Spirit of the Shifting Sands

Disclaimer - The characters and situations used in my small tale are owned by Lucasfilm. I just love them and want to create more stories. No credits Republican or Imperial changed hands in this case. Please be kind. Comments appreciated.

Chapter 15

Tosche Station

Venner gawked at the muzzle of the blaster pointing at his nose before his Imperial training kicked in. Never argue with the man holding the gun. The longer you survived the better your odds in escaping the situation you found yourself in. Dead men couldn't fight back. A particularly effective little machine too – a blastech-44, if he was correct. Not one of the newer models, but a classic nonetheless. Venner backed carefully away until he stood directly in front of the Admiral – protecting him.

But Pellaeon wasn't cowed by the situation. A seasoned campaigner, he'd been in the thick of many a military battle, some of which he'd never expected to return from. He stepped carefully from behind his junior officer. This was all bluff and bluster.

"Put away the blaster, Solo. We're here to talk."

"Figured you might be." Han drawled lightly neither his blaster nor his gaze wavering from the Admiral. "How did you know we would be here?"

"I just 'figured' you might be."

"Cute."

Pellaeon pulled off his Imperial issue gloves and casually moved to sit at a table. "If it's not too much trouble, perhaps the barman could provide us with a drink?"

Han grinned and cast a look at the bar. "Arnek. Do what the Admiral wants and then get the civilians out of here. And I mean all of them." He directed a look towards Camie and the disguised former Chief of State, completely enveloped in the voluminous anonymity of the desert coverall. "No arguments." He reckoned it was better to keep Leia as the ace in the sabacc hand. Not even the NR agents knew she was on Tatooine and with the ease that Camie ushered Leia from the room, it indicated that Leia agreed with him. If they needed to display all the cards – that could be done later. Arnek gave him the signal they'd agreed on for an open comlink. Leia would not be kept from what was going on.

Camie shot the Imperials a nervous look before grabbing her tray and her cloth and ushering Fixer, Arnek and Leia from the room.

"Wedge!"

"General Solo, Sir?"

"Perhaps you could introduce the new delegation. It would be nice to get some real answers this time."

Pellaeon covered a smile at the barely suppressed irritation he heard in the Corellian's voice. Han Solo was everything he'd heard and read about him. He liked a plain spoken man. He was one of those himself and never had much time for political manoeuvrings.

Wedge Antilles moved forward still wrapped in tan desert robes, but underneath he wore his New Republic uniform. It was said that Antilles had been fighting for most of his life and felt uncomfortable out of uniform. He could well believe it. Pellaeon felt that way himself. The dark haired, dark eyed Corellian (What was it about Corellia that produced these men?) snapped to attention and gestured to the other remaining men in the room. The Alderaanian Captain Tycho Celchu and Lieutenant Corran Horn (another Corellian?).

Pellaeon assessed the men in front of him. These men had been the backbone of the rebellion and now heralded the New Republic. Pellaeon decided that he liked what he saw. These were people you trusted with your lives. These were intelligent clear-sighted men, not fanatical madmen. "I've heard a lot about you. All of you."

"I'm touched," muttered Han derisively under his breath.

******************************************************

The B'Omarr Monastery

The darkness pressed in upon him. The blackness was oppressive in its invulnerability yet he still tried to walk in the light. He was in pain - little nagging pricks of pain which slowly built up into a cascade of sensation. He almost welcomed the darkness, yet the pain told him he was still alive. He took a slow shuddering breath and tried to focus on the source of his pain. His head... hurt.

"Luke!" the voice whispered anxiously. "Luke - you've been out for quite a while. Are you… in pain?"

The first sound that emerged from his mouth was a groan of pain. Luke willed away the agony his body was experiencing and focused all his concentration on the woman beside him. "Mara?" He tried to move. His tongue felt thick and heavy and stuck to the roof of his mouth as he attempted to talk. He swallowed carefully and tasted the metallic tang of blood. He shifted tensing muscles he wasn't sure would obey him.

"No! Lie still, farmboy. You were given quite a going over." There was concern for him and something else too. Something he couldn't quite fathom but it felt like grief.

"I'm fine," he lied. "Are you okay?" His voice came out raspy as if he'd been screaming for hours. "You're hurt too? I'll..."

"You'll do no such thing, Skywalker," she hissed. "I've told you to keep still. That head wound will start bleeding again if you don't." Mara's voice became impersonal as if talking to a stranger. "I'm fine, they didn't touch me."

"Callista," he murmured. "Why didn't I..." He felt Mara retreating behind her mental barriers.

"You must have been hit harder than I thought. You're delirious. Callista's not here." There was that feeling of hurt again and barriers closing against him one by one in her mind. Suddenly Luke realised what he'd said, but he'd been thinking aloud. He hadn't been calling for Callista. He'd finally given in to Mara's warmth. Callista would never make him complete like Mara did.

