A Shadow at Dusk

Chapter 6

"I know it's risky, Talon, but you know as well as I do, that there wouldn't have been any way to stop them from coming down to the surface of the planet. Especially Mara. You know how stubborn she is," Luke said.

Talon nodded. "I didn't mention the disease to them when we talked on the commlink because I knew it would just make them both much more determined. Shada is as bad as Mara."

"I'm not that worried about Mara," Luke said. "Once I tell her all about it, she will be able to sense it herself when the spores enter her body. She has made enormous progress and is developing into a powerful Jedi. She'll probably be able to purge them all herself without any help from me."

"And once they are gone, that's it?" Talon asked, concern vying with hope in his voice.

"That seems to be the pattern, but we can't be sure of anything at this point. It's much too early." Luke studied Talon intently. "Have you had any more trouble?"

Talon shook his head. "Nothing since the last time. I feel great. No headaches, dizziness, nausea, nothing. I think that last session you had with me removed the last of the spores."

"So do I. If any had remained in your body, they would have become active by now." Luke put his hand on Talon's shoulder. "It's Shada that we're going to have to watch carefully. You must make her understand that if she develops even the slightest symptom, she must let Mara or me know immediately. The faster we detect and purge the spores, the less effect they will have on her."

"You don't have to worry," Talon told him seriously. "I'm not planning on letting her out of my sight."

Luke turned away to hide his smile. Obviously, Talon was as eager to see Shada as Luke was to see Mara.

"Luke?" Talon asked quietly.

Luke turned back to him. "Yes?"

"She'll be alright, won't she? There is no real risk as long as you and Mara are here, right?"

Luke frowned slightly. "I could tell you not to worry, but I wouldn't be completely truthful. This disease isn't like anything that we've ever seen before. We will just have to wait and see, but I promise you that we'll do everything in our power to protect Shada."

Talon nodded, seemingly lost in thought for a moment. Then he ran a hand through his beard that had grown considerably in the weeks he had been on the planet. "You know," he mumbled. "I think I'm going to try to trim this up a little before they get here."

Luke nodded, struck by the thought. Talon had let his beard grow longer than normal. Well, it hadn't exactly been a priority to keep up appearances in the time they had been in the village. Luke ran a curious hand across his own chin and was startled to find a somewhat moderate growth there himself. He lifted an eyebrow and told Talon, "I think I'll join you. I suppose it's useless to hope that you managed to salvage a vibro-razor from the wreck of our ship?"

Talon smiled. "Skywalker, you should know by now that I'm a very resourceful man. Follow me."

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

The flatlands weren't really flat, but plains with gently rolling hills and slight depressions. Shada and Mara were coming up rapidly on one of the hills when Mara grabbed Shada's arm. "Slow! Slow down!"

Shada eased back on the engine and turned to Mara. "What is it?"

"Something or somebody's over the hill. I can sense it."

Shada moved the blaster in its holster on her hip to a move accessible position. "Trouble?"

"Could be," Mara mumbled, reaching out to the Force. Closing her eyes, she could sense several sentient beings. Their emotions were flooding into her - excitement, fear, and a sense of desperate determination.

"It's a group, humans, I think. They're planning something."

Shada slowed the landspeeder to a halt. She fingered the blaster on her thigh again and then sighed, "You know, Mara, I don't know about you, but I think I'd like to avoid any type of confrontation."

Mara looked at her and nodded. "I agree. Luke said there were some teenage gangs roaming the flatlands. They're not heavily armed, just troublesome."

"Teenagers?" Shada repeated, shaking her head. "Now, I know I don't want any sort of fight. Who knows what they would do?"

"Right," Mara agreed. "Let's just go around them."

Shada eased the landspeeder to the right and flew a hundred or so meters along the hill and then crested it. In the distance, they could see a group of young men and women, obviously surprised at where the landspeeder came over the hill. They were running and shouting, some even stopping to launch a useless arrow or two.

Mara shook her head. "Just as Luke said, only a bunch of kids. Let's go."

The landspeeder leaped forward with a surge from its heavily modified engine and left the small, astonished gang of scavengers far behind.

They traveled another hour or so over what seemed to be mostly rolling grasslands. They didn't see any more humans, but the plains were filled with an enormous assortment of animal and plant-life.

