Author's Note: Sorry it has been so long since I've updated. School and work are kicking my ass at the moment. But I promise that I will continue posting new chapters. I have to, because I've already written the end! Thanks for your patience and not forgetting about me.

Chapter 20

Luke and Mara lay entangled on the leaves long after the sun had set. The rain continued to softly sprinkle the lovers, but nothing could break into their world. Luke rested his head on Mara's chest and bathed in her presence, both physically and in the Force. He inhaled deeply, drawing in her spicy scent, and savored the taste of her on his lips. He didn't think he had ever felt so content in his entire life.

Content? He was nearly drunk with happiness! Mara loved him! Reflecting back on their past, he guessed he shouldn't have been surprised. He mentally kicked himself for being so blind, for taking so many years to see what treasure he had standing right in front of him. He kissed one rosy nipple drawing a satisfied sigh from Mara. He followed with a tender kiss on her lips. Mara smiled into his eyes and kissed him back, but he still felt a twinge of nervousness within her. Some of her barriers had come back up, but they were only to maintain a certain amount of privacy. Neither had spoken for a long time.

"You are so beautiful, Mara," he whispered, trying to find some way to reassure her hidden fear.

"Where do we go from here, Luke?" she asked ignoring the compliment. "Am I supposed to move to Yavin IV with you? Are you supposed to run around the galaxy with me? Are we supposed to just happily sail off into the sunset and have lots of babies? Just how is this supposed to work? I – "

He held a finger to her lips to quiet her. "Let's just take things one step at a time. We'll figure out living arrangements later. In the meantime, we still have slaves to rescue, a laboratory to destroy and an ex-girlfriend to exorcise."

Mara stared at him in surprise before breaking into a short fit of laughter. "I never thought I'd hear you talk about her like that," she said. He could hear a certain amount of relief in her voice. Her body rumbled pleasantly against his, and he had to fight to keep himself from taking her again, right then and there.

"Well, you do strange things to me, Jade," he replied.

"All good, I hope," she said drawing her fingertips teasingly up his spine.

Luke knew she had felt the accompanying shiver that had followed her fingertips. Oh, why fight it? He pressed his lips hungrily to hers, their fires lighting once more.

"Ahem," a voice interrupted.

Luke's face turned crimson as his lips broke away from Mara's, and he looked up to find Annaïse looking down on them with a smug smile. She gave Mara a triumphant look. "See, I told you he loved you."

Mara quickly looked away in embarrassment. Luke quickly spotted their clothes lying on some branches about a meter from them and used the Force to yank them over their bodies.

"Um, Annaïse, could you give us a minute to – uh – freshen up?" Mara said.

Luke couldn't help but grin as Mara's voice squeaked out of her. It wasn't every day he got to see the trader so flustered. He enjoyed the sight, but he was also beginning to feel a bit self-conscious. Luckily, Annaïse took the hint and wandered off to give them some privacy.

"Well, I think we'd better get back to the mission," he said planting one last kiss on her lips. To his surprise, she smacked him lightly on the arm. "What was that for?"

"For enjoying my discomfort," she retorted.

Luke grinned. "You felt that, huh?"

Mara lost her battle to keep from grinning as well. "Yeah, among other things." She glanced pointedly at Skywalker, Jr.

Luke blushed slightly and began pulling on his pants and tunic.

With perfect timing, Annaïse appeared as Mara and Luke were lacing up their boots.

"It's not very far to the docking platform," she informed them. "Maybe only a two hour hike, and we can use one of the access tunnels half way up the mountain to sneak in unobserved."

Mara narrowed her eyes. "How convenient," she murmured under her breath. But Luke caught the comment and gently squeezed her hand in reassurance. Annaïse turned and began hiking up the trail as if she had not heard a thing. Luke and Mara followed, but Luke could still feel Mara's suspicion.

The hike up the mountain was steep and dark. Luke and Mara didn't dare ignite their lightsabres for fear of being detected by Guru's men. Occasionally, a few beams of moonlight filtered down through the trees to light their way, but for the most part, they used the Force to pick their way up the narrow switchbacks. To one side, the mountain rose sharply, its rocky face dotted with tufts of grass and other plant life. The trio climbed single-file up the make-shift trail, hugging the wall to keep from slipping over the edge and down the sheer drop on the other side.

