Well, after a very long time, this story is back. Feel free to reread, and
feel comforted in the fact that I will try to update on something of a
regular basis from now on
--Tarado
*********
Tangrenenarr's sky was a brilliant palette of vibrant color as the sun, in fiery death throes, sank behind the blackened silhouette of the forest beyond the base. Leia pulled her thin jacket tighter around her shoulders against the chilled air trying to penetrate the tough material. It was getting late, and she knew she should be safely inside the base, but couldn't tear her eyes from the compelling sight, or her swirling thoughts from endlessly running in circles.
She had felt lost and alone with the memory of Luke's haunted expression swimming up before her eyes during the brief, but tense battle over Mascaggani. Throughout the returning flight and since their arrival back with the Rebels, his image kept coming to her, haunting both dreams and waking moments. The image was not her remembrance of him that she could recall with perfect clarity, like time had been held suspended, before his death at the Battle of Endor: light-colored hair falling carefree over his forehead, bright blue eyes gazing back that showed the pain of many lifetimes, but also held carefully a small part of his boyish innocence. The picture that disturbed her now was the reckless despair that so marked his countenance, the loss of hope in his faded eyes. Why would she suddenly be assaulted with troubling scenes of her brother whose death she finally felt she had come to terms with? She shook her head, rubbing tiredly at her aching temples.
Perhaps it had to do with the loss of another of their best pilots that reminded her of her own loss and how horrible this whole war was. Tycho Celchu hadn't returned from Mascaggani, and they could only helplessly assume he was a prisoner of war or had been killed outright-
"There you are!" A voice called, cutting into her thoughts. Startled, Leia turned around to see Han striding resolutely toward her, a look of quiet relief on his face. "I've been combing the base for you-thought maybe you'd been gobbled by a hungry Krukkar."
He crushed her in a tense embrace and kissed her lightly. Leia pulled back to look him in the eyes. "How did the debriefing go?" she asked.
Solo shook his head with a sort half grimace. "It's probably good you weren't there. Madine nearly took my head off as if I had purposefully lost Celchu to the Imperials." He sighed. "I'll be really glad when this blasted war is over."
Leia squeezed his hand tightly. "You know it wasn't anybody's fault. These things happen with unfortunate regularity. War gets the inexperienced and highly trained. Sometimes it's just the luck of the draw." It got Luke.
He snorted. "Yeah, well why don't you tell that to Alliance high command- they love to make you feel like you've failed everyone."
"I know," she said sympathetically. Madine in particular had a talent for raking people over the coals.
Han seemed to switch gears, his attention shifting to her. "So what has you hiding out watching sunsets all of the sudden?" he asked, looking around at the surroundings as if seeing them for the first time.
Leia raised her eyebrows, attempting to bury her emotions deep down inside. It wasn't a good time to talk about this. "Is there something wrong with taking pleasures in the little things?" She pointed his attention to the soft, fading colors. "Look at how beautiful the sky is tonight."
Han shrugged noncommittally, but Leia could see the slight concern in his eyes as he regarded her once again. "I don't think you're watching the sun set just for the heck of it. I think you're here because something is really bothering you."
She didn't look at him. "Well, that's thoughtful of you to be worried about me," she murmured. "But I'm perfectly fine."
He scowled at her. "You've been upset about something ever since we got back," he informed her. "Maybe you think I don't notice, but I do."
"You're getting overprotective."
Solo looked indignant. "I'm not being overly protective. Just naturally concerned. That is the roll of 'nice men' to be concerned for their wives, isn't it? I guess I'd better start practicing-the wedding is in three days."
She turned to face the fading hues of the sinking sun. "Just because we'll soon be married does not mean I want you to treat me as though I'm about to break. You're almost as bad as Luke was when he-"
She stopped abruptly, biting down on her bottom lip, but the words were already out of her mouth. Leia kept her gaze, suddenly blurring with tears, away from Han, trying not to let them overflow. She was being ridiculous. It was perfectly normal to talk about Luke. She shouldn't have to fall apart at her own mention of his name. Han would really wonder what was wrong with her.
