Leia approached Jade's Fire with a bottle of Correlian whiskey she snuck from Han's personal store. After everything they fought through, Leia felt she could use a good drink. Winter was watching the twins while Han was out enjoying some time with Chewie in one of the raucous Coruscanti bars. Leia, determined to seek out company, approached Mara's shuttle. She awkwardly knocked on the hatch to Mara's shuttle.
She was unsure how her presence would be welcomed, granted Leia, Han, and Luke all recently accused Mara of trying to steal the twins. However, she proved herself a worthy ally, and Leia hoped she could find a friend in the strong woman. Leia patiently waited at the entrance, but she perked up as she heard Mara's approach. The entrance to the shuttle swung up while Leia tried to put on a friendly smile. Mara appeared with her arms crossed across her chest, still dressed in her tight-fitting flight suit. Her lightsaber hung from her left hip. Mara's gaze studied Leia.
"Mara! I'm happy to see you decided to stick around a little longer," Leia stated with a warm smile. Mara sighed and shrugged.
"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to stay here a few more days. Besides, there are a few repairs I want to make on Jade's Fire before I head out to the Outer Rim," Mara replied. Mara glanced behind Leia, searching the area. "You're alone?"
"Han and Chewie went out. The twins are down for bed," Leia explained. She took a deep breath, drawing on her diplomatic background for what was coming. "Mara, I am truly sorry for believing you had anything to do with the attack on our apartment. We should have trusted your word…I…I thought I would bring this by to thank you." Leia held out the whiskey to show Mara, who slowly softened up with Leia's apology.
"Come in," Mara quietly offered. She stepped aside so Leia could move past her into the main cabin. Soft, comfortable chairs and one small couch were attached to the main cabin's walls. A small table sat in the middle. Everything was a clean, bright white. Mara's small blaster she kept up her sleeve lay pulled apart on the table as though Leia interrupted Mara's cleaning and maintenance of it. After the hatch was secured, Mara motioned for Leia to sit down as she positioned herself in the seat she must have occupied before Leia's arrival. She quickly put her blaster together and set it aside. She leaned over, pulling two small glasses out from inside the table. Leia quietly poured them each a glass, and then each of them took a drink in silence.
"I understand, Leia. They are special children. I can't fault you for worrying about their safety," Mara responded to Leia's apology. Mara twisted in her seat, pulling one leg up and tilting her body to face Leia. "I may still feel like killing your brother, but I wouldn't harm the twins."
Leia couldn't help, but laugh at Mara's statement. Every now and then she and Han could strangle Luke. Years have gone by since Luke and Han's attempt at rescuing her from Darth Vader, but Luke often reminds Leia of that naïve, young boy she met. He did not think things through clearly, and his actions were often rash. Luke may be a Jedi who hopes to establish a Jedi academy, but Luke had a lot of growing up to do.
"Thank you," Leia replied with a big smile. Mara returned that smile, and it was like something broke in between the two women. Although Leia was untrained in the ways of the Force, she felt a certain bond with Mara that she has never felt with another. They understood each other. Leia was a mother now, but she was still a strong, independent woman. She never hesitated to get involved with the dangerous fights, and she was frustrated when Han tried to hold her back.
Before long, that first drink turned into seconds and thirds. Slowly, Mara opened up to Leia about her life. She had a difficult life working for Emperor Palpatine. She was a teenager when Palpatine discovered her Jedi abilities and decided to use them for his own agenda. She lost family and friends, and but he made sure she learned how to be independent of emotional, often vulnerable ties such as friends and family. The Empire became her life, squashing anyone who stood in its way. Any advisor or governor who lied or cheated Palpatine or abused their powers found their lives at the mercy of Mara, who rarely gave mercy to her victims. She shared with Leia the few times she did show mercy, when it was obvious those she investigated were innocent or being blackmailed. Leia learned what a hard life Mara lived before her time with Talon Karrde.
"I believed I was doing the right thing when Palpatine sent me to do his bidding. He brainwashed me," Mara admitted. She took a large gulp from her whiskey and sighed. "His death pushed me over the edge, not knowing what was real. I should have thanked Luke for killing him rather than seeking him out to kill him."
"In Luke's defense, Darth Vader killed Emperor Palpatine, but I understand. They break you, or try to. Tarkin and Darth Vader broke me when they incinerated my home planet in front of me," Leia explained. Mara nodded, understanding where Leia came from. She heard what happened to Alderaan after it happened. Despite her allegiance to Palpatine, she was horrified by their actions.
