In The Shadows
Enigma Jade (Maab63@aol.com)
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, but Anja is mine. (I'm not even
referring to that twit out of the YJK books. Ugh, she disgusts me.)
If you want her, use her, but let me know first, k?
Summary: Just something I cooked up a few years ago. Luke is being
hounded by a woman who will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
Just how far will she go to have him?
And now, on with the show!
The doorchime sounded for the fifth time in the last thirty
seconds.
"All right, all right, I'm coming," Luke Skywalker called. "Just
hold on."
Four fifteen in the morning, he thought sourly. Who would be
here at four fifteen? Even I'm not awake by then, and I've always been
an early riser. He ran a hand through his sandy brown hair once to
straighten it before slapping the door controls.
"Yes, what is it?" he asked.
A huge bouquet was thrust into his arms before he could react.
"Delivery," a man said. "If you'll just sign here. . ."
Somewhat perplexed, Luke signed for the gift then retreated into
his quarters after thanking the man. Moonlighters, a rare and
exquisite flower, were not only incredibly expensive but gave off a
weak glow after which they were named. At a distance, they looked like
miniature moons. Luke dug for a card. Laying the flowers on the
counter, he was surprised at what it said.
For you, honey, cost doesn't matter...
It was left unsigned, anonymous. With a small smile, Luke's mind
went to Mara Jade, his wife, away on her night patrol. She had
probably sent these. True, she had never called him "honey" before,
and wasn't the sentimental type, but hey, weird things happen
sometimes. Maybe she was in a strange mood. It had certainly
happened on more than one occasion. He'd ask when she returned later
today, but for now, he was getting a few more minutes of shut eye.
Several hours later.
". . .what do you mean, 'you didn't send it'?" Luke asked.
Mara pushed a strand of her long red hair behind her ear as she
looked at the card. "I certainly didn't. You know me. I don't do
things like this unless there's something wacky going on up here," she
said, tapping her finger against her temple. "However, someone's
really fallen for you here. I mean, three dozen moonlighters? This
must have cost a fortune. . ."
"I know," Luke said, leaning over her shoulder. "But who?"
"I have a hunch that we'll find out soon enough," Mara said with
a grim edge to her voice.
Over the next few days, Luke kept receiving gifts with letters,
always with a message that called him "honey" and were never signed.
Their apartment was now crowded with flowers and other exotic plants.
Mara kept complaining about the pollen, but it didn't bother Luke-much
anyway. However, what was beginning to bother him was the explicitness
of the notes, the suddenness of the delivery boy and his insistantness
in the early morning hours. Mara kept threatening to shoot him if he
came again, but the delivery boy never listened. He just shrugged and
said it was his job.
Something was prodding at him though, through the Force, telling
Luke that something wasn't right about all this. Everyone knew he was
married. Leia, his sister, Chief of State of the New Republic, had
forced them into a big wedding ceremony, instead of the small, private
ceremony they had originally planned. Mara still insisted that half of
Coruscant attended it.
So who would be sending him this kind of stuff?
Now, it was three in the afternoon on a Sunday, and Luke had just
gotten back from a six hour senate meeting. He felt terrible, mostly
from having to stand and referee the session the entire time. That,
and from the lack of sleep he'd been getting since these surprise
gifts.
He had just sat down on the couch when the doorchime rang twice.
"Now what?!" he whispered fiercely. "Hold on, I'm coming." I swear,
if it's that delivery boy again, I am going to throttle him.
The door slid open and there stood a woman, in maybe her late
twenties, early thirties. She had long honey-brown hair with blonde
streaks and deep brown eyes. She was taller than Luke, but not by
much. Her deep red spacer suit did not hide how muscular and athletic
she was.
"Can I help you?" Luke asked with a slight frown.
She smiled, almost ferally. "Hello, honey."
Luke found himself back a step he hadn't realized he'd took.
"You," he said. "What are you doing here? Why are you sending me all
of these things?"
She ignored his questions and brushed past him into his
apartment. "I see you received my gifts," she said. "But I received
nothing in return."
Luke stumbled over words. "I. . .don't understand," he managed
to say. "How can I send anything back? Why would I? I don't even
know who you are."
"I know you do not," she said in heavily accented Basic. "Yet it
is common courtesy to send at least some small measure of gratitude for
a gift received."
She paced the room, peeking around corners as if she was looking
for something. Luke was appalled at her behavior. People just didn't
barge into other's apartments. Especially uninvited. She turned
around to face him. "It is acceptable, though. You were simply acting
cautiously, as always."
"You act like you know a lot about me," Luke said, studying her
closely now.
Again that feral smile as she walked close behind him. "I know
more than you can possibly imagine, Luke Skywalker," she said. "I know
everything about you. Everything-what you have done, how you move,
how you think."
Luke narrowed his eyes. "I think you should leave, miss," he
said. "Unless you're here for a reason, you should go."
"But we were just getting to know one another," she said with a
sarcastic pout. "Besides, I am not done with you yet. And there is
much to be done."
He backed away as she stepped close to him. Through the Force,
he could feel her intentions. Never before had he felt such an. . .an
animal craving from anyone. Luke was a married man. He couldn't do
this, even if he'd wanted to-which he didn't. "I'm sorry," he said.
"I'm afraid I can't do that."
Then her feelings and emotions vanished from the Force. So did
everything else. What the. . . he thought. "No, no," she said, coming closer. "There is none of this Force-sensitive stuff here. Whatever
you see of me will be with your eyes only."
"I'd prefer not to," he said, just before his back hit the wall.
Whoever this woman was, she had the ability to negate his own
Force-powers. Even his link with Mara had been cut off. He'd already
tried to contact her, only to run into a white wall. Luke felt as
though he was trapped underwater, with no way out. The woman's
presence was smothering. Her hands were now flat against the wall on
either side of his head. The very closeness of her was disturbing to
him. "Look," he said, "you don't want to do anything stupid, miss. I
suggest you leave. My wife is coming you know. . ."
"I am not worried about her," she said, then kissed him.
Surprise momentarily froze him, but Luke regained his senses
after a moment. Whipping his head to the side, he simultaneously
pushing out with his hands to get her away from him. She stumbled
backwards, but managed to stay on her feet. She kicked outward, and
caught Luke in the throat. He gagged as he fell to his knees and she
was on him again.
Suddenly Mara burst in the door, green eyes blazing. One
powerful wave of the Force swept the woman off him, and knocked her,
flailing, to the far side of the room. "Are you okay?" Mara asked,
taking hold of his arm.
