Much Ado
By Rhea Jediknight
This fiction was inspired by the Shakespeare play "Much Ado About Nothing". I have taken great liberties with this premise, so don't expect to know exactly how everything will turn out. This certainly is not Skakespeare!
Disclaimer : I
make no claim on the Star Wars copyright.
I
have not nor will I ever make any money from the sale of this
story.
This is
written with the intent to support the fan base and not in an effort
to make money. This work is based on characters and situations
that
are owned by
George Lucas and Lucasfilms Ltd and Timothy Zahn.
Part One
Leia smiled at her brother. They so rarely had time to spend together, and she relished their camaraderie. He laughed softly at the end of her story, and Leia marveled at how his blue eyes seemed to glow when he was amused. In a spontaneous move she grabbed Luke's hand, overwhelmed by a wave of love for her sibling. She regretted all those lost years when they didn't know each other and now their busy lives kept them from spending time together.
Sensing her train of thought, Luke returned the grip on her hand and grinned affectionately. "We have the rest of our lives, Leia. So we're busy people and yes, we're still apart more than either of us would wish but I'm still just thankful that we found each other."
"You think it was the Force or was it just dumb luck?" Leia asked impishly, knowing the way Luke and Han periodically got into good natured arguments about whether luck actually existed or not.
Luke opened his mouth to retort and then closed it, shrugging lightly. He gave a wry grin.
Leia chuckled. "Got you there, little brother. If Han was here..." she let her words trail away, the expression on her face changing to one of concern as a shadow seemed to cloud his eyes.
Luke dropped her hand. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have any family," he whispered. "Just you. You, Han and the children – you're my family and without you I would have no one."
Tears gathered in Leia's eyes as she regarded her brother sympathetically. "Oh Luke. . ."
"Ignore me. I'm being melodramatic." Luke waved her off, and smiled trying to banish the sorrow that had grown between them at his words. He stood up to leave. "Give the kids a kiss for me." He turned around and left before Leia could say another word.
Leia sat in silence not for the first time wondering what kind of childhood Luke had experienced. She gazed for a long time at the closed door wishing that she hadn't seen the aching sadness, the persistent loneliness in Luke. It seemed much nearer the surface than it usually was. What had got him remembering?
She mentally berated herself for thoughtlessly teasing him about birthday celebrations of the past. She had been shocked to learn that he had only learned of his birth date when he wanted to apply to the Academy. He had never celebrated his exact birth date before.
Leia knew how lucky she had been when she had gone to stay with the Organas. There were so many things that Luke had never had. It seemed unfair that Luke should miss out on all the little things that she had taken for granted.
Leia sat upright with a smile. She was his family and it was up to her to make certain that he always felt like he had a home. The anniversary of their birth was coming up, and she was just the one to throw him a birthday party he would never forget!
She signaled for her bill, impatient to make a start on her planning, only to find that Luke had already paid it.
It helped to be a member of the New Republic's elite. Leia rented a banquet hall for the event. She arranged for caterers, serving droids, and flowers. Then she began to contact the people on her guest list. Leia painstakingly confirmed that most of the surviving members of the original Rogue Squadron could attend. A couple of the Jedi were already planning on being on Coruscant on the day of the party, so it was easy to get them to agree to come. Leia conceded the necessity of inviting some officials from the New Republic, that although they weren't exactly friends, might take offence at being left out. And after much debating, she decided to invite Talon Karrde and his crew. She knew that Luke considered Karrde a friend and there was a mutual respect between the two men. Leia swore everyone to secrecy and decided it wouldn't be too difficult to keep the party from Luke a secret since the chances of him interacting with any of the more indiscreet guest before the day of the party was next to nothing.
She thought about trying to find Callista, but quickly decided against it. Although Leia would love to see Luke in a relationship, she didn't think looking up old flames was the answer. Besides, Callista had left him and Luke had searched for her as much as he could. No, Callista didn't want to be found. There was no need to remind her brother of things that could have been.
She made certain that the New Republic would put in a request for Luke's presence on Coruscant a couple of days before the event. If her brother decided to send someone else in his stead, which was unlikely, it would still give her time to come up with an alternate plan to fetch him.
Her husband, Han Solo, was with Chewbacca visiting the Wookiee's family. She wanted to contact him to ask for his assistance, but decided that the quieter she made this event, the greater the possibility that it would be a surprise to Luke. There would be time enough to involve Han when he returned from his trip. She knew Han would think the party a great idea. Han had been concerned for her brother, too.
Leia was quite pleased with herself.
