by Angela Jade

Setting - this fanfic is set during several of the Bantam Press Star Wars novels - if you haven’t read said novels, this will make zero sense, so get your butt down to the library/bookstore now.

e-mail - angela@yavin4.free-online.co.uk - constructive criticism and happy thoughts gratefully received ... please don’t flame me!

Rating - PG

Spoilers - heaps of them, for many of the Star Wars books. If you don’t like spoilers, please close the door on your way out.

Feel free to post these stories wherever, as long as it’s got this spiel at the top.

Disclaimer - all these characters belong to Mr. Lucas (all hail), Mr. Zahn, Ms. Hambly, and Mr. Stackpole. I write about them as a form of flattery - please don’t sue. I am not making any money from this.

I’m a fan of the Bantam novels. Honest. And I’m not usually one to criticise (much), but in many of the books Mara and Luke met briefly, said one or two lines (if that), then wandered off in different directions to do their own thing. Then suddenly *wham* - they fall in love ten years after they met. So here’s the deal. I’m going to rewrite several chunks of the books, often ignoring the lines, situations, etc. the professional authors gave us. Sorry. I did try to write some ‘missing moments’ inside the given plots, but it was boring.

Dedication - to Roganda Ismaren, who gave me the idea.
 
 

Chapter 1 - ‘I, Jedi’ by Michael A. Stackpole (chapter 26-ish. “Tionne had said that Mara looked in on Luke while he slept, but left without speaking to him.” Well, what Tionne doesn't know can't hurt her...)

Mara helped Corran onto the bed in the medical room, telling Cilghal as best she could what had happened between him and Exar Kun. Cilghal listened patiently, her large eyes taking in Corran’s battered form, then she left to set up a bacta soak.

‘I’ve got to go,’ said Mara.
 
Corran sighed. ‘I know. He won’t like it, though.’
 
‘I doubt he’ll even notice. He’s got plenty of other stuff to keep his mind occupied.’
 
‘At least talk to him, say goodbye before you go,’ said Corran.
 
Mara gave him a tight little smile. ‘I might. See you around, CorSec.’
 
Corran returned her smile. ‘You can count on it. And thanks again, Mara. For everything.’
 
Mara touched his shoulder briefly, before turning and leaving the room. She met Cilghal in the corridor outside and asked where Luke was.
 
‘He’s in his room, resting,’ the Calamarian healer replied. ‘Please don’t disturb him. I think he wants to go chasing after Kyp, and I don’t think he’s ready yet.’
 
‘He’s not on his own, is he?’
 
‘No, Tionne’s with him just now.’
 
‘Good,’ replied Mara. ‘I’ll not wake him. I just want to check he’s okay.’ And she strode past Cilghal toward Luke’s room.
 
She slowed as she neared the door. Tionne was sitting in a chair against the wall, concentrating on the datapad in her hands. She looked up as Mara approached.
 
‘How is he?’ asked Mara.
 
‘Physically, he seems to be fine,’ replied Tionne. ‘He’s just exhausted.’
 
‘Can I go in? I’ll not disturb him.’
 
Tionne regarded her for a moment, before replying. ‘Sure.’ She looked back down to her datapad as Mara silently opened the door and crept into the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
 
Once her eyes had adjusted to the dim lighting, she could see Luke asleep on his bed, his chest rising and falling rhythmically. She crept a little closer, her steps silent, her breathing shallow. His face was turned away from her, so she tiptoed round the bottom of the bed. The window shutters were closed, but there was enough light that she could see he looked relaxed and peaceful. Hard to believe he’d just been tangling with a Sith Lord. Mara pursed her lips. Of course, if he hadn’t been so full of himself and his abilities, they wouldn’t have gotten into the mess in the first place. When was he going to realise that he couldn’t always save the galaxy by himself? Maybe his dalliance with the dark side had affected him more than anyone had guessed. She reached out to push a stray lock of hair away from his face, then stopped, not wanting to risk waking him up. What you need, she thought, is the love of a good woman. A tiny voice inside her said ‘me?’ Mara shook her head. She and Skywalker were good friends, nothing more. He drove her nuts with this Jedi Master let-me-train-you thing, then on the odd occasion she did show up at the academy, he often seemed to be ignoring her. Did he like her or didn’t he?
 
She sat on the edge of the bed, just wanting to watch him sleep for a little while. She didn’t want to leave, not really. But first and foremost, Mara was a businesswoman, and she couldn’t do her job properly from a backwater moon like Yavin. Besides, the only friends she had here were Luke and Corran, and she was pretty sure Corran would be leaving soon, too. Sure, the other students tolerated her, but they weren’t particularly friendly to her.
 
She froze as Luke shifted slightly then opened his eyes. ‘Mara?’
 
‘Shhhh,’ she replied, glancing towards the door. ‘Tionne will kill me if she thinks I’ve woken you up. You’re supposed to be resting.’
 
He grinned. ‘Tionne would last about five seconds against you, and you know it,’ he whispered.
 
She turned back to face him, grinning herself. ‘You know what I mean.’
 
He pulled himself up to more of a sitting position. ‘I’ll tell her I slept right through your visit, then.’ He frowned at her a little. ‘Mara, why are you here.’
 
‘Do you mean on Yavin, or in this room?’
 
‘Either. Have you come to train?’
 
‘I don’t have time right now, Skywalker. I just dropped by to pass some news onto Corran.’
 
‘Oh,’ said Luke. ‘And you’re in my room because...?’
 
She shrugged. ‘I came to say goodbye. I’ve got to get back.’
 
He looked away, his jaw set hard. When he looked back at her, she could see the hurt in his eyes, and hear it in his voice. ‘And you weren’t even going to stay long enough to talk to me. Don’t I deserve a hello before I get a goodbye?’
 
Mara looked down at her hands in her lap, her hair hanging over her face. ‘I didn’t want you to try to talk me out of leaving.’
 
‘Can I talk you out of it?’
 
‘No.’
 
‘You can’t even stay for a few days?’
 
‘I shouldn’t even be here, Skywalker.’ She met his gaze with a steady one of her own. ‘I’m up to my ears in work, and I have a lot of people relying on me. I can’t just come here at the drop of a hat.’
 
‘Then arrange some time off.’
 
Mara sighed. ‘I’ll try.’
 
‘There is no try...,’ Luke began, but stopped when he saw the vicious look Mara gave him.
 
‘Can it, farmboy. I’m not in the mood.’
 
He held up his hands in defeat. ‘Sorry. I understand. You’ve got to go.’
 
‘Yes.’ She surprised both of them when she leaned over and squeezed his hand. ‘Take care, Skywalker. And listen to Corran. He’s a sensible guy.’ She dropped his hand as she stood up. ‘Now go back to sleep, or I’ll have your students after my blood.’
 
He lay back down on the bed. ‘I don’t need any more sleep. I feel fine.’
 
‘Cilghal disagrees.’
 
‘Cilghal is not a master.’
 
I’m not so sure you’re a master, Mara thought, but she kept her opinion to herself. ‘At least pretend to be asleep until I leave.’
 
His eyes closed and his body visibly relaxed back into the position he had been sleeping in previously. ‘Will this do?’ he whispered.
 
‘Bye, Skywalker.’
 
‘Bye, Mara.’ One blue eye popped open. ‘Come back soon.’
 
Mara walked over to the door, his words ringing in her ears. As she slipped out and gently closed the door, Tionne looked up from her datapad.
 
‘Is Master Skywalker still asleep?’
 
‘He didn’t wake up,’ Mara replied. ‘I just wanted to look in on him and check he was okay before I left.’ She walked down the corridor towards the landing grid without another word or a backwards glance.
 
 

Chapter 2 - ‘Children of the Jedi’ by Barbara Hambly (chapter 25: the ‘Eye of Palpatine’ has just gone ‘kaboom’ and Mara arrives to pick up Luke and the gang in the ‘Hunter’s Luck’)

 
Gods, he looks awful, thought Mara, as she and Leia helped Luke onto the ‘Hunter’s Luck’. And it wasn’t just his physical injuries; he had a haunted look in his eyes and even his Force presence felt ‘damaged’. What in all the hells had happened to him on that ship. She hadn’t seen much of him recently, but as her arm circled his waist, she could tell he’d lost weight. He was also limping badly and his face was covered in cuts and bruises. Her gaze met Leia’s over Luke’s hunched form and she could tell the other woman was thinking the same thing.
 
When they arrived at the cabin, she helped him lie on the self-conforming bed as gently as she could. She knew she should really head up to the bridge to help Han, but she just couldn’t tear herself away. Don’t know why, she thought. Mara no longer hated Luke as she had after the Emperor’s death, but she didn’t particularly like him. Or did she? Mostly he infuriated her, always hinting that she should make more of her Force abilities. Like he knew everything. Like he was all-powerful. Jedi Master, indeed. But right now he just looked vulnerable and broken, a shadow of the man she remembered from Wayland. She found herself wanting to take the pain away, to see him smile again. She let her hand brush against his as Leia tended to his injured leg. She couldn’t stop herself swearing when she saw the terrible state it was in. ‘How long has it been like that?’
 
‘Five days, six days,’ he replied.
 
‘Are you going to tell us what happened?’ asked Leia.
 
Luke’s eyes remained closed. ‘Maybe later.’
 
Mara helped remove the home-made splint and tape. ‘The Force healed that?’ She was impressed; maybe she should make more of an effort to improve her touch on the Force.
 
The comm screen to the bridge flickered into life; Han’s face had a rather puzzled look on it. ‘There’s some kind of signal coming from all that debris. I think it’s an escape pod.’
 
Luke sighed. ‘Cray.’
 
Mara brushed some hair from his face, trying to avoid the bruises. He didn’t even wince. ‘I’ll go help Han with the tractor, then.’
 
When he didn’t reply, she looked at Leia and could see her own concern mirrored there.
 
‘Go on,’ said Leia. ‘I can take care of him. Han won’t manage to pull the pod on board by himself.’
 
Mara glanced at Luke again, before leaving the cabin and heading up to the bridge. She found Han piloting the ship to the edge of the slowly expanding field of debris.
 
‘How is he?’ Han asked.
 
Mara settled into the co-pilot’s chair. ‘Not good. Physically he should heal, but there’s something else wrong.’ She shook her head. ‘I don’t know.’
 
Han turned to look at her. ‘What do you mean, “something else”?’
 
‘I said I don’t know. Ask Leia.’ She rested her hands on the tractor beam controls. ‘Now let’s get this thing on board before any of this garbage scratches my ship.’
 
The pod was barely on board when she saw Leia helping Luke towards the hold. She raised one eyebrow at Leia, who shrugged and said, ‘He insisted.’
 
Han, Leia and Mara stood in the doorway as Luke limped forwards towards the escape pod steaming gently on the floor of the hold.
 
Mara leaned towards Leia. ‘I can’t feel any presence coming from the pod.’
 
‘Neither can I,’ replied Leia. ‘Although that doesn’t mean a lot. She could be unconscious.’
 
Mara nodded, but still felt uneasy.
 
Struggling slightly, Luke finally got the pod open and the others all craned their necks to see if the woman in the pod was still alive. Sure enough, a small hand reached up and touched Luke’s own outstretched hand. Then Mara and Leia both took a step back as Luke’s shock hit them simultaneously.
 
‘What the hell is going on?’ hissed Mara.
 
She watched the life return to Luke as Cray caressed his face. Then he pulled her into his arms, threw back his head, and yelled ‘Yes!’
 
‘That... that isn’t Cray,’ said Leia.
 
‘Looks like her,’ whispered Han.
 
Leia’s burning eyes turned on her husband. ‘It’s not Cray inside. I don’t know who it is, but it’s not Cray.’ She went to take a step forward, but Han gently caught her arm.
 
‘Leave them. I don’t think she’s dangerous. Luke seems to like her, anyway.’
 
Mara listened numbly as the young woman told Luke what had happened, before he introduced her to them all as ‘Callista’.
 
So that was why he’d looked suicidal. He’d fallen in love, and then thought his love had died. Now he looked so happy, it even made Mara smile. She was happy for him. She really was. So why did she feel like running as far as she could from the scene. Okay, it was a bit sickly-sweet, but she’d seen worse, and at least Luke was smiling now. So she did care about him, at least as a friend. At least? She watched Callista carefully, saw the adoration on her face as she gazed at Luke. You’d better look after him, thought Mara, or you’ll have me to answer to.
 
 

Chapter 3 - ‘Darksaber’ by Kevin J. Anderson (chapter 11, but throw out the dialogue, especially in the ‘Callista’ scene)

The starlines coalesced back into stars as Mara pushed the hyperdrive levers forward. There it was: Yavin IV.
 
‘I am here to pass on some information,’ she said out loud, as if she could convince herself she was NOT here to check up on Luke and Callista. Tentatively, she stretched out with the Force, but she soon realised she couldn’t sense Luke or anyone else at the Academy. Luke’s comments about ‘more training’ sprang to the front of her mind again, but she quickly pushed them back. The one-on-one training Luke had given her on Wayland was one thing; she seriously doubted she would fit in with other students. But she was here now, so she might as well land.

 
Luke was meditating when Artoo came to him, beeping frantically. He still didn’t understand everything the little droid said, but he got the gist - a ship was coming in to land. He patted Artoo’s dome. ‘We’re not expecting anybody, are we?’
 
Artoo beeped once, then trundled off in the direction of the landing grid. As he followed, Luke stretched out with the Force, trying to identify the pilot. One human on board; someone familiar?

 
As she finished the landing cycle, Mara looked out the cockpit window and saw Luke striding towards her, alone apart from his little astromech droid. Good. Mara didn’t feel like facing Callista just yet, and the information she had was for Luke’s ears only. She opened the hatch and climbed to the ground, squinting slightly in the bright sunshine.
 
‘Mara Jade!’ Luke was surprised to see her; surprised and pleased. He looked her up and down. ‘You look well.’
 
‘You’re not looking so bad yourself, Skywalker. I take it life has been quiet lately, since you’re conscious and not covered in blood.’
 
He grinned. ‘Quiet? Yes, I suppose it has. Anyway, what did I do to deserve the honor of your presence?’
 
‘You don’t deserve it, but I came anyway.’
 
Their eyes met and he clasped her hand, but Mara pulled hers back quickly; his touch had sent shockwaves through her entire body. Wow, she thought, what the hell was that? Suddenly she was finding it very hard to meet his gaze.
 
‘I need to talk to you,’ she said.
 
‘Do you want to come inside?’
 
‘Not really. Can we go for a ride instead?’
 
‘Sure,’ said Luke, indicating for her to lead the way.
 
Once in the pilot’s seat, Mara decided to give him the ride of his life, or at least something to blow away the cobwebs and remind him of what he was missing. Luke obviously thought he could play the mild-mannered teacher, but she knew the X-wing pilot was still in there, and she found that particular Skywalker easier to deal with.
 
Luke watched her as she flew; she looked so animated, loving every minute. He could understand the feeling. He sent out little tendrils of the Force, not in order to read her mind, but so he could experience a little of her joy. But, as usual, her mind was surrounded by barriers, and he didn’t want to intrude. He did, however, detect a hint of uneasiness, not something he had ever associated with Mara. What was making her feel uncomfortable? Him? Certainly, she didn’t seem to be able to look him in the eye. He listened as she talked, adding comments of his own. It was soon apparent that the ‘information’ was not world-shattering, and although he’d take it to Leia, he suspected the government on Coruscant already knew. So why was Mara here? Would she stay to train for a while? He fervently hoped so - he needed all the trainees he could get, and Mara had a lot of potential.
 
