A Thread of Gold – Part 6

Disclaimer - The characters in this story are owned by Lucasfilm. I'm only borrowing them for my amusement and hopefully yours. My thanks to JT, Angela and Mona for suggestions and help. This story is for Sheyla as she once told me she liked it.

Ash

Luke kissed her again. It was hot and hard. He positioned above her thighs and Mara could wait no longer and thrust herself upward to complete their joining. Their eyes widened in a moment of sheer amazement as he was buried deep inside her. Luke began to move tentatively at first, then with assured confidence, their eyes locked on the other the whole time. Each sensation sent waves of ecstasy through their bodies. He couldn't deny her… anything.

Fire raced between them as they lost their control in a haze of total abandonment. Mara and Luke would have been hard pressed to recognise themselves in the picture of the two of them writhing and panting and devouring each other with their need. Flushed faces, fevered moans, hands touching, stroking - mouths clinging, kissing, mouthing husky words of passionate entreaty. With a hoarse cry Luke reached fulfilment and Mara answered gladly with a cry of her own.

Luke thought they were finished, they should have been finished after that cataclysmic experience. He didn't think he would ever be able to move properly again.

"What the hell was that, Skywalker?" Mara moaned incredulously. "What did we just do?"

Luke closed his eyes, breathing heavily. "I think it's called sex, Jade."

She turned to him and gave him a dry look. "Sex, Skywalker? I didn't think you knew about the word."

"You don't know everything about me."

"No," Her green eyes arrowed piercingly into his steadfast blue ones. "But I'm learning quickly."

Luke took another shuddering breath as the way she moved against him began to affect his body. "Mara…"

His blue eyes flared and Mara, Force help her, felt a tug in her loins and closed her eyes against the knowledge in his - closed her barriers against the creeping comprehension that he understood her very well. Reluctantly, feeling his eyes continuing to gaze upon her, Mara opened hers. Luke placed his hand on her smooth cheek and saw deep into her soul.

"Oh my love… my love," he laughed suddenly: a laugh that broke on a dry sob. "I'm learning too." Reaching for Mara, Luke's mouth smothered hers ardently and she closed her eyes and sought for him blindly in return.

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The sun rose high in the Coruscant sky, shining down through the open window into Mara's bedchamber. However the lovers slept on. The exhaustion, which accompanied frenzied sexual activity, had finally overtaken the two Jedi. Even in sleep they reached for one another, their hands clutched for reassurance. Asleep, the true nature of their attachment was clear as their bodies clung together. Two halves of a single being.

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Millennium Falcon's Docking Bay

"Han." Leia waited impatiently at the bottom of the Falcon's ramp until her husband appeared wiping dirty hands on an equally dirty rag.

"Luke's missing."

"Missing! How can he be missing? You only let him out of your sight for one night. How can he go missing in twelve hours?"

"You forgot one tiny thing. He's Luke," she replied simply. "He's on planet, but I don't know where and he's weak. Something is blocking my attempts to reach him through the Force. He feels different."

Han pulled a face. "Did you try his com, sweetheart?"

"Of course I did," Leia replied indignantly.

"Try again. He's been ill. He's probably slept in."

"I thought of that. I don't want him to think that I'm mothering him…"

"You are, sweetheart."

"But we nearly lost him and I can't help but think that he's trying to make me think that he's better than he really is."

"Luke wouldn't do that… Would he?"

Leia frowned. "I'm going round."

"Haven't you a meeting or something?"

"Cancel it."

"Now Leia, sweetheart. Give him a little space. Luke's a grown man."

"One who was on his deathbed not four weeks ago. One who tends to overdo things if left to own devices. One who has never in my knowledge slept through a com call in nearly twenty years of serving the alliance. One who…"

"Okay, okay I get the drift. But I'm coming with you."

"Now who's fussing over nothing?"

Han gave her his special 'save me from Princesses' stare and then bowed mockingly. "After you, your worshipfulness."

"Nerf!"

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Mara's Apartment

Mara shifted in her bed to the noise of an insistent beeping. Sith, her eyes felt as if someone had dumped half of Tatooine in them.

Tatooine!

