It had been a long time since Mara had set foot on Coruscant. With the new government, she'd expected the planet to have changed more, for it to feel different than when it had been her home. But other than the New Republic symbol hanging from government buildings instead of the Imperial cog, Coruscant was the same as it had been seven years ago. That should have made her feel more at ease, but she hadn't stopped jumping at shadows from the moment she'd landed the Jade's Fire.
She supposed her secondary mission on the planet had something to do with that.
Her meetings for the Smuggler's Alliance had gone off without a hitch. The organization had been in operation for nearly a year, and the outcome was even better than Mara had predicted. With the various groups working together, they were able to bring down prices, spread supply lines across the galaxy, and even provide for refugees outside the boundaries of the Republic. Booster Terrik, to her surprise, had taken the bulk of the initiative regarding humanitarian missions, grousing the entire time about his do-gooder Jedi son-in-law rubbing off on him.
But she had another task for while she was on the planet, one she hadn't even revealed to Karrde. She gazed up at the towering ziggurat that had once been the Jedi Temple, then the Imperial Palace. The place she'd called home the first part of her life.
(She had booked a room away from the government district, near Monument Plaza, and specified a view facing away from the palace.)
While the New Republic hadn't made Coruscant its capital, it had taken over the palace, turning it into administrative offices, housing, museum exhibitions, and historical archives open to the public. As the new Chancellor liked to proclaim, the best way to prevent another Empire from rising was to allow everyone access to information about what had happened during Palpatine's reign.
That included information about Palpatine's most ambitious servants.
Mara clenched her fists as she climbed the steps to the historical archives. It figured that her return to this place would be predicated by a renewed Imperial threat. First there was Gallius Rax, then Moff Gideon, now Grand Admiral Thrawn. It didn't matter that, by all accounts, Thrawn was more loyal to his people, the Chiss, than the Empire. He was brilliant, and Mara often wondered what the fate of the Empire would have been if he had returned after Endor.
She also didn't want to know what would happen to the galaxy if he returned now, but what she wanted had never mattered much.
She approached the entrance to the archives, nerves fluttering in her stomach as the assistant on duty glanced up and gave a professional smile. "Hello, how may I assist you?"
Mara was surprised that the archives were staffed by human workers and not droids, but then again, it made sense that the New Republic would want humans to scrutinize everyone who came through. It was yet another reminder of how different things were than under the Empire. No one would have dared smile at her in the Imperial Palace. Everyone kept their heads down and did their jobs, fears of reprimands keeping them compliant. Even Mara, who often delivered those reprimands, feared disappointing her master.
She lifted her chin, reminding herself things were different now. That she was different now.
"I'm Mara Jade. I have time pre-booked for research in the archives."
The assistant glanced at her computer terminal and gave another smile. "Certainly, Ms. Jade. Booth twelve, please." She handed her a keycard. "If you require any assistance, please press the button on your terminal."
Mara bit her tongue. If this woman only knew how many times Mara had used the Imperial archives with no supervision at all. "Thank you."
She hurried to her assigned booth and used her card to scan in. Other than being open to the public and relocated to a larger area of the palace, the systems hadn't changed under the New Republic. She cracked her knuckles and got to work, inputting every search term she could think of to retrieve information about the Shadow Council and Grand Admiral Thrawn. Their paths didn't cross much, except for the fact that one of Thrawn's old subordinates, Captain Pellaeon, apparently had a spot on the Council as Thrawn's proxy. But Thrawn himself hadn't been seen in the known galaxy since before the Battle of Yavin. Where the hell had he been all this time, and why was he returning now?
She rubbed her forehead as she initiated yet another search. She had thought maybe something she found would spark a memory of one of her rare meetings with Thrawn, some insight into what he wanted from the galaxy-other than to take over what was left of the Empire, of course.
While she didn't find anything about Thrawn, another name piqued her interest. Admiral Vanross had been a captain in Thrawn's fleet and transferred to his own command shortly before Thrawn's disappearance. Since Endor, he had evaded the New Republic, escaping capture at the Battle of Jakku and then going into hiding. He was a long-rumored member of the Shadow Council, and recent reports from the Outer Rim detailed his small fleet raiding defenseless planets in order to expand his territory.
And Mara had worked with him on a mission while she was the Emperor's Hand.
