Chapter Sixteen "I thought I might take the children with me to the Light Festival this evening, if it's okay with you," Luke told Han and Leia over breakfast a few mornings later. "Chewie asked if I wanted to come with him, and I think the twins and Anakin might find it interesting as well." "What is this Light Festival, anyway?" Han asked. He'd heard mention of the celebration in the past, but never paid much attention. "According to our friend Wicket," Luke began, "it's a ceremony honoring the renewal of the Tree of Light. The Ewoks believe that the Light Spirit dwells within the tree, and that it protects and guides them in all that they do. Twice yearly, a group of young Ewoks travel to the Tree and feed it the sacred dust that rejuvenates its strength." At first mention of the word "tree," Luke had felt an escalation in Leia's tension. He now shook his head at his sister. "Come on, Leia. You can't feel that way about every tree on a planet that's overrun with them. You know as well as I do that the Ewoks are extremely superstitious, like most primitive races. I'll check it out, but I can't sense any darkness in connection with the actual ceremony." He strove to project peace into his twin. "It'll be okay, trust me. My word as a Jedi." Leia looked at Han, and at his nod granted permission. "Okay," she said quietly, turning her eyes to her children, playing at the far end of the verandah, oblivious to the torment raging within their mother. She had to stop jumping at shadows and get on with her life. There was no reason the children shouldn't accompany their uncle on an outing of this kind. Luke would never let anything happen to them, this she knew for fact. Taking a deep breath, Leia willed herself to relax, determined to enjoy the rest of the day, without wondering what the evening held in store. ********************** Arcadia Organa Solo studied her mother with serious blue eyes, giving the distinct impression that she knew all, felt all, was all. Leia experienced a renewed sense of wonder as she watched her daughter nurse, the baby peering up at her with the eyes of someone much older and wiser. So strong, Leia thought. So tremendously strong in the Force! Though her knowledge of the power inherent to the Jedi Knights of the Old Republic was sketchy, Leia was sensitive enough to be able to detect the astounding strength of the Force that so dominated the Sense of this tiny life that she and Han had created. She held it in reverence. //No harm will come to this child,// Leia thought, her eyes closing tiredly. //I will not allow it.// Time drifted, and after a while she was aware of an unnatural light filling the dusky corners of the chambers, illuminated with the uncertain colors of early evening. Just as had occurred on the morning after Arcadia's conception, an image emerged in the center of the light, a vision of a lovely woman, not unlike herself, with heavy dark hair done up in intricate braids, and deep brown eyes full of love, yet marked with incredible sadness. Leia gasped as recognition struck her. //Mother!// //Hello, my darling,// the vision smiled at her, seeming to caress Leia's Sense. //It's been a while, hasn't it? So much has happened since I urged you to return here.// Leia embraced her mother's Sense, desperate for answers to so many questions, hopeful that perhaps she'd returned to give her what she so desperately sought. //What's happening to us, Mother? Why are we being summoned to come before that tree?// //Because you want to come. You were always meant to be the one. It is your Destiny.// //What is, Mother?// //To be the savior of the children, my dear.// The woman in the mist reached out and stroked the soft cheek of the babe Leia held in her arms. //You've done well with your own, my sweet Leia. Cherish these moments, for there will be no more children of your body. You will not quicken again.// Leia caught her breath and gazed down at the baby she nursed so peaceably, absorbing the feel of the tiny mouth as Arcadia took her nourishment. So many years had passed between Anakin and Arcadia, that Leia had at least partially come to terms with the probability that her child-bearing days were over. But after Arcadia had made her presence known, and given the effect the forest moon had on her libido, not to mention Han's, she had begun to hope for more children, now that they were free to raise them as they wanted. And now it was not to be. //No, my dear.// Her mother's image reached out, touched Leia's chin lovingly, bringing her gaze back up to look at her. //Be not sad. You have borne four beautiful children, each one exceedingly strong in the Force. And this little one will not be the last of your children, my darling, only the last of your body.// The lovely vision smiled tenderly, her beautiful dark eyes full of love and understanding, as if she had known similar torment in her lifetime. //Don't be afraid to remember, Leia,// she counseled. //Let your husband help you. He is a strong man, a good man, and I'm very proud of the choice you made in loving him. Draw upon his strength.// The Force-spot occupied by her mother's image slowly began to fade, and she left Leia with a final gift of maternal wisdom. //Go to him, my dear. Give yourselves to each other, become one through the Force and you will be invincible. Use your combined Light to conquer Darkness.