Out of the Shadows 37
This story is mainly for my beloved Mona because I could not do without her and also for all my friends on the SSB list especially Jedi Knight. The characters all belong to Lucasfilm and I am only playing with them for my own pleasure. If you are looking for the established timeline (?) and character continuity…forget it. This is a very alternative universe albeit still a Star Wars one. My thanks to Lena for her encouragement and for Michele and Tad for taking the time to read.
Somewhere in hyperspace
The clones Folla Rule had collected on Muunilist were ruthlessly efficient at their jobs, if somewhat lacking in personality. It would be difficult to be original when they were made from the same mould but being interesting was not a necessary requirement if they did what they were supposed to do. With the knowledge of Skywalker's sudden reappearance, Folla had originally decided to head straight to Coruscant by the quickest route available. That was until she marked the proximity of several known Jedi sites that she'd never been granted permission to visit or hadn't previously been in the area to investigate.
The re-emergence of Skywalker changed everything. The artefact she required to complete her collection hadn't been stored in any of the sites she'd so far covered but she knew that it existed somewhere. The writings were clear. She thought that it might still be on Coruscant but if it was, there was no word of it.
They moved in, stripped a site and moved on. Although such haste went against all her training, time was indeed against them. Folla decided that the grudging permission the rulers on Bastion had allowed her to have to investigate on Dantooine and Muunilist, should be extended to other sites in the sector. She did not contact Moff Westol to check if that was acceptable as she did not want to risk a refusal. If a problem occurred, she would feign confusion and pretend that she assumed the permission he had granted her covered the whole sector.
The impromptu archaeological digs were profitable. The clone soldiers masquerading as her new archaeological assistants had removed anything of value from the once hidden House of Refuge on Ord Biniir in a matter of hours and exactly the same happened in a Jedi training outpost on Agamar. Part of Folla was appalled at the lack of care taken but she pushed away those feelings. Finally, she had a true purpose to her life and was on a mission for her master once more. There were several more planets on the list that she'd once been given by her master but there wasn't definite proof that the Old Republican Jedi had hidden there and she could feel the pull of Coruscant and the unwelcome presence of Luke Skywalker.
He was back from whichever tenth rate world he'd hidden himself upon and, if he really was a fully trained Jedi Knight, he could and probably would try to ruin everything. Did Leia Organa really think that she, Doctor Folla Rule – the foremost Jedi expert in the galaxy, would share her erudition with a half-trained boy from Tatooine? She snorted in disgust. Perhaps, the stories of his training were all New Republic lies. It would make her task much easier if that were the case.
Yes, she thought bitterly. It was possible that it was all lies but then how had he defeated her master and the Sith-Lord, Vader? Could a half-trained boy have done that? Her master had certainly been vanquished.
She moved to the com centre of her ship and waited until they were in range of Coruscant. In a couple of minutes she would hear if they'd discovered anything useful at the Jedi Temple site. "Your call has been put through," the clone assistant announced in a clipped, colourless voice.
The image of her immediate subordinate on Coruscant, the noted academic, Professor Malik, shimmered into place on the miniature holopad. "Dr. Rule?" he asked. "I wasn't expecting to hear from you yet."
"Professor Malik," she replied curtly. "I'm on my way back to Coruscant and should arrive later tomorrow night. What is the current status of the Jedi Temple dig?
"I'm afraid to say that we've found nothing of real importance."
Folla could see the rotund little man sweating nervously. "I had suspected that," she murmured, flicking through the set of notes she'd scribbled on sheets of flimsy the last time she'd been on Coruscant. She'd thought that the artefact she was seeking was there but she should have realised that something so precious, so filled with sith evil, had been spirited away to safety.
"As had I," he agreed, his voice rising to a squeak. "I hoped – but alas, there's been nothing of note."
"How disappointing," she murmured, peering at her data. "Just the usual ephemera then?"
Malik nodded. "The remains of their domestic lives can be found in quite plentiful amounts but anything of value would have been removed by the escaping Jedi themselves or transferred into the Emperor's private collections as soon as the temple fell. I'm quite certain that we managed to save most of those."
"We were both off world when the Emperor was killed, Malik. When we returned we were lucky that many of the artefacts were already kept under the university's auspices. The New Republic Government has, so far, kept our collections intact."
Malik hesitated. He was admittedly not as knowledgeable as Folla Rule in this field but something about what the collections held always seemed to him incomplete. "I always wondered if there was perhaps a collection not made available for academic study?"
Folla frowned. Surely her master would have told her if that had been the case? But she didn't want to admit anything to Malik. "It's possible."
"I took steps to contact Princess Leia Organa's office on your behalf. With the return of Jedi Skywalker to Coruscant I knew that you would want to meet with him at some point in the near future. He may have information of interest to us."
Folla suppressed her irritation. "If I must. Organa is his liaison?"
"Yes."
Her eyes narrowed. "Has he been to the site?"
"Not to my knowledge and I think that I would know," Malik stated firmly.
"Strange," she mused. "So either he's biding his time or it's not as important to him as I thought. I would have thought that he'd be rushing to see where the galactic cradle of the Jedi once existed." She would have to think about Skywalker's behaviour at a later date.
"How much time do we have before the demolition droids move in?" she asked.