As she swung the ship around and headed back towards the Great Temple, even Mara had to admit to herself that her excuse for visiting Yavin IV was fairly pathetic. She took a slow breath, still avoiding eye-contact. ‘The other reason I came in person is that occasionally - for some unknown reason - I almost look forward to seeing you, Skywalker...’
 
Luke had to use every ounce of his self-control to stop his surprise showing on his face. This wasn’t the Mara Jade he remembered; sure, he knew she didn’t want to kill him any more, they were even on friendly terms when they occasionally met, but this felt ... different. Then, when he asked her to stay for the evening meal, she agreed a good deal quicker than he thought she would. He watched her carefully as she landed the ship; she had loosened up a lot in the previous three years. Many of the hard lines had left her face and her body language no longer reminded him of a coiled spring waiting to shove him away.
 
A small sigh escaped her lips as the sound of the repulsors died; she turned towards him and finally met his gaze. ‘I’m sorry I can’t stay, Skywalker. Really I am.’
 
Now it was his turn to look away. ‘It’s alright. I know you’re a busy woman. Responsibilities, and all that.’
 
‘Yes. Responsibilities. I’ll try to come back sometime.’
 
He turned back to face her and smiled. ‘That would be nice, Mara.’ Out of the corner of his eye he could see Tionne walking out to meet them. Reluctantly, he undid his restraints and moved towards the hatch. ‘Thanks for the ride. It was fun.’
 
She shook her head at him. ‘You should get out more, Skywalker.’
 
As she descended the ladder, she could hear Tionne telling Luke a New Republic transport was due in an hour, with two potential students on board. Luke sighed and turned towards her. Mara noticed ‘X-wing pilot’ had once more been replaced by ‘teacher’.
 
‘Sorry, Mara,’ he said. ‘I’ll have to skip the meal and get things ready.’
 
Mara shrugged. ‘Another time, maybe. I’ve got to get back, anyway.’
 
‘The offer of food still stands,’ said Luke. ‘Perhaps you could go say hello to Callista.’
 
Great, thought Mara. Now it would look petty if I left.
 
‘Sure,’ she replied. ‘That would be great.’

 
As soon as she entered the dining hall, she spotted Callista sitting by herself, apart from the other students. The first thing Mara noticed was that she couldn’t sense Callista through the Force. Not at all. It gave Mara the shivers, reminding her a little of the Emperor. She couldn’t understand how Luke could bear it, being so close to her. Still, she had to get this little meeting over with, so she fetched a tray of food and then moved towards her.
 
‘Mind if I sit here?’
 
Callista shrugged. ‘Sure.’
 
Mara sat down and started eating; Callista didn’t even look up from prodding her food around her plate.
 
After a few minutes, Mara decided it was up to her to break the silence. ‘We have met, Callista.’
 
Finally Callista looked up. ‘Have we?’
 
‘I was with Han and Leia when we picked you up off ‘The Eye’.’
 
Callista took in the red-gold hair and green eyes. ‘Mara Jade, isn’t it?’
 
Mara nodded. ‘You look better than the last time I saw you.’
 
Callista nodded in return and went back to studying her vegetables.
 
Mara decided it was time to crank the conversation up a notch. ‘So, you’re Skywalker’s latest squeeze, then.’
 
That got her attention. ‘Latest?’
 
A mouth full of food prevented Mara’s reply, so she just nodded vigorously. ‘Mmmmmm.’
 
Callista regarded her for a moment. ‘I heard hints that you might have been interested in Luke yourself at one time.’
 
Mara choked, then frantically swallowed, her eyes watering slightly. After a sip of water, she realised the room had gone deathly quiet. Gathering as much dignity as she could muster, she raised her head and looked around the dining hall. Not one of the other students could meet her gaze and they all pretended to eat their food, talking in hushed tones.
 
Mara turned back to Callista. ‘If this is your idea of a joke, it’s not very funny.’
 
‘So it’s not true, then.’
 
‘Of course it’s not true,’ said Mara through clenched teeth. ‘For more than five years of my life I wanted to see him dead, preferably by my hand.’ She leaned back in her chair slightly. ‘Sometimes I still think it’s a damn good idea.’ Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a few of the younger students stare at her, open-mouthed.
 
‘And I suppose you’re going to tell me there’s nothing between you and Lando Calrissian either,’ said Callista.
 
Mara’s jaw dropped, ever so slightly. ‘No. Nothing. We’re business partners.’
 
Callista shrugged. ‘Not what I heard.’
 
‘From who?’
 
‘Leia, for one.’
 
‘Really.’ Mara’s tone was icy. ‘And I suppose you’ve discussed this little tidbit with Skywalker.’
 
‘Not really. I don’t think he’s all that interested in hearing about you,’ Callista replied.
 
Mara sighed. ‘Callista, either you are very insecure or you’ve got a death wish.’
 
Callista’s chin rose slightly. ‘And exactly what do you mean by that?’
 
Mara’s head moved forward and her voice dropped to a whisper, as her gaze met Callista’s. ‘I mean, don’t mess with me. Most people find out that it’s fatal.’
 
Callista’s voice had also dropped. ‘Are you threatening me?’
 
‘No. But I will if I find out that you’ve been stringing Luke along. I have no idea what he sees in you, but he’s a friend and I don’t like to see my friends hurt.’
 
Mara stood up and leaned on the table, her voice still low. ‘Besides, if I wanted Skywalker, you wouldn’t be sitting here.’ And with that she turned and headed for the door.
 
 
 

Chapter 4 - ‘Showdown at Centerpoint’ from the Corellian trilogy by Roger Macbride Allen (end of chapter 14; everyone saying goodbye before flying off to blast chunks out of the Triad fleet - the Solo kids have just left for Drall)
 

Mara watched Han steer a sobbing Leia towards Luke. ‘Look after her for me. I have to go see Thracken.’

Luke nodded silently to his brother-in-law and pulled his sister into a hug. ‘Shhh. They’ll be okay. You know they will. Come on, Leia.’

Slowly her sobs subsided and Leia lifted her head to look at her brother. She sniffed and blinked away the last few tears. ‘They will be alright, won’t they?’

‘Of course they will,’ said Luke, wiping tears from her cheek with his fingers. ‘Brightest kids in the galaxy, those three.’

Leia smiled tentatively. ‘They are, aren’t they. And they’ll look after each other.’ She closed her eyes and Luke watched in amazement as she seemed to draw on the inner strength that made her the powerful woman she was. She took a couple of deep breaths and straightened her spine. When she opened her eyes again, there was no hint of sadness or fatigue, only a grim determination to succeed at any task she set herself. She swiped away a few stray tears with the heel of her hand. ‘Right. Where’s Ossilege? I want to talk to him.’

Luke nodded to where the Admiral was deep in conversation with Gaeriel and Kalenda, before leaning down to kiss his sister’s cheek.

Leia smiled and caressed his face in return. ‘Thanks, Luke. And don’t get into that X-wing without coming to give me another hug.’

He managed a small smile which quickly faded when Leia was no longer looking. He knew what her last comment meant. It meant ‘don’t go without saying goodbye in case I don’t see you again’. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

‘You okay, Skywalker?’

He turned to see Mara standing beside him. ‘I’m fine,’ he snapped. ‘At least, as fine as I can be watching my sister’s kids go off to war.’ He shook his head and stared at his feet. ‘You wouldn’t understand.’

‘No, of course not.’ Mara’s voice bit into him. ‘I have no idea what it’s like to watch family go into danger.’ He looked up to see her green eyes blazing at him. ‘But I have seen friends, young friends, leave, sometimes never to return. And I don’t like it.’ She turned her back on him. ‘I’ll leave you alone, if that’s what you want.’

She had started walking away when she felt his hand on her arm, sending the tiny jolt through her that always accompanied his touch.

‘Mara, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap.’

She turned to face him, her jaw working to hold back the emotions that threatened to escape. Why did he always make her feel so mad? She looked away for a moment, calming herself, before meeting his gaze again.

His hand dropped from her arm. ‘Can we talk?’

Mara nodded and looked towards the hanger exit. ‘I haven’t got much of an appetite, but I suppose we’d better try to eat something before we go.’ She glanced back at him. ‘You can talk and eat at the same time, can’t you?’

‘Yeah,’ he smiled, feeling the tension ease a little. ‘Although I don’t feel much like eating, either.’

They walked towards the officers dining area side by side, not touching, not talking, not even looking at one another. As they reached the doorway Luke paused to let Mara enter first; she glanced at him and smiled, but said nothing. It wasn’t until they had collected their food and were sat opposite each other at a small corner table that Mara felt ready to speak.

‘So, what do you want to talk about?’

Luke shrugged, poking listlessly at his food. ‘Lots of things. How’s business?’

Mara took a sip of juice. ‘Busy as usual. Karrde needs more staff, but you know how many people he trusts.’

Luke managed a wry smile. ‘You. Aves. Ghent.’ He frowned. ‘Can’t think of anyone else. Certainly not me or Leia.’

Mara waved her fork at him as she swallowed. ‘Now there you have it wrong. He does trust Leia. He trusts her to do her job, which unfortunately doesn’t always coincide with his. And he trusts her to deliver on her promises.’

‘And me?’

Mara leaned back in her chair, regarding him for a moment. ‘I think he trusts you more than he would admit to.’

‘And you? Do you trust me?’ Luke leaned forward a little, trying to read her face if not her mind.

‘To do what?’

‘Do you trust my judgment?’

Mara laughed out loud. ‘Not particularly.’ She saw a frown cross his face. ‘You’re serious, aren’t you?’

Luke simply repeated his question. ‘Do you trust my judgment?’

She leaned forward in her chair, elbows resting on the table, her chin in her hands, steadily meeting his gaze. ‘That depends on what you are judging.’

Luke leaned further forwards, his stance mirroring hers. Mara forced herself not to flinch as his face came a little too close for comfort. She slammed up all her mental barriers as his eyes met her own, then held her breath, waiting for him to speak.

‘My judgment tells me you would make a great Jedi Knight.’

As his words sank in, Mara closed her eyes, put her face in her hands and groaned. ‘Every time.’ Her voice was slightly muffled. ‘Every damn time.’ She looked up to see him still watching her, his face expressionless. ‘Every time I see you, you have to try to drag me off to that damn academy. When are you going to give up?’

‘I take it that means you still don’t agree.’

‘You got that right.’ She prodded her food for a bit; when she realised Luke was still watching her, she put down her cutlery and faced him again. ‘I have no desire to be a Jedi Knight. I don’t think I’d be particularly good at it, even if I did want the job. And I certainly don’t want to go back to the Academy. Have you got that, Skywalker? I’ve told you often enough.’

‘I understand the words. Just not the reasons.’

‘I don’t need to give you any reasons. I just prefer the life I have now as opposed to the one you’re offering.’ She paused. ‘Are you even happy, Luke?’

Her question surprised him for a moment and he looked away. ‘Sort of, I suppose.’ His gaze returned to meet her own. ‘Happier than I have been, at any rate. I was pretty miserable when Callista left.’

Mara nodded slowly. Callista. Not at the top of Mara’s ‘shoot first, talk later’ list, but certainly well up there. At least Luke could say her name now without his voice cracking; that was a step forwards. ‘So the Academy is fulfilling your every need.’

He smiled and his eyes twinkled. ‘I wouldn’t say every need. But most of them, yes.’

Mara leaned back and crossed her arms, smiling in return. ‘What, no nubile young student desperate to get the attention of the Master? Come now, Luke. You can tell me.’

Luke rolled his eyes, still smiling. ‘Hardly. And you know I’d never take advantage anyway.’

She shook her head. ‘No, you wouldn’t, would you.’

‘And what about you?’

Mara shrugged. ‘Not students, but I do get my fair share of young men anxious for favors.’

‘And do you take advantage?’

Mara sipped her juice and considered her reply. ‘It has been known, once or twice.’ She was glad he had the decency not to pretend to be shocked. ‘The youngsters don’t really do anything for me.’ She wondered how the hell she’d gotten into this conversation in the first place. She started eating again, trying not to look uncomfortable. Though why she should feel uncomfortable talking about ex-lovers with Skywalker, Mara couldn’t fathom. He seemed happy to rave on about Callista at every opportunity. Okay, maybe not rave, but she did seem to put in an appearance during most of their (admittedly few) conversations.

‘So,’ said Luke, ‘have you heard about Lando’s latest quest?’

Mara smiled, nodding. ‘The find-a-wife mission. I’d heard.’ She raised an eyebrow at him. ‘I can’t believe you let yourself get dragged into it, though.’

‘Sometimes, neither can I,’ replied Luke. He watched Mara carefully for a reaction; he’d never quite figured out her relationship with Lando. ‘I think he may have found her, surprisingly enough.’

‘Good,’ said Mara. ‘Always said he ought to settle down, start yet another business, raise a kid or two.’ She nodded to him. ‘So should you. Except for the starting a business thing. You’d be dreadful at that.’

Luke looked back at her, slightly surprised. ‘I never really thought I had the lifestyle suitable for a family,’ he said, after only a moments hesitation. ‘And I’ve never found the right woman.’

Yes you have, thought Mara, you’ve just managed to lose them all.

‘What about you, Mara? Wouldn’t you like to settle down sometime?’

‘Me?!’ replied Mara. ‘If you don’t have a suitable lifestyle, I certainly don’t. I can’t remember the last time I was voluntarily on one planet for more than a couple of weeks.’

‘Maybe you should try it, then. Staying on one planet can be quite ... rejuvenating.’

Mara shook her head. ‘I take it your suggestion would be Yavin Four.’

‘It’s a nice place.’

She leaned forward, staring at him, willing the words into his brain. ‘Give it up, Skywalker. It’s not going to happen. And the more you nag, the more I feel like running away screaming every time I lay eyes on you.’

Luke looked positively indignant. ‘I do not nag.’

‘Yes, you do. Incessantly.’ She glanced at her wrist-chrono. ‘We’d better get back.’ She yanked her jacket off the back of her chair as she stood up, and started pulling it on. ‘It’s my life, Luke, my decisions. I am a grown woman, or hadn’t you noticed.’ Suddenly she was aware of his gaze travelling up and down her body, and she fought to control the flush spreading up to her cheeks.

‘Yup, I’d noticed, Mara.’

‘Don’t flirt, Skywalker. It doesn’t suit you.’

‘First I nag, then I flirt.’ Luke stood up and grabbed his own jacket. ‘Any other shortcomings I should know about?’

‘Would you like a list?’

‘Nice.’
 

The goodbyes. Gods, how Mara hated the goodbyes. She just wanted to get on board the ‘Fire’ and blast out of there, hoping like hell everyone survived, but trying not to think too hard about it. She was standing with Lando at the edge of the little group clustered under the ‘Falcon’.  Lando put his arm round her shoulders and she absentmindedly elbowed him in the gut.

‘Ow,’ said Lando, doubling over slightly. ‘I was only going to give you a hug before we said goodbye.’

