Disclaimer: Star Wars: It's a wonderful, wonderful world! But it belongs to a genius named GEORGE LUCAS. Uh-huh. L-U-C-A-S. That does not spell ME. (You get it, don't you? NOT MINE!)
Note: Uhh… I guess here's the next chapter?
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The Solos' Living Room
"Karrde! That can't work!"
"And why not?" The well-groomed smuggler chief sat, inspecting his fingers. "Why wouldn't it?"
"You know them!"
"I hate to break it to you, Councilor-"
"Leia. Just call me Leia."
"Leia, then. I hate to break it to you but this needs to be done and Mara Jade and Skywalker are the best ones to do the job."
"Talon, the words 'Mara Jade' and 'Skywalker' do not go together, have never gone together, will not go together!"
"You sure about that, Highnessness?" Han drawled from his seat on the springy old sofa.
"Yes! Han, you know how they're like together!"
"S'true." He nodded slowly. "I do know how they are- when they're not furious at each other."
"Wh- Han- Karrde!"
Talon chuckled at Leia's indignation. "He has a point."
"What point is this?!"
"Leia, sweetheart, calm down. Karrde's idea is a good one."
"I will not calm down! I am not going to allow you two to send him to gods-knows-where on a whim!"
"Force hunch, then." Han sighed, then brightened. "How about Dagobah? That's not gods-knows-where."
Karrde groaned. "I actually need to have business there. Someplace inhabited, please."
"Are you two just trying to randomly choose a planet?!" Leia threw her hands in the air and stalked out, almost running into C3P0 as he tottered in.
"Well, really!" came the protocol droid's distressed reply.
"We are, actually," Han muttered after Leia had left and the doors closed securely behind her. "I'm tired of waiting for those two to see straight."
"I agree." Karrde tapped his fingers. "Bespin?"
"Perhaps…"
"I do have an old associate on Cloud City. I've been meaning to go for a few months… sending Mara would be just the thing."
"But then there's the thing with Luke- Cloud City's safe."
"It's a good week and a half in hyperspace to get there. He'd be good for……company."
"Perfect." The two men gripped hands, grinning.
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Yavin IV
Luke woke as the early rays of sunlight danced across his face. He had slept and slept well- and it wasn't the cocoa in his belly. It was Mara's Force-sense in the room across the hall that eased his soul so well. He felt her rouse, get out of bed, head for the fresher and turn on the shower. The noise of water reminded him that he should be doing other things than listen to Mara go through her morning routine.
Rolling out of bed he pulled on a pair of loose black pants and padded down the carpeted hall to his small kitchen; within a few minutes he was nursing a cup of caf and had another staying warm for Mara. She emerged, her vibrant hair gently banded back, attired in her typical jumpsuit.
"Any left for me, Jediboy?"
"Yep." Luke gestured towards the mug that was staying warm. "All for you. Anything else?"
"Nah, this is good for now."
"So, Jade," he questioned slowly, "you planning on staying and training or…"
"To some extent. Does that mean I can't call you Jediboy anymore?"
"Something more formal would be good."
"Yes, Master Skywalker." She bowed deferentially, even though every line of her body was sketchy with sarcasm.
"…in front of others," Luke finished. "To be honest, sometimes I do like being 'farmboy'. Everybody else calls me Master Skywalker and plainly it gets annoying."
"Luke Skywalker needing a reality check?"
"Seems so."
"Farmboy, it's getting a little late…?"
"Sithspit!" He set down his cup, still half-full, and ran down the hall. A minute later the door slammed, the shower on, and soon after a harried Jedi Master came, tugging on one boot.
"Classes don't start for another hour, you know." Mara busied herself with straightening his hair and tunic, as they were both dreadfully out of place. "There. Now. Why do you have to go running off?"
"Conference," came the terse reply. "See you at lunchtime." He dashed out the door and walked- albeit quickly- to the conference room.
Mara sighed and dumped the rest of his caf in the sink before rinsing it out and leaving it to dry. Somehow her own mug didn't hold much enjoyment for her anymore; finishing it in a gulp she rinsed it and left it besides Luke's, going down the hall to do some more unpacking. She found she had enjoyed spending the night in the small quarters and Luke's hectic morning.
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Lunchtime
"What?" Mara could hardly hear her classmate over the din. "I can't hear you."
"Of course not," he called back. "I'm Adi Shann."
"Mara Jade." She sat down with her tray. Luke saw her sit and came over, looking for a seat.
"This seat taken?" He sat down next to Mara. When the two students raised eyebrows at him, he whispered conspiratorially, "To be true, those other Masters bore me."
The three chuckled. "So, Master Skywalker, what's on the agenda for this afternoon?"
"Saber practice. I believe, Jedi Shann, you are also in the advanced class?"
"Yes, Master."
"I think you will find Jedi Jade to be… a formidable opponent."
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"I give!" Adi lay panting on the mat as Mara stood back and let her training saber flutter into darkness.
"A good match, Adi. But-"
"Not good enough to beat Mara. She is one of the best, you know." Master Skywalker acknowledged them both with a nod of his head as Jade offered Shann a hand to help her up. The younger Jedi accepted and the two of them faced their Master; the redhead slightly winded and the brunette Shann completely out of breath.
"Very good. Go clean up, you two. Jade, if you're staying, we need to talk about your schedule."
"I'll see you about it soon, Master." Mara bowed before leaving, Adi doing the same.
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Yeah, a little short, but at least it's something.
ariapaige: yeah, i agree. it was a little rushed. if i have nothing else to do maybe i'll rewrite it.
SailorLeia: :D well that cheered me up some! hopefully it will have less fluff and a little more serious stuff to it later but... later.
thanks you two for reviewing! i'm not gonna be evil like some writers and say 'I'M NOT GONNA POST UNTIL I HAVE 983058927305927350293 REVIEWS!' but it would be nice....