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Author: Little Author…Yippee! Again, another slightly all-dialogue chappie…sorry!

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Chapter 3- Growing Darkness and Light

The rushing traffic of Coruscant bustled above Mara Jade as she walked into the Building of Impending Doom, as she nicknamed it. The Senate Hall was one of the places that Mara loathed. She didn't know if it was the pompous attitudes of some of the political figures or the fact that nobody in the place trusted her. It had been two kriffing years since she stopped being an assassin! One would think that the New Republic would trust the people who helped it a little more. They wouldn't trust a dead gundark, those idiots, Mara thought sullenly as she passed a group of Corellian senators who glanced at her with contempt.

"Mara, wait!" said a familiar voice. The place just got a whole lot worse as she turned and saw Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker running to catch up with her. If she had known he was coming today, she would have begged Karrde to do the political stuff tomorrow. Even after the new "friends" thing, Mara was still a little uptight around Skywalker. The Emperor drilled everything into her; including not to trust people, and not to show weakness. Even if her conscious mind was screaming against it, something deep down said that maybe she possibly did trust Skywalker…possibly.

Of all the people in the galaxy, Skywalker had chosen to trust her, even if she had vowed to kill him at least a hundred times. Yet he trusted her with his life; more than once. Maybe Mara could trust him, just a little…No, she couldn't trust anyone, they would hurt her if she did. You know Luke won't, said an annoyingly right voice. As this internal battle raged inside Mara she stopped and let Skywalker catch up to her. She could tell that he sensed her confusion and waited until Mara spoke. He's an awfully nice friend, said the voice again, it would be a pity if he did so much for you and you gave nothing back. Mara shook her head internally and smirked at Luke.

"Skywalker, how was your trip?" The voice inside her head was still ranting on about trusting the guy.

"Same as usual," Luke said dryly. "How is your work with Karrde, productive, I hope?" Now this was unusual, Luke Skywalker being politely distant. Mara's sketchy Force powers told her that there was something eating at the Jedi's brain. Mara shifted her weight and looked at her feet.

"Uh, yes, yes, very good. We're having some problems with a few of the trade customers, but other than that, we're great. How are you?" Mara added lamely at the end. For some reason, Skywalker sometimes had her rambling like a lunatic on spice. It wasn't the most dignified feeling.

Skywalker smiled wryly. "Oh, the same as usual, addressing the Senate repeatedly for a Jedi academy, going on regular missions to recruit new worlds for the Republic, trying to find someone who will listen to a crazy Jedi who has nothing to do. Not a thing out of the ordinary around here."

Mara laughed a little at his casual reply for all the things the public and politics put him through. He was making it sound like it was easy, but she knew it really wasn't. On the way back from Corellia, where they last met, Skywalker had some sort of artifact-finding mission to go on. As usual, he came back empty handed, but with a world for the New Republic in its stead. He does so much for everyone and expects nothing in return, the reasoning voice inside her head sighed, you should take the chance and be friends with him. That voice was starting to get on Mara's nerves.

"What have you been up to these days?" said Skywalker's voice, snapping Mara out of her thoughts.

"Hmmm? Oh, you know; business for Karrde, nothing new."

Skywalker smiled. Oh, how she hated that smile! Mara settled for a subtle glare and a light smirk. How could a person be so happy all the time? Mara didn't even want to know how Skywalker did it. She watched Luke look away and at the floor, apparently at a loss of what to say next. He fidgeted with his lightsaber hilt and shuffled his feet slightly. Mara glared sullenly at the ceiling, angry at the Force for letting Skywalker come to the Senate today, of all days. Come on, Jade, he wants you to be his friend. Wait, let's rephrase that, he needs you to be his friend. There is something obviously chewing at his mind, and he needs somebody to help him.

Oh, please, Skywalker is obviously happy without my help.

He is hiding it; he won't say anything until you bring it up. You are his friend-he will talk.

You are really annoying, you know. Fine I'll talk to him.

…………………

"Skywalker?" Luke snapped his head up at the sound of Mara's voice. He had been thinking about Palpatine again. The darkness in the Force was growing again, and it concerned him that the rumors that he heard on Corellia were not really rumors at all. He was afraid that next time he confronted the Sith Lord he would either die trying to get rid of him or succumb to his evil will. None of them ended in the happy endings he would like.

"Um, yeah Mara, you need something?" Luke asked looking closely at his friend. She seemed a little flustered at something. He suddenly hoped it wasn't something he did…again.

Mara looked away abruptly. Luke sensed that she was inexplicably nervous and hesitant. He frowned inwardly. Mara Jade, the ex-Emperor's Hand, cold blooded assassin, was hesitant. He had a vague feeling that it must be important to get even Mara tied up into knots.

