The sugar rush from the alcohol woke Mara up fairly early the next morning. Lanari and Marquet were still asleep, so Mara left quietly without waking them. She did not feel anywhere near as badly as she thought she would, although her head still spun a bit. Perhaps she was still a little drunk, as she felt very mellow and tender. She wanted to see Luke again, as feelings welled up in her that she had kept suppressed the last week or so, for fear she would be overwhelmed.
She shuffled back to their apartment and cautiously opened the door. Luke was seated at the table, sipping some juice while he read a book. He looked up, and his eyes widened in surprise to see her. "Good morning," he greeted. She only smirked in reply. He rose and slowly approached her. "I hear you were on quite a tear last night."
She flinched. "How did you know?"
"Marquet called me."
"Ah." She appeared sheepish.
Shaking his head in amusement, Luke asked, "How do you feel?"
She raised a hand to her forehead. "Not too bad actually. I thought hangovers would be worse. But then I may still be a little drunk." She noticed his smile and frowned. "You think that's funny, do you?"
"To be honest, yes. You know, most of us do our binge drinking in our younger years."
"So I'm a late bloomer."
"Actually, I'm mad at you," he chided gently. "A drunk Mara Jade? This I would want to see."
She spread her arms wide and gave him a rakish grin that would rival Han Solo's. "Well, you're seeing me now," she announced as she folded her arms around his waist. "What's it look like?"
"You look --." He paused, then shook his head and gave her a skeptical look. "You don't want to know what you look like."
"Fabulous. Well, at least you have the satisfaction of knowing you've driven me to drink."
Although she meant it in jest, the statement struck too close to home. He shook it off, not wanting to let it ruin the warmth of this moment. "I always thought it would be the other way around."
She leaned up against him, her fingers curling in the hair at the back of his neck. "You know, you really are a very handsome man, Luke Skywalker," she purred, gazing up at him through her lashes. Luke felt all the tension he had been holding in began to melt away, as a delicious warmth spread throughout his body. Mara's lips curled in a wicked smile. "Hey, is that your lightsaber, or are you just --"
Luke groaned. "Not that old joke! Really, Mara." He was astonished to see her dissolve into giggles. Mara never giggled. "Do you really find that funny?"
She snorted an ungraceful laugh in reply. "Present arms, soldier!"
"Oh, Mara, honestly," Luke chided, blushing.
She drew his face down to hers and kissed him deeply. She tasted a little sour, but Luke hardly minded. When they came up for air, he observed, "You're kind of randy when you're drunk."
"Oh, speaking of which, do I have time for a shower?"
Luke blinked. "Uh... yeah."
"Care to join me, farm boy?" she offered huskily, grinding her hips against him.
Luke swallowed hard, then cleared his throat. "Actually, I'm supposed to meet Corran in --," he glanced at a clock, "-- about twenty minutes."
She tilted her head from side to side as if making a mental calculation, then pronounced, "That's enough time."
"Mmmm. Not for what I would have in mind."
Mara growled low in her throat, smiling archly at him. "All right, then. I'll take my shower while you meet with Corran. Until then, you're mine, farm boy."
Luke had no objection.
*****
After Luke had left to meet Corran, Mara took a quick shower. The water felt cool against her skin, but it washed all traces of Luke's scent off her. By the time she was dressed and heading to the Assembly Hall, her melancholy had returned. Is that all they would have anymore, time for a few stolen kisses, before Luke would be called away to answer for what he'd done? If it had been any other kind of meeting, Mara would have pressed him to stay, to be late. But she could not urge him to skip the examination or the trial. They had been married less than a year, and she was losing him already.
Without a word, she settled down into her chair between Han and Leia, directly behind Luke where she could hear him but did not have to see his face. Flanked by Luke's oldest friends, Mara found herself resenting them and all the years they had with him. Were they with him last night while she was off with Lanari? Why was she pushed to avoid Luke in what might very well be their last days together? She felt Leia and Han's looks of concern, but she resolutely shut herself off from them, staring stonily forward. Yes, stone, she thought. That's what I'll become. Hard, cold, and unfeeling. She clenched her jaw tightly. A Jedi knows no pain. She knew she was misusing the old maxim, but she didn't care.