When Talon received the invitation from Leia Organa-Solo, it didn't take him long to decide to accept. They were relatively close to Coruscant so there was little difficulty to switch their course to return to the galactic center. Besides his crew needed a break, particularly his second in command. The party for Luke Skywalker might just be the diversion that they needed to relax.
When he made the announcement on the bridge of the Wild Karrde, he watched Mara closely. He could see the way her eyes widened in surprise, and their was a part of Talon that wondered if he was more motivated to return for the party for Mara's sake then for that of the crew as a whole. When she noticed his attention was focused on her, she was quick to adopt an expression of bored amusement. What was it between her and Skywalker? He would get to the bottom of it eventually.
Mara Jade was astonished to hear Talon Karrde inform the crew of the Wilde Karrde that they were returning to Coruscant. Mara was even more astonished to learn that the reason for the return trip was so that they could attend a surprise birthday party planned for Luke Skywalker. She doubted that anyone would actually be able to surprise the Jedi Master, but the idea that she could participate in something that would catch Skywalker unaware was not without its appeal.
That would mean that she would have to provide a birthday present, and she had no idea what to get Skywalker. What kind of present do you give to a man you had once tried to kill? She smiled wickedly. A med kit? Bacta patches? A holo-target to place on his chest?
Mara snorted.
After much deliberation she decided that she had absolutely no idea. She thought about getting him a credit certificate at one of the prominent restaurants on Coruscant, but decided it was too . . . impersonal. She found herself thinking about the dilemma in the most inconvenient moments, and irrationally blamed Skywalker for disrupting her concentration. Damn the man! Even when he wasn't around, he managed to disrupt her equilibrium. He was so annoying sometimes. She smiled wryly to herself, knowing that she was being unfair but enjoying mentally abrading the man. It had been ages since she had last seen Skywalker. Mara was surprised to find that she was looking forward to the opportunity to visit with him.
Mara refused to think about why it was so important to her to choose just the right gift. She would have to get something for Leia too. They were twins after all, sharing the same birthday.
Perhaps, she should arrange to meet with Organa-Solo. Leia would know what her brother liked. With a decisive nod, she made the necessary arrangements.
When she had let slip who she was meeting for lunch that day, Talon Karrde managed to invite himself along. Mara had no doubt that the wily trader knew exactly why she was meeting Organa-Solo for lunch and had decided the idea had merit. Mara was too fond of Karrde to truly get upset at his intrusion. In fact, she found the entire thing slightly amusing.
It wasn't long before Jade, Karrde, and Organa-Solo were all seated at a round table at a very popular and busy restaurant. The table was filled with beings from all regions of the galaxy, and the very congestion surrounding them seemed to give them the façade of privacy. Leia smiled knowingly when Mara showed up with Karrde, and she wondered just how transparent their visit might be. Suspecting that the Force sensitive woman knew exactly what her agenda was, Mara decided to be upfront. "The reason I wanted to meet with you today, was that I have absolutely no idea what to get Skywalker for a birthday present."
Leia coughed into her napkin, and Mara scowled when she realized that Leia was hiding a grin behind the cloth. When Leia lowered the napkin, her face was composed and she replied, "Mara, it's not necessary for you to get my brother a present. I just know how much you two mean to him and I wanted you to be there for him."
"I doubt he'd notice if we weren't there with the rest of the galaxy attending." Mara protested.
Karrde interrupted, "What Mara is trying to say, is that we both would love to give Luke something, and wanted to defer to your knowledge and expertise on deciding what would be most appropriate."
Leia nodded, smiling broadly, "You sure you don't want to become a diplomat Karrde?"
Talon Karrde chuckled and said, "Why? When they already have your vast skills in that arena?"
Mara gestured at the two of them, "Will you two just stop it with the mutual admiration society. If we are going to attend Skywalker's party, we will need to have a gift. Do you have any ideas or not?"
Karrde sat upright, distracted by something.
Rather than get annoyed by Mara's question, Leia found her eyebrows rising. "I think I can come up with a thing or two. I'll get in touch with you by the end of the day, if that's alright."
"What's this all about?" Luke Skywalker's voice interrupted.
Mara Jade jumped, startled that she hadn't felt the Jedi's presence. She completely forgot that she was looking forward to seeing Skywalker when she felt a flush of embarrassment when the Jedi approached undetected. She turned to regard the blond man coolly. Luke pulled up a chair and said, "I hope I'm not interrupting something?"
Leia flushed slightly, but smiled warmly at her brother's appearance. "Not at all. I'm glad that you could join us."
Talon Karrde appeared to be the only one unflustered by Luke's sudden arrival. He had seen the man catch sight of them the moment he entered the restaurant, and had been prepared to stop them from saying anything that would betray the secret in front of the Jedi. Fortunately, Mara and Leia had not said anything to give their intention away.
