Mara Jade stood looking out over the forest. Here, at Karrde's latest
base, it seemed almost too quiet at times. She blew out a breath as she
felt, rather than saw, someone approach from behind her.
"You look tired, Mara."
Mara turned to see Karrde behind her and shrugged as he came up beside her and leaned on the railing. He studied her carefully. "I'm serious. You look like you could use a break. Why don't you take some time off?"
Mara looked back out over the trees and started to shake her head, almost immediately rejecting the idea, but then deciding to take it. "Sure," she replied. "When can I leave?"
Karrde admirably kept his mouth from falling open. "Umm. tomorrow," he managed.
Mara smiled. "Good." She turned and headed for the door. "I'd better go pack.
Karrde could only shake his head as he watched her leave, knowing she would never cease to amaze him.
______________________________
The next morning, Karrde stood watching Mara load the Jade's Fire "Any idea where you're going yet?"
Mara nodded as she set the last bag inside the ship. "Coruscant. I have some friends I haven't seen in a while."
Karrde couldn't keep a grin from splitting his face, knowing full well who her "friends" were, especially one in particular.
Mara scowled at him. "I know what you're thinking, Karrde, and you're wrong," she warned him.
Karrde merely inclined his head slightly, trying to keep himself from looking like a total idiot. "I guess we'll see, won't we?"
Mara shook her head and motioned him off the ship. "I'll see you later."
______________________________
It was the middle of the afternoon when Leia's comlink buzzed. She groaned, thinking it was probably someone from the Senate who needed her help, or at least thought so. She almost considered not answering, but finally flipped in on. "Organa Solo."
Her face split into a smile when she heard the voice on the other end. "Hi, Leia."
"Mara." Leia finally managed to get over her initial shock. "How are you?'
"Pretty good. I just thought I'd let you know that I'm dropping by for a visit." Mara sounded tired, but happy.
Leia knew Luke would be happy, too, when he found out. "That's great! When are you arriving?"
"Two days."
"Okay. We'll meet you on the landing platform.
______________________________
Luke looked up from his work when someone knocked on his door. "Come I, Leia," he called, immediately recognizing his sister's presence. The door slid open, and Luke rose from behind his desk to hug her. "Do you need something?" he asked.
Leia shook her head. "No. I just came by to tell you that Mara's dropping by for a visit in a couple of days, and I promised her a welcoming party."
Luke smiled, the first real smile she had seen on him in quite some time. "Did she say how long she was staying?"
Leia shook her head. "No."
"When are we meeting her?
______________________________
Two days later, Luke, Leia, and Han stood on the landing platform. Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin stood quietly next to them for once, each looking for the ship that would be approaching soon.
Anakin squinted slightly and pointed after a moment. "Is that it?" he asked.
Luke looked in the direction he was pointing. A fast approaching ship became larger and recognizable. "Yep, Anakin, that's it. Good job," he praised, tousling the boy's hair.
As the ship settled on the landing platform, Luke leaned over to whisper to Leia. "You did get the apartment, right?"
Leia nodded. "Don't worry."
The boarding ramp lowered, and Mara appeared in the doorway. As soon as Anakin, Jacen, and Jaina saw who it was, they launched themselves forward before anyone could stop them.
"Mara!" They cried.
A look of surprise appeared on Mara's face, but it was quickly replaced by a smile as she bent to hug them.
Leia stepped forward. "Okay, guys, give Mara some room to breathe," she laughed. Reluctantly, the kids stepped away and Leia gave Mara a hug. "Did you have a good trip?"
Mara shrugged. "It was all right. Never thought I'd hear myself saying this, but I'm getting tired of being in space so much."
Leia smiled sympathetically. "I know how you feel. Come on, let's go home."
______________________________
After a few hours of catching up with each other, Luke finally worked up the courage to ask the question that had been on his mind for hours. "So how long are you going to be here, Mara?"
She shrugged. "A couple of months, most likely. Speaking of which, could I stay with someone until I find an apartment?"
Luke grinned. "Already taken care of. You want to go check it out?" he asked.
Mara looked back and forth from him to Leia, an incredulous look on her face. "You already got me one? But you didn't even know I would be staying for very long."
Leia shrugged. "We took the chance. Actually, it's in the same building as Luke's, so he'll show you around." She studied Mara's face for a moment, then continued. "If you don't like it, you can always find another one."
Mara smiled, feeling deeply touched by the gesture of friendship. "I'm sure I'll like it," she assured as she got up from the couch. "C'mon, Skywalker, let's get going."
______________________________
Luke's growling stomach reminded him on the way over to the apartment that it was time for dinner, especially since he had skipped lunch.
"You hungry?" he asked Mara.
She nodded. "Yeah. I haven't had anything but ration bars for over a week. You want to get something to take with us?"
"Sure. What do you want?"
Mara glanced around, then flicked a hand at one of the nearby buildings. "How about Corellian?" she suggested.
"Sounds great," Luke said. "Let's go."
______________________________
Half an hour later, Luke and Mara arrived at the door of Mara's apartment. Luke touched a button, and the door slid open. "It's not programmed yet," he explained. "I figured you'd want to do that yourself."
Mara shot him an amused glance. "Thanks," she muttered.
They ate in silence, although it wasn't as awkward as either one of them would have expected. After they cleaned up, Luke motioned for Mara to follow him. "Come on. It's time for the grand tour," he joked.
They walked out the door and down the hall, Luke pointing things out as they went. "My apartment's actually right above yours, two floors up, and the layout's the same, so if you ever need anything, you know where to find me." Luke turned toward the turbolift. "Now come on. I've got one more thing to show you."
The turbolift stopped at the top floor, and Luke led Mara around a corner and up a flight of steps that led to a door. As he guided her through the door and around the wall, he heard her sharp intake of air.
"I know," he said quietly. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Mara could only nod her agreement, mad speechless by the beauty of the view set before her.
Luke continued. "You have a balcony in your apartment, but the view probably isn't as good." He took a long look at the scene before him, reluctant to leave. "I've got some work to do, so I'll see you later."
______________________________
Later that night, Luke set his work aside with a sigh and rubbed his forehead. He was too stressed to go to sleep right now. After a moment, he rose and headed for the turbolift he and Mara had taken up to the roof earlier that day.
When he came around the wall, however, he was surprised to see Mara leaning on the rail.
"You still up here?" he asked, coming up beside her.
She shook her head. "I just came back up a few minutes ago. I wanted to see if it was as beautiful at night as it was during the day."
Luke smiled. "I think it's better."
Mara nodded her agreement, then turned her head slightly to look at him. "So why did you come up?"
"This is where I come to relax," Luke explained.
Mara looked suddenly uncomfortable. "I'll leave, if you want."
Luke shook his head. "No, stay, please."
They fell into a comfortable silence, just standing there looking out over the city, taking in its beauty.
Over an hour later, Luke looked down at his chrono. "Well, I'm gonna turn in. Saber practice tomorrow?" he asked as he headed for the door.
