Collateral Damage

by Una

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of 'Star Wars' depicted in this
story are legal property of George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd. and Timothy Zahn,
and have been used without permission. No copyright infringement intended.

Summary: Set after Cold Equation it continues the tale of Luke's and Mara's
rocky friendship - can they overcome both their problems and their past? Or
will fate strike again and leave the Jedi Master and his family devastated?

Rating: NC-17

Special Thanks got to Sherry for her wonderful friendship and her fun to
keep me sane and to Jackie for her appreciation to a certain male's butt
clad in leather.
Thank you both for your wonderful betas :) You two rule!

Chapter One

That was the stupidest idea, Skywalker, that you ever had, Luke
chided himself as he tried to repel the last few meters up the steep
mountainside. Ever since he had taken it upon himself to undergo the
mission, everything and anything had gone wrong. The infiltrator who was
supposed to have paved his path into the criminal organisation here in the
Cha Raaba System had been dead upon his arrival and now he was on the run.
Someone somewhere high up in NR Intelligence had blabbed their mouths and
the mission had been compromised.

Grinding his teeth, Luke hauled himself onto a small ledge to catch his
breath. Just like Myrkr this godsforsaken planet he was on was Force free,
the lizards habituating it creating the same sort Force-free bubble around
themselves as did the Ysalamiri lizards. Luke wondered, not for the first
time if reptilians in general were not prone to the Force. He had
encountered many sentient reptilian races where the Force had no influence.

"I'm getting too old for this," Luke said under his breath and grinned.
Yeah right, Jedi, once you cannot rely on the Force and you feel tired
and old. Get a grip! After he had wiggled out of his backpack, he took
out the binoculars from it and scanned the countryside beneath him. His
pursuers had obviously lost scent and were nowhere to be seen. But Luke
Skywalker wasn't about to get careless, he knew from innumerable missions
before that the enemy could spring on him at any given moment.

Sighing, he put away the binocs again and rummaged further into the depth
of the backpack, he came across a battered silver box. Since the days of
the Rebellion he used it to put his ration bars in. He grinned when he
remembered a saying from his pilot days. Tastes like Wampa doo and lasts
forever!

I cannot understand why Mara is so fond of the stuff, Luke thought
and shrugged. Thinking about the beautiful trader wasn't doing him any
good. It had only been a month since they had last seen each other. They
had met briefly on Tatooine only to part and not knowing when they would
see each other again. He had been tempted to keep tabs on her whereabouts
but had decided against it. After what they had been through, he knew he
had to give Mara time. But he really missed her and even their permanent
bond through the Force could not make up for the feeling of loss in him.
For the umpteenth time in as many days he mourned the loss of their friendship.

She is like a part of me that has been cut off, the Jedi Master
mused silently as he munched on the almost tasteless ration bar. I wish
I could take back some of the things that happened between us, even if it
means never to have the memory of her taste or her touch.

He closed his eyes. That was not true. For the larger part of his life the
very taste of Mara Jade had accompanied him, though he had not known it at
the time. He still couldn't believe that she was his dream girl but when
she had told him, right at the graves of his uncle and aunt, he knew it was
her.

He knew it was dangerous to let his mind wander like this on a mission, but
he could not help it. Shaking his head, he let out an exasperated sigh and
settled back against the cool rock at his back and closed his eyes.
Immediately, images of Mara Jade came to him and for once he did not
suppress them. He let go and revelled in the mental presence of her, taking
as much comfort as he could from the one woman he loved more than his own life.

Jade will kill me, if she knew, he thought and smirked. Yep, if
she knew I was day dreaming on a mission, she'd take off my hide!

Tossing the rest of the ration bar back into the silver casing, he packed
up his stuff and prepared himself for the last meters toward the
mountaintop. Free repelling, even with Jedi skills, were never his forte
but he managed and when he had reached the top, he exhaled softly.
Before him, a plateau stretched to the far horizon, covered in a thick,
dense forest.

Now for the tabbing, he thought. He knew that his X-Wing was located
to the West in a small clearing, half a day's hike away and that his
friends Wedge Antilles and Corran Horn were waiting for him at the space
station on the main planet of the Cha Raaba system.

++++

With sleek grace, the craft slid through the vast dark velvet of space. For
almost a month Mara Jade had crossed the galaxy in a restless quest for
peace and quiet that she had still not found. If she was honest with
herself, she knew she had already found the one place where she had
experienced just that and more. But she was still afraid, a feeling which
annoyed her a great deal.

Mara Jade isn't afraid! she told herself silently as she checked her
astromech. And I'm not letting myself be ruled by another human being
dead or alive, she added. She had been on the Permelian Trade Route for
the better half of the month and late last night she had decided to check
out the Honoghr System where Leia's precious Noghri were located.

Leia? she asked herself and rubbed her temples wearily. Great,
Jade, can't you just once spend a day without a Skywalker gallivanting all
over your mind? The red-head snorted at that and set course.

"We are going to visit the Noghri and any Force free planet along the way,"
she told her astromech and the machine answered her with an acknowledging
whistle. Mara smiled and stood up, stopping herself short when her hand
reached out to pat the little dome of the droid. "I'll be Kesseled!" she
almost yelled. "Now I'm getting as weird as Skyw-" she bit down on her
words and turned away.

Ever since she had found out the truth about who her farmboy was, Or
better is, she corrected herself, she had been shying away from the
whole business. Of course she had requested time to come to terms with the
revelation that Luke Skywalker was her farmboy, but for the last four weeks
she had not tried once to sort out her feelings for him.

The part of her that was still repressed by her training as Emperor's Hand
was appalled to have submitted to the Jedi Master, while another part, a
part she had thought was long dead, had basked in the sensations of making
love to him. But even if she were to overcome her training and
conditioning, there was still the mind-rape the Emperor had done so many
years ago.

The love of the Jedi Master I can manage, she thought as she settled
back into her pilot's chair. Although he has not talked about love, only
want and need, but these I can understand - these are even easier to submit
to than love. Mara knew deep down, Luke Skywalker loved her - perhaps
not with the intensity he had loved that other woman, Callista, but she
knew for her it was enough. She knew nothing about love, her own life being
void of it, but she honestly believed that respect and friendship was also
a part of love, and that much she knew she could muster for the Jedi Master.

So why did you leave him? the small nagging voice in the back of her
mind asked. Why did you run when you had the chance to stay with him?

For the first time in four weeks she knew the answer, she had always known
it but had been too cowardly to actually acknowledge it. I'm afraid that
respect and friendship isn't enough for Luke Skywalker, that I may hurt him
more with what I have to offer than with nothing at all. I'm afraid that he
will find out that I'm not the likeable person he thought I was ...

Suppressing the tears that threatened to well up in her eyes, she stood up.
She knew she had to reach a decision. Punching in a couple of numbers into
the holo-comm that she knew by heart, she soon came face to face with
Tionne, the stern faced Jedi cum administrator of the Jedi Academy.

"Master Trader Jade," the woman said and inclined her head. Mara smirked
even through the holo net she could feel the slight annoyance coming from
the woman and she wondered if Tionne knew she was as readable as an open
data pad.

"Hello Tionne, is the Jedi Master around? I need to talk to him," Mara
replied with certain glee when she saw Tionne's face frowning at her words.

"Jedi Master Skywalker is on Coruscant visiting Madame Senator, his
sister," Tionne replied. "But I can surely leave him a message that you
called."

"No need, Tionne, I will comm Leia and get ahold of Skywalker there," Mara
suppressed the grin that threatened to split her face when she saw the
huffed expression of the older woman. "Thank you Tionne, and may the Force
be with you!"

Jade laughed out loud after she had cut the connection. Tionne was really
easy to read and she knew the older woman was furious that she, a mere
trader and Ex-Imp was on speaking terms with her Jedi Master and his
family. Mara frowned slightly.

Will it always be like that? That I will be frowned upon because of my
past? What if they knew what the Jedi and I have shared? She remembered
something Talon had told her. First Sith whore and now Jedi whore...
yes, that's what they'll think!

++++

Walking through the dense forest of the moon, Luke Skywalker was reminded
of the jungles of Yavin. Ever since leaving Tatooine he had been fascinated
by the lush greens and yellows of forests. First when he had seen the
abundant foliage of the jungles on Yavin and then the more subtle deep
greens of the forests of Endor, he had known he wanted to live nowhere
other than on either of those planets. When he had decided to create a Jedi
Academy Yavin had been an easy choice, and something he had never regretted.

Taking in as much of the clear air as possible, Skywalker closed his eyes
and stretched out with all his senses. It still pained him that he was
unable to use the Force on this moon, but even with his normal human senses
he could feel the vibrant life all around him.

He almost missed the slight noise in the underbrush, a small twig that
snapped there, a rustle of leaves here and before he knew what was
happening, Skywalker was surrounded by scruffy and dangerous looking men.

"Now, now, who have we here?" one of the men snarled and took a step
closer. "Seems like we have another of those New Republic spies in our hands!"

"Or one of those fancy Jedi Wizards," another growled, raising his blaster.

For once, Luke was grateful that he had left his lightsaber behind.
Reaching out one hand for his blaster, yanking it out of its holster
carefully, he threw it onto the ground. Unbeknownst to the men surrounding
him, he had used his other hand to suppress a small device on his belt. He
had just powered up his X-Wing and with it, the silent distress beacon.

"Naw, not a Jedi," the first man called out again, obviously the leader of
the band. "He is too smart for that." The man grinned and turned towards
Luke, patting him down for any concealed weapons. "You did well in giving
up your weapon," he said as he retrieved a knife from Luke's boot. "One of
those Jedi would have made a stand, stupid Wampa brained idiots."

"What do you want?" Luke inquired calmly. "I have done nothing..."

"You are on this moon, uninvited, that is enough," the leader said and with
that he raised his blaster and knocked the rifle over Skywalker's head.
Without a sound the Jedi fell to the ground, unconscious.

"What do we do with him?" one of the men asked who kicked the slumped form
of the Jedi.

"Isn't there always a slave dealer around we can contact?" The Leader of
the pirates smirked, shouldering the unconscious man and with that they
headed back to their stronghold with their new prisoner.

++++

Wedge Antilles paced in front of the small Corellian freighter and for the
umpteenth time Corran Horn wished his friend would stop it. They were both
tightly strung ever since they had picked up the distress call from
Skywalker's X-Wing and the holo transmission they intercepted shortly
thereafter. Corran sighed again and watched his friend's pacing which was
really getting on his nerves. Sighing, Corran rubbed his beard and recited
the Jedi code under his breath unconsciously. He smirked when he noticed
and shook his head.

"Wedge, would you please stop pacing!" Corran growled and watched as Wedge
stopped in mid-stride, threw Corran a look that told him to shove off into
the next galaxy, then continued pacing.

Sighing again, Corran turned to the officials that were still arguing with
each other. They had come here on a mission to pick up their friend Luke
who had been on a secret assignment to retrieve information on a band of
pirates who threatened the already shaky union with the New Republic. When
they had arrived on the main planet, thinking Luke would already be waiting
for them, they had found out that the infiltrator had been found dead and
Luke was missing on the second moon of the system.

The Jedi Master always gets into trouble, Corran chuckled to himself
as he watched the officials again. Dealing with the pompous men was like
pulling teeth on a Rancor and he knew that they had to use every persuasive
way to get the help they needed.

"Master Horn, I'm sorry, but our resources are too limited to grant you
help." One of the men had come over and was now eyeing the pilot
suspiciously. "We have already lost a fair amount of our troops in our
efforts against the pirates and we cannot effort to lose more."

"So you are saying that you will not help the New Republic?" Corran asked
in a calm voice, a calmness he didn't really feel.

"I'm afraid so," the man explained glibly and Corran had to suppress the
urge to lunge at the man. "But we have intercepted a transmission coming
from the pirates, they have requested the visit of a slave trader, so it
might be possible that your friend is still alive."

"Did they ask for any specific slave dealer?" Horn asked and the official
shook his head no.

"But usually Velda Dakeela does this sort of business in this system; she
is in the service of Van'tii the Hutt of Y'Toub. She is an old hag, ugly as
a Rancor, but she would be the first choice."

"A female slave trader?" Corran mused and watched the man in front of him.
"Do you have a female agent we could use?"

"I'm sorry but we do not have any female agents in our troops that could
pose as Velda to help your friend. But she always wears a netted mask, so
you or your friend could pose as her."

"What if the real Velda shows up?" The Jedi inquired gruffly, not too
amused by the prospect of posing in women's clothes, and the man grinned.

"You seem to think we are not helpful but we could detain Velda for a few
days, I'm sure we will find fault with her ship and load."

"Thank you for your efforts, nevertheless," Corran replied and nodded his
thanks. Returning to where Wedge was still pacing, he shook his head when
he noticed the questioning look on his friend and comrade's face.

Both men boarded the ship and after they had requested permission for take
off, the two Rogue Pilots settled themselves in the cockpit of their small
Corellian freighter.

"So how do we go about this business now?" Wedge asked and watched Corran
who was obviously deeply in thought.

"Ever thought about dressing up as a gal?" Corran asked and grinned when he
saw Wedge's pained look.

++++

The suite was quiet for once and Leia Organa Solo relished the peace and
calm. Snuggling closer to her husband on the couch of their living quarters
she sighed contentedly and closed her eyes. She could feel her husband
barely containing his laughter and with an irritated raised eyebrow she
opened her eyes to look up at him.

"You don't need to be a Force-sensitive to know what that sigh meant," Han
Solo explained to his wife and squeezed her gently. "I know you too well."

Leia matched his grin and put a soft kiss onto the tip of his nose. "You
know me too well for my own good, husband of mine," she replied before she
cuddled up into his embrace again. "But for once we are not to be disturbed
and what is wrong with just enjoying the presence of my husband?"

Han laughed loudly then and bent his dark head down towards her.

"Only my presence?" he asked playfully, his eyes shining with contained
passion and lust. Leia smiled sweetly, then tapped a slender finger against
her lips as if deep in thought.

"Hmmm... well, I think this husband of mine has other assets as well," she
answered and grinned at his reaction when she rubbed herself against his
still lean body.

"What assets?" Han groaned when he felt the familiar surge of lust almost
overwhelming him. They had been married now for the better half of nine
years and still a simple touch could inflame his body as if it was the
first day of their relationship.

"Your endurance," Leia giggled as she watched her husband squirm in his
seat on the couch. "And of course your patience," she added as her hand
trailed a very passionate path down his chest and toward the waistband of
his trousers.

"Patience?" Han asked and his voice had a definite catch to it as he felt
her hand opening the first fasteners of his clothes. He gritted his teeth
when she cupped him gently, knowing full well what this kind of action
would do to him and eventually to her as well.

"I'll get you for this, your Highness," he groaned and claimed her lips,
plundering her mouth with his tongue to the rhythm of her hand on his manhood.

"I'm hoping for thorough payback, smuggler boy," Leia whispered in between
kisses and climbed up into his lap. For once they were not to be disturbed
and she enjoyed their little frolick enormously.
They were just about to take their love making further when the comm unit
came to life and both groaned.

"Let it beep, anyone calling can call again ... later!" Han growled, when
Leia made a move to answer the call.

"But this is the family code, my love," she whispered and after a last kiss
and making sure, her husband was sufficiently covered, she straightened and
leaned over the comm unit. Answering the call, the holo came immediately to
life and showed the somewhat tired face of Mara Jade.

"Jade, what a surprise," Leia exclaimed and frowned slightly when she saw
the Master Trader nodded in acknowledgement. Something about the woman
didn't feel right and she could have sworn she could see the evident marks
of tears on her cheeks.

"I'm sorry to disturb you, Madame Senator, but I need to locate your
brother. Tionne told me you knew about his whereabouts?"

The feeling of dread was washing over Leia as she cautiously eyed the woman
on the comm. "Is anything the matter?" Leia asked, knowing that more than
once Mara had felt something was wrong with Luke and that she had rescued
him innumerable times because of their strong shared bond in the Force.

Before Leia could question why Jade needed to talk to Luke, the trader
seemed to have picked up on her train of thoughts and shook her head slightly.

"Nothing is wrong, Leia, I just ... I need back my lightsaber and as
Skywalker still has it ..." Mara could see how Leia exhaled visibly and she
felt bad for putting the Senator on such an edge. "Do you know where he is?"

"He is on a mission for Ackbar, in the Cha Raaba system. Need to know basis
and I shouldn't even tell you this much," Leia replied. "I believe Wedge
and Corran are on their way there to pick him up again. They are expected
back in four days."

Mara nodded to that and checked her astromech. "I'm only a hyperspace day
away from the system, do you know their clearance comm code?"

Leia watched the woman in front of her for a short moment. Must be
something to need your lightsaber so badly, Jade, she thought before
she answered the question, "Yes I have, I'll transmit it to you with
decryption Skywalker One Decca immediately." Leia typed in some
co-ordinates quickly and hit the send button.

"Thank you... Jade out," Mara replied and managed to give a small smile,
she was about to switch off when she caught the look on Leia's face.

"Mara, is everything all right?"

Her hand hovering on the console and the transmit button, Mara for a moment
pondered whether to ignore the question and pretend to have already cut the
connection but after all that had transpired in the last months, she knew
she owed Leia an answer.

"I'm fine, Leia," Mara said and hoped the smile she gave the woman was not
the painful smirk she felt it to be. "I hope you and your family are well?"

"We are all fine, Mara," Leia replied, sensing the other woman's reluctance
to talk. "Well if you see Luke before I do tell him to stop by Coruscant
before heading back to Yavin, will you do that?"

"I will, Leia. Jade out!" This time the connection went dead immediately
and Leia frowned slightly. What is she up to again? she thought and
smiled when she felt Han's arms slip around her waist and being pulled back
against him.

"How does she know our private family code? You didn't seem surprised to
see her, honey," Han asked as he nibbled at her ear lobe.

"Ahhh, Luke must have told her," Leia breathed as her head fell back
against his shoulder. "Did you see how distressed she looked? If I didn't
know better, she looked as if she had been crying..."

Han stopped his ministrations and turned his wife ever so slightly so he
was able to see into her face. "What, Mara Jade, Miss Ex-Imp tough
Corellian cookie crying? Never!"

"I have seen stranger things in my life, Han," Leia replied and giggled.
"Corellian Cookie? They taste awful."

"Only when I bake them, honey," Han purred and draw his wife closer. "Now,
wife of mine, where were we ...?"