She reached the state of full alertness instantly. "Oh spit." She had seduced Luke Skywalker last night. Mara half opened one eye. Yup, she'd done it. Or had she. Mara wasn't entirely sure who had seduced who. Luke lay sprawled over at least three quarters of her bed, his face calm in repose, all the strain gone in sleep. So it hadn't been a dream this time and she ached in certain places to prove it. But it had been so good. She'd never believed he had it in him. Well, he'd been in her more than once. 'Mara!' She scolded herself. 'That was crude.' She hitched the sheets over her breasts and leant forward stretching. As she did so, Luke rolled over and took up even more of the bed, almost squeezing her from it. Unwillingly, she smiled. Last night hadn't been crude or rough, it had been everything. Fire, passion and tenderness all mixed together in a body and soul shattering experience she'd never encountered before.

The beeping sound increased in volume. "Sith," she muttered. "The holocom."

Mara dived out of her tiny space in the bed and ran to answer it, pulling one of the sheets from the bed around her as she did so. "Yes?"

"Mara!" The face of Leia Organa Solo appeared before her.

Mara groaned and glanced nervously behind her, where a naked figure could be clearly seen lying in her bed. Lifting her hand she closed the bedroom door with the Force. Hoping the person on the other side hadn't seen its very special contents.

"I'm sorry did I wake you?" Leia's voice was brisk, then her face sagged a little. "I can't find Luke. I can feel him, but not where he is. He's put some sort of barrier up. This is the first time he's been on his own and he was supposed to check in. Han says I'm worrying too much, but we nearly lost him this time and I can't help it. I know he's a grown man, but he nearly died for real."

'Oh dewback drool.'

Mara pushed a red-gold curl over her shoulder and tried to look as composed as a half-naked woman can look at…. Mid-day!! 'Oh bantha crap.'

"He hasn't been in touch?" She enquired smoothly. 'Oh Sith! Touch. Luke had touched her last night in every place with his hands and with his mouth...' "He did… er… pop in past yesterday evening on his way to the exercise room. I was going to join him, but I was working on… something. He's right though, I do need to get some… exercise." Mara cringed inwardly. 'Exercise! Mind blowing sexual intercourse with the saintly Jedi Master.' There was no way that Leia Organa Solo was going to swallow that pile of bantha crap she'd just fed her. "Look Leia," she put in hurriedly. "I've got to go but I'll be in touch…"

"Before you go Mara, could I see you tonight about the traders licence you asked for."

Mara brightened. "The one for Farion?"

"Yes, come to dinner, we can talk then."

"Fine," Mara answered quickly her mind busy. She had to get the Jedi Master out of her apartment and into the exercise room they usually met in. Well actually, she had to get him out of her bed. "Yes, tonight should be free."

"Good. Now I must try the gym and if he's there, I can escort my brother back home. He should be taking it easy." Leia wondered why Mara had suddenly looked as if she'd swallowed something potentially damaging.

"You do that," Mara gritted desperately, her face blanching and cut the link.

The hands descending to massage her tense shoulders caught her by surprise. As did the warm mouth that leant down to nuzzle her neck. Mara's eyes closed and her head tipped back, allowing him access.

"What were you working on?" He murmured in her ear and kissed his way down her neck and over her breast, his mouth finally coming to rest on a rosy pink nipple. He knelt in front of her, his lower half wrapped in one of the sheets.

"I… aah," she stammered. "Luke, you… Leia…"

The Jedi stared her down, his eyes dark and heavy lidded. "My sister I take it?" He raised a polite eyebrow which was strangely at odds with the expression darkening his blue eyes. "Let her wait." He placed his hand on her neck and brought her head down to his.

"Luke…"

But her words were cut off as his mouth covered hers. He drew them both to stand and as his hands covered her body she could feel the heat through the thin covering she wore. His hands descended beneath the sheet she'd enveloped herself in. A sigh escaped her as his fingers trailed over her heated sensitized flesh and his tongue flicked over the tender skin at her neck before plunging back into her mouth. "Luke… please…" Mara clutched at his shoulders as he lifted her into his arms and bore her unresisting back to bed.

