Coruscant: That same evening…
Talon Karrde was an attractive man for his age, and very well mannered. He stood as Mara entered the room, obviously preoccupied. As she approached, he offered her a bow and then his hand, which she took after a moment's hesitation. He seemed surprised and pleased at her appearance.
"Mara Jade, I presume?" he murmured, kissing her hand. "Thrawn said you were talented, but he failed to mention your beauty."
Mara smiled at him a little, thinking—oddly enough—that it sounded like something Luke would say if he were in Karrde's position. His blue eyes crinkled as he returned the smile, and he pulled her chair out for her. His long, dark brown hair and gray-streaked beard made him look roguish and rich all at the same time; an odd but appealing effect. She supposed he'd broken many hearts in his day, suspected that maybe he still did from time to time, though he was obviously married to his work. She averted her gaze as she placed her napkin in her lap, feeling slightly off-balanced without Luke Skywalker at her side. For more than a few days they'd been side-by-side almost constantly, learning slowly to respect each other. Without his wry smiles, smart retorts, and peaceful confidence, Mara felt for the first time in a long time like she was missing something—like she wasn't complete. It was a distressing and distracting thought, and she shook it away as she looked back up at her soon-to-be employer.
"Let's get down to business, shall we?" Karrde asked, smiling easily as he and Mara began their meal. She had to admit that the food was delicious and well prepared, and was rather put off by the sudden high-class atmosphere as opposed to her cell or her ship. She glanced up at Karrde and nodded.
"That sounds good," she agreed. "What would you like to know?"
"Well, first things first…guards, if you would please?" he said a bit louder, to the ysalamiri-armed guards that lingered in the room. They shuffled, double-checked with their commander, and after a few tense moments, left. Then, for the first time in what seemed like years, Mara felt the Force come rushing back to her as the ysalamiri moved out of range. She sucked in a breath and tried not to fidget, then tried to reach out to Luke, though she knew it wouldn't work. He was still in the cell framed with the repulsive animals. As expected, she felt only darkness from his direction, and she sighed.
"So you're familiar with ysalamiri?" Karrde asked, watching her reaction. "You're Force-sensitive?"
"Yes, and yes," Mara answered, shaking her head slowly. "From Myrkr, aren't they? I've been stuck with them for a while now, and it's kind of annoying. Like going half-blind."
"Only half?"
"Well, I can still see, but…not as clearly as I used to…do you understand?"
Karrde smiled. "I think I get the gist of it, yes. That's interesting. I have a base on Myrkr, and another on Tatooine, now that Jabba's gone."
"Tatooine?" Mara asked, perhaps more hopefully than she'd meant to. Skywalker had said something about a rendezvous on the desert planet back when they'd been on Bespin. If Organa was there, maybe she could convince her to send someone after Luke…
"Yes, but it's still a small base. Under construction, actually, beyond the Dune Sea. Are you familiar with the planet?" he asked, sounding vaguely surprised at her interest.
"Enough to get by," she replied, then added, "I was working for Jabba once, as a dancer. And a…" She faltered for a moment, wondering what to call her relationship with Skywalker, before continuing reluctantly, "…A friend of mine grew up there."
"Then your friend has my condolences," Karrde said with a quiet laugh, "because I certainly feel sorry for any child forced to live there."
Mara smiled a little, wondering what Skywalker's reaction would be, before cutting the thought abruptly off. She was thinking about him too much, too often. He told her not to, and she didn't want to realize that she might be a little more than worried about him.
"Ah, but back to the business. Thrawn said you needed a job?" His pale blue eyes probed her emerald ones gently, seeking but not forcing.
"Yes, actually. My—" again, she paused—"friend made a bargain with him, and he agreed to let me go. Then he mentioned your name and told me he'd set up a meeting."
"Are you experienced?"
"Well, not with smuggling, but I've spent most of my life piloting, and training in nearly every type of combat in existence. I've also got minimal Force-training," she replied, her voice taking on a tone of professionalism. Karrde nodded his approval.
"So, you've traveled extensively?"
"Throughout most of the galaxy, including the Rim systems. I've also skated on the edge of the Unknown Regions," she replied, and again he nodded.
