The Arrangement
By Rhea Jediknight
Thanks to Lacy_1, The Good Twin, Danni-2005,and MaraJadeJediMaster for your encouragement!!
Part Eleven
By the time Luke had left Callista staggered by his parting words, the wedding party had begun to dance. The curtain of flame had descended and low artificial lights gave the Atrium a blueish glow. The birds fluttered off with the onset of soft instrumental music and the people began to mill around them. Greere approached Callista and urged her to dance with one of his groomsmen, eager to put some distance between the woman and the Jedi Master. There was something about these two that wasn't right and he had no intention of causing Luke Skywalker any pain.
Luke was only aware that he could no longer feel Mara's presence. He ran in the direction she had disappeared, his lightsaber hilt bouncing against his hip as he jogged. He tried to reach out to her through the Force, but felt nothing but muted pain and nausea. Was Mara ill? Was she in trouble?
He couldn't really blame her for leaving. They should have done so when he had first had suggested that option. Luke hurried home, knowing even before he entered the apartment that she wasn't there. He went inside anyway. He was greeted with an electronic twittering.
"Artoo, have you seen Mara?"
R2D2 rotated his domed head and warbled a negative. He then twittered something that made Luke come over to read the little display unit attached to the droid's dome.
"She what!" Luke asked in dismay.
When the astromech droid repeated himself he sighed heavily. "Can this get any worse? When did Mara see this picture of me kissing Callista?"
Artoo responded slowly.
"But she never said anything." Luke sighed heavily. He dragged his fingers through his hair and asked wearily, "Can you check to make that she hasn't requested clearance for the Jade's Fire's departure?"
"Can you check to make that she hasn't requested clearance for the Jade's Fire's departure?"
Artoo complied immediately, extending his droid arm into an aperture, rotating it slightly. He then warbled something to Luke.
Luke smiled sadly, "Yeah. I'd appreciate if you would make it impossible for her to gain the necessary clearance."
He thought about calling Talon Karrde and debated the other places that Mara might have gone when his com unit beeped.
Luke lunged for it, and was surprised to see Han Solo's face scowling at him. "I don't know what's happened between you and Mara, but I thought you might want to know that she's here."
"Thank the Force." Luke breathed in relief.
"That must have been on hell of a fight, because Mara looks ready to pass out."
"She does? Don't let her leave."
"I'll try my best but I don't think she's planning on leaving just yet."
"I'm on my way."
*******
Leia intercepted Luke before he could enter her apartment.
"Is Mara still here?" Luke asked a frantic edge to his voice.
"Yes, but you can't go in there just yet." Leia said coolly.
Luke's eyes narrowed and for the first time since his dash to the Solo residence he focused his full attention on Leia.
"Why?"
Luke's blue eyes were piercing, and she felt a frisson of unease down her body. All traces of her boyish brother were gone. Leia mustered all of her strength, unwilling to retreat in the face of the ominous Jedi Master standing before her. "I promised her that I wouldn't allow you in until the morning. Give her some time to cool off. I doubt you'd get very far with her in her present state anyway."
Luke sighed, suddenly her brother again. His shoulders slumped and his gaze softened. "You're probably right. I just don't know how I'll be able to wait until morning."
Leia darted a glance at the door and then pulled Luke away and toward the railing so that they could talk with greater privacy.
"Mara told me that she saw you kissing Callista." Leia said, unable to keep her voice form sounding accusing.
Luke groaned, "This is even worse that I thought." He threw his head back and closed his eyes. The night breeze brushed against his skin while his mind replayed the scene with Callista. If Mara had seen the kiss, but had not stayed long enough to witness its conclusion or to hear his words, he could understand her distress.
"You mean you didn't mean for Mara to find out about you and Callista in that way?" Leia asked cautiously.
Luke's eyes flew wide and he turned to face Leia, "There is nothing between Callista and me. I would be happy if I never saw her again."
