Part 1: Following The Last Command, 9 ABY

The next week was a flurry of activity, of meetings and more meetings. Mara had met with Luke several times, their long sparring sessions helping to relieve her ever-growing frustrations with politics. Luke even restrained himself and didn't question Mara about more Jedi training, allowing her a much needed respite from stress.

The day of her first trip off Coruscant, Mara hoped that she could sneak away without saying good-bye to Luke in person. She planned to leave him a message on his comm before going into hyperspace. For some reason, Mara was wary of saying good-bye to him. However, true to form, he was waiting for her when she arrived at the landing platform.

"Skywalker. What are you doing here?" Mara asked, stopping in her tracks.

"Nice to see you too, Mara. I knew you were leaving today, and I thought I should say good-bye. And I thought you might try to avoid it," he added, winking at her. Mara rolled her eyes and playfully smacked him on the arm. "Thanks, Skywalker. I tried to reach you before, but couldn't find you," she lied.

"Sure you did," he replied, his eyebrow raised suspiciously. Mara kicked herself internally, reminding herself that it was pointless to lie to a Jedi.

"Also, before you left…" he continued, his face looking apprehensive, "after all the sparring practice, you've really shown great potential, so I'm sorry, but I have to ask…have you given any consideration to more formal Jedi training?"

Mara cringed. She looked at the lightsaber hanging from her belt—the lightsaber that had once belonged to Luke's father, and then to Luke himself. It was such an important heirloom, and obviously not a gift he had given lightly. "I'm sorry, Skywalker. I told you, I just can't make that commitment right now." She could feel the disappointment radiating from him even though he tried hard to hide it. She reached out, touching him gently on his arm. "I really am sorry."

He nodded. "I can't make you be a Jedi if you don't want to, Mara. But you can't stop using the Force any more than you can stop breathing."

Mara shook her head at him. She knew that he would never give up on her. The thought made her smile. Finally Mara cleared her throat, glancing at her waiting ship. "I really should get going now. Karrde's waiting for me." Her voice shook slightly, not enough for most people to notice. But Luke was not most people.

"I know," he replied, staring into her eyes.

The air was heavy between them. Mara finally spoke. "Well, thanks, Luke." Her voice got quiet. "For everything." She glanced down at her feet, too embarrassed to look at him, and mad at herself for feeling this way. Neither of them moved.

Finally, Luke broke the silence. "Good-bye, Mara." Then, holding her hands, he leaned in and gently pressed his lips against Mara's cheek. She stiffened slightly, years of reflexes getting the best of her, but she did not pull away.

Mara didn't know why she let him kiss her. She knew that she wasn't ready to be a Jedi. She wasn't even sure of her feelings for Luke. But in that moment, it didn't matter. She was no longer the Emperor's Hand. She was someone's friend.

She was Luke's friend.

It was a kiss one would give a friend, or even a sister, but she knew that it meant more than that. They broke apart and stared at each other for a long moment. Before Luke could kiss her again, Mara swung around, angry at herself for letting her emotions get the best of her. She hurried across the landing platform, leaving Luke breathless behind her.

"Mara!" His voice pierced through the silence of the landing platform as she rushed towards the bottom of the ramp. She stopped and glanced back towards him, her green eyes as hard as ice, all tender emotions gone.

"When you decide you want more training, you know where to find me."

Mara gawked at him, ready to explode. Instead, she threw her head back and laughed. "When I want more training?" She shook her head. "Same old Skywalker. When will you get it through your thick skull that I don't want any more training?"

Luke grinned. "When you realize that I'm right and you really do want more training, Jade."

She rolled her eyes. "Would you care to place a wager on that?"

"Oh, I'd be more than willing," he replied. "But you're so stubborn that you'd never change your mind and consciously lose a bet."

Mara laughed again. It was ironic that the person she had pledged to kill for five years was the only person who truly understood her. She continued up the ramp, a hint of regret washing over her. She turned around when she entered the ship. "See you soon, Skywalker," she said, putting on a fake smile. She could feel him watching her walk towards the cockpit until the closing ramp blocked his view.

As she sat down in the pilot's seat, she briefly let herself wonder how long he would wait for her, before shrugging off the thought, and turning to the task at hand.