Star Wars EU Ships and One-Shots

Don't Leave

Luke felt her distress in his thoughts and woke up faster than Han could fly the Millennium Falcon. She, of course, was already awake, sitting up next to him, wiping sweat from her brow.

"It's alright, Luke. Go back to sleep."

The fact that she hadn't called him "Skywalker" or "Farmboy" told the wise Jedi Master that she wasn't "alright." 

"No, you're not. You're shaking."

"Just cold."

He eyed his wife suspiciously. "Is it the disease again?"

Mara sighed. "No. I still feel like bantha fodder, though. I don't think my stomach agrees with us about how exciting it is that we will have a son."

When she turned to face Luke, he saw that she was pale, her red-gold hair tangled and matted around her head. Her eyes that usually sparkled like emeralds were a dull green. As much as he thought she still looked like the most beautiful woman in the entire galaxy, it worried him. She rubbed her stomach as if to calm the life form inside of her.

"No, Mara. You don't look too good." He winced as he realized how those words sounded, and sent her love and compassion through the Force. Then, Luke slid out from his side of the bed. He came around and took her hands, pulling her off. She obliged grudgingly, sliding off right into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her, letting a golden stream of light and love drown out any darkness. He let go of her slightly, letting one hand rest on her lower back while he brought the other up under her chin to tilt her face towards his.

"Hey," he said gently, "we got through the illness. We've made it through a fortress full of Imperials and Chiss, and have fought creatures we barely know about from another galaxy-and survived. We can get through this."

With that, he lifted her face up to his and kissed her soft lips. With the touch, she leaned in to him, and her presence kissed his with a faint, whispery touch, causing a shiver to run down his spine. After what felt like an eternity, he slowly pulled away slightly, but still held her to him. From the feelings she had sent him, it felt like his knees were going to give way under him; from the way his wife leaned on him, Luke knew Mara felt the same way.

"I love you so much, Mara. More than you could ever imagine. When you got the disease, I thought you were going to leave me. And I know it may sound selfish, especially for the Grand Master to be saying this, but... love, there is nothing in the galaxy I fear more than losing you. Not the Vong. Not Sith. Not the dark side. Nothing. I just... I just love you so much, and I don't want you to ever go away, because I don't think I could live with that; actually I couldn't live with that-"

She pressed a finger to his lips to stop him. He realized he had been rambling, and felt his cheeks burn. He looked down at his wife. The sparkle had returned to her jade green eyes, and Luke knew that whatever pain she had felt before had been quenched by their love.

"Farmboy, I would never leave you as long as I live. Surely, that would be a crime. Besides, I was planning on living long enough to see our son grow up, and do you really think anyone could stop me from doing that?"

She stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to Luke's lips. "I love you too."

*   *   *   *   *   *

A few minutes later when they were both settled in bed again, Luke spoke into his wife's red hair quietly.

"No one will ruin your chance to see our son grow up. I forbid it. Any fight of yours is mine, too, got it?"

He sensed her smile. She pressed herself closer and sighed against him.

"Always, Farmboy. I go where you go. You go where I go. I am never going to leave this galaxy until you decide to. I love you, darling."

As he wrapped his arms around her and brought her head to his muscled chest, their breathing evened out in unison. They fell asleep peacefully, knowing that they would never be separated by anything the galaxy-or the Force-threw their way.

 But even Jedi Masters can't see the future...