The Emerald Price Chapter 21

By Ash Darklighter

Disclaimer:- The characters and situations used in this story are the property of George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd. I am only using them for some entertainment and will not even make one Republican credit from this endeavour. This is set around eight to ten years after Luke and Mara met each other for the first time. This one is for all the girls on the AA list and of course for Mona – what would I do without you? My thanks also to Niqella and Rhea.

The Jade's Fire – Somewhere in Hyperspace

The sound of a lightsaber buzzed as the slim woman dressed in clinging, grey exercise gear wielded the ancient weapon of the Jedi through a series of graceful cadences. The lightsaber was more than just a weapon – it was a disciplined workout of both mind and body. With a final twisting somersault, Mara landed lightly on her bare feet and extinguished her bright blue blade. She pushed an escaping, wayward curl back into the clip designed to keep it confined and grinned with satisfaction.

She was regaining her skill and strength with the blade once more.

Breathing heavily and flushed with perspiration, Mara moved her exercise mat from the main cargo hold into the secondary, smaller one and began to wind down her training session. With a fluid flick of her wrist, hidden speakers began to play a relaxed melody from the shores of a distant world. She wasn't back to what she had been before her abduction but she was getting close. Mara did not want to arrive on a planet overrun with supremely fit Jedi and thought to be found wanting. They did not know what had happened to her – hell, even she wasn't exactly one hundred percent certain. Her mood darkened. But 'he' did and the fool hadn't told her anything about what she had suffered. Arrogant bastard - he would possibly live to regret that oversight.

Stretching in time to the soft music, Mara let her mind drift. It was the closest she ever came to meditation but perhaps this was the time and the way to start. Her determination to achieve the status of Jedi Knight had taken hold of her with such fervour. Was she doing this to repay Luke for saving her life? If so, he would not want such a gift and she knew it. Was she doing it because the slavers had captured her with such ease? But 'ease' wasn't the correct word. Her capture hadn't been easy. She'd fought for her freedom like a wild thing. Perhaps there was an element of the truth that she felt indebted to the Jedi Master. She preferred to owe no one. Mara shook her head. No, she was doing this for herself and because it was the will of the Force.

Mara frowned and arched her back feeling her backbone lengthen. The will of the Force?  Had she any idea what that really was? The Force ran strong in her. She could feel its potent lure. She had always told herself that she wouldn't go to Yavin until she was ready for a total commitment to the Jedi.

Luke would not accept anything less from her than total commitment and he was right. Perhaps if she'd had taken the time to hone her skills, achieving a greater mastery of the Force, she could have avoided falling into the trap on Aaris III. But as the Jedi was so fond of quoting, 'the future is always in motion'.

Simply, for Mara, it was time to move on. Karrde's employ held little challenge and no joy for her these days. It wasn't enough. She had outgrown the organisation. Her true calling was waiting for her.

However, Mara wasn't wholly convinced that Yavin IV was the place for her either. She couldn't see herself fitting in with the rest of the dark robed idealists but Luke was on Yavin and she trusted him to train her. He was the only one she trusted to train her.

Luke had bought her from the slavers using the crystal from his own lightsaber rendering himself vulnerable in the face of potential trouble arising. That was a tremendous sacrifice that he'd made for her. She didn't want to dwell on the implications of such an act.

'Bought…sold…like a thing.'

The words whirled through her brain again and again. 'Bought…sold…like a thing.'

She sank down onto the mat, her legs splayed out in front of her and stretched her torso to the floor, feeling her tired muscles protest as she did so. The little voice in her head began to defend the Jedi Master. 'He did it for you – to save your life.' "I know that," she responded aloud. She'd been very ill when Luke had found her – very ill indeed. If she had been sold it was doubtful that she would have survived. She would not have been able to escape death this time. Another little voice whispered insidiously, 'Now you are in his debt. What will he demand from you? There is always a price. What will be his?'

