CHAPTER EIGHT
Corsucant-Present Day
Larsen Paz ran his fingers through his grey hair, shaking his head in disgust and frustration. In all his years of being Head of the Transport Area, he had his share of horrible days. Today was one of those days.
A young freight employee stopped transporting cargo next to The Jade's Fire. Larsen looked up from his datapad to see the man starting to load his payload on the conveyor belt. "Hey," he shouted. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"
The young man looked confused. "I'm supposed to put this on the ship."
Larsen studied the identifier that was on the top of the cargo. "Did you look check the hangar number?" His boss's pleasant but sarcastic tone made the young man squirm.
"Hang…hanger Bay 54." The man looked like a schoolboy caught daydreaming by his teacher.
"Look again," Larsen ordered. "Read it out loud."
"Oh, Hanger Bay 45."
"Is this Hanger Bay 45?" Larsen asked in a sweet, but condescending voice.
"Um, no Sir," he stammered. "It isn't."
"Then go bring it to Hanger Bay 45," he yelled. He grabbed the man by the shoulder, turned him around, and pushed him toward the right direction. The young man jumped into his vehicle and sped off.
Larsen shook his head. A loud thud made him turn his attention to the ramp. A droid dropped a precious item onto the ramp of the ship. "Hey," he shouted at one of them. "Be careful with that. It's a delicate item. Not a shock ball."
"Problems, Larsen?"
Larsen smiled when he saw Mara Jade, one of his favorite pilots. She greeted him with her hand on her hip and with a sympathetic look on her face.
"I got nothing but. It's only mid-morning, and this day is already shot to hell. My assistant has been out sick for the last three days. One of my transport guys wanted to celebrate his LifeDay with about five of his co-workers. They all called in sick. Some of the droids are not functioning. I have to send them back for reprogramming. That's the third time this month that's happened. To top it all off, I've got the first delegation from the Qui'Tan System arriving in an hour. Ten ships will arrive, and I don't have enough hangar space for them. Its days like this I want to throw in the towel and retire."
"So, why don't you?"
"What? And miss out on all the fun?" Larsen's deadpan response made Mara laugh. "Hey, I don't know if I told you. Milla and I have been invited to the Celebration Ball."
"That's great," Mara replied, with a smile.
"She wants a dress from that lady tailor, the one who makes dresses for wealthy and women like Senator Organa-Solo." He snapped his fingers. "What's her name?"
"Jena D'lan," Mara responded.
"Yeah, her. The dress will be pricey," Larsen stated. A smile crosses his face. "Ah, well, so what? She deserves it."
Mara was deeply moved whenever he spoke of his wife, Milla. It was the same expression that Han used whenever he mentioned Leia. She was always amazed that people could still be deeply in love even after so many years of marriage. That was something she would probably never experience in her life.
"Hey, what about you?" Larsen pointed to her with his data-pad. "Are you going?"
Mara shrugged. The awkward conversation between her and Luke was still fresh in her memory. "I haven't decided yet. I don't usually go to these functions."
"Yeah, well, us neither." Larsen stuck in nose in the air as he took on a snobbish tone. "Milla and I will be hob-knobbing with the hoi-polloi."
"Oh, how marvelous," Mara imitated his manner and tone. "Perhaps we can have a glass of champagne and discuss which summer homes to buy on Plazine 4."
The two laughed. "Say," Larsen asked. "I thought you weren't working for Karrde anymore?"
"I'm just doing this as a favor to him," she nodded. "The Ultans asked for me, so, I thought I'd help him."
"Yoo-hoo… Mara!"
Mara squeezed her eyes tight as she cringed in pain. The high-pitched voice of Kaina Ultan was enough to wipe out a herd of tauntauns. She took a moment to compose herself before greeting her passengers.
"There you are my dear," Kaina exclaimed. Before Mara could speak, the woman wrapped her arms around Mara's torso so tight that she thought she might faint. Kaina slightly lifted Mara off her feet. The woman was the same height as Mara and had a slender frame, but her strength rivaled that of a strong man, a trait common among the Calaxian people. Mara was on the ground, the grateful woman planted a friendly kiss on Mara's cheek.