The chrono beeped, indicating her time was up. Resigned, she rose to her feet and returned the key card to the front desk, too annoyed to make any pleasantries. She stalked outside and down the steps, trying to get control of her frustration. She thought she'd confronted her past on Moraband, but maybe there was more to it than simply facing Palpatine. Maybe she needed to return to the place she'd been programmed and brainwashed, the place she'd called home her entire childhood, the place she'd never wanted to leave but now couldn't stand to inhabit.
She'd been happy here-or so she'd thought. Now every memory was tainted.
Scowling at herself, she boarded a public transport that would take her back to Monument Plaza. The sun was beginning to dip low in the horizon, and that was as good a place as any to grab dinner before returning to her hotel. She scrolled through work schedules on her datapad, trying to determine if there was anyone she knew from the Smuggler's Alliance free for dinner. But of course, on the one night she wanted to be sociable, nobody was available, not even Karrde. She scowled again as she closed her datapad, deliberating whether or not to crash Karrde's meeting so she wouldn't have to be alone. She should tell him about Vanross, and get Ghent on the case as soon as possible.
But if she interrupted his meeting, he'd be able to tell something else was wrong and pester her until she bared her thoughts. He'd become very adept at that since learning the truth about her Force abilities, and later on when she admitted that she'd once been the Emperor's Hand. No, she was better off simply sending him a message now and catching up with him later.
The transport stopped and announced their arrival at Monument Plaza. Most of the passengers jumped to their feet, eager to see one of the most famous places on Coruscant. Mara hung back, having been there many times already. Of course, she'd never really been there on her own accord. It had always been in the line of duty, tracking down someone for Palpatine, observing a mark, monitoring crowds during a celebration. She swallowed hard as she exited the transport, eyes once again glued to the spot where a towering statue of Emperor Palpatine had once stood. When she'd first arrived a few days ago, she'd frozen in place as if her brain short-circuited by what she was seeing. Of course she knew the statue had been torn down, had seen the Holonet footage of the celebrations after the Battle of Endor, but seeing it in person was entirely different. Another smack in the face about how much her life had changed.
It was a little easier now, and she was able to keep her legs moving. It was almost a pity the statue didn't exist anymore. She wouldn't have minded spitting on it.
Don't give him the satisfaction of thinking about him.
Easier said than done in the former Imperial capital.
She took out her datapad again and pulled up a list of food options in the area. Right now, she didn't care what she ate, as long as it was fast and filled her up until breakfast. It seemed like a waste on a planet with such renowned restaurants, but while she didn't mind eating by herself, she didn't feel like drawing any unnecessary questions or attention.
Stars, she hated brooding.
Clenching her jaw, she picked the closest restaurant on the list and headed in that direction. And then stopped in her tracks as a familiar presence in the Force headed toward her.
Scratch that-two familiar presences.
She didn't have a chance to hide before she spotted Luke across the plaza, walking arm-in-arm with his sister while Solo carried his son on his shoulders. Young Ben was pointing animatedly at Umate, the mountain peak in the center of the plaza, the only part of the planet's surface still visible. Solo looked like he was negotiating with a terrorist, while Luke and Organa were very pointedly trying not to laugh. As they got closer Mara could hear Solo repeating, "no, you can't touch it," as Ben repeatedly protested, "well then why do they even have it there?"
Mara had to admit, the kid had a point.
Just then, Luke's head jerked in her direction, and she felt his recognition before she saw it on his face. He waved his free hand in the air. "Mara!"
She kept a neutral expression as the other three turned in her direction. He could have used the Force to say hello, but she appreciated him not presuming she was okay with such a gesture. Plus, him calling out to her meant he didn't mind his family knowing who she was.
Judging by the way the rest of them all smiled, they already knew. Ben relented his protests and used both hands to wave at her. "Dad, put me down!" he demanded, and as soon as his feet touched the ground he sprinted over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Hi, Mara!"
"Whoa," Mara said, widening her stance so he didn't knock her over. "Hey there, kid." Despite the awkwardness of his sudden hug, she was glad to see he was unharmed by his kidnapping.
Ben gave her a toothy grin. "I like that you call me kid. That's what Dad calls Uncle Luke."
Mara smirked. "Is it, now?" Her smile turned genuine as the rest of the group approached and she gently extricated herself from the six-year-old. "That's good to know."
