Spoilers - "Vision of the Future' by Timothy Zahn

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Disclaimer: All of these characters belong to George Lucas (kneel, kiss his ring) and to Mr. Zahn. I'm only borrowing their playground and am not making a ducket from my attempt at spicing up their creation's romance a bit. Please don't sue or feel free to do so, but expect very little for your time.

Chapter One

A kiss. Mara Jade thought to herself, as she lay face up on the bed, staring at the ceiling, and wrestling with the decision of whether or not to leave the comfort and warmth of the sheets that enveloped her.

Not just a kiss, her mind corrected, but a total assault on your senses that rendered you weak-kneed, robbed you of your own free will and blurred the lines of reality…

Mara sighed softly and brought a hand to her face to sweep a strand of hair from her eyes. What no other man had ever dared, she mused, Luke Skywalker had accomplished in the span of one evening.

One evening… Ten years and one evening…

Her insides spun tightly as flashes of memory from the previous night intertwined with one another, steadfastly refusing to be arranged in any coherent order. When had she lost control of the situation and allowed herself to be swept away by Luke Skywalker? She pondered, once again turning unfocused eyes to trace the shadows on the ceiling above her. By anyone, for that matter?

Three days ago, her subconscious answered, when you decided against leaving Coruscant, even though word had already reached you of his impending arrival and even though your business matters had already been concluded.

She squeezed her eyes shut at the memory. It had been months since she and Skywalker had been on the same planet together. Months since she had once again refused his latest offer to train her as a Jedi Knight and months since she had stormed out of his suite, leaving him reciting his beloved Jedi Code in an effort to calm himself.

Why should I go tearing off planet just because Skywalker is making an appearance, she had reasoned to herself. And, so, amidst departure preparations, she had inexplicably talked herself into remaining in-system for another day.

Or was it when he stepped down from his X-Wing, strands of wispy, blond hair pointing in every direction as he removed his helmet? Or when his face erupted in that now famous, Skywalker smile, as he noticed you standing alongside the landing platform, causing your heart to skip a beat?

Mara shifted slightly, suddenly uncomfortable under the scrutiny of her own memory.

Or was it when you accepted his invitation to join him in his suite for a bite to eat and a light workout? The mocking voice within the confines of her head continued, unabashed.

Or could it have been during dinner, when he brought a taste of his dessert to your lips, and then followed the offering with a kiss.

Mara's back stiffened against the mattress as another burst of images swirled in her mind. His sudden, uncharacteristic brazenness…the look of sheer amazement in his light azure eyes when they finally pulled apart…and that kiss!

That kiss…

A moment of perfect clarity, symmetry and harmony in the Force had created a single instant during which spellbound eyes closed, personal space disappeared and lips met, longingly. A kiss that had set in motion a series of events that neither had anticipated nor ever thought possible.

One by one, he pushed her unspoken protests aside, overwhelming her with his touch, his caress and with his whispered words of devotion. Whatever feeble objections her mind attempted to formulate, the onslaught of his kisses managed to dissolve into thin air, and before she could pull free and assert her objection, her own lips had responded, begging for more and betraying her to the man she had once intended to kill.

Mara inhaled deeply and released the breath slowly, reveling in the memory of his touch and of the feel of his mouth on her lips, her neck, her shoulders…

And when impassioned kisses were no longer enough, she recalled, Luke Skywalker had pressed the length of his inflamed body against her own, wordlessly transmitting his arousal, causing her to melt into his embrace, and allowing him to lift her off her feet and carry her into his bedroom.

Once in the confines of his bed, Mara's body seemed to move independent of her conscious mind, unquestioningly acquiescing to the demands of Luke's own body, which took her spiraling to the heights of pleasure. Undoubtedly, the intensity of his passion had taken her by surprise, but it was the depth of his emotions that had truly touched her. The sudden realization that he had kept the secret of his affection locked away hit her like a thunderbolt, momentarily paralyzing her. Stunned, she reached up and cradled his face in her hands to see a look of torment in his blue eyes that sent a bolt of pain cursing through to her heart. He rested his forehead against her own and she could feel him tense against her, awaiting her rebuff and silently cursing his decision to expose his feelings once again.

