Destiny at Work
Part 5: Coruscant
by SJ 23-03-99/2002 (skyjade@globetrotter.net)
__________________________
Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs
to George Lucas. Also, if something is related to the spoken parts of Dark
Force Rising, it belongs to Timothy Zhan. I'm only borrowing it to make more
sense with Mara's or Luke's missing thoughts (when we follow Luke's thoughts in
the novel, and vice versa ;). Naturally, everything related to events of Dark
Force Rising also belong to Timothy Zhan. Please don't sue me, it's only for
fun; I'm not making any money out of this. See my home page for more details.
Http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Quasar/3702
Special thanks to Adrianne for her help with beta-reading. Thank you for
giving me some of your precious time, my friend; I appreciate.
_________________________
Once alone in the sealed cockpit of the Millenium Falcon, Mara let out a heavy
breath and dropped her pretense of a rough, miffed attitude.
Just what had happened back there?, she wondered as she sat in the nearest chair
and proceeded to remove her boot. First, she had gotten Skywalker to talk about
what was bothering him, then had engaged in a sparring with him... and she
hadn't taken advantage of the situation to even hurt him.
Instead, she had played fair, had fought merely to prove him that he knew how to
defend himself without his lightsaber. What really surprised her was that she
had really, truly enjoyed that brief fight with the Jedi, not because she had
been fighting with him,... but because she had never met someone who could
challenge her the way Skywalker did.
True, she hadn't tried to overcome him with her most vicious tricks, but she
hadn't been lenient with him either... and yet, the young man had met her strike
for strike, hit for hit... and then, their eyes had met like never before.
For the very first time since she had met him, she had seen Skywalker's true
self in its entirety, not just as a caring man, or an accomplished fighter, but
as a man with his own difficulties, his own worries... his own dreams and
motivations.
She had seen the man, not the Jedi, and she had to admit that he was amazing.
Up to now, she had discovered that there was much more to Skywalker than met the
eye, had even conceded that he was a partner she would take on mission anytime
if not for her own grief against him, but now... now she knew that she would
always respect him as a person, not only as a warrior.
The warrior, she had just discovered, would not be half as strong as he is if
not for the man and his heart...
"YOU WILL KILL LUKE SKYWALKER!" the hated voice resounded yet again through her
mind, putting an end to her warmer thoughts.
Closing her eyes against the flashes of the past, she propped her bare foot on
her other thigh and set the ice on her tender ankle.
And here she was again, warming up to the man she had to kill while she knew
that, eventually, she would have no choice but to see it through with him.
Hence, considering any other relationship with him was a waste of time, she
half-heartedly reasoned with herself.
Yeah, her gentler self agreed, it was quite a mess but she had no other choice
but to follow her regular path instead of the unknown one.
As she tried to shoo away images of a dead Skywalker, the one she had gotten to
know, she dimly wondered if she would be able to be insensitive when she would
obey her master's last command.
******
An hour later, once the ice in her pack was completely melted, Mara decided to
return to the galley and get some more. Whether she liked to admit it or not,
the Jedi was right; ice did wonders to her ankle.
Putting her boot back on, she carefully stood up, keeping her weight off her
right ankle, then walked toward the galley. On her way there, she dimly
wondered if Skywalker was still in the lounge, then dismissed the question as
inconsequential.
While she had been tending her ankle, she had decided that from now on, she
would not spend anymore time with the Jedi than she had to. Since she had to
kill him, one day or another, she didn't want to know him anymore...
Didn't want to know who her target truly was. She already knew too much for her
taste and it was not helping her to accomplish her duty.
She had barely reached the entrance of the galley when she heard a harsh,
grunting sound. She froze, her warning senses suddenly on full alert. When the
sound repeated itself, she realized that it was coming from the lounge; careful
to not make a sound, she tiptoed in the direction of the main deck, hugging the
walls to not be detected by whoever had stashed aboard the ship and come out to
attack them.
Pulling her blaster out of her wrist holster, she bent her right arm at the
elbow, ready to bear on the enemy the moment she came within view of him. A
little more...
A new grunt, which sounded a lot like Skywalker's voice, drifted up to her. She
counted up to three---- then dropped low on her knee even as she brought her
blaster to aim on the enemy...
But there wasn't any enemy in the lounge. The grunting noises were coming from
Skywalker... who was exercising in the middle of the main deck. Karrde was
nowhere to be seen. Unable to believe what she was seeing, Mara gaped as the
young man continued his upside-down push-ups. Since he was facing away from
her, and that she hadn't made a sound, he didn't notice her presence and
continued with his exercising.
Mara for her part didn't move from her location, as if frozen in shock. Well
perhaps she was, she conceded as she studied the Jedi who was now only wearing
his trousers... leaving his back to her free scrutiny.
Wow!.. she gaped once again as her eyes riveted themselves on his shifting
shoulder blades, then his bulging biceps, which were not leaving any more doubt
about the nature of his muscles.
They were real, hard, strong... perfectly proportionate to his slim body...
