Back To The Beginning [Star Wars EU Fanfic]

Chapter Three

Silence.

This was one of those rare moments for Mara. Getting ready for the trip was a lost thought. It was over, and hopefully they would never have to do it again. Her family was safe onboard the Jade Sabre and they were in hyperspace en route to Yavin IV. She looked out the viewport and saw the Millenium Falcon attached to their ship with Leia, Han, and Anakin safe inside. Luke was sitting in his chair going over something on his datapad. Ben and Ami were playing a "mind" hide-and-seek game, practicing shielding their minds. Things were perfect.

Well, no, Mara thought, Han and Leia are missing their children.

The Jedi Academy promised to keep people looking for them, but that didn't make things any better.

All of a sudden, Mara heard a dying voice in the back of her mind, calling for help. She knew that voice.

Jaina.

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

Jaina awoke with a start. Opening her eyes, she quickly sat up.

Where am I? She thought.

She was on top of a large building, a palace almost, made of the most ancient architecture and style. From the front of the building it stretched on fro a mile or so, filled with smaller buildings that were less elaborate. But off to the back of the building it dropped about, well, a long way down.

There were fantastic waterfalls that dropped off the edge Surrounding the city the palace was situated in was a dense jungle with a large ocean.

While surveying her surroundings she noticed Jacen lying on the roof near her. She crawled quickly over to his unmoving body.

Jacen. "Jacen wake up!" She urged. His eyes flickered and finally opened as he sat up. He seemed to be surveying his surroundings and then looked over at her with a confused look on his face 

"Where are we?"

"I have no idea," Jaina told him. When she was little she would always have to act the bravest because she was the oldesr. She was trying to act brave now, but it wasn't working.

Someone, she thought, someone please help us!

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

Mara ran to the cockpit, with Luke at her heels.

"Mara, will you please tell me what's going on?" Luke exclaimed.

"I need to talk to Leia."

"But why? What happened?"

"I heard her!" Mara said frantically while punching the code for the Falcon.

"Heard who?"

Mara had no time to answer. Leia had already answered the communicator.

"Mara!" Leia yelled, not so much as surprise as urgency.

"Leia, I heard her." Mara shot back.

"I know."

"You do?"

"Yes, I heard her too!"

"Heard who?" Luke interjected, getting more and more annoyed.

"Hush, Luke!" Both woman scolded.

"We have to get there quick," Leia stated, back to her conversation with Mara already.

"I know!" Mara agreed.

"But there's no way we can do that."

"I know."

"So I guess we have to wait."

"I know."

"Well, bye." Leia said, a little more disappointed.

"I know." Mara added.

"Would someone please tell me what's going on!" Luke fumed. By now Ami and Ben ere both in the cockpit listening to the heated discussion.

Mara turned off the comm and looked from Luke to the kids and back to Luke. He understood. In a few minutes they had both kids interested in their coloring pads and returned to the privacy of the cockpit.

"Now will you tell me what's going on and why you keep saying 'I heard her'?"Luke asked.

"Well, I heard Jaina." Mara confessed.

"Jaina! But Jaina's lost! We don't know where she is!"

"So?" Mara shot back. "I still heard her, and so did Leia. I think we can tell when we hear her because Leia is her mother and I'm her teacher."

"Well, why didn't I hear her?"

"You don't have as strong a bond with her as Leia and I do."

"So do you know where she is?" Luke asked, and Mara could detect a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"No, but I will once I get near that object they found."

"Well, it looks as if that chance will be coming very soon. We're there."

Luke slowly pulled back on the hyperdrive yoke and the Yavin sun came to life. 

The fourth moon of Yavin glowed brightly with the force, except for a small pinprick in the forest near the Jedi Academy. Luke steered the ships towards that very spot.