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Leia's Office

Leia blinked as a rather flustered Mara Jade cut the connection. It was unlike Mara to still be asleep at this hour of the day and without any clothes on. A strange sensation of dread clutched at her stomach as her mind relayed everything on Jedi replay. The open door, the bare chest of the figure still asleep in the bed and Mara wearing nothing under a white sheet. The woman had looked as if she'd just come from her lover's arms after a night of passion. Her hair had been a mess, her cheeks flushed and her mouth… Leia knew that Mara Jade had the look of someone who'd been thoroughly kissed. There were the tell tale marks of a man's whisker burn on her delicate neck. Leia sighed. Mara Jade had a new man in her life and she only hoped that it wouldn't send Luke reeling again.

"Emperor's bones!" What to do about Luke if this was true? Leia had her suspicions that her brother was more than fond of the beautiful green-eyed trader. She knew Mara was beautiful and highly sought after by other men. Indeed Lando had pursued her for months to no avail. Leia was hoping Mara had rebuffed so many others because she was fond of her brother. Heck - more than fond, as Han would say. They could be good together - you only had to look at them as they walked into a room together. Mara, beautiful, vivacious and deadly and Luke, gentle and kind, but with an inner strength Leia had never found in anyone else. But Luke was more stubborn than a ronto and too used to rejection. As for the former Emperor's hand, words defied description. They fought more together than they agreed with one another.

"Han," she called her voice troubled.

He came into her office with his serious expression. "I heard."

"Han, Mara had someone with her."

Han whistled soundlessly. "Mara had. Are you sure?"

"Yes she was wrapped in a sheet, but you could tell she wasn't wearing very much and there was someone in her bed."

Han closed his eyes and a few Corellian swear words escaped quietly. "You could see that much?"

"I think Luke's at his exercise facility. Mara said that he could be there. He visited her last night. Suppose he visited Mara last night and she was with this… man? Han, I think Luke likes Mara more than… you know."

"I do know. Hell!"

"I'm going to see if that's where he is and if it is…. I'm taking him home."

"Sure, sweetheart - do you want me to come along just in the case the kid turns difficult?"

"No. I think I'll do this on my own."

"If he doesn't know you're going to tell him about Mara, aren't you? Is that a good idea?"

"I have to. I can't let him get his hopes up again. He's had too many disappointments. I don't want a repeat of what he went through after Callista walked out."

"Stang, Leia! He didn't love Callista."

"He thought he did."

"Yes, but there's no hint of any such attachment between him and Mara."

"True… but I have this feeling about them."

"So do I, Leia," Han sighed. "So do I."

Leia went to the place where Luke exercised and found it deserted. She focused for all traces of his presence and was disappointed. He hadn't been there at all – not recently. She searched all his usual haunts, but there was no sign of her brother. What made it all the more confusing was she could feel his presence and he was near - very near. However he was shielding his presence from her and that hurt.

What was wrong?

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Mara's Apartment

Luke's heavy lidded gaze focused on Mara's parted lips and then, their mouths touched lightly, barely even meeting at first. Tasting each other delicately made their new addiction for one another even more powerful, Luke leant in applying more pressure to her soft mouth, then a closer, firmer contact and her lips parted allowing him access. He attempted to take things slow, sampling each contour of her lips, tasting her, drinking in her essence. The fist of desire slammed into his gut - the control rapidly spinning away as they reached rapture in each other's arms, the satisfaction ringing through their bodies. Luke's urgent thrusting sent Mara beyond reasoning, her body singing beneath his and her hands digging into his smooth muscular back as climax struck again and again.

As the moment passed they continued to cling to one another until Luke rolled off Mara. "I'm too heavy."

"No…"

They lay curved together as their hearts and minds returned to something approaching normal, but for Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade nothing would ever be normal again. With their physical joining had come a connection in the Force so close that it was unlike anything ever experienced between the Jedi in all the ages of the galaxy.

Mara lay on her back, her mind a whirling kaleidoscope of thoughts. She needed time to think about these new feelings for the Jedi Master and reluctantly whispered, "Luke… you'd better go."

"I know. Leia will be worried about me, but I'll see you tonight."

"I'm not sure that's a good thing."

