Well this is the final chapter of my three part story. I hope it was, at the very least, an entertaining read. I know that most SW fans are mostly interested in reading only about the original characters of that universe. Sometimes though background needs to be told so that other characters are understood later.
The second half of the story has more of the original characters and a few new ones. Luke has to come to terms with what Obi-Wan has told him about his mother, his secret twin and also what he's expected t o do about his father. The truth about the Dark Lord's paternity is a flaw on Luke's character that he's not sure the Alliance member's would accept. He discovers that holding onto secrets can be a very isolating experience. And for the first time realizes that he has never really truely been in love and that it is something that he wants someday. Being a hero can be a very lonely life indeed. He discovers that as a Jedi he is expected to do more than just carry a lightsaber and defend the innocent. And learns about the Corellian Pledge and how it will affect his life.
Chapter Ten
Partings
The Millennium Falcon sped through hyperspace pursued only by the small unmanned X-wing fighter, piloted by Artoo-Detoo.
The captain's cabin on board the Corellian freighter had fallen deathly quiet. A heavy stillness, broken only by the sounds of weeping. Freya covered her face, she'd felt his emotions fade as his soul fled his body. Her friend and comrade. . . her brother in all but blood was gone.
Luke reached across Lana and closed Terell's lifeless eyes. With a consolingly touch on her lower back, he turned to her. She looked at him with terrible remorse rising in her grief stricken gaze when he offered his sad condolences.
"I'm sorry."
Lana gripped Terell's slack hand, held it to her heart and tried to remain calm, but her shaky breath gave her away as did her tears. Sadly she laid his hand on his still chest. Freya empathetically clasped their hands together. Lana found that in her guilt, she could not look at her surviving friend. A slow feeling of fatigue was coming over her and she did not want to fight it any longer.
The sound of a quiet sniff behind him gained Luke's attention. Leia's arms were wrapped tightly around Han, her face buried in his chest. He knew that she was grateful that her own love was beside her, but the loss of another homeless Alderaanian was too much for the Princess to keep inside. Han held her close while he exchanged a sad look with the Jedi.
Luke turned back to Lana. She had leaned in close to rest her head against Terell's and whisper a final farewell. She cried softly as she told him that she loved him and then kissed his pale cheek. Luke drew a breath, ready to offer more consoling words, when he felt something warm and wet on the fingers of his ungloved hand. Curious, he glanced down.
"You're bleeding Lana! " he exclaimed urgently.
At first she seemed not to hear him, but after a moment she straightened and remained helpfully still as Luke lifted her jacket to find the source of her bleeding.
Lana was numb. She stared down at the evidence of her injuries with complete indifference. Her body was still flooded with adrenaline, which had dulled much of her senses. What that chemical hadn't blocked was barred by the overwhelming sense of loss. By the great, gaping hole that Terell's death had left in her.
So -- she had been hit. So what, she thought dully. Her eyes were drawn to the bed, back to the man she'd held in her arms only hours before.
"How bad is it?" Freya inquired, instantly coming around the bed. She grimaced when she saw the hole in the right side of Lana's lower back. Blood was freely oozing from it now that the jacket wasn't there to soak it up.
"It looks like that blast went right through them both," Luke observed, pointing to the smaller entry wound on the other side of Lana's abdomen. "Take her jacket off," he said, reaching for the first aid kit.
Freya removed the bloodied jacket with no resistance from Lana. The woman was as unresponsive as a doll. Freya tossed the jacket aside, moving when Luke turned back with the kit.
Lana's black laced half bodice made it easy for him to tend the wound while Freya passed him what he needed. He breathed easier when he saw that the injury was not as bad as he'd feared. The bolt had only penetrated the meat of Lana's body. Luke poured antiseptic fluid on a cloth and held it to the wound.
The burning sting brought Lana sharply out of her daze. She took a hissing breath through her teeth, flinching away. Her abrupt movement was accompanied by an acute pain in her ribs. It was suddenly painfully hard to breathe and no matter how much she tried, she could do little more then take in short gasps.