// As the vision of her mother disappeared completely, a faint echo drifted back to Leia, now sitting stunned and breathless in the rocking chair, holding the last child of her body against her heart. //Your Destiny lies with the Lost Ones, Leia. Free them and raise them as your own.// Leia sat for a very long time, thinking, seeking comfort from a painful reality, reaching for answers and finding only one. She finally stood, placed the now sleeping Arcadia in the cradle beside the bed, and tucked the blankets around her tiny form. With a kiss and a mental caress, Leia left the room in search of Han. ******************** She found him outside, sitting in the swing, looking out into the forest where brilliant colors bathed the trees in the setting sun. She moved silently toward him, reaching for him through the Force, and felt him embrace her Sense. Quietly she sat down beside him, and Han put his arm around her, pulling her close. They drank of each other's warmth in the chill of the coming evening, sitting together for a timeless stretch, watching the forest darken, the colors finally fading to dusk. There was something different about her Sense, Han noted as he held her, looking down at her dark head where it rested against his shoulder. She seemed smaller, sadder and in need of comfort. He tightened his arm around her. //What is it?// She looked up at him, her eyes deep and dark with a nameless pain. Han caressed her cheek with his free hand, losing himself in the well of her eyes. They shimmered in the dim light of the evening stars, and the pain he clearly saw within puzzled him. He leaned down and kissed each eyelid closed, continued down the bridge of her nose until he reached her lips, and he kissed her there, gently at first, tenderness offered in solace for her sadness. Passion grew within him at her quick response, and his mouth moved boldly over hers with a will of its own. His free hand moved to the combs at the back of her head, freeing her lustrous hair from its thick knot. The silky mass tumbled into his hands, and Han felt an urge to submerge himself in the shining dark curtain as it fell over and around them. Though wanting her as never before, he couldn't forget that she had very nearly died a few short weeks ago, and Han now struggled to quell his mounting desire. He felt its synchronous growth within her, and groaned, pulling his lips from hers, stifled her protests with a finger. "We can't, sweetheart," he cautioned, fearful of anything triggering a relapse. He would take frequent dips in the bounteous forest streams for as long as need be rather than endanger her solely for the sake of satisfying his own basic needs. "It's too soon. You haven't been given the green light yet." Leia smiled softly at him. "It'll be all right, Han," she purred in her husky voice. Leaning into him, she pressed her lips against his ear. "Trust me." She caught the tip of his ear between her teeth, biting it gently, enjoying the jolt she sensed within him. //Now.// Han caught a ragged breath, and held her away from him, looking closely at her, at her lips, moistly parted and beckoning in the fading light. Instincts won the battle for control of his will, and Han Solo capitulated, pulling Leia hard against him and kissing her with fevered lips, his Sense open to hers full-tilt. She trembled in his arms, capturing his desire and absorbing it, fanning the flame, responding in kind to their mutual need. He pressed his mouth to the soft skin at the back of her ear, felt her shiver as she arched her neck. "Are you sure?" he murmured, half- afraid of her answer, caressing the tender lobe with his lips. Leia buried her fingers in the thick hair at the back of his neck and brought his face to hers. //Yes, now!// Their eyes locked, Han rose with her in his arms. He crossed the verandah, moving quickly toward their chambers, and that big four- poster bed. He stopped in mid-stride as he suddenly remembered: Cady! Sure he loved the little mite like there was no tomorrow, but this was one night he didn't want to share Leia with anyone, no matter how precious. Undaunted, he turned and bore her instead to the main living quarters, where a nest of pillows rested against a rustic, though empty, fireplace. "What about Threepio?" Leia whispered against his lips, knowing the penchant Han's nemesis seemed to have for appearing at the most inopportune moments. Han would no doubt blast the droid to subatomic particles if they were interrupted tonight. "I turned him off earlier," Han grinned at her as he dropped to his knees and lowered her to the floor. He pressed her back against the scattered cushions, her hair spreading about them like a fan, leaned down and resumed kissing her. Leia sighed into his mouth, even more when he broke the kiss and allowed his lips to roam neck, throat, the honeyed flesh where it swelled to meet her bosom. She welcomed the intimate bonding with his mind, the passion in his Sense feeding off of hers, reverberating throughout her body. She had left her bodice loose after feeding their child, and Han now pulled the fabric apart and feasted on the bounty of her breasts, making her cry