The professor chuckled with satisfaction. "Ah, now we do have good news on that front. The New Republic government wants to seal and preserve the site by building above the remains."
Folla smiled. "How enterprising. I hadn't thought to give them so much credit."
"It gives us years to study the site instead of weeks as we first thought. They are planning the new building so that we can have permanent access."
"Good. That puts my mind at rest. You have done well, Professor."
"To be honest, Dr Rule, it was Luke Skywalker's return to Coruscant that saved the site for future archaeological study."
"I must thank him when I meet him and encourage him to put in an appearance," she said dryly. She might have managed to achieve such a feat herself, but the New Republic's hero undoubtedly wouldn't have had to work so hard. "I'll contact you again when I land."
"Of course."
Folla ended the call and checked her wrist chrono. She might as well use the time to rest because there would be many things to do when she returned to the university. That, and the small matter of dealing with the Jedi Knight. Rising from her seat, she addressed one of her clone assistants. "Wake me two hours before we land."
"Yes, Dr Rule."
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Coruscant
Luke placed the last of his boxes into one of the spare bedrooms and sighed. There was still so much for him to do and the sheer amount of work was threatening to become overwhelming. He couldn't go on doing this alone and he was being pressured on all sides to start working in the political arena for the New Republic. He had spent the entire week in various meetings. This was the last thing that Luke wanted or needed. It was inevitable that the Jedi would have to deal with politicians but still…
He needed help and he had no-one he could ask. Leia was a politician first and a prospective Jedi second. She would not be able to give him the help he required. Actually, he did have someone but he didn't think Mara was ready to publicly aid the rebirth of the Jedi.
The meeting with General Airen Cracken, head of the New Republic Intel Division, hadn't gone particularly well. Since Luke's return to Coruscant they had met several times with the encounters becoming more difficult as time went on. The General had demanded that Luke immediately head back out into the galaxy, working as a sort of Jedi-ambassador-cum-agent. Luke had refused and continued to do so. He believed it was the first time he'd won any sort of battle against the stubborn man but as the old saying went – he didn't think that he had yet won the war. Still, he was determined to stick to his principles.
The older man hadn't been pleased when Luke had continued to refuse. He'd then tried to bring Leia into the picture to see if she could persuade her reluctant brother to co-operate. Mon Mothma, of course, had lost no time in imparting that piece of familial information to Airen. She saw the relationship between Luke and Leia as an important piece of news. Cracken ordered that it was also to remain classified for the time being.
Luke had laughed derisively. "Too many people know about this already. It will be difficult to suppress. Besides..." He waved his hand. "I want people to know. Leia wants people to know. We are not ashamed of this. I think you're too late with this one."
Cracken's lips tightened and he tried to modify his tone to something more pleasant. "Perhaps, but until it's the main news we'll keep it quiet. Luke, I need you to get back out in the field. Work with the Rogues…"
"No." Luke's voice was firm.
"But Luke, it's your duty…"
Luke had stood up, his eyes flashing a cold, wintry blue. "No, my duty is to the Jedi and don't you forget that."
"Your sister…"
"Leia knows how I feel about this…"
"Does she agree with you?" Cracken interrupted.
"I resigned from the military several years ago and I now consider myself to be a private citizen of the Republic. My sister understands that and, yes, once I explained my stance she did agree. Airen, we've been over and over this and I'm fed up rehashing old arguments."
Cracken snorted disdainfully. "A private citizen. Luke, you'll never be that."
Luke's smile did not reach his eyes. "Perhaps not but I am not yours to command now. My first allegiance is to the Jedi."
"The president will…"
Luke stiffened. "Don't presume to think or speak for Mon Mothma. She and I are quite clear on my current position. Do you want to see the Jedi return to the galaxy once more?"
"Of course I do," Cracken said irritably. "But we have other more urgent matters." It was the wrong thing to say and the older man knew it but he continued to bluster. "You were one of our best agents, Luke. You cannot turn your back on us."
Luke's mouth firmed into a tight line. "You have no right to say that about me. If I do not resurrect the Jedi order then I will consider that I have turned my back on the citizens of the galaxy. I made a promise, Airen, and it's one that I intend to keep. You either want the Jedi or you do not – which is it to be? For me, the Jedi come first. I need to find somewhere safe for Jedi to train and I cannot do that if I'm running around the galaxy making insipid speeches to doubting politicians."
"I can't change your mind?"
"No."
Cracken's shoulders relaxed. The brash and impulsive young man had grown up and the strength of purpose was evident in every part of him. The Jedi Order as an impartial body backed by the New Republic would fill the neutral role of mediator still lacking now that hostilities between the former Imperial faction and the Alliance had ceased.
Airen sensed that Luke did not want the Jedi to remain on Coruscant; he had said in an earlier meeting that he did not want to be solely tied to the New Republic. But where could he go? A germ of an idea began to grow but he decided that he would discuss it with Mon Mothma before he put it to the young Jedi though he was sure she would agree. "Have it your own way, Luke," he murmured mildly.
Luke wondered if the head of NR intelligence was testing his resolve for some peculiar reason of his own. It wouldn't be the first time nor would it be the last but he wasn't in the mood for any more of their mind games today, whatever the Jedi handbook said on being calm and patient. "I will manage my own affairs, Airen," he said quietly.
"But it would help to have our support – yes?"