Freya winced as though she was experiencing Lana's pain as well. She steadied her Corellian friend when she swayed, then glanced expectantly around the room for Creature. The animal was, at the moment, no where in view.
Color had drained from Lana's face from the bite of the antiseptic. Luke felt for sure that she was going to pass out. Her watering eyes and ashen features had the look of someone who was close to collapse.
"I'm sorry," he apologized, while holding the cloth to Lana's wound. "I know it hurts, but it will help to keep infection away."
He poured a little more onto the cloth.
Lana leaned forward straining for air, her blood covered hands gripping the edge of the bed. Creature suddenly appeared directly opposite her, growling at Luke while raising his wings in a protective display. Freya let go of Lana and lunged after the animal to scoop him up in her arms.
"Leave me alone," Lana wheezed, through her teeth.
Her strained breathing made Luke suspect another injury.
"Don't be stupid Lana," Freya snapped. "This needs tending." Creature struggled and growled in her arms, glaring menacingly at Luke. "Knock it off Creature!" she scolded.
:Tie his tethers down: sent Lana urgently.
"Where's his hood?" Freya asked, going back around the bed and securing Creature's long leg tethers to a metal bar.
:Jacket: was Lana's one word sending.
Freya went through Lana's jacket and pulled out what she was looking for. "Sorry about this Creach," she said and then, despite his wild complaints, she hooded him.
Luke lightly touched Lana's ribcage. She spontaneously cried out and moved away from his hand.
Creature hissed savagely and strained against his tethers to free himself. The Jedi ignored the Guardian and continued to tend Lana's exterior wound. Having felt the unmistakable movement of at least two broken ribs, Luke had a new concern that they might have punctured internal organs.
Lana winced at his careful touch.
"I said leave me alone! " She grabbed his wrist, twisting it painfully outward, away from her as she turned on him. "I mean it, you keep your hands off of me!"
Taken off guard by the anger in her voice, Luke didn't try to pull his hand away, but relaxed and bent with the pressure she was exerting on him, wondering why she was looking at him as if he was her mortal enemy again.
She glared at him, hating him and blaming herself for the deaths her panic of him had caused.
If only she hadn't run, then none of this would have happened.
Freya intervened, taking hold of her wrist, "Let him go Lana!" She pinched a pressure point to release Luke, when the Corellian didn't respond.
Luke stepped back, rubbing at his wrist and Freya slipped between them with a hard question to her friend.
"Are you trying to die! "
Tears spilled out of Lana's eyes and rolled down her face. She felt light headed and turned back to her dead love, with a despondent, 'I'd welcome it.'
Anger flashed on Freya's face. "Would you so readily leave me? Or would you have me die too?"
Lana lowered her head, she had heard Freya speaking as though her voice was muffled and did not register what she was saying. Shock was setting back in, numbing her to everything around her. It was a welcome feeling.
'Look at me! ' Freya's sharply snapped command finally gained a reaction out of her. Lana sluggishly turned her head towards her friend.
"Don't do this," Freya said, thinking that her Controller was closing herself down to everything but her deep sense of remorse. "Don't shut yourself off from me, it's not your fault they died."
"Freya's right," Luke's clear voice came through next. "Don't add yourself to the dead. Terell wouldn't want that."
He waited for a moment and then went on, "Now I am going to finish cleaning this." He carefully continued tending her wound with no more arguments from her.
Lana was too numb to even flinch when he poured more stinging antiseptic on her wound.
He finished taping up her side. "There, that should do until we can get you to a medic." He told her, then turned to Freya, "She'll be fine."
Freya gave her gratefully thanks and then looked to her friend. The emptiness on Lana's face gave her great concern. She turned the Corellian away from Terell's body, hoping to gain her focus. When that failed she tried sending to her. But even that did not work. "Please Lana, don't shut yourself away."
Luke studied Lana while cleaning her blood from his hand. The expressionless stare on her face and the fact that she wasn't responding to her friend this time made him certain that shock was setting in. Freya stepped aside, when he moved forward.
He turned Lana's face up to examine her blank eyes and frowned at what he didn't see in them.
"What's wrong with her?" Freya asked, a note of fear in her voice.
"She's going into shock," he answered simply.
