Chapter 6

A few hours later, Mara emerged from her quarters calm, cool and collected. Luke tried not to stare at her. She was clad in a pair of tight fitting black pants and a deep green tunic that set her emerald eyes on fire. But the most shocking part of her appearance were her hair and face. She had changed her hair from its natural red-gold color to a rich auburn and pulled it back into a thick braid. She then used cosmetic enhancers to raise the ridge of her eyebrows and change her skin coloring. The skin around her hairline was softly shaded in glittering greens and yellows with black speckles.

"What?" she asked in seeming innocence. But she couldn't hold back the chuckle that escaped her lips. "Nice disguise, don't you think?"

"Not if you're trying to be inconspicuous," he mumbled under his breath. But then, he doubted that anything could make Mara seem inconspicuous.

"What did you say?"

"Nothing." He shrugged. Her mood swings would never cease to baffle him.

She arched an eyebrow at him, but decided to let it go.

At that moment, the ship's sensors beeped announcing their drop out of hyperspace, and they both trotted to the cockpit. The swirling colors of hyperspace split into white streaks that dissolved into pinpricks of starlight. A planet with blue-green oceans and landmasses mottled in bright greens and browns hung in space in the front viewport. There were no artificial satellites orbiting the planet, nor did any kind of space patrol attempt to contact them.

"Awfully quiet here," Luke muttered. His Force sense tingled, but offered no insight to the uneasy feeling the planet gave him.

"According to Karrde, the planet is populated by a few indigenous tribes on the northern continent." Mara explained. "They are primitive by our standards in that they don't have any major cities or even electricity. The inhabitants are naturalists whose religion forbids the use of anything not found in the natural environment. Guru built his fortress on a large deserted island located in the middle of the planet's largest ocean. It's several hundred kilometers from any kind of landmass. See, look there."

Luke followed where she pointed. A clump of purplish clouds continued floating north across the ocean to reveal a green patch rising like a blemish against the sparkling blue-green waters. "You call that an island? It looks like a small continent!"

The island-continent continued to grow larger as Mara directed the Jade's Fire toward it, and he saw two volcanoes that had sprung up from the depths of the planet to find home at the landmass's center.

When they were almost on top of the island, voice crackled over the comm system. "This is Port Control. Unidentified ship, state your identity and business."

Mara spoke into the comm, her voice steady and businesslike. "This is Trader Asaro, captain of the Star Dancer requesting permission to land. I have business with Guru."

"What business?" the officer demanded. He sounded suspicious.

"That is confidential, Port Control," Mara responded putting a trace of impatience in her voice. "Just tell him that the messenger from the Circle of Light has arrived."

* * * * *

Guru entered the brightly-lit room with caution. Sunlight streamed through the immense paned glass wall offering a panoramic view over the tops of the trees to the white sandy beaches and the ocean beyond. In front of the window, a lone figure wrapped in a shimmering purple-black cloak stood in somber contrast to the sunny room. Guru eyed his master contemptuously as he approached, but kept a respectful silence. He had seen the results of previous interruptions by his men and had no desire to have that kind of wrath inflicted upon himself. He came to within a meter of the specter and waited patiently for acknowledgment. He didn't wait long.

"Is everything in place?" She asked. Her dark brown eyes, the only feature visible from her under her cloak, continued to gaze unseeing out the window.

"Yes, Master. The last aurelia was installed this morning. Also-"

"He is here," she interrupted. A tremor of anticipation seeped into her steely voice.

"A cargo ship has entered the system," Guru confirmed. "It is registered to a Captain Asaro."

A small, delicate hand contracted into a fist. "Yes, I know." Her voice remained silky smooth and calm, though Guru could pick up small threatening tones of irritation. "He is not alone," she stated. "SHE is with him."

"Shall I give them permission to land?"

"Yes. After I get what I want, dispose of Asaro. Quietly."

"Of course, Master." Guru inclined his head in a slight bow and hurried from the chamber.

* * * * *

Guru must have been eager to get his hands on the artifact, because they had only waited a few minutes for clearance. The officer, significantly more humble, gave them the landing coordinates.