"After the first Death Star was destroyed, Palpatine sent me out in search of Luke. I was there the day you arrived with Chewbacca in Jabba's palace. I could have stopped everything, but I never…" Mara paused. She was lost in thought, lost considering her actions. "I suppose a part of me I didn't know about wanted Palpatine stopped. Annoyingly, Luke was the best chance for Palpatine to be stopped." Leia understood, but was taken aback hearing Mara had been there. Leia searched her memory of those days trapped in Jabba's palace after freeing Han. Her eyes widened with confirmation and she let out a small gasp.
"You were one of the dancers!" She exclaimed. Mara took another drink and smile, nodding her confirmation. Both women sat with that knowledge in silence. Mara looked at Leia, studying her. She felt something in the other woman's Force aura that she could not place her finger on.
"You're not happy with your life, are you?" Mara questioned. Leia's eyes darted up to meet Mara's before turning away. "Leia, what is it?"
Leia battled internally with herself over whether she should share this with Mara or not. However, the other woman had opened up tremendously with her, and Leia knew she would feel better if she could voice her misgivings with someone else.
"I feel…trapped. I love Han, but he doesn't understand. Even with Winter's help, the twins are a handful, and their Jedi abilities make things difficult. They are so extraordinary, but it is a lot for me to handle. Luke warns how vulnerable they are to the dark side right now, but how do you keep two infants safe?" Leia looked at Mara with an expression of complete sadness. "Han misses the action. He misses flying around in the Falcon, and it's difficult sharing with him my own struggles," Leia explained. Mara nodded.
"You are doing a great job, Leia," Mara assured Leia. What else could she say about raising children when she never experienced that? She didn't have experience in young Jedi's, either.
"I'm not complaining. I love being a mother. I simply feel as though Han and I are on different planets," Leia responded. She rolled her eyes and nearly growled in frustration. "Han wants to protect me from the evil in the galaxy. I survived Darth Vader's torture, my own father's torture, and I never broke. He believes I need to be guarded each time we leave the apartment, with or without the twins," Leia added. Obviously, this was a sore spot, Mara concluded with her eye brows raised as Leia poured herself another drink.
"I was the one who defrosted him from the carbonite. I helped him storm the Empire's base on Endor. I fought by their side the entire rebellion. I understood the risks. I agreed to the risks when I was 16! I'm nearing my 30s, now. I have proven I can handle myself," Leia huffed out. Mara hid a smile as she watched Leia try to calm herself down. She has seen Leia angry before, but she couldn't suppress how attracted she was to Leia in this state. Quickly, she threw those thoughts aside.
"Han and Luke are frustrating. Neither of them understand how capable I am," Leia finished with a final huff. Mara moved closer and rested a hand on Leia's knee.
"You are capable, very capable. I have seen the vids. I know, more than the general public, what you did for the rebellion. You are damn capable," Mara assured the smaller woman. Leia squeezed Mara's hand. Mara stopped her face from blushing, awkwardly pulling her hand away from Leia's knee. However, Leia stared at Mara in a different light.
"You've had to prove yourself, too," Leia stated quietly. Mara nodded.
"As a teenager, it didn't surprise me. Growing into a young woman, everyone underestimated me. They underestimated my abilities. They regretted it in the end when they realized I was very capable of defeating them or executing them. I am genuinely surprised Han is so protective, but Luke…I am surprised he made it out of that forest last year alive," Mara answered. Leia laughed, causing Mara to laugh with her. Leia bent over and sat her drink on the table, then leaned over to give Mara a hug.
"Thank you," Leia softly said. Mara awkwardly hugged Leia back. Hugs were a new thing for her, and normally she wouldn't allow anyone close enough to her to hug. Leia eventually pulled back, wiped some tears that betrayed her feelings, and stood up to leave. Mara, noticing Leia's quick movement to wipe away the tears, stood up next to Leia. She placed a hand on Leia's shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze.
"You are welcome to come by, any time," Mara told Leia. Leia stared deep into Mara's green eyes. She slowly turned to face Mara, staring at Mara intensely.