Luke wouldn't see it the way she did. He was rescuing the damsel in distress in his customary protective fashion. No one was allowed to threaten those he cared for and he would go to any lengths to keep them safe. Mara felt honoured and strangely humbled to be included in Luke's close circle of friends. However, that didn't change the fact that before this incident, she had been independent and free. Strange how the simple exchange of a gem seemed to threaten all of that.

Was she looking at this all wrong?  Had he merely saved her life so that she could make a choice?

Luke had heard Mara's call and had travelled to the furthest reaches of the galaxy to rescue her, dropping the threads of his life without a second thought. Knowing that he was there with her while she was in her delirium made many threads connect. She could hear his voice telling her that she would be safe. She could almost feel his arms surrounding her, his breath warm on the back of her neck as he curved himself protectively into her. He had come for her and kept her safe without any hope of a reward or even a simple thank you. How had Luke Skywalker – a man famous throughout the entire galaxy – been able to just walk into a slaving compound and buy her?

The man wasn't real.

Why had he done it?

An image of Luke's face came into her mind, his eyes cold, almost silver and not the vibrant blue she loved. She shivered and tried to conjure up a different picture. This time, the expression on his face was the one after their lips had met, just for a moment, in one short, sweet, accidental kiss and her senses had gone haywire. His eyes had changed, turbulence colouring them further, his expression shocked. He'd been as affected by it as she had been – strange, when it was only a kiss. Only. Her mind remembered the brief softening of his lips upon hers and the flame that had sparked between them. The kiss had been more than an impersonal farewell salute.

'He cares for you, Mara.' She remembered Karrde's words at the spaceport. Of course Luke cared for her. She cared for him too…as a friend. Luke felt exactly the same. They were true friends and she could not bestow such an honour on anyone else.

"He wants you for the Jedi," she whispered but somewhere deep in her mind another voice made itself heard. 'No, Mara. Luke wants you for himself.'

Her heart almost stopped. "Luke wants me!" she gasped aloud and then immediately strove to deny it. "No, he's the Jedi Master. He has no place for love in his life…neither do I. I don't love him…I don't feel that way about him…do I?"

Her own words echoed tauntingly inside her head. 'Love is a valuable commodity, but I have no use for it. Yes, I said that but I never said I didn't believe in it.' She winced. She sounded so arrogant - so certain that she was right.

'I know that for me to pursue a relationship with anyone, I would have to love him.'

Was it the same for Luke or was he pursuing the Jedi ideal of dedicating his entire life to the Force at the expense of having a personal life of his own? But he had also taught her that the way of the force was not a solitary one.

She grimaced. Perhaps she did need to undertake a session with a psych droid if she was thinking about Skywalker as more than a friend. She'd just gotten rid of Calrissian. It was time to concentrate on what she wanted.

'You want Skywalker,' the little voice whispered.

"No!" Mara shouted.

Mara closed her eyes. Force! What was she doing? She could call him from anywhere in the galaxy and he would hear her voice. Luke was as powerful as Palpatine had been but he didn't wield that ability. He didn't want or need such power. Luke was aware of this connection; Mara guessed this to be true. His reluctance to be with her, his raised shields the last time they had been together all pointed to this conclusion.

He should have told her - again her anger began to bubble to the surface. Why hadn't he told her? What good would it have done if he had? Her anger died down. She had not been ready to hear such things from him and she would have reacted the way she had almost reacted just now – with suspicion and anger.

Anger was too close to the dark side. These were lessons she had to learn and accept before she reached Yavin and it had almost been too late.

Carefully opening herself to the Force, Mara stretched beyond the confines of her ship, searching for Luke's bright light. Suddenly across the millions of miles of space, he was there. His presence was warm and welcoming and she realised that she had missed it so much.

Missed him.

Yavin IV

On Yavin IV, immersed in a class on the Old Republic history, Luke felt a faraway presence touch his mind, wrapping tendrils of warmth around his signature like a plant dying for moisture. His words dried up and his eyes closed. This…had to be one of the most wonderful feelings in the cosmos. Mara's presence reached out to him, encompassing him in warmth.  He had no idea if this act was consciously done or if somehow she reached him through the Force in an unconscious gesture of trust. Either way, the sensation was incredible. For a moment, he revelled in the connection.

