Author's Note: Sorry I didn't update for a few days, but my cat was sick & was diagnosed with kidney disease. She's feeling better now so I'll continue with this story and "Penpals". This fic roughly takes place during "Return of the Jedi", after Han was rescued from the carbonite and Jabba killed. Someone asked about that so I thought I'd answer. Yes, it's turning out to be Luke/Mara (also Han/Leia and I guess Vader/Padme – or should I say Ani/Padme?) but their relationship is not really the main focus, although it may take up several chapters. I haven't thought up any funny ideas yet involving Lando…perhaps in the future.

Chapter 23: Luke

Mara Jade entered the Auxiliary Control Room, a scowl on her face. Skywalker was sitting by the control console wearing what looked like a set of Vader's armor minus the headpiece? And Palpatine wanted her to date something like THAT? He had his back to her for the moment, but that was easy enough to solve. "Skywalker! What is the meaning of this?"

Luke turned around in his chair to face her, his intense blue eyes focusing on her. Now that she was there in the room with him, the young Jedi could feel nervousness fluttering around in his stomach like a bunch of buzzing flies. He remembered his father's words of warning, of how dangerous she really was but all that he could see was her beauty. Yet, the idea that she could kill him in an instant sent a chill down his spine; that and the angry look in her emerald eyes. If looks could kill, he'd be dead already. This was no soft female but a well-muscled killing machine. Even her walk reminded him of a hunting cat, sleek and powerful. What had he been thinking? She'd pulverize him and leave the remains for the cleaning droids to pick up! She'd probably do such a thorough job that they'd be picking his bits out of the machinery for weeks!  "I…ummm…well it's a bit hard to explain."

"Listen, Skywalker! I want to know what all this crooning on the com is about and I want to know now!" Jade demanded as she moved closer to him. Bending, she shoved her face closer to his.

"I just want to go on a date with you!" Luke blurted out. As he said the words, relief flooded through his body. He had actually managed to get the hardest part over with. Anyway, he hoped that was the hardest part. He couldn't help but notice how close she was, too close and he began getting nervous all over again.

"And just where are you taking me on this date?" Mara asked.

"Umm…." Luke panicked, gulping. He hadn't thought that far ahead. Besides, he wasn't familiar with Coruscant at all and would have no idea where to take her. "The ship's lunchroom?"

Mara blinked, surprised. "You want to take me on a date in the ship's lunchroom, among all the stormtroopers?"

Luke shrugged his shoulders, heat rising into his face. "Is there something wrong with the lunchroom?"

Jade rolled her eyes and gripped Skywalker by his collar. "I better rate the Officer's Lounge or I'm not going on this date! The lunchroom is for commoners. As Emperor's Hand, I deserve a little more high class, get me, Skywalker?"

Luke's blue eyes grew wide. "The ship has an Officer's Lounge? Really? I suppose if I could find a map…"

"We don't need a map! I got the entire ship memorized." Mara frowned. How was she to convert Skywalker to the Dark Side when he was so simple? Here he was a Rebel and in complete control of Executor and what did he do? He used the console to make love songs on the intercom! He could have crashed the ship into the Imperial Palace or stolen it or did any numerous of things, but did he, no! There apparently was a devious bone in his body. Mara yanked him out of the chair and pulled him towards the door. "Let's get this date over with. Besides, I'd like to know what makes you tick."

"Tick?" Luke gulped again. He was going to get his date with Mara but then what? He had no idea what to say to her! And he couldn't just keep singing love songs, could he? Besides, he had only learned two songs from Obi-Wan. Learning a few more would take time and he didn't have time as his date was right NOW. And what had she meant by that tick statement?

Mara pulled him through the doorway and out into the hallway, the long black cape dragging on the ground. Worse, one of the pant legs that he had scrunched up above his boots had come loose and now he was walking on it, causing that boots to slide wildly across the polished floor. To his embarrassment, there was a thick crowd of people milling out in the hall, including his father and Ben. Mara shoved her way between them, dragging him along by the collar. But the red-haired assassin was pulling him too quickly and his boot slid out from beneath him. Luke lost his balance and fell on top of his father.