Instead, Mara found herself reveling in the warmth radiating from him and in the feeling of love and desire he had kept hidden from her for so long. These were feelings that she had never experienced and that she had long ago, convinced herself she would never have any use for. Just one of the many useless entrapments she had been taught she must discard for the sake of her Emperor. Tears slipped silently from behind closed eyes as emotions threatened to overcome her, causing her body to trembled slightly beneath him.

Astounded by the reaction of the woman in his arms, Luke brushed her mind softly, soothingly, and kissed her tears away. Then, for the duration of the evening, he endeavored to demonstrate to her the full measure of his love with any means at his disposal.

Mara Jade turned slowly to glimpse at the face of the man lying next to her. In the comfort of sleep, his face appeared childlike and serene. She watched as his bare chest rose and fell steadily and marveled at how unthreatening he appeared. Luke's strength in the Force resonated throughout his body, yet pulsated beneath deceptively fair looks and bright blue eyes that still managed to regard the galaxy with a sense of wonderment and awe. The universe at large admired and respected the Jedi Knight, but it was the latter qualities that endeared him to the people closest to him. Even herself.

Mara Jade had spent a lifetime avoiding any semblance of intimacy with any sentient being. The Emperor had demanded it, and her profession had made it a necessity. And so, she had lived her life convinced of the fact that she needed no one, keeping everyone at arms length and dismissing the romantic tales depicted in holo-novellas as meaningless fluff meant to fill the minds of women that had nothing better to do with their time. The notion that a single man could reduce her to a trembling, quivering mess was as abhorrent as it was alien.

Now, years after the Emperor's death, she had innately continued to strengthen the self-imposed armour that had once kept her alive. Only now that she was free, it simply served to alienate her from a galaxy that had gone on with their lives, no longer drawing the line so clearly between traitorous Rebel and dutiful Imperial citizen. What had once made her strong and resilient, now only reaffirmed her position as an outsider and an outcast. The Empire had crumbled at the hands of Luke Skywalker and it was at his hands, that she had come to realize that solitude did not necessarily translate into strength. Luke Skywalker was a loner, but he was not alone. He was surrounded with a circle of family and friends that loved and cared for him and he was stronger for it, not weaker. Now she was struck with the realization that she had been gravitating closer to that circle for years…offering support, taking part in the camaraderie, and edging closer to its center…to Luke Skywalker himself.

She let her gaze follow the length of his body and once again allowed her memory to drift to the events of the previous night. In one evening, Luke Skywalker had ignited a spark that had awakened feelings she never knew she had. His fingers had trailed a blaze down to her very core and his lips had followed suit, sending currents of pleasure throughout her being. They had moved as one, touching, exploring and allowing their force senses to resound as a single, living entity. And when the painful burning of his entry caused her to gasp aloud, he slowed his own inflamed body and refocused his attention to other parts of hers until the waves of desire within her matched his own. Ultimately, she pleaded shamelessly for him to finish taking her, once and for all. She clung to him, breathlessly encouraging his slow, fevered thrusts and delighting in the tortured moans that escaped his lips until her sighs turned into screams of delirium that echoed throughout his suite.

And so, as the moon traversed the Coruscant sky, Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade completed the last of the concentric circles that had characterized their ten year relationship, and had become one.

Yes, Luke Skywalker had taken her breath away, and she knew instinctively that he had not only made love to her, but had left the imprint of his soul on her very heart as well.

The recollection of intimacy caused her to fidget uncomfortably once again and she raised her head to glimpse out of the window a few feet from his bed. The faint light of dawn had begun its ascent and with it, the re-emergence of her defense mechanisms began screaming for her body to move away. Ignoring the demands of her subconscious, she slid closer to him, seeking the warmth of his body and losing herself once again in the smell of his skin. Measuring her movements carefully, she extended her fingertips to brush his hair out of his eyes and watched as he inhaled deeply. Her conscious mind continued to sound the alarm, yet her body refused to obey.

Then suddenly, Luke Skywalker stirred. He reached out sleepily, and moved to pull her into his arms. Mara almost jumped out of her skin and reached for the edge of the bed to propel herself up, but she was too late. Murmuring something unintelligible, Luke wrapped his arms around her and pressed her to him. Mara lay perfectly still, silently praying that he wouldn't fully awaken and found herself settling her head beneath his chin, laying her face against his chest and almost immediately, falling back asleep.

On to Chapter 2