and sniffed loudly. "I was coming to look for Mrs. Skywalker," she began, "to warn her about the photographer. When I heard the noise in the hallway, I looked out and saw four men surrounding her. They were firing blasters that sent out a blue pulse and she was blocking the shots with her lightsaber." Hope stopped and wiped away a few new tears and sniffled again. "Suddenly, one of the pulses hit her and she fell to the floor. Two of the men picked her up and went out the door. They must have had someone waiting for them outside because as I got to the door I saw a speeder drive away really fast."

Once she had gotten out those last words, she looked intently at Iella. "Those blasters," Hope stammered. "Is she dead?" The terror filled expression that she wore spoke volumes.

Before Iella could answer Hope another employee came down the hall. She turned to the young man and instructed. "Get someone from hotel security down here right away." Her tone left no room for discussion and he ran back the way he had come without saying a word. Iella turned back to Hope. "I don't think that Mara is dead. The blue blasts that you described usually come from a stun blaster." Her years of Corsec training came back fully as she instructed the girl. "I need you to try and remember everything you can about what you saw and heard. Even the smallest detail could help us to find Mara." She turned Hope's face so that she was looking straight into her eyes. "Okay?" she added softly.

As Hope nodded, Iella's attention was drawn by the sound of the lift doors opening. Two men, dressed in the uniforms of hotel security, exited and approached her. "What is going on here?" the older of the two asked.

Getting his name from the badge on his shirt, Iella explained. "Thias, Mara Skywalker has been abducted. I need a comlink that can handle ground to ship communication and I need to contact Corsec."

The security guard looked at her is disbelief but after taking in her expression, knew that she was serious. After the reality of the situation finally registered, he attempted to take charge. "I will secure the area and contact the authorities to begin an investigation."

When the guard attempted to take Mara's lightsaber, Iella blocked his path. "Nothing will be touched until I contact Master Skywalker and Corsec." I need that comlink now," she ordered.

The guard could see that Iella would not be swayed, so he moved to assist her. "The main desk can relay you through to the control tower so that you can contact the ship. I'll contact Corsec and have them send over a team." He placed his comlink into her palm and walked swiftly down the hall.

Iella keyed the switch on the comlink. "This is Iella Antilles. I need you to connect me with the control tower at the spaceport. It is an emergency." Her tone of voice must have been enough to convey the seriousness of the situation to the attendant as she was connected immediately.

The repetition of her message with the control tower attendant secured a connection with Wedge's X-wing within a few moments. "Antilles, here." The familiar voice carried an unusual amount of stress.

"Wedge, it's Iella. Something's happened to …….." Before she could finish her statement, he cut her off.

" I know, Luke sensed it," Wedge replied. "We're on our way back. Have a speeder waiting for us at the hangar. We’ll be on the ground in ten minutes."

"Okay," Iella said. "How is Luke doing?" Although she had a pretty good idea, she had to voice the question.

Wedge sighed. "As well as can be expected. He can't sense her."

"Please hurry, Wedge," Iella said softly. She was about to end the connection when a thought came to her. "Can you contact the 'Errant Venture' from your X-wing?"

Wedge knew exactly where his wife was going with her question. "If I get the control tower to boost the signal I should get through." With those words he ended the connection.

After getting the necessary comm code from Gate, Wedge keyed his comm to the control tower. "Coronet control, this is Wedge Antilles. I needed you to relay a comm signal to another ship. I'm transmitting the information now." The words had barely left his mouth when he heard Gate initiate the data transfer.

"Transmission received, General Antilles," the voice replied. "I'll relay the call back to your ship as soon as I achieve a connection."

Wedge had given the attendant Booster's private comm channel so he knew that his surrogate father would be the only person to answer it. It took only a few moments before his speaker came to life.

"Booster here," he said briskly. Only a few people had this comm frequency and half of them were on this ship.

"Booster, it's Wedge," he replied quickly. "I need your help."

"Wedge, what's wrong," Booster asked nervously. He could hear the tension in the younger man's voice and knew that things had to be pretty bad for it to even show.

"Mara been abducted," Wedge replied without preamble. "I need you to put out some feelers and contact Karrde to do the same to see what you can find out." He heard the man speak quickly into a comlink and knew who he had called.

"Done," Booster replied. "Tell me what happened."

Wedge could hear the sound of additional voices echoing from his speaker and knew Corran and Mirax had just entered Booster's office. "I really don't know much. Luke and I were out doing a bit of flying and suddenly he told me we had head back. Something had happened to Mara and he could no longer sense her. Iella contacted me a few minutes ago but we were already headed back. That's all I know," he said blowing out a heavy sigh.

The stricken look that passed between Mirax and Corran was oozing pain. It hadn't been that many years since they had found themselves in a very similar situation and Luke had been instrumental in helping them. "We can be there in two hours," Corran said into the comm. "The fact that someone was able to get the drop on Mara and that Luke cannot sense her through the Force, doesn’t bode very well for a quick resolution."

Wedge breathed a small sigh of relief. He didn't like the idea of having to put their trust into strangers. It would be good to have Corran and Mirax there to help them. "Okay Corran. Contact me on my comlink frequency when you are in orbit. Booster, get to me as soon as you have any information. Wedge out."

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

Iella was just switching the comlink back to standby mode, when the security guard reached her. "Corsec is sending over an investigation team. They should be here in five minutes."

Iella looked over at Hope, still sitting huddled on the floor then back at the guard. "Thank you. Is there an empty room that we can use?"

The guard walked a few meters down the hall and unlocked a door. Iella took Hope's hand and pulled her to her feet. She moved them into the room then turned back to the guard. "Secure the hallway but don't touch anything. I'll wait in here for the team from Corsec."

**********

Luke had worked to purge his fear and had regained some semblance of control by the time he was ready to begin his landing sequence. "Coronet control, this is Luke Skywalker, requesting immediate landing clearance." A slight Force suggestion accompanied his words.

"Master Skywalker, this is Coronet control. You and General Antilles are cleared to land in berth 34," the voice replied.

Luke was relieved that they were landing in the berth right beside the 'Sabre'. They would be able to just lock down the fighters and head back to the hotel. "Acknowledged. Skywalker out."

He clicked his comm back to ship to ship. "Did you get all that, Wedge?"

"Yes," Wedge replied. "I spoke with Iella….." His words were cut off before he could even attempt to convey what he had done.

"Let's just get back on the ground and we'll go from there," Luke responded curtly.

Sensing that his friend was very close to the limits of even his Jedi controls, Wedge acquiesced. "Understood." Frustration and even a twinge of fear was evident in the sigh that he exhaled as he switched off the comlink. Luke had been through many trials in the years that they had known each other and had managed to remain calm and composed through each one. Hopefully this wouldn't be the one that would shatter the Jedi Master.

**********

Iella looked around the room that she and Hope had been escorted into. It was a small meeting room and would suit their purposes just fine. A communications console sat at one end and a data terminal and datapads filled the other. Tables and chairs were set up in a U shape to facilitate communication. A sound drew her attention from her musing and Iella turned back towards the door. She could tell by their demeanor that the man and woman who entered were from Corsec. As she walked to them, she realized that the man looked familiar. He appeared to be in his early fifties, taller than average, muted blue eyes and long brown hair lightly streaked with gray pulled into a tail. She peered intently at his face until recognition was upon her. "Artur Kanal, it's been a long time," she said politely as she extended her hand.

"Yes it has, Iella," Kanal replied. "Though life has changed immensely for you since we last saw one another, Mrs. Antilles."

Kanal's words brought numerous memories flooding through Iella but she worked quickly to suppress them. There were more important things at hand. "That's true", she replied, "but sadly we have urgent matters to deal with that leave no time for pleasantries."

Kanal turned and pointed to the younger woman at his side. She was in her late thirties, average height, and lithe figure, with blue/black hair and gray eyes. "Iella, this is my partner, Jenia Morlan." He directed his attention back to the woman at his side. "Jenia, this is the infamous Iella Wesseri Antilles."

The younger woman stepped towards Iella and extended her hand. "It is a honor to met you Mrs. Antilles."

"Iella, please," she replied. "I think we may be spending quite a bit time together." She turned back to Kanal and said, “could you arrange for a speeder to pick up Wedge and Master Skywalker at the spaceport? They should be landing in a few minutes."

Kanal spoke quickly into his comlink. A moment later he looked intently at her. "Now Iella, why don’t you give me as much information as you can about what happened here."

Iella looked over at the young girl that sat stiffly at the table and handed her a datapad. "Hope, can you write down everything you remember from this morning?" she asked softly. When Hope took the datapad and nodded, she turned back to the agents. "Mara was heading down to the exercise room for aerobics class…"she began. She filled them in on everything she had seen since she arrived in the hallway, the things Hope had told her and the sensations that Mara had when they first arrived. The two agents listened intently, with Morlan typing rapidly into the datapad that she had brought with her.

********

Luke could barely contain his need to run all the way back to the resort as he jumped down from the cockpit of his X-wing. The second Artoo beeped his acknowledgment of completing the fighter's shut down procedure he lifted the droid and brought him quickly to the floor beside him. He was turning to see if Wedge and Gate had secured their X-wing, when a voice demanded his attention. He looked over to see two men walking towards him. One had dark brown hair and hazel eyes and appeared to be in his middle thirties while the other was about twenty-five with dirty blond hair and brown eyes. They both moved with the precision and confidence of well trained professionals.

"Master Skywalker," the older man said. "I am Trent Noreen and this is my partner, Jakob Slade. We are with Corsec. I have a transport outside to take you and General Antilles back to the 'Regent'."

Wedge walked to Luke's side and addressed the man who had spoken. "Can you fill us in on exactly what happened?" The look of terror than ghosted over Luke's face as they waited for an answer, made him shiver.

"I don't know any of the details," Noreen answered sympathetically. "We were instructed to come directly here to collect you."

Luke started walking to the door without even acknowledging any of the man's statements when a beep from Artoo stopped him. "Yes, Artoo, I did forget," he said. He turned back in the direction of Wedge's X-wing and asked. "Ready, Gate?" The droid beeped his compliance and was quickly lifted from the fighter and deposited at Wedge' side. "Okay, let's go," Luke ordered.

The group moved to the transport and were soon on their way to the resort. Wedge looked intently at Luke as he sat beside him. His face was completely devoid of emotion and his normally vibrant eyes were empty and lifeless. Only the fists clenched at his sides gave any indication of the tension so tightly coiled within the serene Master's shell. "Luke, we will find her," he said in his most confident tone.

The depth of pain that flashed into Luke's eyes as he acknowledged the statement tore into his friend's heart. "We have to," he whispered more to himself than to Wedge. "We have to."

***********

Iella had just finished relaying everything that Hope had told her about the events in the hallway, when she heard a comlink beep. She watched Kanal activate it and heard a male voice through the speaker. "We will be at the resort in about two minutes." Kanal moved to the door of the meeting room and gestured for her to follow him. "We'll meet you at the back entrance along Ruine Lane."

Iella turned to Hope who was still typing rapidly into the datapad. "Wait here, we'll be right back." At Hope's slight nod, she moved to follow the Corsec agent into the hallway. They walked until they reached the door then stood in the doorway waiting for the transport.