"That's not just shock," said Freya, anxiously eying her friend.
"Come on Lana, snap out of it," said Luke, intent upon her dazed eyes, then, hoping to bring her mind back into the now, he firmly barked: "Look at me, Lieutenant! "
It worked. Her eyes focused, meeting his with resentment.
Then, something changed in her look. A fleeting glimpse of. . . surprise? As though something unexpected had startled her. Her eyes widened and he felt her shoulders stiffen under his hands.
She blinked slowly and shook her head, as if shivering away a fly. When she met his eyes again, a profound heartache had risen in her own. Tears glassed over them and she seemed unable to look away.
Consequently, it was easy to see the moment when the pain of her injuries caught up with her. Whatever Luke had planned on saying to her flew from his mind when the color drained completely from her already pale face and she sank down, clutching at her side.
Luke caught her up in his arms.
"Bring her over here," called Han, pressing a button on the cabin's control panel. A second cot slid out of the wall.
The Jedi carried Lana to it, lowering her to sit on the narrow mattress. She weakly pushed herself away from him, holding her side and forcing her eyes to look elsewhere. They fell on Terell, lying in Han's bed, across the cabin. Her unsteadiness became more apparent and Luke took hold of her shoulders again.
"Easy, Lana. Try to stay awake."
"Please," she pleaded helplessly, "just let me go."
"You have to stay with us!" Luke told her firmly, keeping her from collapsing on the cot. "I don't want you slipping any further into shock. Now, why don't you tell me what you know about the plans."
"I don't know anything," she replied lethargically.
"Where are the plans?" he asked, trying to keep her mind working. She swayed, eyelids drooping and head lolling slowly forward. Luke lifted her chin, forced eye contact with her and asked again. "Where are the plans Lieutenant?"
She weakly took off the sparkling little sphere dangingly from her right ear and handed it to him.
He didn't question this, but cast his glance to Leia when she came over with some old rags that Han had on board. In all the excitement he hadn't even noticed her leave the room.
She took the earring and handed him a damp rag in return while placing the small ornament in a pocket. Leia then reached to take the container of water from Han to clean the blood from Lana's hands. Han, however did not give it to her, but set it on the cot and pulled her aside, apprehensively eying Luke's back.
"Look at this," he said, pointing out a small laser hole burned into Luke's tunic. Leia exchanged a serious look with Han. The hole was right at Luke's lower spine, a crippling point for anyone.
"Take this off, Luke," said Han and he started removing the tunic from his friend.
"Why?" Luke asked, while unhooking his belt and placing it on the cot beside Lana. She stared at the lightsaber, still clipped to it, a mixture of sorrow and fear in her eyes. "What's wrong?"
Han answered his friend's question by showing him the blaster burn in his tunic once it was removed. "This one almost had your name on it pal."
Luke took the cloth and examined it, while Han pulled his shirt up to check his back. Princess Leia leaned thankfully against Han's arm and breathed easier. Though the laser blast had gone through most of the layers of Luke's clothes it only left him with a thumb sized blistering welt on his back. Without bacta it would scar and forever be a physical reminder of his visit to Zirus Five. With great relief the Princess hugged Luke and he wrapped an arm around her with assurances that he was fine. He didn't even flinch when, on her insistence, Han cleaned and then dressed the spot, just in case.
Sticking his finger through the burned hole in his tunic, Luke agreed with Han, "That wasreally close." Feeling Lana's eyes on him, he looked at her. She was staring at his finger protruding through the small hole with tears welling up in her eyes.
Realization suddenly struck Luke. She wasn't the only victim of the same shot that had killed Terell. He set the garment down and steadied her again.
"Thank you."
She didn't respond.
Princess Leia handed Luke thermal covers which he draped over Lana's shoulders to keep her warm. She sat inanimate while he started cleaning the blood off her face with a damp rag. He could tell, by her odd stillness and shallow breathing that her body was beginning to shut down.
In an effort to keep her awake he continued to talk to her. "That blast would have killed me if you hadn't been guarding my back."
She numbly shifted her eyes to him.
