The next morning, Anakin took Luke, Leia, Mara and Han to Dex's Diner for breakfast. Han felt out of place with the multitude of Jedi surrounding him, fortunately they didn't all talk telepathically. Luke seemed to admire Han and wanted to sit next to him to talk about ships.

"Luke, settle down, you don't need to get all excited. It's only a ship, nothing more." Mara stated.

"Yea, but he says it's the fastest!"

"I doubt it; it would probably fly apart if it even attempted high speeds of flight."

"Not my ship!" Han stated.

"Oh, please, give it a rest nerfherder." Leia sighed.

"Say what you will about her, she's got it where it counts." Han bragged.

"Yea, fleas, trash, and other vermin." Mara retorted.

"You weren't complaining before sister!"

"Will everyone just calm down? There is no use in getting involved in a senseless debate over this." Anakin sighed.

Han ate his breakfast in silence he was brooding; he didn't like anyone talking bad about his ship. After saying goodbye to Luke and Leia; Mara Jade, Han and Anakin boarded the Falcon. Once they jumped into hyperspace, Mara went to the living quarters and sat at the halo-chess table.

"What's Naboo like?"

"It's very beautiful. Theed is the capital with large waterfalls; we live in the country though. The home we have is very large, but fairly modest. The garage is in the back, I presume we are going to rent a hanger to land the Falcon and begin work on it. I hope you enjoy early mornings, Han."

"How early is early, Mara?"

"Say before the sun rises."

"Say what!" Han exclaimed.

Mara laughed as he yelled and stormed to the cockpit. Anakin had his feet up and his head tilted back.

"I am not getting up at the crack of dawn, sir. That's final!"

"What are you talking about Han?"

"Mara, she told me that you awaken at the crack of dawn to work, I ain't doing it!"

"I don't recall ever giving you a choice, Solo. As long as you work for me, you will do what I tell you."

"Or what?"

"Are you sure you want to go there with me?"

"Yea, you ain't no Sith Lord or anything."

"As far as you are concerned, I might as well be. You will hate me for the next few months if not years, Solo. You need routine, rigid discipline, and to learn respect for those who are older and wiser than you."

"Respect is earned not given." Han Solo bravely stated, wishing that he felt as bravely as he let on.

"I will give you five seconds to come down off your high and mighty horse before I take you down."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Is that what you think? Are you absolutely positive?"

Han felt his anger over-ride his common sense, he raised his fist.

"You ready for this?"

"No lightsabers, either."
Anakin stood pulled off his black cloak and threw it over the chair, he unhooked his lightsaber.

"You take the first punch, Solo."

Anakin stood there with his arms crossed, "Well I'm waiting."

"I ain't a scared of you."

"Could have fooled me, I feel your fear rolling off you. Are you certain that an immature little boy can take on a Jedi Master?"

"I don't believe in all that hocus-pocus, its simple luck."

"Then punch me, we will see what happens." Anakin taunted him.

Han Solo raised his fist and before it connected to Anakin's jaw, he was shoved fifty feet into a durasteel wall, hitting his head.

Anakin towered over him as he sat there dazed for a moment.

"Now we understand each other, Han Solo, I am your superior, you ever want to challenge me to a duel let me know, but at least wait until you grow up first. It is against my personal policy to have to take a grown man over my knee."

Han nodded and Anakin helped him to his feet, he sat him on the couch and put a healing spell on him, his headache went away and the throbbing ended.

"Thanks I think."

"Get some rest, Solo."

Anakin sauntered away leaving Han to sleep in the bunk. "That was just brilliant, Solo; taking on a Jedi Master, your overconfidence is going to be the death of you." Han scolded himself.

Anakin felt his apprentice come to the cockpit,

"You should be resting, young one."

"Yes, I know. I can't sleep, the nerf-herder is snoring his full head off."

Anakin chuckled lightly.

"It's not funny." Mara Jade angrily stated.

"Good night, Mara."

"I can't sleep with the nerf-herder snoring!"

"Go lie down and mediate on finding a peaceful place to sleep."

Mara sighed deeply and stormed away. She saw a pillow on the floor she picked it up and put it over Han's face. He pulled it off and continued to snore loudly. Mara yelled in his ear, "Stop snoring you damn nerf-herder!" Han jumped up and hit his head on the upper bunk.

"Ouch!"

"Goody for you, that'll teach you from snoring."

Han glared at Mara as she laughed and climbed the upper bunk.

"Are you sure you are Jedi Padawan? You are too damn mean! Maybe you'd do better to find yourself a Sith Lord and become his apprentice."

"Maybe you just need to shut up."

"If you can make me sweetheart."

"Don't challenge me; I'll kick your butt up and down the cargo hold."

