By Angela Jade - [email protected] - constructive criticism and happy thoughts gratefully received ... please don’t flame me!
Set about 6 weeks after Chapter 7, way after ‘Vision of the Future’ by Timothy Zahn.
Main characters - Luke and Mara, with cameos by the usual crowd.
Rated - NC17. Most definitely.
Disclaimer - all these characters belong to Mr. Lucas, Mr. Zahn, and Mr. Stackpole (I love you guys!). I write about them as a form of flattery - please don’t sue. I’m making no money from this.
Summary - after some time apart, Luke and Mara are reunited. So, what do you think they’d do? Invite some friends round for a game of Sabaac? Go visit Leia and the kids? Have a deep and meaningful discussion about the Force? No? Me neither...
Written February 2000
Chapter 8 - the Reunion
The outcry after Leia’s media conference had been absolutely horrendous. Mara found herself under siege in Luke’s apartment, barely able to get out without being mobbed by reporters. When she started receiving death threats, Leia insisted on door guards, much to Mara’s chagrin. After less than a week, she was contacting Talon Karrde, begging him to get her off-planet.
The five standard weeks she spent travelling with Shada made her feel much better. Finally she felt there was someone she trusted with Karrde’s business, as well as his life. She had always believed in Shada’s physical abilities, but now the woman was also developing an acute business sense. And, of course, Mara always felt more at home among the stars than on any planet. She still missed Luke dreadfully, but resisted the urge to visit Yavin, as she and Shada had way too many other stops to make.
But now she was finally on her way back to Coruscant, and Luke would be arriving tomorrow. She allowed herself a small smile as she checked the instruments, ready for the reversion to sublight engines.
Shada came into the cockpit, pulling on a jacket. ‘How long now?’ She sat in the co-pilot’s seat and started pulling on the restraints.
‘Eleven minutes.’ Mara pulled on her own restraints and smiled across at her friend. ‘When’s Karrde due in?’
Shada’s face remained impassive. ‘He should be there by now.’ She saw Mara’s smile widen. ‘What?’
Mara shrugged and turned back to the instrument panel. ‘Nothing.’
Shada started checking her own instruments. ‘I told you already, Mara. Talon Karrde and I are not having an affair.’
‘Did I say anything about that?’
‘You didn’t have to. I’ve got a pretty good idea of what goes on in that dirty little mind of yours.’
Mara laughed out loud. ‘Fine. I’ll stop mentioning it.’ She fell silent as she watched the counter, before pulling back on the hyperdrive levers. The starlines coalesced back into stars and the huge orange ball that was Coruscant floated into view. Mara concentrated as she piloted the ship towards one of Coruscant’s huge ground-based space docks.
She flipped on the comm. ‘Coruscant Control, this is Captain Jade in the ‘Calling Karrde’. Permission to land please.’
‘Captain Jade, you are clear for Platform 467-F. Please follow your present course.’
‘Thanks, Control.’ Mara flipped the comm back off. ‘I’m going to have to speak to Karrde about his methods for naming ships. It’s not funny any more.’
‘He thinks it is,’ replied Shada.
They brought the ship in to land, and neither were surprised to see Karrde striding towards them as soon as the repulsors were off. Mara came down the ramp first, closely followed by Shada.
‘At last,’ said Karrde, throwing his hands up expansively. ‘My two favourite ladies have arrived.’
Mara and Shada exchanged glances, before standing on either side of Karrde in flanking positions, their hands on their blasters.
Karrde looked at each of them in turn. ‘What, no kiss hello?’
Mara shot him an amused, if slightly venomous look. ‘Have you been drinking, Karrde?’
‘Not yet,’ he replied. He looked pointedly at Mara. ‘Actually, it should be me and Shada flanking you. You’re more in danger than either of us.’
Mara frowned at him. ‘The media? They haven’t given up?’
