A/N: Sorry for the delay, folks. Please welcome our guest collaborative author for this chapter, Qui-Gon Tim.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Striding into the Millennium Falcon's cabin, Han plopped into a chair and announced, "Two more hours until we dock with the Errant Venture, and then on to Naboo."

"Good," Mara commented dryly. "No offense, but next time we hitch a ride, it'll be from someone with more passenger space." Sitting on the deck, she pulled her knees up abruptly to avoid getting trampled by the twins who were chasing each other through the cabin. "And tell me again why we all have to rendezvous on Terrik's ship?"

Leia slid into the seat next to Luke and her father at the dejarik table, "Well, rumor has it that there's a stag party waiting for Luke. Though I am, of course, sworn to secrecy about it - and the plans that Mirax devised for Mara."

Han flashed a grin, "That should be good. I'd like to see Mara Jade with a few drinks in her."

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Anakin commented from the game, glancing up as all eyes in the room turned toward him. "It can be...scary."

Mara shot him a look.

"Impressive," he nodded to her in a conciliatory tone, "but scary."

"Very funny," she quipped. "If you're referring to the little incident on Rydonni Prime, you weren't there when that fool and his gang picked that fight. They had it coming."

"I'm sure they did," Anakin answered smoothly, keeping his gaze fixed on the game. "I had just never seen that particular use of a lightsaber before."

Seven sets of eyes shifted to Mara, who was adjusting the harness on her wrist blaster. "I could tell them what happens when you drink," she remarked nonchalantly.

Anakin crossed his arms over his chest, "That was an isolated incident."

"Fortunately," she smirked. "I'd never seen that particular use for a cybertronic hand before. Did you ever find that glove, by the way? Or your cape? Considering-"

"All right!" he interrupted, suddenly aware of the incredulous expressions on the faces of his children.

He stood and scooped up the younger Anakin by his middle and threw him over his shoulder as he rushed past him to get away from his older siblings. "Come with me, you little Devoronian," he said to his grandson and then proceeded to tickle the child into submission, emitting gales of laughter from the boy. He made his way to the back of the cabin to the sleeping rooms, ducking through the entry ways so as not to hit their heads.

Leia shook her head. "He is going to spoil that child rotten. Not to mention, I will never get him to calm down and get to sleep for before the party starts and Threepio can't handle them awake." She got up and followed her father to the back, "Dad! Dad! Wait! Don't let him have any juice! Just give him water. He'll be up all night!" Her voice faded as she got to the back.

Mara looked over to see Luke chuckling silently. "What are you laughing at? He's not the one who has to make sure those kids are asleep before he goes to the party."

"Oh, it's just funny, that's all," Luke said with a chuckle. "Those kids are his weakness, they have him wrapped around their little fingers and they know it. They've been begging for him to stay with them while the party goes on, and he had almost agreed until I got involved. All Jaina had to do was conjure up some tears, and hooo boy…" Luke said as he rolled his eyes.

Both Mara and Luke felt Han looking at them and turned in his direction. He was looking at them with a mischievous grin, reveling in whatever he was thinking.

"What, Solo?" Mara demanded, turning to face him fully.

"Oh, I was just thinking…in a couple of years mine will be old enough that they'll be more involved in their studies and won't have as much time to be spoiled, but you guys…you should have one ripe about that time. I can just see it now…," Han laughed.

"What do you mean?" Luke frowned.

"Oh, yours will be a Skywalker. You know, carrying on the name and all that. I can't wait, that's all," he shrugged nonchalantly, and left to join his wife and father-in-law, his mischievous whistling carrying down the hallway.

After dinner, the family sat around the table making plans for meeting and other party details. Han entered the room, "All right, we're here. Who is helping me with docking?"

Everyone looked up. "Don't you all go volunteering at once," he said with disgust. "Come on, old man, I'll teach you how to pilot a freighter." He looked down at his father-in-law, and was met with an all too familiar glare. "Uh, yeah….," he said as Anakin got up and stood to his full height. Han smiled up at him, "Or you could…teach…me. If you...wanted…to."

"After you," Anakin said, as he held his arm out to motion Han toward the cockpit. He clapped Han on the back as they made their way to the cockpit. Suddenly, he stopped short, almost causing Han to trip.

"What in Corellian stars and hells is that?"

Back in the cabin, Mara turned to Luke, "You didn't warn him, did you?"

"About what?"

