Part Five
It was the middle of the night before Luke realized that he had forgotten to contact Han with what he had learned. It was too late to talk to him, but he would have to make a point of telling him what he had learned tomorrow. Right now, he had other things on his mind. He couldn't believe how radically things had altered between him and Mara and he couldn't be more pleased. A few days ago, he had believed Mara despised him and now he knew the truth.
He wondered how he had failed to see it. Now as he envisioned his future, he dreamed of building a family with the fiery red head, and spending the remainder of his days with her.
"Of course, I never believed you." Mara had said. 'Liar!' She heard a voice shout inside her head.
She had managed to listen to Karrde without revealing her emotions. She had even implied that she hadn't seen Luke since she had overheard his 'revelation'. All the while, she felt as if pieces of her heart were crumbling around her feet. It was all a set up. It wasn't real. They'd been duped into revealing emotions that Mara would never have believed that she had?
Leia and Talon had actually set them up. They had arranged for Luke to think that Mara had loved him for years and had arranged for Mara to think that Luke was pinning away for her. What a joke! What a cruel, wicked joke!
She strode to her quarters in a calm manner her eyes dry and her face impassive. She closed the door and leaned against it, waiting for the storm of emotions to hit. Mara was angry at being manipulated, furious at being duped, but it didn't change the fact that Luke had told her that he loved her. Had that changed? Had he just said that out of pity? Did he just say that he loved her because she loved him? Was he so lonely that he would settle for anyone?
But these thoughts didn't fit with the Jedi Master that she knew. No. No matter how much she despised the underhanded things that Karrde and Organa- Solo had done, if they hadn't done so she would never had experienced the wonderful day with Skywalker. If she were truly honest with herself, she wasn't exactly upset with the results of their machinations.
What hurt her the most was the sense of loss that she felt. She snorted at this realization. Mara was actually sad that Luke hadn't been in love with her for years. He had only noticed her when she was thrust under his nose.
She wasn't certain if Luke knew the truth of the deception. Mara wanted to deny the evening before, so that she could tell Luke that she didn't really love him and see how he reacted. Would he still claim to love her or would he sigh in a sense of relief?
Sith! Mara sometimes wished that Skywalker was less honorable and easier to read. No, she decided. Luke had been as deceived as she was. He would never tell a woman that he loved her if it was all a lie to him. Luke wasn't like that.
She remembered the Jedi medallion she had ordered for him. She scrambled to the comunit and placed a call to the shop. After insisting that they cancel the order for the pendant, she sat back in relief. The blasters were a fine gift all by themselves.
Today was an awful day.
The day of the party started terrible and only got worse as the hour drew nearer. Han hadn't returned until late the previous night. When he finally did manage to make it home, it was unconscious, sporting a large black eye, and slung over Chewbacca's shoulder.
The Wookiee moaned fatalistically and C3P0 repeated "goodness gracious me," so many times that Leia yelled shut up at the top of her lungs.
The florist called to confirm the delivery for the wrong week and couldn't change to today because producing arrangements of the magnitude required preplanning. The band was stuck in quarantine after being exposed to the Bublolous flu. She managed to get the banquet hall to send a replacement and decided that everything wouldn't be a complete disaster as long as there was food and alcohol. She was beginning to wonder if she should perhaps limit the catering to just food...or just alcohol. She had a really bad feeling about it all.
Needless to say that Leia was completely frazzled and finally decided to call Luke and confess her plans for the birthday party. She knew he was aware of it anyhow and she didn't think she could manage the charade when Han was getting into drunken fights late at night. It appeared that her marriage was falling apart.
Luke rushed over to see her, concerned for the stress and sorrow he could sense in his twin.
He hadn't even set foot inside the Solo apartment when Leia, in her distressed state, blurted out, "I know you are already aware of the surprise party I'm planning."
And then immediately realized her mistake.
'Oh, damn!' This day couldn't possibly get any worse – could it. She briefly considered joining one of those religious orders that foreswore all contact with living beings.