He lifted her chin up and wiped the blood from it, then paused only slightly when tears spilled down her cheeks. Luke wiped them away too as they fell.
"I'm indebted to you," he said quietly. "You saved my life."
Lana mournfully shook her head. The slight movement set her head to spinning.
Luke held her steady. She looked over his shoulder to her love's still body and corrected him.
"Terell saved you."
"He saved us both," said Luke.
She looked down at her blood covered hands and then abruptly broke down into distraught sobs. He took her in his arms to comfort her.
This move only deepened her heartache. Lana went into a delirium of apologies to her lost loved ones on his shoulder until shock finally took her away, first from her sorrow and then from everyone in the room.
Luke felt her go limp. He drew her back and her head lolled to one side, unconscious. With an assurance to Freya that she was fine, he laid her back against the cot.
It was then that See-Threepio entered the room. He paused by Terell's bloodied body and understood that he was dead. The droid's shoulders slouched noticeably and he walked up to Luke. He kept his voice at a respectable level when he spoke.
"Master Luke, Artoo want's to know if he is to pilot your X-wing all the way back to the Alliance's rendezvous point?"
"No," Luke answered somberly. He continued to clean up Lana's bloodied and tear streaked face. She looked so anguished, so vulnerable, he wished that he could give her back what she had lost.
"I'm not sure where we're going just yet," he said distractedly.
The translator glanced down at Lana with a cautious inquiry. "Is she--?"
"No," Luke answered, knowing what his full question was.
"I'll do this Luke," said Han, taking the rag from his hand. "Why don't you go up to the cockpit and give Lando and Chewie the low down. You can tell them where you want to stop to switch ships."
In a cheerless mood, Luke nodded and then told his golden translator to stay and keep a watchful eye on Lana, before he left the room.
Freya felt every bit of the heavy depression that had captured the room. It weighed down on her and compounded her own emotional loss. She covered Terell up with the sheet and then undid Creature's tethers. He could smell both Terell's and Lana's blood and was moaning woefully. He protested and strained to get free when Freya scooped him up in her arms. She held him close to her and, sensing her sorrow, Creature ceased his struggles and began to purr to relieve her mood. She left the room with him to go find a quite place to mourn over the loss of her friends and her mate.
Leia stayed with Han, helping him clean Lana up. She quietly studied him while he washed the blood from the young woman's hands. His face fell some when he raised her right arm up and ran his hand over the black lace sleeve as though to confirm something. He nodded to himself when he felt the terrible scaring that ran from Lana's elbow up the length of her upper arm. With a sad heavy sigh he rested her arm on the cot and continued to wash the blood from her face.
"You know her," Leia keenly observed. "Don't you?"
Han's momentary pause answered her question.
"It's not just a coincidence that you share the same last name, is it?"
He somberly shook his head.
Leia glanced at Lana's face, the similarities in her features were close enough to Han's for her to know that there was a family resemblance. A sudden thought entered Leia's mind. She didn't want to give it voice but some part of her needed to know the truth.
"Who is she?" she asked, hoping beyond hope that he wouldn't say 'my daughter.' How very relieved she was to hear his answer.
"She's my cousin. She's supposed to be dead," he added slowly, in obvious confusion. "Aliana said she was."
"Who's Aliana?"
"Her maternal grandmother."
"So you're related by--"
"Our fathers," Han confirmed with a nod. "The last time I saw her was eleven years ago."
"Well when we get back to the Alliance we can send envoys to Corellia and let her grandmother know that she's still alive."
The two of you will meet again and return home when the time is right. Han remembered the old Corellian woman's prediction and shook his head.
"No," he said, disagreeing with Leia's suggestion.
"Her family has a right to know that she's alive, Han."
"I'm her only living relative. And I don't see any reason to correct the belief on Corellia that she's dead."
Leia frowned, this was the first time that she had heard him even mention his home world or any family that he might have there. He kept his past to himself. She did not push him for an explanation.
They cleaned as much of the blood from Lana as they could and then covered her with the thermal blanket and left the room.