Mara watched it all with great interest. "There's a certain beauty to untamed nature, isn't it?" she remarked.

Shada nodded slowly. "The way it should be. Free and unencumbered."

"Not a fan of Coruscant, I take it?" Mara teased gently.

Shada shot her a look. "No, not really, although I've lived there for over a year now." She paused for a moment and then said quietly, "I was born on a planet like this one or at least, it used to be like this one."

"What do you mean, it used to be?" Mara asked, puzzled.

"I was born on Emberlene. Ever heard of it?" Shada asked curiously.

"Emberlene?" Mara repeated, thinking hard. "I've heard about it. I knew that's where the Shadow Guards came from, but I really don't know very much about it."

"No, I don't suspect many people do. It doesn't have a lot to offer anymore."

"Why not?"

"It was destroyed by a huge mercenary army not long before I was born. The infrastructure of our urban areas was decimated. We went from a thriving, prosperous, high-tech world to a third-rate commerce planet in a matter of days. It was total devastation." Shada took a deep breath and let it out slowly as Mara sat in shocked silence. "The majority of our populace was homeless and moved about the planet as refugees."

"By the Force!" Mara exclaimed. "Why was the planet attacked like that?"

"When I was growing up, we were taught that the Empire had done it, that Palpatine, in the early days of his reign, feared the growing influence of Emberlene, so he ordered its destruction."

"Sounds very much like him," Mara muttered a bit uncomfortably. Some of the missions she had carried out in her youth for Palpatine had had the same motivations behind them. "I suppose that's why the Shadow Guards would never work for the Empire?"

Shada nodded. "The Shadow Guards were formed to help defend and protect the populace. After awhile, they began to be hired out as mercenaries to earn money to provide food and supplies for the people. But we would never work for the Empire because we had been told that the Empire was responsible for what had happened to our planet." Shada glanced at Mara. "But that wasn't the truth."

Mara frowned. "What do you mean, that wasn't the truth?"

"Palpatine didn't do it. The Empire never attacked Emberlene at all."

Mara turned in her seat to face Shada. "The Empire wasn't responsible for what happened? Then who was?"

"I didn't know the truth until I went with Talon on that mission to the Kathol sector to find Jorj Car'das. When we got there, Car'das gave me a datadisk with the complete history of Emberlene."

Shada fell silent for a moment, caught up in her memories, then she said softly, "What happened to Emberlene was its own fault. The planetary government had grown powerful and aggressive and was attacking and subduing the other planets in the same sector, ransacking them of their wealth. Those planets banded together, hired a huge mercenary army and ordered the destruction of Emberlene. It was revenge, pure and simple, and they got it, all they could have ever wished for. Emberlene has never recovered."

It was quiet for a moment in the landspeeder, then Mara said, "I'm sorry, Shada."

"For what?" Shada asked bitterly. "For what happened to Emberlene or for the fact that I'd lived my whole life believing a lie?"

"It wasn't your fault," Mara insisted, thinking how ironical it was that she found herself trying to reassure someone who believed they had wasted a good portion of their life on the wrong principles.

"Maybe not, but it doesn't change anything," Shada told her. "I was in trouble with the Guards before I ever found out the truth. I had disobeyed a direct order during an assignment and one of my sisters had been sent to eliminate me. I offered my services to the New Republic, but ended up on that mission with Talon, another smuggler, a step I didn't feel was an improvement at all."

Shada shifted a little uncomfortably in her seat. It was difficult for her to open up to anyone, yet she sensed in Mara a kindred spirit, a comradeship of mutual experiences. When she continued, her voice was barely louder than a whisper, "I was lost; cut adrift from everything I had once held dear. Everything I had believed in and cared about turned out to be false. I had pretty much given up hope on ever finding anything to believe in again, on finding something that would give purpose to my life. When I was hurt in that battle with the pirates not long after we started the mission, I believed I was dying. All I felt was relief. At least then, I thought, my misery would be over."

Mara looked down, an unusual wave of sympathy for Shada washing over her. "But you didn't die," she said, pointing out the obvious.

Shada took a deep breath. "Talon Karrde saw to that, and in the end, he did much more than save my life. He gave me a reason to feel that my life was worthwhile, that I had a duty I could perform without regret."

