I am really sorry for not posting more story in a long time, but I'm trying to resume this now and I hope you enjoy it! Reviews=happy authors; happy authors=more story!



.

********

Luke Skywalker was staring, arms folded, out the main viewport on the bridge of the Star Destroyer, CONQUERER, his thoughts a blur of emotions, much like the view of hyperspace in front of him. By Coruscant's time, it was close to midnight, and the ship was running half-manned for the night, only a skeleton force down in the crew-pit. By all rights he should have been tired, but he couldn't sleep.



The crewmembers aboard the Star Destroyer, as a rule, had avoided the young black-clad stranger that had arrived aboard the ship with Darth Vader a week before. Luke had not spoken or smiled, or acknowledged any of them, as he followed unwillingly behind Vader like a shadow wherever the Dark Lord went. Luke was well aware of their curiosity about him, but was too preoccupied to care what they thought.



There was a quiet step behind him, and Luke turned to see Mara Jade standing there, right hand loosely holding her blaster.



Luke didn't want to see her-he didn't want to see anyone-and he turned back to the viewports, hoping if he ignored her she would go away.



But she didn't, stepping up to the rail, her gaze flicking to the viewports. "Are you enjoying the lovely view?" she asked sarcastically.



Luke pursed his lips, his gaze not leaving the hyperspace scene, keeping his temper in check. Why was it that his anger could flare up so easily, after barely being provoked? Or had his control over his emotions always been this fragile?



Without looking at her, he said, "You know, you can put that thing away- it's not like I'm going to be going anywhere."



She raised her blaster, pointing it at his head, and released the safety. "You mean this?" she asked.



Slowly, Luke turned to face her, his eyes resting tiredly on the weapon. "What do you want?"



She glared furiously, adjusting her grip on the gun. "It's not about what I want," she said quietly, almost reciting. "I'm following the Emperor's orders."



"I see," Luke murmured. "The Emperor ordered you to run around this ship terrorizing me every chance you get?"



Her gaze narrowed as she lowered the blaster. "Do you think I do this for the fun of it?" she demanded.



"Yeah, I'd say that was the impression I got," Luke answered. He was not in the mood to be congenial at the moment.



"Look, Skywalker," she snapped, the gun coming up to point in his face again. This woman had a twitchy trigger finger. "Palpatine's orders are that I keep an eye on you. And I'm obeying them despite the fact that I'd much rather kill you and get it over with like he wanted me to do in the first place."



Luke frowned. "What do you mean "in the first place"?" he asked.



She laughed coldly, dropping the blaster to her side. "Oh now you see you haven't always been as important as you thought."



Luke forcibly shoved back his reflexive annoyance, turning his glare back toward the viewport and insisting to himself that he would not get angry. He let the relief of the silence hang in the air for a few more moments, until he ignored his common sense and spoke up again.



"Why did Palpatine want to have me killed?" he asked quietly, his gaze not leaving the mottled view of space.



She regarded him again, her expression stony. "Do you think he didn't know of Vader's offer to you to help him rule the galaxy?"



"I don't think Vader meant it seriously," Luke murmured.



"Well, PALPATINE did!" Mara shot back. "What Vader did was practically bordering on treason, and to the Emperor, you were suddenly a threat that needed to be eliminated."



Luke raised his eyebrows questioningly. "That's interesting. It seems to me like he wants very much to keep me alive now," he pointed out. "What changed his mind?"



Something in her face changed, Luke saw. Underneath the dark brooding anger of her tough exterior, her eyes flashed. Something, if he wasn't mistaken, that looked like a deep pain. And as quickly as it had appeared, it was hidden again. When she spoke again, her tone was icy. "Just drop it, Skywalker, okay?"



He shrugged and turned back to the viewport. "Is that why you're here now?" he asked quietly. "The Emperor views me as a threat?" It was a refreshing thought, really. Luke might be on the losing side of the battle, but the fact that Palpatine seemed to be afraid of him comforted the Jedi somewhat.



"Well, with the combination of you and Vader," Mara nodded. "He's rightfully not foolish enough to leave you two out of his sights for long."



Luke stared pensively into space, fighting off the uncomfortable impression that he was some sort of prize to be won. The Emperor wanted him; Vader wanted him. He was just a tool to be used by one of them. "Palpatine needn't worry," he murmured. "Because I will not be joining him, or Vader, or anyone else for that matter."



Mara cocked her head to one side, a disparaging expression on her face and laughed shortly. "Do you really believe that?" she asked.



He turned to her. "Is there a reason why I shouldn't?"



She looked him up and down in a look that almost resembled pity. Snorting softly, she replied, "If he wants to turn you to the Dark Side, he will. He'll break you-use any weakness he can find as a weapon to destroy you. You can't win against him, Skywalker."