Luke rubbed the back of his neck, but his pleasure at seeing her seemed to win the battle with his embarrassment as he smiled back at her. "Sorry for the attack, Mara. Ben has taken quite a liking to you."
"Yeah, he won't stop talking about how cool Uncle Luke's friend is." Solo crossed his arms over his chest. "Uncle Luke never contradicts him," he added, winking.
Luke's smile turned into more of a grimace and redness bloomed on his cheeks. He didn't break eye contact with her, though.
Organa elbowed her husband in his ribs at the same time she extended her right hand. It was one of the most elegant and badass moves Mara had ever seen. "Hello, Mara. It is so nice to meet you, finally. Thank you so much for all your help with Ben."
Mara shifted on her feet. She was very grateful shielding had always been one of her best skills, because it took every ounce of strength not to dwell on Luke's revelation about Vader. Her eyes darted to him, and he nodded slightly, as if to tell her not to worry. "No thanks necessary," she said, shaking Organa's hand and trying very hard not to remember all the conversations she'd overheard in the palace about the troublesome senator from Alderaan. It was surprising Palpatine had never sent Mara after her.
She almost shivered just thinking about it.
"Don't be ridiculous," Organa said. "We're actually on our way to dinner-would you care to join us?"
"Oh." Mara glanced down at her outfit: cargo pants, long tunic, and a jacket with many pockets. The perfect attire for a meeting with smugglers, not so much dinner with the galaxy's elite. "I wouldn't want to impose."
"No imposition at all," Organa assured her. "It's the least we could do. Besides, Ben can't stop talking about you, so you'll be doing us a favor."
Mara glanced at Luke, who gave her another nod. "We'd love your company."
She raised her eyebrows. Had he put his sister up to this? Despite her newfound friendship with Luke, she found it harder to say no to Senator Organa. But Luke's face revealed nothing.
Mara blew a strand of hair off her face. "I'm not really dressed for the occasion."
Solo pointed at his tunic/vest combination. "Neither are we, Jade. When you have a kid you don't get to dine at five-star establishments anymore."
"Not that you liked those places to begin with," Organa shot back at him.
"You got me. Too stuffy." He mimicked pulling at his collar. "The Rhyscate Room's a little loud, but it's not completely kid-friendly."
"You mean it has alcohol," Mara said.
Solo gave an exaggerated gasp and put his hands over Ben's ears. "I'm offended by the suggestion."
Ben giggled and removed his father's hands. "Please, Mara? I want to hear about your awesome spaceship!"
Mara was half-horrified she was even considering going to The Ryshcate Room of all places with the Skywalker-Organa-Solo clan. Then she made the mistake of making eye contact with Luke again. His blue eyes shone brightly with hope, and he gave another encouraging nod. Almost as if he was saying, Come on, you faced Palpatine's ghost and Vader cultists, how bad can dinner with a six-year-old and his family be?
The problem wasn't with the evening being bad, though. What the hell would it mean if she enjoyed herself?
She squared her shoulders, coming to a decision. "Sure. Lead the way, Solo."
Ben pumped his fists. "Yes, best dinner ever!"
Mara shook her head as she hung back with Luke. Solo, to his credit, hoisted Ben on his shoulders again so they could say a proper hello without a million questions.
"Sorry about that," Luke muttered. "Ben is... persuasive."
Mara shrugged. "Can't blame the kid for knowing what he wants. At least he's got good taste."
Luke ducked his head. "He must take after his uncle."
Mara's step faltered. Was he flirting? Did Jedi flirt?
She refused to consider the notion. He was just being nice and trying to set her at ease. They'd spoken via holonet often over the past year, but she hadn't seen him in person since dropping him off on Chandrila. He'd wanted her to stay, but she'd made an excuse about needing to get back to the Wild Karrde, uncomfortable with the idea of the Organa-Solo family being in her debt.
Mara should have learned long ago that she could never run away from fate.
The Rhyscate Room was not as awful as Mara feared. The decor wasn't a bright children's theme, but more muted and understated tones. The host led them to a circular booth on the far side of the room that allowed for more privacy. Ben scooted into the center, while Solo and Organa sat to his right. Luke went to sit on Ben's other side, but he waved his hands. "No, Mara, you sit next to me!"
Mara gave Luke a plaintive glance, but he shrugged. "What can I say? You're much cooler than all of us."