"As an acting liaison between the New Republic and the Empire?"

Shada nodded slowly. "It may not be the most noble of jobs, but it serves a good purpose."

Mara was quiet for a moment, looking off into the distance horizon. "You know, he did the same for me."

"What?" Shada asked, turning to look at her.

"Karrde," Mara said. "He saved me too."

The landspeeder slowed perceptibly and Shada turned to look at Mara.

Mara smiled slightly. "You know I was the Emperor's Hand, a highly-trained personal assassin. I had devoted my life to Palpatine. I would've done anything he asked of me. When he was killed at the Battle of Endor, I thought my life was over."

Shada's eyes widened and she nodded slowly.

Mara continued, "I drifted about the outer rim of the galaxy for five years, taking odd jobs here and there, working with the lowest scum of the underworld. Karrde found me on a planet where I was working as a hyperdrive mechanic for a man whom I soon learned made most of his money as a thief and murderer. My boss tried to kill Karrde, and I saved his life. He took me with him when he left and began to train me as a second-in-command. He made me believe in myself again."

"He gave you purpose," Shada said softly, turning to look out the transparisteel window of the landspeeder.

The two women sat in silence for a long time, the engine softly vibrating in the rear the landspeeder.

"He's a good man, Shada," Mara suddenly said, her voice quiet.

Shada looked at her quickly. "I know," she answered, just as quietly. There was another pause and Shada looked away. "Mara...was there...were you and Karrde ever..."

Mara's eyebrows lifted. "Ever what?" she asked, although she had a good idea what Shada was asking. It wouldn't hurt to have Shada worked up the nerve to formulate the question though. It could very well be a step forward in Shada realizing her own feelings.

Shada frowned and put the landspeeder in motion again. "Forget it!"

Mara bit her lip to keep from grinning. She raised her hands. "What? What do you want to know?"

"Alright," Shada barked, not taking her eyes off the flatlands in front of her. "Did you and Karrde...were you ever...? Damn it, did you sleep with him?"

Mara burst out laughing and leaned back in her seat. "I didn't think you would be able to spit it out."

Shada shot her a glare, but Mara only laughed again. "No, I didn't. There was never anything like that between us. But he's my friend, Shada. I would do almost anything for him. Luke feels the same way."

Shada nodded. "I know. I know exactly what you mean."

They traveled on a few more minutes before the small navicomputer on board the landspeeder began a rhythmic beeping. They crested another small hill, and there below them lay the village.

Shada stopped the engine and both women got out of the landspeeder, squinting in the late afternoon sun as they took in the scene before them.

The village wasn't large, but contained about twenty-five to thirty huts, some circular, some squared. They seemed to be made of wooden frames, covered with long, carved wooden boards and bundles of long, dry grasses tied tightly together, obviously a product of the flatlands.

There were several people moving about in the village, and Shada stiffened sharply when a tall, lean figure stopped near the edge of the village and peered up at the hilltop.

Mara moved back to the landspeeder and climbed in, anxious to continue down to the village. *Luke?*

*Mara?*

Down in the village, Luke looked up from the bedside of one of the last patients left in the communal hut. Although he had been in a healing trance for almost two days, the patients he had been attending before his injury had been making steady progress, and there had been no more new cases in the village in over a week.

He sensed Mara's smile. *We're here,* she whispered in his mind. He stood quickly and headed for the huge open door of the hut. *We're on the hill above the village. We'll be right there.*

*Hurry,* he said, passing through the door and heading toward the end of the village street that led up to the hill.

Mara looked back at her companion who was still staring down at the village.

"Shada," she called impatiently. "Come on."

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

When the landspeeder crested the tiny ochre-colored hill and stopped above the village, Talon Karrde had just finished carrying the last of the water buckets to the huge communal well which dominated the center of the village. He had done more manual labor in the past few weeks than he could recall doing in many years. He was surprised to find that he actually enjoyed it, appreciating a closeness to nature that he had only experience once before. And that had been on Myrkr, a small, remote planet he had made his home base for many years. Even now, after more than ten years, he felt a twinge of regret when the thought about it.