"I feel…something…a pull to you," Leia mumbled. Leia's admission surprised Mara, but she didn't have time to mull that over. Leia stepped closer to Mara, pulling one of Mara's hands into her own. Mara was overcome with the emotion she was seeing on Leia's face and feeling in the Force. These feelings were alien to Mara, who always kept a distance to those around her. Inwardly, she blamed Karrde for chipping away at that boundary.
Without thinking, Mara leaned down and gently kissed Leia. Leia didn't pull back, but instead pulled Mara closer to her, thankful that Mara was taller and she was familiar with that. Leia tilted her head, enough to deepen the kiss between them. She wrapped her arms around Mara's waist as she felt a tug in the Force to the other woman. Too caught up in what was happening to stop, Mara pulled Leia back to the couch. Mara dropped down, letting Leia straddle her lap as Leia swiped her tongue across Mara's lips. Mara reacted instantly, letting Leia's exploring tongue inside to wrestle with her own. Both women groaned as they battled each other for dominance.
As the kisses became needier, Leia didn't pause to think about Han. This wasn't about him. This was about what she needed. She didn't come here expecting any of this to happen, and she was slightly freaking out because she has never done this before. Mara nipping on Leia's lower lip jerked Leia from her thoughts. The pleasure shot through Leia, and she bucked her hips against Mara's. She felt a deep growl in Mara before Mara moved to adjust their position. Gently, she lifted Leia enough to turn them around so Leia was lying on her back, her legs wrapped around Mara's hips. Leia stared intently at Mara, Leia's brown eyes darkening with passion. One last rational thought passed through Mara's mind: I thought I was done with women!
Mara lowered herself on top of Leia as she continued their kissing. She could feel Leia's quickening heartbeat beneath her chest, and Mara desperately wanted to get Leia out of her dark blue blouse and tan pants. With one last, deep kiss Mara leaned up and unsteadily unbuttoned Leia's blouse to reveal creamy skin underneath. Mara leaned down and nibbled on Leia's neck as her hands roamed Leia's chest, squeezing the two swollen breasts hidden underneath the blouse. Leia's hips bucked underneath Mara as Mara's nibbles traveled south. As Leia's breathing quickened, Mara sucked where Leia's pulse beat in her neck.
"Mara…" Leia groaned. Mara took a second to glance up, seeing Leia's brown eyes squeezed shut as Leia tries to direct Mara further down. Mara returned to her assault on Leia's neck, but slowly began her descent down to Leia's chest. She leaned back to completely open Leia's blouse. She thanked the Force for bringing Leia to her shuttle tonight as she bent over and claimed one of Leia's rosy nipples. Leia groaned again as Mara brushed her teeth over the nipple, gently nipping it before sucking it to soothe the rosy pebble. Her right hand rose to massage Leia's left breast and pinch her nipple as she sucked on the right breast. When Mara was satisfied, she turned her attention to the other breast as her left hand traveled down Leia's hip to slide behind her and squeeze her butt. Mara was pleased with herself for being able to please the princess.
She quickly found that her flight suit was too tight for her. She moved up and kissed Leia deeply as she moved her hands to pull the zipper down on the suit. She pulled back, slightly straddling Leia's waist as she pulled the zipper down her chest. Leia watched entranced at Mara's movements. Mara stood up to pull the zipper down before removing her boots and stepping out of the suit. She stood naked in front of Leia, pausing to let Leia's eyes finish roaming her body. Her body shivered where Leia's eyes roamed. Leia raised her hand, motioning for Mara to return to her on the couch. However, Mara was the only one fully unclothed. It was Leia's turn.
At Mara's pause in joining her back on the couch, Leia realized she was still almost nearly clothed. She sat up and quickly disposed of her blouse. Mara untied Leia's boots as Leia unhooked her pants. Mara stared into Leia's eyes as she pulled off one boot, then the other. Leia took a steady breath before standing up to rid herself of her pants. She stepped out of them and tossed them aside. Now, the two women stood in front of each other completely vulnerable. Mara stepped forward and leaned over so her lips were next to Leia's ear.
"Are you sure?" Mara whispered. Her breath on Leia's ear sent new waves of shivers through Leia.
"Yes," Leia answered hoarsely. Mara pulled Leia in for a deep kiss, pressing their bodies together. They both moaned at the contact. Leia wrapped her arms around Mara's back, letting her hands roam up and down Mara's body. She let both hands travel down and squeeze Mara's butt. Mara groaned inside Leia's mouth and led them down the hall to Mara's private room. They paused halfway down the hall for Leia to press Mara against the wall, attacking her neck with bites and sucks. Mara felt the familiar pull in her lower stomach and knew she was wet.