‘Sorry,’ said Mara, ‘force of habit.’ She watched as Luke hugged his sister. ‘Besides, you know I don’t do the “hug thing”.’

‘There’s always a first time.’

Luke had moved on to Han and Chewie, and Mara noticed Leia coming towards them. Lando took a step towards her and bowed slightly, catching her hand in his as he straightened. ‘Goodbye, Princess,’ he said, kissing her hand, ‘and good luck.’

Leia laughed and stretched to put her arms round his neck, pulling him in for a tight hug. ‘Bye, Lando. Good shooting.’

She moved towards Mara, taking both her hands in her own. ‘Goodbye, Mara. Take care.’

Mara glanced down at the small hands in her own, before looking up again into Leia’s dark brown eyes. ‘And you, Leia. I’m glad they didn’t talk you out of going on the Falcon.’

Leia smiled and tightened her grip. ‘That was never an option, and you know it.’

The two women looked at each other for a long moment, unspoken words and thoughts passing between them. There weren’t too many people in this galaxy Mara felt she could call ‘friend’, but Leia had definitely entered the circle, even if only for a short time. Then she was gone, off to talk to Admiral Ossilege and Kalenda. Mara turned back to Lando, but he had wandered over to Han and Chewie. She watched as Lando and Han started what seemed to be a back-slapping competition, as they both tried to hide their nervousness under a veneer of bravado.

Mara looked around for Luke. She spotted him talking to Gaeriel and was just about to join them, when something stopped her. They were holding onto each others’ forearms, their heads bent close together; Gaeriel was talking animatedly and Luke was smiling at her. Mara tried to look away; this was way too private. But she kept feeling drawn back to the little scene, although she couldn’t fathom why. Leia caught her eye and winked, nodding towards Luke and Gaeriel. Mara looked back towards the couple just in time to see Gaeriel kiss Luke’s cheek. He smiled again and nodded at something she said. ‘Oh, no,’ muttered Mara. ‘He’s in love again. Force spare me that.’

‘First sign of insanity, you know.’

Mara whipped round to find Han Solo grinning at her. ‘What?’

‘Talking to yourself,’ he replied. ‘First sign of insanity.’

‘You’d know all about that, Solo.’

‘Me?’ He tried his best hurt/injured look. ‘I don’t talk to myself.’

‘No, but I’ve heard about some of the insane missions you’ve flown. And you managed to annoy Jabba so much that he didn’t want your bounty, only your corpse. And then there was that time...’

‘Okay, enough!’ Han held his hands up in defeat. ‘But I’m not insane. Some of those missions were even thought out in advance.’

‘I rest my case.’

He took her hand and shook it, clapping her on the shoulder with his other hand. ‘Good luck, Mara. I’m glad you’re on our team.’

‘Don’t get used to it, Solo. I’m out of here when it’s done.’ Her smile softened a little. ‘Good luck.’

His hand tightened around hers one last time. He nodded, then left to board his ship. She watched him put his arm around his wife and lead her up the ramp; Chewie was already onboard, warming up the engines. Mara turned around in time to see Gaeriel and Kalenda following Admiral Ossilege towards the turbolift. Lando waved to her as he boarded the ‘Lady Luck’ and Mara waved back, before making her way back to the ‘Jade’s Fire’. She was at the back of the hanger, so she’d be last to leave. She passed Luke’s X-wing and found herself looking up to see if he was already in the cockpit; she hadn’t seen him leave the party beside the ‘Falcon’. The cockpit was empty, and Mara felt a little disappointed. She’d wanted to see Luke before they set off, just to say good luck, but she wasn’t about to go hunting for him. She almost jumped as a slightly tousled sandy-blonde head popped out from behind the back of the fighter, rapidly followed by the rest of Luke Skywalker.

‘Hi, Mara.’ He ran a slightly grubby hand through his hair. ‘I was just checking a few things.’ Artoo let out a mournful whistle from his astromech socket.

Mara crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. ‘It is going to fly, isn’t it.’

‘Of course,’ said Luke, indignantly. ‘Especially with me as the pilot.’

Mara shook her head. ‘There goes that ego again, Skywalker. It’s going to get you killed one of these days.’

He walked towards her, then took her right hand in his. ‘But not today.’

She gripped his hand and smiled grimly. ‘You hope.’

He looked down at their hands, still joined, before gazing back into her eyes. ‘Stay alive, Mara. I wouldn’t want my life to get boring.’

She grinned. ‘I don’t think you’ll ever have to worry about that. And I hope I don’t have to save your butt too often out there.’

‘Must be my turn to save yours, by now.’

‘Probably.’

They stood in silence for a moment, right hands still firmly grasped. Luke wanted to pull her into a hug like he did for all his friends. He wanted to pat her back, kiss her cheek, tell her goodbye and good luck. But he couldn’t. Not with Mara. She seemed to stand so aloof, so alone; he didn’t want to jeopardize their fragile friendship by making her feel uncomfortable.

And Mara was uncomfortable. She didn’t like the tiny voice inside her telling her just to throw her arms round Luke and give him a hug, telling him to take care, not to take any unnecessary risks. But she was Mara Jade and she didn’t show her feelings like that; showing feelings meant showing vulnerability, an alien concept to her. Besides, she’d seen how Luke had acted with Gaeriel; she didn’t want to break up that little party.

Luke shook her hand one last time. ‘Goodbye, Mara.’

She smiled tightly and dropped his hand. ‘Good luck.’

‘Don’t you ever say goodbye?’

‘Not if I can help it.’
 
 
 

Chapter 5 - ‘Showdown at Centerpoint’ from the Corellian trilogy by Roger Macbride Allen (just after the Epilogue).

 
She had just stowed everything away on the ‘Jade’s Fire’ and was about to start the warm-up sequence, when she heard his voice.

‘Anyone home?’

‘In here,’ she called, switching on the NavComp and pulling out a datapad. She heard him come on board and make his way to the cockpit. Then silence.

She turned to see him standing in the doorway, arms folded, a frown on his face. ‘What are you doing?’ he asked.

Mara turned back to her datapad. ‘What does it look like I’m doing, Skywalker. I’m getting ready to leave.’

‘Were you going to say goodbye, or just run out on us?’

‘I would have come to say goodbye, of course.’

‘Liar.’

The smart retort in Mara’s brain died when it reached her lips. She narrowed her eyes. ‘You’re looking for a fight. What’s wrong?’

Luke blew out a sigh and flopped into the co-pilot’s seat, scowling out the front viewscreen. ‘I don’t know.’ He pulled a hand roughly through his hair. ‘We won the battle. I should feel happy but I feel like hell.’

Mara’s lips formed a thin line, as she reached over and laid a hand on his arm. ‘Gaeriel?’

He gazed off into the distance. ‘Probably.’ He turned back to face Mara. ‘I feel guilty. I dragged her into all this.’

Mara sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. ‘That’s odd. She struck me as an intelligent woman.’

Luke’s eyes narrowed dangerously. ‘She was. What are you getting at?’

‘My point is, Skywalker, that she knew what she was getting into. She knew the risks, she knew what was at stake, and still she chose to go on this mission, just the same as us. Don’t belittle her memory...’

Luke cut her off abruptly. ‘I know all that! It doesn’t make me feel any better.’

She watched him for a moment as he continued scowling out the viewport. ‘You know what, Skywalker. I think you do need a fight.’

‘What?’ He turned to face her once more. ‘I don’t need to fight. I’ve done enough fighting today, thank you.’

Mara unclipped her lightsaber from her belt and started tossing it and catching it in one hand. ‘Space battles are one thing. I think you need to work off some physical energy.’ The smile that crossed her face was that of a predator. ‘Are you up for a little one-on-one?’

He regarded her coolly. ‘Now who’s spoiling for a fight?’

She rolled the unlit lightsaber round the back of her hand and caught it again. ‘I haven’t sparred for ages. And Karrde’s not expecting me for a couple of hours yet.’ She leaned forward as she played her trump card. ‘You could always call it a training session.’

A slow smile spread across his face. ‘If I win, will you come to Yavin to train properly?’

‘No.’ She shook her head as she turned off the computer. ‘If I win, will you stop nagging me about it?’

‘Nope.’ He stood up. ‘So that’s settled then. Outside, student.’

She bowed deferentially, still smiling. ‘After you, Master.’

They dropped their jackets on the ramp on the way out, then moved further away from the ship. As she followed Luke, Mara found herself admiring the outline of his arm muscles as he clenched and unclenched his fists. She shook her head and gave herself a mental slap. What was she thinking of?

He finally stopped in a small clearing, with only a few large boulders nearby. He turned to face her and took up the ready stance, all humour gone from his eyes. ‘Let’s see how much you have learned without me.’

She stopped short a couple of meters from him and held her own unlit lightsaber at ready. ‘I’ve learned enough. Maybe I’ll surprise you.’

In an instant, both lightsabers crackled to life and clashed noisily. Mara quickly brought hers round in a tight arc, a move Luke easily parried.

‘Come on, Mara. You know the drill. Feel the Force.’

She growled at him as she tried a couple more slashes, but he could feel her concentration improve.

Again and again she tried to find an opening in his defences, and Luke found that he had to increase his concentration to avoid either of them being hurt. He feinted right then slashed left, momentarily pleased to see her block him, then forced to jump back as her block turned into an attack.

‘You’re getting good, Mara,’ he said.

She lunged towards him once more. ‘Getting good? I am good.’ Several more slashes, quickly blocked by Luke. ‘Maybe it’s you that’s getting a bit rusty, Master.’

Luke’s eyes narrowed as he pulled the Force into himself, then pushed it outwards through his body, guiding his movements as he went on the attack. Mara found herself struggling to parry the barrage of blows that rained down on her, faster and faster. Finally, with a flick of his wrist Luke disarmed her, before pointing his saber at her throat. ‘Round one to me, I think.’ He lifted his lightsaber to salute position before shutting it off.

‘Feeling better yet, Skywalker?’ Mara growled, as she bent down to retrieve her own lightsaber.

‘A little.’

As she straightened up and turned towards him, her breath caught in her throat. He had stripped off his t-shirt and was using it to dry off his sweat-soaked face and chest. She swallowed and tried to control her breathing and heart-rate as she watched the movement of his muscles as he used the shirt to dry his back, totally oblivious to the reaction he was causing. Mara closed her eyes in an effort to regain her composure. She’d obviously been without a man for way too long if she was starting to fantasize about Skywalker.

‘Are you okay, Mara?’

Her eyes snapped open and she found him standing closer, his eyes full of concern. ‘Fine. I’m fine. Just a bit hot.’ She started to pull her own t-shirt out of the waistband of her combat trousers, when she noticed Luke’s eyes widen very slightly, before he turned his back to her, fiddling with his shirt then tossing it to one side. She smiled as she pulled her shirt off and started drying herself, making sure the crop-top she wore underneath was securely in place. Nice to know she could affect him as badly as he affected her. Could be a useful strategy.

She tossed her shirt over beside his, then activated her lightsaber and struck. He whirled around, instantly lighting his own saber and bringing it up to parry her blow, before shoving her away. He glanced at her chest then back up again, so quickly Mara almost believed it never happened. Almost.

A tiny smile tugged at the corner of Luke’s mouth. ‘You had me worried there.’

She raised an eyebrow as they both began circling each other. ‘Worried about what?’ she teased. A controlled thrust towards him with her saber made him dodge before they continued circling. ‘Worried I’d have nothing on underneath?’

His lightsaber sliced towards her twice, blows she parried easily. ‘I’m sure you wouldn’t do that to me, Mara.’

You seem to be quite happy doing it to me, thought Mara, gritting her teeth and dragging her eyes away from the trickle of sweat running down his chest. She breathed deeply, feeling the Force coursing through her body, before launching a vicious attack. Again and again she struck, trying to be sure that if he failed to parry a blow she would be able to avoid hurting him. But she never even got close.

He Force-jumped on top of one of the huge boulders nearby and she aimed a slash at his legs. He jumped again, somersaulting over her head and landing behind her. She swung round but he was there, blocking her strike but not pushing her away. He was so close, their lightsabers locked at the hilt, the blades hissing and crackling as the energy fought to dissipate. Breathing heavily, they looked into each others eyes, their faces lit by the glow of the sabers. They stayed like that for a long moment.

‘Mara, I...,’ Luke began, before she shoved him away and began circling again, wiping the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand.

It was a reflex action, pushing him away like that. Mara knew this. But still a small part of her wanted to know what he was going to say. She swiped at her face again. She needed to get out more, needed some male company. This thing with Skywalker was getting too uncomfortable.

She went on the offensive again, raining blows on him as fast as she could, forcing him to defend himself. Frantically she searched for an opening, but couldn’t see one.

Suddenly they heard a yell coming from a nearby stand of trees. ‘Luke!’ Leia came running towards them, her lightsaber lit.

The minute distraction was all Mara needed. She kicked Luke hard in the gut and slashed down on his saber, sending him to the ground and his lightsaber flying. She stood over him, grinning evilly, the tip of her saber centimeters from his chest. ‘One all, I believe.’ She turned her head towards Leia, noticing for the first time that Han was with her, his blaster drawn and aimed directly at Mara. ‘Thanks for the distraction, Leia.’

Han’s blaster slowly lowered. ‘You’re sparring?’

Mara shut down her lightsaber and extended a hand to Luke to help him up. ‘Yup. And he was winning until you arrived.’ She narrowed her eyes at Leia. ‘Tell me you didn’t think I was trying to kill him.’

Leia smiled, embarrassed. ‘I just got a sense of danger over our bond. I didn’t really want to wait to find out what it was.’

‘Thanks a bunch, Sis,’ said Luke sarcastically, using the Force to call his lightsaber to his hand, before clipping it to his belt. He felt Mara’s frown before he saw it. ‘What?’

‘I wish you wouldn’t do that,’ said Mara.

Luke called his shirt to him and started drying off again. ‘Wouldn’t do what?’

Mara pointedly walked over to where her shirt lay and bent down to pick it up. ‘Do you have to use the Force at every opportunity?’

Luke shrugged. ‘Never really thought about it.’

‘Then maybe you should start thinking about it.’

‘Come on, kids. No more fighting, please,’ said Han, walking towards them. ‘Why don’t you two get cleaned up and come for a meal on the Falcon before we all leave.’

Mara pulled the band from the bottom of her hair and started loosening her braid. ‘Thanks, but I’ve got to get back. Karrde’s expecting me.’

‘Oh, come on,’ said Leia, slipping her hand into her husband’s. ‘The children would love to see you again.’

Mara’s gaze flicked between Leia and Han, then over to Luke, pulling his t-shirt back over his head. Maybe a bit of R and R was just what she needed.

‘A meal would be great. Just let me shower and get changed,’ said Mara.

‘Terrific,’ replied Leia. ‘And the two of you can explain to me why you felt the urge to have a lightsaber fight in the middle of nowhere.’ She turned and started walking back in the direction she’d come, dragging Han with her. Mara could hear Han gently teasing his wife about her mistake.

Mara walked back to her ship, bending down to grab the jackets off the ramp. She threw Luke’s jacket over to him and tossed her own into the ship. ‘Feeling better now, Skywalker?’

He slung his jacket over his shoulder. ‘Yeah, some.’ He threw her a salute as he started walking backwards. ‘Thanks, Mara. That was fun.’

She shook her head at him. ‘You need to get out more.’