Luke nodded with a cough as he fought to regain his breath.
After helping him stand, she pulled out her commlink and called Palace
security.
The woman, on the other hand, stood up again. But she looked
dazed. "Congratulations, deary," Mara said coldly. "You've just
earned yourself an escort to NRI with a Palace Security Detail. You
should be proud of yourself."
"It was worth it, I assure you, Jade. You are lucky to have
found him."
"Why I oughtta. . ." Mara said, stepping forward.
Luke caught her arm. "Don't," he said quietly. "Let the PSD
take care of it."
Mara looked at him like he was insane. "What. . ?"
"Just trust me, okay?" Luke said, touching her presence through
the Force, which had returned when the woman had slammed into the wall.
"Keep her under guard, but please Mara, don't kill her yet. I would
like to know what she thinks she's doing, barging in here like this."
"I believe you know quite well why I am here, honey," the woman
said as the PSD came charging into the room. They took the woman into
custody, and as started to drag her out she turned to Luke and Mara.
"My name is Anja. Remember it well."
Then she charged at Luke, breaking free of the PSD. Mara stepped
in her path, and took the hit for him. The two women went sprawling
and were already engaged in a fight before Luke and the PSD could come
between them. Luke pulled Mara back, pinning her arms to her sides.
"Mara! Stop it!" he said as the PSD pulled Anja off the floor and out
of the door. "You're a Jedi! Act like it!"
She pulled out of his arms, heaving a angry gust of breath.
"Fine," she said sharply. "You're right, Skywalker. That doesn't
happen often, so I'll act my age."
Luke smiled wryly at her. She still called him Skywalker even
after all these years of being married-especially when she was mad. He
moved to shut the door as he spoke. "Good. You're not hurt are you?"
"No, not really. Just my ego," she said, with a humorous edge to
her voice, "and I've got more than enough of that to go around."
Luke rolled his eyes. "That's true enough."
Mara came up behind him and slid her arms around his waist. "Did
she hurt you?" she asked.
"I don't think so," Luke said, turning to face her. "Just
rattled me a bit."
He felt her sigh. "I want you to carry your lightsaber," she
said. "I have a feeling. . .a bad one about her. There's something
not right with her mind. It's twisted, bent on you. That psycho will
stop at nothing."
"And what if she comes near me?" Luke asked. "What do I do?
Kill her? I won't. I can't. She's just misguided. I'd rather not
have to carry my lightsaber all the time."
"Where is it?"
Luke went for his belt, only to find that the lightsaber was
missing. "I thought I had it on. . ." he said, puzzled. Then the
realization dawned on him. "Sithspit! She's got it!"
Mara reached the door before him and was already halfway down the
hall by the time he caught up with her. They skidded around the
corner, only to stop dead in their tracks. The entire PSD lay
motionless in the hallway, killed cleanly with the saber. Anja was
nowhere to be found. "Great stars, I'm dense," Luke mumbled. "Well,
now I can't carry my lightsaber."
He reached out with the Force, trying to find the fugitive. Luke
couldn't find her anywhere in the immediate vicinity. "Blast it!" Mara
said. "She's gone."
Luke nodded. But he had the feeling they'd be seeing her again
fairly soon.
A week passed before anyone heard anything more of Anja.
Luke was in yet another senate meeting, again refereeing over a
controversial issue when his commlink buzzed at him. He was right in
the middle of speaking to a senator, one who always was causing trouble
for him. Sighing, Luke excused himself. "What is it?" he asked after
thumbing the commlink on.
"Commander, if you'd come down to NRI right away it would be much
appreciated."
He frowned, because New Republic Intelligence didn't call him.
They usually went through Leia or through Admiral Ackbar. Admiral
Drayson, the head of NRI, knew that Luke could not afford to be
interrupted in the middle of a senate ref. Must be pretty important,
he thought. "Sure. I'll be there in a flash. Thank you," he said.
Then he turned to the senate. "If you'll excuse me, a matter has come
up that needs my immediate attention. I turn over this session to my
assistant, Dorsk 82. You will treat him with the same respect you have
given me."
With that, Luke turned on his heel and exited the senate hall.
Whatever Drayson had to say to him couldn't wait.
Down thirty stories, over three blocks to the left Luke arrived
at NRI. He never could quite get over how huge the Imperial Palace
was; over half a mile high, and nearly four times that width. There
was a significant portion underground as well, but with all of
Coruscant's high-rises, it was difficult to tell exactly where the
surface began.
Yet NRI was as plain and unmemorable as your everyday vendor or
business complex. And that was the point of it. As the galaxy's
central Intelligence operation, there were many things not intended for
the general public to see. Indeed, even most of the senators and
military personnel didn't know how far NRI extended. Luke had been an
important player in NRI intelligence and reconnaissance back in the
early days of the New Republic. Now though, he had to train more Jedi
Knights and run senate meetings from dawn 'til dusk. Doesn't leave
much room for going on undercover missions, he thought, with a small
smile. Not that he minded of course-people shooting at you and all
that sneaking around did take a toll on your health eventually. And
besides, he was tired of people trying to kill him every time he turned
around.
Luke moved into the office, stopping only briefly to let the
guard wave him through the security check. A clerk greeted him as he
came through. "If you'll come with me, Master Skywalker, they're ready
for you now."
"Thank you," Luke said, following the man. "What's this all
about?"
"I'm not sure, sir," the clerk said as they ducked into a room.
A large man sat behind a desk, his gray hair only beginning to
thin at the crown of his head. Luke knew him well-Admiral Harm Drayson
himself. "Luke," the admiral said as he came in. "Sit down. You may
go now, Eavens."
"Yes, sir," the clerk said, then left, shutting the door behind
him.
Luke sat in the repulsor chair opposite Drayson. "What's this
about?" he asked. "I'm almost afraid to ask. Every time you call me
now it's something I don't want to know."
"Well, then this will be no different," Drayson said grimly,
handing him a piece of paper. "Mara's missing. No one's heard from
her since her patrol check-in yesterday."
Numbly, Luke took the sheet of paper from Drayson's hand.
"What?" he asked. "Missing?"
"I know. I'm sorry."
Luke quickly scanned the note, and felt a hand of ice grab at his
heart. "I know who has her," he said quietly, rubbing his chin.
"Anja. That crazy woman who broke into my apartment last week. This
is her doing. I just know it."