"Is everything all right, Master Skywalker?" one of the initiates asked in concern as the Master sat motionless, the sentence on his lips left incomplete.

Luke smiled and opened his eyes, the elation evident in his gaze eliciting a gasp from the assembled company. His eyes had, for an instant, changed from blue to green. "Yes…fine…" he mumbled. "Class dismissed."

"But Master Skywalker, we still have another hour of this class to go!"

"You know where the library is?" Luke asked, his eyes twinkling. "I'll finish this tomorrow. The Force has just given me some questions to ponder. Look on it as a reprieve from me boring you further with the history of the politics of the Jedi during the Old Republic."

"But you never bore us, Master. You make the most mundane subjects seem…"

Luke raised an eyebrow and then grinned. "Okay, okay," he said, laughter colouring his voice. "You've convinced me."

"I have?" The student appeared uncertain and then bowed his head deferentially. "Of course, Master."

Luke waved the anxious student away. "I had finished what I wanted to say. You need to go and meditate on the lesson."

"Of course, Master Skywalker."

'Farmboy.'

'Jade.' Luke was startled. The connection was faint but it was definitely her voice.

'You're in trouble.'

'Trouble…me?' he asked innocently. He felt like laughing; he was so happy to feel her with him.

'Yes, you.'

He felt a shower of liquid warmth run through him. She was smiling; he could feel it. 'I know - so what's new?' Luke felt the connection slip away like an unravelled thread. Usually points of contact were made when either of them were emotionally charged. Anger…despair. She had not yet learned to control the Force when she felt more extreme emotions. This was the first time she'd been able to reach out when she was calm and peaceful. One day she would come to him.  He could feel it.

He had to prepare to take a new student and this one would test the limits of his Jedi calm. His chin lifted. He had to be ready for Mara Jade.

He had no idea when she would arrive. It could be tomorrow, next week or even next year but whenever she arrived he had to be ready. He couldn't afford to make any mistakes with this prospective Jedi Knight. His stomach grumbled reminding him of more immediate concerns.  Right now, though, he was hungry.

Luke made his way to the refectory, now housed in one of the larger halls in the Jedi temple. With a warm smile for the many different species, all studying and training to be Jedi Knights, he chose his meal and retreated to one of the staff tables at the back of the room. With an air of distraction, he shovelled his food into his mouth, all the while wondering where Mara was and was she well and happy. He longed to see her but would not press her to come.

Soon she would come to the Jedi to be trained to knighthood. The pull was getting stronger. One day she would not be able to resist the lure. It was inevitable. Luke knew this to be so but she would have to come of her own accord - when she was ready.  He hoped that would be soon. Perhaps he could call her – convince her to train - but it had to be her decision. Patience was a trait he had learned, but not yet mastered. It would have to suffice for now.

"The Master is looking much better this evening," Kirana Ti commented as she slid deftly into her chair beside Tionne Solusar.

"Yes, more rested." Tionne fixed her pale eyes on Luke.

"Councillor Organa Solo was quite concerned about him. He has been through several difficult missions in a short space of time and she wouldn't talk about his most recent outing," Kirana commented quietly.

"It must have been something top-secret for the New Republic." Tionne stabbed a green vegetable with her fork.

"The Councillor did not say," said Kam quietly.

"It's always difficult to wind down after a difficult mission. The adrenaline rush takes its toll," said Tionne. "Did he make it through unscathed? He rarely talks about these things unless it concerns the Jedi directly."

Kam glanced over towards the Jedi Master and lowered his voice. "Councillor Organa Solo did not say although she intimated it was a difficult time for her brother and he did end up in the medicentre…"

"What, again?" Corran Horn slid into the seat next to Kam in time to hear his words and grinned cheekily at Kirana Ti and Tionne.