Freya sat huddled in a corner of the ship's hold emotionally spent. She was absentmindedly petting Creature, who rubbed against her, purring and trilling for more attention. He tugged at his tethers, wrapped around her wrist, every time she stopped stroking his feathery soft body. When that did not regain her attention he persistently nudged his beak under her hand until he managed to lift it up.
Reddened eyes shifted to him when he threw himself on the floor of the ship with a soft thud to roll over onto his back. Creature's light blue eyes stared up at her with pure innocent, unconditional love while he chirped for her notice. He playfully batted at long strands of her blond hair. His prehensile tail then wrapped around her wrist and pulled her hand to his exposed belly. He moved her hand up and down with his tail, which brought a very brief smile to Freya's sad face.
She tickled his tummy and then motioned for him to climb into her lap, which he did. Freya looked up from her spot and saw Han and Leia walk by in the corridor on their way to the cockpit. Her sad mood returned in full measure.
A few hours later, with the Millennium Falcon traveling through hyper space on auto pilot, everyone congregated in the hold, much to Freya's great annoyance. She wanted to be alone, but the Corellian freighter wasn't big enough to be truly alone. In any case it didn't matter which part of the ship she retreated to, she could still feel the emotions of the others on board. Freya sat apart from them, trying not to feed off their underlining sorrow, while they quietly discussed what had happen on Zirus Five and where they were going to stop, so Luke could transfer to his own ship.
The Jedi once again declined Han's offer to return to the Alliance with them. And Princess Leia supported his decision to return to Dagobah to finish his Jedi training.
Careworn and sad, Freya watched the five friends and couldn't help but remember a time not long ago when she sat like this with her own comrades. Tears returned to her eyes and she wiped them away angrily, knowing those days would never be again. Her soft sniff gained Luke's concerned focus.
He motioned her over. "Come sit with us."
She stoically declined his invitation.
The others turned to look at her and she looked away from them, wiping at her face.
Luke stood and went over to her, then paused when Creature growled up at him.
Freya covered his beak with a reproachful, "Stop that."
He shook his head free and hissed, warning the Jedi to keep his distance, before Freya recaptured his beak, muffling his growls.
Chewbacca barked a warning to Luke about Creature's aggressive nature.
"Don't push it Luke," Han cautioned, passing on his co-pilot's warning, "Chewie's right, that animal's strung too tight right now."
Luke stooped down and offered his hand to Creature, to smell.
"That's not wise," Freya warned, "he doesn't like strangers."
"I think it's time we became friends then," Luke replied confidently.
Freya shrugged with abject indifference, "don't say I didn't warn you."
She relaxed her grip and Creature once again shook his head free. His deep growls did little to deter the Jedi.
"Easy Creature, I'm not going to hurt her," he soothed.
Han rolled his eyes.
"Some things never change," he whispered to Chewbacca, "He still thinks he knows what he's doing."
"He pretty much does," said Lando in passing. "You know I'm not a big believer in the Force, but I've seen Luke do some pretty amazing things that I can't explain."
"The Force," Han's mocking tone conveyed that he still didn't hold a lot of stock by that mystical energy. He glanced at Leia, who looked mildly disappointed with him. He changed the subject in the blink of an eye. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine," she answered honestly, then turned to watch Luke patiently holding his hand out for Creature. She jumped slightly when Creature's prehensile tail shot out and wrapped around Luke's wrist to pull his hand closer.
Luke was completely relaxed, with the Force moving in answer to his call.
The Guardian's mood eased uncharacteristically fast. He leaned forward and sniffed the Jedi's scent. Luke's fingers tickled under his beak. This was a favorite spot of Creature's. He closed his eyes, his tail relaxing, and pushed his head into Luke's gentle caress, purring softly.
Luke smiled, his tone soothing, "There that wasn't so hard now was it?"
Freya felt queasy. "Try it without using the Force."
Luke met her knowing gaze. He let go of the Force and a beat later Creature jerked his head back with an unwelcomed squawk, his cautious mood back.
"Stop it, Creach, he's on our side."
The Guardian stared up at the Jedi curiously, then looked up at Freya with a sad chirp. Freya caressed him reassuringly and then he laid his head on her lap with a mournful sigh.
