And here it is the third chapter! Welp, I warned you that my posting rhythm wouldn´t be as fast as between the first two chapters since I had the two almost completely written when I started this story. However, I hope the waiting was worth it since this is the longest chapter I have ever written in any of my fics, so get comfortable and enjoy it xD

I warn you though, I am going to make things a little calmer and focus on character developing instead of action, I already told you that in the previous chapter and I do it again now, soon things will start to happen though, so don´t worry, anyway, if you are reading this story because you like the relationship between Luke and Mara I kind of think you will like this chapter : )

Once again thank you for your support and for following this story, it encourages me to keep writing, and remember reviews are always welcomed, thank you for the ones who took the time to do leave a comment.

JACarter: Well here you have, thank you for Reading my story xD

Well that´s all, let´s get going with the thrid chapter.

Rogue Squadron

Mobile Rebel base – Hone one

Luke stepped into his room once again after his little chat with Leia and sat on his bed´s edge, slowly covering his face with his hands. Th following days were going to be harsh for sure… Did the high command really believe that the basement´s crew was going to buy the story of a routine checking? Imperials had just found out about an operation´s route that was supposed to be top secret and now suddenly intelligence was going to start interrogating everyone on the basement… It wasn´t too hard to put two and two together… Hell, the rebels were quite intelligent people after all. Luke couldn´t tell it to his squadron and that bothered him, he didn´t like having secrets with the boys, they were like his new found family, alongside Han, Leia and Chewie of course. The young Jedi sighed and changed clothes, finally getting out of that commander suit to replace it with a pair of gray pants and a black t-shirt, he didn´t like wearing too excessive clothing and preferred being comfortable, in fact, that was the philosophy of mostly the entire base, qith the exception of Leia and Mon Mothma, of course.

He still had around two hours until dinnertime arrived, so Luke decided to sit down and meditate. He sat down on the floor and crossed his legs, getting into the correct position with his hands on his knees, he closed his eyes and tried to make his mind blank to feel the force surrounding him… He wasn´t able to sense much just yet, he simply managed to get into some kind of weird trance that allowed him to think more clearly and hear, smell or feel what was happening around him… Nothing extra sensorial was supposed to happen though. Luke wondered if that sense with the force thingy would only happen with adrenaline running his veins, actually his most impressive achievements through the force were sensing the explosion of Alderaan while he was training blindfolded with Ben and also blowing up the Death Star by using the force to guide his instincts when firing the proton torpedoes to the exhaust port.

However, something estrange happened that day, something that hadn´t happened to him before ever since he started using the force… He felt something… Another person, in fact, he was pretty sure about he or she being on the base, he felt the presence close, like a little shiny spot, not very big, but it glowed amazingly, making itself noticeable, like wanting to make clear that it was there. However, Luke wasn´t experienced enough sensing through the force yet so he wasn´t able to locate it and much less identify it… But it was intriguing for sure… Was there another force user on the base?

….

Mara was laying on her bed, looking up to the ceiling, trying to put her thoughts together so she could come out with a plan… It seemed like it would be a long process, luckily her master hadn´t demanded a quick work and she didn´t have a limit date for accomplishing her mission. And besides, Vader was also planning something to try and get the boy, maybe her intervention wasn´t even needed after all, but she should plan for the worst scenario and think that Vader would fail and she would need to step forward, so she would make a plan for that.

It was strange though, considering all the missions she had done in the past for the emperor this one could easily be the most important one, she didn´t have the chance to deal with Jedi business before after all… Vader and the inquisitors were the ones dealing with those sort of things, it was clear that the young redhead girl wouldn´t stand a chance against a trained Jedi after all. But this boy wasn´t trained, he didn´t even seem like a threat, but her orders weren´t to kill him, so there wasn´t no point in worrying about it anyway… However, for some reason she wasn´t comfortable doing what he was doing, she didn´t like the mission, and that annoyance had started bothering her only a few hours ago, since her first real conversation with Skywalker. Mara was trying to calm herself, close her eyes and try to throw those thoughts away, it wasn´t convenient for her if Palpatine was able to sense those doubts in her mind, she didn´t want to be punished when she got back to Imperial Center.

