Chapter Fourteen

Luke stood by the railing at the edge of the verandah, staring out over 
the dense forest.  His unseeing eyes ignored the spectacular colors 
painting the trees by the light of the setting sun, his ears tuned out 
the cacophony of hundreds of avians, singing their night songs as they 
settled themselves for the evening.  

The Jedi Master slowly closed his eyes, reaching for the essence of 
Darkness he'd detected when he first arrived on the sanctuary moon.  He 
found it, a nebulous tendril of evil, somewhere out there, floating in 
space, but mercifully absent from the immediate vicinity.

Feeling the approach of his elder nephew, Luke opened his eyes to see 
Jacen, in his pajamas and slippers, padding his way silently across the 
porch.  Even before he reached Luke's side at the railing, the Jedi 
Master could read in the boy his fatigue, excitement - and confusion.

Luke thought of how the children had flung themselves upon him as they 
rounded a bend in the forest path and came face to face with their 
beloved uncle.  Jacen, Luke had immediately noticed, was practically 
tingling, barely containing the burden of secrets he carried, anxious 
to reveal them - but only to Luke.  Luke had a hunch that Jacen was 
ready to let his uncle in on those secrets.

He looked down into Jacen's serious dark eyes, and squeezed the small 
fingers that were placed in his hand.  "It's out that way," Jacen 
murmured, pointing with his other hand, out over the forest.  For the 
barest instance, Jacen's Sense coalesced with his own, and Luke 
received a brief flash of a grassy meadow, shielding a twisted tree.  
"I'll take you to it if you want me to," Jacen went on quietly.

Luke looked intently at the child, opening his sense even further to 
his nephew, as his suspicions were confirmed.  Yes, indeed, the boy 
knew much, as did Anakin.  He wondered what effect, if any, the 
Darkness was having on Jaina.

"Does Jaina know about the tree?" he asked gently.

Jacen gazed out into the forest in the direction he had pointed.  "Oh, 
yes," he said, as if the question were a silly one.  "We all know about 
the Tree.  But Jaina won't go near it."

He gestured at his chest with his thumb.  "I'm the only one who has 
actually gone up to it and touched it."  His Sense seemed to waiver for 
a moment and he gave a little half-smile, so like his father's.  "It 
tells us stories, just like the stories you and Dad and Chewie tell."  
His brow furrowed, concentrating.  "But these are different."

"Different how, Jacen?"  Han spoke from the doorway, stepping out onto 
the verandah, and crossing over to the pair.  Jacen's Sense snapped 
back to attention and he turned to face his father with a guilty 
twinge, looking, Han thought, like nothing so much as a gambler caught 
with his hand in the sabacc pot.  Jacen looked down at his slippered 
feet, and shuffled uncomfortably.

Han bent to the child's level, resting his hands just above his knees 
and peered into his son's dark eyes.  "What's this tree been telling 
you, pal?"

Jacen was in a quandary.  The tree had told him not to tell anyone else 
about the stories it told; but this was his father and he had asked a 
direct question.  There would be no getting around it this time.  Jacen 
could not lie to his hero.

"About the people who used to live here," Jacen mumbled, hoping that 
his elders would be satisfied with his answer and let the matter drop.  
Desperate for escape, he seized upon a topic he felt sure would divert 
the attention from him.  "Cady sure is a cute little baby, Dad," he 
began enthusiastically.  "Isn't she sweet?"

Han caught himself in a grin despite the gravity of the situation, 
amused at his son's attempt to change the subject.  "Yeah, sport, she's 
a sweet little bit," he agreed, and gently steered the boy back to the 
topic at hand.  "But what about these stories?  I sure would like to 
hear what that tree's been telling you."

Jacen looked directly at his father, then glanced over at Luke as if 
seeking permission.  Luke nodded and Jacen reluctantly acceded to their 
wishes.  "A long time ago," he began, "there were lots of children who 
lived here.  They were like us.  They felt the Force just like we do 
and they lived with their moms and dads and brothers and sisters - and 
the Ewoks, of course.  Everybody lived together and everybody was real 
happy.  Until one day..." he drifted off and Luke could feel the boy's 
Sense drifting as well, to another place and time.

