Title: A Journey of Discovery -- Book Two:
Pledge (1/20)
Author: Michele
Author's E-mail: [email protected]
Category: Series
Keywords: Romance, Luke, Mara, Alternate
Universe
Spoilers: Original movie trilogy; A Journey
of Discovery - Book One: Pendulum
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Luke and Mara continue their
up-and-down relationship in this sequel to A Journey of Discovery -- Book One:
Pendulum.
Disclaimer: All these wonderful characters
belong to George Lucas. He's just allowing the likes of Zahn,
Stackpole, Tyers, and me to
play in his galaxy. No Imperial or Republic credits are being made off this
story.
Author's Note: Many thanks to all my wonderful,
'anonymous,' betas (you know who you are) for their words of encouragement and
invaluable suggestions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Chapter 1
Rated PG-13
"Oh, that feels
good! Don't stop!"
Han Solo leaned his
head around to give his beloved a quick kiss, though his fingers continued
massaging her tense shoulders. "I hope you repeat those sentiments later
tonight, Your Worship," he quipped.
Leia Organa slumped a little lower in her straight-backed office chair
and gave a tired sigh. "If I can stay awake that
long."
"Are you saying my
charms aren't enough to keep you awake? I'm wounded." Han paused long
enough to cross his hands over his heart in mock indignation.
"I said, don't
stop," Leia scolded, rolling her neck wearily.
"Yes,
ma'am."
Han hurried to resume his ministrations, frowning as he caught sight of a gold
reflection shuffling through the outer office's doorway.
"Go away,
Goldenrod," he directed sternly. "Can't you see Her Highnessness is on a rest break?"
"Han, leave him
alone." Leia raised one hand, motioning to the
protocol droid that it was safe to enter. "What is it, Threepio?"
"Forgive me for
interrupting, Mistress Leia," the eternally
jittery droid began, "but Mon Mothma wishes to
make certain you've informed Master Luke of the victory celebration tomorrow
evening."
Leia gave a low groan. "Not yet,
but I'll track him down this afternoon."
"Very
good, Mistress.
I shall inform her immediately."
"So Luke doesn't
know about the big shindig yet?" Han continued his role as masseur,
grateful that Threepio had enough sense to exit
quickly.
"No, he's been out
on patrol since yesterday."
"If he's smart,
he'll stay there," Han mumbled, wishing he could get out of attending the
gala himself.
Instead of issuing the
expected admonishment, Leia rose and stretched,
turning to watch the passing Coruscant traffic
outside her office window. "I can't say I disagree," she murmured.
"These past two months since the Emperor's defeat have been hard on him.
And I'm afraid he's not going to like what Mon Mothma
has planned."
"These past months
have been rough on you and him both," Han pointed out.
"Hmmm. I never realized resurrecting the
Republic government would be so tiring."
"You know that's
not what I'm talking about," Han chided. When he didn't receive a reply,
he walked over to the window also. "Leia... You
and he need to work this out."
"There's nothing
to work out," Leia countered, though her tone
was unconvincing. "We've made it known we're siblings, and our father had
been a Jedi. That should be enough."
"I'm not trying to
take his side. But I see that look he gets whenever Vader's name is mentioned.
One of these days he's going to blurt something out -- something you may not
like." He wrapped one arm around her slim shoulders. "I just think
the two of you need to come to an agreement on how much more to reveal, and
soon. There's bound to be someone in the galaxy who knows Vader's real name,
besides the three of us."
"Four," Leia corrected. "Don't forget, Mara knows, too."
"Ah, yes. The mysterious Miss Jade." Han gave a not-very-subtle
smirk. "Well, I can't see her getting chummy enough with anyone to be
telling your little family secrets. How's she fitting in over
at the Rogues, anyway?"
"Apparently she
reports directly to the commander," Leia
snorted, exaggeratedly emphasizing her brother's title, "and
interacts as little as possible with everyone else."
"Gives a lot of
private, late-night, supply reports, I'll wager," Han snickered.
Leia laughed. "You always know a
safe bet when you see one, don't you?" She circled back to her desk.
"Well, General, one of us needs to get back to work."
"What do you mean, one of us? I'll have you know I took time out from a
very busy schedule just to come over here and give out free massages to
beautiful women."
"Too bad you have
to hurry back and finish those repairs on the Falcon, and won't be able to
accommodate any of those other women."
"Yeah, a real
shame," Han drawled with a sly wink.
"When is that
supply run you and Chewie volunteered for?"
"Day after
tomorrow," he replied, already regretting that he couldn't push it up a
day, to avoid the dreaded festivities.
"I miss you
already," Leia cooed jokingly, as she pushed him
toward the door.
"Give me these
next two nights, and I'll do my best to supply you with some wonderful memories
to tide you over," Han sent back.
"Out, now, or I'll
be here working all night."
"Okay, okay."
With one last parting kiss, Han was gone, and Leia
surrendered herself to tackling the ever-present workload piled on her desk.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
* *
Later that same
afternoon, Leia approached Rogue Squadron
headquarters with some trepidation. Though she knew this was the most likely
place to find her brother, having been informed his patrol had just landed a
short time earlier, she also knew it was more than likely that she would not
find him alone. Her eyes confirmed what her meager Force sense told her as she
looked down into the hanger bay from the second-story walkway. Still in his orange
flightsuit, Luke's blond head nodded in apparent
agreement with whatever comment his companion had just made. And that
companion, of course, was Mara Jade.
Leia didn't know quite what to make of
Mara Jade. Luke maintained that she was a court dancer, and had attributed
Mara's fighting prowess during the foursome's flight from the palace to
surreptitious combat training she'd been forced to undergo after the Emperor
had recognized the potential of her latent Force abilities. Under questioning
by Mon Mothma, the redhead claimed it was that same
potential which had made her a virtual prisoner of Palpatine.
She contended that her overwhelming fear of exploitation by the Emperor had
motivated her to seek out and aid Jedi Skywalker as a means of expediting her
own escape from the despot's clutches.
Mara Jade was a loner,
aloof and fiercely independent. It hadn't escaped both Han and Leia's notice that the only person she acknowledged as a
friend, and, most likely, the only reason she hadn't taken off long ago, were
one and the same – Luke.
Mara and Luke would
spend hours together, investigating previously hidden chambers in the
And yet, Leia thought, she'd never really seen them do more than
touch hands. They'd smile at each other – well, Luke would smile. Mara's
closest facial expression could only be categorized as a smirk. They'd laugh
quietly to themselves, sharing some joke or anecdote that only they were privy
to. And they'd frequently engage in heated arguments that rivaled hers and
Han's.
For the hundredth time,
Leia wondered just what kind of relationship Luke
actually had with the red-haired spitfire. Just after Palpatine's
and Vader's deaths, Mara had strongly insinuated that she and Luke were engaged
in a torrid sexual liaison, and Luke hadn't exactly denied it. But since then,
they had both been very close-mouthed about what had gone on between them
during Luke's incarceration and their subsequent escape. Despite Han and Lando's incessant ribbing, Luke would only acknowledge that
Mara was his friend, nothing more. Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade were the most
private people imaginable, and they seemed determined to remain that way.
One thing that Luke and
Mara did openly discuss doing together, though, was practicing using the Force
-- levitating objects, performing acrobatiic impossibilities, lightsaber sparring, trading knowledge of skills only they
could perform. Leia would feel a twinge of jealousy
at times. She couldn't really blame Luke. He had gone out of his way to
persuade her to train in the ways of the Force, but there was always something
else she needed to do first, some meeting to attend, some diplomatic function
to see to. She wondered if she would ever find the time. Or if, subconsciously,
she were afraid that utilizing the Force would be tantamount to acknowledging
her relationship to Vader.
Leia shook off the thought. Now was not
the time. Now, she had 'something else to do first.'
Luke looked up as Leia approached, having felt her presence as soon as she
neared the hanger. "Hello, Leia," he
greeted her warmly, kissing her on the cheek.
"Hello,
Luke," Leia returned, then glanced at the
redhead. "Mara."
"Your Highness," Mara responded, in her usual
emotionless voice.
Leia had told Mara on numerous
occasions she needn't address her so formally, but the woman seemed to do it on
purpose. And not in the joking way Han still did.
"So, Leia, what are you doing down here?" Luke asked.
"Finally decide to sign up to be a Rogue?"
Leia shook her head, laughing lightly.
"There's going to be a victory gala tomorrow evening and I wanted to make
sure you'll be there. Eighteen-hundred, The Capital Hotel
ballroom, full dress uniform."
Luke started to object,
but the look on Leia's face changed his mind.
"All right,"
he relented. "We'll be there."
"Luke, I'm afraid
you don't understand," Leia said, certain that
he understood perfectly. "It's by invitation only."
"And I'm not
invited." Mara leaned back against the X-wing's landing strut, arms
crossed.
"Well, to be
frank, Mara,..." Leia
began.
"An invitation
means it can be declined," Luke interrupted, "so I decline to
attend."
"You can't," Leia objected, momentarily caught off guard by the abrupt
reversal of his previous consent. Her brother usually didn't hesitate to
acquiesce to any request she made.
"Of course I
can."
"Luke, you're one
of the guests of honor. You have to be there."
Leia was prepared to have to argue
further when Mara unexpectedly reached over and touched Luke's arm, addressing
him softly. "Luke, don't be childish. Go. I don't mind. I wouldn't even
want to be there, and have to rub elbows with those snobby politicians."
She glanced over at the diminutive brunette. "No offense, Leia."
Luke sighed in
resignation. "It's just – they should acknowledge your part in the
Emperor's defeat, not shun you."
"That would only
cause them to scrutinize—" Mara stopped suddenly, with the barest hint of
a glance toward Leia. "I prefer to stay in the
shadows."
Leia found herself doubting more and
more Mara's explanation of her Imperial ties. But for now, she wasn't going to
knock her good fortune of actually having the redhead on her side for once. She
looked at her brother in hopeful expectation. Luke was in one of his rare
temperamental moods. And, as odd as it was, it seemed the only person who could
soothe his ruffled feathers was the person with the fieriest temper Leia had ever seen.
"Go," Mara
whispered once more to the Jedi.
Luke finally nodded,
giving the two women a half-hearted smile. "Never had a chance,
did I?" he murmured.
Leia started to thank Mara for her
intervention and understanding, but the mysterious woman only gave her a cool
stare, then turned back to her work.
Leia gave Luke a goodbye peck on his
cheek. "I'll see you later. And thanks, Luke."
"Sure," Luke
replied soberly, before also turning to wipe some grime off his battle-worn
fighter.
* * * * * * * * * *
The next evening, Luke
arrived at the celebration exactly at eighteen-hundred, not a moment sooner.
His dress uniform was immaculate, with the creases pressed sharply, his rank
insignia attached to his collar, and several medals gleaming on his chest. He gave
polite nods as he moved through the crowd, where the political and social elite
mingled with the heroes of the recent war. Giving Leia
his customary kiss on the cheek and Han a handshake, Luke quietly took his seat
at their table.
After dinner, the festivities
continued with testimonials from representatives of several worlds liberated by
The Alliance to Restore the Republic, or '
Medals were distributed
to Wedge, Lando, and crew, for destroying the second
Death Star. Tributes were awarded Han, Leia,
Chewbacca, and their strike team for bringing down the shield generator.
Mon Mothma
returned to the podium, holding up a hand for silence. "Our last award of
the evening goes to the man responsible for destroying our greatest enemies,
Emperor Palpatine and his dark lord, Darth
Vader."
Leia glanced at Luke, dreading to see
the scowl she knew would fill his face. What she saw instead was even more
chilling. His visage bore no semblance of expression – only a cold vacant
stare.
"Gentlebeings, I present to you our very own Jedi Knight,
Commander Luke Skywalker. Commander?" Mon Mothma waited while Luke rose to his feet and walked up
onto the stage, completely ignoring the thunderous applause filling the room.
He stood at perfect attention while the leader of the Rebellion pinned this
latest accolade on the front of his uniform. Luke saluted her, Admiral Ackbar, and the other top brass assembled onstage, then
exited down the steps with a crisp stride.
Luke took his seat,
having not uttered a single word during the entire ceremony. Leia started to say something when Han laid a hand on her
arm. "Leave him be," he whispered. "This is hard enough on
him."
"That doesn't give
him the right to be rude," she whispered back. Han shook his head,
eliciting a glare from her. She wouldn't cause a scene now, but she'd sure give
her brother a piece of her mind later.
An orchestra began
playing just then, signaling the final portion of the evening. Han rose and
offered his elbow to the still-fuming light of his life. When they returned to
their seats after dancing, Luke was gone.
* * * * * * * * * * *
When the door announcer
chimed at Mara Jade's small apartment, she knew who it was even before opening
the door. Luke stood there, his very posture illuminating the dejection she
could feel flowing from him.
"Celebration
over already?"
"It is for
me," he growled sullenly.
"Well, come
in." She ushered him toward a worn couch, one of the few pieces of
furniture in the room. "Would you like a drink?" she offered.
"You look like you could use one."
Luke hesitated a
moment, then shook his head. "No, thanks."
He leaned his head back on the couch as Mara curled herself into a seat at the
opposite end. "I'm afraid I'm not very good company," he muttered,
staring at the ceiling. "I shouldn't have come here."
"You know you're
always welcome," she assured him.
Luke rose and wandered
to the window, staring out at the city's endless lights. "They gave me a
medal, Mara," he bit out suddenly. "They gave me a damn medal for
killing my own father." He reached up and yanked the decoration off his
jacket, throwing it down in frustration.
Mara quickly crossed
the room, rubbing his shoulders in understanding. "Luke..." she
soothed.
Luke stiffened slightly
at her touch, but didn't shrug her off. She moved around in front of him,
gazing up into his sorrowful azure eyes.
"They think I
killed Darth Vader, Mara, and they thanked me for it."
It was at that point
that Mara Jade, former assassin and Emperor's Hand, did something she had never
before done. She hugged another being in genuine sympathy. It seemed the most
natural thing in the galaxy as they fell into each other's arms. Luke's strong
shoulders heaved, racked by tearless sobs. Mara embraced him tightly as he
buried his face in her silky hair.
They couldn't say how
long they stood there, one drawing strength from the
other. Eventually, Luke composed himself enough to draw back slightly.
"I'm sorry," he said softly.
She took his hand,
leading him back to the couch. Not letting go, she sat close to him, tucking
her legs under her.
"Luke, you have
nothing to be sorry for. You were hurting. I'm glad you chose to come here.
Isn't that what best friends are for? That is... I mean... friends..."
Luke shook his head to
interrupt her. "You were right the first time." His gaze bore into
her sparkling emerald eyes. "You are my best friend, Mara."
"But... Leia, Han..."
Luke shifted slightly
to his side, laying his head against the back of the couch. "Leia's my sister, and I love her dearly. But she's busy
setting up the new government, and she has Han now. And Han,...
well... he'll always be a good friend, but Chewie is
his best friend, and now," Luke reflected softly, "now, he has Leia. Besides, even though he finally has to admit the
Force exists, I think he still considers it a hokey religion."
Mara smiled at him in
silence, understanding his need to just talk.
"And Wedge, and my
other friends in the Rogues, they accept me, until something comes along to
remind them I'm a Jedi. They don't say anything, but I can tell I make them
uncomfortable when I use the Force." He shifted his gaze back to Mara's face.
"But you, you're different. You take me at face value. You know what it
feels like to have the Force flowing through you, to be different from everyone
else." He absently clasped her hands in both of his, stroking her fingers
as he talked. "You understand me, Mara. Sometimes, I think, better than I
understand myself."
Mara stared at their
joined hands as his strong fingers continued to caress hers. "I should be
the one thanking you, Luke. You're the only person who trusts me, who knows my
background and doesn't shun me because of it, who accepts me exactly the way I
am. If it weren't for you... if I hadn't gotten to know you..." Mara took
a deep breath. "I may have died defending the Emperor, or be on the run, a
bitter, angry, fugitive. Who knows, I might even be seeking revenge on you for
killing my master."
She laughed lightly.
"Palpatine always cackled on about knowing the
future. I don't think he foresaw us being together like this," she
intertwined her fingers with his, "or he never would have pushed me into
that cell with you."
"Or that whirlpool
tub," Luke put in with a wink, causing them both to chuckle. He stroked
the backs of her hands, then her palms. "You have soft hands," he
murmured.
Mara jerked as his last
words startled her. "Hey, I'm trying to have a meaningful conversation
here, and you're getting fresh."
Luke dropped her hands
like they were hot coals, his face reddening immediately. "Sorry."
Mara laughed out loud.
"I was teasing," she said, playfully shaking his arm. "Or at
least, I thought I was." She rose gracefully from the couch. "As
you're the only one I've ever attempted it with, I must not be doing it
right."
"Feel free to
practice on me all you want," Luke said with a chuckle, his embarrassment
dissipating.
"Now, I'm going to
go change clothes," Mara announced.
"Change
clothes?"
"Tonight's the
night for celebrations, isn't it?" She leaned over and poked his nose with
her fingertip. "I'm taking you out to celebrate."
"Huh?" He
looked at her warily, not sure if she was still practicing 'teasing' or not.
"To celebrate our
now-confirmed status as best friends," she went on, noting the confused
look on his face. She waved toward her computer console. "You pick out
some appropriately rowdy bar for us."
When Mara returned to
the common room a few minutes later, Luke was once more looking out over the
city. "So, what did you come up with?" she asked, leaning over to
study the screen.
He turned and smiled.
"There are several choices there. I was getting kinda
hungry, so I pulled up some places that serve food, too."
"I thought you
just came from a banquet."
He shrugged his
shoulders. "Didn't have much of an appetite then."
She graciously let his
comment slide, and began reading names off the screen. Luke spent those moments
letting his gaze wander over his 'best friend.' He regarded her snug pants, gossypium-cloth shirt, and trim nerf-hide
jacket with more than just 'friendly' admiration. But after his 'soft hands'
comment, he wasn't about to say anything.
Mara frowned, looking
up at him. "Aren't some of these in the area we traveled through after
escaping the palace?"
"I figured the
places with the best garbage behind them would serve the best food
inside," he explained jokingly.
Mara rolled her eyes.
"What? Aren't I
allowed to practice teasing, too?"
Mara's smirk softened. "Anytime, Farmboy. But you'll
never keep up with me." She reached over and clicked off the terminal.
