All at once, the memories and feelings of last evening's events flashed through me…in particular, my brief interlude with the Jedi on the small balcony in the cool night air. But instead of lashing out in anger at this rush of jumbled emotions, I tried to hold on to them. I needed to study and catalogue them, to make myself understand. Did I truly love this man?

Skywalker's patience with me seemed infinite. I read the acceptance and careful encouragement in his eyes, as he in turn understood that I needed some time to sort through the mess in my head. With Skywalker's face still so close to mine, I was hesitant to move away. His presence radiated an aura of calm and comfort that I very much wanted to lose myself in. I was aware of the rapid beating of a pulse, tattooing a wild cadence in my ears, but whether it was his or mine I wasn't certain.

"Luke…" I searched his shining blue eyes for answers but knew I wouldn't find the ones I was looking for.

"Yes, Mara?" Instead, I found strength and support, caring and admiration. Those incredible eyes… they are a literal window into his soul. It was almost as if he had nothing to hide, that in fact he wanted to share his soul with me. Of course he did… Skywalker is never subtle.

Inspired, I considered a possibility. Maybe I didn't have to explain how I felt to Skywalker. If I just let him into my thoughts, he could see for himself. He could see that all this drama between the two of us was unnecessary, that this whole business with Callista was…

Pulling back, I frowned. Callista. What was it Skywalker had said earlier?

"Did you say that you followed me to Callista's?"

A cloud of confusion passed briefly across his face.

"Yes," the frown his face had adopted was noticeable in his voice.

"But I followed you to Callista's. After you'd left Coruscant, Leia woke me up in the middle of the bloody night to give me the Sith-forsaken coordinates!"

Running a hand through his unruly mane, he sighed, "When I left Coruscant, I was going to run a few errands for the Academy. I was on my way to Gaerdolln Prime to set up a new shipping and delivery system when I heard you scream for me through the Force."

My eyes widened in surprise, causing a small blossom of pain from my nose. I ignored the discomfort, "You heard that?" When I hadn't gotten a response, I'd thought my attempt had been fruitless. Of course, I had also wound up on the floor like a baby, but who was I to know that wasn't just normal Jedi stuff?

Skywalker's frown deepened but he continued his narrative, "Of course I heard it. It scared the bantha poo-doo out of me! I thought you were in danger, so I raced back to Coruscant only to find you had gone."

Why would he have thought that I was in danger?

I looked down at my hands, remembering the crescent-shaped scars beneath the soft leather of my nerf-hide gloves. I had been in danger…at least I had thought so at the time. I thought I was in danger of losing him to Callista. Somehow, I hadn't, and the Force only knew why...

"I tracked down Leia and got her to fess up."

"Fess up? To what?" What does Leia have to do with this?

Skywalker screwed up his face and continued, "In her defense she did have our best interests in mind. But that really is no excuse."

"What are you getting at, Jedi?" I demanded, narrowing my eyes.

He adopted an apprehensive look and shifted his weight. "Now don't be angry, Mara," he said, his voice faltering somewhat, "But Leia knew that I had no intention of going to see Callista when she gave you those coordinates."

"She what!" I exploded. Jumping to my feet, I started pacing the lounge area peeling the gloves off my hands and throwing them forcefully across the lounge, "Why that conniving, meddling, snooty-nosed nerf-herder!"

Skywalker stood up as well and tried to calm me, "Snooty nosed?" he jested.

I shot him a look that warned him not to push me as the throbbing pain between my eyes dulled into a constant ache.

In exasperation, he took a different approach, "Mara, she really meant well. Can't you see?"

I snorted, painfully. Turning sharply, I stuck my finger in his face, "Of course I can see! I can't help but see a nosy woman interfering in affairs that have absolutely nothing to do with her! I told you before, Skywalker. I won't tolerate being manipulated like that!"

Skywalker reached up and gently enclosed my hand in his, curling my accusatory finger back with the others, "Mara, I know you're angry at what she did. I, too, was upset when I found out."

I puffed a stray hair out of my face in defiance and gave one of my best glares but didn't pull away.

"What she did was wrong, I'm not denying that, but it worked out alright, didn't it?" Apparently, he was overlooking my swollen nose and eyes that were slowly turning a sickly shade of purple.

He flattened my hand between his and started to massage my palm. The look of concern that played across his face when he turned over my hand and noticed the small wounds across it's fleshy base caused me to jerk away, but Skywalker was too fast for me and managed to hold tight.

"Mara?" He shot me a quizzical look.

I quickly wrestled my way out of his grasp, "It's nothing," I grumbled, hoping he'd drop it.

No such luck, "I know it's not nothing."

I leaned against the nearest bulkhead and slid down to squat on the floor. I wasn't sure, exactly, why I didn't want to tell him. Was I embarrassed? Yeah, I suppose, just a little. But it was more than that. I couldn't really put a finger on it, like so many of my emotions lately.

"Tell me what happened," he wasn't demanding or forceful, just genuinely concerned.

I frowned again, "It happened when I tried to contact you through the Force back on Coruscant," I said finally.

Skywalker waited patiently for me to elaborate.

"It was so important that I find you. I'd never tried to extend myself over so considerable a distance before. After trying to call to you through the Force, I opened my eyes and realized that I'd somehow wound up on the floor, curled up in a ball, with my hands," I made tight fists and held them to my temples, "like this."

I dropped my hands to rest on my knees and leaned my head back against the wall behind me. I shot Skywalker a challenging look, daring him to belittle my fledgling Force skills or berate me for not devoting myself to Jedi training.

Instead, Skywalker stepped closer and knelt in front of me, "You know what? I think we need some time to regroup. Why don't we put you into a Jedi healing trance for a bit?"

I eyed him suspiciously.

"Your face is looking pretty swollen, and uh…I could use some time to meditate," His stammering betrayed his concern.

Suddenly I was more than a little unsettled. Clearly, Skywalker is rattled by my reaction to calling him through the Force. So much for passing off my little stunt as normal Jedi behavior.

"Alright," I acquiesced, "My nose aches like the blazes, anyhow." Hopefully he'll have some answers for me when I wake up.

I let him hoist me up from the floor and lead me to the acceleration couch, "You should be fine here. Ready?"

I nodded and lay across the cushions, "Don't leave me under too long, okay Farm Boy?"

Luke gave a great impersonation of Solo's lopsided grin, "Hey, it's me!" He exclaimed, drawing a reluctant grin from myself.

He'd figure it out. This was Skywalker we were talking about. When had he ever failed? I felt my mouth twist into a smirk.

Skywalker closed his eyes and touched his fingertips to my forehead, starting my descent into a deep, healing sleep. I was drifting slowly to unconsciousness, feeling safe and warm, and the last thing I remembered before everything going dark was the sensation of Luke's soft lips caressing the palms of my hands with tiny, tender kisses.