5

The Dance

Chapter One

Mara sighed wearily as she entered her apartment. It had been a grueling day. The lightsaber practices that morning had been extremely grueling. Mara had been in the library, working on her thesis when a computer glitch shut down all the workstations. To top it off, she engaged in another one of her 'discussions' with Skywalker. A warm bath was just what she needed after a day like this one.

As the water filled the tub, she sprinkled bath salts that Leia had given her. Mara started removing her boots when a bright light from the hologram flashed, indicating an incoming message.

Mara groaned. Please. Don't let this be anything serious, she thought as she pressed the ANSWER key.

An image of a protocol droid appeared before her. "Miss Jade?"

"Yes," she yawned.

"Sorry to bother you at this late hour, Miss Jade." The droid stated in a pleasant, but professional tone. "It has come to our attention that your storage space is up for renewal. Do you still wish to maintain your account?"

"Yes. I'll be in tomorrow to make a payment."

"Excellent, Miss Jade. We will see you then. Have a good night."

Mara rubbed the back of her neck. She wondered why she even needed to rent that space. There were only a few items in it. Just some old clothes, an antique knife she had won in a sabacc game, a few trinkets she had purchased on a trip to Naboo.

And a gift.

Feeling relaxed after her bath, Mara dressed in a long, white sleeveless nightdress. She decided to practice Jedi meditation before going to bed. As she slipped deeper into her trance, her subconscious mind opened to a memory that she had buried long ago.

Sensuous music soon filled the large Ballroom. What was the dance? Of course, it was the A'Valtna. Mara smiled. It had been a very long time since she danced that with an esteemed individual.

Images of a man and a woman appeared in her thoughts. He was tall, with black hair and a muscular build. The woman had long, flowing red hair, dressed in a floor-length shimmering silk dress with soft, satin heels on her feet.

The man bowed, and the woman did a slight curtsey. He took her arm, and the two danced a few steps before releasing her arm. She turned her back to him, where he placed his hand around her waist, with her free hand on his shoulder. They danced in perfect harmony while gazing into each other's eyes.

Then suddenly, he placed both hands on her waist to lift her in the air, twirling her around. A small gasp escaped her lips. Once she landed on her feet, he whispered into her ear.

"When I do this again, pretend you are flying."

They danced a few more steps. Once again, he lifted her into the air. This time, the woman stretched her arms, threw her head back, and laughed.

Yes. It was like flying.

When the dance ended, his arms were around her waist, and hers were around his neck. They stared into each other's eyes. Then, he took her face into his hands and shared a passionate kiss.

"Sebastian," Mara whispered.

The sound of his name jolted Mara out of her meditation. Her face was flushed, beads of sweat on her forehead. She got up, entered the fresher, and splashed cool water on her face. After Mara toweled off, she walked to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. The liquid was flat and warm, but Mara did not care.

Mara was back in her bedroom. She stared out the window onto the city. It was late. Besides the occasional air taxi that flew by, the city was quiet. She took another sip of water before getting into bed. Mara closed her eyes and returned to her past, to that day in the Imperial Palace where she served as The Emperor's Hand.

A memory that Mara had buried deep inside her consciousness had now returned.

THE EMPEROR'S PALACE IMPERIAL CITY YEARS AGO

Mara walked confidently down the long hallway to the Emperor's Throne Room. She had successfully infiltrated the operation of a weapons dealer suspected of supplying arms to the Rebels. Not only did she discover this was true but had uncovered a secret Rebel base. Palpatine sent Darth Vader to arrest the dealer and destroy the compound which yielded success for the Empire.

The Royal Guard opened the doors to the Throne Room, allowing her to enter. She knelt before Palpatine; head lowered in respect to her Master.

"Greetings Master."

"I am very pleased with your work, my dear," Palpatine said. "Your discovery of the Rebel base gave us a glorious victory. I am proud of you."

"Thank you, Master."

"Rise, my child."

Mara rose slowly. She noticed that Lord Vader was nearby. Mara gave him a nod in greeting, but he did not respond. Vader seemed suspicious of her. Why would he, she thought? They both had the same objective: to serve the emperor. Perhaps he saw her as competition. Something about his presence made Mara feel slightly nervous.