He grinned, his eyes sparkling, as he continued to walk backwards. ‘See you on the Falcon.’

Chapter 6 - ‘Specter of the Past’ by Timothy Zahn (end of chapter nine -  Luke in his X-wing and Mara aboard the ‘Starry Ice’ have just watched the weird starfighter disappear)
 

Mara got confirmation of the data download from the X-wing’s sensors. ‘Thanks. You need anything else, Luke?’

‘No, I ... dammit.’

Even at that distance, Mara could sense the irritation in his mind. ‘What’s wrong?’

Luke sighed. ‘Shrapnel. Hyperdrive’s down. It’s okay - Artoo says he can fix it.’

‘And how long will that take?’

‘Less than an hour,’ replied Luke. ‘I’ll be fine. You just carry on.’

‘Luke, if any of those pirates decide to come back for a look-see, they’ll be down on you like a flock of mynocks. And I have no desire to face your sister if she finds out I deserted you...’

‘Fine,’ snapped Luke. ‘So what do you suggest?’

‘Dock back with us. We’ll do a mini-jump, get you and your ship repaired, then you can be on your way.’

‘And how much is that going to cost me?’

‘Oh, for the love of the Sith, it’s on the house. Just get back on board and stop being an idiot.’ Mara whipped off her headset, abruptly ending the conversation. She slid down the access tube and marched back to the cockpit irritably.

Faughn glanced up as Mara entered. ‘Skywalker’s docking now. Where to?’

‘Anywhere friendly and close by. And make a start on a report for Karrde. I’ll go sort out the stubborn Jedi.’

Faughn nodded as she checked her sensors and started scrolling through the NavComputer. A faint ‘clunk’ jarred the ship. ‘He’s on board. Jump in about ten minutes, when I’ve done the calculations.’

‘Thanks.’ Mara spun on her heel and headed back to B-port. She arrived just in time to see the X-wing canopy hiss open and Luke jump out, giving instructions and reassurance to his astromech over a comlink. Mara crossed her arms and leaned on a bulkhead as Luke yanked off his helmet with his right hand and threw it in the cockpit.

‘Just fix it as best you can, Artoo. We’re perfectly safe here.’ Luke flinched slightly when he realised Mara was watching him, then smiled sheepishly. ‘He’s a bit ... ummm ... jumpy.’

Mara raised an eyebrow but made no move towards him. ‘He’s not the only one. Don’t you trust me, Skywalker?’ She glanced at her wrist-chrono, not waiting for his answer. ‘Five minutes until we jump. You’d better warn the droid. Wouldn’t want him getting anxious, would we.’

Luke frowned at her as he spoke into the comlink once more. ‘Five minutes to hyperspace, Artoo.’ He was still frowning as he tucked away the comlink in a pocket and strode towards her. ‘Shouldn’t we get strapped in?’

Mara used her shoulders to shove herself away from the bulkhead. She nodded towards the exit. ‘Medbay’s first on the left.’

‘Medbay, huh?’

Mara gave him a gentle push to encourage him through the door. ‘Yes. Medbay. You got a problem with that?’

‘Not at all. Whatever’s closest.’ Luke allowed himself to be steered into the compact cabin that served the Starry Ice as a medical bay. White and clean, the transparent cupboards were full to bursting point with a huge variety of medicinal supplies. A narrow bed was folded and strapped to one wall, while the opposite wall had two built-in seats with lap belts dangling off their sides. Passing a mirror, Luke caught sight of himself and groaned as he remembered his disguise. He carefully pulled off the artificial beard and scars, dropping them down a nearby garbage chute. ‘Don’t suppose you’ve got any Maliceum antidote?’

‘You took Maliceum to darken your skin? You’re lucky it didn’t wear off while you were still down there.’ Mara typed on a datapad fixed to the wall, then opened a cupboard and took out a bottle of pills. She tipped one into his outstretched hand, peering at him intently. ‘It’s made your eyes a funny color. I never noticed before.’

‘Has it?’ Luke popped the pill into his mouth and crossed back to the mirror, blinking a few times at his reflection. ‘They do look kind of muddy, don’t they. I didn’t know Maliceum changed eye-color.’

Mara replaced the bottle and checked the cupboard doors were secure. ‘You want to try D’naro next time. It’s more reliable.’

Faughn’s voice came over the intercom. ‘Thirty seconds to hyperspace, people. Grab a seat and strap in.’

‘Where are we going?’ asked Luke as he sat on one chair and yanked the belt over his thighs, fastening it at the other side.

Mara took the chair next to his and clipped on her own restraint. ‘Not sure. I told Faughn to make a short jump to somewhere friendly.’ She smiled brightly as she turned to face him. ‘Then you can fix your ship and run off to do your save-the-galaxy bit.’

Luke just stared straight ahead. ‘Stop trying to rile me, Mara. It won’t work.’ He heard the sound of the engine change pitch as the ship entered hyperspace. ‘Besides, I’m not sure where I’m going to go next. It’s not like our pirates have left a trail.’

‘For someone who doesn’t know where he’s going, you sure were in a hurry to get off this ship.’

Abruptly, he turned to face her, the swirling brown patterns in his eyes enhancing the irritation that was already there. ‘I was more help to you in my X-wing than I would have been on board.’

Mara slammed up her mental barriers as her eyes met his; even if he claimed to be using the Force less, she wasn’t ready to trust him not to read her mind. ‘We would have managed fine, and you know it. Three turbolaser batteries and Faughn at the controls can handle one little booby-trapped asteroid field.’

‘We wouldn’t have got any readings on that weird fighter if I hadn’t flown out.’

‘You know that for a fact, do you?’ replied Mara.

Luke bit back a retort, turning away from her once more. ‘I didn’t think you wanted me hanging around, anyway. You don’t seem to want much to do with me these days.’

Something in Mara’s mind clicked into place. ‘Is all this antagonism because I haven't been back to Yavin recently?’

Luke’s head snapped back to face her. ‘Antagonism?! You started it with your “save-the-galaxy” crack. Or was it the one about “wave your hand and make all the traps disappear”? Sure made me feel antagonistic.’

‘Are you trying to claim you have never used your Force powers to do anything like that,’ said Mara, her earlier feelings of guilt at the remarks suddenly over-ridden by anger.

‘What I have or haven’t done in the past is not your concern.’

‘I disagree,’ she replied. ‘You say you want to teach me, to make me a Jedi Knight. I think your past concerns every one of your students, me included.’

Luke frowned at her. ‘You are not one of my students, Mara.’

‘Maybe I don’t study at your academy. Maybe I don’t particularly wish to become a Knight. But I use the Force, and so I’m affected by your actions, even indirectly.’

‘My other students don’t question my actions all the time.’

‘And you’re happy with that?’

For a time he said nothing, his eyes continuing to burrow into hers. ‘I’m not able to give you the one-on-one training I did on Myrkr, Mara. I wish I could.’

‘Do you?’

‘Of course,’ replied Luke. ‘I wish I could give all my students that much attention. But it’s just not practical.’

Before she could reply, Mara heard the whine of the sublight engines kick in. She slipped off her restraint and stood up, flicking on her comlink. ‘Faughn?’

‘Sensors say it’s all clear, Mara. Certainly nothing else insystem.’

‘Good,’ replied Mara. ‘Put her into orbit and make a start on the report for Karrde.’

‘Will do.’

Mara clicked off the comlink and turned back to Luke. ‘And now we can make a start on getting you cleaned up.’

‘It’s nothing, Mara,’ said Luke, standing up. ‘At least, nothing I can’t handle.’

Mara took a step closer to him. ‘But why handle it if you don’t have to?’ She started circling round to his left side. ‘Besides, you haven’t been using your left arm properly since you came on board. That’s not a very sensible way to fly.’ She reached out and tentatively tugged at what remained of the left sleeve of his tunic; he hissed as the material caught on his injuries.

Mara frowned at him. ‘You’ve been using pain suppression, haven’t you. You didn’t tell me it was this bad.’ She crossed over to the bed and started unstrapping it and pulling up to the horizontal position. ‘Shirt off, please.’

‘Fine,’ growled Luke, as he started unfastening his tunic. ‘I’ll let you stick a few bacta patches on me if it will make you feel better.’

She turned back to help him out of the ripped shirt. ‘I think the idea is that it makes you feel better.’ She swore as he slowly peeled off the tattered material and his injuries were finally revealed. ‘Luke, you’re a mess. This is going to take more than a few bacta patches.’

‘I thought as much.’ He grimaced as he looked at the shrapnel wounds down his arm and side. ‘I guess it’s another dunk in the pink goo for me.’

Mara indicated the narrow bed. ‘Lie down. I can take the worst of the bits out now. Should make you more comfortable, at least.’

‘Are you qualified?’ asked Luke as he hopped up on the bed.

Mara started pulling instruments out of drawers. ‘I’m not a doctor, but I’ve been trained in field surgery.’ She held up an infuser. ‘You want anaesthetic?’

‘Not a good idea if I want to fly in half an hour,’ he replied, lying down. ‘I’ll use a pain suppression technique.’

Mara shrugged. ‘Whatever you want. Just don’t move.’

‘Okay.’

She looked up from her examination of his injuries to see his face completely relaxed, totally serene. His breathing had slowed, and Mara smiled to herself; very few people must have seen the Jedi Master so vulnerable. Her smile froze when she realised she didn’t feel smug, only ... privileged. She cleared her throat. ‘You ready, Luke?’

‘Mmmm.’ He could hear the hum of the extractor, but didn’t feel it make contact with his skin. A second later, he had the disconcerting feeling of a piece of shrapnel working its way out of his body, exactly the same route it had used going in. Not painful, but still not an experience he wanted to repeat on a regular basis. He sank further into his light trance.

‘Got the first one.’ Mara’s voice sounded as if it came from a distance, although he could hear the words clearly.

‘Mmmm.’

Mara smiled again as she continued removing the smaller pieces of shrapnel. ‘You’re not very talkative in this state. I could get used to this.’

No reply, but Mara thought she could detect a twitch of his lips. She shrugged and concentrated on her work, removing as many of the metal pieces as she could. She glanced up occasionally, but Luke’s face remained relaxed and pain-free. ‘Your skin is almost back to normal and your hair is nearly there.’

‘Mmmm.’

Mara sighed. Finally she had the great Luke Skywalker as a captive audience and she couldn’t pluck up the courage to tell him of the thoughts she’d been having lately. Thoughts about the Force and his place in it. Thoughts of the dark side and the mistakes he’d made in the past. ‘I’m going to leave a few of the more awkward ones in; I’d rather they were treated by a doctor or med-droid.’

‘Mmmm.’

She looked back up to his face, a face that was becoming more familiar as his hair returned to its normal blonde colour. ‘I have to move your arm now, so I can get access to your side.’ Luke gave no response, so Mara gently moved his limp arm across his chest and started removing shrapnel from his side. ‘This isn’t so bad. It shouldn’t take long.’

‘Mmmm.’

Why couldn’t she just tell him? He wouldn’t be able to yell at her, at least, not straight away. And since when was she bothered about Luke yelling at her, anyway? Heck, they argued almost every time they met. Her eyes flicked momentarily back to his face, then returned to her work. She didn’t want to tell him now precisely because he couldn’t answer back. That was it. She needed an immediate reaction, good or bad, to decide if she really could try to explain what she had been feeling. If he took the moral high-ground, if he did the ‘I’m the Jedi Master, you never even finished your training’ bit, well then, she knew he wasn’t ready to hear everything.

The tiny subconscious voice that periodically reared its ugly head whenever she was physically close to Luke chose this moment to add its two-credits-worth. You don’t want to tell him now because it would spoil the moment. You’re enjoying being near him. And if you tell him about his failures, he might just leave and never want to see you again.

Mara frowned. Shut up. Gods, first the Emperor, now her own voice telling her things she didn’t want to hear. The psychologists would have a field day.

She straightened up and switched off the extractor, moving Luke’s arm back to his side. ‘That’s all I’m willing to remove, Luke.’ She watched him take a slow, deep breath, then his eyes flicked open. They were an intense blue. Mara didn’t remember them being this blue; must be an after-effect of the drug. Her eyes met his for a long moment. ‘How does that feel?’

Luke lifted his left arm and tentatively rubbed the skin. ‘Much better, thanks. He grinned. ‘Much nicer than waking up in an NR medical facility with only a two-one-bee for company. I’m glad you talked me into it.’

Mara quickly turned away from him and busied herself fishing bacta patches out of a cupboard, metaphorically bopping her subconscious on the head. ‘Don’t get used to it. I’m fed up dragging your ass out of trouble.’

He sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. ‘Don’t you ever get into trouble, Mara?’

She started tearing open packets of bacta patches. ‘Of course I do. I just plan better. Like an escape route.’ She began applying the patches to his arm, trying to avoid wounds with shrapnel still embedded. ‘You want something for those bruises?’

‘Not necessary. I won’t even feel them until tomorrow.’

Mara nodded and continued in silence.

Luke watched her as she tended his injuries. Her hair was, as usual, pulled back in a thick braid, although he noticed a few strands had escaped and curled towards her eyes as she concentrated on placing the patches just so. She was a good friend. Most people seemed to be hell-bent on turning him into some kind of God, an instrument of the Force, to be loved or loathed according to circumstance. Mara, on the other hand, was determined to make him more ‘normal’, foregoing his power as a Jedi. And he was beginning to agree with her. Her green eyes met his and he smiled. They would have to talk about it some day. Shame he was in such a hurry. ‘Thanks.’

She nodded again, like she wanted to say something but was holding back. ‘Next time, remember to duck.’

‘Wouldn’t have helped in this case.’

‘Are you really going to keep following those pirates, Luke? It doesn’t seem like a wise move.’

‘I have to.’ He frowned. ‘I have a really bad feeling about all of this clone business.’

‘A vision?’

‘No, at least, not yet,’ he replied. ‘I just feel that all hell is about to break loose in the New Republic, and the Cavrilhu pirates have something to do with it.’

She gave a resigned smile. ‘Off to save the galaxy again, Skywalker?’

He tilted his head to one side, his eyes never leaving hers as he fought to keep the smile from his lips. ‘You could always join me, Mara. You’d be a great help...’

She held up her hands defensively. ‘No thanks. I’ve already got a job, and the pay’s a damn sight better than anything you’re offering.’

‘It’s not about pay, Mara.’ He thought he had sensed something in her automatic reaction to his request, and his eyes narrowed. ‘It’s about fulfillment, and duty. And you know it.’

‘Get out of my head, Skywalker,’ growled Mara, slapping on the last bacta patch with more force than was strictly necessary. ‘You have no right to talk to me about duty. I had my fill of duty fifteen years ago.’

‘That was different.’

‘Not from where I’m standing.’ She noticed her hands had clenched at her sides and she forced herself to relax. ‘Why are we fighting again?’

Luke sighed. ‘Because you’re Mara Jade, the mercenary. And I guess I’m Luke Skywalker, the Jedi Master.’

‘As long as you’re not implying you’re better than me.’

He smiled. ‘I wouldn’t dare.’

‘Good.’ Mara glanced at the chrono. ‘We’d better get you back to your ship, I guess. See if that droid of yours has got it fixed.’