"YOU WILL KILL LUKE SKYWALKER, YOU WILL KILL LUKE SKYWALKER!"
'No!' she mentally objected to the thoughts as she forced herself to turn her
weapon away from the unaware Jedi.
Not like this; not like a coward. When she would avenge her losses, she
resolved as she forced herself to turn away from the unaware Jedi, it would be
on fair ground, and the Jedi would have a chance to defend his life.
A good man like him deserved at least this much, she decided as she returned in
the cockpit to keep him safe from her for the time being.
Totally focused on his straining exercise, Luke was unaware of how close it had
come for him once again.
Instead, he could only think about two things: his slight focus on his body to
hold himself upright... and Mara Jade.
Beautiful red-gold hair... flashing green eyes... he couldn't force them out of
his mind, and unlike after Myrkr, he couldn't warn himself away from the woman
anymore. She was still dangerous, of that he didn't doubt even slightly, but
her real self was slowly beating that part of her to the back ground... making
it possible for him to consider being at least friend with the amazing young
woman.
Mara Jade. He dimly wondered if it were her real name or if it had been given
to her because of her jewel-colored eyes. One thing was sure though: she wore
her name to perfection since she was as beautiful, rare... and hard as the
precious stone. Proud to the end, as fierce as a wild vornsk, skilled in
seemingly countless ways, intelligent, caring, loyal; she was quite also quite a
character on the non-physical sides.
Somehow, he admitted that she faintly reminded him of Leia when he had first
known her, except for Mara's darker edge of hatred due to her past with the
Emperor. Except for this though, the two young women were the same. Perhaps
that was why he was suddenly feeling very attracted to her, he conceded.
He had read, in more than one book, that the young men often looked for their
mother or sister in a lover. Perhaps he wasn't any exception to this rule, he
smiled slightly to himself as he pushed himself away from the deck once again.
But attracted or not, Luke reasoned more seriously, he couldn't allow himself to
feel much for the mysterious red-head. He could care for her, want her to be
free from the lies of past, even sacrifice himself for her... but he couldn't
love her.
If he were to love her, he would only push her away from him thanks to his
omnipresent care; this would then result in his not being able to help her.
Besides, he mentally shrugged as he continued his up-and-down straining, it was
not as if she would ever feel anything for him anyway.
So, like it had been with his then-unbeknown-sister, love was impossible between
himself and Mara Jade.
It simply wasn't meant to be... although he wished he could feel more than care
for her.
With this solved, he refocused on his current actions---- and became aware that
he was literally bathing in sweat. Blushing slightly at his own foolishness and
what his puppy-love was making him do to himself, he slightly bent his neck and
back and rolled down to the deck where he sat and caught his breath.
His arms were singing from the efforts he had pushed on them, as were his legs
although they had only strained to maintain his equilibrium.
"Farmboy," he muttered to himself, "love will only get you in trouble," he
scolded like his uncle used to do.
And for once, he could admit that his gruff uncle had been right. Now, all he
had to do was to not let his feelings overwhelm him once again.
He slowly stood up, put his shirt back on, then headed for the nearby 'fresher.
He dimly hoped that the water tanks would be full because he felt like lingering
a bit under the water since nobody else would be using the shower on this trip.
******
At long last, the Falcon reached its destination. Karrde, who had taken
Skywalker's offer up and borrowed his quarters to take a well-deserved nap, was
now sitting behind the Jedi as he guided the ship through Coruscant's air
traffic. Mara was sitting beside him, monitoring the screens and audio-waves.
"Welcome back, Falcon," the air controller greeted as he would an old friend.
"Councilor Organa Solo is waiting for you at the usual berth."
"Thank you," the young man said, then steered the ship toward the bottom of the
Imperial Palace.
Coruscant.
She had vowed herself to never return to this place who reminded her too much of
what she used to have... who she used to be.
As she gazed around at the glassy spires, then at the all too familiar shape of
the Emperor's castle, her mind flooded with images of the past. Her several
flights in couch speeders when under the guise of a courtesan, the time she had
spent within the walls of the palace, preparing missions,... her returns from
the said missions, victorious and filled with the feeling of contentment.
It was all in the past now, she thought as she pulled herself back to the
present moment... and Skywalker's presence.
Was he aware of how this was affecting her?, she wondered as she watched him
from the corner of her eye. Did he even realize that he was still alive because
Karrde needed him or else she would have, indeed, taken care of him instead of
letting her drag on this planet once again?
Probably not, she conceded as she refocused on the main viewport. The hangar
bays were now right in front of them; Skywakler expertly flew them right into
them, then over their assigned birth. Even though she knew that he was a great
pilot, she was still slightly surprised when he set the ship down without any
sign that they were, in fact, landing.
Just like she always did, Skywalker knew the art of landing on a credit's coin.
Yet one more thing they had in common, she pouted even as she felt the voice
come up once again to keep her from thinking this way about the Jedi.
She braced herself for its explosion---
"YOU WILL KILL LUKE SKYWALKER!"