Karrde shook his head. ‘It quietened down a bit after you left, but there’s still quite a mob outside Skywalker’s apartment building.’ He motioned Shada to move to Mara’s other side. ‘And Leia told me there have been more death threats.’
Mara groaned and put her hand over her eyes. ‘Great. I don’t need this right now.’
She felt Karrde’s hand on her arm; his touch was gentle, but his voice was strong. ‘Deal with it, Mara. I can’t believe you didn’t expect this when you agreed to marry him in the first place.’
She dropped her hand and met his gaze. ‘I was kind of preoccupied at
the time.’
Karrde’s speeder pulled up outside Luke’s building, and sure enough, a whole crowd of reporters and cameramen had taken up residence on the opposite side of the street, held back by security guards. Mara pointedly ignored their shouts as the three of them made their way inside.
‘You don’t have to come up, you know,’ she said.
‘Leia’s up there,’ replied Karrde. ‘I said I’d take you to the door, and I will.’
‘Fine,’ said Mara, frowning. ‘Gods, I hope they get fed up soon. I can’t live like this.’
‘They will,’ said Karrde as they entered the turbolift. ‘Just don’t give them anything to gossip about.’
Mara snorted. ‘Like they won’t make stuff up anyway.’ The doors closed
and the lift shot upwards.
When they arrived at Luke’s apartment, Mara was pleasantly surprised to find no Security guard on the door. She slapped her hand on the scanner, then took a step backwards as the door zipped open to reveal a Noghri warrior on the other side.
Leia appeared behind him. ‘Mara, you’re home! Welcome back. I see you’ve met Dromarkh.’
Mara looked down at the grey-skinned being. He bared his pointed teeth at her; Mara wasn’t sure whether this was in greeting or as a warning. ‘How many of these guys have you got guarding you these days?’
‘He’s not for me.’ Leia tapped Dromarkh on the shoulder and he quietly moved to stand guard outside the door. ‘He’s your new bodyguard.’
Mara glowered at Leia as she followed her into the apartment with Karrde and Shada. ‘I’m Jedi. I don’t need a bodyguard. And I don’t think Luke will be very pleased to find him here, either.’
Leia turned to face her, her hands on her hips. ‘Luke knows. You’re right; he wasn’t too happy at first. And as I said to him, I don’t doubt that you can handle any trouble. But I’d rather avoid trouble in the first place, and Dromarkh is a damn good deterrent.’
Mara flopped into the nearest sofa and frowned at Leia. ‘Deterrent, huh?’
Leia nodded. ‘He’ll live next door, but he’ll stay out of the way. You’ll hardly notice him.’
‘I’m not happy about this.’
‘I’d guessed that,’ replied Leia.
Mara glowered in the direction of the now-closed door. ‘Fine. He can stay. Until I say he goes.’
‘Great,’ replied Leia, shooing Karrde and Shada towards the door. ‘We’ll leave you in peace.’ Just as she reached the door, she turned back. ‘By the way, Wedge and Iella are throwing a party tomorrow evening. Their place, nineteen hundred hours. Your presence is compulsory.’
Mara nodded. ‘Casual or formal?’
Leia shrugged. ‘Somewhere inbetween. We’re going dancing later.’ She
smiled. ‘Let’s see how good you are at getting my brother to wear something
other than black.’
The following morning saw Mara impatiently pacing up and down the main room of the apartment, waiting for Leia, Han and Chewie to show up. She had tossed and turned all night, and hadn’t managed to eat much breakfast, so now she was feeling very irritable. She glared at the door every time she passed it, reminded of the Noghri warrior stationed outside. Finally the door buzzed and Mara rushed over to open it.
‘Good morning,’ said Leia, cheerfully. ‘Are you ready to go meet your intended?’
Mara grabbed a jacket from the sofa and shrugged it on. ‘Let’s go.’
Han came in behind Leia. ‘Feeling a little impatient, Mara dear?’
