Chapter 14

 

 

 

Mara pushed her braid of long red-gold hair back over her shoulder and out of her way.  She glanced up, studying the rough, rocky terrain before her.

 

They were about three-quarters of the way up the mountain.  At their current pace, they should arrive at the summit not long after midday.  The intermittent rain from the night before had stopped long before dawn, giving them a chance to start their trek on time.

 

She ran her slender fingers underneath her chin, wiping away a small trail of sweat.  The air was still cool, with an occasional cold wind blustering against the side of the mountain, but the exertion of climbing kept a steady coating of sweat on her body.

 

About half a kilometer below her, Shada and Talon were making good progress up the mountain, Shada in the lead.  Mara had to hand it to Talon.  The man had guts.  As long as she had known him, he had had a bit of a problem with heights, but he was determinedly making his way up the mountain.  Mara figured Shada, who was obviously an expert climber, had a lot to do with calming his nerves. 

 

Mara watched them for a moment, noticing that Shada never stopped talking.  For a quiet person, she now seemed to have an endless stream of chatter and Mara knew she was doing it on purpose, making Talon concentrate on her instead of what was below him.

 

The rope around Mara's waist tightened perceptibly and she glanced up.  Luke was looking down at her from his secured place against the side of the mountain.  His feet were resting on a tiny little shelf just wide enough to stand on.

 

"Say, are you taking root down there?" he asked.

 

"Sarcasm, Jedi?"

 

He grinned at her.  "Must be picking it up from my wife."

 

Mara snorted silently and with a surge of strong leg muscles began to climb toward him.  In no time, she was beside him; both secured against the mountain.

 

"There's a small ledge not far up," Luke told her.  "We could sit there for awhile and give those two a chance to catch up."  He motioned with his head back down the mountain toward Shada and Talon.

 

"What's the matter, Luke, tired?"  Mara joked.

 

"No."  Luke's grin widened.  "I just want to get up there so I can cuddle with you."

 

Mara rolled her emerald eyes.  "You're insatiable, Farmboy."

 

Luke leaned his face against her shoulder.  "I'm just trying to make up for the ten years we wasted."

 

"We have the rest of our lives, Luke," Mara teased softly.

 

"And I intend on spending every moment I can...with you," Luke said seriously.

 

Mara looked at him, her eyes wandering over his handsome face.  He lifted an eyebrow in question and she shook her head gently.  "I just never realized I was marrying such a romantic man."

 

"Disappointed?" he asked.

 

A slight smile lifted the corner of Mara's mouth and she leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek.  "Oh no, Farmboy, not at all."

 

They stared at each other for a moment, as secure in their relationship as any two people could be.  Then Luke sighed.  "Do you want to go up first?"

 

Mara drew in a deep breath.  "Yes, give me some slack."

 

Luke dealt out some rope and Mara began her climb.

 

In only a short time, Mara was giving Luke a hand as he pulled himself up on the tiny ledge beside her.  It was so small; they were pressed tightly against each other's side.

 

Luke looked out over the great grasslands in the distance, stretching out as far as the eye could see.  The high-flying clouds laid long, angular shadows on the ground, and they chased each other across the grasses like wraiths playing hide and seek.  In scattered moments, the big orb of the sun would break through, bathing the landscape in greens and golds and russets.  It reminded him of Mara.

 

He turned to her.  "I love you."

 

Mara leaned against him.  "Do you now?"  She lifted the errant lock of sandy-colored hair that always seemed determined to fall in his face and smoothed it back onto his head.

 

He slid his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer, nuzzling his face against her cheek.

 

Her hand cupped the side of his head as she turned her face to his. "Luke?"

 

"Hmmmm...?" he said softly.

 

"I love you, too," she whispered, her tongue flicking out to caress his lips.  Before she could retract it, he captured it with his mouth, pulling it in to wrap his own around it.

 

For long moments, they sat there, their mouths opened and pressed tightly to one another, enjoying it as their tongues brushed and danced with each other.

 

Finally, Mara broke the kiss and sucked in some much needed oxygen.

 

Luke collapsed gently against her, his head falling on her shoulder.  "Too bad we're on this mountainside," he whispered, his hand caressing her inner thigh.

 

Mara smiled. "Oh, I don't know.  Sometimes, I just like sitting with you and kissing you.  It doesn't always have to lead to...well, you know."

 

He pulled his head back to look at her, his blue eyes twinkling, and then kissed her gently on the forehead. "Yes, I know.  Me, too."