Luke tried to concentrate on the climb, but he found his mind wandering to the time he had just spent in Mara's arms. He hadn't thought that anything could make him feel so comfortable and excited at the same time. He could feel her silky skin wrapped around him and – whoa! Mara's arm shot out like lightning to steady him as he stumbled slightly, and a loose rock shattered the silence as clamored over the cliff.

You should pay more attention to where you're going, Luke, Mara chastised him lightly.

Luke was glad she couldn't see sheepish look on his face. The Jedi Master had hammered repeatedly into his students the importance of concentration and focus, but at the thought of the woman he loved, all the lessons seemed to fly out the window. He mentally shook himself. He'd better get a grip on his thoughts, because the lives of hundreds, thousands, possibly millions depended on the success of this mission.

At the halfway point up the mountain, Annaïse came to a halt in front of a section of rock wall. It seemed no different than any other part of the mountain they had passed, but Luke had learned that things are not always what they seem. He watched as Annaïse ran her tiny hands over one the jutting rocks. Her fingers moved deftly over the stone and dove in between the stems of the fragile white flowers that sprinkled this part of the mountain with their sweet fragrance. Immediately a large boulder recessed into the mountain revealing a long, dark tunnel.

This island is just full of hidden surprises, isn't it? Mara shot to him. And our little friend seems to know all its secrets.

She's lived here most of her life, Mara, he replied. It's only nat—

Suddenly blackness engulfed Luke's mind. He felt the world slipping out from beneath his feet. He reached out for Mara, but his hands only reached thin air. He pitched forward and the ground came rushing up to meet him. Then all was silent.

A far-off voice broke through the haze that surrounded Luke. He groaned and fought his way back to the realm of the conscious. I'm getting really tired of passing out. A sharp smack and Mara's worried voice yanked him back to reality. Groaning, he forced his eyes open to the lovely vision hovering over him. He smiled at her. Mara, you— Then it hit him. He couldn't feel her. He fought down his panic, but couldn't keep from frantically clasping her hand to reassure his befuddled mind that she was really there.

"Look who finally caught up the rest of us," Mara retorted. Her voice was stressed, and her mouth had hardened into an annoyed line.

"We've been drugged again?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

"We're high as a tree on Kashyyyk," she quipped humorlessly. She lowered her voice and glanced warily at Annaïse, who was closing the boulder-door behind them. "The door must have been booby trapped."

Once again they were encased in black. With a snap-hiss, Mara ignited her lightsabre, bathing the chamber in blue-white light. Luke sat up and brushed the dust from his tunic. He glanced over at Mara and notice she looked rather dusty herself. He guessed she had taken a tumble as well. It was a good thing that they had collapsed into the tunnel instead of over the cliff.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Just great," she growled.

Luke left it alone. Mara's voice had turned to steel, and she was studying Annaïse for any telltale signs that she had known about the trap. Luke knew first-hand how much Mara hated to have her mind messed with, and he felt sorry for anyone daring enough to attempt it. He glanced at their friendly guide. He couldn't put his finger on it, but for some reason he trusted the little being. He shoved himself off the ground and placed a placating hand on her shoulder.

"I don't think Annaïse intends us any harm," he whispered. "I have felt no malice in her since we met."

Mara nodded begrudgingly, but the doubt still remained in her eyes.

"Are you guys okay?" Annaïse asked approaching them with a concerned look on her face.

"We're fine," Luke replied. "We should keep going, we're losing time."

Annaïse nodded and started off down the tunnel. Luke added the green hue of his lightsabre to Mara's blue one, and they followed her.

The tunnel continued in a steep incline up the inside of the mountain. Several times they encountered flights of steep stairs that took them closer and closer to the summit. The tunnel reminded Luke of the tunnels that ran throughout the mountain where Guru had built his fortress, but these tunnels looked far less expansive. A few side passages broke off from the main tunnel, but they ended abruptly after only a few meters.