She used to pride herself on her incredible self-control and discipline. At no time-not even when her home planet was destroyed-had she ever permitted herself to cry in front of anyone. Now, it seemed she was sobbing on Han's shoulder not once, but constantly..
A quiet step close to her crunched dry foliage underfoot and two hands settled firmly on her shoulders. "So you still miss your brother," Han said quietly. "That's okay, sweetheart. You can talk about it. Or cry about it, or whatever."
But she didn't think she could talk about this. It was more than just missing him. How could she explain to Han the stark anguish that permeated her every thought of Luke, like his fading voice was crying out to her in a whirlpool of hopelessness while she was watching, powerlessly, as he sank into the blackness.
She took a deep breath and let Han turn her around to face him. All these ideas were probably just her own feverish nightmares, fueled by stress and the lack of sleep. Luke had died in an Imperial shuttle when it had crashed on Endor. Only her tired delusions kept alive a haunting memory of him.
"Leia?" Han asked gently.
"You're right," she whispered, trying to summon a smile, but likely failing miserably. "I do miss him-very much. I wish he were to be at the wedding. I wish I could talk to him. I wish." she smiled, knowing how strange this would sound. "I wish all of us were together again, chatting and laughing over an awful meal of dried out ration bars. Just like old times." She brushed furiously at the tears as they traced a small path down her cheek.
Solo pulled her wordlessly into his arms and she surrendered to his silent comfort, squeezing her eyes shut at the dark, despondent image of her brother blurring in front of her eyes.
********
Luke slumped his shoulders as he stepped into the light-suffused, aroma- laden sanctuary of the Imperial Palace's Botanical Gardens. The dull roar of tumbling water from several fountains was the only sound, the vibrant colors of hundreds of exotic plants covering the conservatory like a wild carpet. He squinted against the bright sunshine permeating the gardens through the large transparisteel panes that formed a huge, glass dome-he could see an entire city resting below in the shadow of this hated place. That thin line of confinement seemed to be the only thing between Luke's captivity in the palace and the tantalizing freedom of a brilliant blue sky and space beyond.
He quickly shut that thought out of his mind, and forced his eyes to look ahead. There would be no more thought of escape, no more longing for freedom. His life was not his own anymore.
Palpatine had made it perfectly clear to him that he must leave all thoughts of his previous life behind and serve the evil ruler without question or hesitation if he intended to save his friends. In the week that they had been on Coruscant, the Emperor took endless delight in putting his apprentice to the test. Luke knew, with a deep, horrified dread, that it was only a matter of time before Palpatine demanded that he do something that would turn the Jedi to the Dark Side forever.
Since their return to Coruscant, constant guards were no longer stationed outside the doors to Luke's quarters. In fact, his quarters were rarely ever locked, and the Emperor had allowed the Jedi almost free roam of the palace. Palpatine knew that he had found a way to hold Luke prisoner far better than any amount of locks or guards could do, and Luke knew it too. The Emperor left him alone with the enticing opportunity to escape, knowing it would be far more tormenting for the Jedi to tighten his captivity by his own free will. Luke's only guard and constant shadow was Palpatine's red-haired assassin who loyally obeyed her master's orders by keeping a close watch on the Jedi despite her avowed dislike of him.
He turned back to the entrance of the gardens and saw her standing there, half shrouded in shadow, watching him. She probably enjoyed this assignment as much as Luke enjoyed being constantly followed by her. He turned back, his eyes following the stone path at his feet. Palpatine seemed to take pleasure in seeing people be miserable-even his most trusted personal agents seemed exempt.
Luke strode slowly past immaculately pruned hedges, trying hard to put these things from his mind, and fill his thoughts with the fragrant beauty around him. He had wandered through these gardens dozens of times already, many hours given to long walks, He supposed these simple strolls would be something of a comfort to him in whatever events that lie dark and waiting for him in his bleak future. He smiled quietly in spite of himself as he passed a small, trickling waterfall. Uncle Owen would have killed for as much water as was bubbling unobtrusively past him.
