Standard Disclaimer: These characters belong to G. Lucas and T. Zahn. In other words: not mine.
Dedication: To anyone who loves hot chocolate.
Rating: NC-17 (just to be on the safe side)
Spoilers/Timeline: After The Corellian Trilogy but before "Vision of the Future".
A/N: Do read and review.

Lightheaded
Chapter 10: Mother Jade is your Mara

Luke was just about to exit the 'fresher when there was a light tap on the door.

"Luke? Are you in there? It's me." Luke smiled. Trust Leia to enter the men's refresher stalls to find him. He opened the door.

"I'm fine, just felt a little stuffy in there, that's all. I just had to get away for a while." Leia still looked worried.

"Are you sure you're alright? You've been feeling rather… distressed this evening, is everything alright?" Luke was surprised that she could feel his discomfort; his shields must have slipped more than he thought if Leia could have picked his feelings up.

"Yes, I'm alright, I could have eaten something that didn't quite agree with me." He pushed her gently out of the men's area. "Now shoo, you shouldn't be here. I'll be out soon; I just need a few more minutes alone."

Leia started moving towards the door, but still regarded him with a concerned eye. The left side of her mouth quirked upwards a little though. "What's so funny, dearest sister of mine, heart's blood of my blood, other half of my being?"

Leia just gave him a smile with compressed lips. "Just thinking that it's an odd place to take a breather from a stuffy area." She pinched her nose and attempted to inhale, making choking noises as she did.

Luke gave up giving her small pushes and shoved her out of the door, hearing her tinkling laughter follow.

He stood in front of his reflection again, and regarded himself. She probably called Isaar to invite him here in order to meet Karrde. That's the most rational, most sensible, and most likely reason behind their date tonight. So there's really nothing to worry about.

And even if they WERE dating, you should not care because you do not think about Mara Jade that way. Luke tried very hard to psyche himself up before going out into the function room again. You do not care. You do not care. Mara Jade is… your mother. Mara Jade is your mother. Mara Jade is your mother. Mother Jade is your Mara…

Not even noticing the mistake that his mind made, Luke washed his hands and ran his fingers through his hair distractedly before exiting the 'fresher.

"Going somewhere, Jedi?" Luke jumped as he heard her voice. He turned toward her.

"Mara Jade, I was just lookin – " Luke's sentence was stillborn as he felt all thought (and blood) flee from his mind. Just by looking at her? The still-functioning part of Luke's brain asked. She's not even dressed up, and you're turned on?

Mara just cocked her head to one side and looked at Luke. She was dressed in a plain, nondescript-looking black dress, which fitted her like a sock. Not too tight that she looked like an escort, but not too loose that she would find herself in the holopress's 'Frump Lump' pages the next morning. All in all, she looked very normal. 'Very Mara,' Luke thought. But with one difference. She was wearing her wig. She folded her arms across her chest, leaned sideways against the wall, and lifted an eyebrow at his rather dishevelled appearance.

"Looking for me? Or looking for another place to hide?"

Desperate to have something to say, Luke went on the defensive. "Who says I've been hiding?"

Mara smiled, a slow, knowing smile. "Oh please Luke, since when have you enjoyed one of these things?"

Giving her a wry look, Luke thanked the Force that the Jedi robes were so flowy, all the better to hide the physical manifestation of his attraction to the woman in front of him.

"True, true, I've always disliked the politicking. But that still doesn't prove that I've been hiding. I've just been… in the 'fresher more often than not. Last time I checked, that wasn't really considered "hiding"," Luke remarked.

Mara suddenly unfolded her arms and stepped closer to Luke. Startled, he stepped back – right into the wall, trapped. She bent over, reaching out to touch the lapels of his Jedi robe. Frowning a little in concentration, and squinting a little due to the dim lighting in tr unoccupied by the surreal scene unfolding right before his eyes thought: "This is not happening to me."

9CThis material, Skywalker… this new Jedi robe… the material and the cut is exquisite." Setting the lapel down on his chest and rubbing (caressing) the flow of the lapel, Luke clamped down on his thoughts and tongue and tasted blood.

She was too close.

Too close.

Lightheaded all of a sudden, Luke closed his eyes briefly as he felt the blood remaining in his head go rushing... somewhere else. Somewhere tight. And getting tighter by the minute. "Don't look down, don't look down, don't look down, don't look down..." He chanted that mantra over and over in his head, knowing that it was futile.

She looked down.

Quirked an eyebrow.

"Oops," she breathed out, in a tone that did nothing to support the notion that what she had just done was intentional.

"Did I do that?"

And he watched, mesmerised, as she put one hand over his bulge.

The part of his brain that was so far unoccupied by the surreal scene unfolding right before his eyes thought: "This is not happening to me."

Mara put the other hand to good use as she pulled his ear toward her mouth. Luke felt her hot breath on his ear as she whispered, "This is happening."