"No! That's not what I meant." He heard the faint air of panic in his voice and tried to move his throbbing head, groaning again as pain spiked through him. He had to make Mara understand that he needed her and he wasn't letting her go. 'But what if she walks away from you? What if she doesn't really love you? It's happened before.'

"You asked for her." He could hear the hostility creep into her voice. It was too dark to see her expression, but he knew the green eyes would be glaring laser bolts at him.

"But..."

She continued as if he hadn't interrupted her. "You called her name as you collapsed. It was the last thing you said."

This time Luke could feel her sense of betrayal, her hurt and her anger.

"Mara - No! I only meant that something clicked." He shook his head in frustration, then wished he hadn't as everything spun wildly. "Something that's eluded me since I've been here kind of made twisted sense."

"Like what?" Her tone was suspicious and mistrustful.

He had to make her see. Luke raised himself to a sitting position and felt the creeping darkness gang up on him as he felt his consciousness slip. It would be so much easier to just give in to the darkness. But he would never do that he thought hazily. He had to stay and walk the path of the light.

He vaguely heard Mara scramble across the cell and pull him into her arms. "Take it easy," her voice gentled unwillingly and he felt a cool hand smooth the hair from his face. Checking in the dark for the cut he now could feel more and more as a seeping wetness trickled over his forehead. He heard the ripping of her tunic and then the touch of soft cloth as it wiped away the blood.

"Mara I love you," he stressed weakly. "Not Callista - you."

She brushed her graceful hands over his face touching the features, learning them and soothing him. She caught the faint chink of light from beyond the cell door.

"Why should I believe you, Skywalker?"

"Have I ever lied to you?" He could feel her probing his senses searching for the truth within.

"No, you can't," she whispered huskily. "Not to me. I'd know for sure." She ran gentle hands over his forehead again, checking to see if he was feverish. He caught her hand staying the motion.

"Are you ready to listen?" He strained to see her abrupt nod in the darkness of the cell.

"I'm sorry, Luke. Yes, I'll listen. I'm too quick sometimes." She paused and he could tell she was embarrassed at what she was revealing. "It's just that the name I wanted to hear on your lips was mine."

He smiled with a bit of difficulty but she caught it through the Force and, greatly encouraged, drew him into her embrace.

"Remember I said there was a hole in the Force, here. There is a well of nothing somehow and I couldn't understand what it was."

"Like Ysalamiri?"

"You asked that before, remember? But no, Ysalamiri block the Force by creating a bubble., This is different. There is no Force - it's like..." He stopped as a wave of pain washed over him. Mara leaned into the Force and tried to share what he was feeling and lessen his agony.

"Thanks," he gasped gratefully. "This nothingness is like..."

"Ah - I think I get it." A flood of shining relief poured through her veins

Mara suddenly guessed what he was trying to say and a flood of shining relief swirled around her. "This is how you felt around Callista isn't it? By all accounts she should have been dead, but cheated death and the Force by accepting Cray's body. The Force refused to accept the switch."

"You felt someone watching us right?"

"Yes, but I couldn't sense an actual living person. I just had the feeling I was being watched."

Luke shivered. "I tripped over the body of Imperial Prefect Eugene Talmont. His brain had been completely removed. Around the body there was no Force. Like the Ysalamiri effect, but resembling what true death must be like. It was evil and knowingly so. Callista never was, but could have been. She thought she was accepting life as a gift; instead, for her it became a curse. Whoever did this has no ethics and only wants to inflict pain. Callista still has a conscience and left me because if she had stayed the temptation to be whole again may have proved too much. To touch the Force again Callista could only have travelled there by using the dark side. Even though what she did was wrong, she did so hoping to be a Jedi again and serve the light."

He took a shaky breath. "When I saw the imperial Prefect in the passageway earlier I could tell he was a sick man. He was dying and I think he'd come to have the monks help him."

"You mean... transplant...?" Mara's horror and disgust hit him and it was too much. Succumbing to the darkness he accepted its black embrace as easily as he did Mara's arms.

"Luke. Try to stay with me."

He could hear her calling to him. "Luke, come on. Try to stay conscious. We have to get out of here."

"Mara," he whispered weakly as the darkness claimed him once more.

"Emperor's bones," Mara exclaimed quietly. "I hope Page has the good sense to go for Karrde. If the Prefect has been murde..." Her mouth dropped open as something else dawned on her. "Or has he?"

Luke had caught on to it, but hadn't stayed conscious quite long enough to explain all of it. "The B'Omarr and Prefect Talmont. Those little walkers with their brains in jars. Why would they want the Prefect? If he had been as ill as Luke had thought it was obvious why he would seek the B'Omarr, but not the other way around.

The man in her arms moaned and shifted slightly.

"Come on, Luke. If you help me I can put you in that healing trance thing which is so useful."

"Mara!"

"Healing trance, farmboy." She gave a sarcastic little chuckle. "Leave someone else to worry about the universe for a few hours."