Briefly, Luke's thoughts flashed to Han and Leia and he shivered involuntarily. She nodded knowingly, seeing the expression on his face. "If you want my advice," she said quietly. "Just cooperate. Do what he wants and spare yourself and the people you care for the misery of heading toward the inevitable."



Luke felt his anger flare up again, this time going unchecked as the realization of why she was here finally entered his mind. "How concerned you suddenly are with my welfare," he bit out, hearing the sarcasm seep into his own voice, but not taking off the hard edge of his fury. "I'm touched. You're just another way for Palpatine to try to get to me."



She turned on him, her almost friendly expression burned away by her suddenly blazing green eyes. "Fine." she snapped. "Think that way and don't take my advice. You can DIE for all I care!"



"I'd much rather die than turn to the Dark Side!" Luke snapped back. "And you can tell your precious Emperor so. Tell him it will take a lot more than just sending some pretty girl to talk me out of it!"



She drew away from the rail, green eyes molten with fury. "You Jedi are full of a lot of fancy words and long-winded speeches," she snapped. "And I will happily look forward to seeing them shoved down your throat! Don't say I didn't try to warn you."



She stalked off angrily, ignoring the questioning glances she received from several crewmembers around the bridge.



********



"You must understand that the reason I have called you here," Rieekan offered a grim smile as he gripped Solo's hand in firm greeting and ushered him into his small, but quiet office, "is that I trust you explicitly with a job that must be done." He motioned both Han and Leia to seats in the cramped quarters and shut the door behind him, stifling the flurry of background noise that seemed to permeate every corner of the base throughout every hour of the day.

"General Solo," he smiled slightly at Han, drawing a small holocube from a drawer in his battered desk. "Are you familiar with the planet Mascaggani?" He held the object aloft for them to see.

Solo frowned as he leaned forward and made out a small picture of a world, typical in its motley swirl of greens and blues. "Isn't that the Alliance's main supplier for medical equipment and pharmaceuticals?"

"Yes," the general nodded. "They have declared neutrality in the war and have maintained a fairly healthy relationship with both the Alliance and the Empire, supplying goods to both." He placed the cube back in the drawer and set his elbows on the scratched carbon of the desktop. "The problem is that when one of our crews went to meet them at the rendezvous point over Valdere, no one appeared with the promised supplies. I fear that the Imperials may have intercepted the shipment, or that perhaps the Mascagganis are rethinking their position as our Allies." He shook his head. "But I do know that we are running perilously low on much needed medical supplies."

"So you want me to go to Mascaggani?" Solo asked.

Rieekan nodded. "All in the name of peaceful negotiations, of course," he assured Han. Solo began to retort how he'd much prefer a straight fight to peaceful negotiations any day, but the general cut him off, saying, "they're too valuable an ally to estrange-please keep that in mind, by the way-and we must proceed with caution as we are not quite sure of their present position. The princess, naturally, will be handling the negotiations," he nodded to Leia.

"Oh," Han agreed almost sarcastically. "Naturally."

"Also, we will be sending an escort of three X-wing fighters-not," he added quickly, "that we expect any trouble, but we should exercise caution." A slight smile softened Rieekan's grim expression. "Does all this meet your approval, Solo?" he asked.

Han raised his eyebrows and nodded. "Fine by me," he agreed. "So long as you don't separate me from the chief negotiator here," he threw a lopsided grin at Leia.

"Good," Rieekan chuckled. "And by the way, I haven't had a chance to congratulate you two on your engagement."

"Thank you, general." Han rose to his feet and once again shook the older man's hand.

"We'll prepare for you to depart in about three standard hours."

Solo nodded and took Leia's arm, escorting her out. As the door behind them hissed shut, Han murmured, "you know there are times when I really regret giving up the life of a smuggler and accepting a rank in the Alliance."

Leia cocked her head up at him. "Why? Because you have to take orders from someone else?"

Han shook his head ruefully. "No, not really. The pay was just a whole lot better."

Leia smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder. "You'd rather have the money than me?"

Solo frowned into her hair. "Who says I couldn't have both?" he asked. "Or do you only claim to have interest in the men that have gone respectable and joined this precious rebellion of yours?"

For once, Leia didn't get her back up at the flippant comment. "Well, actually, I was just thinking of what might have happened if we HAD never met. If things hadn't transpired the way they did, neither of us would know the other existed." She shrugged. "It was just a thought."

Han stopped her in her tracks, hands on her shoulders, and he bent down to kiss her. "Well don't scare me like that," he murmured.

Leia put a finger to his lips. "Remember my rules about being kissed out in the open like this," she laughed, throwing a quick self-conscious glance about the corridor.

"Oh, yeah." Han cupped her face in his hands. "You need more people around, right?"

"Nerf-herder," Leia whispered, her slender fingers grasping his wrists and pushing him away. "We have a lot to do right now, and there's no time for this."

"Thanks for reminding me," Solo smiled lopsidedly as he reluctantly started walking again. "I must have forgotten."



*******