"Terrik's Star Destroyer."

"What about it?" Luke shrugged.

Anakin's voice carried down the corridor, "It's…red!"

Mara pulled her fiancé from his seat, laughing, "Come on. This should be good."

The turbolift stopped somewhat abruptly at the Errant Venture's Diamond Level, forcing the Skywalker and Solo families to brace themselves to keep from tumbling to the floor.

"I guess Booster is still trying to work all of the bugs out of this heap," Han said as the doors reluctantly opened with a resounding squeak.

Booster Terrik's massive frame filled the entirety of the open door frame before them. "With you here, Solo, I'm not as concerned about the bugs as I am the stock of liquor aboard my ship," he said gruffly upon overhearing Han's comment.

His expression softened considerably, or at least as much as it probably could, as he addressed the rest of the wedding party. "Ladies, Mirax and Iella are waiting for you up in the casino bar. It's yours for the evening. Gentlemen- and I'm not including Solo when I say that- Corran and Lando have everything set up in the Smuggler's Lounge. And I have a couple of luxury suites ready for the droids and kids and for the rest of you sorry lot to crash in when the party ends."

As everyone headed to their designated areas for the evening's festivities, Booster fell into step beside Luke and Anakin as they made their way to the Smuggler's Lounge.

"I don't think we've met before," the old pirate said, holding his hand out to Anakin.

"Booster, meet Master Spicewood, a dear old friend of mine." Luke said.

Terrik firmly shook hands with 'Master Spicewood'. "Welcome aboard the Errant Venture. Let me know if you'd like a tour. Despite what Solo says about her, she's quite a piece of work."

Anakin raised his brows and smiled skeptically at Booster. "Oh, I bet she is. But I am well acquainted with Imperator-class Star Destroyers, and she seems very…much… a piece of work."

"So, I take it you were in the Imperial Navy?" Booster replied.

"I guess you could say that." Anakin said with a chuckle.

The sound of boisterous laughter wafted out of the Smuggler's Lounge on the entertainment level of the Errant Venture. Luke felt the apprehension creeping up on him even now. Stars, there was no telling what Han and Lando had planned for this evening. He could also feel the fact that his father had just gone absolutely blank in the Force. Nothing. Nada.

That was never good. Something was up…and even his father knew about it. He knew his father was making sure that Luke didn't have the chance to figure it out and protest. Another wave of trepidation flittered over him as they walked up to the cantina entrance.

"What's the matter? You feel like you're a little nervous," Anakin said as he clapped Luke on the back. He grinned mischievously and held his arm out for Luke to enter first.

Hours later, it wasn't the music blaring from the jukebox, nor was it the scantily-clad Twi'lek dancer who was spinning right in front of him that brought Luke back to a state of confused semi-consciousness, it was the cold cocktail table beneath his cheek and the feel of someone shaking him in a rather ungentle manner. He shot straight up and declared, "NO! TRY NOT! DO OR DO NOT! THERE IS NO TRY!"

Anakin looked taken aback at his son's choice of words and frowned across the room to the bar at his son-in-law. "That's it Solo, no more. You buy him one more damned drink and I'll put you back in carbonite!" he said loudly to Han. He continued to try to wake Luke, who had slumped back down after the Yoda-like outburst. He wasn't budging.

Chewbacca came over and looked down at the fallen Jedi and chuckled. He added another comment in Anakin's favor and the Wookiee and the Jedi exchanged a smirk.

Han turned on his stool and looked perplexed. "What do you mean by 'Or he'll make fun of the way I run again?' What's wrong with the way I run?"

Anakin and Chewbacca laughed and shook their heads. "Come on Luke, you aren't going to last the night at this rate," Anakin looked down at his son and frowned. He shook him again. "Come on, that's it." Luke finally raised his head.

"I'm not sleeping. I'm just resting my eyes," he said as he leaned back in the chair and looked up at the still dancing Twi'lek, his eyes a little bleary.

"You do realize your future wife is down in the casino bar, drinking you under the table, right?" Anakin raised his brows at his son.

"No, I did not… hic," Luke slurred. "I didn't…hic…realize it was a…hic…contest."

"Oh, great. You inherited the lovely and annoying habit of hiccupping when you drink from your mother," Anakin shook his head in disgust and got up to get another drink from the bar.