Mara followed him in, yawning. "You bet."
______________________________
When Mara came into the practice room the next morning, she found Luke practicing with a remote.
"Good. You're tiring yourself out already so I can beat you?" she shot at him playfully.
Luke shut his lightsaber down and grinned. "It's gonna take a whole lot more than this little thing for you to beat me," he shot back.
Mara reached down and pulled her lightsaber from her belt. "Let's see."
______________________________
They were still arguing about who had won when they walked into Han and Leia's suite hours later.
"Whoa!" Leia interrupted. "What are you two arguing about?"
Luke smirked. "She thinks she beat me during practice."
Mara punched him playfully. "No, I think it's the other way around- you think you beat me."
"You cheated!" Luke accused. "You tripped me."
Mara laughed and looked at Leia. "Is he always such a sore loser?"
Leia laughed and motioned them over toward the table. "Come on. Let's eat."
______________________________
The following weeks passed quickly for Luke and Mara. They grew closer, and Leia noticed something in her brother that hadn't been there for a long time- true happiness. And it also affected those around them, because one couldn't help but smile at their friendly banter.
Luke tried more than once to convince Mara to return to Yavin 4 with him, but she would have nothing to do with it, saying she couldn't just quit working, that Karrde needed her. So they continued having saber practice day after day, Luke teaching her new techniques and strategies.
The week before Mara left, Luke agreed to help her with all the preparations and clearing out the apartment.
One night, after hours of work, Luke finally glanced at his chrono. "I think we need to take a break," he announced. "There's not much left to do, so we can finish tomorrow. What do you say we go get something to eat?"
Mara tossed what she had been working on aside. "Sounds like a great idea to me. Let's go."
They found a good casual restaurant and ordered their meals. They chatted easily, the silence that would have once separated them having vanished completely.
On the way out, Luke held the door open for Mara and then offered her his arm. Instead though, she reached out and took his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. He looked at their joined hands for a moment and smiled when he looked back up at her.
When they got back to the building, they took the turbolift to the roof, where Luke pulled Mara over to the rail. After a few minutes, he gently free his hand from hers and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Mara leaned up against him, resting her head on his shoulder.
Almost an hour later, Mara shifted slightly to look up at him. "We should probably go in soon," she murmured.
Luke looked down at her and nodded, a smile on his face. Mara smiled back, and Luke bent his head down to hers, their lips meeting in a soft kiss. "Now?" he asked softly.
Mara found herself fighting a sudden spell of dizziness. "Yeah."
Luke nodded. "Come on. I'll walk you to your apartment."
As soon as Mara got into her apartment, collapsed onto the couch, wondering what had come over her. For a minute she entertained the idea of calling Karrde and telling him that she wouldn't be coning back, but she quickly rejected it. "Get a grip, Jade," she muttered to herself. "It's no big deal." But she knew that she didn't believe her own words.
______________________________
When Luke got back to his apartment, he changed and got into bed, only to find that he was no longer tired. He tossed and turned for over an hour before finally sitting up and flicking a small lamp on.
For a moment he considered calling Mara, but decided that she was probably already asleep anyway. "What have I gotten myself into?" he muttered, running a hand through his hair. After Callista had left him, he had secluded himself from everyone else. After he had finally gotten over it, he had decided not to get involved with another woman again. At least not right away.
And yet, here he was, and it was happening with Mara, of all people. Mara, who had once vowed to kill him. Sure, she was long over that, but she was still the last person he would have expected himself to fall in love with.
Well, Skywalker, it wouldn't be the first time the Force has thrown something like this at you, he told himself wryly. He flicked the lamp back off, promising himself that he would talk to Mara about this before she left. Trying to find a comfortable position, he stretched out to the Force and soon fell into a deep sleep.
______________________________
The morning Mara was scheduled to leave, Luke went down to the docking bay an hour early to find that Mara was already prepping the Fire for the trip.
He knocked on the closed hatch. /Mara?/ he called silently.
He felt her emotions shift. /Luke. Give me a second, I'll let you in./
A moment later, the door slid open. "Hey. Come on in." Luke followed her into the cabin and sat down, and Mara spoke again before he had the chance. "I know why you came early."
Luke only looked at her. "And why is that, exactly?
Mara sighed. "To convince me to stay."
"Not for the reason you think."
Mara looked at him. "And that would be."
"You think I just want you to stay to come back to Yavin 4 and complete your training."
Mara lifted an eyebrow. "That's not the only reason?"
Luke shook his head, meeting her gaze. "It's not even the main one, Mara. I want you to stay here with me."
Mara stared at him, feeling her jaw drop as she realized she was serious. "Wh-what?" she stammered.
Luke reached over and took her hand. "I'm serious, Mara. I want you to stay here with me. I. I think I might be falling in love with you."
Mara stared at him for another score of heartbeats, then dropped her gaze. " I can't, Luke. I've told you that before. Karrde depends on me to do too much." She looked back up, studying his face. "I can't just leave."
Luke turned his head to gaze out the viewport. "So that's it, then?" he asked softly.
Mara tried to swallow against the lump in her throat. "I guess so."
Luke nodded, still not looking at her. "Then good-bye, Mara." He turned and left the ship, closing his Force presence off.
Mara sank into a chair, fighting back tears. She wanted nothing more that to call out to him, to tell him that she would stay, but she couldn't. She got back up and slapped the control to close the boarding ramp, then strode into the cockpit. She flung herself into her chair, no longer able to stop the tears from flowing. "Good-bye, Luke," she whispered. "I'm sorry."
______________________________
Lately I've been running into our old friends
And somewhere in the small talk
Someone always asks where you've been
So I tell them what you told me
And they can't believe we're through
They ask me what I'm doin' now
And in case you're wondering too
I breathe in and breathe out
Put one foot in front of the other
Take one day at a time
Till you find
I'm that someone you can't live without
But until then
I'll breathe in and breathe out
I've got every reason to find someone new
Cause you swore up and down to me
I've seen the last of you
But the way you loved me
Left me hopin and holdin on
So until this world stops turning round
And my heart believes you're gone
I'll breathe in and breathe out
Put one foot in front of the other
Take one day at a time
Till you find
I'm that someone you can't live without
But until then
I'll breathe in and breathe out
We were meant to be, girl, there's no doubt
If it takes the rest of my life
For you to figure it out
I'll breathe in and breathe out
Put one foot in front of the other
Take one day at a time
Till you find
I'm that someone you can't live without
But until then
I'll breathe in
And breathe out
______________________________
2 months later.
Leia sighed and set down her comlink. She had been trying to get a hold of Luke ever since he had left a month ago to go back to Yavin 4, but to no avail.
Han looked at her in concern. "Still can't reach him?"
Leia shook her head. "No. And even worse, he's closed off his Force presence. You know, I thought he had a hard time when Callista left, but this is ten times worse."
Han wrapped an arm around her comfortingly. "I know. Don't worry, he'll get over it eventually."