A sound above the village drew his attention and he stopped abruptly. He focused his sight on the hill, and then took one more step forward. His mouth went dry as he watched two women, one taller than the other, emerged from the landspeeder. They stood and looked down, putting their hands to their foreheads to block the heavy glare from the late afternoon sun.

Talon Karrde felt frozen, his limbs sluggish even though his heart was beginning to pound in his chest. He couldn't take his eyes off the women on the hill. The smaller one, whose hair seemed like living flame in the glinting sunlight, said something and then turned and got back in the speeder. But the other one stayed where she was, staring intently down at the small community.

To Talon, she stood like a vibro-blade against the pale sky, her tall, willowy figure straight and shimmering against the slowly fading light of the day. He took another step toward her, entranced, pulled as if by an unseen magnet.

But her head dipped as if she were listening, as if someone had called to her, and then she turned and took her position in the speeder again. Almost immediately, it headed down the hill toward the small village.

Talon swallowed abruptly. Get a hold of yourself, man, he chastised himself. What's she going to think if you act like some lovesick fool at the very sight of her? She's not going to expect it, and she won't be happy about it. Calm down. Nothing's changed, at least for her. She's still your second-in-command, and as far as she's concerned, she's just doing her job.

Suddenly, Skywalker appeared at his side. Talon glanced at him, noticing immediately the excitement gleaming in the younger man's bright blue eyes as he watched the approaching landspeeder. Talon smiled at him, dampening down the sudden twinge of jealousy he felt. He knew how Skywalker and Mara felt about each other. Their marriage had been a complete and utter surprise to everyone, but Talon had never known two people more destined or more suited for one another.

The landspeeder stopped a few meters away from them, and Skywalker started toward it at a trot. But Mara was already climbing out of the passenger side, quickly moving toward him. Talon heard her call out Skywalker's name and then they were in each other's arms, kissing fiercely, their hands roaming over one another as if trying to assure themselves that the other was all right.

Talon glanced at Shada who still sat in the speeder. She had been watching Mara and Luke, but suddenly she turned and looked at him. They stared at each other a moment, and then Talon began to slowly walk to the vehicle. She got out to greet him.

He stopped when he reached her side and smiled tentatively at her. "Shada," he said quietly.

She nodded and ran her tongue across her lips. "Karrde. How are you?"

He took a deep breath, trying to settle the crazy thudding in his chest. "It's good to see you. I didn't expect you, you know, but I'm very glad you came."

A muscle twitched in her cheek and she moved a little closer to him. "Did you think I would let you rot for the rest of your life on this planet?" she asked dryly.

Before he could reply, a low throaty laugh erupted from Mara, and Talon and Shada both turned to look. Skywalker was holding her closely against him, his face buried in her throat. Her hands roamed over his back, and she whispered something in his ear that only made him hold her tighter.

Shada turned away, a hint of color rising in her cheeks. She cleared her throat suddenly, moving a bit nervously; obviously uncomfortable with what was going on with the other couple. She wasn't used to open displays of affection between couples. The Shadow Guards had never encouraged their members to form relationships because they feared interference with a Guard's loyalty. Nevertheless, they understood basic human needs, but fulfilling those needs was something that needed to be done quietly and privately, and with absolutely no strings attached.

Out of the corner of his eyes, Talon watched her as she stood before him. She was dressed in a form-fitting black flight suit that he had never seen before. Her long, dark hair had been pulled severely back from her thin, attractive face and gathered with some sort of intricate clasp at the nape of her neck. It hung in one long braid to the center of her back.

Her dark brows were knitted over her gray eyes and she glanced up at him, her mouth slightly parted. Her mouth, Talon thought, feeling something akin to a jolt of electricity surge through him. She had the most wonderful, gorgeous mouth. He had spent an inordinate amount of time in the last year and a half just studying it. It literally fascinated him and more than once, he had lost the train of their conversation because he was watching the captivating movements of her exquisitely shaped mouth. It had a full upper lip that curved erotically over an even fuller bottom one. Talon had once heard that a full bottom lip in a woman meant that she was passionate and fiery. Shada was indeed a fiery woman; he had seen her angry more than once, but passionate...that was something that Talon just didn't know, but would give almost anything for the opportunity to find out.