But it seemed like it was too late sice Mara sensed a presence in the force touching her mind in the subtlest way… The young girl tensed herself and opened her eyes, she just assumed it was her master trying to contact her, no one else had ever contacted her after all, in fact, the only one capable of doing it apart from the Emperor was Darth Vader, and the black masked Sith didn´t seem to bother noticing her.

Mara sighed to try and relax while lowering her mental shields, letting her master in, but she opened his eyes in surprise when she realized it wasn´t Palpatine… Actually, it was quite the opposite.

She recognized that force signature immediately; the light, the pureness and the nobility coming out from it overwhelmed her the second time in the same day, even though in that occasion it was lightly different…

It was Skywalker himself the one who had opened his mind and reached out in the force, and that meant everything flowing out of his mind was amplified since Mara had only scratched the surface when she contacted the young rebel´s mind hours ago, and she had pulled away almost immediately because of the astonishing experience it had been back then.

Mara closed her eyes once again, letting the light fill her, and enjoying it for a few seconds. She didn´t even think about it being dangerous or risky in some way, she forgot about her training for just a moment and simply let herself do what she wanted to do, that wasn´t common in The Emperor´s Hand, and she didn´t even know what had pushed her to make that decision, considering that Skywalker could discover her.

…

Luke slowly opened his eyes and frowned a little… It was a strange presence, actualy he wasn´t sure if It could be considered strange since he had never connected with anyone except for Ben when he talked to him… But he had to take in count that Ben Kenobi´s presence in his mind came from someone who was dead, now he was pretty sure that was the force signature he should consider strange or weird.

Young Skywalker came back to reality, but something felt different that time, generally the feelings or sensations he discovered while meditating didn´t stay with him after finishing and cutting his trance. However, that presence… That little light was completely stack on his head. It didn´t bother him, though, it didn´t even feel like it was something new, , it seemed natural to him, like it was meant to be there, and he was actually a little happy about apparently doing some progress with the force, even if he wasn´t sure what that progress was… Maybe it meant being in synchrony with the force or something like that, feeling those kind of things around you and seeing them as normal. It was pretty nice, actually… A little smile appeared on Luke´s lips, but it didn´t take long until he stood up from the floor, he had some work to do since the loss of the Renegade Squadron meant that Rogue Squadron was now the only active elite pilots unit in the base so they would have extra work to do, maybe he should consider increasing the number of pilots on the squadron, the down side was that it was pretty difficult finding pilots that were good enough to fit with the Rogues and also willing to risk their lives kind of weekly since the missions Luke´s squadron used to take weren´t anything near to a piece of cake. He was absolutely determined to offer Mara a place in the squadron, he didn´t know why but he was kind of sure she could fly… He couldn´t explain it, he just knew it.

When eh finally sat on his deck and started reading through the available pilots´ archives on his datapad, taking notes and classifying the ones who seemed more competent, that task kept him absorbed during the hour and a half left for dinne and Luke completely forgot about the little light stack on a deep corner of his mind.

….

Mara was lightly smiling, laying on her bed with her eyes closed while she allowed Skywalker to surround her with his force presence, in fact, if she paid attention, the boy´s mind seemed to be curious and confused, like he had just made a great discovery, there was quite a lot innocence on it to be honest, and Mara had never felt anything like that, she would have liked to feel some of those emotions across her life, but she should be grateful to Palpatine… She was nothing without him after all.

When the presence finally dozed away young Jade growled a little in protest, before opening her eyes and looking around. She sighed lightly, she wasn´t very proud about how she had just done, but she didn´t regret it either, actually she wouldn´t mind if Skywalker touched her mind every once in a while while he meditated, it was an amazing feeling… It was a pity, a real pity the Emperor being so interested in the ex farmer boy… Mara frowned then and tried to focus and concentrate… What was that? Something seemed to… glow… Deep inside her mind, like the force had just left it there like a little candle, just a pinch of light to try and counter all the negativity Mara had received across her living years. The redhead focused on it and smiled once again, there wasn´t any doubt about who that energy belonged to, he couldn´t possibly be mistaken. She didn´t even bother opening her eyes, she didn´t know how much time she got until dinner time btu she actually didn´t care, it was a really exhausting day, so it didn´t took her more than ten minutes to fall asleep.