out her pleasure. Possessed, they undressed each other with trembling fingers, tearing buttons and ripping fabric, until they finally lay together, skin to skin, their bodies separated by a breath, their Senses already joined. Han loomed above her, moving to claim her as his, and Leia opened herself to him, her being crying for him. She clutched him to her as she received his body, and during that eternity of bliss all was touched, felt, shared. They moved with infinite grace, in a rhythm as old as life, their pleasures multiplied, symbiotic, imploding until they were consumed with the brilliance of a thousand suns. Both moaning with the scintillating fusion of their Senses, their own supernova burst within them, holding them in ecstasy for untold moments before leaving them to float as one down to a more corporeal reality, only to erupt again on yet another level. Finally, they lay clinging to each other, spent and shaking. Wrapped in the intimate cloak of night, high in the trees of the sanctuary moon, Han and Leia basked in the afterglow of another Endorian conception: the Force now replenished, resting and ready. ********************* "What's happening, Uncle Luke?" Anakin asked from Luke's side,and the Jedi Master looked down at his youngest nephew and smiled. The poor little fellow was not quite as tall as some of the Ewoks, and the gathering throng had effectively blocked Anakin from witnessing the entrance of the triumvirate of Ewokian Chieftains. The Light Festival was about to begin. Chewbacca grunted and leaned down to hoist Anakin onto his shoulders for a bird-eye view of the festivities. Anakin crowed with pleasure. Jacen and Jaina stood on tiptoes and pointed excitedly at the tribe that had assembled to travel en masse down to the surface and along the path that led to the sacred Tree of Light. A line of young Ewoks stood before the central hut, awaiting the appearance of the Chiefs bearing the Sacred Lantern of Light. Each night for fourteen nights, the lantern would guide the tribe on its trek through the forest to the Tree of Light, there to offer gifts of their world's bounty: fruits from their orchards and vineyards, vegetables from their gardens, clothcrafts lovingly and humbly fashioned by the females of the tribe, yayax hides obtained by the hunter tribesman and tanned to a glossy sheen. Life was good on Endor. The Ewoks believed in acknowledging the blessings of health, wealth and happiness they knew in their forest home, and, twice yearly, these gifts were offered by the tribe unto their sacred Tree in appreciation for their good fortune. Luke and his party waited patiently for the commencement of the opening ceremonies, looking forward to participating in the pilgrimage to the Tree of Light. Luke felt the reverence the little tribe held for Nature, his perception of the Force magnified with the nourishment it received from their positive emotions. But then a tiny speck of darkness began within the collective Sense of the crowd, and Luke felt the surprise of negative vibrations from the little beings who had unfailingly shown nothing but good. What could be the cause of such an unprecedented occurrence? A flurry of activity erupted from the central hut, and the sound of excited chirping and hooting began among the crowd as the tribe's Chiefs appeared at the door to the hut. Something was obviously wrong, Luke noted, and he opened his mind to the currents that flowed from the mind of Chief Chirpa, the elder statesman of the tribe. And was astounded at the resulting enlightenment. **************** "If that's any indication of our Destiny," Han murmured from beneath his wife's hair, "I'm a dead man." He felt before he heard her laughing above him, her hair cascading over and around his head and shoulders. They rolled together and lay side by side, holding each other close, and Leia felt herself wrapped in an all-encompassing inner peace, even as she was wrapped in an all- encompassing love. This feeling of utter completeness was unlike anything she had ever known, though she had made love to this man for so many years. This time, she thought dreamily, they were united, through the Force - and the exaltation of their merger had been overwhelming. She still had tears on her face from their shared rapture. Han turned his head, touched the moisture on her cheek, drinking from the dark pools of her adoring eyes. He pressed his lips to the wetness, absorbing it, experiencing the now-familiar thrill of their shared sensations. //I love you,// he thought at her, and grinned crookedly as he received the simultaneous message from her. He tightened his arms about her, and they lay together amidst the sea of cushions, appreciating the new dimension they had achieved, the union they had consummated. No longer separate entities, this night they had evolved through the Force into a force of their own. One strong enough to persevere through any diversity, Leia decided, and determined to tell Han about her Vision of earlier that evening. When the time was right. For now, she simply wanted to lie beside her husband and luxuriate in the afterglow of their lovemaking. "How're you feeling, sweetheart?" Han murmured against her hair, reaching deeply into her Sense, probing experimentally. "You