The Hunted
By: Shichan Goddess
"Be courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. True friendship is a plant of slow grow, and must undergo and withstand the shocks of adversity before it is entitled to the appellation." --George Washington
"...You need to hold your light saber like--"
Jedi Master Luke Skywalker stopped abruptly in the middle of his sentence. His eyes grew distant, looking seemingly at the water-stained ceiling of the academy. The student peered at him, puzzled, and Luke suddenly snapped himself out of his stupor.
"I'm sorry," Luke said warmly, nevertheless numbly. "Can we continue this later? There's someone I must meet."
"Yes, Master." The student bowed respectably, and consequently missed the wince that graced his features.
Mara Jade stepped off her precious ship, Jade's Fire II, and onto the humid planet of Yavin 4.
Golden-red silk tresses caressed her face, and she brushed them back as they sheltered jade green eyes.
A figure that was donned in Jedi robes, brown hood covering his features, stepped forward and Mara tensed until she felt the telltale signature of Luke Skywalker.
Soft laughter drifted through the air and caught her attention. "It seems that I've frightened you, haven't I, Mara? I'm sorry."
Mara sniffed. "Of course not, Skywalker! Now come, let's get this over with."
With an irritable sigh, she held her arms open.
Luke chuckled as he let his hood slip down, his golden hair playing amid the sunlight and his merry sky sapphire eyes danced.
Mara almost gaped as she saw his features, and her eyes roamed over him, trying to take in every detail. He was, if possible, more handsome than ever. It had been far too long since she had seen him...
"It seems you know me all to well, Mara." He embraced her, as she had grown accustomed to him doing.
"Yeah, yeah," Mara said, as she rolled her eyes.
Closer now, she could see the laughter lines on his face had been replaced by stress lines, and teasingly, she spoke, hiding her worry for him under a light voice.
"Geez, Skywalker, you're going to be an old man soon!"
Luke's brow furrowed. 'What in the force she talking about...?'
Mara heard the tendril through the force, and she sighed and rolled her eyes. "See? The memory is the second thing that goes. Your mind went years ago!"
Luke smiled at her, amused, as she berated him, but still uncomprehending.
"By the force, Skywalker! Your twenty-sixth birthday is coming up tomorrow!"
Realization dawned upon his features. "Oh, I forgot!"
"I can't believe that you'd forget your own birthday. You have been overworked, and that's final! Tomorrow is your day off."
Luke's mouth hung open. She had only been here five minutes and once again she was on his case for working too hard.
"But-"
"Save it." Mara said warningly, green eyes twinkling. "You're taking the day off even if I have to hold a blaster to your head and take you off this blasted planet."
"Gee, thanks for asking." Luke muttered dryly.
"Welcome, farm boy. Now come on, let's go explain why you're not going to work tomorrow."
Mara smiled as she entered mess hall. The room was overflowing with students, their happy chatter hitting her like a tidal wave. She inched herself closer to Luke, glancing ever so often to see his amused eyes roaming over the hall.
Suddenly, all was quiet as they noticed their Master was standing patiently, waiting for their attention.
"Thank you," Luke smiled, and Mara was suddenly grateful for the hood that covered most of her face; she knew for a fact that a red tinge had made itself up her face.
"...It seems, that apparently I have been… well, to put it politely-- threatened to take a vacation tomorrow by Master Trader Jade," he glanced at her good-naturedly. "So, because the force doesn't want me terrorizing the old masters yet, I've decided to comply."
The initiates giggled, and knowing he was done, they resumed their hustle and bustle, slightly disappointed, but amused by their master's good humor.
Luke smiled warmly as his students resumed eating. His baby blue eyes clouded, however, when he felt the throbbing headache he had been pushing back for several days now, pound its way past his barriers and to the rhythm to his pulse.
"...Luke!" Mara called again, gazing at him half-irritably, half-worriedly, "Are you all right?"
The Jedi Master shook himself out of his daze. "Yes, I'm sorry Mara. I'm fine."
...Tendrils of the force, however, whispered otherwise...