"I'm glad you're so concerned over my welfare." His voice in her mind sounded weak and sluggish.

"You're heavy. I want you off my lap. So healing trance – Now. Our troubles will wait for us. You know they always do and if they pass we get new ones."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Luke settled back and his consciousness vanished from her mind, but Mara sat holding him her expression worried. She still would prefer it if she could get him to a proper medic. She didn't like the look of the cut on his head. It had stopped bleeding temporarily, but he was in pain. The fact that he'd stiffened perceptibly as her arms surrounded him gave her the inkling he was keeping the true extent of his injuries from her.

'Oh Luke, you stupid, brave arrogant fool of a man. Lean on me, please. I'll keep you safe or I'll die trying and you would die to protect me too, wouldn't you?'

Lieutenant Cullen Page bolted along the passageway until he reached the service area. 'Damn!' he swore to himself. 'I should have managed to get Jade out of there. They will notice she's missing if the Twilek doesn't know already. I'd better find Karrde.'

He made his way swiftly through the largely deserted workshop area and wandered casually into the lower gathering chamber. This had once been where the Rancor had been housed, but now it serviced as a haunt for the less exalted members of the Twilek's entourage. The band was setting up the stage and sound equipment containers littered the floor. Page spied Karrde quietly talking to his second lieutenant, Aves. He strolled close to them, making sure he was noticed then took a corner table.

"I believe you're sitting at my table." Karrde stood hands on hips in front of the table Page had planted himself at.

"Your table! Don't make me laugh."

"This is my table. I always sit here."

"Hey, pal, is this guy giving you jip?" Aves joined Karrde and glared threateningly at Page.

"Look I didn't know you owned it. I don't want no trouble."

"Well..." Aves drawled in a passable imitation of Han Solo, "buy us a drink, then you can join us. We can let bygones be bygones, but be quick about it. I don't have all day."

Page smirked. These guys were good. They were wasted in the smuggling business. He could use them, along with Luke Skywalker, in intelligence. "Sounds good to me, gentlemen." He joined them with bottles of some foul tasting liquor.

"Mara and Luke ran into a problem down in the lower levels. I managed to get away, but there's no sign of them. I put a tracker pin into Mara's hair, but that's no guarantee we'll find them. This place has levels which descend far into the planet. I don't think it's known how deep it goes underground.

"If there ever were plans they've long since disappeared." Karrde mused thoughtfully, stroking his beard. It had grown shaggy and unkempt, a far cry from his usual pristine appearance. Very few of his acquaintances would recognise the dapper smuggler chief now.

"Would the monks know?" Aves asked. "I mean are there any around who might talk to us? But only if it means I keep my brain where it is?"

Page sat up a little straighter. "I spoke to one of them a few days ago." He shifted uncomfortably. "They were looking for the Jedi."

"What!"

"I told them there were no Jedi here, but I got the feeling they didn't believe me."

"You told Luke about this then."

"No, I only said I had met with a couple of the B'Omarr. One wasn't – how shall I put it – corporeal."

"Stang!" muttered Aves. "One of them things in a jar on legs."

Karrde looked grave. "We've got to get out of here and take Luke and Mara with us. We've got two days to do it."

"No, now we've only got one."

In the depths of the temple

"We've taken away his ability to understand. The one he brought was no use – the mind was as diseased as the body and he had not reached true enlightenment. The criminal won't care, but he will bring others here to look for him."

"The Jedi are here."

"Yes." Lights flashed in a pleased pattern.

"He didn't bring them."

"Ah, but he did – indirectly."

"Does he realise?"

"No, the male gave no resistance. We stopped him before they damaged him excessively."

"A true Jedi. Has he reached enlightenment?"

"In his own way, but the Jedi walk a different path from us. We will not accept his mind."

"What of his companion?"

"She too walks in the way of the Jedi, but is still striving for the true knowledge she needs. She walks in his shadow in order to learn. She would be unwilling to give her mind to us and it would be wrong to accept it – even if others offered it to us."

"Will we set them free?"

"Eventually.

"The male was wounded."

"Yes."

"She guards him as he sleeps. This is good – it heals. They have much healing to do, both of them."

"I wait with interest to see their ingenuity. They may not need us to escape."

"Perhaps. I grow weary of this. I must prepare myself to think."

"Yes, enlightened one."

"In time they will understand – in time."

*****************************************************

In the depths of the temple - several hours earlier

The Twilek watched the gamorrean guards as they hauled the battered body of the speeder technician he'd found snooping, away to one of the lower level cells. He'd been about to kill him, even though the human had claimed he was looking for a private spot to 'meet' with his girlfriend. It was a pity they'd had to lock the female up too. A waste of a rather decorative item.

He should have killed the tech. It had been several days since he'd satisfied his lust for blood. The redder the better. He didn't care how his victims died. He didn't care about their pitiful cries; in fact, it was something he enjoyed. It was music to his ears.