At Leia's confused look Luke tried to explain, "Callista mistakenly believed that I was still in love with her. That she could just show up after all these years and take up where we had left off. She was wrong. I didn't kiss her, she tried to kiss me. I just hope Mara can believe that."
Leia laid her hand on Luke's arm and said, "Mara said something else that I found odd."
"What do you mean?"
"That you didn't really love her, implying that there were other reasons behind your marriage."
Luke turned away causing Leia's hand to drop to her side and said, "I'm surprised she shared that with you."
Leia's eyes went wide, unable to hide her shock. "So it's true?"
Luke kept his back to his sister as he said passionately, "I love her Leia, I always have."
Her shock quickly muted and became confusion, "Have you told Mara?"
"Yes, Of course I have."
"Then why wouldn't she believe you?" Leia continued to probe, determined to get to the bottom of this.
"I thought that she did." Luke took a deep breath and then admitted, "The circumstances of our wedding were somewhat . . .unorthodox."
"Unorthodox? I don't understand."
Luke turned to face his sister and took her hands in his. "I didn't want you and Han to know. I didn't want you to be worried about us."
Leia watched her brother carefully. His blue eyes searched her gaze, and seemed to see her openness and love for him.
Luke continued, "We made an arrangement. We had both decided that we were never going to marry, that we were going to live our lives alone. We both wanted children and we're happy with this thought . . . so we decided to get married to. .. . to have a family."
"You did what?" Leia asked, unable to believe what her brother had just told her.
He dropped her hands and dragged them through his hair. "We made a business arrangement, nothing more."
She remembered they way Mara had been after Luke's departure before the wedding. Leia had seen the evidence of their shared love on more than one occasion, but if they had never openly admitted their love. .. ."But you just said that you love her."
"I know that . . . now."
She opened her mouth in a silent "Oh" of surprise. When she regained her voice she said, "Well, that certainly sheds some light on to Mara's odd behavior tonight."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I couldn't understand how even after you told her that you loved her, how she could still fail to believe you. But it makes perfect sense now."
"I'm afraid that I still don't follow."
"You're too pessimistic, too honorable for your own good sometimes, Luke. Mara probably saw your declaration of love as a way to make it real, not as an indication of true emotion."
His eyebrows drew together about to argue and then he fell silent. Luke thought for awhile. It made sense, and it gave him some hope. He gaze out into the night watching the distant lights of the moving traffic lanes. Then he turned to face Leia with a renewed sense of determination, "What time is it?"
"Nearly two in the morning."
"I would say that qualifies as waiting till the morning don't you?" A slightly devilish grin spread across his face.
"Luke." Leia's said warningly, but made no move to stop him as he entered her apartment.
*********
Mara had been unable to sleep. She pulled out her com link and called to arrange for departure on the Jade's Fire only to learn that her clearance had been rescinded. Skywalker! Mara silently seethed at him annoyed that he had thwarted her so effortlessly. She would just have to show him that she couldn't be stopped so easily.
The room was dark, and she opened the door onto the guest balcony. She contemplated the balcony one story down judging the distance. She could probably jump the expanse without any problem, but the thought of Leia's reaction when she discovered that she had disappeared in the middle of the night gave her pause.
A voice arrested her causing her body to flush and a trembling to radiate out from her stomach to her outer extremities.
"If you're going to run, I don't think anyone will notice if you use the front door." Luke said calmly.
Mara turned to inspect the Jedi. Her eyes ranged over every line, every shadow, and angles of his face feeling as if this might be the last time she ever saw him. He stood with his legs wide, his gravity centered. Mara recognized the battle stance. She wondered if he was preparing himself to leap after her if she jumped.
"Oh, but this way has so much more style." Mara replied flippantly. Half his face was in shadow, but she could see the slight smile that played about his lips. Mara glanced down the long drop then back to Luke.
"Are you planning on leaving?" Luke felt as if he was caught in the grip of a black hole from which he might never pull free. He had to know what she intended, needed to know why she left.
