A Thread of Gold

Disclaimer - The characters in this story are owned by Lucasfilm. I'm only borrowing them for my amusement and hopefully yours. My thanks to JT, Angela and Mona for suggestions and help.

Ash

Coruscant

The anonymous building, amongst a myriad variety of anonymous buildings, must have rocked on its foundations at the frustration and anger coming from a bland exercise hall on the sixty-fifth level. That is if anyone knew where the foundations were. Coruscant was a world consisting entirely of buildings. A city built upon a city. No-one knew how far down the buildings went.

Mara Jade lunged viciously at the practice droid – her lightsaber missing him by the narrowest of margins. Flipping over the droids head, she landed agilely on her feet and skewered his torso. The mechanical crumpled in a shower of hissing sparks. Anger gripped her in its iron fist. That ‘man’. She made it sound like the strongest derogatory epithet. That man made her madder than a starving bantha. Dark side or not – Luke Skywalker had really done it this time.

Mara stood motionless, her saber arcing before her. The droid brought her to her senses as it finally spluttered and died, lurching drunkenly to the floor.

‘Great’. Now she’d ‘killed’ her last droid and they weren’t exactly cheap. A live opponent might have been preferable, but the way she was feeling the preferred opponent might not have lived long enough to make it worth her while. That man had a lot to answer for. Mara kicked the blackened metal, her mouth firming and her green eyes snapping with unreleased fury. The vanquished droid hissed impotently and she turned away, her red-gold braid swinging wildly behind her.

It had only been a couple of months ago but they’d had an argument of sorts. Nothing new there. Luke had mentioned her training again. He never forgot to bring up the subject when they were together. She’d come to expect it, but at that time Mara had just not been in the mood and had refused to discuss it point blank. The ease they usually shared was awkward with strange tensions Mara declined to contemplate.

Luke had tried to be reasonable, but in the end had given up and vanished stiffly from her apartment, his blue eyes strangely blank.

Mara left the next day on a few trading runs in the core systems. They were the most profitable and helped to banish the Jedi from her mind. He would call - it was only a matter of time. He usually did - his cheerful face would appear on her viewer suggesting exercises for her to try. He wouldn't mention the tiff and she would come round. Luke somehow managed to charm her from her sulk without using the force.

Luke Skywalker was no longer the impetuous, reckless youth he’d once been. He was a man now and as such had learned to bide his time. They’d been friends for such a long time, Luke and Mara, but they could still and did argue fiercely. She the aggressor - he the pacifier. It was comforting in a twisted way to have someone close enough to argue with. There had always been this connection between them. The reserved, gentle man had become different with the beautiful, fiery trader. He was more open, fun loving and passionate about the things he believed in, but only with her. It was then that Mara saw a different man, one she’d begun to unknowingly care very deeply about. Mara had come to rely on him more than she knew. But this time, there was no call. He's sulking because 'I'm right and he knows it.'

Mara had stormed back to Coruscant, green eyes hard, barely keeping her infamous temper in check. She’d contacted him to arrange a lightsaber practice session and met him in a small gym near Luke’s empty, lonely flashy Coruscant apartment. Luke had tutored her patiently with Mara sniping at him verbally in return. His face emotionless he'd closed his saber down with more of a snap than usual and fixed it to his belt. "What is it?"

"You usually get in touch."

"Why, so you could point out all my faults as you’ve been doing lately?" He tried to hold on to his calm. "If I annoy you so much, why do you bother?"

"You’re imagining things. You always call."

"I was busy."

"Oh." The little word crept out and sat pathetically between them.

Luke cleared his throat briskly. "I've only booked for a couple of hours. We'd better do some work."

He was keeping something from her. She didn’t know how or why she knew – but he was. Perhaps it was the way he shifted from one foot to the other not meeting her eyes and with his barriers firmly in place. She'd once found him so easy to read. Her mood darkened sourly. She didn't want to read him she told herself, ignoring the little voice which laughed at her.

Mara closed her hand tightly over her own weapon glad to have its reassuring weight. Assuming a classic posture she flashed him a defiant look from keen green eyes. "Continue."

Luke's saber flew from belt to hand and matched her position. They maintained that stance for a moment before Mara attacked. Luke smiled grimly as the sabers buzzed and clashed. The classic thrust and parry of their practice was not unlike the struggle for equality and balance in their relationship.

Luke shut down his saber and the only sound was their tortured breathing. They’d been fighting vigorously for well over two hours. The unresolved ‘something’ just simmering between them. Luke wrapped a towel round his glistening shoulders. The famous blue eyes darkly alive with turbulent emotions.

"What is it, Jade? There's more here than just a missed holo-message."

"You always assume something is wrong, Jedi Master." She shot defiantly back. "I could ask you the same thing."

He raised an eyebrow in a manner he'd perfected indicating disbelief. "I'm quite calm. You on the other hand…"

"I can be as boring as you, Skywalker. I'm fine."

Luke recited the little list he’d been keeping in his head. "You've a lot of stuff whirling round your head at the moment, Jade. You’re tense, angry and frustrated."

"You would know about that then, Skywalker." She gibed nastily. "The frustration part?"

Luke removed the towel from his neck, attached his saber to his belt and picked up the casual jacket he’d been wearing. "I have to go."

"More people to scout the galaxy for?"

As soon as the words had left her mouth, Mara knew she’d said the wrong thing. What had Luke done to her that was so terrible that she could belittle him and be intentionally cruel. There was no getting away from it. She was being thoroughly horrible and she’d hurt her best friend.

A flicker of hastily concealed pain screamed briefly in her mind then fell silent. "I…"

The Jedi Master stood solemnly, not Luke or even Skywalker, but the Jedi.

"You could be right. Goodbye, Mara," the words sounded so formal. Then he hesitated on the threshold as if he was going to ask her something.

Mara retreated, appalled at her own behaviour and Luke thought she’d retreated from him. Deeply hurt although unsure why. He built his brick walls around himself and offered her his oddly formal little bow. Mara remembered Leia once telling her how she’d had to coach Luke and Han in formal diplomatic etiquette for the Bakuran Treaty. Leia had laughed softly, remembering, her brown eyes shining at a treasured memory. "Luke did it beautifully, but Han always bordered on insolent.

The door hissed shut. Mara jerked her head towards where Luke had been, but he’d gone. Mara was alone and felt her isolation keenly.

Three days she called his apartment but received no answer. Three days she’d sent apologetic messages through the force to him. Three days she went to sit outside his apartment at weird times waiting for him to show up all to no avail. Finally, inevitably Mara caved in and contacted his sister.

"Mara!"

Mara frowned at Leia Organa Solo on the vid-screen. She would swear on the grave of Darth Vader that Leia hadn’t expected to see her.

"Luke’s gone off planet. I thought he was going to ask you to go with him. Something the Intel boys wanted information on. Luke can get in and out of these places easier than a commando squad. But he was going to ask you to go with him. Just as back up. Han was rather put out," Leia confided, not noticing that there was no answering smile on Mara’s face.

"When do you expect him back?"

"That’s just it. I don’t know. Luke wasn’t supposed to be going at all. I don’t think it was an operation that required Jedi. I would have forbidden him to go in any case."

A small smile crossed Mara’s face. "I can’t see you having much luck there."

Leia sighed. "Have you spent any time with him lately Mara. I know he feels he can talk to you?"

"Not much. I’ve been on a few supply runs. We had an argument the last time."

"Another one?"

Mara grinned. "Another one. He just makes me want to spit without doing anything half the time."

"I used to be like that with Han."

"It’s not that kind of feeling, Leia," Mara put in dryly.

Leia smiled politely in return but inside wasn’t so sure. "Next time you see him, Mara, really look. He’s tired, a bit thinner and irritable. Luke was never irritable before. I could always depend on unfailing good humour from my brother. But now…. And he’s become so secretive. I could tell once what he was thinking – the proverbial open holobook. But he's closed his thoughts, shielded them so well that now I cannot."

Mara's eyes widened in surprise. "I feel that way too," she whispered.

They made a tentative arrangement for a saber practice session between them the following day before Mara cut the connection.

Mara thumped her pillow irritably. Skywalker was keeping her awake. She couldn't get round the look he'd given her just before he'd left. She thought about him often and that was beginning to scare her. He'd not contacted her this time either, still - considering the way she'd treated him. Was she surprised?

The sheer sleeping shift she was wearing slipped off one slim shoulder as she pulled herself into an upright position. By all that was working in the galaxy, it was hot. She surveyed the pillow. It didn't look any less comfortable than it had over the previous weeks.

She slumped back against the headboard and closed her eyes. A forgotten memory of Luke, his chest bare as he duelled with Corran Horn rose to the forefront of her mind. Corran was a well-put together man, but he did not have the presence in the force that Luke had gained. Both men had been breathing heavily and covered with a thin sheen of sweat. Luke had flipped and somersaulted over Corran's head and greeted her as she entered the room. He'd given her a level stare and strangely, she'd felt her cheeks flushing. Her eyes had drifted over his firm chest and they'd stood in silence just gazing at each other. Mara and Luke hadn't noticed the time passing but Corran had. The Corellian Jedi had crossed over to where his wife awaited him.

"I predict troubled times ahead." He murmured sotto voce to his wife. Mirax had laughed.

"Them?"

"What do you think?"

"I don't think. I know."

"Who's the Jedi in this family?"

"You, but I'm the one with the sense."

Mara recalled hugging the memory to her how his eyes had warmed just by seeing her. But that didn't explain why he was keeping her awake. A faint nagging worry over him tugged at the edge of her consciousness.

The com beeped unexpectedly, waking her from an uneasy doze. Mara didn't need to see the chrono near her bed to know that it was the middle of the night.

"Luke!" she whispered knowing. But the voice at the other end belonged to Leia.

"Mara, its Luke. He's disappeared." The words were flat - unemotional. Still, something in Leia's sense spoke of real worry and fear. "I'm probably being completely paranoid over this… but…"

Mara's heart plummeted. Sitting up she switched to receive holo "I'll be right over."

Leia's white face viewed Mara with concern. "No, Don't do that. There's nothing you can do at the moment. He went on this mission for the New Republic, just not the one I thought he'd gone on. He's gone to Varnahk."

"Varnahk," Mara echoed, the nagging worry changing into dread. "What the hell did you let him go there for?" She shouted. Diving out of bed she lunged for her robe. "I'm coming over now. I'll meet you in your office."

Leia blinked at Mara's strange behaviour. "I didn't know he was going - I told you. He blasted off Coruscant in a hell of a temper. You told me I couldn't control his movements and I can't, more's the pity. Mara - there's nothing we can do until I hear more from the military. If we act we'll only put Luke and the rest of our people in danger. If I need you I will call. Please stay put." She shrugged. "You know I had trouble convincing Han to do exactly the same thing."

"That doesn't surprise me," Mara put in a little dryly.

"I'm really worried about him. All I ever want is for my family to be safe."

"I can still come over." She hesitated… "If you want?" There was silence between the women. "Leia - Varnahk?"

Leia lifted her dark eyes from the piece of flimsy she was shredding. "It's that bad." Her voice held knowledge, it wasn't a question.

Mara nodded, biting her lip. "I'd rather do something to help than just wait. Luke wouldn't want me to just wait."

Leia shook her head. "Patience is a Jedi trait. What good would you do him by rushing out there? We don't even know if he is there."

"I know."

"No, as I said there's nothing you can do. Just wait and pray."

Mara decided not to go back to bed anyway. How could Luke do this to her when she was starting to think she might care… "Oh no! I'm not heading down that direction with a blue eyed blond idealist from a world that nobody wants to go to."

The more she thought about it the angrier she became. Mara Jade was not going to give in to Luke Skywalker's dubious appeal. They argued too much, he wanted to change her too much, heck she wanted to change herself. She didn't go for men with eyes of that particular clear shade of blue and tousled fair hair, which continually needed cutting. It called out for you to smooth the errant curl that developed when it went too long without a barber.

"Dammit!" She glared feverishly at her own image in the reflector. "Get out of my head." But he'd never been there uninvited. She'd placed him there herself. Quickly she grabbed her clothes and dressed. She had to forget about the man before she did something stupid like fall in love with him. Or go and get him out of Varnahk. But Leia was right. That wasn't an option. Luke was no teenager. He had responsibilities and had to stop behaving like a reckless fifteen year old. Jedi Master or not he could be a dead man.

"Hark at me." Mara muttered grumpily, but she was worried too. She opened the door and moved slowly to the balcony to stare out at the breathless view of Coruscant, but Mara saw none of it. Her green eyes were cloudy and unfocused as she tried to see the man she'd become so close to. "Please be all right, Luke, please." She whispered. But Varnahk was too far away for him to hear her.

A large knot of something formed in her stomach and the tiny seed of anger she still carried with her began to grow. Mara herself couldn't have known, but it was a defence mechanism she employed especially when dealing with Luke Skywalker. If she was angry, then there was no room for other more treacherous emotions to invade her thoughts.

The wave of tiredness finally washed over her. She had to stay awake just in case Leia contacted her about Luke. The stipils would keep her awake. Where had she put them? But the cabinet in the refresher held none of the sleep suppressant tablets. Oh yes, bloody Skywalker had stolen them, saying she took too many of them and they weren't good for her. A sensible diet and natural rest were what was needed instead.

"Natural rest! With you in my head I don't think so."

But she lay down on her bed fully clothed in any case and slept.

That had been a month ago. Without compromising secrecy or his identity, Mara had tried to find out anything she could from smuggler contacts who visited Imperial space, but the Jedi Master had simply vanished. Varnahk was governed by a fanatical Imperial Moff who still had hopes that the Empire could rise again. But there was still no news of Luke. Mara got angrier and angrier. Talon Karrde, after meeting with her, had contacted Leia. He was concerned about his second in command, she had the look of dry kindling with the match already lit. If Skywalker wasn't already dead, Karrde concluded that Mara would kill him herself.

"If he does return, Mara will have to get in line." Karrde muttered under his breath. He was a shrewd observer of human nature and what he saw between Mara and the Jedi master gave him cause for concern. Underneath the anger, there was fear. Luke had become Mara's anchor without her realising it.

Present time

So here she was - futilely poking at her last practice droid with the toe of her boot. Data gleaned from the military had been sketchy but had given her somewhere to start. Luke had volunteered to go on something resembling a suicide mission. Information had been needed and Luke had agreed to go into a top secret Imperial base and extract it. Or as Wedge had put it. Luke had been in past Rogue Squadron's headquarters for a swift visit and Admiral Drayson had been talking to General Cracken about something as Luke had passed by. Result - one Jedi Master disappearing off to the Imperially held sector only to vanish without trace. The same fate to have befallen three of the New Republic's top undercover agents.

He had managed to infiltrate a top security installation, got the required information out, and hadn't been heard of since. That was when Mara had decided to go and find him. Imperial stronghold on Varnahk or no. She'd made the mistake of running the idea past Karrde. He'd made sure that she hadn't made it off Coruscant. The port authorities had refused to give her clearance. Something had gone wrong with the Jade's Fire's hyperdrive, and Mara was left cooling her heels. The annoying thing was that the hyperdrive really had developed a fault and had nothing to do with Karrde.

Therefore Mara was left feeling strangely frustrated and madder than a Yuzzum during mating season. It was all because of that man. She stomped around the demolished droid. Her ire visible as pure energy which crackled in her green eyes and fiery head.

