Title: Sabacc Face
Author: JediMara77
Genre: Friendship, romance, missing scene
Timeframe: 16 ABY, after the Black Fleet Crisis trilogy
A/N: For the sake of this fic, let's pretend that Lando and Mara "dated" through the Black Fleet Crisis trilogy (I can't find anything in canon saying when that relationship ended). Written for TFN's Skywalker Jade Revival Society's August "Late Night" challenge. (And yes, the title was inspired by the Lady Gaga song. What about it? Come on; try to tell me that the song doesn't fit Mara to a T.)
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It was the social event of the season, and everyone who was anyone was in attendance. Politicians, dignitaries, holostars, war heroes, smugglers…they were stuffed into the Imperial Palace's most opulent ballroom, all there for a good cause. The Charity Sabacc Tournament to benefit the university on New Alderaan turned down nobody who wanted to donate their funds.
Luke Skywalker sat stoically at his assigned table, doing his best to concentrate on the game. He was horrible at sabacc, but as brother of Leia Organa Solo, he had no choice but to attend. He was sure he'd be eliminated in the first round, and that was fine with him. That would give him more time to mingle with the friends he hardly ever got to see anymore, now that he was living on Yavin IV mostly full time.
Sure enough, he lost all his credits pretty quickly, shook the other participants' hands graciously, and made his way to the hors d'oeuvres table. He observed the room for a moment, trying to find Han and Lando among the players, when his eyes were caught by a stunning, striking woman reaching out to take hold of a pile of credits.
Smuggler, trader, sometime Jedi apprentice—Mara Jade.
She must have felt him watching her, because as the next hand was dealt, she turned and winked at him. Luke flushed slightly, but nodded at her, making a mental note to keep track of her progress and find her when she was out of the game. He hadn't talked to his old friend in a long time.
As it turned out, he needn't bother watching her, because she made it to the final table. Luke didn't know why he was surprised that she was so good at sabacc. He and Leia laughed at how frustrated Han got when she beat him. In the end, the tournament came down to Mara and Lando Calrissian.
Mara and Lando. Now that's a pair Luke hoped not to see together ever again.
Clamping down on his emotions, Luke watched the final hands with interest. Both of them were extremely competitive, although Lando remained suave as ever the entire time. After Mara had won a particularly intense round, Lando raised his hands to placate the crowd, stating "it's not over until Sy Snootles sings." Finally, he emerged the victor. Mara, to Luke's surprise, was a gracious loser, but then again there wasn't really much to win in this tournament. There was a grand presentation, the tables were pushed aside, and dancing began.
Luke excused himself and approached his old friend. She was surrounded by people congratulating her on her second-place finish, and Luke could sense her discomfort a klick away. Doing what any friend would, he swept in, asked to speak to her privately, and whisked her out to one of the small balconies lining the ballroom.
"Thanks, Skywalker," Mara said once they were alone. "But I could've gotten out of that myself."
"I'm sure you could have, but what are friends for?"
She didn't answer, just threw him a smirk before glancing out at the Coruscant skyline. "You did pretty horrible in the tournament," she remarked after several moments.
Luke smiled at her trademark bluntness. "Yeah, well, I've never been that good at the game."
"I'm surprised the Jedi Master doesn't have a better sabacc face."
He stared at her a moment, put off by the way she'd said Jedi Master, then shrugged. "Never really had a reason for it."
"What about when you're playing sabacc?"
"Now that would be too logical."
Mara rolled her eyes. "I guess you're right. You've always been a horrible liar."
"Have I?"
"Yes. But you've gotten better at it."
"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or a put-down."
"Take it whatever way you want."
"Then I'll say thank you."
"You would."
Luke didn't know what to say to that. There was something he wanted to talk about, though, even though Mara would probably want nothing of it. "So," he said casually, "you and Lando at the final table, huh?"
"It was expected. He's an excellent player. I'm surprised it didn't end up being him and Han."
"Have you…um…seen him since?"
"Han?" she smiled.
"You know what I mean."
She turned to face him head on. "Fine, I'll play. Since what, Skywalker?"
"Since the two of you stopped seeing each other."
Mara rolled her eyes. "We've spoken since. It's kind of hard to avoid when you do business together."
"Right." Luke couldn't imagine how he would have felt if he'd had to speak to Callista after she left. But then again, he'd probably been much more emotional over Callista than Mara had been over Lando. Mara was never very emotional, not unless she was dealing with the ghosts of her past. "Still. Are you all right?"
Luke didn't know why he was asking. Mara was his friend, of course, and he cared about her. But he couldn't deny that he'd been just a little bit ecstatic when he heard that Mara and Lando's relationship had ended. He'd never understood it. Sure, they were both successful businesspeople, and they got along well enough…but there was no spark there. Luke could sense it.
And Luke was a surefire believer that romance needed a spark. That's why he never went on a second date with any of the women Leia set him up with. They were nice enough women, but that was it.
Funnily enough, he felt more alive when he was with Mara than anyone he'd ever been romantically involved with. Maybe that was because she was always threatening to kill him.
Mara waved her hand, dismissing Luke's question. "Don't worry, Skywalker. I'm a big girl. I don't need rescuing."
"Who said anything about rescuing?"
"It's you asking, so it's assumed."
"I'm just concerned. You're my friend."
Mara raised her eyebrows. "Right. My friend."
"Are you not?"
"You're the Jedi Master. You tell me."
She was getting belligerent; it was time for a new tactic. "You were together a long time. It's gotta be difficult."
"It's actually not difficult at all. I've got my business to keep me busy."
"Right." Luke didn't believe for one minute that things were perfectly fine with Mara. Even she couldn't remain perfectly in control all the time.
Or maybe Mara had never cared for Lando much to begin with. They'd dated a long time…if she didn't care for Lando, was she just stringing him along for fun? For some reason, that thought bothered him more than the idea of them being together. After all, Lando was his friend, too.
Before he could think on that too long, Mara glanced pointedly at her chrono. "It's getting late. I should go."
"Wait." Luke reached out his hand to stop her from going back inside. Her skin was warm and soft. She flinched away, of course, but that didn't matter. She remained on the balcony, waiting for his next words.
"I just want you to know, Mara…that I'm here for you if you need me."
She stared at him blankly. "And why would I need you?"
Luke shrugged. "No reason in particular. Just…"
He trailed off, silence falling upon both of them, a strange sensation building up in the Force around them. It was expectant, anticipating…and emanating solely from Mara. It was like she wanted something from him, but Luke had no idea what. He tilted his head to regard her. She looked beautiful tonight, as she always did…but something was different.
She glanced away, the moment—whatever it was—abruptly ended. "Thanks, Skywalker. I need to be going now."
"Okay," he replied reluctantly. "See you around, Mara."
"See you," she said. And then, in the blink of an eye, she lifted up on her toes and kissed Luke gently on the cheek, almost grazing the corner of his mouth. It lasted much longer than a chaste kiss with a friend should last, and Luke just stood there the entire time, unable to move.
She pulled away, her hand trailing suggestively down his arm. Their eyes locked for another long moment before she turned to leave the balcony.
"Mara," Luke called out to her, not even realizing that he had spoken. She paused, but didn't look back. "You don't always have to have such a sabacc face, you know."
He didn't know why he said it. It just seemed like the right thing to say.
Her body shook with a sarcastic laugh, and Luke could sense her melancholy smile. "Oh yes. I do."
He watched her leave, wondering what in the galaxy had just happened between them…
And what exactly the enigmatic Mara Jade was hiding behind her sabacc face.