An Engagement

Mara didn't think she had ever heard Karrde laugh so hard. She scowled at him as he wiped tears from his eyes. "It's not that funny," she growled.

"Isn't it?" He tried to smoother his laugh, but wasn't entirely successful.

She glared at him even harder. She should have known he'd react this way. Talon Karrde delighted in the foibles of other peoples' emotions, even as he suppressed his own.

"Oh, you're right. I'm sorry. It just caught me by surprise. I never thought I'd see the day when Mara Jade admitted that she was in love." He schooled his features into a very polite mask, but there was still a smirk tugging at the the corner of his lips that he was having difficulty containing. "Let us toast to your happiness."

He got up from his chair and went to the sideboard and poured them both a brandy.

"Karrde, it's the middle of the morning," she protested, but accepted the glass anyway.

"Don't be such a prude. How often do you get engaged?"

"Only once."

"Well, then," he held out his glass to her. His smile turned sincere for once and he said, "I wish you both all the joy in the galaxy. Truly. And may the Force be with you. I have a feeling the two of you are going to need it."

Mara huffed out a laugh. That was probably true. She clinked her glass to his and took a sip of the brandy. "Thank you, Karrde. I appreciate your understanding and your support."

He shrugged and sat back down in the chair across from her. "Who am I to stand in the path of true love?" he asked, his tone a slightly less cynical than normal. "Besides I feel somewhat responsible for your romance since I didn't let you kill Skywalker when you wanted to."

"You're never going to stop bringing that up, are you?"

"It makes for such an entertaining tale." He grinned again.

And Mara knew exactly what to say to wipe that knowing smirk from his face.

She took a long sip of the brandy and leaned back in her chair and eyed him, her own smirk forming. "You know, Karrde, I think you may have an entertaining tale to tell yourself. Lando was concerned that you wouldn't make it back and that Car'das might have killed you. But when I found out that Leia sent Shada D'ukal with you, I put my credits on her being the one to gut you. I'm not sure if I'm disappointed in her or happy that you managed to placate her enough to survive."

"Yes, well," he said looking vaguely uncomfortable, taking a long drink from his glass. "We've come to an understanding. I actually hired her. It's a good thing really, since you're leaving me to play house."

"Well, well, well," Mara smiled slyly. "You're getting what you always wanted, aren't you, Karrde?"

"What's that? Certainly not being entangled with both the New Republic and the Empire, I can assure you of that."

She gave a derisive laugh at his deflection. "Shada D'ukal. She's completely within your grasp now."

"You're very much mistaken. It is only business between us."

"And how long do you think that will last?"

"For a very long time I hope. Especially since you're leaving me," he said trying to guilt her in ending this line of inquiry.

"You're deluding yourself."

"Are you speaking from experience, Mara?"

She shrugged. "Maybe I am."

Karrde studied his glass very intently before taking the final sip. "When I offered her the job, Shada was quite adamant that she will not be my mistress."

Mara grinned in delight. "Good for her."

"Yes." A peculiar smile twisted his lips and she wasn't quite sure what it meant. "Not that I offered her that."

"Of course not." No, Karrde believed in 'professionalism', even to his own detriment.

He sighed heavily and glanced back at her. "Mara, now that you've found true love, you're not going to be one of those annoying people that tries to pair off their friends?"

"Don't be ridiculous," she replied tartly. "I wouldn't inflict your poor sense of humor on anyone I called a friend."

He laughed again. "I'm so happy to hear that."

Karrde walked into the hotel bar where he was to meet Shada and immediately caught sight of her despite the pre-dinner crowd. She was leaning back against the bar in a position that allowed her to keep an eye on the door and the small band in the corner. The other patrons around her seemed to be giving her a wide berth. He couldn't blame them. She practically radiated a dangerous aloofness. She looked coolly elegant, wearing a long black highnecked gown that would have been demure if not for the slash down the length of her full sleeves that exposed the pale flesh of her arms. Her dark hair was up in an elaborate arrangement of braids held in place by her customary zenji needles. Even from this distance he knew the silver belt and jewelry she wore was from the set he'd given her on the Errant Venture so long ago. He had to wonder what she meant by wearing them now at the beginning of their professional relationship.

He tried to tamp down the wave of desire that flooded through him at the sight of her. She was his business associate now. Not the woman he had once occasionally shared a bed. That part of their relationship was over.

He knew the moment she saw him. She straightened and a touch of her icy demeanor melted. He made his way through the crowd to her.

"I'm sorry. I'm a little late," he apologized.

"It's fine. I've been enjoying the music."

"Good. Shall we get a drink before we go to dinner?"

She shrugged. "If we have time."

"We do."

Shada turned around to face the bar looking for the bartender. And Karrde realized that her dress wasn't very demure after all. It was a tease. It was open just below her collar to her low-slung silver belt revealing a hint of skin all the way down her spine.

He quickly looked away and leaned against the bar beside her as they ordered their drinks. He felt her eyes on him scrutinizing him.

"Is everything alright? You look a little tense. And tired."

He was tired and he knew that would be a common feeling in the future given Mara's departure. "I'll tell you about it over dinner," he told her. Mara's engagement wasn't public knowledge yet and he didn't want to discuss it in such a crowd. "You on the the other hand look lovely."