So the tech had found the body of the prefect. It wasn't going to do him, or the prefect any good. The man had defied him for too long. Power was going to be his. He had a far grander vision than Jabba the Hutt had possessed. He was going to be a leader like Black Sun once had. Except more intelligent. He wouldn't underestimate the Jedi like Jabba. He'd be ready for them.

The tech had been his to kill, he thought petulantly. The monks had no business stopping him from what he wanted to do. They were lucky he didn't turn them from the monastery. They should be properly grateful. The monks probably wanted the lowly tech's brain too. They were welcome to it, but they could have let him watch. For some reason he forgot about the female - she wasn't important. He fingered his scarred lekku lightly. This body would serve him well. Tonight he would announce his real identity and take his rightful place at the head of his criminal empire. The New Republic would be kept busy in these long fruitless talks with the Imperials, which would give him time to clean up around here. He'd already distracted the Prefect for the past few years - but not half as distracted as he was now. He kicked the Prefect's discarded brain out of the way. Someone would have to tidy this up. But not today.

********************************************

Luke and Mara's Cell

Luke came to with an abrupt shudder. For a moment panic clouded his blue eyes. Something was wrong and he couldn't remember where he was.

"Ssh," The soothing voice calmed him down immediately. "You're fine,"

"Mara?" He whispered rawly, recognising the soft voice.

"Ssh, farmboy. You've been hurt - you've been in a healing trance for the past two hours. Don't you remember?"

He looked round blankly. A thin sliver of light peered through a previously unnoticed gap in the rock wall. "No," he whispered. "I don't remember anything. Why are we here?"

Mara bit her lip worriedly. She knew the cut on his head was deep. "Luke - please focus, concentrate on the Force. It'll clear your mind."

He closed his eyes and breathed as deeply as he could. She felt his alarm subside and could feel his awareness of the situation returning. Luke was totally with her once more.

"Mara..."

"Try and rest," she muttered. "You're not a good patient."

He chuckled weakly. "The nursing staff could be more sympathetic."

"Hah!" Mara spat disdainfully.

"Mara, the hole in the Force. The black nothingness I felt..."

She breathed a silent prayer of relief. He'd only been a little stunned on awakening. He was probably concussed. Cradling his head in her lap she gently stroked the hair from his forehead. "Okay, Luke, take your time." Mara felt his apprehension.

"Whoever is running things here has cheated death in some way."

Like Callista?"

"I guess so, but Callista did it because she wanted to be with me and Cray didn't want to live without Nichos."

"But it was still wrong and the Force refused to accept Cray's sacrifice for Callista to live again and now she has lost her ability to feel the Force," Mara concluded.

"I couldn't sense her when she was near – I couldn't tell when she was happy or sad. I hadn't realised that I used the force so unconsciously in that manner – even when I was a child. After a while I realised there was a gap of nothing and that was Callista. She, too, felt her own emptiness and although we both tried to fool ourselves Callista eventually recognised there was no future for us. It took me a lot longer."

Mara kissed his brow and he smiled sadly, but let her continue her tender ministrations. He whispered something tiredly and Mara bent her head down to catch the words.

"I now know who the murderer of the Prada's crew is. It took me a while but everything adds up. It makes twisted sense. He's cunning but he's not the mind of Xizor or even Jabba. I think we've got a reincarnated Bib Fortuna on our hands."

Mara nodded. "I know," They were so closely connected in the Force that knowledge was shared between them.

"The B'Omarr…"

"Yes, farmboy. It explains the scarring on his lekku. Fortuna must have reached some form of enlightenment and then decided he didn't want the honour."

They sat in the half-light until sleep claimed Luke once more. Mara wriggled carefully from his grasp and replaced her lap with the cloak she'd been wearing. Now that they knew whom they were dealing with, they could forge a plan to get out of here and do something. She paced the cell. It wasn't Imperial standard, but the walls looked formidable enough.

"If only I had my lightsaber," but it had been taken off her after the stun bolt took her down. Luke had placed their sabers inside the hollow centres of their water bottles. If discovered, that could mean someone knew who they were, but if Bib Fortuna had been aware of their identities he would not have left them together in a cell. So he was still unaware, but Mara was convinced that somebody or something knew where they were. She pushed her hair away from her face and felt something catch her hand. "Ouch!" She pulled at the offending tangle and felt something in her hair. She drew Page's tracker pin from her hair and examined it with a half smile on her face. "Crude, but effective. If I could bolster the signal a little, then we might have back up."

Luke struggled to consciousness again and watched in the half-light of the early morning. They'd been in here all night. Force knows what was happening. He watched his student and lover as she paced. He would let her work something out - she was resourceful. He definitely felt better. The sleep and Mara's help with the trance had done wonders for him, but he still would need to see a medic and soon.

"Use the Force, Mara." he suggested in her mind.

