Death Star II Mobile Battle Station
Mara was halfway to the infirmary when Luke contacted her asking to meet in their shared quarters. She wondered what had transpired in the medical facility. This morning they had agreed it was best for Luke to talk to his sister alone. Luke obviously had a change of heart and had called for her...but a short time later he cancelled that request. She made a detour at the next corridor intersection, turning away from the infirmary and making her way back to her dignitary quarters. She went by a group of stormtroopers who gave her a wide berth when passing in the hallway. Her outfit did not give any indication of her status, so they obviously recognized her and knew she was somebody closely connected to the Supreme Commander. Today she sported a tailor-made, gray, long sleeve blazer jacket over a maroon tunic, black trousers, and matching boots. On a black leather belt, concealed under the blazer, was a small but powerful holdout blaster and the lightsaber the emperor had given to her. She wore no rank, having put aside the task of finding an official position among the crew until Luke was crowned as Emperor in a few weeks. At that time, she would, once again, become the Emperor's Hand. She suspected the position would be in name only. She doubted Luke would send her off on assassin missions. She would be there by his side as an advisor and security.
She entered her quarters to find Luke pacing the living room anxiously. Mara immediately knew his meeting with his sister did not go well. She walked up and enfolded him in her arms as she pressed a kiss to his cheek. She stepped back and clasped his hands in hers. "Things didn't go well with your sister?"
His expression was morose. "I didn't even bother talking to her. Han woke up first. He assured me that Leia will never stop fighting."
Mara rolled her eyes as she made a gesture of frustration. "It is not like she has a choice. She's captured, her rebellion has been routed and the Resistance is no more."
Luke flopped down on the couch and buried his head in his hands. "I know, but she will never admit defeat. She is willing to become a martyr for her cause."
Mara sat next to him and put a hand on his knee. "Martyrdom only occurs when people know of a person's sacrifice. You have to explain to Leia that her capture has not been made public. Her trial will not be publicized, and the outcome will be sealed. She will not be allowed to make a statement to the galaxy. She will simply disappear from the public eye and people will assume she went on the run."
Luke bit his lower lip, obviously upset over the thought of doing that to his sibling. "Mara," his voice was unsteady. "If you are trying to comfort me...it is not working."
She leaned into him, her head on his shoulder. "I am trying to find an argument that will convince your sister to remain silent during the tribunal. If she knows spouting off her traitorous rhetoric can only hurt, and it will not benefit her cause in any way, maybe she will stifle her subversive speeches."
Luke sighed deeply. "Even if she remains quiet...do you think it will even help?"
"Yes, I do. She received a pardon and was exiled for past crimes, but she now must face justice for the attack on Corellia. Fortunately, I think we can successfully blame most of that attack on Ewon Klanto. Her and Han may only face a decade in prison...that is if she doesn't do anything stupid like threaten the emperor during the tribunal. Threats against Vader will get her a mandatory three to five years per charge."
Luke groaned in frustration. "Okay, who should I get to run this tribunal? I have to recuse myself...because...you know...I was a rebel."
"There are a few senior officers from Alderaan." Mara suggested. "They may be sympathetic towards the Princess."
"Or they could be so nervous about appearing supportive to the rebel cause that they'd go especially hard on Han and Leia."
"Yeah," she reluctantly muttered in agreement. "Can we delay the trial until you are crowned as Emperor?"
"That shouldn't be difficult. Their defense team will need time to prepare for the tribunal." He turned to face her. "Why?"
She shrugged. "Leia might be less angry if Vader was no longer in power. Perhaps we can then persuade her to remain silent and not aggravate the situation."
Luke dropped his head against the couch's back cushion as he gazed at the ceiling. "Maybe."
Mara thought about Luke's upcoming coronation dreading the pomp and circumstance that will inevitably accompany the change of command. The only thing that could rival a coronation when it came to exuberant pageantry was ...a royal wedding. She blanched at the thought before blurting out. "We should get married before you become emperor."