Up on the dais, the last members of the Council were taking their places. When they were all assembled, Anath invited, "Corran?"
With a soft sigh, the advocate turned to Luke. If yesterday had been difficult for the Jedi Master, today would be even harder. In their meetings, Corran had repeatedly encouraged Luke to reflect on the morality behind his actions, something which the Master was surprisingly reluctant to do. Corran believed Luke had made his decision based on a moral belief, and not on the absence of morality as Luke kept insisting. But getting Luke to recognize and articulate it, let alone convincing the Council, would prove difficult. Corran had to phrase his examination carefully, and Corellians were not known for their skill with words.
The beginning, however, was easy enough. His voice gentle and reassuring, Corran said to Luke, "Yesterday you told us the circumstances of your decision. Today, I want you to tell us why you did what you did."
Before Corran could continue, Luke interrupted, his voice even and resolute, with a hint of defiance, "I can't excuse it. Killing Akeeno was wrong."
Not off to a good start, Corran groaned inwardly. Fortunately, Luke left him an out. "That's not what I asked," Corran observed mildly. "If killing Akeeno was wrong, then why did you do it?"
Luke paused before answering. Corran watched his Master struggling, aware from his conversations with Luke how reluctant he was to delve into his motivations. After a moment, Luke seemed to reach some conclusion within himself. "I was being selfish," he pronounced, in the same tone he had used earlier.
Eyebrows raised, Corran repeated, "It was selfish to kill Akeeno?"
"Selfish because --." Luke shrank back again, then forced himself to go on, "Because I didn't want my wife to die."
From where he was seated, Corran could see Mara out of the corner of his eyes. His gaze flicked quickly to her, but her expression betrayed no emotion, or even that she had heard. Corran turned his attention back to Luke. "And how is that selfish?"
The question surprised Luke, for the selfishness of it seemed apparent to him. "Because I put my needs ahead of the needs of others," he answered, sounding like a school boy a reciting a memorized lesson.
Corran took a moment to gauge the emotional state of the assembly. No one really seemed surprised by anything Luke had said said so far. Although they felt no hostility toward Luke, they agreed with the Master's assessment of the situation: protecting his wife at such an expense was selfish. Time for us all to review our training. Deliberately assuming the tone of a patient teacher, Corran asked, "Luke, what is the first duty of the Jedi?"
Frowning in consternation, Luke quickly answered, "To protect the innocent. I failed in that task. I willingly took the life of an innocent person."
"Why?" Corran asked again, as if quizzing a first-year student on a history lesson.
Corran's attitude began to wear on Luke, who believed he should be censured, not coddled. "I told you why!" he blurted out in frustration. "I didn't want my wife to die."
Smoothly, Corran continued, "And was Mara innocent? Did she deserve to be tortured to death?"
For the first time Luke looked fully at Corran, confusion troubling his features. "No...," he faltered.
"Then how can you say saving her was wrong?"
Luke had no answer. Something seemed wrong with Corran's logic, but he couldn't place his finger on it.
Master Garamond, however, could, and he spoke up. "It's true, Mara was innocent," he acceeded, "but she knew the risks involved. She is a Jedi. We all have agreed to the responsibility of that role, and we have accepted the risks. Master Luke, would you have given your life to protect Akeeno's?"
"Yes, of course --," Luke began.
"And wouldn't Mara?"
"Yes," Luke answered with certainty.
"Then why, if you knew she would give her life for Akeeno, did you choose to exchange Akeeno's life for hers?"
Wearily, Luke closed his eyes, having gone over this exact same line of thought hundreds of times. Logically his conclusion made no sense, but it was the only one he could offer. "Because it wasn't her decision to make. It was mine alone." He raised his eyes to Garamond's, his expression resolved. "And I could not bear to watch her die."
Before anyone else could jump in, Corran rescued his line of reasoning. "And how is that wrong?"
Again, Corran's question shattered Luke's certainty, and he turned a confused gaze on his advocate, unable to speak.