Leia shook her head. "I'm not so sure he will."
______________________________
Luke spent that month on Yavin 4, although he didn't teach the students very often. He spent most of his time wandering the temple and the surrounding areas, ignoring the calls to his comlink that Leia made at least twice a day.
Finally, one day he decided to get away from even the small amount of civilization that they had at the temple. He walked into the communications center, where Streen and Tionne were sitting with their backs to him.
"I'm going to the other side of the planet," he announced abruptly, and they both whirled, shocked to see standing there, even more so that he had actually something. "I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I am not to be disturbed unless it is an absolute emergency. Understood?" Streen and Tionne nodded wordlessly, mouths agape. Luke whirled and stalked from the room.
Slowly, the two bewildered Jedi exchanged an astonished look, not sure if what had just happened had been real or not.
______________________________
Meanwhile, Mara had grown irritable and distracted in her work, and those she worked with often found her simply staring off into space. Her temper flared more often than ever before, leaving fewer and fewer people willing to work with her.
Karrde saw all this, of course, and tried to figure out what had caused all of it. He contacted Leia one day to see if she knew anything.
She looked surprised to hear from him. "Hello, Karrde. Do you need something?" she asked, only partially successful in keeping the suspicion from her voice.
Karrde's mouth turned up in a half smile. "yes, but not what you're thinking. More like information. Did something happen between Luke and Mara while she was on Coruscant?"
"Her, too, huh?" Leia shook her head. "I honestly don't know. From what I saw, though, they were becoming closer." She paused, and her voice lowered the slightest bit. "I have a feeling that something did, though. Luke's withdrawn into himself. I just contacted Yavin 4 a few days ago, and Streen said that Luke went off on some journey to the other side of the planet a week ago, without any indication of when he'll be back."
Karrde nodded thoughtfully. 'It really would explain things if something had happened," he mused. "Mara's become distracted, irritable. Most of my people are afraid to work with her, it's so bad. I sent her on her vacation because she seemed so miserable, but she's ten times worse now than she was before."
Leia looked at him beseechingly. "Is there anything you can do?"
Karrde shrugged. "I'll try to talk to her about it. I can't promise anything, though. I guess we'll just have to hope that they both realize how miserable they are."
"All right. I'll be in touch."
He nodded. "Karrde out."
______________________________
Karrde was abruptly startled when someone knocked on his door later that afternoon. "Come in," he called.
Mara's head appeared. "You wanted to see me?" she asked.
"Yes, Mara, come in and sit down." He motioned to a chair across from his desk.
She did so. "So?"
Karrde rested his elbows on his desk and leaned forward. "I want to know how long you're going to let this continue."
"Let what continue?" Mara asked, but the expression on her face betrayed the fact that she knew exactly what he was talking about.
"You know exactly what," he shot back at her. "Did something happen on Coruscant?"
Mara looked down. "It's not that important," she mumbled.
Karrde sighed and rolled his eyes in exasperation. " Mara, you know as well as I do, better in fact, that that's not true. You're moody and irritable, and most of the others are afraid to work with you. You're worse than you were before you left!"
Mara rested her head in her hands. "I know," she whispered.
"Then are you going to tell me why?"
Mara looked up and her eyes met his. "I think I'm in love with him."
Karrde tilted his head to the side. "Then go find him, Mara. Why put yourself through this?"
She got up from her chair and went to the window. "Because I can't go. I have too much to do here. You don't."
"Mara," Karrde cut her off. "I'm not saying you have to leave for good. If that's what it comes to, though, I'm sure I can find someone competent enough to take your place. All that I'm asking right now is that you resolve this."
Mara whirled to face him. "And if I can't?" she demanded.
He shrugged. "Then we'll figure that out when it happens. Something tells me it won't, though."
Mara blew out a breath and looked down. "All right. When can I leave?"
"As soon as possible. Tonight or tomorrow morning."
Mara nodded, squaring her shoulders and heading toward the door. Just before she reached it, though, she stopped and turned partially. "Do you know where he is?"
Karrde hesitated a moment before answering. "Yavin 4."
Mara nodded once. "Thanks." With that , she turned and strode from the room.
As soon as she had left, Karrde reached over to the communicator.
"Organa Sole here," came the reply.
"It's Karrde," he informed her. "I think things are beginning to look up a little."
______________________________
Luke sighed as he surveyed his work. The shelter he had set up would provide adequate protection from the elements, and he had brought enough food for over a month. The lake nearby would provide drinking water after purifying solution was added. He had everything he needed.
No, he thought. Not everything. The thought sprang, unbidden, into his mind, and he pushed it away as quickly as it had come. He couldn't think about her right now. He needed a distraction. After surveying his campsite one more time, he turned and began running, pushing himself faster and faster until his thoughts became a blur.
______________________________
Mara landed the Fire on the open area that served as the Academy's landing pad. Then strode into the Temple. She felt Steen's shock as she walked up to him.
"Hello, Miss Jade," he said nervously. "Do you need something?"
"Where is he?" she demanded.
Streen swallowed. "He?"
Mara glared at him. "Lu- Master Skywalker."
"Umm. well, he left several days ago, with explicit instructions that he was not to be disturbed," he explained.
Mara tried to calm her nerves. "Where did he go?"
He shrugged. "Somewhere on the other side of the planet, I believe. He didn't say exactly where."
Mara sighed. "Did he take a ship?"
"Yes."
"Good." Without so much as a good-bye, Mara whirled and left as quickly as she had come.
She powered up the Fire once again and punched in coordinates for the other side of the planet. After coming this far, she wasn't about to let Luke go now.
Finally, after a day and a half of searching, she found him camped out next to one of the smaller temples. After landing the Fire, she looked around the campsite for Luke. He wasn't there. Resolutely, Mara settled down to wait him out.
______________________________
When Luke walked back into his campsite after his run, he almost collapsed from the shock of seeing Mara there.
Mara stood when she saw him, brushing dirt off. "'Bout time you got here," she grumbled.
Luke stared at her for another minute. "What are you doing here?" he finally demanded. "I gave them direct orders that I was not to be bothered."
Mara met his glare. "Well, you needed to be bothered. I came here to talk to you."
Luke brushed past her, heading for his shelter. "There's nothing to talk about!" he growled through gritted teeth as he rushed into it.
Mara fought the urge to scream in frustration. "Luke, please!" she pleaded.
"Give me one good reason why I should!"
"Because I'm sorry, Luke." She felt, rather than heard, his deep sigh.
"All right. Come on in." Mara stepped into the shelter, and Luke gestured to a chair. "Have a seat. What do you want to talk about?"
Mara looked at him incredulously. "Don't play this game, Luke. You know very well what I want to talk about."
Luke shrugged. "Then talk."
Mara sighed. "You're not going to make this easy for me, are you?"
"Have you ever made anything easy for me?" he shot back.
"Good point." Mara looked down for a moment before continuing. "Look, Luke, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just left like that, I know, and if I had a second chance at it, I wouldn't."