Luke's head rotated in her direction so rapidly she was sure he would pull a muscle. "Mara! Did you just make the most unromantic proposal in the galaxy's history?"
"Oh, please," she said with a roll of her eyes. "You know I accepted your proposal last night."
He shook his head in mock disgust as he put a hand over his heart. "Oh yes, that was when you gave the most unromantic answer to a sincere and heartfelt question."
She couldn't suppress a grin as a blush colored her face. She thought of his proposal after the most sensual and breathtaking night of passion they had ever spent together. After the climax of their nocturnal activities, they had laid exhausted on rumpled satin sheets, their bodies cooling. He pulled her closer and said, 'I can't imagine my life without you. I want us to spend the rest of our lives together. Marry me.' She was just drifting off to sleep when he whispered the words and she remembers mumbling, half awake, 'Okay.' The next morning, he playfully ribbed her about her unenthusiastic response.
"Sorry, but you wore me out last night," she explained while reaching out and caressing his face, before kissing him tenderly. As their lips parted, she smiled. "I'm serious about getting married sooner than later. I know the coronation is going to be a huge event. A galactic event. If we marry afterwards then we will have to endure a massive royal wedding. If we get married now...we avoid all of that. We could...elope is not the right word, but...marry quickly."
A broad smile split his face as he pulled her into his arms, and he touched his forehead to hers. "Mara Jade, will you marry me...today?"
"I wouldn't mind that, but we should talk to your father. I don't want to anger him by getting married without his blessing."
"We can have him perform the ceremony." Luke said happily. "We can have the Karrde crew as witnesses and perhaps the Grand Admiral and Commodore Vanto."
"We may have to wait until tomorrow to get all those people together." She leaned in and pressed a line of kisses across his jaw before capturing his lips. As the kiss deepened her fingers reached up and toyed with the top clasp of his uniform tunic. Their lips parted long enough for her to say, "I wouldn't mind an undress rehearsal of our honeymoon."
He stood, his hand holding hers as he pulled her off the couch. "I would like that...with the emphasis on the undress."
.
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Coronet City Medical Center, Corellia
Karrina sat at the small desk in her hospital room and concentrated on the peg board in front of her. It was part of her occupational therapy designed to improve fine motor coordination in her artificial hand. She simply had to remove the peg with her hand, rotate the peg between her fingers until it was upside down and then replaced it into the hole it was taken from. Easy...right? No, not easy at all. When she was first fitted with the prosthesis, she was lucky that she was able to grab the peg, let alone twirl it between her fingers. It took two days of practice, but eventually she was proficient enough to do that small feat, albeit clumsily, along with dress herself and most of her mundane daily activities. Her occupational therapist assured her that full dexterity would return completely within the week.
Physically she was fit for duty, it was her mental state that worried her. She was a pharmacist that had memorized hundreds of medications and needed the mental acuity to formulate, compound and dispense medications. A mistake could mean death to a patient. Pharmacology was a knowledge- based profession and unfortunately, she had gaps in her memory. She would have to demonstrate her ability to do her job and that meant retaking the Imperial Pharmacist Licensure Examination. She dreaded repeating that test. The exam was hard enough after she completed her college degree...a time when the information was fresh in her mind. Now that she had spent years working with almost exclusively humans her nonhuman skillset was undoubtedly lacking. She had kept up with her yearly Continuing Education requirements, but still...it probably wasn't enough. She was facing probably a year of refresher courses before she would be ready for testing...and that was assuming she did not have any lingering cognitive impairment.
She returned her attention to the peg board, reached out, picked up a peg, turned it around and replaced it. The action with smooth and quick. A faint smile crossed her face, knowing she had reached one major goal. A neuropsychologist and a military vocational counselor would now need to assess her and determine if she is able to return to military duty...not necessarily as a pharmacist but in some other occupation until she can retake the licensing examination. She dreaded having to do some menial job until she fully recovered. The other option is to simply request a medical discharge. Her injuries were severe enough. It was a possibility, but with her pharmaceutical license in danger and military paycheck not guaranteed, she wasn't sure what she would do. She didn't want to take a medical retirement and then discover she was only given a twenty or thirty percent disability rating with a compensation retirement rate of equal proportions. Lieutenant pay was decent, but she didn't think she could survive on a quarter of her current monthly income.