And as before, Garamond spoke up. "But there is an error in your logic, Corran. You still discount the fact that as a Jedi, Mara knew the risks that she might die in the performance of her duty to protect the innocent, as might every one of us here."
Corran's green eyes bored into Garamond, not in anger but in determination. "And what of Akeeno? Didn't she know the risks, too?" His gaze swept across the entire assembly, and his voice rose to make sure everyone heard him. "I assure you, she did. Years ago, when the Barons' grip on Pamylasia seemed unrelenting, Akeeno could have chosen to play it safe and not get involved. But she took the risk then, and was imprisoned for two decades because of it. Again, when she was released from prison, she could have chosen a life of quiet retirement with her husband, and everyone would have said that she earned it. But she chose to take up the mantle of leadership and run for president, a role that carries risks along with its responsibilities, just like the Jedi."
He turned back to face the Council. "You say Mara knew the risks, and so she did. But by the same logic, so did Akeeno. You say Akeeno was an innocent and did not deserve to die. But we must also say the same of Mara."
Through the Force, Corran sensed that he held the entire assembly's attention. No one had seen the paradox before. Even Garamond had no ready reply. For a moment, an arrogant pride surged through Corran, to have stumped even the Masters, but he paused, internally shaking away the feeling of triumph. The point here was not to win an argument, or even to defend a comrade. The point was to examine, to explore actions and motivations for that what was true in the Force, and that which was false and not to be trusted.
Properly humbled, Corran sat back in his chair, taking a deep breath before continuing. "Two innocents, neither of whom deserved to die, and yet both knew that in carrying out their responsibilities they ran that risk." He tilted his head, his eyes again sweeping around the table at the faces of the Council members. "But neither of them was asked to give up their lives. Instead, the decision of choosing between them was forced on Luke. Was it wrong to kill Akeeno? Yes. But it is also wrong to force a man to watch his wife be tortured to death."
The hall fell completely silent as everyone pondered the truth of what Corran said and considered again the dilemma with which Luke had been faced. The simple answer of saving Akeeno was not so obvious anymore.
Garamond was still troubled by Corran's reasoning, but he hesitated to say anything. He was relatively new to the Council and was known for his sense of duty, a sense which some on the Council felt was too strict. He often disagreed with Luke over these exact issues. As much as he respected Luke, he nevertheless felt too often that Luke's ethics, his sense of duty, was too sloppy. Luke's actions on Pamylasia now seemed to confirm what Garamond had always believed, but this knowledge only troubled him the more deeply. Nevertheless, he hesitated now to continue to press his point for fear of being seen as too critical and harsh, especially since the flow of sympathy was now leaning toward Luke. His silence was perhaps motivated by a political concern rather than a desire to follow the truth, yet he still could not bring himself to speak. He looked to some of the other Masters to say something, particularly Anath, but the acting Master remained silent, his brow furrowed. Garamond's gaze passed onto others around the circle, but only one pair of eyes met his: Master Faruccio, an Ithorian. Faruccio was also new to the Council, but Ithorians were known throughout the galaxy for their wisdom. Faruccio caught Garamond's unspoken plea and straightened in his chair.
The Ithorian cleared his throat. "Akeeno and Mara were both innocent, yes," he began slowly, thoughtfully stroking his beard as if drawing the words out of his throat. "And neither deserved to die. But we must remember that more than two lives were at stake. Countless others have been affected by the decision Luke made. There are riots on Pamylasia. The government has been weakened at a critical point in its history, and the peace threatens to collapse. Should not the question of the greater good weigh into Master Luke's decision? Yet so far he has made no mention of this responsibility."
An answer leapt quickly into Corran's mind, but before he could say anything, Luke spoke up. "Greater good?" he echoed shaking his head, whether in disagreement or disbelief Corran was unsure. He struggled for words before confessing, "I wish I knew what that was! All my life I've heard people talking about the greater good, especially when it comes to some horrible sacrifice or tragedy, but I honestly have never known what it means. Maybe if I had any education beyond secondary school I would have learned what it is, but I'm just an ignorant farmer. No amount of Jedi training has ever changed that." He looked around the hall, his eyes betraying a crushing regret. "I'm sorry, but everything you've always believed about me, that I'm a moral leader with some kind of ethical code, it's all lie."