He hopped off the bed, flexing his injured arm. ‘You’ve done a great job, Mara. Hopefully I won’t be so long in the bacta this time.’ He reached out with his right hand and caught her left hand. ‘Thanks. I appreciate your help.’

Mara forced herself not to tense every muscle in her body. REALLY forced herself. Every time Luke had touched her hand before, it had been to shake hands, right to right. Easy. Not like this. This felt ... different. It didn’t help that he was half-naked either. ‘That’s okay.’ She didn’t think her voice sounded shaky, but the voice in her head was laughing itself silly. ‘I’m sure you’d do the same for me.’

‘You know I would.’ He caught her defensive reaction and dropped her hand quickly, scared he’d alienated her once more. He knew she wasn’t a ‘tactile’ person, but this was getting ridiculous. He’d never even hugged her; Luke couldn’t think of one other close friend he’d never hugged at one time or another. And yet, why had it become such a big deal to him? She was his friend, nothing more. Wasn’t she?

Mara smiled tightly at him, barely able to meet his gaze, nervously glancing at her wrist-chrono again. ‘We’d better go.’ She opened a drawer and pulled out a plain white shirt, throwing it to him. ‘I hope this is okay. It’s all we’ve got.’ She walked quickly to the door, not waiting or looking back to check he was following her. Once in the corridor, she pulled out her comlink. ‘Faughn? How are we doing?’

‘We know where we’re going, as soon as Skywalker has launched.’

Mara nodded to herself, automatically slipping back into the role of mission commander. ‘We know where we’re going’ was code for knowing where the next rendezvous was. ‘Have you got the NavComp programmed?’

‘Affirmative. And the report for Karrde is ready for your approval.’

‘Thanks.’ Mara flicked off the comlink as she reached the door to the docking bay and slapped a hand on the controls. The door whizzed open and she strode into the bay, before finally turning round to see if Luke was following her. He was, at what appeared to be a ‘safe distance’.

‘You want to see if your R2 unit has finished?’

Luke nodded and pulled out his own comlink, almost reluctantly it seemed to Mara. ‘Artoo? How’s the X-wing?’

The flurry of beeps and whistles that came from the comlink were way beyond Mara’s comprehension. Apparently, they were beyond Luke’s too, as he crossed to the cockpit of the X-wing and hung over the side, reading the translation. ‘That’s fine. We can fix that later. Are we hyperspace-capable?’

Beep.

Luke started pulling out an orange flightsuit and life-support unit from beside the acceleration chair. ‘Weapons?’

Beep.

‘We’ll manage without torpedoes,’ replied Luke, pulling on the flightsuit. ‘Have you got a course calculated?’

Whistle.

He switched off the comlink and turned back to where Mara stood, adjusting the life-support straps. ‘All fixed and ready to go.’

She nodded. ‘Take care.’

He covered the distance between them in two short strides, taking both her hands in his own, ignoring the possibility that she might try to deck him. ‘You too. And come visit.’

‘Maybe.’

She had tensed up again, he could feel it. He dropped her hands. ‘Bye, Mara. See you around.’

‘Bye, Skywalker. Try to keep out of trouble.’

He grinned before turning to climb into the X-wing. ‘I’ll try. Not promising anything, though.’ Jumping into the seat, he pulled on his restraints and helmet, before waving to Mara and closing the canopy.

She merely nodded and turned away, striding towards the exit, trying to remember what she was supposed to be doing next. She paused once the door had closed behind her, watching a nearby pressure gauge as if mesmerised.

And then he was gone.

Dedication - to Sheyla, the originator of my favourite description of VotF - “Luke/Mara instant romance - just add crisis”
 
 

Chapter 7 - (between chapter 10 [cave full of things with long tongues] and chapter 15 [cortosis ore archway] of ‘Vision of the Future’ there is a gap of four days. FOUR DAYS! Well, maybe it went something like this...)
 

They’d made the decision first thing to continue running on Coruscant time, since days and nights in the caves would be indistinguishable anyway. As they plodded through the semi-darkness, Mara noticed Luke glancing occasionally at his chrono; no doubt he could think of a million places he’d rather be.

It felt odd to Mara to be spending so much time with Luke. Most of their meetings in recent years had lasted a few hours at most; now they were faced with the prospect of spending days with only each other for company. She wondered if Luke felt as uncomfortable with that as she did. Looking across at him, she was annoyed to see him checking his chrono again.

“Are you in a hurry, Skywalker?”

He grinned at her, embarrassed. “No more than usual. Actually, I’m hungry.”

“We’ve been walking for hours...”

“Only three,” he corrected.

“Three counts as ‘hours’. I need a break.”

“We could eat while we walk,” suggested Luke.

“I didn’t say I needed to eat,” replied Mara. “I said I wanted a break.”

Luke didn’t reply. The light from his glowrod swung around the dark, rocky passageway they were in and stopped on a small group of boulders a few meters further along. “How’s that?”

“Perfect,” said Mara, picking up the pace a little at the sight of somewhere to rest. Choosing one of the smaller rocks, she heaved her pack off her back with an audible sigh and stretched the muscles in her back before she sat down.

Luke smiled as he dropped his own pack beside the rock opposite, kneeling down to examine the contents. “And now we can eat.” He looked at the ration bars he pulled out of his pack with distaste. “You’d think in this day and age that they’d come up with something a bit more tasty.”

Mara pulled out her water-bottle. “It’s the perfect food. Protein, vitamins, carbohydrates - what more could you want?”

Luke grimaced at her. “Flavor?”

Mara laughed. “What flavor? You’re from Tatooine; I always figured you wouldn’t know decent food if it fell on you.”

“Dewback’s tasty. And we grew vegetables.”

“You could actually get stuff to grow on that dustball?”

He ignored her snide comment as he leaned back against the wall, his memories speeding back to his childhood. “Yeah, we grew varokeets, senats, lots of stuff. Harvest was hard - we had to get everything picked in about three weeks. But it tasted wonderful.” He looked at the ration bar in his hand disdainfully. “A million times better than this.”

Mara took a long swig from her water-bottle. “I was brought up to be able to tell the difference between more than forty different types of wine. I’ve eaten h’nrucko, knid, and draani...”

“Those are extinct!”

“Precisely. But I also had survival training where I lived on stuff like this. Just don’t think about it.” She winked at him. “Actually, the knid tasted damn good.”

“What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?” asked Luke, taking a bite of his ration bar.

“Roast Ewok.”

He suddenly stopped chewing and stared at her, his eyes wide. “You’re kidding.”

Mara couldn’t keep her face straight any longer, and grinned widely. “Of course I’m kidding. Gods, Skywalker, you are so gullible.”

He shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. “Maybe it’s just that your reputation precedes you. There are plenty of people in the galaxy that wouldn’t put it past you to start eating sentients.”

“And it’s a reputation I’m happy to keep if it means I get more respect out of my crew than you get from your students.”

He sighed. “That’s very close to the dark side, Mara.”

She took another pull of water. “I don’t think it is. The dark side would be cooking one of the furry little beasts, eating it, enjoying it, then bragging about it afterwards. If other people have misinterpreted my personality, that’s their problem, not mine.”

“You could correct them.”

“As I said, it’s their problem. It’s not up to me to go around telling everyone what they should think. That’s the beauty of free will.” She pulled a ration bar from her own pack and tore open the packaging, staring at it for a moment, as if trying to decide if it was worth eating or not. “So what’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten, Skywalker?”

When he didn’t immediately reply, she looked up; he was staring at a spot on the wall opposite, obviously reminiscing again. “Yoda’s stew.”

“Yoda? The little green guy that lived on Dagobah?” Mara nodded. “You told me about him, but you never mentioned he could cook.”

Luke smiled as his eyes met hers. “I’m not sure ‘cook’ is the word I would use. He gave me the stuff the first time I met him, before I even knew who he was. Tasted revolting, and after a couple of days of it, I thought it might be some sort of test, to prove my loyalty, endurance, willingness ... I dunno.”

Mara grinned. “But you found out otherwise?”

He grinned sheepishly. “Yeah. He actually liked the stuff. Even taught me how to make it.”

“And?”

Luke rolled his eyes. “Let’s see. Take one swamp snake and beat it to death with a gimer stick. Throw it in a pot with a heap of vegetable matter; anything, as long as it’s edible. Boil it until every last vitamin gives in. That’s it.”

“And you’re complaining about ration bars when you had to live on that!” exclaimed Mara, incredulously.

“Hey, at least it tasted of something.” He waved his half-eaten ration bar at her. “More than can be said for this.”

Mara watched him in silence for a moment as she munched on her bar. “Dagobah. That’s where you first trained, right?”

Luke nodded, swallowing. “I got the basics from Ben, but Yoda was the only one left who could teach me, once Ben was gone.”

“So, with the benefit of hindsight, how complete was the training you got there?”

Luke frowned at her, but could detect no sarcasm, only genuine curiosity. “Complete enough to do the job I had to do.” He saw the twitch in her lips and somehow knew she was fighting the urge to comment that his job seemed to be saving the galaxy. The fact that she managed to refrain from sarcasm implied a definite improvement in her self-control. He shrugged. “Not complete enough, in that I still had a lot to learn. Still have a lot to learn,” he corrected himself.

“Did he train you in lightsaber techniques?”

“Yes. Next question.”

She grinned at him. “Is everything you have ever said about him true?”

“Yes.”

Mara leaned forward, her eyes twinkling. “Even the bit about not recognising him when you first met?”

Luke couldn’t stop his own smile. “Guilty as charged. I don’t know exactly what I expected a Jedi Master to look like, but he definitely wasn’t it.”

“And you couldn’t sense him at all?” asked Mara incredulously.

“Not in the slightest,” replied Luke. “But, then, he’d had twenty years of experience shielding himself from the Emperor, and I couldn’t even sense Leia was my twin when she was standing right next to me.”

“I wish I could have met him.”

“So do I. I would love to see what Yoda would have made of you.”

Mara stifled a laugh, and sipped at her water, watching Luke slip back into reverie.

He sighed, his eyes cast downwards. “I went back to Dagobah after we rescued Han from Jabba’s, so I could finish my training. Instead, I found Master Yoda on his deathbed. He just faded away in front of my eyes.”

Mara’s quiet voice broke through his thoughts. “You loved him, didn’t you.”

His piercing gaze met hers. “Of course,” he replied simply. “He was the only other Jedi in the galaxy, and he obviously cared about me. That must have been so difficult for him, knowing that my father had killed so many of his friends, had caused so much suffering. Yet he took me in, treated me like a son, and trained me to do the things he knew I would have to do.”

“I’m sure he did care about you, Luke.” She struggled to keep a smile from her face. “You’re an easy person to care about.”

The slight smile on her lips chased away the sad thoughts in his head. “What do you mean?”

Mara shrugged. “I didn’t know you then, but you’ve always struck me as kind and thoughtful and generous. You care about everyone else so much that it makes people care about you. The only beings that don’t care about you are the ones who see you and what you stand for as a threat.”

“Thanks, Mara.” He rested his chin on his hand. “Lots of people care about you too, you know.”

“Hardly lots,” snorted Mara. “Karrde. Faughn and few other crew-members.” She smiled. “Corran, on the odd occasion we actually see each other.”

“I care.”

She tilted her head on one side, regarding him with a smile. “Yes, I know. And thanks. I’ve never been exactly inundated with friends, but you’ve always been there for me.” She paused for a long moment, watching him as he re-packed his pack. “Luke, why did you come after me? I would have thought Karrde would have insisted on sending some of his own people to find me.”

“Please don’t ask me to explain just yet,” replied Luke, his head bowed over his pack as he refused to meet her eyes. “Let’s just figure out what’s going on in this fortress, then we can decide what to do.”

“Getting the hell out of here sounds like a good idea to me, Skywalker.”

His reply had almost made it from his brain to his mouth when he was distracted by a familiar high-pitched tootling, accompanied by the gentle sound of Qom Jha wings. He smiled at Mara as he hoisted his pack onto his back. “Artoo’s caught up, so I guess it’s time to move again.”

Mara blew out a sigh as she settled her own pack onto her shoulders. “Fine. Let’s go. The quicker we’re out of these blasted tunnels, the better.”

“Have you had enough of a break?” asked Luke, the corners of his mouth tilting up slightly.

“Yes.” Mara fought her own smile as she took a step closer to him. “Have you had enough to eat, Jedi?”

He nodded, his grin showing in the light of the glowrod. “For now.”

Mara shook her head as they started walking along the rocky tunnel side by side. “I don’t know where you put it all, Skywalker. Every time I see you, you’re eating like a starved bantha, yet you don’t get fat.”

“Nice of you to notice, Mara.”

“How could anyone not notice the amount you eat? If you’re not eating, you’re talking about it.”

“Are you saying I’m obsessed with food?”

“I didn’t say that, Skywalker. Although now you mention it...”

“I exercise a lot, okay! And using the Force probably uses up a lot of energy. You should see the food bill for the Academy.”

Artoo watched the infra-red forms of the two humans as they walked away from him again, their glowrods shining brightly off the tunnel floor and walls. Once they turned a corner, he let out a low moan of concern at being left behind again, although he found it reassuring that he could still hear them bantering. His master had explained to him about the need for haste and had promised not to go too far ahead, but that didn’t mean the little droid had to like the idea. He also suspected that if Mara Jade hadn’t been there to keep Luke company, the Jedi Master would have spent more time with his faithful droid. Jealousy, of course, was not in the astromech’s programming. Whistling gently to himself, Artoo moved a little faster, wondering whether he should mention the unusual sparking in his logic circuits every time he thought about Master Trader Jade.

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

The following ‘day’ found Mara heartily sick of trudging through the dark, winding passageways. She’d lived in the dark for fifteen days; she had hoped to at least see some daylight at the end of it. But no, here she was, still in darkness, following Skywalker on some damn fool mission. Again. She was hot and dusty, and mildly embarrassed that she wasn’t as fit as she used to be. She glanced ahead at Luke, walking and chatting with the Qom Jha as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He didn’t even look tired; obviously he’d been doing more than just meditating on that jungle moon of his.

Suddenly he stopped and turned to face her, the Qom Jha settling on the ceiling around him. “How’s your water bottle?”

“Fine, thank you. How’s yours?”

He almost smiled at her lame attempt at humor. “Apparently, we can take a slight detour here and we’ll cross the stream again. If we need water.”

Mara nodded enthusiastically. “We need water. Let’s detour.”

The three Qom Jha abruptly dropped from their perches; one returned the way they had come, presumably to guide Artoo and Child of Winds, one flew on ahead and took a sharp left turn, and the third, Splitter of Stones, continued to fly slowly beside Luke.

They heard the sound of running water long before they could see it, echoing through the caves. Turning a corner, Mara grinned in delight when her glowrod caught the sparkling stream in its light. “I never thought I’d be so happy to see a cold river.” She dropped her pack near a wall and fished out her water bottle, draining it thirstily before she refilled it.

“I didn’t realise you were so thirsty,” commented Luke, dropping his pack next to hers.

“Never mind how thirsty I am,” replied Mara, as she continued to rummage in her pack. “I need a wash.” Triumphantly she pulled out her bottle of cleanser.

“A wash?” Luke paused with his water bottle mid-way to his lips.

“Yes, Skywalker. A wash. I feel dirty and dusty, and I’ll make better time once I feel clean again.” She indicated the corner they had just turned. “You can either wait round there, or turn off the glowrods. Either way, I’m going to bathe.”