Luke didn't push it. He seemed happy that the animal wasn't hissing at him anymore. "Well, it's a start."
Leia walked up behind Luke with a question for Freya. "Do you know how to open this?" She held up Lana's earring.
Freya called the decorative ornament to her hand.
Luke felt mild illness tightening up his stomach.
Ignoring his curious inspection, Freya opened the little sphere. A tiny holographic image of Ehker, about six inches tall, appeared. He spoke in his native Bothan tongue, which Leia apparently understood, and then disappeared. She took the earring from Freya, pulled out the mini disc hidden inside and then smiled.
"Excellent. This may well be the very thing to bring the Empire down. Thank you."
Freya respectfully inclined her head.
Leia returned to the holo table and sat next to Han to discuss the possibilities of the information stored on the tiny disc.
"You sure you won't join us?" Luke asked Freya again. "We could use your input on the plans."
"I don't know anything about them."
"That makes us all even in our knowledge," he said with a mild grin. "Come on, come sit with us. It's better than just sitting here by yourself, hmm?" He waited for her to make a decision, then added encouragingly, "You're among friends here."
Much to his surprise her expression turned pained and she covered her face as tears fell.
"I'm sorry," Luke apologized at once, "I didn't mean to upset you."
"Its okay," she sniffed, wiping at her eyes. She took a steadying breath, before she spoke again. "You said Stilmon took you down in the tunnels?
Luke nodded.
"Did you find them?"
Understanding that she was asking about her fallen friends he nodded again and then explained how he and Stilmon found the two brothers.
Freya swallowed the painful lump that formed in her throat. "Kierdan was still alive?"
"Barely," he told her somberly.
"You think he's dead?" she asked, wanting to hear his opinion on the matter.
His answer of, 'I don't know,' did not give her hope for the older Masters brother.
"He must be," she said, more to herself than to him, while wiping away still more tears, "they wouldn't have left him behind if he wasn't."
Luke didn't venture to give his opinion, if he hadn't felt Kierdan's soul through the Force he would have thought that he was dead too when he and Stilmon found him.
Freya wiped her eyes and then covered a deep yawn.
"You're tired, perhaps you should lay down for a while."
She nodded and held Creature secure when Luke helped her to her feet.
He followed after her, only pausing long enough to tell the others, that he'd be back in a little while. Luke then walked her back to the captain's cabin and was a little annoyed to see his golden translator standing motionless directly outside the closed door.
"Threepio, I told you to keep an eye on--," Luke's sentance stalled when he noticed that the droid's photoreceptors were dim as they neared. He reached behind See-Threepio's neck and flipped the tiny cut off switch to the on position. The droid came to life, finishing the sentance he had been in the middle of saying when he had been shut down.
"GaAAaaVe intructions to watch-over-you."
With a startled jolt, the droid realized that he was no longer in the captain's quarters , "Oh no -- she switched me off! " He turned to go fetch his master and jumped again when he saw Luke and Freya. "Master Luke, she--"
"Woke up," Luke finished his sentance.
Freya opened the door and found Lana standing over Terell's uncovered body, swaying slightly. The Corellian had removed his jacket and shirt and layed a strip of cloth over his eyes. Using the water and rages left behind, she wiped at his face. The water she was using was already tinged red with blood and did little to clean his body. Still she dazedly dunked her rag in and wrung it out before wiping his face again.
The empath walked up to her friend, who's emotions were dulled by the shocked state she was still in. "Lana, what are you doing? You should be laying down."
Lana's delayed response was a sluggish shake of her head.
"Have to clean him up--" she whispered in a slow labored breath. The cloth covering Terell's lifeless eyes fell away, revealing his half open lids as she wiped his cheek. She paused to stare at his coloress face. With a small sniff she replaced the cloth over his eyes, then tenderly caressed his stubly cheek.
"He's so pale. . . so cold."
"I can do this," Freya insisted, setting Creature down and stopping her friend's wavering hands. "Come on, you should be laying down."
Lana pulled away from her, muttering, "His parents--" She winced slightly, every breath taken to speak was like knives cutting into her side. She was feeling lightheaded again.