Shock rippled through the hall. Whenever they had expected to hear from Luke, this was certainly not it. His words now were even harder to believe than his killing of Akeeno. Corran felt his heart sink, and he glanced again at Mara. She had not changed, but beside her Leia's face was stricken. Her hands clutched her throat, and she looked as it she was about to stand and speak up. Corran wondered what she would say. Would she speak in Luke's behalf, or would she turned against him?
Heads shook in denial, but Luke protested, "It's true! What do I know about philosophy or ethics, or any of those things? You act as if I made my decision based on some morality, and so you should expect, but the truth is morality never entered the picture. I made my decision solely based on what I could live with. As horrible as it was, as evil as I knew it was, I could live with killing Akeeno. But I simply could not live with watching my wife die knowing there was something I could do to prevent it, no matter how wrong. There is no morality behind it at all. All the causes people believe I have upheld, all the moral leadership, it's simply not true. I have no right to call myself a Jedi."
Luke paused to collect himself, trying to explain. "All I have ever known are the people around me, and all I've ever done has been because of them, and those relationships. Growing up on Tatooine I had some vague idea of the Empire's injustice because I knew my uncle worried about what the future might hold for us. But I never wanted to join the rebellion. I left Tatooine not for some cause, but because my family had been killed and a beautiful princess needed help. I wanted to be a Jedi not because I had the vaguest idea what one was, but because a man I trusted -- a man I had just met -- told me my father had been one. For the sake of a father I never knew, I became a Jedi.
"I joined the rebellion because of the people I met, and when they were threatened, when Leia and Han and Chewie were being tortured on Bespin in a trap set for me...." Luke faltered as painful memories washed over him. Anguish echoed in his voice, as he laid bare for the first time the deepest truths of that fateful event in his life. "Yoda told me I would destroy everything they fought for if I went. And he was right." He raised his hands helplessly. "But I had to go, because they were my friends. All I knew was that I couldn't live with myself if I sacrificed them for some imaginary greater cause. They had saved my life more times than I could count, and they were being tortured because of me. What the hell kind of person would I be if I abandoned them when they needed me, for some cause or purpose I can't see or touch or feel?"
Again he shook his head as he sagged into his chair, helpless to hold back the damning truth within his heart. "It's all I've ever known, all I've ever done. How can I protect and defend people I don't even know if I refuse to protect and defend the people I do know? How can I love strangers if I can't love my friends? How can I embrace some cause or greater good if in doing so I have to betray those nearest and dearest to me?
"That's why I couldn't kill Vader. I know no one has ever understood that. Most people still refuse to believe I didn't kill him and the Emperor. I understand that. Everyone always wanted me to kill them, even Ben and Yoda. If ever a killing was justified in the cause of a greater good, it would be the killing of Vader. But I refused, simply because he was my father." A bitter laugh escaped his lips. "What did I owe that man? Nothing! He sired me, that's all. But he could have killed me on Bespin, and he didn't." Luke's voice shrank to a whisper, almost wistful. "I was an orphan and he was my father. That's all I knew." Luke's gaze turned inward, as all the hopes lost to him in his father's death washed over him, lost hopes that he knew no one, ever, would understand. Then he shook himself, and said almost wryly, "But I got lucky on that one, because he saved me and turned back to the good."
Amid the stupefied silence Corran again found his bearing, guided by Luke's final comment. In all the years Corran had known Luke Skywalker, through all their disagreements and reconciliations, he had never loved Luke more than at that moment, and he had never been more firmly convinced that Luke was indeed the bringer of light.
"But was it mere luck, my friend?" Corran's words dropped into the silence as gently as a feather falling on snow. "You say that your life is a lie, but I think you have only articulated that which has always been true about you from the beginning. This is what I was trying to get you to see."
Corran straightened up so all could hear him. "We have a saying on Corellia. 'The fruit is only is good as the tree.' How will you know if a tree is good or bad until you've eaten the fruit? Surely a farmer can understand that," he added with a slight grin.
