The Wedding of Luke Skywalker

By Ash Darklighter

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: The characters and situations in this story are the property of Lucasfilm Ltd. I am not making so much as a credit from this endeavour. Thanks to the girls as usual.

Solo Apartment

Leia Organa-Solo was not a happy woman and her brother was the root cause. She had been trying to contact him for two days. He couldn't still be sulking – could he? They didn't argue often. In fact, she was more likely to argue with her husband than with her brother. Stubborn son of a desert bantha that her brother was, it was difficult to argue with a pacifist.

"Any luck?" Han called.

Leia lifted her head to look at her husband who lounged against the frame of her open office door. "No."

"I wonder what he's up to."

"I've tried all his usual haunts. He doesn't have his comlink switched on. He's not receiving me through the Force either. He seems to be blocking everyone."

"Did the Jedi shuttle arrive from Yavin?"

"That's tomorrow - or maybe it was today. I can't remember."

Han walked forward and dropped a light kiss on Leia's cheek. "Why don't you verify with spaceport authorities. They'll soon let you know if the shuttle's here or not. Find out when the shuttle is due and we can take a stroll to the hangar. I can check on the Falcon and you can intercept the kid."

"Good idea, flyboy."

"I get them," Han said smugly.

"Yes, sometimes you surprise me." Leia kept her face straight.

"Hey!"

She allowed a smile to creep across her face. "Hey, yourself. I suppose I should really hold a reception for the new Jedi. Luke did say that most of them were moving on quite quickly. It must be quite a thought for them, travelling out into the galaxy to do good."

"Figures," said Han. "There's still an awful lot of work out there for Jedi types to do. This is the reason that Luke has been half killing himself over the past few years."

"He has not."

"He has, Leia. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Yoda told Luke he had to restart the Jedi Order. It's not been easy for him."

"I do know that you're right, Han. Perhaps now that he's completed another group of Jedi Knights he can start to relax a little."

"Can you see that happening?"

"I'd like to."

"But can you see it happening?"

Leia shook her head. "No, I can't. Luke is a workaholic with a conscience." She glanced at Han, something almost resembling defeat in her eyes. "How can I arrange a reception when Luke isn't even speaking to me?"

"He is speaking to you. He's just got other things on his mind. Start organising that reception and make it soon."

"You think I should?"

"Of course. We know where all the Jedi are staying. We know he's booked the small audience chamber in the Senate buildings for some sort of official do. Make sure that Artoo gets Luke's invitation and…"

"Fait accompli."

"As leader of the Jedi Order, Luke would have to make an appearance." Han added, catching the twinkling of his wife's eye.

"So he would," she murmured.

"Even better if it was the same day as the official Jedi thing. All the probable guests will be on planet."

"I won't get a chance to really talk to my brother."

"But you'll see him."

"Yes."

"He'll be okay."

"I wish I could be so sure. He hasn't been happy so far."

"One of these days he will be, sweetheart." Han reassured her softly. They both wanted to see the kid happy. "But for now if I had to lay odds on your brother's location I'd say find those students and you'll find him."

Han leant over his wife's shoulder and tapped a few buttons on the com console. "Solo, here. Could you tell me when the scheduled shuttle from Yavin IV will arrive?"

"The Jedi arrived yesterday, General Solo – a day early. Jedi Master Skywalker collected the knights and left for an undisclosed location."

"Thanks, pal," Han murmured and cut the connection. "We have our answer, sweetheart. That's where your brother will be."

"I arranged accommodation for them in the West Tower of the Imperial Palace. There are temporary quarters reserved for visiting heads of state and their staff."

"I thought there were quarters at Luke's fancy new Jedi Centre? They aren't staying there?"

"There will be but they haven't been completed yet. For the moment they're in the West Tower of the Imperial Palace."

"Don't tell me." Han's voice was cynical. "He's doing the rewiring himself and that's why the place isn't functioning properly yet. Why he couldn't have got techs in and just had it completed quickly, I don't know."