'Not yet,' she answered it, turning away from her target to quench her reflexive
dislike of him.
Meanwhile, Skywalker and Karrde discussed about what they would tell to his
sister as they exited the cockpit. She noticed that they left her alone, as if
aware that she needed her space.
She silently thanked the Force for their understanding, then did take a moment
to pull herself together.
She was on Coruscant, and couldn't kill the Jedi yet.
Luke threw a glance over his shoulder to check on his third companion.
"I hope we haven't rattled her too much with our coming here," he commented as
he studied the back of her head.
"If she hadn't wanted to be here, she would not be," the smuggler said as he
steered him toward the main ramp.
"Probably," Luke reluctantly agreed.
He keyed open the main hatch, waited for the ramp to lower, then was about to
walk down from it when a hand shot out of nowhere and kept him aboard; in front
of him, Karrde was already half-way down the ramp. Luke turned around,
perfectly aware of who was holding him back, and gazed straight in Mara Jade's
green eyes.
For a moment, neither of them said anything until Karrde came back and asked
them if everything was all right. To his surprise, Mara nodded before she
pulled him slightly out of sight.
They had barely stepped out of view that Luke felt his sister's mind check on
him.
*I'm all right,* he reassured her, then refocused on his companion.
"Look, I," the red-head began hesitantly as she looked away from him. "Nothing
has changed between us, but... Thank you for helping me, Skywalker," she said in
one breath.
Aware that this was a difficult moment for her, Luke nodded in understanding.
"Anytime, Mara," he reassured her, made sure that she didn't want to add
something, then exited the ship and joined his sister who was impatiently
waiting for him.
Mara followed the Jedi with her eyes for as long as she could, aware that she
had just broken one of her own rules: she had thanked him. She had shown real,
genuine gratitude to the man she didn't want to care about.
Well once did not make it a habit, she tried to reassure herself. She had
simply wanted him to know that this latest misadventure was over, that she knew
what he had done for Karrde... and that it didn't change anything about her vows
to avenge her master.
However, she couldn't say that she felt well with herself to still plan his
demise after his generous assistance in a matter he didn't even have to care
about. Even more than everything else she had discovered about him while in his
company, the simple fact that he had helped her was making her feel like a
traitor in his regards.
But this was ridiculous. The only traitor there was lived in herself if she
didn't fulfill her last mission which had been lasting for five years now. It
was her duty, her...
Her thoughts died in her mind as she stepped down from the ramp and caught sight
of the hugging brother and sister Jedi. Skywalker was holding the fierce,
feisty Princess Organa in a warm embrace while she was hugging him around the
neck as if she would never let him go.
Even if she wasn't as sensitive as Skywalker was, she felt their love for each
other, how they would both defend the other with their lives if need be. Now
there was a depth of emotions she had only heard about... had somewhat seen in
Solo when she had met him on Myrkr, but she was only beginning to understand how
powerful it truly was. Instead of being alone, they were together, standing up
for each other... like Skywalker had done with her while aboard the Chimaera,
she realized.
Leia hugged her brother one more time, feeling absolutely relieved that he was
back and unharmed.
"I could say the same thing about you, Leia," he half-whispered in her ear,
surprising her with the fact that she hadn't shielded her thoughts. "When I
heard that the Falcon had been captured, I really worried about you."
"I'll tell you everything about it," she promised him as she opened her eyes----
and caught sight of the red-head woman her husband had told her about. "And you
will tell me everything about your own adventure," she warned him seriously,
pulling away from him to meet his gaze.
As if aware of what she meant, Luke turned slightly in the direction of the
newcomers. "It's all right, trust me," he then answered while he invited her to
meet the two smugglers.
Behind her, Chewie tilted his head as he studied the woman he had also heard
about, then agreed to trust Luke for the moment.
Leia for her part fastened her gaze on the woman who had captured her brother on
Myrkr. She could feel that there was more her than what her husband and brother
had told her, but he couldn't say what. The closer they walked to her and Talon
Karrde, and the more she felt a slight shiver of worry as the green-eyed woman
studied her in turn.
"Mara Jade, Talon Karrde, this is my sister, Leia Organa Solo," Luke introduced
quickly. "And this is Chewbacca, but I think you've met him already."
"Pleased to meet you, Mara," she answered, offering her hand for a welcoming
shake.
The other woman returned the gesture; her grip was strong, she realized.
Whatever the woman was or had been, she didn't lack self-confidence nor physical
strength.
She repeated the gesture with the man, then invited them to step inside the
palace with her.
"So Luke told me that you needed to speak with the High Council?" she inquired
as she threw a gaze at both smugglers.
"Yes, and the sooner will be the better," Karrde said seriously, obviously aware
that such impromptu meetings could meet with delays if not properly pushed.
"May I ask what it is about?" she queried, throwing a quick glance at her
brother. He didn't give anything away.
"Battleships, and that is all I will say until then," the smuggler stated
seriously.