Mara abruptly ceased her pacing and swung round to stare at Luke, but he lay there, breathing deeply with his eyes closed. Turning to the door she noticed that their water bottles had been returned to them. She picked one up and carefully took a swig. The water was warm, but it was still liquid. Picking up the other bottle she moved towards Luke then stopped as something returned to her mind.

Luke felt her satisfaction as if the lights had all been switched on. He tried to keep as still as he could. His ribs were still broken and he was beginning to think that his leg was too. He would need a week in a healing trance to fix everything. As he moved more pain shot through his body and he was working to suppress the agony without much success. Another area of study he needed to improve he thought with an internal grimace.

"I thought I told you to stay in a healing trance, farmboy?" Mara's voice sounded sternly above him.

'Make that pain suppression and split level concentration, Jedi.' He told himself ruefully. He'd definitely been getting careless and that could become a liability. 'You never stop learning Skywalker. Jedi Master is but a stage.'

"Skywalker?"

"Guilty," Luke muttered hoarsely. Then managed a feeble grin. "Well?"

Mara snorted and rolled her eyes. "I might have known. Were you just going to lie there and let me do all the work?"

Luke gave a tired nod and immediately Mara's waspishness was replaced with concern. She knelt by him and ran her hands over him checking for injuries. This wasn't like him at all. "Oh, Skywalker!"

'It was back to surname terms was it? He hurt in places he hadn't had time to think of let alone start to heal.'

"I make it a bad case of concussion along with that cut on your head which has stopped bleeding, but you've lost a lot of blood."

"I sorted that. It's fine," he rasped irritably.

"Maybe so, in your muddled brain, but that still leaves a couple of broken ribs and a broken ankle. What did they do to you?"

He'd thought his ankle was broken. "It wasn't a spectator sport. They all joined in, until a couple of the B'Omarr stopped it. I tried to protect you."

"Luke," Mara drew his name out until it stretched over several syllables. "I can take care of myself. I'm a big girl, remember? Previous job - assassin?"

"There were too many of them, so I made them forget you were there. I have to tighten up one or two of my techniques. I couldn't do that and flatten them with the Force as well. It's a bit too near the dark side too."

"You were just going to take it. For Sith's sake, when are you going to start taking care of yourself?" Her voice rose in exasperation. 'A bit too near the dark side?' He could drive anyone to the dark side.

"You need to get back into the main audience chamber. The Twilek won't remember you."

"How did you do that when he isn't recognised by the Force?"

"The Bib Fortuna I remember was easily influenced by the Force because he was so weak-minded. Since the Force no longer dwells in him I couldn't affect his mind by using it this time. I needed a diversion - a target for him to focus on instead of you. I tried to work on the air around him rather than him… if you get my meaning?"

"So you used yourself - Skywalker!"

Luke closed his eyes and turned his head away from the green-eyed girl. "I…." he choked out. "I need to care for you. When I have something worth fighting for I…."

"Oh, Luke."

"Help me up. You have to get out of here."

Mara assisted him as he struggled to an upright position, his face grey under his Tatooine tan. "Luke, I don't want you killing yourself for me. Can't you get that into your thick head? I'm not leaving you here on your own."

Luke sat, head bowed, breathing heavily. "You have to, Mara. I'll be fine. I'll do the healing trance and then I'll see if I can speak to the B'Omarr."

"Are you sure?"

"Something tells me one of us has to get out and the other must speak to the B'Omarr."

"Okay, but I don't like it."

"Page thinks the Empire will try to destroy this building and I have to speak to the B'Omarr. You need to see what Bib Fortuna is planning and then, if you have to, help Karrde destroy him. If we cannot stop the attack - there are a lot of people working for the Empire and the New Republic that we have to get out before anything happens." He stopped to catch a breath - the effort had drained him. "You are gifted in long range communication. Can you contact Karrde?"

"Not with the Force, but I could try and see if there's anyone else out there."

"Do so."

Mara closed her eyes and he could feel her questing out through the fabric of the air. Abruptly her eyes widened and she stared at Luke in astonishment. "I can feel Corran's presence. It's weak but if you helped me I should get through to him." Then she shook her head. "No! There's more than Corran." He could feel her surprise and with her permission entered her mind to boost the signal to whoever was receiving them.

***********************************************************

Tosche Station

Leia sat in the downstairs bedchamber with a silently nervous Camie. The chrono ticked the time away.

"What's going on?" the Tatooine woman asked. "I'm not used to all this." She gave a sweeping gesture with her hand.

Leia sighed. "You never get used to the waiting. You get used to dealing with tense situations but there is always the feeling of not being in control. The..." She broke off abruptly, an arrested look on her face. Something was happening in the main bar. Corran had angrily terminated the link they'd been maintaining.

Then she became aware of a new presence in her mind. One she recognised even though it was not close. She felt the surprise and then the quick withdrawal.

"Mara?"

Camie looked confused. "Mara," she repeated. "What about Mara?"

Leia's face was troubled. "I just felt her presence… she reached out with the Force for another Jedi."

