IMO

Disclaimer: None of this is mine, I make no money off this. I just have too much time on my hands.

In Memory Of... Chapter 8

Luke stood, still clad only in his sleep pants, gazing out the hotel room window, sipping his caf. He had an unobstructed view of the rising sun that had just appeared over the distant horizon. The sky was a mix of colors, starting at the brightest yellow of the sun itself to the deepest purple and blue as the rays stretched across the sleeping sky.

He had not been up for long. Having woke up feeling strangely refreshed, he had not been able to lie in bed. He got up as quietly as he could, as not to wake the person in the other bed. Thinking of Mara, he turned so he could look at her. She was laying on her back with her arms draped lightly across her stomach.

Luke had a strange sensation settle in his gut like there was something that he had forgotten and felt he really should remember. Maybe something that had happened while he was sleeping. The Jedi Master concentrated and was able to receive a few images, but nothing that made any sense. He could feel that he had another nightmare and he remembered Mara sitting on the edge of his bed. He also recalled another dream he had. The color rose to his cheeks as everything came back to him. He had thought he was laying next to Mara, holding her closely, and was disappointed when he opened his eyes to find her in her own bed. He tried not to think about that too much or the feeling of wanting that had remained after he woke up.

Luke turned his thoughts towards himself. He realized, when he woke up this morning that his moping around had reached the excessive stage again. And this time it was over something that happened in another lifetime. Sure, he had loved her, but it was time to move on. He was sure of that now. However, it was what he was to do next that remained lost to him. Could he continue in the way his life had been leading him, or should he search out whatever it was that always seemed to remain out of his reach. He did not mind at all helping a friend when the need arose. However, he knew there was more to life then always running to the rescue. He was not about to give up to the notion that he was not meant to be alone. He figured that if he were meant to be alone then he would not crave the companionship so strongly.

His thoughts traveled to his and Mara's present situation. It could be a shinning example of their friendship. Not quite comfortable, but nowhere near unwanted. From his point of view, the relationship was strained, but from Mara's, it was one of the very few friendships she had. Looking closely at the situation, Luke realized just how easy it was for him to convince her of the necessity of them sharing a room. He knew that the only other person she would have permitted herself to arrive in this arrangement would be Talon. However, had it been someone like Wedge, Mara would have shot him for suggesting it.

As if sensing her presence in his thoughts, Mara stretched and slowly opened her eyes. She looked at Luke standing at the window and returned his smile.

She rose from her bed, and disappeared into the fresher with her bag in hand. Returning only after she had dressed.

"Mara, how did you sleep last night?" Luke asked, as she sat on the edge of bed, pulling her boots on.

"Sporadically," she said with a smile. "You are a loud dreamer."

Luke returned her smile. "I was sitting here trying to figure out what happened last night."

"You had a nightmare," she said standing up and attaching her lightsaber to her belt.

"I hate when I get so caught up in a dream and I never fully wake up," he said, dropping him in a chair at the table. "I am sorry if I was a bother last night."

"Do you get dreams like that a lot?" she asked.

"Not that bad, no. Not very often."

"What are they about?" she asked, sitting at the table with him.

He thought about telling her. Tell her that since everyone had found out he has had dreams about Arielle's death. Then figured he would then have to tell her about everything else. "I don't want to talk about it," he told her instead.

"Well, Ok. Are you hungry? Wait I don't need to ask that question. I'll go get breakfast."

"I can get it," Luke said, starting to stand.

"And so can I," she informed him, placing a hand on his shoulder preventing him from standing. "I am already dressed so I will go."

Luke was suddenly aware of his state of dress. He suppressed the urge to try to cover himself, it would look pretty foolish after sitting and talking to her for so long. If Mara noticed his discomfort, she did not show it.

Luke waited for Mara to leave before sitting down at the com. He had been out of touch for a few days and new it was time to check in. He logged into his message box and scrolled through the messages. He smiled when he saw the numerous ones from Leia and Han. At the bottom of the list, he spotted a message that had just arrived in the past day. It was a message from Arielle's parents. It read:

Luke,

We haven't heard from you since you left. We are hoping that everything is fine. Tom noticed NR ships in the area just as you left and found out they were searching for you. No one ever came by to talk to us. Therefore, we figured that they did not know that they should have. I thought you said you were going to have a talk with your sister. It is not healthy for you not to tell them. Contact us when you get this, we are worried. In addition, when you do decide to tell them we would love for you to bring them for a visit. We will always consider you as a member of our family, and we would like the rest of your family to know that as well.

Morgan

Luke sent Arielle's parents a quick note telling them that he was fine, not to worry, and he would get in contact when he got back to Coruscant. He was smiling when he closed down the terminal. Then turning it back on, he dialed up Leia's number. The face of his best friend greeted him almost instantly.

