Chapter 1

Luke rolled over to his side and glanced at his chrono. The incessant buzzing of Luke's com-unit had pulled the Jedi out of a deep sleep.

"Who's calling me at this time in the morning?" Luke mumbled to himself.

He momentarily considered not answering the call, but he immediately felt guilty. He was a Jedi, and part of being a Jedi meant he had responsibilities and obligations that were unavoidable. Dragging himself out of bed, he wrapped a sheet around his body and stumbled over to his communication unit.

Tapping the controls he really hoped it was not another mission. He had just returned from a very unpleasant jaunt to Nal Hutta and he looked forward to some alone time on Coruscant to visit his sister and her family.

"Skywalker here," he said groggily.

"Luke." a familiar voice rang out. His face immediately brightened upon seeing Leia, that is until he noticed the worry etched on his sister's face.

Luke reached out with the Force and felt her distress. "What's wrong, Leia?"

"I just woke up Luke and I realized Han never returned home last night," Leia's voice cracked with emotion and she momentarily paused to collect herself. "He and Lando took off last night to the lower levels of Coruscant to do some gambling. He told me not to wait up for him… but he should be home by now Luke. I have been trying to get a hold of him or Lando for the last hour, but they won't answer their comlinks."

"Don't worry Leia," Luke reassured his sister. "They probably drank a little too much and are sleeping it off in the corner booth of some pub. Do you have any idea which club they went to?"

Leia shook her head. "No Luke. I don't even think they had any particular place in mind when they left."

"It'll be okay, Leia," he said soothingly, as well as sending comfort to her through the Force, "I'll find them. Han took me to a couple of his favorite gambling establishments a couple years back. I think I can locate them again. I'll go check them out and get back to you in a couple hours."

Leia smiled weakly. "Thank you, Luke."

Luke was ready to sign off, but hesitated. "Leia, there hasn't been any threats to Han's life lately, has there? Anything that I should know about?"

Leia shook her head, the tears flowing freely now. "No, none. But somebody could go after him to get to me, or even you. I just have this bad feeling Luke, I am really worried about him."

"I am too, but don't worry. I'll bring him back home." With that he signed off and leaned back in his chair with a sigh. Why was it that Han always managed to get himself into trouble?

Funny, Han would say the same about me.

Luke disappeared into his fresher and after a quick shower got dressed. He then went to his computer and pulled up a few maps of Corsucant's gaming and entertainment district. The last thing he needed to do before he left was cancel his early morning lightsaber practice with Mara Jade.

He looked at his chrono, it was almost an hour before their morning meeting. "I hope she is awake," Luke said to himself as he made the call. After allowing the com-unit to signal a half dozen times, Luke decided that she must still be asleep. He was about to disconnect the call and leave a voice recording when a somewhat disheveled redhead appeared on his screen.

"Skywalker!" Mara said with a slightly annoyed voice, "It figures it would be you interrupting my shower!"

Luke did not reply. He instead starred mesmerize at the image before him. Mara was leaning over her desk glowering into the com-unit holocam. It appeared to Luke that the only thing maintaining her modesty was a white towel which she clutched tightly around her torso. Mara's long, and very wet, red-gold hair hung limply around her shoulders. Beads of water dripped from her face and along the curve of her neck before they disappeared between the cleavage of her breasts safely hidden from view but outlined nicely beneath her thin bath towel.

"Had she always been this beautiful?" Luke thought, completely stunned—his brother-in-law's disappearance momentarily forgotten.

"Luke. Luke! Coruscant to Luke, do you read me." Mara said with a bemused look on her face as she waved her hand in front of the camera to catch the Jedi's attention.

A surge of embarrassment ran through Luke as he suddenly realized he was starring mutely at the women. "I am, uh, I am sorry to bother you Mara." the words fumbled out of his mouth as his brain began to reengage. "I have to cancel our lightsaber practice this morning. Han and Lando have came up missing somewhere in the Coruscant lower levels and I am going to look for them."

"Han and Lando are missing?" Mara repeated in alarm.

Luke could see anxiety and apprehension permeate her face. He was surprised at Mara's apparent intense concern for his missing friends.

'Is she concerned for Han or Lando?' he thought.

Luke had heard the rumors about a possible relationship between Mara and Lando, but he always dismissed those rumors and assumed any relationship was business related. The Jedi was surprised to realize he didn't like the thought of the philandering former Baron Administrator of Cloud City being with Mara. Luke didn't know why it bothered him so much, but it probably had to do with that fact that Mara was his friend, and Lando was one ladies man he wouldn't wish on any woman.

"Don't worry Mara, they are probably just passed out drunk," Luke assured her. "I am going down to the old gambling district to look for them."

"Not without me you are not!" She exclaimed sharply. Luke was now totally taken aback by the determination in her voice. Through their tentative Force-bond he could actually feel the distress and concern emanating off of Mara. Luke felt his chest tighten as a disheartening feeling washed over him.

'I guess those rumors aren't false.'

Luke tried to push away those thoughts. Han and Lando may be in danger and that took precedence over any of his petty concerns. "I was just about to leave now, how about meeting me at Lanthrym's Palace. Do you know the place?" Luke asked.

"Yes, see you there in about thirty?" Mara asked.

"Yeah, that should give me enough time to get down there… oh and Mara…" Luke said then hesitated.

She gave him a confused look, "What?"

"You may want to dress a little more formally." Luke said with a wink and smile he borrowed from his brother-in-law.

Mara glanced down at the towel that was straining to cover her various curves. She blushed as she must have realized that the image transmitted revealed more than just a headshot. "Shut up and get going!" the redhead snarled and then cut the connection.

Luke laughed and then got up to begin his impromptu mission.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Mara cut the comm connection with Luke and sighed as she collapsed down onto her chair. She hoped her concern for the Jedi was not readily apparent.

She had her shields up and tried to play nonchalant when Skywalker called her, but when he mentioned Solo and Calrissian pieces of last night's nightmare came flooding back to her. Even now she could only remember fleeting images of Han, Luke and Calrissian, then a confusing blur of activity. All of which culminated in a horrible feeling of dread and the image of Luke in trouble followed by screaming. She recognized the sound came from Luke and it was a shout of utter despair that reverberated through her head long after the dream shocked her awake, leaving her in a cold sweat.

Mara shook her head slowly. What she saw last night might have simply been a bad dream and not a vision of the future. But if it was a Force vision, she hoped her presence could halt any impending tragedy.

"The future is always in motion," she said to herself apprehensively as she went to get dressed.