***************************

Corran Horn shifted in his seat as he tried to read the expressions on the faces of the men around the table. But they were all skilled negotiators - even Han - and hid anything they felt. There had been a lot of meaningless small talk until Han had leant forward, his patience gone, and demanded, "Tell me, Admiral - why are we here?"

Pellaeon gave a grim smile of satisfaction. He'd been right about Solo – a plain spoken man after all. "We're here because I'm tired of holding the Empire together in a war zone, waiting for the next selfish being who thinks they have a right to the Imperial power, hell bent on conquest. I'm tired of picking up the pieces after one petty Moff or unknown admiral decides to lead us to glory. I don't want to hear about hidden armies or Spaarti Cloning cylinders. Our people are tired of fighting, but don't want to join the New Republic either. We want... peace."

Peace.

Corran savoured the word. It was too much to hope for. He glanced at Wedge and swore the expression in his friend's eyes was hope.

Wedge pressed his fingers together. "Okay, I can accept that," He lifted dark eyes and stared at the Admiral. "But why here and why now?"

Pellaeon nodded at Vash Ardiff. His deputy stood up and began to pace back and fore.

"We discovered that one of our sector Governors has been less than loyal to the Empire of late. In fact he's been lining his own pockets. The instability in this region has always been a problem to us. Outer Rim territories have always been difficult to control. The sheer distance from the Core Regions makes that a fact. Since we took Tatooine from the Hutts we've barely been in control, but in view of its history..." he gave Han an ironic look at which the Corellian smiled, "…we felt it important psychologically that it be under our influence."

Pellaeon straightened in his chair. "Darth Vader and the Emperor thought that way and, of course, you can understand why."

Ardiff continued. "As the war with the New Republic continued we were pushed back to the Mid and Outer Rim territories. Tatooine stopped becoming a nuisance and began to gain in strategic importance. Eugene Talmont is a clever man, but began to act irrationally. We were contacted by Major Venner here who was concerned about his dealings with the local crime lord. They had entered into a mutually beneficial partnership. Their aim was power in the area."

Venner nodded and with permission from his superiors continued the tale from his point of view. "I was instructed to watch the Prefect and find evidence of his double dealing. That wasn't too difficult to find either."

Wedge frowned. "Why didn't you deal with the Prefect once you had enough proof?"

"We thought about it but he also served the purpose of distracting the criminal from the Empire's increased presence in the area and keeping his mind on other things. What we could not ignore was the increased damage to shipping and the violence and the frequency of these attacks were increasing. Order in the area was and is breaking down. We can't hold on to it much longer - not without help. The attacks are indiscriminate. There is no question of affiliation just plunder and conquest."

"Our intelligence service set in motion discreet inquiries about collaboration." Ardiff said carefully. "But I think you are all aware of that fact."

Han nodded, a wry twist on his face. "Never thought I'd see the day, but yes, even I was informed about that."

Ardiff gave Pellaeon an oblique look at which the Admiral closed his eyes tiredly. "Tell them. They need to know."

"About all of it?"

The old admiral sighed. "Yes, Captain Ardiff. All of it."

 Ardiff continued, "That was when we decided to try and speak to the New Republic personally. But who to contact?"

"There's a question," Han muttered cynically.

Ardiff continued carefully. "We felt that Jedi Master Luke Skywalker would be a suitable person to lead the talks. We need the return of the Jedi in the universe and Skywalker is a good man. In fact, I've been in contact with him on a number of occasions after he gave that speech calling for a halt to the continuing hostility between member states. But neither of us hoped even to reach this stage in talks. I guaranteed him safety and anonymity if he ever wanted to visit Imperial space and he said it might become a necessity. Seems he was right. But he refused to meet with me because he didn't want people to misunderstand his position or question his loyalty. He was obviously unhappy at what he was being expected to do by some of the New Republic politicians. We've tried to contact him recently but failed and we know he's here."

Han shrugged tiredly. "Luke has retreated into himself of late and when he did come to Coruscant he gave the infamous speech which openly asked if the New Republic was really working for peace. Because he is who he is, a lot of people took his words seriously and the Senate had to answer a lot of very awkward questions for quite some time afterwards."

Corran dipped his head in agreement. "He said they wanted him to live by Coruscant standards and become a tame Jedi, not someone who truly fought for peace and justice in the galaxy. He's been fighting for that all his adult life. Luke's never known true peace. People who wanted to control him offered him these phoney advisory positions but he said he could see through them all. Some of the council started talking about his loyalty to the New Republic and hinted that his actions could be deemed traitorous" Corran slammed his hand down on the table. "How could they question Luke's loyalty? He never claimed to be perfect; he's made mistakes - we all have - but Luke would never do anything to jeopardise us. They scheme and insinuate, but at the heart of it they want control."

Ardiff nodded grimly. "Somehow I don't think you're going to like the next part. We were informed that if ever the Jedi Master returned to this sector then we had permission to take him down, as it were."

"What!"

"By whom?"