A quiet step behind him startled Luke out of his reverie. He turned in mild surprise to see Mara Jade approaching, red curls falling over her slender shoulders. Her blaster was in its holster, he saw gratefully. Her expression didn't seem angry, just gauging. Luke tried to offer a wan smile, hoping she would save the verbal lashing. He was tired of fighting with her. "Hello."
She favored him with a small, cynical expression "Don't think I'm here to keep you company, Skywalker, but quite frankly, these little walks of yours are driving me out of my mind with boredom, and I decided to get some exercise."
"Oh," Luke nodded slowly as she fell into step with him. Several minutes languished away in silence, and Luke decided to pretend she wasn't there as he went on observing a bed of brilliant purple flowers, their large blossoms following the visitors as they strode past, like quiet onlookers.
"Do you really enjoy the gardens this much?" Mara asked skeptically. Luke turned guardedly to face her, but surprisingly saw none of the hardened ridicule that she usually regarded him with, only bewilderment that such a place could hold hours of fascination for him.
He shrugged slightly and pointed out, "Well they are pretty." He gestured vaguely to a gushing waterfall. "Where I grew up, water in such large quantities was unheard of, and plant-life whose purpose is solely to look nice was deemed worthless and unnecessary to survival."
She tilted her head. "I know that. I was just curious at your frequent attendance here, and your apparent fascination with these plants. I didn't think you were a farmer."
The tone of her voice caused Luke to glance sharply at her, eyes narrowing. "You know a lot about me," he growled.
She nodded, smiling slightly at his surprise. "It's my job."
Luke turned back to the plants. "Well, you have my admiration for being so loyal to your master that you would complete a task as thoroughly as you did despite your hatred toward me."
She snorted softly. "I didn't complete my task. If I had, you wouldn't be here, and the energy I use up cursing your constant presence would not have been wasted. If I had done my job correctly, I don't think I would've ever given your name another thought."
Luke nodded quietly, staring at the bleached stone path. "Perhaps that would have been better for us both," he agreed.
Mara gave him a sidelong glance, but did not say anything.
Luke took a deep breath and faced tiredly forward again. "I feel I also must congratualate you for winning our bet."
"Our bet?" she echoed with a confused frown.
"Yes," Luke smiled sadly at a waterfall, "Your prediction about Palpatine on the Conquerer. Things resulted exactly as you said they would."
"Oh," Mara said flatly.
"And I guess I should at least be grateful for your words of warning, even if they did go unheeded," Luke finished quietly.
The Emperor's Hand snorted softly, her gaze set stonily ahead. "Save your thanks," she advised him. "I wasn't doing any of it for your sake."
Luke stopped walking and turned from the gardens to meet Mara Jade's cold, green eyes. "Can we call a truce?" he asked.
Those eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
The Jedi ignored her expression. "I mean I'm tired of constantly squabbling with you. It's true that neither of us can avoid the other, but maybe we could be civilized to each other, do you think?"
"Why are you doing this?" she asked suspiciously. "If you think that we can start being friends just because-"
"I didn't say anything about being friends," Luke cut her off. "All I'm saying is that while the Emperor is making you hang around, at least we can stop this perpetual bickering. Okay?"
She visibly ground her teeth, and it was quite apparent to Luke that she would much rather throw out a biting comment than agree to his offer. But she knew too, he saw, that their fighting was pointless and a waste of energy. He almost imagined he saw a sliver of relief in her eyes that he was the first to suggest such a thing. "Fine," she gritted.
"Let's shake on it," Luke insisted, holding out his hand.
Mara speared him with a chilly glare, but stiffly accepted his handshake.
Luke started walking again, grimly satisfied at his meager accomplishment. "So." he began. "How did you come to be in the Emperor's service?"
She gave him a sidelong glance. "You're horrible at making small talk, you know that Skywalker?"
Luke shrugged. "I haven't had a decent conversation with anyone in a long time. I'm out of practice. Just cut me a little slack, okay?"