"And what kind of fruit has Luke borne? He shaped all of us here. All of our training, our entire Order is based on Luke's morality: based not on a concept of an abstract greater good, but based first on being faithful to the people you know, and from them extending that faithfulness, that sphere of responsibility, outward.
"Are any of you really surprised by anything Luke has said here? Look into your hearts. The man we see here is the man we have always known."
Beside him, Luke fell silent, unable to fight against Corran's defense anymore. Corran looked at Anath Pipir. The Allemanian returned his gaze with understanding and gratitude. It did not mean Anath had reached any decision. It meant Corran had acquitted himself well as Luke's advocate. Corran bowed his head in acknowledgement. He could not ask for higher praise, and indeed no other task that had ever been laid before him had been as important as this one.
At Corran's nod, Anath folded his hands on the table before him. "Masters, we will adjourn now to meditate on all that has happened here. When we are ready, we will come together again to share the insights the Force has given us. Luke," he paused, until the Master's eyes rose to meet his. "I thank you for your candor in this examination. Your honesty is an example to us all."
Raising his hands above the assembly in benediction, Anath pronounced, "May the Force be with us all."
Chapter Eighteen: Curse
Even adjourned, no one in the hall moved save one person. As soon as Anath stopped speaking, Mara rose from her chair and strode out of the room, arms wrapped tightly around herself. Several people noticed her departure and sensed her grief, but they were too overcome themselves to offer her any comfort.
At the center of the hall, next to the dais, Chewbacca glanced at Han and Leia. Han had moved to wrap a comforting arm around Leia's shoulders. Chewie doubted if they had even noticed Mara's departure. They certainly weren't going after her. Without a word, Chewie stood and followed Mara out of the hall.
If he were human, he might have feared going to Mara's aid. Mara never liked to show any weakness, and unsolicited offers of assistance invariably were met with a sharp rebuff. But Chewbacca did not have much patience for the adolescent egotism of shorter-lived species. Mara was clearly disturbed, however reluctant she might be to admit it, and Chewbacca could not ignore her need, especially since he believed he alone could truly identify with it.
His long-legged stride quickly caught up to hers and he fell into step behind her, close enough that she would know he was there, but not so close that he would seem to be imposing on her. She walked on in silence, her face tight.
They did not stop until they reached the apartment. Even then, Mara paced rapidly back and forth across the living room several times, her face buried in her hands. Abruptly she stoped and looked up at Chewbacca. "Did you hear that?" she hissed. "That bullshit he was going on about?"
While Mara could not understand Wookiee, both of them knew the universal hand sign language which smugglers had invented to communicate among their own kind. Chewie's knowledge of it was a little rusty, but his natural Force sensitivity helped to convey his meaning. *It is not bullshit. What he said makes perfect sense.*
"How?" Mara spat.
*He was describing the life-debt, although he did not know it. My culture is based on the life debt, so I understand it well.*
Mara let this information seep into her consciousness, and some of her frenzied anger melted away. "A life-debt," she echoed. "Someone saves your life, and you owe it to protect them in return."
*Yes. What Luke did was perfectly right, according to a Wookiee.*
Nervously, Mara chewed on a lock of her hair as she resumed her slow pacing of the room. Chewie knew what thoughts ran through her mind, but he waited for her to say them. At last, she mused, "He has saved my life, many times. I owe him a life-debt as well."
*Yes. That is your dilemma.*
"What dilemma?" she asked, green eyes flashing in hope. "According to a life-debt, I am duty-bound to save him." She again resumed her pacing, gesturing rapidly as she began to formulate a plan. "I can take him away from here. Karrde already said he'd help us. We'll get that damned collar off him, and --."
Chewie shook his head, *No, you cannot.*
The rage with which Mara turned on Chewie was so palpable, his fur bristled. "Yes, I can. I'll do whatever it takes to get him out of here."
*But you may not. That is your dilemma. There is only one restriction to a life-debt. You cannot violate the wishes of the one you protect.*
Mara shrank back, and Chewie caught the first glimmering of understanding in her eyes, but she shook her head in protest.