She could swear she saw him smirk at her.
She bit her tongue as she slid next to Ben, careful to leave a wide span between them. But that just meant Luke was almost on top of her, which was even more awkward, so she attempted to equal the distance between them. Why couldn't the host have given them a table with actual chairs? Then she could at least have some personal space.
Guess families didn't care much about that while sharing a meal at a loud restaurant.
The menu had over twenty pages with every type of food imaginable. Mara was pleased to see a varied dessert menu and a decent drinks menu. Solo ordered the whyren's reserve as soon as his ass hit the booth. Mara, not wanting to insult her hosts, followed suit. Organa, to no surprise, ordered the fanciest wine on the menu. Luke, to her utmost amusement, ordered some fruity concoction called the Paradise Punch.
She failed to hide her smile when the server delivered a large glass garnished with fruit and an umbrella. "Don't laugh," Luke said as he took a large sip. "It's delicious, and it packs a surprising punch."
"Was that a pun, Skywalker?"
Luke shrugged and grinned around his straw. "It comes from hanging around with Han."
Solo raised his arms. "Hey, don't blame me. The dad jokes turned on as soon as this one came out." He wrapped one arm around Ben's neck and rubbed his head affectionately. Ben ducked his head and rolled his eyes while he took a sip of his smoothie.
While Solo and Organa went over the menu with Ben, Mara leaned over to Luke and started flipping pages. "So, what do you recommend?" Mara asked, unable to keep the amusement out of her voice.
"That's the best thing about places like this," Luke said. "Everything is aggressively mediocre, so you'll be fine no matter what you order."
"Well that's a rousing endorsement."
"Just trying to set your expectations."
"In that case, I'll order the thing I'm least likely to get food poisoning from."
"That'll be the pasta," Luke said, turning her menu to that two-page spread.
She licked her lips as she perused the menu. Okay, she had to admit, some of the options actually sounded good, and she was almost starving. But execution was different than planning.
After they placed their orders, Organa pushed her wine to the side and leaned forward. "So what brings you to Coruscant, Mara?"
"Oh, just the Smuggler's Alliance." Mara had no idea how much she should reveal about her mission in front of Ben, who was hanging on to every word she said. "And some research at the archives." There. That was vague enough.
"At the palace?" Organa said. "How funny. Luke was just there this afternoon."
Mara snapped her head toward him. "You were using the archives? I thought they already gave you all the information about the Jedi a long time ago."
"They did. I was researching the building itself."
Right. Because it used to be the Jedi Temple. "You could've asked me. I used to live there, you know."
She didn't know why she said it, and wanted to smack herself as soon as the words were out of her mouth. She hadn't even had that much whyren's yet. Must be that damn Skywalker honesty rubbing off on her.
Luke bit back a smile at her rejoinder. "Well, I didn't think you'd want to talk about it."
She saw Organa and Solo share a glance, and then Solo jumped, as if his wife had nudged his side. "What?" he protested. "I didn't say anything!"
"You didn't say anything yet," Organa said.
Ben gazed up at her with eyes as wide as saucers. "You lived in the Imperial Palace? Did you work for the Empire?"
Mara swallowed hard. This would be so much easier if her conscience would let her lie to a kid. "Uh, yeah. I did. But that was a long time ago." Not long enough.
She glanced at her hands, afraid of what she'd see when she looked back at Ben. But his awed expression remained. "Wow! You got away from the Empire! You must be super strong, like Dad!"
Mara tried and failed to stop her cheeks from warming. "I don't know about that," she mumbled.
"Ben, let Mara have her drink in peace, okay?" Organa said in her most maternal tone.
"Okaaaay," he said, but he sucked down his own drink and greedily grabbed for the appetizer when it arrived.
Mara grabbed a piece of the fried vegetable, not caring what it was. "I hope that's not a problem," she said as casually as she could manage. "Me being in the Empire, I mean."
Organa raised her eyebrows. "Why would it be a problem?"
"I would think that would be obvious."
Organa sipped her wine. "A lot of people served the Empire in the past and realized their transgressions. That's why the New Republic has an amnesty program."
Which Mara had very deliberately not been a part of. The New Republic had, however, pardoned some high ranking Imperials, so maybe she wouldn't have been thrown in jail.
But maybe she should have been.