"Tell me my dear. What is your purpose in life?"

"To serve you, my Master." The question struck her as odd. Why would he ask such a thing?

"I am glad to hear that, my dear." His icy tone made her somewhat nervous. "It would not be wise to have any other interests than my own."

"I have always obeyed your orders, Master," she said. Her confident manner did nothing to calm her anxiety. Mara was confused. What was he talking about?

With a wave of his hand, the doors opened. A young man, slightly older than Mara, was led in by the Emperor's Royal Guards. He wore a basic training uniform. His hands were cuffed together.

Mara recognized him from a brief encounter the week before. Mara was en-route to the transport area. She saw the man, escorted by two high-level officers and stormtroopers, and stepped to the side to let them pass. He gave her a little smile, along with a nod. To her surprise, she returned the gesture, but not the smile. However, at that one moment, Mara had a moment of compassion towards him.

The encounter had been witnessed by Ysanne Isard, a newly commissioned Imperial Lieutenant, and daughter of the emperor's internal security director. Despite her low-level status, Isard was ambitious. She was suspicious of all the women who spent time with the emperor, especially Mara Jade.

"Lieutenant Isard told Vader that you both seemed to know one another," Palpatine said.

"I only saw this man for the first-time last week when I was headed to transport," Mara asserted. Her voice was calm and steady. She had done nothing wrong.

"We did not speak to each other," the young man stated in a strong, yet defiant tone. "It would have been reported if we did."

Palpatine observed Mara and the young man. He did not sense any form of betrayal from her. There was no reason to suspect anything but loyalty from his servant.

"Mara," he uttered. "This is Sebastian Al'Guion, the son of Duke Tirenne and Duchess Selah of the Qui'Tan System."

Palpatine waved his hand in Mara's direction. "This is Mara Jade. She is a loyal servant. In time, you will come to serve me with unquestioned loyalty."

"I agreed to serve you to spare my family and my people. I expect you to keep your promise."

His defiant tone shocked Mara. No one spoke to the emperor much less give him orders. She was angry, but, to her surprise, grudging respect.

"My father supported you during the Clone Wars. He would never betray you," Sebastian said. "I am here to show you that I and my family are loyal to you."

"Your father failed to follow my orders to subdue the Rebel base in the Qui'Tan System," Palpatine stated. "For all I know, he is one of them."

"My father is not a Rebel," he shouted, eyes blazed in anger. "How dare you accuse my father of treason." Sebastian took a step toward the emperor. Palpatine unleashed his rage upon the young man. The man dropped to the floor, his face twisted in pain and agony.

"Return him to his quarters," the emperor said to Vader. "Double the guards around him."

"He should be eliminated, Master," Vader stated.

"No," Palpatine shook his head. "I have plans for him. Take him back to his quarters."

Vader motioned to the guards. Two of them dragged the man out of the Throne Room, the Dark Lord following close behind.

The door closed. Mara faced her Master. "He was foolish to think he could defy you."

"Yes," he nodded.

"Master," Mara said. "Lieutenant Isard is not fond of me," she radiated hostility at the mention of the woman's name. "In fact, she hates me. She is suspicious of my service to you. Isard will do anything to further her own agenda."

"I see," Palpatine nodded. Do not concern yourself with her. I will handle the matter." His cold gaze rested upon Mara. "You are such an asset to me. I hope you will never be foolish like him."

"No Master," she insisted, in a confident tone. "That will never happen. I am here to serve you."

The corners of his mouth lifted upward. Her will was his to control.

"Excellent my dear. As a reward for your successful mission, I want you to enjoy some free time, as you did when you eliminated Jeodu Dequc. You will receive a large sum of credits for your work."

"Thank you, Master."

"Report back to me in two weeks. You may leave, my child."

Mara bowed. As she left the Throne Room, she thought about the events that had just transpired. The emperor taught her a lesson.

Q Mara had learned it well.

Mara sighed. She drank the last of the water. It was well after midnight, and she had another busy day ahead of her. Mara was to meet with her friends at dinner tomorrow evening.

Mara climbed into bed. She was soon fast asleep. All memories of Sebastian had disappeared.

For now.