Leia was not happy. It seemed a few people she consider friends were keeping things from her. She also sure her husband knew more then he was saying. She knew he had drinks with her brother a little over two weeks ago.

Then when Lando returned from ever he and Mara Jade had disapeared to, Han, Chewie and Lando had all gone out to get drinks. All she had been able to gather was that Lando had run into Luke and he and Mara were off somewhere. Lando said it wasn't his place to say.

She had contacted Karrde and he would not tell her where they were and what they were doing. Said Mara mission for him was private. He also told her that if her brother wanted her to know he would tell her.

There were a lot of people who wanted her brother on Coruscant. Even she felt him taking up an advisory role would help him stay safer.

She also did not want to see him and Mara becoming closer. Several Senators had expressed their concern about the rummers of a relationship between the two. Leia had assured them that they were not based on any truth. That's why she had been happy to hear they had not been in touch with each other in a while.

Now they were both off on some mission to who knows where doing who knows what. She and Han had a big fight over Luke. Han had told her that she needed to back off and let Luke run his own life. She had no say in the matter.

She had just finished with a meeting with General Cracken. He did not even know where her brother was. Luke had gotten good at avoiding drawing attention to himself.

Her office door opened, and Winter walked in. "Your Highness, I take it the meeting did not go well."

"No Cracken has no idea what Mara's mission is or what Luke has been up to. He is getting too good at avoiding people when he wants too." replied Leia.

"Did you ever consider that whatever Master Skywalker is doing is not your business. Trust him to do the right thing. He will come home when he is ready."

"The problem is that I don't agree with his actions lately. He seems to be pulling away. There are those also who worry he is getting to independant. There is also the rummers of him and Mara Jade."

"I thought you liked Mara?"

"I do but I am not sure she is right for Luke."

"That is for him to decide, your Highness."

"Do I have anything else or am I free to go home and spend time with my kids?"

"General Cracken was your last meeting. Your schedule is clear."

"OK, let's head out."

L/M

Mara was in the pilot chair while Luke was in the Delta 7. They had come under attack when they came out of hyperspace to make a course adjustment before entering hyperspace again.

Luckily all the ships attacking were smaller and not has well-armed has Luke's ship. Between her flying, K4's shooting and Luke's flying of the fighter they were doing pretty good.

"OK K4, the last ship is making it's escape. It is damaged and I'm not sure it can safely enter hyperspace. Let it go and you and R2 start checking for damage."

She then contacted Luke. "Hey Farmboy, looks like we are in the clear. You want to bring your fighter back on board?"

"Yea, go ahead and open the bay doors."

Mara opened the bay doors and watched him bring the fighter aboard. A few minutes he came in the cockpit and took the co-pilot seat.

Mara was looking over the report the two droids were showing on her screen. "Looks like we did not take any damage during the attack."

"They didn't seem all that organized or their ships in all that good of shape. Are we ready to make the last jump?"

"Yea we should be in Exocron in a few hours. The main city where we will need to land is Rintatta. If this planet doesn't pan out I don't know where else we can go to look."

"Trust in the force. This feels like we are on the right track."

"Well in a few hours hopefully we will know."

Luke got up and let her take the ship in hyperspace. She didn't know many people that would let someone else fly their ship. She had spent as much time in the pilot seat as Luke.

She would say the last two weeks had not been what she thought they would go. She figured he would use the time to get her to take up her training again. He hadn't done that.

He did practice down in the cargo bay with a remote. When he saw her sitting on one of the supply crates he asked her if she would like to spare. She thought about it for a second. They spared for about a hour when he called it. He then told her she did real well. That was it. He didn't make any suggestions or tried to get her to practice more.

It threw her for a loop. Had he given up on her or think she would never make a good Jedi. It drove her crazy. When she got bored she went down to spare with him or used his training remotes.

He never said anything when she asked to borrow them. He just told her they were in the weapons locker and gave her the access code. She was suprised he had a few blaster rifles and and a few blaster pistals. She notice he also had a work bench to work on his lightsaber.

Mara came out of her thoughts when R2 let her know that the cordinates were ready. She took the ship in hyperspace. Once she was sure there were no problems she got up and went in the living area of the ship.

Luke was in the galley cooking. Even though they had a droid to do it, he like to do it at times. Especialy if they were having one of his Aunts recipes.

"We are on out way. It will take about 3 and a half hours."

