The gymnastic's team had a short practice after school a few days later, mainly going through warmups and discussing the upcoming competition. Mara laughed with one of the girls, rubbing chalk on her hands before she swung on the high bars. The coach walked by each team member, commenting and praising on their work. Their coach was a wirey tall blonde, a woman who had almost made it to the Galactic Olympics, if not for the fact that she had gotten knocked up in the middle of training by her own coach.

" Alright team, practice dimissed. Go clean up and I'll see you in two days." Mara sat down on the bleachers, taking a break while waiting for everyone to leave. Keisha, the girl she had been laughing with, walked out of the girls' locker room, dressed with her bag on her shoulder.

" Mara, aren't you going to change?" Mara smiled at her and shook her head in response to the other girl's question.

" I'm going to stay a little bit longer and practice some more." Keisha grinned at her and nodded, waving as she headed for the door, where most of the other team was already heading.

" Well I'll talk to you later." The other girl said to Mara.

" See ya." Mara waited until everyone had left and she was alone in the gymnasium before rising to her feet and heading down to the mats. Her dark red curls were pulled back into a tight ponytail, clashing with her velvet white and silver leotard, the team's uniform. It was only the practice one, the actual leotard the girls wore during competition stored away in her closet.

She did a few tumbles on the mat, and then began with cartwheels, leading into flips. She was oblivious to the fact that someone was watching her, instead moving to the balance beams, and sighed before doing a double back hand spring on the slim piece of wood. She nearly fell off though when she heard someone clapping and whistling in the background.

Turning with wide eyes, she saw Skywalker heading towards her, still applausing. Mara groaned inwardly, wiping the sweat from her forhead.

" Wow, I didn't know you were so good at moving your body in different ways. You'll have to teach me sometimes." she hopped off of the balance beam and headed to where her bag was. He followed behind her, watching her body sway with each step, annoying her simply with his presence. She grabbed the towel that sat atop her duffel bag and wiped her face with it, trying to ignore the irritating presence besides her.

" Why are you here?" she asked coldly, but her voice cracked. He stepped closer to her, knowing that it was intimidating to her. She stumbled back and turned away from him, until she heard someone approaching. Not wanting to be seen with Skywalker, she quickly pushed him into the empty girls' locker room and stood innocently as the person approached. The smiling face of her father was walking towards her, his arms opened in a kind gesture.

" Daddy?" he bowed his head slightly, almost in appolegy for being late.

" I see you've been working hard. You're even still in uniform. I am very proud." Mara seemed to finally get over her shock and her lips curved upward gently.

" Thank you. When did you get home? Garth said you would not be home for atleast another two days." he followed her to the bleachers where she stuff her items into her bag.

" Yes, but I managed to get out early. I missed my little girl too much I'm afraid. Why don't we go out to dinner tonight, to celebrate you joining the Imperials. That little restaurant on East Avenue just opened and I hear the food is impecable." he jabbered on about the restaurant, while she caught a glimpse back at where Luke was hiding.

" Sure that sounds good. I need to shower and dress at home first, though." she said to him, grabbing her bag and swinging over her shoulder, walking besdie him as they exited the gym.

" Of course, of course. To home then." their voices faded as they walked farther away from where Luke stood. He stepped out now that no one was around, and gawked at what he had just seen. Who he had just seen.

000

Leia was sitting at her vanity applying eyeliner very carefully to her lids when Luke stepped in. He leaned against the shut door, rolling his eyes at the stages of grooming his twin went through every day.

" How may I help you brother dearest?" she spoke quietly, as though if she would raise her voice, the grooming process would be ruined. He smirked at her, secrets rolling around in his blue eyes. She set down the eye crayon and turned to look at him, a suspicious glint entering her brown orbs.

" What do you know Luke? You know something deep and dirty, don't you? Tell me." she said in an excited rush of words, her expression eager for the gossip.

" Well you remember that little tenth year Imperial that kissed me." she nodded slowly, not seeing what the girl had to do with the gossip. Luke continued.

" I was harrassing her after school today at the gym, she's like on the gymnastics team, and she was staying behind or something. But, I saw who her father was when he came by to pick her up. Chancellor Palpatine is Mara Jade's father." Leia gasped, just as shocked as Luke was with the news. She shook her head in a disbelieving manner, before taking her hands from her mouth and speaking.