"Oh, Mara, you don't know how happy we are to have you as our pilot," she said, excitedly. Kaina clapped her hands, her eyes filled with happiness. She looked more like a child in a toy store than a distinguished, wealthy woman.
Binz Ultan, Kaina's husband, smiled broadly as he approached her. "Mara Jade," he exclaimed, "how good it to see you again."
Before Mara could speak, Binz kissed her on the cheek before and grabbed her hand, squeezing it so tight that she thought he would crush it. He spoke in rapid fire as he vigorously shook her hand.
"You don't know how relieved we are that you are in charge. I remember how you outran those horrible pirates on our last mission."
Binz looked at Larsen as he recounted the story. "You would not have believed how smart and courageous this young lady was to protect us and our cargo. I've never seen such a calm and cool person under such pressure. She's the very best pilot in the galaxy." He released her hand, and Mara hid it behind her back, gently massaging her hand on her rear end to relieve the pain.
"I don't know about that," she quietly responded, a frozen smile on her face.
"Karrde suggested other pilots," he continued. Binz held his hands up, waving them back and forth. "NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, I said. It's Mara Jade or no one. I wouldn't think of having anyone else take us back to Calaxia with such a precious shipload as ours."
"Guess what?" Kaina blurted. "We have a special treat planned for you tonight."
Oh gosh, she thought. What could this be?
"My grandson, Win, has been chosen to play Luke Skywalker in his class production of the Battle of Endor. He will show you his performance after dinner, isn't that wonderful?"
"Joy," Mara muttered under her breath. There are enough credits to make up for this.
"My daughter-in-law, Armelle, is preparing dinner tonight." Her tone did not hide the disdain she had towards the woman. "Let's hope she won't ruin it like she has in the past," she groaned and rolled her eyes.
"Now, dear," Binz gave his wife a stern look. "You promised you were going to make an effort to be nice. She is our son's wife, and mother to our grandchildren."
"I just don't see why she can't hire a culinary droid to prepare dinner," Kaina frowned and folded her arms across her chest like an angry child. "I'll never understand why Gerrit married her."
"Kaina," Binz's eyes tightened in exasperation. It was a subject he had grown very tired of hearing. Her loathing of Armelle was a source of friction between them.
But Kaina ignored him and continued. "Gerrit had his choice of wonderful young women, but he had to fall in love with some receptionist at the hospital he works in." She fumed, as she shook her head. "He could have married a doctor, a scientist, or even a med-tech, someone who was his intellectual equal. Our other children did. Oh, Mara! If only he had met you first. You could've been my daughter-in-law."
Mara shuttered. Just the idea of being a member of their family made her want to jump out of her skin. "Shall we be on our way?" Mara immediately changed the subject, eager to finish this mission.
She watched them walk up the ramp. Larsen touched her shoulder. "I put a bottle of Corellian whiskey in the galley of your ship" he whispered.
"I owe you big time," she whispered out of the corner of her mouth.
As Mara settled into the pilot seat, she activated the hologram to contact Luke's office. A moment later, the image of Luke's trusted droid, Artoo, appeared.
"Hi Artoo. Can I speak to Luke?"
The droid beeped several times in response. "Oh," she said, disappointed. "He's in meetings all day. Well, can you do me a favor?"
Artoo gave her an affirmative whistle. "Tell him that I'm doing a favor for Karrde. I'm taking the Ultans back to Calaxia. I'm staying for dinner, and won't be back until late." She sighed for a moment. "Tell Luke I need to speak to him and Leia before the Royal Visit. Thanks, Artoo." The droid gave her his promise before the message ended.
Once they had jumped into hyperspace, Mara leaned back in her chair. Mara gently rubbed her lips with her forefinger. Her thoughts drifted back to Qui'Tan, Sebastian and their first kiss.
The Qui'Tan System – Years Earlier
Mara was working underneath the control panel of her ship when she heard a familiar voice on the hologram.
"Mara, are you there?"
"Right here, Karrde." Mara stood up and plopped down in the pilot chair.
"How are you feeling?"
"Terrific. I've never felt better."
"Well, no wonder," Karrde smiled. "You're living on a tropical paradise planet, waited on hand and foot. It will be hard for you to return to work.."
"I seriously doubt that," she laughed.
