Hyperdrive

This was the first fanfic I ever wrote. It happens a little before the duology "Hand of Thrawn", and although I wrote this one first, it's the sequel to my other fanfic DINNER, which you can also find here at the fanfiction.net website.

Disclaimer: These characters were created by George Lucas, Timothy Zahn and other authors, therefore they don't belong to me. They belong to the Star Wars' wonderful universe. It isn't my intention to break none of these copyrights. My intention when writing this text is only as entertainment, and I'm not making any money when doing it. Then, please, don't sue me!

TheRealMaraJade™


PS: Please don't publish this fanfic in a website without asking me first! =)

Luke observed while the Jade's Fire landed on Yavin. After a perfect landing, the slim figure of the smuggler with fire-colored hair and emerald-colored eyes left the ship and headed towards him.

"Mara, I see that you finally came to finish your Jedi training!"

"Skywalker, not everything is about you or your Jedi Academy", Mara said abruptly. "I just stopped here because the hyperdrive of my ship is giving me trouble, and Yavin was the closest stop. Would you have by some chance a hyperdrive that you could give me?"

"No..." Luke said, seeming hurt. "But if you want, we can contact Karrde from our Communications Center."

"Since I don't have another option..."

They went to the building that years before had served as a base for the Rebel Alliance during the battle against the first Death Star. After a couple of words to the person responsible for the communications, Luke had access to a safe channel for Mara to speak with Karrde.

"Karrde here."

"Karrde, it's me, Mara. Listen, the Jade's Fire hyperdrive broke, and I need a new one. Can you ask somebody to bring one for me? I am at Yavin IV."

"Mara... unfortunatly I can't. All our ships are busy making deliveries from a side to another of the galaxy... including the Wild Karrde. The minimum amount of time that would take for one of us to be available and to take a hyperdrive to you would be two weeks... and even at this period I can't guarantee." Then Karrde remembered something very important, and seemed to get apprehensive. "Wouldn't you be able to get a borrowed ship or a hitchhike? I will need you to do some business... those new recruitings... you know which ones."

"Hmmm..." Mara said thoughtful. "I will see what I can do. Anyway, as soon as somebody can bring me a hyperdrive, contact me, I may or may not find another solution. I see you later."

After the image of Karrde have disappeared, Mara turned to Luke. "It seems that I am stuck here, against my will, for some time, Skywalker. Wouldn't you have a guestroom where I could stay? To stay two or more weeks sleeping in the Jade's Fire is not my idea of comfort."

"Sure Mara. While you were talking to Karrde, I asked Tionne to prepare the guestroom for you. And if you want, I think I can obtain a hyperdrive for your ship. After all, there are certain advantages being the brother of the former Chief of the State and the only Jedi Master alive."

"You can be the brother of the former Chief of the State, but that doesn't give you the right of bragging about it! I always thought pride and lack of modesty were feelings of the Dark Side of the Force." Mara said sarcastically. "But that doesn't worry me right now. Now I'm more worried with my hyperdrive!" Mara almost screamed, exasperated.

"Ok, you don't need to scream."

"And I wasn't screaming..." Mara said, despite the fact that she knew that Luke was right, as always.

Luke turned to the computer and opened another safe channel of communications, this time to Wayland, where years before Grand Admiral Thrawn had established a cloning factory. And where his sister, Leia Organa, was on vacation, with her husband Han Solo and their children Jacen, Jaina and Anakin.

"Hi Han! Is Leia around?"

"Hi Kid! How are you? Has any of your students been seduced by the Dark Side of the Force?"

"No Han, my students' only problem lately has been their hormones... You know how it can be difficult to be a teenager... Listen, I really need to speak with Leia, is she busy?"

"I don't think so... at least that's why we came to Wayland--so that she would be a free of her diplomatic commitments. Wait just a second while I call her..." Han disappeared an instant of the screen and soon after that appeared again. "Only one thing: don't you need the help of an old mercenary? I'm not doing anything, only taking care of the children, and this isn't my idea of a perfect lifestyle... I like action!"

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, old friend, but no. However, if something appears, you will be the first that I will inform."

"Thank you." With that, Leia appeared behind Han.

"Han, I believe that now Luke wants to speak with me."

"Sure, your worshipfulness! Be my guest."

"Hi Luke" she greeted him, still laughing at the nickname that her husband had given her at the time of the Rebell Alliance. "May I help you?"

"Leia, Mara Jade is here. The hyperdrive of her ship broke, and Karrde cannot send a spare part for her. Would you be able to obtain one?"