Kam glared at the Corellian pilot. "I was saying, Jedi Horn, that Master Skywalker did end up in the medicentre but it was merely owing to a mild viral infection."

"Who said it was mild?" queried Corran.

"Why, the Master…"

"Luke!" Corran laughed. "Don't believe anything he says. Trust me, it wasn't minor."

Kam grinned. "Why should I trust a Corellian and not the head of the Jedi Order?"

Corran chuckled. "Good point. Still, think about it. Luke doesn't like medical centres. The Manarai is one of the best but he would still rather not be in there. He would play down any illness or injury. It's not his way to draw attention to himself. It has to be serious to make him go and stay."

Kam was prepared to debate the issue. "The Master said he was only in there for a couple of days. He was brought in for observation and was quickly given the all clear."

"Try a week at least," Corran said. "He was there for at least that long according to Solo. He's looking much better than the last time I saw him."

Kirana Ti gave a furtive glance around her and leaned forward. "Did you hear what happened this afternoon?"

Kam shook his head. "No. Nothing serious, I hope?"

The Dathomerian witch shook her head. "No, nothing serious. According to Ix Io…"

"The Nazzar?" asked Corran.

"Yes, the first one we have had in the Jedi," Kirana Ti said. "They don't usually like to be away from their home world and he will not be welcome there in the future. The Force had too strong a pull on him. He was in the Master's class this afternoon when a strange thing happened."

"What?" asked Tionne, her voice hushed. She looked over her shoulder to see Luke sitting at the next table chatting to the older Jedi, Streen.

The rest of the teachers leaned their heads in closer towards Kirana Ti.

"The Master was in the middle of his discourse when he suddenly stopped speaking. He closed his eyes and just sat motionless."

"A vision?" asked Tionne eagerly.

"The Force speaking to him?" wondered Kam.

"When he opened his eyes they had changed colour from blue to green."

"Changed colour? I did not notice. I spoke to him earlier this evening," Tionne said.

"It only happened for a moment. Ix Io said that the Master's eyes immediately reverted back to blue."

"Could he have been mistaken?"

"Ix Io is not the kind of Jedi student who exaggerates the facts and the change was most marked," Kirana Ti replied loftily.

Tionne turned her head to where Luke was sitting, her pale eyes widening as she saw he was no longer there but approaching their table. "Ssh!" she hissed.

"Hey, Luke!" Corran raised his voice and hailed the Jedi Master.

Luke had finished his meal and had come close to the group of teachers as he headed to dump his tray. "I didn't know you had arrived, Corran." He grinned widely at the Corellian pilot.

"Just a fly past. I'm meeting Mirax in the next system in two days' time and then Wedge has new orders for me." Corran sighed. "I fly out first thing tomorrow morning."

Luke's face fell. "Oh! So you won't be around for long." Like Mara, Corran Horn treated Luke as a friend. After an uneasy beginning the two men had found they were similar in tastes and enthusiasms.

Corran made a face. "Sorry, next time, maybe. I'm hoping that Wedge will free me for a few months."

"I'll look forward to it. Kam could maybe schedule you to run a few classes."

"Not telekinesis, please." Corran turned a pleading face on Kam.

"I think we can safely say it won't be that. Perhaps you could join those classes instead?" Kam said with a wicked smile.

"Not fair," Corran pouted and then sighed. "But true."

"If I don't see you before tomorrow, clear skies, Corran." Luke smiled and wandered off, clutching his tray of empty dishes.

Corran followed the figure in black. "It's hard to know what he's thinking but he seems well. I hope that's the true state of affairs."

Kam's grey gaze followed Luke as he vanished from their sight. "He's getting there."