Mara interrupted Leia's assault to pull her into the room. She meant to push Leia onto the bed, but Leia twisted them so Mara fell against the bed on her back. As Mara pushed herself higher on the bed, Leia crawled up her body leaving a trail of wet kisses. She found Mara's right breast and pulled the taut nipple into her mouth. This was new for her, but never before has she felt the urge to devour someone like she feels with Mara. Mara tossed her head back as Leia switched breasts. When she was finished, she kissed up Mara's neck until they were kissing each other again, tongues battling for dominance.
When it became too much for Mara, she rolled them over and pressed her knee against Leia while lowering herself onto Leia's leg. Leia groaned at the contact, and then bucked her hips against Mara's knee. Mara smiled at Leia before bucking herself against Leia's leg, allowing Leia to feel how wet Mara was. Mara's usually bright green eyes had turned dark emerald as the passion between them built.
"Mara…please," Leia begged with desperation. Mara leaned down and kissed Leia again, bucking her hips against Leia's leg to ease the pressure. Leia's own hips bucked against Mara's knee, and Leia groaned when Mara removed it. Leia's attention snapped to Mara as Mara kissed her way down Leia's body. She took a moment to leave wet, open kisses on Leia's taut stomach. She marveled over Leia's strong abdomens, no doubt from the fighting during the rebellion.
She continued moving down until she found the center of Leia's needs. Leia watched Mara intently as Mara spread Leia's legs so she could settle between them. She laid one arm across Leia's waist as the other one wrapped around Leia's leg so she could spread Leia with her fingers Feeling reassured she remembered what she was doing, Mara found the small, swollen bud that begged for attention. She lowered her face and let her tongue lick deep and long through Leia. Instantly, Leia groaned and tilted her head back into the pillows. Before she could recover from Mara's first touch, Mara pulled that swollen bud into her mouth and wrapped her lips around it. She sucked hard, allowing her tongue to move around it. Leia's back arched, pushing her hips into the bed. As Mara's tongue rolled over the small bud of nerves and pressed on it, Leia's hands squeezed and released the bed sheets.
Mara allowed her tongue to swipe through Leia's folds again before continuing her ministrations on the swollen bud of nerves. Tentatively, she pressed one finger into Leia and was rewarded with a deep groan from the smaller woman, who rocked her hips to beg for more. Mara pulled her finger out and pushed it back in, then entered a second finger. She slowly began pumping Leia as she increased the pressure on Leia's clit. Mara understood the tug in the Force Leia mentioned earlier. As she felt Leia's walls contract against her fingers, Mara felt the intense pull in the Force. She bent her fingers as she entered Leia, rubbing that rough patch that sent slowly pushed Leia closer to the edge.
Leia buried her hand in Mara's long, red hair as Mara pulled Leia closer to relief. Mara bucked her own hips against the bed as she quickened her pace. Very soon, she felt Leia's walls tightly squeeze her fingers as she sucked hard one last time, sending Leia over the edge in a powerful orgasm. Mara rode it out with her as Leia spoke Mara's name over and over. When she was assured the waves of pleasure had calmed for Leia, she gently pulling herself out. She crawled up Leia and settled herself next to Leia, waiting for Leia to open her eyes. As Mara thought how at ease she was suddenly with this woman she felt open hostility towards one before, Leia opened her eyes and rolled onto her side.
"You're…" Leia began before breaking off. Instead of speaking, she pulled Mara closer to her and kissed her, tasting herself on Mara's lips. Mara's hips pressed against Leia's, reminding Leia that Mara had needs, too.
As they continued kissing, Leia's left hand wandered down between Mara's legs. She felt the wetness that pooled there, and she dipped her fingers beneath the hair and into Mara's slick folds. Mara groaned and bucked her hips against Leia's hands. Leia found the Mara's swollen clit and put pressure on it, rubbing her fingers over and over it. Mara fell back on her back, pulling Leia on top of her. As Leia stuck her tongue in Mara's mouth to explore, she entered Mara with two fingers. Mara bucked her hips against Leia's fingers as Leia increased the rhythm, mimicking the movements of her fingers with her tongue. She had Mara mesmerized as Leia's free hand moved down to squeeze Mara's right breast. Leia broke their kisses and moved down to suck on Mara's neck, nipping her here and there. She let her fingers pump harder into Mara, feeling Mara's need to let go. Her thumb moved up to press Mara's clit as Leia moved her own hips against Mara's leg. It wasn't long before Mara's hands gripped Leia as Mara came hard against Leia's hand. She pressed her head against Leia's shower, nipping her hard as she came. The pain of Mara's nip increased Leia's incoming pleasure.
