The sight of the city held a fascination for him. In the early morning light it possessed a comforting beauty. The elegant spires of the palace would emerge form the gentle mist framed by the Manarai mountains in the distance, the soft textures merging to create the skyline that was uniquely Coruscant. But now it was early evening and the view from his private residence was no less spectacular, yet Luke Skywalker couldn't see it. Something was toeing on the edge of his thoughts. It had been there all day, slowly growing in strength, softly calling his attention. It was a sensation he couldn't quite pin down but felt almost familiar.
It was slowly driving him crazy. Leia was working, and from her sense in the force happy, the twins were with winter and after a brief call to Yarvin 4 all at the academy were well. Luke raised his hand to support his head. Maybe he was just tired, Mara would tell him to stop being such an overprotective nerf-headed fuss-pot or worse.
He grinned as the pieces dropped into place - Mara. She was on planet and shielding herself. Shielding very well, but not well enough to escape the eventual notice of a Jedi Master. Reaching out with his senses he let himself bath in her almost presence catching the lightest texture of her mood. He frowned.
Hunched over the datapad, Mara almost missed the soft knock on her door. "Sithspit," her adrenalin spiked. She had been pouring over the data since its retrieval, concentrating so fully on her objective that she only now realised her error. Taking several deep breaths, strengthening her mental barriers, she crossed to the door and opened it.
"You really need to improve on your split level concentration Mara," he beamed, despite himself, panting gently after the sprint from his building to hers, "and awareness." He looked at her shyly. "I had to knock."
"I'll bear that in mind, make it fast Skywalker, I have business to attend to. What do you want?" She stood in the doorway, making it very obvious he was not welcome.
"Mara," all the playfulness drained from his voice, "when will you realise you can't shut people out like this. Do we have this conversation here or will you let me in?"
Scowling, she relented. She really didn't need another public fight with the Jedi Master. The holo reporters were far too interested with her as it was, and the publicity could jeopardise her operation. She closed the door behind them. Luke turned to face her: Mara stared at the floor.
"I know something is troubling you, I just want to be sure you are alright. I can stay, if it's the dreams, you don't have to be embarrassed. I still have nightmares." He reached out to gently take her hand, the gesture was returned with an acid glare.
"Well it's not, I don't need your concern Jedi, I want you to leave." Her eyes sparkled with malicious intent. So that wasn't the reason for the dark tone to her presence. Her control was wavering he'd have his answer soon. Her barriers were cracking and little slivers of emotion were slopping out. He felt her fear of discovery, something in her past.
"I know this is important to you," he dug a little deeper. Her eyes widened.
"Stay out of my head" she pronounced the worlds with slowly measured menace "you Son of a Sith - I asked you to leave".
But it was too late. One of her jealously guarded thoughts had slipped past her carefully crafted defences. This close to him there would be no chance he would miss it. The effect was instant. The colour drained form the Jedi Master's face, his mouth slightly opened.
"How could you think that, there is nothing that would make me believe… you really have so little faith in me." He stepped away from her turning towards the entrance. "I thought our friendship meant something, Jade."
Mara looked towards him, suddenly seeming small and vulnerable. Her skin looked too pale to be healthy, and her eyes were red-rimmed.
"You have to understand Luke, I lived only to please him," her voice was unsteady, barely above a whisper. "It was all that consumed me, I would have done anything he asked." Her emerald gaze held his pleadingly, and all Luke's rage slipped away.
"I know that, Mara, but you left that life behind you, it can't hurt you now."
She replied softly, "I worried what would happen if I didn't come back from a mission - who would serve him as well as I could. I was so young and foolish. I didn't think." Her eyes lowered once again. "Luke, please don't ask me to tell you. I don't want you to know. You'll hate me and I don't want that." The logic was childish but it was the only hope she had left. Once her fear that Luke would truly believe the worst of the rumours about her past had thrashed its way clear of her barriers deep down, she knew she would have to tell him everything, that he deserved an explanation.