She didn´t know how long she had been sleeping, but she started to slowly wake up and recovering her conscience when she felt a presence in the force… It was getting closer and the moment it was next to the redhead Mara had already woken up completely. She opened her eyes and grabbed his blaster, resting on her nightstand, aiming to the person who stood next to her bed.

Luke jumped in surprise and lost his balance, falling down and hitting his ass on the ground before rising her hands on a calming gesture "Wow, wow, wow…! Easy there! It´s just me!"

"Luke?" Mara lowered her weapon when she recognized her visitor "Ugh… For the Force… Dion´t scare me like that…" she had forgotten about showing herself shy and grateful, she was just her now, and she actually surprised herself being kind of nice to Skywalker "What are you dong here?"

Luek sighed and stood up "Well ehm… It´s time for dinner… I dunno, I didn´t see you there and I thought that you might had gotten lost…" answered the young man "But seeing that you would be capable of killing to be able to continue your nap I will just let you be…"

Mara laughed and put the blaster back where it was "No, I´m actually hungry, let me change clothes and lead me to the eating room, I am not sure about being able to find it on my own." The young Jade climbed off the bed and looked for some clean clothes on her cabinet, when she was about to change she noticed Luke was still there, looking at her. She raised her eyebrow "Do you mind? OR would you rather enjoy the show?"

At first Luke gave her a confused look, but once a cable connected on his brain he blushed fiercely "oh! Of course! I-I´m sorry…" he said, turning around and looking down to the ground, and Mara cold swear she was able to see smoke coming out his ears.

The girl couldn´t help but smile, she could feel Skywalker´s power, she knew he was capable of doing great things and for what she heard before the mission he managed to be a great and successful squadron leader, but he still acted like an inexpert teen and insecure, not that she was the one to talk anyway… She had just been with two men across her life after all and it was very sudden and casual… Even though she was pretty sure she wouldn´t blush in a situation like the current. In fact, she started to think about putting aside the cover of a good, nice and grateful girl and just be herself, it seemed like it would work the same way with Skywalker anyway.

Mara was fast changing, taking off her bruised, broken and bloody clothes until she was only in her underwear, a black sports bra and simple panties of the same color, and then started to get dressed with a simple white trousers and a big sleeveless black top, letting her midsection exposed, she also put her scarlet hair on a high ponytail "Ready… Shall we go?" she announced… She thought that attire like that would catch Skywalker´s attention even more, and she wasn´t wrong. As soon as the pilot turned around to look at her she could see him analyzing every curve of her body with his blue eyes, but she faked not noticing it, and Luke immediately locked his eyes on hers.

"Ehm… Yeam sure, let´s get going." He said, opening the door so the young girl could get out first, he was still polite after all, and that didn´t go unnoticed by Mara "Well, that´s very nice of you…" she said while she walked next to Luke and exited the room by moving her hips more than usual.

Luke gulpd and closed the door "Well, I was always told that manners are important."

Hearing that, while they walked, Mara grew a little curious about the place Luke had grown up, someone that powerful, a famous Jedi´s son "Oh? Have Did you grow up in aristocracy or something like that?" she knew it wasn´t like that, but the emperor had only given her the intel about Luke being a farmboy and him being naïve, if she wanted to be able to get close to him and make him trust her completely she needed to play her cards and, for that, she needed to know the whole story.

"I grew up on Tatooine" he answered then "On a moisture farm since I have memory… I was there less than a year ago, It´s still hard to believe how much things have changed in a short amount of time, to be honest."

Mara didn´t even need to fake surprise with that… He didn´t even get any kind of combat training or something in that regard? He had lived in Tatooine all his life?A planet isolated form the war and he had joined the Rebellion regardless… That was strange, and the question seemed to just pop out of her mouth without control, needing to satisfy her own curiosity, not thinking about the mission anymore "Tatooine huh? Wow… I didn´t see that coming… And how did you end up here?"

