Chapter Twenty-two The Dark Ones, now spaceborn, again turned their attentions to the forest moon, taking greedy inventory of the Jedi that awaited them: the mother, valuable for her proven ability to pass on the family traits; the children, two small but powerful males, one older female, who was the twin of the elder male, and the Jedi infant, also female. The men could prove to be a problem, but Darkness had discovered and perfected a method of instigating enmity between them. The tactic had worked superbly well each time they'd used it to manipulate the enemy, and it would doubtless work again. The Jedi would be their own undoing. **************** Leia stood in the doorway to the empty room that had belonged to her children, reaching with her Jedi senses for any residual element of their lost Presence, closing her eyes against the pain of missing them. She leaned against the doorframe, gazing up at the Corellian constellations that Han had duplicated on the ceiling of the children's chambers, a bittersweet ache tugging at her heart. Anakin especially had enjoyed his father's masterpiece, spending hours studying the intricate patterns of the star system, hungrily absorbing Han's patient instruction in the fine art of reading the cosmos. She moved to the child's empty alcove, ran her fingers lovingly over his bed, across the waiting pillow, grasping at any lingering element of his Sense. She swallowed the sudden lump in her throat as she wondered how long it would be before she could again hold her children in her arms. Han came up behind her, his strong arms encircling her middle and she leaned against him as he pulled her into a gentle embrace. Smiling lightly as she felt his lips in her hair, she welcomed the bonding with his Sense, as together they strove to quiet their despair. The house was lonely without the cheerful presence of the children drifting from room to room. Though bereft of their presence, both parents were confident in the measures they had taken to protect them, and that alone was some comfort. That, and the comfort they took in each other. She felt the subtle but definite shifting in Han's Sense, the touch of his lips sending shivers up her neck as he spoke against her ear. "How much time you figure we've got before They get here?" Leia's Sense ignited with perception of his intent, every nerve tingling as his lips moved to caress her temple. "Enough," she murmured, turning in his arms and pulling his head down to hers with an eagerness bordering on desperation. Han held her to him for a long moment, savoring the taste of her kisses, before finally pulling his lips free. Tugging at her hand, he coaxed her toward the privacy of their chambers, motioning for her to follow. "C'm'ere, Princess," he beckoned with a crook of his finger. "I think our Strength needs a little boost." ******************* Luke lingered beneath the Tree hours after Han had taken a heartsick Leia back to their treehouse. Somehow Luke felt it imperative that he remain at watch, not only to keep vigil over the safety of the children, but also to be alert for the reappearance of the bewitchingly beautiful young woman. He mentally backtracked over the last two weeks and realized that this evening marked the 13th night of the 14-day Festival of Light. He wondered if Aura appeared each night of the Festival, and if she would appear the next evening as well. He allowed himself the unfamiliar luxury of fantasy, of daring to dream of loving her with all the passion and power that consumed Han and Leia when they came together. Luke closed his eyes against the persistent, maddening pressure knocking at his brain, nudging him to contemplate things he felt unseemly for one of his stature. Suggestive thoughts came unbidden to his mind with vivid - and unwelcome - clarity. ...Han and Leia... He shook his head violently. //Get out!// To his horror, Luke suddenly, belatedly realized that in his distraction he had projected beyond his own consciousness - and he blanched at the knowledge that Han had picked up on the contact. ************** Han lay his wife back on their bed and loomed above her, touching his lips to her closed eyelids, her nose, finally possessing her mouth as he covered her body with his. Leia met him kiss for kiss with growing fervor, pressing closer to him, seeking solace from the horrors of the impending Dark reality. She felt the intimate merging of their Senses, and her body begged for the physical equivalent. Sliding her hands down his back until she was able to cup his behind, she guided him to her, pulling him close to receive him. //Get out!// Deeply in tune, Han immediately picked up on Leia's reception of the Force driven directive, and they both froze, Han's eyes cooling rapidly as perplexity nudged out passion. //Get out who?// Leia shook her head, confounded. An uncomfortable thought formed at the edges of her mind, and she stifled it just a millisecond too late. //Luke?