"You don't have trouble working with a predominately male crew?" he asked, and Mara smirked at the question. The entire Empire had been a 'predominately male crew,' and would more than likely remain so.
"No trouble at all, Karrde," she assured him. He smiled at her genuinely, and nodded.
"Then welcome aboard, Miss Jade, and I hope you enjoy working for me. Any particular specialty?"
"Engineering and combat," she responded promptly, and he nodded again.
"Wonderful, I've got a need for trained engineers. Come, I believe we're finished here. Thrawn has given you a suite near the docking bay so we can get going in the morning. Allow me to escort you?"
Mara nodded and took his proffered arm, attempting one last time to reach Luke. It was in vain, but then she hadn't been expecting much by way of success. Karrde seemed to pick up on her downcast mood and glanced at her, gently probing once more.
"Is something on your mind, Miss Jade?" he asked, squeezing her arm lightly. Mara glanced up at him, looking a little lost in spite of her best effort not to, and sighed out loud. He was perceptive too, unfortunately for her, and that made everything a little more uncomfortable.
"It's really nothing."
"The bargain?" he questioned when she didn't elaborate. Still not looking at him, Mara nodded.
Damn that Skywalker! He's got a noble-streak a mile wide! Now I've got to get him out of it! I knew I still thought killing him was a damn good idea…Sithspit! How in the hell am I supposed to pull his ass out of this one? Skywalker, I wish you could hear me right now! she thought venomously to herself, balling her fists. She knew she had to save him from his own vow, something she wasn't exactly looking forward to. She sighed out loud, thinking, Jeez, Jade, it's your own fault. You let yourself get attached. Worse yet, you let him get attached. Now he's gone and save your hide, and you have to go save his in return. Somehow. Ohhh, when I get my hands on that Jedi, I'll wring his neck! After I make sure Thrawn didn't do irreversible damage.
Karrde stayed silent, watching a myriad of expressions flow across Mara's face. She was young—he estimated about twenty—but she obviously knew how to handle herself. Though whatever was going through her head seemed to have a pretty good hold on her. He knew Thrawn had Luke Skywalker in custody and wondered for a moment if he was the 'friend' Mara had been speaking about earlier. If so, he would be happy to inform her that their relationship was obviously more than a mere friendship. She seemed genuinely disturbed, something he suspected was highly unusual for her. Then, much to his amusement, he caught her strangled, under-the-breath comment of, "Stupid Jedi!"
"Well, here we are," he said aloud as he stopped her in front of the door to her suite. "We'll set course for Tatooine in the morning, so get some sleep. Busy day tomorrow. I'll elaborate on your duties on the hyperspace trip. Then we're off to a planet called Wayland."
Did he just say—? "Right, see you in the morning," Mara replied, and slipped into the suite before letting out her gasp. Wayland was the Emperor's personal storehouse. Why in the world would Karrde be going there?
Unless…she thought, closing her eyes as realization hit, unless it has something to do with all the Spaarti cylinders…oh man, this is gonna get real ugly real fast.
Then she cursed aloud. Life had gotten a lot more complicated now that Skywalker was a part of it.
-
Meanwhile: Coruscant…
Luke felt lonely all the way down to his core. He hadn't been able to tell Mara then, when they were saying goodbye, but he knew now what he felt and it didn't make the parting any easier. The odds were against his ever seeing her again, ever touching her red-gold hair or staring into her emerald-green eyes, and it made his heart ache. Uncle Owen had always said that Luke would fall fast and hard, and Uncle Owen hadn't been wrong about a whole lot of things in his lifetime.
Well, Uncle Owen, you were right again. I wonder what you'd make of Mara? You'd probably admire her work ethic, but you'd probably hate her independence. Aunt Beru, you'd probably adore Mara, and I can just see you trying to turn her into a genteel woman, he thought dazedly, then laughed at himself. Having one-sided conversations with dead people, eh? Mara'd have a field day with that.
Mara. He'd gotten in over his head this time. Who said a blue-skinned, red-eyed alien Grand Admiral was easier to deal with than a wrinkly old Dark Side Emperor? He closed his eyes and tried not to dwell on Thrawn or Mara Jade.