"Did you get those contracts and datapads on that deal that Lando is putting together?"
"I got them yesterday, but haven't had a chance to study them. I'll do it this evening."
"How are the repairs coming?"
"Everything is going well. We are slightly ahead of schedule."
"That's good to hear, but take some time off."
Mara laughed. "I have been, thanks to Sebastian. He takes me swimming or blaster practice. I learned how to shoot Qui'Tanian archery."
"Sounds like you two are getting to be good friends." Karrde winked, as he chuckled.
Mara bristled. "Very funny Talon." She responded in a deadpan manner. "I'll look at those contracts tonight."
"Will do. Talk to you soon."
Mara leaned back in her chair. She and Karrde would tease one another from time to time. However, this time was different. Mara grew fond of Sebastian, but something about their friendship troubled her.
"Mara?"
She turned around. Jex was standing in the doorway. "What is it?"
"We have a problem. There's a massive storm on Nuvenna. No ship is allowed to land or leave. That means the panels won't arrive this afternoon."
"How long do they think the storm will last?"
"Hard to say, but judging from the reports, we're looking at two, no more than three days tops. It looks as though we have to halt the work."
"Very well," Mara nodded. "Let's go tell the crew."
Mara walked back to the Palace. As she got closer, she saw Sebastian on the front steps talking to man, wearing trendy, expensive clothing. He said something that made the two men laugh.
Sebastian glanced up and waved to Mara. His eyes narrowed. "Young lady," he joked. "Are you ignoring you duties?"
"I decided to sneak out to mark the Sabacc cards," she teased.
"That's why you keep winning," he laughed, glancing over to his friend.
"No," Mara shook her head while playfully punching him in his arm. "You're are a lousy card player."
Everyone laughed. Sebastian gave her a playful slap on her back. She responded by side-kicking him on his bottom with the heel of her boot. The two had engaged in playful hijinks whenever they competed against each other.
"You two appear to be getting along well," the man observed.
"Mara, I'd like to introduce you to my dear friend, Marcus Krille," Sebastian said.
"So this is the incredible Mara Jade. It is an honor to meet you," Marcus said, extending his hand.
Mara took his hand. Her smile grew small as a suspicious feeling reverberated through her consciousness. His pleasant demeanor made her uncomfortable.
"Marcus and I have been friends since childhood," Sebastian continued. "He's like a brother to me. Imagine my surprise when he arrived unannounced."
"How nice," Mara muttered.
"I thought you were going to be working all day," Sebastian asked.
"There's a delay in the delivery of the panels," she replied. "But, the good news is we're ahead of schedule. The Jade's Fire will be ready to leave after the Inaugural."
"Oh," he paused. "That's good to hear," he said quietly.
Her news had caught him off guard. Sebastian looked down while Mara took a breath. Marcus shifted his eyes from one to the other. "I'm sure you can persuade Miss Jade to stay a little longer." Marcus knew how his friend felt towards Mara. "You may decide to spend more time here," he reasoned
"I have to get back to work," Mara replied, softly, but firmly.
"If anyone can convince you to stay, it is my friend," Marcus gestured to Sebastian. "Now, if you will excuse me, I must leave. My Aunt Cora is hosting a dinner tonight, and I promised her I would be on time." I'd love to stay longer, but I must leave for Corellia," Marcus said. "My Aunt Cora is hosting a dinner tonight, and I promised to be on time."
"Give her my best," Sebastian said. He and Marcus shared a brotherly hug.
"Wonderful to have met you Miss Jade," Marcus gave her a smug smile. "You are a very beautiful woman. But, I'm sure you hear that often."
"Thank you," she muttered.
Marcus climbed into the air limo and departed. "Would you like to have lunch with me and mother?"
"Yes," she nodded. "I'll go and freshen up."
Mara walked to her quarters. What was it about Marcus that troubled her? She did not like when strangers were overtly friendly. Sebastian had known him for years. Perhaps Marcus was trying to impress her? Whatever it was, Mara would do what she always did in situations like this. Keep a close eye on the person to determine whether they are a threat. If they are, take the appropriate steps to destroy them.
After lunch, Mara and Sebastian strolled along the path to the Gardens. "So, you and Marcus were friends since childhood," Mara inquired.
