Chapter XXIII –
Reunion
“Senator…” Cela tried not to blush but found it
difficult as her thoughts gathered around a
particular person.
“Yes?” Bail answered as he glanced at her
quizzically.
The
teenager coyly smiled but couldn’t seem to mouth the
words she wanted to say.
“Is
something wrong?”
“N-no, sir,” she hesitantly replied.
Bail
appeared to be confused. “I don’t understand. Are
you feeling well?”
Cela
rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. Ok, this
is no big deal. Just ask, she silently berated
herself. “Luke Skywalker… How well do you know him?”
The
Senator’s lips curled upward into a broad smile. “So
that’s what this is about,” he commented with a
smirk.
Cela’s face reddened and she cast her gaze downward.
“I
didn’t mean to offend you,” he quickly said,
watching her reaction.
“You
didn’t,” she softly replied.
Bail
leaned back into the seat as their carriage took
them all over Kuryn. He had been enjoying the
enticing aromas that subtly permeated his nose as
the hestans pulled them along. Among them – fresh
baked bread, which was always a favorite of the
Senator. He had even asked the driver to stop in
order to purchase a loaf. The city itself was
inspiring with its grand architecture, accommodating
shops and enjoyable people – literally a virtual
paradise.
“My
wife would thoroughly enjoy herself here,” he
casually commented. “I apologize, young lady. My
mind drifted for a moment.”
Cela
lightheartedly laughed. “That’s easy to do here.”
“Now, you asked me a question about Luke.” The
Senator smiled broadly again. “I have known him all
of his life. I find him courageous, compassionate,
and easy to get along with.”
“He
sounds amazing,” Cela commented, sounding
infatuated.
Bail
suppressed his amusement and added, “He has many
friends and is always willing to lend a hand. He can
be quite a charmer too, from what I’ve witnessed.”
The
crimson colored returned to the teenager’s cheeks as
the Senator complimented Luke. “He strikes me as
that kind of a person,” she said, somewhat
embarrassed.
“You
have good insight then.”
“Thank you,” she shyly replied.
“How
old are you, Cela?”
She
looked at him oddly, not understanding the reason
for the question. “Sixteen…why?”
“Luke is a few years older than you. I don’t wish to
damper your mood, but he does have a girlfriend,” he
gently replied.
“Oh…I see.”
For
the next few kilometers, there was nothing but
silence between them – interrupted only by chirping
birds and the crashing of the oceans nearby waves.
Finally, Bail Organa broke the stillness. “If I
may…” he began.
Cela
casually looked over at him. “Yes?”
“What can you tell me about Mara Jade?”
Cela
turned her head and stared at the waves the carriage
was passing by. “What do you want to know?” she
asked somewhat nervously.
“Who
she is. What she’s like.”
Without turning around, Cela dolefully asked, “How
much time do you have?”
__________________________________*****__________________________________
Before long, Xar’ek, Han, and Chewbacca found
themselves in the entertainment district. They
wandered from one tavern to another and finally
wound up in a casino filled with wealthy patrons
willingly spending enormous amounts of credits.
Xar’ek quickly ordered a drink and sidled up to the
sabacc table while his fellow companions sat down at
a table not far away.
It
wasn’t long before Han and Chewie discovered they
had to keep an eye on their new friend amid the
drinking and cavorting Xar’ek was doing.
“So
what do you think of all this?” Han asked his furry
companion, glancing out of the corner of his eye at
Xar’ek who was getting friendly with yet another
female patron.
Chewbacca responded with a combination of barks and
grunts that only Han could understand.
“Yeah, well, I gotta get Leia’s father to at least
tolerate me. If this mission helps, I’ll do it.”
Chewie made a few more noises and gestures.
“Yeah, he likes me as long as I’m not dating his
daughter.”
The
Wookiee’s grunt sounded more like a laugh.
Han
sneered at his best friend as retorted, “Yeah, laugh
it up, fuzzball.”
__________________________________*****__________________________________
Once Sidious had retreated to the darkness of his
choosing, the earlier downpour began to subside,
much to Sakoya’s relief. Stretching out with her
feelings, she could sense the additional presence of
the two Jedi and she knew they would find her soon.