So much for that. When he closed his eyes, he could see her. He could remember the feel of her skin so clearly that he could have sworn he was actually touching her for a minute. He could hear her snappish retorts and grudging respect.
"Oh yeah, Skywalker," he breathed to himself aloud, "you're in way over your head."
The truth was, he'd fallen in love with her. It was stupid, idiotic thing to do, since he'd probably never see the woman again, and even if by some small chance they did run into each other in the future, she'd never recuperate his feelings. After all, she'd wanted to kill him not too long ago, probably still harbored the thoughts sometimes, and had only ever used his first name once.
Once was enough. He'd fallen completely in love at that exact instant, though he'd been teetering at the edge of it since he'd levitated her off of the floor in the suite those few weeks ago, and knew down to his core that he'd never, ever be the same again. Knew that his life would never be the same again, and without her he didn't know how enthusiastic he was to go on with it. Though now, he thought wryly, probably isn't the best time to be entertaining thoughts of suicide.
He began to exercise as much as the small cell would allow in order to vent a few of his frustrations. He was in the middle of a session of sit-ups when Thrawn came in. He looked vaguely amused as Luke stood up and blinked through the darkness at him. The cell didn't have much to offer in the way of lighting.
"Admiral," he said after a moment, calming his breath. Thrawn nodded and stepped further into the room.
"At the first hint of betrayal, Skywalker, I will hunt Jade down, drag her here, and kill her before your very eyes. If you do not think I can do it, I would be happy to prove it to you."
"I understand…although, why are you saying this now?"
"Because it's nearing dawn—" Luke started at that information, wondering just how long he had been working out—"and because I'm about to move you out of the ysalamiri's influence and into one of the palace's Jedi-proof suites."
Luke nodded. He'd been moved to one of those the last time he'd been on Coruscant. "All right. I gave you my word, Admiral. That's not something I go back on."
"Understood." Luke recognized the tone as one of grudging but genuine respect. Thrawn motioned toward the door and the guards grabbed his arms and started shoving him down the hall toward the turbolift. "I just wanted to make myself absolutely clear."
Luke smiled a bit dryly. "Loud and clear, Admiral," he agreed.
He was shoved into a room a few moments later, and then the guards removed the ysalamiri and the Force flowed back to him. He sucked in a sharp breath and smiled for the first time since Mara had been taken away from him. It was good to have the Force back, it made him feel whole again. And now he could reach Mara, though he didn't dare wake her. He just wanted to touch her presence with his own for a moment. He did so, barely touching her sense before retreating, and he smiled. She was alive, unharmed, and would be far away tomorrow. For this reason alone was he able to get sleep.
-
Mara was having a dream. She hadn't really dreamed much in her whole life, but tonight seemed to be an exception. Though she was asleep and didn't acknowledge the contact, subconsciously Mara had felt Luke's gentle probe. Then, about halfway through the night, the ysalamiri were returned to his vicinity and he was once again shrouded from her. That was probably the reason for the dream. It started out simple, just her and Luke looking at each other, but that rapidly changed.
His blue eyes had a way of boring into hers like no one else's, not even Karrde's. He was standing with his feet slightly apart, his eyes brighter than the crystal clear sky above them. There was a small curve to his lips, the barest hint of a smile, and a casual feel to his presence.
"Mara," he said, and didn't elaborate. She shifted, wondering what it was that he was holding back. He seemed to realize it annoyed her, and that seemed to amuse him. She socked him in the arm lightly, and his lips curved a bit more.
"What is it, Skywalker?" she snapped, and he flashed her that irresistible grin.
"Nothing, just Mara," he replied. She growled a warning.
"Skywalker…"
This time he laughed out loud, a pleasant, warm sound that she hadn't realized she'd missed so much.
"All right, you win. I can't stop thinking about you again," he said, and she sucked in a breath. That certainly wasn't what she'd been expecting, not by a long shot. She eyed him before fidgeting again, feeling self-conscious and uncomfortable. Skywalker wasn't supposed to make her feel this way.
