Chapter Seven
Mara had worked behind the scenes with Cori to bring the entire Solo family together. They shared enthusiastic hugs and Han joked about the whole thing. Leia wore a constant relieved expression on her face whenever Mara caught a glimpse of her. The kids were running around like mad, totally oblivious to what had just happened. Chewie stood as the ever- attentive bodyguard and friend, his paw always resting near his bowcaster at his side. Even the droids' relief could be seen through their metal exterior. And she wasn't exactly surprised to see Skywalker among the group of celebrators.
She had also helped provide intelligence of where some leading Quaetak were hiding, they would be questioned as to the extent that the whole group was involved in the framing of Solo. Mara finally took her leave when she had ensured that the Solo family had a hotel room set aside for them.
The young woman had found solitude on a green hill that offered an unobstructed view of the sun. Her borrowed speeder tinged as it cooled off from her hard drive.
The open space gave her time to think of the events that she had just been through, more specifically the central role that she had played in them.
Mara had felt edgy, almost scared to reveal something of her past and the question of 'why?' was floating around in her head. Could it be that she was afraid of losing friendship? Everyone who knew about her assassin days would think it obvious that she had killed. But for an individual case to come back and haunt her? The connection to her past was made brutally clear.
Han had been directly involved in what was her past- by being framed for one of her assignments. Was she actually afraid of losing his friendship when he found out the truth? Mara had to admit it, she had been and still was and again had the feeling of being afraid to find out.
Mara heard a speeder slow down and stop behind her, it didn't take a genius to figure out who it was. Luke had always been the kind of person to take other people's problems and lay them on his own shoulders.
She sighed when footsteps drew near, she really didn't feel like talking.
"Is this seat taken?"
Mara glanced back at the young Jedi Master. "Wouldn't it be more fitting if you asked if I wanted company?"
Luke shrugged and sat down beside her anyway. "When someone is troubled they always need company."
"I'm not troubled." Mara growled. "And don't you be using that Force stuff on me." She warned.
He wore an innocent expression. "I didn't." He turned serious. "You'd think after what happened anyone would be confused."
Mara crossed her arms, staring straight ahead.
"Talk about it."
Mara glared stonily at him. "I prefer to work things out myself."
"Humor me." Luke wanly smiled. "Try something different." He paused. "Consider this a friendly invitation." He cockily grinned.
Mara's eyes shot up. "I told you not to do that Force stuff!" She smacked him on the arm.
Luke just rubbed his upper arm, not saying anything and waiting for her talk.
Mara sighed. "All right, as long as it gets you off my back." She paused not knowing where to begin.
"Why did you do it?"
Mara didn't catch on to the Force reading Luke did on her. "I couldn't just let Solo get executed for a crime he didn't commit. Especially one that I knew who did it- me."
Luke nodded his head. "That was very brave of you."
Mara raised an eyebrow, glancing at him. "Was it? Or did I just do it to clear my own conscience?"
Luke wore a pondering look. "You could look at it that way. But you also stood to lose quite a bit by your actions. A trial and maybe a loss of confidence by friends?" He asked.
Mara silently nodded her head.
Luke gently patted her arm. "Your past is your past Mara. You can't change it. It influences who you are today, but whatever that past is you can't let it control you."
Mara harshly laughed, mostly because she didn't know what else to do. "Is that coming from a Jedi Master?"
"No." Luke kindly said. "It's coming from a friend."
She felt a rush of unexpected relief. "Really? You're not going to stop talking to me or something?"
"No!" Luke looked surprised. "Just as your past shouldn't control your future, real friends won't let it influence the way they view that person." He paused and grinned. "You're still a fiery red head with attitude." Luke got up and offered a hand. "Come on. Han's got this bottle of Corellian whiskey to celebrate. He didn't want to start without you."
Mara let Luke lead her away, a part of her mind resting in peace.
Mara had worked behind the scenes with Cori to bring the entire Solo family together. They shared enthusiastic hugs and Han joked about the whole thing. Leia wore a constant relieved expression on her face whenever Mara caught a glimpse of her. The kids were running around like mad, totally oblivious to what had just happened. Chewie stood as the ever- attentive bodyguard and friend, his paw always resting near his bowcaster at his side. Even the droids' relief could be seen through their metal exterior. And she wasn't exactly surprised to see Skywalker among the group of celebrators.
She had also helped provide intelligence of where some leading Quaetak were hiding, they would be questioned as to the extent that the whole group was involved in the framing of Solo. Mara finally took her leave when she had ensured that the Solo family had a hotel room set aside for them.
The young woman had found solitude on a green hill that offered an unobstructed view of the sun. Her borrowed speeder tinged as it cooled off from her hard drive.
The open space gave her time to think of the events that she had just been through, more specifically the central role that she had played in them.
Mara had felt edgy, almost scared to reveal something of her past and the question of 'why?' was floating around in her head. Could it be that she was afraid of losing friendship? Everyone who knew about her assassin days would think it obvious that she had killed. But for an individual case to come back and haunt her? The connection to her past was made brutally clear.
Han had been directly involved in what was her past- by being framed for one of her assignments. Was she actually afraid of losing his friendship when he found out the truth? Mara had to admit it, she had been and still was and again had the feeling of being afraid to find out.
Mara heard a speeder slow down and stop behind her, it didn't take a genius to figure out who it was. Luke had always been the kind of person to take other people's problems and lay them on his own shoulders.
She sighed when footsteps drew near, she really didn't feel like talking.
"Is this seat taken?"
Mara glanced back at the young Jedi Master. "Wouldn't it be more fitting if you asked if I wanted company?"
Luke shrugged and sat down beside her anyway. "When someone is troubled they always need company."
"I'm not troubled." Mara growled. "And don't you be using that Force stuff on me." She warned.
He wore an innocent expression. "I didn't." He turned serious. "You'd think after what happened anyone would be confused."
Mara crossed her arms, staring straight ahead.
"Talk about it."
Mara glared stonily at him. "I prefer to work things out myself."
"Humor me." Luke wanly smiled. "Try something different." He paused. "Consider this a friendly invitation." He cockily grinned.
Mara's eyes shot up. "I told you not to do that Force stuff!" She smacked him on the arm.
Luke just rubbed his upper arm, not saying anything and waiting for her talk.
Mara sighed. "All right, as long as it gets you off my back." She paused not knowing where to begin.
"Why did you do it?"
Mara didn't catch on to the Force reading Luke did on her. "I couldn't just let Solo get executed for a crime he didn't commit. Especially one that I knew who did it- me."
Luke nodded his head. "That was very brave of you."
Mara raised an eyebrow, glancing at him. "Was it? Or did I just do it to clear my own conscience?"
Luke wore a pondering look. "You could look at it that way. But you also stood to lose quite a bit by your actions. A trial and maybe a loss of confidence by friends?" He asked.
Mara silently nodded her head.
Luke gently patted her arm. "Your past is your past Mara. You can't change it. It influences who you are today, but whatever that past is you can't let it control you."
Mara harshly laughed, mostly because she didn't know what else to do. "Is that coming from a Jedi Master?"
"No." Luke kindly said. "It's coming from a friend."
She felt a rush of unexpected relief. "Really? You're not going to stop talking to me or something?"
"No!" Luke looked surprised. "Just as your past shouldn't control your future, real friends won't let it influence the way they view that person." He paused and grinned. "You're still a fiery red head with attitude." Luke got up and offered a hand. "Come on. Han's got this bottle of Corellian whiskey to celebrate. He didn't want to start without you."
Mara let Luke lead her away, a part of her mind resting in peace.