Chapter 21:

Vader knelt before the huge hologram image, patiently. "What is thy bidding, my master?"

The Emperor looked down at Vader, a cold smile on his face. "So, there are not one, but two Skywalker children. What have you done with the girl?"

Vader paused. "She has escaped our control, my master. She jumped to hyperspace before we could reach her."

The smile faded from the Emperor's face, and his expression grew frigid. "She must not become a Jedi. She is a threat to us, to your son. She must be immediately recaptured, or destroyed. Go, Lord Vader, and do not rest until her fate is secured."

Vader bowed his head. "As you command, my master."

Palpatine seemed about to cut the transmission, then paused. "Oh, one more thing. My Hand is bringing young Skywalker and Captain Solo back to Imperial Center while you search for the girl."

"But—" Vader began, but the Emperor silenced him. "I know full well what happened between them, Lord Vader. It is mere passion, and is of no consequence."

If it were possible for Vader to sigh, he would have. "Yes, my master." He got to his feet, slowly, as the transmission died, and headed for the bridge.

"So." Lando leaned back in the pilot's seat, a skeptical expression on his face. "We're going to a swamp on the outskirts of the galaxy, to look for this Jedi Master who can supposedly help us stop these madmen from killing everyone in their quest for absolute control, is that right?"

Leia's smile died on her lips. Lando reminded her of Han; sometimes it seemed like they were cut from the same cloth, and she wouldn't let herself admit how much she missed Han, and was worried about him. "That's right."

"Well what are Chewie and I going to do with ourselves while you're so busy learning magic tricks?" Lando demanded. Chewie roared, softly, and Lando eyed him. "What do you mean, we'll have things to do?!?"

Leia sighed, and headed back to her quarters, the sound of Lando and Chewie's arguing carrying down the passageway.

Luke and Han sat a little ways off from the pilot's seat, where Mara pointedly remained, busy checking over the controls. Han could feel, with the instinct that comes with experience, how tense everything was, and discreetly headed back into the other compartments of the shuttle, Mara shooting him a glare as he went.

There was silence in the cockpit for a while, then finally Luke began. "Mara, I—"

She cut him off, roughly. "Save it, Skywalker. We have nothing to talk about."

"But—"

She whirled around in her seat to face him, a hard edge in her voice, and a dangerous glint in her eye. "Look at me, Skywalker. No, not that way," she snapped, eyeing Luke, whose expression became one of embarrassment mixed with amusement. "Can you, in all honesty, say that you love me?"

He frowned. "Well…. no, but—"

"Neither can I. You lost control, as usual, and your passions dragged me along with them. That's it." She sighed. "I just can't figure you out, Skywalker. There's so much conflict within you, it's impossible to see through it into what you really mean."

Luke's expression hardened. "You don't know what it's like, to have everything you ever knew and believed in revealed to be a lie. How can you even begin to trust again, after that?" He rose to his feet and stormed out of the room, leaving Mara alone, with much to reflect on.