"I know. They can't see him like this," Freya said, finishing her stalled sentence. The empath didn't say anymore, but picked up another rag to assist her friend as Lana continued to try and clean the blood off Terell.
Creature settled himself between the dead man's feet. He curled up and laid his head on one booted foot with a mournful whine.
Luke turned to See Threepio.
"Go get fresh water and some more rags," he said and then went to help the two women.
The droid left and returned several minutes later with the items requested. Luke took them from See-Threepio and asked him to bring more water as he gave Freya a clean rag. Next he stopped Lana's hands.
She paused, turning her sluggish gaze on him. He studied her, assessing whether she should continue. The livid bruise on her left cheek looked painful as did the bruising around her throat and the way she was breathing made him doubt that she would be on her feet much longer. She had taken quite a physical beating on Zirus Five. Luke was impressed that she was even standing. Tears brimmed in her glassy eyes, which compelled him not to stop her. He removed the stained rag in her hand and replaced it with a clean damp one. Then he took a clean rag of his own to help.
Once Terell's body was cleaned of blood both Freya and Luke insisted that the Corellian lay down again. Lana however ignored them and turned to Freya with her dampened rag. She pulled the empaths long blond locks away from her ears, reveiling the bloodstains on her neck and began tending to her remaining friends wounds.
Freya stopped her and gave a nod of understanding as she took the rag from her Controller to clean the blood off her own neck. Only then did Lana hobble over to the cot. She winced, gingerly holding her bandaged right side and didn't argue with Luke when he helped her to lay down. She stared lifelessly up at the ship's ceiling while Luke moved away to retreve new bandages for her left foot. Her lost expression did not change when he returned and removed the makeshift bandage to examine her injured leg.
He frowned at the heavy bruising around her ankle, which had swollen up one and a half times it's normal size. "Sorry, this is going to hurt some," he said, testing her joint while watching her for any reaction. She gave none, but laid still, staring up, without focus at the ship's ceiling. Satisfied that the joint was still fully in place, Luke rebandaged her foot.
"Freya can you hand me that?" he asked, pointing to Lana's pack near Han's bunk.
She grabbed and handed it to him and he placed it under Lana's left leg with instructions.
"You have to stay off this foot and keep it elevated, until the swelling goes down."
Lana gave no indication that she'd heard him.
Freya leaned over her friend, meeting her glassy stare. "Did you hear him Lana?"
The Corellian's drooping lids closed and her head sluggishly lulled to one side. Thinking that she'd fallen unconscious again Freya and Luke began talking about her injuries and what needed to be done until they got back to the Alliance. Lana heard their discussion, but didn't care about her foot or any of her other injuries. Only there was an annoying stinging in her right side, like tiny bugs were biting her. Without thinking she was trying to remove them. Warm moisture began oozing from her blaster wound as she tugged at the bandage. She opened her eyes when her hand was stopped by a firm grip.
Luke stood over her with a disapproving frown on his face.
"Don't do this again," he told her seriously, pulling her hand back and holding it while he resecured the bandage. She stared up at his severe expression.
"I want your word that you won't remove this."
She felt compelled without reason to agree to his request and faintly nodded.
The cabin door opened and Lando poked his head in, "Hey Luke, we're coming up on your stop."
Luke threw his thanks over his shoulder, then looked back at Lana when her fingers curled around his hand. He saw the inquiry in her eyes and explained. "There's someplace I have to go before I can return to the Alliance."
A forlorn expression answered him. She took a deep breath to speak and winced at the pain it caused.
"I won't be gone too long," he assured. "Now, you need some more rest, so try to relax."
He remembered what his Aunt Beru used to do when he was not feeling well as a child and began gently caressing the side of Lana's face to help ease her tension and relax her.
The light stroking of his fingers was a sad comfort to Lana. How many times had Terell done the same thing whenever she was upset? She closed her eyes and, wishing that it was his touch relaxing her, tried to hold back her tears.
Freya was weeping again. She couldn't stop her Controller's rush of remorse from affecting her. A small part of her was relieved when Lana had once again slipped into unconsciousness.