"Marcus, and his sister, Darby, were the children of Brennon and Aria Krille. Their father was the Director of Security for the region. They took classes with us, along with a few other children. We soon grew to be best friends."
"As I said, Father and Palpatine had been friends for many years. He had been one of his biggest supporters. Because of that, the Emperor left us alone." Sebastian's voice turned ominous. "Then, one day, he paid us a visit."
"What happened?"
Sebastian shook his head. "He was treated with the utmost respect. Then, during dinner, he told Father that he was going to establish a small base here in the capitol city. Palpatine stated he wanted a stronghold in this region. My father had no alternative but to agree."
"Then, he saw the Ancient Artifacts."
Sebastian lowered his voice. His tone turned sad, mixed with a touch of anger. "As my father told him the history behind the Ancient Artifacts, Palpatine decided that it would be an excellent addition to his private collection. My father, as well as the clerics, was stunned. He tried to dissuade him, saying it was a religious icon, important to our people, but the Emperor became hostile. Several clerics, including Melchik, vehemently protested, but he unleashed his fury upon them. Everyone was horrified at his actions. The Emperor told my father if he wished to continue their friendship, and secure the safety and health of his family, of his people, then it was in his interest not to protest."
"That must have been a tough decision for your father to make," Mara observed. She knew that her former Master was not one for idle threats.
"It was," Sebastian acknowledged. "The Ancient Artifacts were boarded onto the Imperial cruiser at the end of his visit. The Emperor then informed my father the Imperial outpost would begin its operations by the end of the next month."
"That was Palpatine's way of keeping an eye on your father," Mara added. "He wanted to make ensure that he remained loyal to the Empire."
"That's what my father and others believed as well," Sebastian nodded in agreement. "It was small garrison, a handful of personnel and a small group of Stormtroopers all commanded by Captain Rayna Daz. She had graduated at the top of her class, and had shown herself competent and worthy of such a promotion. We were surprised to find that she was only in her mid-twenties. Father thought it odd that someone so young was given such responsibility at such an age.
"That is unusual," Mara observed. "Rarely does anyone get that type of promotion unless they had done something extraordinary."
"About a week after she arrived, she was invited to dine with my family, along with other guests. She was professional, cordial and respectful to everyone. That is, until one of the other guests mentioned that they had received an invitation to the upcoming wedding of Cyra Luxle, daughter of General Hamish Luxle to Captain Breccan Villon."
"Oh no," Mara grimaced at the mention of that officer. "Not Captain 'Lady's Man' Villon?"
"You know of him?"
Mara laughed. "He fancied himself as the 'Galaxy's gift to women.' It was an open secret that he enjoyed the company of the female sex. I met him at a party at the Palace, He started to show interest in me, wanting for us to sneak away to 'talk privately.' However, the Emperor took notice, and called him over to speak to him. He said," Mara imitated the cold voice of her former Master. 'Turn your eyes elsewhere, Captain, for she belongs to me.'"
Sebastian shuttered at the artificial tone of her voice. "I take it he heeded the warning?"
"He never looked at me again," she laughed. "Did Daz say anything about Villon?"
"No. She left soon after dinner. My mother saw her to the door. Before she left, Daz gave a cryptic message to my mother. 'Be careful, my Lady,' she warned. 'The Imperial friends you seem to believe in are the ones who will betray you in the end.'"
"That was a risky thing to say," Mara observed. "That could have been misinterpreted as a threat to the Emperor."
"Mother though so too, but wasn't sure what to make of it. Captain Daz was cordial to my family, yet distant. It was years later when we finally got the full story."
"What was that?"
Sebastian was about to explain when he was interrupted by an angry male voice that came from the direction of the Garden Terrace
"NO, NO, NO!"
"Someone's not in a good mood." Mara glanced down the path where the sound came from.
Sebastian touched Mara's arm. "Come on," he gestured with his head in that direction. "Let's check it out."
They walked down the steps and along the path until they came to the edge of the entrance to the private grounds. An older man, wearing a bright red shirt, and black pants, stood before a group of teenagers. A female dancer, dressed in a long black skirt and a white sleeveless top, shook her head in disgust.