" No way. Though that would explain why she's an Imperial. He's a big supporter of the dark side of the Force, and he was in fact an Imperial when he attended our school, like fourty somethin years ago. But that's so weird, I mean you would think she'd have like the same last name or something, or more people would know." she was in deep thought, but met his eyes with a questioning gaze that he seemed to mirror.

" I don't know. I mean, it's not like we would usually care. Probably all of the Imperials know, and that's got to be why she's such a precious item to Darren. She's like a freakin mystery that I want to solve. I know that it's stupid, but the more I know about her, the more I want to know." Leia bit her bottom lip, looking worried.

" Luke, you know you're treading on dangerous waters. Darren has basically claimed her as his own, and you know how vicious and possesive both of the groups get. And the Imperials do get extremely territorial." Luke walked over and kissed the top of his sister's head, reasurring her of her worries.

" I know, but I'll be fine. You know how I love playing with fire. I may get burnt, but it only makes the thrill more inticing." Leia rolled her eyes at his comment and stood up walking to her closet.

" I'm afraid that you're becoming a pyromaniac."

000

Mara stepped out of the shower, wrapping a black towel tightly around her body. She wiped the fog from the mirror and looked back at her won reflection, her face red from the heat of the water. She quickly dryed off her body with the towel before stepping out of the bathroom and into her room, trying to dry her hair with her towel.

Laid out on her bed was a red silk halter dress and matching heals beside it. She walked towards her bed and then noticed the note pinned to the dress.

I found it in a shop by the hotel where I was staying. It should be your size.

- Daddy

Mara unpinned the note from the dress and held it up against her in front of the mirror, knowing that this was what he expected her to wear tonight. She dug through her dresser, throwing bras and panties everywhere, trying to find a bra that she could actually wear with the halter dress.

Finally finding what it was she was searching for, Mara quickly pulled it on along with underwear and sat at her vanity, applying makeup. Her eyes kept drifting towards the chronoclock hanging over her bed, knowing that she was running out of time. But luckily she was able to pull her red curls up into a tight bun, and then step into her red dress in time before her father knocked on her door, signaling it was time to go.

The dress was tight, fitting her every curve, also making it hard to breath. And she amazingly was able to balance in the high heels, not stumbling or tripping once. She and her father walked out of their apartment, and stood in silence the whole way down on the elevator.

" Let's take your speeder tonight. I'll drive." he said to her as they walked towards Mara's brand new red speeder that sat parked in the building's garage. She smiled and nodded, climbing into the passengers side, while he got behind the wheel. She usually didn't drive that much, prefering to be health and walk, but Coruscant was not the safest place to walk at night.

000

" So are you coming to the club with me tonight?" Leia asked her brother, both sitting on her bed; him laying back, and she was flipping through a magazine.

" I wasn't planning on it. I was just going to chill at home, probably sleep or watch a holomovie." she looked absolutely appalled and discusted by his answer, and her feelings showed through her comment.

" You're pathetic. You are popular, hot, and seventeen, and you're just going to stay at home and sleep! No you're coming with me tonight. Everyone's going to be there. I'm sure you could find an innocent girl among the crowds that you haven't molested yet." his foot sprang out and kicked her in the butt, and she laughed loudly, throwing her magazine back at him.

" I have not molested anyone. And you make it sound like all I live for is sex or something." he sounded serious for once, a hint of an edge to his voice.

" Well Luke, you are a seventeen year old boy, and it's not like you haven't gotten around, though I myself am not one to talk. But like I was saying before, if you won't go for any other reason, atleast think of the possibility of getting laid." he raised an eyebrow at her in humor before getting to his feet and heading towards her door.

" I'll go, only because you're annoying me by talking about my sex life, and yours. And Lando is having a party at like midnight to whevever you can get up and leave." she smirked in victory after he left.

000

The restaurant was way too fancy and snooty for Mara's taste, but it was just her father's style. The host led them to a private table that sat on a balcony overlooking Coruscant's capital, almost two hours away from where they lived. She smiled in appreciation at the host as he held out the chair for her to sit. And finally, they were handed menus and left alone.

" So how have your first three weeks of school been so far?" Palpatine asked her. She sat up straight and was silent for a moment in thought.