She heard a knock and looked up to see Talon Karrde standing on the other side of the room's transparent door. She smiled and motioned for him to enter.
He pushed open the door and walked in with what looked like a garment bag draped over one arm. "Hello, Karrina."
Hearing him made her heart skip a beat. Talon's voice had a deep resonate tone that she found maddeningly sexy. It wasn't just his voice that aroused her. Karrde was everything she wanted in a man—a thick crop of dark black hair streaked with enough gray to give him a distinguished flare, mischievous blue eyes, and a muscular body with just enough scars to make him not only dashing and handsome but dangerous looking. She couldn't wait until she was out of this hospital and into his arms.
She quickly stood and rushed into his embrace before lightly kissing him on the lips. Her memories of this man had returned over the last week. She wasn't sure if she had gaps in her recollections, but the things she could remember made every hormone in her body sizzle. The memories tormented her, especially at night before she drifted off to sleep. She kissed him again, hungrily, wanting to do so much more, but this was not the time or place.
She looked down at the garment bag. "You brought a change of clothes; are you staying the night?"
He smiled before handing her the bag. "It is your dress uniform. I was hoping you could accompany me to a wedding."
"A wedding?" Her brow rose in surprise, not quite understanding what he was saying. As far as she knew they had no common friends that were engaged. Then an outlandish thought popped into her head...one that she would later blame on her head injury and possible cognitive impairment. "Did you just propose to me in a roundabout manner?"
His jaw dropped, obviously stunned by her words. After a quick second he snapped his mouth shut and regained his composure. "Ummm...we were invited to attend the wedding of your Supreme Commander and my former employee, Mara Jade."
"Oh," Karrina said softly. She wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed by his answer, but one thing was undeniable...she was absolutely mortified by her comment. "Sure...yes," she muttered. "I would love to. When is it?"
"Tonight." Karrde looked at her sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't get much notice. They appear to be in a hurry to marry."
"Is she pregnant?"
Karrde laughed. "I don't believe so. Darth Vader will soon be stepping down as Emperor and placing Skywalker on the throne. Mara didn't wish to endure an extravagant coronation followed by a royal wedding."
Karrina nodded in understanding. "I will have to check with the nurses about getting discharged."
Karrde shook his head. "No need. The supreme commander will take care of the details and I have a ship waiting to fly us to the wedding venue."
"And where is that?"
He actively tried to suppress a smirk as he said, "The new and improved Death Star."
.
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Death Star II Mobile Battle Station
Luke reached up and pulled at his dress uniform's high collar. He rarely wore his Full-Dress white uniform. It was similar to the one worn by the grand Admiral except Luke's rank insignia had six yellow squares over three blue and three red. Since the rank of Supreme Commander was something that his father invented, the development of the rank color scheme was completely arbitrary and based on the Emperor's personal whim. For the first few weeks, confused senior officers would stare at Luke's rank in confusion, not sure if they were expected to initiate salutations or not.
Luke pulled at the high collar once more before giving up and unclipping the fastener holding the two pieces together. It wasn't like anybody was going to see him. Currently he was in his office adjacent the battle station's bridge. It wasn't Admiral Soontir Fel's Ready Room, but a conference room he repurposed for his use. At that moment, he was scrolling through his datapad and going over the details for his wedding.
'My wedding,' he though happily as the corner of his lips curled at the thought of his upcoming nuptials. After today he would be a married man. To be honest, he was hoping he would have been married by now, but Mara was right, unless they eloped, a wedding took more than a few hours to prepare for. He was thankful it only took three days to coordinate the marriage ceremony. The biggest obstacle was purchasing the wedding dress.