"That depends." Mara replied carefully.
"Depends on what?"
"On whether you want me to go. I won't stand between you and Callista." Mara kept her voice remarkable even. Luke crossed the distance between them, but when he got within touching distance, Mara retreated a step.
Luke halted, and restrained himself from reaching for her. "I don't want Callista. I want you Mara."
Her heart began to beat tripled time, overjoyed by his words. But she cautioned herself that he might be speaking out of duty and not desire. "Because of our arrangement?"
"Because I love you. I don't love Callista. I don't think I ever did and I was never truly happy when I was with her. She agreed to come to the wedding to see if we might be reunited. She tried to kiss me, but I didn't want her. I had already found the love of my life." He emphasized these last words, "You. Mara Jade Skywalker."
He loved her! He had walked away from Callista to find her! She hadn't even told him about the baby and he still wanted to be with her. The up swell of emotion was too powerful for her to contain. Mara gave a little sob and then let go of all of her pain. She released her most private barriers and shared her thoughts and feelings about her husband so that Luke was privy to her insecurities about his love, her longing and desire for him, and mostly her overwhelming love for the Jedi.
Luke caught Mara up in his arms, and they both slid to the ground. Luke cradled her in his arms. Mara began to weep again, silent tears tracing damp trails down her cheeks.
Luke's breathing was ragged and he said brokenly, "Oh Mara. How could you ever doubt my love for you? I thought it was painfully obvious."
"I was blind." Mara chuckled self deprecatingly.
Luke caught her mouth in a tender kiss, tasting the salty tears and projecting all his love to her. By the time the kiss ended, both of their faces were streaked with tears and their eyes were slightly red.
"Let's go home." Luke said his voice wavering slightly.
Mara nodded.
They stood up. Luke pulled Mara close against him, as if reluctant to let her go. They left the apartment in silence, hardly noticing Leia watching them with hope in her heart as they left.
By Rhea Jediknight
Thanks to Lacy_1, The Good Twin, Danni-2005,and MaraJadeJediMaster for your encouragement!!
Part Eleven
By the time Luke had left Callista staggered by his parting words, the wedding party had begun to dance. The curtain of flame had descended and low artificial lights gave the Atrium a blueish glow. The birds fluttered off with the onset of soft instrumental music and the people began to mill around them. Greere approached Callista and urged her to dance with one of his groomsmen, eager to put some distance between the woman and the Jedi Master. There was something about these two that wasn't right and he had no intention of causing Luke Skywalker any pain.
Luke was only aware that he could no longer feel Mara's presence. He ran in the direction she had disappeared, his lightsaber hilt bouncing against his hip as he jogged. He tried to reach out to her through the Force, but felt nothing but muted pain and nausea. Was Mara ill? Was she in trouble?
He couldn't really blame her for leaving. They should have done so when he had first had suggested that option. Luke hurried home, knowing even before he entered the apartment that she wasn't there. He went inside anyway. He was greeted with an electronic twittering.
"Artoo, have you seen Mara?"
R2D2 rotated his domed head and warbled a negative. He then twittered something that made Luke come over to read the little display unit attached to the droid's dome.
"She what!" Luke asked in dismay.
When the astromech droid repeated himself he sighed heavily. "Can this get any worse? When did Mara see this picture of me kissing Callista?"
Artoo responded slowly.
"But she never said anything." Luke sighed heavily. He dragged his fingers through his hair and asked wearily, "Can you check to make that she hasn't requested clearance for the Jade's Fire's departure?"
"Can you check to make that she hasn't requested clearance for the Jade's Fire's departure?"
Artoo complied immediately, extending his droid arm into an aperture, rotating it slightly. He then warbled something to Luke.
Luke smiled sadly, "Yeah. I'd appreciate if you would make it impossible for her to gain the necessary clearance."