" It has been... interesting. It is different from how I expected it to be, more dramatic." he chuckled softly at her comment, not truly understanding what it was she meant.

" Ah, yes I imagine it would be. So, your progress report says you have a 4.0 average in every subject, and your piano instructor says that your talent is remarkable. I am very proud. How is everything on the gymnastics team?" she had zoned out for a moment but her focus was brought back to the present when the waiter showed to take their order.

" Um, it's fine. We have competition in four weeks, so the coach is working us pretty hard, but she's cool no matter." she handed the waiter her menu after adding what she wanted. He toddled off, careless and also heading in the wrong direction.

000

The club was packed with people, and music loudly pulsed throughout the building, causing Luke's ears to throb. He pushed his way through the crowd, heading towards the back where the rest of his friends were sitting. He could already see Tionne, Kam, and Lando, all sprawled out on the couches that were set up against the wall.

He finally made it to where they were sitting and plopped himself down in the chair across from them, looking tired and bored. He struck up a small conversation with Lando about podracing, until a tall and beautiful blonde walked by, causing an effect of him standing and walking after her.

Tionne shook her head in disgust, snuggling closer to Kam Solusar. Lando just laughed, knowing exactly what was nagging at her so badly.

" Oh, hush you. You're just upset that he banged you and that was that. He does that with all of the girls, it's nothing new, and will probably continue until he's on his death bed." lando said, smirking wickedly. Tionne scowled at him, a mad cat-like glint entering her eyes as she bit back a comment.

" Well it seems his ways will be changed soon. It seems he's after that Mara Jade now, and from what I've noticed and heard, she's not an easy character. That, plus she's dangerous property to be messing with, because she is an Imperial, and she is basically under Darren's claim." Lando looked wary suddenly, his eyes focussed on Luke, who was currently flirting with the floosy blonde.

" My God it amazes me how women can be so intuitive and know these things. If what all you said is true, then you're definately right, he is messing with danger. I just hope he knows what he's getting into." Lando said quietly, meant just for Tionne to hear.

" And I hope she keeps up with being hard to get, because she'd be putting herelf in even worse danger." she said softly, her voice hoarse and scratchy.

000

Palpatine's comlink began to beep, and he quickly answered it, receiving a disgusted look from his daughter. He sighed as he talked on and on for about ten minutes, before turning it off and laying down on the table. Palpatine glanced at Mara apolegetically before explaining what that was all about.

" I'm sorry Mara. I'm afraid something urgent has come up, and I need to go now to the capital building. I know that this is cutting our dinner short, and that I just got home, but they badly need me at the moment." she nodded, afraid that if she opened her mouth she would say something that she would later regret. He spoke to the waiter, explaining that she could still order whatver she wanted and to just put everything on his tab. He kissed her forehead and then left, leaving her alone once more.

Mara sat silent for awhile before getting to her feet and leaving, heading to the spot where her speeder was parked. Yanking the door open, she climbed in, frustrated beyond all means by her heals, thus leading to her tossing them into the back seat. Typing in her key code onto the computer's data base, the speeder started up and began to hover, waiting for her to drive. Gripping the steering wheel with both hands tightly, she pressed her foot into the gas hard, sending the craft flying fast through Coruscant's night life.

She instinctively headed towards home, enjoying the rush and freedom of speeding, no one daring to stop her. She managed to get into her town in half the time it took her when driving at a normal speed. Mara was not yet ready to go home, knowing that there would only be a charging robot waiting for her when she got there, instead flying around the city, observing the night festivities.

A busy night club caught her eye, its flashing lights taking hold of her attention. She pulled into the parking lot and turned off the engine, readying herself for the loud noise and cramped space of the club, knowing that was exactly what she needed at the moment.

A/N: Oooooh, cliffhanger. well, sort of. lol. I hope you like this chapter. the next will be up soon, I just have to finish typing it. To make a little comment on this story, the school is not Imperial, it's just a popular highschool. The Imperials are the dark side group that mara is a part of, and might I add that this story will get a bit gruesome later on, but to be nice, I'll warn you at the beginning of the chapter. And yes, Luke is extrememly different from the way the actual character is, but so is everyone in this story. It is completely twisted around from the way the actual story and characters are. he is not that bad of a guy, he is simply fascinated with mara.