"Okay!" She exhaled the word forcefully. "I'm going to go get him."

The door hissed open and the cautious, bearded face belonging to Talon Karrde peered around it. The atmosphere in the room buzzed. He could feel it and he wasn't a force sensitive.

"I hope this is important, Karrde," she said coldly. "I have things to do - important things."

"Mara," his face was serious, his voice quiet. "They've found him. Skywalker's been picked up in an escape pod somewhere in deep space." Karrde's pale eyes widened as realisation struck him. Mara had stiffened at the mention of the Jedi Master's name. She'd been preparing to go and find Luke. He knew her too well. She was brilliant, fiery and unpredictable but where Luke Skywalker was concerned - Mara Jade was probably in love with him. But she wasn't ready to admit that fact yet… If she ever did. Mara didn't want to be dependent on another human being again. It was far too late for that.

Mara tried to read his expression. "Is he?"

He closed the door behind him and placed a comforting hand on her arm. "It isn't good, but he is alive - only…"

Mara's head jerked up and brilliant green eyes seared him in place. "He's alive!"

Karrde gently put his hands on her shoulders. "Mara - he's not expected to make it. I'm sorry."

For a moment she stared at him uncomprehendingly, then the news sank in. Her face went abruptly whiter than Hoth, her green eyes startlingly bright as they glittered with an emotion Karrde couldn't fathom.

"Come and sit down." He carefully guided her to a chair. "Here drink this." He produced a silver flask from his pocket. Mara coughed as a sweet fiery liquid burned down her throat.

"Sith, Karrde!" she sputtered. "What the hell is in that?"

"Namana nectar from Bakura. Finest brand of course."

"Quit stalling, Karrde." she bit out as she rubbed her hand over her suddenly clammy forehead. Bright flashes of light went off behind her eyes and then her vision narrowed into a tiny little light. Everything swirled and finally went into a little pinprick of light and then nothing. "Mara…" Karrde's voice faded. "Mara!"

She found herself being bundled unceremoniously to the floor and more of the strong sickly sweet spirit being poured down her throat.

"Karrde!" Her voice rose as she choked and coughed. "Where is he?"

"Manarai Medical centre."

"He's here and they didn't tell me." She struggled to sit up.

"They flew him in half an hour ago. I came straight to find you. Leia and Han are with him. Mara, they're only thinking about Luke at the moment. It wasn't a slight or an oversight.

"No," she whispered. "This can't happen to us." She lifted her chin and shot a determined look at her boss. "I want to see him."

Karrde helped her to her feet and carefully walked from the room leaving the crumpled metal of the exercise droid as a kind of twisted monument. Mara's feigned indifference to Skywalker had vanished, but Karrde knew she still wouldn't want such vulnerability on display.

Manarai medicentre - Coruscant

Luke Skywalker's life essence in the force flickered so low that Leia thought he'd left them forever, but the shallow breathing continued.

"Come on sweetheart, they've arranged a room for you along the corridor."

"Can we go home and see the children. It's not far if we're…" Leia's voice broke and Han helped his distraught wife away from her brother's bedside.

"Very well. They'll contact us if his condition changes." Han rubbed his hand across his eyes and found it came away wet. Luke had been like this before but never with so little hope. Even Cilgahl the Jedi healer had shaken her head. It was to be only a matter of time. It could be hours or it could be days but it was inevitable. The Jedi Master was slipping from life in front of their eyes and nothing anyone could do would alter it.

As he helped Leia into their speeder he thought he saw Mara Jade dash into the medicentre, but it was a woman with similar colouring in a medic's coat.

Mara breathed a sigh of relief. Han had spotted her right enough and she didn't like using the force to cloud minds, but she had to see Luke.

Karrde stood at the security desk posing as an irate man demanding to see his wife who'd been recently transferred from another medicentre.

The security droid tutted and sighed in a manner reminiscent of Threepio. Karrde discretely fixed a scanner jammer under the desk and Mara wandered casually past him into the hospital.

Stretching out with the force Mara was horrified to find Luke's life sense so low. It was easy to slip past the distracted guard and ease into Luke's room.

He lay silent as death, the monitor's coloured lights indicating the patient was still alive. But only just.

"Oh, Luke," she whispered, her eyes filling with unaccustomed tears.

Moving to his side she sank onto the chair Leia had so recently vacated and sought his presence through the force. But he was too weak to make contact and Mara was left alone.

Picking up his brown hand Mara gently stroked it, then lifted it to her lips and placed a gentle kiss in his warm palm. He looked paler than normal, his chest was bare with several bacta coverings and a nasty cut on his forehead was complimented by the livid bruising marring his handsome features. She reached out tentatively with the force to see what was in his mind. Stricken, she drew back there was only darkness - nothingness. There was no spark of the Jedi there. Luke's consciousness had gone.

Mara remembered Luke's sketchy lessons on Jedi healing and sought oneness with the force again. One didn't try one did. After half an hour the effort became too much for her to hold alone and she fell out of the trance. The bruises on his temple had faded a little, but she still couldn't contact him. The fear she'd carried within her all day emerged quickly and Mara found herself clinging to Luke's hand with tears running down her face. ""Please don't die, Luke. Please, I need you to help me become a Jedi. I must finish my training and you're the only one who can help me do it. Don't leave me on my own. I can't be that way any more." Her plea concealed the deeper need she harboured for Luke.

Eventually tired and overwrought Mara fell asleep her head resting on the pillow beside Luke's fair one and she dreamed.

The sun was high in the sky in Mara's dream and she was lying with Luke in a shady corner of a Coruscant park. His fingers trailed over her body, skimming over her flat stomach and higher towards where her sensitive breasts strained to meet his questing fingers.

"Not here," she muttered. "This is not the place."

Luke stopped what he was doing and stared at her, his blue eyes strangely haunted. "Why not?"

"Because you shouldn't be here in my dream. Because we never felt this way about each other. Because you're dying?"

"Am I?" He asked. "But I'm not ready to go. I've got too much to do."

"Well, why don't you do and stop lying there like a corpse, Skywalker."

"I'm trying."

"Haven't you forgotten something?"

He turned quizzically towards her. "What could I have forgotten, Mara?"

"What Yoda taught you?"

"Oh, I get it. Do or do not there is no try."

"Please Luke." Mara could hear the tears in her voice. "I need you to be there for me. I'm so frightened."

Luke turned and kissed her gently. "I'm frightened too, Mara. I can't seem to get myself out of it this time. There's no lucky escape for me. No miracle."

She let out a little scream as she watched the skin wither from his face, the flesh puckering to a horrible mess.

"No!" She shouted. "This is the dark side, Luke. Don't just give up. Fight it, for me."

He turned away then swung round and pulled her into his arms, the flesh smooth and handsome once again. Luke's lips captured Mara's, his tongue pressing for entry. She eagerly parted hers and waited for his, as it tasted her own.

"I have to go now, Mara."

"No-o-o!"

"Yes - you were right, Mara, you were right

And Mara clung to him giving him kiss after kiss after kiss until her world swirled blackly about her.

Solo Apartment

Leia opened her eyes in shock.

"Luke!" She jerked upright and shook Han awake.

"Luke!" She mumbled her eyes wide and staring. "I felt Luke. Something's happened to him."

"Good or bad?" He took in the flushed face and the untidy hair.

"I don't know," She cried.

Han grabbed his com from the side of the bed and sent an urgent call to the medical centre.

"Come on," he pulled back the covers, dressed quickly and then helped his shaking wife. "We'll go and see. It's okay, sweetheart," he soothed gently. "We'll go see."

Manarai Medicentre

'Intruder alert'. The warning signal flashed around the building mobilising the security teams to search for whosoever had breached their impeccable security system.

Mara sat sprawled on the floor, her red-gold head lying on the bed just next to Luke's arm. Something brushed gently over her tumbled curls as light as a defel's shadow. The touch, gentle as it was, awoke her and hardly daring to breathe Mara felt the almost invisible caress.

Easing back on stiffened limbs she drew herself upright and eyed the figure in the bed, but the Jedi master lay still, his eyes closed. Mara's heart sank. She'd felt something she was sure she had and she stretched out to Luke with the force. At first his existence flickered and twisted in her grasp, but then with a burst of joy it caught and held.

'Luke'.

'Mara? You came to get me'. His bemused sense contained wonderment.

Mara closed her eyes and gave him her strength of will and purpose. 'I knew I was the only one who could reach you. You've a fighting chance now Luke - use it'.

She swayed, suddenly fatigued by the effort it took in maintaining contact. Luke was extremely weak, but at least now he had a chance.

Abruptly her danger sense flared. "Oh Sith! Must have set off something. Wonder why they took so long?" Then she remembered Karrde's scanner scrambler. It would only work for so long. The best security scanners worked on rotating modular frequencies.

She heard the quietly efficient marching feet of a security patrol - could feel them coming closer. Should she stay and brazen it out? Would they believe her? She'd broken in to a top security class one priority medicentre and had been alone with its star patient for several hours. There was the certainty that he was unharmed, in fact he was in better shape than he had been. He had a chance of life.

Leia and Han would believe her, but if anyone else got to her first they would incarcerate her in a cell until Karrde pulled strings to have her released. Mara was under no illusions about certain individuals in the New Republic. To them she was a smuggler and a former Imperial at that. This spelled out 'Not to be trusted' in glowing letters. 'Please limit contact with heroes of the New Republic.'

Luke gave a soft breathy moan and Mara jumped. Was he coming round? She leant over him. His sense was stronger and his colour better, she would swear on it.

The intent of the security personnel behind the door could be felt. She was going to have to get out.

Mara brushed the minds of those on the other side of the door.' You don't need to check this one, there's nobody in here. Your scanners won't register a lifeform'.

The head of security turned to his squad with a grave expression. "We don't need to check this one. It's Jedi Master Skywalker's room. He's not to be disturbed. He's not expected to recover which is a tragedy. Our scanners aren't detecting any other lifeforms."

"Aye, Sir."

It was time to go. She bent over the Jedi and gently kissed his lips, willing the life to return. Mara didn't see his hand move a little and tangle in her hair.

"I've done my bit Skywalker, now you do yours," she whispered, before pulling reluctantly away.

"Ow!" Mara winced as her hair snagged on one of Luke's tubes. She pulled at it frantically, hoping to free herself. Voices could be heard at the door and these ones she recognised. It really was time to go. With a swift tug she was free. Moving swiftly she made her way to a set of cupboards against the far wall.

Standing on top of the cupboard she carefully eased off one of the roof tiles. She had just slid it back into place when she heard a medic complain and Han's voice sounding truculent.

"I tell you, someone could have been in here with Luke."

"This is most irregular, there's been a guard here for most of the day. You know that, General Solo."

Mara chuckled to herself and made her escape. No one saw her as she donned the uniform she'd kept rolled up in her pack and she strolled out of the main door completely unchecked.

'I must tell them about their security lapses,' she thought grinning. But her face changed as she considered the state Luke had managed to get himself into.

"I swear, that man needs a twenty-six hour a day keeper. He makes me so angry at the risks he takes with his own life and why am I so upset about it?"

Mara caught a speeder car and returned to her apartment trying to keep the dream she'd had about Luke from the forefront of her mind, but it wouldn't be denied. Was it a vision or just wishful thinking? If it is wishful thinking what the hell is possessing me?

"Luke Skywalker!"

She trailed dreamily around her quarters, shedding her clothes and surveying her body in the reflector. Mara placed her hands over her smooth skin the way Luke's larger hands had covered and traced and stroked. Sleek limbs, a curved feminine shape with full breasts and slender shaped hips. In the dream Luke had enjoyed all of her. Mara untied her hair and the rippling curled mass of living fire tumbled over her shoulders and fell to her waist. Mara slid a smooth red-gold lock through her fingers. Heavens! It had grown so long. But Luke would like it. He'd once admitted that he found her hair fascinating and lately she'd catch his eyes hungrily gazing at it. No - not at her hair, but at her. Mara's bright green eyes widened at the unexpected notion that Luke Skywalker found her as attractive as she did him. As she…. 'Oh no Jade, not that again. But the memory of the dream was so vividly arousing that she viewed her own body's reaction as her nipples peaked.

Mara strode determinedly into the 'fresher and switched on the shower - to a cold setting.

Manarai Medicentre

"I don't believe…" The doctor's voice rose in astonishment as he frantically checked the monitors stationed next to Luke's bed. "This is just not possible. He was dying. There wasn't enough brain activity to…" he rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "There must be a mistake… It's not possible. It must be a miracle."

"What is it?" Han rushed into the room.

"He's regaining consciousness."

"What!" Han's voice went off the scale. "Leia!" he bellowed. "Hurry!"

"He's coming round."

Leia stumbled tearfully into the room just as Luke's eyelashes fluttered. "Luke?"

The lids twitched and Leia saw a faded hint of blue. She sent calming tones through the force and the Solo's were rewarded by another flicker and a soft moan of pain.

"Come on, buddy," Han urged. "Don't let us down. Come on kid - fight this."

The eyelashes fluttered again and Luke's blue eyes squinted into the tear stained face of his sister and the grey strained face of his brother-in-law.

"Mara?" he whispered huskily on a shuddering breath. "Is she here?"

The Solos turned to look at each other in consternation.

"Is Mara here? I felt her presence."

"Hell, I forgot about Mara," muttered Han guiltily. "She's not going to be very happy."

Leia brushed her lips over Luke's cheek. "I thought I'd lost you."

"No, not lost… misplaced… Mara… need… to… see…"

"Okay, I'll find her for you." Leia smiled with a quiet joy, which illuminated her face. They had him back. They had him back.

Han suddenly stared at something glinting gold on the blanket covering Luke. Just over his arm, entangled with one of the tubes was a long red-gold thread. Han frowned but on closer inspection decided it wasn't a strand of gold at all. Luke had one of Mara's distinctive red-gold hairs wound around his fingers.

"Don't worry kid," He told the drowsy jedi. "I think Mara Jade knows exactly how you are."

"Course she does. She's here with me. Has been all along." The words were but faint whispers on breath.

Leia's brow furrowed for a moment, then nodded with a sense of amused resignation when she spotted what Han had seen.

Mara had been the disturbance Leia had felt. Mara Jade had probably saved her brother's life. Leia didn't know how she'd managed to do it, but would forever owe her a debt of gratitude for that deed. For Luke had been as good as dead.

"I'll pay that debt too," Leia murmured and it was Han's turn to frown.

"We owe Mara a great deal."

"We'll think of something."

"Yup! We will," and he pulled the hair from Luke's fingers and placed carefully in his jacket's breast pocket.

The medical droid wheeled over to Luke's side and injected a sedative into his arm. "He needs to rest now, High Councillor. Come back tomorrow."

"Could I stay?" Leia asked tremulously. "Now that I know he's going to be fine, could I stay?"

"Of course, I'll arrange it."

"Thanks 2-1B," muttered Han his voice shaking. "I'll go home and get you some things and tell the kids."

"They already know, Han. I woke them up when Luke opened his eyes. The force…." She tailed off.

Han laughed weakly. "I should have guessed Highnessness. But I think Threepio will be coping with three excitable children" He frowned. "I'll go give Winter a call."

"Good idea," Leia grasped Luke's hand in hers. But turned for Han's kiss.

"I love you."

"I know. Take care of him."