"Let's try the Ranat Roost. C'mon, we've got to
go by your place first."
"My
place?
Why?"
Mara brushed an
imaginary piece of lint off his shoulder. "As spiffy as you look tonight,
I think you'd be a tad over-dressed for where we're headed."
Luke glanced down at
himself. "Oh. Guess you're right."
They hailed a hovercab and traveled the few kilometers to the apartment
he shared with Leia.
"You know,"
Mara commented as they entered, "I was rather surprised you and Leia moved in here together."
Luke shrugged.
"Apartments are rather at a premium here."
Mara nodded in
agreement.
"She's with Han
most of the time, anyway," he continued, "or at meetings. And I have
a bunk in the Rogue barracks, if she wants some privacy. Besides, it gives us a
chance to catch up, when we do happen to be here at the same time."
"Catch up?"
"We compare notes
on our lives growing up."
"Wouldn't think
there'd be much comparison," Mara muttered, then caught herself.
"Sorry, that was thoughtless."
"No," Luke
assured her, laughing. "I've come to the conclusion that I'm glad I got
the farm life. Can you imagine me training in ballroom dancing or diplomatic
etiquette?" He chuckled to himself. "Though I'm sure Leia is thinking she needs to drill it into me, after
tonight. Besides," he added with a wink, "she didn't get to race skyhoppers through canyons or shoot womprats."
"All right,
Skywalker, you've got me convinced. Tatooine was
paradise for you."
"You'll never hear
me say that!"
She pushed him toward
the bedroom. "Go change clothes. And NO Jedi outfits! Or
military uniforms!"
"That doesn't
leave much," Luke called, heading to his closet.
Mara sighed in mock
exasperation. "Maybe I need to pick out something for you," she said,
following him in. She gazed at his sparse assortment, spying a satiny dark blue
shirt hiding in the back. Pulling it out, she eyed it suspiciously. "I've
never seen you wear this."
Luke cleared his
throat, grabbing the garment out of her hands and shoving it back where it came
from. "It's one of Lando's cast-offs. Said it shrunk or something. I don't know. I've never worn
it."
Mara stubbornly pulled
it right back out. She narrowed her eyes and waved one hand slowly in front of
his face. "You WANT to wear this shirt," she intoned solemnly.
He gave her an
incredulous look, then burst out laughing.
They entered the Ranat Roost tapcafe a short time
later. A haze of smoke drifted across the room, and lively music filled the air
from a trio of jizz wailers in a far corner. The
assorted patrons, most in various stages of intoxication, paid little attention
to the newcomers.
As they spied an empty
table and made their way across the crowded space to claim it, Luke thought he
recognized several of the customers as being from his military base. Suddenly,
his hand instinctively flew toward his lightsaber as
he was shoved from behind.
"Hey, buddy, watch
it!" a raspy voice came from below them. Spinning around, Luke's eyes
traveled down to an inebriated Kloperian, now sitting
haplessly on the floor.
"Could ya help a fella up?" the
short, gray alien said, raising both bloodshot eyes and a limp tentacle toward
Luke.
"Looks like you've
had enough for the evening, friend," Luke advised him, relaxing and
pulling the being to a shaky upright position. As the Kloperian
moved back toward the bar, Luke noticed Mara tucking her tiny blaster back into
its sleeve holster.
"C'mon, Skywalker,
it's time to start our own celebrating." They reached the small round
table, and Mara shoved aside the empty containers from its last occupants. Luke
activated the holo-menu, and they each punched in
their selections.
As the holomenu disappeared, two young girls, barely out of their
teens, approached the table.
"Commander? Commander Skywalker?" they
exclaimed, giggling in unison.
"Yes?" Luke
answered politely, trying to avert his eyes from their overly revealing attire.
'I told you it was him,' he heard the blonde whisper to the brunette. The girls
eyed Mara suspiciously, then turned back to the object
of their fawning.
"Hmmm, we work in
Data Files, over at Liberty Base, and we've seen you come through," the
blonde spoke up.
"That's
nice," Luke answered noncommittally.
"We, uh, just
wanted to introduce ourselves," the brunette continued. "I'm Daxia."
"And I'm Tirzah," her companion added.
"Nice to meet
you," Luke murmured. He glanced at Mara out of the corner of his eye.
*Would you like me to introduce you to them?* he sent silently.
*Don't you dare!* she
shot back.
"If you ever need
any files retrieved," Tirzah was saying,
brazenly laying one hand on Luke's shoulder, "or anything else...,"
she batted her long lashes at him, "don't
hesitate to look us up."
"We'd be glad to
help you out in any way," Daxia purred.
"Uh, thanks,"
Luke muttered, trying to think of some way to get rid of them.
"Here are our
names and home comm numbers, if you need anything
after hours," Daxia continued, handing him a
pair of small data chits. "Anything at all."
Luke took the chits wordlessly, dropping them in his shirt pocket. With
exaggerated wiggles, the pair moved back to a group of young people gathered
near the band.
Mara rolled her eyes,
stifling her laughter. "Get propositioned often, do you?"
Luke gave her a glare, then amusement began trickling into his expression.
"Why? Jealous?"
"Of
those two?
Please!"
Luke was saved from
having to retort by the appearance of the waiter droid bringing their order of staga ribs and lomin-ales. They
continued their casual banter throughout their meal, each relishing the
comfortable feeling of just being together.
All evening, Mara had
been tapping her feet to the tunes being belted out by the tapcafe's
resident band. "You know, Skywalker, people are dancing over there."
Luke glanced over at
the small, crowded dance floor. "Hmm-mmm."
"The music's not
bad. Easy to dance to," Mara continued. Can the man not take a hint?
"I suppose. If you like that kind of thing." Luke leaned back in
his chair, sipping his drink, his face a mask of boredom.
Mara narrowed her eyes
impatiently, resting her elbow on the table and her chin in her hand.
"It's a great way to release pent-up tension."
"Guess so. Don't
feel any tension right now, myself." Luke swore he heard a low growl
coming from his dinner companion. Perhaps it was time to give in. He stood up,
extending one hand. "Mara, would you like to dance with me?"
"Someday,
Skywalker, you're going to go too far," Mara grumbled as she joined him.
They staked out a small spot on the dance floor, near the back wall of the
room. A bit awkwardly at first, they held each other and began swaying to the music.
Gradually, they relaxed more and more into each other, with Mara laying her
head against Luke's shoulder.
"Well, well, well.
Whadda we got here?"
Pausing in their
dancing, Luke rotated around to the source of the harsh, gravely voice.
Standing behind them, flanked by two cohorts, was a tall, rough-looking
humanoid. Hands on hips, the man looked down on the couple with a look of
contempt filling his dirty, unshaven face.
"So the Jedi's
found himself a little Imp whore," the man sneered, eliciting a guttural
snicker from one of his sidekicks. "One of Palpatine's
own playthings, I hear."
Luke's eyes flashed in
anger as he stepped in front of Mara, facing their antagonist.
Their tormentor
arrogantly hooked his thumbs in his belt and puffed out his chest. "Hey,
doll," he taunted as he eyed Mara lecherously. "Why don't ya try a real man, 'stead of this wimpy little
spoon-bender?"
Mara scowled and
attempted to confront the ruffian, but Luke blocked her way. He grabbed the man
by the front of his shirt and effortlessly pinned him against the wall, feet
dangling off the floor. Mara knew Luke was using the Force – the man was easily
double his weight.
"You will
apologize to the lady," Luke demanded.
"What lady?"
the man bit out, eyes darting about in spite of his precarious position.
"I don't see no lady."
"Why you
miserable..." Luke hesitated, feeling Mara's presence growing more
distant, and looked over his shoulder in time to see a flash of red hair
exiting through the front entrance. Giving the man one last threatening look,
he dropped him to the floor and followed her out into the night.
"Don't you EVER do
that again." Mara didn't turn as Luke approached
her from behind.
"What...?"
Mara jerked around,
knocking off the hand that he had barely laid on her shoulder. "Look,
Skywalker, I can take care of myself. I don't need some son of a Sith playing protector for
me."
"I didn't mean it
that way," he protested, flinching at her choice of an insult.
Mara started to retort,
then stopped and swirled away from him once more. "I could feel you touch
the dark side, Luke," she whispered. He began to object, but she
continued, "You scare me sometimes. I've witnessed your father treat
underlings just like you treated that bully." She took a deep breath.
"What's next? You going to start choking anyone
who offends one of us?"
"Mara..." He
paused, not knowing what to say.
"I'm going home
now." She began to move down the walkway.
"I could walk you
home," Luke said hurriedly, instantly knowing it was exactly the wrong
thing to say.
She stopped and gave
him a cold stare. "You just don't get it, do you? I've slain a hundred
beings across the galaxy. I think I can make it back to my apartment safely. I
don't need you, Skywalker. Right now, I don't even want you near me." With
that, Mara stalked off into the darkness. Luke watched her retreating figure, then dejectedly turned in the direction of his own dwelling.
As Luke entered his
apartment some time later, he could feel Leia in her
bedroom, sound asleep. He would talk to her in the morning, and attempt to make
amends for his behavior at the awards ceremony. He needed to do the same with
Mon Mothma. And then there was Mara. How could he
ever begin to make things right with her? Luke wasn't even fully convinced his
actions weren't in some way justified. And that was the most frightening part
of the whole matter. Had he already lost his perspective of how a Jedi should
act? It seemed like Mara, who had been taught to despise Jedi, saw the light a
lot more clearly than he did.
How could a guy who had
no experience with women get into so much trouble with three of them on the
same night? With a heavy sigh, Luke began to undress. After tossing his jacket
over a chair, he started unbuttoning the blue shirt. He should have worn one of
his black shirts, he thought. Dress like a Jedi; act like a Jedi. He shook his
head in disapproval at his own excuses. Being Jedi had nothing to do with what
kind of clothes you wore; it was who you were inside.
As Luke threw the shirt
in the general direction of the laundry receptacle, he heard a faint 'plink,
plink.' Bending over, he picked up the two address chits he'd acquired in the tapcafe. He had felt a twinge of jealously from Mara when
those two girls flirted with him, he was sure of it. Which
brought up a whole other unsettling issue. Just being near her stirred
up feelings in him he wasn't sure he was ready to face. Feelings he didn't
think were appropriate for 'best friends' –- longings and desires he couldn't
get out of his head.
Over the last two
months, Mara had claimed a place in Luke's thoughts on a constant basis. He
couldn't wait to see her pouting face when he came in from patrols. Her blatant
honesty was like a breath of fresh air against the military regs,
political manipulating, and hero fawning he constantly found himself surrounded
by.
And in all that time,
their relationship remained purely platonic. He hadn't lost his desire for her,
certainly. He'd just put it on the back heater. They both needed time to cement
their friendship first. But lately, he was having more and more trouble not
resurrecting the feelings he'd first had for Mara more than two months ago. Had
he now lost his chance at a loving relationship?
Luke started to toss
the chits into the waste recycler, then paused. Maybe
if he did have some experience, he wouldn't be so unsure of himself. No doubt,
either one of these girls would be thrilled to come to his aid. Maybe he
should... No! He threw the tempting objects into the chute. No. He didn't want
his first time to be with some hero groupie he didn't even know. Not his first
time, or any time. There was only one person he wanted -- the one who didn't
want to be near him.
Settling himself into a
cross-legged position, he prepared to enter into deep meditation. Perhaps he
could meditate away the yearning ache in his body. He wasn't so sure about the
ache in his heart.
Mara Jade punched in
the code to unlock her door without even thinking about it. The two-kilometer
walk from the Ranat Roost to her apartment was
undoubtedly the loneliest she had ever taken. Entering her common room, she
glanced around at the meager décor, remembering the refined elegance of her
former suite in the Imperial Palace. But that life was over, and there was no
merit in dwelling on the past. Especially a past as
regrettable as hers.
So what was keeping her
on Coruscant? Some compulsion to psycho-analyze
upstart Jedi?
As Mara crossed the
room, a glint of gold on the floor caught her eye. She bent to retrieve Luke's
discarded award, and enclosed it in her fist. Even the cold metal conveyed to
her his pain and despair.
For as long as she
could remember she had been surrounded by the dark side, so its
oppressive chill was no stranger to her. She had seen sparks of it in Luke a
few times over the past few months, when a stubborn drivebolt
refused to come loose, or a persistent holoreporter
intruded on his privacy. But he had always quickly smothered the spark, never
allowing it to flame to life. But the anger she had felt in him this evening
had frightened her. He seemed to have abandoned any effort at self-control. In
those few moments, she saw in him not the son, but the father.
Mara stood in front of
her transparisteel window, in the same spot she had
shared with Luke mere hours ago, not even conscious of the endless stream of
lights moving past outside. She clutched the medal to her breastbone, ignoring
the prick of the clasp against her palm. Maybe she needed to get away for awhile,
travel back out into the galaxy that she knew so well.
Mara exhaled a breath,
trying to formulate a plan. After the Alliance's bombing of the palace, there
had been nothing left of her belongings. She was paid a small salary as Rogue
Squadron's Supply Distribution Coordinator -- enough to rent this apartment. But enough to buy a ship, never. Perhaps she could scrape
together sufficient funds for passage on a transport. But where would she go?
As far away from Luke Skywalker as her credits would take her?
Mara shut her eyes,
refusing to allow any tears to fall. She knew in her heart, she could never run
far enough to escape Luke's presence. The connection she felt with him was so
much like the link she had with the Emperor, and yet it was exactly the opposite.
Both connections had been thrust upon her, heedless of any feelings or needs of
her own. With Palpatine, she never considered the
possibility that she had a choice. With Luke, she hadn't, until now, thought
about wanting any other choice.
Luke had been the
perfect gentleman ever since that episode in the underground, when they had
come to the brink of making love. At first she was grateful, but lately,
twinges of disappointment flitted through her when they parted with only a
handshake. And then, tonight, she was the one who wouldn't even offer him a
hand.
Time. She needed time to reflect. Time to review in her heart just what her true feelings for Luke
Skywalker were.
==============================================================================
A Journey of Discovery -- Book Two: Pledge
Chapter Two
By
Michele
See
Chapter One for disclaimer
Rated
PG-13
By
mid morning the next day, Luke found himself approaching the offices of the
Alliance leadership. He hadn't slept well, which came as no surprise, and had
finally put himself into a Jedi trance. He and Leia talked at some length that morning, until Leia had to dash off to some committee meeting or another. Leia had done her best to allay his self-doubts concerning
the dark side. But, as always, Luke got the feeling his sister was in deep
denial that either of them could possibly have anything in common with their
father.
It
was shortly after Leia left that Luke received a
message stating Mon Mothma wished to see him as soon
as possible. Leia had assured him that the Chief of
State had seemed unperturbed the evening before as far as he was concerned, so
this unexpected summons was puzzling.
"There
is no need to try to explain last night," the New Republic leader began,
waving off Luke's attempts at an apology as he took a seat in her office.
"I have read your report concerning the events of your imprisonment by the
Empire, and your statement of how both the Emperor and Darth Vader perished. It
isn't that I don't believe you." Mon Mothma rose
and stared out her large window before continuing. "Commander, the galaxy
has struggled under the tyranny of the Emperor since before you were born. You
must understand that you have become a symbol of hope for all beings, a sign
that the Jedi Knighthood is being resurrected. If it is revealed that you were
powerless to defeat Palpatine, faith in the Jedi, and
in our leadership, would be shaken."
Mon
Mothma circled around closer to Luke. "Can you
honestly be certain, if you hadn't been present that day in the throne room,
that Darth Vader would have still slain his master? That it was not your
influence that turned Lord Vader back to the light?"
Luke
shook his head in resignation. "No, I..., I can't be certain."
"So
you see, Commander, from a certain point of view, you are responsible for the
downfall of Emperor Palpatine."
Certain point of view.
Certain point of view. Does my whole life revolve
around a certain point of view? Luke kept his thoughts
to himself as Mon Mothma continued.
"That
Lord Vader sacrificed his own life to destroy Palpatine
is regrettable, but do you actually believe that he would have ever been accepted
into the Alliance's good graces? Luke..." Mon Mothma
laid a hand on his shoulder in a motherly fashion. "The populace would
have demanded he be put on trial for the atrocities he committed, no matter how
much he repented in the end. I don't believe he would have been allowed to
live."
"But
his memory—" Luke began.
"His
memory, his legacy, will live on in you, Commander." Mon Mothma gave him a cryptic smile.
Luke's eyes widened in surprise.
Does she know? Or is she merely referring to the legacy of the Jedi?
"Now,
Commander, I did not call you in here to discuss last evening." Mon Mothma returned to her seat behind her desk. "We have
been soliciting the planet Lorrd, in the Kanz Sector, to join the Alliance for some time now. They
have mineral resources unique to their planet that would be valuable in our
effort to rebuild. Lorrd's government, however, has
been rather reluctant to commit to an accord with us. For some reason, they
have trouble believing our sincerity." Mon Mothma
gave Luke another enigmatic smile. "I'm sure at this point you're
wondering what all this has to do with you."
"It
had crossed my mind."
"The
Lorrdians have always had a great deal of respect for
the Jedi order. They have agreed to meet with a Jedi, and only a Jedi." The leader steepled her fingers together.
"Hence, we are sending you to Lorrd to conduct
negotiations for their inclusion into the New Republic."
A
mixture of confusion and denial crossed Luke's face. "Madame President,
begging your pardon, but I'm not a diplomat."
"In
this case, Commander, you will be. Many of the Jedi of the Old Republic served
as ambassadors for the Senate and for individual planets."
Mon
Mothma's tone of voice didn't seem to leave any room
for discussion. Luke pursed his lips in thought. "Who will be accompanying
me on this mission? Leia?"
"No,
Commander. You will be going alone. We will brief you this afternoon on
everything you need to know."
Mon
Mothma rose in an obvious dismissal of Luke, but he
hesitated.
"Madame
President, I request to be allowed to bring someone with me on this
mission."
"Commander,
I have stated that the Lorrdians will only meet with
a Jedi. To bring anyone else with you could only be detrimental to the
negotiations."
"Not
if I bring another Jedi," Luke countered.
"Another Jedi?"
Even Mon Mothma's cool demeanor was shaken. "I
was unaware there were any other Jedi." She narrowed her eyes at him.