Leia gave him a look. Her husband was just as bad as her brother was. "He's doing most of it himself. That's why it's taking so long. Luke doesn't want the Jedi to be beholden to the New Republic. At the rate he's finding free time to be able to work there it should be ready for Jaina and Jacen's grandchildren to train Jedi of their own."

Han grinned. "An independent operation." He chuckled. "I can understand that."

"You would," his wife muttered.

"Is the com centre up at the new place?"

"It wasn't yesterday but if the Jedi have arrived he'll have some help and he did say that getting the com centre working was a priority."

"Try it," Han said.

The picture on the monitor appeared instantly. Leia could tell it was only a temporary image as the picture wavered unsteadily but it was more than she'd had before - no contact at all. A Mon Calamari female stared at them with her large unblinking fishlike eyes.

"High Councillor and General Solo. How may I help you? My name is Clak Damsa."

"Linguistic expert," whispered Leia in her husband's ear.

"Good afternoon, Jedi Damsa," Han said, grinning. "This is a step forward."

"How so?"

"You have the com centre working today."

"The Master has had the centre operational for some time. He has just not chosen to let others know of that fact. It is not running quite as well as he would like it…"

"Speaking of 'the Master'," Han interrupted. "Is he around?"

"Alas, you have just missed him."

"Damn!" Han swore.

"He was here all morning." There was a hint of a rebuke in the Mon Calamari's voice. "The trader Mara Jade arrived and was given a tour of the facility. They left together."

"You don't know where they went?"

Clak Damsa moved her head from side to side in a decidedly negative fashion. "I do not."

"Thanks for your help, Jedi Damsa," Han called, and watched as she vanished from view.

"So we're no further forward," Leia sighed in frustration.

"I think we are, sweetheart. We know where he was and where he went. It's a start."

"If he'd only kept his comlink switched on then all this would be completely unnecessary. I don't want to have to detail a squadron of Noghri to follow him. He hates that."

"Try his apartment again."

But all they got was Artoo Detoo, who was clearly unhappy at being left behind.

"Where's Luke, Artoo?" Leia asked the short little droid.

Artoo's reply flashed up on the screen in Leia's office.

"He went shopping!" Leia exclaimed, her eyes wide. "With Mara?"

Artoo beeped an assent and added a melodious warble.

"Thank you, Artoo. Yes, I'll tell Threepio you were enquiring about the stability of his circuits."

Han sat down in the chair opposite Leia's desk and wondered if he looked as bewildered as he felt. "So the kid has gone shopping and with Mara Jade, too. The mind never ceases to amaze me."

"I wonder what they're buying."

"Maybe some stuff for the Jedi Centre or for Mara's ship."

"Probably. I'll have to go." Leia checked her wrist chrono. "I have a meeting."

"I'll pick up the kids from school and then I'll go down and check on the ship. We can try contacting Luke later."

"Or maybe he'll contact us."

"Maybe."

Leia picked up a data reader and a stack of pads. "I can hope." But her face and voice indicated that she didn't hold out much hope of that happening. Han gave her a quick kiss and smiled as her face brightened a little.

Luke Skywalker's Apartment

Mara gave a great sigh of relief as she subsided into one of Luke's shabby, but comfortable armchairs. "I thought we women were supposed to be terrible to shop with? I swear, Skywalker, you are the absolute worst."

"I'm not that bad," he protested. "You should try shopping with my sister or Han. Leia is terrible but in the opposite way. She buys too much. Han is tempted by all the useless gadgets at knock down prices. Most of which don't work." He contemplated the amount of bags and boxes that he'd dumped on his bed. "I did buy some new stuff, after all," Luke pointed out as he joined her in the lounge.

"Eventually."

"Well, I have to admit that when you threatened to blast my head off if I didn't, I suddenly found things worth purchasing."

A satisfied smile curved Mara's lips. "Yup."

"You would have done it, too," Luke muttered, giving her a wary look. "I saw the way your hand was twitching for your blaster." He was lying flat on his back on the couch, his booted feet dangling over one of the arms.

"That was the fifth place we'd been to."

"It was not!" Luke sat up indignantly and swung his feet to the floor.