++++

The cockpit of the Corellian freighter was silent as both pilots were
deeply engrossed in their own thoughts and both jumped when the holo comm
came to life.

"Corellian freighter Scare One," Corran answered the call and sighed
in relief when he saw the woman's face. "Mara."
"Scare one?" Mara asked with a smirk and grinned when she saw the
Jedi blush.

"We are posing as smugglers so that bucket here needed an impressive name,"
Corran replied and and threw Wedge, who had stepped closer, a look.

"I heard it was need to know only, Horn, so don't divulge any vital
information," Mara retorted and winked.

"Knowing you, you already know all about our mission, Jade," Wedge barged
in. "Where are you?"

"On my way to Honoghr, sightseeing," Mara replied. "And I have a trade run
to the Y'Toub System for Karrde."

"That's a long shot from your normal runs, Jade, it looks like you are on
the run ... perchance from a certain Jedi Master?" Horn asked and could
feel the anger emanating from the woman even from this distance.

"One day Horn, your big mouth will get you killed," Jade spit back and
threw him one of her deadly glances that meant 'Stay out of my way'.
"But speaking of the Jedi Master, is he with you?"

Corran and Wedge exchanged a knowing look that clearly stated 'Gotcha
Jade', then Corran turned towards the comm unit again.

"What, feeling lonely, Jade?" he ribbed her again and grinned. "How far are
you on your way to Y'Toub?"

Thrown off momentarily by his inquiry, Jade checked her astromech. "About
two hours, why?"

"Can you meet us at the space station on the main planet of Cha Raaba after
your trade run? We are in need of a master infiltrator," Corran said and
caught Wedge's look of first surprise and then understanding.

"Sure, expect me to dock tomorrow at 06:00 Coruscant Standard," Mara
replied, frowning slightly at the request. "Don't tell me the Jedi Master
has gotten himself into some Bantha mess again?"

"Tell you when you arrive, Jade, it is really need to know," Corran replied
and after they had traded their farewells, the Jedi cut the connection.

"Perfect!" Horn rejoiced and rubbed his hands together. "Thank the Force
for small favours!"

Wedge wasn't as optimistic as his friend. "Do you think she'll agree?"

Horn watched Antilles then laughed. "Have you ever heard of Mara Jade
refusing to rescue Skywalker?" When Wedge shook his head, he continued.
"You'll see, she will jump at the opportunity. It won't be that hard of an
argument, believe me, and in the end, Jade will do it. She always does,
when it concerns Luke."
++++

TBC

Hi All,

I'm feeling bored today - Sherry's disease must be contagious <g> - so I
thought what the heck and post chapter two :)

Summary: Set after Cold Equation it continues the tale of Luke's and Mara's
rocky friendship - in order to get Mara out of his system, Luke has taken
it upon himself to undergo a mission on a Force-free moon in the Cha Raaba
system where a band of pirates wreck havoc. Of course, Mr. self-proclaimed
Jedi gets himself caught again and it is Mara to the rescue. But this time
the Ex-Imp is not too thrilled about it when his friends Corran and Wedge
ask for her help.

Rating: NC17 overall story, this chapter .. R <g>

Special Thanks: As always to Sherry my beta reader and her invaluable
friendship. You go girl :) And Jackie for beta reading, bouncing off ideas
and drooling over men in leather - oh and using Aeryn aka Claudia Black as
Shada D'ukal in her fics :) Thank you chicas, you two are great :)

Collateral Damage
by
Una

Chapter Two - Disguises

Luke woke up with a start and groaning, he pushed himself into a squatting
position and surveyed his new surroundings. When his eyes had grown
accustomed to the semi-darkness, he could see that the cell was not only
dark but also dank. His head hurt and when he moved his natural hand over
the bump on the back of his head, Luke winced.
He was about to go into a Jedi healing trance when he remembered that the
planet was Force-free due to its wildlife, and the Jedi sighed loudly.

You have to do it like everyone else and endure, Skywalker, he
admonished himself silently and pushed up to his feet. Closing his eyes
when a wave of nausea threatened to overwhelm him, he stilled all movement.

"Sithspit!" Luke swore beneath his breath and groped for the bunk he had
located earlier. Falling on it heavily, Skywalker groaned again when the
throbbing in his head continued and even increased. Squeezing his eyes shut
and covering them with an arm, he laid back on the bunk and all in all felt
miserable.

Just great, Skywalker, you stupid Jedi. You walked into the trap like a
lost Baby Bantha!
he chided himself and tried to ignore the pounding in his head, almost
missing the door to his cell opening.

"Ah, made yourself comfortable, did you?" a voice hollered and Luke almost
jumped. "Enjoy it while it lasts."

Suppressing a groan, Luke sat up and cupped his head in his hands. He
wished the man would stop yelling at him.
<op>
"Who are you?" Skywalker ground out and almost choked when he was pulled up
by his tunic and onto his feet.

"You only speak when told to, understand?" The pirate hissed and pushed
Luke back onto the bunk. He grinned when he saw Skywalker's discomfort.
"You should count yourself lucky, you'll bring a good share for us."

"Share?" Luke croaked out and tried to suppress the sudden urge to retch.
The leader grinned.

"Yeah, you'll bring us good credits with a slave trader!" With that remark,
he left Luke who slumped back onto the bunk. For a moment he closed his
eyes, before his stomach lurched and he barely made it over to the small
refresher unit in the corner of his cell.

After his stomach had relieved itself of the remains of the rationbar he
had this morning, Luke sat back onto the bunk and tried to rationalize his
predicament. So he had been captured by the very pirates he had been sent
out to spy on. Great! One point for the pirates, he thought. This
moon - what was the name again? Yeah right, Cha Niem, is Force-free, so
Jedi mind tricks don't help. Why did I let myself into this when Ackbar
asked me?

Sighing he laid back on the bunk and closed his eyes, berating himself for
his own stupidity. Now come, Skywalker, why did you jump at the chance
to get off Yavin and saving the galaxy again? Not because Ackbar asked you,
you just wanted to flee your quiet life on Yavin where you had too much
time thinking about Jade! A little voice nagged in the back of his mind
and Luke knew it was right. When he had returned to Yavin he indeed had
spent to much time thinking about Mara Jade. His students had teased him
first about his sometimes far away look, but soon his teaching was impaired
as he caught himself more and more day dreaming about Mara and their short
affair and he had known that he had to snap out of it quickly.

And look what it got me into! Luke chided himself and carefully, he
rubbed his head around the area of the lump. The extremes I go to to get
a woman out of my head, he chuckled at that and an image of Mara, as
she quirked an eyebrow at him, appeared before his mind's eye.

"Ahh, Jade ..." he exhaled softly and closed his eyes. He began thinking
through his options and how he would get out of this situation but soon
those thoughts were pushed aside as the memories of Mara and himself
together once again took over, as he fell into a slight slumber.

++++

Despite the astromech and the navigational board computer, Mara Jade always
docked her ship at any space station manually. She revelled in the feeling
of mastery she had to display even if the technicians and navigation
officers at the main command of the space station didn't know she did it by
hand.

They would have a fit, if they knew! Mara smirked at that and
powered down the Jade's Fire after she had docked successfully. Soon
she had made sure her ship was locked up and secured and she made her way
over to the lounge.

The lounge wasn't very populated, so Mara Jade had free choice for a table.
After she had chosen one that gave her an unobstructed view of both the
huge panorama ports as well as the entrance, she made herself comfortable
and ordered a caf from the waiter droid.

Waiting for Skywalker's two friends, Mara had time to process what little
information she had.
For one Skywalker is in some mess again, so what is new? Mara told
herself silently. It's true to form that he gets into a hot situation
and expects me to rescue him ... she frowned at that. She wanted to
access the situation, not thinking about the Jedi Master again.

Sighing, she rubbed her eyes wearily and tried to concentrate. Second,
he must be on a Force-free planet, she surmised. There are two
Force-free planets and moons in this system, Cha Raaba Delta and Cha Niem.
Delta is nothing more than a rock with barely breathable atmosphere that
one is out of the question, so Cha Niem it is.

The trader had not waited long before Wedge Antilles and Corran Horn showed
up, scanning the room for her. Watching the two men advancing towards her
table, she took her feet from one of the chairs beside her seat and sat up.

"Hello Mara," Corran said as he took a seat beside her while Antilles sat
across from her.
Jade watched both men closely, trying to determine what was up with these
two and her danger sense flared up.

"When do we start out for Cha Niem?" she asked by way of greeting and
Corran bit his lip, while Wedge frowned.

"Can't keep a secret from you, can I?" Horn asked and chuckled. Mara raised
an eyebrow and shook her head, golden-red locks that had escaped her heavy
braid flying wildly.

"I can't feel him through the Force, so either he is out cold or on a
Force-free planet and Cha Niem is the nearest..."

"How do you know he isn't dead?" Wedge asked gruffly, sipping the caf he
had ordered when they had entered the lounge.

"Skywalker and I are bonded through the Force, I would know it. And believe
me, if he were, I wouldn't be sitting here," Mara matched the pilot's tone
of voice.

"So you wouldn't even bother trying to retrieve his body?" Wedge asked,
clearly shocked, and Corran fidgeted uneasily in his chair when Mara leaned
over the table, right in Wedge's face.

"Not that it's any of your business, Antilles, but I'd follow him if he
were dead," she snarled and realising what she had just said, she sat down
again and rubbed her temples wearily. "The bond is too strong to be severed
by death and if one of us dies ..." her voice trailed away and Corran
reached out to squeeze her hand quickly.

"Then it is true, the Jedi mind-melt exists?" he asked, his voice catching
in his throat.

Jade nodded to that and Wedge looked at the two Jedi with a puzzled
expression on his face. "I don't understand, did you and Luke ... do some
Jedi bonding?"

Feeling Mara's discomfort on the subject, Corran quickly explained. "Some
Jedi holocrons and information tell us about mind-melts, though it was
never thought possible," he paused when Mara exhaled softly.

"It is possible," she murmured.

"I never doubted that Luke was able to do it," Horn added. "And I'm not
surprised it happened with you, Jade."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Mara asked sharply as she had recovered
just enough for her old defiant nature to come to the surface again.

"Last time I saw you and Luke you were entertaining us with a nice light
show," he grinned while the trader blushed beet-red. It took a lot to throw
the Ex-Imperial off.

"So tell me, how did that mind melt come to be?" Wedge held up his hands
and Corran turned toward his friend.

"What is this mind-melt thing?" Wedge asked, thrown off by the whole Jedi
business.

Corran creased his nose and tried to find the words to explain it as easily
as possible.

"Wedge, you know of Jedi bonding, the same Luke and Leia have because they
are brother and sister?"

"Yeah," Wedge nodded at that. "They can communicate with each other through
the Force."

"Correct, and Mara and Luke have the same bond only that with a mind melt
it gets stronger, it is as if the two share their thoughts without any
effort to reach out to each other ..." When he saw Mara nodding, he
continued. "Mind melts are very rare, even more so now where we do not know
a lot about them but they usually are the final stage in a bonding between
two Jedi ..." Corran's voice trailed away and his head snapped up sharply
into the direction of the trader.

Mara countered his inquisitive stare with a level gaze of her own. *I'll
be Kesseled!* she heard Corran's thought through the Force and the
trader felt a blush creeping up into her cheeks. Clearing her throat
discomfortingly, Mara broke her connection with the pilot and turned
towards Wedge.

"Luke and I are connected, let's leave it at this, Antilles. I know when he
is hurt and for now he isn't. But we have to get him out wherever he is,"
she explained hastily. "So, why do you need me here? I assume you didn't
wanted to see me just to have a casual talk about Jedi rituals, did you?"

"Fair enough, Jade," Wedge answered. "Let's go over to our ship and discuss
the details!"

++++

"You want me to do what?" Mara Jade asked in surprise and jumped to her
feet. "You must be out of your minds!"

Corran shook his head and raised his hands in a calming gesture. "Look,
Mara, we thought about disguising me as a woman but it doesn't work ... for
one we are both too tall to pass for a woman, secondly, we don't have the
skills like you do. You were trained in infiltration."

"Well yes, but that was undercover not ..." she motioned to the padding and
scattered clothes on a table nearby, "... in broad daylight made up like an
overstuffed Bantha."

"Why, Jade, I never knew you were self-conscious of how you look?" Wedge
cut in and both men tried to hide the laughter when they saw Jade's sour
expression.

"I'll be Kesseled!" Mara growled, but hid her own smile behind a smirk.
"You want me to dye my hair and dress up like a hag?"

"Mara, you can't use the Force down there, so we have to disguise you for
real," Corran explained calmly, but he too had a hard time to hide his
smile. He watched as Jade bit her lower lip, deeply in thought, and then
flashed Wedge a smile that definitely said: 'She'll do it'.

"All right, do you your worst," Mara said and held out her hands in silent
defeat. Both men sprang into action and Wedge rushed over to her.

"Iella told me the dye we're using can be rinsed out again, so it won't
leave any permanent effects," Wedge said and grinned when green emerald
eyes gazed at him with a deadly stare.

"I hope for you that Iella is right," Mara said and sat down at the table.

++++

The noise coming from outside his cell told him that the guards were
changing. Sighing, he sat up and immediately grabbed his head. The
throbbing in his head had decreased considerably but the bump on the back
of his head was still painful to the touch.

Slowly he stood up and crept over to the door when he heard the guards
talking. The exchange of words was quickly over but now Skywalker knew for
what he had to prepare himself. They ahd sent for a slave trader called Velda.

great, just great, Luke thought to himself and shook his head
carefully. Why do I always have to get into this kind of mess?
Wishing for the umpteenth time that he had declined this mission.

++++

Mara smirked as she watched her image in the mirror in front of her. Wedge
and Corran had done a good job at disguising her. While Wedge had dyed her
red-golden curls a dull brown, Corran had wrapped layer upon layer of
padding around her waist and chest and now she was about twice her size.

Corran had gone to the cockpit to prepare the flight route while Wedge
stayed behind, helping Mara with the headpiece and the netting that was to
obscure her face.

"Remember you are from Corellia," Wedge reminded her and grinned when Mara
cocked a freshly died dark eyebrow at him. "Just prepping you, Jade."

"My name is Velda Dankeela, slave trader for Van'tii the Hutt. On trade run
to Kessel," Mara sighed. "It's not as if I haven't done this before, Antilles!"

"I know," Wedge replied and for a moment their eyes met. Sighing, Wedge
pushed himself to his feet and stood. Taking her hand in his own, he
squeezed it shortly.

"Thank you Mara, for doing this. I know that you and Luke ..." he gave her
a loop-sided grin, "Well, it is none of my business, but thank you."

Mara felt a flush creeping up her neck and into her cheeks. She returned
the squeeze of his hand.

"I will always protect him, Antilles," she said firmly and both nodded in
understanding. Wedge had had his doubts in the past whether this woman was
a friend or not but over the years she had earned his respect. She might
have been the Emperor's Hand and had wanted to kill Luke, but she also was
part of the inner circle of people Skywalker called his friends and family,
perhaps even more so than others in that group.

After the awkward moment was over, both being aware that this single moment
had changed the dynamics of their relationship considerably, Mara secreted
away her two blaster pistols. Wedge smirked when he saw where one of the
smaller ones went.

"Does Luke know about this?" Antilles asked and the fresh flush on Mara's
cheeks was more than enough of an answer. "I guess so," Wedge chuckled and
turned to raise Corran over the comm.

When all three of them were satisfied that the disguise would work, Corran
set course toward the second moon in the Cha Raaba system, leaving Mara
with a feeling of both dread and hope.

++++

The guards led the slave trader to the lone holding cell and when they
opened it, Mara hobbled into the dank room, her feet dragging slightly on
the rough surface of the floors. Luke Skywalker sat on the narrow bunk and
when the door opened he jumped to his feet, eyeing the new arrivals with
weary eyes. Mara thought she could see a flicker of hope in his eyes, but
the netting she was wearing over her face impaired her vision.

From what the guards had mentioned, she knew Velda was not a shy one and
if she was to pull this off successfully, she had to be as daring as she
managed with Skywalker. Oh well here goes, Mara thought and watched
the Jedi in front of her.

"Present yourself, Loverboy, Velda wants to inspect the goods!" One of the
guards hollered and shoved him into the small section of light that was
coming from the corridor.

Luke eyed the woman called Velda, who had stepped in front of him and had
her hands on her voluptuous hips. Slowly, she circled the Jedi, dirty hands
roaming over his body, examining an arm muscle here, forcing his mouth open
there.

"Take that shirt off," the woman sneered in a heavy Corellian dialect and
nodded her head towards Luke after she had circled him twice before coming
to rest in front of him again.
The guards snickered, and ribbed each other in their ribs.

The Jedi Master paused for a moment, and for the umpteenth time Luke wished
he could use his Jedi skills to know what his opponent was up to. With a
sigh, Skywalker opened the fastenings of his tunic and pulled the garment
over his head.

After what appeared to be an appreciative glance, the woman nodded towards
the tank top Luke was still wearing.

"That too," she barked and watched as Skywalker took off the top. Mara had
to hide her smile as she saw the discomfort on Luke's face, but in order to
get him out of here she had to act her part and she was determined not to
endanger the mission just because she wanted to reassure the Jedi Master.
In fact, she could have a bit of fun.

"Van'tii is looking for a human male for a breeding stud," Mara said and
flashed the guards a crooked smile before she turned back to Luke. "I hope
the goods are not impaired in any way?"

"The ... the goods?" Skywalker croaked out and tried to place the voice of
the woman. It sounded familiar but otherwise he knew he had never seen the
slave trader before ... he hoped.

"As a breeder you will be asked to perform ... repeatedly ... and my employer
wants only impeccable goods," Mara slurred. She slowly took a step forward
and outstretched her hand to nestle it against the waistband of his black
trousers.

The Jedi Master flinched but tried to suppress the natural urge to step
back. Reciting the Jedi code over and over again, he exhaled softly and
stared down onto the slave trader.
This isn't happening, he thought and closed his eyes briefly.
This is not HAPPENING!

"Are you able to perform?" Mara breathed, her own voice coming to the
surface, but covering it with a cough. "Do I have to check it out?"

"If you think you can have your way with me, think again, slave trader,"
Luke snarled and crossed his arms over his chest. Every ounce of his body
screamed to flinch away from this woman, but instead he tried to calm his
body and mind.

