ASAACAAT: Book I - Enkousokugetsu 27/31 (NC-17)
ASAACAAT: Book I - Enkousokugetsu 27/31
xiasangli
Luke spent the day alternating between checking on Mara and doing research in the med library. Mara could barely move let alone teach classes. The time he spent in the library pouring over the medical holos was invaluable. It helped him to understand the nature of the information he received from Cilghal.
When the extent of Mara’s condition became clear to the Mon Calamari, she transmitted Mara’s complete medical history. The best healer apprentice on Yavin IV helped Luke to interpret what he was seeing. He was also fortunate enough to secure a skimpier version of Mara’s most recent medical files from Jade’s Fire. As expected, it showed that she was generally in excellent health. Nevertheless, there was no indication that Mara had once been pregnant. Either that or he still didn’t quite understand her anatomy.
He’d also put a large bed and a portable refresher unit in one of the spare rooms. From Coruscant, using the Holonet, Cilghal shared rudimentary healing techniques with him, those that focused on the human female reproductive system. She begged him to wait for her arrival, but everything in him screamed that Mara didn’t have that long. She didn’t have the week it would take for Cilghal to make it to Yavin IV.
Another thing nagged at him. He had the impression that neither the illness nor the dream-like memories were related to the mystery woman. On the surface, they were separate events. With this in mind, he was grateful the woman was somewhere planning her attack, leaving him free to worry about Mara’s other problems.
That evening when he returned to their room for the final time, Mara was just waking up. He felt her forehead. It was cool and dry. There was no fever. Exhausted, he lay on the bed next to her and pondered why she was ill. The research and his conversations with Cilghal pointed at a hormone imbalance. Not only was that explanation too simplistic, blood tested by the medical droids also proved otherwise. There was more to her illness than that and there was only one way he’d find out what was going on for sure.
Gently, he lifted Mara’s sleeping shift. Although she watched him closely, she made no objection. She trusted him completely. As his hands moved over her abdomen he breathed in and out of his nose several times, opening his full awareness to the Force.
“Sleep, Mara.”
She blinked several times in rapid succession and then finally closed her eyes, allowing him to establish a healing bond with her. Flashes of her experiences with Cilghal zipped through his mind. To his everlasting joy, he was able to mimic some of the healer’s techniques and quell Mara’s instinctive fears. Soon she was so far under she probably wouldn’t experience any pain or discomfort.
He took one final deep breath and gently entered her womb. For a few moments he was overwhelmed by the busy little cells, blood vessels and other amazing things. Her reproductive system was like a work of art. It was far more beautiful than the images he’d seen in the holos.
Amazing. This is where life originates.
Praying there was Force residue from Cighal’s last treatment, he went in search of the pathways she’d used. Any deviation could hurt Mara. Before long, he exhaled in relief when he discovered that Cighal’s Force signature was strong and clear.
After that, it didn’t take long for him to find the bacterium. It buzzed around her uterus like a hive of angry bees and he found it difficult to believe it was dormant. For just a second, he questioned his decision to go forward. Cilghal had already tried several times to destroy it without success. What made him think he could do better?
In reality, he had no choice. He knew that if he didn’t act fast, whatever it was would take Mara’s life. Thus, he concentrated on Cilghal’s current recommendation for treatment. Go after the trigger itself. Human medics believed the bacterium was directly activated by pregnancy hormones. The Jedi Healer disagreed; she believed an artificial mechanism was embedded in Mara’s reproductive tract. That device would react to the hormones and then command the microbes to attack. Without it to issue the orders, the disease would remain a minor irritant to her immune system. It would not attack Mara’s babies. Luke had more faith in his former student’s assessment so he began searching for the detonation device. The bacterium was a living bomb and as such must have a trigger, living or otherwise.
Just as he’d almost given up hope, he saw something out of the ordinary embedded near Mara’s cervix. Careful examination showed that it was no larger than her smallest finger. It was a thin, reddish colored metallic disc that was apparently malfunctioning. When working properly, the disc was surely able to disguise itself. Now it seemed to be expanding and for whatever it was worth, it showed itself at the right time.
Now that he found it, he wasn’t sure what to do about it. If he ripped it from her, he could damage her uterus and destroy her chances of birthing children. But if he didn’t remove the disc, she would die.