 

He leaned back against the side of the mountain, pulling her with him again.  Suddenly, he chuckled.

 

"What's so funny?" Mara asked, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder.

 

"I was just thinking," Luke answered, patting her gently on the hip.  "Although we had known each other for ten years, we weren't exactly on 'kissing' terms until after I proposed."

 

Mara agreed and then asked, "What's your point?"

 

Luke grinned. "I suppose we missed out on a lot of times we could have just been 'making out'.

 

Mara sat up and gave him an imitation of her patented glare.  "Feeling deprived, Farmboy?"  It took all she could do to keep her face straight.

 

"Oh no," he hastily assured her.  "My wife takes care of me very well, believe me!"  But then he ran a hand softly down her cheek.  "You have to admit though, Mara, it may have been fun if we had taken some time in those ten years to...eh...get to know each other a little better."

 

Mara sat very still, her green eyes searching his face.  "I wouldn't have had an affair with you, Luke."  She bit her lip and glanced away from him.  At least, I think I wouldn't, she thought.  It would have complicated things between them to the point of no return, but could she have resisted him if he had wanted their relationship to be more?

 

"I didn't mean that, Mara," Luke said softly.  "It would have been nice to have a friend...a girl-friend...to kiss and hold occasionally."

 

Mara watched him steadily.  A name popped into her mind, but she decided not to bring it up, especially since Luke seemed to have forgotten all about it.

 

She leaned to him and pressed a gentle, sweet, close-mouthed kiss against his lips, and then whispered, "Do you think it would ever have been that simple for us?"

 

Luke smiled, somewhat regretfully.  "Probably not."

 

Below them, a shower of pebbles raced down the mountainside and caught their attention.  Mara glanced down.

 

Talon was scrambling to get his booted foot back in position and Shada had tightened the rope between them.  Mara heard her call out, "Talon, are you all right?"

 

Talon gave a muffled reply, but Shada seemed satisfied and she loosened the rope so he could begin his climb again.

 

Mara sat back.  "It seems those two have moved up a notch or two in their relationship, but it still doesn’t look all that comfortable to me."

 

Luke slid his arm around her shoulders.  "Moved up a notch?  What do you mean?"

 

Mara gave a short laugh.  "I think they've been 'making out' as you put it, but I don't think they've come to any understanding about how they feel about one another."

 

It was Luke's turn to sit up.  He glanced down the side of the mountain just as Talon pulled up beside Shada on the little shelf that he and Mara had only recently vacated.  "How do you know they were making out?"

 

Mara rolled her eyes.  "You didn't see that little spot on Shada's throat?"  Men could be so unobservant at times.

 

Luke frowned.  "Yeah, but I didn't..." His eyes widened.  "You mean, that's a love..."

 

Mara laughed.

 

Luke glanced back down the mountain.  Shada and Talon were taking a rest, talking quietly to one another as they stood on the small ledge.  All right, Talon, way to go, Luke thought, grinning widely as he slipped into a Han Solo moment.

 

Mara slapped him on the arm.  "Stop that."

 

Luke looked as innocent as he possibly could.  "Stop what?"

 

"You know exactly what I mean, Luke Skywalker," Mara admonished.

 

Luke managed to appear chastised and then leaned back, snuggling his shoulder against Mara's.  "Did you ask her about it?"

 

Mara looked at him as if she thought he'd lost his mind.  "Of course not."  Then her mouth quirked slyly.  "If you want to know the details so much, why don't you ask her?"

 

Luke blinked.  "Ask Shada D'ukal if she has been 'making out' with Talon Karrde?  No, thank you.  I like having all my bones connected in the right places!"

 

"Coward!"  Mara retorted and then started to laugh.  After a moment, Luke joined her.  Their laughter echoed down the mountainside and across the plains.

 

About twenty meters below them, Talon looked up.  "I wonder what those two find so amusing?"

 

Shada shook her head.  "With them?  It could be anything."

 

Talon smiled.  "It's good to see them so happy."

 

Shada glanced up.  "Yes, it is."  Then she sighed, her gaze turning to Talon.  Sweat was easing down the sides of his lean face, tangling in his short beard that had started to grow out again.  "Are you sure you're all right?" she asked in concern.

 

Talon sucked in a big breath. "I'll be honest with you.  I'm not exactly enjoying myself."