Luke's suite of rooms, situated in one of the temple buildings, were surprisingly roomy. A galley kitchen, a study with a work area, a couple of bedrooms and a lounge were all that he needed. Leia had helped him decorate his living space in a style of his choosing and the results were stylish, yet functional. It was the nearest thing he had to a home and Leia had recognised that fact. While her brother had his base on Yavin she wanted him to be comfortable. Sometimes she suspected that he didn't notice what the colours of the walls and furniture were or if the cushions she'd sent were even unpacked. Tionne had wanted Luke to move into the largest of the living quarters but he had refused, offering them instead to her and Kam when they had married. That Kam was also running the Academy had been another important factor in his view.

Luke, dressed in a loose blue sleeping robe, leaned over his workbench and frowned. He just had to make a small adjustment and…"Yes." He gave a delicate tap at the jewel held in the clamp and a sliver of the dark green crystal fell to the worktop. "Nearly there…" he muttered and adjusted the angle until he was presented with the other side of the jewel. "One wrong move, Skywalker and you'll have to start from scratch." He carefully sheared off another shard and watched as the jewel began to take shape. The best lightsabers had three focusing jewels for a fully adjustable blade. He'd made his first saber alone, mourning the loss of so many things – his friends, his hand and his family - and lacking the life experience he had now. All these years he had managed just fine with one crystal at the heart of his saber. Strange that it turned out to be the colour of the eyes of the woman he loved.

His useless lightsaber casing lay on the workbench, wires trailing from its end ready to receive the crystal once Luke was satisfied that he had cut the correct amount of facets; his hands deftly finished shaping the jewel with the assurance of a Jedi Master. Sinking easily into the Force that was so much a part of him, he picked up his lightsaber and tuned the superconductor. The amplitude was correct and the circuit boards had worked fine the last time the casing had housed a crystal.

He flicked on the activation switch and breathed easier as the blade extended outwards. The colour of the blade was slightly darker than that of his last saber but it felt good. Luke wondered if the darker colour perhaps mirrored his presence in the Force. He was no longer the innocent farmboy he'd once been. He would never turn to the dark side again but it had left its shaded imprint upon him.

There was a sudden crackle and the saber shorted out.

Luke stood staring at the non-existent blade. "Damn!" What had gone wrong this time?

He tried again and the exact same thing happened. With a deep heartfelt sigh, Luke opened the casing and checked the jewel once more. Perhaps he could trim a tiny piece off the crystal. He'd felt so good about it. This wasn't the first or even the second saber he'd constructed. "It could have been worse," he told himself. "You could have flash-flamed yourself into a black crisp."

Luke checked his wrist chrono. It was late and he had classes the following morning but he wanted to fix this problem with his lightsaber. A Jedi Master without a lightsaber was inconceivable.

The com on his desk began to chime. "Yes," he muttered irritably. Who could want him at this hour of the night?

"Master Skywalker," the Jedi manning the com centre late shift said nervously.

"Yes, Groet." Luke put aside his impatience

"A ship has just entered the atmosphere."

"A ship? We're not expecting any transports, are we?"

"Not to my knowledge, Master. It is heading for this location."

"You don't know their identity," Luke barked as he pulled off his sleeping attire and shrugged himself into his Jedi tunic.

"No, sir. That's why I contacted you. I have no idea. The ship is running with complete com silence but the scanners tell me that it has quite a weapons arsenal."

"What do you feel?" Luke asked quietly, once more the teacher. "Forget the scanners. They, like our eyes, can be deceived. I'm on my way to the landing site but use this as an opportunity to test your skills. Can you sense danger? Stretch out with the Force."

He felt the young Jedi initiate's mind calm. Groet pushed through the layers of the Force. "I don't sense any ill-will."

"Neither do I," Luke murmured, reaching out to find the identity of the unexpected visitor and was surprised to find that he couldn't read him or her - someone with training, able to block his probe. "Alert Master Solusar and Jedi Horn as a precaution. It pays to be cautious. I don't think the Academy is under threat. It is only one ship."

"Have you any idea, Master Skywalker?" Groet sounded a little more confident, his voice stronger.

"I have my suspicions." Luke's heart quickened as he finished getting dressed. Could it be Mara already? He hadn't sensed her but then, she was probably shielding. He would let her be for the moment.