While Organa Solo pondered Karrde's request, Mara studied the petite woman and
tried to link the present with what she knew of her past. So this was the last
princess of Alderaan, the rebel leader who had witnessed the end of her world
before moving on to become a true figurehead of the Rebel Alliance, and now the
second-in-command of the New Republic.
She was Skywalker's sister.
If one didn't know her, she conceded that the intricate gown and artfully
arranged braids would fool the other into thinking that she was but yet another
diplomat, but from the way her bright eyes took in every detail, how her slim
body still seemed in very good shape and how her hands looked firm from holding
more blasters than one could think, she couldn't deny that Leia Organa Solo, now
obviously pregnant, had once been the proud Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan.
She suspected that just like her brother was more than he looked, she too could
pull quite a few surprises on her enemies.
And right now, her enemy was Thrawn, the tactical genius who was at the head of
the Imperial army... but who wasn't the Emperor nor anybody who deserved her
respect anymore.
He had lied to her... he had thus chosen to become her enemy.
As if feeling her train of thoughts, Skywalker threw a surreptitious glance in
her direction; she glared at him to discourage him from addressing her in any
way.
The Jedi pouted slightly and refocused on his sister.
Minutes later, their group split in two as a droid escorted her and Karrde to
guests' quarters to wait for their meeting with the Council.
******
Meanwhile, Leia took her brother and Wookiee friend back to her office and
warned Winter that she didn't want to be disturbed for the next twenty minutes.
She could feel that he was hiding something from her and was determinate to find
out what before bringing Karrde anywhere close to the High Council.
"Okay, Luke," she sighed as she sat in her couch, "last time I heard about Talon
Karrde, he had barely let you and Han go to remain neutral in the conflict, and
now you show up with him and an offer about battleships. What's going on?"
Her brother sighed slightly, then leaned forward in his chosen seat and locked
his gaze with hers.
"Karrde has just escaped detention from the Imperials who want what he is
offering us. We can trust him," he told her earnestly.
"Not so fast, little brother," she warned him seriously. "First, I want to know
how you ended up with the two of them and the Falcon."
"Since when are you the oldest?" he asked her, a smirk tugging at his lips.
In his chosen corner, Chewie equally whoofed in amusement.
"Since I have a less impressive medical record than you do," she teased him
slightly, then turned serious again. "So, what happened?"
"Well," he began hesitantly, "I was on Jomark with the Jedi who had contacted me
on Nklon,"
"You did what??" she asked him incredulously.
"I had to know," he explained seriously. "I had to check if the rumor was true
or not. It turned out to be true... and false."
"Meaning?" his sister asked, throwing a glance at their Wookiee companion who
was slightly baring his teeth at the mention of danger for the young man.
"You were right, he works for the Empire," he admitted, "but he is also a true
Jedi... a dark one."
"What??" Leia gaped, her hand going to her stomach as if to protect her unborn
children. "Are you telling me that a dark Jedi is once again roaming freely
amongst the stars?"
Luke could only nod; he hadn't thought much about the crazy Jedi on his way
home, but now that he was talking about him, he had to admit that he 'was',
somewhat, worried about the presence of another dark Jedi.
The last one he had fought against had nearly killed him. If not for his
father's intervention, he knew that he wouldn't be here today. Would he be able
to survive this new threat?.. He would be alone against it this time, would not
allow Leia to get involved with it in any way.
"Where is he now?" she asked him worriedly.
"We left him unconscious on Jomark without any means of galactic transport. He
should stay there for the time being."
"Unless the Empire comes by and recovers him," his sister pointed out grimly.
"Yes, although... he is not totally sane. I think that the Empire had put him
there to keep him out of the way for the time being," he reflected outloud.
"That would be the day," Leia snorted slightly before she recovered her
composure. "So what happened with him?"
"Basically, Mara showed up and asked for my help to rescue Karrde. C'Boath
didn't want to let me go, tried to convince me to stay... we fought, and Artoo
knocked him out with the pulse of a near hit from the x-wing's cannons."
"And you went with her even if she had captured you before?"
"I could feel that I could trust her, Leia," he defended himself. "Mara is
changing at the moment, reconsidering many things she's always taken for
granted, and she's loyal to Karrde. Besides," he shrugged, "I couldn't turn her
down."
Leia fumed slightly at her brother's frustrating compassion.
"Someday, Brother," she warned him, "you will help the wrong kind of damsel in
distress," she finished with just an hint of amusement.
"Perhaps, but so far, I haven't been wrong in following my feelings," he
returned in kind.
The ex-princess from Alderaan glared some more at her brother, then relented and
sighed.
"Okay, you're the Jedi with those instincts of yours. I won't debate about your
choices. So, what is Karrde willing to offer to us?" she inquired, coming back
to business and shooing away images of Mara Jade hurting her brother.
If Luke trusted her, then the least she could do is trust his judgment and give
a chance to the mysterious, enigmatic red-head.
TBC in part 6: Checking on Mara (after the battle of the Katana Fleet)
Copyright 1999/2002, SJ (skyjade@globetrotter.net)
Webmaster : Skyjade(Any positive stuff is welcome, but any mean stuff won't even
be read.)