All the New Republic men were on their feet instantly and Han had Ardiff by the throat. Kapass and Leggin had drawn their blaster pistols until Arnek slammed a glass down on the bar counter.

"This is no way to have a discussion. Let them finish what they started. Acting like a bunch of young hotheads will get you nowhere."

Venner glared at the old man. "What's he still doing here?"

Corran who had remained seated in shock answered quietly. "I asked him to. I had a feeling we might need a referee. He came back in just after we started. Thanks, Arnek."

"Lieutenant Horn..." Wedge slumped down in disbelief. "Our own people want Luke dead?"

"It seems so," murmured Pellaeon quietly. "I cannot understand it myself. I thought you might have been able to shine a luma on it."

Wedge muttered quietly to no one in particular. "He was going to take some time off to explore more ways to understand and use the Force. He feels that he still has so much to learn. He just wants some space." Wedge put his head in his hands. "He doesn't want power or glory…"

Pellaeon cleared his throat quietly. "We received word he was in the area several months ago but we couldn't be sure because he immediately went to ground. Then came reports of an attack on this building and a Jedi was reported to have come to its aid. We put the facts together but this time he was not alone, nor was it one of the registered students from Yavin. Oh yes, we know who they all are and where they all come from."

"I'd have lost my faith in Imperial Intelligence if you hadn't," Tycho put in sardonically.

Han's face was white. They wanted to neutralise his best friend. People Luke had fought for and protected so that they could be in power now thought he was too much of a risk and Leia knew this.

"I immediately quashed all rumours of his existence here on Tatooine but he's very elusive and I concluded it was unlikely he would stay here. Then we heard he was travelling with another Jedi. We suspect it is Mara Jade. There has been talk about them of late. Are they friends or enemies?"

Tycho shrugged. "Who knows? He's Jedi, she's Jedi. He wants to train her but they argue most of the time."

Wedge gave the Admiral a sidelong glance. "I think we could safely say they are allies."

Tycho gave a short crack of laughter, which left the Imperials a little confused.

Pellaeon sighed. "Then she is in as much danger as he is." He proffered a data card. "This came from the Prefect's personal files. The B'Omarr have been persuaded that the Jedi are a threat, but who really knows what they think. These files were issued throughout the entire Imperial forces. We stopped what we could but ultimately we failed. The Imperial network is not as large as it once was but still covers vast distances. There are Imperial Intel operatives on the look out for anyone answering Skywalker's description. They've also been furnished with specifics about Mara Jade..."

"And?" asked Wedge.

"Details were provided by the New Republic."

Corran felt a faint whisper of a thought in his mind as if wisps of awareness were seeking him out. It was simple to him - it was the Force at work. All these diverse elements had converged at Tatooine. It truly was a nexus of the Force as well as hyperspace routes; he stood carefully and walked to the bar. He felt a little strange.

Han sat stiffly, unmoving, until he turned glittering eyes on Pellaeon. "I might know someone with an explanation," he said flatly without emotion. The betrayed feeling had returned. If Leia was implicated in this he would never forgive her.

Corran reeled back from where he was standing and leant heavily on the bar itself. He closed his eyes as a rush of visual images assailed his brain.

"Han!" he gasped. "It's Mara."

All eyes turned towards the pilot.

Ardiff was the first to speak. "Is he Jedi too?"

"Ahh… well…" Han prevaricated.

*****************************************

Leia felt a rush of feeling from Han and also suddenly from Corran as he fought to contain images being sent to him, but she was still struggling to process the news she'd received from Mara.

"I have to go."

"Go where?" squeaked Camie.

"Luke's in trouble. He needs me."

"What about Mara? Isn't she with him?" Camie's face was filled with fear for her friend. All she understood at that moment was that Luke had gone to the Twilek's den. "What can you do?" she asked, her voice high and thin. "You'll only put yourself in danger too."

Leia turned defiantly towards Camie. "I have to help him. It's my fault he's here. I drove him away when he should have stayed where he was safe. If he stays with Mara Jade and they do become intimate, I don't know if I can protect him any longer."

"Protect him?"

"We look out for each other."

"Mara's with him." The Tatooine native was steadfast in her belief that Luke and Mara as a couple, were indomitable.

"She's part of his problem!" Leia snapped.

Camie sighed. "Look Princess," she said softly. "I'm not clever or able to put to together long strings of words like politicians can, but your brother is a man and he's lonely. By the salt flats, they are lovers. He watched her all the time they spent here and she watched him in return. Let him go, Princess. You're being selfish denying him what you already have. He can protect himself and Mara if he has to, but she strikes me as a woman who knows her own mind."

"You're very wise." Leia's voice was grudging.

"No, not really. I'm sensible, that's all."

"A good trait to have, but I still need to get Luke out of trouble. You don't know him like I do. If she remains at the monastery, Mara's in trouble too."

"They're in it together, Princess."

"Yes."