"My way? You cannot imagine my way, Boy. Down with the pants!" Mara
snarled and caught the blush as it began to creep up into the Jedi's face.
"NOW!" she demanded for emphasis and watched as Skywalker hooked his thumbs
into the waistband of his trousers and jerked them downwards.

The guards behind them snickered again and some wolf-whistles could be heard.

"Hey, Velda, you gonna have to work him real hard!" One of them hollered
and Mara flashed him an amused look.

"Old Velda never works on a man hard, I make 'em work harder," she cackled
and placed a hand on Luke's shoulder. Slowly, Mara let her fingers wander
over the soft skin and for a moment she held her breath when she felt the
familiar tingle surge through her. Stretching her hand over the pecs of his
chest, she grinned behind the netted mask and stepped around him, never
stopping the touch of skin to skin.

Luke inhaled sharply when he felt her hand roam over his still covered
buttocks then he yanked away when he felt his pants jerked down his legs.

"Sithspit, stop!" Luke growled and tried to retrieve as much dignity as he
could muster, covering himself up as well as he could. He could hear the
guards laughing and for a moment he closed his eyes. Not again, he
thought. Not again! Luke started to shiver uncontrollably when he
felt a hand on his hip as Velda stepped in front of him, her breath
brushing over his naked skin.

Mara could feel the tension in the Jedi Master and for a moment she tried
to lock her gaze with him. Not daring to lift the netting and give away her
disguise, she squeezed his shoulder shortly and his head jerked up to face
her. Green eyes locked with blue ones and Mara hoped something like
understanding passed between them.

"Leave us alone!" she demanded and the guards, after more snickering, left
them alone in the cell.

Moving quickly, she sent the door shut with a kick of her boot before she
turned and faced Skywalker again. When Luke started to open his mouth, she
raised a hand and shook her head. Listening to the chatter of the guards
outside, she exhaled softly.

"How did you get into this mess again, Jedi?" she asked softly and watched
with satisfaction as Skywalker flinched at the tone of her voice.

"Krayt Dragon's bones, Mara!" Luke whispered and shook his head. Turning
around, he bent down, reaching for his trousers that were pooled around his
ankles but Mara's harsh voice stopped him in mid-motion.

"Did I tell you to cover yourself, BOY?"

"Mara," Luke pleaded softly but Mara threw him a warning look.

"Shut up, Skywalker, or do you want to blow my cover?" Jade hissed
impatiently and yanked a rope out of the leather bag she had slung over her
shoulder. "Get over to the bunk," she said loudly and kept her eyes on the
cell door. Until she was satisfied that only part of the bunk was visible
through the small scuttle in the door, she came over were Skywalker was
still standing.

Luke sighed and bent down again to cover himself when he felt a shove from
behind and he fell onto the bunk.

"Jade, what the..." Luke cut off on his words when he felt Mara's body
covering him, as well as her lips only a breath away from his mouth.

"Skywalker, sometimes you are as dense as a Mynock. Now shut up!" she
whispered urgently. "They are watching us, so pretend as if you are
squeamish about me checking out the goods!" With these words, she
straddled him, yanking up the dirty jerkin slightly that she was wearing
over all the padding and moving up and down as if riding him.

Luke gritted his teeth when she started to gyrate her hips against him and
squeezed his eyes shut. Again, he silently recited the Jedi code but this
time it didn't help. Mara's movements as well as all his pent up passion
for the woman who was above him, was having a definite exciting effect on
him, despite the fact that they were being watched.

Groaning softly, he fought the passion that started to rise in him, pooling
in heavy waves into his lower abdomen and making him yearn for the soft
touch of skin against skin, Mara's skin against his. Luke inhaled deeply
and tried to keep his raging emotions under control.

"Mara ..." he growled deeply in his throat, trying to keep his voice down,
and gripped her hips with his hands, stilling them momentarily. "Stop
moving, please!"

"Yo, Velda, check him out!" came the calls from outside the door and Mara
rolled her eyes.

"Men," she growled and turned her head. "Now give a lady some privacy!"

The laughter of the men outside seemed to recede and she turned her
attention back to Luke beneath her and the very evident arousal that she
felt between her thighs. Fighting a losing battle, Luke gritted his teeth.
His body rather than his mind had reached a decision and he acted purely on
instinct then, giving in to the arousal that was surging through his body.

Jade's eyes grew wide, then slit dangerously. "By the love of..." her voice
trailed off, when she felt Luke's hands leave her hips and one tucked
securely around her neck, yanking the netting off to the side. Then he
pulled her head down.

"I told you to stop, Jade, but you never listen, do you? You always have to
have it your way, right?" he growled in a half whisper, then pulled her
mouth on his, plunging his tongue viciously into her mouth, crushing her
lips in the process.

Mara gasped in surprise when she felt Luke's tongue invading her mouth with
ferocious eagerness. Closing her eyes she lost herself into his kiss, her
hands finding their way into his hair, feeling the silkiness of it as their
tongues fought an agitated battle. She could feel Skywalker shivering
beneath her and for a long moment she just relaxed into his arms, savouring
the sweetness of the intimate moment with the Jedi Master.

Luke's eyes snapped open when he felt Mara relaxing against him. Even
through the heavy padding he could feel her pliant body, and a rush of
memories flooded his body. The soft touch of her skin, the smell of her
hair and more importantly the soft groans that were now escaping her
throat, sent him back to a time in his apartment where they had made love
with wild abandon. Groaning, he tried to move her underneath him, but her
strong thighs fought any effort to roll her over onto her back. When they
both came up for much needed air, their eyes locked for a long moment. Both
saw the raw emotion and the almost animalistic need for each other in the
other's eyes. Mara's senses returned to normal as fear crept through her,
fear that she might once again lose herself in the arms of this man and she
yanked away.

"That's enough, Farmboy," she whispered harshly and with a look towards the
door, she straightened her clothes and jumped off the bed. "Get dressed,
boy, you will do for Van'tii!"
The rope she had gotten out earlier lay forgotten onto the floor and Mara
bent down to retrieve it.

"Get dressed!" she hissed and turned her back to him. She could hear the
ruffle of clothes behind her and she closed her eyes. Unbidden images
appeared before her mind's eye and try as she might she couldn't shut them
out. Their kiss had shook her to the deepest recesses of her soul. It had
felt so right, so safe, so exciting. She could still feel passion raging
through her body and only with effort, she controlled the erratic beating
of her heart.

Skywalker was still panting and his erection was painful. I shouldn't
have kissed her, he reminded himself with irony and he knew even if he
had wanted, he could not have resisted her. Standing, he yanked his
trousers up, then put his tunic back on.

When Mara was certain that Skywalker was at last presentable, she walked
over to the door on shaking legs. Opening the door, the guards stood just
outside and snickered when they saw her.

"He will do for Van'tii," she said and grinned.

"The payment, Velda!" one of the guards stepped into her way, and with an
exaggerated sigh, she retrieved a pouch of credits from her jerkin.

"The compensation," Mara said as she handed over the pouch, carefully
watching as it was secreted away in a pocket. The trader turned back and
swishing the rope in her hands, she stepped over were Luke waited in the cell.

"Your hands!" she demanded and Luke threw her a surprised look. "Your
Hands!" Mara growled again and watched as Skywalker held out his hands.

"Afraid I could do something with these you'd like too much?" he asked
softly only for her to hear and for a moment Mara was tempted to wipe that
grin off his face with a hard swipe of her elbow.

"Don't push your luck, Farmboy," Mara whispered and tightened the rope
around his wrists. Luke suddenly jerked his hands away, causing Mara's hand
to brush over his still inflamed manhood.
Mara, intent on tying his hands didn't seem to notice until the third time
he did it. Then her angry eyes slowly rose to meet his darkened blue ones.

"I can find someone to take care of that for you," she hissed in a low,
dangerous voice.

Luke smiled sweetly at her, more farmboy than ever. "And here I thought I
had already found someone." He batted his silky lashes at her and
suppressed a grin when he saw her temper flare. But the way she had teased
him earlier, he wanted to pay her back and he didn't much care if he made
her angrier than she already was. He just had to ride it out, whichever
way it was going.

Mara's hand slipped from the rope and closing the distance between them,
she gripped Luke's member in her hand through the fabric of his black
pants. Her sudden and harsh treatment caused Luke to gasp, trying to
dampen the mixture of fear and passion that suddenly mingled in him.

"Well, think again, Farmboy." Mara growled and the rope cut even deeper
into the Jedi Master's wrists when she snapped the ends tightly. Then she
turned away from him and yanked the end of the rope, so that the Jedi
stumbled after her.

Mara held her gaze riveted on the guard in front and when they reached the
yard she misstepped all of a sudden. Bumping into the guard, she made an
effort to catch her balance, cackling all the way, and brushing her body up
and down the man.

"The boy is good, Old Velda is a bit shaky," she snickered and the guards
around her roared with laughter.

With her newly acquired slave, Mara walked steadily toward the landing pad
that was just visible through the dense forest. When she had made sure that
the guards were not interested in them anymore and well out of sight, the
trader turned around in a flash and grabbed Luke by the collar of his
tunic. With an anger she had barely contained during their little ploy with
the guards, she slammed him into the nearest tree.
Gasping with surprise, Skywalker felt the air leaving his lungs on impact
and watched Mara's face only inches away from him.

"What do you think you were doing back there, Jedi?" she hissed angrily,
rage and frustration oozing from her in heavy waves. "You could have gotten
us both killed with your antics!"

"Mara ...," Luke opened his mouth but Jade shook her head.

"Not a word, Jedi! I really should have let your sorry butt rot in there. I
thought you had more sense, some of those guards are cut throats who'd love
to kill Jedi and young guns who think they can do as they please," Mara
explained calmly, too calmly for Skywalker's liking.

Oh boy, I have messed up! he thought. He had only seen Mara like
this a few times in his life before and when she was in one of these moods
she was deadly - in the literal sense of the word.

"I- I'm sorry," he muttered, trying to put as much sincerity into his voice
as he could muster and not show too much panic.

"You better be, Skywalker, because next time you get into such a mess again
I might consider letting you rot!" Mara hissed and shoved him away. Luke
watched her with guarded eyes.

It had been a while since they had last seen each other and he would have
preferred to have met her again under different circumstances. Their
short-lived affair that had ended painfully, was still too close to comfort
and yet his heart had soared when he had found out Velda was actually non
other than Mara. Something like hope had glimmered deep inside of him, hope
that she had returned to him and that they could work out together what the
Emperor had done to her all those years ago.

"Thank you, Mara," Luke said softly and their eyes met. Mara shook her
head, then turned away from him.

"You're welcome, Skywalker, but this is really getting old. When will you
ever learn and not rely on me to save your butt?" Mara questioned harsher
than she had intended. She wasn't prepared to talk to him so soon, she
realised.

"Hey, I didn't ask you to rescue me, Jade. In fact, how did you know I was
kept there?" Luke asked, his temper slowly rising to the surface. How
can she act so cold when only a few months ago they were more than comrades
in arms who could barely tolerated each other? he asked himself
angrily. He stumbled over a root and swore under his breath when he tried
to catch himself without his arms out for balance. Mara turned just in time
and grabbed him by his shoulders and straightened him.

"You considering untying me now?" Luke asked with an exasperated sigh and
held out his hands for her to cut the coarse bindings. For a moment their
eyes met and Mara was tempted to keep him tied up but then bent forward and
in a swift movement, she slipped a knife out of her boot and cut the
restraints.

"So how did you know I was here?" Luke asked again as he shook out his hands.

"Wedge told me," she said and secreted the knife back into the shaft of her
boot as she resumed their way to the ship.

"Wedge?" Luke asked and stopped in his tracks when he saw a lone figure,
blaster rifle in hand standing just beside the lowered ramp of the
spacecraft they were heading to. It was a YT Corellian freighter. Mara
turned around and cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Don't tell me that little pirates' vacation you took impaired your memory,
Skywalker?" she asked. "Wedge Antilles, your Rogue Squad buddy."

"I know who Wedge is, Jade. I just wondered how he knew?" Luke said and
felt his temper rising again. Only Mara could do that so easily, he was
about to point it out to her, when Mara drew him aside and shouts could be
heard from the direction of the pirate's hide out.

"Sithspit!" Mara swore under her breath and scanned the area.

"What is it?" Luke asked and inhaled sharply when he saw a group of five
heavily armed pirates coming their way.

"They must have found out that Velda didn't pay ..." Mara mused and met
Luke's surprised look with a raised eyebrow. "You didn't seriously think
I'd leave good NR credits with those Wampabags, do you?"

"But I saw you ... I mean you gave them the pouch ... and he checked..."
Luke's voice trailed away when Mara retrieved the very pouch from under her
innumerable padding.

"Sometimes you are just too naive, Farmboy," Mara said while she secreted
the credits away again and got out her wrist blaster.

"We have to get back to the ship!" she snarled and took aim. "Corran and
Wedge are waiting for us! Now GO!"

Hi all,

This is the third chapter of Collateral Damage, the follow up to Tatooine
Suns and Cold Equation. If you haven't read the first two chapters or the
two stories, then please go to my site at www.different-worlds.net and
choose the Star Wars archive.

Summary: Our favourite Jedi Master has gotten himself up to his neck into
Wampa doo again and it is Mara to the rescue with a little coaxing of Wedge
and Corran. While Luke now fully remembers all that happened back on
Tatooine on their first encounter, Mara still battles her warring emotions
for the Jedi Master.
Mara has managed to get Luke out of captivity and are now way on their back
to Wedge and Corran...

Rating: this as well as the following chapter definitely NC17

Thanks go to Sherry, my relentless beta reader and friend. Without her
goofing around and friendship this wouldn't be possible. Also special
thanks go to Jackie, you know why <drool>

Okay *nuff said - on with the story :)

Chapter Three - Accidents

Mara shoved Luke further down the small trail that led to the ship while
she fired her small blaster at the advancing pirates. Skywalker looked back
over his shoulder at Jade and saw that she was ducking behind a tree as she
changed the recharger.

"Go, Skywalker!" she shouted when she noticed him and Luke shook his head.

"You won't get rid of me that easily, Jade," the Jedi Master said after he
had crept up toward her. They stood face to face, pressed against the rough
bark of the tree. He groped between her legs and soon found what he was
looking for. When he met Mara's eyes, he laughed.

"Don't tell me you thought I was getting back at ya?" he grinned and gave
her a quick peck on her lips. "I was only looking for the blaster!"

"You could have fooled me, Jedi," Mara growled but the blush on her face
bespoke of her feelings before she turned back and fired at the still
advancing pirates. Shot after shot was fired but the pirates still
advanced. Mara cursed beneath her breath when she noticed one of the
pirates standing up again after she had shot him square in the chest,
beneath his burned and charred clothes she could just barely make out the
breast plate of durasteel.

"We need to get better shelter or we are dead," Luke mumbled beside her,
the small blaster in his hand getting warm from the continuation of shot
after shot. Mara threw him a quick glance then her gaze riveted back to the
men in front of her.

"Any suggestions, Jedi?" she snarled while she joined Luke firing shots at
them.

"Getting back to your ship," Luke yelled over the racket when two shots hit
the tree in front of them. They ducked for cover as one pirate crashed
through the underbrush and leapt in front of them laser gun ablazing. A
shot from each of them, one to his head and the other to his hand that
gripped the blaster, ended his short blaze of glory and Mara shot Luke a
glance.

"Shoot to kill?" Mara asked breathlessly and shot him an annoyed glance.

Luke answered with a defiant: "Only when a blaster is pointed at your head,
Mara!" that shook her to the deepest roots.

But this was no time to discuss this, she thought and turned in time
to shoot another attacker. Stumbling down the path towards the waiting
Corellian freighter, they ducked and ran from the oncoming shots.
+++++
Wedge, who had been keeping guard, heard the sound of blaster fire coming
his way and he swore underneath his breath. Comming Corran inside the ship,
he was about to head into the direction of the fire fight, when Corran's
voice held him back.

"Stay with the ship, Wedge, you know we don't have any defence weapons
apart from that blaster of yours. This ship is a piece of junk!"

"Just when I thought I could join in with the fun," Wedge gritted through
tightly pressed teeth and made his way back towards the ramp. Readying
himself to shoot down any pirates heading their way, he listened to the
blaster shots in the distance.

He smiled grimly when he saw the two Jedi stumbling into the clearing and
he quickly got onto one knee and covered the path behind advancing Jedi
with blaster fire. Shot after shot was exchanged between the NR and the
pirates and inch by inch the Jedi advanced further towards the ship where
Corran was already firing up the engines.

"Come on!" Wedge shouted, retreating further up the ramp when two shots
missed their intended targets and send sparks flying as they hit the side
of the ship. The sound of the engines whined and Corran's voice wavered
over the comm.

"Wedge, what's going on out there? Get those Jedi butts onto the ship!"
Corran growled. "Those idiots have hit the hyperdrive, if we don't get off
that planet now, we'll stay grounded."

"Corran, do me a favour and shut up!" Wedge growled and fired again.

Back in the cockpit, Corran had to smile at the gruff answer of his friend
before he checked the engine read outs on the data console before.

Suddenly all hell broke loose. The pirates were worst shots than any of the
friends had thought. A tree, gnarled and old, was hit and grazed the side
of the ship, while Luke and Mara had a hard time dodging it.

Mara who had been nearest the ramp to the freighter saw with horror as
Antilles got hit by the branches, almost knocking him off the ramp.
Shooting with one hand, the other crept to her comm link and immediately
after she had established a comm line, Corran's voice wavered to her.

"Horn, get that piece of junk off the ground!" she almost shouted.
"Antilles might be hurt when that tree came down."

"We are not leaving before you two get on board!" Horn growled in response.
"Now get up here!"

"Negative, the tree hinders us and if another tree hits like the last one
and crashes we don't have a ship to get up to ... now get Antilles inside
and get off this damn planet," Mara yelled now and for a short moment Luke
met her gaze.

"The X-Wing!" he yelled over the racket of the blaster fire and both
nodded. Taking the comm from Mara, he pushed the transmit button.

"Corran, get the ship space-side. We'll take my X-Wing. Now go!"

"Roger, Commander," came the grim answer from the Jedi. Both turned and
watched as the ramp rose and the engines fired up. They had to duck low as
not to get hit by the engine's searing heat as it made its ascend towards
space.