"Of whom are you speaking?"
"Mara
Jade," Luke answered simply.
"The dancer from the Emperor's court?
The one who escaped with you? Commander, please." Her expression turned to
one of disbelief. "You expect me to accept that Mara Jade is all of a
sudden a Jedi?"
Luke
stood his ground. "She is extremely strong in the Force, and she has
become my apprentice. I believe this would be a beneficial learning experience
for her."
"I
see." Mon Mothma studied him a few moments.
"Very well, Commander, she will be allowed to accompany you. Do you wish
her to attend your mission briefing?"
"No,
that won't be necessary. I can fill her in on the way. We will need a larger
ship than my X-wing, though."
"Of course.
I shall have my aide requisition a shuttle." Mon Mothma
rose and walked toward the door, evidently dismissing Luke before he had a
chance to make any more requests. "Commander," she added as he
exited, "I expect you to return with a signed pact."
"I
shall do my very best."
As
the door shut behind him, Luke's shoulders slumped despondently. Was he crazy?
Had he completely lost all common sense? Five minutes ago he felt as if
something, or someone, was urging him to insist on Mara's inclusion in this
mission. It was almost like a prodding from the Force. Now this feeling
completely abandoned him. If she ever found out he was going around calling her
his apprentice... well, he'd better start making out a will.
*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
That
afternoon, Mara Jade received an official communiqué from the office of Mon Mothma. It stated that her presence was required on a
diplomatic mission, departure scheduled for oh-six-hundred the next morning,
Alliance hanger bay number sixteen. At first, Mara thought there must be some
mistake. It was her name at the top of the orders, but she was not a member of
their Alliance. How in blazes could they send her on a mission?
Well,
she would just refuse. That's all there was to it.
Later
that evening, Mara was once more staring at the datapad
containing the mission orders as she sat alone at her small dining table,
munching on a simple dinner of voncrab sticks. No,
they couldn't just order her around, and yet... she had wanted to get away from
Coruscant. Away from... him.
She had obstinately avoided Luke all day at squadron headquarters, which turned
out to be surprisingly easy. He had been tied up in classified meetings half
the day, and out on patrol the other half. During the one instance that she had
to obtain his signature on a requisition, he made a showy pretext of being
preoccupied and gave her only a grunted acknowledgement.
So,
perhaps this mission was an opportunity she should not pass up. She would get
passage off the planet, at the Alliance's expense. She certainly had more than
adequate training to complete any type of diplomatic assignment. If this
so-called mission were not to her liking, she would simply disappear after
reaching her destination.
Mara
curled one leg underneath her and let her gaze wander around her small
apartment. She sure wouldn't miss this place if she never returned. Maybe the
new Supply Coordinator would move in here. He or she could struggle with the
stubborn room-darkening controls of the common room's single window -- the same
window near which Luke had broken down in despair only the night before. He or
she could grumble in annoyance at the numerous lumps in the tattered old couch
-- the same couch where Luke had declared her to be his best friend.
Mara
bit her lip sharply, ignoring the twinge of pain. She refused to capitulate to
sentimentality. She'd leave everything here behind -- even the dejarik set that she and Luke had rescued from his former
site of confinement in the palace. The new tenant would probably buy more
furniture to occupy the open space behind the couch -- the space she'd
purposely left vacant to give her and Luke more room to practice lightsaber drills... No! She WOULD NOT dwell on all the
hours they'd spent in this forlorn little apartment, oblivious to how shabby it
was because they focused only on each other. She would not think about the fact
that Luke had been the only guest to ever enter her quarters -- the only person
to make her laugh, the only man she ever daydreamed about, the only...
Abruptly
pushing her chair back from the table, the former Imperial assassin scraped her
half-eaten dinner into the disposal unit. Why did he have to go and lose his
temper last night? Why did she berate him so harshly? Why did she even suggest
they go out at all, knowing how fragile his psyche had been? They could have
stayed right here -- sitting on that despicable couch, looking out that murky window,
reveling in each other's warm presence and unadulterated friendship. Mara
swiped at a speck of moisture in the corner of her eye. She would leave
tomorrow, and she wouldn't look back. Looking back could only bring heartache,
and the Emperor's Hand would not succumb to anything as trivial as heartache.
Mara
Jade collapsed onto her shabby couch, and wept.
*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Shortly
before her departure time the next morning, Mara entered the sprawling building
that housed bays numbered fifteen through twenty. She recognized it as
headquarters for Gray Squadron, a B-wing group. Luke had taken her on an
extensive tour of all the fighter group hangers, but this was the first time
she had ventured anywhere by herself, save for the Rogues' base of operations.
Apparently the young corporal posted at the entrance had been informed of her
expected arrival, as she was waved in immediately.
Mara
found her way to Bay Sixteen, carrying one small satchel. She figured she would
buy anything else she needed on arrival at her destination, charging it to the
"Finally
felt like chucking the old X-wing, Skywalker?" Mara kept her voice
carefully neutral, resolutely pushing aside her turbulent feelings for her
estranged friend -- feelings that had kept her awake all night.
"Temporarily,"
he said solemnly, glancing down at her bag. She decided to save him the trouble
of asking.
"I
was supposed to go on some kind of mysterious mission for Mon Mothma." Mara looked around the bay. "But I don't
see any shuttle. And I thought sure my contact would be here to meet me."
Luke
descended to the hanger's duracrete floor, clearing
his throat uncomfortably. "He's here."
Mara
scanned the area once more. "Where?"
"Here,"
came the answer, even softer this time.
Mara's eyes widened in disbelieving shock.
"You?! You're my contact?! Don't tell me you're
going on this mission, too?"
There
was no answer.
"Skywalker..."
"You
told me not to tell you."
Mara's
eyes blazed at his insolence.
"I
was ordered to go." Luke raised his voice a notch. "Wasn't
my idea."
Mara
fumed at this turn of events. Her resolve never to return to Coruscant had crumbled sometime during the middle of the
night. But she had been anticipating a few weeks apart, giving them both time to reassess just where their relationship stood.
"Now
I suppose you're going to tell me we have to fly in this cramped bucket of
bolts." She waved at the B-wing in disgust.
"You
shouldn't ask things if you don't want to hear the answer." Luke met
Mara's glare with one of his own, then softened
slightly. "We'll be departing in a few minutes. You can find a flightsuit in the locker room," he said, nodding
toward a nearby hallway. He held out one hand to take her satchel. She shoved
the bag into his hand, then stalked off in search of a
flightsuit. Luke shook his head in resignation. Maybe
this wasn't such a good idea after all.
Mara
soon returned and studied the forlorn look on Luke's face. He didn't seem to be
looking forward to this assignment any more than she did.
Luke
started to reach his hand out, as if to touch her arm, then seemed to have
second thoughts and pulled it back. Mara was both relieved and disappointed in
the same instant.
"Mara,"
he began, "I'm sorry. For the other night.
I..."
Mara
held up a hand to silence him. Luke's dramatic, earnest, apologies always
grated on her nerves. Especially when she knew deep down that she ought to be
the one making amends. "Skywalker, look,..."
She expelled a quick breath. "I said my piece on the subject, and I don't
feel like rehashing it here. Can we just get going?"
Luke
nodded silently, handing her a helmet as she climbed up the ladder and plopped
heavily into the front gunner's seat. He clambered into the rear and requested
clearance for departure. He'd find a way to bring up the subject again. It was
a long way to Lorrd and back.
"So,
do I get to know where we're going? Or is it some state secret?" Mara
didn't try to hide the sarcasm in her voice. This was the first either of them
had spoken since they'd left Coruscant three hours
earlier, and the tension in Mara had been building by the nanosecond.
"Lorrd," came the soft voice
from the rear of the double cockpit.
"What?!
That's a three-day trip! They expect me to spend three days cooped up
with..." Mara caught herself, changing gears midsentence.
"... in this crate?"
"No,
say it. Three days with me."
Mara
blew out a breath, taking some measure of satisfaction in his sullen tone of
voice. "So what is our mission, really? Rescue some Rebel prisoner?"
She
heard a low chuckle. "And put him where? In the storage
compartment? Or will he ride back on your lap?"
His
sardonic reply was not putting her in a better mood. "Well, what then? Espionage? Blow up some warlord's secret hideout?"
A
small datapad was tossed over her shoulder onto her
lap.
"What's
this?"
"
Mara
began scanning the document. "Membership agreement..., mineral rights...,
bargaining concessions... This is all political mumbo-jumbo!"
"Yep."
Mara
tried to turn around in the confines of her seat, but couldn't see past the
high headrest. "They're sending US? You and me? On a diplomatic mission?"
"Yep."
"Is
that all you can say?"
"Isn't
much else to say. Told you it wasn't
my idea."
Mara
shook her head in frustration, already tired of the heavy flight helmet. "How about -- why us? Why not your sister, or some
other treaty hacker? And how come we don't have a decent shuttle? You're too
much of a pushover, you know that?"
Luke
let her vent all she wanted. He felt exactly the same way. "I don't know 'why
us.' Something about the Lorrdians will only talk
with... Force-strong individuals." He wasn't about to say the word Jedi.
That would be enough of an issue when they reached their destination. "And
supposedly there weren't any shuttles available. I guess because I go on long
trips in my X-wing, no one thought it would be a problem."
"No one but me."
"I'll
teach you how to put yourself in a hibernation trance."
"Oh, goody.
I can hardly wait." Mara lapsed back into seething silence, and Luke
didn't feel inclined to interrupt her.
Several
hours later, Mara was trying to go to sleep, but all she could hear were the
sounds of Luke shifting every which way in his stiff vinyl seat.
"You're
doing a lot of squirming back there," she called over her shoulder.
"So
write me up on report -- squirming while on duty."
"Don't
you have some Force technique for ignoring discomfort?"
"Apparently not an effective enough
one."
Mara
brooded awhile longer, gaining some gratification that this mission was
bothering the usually stoic Jedi Knight as much as it was her. She turned her
head, listening. He seemed to be reciting something.
"What
are you mumbling about?"
"Jedi
Code."
Code?
They have a code? "Does it help?"
"Not
so far."
"Say
it louder. I want to hear this."
Luke
sighed, then began again. "There is no emotion;
there is peace. There is no ignorance; there is knowledge. There is no passion;
there is serenity—"
"No
emotion? No passion?" Mara interrupted, her voice
incredulous. "What kind of passion are we talking about here? Romantic passion?"
"I...
uh..."
"Do
you even know?" she taunted. "Jedi aren't expected to be celibate,
are they?" She was glad Luke couldn't see the sudden frown that crossed
her face.
Luke
forced a laugh. "Of course not. I'm in trouble if
that's what it means." He resisted the urge to feel under his helmet to
see if his ears were growing pointed, like the mythical sprite in the
children's story who was caught telling lies.
"Do
you get to add lines?" Mara was saying.
"Huh?"
"There
are no cramped muscles, there is relaxation. There are no sore behinds, there is a comfy pilot's couch..."
Luke
chuckled in spite of himself, then joined in. "There is no hunger, there are delicious space rations..."
They
amused themselves for the next hour, making up silly lines, each trying to
outdo the other. Luke pushed the thought that what they were doing was
blasphemous to the back of his mind. She was talking to him again. They were
having fun. Maybe it hadn't been a bad idea to bring her along, after all.
*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
By
the middle of the second day of their journey, both Luke and Mara were tired,
cramped, and cranky. Using the crude waste receptacles only while the other was
sleeping proved awkward, and Luke's attempts at teaching Mara some Jedi
relaxation techniques turned out to be anything but relaxing.
It
was Mara's discovery that the piloting controls at her station had been
disabled that served to fuel her growing indignation, however.
"It's
just that only pilots who are rated for B-wings are allowed to fly them,"
Luke wearily tried to explain. "It's nothing personal against you."
"Oh, sure," Mara spat
sarcastically. "I suppose if Her Highness, your
sister, had been the one coming along, she'd be sitting here helpless like
me?"
"You're
not helpless," Luke muttered. That was the last adjective he'd ever use to
describe Mara Jade. "Look, you've got access to the most powerful weapons
on any
"Can
I swivel them around to shoot at the seat behind me?" Mara said with a
smirk. Though he did have a point -- the weapons array was intriguingly
impressive. With any luck, she'd have a chance to use them. Hmmmm...
"If we happen upon some asteroids, can I take some target practice?"
she asked hopefully.
"Well..."
Luke bit his bottom lip, contemplating her request. He wouldn't mind some
target practice himself. It sure would break the monotony. "As a matter of
fact, we'll be dropping out of hyperspace in a few minutes for a course change,
because..." he paused dramatically, "there's an asteroid field we
have to navigate around."
Mara
couldn't believe it -- Mr. 'Never Break the Rules' was going to loosen up and
let them have some fun. Her fingers were already itching to rip loose and shoot
something.
Luke
watched the countdown display for realspace
conversion, and the star lines shrank into pinpricks of light. He grinned to
himself as the predicted chunks of rock floated lazily in the distance.
"No
proton torpedoes," he cautioned, imagining Ackbar
skinning his hide if they came back with all the torpedoes missing.
"Spoilsport,"
Mara snipped, quickly deploying the S-foils into combat position. Her ion
cannons were already blasting away as soon as Luke maneuvered within firing
range. The pair spent nearly two hours trying out every kind of armament the
B-wing carried -- laser cannons, ion cannons, targeting lasers, auto blasters
-- everything except the valuable torpedoees. The complex gyro-stabilization
system creaked with the effort of keeping pace with the sudden maneuvers its
Force-strong wielders were putting it through.
Luke
smiled as an exuberant "Yahoo!" sounded from the front of the
cockpit. This was a great stress reliever, no doubt about it. It wasn't that
Luke didn't have any misgivings concerning their impromptu assault exercises;
he justified them by deciding it could be crucial in the future to know how the
ship would respond with a Jedi at the controls. Somehow, targeting asteroids
was much more satisfying to him now than the exhilaration he could still remember feeling when he blasted his first TIE fighter a
lifetime ago, from the belly turret of the Millenium
Falcon.
But,
all good things must come to an end, and it wouldn't look good for him to be
late arriving at Lorrd, either.
"Okay,
hotshot." Luke smiled to himself at the opportunity to call someone else
by the nickname he was so often labeled with. "We need to leave some for
the next bored wayfarers coming this way."
Mara
let out a relaxed sigh. She felt a hundred percent better now, and couldn't
imagine anything happening in the next few hours to ruin her good mood.
Luke
folded the airfoils back into cruising position, keyed in the pre-programmed
jump coordinates, and pushed the hyperdrive lever
forward. "All righty, next stop..." The
rest of his statement, however, was cut off by a dull groan in the engine
beneath them.
"What
was that?!" Mara snapped, her 'good mood' evaporating in an instant.
"I'm
not sure," Luke replied honestly, though he had a familiar 'really bad
feeling' about what could be wrong.
"We're
not moving, Skywalker."
"How
observant you are," Luke retorted dryly, checking all the diagnostic
controls and wishing, not for the first time, that B-wings were configured to
hold astromechs. He held his breath as he
optimistically tried the hyperdrive lever again. Only
silence filled the motionless ship.
"Blast
it!" Luke bit out, fiddling with the controls once more.
"Surely
you can come up with better cursing than that, Farmboy."
"Be
my guest." He resisted the urge to just reach out and bang something,
which was Han's usual first approach to ship repair.
"Well?"
Mara huffed. "You can fix it, can't you?"
"Sure,
if we can land. I'm not familiar enough with B-wings to even attempt a hyperdrive repair EV," Luke admitted.
Mara
made an exaggerated gesture of pointing out through the canopy. "Why look,
I think I spot a shipyard just off the port bow."
"You're
not helping matters," Luke muttered, frustration building inside him.
"You're
the one got us into this mess," Mara shot back.
"Me?!
I didn't ask for this over-rated spinning top. I'd much rather be in my X-wing,
with only Artoo for company. In fact, I'd already be
on Lorrd if I were in my own ship."
"And
I'd rather be on a luxury yacht, bound for some resort planet, alone. I didn't
ask to come along on this Sith-forsaken trip."
Luke
voice softened. "I know you didn't." He began accessing the ship's navigational
charts. This would be so much easier with Artoo.
"So?"
Mara continued impatiently. "Where are we? What's closest?"
"We're
at the edge of the Crestar Nebula. The charts show a couple of planets on the
other side of the cluster, both amended with an 'unexplored' status
warning." Luke checked another grid. "The closest one will take us
three days at sub-light." He grimaced to himself. "In fact, the data
on the whole nebula looks pretty sketchy."
"Can't
you raise Coruscant on the comm?
Let them come out here and rescue our behinds."
"I've
tried; all I get is static. We must be getting interference from the
nebula." Luke adjusted the comm control.
"I'll try to get through to Lorrd."
The
crackling static was only slightly less intrusive. " ...orrd Spaceport ...thority..."
came the broken reply.
Luke
again reached down to modulate the frequency. "This is Commander Luke
Skywalker of the
"I
repeat, this is Commander Luke Skywalker of the
"...
'kywalker. ...orrd ....out."
"Skywalker, out."
He switched off the noisy comm. "Well, sounds like they got the message.
At least I think so."
"Why
don't we just move away from the nebula, and call again?" Mara griped. Did
she have to make all the decisions?
"Which
will put us in the opposite direction of where we know there's a planet,"
Luke pointed out. Even at sub-light speed, he'd rather be going somewhere, than
just sitting dead in space waiting. "Look, if we can land, I can fix the hyperdrive, and we'll be on our way." And no one
would rib him about needing 'rescuing.'
"Fine,
have it your way, Commander," she drawled,
dragging out his title in the most derogatory manner she could manage.
"Just point us in the right direction, and let me fume in peace."
"Gladly,"
Luke grumbled to himself. Though the idea of Mara Jade
doing anything 'peacefully' seemed as remote as getting heat stroke on Hoth.
Eighteen
hours and several more inevitable arguments later, Luke slowed the engine to an
abrupt halt.
"Now what?"
Mara shot over her shoulder. "We haven't gone nearly far enough to reach
your 'unexplored' planet."
"I
know, but..." Luke paused, brow furrowed in concentration. "I have a
feeling... I think there's something closer." He adjusted the long-range
scanner.
