Sidereal
wbsaw: "Hard to be his equal with Leia "owning" her..." Well, I suppose we'll just have to agree to disagree. I don't think it weakens Mara's character at all if she's not Luke or Leia's equal in Force potential, particularly since she's their better in many other areas. In terms of pure combat ability, I rate her as higher than either Skywalker due to her background. I just happen to believe that their midichlorian counts are significantly greater than hers is. Just a personal preference since, otherwise, she can come across as something of a Mary Sue.
As to the "interfering Leia" angle, I see her and Luke as similar in outlook; where Luke is a zealot in regards to the Jedi, she's a zealot in regards to the Republic. She doesn't see anything wrong with what she's doing and, remember, I've not gotten back inside her head since the first chapter...
JadeTakashi: "what is going on with those two?" Now that would be telling, wouldn't it? :D
Chapter 7
He hadn't been looking forward to this.
It had no official name, but, in recent months, Luke had taken to calling it 'Hell Week.' Once a month, his sister would organize a party for her friends and co-workers, almost all of whom were well educated, wealthy and so utterly different from him that Luke invariably donned his Jedi 'mask' to avoid showing his rimworld origins. He knew Leia wasn't trying to be arrogant or snobbish with these parties, but he'd long since grown to suspect she always felt a little guilty that she'd been raised as a princess while he had been stuck on Tatooine so she tried to make it up to him in the only way she knew how.
If Luke was honest, though, he always felt like he had gotten the better deal, especially when Hell Week rolled around.
The worst part of these parties were the women Leia tended to steer toward him, despite Luke's oft repeated request for her to stop doing so. It wasn't that she was necessarily trying to set him up – though there clearly was a minor element of that in her intent – but rather, it was another indication of her deep-rooted guilt that she had found happiness with Han while Luke was still single. Had he not grown up with such a strictly traditional upbringing, Luke suspected he would have enjoyed the parties more and taken advantage of what was so often … offered to him. Lando certainly had no problems enjoying himself.
To Luke's mild disgust, though, the number of women who seemed interested only in brief and meaningless sexual liaisons had doubled since the rumors linking him with Mara began.
This month, Leia had decided to combine the monthly party with the celebration marking Jaina and Jacen's first birthday. Well-wishers and sycophants alike had come out of the woodwork to attend and Luke knew for a fact the Noghri had tripled their presence for this particular event. Throw in the various security detachments for the high-ranking VIPs and it seemed as if there were more bodyguards present than actual partygoers. Fortunately, that made it easier for Luke to avoid the more predatory of the women like the one who had been pursuing him for nearly an hour.
Not that he was hiding, exactly. After all, a Jedi knew not fear.
"Is she gone?" he asked softly of his companions. Lando snickered into his wine even as Corran nodded, eyes glittering with poorly concealed mirth. Luke released a soft sigh of relief but didn't relax or move away from the potted plant he'd sought refuge near. He had learned not to relax at the last of these functions.
"You know," Horn smirked, "You could just mind trick her into leaving you alone."
"Won't work," Luke revealed sadly. "I already tried that." Corran looked at him with wide eyes, obviously surprised, and Skywalker flushed in mild embarrassment when he recalled all the times he'd cautioned the other man from abusing his Force gifts in any way. "You don't understand," Luke grumbled, not liking how whiny he was sounding but unsure how to stop it. "She's evil and deceptive. More manipulative than Palpatine ever was."
"She's a social climber, Luke," Lando commented as he sipped his drink. "Don't tell me they don't have them on Tatooine."
"Have you ever been to Tatooine?" Skywalker asked rhetorically, before groaning at sight of the malicious Coruscanti woman whose name he couldn't even remember. Kristyl or Jewyl or something ridiculous like that. "Kriff," he muttered before trying to make himself smaller. Lando followed the line of his gaze and blinked.
"That's who you've been avoiding all night?" Calrissian asked before shaking his head in mock disgust. "I've got this, Luke," he offered, a wicked smile on his lips. Like a shark seeking its prey, Lando made a beeline for the woman, eyes twinkling. In seconds, the two of them had disappeared toward the dance floor and Luke felt a wave of relief wash over him.
"You should have just brought Jade," Corran said with a half-smile. "She could have defended your honor if you won't."
