EPILOGUE

Four months later.......

   Luke Skywalker sat contentedly, holding his sleeping, newborn son in his arms. Close by, enjoying a well deserved and much needed nap, was his wife, Mara. Luke could hardly keep his eyes off his child - in his view, the most beautiful, perfect sight he had ever seen. Ever. Luke could not recall a time when he felt more at peace than when he was holding his only child.

   In his right hand, Luke fingered a small, round object. He looked at it with a mixture of emotion, turning it over several times, pondering its meaning. Earlier that day, Luke had received word that a package had arrived for him at the Praxeum. The student who received it had said only that the man who delivered it had been very tall, extremely polite and dressed in one of the finest robes credits could buy. But despite his almost regal appearance, the man had told her that he was simply a messenger, nothing more. He had given the student a small package and left as quickly as he had come.

   When Luke had opened the package he had found only a folded piece of white paper and the round object he now held. It looked like an elaborate coin at first glance, but when Luke looked further he saw it was much more than that. One side of the coin was made of a white crystalline material. It sparkled and glistened and reflected light, making it almost seem to glow. The other side of the coin, however was made of a flawless black onyx-like material. It was smooth and cool, and Luke got the impression he could almost lose himself if he stared too long at its perfect black surface. When Luke had opened the folded paper there had been but one single word, written in an elegant, aristocratic style:

BALANCE

   Luke wondered at the meaning behind the message, and the gift. He felt no threat inherent in either, but he sensed whoever had given the items to him was trying to tell him something. Something important. The message eluded him, though, and he knew he would have to meditate on it later.

   Luke smiled as little Ben opened his slate blue eyes and began to look around the room. Luke made soft cooing noises and spoke quietly, trying to get his son's attention. But the baby's attention was elsewhere, his gaze fixed on a point above him and slightly behind his father. Luke followed his son's stare, craning his neck to try and see what had so fascinated the tiny babe. But there was nothing there that Luke could see.

   Luke's smile widened as he felt a ripple of Force energy flow outward from his son. The ripple flowed away, toward the point in the air where Ben was looking, then bounced back, as though Ben were playing catch with the Force. Luke shook his head, smiling. He caressed his son's cheek.

"What do you see, little one?" he asked, his voice gentle. As if in response, the baby gurgled and reached out toward the ceiling with unsteady arms.

"Do you see your Grandfather?" Luke questioned a knowing gleam in his eye. "I'll tell you all about him someday, my son."

Luke raised his head.

"I'm glad you're hear, Father," he said, speaking into the air. "And I'm guessing Qui-Gon is close by, too." He grinned. "Tell Nomi I said hello, would you?"

   Mara stirred, catching Luke's attention. He stood up a bit awkwardly, still getting accustomed to having such a tiny infant in his arms. He maneuvered the odd coin into a pocket, then crossed the floor to the bed. He lay Ben down beside his mother, and then carefully got into bed himself, the baby nestled between him and his wife. Mara rolled over, her green eyes fluttering awake. She gazed adoringly at her son, then smiled at Luke.

"How long was I asleep?" she asked, reaching down to place a hand on Ben's warm tummy.

"I'm not sure. You both were asleep when I got home."

Mara sighed, irritated at herself. "I didn't mean to fall asleep until you were home." She looked lovingly at her son. "I didn't want him to wake up and feel alone."

Luke smiled softly, gazing at his child with affection and pride.

"Don't worry, Mara. He'll never be alone."

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And so it ends…. :D

I hope you enjoyed reading the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. I had a blast with this particular story, mainly because I got to play around with the Jedi afterlife. If you are so inclined, please leave a quick review.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to leave comments for me, or to send supportive E-mails. Especially you, Brigantia! :D