He thought about calling Talon Karrde and debated the other places that Mara might have gone when his com unit beeped.
Luke lunged for it, and was surprised to see Han Solo's face scowling at him. "I don't know what's happened between you and Mara, but I thought you might want to know that she's here."
"Thank the Force." Luke breathed in relief.
"That must have been on hell of a fight, because Mara looks ready to pass out."
"She does? Don't let her leave."
"I'll try my best but I don't think she's planning on leaving just yet."
"I'm on my way."
*******
Leia intercepted Luke before he could enter her apartment.
"Is Mara still here?" Luke asked a frantic edge to his voice.
"Yes, but you can't go in there just yet." Leia said coolly.
Luke's eyes narrowed and for the first time since his dash to the Solo residence he focused his full attention on Leia.
"Why?"
Luke's blue eyes were piercing, and she felt a frisson of unease down her body. All traces of her boyish brother were gone. Leia mustered all of her strength, unwilling to retreat in the face of the ominous Jedi Master standing before her. "I promised her that I wouldn't allow you in until the morning. Give her some time to cool off. I doubt you'd get very far with her in her present state anyway."
Luke sighed, suddenly her brother again. His shoulders slumped and his gaze softened. "You're probably right. I just don't know how I'll be able to wait until morning."
Leia darted a glance at the door and then pulled Luke away and toward the railing so that they could talk with greater privacy.
"Mara told me that she saw you kissing Callista." Leia said, unable to keep her voice form sounding accusing.
Luke groaned, "This is even worse that I thought." He threw his head back and closed his eyes. The night breeze brushed against his skin while his mind replayed the scene with Callista. If Mara had seen the kiss, but had not stayed long enough to witness its conclusion or to hear his words, he could understand her distress.
"You mean you didn't mean for Mara to find out about you and Callista in that way?" Leia asked cautiously.
Luke's eyes flew wide and he turned to face Leia, "There is nothing between Callista and me. I would be happy if I never saw her again."
At Leia's confused look Luke tried to explain, "Callista mistakenly believed that I was still in love with her. That she could just show up after all these years and take up where we had left off. She was wrong. I didn't kiss her, she tried to kiss me. I just hope Mara can believe that."
Leia laid her hand on Luke's arm and said, "Mara said something else that I found odd."
"What do you mean?"
"That you didn't really love her, implying that there were other reasons behind your marriage."
Luke turned away causing Leia's hand to drop to her side and said, "I'm surprised she shared that with you."
Leia's eyes went wide, unable to hide her shock. "So it's true?"
Luke kept his back to his sister as he said passionately, "I love her Leia, I always have."
Her shock quickly muted and became confusion, "Have you told Mara?"
"Yes, Of course I have."
"Then why wouldn't she believe you?" Leia continued to probe, determined to get to the bottom of this.
"I thought that she did." Luke took a deep breath and then admitted, "The circumstances of our wedding were somewhat . . .unorthodox."
"Unorthodox? I don't understand."
Luke turned to face his sister and took her hands in his. "I didn't want you and Han to know. I didn't want you to be worried about us."
Leia watched her brother carefully. His blue eyes searched her gaze, and seemed to see her openness and love for him.
Luke continued, "We made an arrangement. We had both decided that we were never going to marry, that we were going to live our lives alone. We both wanted children and we're happy with this thought . . . so we decided to get married to. .. . to have a family."
"You did what?" Leia asked, unable to believe what her brother had just told her.
He dropped her hands and dragged them through his hair. "We made a business arrangement, nothing more."
She remembered they way Mara had been after Luke's departure before the wedding. Leia had seen the evidence of their shared love on more than one occasion, but if they had never openly admitted their love. .. ."But you just said that you love her."
"I know that . . . now."
She opened her mouth in a silent "Oh" of surprise. When she regained her voice she said, "Well, that certainly sheds some light on to Mara's odd behavior tonight."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I couldn't understand how even after you told her that you loved her, how she could still fail to believe you. But it makes perfect sense now."