The only time that he could have learned of the party from her was when he had overheard her. The same time he had overheard about Mara's love for him. Luke was quick to realize the implications of her blunder. If Leia had known that he was there then he had been set up.
"You saw me, didn't you, at that cantina - The Last Resort." But it wasn't a question.
Leia felt unshed tears burn in her eyes and she threw herself into his arms.
Luke absently comforted her while he felt as if everything within him had turned to ice. Mara had never made a confession of love to Talon. She had never harbored unrequited feelings for him. It was all a lie. He felt as if his blood had stopped flowing in his veins - his heart had forgotten how to beat and he wondered if he would die. He took a deep breath. No, he was still alive - his body had a mind of its own but he felt numb. Self preservation instincts kicked in and his heart resumed its normal rhythm. Life would go on, but could he? Luke truly loved Mara and when he had told her of his feelings, she hadn't responded in kind. Mara had not said actual words of love. Not that he had been disappointed at the time, but in light of this new information, it made him doubt the depth of her feelings for him. There was no denying the passion of the kiss they had shared, but what about emotions of the heart?
"Why?" he croaked out in a dry voice, his hand gently stroking her back.
"It was all a big mistake. I only wanted you to be happy. I'm so sorry."
He could hear the sobs in his sister's voice, and Luke continued rubbing her back in a comforting gesture as his mind raced. Had Leia sensed how he felt and wanted to provide it for him? Did she think this was some sort of birthday gift? Or had she intuitively known that Mara felt the same and could think of no other solution?
"Are you mad at me?" Leia asked softly.
"No, Leia. What you did was. . . " his voice trailed off. What was it? Was it wrong? Had it been so awful? "Did you do something like that for Mara? Arrange for her to overhear. . ."
Leia nodded.
So Mara had been under the same illusion as Luke, believing that he had loved her for years. She had kissed him after he told her of his love. Had she kissed him out of some sense of pity? Or because she didn't want to respond with the same words in kind?
"It was wrong, Leia, playing with other people's lives like that." He pulled back from her, his arms dropping to his sides. When he turned around and walked away, Leia fell down on the couch and wept.
Luke wondered how he would ever make it through the party. How could he face Mara knowing the truth? Would she read the hurt? Would it be plain to see to everyone there? He slowly got ready for the evening, noticing that a small parcel had arrived for him and was sitting on the low table by the door. Artoo must have brought it in for him. He glanced down at it and saw that it was addressed to him. Another birthday present, probably.
He didn't think he could muster the enthusiasm to thank the recipient just yet. But his curiosity got the better of him. He opened the box and pulled out a pendant on a glittering chain. He caught his breath. Etched on the face was an old Jedi symbol for unity. The meaning had a connotation of treaty, a joining that met the bringing of peace, of acquiring understanding. He flipped the flat disk over and saw some words engraved there. "May we find understanding together. Mara"
A rush of hope filled him. The statement harbored so much promise. Luke thought of the way Mara's eyes glittered at him from across the table at the Commissary. He remembered the eagerness he could sense, the pleasure at spending time with him. They truly had enjoyed their time together.
Whatever the outcome of their relationship, they were friends. They had finally put their adversarial relationship to rest and had moved on to something more meaningful. His feelings hadn't changed. He still loved her. Perhaps with patience and persistence, he could win her over for real. He nodded to himself. Now that he had a plan in mind, he was energized. He put the chain over his head and tucked it against his heart. Luke was filled with purpose once again.
Perhaps today wouldn't be so bad after all.
Mara was dressed to kill. Not literally, but her heart stopping outfit had most of the human male population at the party stunned. She wore a black clingy dress that didn't have seams, but was kept together by a series of glittering gold chains. This left a tantalizing strip of bare flesh down the sides of her body, combined with the dangerously low cut of the back, producing a provocative ensemble that if she wasn't so mad, she might have felt a little uncomfortable wearing. Mara looked wonderful, but she wasn't in the habit of displaying her curves for every male eye to see.