She clenched her fists at her sides, careful not to brush against Luke or Ben. The past was the past. She'd paid her penance in spades. Including now, at a family restaurant with Luke Skywalker and friends.
This was, quite possibly, the weirdest thing she'd ever done, and that was saying a lot.
She gave Organa a curt nod. "Thank you."
"Like I said, we're the ones who should be thanking you." Organa took another sip of her drink and turned to her brother. "So did you find anything interesting, Luke?"
He shook his head. "Sadly, no."
"Luke's been trying to figure out if there's a spot left in the palace for the Jedi," Organa explained.
"It's a moot point, anyway," Luke said, a forlorn look on his face. "There aren't even enough Jedi to fill a small room right now." He gave an exaggerated sigh.
Organa pointed at him with her fork. "You promised no training talk at dinner."
Luke held up his hands. "I said nothing!"
Solo snickered.
Mara stared at her drink, a sudden pang of guilt worming through her about refusing to train with Luke. He'd been given a mandate to pass on what he'd learned, but she'd continuously refused.
Well, it wasn't her responsibility. He had some students now, and Organa was busy with politics, and Ben would be training with him soon enough. Mara wasn't obligated to be a Jedi more than anyone else.
She cleared her throat, deciding to take back control of the conversation-if she'd ever had control. "So what brings you all to Coruscant?"
"Unfortunately, work," Organa said. "There's been some... rumblings about increased Imperial activity. We fear they will strike against Coruscant."
"Mom works for the Senate," Ben said with an important nod.
"I see," Mara replied. "We should talk later, Organa. The Smuggler's Alliance has been investigating similar rumors."
She held out a hand. "Leia, please."
Mara cleared her throat. That was going to be harder than referring to Luke by his given name. "Sure, Leia."
Solo stretched his arms wide across the back of the booth. "But you can keep calling me Captain Solo."
"She never did call you Captain, Dad!" Ben cackled as if that was the funniest thing in the universe.
Solo puffed out his chest. "That's cause she ain't ever flown the Falcon," he said with a wink. "What do you say, Jade? I can fly you out for a visit to Ossus for a round of sabacc."
Mara shook ahead, unable to keep the smirk off her face. "That's a nice offer, Solo, but I've got my own ship."
Ben perked up. "And it's so wizard!" He then proceeded to launch into a list of the Jade's Fire specs so accurate Mara didn't have to interrupt.
The rest of dinner passed without incident. Mara, to her chagrin, actually enjoyed herself. Kind of? The meal wasn't the best she'd ever had, but it was palatable, the whyren's was whyren's, and Ben passed out on his father's lap right before it was time to order dessert.
The server passed around smaller menus. Mara wasn't that hungry, but she wasn't about to pass up the decadent dessert the place was known for. "What do you say, Solo? Is the rhyscate any good?"
Solo snorted. "It's mass produced and inauthentic."
"But it still tastes amazing," Leia said with a smile. "Don't get a piece all to yourself, though. It's impossible to finish."
"That sounds like a challenge."
Luke chuckled. "I'll share with you, if you want," he said quietly, almost as if he was afraid she'd take offense.
Mara shrugged, not making a big deal out of it. They'd explored Moraband and stormed Mustafar together. Sharing a dessert was child's play.
Still, when the dessert came, she made it a point never to use her fork the same time he did.
"So what do you think?" Solo asked after Mara took a few bites. "Does it live up to your lofty standards?"
Mara made a non-committal noise around her mouthful of dessert. "Well, it's definitely not as good as the Corellian kind."
Solo clapped his hands and pointed at her. "That's what I've been saying! See, Jade knows her stuff. Kid, you better not scare her away. You need more friends."
"Han," Luke said, his tone mock-threatening. "Mara can make her own decisions."
Solo waved a hand. "Whatever."
Mara bit her lip, trying not to laugh or to protest, and was very grateful when Leia changed the topic of conversation. "Has the Smuggler's Alliance gotten any information about Grand Admiral Thrawn?"
She glanced at Ben, still fast asleep on his father's lap, a pile of drool forming in an inopportune spot on his trousers. She wiped rhyscate crumbs from the side of her mouth and sighed. "Not enough. That's why I was in the archives. I hoped something there might jar my memory."
"Did you ever meet Thrawn?" Luke asked. He pointed at the last piece of cake, gesturing for her to finish, but she held out a hand and shook her head. Even though the food had been merely adequate, she was stuffed.