"I'm afraid that I still don't follow."
"You're too pessimistic, too honorable for your own good sometimes, Luke. Mara probably saw your declaration of love as a way to make it real, not as an indication of true emotion."
His eyebrows drew together about to argue and then he fell silent. Luke thought for awhile. It made sense, and it gave him some hope. He gaze out into the night watching the distant lights of the moving traffic lanes. Then he turned to face Leia with a renewed sense of determination, "What time is it?"
"Nearly two in the morning."
"I would say that qualifies as waiting till the morning don't you?" A slightly devilish grin spread across his face.
"Luke." Leia's said warningly, but made no move to stop him as he entered her apartment.
*********
Mara had been unable to sleep. She pulled out her com link and called to arrange for departure on the Jade's Fire only to learn that her clearance had been rescinded. Skywalker! Mara silently seethed at him annoyed that he had thwarted her so effortlessly. She would just have to show him that she couldn't be stopped so easily.
The room was dark, and she opened the door onto the guest balcony. She contemplated the balcony one story down judging the distance. She could probably jump the expanse without any problem, but the thought of Leia's reaction when she discovered that she had disappeared in the middle of the night gave her pause.
A voice arrested her causing her body to flush and a trembling to radiate out from her stomach to her outer extremities.
"If you're going to run, I don't think anyone will notice if you use the front door." Luke said calmly.
Mara turned to inspect the Jedi. Her eyes ranged over every line, every shadow, and angles of his face feeling as if this might be the last time she ever saw him. He stood with his legs wide, his gravity centered. Mara recognized the battle stance. She wondered if he was preparing himself to leap after her if she jumped.
"Oh, but this way has so much more style." Mara replied flippantly. Half his face was in shadow, but she could see the slight smile that played about his lips. Mara glanced down the long drop then back to Luke.
"Are you planning on leaving?" Luke felt as if he was caught in the grip of a black hole from which he might never pull free. He had to know what she intended, needed to know why she left.
"That depends." Mara replied carefully.
"Depends on what?"
"On whether you want me to go. I won't stand between you and Callista." Mara kept her voice remarkable even. Luke crossed the distance between them, but when he got within touching distance, Mara retreated a step.
Luke halted, and restrained himself from reaching for her. "I don't want Callista. I want you Mara."
Her heart began to beat tripled time, overjoyed by his words. But she cautioned herself that he might be speaking out of duty and not desire. "Because of our arrangement?"
"Because I love you. I don't love Callista. I don't think I ever did and I was never truly happy when I was with her. She agreed to come to the wedding to see if we might be reunited. She tried to kiss me, but I didn't want her. I had already found the love of my life." He emphasized these last words, "You. Mara Jade Skywalker."
He loved her! He had walked away from Callista to find her! She hadn't even told him about the baby and he still wanted to be with her. The up swell of emotion was too powerful for her to contain. Mara gave a little sob and then let go of all of her pain. She released her most private barriers and shared her thoughts and feelings about her husband so that Luke was privy to her insecurities about his love, her longing and desire for him, and mostly her overwhelming love for the Jedi.
Luke caught Mara up in his arms, and they both slid to the ground. Luke cradled her in his arms. Mara began to weep again, silent tears tracing damp trails down her cheeks.
Luke's breathing was ragged and he said brokenly, "Oh Mara. How could you ever doubt my love for you? I thought it was painfully obvious."
"I was blind." Mara chuckled self deprecatingly.
Luke caught her mouth in a tender kiss, tasting the salty tears and projecting all his love to her. By the time the kiss ended, both of their faces were streaked with tears and their eyes were slightly red.
"Let's go home." Luke said his voice wavering slightly.
Mara nodded.
They stood up. Luke pulled Mara close against him, as if reluctant to let her go. They left the apartment in silence, hardly noticing Leia watching them with hope in her heart as they left.