Her words echoed in Luke's ears and memories from the last rushed six months they had together crossed his mind.
Mara, cold-as-ice, aiming her blaster at him…Vader furious, Mara squirming in pain his force grip… Mara broken, stumbling deeply wounded out of the interrogation chamber… collapsing unconscious into his arms…
"The truth" repeated Mara, "is that I'm still out to get Skywalker," she breathed, her whispering voice next to his ear while her massaging hands on his cramped shoulder finally brought him back. "Even if my reasons are different from what they should be"
"And why are you out to get me?" Luke mumbled and enjoyed her tongue exploring the inner paths of his ear.
"Let's see…" Mara interrupted her attempt to seduce him and counted with her fingers.
„You are a rebel, a hero, and a very nasty one. You dared to free princess Leia out of the detention area, escaped Lord Vader and blew up the death star afterwards…"
With each word her voice got more and more excited, till her red lips finally moulded "This has to be punished" and her longing eyes flashed with dangerous desire.
"No" Luke's hands surrounded Mara's wrist firmly. "Before your dreams will come true, you'll answer me. Why did you really come here?"
Unable to answer Luke's question, Mara dragged fiercely against his grasp, attempting to free herself from his hands. Unsuccessful, she gave her up her resistance and averted her gaze.
"And I thought you conceived an affection for me" Luke's voice cut deep into her heart as he released her wrists.
"I do. I feel your warmth and passion, the thrill of the forbidden and secret, but…" With her watery eyes she looked desperately back at Luke's face, her hands trembling, wanting to hurt and comfort him at the same time.
"I thought you would feel love, Mara" The innocent honesty in his eyes made her sad heart itch once more.
"Love, Skywalker?" she questioned sadly, puffing and frowning.
„You know, love like…" Luke's attempt to explain was interrupted by his impatient girlfriend.
„I actually know what love is supposed to be", she cut him off and distanced herself from him.
"Do you?"
"I do", she said angry, anxious to contain herself. "But I am…I have to be a cold hearted assassin…"
"Have you?" Luke asked calmly again, wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her closer again.
„I am what I have to be, nothing can change it not even you" she said weakly, but added with a much more dangerous voice "And don't forget I am still supposed to kill you"
Still holding her close in his arms Luke asked calm and unimpressed "Will you?"
"Skywalker" she screamed, her angry voice hissed through the silence of the cockpit like a lightsaber hissing thought air. Releasing her emotions, the outburst thrusted Luke deeper into his seat, telling him that he finally found her weak point.
When Mara was slumping down in front of him everything went dark for her. 'Yes' and 'No', glowing like lightsabers were the only lights she could see, fighting an inexorably battle in her head. With all the hissing, cracking and buzzing sounds in her ears she couldn't hear Luke's words of comfort, only feel his warm soothing hand on her shoulder.
"Stop it" she gasped. "Please stop it" and Luke stopped caressing her, looking worriedly at what had been his wild and unimpressed girlfriend until now.
"I don't know. I don't know what to do" she mumbled more to herself than to Luke, the sounds in her ears and the darkness in her eyes finally fading away.
Luke wrapped an arm around her shoulder and draw her back to him "Mara, you have already reached the point where you have to make a decision" he told her while trying to get in a more comfortable position.
"I know" she sight, leaning her back against his cold chest.
"Taking any more time won't make it any easier, more likely worse if people start being suspicious"
"I know that, too" she sight again and swallowed hard, thinking of Vader and Palpatine being besides themselves with rage, Han Solo how he had tried to kill her in the jungle, and now snuggled her head up to Luke's shoulder.
"Mara, regardless what your final answer will be, I will accept it" he told her calmly, still holding her close.
Feeling his loving caress, she decided she wouldn't let her mind, only her heart, decide this time.
"Luke…" she smiled seductively, leaning forwards to gently kiss him again "I am attached to you."