He looked over her shoulder at Mara and Skywalker who now seemed determined to learn the secrets of each other's mouth. His own went a little dry at the intense passion the other couple obviously felt for one another.

He glanced back at Shada. Ah hell, he thought. She'd probably kill him, but he just couldn't help himself anymore. He reached out and took her arm, drawing her closer to him. She looked up at him, puzzled, and then started with surprise when his other hand cupped her cheek. Before she could make a move, he bent his lean, sturdy frame and pressed his lips to hers.

Shada stood utterly still in shock, as Talon's mouth worked gently on hers, coaxing, softly pleading with her. His moustache tickled and she marveled a moment at the feel of it against her upper lip.

Then his tongue tentatively touched her lips, apparently politely asking for entry. Shada felt an erotic tingle in the pit of her stomach, and she put both hands in the center of his chest, pushing him, none too gently, away.

She glared at him as if she thought he had lost his mind, and he opened his mouth to begin an apology when they were suddenly surrounded by a small group of villagers.

The younger children were running around the landspeeder, exclaiming in awe and jumping with excitement.

Talon was relieved to see the two young leaders of the village, and he waved them over. "Shada, this is Vashi and Enee. They are the...eh...chieftains of this village. Vashi, Enee, this is Shada."

If Shada was surprised at the youthful appearance of the two in front of her, she didn't show it. She held out her hand to Vashi, who took it solemnly. "I'm pleased to meet you," Shada told him and smiled politely at Enee.

The young girl returned her greeting shyly.

Vashi bowed low over her hand. "It is our pleasure to meet the woman of Talon Karrde."

Shada's head shot up and she pinned Talon with a look that would have fried the circuit boards on a droid. He shook his head helplessly. He didn't have a clue what Vashi was talking about, and he opened his mouth to correct him when Luke suddenly appeared beside them, his arm around Mara's waist.

"Vashi," he exclaimed, putting his hand on the slender, young man's shoulder. "I want you to meet my wife, Mara."

Vashi bowed low again, this time over Mara's hand, thinking all the while that he had never seen two such stunning women in one place before. It made him think of the great planet, Coruscant, that Master Skywalker had told him about, and he wondered if all the women there were so incredibly beautiful.

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

A short while later, the group turned to make their way into the village. Children ran and leaped around them, their shouts of excitement piercing the air.

Mara walked beside Luke, her hand clasped loosely in one of his. Luke had one of her nerf-hide carryalls in his other hand. The young girl, Enee, was shyly telling her something about a new hut for her and Luke, but Mara was only half listening to her. Her attention was on the couple walking in front of them with Vashi leading them all into the main street of the village.

Shada's back was stiff as a sheet of dura-armor and she was obviously, pointedly, ignoring Karrde who walked a bit tentatively beside her.

Mara frowned. What had happened? She hadn't actually seen them greet one another, but it was obvious that something had not gone well. Shada looked as angry as a dinko with a sore paw and was obviously spoiling for a fight. Mara sighed. Men! Couldn't they ever handle anything right?

Vashi stopped in front of a hut that was considerably larger than the ones around it. He turned and said proudly, "Master Skywalker, this is for you and your wom..." he stopped and then corrected himself, "wife." He grinned at them, delighted that he had remembered the new term.

Luke looked at the hut. "But Vashi, this is..."

"I want you to stay here, Master," Vashi cut him off quickly. "It would please me very much."

Luke looked at him a moment and then slowly nodded. "All right, Vashi, if that's what you want. Mara and I would be honored."

Enee suddenly spoke. "Talon Karrde, we have another hut for you. If you would come with me, I'll show you where it is."

Mara's eyebrows lifted at the word, 'hut' and she glanced at Shada, wondering what the other woman thought of the idea of having to share with Talon. She saw that Shada had stiffened again, but Mara wasn't surprised when she didn't say anything. Whatever Shada had to say wasn't going to be voiced in public.

Talon glanced a bit hesitantly at her and then told Enee. "Of course, where do you want us to go?"

Mara watched them walk off, relieved that she wasn't going to be anywhere near them when they finally reached the hut! She grinned and then laughed. What a situation! Luke looked at her questioningly, but she only squeezed his hand and followed him into their cabin.