"And where would she be?" Drayson asked. "Can you find her?"
"Probably. Anja wants me-and she figures the easiest way to get
me to come to her is to kidnap my wife. Unfortunately, she's right,"
Luke said. "I'll leave as soon as I can figure out where to go."
"How will you know?"
"Like Han would say, 'It's just one of those crazy Jedi things'.
When I know I'll know. There's no simple way to put it, Harm," Luke
said, standing. "Thanks for telling me. I'll let you know if I find
out where Anja's taken her."
With that, Luke left the NRI headquarters and returned to his
apartment. Unfortunately, this kind of thing happened enough to where
it was beginning to get easier every time it happened-whether it be
Luke or Mara that was missing. With a sigh, he settled down into a
cross legged position on the floor. He needed to meditate, get some
sort of direction.
Sinking into a trance, Luke eased himself into the Force.
Perhaps it would show him where Mara was, give him a clue.
Nearly four hours later, much longer than he had planned, his
blue eyes snapped open. He knew where they were. It hadn't really
been the Force that had showed him this, but rather a look inside of
his own mind. Standing slowly, against protesting muscles that had
been left too long in one position, he hit the comm unit. "Palace
Central, how may I help you?" rang the operator's voice.
"This is Skywalker," he said. "I need my ship prepped and a line
to Admiral Drayson at NRI."
"One moment please."
"Drayson," the admiral said.
"Harm, it's Luke. I know where they are."
The big man was silent a moment. "Where?" he asked.
"A little place called Mimban."
Luke had not been to Mimban in years, not since he and Leia had
crashed there in the early days of the Rebellion. Both he and Leia had
nearly died from a fight with Vader, but the Kaiburr Crystal had saved
them both. The Kaiburr Crystal magnified a person's Force-ability to a
huge degree-Vader had been after the crystal when he and Luke had
battled.
He shook his head, clearing away the memories. They would not
help him now.
Starting the landing sequence, Luke let the Force guide his hands
over the controls. Hopefully he would be able to contact Mara at this
range. If not, then he would have to do this the hard way. The dense
temperate forests flashed underneath the cockpit, close enough to where
he had to swerve to avoid the tallest trees. He could feel Mara's
presence, somewhere ahead of him. But she was blocked from him, by
Anja probably.
Landing about a mile from an old pyramid, he stepped out of the
ship. It shouldn't take long to get to the pyramid, he thought. And
that's where Anja's waiting. . .
He shuddered. That last encounter with her had been bad enough.
Now Luke was walking right into a trap. He knew it. Drayson knew it-
he'd argued with Luke for at least fifteen minutes about this. And
lastly, Anja knew. She would have had time to prepare. Knowing how he
moved and how he thought, she'd probably designed traps to catch him
blindsided where he least expected it.
Yet he was walking into it anyway.
True enough, it didn't take him long to get to the temple, just
under twenty minutes. It was incredibly old, made of black obsidian,
and looked very much like the Temple of Pomojema where he had fought
Vader all those years ago.
Luke stood in the entranceway of the pyramid. He had no weapons.
Whatever happened would happen now. Looking around slowly, letting his
eyes adjust to the darkness, he caught sight of Mara hanging in mid-air
over a bottomless pit. Just like the sacrificial well Vader had fallen
into. "Mara?" he called, moving forward.
Luke, behind you! She yelled through their mindlink.
Spinning around, he caught sight of the club just before it
smashed into the side of his head, plunging him into darkness.
". . .on Luke. Wake up!"
Consciousness came slowly to Luke. He could hear, though sounds
faded in and out at random intervals. Feelings were just as slow to
come as the light of the conscious world. He was laying flat on his
back, on cool, wet stone.
"Luke?" A pause, then, "I swear, if. . .hurt him. . ."
"Hardly. . .it is not. . .matter anyway. He is. . .already."
His head throbbed, made him nauseous. Concussion territory,
probably. Opening his eyes, Luke concentrated on making the room into
one singular sight. Anja squatted down next to him. "I told you," she
said to Mara, who was still hanging by the wrists. "He is awake. How
do you feel, honey? I am terribly sorry that I had to knock you upside
the head like that. . ."
Luke moved away as she reached out to touch him. "Let's get one
thing straight, Anja," he said, sitting up. "I am not your 'honey' and
never will be."
Anja pushed a piece of hair behind her ear and stuck out her
bottom lip. "Never is a big word," she said. "I have you here. You
came of your own free will. Which means that intricate sub-conscious
of yours is truly controlling you. And it sent you to me."
He stared at her in total disbelief. How stupid could she
possibly be? "You had my wife. I didn't have a choice-if I didn't
come, I'd probably never seen her again. Isn't that right? You're
jealous of her, Anja. Because I chose her and not you. And you'd
gladly kill her if you thought that it would get you closer to me."
"I thought as much," Anja said with a sad smile. "In that case,
we will fight."
"What?" Luke asked.
She sighed. "We fight. Lightsabers, person-to-person, mano-a-
mano. Just you and me," she said with a wicked gleam in her brown
eyes.
"Are you insane?!" Mara yelled. "You actually think that you'd
be able to beat him in a saber fight?! Get over yourself, girl-you
aren't as good as you imagine."
"No, it's alright," Luke said, holding up a hand to silence his
wife for the moment as he stood. He could barely stand, his head was
swimming too badly. "She wants a fight, then a fight it shall be."
Anja smiled. "Very good. The rules are simple: if I win, you
stay. If you win, you and your wife go free. No holds barred. And
there will be no outside intervention," she added, glaring at Mara.
He shrugged out of his long brown Jedi cloak as Anja tossed his
lightsaber at him. Luke barely caught it, and inside he was fighting
to regain his equilibrium. Luke, you shouldn't be doing this now! Mara
hissed at him through their link. You're not up to it yet. She can
and will kill you. Delay this, you're too shaky to even stand up
without help from the Force!
I know, he replied. But I really don't think I have much of a
choice. . .
And he was cut off as Anja leapt forward, slicing through the air
with her own lightsaber. Luke barely got his own saber up before she
slammed into him. He parried, pivoting out of her path. But as before
in his apartment, she had already anticipated the move. Spinning
around in a near impossible move, she jabbed the lightsaber at his
chest. Luke saw it at the very last second and jumped backwards,
nearly losing his footing in the process.
Anja moved faster than he had anticipated, and charged at him
again, swinging in wide horizontal arcs to guard against attack. Luke
blocked, giving way to her attacks. She was a strong, extremely
capable fighter. Fast too, which in the long run could win out.