 

"Just don't look down, and concentrate on what you are doing with your hands and feet," she told him.  Privately, she was very proud of him.  He had made no secret of his fear of heights, yet he hadn't hesitated in following her up the mountainside.  She put her hand on his arm. "You'll be fine."

 

He laid his hand on hers affectionately. "I know, Shada.  I'll be careful."

 

"Well, at least we didn't have to pull that droid up the mountain with us," she groused.  "For a time there, I thought we would."

 

Talon laughed aloud.  "Skywalker is very attached to that R2 unit.  He's had him for many years.  You saw how much time Luke spent on hiding him in that rock pile."

 

"I know," Shada agreed.  "C-3PO told me about the droid when he was on the Wild Karrde with us."

 

Talon grinned down at her.  "You and that protocol unit had quite a little friendship going on, didn’t you?"

 

"As protocol experts go, he wasn't that bad.  Besides, I don't believe in being unkind to droids," Shada retorted, gathering up some of the rope that had slackened while they rested.

 

"No, of course not," Talon pointed out, a tiny bit too seriously.  "Wouldn't want to hurt their little machine feelings."

 

Shada shot him a suspicious glare.  "Are you making fun of me?"

 

Talon widened his eyes.  "Me?  Never.  I wouldn't have the nerve."

 

Shada pursed her lips tightly.  It was obvious she was trying hard not to laugh.  "And don't you forget that either!"

 

They shared a secret little smile.

 

 

*********************

 

 

As mountains go, it wasn't that large and by midday, the four had reached the summit and stood amazed.  Whereas before, a huge grassland prairie had dominated the gently rolling landscape, now an enormous forest of heavy, green-black trees stretched as far as the eye could see, carpeting the world beneath it in a dimly lit haze.

 

"Shazza," Shada cursed, her eyes not so much on the forest as what was coming across it. 

 

Talon moved up behind her, his sudden intake of breath mirroring her concern.

 

"Luke?"  Mara questioned, her shocked face turning to her husband.

 

Luke shook his head numbly and muttered,  "It's not my fault."

 

"That's a blizzard," Shada said to no one in particular.  "And a bad one.  It's just high enough to go over this mountain, too."

 

Mara took a step toward Luke and he looked at her angry face.  "If I had known, Mara, we would never have come up this mountain, but I told you I didn't know much about the weather patterns of this planet."

 

Talon scratched his head.  "Well, apparently, they have never heard of a fall season – summer to winter – that looks like the pattern."

 

Luke squatted on his haunches, studying the approaching blizzard.

 

Talon glanced at Mara, who stood stiffly by her husband.  He locked his hands behind his back and rocked on his heels.   "Well, Luke, we seem to be in a bit of a predicament here.  That blizzard is coming fast and we aren't going to have time to get down this mountain.  There's no place to shelter, no place to hide..."

 

"It's not his fault," Mara suddenly barked, kneeling down beside Luke.

 

Talon suppressed a smile.  He had accomplished his objective.  Mara might be angry with Luke for getting them into this situation, but she wasn't about to let anyone else criticize him for it.

 

Shada swung her pack off her back and started rifling through it. 

 

"What are you doing?"  Talon asked softly, not wanting to interrupt the two Jedi who were talking quietly together.

 

She turned worried gray eyes up to him.  "That's a serious storm, Talon.  It's going to drop temperatures to well below freezing.  I was just seeing if we had anything..."

 

Talon put his hand on her shoulder.  "Don't worry, Shada.  It will be all right, I promise."

 

"Talon, we could freeze to death on this mountain," Shada insisted.

 

"We're not," Talon told her calmly.   "I would never let anything happen to you.  You should know that by now."

 

Shada cocked her head at him.  "I have tremendous respect for your abilities, Talon Karrde, but I don't think even you can stop a blizzard in its tracks."

 

"We won't have to."  Talon walked over to the Jedi couple who was now standing at the edge of the summit.  "Well?"

 

Luke glanced back at him.  "We need to start down the mountain.  There is more of a chance there that we will find a grotto – maybe a cave, if we are lucky.  Anyway, we won't have a chance at all if we stay here, and we know there is no place on the grassland side to shelter."  Luke glanced again at the heavy, luminous clouds, a solid wall of white following them.  "We need to leave immediately."

 

Talon nodded. "We'll follow you."

 

Sometime in the late afternoon, the freezing winds started gusting, making the climb down the mountain more hazardous than it already was.  Luke and Mara were about twenty meters below Talon and Shada and had come to a complete stop.  Luke was scrambling across the mountainside, instead of going down, obviously trying to get a closer look at something that had caught his eye. 