Luke pulled the covers over her, then he turned to Freya. She looked exhausted, emotionally and physically.
"You need to lay down too."
Freya shook her head, "She's too upset to know what she just did. I don't trust that she wont try that again."
"Threepio," Luke called, looking at his droid.
The golden translator stepped forward with an attentive, "Yes Master Luke?"
"Keep watch over them and don't leave this cabin until you get back to the Alliance. You're not to listen to Lana, is that understood?"
"Yes Master Luke."
The Jedi turned back to Freya, "He'll alert you if she wakes up again."
The empath gave See-Threepio an appraising look and was grateful that he had no emotions to feed off. She acquiesced to Luke's suggestion and he helped her set up a place to rest next to Lana's cot.
Luke returned to the cockpit with worried regard for both women. He took the seat next Leia.
"How is Freya doing?" she asked, interested.
"She's laying down now," he answered, then studied her somewhat distracted visage, "How about you. How are you feeling?"
She smiled faintly at his concern for her break in strength when Terell Daxson died.
"Better," she assured him.
Luke leaned back in his chair, thinking about the events on Zirus Five, on the Mandalorian Hunter's who had seemed to come out of nowhere to attack him. He remembered the nets that they had first tried to use and understood that they had not wanted to kill, but capture him. Had Vader sent them after him, as Leia had suggested in the hold, or was it the Emperor.
He wasn't sure and in any case it didn't matter, too many people had died as a result of the encounter. Was it Lana's fault for mistaking him for the enemy and running, or was it his fault for going to Zirus Five in the first place to try and keep his friends from harm. Or was it simply fate that had ruled the day. He didn't know and the more he thought about it, the more he felt frustrated, until he realized that he was tired. The whole ordeal had taken more out of him than he had thought.
"Hey, strap in back there," said Han over his shoulder, "we're coming up on our jump exit, in five, four. . ."
Everyone strapped themselves in before Solo got to, 'One.'
The Millennium Falcon came out of her hyperspace jump and was rapidly followed by Luke's unmanned X-wing fighter. Artoo-Detoo piloted his young Master's ship after the Corellian freighter and minutes later landed on the fueling station floating in space.
The moment the ships touched down, refueling crews came rushing up to do their jobs. Artoo-Detoo spoke with a droid attendant, giving instructions on the amount of fuel that was needed for his Master's long trip. He then opened the canopy of the cockpit and called to Luke when he walked down the Millennium Falcon's landing ramp with the others.
Leia stopped Luke before he left to give him another hug. "I'll set you up with a place to stay before you get back," she told him, then handed him back his black obi. "It's still a little damp, but at least it's clean and mended."
"You didn't have to do that Leia, but thanks."
"I didn't," she admitted, "I would have, but someone else got to it first."
"Hey
don't look at me," said Han, when Luke focused on him, "I don't know
who did it. I just found it folded over the back of the console seat in
the hold."
Freya, thought Luke to himself, sure that it was her way of saying thank you for helping with Terell and Lana.
"Well, you'd better get goin'," said Han, interrupting his thoughts, "so you can hurry up and get back."
"Yeah you don't want to be gone too long or you might miss out on dealing a little payback out to the Empire," Lando chimed in.
Chewbacca barked his farewell and gave his young friend a hearty one armed hug.
Luke smiled and bid his goodbyes to everyone, then headed to his ship. He greeted his loyal droid and then jumped onto one of the ship's wings. "Thanks Artoo," he said, patting the astro mech's doom, "I can always count on you in a pinch."
The droid whistled his mechanical reply with a distinct questioning tone.
"We'll be leaving shortly," Luke said as though he understood the little droid. "And yes, we'll be going to Dagobah this time."
The Jedi pulled on his orange flightsuit, then climbed into his cockpit. The canopy lowered while he donned his flight helmet. He set his destination into his computer system and watched his friends turn and disappear inside the Millennium Falcon. This second parting with his friends was bittersweet. He'd kept them safe, but at a price.
Princess Leia was the first to make it to the cockpit, where she waved at him. He waved back, smiling. Fate or not he would have made the same decision to protect his friends from harm. They were his family and as long as they were safe, he was happy.