"Sorry," she replied, a bit more harshly than she'd meant it. He only grinned again, taking her hands and moving them to his neck. Then he secured his arms around her waist and leaned in.
"Don't be. I'm not."
Why did that make her heart thump painfully in her chest? She shoved him, trying to get him to release her, but he had no intention of letting her get away. At least not without a good fight.
"What do you want from me?" she snapped.
"I just want to hear you say my name one more time. My first name. I love the way you say it."
Okay, this was getting a little weird. She shook her head.
"I don't think so, Farmboy. It was a mistake the first time," she told him matter-of-factly. He looked at her, hurt evident in those sky-blue eyes.
"Please, tell me you don't mean that," he begged, sounding sincere and deeply pained. She gaped at him for a moment.
"Well…no, I don't. It's just, I can't go around calling you by your first name. It doesn't…it isn't right. We're not that close," she replied. He gave her an odd smile.
"Aren't we? What about our bond? What about the way you make me feel whenever you're anywhere remotely near me? What about the way my heart jolts every time you glance my way?" he asked, pressing her palm to his chest, where she could clearly feel his racing heartbeat.
"Skywalker…"
"This isn't goodbye, Mara Jade. I have to see you again."
"…why?"
"Because I have to tell you what I feel." His head dipped closer, his lips grazed her cheek and ear. "And because I won't let Thrawn keep me away from you, or you away from me. We're meant to be near each other. As friends, as allies…" He trailed off, implying that there was more he wasn't willing to put into words quite yet.
She knew she was reacting out of nerves and a little fear, but she secretly thought he was kind of nuts. Then again, she'd always secretly thought he was kind of nuts.
"Right…well…if it isn't goodbye, then I'll see you later," she said. His odd little smile returned and he leaned in close to her ear.
"Soon, you'll see me again very soon," he whispered, and disappeared. Mara stood alone for a moment, clutching her chest where her heartbeat throbbed, and wondered why she was so happy at his parting words.
-
Luke was haunted with similar dreams, though his weren't as cryptic. Sometime during the night the ysalamiri had been returned to their posts and he was again cut off from the Force, though this didn't disturb his dreams.
She was warm, lying in his arms. He was spooned around her, nuzzling her ear from behind with a happy sigh. Her red-gold hair was fragrant, and her skin was soft. She was awake, rubbing her thumb gently over his laced fingers, eyes closed but awareness fully intact. He smiled and pulled her tighter against him, reveling in the sensations. This was something he could do every morning for the rest of his life. He didn't think it was something he could ever grow tired of. It was also a major indicator that he was just dreaming—a manifestation of his most private wishful musings.
"Mm…Luke," she whispered, and his heart thumped at the sound of his first name. He kissed her temple, sending her warm, comforting thoughts and feelings, trying to share his joy with her.
"Yes, Mara?"
"How're we gonna tell everyone? I'm the Emperor's Hand…They won't like it, they won't want me to be with you," she murmured, sounding a little distressed.
"We'll just come out and tell them. I'm not ashamed of you, Mara. And you shouldn't be either. Besides, I don't care what they want. I want to be with you, like this, forever."
He could feel her relax, even smile a little. She thanked him silently even as she teased him out loud. "What, even if I try to kill you?"
"Even then," he agreed, "though I might hide from you for a little while."
"You can't hide from me, Farmboy," she told him.
"Oh yeah? How's that?"
She laughed at him softly. "You suck at hiding."
He snorted and poked her tummy. "I do not suck at hiding."
"Oh yes you do," she assured him, still laughing, and he started to tickle her. "No fair!"
"I think it is," he argued, mercilessly grazing his fingers over her ticklish spots.
"Revenge is of the Dark Side!"
"Then you'll just have to turn me back," he told her, eyes glowing. She finally managed to squirm away and smacked him lightly with a pillow.
"En guard!" she shouted, and he armed himself. They went at each other with the pillows, soon laughing so hard that they had to stop. He gathered her up in his arms again and snuggled into her, relishing the feeling of it all once more. Finally, he said what he couldn't say in the land of the living.