Even Karrde had cleared his throat and then made a point of not glancing at her too closely. When she had chosen the dress, Mara had felt the great need to flaunt her assets to Skywalker. She didn't want to feel his pity affection. If she wanted love, she could get it from half the population of Coruscant if she so desired. But that was just it. She couldn't. They might want her, yes. It was quite a coup to sleep with the infamous Mara Jade, but love. . . .that was an entirely different matter.
The idea that Skywalker thought that she had waited for him to notice her for years galled her. Mara Jade waited for no one.
When Luke saw Mara in the sexy black dress, he stood stock still in the middle of the assembly hall. Mara felt a thrill go through her as he gaped at her. His awe-struck expression struck her as funny and Mara's lips curved upward in pleasure. She felt a sense of victory to so disarm the Jedi. He blushed, realizing that his mouth had been hanging open, and then recovered enough to give her a slow appreciative smile. He knew that she'd dressed like that for him and the knowledge seemed to shift the victory in his direction.
As the sensuous smile crossed Luke's face, Mara remembered that they'd been set-up. She wasn't ready to face him yet and abruptly turned away from the Jedi.
She didn't know what she would say to him, and she was certainly not prepared to confront him at that moment.
When Mara turned away from him, Luke felt as if he was slapped in the face. Had he just received an indication of her true feelings for him? Had Mara somehow learned the truth of the deception at the same time as he did?
That thought brought him up short. That would certainly explain the dress to some degree. She had dressed to kill. Just looking at her made it difficult for him to breath. Was her pride stung? If Mara had discovered that everything that she believed about his feelings for her was a ruse, would she retreat from him? It was certainly possible. He wasn't certain how she would rationalize his words of love away. But knowing Mara the way he did, he was certain she would find the means. Mara was nothing if not resourceful.
Han stood in his stiff collared dress uniform watching Leia greet the guests. She gave each of them individual attention. Some she smiled to politely, some she shook hands with, and a few she hugged. Talon Karrde was one of the later. He ground his teeth with jealousy as he watched them interact.
Talon pulled back from the hug and seemed to be searching for something in Leia's face. Han would swear that the man was trying to determine how Leia felt about Karrde. The way he held her hand after the hug in that solicitous manner, made one thing abundantly clear. He didn't know how his wife felt about Talon, but he could tell that the man cared deeply for his wife. The look made him feel as if the planet had just lost gravity.
He had thought long and hard about it this morning and had decided that he could forgive Leia's affair with Karrde. With their combined responsibilities, Han and Leia often spent many weeks apart. Han was willing to assume some of the blame, if Leia had been lonely. But if she had lost her heart to Talon then he had two options. One, he could slip away and allow Leia to be with Talon. Or two, he could remove the competition by killing Talon. He loved Leia and wanted to see that she was happy. He could let her go if it was what would make her truly content. But he would have to find out if Talon felt the same way about her. Did the smuggler love his wife in return?
Han just couldn't take it anymore and he cleared his throat loudly. Leia glanced questioningly up at Han.
Talon shot Han an apologetic look and scurried away. Leia watched the man's retreat in bemusement.
"What was that all about?" Leia whispered.
"You have to ask?" Han said in disgust.
Leia probed her husband gently with the Force and was amazed at the emotions roiling off Han. "You're jealous!" She followed Han's glare and continued, "Of Talon Karrde?"
"You love him don't you?" He asked his wife.
"Talon?"
"It's Talon now, hmmm? It's plain to see that you've grown quite . . .close while I've been gone."
"He's my friend. He's been helping me with a few things lately."
"Is that the euphemism they use now? Helping?"
Leia's eyes turned wide and she turned to face Han directly. Her husband was actually insinuating that she...that she...? "I can't believe what you are saying? Do you honestly believe that Talon and I. . . .That we . . . ."
Han gestured violently, and strode away, not willing to hear her say anymore.
"Han!" Leia shouted but he ignored her and walked away, his whole frame stiff and unforgiving. Yes. This was truly a terrible day.