She changed to swing down at a hard forty-five degree angle, and
Luke saw his opening. Dropping into a crouch, he pulled a roundhouse,
knocking her off her feet.
He wound up with a foot in his face for his trouble. She flipped
over, landing on her hands then on her feet. Luke swore under his
breath. This was going nowhere.
Luke ducked quickly as he felt her intent through the Force. Her
blade swept over his head, and he followed with his, attempting to
knock it from her hands. When he saw that it was doing nothing, he
dived forward, out of her reach. He stood and faced her, only to wind
up pummeled to the ground underneath her. Anja straddled his chest,
lightsaber blade pressed straining against his, sun yellow against
yellow-green. "You cannot win, honey," she said through clenched teeth, sweat dripping from her face. "I know everything you are going
to do, seconds before you do it. Give up, and spare yourself harm."
In answer, Luke kicked the back of her head, sending her tumbling
off him. "I don't think so," he said, trying getting his breath back.
Anja stood up, eyes glaring behind her lightsaber. And suddenly,
Luke could no longer feel the Force. Oh, sithspit, he cursed as she
came barreling forward.
He parried, blocked, over and over again but could feel his arms
tiring under the strength and speed of her blows. With the Force no
longer on his side, he had lost his advantage.
Little nicks and cuts were starting to appear over his arms and
body as he gradually tired. He clenched his jaw, thinking frantically.
There had to be a way to get around her defenses, to stop her dead in
her tracks.
Stepping to the side as she cut, Luke grabbed onto one of her
arms. With a surge of effort, he managed to hurl her over his shoulder
and into the wall that had been behind him. Anja's concentration broke
as she hit, and he could again feel the Force. Moving quickly, he
pulled the lightsaber from her hand and sent it arcing towards his. It
landed, unactivated, in his fingers.
She slid to the floor, glaring at him. "That was a dirty trick,"
Anja said as she tried to get her wind back. "Not at all like you."
"True, but I've won," Luke said. "Let Mara down."
"You actually believe you have already won?!" she asked,
astonished. "Ha! Not by a long shot!"
Reaching into the pouch on her leg, Anja produced a large blue
stone. Holding it high above her head, she drew on the Force. Luke
felt the lightning form before it hit him. There was no avoiding it.
He cried out as it tore through him, and staggered backwards with the
impact. Still dizzy from being unconscious, he lost his balance and
was thrown into the far wall of the temple as a second burst of
lightning hit him. Luke fell forward on his hands, stunned, trying to
breathe while he could. Anja walked toward him slowly, the stone
clutched in her left hand, lightsaber in the other. He must have
dropped them when he'd been thrown across the room. "Just give up,
honey," she said, igniting her saber. "It will be so much easier on
both of us."
Luke stood, leaning against the wall for support. "I. . .won't,"
he gasped, still attempting to find some air. Anja was still coming,
now less than a meter in front of him. If she moved her lightsaber too
much, she'd slice him to bits. He had lost his connection to the Force
again. "But I don't want to have to hurt you-there has to be a
different way."
"That, honey, I am afraid cannot be done," Anja commented. "You
chose to fight, now you must follow through with it; or I will simply
kill your wife and be done with it. She is of no use to me anymore."
Lifting her lightsaber tip to touch the underside of his chin,
she looked into his ice blue eyes. Luke knew she could kill him now.
Strangely, he felt no fear. "Go ahead," he said calmly. "Kill me."
"Do not move," she said, a hard edge to her voice as she moved
the saber a touch higher. The tip of the blade made a tiny burn on the
sensitive skin. "You have lost. Admit defeat."
"I haven't lost yet. I will continue to fight until I die," he
said. "Fate and destiny had decided that for me before I was even
born. So you'll have to kill me to win."
He could see her hesitation. Anja wanted him alive. After a
long, intense minute, she lowered the lightsaber, dropping it to the
floor where it deactivated. The pressure on Luke's mind dissipated,
and he could feel the Force. Anja sank to the ground, staring blankly
at her hands. Letting a silent sigh of released tension, Luke looked
up at Mara. She was smiling. Now will you please get me down from
here? she asked through the link.
Hold on a minute, he said, tracing the ceiling with his eyes.
Moving past Anja, he found the controls on the wall for the
remote crawler that held Mara aloft. Luke maneuvered it to where she
came down a good distance from the sacrificial well. He was there to
meet her as she touched the ground. She had her arms around his neck
even before he had her unbound. "I don't do this 'damsel-in-distress'
thing much," she said, playing with a strand of his hair, "but I think
I'm supposed to give the hero a kiss now or something."
"Or something," he echoed before he kissed her.
"Now all I have to do is find the hero," she mumbled with a
laugh.
He pulled away, managing to look hurt. "I guess I'll just have
to do," he said.
A minute later, they both stood free. Mara was brushing a bit
off dirt off her shoulder of her jacket when she nodded towards Anja,
who hadn't moved. "What's with little Miss Obsessive over there?" she
asked. "What'd you say to her, Luke?"
"Just that I wouldn't stop fighting and she'd have to kill me to
win," he answered as he examined a particularly deep slice on his arm.
"Nothing that wasn't true."
"I'd ask if she'd be okay, but I really don't care," Mara said
coldly.
Luke sighed again, giving up on the cut. "And I'd tell you, but
I'm not sure."
"Let's go," she said. "I'm tired, you're hurt, and this humidity
is hell on my hair."
"Must you always be the cynic?" Luke asked his wife.
She smiled again as they turned towards the entrance. "Of
course. One of us has to be. You're just too optimistic all the time
to take the job. . ."
Leaving Anja to whatever fate she chose, they hiked their way
back to the ship. It didn't take them long to get off planet, and both
Luke and Mara were glad to get away from the oppressive moisture.
"What do you think will happen to her?" Mara asked as soon as they
entered hyperspace. She had her arms around his waist and head resting
on his shoulder blade.
He held her hands, stroking absently at her fingers. "I'm hoping
she'll get help. But somehow I don't believe it," Luke commented.
"She's just naïve; she didn't want to hurt anyone, really."
"We'll find out soon enough," Mara said. "I have a feeling she
might be back sooner than later. And we'll have to be ready for her."
"Don't worry," he said, gazing out at the mottled blue of
hyperspace. "We will."
_fin_
Yes, I know that ended fast. Sorry. If you want more, let me know.
Please review, and be kind. . .?