Wordlessly, Luke drew near and tentatively pulled Mara into a gentle embrace, letting his hand slowly stroke her fiery locks. He was almost surprised when Mara made no move to resist.
It was slowly driving him crazy. Leia was working, and from her sense in the force happy, the twins were with winter and after a brief call to Yarvin 4 all at the academy were well. Luke raised his hand to support his head. Maybe he was just tired, Mara would tell him to stop being such an overprotective nerf-headed fuss-pot or worse.
He grinned as the pieces dropped into place - Mara. She was on planet and shielding herself. Shielding very well, but not well enough to escape the eventual notice of a Jedi Master. Reaching out with his senses he let himself bath in her almost presence catching the lightest texture of her mood. He frowned.
Hunched over the datapad, Mara almost missed the soft knock on her door. "Sithspit," her adrenalin spiked. She had been pouring over the data since its retrieval, concentrating so fully on her objective that she only now realised her error. Taking several deep breaths, strengthening her mental barriers, she crossed to the door and opened it.
"You really need to improve on your split level concentration Mara," he beamed, despite himself, panting gently after the sprint from his building to hers, "and awareness." He looked at her shyly. "I had to knock."
"I'll bear that in mind, make it fast Skywalker, I have business to attend to. What do you want?" She stood in the doorway, making it very obvious he was not welcome.
"Mara," all the playfulness drained from his voice, "when will you realise you can't shut people out like this. Do we have this conversation here or will you let me in?"
Scowling, she relented. She really didn't need another public fight with the Jedi Master. The holo reporters were far too interested with her as it was, and the publicity could jeopardise her operation. She closed the door behind them. Luke turned to face her: Mara stared at the floor.
"I know something is troubling you, I just want to be sure you are alright. I can stay, if it's the dreams, you don't have to be embarrassed. I still have nightmares." He reached out to gently take her hand, the gesture was returned with an acid glare.
"Well it's not, I don't need your concern Jedi, I want you to leave." Her eyes sparkled with malicious intent. So that wasn't the reason for the dark tone to her presence. Her control was wavering he'd have his answer soon. Her barriers were cracking and little slivers of emotion were slopping out. He felt her fear of discovery, something in her past.
"I know this is important to you," he dug a little deeper. Her eyes widened.
"Stay out of my head" she pronounced the worlds with slowly measured menace "you Son of a Sith - I asked you to leave".
But it was too late. One of her jealously guarded thoughts had slipped past her carefully crafted defences. This close to him there would be no chance he would miss it. The effect was instant. The colour drained form the Jedi Master's face, his mouth slightly opened.
"How could you think that, there is nothing that would make me believe… you really have so little faith in me." He stepped away from her turning towards the entrance. "I thought our friendship meant something, Jade."
Mara looked towards him, suddenly seeming small and vulnerable. Her skin looked too pale to be healthy, and her eyes were red-rimmed.
"You have to understand Luke, I lived only to please him," her voice was unsteady, barely above a whisper. "It was all that consumed me, I would have done anything he asked." Her emerald gaze held his pleadingly, and all Luke's rage slipped away.
"I know that, Mara, but you left that life behind you, it can't hurt you now."
She replied softly, "I worried what would happen if I didn't come back from a mission - who would serve him as well as I could. I was so young and foolish. I didn't think." Her eyes lowered once again. "Luke, please don't ask me to tell you. I don't want you to know. You'll hate me and I don't want that." The logic was childish but it was the only hope she had left. Once her fear that Luke would truly believe the worst of the rumours about her past had thrashed its way clear of her barriers deep down, she knew she would have to tell him everything, that he deserved an explanation.
Wordlessly, Luke drew near and tentatively pulled Mara into a gentle embrace, letting his hand slowly stroke her fiery locks. He was almost surprised when Mara made no move to resist.