As Mara's orgasm subsided, neither woman was satiated. Mara pushed Leia back onto her back and spread Leia's legs. She pressed herself against Leia so that their clits could rub against each other. When Mara was settled, she settled herself on top of Leia and thrust her hips against Leia's. The result was wave after wave of pleasure that shot through both women. Mara claimed Leia's mouth as the two women found their own rhythm and moved against each other, the sweet friction pushing them closer and closer to the edge. The women held onto each other as their orgasms hit at the same time. Mara gasped as she felt their emotions leak into the Force, overloading those senses for her. When their breathing calmed, Mara pushed herself off of Leia to settle at Leia's side. She pulled Leia towards her, wrapping one arm around Leia's waist and letting Leia's head rest on the other. Mara held the smaller woman, finding strength in the other woman she didn't know she needed. Leia pressed herself against Mara, squeezing Mara's hand.
The two women stayed in that position for what seemed like hours. They were content to stay in each other's company. As each woman lay, contemplating what just happened, Leia turned enough so she could look into Mara's eyes.
"You felt that, too," Leia stated. Mara nodded, confirming what Leia thought.
"I've never…felt that…before," Mara admitted. It was new for her. She knew Force bonds were rare, but existed. However, what was this? How could she explain the pull she felt to Leia? As Mara contemplated this, reality returned to her. It didn't matter. Leia was married, and she had two infants. There was no place for Mara. She could barely place herself in Leia's life as a friend.
"You're overthinking," Leia whispered. Somehow, she knew what Mara was thinking. This surprised her. It took Karrde years before he could anticipate her.
"It's not overthinking. You're married with kids. I have no place," Mara responded, a coldness seeping into her voice. Leia flipped all the way over, staring intently into Mara's eyes.
"You will always have a place. You helped save my twins. You're a part of this family," Leia assured the woman. She leaned forward and gave Mara one last kiss. As the kiss deepened with the pull in the Force, Leia's comm link could be heard going off. Reality had interrupted them again, this time for good. Leia climbed out of the bed, pausing at the door to give Mara one last look. Then, she left to answer Han's call.
Leia left Jade's Fire deep in thought. She could reach out in the Force and still feel Mara's presence and a pull to the woman. Leia didn't understand this pull, nor did she understand her sudden attraction to the woman. She continued her brisk walk back to her apartment.
It didn't phase her to admit to herself that she just cheated on Han. In fact, he hadn't come to her mind until he commed her, trying to find out where she was. Leia huffed internally at Han. He seemed to get on her nerves a lot lately.
Leia recounted her unexpected encounter with Mara. Sure, she could admit even before today that the woman was attractive, but she never remembered any sexual feelings towards Mara. A smile appeared on her face as she recounted the details again. With Mara, it had been gentle. It wasn't rough like it was with Han. When they were first married, Han treated Leia gently and with love. The friction between them sometimes pushed each other for dominance over the other, but Leia missed feeling like more than someone used for sex. This feelings was frequent these days. Han had Chewie for companionship, but Leia satisfied Han's physical needs.
She let out another huff. Mara had been gentle and giving, which surprised Leia. Mara was strong, and Leia could easily see Mara becoming the rough, dominate partner. However, Mara was gentle and caring. Leia never expected to feel the intense moments of pleasure or emotions with Mara. I swear I felt a strong, overwhelming push towards Mara when we came together, Leia thought. She only thought she was visiting Mara to establish a friendship. The two worked good together when the apartment had been attacked, even if Leia first accused Mara of starting the attack. Was it possible her visited was a nudge from the Force? Leia continued walking, hardly noticing Han was standing outside their apartment door with his arms crossed over his chest and a stern look on his face. Leia nearly ran into him before she pulled herself out of her thoughts.
"Where were you?" Han asked. Leia scowled at Han's tone. Am I not allowed to leave the apartment anymore? Leia thought to herself angrily.