The man angrily shook his fist as he addressed the group. "That is not how it's done," he yelled. He then walked to the center of the dance floor. The man stretched out his arms, his heels together. "Now," he announced. "Watch me as Mistress Kavan and I demonstrate the dance once again, for the hundredth time."
The quartet began to play. The two joined hands and started to dance. Mara recognized it as a variation of another dance known as the A'Valtna. It was a relatively simple dance to learn. However, the students had other ideas. Some giggled loudly, while others mocked the dance with exaggerated movements.
"Young people," the man fumed. "Just how are you going to be ready to perform at the Inaugural?"
Sebastian chuckled. "That's Master Avron T'ra, the Artistic Director of our Dance Company. After the Inaugural ceremony, the governors, their spouses, and guests will gather before the luncheon to watch the performance," Sebastian explained.
Mistress Kavan was the first to see them. She tapped Master T'ra on the arm. He was about to yell at her, when she pointed the entrance. As soon as he saw who their visitors were, he bowed, along Kavan and the students.
"Your Grace, Miss Jade, it is an honor it is to have you here to watch us practice." He sternly gazed at his students. "That is, if my students will cooperate."
"Master T'ra, may I say a few words?" Sebastian asked, in a polite tone.
The man bowed as he waved his hand to the group. "The floor is yours, Sir."
Mara was amused as she watched Sebastian address the students, in a formal, yet mischievous look in his eyes. "Ladies and gentlemen, you have been chosen to perform at the Inaugural. It is a great honor, not to be taken lightly."
Sebastian glanced over to Mara and winked. He was up to something, but was not sure what.
"This is the problem," he continued. "Master T'ra and Mistress Kavan have done an excellent job in giving you instruction. However, what you need to see how the dance is performed by someone other than you dance instructor."
Sebastian walked over to Mara, took her hand and led her to the middle of the dance floor. "Mistress Jade and I will show you how to do it."
"Sebastian," Mara protested in a hushed tone. "We can't do this," she said in a hushed tone.
"Of course we can," he whispered. "You saw how it was done. It's relatively simple. Come on, let's have some fun."
Sebastian was graceful, with an agility she had never experienced with a partner. Mara half-closed her eyes and allowed herself to get caught up in the music as well as his embrace. The affection she had for him filled her senses. It was different from when they were on Devoltan. What was going on?
The audience applauded when the dance ended. Mara was startled out of her daydream. She composed herself, as an awkward smile on her face.
"Wonderful, Your Grace." Master T'ra applauded. "You and Mistress Jade performed beautifully. Thank you again for your help."
"You are quite welcome," Sebastian responded. "I know your students will give a splendid performance. We are looking forward to it."
"Thank you again, Sir," Master T'ra bowed. "Very well, students. Let's try it again."
Mara and Sebastian giggled as they left the grounds. "He certainly is a perfectionist."
"That's why the Dance Company is successful. Speaking of the Inaugural…."
Mara was surprised to find Sebastian was no longer his confident self, but rather timid as he tried to think of what to say next. She noticed that he was blushing, and nervously rubbed his hands.
"Would..would you be my consort for the Inaugural Ball later that evening?"
Mara pressed her lips to keep herself from laughing. She could never totally understand how some men could be so brave to go to war, yet timid around women.
"Yes," she softly replied. "I would be honored."
Sebastian smiled. "Thank you, Mara." Before she could say anything, he gently took her hands, pulled her close, and kissed her.
Mara was stunned. No man had ever kissed her with so much passion. She slowly pulled away in a daze.
The comlink beeped. "Sebastian?"
"Yes, Father. I'm here."
"Have you forgotten about the meeting on the Fourth Sector? We leave in less than an hour."
"I will be in your office in a few minutes," he replied as the conversation ended. "Sorry Mara. I have to leave, and will be gone for a few days. But," Sebastian shook his finger at her. "We will play holo-chess when I get back."
"Be prepared to lose," Mara joked.
Mara stood on the balcony outside of her room. The cool breeze felt pleasant on her face. The moonlight illuminated on the ocean. It was late, but she could not sleep. All she could think about was Sebastian and the kiss.
Sebastian will be gone for the next few days, she thought. I can sort through my feelings. But, I know what I have to do.