Part 5: Coruscant
by SJ 23-03-99/2002 (skyjade@globetrotter.net)
__________________________
Disclaimers: Nothing in the Star Wars Universe belong to me; everything belongs
to George Lucas. Also, if something is related to the spoken parts of Dark
Force Rising, it belongs to Timothy Zhan. I'm only borrowing it to make more
sense with Mara's or Luke's missing thoughts (when we follow Luke's thoughts in
the novel, and vice versa ;). Naturally, everything related to events of Dark
Force Rising also belong to Timothy Zhan. Please don't sue me, it's only for
fun; I'm not making any money out of this. See my home page for more details.
Http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Quasar/3702
Special thanks to Adrianne for her help with beta-reading. Thank you for
giving me some of your precious time, my friend; I appreciate.
_________________________
Once alone in the sealed cockpit of the Millenium Falcon, Mara let out a heavy
breath and dropped her pretense of a rough, miffed attitude.
Just what had happened back there?, she wondered as she sat in the nearest chair
and proceeded to remove her boot. First, she had gotten Skywalker to talk about
what was bothering him, then had engaged in a sparring with him... and she
hadn't taken advantage of the situation to even hurt him.
Instead, she had played fair, had fought merely to prove him that he knew how to
defend himself without his lightsaber. What really surprised her was that she
had really, truly enjoyed that brief fight with the Jedi, not because she had
been fighting with him,... but because she had never met someone who could
challenge her the way Skywalker did.
True, she hadn't tried to overcome him with her most vicious tricks, but she
hadn't been lenient with him either... and yet, the young man had met her strike
for strike, hit for hit... and then, their eyes had met like never before.
For the very first time since she had met him, she had seen Skywalker's true
self in its entirety, not just as a caring man, or an accomplished fighter, but
as a man with his own difficulties, his own worries... his own dreams and
motivations.
She had seen the man, not the Jedi, and she had to admit that he was amazing.
Up to now, she had discovered that there was much more to Skywalker than met the
eye, had even conceded that he was a partner she would take on mission anytime
if not for her own grief against him, but now... now she knew that she would
always respect him as a person, not only as a warrior.
The warrior, she had just discovered, would not be half as strong as he is if
not for the man and his heart...
"YOU WILL KILL LUKE SKYWALKER!" the hated voice resounded yet again through her
mind, putting an end to her warmer thoughts.
Closing her eyes against the flashes of the past, she propped her bare foot on
her other thigh and set the ice on her tender ankle.
And here she was again, warming up to the man she had to kill while she knew
that, eventually, she would have no choice but to see it through with him.
Hence, considering any other relationship with him was a waste of time, she
half-heartedly reasoned with herself.
Yeah, her gentler self agreed, it was quite a mess but she had no other choice
but to follow her regular path instead of the unknown one.
As she tried to shoo away images of a dead Skywalker, the one she had gotten to
know, she dimly wondered if she would be able to be insensitive when she would
obey her master's last command.
******
An hour later, once the ice in her pack was completely melted, Mara decided to
return to the galley and get some more. Whether she liked to admit it or not,
the Jedi was right; ice did wonders to her ankle.
Putting her boot back on, she carefully stood up, keeping her weight off her
right ankle, then walked toward the galley. On her way there, she dimly
wondered if Skywalker was still in the lounge, then dismissed the question as
inconsequential.
While she had been tending her ankle, she had decided that from now on, she
would not spend anymore time with the Jedi than she had to. Since she had to
kill him, one day or another, she didn't want to know him anymore...
Didn't want to know who her target truly was. She already knew too much for her
taste and it was not helping her to accomplish her duty.
She had barely reached the entrance of the galley when she heard a harsh,
grunting sound. She froze, her warning senses suddenly on full alert. When the
sound repeated itself, she realized that it was coming from the lounge; careful
to not make a sound, she tiptoed in the direction of the main deck, hugging the
walls to not be detected by whoever had stashed aboard the ship and come out to
attack them.
Pulling her blaster out of her wrist holster, she bent her right arm at the
elbow, ready to bear on the enemy the moment she came within view of him. A
little more...
A new grunt, which sounded a lot like Skywalker's voice, drifted up to her. She
counted up to three---- then dropped low on her knee even as she brought her
blaster to aim on the enemy...
But there wasn't any enemy in the lounge. The grunting noises were coming from
Skywalker... who was exercising in the middle of the main deck. Karrde was
nowhere to be seen. Unable to believe what she was seeing, Mara gaped as the
young man continued his upside-down push-ups. Since he was facing away from
her, and that she hadn't made a sound, he didn't notice her presence and
continued with his exercising.
Mara for her part didn't move from her location, as if frozen in shock. Well
perhaps she was, she conceded as she studied the Jedi who was now only wearing
his trousers... leaving his back to her free scrutiny.
Wow!.. she gaped once again as her eyes riveted themselves on his shifting
shoulder blades, then his bulging biceps, which were not leaving any more doubt
about the nature of his muscles.