After more than an hour of walking, Annaïse abruptly turned down one of the side passages. She turned toward Luke and Mara and motioned for them to remain silent. Crouching at the base of a smooth rock wall, she moved her fingers over the stones much as she had done at the beginning of the tunnel. Luke felt Mara tense, readying herself for any more surprises. A square door barely a meter high opened, and Annaïse crawled through the opening followed by the two Jedi. Instead of another room or another tunnel, they found themselves inside a metal ventilation shaft. Three meters to the right, warm artificial light spilled through wire mesh. They crept silently to the vent and peered into the docking bay.

Luke grinned. He knew Annaïse wouldn't let them down. From their hidden position, they could see five men guarding the Jade's Fire and several of Guru's men busily preparing one of the platforms for an approaching ship. The whine of the engines grew steadily louder, and though they could not see the ship from their angle, Luke guessed that it was probably a shuttle craft or a small transport ship. His face tightened. This was going to be tricky. He nodded to Mara and Annaïse to move toward the exit back into the tunnel.

Once they were safely out of hearing distance of the guards, Mara hissed, "We're out of time, the buyer is already here. Any ideas?"

"I'm thinking," he replied. At the first sight of her ship, he had noticed Mara become more agitated than normal. Like a protective parent, she itched to free her precious ship from its captors. She was using every ounce of willpower to refrain from charging single-handedly into the docking bay and taking on all the guards and whatever trap they had set for them. Luke searched his mind for a plan. How he wished he had the Force to guide him on this one.

"We're gonna need help if we're going to try to free the slaves and contain Guru and Callista until the New Republic can send reinforcements," Mara continued.

"The slaves can help us," Annaïse piped up.

Mara gave her an incredulous look. "But the slaves are like zombies. How are they going to organize a resistance when they're pumped up on spice?"

"One of the slaves from the most recent shipment is strong," Annaïse explained. "He's a Wookiee, so the spice doesn't affect him like it does the others. After time, I'm sure he'll become as senseless as the others, but he still has all his faculties right now."

"I didn't see any Wookiees in the pit?" Luke pointed out.

"Guru has him locked in solitary confinement."

"Do you think you could bust him out and convince him to work with us?"

"Sure."

"You and the Wookiee can help free the slaves and take care of some of Guru's men while we concentrate on Guru and Callista."

Mara looked doubtful. "You're nuts."

Luke ignored her. "We'll need to get a hold of a couple of speeder bikes," he said. "We can't afford to spend another three days wandering through the forest."

"No problem," Annaïse replied confidently, and she scampered down the tunnel before either Luke or Mara could protest.

"Okay, so I guess that's the plan," Mara retorted. "This is crazy, Skywalker."

"That's why it's going to work," he replied with a confident smile and planted a little kiss on her lips. "So you have any plans for taking care of our little garrison out there?"

Mara arched an eyebrow at him. "I thought we could go for the classic Solo Plan A."

"Charge in, blasters blasting, yelling at the top of our lungs, and pretty much causing a ruckus while we're outnumbered 15 to 2?"

She grinned. "That's the one."

"And you said my plan was crazy."

Mara gave him the code to the access hatch of the Fire. "They've probably disabled the Fire's comm systems, so if you make it to the ship first, use my portable comm unit to contact the New Republic. It's under my bunk in my quarters. It's not as powerful as the ship's device, so you'll have to be out in the open to send the message."

Luke nodded, but he suddenly felt a lump rise in his throat. He grabbed Mara by the shoulders and looked deeply into her eyes. "Just make sure that you make it to the ship too."

"Hey, I'm just trying to be prepared. What if I have to keep those thugs off your back?" She stood up on her tip-toes and planted a lingering kiss on his lips. "Now let's go kick some ass!"

Mara sprinted back into the ventilation shaft, Luke following close on her heels. They approached the vent, then clutching her lightsabre in one hand and her hold-out blaster in the other hand, Mara kicked out the wire mesh. Before the screen had clattered to the floor, the two Jedi had launched themselves out of the shaft landing directly behind two of the guards. With quick blows to the head with the back of their lightsabres, the two guards were quickly put out of commission.