"Good dinner will be ready in about a hour."

"Good I'm hungery. You know you might just end up spoiling me. I don't eat this good on the Jade Fire or even on the Wild Karrde."

"Guess you will just have to travel with me more."

"Trying to steal me away from Karrde. Fixing to start your own smuggling group."

"No we just make a good team."

"We do but I do have a job to get back to and you do have your acadamy."

"True, we can't just run off and start new lives. To any people depend on us."

The way he said it was more like acceptance then normal, even for him. She didn't know what say. She gave him a perfect chance to try to recruit her again. He didn't.

Luke felt some worry from Mara. "Mara is everything OK. You got quiet all of asudden."

Mara thought about what to say. She was about to deny anything wrong when she decide to tell her what had her worried. "Over the last two weeks you have not pestered me to train or telling me I was wasting my talent working for Karrde."

Luke came out of the galley and sat at the table. "When I was talking to my father. He told me not to make the same mistakes he did. He also told me later not to make the same mistakes over and over again with you. He said it is one of the things that have kept a wedge between the two of us.

He said one of the things he regretted was not being honest with my mother about his fears. He said if he had told her more about his fears and the dreams, he had about her dying during childbirth, she might have been able to stop his fall.

So, I have let you do what you wanted and decided to let you make the choice if you ever wanted to take the step to accept your birth right."

"I thought you finally decide I was not good enough to be a Jedi."

"No. I still feel it is the path you should take and that you will be one of the greatest Jedi. The choice has to be yours."

"So, what else did your father tell you?"

"He told me to be honest about my feelings. Especially when they come to you. Chewie called us both stubborn when we talked." Mara wanted to interrupped but decided to stay quiet.

"I have over the years been afraid to admit that I cared a great deal about you, more then friendship. Scared of losing you as a friend. So I have stayed silent. Maybe it was a mistake or maybe now was the right time to tell you."

Mara sat there. So the one thing they never talked about. How far their feelings for the other went. He finaly spoke them. Now she would need to tell him one way or another. The question she had for herself was just what her feelings were. She cared a great deal about him, but did she want something more than friendship.

Luke just sat there waiting. "I know I care a great deal about you. How much so I don't know. Luke, Palpatine made sure I did not know what love was or how to be close to someone."

"You don't need to make any decisions now. I just wanted to let you know and hope I didn't ruin our friendship."

"You have not. Lets thing continue how they have the last to weeks. Continue with our talks. We seem to be doing a lot of those of late. We have gone this long, we can keep taking our time and see what happens. I still need to figure out what I want. Maybe we can have some lessons, when we have time."

Luke nodded and went back to the galley to finish what he was working on. When dinner was done they sat and ate. Luke told her more of what his father told him.

L/M

They had just landed the ship at the main spaceport. Luke powered down the ship while Mara went to meet the customs agent. Hopefully he would not complain too much about the fighter in the cargo bay.

This was thier last chance to find Car'das. Once Luke was done he turned the ship over to K4. He and R2 headed down stairs.

They just reached the cargo bay when the custom agent was asking Mara about the fighter. Mara explained it was just an extra defence system. She told him that they were not intrested in starting any trouble.

They just needed to find someone for a friend. Also he companion was hoping the person could help him. When she told him who. The customs agent did not show any outward signs he knew who Car'das was but the two Jedi could tell he knew who he was and that didn't like that they were looking for Car'das.

The custom agent left a few minutes later after giving the usual warnings about staying out of trouble.

"You felt his reaction Luke?"

"Yea, he know who he is and I bet he knows where he is."

"What do you want to do?"

"About Car'das, nothing at the moment. I have a feeling he will know who we are and what we are doing here in good time."

"That's why we are not hidding our ID's."

"Yea, I want him to know we are here. Now for what I want to do right now. I want to take my friend to dinner. So lets get changed and head out."

"I wish communications were better with the outside. I would like to contact Karrde and let him know we might have found him and where."

"There might be a way. You have always been good at comunications across the galaxy. I think that is your special ability, like Corran's is to absorb energy and redirect it. If you want we can try to meditate and contact Corran. I believe he is on Corsucant at the monent. We can try to let him know. It might not work but it is the best we can do for the moment."

"I hate meditating, but we can try it." Seeing Luke start to say there is no try. "I know it's do or do not."