Four days later

Luke had awoken from his coma to find news reports and rumours of his imminent demise rife on the holonet. For the first few days he'd slept, too weak to do more than whisper the occasional word to Leia, who had remained by his side for almost the entire time. Han had prised her away to eat, sleep or spend some quality time with the children.

With Leia's help, he'd eased into a Jedi healing trance and remained in that state for several days.

Mara watched the press conference given by Leia and Han regarding Luke's condition and found that she was gripping the edges of her seat tightly. Forcing herself to relax she took a shaky breath. Luke was fine - he was going to be fine.

"Maybe I should go and see him." Her hand hovered over the com. But something made her stop and she watched as Leia's white face answered question after question from the holo reporters. Mara smiled unwillingly. You had to hand it to Leia Organa Solo when the reporters sorted out all the information they would find that they'd been told very little. She was a politician from her fingertips to the ends of her carefully coiled and plaited hair. Han, on the other hand, had been strong and supportive in the background saying little. Mara knew he'd had his own Devaronian devils to deal with. The thought of losing Luke forever had shocked a few more lines on to his craggy face. Luke was his family, the brother he'd never had and his friend.

The com buzzed.

"Yes,"

"Mara, it's Han."

She swallowed and faced Han's tired but happy face.

"How is he?" She wet her dry lips nervously.

"He's in a healing trance, but will come out of it soon. He would like to see you."

"I don't know if I can make it. I have to go off planet … today. To do a run for Karrde," she improvised.

Han raised a sardonic eyebrow. "Thank you."

Mara tried to school her face into one of curious enquiry. "What for?"

"I think you know, Jade. We nearly lost him for good this time." He regained control of his emotions and turned a shrewd glance on Mara. "You can't put this off forever."

"I'm sorry, I haven't a clue what you're talking about, Solo."

Han gave her a 'do you think I've just been sat on by a Hutt' kind of expression and the former Emperor's hand squirmed a little where she sat, but at least Han wasn't Jedi. He couldn't sense what she was thinking.

"You and the Jedi Master need to do some serious talking. It's because of you he's still alive and I bet he knows it. It would be a good time for you to clear some air. If he had died, you would have lost the opportunity for ever."

Mara firmed her lips but said nothing and Han sighed. The Jedi 'stubborn gene' was alive and kicking. His wife had it, his brother-in-law had it and Mara Jade had it too.

"Think about it, Jade. He's talking about going back there."

Mara jerked her head up and for an instant Han could have sworn that he saw panic in her green eyes.

"Don't let him. Not unless he's healed."

"He's not. Mara, you need to see him or he will start to get difficult."

"Start!" She snorted elegantly. "Take care of him. Strap him down in a room full of Ysalamiri or something. Get Chewie to sit on him or Threepio to bore him into sleep. I'll try and see him when I get back."

"Nasty." He shrugged. "Okay. It's up to you. Clear skies Jade."

"Han!" She blurted out suddenly. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. We all will be now, thanks to you."

Mara gave a tiny nod of her shining head and gave him a serious stare before cutting the link. There was a lot of trust there.

Han was left looking at an empty screen. So he'd told a couple of fibs. Luke wasn't talking much. But the military had already tried to debrief him. He'd had to write a lot of the information down on a pad, however he'd been unable to recall much. Leia had been furious. General Cracken had been party to Leia's choicest threats and protests. Han winced in sympathy with the General. What he'd done was wrong for Luke was in no way ready to give reports. Leia when roused for all her small stature was terrifying and she'd had right on her side. What Mara would have done to the General didn't bear thinking about.

Han knew that Mara had without saying the words charged him to care for Luke and make sure he was safe from harm.

Manarai Medical Centre

Luke blinked into awareness and moved his body experimentally - pain? There was some but he felt better. He screwed his eyes up while he tried to focus on his surroundings. Leia lay sleeping on a temporary cot in the corner of the room. Monitors and other pieces of medical equipment hummed quietly alongside him. So he was still alive. It was a miracle.

Leia and Han had been with him for a while he had sensed their presences, but he could sense one other. Mara was there too, but not there. He cleared his throat and Leia sat up.

"Luke, you're awake."

"Isn't that stating the obvious," he replied roughly, his voice rough and unused.

"Where's Mara?"

Mara again.

"She's not here. Hasn't been here. Han was trying to contact her because I know she was worried about you." Leia's eyes watered slightly. "We all were. I'm so…" she stopped.

Luke stretched his hand out. "It's okay." The simple action left him drained and his eyes began to drift closed.

Leia placed her hand in her brother's and they sat like that until Luke fell asleep.

Luke made rapid progress over the next few days and Leia felt able to leave his side and return to work. Luke was bored. The med. techs had performed test after test on him. Luke was beginning to feel like a pincushion. None of them could understand how he'd made such a miraculous recovery, but Luke knew it had been Mara. He still felt that part of her essence was with him. Yet no one had seen her and Han had told him she was off planet on a run for Karrde. Luke knew Mara better than she thought he did. Mara didn't know how to deal with her emotions unless she was fighting them. Luke had been mulling this over in his head. He wanted to see Mara very badly to test his theories about her. She was a worthwhile subject. If his conclusions were correct, what then?

"Hey kid, how ya doin'?"

"Han!" Luke's smile lit up his thin face. Pulling himself upright, he switched off the holo viewer. "Boy, is it good to see you."

Han assessed his friend and grinned. Very thin and pale, but his eyes were clear and bright and he'd started eating properly according to the doctors.

"Bored?"

"You guessed it. I want out of here. I've got things to do, you know - get back to Yavin, take a few classes."

"Luke…"

"I need to do something…" A hint of a farmboy whine had crept into his voice and Han chuckled.

"Watch your mouth kid, or you will be in here for a lot longer."

"Can you spring me?"

"Depends on her Royalness. She has the ear of your doctor."

"I'm in for the duration then."

"I guess so. Luke… Why were you the one who went on this mission?"

"Because I was there - at a loose end. I don't know. They asked and I said yes. Because I was angry at someone for something out of their control, someone they couldn't help but be."

"Luke..."

"So I thought I'd get away for a few days, sort of a Jedi skyhopper tour. Find out what happened to the agents transmit the information and then get out."

"Sounds easy."

"Didn't work that way."

"No, never does kid. You should be aware of that by now."

Luke's eyes hardened briefly, but a smile finally appeared, rueful and slightly mocking. "Perhaps."

Han waited patiently as Luke drifted away on a memory. "I take it you found them?"

Luke's face sobered. "I did."

"And…"

"They were dead. Betrayed by their colleague who'd been an Imperial spy all along. General Cracken hadn't a clue and we should have suspected. He got killed as I escaped, but they managed to nearly kill me. My cover wasn't blown, but my life nearly was."

"Ah there's the rub. It's the 'nearly'."

Luke's eyelids drooped a little and Han could see he was beginning to tire. Luke was a long way from recovery and Leia was worried about his emotional well being. Apart from the briefing, which he'd recalled very little at, this was the first time Luke had spoken to anyone on the mission to Varnahk. Han wondered if Luke was dealing with more than just life threatening injuries. What about the loss of his invincibility?

Han stayed for a little while longer telling Luke what the children had got up to and generally taking Luke's mind off the fact that there was no way he would see Yavin for a few more months. Leia was adamant that Luke would heal properly. No one argued with Leia when she had decided. His wife had a will stronger than anyone. Those determined brown eyes and firm little chin would tilt defiantly at the galaxy.

"I'll see you tomorrow, kid. Now don't get into any trouble or you'll never get out."

"Hah, funny."

"Here. This may cheer you up."

"What is it?"

"Bye" Han smirked roguishly.

Luke watched as the door slid shut and focused on the package the Corellian had thrown at him.

Pulling open the package Luke emptied a thin strip of duraplast and a small transparisteel container. Inside the container was a single long curling hair of a shade so distinctive Luke would recognise it anywhere. He fitted the duraplast wafer into the slot in his data reader.

'Your sister and I thought we would save this for when you felt a little more like yourself. This was found wound between your fingers the day you recovered consciousness. You asked for Mara first - the very words you uttered when you opened your eyes. Leia is sure Mara was here in the hospital and somehow saved your life by being with you. Don't squander that gift.'

Luke lay back against his pillows and wondered at the strangeness of his life. Mara had saved his life, but he'd known that all along. Han had just proved it beyond a shadow of a doubt. He frowned - she was avoiding him. Mara had been distant of late, but there was something between them. Mara the only person he knew who had a will stronger than that of his sister. Beautiful Mara - the woman he made love to in his dreams every night. Her hair sometimes red, sometimes a blazing fiery gold. The colours merging together so as to appear alive. The sky above Tatooine during sunset. Her eyes greener than the leaves on Yavin after the spring rains.

"Master Skywalker!"

Luke blinked in confusion.

"Master Skywalker!"

"Oh! Sorry 2-1B. I'm tired and my concentration is shot to hell."

"I understand Master Skywalker," the droids' measured metallic voice replied evenly as he ran through a battery of tests on the Jedi.

Luke searched for Mara's presence which he felt with him even though they were apart and wondered if she was feeling the same. That would annoy her and he chuckled weakly.

"Sir?"

"Nothing 2-1B, just a funny thought."

"Good to see you are keeping your spirits up, Master Skywalker. I am pleased to tell you we have completed our tests. If you continue to progress we will be able to release you."

"Excellent 2-1B."

"Our aim is to serve."

"Thanks."

"You need to recycle - sleep Master Skywalker."

"I will. Goodnight."

Luke slipped below his bedcovers and closed his eyes. Immediately he saw her. She walked towards him, stalking him with her grace and fire. Purpose evident in her sharp green eyes. Mara Jade wanted him. Moving towards him, gracefully feline, her head held high, and arrogance in every well-bred line. Finally she stood before him, so close he could feel her breath on his cheek. Luke raised his hands and placed them gently on the sides of her face. Drawing her ever nearer he tenderly covered her lips with his own and suddenly with an abruptness that was shocking, as it was exciting. Luke Skywalker's world went mad. Years of suppressed desire ignited in an explosion so hot it went beyond description. Frantic hands rubbed and stroked as mouths clung, tongues entwining and bodies straining to merge into a single being. Closer…

Luke threw himself gasping from the vision as an alarm rang stridently somewhere close by. He could still taste her, his body hard and aching for release that only she could provide. The chance to bury himself in the slender body of Mara Jade.

The doors slid open and a troupe of medical personnel rushed in with various pieces of equipment. The harried shouting as they prepared to resuscitate their patient stopped as they took in the fact he was breathing a little fast, but was quite conscious and obviously hadn't gone into cardiac arrest.

'Oh Sith!' Luke desperately willed his body to relax. According to the medical droid his vital signs had gone rocketing off the scale. Luke was reciting the Jedi code backwards when the droid decided he needed to run some extra tests.

"No!" Luke objected. "I just had a nightmare about… I do get them, but they don't last and I haven't had one in days." He smiled calmly, hoping his member had returned to a flaccid state. The Jedi code was too much for him to recite backwards twice in one evening.

"We will give you a sedative Master Skywalker," the droid announced. "Your body needs rest if it is to heal and undisturbed sleep is the best way of achieving that."

Luke agreed meekly - he didn't know how many more dreams he could take like that one. They were becoming more realistic as time went on. The effect of the injection was almost instantaneous. Luke closed his eyes and slipped into thankfully peaceful slumber.

As his mind and body healed, the visions Luke was experiencing only increased in colour and intensity. The doctors had even held back his release date because of his general restlessness. Leia had tried to find the cause of what was ailing her brother, but he had his shields up tight.

Luke threw the book he'd been reading onto the bed and perched on the end. He let out a sigh of frustration. He needed to seek out the source of his frustration and do something about it. She was haunting him.

Luke stretched out on the bed, closed his eyes and tapped into his ever-present connection with the force. Drawing on more power than he'd been able to use for weeks, the full scale of a Jedi Master's healing skills were brought forth. A day later the medics released him into the care of his sister. He began to train again slowly building up weakened and wasted muscles. He took to running a prescribed route through the walkways of Coruscant in the early evenings. No one gave the Jedi Master a second glance. He returned to Leia and Han's home where the rest of the family fussed over him. The children begged for tales of long ago Jedi and Luke mixed these with early training exercises, his demeanour as ever kind and unfailingly patient.

Saber work, study and meditation exercises took up the rest of his time. However Leia was still unwilling to let him return to his own apartment and was unhappy at the swift build up in his training regimen - it was too soon. His force shields in her opinion were still working overtime, but Luke was adamant. After four weeks living with his sister and her family he needed to be on his own for a while. He was used to solitude. After this he was worried that he might be too used to living with a family again. He wanted to push his mind and body to its current limit without his sister seeing how weak he really was. He'd managed to fool her for longer than he'd hoped, but he couldn't do it for much longer and there was no way he was going back to the medicentre. Luke Skywalker couldn't battle a sandfly let alone a fully trained Jedi Knight.

Eventually Leia capitulated. "Try it for one night and then we'll see how you are."

Luke rolled his eyes. "I'll be half an hour away in my own home. It’s the same building. Not Yavin or Tatooine for Sith's sake!" He was quite content to stay on Coruscant for the time being close to his friends and family. This was the first step back to independence, but the apartment had looked emptier than usual when he'd dropped his carryall on the floor. It was tempting to call Leia and return, but he had to start living again.

The apartment had been in his possession ever since the New Republic had properly established themselves on the city planet. It had great potential. Nearly dying again had finally altered his perspective on the place. Coruscant wasn't home but he could improve on things somewhat.

The dreams continued to plague him. Mara Jade standing naked before him, kissing him with passion, arching her body into his and finally accepting his body into her own. Frankly, it was getting on his nerves. Surely the force was telling him something here. Waking up with a perpetual erection couldn't be good for you.

It was time to act. He wandered to his closet and pulled out his Jedi blacks. Pulling off his grey shipsuit he attired himself in his 'uniform' and attached his lightsaber to its accustomed place on his belt. The famous blue eyes held a new determination and purpose. This was an ending or a beginning. He really hoped it was a beginning for it held such promise.

Mara's apartment

Mara's fingers began a teasing, tempting, trailing journey over Luke's firm chest, tormenting his flat male nipples into aching hardness. Mara's own body reacted in response as Luke moved over her and lightly kissed the hollow behind her ear. Mara thrust her head back giving him greater access and he found a sensitive spot on the soft skin of her neck.

Moaning huskily she arched her body. "Please… oh please… Luke."

Luke edged on to the roof of the Imperial palace. He could feel her calling unknowingly to him through the force. She retained an apartment in one of the vast extensions Palpatine had added for staff. When the New Republic had taken over Coruscant, that part of the Palace had been turned into luxury homes for those who could afford them. Luke had one in a similar wing on the other side of the building. It took an hour to travel from one side of the palace to the other. Luke had persuaded his sister to let him spend the night in his own home. The visions he'd been experiencing were so graphic that he had begun to doubt his ability to keep what he was seeing and feeling from his force strong twin. However Leia would have his hide if she'd known he was out and about at this late hour.

He moved to a point where he could view the eternal city and picked his location.

Tensing his muscles, he sprang lightly on to a balcony several floors below. He could almost touch her. Luke geared himself touched the force and leapt. Landing gently on Mara's balcony he uncloaked his presence. The full-length windows had been left slightly ajar and Luke, dressed completely in black slipped noiselessly through. He'd returned to his all black ensemble when he'd decided on his new career of breaking and entering and was scarcely discernible in the dark interior of Mara's shadowed bedroom.