Mara skillfully maneuvered the Jade's Fire around the island toward the coordinates while at the same time giving them a good overhead view of the terrain. Most of the island seemed to be covered in rain forest. A few breaks in the dense foliage revealed a river and several tributaries winding down from a natural spring in the large mountain and the uppermost ivory towers of Guru's fortress. Mara set the ship down on a landing platform built into the side of the smaller volcano located just off to the side of its parent and commenced shut down procedures. Luke felt almost useless sitting in the co-pilot's seat, but quickly dismissed the emotion realizing Mara would've gone berserk if he had attempted to touch anything on her precious ship. Sometimes he thought she was more protective than Han was with the Millenium Falcon.

"I'm not overprotective," she argued. "I just like things done the right way."

"Now who's walking around in whose head?" Luke admonished, though he was amazed that she could pick up his thoughts so clearly.

Mara gave him a withering look. "I don't need the Force to know what you're thinking. Your face says it all."

That surprised him even more. Was he really that readable?

"You'd better go change, Skywalker," she continued, interrupting his thoughts.

Luke nodded and headed for the small room Mara had loaned him for the journey. He returned to the cockpit in a matter of minutes with his lightsabre tucked safely out of sight in a side pocket on his cargo pants. Mara turned in her seat to regard him. He had used a hair stimulator to grow a goatee and dyed it and the rest of his hair jet black. It wasn't as drastic a change as Mara's appearance, but he could always use the Force to divert anyone from probing too deeply into who he really was.

Mara said nothing, and he began to squirm uncomfortably as her eyes inspected him from head to toe. Then a spark of annoyance ignited within him as she shook her head in seeming disappointment. "What?" he demanded a little too aggressively.

"Do you have anything in your wardrobe that's NOT black?" she asked slightly exasperated.

"What's wrong with black?" He demanded. Then striking a sad excuse for a fashion pose he added, "It's very slimming don't you think? It's all the rage with the monks of the galaxy."

To Luke's surprise, Mara let out a short burst of laughter. He enjoyed the sound. It instantly warmed him. She quickly subdued herself, though she could not stop her eyes from crinkling slightly in mirth.

"If you got any skinnier, farmboy, you'd disappear," she retorted a little breathlessly. "All right, Fashion Master, we've got work to do." She walked toward the outer hatch and playfully punched him in the stomach in passing.

* * * * *

Guru was waiting for them on the platform as they descended the boarding ramp and into the warm, moist air of the island. He was an imposing man, tall and sturdily built. His blond, nearly white hair was pulled back into a loose tail that cascaded halfway down his back. From a distance he looked like a young man in the prime of his youth, but closer up, Mara could see the creases forming at the edges of his eyes and mouth as he journeyed through middle age. He watched them with pale blue eyes that seemed almost transparent.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Trader Asaro," he greeted Luke when they were in earshot. His voice was smooth like fine silk and friendly, but reserved. He glanced amusedly at Mara. "I was not expecting a companion."

Rage boiled under Mara's cool demeanor. She stepped forward and introduced herself, her voice colder than Hoth in winter. "I am Trader Asaro. Skye Asaro. This is my co-pilot Wyll." The amused grin immediately disappeared. "The galaxy can be a dangerous place. I trust my companion's presence will not hinder our transaction."

"Not at all." He flashed her a dazzling smile. "I must apologize for my earlier assumption. You will both be welcome guests here. I have a hover car waiting to take us back to the house." He motioned for them to follow him, his silver cape swirling elegantly around him.

Guru's house turned out to be an ancient temple that had been restored to accommodate more modern amenities. High walls, bleached white from the tropical sun enclosed the fortress that was built directly into the mountainside. As they passed through an imposing arch, Mara suddenly felt a blinding flash through the Force. For a split second, she could feel the presence of every life form on the planet, sentient or not, as clearly as if they were a part of her own body. Then the feeling dissolved into a fading buzz and mild headache that left her slightly dizzy.

"Ms. Asaro!" A frantic voice broke through the fog. "Your co-pilot seems to be ill."

Mara slowly became aware that Luke was slumped over in the passenger seat next to the driver. "L-Wyll!" she exclaimed, catching herself before she blew their cover. She reached over the seat and gently shook his shoulder. A lump formed in her throat as Skywalker remained deathly still.