Trusting in the Force, he grasped the disc and gently pulled. Her body came completely off the bed as the pain swept through her. Mara’s screams rang in his ears but mercifully, the torture subsided within seconds. The area where the object was once embedded was angry and infectious. Using one of Cilghal’s healing pathways he sought to bring her relief. Before long, the infection subsided and the area now matched the color of the surrounding tissue.
Thankfully, Cilghal had already given him a crash course on how to remove foreign bodies from a living being and he was certain he could do it without hurting Mara any further. At best, it would only be uncomfortable. Slowly and methodically he folded the disc into a very tiny sphere, guided it to her stomach. It reacted immediately, bubbling upwards in an effort to dispel the disc.
Luke withdrew from the healing bond as fast as he dared. He came out of it just in time to see Mara’s eyes snap open. Bewildered, trembling from head to toe, she struggled to sit up.
He gathered her in his arms, steadying her as she retched, quivering violently the entire time. When it was all over, he helped her shower and redress. As she sat quietly in a comfortable chair, he prepared fresh covers for the bed and after that gently placed her in it. She never spoke or questioned what he was doing and when she laid her head on the pillow, sleep immediately claimed her.
After calling in a medical droid to watch over her, Luke tracked Artoo down. The little astromech hacked into a galactic database while Luke used the Force to return the disc to its original state. Although it was damaged, Artoo found no shortage of information about the object. He downloaded as much as his memory banks could hold.
Armed with the new knowledge, Luke finally reached a conclusion. The disc was indeed a command disc that had been genetically engineered to disguise itself as a part of Mara’s reproductive system. The disc also seemed to have been inserted more than fifteen years ago. He knew that because no such genetic device existed before then.
“Damn you Palpatine! Why did you do this to her?”
~~~
Two days later
Even though it felt as like a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders, Mara was dying of thirst. She was so thirsty she didn’t have enough saliva to voice a request for water.
“Skywalker,” she managed to say.
“Welcome back to the land of the living, Sleepyhead. I missed you.”
Mara was grateful when he crawled into the bed and pressed a glass of water to her lips. “I’m glad to be back, I think. Is this a bed?” Her voice sounded scratchy.
“Don’t tell anyone, but I like beds,” he whispered conspiratorially. “You being ill was the perfect excuse to get one in our room.” He curved his arm around her waist, she laid her head on his shoulder and then he recounted the events of the last few days.
“So that disc commanded the bacterium? I’m okay then?” The implications were seared on her brain. Somehow she g0t the impression he wasn’t thinking along the same lines.
He nuzzled Mara’s hair with his chin. “Not quite, but you’re getting better. Cilghal says there’s a better chance of destroying the bacterium completely since the genetic command disc has been removed. Preliminary blood tests show a decrease in the antibodies that were trying to ward off the infestation.”
“I don’t know what to think. The Emperor did such horrible…” Mara swallowed hard, unable to speak further.
Luke kissed the top of her head. “It’s over now. He didn’t win.”
She sank deeper into his chest, marveling at how his heart beat so steady and so sure. Half the time, despite her outward appearance, her heart rate was often on the verge of going through the roof.
“Do you know that I can’t levitate?” she said out of the blue. “Palpatine never bothered to teach me. When I asked him to, he locked me in a bright room for six days straight, never allowing me to sleep. I survived off stale water that had puddle in a corner of the room. When he released me, he told me to never ask him for anything again. I served him, he didn’t serve me.”
Luke visibly shuddered “It never occurred to me. You’re good at so many things, I guess I…”
“I want to learn,” Mara admitted. “I know I was a bad student and my path was different but I can’t stand the thought of not being able to levitate anything more than small rocks.”
Luke sighed and slide beneath the covers, bringing her along with him. Face to face he stared into her eyes. “Mara do you trust me?” he asked, his voice soft, his eyes serious.
“What kind of question is that?”
“One that deserves an answer.”
“Let me think.” Mara knew exactly where this was headed. This was one of many conversations she’d dreaded having since her arrival. He would ask a question in which she couldn’t provide a clear answer. A question he’d held in for weeks, not daring to ask her. Since there was virtually no chance of being interrupted by others or sex, he needed to get it out.
He lowered his eyelashes. “I’m sorry. You must be tired. I’ll leave and let you rest.”