"Of course," Luke murmured. "I would value that. There are still evils out there which are not yours to tame."
"I understand," the General said, wondering at the sudden weariness colouring Luke's voice.
They stood looking at one another for a moment, unsure if they were finished or not. Then Luke picked up his black cloak and slung it over his shoulders. "Good day."
With that, he'd bowed his head and left the room. It had been hard to refuse the general's request because he genuinely liked and respected Airen Cracken but he would not be walked over. Just because the Alliance had been ultimately successful in the war didn't mean that there weren't any problems. He knew keeping his independence was a battle he would have to keep fighting but until he had more Jedi out there, he could not help the citizens of the galaxy, no matter which side owned their allegiance.
Of course, he missed flying with the Rogues but his path, his destiny, didn't lie in that direction. For a moment he'd stood in one of the many grand marble corridors which made up the Imperial Palace wondering what to do. He felt unsettled and disgruntled. If he was reading the patterns in the Force correctly, there was something out there waiting like the Sith had once done, biding its time until the right moment to strike. It still didn't solve the problem of his lone status as a Jedi Knight.
He could have gone back to sorting out the boxes in his new apartment but since he was in the palace, he'd decided to go and work in the Emperor's hidden information room. The quicker it was cleared of its dark side taint, the better. He'd thought to visit the Jedi temple where he could feel the insistent pulse of the Jedi waiting there for him but testing their patience was one of his first tasks and his own temper was too near the surface today. He wouldn't take out his ill-humour on people who didn't deserve it. He'd worked solidly for a couple more hours in the Emperor's storeroom and then decided he'd had enough of its creeping evil and returned to his apartment.
Listlessly, Luke pulled one of the boxes towards him and pulled off the lid. Staring at the jumbled contents brought him no satisfaction. He wasn't in the right frame of mind for the meticulous sorting and recording of information. Not today – not when she was coming home and was now so close. He wanted to reach out and touch the bright presence that belonged to Mara Jade but he did nothing. She was becoming too necessary to him for his peace of mind. What if she never became a Jedi?
Glancing at his wrist chrono, he swore under his breath. She was within the system and would be on Coruscant within a couple of hours and he wanted to see her – greet her when she arrived. Placing the box down, he strode to the door and began searching for his cloak. He'd thrown it somewhere in a fit of ill-temper when he'd arrived in the apartment. It served him right if Artoo had decided that it was rubbish and dragged it into the waste disposal.
It really came as no surprise to him how much he wanted to see her again. He missed her beauty, her intelligence, her acerbic sense of humour and her almost desperate need to have the last word. Inevitably they would argue but arguing with Mara Jade was…stimulating. Suddenly he stopped in the middle of the hall and grinned. He was going to go and meet Mara despite not wanting to argue. That was simply not possible. But then, an argument with Mara was almost enjoyable.
"Artoo!" he called. "Where's my cloak?"
The little droid rolled out of the lounge dragging Luke's black cloak behind him and scolding his master as he moved.
"Thank you, little fella," Luke said, throwing the cloak over a pile of boxes. "Do you think you could check and see if any of Talon Karrde's ships have landed within the past couple of hours and where they might have landed?" He could almost touch her presence.
Artoo swivelled his domed head and tootled a question.
Luke leant forward and peered at his screen. "Organic life forms never ask what they really want to know…why?" He glared at the droid, who chuckled as only a droid could. "I did ask," Luke protested.
Artoo blew a scornful raspberry and chirped cheekily. "You want to know when Mistress Jade returns to Coruscant," the droid's screen said. "Why not ask that?" He'd said to Threepio that Mistress Jade frequently altered Master Luke's vital signs in ways that many might consider to be unhealthy.
"You think I want to know if Mistress Jade is flying in to Coruscant tonight?" The young Jedi looked a little taken aback, his face colouring slightly. "But I know she is," he said. "I just want to know when and where she will be landing."
Artoo wondered why his Master couldn't have said all that in the first place. He rolled forward and found the computer socket. Luke hovered behind him waiting, and in Artoo's opinion, a trifle anxiously. Artoo warbled a little sigh of satisfaction.
"Where?" Luke asked and bent forward to read Artoo's screen. "Talon Karrde owns a private landing pad at the Westport. It has to be big enough for several ships including the Wild Karrde." He gave a little whistle. "That won't come cheap. But I guess Karrde has the credits and will feel that it's worthwhile from a security point of view." He stood up and reached for his cloak. "So I'm going to the Westport. Are you coming?" he asked the droid.
Artoo warbled something and Luke gave his faithful droid a suspicious glare. "What do you mean you don't want to 'cramp my style'? What kind of droid talks like that? Have you been anywhere near General Solo since we returned?"
Artoo withdrew his jack from the socket and rolled away making another noise signifying droid irritation. He had a nice evening planned doing a self-diagnostic and then, if he had the time, he would check some of the other pieces of technology in the apartment. If anyone asked him it was about time that Master Luke's vital signs needed altering.
Luke closed his eyes and counted to ten in as many languages as he could remember. Why did he have to have droids with such independent minds? "Alright, Artoo, I'll see you later. But don't get up to anything while I'm gone." He placed the cloak around his shoulders and pulled the hood over his head.