"Then why did you?'
"Because- because I was scared, Luke! I've never felt this way before, and I didn't know what else to do!" Mara was almost shouting now.
Luke's head shot up. "Felt what way?"
Mara stood up and walked across the room until she was gazing down into his eyes. "I love you," she said softly.
Before Mara even knew what had happened, Luke was on his feet and had swept Mara into his arms, his mouth pressed against hers, kissing her with a passion she had never known. She returned the kiss every bit as deeply as he gave it, and when they broke apart minutes later, they were both gasping for breath.
Luke rested his forehead against hers, their eyes meeting. "I love you, too, Mara Jade," he murmured, his voice full of emotion.
Mara looked down, fighting back tears that were threatening to overwhelm her. Luke held her close, letting her cry out the loneliness and anguish that had been filling her for the past two months.
Her emotions finally released, Mara looked up at Luke. "Thank you," she whispered.
Luke gently stroked her cheek. "Anytime." He paused for a moment. "Can I ask you something, Mara?" She nodded. "Are you planning on sticking around this time?"
Mara chuckled softly. "Try to keep me away."
Luke looked at her seriously. 'Then marry me, Mara."
Mara was silent for several minutes, and Luke began to worry that he had done something wrong. But then she smiled up at him. "Yes."
Luke grinned and swept her off her feet, spinning her around in a circle before she could protest. "Now, I suppose the only question is whether we just call Leia or go and surprise her."
Mara looked at him, a thoughtful smile on her face. "Which one do you think she would like more?"
______________________________
Leia spent the time it took Luke and Mara to get to Coruscant worrying about them, not knowing what had happened.
"Do you think they've worked things out yet?" she asked Han for what seemed like the hundredth time. "Mara should be at Yavin 4 by now."
Han squeezed her hand. "Leia, I'm sure that they'll let us know if they do. Look, you have to stop worrying so much. Luke can take care of himself. Besides, this is making you a nervous wreck."
Leia opened her mouth to reply, but she was interrupted by the door chime. "I wonder who that is," she said, puzzled, a frown creasing her forehead as she went to answer it.
The door slid open to reveal Luke and Mar standing outside, and that was the last thing Leia remembered before fainting from shock.
______________________________
Luke's mouth dropped open when Leia collapsed onto the floor. Han cam rushing to the door, almost as surprised to see Luke and Mara as Leia had been.
"Good thing you two don't visit very often," he joked as he scooped Leia into his arms and carried her over to the couch.
"I didn't think-" Luke began, but stopped when Leia began to come to.
Han bent over her and shook her shoulder gently. "Leia."
Leia's eyes blinked open, and she looked around in confusion. "Han? What happened?" she asked, then the memories flooded back, and she raised her head off the couch, looking around. "Luke? Mara?"
Luke grinned down at his sister apologetically. "Sorry about that. If I would've known that's how you would react to us showing up at your door, we would've just called."
Leia shook her head ruefully as she sat up. "I can't believe I did that," she muttered. Looking from Luke to Mara, she asked, 'So, I take it you two have worked things out?"
The two exchanged a glance, and Luke grinned. "I would say so," he said, but Leia suspected there was more.
"Okay, out with it," she demanded.
Luke wrapped his arm around Mara's shoulders. "We're getting married," he announced happily.
Leia stared at them for a moment before leaping off the couch to hug both of them. "I'm so happy for you!" she cried.
Mara was glowing. "Thank you. That means a lot, considering we probably put you through a lot the past couple months."
Leia shook her head. "It doesn't matter anymore. That's over." She grinned. "So when's the wedding?"
"Actually, we were hoping you could help us with that," Luke replied. "I don't think we can handle it alone."
Leia nodded. "Of course. It'll be my pleasure."
Luke looked around. "Where are the kids?" he asked.
As if on cue, three sets of little feet stampeded down the hallway. Before Luke could even react, the three Solo children jumped on him, knocking him to the floor. "Uncle Luke!"
After several minutes of wrestling, Luke struggled to his feet, Jacen and Jaina tucked under his arms and Anakin clinging to his neck. "It's good to see you, too."
Anakin dropped from Luke's neck and ran over to hug Mara. "Hi, Aunt Mara."
Jacen squirmed until Luke let him down. "How many times do we have to tell you, Anakin?!" he complained. "She's not out aunt!"
Luke set Jaina down and crouched on the floor next to Mara so he could look the kids in the eye. "She's going to be," he corrected gently.
Jacen's eyes grew wide, and Anakin grinned victoriously. "I told you, Jacen!" he crowed.
Jaina came over. "Are you really getting married?" she asked quietly,
Mara nodded, a smile on her face. "Yes, Jaina. We really are."
Jaina seemed to consider it for a moment before throwing her arms around Mara's neck in a hug. "I've always wanted an aunt," she said happily.
Jacen joined in. "Me, too."
Anakin, not wanting to be left out, followed his siblings' example. "Me, three!"
Mara smiled down at the children in her arms. "Thanks, guys."
______________________________
Epilogue
Luke stood on the platform, Han and Wedge at his side, trying to swallow his nervousness. What was taking so long?
Han leaned over. "Take it easy, kid. She'll be out," he whispered.
Luke gave him a shaky smile, then focused his attention on the door again.
______________________________
Leia took one last look at Mara. "All right, that's it. Are you ready?"
Mara swallowed. "I think so."
Leia smiled reassuringly. "You'll be fine, Mara. Don't worry." She paused. "And you look great."
"Thanks." Mara turned toward the door. "Karrde?"
His head appeared around the door. "Ready to go?"
Mara nodded. "Yeah." She took Karrde's arm and they walked to the door, which Karrde opened. They took a step out-
And Mara froze, almost turning and running the other way as panic swept over her. "I can't do this," she whispered fearfully.
Karrde propelled her forward. "Yes, you can, Mara. He's waiting for you," he reminded her.
Waiting. Mara tore her gaze from the crowd and sought Luke out. Their gazes locked; a slight smile came over Mara's face.
/Mara./ The voice in her head spoke lovingly and reassuringly, and Mara lifted her chin slightly, feeling her confidence slowly trickling back.
/Don't worry, farmboy./ That brought a smile to Luke's face.
They were at the altar now. Mara nodded once at Karrde before stepping up onto the platform to join Luke.
Without even looking, their hands intertwined, and they stepped forward to stand before the Holy Man.
The ceremony was beautiful. Luke and Mara had used part of a Jedi ceremony and written another part themselves. They said their vows softly, and exchanged a long, loving kiss, then turned to face the crowd.
"I present to you, the Skywalkers." The words rang out through the chamber, and cheers and whistled erupted from the crowd.
Standing next to Han on the side of the platform, Leia surreptitiously wiped away a few tears that had managed to escape. Finally, after so many years, her brother was truly happy.
Luke squeezed Mara's hand and looked down at her, his eyes shining. She smiled back, and together they walked down the steps and up the aisle as husband and wife, never to be separated again.