“No, it’s an excellent idea, Mara. I could do with a good wash myself.” He squatted next to the stream to fill his water bottle, then pulled a couple of ration bars from his pack, before retreating back around the corner. “Let me know when you’re done.”

Mara watched him go, then looked at the glowrod in her hand, trying to decide if she wanted to turn it off or not. Really, she should leave it on; there was no way Luke would peek at her while she was bathing. Great exalted Jedi Master, and all that. And she certainly couldn’t afford to trip over some rock in the dark and injure herself. In the end, she turned it down to its lowest level and set it carefully on the ground, before stripping off her jumpsuit and stepping gingerly into the cold water.

Luke sat with his back against the cold rock wall, studiously ignoring the splashing noises coming from a few meters away. As he chewed a mouthful of ration bar, he noticed the two Qom Jha regarding him solemnly from their ceiling perches. “Why don’t you two go help guide Artoo. Mara and I aren’t going anywhere for a while.”

They chirped an affirmative, then flew steadily back down the passageway, leaving Luke with nothing to look at but the opposite wall. And nothing to listen to but Mara’s complaints about the temperature of the water.

“Ow!” yelled Mara when she scraped her leg against a rock, her voice echoing round the cavern.

Luke couldn’t help his reaction. He whirled round onto his hands and knees, Force-enhancing his night-vision as he tried to see if Mara was hurt. When he saw her standing naked in the shallow water, her back to him as she rubbed her scraped knee, his breath caught in his throat. The gentle light from the glowrod reflected off her pale, damp skin, sparkling off the tiny droplets of water that ran down her back and legs. He realised what he was doing was wrong at about the same time as he realised his jaw was hanging open. He dragged his eyes from the beautiful vision before him and sat back down in the spot he had previously occupied. Taking a couple of deep breaths, he forced calm and control into his voice. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, just banged my leg. Stupid rock.”

Luke barely heard her reply over the pounding of his heart. He swallowed once, twice, then closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. They immediately snapped open again, as he realised Mara’s nude body had been etched onto his retinas. He pulled his knees up to his chest and hugged himself - what was going on? It was Mara, for goodness’ sake - friend, confidante, sometime-student. Not someone he should be drooling over like a love-sick Falleen.

Luke turned his glowrod up a little and sat staring at the opposite wall, examining every lump and crevice, anything to take his mind off the sound of running water; and the person standing in the running water. Callista had had this effect on him; wet or dry, her body... He frowned, suddenly realising that he could no longer picture Callista’s body. When had that happened? Sure, it had been six years since he’d seen her, since he’d held her in his arms; six years since he’d waved goodbye to the love of his life. But she’d been such a big part of his life, even for a relatively short time; surely he shouldn’t forget what she looked like so soon.

He rubbed his eyes with his knuckles; he couldn’t feel the same way about Mara as he had about Callista. He wouldn’t even entertain the thought. They had a fragile friendship at best, but it was a friendship Luke valued highly enough that he didn’t want to put it at risk. To admit to his voyeurism would be suicide, so he hid that particular memory deep inside his brain. Way deep. So deep he would have difficulty finding it himself. But it was there.

“Are you okay, Skywalker?”

Luke jumped at the sound of her voice, his back scraping against the cave wall. “Yeah, sure.” He looked up at her as she loomed over him, pulling her fingers raggedly through her damp hair. “Mind on another planet, I think.” He tried to concentrate on the fact that she was now dressed. He failed.

“Looks like it.” Mara felt slightly irritated, at herself as well as him. If she hadn’t gotten herself into this mess, they would both be on different planets. “Your turn. If you stand at the far end, there’s enough of a breeze to dry yourself.”

Luke nodded, afraid to say anything in case he gave himself away, then scurried off towards the stream.

Mara looked down to see an unopened ration bar, and frowned to herself. Something had put Luke Skywalker off his food - this was worrying. Perhaps the galaxy truly was in danger. She settled herself against the spot on the wall Luke had just vacated and reached for the ration bar, tearing it open with her teeth. He had something on his mind, something that was making him anxious, something she should probably know about. She leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes, pulling the Force towards herself. Reaching out tentatively, she tried to touch Luke’s mind, convincing herself that finding out what was worrying him concerned her and their mission. All she could sense was his shock at the low water temperature, followed by his immediate suppression of discomfort. Nothing else.

Glaring at the ration bar as if it had been the cause of her lack of ability to read his mind, Mara took a long drink from her water bottle. She didn’t like secrets, especially when they concerned her, and Skywalker was definitely holding something back. Skywalker. Why couldn’t she figure him out? One minute he was the self-proclaimed Jedi Master, harrying her to give up the life she knew in order to become a Jedi Knight. The next minute, he was her best friend, just farmboy Luke sharing a meal or chatting about the past. Then ... well, then she didn’t see him for months on end.

Once or twice, someone had suggested that there was more to their relationship than just a platonic friendship; Mara had always laughed at the suggestion. But these days she wasn’t one hundred percent convinced of her own certainty. Was she attracted to him? No. It couldn’t happen. She wouldn’t let it, wouldn’t let herself be controlled by another person.

Mara took a deep breath and set down her water and half-eaten ration bar. There was one sure-fire way to prove that she wasn’t attracted to him. As quietly as she could, she stood up and peeped round the corner.

Squinting slightly in the dim light, she could just about make out Luke’s form as he stood in the stream, the water sloshing around his calves. His back was towards her, and Mara felt all the breath leave her body as she watched the muscles in his arms and shoulders moving rhythmically as he washed his hair. Suds ran down his neck and back towards his...

Mara quickly moved back round the corner and flattened herself against the wall, her chest heaving as she tried to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. Oh, boy - Skywalker had been keeping in shape! Her eyes scanned the rocky ceiling as she fought to bring her breathing under some semblance of control. Okay, so physically she found him attractive; that didn’t mean a thing, it just implied she had been without a man for too long. Didn’t it? She slid down the wall and reached for her water bottle, annoyed at the betrayal of her body over her mind. She’d always been a passionate person but, like every other aspect of her life, she had managed to keep it strictly under control. The few affairs she had allowed herself to have had been anonymous, wild, and brief, but she had always, always been in control.

She pulled up her knees and balanced her arms on them. She wouldn’t even contemplate an affair with Skywalker, not for a minute. Apart from anything else, she was sure he’d run like a scared vrennit if she ever came on to him. She closed her eyes and dropped her head onto her arms. Why did life have to be so complicated?

It was several minutes before she sensed Luke returning; her head snapped up and she systematically filed away all the confusing thoughts she’d been having about him. There would be time to sort out her feelings for him later, if she even had any feelings. Right now she had the prospect of spending days in his company, and if he got the slightest inkling of what was going on in her mind, it would make the rest of the mission very uncomfortable indeed.

“That’s better,” said Luke as he came back round the corner, running his fingers back through his hair. Yes, the freezing cold water had helped calm him down and he now felt able to face Mara again. “I’m glad you suggested stopping to clean up.”

“Uh-huh.” Mara didn’t sound convinced, even to her own ears. She watched as Luke carefully picked a spot as far away from her as he could and sat down. For once, she was glad of the distance between them. “Any sign of your droid yet?”

Luke shone his glowrod back up the tunnel for a moment. “Not yet. I’m sure he’ll catch up soon.”

Mara nodded, carefully examining what was left of her ration bar before popping it in her mouth. “Do we have any idea how much longer we’re going to be in these tunnels?”

“A day or two, according to the Qom Jha. Although I don’t know how accurate that is.”

They lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, deep in thought, avoiding each others’ gaze. Both were extremely relieved when the sound of beating wings heralded the arrival of Artoo and their guides.

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

The third day of their ‘mission’ proved to be even slower going than the previous two. The relatively smooth tunnel floor had become an obstacle course, strewn with boulders of every size, with the odd pit or chasm thrown in for good measure. Luke had taken to following behind Artoo, helping the little astromech whenever he needed it.

“Taking the droid along better be worth it,” commented Mara for the umpteenth time.

Luke just shrugged as he helped Artoo over a pile of rubble onto the smooth floor beyond. “I don’t think we’d make much better time without him, to be honest.”

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Mara watched as Artoo trundled off towards the next obstacle.

“I just have the feeling that we’ll need him.”

“I know. Jedi hunch. You said before.” Mara sighed. “Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Luke’s reply was cut off as an electronic scream assaulted their ears. Quick as a flash, he closed his eyes and stretched out his arm, instantly pinpointing Artoo’s position as he fell down a deep chasm and grabbing him with the Force. The scream slowly died away as Luke started raising him back to the surface, and Mara raced over to the edge.

“Did you manage to catch him?” she asked anxiously, peering down into the dark fissure.

“I think so,” he replied, his voice sounding strained. “Can you see him yet?”

Mara shone her glowrod down the hole, finally spotting a reflection of the astromech’s shiny dome. “Got him. He’s a helluva long way down, though.” She watched as the reflection moved closer, then frowned as it suddenly stopped. Mara turned enquiringly to Luke.

“Sithspit! He’s stuck!” A trickle of sweat wound its way down Luke’s cheek and the sinews and muscles on his arm stood out as he struggled to keep a hold on Artoo.

“Good old Force,” muttered Mara as she sped back to Luke’s pack and yanked out the length of synthrope. She quickly tied one end firmly around her waist and the other round a good-sized boulder a couple of meters away.

Luke opened one eye. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like, Skywalker,” said Mara, walking towards the edge. “I’m going to climb down and free the droid. When I yell, you lift him up.”

“Don’t fall, Mara.”

“I’ll try to remember that,” said Mara with a wink. She lowered herself over the edge and started to climb down, hoping the rope was long enough.

Luckily, the craggy surface supplied plenty of hand and foot holds, and it wasn’t too long before she reached Artoo. “It’s one of his foot-cables. It got caught on an outcrop,” she shouted. Mara quickly freed the cable from the offending piece of rock. “That’s it, Luke. Take him up.” The droid immediately shot upwards and Mara renewed her grip on the rock face, starting the slow climb up.

“You need any help?”

Mara looked up to see Luke grinning at her over the edge of the chasm. “No levitation, thanks, but you could pull up the excess rope.” Even as she spoke, the rock under her right foot crumbled and she was suddenly falling back the way she had so laboriously climbed. Her breath left her with a whoosh as the rope snapped taught, bruising her waist.

Luke’s arm-muscles felt the strain once more as he held on to the rope, his feet planted firmly on the floor. “You okay, Mara?” The string of curses that floated up out of the hole reassured him that she had survived relatively uninjured, and he started pulling on the rope.

“Hold it, Skywalker!”

Luke stopped immediately, wrapping the rope round his forearm a second time to ensure it didn’t slip. He felt some movement on the rope, then it went slightly slack. “Mara!”

“I’m fine. Just let me climb up. It’s more comfortable than you yanking me there.”

Luke smiled, wondering if the irritation in her voice was aimed at him or at herself. He slowly pulled up the rope, trying not to pull it too taught. A grin split his face when he saw the top of her head appear at the edge of the hole and he rushed forwards to help her up.

Mara reached up and grabbed his extended arm, relieved that she was finally at the top; Luke’s firm grip almost wrenched her arm out of its socket as he pulled her clear.

“Thanks.” The word was hardly out of her mouth when she stumbled on a small rock, her legs still shaky from the climb.

Luke caught her as she pitched forwards, automatically seizing her waist as she grabbed his arms. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Her head slowly tilted upwards and her eyes met his as she slowed her breathing. “I’m fine, Luke. Just a bit dizzy.”

His blue eyes twinkled as the concerned look on his face slowly changed into a smile. She must be dizzy; she hardly ever called him by his first name. “Thanks for saving Artoo.”

Mara noticed that his hands continued to steady her, and for the first time in her life, she didn’t feel the urge to shove him away. “You’re both welcome. I guess I must be developing a soft spot for him.”

Artoo gave a happy whistle.

“Artoo says thank you, too,” said Luke, his eyes never leaving hers.

His blue eyes were mesmerising, almost hypnotic, she thought. “Are you going to admit he’s slowing us down, yet?”

Luke shrugged slightly, unwilling to dislodge her hands. “It could have been worse. It could have been one of us that fell down that hole.”

“I think we would have seen it coming,” replied Mara with a smirk.

“You can’t say for sure,” said Luke, his grip on her waist tightening almost imperceptibly. “It could have been you.”

“You would have caught me.”

He nodded, swallowing hard at the thought of Mara in danger. “I’d like to think I would have.”

Mara glanced down when she could no longer meet his gaze; the emotion she felt was too powerful. Her hands travelled down his arms until she took his hands in her own, removing them from her body. “We’d better get going. We’ve lost enough time as it is.” She looked back up at him, but his eyes didn’t meet hers; they were locked on their joined hands. “Luke.” She tugged on his hands and he finally looked up. “Let’s go.”

He dropped her hands and blinked a couple of times. “Yeah. We should move.”

Mara untied the rope from her waist and coiled it neatly before handing it to Luke to stow in his pack. “Come on, Skywalker. I’ve got a feeling we’ll be out of these damn caves soon.”

Luke hefted his pack onto his back and smiled gently. “A vision, Mara?”

She settled her own pack on, before raising an eyebrow at him. “No. I believe the visions are your department, Jedi.” Walking slowly and carefully, she started picking her way around the chasm that had almost claimed Artoo.

“So where do you get your ‘feeling’ from?” asked Luke as he followed her, Artoo bumping at his heels in an effort to stay as close as possible to his master.

Her eyes met his for a moment, then glanced away. “Optimism.”

Dedication - to Aria - I’d never have written this without her constant reminders to ‘get writing!’ and her wonderful plot ideas whenever I got stuck. Wishing you peace, happiness, and dreams that are plagued by a cute, blonde Jedi in black...
 
 
 

Chapter 8 - (Mara has just been shot by the Chiss)
 

“’Night, Luke. Don’t forget to wake me if the bad guys crash the party.”

Mara’s eyes drifted closed as she sank slowly into the Force-induced trance. As the pain subsided, she found herself once more able to sense Luke’s obviously unshielded feelings and she cringed inside at the anxiety and fear emanating from him. Skywalker over-protectiveness to the fore, as usual. And yet ... there was something more. Underpinning his distress at her condition was a feeling of deep and profound affection.

Her muscles forcibly relaxed, her breathing and heartbeat slowed, but even as she slipped deeper and deeper into the trance, her mind was screaming out its new-found knowledge. He cared about her! Not just in the way that he cared about the fate of the New Republic or about his students on Yavin, but cared about her as an individual, as a person. As a woman. Cared more than she’d ever imagined. The revelation hit her like a stampeding bantha.

Luke! She fought to cry out, to acknowledge his feelings. Luke! He obviously couldn’t hear her silent cry. Luke! Talk to me! Blackness enveloped her and she sank into the warm comfort of unconsciousness.
 

5 days later...

He sat with his back to the wall, arms pulled tightly around his knees, and watched her with worried eyes, just as he’d been doing on and off for the past five days. His frustrated sigh echoed slightly as he finally admitted to himself that the trance wasn’t going to work in time. Her injured shoulder had healed to an angry red welt, but it would still cause her a great deal of pain if he brought her out of the trance now. And more pain was the last thing he wished for her. He should really leave her in the healing trance for another two or three days, but something kept telling him there was no more time; he had to rouse her soon.