Iella let out a sigh of relief when the transport pulled in front of the door. It had barely stopped when the door opened and Luke and Wedge stepped out. They were at her side in a flash, Wedge wrapping his arm around her shoulders and Luke standing directly in front of her.

"Tell me what happened," Luke said in a voice that was surprisingly calm.

Iella laid a hand on his arm, took a deep breath and began to explain. "From what I can gather, the men surrounded her after she got off the elevator." Before she could continue she was interrupted.

"Weren't you with her?" Luke asked somewhat confused. "I thought you were coming down to the aerobics class together?"

Iella felt a flash of guilt as she answered him. "When she came to get me, I was talking to the girls so she said she would meet me down here. I never thought anything of it."

"How do you know what happened then?" Luke asked in a frustrated tone.

"Hope was sitting on the floor, crying, when I entered the hallway," Iella replied. "She told me that she came into the hallway when Mara was fighting with the men."

"Where is Hope now?" Luke asked rather brusquely.

In spite of his calm outward appearance, Iella could see the tension in the way Luke held himself and in his speech pattern. She tightened the hand on his arm in a reassuring gesture, then said calmly. "I have her putting down everything she can remember into a datapad. Hopefully the information will help us to locate Mara."

"I want to talk to her," Luke said as he pulled away from Iella and entered the hallway. The rush of emotion he felt as he entered caused him to stagger.

Wedge was at his side immediately. "Are you okay, Luke?" he asked in a very concerned tone.

Luke closed his eyes and took a few deep, calming breaths before he answered. "I can still feel the echoes of Mara's emotions flowing within the Force here." After a few moments standing in total silence, he opened his eyes and looked intently at Wedge. " I need to be alone to see if I can sense anything." Without waiting for an answer, Luke walked slowly down the hallway. When he reached a particular spot, he dropped to his knees and again closed his eyes.

Iella led the others back to the small room where Hope and Agent Morlan were waiting. She was visibly shaking when she closed the door behind them.

"What is it Iella?" Wedge asked.

Iella took a couple of steps back from the others and pulled Wedge with her. She stopped to compose herself before she speaking softly. "Even though I don’t fully understand how the Jedi use the Force, I have been around Luke and Mara enough to know that their powers are not something to be taken lightly." She tossed a sideways glance at Hope then continued. "But this…well it's…Luke knelt down in the exact spot I found Hope in when I entered the hallway. Hope was sitting there with Mara's lightsaber in her hands. She told me it was where Mara fell when the stun blast hit her."

*********

Once Luke felt the others leave the hallway, he sat back on his heels and placed his hands, palm down, on his knees. He slowed his breathing until he had almost entered a trance state then opened himself fully to the Force eddies that surrounded him. Once he had sorted through the emotions that filled him, he was almost able to replay the unseen events in his mind.

He could feel the lightness of Mara's mind when she first exited the lift. Her emotional shift as she became aware of her first assailant was not one of strong concern. Once the numbers increased and the threat became more immediate, her emotions shifted again. Amid her intense concentration, her realization of the impossibility of her situation quickly became evident. Only when she caught sight of the blast that she would be unable to block, did she give way to fear. He relived her mental cry to him as the rearranged emotions filtered through his mind.

Luke could get a vague sense of the emotions of the others who had been in the hallway. He could sense the arrogance and malice that had flowed through the minds of the men attacking Mara. Try as he might, he was unable to find a the reason behind this abduction in their emotions. He felt Hope's terror and pain as she came into the hallway and saw what was happening. He felt the girl's emotions shift once Mara had been taken from the building. The terror shifted to sadness and a twinge of guilt as the events of the moments before overwhelmed her.

Luke came out of his near trance state, sweating and breathing heavily. The strength of their bond had made the influx of Mara's emotions flow through him almost as if he was experiencing them himself. He worked to calm himself and once he had succeeded somewhat, he rose from the floor. He made his way to the door of the room where the others waited. He took a few more calming breaths, then opened the door.

Iella and Wedge inspected Luke closely as he walked into the room. He seemed to be a bit calmer and looked around the room carefully. Iella moved to stand beside him. "Luke, this is Artur Kanal and his partner Jenia Morlan. They are with Corsec."

Luke nodded in a bare greeting then focused all of his attention on the young woman seated at the end of the table. She looked at him with such pain and guilt that he immediately wanted to comfort her in spite of his own deep pain. He moved to her and knelt at her side. When she started to speak, he shook his head. "There was nothing you could have done to help Mara, Hope," he comforted. He pointed to the information that she had type into the datapad then added. "But you may be able to help her with the details of what you remember and your descriptions of the men. Write down every detail, no matter how small. Sometimes it’s a minor detail that helps to resolve this type of situation."

Gratitude was evident on Hope's face as she took in Luke's words. "I want to do everything that I can to help." The slight smile that shone in spite of the tears that had barely dried on her cheeks showed her sincerity.

Luke reached for the datapad that sat on the table in front of Hope. "May I look at what you have written so far?" he asked gently. When she nodded, he picked up the datapad and scrolled back to the top. He had only been reading for a few minutes when he turned and glared at Artur Kanal. "Where is this photographer that Hope mentions?"

"He is being detained by hotel security, Master Skywalker," Kanal replied. "We thought you would want to be present when we spoke to him."

"He is our best lead to finding Mara quickly," Luke stated. "I would like to speak to him now."

Kanal may have just met Luke Skywalker but he recognized an order when he heard one. And orders issued by a Jedi Master were expected to be followed. "If you will follow me, please, I will take you to him."

Luke turned to Wedge and Iella. "Would you join us?" he asked in a very different tone than the one he had used with Kanal. "I would value your input."

Wedge put his hand on Luke's shoulder. "We will be here for whatever you need, Luke." He took his wife's hand and they followed the others out the door.

The room they were led to was only four doors away. Kanal opened the door and addressed the hotel security person that stood guard. "We will take over from here. Thank you." The young man nodded his acknowledgment and quickly left the room.

Luke entered the room directly behind Kanal and locked his gaze with the man who was seated at the table. He instantly recognized the face of the man that had been taking pictures in the dance club two days earlier. Fear was radiating from the man's form and he had no intention of alleviating any of those fears any time soon. He continued the intense stare and the man's level of fear rose. "What do you know about my wife's disappearance?" Luke almost growled.

The man swallowed visibly before speaking. "I don't know anything, Master Skywalker. I was only hired to take holos. I didn't…" His remaining words were cut off by Luke.

"Who hired you?" Luke questioned. His stare never even flickered and his voice was hard a steel.

The man voiced quivered as he answered. "I don't… know who. Everything was handled by comm and credit transfer."

Iella nudged Wedge with her elbow. "Look," she said softly. She pointed to Luke's ridged form. A drop of blood had fallen to the floor directly beneath Luke's clenched left fist.

Wedge moved to Luke's side but looked intently at the photographer. "You will document everything that has happened since your were contacted for the holos. Do not leave out even the smallest detail." Wedge pointed to Kanal. "Agent Kanal will take you to another room and provide you with a datapad. Any questions?" When the photographer nodded, Wedge turned to Kanal. "Could you find a secure location for him to compile the information?

Kanal took the photographer by the arm and pulled him to his feet. As they walked to the door, Luke moved to follow. Wedge stepped into his path and put his hands on his shoulders. "We need to talk, Luke," he said softly.

"What do you think you're doing, Wedge?" Luke shouted. "I need…" he stopped when Wedge grabbed his left hand and pried his fingers open.

"Look," Wedge said as he brought Luke's palm into his view. "Sit down. You need to calm yourself so that you can think clearly." He gestured to Iella to join them then pushed Luke into a chair. "You are not alone in this. We are here to help you. We will find Mara." He started intently at the man that he had known more than half of his life. "Trust me, Luke. Trust us."

Luke sank back into the chair and sighed heavily. The fact that he hadn't even realized that he had clenched his fist tightly enough to draw blood scared him. He needed to be calm and focused to find Mara. "Thank you," he said sincerely. He looked at Iella and asked. "What do you know about Artur Kanal? Is he a good investigator?"

"He was with Corsec when Corran and I were still working for them," Iella replied. "He's very thorough, has many contacts on the streets and can conduct a solid investigation."

Luke sighed again. "I don't think I'm comfortable leaving this investigation to strangers." He leaned his elbows on the table and buried his face in his hands. He could feel his anxiety level rising again and worked to squelch it.

Wedge sat down in the chair across from Luke. "We won't have to trust the investigation or Mara's rescue to strangers. I placed a few calls before we even landed. Booster is looking for information as we speak, as I'm sure Karrde is now that Booster has contacted him. Corran and Mirax are on their way here and should arrive within the next hour."

Relief flooded Luke's expression as his friend's words penetrated his despair. The knowledge that his friends were with him helped him to focus. "We need to set up a command center to process any incoming information and to track our activities."

Wedge stood up. "Let's get changed out of these flight suits while Iella works with Corsec to set up the things we need."

"Okay," Luke agreed as he rose from his seat.

The group left the room. Iella headed back to where Hope and the others were assembled and Wedge and Luke headed to the lift. They rode to their floor in silence and soon were at the door to Wedge's suite. "I'll meet you in your suite as soon as I'm dressed," he said. Luke nodded and walked to his door. Wedge watched while his friend slid his key card and warily entered his suite. He moved into his room, unzipping his flightsuit as he walked. He was concerned with Luke being alone too long in his suite and wanted to change as quickly as possible.

In a matter of minutes, Wedge had redressed and was rummaging through his bag. When his hand finally gripped the item he had been searching for, he pulled it out. A look of frustration came over his face as he peered at the item in his hand. He never thought this trip would take such a drastic turn that he would have to start wearing this. He let out an audible sigh as he secured the belt around his waist. He used his right hand to secure the holster's thigh strap, then pulled out the blaster. After making sure it was fully charged he slid it back into its leather pouch. He ran his hand through his hair in a nervous gesture as he headed to the door that connected the suites.

Wedge was somewhat surprised to find the door already open. He walked into the suite and moved towards the sleeping area. The sight that greeted him as he reached it caused him to stop dead in the doorway. Luke knelt on the floor by the bed. He held a piece of yellow clothing in his hands and had his face buried in it. His shoulders heaved as if he was sobbing but no sound passed from his lips. The pain radiating from his friend tore at his heart. He cleared his throat to announce his presence although he knew that Luke would have sensed his approach. When Luke didn't react, he moved to stand beside him and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Luke," he said softly.

Luke raised his head and looked up at the man standing beside him. "I'm sorry, Wedge," he said, "I don't know what came over me. I'll be ready in a few minutes."

"Your reaction is totally understandable, Luke," Wedge said. The combination of despair and anger that filled Luke's face told Wedge that he was barely holding himself in control. "What can I do to help you?"

"Nothing. I don’t have time to wallow in self pity, " Luke spat out. "I need to find Mara. I'll get changed and be right out."

Luke turned his back to Wedge and walked to the dresser. Wedge walked back to the common room and headed to the window. He stared out, filled with a rapidly growing concern for both his friends. He had never seen Luke so close to the edge. He looked up at the sky. He hoped Corran got here soon. They would need to work together to help Luke find Mara and not lose himself in the process.

Wedge was pulled from his thoughts as Luke emerged from the bedroom. The change in him had been astonishing. The calm and serene Jedi Master once again stood before him. Following him out the door, he noted the only sign of any of Luke's previous distress was the cold, hard expression that shown in his normally warm blue eyes.

