Title: A Heart of Jade
Author: Mama Vader
Characters: Luke and Mara
Summary: She doesn't want Luke Skywalker. Of course she doesn't. She doesn't even like Luke Skywalker. No. Absolutely not.
A Heart of Jade
Mara Jade was not happy.
Not at all.
Her business had not gone well. At all. The negotiations had failed, her ship needed some minor, but vital, repairs and she was stuck on this planet until they were done. To top it all off, she had discovered an essentially trivial, but extremely irritating, treachery from one of her contacts. Worse, she wasn't allowed to kill him.
Something about turning a new leaf or some such garbage. Honestly, life had been simpler as an Emperor's Hand. The rules were few and clear. If the Emperor was annoyed, someone died. How much easier could it get?
But now, things were all snarled up and complicated. It seemed the rules changed every day. There were the good guys and the bad guys. And there was Mara Jade. She wasn't sure where she stood in the scheme of things now, and that bothered her more than she cared to admit.
And of course, Luke Skywalker would choose that moment to come sidling back into her life. Somehow, even though she was in the armpit of the galaxy, she was not surprised when the earnest face of her nemesis appeared at her side, beaming that wide smile that was guaranteed to set her teeth on edge. Could her day get any worse?
Heaving a sigh, she took another sip of her drink. She had a feeling she was going to need it. Mara finished it off in one gulp and signaled the barkeep for another.
There might have been a snort of laughter from Skywalker, but when she glanced sharply at him, his expression was completely innocent. Perhaps too innocent? Yes, that was a look that the farmboy could carry off. She scowled at him to let him know she wasn't fooled like the rest of the galaxy.
Beneath that boyish exterior lurked the heart of a very dangerous man. He wasn't all sweetness and innocence, no matter how big or blue his eyes were, no matter how sincere that smile was. Oddly, she seemed to be the only one who saw through the façade.
Her eyes narrowed when Luke gave her an audacious wink. See? He did stuff like that. What sweet farmboy did that? And what did it mean? Idly, she wondered just what body part she should cut off for his impudence. Maybe then he'd learn to keep those winks, and the thoughts behind them, to himself.
"Now," he chided softly. "That's not nice. And here I'm trying to behave so nicely." His lower lip protruded slightly, as if his feelings were hurt. Right. As if she believed that.
"Get out of my head," she ordered, taking a sip of the drink the barkeep plunked on the bar in front of her.
"Yeah, I'm not exactly trying to get in your head," Luke admitted.
It took a moment, but then Mara realized that there was a lot of innuendo in his words. Once more, her eyes narrowed on him but he merely stared back at her, as innocent as before.
No. Surely not.
Even Luke at his most dangerous could not have possibly been hinting that… No.
She shook her head, still unable to completely dismiss her suspicions. "What do you want?" Mara snapped.
"Can't I just appreciate the pleasure of your company?" Luke asked in a very soft, silky voice.
Mara snorted, refusing to look at him. She knew exactly what expression would be on that face. Big, sappy eyes just oozing with sincerity, a wide grin tugging at those soft lips. Okay, better to stop right there.
"Seriously, what are you doing in this little crappy corner of the galaxy?"
Luke shrugged. "Nothing much."
"Sure," Mara said skeptically. "So the great Jedi Master is just wandering around the universe for the hell of it?"
"I didn't say that," Luke corrected. "Just that it was nothing much."
"Okay, I see where you're going with this," Mara mocked. "You just wanna keep that Jedi mystique thing going, don't you?"
"If that's what you think," Luke murmured with a sly smile, looking more Jedi and mysterious than ever.
"Why do I keep running into you?" Mara asked suddenly, knowing how exasperated she sounded.
"One of the great mysteries of life," Luke replied.
"Or maybe I have a Jedi stalker," Mara mused.
"I'm insulted that you'd think such a thing of me," Luke said, managing to look both offended and amused. That was another expression he did very well. Her hand twitched. It was very tempting to hit him, just for the hell of it. She wondered what he'd do if she did.
Probably just rub his cheek and then give her that same polite, infuriating smile he always did. Mara sighed. She was still trying to decide just how far she wanted to goad his temper when her day got even worse.
She should have known.
"Well, Mara Jade!" She recognized that voice. And she had thought the day couldn't get worse.