Luke started to approach Mara when a sense of something caught him. It wasn't exactly danger, but he felt as if he should be on alert. Mara's head swung around to give him a piercing look. She had felt it too. They nodded in unison and made their way over toward Han Solo.
Han strode over to confront Karrde. Han watched as the man eyed him warily, and he could see the knowledge written on his face. He immediately jumped to conclusions. The trader had been sleeping with his wife, and suspected that Han knew about it. The look of apology and tenseness Han could sense in Karrde, actually calmed Solo down.
He gave Talon a lazy smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "So Talon. I hear that you've grown quite close to my wife while I was away."
Talon Karrde closed his eyes and sighed heavily. It was true. Han knew about the deceptions they had perpetrated with Mara and Luke. He didn't know what to say. So he decided it was time to share the truth. "Leia and I have done some things that I'm not very proud of, and I certainly hope that no one got hurt in the process. I helped Leia plan this birthday party, and in the process carried out a plan that I hope helped two people find true love."
Han was confused at his description and his eyebrows drew together. Luke approached them, catching the last of Talon's words. A flash of pain registered on Luke's face and it only confirmed his suspicions about Leia's affair.
"Do you love her?" demanded Han.
"Mara?" Talon asked in confusion.
"No you idiot. My wife!"
"Why do you think that I love your wife?" A look of dawning comprehension spread across his face. "Oh... This is about Leia..."
"Yeah." Han said mockingly. "This is indeed about Leia."
Han could see Leia shooting them anxious looks from across the grand hall, but she was caught talking to a counselor and couldn't seem to break free.
"I'm sorry Han. I don't know how it happened. I certainly never wanted her to fall in love with me." Talon said morosely.
Han closed his eyes in pain. Mara Jade stepped forward. Luke's mouth gaped and Talon continued quickly, "I'll leave Coruscant. I'll stay away. In time, she'll forget me."
"Do you love her?" Han croaked out.
Talon shook his head. "There's nothing between us, Han. You have to understand this whole thing is a mistake."
So Karrde had an affair with his wife, and it didn't mean anything to him. The thought of the two of them in love, hurt him. The thought that Karrde had slept with his wife and felt nothing made him burn. "You bastard!" He punched Karrde soundly across the face.
From across the hall Leia screamed "Han"
Mara blocked Han from following through with another punch and pushed the man to the ground.
Luke rushed in and aided Mara in restraining Han, only helping him up when he was certain that Han would not be continuing his assault.
Leia pushed past her guests to arrive on the scene.
Han struggled to free himself from the Jedi's grip. Luke let him go but stayed close. "He's not worth it, Leia," Han protested. "He doesn't even care about you. He told me you were nothing to him."
Leia mouth dropped open. "What!"
Han believed that she had had an affair with Talon Karrde. The odd behavior since he had returned, all the little things suddenly made sense to Leia. She had met with Talon in secret, and Han must have assumed the worst. She knew that it might look bad to a suspicious mind, but didn't she deserve some faith? Had she ever given him cause for jealousy? Her own anger rose to the surface and she said, "You've gotten it wrong. I've never been unfaithful to you. I don't even know why you would think such a thing. Did you once ever think to talk to me? To ask what was going on? You think so little of me after all our years together. What happened to trust, faith, and love? You better find someplace else to stay, because I don't want to see you tonight."
Leia stormed away and left the party.
Mara bent down to inspect Talon. He rubbed his jaw, working it to make certain that it wasn't broken. He glanced at her ruefully and said to her, "I guess I deserved that."
Luke bent down next to Mara and the tension between them was almost unbearable. Mara glanced sideways at the Jedi, and Luke watched her with a tight expression on his face. The gathering had grown silent as both Luke and Mara helped Talon to his feet.
"We aren't having an affair," Talon said softly to Han. "I thought Leia was in love with me, because I overheard you say that outside the Wild Karrde."
Han closed his eyes for a long moment. He was a fool. When he opened them he said. "It's probably not enough but for what it's worth...I'm sorry." He turned to Luke. "Happy Birthday, kid." And then left to follow Leia.
(Thanks to everyone for all the feedback! This is for you!)