Usually, the bride's dress would reflect the customs of her home planet, but Mara had no idea where she was born and knew nothing of her ancestry. Luke suggested they investigate the wedding customs of Naboo, his mother's home planet. When he asked his father about his wedding and what his mother wore on that blessed occasion, Vader became quiet, and Luke could immediately feel his discomfort through the Force. It was obvious that discussing Padme and their wedding brought back more bad memories than good for his father. Luke could understand that; there was no happy ending to Anakin and Padme's love story. Their marriage ended in anger, abuse and eventually death.
Luke dropped the subject and later recommended to Mara a typical Tatooine wedding dress.
'Brides on my planet often wear green dresses,' Luke had explained to his fiancée. 'Green represents life. And although plant life is rare on the planet, there are a few green oasis dotting Tatooine. They're small bodies of water formed by underground aquifers and surrounded by hearty grass. Because green represents life...it is believed to a color for fertility and a lucky color for the bride.'
Mara had rolled her eyes at his hint about starting a family, but she agreed and found a gown she liked on Corellia. The dress consisted of forest green chiffon and ruffled lace that was closely fitted from the shoulders to the hips, before flaring out to the hem. Mara was absolutely stunning in the outfit...a true vision of beauty.
The next obstacle to tackle was the vows. The emperor did have the authority to join people in marriage, but his father was...uncomfortable officiating. According to Lord Vader, he was fine asking if Luke and Mara wished to be joined in marriage and announcing their union but refused to recite a speech full of what he considered 'sickly sentimental romanticism'. For this reason, Luke and Mara decided to write their own vows.
The last arrangement was the reception banquet...and that was simple. With less than a dozen guests they would get the Death Star's dining facility manager to set up a buffet in one of the many conference rooms aboard the battle station.
Luke turned off his datapad and sat back in his office chair. Everything was ready. All they had to do now was wait for the guests to arrive.
.
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Coronet City, Corellia
Karrina dressed in room's lavatory, slipping out of her hospital gown and into the uniform that Karrde had brought her. Her discrete change of clothing was not due to any modesty around Talon, but because medical personnel had a bad habit of barging into her room with little respect for privacy even if the curtains were pulled.
Karrde had brought her white Dress Mess uniform which consisted of a white short-coat over frilled white shirt, satin red cummerbund, long black skirt and black pumps with a five-centimeter heel. It was a rarely worn uniform, used only for official military balls, planetary or state occasions or evening functions. Skywalker must have sent an officer to her cabin to fetch the proper uniform for a military wedding. She doubted Talon would have known what attire would be appropriate.
As she exited the 'fresher Karrde made a soft whistle of approval. She smiled broadly and held her arms outspread before slowly twirling in a circle. "You like it?"
His gazed raked up and down her body appraisingly. "You truly are the most stunning woman in the Empire."
Her face flushed at his comment, mainly because she could tell he meant every word. Despite her lingering facial scars and the fact that she was a double amputee recovering from a traumatic brain injury...he continued to see her as beautiful. He was a wonderful man who she loved dearly and she was positive she had loved him for quite a while. Every recovered memory of Talon Karrde solidified her belief that she fell hard for him shortly after their first date.
"Shall we go," Talon asked as he held her hospital room door open gesturing for her to exit first. "I have my ship docked nearby. It won't be a long flight. The battle station is within the Corellian sector."
"How did the emperor get a new Death Star so quickly?"
Karrde shrugged as they walked side-by-side down the hospital corridor. "From what I was told, they were both being built at the same time. The first station was smaller and was finished quicker."
"This current station is...bigger?" Her voice tinged with awe.
"I was told the diameter is approximately two-hundred kilometers compared to one-hundred-and- sixty kilometers of the first one. That is about as much as they are willing to tell me. I guess operational security has increased since a rimworld moisture farmer blew up the first battle station."