***********

As she began to regain consciousness, Mara felt as if she had been run over by a bantha. Her body ached in places that she didn't even realize had muscles or nerves and her head pounded furiously. She took a deep breath and focused to access the Force to dull her pain. Her inability to do so brought her fully into the moment and also flooded her mind with the cause of her current situation. She attempted to sit up but her muscles wouldn't respond. After effects of the stun blast most likely, she cursed silently. She turned her head and took in her surroundings. The room was small and it's only furnishing was the small bed she was lying on. The door to her left probably lead to a refresher. The larger door across the room must be its entrance.

Mara again extended her senses for even the slightest access to the Force and was again unsuccessful. After a few more silent curses, she sighed. Whoever had orchestrated this little abduction had done their homework well. She didn't have to physically check to know that the door to the room was secured. So she was locked in a room with no access to the Force, no way to know how long she had been unconscious and no idea who had abducted her. She tucked her hands behind her head and stared at the ceiling. She might as well just lie back and relax until her captors made their next move.

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

When the door to the meeting room opened Iella was surprised to see Luke and Wedge already returning. One look at Wedge's expression stopped any comment from leaving her lips. She decided to delve right into the task at hand. "Luke, I've read over everything that Hope has written out about what she saw. Why don't you look it over?" She handed him the datapad then stepped back to where her husband stood. She could see him watching Luke intently as their friend scrolled through the datapad. "Wedge?" The one word voiced all her unspoken concerns.

Wedge placed his hand on his wife's arm and made a feeble attempt to smile. "Later," was his short reply to Iella's numerous concerns. Looking around the room, he saw that his wife had used her time wisely. A computer terminal had been set up at one end of the table with linked datapads sitting at each place at the table. A communications console had been set up at the opposite end. He watched Luke lay the datapad on the table and sit down. He sat in the chair beside him and picked up that datapad. He read through it quickly then spoke. "Let's look at the information we have and work forward, okay." When Luke nodded, he motioned to the others to take a seat. Agent Morlan sat at the main computer to record the pertinent data from their discussion.

Iella moved to the table with the others but remained standing. Knowing how Luke felt about having to trust strangers, she thought it would help him if she took charge. A brief glance at Wedge told her he agreed with her decision. "Let's review what we know," she began. "Whoever is behind this, use the photographer to track Mara's movements. If he is telling the truth about not knowing who hired him, then we need to work on tracing his payments." She stopped for a second and looked at Luke. "Did you sense that he was lying?"

"No," Luke answered. "He does not know who he is working for."

"Okay," Iella said. "That leaves us with the men that actually took Mara. We need to ID them as quickly as possible. Can you arrange for an artist to come and work from Hope's descriptions?" she asked Kanal.

"Our best composite artist is on her way," Kanal replied.

Iella was pulled from her next sentence by the glazed look she saw on Luke's face. "What is it, Luke?" she asked.

Luke sat deep in thought for a few moments then said. "From the impressions I got in the hallway, these men were just hired muscle. Mara was definitely their target but I could not sense any strong emotions from them that would make me believe it was personal."

"So we need to ID them and then find out who they are working for," Iella countered. "Maybe your street contacts will have some knowledge of someone looking for information about Mara," she said to Kanal.

And so time progressed, the group discussed the information they had, looked for ways to get additional information and assigned Corsec personnel to complete each task. They had just finished their discussion when the Corsec artist arrived. The young woman talked briefly to Kanal then moved to sit beside Hope. "I want would to describe the men you saw this morning. Start with the one that you feel you got the best look at and we'll go from there," she explained. I want you to watch as I draw and let me know if there are features that I'm not getting correctly."

Hope nodded and the artist took out her sketch material. Before she could begin, Luke moved to stand beside them and spoke. "I think I may have an easier way. Hope, do you trust me?" he asked softly.

"Yes, Master Skywalker…I mean Luke. I trust you totally," Hope answered.

"I would like to access your memories of what happened earlier," Luke explained. "I will be able to see what you saw and project the images of the men into the Corsec artist's mind. That way we would have the best description possible to track down these men."

Wedge and Iella looked at each other dumbfounded when Luke's words registered. The pain that he would feel as he relived the images of Mara's abduction would be horrifying. The image of Luke's silent sobbing from earlier flashed into Wedge's mind. "Are you sure you want to do this, Luke?" he asked, very concerned.

"I have to do this, Wedge," Luke replied stoically. "We will need every detail we can get to find these men." He turned his attention back to Hope and moved to kneel in front of her. "I want you to replay the events you witnessed in the hallway in your mind. I'm going to place my fingers on your temples." When he saw the slight hesitation that flashed across Hope's face, he added. "I will only look at the memories you are focusing on. If you are at all uncomfortable with this, we don't have to do it. We can use your verbal descriptions to get the images," he said to reassure her.

Radiating a newfound confidence at his words, Hope met the Master's intense gaze. "I want to help Mara, Luke, and this is the best way for me to do that."

"Thank you, Hope," Luke replied sincerely. "Concentrate on what you saw," he instructed. He watched as she closed her eyes in concentration. He placed his fingertips on each side of her face and then did the same.

The eyes of everyone in the room were on the pair and an eerie silence hung in the air. Wedge watched his friend carefully for any signs of his earlier upheaval but he was a picture of serenity. He had known Luke a long time but he was still amazed that his friend could maintain the calm composure of the Jedi Master in the face of everything that had happened in the last couple of hours.

Abruptly, Luke sat back on his heels and his hands fell from Hope's face. He sat perfectly still on the floor, eyes still closed, with his only movement being the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed in deeply. After what seemed to those around him an eternity but was in reality only a few moments, he opened his eyes and looked up at Hope. "Thank you," he whispered. "This will help us find Mara." He grasped her hands in his and squeezed them gently. As he released them, he rose and turned to the others. "It will take me a few moments to isolate the images of the men from the rest. Then I will focus on directing the images into the artist's mind." His gaze had shifted to the woman who sat posed with her sketchpad and stylus in her hand. "Projecting images is not my greatest strength so the rest of you will have to rely on the drawings."

"That won't be necessary, Master," a male voice stated from the doorway.

"Corran," Luke said as he turned towards the door. Before he could say anything else the Knight was at his side.

"We came as quickly as we could, Luke," Corran said.

Luke glanced over at Mirax who had moved to stand with Iella then looked back at Corran. "Sorry to have imposed on your vacation but thank you for coming to help."

"No thanks are needed," Corran replied. "We wouldn't be anywhere else. Now, tell me what images you were trying to project."

Luke quickly explained to Corran everything that had taken place since he and Wedge had arrived back at the resort. They stood silently as Luke replayed the images and allowed Corran to view them from his mind. When they were finished, Corran turned to the others. "I will project the images of each the men separately. Although it may seem as if they are actually in this room, it is only a projection. Ready?" When the others nodded, he began.

Hope gasped softly when the first man appeared before them and Luke moved quickly to her side. Once he had silently reassured her, he watched the looks of disbelief that crossed the faces of some of the others. He was grateful that Corran had arrived when he had as his friend was projecting much more detailed images that his own talents would have allowed. Once the images of the four men had been displayed, Luke addressed Kanal. "Do you recognize any of the men?" he asked.

"This first one looks vaguely familiar but I'll need to run the composite through the database to get a definite match," Kanal replied. He turned to the artist and instructed. "Start with the drawing of the first man. He's our best chance at getting a match."

Luke noticed that Corran had joined the others and was intently focused on something Iella was asking him. He caught only the remnants of the statement as he approached. "…I think it would help us in the investigation." He directed his gaze at Iella and asked, "what would?"

Corran was the one that answered him. "Iella wants me to project the images of what occurred in the hallway for them."

Luke's quick intact of breath was his only visible reaction to Corran's words. He stood deep in thought for a moment then spoke. "That may be a good idea. Maybe you will be able to pick up some details that may help us." He looked at his friends and added. "I am reliving the images continually so I will oversee the composites while you show the others, Corran." He moved to stand behind the sketch artist and turned all of his attention to face that was beginning to materialize on the sketchpad.

With one quick glance back at Luke, Corran led the others back into the hallway. He stood quietly for a moment, running the images Luke had shared through his mind so he could strengthen his focus. After a few moments, he turned to the others. "Ready?" When they nodded, he motioned towards the end of the hallway. "It seems as though everything took place at that end so I will project the image there. Hopefully it will give us a more accurate portrayal of the events."

Corran closed his eyes and concentrated and an image appeared at the end of the hall. Three men stood in front of Mara and she was using her lightsaber to deflect blaster bolts that were being fired at her. A blast slipped past her guard and she collapsed to the floor. Two men picked her up and carried out the door. The scene shifted to the doorway where a black speeder was speeding away from the building.

Iella was the first to speak. "That was amazing. It was as if we were watching the actual events." A ghost of a smile crossed her lips despite the seriousness of the situation. "We could have used this talent years ago, Horn." The smile disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and she stopped for a moment, deep in thought. When she started speaking again the others weren't sure if she was talking to them or herself. "The man standing behind Mara never fired. He just watched as the others attacked her. I wonder why." Before any of them could comment, she asked. "Are you able to focus just on him and project the image again?"

"Sure," Corran replied. Seconds later a new image appeared that focused on the man behind Mara. The image faded when he heard Iella's voice.

"They wanted Mara alive," Iella stated confidently. "The man behind her was holding a regular blaster. That's why he didn't fire."

"Ransom?" Wedge asked, but thinking more on it answered his own question. "Luke is not a wealthy man and if money was the agenda there would be a lot easier targets than Mara to abduct."

"It had to be more personal than that," Corran replied. "Someone who has a grudge against Luke or against Mara herself. With her background, she probably has as many if not more enemies than the rest of us."

"Revenge, is a very powerful motive," Iella said. "Now all we have to do if find out who and why. The answers to those questions should lead us directly to them and Mara."

**********
A sound outside the door drew Mara to full awareness. Unwilling to give anything away, she remained sprawled across the bed and projected an aura of calm serenity that would have made the Master proud.

"Well, well. If it isn't the infamous Mara Jade, or should I say Mara Skywalker," the male voice said sarcastically.

Mara turned to look at the man that stood in the doorway. He was a little younger than she, probably in his mid thirties. His brown hair was streaked with premature gray and brown eyes gazed out of a large, angular face. She was sure she had not met him before but something in his features was vaguely familiar. She didn't need the Force to sense the intense hatred that was radiating from him. "Am I suppose to know you?" she asked with utter disdain.

"I would suggest you attempt to imitate politeness at the very least," the man spat out. "You are in a rather vulnerable position, you know." He gestured over his left shoulder and Mara caught a glimpse of two of the men from the hallway pointing stun blasters at her.

Mara sat up on the edge of the bed and shrugged her shoulders. "You don't want me dead or you would have killed me already," she said flatly. "Let's get to the point shall we. Who are you and what do you want?"

"My name is Honore Barkale," he said. He caught the look of recognition that flashed in Mara's eyes before she recomposed her expression. " You remember my father, don't you?"

"We met once or twice, years ago," Mara replied. She fought to keep her composure as the memories of her last act as the Emperor's Hand replayed in her mind.

