Note:. I've been trying to sort out the next chapter for the New Generation, and while I was still trying to figure the rest of that one, I decided to write another one for After Her.
I'd also like to thank Jedi_Lover for helping me out with this chapter. She was of great help
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He had left her alone, his light robes swishing as he headed out of the gardens. His boots clicking against the stone floor as his figure vanished from sight.
"I'll send someone." He promised. "I'm afraid I can't see you out myself."
A young raven-haired woman approached her. By the look of her outfit, Diana presumed she was an apprentice.
"Master Skywalker asked that I see you out." She gestured. "This way please."
Diana nodded and followed her out of the garden back to where she'd come from.
"So, I suppose I'll need to make another appointment with him." She turned to the apprentice. "How would I go about doing that?" Diana examined the young woman. "Please forgive me, but I don't think I've asked your name.
The girl looked at her. "Gail." She paused for a moment. "And I believe you would need to contact the P.A. department, or however you obtained the interview to begin with."
"I suppose that would be with the Grand Master himself." Diana murmured. "Is there a comm code I could call to get in touch with him?" She wasn't sure if an apprentice would have such information—but it was worth a shot.
"There might be, but I wouldn't know it personally. You'll have to speak to the P.A."
Diana cursed inwardly.
The Grand Master had been forthright and amiable. She wasn't sure how many sort of hoops she'd have to jump through for the Order's Public Affairs Department.
"Where would I find the P.A. office?"
"I wouldn't know that, Ma'am."
She sighed. Drat.
"I'm sorry I can't help."
"That's all right, Gail." She straightened up. "I'll figure it out."
"All right, I'm here what's going on?" Luke walked into the council chambers only to find Corran Horn resting against his chair. "Corran?" He frowned, repeating, "What's going on?"
Corran raised his brows. "You didn't need me to bail you out."
"Pardon?"
"Well, I heard a certain blonde bombshell cornered you in the gardens? And given the fact I'm such a good friend, I decided to get you out of it."
Luke sighed. "And where exactly did you hear that?"
"I have my sources."
"She's a reporter."
"Oh, I know that, and that's why I needed to get you away from her."
"You wanted to get me away from a reporter?" He repeated dryly. "What did you think she was going to do?"
"That's the thing is I don't know what she's up to and I don't like it."
"What're you getting at, Corran?"
"Well, I decided to do a little digging on her...you know I wouldn't do it unless I thought it was necessary. I don't like what I found."
"Corran, stop beating around the bush and tell me."
"Look, friend," Corran laid back. "I'm not trying to burst your bubble or ruin anything you're trying to do, but that woman..."
"Diana Landon."
The other Master nodded. "She's been said to have been sighted with several well-known men—all well-over the age of sixty."
Luke took a seat finally as if processing this new information.
"What else?" He asked.
"What else?" Corran repeated, clearly confused.
"Yes, what else. You have to give me something more than that. Is she a gold-digger…a blackmailer…what?"
"No, she's not a gold-digger. She doesn't' appear to be interested in that sort of thing. She's never accepted anything given to her by her…partners. As for blackmailer…I can't find out anything on that end." He got up, walked over, and handed Luke a datapad. "She seems to genuinely enjoy being in the presence of older men. I can't find a reason behind it, but she does."
Luke examined it. "And tell me why that warrants you investigating her and pulling me out of critical interview?"
"You tell me. Luke, we both know neither of us are young anymore, but she chose to set her sight on you. The Grand Master of the Order presents a pretty impressive target and Force knows, there's not a woman around who hasn't hinted they'd like to be the next Mrs. Skywalker."
"That's because they don't know what it entails." He said tightly. "So what do you think she wants?"
"That's what I want to figure out. Put off the next interview untill I can figure it out."
Luke seemed to ponder this. "No, that won't help anything." He passed the datapad back to Corran. "I'll figure out what she's up to myself. I'm far removed from a senior citizens that's easy prey." He got up, and at the look in Corran's eye, assured, "I'll be careful. I promise I won't be walking willingly into the spider's web."
"This isn't funny, Luke."
"You're right it isn't."
Luke arrived at his room and sat down at his comm station. He could have easily have gotten Corran to look into it further but he decided that he would figure this out by himself. He didn't need to be protected. He immediately commed Diana, hoping that she would pick up. The fastest way to get his answers was to get another interview.
Perhaps a dinner would put her off-guard.
"Diana," She answered.
"Ms. Landon. This is Luke Skywalker."
"Yes, Master Skywalker." He couldn't but feel weird when she said that.
"I'm sorry I had to cut our interview so short; seems it was a false alarm. Are you far away from the Temple?"
"Already aboard a tram actually—but I could come back."
"No, that's already. How about tonight? Dinner?"
"Dinner?" She sounded confused, yet surprised.
"Yes, that way we won't be interrupted during the interview. I'll eve turn off my comm." He paused. "How does that sound?"
The other end was silent for a while.
It seemed he'd caught her off guard indeed. Although he wasn't sure if what Corran said was sure, or she just hadn't been expecting an interviewee to ask her out.
He'd let her jump to any conclusion she wanted—see what her game was.
"Ms. Landon?"
"Sorry, I was checking my date planner. That sounds fine. Where and what time?"
"1900 at the Naboo Café."
"Sounds good."
She'd probably be looking into the dress code. Her dress would determine what she was up to.
"I'll see you then."
"Yes, until later."
The comm went dead.
And the snare has been set.
It was a quarter to the time he'd planned for the interview/dinner. Luke entered the café and was escorted to a far table in the back away from prying eyes. He admitted that this route he'd taken was more than a bit dangerous. Extreme conclusion could be jumped to on her part and those of others, but he was curious as to what Diana Landon had in mind. He didn't doubt that she had been assigned to interview him, but what he didn't know is whether she had alternative motives as well.
Diana arrived a few minutes later, also early.
She was wearing a salmon-colored blouse and charcoal pants, her hair pulled up into a pony tail. She carried with her a business like attaché case instead of her reporter's satchel. She was being guided to their table by a native Nubian server. The server slid a menu onto the table and informed them that she'd been back to take their order later.
"Wine spritizer." Diana instructed.
He'd ordered water while he had been waiting for her.
"I hope you don't mind. When you told me the Naboo Café, I remember they had a good spritzer."
"That's fine."
"Don't worry; I'll be able to handle it. I really want to continue this ," She looked around briefly. "Shall we order?"
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