Mara Jade lay sleeping, but not peacefully. Luke watched thoughtfully as she arched her neck and moaned huskily. He could make out her slim form through the thin coverlet. Mara moaned again, the sound loud in the stillness.

Luke started in shock, oddly aroused. That sound had been so… earthy in the dark. He dropped to sit in the chair in the corner of the room. Mara moved restlessly, lying in rumpled bedclothes, her hair spread wildly over the pillows, her face flushed and shining. Luke had never seen anything more beautiful or erotic. The coverlet slipped down and Luke could see her sleep shift as it clung damply to her curvaceous figure.

"Luke…" she moaned again and the Jedi Master's mouth opened in amazement.

Mara sighed as Luke's hands and mouth worked magic on her body. His hands cupped her breasts until the nipples stood erect. When he replaced his hands with his mouth Mara's vocal urgings grew louder. Desire ran like a fever over her and her skin burned where he touched.

Luke from his seat in the corner of her bedchamber watched with a kind of guilty satisfaction as Mara's hands reached for someone who wasn't there and her body tossed and turned in real earnest.

Opening himself to the force, blue eyes glistening like polished jewels in the darkness Luke approached the mind of Mara Jade. Overwhelmed with the pictures he received, he gasped silently. Her barriers were down, she could be broadcasting to any force sensitive on Coruscant. Quickly, his breathing heavy in the silence of her room. Luke set up temporary barriers around the images. Since they all intimately concerned him as well as Mara, he didn't think he was transgressing a Jedi rule. A trickle of sweat traced its way over his forehead and Luke tore at the suddenly too tight neck of his tunic loosening it. Lurching to his feet, he stumbled from the room and out onto the balcony.

Drawing in desperately needed air Luke hunched over, his head resting on the cool marble of the ornate railing. Mara was experiencing the same kind of dreams he'd had. Was this a message from the force? If so it was a very powerful one. He'd always been fond of Mara with her sarcastic quick wit and her loyalty to those she considered friends, but when had his feelings changed and why? The liking and respect he'd felt for the woman sleeping inside had coalesced into a deep-rooted need. Her vivid beauty shone in his currently drab existence. How could he possibly…?

"Luke?" the husky sleep filled voice behind made him whirl around hand on saber hilt.

Mara stood rubbing her eyes, clothed in a rather feminine robe. Her face was soft, flushed from sleep or possibly from the dreams she'd been having. Her hair a fiery tangle of untidy curls framing the perfect complexion and usually sharp green eyes.

Luke smiled diffidently, as if appearing on a lady's balcony at two in the morning was a normal occurrence for him. "Hello Mara." His voice calm and measured. He waited.

"You'd better come in."

"Thank you."

Mara turned to go back inside, but stopped abruptly. Luke presumed she was waking up, but it was clear the strange circumstances of this meeting were becoming apparent to her.

"Hold it!" She held up an authoritative hand. Luke hadn't moved and waited trying to gauge her reaction from how the back of her head looked.

Mara spun round and glared at him. Now that was more like it.

She stared hard at him her green eyes narrowing. Luke stood silently without moving accepting her piercing scrutiny.

"So they finally let you out."

It wasn't what he'd expected her to say, sith he never knew what she would come out with.

"Vornskyr got your tongue?"

Luke swallowed, his Jedi calm surface thin at the sight of Mara in a garment designed to raise the blood pressure of any man. "I'm supposed to be with Han and Leia." He winced at the lame statement his own mouth had issued. Of all the stupid things to say. It made him sound fifteen again.

"Do they know where you are?"

"Well…"

"They don't. Luke!" Her voice rose and then she yawned, her graceful hands covering. "I'll go contact them," her voice resigned.

"No… that is… don't… Mara!" Luke closed his eyes in frustration with his limited vocabulary. "I mean…"

"Spit it out, farmboy. Your command of basic is masterful. When do you next address the Senate?"

Luke drew himself to his full height and enunciated clearly. His problems forgotten. "Sorry to bother you, Master Trader Jade. You're tired, I'll leave. I just thought we could talk…"

Luke stalked back onto the balcony then stopped, gazing blankly at the Coruscant view spread before him - the balcony railing cool under his hands. How the hell had he got here? Mara groaned and gently pulled on his arm to lead him back inside.

"Try the door like anyone else, huh?"

"I… I…" He flushed miserably

Luke…" She drew his name out. "You're obviously here for a purpose - why scurry off? Or jump off," she muttered. "I can't believe that you didn't just come and buzz my door com. Still, it wouldn't be you otherwise. Would it?"

Luke just stood there in a daze his bafflement reaching out to her.

She moved purposefully from her bedchamber into the lounge. "Skywalker! For goodness sake." Exasperation evident in her voice.

Luke moved as if stung. Mara pointed to a well-stuffed chair. "Sit and I'll make us something to drink. I'm wide awake now anyway."

"Mara, I'm sorry about that, but I had to see you - to thank…"

Mara placed her hand across his lips, and Luke jerked back at the unexpected contact.

"Sit," her voice softened. "I'll be back in a minute."

She was as good as her word and returned with a couple of mugs of steaming liquid. "Here." She thrust the mug into his hands. "You're walking around in a daze Skywalker. Are you sure you should be out of the medicentre? Have you still got all your brain cells? I'm beginning to wonder." Mara perched on the arm of Luke's chair, her robe wrapped firmly around her. "Now Luke…"

The Jedi Master raised cloudy blue eyes from where he'd been contemplating the amount of liquid still left in his mug.

"Are you really okay?"

"I… yes… I suppose I am."

Mara slipped off the arm of the chair and sank to her knees directly in front of him and took the drink from his hands. "Luke…"

He watched her place the drink on a side table before she turned to him. He clasped her hands in his and gazed at her lovely face. Mara became lost in the hypnotic blue of his eyes. She swallowed. It was her turn to suffer from a dry mouth. "Tell me…" She rubbed the tip of her tongue across parched lips. "Tell me… What's wrong?"

"I feel so alone. It's the one thing that has occurred to me since I regained consciousness. Han has Leia and the children. I have no one."

"But you're not alone, Luke. Your family cares for you."

"I know they do. But Leia is not my wife, the twins and Anakin are not my children. I am alone."

"So am I Luke, but I can't waste my life wondering what might be."

"Don't you feel you're missing something Mara? When you look at Han and Leia or Mirax and Corran? Don't you feel that you've strived your whole life and something important has been denied you? Because of who and what you are? Don't you ever wonder that because you are blessed with a special gift you've had to suffer loneliness? You've used your gift to aid others, but what has it gained you?"

The questions caught her unprepared. 'Damn Skywalker. He always got you where it hurt'. Her tongue flicked again over very dry lips. "What do you think you're missing?" she croaked barely audible as he moved a little nearer, his pupils dilating making his eyes seem very large.

"This…" he whispered and his head blotted out the light as his mouth covered hers.

Mara's stomach lurched as Luke's well-shaped lips coaxed a response. "Mmph…" She tried to say, but he pulled her on to his lap and began to kiss her in real earnest. She was alluringly soft, enticingly sensual.

He gasped for breath as they finally came up for air. "You see, Mara Jade, I thought that out of all the people I knew. You would understand."

Mara looked confused. "Understand what?"

"The dreams we've been sharing." He coloured, but even in the dimness of the single light Mara had lit earlier, she saw him flush awkwardly.

"The dreams?" Her tone amazed.

Luke nodded. "I've been experiencing such…. Feelings."

Mara disengaged herself from Luke, but perversely wishing she could stay within his arms.

"These feelings, Luke, they're not real." She moved to the other side of the room.

"I told myself that, Mara, but I was lying."

Mara closed her eyes as something twisted deep inside her gut.

"Can you look me in the eyes and tell me those dreams left you satisfied? They didn't leave you wanting, craving, needing? Can you - can you tell me that?" His voice had deepened, the colour in his blue eyes intensifying.

"Don't do this Luke. This is not us."

Luke jumped to his feet, his arms raised in protest. "No?" he questioned. "No?" He moved away from Mara and paced, running his hand through his hair. "Search your feelings, Mara. Peel back the emotions layer by layer and then tell me it's wrong. I won't believe you." He swayed and the colour in his face drained away. "Sorry," he mouthed. "Feeling sick."

Mara moved to support him. "Come on - lie down."

She led him through to her bedchamber and helped him lie on her bed. "Stretch out, Skywalker, and I'll get you a blanket."

"Mara?"

"What?"

"Don't tell Leia."

"But you're ill, you can't look after yourself."

"This only happens when I overdo it a bit. Leia will fuss and worry. That's not what I need right now."

"I worry."

"Do you? I'm touched."

"Skywalker! I take it the overdoing bit has happened several times."

His guilty look confirmed her suspicions. "Leia doesn't know."

"She will when I tell her." Mara brushed his hair from his forehead with a gentle hand.

"You wouldn't?

"What do you think?"

"If I asked you to. You wouldn't. Leia doesn't need to have me hanging about her like a mynock."

"She does, you know. Your sister is overjoyed to have you in one piece in one place. Do you know how rare that is for her with you?"

Mara walked to a cupboard and brought out a warm bantha hair blanket. "Here," she covered him with it, then perched beside him on the bed when he caught her hand. Luke brought her hand to his lips kissing it.

"So what do you need?" Mara asked, knowing what the answer would be.

"You!"

Luke reached up and placed his hands on Mara's face. Bringing it down, he kissed her, his hands tangling in the fire framing her beauty. Mara let him kiss her - it was pleasant and she felt as if she was home. Her hands connected with the bed and before Mara Jade realised it she was lying full length next to the Jedi Master. He was so warm, so giving of himself. Her lips parted, allowing him access and oh… it was achingly sweet. He gently pushed a lock of hair back behind her ear and continued to taste her, deep… hot kisses. Mara's eyes were closed, her hands clenched or were they? When had they wound around Luke's neck? When had she started to play with the hair which grew at the nape of his neck?

Luke began to nibble at the corner of her lips and moved over her smooth cheek to bite gently on her ear. Mara reacted by arching abruptly upwards.

When had their positions reversed? Luke was pressing her into the bed, his hard length heavy, but strangely she didn't feel it.

He brushed his lips gently against her neck and his hands began to explore her body, tentatively at first but with increasing confidence as Mara's breathing quickened. She made no demur as he began to ease off her sleeping shift.

"Your tunic, take it off." Mara whispered.

Luke pulled back a little and removed his tunic and his vest. Mara stretched a shaking hand and traced a pattern across his pectorals, stopping to circle his flat male nipples. She hesitated.

"Go on, touch me."

Mara bit her lips and her eyes darkened to sage, but she obeyed his request and almost shyly replaced her questing fingers with her lips. Luke groaned as his self control started to waver. He lay back on the bed his eyes closed and could only breathe deeply as Mara kissed her way around his chest. She looked up and caught her breath at the expression on Luke's face. His skin was flushed, red spots of colour staining his cheekbones, his eyes tight shut, head tipped back.

"Luke," she said softly. "You okay?"

He opened bright blue eyes and smiled weakly. Mara sat on her knees, her hair glowing in the light of the bedside lamp. The light caught the shadowed hollows of her feminine shape. The curves rising to the pink tipped breasts, spilling from the protective arm Mara had wrapped round herself when she'd noticed his hungry gaze.

Tugging gently, he pulled her towards him and she fell in a tangle of warm, soft limbs into his waiting arms. She felt his fingers drift over the tips of her breasts as he urged her close to his firm naked chest.

With her head pillowed on his chest, Luke pulled the cover over them. Mara tried an experimental wriggle.

"Ssh…" Luke soothed as he ran a tender hand over her shining curls. "We've time. I need to sleep…" He yawned and in an instant his breathing had calmed and the regular rise and fall of his chest indicated slumber.

Mara felt indignation surge to the surface. He'd gone to sleep. He'd really gone and fallen asleep on her. One minute he was driving her insane with his touch and his kiss and the next second fast asleep. She was lying naked in bed with a half-naked Luke Skywalker and hadn't killed him! She was getting soft. Mara scanned his face quickly and was shocked to see the dark circles under his eyes. His body was still beautiful but thinner and paler. He'd lost his golden tan he sported. A fleeting thought crossed her mind. Was that tan all over.

'Stop it!' she told herself sternly. A sense of remorse gripped her. Luke had just come out of hospital. If he'd been having the same kind of dreams that she'd been experiencing he hadn't been getting a lot of restful sleep. She wriggled to remove herself from his embrace, but his arms tightened around her.

"Don't… leave… me." The words were slurred and indistinct.

"I won't." Mara whispered knowing he didn't hear her. The fatigue crept over her and too tired to move she melted into Luke's safe arms.

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

Luke shifted a little as he began to awake. His room felt different - very different. It was still dark but something about the position of the open window didn't feel right.

"Uh-oh!"

The corner of his eye had seen the tangled red-gold curl creeping across his bare chest. Luke's eyes widened as any vestige of sleep left him. "What the hell had he done last night? The hair in question could only belong to one person, but what was she doing in his bed?

"Re-phrase that farmboy. What are you doing in mine?"

He looked towards the owner of the voice to find himself being pinned in place by a baleful green-eyed glare

Luke jerked to a seated position and gave himself a quick once over. All the relevant parts seemed to be intact and he was still wearing his trousers. What about Mara?

Slim smooth shoulders rose from a white frothy confection of sheets wrapped securely around her, but Luke would swear on Yoda's green ears that Mara Jade wore very little under the sheets she was holding so protectively to her chest.

They stared hard at each other for a second before Luke closed his eyes and slumped back onto the bed with a muffled thump, his hands shielding his eyes. Had he really tried to seduce Mara Jade last night? He had - he really had.

"I'm dead," he muttered. "I'm really dead this time".

Mara was almost inclined to agree with him but not for the reason he thought. She glanced out the open full-length windows catching the faint glimmer of the lights of the city. They'd only slept for an hour or so. The night was still young.

Mara yanked her slipping coverings firmly up over her chest. Luke was still lying flat on his back still muttering. A wicked glint appeared in her eyes. She took in his sculpted chest rising and falling with each breath, his flat stomach… Mara moved, the rustling of the sheets around her the only sound. The memory of every time his arms had surrounded her in every one of the dreams she'd had. She wanted to know if the real thing was as good as she'd imagined. Kneeling beside him, she bent over his chest and touched her lips delicately to his nipples. Jedi reaction times were fast, but Luke reacted quicker than she expected and yanked her into his arms and covered her mouth firmly with his own. Mara hungrily returned his kiss, fiercely moving into his warmth. Luke unwrapped her from the sheets like a favoured present and groaned when her soft breasts touched his naked body. His hands moved up to touch and caress, his thumbs teasing her nipples into aching hardness. Mara's hands moved to bury themselves in Luke's hair, moving down over his skin, sliding over his shoulders. Finally finding the small of his back.

The Jedi moved back and with a heavy lidded glance at the woman before him, he removed his trousers and his briefs, leaving him naked before her. He swallowed nervously and Mara just stared. The city called to them but in the dark tension filled room the two were ignorant of its demands.

"Mara?" Luke questioned quietly.

That was all he said, just her name, but it was enough.

"Yes Luke," she answered softly and moved into his embrace.

Their mouths touched and separated, tongues licked and parted. Luke lowered them both until they both lay on the bed, his body covering Mara's and for the first time there was nothing between them only skin.

