Chapter 11

The lift dropped off its two occupants on the first floor. From there, Mara strolled down the grand hallway with Luke by her side. Her entire body tingled. Her every sense feeling clearer, sharper, more alert. It occurred to her that her senses should've felt slightly dulled without the Force, but she chalked it up to the many years of experience she had on covert missions.

She gave her companion a sideways glance. Something seemed kind of off about him this evening. He seemed distracted, or more distracted than usual. Without the Force, she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. Some of his gestures, though they went along with his farmboy chivalry, for some reason seemed out of place tonight. And the playfulness he had exhibited earlier had been shocking and rather out of character. With a mental shrug, she decided there was nothing she could do about it, except remind him to stay sharp.

From the top of the wide marble staircase, she and Skywalker could see the party was already in full swing. Hundreds of people in fantastic costumes filled the grand entrance and most of the first two floors. Several sipped cocktails from long-stemmed crystal glasses or nibbled on fruity hors-d'œuvres served on wooden trays by servants in perfectly pressed black and white shirt fronts and floral print pants that had been cut off at the knee. One glance at the crowd told Mara that the guests present represented the underbelly of the spice world. Like their dress and manner, their businesses and methods were far from refined.

Suddenly, Mara nearly did a nosedive down the long flight of stairs as a young woman collided into her. Skywalker caught her arm before she could fall. Any retort died on her lips as Mara gazed in shock at the girl. She was completely naked. The girl seemed unfazed and called out a quick apology before bounding down the rest of the steps, large breasts flying wildly in all directions, to where her date was waiting for her. He was also without clothing.

"I'm suddenly feeling overdressed for this party," he quipped.

"If that's the dress code for this party," she commented, "I'm going back to my room."

Luke grinned mischievously. "Party pooper."

She arched an eyebrow at the ill-concealed innuendo. That was definitely not a typical Skywalker comment. She wasn't sure how to respond except to shake her head impatiently and reply, "All right, can we get back to the mission? I'll take the ballroom, you take the pavilion. Try to find out as much as you can about Guru and who he does business with, but be discreet. We don't want to raise any suspicions."

"Yes, ma'am." He gave her a mock salute and bounded down the stairs to join the party that was spilling outdoors.

Mara watched him in amusement. He would never really grow up. He would play the solemn and brooding Jedi Master for the public, but he couldn't completely hide the thrill-seeking farmboy that still thrived beneath the rigid exterior. She had to admit that his exterior was looking quite dashing this evening, despite the garish style of clothing Guru had loaned him. But then any change from his usual Jedi blacks was an improvement. The floral shirt set off his big, boyish blue eyes like twin sapphires, and the white linen pants hugged just enough of his bu-- Whoa, Mara! she halted herself. She silently cursed Skywalker for taking her mind down that path and shook away her wandering thoughts. This was neither the time, the place, or for that matter the person to be having these thoughts about. She had once made it her mission to kill the man for Force-sake! Even though he had forgiven her long ago, it was still not something easily forgotten.

The skin on her back tingled where his fingers had gently applied her painted disguise. It was an unnerving sensation, though she had to admit he did a nice job. She took a firm grip on her mind and forced herself to think about the situation at hand. She spotted a small group of flashy guests chatting near the entrance to the ballroom and decided to begin her investigation there.

* * * *

Luke wandered casually out to the pavilion feeling unusually chipper. His heart was light and his spirit high. There was a bounce in his step that he had thought he'd lost forever. He passed by a perfectly pressed servant carrying a tray laden with glasses of pink champagne. He grabbed one and discreetly poured half the contents into a nearby plant. He hoped the half-empty glass would prevent anyone from offering him a drink. He couldn't afford to dull his already weakened senses with alcohol, but sobriety at this party would definitely seem out of place. Even the wild parties he had attended with the X-Wing squadron didn't compare to this.

Luke paused as a strange buzzing sensation filtered through his mind. He hoped that perhaps something was trying to get through the spice-induced Force-block that had hit him and Mara. He closed his eyes and reached out his senses searching for even the tiniest clarity in the Force. He stumbled a couple of steps as a wave of dizziness hit him. When he regained his equilibrium, the dizziness was gone, but the buzzing was significantly louder.

He sighed. The world came back into focus as he opened his eyes. He hadn't really expected it to work after failing at every previous attempt. But despite the disappointing setback, he hadn't lost the feeling of complete relaxation. The air was warm in the rain forest that night, the stars shined brightly overhead, and the many species of plants populating the island gave off a sweet smell that made the simple act of breathing enjoyable.

