Chapter 5
By Ash Darklighter
Disclaimer: The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one republican credit from this endeavour.
Uneasy at the way her thoughts had been dwelling on the Jedi Master, Mara dismissed him from the forefront of her brain, tucking his smiling image deep into a special hidden place in her mind. It was amazing how much of a distraction he was at times. All right, he always had been. She'd never been able to ignore Luke Skywalker. From the very first moment she'd met him she admitted to herself, as she'd captured him, he'd captured her attention. He was a good man but he made her do strange things. He'd got her to agree to take him on a date, to train him to woo another woman. This other woman was welcome to him.
With a sigh she firmly banished the troublesome man from her thoughts once and for all and contacted Karrde.
"Could you get to the space port as soon as possible, Mara? I have some data cards I need you to look at before you can undertake the next set of negotiations with the diner's guild. You were supposed to be here an hour ago. Was there a problem?"
"Sorry," she grumbled contritely. "Would you believe the problem was me? I overslept? I never do that."
Karrde laughed at the disgruntled expression on her face and arranged to meet her at the Wilde Karrde to discuss the next few deals he needed her to cover for him.
Mara pulled open a drawer and scrabbled inside for her wrist holster and tiny holdout blaster. It had been a while since she'd worn it. Grabbing her lightsaber and attaching it to its usual place on her belt, Mara left her apartment.
****************************************
"Not much going on at the moment, Jade. It will pick up after the holiday season finishes – it always does." Karrde sat at the head of the conference table in the Wild Karrde's boardroom.
"Holiday season?" Mara questioned blankly.
"Rebellion thing. Blowing up of Death Star number one." Karrde was almost flippant. He hadn't been treated particularly nicely of late by certain factions in the New Republic. They'd marked him as a smuggler and a criminal.
"I'd forgotten all about it." Mara's tone was reflective. "A holiday, yet a remembrance of the many innocents that died - a mixture of both sadness and happiness."
Karrde nodded, his face serious. "That's it exactly. They're not very sure quite how to commemorate it at times. Depends sometimes on who has the presidency." He stood up. "I have a few localised matters to attend to around Coruscant." He paused as he thought quickly. "If you sort them out for me instead it would mean I could leave for Esseles and get the new parts for the Jade's Fire and the Starry Ice. It will also give you time to visit with Skywalker."
Mara trained her death glare on her employer. "Visit Skywalker…" She scowled. "You are trying to be amusing, Karrde?"
"He's here, is he not?" Karrde shrugged his shoulders into a supple nerf hide coat of a warm brown shade. "He did cause the first Death Star to blow up and he is usually around for the anniversary. He always keeps a low profile for this one. It has difficult memories for him."
"How do you know?"
"I asked him once and he told me straight out. He lost his family, his Jedi mentor and many friends that day, plus by destroying the Death Star, he caused many deaths."
"Luke hates harming life," Mara admitted softly. "But in the end he probably saved more people."
"I think you're right. Can you imagine what the Death Star would have become in the hands of men like Vader and Tarkin? Luke did the galaxy a favour. Speaking of the Jedi Master…" Karrde narrowed his pale blue eyes at his second-in-command. "Wasn't he supposed to be at Leia's dinner yesterday, but called off?"
"He couldn't make it," Mara murmured.
"So he's not here. My sources tell me that he should be."
Yes, he's here," she said reluctantly. "I have to meet him later."
"Well, then." He slapped her on the back and ushered her out of his office. "You must be eager to see him by now. I'll get Ghent to send you the details."
"I thought you had the cards to give me now?" Mara frowned. Why did Karrde think she'd be so keen to see the Jedi Master? That was a new one on her.
"Actually…" Karrde grabbed a stack of data cards and handed them to her. "I do. These aren't terribly urgent but if you could get them done quickly."
Mara pursed her lips. "If you're going to a manufacturing world, you could check on those weapon upgrades for the Fire and the Starry Ice that we discussed, as well as the engine parts."