When she had been shot, the shock had almost paralyzed him. His body had switched to autopilot, the only way he’d been able to get her away from danger. The shock had continued for several hours, until the adrenaline finally drained from his system and reality had hit. Then he had started to shake uncontrollably and it took all of his willpower to stop himself from crying. He had almost lost her. The laser bolt that had pierced her shoulder could just as easily have hit her stomach, her chest or her head. He wouldn’t ... couldn’t allow himself to love her, but he didn’t want to lose her. It was bad enough seeing her dead in a vision that may or may not come to pass, but to have her die in his arms... It just didn’t bear thinking about.

But there was still one thing left to try. Mara had an incredibly strong Force-presence and they already shared a bond; perhaps he could tap into her power and use it to supplement his own in a last-ditch attempt at speed-healing. He wouldn’t feel particularly comfortable doing it - morally, it was akin to reading her mind - but she was in no state to give her consent, and it seemed to be unavoidable if he was to stand any chance of healing her.

He kept trying to convince himself of this as he stood and crossed to her, carefully stepping around the cooker the Qom Jha had brought. As he sank to the floor beside her, he noticed the avian they had provided had only just started to cook. “Well, we’ve got to get you out of this soon, Mara. Dinner’s on. Roast ... umm ... thing.” He smiled at his own feeble joke, suddenly desperate for her company again.

He held his breath as he carefully brushed her hair from her temples. “I hope this works, my friend.” Stretching out beside her, he once again laid his arm across her chest and placed a hand gently on her injured shoulder, just as he had every day for the past five days. “And I hope you will be able to forgive me if you ever find out I’ve done this.” He closed his eyes and slipped into her mind, tentatively at first, then more confidently as he detected her Force presence and realized their bond would make it easy to draw her strength to himself.

As he descended into a deep meditative state, he tried to ignore the images around him. They were Mara’s memories, her hopes, her fears, her past, her present. And even though she often accused him of ‘reading her mind’, he would never consciously do such a thing. But in her present condition, her mind was laid completely open to him, and he could not help but recognize familiar images as they flashed across his own mind. People, places, events; many were totally strange to him, but some he could identify. Karrde raising a glass to her; Mirax and Corran Horn; Leia on Corellia; Lando... Even though he knew it was only a memory, Luke could feel his hackles rising. Lando smiling at her, his eyes twinkling as they shared some private joke. Luke counted Lando as a good friend: although often reticent because of personal responsibilities, Lando would always come through if the New Republic needed him. But for years Luke had heard the rumors of an affair between the ex-General and Mara, and now it was starting to annoy him. REALLY annoy him. Lando had recently married, and Luke had never asked him if the rumors were true. Yet here he was in Mara’s memories; maybe it was about time he got the truth out of Mara... Suddenly he noticed another common figure in Mara’s mind: himself. Over and over again, he recognized his own image; in his Jedi robes at the Academy on Yavin, sparring with her on Drall, in the med bay of the ‘Starry Ice’... And along with the multitude of images came feelings; Mara’s feelings. A kaleidoscope of respect, happiness, fear, contentment, frustration, and...

“No!” Abruptly he pulled out of his trance and out of her mind, his eyes flicking open, his hand leaving her shoulder as if scalded. “No, Mara. No! You can’t care about me. Not like that.” He wiped a hand over his face, suddenly realizing he was covered in sweat; a glance at his chrono showed more than two hours had passed since he’d started meditating.

Slowly, he backed away from her, then drew his knees up and hugged them. “Please don’t do this, Mara.” His voice was thick with emotion, and even though he knew she couldn’t hear him, he carried on talking. “I’d be no good for you; I’m no good for anyone. People who get close to me always get hurt sooner or later, and I care about you too much to...” He choked back a sob as he squeezed his eyes shut and dropped his head to his knees, rocking gently as he tried to come to terms with what he had discovered. Did she love him? As a friend, certainly. As something more... he didn’t think even Mara knew the answer to that question. But if she did...

He looked up, still rocking. He hadn’t had a proper relationship in years, and had recently resigned himself to a life alone. He thought he had accepted this as his destiny but now, with the chance of happiness before him, was it possible... For a fleeting moment he imagined holding her in his arms, listening as she declared her love for him; marriage, children... No. He couldn’t love her, wouldn’t allow himself to love her. It was too dangerous, for them both.

Taking a couple of deep breaths, he forced his brain back to a state of calm and composed his features. He had to pretend that it had never happened, that he had never found out about her feelings for him. For if Mara discovered what he had done, she could easily give in to her anger and finish him off for good. And he knew that if he acknowledged her feelings as having some truth to them, he’d also have to admit to his own emotions, something he was not willing to do. At least, not yet.

Edging back towards her, he leaned over to inspect her wound. Clear, unblemished skin showed through the damaged suit and a slow smile crept across Luke’s face. “I’ll be Kesseled! It actually worked!” His gaze drifted slowly back to her face, looking so innocent and beautiful as she slept. Now that he thought about it, he was pretty sure Mara’s feelings were subconscious; mostly subconscious, anyway. “We’re such good friends, Mara. How about we just leave it at that? I’ll worry about you and you can tell me when I’m being an idiot; is that a deal? And then after this is all over...” He swallowed the lump that formed in his throat as the vision of her dead rose unbidden to his mind once more. No. He refused to believe she would die. “Well, after it’s over, maybe we could see each other more often, spend some time together...”

He was interrupted by the cooker as it gave a gentle beep, indicating the food was cooked. “Time to wake up, I guess.” Impulsively, he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “And this time, try not to get shot.”

He touched his fingertips to her temples and closed his eyes, drawing on the Force to rouse her from her trance.
 
 
 

Chapter 9 - (after fighting their way out of the Chiss fortress, Luke is in a healing trance and Mara has settled herself on a cliff edge to watch the impending carnage she has already set in motion...)
 

As her eyes scanned the starry night sky, Mara shivered and wished she’d brought some kind of blanket, or maybe a jacket. She drew her knees up and hugged them for warmth, yet still she shivered.

She couldn’t believe she was actually doing this. Sacrificing her ship. Sacrificing her freedom. And all for a government that continued to regard her with scorn and contempt. She shifted her body, unconsciously trying to burrow her back into the cliff behind her. She hadn’t felt this cold in a long time.

No, she decided, she wasn’t doing it for the New Republic government. And she wasn’t doing it for Luke Skywalker, either. Her gaze drifted down to the overhang that hid their stolen ship. Closing her eyes, she tentatively stretched out with the Force ... he was still unconscious. Good. He’d only try to stop her.

“Why didn’t you tell me you cared, Luke?” She opened her eyes when she realized she’d actually spoken out loud. Hugging herself tightly, she began to rock, the pain in her gut building with every passing minute. Maybe if she thought about Skywalker, she’d be able to dampen the agony threatening to overwhelm her soul. At least for a while...

For ten years, she’d struggled with her feelings for the Jedi Master, never quite sure if the conflict she felt was normal or not. She disliked Yavin 4 and its Academy full of pretentious students, yet still she had felt drawn to the place, to him. When she had seen him with Callista, she had felt strangely ambiguous; unaccountably miserable, yet happy because he was happy. In recent years especially, whenever they met her heart pounded in her ears, breathing had suddenly become more difficult, and a smile from him was enough to banish any dark mood. Even his touch had made her skin tingle...

Her eyes were drawn to a meteor as it burned its way across the upper atmosphere. She smiled grimly; couldn’t be long now. In some ways, she wished that the time it would take for the ‘Fire’ to crash would last forever; she wanted to hang on to her freedom, to the life she’d built for herself, for as long as possible. But most of the time, she just wanted it over with. It was inevitable.

It was also inevitable that she’d have to talk to Luke about their feelings for one another; the tension was starting to drive her crazy. When she had first come out of the healing trance Luke had put her in, she’d felt so disorientated that she’d had trouble remembering where she was and what she was doing. Then her empty stomach had commandeered her brain and she’d eaten like a half-starved vornskr pup. They had talked about the Chiss, discussed her service to Palpatine, and he’d nagged her again about becoming a Jedi. But it wasn’t until they’d argued about her supposed affair with Lando Calrissian that she’d suddenly remembered about her dip into his emotions as she slipped into the trance five days earlier. But by then it was too late. He hadn’t mentioned his feelings for her at all since she’d regained consciousness; if anything, he’d steered the conversation away from thoughts and emotions onto safer, more logical ground. Until he’d totally given himself away by asking about Lando. Mara smiled as she remembered the jealousy shining in his eyes.

Another meteor pulled her thoughts back to the present. Moving the ‘Fire’ had undoubtedly dislodged some of the asteroids that had been camouflaging its hiding place. Belatedly, Mara wondered if the Chiss would notice the extra astronomical activity and therefore her ship. Doubtful. They’d be too busy repairing the damage she and Luke had already caused, and readying their one remaining ship for the flight to Bastion. To Bastion and to the Empire. Or, at least, to what the Empire had become. She clenched her fists so hard that her nails dug into her palms. She wouldn’t allow that to happen. And if that meant sacrificing her ship, her freedom, even her life, then so be it.

Her life? Would it actually cost her her life? The thought sent a shiver down her spine and into the pit of her stomach. If she was totally honest, Mara couldn’t see how they would ever get off the planet alive, especially after what she had already set in motion. The Chiss would blast them out of the sky without more than a glance, and the chances of an NR rescue mission were virtually nil. And yet, Mara didn’t mourn her own probable death. Perhaps it was something she had accepted when she’d first landed on the planet. Or maybe it was the hints Luke had dropped about a vision he had experienced, a vision which he had been unwilling to share with her. She wasn’t stupid; the first time he’d mentioned it, she’d seen the look of pain in his eyes and guessed what he’d seen. No, Mara didn’t fear her own death. But she didn’t know how she would face the death of Luke Skywalker.

The stars blurred as her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Luke, I am so sorry,” she whispered, blinking madly until her vision cleared. “I don’t want you to die.” The only thing that overwhelmed the pain she felt at losing her ship, her freedom, and her life, was the agony she felt when she thought of losing him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered one last time, before resolutely pulling the Force to herself and concealing her Force-presence. The waiting was almost over...

//Mara//

His voice in her head cut through the layers of camouflage and barriers she had set up as if they weren’t there. For a fraction of a second she considered hiding her presence from him for as long as she could, but she dismissed the idea just as quickly. There was just no point anymore. //Up here//

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

She managed to hold back the tears right up to the point where Luke realized exactly what she’d done. But then his own anguish rekindled her distress, and she wept like she’d never done before. When his arm slipped around her back, she overrode her automatic reaction to pull away and melted into his chest, sobbing out her pain and misery as he pulled her to him and murmured quiet platitudes into her hair. She couldn’t hear his words, but could feel him trying to absorb her pain, to ease her suffering. Her arms slid tightly around his waist and she cried herself out to the tempo of his heartbeat.

The tears had almost dried completely when she felt his body stiffen as he sucked in a sharp breath. Lifting her head, she loosened her grip and watched as the ‘Jade’s Fire’, already damaged beyond repair, drifted into view. A quiet determination gripped her heart as the ship bore down on the fortress, and she leaned forward, resolved to watch until the bitter end. The deadly green lasers from the towers continued to rip into the shields and into the ship itself, and Mara was surprised when the sadness she felt slowly ebbed away, to be replaced only by immense pride that the ‘Fire’ had lasted as long as it had. And then, in a huge, incandescent fireball that she knew she would see in her dreams for the rest of her life, her ship rammed its target and completed its mission.
 

It was gone. It was over. Just as her life as the Emperor’s Hand had disappeared in the flicker of an eye, so the life she had spent fifteen years building for herself also vanished. The ‘Jade’s Fire’ had been her home, her livelihood, her only true possession. But it had also symbolized her freedom, and now that freedom no longer existed. Mara Jade had taken that last, irrevocable step and become part of ... what? The New Republic? The Jedi? She glanced up at the one person in the whole galaxy who could understand what she had just gone through.

His blue eyes radiated concern as he watched her, his brow crinkling with anxiety. “Are you okay, Mara?”

She nodded silently, her gaze never leaving his. Her whole life had just gone in the flash of an explosion; maybe it was time to let go of some other perceptions she’d held for far too long. Perceptions of herself, and of the man comforting her in his arms. Closing the distance between them, she pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek, a last tear escaping from the corner of her eye. “Thank you, Luke. Thank you for coming for me, for being here...”

He crushed her to him, murmuring against the top of her head. “Mara. Oh, Mara.”

Her arms held on to him securely; he was her rock in the storm of her emotions, the man she could finally admit she loved. When he firmly tilted her face up to his she offered no resistance, and when his lips descended to hers she closed her eyes and lost herself in his kiss.

When she finally pulled away, she looked up to see his eyes burrowing into hers. Reading her mind? No; only her face, her expression.

He swallowed hard, his lips moving silently before forming words. “Mara, I think I...”

“Shhh.” She pressed a shaky finger to his lips, cutting him off. “Don’t say it. Not right now.” She tore her gaze away from him and stared at the smoldering fortress. “It’s not finished yet. We have to go back inside.”
 
 
 

Chapter 10 - (just before the Qom Qae fly Luke, Mara & Artoo back to the Fortress)
 

They worked silently, efficiently, winding the last of their synthrope round and under the little blue and white astromech so that he would be able to make the flight. Artoo gurgled worriedly and Mara hid a smile as Luke absentmindedly rubbed a comforting hand over the top of the droid’s dome.

“It’s okay, Artoo,” he muttered gently, “you’ll be fine.”

Artoo whistled and beeped at length, and Mara glanced up at the datapad they’d rigged to translate. “What does he mean, he doesn’t like flying?” she asked Luke incredulously. “He’s an astromech!”

“I think he means when he’s not at least partially acquainted with the computer controlling the ship.” He peeked round the cylindrical body and a wry smile escaped his lips. “Sometimes I don’t think he trusts sentients.”

Artoo burbled a retort, but Mara didn’t even look at the datapad; her eyes were fixed on Luke’s as her breath shallowed. She’d been avoiding touching him, even talking to him since they’d come down from the cliff ledge, as she concentrated on the mission before her. But now he was so close and she could feel something well up inside as tears stung her eyes and something unfathomable gripped her heart.

The smile fell from Luke’s face as he watched her expression change, and he held her gaze for as long as he could. “Mara, we have to talk.”

She swallowed and looked away, her lips tightening. She had thought it would be her that would end up asking him to discuss their feelings; he’d always seemed so closed off, so ... unwilling. But now reticence gripped her heart and her mind, and suddenly she wanted to avoid this awkward discussion. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea, Luke. We have to go back into the fortress and we don’t know what will happen...”

Standing up, he reached out a hand to her. “I think that’s why we must talk,” he said quietly.

Her eyes locked on his boots, staring but unseeing, for a long moment. Finally she took his hand and allowed herself to be pulled up, before meeting his eyes.

He stood somewhat stiffly, watching her carefully and holding her hand as if he were afraid she might run. “Mara, what’s wrong?”

“You mean, apart from the obvious.” Her death. His death. They were never getting off the planet, that much was pretty certain. Her eyes dropped to their joined hands as she felt his thumb rub across her knuckles.