Relief poured through her in waves not only because
her beloved would join her, but that she had somehow
managed to hold off Palpatine from merging with the
child she carried in her womb.
“Mara,” she whispered. Sakoya had seen the glazed
over look of her daughter when she had called out to
her. It was as if she was unmindful of what was
happening. Could Sidious have ensnared her mind so?
Cautiously, she approached the woman who was still
beneath the tree.
“What do you want?” Mara irritably snapped. She
didn’t need to see the person to know who was
approaching.
Accustomed to the acerbic tone, Sakoya continued
forward and then sat down facing her estranged
daughter. “Are you alright?” she asked, trying not
to show too much worry in her voice.
Mara stared at the woman in front of her as if she
had asked the stupidest question she had ever heard.
“Of course I am!” she retorted sharply.
Sakoya slowly nodded her head. “Do you remember what
just happened?”
Mara’s brow furrowed as she glared at the woman,
confused. “The rain?”
“After that.”
Mara scowled and spat, “There was nothing after
that. Just the annoying rain that soaked me to my
skin.”
Sakoya tilted her head slightly to the side. “If it
was annoying why didn’t you try to escape it?”
Mara opened her mouth to offer a retort and then
paused.
“Sidious is controlling you, as he tried to do with
me.”
The woman shut her mouth and closed her eyes,
settling more comfortably against the tree. “Go
away. I don’t want to hear any more of your
prattle.”
Sakoya desperately wanted to reach out to her
daughter. She wanted her to know she didn’t have to
place herself in such isolation, that she didn’t
have to confine her deeper emotions so drastically.
‘How can I get through to her?’ she wondered. ‘I
want to tell her that I never stopped loving her.
Perhaps…’
“I told you to go away,” Mara interrupted her
mother’s musings.
“Why?” Sakoya suddenly asked, a mischievous
expression graced her face. “What are you afraid
of?”
Mara’s eyes flew open and hatred flared from them.
“I fear no one! Least of all YOU!”
“Bold words, my child.”
Mara nearly jumped forward into her mother’s face.
“Stop! You ceased to be my mother long ago!”
There was unmistakable rancor in her daughter’s
words but Sakoya didn’t let it bother her. She knew
she carried the blame just as much as Count Dooku
did. Had she delved deeper perhaps she could have
found her abducted daughter.
But that was the past and couldn’t be changed. She
could analyze “what ifs” forever but it still
wouldn’t alter what had occurred. However, the
present was another matter and that was what she
held out hope for.
“I can’t change the past but I will apologize for
it. I should never have stopped looking for you and
I regret that I came to the wrong conclusion.”
Mara had leaned back against the tree again, her
eyelids closed. “Does it look like I care what you
think?”
Sakoya knew this endeavor wouldn’t be easy. Mara’s
obstinacy was an inherited trait from both of her
parents.
‘I guess I’ll have to show her,’ she finally
surmised.
Sakoya knew that Mara had shielded herself, she
could feel the strong barrier but it hardly
mattered. What she was about to do would encompass
that barrier and more.
Crossing her legs, the Jedi closed her eyes and
began to breathe deeply. She relaxed her body,
ushering the tenseness away from her. She slowed her
heartbeat, its gentle rhythm maintaining a solid
balance. She whisked away the troubling scenes and
thoughts that sought to adhere to her mind, creating
a harmonious ambiance in its stead.
She embraced peace and all the love in her heart.
“The Force is with me, I can feel its gentle
current,” she said in a hushed voice. Mustering all
of the Force ability she held, Sakoya immersed
herself completely into the Force, allowing it to
merge with her, as she never had before.
Here, in this barren wasteland of the dark side of
the Force emerged a brilliant light free of
animosity, dissolved of anger, a place where free
will resides and, with it, choice.
Through the ethereal, Sakoya reached out to her
grown daughter – it was time for her to witness what
she had cast away.
It was gradual, but overwhelming as Mara found
herself in the middle of a paradise she had never
thought possible before. Tranquility surrounded her
offering itself to her – all she had to do was
accept it. She fought against her bonds, not
realizing that she was the one who controlled them.