The droid's reply was pithy and to the point. It wasn't him who usually got into trouble.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Docking bay 441a, Westport Spaceport
Luke was waiting as the ship glided smoothly to a halt in Karrde's private landing bay. Like everything else that she did, Mara Jade excelled as a pilot. He pulled the cloak more securely around himself and waited, his face expressionless, masking the anticipation he felt inside. That was until the hatch opened and Mara's slim figure stood at the top of the ramp and he felt an elation surround him that only equated with his joy of flying or in the love he felt for his friends and family. This was all that and more. For a moment he ducked into the shadows, content to watch and wait.
She knew she was not alone. She could feel several individuals close to her ship but one of them was inside the docking bay itself. One of Karrde's people or a hostile? She reached out with the Force but couldn't gauge the identity of the stranger. Her hand moved to release her tiny holdout blaster from its wrist holster. It was better to be safe than sorry. Perhaps one day she would feel confident enough to rely on her lightsaber.
And then she knew. How could she be so clueless? There was only one man that could shield his identity and know the exact time and place of her arrival without being told.
"Skywalker!" she called, her hands on her hips. "Come out where I can see you."
Luke moved forward and pushed the hood back from his face. "Hello, Mara," he said calmly, his eyes taking an inventory of her curvaceous figure dressed in its usual outfit of jumpsuit and belted overtunic and finally coming to rest on her heavy braid of fiery hair.
"Skywalker," she said walking towards him, her gait measured. "I didn't expect to see you…yet."
"Didn't you?"
"No."
"I needed cheering up," he said, folding his arms in front of him.
She arched a slim red eyebrow disbelievingly. "And you think that I will undertake to become your private court jester?" she drawled, mimicking his stance and watching with satisfaction as the Jedi tried to hide a sudden wince. "I don't do entertainment."
"Just seeing you is enough," he said quietly.
Mara froze, not knowing what to say. Any other man she could counteract but with Skywalker…with Luke it was different. "Is that a line, Farmboy?" she asked.
"No," he answered, his expression guarded. "It's the truth. I'm not very good at…lines. Never have been."
"Oh." Shaking her head slightly as if to clear it, Mara pulled a slim beckon call from her pocket and punched in a code. Behind her, with a shudder and a muted rumble, the ramp lifted and the ship began to close itself down.
"I'm glad you're here," he admitted, suddenly looking tired.
Mara gave the Lucky Strike a critical once over before turning to give Luke the same assessment. "What's wrong – missing your swamp?"
He managed to chuckle. "That's why I like you."
Mara gaped at him. "Like!" she managed to say.
"Yes," murmured Luke. "You say what you think, don't stand on ceremony and I appreciate your dry sense of humour. You make me feel normal again."
"Were you ever normal?" she mumbled under her breath but Luke heard her.
"Surprisingly enough I was and I didn't like it." He sighed deeply. "I've been back on Coruscant for two…three months and it feels like years and that my life has ground to a standstill. I'm being sidelined by meetings and official functions."
"You weren't exactly living the high life on Dagobah," she said.
"But I had a goal…a purpose. I was doing something useful. I was training and learning about the Force. Here…" He shrugged and gave a deep sigh. "They want to parade me around and show me off or tie me to meetings that I don't want or need to attend in the hope that I'll turn into the tame Jedi they want and start trotting round the galaxy on their behalf. I don't enjoy being manipulated like that."
Mara swung her holdall onto her back and they started walking towards the exit and the turbolift that would take them up to one of the higher levels. "I'm quite sure you haven't just been sitting at welcome back receptions since you arrived back home."
"This isn't home, Mara, and no, I've been trying to get as much work done as I can. It's difficult to unpack and sift through absolutely everything when I know that as soon as I can I'll be leaving to find a better place for me to rebuild the Jedi."
Mara pressed the button to summon the lift and they entered it in silence. "Any ideas?"
Luke sighed. "No."
"Coruscant's not right for you, is it?" Mara said slowly. "I can tell that almost immediately by looking at you and you do miss your swamp."
Luke grinned at her. "Not the swamp per se. I miss the solitude."
"Sure you do. You must get used to it. But at times you were lonely on Dagobah," she observed carefully.
"Of course. I was lonely for my friends and family - not for civilisation as we know it," he said. "I can be just as alone here." The lift doors slid open and Mara stepped out into the hustle of the busy plaza but stopped at the gentle touch of Luke's hand on her arm. "Look at all these people. Beings of all types rushing about their business without care or regard for others. It's much easier to be alone in a city of billions."
Mara stared at the citizens of Coruscant rushing by. She didn't feel connected to any of them and the only one that felt real was the man by her side. "It's true," she admitted before turning to face him with a shrewd look. "Come on, you can't fool me, Farmboy. What's the real problem?"
Luke stiffened. "I wasn't aware that I was trying to fool you."
Mara rolled her eyes.
"I'm just not the same person I was when I left."
"That's hardly planet shaking news," Mara remarked coolly. "You were alone…apart from the green midget…for three years. I would be surprised if you hadn't changed."
"That's my Jedi Master you're insulting." Luke's hand at her elbow ushered her forwards. "Being part of the Rebellion was entirely different from the way that it is now in the New Republic. Wedge and I discussed something very similar the other day. The politicians have taken over from the military and they definitely look at things differently. But there are still problems out there – ones of their own making and others from the past. They think that I should just go in there and put my entire life on hold for them, clearing up some of the mistakes they have made. Hell, I know I'm a long way from being perfect but…" He stopped and took a deep breath. "Most of the people I respected have learned new tricks to deal with the things they now encounter. If they're happy doing that…great. I don't know if I want to learn them."