"I could," he said with a deep chuckle and headed towards the exit. "If you don't want to visit Skywalker, you can come with us to Esseles…" Karrde hit the control panel and the hatch opened. "It is 'the' place for advanced hypernautics and other high tech research. There might be some new gadgets the Fire desperately requires."
Mara shook her neatly braided head. "No… it's all right. I need to see him about a few Jedi things – so we arranged a time. If you're giving me a break I can get some extra training in. Anyway, I've been to Calamar more times than you have… It's a nice city… I visited it on behalf of the Empire, Karrde. Not always…" Mara gave a thin smile. "Shall we say that on occasions, the Emperor took rather than bought."
The ramp lowered and Mara began to make her way out of the ship. "Visit Skywalker," she muttered under her breath. But in the light of the Jedi's recent revelations and request she was going to be doing a lot more than just visiting him. Perhaps she could get some extra Jedi training while she was helping him out. A return on her expenditure.
Suddenly she felt different. She couldn't describe it to Karrde but her senses felt keener. There was only one person that changed the way the air about her felt.
"Isn't that the Yavin shuttle?" asked Karrde, thoughtfully.
Mara nodded. The feeling had been all that she needed. She knew when he was near. She had already spotted the tousled head of the Jedi Master bounding up the ramp of the boxy Jedi Academy shuttle with a broad smile on his face. He was pleased to see someone, she thought. Pleased and surprised. Maybe dinner would be cancelled if some stuffy Jedi associate had arrived from Yavin. Surely Luke would need to speak with them and would cancel their date. The relief she thought she'd feel didn't materialise.
"Hey, Skywalker!" Karrde shouted.
Luke heard his name and pivoted around. "Talon Karrde!" he said. "Hold on." He called something to someone just inside the shuttle and jogged back down again.
"Haven't seen you in a long while." Luke stretched out his hand in greeting.
Mara stood back watching the men clasp hands in the age old gesture of friendship. There was respect between them, Mara realised thoughtfully.
"I've been busy," the smuggler said, grinning.
"Ah… business." Luke nodded his head in what Mara had come to term the 'Jedi Master' gesture of polite interest.
"Of course." Karrde matched Luke's gesture, mischief in his pale blue eyes.
"And business is… good?" Luke enquired.
"Of course," Talon answered smoothly, running his hand over his neatly trimmed goatee beard. "Business is always good."
They both laughed and the assumed air of formality melted away.
"We missed you last night at Leia's," Karrde said.
Luke's eyes slid to Mara and moved away again. "I couldn't make it," he said evasively. He hadn't noticed her presence before and wondered how he could have missed something so vital so close to him.
"Pity," Karrde said. "Your sister and Solo are superb at entertaining. It was very pleasant to talk like rational adults for once."
Mara opened her mouth to say something and then shut it again silently, thinking better of it.
"We must meet up while you're here," Luke murmured.
"I'm afraid I'm raising ship tonight," Karrde replied. "Otherwise, I'd have been delighted."
Luke's eyes again tracked their way towards Mara with a question in them. She shook her head slightly and saw him relax.
"I could be doing with certain supplies for the Academy and I know you can get them for me cheaper. The prices some of those pirates charge is practically daylight robbery."
"Just tell Mara what you need…"
Luke turned and stared directly at her instead of the little covert glances he'd been sending her since he'd arrived. He noted that she looked as if she was trying to merge into the Wilde Karrde's red painted hull. "Hello, Mara," he said, his blue eyes oddly serious after his jocularity with Karrde.
Mara swallowed. He was behaving very strangely and was staring at her as if he'd never really seen her before. It made her feel… nervous. Little fluttery sensations danced in the pit of her stomach.
"Mara has some time off," Karrde said, as if he'd just bestowed on her a great favour. "Business is slow until the holiday period is over."