"You were the last person to see him, weren't you, bitch?" Barkale screamed as his composure left him. When Mara just stared at him blankly, his temper flared more and he stepped forward and pulled her to her feet. "Did you think that no one would know that you were the one that killed him?" he taunted. "My father was nothing if not efficient, Jade. His security system taped you from the moment you entered his sanctuary."

**********
When Corran and the others returned to the room, the artist was handing a sketch to Artur Kanal. He walked to the terminal and scanned it into the computer. He stood staring at the display as if willing it to process the information faster. Finally, a readout appeared on the display. He read through it then turned back to the others. "His name is Amil Milent. He's a small time hoodlum who's been suspected of many crimes but we've never been able to get enough evidence to prosecute him. He's a freelancer so we'll have to catch up with him to find out who he's working for." He focused his final comments to Luke. "I am having his information and image sent out to every agent in the area. We will find him, Master Skywalker."

The frustration that Luke felt at the agent's words was very visible to his friends. Wedge moved to stand beside him. "That may make it a little more difficult but we thrive on difficult, remember. We will find her, Luke."

The door to the conference room opened and Agent Morlan entered carrying a datapad. "I have the statement from the photographer," she said.

Corran step up to her and extended his hand. "May I?" he asked. She handed the pad to him and he read through it. " Here's something we can work with," he said more to himself than to the others. He walked over to the computer terminal and looked at Kanal. "Access his bank account and trace all the deposits that have been made to it in the last three days. Even if the credit transfers were funneled through phony accounts we should be able to eventually get back to the source."

"It would take a really good slicer to cut through the phony accounts if they were set up thoroughly enough," Iella said.

Wedge was walking over to the communications terminal before anyone else could move. "I'll forward the info to the NRI and Ghent can work on it along with Corsec's people." He took the datapad from Corran as he inputted the authorization codes that would connect him directly with the NRI. It took only a few moments to get routed into the correct section.

"Ghent, here," the male voice replied.

"Ghent, it's Wedge Antilles. I need your help with something important and confidential," he said.

"Whatever you need, General Antilles," the reply came back politely.

"I need you to trace a bank account and find the source of a credit transfer," Wedge instructed. He stopped speaking and looked over at Luke for permission. When Luke nodded, he continued. "We are on Corellia and Mara has been abducted. One of these transfers may provide us a link to the person responsible."

They heard a whisper of "not Mara" and then there was silence at the other end of the link for a few moments. Finally Ghent responded. "Download the information and I will get right on it. Tell Master Skywalker….."

"I will," Wedge answered, cutting off any further words. "Get back to me as soon as you have anything, no matter how minor." Once Ghent acknowledged him, he ended the connection.

***********
Mara locked her gaze with that of the angry man before her. "That was over fifteen years ago. Why are you doing this now?" she asked in an emotionless voice.

"Although your face has been permanently etched into my brain since I first watched the surveillance tape, it wasn't until two years ago that I made the connection," Barkale said. "I saw holos of you when you were on Corellia with Organa-Solo and I realized you were the woman in the tape." His anger rose a notch as he relayed the information. "I was arranging with my old boss, Sal-Solo, to acquire you when you escaped."

"I'm so sorry that I inconvenienced you," Mara said sarcastically. Barkale's right hand struck viciously against her cheek and she had to use all her strength to remain standing. "Feel better?" she asked.

Barkale pushed on Mara's chest and sent her sprawling back onto the bed. "You think you're so tough, Jade," he spat. "We'll see how tough you feel after you've been here a while." He stepped back from the bed and with a smirk pointed to the wooden frames that lined the hallway. "It's funny how things work out. I've been doing a little acquiring for some people who are worried about the affect the Jedi will have on their less than legal endeavors. I just happened to have a shipment of ysalamiri waiting to be delivered when I heard you and your hubbie had arrived on the planet." His smirk widened as he looked back at her. "So your precious Jedi powers will be of no use to you here. How convenient for me."

The look Mara shot him was one of total lack of concern. "Time will tell who will succeed in the end, Barkale." She lay back on the bed and placed her arms comfortable under her head.

***********

For the next few hours, the artist worked on the other sketches and Corsec people came in and out bringing various tidbits of information. They reviewed the information that they had until they basically all had the data memorized. Wedge had gotten a transmission from Booster and Luke has spoken to Karrde but neither of them had found out anything as of yet that could help them find Mara. Ghent was their best hope and so far he had not been able to make a connection.

They had sent Hope home hours before and Corsec had just sent in a new crew to man the center for the next twelve hours. The moon shone brightly in through the large window at the back of the room. Frustration permeated the room and all its occupants.

Corran watched Luke pace back and forth over the distance of the small room until he was sure he had worn a path in the carpeting. He glanced over at Wedge then stepped into his friend's path. "Luke, let's go and get something to eat then maybe get some sleep."

"You guys go. I want to stay here," Luke said.

Iella stepped to stand beside them. "Luke, you need to eat and sleep so that you are ready when we find the information we need to get Mara," she said softly. "She'll be very upset with both of us if you aren't functional." She forced a small smile to her lips and she implored her friend with her gaze.

"I need to be here if any new information comes in," Luke explained.

"We all have our commlinks, Luke," Wedge said sternly. "They will contact us immediately if something comes in."

"Okay," Luke gave in reluctantly. He looked back at the agents sitting at the terminals as he walked through the door. "Contact me for anything, even if you think it's not important," he instructed with a slight Force touch behind his words.

"Yes, Master Skywalker," the agent replied.

Luke nodded then followed his friends down the hallway to the lift.

*****************************
***********
Mara watched Barkale storm out of the room and slam the door shut behind him. She forced herself to take a few deep breaths before she sat back up on the bed. She hadn’t thought about that time in her life in a very long time. An accident of fate had brought her to the remote world of Kintoni when she was hiding from Isard's goons after the Emperor's death. That thought brought Luke voice echoing into her mind 'there is no fate, only the Force'. Well, the Force had steered her to find Barkale and she had been forced to kill him when he drew a blaster on her.

Her life with Luke was just starting to take on some semblance of normalcy and now this. Well, the Force must have some reason for this to happen now. Mara thought back to her visions of their baby. She would have to put her trust in the Force that this would be resolved and those visions would be fulfilled. She lay back on the bed, closed her eyes and brought the image and Luke and their son from her vision into her mind. She would need all her strength to take advantage of whatever opportunities the Force presented. Concentrating on that mental picture, she willed herself to sleep.

**********
Corran looked over with concern as Luke pushed the food around on his plate without eating any of it. He picked up his cup and down the rest of his caf then stood. "I can't just sit here and do nothing," Luke protested. He hadn't felt this out of control since his vision of Han and Leia in pain on Bespin all those years ago. He took a deep breath and tried to rein in his emotions. "I'm going to take a walk outside and look for a quiet place to meditate. I need to regain my center."

Before he could walk away, the dining area manager approached him. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop but there is a small private garden behind the resort. If you'll wait for a moment, I'll go and get the gate key and take you there."

"Thank you," Luke replied. He turned back to look at his friends at the table. "Why do you all get some sleep. I'll contact you if anything happens otherwise I'll see you in the morning."

"Master, would you like some company?" Corran asked in a concerned voice.

"No thanks, Corran," Luke answered. "I need to be alone. I'll call you if I need anything." Luke walked away from the table and moved to join the manager at the door.

The group at the table watched with concern as their friend walked from the room. He had always been the rock that the rest of them depended on in every crisis. Now Luke was the one that needed their support. Silently each of them vowed to do whatever it took to get Luke through this and find Mara. They rose from the table in silence and left the dining area. After a quick stop at the front desk to secure accommodations for Corran and Mirax, they headed to their suites and their probably futile attempts to try and get some sleep.

***********
Luke entered the small garden then turned back to thank the manager for his kindness but he was already walking away. Taking a few more steps forward, Luke breathed in the scent of the flora surrounding him and opened himself fully to the Force. The strong aura of the Living Force that the plants and small animals living in the garden created seeped into his pores. He pulled it into himself with a desperation not unlike that of a drowning man gasping for oxygen. The barely controlled rage, frustration and pain that he had been struggling with since Mara's anguished mental cry had call upon all his reserves. This influx of natural Force energies that the garden was providing was just what he needed to replenish himself.

Luke walked silently around the garden taking in everything around him. He caught sight of a small brown lapin studying him intently and thought of his nephew Jacen. The boy's natural ability to communicate with all types of living creatures was something that even he had never been able to achieve. Walking along the perimeter of the garden, he looked past the trees that bordered it onto the road that ran behind the length of the resort. His mind flashed back to Hope's image of the black speeder moving away. He shook the image from his distraught mind then started walking again.

Luke stopped again as he felt something catch against his cloak. Looking down, he noticed he had wandered into a small alcove created by a cluster of blossoming liani bushes. It wasn't until he had unhooked the bramble branch from the cloth of robe that his muddled brain realized what he was looking at. Liani bushes were native to Yavin and grew abundantly in the wilds of the jungle. He and Mara had admire them on numerous occasions during their treks and had been surprised to find that a cluster of them had sprouted outside their bedroom window when they returned to Yavin after their honeymoon. He had never seen them growing in any other place until now.

Never one to ignore such strong prodding from the Force, Luke knew that this was the spot where he should meditate. He knelt in the small opening within the bushes, pulling his hood over his head and burying his arms in the sleeves of his robes. He focused on the large purple and white blossoms before him and concentrated on bringing his breathing into a conducive rhythm. He pushed back his frustration when a slight movement broke his rhythm. He was sure no one had entered the garden and was at a loss to figure out what had interrupted his concentration. As he refocused on the blooms, something brushed against his knees. He looked down to see the round dark eyes of the lapin staring back at him. Once the shock at this strange event had left him, he extended his left hand to the small animal. When the cold pink nose nuzzled his fingers he couldn't contain the chuckle. "Come little one," he said softly as he picked him up. "Looks like you are meant to help me in some way." He cradled the lapin into the crook of his left arm feeling no surprise when it nestled there. He regulated his breathing and closed his eyes. Allowing himself to sink into the beginnings of his trance he felt peace for the first time all day. He knew that the Force would show him what he needed to know to find Mara. He just had to open himself fully so he would see.

Luke lost himself fully in the swirls and eddies, felling it flow through and around him. His mind registered the calm of the Force's presence only as shifts in colors and patterns. After an unknown amount of time, the colors and shapes muted into recognizable images. The images were flying through Luke's mind at such a rate that he was barely able to register them. At some point, random images started to slow. The clearer images would last only for a few moments and then the blur of scenes would resume. During those flashes he saw Mara lying on a bed in a small room, a gray stone building with a yellow half moon painted on the front, the brown lapin clawing at a small piece of yellow paper. While still deeply seated in his meditative trance, his mind was already trying to decipher the meaning of these clearer images.

*********

Corran woke as the light was just beginning to filter into their room. Both he and Mirax had slept fitfully, so he moved very carefully so as not to disturb his wife's sleep. He stretched as he stood and after a quick stop in the refresher he moved into the common area. He extended his Force sense to check on Luke and found he was still deep in his meditations in the garden. Corran sighed as he thought of his friend spending the night outside and not sleeping. Luke sacrificed so much over the years and he and Mara were finally happy. Now this. He pushed back the thought that Mara could be taken away from Luke like this. The Force would not be that cruel.

