One Year Later
Jani sighed as she watched the man across the table from her. He was lost in his own thoughts and barely picking at his food. Organa-Solo had arranged this dinner for the two of them and Jani had done everything within her power to make herself irresistible. In fact, many of the other males in the resturaunt couldn't keep their eyes off her. Luke, however, was indifferent.
She wondered what was troubling him so as she scanned his handsome, yet empty, features.
"Luke?"
"Yes?"
"Luke, what's wrong?" She though about taking his hand, but decided it was a little strong for a first date. Jani also tried to sound interested in his problems actually just wishing he would pay attention to her.
"Nothing's wrong." He said no more.
Jani scanned her memory of her talk with his sister the other day for some kind of leverage. Organa-Solo had mentioned woman problems. The Jedi Master had once been married.
"Oh, Luke, you must forget her." Jani flipped back her blonde hair. "She is gone. If she left you, she obviously didn't see what was right in front of her." She smiled hoping the complement would help him relax. "It is time you move on to better times." Jani batted her long eyelashes as she sipped her drink.
This time she got a reaction out of the Jedi, only it was not the one she would have hoped. His brow furrowed and his hands clenched into fists so that the tendons in his one organic wrist stood out.
"I'm sorry, Jani." He said. "You're very beautiful and I'm sure any man in his right mind would want to date you." Luke seemed to think over his choice of words, "but I'm not in my right mind. I'm sorry." He placed a credi-chip on the table, paying for the meal, and left.
Jani sipped her drink as she watched the lean, black-clad figure exit the restaurant. She found the man to be quite becoming. And every man could be persuaded in some way. The woman smiled. Oh yes, she would have to speak with Solo once more.
…
"Keep 'em coming." Mara slammed her empty glass on the grimy countertop. It seemed she spent most of her days like this. She hated herself for it. Her life was in pieces, and she had only herself to blame. The Corellian whiskey seemed to help. It made her numb, made her forget, made the pain momentarily subside. Then she would wake up and it would start all over again.
"Mara?" She didn't respond. It had been too long since she had heard her own name. The clicking of boots approached her and a hand was placed on her shoulder. "Stars, Mara it is you!"
"Go away." Why couldn't the galaxy just let her wallow in her self-pity and alcohol.
The man laughed. She recognized him now. Had it really been that long? "I see you're doing well." He said sarcastically.
"Karrde." Mara growled.
"Hello, Mara"
She downed her third glass of whisky, "What do you want?"
Karrde looked her over. She was a mess. "I want to help you."
Mara snorted, "You're too late. I've already got all the help I need." She held up her now full whiskey glass. Karrde took it from her. "Hey!"
"It's not too late. It's never too late."
"Oh, Karrde, I didn't know you were such a poet. It's breaking my heart."
"I think someone's already done that." The smuggler looked over the broken form that had once been Mara Jade.
"Please! Don't even start. I left Skywalker." Talon knew he was in danger, but if anyone could get through to Mara it was him. "Mara, you don't have to throw your whole life away because of one mistake.
"It wasn't a mistake!"
"It doesn't matter, but you deserve to be happy, and living in bars and cantinas doesn't seem to be doing the trick."
"Get on with it."
"Come back with me Mara, take your place back in the organization."
"Look, Karrde, I don't think I'm ready to come back yet."
"And when will you be? When all the cantinas in the galaxy run dry?"
"Maybe,"
"Wake up, Jade! You can't keep doing this. I know you hate to be wrong, but this has gone over the skyhooks! You need to get yourself together, Mara. And when you do, give me a call." He dropped a card on the counter.
…
Luke Skywalker was fuming as he left the restaurant. He could feel Jani's admiration for him seep through the Force. That bothered him. Jani did not like Luke for himself, but for his lean warrior's body and socail prestige To her he was merely a prize to be won, another trophy for her self. She had not wanted to care for him, had not wanted to get to know him, and she had the gumption to mention Mara. Even now, after all this time, it pained him to think of her.