 

Talon pulled on the rope to gain Shada's attention.  When she looked up at him, he motioned with his head toward Luke.

 

Shada had hardly turned to look when Luke called out, the wind grabbing his voice and literally flinging it at them.  "A caaavveee...!  I found a cave!"

 

Shada took a deep breath, relief washing over her.  It probably wasn't going to be a comfortable night, but with the cave blocking them from the full fury of the storm, they would make it.

 

She blew out the breath she had been holding and rubbed her dirty hand across her forehead. "I'm getting too old for this," she muttered.

 

 

**************************

 

 

The entrance to the cave was partially blocked by a huge boulder, hard and heavy as pure granite.  Luke had to basically squeeze himself through the small opening and then bumped his head hard enough to cause a little knot at his hairline.  He grimaced, rubbing the aching spot, and thought, Sith, as tall as Talon is, he'll have to get on his hands and knees to crawl through that.

 

Dirt and dust fell in a cloud around him when he straightened, and coughing erratically, he tried to peer through the heavy gloom.  The cave was dim with very little light managing to seep in and Luke was disappointed to see that it wasn't near as deep as he had first thought it would be.  Still, it would have to do, and with that boulder in front of the opening, most of the wind would be blocked off of them.  Unfortunately, it wouldn't keep the cold out, and it was going to get very, very cold.

 

Luke sighed.  He should have talked to Vashi about the weather patterns on the planet.  But who in his right mind would have thought a storm of the magnitude of the one approaching them would happen so soon?  Only a few days ago, they were going about in shirtsleeves.

 

The cave couldn't be more than five meters deep and barely three meters wide.  It wasn't going to be comfortable at all, but they were lucky to find it, and Luke knew it.

 

He squeezed out of the opening at the front of the small cave and waited for Mara to climb down beside him.

 

 

*********************************

 

 

 

Talon stood and slapped the dirt from the knees of his pants.  A brief yearning for a long, hot bath momentarily distracted him, but he brushed it aside.  It was something he would just have to look forward to.

 

Shada was across the small cave from him, blinking in the dim light.  Already their breaths were fogging in the air and the wind howled like a Corellian sand panther.

 

Mara and Luke were near the entrance to the cave, trying to coax a fire into existence.  They didn't seem to be having much success when Mara suddenly motioned Luke aside and activated her lightsaber.  The blue blade brightened the dimness of the cave and covered the walls in an azure glow, making the place almost beautiful.

 

Talon was just beginning to appreciate it when Mara swept her lightsaber across the small pile of synthetic kindling that Luke had taken from his pack.  The fire burst into leaping flames, adding even more exotic color to the small cave.

 

Mara grinned down at Luke who gave her a little nod of approval as they both turned their attention to the fire again.

 

Shada walked over to Talon.  "It's going to get colder than Hoth at its poles."

 

"I'm afraid it is, but I think we'll be okay in here," Talon reassured her.

 

Shada shook her head.  "I'm not so sure.  That little fire won't last all night."

 

Talon thought Shada was right.  It was going to get much colder in their little cave before the night was over, but he had confidence in Luke.  After all, the guy had experience with snow and cold.  He wouldn't let anything serious happen to them.

 

 

*****************************

 

 

"We're going to have to do what???"  Mara asked, louder than she intended.

 

"Keep your voice down," Luke hissed, glancing over his shoulder at Talon and Shada who were standing near the small fire he and Mara had made, their breath misting in the air as they talked quietly.

 

Mara sucked in a breath and glanced at the couple by the fire too.  "Luke, if it were just us, it wouldn't be a problem, but you know they aren't going to agree to that."

 

"They'll have to, Mara," Luke sighed.  "You've got to understand, the temperature in here is going to drop well below anything we could stand on our own.  We'll just have to lie together."

 

"Together?"

 

"You know what I mean, you and me together," Luke leaned his head toward the other couple,  "and those two together."

 

"But naked, Luke?  Shada will have a bantha."

 

"We have to share body heat; that's the only way to survive the night, and it's going to be close then."  Luke knelt and began digging in his pack, pulling out a thin, thermal bedroll. "I don't see the problem, they were sleeping together back at the village."  He grinned up at Mara and lowered his voice even more.  "And remember that love bite?  Maybe they'll surprise you."