“I trust you, Skywalker. Ask the question.”
“Why did you come here? I never imagined you’d come and stay for more than a day or two. You’re even teaching. I’ve always known you have in you, but to stay here with me as a part of a couple, I…”
“Because, I…I…damn you, Skywalker.” Mara faltered. There were no answers forthcoming. She couldn’t tell him things she didn’t understand. Almost immediately, she sensed Luke was aware of her conflicting emotions and he was desperately trying to find a way to make this easier for her.
“Mara, do you trust me with your life?”
“Yes.” This time she did not hesitate. He was the only person in the entire galaxy she could depend on. Not only did she trust him, she needed him although she’d never admit it openly. Holding back from him was a part of their relationship dynamic. Between them there was so much to be said, so much to be done and so much to finish. But time had never been on their side.
“You still trust me after I let you down?”
“Skywalker, we’ve talked about this until I was blue in the face.”
Luke stroked her eyebrows with his fingers. “When you arrived on Coruscant, I was afraid to go to you. I knew you wanted me at your place and the only thing that kept me away was my duty. Part of me felt that you needed me for something and even without knowing what it was I felt I shouldn’t go because I was a Jedi. I was a fool.” His voice was pained, guilt-ridden.
“No...no...you were right,” she said, quickly. “It was best you didn’t come then.” Mara retraced her conversations with Cilghal. Desperation had fueled her desire to see him. “And don’t feel guilty about the things that happened the morning after. I wanted you and despite all the emotional brouhaha, I came away from that experience stronger.”
The limbs entangled with hers stiffened. “I couldn’t stand it if you didn’t trust me. I can handle you not loving me or caring that deeply, but I need your trust. I need you to have faith in me.” His blue eyes wandered over her face, seeking understanding.
This isn’t like Skywalker. He doesn’t respond this way to me.
For whatever heroic reasons, he took every single bad thing that had ever happened between them to heart. Yet, nothing that transpired between them was entirely his fault. She’d done her share of sabotage.
Luke hugged her tightly, planting light kisses on her forehead. He inhaled and exhaled so deeply Mara feared he couldn’t get enough oxygen. She remained silent, giving him time to relax.
“We’ve never completed the journey we began all those years ago,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “We stepped off the path twice, never reaching our destination.”
“It couldn’t be helped. We’re so different, Skywalker. There was no way we could go the distance…then.”
Luke grimaced as in pain. “That’s because we were trying to reach my destination or your destination. We weren’t trying to reach our destination, Mara. Do you understand?”
Given the weak state of her body, it was no wonder Mara was overwhelmed by emotions that hadn’t flowed freely in years. She’d been a fool because she’d never been able to accept his offer of solace openly. Proving she was strong and independent had been more important.
“No, I don’t. I don’t know anything about man-woman relationships, Luke. I’m not cut out for more than random sex and a few life and death situations. You know that to be true. I feel secure now but that can change at any time. You know this because you know me better than I know myself. I’m not a mathematical concept, but I am Mara Jade. And don’t forget that there’s someone out there playing with my mind. You mustn’t trust me.”
“A relationship requires two people willing to journey together. The destination isn’t as important as that journey.” His fingers curved around a lock of red-gold hair. “If this is all we can manage, Mara, this thing that we’re doing now, I can live with it.”
Upset at what she was hearing, she tried to roll away but he held her in place. “This isn’t enough for a man like you.”
“I’ve already told you before. I want you at any cost. I want you even if you disappear for months at a time…I…I…want you any way I can have you.”
“You’re crazy,” she spat. “You can’t live like that. You’re Luke Skywalker for Force sake!”
He shot up in the bed, his face twisted with emotion. “I’m a man, Mara Jade. A human man who wants you and needs you. A man who cares about you.”
“I might never be able to love you, Skywalker. Surely you understand that?” With his help, she sat up. “I can be your mistress, but…Sith! You make this so difficult!”
Luke cupped her face with his hands. “Mara, I accept you for who and what you are. I care for you as you. If you can’t do the same thing for me, then we don’t have a chance. If you can, we’ll make it.” His blue eyes blazed in earnest.
Why does he have faith in me? I’ve tried to kill him. Why does he believe in me? I’ve tried to use him. I don’t understand these kinds of feelings. Why is he bringing it up now? What in Sith is going on?
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