‘Can it, Solo.’ Mara glared at him. ‘I’m just fed up being stuck in this apartment.’
He shook his head and looked down at his wife. ‘She’s got it bad, hasn’t she.’
Leia playfully punched his arm. ‘Just ignore him,’ she said to Mara. ‘He’s been in a funny mood since he heard about Wedge’s party.’
A huge smile split Han Solo’s face. ‘I don’t have to dress up!’
Leia rolled her eyes, and Mara shooed them out of the door. She glared at Dromarkh as she secured the door. ‘You are staying right here.’
Leia crossed her arms. ‘A bodyguard is supposed to guard your body, not your rooms, Mara.’
Mara gave her the patented Mara Jade don’t-be-an-idiot look. ‘You, me,
Han and Chewie. And we’ll have Luke on the way back. I think we can handle
pretty much anything, don’t you?’
They arrived at the nearest Space Docks twenty minutes later, and Leia called up the Control Tower on her comlink. Mara fidgeted impatiently as Leia spoke.
‘Well?’ said Mara, as Leia turned the comlink off.
Leia smiled knowingly. ‘We made it just in time. Bay 649-A. He’s due in any time now.’
Mara leaned forward and tapped Han on the shoulder. ‘You heard the lady. 649-A. Let’s get a move on.’
Chewie whuffed a quiet laugh as Han powered up the speeder and pulled back into the traffic, muttering something about ‘strong women’.
They pulled up just inside the hanger bay and Han helped Mara and Leia out of the speeder. ‘Chewie and me’ll wait outside. Don’t want anyone to crash the party.’
Leia nodded and watched them leave, before turning back to Mara. ‘I’ll wait outside, too.’ She smiled. ‘He’s all yours.’
Mara took Leia’s hands in her own and gave them a gentle squeeze. ‘Thanks, Leia. I appreciate it.’
Leia nodded once more, before leaving to join her husband in the sunshine outside, just as a roar of sublight engines indicated the approach of a ship.
Mara leaned on the speeder as she watched the X-wing cruise into the hanger and land gently on its skids. Her insides were churning as she remembered how long they’d been apart. She’d kept herself busy, but it still seemed like forever. It felt like she was meeting a stranger again. Would Luke have changed? Would he still feel the same way about her? Would she still feel the same about him? The canopy hissed open and a slow smile spread across Mara’s face as she walked towards the snubfighter, her doubts slowly evaporating.
Luke hopped out onto the wing, throwing his helmet and gloves into the cockpit, before pulling a hand through his hair.
‘Hi there, flyboy.’
‘Mara!’ Luke jumped down and ran to her, pulling her into a tight embrace, before lifting her off the floor and twirling her around. ‘I’ve missed you so much.’
Mara clung to him tightly, even as he set her back on her feet. She buried her face in his neck, revelling in the smell of him, the feel of his arms around her. ‘I’ve missed you, too.’
They pulled back and gazed into each others eyes, before coming together
in a passionate kiss. Once again they both felt the power of their bond,
and for the first time in weeks they felt complete.
Outside, Leia stood between Han and Chewie. ‘Han,’ she said, her voice noticeably trembling.
Han looked down at her, his face full of concern. ‘Honey, what’s wrong?’
She looked up to meet his gaze, her brown eyes brimming over with tears. ‘It’s so beautiful. I can feel it.’
He pulled her into his arms, his chin resting on the top of her head. ‘Feel what? Is something wrong?’
‘No.’ Leia’s voice was slightly muffled as she buried her face in his shirt. ‘Their Force bond, Han. I’ve never felt it before.’
He smiled and kissed her hair. ‘But I take it you can feel it now.’
She nodded and looked up at her husband. ‘It’s amazing. It’s like they were always meant to be together.’
His face became solemn as he wiped away a stray tear with his thumb. ‘If you’d married a Jedi, you could have had a bond like that.’