"You'll find that you already have learned to deal with what they throw at you and give out what you need to in return," Mara advised carefully. "No one stays the same. Don't tell me that Master Yoda did not train you in the skills of a Jedi counsellor or a diplomat?"
"Well, yes, he did."
"So you deal," she said lightly.
Luke glanced at his black-booted feet. She was just too good for him. She had an answer for everything.
Mara gave him an 'I rest my case' look. "Use your advantages, Skywalker. You've been given highly specialised training on top of your war experiences. And your sister is a politician."
"And she's a good one. Probably one of the only two that I trust completely," he admitted wryly. "But even with Leia I find that I now watch what I say and do. She's not like the others but still…"
"I agree. She isn't like the others and I know she wants to see you in charge of a thriving Jedi Order but it is not her primary focus. She cares more for the fate of the galaxy."
"As she should. The Jedi are my responsibility."
She looked at him curiously when, if by an unspoken agreement, they began to walk in the direction of her apartment. "That's still not what's truly bothering you. I can keep your secrets. Tell me what it is that's really got you so unsettled?"
So she was quickly learning to know his moods, Luke thought. Leia and Han were the only other people that could read him that quickly. It showed what an astute judge of character she must be. They hadn't spent that long together and yet, she knew him as he did her. It could be that the connection between them within the Force was strengthening. "I spent some time in Palpatine's secret room today. In fact, I've been spending quite a lot of time in there. So much to sort and file… It's so cold," he murmured. "So cold and the evil permeates your very being."
Now he'd gotten to the heart of the matter and Mara understood. Luke, like her, was sensitive to the emotions left in the air. "I never liked it in there either – I agree that it felt cold and somehow…dark. I often felt like that about my…" Mara stopped and frowned. She'd never put the way she felt around her Master into words before. He had been the nearest thing to a father that she had but she had not loved him. "Did you find anything?"
Luke snorted and shook his head, wondering at what she'd been going to say. "Too much," he said. "Did you know?"
"Just that there were lightsabers stored there and I assumed the cabinets held information and artefacts. Yours was in pride of place. I would have been punished if I'd enquired about anything. If he needed me to know then I would have been told. I only knew about yours because he was proud of it. He wanted to add your current saber to his collection."
"He failed."
"Yes," Mara said dryly. "Obviously."
Luke stared at his boots for a moment before lifting his head. "There are a lot of Jedi and Sith items, books and reading material, scrolls…stuff like that. Most of them I assume were looted from the Jedi temple when it was destroyed. Other things he collected from sites around the galaxy. It's an eclectic collection. If you have the time I would appreciate your help in sorting through some of it." He gave her a cautious glance from the corner of his eye. There wasn't much to clear from the actual room now but the sheer volume of data to be checked and collated was frightening and most of it was now stored in boxes in Luke's apartment. "It's up to you."
"I could make the time." He was asking for her help and somehow she found that she didn't want to say no. They had stopped in the shadow of a towering edifice, its many windows glinting with the reflected lights of Coruscant's ever-present traffic and decorative lasers. Mara gestured to the building and Luke could glimpse what appeared to be a row of turbo lifts through an impressive transparisteel entrance. "Karrde owns the top fifty floors. My apartment is on the top floor."
"I thought you stayed in the same building where Karrde's offices are located," Luke said in confusion.
"I can if I want to and on occasions, after a late meeting, I have but it's nice not to have to live above the vending establishment."
"Are you free tomorrow?" Luke asked.
"I can be," Mara replied softly, not wanting to appear too eager to spend time with the Jedi, yet inexplicably glad that he had asked.
Luke's sudden smile lit up his whole face. "I've joined the gym that Leia goes to and I remembered that you told me that you were also a member. I have a room reserved for my use first thing every morning. It means that I can do my saber practise in a chamber that's big enough not to be irreparably damaged afterwards."
"Yes, I am a member there. That's how your sister and I became acquaintances. Karrde owns it."
"Now why am I not surprised? Your boss is an interesting man and I look forward to meeting him."
Mara recalled her last conversation with her boss. "I think he is looking forward to meeting you too, Luke."
She called me 'Luke', he thought as he escorted Mara up a flight of marble steps and looked about him appreciatively as the transparisteel doors slid aside without even a whisper of sound. "I'm surprised that I'm even allowed in here," he said with an amazed grin.
Mara stared at him in disbelief. "What are you on about, Skywalker? You are the New Republic's Jedi hero. You can go anywhere."
Luke wasn't sure if she'd complimented or insulted him. He just shrugged. "I sometimes think that I still have to dust the sand of Tatooine from my boots. This is the first time I've ever visited Coruscant. I went from Endor to Bakura to…Dagobah."
Mara looked at the gleaming black leather encasing the lower part of his legs. "I don't see it, Skywalker."
"No, but it's still there. Deep down, the sand is always clinging to my boots." His eyes were earnest and very blue.
"So I can still call you 'Farmboy'," she drawled wickedly.