"Only a few times, at Court." Mara sat back and placed her napkin on the table. "I was young then, and didn't understand the intricacies of Imperial politics."
Solo snorted. "I don't even think Palpatine understood that."
She couldn't deny it. "Even Karrde can't figure out where Thrawn has been and why it's taken him so long to return. We've had enough trouble with the Imperial remnants, not to mention the scattered Inquisitors." She grimaced, remembering those encounters before finding her way to Karrde's organization.
"We'll just have to be ready for him," Luke said, offering a grave nod to his sister.
Leia rolled her eyes in return. "Convincing the Senate of a new threat has been as much of a pain as you can imagine. At least Mon Mothma has been receptive, and the Defense Fleet has been re-deployed."
"That's good to hear," Mara said. She wished she could look at Luke without turning her head and being obvious. He hadn't shown much concern with galactic politics since Endor-at least as far as she knew. If he'd stuck around the New Republic, would any of those Imperials have dared to show their faces again? Probably. But at least he was there for them now.
Them. She grimaced at that slip of thought.
"I did find something else interesting," she continued. "Are you familiar with Admiral Vanross?"
Leia wrinkled her nose. "Vaguely. Pompous, territorial, and opportunistic."
"That describes him, all right. He used to be a part of Thrawn's fleet before his disappearance, and we now suspect he's part of the Shadow Council."
Solo frowned. "You think he's working with Thrawn now?"
"Either that, or he'll take advantage of everyone's focus on him to expand his territory."
"Neither of those sounds good," Leia said. "I'll bring his name up in my next briefing with General Syndulla."
Mara nodded, but vowed to continue her own research, as well. That was the beauty of the Smuggler's Alliance; they could focus on other threats when the New Republic was overwhelmed. Because if Thrawn did come back, the shrunken Defense Fleet would have its hands full, and Imps like Vanross would slip through the New Republic's fingers.
The server arrived with the check, and Leia provided her credit chit with such grace Mara would have bet she'd been trained in sleight of hand and other spy tricks.
Solo stretched his arms overhead and adjusted Ben so he could carry him out of the restaurant. "Can you come to dinner with us all the time, Jade? He hasn't been this behaved in months."
Leia waved him off. "Don't listen to him, Mara. Ben is a perfectly normal six year old."
"Yeah, which means he's a hellion."
"I wonder who he takes after."
Solo grinned. "Oh, definitely his mother."
Despite herself, Leia grinned back.
Mara couldn't help but grin, either. It was almost disconcerting how well she had fit with Luke's family during dinner. Talking politics with Leia, trading barbs with Solo, and answering non-stop questions from Ben. Meanwhile Luke sat quietly the whole time, not put out by her presence, but rather enjoying it. Like he could tell that she fit, too.
Well, that just meant she had a new group of friends. Nothing wrong with that. And the Organa-Solos were good allies for the Smuggler's Alliance, and she could provide valuable intel for the New Republic. It was a win-win situation all around.
She sighed as they rose from the table and filed out of the restaurant. There she went, thinking about personal relationships as transactional. She'd long stopped thinking that way regarding Luke, but apparently she had ways to go in other areas of her life.
As they exited the door, she turned to the others. "Thank you for the meal. It was surprisingly enjoyable."
Solo gestured at his chest with his free hand. "Rule number one: don't bet against me, Jade. I always provide a good time."
Mara gave a pointed glance at the wet spot on his trousers. "I'm sure you do, flyboy."
Leia threw her head back and cackled, while Luke smothered a laugh with his hand. Solo simply shook his head and patted Ben's hair. "See you around, Jade," he said, and she could sense he truly meant it.
Leia stepped forward and gave her a heartfelt but soft hug. "Thank you again for everything, Mara."
"Like I told Luke, no thanks are necessary," she said, pulling away as politely as possible. "It's the least I could do."
Leia nodded, but Mara could sense that she would always consider herself in Mara's debt. That thought wasn't as disconcerting as it should have been.
The Organa-Solos headed off, Ben still sound asleep over his father's shoulder. Mara smiled at him as they disappeared into the crowd, glad the boy was doing well.
Luke shifted on his feet behind her. "It's still early. Care to join me in a walk around the plaza?"