"This is a pleasant surprise. I didn't know you were on Coruscant." Luke said solicitously.
As usual Luke was dressed in Jedi blacks – the sedate uniform that the Jedi Master had adopted as armor, but he could hide the vivid blue of his eyes or the fact that his hair shone golden in the light. His presence warmed her, and she felt uneasy.
Something within Mara rebelled. "If I had known you were on this planet, I certainly wouldn't be here," she bit out.
Leia looked surprised at this exchange.
Luke's expression darkened at Mara's words. He hadn't said anything controversial and already she was jumping down his throat. He'd thought that they were getting on better lately.
Talon looked confused and was about to protest when Luke interrupted, "I'm sorry that my presence does not meet with your approval, Jade. I've never tried to do anything to offend you."
Leia could see the pulse jump in Luke's neck. His hands fisted at his sides. He seemed on the verge of losing his temper.
"That's the ironic thing about it all. You don't have to try at all." Mara retorted.
"Mara?" Talon Karrde asked questioningly. He searched her face, trying to understand the reason for her verbal attack. It made no sense at all. He knew that Skywalker and Jade once had a turbulent history, but they had proven repeatedly that they were friends. What exactly brought this on?
"Luke. We were just discussing. . . "Leia tried to reconcile the two.
Mara lowered her gaze, realizing that she didn't mean the heated words and felt instant contrition. Why had she said those things? She was just trying to formulate some sort of apology when Luke's next words hit her hard. "But then you never do that is. 'Try'. It's so easy just to give up isn't it?"
Mara knew he referred to her abbreviated stay on Yavin. Stang, how she hated whenever he preached to her about the Jedi order and her place in the cosmos. There was nothing that made her angry quicker because deep down she knew he was right.
"Give it a rest, Skywalker!" Mara stood up and barely nodding at Organa- Solo, and not even bothering to acknowledge Karrde, left the room.
Luke gritted his teeth, seething silently.
Talon said "I'm sorry, Luke. There was no call for that."
Luke gathered control about him with an effort and when he responded, Talon felt like he was listening to an automaton. "Don't feel as if you have to apologize for her. She is a grown woman and speaks her mind. I'm still her favorite target even after all these years."
"She didn't mean that, Luke." Talon continued.
"Oh, but you're wrong. She meant every word of it." Luke stood up abruptly and said, "If you'll excuse me." And left in the opposite direction.
Leia and Talon's gazes met across the table. A question hanging heavy in the air. What the hell had just happened here? They both knew that Mara was completely aware that Luke Skywalker was on the planet. Weren't they here to celebrate his birthday?
"If Mara felt so strongly against my brother, why did she agree to come to the party?" Leia asked Talon. "I thought that they had put the past behind them – I thought that they were friends."
Talon shook his head thoughtfully, "She was the one that wanted to get the perfect gift for him. We talked about it at length on the journey here. She wanted to get something more personal. Something that she was certain Luke would like."
"And when he showed up she told him she wouldn't have come to Coruscant if she knew he would be here too." Leia said thoughtfully. "Do you think she was just trying to maintain the surprise?"
Talon shook his head in denial. "I don't think so. No. Something else is going on here. Something that has been brewing since those two met." After a long silence, Talon met Leia's eye and confided, "Now I haven't been sampling spice and this may sound strange but I think that my second in command and your brother may be in love with each other."
"What?!" Leia exclaimed. "Luke and Mara!" She laughed at the absurdity of it. "Every time they get near each other, they just about kill each other." She protested.
"I know Mara's had a blaster on Luke on more than one occasion." Talon agreed in amusement.
"Then it must be love." Leia declared sharing the joke. Then she thought about it some more. "Actually, I pretty much felt the same way about Han before I realized that I was just fighting my feelings for him. You should have seen the two of us. We were always fighting."
"You know what they say." Talon agreed, "Love and hate closely relate."
"Yeah. But Luke and Mara?"
"They really aren't all that different." Talon suggested.
"They are both stubborn, Force strong, willful, obstinate, hard headed." Leia said, despite her words the affection was evident in her tone.
"Obtuse, impulsive, creative, smart, and have quite a temper." Talon agreed.
"Luke doesn't have a temper..."
"What did we witness just a few minutes ago?"
"Luke losing his temper," Leia's voice was rueful. "He usually has such control . . ."
Talon sighed. "That's part of what makes Mara so angry. She can't win against him – all that Jedi control that she thinks she should have. But when ever they come near each other sparks fly – I suspect the tension is sexual and neither of them wants to give in."
"It's a war." Leia laughed. "They're perfect for each other."