Luke opened and shut his mouth, unsure of what to say. "Call me Luke," he said finally. "You did a couple of minutes ago."
"It was a slip of the tongue," she muttered, noticing the way that the Jedi's gaze had arrowed straight to her mouth. Mara swallowed. "Why should I?"
"It's my name."
Her eyes sparkled. "I'll…think about it."
Luke's lips quirked into a smile as they halted in front of the bank of gleaming durasteel turbolifts. "You do that, Jade."
Her hand reached out to key her destination into the keypad and found itself caught by a larger, sunburned hand callused from many hours of hard work.
"So…tomorrow?" he asked.
She turned to face him. "What?"
"Practice," he murmured, his voice deepening. "Lightsaber practice…tomorrow."
"I said I would meet you," she murmured, not realising that her hand was still trapped in Luke's. "I'm free first thing in the morning and then I have to meet a client for Karrde but that shouldn't take me long. I'm free again after that. Whatever time is most suitable for you."
"I would prefer earlier," he said thoughtfully.
Mara nodded. "After breakfast? Remember, I also have the wooden box we found on Myrkr to give you."
"I'd forgotten about that," he said. "Karrde doesn't want payment?"
"It wasn't Karrde that found it," she said tartly. "I'm donating it to the Jedi cause."
"Thank you," he said, grinning. "You've come a long way in a short time, Mara Jade. When we first met I would never have imagined you donating anything to the Jedi." He laughed as she glared at him. "I need to do some more work in the room you revealed to Han and Leia," he said thoughtfully. "But I'm almost finished there now and I did plan on visiting the Jedi temple site. I haven't gone there yet."
"Why not?" Mara asked. "I thought that would be the first place you visited on your return to society."
Luke sighed and Mara moved closer to him, her hand still held in his. "Up until now, there's been no real need. You brought me the holocron and the distress beacon and from what you told me, you were directed to those items by spirits of Jedi long gone. I doubt there's much else left to find. It's difficult for me to be there because, in a way, the temple witnessed the death of the Jedi Order. Perhaps that was even the place where my father truly died. I'm not certain how I will react when I go. All the reports that I've read…" He paused, swallowing. "I've read hundreds and hundreds of accounts, each one more traumatic than the one before. I will need to be strong and control the emotions I sense."
"I did not feel truly at ease," Mara admitted.
"I can understand that but I'm glad you went. You are strong in the Force and have had little true Jedi training but within ten minutes at the temple site saw a vision of one of the most important Jedi of the pre-Clone War era, Qui-Gon Jinn."
"Yes," she muttered. "And he won't go away."
"He will once day. It's inevitable." Luke's smile was wry, yet tinged with sadness. "My training in the Jedi arts has been more extensive. I should be able to keep the memories out, yet I should be more receptive to the emotions. It makes for a difficult balance."
"I think I see," Mara said, staring into his eyes. He was gathering his strength for what he expected to be something of an ordeal.
Their gaze held. "But I have to go sooner rather than later as I suspect that I have people waiting for me there."
"Your little group of budding Jedi," Mara said quietly. "I would have thought that you'd catch them in your Jedi net the moment they landed on Coruscant. It would be better if you did. Kam Solusar…"
"Has a troubled past. I sensed the darkness within him but it was behind him. He's returned to the light and he seeks to protect the others – I can feel it. We need him, Mara. He has skills that the new Jedi will require."
"But…"
Luke inched closer until they were standing pressed against each other, their clasped hands pressed between their bodies. "Trust, Mara. I understand it's difficult for you to trust him but then again, he may not trust you either."
"I trust you," Mara whispered. "I shouldn't but I do."
"I know you trust me," Luke said. "The feeling is mutual." He dipped his head, his lips lightly brushing hers. "I will see you tomorrow," he murmured. "How I missed you when you were away."
"You said that already," she managed to say, her heart thudding loudly in her chest.
"It's the truth," Luke protested, his eyes shining into hers.
Mara smiled. "I believe you."
His lips covered hers, more firmly this time and to the passers-by, they looked like any young couple in love saying goodnight even though the actual words had never passed their lips.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Imperial Palace
Luke strode along the corridor that would take him to Palpatine's secret room. He didn't like the place; there were too many dark memories and emotions held within the walls. It was strange how the stain of evil lingered within certain places. The quicker he got it cleared, the better he would feel. The security had been stepped up, he noted idly as he spotted the scanner ahead. He moved forward and stood patiently waiting for the bio-scanner to finish its work.
"You may proceed, Jedi Skywalker," the metallic computer voice intoned blandly.
"Thank you," Luke replied politely even if it was to a computer's automatic response to the correct vital signs. No one could ever convince him that Threepio and Artoo were just a pile of electronic circuits.
He gave a nod to the security guard, one of Lady Winter's personal staff, took a deep breath, closed out the feelings of coldness and hate that assaulted his being and waited for the newly added security gate to slide open. Once the room was emptied, it would be converted back to its original function – part of the palace turbo-lift network.