Luke fastened his cloak and slapped at his door chime, his booted feet echoing on the flagstones as he walked swiftly from the living quarters and out into the Yavin night heading for the landing site. The sound of a finely tuned engine roared above him and through the trees Luke caught a glimpse of a starship he knew very well indeed. His heart began to pound loudly inside his chest.

She had come. Forget the Death Star, forget the Emperor. This was going to be his greatest challenge yet. He would finally be able to train her to full knighthood. He knew that was why she was here. What other reason could there be? Still, there were problems ahead. Could he help her attain that goal Luke knew should be hers by right? Could he be her mentor and guide, her friend, her strongest critic and disciplinarian? Could he do it and keep Mara from finding out how he really felt about her?

He could try… Luke gave a soft chuckle. No – he would do.

The Jade's Fire touched down in a near perfect landing. Taking her time, Mara shut down the ship's functions and gathered her gear together. As she stuffed a few last-minute items into her carryall, she caught her reflection in the mirror. She looked businesslike and ready to deal with any situation but her stomach twisted with nervous anticipation. She hadn't announced her arrival but she knew that the Fire had been monitored as soon as she'd entered the system.

There was bound to be a reception committee waiting for her. She could feel them. More importantly, she could feel him. She had felt the pinprick of instant awareness go through her as soon as he'd guessed the ship belonged to her. Her shields were good but not good enough to hide from the Jedi Master – especially this close to one another.

"Well, well, well," Corran muttered as he watched the beautiful streamlined ship glide into the landing bay area. "Not a sight I expected to see here for some time."

"Why" asked Kam, his grey eyes curious.

"That's the Jade's Fire – Mara's ship. Mara has been avoiding Luke recently - or is it the other way round?" Corran peered at the security vid-screen.

"Do you have an explanation?" Kam asked.

"There has been some tension between them for some time and Mara has been rather cosy with Calrissian for the past year."

"Yes, that story has even reached all the way out here."

"I thought Mara had more discernment than that and something about that situation doesn't seem quite right. I just can't see Mara Jade putting up with Lando…I like the man but it's a strange combination. Luke has appeared to avoid Mara when she's with Lando. Then there is the fact that Han did say that there was a little friction between Luke and Lando the last time he was on Coruscant."

"You think Luke resents Lando for possibly distracting Mara away from her Jedi training?"

"Could be but…" Corran paused - he had his own theories about Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade.

"Talon Karrde is scheduled to deliver some orders for the Academy," said Kam. "Perhaps, Mara Jade is the messenger instead of her boss."

"Perhaps. Knowing Mara she will have her reasons - whatever they are. That is indisputably the Jade's Fire that has just arrived. Whether we've correctly identified those reasons – who can say."

"Someone should inform the Master," Tionne murmured as she glided into the control room and stood behind her husband, her hand resting gently upon his shoulder. "Although he retired for the night much earlier than usual."

"He will find out in the morning," Kam soothed.

"Excuse me, Master Solusar," Groet said apologetically. "I contacted the Master as soon as the ship entered orbit. He was not sleeping and is heading to meet the ship."

"He knows who it is?" Tionne turned her pale eyes on the Corellian Jedi.

Corran laughed mockingly. "Of course he does. Luke knows where Mara is a good eighty percent of the time and she knows where he is ninety percent of the time."

Kam nodded, sudden understanding crossing his face.

The com crackled abruptly to life. "Corran, its okay. I'm sure you recognised the ship…"

"I recognised it," Corran replied dryly.

"I'm on my way to meet Mara now."

"Sure, Luke," the pilot said with a grin. "I'll say goodnight. Tell Jade that I'll see her in the morning before I leave."

"Will do."

Corran grinned and turned to the others. "No dangers… we can all head back to bed. Apart from you, Groet?"

"I'm on the late shift all this week," the student said ruefully pulling off his headset. "But I don't mind it really."

Tionne patted the young man on the shoulder. "Of course you don't."