 

Mara squatted by her husband, watching him take a similar bedroll from her backpack.  He started zipping them together.  The bags were remarkably thin and lightweight, but the special thermal material from which they were made was conducive to warmth and comfort.

 

"If they were here alone, I'm sure they'd manage, but we're here, and I know Shada...she's not going to be happy."

 

Luke sighed.  "Shada is a trained Mistryl Shadow Guard, Mara.  She is probably more proficient in survival training than either you or me.  I have a feeling she's not going to be as shocked by the situation as you think."  He looked up with a naughty smile.  "And Talon will probably be all for the idea."

 

Mara rolled her emerald eyes.  "That's all you men think about."

 

Luke chuckled.  "And you women love us for it."

 

 

*******************************

 

 

Mara watched the blood slowly leave Shada's face and shot Luke an 'I told you so' look. 

 

Luke lifted an eyebrow, but kept his expression cautiously bland.  He had expected that both Shada and Talon would be shocked at his request, but he also knew that once they thought about it, they would agree.

 

"You really think it's going to get that cold?"  Talon asked, carefully not looking at Shada.

 

Luke nodded solemnly.  "I'm afraid so.  By the early morning hours, it should be well below freezing."  He nudged his foot against the bedroll he had prepared for Mara and himself.  "These thermal bags are good, but they won't stand up to the extent of the cold that is going to be in here...at least, they won't with one person in them."

 

"The addition of body heat will make these bags more than adequate," Mara commented, trying to help Luke.   She cast a wary eye at Shada who seemed to have become lost in thought as she stared above their heads into the dim light of the cave.

 

No one said anything for a long moment, and then Shada sighed.  "Yes, of course.  It's the only option."  Then she knelt beside her backpack and began to unload her own thin bedroll.  She spread it out across the cave from Luke and Mara's.

 

Talon watched her for a moment, then lifted his own backpack and joined her at the other side of the cave.

 

Mara took in a huge breath and held it for a moment before she slowly let it out.

 

Luke grinned at her.  "See there, told you there wouldn't be a problem."

 

"Don't get cocky, Jedi.  The night's not over yet," Mara warned him.

 

 

************************************

 

 

"No, Luke," Mara hissed and moved quickly to the other side of the bedroll which she had placed near the opposite wall from Talon and Shada.  She patted the space beside her.  "Sleep here."

 

Luke frowned, but climbed in beside her.  "Does it make any difference?"  He wiggled around for a moment, thrashing his legs, and then pulled his boxer shorts out from under him and laid them to the side within easy reach. 

 

He turned on his side, facing his wife, and grinned.  "Now, let’s get warm."  He pulled her into his arms and nuzzled against her throat.  He slid a little lower and took one of her pert nipples into his mouth, sucking on it gently.

 

She slapped at him.  "Luke, don’t do that."

 

He stopped and pulled back to look at her.  "Why not?" he groused.

 

"Shada and Karrde are right over there, not three meters away," she whispered.

 

Luke sighed heavily.  "Well, if they’ve got any sense, then they’re doing the same thing."

 

Mara stifled a giggle.  "You know they’re not!"  Mara had had some uncomfortable moments in her lifetime, but she would long remember the time that they all prepared for bed.  No one was sure just how many clothes they should remove before getting into the bedrolls, even though Luke had been adamant that they needed to be virtually nude for the full benefit of the body heat.  Mara had finally taken the initiative and shucked her outer garments off before climbing into the thin bed and then removing the rest of her clothes.

 

After a moment, Shada followed suit, easing into the bedroll across the cave and lying on her back as close to the cave wall as she could get.  Talon tentatively crawled in after her, leaving Luke the only one still up.  After checking the quickly dying fire, Luke had taken his place beside Mara.

 

"Well, what are they doing?  Can you see them?  Are they asleep yet?"  Luke asked, as his back was to the other couple.

 

Mara peered cautiously over his shoulder.  "They’re just lying there on their backs.  I don’t think they're sleeping yet."

 

"On their backs?"  Luke asked ominously, his arms tightening around Mara.

 

Mara nodded.

 

"Are they touching at all?"  Luke asked, his voice showing his exasperation.

 

Mara shook her head and then gasped aloud when Luke suddenly let her go, turned over and called loudly, "Karrde!"

 

There was a moment of stunned silence in the small cave and then Karrde asked, "Yes?"

 

"Listen, man, do you realize how cold it’s going to get in here?"  Luke said forcefully.

 

"Yes, I have a pretty good idea, Skywalker," Karrde said sarcastically.