Reality crashed in on him. He could almost here a voice sounding distinctly similar to that of a temperamental red-head cut through his musings. They were not here to have fun. They were here to find the lost crew and a dark Jedi. He glanced around almost expecting to see her shimmering neon form. The outfit she wore fit snugly over her curves and revealed a tantalizing amount of skin. More Mara skin than he'd ever seen before. He shook his head needing to regain his focus. Even without the Force he could hear her scolding him for not paying attention to work.

* * * * *

The first few conversations Mara struck up had given her no clues as to the whereabouts of the missing crews or the identity of the mysterious buyer. She hadn't really expected anyone at the party to have that kind of information, so instead she focused on Guru and his business. And the more she learned about it, the less she liked her gracious host. Most of the guests seemed to revere him as one would a holo-star or famous musician.

As the night progressed, the conversations became more slurred as whatever beverage had been flowing began to take stronger effect. Some of the lazy eyes and relaxed smiles had a decidedly narcotic look to them. They wanted to talk less and less about business and more on personal subjects. Within an hour, she had been propositioned by three men. She told them in so uncertain terms to keep walking, or staggering as the case may be. Karrde would've been proud at her restraint, she thought sardonically.

She was getting no where with the guests, so she took the opportunity to explore the rooms leading off of the main gallery and ballroom. Several times she accidentally barged in on couples using the relative privacy to get to know each other better. She didn't bother to excuse herself, and she doubted they noticed her presence anyway.

She came to a small library that was thankfully empty and slipped inside unnoticed. She fumbled in the dark for some kind of light source until her hand brushed against a heavy object that felt like some sort of metal. Running her fingers over it, she found a button and pushed. She was rewarded with a soft glow that emanated from one of the two antique lamps that stood on either side of the room. Books that must've been hundreds of years old lined all four walls from floor to ceiling in deeply stained wooden cases. She took down a few and leafed through them. Some were really flimsiplast, but most of the collection actually had organic pages. Once again she found herself awed by the richness Guru had surrounded himself with, but she immediately reminded herself just how he came to be so wealthy.

In random places around the room, several small sculptures had been placed to act as attractive bookends. One statue of a woman in flowing marble fabric caught her eye. She was no art collector, but the design seemed somehow familiar to her. Her eyes widened as her eyes locked on the belt cinching the woman's robes around her slender waist. The closure was an exact match to the amulet she had sold to Guru. This was one of the missing pieces from the stolen cargoes!

Suddenly the door swung open, and she jumped nearly a meter in surprise. Standing in the doorway was a man with dark curly hair and a predatory grin on his scarred face. His bulk completely filled the doorway. He gazed at her with heavy-lidded eyes, his head swaying slightly from side to side. He reminded her of one of those serpents that hypnotizes its prey before devouring it.

"Well, hello there darlin'," he drawled and began slithering toward her. "I've been meaning to introduce myself to you all night."

She backed away from the wall and drifted toward the center of the library where she would have more room to move if she needed to. Her eyes never left his. She put as much venom in her gaze as possible trying to deter him from advancing any further. But in his current state, he paid her warning no heed.

"What's say we make this a private party, beautiful," he continued.

"I think I'm partied out," she replied stonily.

"I really need some company tonight."

"I'm more of a loner."

They began circling each other, testing each other's wills. The distance between them slowly collapsed in on itself like a dying star. Mara kept herself perfectly balanced on her feet. Her every muscle coiled in preparation of a strike.

"You're too beautiful to keep it all to yourself. I'm sure you would like me once you got to know me. You'll find I'm really a nice guy."

"Nice guys are never self-proclaimed."

He leered at her with a toothy grin. "Well, maybe I'm not a nice guy, but then no one has ever complained before." At that moment he decided to strike. His arm lashing out to catch her wrist and bring her the rest of the distance to him. But she was ready for him. Using her momentum as he pulled her toward him, she brought her knee up to groin level and made contact. The man immediately doubled over and gasped for breath. He glared up at her with pure hatred. He must have been a strong species, because he was only stunned for a moment, whereas any other man would have been wondering if he would ever be able to breed.

But before he could counter-attack, another man entered the library. His demeanor and voice smooth and calm. "Ah, Samil, I see you have met Trader Asaro." He appeared to be unaware of the tension in the room, though he must have seen enough from the doorway.

"Guru!" the man cried, his interest in Mara completely gone in the shadow of his revered leader.

"I heard that you came into a new shipment of yabbat spice," Guru continued. "I would be pleased if we could arrange a little shipping deal. Shall I set an appointment for tomorrow afternoon?"