Silence descended onto the small clearing and Luke frowned at that.
Checking the clearing where the pirates had come from, he could see the
charred remains of three of their attackers and the rest was nowhere to be
found.
+++++
Wedge groaned as he squeezed himself into the co-pilot's seat. His arm was
throbbing where the tree had hit him but he didn't really notice. He was
angry, really angry. Trying to get his boiling emotions under control he
snorted loudly, attempting to get his mind off the anger while
concentrating on his throbbing arm which then reminded him why he was angry.

"Snap out of it!" Horn growled as he piloted the ship out of the atmosphere
into open space.

"I didn't say anything, HORN!" Antilles snapped back and shifted
uncomfortably in his seat.

After he had made sure that the ship was in orbit of Cha Niem, Corran
turned in his seat and watched his squadron commander.

"It was Luke's choice, Wedge," he started softly, belying his own anger
surging through him. "They'll make it to his X-Wing, I'm sure."

"Oh yeah .. and if they don't?" Antilles squeezed his eyes shut. "They
can't rely on the Force down there and without it they are not invincible..."

"Even with the Force they could die, the Force only heightens their
abilities not make them invincible. They'll be fine," Horn said and stood
up. Pulling his friend to his feet, he hauled him over to the small cabin
in the back. "Now let's see your arm, Antilles, and stop whining."

"I DON'T whine!" Antilles harumphed as he shrugged out of his jacket.

"Yes you do, Antilles, you sound like an old Corellian hag," Horn retorted.
"Now get that shirt off so I can have a look at that nasty cut that sullies
all the floors of this beauty of a ship with your blood!"

Both men bantered some more until after Horn had put away the medi kit,
they fell into silence, both deeply engrossed in their own thoughts and
fear for the two Jedi.
+++++
Their pursuers were nowhere to be seen but Skywalker and Jade didn't want
to rely on that as they made their way quickly through the underbrush of
the forest. The trees were standing so close to each other and the ground
was covered so thickly with moss and other floor growing plants that it was
hard work making progress, as the two Jedi had to dodge boulders and hidden
overgrown trunks along their way.

Mara was walking in front and for the first time, Luke noticed that Mara's
hair was not her usual colour and he suppressed the urge to reach out and
remove the cap she was wearing. Deep in thought, Luke didn't notice the
sudden intake of breath as Mara miss-stepped and tried to get her balance
back as she had stepped on a hidden tree stump. Grabbing her by her
shoulders, they both realised immediately it had been a mistake. Beneath
their feet the trunk gave way and both became aware that they were
dangerously close to a cliff-like slope. Dodging the falling trunks Luke
grabbed Mara tightly, trying to yank both of them back away from the edge
but it was too late and both took a tumble down the slope.

The fall seemed to be endless and when they at last came to a stop, Mara
lay on top of Luke. Fallen leaves and small twigs had tangled in their
clothes and hair and both had bloody scraps on their arms and faces.

"You okay?" Luke breathed, suppressing the urge of raising his head a small
bit and kiss those full lips that hovered so closely near his own mouth. He
knew it wasn't necessary to keep a hold on her anymore, but he revelled in
the feel of his hands around her waist.

Mara stared at him, nodding slightly, and could not tear her eyes away from
Luke's. She could feel his hands tightening on her hips where he held her
and for a moment she thought he would kiss her. Closing her eyes for a
short moment, she tried to put her jumbled thoughts into some kind of
order, tried to concentrate on their immediate situation. 
When she realised that she was loosing the fight of whether or not to kiss
Luke, she sat up abruptly and rolled to her side. Due to her former
Imperial training she had still the blaster in her hand as she sat up and
surveyed their situation.

"We need to get a move on, Skywalker," Mara said and pushed herself to her
feet, flinching when she felt a searing pain in her left arm.

"What is it?" Skywalker asked with concern and turned her so he could have
a look at her injured arm.

"We don't have time for this, Jedi," Mara snapped, feeling irritated at her
herself and seeking the only let out she knew - Luke Skywalker.

"Okay," Luke drawled and picked up the blaster he had lost during their
fall. "Lead the way, Jade!"

With a snort, Mara turned away and moved quickly through the trench they
had fallen into and moved steadily away from the direction the pirates were
in.
+++++
Five standard hours had passed since the freighter had reached orbit and
still no sign of the X-Wing or any communication from the two Jedi.
 
Wedge, hugging his arm in the sling closely to his chest, was pacing up and
down the small cabin as Corran tried to ignore his friend's action.

"Antilles, you are wearing down the steel planks," Horn commented as Wedge
turned sharply on his heels to pursue the way he had come. "Would you mind
sitting down, this pacing gets on my nerves. I never knew you had such
aggravating habits."

"Do you think they were recaptured?" Antilles asked all of a sudden as he
stared out of the view port and down onto the planet.

Horn stretched his legs and sat back comfortably in his chair opposite his
friend.

"No, this is Luke and Mara we're talking about," he smirked. "But they
might kill each other down there." Both men laughed at that.

Wedge Antilles had never given much thought to the special status his
friend Skywalker had within the Force. He, Wedge, was a pilot and soldier
and he relied on his abilities rather than some invisible thing that seemed
to rule your life. He felt suspicious of the Force, from what little he had
heard of what the Skywalker family had to endure because of it and now,
that he had the time to just sit back and think he was reminded of what
Mara had told them not so long ago.

"Do you think she still wants to kill Skywalker?" He asked and Horn snorted.

"With Jade you'll never know but I doubt it," Corran rubbed his moustache
deeply in thought. "Mara might have had those urges to kill him but she has
gotten over it. Besides, remember what she told us yesterday morning? About
the mind-melt?" When Antilles nodded he continued. "These mind-melts are
really rare, in fact so rare that most of the new Jedi Order thought it was
folklore rather than a given fact. If she and Luke have shared such a
strong bond, they are inseparable, only death could change that and even
then I doubt it would change anything. They are both exceptionally strong
in the Force and had a bond even when they were still sworn enemies."

Antilles watched his friend, he had never seen Corran so freely discussing
Jedi matters or their friends for that matter. But it was nice to see that
the Corellian had finally accepted that he, too, was a Jedi.

But something still eluded Wedge. He knew that Leia and Luke had a bond
ever since the day when he first met an 18 year old Luke, farmboy from
Tatooine, back in the days of the Rebellion. That the siblings shared a
bond through the Force was understandable, they were related, even twins.
For Mara and Luke to share such a bond and much stronger from what he had
heard that must mean ... Oh-uh, he thought. I bet Callista and
Luke never had such a bond.

"You said that the mind-melt is the last stage of Jedi bonding, does this
mean they ... you .. know ...," Wedge's voice trailed away as he made vague
gestures.

"Yeah, they must have done you know what," Corran replied with a
smirk. "I just hope they realise soon enough that they belong together, all
this talk about Jedi being single and monk-like is a whole load of Bantha
shit. Luke has done so much for this galaxy and the New Republic that he
deserves some happiness and as for Mara, if she overcomes her stubbornness,
she will realise how much she loves the Jedi Master..."

Both men grinned at that and as Wedge turned towards the view-port again,
he nodded his chin towards the planet outside.

"So it is actually a good thing those two are together in this, they might
actually find that they belong to each other ..."

"Or it could tear them apart," Corran added gravely, hoping that he was wrong.
+++++
When night crept into the forest, the cold seemed to seep into every
crevice of their bodies. For fear of detection both Mara and Luke had
decided that a campfire was out of the question so they huddled against
each other in the small cave. After the decision had been made that their
safest bet was to back track to Skywalker's X-Wing, both Jedi had been
subdued and silent.

Mara shuddered when she removed the padding from beneath the tunic and
jerkin she was wearing. Although the padding kept her warm, it hindered her
in her movements, so she had decided to trade manoeuvrability for warmth.

"Hey, look at this," she heard Skywalker's voice from behind and when she
turned she could see him squatting in front of her pouch and held up two
items. One was a thermal blanket she had stuffed in earlier. Back on the
ship she had thought she might need it if the Jedi Master was in bad shape.
In his other hand he held a silver casing, similar but smaller than his own
box in which he carried his provisions.

"Let me guess, Miss Jade's little emergency kit?" he asked her, a soft
smile dancing on his lips. He is irresistible, the thought came
unbidden, and Mara clamped down on it quickly. But try as she might, she
had to admit that Skywalker looked cute when he was just himself and not
the stern Jedi Master lecturing her.

Squatting beside him, she took the casing in her own hands and wrangled it
open. Silently she congratulated herself that the training as the Emperor's
hand had not failed her and although it had seemed to be a quick enter,
quick exit mission, had taken food with her.
Tossing Skywalker a ration bar she took one of her own and suppressed the
groan rising in her throat, when pain shot up her left arm.

"Will you let me take a look at your arm now, Jade?" she heard Luke stir
behind her and she grimaced when she looked over her shoulder.

"Would you shut up if I said yes?" she growled, pain dilating the bright
green of her eyes to a darker colour.

"Big Jedi Master's promise," Luke grinned and rummaged further into her
pouch until he retrieved the small medi kit he was sure to find there.
Picking up the padding she had discarded earlier, he spread it across the
floor, near the wall, farthest away from the drafty entrance to the cave.

Motioning her to join him on the padding, with the medi kit and the thermal
blanket on the makeshift resting-place, Mara sighed and after picking up
her provisions box with her right hand, she joined him of on the padding.
Keeping the rest of his ration bar between his teeth, Luke helped her
remove the jerkin, then examined the angry tear and cut on her biceps that
peeked through the material of her torn up tunic.

"No use, Mara, you have to take the tunic off. I need to get a better look,
it seems there is still something inside that wound," Luke said and resumed
eating his ration bar. He met Mara's exasperated gaze with a calm one of
his own.

Knowing her wound needed to be tended when she could not use the Force to
heal herself, Mara opened the fastenings of her tunic and turning her back
to Skywalker, let it slip down her shoulders.

Oh-uh, Luke exhaled softly when he saw her smooth, lean, naked back.
Watching the vast expanse of smooth, silky skin, he tried to suppress the
urge to press his lips against such temptation. Luke wondered, not for the
first time, if Mara ever wore any undergarments, but quickly discarded the
thought. Doesn't help you keep your calm, Jedi! he reminded himself
sternly.

Bending over her wound, he squinted his eyes in the dim light and examined
it softly. But Mara flinched nevertheless when the disinfectant stung.

"Sorry, Mara," Luke whispered and was about to put a small bacta pack onto
the wound when he happened to shift his body and he got a good eyeful of
Mara's front. Although she was covering her breasts with the tunic, her
right hand and arm keeping it firmly in place, Luke's eyes were drawn to
the swelling globes that formed a perfect cleavage above the tunic.

Swallowing, Skywalker forced his eyes back to the wound. A metallic
glinting caught his eye and taking a small pair of tweezers from the medi
kit, he tried to get the metallic piece out that was deeply implanted
underneath her skin.

"There is something in there, Mara, something metallic..." Luke's voice
trailed away when the small device came free from the wound. Putting it
away, he tended Mara's shoulder before they both examined the device.

Mara creased her nose when she saw the small metal piece, it reminded her
of something she had seen a couple of times before, back when she was still
the Emperor's Hand. Shrugging into the tunic again and fastening it, she
took another look at the device.
"Looks like an implant ... an Imperial tracking device," Mara said and
Luke's head snapped up.

"A tracker?" he asked and absent-mindedly moved the device between his
fingers. Their eyes locked and Mara suppressed a shudder.

Snatching up the device, Mara jumped to her feet and went over to the exit
of the cave. Hurling it out she soon lost track of the metallic glint as it
disappeared in the thick foliage of the trees beyond.

Staring outside, Mara Jade tried to grasp the significance of the device.
She knew about trackers. The small implants had been designed to be weapons
against the rebels. They were implanted underneath a skin of a defector and
if activated, exploded to kill its bearer and anyone with them. Suppressing
another shudder, Mara felt Luke stepping beside her.

"You cold?" Luke asked and wrapped an arm more tightly around her and felt
Mara stiffen beneath his touch, then moved slightly away. For once, his
mood got the better of him as he exclaimed, "Sith, Mara, I'm only trying to
help!" His anger was still close to the surface and Luke exhaled sharply.
Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried to calm himself. Anger is of the dark
side! he reminded himself and edged away from Mara, hugging himself
tightly, as he walked back over to their makeshift camp.

For long moments neither spoke until Mara shivered and tried to suppress
the shattering of her teeth. She came back over to Luke and slumped down
beside him. Despite her earlier rebuke, Luke raised his arm again and
wrapped it around Mara's shivering form, moving closer behind her as he
positioned her between his spread legs and wrapped the thermal blanket
around them both tightly. When he was certain that Mara was sufficiently
warm in his lap, he let himself relax against her form. Both lapsed into
silence again.

"Brings up old memories, huh?" he whispered against her ear suddenly.

"What is?" Mara asked, still trying to cling to her anger, but failing
miserably. She could feel the soothing warmth radiating from Luke's chest
and arms and she felt safe and protected.
Mara shook her head slightly, she did not need any man to take care of her,
and yet she basked in his presence. Even without their Force-bond, she
could feel his deep concern for her and also his presence, overwhelming her
as always. Luke's whispered words brought her out of her reverie.

"Ummm... this cave, one thermal blanket ... reminds me of another cave at
another time," he whispered into her hair, trying to get her dark thoughts
away from the device.

Mara was pole-axed to say the least. She would have staked a bet that he
would want to talk about the device, but the Jedi Master had surprised her.
She shivered at that and overcome by curiosity, she turned her head
slightly, to look into the Jedi Master's eyes.

"You remember?" she asked.

Luke nodded and with her turned head, he nuzzled his nose in the soft space
of her exposed neck and ear.

"After you left Tatooine, I went into a Jedi trance and unlocked the mind
wipe you did," he inhaled deeply. "It was sloppily done, by the way ... but
I should have gotten to the bottom of it sooner. I just didn't think
someone would have done something like this."

"I was running out of time," Mara tried to defend herself. "So ... you
remember everything?" she asked and was glad that he could not see the deep
flush that was spreading widely on her face. Even as she had more recent
knowledge of his lovemaking, her first time with the farmboy was still
etched deeply into her mind.

"Yes," Luke whispered hoarsely, sending shivers down her spine. "I remember
you keeping me warm back then and how we teased each other. If I didn't
know better I would say we were making love like we knew each other even if
we were each other's first, Mara. It was perfect ... you are perfect."

Mara closed her eyes, immediately images of their very first time together
crossing her mind. Back then, she had not known that this boy - no, this
man - would be her destiny. Or perhaps I already knew, she thought
to herself. I did everything in my power to protect him, now I know why.

She moaned softly, when she felt Skywalker's lips brushing against the
pulse-point at the side of her neck. It was so easy to give in, especially
now where they were both cut off from the Force. She knew that she would
not experience any flash backs ... it would be so easy. Leaning back into
his embrace, her head lolled back against his shoulder while she could feel
his hands roaming over her arms and then gently down her sides until they
came to rest around her waist, reverently caressing her stomach.

Luke, she whispered in her mind, pressing her lips tightly shut. She
didn't want to betray her thoughts and feelings towards him. She knew it
was dangerous to loose herself in his gentleness. Yet she knew that he was
a man of strong passions, totally and completely male. Please I need
you, I need US ...

"Luke ..." Mara was oblivious to the fact that she had spoken out loud,
even if it was a mere whisper. That was all Luke needed to hear. He fumbled
slightly with the fastenings of her tunic, but after he had opened them he
slid his hands beneath the coarse material, immediately coming into contact
with her warm, soft skin. Inhaling deeply her scent, he closed his eyes
against the sensation running down his spine.

They both moaned as Skywalker started to rub his callused hand over her
skin, sensitising her to his touch even more. Mara's last coherent thought
before she turned slightly to expose more of herself to the Jedi Master,
was that they really picked the most unlikely places for their making out.

Luke's head was spinning, as he felt Mara both relaxing and tensing in his
arms. He had wanted this moment, with all the wonders that it would
produce, and now it was finally here and the woman he loved was in his
arms, cherishing his touch.

Remembering their last lovemaking, the Jedi Master was determined to make
this experience as fulfilling and happy for Mara as he could muster. He
wanted to banish all thoughts of the Emperor's mind rape and the abuse of
her body and he desperately wanted to show Mara that she was more than a
quick tumble in the gym or the desperate joining that had separated them.

Mara turned now fully in his lap, seeing the look of love on his face; a
smile lighting up his strong features. She was scared, but somehow she knew
that in his arms she was safe. She knew that he loved her. He loved her
limitless, and with an abundance that overwhelmed and frightened her. Her
entire body tingled, and for the very first time in her life Mara Jade,
Ex-Emperor's Hand, felt truly alive, safe and protected. For a short
fleeting moment, her mind began to contemplate their lives together from
this point forward, thinking of the possibilities, feeling the excitement.
But soon she could not concentrate any more as Luke shifted her legs,
straddling his powerful thighs, as he settled her on his lap, giving him
more access to her delicious skin that craved for his touch.

"I'm here, Mara," he whispered between wet, open mouthed kisses that he
placed on the heated skin of her jaw, leaving a fiery trail downward to her
throat and the exposed flesh of her collarbone. "Let me love you ..."

Suppressing a shudder of intense, almost overwhelming joy, Mara rested her
hands on his shoulders, pushing slightly upwards, mimicking the slow
deliberate movements of lovemaking itself. Mindlessly, she tugged at his
tunic, frantically trying to feel as much skin as possible as she almost
ripped it off his wonderful torso. When she bent forward, rubbing her hands
across his cheeks, she moaned softly when she felt the slight stubble
beneath her fingertips. Everything about the Jedi Master aroused her, made
her giddy with the sure knowledge that he wanted her as much as she craved
his touch.

"Yes, Luke, please," she whispered and almost groaned out loud, when Luke's
hands found her breasts that were still covered by her tunic. His palms
drew lazy but determined circles on her breasts, touching them but avoiding
the highly sensitised nubs that strained against the fabric, starving for
his touch.

Skywalker could feel Mara arching into his touch, and he almost reached out
with the Force to get rid of the last barrier that was hiding her beautiful
globes from him until he remembered that they were on a Force-free planet.
Regretting to leave her breasts alone for a moment, he withdrew his hands
from beneath the tunic and tucked at the last closed fastener in front.