"Luke! Great to see you, Kid. Everything alright?" Han inquired, smiling at the screen.

Luke couldn't help but return the smile. Han's good humor was always very contagious. "Everything's fine Han," he told him, picking up a napkin that had fallen on the floor by his feet. "I figured Leia would be anxious to hear from me so I decided to check in."

"She has been climbing the walls since you left. Mara alright?"

"She's fine. They did a little damage to the IFire/I, so I will be sticking around until she is underway."

"I bet Karrde is happy to hear that you got her out. He seemed really upset that you stormed out the way you did."

"But everything worked out," Luke said, not quite able to keep the defensiveness out of his voice.

"Yes it did, this time." He noticed the now expected look of worry cross his friends face, and watched it disappear just as quickly.

"Han," Luke warned, the last thing he wanted was a lecture. His friends have been doing that on and off over the years, but it was getting stifling this time. He was tired of being treated like he was going to break. The first thing you have to do, he thought to himself, is stop acting like it and maybe they will stop treating you that way.

"Ok, I understand," Han said, worry now showing clearly on the familiar face.

"I'm fine now, Han. Is Leia around?" It was time to change the subject. Not that talking to Leia would lighten the conversation any, but maybe she would have her mind set on different things and not feel the need to lecture him.

"No, she stepped out, but she should be back in a little while." Just as he said that, Mara walked into the room.

"Well, I will try and call her back a little later," he told Han, while glancing over at the smirking Mara.

"She will be disappointed that she missed your call."

"Tell her that I will call back." He cut the transmission and stood up. Mara stood facing him.

"Ahhh that is so sweet," she teased. "Checking in with your babysitter?"

"Haha Mara," he said, feeling her good mood almost as well as he could feel his.

"Well why did you call her?" she asked, smiling widely.

"Are you saying that you didn't send a message to Karrde?" Luke asked. He knew she was teasing and he was not about to back down this time.

"Different story," she said with a flick of her wrist.

"Sure it is," he said, as Mara walked passed him. She dropped one of the three bags she was carrying on the table and the other two she tossed on the bed.

"Chow down, Farmboy."

"What did you get?" he asked, while pulling stuff out of the bag.

"Enough for even you, I suspect," she said, and he could not help but laugh.

"So what do you want to do today?" She asked.

"Well first I want to check on the Fire," he told her. "After that I have no clue."

"We could check out that festival," Mara asked, her voice less then enthusiastic.

"Not a good idea for two people on the run," he told her, separating the food in two and sitting hers across from him.

"Good point," she said, sitting down. "I wouldn't have much fun. From what I can see, there is not much else to do around here."

They were silent for a few moments before Luke brought up the subject that had been nagging at him since she came in the door.

"So not to pry," he asked, pointing to the bags. "What else did you get?"

"I picked up some clothes for myself," she told him, glancing at the bags also.

"Well that's a good idea." He continued eating then stopped and looked at her. "Just curious, Mara, but where did you get the money for that? When you said they took everything, I assumed you meant your money also. I would think that drawing from your account while we are still stranded on planet might not be the best way to stay hidden."

"You should know me better then that, Jedi," she shot at him, and then took another bite of her food. "They did take all my spare money. I found access to some money that the locals forgot or never even knew about."

"Mara, you did not steal from these people did you?" he asked, but knowing that Mara would never deliberately try and hurt these people for no reason.

"It's not what you think," she explained. "It seems there is a small abandoned Imperial Stronghold not far from here. I was still able to use my old codes to withdrawal from some of the old accounts. There was not much there, but enough to get me some clothes."

"So you are stealing from the Empire," he said, unable to keep the faint smile off his face.

"Oh get off it, Skywalker. They don't even know it's here. And I was not about to spend the next few days wearing this!" she said, indicating the oversized blue flight suit she was wearing. "It's no big deal."

"Why? I think you look good in that mass of blue material."

"Fine, you like it so much, you can wear it."

"I think I'll pass. An old imperial base huh?" He suddenly asked, his eyes sparkling.

Mara smiled at his reaction. "We could go check it out?"

"It sounds interesting," he said, finishing the last of his food. He stood and dropped his trash in the garbage collector. "Well, while you are cleaning up, I am going to look around a bit. Meet up with me later?"

"Sure."

Mara approached the hanger. She could feel Skywalker close by, but she could not see him anywhere. Finally deciding that he would show himself when he was ready, she walked into the hanger. As she entered, the mechanic she spoke to the previous day approached her in greeting.

"Welcome, Ma'am. How can I be of service?" He asked, wiping his clean hands on an old cloth.

"I came to check on my ship. How's it coming?"

"It's is coming along nicely," he said, looking back at the Jade's Fire sitting in the middle of the hanger. "Trust me that we are working as fast as we can, just as I said. My men are pulling double shifts. We should have her flying again in three or four more days."