Mara didn't reply for a moment, perhaps reigning in another sarcastic remark. Luke watched with idle interest as they passed a gardening droid on the edge of the path, clucking like a mother bird over a bed of green, wet plants in its care. It took no notice of them as they walked by.
When she finally spoke, Mara's voice was thoughtful and distant-entirely different from the derisive tones Luke was accustomed to. "My earliest memories are here," she stated simply. "I have no recollection of a previous life, of a family, parents or siblings-or anything." She shrugged.
Luke smiled sadly, scuffing at the dust on the sandstone floor. "I guess I know how that is. Not to really have a family, I mean," he amended, glancing up at her. "I spent years daydreaming of the heroic father it turned out I never actually had."
He laughed bitterly. "Little did I know."
She studied him with a strange expression and then turned to kick at some scattered leaves. "Sometimes it can be very lonely," she agreed.
"You've served the Emperor all your life, then," Luke murmured. She nodded. "Have you ever wondered what side you would be on if you were given a choice?"
The air chilled noticeably. "No, I have never wondered," Mara said coldly. "It's not about sides. When Palpatine wants something done, I do it. I'm loyal only to him, not this 'dark side/light side' thing you are so preoccupied with."
"But doesn't it bother you that most of the things he wants you to do are wrong?" Luke insisted.
"Look," Mara stopped and faced him. "I'm ending this discussion right now. This conversation borders on treason, and I know Palpatine has given you ample warning against such things. I also know how much misery I could cause you if I reported it to him."
Luke understood her warning perfectly and his face flushed with dark anger before he doggedly pushed it out of his mind. "I see," he said quietly. "Well, I guess you can think about what I said." He glanced around and realized that this place was becoming tedious and he no longer wanted to be here. "I think I'll be returning to my quarters now."
"Good," Mara looked relieved as Luke turned around to exit the Gardens. "And if you could do me a favor, Skywalker?" she said to his back. "From now on, please find a new place to haunt. I have had enough of the Botanical Gardens to last me several years."
********
--Tarado
*********
Tangrenenarr's sky was a brilliant palette of vibrant color as the sun, in fiery death throes, sank behind the blackened silhouette of the forest beyond the base. Leia pulled her thin jacket tighter around her shoulders against the chilled air trying to penetrate the tough material. It was getting late, and she knew she should be safely inside the base, but couldn't tear her eyes from the compelling sight, or her swirling thoughts from endlessly running in circles.
She had felt lost and alone with the memory of Luke's haunted expression swimming up before her eyes during the brief, but tense battle over Mascaggani. Throughout the returning flight and since their arrival back with the Rebels, his image kept coming to her, haunting both dreams and waking moments. The image was not her remembrance of him that she could recall with perfect clarity, like time had been held suspended, before his death at the Battle of Endor: light-colored hair falling carefree over his forehead, bright blue eyes gazing back that showed the pain of many lifetimes, but also held carefully a small part of his boyish innocence. The picture that disturbed her now was the reckless despair that so marked his countenance, the loss of hope in his faded eyes. Why would she suddenly be assaulted with troubling scenes of her brother whose death she finally felt she had come to terms with? She shook her head, rubbing tiredly at her aching temples.
Perhaps it had to do with the loss of another of their best pilots that reminded her of her own loss and how horrible this whole war was. Tycho Celchu hadn't returned from Mascaggani, and they could only helplessly assume he was a prisoner of war or had been killed outright-
"There you are!" A voice called, cutting into her thoughts. Startled, Leia turned around to see Han striding resolutely toward her, a look of quiet relief on his face. "I've been combing the base for you-thought maybe you'd been gobbled by a hungry Krukkar."
He crushed her in a tense embrace and kissed her lightly. Leia pulled back to look him in the eyes. "How did the debriefing go?" she asked.
Solo shook his head with a sort half grimace. "It's probably good you weren't there. Madine nearly took my head off as if I had purposefully lost Celchu to the Imperials." He sighed. "I'll be really glad when this blasted war is over."