"Oh, yes, yes," the man practically drooled. "I'll go get everything prepared right away."

"Good. I'll tell my assistant to expect you tomorrow."

The man understood the underlying dismissal and quickly scurried from the room, any thoughts of a nocturnal conquest forgotten in the honor bestowed on him by Guru. Mara looked after him in disgust. Then she turned on Guru with a particularly hard look. He gave her a friendly smile, but it was no less threatening than that of the man who had just left, only better disguised.

"I could have taken care of him, myself," she said as neutrally as possible.

"Oh, I don't doubt it," Guru waved her off. "The man's a buffoon, but he supplies me with lucrative products, and he needs to be in one piece to do that. I'm merely protecting my business interests, you see."

Mara only nodded. Guru guided her out of the library, down the hallway and into the ballroom. He placed a hand on her back, and she deftly moved out of reach. The men certainly were getting "touchy-feely" tonight. She noted that he never asked her why she was in the library in the first place. Either it was a common enough occurrence to disregard her presence there, or he already knew why she was there. Caution dictated that she believe the latter.

They entered the grand ballroom. Across the room, Mara was stunned speechless. She spotted Skywalker laughing gaily with a couple of stunning women showing a daring amount of skin, though not quite as daring as the two nudists they had run into on the stairs. Apparently, he had decided he would blend in better by doffing his own shirt and pants as well. He was in excellent shape, and the Yavin sun had kept his skin a golden brown, unlike the pale spacers occupying the room, which made him an instant attraction for the women. Sporting only a pair of shorts, he looked like he was having a grand ole time. He whispered something into one of the women's ears, and she immediately burst into a fit of giggles. Mara couldn't decide whether to be shocked or furious. The great Jedi Master was actually flirting!

Their eyes locked. He threw her a dopey grin and a pathetic wave. The women turned to see who had distracted their prize catch from them. Seeing Mara, each one wrapped an arm possessively around Skywalker's waist and gave her identically catty smiles. Her eyes shot daggers at the women and the lout between them. He was supposed to be working, for sith-sake! She crooked a finger sharply at him, commanding him to come to her.

He gave each woman a peck on the cheek and bounded happily over to her. Using every ounce of restraint she possessed, she opened her mouth to comment on his lack of work-related activity. But before the first sound could escape her lips, he wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug and twirled her around once.

"Hey, Skye!" he greeted, giddily stressing her false name.

"Put me down," she seethed under breath. The last thing she needed was Skywalker drawing attention to them. At least he had remembered their cover. He complied. She turned to Guru with as much composure as she could muster. A moment passed between Guru and Skywalker that could have only been described as territorial. "Would you please excuse us for a moment, Guru?" she asked politely.

He tore his cool stare away from Skywalker to give her an understanding smile. "Of course. I should probably go attend to my other guests anyway." With a slight bow, he moved off into the crowd and soon disappeared. Skywalker's cold gaze never left his retreating back, until Mara dragged him by the arm to a less populated corner.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I don't even want to know why you're wandering around here in your underwear," Mara ranted at quietly as possible. "We are supposed to be working, not living it up with the local space junkies."

"Just tryin' to fit in, doll," he drawled. "But you are so gorgeous when you're jealous."

Mara's jaw dropped nearly to the floor. It was several seconds before she could speak. "Are you drunk?" The notion seemed ludicrous. She had never seen him drink to excess in all the ten years she had known him. But it was the only explanation for his odd behavior.

"Nope. I'm perfectly lucid." He brushed a finger along her cheek. She batted his hand away impatiently. "Everything is suddenly very clear," he continued.

She looked at him in confusion. "You can feel the Force again?"

His eyes took on a sparkle that was not unpleasant except for being uncharacteristic. He moved closer until there was only a hair's breadth between them. Mara felt every muscle in her body freeze while every instinct in her brain told her to flee. He bend down so his lips were almost touching her ear. In a husky voice, he whispered, "No, but you could feel the force."

Her brain must not have been functioning properly. She tried to digest the words, but they just didn't make any sense to her. Then she felt his hands sliding down her bare back, tighten his embrace, and ending finally with a gentle squeeze of her buttocks. Her eyes flew wide, and her instincts finally regained control of her motor functions. With an enraged screech, she shoved him as hard as she could, then her right fist made solid contact with his jaw. Skywalker slumped heavily against the wall and rubbed his chin in confusion. Mara turned on her heel and stomped out of the ballroom ignoring the inquiring pairs of eyes that had witnessed the entire episode.