Luke smiled in a sad way "It was kind of by accident actually… You can call it the will of the force if you want but… My uncle simply bought two androids to the Jawas that happened to be carrying the stolen secret plans for the Death Star that Leia had managed to hide inside R2 before she was captured." Luke explained "I met Ben and he told me about my father, he gave me my lightsaber and asked me for help rescuing the princess… I didn´t want to interfere at first, but when I came back home the stromtroopers had burned down my farm and my aunt and uncle with it to ashes… Just because they had accidentaly bought two androids, I just couldn´t do nothing about it…"

Mara gulped a little, opening her eyes in shock "The empire… The empire killed your aunt and uncle just because buying the wrong androids?" she asked once again, clearly showing her shock in her words.. She knew some Imperial leaders liked to abuse the people… Btu that was completely inexcusable, it might not be anything compared to destroying Alderaan, but the premise was the same… IF you are in my way, you must be destroyed, she had to inform Palpatine about everything she was finding out when she get back to Imperial Center. Luke just nodded sadly, clearly hurt by memories "Yeah… I dunno why you look so surprised though. Didn´t you leave the empire because those kind of things? While I lived in Tatooine I didn´t like the empire much, but I never thought they could go that far, to be honest…"

"I…" Mara gulped again, that was true, her cover was her defection from Military academy in Sullust "Yeah… Well… I defected after Alderaan… But I can´t help but still get surprised when I hear about those kind of atrocities, you know?"

Luke nodded once again "Yeah, I get you… But anyway, we are here now, and what we have to do is keep fighting to honor the fallen, you said it, remember?"

Mara just nodded her agreement, lost in her thoughts once again, since he was in the rebel base she she hadn´t stop letting her mind fly on some dangerous ways,, and he didn´t even spend a whole day in Home One… She wondered how she would end up when she finished her mission and she had to go back to Palpatine… She hoped that at least her master decided to take a step forward and punish all of the officials who were performing those senseless massacres.

They didn´t talk much more the rest of the way to the eating room, where the Rogues were engaged on a quite out loud conversation.

Wedge was sitting with his hands behind his head without paying much attention to what the other members of the squadron were saying, just as Zev was doing, both of them were the most veterans and adults of the team, they didn´t have much interest in the subject that seemed to have the other three rogues so heated up.

"I´m telling you! Twi´lek girls are the hardest to get! For real, all that dancing thing is just a trick." Wes was telling his partner. Wes Janson joined the squadron a couple of months after the Battle of Yavin and Wedge decided to take care of him. HE was young, impulsive and he liked to prank, he was the main responsible of the family environment the Rogues had between the,. Sitting right next to him was Dak Ralter, who replied him "Really? C´mon man, I´m sure you´re making that up! The fact that they say no to you doesn't prove anything! Hell, you wouldn´t have any chances even with Mon Mothma!"

That made all the pilots laugh, except for Wedge of course, who answered with some annoyed mumblings. Despite what could look like, Wes and Dak were best buddies, they had joined the squadron almost at the same time and were around the same age, in fact, they both were kind of under the protection of the two founders since Luke had decided to take Dak as his "protégée" since he was the youngest. Dak had served as Luke´s wingman on almost all the missions since then, and he wasn´t doing bad at all.

However, the argument ended when Derek Klivian, who everyone in the squadron called Hobbie, raised his head when eh noticed his commander get close with the redhead girl following close "Hey Rogues! It seems that the Commander finally found himself a girl!"

Instantly all heads on the table turned towards the two, Luke sighed and shook his head while Mara raised an eyebrow curiously… Where the hell did they get that assumption?

"Guys, this is Mara" Luke said, starting with the introductions and pointing the squadron members while he named them "Mara, these are Wedge, Zev, Wes, Dak and Hobbie, Rogue Squadron." Everyone raised their glasses when they were named and gave her a greeting gesture, Dak was the first to talk, smirking a little intentionally "So tell me, boss… Isn´t this beautiful girls the one you rescued from Chorax?"