She reached up a hand to caress his face. ‘We do have a bond. I’ve always felt it. And I wouldn’t change it for anything.’
He hugged her tightly. ‘I know.’
News of the Jedi Master’s return to Coruscant had obviously leaked out; when the Solos dropped Luke and Mara back at his apartment building, the number of reporters had multiplied ten-fold.
Luke smiled and waved and said ‘Thank you’ and ‘It’s nice to be back’. Mara held his hand and tried a small smile but remained silent.
Once inside the foyer, she blew out a breath. ‘Gods, they make me so tense!’
‘I know,’ replied Luke, grinning at her. ‘You gonna stop squeezing my fingers any time soon?’
‘Sorry,’ said Mara, pulling his bruised hand to her lips and kissing it.
The turbolift doors closed behind them and she put her arms round his neck, tilting her face up towards his.
He smiled and kissed her tenderly, pulling her in for a hug. ‘I am so looking forward to a nice quiet evening with you.’
‘Ah,’ frowned Mara, ‘slight change of plans. We’re going out.’
‘No, no, no,’ grumbled Luke, ‘tell me you’re joking.’
‘Afraid not,’ she replied. ‘And it’s all your fault.’
‘My fault? What did I do?’
‘You told Wedge Antilles to throw a party when we were all on the same planet.’ She poked him in the chest. ‘So it’s your fault.’
Luke’s grimace turned into a grin. ‘A Wedge party? Now that I can handle. What time?’
‘Nineteen hundred.’
He pulled her into a tighter embrace. ‘Good. We’ve got the whole afternoon, then.’
Once inside the apartment, Mara went to fetch a couple of cold drinks while Luke removed his boots and flightsuit. He flopped down on the sofa with a sigh. ‘Much as I love Yavin, I have to say it’s nice to be back on Coruscant.’ He smiled when he saw Mara return from the kitchen, a glass in each hand. ‘And the view is great.’
Mara couldn’t help but smile in return as she sat next to him and handed him a tumbler of juice. ‘How’s the academy?’
Luke sat up a little and took a long drink. ‘As well as can be expected, I suppose. Kyp’s back from his little jaunt to the Outer Rim, so I’ve left him handling some of the students, along with Kam, Tionne and Streen.’
‘Ah, Kyp,’ replied Mara. ‘And how did he take your news?’
Luke sipped his juice. ‘Okay, actually. He’d heard about our engagement on the Holonews, so he’s had time to get used to the idea. And he’s being very deferential to me at the moment, so he’s accepting the changes at the academy without a murmur.’
‘Deferential? That doesn’t sound like Kyp,’ replied Mara.
Luke nodded. ‘And he seems very sincere about it. Don’t know what brought it on or how long it will last.’
Mara smiled, taking both glasses and setting them down on a nearby table, before stretching out next to Luke and snuggling into his chest. ‘I don’t want to talk about the academy any more.’
He kissed her forehead and smiled in return. ‘Me neither.’
‘That’s not like you.’ She pulled him in for a hug as he wrapped his arms around her.
‘There is something else you might want to talk about,’ said Luke, stretching out one arm to pull a datacard out of a pocket on his flightsuit. ‘This contains as much information as Tionne and I could dig up on Jedi bonding ceremonies.’
Mara glanced at the datacard before turning back to Luke. ‘And?’
‘And there appears to have been several variations, so you’ll have to read through it all and decide what you’ll feel comfortable with.’ He smiled gently and pushed a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. ‘Mara, I don’t think we’re going to get away with a small ceremony.’
She reached up a hand to caress his face. ‘I’d kind of come to that conclusion myself, given all this media fuss.’
‘Are you okay with that?’
Her smile was tight-lipped. ‘I suppose I’m going to have to be.’
‘Honey, we’ll keep it as small as possible, I promise. We’ll only invite...’
He was cut off as Mara kissed him soundly. ‘Do we have to decide today?’