Enigma Jade (Maab63@aol.com)
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars, but Anja is mine. (I'm not even
referring to that twit out of the YJK books. Ugh, she disgusts me.)
If you want her, use her, but let me know first, k?
Summary: Just something I cooked up a few years ago. Luke is being
hounded by a woman who will stop at nothing to get what she wants.
Just how far will she go to have him?
And now, on with the show!
The doorchime sounded for the fifth time in the last thirty
seconds.
"All right, all right, I'm coming," Luke Skywalker called. "Just
hold on."
Four fifteen in the morning, he thought sourly. Who would be
here at four fifteen? Even I'm not awake by then, and I've always been
an early riser. He ran a hand through his sandy brown hair once to
straighten it before slapping the door controls.
"Yes, what is it?" he asked.
A huge bouquet was thrust into his arms before he could react.
"Delivery," a man said. "If you'll just sign here. . ."
Somewhat perplexed, Luke signed for the gift then retreated into
his quarters after thanking the man. Moonlighters, a rare and
exquisite flower, were not only incredibly expensive but gave off a
weak glow after which they were named. At a distance, they looked like
miniature moons. Luke dug for a card. Laying the flowers on the
counter, he was surprised at what it said.
For you, honey, cost doesn't matter...
It was left unsigned, anonymous. With a small smile, Luke's mind
went to Mara Jade, his wife, away on her night patrol. She had
probably sent these. True, she had never called him "honey" before,
and wasn't the sentimental type, but hey, weird things happen
sometimes. Maybe she was in a strange mood. It had certainly
happened on more than one occasion. He'd ask when she returned later
today, but for now, he was getting a few more minutes of shut eye.
Several hours later.
". . .what do you mean, 'you didn't send it'?" Luke asked.
Mara pushed a strand of her long red hair behind her ear as she
looked at the card. "I certainly didn't. You know me. I don't do
things like this unless there's something wacky going on up here," she
said, tapping her finger against her temple. "However, someone's
really fallen for you here. I mean, three dozen moonlighters? This
must have cost a fortune. . ."
"I know," Luke said, leaning over her shoulder. "But who?"
"I have a hunch that we'll find out soon enough," Mara said with
a grim edge to her voice.
Over the next few days, Luke kept receiving gifts with letters,
always with a message that called him "honey" and were never signed.
Their apartment was now crowded with flowers and other exotic plants.
Mara kept complaining about the pollen, but it didn't bother Luke-much
anyway. However, what was beginning to bother him was the explicitness
of the notes, the suddenness of the delivery boy and his insistantness
in the early morning hours. Mara kept threatening to shoot him if he
came again, but the delivery boy never listened. He just shrugged and
said it was his job.
Something was prodding at him though, through the Force, telling
Luke that something wasn't right about all this. Everyone knew he was
married. Leia, his sister, Chief of State of the New Republic, had
forced them into a big wedding ceremony, instead of the small, private
ceremony they had originally planned. Mara still insisted that half of
Coruscant attended it.
So who would be sending him this kind of stuff?
Now, it was three in the afternoon on a Sunday, and Luke had just
gotten back from a six hour senate meeting. He felt terrible, mostly
from having to stand and referee the session the entire time. That,
and from the lack of sleep he'd been getting since these surprise
gifts.
He had just sat down on the couch when the doorchime rang twice.
"Now what?!" he whispered fiercely. "Hold on, I'm coming." I swear,
if it's that delivery boy again, I am going to throttle him.
The door slid open and there stood a woman, in maybe her late
twenties, early thirties. She had long honey-brown hair with blonde
streaks and deep brown eyes. She was taller than Luke, but not by
much. Her deep red spacer suit did not hide how muscular and athletic
she was.
"Can I help you?" Luke asked with a slight frown.
She smiled, almost ferally. "Hello, honey."
Luke found himself back a step he hadn't realized he'd took.
"You," he said. "What are you doing here? Why are you sending me all
of these things?"
She ignored his questions and brushed past him into his
apartment. "I see you received my gifts," she said. "But I received
nothing in return."
Luke stumbled over words. "I. . .don't understand," he managed
to say. "How can I send anything back? Why would I? I don't even
know who you are."
"I know you do not," she said in heavily accented Basic. "Yet it
is common courtesy to send at least some small measure of gratitude for
a gift received."
She paced the room, peeking around corners as if she was looking
for something. Luke was appalled at her behavior. People just didn't
barge into other's apartments. Especially uninvited. She turned
around to face him. "It is acceptable, though. You were simply acting
cautiously, as always."
"You act like you know a lot about me," Luke said, studying her
closely now.
Again that feral smile as she walked close behind him. "I know
more than you can possibly imagine, Luke Skywalker," she said. "I know
everything about you. Everything-what you have done, how you move,
how you think."
Luke narrowed his eyes. "I think you should leave, miss," he
said. "Unless you're here for a reason, you should go."
"But we were just getting to know one another," she said with a
sarcastic pout. "Besides, I am not done with you yet. And there is
much to be done."
He backed away as she stepped close to him. Through the Force,
he could feel her intentions. Never before had he felt such an. . .an
animal craving from anyone. Luke was a married man. He couldn't do
this, even if he'd wanted to-which he didn't. "I'm sorry," he said.
"I'm afraid I can't do that."
Then her feelings and emotions vanished from the Force. So did
everything else. What the. . . he thought. "No, no," she said, coming closer. "There is none of this Force-sensitive stuff here. Whatever
you see of me will be with your eyes only."
"I'd prefer not to," he said, just before his back hit the wall.
Whoever this woman was, she had the ability to negate his own
Force-powers. Even his link with Mara had been cut off. He'd already
tried to contact her, only to run into a white wall. Luke felt as
though he was trapped underwater, with no way out. The woman's
presence was smothering. Her hands were now flat against the wall on
either side of his head. The very closeness of her was disturbing to
him. "Look," he said, "you don't want to do anything stupid, miss. I
suggest you leave. My wife is coming you know. . ."
"I am not worried about her," she said, then kissed him.
Surprise momentarily froze him, but Luke regained his senses
after a moment. Whipping his head to the side, he simultaneously
pushing out with his hands to get her away from him. She stumbled
backwards, but managed to stay on her feet. She kicked outward, and
caught Luke in the throat. He gagged as he fell to his knees and she
was on him again.
Suddenly Mara burst in the door, green eyes blazing. One
powerful wave of the Force swept the woman off him, and knocked her,
flailing, to the far side of the room. "Are you okay?" Mara asked,
taking hold of his arm.