He knelt in the stream of dawn sunlight that shone through the window and slowed his breathing. He needed to meditate himself. Although he did not have Luke prescience, he did get brief glimpses of things in the immediate future or hunches about what they should or should not do. One of these things might help them find Mara.

A noise across the room brought Corran out of his mediations and he turned to see Mirax walking towards him. She had already showered and dressed and the sunlight in the room had increase substantially so he knew that at least a couple of hours had passed. He stood and stretched then said. "Good morning. What time is it?"

"Good morning, yourself," Mirax replied. "It's almost 0800." When she looked more closely at him she could see that he was deep in thought about something. "Corran, what is it?"

"I'm not sure exactly," Corran replied, "but I need to find Luke. Call and see if Wedge and Iella are ready and I'll get dressed." He headed for the refresher without even waiting for an answer.

By the time Corran was dressed the others were waiting in the sitting area. "Morning," Wedge said. "Do you want me to call Luke on his comlink?"

Corran extended his senses and found Luke was still meditating. "No. Let's just go to him. He's still in the garden."

*************
The absence of the warmth of her husband's body against hers made Mara come awake with a start. As she looked around her unfamiliar surroundings, the memories of the previous day's events came back to her. She attempted to reach out with the Force but found that the ysalamiri bubble still surrounded her. She wrapped her arms around herself and sighed. 'Oh Luke. I thought the past was behind us but it looks like mine is going to keep haunting me. I know you're looking for me and that you are probably frantic with worry. But I'll figure out a way out of here and come back to you. I promise.'

Making that silent vow helped her to center and focus her mind on the task at hand. Mara took a few deep breaths and got up. She moved to the center of the small room and set herself to go through her morning routine. She leaned forward and placed her palms down flat on the floor. Soon she was lost in the routine, moving from stretches to a stationary aerobic workout. The physical exertion was just what her body needed to purge the remaining effect of the stun blast and to bring her awareness to it's peak level.

**********
The two couples walked through the lobby until they reached the side entrance. They exited the building and headed to the wooden gate that secured the garden. They walked through it and followed as Corran moved confidently to where Luke was knelling. He placed his hand on his friend's shoulder and spoke softly. "Master."

Luke became aware of his friends moving towards him but only pulled himself from his meditation at Corran's voice. The brightness of the daylight caused him to blink rapidly until his vision adjusted. He was surprised to see the lapin still tucked into his arm when his eyes focused. He placed the animal carefully on the ground, pushed his hood to his shoulders then stood. "Good morning. I hope you all got some sleep."

"But you did not," Wedge said.

"I'm fine Wedge," Luke said brusquely. "Any progress?"

"Not officially," Corran replied vaguely. He was looking around the small garden as if he was searching for something.

"Corran, what is it?" Luke asked.

"There is something here that can help us," Corran replied as he walked.

Luke closed his eyes and the scenes from his meditation replayed in his mind. He stood up and walked past the liani bushes to the large evergreen trees that bordered the garden. The scene that appeared before him when he shifted his gaze to the ground was the one from his vision. The lapin's front paws were digging at a swatch of yellow in the dirt. He reached down and picked up the piece of paper. The numbers written across it looked like a comlink code. Luke petted the small brown animal behind it's ears and sent a wave of affection to it. "Thank you little one," he said softly.

Luke moved back onto the path and handed the paper to Corran. "This?" As he released it, he felt his first surge of hope since Mara had been taken.

Corran took the small yellow scrap and studied it intently. "Yes. Let's get this to the Corsec people so that can trace it." He looked at his friend with a reflecting hope shining in his eyes. "Then we'll get some breakfast. I have a feeling that this is going to be a long day."

The group left the garden together and proceeded to the small command center. Corran held the paper tightly in his hand. He and Luke had opened themselves to the Force and it had directed them. This comlink code was the first solid lead they had to pursue. Hopefully, it would quickly turn into a more concrete connection to Mara's whereabouts.

***********
Mara was much more centered when the door opened and Barkale entered again. "Did you sleep well?" he asked sarcastically.

"It's not the 'Regent' but I've slept in worse places," Mara answered in the same tone.

"You would think someone who grew up in the Emperor's court would have more manners," Barkale returned. "No matter. You will have plenty of time to brush up on your etiquette once you reach your new home."

Mara mind was whirling at that comment though she managed to keep her face a mask of stoic indifference. The longer she could get him to keep her here, the better her chance of escape. "Why bother to move me anywhere else? I thought you wanted revenge. Just kill me now and get it over with." She had dealt with Barkale's type before. Reverse psychology was usually the way to knock them off guard.

"And ruin all my fun," Barkale said mock sweetly. "No Jade. I will enjoy seeing that haughty spirit of yours broken in the mines of Alzoc III. Only then will you be allowed to die." The look of pure hatred that radiated from him contrasted sharply with his tone of voice.

"I wouldn't want to ruin your fun," Mara replied coolly. She watched as he motioned behind him and one of the guards brought in a tray and placed it on the table.

"Enjoy your breakfast, Jade," Barkale said as he moved to the door. "Wouldn't want you to start fading before you reach Alzoc."

Mara looked over at the tray of water, bread and fruit. As much as it disgusted her to take anything from Barkale, she would need to keep up her strength. She had faith that the Force would either help Luke and the others find her or give her an opportunity to escape. She planned on being ready to grasp whatever small line the Force extended to her.

As she forced herself to eat, Mara's thoughts again went out to the other half of her soul. He must be overwrought from both the blockage to their bond and not knowing what was happening to her. It was probably easier for her. She knew that Luke was safe and that he would be doing everything in his power to find her. He was the one dealing in the unknown. 'Stay strong, my love,' she pleaded silently though she knew he couldn't hear her. 'We've been through too much to let this son of a Sith separate us. The Force will bring us together again.'

***********
The group sat back and finished off the rest of their caf in an uneasy silence. Corran heard Mirax say something softly to Iella but dismissed the words as he focused his attention on Luke. His friend's face had taken on the faraway look that was characteristic during his mental conversations with his wife. After watching him a few moments, he placed his hand on Luke's arm. "What is it, Master?" he asked softly.

Luke shook his head as if clearing his thoughts and looked at the Knight. "I'm not really sure," he said hesitantly. "I'm feeling something along my bond with Mara. I'm still not able to sense her but it's like I can feel something fluttering over it." He stopped speaking and seemed to be looking inward again. "It's not really substantial but it's there."

Corran looked over at him and smiled. "An echo of your bond in spite of the disruption of the Force?"

A ghost of a smile shadowed his eyes as Luke replied. "Hopefully it's Mara's attempt at letting me know that she is currently unharmed. It's as if a wall has been erected between our minds rather than the connection being severed. Some semblance of Mara's force aura must be seeping under the wall." He pushed back his chair and stood up. Looking at his friends, he said. "Let's get back and check the progress on tracing that comm code. It may be the key to unraveling this mystery."

They reached the meeting room quickly and looked over the information Corsec had compiled. The code has been traced to a dummy company that dealt in exports. Karrde, Booster and Ghent had all sent information about people on Corellia who had connections to the Imperial Remnant and who might have a grudge against either Luke or Mara. Ghent had traced the credit transfer paid to the holophotographer to the same dummy company as the comm code. He was currently working to uncover the base company behind these false ones.

Iella picked up the datapads and sat down at the table. "Why don’t we each take one and start looking through these. Note any relevant information on another pad and we can cross reference them when we're done."

The work was tedious and time consuming but they worked through the information with intense dedication. When mid-day came, food and stim beverages were delivered to the room and they took in nourishment as they continued to plow through the data. As new information came in from their many sources, it was added to the pile and thoroughly dissected. The sky was beginning to darken by the time they had worked through all the data they had amassed.

Corran stood up and extended his hand to the others. "Let's take what we have and cross-reference it for any matches." Once he had all the pads, he walked to the console and input each one into the terminal. "It will take some time for the computer to correlate all this information and I think we could all use a chance to get out of this room. How about a walk and then maybe some dinner?"

Wedge, Iella and Mirax had all gotten up shortly after Corran and were working to stretch muscles stiff from hours hunched over the datapads. Only Luke remained sitting at the table. He seemed intent on staying behind and Wedge moved to stand behind him. "Come on, Luke. One of the agents will contact us if anything substantial comes in during the next hour."

Agent Morlan looked over at Wedge and nodded. She had just come in during the Corsec shift change and would be on duty until 0600 tomorrow morning. "There is a small outdoor café with excellent food about two kilometers from here. I'll call and have them set up a secluded table for your party."

"Thank you," Wedge replied. Once Luke stood, he placed a hand on his back and directed him towards the door. He moved to join his wife and took her hand. He tossed a quick glance back at Morlan. "Contact us if anything changes. We'll be back in a couple of hours."

**********
Mara was sitting on the floor with her legs tucked under her and her eyes closed when a sound outside the door caught her attention. Although unable to access the Force, she could still calm her mind and lightly meditate. She kept her posture relaxed as the door opened. Her eyes came open as she heard the sound of a metal tray hitting the floor. She kept her expression totally blank as she looked up at Barkale.

"Comfortable, Jade?" Barkale asked sarcastically. "Well you'd better enjoy it because my hospitality is coming to an end. By this time tomorrow, you will be on a transport to your new home on Alzoc III."

"So confident, Barkale," Mara spat. "We don't always get everything that we want in life."

"I will this time," he snorted. Barkale pushed the tray towards her with the tip of his boot. "Enjoy your dinner. It's the last decent meal you will have for quite some time."

"Your concern for my welfare is very touching," Mara replied flatly. Her eyes never left his form as he turned and walked through the door. Only when it closed did she allow any of her pent up frustrations to rise to the surface. A metal cup moved from the tray to her hand to the opposite wall in less time than it took to take a breath. Before the clang of the cup had quieted, she let out a string of Huttese obscenities that hadn't passed her lips since her early years on the run.

When she finally began to draw in deep breaths to calm herself, Mara berated herself for her loss of control. As much as it had helped to vent her anger, she knew she would have to remain calm and in control if she was to have any chance to escape. Her thoughts again turned to Luke. Hopefully he would be able to figure out who was holding her before tomorrow night. She pushed the tray aside, stood up and walked to the refresher. Although hot water had not been included in the amenities, maybe a shower would help her focus.

**********
As Luke allowed himself to be led from the resort, he sighed in frustration. They had gone through so much information in the last 12 hours but it hadn't given them anything concrete. He released his anxieties and drew on the Force to calm himself. Something was nagging at the back of his mind but he couldn't quite get a grasp on it. Maybe an hour away and some food would clear his head. But after dinner he was going back to the meeting room. The feeling wasn't one of immediate urgency but he could feel that time was getting short. He needed to look back through the information again and find the missing piece. Mara's life and his depended on it.

It only took them about twenty minutes to get to the café and the group was quickly seated at a secluded table. Five glasses of Whyren's Reserve appeared on the table before the waitress even filled their water glasses. Luke raised his eyebrows and looked over at Wedge. "It's been a long day," Wedge said before Luke could even state his comment. "I think this would help us all relax a bit before we delve into it again." He picked up his glass and held it out in front of him. "To finding Mara. By this time tomorrow hopefully she will be lifting a glass with us."