"I will see what I can do, but I don't guarantee anything... I can be the former-Chief of the State, but I don't get everything that I want."

"Ok." Luke blushed violently. "Anyway, you know where to find me."

"Alright. And if you want to speak with me, you know where to find me. I have to go now... Anakin is calling me. Kisses."

"Send my regards to the children. Good-bye Leia, and may the Force be with you."

"And with you also." Leia said, and she signed off.

When turning for Mara, Luke noticed that she was still laughing at his embarassment.

During dinner, Luke sat down close to Mara. "What have you decided about the hiperdrive of your ship?"

"Well, the only thing that I can do it's to wait until Karrde or your sister... I mean, our very important former-Chief of the State..." Luke again got embarassed. Mara loved to leave him like this it. "...can get me one. Meanwhile, I am stucked here. Unless you want to borrow me a ship, or then have some ship intending to go to Coruscant, and I can take a ride."

"No, unfortunatly the Academy doesn't have a lot of ships and none is scheduled to go Coruscant so soon." After some minutes of silence, Luke said, "You could take advantage of this and finish your training..."

"You never give up, do you?" Mara said, interrupting him.

"To tell you the truth... no. I never gave up of Vader, even when, in the Second Death Star, he just looked while the Emperor was about to kill me!"

"But there is always a first time... And I don't intend to continue my training."

Luke, noticing that, at least in that moment, he wouldn't be able to convince her, decided to concentrate on his food, that was already getting cold.

"Pretty night isn't it?" Luke asked, approaching Mara. After dinner she had went to the top of the Temple, to appreciate the night and to place her thoughts in order. "Mara?"

"Ah? Yes... sure," Mara answered. "Sorry, but I was thinking of another thing..."

What Luke didn't know was that Mara was thinking of why she had made up the story about the broken hyperdrive. And the more she thought, more she arrived to the conclusion that she had made up this story as an excuse to go to Yavin. An excuse to see Luke Skywalker, the man that once she swore to kill. And that now...

"The view of the sky here of the top of the Temple is really pretty... You should see the sunset." Luke said, interrupting Mara's thougths once again.

"I believe in you... Luke, about the hyperdrive..."

"It's already repaired." Luke said, finding strange that Mara had called him by his first name. "Before dinner I asked somebody to give a glance at it, and its only problem was that it was not well connected. I bet that you are happy with that, after all you won't have to spend two whole weeks here."

"Really?" Mara said, surprisingly sad, what woke up Luke of his thoughts of why Mara hadn't notice that the only problem of the hiperdrive was bad contact.

"Mara, is there some problem? I am feeling a great sadness coming of you..."

Mara turned to Luke, with the face on fire and, without facing him in the eyes, she
began to say: "It's that..."

Luke, feeling that Mara hesitated, placed his finger in front of her lips.

"Mara, you don't need to say anything that you are not prepared to say. I can wait."

Assailed, Mara looked straigh at Luke's eyes, fearing that he had discovered the secret that she haven't admit even to herself that she was hiding. But she quickly discarded the possibility, once she never lowered the mental barriers that Palpatine had taught her, and, therefore, Luke couldn't know what she was thinking. Or feeling.

Meanwhile, Luke was thinking why he had said that. Could have been the Force? Not even he was sure that it was he who had told that until Mara looked at him startled. But quickly his thoughts concentrated on another subject: why he had never noticed that Mara was so beautiful. Better, why he had never admitted, at least for himself, that Mara was very pretty. And how the moonlight just seemed to stand out her beauty.

Unconsciously, they began to approach one another, until Kyp Durron appeared seeking for Luke. He and Mara quickly were apart, and even under the weak light of the moonlight, you could notice that them both were blushing.

"Master Luke, excuse me to be interrupting..." - Kyp said, obviously realising that he hadn't arrived in a good moment - "... but we have just received a message from Captain Solo requesting your presence in Iphigin. It seems urgent." he tried to excuse himself.

Before Luke could answer, Mara spoke: "Well, it seems that they need you... I will take advantage of it and go to sleep... tomorrow early I should leave to find Karrde and the others." And, without looking at for Luke, she left.

Luke, seeming disappointed, asked Kyp to ask somebody to prepare his X-Wing. He and R2-D2 would leave to Iphigin as soon as dawn.

The following day, Luke discovered that Mara had left before he woke up, giving the impression that she wanted to avoid a farewell encounter.

THE END

By TheRealMaraJade™
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