Luke nodded with a cough as he fought to regain his breath.
After helping him stand, she pulled out her commlink and called Palace
security.
The woman, on the other hand, stood up again. But she looked
dazed. "Congratulations, deary," Mara said coldly. "You've just
earned yourself an escort to NRI with a Palace Security Detail. You
should be proud of yourself."
"It was worth it, I assure you, Jade. You are lucky to have
found him."
"Why I oughtta. . ." Mara said, stepping forward.
Luke caught her arm. "Don't," he said quietly. "Let the PSD
take care of it."
Mara looked at him like he was insane. "What. . ?"
"Just trust me, okay?" Luke said, touching her presence through
the Force, which had returned when the woman had slammed into the wall.
"Keep her under guard, but please Mara, don't kill her yet. I would
like to know what she thinks she's doing, barging in here like this."
"I believe you know quite well why I am here, honey," the woman
said as the PSD came charging into the room. They took the woman into
custody, and as started to drag her out she turned to Luke and Mara.
"My name is Anja. Remember it well."
Then she charged at Luke, breaking free of the PSD. Mara stepped
in her path, and took the hit for him. The two women went sprawling
and were already engaged in a fight before Luke and the PSD could come
between them. Luke pulled Mara back, pinning her arms to her sides.
"Mara! Stop it!" he said as the PSD pulled Anja off the floor and out
of the door. "You're a Jedi! Act like it!"
She pulled out of his arms, heaving a angry gust of breath.
"Fine," she said sharply. "You're right, Skywalker. That doesn't
happen often, so I'll act my age."
Luke smiled wryly at her. She still called him Skywalker even
after all these years of being married-especially when she was mad. He
moved to shut the door as he spoke. "Good. You're not hurt are you?"
"No, not really. Just my ego," she said, with a humorous edge to
her voice, "and I've got more than enough of that to go around."
Luke rolled his eyes. "That's true enough."
Mara came up behind him and slid her arms around his waist. "Did
she hurt you?" she asked.
"I don't think so," Luke said, turning to face her. "Just
rattled me a bit."
He felt her sigh. "I want you to carry your lightsaber," she
said. "I have a feeling. . .a bad one about her. There's something
not right with her mind. It's twisted, bent on you. That psycho will
stop at nothing."
"And what if she comes near me?" Luke asked. "What do I do?
Kill her? I won't. I can't. She's just misguided. I'd rather not
have to carry my lightsaber all the time."
"Where is it?"
Luke went for his belt, only to find that the lightsaber was
missing. "I thought I had it on. . ." he said, puzzled. Then the
realization dawned on him. "Sithspit! She's got it!"
Mara reached the door before him and was already halfway down the
hall by the time he caught up with her. They skidded around the
corner, only to stop dead in their tracks. The entire PSD lay
motionless in the hallway, killed cleanly with the saber. Anja was
nowhere to be found. "Great stars, I'm dense," Luke mumbled. "Well,
now I can't carry my lightsaber."
He reached out with the Force, trying to find the fugitive. Luke
couldn't find her anywhere in the immediate vicinity. "Blast it!" Mara
said. "She's gone."
Luke nodded. But he had the feeling they'd be seeing her again
fairly soon.
A week passed before anyone heard anything more of Anja.
Luke was in yet another senate meeting, again refereeing over a
controversial issue when his commlink buzzed at him. He was right in
the middle of speaking to a senator, one who always was causing trouble
for him. Sighing, Luke excused himself. "What is it?" he asked after
thumbing the commlink on.
"Commander, if you'd come down to NRI right away it would be much
appreciated."
He frowned, because New Republic Intelligence didn't call him.
They usually went through Leia or through Admiral Ackbar. Admiral
Drayson, the head of NRI, knew that Luke could not afford to be
interrupted in the middle of a senate ref. Must be pretty important,
he thought. "Sure. I'll be there in a flash. Thank you," he said.
Then he turned to the senate. "If you'll excuse me, a matter has come
up that needs my immediate attention. I turn over this session to my
assistant, Dorsk 82. You will treat him with the same respect you have
given me."
With that, Luke turned on his heel and exited the senate hall.
Whatever Drayson had to say to him couldn't wait.
Down thirty stories, over three blocks to the left Luke arrived
at NRI. He never could quite get over how huge the Imperial Palace
was; over half a mile high, and nearly four times that width. There
was a significant portion underground as well, but with all of
Coruscant's high-rises, it was difficult to tell exactly where the
surface began.
Yet NRI was as plain and unmemorable as your everyday vendor or
business complex. And that was the point of it. As the galaxy's
central Intelligence operation, there were many things not intended for
the general public to see. Indeed, even most of the senators and
military personnel didn't know how far NRI extended. Luke had been an
important player in NRI intelligence and reconnaissance back in the
early days of the New Republic. Now though, he had to train more Jedi
Knights and run senate meetings from dawn 'til dusk. Doesn't leave
much room for going on undercover missions, he thought, with a small
smile. Not that he minded of course-people shooting at you and all
that sneaking around did take a toll on your health eventually. And
besides, he was tired of people trying to kill him every time he turned
around.
Luke moved into the office, stopping only briefly to let the
guard wave him through the security check. A clerk greeted him as he
came through. "If you'll come with me, Master Skywalker, they're ready
for you now."
"Thank you," Luke said, following the man. "What's this all
about?"
"I'm not sure, sir," the clerk said as they ducked into a room.
A large man sat behind a desk, his gray hair only beginning to
thin at the crown of his head. Luke knew him well-Admiral Harm Drayson
himself. "Luke," the admiral said as he came in. "Sit down. You may
go now, Eavens."
"Yes, sir," the clerk said, then left, shutting the door behind
him.
Luke sat in the repulsor chair opposite Drayson. "What's this
about?" he asked. "I'm almost afraid to ask. Every time you call me
now it's something I don't want to know."
"Well, then this will be no different," Drayson said grimly,
handing him a piece of paper. "Mara's missing. No one's heard from
her since her patrol check-in yesterday."
Numbly, Luke took the sheet of paper from Drayson's hand.
"What?" he asked. "Missing?"
"I know. I'm sorry."
Luke quickly scanned the note, and felt a hand of ice grab at his
heart. "I know who has her," he said quietly, rubbing his chin.
"Anja. That crazy woman who broke into my apartment last week. This
is her doing. I just know it."