*On Bespin I wanted to save Han. I would have killed every stormtrooper, and Vader, too, or died trying. That was of no concern to me. But Han wanted me to protect the Princess. He entrusted her to my care. I could not go against his request, even though my entire being wanted to protect him, even to death.*
Mara's face crumbled. Her head still shaking, she moaned, "No."
Although he knew the truth would pain her, Chewie continued, *You must ask whether Luke would want you to take him away, to violate his trial. I think you know the answer. May the Maker grant that I never find myself in your situation.*
Collapsing into a chair, Mara dropped her head into her hands, keening softly.
Maker grant it, Chewie thought, for I would not survive. He placed his giant hand on her shoulder, but he knew there was little comfort he could truly offer.
The door opened then, and Luke and Corran entered. Luke stopped abruptly when he saw Mara, clearly not expecting to see her, and indeed every other time she had been overwhelmed by the situation she had fled him, hiding while she regained control. She refused to let Luke offer her any comfort.
Luke approached her, his hand outstretched toward her. "Mara, honey, I --."
"Don't you dare!" she growled. Startled, Chewie stepped back as she rose from the chair, her red-rimmed eyes burning. "You don't even have the faintest idea what you said out there, do you? You have no idea what you've done. You couldn't bear to watch me die, you said. You would do anything to save me. Bullshit! If you really loved me, you'd have let me die rather than put me through this now, for you have condemned me to the fate you refused for yourself. Oh, I could save you, like you saved me. I could kidnap you, take you away, violate everything you believe in, all that you are, make you hate me." She shook her head helplessly. "But I can't. I won't do that to you. And I'll be forced to watch you die knowing I could have prevented it, but I refused."
For a moment, her grief threatened to overwhelm her, but she summoned up anger instead. Anger she could handle. Pointing an accusing finger at her husband, she railed, "And don't tell me I'm the strong one, that I can handle it. I was strong once. I could survive anything, I didn't need anybody. But I gave all that up when I married you." Her anger again drained away, powerless against the love she felt for Luke, a love she did not fully understand and could not control. "All I know how to do anymore is love you," she confessed. "I don't know how to lose you. I've never lost anyone I loved before, because I loved no one. I'm still only just learning to love you, and now I must lose you? I can't face that, I can't survive it."
Luke wanted to say something -- anything -- to comfort her or console her, but he couldn't. She was absolutely right. Dimly he was aware of Chewbacca and Corran, standing open mouthed. But they were rendered silent by Mara's despair as much as Luke was. The three of them could only stand and watch as the toughest person any of them had ever known crumbled before their eyes.
Mara squeezed her hands against the sides of her head, and a low moan began to grow deep in her chest. The moan expanded into a wail, and finally a scream of rage and pain. "I wish I had never met you!" she shrieked. "How many times have you destroyed my life? You destroyed my life with the Emperor, you destroyed my life with Karrde -- but that's not enough. Now you must destroy my life with you!
"You are a curse to me! You are the Emperor's death curse against me because I failed him in my duty to kill you. But he has the last laugh because you are destroying me. You are torturing me to death worse than those bastards ever could. I'd kill you now, but..." her voice died in her throat. All reason, the last shred of control, evaporated, and she felt herself transformed into a living incarnation of pure despair.
She ran. She ran past Luke and Corran, out the open door. She ran through the hallways, not breathing, not seen the others stop in horror, not hearing their calls. She ran to the garden at the heart of the Temple. At the edge of the lake she stopped and threw out the scream she had been holding in for weeks. It tore at her bowels, ripping her bleeding heart out of her chest in one long, unending cry. It went on, even when no more breath remained in her lungs. She flung her arms out, tearing at tree branches, ripping handfuls of grass from the earth, thrashing and striking out in the pure agony of a grief that could not be borne, beyond madness, beyond consciousness.
Her torment detonated through the Force like the shockwave of a nuclear explosion, stunning every Jedi in the Temple. Those who were in the garden, including Anath, gathered at a distance to watch her paroxysm of despair. Many of them, not only the younger ones, wept, overcome by the strength of Mara's emotion. She sagged and finally collapsed on the ground, still wailing in an unbroken breath.