don't think we overdid it, do you?" His concern for her touched her and she reached for him, stroked his scarred chin, kissing it lightly. "I told you I was ready," she reminded him. "Yeah, but who told you?" he asked skeptically. To the best of his knowledge, Emdee-Five had been spending the majority of his time in the Ewok village, and he didn't recall Leia going there for a visit any time recently. "And what made you think you were ready for *that*?" She smiled softly to herself, bittersweet memory returning. "My mother," she murmured, sensing his surprise at her words. "My mother came to me in a vision this afternoon and told me to go to you, for us to give ourselves to one another. That by doing so we would become as one through the Force, and in the Force." Han raised his eyebrow, finally shook his head in wonder. He would never completely figure this family out, though he was gaining a better insight into this Force business now that he could experience a measure of it for himself. He had always been an experiential man. They held each other quietly, and after a while Han felt the unmistakable shift in her Sense that signaled a decline in her spirits. Dismayed that anything could mar the evening for them, he brought her chin up, so that their gazes met. "What is it, sweetheart?" he asked softly. "What's making you sad?" She averted her eyes, annoyed that they were filling again, and dashed away shameful tears with an impatient swipe of her hand. //Sweetheart?// She felt his concern, and resolved to share with him the bitter side of her mother's prophecy. ”My mother told me something else in the vision, something not so wonderful." She swallowed tightly and looked back up at him through misty eyes. "She said that I will not quicken again," she murmured. "That Arcadia will be the last child I bear." Han winced at the pain he felt emanating from her. For a woman so thoroughly enamored of motherhood, he knew a diagnosis of no more babies was doubly hard for Leia to bear. Having finally reached a point in her life where she could look forward to raising her children without the threat of losing them to sequestration, to have that future denied her now seemed a cruel and unfair trick. He held her, stroking her hair, his lips pressed ever-so-lightly against the pulse that beat at her temple, its rhythm helping him to read her. "You know, sweetheart, we couldn't ask for kids any better than the ones we've already got," he finally said quietly, matter-of-factly. "They're smart, they're great-looking, they're incredibly strong in the Force. I know we fantasized about having more, and that now the thought of no more babies is hard for you." He kissed her temple, hugged her against him. "But, sweetheart, we've got our family, two boys, two girls. And they're terrific. If we don't have any more kids, I can live with that." Come to think of it, he thought privately, if they were going to remain on Endor it was a perfect method of birth control. Given their appetites, they would probably have ended up with a dozen of the little deckrats if Nature or the Force or whatever was responsible for this forced infertility hadn't intervened. "Han!" she admonished him, as she picked up on his thought. He looked down at her and felt a flicker of renewed desire begin deep within him, saw its mirror image in the depths of his wife's luminous eyes. "Well, sweetheart," he defended himself. "You gotta admit it's true. Just look at us now." Yes, she thought, just look at us now. She felt her need for him growing inside of her, where no child would ever grow again, burning in its intensity. Leia wanted to seize upon this wondrous mental rapport bestowed upon them and resolved to save the remaining details of her vision for the morrow. For tonight, where there had been the two of them, now there was only the one: a single mighty pillar of strength to stand against any challenge Destiny held in Her hand. No words were necessary - but then, on Endor, they never were. Han, charged with the immediate and acute impression of her wants, needs and desires, both happily and readily complied. The cushions strewn about the floor of the living quarters became more scattered as they stoked their Force-link, gaining in potency with every touch, every shiver of delight, every sigh that escaped their lips. They held each other close as the hours crept by, and finally, they slept, eventually waking again and moving to the privacy of their chambers. Arcadia eventually awoke with a hungry cry, and Han brought her to Leia. Together they nurtured their child, rapt in the exhilarating sensations of the triple connection. And just before yielding to the relentless call of sleep, Leia came to a decision. Tomorrow she would speak with Han and Luke about returning to the darkest days of her illness - revisiting the Darkness and finding the key to its secrets. For Leia knew deep within her that only she held the key, and this was a fact that could not be denied. Would she remember? Could she? Mentally shaking herself, Leia recalled Yoda's directive, so often quoted by Luke: Do - or do not. There is no try. Sighing, she snuggled warmly against her husband-partner, her mate in Life and in the Force, and soon fell deeply asleep. [End Chapter]