"No, maybe you're right. It was the sixth or the seventh." Mara's tone was sardonically cheerful. "Possibly even the eighth."

"I thought the security droid was going to have us thrown out."

"He didn't. I rewired him. Now go and try on your 'new stuff'."

Luke gave her a doubtful glance. "What, now?"

"Mm hm."

"But I tried it on in the shop," Luke protested and then her other comment registered. "What do you mean you rewired the security droid?"

"He wanted to remove my blaster. No one does that," she snarled. "Now, Skywalker. Go and change. I want to check your clothes in proper lighting."

"Did anyone see you rewiring the security droid?"

"No, I used the Force to cloud their minds. Now go and try the clothes on."

"But Mara!"

"Nobody saw me do it, okay?"

Luke heaved a sigh. "Okay, but you get us some drinks while I go change." He stood up and pointed to a cupboard. "Wine and glasses are in there." Then he vanished into his bedchamber, leaving the door slightly ajar.

"Skywalker?"

"Yeah." Luke peered out of his bedroom door in the middle of removing his tunic. The door slid open even wider. He pulled the black garment off over his head and flung it on the floor. Luke walked forward and stood in the opening never thinking of the strain he was subjecting his friend to – totally oblivious of her reaction.

Mara's mouth dried at the sight of Luke's smooth tanned flesh. She stood holding two glasses in her hands and stared at him, her eyes incredibly bright. Luke's gaze caught hers and clung. Something in the Force whispered and layers shifted without detection by the two Jedi. Luke took a step closer towards her and Mara ran her tongue across her lips. His blue gaze fastened hungrily on the betraying movement.

"Mara?" he whispered hoarsely.

The sound of his voice broke the strange spell between them and Mara held up the two glasses. "These…" She cleared her throat. "Will these do?"

Luke opened and shut his mouth then managed to say, "I haven't got any others."

Mara peered back into the cupboard. "Neither you have."

A shaken Luke moved back into the bedroom and began removing his black Jedi pants. "I'm moving from this apartment," he called, aiming for a more natural conversation and atmosphere between them. Mara had to be as aware of this awkwardness as he was. Luke knew the thickening sexual tension could get out of control on his behalf at least and there was no way of predicting how Mara would react. Or maybe there was. She would just kill him for sure.

"Why?" Mara's voice was muffled as she dug in the depths of the cupboard, searching for the wine he said was in it.

He stepped out of his trousers and began fumbling through the boxes and bags containing his new clothes. "There's an apartment attached to the Jedi Centre. It's much nicer than this one and it's mine really. My father left the building to me after all. This place is so basic and I've hardly spent any time in it over the years." He poked his head around the door. "I don't feel at home here and I've been gradually moving my belongings into the new place. I don't have very much, so it's not a big job."

Mara pursed her lips as her head emerged from the cupboard. "I can see that." She'd found a bottle of what appeared to be red wine and began searching around the small kitchen for a bottle opener. Not being able to find one, she wandered to the bedroom door and tentatively peered around it.

Luke stood dressed in a tight pair of black under-shorts that moulded to his firm buttocks as if it was an extra skin leaving nothing to Mara's heated imagination. The muscles in his powerful legs moved as he bent over the bed and a rush of heat travelled throughout her body. What was wrong with her? She'd seen him in his swimming costume. She'd even seen him without it, but he didn't know about that. Her fingers itched to smooth their way across his powerful shoulders and then to manoeuvre their way much lower. They ached to slide under the tight black material and see if the skin was as smooth and warm as she imagined it to be. Suddenly Luke stiffened and began to turn around. Mara's heart plummeted in her chest. He'd sensed her but before he could see her, she whisked herself back to the kitchen and began raking noisily in all the drawers for the missing bottle opener.

A new unpalatable truth slammed hard into her brain. She wanted him. She wanted to pull off his last piece of clothing and have him bury himself inside her receptive, feminine body. She couldn't stay here… Mara began to panic. This was Luke Skywalker. He was engaged to another woman – hold it! She qualified her thought. He was going to marry another woman. That was as good as engaged in her holonovel. She couldn't feel like that about Luke. He was her friend and you didn't want to make love to your friends. Well… Again Mara qualified that thought. She didn't. She couldn't answer for anyone else.