They were real, hard, strong... perfectly proportionate to his slim body...
"YOU WILL KILL LUKE SKYWALKER, YOU WILL KILL LUKE SKYWALKER!"
'No!' she mentally objected to the thoughts as she forced herself to turn her
weapon away from the unaware Jedi.
Not like this; not like a coward. When she would avenge her losses, she
resolved as she forced herself to turn away from the unaware Jedi, it would be
on fair ground, and the Jedi would have a chance to defend his life.
A good man like him deserved at least this much, she decided as she returned in
the cockpit to keep him safe from her for the time being.
Totally focused on his straining exercise, Luke was unaware of how close it had
come for him once again.
Instead, he could only think about two things: his slight focus on his body to
hold himself upright... and Mara Jade.
Beautiful red-gold hair... flashing green eyes... he couldn't force them out of
his mind, and unlike after Myrkr, he couldn't warn himself away from the woman
anymore. She was still dangerous, of that he didn't doubt even slightly, but
her real self was slowly beating that part of her to the back ground... making
it possible for him to consider being at least friend with the amazing young
woman.
Mara Jade. He dimly wondered if it were her real name or if it had been given
to her because of her jewel-colored eyes. One thing was sure though: she wore
her name to perfection since she was as beautiful, rare... and hard as the
precious stone. Proud to the end, as fierce as a wild vornsk, skilled in
seemingly countless ways, intelligent, caring, loyal; she was quite also quite a
character on the non-physical sides.
Somehow, he admitted that she faintly reminded him of Leia when he had first
known her, except for Mara's darker edge of hatred due to her past with the
Emperor. Except for this though, the two young women were the same. Perhaps
that was why he was suddenly feeling very attracted to her, he conceded.
He had read, in more than one book, that the young men often looked for their
mother or sister in a lover. Perhaps he wasn't any exception to this rule, he
smiled slightly to himself as he pushed himself away from the deck once again.
But attracted or not, Luke reasoned more seriously, he couldn't allow himself to
feel much for the mysterious red-head. He could care for her, want her to be
free from the lies of past, even sacrifice himself for her... but he couldn't
love her.
If he were to love her, he would only push her away from him thanks to his
omnipresent care; this would then result in his not being able to help her.
Besides, he mentally shrugged as he continued his up-and-down straining, it was
not as if she would ever feel anything for him anyway.
So, like it had been with his then-unbeknown-sister, love was impossible between
himself and Mara Jade.
It simply wasn't meant to be... although he wished he could feel more than care
for her.
With this solved, he refocused on his current actions---- and became aware that
he was literally bathing in sweat. Blushing slightly at his own foolishness and
what his puppy-love was making him do to himself, he slightly bent his neck and
back and rolled down to the deck where he sat and caught his breath.
His arms were singing from the efforts he had pushed on them, as were his legs
although they had only strained to maintain his equilibrium.
"Farmboy," he muttered to himself, "love will only get you in trouble," he
scolded like his uncle used to do.
And for once, he could admit that his gruff uncle had been right. Now, all he
had to do was to not let his feelings overwhelm him once again.
He slowly stood up, put his shirt back on, then headed for the nearby 'fresher.
He dimly hoped that the water tanks would be full because he felt like lingering
a bit under the water since nobody else would be using the shower on this trip.
******
At long last, the Falcon reached its destination. Karrde, who had taken
Skywalker's offer up and borrowed his quarters to take a well-deserved nap, was
now sitting behind the Jedi as he guided the ship through Coruscant's air
traffic. Mara was sitting beside him, monitoring the screens and audio-waves.
"Welcome back, Falcon," the air controller greeted as he would an old friend.
"Councilor Organa Solo is waiting for you at the usual berth."
"Thank you," the young man said, then steered the ship toward the bottom of the
Imperial Palace.
Coruscant.
She had vowed herself to never return to this place who reminded her too much of
what she used to have... who she used to be.
As she gazed around at the glassy spires, then at the all too familiar shape of
the Emperor's castle, her mind flooded with images of the past. Her several
flights in couch speeders when under the guise of a courtesan, the time she had
spent within the walls of the palace, preparing missions,... her returns from
the said missions, victorious and filled with the feeling of contentment.
It was all in the past now, she thought as she pulled herself back to the
present moment... and Skywalker's presence.
Was he aware of how this was affecting her?, she wondered as she watched him
from the corner of her eye. Did he even realize that he was still alive because
Karrde needed him or else she would have, indeed, taken care of him instead of
letting her drag on this planet once again?
Probably not, she conceded as she refocused on the main viewport. The hangar
bays were now right in front of them; Skywakler expertly flew them right into
them, then over their assigned birth. Even though she knew that he was a great
pilot, she was still slightly surprised when he set the ship down without any
sign that they were, in fact, landing.
Just like she always did, Skywalker knew the art of landing on a credit's coin.
Yet one more thing they had in common, she pouted even as she felt the voice
come up once again to keep her from thinking this way about the Jedi.