 

"Then if you don’t get over there and start hugging on Shada, you’re both going to be frozen statues in the morning, and I’m not going to be in any mood to thaw you out!"

 

Mara gaped at her husband then buried her face in his back, strangling back a laugh.  He fought a grin himself.  He suddenly felt like a father with two unruly children.

 

The silence across the dark cave was heavy and no one made a move.

 

"Do I have to draw you a map?" Luke snapped, impatient now with such misplaced modesty.  He had a feeling they hadn't even removed all their clothing.  He knew the situation had its humorous aspects and at any other time he would be more than willing to tease Shada and Talon, but now wasn't the time – it was far, far too serious to let inhibitions play a part.

 

"Alright, alright, Skywalker, we get the point," Karrde barked.

 

There was some muted conversation and then some rustling in the bedroll across the cave.  Finally, it was quiet again.

 

Luke watched for a moment, then turned again to face his wife.  Her green eyes were full of mischief and he grinned at her.  "What are they doing?" she asked in a choked whisper.

 

Luke laughed softly and said, "Turn over on your other side."

 

She lifted an eyebrow but complied.  Immediately, Luke fitted his body tightly against hers, spooning her legs with his and wrapping an arm around her waist. "This is what they are doing," he whispered and then licked a long trail along her naked shoulder, the heat of his mouth like a sizzling torch on her cool skin.  "Well, maybe not all of it," he chuckled, then kissed and sucked on the soft skin of her neck.

 

Mara shivered in pleasure and Luke tightened his hold on her, thinking that she was feeling the cold.  'I hope you’re enjoying this as much as I am, Shada,' Mara thought, nestling her lower body comfortably against her husband’s familiar form.  Smiling, she closed her eyes to sleep.  It was going to be a long night.

 

Across the small dark cave, the two people in the other bedroll weren’t nearly as comfortable.

 

"I’m sorry about this, Shada," Karrde whispered softly, his breath gently moving a strand or two of the dark hair on her temple. 

 

"It’s not your fault," Shada answered, just as softly, but she was conscious of his body, which was basically wrapped around hers, his arm around her waist and one of his long legs thrown across hers.

 

"Yes, I know," Karrde agreed, a little humor easing into his voice. "But I’ll bet you weren’t thinking this would become part of the job when you signed on as my second-in-command."

 

"And it isn’t becoming part of the job now," she retorted, a little sharper than she intended.  Then she sighed, fighting against the growing awareness of him in her body.  It had been quite some time since she had lain in such a way with a man.  She had never been a promiscuous woman, but the Shadow Guards had discouraged long-term relationships for their soldiers.  They spent too many hours training, invested far too much of their precious resources in perfecting their guards into the galaxy's finest mercenaries for the women to suddenly decide family life was more what they wanted.  So Shada had steered clear of any relationships that called for commitment.  She had kept to that pattern even when it had not seemed so important anymore as she had moved up the command ladder.  Higher level Shadow Guards seemed to have had more freedom in such situations.  She even remembered that one of the Eleven had kept the same man for years.

 

"Let’s get some sleep, Talon.  It’s going to be a long day tomorrow."  She positioned her head to a better spot on the leather bag she was using as a pillow and closed her eyes.

 

"Alright," Karrde said.  Then his arm tightened across her waist and he pulled himself in even tighter to her body.

 

Her eyes flew open.

 

"I’m just getting a little more comfortable, Shada.  There was a pebble digging into my hip," he explained.

 

She nodded and closed her eyes again, seeking all her Mistryl training to force herself to sleep.  It wasn’t long before her breathing became noticeably slower.  Then she was asleep.

 

When her body went limp against his, Talon Karrde drew in a long, deep breath.  Obviously, she wasn’t the least bit affected by them lying almost naked and snug up against one another.  He wished he had her composure, he thought, because he was having a helluva time with it.  Of course, it wasn't the first time they had slept together, but this was radically different than when they had shared that huge bed in the village hut.

 

The warmth of her body against his was wonderful, and the feel of her back against his chest and her firm, rounded buttocks against his...

 

Karrde swallowed abruptly.  They might as well be lovers, he thought, even married.  He glanced over his shoulder at the other couple across the fire.  They apparently were already deeply asleep, lying in almost the identical position that he and Shada were.  Karrde snorted silently, knowing the other couple was much more used to sleeping like that than he and Shada were.