"Yeah. But I don't think they'll ever realize it. It's been . . . what? Six years? Seven?"
"Try nine." Leia said, her tone dropping as she realized the tragedy of it all. Her brother was probably in love with Mara Jade. She doubted there were two less likely people to come together and find peace.
"Pretty hopeless." Talon agreed.
They both sighed.
Leia ordered a cup of strong house caf.
Talon sipped his water in silence.
The lunch crowd began to disperse.
"So what are we going to do about it?" Leia asked Talon.
"I don't think there is anything we can do." Talon protested.
"The whole reason I wanted to have this party for Luke was to try to give my brother at least one of the things he never had when he was growing up. Did you know he never had a birthday party before? I'm just sorry it took me this long to find out. We've always exchanged gifts, of course. But we couldn't always get together on our birthday. I'm the only family he's got. I refuse to just sit idly by while my brother gets older and lonelier. He deserves his own happiness. If that means being with Mara Jade, then I'm going to see to it that it happens."
"Are you sure that's a wise idea?"
"What else do you suggest I do? Mara is as bad as Luke is. She'll become more bitter as she gets older alone. Occasionally when she reacts you can see a different person trying to emerge."
"What do you have in mind?" Talon questioned seriously. He cared for Mara Jade and had thought that over the years she would begin to form attachments. Instead, she had grown progressively more remote. She confided in him more, and her respect for him grew, he knew. But as much as he hated to admit it, everyone needed more than friendship with your boss and that was all that there was between them.
"Well." Leia drawled, sounding a bit like her husband. "I figure they tend to lash out at each other because they both are afraid of admitting the effect they have on each other. They both fear being vulnerable. Neither of them wants to take the next step."
"Go on." Talon encouraged.
And then Leia outlined her plan. When she was done Talon was grinning ear to ear.
"You think it will work?"
"I'm a gambling man. I'm willing to give it a shot."
Leia's answering smile was beatific.
Talon stood just out of sight of his office. He knew that Mara was just inside, using the master terminal. He smiled conspiratorially to Leia on the vidscreen and said just loudly enough so the Mara could overhear, "Hello Leia. I have to say that I'm surprised to hear from you so quickly."
"Is Mara Jade there?" Leia asked cautiously.
"No. She's in her quarters." Talon said, trying to keep the amusement at bay. There was no guarantee that Mara would not sense his deception if they did not play it as straight as possible.
"Good." Leia sighed, her voice rising to a more conversational tone. "I called because I wanted to ask you a favor."
"Alright." Talon answered in what he hoped was a cautious tone of voice.
"I know that Mara despises my brother, but do you think that you could ask her to attend the party anyway? I know it would mean so much to Luke. He thought that Mara and he were friends. I'd like him to keep thinking that if it was at all possible."
"I don't know Leia. You saw the way they were at lunch. She certainly seemed to have strong negative feelings towards him."
"I know. It's so sad really."
"What's sad?" Talon tried to act like the concerned friend.
"Luke's so much in love with Mara Jade. He can hardly speak a coherent word whenever she's around. He's beginning to suspect that she just tolerates him, maybe even dislikes him, and it just breaks his heart whenever they're in the same room. Lunch, yesterday didn't help at all. I've never seen him so down, not since it all broke off with Callista. I think he feels more for Mara than he ever did for Callista."
"Luke's in love with Mara?" Talon tried to sound incredulous.
Leia smiled impishly, but let her words drag sadly. "Yes, I think he is."
Talon was grateful that Mara couldn't see the view screen, but by the cessation of sound in the other room, he had little doubt that she was listening. Raptly.
"Couldn't you tell?" Leia asked. "He can't keep his eyes off of her whenever they are near. He always talks about her even when it has been months since he's heard her voice. He keeps a picture of her on next to his bed."
Talon coughed, trying to keep his laughter from exploding from his mouth. Leia was gilding the lily. Her picture indeed. He wouldn't be surprised if it were true. With lightsaber burns on it. "Oh."
"I'll see what I can do. I don't know if it will just make matters worse. You know what a malicious sense of humor she has. I wouldn't want to cause Luke any more pain."
"Even if she continues to hate him, I think Luke will always love her. Will you try? Please?"
Talon sighed heavily. "I thought I noticed something between them. It's too bad really – they would have made a good pair. I'll make sure she's there. I promise."
"Thanks Talon. I owe you one."
They shared a conspiratorial smile and said their good byes. He waited just long enough for her to make a hasty exit out the back way before entering his office. Sure enough, Mara was gone. The master terminal was still up and a document was half written, blazing on the screen. Talon smiled.
Phase One complete.