// Han's Sense lurched as he went from lightspeed to full stop in the span of a heartbeat. He rose from the bed and stood above her for a moment, charged and ready in all his naked glory, and Leia watched in horror as his suspicions took root. With an inarticulate cry of outrage, he turned away from her and charged across the chambers toward the door, determined to confront his brother-in-law and put an end to this business once and for all. Leia scrambled off the bed and rushed after him, throwing herself in front of the door before Han could open it. Her forehead was damp with sweat, and her dark eyes were afraid as she looked up at him, her chest heaving, her wealth of hair cascading over her shoulders and down her back, covering her body like a shining chestnut veil. "Han, no!" she cried, desperately projecting calm into his furious Sense. "Don't you see?" She pulled at his hands, wresting them away from the controls to the door, holding them tightly in her own. "It's not Luke! He wouldn't do that! You know he wouldn't!" Suspicion rattled his brain and Han's face turned dark with anger. "Why not?" he charged. "He's done it before, hasn't he?" At her silence, he pressed for an answer, his voice hard. "Hasn't he?" "Not purposefully," she conceded reluctantly, shaking her head. "Luke is much too honorable to interfere with our intimacy, not of his own accord." She squeezed his hands, held his eyes with hers. "Search your feelings, Han," she urged. "You know this to be true!" Her husband stood before her, his face hard, teeth clenched, visibly battling the vicious wave of jealousy and outraged privacy that washed over him in a torrent, threatening to pull him under. //Calm,// Leia projected, pouring assurance of her love and devotion into his Sense, soothing his passion-roused frustration with gentle suggestions of her own. "Think about it, Han!" she implored, grasping at his Sense, willing him to think rationally. "It's Them! The Dark Twins! They're trying to divide us, weaken us, turn us against each other so that their conquest will be easy...just as Palpatine did all those years ago." Sudden illumination struck her with such force that she was staggered. "That's how he did it...the Emperor...those poor people." She shuddered at the stark realization, looked back up into her husband's angry eyes. "Divide and conquer, a classic strategy, all too often successful." She touched Han's face, stroking his cheek with a gentle hand. "Don't let them do it to us," she whispered. Slowly, as she held him with her eyes, Han's wrath dissipated bit by heated bit until all that remained was a simmering resentment, resentment not of Luke, but of those damnable Dark nuisances who were so intent upon destroying the utopia he and Leia had made for themselves on Endor. And he was giving them an advantage! Drawing a deep breath, Han repelled his anger, channeling the emotional energy instead into the passionate regions of his basic instincts. With a low growl, he caught his wife up into his arms and carried her quickly back to their bed, pressing her back into the pillows and kissing her with furious, unquenched desire. Pushing away with quiet finality the influence of Darkness, Han and Leia dove into the depths of their own private ecstasy, effectively plunging alien thoughts and perceptions into oblivion. For this moment, if no other, they would exclude from their world all that existed beyond the realm of their mutual need. For now, the present was their only reality, and each other the sole inhabitants. Justice would be done to the moment. *************** Aura reached with her Jedi senses for the Presence of the handsome young hero who waited for her on the Outside. He was there, patiently biding his time at the base of the Tree, searching, seeking, finding and caressing her Sense. Aura closed her eyes and welcomed the suggestions evoked by his innermost thoughts. //Get out!// Aura's eyes snapped open at the sudden admonition, and she thought for a moment that the young man was scolding her. A moment of insight assured her of the true intent of the message, and Aura despaired at the influence the Dark Twins exerted over the Jedi, before even setting foot upon the surface of the forest moon. Dark emotions could not now be allowed to divide them; temptations must be resisted and energies channeled into the battle that lay ahead. With a final mental caress to her knight, Aura reluctantly pulled her Sense away from his and wrapped the cloak of her Strength about her. She turned to the children who had been placed within her care, bending to retrieve the tiny baby girl from the carrier in which she had traveled with her brothers. Aura cuddled the infant to her heart. Safe at last, thank the Force; safe at long last! The battle lines were drawn. All of the children were safely ensconced within the Tree. The Jedi were prepared. And double Darkness descended. ******************* Passions spent, Han and Leia lay together in the stillness of their now lonely chambers, comforting each other over the sorely missed Essence of their children. Only the assurance of their little ones' safety made the ache bearable; only the comfort found in each other's arms could assuage the sorrow they felt at the absence of their offspring. Having displaced the temporary setback cultivated by Darkness, Han and Leia now put aside the last vestiges of dark emotions and prepared to join their might with Luke's, knowing that solely through their combined Strength in the Light side of the Force would the approaching enemy be defeated. Together they reached through their Senses for that of the Jedi Master, and for once Han did not shrink from the touch of the other man's mind, even within the privacy of the marriage bed. All that emotion so uselessly spent in petty jealousy now seemed self-defeating in light of the looming battle. From this point forward, all of their energies must be concentrated on repelling their approaching dark foe. The time of confrontation would all too soon be at hand; there was no time for enmity amongst them. Han joined his Sense with Leia's, and thus with Luke's, and the three of them channeled their collective Life-force into a mighty shield. Together they detected the approach of Darkness, and quailed at the evil that lay coiled within. Luke smoothly propelled them into the soothing mantra of the Jedi Code. //There is no emotion; there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion; there is serenity. There is no death; there is the Force.