Luke strode silently along the path that led from his living quarters to the landing site. A pang of concern entered his head. Was she all right? She'd suffered no further reaction to her ordeal?  The ramp hissed open and Luke could see the slender figure dressed in dark green, her hair braided tightly behind her. She looked good - more than all right. He took a deep breath, pushed his hood back onto his shoulders and stepped forward.

Despite the lateness of the hour, Mara had expected to be met with the full compliment of Jedi teachers who lived and worked on Yavin. She'd had that treatment before and it was rather unnerving because normally that sort of scrutiny didn't bother her. Perhaps it was the feeling that a dozen pairs of eyes were drilling into her and judging the contents of her heart and mind and could find out what she was thinking, if they wanted to, that was so unnerving.

But there was no one present. Mara stood a little dumbfounded for a moment, her teeth worrying her lip. The landing site was on the edge of the jungle a little way away from the Academy buildings. She stared out into the trees and felt very much alone. Should she have come after all?

Then she felt it. The power, as it hit her, made her sway a little and clutch on to the door frame for support. "Luke?" she whispered, her green gaze searching for him. "Luke."

The Jedi was leaning against a large tree for support. Dressed all in black, he merged into the night. All the breath seemed to have left his lungs as their Force signatures called out to one another and intertwined. What was happening to them?

"Mara," he mumbled faintly and staggered forward, his arms outstretched.

"Luke," she said thankfully and ran to meet him, her limbs shaking.

Luke stopped and got a grip on his emotions and his wayward body but it was difficult when Mara moved into his arms as if she belonged there. Their bodies sang with the contact. They stood in an embrace for what seemed like ages until they both came belatedly to their senses and stepped abruptly away from one another.

"It's good to see you," Luke said quietly, his manner somewhat formal. "You have recovered?"

"Recovered?"

"From…uh…" Luke shrugged, reluctant to remind her of her experience.

"Oh." Mara seemed at a loss for words.

"You …"

"Recovered?" she said slowly. "Oh, yes, I think so." She slowly circled the Jedi Master then stopped, staring at him, her expression compelling. "Recovered from being kidnapped, drugged and sold? From being lied to by people I thought I could trust."

"Mara…" Luke could feel her antagonism begin to grow. "Beware anger…"

Mara tried to hold onto her temper. This man had saved her life but the power of her anger crept up unawares, surprising her. "Beware anger? How dare you!" Mara spat, lifting her hand as all the feelings she was trying to control ignited into fury. Luke's danger sense pinged and he read her intentions just before it was too late.

"Mara!" he exclaimed as he caught her arm mid-strike just inches from his cheek. "What's wrong? What have I done?"

"What have you done?" she almost screeched, wrenching her arm from his firm grasp. "…lied to me!"

"I never…" Luke swallowed. He hadn't exactly lied to her. He'd just not told her the truth. "Yes, I lied to you. I hoped you would never know."

"Why the secrecy, the games…?"

Luke tried to read the expression in her green eyes but couldn't see properly in the dark. She was shielding firmly and he couldn't read her there either. "I didn't want you to suffer unnecessarily…"

"I'm a big girl, Skywalker. I can take it." Mara lifted her head, her emerald eyes drilling laser bolts at him.

"I didn't want you to know that I had seen you so vulnerable."

"You've saved my life before – remember the hunt for the Katana fleet? You should have told me."

"I'm sorry," Luke said, his face stiffening. He moved away from her and rested his hand on the aged trunk of an enormous tree.

"Sorry!" she echoed. "Sorry! Is that all you can say?"

"What else can I say?" Luke bit back. "I'm glad you're alive? I didn't want you to die? All of those are true but it's not enough for you, is it? You would rather that I hadn't come for you at all? You would have rather I left you there?"

"Well, thank you very much." The sarcasm oozed from her lips as she tried to ignore the import of his words. 'I'm glad you're alive.'

Luke scowled. "I didn't do it for your thanks. I did it for you – pure and simple. You are not beholden to me in any way." He turned and faced her properly, his face weary in the faint glimmer of the lights still lit around the landing area.

