"You missed it, Han," Corran said. "You should have been there." He was sitting at the kitchen table in the Solo's apartment, squinting in the bright morning light.
"It sounds like I missed a good time," Han said, sipping his caf. "What time did you get in?" The man in front of him looked in bad shape, his clothes were wrinkled and his hair was messy. Feeling sorry for the pilot, he poured him another cup of caf.
"I have no idea. Mirax showed up and took us all back to my place. We all lasted a while longer there."
"Man, then why are you even awake?" Han asked, amazed that the man would even be showing his face so early.
"My wife, she made sure I got up," he admitted. "I think I made her mad. She had to come get me. I had to get out of there as soon as I could, that's how I ended up here. Oh, that's not all! We ran into Luke while we were there. Seems him and Mara have something going on."
"I heard," Han said, suddenly wondering how the fact had spread so quickly. He had thought that Luke and Mara would end up keeping their private life quiet a little longer.
"You did?" he asked, disappointed. "I thought he said hardly anyone knew."
"Hardly anyone does," Han assured him. "As far as I knew, Leia and I were the only ones. Now I guess who ever else was with you. What happened?"
"We were at this club when someone spotted Luke and Mara. It was the weirdest thing. Just when I realized it was him for sure, I saw them kiss."
"Oh yeah?" Han asked, intrigued. "You will get to say that you were witness to a historical event. Something people have been waiting to happen for years. Their first kiss."
"Well, I don't know about that. If I were to try to kiss Mara, I would at least be nervous about it. Well, on second thought, I would not try to kiss Mara, but this is Luke we are talking about, and he never was easy to understand. Nevertheless, it did not seem like a first kiss to me. I saw no awkwardness between them what so ever."
"Hmm," Han said, a sly grin spreading across his face. "I guess I am going to have to see just how that date went."
---
Luke sat on a crate and watched as Mara stood by her ship studying a data pad. He had been unable to get much sleep during the night. He had, along with everything else, been fighting a headache. He knew it had been a while since he had anything to drink, but he did not think he had near enough to make him feel as bad as he did. However, that was only half of what had kept him from getting to sleep. The events of the previous evening kept replaying in his mind, and he couldn't decide if he had done the right thing. He had been ready to spend the night with Mara, and she too had seemed to like the idea. He was wondering now if he was relieved or disappointed about the turn of events. He had told her that they had plenty of time when they got back to explore that aspect of their relationship. He did not want to feel that they had rushed anything because of bad timing. However, there was another part of him that kept telling him that he was wrong, that the only thing that stopped him was his misplaced selfless manner. Mara, on the other hand, seemed to know exactly what she wanted and was just waiting for him to get around to finding that out also. He watched as she looked up and counted a few of the crates she had sitting out side her ship and tapped a few things on the pad. Satisfied, she started loading the boxes on the ship.
He started to announce his presence a few times, but was stopped by nervousness. What he had to be nervous about he had no idea, but never the less there it was. Fearing she would finish her preparations and leave without him speaking a word, he stood and approached her just as she was walking down the ramp intending to grab the last of the boxes.
"You need a bit of help?" He called out, making his way over to her.
"Hello, Luke," she said, smiling. He watched her in amusement as she scanned the hanger before stepping closer.
"You don't seem surprised to see me," he said.
"I would have been surprised if you had not shown up," she told him. She started to turn to pick up the last set of boxes, but stopped when Luke picked them up for her. He walked quickly to place them inside her ship.
"I am getting that predictable?" he asked, after returning to her, portraying the perfect display of mock worry.
"Only to the people that really know you," she said, flashing yet another smile. He loved her smile, she showed it very rarely, but he had been seeing it more often lately.
"I was thinking about you all night," he told her. "I wanted to see you before you left." He wanted her to know that there was a meaning to him dropping by after they had said their good byes the night before. He felt awkward, and had trouble figuring out what he should do and say.
"Well, that's straight forward," she said, laughing lightly. "At least it wasn't something corny like you thought you left something inside the ship."