"So
now we're going to wander around based on some elusive 'Skywalker'
feeling." Mara gave a loud derisive snort. "I hope you realize how
lucky you are I can't reach back far enough to—"
"I
found something," he interrupted. "Scanners show a small planetary
mass at heading two-one-nine-point-seven."
"And
it wasn't on the charts?" Mara scowled, wishing more navigational
equipment had been installed on her own console.
"No,"
Luke replied, an offended tone coloring his voice. "When they said this
nebula was unexplored, they weren't kidding."
Luke
adjusted the ship's heading, and two sets of eyes strained into the inky
blackness of space until a tiny green orb came into view. A solitary sun showed
they were approaching the dayside of the planet.
As
they flew in close to the largest land mass several hours later, Luke and Mara
could make out dense forests and snow-capped mountains.
"Over
there!" Mara shouted excitedly as they descended. "I see buildings!
Head that way."
"What
do you think I'm doing!" Luke growled back,
already noting life form readings on his scanners. As he piloted the ship in
search of a landing spot, a heavy windstorm began buffeting the tiny craft.
"Hold
it steady!" Mara began shouting orders. "Get below the storm! Land
this crate!"
Luke
gripped the control stick tightly in a vain effort to combat the increasingly
strong gusts, muttering to himself about 'front seat drivers.' He was glad she
hadn't been along the first time he landed on Dagobah.
"What?"
Mara shouted above the roar of the wind, which could be heard even in their
sealed cockpit.
"I
said, B-wings aren't designed for maneuverability in
atmosphere."
"Just land, Farmboy!"
"Where?
There's nothing but forest below us!" Luke's patience had run out long
ago, along with his hopes of landing safely.
"Then
go back up!" Mara couldn't believe this was happening. What in the
galaxy possessed her to accept this mission? She should've turned around and
ran as soon as she saw who the pilot was. "Get above the storm!"
"I
thought you wanted near the village!" Could women never make up their
minds? "I don't read any other concentration of life forms for
hundreds of kilometers."
The
words were hardly out of Luke's mouth when a loud snap sounded just below his seat.
Almost immediately the primary wing began swinging erratically at the mercy of
the relentless wind.
Luke
didn't even try to make out the string of undecipherable curses coming from the
gunner's seat. He no longer had a choice -- one way or another, they were going
down.
They
both spotted the tiny clearing at the same time -- an oasis of rocky, uneven
ground near the base of a tree-covered mountainside. Luke frantically
deliberated how he could set the craft down without snapping off any wings.
While B-wings were configured to land on flat surfaces with a skilled pilot at
the helm, even Threepio would be appalled at the odds
of doing so with a damaged stabilizer.
Luckily
the S-foil wings were still folded in, their normal position for non-combat
space flight. But that would be little consolation if the whole primary airfoil
slammed into the ground. The long flat wing had to be held horizontal to the
ground, somehow... Luke bit his lip, concentrating. He had lifted his X-wing
more than once. This was just one wing. One large, heavy wing
slightly longer than his own beloved ship. He closed his eyes, summoning
the welcome power of the Force. He could do this. He had to.
"What
are you doing back there, sleeping?!" Mara's urgent screeching broke
through his reverie as the hillside loomed closer. "Do something!"
"Join
with me." Luke's calm voice was in stark contrast to hers.
"What?!"
The Jedi had lost it. No doubt about it, he'd gone off the deep end.
"Join you in what, the afterlife?"
"The
Force, Mara. Help me hold up the wing with the Force."
Mara
stared out the cockpit window as the recalcitrant wing swung into view, then
just as quickly vanished below.
"You're
crazy, Skywalker. It's too big."
"Size
matters not," he murmured, as the wing once more rose in a position
perpendicular to the occupants of the cockpit. This time, however, it stayed in
its upswing position. Mara could feel the powerful surging of the Force through
Luke as he held the enormous wing in place, while at the same time lowering the
ship closer to the ground.
Without
further hesitation, Mara joined her Force sense with Luke's in his desperate
task. Instantly she felt the flash of his gratitude as together they held up
the heavy wing. The fighter lowered slowly on its repulsors,
finally settling to the ground with a dull thud.
Mara
sat motionless in her seat, releasing the pent-up breath she hadn't realized
she'd been holding. They'd done it! Admittedly, Luke's contribution had far
surpassed hers, but could he have held the wing long enough by himself? Both
his weariness and his relief were palpable through the Force.
Abruptly,
Mara yanked off her helmet and unsnapped her harness. Then, turning around in
the cramped cockpit, she knelt on her seat and peered around the high headrest.
Luke was removing his own helmet. Letting it fall to his lap, he raised tired
eyes and gave her a weak smile. Sweat-drenched hair clung to his forehead.
Pushing
damp strands of hair out of her own eyes, Mara inhaled his Force presence and
let it fill her. Craving his physical touch, she pulled off a glove and
extended her right hand around the backrest.
Luke
exhaled slowly, watching as Mara's palm began reaching out toward him. Ever
since they first met, deep in an Imperial detention cell, they'd shared a bond
that neither of them could explain. A bond that intensified
with physical contact. Leaning forward, Luke removed his own flight
gloves and raised his left hand to meet hers. As their fingers intertwined, a
familiar warmth and comfort flowed between them, soothing their spirits in ways
mere words never could. They remained that way for what seemed an eternity, but
in reality was only a few minutes.
Almost
as if by mutual consent, they pulled apart at the same time. Luke turned aside
to check a monitor.
"Atmosphere's
breathable."
Mara
nodded, then popped open the plasteel canopy. Soon
they were both on the ground, assessing what repairs were needed. And, as
always, they were soon engaged in a rapidly escalating argument.
"What
do you know about fixing stabilizers, or hyperdrives,
for that matter?" Mara groused. "Artoo
fixes everything you manage to break."
"I
know plenty. I've worked on lots of ships. I used to spend hours overhauling my
skyhopper back home, and I've helped repair the Falcon
enough times."
Luke
was weary, frustrated, and nearly out of patience with Mara's harping at him.
It seemed she was going out of her way to antagonize him, almost like she was
afraid to get too close to him emotionally.
"Tinkering
with those flying scrap piles doesn't count," she retaliated. "And it
sure doesn't mean you can fix a B-wing."
"And
just how much do you know about B-wings, huh? You know how to recalibrate a
power flux connector on a Slayn and Korpil hyperdrive
motivator?"
Mara
returned his taunts with a glare that would have caused a rancor to cower.
"I've been trained to repair a dozen different hyperdrives.
I could figure this one out," she growled.
"When?
Before we turn thirty?" His tolerance had completely dissipated by now.
"Look, I can fix ANYTHING, and I'M GOING TO FIX THIS!" Luke gestured
wildly toward the grounded craft, ignoring her strangled choke of contempt at
his egotistical boasting. "You hike to that village we spotted and try to
get a replacement part for this broken stabilizer rod." He shoved the
snapped rod into her hand. "I'll stay here and repair the hyperdrive. And I'll work on rigging a substitution for the
rod, just in case you can't manage your assignment."
Mara
was livid. "MY ASSIGNMENT! Who put you in charge?!"
"The
"It
is not YOUR ship!" Mara seethed.
"It's
signed out to me, which makes me responsible for it."
"And
a fine job you're doing of that, aren't you?" Mara retorted, poking him in
the chest.
Luke
shook his head and whirled back to the open repair hatch. "Just get going,
will ya? The longer we stand here arguing, the longer
it's gonna take to get off this rock."
"Fine.
I'm leaving. At least I'll have peace and quiet for a few days," Mara shot
back, as she reached into a storage compartment for a survival pack.
"Me,
too," Luke answered, but the fire had gone out of his voice.
He
watched as Mara slipped the pack onto her back and checked her blaster. She
glanced up at him. "Guess I'm ready." Luke nodded, but didn't answer.
"So I'll be out of your hair for awhile," she added, trying to get
some kind of response out of him. What she got wasn't quite what she was
expecting.
Luke
took a step toward her, wiping his hands on a rag. "Take care, Mara. We
don't know a thing about this planet, and I wouldn't want anything... Well,
just be careful."
"I
will," she replied cautiously. His mood had certainly changed gears in a
hurry. "I should be back in about a week."
"I'll
be here," he murmured.
"I'll
check in from the village, to let you know whether or not I can find the right
part." For some reason, Mara found her feet rooted to the ground,
strangely reluctant to leave him. "You have my comlink
frequency?"
"I've
got it," Luke acknowledged. He glanced back at his repairs. "I should
get back to work, I suppose."
"Yeah.
See ya," Mara said quietly as she turned to
leave, pulling her eyes away from his profile, his upper body hidden within the
repair shaft. "You take care, too," she practically whispered.
Without
turning around, Luke raised one hand in farewell, the only indication that he
had heard her.
==========================================================================
A Journey of Discovery -- Book Two: Pledge
Chapter Three
By Michele
See Chapter One for disclaimer
Rated PG-13
Mixed
emotions swirling through her, Mara plodded along the rocky ground for hours.
While she and Luke had not spent every day together since their escape from the
Emperor's palace two months ago, this would be the first time they'd be apart
for as long as a week. She had gotten used to having him around. His warm
presence was such a welcome change from Palpatine's
cold darkness. What in the galaxy had made her even consider fleeing Coruscant -- stealing away without so
much as saying goodbye to him. She could imagine the hurt look on his face if
she had cut and run while on this mission. No matter how much they argued or
complained or taunted, there was an undeniable connection between them -- a
connection of friendship and loyalty that neither of them would willingly
sever.
She
almost reached out through the Force to him, just for reassurance that he was
still there, but stopped. She had finally acquired a semblance of independence,
and she wasn't about to let it appear that she needed him. Mara Jade -- ex-assassin,
ex-Emperor's Hand -- needed no one.
Yes, you do, a small voice said. You need
him. And he needs you.
Mara
automatically started to refute what her conscience was telling her, then paused. Okay, maybe that last part was true. He did
need her. He needed someone to keep him on the right path -- the pathway of
light. Luke had demonstrated that unquestioningly at the Ranat
Roost. And who better to guide him than she, who had ample experience with dark
siders, and who could feel the dark side building inside
him before he ever opened his mouth or raised a hand. It would be a challenge
and a heavy responsibility, but she could do it. Mara smiled to herself as she
resumed her trek. In fact, it could easily be a lifelong commitment.
Luke
kept at his task until nearly dark, his hands tugging at the recalcitrant
stabilizer components, but his mind many kilometers away. What in the galaxy
had possessed him to snap at her that way? Frustration at this blasted ship? Embarrassment that he hadn't magically been able to fix everything
immediately? Annoyance that they'd been sent on this
unwanted mission, anyway?
Leaning
back, Luke tossed his hydrospanner into the toolkit.
He'd finished the repairs to the hyperdrive several
hours ago, but he had no doubts about his inability to restore the
gyro-stabilizer to working condition without that rod. He could only hope Mara
would somehow find a replacement. Wiping his brow on his sleeve, he sighed and
looked up at the sky. Clouds obscured any star sightings, and thunder rumbled
in the far distance. The wind picked up as he walked around the perimeter of
the area, stretching his stiff muscles. A storm was coming, and soon.
After
packing up his tools and supplies, Luke walked back to the ship. Just as he
climbed into the cockpit, raindrops were starting to fall, splattering loudly
against the canopy. He settled into the pilot's chair, munching on a ration
bar. As they had all day, his thoughts centered on Mara.
Luke hoped she had time to erect a shelter before the storm hit. He regretted
sending her out after that rod. He should have gone himself; then she could be
here in the dry, albeit cramped, cockpit. It wasn't like he was making any
headway on completing all the repairs. Even his attempts at boosting the comm signal proved fruitless.
Luke
chewed slowly on the ration bar, not even noticing how tasteless it was. They
could have both gone to the village. At least they'd be together. Face it,
Skywalker, you miss her already. Against his better judgement,
Luke reached out with the Force. Mara's emotions came through loud and clear --
tired, wet, hungry, annoyed.
*Mara?*
he sent tentatively. *Are you all right?*
*I've
been better,* came her curt reply. It still amazed her that they could converse
through the Force like this. Sure, Palpatine talked
to her from across the galaxy. But that was Palpatine.
Luke wasn't nearly that powerful. Was he?
*Why
haven't you put up your shelter yet?*
*What
are you, my mother?*
Luke
rolled his eyes, letting his breath out through pursed lips. *I was just
concerned about you.*
*Well,
don't be. Just worry about those ship repairs. I'll be fine.*
*If
you say so.* Luke paused. *'night, Mara.*
It
took Mara a moment to reply. *'night, Luke.* She quickly cut their connection.
Blast him, she could never stay angry with him.
Mara
held her glow rod out in front of her. The light was fading rapidly, and the
rain was beginning to fall harder. She really needed to stop for the night. So
why was she still trudging forward? Because the sooner she got to the village,
the sooner she could return to the ship. No, not the ship.
To him.
All right, Jade, this is getting you
nowhere. Another half hour, then you stop.
Luke
felt Mara cut their link. All day he had tried to keep thoughts of her out of
his mind, concentrating instead on his repair work. But now he found he could
think of nothing else.
What
kind of relationship did he and Mara have, really? Yes, they were friends. Best
friends, if she hadn't revoked that status after the debacle at the tapcafe. But, deep down, he knew in his heart that he
wanted to be more than just friends. Memories of the closeness they'd shared
before his father's death kept surfacing. Though neither of them ever ventured
to bring up those experiences, he was sure she'd been as attracted to him then
as he was to her. If her feelings had changed, why hadn't she already left Coruscant, while she was still free of suspicion? True,
he'd covered for her alias as a former dancer. Heck, he'd helped her concoct a
good portion of the story she'd told Mon Mothma. Not
the most Jedi-like thing to do, and it sure wouldn't bode well with the
He
had really expected Mara to flee the first chance she got. But she had stayed.
Stayed with him, it could only be said, as she interacted very little with
anyone else. So why had their relationship regressed -- if you could call what
they had a 'relationship'? Was he to blame? And why had he felt as though the
Force had called him to bring Mara along on this mission?
Too many questions; too few answers.
Luke closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the firm headrest.
Perhaps a good night's rest would bring him some of those answers. He drifted
off to sleep, lulled by the raindrops pattering overhead.
Mara
stumbled along in the dark, finding it harder and harder to keep her footing on
the sloping hillsides. A bolt of lightening lit up her surroundings, showing
that the forest was getting denser. By her calculations, it was nearly dawn.
She hadn't stopped for the night like she should have; instead, she had pushed
herself past the point of exhaustion. And so it was that she didn't feel her
danger sense go off until she stumbled over a vine and found herself tumbling
down a steep embankment.
Mara
sent out a desperate plea through the Force before blackness overtook her --
*Luke! Help me!*
Luke
shifted uncomfortably in the barely padded pilot's seat, drifting between sleep
and wakefulness.
*Luke!
Help me!*
He
jolted upright, banging his head against the canopy, the cry for aid resonating
in his mind. Had he been dreaming?
*Mara?*
he sent out. *Mara! Are you all right?!*
No
answer. He stretched out through the Force, feeling for her presence, but got
nothing. Luke fumbled for his comlink, turning on the
cockpit lighting so he could make sure it was turned to their agreed-upon
frequency.
"Mara!
Mara! Can you hear me?!" He knew he was shouting, but he didn't care. "Mara! Answer me!"
Luke
popped the canopy, stood, and was immediately assaulted by a cold brisk wind.
*Mara, answer me!* he sent once more. Logic told him she could be sleeping, but
his gut told him that wasn't the case. Besides, he was familiar with how her
soothing presence felt to him when she slept.
He
forced back his growing panic, relaxed, and let the Force fill him. Its power
throbbed through him like waves crashing upon a shore. He stretched out again,
blocking out the other life in the countryside -- the animals, the birds, the
microscopic organisms.
Finally,
there it was. Just a tendril of the Force, but Luke clung to it like a Corellian limpet clings to a starship. It was his lifeline
to her. She was alive, but unconscious.
Jumping
out of the cockpit in one fluid motion, Luke grabbed a survival pack and
secured the ship. Still holding on to that sliver of the Force from Mara, he
began to run. He wasn't sure how far she could have gotten, or even if she had
stopped for the night. She was stubborn enough to try to keep going without
sleep. Which meant she could be that much farther away from
him.
Luke
increased his pace. He had a feeling he had no time to spare.
*
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Luke
had been running for most of the day, oblivious to fatigue. He was glad it was
no longer raining. Not that it would have slowed him down, but the thought of
Mara lying out in the pouring rain... They'd come too far, endured too much
together, for him to lose her now.
He
pushed onward, feeling Mara's barely perceptible presence slowly growing
nearer. He called out to her several times, but apparently she was still
unconscious.
Luke
finally stopped shortly before dusk to get his bearings. She was close now,
very close. He walked forward perhaps ten meters and came to the edge of a
steep drop-off. The essence of Mara's presence was so strong here it was nearly
tangible -- exhaustion, surprise, panic. Pain. Peering down through the gloom, he could just make out
a spot of dull orange. No!
He
found her in a crumpled heap, lying in a shallow impression half filled with
rainwater. Luke gently lifted her head, pushing her dirty, tangled hair away
from her still face. He checked for broken bones, and was relieved to find
none, though her left ankle looked swollen.
"C'mon, Mara.
Talk to me."
Her
skin felt frozen; her lips were blue. Though her flightsuit
was water-repellant, it hadn't been sealed at the collar and wrists, allowing
her clothes underneath to be thoroughly soaked. Ice crystals were forming in
the folds of the coarse outer material and in the strands of her wet hair.
Luke
hadn't even noticed the freezing temperature when he was running. Now he
realized the danger -- Mara was almost frozen to death.
"Come
back to me, Mara," he whispered in desperation as he clutched her against
his body. Picking her up, he surveyed his surroundings. The ground was
saturated all around them, and the wind was growing stronger, stinging his face
sharply. The tiny one-man shelter in his pack wouldn't offer nearly enough
protection from the bitter cold. He had to get her somewhere dry and warm.
Luke
closed his eyes and did his best to relax. The Force would guide him. It had
to.
He
slowly opened his eyes, and turned to the southwest. That way, the Force
seemed to whisper.
Snatching
up Mara's fallen pack, he set off at a brisk pace. He had walked only a few
minutes when something made him stop. Here, came the Force's soothing
call. Holding a glow rod out, he shined it all around. A small mammal darted
through a growth of underbrush, and Luke saw a stone outcropping, beneath which
was an almost hidden indentation in the rock.