"I visited Mara while you and Chewie were out," She answered. Irritation quickly filled her after hearing Han's tone. She didn't give up her freedom the moment the twins were born.
"Why? She's a mercenary. Hell Leia, she's been trying to kill your brother for years!" Han growled. Leia pushed passed him and entered their apartment.
"She's changed, Han. People change," She responded. She poked her head into the twins' room and saw them sound asleep. Mentally, she thanked Winter for all of her help recently. Han followed her into the apartment and closed the door behind him. She glanced to the corner of the room to see C3PO deactivated in the corner. Han never had the patience for him.
"People like that don't change," Han reminded Leia. She closed the door to the twins' room and stared straight at him.
"You did," She commented. That was the end of this conversation she mentally decided. She turned around and headed to their bedroom, determined to calm down. Why is she suddenly so angry at Han? She asked herself. As she reached the door, she felt Mara reach out with the Force to offer Leia some comfort. Leia smiled while Han stood in the same place, angry and confused.
Mara heard the hatch close, announcing Leia's departure. Mara sighed out loud. What in the hell just happened? We were only talking. How did we end up in bed? She thought. She knew the answer: Leia unlocked something in her she didn't think existed anymore. Leia was right, too. There was a pull between them that Mara couldn't explain.
All of this threw her off guard. She was used to being alone. Working with Karrde was an adjustment that took years for her to be at peace with. Her years as Palpatine's Hand haunted her day and night. She meant what she told Leia…it was like she had been brainwashed. Palpatine had ruled through fear, and she helped sustain that fear by carrying out his orders. Sometimes, that meant carrying out an assassination. She shook those thoughts from her head. There was no use thinking about that now. What was done is done.
Mara climbed out of bed and pulled some comfortable clothes from the closet. She deserved the small comfort. She didn't want to be battle-ready tonight. After dressing, she curled back into bed and pulled the blankets around her. She could still smell Leia on her blankets, but she could not bring herself to smile. She and Leia were friends, which before today was really stretching the truth. She had been their enemy, then maybe ally. Now, this evening established something confusing between the two women. However, it could be nothing more than friends. Leia was married to Han, and they shared two kids together. Besides, Mara thought bitterly, no one would trust someone like me easily. Leia's presence tonight surprised her, but Mara was grateful to have someone to talk to.
She closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to overcome her. Without warning, Mara felt Leia's anger through the Force. How am I able to feel her? Mara thought, shocked. Slightly concerned, Mara reached out to Leia and offered her some comfort. Mara was surprised by how easy it had been to find Leia in the Force. This was something she needed to think about later. Mara felt Leia's touch with what Mara took as gratefulness. With that last thought, Mara drifted off to sleep.
Leia woke up the next morning in the bed alone. She was groggy from the alcohol she had drunk the night before. With a groan, she pulled herself off the bed and went to the refresher. Twenty minutes later, she found herself dressed and walking out to see if Winter had the twins up yet. Han sat grumpily at the table drinking his caf. The twins played with their toys on the floor. C3PO stood over them, wailing as he watched Jaina pull apart one of her toys.
"Mistress Jaina!" C3PO exclaimed as he wrenched the toy from her daughter. Lea smiled at the scene before joining Han at the table. One of the service droids brought over some caf and breakfast as Han watched his wife closely.
"Yes Han?" Leia asked her husband as she took a bite of her food. She glanced up, waiting for a response.
"What was last night about? And what were you dreaming about?" Han questioned. He seemed genuinely concerned for his wife after the terrible night she had. Leia paused, remembering the dreams…no nightmares she had last night. It was all a blur, but it was a terrifying blur. She remembered watching Imperial officers killed, she remembered being the one to kill them. Was she using a lightsaber? She spoke to Emperor Palpatine, feeling smug next to Darth Vader as she was given her next assignment. There was more death, more violence. Where did that come from? Leia asked herself. She forgot she had been chewing food and quickly swallowed. She took a gulp from her caf, slightly choking on it. Han jumped up to pat her back as she settled back down. She jerked away from him.
"I'm fine, Han! It was just a bad dream," She answered. He was irritated and unsettled by her sudden weariness around him. Last night, she wouldn't let him hold her. During her nightmares, she physically kicked him out of bed. Han left her to her sleep and slept on the couch. He was grumpy, but he was concerned for his wife. She was acting differently since visiting Mara. He wondered if she did something to Leia.