"Mara's on a shipping mission offworld," Luke replied sullenly. "Which you well know." He frowned slightly at the subtle – for Corran, anyway – mindtouch. "Trying to fish for a reaction with the Force, Corran?" Skywalker asked.
"Hey, you tried to mind trick that lady," Horn defended himself, eyes still twinkling. "Besides," he continued, in a slightly more serious tone, "If you're not going to give out free pointers any more, I've got to figure some things out myself."
Luke sighed. That decision had been a difficult one, but in the end, he believed it to be the correct one. A Jedi must have the deepest commitment, Yoda had warned, the most serious mind. It was a conflict Luke had yet to resolve: could one be a part-time Jedi or was that simply impossible? Until he discovered an answer, he had ended his various impromptu training sessions. Leia had accepted it without complaint, but she rarely had time for lessons anyway. The same held true for Corran who was so often deployed with Rogue Squadron that he'd only managed some rudimentary instructions on mental focus and control anyway. Mara, who Luke realized with some mild surprise was the furthest along in her training, claimed to understand, but he had grown to know her well enough to recognize her disappointment.
"Good evening, Lieutenant Horn," Leia said as she approached, snapping Luke out of his reverie. "I hope you're enjoying yourself."
"That I am, ma'am," Corran said with a smile and a half bow. He gestured toward the dance floor. "If you'll excuse me, though, my wife beckons." Leia gave him a smile as he headed toward where an impatient-looking Mirax stood.
"Why are you hiding over here?" Leia asked the moment Horn was out of earshot and Luke smiled.
"Why do you think I'm hiding?" he retorted.
"Luke, if you get any closer to that plant, I'm going to have to send out the wedding invitations," his sister chuckled, and Luke joined her. It was good to hear her laugh, and he was glad she didn't appear to be angry at his most recent refusal to do any missions for the Republic. She slid her arm into his and started pulling him back toward the cluster of visitors. "If you're bored," she commented, "Just say so."
"I'm bored," he replied instantly, smiling as he spoke. "You know how I hate these things," he added softly. He grimaced suddenly as he recognized who Leia was steering them toward and shot her a frustrated look. She returned it with a tight smile.
"You know Lieda, I believe," Leia began, gesturing to the chancellor's daughter. With dark red hair and aquiline features, Lieda bore a striking resemblance to a younger version of mother.
"Master Jedi," the woman said in greeting, inclining her head with perfectly simulated respect.
"Ambassador," Luke replied, schooling his features to stillness. Emotion, yet peace, he recited to himself, all the while mentally planning his revenge on Leia for this. He doubted his sister knew how badly Mon Mothma's daughter disliked him or for what reason. From the glint in his sister's eyes though, he wondered if perhaps she did know and this was simply revenge for the unbelievably noisy and obnoxious toys he'd given the twins as presents earlier. Redheads are my bane, Luke reflected in morbid amusement as Lieda subtly glared at him over the top of her wine glass. He suspected that Mara would have laughed at his current predicament, especially once she learned the particulars about Lieda's dislike of him.
A shiver suddenly crawled up his spine and Luke glanced around the reception hall, his eyes narrowing as he tried to discern the source of his sudden unease. Instinctively, his hand dropped to the lightsaber hanging from his belt and he felt rather than saw Leia stiffen in recognition of his unspoken warning. Across the hall, he saw Corran abruptly stop dancing – if one could actually call it that – and glance in his direction, and Luke could sense the sudden heightened status of the carefully hidden Noghri watching him.
"Luke?" his sister asked, and he responded with a slight shake of his head. Whatever it was, it had already receded, vanishing like so much smoke in the face of a stiff wind. Had it been some residual effect of Palpatine's presence or something else? Or maybe some one else?
"It's nothing," Luke murmured. "Ambassador," he nodded to the haughty-looking Lieda, before turning his eyes to his sister. She seemed to instantly recognize her brother was gone and that Jedi Knight Skywalker had taken his place.
"Go," she whispered, releasing him to patrol the area and seek out the disturbance in the Force that had affected them both. He smiled, leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead and turned away, noting without surprise that Han was already moving to join him. Lando and Corran met them at the doorway and fell into step without question. They spent the remainder of the night searching for the elusive source of darkness that had momentarily touched the banquet.
But by morning, they'd still found nothing.