Luke
pulled a clump of brush away and bent slightly to gain entrance. Waving the
glow rod around, he saw that the ground inside was dry and the air was still.
Only extending about five meters back, it could barely be called a cave, but it
would be more than sufficient to provide them with shelter.
After
gently laying Mara's limp body down, Luke pulled out one of their thin survival
blankets. Spreading it out on the hard-packed dirt, he moved her on top of it,
then retrieved the portable heaters from both their packs and turned them on
full power. Luke knew he had to get the wet clothes off Mara to prevent
hypothermia, but then what? A search of both packs revealed no spare clothes,
and he wasn't sure if two blankets alone would be enough. If only he had
thought to bring a dry flightsuit with him from the
ship.
Luke
glanced down at himself. He did have one dry set of clothes. Even the fatigues
he wore underneath shouldn't be too sweaty, as they were made from a
special-weave fabric designed for ventilation during long space flights.
His
mind made up, Luke shucked off his own boots and flightsuit,
then gingerly tugged Mara's boots off and began undoing the fasteners on her
sodden jumpsuit. Moving quickly, he pulled it off her nearly frozen body,
followed by her shirt and pants. He hesitated a second as he reached her
undergarments, then continued on, as they were likewise soaked.
"You
can give me a tongue-lashing for this later, Mara," he whispered.
"I'll welcome the sound of hearing your voice again."
These
were not the circumstances under which he dreamed of seeing her beautiful body,
but he had no time to gape now. He peeled off his own tunic and trousers,
putting them on her as quickly as possible, followed by his flightsuit.
He yanked off his socks and pulled them on her feet, being careful of her ankle,
even though he knew she could feel nothing in her unconscious state.
After
spreading her clothes out to dry, he sat back on his haunches. There were so
many things about the Force he didn't know, but maybe, just maybe...
Pushing
her wet hair away from her face and turning her on her side, Luke wrapped the
edge of the blanket over her back. He then carefully lay down in front of her,
holding her close with one arm as he pulled the second blanket over both of
them. Unfortunately, there were too many layers of material between them for
his body heat to reach her effectively.
Luke
knew many survival guides advocated sharing body heat by skin-to-skin contact.
Clearly those guides didn't foresee the danger of an ex-assassin waking up
undressed and pressed against a man's similarly unclothed body. Yes, they had
slept together in the palace in just their underwear, Luke reflected with fond
remembrance, but that was to fool Palpatine. Judging
from Mara's testy disposition toward him recently, it was probably best not to
take any chances.
Luke
breathed out slowly and let the warmth of the Force engulf him. Now if he could
just divert that warmth to Mara... He closed his eyes and set to work.
Several
hours later, Luke came out of his Force trance. Reaching out mentally to Mara,
he could feel her Force signature pulsating strongly. Luke sighed happily to
himself. She was going to be fine!
He
rose wearily and moved to sit cross-legged nearby, leaning back against the
cave wall. It was nearly dawn, and still cold outside, but so far the heaters
were holding out. Coupled with the residual effects of his Force-warming, the
thermo-heaters were more than enough to stave off the chill from his bare skin.
Closing
his eyes, he relaxed and thanked the Force for giving him the strength to help
Mara.
Soon
afterwards, Mara began to stir. Slowly drifting into consciousness, she tried
to clear her muddled thoughts. She felt bundled up in something, and
reflexively untangled herself from the blankets.
Mara
rubbed her eyes. Where was she? The last thing she remembered was trudging
along in the rain, then... falling.
She
blinked, and looked around her. A glow rod lay next to a pair of portable
heaters. She recognized the latter as the type she carried in her survival
pack. But where did the second one come from, and who turned them on?
Mara
raised herself up on one elbow to get a better view. She was in some kind of
cave. But how did she get here? A sudden thought caused her to pause. She
couldn't have managed to get here alone. She reached out with the Force, then froze. Through her foggy mind she could feel another
presence.
Stang! Her hold-out
blaster was missing. She slowly turned, looking behind her. Someone was sitting
there, all right, someone...
"Luke!"
Mara cried, as recognition came to her.
Luke
opened his eyes and smiled at her. "Hi. Welcome back."
"What
happened?" was all Mara could manage to mutter.
"You
apparently fell down a hill. You were unconscious when I found you."
Mara
digested this. It fit with what little she remembered. She looked up at Luke
again, straining to see into the shadows where he sat.
"Where
are your clothes?" she blurted out suddenly.
Luke
gave a little chuckle. "You're wearing them."
Mara
quickly looked down at herself in consternation. "What the...?!"
Mara
then noticed her own clothes lying on the other side of the heaters. "You
took my clothes off?!"
"They
were soaking wet, and you were freezing to death," he hurried to explain.
"Mara, believe me, I was rushing to get you into something dry and warm. I
didn't... I would never..."
She
looked at him intently. "I trust you." If it had
been anyone else...
Luke
nodded, then crawled over and felt her flightsuit.
"Your clothes feel dry. So if you want to change back..."
"Sure,
uh..."
Luke
looked at her a second, then snagged his boots. "I'll wait outside,"
he said gallantly.
"All right."
Mara stifled a laugh as she observed his attire of undershorts
and boots. "Very becoming, Skywalker."
"You
know me," he said with a wink. "Always on the
cutting edge of fashion."
"Here,
at least take this," she said, snatching up one of the blankets and
throwing it at him. "I don't want to have to rescue you from freezing. And, uh, Skywalker?"
He
paused and waited for her to continue.
"Thanks
for the assist."
Luke
gave her a warm smile. "You're welcome."
After
both of them were redressed and had partaken of their usual ration bar
breakfast, they set out for the elusive village. Luke adamantly insisted on
accompanying Mara on the rest of her trek, arguing that he'd finished as much
of the repair work as he could. They weren't going to be able to take off until
they tracked down a new stabilizer rod.
They
made their way through the forest, mostly in silence. Mara felt Luke was moving
slower than he normally would have, for her benefit, which annoyed her no end
and made her more determined than ever to keep up. It was bad enough that she
had to lean on the makeshift staff he'd fashioned for her, carved from a sturdy
branch by his lightsaber. She did grudgingly take his
hand for help up a steep embankment, and chastised herself for feeling
disappointed when he let go after reaching the top.
"Ready
to take a break?" he asked suddenly.
"No,
of course not," she spat, putting on her best indignant look.
"Mara,
a few minutes of rest isn't going to matter. It isn't like we're going to go
all the way tonight." An alternate meaning for his last sentence sprang
unbidden to Luke's mind. He looked sharply at Mara, gratefully noting she
seemed to be engrossed in her own thoughts.
I am getting tired, Mara thought. Why
not just admit it to him? He won't think any less of me.
She
resisted the urge to rub the knotted muscles in her calves. What's he
mumbling about now? Mara swore she heard him say something about 'going all
the way tonight.' But when she finally looked up at him, he was silent, staring
off at nothing, his face an impenetrable mask.
Mara
shivered slightly, the temperature beginning to drop as sunset loomed closer.
"Let's just keep going. I'm ready to get out of this forsaken
wilderness."
"All
right," Luke acquiesced without further argument. "Perhaps for
another hour, then we'll need to stop and find a place to camp for the
night."
Mara
grunted an acknowledgment, taking off with a renewed vigor.
"Is
this what happened to you last night?" Luke asked after awhile. "You
were determined to keep moving long after you should have stopped?" His
tone was neither accusatory nor condescending.
"I
was doing just fine last night," she retorted. Though
obviously the night hadn't turned out 'just fine,' Mara thought with
a grimace. "I can't help it that the rocks were slippery in the
rain."
"They
usually are." Luke turned, cracking a teasing grin.
"I
didn't think Jedi were supposed to have smart mouths," she huffed, leaning
on her stick a little more heavily.
"Never
heard of any rules against it," he replied with a chuckle. "Good thing, too, if you're to become a Jedi."
That
remark earned him a whack across the shoulder from her improvised cane.
"Ow! Hey, watch it," he complained.
"I
have no intention of becoming a Jedi, and you know it," she snapped.
"All
right, all right, I was just kidding," he protested, but Mara detected a
twinkle in his eye. "Why don't you take the lead?" he then offered.
At her questioning look, he added, "I want to stay out of reach of that
new weapon of yours."
After
nearly an hour more of walking, during which Luke easily overtook Mara, he
called a halt to their trek.
"Here,
this looks like a good place," he announced, indicating the small clearing
they had entered. Mara looked around, too cold and tired to argue. She noted the
inviting bed of pine needles that covered the ground.
"Sure,
whatever," she said, dropping to the ground right where she stood.
Luke
knew better than to comment on her uncommon complacency. He had felt her
fatigue increase as they traveled, and had tried to slow their pace without
provoking her ire.
He
let his pack fall and scouted out their surroundings. "I don't think we'll
find any wood dry enough for a fire," he informed his companion. He
proceeded to check the fuel levels on their portable heaters.
"There's
only about an hour's worth of fuel left in each one," Luke said.
"I'll turn one on now, then switch the other on
when the first runs out."
Not
receiving any response, Luke looked behind him. Mara still sat in the same
spot, eyes closed, apparently asleep.
Luke
smiled to himself and pulled the two blankets out of their packs. Laying one
hand on her shoulder, he softly called her name. Her eyes flew open, and Luke
could just make out their shiny emerald brilliance in the twilight.
"Bedtime,"
he soothed. "Do you want a ration bar first? Or a drink
of water?"
Mara
shook her head. "No," she mumbled, lying down on her side and pulling
her blanket over herself.
Luke
unfolded the second blanket and started to drape it over her also.
"What
are you doing?" She raised her head slightly. "That's yours."
"You
can use it. I don't need it."
"Don't
be ridiculous. Your flightsuit's no warmer than mine.
You'll freeze."
"I'll
be fine. I can keep warm with the Force."
"So
can I," Mara countered. "Keep your blanket," she ordered, in a
tone that indicated the discussion was over.
Luke
shook his head, tucked the covering under his arm, and circled around to the
other side of the heaters. Lying down, he looked across the encampment at his
companion. He could tell she was already sound asleep.
Rolling on his back, he peered up through the canopy of trees, but clouds
continued to hide any view of the stars.
The
sounds of small animals scurrying through nearby foliage echoed in Luke's ears,
followed by the squawk of a predatory fowl. Luke didn't sense any danger from
them, but he felt the reassuring weight of his lightsaber
resting against his hip.
Sleep
eluded him, and his thoughts turned once more to the woman sleeping a few
meters away. Though she was no older than he was, he had thought of Mara as a
grown woman ever since he had first met her. It was thinking of himself as a
grown man, not a boy, that he was having trouble with.
Perhaps it was because Han wouldn't quit calling him 'kid.'
Despite
his years with the Rebellion, he still felt like an ignorant Farmboy -- inexperienced and uneducated where galactic
affairs were concerned. Mara had been raised at
But
Luke didn't begrudge Leia being the one raised as
royalty. He felt as uncomfortable as Han did in a dress uniform. He was just
able to ignore it better.
All
this musing brought him back to his original pondering. Could Mara ever be
content with the likes of him? Could she ever... love him? Did he love her? Did
he even know what love was? He kept remembering the infatuation he'd had when
he first laid eyes on Leia's image. While he was certain
Mara was NOT another long-lost sister, could he be sure this was more than
another schoolboy crush?
Luke's
thoughts were interrupted by the click of the first heater turning off. Rising
wearily, he switched on the second machine, knowing it would never last the
night. He glanced at Mara's huddled form, then, grabbing his blanket, spread it
over her own. Cautiously reaching out, he tucked a stray strand of hair behind
her ear. She looked so peaceful, so beautiful. No, this was no simple crush he
was feeling. This was different. Totally different.
The agony he had felt when he first spotted her at the bottom of that ravine
still echoed in his heart. He couldn't imagine spending the rest of his life
without her.
Returning
to his former spot, Luke curled onto his side and fell into a deep sleep.
Nearly
two hours later, Mara stirred restlessly. A shiver ran through her, but
strangely, she didn't feel very cold. It was as if she was experiencing someone
else's... Mara's eyes snapped open in the darkness. She could barely make out
Luke's figure through the gloom, but could tell he was no longer covered by a
blanket. A quick check confirmed her suspicion -- she wore both coverings.
Blast him!
Mara
rose to return the survival blanket to Luke, or perhaps strangle him with it,
she wasn't sure which. But as she crouched next to him, hearing the rhythm of
his quiet breathing, the hostility drained out of her. She knew in her heart he
wasn't being patronizing when he did kind things for her. He was just being
himself. If she gave him back his blanket, she'd most likely wake up in the
morning to find them both on her once more.
There
was one solution to this, of course. And it wasn't as if they'd never shared
the same coverings before. In fact, she had a sneaking suspicion he'd lain by
her the previous night. Maybe he'd stay sleeping and wouldn't even notice.
Silently,
Mara lay down on her left side facing Luke, drawing both covers up to their
chins. After a few moments, he stirred slightly, and Mara felt him move his
right arm down to cradle her head next to his. His flightsuit
was partially unzipped, and his left hand was tucked inside the opening. Trying
not to disturb him, Mara slipped one hand in on top of his.
Although
the tempo of his breathing never changed, Luke's right hand curved down around
Mara's back, pulling her closer. She froze for an instant. Was he awake? Or
merely reacting to her in his sleep? Did it matter? The aura of peace and
warmth being generated by him was overwhelming, and Mara felt herself
floundering in it.
She
intertwined her fingers with his inside his suit, squeezing his hand. He
responded by lowering his face to hers. Their cold lips met in a warming kiss,
lightly at first, then deepening into a passion that Mara hoped would never
end. Luke pulled her even tighter against him, their legs entangling as their
breath became ragged gasps.
Neither
said a word, and eventually Luke pulled back slightly. He withdrew his hand
from inside his suit, making sure hers stayed behind. Never opening his eyes,
he wrapped both arms around her protectively as her face nestled against his
neck. Mara felt herself falling into a peaceful slumber, her dreams merging
with reality.
Luke
awoke just as daybreak was dawning. He felt as if he were missing something, or
someone. He peered across the camp to see Mara packing their gear into their
packs. Something fluttered into Luke's eyes, and he gave a start as he realized
it was snow.
"It
just started a little while ago," came his
companion's voice. Luke gave a grunt, then rose to his
feet, shaking off the wintry flakes. He watched as Mara folded a blanket
tightly, wedging it into her pack. Looking back at his bare sleeping spot, he
decided she must have already packed the other covering. He remembered putting
both of them over her during the night. But hadn't she...? Or had he been
dreaming... again?
Mara
paused, giving him her usual sarcastic stare. "You gonna
help?" She waved toward the remaining equipment. "Or are you taking
root right there?"
Jolted
out of his reverie, Luke began disassembling the heaters. "Sorry," he
muttered. "I was just thinking."
"Uh-huh."
Mara took the now-folded heating device from him, stuffing it unceremoniously
into his pack. "Sleep well?" she said abruptly.
Luke
looked up nervously. Was she implying something? Or sounding him out? He
swallowed the lump in his throat, and refocused on the second heater. "Uh, yeah." He glanced out the corner of one eye,
trying to gauge her reaction. "How about you?"
"Fine,"
she said flippantly, grabbing the other heater out of his hand and cramming it
into her own pack. She rose, tossing him a ration bar. "Here, you can eat
this on the way. We need to get going. This snow doesn't look like it's going
to let up any time soon."
Luke
slung his survival pack onto his back, and peeled open the ration bar. Not
surprisingly, Mara had already taken off ahead of him. He hastened to catch up,
noting that she still had sense enough to use the walking stick he'd made for
her. The snow already covered the ground enough that they left footprints
prominently trailing behind them.
Mara
plowed along in silence. She probably could have done without the cane, but,
well, Luke had made it for her, and she didn't feel like leaving it behind. Not
that anybody in the galaxy had better dare call her sentimental. She glanced
over her shoulder at her 'shadow,' who looked away
quickly when caught staring at her. He hadn't mentioned last night at all,
which rather surprised Mara. Luke had a penchant for blurting out all kinds of
emotional retrospection, though they hadn't had anything this personal to
discuss in a long time. A sudden thought occurred to Mara –- maybe he didn't
even remember last night. Maybe he HAD been asleep the entire time.
Well,
she certainly wouldn't be forgetting it any time soon. A flush ran through her
as she recalled huddling against him under the warm blankets, his strong arms
pulling her closer, his breath warming her cheek, his burning lips covering
hers. The thought of falling asleep with him every night like that quickened
her pulse, and consequently distracted her enough that she stumbled over a
branch half-hidden in the snow. Blast him to all creation!
"Are
you okay?" Luke was suddenly at her side, grasping her elbow to prevent
her from falling. She pulled away from him brusquely.
"Let
go," she demanded. "You don't have to baby me."
"Sorry,"
he murmured meekly, dropping back to his subservient position. It seemed like
he was always apologizing to her for something or other. Which made him believe
all the more that he had dreamed what happened between them last night. If he
had actually taken that much liberty with her, she'd have bitten his head off.
In fact, he probably wouldn't even be alive right now to be thinking about it.
Well, at least it had been a good dream. Wasn't the first time he'd awakened
with images of Mara still floating in his head. But aside from that dream of
them together in the whirlpool, it was definitely the most realistic. He
wouldn't mind having one like that every night. Perhaps even with a little more
detail. Or a lot more.
Luke
sighed to himself, trudging along through the deepening drifts. Maybe that's
all there would ever be between them. Just dreams.
The
wet snowflakes grew denser as the morning wore on, confirming Mara's
prediction. To make matters worse, the wind had intensified tenfold. It stung
at their faces and hampered their vision. Mara had pushed her long braid of
hair down inside her collar, but the gusts were determined to make a mockery of
her attempts to keep it out of her face.
Luke
squinted, watching as Mara yet again pushed a damp strand away from her eyes.
Her ears, cheeks, and nose were red, and her lips were fast becoming chapped.
Luke was sure he didn't look in any better shape.
"Mara,
wait up!" he called over the deafening howling. He pulled her behind some
dense shrubbery that provided a mediocre windbreak.
"We
need to keep going," she protested.
"We
need to cover our heads," he countered, already digging in his pack for
the trusty blanket. Pulling it out, he folded it more or less into a triangle.