After they looked over the menu and ordered, they talked about the information that had sorted through during the day. They hoped talking among themselves might bring out something they may have overlooked. They continued to review the facts all through dinner though Luke did little more than push his food around his plate after eating the first few bites. After a few more minutes, Luke pushed his plate aside and stood up. "Enjoy the rest of your dinner. I need to burn off some energy so I'm going to go for a run. I'll meet you back at the resort." He turned and walked from the table without giving his friends a chance to object.

Concern was etched in the faces of both Corran and Wedge as they watched Luke walk from the table. "Should we go after him?" Wedge asked.

Corran extended his senses towards the Jedi master. "We don't have a prayer of catching up with him if he's running," he replied blandly. "He needs this. If he's not back when we get there I'll go looking for him."

They finished their dinners with very little further discussion and soon were walking back to the 'Regent'. Their concern for Luke and Mara filled their conversation. They were almost back at the resort when Corran heard Luke's mental request that they get back as soon as possible. He was reaching for his comlink when he heard Wedge's beep.

"Antilles," Wedge said.

"General Antilles, this is Jenia Morlan," the female voice said. "We think we have a lead on the person who took Mrs. Skywalker. Master Skywalker would like to know how soon you will be back?"

"We'll be there in five minutes," Wedge replied.

A new sense of hope filled the group and they increased their pace. It was only about three minutes later when they entered the meeting room. Luke was scrolling through information at the computer terminal at an impressive rate, mumbling softly as he did. He called to them without ever looking up from the screen. "Barkale. Does that name mean anything to any of you?" he asked.

Iella was the one who answered him. "I think there was an Imperial Governor by that name around the time of Endor." She walked over to the other terminal and started searching the databanks for information. She was glad that although she was on indefinite leave, she still had her NRI clearance. After a few moments, the record she had been looking for appeared on the screen. “Here it is,” she said as she waved them over. “He was the Imperial Governor of the Kintoni system for the last three years before Palpatine’s death. According to this, he was detained by Crix Madine and interrogated during a NR intelligence mission about a year later. He escaped, they thought with assistance from an unknown source, but was found dead of a blaster wound in his home the next day.”

Luke looked thoughtfully at the information scrolling on the screen. “This name means nothing to me and I’ve never been to Kintoni, so this person must have some connection to Mara.” As he reread the data, he was surprised to feel a strong sense of relief. Opening himself to the Force, he felt a great sense of guilt beginning to dissipate. He had not realized how guilty he felt that Mara could have been kidnapped, injured or maybe even killed as revenge against him.

“Could Mara have had some interaction with Barkale during her days in the Emperor’s court?” Corran asked.

“I know very little of her days as his Hand so anything is possible,” Luke replied. He looked back at the info on the screen. “There has to be a connection but what it is is irrelevant. Is this Barkale related in some way to the ex-governor?”

Iella scrolled back through the data on her screen. “Barkale had three children, two sons and a daughter. His oldest son runs an import business on Corellia.”

“Okay it looks like we have the who. The why doesn’t really matter at this point,” Corran said. He walked to the other terminal and motioned Jenia Morlan over. “Run a check to see what Corsec has on Barkale. I want to know everything he owns and every business he has even the slightest dealing with.” He watched as the Corsec agent pulled up the information. Pages and pages of data filled the screen. “Better order in some caf. Looks like we’ll be going through this stuff most of the night.” He grabbed the datapads they had used earlier and downloaded the data on Barkale into them. After he finished, he flopped into a chair, keeping one datapad and tossing the others into the center of the table. “Let’s get to work.”

They spent the next two hours reviewing information. Corsec had suspected Barkale’s involvement in numerous shady deals over the last ten years but had been unable to prove their suspicions. He seemed to be very good at keeping his own nose clean while working discretely with all types of less than legal enterprises. The frustration level in the room was beginning to rise as the files were not providing any useful information.

Corran pushed his cup casually towards the pot of caf in front of Mirax, then stiffened suddenly and looked up. “Here’s an interesting tidbit of information. Barkale was suspected to be working with Thrackan Sal-Solo during the Human League debacle.” Corran lifted an eyebrow as he continued to read. “It is rumored that he has made numerous trips to Myrkr over the past four years and has been selling ysalamiri to the various pirate groups.”

“That would explain my inability to feel Mara through the Force, “Luke said without looking up from his reading. “It will also make things more complicated when we go in and rescue her.” His expression became more pensive as he contemplated the information on his datapad. He was scrolling through a listing of all of Barkale’s real estate holdings. That nagging feeling in the back of his mind gained strength as he looked at the list. He got up and walked over to the terminal. He looked over at Morlan. “Do you have scans of Barkale’s various properties available?”

“It will take a few minutes but I can get them,” Jenia replied.

Wedge looked intently at Luke. “What are you hoping to find?”

“When I was meditating, I got an image of a building," Luke said. "Maybe one of Barkale's properties will match what I saw."

They continued to look over the information on Barkale until Morlan had the images loaded into the terminal. "Master Skywalker," she said, "I have the images. Would you like to look through them?"

"Yes," Luke said softly. He walked over to the terminal and began flipping though the scans. After looking at about twenty of them, he stopped. He looked intently and a small smile came over his face as the realization kicked in. "This is the building." Almost instantly, the others were standing behind him. He turned to look at Corran and Wedge. "As soon as we have an address we can go."

Corran grabbed Luke's arm. "We need to think this through, Luke." When Luke started to speak he interrupted him. "You said yourself that the presence of ysalamiri will make things more complicated when we go in to rescue Mara." He locked his dark green eyes with Luke's determined blue ones and waited for some sign of acknowledgment from the Master before he continued.

"What do you suggest?" Luke asked somewhat abruptly.

Corran turned to Jenia Morlan. "Can you get us a copy of the blueprints for that building?"

"That shouldn't be a problem, though it may take a little while," Morlan replied.

"Hopefully not too much time," Corran amended. "In the meantime, we need to set up surveillance of the building. Can you reach Kanal?"

"I spoke to him right before the scans arrived," Morlan replied. "He's on his way and should be here momentarily."

Iella could see that Luke was barely holding himself back from just racing out the door to find Mara while Corran was trying to cover all the possibilities. She moved closer to him and placed her hand on his arm. "With the blueprints of the building and some surveillance, we can get a better idea of where Barkale might be holding Mara in the building. It will take a little while but it will help us in the long run."

Luke drew upon the Force for guidance as he contemplated Iella's words. The sense of urgency had not yet risen high enough to push him to act rashly but he also could feel that time was getting shorter. He looked at the chrono on the wall across the room. "It's now 0130 and I feel we should make our move before dawn. That gives us about four hours to get the information we need and make our plans. I want to be ready to move into the building by 0530. Agreed?"

Corran stared intently at Luke as he spoke while the others looked back and forth between the two Jedi. He probed his own danger sense and felt the stirrings vaguely in the distance. "Agreed. Let's get to work."

Artur Kanal reentered the room just as the group was sitting back down at the table. Iella called him over. "How long will it take to get your best surveillance team together?"

"They are already assembled," Kanal replied glancing questioningly over at his partner.

"Good," Iella replied as she began to fill him in on their progress of the last few hours. The blueprints arrived as she explained and Corran and Wedge spread them out on the other end of the table. Luke joined them and they studied the drawings intently. They checked for every access into the building, from doors to maintenance shafts, lift shafts to ventilation ducts.

They had mapped and just about memorized every possible way in or out when the head of the surveillance team arrived with a report. Kanal didn't even bother with introductions as he questioned the young Selonian. "What did you find?"

The female ran a paw through the short fur at the back of her neck in a nervous gesture before she answered in almost perfect basic. "There are guards posted at each door on the bottom floor of the building. That floor seems to be the only one with any activity at the moment." She pointed to four spots on the blueprint then ran one claw in a line across the length of one side of the paper. "The only lights appear to be in this section. If they are holding Mrs. Skywalker in this building, I would venture that she is in one of these three rooms."

Luke pushed back his chair and stood. "That's enough for me. Let's get over there."

Kanal stepped into Luke's path. "Ramien will take you to the building. Familiarize yourselves with the layout." He looked intently at the Master as he continued. "I will join you shortly with an security systems specialist. I'm sure Barkale has the building wired with a top of the line security system."

A glance at the chrono reassured Luke that they were well within his planned time frame as it was only 0415. "How far away is this building?" he asked the Selonian.

"Only about five minutes by speeder and I have one waiting outside, Master Skywalker," Ramien responded. Her voice took on a more gravely tone as she moved toward the door. "This way please."

Within moments, the six of them had settled into the speeder and it was on its way. Silence reigned during the trip. The others watched Luke as he closed his eyes and inhaled and exhaled deep rhythmic breaths. The only visible sign of tension in the stoic Master was the death grip he held on the hilt of his lightsaber. The speeder was parked about a block from the building and Ramien quickly led them to the secluded spot from which her team members were still observing. She addressed the dark haired man that was watching intently through macrobinoculars. "Any changes?"

"No movement at all since you left," he replied.

Luke extended his senses towards the building in question. He could sense the presence of the four men who were guarding the entrances. The inactivity of the evening had seemed to lower their guard but he knew that the slightest sound would change that in an instant. As he probed further, he could sense their businesslike dedication to their duties but no inkling of what or whom they were guarding. He redirected his attention into the building itself. He could sense only two other sentient lifeforms inside, one on either side of the blank area that encompassed the center of the lower floor. He was certain that inside that bubble of emptiness would be the place where Mara was being detained. He was drawn from his probe by a movement at his side.

Corran knelt on the ground and unrolled the blueprint he had grabbed as they left the 'Regent'. Pulling a darklight from his belt, he shone the dim light onto the paper. He turned it so that it faced the same direction as the building standing before them. Pointing with his left hand to the drawing and his right across the alley, he said. "This looks like the most direct route in. We'll have to subdue all four guards simultaneously so that they don't have time to raise any alarms."

Luke studied the area of the building that Corran was pointing out and was relieved to find the direct route ran right in the path of the blank area. This fact made it unnecessary for him to ponder a choice of which entrance he would take. He looked to the people around him. Four entrances to cover would make them have to depend on some members of Corsec. "I'll take the main entrance. Corran and Mirax can take the one of the left and Wedge and Iella can take the one on the right." When his friends acknowledged his plans with nods, he turned to where Artur Kanal was approaching with another man. "Can you have someone secure the entrance on the opposite side of the building?" he asked the agent as the men reached him.

"I will take care of it personally," Kanal replied. He pointed to the man beside him. "Master Skywalker, this is our best security system expert, Nicholei Marent."

Luke grasped the extended hand of the graying, middle-aged man before him and shook it firmly. "We've decided to enter the building through this entrance," he said pointing to the blueprint. "You can accompany me in securing that entrance and then deactivate any alarms at that point." He stared at the man as he waited for a response.

Marent looked intently at the Jedi Master and worked to keep his features expressionless. His expertise made him accustomed to being asked for his opinion on these matters and not just directed. But the reputation that Luke Skywalker had earned over the years stood out very vividly in his mind. That combined with the take charge persona that radiated from the man, made him acquiesce without a second thought. "Whatever you need, Master Skywalker," he replied respectfully.