Anath knew he should try to contain and shield her outburst to protect the more sensitive ones among them, but her grief was too great even for him to shield. But Anath was skilled in the healing arts. Drawing on his powers in the Force, he knelt in the grass next to her, placing one hand on her head and the other on her shoulder. The healing Force flowed through him and into her, as he murmured, "Sleep." Mara's cry faded into a sigh, and she relaxed into unconsciousness.
For several seconds, Anath remained in that position, channelling the Force into her. Psychological wounds differed from physical ones, but they could be affected by the Force. He poured into her love and empathy and hope. It will be all right, Mara, he sent, and he made himself believe it.
At last he opened his eyes and looked down at her. He gently smoothed her hair, then turned to the crowd that had gathered. He spotted Lanari and nodded to her. In a calm voice, Anath said, "Would you stay and help with these here? I'll take Mara to the infirmary and send someone to check on Luke."
She answered with a nod and began to assemble the Jedi together as Anath gathered Mara into his arms and carried her out of the garden.
Chapter Nineteen: Alliance
The limousine pulled to a stop on the lowest level of the underground parking lot. The garage was completely empty save for one lone figure standing next to the doors of a turbolift.
"Is that your contact?" the driver asked. Amil Aajulon leaned forward in his seat, peering through the tinted windows. "Yes," he said, not quite succeeding in keeping all the anxiety out of his voice.
The driver picked up on his unease. "Are you sure about this? The whole set-up seems kind of creepy."
Irritation overrode his nervousness, and Aajulon snapped, "This individual insisted on the utmost discretion. Now wait here until I return." He opened the door and slid out of the limo, slamming the door shut again before the driver could make another suspicious comment. Aajulon was nervous enough about this interview without his driver's paranoia. My life is certainly not in any danger, he thought. As for my career... we shall see.
His footsteps echoed like blastbolts through the empty garage until he stood before his contact, a young, well dressed man. He wore no crest, so Aajulon assumed he was not himself a Baron. The man pressed his palm against the turbolift's lock, and the doors slid open. "This way, sir," he gestured.
Aajulon stepped into the lift, followed by his young guide. The doors slid closed again, and the lift began silently and subtly to move -- but not upward. The faintest of g-forces indicated they were moving to the right. So that's how we will enter the Korust Building from a parking garage several blocks away.
Sure enough, the lift soon slowed to a stop before moving off again, this time straight up to the waiting Barons. The penthouse of the Korust Building, formerly a sort of clubroom where the Barons could relax in the days of their rule, was now their meeting place as they plotted their return to power, a return which Aajulon would give them.
A cold finger of unease slid up Aajulon's spine as he asked himself yet again whether he were doing the right thing. Of course he would not be handing the keys of power over to them. He intended to forge an alliance, to hold them to his own agenda, as Akeeno had done when she had persuaded him to become her running mate, an arrangement sealed not so much by ideology as convenience. He would only go forward with an alliance if they agreed to support him and his plans for the government. Certainly he would have to make some concessions, but he would not give in to their demands. They would serve him, not the other way around.
He hoped.
The turbolift gently coasted to a stop, and the doors opened onto a simple hallway, the walls panelled in the unique and expensive red wood of the taluba tree. The walls glowed warmly in the light from the sconces, and despite his best efforts to remain neutral Aajulon marvelled at the beauty of it.
His guide moved into the hallway, his footsteps completely muffled by the thick green carpet. Aajulon followed at his own pace, refusing to be rushed. The guide placed his palm against another sensor, and two large double doors slid open, admitting Aajulon into the Korust penthouse.
At one end of the room stood a large table, around which were seated some twenty or so of the Barons. One of them, a heavyset older woman, stood and greeted him. "Welcome, Your Excellency. Please do have a seat." She gestured to one of the padded, nerf hide chairs.