His hands were shivering as he reached out to undo the tunic and a shudder
spiked through him and up his spine when he felt Mara's hips gyrating
against his, making the simple task of opening the fastener the more
difficult. Panting open-mouthed, one hand left her now exposed breasts and
drew her head down to him. Up till now they had not kissed, like the first
time in a cave back on Tatooine. He wanted to redeem this now, and slanting
his mouth over her full lips, he groaned into her willingly opened mouth,
their tongues meeting in a heated battle of their own.

Luke felt like bursting there and then and he groaned when Mara's hips
brushed over his encased and highly enflamed manhood. The thermal blanket
had long slipped off their heated bodies, Luke was determined to expose all
of her, wanting to worship her beautiful body and self with all of him, his
hands, his lips, his body. He tore his lips off hers only to connect them
with her skin as he grabbed her hips and pulled her up, drawing even with
her breasts that were now jutting out proudly. Not able to resist their
pull any longer, he latched onto her left nipple, drawing a deep growl from
Mara that rumbled in her chest.

"Lu-uuke," she moaned and threw her head back. Luke smiled around that
wonderful rosy pearl he was suckling on, grazing his teeth softly into the
taut nub. Pulling her nearer with his right hand, grinding his arousal into
her hips by doing so, his left hand cupped her other breast and kneaded it.
"Please ..." Mara murmured, any coherent thought having long fled her mind.
"I ... I ..."

Luke let go and if on cue their eyes met. "Enjoy it, Mara. Don't think,
just feel ..." he whispered hoarsely, his voice deeper than usual.

The Trader focused her passion-filled gaze on him and she felt the
sincerity in his words. He wanted to give her pure pleasure even at his own
expense. She could not let that happen. Yes, it is true I crave
fulfilment, she told herself silently. But I need to feel him too, I
need him!

With what was left of her strength, she attacked his belt and the fastener
on his trousers. Ignoring his protests, only hesitating when Luke suckled
again on her breasts, she freed him from the tight confines of his pants.
Softly, she gripped him, cherishing the throbbing, hot length of his shaft
beneath her hands.

"Mara," Luke gasped when she cupped his scrotum and his manhood, gently
beginning the age-old rhythm of squeezing and rubbing. "Please don't," he
almost shouted, his hips involuntarily thrusting into her loving hands.
"I'll ... come if you .... keep it up ..."

Green eyes locked with deep blue ones and through the foggy haze of her
lust, Mara could see the Jedi Master was on the brink. All because of
me? she asked herself and the groan coming from the young Jedi's lips
were proof enough.

Leaning over seductively, and never loosening her steady, urging rhythm of
her hands on him, she flicked her tongue over his earlobe, before she
whispered: "Come for me, Luke."

That was all it took to haul the Jedi Master over the brink. Without the
Force to steady him, to hold back the passion surging through his body, he
felt the familiar tightening in his balls. Before he could react, a hot
spark was shooting up his spine and sweet, urging release shook him
completely, he spilled himself hotly all over Mara's hands as she kissed
him deeply.

Deeply drinking in his groans and cries of passion upon his relief, Mara
held Luke as he rode upon the pure wave of unadulterated lust which was
shaking the Jedi Master to his deepest core. When the shivers and
convulsions subsided, Luke nestled his head against Mara's shoulder,
ashamed of his lack of self-discipline.

"Sorry about the mess," Luke choked out sheepishly and raised his head at
last to face Mara. Her green beautiful eyes were still clouded with passion
as she continued to caress him, feeling the sticky, warm seed of her lover
on her hands.

"My pleasure, Farmboy," she rasped softly while she ripped off part of the
hem of her tunic and started to clean him up. They already looked dirty and
roguish after their wild chase through the forest, a few more stains
wouldn't be too evident.

Luke shook his head and stilled her hands on him. "I wanted you to enjoy
yourself, not getting me off ..." He blushed and lowered his lids. Mara
smiled and put a shivering hand beneath his chin and forced him gently to
face her again.

"You are beautiful, Farmboy," Mara whispered, her voice a rich arousing
timbre. "I love it when you completely let go." She nipped at his lips,
moaning when she felt Luke's hands on her shoulders as he gently pushed her
down beside him, tugging at the waistband of her pants while doing so.

"Then allow me to return the pleasure," Luke grinned seductively as he
pulled her boots and pants off. "Let me worship you, my beautiful Mara."
+++++
Feedback, death threats welcome :)
Una

Hi All,

here is the fourth chapter of CD ... it is more of a filler chapter to
resolve some open issues from CE.

Rating: this chapter is NC17

Thanks go to Sherry, my relentless beta reader and friend. She keeps me
sane and going on and on and on, thank you my friend also for the
suggestions on the pirates :) Additional thanks go to Helen for reminding
me that Wedge has a lot of tales to tell about young Luke with the Rogues :)

--------------------------------------
Chapter Four - False Assumptions

In order to ignore the throbbing in his arm, Wedge had volunteered to take
first watch and now after two standard hours in the small cockpit of the
Corellian freighter, he felt bored. Watching his friend slumped over in the
pilot's seat, he mused about how Corran would groan and moan over his stiff
muscles ones he woke up.

The wild pleasures of being a NRI agent, Wedge thought dryly and
wondered how the two Jedi were faring. He and Corran had parked their craft
in the lowest possible orbit that allowed them to be undetected from any
devices off the planet's surface and the Corellian was counting the hours
that ticked by on the ship's chrono.

"Come on," he whispered and stared out the view-port, trying to will the
image of the X-Wing as it cut through the ionosphere of the planet, but, of
course, it was fruitless.
Sighing, he settled back in the pilot's chair and waited.

Wedge Antilles was never a man who waited gracefully, in fact, not a lot of
people knew but he was short tempered. His short temper had mellowed and
rounded over the years during the Rebellion and in the NR military, but
deep down inside he was still the Corellian hotspur of his youth. Standing
up again, he walked the short distance to Corran Horn and shook him awake.

"Corran, wake up for maker's sake," he growled and watched his friend and
comrade as he slowly came awake.

"Are they here?" Corran asked, stretching out with the Force and not
finding any presence of either of his Jedi friends.

"Nope, but we are going down there. I don't care if we haven't have enough
defensive weapons, we find those two and get them out." Wedge said and
moved towards the cockpit's controls.

Horn was still a bit sleepy headed but he was quick to move after Wedge and
kept him back. "Don't be so stupid, Antilles."

"I'm not stupid, those two are down there, and we don't know if they are
still alive or not," Wedge growled and tried to push Horn out of the way.

Corran sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. "Wedge, Mara and Luke are both
full-fledged Jedi, do you think they would let themselves be easily killed
by pirates? Come on, you are stressed out and your wound is troubling
you. Don't mother them. Leia is already bad enough with Luke."

Both men looked at each other and all of a sudden they both burst into
laughter. "Am I that bad?" Wedge asked after a while, wiping tears from his
eyes.

"I guess you had a talk with Han before we came out here, huh?" Horn
asked and Wedge nodded.

"Han is as bad as Leia if it comes to that and we Corellians have a pretty
protective streak,"
Antilles said half-seriously.

"You telling me?" Corran shot back and laughed. "I guess if I had watched
Luke dumped into a bacta tank over and again like you guys, I'd freak every
time he goes on a mission. That Jedi Master is far too reckless."

"He isn't. Not when people are concerned, he always puts himself into the
line of fire to protect others, he was always like that," Wedge said and
rubbed his chin. "When we were attacking the first death star he sent me
away after an engine failure, I was his wing man and yet he told me to
abandon him. He always puts his life on the line for others and that makes
us so protective of him..."

Corran wished he had known the young Luke, the young Luke who had been
carefree and not hunted down by the dark side and the burden that came with
being the only living Jedi Master in the galaxy.

"Well at least he has his own personal rescuer down there now," Corran said
dryly and both chuckled at that. "If anyone can keep Luke out of trouble,
it is Mara Jade."

"Yes, she is as protective as his own family," Wedge said and rubbed his
lower lip in deep thought. "It is as if she belongs ... even when she tried
to kill Luke. I guess she can keep our Jedi out of trouble."

After they had settled down into the pilots' chairs again, Corran thought
about what Wedge had told him and while the minutes ticked by on the
chrono, he suddenly spoke, startling them both.

"Why don't you tell me about young Luke?" he offered his friend and Wedge
pursed his lips.

"What do you want to know?" Antilles asked. "There are a lot of stories,
but don't tell Luke I told you, he'll kill me if you do."

Both men laughed at that and Corran shook his head. "Don't tell me Luke was
a hell-raiser?"

"No, not like some of the Rogues, or Solo. Luke was ..." Wedge stopped and
tried to find the right words. "He was not so different than he is now. It
was just that he was more innocent and more easy-going. It was both
refreshing and excruciatingly annoying but we all liked him soon enough.
When he first turned up with Solo, the Princess and Chewbacca I thought he
was just a kid, but one of my squad mates, Biggs, told me we should try him
in the simulator," Wedge shot Corran a look that showed both respect and
annoyance. "He was a natural shot and pilot, he even beat me and that is
telling a lot. After Luke had destroyed the first Death Star we took him on
a tour and filled him up. That was his Rogue christening and I guess we
overdid it because ever since then I never saw Luke drinking more than a
bottle of Corellian whiskey or ale. I guess we pretty managed to keep him
off the booze."

"Which is what that christening is all about, Wedge," Corran shot in. "You
did the same with me and Tycho."

"Yeah, I guess you are right. A wing-man who likes too much to drink is as
deadly as the next enemy," Wedge explained before he elaborated into more
tales of the Rogues and young Luke.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Mara closed her eyes in overwhelming pleasure when she felt Luke's hands
travelling down her legs as he pulled her trousers and pants off. She did
not know what he had in mind, so shortly after his release, but she sure
was basking in his ministrations. She circled her arms around his neck when
he covered her body with his own, keeping the chill off her and showered
her forehead, eyebrows and nose with soft, languorous kisses. His tongue
snaked over her closed eyelids, licking away the salty pearls that had
gathered there. Slowly, seductively, his mouth travelled over to her ear
lobe - first on her right, nibbling and licking at the very sensitive spot,
while a deep arousing humming sound came deeply from his chest.

The woman shivered all over, goosebumps appearing on her skin from the
sheer pleasure his tongue created in her. Mara moaned softly when Luke's
hands joined his lips and tongue, and with soft, butterfly touches, barely
discernible on her heated skin, he massaged her temples and neck.

In slow pleasurable torture, he moved over her body, never forgetting a
spot of her heated skin that he did not worship with his tongue and hands,
lingering in special places here and there. When he reached her aching
breasts, Mara could feel she was close to her own release without Luke ever
touching her secret core once.

She gasped when she felt his tongue swirling around the already painfully
aching hard pearl of one of her breasts, arching into his touch, as her
hands moved restlessly through his silky hair and over the prominent
muscles of his shoulders.

"Luke!" she gasped when she felt his teeth graze her nipple, not biting
hard enough to be painful but letting her ride on the right mix of
pleasure-pain that let her whole body and mind soar high.

"You are ... so beautiful, Mara," Luke mumbled softly around her other
nipple which he had switched to and Mara shuddered beneath his touch. Her
back left the ground and the coarse padding she had been laying upon and
whimpered when a surge of pleasure crashed down on her, taking her over the
brink with a shuddering climax.

Luke smiled smugly, as only a male could smile who was wholly satisfied
with what he was doing. Watching Mara as she writhed in her pleasure, he
set his mind to give her even more pleasure. He wanted to give her as much
pleasure as she could possibly take, and he knew she needed lots in order
to wash away their last experience together.

Sliding lower on her, her body still shaking from her recent release, he
showered her bellybutton with soft, wet kisses. His tongue danced around it
then dipped gently into it, and Mara's eyes flew open and she stilled his
head with her hand.

"Please ..." not sure if she wanted him to continue or for him to stop.
Luke spread his hands over her wonderful breasts, kneading them slowly
while his head dipped lower, beyond her sensitive belly button to his
ultimate goal.

Mara did not know if she could bear anymore pleasure, her whole body was
aching and writhing and basking in the sensation all at the same time. She
whimpered and lay back again when she felt Luke's hands roaming over her
hips, then gently down over her thighs, all the way down to her feet.

"Sith," Mara gasped when she felt his tongue dancing on her toes, teasing
and tickling but at the same time applying a gentle massage to the pressure
points there. Well the Jedi definitely doesn't need the Force to make me
writhe in pleasure, she thought, the first coherent thought in hours or
so it seemed to her. She had always thought that their physical bond was
also based on the Force, but as she now discovered, that was not true.
Gasping again, she dug her fists into the padding beneath her, bunching the
material between her fingers as she felt a new wave advancing in her body.

She felt as if her whole body was made from Tayabo jelly as she thrashed
her legs restlessly, almost shaking Skywalker off his perch, but the Jedi
Master held on, watching his lover in such a state of pure, raw passion.

Nipping at the delicate skin of her inner thighs he moved higher, kneading,
caressing and licking his way up to where her thighs met with her abdomen.
Spreading her legs, his nostrils flared when he caught her delicate scent
that was so uniquely Mara. Bending his head as if to give grace to the gods
of ancient times, he dipped his tongue over her wonderful nether lips and
had to steady himself on her, when her hips began to buck frantically.

"... Oh Luke, please," Mara gasped, opening herself wider, offering herself
to him.
He slowly, erotically began to kiss her, sucking on her little fleshy nub
that was pulsating beneath his lips.

Groaning slightly when her legs came to rest on his shoulders, drawing him
nearer, he kissed, licked and sucked her with all his might, enjoying the
cries Mara could not retain any longer. He had to smile against her when
she started to cry out his name alternating it with names of any god
throughout the galaxy.

She went wild beneath his touch. Mara knew she was loosing it completely
but she did not care, all she could feel was Luke lips on her secret core,
relentlessly teasing her, keeping her on the brink, then pushing her over
and then starting it all over again without her being able to catch her
breath. She had never experienced so much pleasure before and she was
certain she would die of it. She could feel her heart pounding hard against
her ribs, the blood racing through her veins and with it the bolts of pure
pleasure. All she could feel was Luke, as if for this special moment the
Force was freely flowing between and around them. Through their natural
bond even without the Force itself to draw on, they had established a
powerful physical bond.

Alternating the thrusts with his tongue, drinking in her juices, he felt
himself getting giddy with both her scent and taste. Slowly, he replaced
his tongue with his finger, first inserting only one and when he felt
Mara's velvety walls clenching down on it, a second one joined the first.
Pushing himself up slightly, he watched Mara as she came in a
nerve-rattling climax again.

He stilled all movement when he felt Mara clenching and unclenching on his
fingers, her whole body shuddering. It took a long time, till Mara's body
stilled, slowly letting her catch her breath again and when she did their
eyes met. Skywalker was staring lovingly into her smiling yet teary eyes
from his position between her thighs.

Mara had to use all her willpower to raise her hands to him. She wanted to
feel his body all over her just as much as she wanted him inside her. Luke
felt his emotions well up inside him and, quickly crawling over her, took
her into his arms so as not to betray his own tears. This moment seemed to
burn into his memory, searing itself into the fabric of his soul for all
time. He could feel the love in her touch as her slender arms gripped him
with a softness he had never felt before.

This time it was his turn to groan when Mara opened her thighs for him and
soon his hips lay intimately snuggled against her secret core. Mara's hands
snaked down, pushing his trousers down and off his legs with the help of
her agile legs and feet. Adjusting his weight, Luke felt his member
slipping effortlessly into her soft warmth. As soon as Luke felt her still
clenching velvety sheath, his own passion burst, sending him again over the
edge. He felt as if he tumbled when Mara held him tightly in her embrace.

When he had recovered his breath, Skywalker gently eased himself from her
arms and raised his head to look into her eyes. He saw the tears of joy
running down Mara's face, making her cheeks glisten softly. He bent down
and gently kissed each tear away from her face, and pulled her close to him
again, but this time he couldn't stop his own tears. Spent and satiated,
they fell asleep in each other's arms.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The room was dimly lit ... a stately, brightly coloured room at day light
but now with the heavy durasteel shutters closed, keeping out the twinkling
purple of the night of the planet, the room looked drab and deep shadows
swirled like living beings in the far corners.

The man pacing in front of the com console ignored the darkness, in fact
his mind was far away. Far away from this outer rim planet and this office.
He had waited patiently for three standard days now but now as the fourth
night drew close, his patience flew out of the window just like the light
of the fading sun light fled this side of the hemisphere.

All in all, his plan had worked well so far, he had to admit. He knew it
had been hard to stage this little operation and it had been a difficult
and tedious enterprise to lure the Jedi Knight to the Cha Raaba system, but
from what his spies in the NRI had reported back to him, it had been
successful, so he knew he was close, very close to his ultimate goal.
Setting up the trap was easy, almost too easy and silently he congratulated
himself for such a simple yet integrate plan. In order to get what he
wanted he would get rid easily of the arrogant Jedi Master.

Finally, the soft beeps of the com cut through the silence of his even
breathing and he immediately switched it on. Without greeting he came
directly to the point.

"I heard you have asked for Velda?" he watched the three unwashed men in
front of him on the holo projector. "So you captured the NR agent?"

"Yes, sir, we did," the leader of the pirates answered with hesitation in
his voice. "But we ... he is not here anymore. Velda ... she turned on us..."

The man gripped the edges of the console and bent closer to the holo image,
as if he could actually intimidate the three pirates. "What do you mean?"

"Well ... the woman, Velda, helped the agent escape ..."

"What do you mean, Velda helped him escape?" The man's face contorted with
anger. "What did this woman look like?"

One of the pirates swallowed and avoided the angry glare of the man in
front of him when he answered, "She was short, and old ... she hid her face."

"Short?" the man on the holo repeated. "Velda Dakeela is almost as tall as
a Bothan and as ugly as one of them as well. You fools ... that was not
Velda. That was the Jedi I told you would come for the NR agent ..."
Growing angrier by the minute, the man in the darkened room was shouting
now. "I knew I shouldn't let you lead the operation. Even on a Force-free
planet you get fooled by Skywalker's Jedi tricks."

"Sky- Skywalker?" one of the pirates visibly blanched on the holo image.
"You didn't tell us the NR agent was the Jedi Master. You ... you said it
was a simple NR agent and we should sell him tot he slave traders ... if we
had known ..."