Luke nodded, then moved to speak to Corran. "The ysalamiri bubble extends about forty meters in diameter through the area behind the entrance on this side. I know you have been through Force deprivation exercises but the practical experience of walking into a ysalamiri bubble can be very disconcerting," he instructed softly.

That Luke could be concerned about his reaction with all his more pressing concerns touched Corran deeply. "I understand, Master," he replied with enough emotion to relay his feelings. His expression quickly shifted to his trademark mischievous grin. "I'm sure we will be more than a match for anything we will find even without the benefit of the Force." He tossed an arm across Luke's shoulder in friendly reassurance.

Corran's confidence was infectious and Luke couldn't suppress the small smile that appeared on his lips. "With a team comprised of all these Corellians, how could I ever doubt."

The group worked quickly to get organized. Each pair had a comlink tuned to the same frequency and had synchronized their chronos. Corsec had supplied an additional member for each group who would stay behind as a guard at each entrance after they had been secured. When all the minor details had been sorted through, Luke met the gaze of each member of the group. "After you have subdued the guards and secured the doors, rejoin me at the front entrance. We will enter the building together. Strength in numbers will help us to deal with any eventuality." When the others nodded, he started walking down the hill. Only Corran, who stood directly beside him, heard the soft plea that escaped the Master's lips. "May the Force be with us."

The sound of the last group's click on his comlink was the signal Luke was waiting for. A double click on his own as a means of reply started each team in their stealthy path to the doors. Marent watched in awe as the Jedi Master walked on a direct path as if he was invisible. The feeling increased as the guard dropped to the ground with a wave of the Master's hand and a softly spoken, "sleep." Luke stepped aside and motioned him to the panel that was recessed into the stone at the right of the door. He shook off his reactions to the scene he had just witnessed and moved to the task at hand. All his attention was so totally focused on deactivating the alarm that he barely noticed that the others had joined them. He sorted though the numerous colored wires that comprised the panel, bypassing and capping off the ones controlling this door. He worked as quickly as possible without taking any risks. In a matter of minutes, his first task was completed and the door slid open silently. He turned back to the Jedi Master. "I'm sure there are security holocams inside the building. Give me a few minutes to deactivate them before you proceed."

"That won't be necessary," Luke stated. Without waiting for a reply, he motioned to Corran and the Knight came to stand beside him. "There are two lifeforms inside, one about twenty meters to the right and the other about thirty meters to the left. I'll take the one on the left and you take the other." At Corran's nod, the two Jedi were off in a blur of speed that even stunned Wedge.

Corran and Luke ignited their lightsabers as they entered, moving quickly to slash through the controls of the holocams spaced evenly in the ceiling. Reaching the last one at each end of the hallway also put them directly in front of the guards. Corran blocked a couple of quick blaster shots with his saber before bringing the hilt into contact with the guard's temple. Luke mirrored his movements at the opposite end. Moving his attacker outside the range of the ysalamiri bubble, he subdued the weak minded Devaronian with a sleep suggestion after deflecting only one shot.

Within moments, they were back in the doorway, each carrying an unconscious form. Dumping them unceremoniously on the ground, they moved back with the others. This time it was Corran who spoke. "The holocams have been deactivated but we will only have a few minutes before the person observing the monitors sends someone to check. We need to move quickly."

**********
Mara may not have been able to access to the Force but she was a fully trained undercover operative so the noises in the hallway outside roused her from her light sleep. In seconds, she was on her feet and concentrating on hearing the slight sounds that echoed just beyond her door. Although she did not have access to see outside, her internal body clock told her that it was not yet dawn and so she doubted that any of Barkale's men would be moving around outside. She focused her attention and waited, hoping that the sounds meant that her husband and their friends had managed to put the puzzle of her abduction together.

**********
Luke led the group back into the hallway, using the emptiness within the Force as a beacon. He moved swiftly down the hall, opening every door and peering into every room. After making his way through five empty rooms, the contents of the sixth filled him with hope. Two ysalamiri, hanging within their nutrient cages, were spaced along the left wall of the room. Anyone trying to restrain a Jedi would surround the prisoner's room on at least two sides. With each ysalamiri creating a ten-meter void, the resulting bubble would negate the Force for a forty-meter diameter.

Buoyed by that knowledge, Luke closed the door and moved rapidly to the next one. Finding the door secured with a coded lock, increased his surety in his hypothesis. Unable to use the Force to override the lock, he was pulling his lightsaber from his belt when Marent appeared beside him. "Allow me." Pulling lockpicks from his utility belt, he had the lock disarmed in less than a minute. Backing away, he extended his arm to the Master. "After you."

Luke took a deep breath as he palmed the door control. The relief he felt at the sight that met him as the door slid open caused him to stumble slightly. Leaning against the back wall of the room, hair somewhat disheveled and looking only slightly worse for wear was Mara. He was across the room and pulling her into his arms in an instant. Pressing her tightly to him as if she would attempt to escape, he loosened his hold only when he heard her slight mutter of pain. "Are you hurt?" he asked in a voice filled with concern.

"Just a few bruises," Mara replied. She pulled back so that she could look into his eyes and smiled. "What took you so long, Skywalker?" she teased. She felt the flash of guilt that passed through her husband in typical Skywalker fashion and decided she no longer wanted to hear his answer. She placed her hand behind his neck and brought his lips to hers. The chaste kiss quickly turned passionate and probing as the depth of the events of the past two days flowed through them. A voice behind them brought them back to reality.

"I hate to break up this wonderful reunion but we should really get a move on, Master," Corran said with a slight smirk.

"Stow it, Horn," Mara said with a touch disdain that was belied by the smile on her face. She separated from Luke and moved towards the door.

Luke quickly moved to her side and took her hand in his. "This way, Mara," he said as he directed her to take a left turn down the hallway. They had just cleared the ysalamiri bubble and almost reached the door, when a sound behind them and a flash of blaster fire drew their attention. Luke felt a hand grabbing for the blaster at his belt as he ignited his saber and moved to take a defensive posture.

"Mara, get outside," Luke ordered, hoping beyond hope that for once his wife would listen to reason.

Pushing back the strange sensation that flooded her as they cleared the bubble, Mara responded. "I don't think so. I have a score to settle with that Sithspawn bastard." She was raising her blaster and firing at the group of men approaching from the other end of the hallway before she finished her sentence.

Knowing that he had no time to argue with his stubborn wife, he turned his full attention to the scene before him. Luckily, Corran had been the last person to leave the room, so he stood at the back of the group blocking blaster shots back at the attackers with his saber. He moved quickly to stand beside the Knight. They worked, trying to reflect shots to incapacitate rather than kill whenever possible and within a few moments only Honore Barkale still stood. Smoldering remnants of his blaster were clutched in his right hand as he looked at the ten men who lay writhing at his feet. A quick glance told the Corellian that he had no chance to escape and he slowly raised his hands above his head.

Luke was instantly standing within inches of the cowering man, a barely held rage radiating from his stiff posture. The green blade of his still ignited saber rested lightly against the center of the man's chest. "Should I be merciful and kill you quickly or torment you for a while first like you did to my wife?"

Before Barkale could answer, Mara had moved to stand beside Luke radiating a fury that made his seem pale by comparison. "A quick death would be too easy," she said in a icy tone. "Maybe we could take you to Dathomir and feed you to a rancor. Or perhaps we could borrow Sturm and Drang from Karrde and let the vornskrs tear you apart bit by bit. Or just maybe I should turn the tables and let you spend the rest of your short life working in the mines on Alzoc III." Mara's scowl grew as she seemed to contemplate her preferred option.

Barkale's panic was evident as he looked to the other members of the group. "You can't let them do this to me," he cried. "You must take me into custody." He stared helplessly from one person to the other before finally locking his gaze with Corran's. "You’re a Jedi. You can't let them kill me in cold blood."

Even though he was able to feel the rage flowing from Mara and Luke, he also knew his friends well enough to know that they would never act on that fury. Deciding to increase the apprehension of their prisoner, he said softly. "I would never begin to contradict the decisions of Master Skywalker."

While Barkale was looking for a savior, Mara switched Luke's blaster from its regular setting to stun. She raised it and pointed it at Barkale's chest. "You were so sure that I killed your father in cold blood. I wouldn't want to disappoint you to think I would do anything less with you." She stared intently at the panicked eyes that locked on hers, then pulled the trigger.

Barkale collapsed as the blue stun blast washed over him. Two Corsec agents walked over and moved to picked up the man's limp form. Corran turned and looked at Luke. "Why don't you get Mara out of here. We can secure these people and we'll meet you back on the hill."

Luke took the loosely held blaster from his wife's grip and tossed it to Corran. He only hesitated for a another second before shuffling Mara the last few steps down the hallway and out the door. They had barely made it onto the permacrete when the rush of adrenaline from the firefight began to recede and she again became aware of the strange feeling that had fluttered through her when they first cleared the ysalamiri bubble. Mara stumbled. "What is it?" He could feel her struggling to gain control.

"I'm not sure," Mara answered honestly. "Something just feels different. Maybe my body is just having trouble readjusting to the feelings of the Force flowing through me. Just give me a minute."

Not willing to take any risks, Luke picked up his wife and moved rapidly up the small hill to the area where the remaining Corsec agents were waiting. The fact that she hadn't fought that overprotective gesture increased his concern. "Are you sure you're alright? Did they hurt you?" He sat her on the ground and knelt in front of her peering at her intently. He pondered using the Force to probe her for injuries but knew that she would resent that. He watched and waited, albeit impatiently, giving her a chance to decide if she needed his help.

Mara closed her eyes and drew on the Force to guide her. She hadn't been injured short of a few scraps and bruises and she had been bereft of the Force on other occasions without this type of reaction. As she probed within her body, she realized that her Force aura felt strange, different somehow. It was as if a secondary aura was threading through hers. She had never felt this way before, even during those moments when she and Luke had opened themselves to each other fully while making love. She tightened her focus and attempted to follow this aura to its source. As she concentrated on it, she saw that it was unique, a combination of her Force aura and Luke's. When she identified the part of her body the aura radiated from, she gasped in shock.

"Mara, what is it?" Luke asked again, with his level of concern increasing as each second passed. He was just about ready to probe her without her permission when she reached out and took his hand.

Mara placed Luke's hand palm down across her abdomen and whispered, "look, Luke."

His heart was beating wildly as he followed his wife's instructions and extended a Force tendril into her body. In barely a moment, he found the miniature aura that radiated there and echoed Mara's earlier gasp. "Is it….are you…a baby?" he asked rather incoherently. He looked up to see tears fighting to escape Mara's eyes amid the smile that shone there. He wiped a tear of his own before laying his cheek onto her abdomen. *Hello, little one. It's your daddy,* he projected toward that tiny presence.

*So you're going to be one of those, Farmboy,* Mara sent warmly across their link. Then she shifted her attention to the miracle within her and sent her own message. *It's okay, little one. I'll be here to temper your father's mushiness.*

Luke rose back onto his haunches and pulled Mara towards him. "I love you," he whispered as he brought his lips to hers. This kiss was soft and sweet, without the need of their earlier one but no less urgent in its own way.

They were still locked in each others embrace when their friends reached them. "I see nothing's changed," Wedge joked.

The smile never left his face as Luke turned around to look at his friend. "Did you get the area secured?"