'Liar', the little voice whispered. 'You want him.'

"I don't," she whispered.

"Mara!" Luke dashed into the kitchen. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she snapped. "I can't… can't…"

"Can't what?"

Mara lifted her head and looked at the Jedi Master. He was dressed in a midnight blue shirt and well-cut, matching pants. The colour, although dark, was not black and the change brought out the vivid blue of his eyes. "I can't find the bottle opener," she murmured weakly.

"It's in the drawer."

"Well, I can't find it," she bit out.

"Mara…" Luke stepped forward, his hands outstretched. "What's wrong?"

Mara gestured helplessly with the wine glasses. "You look nice."

Luke's face held a dubious expression.

"You do," she said gaining control of her shaky emotions. "Let's see the jacket. The shirt is a good colour."

Luke tilted his head to one side and stared at the death grip she seemed to have on the bottle of wine for what seemed like ages. With a small smile on the edge of his well-shaped lips he focused on the bottle and to Mara's astonishment the cork eased up and out of the bottle with a satisfying pop. "Okay." He disappeared back into the bedchamber.

Mara let out the breath she'd been holding. Why was she feeling like this? It felt like, in an instant, her whole perception of Luke Skywalker as a man had changed. She was suddenly seeing him as a man – a real man - for the very first time. One that she desired very much. "Force," she whispered. This had to stop. She relaxed her fingers from their white knuckled grip around the wine bottle and compelled herself to place it on the worktop.

Luke sounded a little fanfare, pretending he had a trumpet.

"Okay – I get the drift," Mara managed as her tension eased away. Luke stood clutching the matching jacket.

"Put it on."

Luke grimaced but slipped the matching jacket on.

"Now model it."

"Mara!" he whined.

"Skywalker, I'm not going through this again. You're lucky they just threw us out of two shops."

Luke grinned, his face lighting up, and tried the exaggerated walk of a top designer-house employee.

"I would stick to the day job, Jedi Master," Mara said dryly as she poured the wine into the glasses. "Now go and put on the other outfits."

"Oh, very well."

Luke appeared before Mara in a selection of coloured shirts and tunics. Most were soberly cut and styled, but Mara had teamed the tunics and suits with vivid shirts and robes. Eventually Luke finished the fashion parade, as he called it, and came into the lounge dressed in a dark grey sweatshirt and loose pants. Mara handed him his wine and he took an appreciative sip of the ruby coloured liquid.

"I bought something for you… to say thank you." He pulled from behind his back a beautifully wrapped and beribboned package.

"But Luke… you gave me…"

"Not many people would have helped me update my outdated wardrobe and you were surprisingly patient about it."

"'Update your outdated wardrobe.' I like that," Mara almost growled as she levelled a keen glance at him. "I can be patient."

"So can I… I think," Luke murmured. "Although it's getting harder."

"You didn't wrap this one yourself, then?" Mara ran her fingers across the sophisticated packaging.

Luke shrugged, a little embarrassed. "How can you tell?"

"There's just something," she teased. "Thank you, farmboy. You shouldn't be buying me gifts… oh!" Mara peeled away the wrapping with care and stared at the delicate pieces of jade green silk lingerie which she had revealed.

"The woman in the shop said it was your size because I think you walked past the scanner when she was measuring me."

"Luke… I…" Mara's creamy skin had flushed to the colour of a soft rose.

"You going to try them on?" he asked hopefully. "You could model them… uh… I guess not."

Mara sent him a death glare.

"I'll go and cook, shall I?" Luke suggested hurriedly.

Solo Apartment

"Have you called him or heard from him yet?" Han peered from over the top of the data pad he was reading. Leia had arrived back early from her meeting, they'd been able to eat their evening meal as a family and the kids were now in bed sleeping.

"No." His wife's voice was strained. "Did I tell you we argued?"

"I thought there was some reason he didn't arrive for dinner." Han kept his tone light.