"I love you, Mara Jade…"
But he woke before he could hear the answer.
-
Coruscant: Next morning…
Mara's dreams had left her restless and confused, and as a result of both, grumpy. She shoved on the clothes that had been left for her, then headed toward the docking bay where her employer and his ship were. As she entered the bay, she noted that it was an impressive ship even for a freighter. It looked like it had been hybrid with a luxury ship like the Lady Luck.
"I like it," she called to the man standing near it's ramp. She tilted her head to read the fancy name on the side. Wild Karrde—cute.
"Glad you approve. Come aboard and I'll give you the grand tour," Karrde replied, and she joined him inside a moment later. The ship was as impressive inside as it was outside, state-of-the art, luxurious, practical and roomy. The crew was made up of both an interracial group and a few droids, and they were all welcoming and friendly. Mara was grateful that she hadn't shared the anti-alien opinion of most Imperials, because the crew was as diverse a group as Mara had ever seen. Karrde ran her through introductions, showed her her quarters and work area, then left her to familiarize herself with the ship and it's crew. As she wandered toward the bridge, a younger crewer called to her.
"Hiya, you must be Mara Jade," he said, and she nodded. He lazily stuck out his hand for a shake, grinning. "I'm Ghent."
"Hello, Ghent," she replied, shaking his proffered hand.
"I'm Karrde's slicer…though right now he doesn't really need me. You're an engineer?"
She nodded. His eyes glittered as he leaned in closer, pulling her out a chair. She sat and gazed at him, thinking that he looked absolutely bursting with curiosity.
"Is it true that you know Luke Skywalker?" he asked. Mara grinned tightly, wondering what Skywalker would make of the youngster.
"Yeah, I know Skywalker," she replied.
"Really? Wow…Karrde said we aren't supposed to pick sides, but I think that guy's pretty fascinating. I mean, I've never met a Jedi, and he tried to take on Vader and the Emperor! The guy's a hero. I'm not the only one who thinks he's interesting, either. All of the ladies on board really like him, too, they're always talking about him when he appears on the holonet."
Mara's smile widened as she thought about how embarrassed Skywalker would be at all of the attention. He didn't seem to enjoy being revered to much, even if it did get women to pay attention to him. He seemed to like being a no-name farmboy from a backwater planet far better than he liked being Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight and Hero of the Rebellion. What came as a surprise, though, was her automatic bristling to the news that other women were pining after him. Not that she cared that much, but she didn't like to hear that there were other women—women who were supposedly neutral to the war—interested in the Jedi Knight.
"He's pretty interesting," she agreed, noting that the other women on board were drawing near, eager to hear more about everyone's favorite Jedi Knight. "I mean, he's just a normal guy though, apart from the whole Jedi Knight thing. He's a farmboy, and he's pretty shy. Especially around women."
The crowd had grown substantially, more and more crewers drifting over to hear about Skywalker from someone who obviously knew him pretty well. Seeing their interest, and fueled by her own thoughts of him, Mara continued to chat.
"Is he nice?" one of the ladies asked.
"Oh, yeah, he's pretty friendly. Way too trusting, actually. It'll get him killed one of these days. But he's as nice a guy as you could ask for."
"Is he strong?" another chimed in. Mara smiled as she thought Luke in the white tank-top he wore to sleep in, sitting cross-legged on the floor in deep meditation, his blonde locks tussled from sleep and his own restless hands.
"Yeah. He's muscled, but not overly so. And he can use the Force to make himself physically stronger if the need presents itself."
"Is he smart?"
"Yeah, and he's smart-mouthed, too. But he's never mean about it, he only teases. He's pretty clever, too. Good to have at your back in a fight."
"Is he generous?"
"Oh yeah, really generous. Too generous."
"Modest?"
"Way too modest."
"Is he polite?"
"With a capital 'P'."
"Is he sweet?"
"Like sugar."
"Is he handsome?"
"Gorgeous," Mara replied without hesitation, then froze as she realized what she'd let pop out of her mouth. Jeez, Jade. Is that what you call not becoming attached!? And gorgeous my foot, he's just a normal guy. Besides, you don't even like Skywalker. But even as she thought it, she knew she was lying to herself.