Han waited a moment before quietly urging his son on.  "What happened, 
buddy?"

"One day a man came down from the sky and took them all away."  Jacen 
looked off again into the forest, in the direction of the twisted tree.  
"And they never came back for them." 

"Back for who, Jacen?" Luke asked softly.

The little boy looked at him, and Luke detected a wrenching sadness 
about the child, and saw the shimmer of tears in his dark brown eyes.  
"The children, of course," he said matter-of-factly.  "They never came 
back for the children."

*****************

Later that evening, after settling Jacen and his siblings in for the 
night and assuring himself that Leia and Arcadia were soundly sleeping, 
Han rejoined Luke on the verandah, sitting beside him on the porch 
swing he had installed for Leia and the baby.  They were quiet for a 
long while, staring out into the forest that surrounded them, each deep 
in thought.

"So what about it, kid?" Han finally asked quietly, watching a hawkbat 
swoop out of the trees to seize an unseen rodent on the ground below 
them, taking to the skies again, its prey still struggling in its jaws.

"There's something I haven't had a chance to tell you," Luke began, 
resigned to getting the matter over with, uncomfortable as it might be.  
"After you left, I did some searching in the lower levels of the 
Palace, and I found a room that practically seethed with the Dark 
Side."

In a few brief sentences he relayed to Han the vision he'd had of 
Anakin Skywalker, and the story he'd been told that night.  As he 
talked, Luke felt again the despair of the dark nook he'd discovered, 
his stomach twisting with sadness for those who had met such a brutal 
end.

"It was the most oppressive feeling I've ever encountered," he 
concluded quietly. "Even worse than being in the presence of the 
Emperor.  So much anger and hatred, so much sorrow.  And an 
overpowering sense of utter helplessness."

Han drew a sharp breath. "These guys were natives of Endor, weren't 
they?" he said, more a statement than a question.

Luke nodded.  "That's the picture I'm getting," he agreed.  "And 
now...with the children."  He shook his head, looked over at his 
brother-in-law.  "We've got to get to the bottom of this, Han.  I was 
witness to some of the visions that plagued Leia when I touched her 
mind while she was ill.  I saw scores of women running about in panic, 
frantically seeking their children and finally succumbing to mindless 
hysteria at their loss."  He paused, thoughtfully.

"But there was something else there, too; something strong enough to 
refuse me entrance into that area of Leia's memory that it occupied; a 
Darkness of spirit such as I've never seen, loathsome and evil."  A 
chill ran up the Jedi Master's spine.

Watching intently, Han, too, felt the effect of the younger man's 
unsettling memories.  He was quiet for a moment, evaluating the hidden 
agenda behind Luke's words.  His protective instincts raged within him, 
yet were now tempered with facts from which he could not hide.

"She says she doesn't remember anything about when she was sick," he 
said finally, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.  "Somehow we're gonna have 
to get her to tell us the rest of it.  Like it or not."  He glanced up 
at Luke, adding, "And, just for the record, I'm not liking it at all."

"I don't think we have to do anything just yet," Luke cautioned.  
"Let's give it a few days, and see what she remembers on her own.  She 
may come to us with it.  If she does, so much the better."

Han was only too willing to agree with the Jedi.  A few days of peace 
after the events of the past two weeks would be a welcome change.  

"Fine with me," he said, rising from the swing and glancing at his 
wrist chrono.  "Gotta run.  Cady's waking up."

As he turned to go Luke caught the sudden shift in Han's Sense, and 
with astonished joy, he realized the full breadth of the baby's bonding 
with her father.  He smiled, happy that Han finally had that special 
link with his loved ones, the one he'd so resented Luke's having.

"Goodnight," he called as he watched Han disappear into the house.  He 
turned again to gaze out over the forest.

They would be okay, he told himself firmly.  His family was strong in 
the Force.  They would prevail.