His guide stepped forward to pull out the chair for him, and Aajulon seated himself. Janiss Tildin was the name of the Baron. Aajulon had last seen her when he and Akeeno were inaugurated into office. Her displeasure at the time had been evident, so he was shocked to hear her acknowledge his position with the use of the honorific. "I thank you for agreeing to see me," he began.
Tildin fingered the heavy gold chain which bore her family crest. "I must admit that we were surprised by your desire to see us. We are curious to hear what your business with us might be."
Aajulon glanced quickly around the table until he spied Baron Marwan. Why wasn't she doing the talking? Not that he had been looking forward to negotiating with her. The truth was Marwan frightened him, as she frightened all commoners on Pamylasia, embodying as she did the entire system of oppression which had kept the Barons in power so long. But if she preferred to let Tildin do the negotiating, Aajulon would take advantage of it.
"As you know," he began, "Antiradu Akeeno has announced his intention to run for President. The PPP has not yet named him as their candidate, but it is likely they will. I have great respect for him as a man, but I do not believe he is up to the task." He paused, but the Barons merely waited for him to continue, their faces mildly interested but not curious.
"If the PPP selects him as their candidate, than I will return to the Liberty Party and run for the office myself. I fear, however, that the vote of many people will be swayed by the sentimental power of Dimi's widower. My chances of winning will depend heavily on my running mate." Again he stopped, hoping they would pick up on his cue.
But it was not to be. When Aajulon remained silent, Tildin prompted, "And why should we have the slightest interest in your running mate?"
"In that first election, Dimi knew that the only way we could go forward as a planet was if we did so together. So she invited me as chair of the Liberty Party to join her. It was the right decision, then. It showed that we as a people are stronger and more united than any political party. I still believe in that strategy, and I still believe that the future belongs to all of Pamylasia's people. It was necessary in the first term for the Barons not to be part of the government so that we could make a clean break with the past. But I believe now is the time to heal all the divisions which have separated us." Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself. "I want to invite you to join me in my candidacy."
If his offer surprised them, they hid it well. Tildin gave Marwan a smug look, then raised her eyebrows at Aajulon. "Do you mean to say you want a Baron as your running mate?"
Aajulon nodded. "Yes."
"You might gain the vote of the Barons, but you would surely lose everyone else's vote, and how would that serve our purposes?"
Aajulon had been so certain they would jump at the chance to regain power, he had not considered the possibility they might turn him down. "I thought you would be interested in becoming part of the government."
"Oh, we are interested," Tildin assured him. "But not in offering a candidate for Vice President. There are other ways we may participate in the government after all."
"What do you propose?"
Tildin leaned forward, resting her forearms on the table. "First, I think you should understand our continuing influence. If we were to support you, we can guarantee you fifteen percent of the vote. If you select your running mate from the Liberty Party or one of the more moderate parties, we could probably bring you an additional twenty percent. As Akeeno's hand-picked Vice President, you should bring quite a number of voters of your own, and the rest is strategy. We cannot guarantee that you'll win, but we can aid you considerably."
Aajulon strokes the soft armrests of his chair, wishing his nerves were as smooth as the leather. "I do appreciate that."
"The question remains then, what is our support worth to you? If you win, we would want some guarantee of return."
"Naturally. What do you want?"
"Several positions in your cabinet. Minister of Finance, for example, and one or two others."
Aajulon gulped. "Minister of Finance? That might be difficult."
"How?" Tildin rebutted coolly. "These are appointed positions. You make the decisions yourself. There are certain interests which we must protect. For example, land reform and nationalization: these were key issues for Akeeno. Naturally, we are not in favor."
Aajulon found his strength again. "I cannot stop either land reform or nationalization. They will happen."
Tildin hesitated, displeased, before recovering. "Yes, undoubtedly they will. But how far will they go? Surely not all land and industry must be taken from us. A more moderate position might be found."
Feeling as if he had won a victory, Aajulon conceded, "Certainly."
Tildin nodded amiably. "We simply want to be in a position where we can influence policy, not dictate it. You would be President, after all. Now all our cards are on the table, Your Excellency. Is there room for discussion, or are you ready to leave?"
"I think," said Aajulon, sinking back into his plush chair, "that we have much to discuss."