Mara frowned, holding fast to her wrath with difficulty. 'Beholden, an old fashioned word,' she thought uneasily.

Luke pressed closer, his eyes earnest as his anger drained away. "I know you, Mara. I know the kind of things that run through your head. I did it for you." There was a short silence then he added softly. "My friend. Perhaps I did it for me, too. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"How can you even begin to guess at the kind of things that are in my head? It's none of your business." She turned away from him, rejecting his appeal. She thought she would be able to let it go but she couldn't. Her servitude and her betrayal by the Emperor still had the power to hurt her deeply. "You lied to me."

"So?" Luke retorted sharply. "You'd think I wouldn't do it again?  I'd do anything to save your life and to spare you pain," Luke told her baldly. "Even lie to you."

Mara whirled around, red-gold braid flying and just gaped at him. "What!"

"You heard me."

Luke's voice was cold and a memory impinged upon Mara. She stood frozen desperately trying to recall what it was.

He took a deep breath regaining his serenity. He had to keep his wits about him where she was concerned. No other being in the entire galaxy could affect him like she did. He had to regain his equilibrium. "Have you got what you need for the night, or will you be spending it on your ship?" Luke enquired carefully, his voice cool.

The hazy memory faded leaving her frustrated and annoyed with herself and the man in front of her. "I've spent over a week in my ship. Surely this place has a spare room or two," she snapped brusquely.

"Follow me," Luke said and immediately turned on his black booted heel and led the way, disappearing into what looked like the middle of a thicket.

Mara watched as he disappeared from sight and exhaled loudly. She'd wanted him as rattled as she was herself. As soon as she'd seen his figure leaning against the tree she'd felt…unsettled. He was a good-looking man, she admitted to herself and not for the first time. Why did he make her so angry?

"You coming?" His voice floated back through the trees.

"Yeah!"

Luke led her though the undergrowth. Mara cursed as a branch smacked her in the face. This was obviously a shortcut to the landing area that only Luke was familiar with. He was all dressed up tonight, she observed thoughtfully - the full Jedi blacks and his cloak, the knee length boots polished to perfection, the lightsaber… No, the lightsaber wasn't dangling from its customary place on his belt. Its absence confirmed what she already knew.

"Wait!" She pushed her way into the trees.

Luke led her right into a smallish temple which had been converted into living spaces and with a wave of his hand opened a door. "In here."

"But this is your apartment," Mara said in bewilderment. She'd been to Yavin enough times to know that.

"Yes, but there are two bedrooms. The Academy is full to capacity right now. If you had waited a week longer before flying out or contacted me before you arrived, we could have made arrangements for your accommodations. Many of the junior students will go home in the next few weeks to spend time with their families. As it is, your choice is to stay with me or with the Solusars."

Mara's mouth dropped open and her sense in the Force mirrored her outright rejection of that idea.

"No?" Luke queried with dark amusement. "I thought not. You're in here, Jade. I will see you in the morning. If you are to be my student, it is better that we are close." Luke's traitorous mind presented him with the picture of her in his arms just before he'd kissed her. He'd almost lost his head. "It will only be for a couple of weeks."

"Your student?"

"That is why you are here, right?" Luke asked pointedly. "If it's not, you just have to say so."

Mara stepped slowly into Luke's spare bedroom and put her carryall down on the bed. Turning, she opened her mouth to ask him…but he smiled formally and backed away leaving her alone. "Luke!" she moaned with exasperation. What was wrong with him? Or to be exact – what was wrong with her? She hadn't thanked him for saving her life. Instead, she had shouted at him and accused him of lying to her. She sighed. Her vicious temper was still a curse. She'd had time to think on her journey but she hadn't acted as if she had.

She wasn't the woman who had followed Palpatine blindly so why was she still acting as if she were? Luke was not her enemy. Far from it – Luke was…?

Her mouth firmed. Just exactly what was he?