‘No, of course not,’ Luke replied, smiling. ‘Why? What do you have in mind?’
Mara rolled on top of him, inching her way up his body until they were nose to nose. ‘We’ve been apart longer than we were together. How about we get reacquainted?’
‘Reacquainted?’
Mara knew the look of confusion that passed over Luke’s face was false as soon as she felt his hands creep under her shirt to caress her back. She leaned down to kiss him again, her eyes closed, her tongue pushing into his mouth just as his entered hers. A familiar warm feeling spread throughout her body and their kiss became more intense.
//How about we move this to the bedroom// said Luke over their Force bond.
Mara broke their kiss and stared into his eyes. ‘Uncomfortable, Skywalker?’ She rubbed her thigh over his growing erection.
‘You are a wicked woman, Jade,’ growled Luke through gritted teeth. ‘Now stop teasing and get your ass in that bedroom.’
Mara pressed her body against his and kissed his chin. ‘I love it when you try to be dominant.’ Then she was off him and heading for the bedroom, laughing to herself.
‘Try!?’ replied Luke as he jumped up and followed her at a run. He ran through the door after her, and tackled her onto the bed, pinning her down with his own body. ‘There is no try.’ He pinned her arms over her head and started kissing her neck.
Mara fought to control her body’s reaction to what he was doing. ‘You couldn’t dominate an ewok, Skywalker.’
Luke held both of her wrists with one hand, using the other to undo the fastenings on the front of her shirt. ‘Yeah, sure, whatever you say.’
Mara’s eyes squeezed shut and her back arched as his hot mouth found her breasts and he began to lick and suck her nipples. She struggled to free her wrists, but he held them fast. His other hand continued exploring her body, undoing fasteners when he came across them, rubbing her through her clothing where necessary.
‘Luke?’ Her voice was a hoarse whisper.
He kissed his way back up her body. ‘What?’ His passion-filled eyes met hers.
‘I need to touch you, Luke. To feel you.’
‘Sorry. I guess I got carried away.’ He let go of her wrists and immediately her hands were at the back of his head, pulling him down for a brain-melting kiss.
Then her hands were under his shirt, caressing his chest and back, feeling the familiar contours of his muscles. She started tugging impatiently on his clothes, stopping only when his eyes met hers once more.
‘You ready to get naked, Jade,’ he said with a smile.
One of her hands curled through the hair at the back of his neck and she pulled him in for another searing kiss.
‘I’ll take that as a yes,’ he replied as he undressed her slowly. When he had removed the last tiny piece of clothing, he knelt at the edge of the bed, a sigh escaping his lips as his eyes scanned her body. ‘Gods, but I’ve missed you so much, Mara.’
She stretched sensuously, locking eyes with his. ‘How come I always end up undressed before you?’
Luke grinned as he started pulling off his clothes. ‘I have no idea. Maybe you’re an exhibitionist?’
The pillow would have hit him full in the face, but he managed to deflect it at the last moment. He laughed and fell beside her on the bed. ‘Gotta be faster than that, Jade.’
‘Really?’ She shoved him roughly onto his back and sat on his stomach, leaning down to kiss and nip at his chest. ‘How fast?’
His hand snaked down her stomach and she lifted off him slightly, allowing him access. ‘Very fast.’
She nuzzled into his neck, her teeth gently pulling at his skin as he caressed her clit. ‘Oh, Luke.’
He could feel her breath, could hear it become more laboured. Her voice as she whispered his name was an exquisite torture; he wanted to be inside her, but didn’t want to stop pleasuring her, not even for a moment. He could tell she was close, very close. Closing his eyes, he called gently on the Force.
Suddenly Mara found a vision in her head, a vision she recognised. It was of herself and Luke, making love at the side of their lake on Yavin as a storm raged around them. It had happened more than six weeks previously, but the memories that the picture stirred were still fresh in her mind. The emotions she felt at the time shot through her now; she arched her back and yelled as her body was hit by a powerful orgasm, before collapsing on top of Luke, gasping for breath.