"Don't you mean slower?" Mara questioned dryly. "Business is never 'slow'."
"Wonderful!" Luke said. "We can get some training done."
"That's what Mara said she needed to do," Karrde put in and grinned as she glared lasers at him.
"Haven't you got duties for the New Republic to do for the Battle of Yavin Remembrance Day?" Mara wondered aloud.
Luke shook his head. "Not really. I lay flowers at the memorial to all who died during the civil war. But it's low key as it should be."
Karrde thoughtfully tugged at his beard. "A good thing. War has innocent casualties on both sides."
"I know." Luke closed his eyes as if a great weight had landed on his shoulders but he shook his head as if dispelling the burden and gave a sigh, his expression determinedly lightening. "You must both come and meet..." He held out his hand and a small group of assorted beings walked sedately down the ramp of the Yavin shuttle. "These are the latest Jedi Knights to graduate from the Yavin Praxeum."
Mara rolled her eyes. "How nice," she said.
Luke shot her a glare. "Behave, Jade!" he whispered.
Karrde gave the two Jedi a curious look. "More Jedi, Skywalker. I'm impressed."
"Come on and I'll introduce you."
Talon Karrde marvelled again at Luke Skywalker who thought nothing of introducing his Jedi to smugglers, pirates or politicians alike. There were no fancy airs and graces in him and Karrde liked that. He watched as the small group approached the Wild Karrde. He recognised the Mon Calamari species, a Rodian, several humanoids, a Twi'lek and another species he wasn't familiar with. "You've been searching far for some of these, Luke."
The Jedi Master beamed. "We have and it is finally paying off. Most of these knights are set to return to their home systems and continue working there." He gave Mara another sideways glance. "This is as it should be."
He stepped forward and with a tender smile, went through a graceful greeting ritual with the lead Jedi. It consisted of bowing and very precise and dignified hand movements. The Jedi pulled back her hood and Mara gazed on the beautiful face of a young woman, her face marked with interlocking diamond shapes across the bridge of her nose and wide spaced dark brown eyes, framed by intricately coiled dark brown hair.
'A Mirialan,' Mara deduced with surprise. Unaccustomed feelings made themselves felt as Luke continued to hold the young woman's hand and whisper into her ear. Mara watched as the woman turned and said something to the human male standing directly behind her. They all laughed and arranged themselves so that Luke could make introductions.
Mara frowned. Was it her imagination or had his eyes lingered on the beautiful Mirialan? Had he held her hand longer than the others?
"I knew they were expected but not today." He indicated the Rodian with a wave of his hand. "Grenet has a natural affinity for things mechanical and was able to boost the hyperdrive on the shuttle. That indeed is one of the mysteries of the Force because that ship was not built for speed."
Grenet chuckled and spoke careful basic in the typical high pitched voice of his species. "You will find it goes a lot faster now, Master Skywalker."
"I'll have to test it later." Luke gave Mara a happy grin.
"If you ever decide the Jedi life is not for you," Karrde said, "I can give you a job."
Mara wrinkled her lip unnoticed in the hilarity that surrounded Karrde's comment. Everyone was acting the comedian today.
Luke turned to the Mon Calamari. "This is Clak Damsa - gifted in linguistics." The Mon Calamari bowed, her great eyes taking in everyone around her. The human male stepped forward and nodded politely. "Lon Tha from Chandrila…" Luke turned as a Twi'lek raced out of the shuttling skidding to a stop. Luke's mouth twitched with amusement. "And this young man is Bebo Magnot."
The Twi'lek bowed low and turned admiring eyes on Mara. "Who is this beautiful lady?"
This time it was Luke's turn to frown. "This is Mara Jade."
"I have heard of you; who has not? The reports did not do your beauty justice."
Mara laughed. "I like him."
"He's gifted in a lot of things. I should have guessed that you'd probably like him, Mara. He has a lot in common with Calrissian." He watched with satisfaction as Mara scowled at his verbal dart.