"Fine! You can't fault me for caring about you, your Highness," He replied irritated. She gave him a stare while slamming her fork down. She stood up from her seat and began walking over to the twins. Without warning, she cried out and grabbed her shoulder. She fell forward as Han jumped up, rushing over to catch her. She clutched her shoulder as Han half carried, half drug her to the couch. She fell to the couch and he sat next to her. He removed her hand from her shoulder and pulled away the thin layer of blouse to discover a wound. It looked like she had been shot with a blaster, but how? She stared down at her shoulder and glanced up to Han. Neither could explain this, but Han was only concerned about getting his wife medical attention. As he ordered C3PO to call for medical help, Leia's eyes closed. She felt like she had been hit with a concussion grenade. She drifted off and her mind was attacked by things happening somewhere else.
Back at Jade's Fire, Mara was getting dressed. She decided this morning she would fly off Coruscant as soon as she could. This pull with Leia frightened her. She felt Leia in her dreams last night. She simply couldn't understand what was going on. She doubted even Luke understood, had she been willing to bring it up with him. However, she scowled, that farmboy is lucky he has survived this long with that naiveté of his.
She had finished placing her lightsaber on her hip and her small blaster up here sleeve when she got the flash of a warning in the Force. She reached out and felt minds approaching her shuttle, with trouble in mind. It's too early for this, Mara thought. She glanced out the viewport and saw three men approaching the front, but she felt others surrounding the ship. She reached for her lightsaber as the hatch opened. How did they get through my lock? She thought angrily. Whoever they are, they are in trouble for touching her ship. She took cover as she heard footsteps coming up the ramp.
"Mara Jade! We know you're in there!" One man called out. She heard more footsteps behind his.
"Just let me kill her!" Another man shouted as he entered the ship. Mara rolled her eyes. They had some nerve and they were full of themselves. She heard another set of footsteps enter her ship before everything went quiet.
"You're surrounded. Just come with us quietly and we won't hurt you…too bad," The first voice called out. She heard movement coming her way.
"Shut up, fool! She's a Jedi. She can have you for breakfast if you don't watch yourself," A new voice growled. He must be in charge, Mara thought. She reached out in the Force and estimated about how many were here. There were a few alien minds, but otherwise there were about ten more outside, plus three in her ship. It could be worse, she commented to herself. She took a deep breath, pulling in the Force to calm her. Then, she walked out to meet her guests.
"Gentleman, haven't you heard it's impolite to interrupt a woman in the morning?" She asked them. They were indeed humans, albeit scruffy humans. Two carried large blasters while the man she assumed was in charge was unarmed, that she could see. The two with blasters pointed them at her quickly while the man in charge looked her up and down.
"You're coming with us to pay for what you did to us," the man in charge stated. She snorted and held her lightsaber out to her side.
"And what, exactly, did I do to you?" She asked, sounding bored. She threw back her red hair behind her shoulders, in case this got nasty.
"You murdered our friends…our family!" One of the men with blasters yelled in response. He was the one who voted to murder her right here.
"Is that so?" She asked. She felt a pull of guilt in her stomach because she had been the cause of so many murders during her time with the Empire. She couldn't keep track of the assignments she had done for Palpatine, or how her assignments affected people.
"You're coming with us to answer for your crimes," The man in charge growled, sending a warning glance back to the man who seemed to be losing control each second. She lit her lightsaber, prepared to fight.
"Come and get me, then," She replied. The two with blasters began sending red bolts her way. She used her lightsaber to send the bolts flying back at the three men. One bolt hit the man who had been silent straight in the chest. He fell over as other bolts began scorching the inside of her sitting area. She growled at the damage they were causing. As she was occupied with the other man with a blaster, five more ran through the hatch. She felt a warning in the Force, but her motions to beat off the blaster bolts from the first man left her vulnerable to a new man who shot her in the shoulder with a bolt. She grunted with the pain, but used the Force to stay focused on her surroundings. She had another warning when a concussion grenade was thrown. She used the Force to send it flying out of the hatch before going off, but its effect still hit her. As the men fell over from the grenade, she closed down her lightsaber and used the Force to settle her.
Before the men could recover, she used the Force to send them flying off her ship. She quickly closed the hatch despite the pain in her shoulder. She locked it and began preparing her ship for takeoff. As she lifted off the ground, those standing behind her ship was incinerated as she flew off into the sky, leaving Coruscant quickly behind.