Luke stopped in astonishment when they entered, causing Mara to bump into him slightly. The hut's interior was much larger than Luke had thought from the outside. It actually had two rooms, one large one, which obviously served as the living area, and a smaller one off to one side. The floor was dirt like in all the cabins, but large, woven rugs of flatland grass were scattered around the room. A roughly carved table and several straight-back wooden chairs stood in the center of the large room.

"What is it?" Mara asked, peering over his shoulder.

He grinned. "Looks like we've got the honeymoon suite at the Imperial Palace."

Mara glanced around her rather primitive environment and murmured, "Is that so?"

Luke chuckled and tugged on her hand, leading her into the other room. He stopped again and then burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Mara asked, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"I'll have to show you the cot I've been sleeping on. Believe me, it's nothing compared to this!" He waved his hand at the big, raised bed in the center of the small room. Made of sturdy round logs, it was more than three meters wide. Mara walked over and flopped down on it. The mattress rustled and she looked up in surprise.

"Must be filled with flatland grass," Luke told her succinctly. He walked over and dropped her bag next to the bed. As he placed it, his thoughts went back to Mara's traveling companion.

"What's with them?" he asked curiously, motioning with his head in the direction the other couple had taken.

Mara looked up questioningly. "Who?"

"Talon and Shada. They were hardly speaking to one another."

Mara reached up and pulled him down beside her on the bed. "It's called sexual tension, Luke," she grinned and then climbed into his lap, sliding her arms around his neck. "Remember what it was like?"

Luke smiled, his arms finding their way around her waist. "Mmmmm...I do seem to recall something along those lines." Then he frowned slightly. "But why are they experiencing sexual tension? They've been...eh...a couple for a while, haven't they?"

Mara laughed softly, playing gently with his hair. She pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek and let her mouth wander along his jaw line. "That's what they wanted everyone to believe, but it's not true. They've been pretending."

"Pretending?" Luke questioned, leaning his head back as his wife continued her exploration of his throat. "You could have fooled me then."

Mara pulled back abruptly and looked at him. "What do you mean...fooled you?"

Luke sighed and pulled her back to him, deciding to use the opportunity to do a little nuzzling of his own.

"Talon certainly gave the impression that she was more than just a friend...more than just his second-in-command."

Mara's mouth opened in surprise. "You mean he actually talked to you about her?"

Luke shook his head slowly, and then carefully pushed aside the opening of her jumpsuit, planting a series of warm, open-mouthed kisses along her collarbone. "No, not to me specifically, but he was ill for a time when we first got here. He was suffering from some high fevers and much of the time he wasn't really conscious, just drifting in and out. But he talked a lot, especially when the fever was really high."

"I take it he's fine now? He looked very well. But Luke, he really talked about Shada?" Mara asked, a bit breathlessly, nerves beginning to tingle at the touch of his mouth. Her hands tangled themselves in the front of his tunic.

Luke nodded slowly. "Not talked about her so much as talked to her. He called for her a lot, obviously wanting her to be with him." He leaned forward and kissed Mara softly on the forehead. "Just as I wanted you with me."

Mara sat up a little straighter in his lap and pursed her lips. She murmured thoughtfully, "Well, well...this just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?"

Luke pulled back to look into her face. "What are you up to, Jade? I don't like that look."

Mara refocused on him, and a small smile began to play about her lips. "Oh, you don't like my look, Farmboy?" She put her hands in the center of his chest and playfully began to push him backward. He fell back on the bed and Mara climbed on top of him. Shada and Talon and their relationship or lack of one may be interesting, but she had something better to do right now.

Luke was looking up at her, a fiery spark in his blue eyes. She grinned and then covered his mouth with hers, thrusting her tongue in to gleefully explore. They had been married for over a year, but the slightest touch still set them off like fireworks.

Luke enthusiastically returned the kiss, tangling his tongue with hers and sliding his hands into her hair. Finally, they broke apart, gasping for breath. Mara sat up and undid the snaps on the front of her flight suit, then began loosening the leather ties at the neck of Luke's tunic. She looked down at him, her green eyes dancing and turning dark with passion. "So, Skywalker, how do you like this look?"

Luke grinned, running his hands up her back and pulling her back down to him. "Oh, this look, Jade, I don't just like, I love!"

On to Chapter 7