Mara could feel something not right, but before she could put a finger on it, she pinpointed Luke's presence. He was standing directly behind her. She knew that he had revealed himself to her first to not startle her, so she did not flinch when he suddenly spoke. The same could not be said for the man standing across from her.

"It's not a very wise thing to lie," Luke said, his voice deep and powerful.

"I do not lie," the mechanic said, standing up straighter as he addressed the newcomer. "We are working as hard as we can."

Luke's eyes narrowed. Mara could sense that it took a lot for Luke to keep up the tough look and not just start laughing. He was enjoying himself, she realized. "Do you have any idea who you are dealing with?" He demanded, his voice booming across the entire area.

"You…you are Luke Skywalker?"

Luke simply nodded.

"Sir," the mechanic said, panic raising his voice. "I do not lie. We are working as hard as we can. The ship will be flying again in four days."

"Wrong answer," Luke stated, stepping around Mara to stand in front of the man he was speaking to.

"Three days?" the young man squawked.

"Try again," Luke told him, their faces mere inches apart.

"OK I might be able to get it done in two. But that is the best I can do."

"I have been inside the ship and seen the work you have left to do. With a minimal of three people, you could have the job done in eight hours. Now I understand that we may not be your only customers," Luke said indicating the otherwise empty hanger, "But I am sure you can make an exception in this case. We will be back tomorrow morning. I expect the work to be completed by then."

Mara followed Luke as he turned and walked out the door. It wasn't until they were down the street and out of sight of the hanger that he started laughing.

"What got into you back there?" Mara asked, struggling to keep her own laughter from getting loose.

"I had been watching him. He just sent some people home against their wishes telling them that they had to take their time working on your ship. I decided that he needed to be taught not to take advantage of stranded travelers."

"Oh? But you seemed to enjoy that," she said, finding that she enjoyed seeing him so relaxed.

"It was fun. I sometimes forget what that name can do to people. Come on." He extended his arm to her. "Shall we?"

"An old abandoned building? You have a way with women, Jedi."

He only smiled as he led her away.

Mara heaved herself up securing herself on the next hand and foot holds she found on the wall, and glanced down. Luke had not moved, he stood leaning up against the wall with his arms folded across his chest.

"What are you doing?" She called down to him.

"Enjoying the view," he called back and began to laugh. Mara also began to laugh then had to catch herself as she lost her footing.

"Would you just get up here?" she shot down to him, feeling a bit frustrated. He was the one that wanted to take a look at this old building, now he did not seem to want to do any work to get to it. "I'm not going to wait for you once I get top the ledge."

"I'll be waiting for you at the top," he announced.

"You think so?"

"Sure," he said, not seeming to see the absurdity of his statement.

"Without using the Force?" she challenged.

"Without using the Force," he agreed.

"I would like to see that."

He smiled and glanced around. Taking a few steps forward, he jumped up and flipped backwards, landing solidly on the wall he had just been leaning on.

Running lightly across the wall, he leaped up and across to land on the balcony just above him. He proceeded to climb onto the rail and used his legs to propel him up and onto the roof. He nimbly worked his way across the uneven roof. Suddenly sliding, he dropped down to the landing Mara was just reaching up to climb upon. He reached down and grabbed her arm, pulling her up onto the balcony next to him.

"I'm impressed," Mara admitted. "You enjoy yourself?"

"Immensely," he announced, wiping a line of sweat from his forehead.

"Glad to see you are doing that more often," she said, noticing the gleam he had in his eyes since she had woke up and found him staring at her. He seemed not to be upset over the dreams he had. In fact, she would almost say that they had helped him. If not the dreams, then something had happened. Whatever it was, she was glad to see him doing better.

"Your suggestion," he told her. "If I remember right, you told me to get things together and loosen up a bit."

"I did. I don't remember saying that."

"Well it sounds like something you would have said. I must have thought that one up on my own this time." He joked with her.

"You are making up things you thought I said. I think you have finally lost it." She shook her head at the Jedi.

"Naw. I lost it a long time ago. I am just beginning to find it again. Let's go, this is our way in." They proceeded to pull a few loose boards out of the way and entered the long abandoned building.

It was short work getting a space big enough for them to squeeze through. Luke went first and held the boards for Mara. As Mara worked her way through the gap, the older boards started to give way. Luke pulled her through just as they all gave way and came crashing down. As the dust started to clear, he reached out and held her hand as she stood up.

"Are you alright?" Luke asked, as she dusted herself off.

"Sure, I'm fine," she assured him. "See not a scratch." He smiled at her.

"What has gotten into you today, Jedi," she asked him. His mood was contagious and she found herself unable to keep the smile off her face.

"Me? Nothing," he said, looking away. "Why do you ask?"