Magnot smiled at Luke. "I'm noted for my charm, Master Skywalker."
"You may be, but you're taken. Mara Jade is not one to be duped by a smooth talking rogue."
Mara narrowed her green eyes at Luke. 'Careful farmboy.'
Luke felt her ill-humour but did not understand the reason for it and rushed through the rest of the introductions until finally he came to the Mirialan woman. "This is Khata Ellynin."
The woman raised her perfect features up to Mara and went through the same greeting ritual Mara had seen her perform towards Luke. However to Mara's keen eye there were subtle differences. Dredging from somewhere in her memory, the diplomatic etiquette lessons she'd had to learn as a member of Palpatine's court came to mind.
Ellynin had greeted Mara as a stranger but Luke had been greeted as a friend, perhaps even something more. A spike of something twisted in her gut. Was this Luke's intended bride and was this the reason he was now so happy? Perhaps he'd had doubts and seeing her put his worries to rest. She was very beautiful but she was gazing at Luke with an expression of awe and hero worship. Luke didn't need that in a wife. He needed someone like Mara herself. Someone who wouldn't let him get too big for his Jedi pants. This woman was just a girl. Mara qualified her assessment. Ellynin was a trained Jedi Knight, but an inexperienced one. Luke needed someone who could match him saber to saber.
The small group stood chatting for a few moments until Karrde made his excuses. "I don't want to lose my departure slot." He nodded to Mara. "Keep in touch."
"I will. Remember my weapon upgrades."
"How could I forget?" Karrde sketched a graceful salute and strode away.
"I've booked you into guest suites in the Imperial Palace," Luke told the knights. "I'll escort you there. Most of you haven't been to Coruscant before." He smiled and murmured to Mara, "You coming?"
"Why not?" she said, shrugging her shoulders.
His blue eyes beamed into hers. "Good."
The little group made its way towards the air taxi rank and Mara found herself next to Khata Ellynin. "You are a good friend of the Master's?" she asked politely. "I can tell."
Mara nodded shortly. "I suppose so. I've known him a long time."
"He is quite a man," she offered. "He is happy to be with you."
"Oh, I guess he is."
"He has done much for the galaxy but then you have too. I have heard of your exploits together from other Jedi. The Master does not talk much about what he has done. It is good that Master Luke should have friends. The Jedi life can be a lonely one."
"Yes, it can."
"I shall be getting married, so I will not be alone."
"You're getting married!" Mara gave a little gasp.
"It has been destined between us from birth."
Mara heard none of the rest of the girl's conversation. Pain was lancing its way through her heart. She'd known it as soon as he'd run up the ramp that there was someone very special to him in that ship.
'What's wrong, Mara?'
'Keep out of my head, Jedi,'
'I felt pain coming from you…'
'You felt…? Stay away from me.'
'But what about tonight?'
'What about tonight?'
'You said you would help me.'
Mara kept putting one foot in front of the other. She had given him her word. But surely he didn't need her help now. His bride somehow knew about her destiny without Luke having to say a word. But the thing that bothered Mara was – why was she feeling like this about Luke Skywalker? It was almost as if she was… jealous.
Luke gave Mara worried glances all the way to the taxi rank. When they arrived there, he guided his former students into their seats and placed himself next to Mara.
"What are you doing next to me?" she snapped.
"Something's wrong," he stated. "You've gone very pale."
"Nonsense," she dismissed. "I have a pale complexion."
Luke's gaze took in the soft curve of her cheek. "Your skin is smooth and delicate but it's normally the colour of warm, pale cream."
Mara lifted her eyes from where she'd been studying every rivet holding the air taxi together and found herself caught by the intensity of his gaze. "Shouldn't… shouldn't you be saving such comments for your bride?" she said faintly. Flattery from Luke? He wasn't normally so… eloquent and certainly not about Mara. He was rehearsing the kind of things he would say to… Mara's face hardened.
