In the middle of October she invites Luke into her apartment, this time he accepts the offer. The cold temperatures have forced him back to heavy layers but he promised it was only till the weather changed and she believes him. He takes off his coat upon entering. She starts making tea and watches him examine the bookshelves. He picks up a old but still in pristine condition ballerina doll from the shelf and looks at her inquisitively.

"That's Clara, great-uncle Palpatine gave her to me as a child."

"I think it's creepy that this doll looks exactly like you."

"She was custom made to look like me, it's not her fault."

"How old were you when he gave you this doll?"

"I was seven, great-uncle died when I was nine."

"Then how come you talk about him more than your parents? You said they died while you were in college."

"My inattentive parents were rabble, Great-uncle was an Emperor. I was his to have as he saw fit and he was mine alone."

His eyes widen at her statement. As if he sees something terribly wrong with it. Luke asks her if there was ever anything great-uncle did that she wasn't supposed to tell. When she says the tea parties are secret, he requests details of their special game. For the first time in their relationship she denies him. To impart such knowledge would violate the rules the Emperor left for her to follow. He finds a loophole and inquires if she was restricted from showing anyone through gestures how the game worked, without speaking. She answers no and proceeds to touch him. It's much easier than when she was little, her lips can reach the neck now. She takes Luke's hand and places it under her dress, for some reason he looks sick. After that day, he never lets her compare him to Sheev Palpatine again.

She eavesdrops on Luke talking to Han on the phone over possible paedophilia victims in the 90s, particularly girls related to politicians. Poor helpless children, she pities them. Thank goodness the Emperor always protected her from those wolves in sheep's clothing. He accumulates files and closes them before she can see them, he asks her to trust him. She does, he's never given her reasons for doubting his integrity. Luke accidentally leaves the files on her table one day. Lando skims them out of curiosity before she can stop him, he holds back the urge to vomit. Now she definitely doesn't want to see whatever's in there. Lando tries to rip the papers and tells her to dump the demented psychopath before she ends up in the morgue, she locks the papers in her room and doesn't dignify his claim with a response. Mara gives Luke the documents back, he burns them in the fireplace and hugs her like nothing else matters in that moment. Things go back to normal.

Luke gives her a house key in late October. They start havings movie nights in his couch. The man has an huge collection of silent fims and musicals on VHS. Luke starts shaking in a war movie and Artoo barks loudly, Mara turns it off and snuggles him. He apologizes profusely for the incident, she tells him the film wasn't a timeless classic if it's not approved by Artoo. After all this time, he still marvels at every kiss they share. A few weeks later Luke leaves for North Dakota to help a friend. The next day she finds several men sharing coffee with Luke in his apartment. They all look tired and unshaven.

"Mara, this is Biggs Darklighter, Wedge Antilles, Kes Dameron, Chewbacca, Wes Janson and Jek Porkins. Proud members of Rogue Squadron. My fellow Rogues: this is Mara Jade."

"Is there a military ceremony today or they did come here to inspect me, farmboy."

"Actually, they're here because Galen and I busted them out of jail. Don't tell anyone about them."

"You and your brother did what !?"

"Biggs is 1/16 Sioux on his mother's side so I knew he would join the Standing Rock protests. Turns out his whole family got arrested. I went with Galen to see if we could help since he lives closer to New York than Han. Found out the old gang was locked up and we just... acted?"

"Luke, you should have taken me with you."

"You're not angry at me for breaking the law?"

"Farmboy, this just reaffirms my belief that Callista Ming deserves the biggest loser crown and scepter for dumping you. "

Her statement makes Rogue Squadron whoop and Wedge says she's a keeper. Chewbacca asks Wes for money in Russian, apparently the two of them bet on whether or not Mara was real. She quips back in Russian that gambling leads to addiction and everyone stares in shock. Porkins asks where she learnt Russian, which leads to Dameron begging for any of her Bolshoi acquaintance's phone number. Luke informs Kes that Shara Bey broke up with her boyfriend and she's offered to house them. Kes inmediately retracts his desire for foreign ballerinas. Men are so predictable. Shara arrives at 10 and turns red as a tomato when Dameron flirts with her. Biggs stays behind and sleeps over. Unlike the others, he's known Luke since childhood and feels it's his right to tell Mara embarrassing stories about his oldest friend, despite the latter's disapproval. She laughs till her lungs feel like they're going to burst. Darklighter doesn't give any death threats cause he thinks that Padmé Skywalker nee Amidala's wrath is punishment enough. He's probably correct in assuming that good people are better at revenge. Biggs leaves in the morning and calls dibs on being godfather to their firstborn.

"So what'd you think of the Rogues? "

" Put em all on skinny jeans and your protests will have poster boys"

"Kes and Chewbacca would rather be flayed. Biggs and Wedge maybe but Porkins on skinny jeans? You'll give people nightmares."

"You want a nightmare? That lawyer obsessed with your mom is grotesque. He'd be perfect for a cheesy horror movie."

"Most women call Rush Clovis stunning, not horrific."

"Those warts and his pale, sickly skin will stun anyone with good eyesight. Your dad's way hotter than him, even without his legs."

"Mara, please marry me. "

" What kind of proposal is that? No ring, no kneeling down and you're in pajamas."

"My dad proposed to mom in kindergarten with a runny nose and a broken wrist. She said yes in a heartbeat."

"Well I need the ring. Bring one and I'll consider it, even if you get it from a cereal box."

"But there's a chance you'd say yes in the future?"

"In the 22nd century, your face will be the new definition of self-loathing."

He shakes his head playfully at her and wishes her a wonderful day. She gives him a goodbye kiss and they both say farewell, blissfully unaware that the calm before the storm is nearing its end.

Notes

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