"You just seem so … unlike yourself," she told him. He seemed in a very good mood, but she could feel he was keeping something from her.

"Are you complaining?" he asked, locking eyes with her.

"Not at all." She wanted to turn away from his intense gaze. She felt the need to move, but her body was not honoring the wishes of her mind at that moment. She could not explain why she suddenly felt anxious, why her heart started beating faster. She suddenly knew, though, that something was about to change.

Luke stood still, not daring to move, as he studied the woman standing in front of him. His dream suddenly came back to him. He had been with Mara in that dream. They were sitting on a couch, watching some holovid, and had relaxed into each other's arms. The dream itself was not that disturbing, but when he woke up to find that she remained in her own bed, he had felt lost and alone. For some reason he expected her to be close to him when he opened his eyes. He wanted nothing more then to get up, go over to her, and hold her for the rest of the night.

Realizing that he was staring, he tried to look away, but he couldn't. He wanted to study her face, to memorize every feature. Looking at her now, he knew he was able to see a side of her that no one ever saw. Every now and then, she gave him a glimpse at the person she was always trying to hide from everyone else. He had never told her, but he felt honored that she would feel even that close to him.

"What is it, Luke?" Mara asked.

Luke stood holding Mara's forearms. Afraid not to move, but afraid to let go. He knew she was waiting for him to explain himself. Figuring it was now or never, he decided it was time to tell her.

"I was just thinking that's all."

"About what?" she asked, the corner of her mouth turning up slightly.

"You," he whispered. He tried to control the intense mix of emotions that were threatening to burst forth. The last thing he wanted was to scare her away.

"What are you thinking?"

"I have been doing a lot of thinking today." He took a deep breath and plunged forward. "Look Mara, I know that this may not sound right, but I need to say it. I know I have been acting like a jerk lately, and I'm sorry." He looked away from her. Truly embarrassed over the way he had been acting.

"Luke, you were acting like everyone would have expected you to act."

"Yes, if she had just died recently. She died when I was sixteen!" he told her. "That was a very long time ago. I am over it. I have been for a long time. I just never let myself admit it. I have had relationships since then. I think the hardest part was letting everyone else know about it. I am tired of being depressed."

"So what now?" Mara asked.

"I get on with my life," he said, locking his gaze with hers. "And now I know what I want."

"What do you want?" she asked.

Bracing himself, knowing she could react to this in two very different ways, he took her face in his hands, drew her close, and kissed her softly on the lips. When she did not pull away, he relaxed, brushing his lips against hers once again, enjoying the sensation of her soft lips on his. Her hands traveled up his back and rested around his neck. Deciding it was now or never, he opened himself to her, letting her feel, through the Force, all his pent up feelings for her. He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Unable to believe that she had not pushed him away, and shot him for what he was doing. When she initiated the next kiss, all thoughts on his part, scattered.

When they finally parted, it was for lack of air more then either wanting to stop. He stood looking at her, and felt relief wash over him when she looked up at him and smiled.

"Well I have to say, when you know what you want you don't waste any time do you."

"Well, yeah, I … uh … I'm."

"No, don't," she told him, placing a finger over his lips. "Don't apologize. You have no reason to."

"Are you upset?"

"You would know if I was." She looks around. "So now what?"

"Now? What do you mean?"

"Was that all you wanted? Just to kiss me?" He looked in her eyes, and thought he saw worry in them. He wondered what part was bothering her. Was she worried that he would want more, or could he hope that she was worried that he didn't?

"I want you, Mara. I have for a long time, I think. I have been looking for the one person that could fill that void in my life. I never realized that she was standing in front of me the entire time. I am not sure when my feelings for you changed, I just know they did."

Mara did not say anything right away, and Luke could feel the mix of emotions churning inside of her. He held his breath, waiting for her reaction. He watched as she ran her thumb across her lips, and then looked up at him.

"I think we should go. We have some talking we need to do. I would prefer to be somewhere a bit more comfortable then inside this drafty building."

"Yeah?" he asked, concerned that he had made a mistake after all.

"No need to worry, Skywalker, well nothing more than usual anyway."

She leaned close and kissed him again, melting all the tension of the last few minutes away. "Let's get out of here."

"Ok, sure," Luke said, looking at the mess that was once their way in. "Give me a second to cut our way back out of here."

"I'll leave that one up to you."

As Luke worked, Mara started looking around the room. Scanning the shelves, her hand rested on a tattered box. Pulling it out she shifted through the data cards. They were all old and faded. Most were discolored to the point that she could not even read the labels. She spotted one and took it out of the box. The label read, Jade Experiment. She took the data disk and stuck it in her pocket. She then went and stood next to Luke just as he cut his way through the wall to the outside. They stepped through and headed back to the hotel.