Mara moistened her lips as she turned around. Sharing a dinner with Luke's family was one thing. Sharing a walk alone with him was another. But their last two times together had been high stress and high stakes, and she craved the opportunity to just talk with him like a normal person. Especially without an audience. She nodded and motioned for him to lead the way.
"It's beautiful here," he said after a moment. "I didn't think it would be, not being able to see the stars."
"No need to see the stars when the planet itself is brighter than most of them in the sky," Mara responded, quoting the often-said idiom about the ancient capital.
"All I saw on Tatooine were stars. I couldn't wait to leave the planet and see them up close. I never thought I'd get to Coruscant, though. I used to say Tatooine was the farthest planet from the center of the universe, and here I am."
"You didn't miss much," Mara said, unable to keep the bitterness out of her voice. She'd thought her life in the palace was the height of luxury and sophistication, but it had all been a lie. "I would have liked the quiet."
Luke glanced at her. The plaza was so crowded they had to walk close together, their arms brushing against each other as they moved. "Maybe there's a happy medium."
"Maybe," Mara murmured in agreement.
"But neither of us got that."
"No." They'd had opposite childhoods, but here they were, in the same place, with similar demons. It still was so strange. But comforting that despite vast differences, beings of the galaxy could find comfort and solidarity.
"Thanks for coming to dinner again," Luke said. "It was the most fun we've had in a long time."
"Never bet against me," she teased, echoing Solo's earlier boast. "Do you have family dinners often?" She asked that as casually as she could manage, not wanting to pry into his personal life, but desperate to know how he felt about himself as part of the Jedi order.
"As much as we can with them on Chandrila and me on Ossus." He gave her a small smile. "Which is at least once a month now. Since Leia had business on Coruscant, I decided to join them and make it a family vacation."
Mara jerked away from him. "I interrupted a family trip?"
"No, you accepted an invitation to dinner. Don't worry, I'm taking Ben to some very loud children's museum tomorrow. I'd invite you, but I suspect your tolerance for children's activities only goes so far as The Rhyscate Room."
Mara shrugged. "Can't blame me. Never was around kids much." That came out more morbid than she intended.
If Luke noticed, he didn't mention it. "I told Leia."
He didn't have to specify what about. Mara was careful to look directly ahead. "I was wondering. She was okay with it?"
"Well, she invited you to dinner."
"She was raised in a castle, Luke. Protocol is her middle name. Of course she would invite me to dinner after rescuing her kid." Also to keep Mara close and make sure their secret was safe. It was what Mara would have done-a long ago.
"She was upset at first, but she understood why I wanted to tell you. And she trusts me, so therefore she trusts you."
That was an odd thought. Mara found that she trusted Leia, too-and not simply because she was Luke's sister. "You should give her my comm. If Thrawn is coming back, we'll need to chat more than just at dinner."
And she didn't say it, but it would be nice to have another friend outside Karrde's organization.
If they could gossip about Luke, even better.
Luke nodded. "I'll do that." He pointed at a nearby food booth. "I know we just had rhyscate, but could you go for a second dessert?"
Mara followed his gaze. The booth sold brightly lit popsicles that looked like they'd give the consumer radiation poisoning. "Is that legal?"
"Dunno, but they taste delicious." He grabbed her elbow and guided her forward before she could protest. "I bet you never had one of these while you were the Emperor's Hand."
"I bet you never had one of these on Tatooine," she shot back.
"Are you kidding? We were lucky to get enough water from the vaporators. Uncle Owen would have killed me if I'd used our precious power to freeze it, much less color it."
"Well that's another thing we have in common. A lack of childhood treats."
"Time to rectify that." Luke paid the vendor and held out two glow pops, one blue and one green. "Do you have a preference?"
Green matched her eyes... and his lightsaber, which she just realized was not hanging from his belt. She couldn't imagine him going without it, so he must have placed it inside his jacket, to avoid attention. Interesting, that.
She snatched the blue glow pop out of his hand and deliberately broke eye contact when she took her first lick. Damn it, he was right. "This is disgustingly sweet."
"Told you," Luke mumbled around a mouthful of glow pop. "Han talks a big game, but really, it's me you shouldn't bet against."
She could swear she saw him wink as he took a bite of the glow pop.
Okay, that was definitely flirting, and she was definitely going to ignore it.