"And where would she be?" Drayson asked. "Can you find her?"
"Probably. Anja wants me-and she figures the easiest way to get
me to come to her is to kidnap my wife. Unfortunately, she's right,"
Luke said. "I'll leave as soon as I can figure out where to go."
"How will you know?"
"Like Han would say, 'It's just one of those crazy Jedi things'.
When I know I'll know. There's no simple way to put it, Harm," Luke
said, standing. "Thanks for telling me. I'll let you know if I find
out where Anja's taken her."
With that, Luke left the NRI headquarters and returned to his
apartment. Unfortunately, this kind of thing happened enough to where
it was beginning to get easier every time it happened-whether it be
Luke or Mara that was missing. With a sigh, he settled down into a
cross legged position on the floor. He needed to meditate, get some
sort of direction.
Sinking into a trance, Luke eased himself into the Force.
Perhaps it would show him where Mara was, give him a clue.
Nearly four hours later, much longer than he had planned, his
blue eyes snapped open. He knew where they were. It hadn't really
been the Force that had showed him this, but rather a look inside of
his own mind. Standing slowly, against protesting muscles that had
been left too long in one position, he hit the comm unit. "Palace
Central, how may I help you?" rang the operator's voice.
"This is Skywalker," he said. "I need my ship prepped and a line
to Admiral Drayson at NRI."
"One moment please."
"Drayson," the admiral said.
"Harm, it's Luke. I know where they are."
The big man was silent a moment. "Where?" he asked.
"A little place called Mimban."
Luke had not been to Mimban in years, not since he and Leia had
crashed there in the early days of the Rebellion. Both he and Leia had
nearly died from a fight with Vader, but the Kaiburr Crystal had saved
them both. The Kaiburr Crystal magnified a person's Force-ability to a
huge degree-Vader had been after the crystal when he and Luke had
battled.
He shook his head, clearing away the memories. They would not
help him now.
Starting the landing sequence, Luke let the Force guide his hands
over the controls. Hopefully he would be able to contact Mara at this
range. If not, then he would have to do this the hard way. The dense
temperate forests flashed underneath the cockpit, close enough to where
he had to swerve to avoid the tallest trees. He could feel Mara's
presence, somewhere ahead of him. But she was blocked from him, by
Anja probably.
Landing about a mile from an old pyramid, he stepped out of the
ship. It shouldn't take long to get to the pyramid, he thought. And
that's where Anja's waiting. . .
He shuddered. That last encounter with her had been bad enough.
Now Luke was walking right into a trap. He knew it. Drayson knew it-
he'd argued with Luke for at least fifteen minutes about this. And
lastly, Anja knew. She would have had time to prepare. Knowing how he
moved and how he thought, she'd probably designed traps to catch him
blindsided where he least expected it.
Yet he was walking into it anyway.
True enough, it didn't take him long to get to the temple, just
under twenty minutes. It was incredibly old, made of black obsidian,
and looked very much like the Temple of Pomojema where he had fought
Vader all those years ago.
Luke stood in the entranceway of the pyramid. He had no weapons.
Whatever happened would happen now. Looking around slowly, letting his
eyes adjust to the darkness, he caught sight of Mara hanging in mid-air
over a bottomless pit. Just like the sacrificial well Vader had fallen
into. "Mara?" he called, moving forward.
Luke, behind you! She yelled through their mindlink.
Spinning around, he caught sight of the club just before it
smashed into the side of his head, plunging him into darkness.
". . .on Luke. Wake up!"
Consciousness came slowly to Luke. He could hear, though sounds
faded in and out at random intervals. Feelings were just as slow to
come as the light of the conscious world. He was laying flat on his
back, on cool, wet stone.
"Luke?" A pause, then, "I swear, if. . .hurt him. . ."
"Hardly. . .it is not. . .matter anyway. He is. . .already."
His head throbbed, made him nauseous. Concussion territory,
probably. Opening his eyes, Luke concentrated on making the room into
one singular sight. Anja squatted down next to him. "I told you," she
said to Mara, who was still hanging by the wrists. "He is awake. How
do you feel, honey? I am terribly sorry that I had to knock you upside
the head like that. . ."
Luke moved away as she reached out to touch him. "Let's get one
thing straight, Anja," he said, sitting up. "I am not your 'honey' and
never will be."
Anja pushed a piece of hair behind her ear and stuck out her
bottom lip. "Never is a big word," she said. "I have you here. You
came of your own free will. Which means that intricate sub-conscious
of yours is truly controlling you. And it sent you to me."
He stared at her in total disbelief. How stupid could she
possibly be? "You had my wife. I didn't have a choice-if I didn't
come, I'd probably never seen her again. Isn't that right? You're
jealous of her, Anja. Because I chose her and not you. And you'd
gladly kill her if you thought that it would get you closer to me."
"I thought as much," Anja said with a sad smile. "In that case,
we will fight."
"What?" Luke asked.
She sighed. "We fight. Lightsabers, person-to-person, mano-a-
mano. Just you and me," she said with a wicked gleam in her brown
eyes.
"Are you insane?!" Mara yelled. "You actually think that you'd
be able to beat him in a saber fight?! Get over yourself, girl-you
aren't as good as you imagine."
"No, it's alright," Luke said, holding up a hand to silence his
wife for the moment as he stood. He could barely stand, his head was
swimming too badly. "She wants a fight, then a fight it shall be."
Anja smiled. "Very good. The rules are simple: if I win, you
stay. If you win, you and your wife go free. No holds barred. And
there will be no outside intervention," she added, glaring at Mara.
He shrugged out of his long brown Jedi cloak as Anja tossed his
lightsaber at him. Luke barely caught it, and inside he was fighting
to regain his equilibrium. Luke, you shouldn't be doing this now! Mara
hissed at him through their link. You're not up to it yet. She can
and will kill you. Delay this, you're too shaky to even stand up
without help from the Force!
I know, he replied. But I really don't think I have much of a
choice. . .
And he was cut off as Anja leapt forward, slicing through the air
with her own lightsaber. Luke barely got his own saber up before she
slammed into him. He parried, pivoting out of her path. But as before
in his apartment, she had already anticipated the move. Spinning
around in a near impossible move, she jabbed the lightsaber at his
chest. Luke saw it at the very last second and jumped backwards,
nearly losing his footing in the process.
Anja moved faster than he had anticipated, and charged at him
again, swinging in wide horizontal arcs to guard against attack. Luke
blocked, giving way to her attacks. She was a strong, extremely
capable fighter. Fast too, which in the long run could win out.