Barely restraining her wince, Mara turned and pasted a big, false welcoming smile on her face. "Hello Renna," Mara simpered in her very best courtier's voice.
"Well, well," Renna said to Mara, letting her gaze wander up and down Luke's body even as she addressed Mara. "How long has it been?"
Mara laughed. Not long enough. "It isn't polite to talk about the passage of years at your age is it, Renna?" Renna's expression faltered for just a moment and Mara felt a twinge of satisfaction. Take that. Then the tall, dark-haired beauty recovered admirably and gave Luke a sultry look.
"Who is your adorable friend, Mara?" Her lips pursed as she gazed at Skywalker. Her eyes were sizing him up, much like a woman deciding which jewel she wanted to purchase.
"Luke, Renna," Mara said curtly. "Renna, Luke." And if Renna thought she was going to hand Luke over on a platter, she had another thing coming.
Like maybe a blaster.
Renna's eyes narrowed and then widened. "Not….not the Luke Skywalker!" She batted her lashes at him and Mara wondered how she would like having them pulled out – one lash at a time.
To Mara's satisfaction, Luke shifted on his feet, obviously uncomfortable at being recognized. Luke Skywalker was one of the few beings in the galaxy who didn't appreciate being famous. In fact, he despised it. Even though he'd never said so, Mara knew it with a certainty that should have surprised her. Renna missed his reaction however, forging ahead in her typical blunt manner.
Putting a hand on Luke's arm, Renna gave a trilling laugh that made Mara want to scream. After she had ripped out Renna's vocal cords, of course.
Luke gave Mara a sort of frantic look. Save me! it clearly said. Renna was pressing up against Luke in a way that would have gotten her arrested in at least five systems. Luke gulped and tried to lean away. All to no avail. Renna was very good at what she did, and what she did was chase men. The look on Luke's face was priceless and almost worth running into Renna.
It was enough to make Mara laugh. Then Renna leaned in and whispered something in Luke's ear that made him blush. Mara laughed even harder.
Luke's expression was now exasperated…and most definitely desperate. Mara decided she sort of liked him like that. Then his face changed and something almost sly slipped into those big, blue eyes. And he was giving that wide-eyed innocent smile to Renna. Wait a minute. That wasn't right. That smile belonged to -
Her laughter faded.
Now this wasn't funny at all. This little development was the very farthest thing from funny. Luke leaned into Renna and returned the little whisper in the ear. Mara decided that Renna really didn't need both ears. She could sacrifice one for the team. Renna's big, pouty lips were grazing dangerously close to Luke's throat and Mara surged to her feet.
Somehow, amazingly, her drink ended up all over Renna's dress. That really was a shame, Mara thought as Renna dabbed frantically at the expensive cloth.
"Oh!" Renna actually stomped her foot, her face fuming and red. Mara thought that was an improvement actually, but maybe Renna didn't agree. She certainly sounded upset. Maybe the dress was a favorite.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Mara apologized profusely, taking a few swipes at the dress herself. "I'm such a klutz!"
Luke's lips were pressed very tightly together, but there was an unholy gleam in those blue eyes.
Not quite such an innocent farmboy, are we, Luke? Mara wanted to say. But of course she didn't. That would be rude.
Instead, she smirked at him and Luke turned away abruptly.
And coughed.
It sounded suspiciously like a laugh.
"Gee, Renna, you better get that off and cleaned," Mara commiserated with a cluck of her tongue. "That stain'll set in for sure."
Renna glared at Mara and stalked away without a word to either of them.
"She's upset," Luke observed, his eyes following the tall, furious figure.
"Hmm…" Mara murmured, pursing her lips thoughtfully. "Do you really think so?"
"Funny," Luke said. "I've never known you to be clumsy."
"There're a lot of things about me that you don't know," Mara informed him archly.
Luke looked her up and down and quirked one brow. "I'm willing to be taught any time you want to tutor me," he whispered with a salacious edge to his voice.
"Sure," Mara retorted. "Like that'll ever happen!"
Luke leaned in and put his lips next to her ear. "You'll find I'm a very fast learner."
And before Mara had a chance to utter (or even formulate) what would have been a brilliant comeback, Luke sauntered away, whistling just under his breath.