"So beautiful," Luke whispered reverently as he traced the length of her torso over the swell of her breasts and lower to where Mara had to bite her lips to stop from crying out. His lips followed the path his fingers had taken until Mara decided she wanted his mouth covering hers once more. As he obliged Mara let her own hands do a little wandering until she found his hardened shaft. His hips rocked carefully into hers.

"Yes…" He hissed, his hands returned to her breasts and Mara arched toward him. The dance was subtle to begin with, their hips touching, parting in a similar fashion to the melding of their tongues. Luke moved until he had positioned himself between her parted thighs, his erection straining to reach her most feminine place. Digging her nails into his back made him harden even more and he probed her entrance, but she was ready for him, hot and wet and slick. He'd dreamed of her like this so many times. His control was a tenuous thing, but he wouldn't spoil things for the passionate woman in his arms. His pleasure would be hers.

Again he placed his hands on her soft warm skin and began to minister to every part of her body. Through the force he could feel waves of pleasure begin to radiate through her body. She began to pant breathlessly. She was so soft and warm it had been so long since he'd experienced these kind of feelings, in fact he didn't know if he'd ever experienced these kind of feelings at all.

"I never have either, Luke."

The galaxy swirled around inside his head. This would be for Mara and him alone. Setting up barriers against any intrusion by others Luke prepared them for what was to come.

Luke kissed her again. It was hot and hard. He positioned above her thighs and Mara could wait no longer and thrust herself upward to complete their joining. Their eyes widened in a moment of sheer amazement as he was buried deep inside her. Luke began to move tentatively at first, then with assured confidence, their eyes locked on the other the whole time. Each sensation sent waves of ecstasy through their bodies. Mara wound her legs round his waist as he increased the tempo. She tightened around him and Luke groaned, his breathing fast and heavy. His hands moved to cover her breasts, hips pressing deeply into hers as he thrust and withdrew - deep strokes touching the heart of her feminine centre. He couldn't deny her… anything.

Fire raced between them as they lost their control in a haze of total abandonment. Mara and Luke would have been hard pressed to recognise themselves in the picture of the two of them writhing and panting and devouring each other with their need. Flushed faces, fevered moans, hands touching, stroking - mouths clinging, kissing, mouthing husky words of passionate entreaty. With a hoarse cry Luke emptied his seed into her and she accepted it gladly with a cry of her own.

Luke thought they were finished, they should have been finished.

"What the hell was that, Skywalker?" Mara moaned incredulously. "What did we just do?"

"I think it's called sex, Jade."

She turned to him and gave him a dry look. "Sex, Skywalker? I didn't think you knew about the word."

"You don't know everything about me."

"No," Her green eyes arrowed piercingly into his steadfast blue ones. Luke took another shuddering breath. "Mara…" His blue eyes flared and Mara, force help her, felt a tug in her loins and closed her eyes against the knowledge in his. Closed her barriers against the creeping comprehension that he understood her very well. Reluctantly, feeling his eyes continuing to gaze upon her, Mara opened hers. Luke placed his hand on her smooth cheek and saw deep into her soul.

"Oh my love… my love," he laughed suddenly: a laugh that broke on a dry sob. Reaching for Mara, Luke's mouth smothered hers ardently and she closed her eyes and sought for him blindly.

The sun rose high in the Coruscant sky, shining down through the open window into Mara's bedchamber. However the lovers slept on. The exhaustion, which accompanied frenzied sexual activity, had overtaken the two Jedi. Even in sleep their bodies reached for one another, hands clutched for reassurance. Asleep the true nature of their attachment was clear as their bodies continually touched.

Millennium Falcon's Docking Bay

"Han." Leia waited impatiently at the bottom of the Falcon's ramp until her husband appeared wiping dirty hands on an equally dirty rag.

"Luke's missing."

"Missing! How can he be missing? You only let him out of your sight for one night. How can he go missing in twelve hours?"

He's Luke," she replied simply. "He's on planet, but I don't know where and he's weak. Something is blocking my attempts to reach him through the force. He feels different."

Han pulled a face. "Did you try his com, sweetheart?"

"Of course I did," Leia replied indignantly.

"Try again. He's been ill. He's probably slept in."

"I'm going round."

"Haven't you a meeting or something?"

"Cancel it."

"Now Leia, sweetheart. Luke's a grown man."

"One who was on his deathbed not four weeks ago. One who tends to overdo things if left to own devices. One who has never in my knowledge slept through a com call in nearly twenty years of serving the alliance. One who…"

"Okay, okay I get the drift. But I'm coming with you."

"Now who's fussing over nothing?"

Han gave her his special 'save me from Princesses' stare. "After you, your worshipfulness."

Mara's Apartment

Mara shifted to the noise of an insistent beeping. Sith, her eyes felt as if someone had dumped half of Tatooine in them.

Tatooine!

"Oh spit." She had seduced Luke Skywalker last night. Mara half opened one eye. Yup, she'd done it. Luke lay sprawled over three quarters of her bed, his face calm in repose, all the strain gone in sleep. So it hadn't been a dream this time and she ached in certain places to prove it. But it had been so good. She'd never believed he had it in him. Well, he'd been in her. 'Mara!' She scolded herself. 'That was crude.' She hitched the sheets over her breasts and leant forward stretching. Luke rolled over and took up more of the bed squeezing her from it. Unwillingly, she smiled. Last night hadn't been crude or rough, it had been everything. Fire, passion and tenderness all mixed together in a body and soul shattering experience she'd never encountered.

The beeping sound increased in volume. "Sith," she muttered. "The holocom."

Mara dived out of her tiny space in the bed and ran to answer it, pulling one of the sheets from the bed around her as she did so. "Yes?"

"Mara!"

Mara groaned and glanced nervously behind her, where a naked figure could be clearly seen lying in her bed. Lifting her hand she closed the bedroom door with the force. Hoping the person on the other side hadn't seen it.

"I'm sorry did I wake you?" Leia's voice was brisk, then her face sagged a little. "I can't find Luke. I can feel him, but not where he is. He's put some sort of barrier up. This is the first time he's been on his own and he was supposed to check in. Han says I'm worrying too much, but we nearly lost him this time and I can't help it. I know he's a grown man, but he nearly died for real."

'Oh dewback drool.'

Mara pushed a red-gold curl over her shoulder and tried to look as composed as a half-naked woman can look at…. Mid-day!! 'Oh bantha crap.'

"He hasn't been in touch?" She enquired smoothly. 'Oh Sith! Touch. Luke had touched her last night in every place with his hands and with his mouth..'. "He did… er… pop in past yesterday evening on his way to the exercise room. I was going to join him, but I was working on… something. He's right though, I do need to get some… exercise." Mara cringed inwardly. 'Exercise! Mind blowing sexual intercourse with the saintly Jedi Master.' There was no way that Leia Organa Solo was going to swallow that pile of bantha crap she'd just fed her. "Look Leia," she put in hurriedly. "I've got to go but I'll be in touch…"

"Before you go Mara, could I see you tonight about the traders licence you asked for."

Mara brightened. "The one for Farion?"

"Yes, come to dinner, we can talk then."

"Fine," Mara answered quickly her mind busy. She had to get the Jedi Master out of her apartment and into the exercise room they usually met in. Well actually, she had to get him out of her bed."

"I'll try the gym and escort my brother back home. He should be taking it easy." Leia wondered why Mara had suddenly looked as if she'd swallowed something potentially damaging.

"You do that," Mara gritted desperately and cut the link.

The hands descending to massage her tense shoulders caught her by surprise. As did the warm mouth that leant down to nuzzle her neck. Mara's eyes closed and her head tipped back, allowing him access.

"What were you working on?" He murmured in her ear and kissed his way down her neck and over her breast, his mouth finally coming to rest on a rosy pink nipple. He knelt in front of her, his lower half wrapped in one of the sheets.

"I… aah," she stammered. "Luke you…"

The Jedi stared her down, his eyes dark and heavy lidded. "My sister I take it?" He raised a polite eyebrow which was strangely at odds with the expression darkening his blue eyes. He placed his hand on her neck and brought her head down to his.

"Luke…"

But her words were cut off as his mouth covered hers. He drew them both to stand and as his hands covered her body she could feel the heat through the thin covering she wore. His hands descended beneath the sheet she'd enveloped herself in. A sigh escaped her as his fingers trailed over her heated sensitized flesh and his tongue flicked over the tender skin at her neck before plunging back into her mouth. "Luke… please…" Mara clutched at his shoulders as he lifted her into his arms and bore her unprotesting back to bed.

Leia's Office

Leia blinked as a rather flustered Mara Jade cut the connection. It was unlike Mara to still be asleep at this hour of the day and without any clothes on. A strange sensation of dread clutched at her stomach as her mind relayed everything on Jedi replay. The open door, the bare chest of the figure still asleep in the bed and Mara wearing nothing under a white sheet. The woman had looked as if she'd just come from her lover's arms after a night of passion. Her hair had been a mess, her cheeks flushed and her mouth… Leia knew that Mara Jade had the look of someone who'd been thoroughly kissed. There were the tell tale marks of a man's whisker burn on her delicate neck. Leia sighed. Mara Jade had a new man in her life and she only hoped that it wouldn't send Luke reeling again.

"Emperor's bones!" What to do about Luke if this was true? Leia had her suspicions that her brother was more than fond of the beautiful green-eyed trader. She knew Mara was beautiful and highly sought after by other men. Indeed Lando had pursued her for months to no avail. Leia was hoping Mara had rebuffed so many others because she was fond of her brother. Heck - more than fond, as Han would say. They could be good together - you only had to look at them as they walked into a room together. Mara, beautiful, vivacious and deadly and Luke, gentle and kind, but with an inner strength Leia had never found in anyone else. But Luke was more stubborn than a ronto and too used to rejection. As for the former Emperor's hand, words defied description.

"Han," she called her voice troubled.

He came into her office with his serious expression. "I heard."

"Han, Mara had someone with her."

Han whistled soundlessly. "Mara had. Are you sure?"

"Yes she was wrapped in a sheet, but you could tell she wasn't wearing very much and there was someone in her bed."

Han closed his eyes and a few Corellian swear words escaped quietly,

"I think Luke's at his exercise facility. I'm taking him home."

"Sure sweetheart - do you want me to come along just in the case the kid turns difficult?"

"No. I think I'll do this on my own."

"You're going to tell him about Mara aren't you? Is that a good idea?"

"I have to. I can't let him get his hopes up again. He's had too many disappointments. I don't want a repeat of what he went through after Callista walked out."

Hell Leia, he didn't love Callista."

"He thought he did."

Leia had gone to the place where Luke exercised and found it deserted. She focused for traces of his presence. He hadn't been there at all. She searched all his usual haunts, but there was no sign of her brother. What made it all the more confusing was she could feel his presence and he was near - very near. However he was shielding his presence from her and that hurt.

Mara's Apartment

Luke's heavy lidded gaze focused on Mara's parted lips, then their mouths were touching lightly, barely meeting at first. Tasting each other delicately, more pressure, then a closer contact. The fist of desire slammed into his gut - the control rapidly spun away as they reached rapture in each other's arms and satisfaction in their bodies. Luke's urgent thrusting sent Mara beyond reasoning, her body singing beneath his and her hands digging into his smooth muscular back as climax struck.

Luke rolled off Mara. "I'm too heavy."

"No…"

They lay curved together as their hearts and minds returned to something approaching normal, but for Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade nothing would ever be normal again. With their physical joining had come a connection in the force so close that it was unlike anything ever experienced between the Jedi.

Mara lay on her back, her mind a whirling kaleidoscope of thoughts. She needed time to think about this and reluctantly whispered, "Luke… you'd better go."

"I know. I'll see you tonight."

"I'm not sure that's a good thing."

Luke smiled and it sent a shiver curling right into her very woman's centre. "Oh believe me, Jade. It's a very good thing."

He moved from her arms and stretched. Mara watched him under discreetly lowered lashes marvelling at the splendid length of him. He turned and padded into her refresher and Mara's mouth watered at the sight of his firm buttocks as they vanished from view. He had certainly improved over the years.

'Oh really Mara! Haven't you always found him attractive? You've just never seen him totally nude before. Nice work, Jade. You sure had him last night and if you stack the sabacc deck right you could have him any night.

'But I don't want that. This is Skywalker.

But the little voice mockingly taunted her. 'No, this is Luke and you've wanted him for a long time. He wants you too, as if you hadn't guessed. He can hardly keep his pants on when you're around. Don't tell me you didn't know. You've been ignoring what's been staring you in the face. When he's around you want his pants off. It was only a matter of time. Now you've had him he's spoilt you for anyone else. It is your destiny.

To sleep with my greatest enemy?

The little voice laughed derisively. 'Your greatest enemy is yourself.'

She knew it, she really knew it. She wrapped the covers around her and curled into a little ball. That was how Luke found her as he returned to the bedchamber with his damp hair curling. Dressed, as he had been when he'd arrived in his Jedi black.

"Mara, I'd better go. Leia will be furious with me. I didn't contact her."

"Yes, she said that," Mara's voice was muffled. He unravelled her from her cocoon of white and ran shrewd eyes over her slender form. A gentle finger traced from navel to breast tip and Mara arched her back, shuddering.

"It's still there, Jade. We've made love countless times over the past few hours and the hunger isn't quenched yet. I don't think it ever will be."

"Don't Luke…"

"I nearly died." He waved a dismissive hand. "Okay, so I've nearly died hundreds of times - this was the first time that I knew it was going to happen for real and you saved me. I'm not giving up what I want because the New Republic or my sister thinks it shouldn't happen. Leia by the way would like to see me with someone and you would be her first choice. You're my first choice too. No matter how hard you try to distract me with your job, the Jedi on Yavin or your past I'm not getting out of your life. I'm not giving you up ever." His blue eyes lit up, his voice fervent and he grabbed her shoulders with a strong grip, dragging her into a seated position. He speared her with his look and she, her green eyes blazing back at his tried to wrest herself from his grasp. Her breasts heaved, their pink tips hardening as she reacted to the desire in his stare, her eyes grew dark and stormy. Luke's head blotted out the sunlight and all rational thought as he kissed her into submission. He lifted his head, his eyes boring into hers. "I'll see you tonight Jade. Better be there my sister will not be fooled by your usual act and neither now will I."

He gave her a nod then left, leaving Mara stunned into immobility before anger rushed through her igniting her temper and loosening her tongue.

"Like hell!" She yelled sending it through the force. "Do you think that I would consort with a farmboy off a tenth rate sandball. I will never let you dictate to me Skywalker. Never! Do you hear me?"

'I hear you. The whole damn block can hear you; probably Tatooine can hear you. It's a fine place just a little - dry. Anger is a good thing Mara, but get it out of your system before dinner tonight it can lay havoc with the digestion. Remember it can also lead to the darkside.' His voice reached her through the force. Amused and patient.

Mara ground her teeth. "The smug, complacent, irritating, bas… I'll show him…"

'You showed me plenty last night.' He sent a couple of visions to her and she fumed as her body reacted, even though he wasn't there to touch her.

Mara flopped back on her pillows. Rage and desire evident in her eyes and on her body. "I'll certainly show him." He had manipulated her body too easily last night. Her mouth went dry as she recalled some of the moves he'd made. He had manipulated her in all the ways she'd wanted him to. Her eyes took on a glitter of satisfaction. It was time to show Luke Skywalker what he was getting himself into. Varnahk was nothing compared to Mara Jade.