"I called him the 'Son of Vader'."

"And?"

"He hasn't spoken to me since."

"That's not like Luke." He put down his pad. "Leia, he's been called worse. The only reason he hasn't contacted you is that he's busy with Jedi stuff and, of course, we both know he's single-handedly rewiring the entire building because he thinks he can do a better job. The thing is… he probably can." Han sighed. "This is Luke, sweetheart. It just won't have occurred to him."

"I suppose so."

"Luke's not the type to hold a grudge."

"But nothing he does at the moment is like Luke," she exclaimed heatedly. "He tells me he is to marry. He tells me nothing about the woman and then snaps my nose off for no reason when I ask for more information." She paced back and forth in front of her husband's position.

"Sweetheart…" Han reached out and caught Leia by the hand. "Come here." He gently tugged her towards him. "Sit down."

"I'm so worried about him, Han. I've not seen Luke this depressed since just after Callista left. He as good as admitted he was in love with someone and now he is supposed to get married. I don't even know if he's supposed to marry the person he cares for."

Han sat up straighter. "He actually admitted that he was in love with someone?"

"Well…" Leia tried to recall her brother's exact words. "He said… 'I had thought there was someone I could… If ever I decided to love again – it would be her. But it's going to be very difficult now.'"

"He said that?"

Leia nodded.

Han nodded. "I see."

"What do you see?" Leia knew Han had a shrewd and clever mind and could see through Luke as if he were made of transparisteel. Her husband leaned back in his seat and tapped his chin thoughtfully for a moment or two.

"There is only one woman he spends any time with willingly."

"Is there?"

"Of course there is, sweetheart, and you know that."

"But the last time I visited Yavin he didn't spend any more time with the females than he had to."

"I wasn't thinking of the Yavin Jedi." Han's voice held a strange inflection.

"Oh!"

"The females there are either already mated or too young for your brother."

"I don't know. Several of the new Jedi knights have a very mature outlook on life and they're strong in the Force. Age doesn't necessarily mean that much. They are adults, Han."

"That's not what I meant, sweetheart. They may be strong in the Force but they haven't gone through a tenth of what Luke, you, or I have experienced in this lifetime."

Leia curved herself into her husband's arms. "I must be too tired to think this through clearly. The Senate members were behaving like a bunch of idiots today."

"So what's new?"

Leia gave a weary smile. "I just thought that the woman he could love and the woman the Force was suggesting he should marry are probably one and the same. I've lain awake at night thinking about it since he told me."

Han kissed the top of Leia's head. "The kid never does anything the easy way. He'll be in the middle of a big internal moral dilemma about it all."

"You have it correct, General. I can just see it. 'I love you and the Force suggests we should marry.' Luke, of course, wouldn't come out with it like that."

"I don't know, sweetheart. Well, you hope he wouldn't."

"You have a point. I used to think I could predict the way my brother would act – how he thought about things. Now I realise I don't know him very well at all."

"There is one woman. She is Force strong, has had a life as varied and as difficult as we have. Is loyal, but wary of giving that loyalty…"

Leia froze, her mind searching for the person she knew it could be. The breath left her body in a gasp. "Mara? You're talking about Mara Jade?" Leia sat up. "You really think that my gentle brother is in love with Mara Jade?"

Han stared down at his wife and rubbed a hand lovingly over her hair. "Yes. I do."

"I think you're right, Han. Oh stars!" Leia caught her lower lip in her teeth, a worried expression on her face.

"And what's more, I bet she hasn't a clue."

Leia's dark eyes widened. "He didn't say who the woman was but he's had years to put the moves on Mara Jade."

"Would you make moves on Mara?" Han asked wryly. "I wouldn't - not if I valued my life. Besides, I'm very happy with the woman I've got." He winked roguishly. "Luke's been recovering from Callista and dedicating himself to the Jedi Order and working on not getting involved with any woman. Mara would be the kind of girl that creeps up on him, though."

"It sounds like the kind of thing my brother would do."

"Go call your brother, sweetheart, or…" Han's smile widened further. "Try and call Mara."