Luke nodded, while politely put aside a chair to allow Mara to sit "Indeed, she is." He answered. It was Wes this time the one to speak "Seriously, boss… You kind of have a gift for rescuing hot girls… First Leia and now Mara. How can it be you are not able to get a girl?"

"Maybe because he is busy rescuing and serving the alliance than thinking about that, something I see you guys don´t do… Weren´t you supposed to be elite pilots?" Mara suddenly asked, with a proud smile on her face, that made Wes close his mouth immediately and the others laughed once again, Luke included. Wedge was the first to talk "I like her, Boss, she knows how to defend herself."

She laughed a little, they didn´t seem like bad people at all and she could get used to be around them, Luke just shrugged and asked Mara "What would you like to eat?" She looked at him, now that she thought about it no one had ever asked her that kind of question, and she wasn´t prepared for it "I… Don´t know… Same as you, I guess, I don´t know the menu here…" she excused herself, she didn´t want to spend much time thinking about the food since that could look weird.

Luke smiled kindly at her "Sure! I will bring a menu for you as well." He said, before turning around to go get the food.

Wedge looked at Mara then "So how are you adjusting to this? I have heard you defected from the empire with the convoy." The redhead looked at him, of course, that was her cover story, she smiled lightly at him and nodded "Yeah… There were a lot of things I didn´t like form the empire but… I never thought this being that different, it seems much less professional, not offense meant…" this time it was Dak the one laughing out loud "Ha! We consider that a compliment!" said the young pilot "Those imperioals think they are so cool with all those protocols and rules! But we don´t do anything but kick theyr srry asses! They need at least two times our fighters to have a chance of winning!"

The pilots nodded and mumbled they approvals, even raised they drinks and drank in agreement with what Dak had said. Mara was a little overwhelmed, she had never seem that kind of environment in any imperial installation, there weren´t a lot of friendships, people just ate without doing much talking and go back to work. However, across the entire cafeteria loud conversations, laughs and arguments could be heard… She knew the alliance was militarily affective, they had achieved a few important victories over the empire after all, but she had never imagined a group of capable soldiers acting like that.

"I… Well… Yeah I guess that´s it. I think It will just take me a little while to get used to this." The Emperor´s hand excused herself, Hobbie spoke "Yeah I get you, Wedge and I defected form the empire as well… When we got to the rebellion it happened to be a very sudden change about how things are done in the empire but don´t worry, you get used to it pretty fast, it is always better to change for better after all, right?"

Mara didn´t have time to answer since Luke arrived shortly with two trays full of food "Dinner´s ready!" he said, placing a whole menu in front of Mara whole he sat down next to her, quickly starting to dig into his food without a lot of consideration. Zev shook his head then and chuckled "Excuse our commander, Mara… When his stomach is empty he suddenly forgets about any kind of manners."

Luke raised his head to look at both of them with a confused look, his cheeks full of food "Hmmm?" he made a sound of questioning but he didn´t open his mouth to prevent some spitting.

Mara couldn´t hold a chuckle and then starting laughing even more, to be honest she never thought about being so comfortable with those rebels, in fact, she was just thinking about having dinner with these people after all, her mission was just buried deep in her mind at that moment…

And that´s it guys! Wow… That came out longer than expected… To be honest I had some troubles to write the meditation scene, I didn´t want it to be tiring to read, please tell me on the coments what you guys thought about it and if you saw it too long.

Seems liek Mara is starting to get along with the squadron, and that´s good… Right? Considering that Luke wants to ask her to fly with them xD

Anyway, I dunno when I will update the next chapter, but I dont´think it will take long, but you guys consider I have to post it in Spanish and then translate it. Remember that reviews with constructive crytics, suggestions or justoppininos are very welcomed and they help a lot to keep my muse high and see the acceptance this story is having.

Well, nothing else to say from me,see you guys next chapter. Don´t forget to review, be good and may the forcé be with you, always :P