"No," he said, smiling slightly, then frowning and pinching the bridge of his nose to try to relieve the pressure there from the still present headache. "I think I took care of that yesterday when I unloaded my X-Wing. Do you need any more help?"
"No, I think I've got it. I am due to lift off in just a few minutes."
"Then I'm glad I caught you." He felt like he was talking on auto pilot. He could not stop thinking about her face, her hair, how great she looked. When she did not say anything, he reached over and pulled her into a kiss. He felt like he would explode every time he kissed her, and the feeling did not go away. The more they kissed the more intense it became. They were both out of breath when they parted.
"Well, that is definitely a reason to hurry back," she said, clinging to him.
"Have a safe trip," he whispered into her temple. She hugged his neck before turning away from him. She disappeared up the ramp, and it closed behind her. He felt her reach out to him and felt his regret for her leaving mirrored back at him. He stood on the platform until he could not see her ship anymore. As he was leaving, he noticed Han standing over to the side. He was smiling as he approached.
"Artoo said I could find you here," the ex-smuggler told him, making no effort to hide the sly smile on his face.
"I bet he did," Luke said, returning the smile. "You did not terrorize my droid again did you?"
"No more then normal. You are up early. Needing to escort Mara down here?"
"I was meeting Mara down here," Luke corrected.
"So, she did not spend the night at your place?"
"No. It's not like that." He was feeling defensive and knew that if Han noticed that at all, there would be no stopping him until he found out what he wanted to know.
"Well, why not?" Han asked, laughing lightly.
"Han," Luke said, his voice dropping to a warning tone.
"Ok. I got it. Leia wanted to know what time you planned on leaving."
"I'll come up with you," he offered. "And we'll set everything up."
---
Luke drove in silence across the dusty city streets of Anchorhead, while the rest of his family chatted quietly. He maneuvered the streets in practiced ease. It felt strange to be back in the town he spent so much time in as a child.
"So, dad. What happened this time?" Jacen asked from the back of the landspeeder.
"Nothing happened," Han grumbled, looking out at the buildings as they past.
"Then what was that big bang when we landed?" the child asked.
"Nothing!" Han grumbled defensively. All three children fell back in their seats and laughed.
"How long will it take to fix?" Leia asked, sighing in frustration.
"Not long," Han assured her. "I can repair it during the flight back home. I just need to get parts here before we leave."
The kids got quiet, and Luke stole a quick glance back at them. They were looking out at the sand dunes whizzing by. He decided to turn on the radio to give them something to do. It was already tuned to the only station that reached the small town they were headed to. He listened to the vaguely familiar song by a female artist named Kiya before turning his mind to other things.
He made the final turn into the residential area. As with every other time he had visited, he was flooded with memories. He could see himself, as a boy, running down these same streets, hiding between the buildings, and Biggs always trying to sneak up on him.
"Are you alright Luke?" Leia asked, taking hold of his arm. He looked at his surroundings again before answering.
"Yes. There are just a lot of memories here," he told her. He continued to drive as they drove past the turn he would have taken to go to Biggs' place, the same road that would have taken him, eventually, to his uncle's farm.
"How much further?" she asked, smiling reassuringly.
"Just around this next corner." He quieted down again as they progressed down the street. His eyes were drawn to one of the houses.
"What is it?" Leia asked, following his gaze.
"That's Deak's old house. They moved away a few years ago. I'm not sure who lives there now. The next house is where Arielle lived. Her parents still live there." An older couple was sitting in chairs resting in the shade created by their house.
"Here we go."
---
Mara looked around the plaza and sighed. The drop had gone well. In fact, it had taken less time then she had thought. She was walking around the open-air market, trying to relax before she took off again the next morning. She began to think about what she would do when she got back. She knew that she would want to spend more time with Luke. She was also thinking that it was time to start telling people.
She was jarred out of her musings when a young female bumped into her, almost knocking them both to the ground.