Meanwhile, the girls were exchanging knowing smiles and glances, and one asked, "Does he have a girlfriend?"
"Nope, he's a bachelor—too shy to have a girlfriend."
Then another woman ventured so far as to ask, "Is he a good kisser?"
"Wouldn't know, I never kissed him."
The women scoffed.
"I didn't! I wanted to kill the guy up until a few weeks ago. Not exactly the best basis for a romantic relationship, wouldn't you think?"
"Is he—?"
"Ladies, ladies," Karrde interrupted smoothly, laughing to himself. "Give our new crewmate some air." Pouting, the ladies complied and drifted back to their stations.
Mara looked up at Karrde gratefully. Talking about Skywalker was starting to put her in a foul mood, one she didn't want to be in. Hell, she didn't even want to think about Skywalker anymore. Karrde smiled down at her in mute understanding.
"Why don't you get strapped in? We're about to make the jump to Tatooine," he said, and Mara obediently restrained herself to the chair as Karrde walked with a purpose toward the bridge to strap himself in. She closed her eyes and willed any lingering thoughts about Luke Skywalker away. Enchanting blue eyes or no, she wanted nothing more to do with him until she got to Tatooine.
-
Tatooine: A few days later…
Leia Organa glanced up as the doors to the make-shift compound were slammed open with a vengeance. She almost wished she hadn't, for walking toward her was the last woman she had expected—or wanted—to see in the galaxy.
"Organa, we've got a major problem. That dumb-ass Jedi brother of—" Mara Jade started, but was cut off as Chewbacca grabbed her arms and wrenched them painfully behind her back. "What the hell?!"
Leia regarded the woman with cool, level brown eyes. Obviously this woman was the reason she could no longer sense her brother, and she wanted answers. Answers that the stubborn Imperial probably wouldn't give unless Chewie persuaded her otherwise. She nodded to her tall companion, and he hauled Mara, more roughly than was perhaps needed, toward a small room. He shoved her ungracefully into a chair, not bothering to be gentle, as Mara glared daggers at them all. She looked every bit the angry, stubborn woman that she was. In the silence that stretched uncomfortably in the room, Han Solo entered, his expression mirroring that of Organa's.
"We know you're an Imperial, Jade. Now tell us what you've done with Luke," he snapped, taking his place beside Organa and nailing her with a glare. Mara sighed and shook her head, glaring back despite the Wookie's growled warning.
"I didn't do anything to him. Thrawn's got him locked up on Coruscant. He's there willingly anyway," she replied. Organa stared at her with unabashed disbelief and suspicion.
"Then why can't I sense him at all? It feels as if he's…completely gone."
"Look, have you ever heard of ysalamiri?" Mara asked. She got three blank stares in return. Sighing, she elaborated. "They're these little tree-dwelling animals that make bubbles in the Force. Thrawn's surrounded Skywalker with them so he can't use the Force."
"So how'd you get free?" Solo demanded, eyes still narrowed.
"Ugh…Skywalker made a bargain with Thrawn in order to—"
"Damn his hide!" Solo snapped harshly, interrupting. "I just knew he was going to do some damn fool thing like that, sacrificing himself so that he can keep us safe. He's really done it this time…"
Mara didn't have the heart—nor the desire after the way they'd treated her—to tell them that it was for her, and not the Rebellion, that Skywalker had sacrificed his freedom and probably his life.
"Yes, he has, and in order to get him out of this mess, I need your help. I can't spring him alone," she snapped aloud.
"What do you want us to do? It's not like we can just waltz onto Coruscant. We'd get captured or shot down before we could even land," Solo replied in a tone that clearly added, "duh, stupid."
"Listen! I work for a guy named Talon Karrde. Skywalker said you'd met him," Mara added, glancing at Solo. He nodded.
"Met him once, briefly, before a Kessel run," he acknowledged.
"Right. He's going to a planet called Wayland to ship some stuff for Thrawn on Coruscant. A batch of clones, I think."
"Clones?" Organa interrupted, looking shocked.