"Because they want to be," Camie stressed gently. "I'll get Fixer."

"Thank you and, Camie, I think something happened to the negotiations. Whatever's going on in there - it's in chaos."

"I'll find out. Just stay calm."

Footsteps sounded in the passage outside the door and Han burst angrily into the room. His narrow-eyed hazel stare took in the distraught state of his wife. Camie gave him a level, warning look, which cooled down his temper a little.

"I'll go get Fixer," she repeated and headed from the chamber in search of her husband.

"What's happening?" Han crossed his arms over his chest and stared Leia down.

"Oh Han, its Luke."

"When isn't it?" he gestured roughly with a hand. "Corran's out cold on the bar floor and you don't look much better. Any talks I want to take part in are in complete disarray. Just tell me what's going on and it had better be the real thing. I've never not trusted you before and it's not a feeling I want to continue."

Leia took a shuddering breath, trying to calm her racing heart. "Luke's been captured and beaten rather badly. Mara says he needs a medic - she thinks he's bleeding internally."

"He was supposed to be undercover."

"Mara thinks the cover's okay, but she's worried about his condition. He's not making sense."

"That's not unusual. What about Mara?"

"She's in the cell with him, but Luke used the Force so that she wasn't harmed."

"Wonderful," he bit out sarcastically. "Any idea who captured them - the Imperials or the crime lord?"

"I don't know. Page and Karrde hopefully will get them out."

"They're both in place. Thank goodness for something reliable."

 "I hope they get them out in time. Mara and Luke don't know about this but there's an aerial attack planned."

Han's voice went quiet. "Attack?"

"Ask the Admiral."

"Oh don't worry," he bit out furiously. "I'm going to."

"Aerial bombardment and then send in the special ops."

"You didn't think for a moment of letting me in on all this?"

 "It was classified," Leia replied dully. Somehow things had gone very wrong. She clenched her fists and lifted her chin. "I'm going to get him out."

"No sweetheart - you're not."

Leia stared at Han; stared at the ice-cold demeanour he presented to her. She saw the man he might have become if they hadn't married and she didn't like it.

"I've been trying to protect him. I wouldn't harm Luke for the world...you know that." Nervous fingers plucked at her tunic but her brown eyes looked unflinchingly at her husband. There was no evasion in her voice. "The Inner council were concerned about the power Luke could wield if he wanted to. They want him where he can do no harm - where he's no threat to them. There have also been these rumours about him and Mara..."

"With good reason," Han muttered and Leia flushed.

"They think she could be a bad influence on Luke. I don't think that - not really."

Han said nothing, his face seemed carved from stone but his emotions swirled furiously.

"He criticised the New Republic. Certain beings didn't like it."

"Leia, sweetheart." He shook his head. "You're trying to convince yourself as much as you're trying to convince me. It's not working. You are jealous of Mara's influence in the kid's life and want to have control. Luke's so easy going that he's let you have it."

"I was trying to make him see that I wanted him with us, as a family. When I failed to keep him on Coruscant that last time, I think he knew what they were planning. I mean, I think he knew what I was planning."

Han's eyes had softened a little. "He's the Jedi Master, Leia, not a wet nosed kid. Haven't I told you that time and time again?"

Leia waved aside the rhetorical question knowing that Han didn't really expect her to answer it. There were more important issues to worry about right now. She didn't like the influence the red-haired trader had on Luke's life. She encouraged him away from the proper behaviour of a Jedi Master, but she was brutally honest about most things. If she was worried about Luke, then they had all better be concerned. "Mara's really worried about him. He keeps slipping in and out of consciousness. "She says there's an attack planned." Leia rubbed shaking hands across her dirty face. "So she knows then and if she knows, Luke will hopefully know.

"None of you told him?" Han's face darkened with rage.

"He wasn't supposed to be there, remember!" Leia shouted.

A dry cough at the door alerted them to the fact that Arnek and Fixer were standing there with a groggy looking Corran suspended between them.

"Sorry guys," he whispered as he was lowered into a chair. "Mara wants us to get Luke out of there immediately. He's in a bad way. She wants Karrde out of there too. Something's going to happen very soon."

Camie entered with a glass of water, which Corran gulped at thankfully. "There's something else," he told them. "The attack that's planned on B'Omarr we now know about, but a few moments ago when I was er… out of it, I saw a different scene."

Leia looked concerned. "Can you describe what you saw?"

Corran rubbed at his aching head. "I don't get visions very often but I think so. Luke says I don't open myself enough to them."

Leia nodded."But you were unconscious and vulnerable just now. You could do nothing to block them. Tell us - anything will help. Luke is always quoting Yoda. 'The future is always in motion.' If you tell us enough we may be able to alter that future."

"It wasn't pictures of fire and desert and I've seen holo footage of the Monastery and it wasn't that. It's a green world. I see lots of trees, explosions, red wood turning black and…."

"Pii 3!" exclaimed Leia and Han simultaneously. "The greel trees."