"Shut up, you incompetent nerfherders! You had a simple mission and yet you
screwed it up while you let Mara Jade walk into your stronghold and get the
Jedi out of there. Good thing is you didn't know who the NR agent is, you'd
probably would have gotten yourself killed ... though it wouldn't be too
much of a loss," the man snorted.

"You had her, you stupid idiots and you let her go. I want her in your
custody or you'll regret it."

"Yes, Sir, we will recapture the Jedi and this Jade woman ..." the pirate
murmured but he was cut off by the man.

"I don't care about the Jedi, I want Mara Jade!" the man on the other end
of the holo conversation snapped. "I really don't care how you do it, but
as soon you have her, bring her to my trading post on Briem."

"Yes sir, what about the Jedi?"

"If he is with her dispose of him, otherwise leave him alone."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

They had taken a rest for a couple of standard hours but both knew they
soon had to break camp and make their way towards Skywalker's X-Wing. After
Luke had drawn the ration kit nearer towards their make shift pallet, Luke
and Mara settled into each other's arms, snuggled up together underneath
the thermal blanket.

Munching on her rationbar, Mara pushed herself up on her elbows and watched
Luke out of deep green eyes for a long time. Luke felt a little bit
uncomfortable under such close scrutiny and he actually felt himself blushing.

"What is it, Mara?" he asked after a while, breaking the silence. He sat up
and when his bare back hit the ice-cold wall behind him, he grabbed his
discarded tunic and stuffed it behind his back. "Mara, please ..."

"I'm sorry, Luke," Jade quickly said and put her hand onto his stomach in a
soothing gesture. She had been so mesmerised by the soft play of his
muscles in his arms and stomach that she had almost overheard his question.
"It is nothing, I just ..." She grinned and lowered her head, when she felt
a blush rising in her cheeks. "I guess I wanted to make sure that this was
real ... that you are real..."

Reaching out to brush an errant curl away from her face with the back of
his hand, he grinned at her. "I'm very real, Jade."

"So I have noticed," Mara said in her usual bantering tone. Settling her
back against Luke's chest, she watched as Skywalker's arms encircled her
and draped the thermal blanket securely around them.

Resting his chin on her naked shoulder, he closed his eyes, drinking in the
moment deeply.
But he also knew that they had to talk about what had happened. Luke knew
that he could not go through the same pain again that he had gone through
the last three months. Mara was like a part of him, he needed her and he
desperately wished that she in turn needed him.

"We have to talk ..." Luke held his breath after that and bit his lip,
waiting for any reaction of the beautiful trader in his arms. He could feel
her stiffening and he hugged her even closer.

"If you start again with me continuing the training, Skywalker, think
again," Mara had felt Luke flinching when she had used his surname but he
still held her tight. She turned around and watched the Jedi Master from
over her shoulder.

"I won't go to Yavin, Luke," she added softly and the Jedi Master's eyes
lit up at mentioning his name.

"I don't want to push you into training, you will resume training when you
are ready," That got him a smile from Mara. "But we have to talk, Mara. We
are beyond of just being friends..."

Mara pushed away and settled a few paces away from him, shivering in the
cold. Deeply in thought, she brushed over the bandage on her arm that was
already showing the bright stains of blood again as the wound had reopened.

"Do you always have to complicate things, Farmboy?" she asked suddenly and
locked her gaze with him. "Just accept it as what it is."

"Mara, I'm not the one complicating things," Luke's voice rose as a sudden
gush of anger surged through him. Only Mara had the ability to cut through
his Jedi calm like a lightsaber through durasteel. "I should accept what?
That I have a secret, little affair with my best friend which I have to
hide every time we meet in public? I don't think so, Jade."

Mara Jade sighed and turned away. "This is the only thing I can offer
you..." she whispered so softly, it was almost inaudible to Skywalker. "You
know I can't give you more. As for a secret little affair, this has to
stop, Luke. I..." she bit her lips and examined her fingers closely,
frowning when she saw the blood of her bandage on them.

Luke watched her. She looked so forlorn that his anger quickly subsided
again. Moving slowly, he drew her into his arms, making sure they were both
warm, he laid back against the pallet.

"You what, Jade?" he asked softly, stroking her hair. "Tell me, love."

Mara felt as if her heart was breaking over and over again. How can he
be so understanding, so loving when all I have ever done is hurting him
even more? Mara asked and she knew the answer immediately. Because
he loves me.

Closing her eyes, she clung to the Jedi Master, trying to keep her
confusing thoughts under control as all the tension gave way to tears and
she wept on his chest.

"I don't want to loose you, Farmboy," she said softly after a while,
drawing in a shuddering breath. "I have seen affairs coming and going with
others, in the end they were meaningless, but with us it is different. We
are friends, and I don't want to loose this."

So this was it, Skywalker thought and hugged his friend closer to
himself. When it came down to her feelings, I'm only a friend she
respects and cherishes, but nothing more.

"I want us to be more than friends, more than partners in missions, Mara,"
the young Jedi Master said softly and gently stroked her face that she had
raised up to him. "I know that a relationship is always difficult, for
all parties involved. But why should we fail were other's were successful?
Look at Leia and Han, they are friends, partners and lovers. I want us to
have the same, Mara, is that so difficult to understand?"

Mara had held her breath during Luke's confession and deep down inside her
soul she felt a small flame of hope and warmth kindling but she also felt
unworthy of the love of this fine man. She knew she still felt unworthy of
him, felt that she had failed while he had - even during his dark side
time - struggled for the light, while she had been in the clutches of the
Emperor almost all her entire life, mostly by choice.

Luke had the strength to fight against the dark side, to overcome it by
himself while I knew that the Emperor was evil and yet I still was his
Hand. He abused and used me and when he was dead I was still in his
clutches ... I AM still his. Luke battled him, even in his weakest moments
and yet he did not break, Mara thought and closed her eyes. Resting her
head against his chest, she tried to come to terms with his love, accepting
and cherishing it.

The Jedi Master was afraid. Seeing Mara in such a contemplative state was
new to him. He had known that she had depths, perhaps more so than he
himself, but now after his confession that he wanted more than just being
friends he feared he had pushed her away from him even more.

"I'm sorry, Mara," he said softly, his left hand caressing the side of her
temple and her cheek. "I shouldn't have said that. I know you want to be
just friends with me and I shouldn't make more out of our being together
than there really is, right?" He noticed the catch in his voice and he
closed his eyes, trying to push away the anger and sadness welling up
inside of him. Oh Mara, why is everything so complicated with us?

Jade knew she had to tell him something, anything and if she was honest
with herself she owed him as much.

"No, Luke," she said softly. "I am the one who should be sorry. You are the
kindest man I have ever met, I knew that even when I was submerged in
hatred for you. And if I wasn't the person I am I'd be more than happy to
take what you have to offer, but I was the Emperor's Hand..."

"Mara," Skywalker interjected and drew her up so he could look into her
face. "That is behind you and together we can overcome the mind rape of the
Emperor. Look at you! You are an intelligent, beautiful woman, a successful
trader and you have found your place in the NR. You cannot change what you
were in the past but you have changed."

"Have I?" Mara asked. "You know people always say that you are the sum of
your experiences ... and look at me. I was taken away from my parents, have
no recollection of who they are or if they loved me. I had always thought
the Emperor is my only reason to live, and where did that lead me? I'm
incapable of making friends, having relationships. Even with you ..." Mara
turned away and bit her trembling lips.

"You mean too much to me as to easily risk all of this with ...with.." she
made a vague gesture, encompassing them both and the cave and Luke hugged
her close.

"Love?" He asked and kissed her softly on her forehead. "You just have to
let go, Mara. Trust your feelings. You know that this is love."

"How should I know, Luke?" Mara's head snapped up and her hands rested
against his chest. "I never had guardians who showed me comfort and love.
You know how I was as a kid. The only time I felt loved was when I was with
you in that cave on Tatooine. I felt save there for the first time in my
miserable life," Mara's voice trailed away and Luke stared at her in open
shock.

I knew her life as Emperor's Hand was hard but I never thought it was
this void of all the things Aunt Beru gave and showed me, he told
himself silently and then drew Mara back into his arms.

"Tell me, Mara, tell me how it was when you were a child?!" He demanded
softly and to his surprise Mara did.

"The earliest recollection I have is that of me kneeling in front of the
Emperor. I was five or six standard years old I think and he told me that I
was to be trained by the best teachers in hand to hand combat as well as
weapons. I didn't know what that meant at the time but in the years to
follow I hated every moment of it. Then later I was taken on missions until
I was twelve when I had to kill the first Rebel agent..."

"It was so messy, Luke, and afterwards when I was debriefed by Vader and
the Emperor himself I was punished when he detected compassion for the
victim," she looked up and met Luke's warm gaze. "He almost killed me then
and there, you saw the welts of the Force-whip on my back. Afterwards I
knew that I had to kill off all those feelings I had. The Emperor made sure
to harden me ... and Vader too."

Mara shivered when she thought about this time and also about the irony
that the son of the very man who had been responsible for her hardness was
the one man she loved. Yes, she thought. I love Luke Skywalker.

"I wish I could have helped you, Mara. I really wish I could just wash away
those memories, make it all go away," he whispered softly. "I wish my
father had shown more compassion, Jade."

"And what would you have done, Luke? I barely could shield your presence
when we were on Tatooine. If you had been present, you too, would have been
submitted to the influence of Palpatine. I really don't want to imagine how
you'd turned out if Vader had found you or if Palpatine had probed deeper
to see that you were Force-sensitive," the young trader cupped his face
with her hand.

"That is what draw me to you, you know. Your innocence and openness was so
refreshing after the stifling deceit on Coruscant, Luke. And Vader showed
compassion even though he never showed it openly. When I returned to
Coruscant and Palpatine unleashed all his anger onto me, Vader brought me
back to the med center afterwards. Against Palpatine's orders he eased the
physical pains while he carried me there."

"He did?" Luke asked, surprised, and Mara nodded.

"You see, he was not the deadly Sith Lord everyone thought he was, there
was still some of Anakin Skywalker in him that the Emperor could not
reach," Mara said softly and watched as Luke's face brightened up with a
small smile.

"Yeah, I guess so, Mara," Luke whispered and captured her hand. Drawing it
slowly to his lips, he placed a soft kiss into her palm. "I'm glad that he
did, even if he was Vader at that time. And I'm glad that you are who you
are, Mara. If you had not been the Emperor's Hand, we wouldn't have met. In
a way we should be grateful, Palpatine planted his last command in you ..."

Mara Jade had to smile at that. Trust Luke to see the positive side of
things, she thought and leant closer. "I wish I could view the world
just as positive as you do, Farmboy" she said. "You are way too positive
for your own good."

"Positive, huh? Don't you mean my naivete, my genius, my ... ouch," Luke
gasped when Jade's elbow connected with his ribs.

"How about your questionable bad habit of trying to save the galaxy
single-handedly?" Mara asked and leant closer to tickle him.

"Okay, Jade, I get the drift," he grinned and hugged her closer. But he
could not give up without one last banter. "And don't forget my penchant
for certain red heads."

"Oh really?" Jade quirked and eyebrow at him. "Do I know them?"

The Jedi Master grinned and pursed his lips as if in deep thought. "Could
be, there is this woman I know. She is the most aggravating woman, who can
turn a certain Jedi Master into complete fits of anger with just one word,
she is unselfish, cynical, cannot sustain relationships, doesn't conform
and can wield a mean lightsaber, does that ring a bell?"

"Hey, I'm not cynical," Mara said and straddled his hips. She started to
tickle him more seriously now and they both laughed. Luke tried to ward her
hands off and captured her wrists. Both drew closer in unison and their
lips met in a soft kiss. Groaning, the kiss grew deeper and they would have
pursued their renewed passion if not for a noise from outside the cave drew
their attention away from the happier pastime.

"What was that?" Luke asked as he held Mara close, trying to slow down his
rapidly beating heart. Mara's head lay against the crook of his neck and he
could feel her shaking her head. Slowly, as to make not any sound, they
drew apart and grabbed their clothing.

Luke was the first to be fully dressed and armed with her thigh blaster, he
crept closer to the entrance of the cave. Checking outside, he saw that the
sun was slowly rising over the horizon and that one of the natural
inhabitants of the planet, a lizard-like creature, had come out of his
hiding spot for the night.

Waiting for any other noise to reach his ears, Luke made sure that their
lingering had not brought their pursuers on their heels. When he turned he
saw Jade standing behind him, already holstered up and her satchel slung
around her uninjured arm.

"We have to go," Luke said and for a moment their eyes locked. They both
knew that their time together was drawing close. As soon as they met up
with Corran and Wedge again, their ways would part - again.

Mara handed Skywalker the satchel when he held out his hand and followed
him silently into the forest. When they had reached the trees that
surrounded the hiding place of the X-Wing, Mara turned back again. From
afar, the opening of the cave lay in shadows and she was only barely able
to notice it up on the ridge of the mountain. Somehow she felt as if a part
of her was still up there in the cave together with Luke. It is strange
that things seem to repeat themselves in our lives, she thought, before
she turned her back to the cave and followed look into the thickening
forest and the darkness beyond.
-------------------------------------- Una

Hi all,

here is the next installment to Collateral Damage.

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of 'Star Wars' depicted in
this story are legal property of George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd. and
Timothy Zahn, and have been used without permission. No copyright
infringement intended.

Summary: Mara and Luke return to safety ...

Rating: PG

Thanks go to Sherry, my relentless beta reader and friend. Without
you and your wonderful suggestions when I was brain dead again, I
wouldn't have put so much effort into certain scenes of this
chapter :) Thank you :)
Oh and to Jackie who sent me a beautiful sexy pic I already had ...
but boy is that an incentive to write more on FS fic, or what? <lol>

-----------------------------
Chapter Five - Visions and Dreams

It had taken them five standard hours until they had reached Luke's X-
Wing. Both were tired and sweaty as they had to backtrack a couple of
times while hiding from the pirates who had picked up their trail.
Twice they had been forced to climb up the mountain again when the
pirates had been too close on their trail and both Jedi were tired
and fed up with the hunt.

Mara had been all too glad to climb into the X-Wing, making herself
comfortable in the small space behind Luke's seat after they had
removed the webbing from the craft. She had watched tiredly as Luke
had climbed into the seat and checked the displays in front of him.
Soon they were space bound and had reached the Corellian freighter in
little under a standard hour.

Wedge and Corran stood a little to the side and waited as the X-Wing
landed with a thud on the hard durasteel plates of the hangar floor.
As soon as the engines had powered down Horn walked over and tied
down the craft. The canopy of the X-Wing opened with a hiss and both
Rogues were relieved when the Jedi exited.

Soon all four found themselves in the small mess hall of the
freighter and after Luke had eaten his fair share of ration meals,
which elicited some teasing from his friends, the Jedi Master and his
companion relayed what had happened on the planet.

"You can imagine when Velda all of a sudden turned out to be Mara,"
Luke said and chuckled when he remembered the scene. "I thought I'd
die of a heart attack."

Mara grinned at that. "Sure, Jedi, you stood to attention as well,"
she deliberately used the ambiguous meaning and laughed when Luke
blushed.

"Jade ..." he protested lamely, while Wedge thumped his shoulder.

"Way to go, Skywalker," Antilles teased and winked at Mara who raised
an eyebrow.

"Antilles, you have a very dirty imagination. Skywalker here thought
he was sold off, so he was on his best behaviour," she snickered and
Luke glared at her.

"Thanks a lot, Jade," he shot back and chuckled. "But yeah, I was on
my best behaviour when Velda inspected me."

After they had given their friends a diluted version of what had
happened on planet, the events of the past days slowly caught up with
all four of them and after a while the conversation died down and
Mara Jade rose to her feet.

"I better turn in," she said and when she rolled her shoulders two
loud popping sounds could be heard. "But first, I will put you and
Iella to the test," she grinned at Wedge as he looked at her dumb-
founded. "The dye, Antilles. If you lied to me, your rest will be
imminent and eternal," she mocked him and Corran and Wedge laughed
while Luke looked totally lost.

"Jade, Iella said the dye is water soluble and I took her word for
it," Wedge said slowly, a little doubt creeping up in the back of his
mind.

"Well, I hope you are right," Mara retorted and turned on her heels.
All three men watched her as she walked down the corridor to one of
the three small cabins that brought up the crew quarters.

"Any famous last words, Wedge?" Corran asked after the sound of water
running could be heard from the refresher and Wedge shot him an
annoyed look.

"It's not funny, Horn!" Antilles said and Luke and Corran grinned.

"Fitting words, Wedge," Luke shot out but he kept his Force senses on
the woman in the fresher across the corridor.

*Is the dye coming off, Jade?* he asked her through the Force
and for a moment he could feel the hesitation coming from the woman.

*Well, you can tell that friend of yours he will live ... for a
little while longer,* Jade snarled back and Luke had to grin at
that. He took another sip of the caf they had all been drinking and
after making sure the cup was empty, returned it to the small cooking
unit in the mess hall.

Leaning back against the counter, he watched his friends conversing
softly. A sense of calm and also gratefulness washed over Luke as he
watched them and he felt lucky to have such good friends. Corran must
have picked up on his thoughts as he raised his head and gave Luke a
wink while he listened to Wedge talking.

The Jedi grinned back and turned his head in time when he heard the
soft thud of a door closing shut in the corridor.

Mara Jade walked in softly, her hair a glorious halo of half dried
curls of liquid gold and red around her head and down her shoulders.
When Wedge noticed her, he smiled.

"I told you it was water soluble," he offered her with a cocky grin
and Mara had to laugh at the smug expression but also at the wave of
relief coming from him.

"So Iella won't be a widow after all ... I think I would have made
her very happy though," Jade knew the retort was sharper than she had
intended but she could not help herself. She still felt fidgety and
tensed up after all that had happened and she suspected that she had
a slight case of after-mission jitters. Or Luke jitters, she
added silently.

"Yeah, Wedge, Iella would make a very happy widow," Corran
teased. "Even now she has to ward off all those suitors .."

Wedge sat up straight and shot Corran an angry glance. "What
suitors??"

"Well," Corran drawled and leant back in his chair. "There is Wes,
and Hobbie ..." He shot Mara and Luke a glance that clearly said:
'Play along'.

"And Tycho was smitten with Iella," Mara added, hiding a smile when
Wedge looked at her as if she had just grown a second head.