Solo Apartment

"I'm sorry, Leia. I fell asleep and forgot the time." Luke held his hands out apologetically, his blue eyes earnest. Leia could no more be angry with him than shoot an ewok cub. Strangely there was an air of satisfaction about his sense. There was this air of the supreme male animal at work. A strange thought to be having when faced with Luke. Han - yes. Both husband and brother had healthy male egos but they manifested themselves in different ways.

"We were so worried Luke. How could you be so thoughtless? You've been really ill. Suppose you'd had a relapse?"

He had the grace to look discomfited and Leia nearly succumbed to the helpless little boy expression which lurked in his demeanour. "Aw, Leia don't fuss," he whined with practised ease.

Leia sighed and stared at him sternly. She almost caught the twinkle and Luke knew he'd been rumbled.

"The whine was a little over the top, brother dear," Leia raised a mocking eyebrow. "You're not sorry in the least. Now why don't you tell me what you were really doing or I'll have you back in that medicentre quicker than you can say Obi Wan Kenobi."

Luke grimaced inwardly. She would do it too.

He shrugged his shoulders resigned to his fate. "I went to see Mara last night"

Leia's head shot up in complete shock. "You went where?" Then she remembered Mara had said he'd called. Still she was picking up a funny feeling from her brother's sense in the force.

"I went to Mara's apartment very late last night." He held his sister's deep brown eyes and continued steadily. "I went to Mara's… and I stayed."

Leia opened and shut her mouth without a sound coming out.

Luke waited.

"You stayed?"

"Mm hmm."

"All night?"

"All night."

"Were you still there this morning?" Her mind flashed to the naked figure in the bed and with a bit more information, she was able to see now that it had been her brother after all. "Why did she lie?"

"Mara?"

"Yes - why did she lie? She knew I was frantic with worry about you."

"She was…. er… in a state of shock and didn't want to admit to herself what we'd been doing. You… er… woke us up. She didn't actually lie to you."

"Doing? What were you doing at Mara Jade's apartment all of last night?" Then blushed scarlet with mortification as she realised what she'd said.

"Leia…" Luke drawled in a passable imitation of her husband.

Leia twiddled anxiously with one of her coiled braids. "No actually, I suppose she didn't lie she just looked at things from a certain point of view."

"I've heard that before."

"So how do you feel about her and don't act like a Hutt, brother mine?

Luke opened his eyes wide portraying a picture of innocence. "Who me?"

"Yes you. I want to know?"

"I like her… a lot, but I'm not exactly sure how she feels about me."

"You've slept with her and you're still alive. That must count for something. She's coming round for dinner tonight, Luke. I've sent Han to get you some new clothes."

"I'm not wearing anything Han picks out for me. I'll end up looking like a multicoloured…." He projected the perfect picture of outrage.

"He's been given strict orders on what to get. If he mixes things up he's on the couch for the next month and he's getting too old to sleep on our sofa."

"You're a heartless woman."

"No - I'm a determined one."

She pushed him back onto the offending sofa on which Han did occasionally spend the night if Leia was ticked off at him about something. "Look at you - you're a mess. When was the last time youu bought anything new? Don't answer that. It was for my wedding and I went with you to make sure you picked it out." She paced backwards and forwards in front of a bemused Luke. "We have to make you presentable."

"Now, Leia, I'm fine as I am… "

"Not if you're courting Mara Jade."

"I'm not courting Mara, besides if I were… Perish the thought. She knows what I'm like. Mara would never expect me…"

Leia laughed. "Won't work. That tunic and pants have seen their last. Get used to it." She tapped her chin and grinned triumphantly. "I know just the place."

"But I thought you'd sent Han?"

"Send Han! You'd end up looking like a bazaar merchant from the shores of Hesperedis VI"

"You were setting me up with Mara before you knew that we… that I…. that we'd spent…"

"Quality time together? Yes."

Luke's mouth dropped open. His sister had stitched him up neatly.

Mara activated the door com to the Solo's apartment. The security in this part of the palace had been tightened recently but Mara had been waved through with an ease that was frightening. She stood tensely waiting and something coiled in her stomach. The corridor was wide but unpretentious. Palpatine hadn't got around to tarting up this part of it. The marble on the floor and the tiled walls were plain and dignified. There was no indication that anyone important lived on this level. Well there were the security checks and this was the Imperial palace. Not just anyone was gifted a residence here.

"Good evening, Mistress Mara." Threepio opened the door. "They are waiting for you. Do come this way. I trust you are well?"

"Yes, Threepio."

"And yourself."

"Never better thank the maker. I had a complete overhaul and lubrication bath just the other day why…."

"Can I come in?"

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry Mistress Mara."

"It's fine," she murmured placatingly. "Honestly, it's fine." Mara relaxed fractionally as the droids prattle put her at ease.

"Tell me Threepio," she said quietly. "Is Luke here?" She couldn't sense him.

"Master Luke?"

Mara nodded. "Yes - Master Luke."

"He's resting. Mistress Leia helped him into a healing trance. He's still not in control of his circuits, if you get my meaning?"

"Oh, I do."

"Mistress Mara?"

"Yes."

"General Solo told Artoo and I that is was you who helped awaken our Master. We are both grateful."

For some reason the precisely worded thanks from the golden droid touched her in a way that was unexpected. Luke had more people caring about him than he believed. Mara knew he thought of Artoo and Threepio as people not droids.

"In here," Threepio extended his arm and showed Mara into the lounge.

"Oh but…"

"Mistress Leia said you had come for dinner."

"Well…" She flushed a little. It was true she had dressed up but not for a dinner at home with an Alderaani princess and her husband. She'd dressed up to affect the pulse of a Tatooine farmboy.

"Can I take your outer apparel?"

"Oh no, thank you." Mara clutched at her forest green cloak. Something was up. Her force sense was twitchy.

"Mara!" Leia glided into the room her brown eyes a little guarded. "So good you could come. I did say dinner, didn't I?"

"Did you? Yes you did."

"You haven't eaten? Good - Han's been slaving away all afternoon. He likes to cook and thankfully it is edible."

"I came to talk about the contracts and licences for Farion."

"That's all been dealt with. I sent the required data permits to your ship just after I spoke with you this morning."

Mara couldn't help it, she felt her face warm. What had she looked like this morning?

"Mara!" Leia asked softly. "Credit for your thoughts?"

"Wha…what?"

Leia smiled. One was as bad as the other. "I'll take your cloak."

"No!"

"You'll be far too warm." And reached up to deftly untie the clasp holding the cloak closed. Mara continued to clutch at it as if it were her lifeline. But Leia Organa Solo had defeated others as powerful with a determined smile and a firm look in her dark eyes.

Leia gaped for a second, then grinned, tonight might prove to be interesting. Mara looked superb in a casual deadly kind of way dressed from head to foot in a close fitting suit of black leather. The black contrasted with creamy skin, fiery hair and the amazing green eyes. Round her neck was a choker necklace of bnach emeralds. The pagan contrast between the leather and the jewels wasn't lost on Leia. Nor on the two men who entered from the dining room. Han went red then winked at his wife and Luke…. Luke stood like a man turned to stone. His face white, his blue eyes glittering as he stared as if hypnotised. Leia held her breath, her doubts disappearing faster than a Jawa caught in a Tusken village.

Mara became aware of Luke's force presence when he stopped cloaking himself. The lights had come on, the sun had come out and all the birds on Ithor had started to sing. That's what she felt when Luke's presence became visible to her through the force.

Luke… Mara blinked. He stood awkwardly, his eyes boring into hers, his face still pale. He'd had a decent haircut and was formally dressed into a dark blue suit. The tunic fitted him perfectly. There was a hint of his Jedi tunic about the styling, but the cut could only have come from a top Coruscant designer. Even the intricate subtle golden embroidery, a mere glittering of colour along the edge of the tunic bespoke quality.

"You look…" he said and spread his hands.

"It's functional," she muttered embarrassed, knowing she'd given herself away to Leia and Han. Luke, the mynock already knew.

'It's more than functional. It's… sensational. But she looked better out of it.' "I like your hair like that."

Mara self-consciously patted the tumbled curls. "I was in a hurry. You look smart." 'Force knows he looked good. In fact he looked good enough that her fingers were itching to get him out of it. This wasn't good. She'd never been like this before.'

"Leia decided I needed some new clothes."

It was funny, Han mused listening to the stilted conversation. These two were eating each other with their eyes, but what was coming out of their mouths made them sound like barely tolerated acquaintances. He moved closer to his wife and pulled her the general direction of the kitchen. "We'll just check on dinner. Luke get Mara a drink," and he towed his grinning spouse from the room.

"You're a wicked woman." Han enfolded her in his arms and kissed her on her cheek. Leia laughed up at him.

"If I'd any doubts I think they've gone flying out into hyperspace."

"How long did it take for you to get him into a new suit?"

"Not long," she replied airily.

"Leia!" Han's voice rose.

"I told him he had a choice. I would choose his clothes with him there so he could say no. Or you would choose them without him being there." She shrugged. "Easy - he capitulated at once."

"And the haircut?"

"Took him into the place I go. Very private and left him with Jaal. I'd already contacted Jaal. He's very persuasive. By the time I'd picked out his clothes his hair was cut. With Luke you prepare the ground first and them steamroller him into it. When he's had enough he will let you know and that will be it. But he's not been well so I don't think the Skywalker willpower was at full its bullheaded best."

"I knew I married you for a reason." His mouth descended and he kissed her hard. "Now we'd better serve dinner. I hope they're not still standing where we left them."

They were - exactly where Leia and Han had left them.

"It's a while since I've seen that outfit." Luke gestured to the clinging leather suit she wore.

"It's practical."

"I'm sure it is. You were wearing that the first time I saw you."

"You were in an orange flight suit. I suppose it isn't the thing to wear to dinner in the Organa Solo household."

"If I did my sister would accept it. She wanted me to make a good impression."

"On me?" Her face hardened as comprehension chased it's way across her features. "You told her we slept together."

Luke shrugged. "Didn't have to say too much she knows me well. So yes I admitted it and she saw me on the holo. The naked chest of a man who happened to be me. She thinks I ought to tidy myself up a bit - hence the suit. I did need a new one, but I wasn't planning on refurbishing my wardrobe just yet however Leia was most persuasive."

"She threatened to send Han to choose your clothes." Mara murmured amused.

"How did you…"

"It's not black."

"You don't need to sound so surprised."

"It's still not colourful."

"Mara I don't want to look like a bazaar merchant from the shores of Hesperides VI."

"I suppose…. Just once I'd like to see you with something as blue as your eyes."

Mara blushed in horror and then noted that Luke had done the same. He stared at the floor, his blond head glinting in the lamplight.

"You feeling better?"

Luke lifted his head, the colour receding into normality. "Depends…"

"On what?"

"I'm having trouble sleeping."

"Well dinner shouldn't be long now." Han barged into the lounge, his voice overloud and over hearty. The two Jedi stood exactly where they'd been, but Mara had this expression on her face. One that spelt trouble for a certain Jedi Master.

Luke swallowed, he was feeling rather ill at ease. He'd returned from Mara's apartment feeling distinctly out of sorts. Being ushered around design studios for clothes tired him out completely and several hours in a healing trance hadn't helped much. But he didn't want Leia to worry any more about him, she'd gone through more than enough on his behalf.

Dinner was strained with both Luke and Mara saying little and avoiding the other's gaze. This went on for the first two courses until Leia reached her limit of patience.

"Okay. Enough of this."

"What Leia?" Luke enquired, but his face had reddened again.

"I'm a diplomat, but I'm past diplomacy here."

"Can the pair of you stop avoiding each other, making excuses and convincing every one but yourselves that it's your destiny to be together. Luke - Mara was the first person you asked for wwhen you recovered consciousness. Not me, nor Han or the children. It was Mara you wanted."

"Mara, you broke into the top medicentre on Coruscant to try and heal the man you once tried to kill. You've avoided him until he came to you for help. He can't stay away from you. Nor you from him. There's this tie, this bond between you…" her voice rose as she made her impassioned plea to the couple. "Oh for Sith's sake! Stop denying yourselves a life. You're ideally matched, both strong with the force. Both lost parents at a young age. You're both stubborn, idealistic, did I say stubborn? Oh yes and there's stubborn. Mara, I thought you were blessed with common sense we both know Luke has little of that. Luke, you have tolerance and a loving heart. Why…"

Luke and Mara gave each other their first real look of the evening and continued to stare at each other as Leia slammed her wineglass on to the Alderaanian dining table.

"Why did Luke have one of your hairs sewn into the suit he's wearing tonight?"

"Leia!"

"What!"

Luke and Mara exclaimed in unison.

Mara was out of her seat and around, dragging Luke from his. "Where?" She gritted.

Luke pointed to a detail on his collar. The tunic had a thread of gold embroidered faintly at the neck edge.

Mara looked up and saw in Luke's eyes something she recognised just as she became aware of his arms snapping shut around her and his mouth capturing her lips. He held her tightly against him, his hands digging into her, deepening the kiss. They were no longer Jedi, they were man and woman communicating on the most basic level of all.

Han coughed loudly. "Excuse me, kids. Did you plan on having an audience?"

Luke and Mara broke apart both with the stunned expressions of Philokian Fire Moths hitting the centre of the Coruscant laser lights show.

Mara's mouth, with the ripe look of being kissed dropped open in horror and she ripped herself from Luke's embrace and sprinted for the door.

"Mara!"

Luke gave Han a despairing look before giving chase on suddenly wobbly legs.

"Leaving already, Mistress Jade?" Threepio stood at the door his bemused expression augmented by the way his head swung between the empty doorway and The Solos standing helplessly.

"Mara! Wait!" Luke could feel his heart pounding in his ears. He tried to concentrate on getting his body to co-operate fully. But it wouldn't obey his commands, he felt stiff and sluggish. He leant against the wall dizzily for a second before moving on. It was imperative he got to Mara before she did something stupid like blasting off Coruscant. He couldn't let her leave yet.

Mara ran until she could run no more with no thought to her direction. It was flight pure and simple. A pain in her side gripped her and she slowed. Just as well for she'd nowhere to run. This part of the corridor was a dead end with just a maintenance closet. Mara slumped to the floor.

"Some Jedi I've turned out to be". Luke's words came to her. 'You must react when you are calm and at peace'. She hadn't done that. Mara sighed and waited for Luke to find her. There was no question about that. If he'd been fitter and in better health he'd have caught up with her a long time ago unless… Her heart dropped to her stomach. He wasn't interested.

"I'm interested, Jade, and you know it."

He walked carefully towards her breathing heavily and his still thin face a little pale.

Mara opened her mouth to snap but noticed his pallor. The Jedi Master had been hiding the true rate of his recovery from everyone. Drawing him down beside her Mara scrutinised his features. "Skywalker?"

Luke closed his eyes then reached for her, gathering her into his arms and fool that she was, Mara didn't protest and let him hold her close.

"Don't ever run from me, Mara. I can't bear it."

"I'm sorry, Luke. I'm not good with my feelings."

"I think you are."

Her hair spilled onto his jacket like many threads of gold. "Luke… it all happened too fast."