"Well, I was-well, I-uh…" Mara trailed off looking at Luke with a helpless expression.

"Go on, you can tell me or ask me anything. I promise I won't bite," he said, a bit alarmed at Mara's sudden discomfort. Luke smiled comfortingly and waited patiently as Mara got her bearings again.

"Well, I was wondering-um, what was wrong, you know. I thought there was something going on and that is what friends do, right? They help each other." Mara looked absolutely horrified at her inane babbling, but Luke smiled tiredly. She was right on the dot about there being something wrong. He just wasn't sure what it exactly was yet.

He ran a hand trough his hair, thinking of how to put what he felt in the Force into words. "You got me there Mara. You see, I've been feeling a disturbance in the Force and it's been growing stronger these days. I'm not exactly sure who or what it is, but I think it will affect me and the New Republic strongly."

Mara looked puzzled. "Why would somebody want to attack the New Republic again? The war with the Imperials is dying down and mostly everything is safe. Why would there be anything wrong?"

Luke sighed. "I don't know, but I do know that it doesn't have to do with the Imperials or some unknown threat. I think it has something to do with Force-sensitives in general. I feel some new-or old-evil is approaching and I think I have to do something about it."

Mara looked thoughtful for a moment. "What do you mean by old evil? There hasn't been any Sith since…" Mara trailed off, looking dismayed. "You don't think it is Palpatine that is the old, er, new evil?"

Luke shook his head. "I don't know, I truly don't know. I think that he is back, but I'm sure those rumors were just a coincidence anyway."

Mara looked relieved. "Don't worry about it Skywalker. There is no way that Palpatine could survive a fifty foot drop into a reactor shaft and an explosion. It was probably just some pirate stirring up trouble. As for the danger part, I'm sure it's just you being paranoid about taking care of those twin-terrors the Solos have. It'll blow over, you'll see."

Luke saw that Mara didn't look all that confident when she said this. He knew she was having doubts about her theory. Luke furrowed his brow. She did have a point in a way. If Palpatine didn't want to be known about yet, he would stay in hiding until he was ready to come out. All Luke had to do was wait and see if Palpatine came out, and if he did, Luke would be ready. Even if it meant life or death.

He nodded. "You're right. I'll wait and see…in the meantime, what has been eating away at your mind? It's been chewing for a while now." Mara was about to answer when she was interrupted by Associate Planetary Representative Kade Wyath. His dark hair and eyes made his skin a pallid, sick-looking color, and Luke briefly wondered if he always looked this way.

"How are you today, Jedi Skywalker, I hope it has been treating you well?" Wyath said. His voice sounded tired and ill and Luke also noticed faint dark circles around the Representative's eyes.

"Very well, thank you. How are you? You seem a little worn yourself, Representative Wyath," Luke smiled a little, "by the way, you can just call me Luke. I don't need such formal names today. I'm just stopping by to pick up some bills and whatnot for Leia when she gets back."

"Very well, Luke. I am very overworked, if you understand. The Senate has been going crazy over finding more planets to add to the Republic. I sometimes wonder if we keep this up that we will end up being in charge of the whole universe." He let out a soft chuckle. Wyath's eye wandered over to Mara, who was standing at Luke's side and politely silent.

Taking a hint, Luke said, "Kade, this is Trader Mara Jade. She was just talking to me here a few minutes ago. Mara, this is uh, Kade, I guess."

Wyath nodded. "Pleased to meet you Mara. Now, If you'll excuse me, I have some more work to do. Good day, Luke; Mara." With that sentiment said, Wyath walked away, toward the nearest lift.

Luke watched the small man's profile until it faded into the distance. Then he riveted his blue stare onto Mara who was casually studying the statue across the room. She sensed him watching and glanced away, looking uncomfortable. Luke sighed. One day he hoped that Mara would trust him and feel comfortable around him as he felt around her.

"Well, I should be going," Mara said, looking at Luke with an intense green-eyed stare. Luke didn't flinch.

"All right, Mara, I'll see you soon. Stay out of trouble, okay?" he said smiling playfully.

Mara smirked. "Hey, watch that mouth, Skywalker." He noticed that she hesitated a little. "See you around, Luke." Mara then stalked off in the opposite direction that Wyath went. Luke was riveted to the floor with surprise. She called me Luke! Something new between them had started now. It was a friendship that Luke never really had. It was when she called him Luke that had shown him that their friendship would be less awkward and uncomfortable. It was a feeling of trust and compassion for one another that was not there before. Whatever had been holding them back was gone and now they could be the close friends that Luke felt they could be; what they should be.

Even after the euphoric moment, Luke knew that the danger was out there somewhere, waiting, waiting to make a move….Somewhere…