It was the middle of the night before Luke realized that he had forgotten to contact Han with what he had learned. It was too late to talk to him, but he would have to make a point of telling him what he had learned tomorrow. Right now, he had other things on his mind. He couldn't believe how radically things had altered between him and Mara and he couldn't be more pleased. A few days ago, he had believed Mara despised him and now he knew the truth.
He wondered how he had failed to see it. Now as he envisioned his future, he dreamed of building a family with the fiery red head, and spending the remainder of his days with her.
"Of course, I never believed you." Mara had said. 'Liar!' She heard a voice shout inside her head.
She had managed to listen to Karrde without revealing her emotions. She had even implied that she hadn't seen Luke since she had overheard his 'revelation'. All the while, she felt as if pieces of her heart were crumbling around her feet. It was all a set up. It wasn't real. They'd been duped into revealing emotions that Mara would never have believed that she had?
Leia and Talon had actually set them up. They had arranged for Luke to think that Mara had loved him for years and had arranged for Mara to think that Luke was pinning away for her. What a joke! What a cruel, wicked joke!
She strode to her quarters in a calm manner her eyes dry and her face impassive. She closed the door and leaned against it, waiting for the storm of emotions to hit. Mara was angry at being manipulated, furious at being duped, but it didn't change the fact that Luke had told her that he loved her. Had that changed? Had he just said that out of pity? Did he just say that he loved her because she loved him? Was he so lonely that he would settle for anyone?
But these thoughts didn't fit with the Jedi Master that she knew. No. No matter how much she despised the underhanded things that Karrde and Organa- Solo had done, if they hadn't done so she would never had experienced the wonderful day with Skywalker. If she were truly honest with herself, she wasn't exactly upset with the results of their machinations.
What hurt her the most was the sense of loss that she felt. She snorted at this realization. Mara was actually sad that Luke hadn't been in love with her for years. He had only noticed her when she was thrust under his nose.
She wasn't certain if Luke knew the truth of the deception. Mara wanted to deny the evening before, so that she could tell Luke that she didn't really love him and see how he reacted. Would he still claim to love her or would he sigh in a sense of relief?
Sith! Mara sometimes wished that Skywalker was less honorable and easier to read. No, she decided. Luke had been as deceived as she was. He would never tell a woman that he loved her if it was all a lie to him. Luke wasn't like that.
She remembered the Jedi medallion she had ordered for him. She scrambled to the comunit and placed a call to the shop. After insisting that they cancel the order for the pendant, she sat back in relief. The blasters were a fine gift all by themselves.
Today was an awful day.
The day of the party started terrible and only got worse as the hour drew nearer. Han hadn't returned until late the previous night. When he finally did manage to make it home, it was unconscious, sporting a large black eye, and slung over Chewbacca's shoulder.
The Wookiee moaned fatalistically and C3P0 repeated "goodness gracious me," so many times that Leia yelled shut up at the top of her lungs.
The florist called to confirm the delivery for the wrong week and couldn't change to today because producing arrangements of the magnitude required preplanning. The band was stuck in quarantine after being exposed to the Bublolous flu. She managed to get the banquet hall to send a replacement and decided that everything wouldn't be a complete disaster as long as there was food and alcohol. She was beginning to wonder if she should perhaps limit the catering to just food...or just alcohol. She had a really bad feeling about it all.
Needless to say that Leia was completely frazzled and finally decided to call Luke and confess her plans for the birthday party. She knew he was aware of it anyhow and she didn't think she could manage the charade when Han was getting into drunken fights late at night. It appeared that her marriage was falling apart.
Luke rushed over to see her, concerned for the stress and sorrow he could sense in his twin.
He hadn't even set foot inside the Solo apartment when Leia, in her distressed state, blurted out, "I know you are already aware of the surprise party I'm planning."
And then immediately realized her mistake.
'Oh, damn!' This day couldn't possibly get any worse – could it. She briefly considered joining one of those religious orders that foreswore all contact with living beings.