// To which Han added their own canon. //There is no defeat. There is only victory!// The warriors held the triple connection for an immeasurable time, and Leia was somehow not surprised to detect the distant, though unmistakable, touch of the gentle Sense that belonged to Aura. Through the girl's warm Presence, Han and Leia were able to touch the combined Essence of their beloved children, and the contact strengthened their resolve to eliminate the Dark threat from their future. By all that they stood for, Leia vowed, her children would not experience life under a Dark Emperor. Too many years had passed, too many lives lost, too many souls perished in torment for them to yield to the influence of Darkness. The fate of the galaxy lay with them - with herself, her twin and her love, through whom a new generation of Jedi had been created. Three humans, the Force as their ally, were all that stood between peace and a return to the Dark Times. ************** Luke was the first to break the mental chain with Han and Leia, allowing them the few hours of privacy left to them, his own Sense lingering with the intoxicating Presence of Aura. Her soothing touch dispelled the tiny spot of doubt that lingered far in the back regions of his mind, her confidence in their combined Light instilling him with the faith he had so often felt wavering when forced to do battle with Darkness. Many times Luke had fought Darkness, twice with his own father, once with a clone of himself created by a mad Dark Jedi. He had fought an entire legion of Darkness in the Nightsisters of Dathomir. Despite himself, he flinched from the painful memory; he had very nearly perished in that battle. He had actually felt his life draining out of him as he lay upon the bloody ground at the base of the cliffs where he had fallen. But Nature had come to his aid, Nature and the strength of the Force wielded by Her. Luke had ultimately survived, and lived to fight this battle that loomed before them; a battle that must at all costs be won. He turned away from the Tree in the direction of the treehouse, and as he did his eyes were captured by a bright red arc in the skies above him. He stopped in his tracks, staring upward, following the path of the brilliant sphere in its descent. Luke's blood froze, the realization - with all its dark implications - sending a shudder through the very core of his being. Darkness came. Indeed, the Dark Ones were here! ***************** "They're here," Han and Leia said simultaneously. They lay together in the middle of the massive four-poster bed, his arms around her, her head nestled on his shoulder. Han felt her heartbeat quicken against his chest as they absorbed the harsh reality: the time had come, the Enemy was now at the gate. Pouring courage into her Sense, he wrapped it in his own, nurturing it with his love, receiving in return hers for him. This was the secret of their strength, he thought. And the reason they would not fall. He tightened his arms around her, kissed her head where it lay on his shoulder, and his breath stirred her hair as he spoke. "Courage, sweetheart," he murmured. "This will all be over soon and we can get back to living the good life, like we did before." Before Darkness had invaded their lives. Han winced as he perceived the residual pain Leia still felt over the absence of their children, and was quick to reassure her. "They're safe, Leia." He stroked her hair soothingly. "You know that." "I know," she said quietly, and suddenly her old nightmare came vividly to mind. "That's what the dream was telling me," she informed him, the message now crystal clear. "I took the baby out - and handed her to Darkness. As long as the children stay within the Tree..." "...they can't be touched," Han finished for her. "Thank the Force we finally got them in!" Leia sighed, snuggling closer against his warmth. "Ditto to that, sweetheart," Han agreed. "Ditto to that." He fell silent and they lay quietly for a while, deeply in communion, contemplating the battle to come. Han sensed the exhaustion in them both, and wondered if they would be able to get a few hours sleep before whatever was going to happen happened. He felt the gradual withdrawal of Leia's Sense as she drifted into oblivion and decided that she had the right idea. Perhaps Nature knew how to take care of them best and was coming to their aid. His own eyelids were suddenly unbearably heavy, and Han sighed as his eyes began to close. What the hell, he thought wearily. They would surely know when it was time to wake up. Until then, he reasoned, they might as well get some sleep. And perhaps there would still be time in the morning... Han fell into the arms of slumber with a wistful smile on his face. ***************** The unmistakable sounds of Leia in the throes of yet another nightmare woke Han with a brutal kick, and he opened his eyes, turning automatically toward her. She tossed her head from side to side, muttering incoherently, much as she had during her illness, and Han had cause to wonder if she were being subjected