Luke was showing Tontay a meditation trance when Artoo came up to Luke, whistling.
"Yes, Artoo?" Luke asked the little droid.
Artoo bleeped a reply, and Tontay looked at Luke for the translation. "He said there's a message on my comm unit in the X-wing...I'll be right back."
Luke activated the comm for a recorded message. It was from Leia.
"Luke, we have a little diplomatic situation that we are having trouble with. The head of the Chiss, which is Thrawn's species apparently, is wanting to become a member of the Republic. However, it seems many of the Chiss are rebelling, and they insist that a Jedi Master come and mediate the matter. Please contact me as soon as possible."
Leia was in the middle of a yet another diplomatic meeting when an aide came up to her. The aide whispered something into her ear, and she stood up, "Please, excuse me, I have an important call to take." The other diplomats nodded their acknowledgement and continued with the debate.
Leia went to the communications unit and saw Luke's holo, his face betraying his slight impatience. She smiled inwardly; the farmboy hadn't been fully extinguished.
Outwardly, she asked in a rush, "Luke, can you come?"
Luke nodded, and then he bit his lip, "Could you send me a ship that can fit two people?"
Leia frowned, "Why?"
"I have a new student Yoda wished me to train on Dagobah."
Leia's eyebrows lifted. "Oh?"
Luke looked sheepish. "Her name is Tontay Novablast."
"Ah...Well, maybe Han could pick you up in the Falcon."
"All right. I'll have Artoo send Dagobah's coordinates to the Falcon."
Leia nodded. "You'll be picked up shortly."
And with that, the hologram turned off.
I wonder if she is only a student, Leia thought with a grin. It wouldn't make Mara too happy...Not that Mara Jade would ever admit it...
Luke went into the hut where Tontay and Yoda were eating breakfast. Deedah was taking a nap as usual. "Uh, Master Yoda, Leia needs me to help with a...diplomatic situation, so I have to leave."
"What about my training?" Tontay asked at the same time Yoda said, "Take her with you, you must."
Yoda looked at him. "Go, she must. Knew that you did, even when calling your sister."
"Don't I get a say in anything?" Tontay inquired with frustration.
Just before Luke could comment they were interrupted by a yell from outside. As they rushed out the door, Luke let out a groan.
"Put me down, you blasted thing. Put me down! Farmboy, get your little agh—" Mara was being squeezed harder by the monstrous creature, "—out here and get this piece of tar off of me. Shavit, do it now!" yelled a distressed Mara from the hands of a five meter Trorrogg, a rare swamp creature native to Dagobah.
Luke rushed over to her, Tontay, Yoda, and Deedah closely following, "Calm down, Mara."
"Calm? What do you mean calm? I'm five meters up in the air! Would you be calm if you were up this high in the arms of some beast who intends to eat you alive?" Mara hissed.
A grinning Luke suggested to Tontay, "Do you want to work on those mental skills?"
Angry and horrified at the thought of one of Luke's students practicing on her, Mara exclaimed from her perch: "What the heck do you think you're doing, Skywalker? You had krethin' better not have her practice her magic tricks on me! I'm not even sure I would trust you up this high! And what exactly is that short green thing?"
The pittin growled at the huge creature then hid behind Tontay as it roared. "Short for my species, I am not. Stay up there, you will. Jedi Master, am I. In trouble, you are," Yoda said, pointing his gimer stick Mara's way. Humor glinted in his eyes.
Tontay spoke up, "Master Skywalker, perhaps you should get her down."
Mara exclaimed, "Would you guys hurry up and get this thing to let me go before it gets hungrier?"
Luke lowered a very impatient and annoyed Mara onto the ground, and he made the Trorrogg get a sudden inclination to flee.
Mara walked right up to Luke, pushing Tontay aside, the pittin snarling at her for touching its master. "Farmboy, you are in serious trouble!" She paused, looking at Tontay suspiciously. "Who's she?"
Tontay said pointedly, "My name is Tontay Novablast."
Mara turned around, walked up to Tontay, and reeled back a fist to punch her, but she was stopped by Luke, who grabbed her arm in frustration. The pittin lunged at Mara but was halted in mid-air as Yoda stopped it from making a fatal mistake.
"Your father murdered mine!" Mara snarled, ignoring the pittin and elbowing Luke in the stomach to get him to let go.
"What did I do? What did she do?" asked a bewildered Luke as he released her arm. Then Luke started and asked, "Hey, where did Yoda go?"
"Who cares where that slimeball is, I have a tight schedule, and we need to leave ASAP." Mara Jade informed him.
"Why aren't Han and Leia here instead?" Luke asked.
"How should I know? I got a call from Leia asking me to pick you up since I was nearby. Then she tells me you plus a friend. I must say I wasn't exactly happy about it, but I thought you might need my help. I want it known that I do do favors...for a price." She grinned. "Oh, and I need to stop by my home planet. This Chiss matter is serious, mind you, but we don't have to be there for a few days."
As Luke and Mara bickered about the terms of the "deal," Tontay went to pack her few belongings. On the way, she thought about how if one month ago someone had said that she would be falling in love with one of the most famous Jedi Masters of all time, she would have laughed in their face and told them to go jump off the top of the Imperial Palace. Now, she wondered what their destiny would be. It seemed to her that Luke had certain undefined feelings for Mara, but what exactly they consisted of was beyond her comprehension. She wondered what the extent of the admiration Luke and Mara obviously had for each other was...
Don't be silly, she told herself. Why are you worrying?