"Luke!" Vader scolded as he caught his son in his arms. "What are you doing wearing MY clothes?"

"Ummm… it seemed like a good idea at the time." Luke tried to back away from his father, but the Sith Lord had him in his grip and wasn't letting go so easily. Nervously, he smiled up at his father's black breath mask. "You shouldn't have locked me in a closet!"

An arm came loose and dropped down over Luke's hand, the sleeve dangling past his knees.

Vader grimaced under his mask. "Son, my armor is not a costume. I need it to survive. Do you understand that?"

Luke nodded, ashamed of his recent actions. He could feel every eye on him and redness crept up into his face. He wanted to go crawl under some rock and disappear. How could he have done these stupid, crazy things? Running around in his father's clothes, singing on the intercom, cutting a hole in the wall? "I guess I wasn't thinking."

"Someday, Son, I will show you what I look like under this mask and you'll understand why I need to wear the armor." Vader explained seriously, still clinging to Luke. He paused for a moment, and then continued. "If you wish to date, Son, you need to be mature. With dating comes responsibility. Are you ready to take on such responsibility? Nor do I approve of what you did in the Auxiliary Control Room. It was dangerous. You could have been shot by the stormtroopers. And trust me, Luke; the 501st doesn't play around. They're the most deadly troopers in the Empire."

"I'm sorry, Father. I don't know what came over me." Luke admitted.

Vader's eyes swept over Padme and he knew exactly what had come over his son, knew it all too well. He just wished it had been someone other than Jade. The Sith Lord still feared she might try to kill the boy. "Luke, I'd like you to meet your mother, Padme."

"Mother?" Luke asked, startled at suddenly having a mother after all these years.

"Luke?" Padme couldn't believe her son was all grown up and she had missed it. And here he was, playing dress up in his father's clothes like a little boy. Well, maybe her son wasn't as grown up as he appeared after all. "I really missed you all those years, but now through a miracle we have a chance to get to know each other."

She hugged him tightly and the young Jedi was temporarily squashed between Vader and Padme. Luke's eyes bulged out as they hugged him too tightly and he gasped for air. Finally his mother released him and Luke collapsed to the hallway floor, breathing through his mouth.

"Luke! You really should take off you're father's armor before you seriously hurt yourself!" Padme remarked, worried. "Those clothes are way too big for you!"

"But…" Luke protested. "That's not why I fell!"

"Just look at that pant leg!" Padme pointed out. "I can't even see your boot! That's an accident waiting to happen and it looks like you already had one! Do you want to break an arm or leg?"

"No…"

"Besides, you'll ruin your father's clothing!" Padme continued, warming up to the subject. If there was one thing she loved, it was clothes. Besides, she had to make up for all the years she had been dead and she might as well start mothering him now, before he ran off with that red-haired woman. "That's fine Corinthian leather on that armor, you know. Do you have any idea how much that costs?"

"But…"

"No buts about it, Luke!" Padme waggled a finger at her son. "Do you know what would happen if you got that cape caught in the doors to a turbolift? You'd be killed, that's what! Now if you want to dress like your father, that's fine. But you'll need a cloak the proper size, one that doesn't drag several feet behind you on the floor!"

"Hey!" Luke shouted, insulted. "I'm not THAT much shorter!"

Padme motioned to her husband and Vader effortlessly pulled Luke to his feet. Once he was standing, Padme shoved him in the direction of the Control room. "Now you go in there and take that armor off! You do that and you can go on your date then."

"But…" Luke protested, but his mother refused to listen. He was shoved into the Auxiliary Control Room again and the door slid shut behind him. He thought of what he was wearing under the armor and frowned. He had had a very difficult time getting the armor on and well, he had maybe removed a few pieces of clothing he shouldn't have. Sure, he hadn't been thinking at te moment or not very clear anyway. Mara had been on his brain. Now he was going to pay for it major!

"I can't go out there in my polka dotted underwear!"