"There's a mountain on Wayland that was the Emperor's personal storehouse. It was erased from every star chart in order to keep it a secret—because there are ten thousand Spaarti cylinders hidden there. That's not the point, though. If you come with us, I can smuggle you into the Palace and to Skywalker through the Palace's secret passageways."
"And Karrde's okay with this? I thought he was neutral?"
"He is. I'm not saying he was thrilled about the plan, but he agreed. He doesn't exactly like the Grand Admiral." Mara smirked coldly. "I don't think anyone does. So, are you in?"
They left for a few minutes, obviously to debate whether or not they should trust her, before coming back and reluctantly agreeing to join them. With one last contempt glance at the still-growling Wookie, Mara led them outside to the Wild Karrde.
"All set?" Karrde asked as Mara led the group on board. His eyes flicked over Leia, Han, and Chewie respectively before returning his gaze to Mara.
"All set. Are we ready to get off this rock?" she asked. He nodded.
"The supplies have been unloaded, and the compound should be up and running in a couple of months," he agreed, and grinned at Mara. "So I hope you like 'this rock,' because we'll be back fairly soon." Then he stuck his hand out to Han, ignoring the face Mara made at his back. "Solo, it's been a long time."
"Yes, it has."
"I heard you'd gone respectable on us," Karrde continued. Solo smirked a little and glanced at Organa.
"The right woman will do that to you," he said, pulling the princess closer. Karrde smiled a little himself.
"Indeed, I see that. Well, if you're ready, get strapped in. It'll take us about two weeks to get to Wayland, then another few days to get back to Coruscant. I trust you'll have finalized a plan by then?" he asked, glancing pointedly at Mara. She nodded.
"Definitely. Let's blow this rock," she said, and they all strapped in as the ship got underway.
-
Wayland: Two weeks later…
"This is not what I had in mind when I mentioned a pack of clones…" Mara breathed a little weakly. "Gods, I though Thrawn wanted an expendable, never-ending army, not…not this…"
"You're not kidding," Solo muttered, pulling a shell-shocked Organa into him as they watched the faces go by. It was eerie and incredibly disturbing to watch clone after clone—all exactly identical—march into the Wild Karrde's cargo hold.
"Heavens above…" Organa managed, shaking. It was the most disturbing thing she'd ever seen. She certainly never wanted to see it again.
What came as the biggest shock of all was that they were all Luke Skywalker. Luke Skywalker after Luke Skywalker marched up into the ship's hold. The Wild Karrde couldn't handle all of the thousands, but Karrde had instructions to make several trips with several transports and their crews. However, even the normally-unshaken smuggling chief seemed disturbed by this mission.
"Yeesh," Mara murmured, "and I thought one was enough."
"What do you think he wants with all the Skywalkers?" he asked, pale blue eyes wide.
"I think he's going to have Skywalker train them all in the Dark Side. An army of Siths." She shuddered. "He's got some old Jedi Master—a clone, I think—to help him. Joruus C'boath," Mara replied, watching the Luke Skywalkers smash themselves into the hold.
"Joruus C'boath? My father told me about him…something about an expedition during the Clone Wars or the Purge…but I thought none of them survived…there were seven Jedi Masters on that expedition," Organa murmured. She shook her head. "I can't remember any of the details."
"Yeah, well…his clone's on Coruscant with Skywalker…waiting to train these guys. Gods, we've got to destroy the spaarti cylinders before Thrawn gets really clone-happy," Mara growled, still shaking.
"How do you suggest we do that?" Solo asked, and Chewbacca rumbled something deep in his throat. Organa nodded slowly.
"We could have a strike force here in a few weeks," she said aloud, translating. Mara shook her head and sighed.
"No good." That was from Mara—cold, short, and to the point.
"We can't just leave these cylinders here!"
"We don't have a choice. We'll have to bust your brother out of Coruscant and then come back. We're gonna need his help." She sighed again. "Besides, a strike force would probably be detected long before it could get anywhere near here. We'll have to spring Skywalker and come back later."
"I don't like it. Thrawn could have thousands more of these things by then," Solo growled.