"Do you think you could? I'm bigger than you."
"Size matters not!"

"Well little sister, bring it on."

Mara jumped from the upper bunk and chased Han Solo to the cargo hold. She pulled on his leg and jumped on his back. She pulled on his ears.

"It's a good thing your hair grew in, Nerf-herder or else you could fly with these damn things."

"Let go!"

"If you say, I'm sorry Mara for snoring so loudly and I promise to never do it again!"

"Go to hell!"

"No, you first!"

"Ow! Stop it Mara you're hurting me."

"Oh, poor Han he's such a baby, come on cry."

Anakin found Mara on top of Han Solo; he grabbed her arm and pulled her off of him.

"With great power, comes great responsibility, my young apprentice. It seems you haven't taken this lesson to heart yet."

"He started it!" Mara whined.

Anakin set her in front of him, crouched down and glared at her, "Do not attempt to lie to me, Mara Jade. Learn to own up to your mistakes and not to obfuscate the truth, padawan. It is late, go to bed; we will discuss this further in the morning." Mara cried out as she felt a hard whack to her rear-end. She continued to cry as she ran to the bunk.

Han sighed, "I hate girls."

"Go on to bed, Han. This is going to take some time; Mara isn't used to sharing me with anyone except Padmé. Don't let it get you down."

"I'll try not to, she has a vicious temper."

"I know; it is something that we are slowly working on."

Mara cried herself to sleep, Han crawled in the on the lower bunk and fell asleep.

The next morning, Anakin was in the galley cooking breakfast, Han awoke first to smell the wonderful aromas.

"Mara, you awake?"

"GO AWAY!" Mara yelled.

"Fine!" Han Solo stormed off and went to the galley.

"Good morning, sleep well?"

"Yes, I guess. Mara is still in bed, I tried to get her up, but she told me to go away."

"Mara isn't a morning person."

"Yea no kidding." Han stated under his breath.

"Mara, come eat breakfast."

"I'm not hungry."

"Regardless, you will sit with us."

"Jedi mind-tricks don't work on me master." Mara Jade responded sarcastically.

"How about another month of restriction, then?"

Mara jumped from her bed and ran as fast as she could to the galley and sat across the table from Han.

"I knew I would find another way to motivate you." Anakin sarcastically stated.

After breakfast, Mara and Han were assigned to clean up dishes.

"Master I do not like Han, why are you forcing me to work with him?"

"You have to learn patience and it matters not that you don't like him, you will learn to work with people despite your feelings. Consider it an important lesson in character development."

"Humph, I rather not."

Anakin shook his head and went to the cargo hold to mediate. Mara and Han finished washing the dishes in silence. "Han, I'm sorry about yesterday. I hope I didn't hurt you too badly."

"I'm all right. Just remind me not to get on your bad side, okay. You are a vicious warrior, Mara Jade."

"Thanks, I think."

"You want to learn how to play Sabacc?"

"Sure."

"No, cheating."

"I'm hurt, Han. Jedi padawans don't cheat." Mara stated in a mock hurt.

Anakin entered the living room and found Mara and Han playing together, peacefully for a change.

"This is so nice to see."

"We aren't gambling for money."

"What are you gambling for?"

"Chores." Han and Mara said simultaneously.

Anakin laughed.

"We should be home soon, is everything packed away?"

"Pretty much."

"Master, I apologized to Han, please go easy on me."

"It's good that you did, but you need to learn to control your anger."

"Oh, please not another lecture."

"Later, when we are home."

"Is that a promise or a threat?"

Anakin whispered in Mara ear, "Both."

"Poodoo."

"I really hate it when I can tell you guys are talking, but aren't saying anything, it's really aggravating."

"Some conversations, Solo are of no concern to you; they are strictly between padawan and Jedi."

"Yea."

Mara Jade put her cards down, "Read them and weep, my friend." She boasted.

"Not bad, unfortunately not good enough." Han Solo smiled and his hand beat hers.

"Boy it's going to be so nice not to have to clean the refresher."

Mara glared at him, Anakin could feel the anger.

"Let it go, Mara. It's only a game."

The cards started to be stirred into a whirlwind and they flew directly at Han.

"One hundred and eighty card pickup, Han. Have fun." Mara sarcastically stated.

"You will join him, Mara, in picking up all these cards. Then I want you to remain in your bunk until we land, is that understood?"

"Yes, master." Mara responded.

"Good."

After all the cards were picked up, Mara headed to her bunk.