"You look tired, Mara."
Mara turned to see Karrde behind her and shrugged as he came up beside her and leaned on the railing. He studied her carefully. "I'm serious. You look like you could use a break. Why don't you take some time off?"
Mara looked back out over the trees and started to shake her head, almost immediately rejecting the idea, but then deciding to take it. "Sure," she replied. "When can I leave?"
Karrde admirably kept his mouth from falling open. "Umm. tomorrow," he managed.
Mara smiled. "Good." She turned and headed for the door. "I'd better go pack.
Karrde could only shake his head as he watched her leave, knowing she would never cease to amaze him.
______________________________
The next morning, Karrde stood watching Mara load the Jade's Fire "Any idea where you're going yet?"
Mara nodded as she set the last bag inside the ship. "Coruscant. I have some friends I haven't seen in a while."
Karrde couldn't keep a grin from splitting his face, knowing full well who her "friends" were, especially one in particular.
Mara scowled at him. "I know what you're thinking, Karrde, and you're wrong," she warned him.
Karrde merely inclined his head slightly, trying to keep himself from looking like a total idiot. "I guess we'll see, won't we?"
Mara shook her head and motioned him off the ship. "I'll see you later."
______________________________
It was the middle of the afternoon when Leia's comlink buzzed. She groaned, thinking it was probably someone from the Senate who needed her help, or at least thought so. She almost considered not answering, but finally flipped in on. "Organa Solo."
Her face split into a smile when she heard the voice on the other end. "Hi, Leia."
"Mara." Leia finally managed to get over her initial shock. "How are you?'
"Pretty good. I just thought I'd let you know that I'm dropping by for a visit." Mara sounded tired, but happy.
Leia knew Luke would be happy, too, when he found out. "That's great! When are you arriving?"
"Two days."
"Okay. We'll meet you on the landing platform.
______________________________
Luke looked up from his work when someone knocked on his door. "Come I, Leia," he called, immediately recognizing his sister's presence. The door slid open, and Luke rose from behind his desk to hug her. "Do you need something?" he asked.
Leia shook her head. "No. I just came by to tell you that Mara's dropping by for a visit in a couple of days, and I promised her a welcoming party."
Luke smiled, the first real smile she had seen on him in quite some time. "Did she say how long she was staying?"
Leia shook her head. "No."
"When are we meeting her?
______________________________
Two days later, Luke, Leia, and Han stood on the landing platform. Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin stood quietly next to them for once, each looking for the ship that would be approaching soon.
Anakin squinted slightly and pointed after a moment. "Is that it?" he asked.
Luke looked in the direction he was pointing. A fast approaching ship became larger and recognizable. "Yep, Anakin, that's it. Good job," he praised, tousling the boy's hair.
As the ship settled on the landing platform, Luke leaned over to whisper to Leia. "You did get the apartment, right?"
Leia nodded. "Don't worry."
The boarding ramp lowered, and Mara appeared in the doorway. As soon as Anakin, Jacen, and Jaina saw who it was, they launched themselves forward before anyone could stop them.
"Mara!" They cried.
A look of surprise appeared on Mara's face, but it was quickly replaced by a smile as she bent to hug them.
Leia stepped forward. "Okay, guys, give Mara some room to breathe," she laughed. Reluctantly, the kids stepped away and Leia gave Mara a hug. "Did you have a good trip?"
Mara shrugged. "It was all right. Never thought I'd hear myself saying this, but I'm getting tired of being in space so much."
Leia smiled sympathetically. "I know how you feel. Come on, let's go home."
______________________________
After a few hours of catching up with each other, Luke finally worked up the courage to ask the question that had been on his mind for hours. "So how long are you going to be here, Mara?"
She shrugged. "A couple of months, most likely. Speaking of which, could I stay with someone until I find an apartment?"
Luke grinned. "Already taken care of. You want to go check it out?" he asked.
Mara looked back and forth from him to Leia, an incredulous look on her face. "You already got me one? But you didn't even know I would be staying for very long."
Leia shrugged. "We took the chance. Actually, it's in the same building as Luke's, so he'll show you around." She studied Mara's face for a moment, then continued. "If you don't like it, you can always find another one."
Mara smiled, feeling deeply touched by the gesture of friendship. "I'm sure I'll like it," she assured as she got up from the couch. "C'mon, Skywalker, let's get going."
______________________________
Luke's growling stomach reminded him on the way over to the apartment that it was time for dinner, especially since he had skipped lunch.
"You hungry?" he asked Mara.
She nodded. "Yeah. I haven't had anything but ration bars for over a week. You want to get something to take with us?"
"Sure. What do you want?"
Mara glanced around, then flicked a hand at one of the nearby buildings. "How about Corellian?" she suggested.
"Sounds great," Luke said. "Let's go."
______________________________
Half an hour later, Luke and Mara arrived at the door of Mara's apartment. Luke touched a button, and the door slid open. "It's not programmed yet," he explained. "I figured you'd want to do that yourself."
Mara shot him an amused glance. "Thanks," she muttered.
They ate in silence, although it wasn't as awkward as either one of them would have expected. After they cleaned up, Luke motioned for Mara to follow him. "Come on. It's time for the grand tour," he joked.
They walked out the door and down the hall, Luke pointing things out as they went. "My apartment's actually right above yours, two floors up, and the layout's the same, so if you ever need anything, you know where to find me." Luke turned toward the turbolift. "Now come on. I've got one more thing to show you."
The turbolift stopped at the top floor, and Luke led Mara around a corner and up a flight of steps that led to a door. As he guided her through the door and around the wall, he heard her sharp intake of air.
"I know," he said quietly. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Mara could only nod her agreement, mad speechless by the beauty of the view set before her.
Luke continued. "You have a balcony in your apartment, but the view probably isn't as good." He took a long look at the scene before him, reluctant to leave. "I've got some work to do, so I'll see you later."
______________________________
Later that night, Luke set his work aside with a sigh and rubbed his forehead. He was too stressed to go to sleep right now. After a moment, he rose and headed for the turbolift he and Mara had taken up to the roof earlier that day.
When he came around the wall, however, he was surprised to see Mara leaning on the rail.
"You still up here?" he asked, coming up beside her.
She shook her head. "I just came back up a few minutes ago. I wanted to see if it was as beautiful at night as it was during the day."
Luke smiled. "I think it's better."
Mara nodded her agreement, then turned her head slightly to look at him. "So why did you come up?"
"This is where I come to relax," Luke explained.
Mara looked suddenly uncomfortable. "I'll leave, if you want."
Luke shook his head. "No, stay, please."
They fell into a comfortable silence, just standing there looking out over the city, taking in its beauty.
Over an hour later, Luke looked down at his chrono. "Well, I'm gonna turn in. Saber practice tomorrow?" he asked as he headed for the door.
Mara followed him in, yawning. "You bet."