That comment elicited a chuckle from her. They exited the hospital and Talon flagged down an airtaxi. "Docking bay 63," he told the driver as they flew up into the flow of traffic.
"It will be nice to get back to the Wild Karrde," she said happily. "I have some fond memories of that ship. I am not sure if I remember everything, but I do remember the ship and..." She smiled suggestively. "And things that happened in the captain's quarters."
A seductive smirk crossed his face as he stretched out his legs and put an arm around her shoulder. "The Wild Karrde is currently berthed on the battle station. We will travel in my new ship."
"Oh," she said simply. "You bought a new ship? Business must be good."
His grin widened. "Business is booming."
Her spirits lifted upon hearing this news. Talon had once offered her a job, stating he was willing to change his business plan to pharmaceutical supplier so they could work together. Perhaps this was the answer to her employment problem.
Her newfound optimism faded when he said, "Things have been so good that I am retiring. I plan to turn over the business to Aves and Chin."
"Oh." She forced a smile on her face, not wanting to bother Talon with her issues. "That's wonderful.
"Yeah, it is," Karrde said happily, totally oblivious to the change of her demeanor. Within minutes they arrived at the docking bay. Talon paid the driver and escorted Karrina to his ship. "There she is," he said proudly as he gestured to an impressive star yacht. "It is a SoroSuub Corporation Personal Luxury Yacht 3000. Fifty-five meters in length, seventeen meters in width and eleven meters tall. It has an upgraded class-1 hyperdrive, a shield generator and retractable laser cannons."
He pulled a key fob out of his pocket and pushed a button dropping the entry ramp. As they made their way into the ship, Karrina noticed a very faint but distinctive odor permeating the vessel. She recognized it as the smell of 'off-gassing'—the release of organic compounds found in petroleum- based solvents in plastic and vinyl. She turned to Talon with a look of surprise. "Is this ship brand new?"
"Yes." He took an exaggerated deep breath. "I guess you got a whiff of that new ship smell."
"Yes, I did." She was astounded by the news. Most people purchased pre-owned luxury yachts since they depreciated as soon as they left space dock. Only coaxium tycoons or pretentious narcissists would throw away money on a new ship-and as far as she knew, Talon was neither. As Karrina reached the top of the ramp, she found herself in a long room with floor-to-ceiling transparisteel windows stretching the length of the chamber. The area was obviously designed as a lounge, with expensive seating, tables, and a central bar.
"These transports are usually designed as dignitary ships for politicians, hence the party room," Karrde explained. He pointed upwards. "There is a second, more private observation deck upstairs. Downstairs are the cabins and galley."
She looked around in awe. "I'm impressed. Are you planning on becoming a politician?"
He scoffed. "I may have been a smuggler and scoundrel most of my life, but I have never been dishonest enough to qualify to become a politician."
She chuckled. "What's your ship's name?"
He shrugged a shoulder. "I haven't decided yet. Perhaps you can help me give it a proper name." He pressed an intercom button on the ship bulkhead. "Chin, Aves, we are ready to take off."
"Aye, boss," came a response that Karrina recognized as Chin's voice.
Karrde gestured to a door. "The cabins are downstairs."
They proceeded though the door, down a ramp and through a second sliding bulkhead door bringing them to a corridor in the lower level. Talon stopped at one door midway down the hallway, opened it, and motioned for Karrina to enter. "Here is your cabin."
The room was luxurious with a double bed, liquor cabinet and bar, a sitting area with a HoloNet entertainment center and a small dining area. As she entered the large room, she noticed two doors to the left. Talon followed her gaze and continued his tour. "Each cabin has its own 'fresher." He opened the first door allowing her to peek in at a sonic shower, toilet, and large vanity with mirror. Talon gestured to the other door. "There is also a walk-in closet." He hit a button on the wall and the door slide open. She was expecting an empty closet but was surprised to see women's clothing suspended on hangers. She shot him a confused look. "Whose outfits?"
