HARD CHOICES

"No, Luke."

"Why not, Leia?"

"I won't let you."

"Again, why not?"

"You can't marry that… that… that IMPERIAL ASSASSIN!"

"Former imperial assassin," Luke corrected his sister.

"Not former enough. Luke, she tried to kill you!"

"She didn't."

"That's not enough."

"Why, Leia?"

"Why what?"

"Why can't you accept that I finally found someone I can be happy with?"

"But you can't love her. She must have seduced you… used some trickery. She wants to use you. She can't love—"

Luke stood up. He knew he was skirting dangerously close to the dark side, but keeping anger in check took all the control he could muster. "Don't ever say that again," he said coldly. "Ever." He stopped talking. He couldn't express how much he loved Mara in words—even to Mara herself, much less to his sister. This conversation was hurting him, but he had to keep that hidden from Leia. He couldn't let her spot a weakness.

"Deep down, she's still the Emperor's—"

"She is not, and wasn't for a long time."

"Once an Imperial, always an—"

Luke cut her off. "Right. So when are you divorcing Lieutenant Han Solo of the Imperial Navy?"

His sister stood aback. "That was low, Luke. Too low for you."

"I didn't exactly grow up in high society, Princess." Now he was hurting her. He knew it. But he couldn't stop himself now.

"I won't accept that murderer into my family!"

"Look at yourself. You, telling me to decide who I marry based on politics. On allegiances from almost twenty years ago. When did you become a hypocrite, Leia?"

"That was different—"

"If you really think so, then… I'm sorry, Leia. I wish you didn't force me to make this choice—the hardest choice I ever made in my life, believe me. But you did… and I choose Mara."

He headed for the door. "Goodbye, Leia. We will return when you change your mind."

As soon as he left his sister's apartment he pulled the hood of his Jedi robe over himself. He did that mostly because he didn't want anyone to see tears streaming out of his weary blue eyes.

XXX

Mara found herself pacing the hotel room. She checked her chrono. One minute and fourteen seconds passed since the last time she did so. What was taking Luke so long?

She felt the presence of Luke in the corridor. Finally! Reaching into the Force, she felt her fiancée's distress. What could have gone wrong?

Luke entered, and pulled back his hood. "Mara," he said, approaching her. She gave him a kiss, and stroked his cheek. "You cried," she said, hating the fact that it sounded like an accusation.

Luke didn't seem to notice. "I was right to come alone to talk with her. The things she called you… what she accused you of…"

"Do you want me to leave?"

"No!" Luke seemed surprised at the question. "I… I don't ever want you to leave."

"But your sister rejected you… no, that's not right. She rejected me. If you tell her you made a mistake—"

"She's the one who made a mistake, Mara. Eventually she will see that."

"What if she doesn't?"

"She will," he assured her. "How and when… I don't know. But she will."

"Sky—," she paused. That tone was the last thing Luke needed right now. "Luke, you know I don't want half the galaxy invited to our wedding, but doing it in secret isn't very appealing either."

Luke kissed her again. "We will keep that option as a last resort." He actually smiled at her. "For now… we'll just… be together."

Mara pulled Luke towards her, embracing him. Touching him through their Force-bond, she tried to soothe the pain he still felt. "Together…" she whispered, ready to lose herself completely. It was Luke who pulled away.

"Not yet, Mara. Not here. Not where Leia can walk in on us. I have to do something." He got ready to leave.

"Where're you going?"

"To get us a ship," he said. "We'll be off Coruscant by tonight."

Mara nodded. "Don't take too long, Skywalker. I am not the most patient woman in the galaxy." Then she gave him reassurance through the Force that belayed any threat in the statement.

Luke smiled. The pain of the confrontation with Leia was distancing itself. It was still there, but Mara's caring tempered it. He hadn't wanted to hurt Leia…

He kissed Mara again. "I won't. In fact, as soon as I get it arranged, I'll comm you with the location."

"All right. I'll pack—not that there's that much to pack. Skywalker," she called as Luke made for the door.

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be."