"Corsec took the people in the hallway, including Barkale, into custody," Wedge replied. "Kanal has his men going through the rest of the building. He will contact us if he needs anything. He'll need a statement from Mara at some point but he said that it could wait." He looked intently at the couple seated on the ground, feeling like he had interrupted more than a reunion. "Are you guys ready to head back?"

Mara nodded but Luke had other ideas. "I want to head over the med center and have them check Mara over first," he said.

The look Mara shot him made it very evident that she did not agree. "I'm fine Skywalker. I don't need to go to the med center."

"Mara,.." Luke began but was quickly silenced.

Mara pulled away from her husband and stood. "I would like a hot shower, some food and a comfortable bed," she said in a voice that brooked no discussion.

*Please, Mara. You and the baby need to be checked out,* Luke pleaded silently.

*I'm fine. We're fine,* Mara returned. *Cilghal can check me over when we get back to Coruscant.*

Luke got up and took Mara's hand. *We'll discuss it later,* he sent, acquiescing to his wife's wishes only for the moment. He led her away from the surveillance area and walked to the speeder they had used earlier. A Corsec agent was standing beside it ready to transport the group back to the 'Regent'.

When they arrived at the hotel a few minutes later, Luke was glad that it was early enough that the lobby was basically deserted. He led Mara directly to the lift, with everyone but Corran following them. Corran detoured quickly to the security desk, filling them in on the barest details of the rescue then over to the front desk, ordering food to be delivered to the Skywalker suite.

The five of them rode the lift in silence with Luke standing protectively close to Mara. Reaching their floor, they quickly moved through the hallway into Luke and Mara's suite. Only when the door closed behind them, did the others express their concern for their friends.

Iella and Mirax moved almost simultaneously to stand at Mara's side. "What can we do to help you?" Iella asked softly.

"I'm fine, really," Mara replied. The confidence she was trying to project may have fooled strangers but was totally transparent to both her husband and her two closest friends.

Mirax pointed to the bedroom and said. "Why don't you take a long bath and get into some clean clothes while we wait for food." She and Iella led her in that direction with a quick glance back at their spouses.

Mara looked at Luke somewhat helplessly but saw he was being led the opposite direction by Wedge. She sighed and followed her friends into the bedroom.

Luke turned back as the door closed and stared at it longingly. "I need to be with Mara," he said bluntly.

Just entering the suite as the women disappeared into the bedroom, Corran pushed Luke towards the sofa that stood in front of the large transparisteel window. "You need to release your own feelings before you can help Mara deal with hers," his friend said firmly. "Otherwise you'll just both strive to be strong for each other and you'll never deal with what happened."

Luke drew in and exhaled a few deep breaths trying to stay calm. He knew that his friends were only trying to help but his own feelings were unimportant at this point. He just needed to make sure that Mara was alright.

*********
The conversation in the bedroom was headed in almost an identical direction. Iella pushed Mara to sit on the bed. "Talk to me," she instructed firmly.

Since Mara didn't have her husband's penchant for calmness, she didn't even bother trying to be polite. "I'm fine. Just let me grab a shower and get changed." She moved towards the refresher but Mirax stopped her.

"Mara, you can't pretend that this didn't happen," Mirax said softly.

"What do you want me to say," Mara yelled. "Some hutt sucking scum blames me for his thieving father's death and kidnaps me for revenge. You guys came and rescued me. I knew at some point that my past would come back to haunt me. There's nothing else to talk about."

"And how do you feel about that?" Iella asked.

"How do you think I feel?" Mara said sarcastically. "For the first time in my life, I'm actually happy and some sithspawn tries to ruin it. I did some despicable things in the name of loyalty. Maybe I don't deserve to be happy." She tried to move away but her friends stood firm.

"You need to get past this feeling that you don't deserve to be happy," Mirax said. She stared intently at her friend and watched, as the reality of the past two days seemed to creep into her expression.

"What if something like this happens again?" Mara asked in a quivering voice. How will I protect the baby?" The last statement was said so softly her friends barely heard her.

"Baby?" Mirax and Iella said simultaneously.

"I'm pregnant," Mara whispered. "I only realized it after I came out of the ysalamiri bubble."

"Now I understand why Luke wanted to take you to the med center," Iella said. "You took a shot from a stun blaster. Maybe he's right."

"I'm fine," Mara repeated. "I appreciate your concern but I need to deal with this in my own way. Please, just let me take a shower. I'll join you in a few minutes."

Iella watched intently as her friend pushed past her to the refresher. Mara still needed to deal with everything that happened but at least she had made a start. She and Mirax left the bedroom to join their husbands in the sitting area.

As they entered, Luke looked over at them with concern blatantly evident in his expression. "How is Mara?"

Mirax glanced over at Iella for reassurance, then answered. "A little shaky but I think she'll be alright. She's in the shower." Another quick look at her friend and she was standing in front of Luke, her hand resting on his arm. "Congratulations," she said softly as she drew him into a loose hug.

"She told you," Luke replied, unable to hide his surprise.

"I don't think she planned to - it just slipped out," Mirax explained.

When Luke saw his two friends looking at him in confusion, he stated, "Mara's pregnant."

Neither man could hide the smiles that appeared upon hearing their friend's news. One of Luke's most fervent dreams had been to have a child of his own. Finally, that dream would become a reality. "That's great, Luke," Wedge said sincerely. "I'm very happy for you both."

"Now you'll find out what it's like to go on for endless nights with only sporadic moments of sleep," Corran teased. "Congratulations," he added warmly.

The sound of the door chime interrupted their conversation. Corran walked over to answer it and returned pushing a food-laden cart into the sitting area. Grabbing a slice of fruit off the tray, he dropped into a chair. "I didn't realize how hungry I was until I smelled this food."

While the others gathered plates and settled themselves, Luke moved towards the bedroom. The door opened just as he reached it. He drew Mara into his arms and caressed her cheek with his fingertips. "Better?" She nodded and leaned into his touch, allowing his strength to flow through her. With a light kiss to her forehead, he drew back and took her hand. "Why don't you try to eat something? You need to keep up your strength," he said with a small smile.

Mara allowed herself to be led to the sofa. Luke settled her comfortably then loaded a plate with food. She laughed as she looked at the heaping mound that covered it. "I having a baby not nourishing a bantha calf. Maybe you can consume that much food Farmboy, but I can't." She toss him a smirk as she looked at the glass of white liquid on the table beside her. "At least you're not trying to make me drink that disgusting blue stuff you try to pass off as milk."

Corran shivered in agreement as he remembered the vibrant blue liquid that Luke frequently drank on Yavin. "You can thank me for that, Mara," Corran drawled. "I ordered the food."

"I don't know what you guys have against Tatooine milk," Luke said in an offended tone. "You don't realize what you're missing."

"Milk and blue just don't go together in my book," Wedge chuckled.

The resulting laughter from this absurd conversation was just what the group needed to bleed off some of the tension. They bantered back and forth about each other's strange food preferences as they consumed their early morning meal. By the time they were finished, Mara was leaning again Luke's shoulder fighting to keep her eyes open. Luke stood and pulled his wife to her feet. "I think we should all get some sleep."

"Yes we should," Wedge agreed. He moved to Luke's side and whispered. "I'll have the desk hold any calls and contact everyone to let them know Mara is safe."

An expression of guilt passed over Luke's face as he absorbed Wedge's words. He had been so wrapped up in his concern over Mara that he had forgotten all about those off planet who were helping them. "Thanks, Wedge," he said. With that responsibility taken from him, he led his wife into their bedroom and closed the door.

The two couples watched their friends' retreat with concern then moved to through the adjoining door into Wedge and Iella's suite. Sleep had been something that none of them had gotten much of in the past two days. Once they had dealt with a few minor details, they would be able to indulge themselves.

**********

Luke led Mara across the room and sat her gently on the bed. As he leaned over to remove her boots, he was surprised to see her feet were bare. He hadn't even noticed that when she had come into the common area. So much for the ever observant Jedi Master.

Mara chuckled as she heard his thought. *You were a bit preoccupied my love,* she sent silently. She moved her hands to the ties of his tunic and unfastened them. *I want to feel your skin against mine as we sleep. I need to feel you near me.*

Luke quickly pulled the offending tunic over his head and divested himself of his pants and boots. Standing naked before her, he pulled her to her feet and had her in a matching state in moments. Pulling back the covers on the bed, he laid her gently upon it and moved to lie beside her. Drawing her against him, he tucked her head under his chin and kissed the red-gold mass atop her head. "I love you, Mara," he whispered. "Sleep, now."

Mara snuggled against him for a few moments, content to listen to the steady beating of his heart and to feel the warmth of his skin against hers. But after a few moments, she found that contact was not enough. After everything that had happened in the past two days, she needed more. She needed to touch every inch of him, to reassure herself that she was really back safely in his arms. And she needed him to touch her in return, to claim her and to possess her fully. She shifted her naked hips into his groin and lifted her face to his. Kissing him with a rapidly building passion, she pleaded silently, *make love to me, Luke.*

Luke had been fighting to contain his own arousal since Mara had begun to unfasten his tunic. He berated himself for his selfishness and held her securely in his arms. Even as she moved against him, he fought to retain control. "Mara, you're exhausted. You need to get some rest," he scolded gently as he pulled his lips from hers.

Glaring up at him with a look filled with love and need, Mara countered. "No Luke, I need you to make love to me. I need to feel you inside of me, to join with you totally and completely." The last words were felt as well as heard as she pressed her lips firmly against his and probed for entry with her tongue. The kiss deepened until they were totally consumed by it, only separating when the need for oxygen became greater than their need for each other.

Able to deny nothing to the woman he loved more than his own life, Luke gave in to her demands. He pressed her gently back onto the bed and began to map out a path of kisses across her body. Not an inch of flesh was left untouched as he worked his way down one side and up the other. He kissed, licked, nipped and caressed with his lips while gently massaging every bit with the teasing touches of his fingertips.

Mara moans and stifled cries fueled his arousal as he continued his ministrations. She was writhing with need when she finally pushed him away. "Enough, it's my turn," she whispered huskily as she slid her hand to grasp his throbbing shaft. As she swirled her thumb against the tip he pulled back.

Rolling onto his side, Luke rolled her onto hers and pulled her back to spoon against him. "You asked me to make love to you, Mara and that's what I plan on doing," he rasped. He shifted her hips back towards him and buried himself within her in one swift movement.

Luke began to move slowly, relishing the feeling of being encompassed in Mara's welcoming wetness. His movements were paced and deliberate, working to build their completion slowly, like a smoldering fire. When the peak came too close, he would slow his strokes to almost a standstill until the edge ebbed and then he would resume. Their bond sang with the intense feelings that flowed between them in this powerful union. Finally, when the need for release became too strong for either of them to deny, he increased his rhythm and brought them to the brink. Their climaxes overtook them in a blinding flash of heat and light and the bond pulsed with the intensity of their release.

Luke ran his hand gently along Mara's hip as they fought to come back to reality. Words were unnecessary as they molded against each other and allowed sleep to begin to overtake them. Luke tightened his arms around her body and he placed soft kisses onto her hair. He thought back to how empty his life had been before Mara had come into it. Now, he not only had Mara but they were going to have a child. In this moment, only the three of them existed. As sleep claimed him, he centered on that thought. He would live in the moment, blocking out of the rest of the world, if only for a little while.

The End.