As he moved along the once-secret passage, his eyes adjusting to the semi-darkness, his mind automatically returned to Mara. He couldn't believe that he'd actually gathered his courage together and kissed her last night. He'd kissed her and she'd kissed him back – there was no denying it. But this morning she'd been cold and almost nervous in his company as they'd sparred, lightsabers flashing in the room he had hired for their use. She'd seemed to retreat once more behind her acerbic personality and although Luke wasn't threatened by her lightsaber, her words were another thing altogether. If Luke was reading Mara correctly, she had gone with her feelings last night and now was second guessing herself. He took that as a sign she was making real progress with trusting her feelings. He'd either made a hideous mistake letting his hope for her to have real feelings for him cloud his judgement, or she had feelings for him too. Had he made a mistake? He didn't think so. However, courting this particular woman would not be easy. Luke stopped dead in his tracks. He wanted to court her?
'The Skywalkers love on sight and forever.'
The words continued to haunt him along with strange dream-like visions of darkness and destruction that continued to plague his sleep. This had happened before and could happen again if what he saw came true. He didn't understand what the visions truly meant as there were no Jedi to destroy. Yet someone or something wanted to exterminate the hope Luke held in his heart of a new Jedi order rising from the ruins of the old. He glanced around at the now mostly empty display cabinets and shelves. As he'd said to Mara the previous evening, this room brought all his unsettled feelings to the surface. It had witnessed true darkness in the shape of Palpatine. He sighed. His gaze purposely avoiding the bloodstained Jedi battle-armour, he picked up the data pad he'd been using the day before and checked what he had noted down.
Lightsabers, he read. Training sabres, great sabres, dual-phase… He looked in the two boxes at his feet. One box held those that were still working and the other box, those that did not. If he had time he would attempt to repair them.
Perhaps it was not to be, him and a happy, successful relationship. He hadn't made any real time for any sort of relationship before and it would be a remarkable woman that was able to keep up with him. Perhaps that was why his affairs had been few and far between. But Mara Jade could be that woman if she didn't still think that he was behind the death of her master.
He stared down at the lightsabers as if trying to memorise their number and their shapes. Perhaps one day he would be able to identify the Jedi that had wielded them. Maybe then, he would discover if their bloodlines still existed in the galaxy. Palpatine may have inadvertently aided the Jedi in their rebirth.
"Luke."
He turned to see the Lady Winter, Leia's long-time friend and assistant, holding what appeared to be a container of data cards.
"More," he said with a wry grimace.
"Yes," the elegant white-haired Alderaanian answered apologetically. "But this is the last of them. I think these are of interest to you rather than to General Cracken." She pointed to a couple of boxes stacked near the entrance. "Those are for him."
The contents of the room had been evenly split between Jedi and Sith memorabilia and political spoils. Many beings had disappeared during the Empire's grip on galactic power and much of the information to what had happened to them and to countless worlds forever destroyed had been found.
"He'll find those interesting," the Jedi said softly, "if a little sad. I think the whereabouts of many of his former colleagues will be explained. Just leave the Jedi ones there, Winter. I'll take them with me when I leave. Is that it?"
"That's it…apart from the boxes of Jedi toys."
"Toys…children's toys?" Luke echoed, a strange feeling in his gut. How could Palpatine have murdered children? A small voice in his head reminded him that some of them must have survived. He and Leia had survived and Mara. Mara had survived.
"Those texts you allowed me to borrow were most helpful in deciding what to keep."
"It helps to have a memory like yours," Luke said with a smile. Winter rarely forgot anything she read, saw or heard. It had proved useful during the war but also caused her much pain with the loss of her home world and many friends.
"My shift is finished," she admitted, looking tired. "We decided that we would take shifts to get this…" she hesitated for a moment, "place cleared more quickly and I landed the night duty except that it extended quite far into today. I'm glad we're almost through here. I don't like the feeling I get when I'm in here and I prefer not to be alone. The mind can play strange tricks on the imagination."
"And you are not gifted with the Force," Luke said quietly. "The darkness has to be strong for you to sense the evil."
"He was evil but he is gone now," Winter murmured. "We are rebuilding what was lost."
Luke opened his mouth to say something in agreement and found that he could not. Palpatine was gone but the evil was not. Evil did not die. It just changed its face and was born anew. Here, in the black heart of Palpatine's stronghold, Luke could feel the darkness that still existed. "Go home and get some sleep before my sister shouts at me for wearing you out with too much work."
Winter chuckled tiredly. "There's no blame on you, Luke. We're glad to have you home."
"Thank you."
She paused once more, glancing around her, checking to see that everything was as it should be. "I've arranged for extra storage space in what used to be part of Palpatine's personal library. The university also rents space there. You did make it harder for me by upsetting Airen Cracken first thing this morning." She raised a white eyebrow at him in disapproval.
Luke just shrugged lightly. "It's not good for him to get his own way too much. I got the feeling that he was glad someone had stood up to him for a change."
"That's quite possible but he would have preferred it not to be you." Winter could read the disgruntled expression on Luke's face and stifled her smile as she handed Luke a data card. "The location of your extra storage facilities are on this. Don't lose it."
"Yes, Ma'am," Luke said smartly.
Winter's grey eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Have you been taking lessons from Han Solo, Luke?"
"Of course," Luke muttered promptly, mischief gleaming in his blue eyes. "Taught me everything I didn't need to know."
"You shouldn't encourage him."
"He doesn't need me to encourage him," Luke replied.
"Unfortunately, that's true. I'll see you tomorrow," Winter said firmly, shaking her head.
"You will?"