He rolled her gently on her back, pushing long strands of hair off her face. ‘You okay, Mara?’
Her eyes opened to meet his gaze, her chest still heaving. ‘You were cheating again, Skywalker.’
‘Yeah, sorry.’ He smiled, his eyes twinkling. ‘It was fun, though.’
She pulled his head towards hers and kissed him deeply. ‘I’m not done with you yet.’ Her legs guided his hips between hers, then hooked behind him, pulling him in.
He shuddered as he entered her, taking her in his arms, hugging her tightly. Slowly, he started moving in and out, his breathing keeping time with his movements. //Mara?//
She continued to kiss and suck at his neck. //Lost the power of speech again, farmboy?//
//I’ve missed you, my love//
She reached down to caress his butt and pull him in a little deeper, revelling in the gasp that escaped his lips. //So you said//
//I’ve missed this too// His rhythm increased very slightly as he felt her hands caressing his back. He moved one knee to the outside of her thigh; he knew the altered position would drive her wild. Sure enough, she started writhing and groaning beneath him, and Luke smiled as he leaned in for a kiss, his tongue duelling with hers. //Open your eyes, Mara// He pulled away slightly as her eyes slowly opened, the bright emerald colour all but taken over by the dilated pupils. He watched her carefully as he drove into her with increasing speed, his every thrust met by one of hers. //I love you//
Mara looked into his blue eyes, hearing his thoughts, feeling his emotions. //Tell me again//
‘I love you,’ he whispered.
That was enough for Mara. She clung to him tightly as every muscle in her body went rigid, her orgasm overtaking her once more. ‘Luke!’
He thrust into her a couple more times, then shuddered as his own release threatened to drive the breath from his body. He buried his face in her neck, holding on to her as if he would never let go.
‘I love you, Luke Skywalker.’
He looked up to see her smiling at him and he leaned in for a kiss, before rolling off her and drawing her in for a cuddle.
She settled comfortably on his chest, stifling a yawn. ‘Leia was right.’
He frowned at the top of her head. ‘You’ve been discussing our sex life with my sister?!’
‘Don’t be silly,’ she replied, running a fingertip over his nipple. ‘We were discussing being apart, and she just mentioned that the reunions were fun.’
‘She’s right about that.’
Mara snuggled in closer and let out another yawn.
‘How can you be tired?’ asked Luke. ‘It’s the middle of the afternoon.’
‘I didn’t sleep very well,’ replied Mara, closing her eyes.
‘Well, why don’t you have a nap and I’ll wake you in time for the party.’
She smiled and kissed the nearest piece of flesh. ‘Don’t you fall asleep then. Leia will be mad if we’re late.’
‘I won’t.’ Luke carefully stroked her hair until her gentle breathing indicated she was asleep. He snagged a cover with his free hand, pulled it over them both, and settled down, enjoying the feeling of her lying in his arms. As he gazed down at the red-gold hair spilling over his chest, he smiled and wondered anew how she could possibly feel as strongly for him as he felt for her. Mara Jade. The Emperor’s Hand. Even when she had sworn to kill him, he somehow knew she wouldn’t. And when she had agreed to marry him, it was as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and finally he knew where the path ahead lay. It lay with her, by her side.
His stomach growled but didn’t wake her; Luke remembered he hadn’t eaten in a while, but he was too comfortable to move. He stroked her hand as it lay on his chest, and kissed the top of her head, smelling her hair. She was wonderful. And she loved him. Could life get any better?
His stomach growled again, a bit louder this time. Mara mumbled and swatted at him in her sleep. Better get something to eat. He gently eased Mara onto a pillow and slipped out of the bed, pulling on a robe. He leaned back over her to kiss an exposed shoulder, before pulling the cover further up. ‘Love you.’