As Anakin was leaving, Lando joined in the fray and moved his chair beside Luke's, commandeering the dance Han had purchased for the swaying, glassy-eyed Jedi. Solo shot him a look. "And just what do you think you're doing?" he shouted over the din of music and conversations.

Calrissian shrugged and gave his old friend one of his trademark smiles. "It'd be a shame to let a dance like this go to waste. He's not going to remember it. One of us might as well enjoy it!"

"LUMINOUS BEINGS WE ARE!" Luke eyes glassed over and he shouted in a funny voice, before passing out again. His face hit the table with a distinct slap. Luckily, the three Vjun Vindicators he had thirstily downed banished any chance that he'd feel the pain from the impact.

"Oh my gods in the Alderaanian heavens," Anakin shook his head and said with a heavy sigh as he walked back to join them. "If he doesn't stop quoting that green…Jedi Master…, I'm going to have to use a real Jedi mind trick on him." He looked around as if he expected Yoda to be listening.

Han laughed. Old habits must die hard. "Is that why he keeps talking that way?"

"Well, either he's channeling Master Yoda through the Force, or the kid just cannot hold his liquor." Anakin shot back. "Not a bad impression, though. I always wondered what Yoda would sound like if he ever got into a case of Whyren's Reserve."

"Speaking of Whyren's, you seem to be holding yours pretty well tonight, old man," Han said as put his arm around his father-in-law.

"Luke never had the pleasure of bar hopping anywhere from ten to twenty bars in one night with Obi-Wan Kenobi. You learn to hold your liquor well with him around…because you are going to be hauling his Jedi butt home on your back," Anakin leaned close to Han and laughed. He swallowed the rest of his drink

Wes Jansen staggered over from the bar and plopped down in the chair next to Anakin. He downed a shot of blue liquor and smacked the empty glass down on the table. "I think… Skywalker… is… drunk." Before the last word made it completely out of his mouth, he was already well on his way to being sprawled out on the floor.

Wedge came over to see if he could lift his fallen wingmate, giving up when he realized he had no chance of maneuvering Wes's dead weight alone.

"Great shot, Jansen," he said with a smile as Tyco and Hobbie helped him move Wes to a booth nearby.

Corran placed Jansen's flight helmet on his head backwards to drown out the snoring before taking a seat next to Anakin and the now unconscious Luke. "I just got a comm from Mirax. It seems the bride-to-be isn't in much better shape."

"Is she at least conscious?" Anakin asked. His eyes, though not nearly as glassy as Luke's, were bloodshot, but he was still going strong.

"Yeah, she's awake."

"She isn't impersonating Imperial officers is she?" Anakin asked.

"How'd you know that? Mirax said she's not only doing character impressions, but she's even imitating their deaths."

Anakin sighed. "How far up the chain of command has she made it?"

"Well…I'm not sure, but Mirax said Mara just told the bartender that she 'found his lack of faith disturbing'," Corran laughed.

Anakin looked offended. "..lack of….disturbing? What?" he choked out.

"I foresee two Jedi in healing trances for the next day or so. We'll be hard-pressed to have them completely sober before the wedding," Corran said with a sigh.

Luke suddenly raised his head and looked at his father with half-closed eyes. "NEVER.. hic… throw your lightsaber away. Especially when going to see the Emperor. Why didn't Yoda teach me that? It would have been very …hic…important information!"

Anakin looked over at his son, and smiled obligingly. "Yes it would have been, son. If it makes you feel any better, I learned that lesson the hard way, too. Are you going to be all right?"

Luke smacked his lips with a look of disgust. "When did I kiss a Bantha?"

"Don't worry. It was only an Askajani dancer. That was fourteen hours and two levels ago," Corran said with mock seriousness.

"Where are we?" Luke asked with hesitation.

Lando slapped Luke on the back, "Welcome to Black level. I think the name of this bar is The Naughty Mistryl."

Luke looked worried at the thought of fourteen lost hours. "This bar? Just how many bars have we been to?"

Han pulled up a chair. "I lost count at twenty, and that was back on Blue level. And don't even ask me to tally your drink total. We'd need Goldenrod for that. Oh, and you've made lots of new friends. I think the guest list for your wedding has grown by a couple of hundred." He glanced over at his father-in-law, "Oh, and what's with this 'Jedi business. Go back to your drinks'?"

Anakin laughed. It wasn't the first time someone had made fun of him for that.

Luke shifted uncomfortably in his chair and ran his hand down to his lightsaber. "Uh… no one lost any arms in any of those bars, did they?"