______________________________
When Mara came into the practice room the next morning, she found Luke practicing with a remote.
"Good. You're tiring yourself out already so I can beat you?" she shot at him playfully.
Luke shut his lightsaber down and grinned. "It's gonna take a whole lot more than this little thing for you to beat me," he shot back.
Mara reached down and pulled her lightsaber from her belt. "Let's see."
______________________________
They were still arguing about who had won when they walked into Han and Leia's suite hours later.
"Whoa!" Leia interrupted. "What are you two arguing about?"
Luke smirked. "She thinks she beat me during practice."
Mara punched him playfully. "No, I think it's the other way around- you think you beat me."
"You cheated!" Luke accused. "You tripped me."
Mara laughed and looked at Leia. "Is he always such a sore loser?"
Leia laughed and motioned them over toward the table. "Come on. Let's eat."
______________________________
The following weeks passed quickly for Luke and Mara. They grew closer, and Leia noticed something in her brother that hadn't been there for a long time- true happiness. And it also affected those around them, because one couldn't help but smile at their friendly banter.
Luke tried more than once to convince Mara to return to Yavin 4 with him, but she would have nothing to do with it, saying she couldn't just quit working, that Karrde needed her. So they continued having saber practice day after day, Luke teaching her new techniques and strategies.
The week before Mara left, Luke agreed to help her with all the preparations and clearing out the apartment.
One night, after hours of work, Luke finally glanced at his chrono. "I think we need to take a break," he announced. "There's not much left to do, so we can finish tomorrow. What do you say we go get something to eat?"
Mara tossed what she had been working on aside. "Sounds like a great idea to me. Let's go."
They found a good casual restaurant and ordered their meals. They chatted easily, the silence that would have once separated them having vanished completely.
On the way out, Luke held the door open for Mara and then offered her his arm. Instead though, she reached out and took his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. He looked at their joined hands for a moment and smiled when he looked back up at her.
When they got back to the building, they took the turbolift to the roof, where Luke pulled Mara over to the rail. After a few minutes, he gently free his hand from hers and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Mara leaned up against him, resting her head on his shoulder.
Almost an hour later, Mara shifted slightly to look up at him. "We should probably go in soon," she murmured.
Luke looked down at her and nodded, a smile on his face. Mara smiled back, and Luke bent his head down to hers, their lips meeting in a soft kiss. "Now?" he asked softly.
Mara found herself fighting a sudden spell of dizziness. "Yeah."
Luke nodded. "Come on. I'll walk you to your apartment."
As soon as Mara got into her apartment, collapsed onto the couch, wondering what had come over her. For a minute she entertained the idea of calling Karrde and telling him that she wouldn't be coning back, but she quickly rejected it. "Get a grip, Jade," she muttered to herself. "It's no big deal." But she knew that she didn't believe her own words.
______________________________
When Luke got back to his apartment, he changed and got into bed, only to find that he was no longer tired. He tossed and turned for over an hour before finally sitting up and flicking a small lamp on.
For a moment he considered calling Mara, but decided that she was probably already asleep anyway. "What have I gotten myself into?" he muttered, running a hand through his hair. After Callista had left him, he had secluded himself from everyone else. After he had finally gotten over it, he had decided not to get involved with another woman again. At least not right away.
And yet, here he was, and it was happening with Mara, of all people. Mara, who had once vowed to kill him. Sure, she was long over that, but she was still the last person he would have expected himself to fall in love with.
Well, Skywalker, it wouldn't be the first time the Force has thrown something like this at you, he told himself wryly. He flicked the lamp back off, promising himself that he would talk to Mara about this before she left. Trying to find a comfortable position, he stretched out to the Force and soon fell into a deep sleep.
______________________________
The morning Mara was scheduled to leave, Luke went down to the docking bay an hour early to find that Mara was already prepping the Fire for the trip.
He knocked on the closed hatch. /Mara?/ he called silently.
He felt her emotions shift. /Luke. Give me a second, I'll let you in./
A moment later, the door slid open. "Hey. Come on in." Luke followed her into the cabin and sat down, and Mara spoke again before he had the chance. "I know why you came early."
Luke only looked at her. "And why is that, exactly?
Mara sighed. "To convince me to stay."
"Not for the reason you think."
Mara looked at him. "And that would be."
"You think I just want you to stay to come back to Yavin 4 and complete your training."
Mara lifted an eyebrow. "That's not the only reason?"
Luke shook his head, meeting her gaze. "It's not even the main one, Mara. I want you to stay here with me."
Mara stared at him, feeling her jaw drop as she realized she was serious. "Wh-what?" she stammered.
Luke reached over and took her hand. "I'm serious, Mara. I want you to stay here with me. I. I think I might be falling in love with you."
Mara stared at him for another score of heartbeats, then dropped her gaze. " I can't, Luke. I've told you that before. Karrde depends on me to do too much." She looked back up, studying his face. "I can't just leave."
Luke turned his head to gaze out the viewport. "So that's it, then?" he asked softly.
Mara tried to swallow against the lump in her throat. "I guess so."
Luke nodded, still not looking at her. "Then good-bye, Mara." He turned and left the ship, closing his Force presence off.
Mara sank into a chair, fighting back tears. She wanted nothing more that to call out to him, to tell him that she would stay, but she couldn't. She got back up and slapped the control to close the boarding ramp, then strode into the cockpit. She flung herself into her chair, no longer able to stop the tears from flowing. "Good-bye, Luke," she whispered. "I'm sorry."
______________________________
Lately I've been running into our old friends
And somewhere in the small talk
Someone always asks where you've been
So I tell them what you told me
And they can't believe we're through
They ask me what I'm doin' now
And in case you're wondering too
I breathe in and breathe out
Put one foot in front of the other
Take one day at a time
Till you find
I'm that someone you can't live without
But until then
I'll breathe in and breathe out
I've got every reason to find someone new
Cause you swore up and down to me
I've seen the last of you
But the way you loved me
Left me hopin and holdin on
So until this world stops turning round
And my heart believes you're gone
I'll breathe in and breathe out
Put one foot in front of the other
Take one day at a time
Till you find
I'm that someone you can't live without
But until then
I'll breathe in and breathe out
We were meant to be, girl, there's no doubt
If it takes the rest of my life
For you to figure it out
I'll breathe in and breathe out
Put one foot in front of the other
Take one day at a time
Till you find
I'm that someone you can't live without
But until then
I'll breathe in
And breathe out
______________________________
2 months later.
Leia sighed and set down her comlink. She had been trying to get a hold of Luke ever since he had left a month ago to go back to Yavin 4, but to no avail.
Han looked at her in concern. "Still can't reach him?"
Leia shook her head. "No. And even worse, he's closed off his Force presence. You know, I thought he had a hard time when Callista left, but this is ten times worse."
Han wrapped an arm around her comfortingly. "I know. Don't worry, he'll get over it eventually."
Leia shook her head. "I'm not so sure he will."