 

As he watched, Mara shifted a little, turning towards her husband and even in his sleep, Luke responded to her movement, pulling his body more onto hers, covering her to keep her warm.

 

Karrde sighed and decided to let himself believe for a moment that he and Shada were like the other couple, married and used to sleeping pressed so closely together.  He figured that it would be the only way he would get any sleep that night.

 

 

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The small cave felt icy when Talon woke several hours later.  He had pulled the bedroll over both his and Shada's heads, but the cold seeped in like water through a sieve.  He was only warm where he lay pressed against the long-limbed woman he held loosely in his arms.  She, apparently, was still deeply asleep.

 

He blinked, the cold making his eyes water and he wondered what had awakened him.  Pulling the top of the bedroll down a little, he glanced across the cave to the other side.  There was only a very dim light, supplied by a small glow rod that Luke had left near the entrance to the cave, yet Talon could make out the lump that was the other bedroll.  Nothing moving there, and as Talon watched, a faint snore from that direction drifted over to him.

 

He smiled slightly and then frowned when he felt Shada shiver against him.  She groaned softly and moved against him, pressing her body tighter to him.

 

"Shada?" he whispered, not really wanting to awaken her if she was only dreaming.

 

But Shada's eyes blinked and she came fully awake, her Shadow Guard training never letting her sleep too deeply when on a mission.  She shivered again, the cold seeping through the thermal bedroll with icy fingers.

 

"Are you cold?"  Talon asked softly, tightening his arms around her.

 

"It's okay, I'll manage," Shada replied just as quietly.

 

Talon put his hand on her cheek, startled to find how cold it was.  "You're freezing.  Why didn't you tell me?"

 

Shada turned her face away from his hand and then said, a bit impatiently, "There's nothing you can do.  I'll be fine."  She was cold, but they all were and they would just have to endure it.

 

Talon let his hand drop to her shoulder.  "Shada, turn over."

 

She shot him a look out of the corners of her eyes.

 

"Turn over on your back," he said again, patiently.

 

"Why?"

 

"Shada."

 

She sighed and moved away from him slightly, then turned onto her back.  Immediately, the cold assaulted her and she shivered, missing his warmth pressed against her.

 

Then she stiffened as he moved his body on top of hers.

 

"What are you doing?" she asked, a little louder than she intended.

 

"You'll be warmer this way.  Now, don't argue.  Just go back to sleep."

 

Easy for you to say, Shada groused silently.  He was heavy, but she could already feel the additional warmth easing into her from his body.  With her back against the thermal sheeting, her own body heat was being thrown up at her.  No longer could she feel the creeping, damp coldness from the cave.

 

However, she could feel other things and she shifted a bit uncomfortably, unconsciously opening her long legs which seemed to be tangled with Talon's.  Immediately, she realized it was a mistake as Talon's lower body settled into the cradle of her hips.

 

"Go to sleep, Shada," Talon gasped, his voice sounding a bit strangled.

 

They looked at each other in the pale, dim light of the small glow rod.

 

"Dammit, I'm sorry," Talon breathed hoarsely.

 

Something hard and long pressed into Shada's thigh and she sucked in a deep breath.

 

Talon's eyes looked tortured in the pale light and Shada sensed his embarrassment, but she was having problems of her own.  She hadn't reacted to a man's touch in such a way in quite some time, and the breath she was holding shuddered out of her as the pit of her stomach tightened in response.  She couldn't lie to herself anymore; she was attracted to this man, and her body seemed to have a mind of its own, responding instinctively to the erotic call of his.

 

She closed her eyes.  He felt good.  His body was tall and slender, like hers, and she had to admit, they fit together perfectly.

 

The cold was completely forgotten, and their body heat seemed to consume them.  Shada's legs moved again, spreading a little farther apart and tangling with his again.

 

Talon made a strange sound deep in his throat, and Shada opened her eyes.  He looked in pain, and almost involuntarily her hand lifted to cup his cheek.

 

"Don't," he whispered gruffly.  "I can't...I..."

 

Shada searched his eyes with hers, and what was there both thrilled and frightened her.  "It's okay, Talon," she managed in a choked whisper.

 

"I'm sorry..." he began again, but she stopped his words with her fingertips on his lips.

 

"No...don't...don't say you're sorry," she whispered, then swallowed abruptly.  "It's...it's a compliment."

 

Talon groaned and his head fell onto her shoulder. 