Leia squeezed his hand tightly. "You know it wasn't anybody's fault. These things happen with unfortunate regularity. War gets the inexperienced and highly trained. Sometimes it's just the luck of the draw." It got Luke.
He snorted. "Yeah, well why don't you tell that to Alliance high command- they love to make you feel like you've failed everyone."
"I know," she said sympathetically. Madine in particular had a talent for raking people over the coals.
Han seemed to switch gears, his attention shifting to her. "So what has you hiding out watching sunsets all of the sudden?" he asked, looking around at the surroundings as if seeing them for the first time.
Leia raised her eyebrows, attempting to bury her emotions deep down inside. It wasn't a good time to talk about this. "Is there something wrong with taking pleasures in the little things?" She pointed his attention to the soft, fading colors. "Look at how beautiful the sky is tonight."
Han shrugged noncommittally, but Leia could see the slight concern in his eyes as he regarded her once again. "I don't think you're watching the sun set just for the heck of it. I think you're here because something is really bothering you."
She didn't look at him. "Well, that's thoughtful of you to be worried about me," she murmured. "But I'm perfectly fine."
He scowled at her. "You've been upset about something ever since we got back," he informed her. "Maybe you think I don't notice, but I do."
"You're getting overprotective."
Solo looked indignant. "I'm not being overly protective. Just naturally concerned. That is the roll of 'nice men' to be concerned for their wives, isn't it? I guess I'd better start practicing-the wedding is in three days."
She turned to face the fading hues of the sinking sun. "Just because we'll soon be married does not mean I want you to treat me as though I'm about to break. You're almost as bad as Luke was when he-"
She stopped abruptly, biting down on her bottom lip, but the words were already out of her mouth. Leia kept her gaze, suddenly blurring with tears, away from Han, trying not to let them overflow. She was being ridiculous. It was perfectly normal to talk about Luke. She shouldn't have to fall apart at her own mention of his name. Han would really wonder what was wrong with her.
She used to pride herself on her incredible self-control and discipline. At no time-not even when her home planet was destroyed-had she ever permitted herself to cry in front of anyone. Now, it seemed she was sobbing on Han's shoulder not once, but constantly..
A quiet step close to her crunched dry foliage underfoot and two hands settled firmly on her shoulders. "So you still miss your brother," Han said quietly. "That's okay, sweetheart. You can talk about it. Or cry about it, or whatever."
But she didn't think she could talk about this. It was more than just missing him. How could she explain to Han the stark anguish that permeated her every thought of Luke, like his fading voice was crying out to her in a whirlpool of hopelessness while she was watching, powerlessly, as he sank into the blackness.
She took a deep breath and let Han turn her around to face him. All these ideas were probably just her own feverish nightmares, fueled by stress and the lack of sleep. Luke had died in an Imperial shuttle when it had crashed on Endor. Only her tired delusions kept alive a haunting memory of him.
"Leia?" Han asked gently.
"You're right," she whispered, trying to summon a smile, but likely failing miserably. "I do miss him-very much. I wish he were to be at the wedding. I wish I could talk to him. I wish." she smiled, knowing how strange this would sound. "I wish all of us were together again, chatting and laughing over an awful meal of dried out ration bars. Just like old times." She brushed furiously at the tears as they traced a small path down her cheek.
Solo pulled her wordlessly into his arms and she surrendered to his silent comfort, squeezing her eyes shut at the dark, despondent image of her brother blurring in front of her eyes.
********
Luke slumped his shoulders as he stepped into the light-suffused, aroma- laden sanctuary of the Imperial Palace's Botanical Gardens. The dull roar of tumbling water from several fountains was the only sound, the vibrant colors of hundreds of exotic plants covering the conservatory like a wild carpet. He squinted against the bright sunshine permeating the gardens through the large transparisteel panes that formed a huge, glass dome-he could see an entire city resting below in the shadow of this hated place. That thin line of confinement seemed to be the only thing between Luke's captivity in the palace and the tantalizing freedom of a brilliant blue sky and space beyond.