Anakin smiled and tousled his son's hair, "I was wrong. I can tell you have been out drinking with Obi-Wan before."

The men staggered their way up to the casino bar on the Diamond level of the Errant Venture's entertainment complex, losing Lando and half of Rogue Squadron somewhere along the way.

"Where's Artoo? I've lost Artoo," Luke kept asking Chewbacca, who was holding him upright. "Artoooooooooooo!" The Wookiee shook his head and groaned at the drunken Jedi as they made their way into the bar.

"Artoo would've stopped you fifteen drinks ago," Anakin said as he followed the group in the bar. "I programmed him to tell me when to say 'when'. He's also useful if you need someone to drive you home."

On unsteady legs, Leia stepped in front of her father as he entered the bar. She was wearing one of the bar's linen tablecloths around her neck like a cape. She peered up at Anakin and declared, "Don't act so surprised, Your Highness. You weren't on any …hic…mercy mission…"

Then she fell down.

Anakin looked down at his daughter, who was lying on the floor giggling uncontrollably, "You are so grounded."

Han scooped up his wife and headed towards the exit. "I'd better get her to bed before she starts Force-choking people."

Leia opened her eyes and gazed up at her husband as he carried her out the door. "Bed? Oh wait! Mara told me about some Force-maneuvers that can…" The door shut behind them as they headed towards their suite.

Anakin stood with his mouth hanging open at his daughter's exiting words. "I did not need to hear that," he shook his head and mumbled to himself.

Luke steadied himself against the wall and took a deep breath, "Come on. Let's find Mara and the rest of the ladies."

Luke, Anakin, and Corran didn't have to go far to find the others. They rounded the corner to the seating area to find they had to step over a large, muscular, half-naked Falleen male lying in a crumpled pile of what appeared to be Jedi robes.

The bride-to-be wasn't far. Seated in a high-backed chair that had been placed in the middle of a cantina table, Mara had one of the bar's elegant ebony curtains draped over her head and shoulders like a cloak, her arms positioned on the arm rests in an all-too-familiar pose.

"Welcome, Skywalker," she croaked in a wretched voice. "You have arrived…just as I have forseen."

She lifted a cocktail glass and waved it at Luke, "You...want...this?"

Anakin stood to his full height and pointed a commanding finger at his future daughter-in-law, "Oh no you don't, young lady. Get down from there right now."

"I don't think she…hic…can," Luke slurred from his position propped against the wall.

Corran threw his arms around Mirax and kissed her, "What's with the Falleen?"

Iella interjected, "Tendra and I thought it would fun to surprise Mara with a stripper. All I can really remember is him showing up dressed as a Jedi. He started dancing and moved really close to Mara and ran his hands through her hair and down her back. Then she snapped-kicked him in the head and said something like 'Pheromone this!' I think he'll be expecting a big tip when he finally wakes up."

Anakin and Chewbacca grabbed the sides of Mara's chair, lifted it off the table and set it on the floor. It didn't interrupt Mara's impersonation of the late Emperor, though.

"I have felt a great disturbance in the Force… blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Blast, didn't he ever shut up? I've never known anyone who liked to hear himself talk as much as that old bag of bones!" She leaned to Anakin conspiratorially and looked up, "How did you manage to keep from killing him all those years?"

"I was blessed with a knack for fixing things…like mute buttons," he looked around, grateful that no one aside from himself and Chewbacca had heard her comment. "Now, we should get you to bed before you start your impersonations of New Republic officials."

Mara smiled and started combing her hair over to one side with her hand. When she was done assembling the ridiculous-looking hairstyle, she looked at Anakin and Chewie and grinned, "Okay. Who am I? "

Chewbacca snickered and let out a string of growls.

"Yeah, I get it," Anakin replied. "It's a shame General Madine doesn't seem to comprehend just how awful his hair looks. Maybe we should try a subtle Force-suggestion and get him to go see a hairstylist."

Mara stood up. Her knees immediately buckled, forcing Anakin and Chewie to catch her under her arms.

"Let's get the two lovebirds to bed," Anakin said, glancing around to find Luke curled up in a booth, fast asleep.

"Bed?" Mara shouted. "But the party's just getting started!" She wiggled free of the supporting handholds, took two steps, and passed out on floor.

Anakin looked down at her and laughed. He leaned over and nudged Chewbacca, "This party's over."

to be continued…