The alternative was simply not to be considered.

********************

A week later, Jaina Solo sat cross-legged on her parent's bed, watching 
in fascination as her mother fed her baby sister.  "That's just like 
the Ewok mommies do it," she observed.  "I thought we were different, 
Mama."

Leia smiled at her older daughter, reached out with her free hand to 
smooth the heavy bangs from the child's eyes.  "We're all different, 
honey...yet we're all the same.  This," she nodded at the baby she held 
against her, stroked the soft blonde hair, and continued, "this is the 
way of Nature, the way of the Force.  Life supporting life, living and 
growing together..." Leia paused, thinking of Luke, "...sometimes 
growing apart, and coming back together again.  The Cycle of Life."

Jaina digested her words in silence, then cocked her head at her 
mother.  "Is Nature the Force, or is the Force Nature?" she asked, a 
frown wrinkling her delicate brow.

Leia thought about that for a moment, wishing she had Luke's knowledge 
of their heritage, or at least his knack for explaining it.  How 
difficult it was to explain that which was for her so hard to fathom!

"Life creates the Force, Jaina," she said slowly, understanding coming 
painfully to her, as if she were pulling each pocket of knowledge out 
of her consciousness, bit by bit.  Illumination struck her, why her 
Force-awareness was so much more intense whenever she visited the 
sanctuary moon.  Suddenly, it was all so very clear.   "Life creates 
it," she repeated in a breath, her eyes vacant, "makes it grow."

"You mean like you and Daddy made Cady grow?" Jaina asked brightly.

Leia snapped back to attention, smiling at the child's innocent 
question.  She stroked the little girl's impossibly soft hair.  "Yes, 
my darling.  Like Daddy and I made Cady grow."

Jaina grinned hugely, then clambered off the bed and over to the door 
just as Han was entering.  She tangled her arms around his waist, 
looking up at her father with liquid brown eyes.  "Daddy, did you and 
Mama make Cady grow, just like Life makes the Force grow?"

Han swallowed convulsively and looked up at his wife on the bed, now 
discreetly covering the hungry baby with her shawl and smiling at him 
through veiled eyes.  The corners of Luke's mouth turned up despite his 
best efforts as he sensed his brother-in-law's discomfort.

"Uh..." Han fumbled for an answer.  First Jacen, now Jaina.  Was Anakin 
next going to want to discuss the details of procreation?  He cut his 
eyes to Luke for assistance, but the Jedi firmly shook his head, his 
expression clearly conveying the message:  Don't look at me!

Abandoned, Han looked back down at his daughter.  "Yeah, Princess, I 
guess we did," he said finally.  He bent to scoop Jaina up into his 
arms, pressing his forehead against hers and rubbing her button nose 
with his.  "Just like we made you and Jacen grow, and Anakin.  That's 
the way of Life." 

Jaina nodded understanding, and repeated her mother's words.  "The way 
of the Force."  Han studied his little girl, thinking how like Leia she 
really was.  Jaina might well be the diplomat, he supposed; she  
certainly exhibited more patience than her twin.

That was the difference between them, Han thought, with a wry grin; 
whereas Jaina was more than willing to accept the concept, Jacen wanted 
details - preferably with illustrations.  In color.

As if sensing his presence in another's thoughts, Jacen burst into the 
room behind them, calling for his sister.  "Jaina, come on!" he urged.  
Jaina immediately scrambled down and followed her brother from the 
room, Jacen's indignant voice carrying back to them.  "Didn't you hear 
me calling you?"

"I was busy," Jaina answered regally, her nose high, and they 
disappeared down the hall.

Luke looked at his brother-in-law and allowed himself to smile.  
"Dodged a stun beam that time, didn't you?" he asked.

Han ran a hand through his hair, his attention suddenly drawn to his 
wife, laughing helplessly against the pillows.  "Thanks," he told her, 
approaching the bed and easing down to sit beside her.  "Thanks a lot," 
he repeated.  "First Jacen, now Jaina.  When do you think Anakin is 
gonna start askin' questions?"