"I picked up some clothing for you. I figure after the wedding you might have some downtime and you probably don't want to hang around in a fancy uniform."
She entered the closet and moved clothing hangers to the left and right so she could examine the outfits. Talon had thought of everything: dresses, casual trousers, tunics and even some sleepwear.
"I hope they fit. I based the size from your uniform."
She looked at the size printed on the interior of the garments. It was a size smaller than she usually wore, but she had lost weight while in the hospital, so they probably would fit. She turned to Talon. "Thank you. Everything is beautiful."
She was being truthful...everything was stunning...but she couldn't help but wonder if her relationship with this man had changed or perhaps she had misinterpreted how close they were prior to her accident. When she stayed with him on the Wild Karrde it was in his cabin. Now he was assigning her separate quarters.
Maybe she was reading too much into things. Talon had told her he wanted to slowly reestablish his relationship due to her amnesia; perhaps that is his intention. He might consider it presumptuous to assume she would share a bed with him, basically picking up when they left off prior to the attack on Corellia.
"Karrina?" Talon whispered, his voice sounding confused. "Are you okay?"
She blushed when she realized she had zoned out during her musings. "Sorry, I was lost in thought." Talon's concerned expression remained, and she quickly change the subject to allay his concerns. "Where's your cabin?"
He gazed at her for a moment, probably looking for evidence of some sort of relapse or seizure activity. She smiled widely and prompted, "Your cabin?"
"Ohh." He moved to the exit and crossed the corridor and pressed the wall entry panel to the cabin directly across the hall. The door slid open showing an identical room with the exception that two men's suits were lying on the bed. He pointed to the garments. "I wasn't sure which suit would be best for a wedding. I was hoping for your input."
She looked them over. Both were beautiful, but she decided the more subdued charcoal frock coat with black vest over white shirt would be more appropriate for a wedding at a military facility than the flashy cream-colored tunic and trousers with light blue cape. She pointed as the dark outfit. He picked the clothing up off the bed and started walking to the door. "Oh, I have one more room to show you."
She raised an eyebrow but followed him out of the cabin. He walked down the corridor which dead ended at a large steel door. He inputted a code at the entry panel and the entrance slide open. She stepped forward and was shocked to find herself in a cabin three times the size of the ones she just visited. "This," he said enthusiastically, "can be our cabin if you so desire."
Her jaw went slack in surprise. "Ours?"
His smile faded slightly. "Well, yes...I thought." He fidgeted nervously. "Sorry, I guess I'm getting ahead of myself."
"No, no, not at all," she said quickly. "I am just confused as to the other cabins."
"Well," he said softly. "I wasn't sure about the status of our relationship. If you felt comfortable living with me, we could use the smaller cabins as dressing rooms or offices. I also didn't know if you were staying in the military. If you were, you probably would want a cabin of your own so you wouldn't have to search around for things. I thought it would be easier when it came to a long- distance relationship. If we simply shared a cabin, I am positive I would move or misplace something of yours over the weeks or months we are apart." He looked at her expectantly. "Are you going to stay in?"
She took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "I don't know. I have the option, but if I get out, I may find myself unemployed, especially now that you're retiring. I was going to ask you for a job. Now, I'll have to either stay in the military or find new employment to pull my weight. Even with business booming, I can't imagine you have a retirement fund large enough to support two people when you've barely reached middle-age."
She was startled when he started laughing. She wasn't sure what she said that was so funny. She knew Talon was a successful trader, but he was too young to have saved enough money to retire comfortably, especially after purchasing a brand-new luxury yacht.
She crossed her arms across her chest and glared at him in irritation. He stopped his snickering and struggled to keep from smiling. "Karrina, you do not have to worry about getting a job."
"And why is that?"
"Well...that is an interesting story."
"We have some time to kill until we get to the Death Star."
"Okay." He put the suit he was carrying on a large couch in the luxurious cabin's living room. "Have you ever heard of the Katana Fleet."