Chapter Twelve
"I want an explanation," Mara demanded, rolling over on her side to glare at Luke. "Now."
They were lying on the spacious bed in their large bedroom, which had a private, enormous refresher with a shower large enough for three Wookiees and a closet larger than Luke's bedroom had been back on Tatooine. In fact, each of the eight bedrooms were essentially the same, except for the color schemes. When Luke had commented on Han's good taste in interior design, the Corellian had smiled and told him the house had been sold to him fully furnished, and he'd left everything pretty much as when he'd moved in. This admission hadn't really surprised Luke since he couldn't envision his old friend picking out paint colors or furniture. But then, he had never envisioned Han as an entertainer, either. So there was that...
Luke shrugged, his hand behind his head, staring up. "We just located that nut case and scared the living Sith-spit out of him. He won't be bothering Evin again."
"That's not what I'm talking about and you know it," Mara said shortly. "Who is this Evin Daysun that he seems to mean so much to you? You act like he's your best friend, someone you've known for years, not just two days." When Luke remained stubbornly silent, Mara threatened, "You had better tell me, or I'm getting on the Fire and leaving. Tonight."
"I..." Luke stopped, projecting through the Force instead, Sorry, Han. You can get mad at me if you want to, but I have to tell Mara the truth.
He wasn't too surprised when he got an annoyed mental response, Kriff. Since nothing further was forthcoming from Han after that single curse word, he decided to give Mara her explanation. "Evin was.. I mean he is... I mean was, until I met you, he was my best friend."
"You knew him before he became famous?"
"Yes. You could say that." Luke smiled ruefully. "I suppose he was famous before, but not quite at this level, and not the same type of fame." Mara waited silently, so Luke continued, "He used to be Han Solo."
Mara gave a click of her tongue. "Han Solo is dead. At least that's what you told me. And every news outlet in the entire galaxy reported. Was everyone lying for some reason, even you?"
Luke turned his gaze toward Mara. "I believed he was dead, and that's what everyone thought."
"So he lied and was just pretending to be dead?" Mara questioned. "I've seen holos of Solo. This guy doesn't look anything like him, other than the fact Solo was a tall, attractive human male and so is this guy."
"And I'm not attractive?" Luke asked, clutching his chest in mock dismay.
"I didn't say that, did I?" She gave a snort. "What's with men and their need for constant affirmation about their good looks?"
"I don't need affirmation about my looks. But you could tell me how tall I am."
"Now, that'd be a lie, Luke. And you're getting off the subject."
"Did you know anything about the Ssi-ruuk technology?"
"I read the Emperor's reports about them."
"And did you know the Emperor had ordered his best scientists to create a new body for him to take over because he knew that his wasn't going to last forever?"
It suddenly dawned on Mara where Luke was going with this story, and the rest of the story didn't surprise her as much as it had surprised Luke.
The next morning,
"I don't know why you had to tell Mara," Han groused as Luke watched him pack up a large satchel. "She was glaring at me all through breakfast."
"She wasn't glaring, she was just... thinking." Luke was grateful that Han wasn't truly angry about breaking his confidence, and grateful that Mara had understood why Luke had been so reluctant to divulge Han's secret. She had easily agreed to never reveal who Evin really was and Luke reassured Han he could trust Mara to keep her word.
"She had daggers coming out of her eyes. She hates me."
"No, she doesn't hate you. She... she thinks you're being selfish."
Han's head jerked up as he stopped packing, and he frowned at Luke. "What? Her, too? Why?"
"Same reason I called you that. You left everyone believing for three years you were dead. Mara thinks, at the very least, you owe Chewie the truth."
"Everyone sure has an opinion about how I should've handled dying. Maybe after you're dead you can come back and ask me if I think you did it correctly."
"Assuming I die first?"
"It's your turn."
Luke smiled. "Okay, but Mara will keep your secret. She likes you."
"Yeah, right."
"Why do you have to leave so quickly?" Luke asked as he nodded toward the satchel. "Mara and I just got here."
"Sorry, kid, but I've got concert rehearsals on Coruscant. Do you think I just waltz out on stage with no prep? It's lots of work, gettin' ready to put on a show. Memorizing words, getting everyone on the same page with tempo and backup vocals. You wouldn't believe how difficult it all is, and how boring it can get, practicing the same song, timepart after timepart. Sometimes I throw in curse words in place of the song's real words, just to see if anyone is paying attention."
"That sounds like you. Are they?"
"Are they what?"
"Paying attention?"
Han grinned. "Most of the time."
"Rehearsals sound just horrible, as bad as the night we spent out on Hoth," Luke said, trying to keep a straight face.
Han threw a pillow at Luke, who ducked out of the way with ease. "I'd hazard to guess they're still less boring than meditating and pickin' up rocks with the Force."
"Are you sure you don't want me and Mara to come along?"
"Nah," Han said, shaking his head. "Corran and Mirax are coming with me, and 'sides, don't you have to make appointments with architects and draw up plans for your Academy?"
"Yes, we will be doing that." Luke pursed his lips, then added, "I'm happy you trust us to live in your fancy-ass house without you being around to supervise."
"Just don't let Wes throw a wild party again in my house. Last time I left and came back, I found several pairs of women's unmentionables stuffed down inside the couch cushions'"
"Are you sure your conquests didn't leave them behind?"
Han laughed. "Pretty sure. Unless I was really, really drunk."
"That's been known to happen in the past."
Solo wagged his finger at Luke as he picked up his packed satchel and flung it over his shoulder. "I expect you to crack the Force-whip on those guys coming to build my studio, okay? If there's no one to keep an eye on them, all those contractors will do is sit around and drink kaf half the day. And I sure can't trust Wes to keep 'em in line. In fact, keep Wes away from them or he'll be the one supplying them with the kaf."
"It's the least I can do for you."
"You bet your lightsaber it is."
Coruscant
Lando was surprised to see Luke's face on the holocom so soon after they'd met in his office. "What can I do for you, Jedi Luke?"
"Did you invite Leia to the first concert of Evin's? The Dinner Show in the Hapan capital?" Luke asked without preamble, deciding to leave the news he and Mara had moved into Evin's house for a different day since Luke wasn't quite sure how he was going to explain that. Maybe he'd leave it to Han to tell Lando, and let him deal with the awkward questions.
"Yes, I did. I invited Leia, her husband and her mother-in-law."
"Did she accept?"
"Yes, they accepted. They will all be sitting in the best booth in the theater. It's set little ways back from the stage, so it's eye level, and dead center."
"Can I have two tickets?"
Lando blinked in surprise. "You want to see Evin perform a concert?"
"Yes, I've never seen one of his shows, but mostly I want to visit with Leia. It's been a while, and not since I've gotten engaged."
"Leia knows about Mara, right?"
"Of course, she knew about her from the start." Luke grinned at the memory. "Wasn't too thrilled when I started dating her or when I told her we were getting married. But she's accepted Mara now, I hope. I'd still like to visit with Leia, instead of just talking to her over the holocom."
Lando smiled. "No problem, Luke. I'll make sure you're sitting in that same booth. It holds six people, easily. I'll be the number six. I won't be able to bring a date now, however." Lando pulled a sad face for Luke's benefit, which Luke ignored.
"Thanks, Lando. I really appreciate it."