She changed to swing down at a hard forty-five degree angle, and
Luke saw his opening. Dropping into a crouch, he pulled a roundhouse,
knocking her off her feet.
He wound up with a foot in his face for his trouble. She flipped
over, landing on her hands then on her feet. Luke swore under his
breath. This was going nowhere.
Luke ducked quickly as he felt her intent through the Force. Her
blade swept over his head, and he followed with his, attempting to
knock it from her hands. When he saw that it was doing nothing, he
dived forward, out of her reach. He stood and faced her, only to wind
up pummeled to the ground underneath her. Anja straddled his chest,
lightsaber blade pressed straining against his, sun yellow against
yellow-green. "You cannot win, honey," she said through clenched teeth, sweat dripping from her face. "I know everything you are going
to do, seconds before you do it. Give up, and spare yourself harm."
In answer, Luke kicked the back of her head, sending her tumbling
off him. "I don't think so," he said, trying getting his breath back.
Anja stood up, eyes glaring behind her lightsaber. And suddenly,
Luke could no longer feel the Force. Oh, sithspit, he cursed as she
came barreling forward.
He parried, blocked, over and over again but could feel his arms
tiring under the strength and speed of her blows. With the Force no
longer on his side, he had lost his advantage.
Little nicks and cuts were starting to appear over his arms and
body as he gradually tired. He clenched his jaw, thinking frantically.
There had to be a way to get around her defenses, to stop her dead in
her tracks.
Stepping to the side as she cut, Luke grabbed onto one of her
arms. With a surge of effort, he managed to hurl her over his shoulder
and into the wall that had been behind him. Anja's concentration broke
as she hit, and he could again feel the Force. Moving quickly, he
pulled the lightsaber from her hand and sent it arcing towards his. It
landed, unactivated, in his fingers.
She slid to the floor, glaring at him. "That was a dirty trick,"
Anja said as she tried to get her wind back. "Not at all like you."
"True, but I've won," Luke said. "Let Mara down."
"You actually believe you have already won?!" she asked,
astonished. "Ha! Not by a long shot!"
Reaching into the pouch on her leg, Anja produced a large blue
stone. Holding it high above her head, she drew on the Force. Luke
felt the lightning form before it hit him. There was no avoiding it.
He cried out as it tore through him, and staggered backwards with the
impact. Still dizzy from being unconscious, he lost his balance and
was thrown into the far wall of the temple as a second burst of
lightning hit him. Luke fell forward on his hands, stunned, trying to
breathe while he could. Anja walked toward him slowly, the stone
clutched in her left hand, lightsaber in the other. He must have
dropped them when he'd been thrown across the room. "Just give up,
honey," she said, igniting her saber. "It will be so much easier on
both of us."
Luke stood, leaning against the wall for support. "I. . .won't,"
he gasped, still attempting to find some air. Anja was still coming,
now less than a meter in front of him. If she moved her lightsaber too
much, she'd slice him to bits. He had lost his connection to the Force
again. "But I don't want to have to hurt you-there has to be a
different way."
"That, honey, I am afraid cannot be done," Anja commented. "You
chose to fight, now you must follow through with it; or I will simply
kill your wife and be done with it. She is of no use to me anymore."
Lifting her lightsaber tip to touch the underside of his chin,
she looked into his ice blue eyes. Luke knew she could kill him now.
Strangely, he felt no fear. "Go ahead," he said calmly. "Kill me."
"Do not move," she said, a hard edge to her voice as she moved
the saber a touch higher. The tip of the blade made a tiny burn on the
sensitive skin. "You have lost. Admit defeat."
"I haven't lost yet. I will continue to fight until I die," he
said. "Fate and destiny had decided that for me before I was even
born. So you'll have to kill me to win."
He could see her hesitation. Anja wanted him alive. After a
long, intense minute, she lowered the lightsaber, dropping it to the
floor where it deactivated. The pressure on Luke's mind dissipated,
and he could feel the Force. Anja sank to the ground, staring blankly
at her hands. Letting a silent sigh of released tension, Luke looked
up at Mara. She was smiling. Now will you please get me down from
here? she asked through the link.
Hold on a minute, he said, tracing the ceiling with his eyes.
Moving past Anja, he found the controls on the wall for the
remote crawler that held Mara aloft. Luke maneuvered it to where she
came down a good distance from the sacrificial well. He was there to
meet her as she touched the ground. She had her arms around his neck
even before he had her unbound. "I don't do this 'damsel-in-distress'
thing much," she said, playing with a strand of his hair, "but I think
I'm supposed to give the hero a kiss now or something."
"Or something," he echoed before he kissed her.
"Now all I have to do is find the hero," she mumbled with a
laugh.
He pulled away, managing to look hurt. "I guess I'll just have
to do," he said.
A minute later, they both stood free. Mara was brushing a bit
off dirt off her shoulder of her jacket when she nodded towards Anja,
who hadn't moved. "What's with little Miss Obsessive over there?" she
asked. "What'd you say to her, Luke?"
"Just that I wouldn't stop fighting and she'd have to kill me to
win," he answered as he examined a particularly deep slice on his arm.
"Nothing that wasn't true."
"I'd ask if she'd be okay, but I really don't care," Mara said
coldly.
Luke sighed again, giving up on the cut. "And I'd tell you, but
I'm not sure."
"Let's go," she said. "I'm tired, you're hurt, and this humidity
is hell on my hair."
"Must you always be the cynic?" Luke asked his wife.
She smiled again as they turned towards the entrance. "Of
course. One of us has to be. You're just too optimistic all the time
to take the job. . ."
Leaving Anja to whatever fate she chose, they hiked their way
back to the ship. It didn't take them long to get off planet, and both
Luke and Mara were glad to get away from the oppressive moisture.
"What do you think will happen to her?" Mara asked as soon as they
entered hyperspace. She had her arms around his waist and head resting
on his shoulder blade.
He held her hands, stroking absently at her fingers. "I'm hoping
she'll get help. But somehow I don't believe it," Luke commented.
"She's just naïve; she didn't want to hurt anyone, really."
"We'll find out soon enough," Mara said. "I have a feeling she
might be back sooner than later. And we'll have to be ready for her."
"Don't worry," he said, gazing out at the mottled blue of
hyperspace. "We will."
_fin_
Yes, I know that ended fast. Sorry. If you want more, let me know.
Please review, and be kind. . .?