"Any day now," she chuckled, reaching out to caress his cheek.  "You 
handled that rather adroitly, I thought."  She looked up at her 
brother.  "Didn't you think so, Luke?"

He nodded, and seated himself in a chair near the bed, bracing himself 
for the conversation he dreaded.  Arcadia was nearly three weeks old 
and Leia had still not mentioned anything about the missing Jedi 
children that had been such an obsession during her illness.  He and 
Han had decided the time was right to ask her about them this morning.

Han gazed down at his baby daughter, asleep against Leia's breast, her 
tiny mouth a perfect "o" in slumber.  "Want me to put her in her bed?" 
he asked his wife, and took the baby as Leia nodded.  She adjusted her 
gown and made herself comfortable against the pillows, smiling tenderly 
as she watched Han expertly burp the infant before placing her back in 
the cradle.

She focused her Sense back to her brother.  "Okay, now what is it you 
gentlemen want to talk about?"  At Luke's hasty glance in Han's 
direction, she chided them.  "Oh, come on.  Neither of you can hide 
anything from me and you know it."  She settled her hands in her lap, 
waiting patiently.  "So let's have it.  I'm ready for anything this 
morning."

Indeed, she was stronger, Luke noted, stronger than he had seen her for 
quite some time.  Perhaps now was the time to stop treating her with 
kid gloves and bring her into the thick of things, where she had always 
enjoyed being.  He sensed a quickening of excitement about her and 
decided to take the plunge.

"We want to talk about the children, Leia," he began.  "It's time for 
you to tell us about the children."

Leia's face turned to stone.

**************************

She had tried with all her might to put the disturbing visions behind 
her, the flashes of distant memory that had been her constant 
companions during her illness.  At some point, she had inhabited the 
consciousness of another woman, a woman who had lived in this very 
site, long ago, perhaps ages ago.

The night she had been summoned before the Tree, Leia's Sense had 
become intermingled with that of the other woman, unknown to her, 
perhaps unknown to history, but somehow joined to Leia in the exclusive 
sisterhood of being a mother.  Her psychic sister had once stood 
beneath the Tree in the very spot where Han had found Leia on the night 
of Arcadia's birth, and Leia had felt a bonding with the unnamed mother 
during her delirium.

Leia turned haunted eyes to her husband, and in their depths he saw her 
silent plea.  "I know, sweetheart," he said quietly, taking her hand 
and squeezing it.  "I know you don't want to remember.  But you have 
to."

"Why?" she asked sharply.  "Why do you want to dredge up something so 
awful, so horrible that its darkness can only bring about more 
darkness, if I'm made to relive it?"  Her nails dug into his hand, and 
her voice dropped to a whisper.  "Don't make me go there, Han.  Please 
don't make me."

Torn, Han pulled her hands to his mouth, kissed them fervently.  "I 
wish it were that easy, hon," he told her, looking directly into her 
eyes, holding her gaze with his own.  "But that tree's been talking to 
Jacen, telling him about a group of Jedi children whose families 
disappeared."  His voice dropped meaningfully.  "We've got to get to 
the bottom of this, baby.  And you're the only one who can tell us 
what's going on."

She fought the icy fear welling in her throat, holding tightly to Han's 
hand.  Finally, after an eternity of uncertainty, she made her 
decision, and looked at her brother, her dark eyes beseeching.  "Help 
me, Luke," she whispered to him.  "Help me remember."

Luke nodded and moved to his sister's side.  Han made as if to rise 
from the bed to make room for his brother-in-law, but Leia clutched 
reflexively at her husband's hand, her Sense clearly indicating her 
need to have him beside her.

"Don't go!" she begged and he patted her hand soothingly, swiveled his 
long legs onto the bed and moved to her other side, slipping his free 
arm around her so that he could grip her shoulders firmly.  "I'm right 
here," he assured her, his voice as gentle as she had ever heard it.