He quickly shut that thought out of his mind, and forced his eyes to look ahead. There would be no more thought of escape, no more longing for freedom. His life was not his own anymore.
Palpatine had made it perfectly clear to him that he must leave all thoughts of his previous life behind and serve the evil ruler without question or hesitation if he intended to save his friends. In the week that they had been on Coruscant, the Emperor took endless delight in putting his apprentice to the test. Luke knew, with a deep, horrified dread, that it was only a matter of time before Palpatine demanded that he do something that would turn the Jedi to the Dark Side forever.
Since their return to Coruscant, constant guards were no longer stationed outside the doors to Luke's quarters. In fact, his quarters were rarely ever locked, and the Emperor had allowed the Jedi almost free roam of the palace. Palpatine knew that he had found a way to hold Luke prisoner far better than any amount of locks or guards could do, and Luke knew it too. The Emperor left him alone with the enticing opportunity to escape, knowing it would be far more tormenting for the Jedi to tighten his captivity by his own free will. Luke's only guard and constant shadow was Palpatine's red-haired assassin who loyally obeyed her master's orders by keeping a close watch on the Jedi despite her avowed dislike of him.
He turned back to the entrance of the gardens and saw her standing there, half shrouded in shadow, watching him. She probably enjoyed this assignment as much as Luke enjoyed being constantly followed by her. He turned back, his eyes following the stone path at his feet. Palpatine seemed to take pleasure in seeing people be miserable-even his most trusted personal agents seemed exempt.
Luke strode slowly past immaculately pruned hedges, trying hard to put these things from his mind, and fill his thoughts with the fragrant beauty around him. He had wandered through these gardens dozens of times already, many hours given to long walks, He supposed these simple strolls would be something of a comfort to him in whatever events that lie dark and waiting for him in his bleak future. He smiled quietly in spite of himself as he passed a small, trickling waterfall. Uncle Owen would have killed for as much water as was bubbling unobtrusively past him.
A quiet step behind him startled Luke out of his reverie. He turned in mild surprise to see Mara Jade approaching, red curls falling over her slender shoulders. Her blaster was in its holster, he saw gratefully. Her expression didn't seem angry, just gauging. Luke tried to offer a wan smile, hoping she would save the verbal lashing. He was tired of fighting with her. "Hello."
She favored him with a small, cynical expression "Don't think I'm here to keep you company, Skywalker, but quite frankly, these little walks of yours are driving me out of my mind with boredom, and I decided to get some exercise."
"Oh," Luke nodded slowly as she fell into step with him. Several minutes languished away in silence, and Luke decided to pretend she wasn't there as he went on observing a bed of brilliant purple flowers, their large blossoms following the visitors as they strode past, like quiet onlookers.
"Do you really enjoy the gardens this much?" Mara asked skeptically. Luke turned guardedly to face her, but surprisingly saw none of the hardened ridicule that she usually regarded him with, only bewilderment that such a place could hold hours of fascination for him.
He shrugged slightly and pointed out, "Well they are pretty." He gestured vaguely to a gushing waterfall. "Where I grew up, water in such large quantities was unheard of, and plant-life whose purpose is solely to look nice was deemed worthless and unnecessary to survival."
She tilted her head. "I know that. I was just curious at your frequent attendance here, and your apparent fascination with these plants. I didn't think you were a farmer."
The tone of her voice caused Luke to glance sharply at her, eyes narrowing. "You know a lot about me," he growled.
She nodded, smiling slightly at his surprise. "It's my job."
Luke turned back to the plants. "Well, you have my admiration for being so loyal to your master that you would complete a task as thoroughly as you did despite your hatred toward me."
She snorted softly. "I didn't complete my task. If I had, you wouldn't be here, and the energy I use up cursing your constant presence would not have been wasted. If I had done my job correctly, I don't think I would've ever given your name another thought."
Luke nodded quietly, staring at the bleached stone path. "Perhaps that would have been better for us both," he agreed.