Luke gave an inward sigh. For a moment, Mara had almost appeared to be receptive to his shy comments. "I have to practise on someone, don't I?" He quirked a smile and Mara found herself staring at his well shaped lips. What would it feel like to be kissed by him?
A soft blush tinted her face and Luke gave a relieved sigh. "You had me worried there, for a moment. I was hoping you weren't going to cancel our… our date."
Mara looked confused. "But why do you need it now. You have your Jedi here."
"I don't understand."
"It just seems that you should be focusing your efforts on the woman you intend to marry. You're not marrying me," Mara said quietly, wondering why she sounded so disappointed. This had to stop; it was getting ridiculous. She was beginning to wonder if she was developing some kind of emotional fixation on Luke Skywalker. And what about the beautiful Ellynin?
The air taxi stopped at Mara's part of the palace. Luke placed his hand on hers. "Mara, I still need your help. I think I can just about function at formal dinners. Leia saw to that but that's not enough."
"You don't throw your bones on the floor any more, farmboy?"
"I never did that. My aunt would never have allowed it. Han did it once at a diplomatic reception. He'd overindulged in a rather large bottle of Whyren's Reserve beforehand and just forgot. Leia made him sleep on the couch for a week."
"You're making this up," Mara murmured, disbelief on her face.
"This is the honest truth, Jade. The funniest thing was that all the dignitaries saw him do it and thought it was a local custom. We were ducking bones all evening."
"Skywalker, this is not true."
"Yes it is. My oath as a Jedi. Ask Leia next time you see her if you don't believe me. I don't throw my leftovers on the floor…"
"Probably aren't any. I've seen what you eat. But where it goes to I do not know." She cast a cursory glance down over his trim waist and flat stomach.
"I might need some help with my dancing. Leia says that I can't just stand in one place and shuffle."
Mara stifled a smile. "No, that would never do."
"I'll pick you up as arranged," he said.
"But…"
Luke jumped out of the taxi and extended his hand to help her out.
"I can manage," she protested.
"I know you can, but you have to let me practise." Luke kept her hand tightly in his. It fit nicely, her small, strong hand with its tapering fingers. He rubbed his hand across calluses earned by long hours with a lightsaber and a blaster. Mara gave a surprised little gasp and managed to tear her hand away.
"Remember - smart casual," he instructed.
"What are you going to be wearing?"
"The usual. I think you'll recognise me."
Mara shook her head. He needed more work than she thought. Maybe because his intended bride was also a Jedi it wouldn't matter but something inside her wanted to see Luke in attire other than his black Jedi tunic. Although she had to admit, it set off his colouring perfectly. She was going to have to speak to him about it. Well, perhaps while on their 'date' there would be time for instruction.
*************************************************
Khata turned her head to watch Luke interact with Mara Jade on the landing platform. The Jedi Master had Mara's hand firmly in his grip.
"I have heard much of this woman," she said to the man sitting next to her.
"She is spectacular," the Twilek agreed. "And I can see why many think that she would be right for our Master."
"I felt some strange feelings coming from her through the Force."
"You did?"
"I do not think she liked me."
"How can that be?" Bebo asked softly. "Everyone likes you and I…" He ran a ginger over her cheek. "I love you."
The girl smiled, her beauty illuminated even further. "I know. But we have been destined to meet and love from birth. Of that I truly believe."
"I am in complete agreement." He looked round. "Ah! The master has finished his conversation with the striking Mara Jade."
"Physically, yes, but emotionally, no. Can you not see how he watches her?"
"You are more attuned to the moods of others than I, but yes, I can see how he watches her."
Khata watched as Luke slipped back into the last seat in the taxi, his eyes remaining firmly locked on Mara Jade as she stood watching their vehicle vanish into the Coruscant traffic for the short journey to the tower housing the Jedi guests' quarters.