"What's wrong with me? Why do I keep losing my temper?" Mara mediated and tried to find the answer. It was a simple answer really, she was jealous. She didn't like sharing her master with anyone, except Padmé and that was because she was somewhat of a mother to her. As annoying as Han was, there was no evil intent to take over, in fact she noticed that he was struggling with Master Skywalker as well. He was used to being independent and not having to answer to anyone, particularly to an alpha male, which Master Skywalker definitely was. He ruled with a strict hand, but there were times when he was lenient. He had a wicked sense of humor that much Mara knew, but Han who really only spent the last three days with him didn't know that. She decided that for her own sanity and freedom, that it would probably be best that she stop aggravating Han so much and to stop worrying. Mara sighed deeply and let all her anxiety, anger and jealously become one with the Force. She opened her eyes and laid on the bed, she picked up a ball and started to manipulate it in the air. Mara was bored, but she remained where she was, no use in getting herself into further trouble.

Han finished sweeping the floor and wondered about Mara, why did she hate him so much? Surely she wasn't jealous? "Shit, like I want to be ruled by some Sith Lord wannabe, but where would I go?" It was getting dangerous on Corellia. He owed the local crime boss lots of credits; he really needed to pay him back, but how? He didn't dare tell Skywalker anything, he was afraid to be left behind. That crime boss would sell him to slavery to recoup some of his losses. Even though he was more or less an indentured servant until he reached twenty-one, this was definitely a better gig. He hoped that Skywalker hadn't discovered his hidden stash of spice underneath the floor. Han was supposed to deliver it to the Black Sun; it would be more than enough to pay off the local crime boss and perhaps give him some spending cash.

But what now? He couldn't exactly trick a man who not only has Jedi abilities, but who's been around the block a few times. It was an impossible situation, it would help if he had someone he could rely on, but Lando would flip out, especially since it is for the Black Sun Crime Syndicate. He was brought out of his musings, when he heard Anakin open the secret compartments.

"Shit!" Han ran down the hall and nearly toppled over Anakin who was kneeling on the floor in front of the opened compartment.

"Solo?"

"Hi! I finished sweeping the floor, sir." Han tried so hard to cover up his shock, it didn't work well.

"I see; did you mop as well?"

"Uh, no. What are you doing?"

"Never mind me, Solo. Go finish mopping the floors."

"There's nothing of interest in those compartments, just some old equipment and dirty laundry."

"Good then you don't mind if I take a look do you?"

"Its really gross, sir. You'll get dirty."

"I've traveled through sewage and fuel, this can't begin to compare with that, Solo, get back to work. Don't make me tell you again." Anakin scolded.

Han Solo backed off and knew that he was dead. He might as well jettison himself out in outer space and get it over with. Han finished mopping the floor and sat on the bench sighing deeply. Anakin found several parcels of fresh drugs, including the one that had his niece in its grips. Han Solo may not be Force-sensitive but he heard the heavy, pounding footsteps, and felt the air in the cargo bay drop twenty degrees as Anakin entered. He was absolutely furious, he never seen him so angry, even when he took Mara out for that joy ride in the Falcon. That was nothing compared to this. Anakin levitated the parcel over to Han and let it drop to his feet.

"Do you want to explain this to me?" Anakin slowly stated.

"It's not my fault. I owe the local crime boss of Corellia a lot of money; he told me that if I did this one job that I could pay him off and he wouldn't sell me to slavery. I was hoping to take the Falcon to my contact near Nar Shaddaa, drop the shipment and pay off the crime boss. But now I can't."

"Do you have any idea what this drug does to its users?"

"No, but I don't do drugs. I occasionally have a nip of Corellian Whiskey."

"Corellian Whisky is a legal commodity, if you are of age, Han Solo. Spice isn't legal and is highly addicting! You will help me with this problem, we will take care of your indebtedness to the crime lord, but we also set up your contact. This had better not have anything to do with the Black Sun Syndicate or you are in more serious trouble."

"I guess I'm in more serious trouble." Han Solo sighed.

"Are you incredibly naïve or just a complete idiot?" Anakin ran his hand through his hair as his frustration grew.

Han Solo was fearful, Anakin felt it.

"You should be afraid, Solo, but not of me. How much money do you owe this crime boss?"

"Fifty thousand credits, plus interest that multiplies daily."

"That's just great."

"Let me sell the drugs, I could pay him off still."

"Absolutely not! My niece was addicted to this crap, she turned away from everything and everybody especially her family. All she cared about was getting another hit, it took her weeks with my help to get over the physical addiction now she's in rehab to help with the mental addiction, and she had to change schools and everything. It nearly killed her! Do you think that I'm going to allow you to do that to someone else? DO YOU!"

Han shrank back and pulled his legs up to his chest and felt tears welling up in his eyes.

"No sir. I'm sorry."

Anakin took a deep soothing breath and allowed his anger to dissipate.

"Han we will fix this trust me." Anakin put his hand on his shoulder.