The only time that he could have learned of the party from her was when he had overheard her. The same time he had overheard about Mara's love for him. Luke was quick to realize the implications of her blunder. If Leia had known that he was there then he had been set up.
"You saw me, didn't you, at that cantina - The Last Resort." But it wasn't a question.
Leia felt unshed tears burn in her eyes and she threw herself into his arms.
Luke absently comforted her while he felt as if everything within him had turned to ice. Mara had never made a confession of love to Talon. She had never harbored unrequited feelings for him. It was all a lie. He felt as if his blood had stopped flowing in his veins - his heart had forgotten how to beat and he wondered if he would die. He took a deep breath. No, he was still alive - his body had a mind of its own but he felt numb. Self preservation instincts kicked in and his heart resumed its normal rhythm. Life would go on, but could he? Luke truly loved Mara and when he had told her of his feelings, she hadn't responded in kind. Mara had not said actual words of love. Not that he had been disappointed at the time, but in light of this new information, it made him doubt the depth of her feelings for him. There was no denying the passion of the kiss they had shared, but what about emotions of the heart?
"Why?" he croaked out in a dry voice, his hand gently stroking her back.
"It was all a big mistake. I only wanted you to be happy. I'm so sorry."
He could hear the sobs in his sister's voice, and Luke continued rubbing her back in a comforting gesture as his mind raced. Had Leia sensed how he felt and wanted to provide it for him? Did she think this was some sort of birthday gift? Or had she intuitively known that Mara felt the same and could think of no other solution?
"Are you mad at me?" Leia asked softly.
"No, Leia. What you did was. . . " his voice trailed off. What was it? Was it wrong? Had it been so awful? "Did you do something like that for Mara? Arrange for her to overhear. . ."
Leia nodded.
So Mara had been under the same illusion as Luke, believing that he had loved her for years. She had kissed him after he told her of his love. Had she kissed him out of some sense of pity? Or because she didn't want to respond with the same words in kind?
"It was wrong, Leia, playing with other people's lives like that." He pulled back from her, his arms dropping to his sides. When he turned around and walked away, Leia fell down on the couch and wept.
Luke wondered how he would ever make it through the party. How could he face Mara knowing the truth? Would she read the hurt? Would it be plain to see to everyone there? He slowly got ready for the evening, noticing that a small parcel had arrived for him and was sitting on the low table by the door. Artoo must have brought it in for him. He glanced down at it and saw that it was addressed to him. Another birthday present, probably.
He didn't think he could muster the enthusiasm to thank the recipient just yet. But his curiosity got the better of him. He opened the box and pulled out a pendant on a glittering chain. He caught his breath. Etched on the face was an old Jedi symbol for unity. The meaning had a connotation of treaty, a joining that met the bringing of peace, of acquiring understanding. He flipped the flat disk over and saw some words engraved there. "May we find understanding together. Mara"
A rush of hope filled him. The statement harbored so much promise. Luke thought of the way Mara's eyes glittered at him from across the table at the Commissary. He remembered the eagerness he could sense, the pleasure at spending time with him. They truly had enjoyed their time together.
Whatever the outcome of their relationship, they were friends. They had finally put their adversarial relationship to rest and had moved on to something more meaningful. His feelings hadn't changed. He still loved her. Perhaps with patience and persistence, he could win her over for real. He nodded to himself. Now that he had a plan in mind, he was energized. He put the chain over his head and tucked it against his heart. Luke was filled with purpose once again.
Perhaps today wouldn't be so bad after all.
Mara was dressed to kill. Not literally, but her heart stopping outfit had most of the human male population at the party stunned. She wore a black clingy dress that didn't have seams, but was kept together by a series of glittering gold chains. This left a tantalizing strip of bare flesh down the sides of her body, combined with the dangerously low cut of the back, producing a provocative ensemble that if she wasn't so mad, she might have felt a little uncomfortable wearing. Mara looked wonderful, but she wasn't in the habit of displaying her curves for every male eye to see.