Mara gave him a sidelong glance, but did not say anything.
Luke took a deep breath and faced tiredly forward again. "I feel I also must congratualate you for winning our bet."
"Our bet?" she echoed with a confused frown.
"Yes," Luke smiled sadly at a waterfall, "Your prediction about Palpatine on the Conquerer. Things resulted exactly as you said they would."
"Oh," Mara said flatly.
"And I guess I should at least be grateful for your words of warning, even if they did go unheeded," Luke finished quietly.
The Emperor's Hand snorted softly, her gaze set stonily ahead. "Save your thanks," she advised him. "I wasn't doing any of it for your sake."
Luke stopped walking and turned from the gardens to meet Mara Jade's cold, green eyes. "Can we call a truce?" he asked.
Those eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
The Jedi ignored her expression. "I mean I'm tired of constantly squabbling with you. It's true that neither of us can avoid the other, but maybe we could be civilized to each other, do you think?"
"Why are you doing this?" she asked suspiciously. "If you think that we can start being friends just because-"
"I didn't say anything about being friends," Luke cut her off. "All I'm saying is that while the Emperor is making you hang around, at least we can stop this perpetual bickering. Okay?"
She visibly ground her teeth, and it was quite apparent to Luke that she would much rather throw out a biting comment than agree to his offer. But she knew too, he saw, that their fighting was pointless and a waste of energy. He almost imagined he saw a sliver of relief in her eyes that he was the first to suggest such a thing. "Fine," she gritted.
"Let's shake on it," Luke insisted, holding out his hand.
Mara speared him with a chilly glare, but stiffly accepted his handshake.
Luke started walking again, grimly satisfied at his meager accomplishment. "So." he began. "How did you come to be in the Emperor's service?"
She gave him a sidelong glance. "You're horrible at making small talk, you know that Skywalker?"
Luke shrugged. "I haven't had a decent conversation with anyone in a long time. I'm out of practice. Just cut me a little slack, okay?"
Mara didn't reply for a moment, perhaps reigning in another sarcastic remark. Luke watched with idle interest as they passed a gardening droid on the edge of the path, clucking like a mother bird over a bed of green, wet plants in its care. It took no notice of them as they walked by.
When she finally spoke, Mara's voice was thoughtful and distant-entirely different from the derisive tones Luke was accustomed to. "My earliest memories are here," she stated simply. "I have no recollection of a previous life, of a family, parents or siblings-or anything." She shrugged.
Luke smiled sadly, scuffing at the dust on the sandstone floor. "I guess I know how that is. Not to really have a family, I mean," he amended, glancing up at her. "I spent years daydreaming of the heroic father it turned out I never actually had."
He laughed bitterly. "Little did I know."
She studied him with a strange expression and then turned to kick at some scattered leaves. "Sometimes it can be very lonely," she agreed.
"You've served the Emperor all your life, then," Luke murmured. She nodded. "Have you ever wondered what side you would be on if you were given a choice?"
The air chilled noticeably. "No, I have never wondered," Mara said coldly. "It's not about sides. When Palpatine wants something done, I do it. I'm loyal only to him, not this 'dark side/light side' thing you are so preoccupied with."
"But doesn't it bother you that most of the things he wants you to do are wrong?" Luke insisted.
"Look," Mara stopped and faced him. "I'm ending this discussion right now. This conversation borders on treason, and I know Palpatine has given you ample warning against such things. I also know how much misery I could cause you if I reported it to him."
Luke understood her warning perfectly and his face flushed with dark anger before he doggedly pushed it out of his mind. "I see," he said quietly. "Well, I guess you can think about what I said." He glanced around and realized that this place was becoming tedious and he no longer wanted to be here. "I think I'll be returning to my quarters now."
"Good," Mara looked relieved as Luke turned around to exit the Gardens. "And if you could do me a favor, Skywalker?" she said to his back. "From now on, please find a new place to haunt. I have had enough of the Botanical Gardens to last me several years."
********