Luke sat at the edge of the bed, and reached for her, placing his 
fingers at Leia's temples in much the same manner Han had witnessed on 
that terrible night the Darkness had almost taken her from them.  Han 
swallowed the sudden dread that rose in his throat, his stomach 
tightening at the thought of the secrets buried deep within his wife's 
psyche, and he experienced as his own her unease with the exercise to 
come.

"Relax, Leia," Luke urged.  "Clear your mind of all thoughts."  He 
closed his eyes, and Han watched as her lashes fell heavily, the lines 
of tension smoothing from her pale face as she responded to her 
brother's encouragement.

"You are peace," Luke continued in a soothing tone.  "Let yourself go, 
feel the Force flowing through you, taking you back..."

Luke pushed the parameters of her subconscious, gently persuading her 
to unlock the gates she'd instinctively erected.  Further and further 
he took her into the depths of her memories, feeling within him a 
familiar trepidation as they approached the hub of Darkness.

Han watched Leia's face for signs of mental discomfort, determined to 
pull her back should Luke try to take her beyond where she felt ready 
to go.  Her chest rose and fell with the deep rhythmic breathing of one 
at slumber, suddenly quickening as if startled, and he felt her anxiety 
level jump several notches.  He squeezed her hand tightly, willing her 
courage to continue her inner journey.

Deep within her subconscious, Leia felt herself carried along on the 
waves of Luke's psychic probe, fast approaching a Darkness she had 
tried so hard to bury.  It was there, just ahead, beyond the mental 
wall she had erected in self-preservation.

The children!  Her Sense cried out with such force that they both felt 
it, and Han, wincing at the pain emanating from her, glanced quickly at 
Luke.  A frown creased the Jedi Master's forehead as he pushed further 
and further into the deepest core of his sister's memory.

Han heard Leia's mental shriek as clearly as if she had verbalized it.   
He watched with incredulous eyes as Luke was shoved by an unseen hand 
and thrown across the room with tremendous force to crash against the 
opposite wall.  Han looked back at Leia in amazement, and her eyes 
snapped open, filled with the same terror he had seen on their last 
night on Coruscant, following the nightmare that had so traumatized 
her.

"Where are the children?" she whispered in a tortured voice, then 
suddenly deflated, collapsing in a soft heap against her husband.

Han looked at Luke in panic, watching the Jedi haul himself from the 
floor, shaking his head at the phenomenal strength his twin had 
exhibited in the act of hurtling him from her body and her Sense.  He 
automatically reached for her again, caught her essence as she floated 
silently back to a more peaceful psychic level.

"No, she's okay," he assured Han, moving back to the bed and reaching 
out to stroke his sister's forehead, projecting tranquil thoughts, 
striving to ease her fright.  "She just doesn't want to remember."  He 
looked at her with new respect for her abilities.

"And from the level of Darkness I was able to sense...I don't blame her 
for wanting to forget."

***********************

Hours had passed, and still Han sat beside his wife, holding her cold 
hands in his, absently patting them from time to time while he waited 
for her to rejoin them.  Luke had assured him that she'd simply lapsed 
into the deep sleep that sometimes followed a Jedi exercise of this 
kind.  Finally, after what seemed to Han an eternity, Leia opened her 
eyes and looked at him anxiously.

"Han?  What happened?" she asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.  
"Did I tell you anything?"

"No, sweetheart," he told her.  "You asked about the children again, 
just like you did while you were sick; but you couldn't tell us 
anything."  He shook his head, squeezed her hands.  "I wish we had an 
answer for you, Princess, but I'm afraid we still don't know what 
happened."

Leia shivered with a chill that struck her deepest chord.  "Hold me, 
Han," she whispered.  He quickly moved onto the bed and took her in his 
arms, easing her head to rest against his chest, stroking her hair.  "I 
have a very bad feeling about this," she admitted, her voice very 
small, and laced with dread.

Han nodded, unable to keep his own worries under wraps.   He tightened 
his arms about his wife, holding her close.  "Yeah," he nodded against 
her hair.  "Me, too." 

[End Chapter]