"And don't forget Lando," Luke added and exhaled loudly when Mara's
elbow connected with his ribs. *Thanks Jade* he sent her
through the Force.

*You are welcome, Jedi. That is only a small price to pay after
mentioning his name in my presence.*

*Sorry, Mara, I didn't think,* Luke said apologetically and
for a short moment their gazes met before they turned their attention
back to Wedge who was looking as if he had the first signs of a
stroke.

"Not Lando," Wedge groaned and the others burst out loudly. "I guess
I will have a serious discussion with my wife. Iella can have all the
Rogues but not that one," he said though he had a hard time to hide
his grin.

"Oh that you should, friend, that you should," Corran laughed out
loud which elicited another sour look from Wedge.

"By the way, CorSec, how is your father-in-law, Booster?" Mara asked
sweetly and it was now Wedge's turn to laugh at the sour expression
of his friend and comrade.

"Mara, you are killing me," Corran said and put one of his hands
dramatically onto his chest.

"So you are still not on speaking terms with Terrik?" Luke asked and
hid a yawn behind his hand.

"Well, every time I try to speak to him his eyes shoot blaster bolts
my direction. I think the only reason I'm not dead is Mirax. She
keeps Booster at bay," Corran chuckled at that. "He let me know in
not so many words that if I ever hurt Mirax in any way, I'll pay
dearly, and I believe him."

"Sounds much like Booster, alright," Mara commented. "You better heed
his warning, Horn."

Corran threw her a look and nodded shortly. "I guess that this is my
cue to turn in," he stood up and after bidding every one a good
night, he disappeared down the corridor to the cabin he shared with
Wedge since they had two additional guests on board now.

The remaining three occupants of the mess hall lapsed into silence
and all could feel the tiredness seeping through their bones and
Wedge shifted uncomfortably in his seat when his arm began to throb
again.

"I guess I'll go back to the cockpit so I can take first watch," he
said and pulled himself to his feet. Mara grabbed his uninjured arm
when he swayed.

"You better turn in as well, Antilles. And no more wild dashes till
we reach a med center on Coruscant, is that clear?" she growled but
the underlying care in her voice was evident.

Wedge was tempted to reply with a snippy 'yes, mother', but he cut
down on the banter when he saw the fire in the deep emerald eyes of
the Trader.

"Yes, Wedge, go on and get some sleep. I'll keep first watch and then
wake up Corran," Luke joined in and ignored the flash of annoyance
coming from Mara.

Jade sighed and shook her head. "No, you two get some sleep and
I will wake up Corran. Now go, both of you," she demanded and
shoved both men gently down the corridor.

They had reached the cabin, and Wedge bid them goodnight while Luke
shot Mara a glance.

*Are you sure?* He asked her as he felt her tension. Sending
her all the love and affection he felt for her through their bond, he
smiled when he felt her opening up to his emotions.

*Would I offer it if I weren't?* Mara shot back but brushed
his mind with chuckle. *And I think you would appreciate sleeping
on a bunk than the cold floor or a chair in the cockpit.*

They stood facing each other for long moments, just revelling in the
presence of each other.
Luke raised his hand to her cheek, stroking the soft skin beneath his
fingertips and for a moment he felt her own fatigue.

"Thank you, Mara," he said softly and both smiled at that.

"You know I will always be there when you need me, now go on. You
need the sleep as well as the others. I'll be fine," Mara Jade
replied and cupped his hand with her own. Raising her head slightly,
she brushed her lips over his, still feeling surprised that she had
accepted his love for her so easily.

Now with their Force bond securely in place again, she could feel
Luke's own emotions and how he liked her kiss, and she felt how he
longed to deepen it but that he was aware that they weren't alone.
She chuckled softly, when she sensed Luke's struggle to draw back,
and after another chaste kiss, she stepped away from him.

*You need to sleep, Farmboy. When my watch is over I'll join
you,* Luke heard Mara's voice through their bond and for a moment
Luke was thrown off.

*I would like that, Jade,* he replied and felt a mental nudge
in his ribs. "What?" he asked loudly.

*We will sleep, Jedi. There are just too many Force sensitives on
this ship*, Mara snapped back and tried to shove him through the
open door behind his back. They both chuckled as they wrestled
playfully and both did not notice the door opening across the
corridor and Corran stepping out.

Horn grinned when he saw the two Jedi in such playful mood and had
just decided to retreat into the cabin he had been coming from when
Luke noticed him.

"Sorry, did we wake you up?" Skywalker asked and straightened
visibly.

"No, I just need some ear plugs, Wedge is sawing down the great
forests of Corellia ..." Corran replied and turned towards the
medikit where also medical ear plugs were located. When Horn returned
he saw Mara just turning into the cockpit and Luke staring after her.

"She is one fine lady," Corran commented and chuckled when he saw the
blush creeping up in Luke's cheeks.

"Yeah I guess so," Luke murmured and tried desperately to control his
blushes.

"You guess? And here I thought you knew that already," Horn replied
and nudged Luke in his ribs. Both men laughed softly and Luke shook
his head.

"Doesn't take a Force-sensitive to notice that, huh?" Luke asked
sheepishly and brushed his hand over his neck. Both men laughed again
and bid each other a good night.

Before Corran opened the door to his cabin and Wedge's snoring, he
turned back and couldn't suppress a last banter.

"Sweet dreams, Luke. And remember, the bunks in there are really
small so you have to use some of your Jedi inventiveness to make do."

"Oh great, thanks, Horn!" Skywalker shot back.
------------------------
After Skywalker had his turn in the refresher, smiling at the two
bottles of cleanser Mara had left there for him, he walked back into
the small sleeping cabin, rubbing his hair with a towel before
tossing it into the hamper.

When Mara and he had arrived Luke had taken his small flight bag from
the X-Wing and now he dumped it upside down and rummaged through its
contents. To his relief he found his sleeping pants and put them on
before he returned the other items to his bag again.

*Feeling bashful, Farmboy?* he felt Mara's teasing voice in
his mind and he chuckled.

*I don't think it is such a good idea to sleep in the nude, Jade.
After all, we are not alone,* he sent her back.

*Do you sleep in the nude, Farmboy?* Mara asked back, all of a
sudden realising that although she had shared his apartment, she did
not know anything about his sleeping habits.

*What if I were?* Luke teased back, flashing her a short image
of him in bed.

He felt her chuckle and he softly caressed her mind with love and
affection. *I got a taste of how nice it is to sleep in the nude,
when I spent a night and a day in a cave with a red head, Jade.*

*Oh now I'm to blame for the Jedi Master's sleeping habits?*
Mara answered and shook her head. *Go to bed, Jedi.*

*Only if you promise to join me later,* Luke retorted and felt
her mental ribbing.

*Go to bed.* He felt her say then she cut the connection and
he sighed. Climbing onto small bunk, he sat cross-legged on it.
Breathing evenly, he slowly let himself emerge in the Force and the
meditation washed away any aches and worries he still had from the
past mission.

He relived some of the events - his capture, Mara posing as Velda -
and he had to admit that she had even fooled him. Slowly, he worked
his mind to end the meditation when the first flashes of a Force
vision penetrated his mind and consciousness.

Memories of their time in the cave came back to his mind, the
lovemaking, their kisses and gentle explorations of their bodies.
Luke wondered fleetingly why the Force showed him these when the
vision shifted and brought him back to the moment he had removed the
tracking device and for that instant he knew that it was not what
both he and Mara has assumed it was. Again, the images before his
mind's eye shifted and he found himself back on Yavin. Frowning, he
looked around, tried to make hand and foot out of the vision he was
experiencing when he felt a small hand tugging at his own and he
looked down into deep blue eyes in a small face framed with wild red
curls.

His dream self squatted down in front of the girl, laughed and spoke
to her, though the Force did not give him any indication what about.
A wave of feeling, love, affection and a sense of belonging washed
over Skywalker as he took in the sight of the girl.

The future is ever in motion, he heard the words of his old
master Yoda clearly in his head but for the moment he did not want to
think about the future. All he could see was the little girl, her
features a perfect blend of blue eyes and red hair, showing clearly
her parentage and deep in his heart, Luke knew that this little girl
was his and Mara's.

Understanding washed over him as the vision faded at last and for
long moments, the Jedi Master just sat there, staring at an unseen
point on the wall opposite him before he reached out with his senses
and sought out Mara. The vision had shown him something and he had to
make sure, had to know if the Force vision just wanted to tell him
something about his future with Mara or if the future was already in
motion.

For a moment he basked in Mara's presence then he retreated as
quickly as he had sought her out. No use to probe her without her
knowing, he thought and closing his eyes, Skywalker exhaled
softly. For a moment he was overwhelmed with the newly acquired
knowledge and he was sure that he could not sleep after what the
Force had shown him but soon his breathing grew even and before he
knew what happened, he snuggled up beneath the covers and fell into a
deep, soothing sleep.

Three standard hours later Mara entered the cabin and found the Jedi
Master deep in slumber. The woman smiled and after she had undressed
herself, sat down beside him. Watching his sleeping face, she was
amazed how young he looked and she had to admit that she should have
known that he was her farmboy because when asleep he looked much like
the young boy she had met over fifteen years ago.

Brushing away the bangs that had fallen into his face, she leant over
and put a soft kiss onto his cheek, still afraid about the depth of
emotion she felt for this man. She paused for a moment when he
stirred, mumbling something that sounded much like her name.

"I'm here," she whispered softly and moved to stand up to go over to
the small bunk on the other side of the cabin but the sleeping Jedi
swarted her effort by encircling his arms around her waist.

"Mara," Luke murmured again and scooted off to the wall while his
arms held unto her. Sighing softly, Mara slid in beside him and after
she had laid her head onto his shoulder, her eyes drooped shut and
soon only their even breathing was heard.
------------------------
Talon Karrde threw the data pad onto his bunk and rubbed his eyes
tiredly. For three months now he had to deal with all the little
business details that Mara Jade had taken care off even as she had
built up her own business now.

Time for you to come home, Jade, Talon thought and groaned
when another data chip with calculations appeared out of the blue on
his desk. He stood up to retrieve the data pad from the bunk when his
comm link started beeping. Slipping onto the seat before it, he
opened the channel and frowned when he noticed it was audio only.

"Karrde," he said and he was greeted by a soft, mellow voice of a man.

"Mr. Karrde, I'm calling to inquire into a shipment you and your
business partner Mara Jade promised to deliver, but so far we haven't
had any contact with you or Miss Jade."

Talon squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his temples wearily. "Can you
tell me the shipment number? I'm sure the shipment went out..."

"Of course, the shipment number is Decca seven-three-one-eight-nine
and it was ordered by the Jin'quii Consortium on Briem. Of course, we
do not want to complain but this shipment is rather important to us."

"Yes, of course," Talon replied and frowned when his data pad showed
him clearly that the shipment was still in a warehouse on
Coruscant. "I will see what I can do to get the goods to your
location as soon as possible."

"Thank you, and if it is possible, it would be a pleasure to meet
Miss Jade again, her services to the consortium were very valuable in
the past..." The man said and Talon, out of habit rather than
mistrust, checked Jade's last trade runs with the consortium and
noticed she had always come back with more and bigger orders than any
of his other traders.

"I don't think that will be a problem, Mara Jade will deliver the
goods," Talon said with a satisfied grin and picked up his hand held
comm unit. "When do you need the goods specifically?"

"In about a standard week, give or take a few days, but the
Consortium would be highly pleased if we could get the goods in
question in two standard weeks."

"I think that is manageable, sir."

"Good, then I won't take up any more of your valuable time, Mr.
Karrde," the man on the other end said and the transmission was cut
off. For a moment Talon grinned to himself, the prospect of getting
an even bigger order took away some of his fatigue, but after a
moment he realised that he had not asked after the man's name.

"You are getting soft, Karrde," he chided himself softly and flicked
his private comm link on to contact Mara Jade.
------------------------
Mara Jade was floating on a soft ocean of warmth and the up and down
of the waves kept her safe and gave her more time to ignore the
incessant beeping of a comm link somewhere. Suddenly the ocean she
floated on moved beneath her and sleepily she opened her eyes only to
realise that she lay sprawled over Luke and that the up and down of
the ocean of her dream was actually his even breathing.

"Comm link," she murmured tiredly and moved off to the side, her back
to the wall and her head snuggled up in the crook of Luke's neck.

"Mara, it's your comm link," Luke whispered softly but the slight
snoring sound told him that Mara was already fast asleep again, with
a sigh he eased out of her embrace and groped for her comm link. By
the time he had found it on her utility belt lying on a small table,
he was awake enough to think about a feasible excuse that he was
answering her comm link.

"Yeah?" he croaked into it after he had thumbed it on.

"Mara? You sound awful," Talon Karrde's baritone filled the small
cabin and Luke groaned inwardly.

"Karrde, it's Luke, Mara is asleep ..." Luke said and congratulated
himself for his up front excuse.

"Oh, hi Luke," even through the comm Skywalker could feel the broad
grin of the trader. "I didn't know you two were back on track. How
are you and Mara?"

"Fine, Talon, listen ... she had a pretty tiring day and she is still
asleep. Can she call you back?" Luke replied and sat down on the bunk
again. He inhaled sharply when Mara's hand crept up around his waist
and started caressing his stomach. Trying to ignore her hand and also
the feelings it aroused, he concentrated on Talon's voice.

"I imagine that the two of you are tired." Talon offered and chuckled
softly.

Luke tried not to roll his eyes at the man's insinuating tone. "From
our mission, Talon. She's tired from dodging blaster bolts and
hiding from pirates."

"The things you two get in to. Let me guess, she rescued you again?"
Talon's voice roared with laughter now, his tiredness forgotten
temporarily. "I'm sorry to interrupt anything, Luke, but I really
need to talk to Mara. Something has come up..."

Luke sighed and caught Mara's wandering hand as she brushed over his
chest. "Hang on," he said and fingered the comm link for the mute
button. He turned and bent forward, nuzzling his nose in the crook of
her neck.

"Mara, wake up! Talon needs you ..." he said softly, giving her a
soft kiss on her earlobe. He felt Mara waking up and he nudged her
through the Force to come completely awake.

"Luke," Mara murmured and fully turned on her back, her arms snaking
around his neck while she raised her head and put a soft kiss on his
lips.

"Mara, Talon is-" Luke tried to say but her hot mouth cut off any
coherent thoughts and words and for a long moment they kissed.

*Forget Talon, Farmboy,* Mara sent him, her hands tousling his
hair.

Talon on the other end of the comm link sighed and tried to ignore
the kissing and whispering sounds but to no avail. As much as he
liked Mara, eavesdropping was not his forte and he cleared his
throat. When the kissing sounds increased he closed his eyes.

"Luke, Mara," he said and when he still could hear the sounds of the
couple coming through the comm, he cleared his throat again, more
loudly this time. "Mara! LUKE!"

The couple on the small bunk flinched at the loud noise and Luke
closed his eyes in embarrassment.

"Sithspit!" Skywalker swore and sat back on the bunk, groping for the
comm link. "Ah ... Talon ... I thought ... I had put ... ah ...
umm ... the mute on," Luke murmured.

Mara snatched the comm link from his hand and flashing him a half-
mocking grin, she scooted beside him.

"Talon, what is the matter?" She hid a yawn while Luke stood up and
walked over to the 'fresher. She followed him with her eyes and had
to smile when she remembered what they were about to do before Talon
interrupted him.

*Don't be long, Farmboy,* she sent him while she concentrated
on Talon.

Luke entered the refresher and let water run into the sink. His face
still burnt from embarrassment and when he thought about it, he
realised that he should be happy that Mara had taken all of it in
stride. It showed that she had accepted their relationship and that
made him extremely happy.

When Skywalker returned, Mara had switched off her comm link and was
sitting on the bunk, her arms slung around her naked legs. Her hair
was framing her small figure like a veil as it ran down her back and
shoulders to her hips. For a moment, Luke just stood there, taking in
the beauty of her. He still could not believe that this wonderful
woman was a part of his life, she was his life, his every breath, his
heart beat.

He must have made a sound as she looked up with those beautiful deep
green eyes and for a minute or two he just drowned in them, letting
himself surrounded by them. Slowly, he walked over and sat down
beside her, reaching out a hand and brushed some errant strands of
fiery hair away from her face.

"Bad news?" he asked gently, burying his hand in the wild abundance
of her hair at her neck.

Mara shrugged and turned her face toward him. "Yes and no," she said
and smiled at him. "Talon asked me to run some goods for him, which
is good as he wants to hand the customer over to me but I have to
leave immediately for Coruscant."

"Immediately?" Luke asked, suppressing the feeling of annoyance. "I
thought we could return to Yavin and ..."

"I have a business, Jedi, I just can't leave for Yavin on a whim!"
Mara cut in and stood up.

"A whim?" Luke asked and rose to his feet likewise. "I don't think
spending some quality time and perhaps some training with me on Yavin
is a whim," Luke growled.

"Oh I knew it! You just can't lay off, can you, Skywalker?" Jade
snapped and stepped closer to him, so that their bodies almost
touched. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not returning
to that stupid moon of yours to resume my Jedi training! I don't want
to become a Jedi, don't you get that into that dense head of yours?"

Luke stared at her and he shook his head. "Mara, this is not about
your Jedi training. I don't want you to go on this trade run ... not
immediately."

"Now the great Jedi Master wants to tell me how to run my life? Not
with me, Jedi. I have a life, without you," she whirled around and
crossed her arms over her breasts.

Luke flinched as if he had been whipped. "I guess you're right," he
said flatly and slumped down the bunk. "You don't need anyone, great
Master Trader Jade. And who am I to tell you how to lead your life,
if ever."

"Oh please, Skywalker, don't self-flagellate yourself!" Mara growled
and turned back towards him.

"Don't tell me what I do or cannot do," Luke shot back. "If you tell
me not to meddle with your life, then stay out of mine as well!"

"Fine!" Mara shouted and Luke rose to his feet.

"Fine! Good that this is cleared up!" He turned towards the door and
looked back at her. "If you'll excuse me, but I think it is my watch
now, Jade, so I will leave you alone."

Mara whirled around and grabbed his tunic from the nearby table.
Throwing it at him, she lashed out one last time. "Don't forget your
tunic, Skywalker, you might need it to soak up all that pity you are
wallowing in!"