______________________________
Luke spent that month on Yavin 4, although he didn't teach the students very often. He spent most of his time wandering the temple and the surrounding areas, ignoring the calls to his comlink that Leia made at least twice a day.
Finally, one day he decided to get away from even the small amount of civilization that they had at the temple. He walked into the communications center, where Streen and Tionne were sitting with their backs to him.
"I'm going to the other side of the planet," he announced abruptly, and they both whirled, shocked to see standing there, even more so that he had actually something. "I don't know how long I'll be gone, but I am not to be disturbed unless it is an absolute emergency. Understood?" Streen and Tionne nodded wordlessly, mouths agape. Luke whirled and stalked from the room.
Slowly, the two bewildered Jedi exchanged an astonished look, not sure if what had just happened had been real or not.
______________________________
Meanwhile, Mara had grown irritable and distracted in her work, and those she worked with often found her simply staring off into space. Her temper flared more often than ever before, leaving fewer and fewer people willing to work with her.
Karrde saw all this, of course, and tried to figure out what had caused all of it. He contacted Leia one day to see if she knew anything.
She looked surprised to hear from him. "Hello, Karrde. Do you need something?" she asked, only partially successful in keeping the suspicion from her voice.
Karrde's mouth turned up in a half smile. "yes, but not what you're thinking. More like information. Did something happen between Luke and Mara while she was on Coruscant?"
"Her, too, huh?" Leia shook her head. "I honestly don't know. From what I saw, though, they were becoming closer." She paused, and her voice lowered the slightest bit. "I have a feeling that something did, though. Luke's withdrawn into himself. I just contacted Yavin 4 a few days ago, and Streen said that Luke went off on some journey to the other side of the planet a week ago, without any indication of when he'll be back."
Karrde nodded thoughtfully. 'It really would explain things if something had happened," he mused. "Mara's become distracted, irritable. Most of my people are afraid to work with her, it's so bad. I sent her on her vacation because she seemed so miserable, but she's ten times worse now than she was before."
Leia looked at him beseechingly. "Is there anything you can do?"
Karrde shrugged. "I'll try to talk to her about it. I can't promise anything, though. I guess we'll just have to hope that they both realize how miserable they are."
"All right. I'll be in touch."
He nodded. "Karrde out."
______________________________
Karrde was abruptly startled when someone knocked on his door later that afternoon. "Come in," he called.
Mara's head appeared. "You wanted to see me?" she asked.
"Yes, Mara, come in and sit down." He motioned to a chair across from his desk.
She did so. "So?"
Karrde rested his elbows on his desk and leaned forward. "I want to know how long you're going to let this continue."
"Let what continue?" Mara asked, but the expression on her face betrayed the fact that she knew exactly what he was talking about.
"You know exactly what," he shot back at her. "Did something happen on Coruscant?"
Mara looked down. "It's not that important," she mumbled.
Karrde sighed and rolled his eyes in exasperation. " Mara, you know as well as I do, better in fact, that that's not true. You're moody and irritable, and most of the others are afraid to work with you. You're worse than you were before you left!"
Mara rested her head in her hands. "I know," she whispered.
"Then are you going to tell me why?"
Mara looked up and her eyes met his. "I think I'm in love with him."
Karrde tilted his head to the side. "Then go find him, Mara. Why put yourself through this?"
She got up from her chair and went to the window. "Because I can't go. I have too much to do here. You don't."
"Mara," Karrde cut her off. "I'm not saying you have to leave for good. If that's what it comes to, though, I'm sure I can find someone competent enough to take your place. All that I'm asking right now is that you resolve this."
Mara whirled to face him. "And if I can't?" she demanded.
He shrugged. "Then we'll figure that out when it happens. Something tells me it won't, though."
Mara blew out a breath and looked down. "All right. When can I leave?"
"As soon as possible. Tonight or tomorrow morning."
Mara nodded, squaring her shoulders and heading toward the door. Just before she reached it, though, she stopped and turned partially. "Do you know where he is?"
Karrde hesitated a moment before answering. "Yavin 4."
Mara nodded once. "Thanks." With that , she turned and strode from the room.
As soon as she had left, Karrde reached over to the communicator.
"Organa Sole here," came the reply.
"It's Karrde," he informed her. "I think things are beginning to look up a little."
______________________________
Luke sighed as he surveyed his work. The shelter he had set up would provide adequate protection from the elements, and he had brought enough food for over a month. The lake nearby would provide drinking water after purifying solution was added. He had everything he needed.
No, he thought. Not everything. The thought sprang, unbidden, into his mind, and he pushed it away as quickly as it had come. He couldn't think about her right now. He needed a distraction. After surveying his campsite one more time, he turned and began running, pushing himself faster and faster until his thoughts became a blur.
______________________________
Mara landed the Fire on the open area that served as the Academy's landing pad. Then strode into the Temple. She felt Steen's shock as she walked up to him.
"Hello, Miss Jade," he said nervously. "Do you need something?"
"Where is he?" she demanded.
Streen swallowed. "He?"
Mara glared at him. "Lu- Master Skywalker."
"Umm. well, he left several days ago, with explicit instructions that he was not to be disturbed," he explained.
Mara tried to calm her nerves. "Where did he go?"
He shrugged. "Somewhere on the other side of the planet, I believe. He didn't say exactly where."
Mara sighed. "Did he take a ship?"
"Yes."
"Good." Without so much as a good-bye, Mara whirled and left as quickly as she had come.
She powered up the Fire once again and punched in coordinates for the other side of the planet. After coming this far, she wasn't about to let Luke go now.
Finally, after a day and a half of searching, she found him camped out next to one of the smaller temples. After landing the Fire, she looked around the campsite for Luke. He wasn't there. Resolutely, Mara settled down to wait him out.
______________________________
When Luke walked back into his campsite after his run, he almost collapsed from the shock of seeing Mara there.
Mara stood when she saw him, brushing dirt off. "'Bout time you got here," she grumbled.
Luke stared at her for another minute. "What are you doing here?" he finally demanded. "I gave them direct orders that I was not to be bothered."
Mara met his glare. "Well, you needed to be bothered. I came here to talk to you."
Luke brushed past her, heading for his shelter. "There's nothing to talk about!" he growled through gritted teeth as he rushed into it.
Mara fought the urge to scream in frustration. "Luke, please!" she pleaded.
"Give me one good reason why I should!"
"Because I'm sorry, Luke." She felt, rather than heard, his deep sigh.
"All right. Come on in." Mara stepped into the shelter, and Luke gestured to a chair. "Have a seat. What do you want to talk about?"
Mara looked at him incredulously. "Don't play this game, Luke. You know very well what I want to talk about."
Luke shrugged. "Then talk."
Mara sighed. "You're not going to make this easy for me, are you?"
"Have you ever made anything easy for me?" he shot back.
"Good point." Mara looked down for a moment before continuing. "Look, Luke, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have just left like that, I know, and if I had a second chance at it, I wouldn't."