 

They lay there for a moment.  Then Shada slowly turned her face toward him and as if by mutual consent, their mouths met.  It was a tender kiss, close-mouthed and filled with gentle respect and something much more.  It was so sweet that Shada couldn't stop her hand from easing into his hair and her lips from parting beneath his.  The kiss deepened, became more frantic as their mouths opened and then fused tightly together.

 

It was Shada's turn to make a sound, low and guttural in her own throat as Talon's tongue slowly caressed hers.  To her astonishment, her whole body reacted to the kiss, her breasts tingling, and her lower abdomen filled with streaking lightening.

 

Their mouths widened even more as passion, pure and simple, exploded between them.

 

Talon's arms fumbled underneath Shada, lifting her against him, and her long fingers buried themselves in his silky hair while she kissed him as she had never kissed anyone in her life before.

 

The small amount of clothing they hadn't been able to part with when they had crawled into the bedroll was suddenly an encumbrance.

 

Talon's hand eased under the back of Shada's halter and she actually lifted herself to allow him more room.  Quickly, he unsnapped it and moved his hand to her shoulder so he could pull the strap down.

 

Shada straightened her arm, letting him slip the thin garment off her, and then arched off the makeshift bed when his mouth went unerring to her breast.

 

She groaned again, the sound harsh in the small cave.  Her fingers dug into his back, almost viciously, compared to the gentle, soft caress of his mouth.

 

It was Talon's turn to arch as her nails scored tiny trails.  Then he returned to his task, turning his attention to the other breast.  Shada wasn't a young woman anymore, but her breasts were perfect, firm and uplifting, and he moaned, instinctively pressing his hips deeply against hers. 

 

Shada responded, her hands sliding down his back and into his thin boxers where she caressed his lean, muscular buttocks.

 

Talon jerked his mouth from her breast, easing up her body to cover her panting mouth with his again.  The kiss was long, open-mouthed, wet, and Talon finally broke it, burying his face in her elegant neck.

 

"Shadaaa," he groaned.  "I lo..."  but she pulled his head up, covering his mouth again and kissing him fiercely.

 

He lost all coherent thought when one of her hands, still encased in his boxers, eased around him, grasping his length, her fingers circling, caressing.

 

A harsh, throaty moan escaped him, loud in the stillness of the cave, and Shada kissed him again, her lust-fogged brain dimly recalling a need for quiet.  Their tongues played frantically with one another, while Shada's hand worked an age-old magic below, her long fingers caressing, squeezing, and gently pulling.

 

Talon groaned again, his head lifting and his hips involuntarily thrusting against her hand.

 

Shada buried her face in his throat, her long legs wrapping around him securely and pulling him in closer to her.

 

They held each other tightly, moving sensuously against one another, until with another cry, Talon first went rigid and then limp against her.  He moved his mouth to her cheek, mumbling her name, as her hands eased up his back, embracing him, comforting him.

 

He kissed her cheek, her mouth, the little hollow at the base of her throat, and then slowly began to work his way down her chest, pausing to pay particular attention to her exquisite breasts.

 

Then he moved lower, one arm pulling the bedroll completely over them again.

 

Shada's breathing became labored, shuddering out of her open mouth in the stillness of the cold cave, as her hands gripped the bedroll on either side of her.

 

A sound caught their attention, even through their haze of passion.  Someone was coughing...maybe moving about?  They froze, as still as statues, and then Talon very carefully moved off of Shada as they both listened intensely.

 

Then they heard Luke asked sleepily, "Mara, where did you put the caf-maker?"

 

Shada closed her eyes.  Oh shazza!  She waited with held breath for Mara's reply, but nothing came.  Then she heard Luke say, "Come on, Mara, wake up.  It'll be light soon."

 

Shada let out her breath slowly, and Talon pulled the bedroll down a little, cautiously peering out.  She heard him sigh and then he whispered so softly she could barely hear him.  "They aren't even up.  I think he just woke up.  He's just lying there, still half asleep."

 

Shada opened her eyes, relief rushing in a flood through her.  She thought she would rather battle an entire squad of Imperial stormtroopers by herself than face a Mara who knew what she had just been doing!

 

And oh...what she had been doing!

 

She looked up at Talon who had propped himself up on his elbow.  He smiled gently at her, the little laugh lines at the corners of his eyes crinkling.

 

They heard a muffled slap, then Mara's exasperated voice,  "Stop it, Luke!  Just get up and make the caf, will you?"

 

Shada bit her lip...hard, and Talon smothered a laugh against her shoulder.

 

On to Chapter 15

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