“Mara, I’m sorry.” He dropped her hand. “I’m sorry if I upset you. I realize now that when I kissed you, I was taking advantage of the situation. It ... it won’t happen again.”

And there it was: her get-out clause. She was distressed, he kissed her, they came to their senses, they stayed ‘just friends’. It was quite simple, really. Except for the fact that her heart was breaking into a million pieces at the mere thought. Logic said ‘stay friends ... it will never work ... there’s no point’. Mara decided Logic could go jump off a cliff. “Maybe I want it to happen again,” she whispered, almost inaudibly.

Luke’s heart was thudding in his chest so loudly that he was sure she must be able to hear it. “You do?” Incredulity, fear, and unadulterated happiness fought for dominance in his brain.

Their eyes met once more. “I’m not sure, Luke. I ... I care about you, but...” Her teeth clenched in frustration. “Why did it have to happen now? When we’re stuck on this Sith-forsaken rock, when our chances of surviving to see tomorrow are slim, when we’ve got to go back inside...”

He pulled her into his arms and hugged her body to his. “We’re Jedi. We’ll survive.”

She stiffened against his embrace for a fraction of a second, then surrendered herself to his warmth. “Jedi doesn’t mean indestructible, Skywalker.”

“I know, Mara, I know. But we have to believe... It can’t just end like this.” He spoke into her hair, crushing her firmly to him. “Mara, I care about you. I didn’t want to, but I do...”

She pushed him away, her palms flat on his chest as she searched his face for the truth. “Didn’t want to care about me? Why not?”

He shrugged, meeting her unflinching gaze. “People I care about get hurt.” His eyes dropped to her hands. “They get killed, or they run away. They end up shot or injured or blasted out of the sky. Besides...” His grip on her waist tightened as his blue eyes drifted back to her face. “... I didn’t know how you’d react. I don’t want to jeopardize our friendship.” There. He’d said it out loud. Their friendship meant more to him than almost any other, yet still he’d kissed her, breaking his vow to himself that he wouldn’t drag her into his life. What had he been thinking...?

And yet, she remained in his arms, carefully watching his face as she assimilated his words. Maybe there was hope...

“Luke, I get shot at on almost a daily basis. I don’t think being on the same planet as you makes a whole lot of difference.” He opened his mouth a little as if to speak, but she pressed a silencing finger to his lips. “And I would hope that whatever may happen between us, our friendship is strong enough to survive.”

He nodded, unable to say anything. Whatever may happen? He knew what he wanted to happen, knew it with all his heart. Her emerald eyes drilled into him, and for a moment he had the notion he could hear her thoughts. But no, their bond wasn’t that strong. He could only read the emotions she was projecting, both through the Force and written as clear as dawn on Tattooine on her face. Whatever may happen? Tentatively, he leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, a kiss which soon deepened as the taut feeling in his gut threatened to overwhelm him. His eyes shut tight and he pulled her close, barely noticing her arms snaking round his neck.

She was floating, soaring ... melting in his arms. Her heart pounded in her chest, but it could have just as easily stopped beating altogether as she succumbed to his kiss. Enchanted, she willed it to go on forever.

It was Luke who finally broke away gently, his forehead resting against hers. “Mara, what are we going to do?”

She inhaled a ragged breath before replying. “I don’t know. Get on with the mission, I suppose.” Finally, she felt her depression, her certainty that they would die, lifting. If anyone could get out of this, she and Luke could. They were a team; Faughn had said as much, a mere lifetime ago.

“You mean so much to me, Mara, I ... I don’t suppose you’d consider staying...”

“...staying out here while you and the droid face whatever’s in there? Not in this lifetime, Skywalker.” Her eyes nervously met his, her breath tickling his lips. “I’m afraid you’re stuck with me now.”

His slow smile lit up his eyes as scanned her face, memorizing her features. “I think I like being stuck with you, Mara.” Slowly, his finger ran round the curve of her jawline. “When we get back to Coruscant, could we perhaps spend some time together?”

“Luke Skywalker, what are you suggesting?” she asked, an eyebrow raised in mock-indignation.

A blush tinged his cheeks and he looked down, embarrassed. “I only meant dinner or a visit to one of the gardens or...” The touch of her hand on his cheek brought his gaze back up to meet hers.

She smiled. “When we get back to Coruscant, we’ll go to one of the most exclusive restaurants on the planet and spend an indecent amount of credits on a shamefully decadent meal. And we’ll talk.”

“I’d like that, Mara.”

There was a moment of silence, of peace, of two friends realizing that camaraderie had somehow deepened into affection. No words were spoken in that short time, yet still emotions were conveyed, powerful feelings that stabbed into their hearts, changing them forever.

The sound of wings rhythmically beating the air made them both look up. “The Qom Qae,” said Luke. “They’re back.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Time to go, I guess.”

“I suppose so,” replied Mara, a frown gathering on her face. “Once more into the rancor pit, so to speak.”

One blue eye opened. “I really wish you wouldn’t use that expression.”

“Sorry.” Mara placed a gentle hand on either side of his face, a worried smile tugging her mouth as his gaze met hers. “Be careful, Skywalker.”

“You, too, Mara.” He pressed a short, firm kiss to her lips. “May the Force be with you.”
 
 
 

Chapter 11 - (a cavern under the ‘Hand of Thrawn’. Italicized lines are Zahn’s...)
 

The flight to the tunnel entrance had been uneventful, and the same could almost be said for the journey underground. A few traps, obviously set for the Qom Jha, had proved a minor diversion but nothing else had impeded their progress.

Nothing, that is, until the moment they decided to grab Artoo and leave the underground cave they’d discovered. Suddenly they found themselves standing back-to-back, fighting for their lives. No time to think, they could only react. Each of them sank deeply into the Force and drew on the power inside themselves to wield their lightsabers as never before, deflecting shot after deadly shot, struggling against the seemingly insurmountable odds of facing two indestructible sentinel droids.

Then their problems switched from dodging blasters to avoiding drowning, as the water rose higher and higher, cutting off their escape route. Yet even as she accepted her own death, Mara inwardly rejoiced in the strength of her bond with Luke when she realized that she could almost hear his thoughts, could instinctively understand his hopes ... and his fears. Mara knew there was some kind of bond between every Jedi, a result of their Force-legacy. But the connection between herself and the Jedi Master was somehow more powerful than any she had ever heard of before. And that bond had been growing almost continuously since they’d met in the Qom Jha caves all those days previously; sometimes the improvement had been almost unnoticeable, on other occasions it had been a blaster bolt from nowhere. When she’d woken from her healing trance. When he’d held her in his arms as her ship made its final, suicidal flight. And now, when they’d fought together for the first time since she had become a Jedi. If only they could have survived to explore the depth of the bond between them...

“Don’t give up yet,” Luke said. But there was no particular hope in his voice that she could detect. “There has to be a way out of this.”

Reaching out her hand, her fingers carefully entwined with his. “Luke?”

His gaze connected with hers and he was surprised to see the calm acceptance in her eyes.

“Luke, you told me of a technique for saving the spirit when the body dies. I know you don’t have time to teach me, but I think you should do it yourself. Leia’s children need you, and so do your students...”

“No!”

Even though she was half-expecting his sharp retort, it still made her flinch. “You must, Luke. The Jedi cannot live on without your guidance, the galaxy is relying on you...”

“No.” His voice was quieter, but still determined. “I won’t leave you. We can still get out of this. There has to be a way, there just has to be...”

“Luke, you said you saw me dead in a vision. If that’s my destiny, then so be it.” A tear trickled slowly down one cheek and Mara struggled to hold her voice steady. “Please try to save yourself, in whatever form you can.”

He cupped her face in his hand and watched mesmerized as another tear followed the first, slipping slowly round his thumb. “I can’t, Mara. I can’t go on without you. If it’s your destiny to die here, then it’s mine too. I will do nothing to defer it, and nothing you can say will change my mind.” He lowered his head to hers and kissed her fiercely, his passion for her obvious over their new-found bond.

She returned the kiss ardently, forcing herself to become momentarily blind to their predicament, deaf to the sloshing water as it rose further up the walls. “Please, Luke...”

He held her face in his hands, close to his own. “Mara, I won’t leave you. I can’t.” He unhooked his lightsaber from his belt, the familiar weight suffusing him with intense, if slightly misplaced confidence. “There is a way out of this, I know there is. We just have to find it.” His left hand gripped Mara’s hand tightly and he relaxed as much as he could, listening to what the Force would tell him.

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

When he’d first suggested blowing the cloning tank’s fusion generator, Mara had felt only shock at the enormity of what he was suggesting. Then rationality kicked in and she realized that it might just work, but only if she was the one to take down the wall. For the first time in days she felt angry as she found herself having to convince him that she was the most logical choice for the task.
 

Luke glared at her. But she was right, and they both knew it. “This is blackmail, you know.”

“This is common sense,” she corrected him.

He saw from her cross-armed stance and her determined expression that she was resolved to execute his plan, and he wouldn’t be able to change her mind. “I’m still not happy about this.”

Letting her arms drop to her sides, Mara took a step closer to him. “Luke, let go.”

“Let go of what?”

“Let go of the idea that you’re the only one to save the day,” she replied quietly, a slight smile tugging her lips. “I’m the right person for the job; you know it, I know it. Hey, even Artoo probably knows it.” Her hand stretched out and rested on his shoulder. “Trust me. Let me do my part.”

For a split second he tensed against her touch, his fear of getting close to her returning in the face of her endangerment. Then he took a step forwards and swept her into his arms, holding her tightly and whispering her name over and over as he buried his face in her neck. “Blast it, Mara, I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t lose me, Skywalker.” She drew back, encouraging him to do the same. As she studied his face, so close to her own, something grabbed her insides and twisted, squeezing the air out of her lungs and gripping her heart so firmly that she believed it might actually stop beating. The dim lighting softened his features, yet she could still see his eyes sparkling with unshed tears. She opened her mouth to speak, but he was faster.

“Mara, I love you.”

The words were whispered, but they hammered into her brain with the power of Force lightening. Love? Was that what she was feeling? She knew loyalty, devotion, and friendship, but she had never before encountered true love. Until now. Until him. Dumbstruck, she battled to get her emotions under control.

She couldn’t reply, couldn’t say anything. She merely nodded, her lips pressed tightly together. Then she ruthlessly pushed her feelings for him to one side and stepped away, her green eyes blazing with fresh determination as she grasped her lightsaber firmly. She would have one shot at this and she would make it work.

“Ready.”

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

...two meters to his right, bobbing gently in the pool as she floated beside the craggy rock, was Mara. Her eyes closed, her arms and legs limp. As if in death.

“Oh, Gods, no! Oh, no! Oh, no!” Wet clothes and the shallow current dragging at his legs couldn’t slow him down as he raced to her and pulled her towards him, cradling her shoulders and head against his chest. Was she dead?

“I love you, Mara.”

Green eyes blinked slowly open as her chest heaved then coughed the excess water from her lungs. “Luke?”

“I’m here.” He squeezed her tightly to himself, hardly daring to believe she had survived; his vision had passed and she was alive. Somehow he helped her to stand, although his own legs threatened to collapse under him and he could barely see through the tears filling his eyes.

Shakily, Mara pushed her wet hair from her face, leaning against him as she concentrated on settling her breathing. Luke’s hand on her cheek brought her eyes up to meet his. “We made it?” she asked incredulously.

He nodded, a huge grin lighting up his face. “We made it.”

“Oh, Luke.” She flung her arms round his neck and hugged him close; fear, exhaustion and anxiety totally subdued by a dazzling euphoria. “I can’t believe we got out of there!” When she finally loosened her grip, her own smile was radiant. Then she was kissing him urgently, confirming in her own way that they had indeed survived.

Eventually, somewhat reluctantly, they parted, foreheads touching as they caught their breath.

“Mara?” Her eyes looked darker as they gazed up from under long lashes. “Mara, I thought I’d lost you.”

“I know. But you didn’t; I’m here.”

Luke continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “I came round and I saw you floating there, and I thought you were dead. That you were never coming back.”

She frowned at the seriousness in his voice. “I’m okay, Luke.”

“Before I even landed on this planet, I knew there was a possibility that you might already be dead. When the fire creepers came, I worried that you wouldn’t get out of the way fast enough.” His voice trembled but still he didn’t stop. “When the Chiss shot you, I didn’t know if you would survive. And as for that cavern back there, well ... I thought we were both dead.” He lifted his forehead from hers, his gaze intense as he reaffirmed to himself that she was really alive. “Mara, I never want to be apart from you again.”

Smiling gently, she cupped his face in her hands. “I told you, Luke. We’ll go back to Coruscant and spend some time together, and maybe I’ll even come to Yavin with you for a while...”

His solemn expression didn’t change. Could he let her know what was truly in his mind and in his heart? Could he live through the possible rejection that might follow? There was one way to find out. “No, Mara. I want more than that.”

“More?” Her brow creased questioningly, even as their bond provided an inkling of what he was about to say.

“I love you, Mara. I thought I had loved before, but that was nothing compared to what I feel for you now.”

And suddenly she knew, knew of his feelings for her as well as her own feelings for him. She had never loved another because no man had ever lived up to the subconscious template she held in her mind. A template that had ingrained itself ten years ago when she met a man who was both powerful and altruistic, confident in his abilities and yet shy of publicity, ethical yet tolerant; a man who had shown her a glimpse of what she might achieve, who had set her on the right path and helped her become the person she was today. This man.

“Luke, I love you, too.” In her mind, the words had always sounded uncomfortable; synthetic words devoid of emotion. But whispering them to him felt like the most natural thing in the galaxy.

“Then marry me.” He held his breath as he watched her face, losing himself in her eyes. “Please?”

Marry him? Commit herself to him for the rest of her life? Old fears of losing her independence surfaced automatically, and she struggled to subdue memories of the power Palpatine had held over her. Marry Luke Skywalker? Surely there was no need; they could meet as often as possible, maybe even live together... The thought of committing herself to another being terrified her, especially when that person was as Force-strong as Luke.

He watched her internal struggle, both on her face and through their bond, and tried to suppress his disappointment. “I’m sorry. It’s too soon; you need time to think about it...”

She loved him. More than she’d ever loved anyone. And over-protectiveness aside, he would never try to control her or force her to do anything against her will; she knew that for certain. Independence was over-rated; deep in her heart she knew she wanted to be with him forever. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat as she felt his love surround her, and finally she accepted the inevitable.

“Yes.”

“Yes, you’ll think about it?” He smiled gently, hope filling his heart.

Mara shook her head. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

The smile on his face became an ecstatic grin as he swept her into his arms and squeezed her until she thought she might burst. “I love you, Mara.”

“Luke?”

He loosened his hold on her until he could see her face. “What?”

“Can we get out of here now?”

He nodded, not even attempting to hide the happiness bubbling up inside himself. “Let’s go.” He took her hand in his and squeezed it gently before stepping away from her in the shallow water. “Come on, Artoo.”

Beeping quietly to himself, the little droid extended his front leg and followed the two humans as they walked hand-in-hand in front of him, leaving behind only a V-shaped wake that drifted away to nothingness.

The glimmer of light that Luke instinctively headed towards gradually brightened to become the delicate glow of dawn that marked the end of the cave labyrinth and the end of the mission that had irrevocably changed their future lives. A future they would face together.

*END*