They strolled around the plaza, stopping at street entertainers and marveling at the mountain peak Umate. Nobody seemed to recognize Luke, and he seemed pleased with the anonymity. They talked about everything and nothing at all, the crowd covering up their conversation, making her freer with her words. The former Jedi temple shone in the distance and he kept glancing toward it, as if he still couldn't believe he was here.
Mara could sympathize.
Finally, they finished their slow loop around the plaza. Mara stifled a yawn and then cursed herself; it was barely 22:00. Luke gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry for boring you."
She elbowed him. "It's not you. I've been up early with meetings. I guess it caught up to me." Not to mention the mental energy she'd expended being around Luke's family. How could something so normal make her feel so exhausted? She wasn't used to it, and that made her more melancholy than it should.
She pointed behind Luke. "That's my hotel."
Luke nodded, a slight frown gracing his lips. "Mine's across the plaza." He glanced to his feet and bit his lip. "I had a good time tonight, Mara."
"Me, too," she said, and she wasn't just being polite. Despite the awkwardness, she hadn't enjoyed herself that much in a long time. Especially once the rest of the clan had gone home and she and Luke had the chance to talk by themselves.
She definitely wasn't ready to interrogate what that meant.
"Keep me updated if you hear anything about you-know-who, okay?" She didn't want to sully their good-bye with talk of Imperials, but it was important.
He nodded. "You, too. And I'll give Leia your comm."
She nodded back. "Well, have a good night."
"Good night," Luke responded... and then he opened his arms and pulled her into a hug.
She almost stiffened against him, but then she forced herself to relax, like she had after Moraband. That had been him giving a friend what they needed, but she could sense that this was different. This hug was his for his sake as well, because she was his friend, and despite the fact that they rarely saw each other, he was going to miss her when she was gone.
She wrapped her arms around him, feeling the same way. Perhaps she should make it a point to see him more often.
If only that didn't mean visiting him at his training temple. If only that didn't mean reminding herself of what she spent so much time avoiding.
She was the first to pull away, her eyes drifting up to meet Luke's. He stared at her with such intensity she almost flinched. But his gaze was kind and caring, and the smile that graced his lips was as soft as she'd ever seen.
"Good night," she said.
"Good night," he replied, so soft she could barely hear him over the noise within the plaza. He squeezed her hand and turned around, his Force sense brushing hers in another silent farewell.
And as she watched him walk away, it hit her. Why she was so scared of training with him on Ossus. Why she refused to take that final step and realize her true potential in the Force.
She was attracted to him. Had been since the first time they spoke in Mount Tantiss.
It wasn't simply that she wanted to kriff him, although that was an embarrassingly large part of it. He was a handsome man, and beings of all species and genders wouldn't mind sleeping with the hero of the galaxy.
But this was different. She wanted to know everything about him. She wanted to hold his heart in hers. She wanted to take down her shields and show him the part of her mind only darkness had seen. To tell him how his kindness helped bring her back to life, that his ever-present belief proved there were still things in the galaxy worth fighting for.
All that was impossible.
He might have decided to get rid of the attachment rule, but was he willing to risk that sort of distraction for himself, knowing the eyes of the galaxy were upon him? That it was up to him to rebuild the Jedi Order his own father had helped destroy? That even a lifetime wouldn't be long enough to achieve the mandates placed upon him?
She couldn't risk that sort of rejection.
And if she did bare her soul to Luke Skywalker, wouldn't she feel obligated to follow his path? He needed someone with whom he could share the Force, but she couldn't become a Jedi just to please him.
She just wasn't ready.
She didn't know if she ever would be.
Instead of going into her hotel, she strode back the way she'd come through the plaza and glared at the invisible stars in the night sky. She was supposed to stay on Coruscant one more night, but she'd already finished her meetings, and she'd find nothing else about Thrawn here. Might as well go back to her ship and get a jump start back to her next meetings on the Errant Venture.
Then she wouldn't risk running into the SkySolo clan again.
She could kick herself for being so stupid. Her feelings about Luke shouldn't matter. For the first time in her life, she was in charge of her own destiny, and she liked her life. She had a mentor, a crew, even friends. Luke was her friend. She'd made amends with her past and her demons were finally starting to disappear. Founding the Smuggler's Alliance wasn't the future she would have chosen when she'd lived on Coruscant, but she'd made it for herself, and it was hers.
So why did walking away from Luke hurt so much?