Mara didn't object as he brushed the snowflakes out of her hair, then wrapped the covering around her head, knotting the ends
together with his frozen fingers. Only her emerald eyes peered out at him in
gratitude.
Mara
pointed wordlessly at her own pack, and Luke moved behind her to repeat his
actions with the other blanket. She helped him pull it tightly about his face,
blue eyes blinking at her in silent appreciation.
*I
can't believe your
Luke
didn't reply, but reached out once more to pull her to a stop. How could he
be so thoughtless? He pried her numb fingers off her walking stick, taking
the makeshift cane into his own right hand. Linking his left arm with her
right, he stuck both their hands inside his pocket. Mara started to complain,
just out of habit, but realized the sensibility of the arrangement. His right
hand couldn't get frostbite, and the pole definitely helped brace them against
the fury of the blizzard.
Now
steadier against the wind, they continued on toward the hoped-for sanctuary of
the village. By
Mara
tugged on Luke's arm, and nodded toward a particularly large specimen. *In
there,* she sent. *We need to take a break.*
He
agreed silently, and they stooped low as they pushed the snow-laden branches
aside and made their way into the inner refuge of the huge tree. They found an
opening near the trunk with just enough room for them to slump to the ground.
The snow had barely penetrated here, and the wind was only a distant din.
Mara
felt a bit disappointed as Luke pulled their joined hands out of his pocket and
began rummaging in his pack for the ever-popular ration bar. It had felt good,
Mara thought to herself, having him clasp her hand tightly like that. In fact,
it felt better and better every time they held hands for one reason or another.
Luke
pulled the covering away from his mouth, and handed Mara her portion of lunch.
"Of all things, why did we have to go and crash here in the middle of
winter?" he griped. "And in a blizzard yet."
He ripped open the packaging and bit off the end of the bar in undisguised
exasperation.
Mara
raised an eyebrow in surprise. She'd been around Luke for over two months, but
had never heard him resort to pitiful whining like this. "Why, Skywalker,
I would think a desert boy like you would appreciate the novelty of snow,"
she teased, trying to lighten his mood.
"If
I never saw snow again in my whole life, it would be too soon."
This
was really piquing Mara's curiosity. "You have some kind of bad experience
involving snow?" she guessed.
"You
could say that," he bit out, then decided she
needed more of an explanation, and would probably hound him until she got it. "Hoth. I almost died in a
blizzard on Hoth."
Mara
turned her full attention to her companion at this unexpected revelation.
"I remember the reports of the battle on Hoth,
but I thought you were in a snowspeeder."
"This
was a couple days before the battle. I was out on patrol, on a tauntaun." He paused, looking at Mara.
"Go
on," she motioned. "I've seen holos of
them." She reflected silently on the hardships that the Rebels had endured
just to stay one step ahead of the Empire. Even the confidential reports of the
Imperial hierarchy disregarded the adverse conditions under which the
determined insurgents fought and lived; the propaganda issued to the general
populace blatantly distorted those conditions.
"Well,
I thought I saw a meteorite hit and radioed to Han that I wanted to check it
out before coming in. I found out later it was actually an Imperial probe
droid, which was how they found us."
Luke's
use of the word 'they,' instead of 'you,' didn't escape her attention. As
always, he seemed to completely disassociate her from the Empire, and she
didn't feel compelled to change his line of thinking.
"Anyway,"
he continued, "just as I clicked off the comlink,
I was attacked by this huge snow creature called a wampa.
It swiped me across the face with its claws, knocking me unconscious." He
absently ran his fingers along the faint scars on his face. "That's how I
got these," he murmured.
I'm still learning new things about him,
Mara thought to herself. She had noticed the indistinct marks, but had never
gotten up the nerve to ask him about them, a fact which surprised her no end.
She turned her attention away from his face, as he was continuing with his
story.
"The
wampa dragged both me and my then-dead tauntaun back to its lair. When I came to, my feet were
frozen to the ceiling of an ice cavern, and I was hanging upside down, waiting
to be the next course."
"Next course?"
Mara questioned, not liking his inference.
Luke
nodded. "It was chewing on the remains of my tauntaun.
I must have made a noise, 'cause it looked up and moved toward me." Luke
started to take another bite of his food stick, then
decided against it. "Terrified wouldn't begin to describe how I
felt."
Luke
shivered slightly, remembering that harrowing episode in his life. Mara reached
over and took his hand in hers, squeezing it in friendship. He gave her a
slight smile, then returned to his narration.
"Then
I spotted my lightsaber laying nearby, naturally
nearly a meter beyond my reach and buried halfway in the snow, to boot. Keep in
mind, I'd had very little training at this point. I'd
taught myself to lift pebbles and such with the Force, but nothing as big as my
saber. I held out my hand, like I expected it to just fly right at me. And the wampa was getting closer and closer." Luke closed his
eyes in reflection. "I'm still not sure how, but I managed to relax and draw
on the Force, and suddenly the lightsaber was in my
hand. I cut myself loose and swung at the wampa. I
don't even think I killed it; I just ran out of the cave for all I was
worth."
"Why
didn't--?" Mara began.
"I
couldn't find my comlink," he interrupted.
"And if you were going to ask why I didn't kill the creature and stay in
the cave, I've never claimed to always do the smart thing." He grinned a
bit sheepishly. "I think I was afraid there might be more creatures. And
how else could I experience the 'novelty,' as you put it, of trudging through a
blizzard in knee-high snow, with dried blood frozen to my face, falling down a
snow bank and collapsing in a drift unconscious. That was the first time Ben
appeared to me, though," he added, staring off in remembrance.
"Ben
appeared, in a blizzard?" Mara knew who Ben was. One couldn't be around
Luke much without hearing about Ben Kenobi.
"I'm
not sure if I woke up and saw him, or if he entered my unconscious mind, but he
was there," Luke declared with conviction. "He told me to go to Dagobah, to train with Master Yoda."
"Just like that?
How did he know you were even going to survive?"
Luke
smiled again. "He just knew."
"So
how did you manage to live through that?"
"Han.
Han came looking for me when I didn't show up at the base. The snowspeeders weren't working yet, so he rode back out on a tauntaun. It was getting close to dark, and the temperature
plunges rapidly on Hoth. He risked his life for me,
Mara."
As
Mara listened to Luke's narrative, she felt her insides clenching at the
thought of how close he came to dying -- and how close SHE came to never
meeting him. The fate of the galaxy, and her own fate, had teetered unknowingly
on the actions of a hungry beast and the steadfast friendship of a
strong-willed smuggler.
"Han
cares about you, Luke. You're like a little brother to him."
Luke
shrugged. "Guess so. Anyway, he found me passed out in the snow, nearly
frozen to death."
"How'd
he manage to locate you?"
"I
think Ben guided him, but don't bring up that theory to Han." Luke
laughed. "As soon as he dismounted, he said his tauntaun
fell over dead from the cold. So what's he do, but uses my lightsaber
to slice it open, and stuffs me inside to keep me warm till he gets a shelter
erected."
Mara
wrinkled her nose just at the thought. "I'm glad there weren't any tauntauns handy when you found me."
"You
should be," he returned. "I'm eternally grateful to Han, don't get me
wrong. But I swear I can still smell that stench." Luke leaned back
against a branch. "The next morning, snowspeeders
appeared and picked us up. They must have worked all night to get a squad in
working order."
He
looked over and gave Mara a wink. "So now you know the whole sordid
tale."
"I
won't kid you about snow ever again, promise," she said with a smile.
"But we can't stay in this tree forever. I don't think we can count on Han
rescuing us here."
"Nope,
guess not." Luke rose, waiting for Mara, who looked a bit hesitant.
"Uh,
Skywalker, before we get all bundled up again and go back out there, uh
..." She glanced around, avoiding his gaze. "I could sure use a
refresher about now."
Luke
shook his head in amusement. "I spotted one about a kilometer back. Wish
you'd said something then," he said drolly.
She
kicked him lightly with her foot. "Smart aleck."
He
motioned off into the dense branches. "Go ahead. I'll avail myself of the
men's facilities back this way," he said, pointing over his shoulder in
the opposite direction.
But
instead of heading out, Mara crouched and began rummaging through their packs.
"What
are you looking for?" Luke asked curiously. She'd already pocketed her
vial of hand sanitizer, he'd noticed, so what else...?
"Something
to use for 'fresher wipes," she bit out, not looking up. "When we get
back, I'm lodging a complaint about the inadequacy of Alliance-issued survival
packs."
Luke
stared at her huddled form a moment, then got up the
nerve to ask another question. "We've been out here several days. What did
you use before?"
She
turned just enough to give him a sarcastic look. "I managed to find a tree
with big, soft leaves."
Luke
chuckled, then began feeling in the multiple pockets
of his jumpsuit. Triumphantly, he pulled out a piece of cloth. "How about a mechanic's rag? It's fairly clean; it was
a spare."
Mara
snatched it out of his hand. "Guys are so lucky."
"Lucky?"
"All
you have to do is whip it out, then whip it back in. I have to wrangle out of
this stupid flightsuit, and--"
Even
putting his hand over his mouth didn't stifle the gales of laughter rolling off
of Luke. "We do have to worry about... getting frostbite," he choked
out.
"And
women don't?" Mara growled, before whirling around and plunging into the
dense foliage. Luke could hear her still muttering "Just whip it out, whip
it back in..."
After
taking care of his own business, Luke returned to their tiny campsite. He was
just shrugging his pack onto his back in the close confines of the space when
Mara returned. While he was glad they were comfortable enough with each other
to discuss apparently any topic, he valued his life too much to tease her any
further.
"All
set?" he asked.
"Be
right with you." She gathered her own gear, and followed Luke out of the
confines of their refuge.
Mara
joined Luke on the leeward side of their tree. The fierceness of the blizzard
had increased during their break, a fact that neither of them wanted to
acknowledge out loud.
"Ready
to get going?" she asked, not any more anxious than he was to brave the vicious
storm once more.
No, I'm ready to drag you back under this tree and ravish you,
Luke thought. But, he just gave her a bittersweet half-smile and nodded.
"Hey,
you, we'll be fine." She reached up with her thumbs, pushing up the
corners of his mouth into a smile. "I want to see a real smile." A
genuine, melt-a-girl's-heart, Skywalker smile, she thought.
And
she got it.
Mara's
heart skipped a beat. Stars, she wanted him! She reached up with just one hand
this time, and traced his lips with a fingertip. "Your lips are
chapped," she whispered, just loud enough to be heard over the wind's
howl.
Luke
hesitated only a second before leaning over and kissing her gently. "So
are yours," he whispered back, before straightening up and smiling once
more.
"Flirting
again, Jedi? What will people think?"
"I'll
let you in on a secret, Jade. You're the only one who's ever witnessed me
flirting."
"Do
tell. And why would that be?"
"Because
there's no one else I have any desire to flirt with."
Mara
started to open her mouth to retort, but Luke quickly reached up and pulled her
makeshift scarf to cover her mouth and nose.
*You
think that's going to stop me?* she sent silently.
He
pulled up his own covering. *No, but maybe it'll keep one or both of us from
putting a foot in our mouth if we keep up this conversation.* His blue eyes
sparkled in amusement at her.
Mara
gave him an acknowledging wink and nod, and slipped her right hand down into
its warm spot inside his left pocket. But instead of joining her there with his
left hand, he pulled her close, reaching behind her to insert his already cold
hand into the confines of her left pocket, the fingers of their now united
hands quickly intertwining.
*I
think we'll have more support against the wind this way,* he sent.
*Whatever
you say, Farmboy.* Mara sent him a burst of laughter
through the Force.
He
hugged her a little tighter and grasped the walking stick once more. They both
lowered their heads and braced themselves to pierce the fury of the snowstorm.
But their hearts were a little warmer as they met the gust of wind that greeted
them.
=============================================================================
A Journey of Discovery -- Book Two: Pledge
Chapter Four
By Michele
See Chapter One for disclaimer
Rated PG-13
Luke
and Mara trudged onward for hours, bantering off and on through their mindlink, but mostly just putting one weary foot in front
of the other in silence, both lost in their own private thoughts. Eventually
the snow turned to sleet, stinging their eyes mercilessly. They were almost
grateful when the sleet changed to rain, even though their so-called
weatherproof flightsuits didn't keep the chilling
dampness from penetrating to their bones.
Sundown
was fast approaching when the hapless pair crested a small hill and looked down
into a tiny village nestled in a picturesque valley.
"I
don't see any spaceports," Mara commented, pulling the sodden scarf down
as her teeth chattered in the cold drizzle.
"No,"
Luke agreed, peering through the dusky gloom. "I don't either. But we're
not here to acquire a new ship—"
"We're
not?" Mara interrupted sarcastically. "Stang!"
"We're
here," Luke continued smoothly, purposely ignoring her tone, "to get
a new stabilizer rod, and if possible, get a message out."
Carefully
making their way down the slick hillside, they entered the village proper,
curiously studying the quaint shops and homes as they traversed the cobblestone
streets. Slushy snow squished under their booted feet.
Flickering
flames of light shone through old-fashioned glass windowpanes, and citizens,
bundled up against the cold, hurried through the light drizzle. A few of the
more inquisitive, pausing to observe the strangely dressed newcomers, pointed
and whispered among themselves.
"I
haven't seen any species yet other than human," Luke observed. "I
wonder if the whole planet is human-only, or if the settlements are
segregated?"
"Frankly,
I don't care," Mara groused. "But we can't just wander up and down
the streets, Jedi, discussing their isolationist practices," she
continued. "We're going to have to stop and ask for directions at some
point. I, for one, would like to get out of this rain."
Luke
was ready to find a warm, dry spot himself. "All right," he responded
slowly, looking around at the surrounding buildings. "Over there." He
pointed down the street. "Looks like some kind of cantina."
Mara
took off in the direction he indicated without a moment's hesitation, with Luke
hurrying to catch up. He stopped short, though, as he noted that the shingle
for the Lucky Red Bone Pub was written in Basic. The style of the script was
archaic and the words were spelled a bit differently than normal, reminding
Luke of ancient writing he had seen in historical documents. But it was Basic
nevertheless, and a planet whose human inhabitants spoke Basic surely should
have been on their navigational charts.
All
conversation in the pub ceased as the two drenched, orange-garbed travelers
entered. Luke took the initiative and addressed the wide-eyed gawkers.
"Hello,"
he began, sensing no antagonism, only curiosity. "Uhm...
we were wondering if..."
He
was interrupted by the booming voice of the bartender. "Greetings
to ye both, young strangers." He welcomed them with a thick, guttural accent. "Come, have a seat. Can I
get ye somethin' to
drink?"
"No,
thank you," Luke returned, trying to place the man's brogue. "We just
need some directions."
"We
need to find a repair shop," Mara put in, still standing even though a
nearby patron had pulled out a chair for her.
"Aye,
we'll help ye all we can." The bartender came closer, motioning to an
empty table near a large fireplace. "But at least let me get ye both a
tankard of ale," he added, as a sneeze escaped Mara.
"Ale
nothin', Efam," a
large-boned, middle-aged matron objected. "Why, these young folks are
chilled clear through. What they need is some hot tea." She bustled off to
where a kettle sat on a primitive-looking cooking unit.
Luke
tugged on Mara's sleeve and gestured for her to join him at the table.
"You're buying, right?" he whispered. "You did bring credits
along, to pay for a new rod, didn't you?"
"You're
a real sport, Farmboy," Mara smirked, smiling at
him. "Guess I can spring for a cup of tea. Consider it your reward for
coming after me." She fished through her pack and pulled out a credit
chip. "Though I still maintain I really didn't need your help."
"Whatever
you say, Mara," Luke returned, draping his sodden blanket over the back of
his chair.
The
woman returned with two steaming mugs and a cheery smile. "Here ye be."
Mara
handed her the credit chip. "Will this be sufficient?"
The
woman stared at the foreign object, turning it over curiously. "What be
this?"
"Oh."
Mara held out her hand when the woman handed it back. "Do you only take
Imperial script?"
The
woman laughed heartily as she helped herself to a chair at their little table.
"Ye two don't have any dekas, do ye now?"
"If that's your currency, then,
no." Mara looked at the two warm mugs around
which she and Luke had cupped their frozen hands. "So I guess we can't pay
for the tea," she murmured.
"Ah, lass."
The matron smiled toothily. "What kind o' welcome would it be to visitors
if I was to quibble over a cup o' tea.
"Now
then, me name is Filia," she continued, holding
out a hand in greeting. "That be me husband, Efam."
She nodded at the bartender. "And what might yer
names be?"
"I'm
Luke." Luke returned her handshake, and nodded his head toward his
companion. "And this is Mara."
Luke
and Mara soon learned they had landed in Zembuhl,
which was the largest of several isolated villages in the area. One by one, Filia introduced all the patrons in the pub. Some came up
and shook hands, while others raised a mug or hand in a friendly greeting. Luke
did his best to catalog each name and face into his memory.
*What
are you doing, Skywalker?* Mara sent as she accepted an outstretched hand.
*We'll never see these people again. You don't need to memorize all these
names.*
*You
never know,* Luke returned, smiling at the next introductee.
*We may need all their help to get off this planet.*
"What
village be ye from?" said Efam,
as he came over to join the conversation.
"We're
from Coruscant," Mara answered.
The
occupants of the pub all glanced at one another in confusion.
"We've
not heard o' that one," Filia responded.
"Perhaps
you know of it as
"That's
an impressive tag fer a village, lass," Efam returned, "but we still don't know o' it."
"It's
very far from here," Luke put in, giving Mara a cautionary glance.
"We're
all glad to meet ye," Filia
was saying, "wherever ye be from. Winter Festival is the only time we see
new faces here."
"Winter
Festival?" Mara asked.
Filia and several
others gave her perplexed looks. "Isn't that why ye two are here?"
"No."
Luke shook his head, setting down his mug. "Our ship broke down, and we
need a part to repair it."
"Ship?"
a bearded man at the next table questioned. "Why, the nearest sea be a fortnight's travel from here. And why would ye be sailin' in the dead o' winter, if ye weren't comin' fer the Festival?"
*They
think we mean a seafaring ship,* Mara sent to Luke with a frown, then turned to the speaker. "No, that isn't the kind of
ship—"
Luke
laid one hand on her arm to interrupt. "We were fishing, and were blown
off course," he interjected into the conversation, "and lost our...
maps. So we just started walking until we reached... here."