The shuttle had just finished its landing cycle, and the boarding ramp was slowly lowering down to the deck where ten armed guards awaited to escort the occupants to Guru's fortress. At the sound of Luke and Mara's entrance, they all whirled around with their blaster rifles tracking the two Jedi. Mara quickly picked off two of the guards with her hold out blaster, and Luke blocked the red bolts that flew at her from across the docking platform.

Two shadowy figures emerged from the shuttle under the protection of four bodyguards and disappeared out of the hangar. Luke couldn't recognize them from the distance, but the insignia on the shuttle was definitely Imperial. He knew he shouldn't be surprised. He didn't think the Empire would ever give up their war against the New Republic. Since the demise of Grand Admiral Thrawn, the Empire had been lacking in leaders capable of staging any kind of major campaign against the New Republic. But with the Force-neutralizing spice, the Empire could swing the balance of power into their favor.

A blaster bolt sizzled past his arm with barely a millimeter to spare. Without the Force, his timing was slightly off, and several bolts were coming too close for comfort. Several guards trained their weapons on him, and he had to dive behind a stack of shipping crates for cover. He was effectively pinned there, and he worriedly searched the hangar to see how Mara was faring.

A blaster bolt hit the hilt of Mara's lightsabre, causing it to fly several meters across the hangar. Not pausing for an instant, Mara emitted an enraged war cry, charged at a dead run up to one of the guards and kicked her foot squarely into his chest. The guard flew backward, but was quickly replaced by another who swung a heavy fist into Mara's stomach. Luke instinctively rose to rush to her aid, but a red bolt flew past his head preventing any rescue. He looked on helplessly as Mara engaged the guard who was easily twice her size.

Mara had doubled over under the force of the punch, but she didn't miss a beat as she dodged the next fist that plunged down aiming toward her skull. She nimbly side-stepped the punch, and the guard's fist impacted with the unforgiving strength the duracrete floor. Standing up right, she kicked him in the stomach and delivered a blow to the back of his neck with the butt of her blaster. The man sank onto the floor unconscious.

"Mara, behind you!" Luke cried as another guard tried to sneak up on her.

With a dancer's grace, she spun and roundhouse kicked the man across the face. Blood ran down the guard's face, his nose probably broken, but he did not even seem to feel it. He kept coming toward her with his fist blocking every one of her punches. Mara ducked and backed up a few steps to give herself more room, then a few more steps until she found herself moving steadily toward the outer landing platform.

The guards had ceased firing on her, apparently to keep from hitting one of their own, but she was still in trouble. Luke searched for some kind of weapon that would be more effective than his lightsabre. His eyes caught the label on the packing crates. *Caution: Firearms* Using his lightsabre, he cut a hole into the crate and several blasters tumbled out. Putting an extra blaster in his belt, he grabbed another blaster in one hand and kept his lightsabre in the other. He popped out from behind his hiding place, his blaster emitting deadly fire.

The guards charged at him. He cut one down with his blade, and swept another off his feet with a kick to the knees. The others kept their distance after witnessing the deadly effects of the lightsabre, but they kept raining down the blaster fire from behind a make-shift barricade of crates. Luke checked on Mara out of the corner of his eye and continued to slowly work his way over to her.

Mara was rapidly losing ground. Her lip bled from catching a couple punches, but she kept on fighting. She tried to kick her attacker in the groin, but he grabbed her leg, twisted and she crashed to the ground with a painful groan. She continued her twist, planted both hands on the ground and thrust her legs toward the man's head. He dodged, but in doing so, he lost his grip on her leg. Mara flipped back onto her feet, picking up her dropped blaster and firing a bolt square into the guard's chest. No longer able to use her attacker as her shield, the other guards began firing on her once more. She returned fire but couldn't advance. The edge of the landing platform loomed up behind her. She had no escape and nothing to hide behind. She was trapped. To make matters worse, more guards had been summoned to the hangar and they fired deadly bolts up at her from the trail leading to the hangar.

Luke saw Mara's predicament. Throwing caution aside, he let loose another barrage of blaster fire at their assailants and made a mad dash toward her. He was within a few meters of her when suddenly the night sky flashed bright, and rocks of all sizes hailed down around him. His heart froze in his chest as the platform under Mara's feet crumbled away and her body disappeared over the edge.

"MAAAARAAAAAA!" he screamed like a madman.

To be continued…