Even Karrde had cleared his throat and then made a point of not glancing at her too closely. When she had chosen the dress, Mara had felt the great need to flaunt her assets to Skywalker. She didn't want to feel his pity affection. If she wanted love, she could get it from half the population of Coruscant if she so desired. But that was just it. She couldn't. They might want her, yes. It was quite a coup to sleep with the infamous Mara Jade, but love. . . .that was an entirely different matter.
The idea that Skywalker thought that she had waited for him to notice her for years galled her. Mara Jade waited for no one.
When Luke saw Mara in the sexy black dress, he stood stock still in the middle of the assembly hall. Mara felt a thrill go through her as he gaped at her. His awe-struck expression struck her as funny and Mara's lips curved upward in pleasure. She felt a sense of victory to so disarm the Jedi. He blushed, realizing that his mouth had been hanging open, and then recovered enough to give her a slow appreciative smile. He knew that she'd dressed like that for him and the knowledge seemed to shift the victory in his direction.
As the sensuous smile crossed Luke's face, Mara remembered that they'd been set-up. She wasn't ready to face him yet and abruptly turned away from the Jedi.
She didn't know what she would say to him, and she was certainly not prepared to confront him at that moment.
When Mara turned away from him, Luke felt as if he was slapped in the face. Had he just received an indication of her true feelings for him? Had Mara somehow learned the truth of the deception at the same time as he did?
That thought brought him up short. That would certainly explain the dress to some degree. She had dressed to kill. Just looking at her made it difficult for him to breath. Was her pride stung? If Mara had discovered that everything that she believed about his feelings for her was a ruse, would she retreat from him? It was certainly possible. He wasn't certain how she would rationalize his words of love away. But knowing Mara the way he did, he was certain she would find the means. Mara was nothing if not resourceful.
Han stood in his stiff collared dress uniform watching Leia greet the guests. She gave each of them individual attention. Some she smiled to politely, some she shook hands with, and a few she hugged. Talon Karrde was one of the later. He ground his teeth with jealousy as he watched them interact.
Talon pulled back from the hug and seemed to be searching for something in Leia's face. Han would swear that the man was trying to determine how Leia felt about Karrde. The way he held her hand after the hug in that solicitous manner, made one thing abundantly clear. He didn't know how his wife felt about Talon, but he could tell that the man cared deeply for his wife. The look made him feel as if the planet had just lost gravity.
He had thought long and hard about it this morning and had decided that he could forgive Leia's affair with Karrde. With their combined responsibilities, Han and Leia often spent many weeks apart. Han was willing to assume some of the blame, if Leia had been lonely. But if she had lost her heart to Talon then he had two options. One, he could slip away and allow Leia to be with Talon. Or two, he could remove the competition by killing Talon. He loved Leia and wanted to see that she was happy. He could let her go if it was what would make her truly content. But he would have to find out if Talon felt the same way about her. Did the smuggler love his wife in return?
Han just couldn't take it anymore and he cleared his throat loudly. Leia glanced questioningly up at Han.
Talon shot Han an apologetic look and scurried away. Leia watched the man's retreat in bemusement.
"What was that all about?" Leia whispered.
"You have to ask?" Han said in disgust.
Leia probed her husband gently with the Force and was amazed at the emotions roiling off Han. "You're jealous!" She followed Han's glare and continued, "Of Talon Karrde?"
"You love him don't you?" He asked his wife.
"Talon?"
"It's Talon now, hmmm? It's plain to see that you've grown quite . . .close while I've been gone."
"He's my friend. He's been helping me with a few things lately."
"Is that the euphemism they use now? Helping?"
Leia's eyes turned wide and she turned to face Han directly. Her husband was actually insinuating that she...that she...? "I can't believe what you are saying? Do you honestly believe that Talon and I. . . .That we . . . ."
Han gestured violently, and strode away, not willing to hear her say anymore.
"Han!" Leia shouted but he ignored her and walked away, his whole frame stiff and unforgiving. Yes. This was truly a terrible day.
Luke started to approach Mara when a sense of something caught him. It wasn't exactly danger, but he felt as if he should be on alert. Mara's head swung around to give him a piercing look. She had felt it too. They nodded in unison and made their way over toward Han Solo.