*Wherever
in blue blazes 'here' is,* Mara thought sourly.
"Fishin'?" someone asked. "Just
ye... and the missus?" The man's bushy eyebrows raised
as he eyed Mara speculatively.
Luke
hurriedly nudged Mara with his foot before she could voice her indignation at
the man's label for her. "We were scouting... for new locations... for the
spring," he fumbled, purposely ignoring the glare he knew Mara was
sporting and hoping against hope she would hold her tongue. "And we're not
married," he added. "We're partners."
Another
patron, seated near the bar, spoke up. "Those are strange clothes ye both
be wearin'. Are they some kind o' new fishin' garb?"
"Something
like that," Luke replied carefully, knowing his
explanations were shaky at best. "They're supposed to make us easier to
spot, if we get lost."
"Sounds
like ye are lost, laddie," the man snorted,
eliciting a round of guffaws.
"Oh,
hush, Hener," Filia
admonished him. "Don't be makin' fun o' the poor
things."
"Just
shows what can happen when you leave a man at the helm in a storm," Mara
put in dryly. This time a titter of laughter came from only the women in the
pub.
Efam cleared his
throat to get back to the business at hand. "What kind o' part be ye needin' fer yer
boat?"
"A
long metal rod," Luke replied. He reached over and pulled the two broken
pieces of stabilizer rod out of Mara's pack. "Like this."
"Hmmm."
The men of the pub all gathered closer to inspect the piece of hardware.
"Never seen nothin' like that before," one
of them commented, scratching his chin in thought. "Could be Hiley would be able to fashion somethin'
like that fer ye, though."
"Hiley?
Who's that?" Mara perked up. Maybe there was hope after all. "Where
can we find him?"
"Hiley crafts tools an' such out o' metal," Filia explained. "But ye won't be findin'
him anywhere tonight. He's already gone home fer the evenin'."
"In the morning, then."
Luke gave Mara an encouraging smile. "We'll just stay the night
somewhere..."
"Oh, my."
Filia clapped her hands together in sudden thought.
"Ye have no place to stay, do ye?"
At
the negative shakes of two wet, bedraggled heads, she continued. "Efam and me'd be glad to let ye
stay in our home, but I'm afraid ye'd find it a bit
crowded, what with our seven children."
"Aye,"
the bearded man added. "Most of us are full up. Me
and the missus got more relatives visitin' fer Festival than we got beds fer."
"We
don't expect any of you to put us up," Luke assured them. "We'll be
fine."
*Speak
for yourself,* Mara grumbled silently, giving him a frown. *I was looking
forward to a real bed.*
"There
be a boardin' house," Filia
informed them. "It's run by me ol' chum, Merta. But with the Festival, don't know if she'd be havin' any rooms left."
Mara
looked at Luke hopefully, then turned to Filia. "Can we go find out?"
"'Course, lass.
I'll take ye over there right now."
"But
we still don't have any... anything to pay for a room," Luke objected,
even as Mara began picking up their packs.
"P'shaw, lad," Filia said
with a laugh. "Merta's more soft-hearted than I
am. She'd never turn ye away."
Luke
reluctantly gave in, and after thanking the pub's occupants for their help, he
and Mara followed Filia out into the night.
*Scouting
for fishing locations?* Mara scoffed silently to Luke as they made their way
down the street. *In a blizzard?*
*I
grew up in a desert,* he returned testily. *What makes you think I know
anything about fishing?*
*Then
you should have made up a different cover story.*
*Like
what? We were on a cruise ship, checking out spots for sightseeing tours?* He
gave a derisive snort. *You actually believe these people know what space
travel is?*
He
was saved from hearing any mocking retort when Filia
informed them that the large, three-story, clapboard building they were
approaching was their destination. As far as Mara and Luke could tell, this was
one of the taller structures in the village.
"Merta!"
Filia called out as they entered.
"That
you, Filia?" a pleasant voice answered. Wiping
her hands on her apron, a plump, jovial-faced woman emerged from a nearby
dining chamber.
"Aye,
Merta," Filia greeted
her friend. "I got a couple o' cold, wet travelers here who be needin' a
room."
"Two
rooms," Mara and Luke spoke up simultaneously. They looked at each other, then just as quickly looked away.
Merta gave a short
chuckle. "Sorry to disappoint ye, but I only have one room left. And I
only be havin' that one cause it's
way up in the attic."
Luke
glanced at Mara, but she was steadfastly studying a crack in the worn planks
under their feet.
"That
will be fine," Luke finally spoke up. "But we, uh,...
we can't,... we don't..."
"What
he be tryin' to tell ye, Merta,"
Filia put in, "is that they don't have any dekas."
"Don't
they now?" Merta placed her hands on her wide
hips. Making a half-hearted attempt at looking stern, she turned to face the
newcomers. "So what would ye be offerin' in
exchange for this room?"
"We're
hard workers," Mara spoke up quickly.
"We'd
be glad to work for our keep," Luke continued.
"That
be so, heh?" Merta smiled broadly at them. "Well, I might be able
to find some chores 'round here for the both o' ye. I
could be usin' some help, 'specially here at Festival
time."
"Of
course, anything at all," Luke readily agreed, glancing at Mara as she
covered another sneeze.
"Then
why we be standin' in this
drafty hall?" Merta snatched up an oil-filled
lamp. "Let's get ye two into a warm bed."
Luke
quickly shot a sideways glance at Mara, but she once again refused to meet his
gaze.
"I'll
be seein' ye all
tomorrow." Filia smiled as she headed back
toward the door. "Sleep tight, young ones, and don't be lettin' the bedbeetles
bite," she added with a wink.
*Why
is everyone obsessed with getting us into bed together,* Mara groused silently,
as she and Luke followed Merta up a narrow stairway.
*You're
not expecting me to answer that, are you?* Luke returned, following behind her.
*I'm
not expecting you to do anything tonight, Farmboy.*
Luke
wasn't quite sure if she didn't WANT him to do anything, or didn't think he was
capable of it. And he wasn't about to ask for clarification.
"Here
we be," Merta puffed,
out of breath from the three-story climb. She opened the door to reveal a
rather spacious room, its sloped ceiling indicative of its position under the
roof's eaves. Setting her lamp on a small table, she lit another lantern that
was mounted on the wall.
Luke's
gaze swept around the room, and he appreciatively eyed the assortment of
furniture occupying it. A pair of wooden chairs flanked a small table, their
blistered paint suggesting they were occasionally left too close to the large
stone fireplace. A plain-looking chest with three drawers stood sentry next to
a high bed, its carved headboard apparently from the same type of wood as the
rest of the furniture.
Wooden
furniture of any kind was unheard of on Tatooine, and
Rebel accommodations rarely included more than a plasteel
desk and chair and a durasteel-frame bunk. To Luke,
the hand-crafted bureau and well-worn chairs were just as wondrous as the luxurious
furnishings he'd encountered in his Imperial suite.
Merta paused as she
noticed the young man drinking in every aspect of the unadorned garret, while
the girl merely stood waiting indifferently. "I know 'tis not very fancy
up here."
"No,
no, it's fine," he assured her.
The
landlady nodded in gratitude. "Well, ye'll need
to get a fire goin,'... uh..."
"Luke,"
he supplied, before glancing at his companion.
"Mara,"
she added her own introduction.
"Aye,
pleased to meet ye." Merta gestured toward the
fireplace along the outer wall, then looked pointedly
at Luke. "Ye'll need to bring up more wood from
outside, to keep yer fire goin'
all night." He took the hint and bent to stack wood inside the hearth from
an adjacent log rack.
Merta motioned Mara
to follow her as she entered a small doorway on the opposite wall. "There
be a bathin' chamber fer ye
in here," she announced, lighting another wall-mounted oil lamp. "Ye
might want to be startin' a fire in here, too,"
she added, "if ye plan on takin' a bath tonight.
There's buckets ye can fill with water." She
pointed toward an ancient-looking pump sticking up from a wooden cabinet.
"And then ye can heat them on the stove, or hang them over the fire."
She nodded her head back toward the outer room.
Mara
frowned at the squat, black, heating apparatus that sat on a slab of bricks.
"Ye
may have to pump a few minutes fer the water to get
all the way up here," Merta was continuing, but
Mara was busy staring at the oval, footed bathtub. She was already imagining
herself sinking down in a tubful of warm water. The last time she'd been in a
bathtub had been... with... Mara bit her lip as she glanced through the doorway
to see Luke coaxing the flames to life in the stone fireplace. She studied him
a second, then looked back at the tub.
"It
might be a tight squeeze, but ye both are small. I think ye'd
fit."
Horrified,
Mara jerked around to stare wide-eyed at Merta, who
was standing with her hands on her hips and a wide grin on her face.
"No,
no," Mara sputtered. "We're not... It's not... We're just
friends," she finally spit out.
Merta gave a hearty
laugh. "Don't worry, lass. I was young once, too, believe it or not."
Obviously these people don't know us very well,
Mara thought to herself. At the same time, though, her mind was adding Luke to
the image in her head.
Merta proceeded to
show Mara the rest of the not-so-modern amenities of the small chamber. The two
women then went back out to the bedroom and found Luke hanging his flightsuit over a chair near the fire.
"Mara,
I think if we drape our clothes around the fire, they should all be dry by
morning," he announced with a smile.
"Sure,"
Mara replied. Which meant they'd have nothing to sleep in.
Wonder if Luke thought that far ahead? Probably not.
Then again...
"Ye
don't have any other clothes to wear?" Merta
broke into the conversation.
"No,"
Luke answered for both of them, then cleared his throat in attempt to cover the
rather loud growling of his stomach. "Sorry," he apologized.
"Guess it's been awhile since we've eaten."
Merta chuckled
merrily. "No food, no clothes, no money. What a sorry pair ye are, fer sure." She didn't look behind her to see the scowl
on Mara's face. "Tell ye what -- as soon as ye
get settled in, one of ye come downstairs and I'll fix ye up some supper to
bring up here. And I might even be able to dig up some clean clothes for ye."
"That
would be very kind of you," Luke returned graciously. He closed the door
behind Merta as she left her two newest boarders.
Luke
took a deep breath, then turned around to face Mara.
She was leaning against the edge of the bed, bending to undo the fasteners on
one of her flight boots.
"So,
here we are," she muttered, not looking up. Luke crossed the room and,
crouching down, helped her pull off the heavy boot. When both boots were off,
she wrangled out of the top half of her wet flightsuit.
Luke reached to help as she pushed it down over her hips.
"Getting
in more practice pulling my clothes off, Farmboy?"
Luke's
hand stiffened mid-reach, and a stricken look filled his face.
"Sorry," he muttered softly, before rising and crossing to one of the
windows.
"I
was just kidding, Skywalker." Mara blew out a breath. Most guys would have
pulled at her clothes that much more eagerly. But Luke wasn't like most guys.
Besides, she didn't want to be around someone who was anxious only to get her
undressed. Calrissian had made more than his share of
offers along those lines. No, the only man she wanted to be close to was now
bracing himself against the sides of the window sash, staring silently out into
the night. And she was driving him farther away with each sarcastic comment.
"We
were lucky to find this place," Mara continued, determined to alter her
abrasive nature, at least as far as Luke was concerned.
"Hmmm,"
came the noncommittal reply.
"This
is much better than sleeping out on the ground." Mara ran one hand under
the covers. "I think this mattress has feathers in it." She glanced
at Luke, who didn't even acknowledge he'd heard her. "We ought to get a
good night's sleep, at least."
Mara
frowned at his rigid posture. Now what was wrong? He was usually a regular chattercube. "Hey, you decide to quit talking to me?
What's so interesting outside?"
"It's
snowing," Luke finally murmured quietly, still not turning around.
"Which
makes me that much more glad we're in here instead of
out there."
"You
shouldn't be here at all," Luke bit out in a frustrated voice.
"What?"
Mara could sense guilt gripping him as tightly as he was gripping the window
frame. But guilt over what? Over the
ship malfunctions? Over what had happened just now? Or
last night? She was the one who had lain down next to him; he certainly
had no reason to feel guilty.
Mara
rose and gently laid a hand on his arm. "Luke, what's wrong?"
"I'm
sorry I got you into this whole mess," he muttered, turning to look at her
at last, sorrow filling his face.
"It's
not your fault," she countered. "Mon Mothma
sent us on this blasted mission. You couldn't help it."
Mara
narrowed her eyes at his renewed silence. "Skywalker?"
"She
sent me. Not you," he choked out, biting his lip as he shifted to once
more look back out into the night. "It was my doing," he admitted in
a dejected voice. Luke was certain that Mara may very well never speak to him
again, but he felt compelled to disclose his deception. 'Confession is good for
the soul,' Aunt Beru always said. So why did he
feel so miserable?
"What
do you mean?" Mara questioned, her low, emotionless voice not revealing
her reaction.
"I'm
the one that insisted you come with me on the mission." He glanced over
his shoulder at her again, his culpable expression underscoring his strained
confession. "I practically refused to go without you."
The
hardened woman that had been Palpatine's virtual
slave would have had a vibroblade to the Jedi's
throat for such an unpardonable offense. But for reasons Mara could not begin
to fathom, regret over her current situation was the farthest thing from her
mind, while hearing his explanation seemed paramount. "Why?" she
breathed.
"I
don't know... I mean... I do... but... I didn't want us to be apart..."
Mara
considered the underlying motive behind his actions. He'd defied Mon Mothma, just to have her with him. A feeling of warmth
spread through her, disturbed only by the pathetic look he still wore. "So why the long face? I'm here, we're together,..."
"Mara,
you could have frozen to death in that ravine!" He spun around, clutching
her upper arms. "The ship could have crashed and killed you. We may not be
able to get off this planet..."
Luke's
worries only served to produce an amused smirk on Mara's face. "I have to
hand it to you, Jedi -- you do know how to show a girl a good time."
"I'm
serious, Mara." Luke pulled her a little closer. "I put you in
danger, just because of my own selfish reasons. I couldn't bear it if I lost
you..." His voice trailed off as he gazed into her emerald eyes.
"Luke,"
Mara whispered softly. "I'm pretty tough, you know. You're not going to
get rid of me that easily."
Luke
raised one hand and caressed the side of her face, then threaded his fingers
through her still-damp hair. "Mara, I..." He took a deep breath.
"I..."
A
shiver ran through Mara as she waited for him to finish his sentence. Was he
going to say he loved her? And how would she answer?
Luke
felt Mara tremble in his arms. "You're cold. I need to go get more
firewood." He pulled back from her embrace. "I'll be back in a few
minutes."
Now?
You have to stop RIGHT NOW and go play chivalrous knight?
Mara pushed him away none too gently. "Fine," she bit out, not
allowing herself to look at his face.
As
Luke bent to pick up the log carrier, Mara squatted down and began rummaging
through the few remaining pieces of wood next to the fireplace.
"What
are you doing?" Luke asked, doing his best not to upset her more than he
apparently already had.
"I
want to start a fire in the stove in the 'fresher, and I need some short
pieces."
Luke
grabbed up three fair-sized logs, set them on end, whipped out his lightsaber and cut them neatly in half. "Do you want
me to help you start the fire?"
"No!"
she bristled. Mara felt hot enough to start one by spontaneous combustion. How
could he start to say some momentous statement of how he felt, finally, and
then just STOP! And why was this upsetting her so much, when his unexpected
confession of being solely responsible for her being on this mission had
invoked just the opposite reaction in her?
Luke
stared at her as she grabbed up the truncated firewood. "I'll be right
back," he repeated, not surprised when he didn't receive a reply.
Mara
straightened up and blew out a breath as she heard the door close behind him. Relax,
Mara. You're nervous; he's nervous. You both need to relax. Mara
willed herself to calm down, and a satisfied little smile appeared on her face.
Yes, they needed to relax, and she knew the perfect way to do just that.
========================================================================
A Journey of Discovery -- Book Two: Pledge
Chapter Five
By Michele
See Chapter One for disclaimer
Rated PG-13
As
Luke plodded down the steep staircase, he realized that he wasn't sure what he
had been about to announce to Mara. 'I don't want us to ever be
apart'? 'I'll get us out of here'? Or had he been ready to utter 'I want
to make love to you,' or simply 'I love you'? He was a trained Jedi
and a war hero, but he turned into a stammering fool when it came to matters of
the heart. No wonder Mara's temper was so unpredictable. One moment he's
flirting worse than Lando, and the next he can barely
look her in the eye without his nerves being tied in knots. Luke could feel
that pendulum swinging back out again, and he had the distinct feeling it was all his fault.
So
engrossed was Luke in his self-deprecating musings that the normally
nimble-footed Jedi nearly stumbled when a voice boomed at the bottom of the
steps.
"So
ye finally made it down here." Merta glanced at
the worn log carrier clutched in his hand. "I see ye've
come for the wood first. Come along, then, lad."
Merta directed Luke
to a lean-to shelter attached to the back of the building. Firewood was stacked
only about a meter high. "As ye can see, I'll be needin' to get more wood cut soon. We go through a
lot this time o' year."
Luke
paused as he was filling the leather carrier. "Would you like me to cut
some wood for you tomorrow? I need to do some kind of tasks, to pay you back
for your generosity."
"Aye,
that would be appreciated..., Luke, is it?"
He
nodded affirmatively. "Yes, Luke Skywalker."
Luke
continued filling the carrier with assorted pieces of firewood, then paused and
looked questioningly at Merta. "Is this
sufficient to last the night?" he asked, gesturing toward his load.
"I want to make sure it stays warm enough for Mara."
Merta smiled at his
unabashed concern for his roommate. "Aye, that should be plenty." As
Luke straightened up, she added. "Ye should sleep on the side o' the bed
near the wall, so she'll be closer to the fire."
Luke
started to object to Merta's obvious assumption that
he and Mara would both be sleeping in the room's lone bed, but she held up a
hand to silence him.
"Hold
her close, lad," the motherly figure said with a smile, "and ye'll both stay warm tonight."
Luke
simply nodded, not feeling up to trying to explain his and Mara's unusual
relationship. He wasn't sure he even could.
"Come
back down after ye unload yer wood, and I'll have
some supper ready for ye."
"All
right, thank you."