Luke smiled and it sent a shiver curling right into her very woman's centre. "Oh believe me, Jade. It's a very good thing."

He moved from her arms and stretched. Mara watched him under discreetly lowered lashes marvelling at the splendid length of him. He turned and padded into her refresher and Mara's mouth watered at the sight of his firm buttocks as they vanished from view. He had certainly improved over the years.

'Oh really, Mara! Haven't you always found him attractive? You've just never seen him totally nude before. Nice work, Jade. You sure had him last night and if you stack the sabacc deck right you could have him any night.'

'But I don't want that. This is Skywalker.'

But the little voice mockingly taunted her. 'No, this is Luke and you've wanted him for a long time. He wants you too, as if you hadn't guessed. He can hardly keep his pants on when you're around. Don't tell me you didn't know. You've been ignoring what's been staring you in the face. When he's around you want his pants off. It was only a matter of time. Now you've had him he's spoilt you for anyone else. It is your destiny to be together.'

'To sleep with my greatest enemy?'

The little voice laughed derisively. 'Your greatest enemy is yourself.'

She knew it, she really knew it. She wrapped the covers around her and curled into a little ball. That was how Luke found her as he returned to the bedchamber with his damp hair curling. Dressed, as he had been when he'd arrived in his Jedi black.

"Mara, I'd better go. Leia will be furious with me. I didn't contact her."

"Yes, she said that," Mara's voice was muffled. He unravelled her from her cocoon of white and ran shrewd eyes over her slender form. A gentle finger traced from navel to breast tip and Mara arched her back, shuddering.

"It's still there, Jade. We've made love countless times over the past few hours and the hunger isn't quenched yet. I don't think it ever will be."

"Don't Luke…"

"I nearly died." He waved a dismissive hand. "Okay, so I've nearly died hundreds of times - this was the first time that I knew it was going to happen for real and you saved me. I'm not giving up what I want because the New Republic or my sister thinks it shouldn't happen. Leia by the way would like to see me with someone and you would be her first choice. You're my first choice too. No matter how hard you try to distract me with your job, the Jedi on Yavin or your past I'm not getting out of your life. I'm not giving you up ever."

"I'm not yours to give up," Mara argued, steel in her voice.

"You are."

"I'm a free woman… independent. I don't need you or anyone."

"You need me," Luke assured her. His blue eyes lit up, his voice fervent as he grabbed her shoulders with a strong grip, dragging her into a seated position. He speared her with his look and she, her green eyes blazing back at his, tried to wrest herself from his grasp. Her breasts heaved, their pink tips hardening as she reacted to the desire in his stare, her eyes darkened and changed to a stormy sea-tossed green. Luke's head blotted out the sunlight and all rational thought as his mouth descended and he kissed her into submission. He lifted his head, his eyes boring into hers. "You need me as much as I need you. No one is in control here. We're equals… partners… whatever. I'll see you tonight Jade. Better be there. My sister will not be fooled by your usual act and neither now will I."

He gave her a nod then left, leaving Mara stunned into immobility before anger rushed through her igniting her temper and loosening her tongue.

"Like hell!" She yelled sending it through the Force. "Do you think that I would consort with a farmboy off a tenth rate sandball? I will never let you dictate to me Skywalker. Never! Do you hear me?"

'I hear you. The whole damn block can hear you; probably Tatooine can hear you. It's a fine place from a distance just a little - dry. Anger is a good thing Mara, but get it out of your system before dinner tonight it can play havoc with the digestion. Remember it can also lead to the dark side.' His voice reached her through the Force - amused and patient.

Mara ground her teeth. "The smug, complacent, irritating, bas… I'll show him…"

'You showed me plenty last night.' He sent a couple of visions to her and she fumed as her body reacted, even though he wasn't there to touch her.

Mara flopped back on her pillows. Rage and desire evident warring in her eyes and evident on her body. "I'll certainly show him." He had manipulated her body too easily last night. Her mouth went dry as she recalled some of the moves he'd made. He had manipulated her in all the ways she'd wanted him to. Her eyes took on a glitter of satisfaction. It was time to show Luke Skywalker what he was getting himself into. Varnahk was nothing compared to Mara Jade.

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