"Then why did you?'
"Because- because I was scared, Luke! I've never felt this way before, and I didn't know what else to do!" Mara was almost shouting now.
Luke's head shot up. "Felt what way?"
Mara stood up and walked across the room until she was gazing down into his eyes. "I love you," she said softly.
Before Mara even knew what had happened, Luke was on his feet and had swept Mara into his arms, his mouth pressed against hers, kissing her with a passion she had never known. She returned the kiss every bit as deeply as he gave it, and when they broke apart minutes later, they were both gasping for breath.
Luke rested his forehead against hers, their eyes meeting. "I love you, too, Mara Jade," he murmured, his voice full of emotion.
Mara looked down, fighting back tears that were threatening to overwhelm her. Luke held her close, letting her cry out the loneliness and anguish that had been filling her for the past two months.
Her emotions finally released, Mara looked up at Luke. "Thank you," she whispered.
Luke gently stroked her cheek. "Anytime." He paused for a moment. "Can I ask you something, Mara?" She nodded. "Are you planning on sticking around this time?"
Mara chuckled softly. "Try to keep me away."
Luke looked at her seriously. 'Then marry me, Mara."
Mara was silent for several minutes, and Luke began to worry that he had done something wrong. But then she smiled up at him. "Yes."
Luke grinned and swept her off her feet, spinning her around in a circle before she could protest. "Now, I suppose the only question is whether we just call Leia or go and surprise her."
Mara looked at him, a thoughtful smile on her face. "Which one do you think she would like more?"
______________________________
Leia spent the time it took Luke and Mara to get to Coruscant worrying about them, not knowing what had happened.
"Do you think they've worked things out yet?" she asked Han for what seemed like the hundredth time. "Mara should be at Yavin 4 by now."
Han squeezed her hand. "Leia, I'm sure that they'll let us know if they do. Look, you have to stop worrying so much. Luke can take care of himself. Besides, this is making you a nervous wreck."
Leia opened her mouth to reply, but she was interrupted by the door chime. "I wonder who that is," she said, puzzled, a frown creasing her forehead as she went to answer it.
The door slid open to reveal Luke and Mar standing outside, and that was the last thing Leia remembered before fainting from shock.
______________________________
Luke's mouth dropped open when Leia collapsed onto the floor. Han cam rushing to the door, almost as surprised to see Luke and Mara as Leia had been.
"Good thing you two don't visit very often," he joked as he scooped Leia into his arms and carried her over to the couch.
"I didn't think-" Luke began, but stopped when Leia began to come to.
Han bent over her and shook her shoulder gently. "Leia."
Leia's eyes blinked open, and she looked around in confusion. "Han? What happened?" she asked, then the memories flooded back, and she raised her head off the couch, looking around. "Luke? Mara?"
Luke grinned down at his sister apologetically. "Sorry about that. If I would've known that's how you would react to us showing up at your door, we would've just called."
Leia shook her head ruefully as she sat up. "I can't believe I did that," she muttered. Looking from Luke to Mara, she asked, 'So, I take it you two have worked things out?"
The two exchanged a glance, and Luke grinned. "I would say so," he said, but Leia suspected there was more.
"Okay, out with it," she demanded.
Luke wrapped his arm around Mara's shoulders. "We're getting married," he announced happily.
Leia stared at them for a moment before leaping off the couch to hug both of them. "I'm so happy for you!" she cried.
Mara was glowing. "Thank you. That means a lot, considering we probably put you through a lot the past couple months."
Leia shook her head. "It doesn't matter anymore. That's over." She grinned. "So when's the wedding?"
"Actually, we were hoping you could help us with that," Luke replied. "I don't think we can handle it alone."
Leia nodded. "Of course. It'll be my pleasure."
Luke looked around. "Where are the kids?" he asked.
As if on cue, three sets of little feet stampeded down the hallway. Before Luke could even react, the three Solo children jumped on him, knocking him to the floor. "Uncle Luke!"
After several minutes of wrestling, Luke struggled to his feet, Jacen and Jaina tucked under his arms and Anakin clinging to his neck. "It's good to see you, too."
Anakin dropped from Luke's neck and ran over to hug Mara. "Hi, Aunt Mara."
Jacen squirmed until Luke let him down. "How many times do we have to tell you, Anakin?!" he complained. "She's not out aunt!"
Luke set Jaina down and crouched on the floor next to Mara so he could look the kids in the eye. "She's going to be," he corrected gently.
Jacen's eyes grew wide, and Anakin grinned victoriously. "I told you, Jacen!" he crowed.
Jaina came over. "Are you really getting married?" she asked quietly,
Mara nodded, a smile on her face. "Yes, Jaina. We really are."
Jaina seemed to consider it for a moment before throwing her arms around Mara's neck in a hug. "I've always wanted an aunt," she said happily.
Jacen joined in. "Me, too."
Anakin, not wanting to be left out, followed his siblings' example. "Me, three!"
Mara smiled down at the children in her arms. "Thanks, guys."
______________________________
Epilogue
Luke stood on the platform, Han and Wedge at his side, trying to swallow his nervousness. What was taking so long?
Han leaned over. "Take it easy, kid. She'll be out," he whispered.
Luke gave him a shaky smile, then focused his attention on the door again.
______________________________
Leia took one last look at Mara. "All right, that's it. Are you ready?"
Mara swallowed. "I think so."
Leia smiled reassuringly. "You'll be fine, Mara. Don't worry." She paused. "And you look great."
"Thanks." Mara turned toward the door. "Karrde?"
His head appeared around the door. "Ready to go?"
Mara nodded. "Yeah." She took Karrde's arm and they walked to the door, which Karrde opened. They took a step out-
And Mara froze, almost turning and running the other way as panic swept over her. "I can't do this," she whispered fearfully.
Karrde propelled her forward. "Yes, you can, Mara. He's waiting for you," he reminded her.
Waiting. Mara tore her gaze from the crowd and sought Luke out. Their gazes locked; a slight smile came over Mara's face.
/Mara./ The voice in her head spoke lovingly and reassuringly, and Mara lifted her chin slightly, feeling her confidence slowly trickling back.
/Don't worry, farmboy./ That brought a smile to Luke's face.
They were at the altar now. Mara nodded once at Karrde before stepping up onto the platform to join Luke.
Without even looking, their hands intertwined, and they stepped forward to stand before the Holy Man.
The ceremony was beautiful. Luke and Mara had used part of a Jedi ceremony and written another part themselves. They said their vows softly, and exchanged a long, loving kiss, then turned to face the crowd.
"I present to you, the Skywalkers." The words rang out through the chamber, and cheers and whistled erupted from the crowd.
Standing next to Han on the side of the platform, Leia surreptitiously wiped away a few tears that had managed to escape. Finally, after so many years, her brother was truly happy.
Luke squeezed Mara's hand and looked down at her, his eyes shining. She smiled back, and together they walked down the steps and up the aisle as husband and wife, never to be separated again.