He opened tired eyes and nodded. "Perhaps yes, perhaps no. I will respect any decision you make even if I don't like it."

"I know that."

Luke coughed wearily and leant back against the wall. His complexion had paled even further. Mara eyed him with misgivings. She flicked on her comlink. "Leia we're in corridor D37 subsection 24. I think you should send Han. Luke's not well."

Luke shook his head. "I'm fine," and to prove his point he got to his feet whereupon he wobbled alarmingly, his already pale face draining of its remaining colour.

"No you're not, farmboy. You need to go home and go to bed."

Luke bit his lip. "With you?"

"I'll ignore that comment. You have a choice, Skywalker. Home to bed or straight back to the medicentre - Now sit down!"

"Not fair, Mara." However he did sit. Or perhaps it was fairer to say that his knees buckled and he collapsed on to the floor.

"I think it's entirely fair, kid." Han stood above them looking amused but concerned. He bent down and with Mara's help managed to get Luke to his feet and marched him back to his sister.

Mara sat sipping her mug of caf. "He's not as well as he makes out."

"I realise that now," muttered Han.

"Stubborn nerf."

"Will you stop talking about me as if I weren't here." Luke was propelled by his sister into the lounge and placed next to Mara on the sofa. The thick robe bundled round him to protect him from anything Leia could think of.

"I wish you'd all stop fussing."

"We'll stop fussing, brother dear, when you stop trying to make us think you're all right."

"You started training too soon. You're not omnipotent. Even if you think you are." Mara interjected with pithy scorn.

"Listen to them kid, you know they're right." Han added for good measure.

"I've had enough of this. I'm going to bed." He grumbled darkly.

"Best place for you." Mara quipped as Luke threw her a sour look.

His door hissed shut behind him. "Time for the adults to relax," muttered Mara.

"Hey the kid doesn't want us to worry about him." Han felt obliged to speak in Luke's defence.

"Successful was he?" Asked Leia

"I think you'd better have the medics check him over again."

"I've tried Mara. He won't have it."

"Do or do not. Forget the try. This is Luke remember."

"I'll go check on him." Han said. The women grinned.

"You do that dear," put in Leia and then watched with amazement as Han immediately dashed out of the bedroom and into the kitchen returning with a bowl. "He's feeling sick."

"Not again," murmured Mara.

Leia gave the trader a suspicious glance.

"He feels nauseous when he over does things. I would call the medics. He's not fit enough to self heal yet. There are a lot of things scrambled around in that sandy head of his. More than usual, I mean."

Leia's expression was serious. "He needs you, Mara."

Mara ducked her head a little awkwardly. "Do you think so?"

"He asked for you constantly while he was in hospital. Frankly I was a little jealous, but I know you feel something for him."

"Apart from irritation?"

Leia wisely ignored the comment. It was a defence mechanism. Han had it too.

Mara peered at Leia with eyes brighter than the Bnach emeralds at her throat. "I've lost so much. It's made me what I am and I'm scared if I care too much I'll lose him too."

"Luke is interested in what you can be. He's hoping for a future."

"I'm not sure if I'm capable of giving him that." She whispered.

Han sauntered back into the lounge. "He's asking for you. Be nice."

Mara smiled, a little glint appearing in her eyes. "Sure I can do that. Listen Solo I'll cope with the tantrums and you fetch the medics. If we all gang up on him, there's nothing he can do about it."

She turned and walked down the hall into the room Luke was using. He lay propped up on a mountain of pillows, his face as white as the linen.

"Take it easy, farmboy," Mara warned as Luke tried to sit up.

"You too, Jade."

"Me? I'm not the one who's been pulling the bantha yarn over everyone's eyes." She looked down at him and shook her red-gold head. "What are we going to do with you Skywalker?"

Luke tried his usual grin - it nearly worked. "I've several ideas if you're interested?"

"I bet you have - but you're not doing any of them until you take time to heal properly. Take things nice and slow." She coloured a little as she remembered how slow Luke could be as he'd tormented her with his lovemaking. "Jedi accelerated healing may be working, but if you were an ordinary mortal you'd be a vegetable or at the very least a Corellian."

"I heard that," shouted Han, coming in with hot drinks for the pair of them.

"Go away." Luke and Mara said in unison.

"Sorry. He needs to rest, Mara."

"I know," she muttered defensively.

Mara picked up Luke's hand - his real one and pressed the drink into it. "Do as he says Luke - you have to rest this time."

He nodded. "Will you stay?"

"Sure until the next trip. Someone has to make you do what you're told. I won't just threaten you with the medics. Any nonsense and I deliver you to them gift-wrapped. You're no use to the Jedi or the New Republic in this state, my boy."

Luke smiled and settled down, within minutes he was asleep.

Mara returned to the lounge. "I'd better be going."

"Nah," grinned Han. "Stay for pudding. Luke asked you to stay."

"Please Mara," pleaded Leia. "Just a little longer."

Han gave the women a shrewd look. "I've to check on something in the 'Falcon'. If we're going to Kashyyyk to collect the children next week."

"Well?"

"What?" Leia answered.

"I'm waiting for the interrogation."

"This is the New Republic not the Empire," Leia retorted.

"So? I slept with your brother."

"I know. He is a grown man."

Mara blushed at a memory. "You can say that again."

Leia grinned and Mara stared. "I've never seen a resemblance between you and Luke before but just then… you have the same grin."

"It was good, then? You're changing the subject. Details - I want to know some details."

Mara's mouth fell open.

"I'm not a prude Mara. I've got three children. They had to come from somewhere and don't forget I married Han Solo. No room for that in our marriage."

"Once you've seen one…"

"Mara!" Leia warned.

Mara fidgeted a little under Leia's amused gaze. "I'm sorry it's just…"

"I keep my private life private. Han and I have a great marriage. We're a partnership. Of course we fight. We're both strong people. Can you imagine Han or I giving way on something if we thought we were right? I can't. If he looked at another woman, he'd be dead. He knows it and I know it. I make sure he doesn't want to. I could be far worse than the darkside of the force" She smirked with satisfaction and Mara looked on not a little envious. "So was my brother worth it? Possibly alienating me, falling foul of New Republic worthies, that kind of thing?"

Mara gave an unwilling laugh. "Oh yes. He was definitely worth it."

"He's not low maintenance, you should be aware of that by now."

"None of us are." Mara smiled dreamily. "Oh yes well worth it, but you'd never know to look at him."

"Oh, I don't know. He's my brother but I'm not blind and I can look at him objectively. Nice looking, good body with all the right bits - he cleans up pretty well. Keeps himself in reasonable condition. Kind, loving and idealistic. Would never treat a girl badly if he could help it. Even I concede but don't tell my husband or those trading licences are cancelled. My brother has a great rear, better than Han's."

Mara felt her face getting hotter and hotter. She couldn't believe she was having this conversation with Leia Organa Solo. Han maybe - well not the bits about Luke's anatomy. Han didn't pull any punches he just said what he thought. But Leia?

"Do you love him?"

Mara jerked back. 'Woah, hold on. Luke's attributes maybe, but feelings. This was taking things a mite too far.' She opened her mouth to blast Leia for her temerity then found herself saying quietly. "I don't know what I feel. I've no experience of love but I do care for him very much. I've known hate, anger and other such emotions. I've experienced the usual hormonal fluctuations in my time when faced with an attractive member of the opposite sex but love?" She shrugged her leather-clad shoulders.

"What would you have felt had he died?" Leia kept on with her digging, amazed that Mara was opening up so much.

Mara lifted her bright head, the anguish evident in her proud features. "When he was reported missing I was worried - anxious. I was prepared to go to Varnahk and find him whatever it took. Then Karrde told me he was dying. The desolation and pain just hit me. My life stretched ahead without my truest friend and the bleakness was unimaginable. I was going to be left alone - again."

"Oh Mara," Leia uttered profoundly moved by the agony in the younger woman's voice and the ache in her force sense.

Mara looked into Leia's dark eyes, her own green gaze watering with unshed tears. "I would in effect be alone, not like when the Emperor left me. I served the Emperor but I'm Luke's equal. He trusts me, respects me, desires me." She finished on a whisper.

"What did you do?"

"I had to see him, touch him, just be with him and do something. If I was there with him, I could make everything all right again."

"You did, Mara." Leia marvelled as she witnessed for herself what Luke and Karrde had seen - Mara Jade's vulnerability.

"Then the dreams started."

"The dreams?"

"Of Luke and I - together. When he came to me last night, it was because he'd been having them too. He had to... it was…"

Leia nodded as comprehension dawned. "It was inevitable."

"Yes."

"I think you do know what you feel for my brother. Don't wait - tell him."

Mara returned to Luke's side and watched until she grew drowsy, she vaguely remembered Leia covering her with a blanket, but tired with the strain of worrying about Luke, his illness and her feelings, she slept curled up in a little ball in an enormous chair beside his bed.

She didn't know what had awoken her, but something or someone had. Stretching cramped muscles brought an awareness of eyes fixed on her in the dark.

"You're awake." She said matter of factly.

"Yes. I'm glad you're here."

"I should really be going."

"You don't have to. Han brought a bag of your things. You can stay in Jaina's room or better still," his voice lowered. "Stay here with me. The fresher's through there if you want a shower or something." He sounded tired.

"Sure," Mara headed towards the fresher. Luke heard the shower running then she reappeared in her sleeping shift. Climbing into the bed beside Luke, he immediately pulled her into his arms and with a satisfied sigh, he went back to sleep. Mara wondered at the strangeness of it all then quickly followed Luke into slumber.

Luke's continuing convalescence was a difficult one. He was too active a man to take enforced idleness lightly. He was not a good patient and Mara was not the most understanding of nurses. Still she could control the worst of his behaviour and ease his moods during times that Leia and Han had given up hope.

Luke maintained he still felt Mara's life essence within him. Mara just shook her head at him, but he was right there was a deeper bond between them than before. Mara refused to sleep with Luke in Leia and Han's home and took to sharing Jaina's room. Luke grew increasingly frustrated. Mara was so close but she could have been off planet as far as he was concerned. Another thing Mara objected to was the sneaky training exercises Luke tried to put her through. Most of the time she caught him, but not always. Then doors would slam shut and tempers flared briefly before she accepted the point of the lesson.

As Luke recovered Mara gradually resumed her business operations, but with less enthusiasm than previously. Luke was left kicking his heels and wondering if he would ever hold her in his arms again. When she left for a week run to the Farion system Luke assumed that was it and grew quiet and depressed, but when Mara returned to Coruscant she returned to the Solo household as if she'd never been away. Han and Leia watched, waited and kept their tempers.

"Mara's due back today." Han said, grinning at his wife.

"Thank the force," muttered Leia.

"I don't know if I could put up with that long face of my brother's any longer."

"At least it's a bit fatter."

"Yes, he's nearly there, but he still won't speak about Varnahk. He says he's told the Council all he knows and doesn't want to burden me with the rest of it."

"Did you ever tell him everything that happened to you in the Death Star?" Han quirked an eyebrow.

Leia smiled unwillingly. "Point taken. He wants to go back to his own apartment. Actually he wants to go to Yavin."

"Try anywhere but Coruscant."

"The medics don't want him off planet for at least another month, but I can't see him lasting that long."

"No, neither can I. If he decides to go nothing will keep him here apart from Mara."

The security droid announced Mara's arrival as she dumped her bags in the hallway.

"So you're back, Jade." The lazy drawl startled her. Luke stood watching her dressed in his black tunic.

"Cloaking yourself, Skywalker?"

"I wanted to surprise you."

"Well you did," she replied flatly. "Satisfied?"

Luke ran his eyes up and down her figure. She was wearing the black leather jump suit again. Boy, it did something to his blood pressure. It was the way the material clung to her very female form. "No, Jade, I can't say I'm satisfied."

Mara locked deadly green eyes on narrowed blue. The air sizzled between them.

"Tough." Mara announced and brushed past him in the suddenly narrow hall. Luke caught her just as she passed and kissed her. For a moment she clung, then shoved him out of the way.

"Try that again, farmboy, and you're dead."

"I can't wait. This would be the little death. The one that comes after satisfaction has been completed."

"In your dreams."

"Oh I've had them but the real thing was better - much better." Luke's voice was low and husky and Mara felt a swift spiralling desire sweep through her system.

"Oh no you don't," Mara gritted. Luke backed her against the wall and trailed a gentle finger over the swell of her breasts. Then he kissed her properly. The taste of her was so warm and he'd been so cold for so long. Heat, intense and fire bright swept through them. Mara's mouth opened and Luke's tongue plunged in to meet hers. Winding graceful arms she locked them about his neck and pulled him closer. Their control began to rapidly spin away. Luke couldn't believe that he'd hardly touched her and already he was hard. If they'd been naked and alone he could have taken her right there in the hallway against the wall.

Breathing heavily they looked at each other before Mara pulled away and went into the room she was sharing with Jaina. The little girl was sound asleep so it gave Mara time to come to herself. 'Sith, she wanted him.'

Later

Han heard the raised voices. "They're arguing."

Leia rolled over in bed and with a wave of her hand activated the light.

"Unnecessary use of the force, sweetheart?" Han questioned mildly.

"Necessary use. It's cold."

"I said they were arguing."

"Finally," she muttered with a sigh.

Han frowned. "What do you mean - finally?"

"They've been so polite to each other that it's worse than an inner council meeting. It's not normal."

"The inner council meeting?"

"Yes, that too."

Han grinned.

"Luke doesn't argue with people, but he does with Mara. The civility between them was stifling. Mara needs to be shaken up a bit. Luke needs stimulated."

"Well, Mara obviously does that to him. I'm glad he's started training again. This time with the Medics and Cilgahl's approval. Mara doesn't know yet?"

Leia winced. "I think she does now."

"I take it they're still in separate beds?"

"Separate rooms." Leia sighed. "I feel like their parents. I'll have to go through this with the children, I didn't expect to have to go through it with Luke and Mara Jade first."

"What - puberty?"

"Funny, nerfherder."

"Seems strange to think they've already done the deed."

"They need to do it again and get some of this tension out of our home."

"Speaking of tension," Han pulled Leia into his arms and nuzzled her cheek. "Do you think the old married couple could give them a run for their credits?"

"Oh, I think that could be arranged."

Han chuckled as his fingers found the buttons on Leia's sleeping shift. "He's got it bad."

"So's she."

"You sure?" His fingers found a sensitive spot and Leia's body arched.

"She's still here." Leia gasped as Han's mouth found a pink nipple.

"True," he murmured as he kissed his way over her breast. "So who's being noble?"

Leia was silent as Han's clever mouth found her other breast. "My gut reaction…." She panted a little.

Han found a spot and tickled. "I thought princesses and senators didn't have those."

If she hadn't had her eyes closed and wasn't incapable of doing any more than quiet groans, Leia would have given him a version of her 'look'. "Han…" It was meant to be strong but came out as a breathy moan. “I was… trying to say…"

"Sorry," he grinned unrepentantly and removed her sleeping shift altogether. Not sorry in the least.

"My gut reaction would have been Luke. He's got noble down to a fine art form; however in this case, it's Mara that's holding out."

"Figures, if Mara wanted him… Is she holding out for a wedding ring?"

"No, that's not her style – more’s the pity."

"Yeah, too conventional and the kid can be very conventional in his thinking at times."

"She has her moments too. I think she's embarrassed because it means more to her than she's prepared to admit even to herself. She did come pretty close to admitting it to me, but I think it's Luke she needs to tell."