to more dark visions, as she had been during that torturous time. "Shhh, it's okay," he soothed, shaking her gently, tenderly brushing her hair from her brow. "Wake up, sweetheart; it's just a dream." He attempted to take her in his arms, hopeful of easing her distress, but her cries instantly increased in volume and she jerked violently against his touch. He was stunned by the shaft of paralyzing fear that dominated her Sense, the great shuddering spasms of revulsion that possessed her body and soul. He shook his head, shocked at the animal ferocity that dominated her manner. "Get away from me!" Leia cried, her tone bordering on hysteria. "Don't touch me! Don't you dare touch me!" She struggled to free herself from Han's hold, breathing rapidly, pushing away from his arms. "Leia!" he shouted, truly frightened now, sitting up with her and shaking her by the shoulders, shrinking from a heinous suspicion now tugging at the back of his mind. The way she was struggling against him, the wave of utter revulsion he felt pouring from her Sense...only a woman who was fighting against a -- No! His mind rebelled at the harrowing thought. Not that...anything but that! "No, no, no!" Leia wailed, thrashing wildly, her nails raking at his face and drawing blood. Han reflexively jerked out of her reach, caught her rigid hands in his, his fingers closing over the slender fingertips that now brandished nails of deadly acuity. "Leia!" Han shouted again, reaching deeply into her Sense and recoiling at the glaring atrocity he was suddenly witness to. He mentally reeled, struck a near crippling blow by the effrontery of the offense, in combination with Leia's fear and indignation at what she perceived was happening to her. Bastard! Han's mind raged, and he tightened his arms around his wife, projecting into her Sense with all his might, praying that the force of their love would be enough to pull her from the grip of the horror she was living in another time. Luke suddenly appeared in the door to their chambers, and Han called urgently to him. "Luke! Help her! She's in so deep I can't pull her out!" He was distantly aware that the younger man could hear the panic in his voice, but Han was desperate, and it didn't seem to matter. "Do something!" Luke quickly crossed the room, reaching as he did for his twin's Sense, and he gasped audibly at the violent scene he pulled from her mind. He stopped, momentarily giving vent to an all-consuming rage that came perilously close to the Dark Side, then reached through the Force for strength to repel the dark emotions that swept over and around him, seeming to penetrate to the very core of his being. The murderous rage now roiling within him, so black with hatred, so susceptible to malice, could easily propel him headlong into Darkness. //When attacked, fall.// So Ben Kenobi had instructed, all those years ago. //Let your opponent's power buffet you as a strong wind topples the grass. In time, he will expend himself, and you will still be upright.// Luke stilled his Sense, allowing the dark tide to sweep over and through his spirit, standing firm against the evil gusts that battered him so cruelly. He finally drew a deep breath, closed his eyes and Forcefully pushed his hatred from the forefront of his mind, concentrating instead on freeing his sister from the grip of her terror. //Leia!// his Sense called to her. //Leia, hear me! It isn't you, Leia! This isn't happening to you!// Leia's body bolted against Han's hold, and from her throat came a shriek of such Sense-shattering terror that her husband and brother winced with the shared perception, even more with the accompanying, overwhelming feelings of rage and shame that emanated from her Sense. Shaking his head back and forth, rejecting her agony, Luke increased his desperate projection unto his twin. //Leia, hear me! Come back to us! We need you to defeat Darkness! We can't do it without you, Leia! You know we can't!// Luke mentally embraced his sister, willing her to hear him. //Come back! Now, Leia, come back now!// With a tremendous surge of combined Force-effort, Han and Luke finally penetrated the nightmare memory. With a suddenness that startled them, Leia's eyes snapped open and she stopped in mid-scream, her cries diminishing to terrified whimpering noises the likes of which neither man had ever heard her make before. Han held her tightly against him, feeling the frantic thumping of her heart against his chest as she trembled violently in his arms. She clung to her anchor, absorbing the soothing thoughts he projected into her Sense. They sat frozen in time, with Leia visibly doing battle against her mental demons, Han and Luke agonizing over her reaction to the trauma she had undergone. After a long while Leia finally spoke in a voice laced with sorrow. "Oh, Han," she choked, the tears falling again as Han helplessly patted her shoulders, his stomach churning with outrage and shared perception of her shame. "He raped her!" she sobbed brokenly. "And she was forced to bear his children!" The men exchanged glances in stunned silence while Leia wept bitterly against the shelter of Han's chest, her tears hot against his skin. Alarmed at the vulnerability he felt radiating from her quaking Sense, Han tightened his arms around her, bitterness rising like bile in his throat at the brutal violation to which they had all been subjected. "The Dark Twins are her children!" Leia repeated, her voice dropping to an icy whisper. "Hers - and Palpatine's!" [End Chapter]