"Oh, I'm sorry," the blonde exclaimed. She reached out and touched Mara's shoulder, only to have them both jerk away on contact. The shock that was passed between them startled Mara almost as much as it startled the other young woman.
"I am really sorry," she said again, then quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Shaking her head, Mara turned and walked the short distance back to her ship. She had been in the mood for a walk in the fresh air, but there were just too many people packed into the narrow streets. She figured she had the pleasure of once again arriving in a city just in time for some local event. Just like last time, she was not interested in discovering what was going on, much less attend.
Once back in her cabin, she dropped into her cot. Her thoughts traveled back to the night Karrde had found out. The first few minutes with him after Luke left had been interesting. He had gone from being shocked to being embarrassed that he had interrupted. Then he had apologized repeatedly about barging in. He had even offered to forget what he had come over to do, and call Luke back over. She had been interested in the offer, but he had brought over some documents and arrangements for her run that would have made this job a lot harder if she had not had them.
So far, her and Luke had received good reactions, but if it continued to spread this way, people were bound to get the wrong idea. Figuring there was nothing she could do until she could discuss it with Luke, she began looking for something to do. She spotted the data disk she had located at the old Imperial base a few days before.
Pulling her data pad out of the nightstand beside her bed, she checked the label of the disk. Jade Experiment was hastily written across the top, curious as to what she had found, she inserted the disk.
It looked to be just another one of the Emperor's experiments. As far as she could tell she had never met anyone even remotely related to this one. Figuring that the title might only have been a coincidence, she continued to scan, looking for anything linking it to her. Then she found it. On the second page of the document, when they began to describe the details of the experiment was her name listed under subject one. She quickly read the rest of the information. Her face paling as she did. She rubbed her eyes after she was done. "What have I done," she whispered to herself.
Shaking herself from the initial shock, she walked to the ComStation, not sure who exactly she could call about this. Then realizing there was really only one place to turn, she started the call.
--
Luke walked out onto the porch. He, Leia and her family had arrived a few hours ago to the warm greetings of Gores and Shiella Serears, Arielle's parents. Luke was glad he decided to call the Serears' upon landing on the desert planet. Because he had thought ahead, they arrived just as the suns where setting and were welcomed with a hot meal waiting for them. Luke had informed the older couple that he made arrangements at the local boarding house so they would not be a burden on them. Mrs. Serears' response was simply that he was being silly, and it was fine if they stayed in their house.
It was now after dinner, and Han and Leia were trying to get their children calmed down for the night. Luke had gone outside to get some air and found Shiella sitting alone.
"Your sister and her family seem very nice," she said. She was looking out at the dark sky, but Luke suspected that she was aware of everything he did.
"They are great," Luke said, sitting in the seat beside her. He found that he was strangely nervous. He had kept these two parts of his life separate for so long, he had no idea how they were going to mix together. It all seemed to be going well, but it was now, while they were alone, that he would hear what she really thought.
"They seem to love you very much," she said.
"It's nice to still have some family around," Luke admitted.
"You have always had family Luke," Shiella said, finally turning to look at him. "I've told you many times that we will always be your family."
"And you always will," Luke assured her. He wanted her to understand what he was thinking. He wasn't sure what to tell her though. How could he make her understand something when he wasn't sure himself what it was. "There are just things that I think may be uncomfortable to discuss with you. I would not want to make any of you feel bad. Your family has been great to me, and you're always there when I needed you. But it's because I was married to your daughter. Whereas Leia is my sister, it's easier to talk to her."
"You are worried about how we would feel when you move on." It was a statement, not a question. He knew that he should no long feel surprised when she seemed to jump right into a conversation, but it still did every time. She was always able to pick up on the unspoken problems. He had even checked her once, thinking she was Force strong and that was how she did it, but he found nothing.
"This is a little different," Luke said, trying to stay on the subject to see where she was leading. "I have told you before when I started seeing someone. It's hard to explain."
"Can I make a guess?" she asked, smiling.
"Sure."