"Thank you," she smiled a bit uncertainly, perhaps unsure of what that compliment meant from her new employer. "I decided to do some shopping today since I don't really have any clothing suitable for meeting with government officials."

"Submit an expense report."

"What?" There was something wary in her eyes. "I'm not allowing you to buy my clothes."

He immediately realized it was perhaps something he should have not suggested, especially in the early tentative stages of their professional relationship. "It's a job related expense. Do the same with any weaponry you might need." She still looked suspicious, but he refused to allow her to make it into something he didn't intend it to be. "Didn't Mazzic ever buy you gear? And I distinctly remember you telling me that Mazzic bought you that dress you had on when we first met on Trogan."

"Yes, but..." she trailed off, but he could imagine what she was thinking, something probably about their former relationship. "Never mind," she said picking up her glass. "To peace."

"To not dying." He clinked his glass with hers.

"I would have avenged you if Car'das had killed you." She said it with such vehemence that he couldn't help but be flattered by her intensity.

"Thank you. That means a lot, but I'm very glad it didn't have to come to that." Karrde finished his drink and then held out a hand to her. "Will do do me the honor of a dance?" He saw Shada hesitate. "We don't have to worry about being seen now, you know."

"You're my employer now."

He shrugged. "What does that matter? Mara and I have danced on many occasions." Then he smirked at her. "And I know you want to. I saw you tapping your toe when I came in."

She gave him that suspicious look again, but took his hand anyway. He led her out into the group of dancers. He was very careful to place his hand on the fabric of her dress instead of her bare skin. Even so she was very stiff in his arms.

"Well, this is very refreshing," he commented blithely. "Mara never lets me lead."

Shada laughed and finally relaxed in his arms. "And is Mara alright after her little adventure?"

"The short answer is yes. The long answer is a great deal more complicated."

They danced in silence for a bit, then his eyes focused on the brooch pinned to the high collar of her gown. "Shada, may I ask you something?"

"I suppose."

"Why are you wearing that jewelry tonight?"

"Oh." She looked slightly embarrassed. "It's just that I've never been able to wear it before. I was afraid Mazzic would ask questions if he saw it. I didn't think about the connotations of wearing it tonight. Would you rather I didn't?"

"No, not at all. I wanted you to enjoy it. I just wanted to make sure there were no misunderstandings."

She held his gaze questioningly. "We can be professional, can't we?"

"Of course we can." And he really hope that was true. The song ended and he released her. "Shall we go on to dinner now?"

Shada nearly choked on her wine. Once she recovered, she asked, "Surely you're joking?"

Karrde grinned in a unrestrained way she had rarely seen from him. "Oh, no. I assure you I am in full seriousness. Mara and Skywalker are indeed getting married."

She had to be missing something. "Why would they do that?"

He laughed. "Is the concept of love so foreign to you, Shada?"

She cast him an irritated glare for his mocking tone. She thought a man famous for his cold detachment was the last person that should be mocking someone for questioning the idea of love. But she decided it wouldn't be wise to call her new boss out on that. "Well, I rather thought it was to people such as Mara and I. Not to mention Skywalker. Aren't Jedi forbidden such things as love and marriage?"

"That's probably one of the reasons the old Jedi Order fell. Skywalker doesn't seems feel such monastic ideas are relevant to Jedi preforming their duties."

Shada took a large drink of her wine. "Well, it's certainly ironic. The Emperor's agent and the Rebel hero."

"Yes, the fates do seem to have a rather wicked sense of humor, don't they?"

In more ways than one, she thought. "So what does this mean for your organization?"

"My first thought was to offer Skywalker a job so he could be close to his wife. Having a Jedi on the payroll would be useful. But Mara has other ideas. She has decided to officially become a Jedi."

Shada raised an eyebrow, but didn't reply. Instead she busied herself by filling her and Karrde's glasses.

"You disapprove?"

She sighed deeply, not quite sure how to express her thoughts clearly. "I've only recently come to the realization of how being indoctrinated by zealots can damage a person. I wouldn't wish that on anyone."

Karrde's hand twitched where it rested on the table near hers as if he was going to reach out to her. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in his chair. Away from the temptation of touching her. "True. But I suppose the it's a little different if you are one of the head zealots and get to make the rules." Shada laughed a bit at that. Trust Karrde to think about the benefits of being in charge. "Mara will be good for the Order. The Jedi could use a grayer perspective on the galaxy. Skywalker is still terribly earnest even after all these years. But, I'm afraid, my dear, that Mara's departure means I will have to rely even more heavily during this transition."

"Does that mean I get a raise?" Shada asked only half joking.

Karrde laughed. "Greedy. I admire that. You'll certainly earn it."

After dinner as they walked back to the hotel, Karrde offered Shada his arm. She told herself that it didn't mean anything and that was just his odd courtly manners. After all she had seen Mara on his arm more than once.

But she would be lying to herself if she said she didn't miss this kind of closeness with him. As they walked back to the hotel, she had to stop herself from leaning into him as she might have once done and kept her touch on his arm light and formal.

Karrde walked her to her door. And she would also be lying to herself if she said that she wasn't tempted to invite him in.

But Karrde bid her a quick but polite "Goodnight," and retreated to his own room.

Shada was at once both disappointed and relieved.

TBC