"The meeting," she said patiently. "With Mon Mothma and the rest of the Inner Council?"
"Oh," Luke murmured. "That's tomorrow? I'd forgotten about that one."
"Then it's just as well that I reminded you of it."
Luke spent the next three hours finishing clearing one of the cabinets and after checking his chrono decided he'd been there long enough. He packed all the data cards Winter had left for him into a large bag along with several rare books on Jedi history and theory, although most books on Jedi history and theory were rare. He had just reached the end of the secret passage when an irate voice reached him.
"What do you mean, 'I don't have the correct clearance?' Of course I must," the voice demanded. "Do you know who I am?"
The guard's voice mumbled something and Luke decided to stay out of the proceedings for the time being. He hadn't been noted for his caution or patience in the past but he had learned and something told him he would learn more by not making his presence known.
"I am Doctor Folla Rule, the head of the archaeology department at Coruscant University. I should have been told that Jedi finds had been unearthed in the Imperial palace. These artefacts should be brought to my department for study and cataloguing."
"Jedi finds?" the guard said, sounding puzzled. "I don't know anything about Jedi finds. The New Republic is upgrading the turbo lift network in this wing of the palace, hence the work."
Luke frowned. He'd heard that name before. His frown cleared as he remembered Leia mentioning the woman. She was knowledgeable about the Jedi - in fact, was considered to be one of the galaxy's foremost experts. Leia had thought that they should meet but Rule had been off-world since he'd returned to Coruscant. Something nagged at him. It was possible that some information may have escaped but none outside his personal circle should be aware of the Jedi finds so how did she know?
There was an obvious answer. Had she sensed the items imbued with the Force? It was possible. However, there was something else even more disturbing. This woman had been allowed to pursue her interest during Palpatine's reign. Why? Was that interest fostered with or without the tyrant's blessing? He stayed out of sight listening carefully as the woman became more and more irate as the guard refused her entrance.
"I demand entrance," she snapped.
Luke was impressed both with this Doctor Rule's manner and more so with the poor guard who had not buckled under the icy pressure the archaeologist was subjecting him to. Winter's staff was obviously hand picked and impeccably trained. It was also possible that this guard had not been informed of what he was guarding. Doctor Rule had not resorted to shouting or anything resembling a real threat but Luke could tell that she was used to giving orders.
"I'm sorry, Ma'am," the guard murmured firmly. "Any more information is classified."
"Who is in charge of this?"
Luke exited from the passage. "That would be me," he said calmly, carefully shielding his identity. If she was an expert on the Jedi she would definitely know who he was and he wanted to keep Palpatine's evil a secret from the academics a little longer. He did not know this woman and he wasn't going to blithely give access when she was apparently so undeserving. "Close it up for the night. We'll do a final check in the morning."
Folla stared disdainfully at the young man not realising that he, too, was surveying her closely. Luke saw a woman perhaps a few years older than Han, good looking in an imperious way, with dark hair caught into an elaborate chignon. But there was something else about her that Luke found interesting. He was sure she had some Force ability. It wasn't strong, perhaps weaker or similar to the woman travelling with Kam Solusar, but it was there nonetheless. If that was the case and she was Force aware, why had Palpatine kept her alive? It was something he would have to meditate on at a later date. Perhaps Mara might know something of this woman if she'd been around during Palpatine's reign.
"Excuse me," he said politely. "I do not believe that we have met."
"I want to see the contents of that room," she demanded, dark eyes flashing, ignoring his query as to her identity. "You are in charge?"
"For the moment, yes," he admitted reluctantly. He knew who she was because she'd announced herself so arrogantly to the guard and he'd heard Leia and Han discussing her interest in Jedi history and artefacts. "But I cannot grant you clearance without the proper documentation. It's just a storage space. Disappointing but there it is."
"No," she said brusquely. "There's more to it than that."
"Is there?" Luke said calmly.
"Yes," Folla snapped. "A bio scanner for a prospective turbo-lift shaft? That's a little too much."
Luke shrugged. "Anything to do with the inner transport system needs to be secure. This will greatly ease movement around the palace complex." He gave a sly smile. "Of course, if you get the proper documentation I can give you the official tour. It will last all of a minute - perhaps two if I stretch it out enough."
"And who has the power to grant access?" There was nothing she disliked more than dealing with petty little bureaucrats and this one was worse than most. She was Dr Folla Rule, the most famous archaeologist in the galaxy and she shouldn't have to bargain with nonentities for what was her right.
"General Airen Cracken. It is a security matter." Luke could see the woman pause. He was right. She did have some Force ability but it wasn't particularly strong. He couldn't put his finger on it but there was something about this woman he didn't like. Something else teased him. If she was Force aware, was she trained? Was she drawn to him like he and Mara were drawn to one another – the way Kam Solusar and his companions were waiting for him? He decided consciously to lie. He didn't like doing it but he thought that it might be necessary. Too many things about this woman did not add up. It was something else for him to look into.
"I don't know where you heard the story about Jedi artefacts, Ma'am," he said carefully. "But I can assure you there is nothing for you to see here. I wish there were. Perhaps you'll have more luck at the temple excavation?"
Folla gave him a fulminating glare, turned on her heel and marched away, unaware that the one man she wanted to meet in the entire galaxy was following her departure with a troubled expression in his blue eyes.
22