Luke just smiled at her. They both headed up stairs and put on some clothes that were not flight suits.

Mara was surprised when Luke came out of his room not wearing Jedi black for a change. "I didn't know you didn't you knew there were other colors other then black."

"Haa Haa, yes I do. Just don't have many opportunities to wear other colors. Most of the times I go to formal functions, it is because Leia has forced me to because I am the Jedi Master."

Mara could understand that. When she went to these balls it was as Karrde's second. Luke never got to go just as himself either. Maybe when this was all over they could go together as themselves and enjoy the ball for a chance.

"I know how you feel. I always go as Karrde's second."

"Maybe at the next one we can go together just as Mara and Luke."

"Maybe Farmboy, but for the moment you offered to buy me dinner and I am hungry."

The two left with R2 watching. The little droid recorded the exchange like he had others. He will need to show them to his master, now that he knew the truth of what happen to his mother. He just hope that he didn't end up in little peaces when all was said and done.

L/M

Corran was with his squadron out on the town. Mirax was out on a run and then was stopping off to see her father. He knew Winter was working late again. He didn't know how Tyco dealt with Leia's work ethics. Hell, he didn't know how Han delt with it.

He and Mirax had to leave from time to time but when they were on planet at the same time, they always made time for each other. Wedge was the only one not here and he was on his way. He had already dinner plans with Iella and said he would be running late.

Corran heard Hobby ask Tyco where Wedge was. "He and Iella ha a baby sitter tonight so he was taking her out to dinner then was suppose to join us. He should be here soon."

Speaking of the devil, he was walking in the door with Iella and a couple others. Han and Chewie.

Wedge approached the tables where the Rogues were grouped. "Hope you rebaits have all stayed out of trouble."

"Hey, we always try to stay out of trouble. Problem it always seems to find us." yelled out Wes Janson.

"I find that hard to believe." Han commented.

Hobbie replied "This coming from the guy who got in a bar fight a little over a couple weeks ago."

"Hey, I didn't get in a fight. I didn't get the chance. Luke had them all down before they knew what happen. We even tried to warn them they didn't have enough people."

Everyone laughed at this. "What's the galaxy coming to when Luke is the one to get in bar fights." Wes called out.

"Hey, does anyone know where he is at. Rummer, he has disappeared." asked Corran.

Iella replied "I don't think anyone really knows where he is anymore. He is good at disappearing when he wants to."

"Last I heard he and Mara Jade were out running around the far reaches of the galaxy. Doing what I don't know. Chewie doesn't even know and he seems to know more then anyone else." replied Han.

"If I did I will not betray him. I am glad he and Mara are watching each others back."

"Wait you say he is out running around with Mara. Looks like the betting pool will finally be closed. They will either kill each other or come back as a couple." commented a smug Corran.

The smug smile came off his face as he stood and grabbed his head. Everyone watched has he closed his eyes and took a deap breath. They knew he was calling on the force for what ever happen.

"We need to go. Han, you Chewie, Wedge and myself."

"What happen Corran" asked Wedge.

"Not here. We need to go now."

"OK, everyone else head back to base. Iella."

"I am going with you." she looked right at Corran who just nodded.

They all headed out and too the Falcon where they could all talk freely.

"OK Corran, what's going on."

"OK, it might be hard to believe but I got a communication from Mara threw the force. The thing is I also felt Luke as well. They must be far out if both are having to work together for Mara to send the message."

"Is that even possible" asked Wedge.

"Yea, Mara has always been able to communicate over great distances. I don't think she has used that ability since Old Palpatine died. It was one of the things her and Luke talked about when we were on Wayland." commented Han "She doesn't like to talk about that part of her life. Luke is the only one that know most of it. I don't know if he even knows all of it."

"We need to keep this quiet. She will not be happy if too many people knew this." commented Corran.

"I'm pretty sure Cracken knows. He maybe only one of a few in the goverment to know. After Wayland, Mara sat down with Cracken. He wanted to know if there were any other places like Wayland." Iella told the group.

"Corran what was the message?" asked Han.

"All Mara said was, tell Karrde, we might have found him that they were on Exocron, in the Kathol outback. That was the whole message."

"Chewie, get Karrde here. We need answers. If they are resorting taking a chance of contacting Corran this way, we need to know what is going on."

So, Luke and Mara seem to be getting closer. Looks like a recue mission may be in the works also.