She felt anger without wanting to. She felt pain
because she fought herself. She wanted to let go…but
couldn’t. It was like a dream that would soon fade
away leaving her feeling empty and lost.
Like she did so long ago…and still did…
“Nooooooo!” Mara screamed and clasped her hands to
her head. “Leave me alone!” Unbeknownst to her,
tears began to stream down her cheeks. The pain in
her heart refused to yield even though a part of her
wanted to. Palpatine never loved her, never offered
encouragement, never truly cared… Mara didn’t know
how to respond to this newfound acceptance and
reacted as only she knew how.
Sakoya didn’t waver. She prepared herself for
rejection, knowing that a lifetime of heartache
couldn’t be healed so quickly. Still, her message
was received and Mara would need time to embrace it
– or rebuff it.
Through the Force, Sakoya encircled her daughter
with love and understanding, hoping it would linger
long enough to have an effect on the young woman.
Then she slowly withdrew and began to emerge from
her trance.
__________________________________*****__________________________________
“Is
this your friend?” a rather large man bellowed in
Han’s ear. Xar’ek stood next to him fully inebriated
and slurring something unintelligible, which caused
the bouncer to glare disgustingly at the Corellian.
“In
a manner of speaking,” Han replied.
The
bouncer had maintained a firm hold on Xar’ek’s arm,
which was the only thing holding the Corellian
upright. “Get him out of here. This is not a place
for drunkards.”
Han
barely got out of the way, as the bouncer released
Xar’ek and he plopped down next to him. “Heyyyy,
buddy, ya got…a light?” Xar’ek hiccupped as he
fumbled with his pockets and then pulled out a
cigarra.
“No,” Han scowled, wanting to retch from the stench.
“Let’s get you out of here before the local
authorities haul you away.”
Chewie echoed that sentiment with a few grunts of
his own.
“We
could sober him up in the ocean, I suppose,” Han
offered with a roguish grin.
Chewie snorted and none too gently picked up their
drunken friend and hauled him out of the club,
neatly tucked under his furry arm.
__________________________________*****__________________________________
Sakoya could feel the nearness of the two Jedi and
with one last backward glance, she walked away from
her daughter and into the immeasurable openness
before her.
Mara had never felt so alone. She clutched her
aching head with her hands, hoping to drive out the
pain. She even closed her eyes, vainly trying to
block out what her mother had just shown her. She
had never needed anyone – now or in the past!
Or had she?
Palpatine had raised her with a grip that tightened
more with each passing day. She could do very little
that pleased him except hone her Force abilities.
With each passage of strength, he cackled with glee
but still demanded her utmost servitude. A child
needs love and acceptance and she received neither
from the Emperor – only his cold hand of discipline.
Yet she remained loyal to him.
“Why?” she asked herself and then looked down at the
medallion she wore faithfully. It was his symbol. A
gift he had given to her so many years ago. He said
it would protect her, but from whom she now
wondered. From herself? Ever since the Emperor had
died at the hands of Skywalker, she had felt empty,
like a vital part of her was missing. She reached
down and grasped the medallion, studying it, and
then viciously yanked it from her neck to cast it
away into this barren nothingness she had imprisoned
herself in.
The medallion landed with a loud clatter and
suddenly Mara felt her throat constrict. She tried
to breathe but no air rushed into her lungs.
Sidious appeared before her and snidely said, “Such
is the price of betrayal, my apprentice.” His tone
was smooth, as it had always been, but chilled the
blood in her veins.
She clawed at his face but her hands passed through
the air harmlessly.
__________________________________*****__________________________________
Upon seeing the fiery-haired Jedi walking toward
them, Obi-Wan and Anakin sprinted over to Sakoya.
“Mon aimé, are you
alright?” Obi-Wan enveloped his wife into his arms,
not wanting to let go.
“Yes,” she replied, relieved to wrap her arms around
him at last. “I tried to get through to Mara and I
think I may have…some anyway.”
“Are you alright, Sakoya?” Anakin asked, feeling
some trepidation from her.
Sakoya turned her head but still embraced her
husband. “I’m sorry. Hello, Anakin. Yes, I’m fine.”
Sakoya suddenly turned her body around and gasped in
horror and then all of them felt it.
The darkness that was Darth Sidious.
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