Han strode over to confront Karrde. Han watched as the man eyed him warily, and he could see the knowledge written on his face. He immediately jumped to conclusions. The trader had been sleeping with his wife, and suspected that Han knew about it. The look of apology and tenseness Han could sense in Karrde, actually calmed Solo down.
He gave Talon a lazy smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "So Talon. I hear that you've grown quite close to my wife while I was away."
Talon Karrde closed his eyes and sighed heavily. It was true. Han knew about the deceptions they had perpetrated with Mara and Luke. He didn't know what to say. So he decided it was time to share the truth. "Leia and I have done some things that I'm not very proud of, and I certainly hope that no one got hurt in the process. I helped Leia plan this birthday party, and in the process carried out a plan that I hope helped two people find true love."
Han was confused at his description and his eyebrows drew together. Luke approached them, catching the last of Talon's words. A flash of pain registered on Luke's face and it only confirmed his suspicions about Leia's affair.
"Do you love her?" demanded Han.
"Mara?" Talon asked in confusion.
"No you idiot. My wife!"
"Why do you think that I love your wife?" A look of dawning comprehension spread across his face. "Oh... This is about Leia..."
"Yeah." Han said mockingly. "This is indeed about Leia."
Han could see Leia shooting them anxious looks from across the grand hall, but she was caught talking to a counselor and couldn't seem to break free.
"I'm sorry Han. I don't know how it happened. I certainly never wanted her to fall in love with me." Talon said morosely.
Han closed his eyes in pain. Mara Jade stepped forward. Luke's mouth gaped and Talon continued quickly, "I'll leave Coruscant. I'll stay away. In time, she'll forget me."
"Do you love her?" Han croaked out.
Talon shook his head. "There's nothing between us, Han. You have to understand this whole thing is a mistake."
So Karrde had an affair with his wife, and it didn't mean anything to him. The thought of the two of them in love, hurt him. The thought that Karrde had slept with his wife and felt nothing made him burn. "You bastard!" He punched Karrde soundly across the face.
From across the hall Leia screamed "Han"
Mara blocked Han from following through with another punch and pushed the man to the ground.
Luke rushed in and aided Mara in restraining Han, only helping him up when he was certain that Han would not be continuing his assault.
Leia pushed past her guests to arrive on the scene.
Han struggled to free himself from the Jedi's grip. Luke let him go but stayed close. "He's not worth it, Leia," Han protested. "He doesn't even care about you. He told me you were nothing to him."
Leia mouth dropped open. "What!"
Han believed that she had had an affair with Talon Karrde. The odd behavior since he had returned, all the little things suddenly made sense to Leia. She had met with Talon in secret, and Han must have assumed the worst. She knew that it might look bad to a suspicious mind, but didn't she deserve some faith? Had she ever given him cause for jealousy? Her own anger rose to the surface and she said, "You've gotten it wrong. I've never been unfaithful to you. I don't even know why you would think such a thing. Did you once ever think to talk to me? To ask what was going on? You think so little of me after all our years together. What happened to trust, faith, and love? You better find someplace else to stay, because I don't want to see you tonight."
Leia stormed away and left the party.
Mara bent down to inspect Talon. He rubbed his jaw, working it to make certain that it wasn't broken. He glanced at her ruefully and said to her, "I guess I deserved that."
Luke bent down next to Mara and the tension between them was almost unbearable. Mara glanced sideways at the Jedi, and Luke watched her with a tight expression on his face. The gathering had grown silent as both Luke and Mara helped Talon to his feet.
"We aren't having an affair," Talon said softly to Han. "I thought Leia was in love with me, because I overheard you say that outside the Wild Karrde."
Han closed his eyes for a long moment. He was a fool. When he opened them he said. "It's probably not enough but for what it's worth...I'm sorry." He turned to Luke. "Happy Birthday, kid." And then left to follow Leia.
(Thanks to everyone for all the feedback! This is for you!)