"We've got to do it ourselves. The less people that know about this the better. Besides, I have a feeling we're gonna need Skywalker. We'll have to come back later," she repeated. Solo reluctantly agreed after a moment, turning his head from the sight of the Luke Skywalkers still piling onto the Wild Karrde.
"You win. Let's get going, then. The sooner we get Luke outta that Imperial Palace, the sooner we blow this hell-hole sky-high," he replied, and headed for the ship. The others followed, trying not to watch the clones and struggling to form a plan. As soon as the hold was full, they blasted off of Wayland. As Karrde watched the viewport grimly, Mara leaned toward him and spoke softly.
"Try to delay the clone shipments as much as you can without looking suspicious," she murmured. He smiled thinly.
"We're supposed to be neutral," he reminded her. She fumed.
"You want another batch of Clone Wars?" she growled.
"No," he answered, shuddering before he could stop himself. "No, I most certainly do not. Though I can't promise much of a delay. Thrawn's a smart man—it won't take much to tip him off." Mara nodded and settled back into her chair.
Hold on, Skywalker—we're coming.
-
Meanwhile: Coruscant…
Luke stretched out in his suite and sighed, wondering what Thrawn had planned for him. So far, he had been left alone for the past two weeks (a good thing, as he didn't want to draw too much attention to himself), stuck with only the guards for company. To keep himself occupied, he'd exercise, try to meditate without the Force, and think unwillingly about Mara Jade.
Mara. Luke sighed again. At least she was free. He hoped against hope that she was staying as far from Coruscant as Karrde would allow. Knowing Mara, though, he thought with a smile, that is the absolute, complete opposite of what she's actually doing.
He also thought about Leia, and sighed. She was probably worried sick, wondering what happened to him and if he was dead or not. She wouldn't be able to sense him through the Force because of the ysalamiri that framed the cell. He berated himself for not contacting her two and a half weeks ago when the ysalamiri had been removed for a short time. He hoped she was okay. There was nothing for him to do, though, but wait, wait, wait, and—
Then, so suddenly he had to catch his breath, the Force came flooding back to him like a tidal wave, filling him with awareness and a sharp tingling sensation. He sensed the ysalamiri as holes in the Force moving steadily away, obviously on Thrawn's orders. The Admiral had, after all, promised to remove them when he was sure that Luke was secure and worthy of trust. He sensed the guard as he approached and rejoiced in the feeling. It was like being complete again after having a gaping void for weeks.
"The Grand Admiral wishes me to tell you that you cannot leave this room. It is," the guard said with a sneer, "Jedi-proof."
Luke nodded. The last time he'd been on Coruscant he'd been in a similar suite. Smiling, he watched as the guard left and immediately reached out for Leia. It was good to use the Force, to stretch out beyond himself and his room for the first time in weeks. He found her almost instantly, bright and alive and steady, his ray of light in the galaxy, his last family.
//Leia!// he called joyously.
//Luke! Thank the Force! Are you all right?// she asked.
//Perfectly fine.//
//Good. Hold tight, we're coming to get you.//
//Leia, I don't know if that's such a good idea…besides, I made a promise.//
//We're getting you out of there no matter what you say.// She was using her firm, "big sister" tone, and it made him chuckle in spite of himself.
//But, Leia, you can't just stroll onto Coruscant…//
//Mara Jade's with us. She said she can smuggle us in. Han and Chewie are here too, on the Wild Karrde,// she replied.
//Mara, eh?// He stretched out a bit more and felt her carefully shielded presence. Deciding not to push his luck with her, he returned his attention back to his sister. //Okay, but be careful! There are still some ysalamiri around, and Thrawn's no fool.//
//We'll be careful. Just don't call any attention to yourself.//
//Understood,// he replied, and they broke contact. After a moment, he chuckled again. Okay, so he was going to get rescued…he'd still have to wait until they got here.
-
Author's Notes: Finally, a long one again. Sorry it took me a little while. I've got a dumb computer. PLEASE keep reviewing, you guys are so totally awesome!!! I really do appreciate all your feedback and remarks! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! Keep it up, and I'll keep typing. See ya next time!