"Or dark side is possible."

"She wants to love him - does love him, but is terrified of the emotion."

"Luke'll wear her down. He's frustrated enough as it is. It's taken them years to get to this stage. He'll die of it if he doesn’t hurry up."

"It won't come to that."

"Why not?"

"Sleep on it. I'm sure you'll come up with something."

"Yeah, good idea Princess, but I was involved in something here. Sleeping wasn't what I was hoping to do - not yet." He looked over his wife's naked form and lowered his mouth to hers.

7 Days later

Mara ran through the landing sequence as she brought her ship to land. By the Force s this desire to see that he was okay? When she'd returned after her last trip all they'd done was fight. 'Not all', a little voice echoed.

No, not all. He'd pushed her against the wall and kissed her. Her breath quickened as she recalled the way his hands had run over her body, firing her nerve ends and making her ache for him. She'd torn herself away from him, hiding in the room she shared with Jaina but he'd cornered her later when all the others in the house were asleep. Mara had gone through to the kitchen to make herself a hot drink and had found Luke already there. Mara had stopped on the threshold.

"Come on in, Jade - scared?"

"Of what." She'd bristled and stalked towards the water heater her head held high. Luke immediately trapped her between the kitchen units and his own body and she'd been helpless to move away. Luke moved his hips against hers, slowly, sensuously. His gaze drifted over the low scooped neck of her sleeping shift and instantly her nipples had hardened. Finally he brought his hands to her body and tangled one in her hair, the other stroked the soft skin at her throat. When his lips covered hers, she'd melted mindlessly into a creature with no purpose but to pleasure him and gain pleasure from their mating.

"Mara… Stay with me tonight."

Sanity returned and she withdrew reluctantly. The blue eyes held her in thrall, but now was not the time. "I have to go to bed, I've an early departure slot tomorrow."

“You’re going away again?”

“I have a business obligation.”

Luke had stepped away from her with an oblique look. "I'm not keeping you," he held his hands out, but his eyes promised her such things and Mara felt her mouth go dry.

The curious blatt of her R4 droid brought Mara back to the present. Luke Skywalker had proved to be a constant presence in her mind the whole time she'd been away, that she'd managed to do business at all was amazing.

She would have to make a stand for independence soon, but her tired mind shied away from it and focused only on her need to see him. Mara's shoulders slumped. She wanted to check he was still healing properly and not overdoing things - feel his mouth as it covered hers, lightly touching. She wanted to see that special smile which reached his blue eyes when he saw only her. Mara's own eyes drifted shut. She could almost taste him.

She slammed her barriers over the visions. This is what got her into trouble in the first place. She couldn't afford to turn soft. She wasn't a sappy, dewy-eyed idealist like somebody she could mention. She was a trained assassin – armed and dangerous. Damn the man. She tried creating a list with all his negative points on it and she'd worked her way mentally onto a second sheet of flimsi when she felt a familiar presence approaching the ship. Mara activated the door and waited for Talon Karrde to appear in the cockpit.

"I wondered if you were coming out, Jade? You docked ages ago."

"I had things to do," she lied.

"You look tired, Mara, everything okay?"

"Yeah it was a good trip, just a bit rushed. The details are all on these pads here. I'm not going over them tonight Karrde, I'm beat."

Karrde smoothed his goatee beard. "Don't worry. I'll get Aves and Ghent to do it. I need the data now. Faughan is ready to do a run later on." He stopped. "Mara - How are things?"

"Awkward."

"You know if you want out I can send you anywhere in the galaxy on business. To be frank you don't still need to be staying with Han and Leia. You're not being pressurised into anything, are you?"

Mara growled a little. "Only by myself. You know me, Karrde, I don't do things I don't want to do." She flashed him a sudden smile. "I'm the only one who can make the Jedi Master behave. It's a power thing I'm enjoying it."

"He's better though?"

"Yes he is. He's been a bit difficult over the last week according to Leia. He's taken so long to get over this because he tried to do too much too soon."

"The story of his career as a Jedi?"

"Partly. I guess he had to do it all and I should have understood…” she stopped and looked wearily at Karrde. “This time his body would not co-operate and he had to take a step back."

"I saw him yesterday checking over his X-wing."

Mara froze. "He was what?"

"Checking over his X-wing. Apparently the Yavin shuttle comes in next week."

Mara's eyes took on a dangerous glitter. "You're telling me," her voice turned menacing, "that he's thinking about going back to Yavin? We'll see about that."

Karrde smothered a grin. It wouldn’t do to let Mara see he was enjoying this.

"Where is he?"

"I think he's at home in his apartment."

Mara grabbed the edges of his elegant waistcoat. "Karrde!"

"Calm down, Mara," the smuggler boss brushed her off dismissively. "My sources tell me that he's at his own apartment. I think he wants to give Leia and Han a bit of privacy."

Mara's face fell. She hadn't admitted it to anyone, but living in a family unit had been strangely enjoyable.

Karrde saw Mara’s expression change and rightly guessed the reason. He had learned to read faces. It had kept him alive. "Don't worry Mara your secrets safe with me - for a small fee, of course."

"What secret?" Her eyes narrowed.

"It must be a good one if even you don't know." He brushed down his clothes where Mara's anxious fingers had crumpled them. "I wonder if he is thinking about going to Yavin? It must be some time since he was there."

"He's not ready yet,' she snapped. “He still needs time to heal.”

"Course not," Karrde finally smiled soothingly. 'Gotcha', as Han Solo would say. The Corellian owed him bigtime for this little stunt, but he'd enjoyed it. With Mara Jade a little went a long way. Just enough to get her suspicious, then she would do the rest on her own. Elaborate scenes were a complete waste of time.

"Well?" Han's voice came across loud and clear on the comlink.

"Ssh! Solo. I've not cleared the docking bay yet."

"Has she bought it?"

Karrde resisted the urge to look back at the Jade's Fire. He moved to a point where he could observe without being seen and waited.

Mara rushed from the ship and headed off in the direction of the internal transport service. She looked as if she meant business. A few moments later Karrde got a click on his com from Aves.

"Solo - She's heading towards Luke's apartment."

"Great, I'll go mobilise the wife and Karrde… Thanks, I owe you one."

"I want to know everything, Solo."

"Sure if it works. If not there will be a lot of pieces to pick up."

"Just what I wanted to hear," Karrde said dryly. "That's what I'm worried about. If its Mara Jade it is more likely to be pieces of everyone else."

Leia got her signal. Time to play the worried sister. Luke had been back at his own place for four days now and Leia had been over with the children every day. Luke was pleased to see them but a little fed up with all the fussing. He'd learnt his lesson for the time being but it wouldn't be long before he returned to form and went dashing off on some fool mission. But that was Luke. He needed a family of his own his sister decided and Mara Jade could give him that family. He'd sat with Anakin on his knee and demonstrated some early Force techniques to his nephew. Leia watched smiling.

Winter had come past for the children and Leia had swung her plan into action.

"What are you going to do about, Mara? She's vulnerable right now and worried about you."

He lifted his clear blue eyes from the book he was reading to his sister’s face. "I know. We've got this connection but she's fighting it." Luke held out a hand in unconscious appeal. "I love her, Leia but she's never said anything like that to me. She does feel something strong for me - I know she does. She saved my life and was prepared to come and get me from Varnahk if she had to. Her presence in the Force has been with me all the time, even when she’s not there. I can feel her presence with me as close I can you. I didn't know I loved her until she stayed with me while I was dying, then saved me from that death. I would have been dead without her, Leia but now I realise I've always loved her."

"Are you going back to Yavin?"

"No, not at the moment. Some of the students are coming next week to see me, but I'm not ready. I may have to go back to Varnahk."

Leia blanched. "Luke, no!"

"I'm waiting to hear from Admiral Drayson."

Leia swallowed. This wasn't part of the scheme she'd cooked up with Han. "Luke please, consider this carefully. You shouldn't be the one to go back there."

"If the Force wills it."

"I disagree, Luke. You’re not ready for active duty.”

The Jedi Master sighed. “Probably not. It’s okay, Leia. I’m not going to do anything foolish.”

“Thank the Force, brother. I have to go, but I'll be in touch. Take care and don't do anything stupid."

“I just said that I wouldn’t. What are you up to?”

“Nothing.”

“I’m not sure if I believe you.”

“What a thing to say to your favourite sister,” Leia said pointedly.

“Yeah, yeah. Go and join your husband I can sense him waiting for you.”

“We have to go and pick up the children otherwise…”

Luke gave his sister a kiss. “You would have stayed longer.”

Leia stood in the hallway outside Luke’s apartment. “Han?” she whispered into her comlink.

“Subject intercepted at spaceport and is probably on her way. Warning – is good and mad. May not act rationally.”

“I copy… General.”

Swiftly Leia loosened some strands of her hair and with a quick glance at her pocket reflector, added realistic dark smudges under her eyes. Assuming a distraught expression, she stumbled out of Luke's apartment and ran full tilt into Mara.

"Leia?"

"What's he up to?" She asked darkly taking in Leia’s distressed appearance.

"I…. Try and talk him out of it, Mara."

"Out of what?"

"Varnahk… I'm sorry, I…." Leia practically ran down the hall.

Mara was left at Luke's front door. Raising her hand she punched in Luke's entrance code and the door slid aside. ‘Varnahk’? Mara’s mood darkened. He wouldn’t, would he? Yavin was bad enough but Varnahk. Oh, no! Skywalker wasn’t getting anywhere near a ship that could take him off world.

Leia stopped and got her breath back. One of these days she would kill that brother of hers if Mara didn't do it first. Hopefully Mara hadn't probed her too deeply. Distress when false was hard to keep up.

Luke sat reading under an old fashioned lamp. When he lifted his head and saw her, the smile lit up Mara's heart. By the Force he looked wonderful. Her anger calmed a little.

Luke got to his feet and moved deliberately in her direction. "Hello," he said quietly.

Mara gaped at him, speechless. All the adrenalin pumping through her body was left with nowhere to go.

"I'm glad you're here."

"What did you say to upset Leia just now?" She found her voice, her eyes recording every detail of his image.

"I may have to go back to Varnahk." Just like that he'd said it. No procrastinating or hedging around the issue. Shot straight from the hip. Simple and to the point, just like Luke was himself.

Mara stopped as if she'd been stunned - then reaction kicked in. She’d been right. He would. "Oh no, you're not."

"It's not definite that I'm going, but I'm the only one who got in and out. The General may want to send me back in."

"I beg to disagree about the out part," She snapped. "You're not going."

"I'm the Jedi Master Mara. I may have to go."

"I'm not losing you this way again. If you go, I'm going with you."

"But it may be too dangerous. I can't allow it,"

"If you go, I go." Her eyes darkened. "You cannot tell me what to do."

Luke stepped forward. "Why is this so important to you, Mara?" He was almost touching her, his eyes boring into hers. He was strangely calm.

"Because…."

Luke put his hands on her shoulders and pulled her snugly into his body. "Why?" He bent his head and kissed the corner of her firm little mouth. This was going to be the hard part. How to keep his savoir-faire when the woman in his embrace tempted him to just lose himself in her arms. Luke wondered if Yoda might disapprove of this exercise on how to retain control in the face of extreme difficulty. If it worked it might be the thing to introduce on Yavin. Then again no one was getting their hands on this woman unless it was Luke Skywalker. He just had to make her see it his way.

"Luke…!"

The Jedi moved his hips a little against her groin. A streak of fire ran through him. 'Careful Skywalker,' he told himself and forced his body not to react. It was one of the most difficult things he had to do.

"Luke…!" It was a wail.

He kissed his way round her neck all the time keeping her plastered against him. If you were going to get anywhere with Mara Jade, you had to catch her off balance. Luke was doing his best. He couldn't let her have time to think and she was one of the most intelligent women he knew. If Mara Jade had time to think Luke knew he was in deep bantha shit.

Mara moaned, her eyes shut as Luke's hands continued to roam. Her weapons belt dropped to the floor with a muffled clunk. The snap of fasteners gently one by one as Luke undressed her. The sensual buzz of a zip being lowered deliberately tooth by tooth.

Mara was breathlessly pleading by the time he'd stripped her of her leather garb. But Luke, with a stern expression on his face, gripped her by the shoulders and held her away from him. However the vision of creamy shoulders clad in nothing but a clinging undershirt with thin shoulder straps shook his composure. "Why Mara?"

"Because I don't want to pull your Jedi self out of trouble again."

Luke shook her gently. "I can manage. I got myself out the last time. I can't remember how, but I didn't need you then."

"If I'd been with you…"

"Yes?"

"If I'd been there you might have come back in one piece instead of being practically shipped back dead in a stasis chamber."

"I'm not immortal, Jade. If the Force decides it's my time to go, then it's my time."

"It wasn't your mission." She cried furiously.

"They asked me, so it was.” Luke kept his voice soft. “Why Mara?"

"I told you."

"No, you didn't." His voice was firm, his stare implacable. His hands dug once more into her shoulders. Hands which soothed in comfort, hands that already had smoothed her soft skin with a sensuous intent. Hands which brought her to a fever pitch of wanting his touch alone - a lover’s touch. Hands, which had found the luxurious rope of red-gold hair and was separating it strand by strand from its plait, running the golden threads through his fingers, letting it shimmer around them both like a cloud of fire.

Mara's eyes closed in defeat and her head subsided onto Luke's shoulder. Cradling her in his arms Luke tipped up her chin with one finger. "Why Mara?" he whispered again.

Her eyes locked with his, nakedly open, yet somewhere, there still lurked a spark of defiance. "I can't let you go, Luke, because I love you."

Luke's eyes closed in silent prayer and he bowed his head resting it against her bright head.

“I love you, Luke.”

"As much as I love you?" His voice deepened in remembered pain. "I thought you would never admit it…." His voice shook. He lifted his head and stared at her in wonder and awe. Letting down the barriers he'd been keeping so tightly he let his love surround her with all of its power.

Mara gasped as the warmth of his love wove around her, into her heart and her mind.

Any remaining doubts either of them had vanished when Luke's mouth finally covered Mara's in a soul shattering kiss. The response between them was instantaneous. Their mouths opened deepening the kiss as Luke's hands found the slender straps and eased them downwards. The top landed somewhere on the floor but Mara no longer cared. Luke's hands immediately covered her breasts, teasing the rosy nipples to pert, aching fullness. His hands moved down over her hips to clutch her cloth-covered bottom. Her legs bare in the intimate light.

Mara was tugging at the collar of his tunic so she could press hot, open-mouthed kisses to Luke's throat. The jacket dropped to the floor and Mara ran her hands over his chest reaching down to his belt buckle. Her hands fumbled and Luke drew in a sharp breath as his body came to life with a surge of powerful feeling to his groin. Through the thin barrier of their remaining clothes Mara could feel Luke's hardness pressing against her belly and she longed to have him even closer. Suddenly with a tortured groan, he lifted her in his arms and headed toward the bedroom. “No patience,” he mumbled. “But who could have, when it’s you?”

“Make love to me, Luke,” she begged. “Don’t leave me.”

"I won’t," he murmured as he slid her agonisingly slowly down his body. "Mara… I'm not going to Varnahk."

Nothing happened for a second. Then she raised her face from his throat, her hair surrounding them, its golden threads weaving into their lives, and smiled. "I know."

THE END