When
Luke returned to the attic, Mara was bustling with activity. Luke watched as
she exited the refresher, carrying a full bucket of water. With a small towel,
she removed one of a pair of steaming pails that hung suspended over the fire
and replaced it with the new bucket, then retreated with the hot water back to the
refresher.
"What's
all this?" Luke called to her, as he could hear a squeaking, pumping noise
coming from her direction.
"Just
heating water so we can wash up," she explained as she passed him,
repeating her previous actions with a second bucket.
Luke
started to ask if she needed help, just out of habit, but stopped himself. He
had a feeling that if she wanted him to assist, he would have already heard the
instructions.
"Guess
I'll go get us some food now," he went on, stepping out of the way as she
swept back toward the refresher.
"Fine,"
she returned over her shoulder.
Luke
once more descended the narrow stairway, deep in thought. At least she's
still talking to me.
*
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
As
Luke entered their room with a stack of clothes and their dinner, he could
detect a sense of relaxation coming from Mara, but didn't see her in the
bedroom. Setting the meal portion of his load down, he knocked lightly on the
refresher door. "Mara?"
"Come
in," he heard her call. Cautiously he opened the door, then
froze when he spotted her. Mara was sitting in the bathtub, soap bubbles up to
her neck and head resting on the back edge of the tub. She had the most
peaceful look on her face that Luke had ever seen.
"Well,
come on in," she repeated, not opening her eyes. "You've seen me in
more revealing positions than this."
Luke
quietly entered, wishing he hadn't disturbed her. "I... uh... brought us a
change of clothes for tomorrow, and Merta also sent
something for us to sleep in tonight."
Mara
opened one eye as he set her garments on a nearby stool.
"There's
also some dinner for us, in the outer room," Luke continued, nodding
toward the doorway.
"It'll
keep awhile longer," Mara murmured. "Ahhh..."
She sighed, sinking a little lower in the water. "Oh, Luke, this is so
wonderful."
She
looked up at him, smiling. "You're welcome to join me. I could make room
for you in here," she invited teasingly, hoping for a compliant reaction.
What
she got was a rather flustered look. "The water would overflow," he
blurted out.
"We
can dip some of it out," she countered.
"It
doesn't look like there's enough room," he objected.
"Just
be that much cozier," Mara rejoined, trying to hide her disappointment
that he was making excuses. She looked up at him as he stepped closer to her, then followed his face downward as he knelt next to the tub.
"I
don't think that would be a very good idea," he said quietly, his face a
mask of seriousness as he stared into her eyes.
Mara
swallowed, breaking eye contact with him and wishing she could take back her
flirtatious offer. "No, I guess not," she muttered.
Luke
gave her a weak smile, and exited the refresher.
Once
back in the bedroom, Luke leaned against the wall, eyes closed and heart
pounding. What is wrong with you, Skywalker? She was offering... Stars, what
was she offering? Companionship? Or
more? Are you so scared it would be more?
As
soon as Luke left, Mara gripped the sides of the tub and let out a deep breath.
What in the worlds has come over you, Jade? What if he'd said yes? You know
perfectly well what being in this tub with him could lead to. Are you prepared
to take that next step? Sith, no, you're not!
Mara
picked up a nearby washcloth and, with mechanical motions, began to bathe
herself. But she no longer felt any pleasure in her watery oasis.
Luke
finally pushed away from the wall and tossed a few more pieces of wood into the
fireplace. Sitting on the floor, he watched the dancing flames. How long could
the two of them keep up this up-and-down gravicoaster
ride? It was bad enough that his emotions were bouncing all over the place. Now
her attitude toward him was shifting gears with every turn. Was he supposed to
be able to figure out how to react to her? Trying to decipher Mara's mood
swings was like trying to anticipate the erratic moves of a charging Kalli beast. Guess wrong, and you may not live to regret
it.
For
a brief moment, Luke wished Han was around to consult with, then
quickly dismissed the thought. Whatever his relationship with Mara was turning
into, it was not something he needed Han ribbing him about.
Luke
stared into the red-gold tongues of fire, mesmerized by the way they reminded
him of Mara's hair. He flinched slightly as a soft hand touched his shoulder.
"Your turn," was all she said.
Mara
sat down next to him, but didn't look in his direction.
"Thanks,"
Luke croaked, trying to find his voice. He rose and looked down at her huddled
figure. She was wearing the sleeping shift from Merta,
and had it pulled down over her knees, which were drawn up to her chin. It
seemed to him that she was as nervous and confused as he was.
"Your
dinner is in there," he continued, pointing to a wicker basket.
"All
right," she replied, not looking up.
Luke
went into the refresher and bathed quickly, not enjoying it nearly as much as
he thought he should. It was the first time he'd been in a bathtub since... the
Emperor's palace. Reflecting further, he realized it was the first time he'd
ever been in a tub alone.
Dressed
only in a pair of borrowed sleep pants, he went back out into the bedroom and
found Mara sitting in exactly the same position as when he left. Their dinners
sat untouched.
"You
didn't have to wait for me," Luke said.
At
the sound of his voice, she stirred from her reverie. "You waited,"
she pointed out. "Besides, I don't like to eat alone."
Since when?
thought Luke. She seemed to prefer solitude, from what
he could tell in the time he'd known her.
"Well,
I'm nearly starved, so let's see what we've got here." Luke pulled away
the heavy towels that covered their two bowls.
Mara
perked up finally, reaching into the basket for the covered jars that contained
their drinks. "You're always nearly starved," she joked before taking
a sip of the cool, creamy milk.
"I'm
a growing boy," Luke countered, glad for her latest mood shift. "Some kind of stew. Smells
good."
"Hmm,"
Mara agreed. She accepted her portion from Luke and took a bite. "Tastes
good, too, whatever it is."
They
ate in silence for awhile, Mara realizing she had been just as famished as
Luke.
"What
do you think our chances of finding a new stabilizer are?" she eventually
asked.
Luke
swallowed his mouthful before replying. "On a scale of
one to ten? About negative two."
Mara
nodded in agreement, her mouth full again. After taking a drink, she continued.
"I don't hold out much hope for a communications station, either. I
haven't seen any evidence of technology anywhere."
She
took another bite, with a drink to wash it down. "How can people live like
this?"
"Oh,
I don't know, Mara." Luke smiled. "It's peaceful here. No airspeeders buzzing past. Birds chirping
instead of comlinks. I could get used to
this."
"Keep
that in mind when we're still stuck here a month from now," Mara humphed, then instantly regretted reminding him of their
being stranded.
But
Luke seemed to have gotten past his feelings of guilt, at least for the time
being. "You've never been to Dagobah," he
said with a laugh. "I'll admit I've no desire to discover a snake or
lizard sharing my seat. But this is a refreshing change of pace."
"But
how... how is it they are so uncivilized here?"
"Everyone
seemed pretty civilized to me."
"You
know what I mean." Mara scowled. "It's like they've never had any
contact with how the rest of the galaxy lives." She waved her spoon at
him. "And how is it they speak Basic? Answer me that, bright boy."
"I
don't know, Mara." Luke sighed. "Maybe we'll get some answers
tomorrow."
A
strained silence fell as they finished their meal, neither of them ready to
broach the subject of bedtime. Setting her empty dish aside, Mara finally
decided if she didn't take the plunge, they might end up sitting in the same
spot all night.
"I
suppose we should get to bed," she began tentatively. "We'll surely
have a busy day tomorrow." Mara rose, but Luke remained sitting. "You
coming?"
"I'll
just sleep here on the floor," he murmured, not budging from his
cross-legged position.
"No,
you won't," Mara objected with a frown. "You're just as tired as I
am, and we both deserve a comfortable bed after sleeping in a cockpit and on
the ground for the past four nights."
"I'll
be fine," he insisted. "There's extra quilts
over there," he went on, nodding toward a rack in the corner.
Mara
grabbed his upper arm, tugging on him to rise. "Skywalker, it's a big bed.
We're adults; we can share it."
"Mara...,"
he whined, shaking his head even as he allowed himself to be pulled upright.
"It
won't be any different than when we slept together in your suite." She
cupped his chin with her hand, forcing him to look her in the eye. "Right?"
"Right?"
she repeated, as he pulled back from her hold and reluctantly circled around to
climb into the far side of the bed.
"Right,"
Luke whispered under his breath. No different at all.
Luke
lay on his back, watching the dancing patterns of firelight playing out on the
ceiling. He was doing his best to keep his mind on the obligations he felt were
his sole responsibility on this mission. I need to get that blasted B-wing
repaired. I need to get us off this planet and on our way to Lorrd. I need to get a message back to Coruscant.
I need... Luke could hear Mara turning over restlessly. I need to
take her in my arms and cover her with kisses...
Mara
could tell Luke was still awake. Outwardly, he was lying perfectly still. But
inwardly, she could feel his Force sense twitching as agitatedly as hers was.
Hugging her pillow tightly, Mara turned to face the warm fire, wishing she
could draw more comfort from the flickering flames. Do other couples have
this much trouble with their emotions? And at what point did I start thinking
of Luke and me as a 'couple'?
Luke
rolled over wearily, sleep still eluding him. He listened to the crackling of
the flames, the only sound breaking the stillness of the room. He thought back
to the previous night. No, it hadn't been a dream. She HAD come to him. And she
had returned his kisses. He wanted to hold her and kiss her, again and again.
He wanted it so badly he could taste it -- could taste her lips, smell the scent
of her hair. She was driving him mad with desire, and she wasn't even touching
him.
An
inner voice mocked Luke's every thought. If you want her so much, why didn't
you get in the damned bathtub with her? Because you're a coward, that's why. A Sith-forsaken coward. You love
her, don't you? If you don't have the guts to tell her how you feel, then quit
leading her on. Let her go... Let her go...
"NO!"
Luke sat bolt upright in bed. "I can't do that!"
Mara
rose up, instantly sweeping her surroundings with the Force. "Luke, what
is it?" She didn't sense any danger nearby, but Luke's emotions were a
swirling mass of turmoil. "What's wrong?"
He
pulled up his knees, and buried his face in his hands. "I can't,
Mara," he said shakily.
"Can't
what?" Mara fought the fear that threatened to rise in her throat. What
was he going to say? That he couldn't return her feelings? How could he even
know what her feelings were, when she had trouble admitting them to herself?
"I
should really sleep on the floor," was all that he could manage to get
out, ignoring her question. He started to edge his way out of bed, but Mara
grabbed his arm.
"Skywalker,
what is wrong with you?!"
His
voice was nearly breaking, and he didn't turn around as he attempted to put his
feelings into words. "I... can't... lie this
close to you and not... not..."
Mara
sat up in bed, and tugged on his arm until he turned to face her. She could see
the pain reflected on his face by the wavering flames in the fireplace.
"Luke," she murmured soothingly, struggling to keep her voice calm as
she latched onto his hand. "Talk to me. You know you can share anything
with me." She braced herself, determined to accept whatever he had to say.
Luke
took a deep breath and spoke slowly, his eyes locked on their joined hands.
"During all my training, I was taught over and over to trust my feelings.
And right now, my feelings are telling me, screaming at me, that I am...
desperately... in love with you." He fell silent. His impromptu confession
had surprised even himself. But for better or worse, he knew he had spoken the
truth.
A
feeling of ecstatic amazement flooded through Mara as she scooted closer to
him, searching in her heart for the right phrases to express her own hidden
emotions. All doubt as to what those emotions were vanished in a heartbeat.
This was the most important moment of their lives; they had to be completely
honest with themselves and with one another. How could she convince this man
how much he meant to her? She reached up and gently caressed his cheek.
"Luke,"
she began softly. "Ever since I met you, actually met you, in that prison
cell, you have been a beacon of light and hope to me. After Palpatine,
I thought all I wanted was to be independent, to not let myself be emotionally
attached to anyone. But the more time I spend with you, the more I know that I
never want to be apart from you. Ever." She
looked deeply into his azure eyes. "I love you, Luke Skywalker. I need you
with me. I need you to love me."
The
anxiety that had been gripping Luke's heart was suddenly replaced by joyous
relief, and he unknowingly released a pent-up breath. Smiling more broadly than
he ever had in his life, he brought his own hands up and cupped her face.
"I do love you, Mara Jade. I love you so much..."
Their
lips abruptly met in a passionate kiss, their hands clutching at each other in
the unburdening of their mutually suppressed yearnings. Luke drew her down into
the softness of the feather mattress, the feeling of her lithe body beneath his
intensifying his cravings. His hand found its way under her sleeping shift,
marveling at the silkiness of her skin. Mara could feel his arousal, both
physically and emotionally, and a wave of nervousness cut into her deepening
desire.
"Luke,"
she whispered into his ear. He lifted his head slightly, waiting for her to
continue. "Before we go any further, there's something I need to tell
you."
"Yes?"
He gently encouraged her to go on, easily sensing her anxiety.
"I've...
never... actually been with a man before, not like this."
Luke
rose up on one elbow, a look of astonishment crossing his face. "You've...
never... had sex? Mara, I never dreamed... I just assumed..."
"What!?
You think I'm some kind of trollop? That I sleep around?" Her face
contorted in sudden anger.
"No,
no! I would never think that," he hurried to assure her. Luke fell back on
his own pillow, and began laughing quietly.
"What
the hell is so funny?" Mara began pounding his chest with her fists, tears
starting to run down her cheeks. "I'm sorry I'm not as experienced as you
are."
He
seized her wrists and pulled her down close to him. Reaching up, he gently
wiped away her tears with his thumbs. "Believe me, Mara, you are."
At
her incredulous look, he went on. "You have EXACTLY the same amount of
experience as I do."
"You
mean... you never either?"
Luke
shook his head, a rather abashed smile crossing his face.
"Are
you sure?"
"Mara,
I think I'd remember!"
Mara's
frown was turning into a relieved grin. "Well, it seems everyone here was
wrong -- we make a fine pair!" She stroked his face softly, just making
out his sparkling eyes in the fire's soft glow. "So now
what?"
"What'd
you mean, now what?" Luke chuckled. "I haven't lost the desire!"
Mara
scrambled atop him, quickly covering his mouth with hers. Her glossy hair fell
down around them, obscuring both their faces. Luke's hands roamed up and down
her back, causing her to squirm that much more.
Abruptly,
Mara raised her head and pecked a light kiss on the tip of his nose. "So,
when were you going to tell me?" she questioned, an amused glint in her
eyes. "Or were you just going to bluff your way through?"
"I
guess I wasn't thinking that far ahead," he admitted, laughing. "And
it's not the kind of thing a guy just blurts out. I'm not as brave as you,
remember."
"Don't
you forget it!"
Mara
once more lowered her head, and Luke eagerly captured her lips with his own.
Clutching her tightly, he rolled them over so that he once more held the
dominant position. As he gazed into her expectant face, her words began echoing
in his head. Were you just going to bluff your way through? Bluff your way
through... Bluff your way... The sound of Mara's voice suddenly morphed
into his own nagging conscience. Are you sure
you're ready for this, Skywalker? For a guy who's been dragging his feet for
months, you're moving awfully fast. This is a big step for both of you. Are you
giving Mara the consideration she deserves?
"Luke?"
Mara watched the emotion in his smoky eyes swirling, changing. What was he
thinking? Was he as nervous as she was? Were they actually going to do this? Right now? Was she ready? Her mind jeered at any attempts to
make sense of her vacillating feelings. You weren't ready when you brazenly invited
him into the tub with you. What makes you think you're ready now?
An
image of his aunt and uncle suddenly popped into Luke's brain, his uncle's
gruff words tauntingly accurate. The boy's always too impatient... Never
stops to think things through... Never remembers what we've taught him...
"I
remember," Luke mumbled under his breath.
"What?"
Luke
didn't answer right away, but instead slid off to her side. Gently he ran his
fingers through her hair, pushing it back away from her face.
"Mara,"
he whispered slowly. Mara's anxiety mounted as she studied the intense look on
his face. "I..." His voice faltered as he bit his bottom lip.
Mara
traced one finger along his jawline. "Yes?"
she said, encouraging him to continue.
"Mara,
since we've both waited this long, do you think we could wait just a little
while longer?" He glanced at her, trying to decipher her bewildered
expression.
And
bewildered she was. Did he know what she had been thinking? A flash of
indignation flared through her -- resentment that he had intruded into her
thoughts. But the spark quickly vanished. She hadn't felt him enter her mind.
She could feel the yearning coursing through him, but it had been tempered
somehow, muted into something more solemn and less impulsive.
Summoning
his courage, Luke continued. "I love you, Mara. And as much as my body
would like to satisfy these rising sexual urges this very moment, I want you to
know this is not a passing infatuation for me. When we make love, it will be
the beginning of a beautiful journey of discovery for both of us." He
paused to take a breath. "I would like to begin that journey with you
first becoming my wife." He looked at her intently, waiting to gauge her
reaction.
Mara
stared at him in a mixture of wonder and relief. He was proposing! To say that
she was astounded would be putting it mildly. Without a doubt, she had found
the most honorable man in the galaxy, and he LOVED her! He loved HER! And he
wanted to marry her! How could she possibly be worthy of him? Noticing the
anxious look in his eyes, she knew she had to say something.
"Oh,
my stars," she breathed. NO, that wasn't what she meant to say. Jade,
you're going to worry him to death. Just say what's in your heart.
"Luke,"
she began again, stroking his face in reassurance. "I love you, and I long
to feel your body beside me, and inside me. You are so special to me, and I
want our first time together to be equally special, no matter when it
occurs." She kissed him lightly. "I would be honored to begin our
journey together by having you as my husband."
Luke's mouth widened in a joyous smile,
relief pouring through him. Without a doubt, he
had to be the luckiest man in the galaxy. Maybe he was moving fast, in another
direction, but he had no regrets whatsoever.
"And
as far as waiting goes..." Mara gave him a mischievous look. "You
know how I like a good challenge, especially when it involves you. I can hold
out as long as you can."
Luke
pulled her close, nuzzling her neck then moving to kiss her passionately.
Consuming desire once more threatened to overtake them both.
*Just
don't make it too long a wait,* Mara sent, deepening their kiss.
*You
don't have to worry about that,* Luke returned. He finally pulled back,
settling into his pillow and hugging her closely. "As soon as we get out
of this blasted nebula and the comm works again, I
may call ahead to have a magistrar ready."
Mara
nestled her head into the crook of his neck. "Better have him waiting at
the docking bay, Farmboy."