"You have found someone, haven't you?" she asked. "Someone who you have feelings for that match or even exceed the feelings you had for Arielle. Luke, there is nothing wrong with that. She died a very long time ago. We would not be upset if you found someone else. In fact, we have been worried that you have been waiting so long. You need to be happy. After everything you have been through, you deserve to have someone in your life that loves you as much as you love her."
"You think so?" Luke asked. He felt shocked, this conversation was not going at all like he thought it would. When he thought that she was picking something up that he wasn't telling her, he had no idea just how right he was.
"Yes," she continued. The look in her eyes matched the feeling Luke was getting from her. She was honestly concerned about him, and it felt good to know that. "Just think about it, Luke. Everyone deserves to be happy."
"Thank you, Shiella," he said. He could not help the smile he displayed. He was not even aware that he was worried about what she thought, but it was nice to know that she was happy about the turn of events.
"You are welcome, Luke," Shiella said as she got up from her chair. She squeezed his shoulder as she went past and walked back in the house.
Mara sat in her chair in front of the controls of her ship. Readings flashed across the screens, but she saw none of it. She was so lost in thought that she did not hear the com until the third signal. She reached over, flipped a switch, and watched as the com came to life. She was surprised to see the handsome face that appeared on her screen. She automatically reached for him through the Force, but did not feel him. He must have been too far away. Although she was happy to see him, she was also concerned about him.
"Luke, how are you feeling?" she asked.
"I'm fine Mara," he said, his brow creasing at her strange greeting.
"Well," she said, trying to explain her behavior to him. "You seemed like you were feeling under the weather the last time we saw each other."
"Oh, that," Luke said, with a wave of his hand. "No, it was nothing. A few hours in a healing trance cleared it right up."
"I'm glad," Mara said, even though his mention of the healing trance had made her feel anything but glad.
"So, how is the drop going?" he asked. He was starting to look worried, and she did not want that.
"All finished," she said, forcing a smile. "I am heading back home in a few minutes."
"Really? That's great!" he exclaimed. "Then I caught you just in time."
"What's on your mind, Jedi?"
She watched as Luke faltered when she slipped back to her pervious behavior towards him. Realizing she was causing him to worry, she decided that she needed to lighten up.
"Well?" she asked, her decision lightening her mood.
"I was just wondering if you had run across anything of mine," he inquired.
Mara smiled. She recalled a conversation they had before she began this trip. He had shown up just as she was getting ready to leave. She had made the comment that at least he did not say that he had left something on her ship was the reason he was there. Now here he was, doing exactly that.
"Just in general or are you looking for something specific?" she asked, unable to stop the small laugh that came out. Luke smiled back at her.
"I was going to give Arielle's necklace back to her mother, but I think I left it with you."
"Let me go take a look." She knew she had not run across the necklace, but she thought she should look anyway. She pulled her bag out of her closet, remembering that she had not unpacked it yet. She searched through the contents, fearing they may have left it at the hotel.
She began pulling out articles of clothing, shaking them in case the necklace had gotten mixed up in her things when she repacked her bag. She was just beginning to think that it was not there when she heard something hit the floor. She bent down and picked it up, holding the now familiar piece of jewelry in her hand. Smiling, she returned to the com.
"I found it in my bag." She was pleased to see him smile. She wanted so bad to see him happy. She would do what ever it took to make sure he stayed that way.
"Do you think you could bring it by here? I would like to see you." He seemed so relaxed, there was no way she could tell him now. This was something that deserved to be told face to face.
"Sure, Luke," she said. "I would love to."
"Thank you, Mara. I will see you soon."
They ended the transmission shortly after that. Mara began the calculations for her new flight, letting her mind wonder as she did. He's giving it back, she thought to herself. He was going to give back the final string he felt he was holding to that part of his life. The thought would have made her flattered and excited, knowing she was the reason for the change. I would have been happy, had I heard the news yesterday. I would do anything to keep him happy, she thought. With that depressing thought, and everything it meant in mind, she lifted her ship off the ground and made her way to Tatooine.