She braced herself for its explosion---
"YOU WILL KILL LUKE SKYWALKER!"
'Not yet,' she answered it, turning away from her target to quench her reflexive
dislike of him.
Meanwhile, Skywalker and Karrde discussed about what they would tell to his
sister as they exited the cockpit. She noticed that they left her alone, as if
aware that she needed her space.
She silently thanked the Force for their understanding, then did take a moment
to pull herself together.
She was on Coruscant, and couldn't kill the Jedi yet.
Luke threw a glance over his shoulder to check on his third companion.
"I hope we haven't rattled her too much with our coming here," he commented as
he studied the back of her head.
"If she hadn't wanted to be here, she would not be," the smuggler said as he
steered him toward the main ramp.
"Probably," Luke reluctantly agreed.
He keyed open the main hatch, waited for the ramp to lower, then was about to
walk down from it when a hand shot out of nowhere and kept him aboard; in front
of him, Karrde was already half-way down the ramp. Luke turned around,
perfectly aware of who was holding him back, and gazed straight in Mara Jade's
green eyes.
For a moment, neither of them said anything until Karrde came back and asked
them if everything was all right. To his surprise, Mara nodded before she
pulled him slightly out of sight.
They had barely stepped out of view that Luke felt his sister's mind check on
him.
*I'm all right,* he reassured her, then refocused on his companion.
"Look, I," the red-head began hesitantly as she looked away from him. "Nothing
has changed between us, but... Thank you for helping me, Skywalker," she said in
one breath.
Aware that this was a difficult moment for her, Luke nodded in understanding.
"Anytime, Mara," he reassured her, made sure that she didn't want to add
something, then exited the ship and joined his sister who was impatiently
waiting for him.
Mara followed the Jedi with her eyes for as long as she could, aware that she
had just broken one of her own rules: she had thanked him. She had shown real,
genuine gratitude to the man she didn't want to care about.
Well once did not make it a habit, she tried to reassure herself. She had
simply wanted him to know that this latest misadventure was over, that she knew
what he had done for Karrde... and that it didn't change anything about her vows
to avenge her master.
However, she couldn't say that she felt well with herself to still plan his
demise after his generous assistance in a matter he didn't even have to care
about. Even more than everything else she had discovered about him while in his
company, the simple fact that he had helped her was making her feel like a
traitor in his regards.
But this was ridiculous. The only traitor there was lived in herself if she
didn't fulfill her last mission which had been lasting for five years now. It
was her duty, her...
Her thoughts died in her mind as she stepped down from the ramp and caught sight
of the hugging brother and sister Jedi. Skywalker was holding the fierce,
feisty Princess Organa in a warm embrace while she was hugging him around the
neck as if she would never let him go.
Even if she wasn't as sensitive as Skywalker was, she felt their love for each
other, how they would both defend the other with their lives if need be. Now
there was a depth of emotions she had only heard about... had somewhat seen in
Solo when she had met him on Myrkr, but she was only beginning to understand how
powerful it truly was. Instead of being alone, they were together, standing up
for each other... like Skywalker had done with her while aboard the Chimaera,
she realized.
Leia hugged her brother one more time, feeling absolutely relieved that he was
back and unharmed.
"I could say the same thing about you, Leia," he half-whispered in her ear,
surprising her with the fact that she hadn't shielded her thoughts. "When I
heard that the Falcon had been captured, I really worried about you."
"I'll tell you everything about it," she promised him as she opened her eyes----
and caught sight of the red-head woman her husband had told her about. "And you
will tell me everything about your own adventure," she warned him seriously,
pulling away from him to meet his gaze.
As if aware of what she meant, Luke turned slightly in the direction of the
newcomers. "It's all right, trust me," he then answered while he invited her to
meet the two smugglers.
Behind her, Chewie tilted his head as he studied the woman he had also heard
about, then agreed to trust Luke for the moment.
Leia for her part fastened her gaze on the woman who had captured her brother on
Myrkr. She could feel that there was more her than what her husband and brother
had told her, but he couldn't say what. The closer they walked to her and Talon
Karrde, and the more she felt a slight shiver of worry as the green-eyed woman
studied her in turn.
"Mara Jade, Talon Karrde, this is my sister, Leia Organa Solo," Luke introduced
quickly. "And this is Chewbacca, but I think you've met him already."
"Pleased to meet you, Mara," she answered, offering her hand for a welcoming
shake.
The other woman returned the gesture; her grip was strong, she realized.
Whatever the woman was or had been, she didn't lack self-confidence nor physical
strength.
She repeated the gesture with the man, then invited them to step inside the
palace with her.
"So Luke told me that you needed to speak with the High Council?" she inquired
as she threw a gaze at both smugglers.
"Yes, and the sooner will be the better," Karrde said seriously, obviously aware
that such impromptu meetings could meet with delays if not properly pushed.
"May I ask what it is about?" she queried, throwing a quick glance at her
brother. He didn't give anything away.
"Battleships, and that is all I will say until then," the smuggler stated
seriously.