The Jedi sighed. His comlink beeped just then. No way in the universe did he want to answer it, but it couldn't be avoided.
"Skywalker,"
"Hey kid.
"Hi, Han,"
"Leia told me about your dinner plans. Listen, Kid, don't go. You know how these women are."
"Too late."
"Oh man." Han sounded concerned. "You need a drink."
"Han, I really don't need…"
"Meet me at the Rancor." The channel went silent. The Jedi gathered his bearings and headed out.
…
"Come in." Leia looked up from the paperwork on her desk as a tall blonde entered the room. "Hello Jani." The diplomat saw the woman's frustrated expression, "I trust your evening with my brother did not go well."
"It was a disaster!" She sank into one of Leia's leather chairs. "He still can't get over her!"
Leia faked a frown, now was the time to see if her plan had worked, "Oh, I'm sorry. Well," she let out a dramatic sigh, "thanks for giving my brother a try. I know he can be difficult."
"I didn't say I was finished." Jani said rather rudely. Leia could see the determination in her blue eyes.
"Oh really?"
…
"Whiskey," Han told the bar tender as the Jedi sat down on the bar stool next to him. Much to his brother-in-law's dismay, Luke ordered a mere hot chocolate. "Kid, trust me you're going to need something stronger than that." The other man merely pushed the comment aside and just kept sipping his drink. "Look, kid, you can't keep dragging yourself down. She's gone and she's not coming back."
"I know." Luke sighed. Han gave a melancholy chuckle at the sight of the man beside him. "What?"
"You think that after Callista you would have learned."
"That doesn't really help, Han."
Solo held his hands up in surrender, "Hey, I never said women were easy. Look what I had to go through with Leia."
"Dathomir Nightsisters and near death experiences,"
"Exactly, and you chose Mara Jade. I can tell you right now, it could take a whole lot more."
"I just don't know what I've done! Her heart was breaking right in front of me!" He slammed his fist down on the dirty countertop. "When Callista left I at least knew why."
"Maybe that's the problem."
"What?"
"With Mara," Han searched for the right words to describe his friend's ex-wife, "you can't 'know' you just have to go with it and hope she's not armed when you mess up."
…
Vicious spasms wreaked havoc on Mara Jade as she vomited her measly dinner into the toilet. Tears were streaming down her face. She wasn't sure what disgusted her more; the pathetic thing her life had become or the fact that she let it get it this way"
She felt as if she were falling. As if the great wings that had once carried her so far had broken. Mara threw her head back trying to fly, but all she could see were clear, blue eyes growing farther and dimmer.
"Luke!" She awoke with a start, sprawled out on the refresher floor not remembering loosing consciousness. Attempting to get to her knees her hands flew to her head. "Ahh!" Pain erupted in her skull causing her to go dizzy and fall over. The tears started all over again before she could try and stop them.
Standing on shaky legs, she tottered to the small kitchenette, past all the empty bottles that never seemed to disappear, right up to the caf maker that hadn't been used in a very long time. Karrde was right.
…
When Luke returned to his apartment later that evening he had a comm. message waiting for him. He hung up his cloak and pressed the button on the receiver. The form of Jani appeared.
"Hello, Luke," said the hologram. "I'm terribly sorry about dinner." She looked down at her hands, "I think I might have come on a little too strong."
Luke began to listen. This woman was apologizing for something that, Luke decided, wasn't even her fault. Something Mara would never do.
"Look, Luke, I want to make it up to you. Just please, call me back." The woman looked genuinely concerned. "Good night, Luke." The message ended.
"Artoo," the droid dutifully rolled over to rest beside its master, "remind me to call her in the morning." Smiling, Luke got ready for bed.
…
Mara surveyed her surroundings. She had straightened up the small apartment to a decent level. It almost made her sorry to be leaving. With a grin on her lips, she switched off the lights and headed for the hangar where the Wild Karrde would be awaiting her arrival.
The door swished closed behind her and she relished the sound.