While Organa Solo pondered Karrde's request, Mara studied the petite woman and
tried to link the present with what she knew of her past. So this was the last
princess of Alderaan, the rebel leader who had witnessed the end of her world
before moving on to become a true figurehead of the Rebel Alliance, and now the
second-in-command of the New Republic.
She was Skywalker's sister.
If one didn't know her, she conceded that the intricate gown and artfully
arranged braids would fool the other into thinking that she was but yet another
diplomat, but from the way her bright eyes took in every detail, how her slim
body still seemed in very good shape and how her hands looked firm from holding
more blasters than one could think, she couldn't deny that Leia Organa Solo, now
obviously pregnant, had once been the proud Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan.
She suspected that just like her brother was more than he looked, she too could
pull quite a few surprises on her enemies.
And right now, her enemy was Thrawn, the tactical genius who was at the head of
the Imperial army... but who wasn't the Emperor nor anybody who deserved her
respect anymore.
He had lied to her... he had thus chosen to become her enemy.
As if feeling her train of thoughts, Skywalker threw a surreptitious glance in
her direction; she glared at him to discourage him from addressing her in any
way.
The Jedi pouted slightly and refocused on his sister.
Minutes later, their group split in two as a droid escorted her and Karrde to
guests' quarters to wait for their meeting with the Council.
******
Meanwhile, Leia took her brother and Wookiee friend back to her office and
warned Winter that she didn't want to be disturbed for the next twenty minutes.
She could feel that he was hiding something from her and was determinate to find
out what before bringing Karrde anywhere close to the High Council.
"Okay, Luke," she sighed as she sat in her couch, "last time I heard about Talon
Karrde, he had barely let you and Han go to remain neutral in the conflict, and
now you show up with him and an offer about battleships. What's going on?"
Her brother sighed slightly, then leaned forward in his chosen seat and locked
his gaze with hers.
"Karrde has just escaped detention from the Imperials who want what he is
offering us. We can trust him," he told her earnestly.
"Not so fast, little brother," she warned him seriously. "First, I want to know
how you ended up with the two of them and the Falcon."
"Since when are you the oldest?" he asked her, a smirk tugging at his lips.
In his chosen corner, Chewie equally whoofed in amusement.
"Since I have a less impressive medical record than you do," she teased him
slightly, then turned serious again. "So, what happened?"
"Well," he began hesitantly, "I was on Jomark with the Jedi who had contacted me
on Nklon,"
"You did what??" she asked him incredulously.
"I had to know," he explained seriously. "I had to check if the rumor was true
or not. It turned out to be true... and false."
"Meaning?" his sister asked, throwing a glance at their Wookiee companion who
was slightly baring his teeth at the mention of danger for the young man.
"You were right, he works for the Empire," he admitted, "but he is also a true
Jedi... a dark one."
"What??" Leia gaped, her hand going to her stomach as if to protect her unborn
children. "Are you telling me that a dark Jedi is once again roaming freely
amongst the stars?"
Luke could only nod; he hadn't thought much about the crazy Jedi on his way
home, but now that he was talking about him, he had to admit that he 'was',
somewhat, worried about the presence of another dark Jedi.
The last one he had fought against had nearly killed him. If not for his
father's intervention, he knew that he wouldn't be here today. Would he be able
to survive this new threat?.. He would be alone against it this time, would not
allow Leia to get involved with it in any way.
"Where is he now?" she asked him worriedly.
"We left him unconscious on Jomark without any means of galactic transport. He
should stay there for the time being."
"Unless the Empire comes by and recovers him," his sister pointed out grimly.
"Yes, although... he is not totally sane. I think that the Empire had put him
there to keep him out of the way for the time being," he reflected outloud.
"That would be the day," Leia snorted slightly before she recovered her
composure. "So what happened with him?"
"Basically, Mara showed up and asked for my help to rescue Karrde. C'Boath
didn't want to let me go, tried to convince me to stay... we fought, and Artoo
knocked him out with the pulse of a near hit from the x-wing's cannons."
"And you went with her even if she had captured you before?"
"I could feel that I could trust her, Leia," he defended himself. "Mara is
changing at the moment, reconsidering many things she's always taken for
granted, and she's loyal to Karrde. Besides," he shrugged, "I couldn't turn her
down."
Leia fumed slightly at her brother's frustrating compassion.
"Someday, Brother," she warned him, "you will help the wrong kind of damsel in
distress," she finished with just an hint of amusement.
"Perhaps, but so far, I haven't been wrong in following my feelings," he
returned in kind.
The ex-princess from Alderaan glared some more at her brother, then relented and
sighed.
"Okay, you're the Jedi with those instincts of yours. I won't debate about your
choices. So, what is Karrde willing to offer to us?" she inquired, coming back
to business and shooing away images of Mara Jade hurting her brother.
If Luke trusted her, then the least she could do is trust his judgment and give
a chance to the mysterious, enigmatic red-head.
TBC in part 6: Checking on Mara (after the battle of the Katana Fleet)
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