The door closed with a loud thud and Mara suppressed a sob. Squeezing
her eyes shut, she knew that she was yet again the reason why was
wounded Luke. Jade knew that the words were vicious, coming from the
corner of her heart that still feared the Jedi Master. Her defences
had kicked in and she knew that her sharp tongue had only one reason
to lash out, to cover up the growing ache in the part of her heart
that cared deeply for Luke Skywalker, the part that felt pain and
fear of leaving him again so soon.
------------------------

Una

Hello All,

here is the sixth part of Collateral Damage :) Another transitory chapter
(more or less) but with a twist ;-)

This story is the last of an estimated series of five stories and a direct
follow-up on Cold Equation and Tatooine Suns.
If you haven't read the first five chapters, then please go to my site at
www.different-words.net and choose the Star Wars archive OR, of course, the
www.fanfiction.net . And as always feedback, death threats etc. are highly
appreciated :)

Enjoy :)

Summary: As Mara has successfully freed the Jedi Master, they are now on
the run towards Skywalker's X-Wing to meet up with Corran and Wedge
again. They try to resolve some of the issues between them. Can they
resolve their problems and over come the past? Or will fate strike at the
Jedi master and his family again and this time with deadly consequences?

Rating: PG

Thanks go to Sherry, my relentless beta reader and friend. She uses the
whip if I slack and keeps me sane <G> Thank you my friend :)

--------------------------------------
Chapter Six - Death

The next morning they had reached the space station of the Cha Raaba system
and the tension between Mara Jade and Luke Skywalker was palpable, so thick
that even a lightsaber would had have trouble cutting through. Wedge who
had the ingenious idea of having a final breakfast in the space station's
lounge before heading off in all the different directions they needed to
go, watched both Jedi carefully. From what he had heard from Corran this
very morning those two shouldn't behaving the way they did. Both were
extremely polite and distant, not at all like the friends they had been
last night.

The Corellian sighed and shot Corran a look that stated clearly he was
annoyed and puzzled. Something must be done, Wedge thought and drew
Corran to the side.

"Do you know what happened?" he asked and Corran shrugged his shoulders.

"I told you they looked fine last night, something must have happened when
they went to bed," Corran replied and squeezed his eyes shut. Since he had
seen Luke and Mara this morning, both keeping silent toward each other, he
had groped his mind why this sudden change in their behaviour.

"Tell you what, I'll take Mara to the lounge and you two arrive later. I
want to have a word with Miss Jade," Corran said and his friend nodded to that.

"Okay, and I will have a word with Luke. I hate to see those two not even
exchanging a word with each other and that silence is getting on my
nerves!" Wedge said forcefully and Horn understood exactly what his friend
meant.
+++++
Mara Jade was warming her hands around the cup of caf that sat in front of
her. The lounge was full with other people and creatures but they had made
sure to acquire a four-seater table and now Corran and Mara sat, facing
each other and the woman tried to ignore the air of annoyance coming from
her friend.

Corran Horn watched the woman in front of him, she looked small and forlorn
as she sat there in a black shirt, the top of her flight suit securely tied
around her waist.

"Care to tell me what is wrong with the two of you?" Corran asked without
preamble in a tone that clearly told Mara he wanted an answer.

Mara groaned and looked into her cup and expected to find the answer to
Horn's question in the depth of the caf. But of course, she could not find
it and instead of retorting with a snappish remark, she just shrugged her
shoulders.

"Jade," Corran's voice was little less than a growl. "Don't toy with me
like you do with Luke."

Jade stiffened visibly and shot him a glare out of emerald green eyes. "I
do not toy, either with you or Luke or anyone else."

"No?" The man asked and grinned. "You could have fooled me, Jade. Now, out
with it. What happened?"

Mara stared at him, then straightened her shoulders. "CorSec, you are
neither my father, nor my brother, and I really don't think it is any of
your business how I deal with my life."

"Sure, I'm not your brother or father, Jade, but I'm a friend ... a friend
who cares about two of his best friends, and I can't believe how you and
Luke behave like the two of you do," Corran replied softly. "So what
happened? You two are so polite to each other when you exchange
words that it is sickening."

Mara took a sip of her caf and grimaced when she noticed it had turned
cold. "What is it with you Jedi? Always meddling with other people's lives.
You and Luke are just the same ... the two of you should get into a
relationship."

Corran laughed at that and shook his head. "Us three. You are a Jedi too,
Jade," retorted dryly.

The woman snorted at that and shook her head. "I'm not a Jedi, Horn and you
know it," she growled and looked up.

"Well, it is your fault if you don't accept your birth right, Mara. You're
a Jedi, you just need the final training on Yavin ..."

"...with Skywalker," Mara snapped. "And I'll be Kesseled if I do that ..."
She frowned when she saw the smirk on Corran's face and not for the first
time she longed for her old life back. To a time when she did not have
well-meaning friends who wanted to help her, support her ... Jade mentally
shook herself and her grip on the cup increased so much that her knuckles
turned white.

No more, she thought. I should not wish for a life where I was
enslaved, she admonished herself. Closing her eyes, she wearily rubbed
her temples.

"Look, Horn, I really appreciate your effort, but what is between me and
Luke is none of your business ..." she paused then grimaced at how her own
words sounded. "Even if there were anything between the Jedi Master and
myself."

Corran couldn't believe his ears. How can she be so stubborn? Didn't she
see that they were both madly in love with each other? Corran asked
himself then shook his head slightly. Probably not.

"Mara, look," he paused for a moment and smirked when he noticed that he
had just thrown back her own words. "I don't want to talk you into anything
you don't want to but you really should have a talk with Luke. If not for
your own sake, than for his. He has been through enough as it is and this
on and off thing you two seem to be indulging in with each other is not
good for the both of you."

Mara stared at him in puzzlement. "You really think it is me, right?" she
all of a sudden blurted out. "Doesn't it even in the slightest way cross
your mind that the almighty Jedi Master is at fault here? You are wasting
your time, CorSec, it is the Jedi Master you should have a word with."

Corran stared at her and deeply engrossed in his own thoughts, he brushed
his hand over his beard.
What shall I do with those two? I just hope Wedge has more luck with
Luke, he thought as both lapsed into an uneasy silence.
+++++
Walking into the lounge, Antilles and Skywalker stopped just right inside
the entrance and let their gaze sweep over the crowd.

"Hey, Luke, give me a hand with the caf?" Wedge asked after he had made out
Corran and Mara at a table just beside the huge panorama windows. During
their trip over from the freighter to the space station he had pried Luke
gently and he had not found anything amiss with him other than him clamping
up like a Calamarian shell every time he brought up Mara's name.

"Sure," Luke replied and followed Wedge over to the counter. There, he
watched as Antilles ordered not only their cups of caf but also for himself
and Horn a breakfast. When it was Luke's turn he ordered bachon and
Inuoie milk with soft Corellian sweet bread for two.

Wedge laughed and slapped his friend's lean stomach lightly. "I really
don't know where you leave all this stuff," Wedge commented and Luke shot
him a sheepish smile.

"The breakfast is for Mara too," he said shyly and let his gaze move over
to where Mara and Corran sat.

"Don't tell me you have converted her to that awful milk?" Antilles
grimaced and sipped on the caf that had arrived. "Yuck," he made in
mock-revulsion and Luke laughed.

"You should try it, Wedge, it is quite tasty." Luke shot back.

"Thanks, but no thanks, Luke. You might convert the woman you love to that
kind of blue milk, but leave your fiends out of it ..."

The young Jedi Master stared at his friend, then shook his head. "Is it
this obvious?" he asked softly and Wedge frowned.

"What? That you try to deliberately want your friends suffer of food
poisoning?" Antilles deliberately misunderstood Skywalker's soft-spoken
request and when he saw that this battle-hardened man blushed a deep
crimson, he planted a hand on his shoulder.

"Yes, it is obvious, but only to those who care deeply about you. And
Corran and I care about you and Mara."

Luke smirked at that. "I can understand that Corran does, but you Antilles?
Have you found your soft spot for Jade?"

"She is not too bad if you ignore some of her more irritating personality
traits," Wedge countered with a grin. "She seems to like you ... well, most
of the times when she doesn't want to strangle you. But then again, who of
your friend's hadn't had that notion before, though not as long and as
steady as Mara Jade. And she is a Force-user, and although I'm still in the
dark at what it really means to be one of those, I think it is important
for you that the woman in your life can share that side of you what you are
and what it means to you as well. You are perfect for each other when you
look at it closely."

Luke stared at his friend almost with an open mouth. I can't believe
Wedge is giving me advice on my love-life?! Luke thought and mentally
shook himself. Great, Skywalker, now your friends meddle with your life
as well, not only your well-meaning twin sister.

"Wedge ..." Skywalker started lamely but Antilles waved him away.

"No, let me be, Luke. You will listen to me. You know that I only get this
serious when the situation is likewise and I think this is a serious
situation. You two looked so happy together last night and now not 24
standard hours later you behave as if you barely know each other," For a
moment he directed his gaze towards the woman who was at the center of
their conversation. "I don't want to know what happened between the two of
you, but if you continue like this you will lose more than your
friendship." The Corellian turned away after he had ordered the waiter
droid to serve their meals at the table and with caf in hand, Antilles
slowly strolled over to where Mara and Corran sat.

Luke stared after his friend and for a moment he was too shell-shocked as
to will his senses and limbs to follow him. He had mustered up enough
courage to go over to the table, when his comm link started beeping.
+++++
"Ah Antilles, you are my man," Corran greeted his friend boisterously after
the waiter droid had brought them their breakfast.

"Yes, thanks Antilles," Mara piped in when she saw that the waiter droid
had brought for herself her favourite breakfast dish.

"The Jedi Master chose for you, Jade, he said you liked the blue milk and
the bachon," Wedge eyed her closely and for a moment he was certain
he had seen a flash of gratefulness cross her face before it turned back
into the expression of bored coolness.

"Thanks anyway, Antilles," Mara murmured and turned her head slightly into
the direction where she supposed to find Skywalker. He was on the comm and
she frowned when she so the soft smile on his lips that threatened to split
his face.

"He looks like that and more when he looks at you, Mara," she barely heard
Corran's whispered words and she whirled around, a sharp retort on her lips
that died down.

With flashing eyes, she picked up the cutlery and dug into her breakfast.
Damn Corran ... damn all Jedi! she thought as she mechanically ate
bite for bite, drank sip after sip of Luke's favourite drink. Only at the
fringe of her perception she heard the banter between Corran and Wedge and
when Luke came to the table.

By instinct she moved across the bench to make room for him and after he
slid in beside her, she dared to watch him out of the corner of her eyes.

"Something has come up," Skywalker said, pushing his food around on his
plate. "Leia asked me to return to Coruscant."

"Another dark Jedi threatening the galaxy?" Corran offered and Wedge joined
in: "Or another Death Star to destroy?"

"No," Luke laughed at the eagerness in both men's voices. "Nothing like
that at all. It is the twin's birthday and Leia asked me to come ... Jacen
and Jaina want to celebrate their birthing day with their Uncle Luke."

"Ah, the Solo terrors," Antilles grinned. "If Mirax and I ever have such
little darlings, I guess I'll kill myself."

They all laughed and even Mara grimaced. She had first hand knowledge of
the Solo terrors as she once had the bad luck to stay at Skywalker's
apartment, when the two twins had visited their Uncle Lukie.

But in the end it had been a nice afternoon, she told herself
silently. I had lots of fun with the kids, it would be nice to have one
of my own one day ... She stiffened at the thought, knowing full well,
that due to the Emperor's administrations she would never have children.

Ignoring the banter of the men around her, she thought back to the day that
Palpatine had called her. It was a happy day, her first day as his
Emperor's Hand after her official training was over. She had been thirteen
at the time, full of hope, full of so much conviction that the Emperor was
right and that being the Emperor's Hand was a noble cause.

I was so naive and stupid, Mara chided herself and closed her eyes
as if to shut out the memory of this fateful day. Palpatine had called her
and when she had arrived in his throne room, he had immediately ordered her
to go to the medcenter. Vader had accompanied her and at first she had
thought that it was just a regular med exam but she had been wrong. Young
Mara had been drugged and operated upon. When she woke up later that day,
her whole body felt like liquid fire and a scar showed up on her abdomen
and on her left arm.

She had been barely able to walk but the Emperor had called her into his
throne room again and with the help of Vader, she had managed to walk there
on her two feet. Then Palpatine had disclosed what he had done to her.

Emperor's Hand, to ensure your loyalties do not sway, this medical
interference was necessary. I cannot have my Hand thrown off her path if
she gets pregnant and your ... services ... will call for certain
techniques that could ensure a pregnancy.

The terror she had felt back then was not as great as she had felt it in
the past years. The older she got the more she felt the flaw of her
infertility. The Emperor took more than was his due, she thought and
tried to suppress the tears that wanted to well up.

And how can Skywalker still love me if he knew? The question pounded
in her head. She knew that he wanted a family of his own and if she really
opened her heart and mind to him, committed herself to him, they would
eventually end up as life partners. I could not lie to him, and I could
not condemn him to a life without a family, without children. I don't want
to hurt him any more.

Jade was so engrossed in her reverie that Corran had to ask her a third
time before she became aware that she was not alone. Unsteadily, she looked
up, focusing on the man in front of her who looked concerned.

"Jade, you okay?" Corran asked again and Mara nodded her head.

"Yes," she cleared her throat. "I'm fine, I just went through some things I
still have to do till I return to Coruscant."

"Well, then it is a deal, right? You and Luke can return to Coruscant
together while General Lamewing and I keep an eye on the pirates,"
Horn said and yelped when Antilles nudged his ribs with his uninjured elbow.

"I give you General Lamewing, Horn!" Wedge snorted.

"I ... I beg your pardon?" Mara asked, raising an eyebrow. "What is this
with this trip to Coruscant?"

"Haven't you heard a word we said?" Corran teased her. "You should take
better notice of what is going on, Ex-Emperor's Hand."

"I have to go back to Coruscant and as the Fire is faster than the
X-Wing we thought it better we store the X-Wing in your hold and return to
Coruscant together, Jade," Skywalker said, searching her face. The wave of
despair that he had picked up coming from her had disturbed him and he
desperately wished to take away some of the pain she felt.

"Sure," Mara said, pushing to her feet and the Jedi Master was quick to
stumble out from the bench and make room for her. "I have clearance for
10:00 so make certain your X-Wing is securely stored away in the
Fire's hold by then." Fishing into one of her many flight suit
pockets, she produced a credit chip and threw it onto the table.

The three men watched as the trader left the lounge. All three obviously
puzzled, though Luke had felt a knot tightening in his gut. Although Mara
had shielded herself he had picked up on her emotions and he feared that
the Emperor had something to do with them.
+++++
Luke watched as Mara checked the securing durasteel clamps with which they
were tying down the X-Wing in the Fire's hold. Luke was still amazed
how much they worked in unison even if from Mara's point of view they were
still on non-speaking terms.

Inwardly, he sighed and watched her tensed back. Mara, what is going on
in your head? he asked himself silently. One day, we take two steps
forward and then on days like this one it seems as if we are thrown back a
couple of light years.

The Jedi Master sighed again, and squatted down in front of the last
clamps, checking it carefully. Ever since Mara had agreed to take him to
Coruscant, he had deliberately kept in the background to give Mara a bit
more time but he had waited long enough. He needed to talk to her, needed
her to be herself around him and he wanted to make it up to her in any way
possible.
When she had finished her own check, Mara Jade stood up and walked over to
the corridor that led to the ladder that connected the lower storing hold
with the level of the cockpit and her cabin. She had felt Skywalker's
emotions as if they were her own and more than once she had been tempted to
acknowledge him in any way, just to hear his voice. But she was still too
angry and the memory of what the Emperor had done to her was still foremost
in her mind.

She was in the cockpit when she felt Skywalker walking over to the cockpit,
leaning against the durasteel frame of the hatch. She was so intensely
aware of his presence that she almost could feel his breathing as he stood
there watching her back.

After checking the controls one last time she pulled the lever down to jump
into hyperspace and she knew she had lost the battle when she felt a wave
of concern coming form him through their bond.

"What is it?" Mara asked with her back to him as she stood in combat stance
in front of the front port staring at the streamlined lights of the stars
in hyperspace.

"We need to talk, Mara," Luke said softly and the snort coming from the
woman was overly loud in the otherwise silent room.

"Talk? All you ever do is talk, Skywalker. This is getting old," Jade
replied harshly. "I think we have covered about everything there is last
night."

"Jade," the Jedi Master growled as a warning and stepped up behind the
Trader. "If we continue exchanging pleasantries you should at least
turn to face me." He reached out his hand but before he could touch her,
she whirled around, her hands readily raised to strike out.

Luke was taken aback by the determination that emanated from Mara Jade and
he raised his hands in front of him. "Mara, I'm not your enemy and I'm not
going to fight with you!"

"Then leave me alone, Jedi!" Mara snapped and visibly relaxed. "There is
nothing we could talk about, Skywalker. You covered your opinion pretty
well last night."

Luke Skywalker sighed and rubbed his face wearily before he slumped into
the co-pilot's chair. After a while he looked up to her, blue eyes meeting
green ones in an intense stare that had the power to cut down any form of
duracrete.

"I'm sorry about what I said, Jade. You must know that I didn't intended it
the way it sounded," He shrugged his shoulders and grinned at her
sheepishly. "I just felt irritable when Talon ... interrupted us ..."

Mara stared at him wide-eyed. Damn you Skywalker, she thought.
Why do you always have to be so damn honest?
 Or so damn cute, naive and sexy? a little voice in the back of
her mind reminded herself.

Wit an exasperated sigh, Mara sat down in her pilot's chair and watched
Skywalker squirm in his seat.

"I'm not good for you," she suddenly blurted out and she turned her head
away when she felt the Jedi Master's intense gaze on her. For a short
moment, the trader was able to ignore it, was able to avoid his eyes but in
the end she lost this particular battle and the instance she locked gazes
with Skywalker, she knew she had lost.

*Why is that?* Luke asked softly through their bond and Mara closed
her eyes for a short moment.

*Because it will never work, Skywalker,* she sent him, sending him
her conviction.
"We are not compatible, Farmboy, that's why," she said out loud.

For a moment silence was as thick as the hide of a bantha before, Luke
jumped to his feet and crossed the distance between them.

"I thought we had that already covered, Mara?" he asked gently, squatting
down in front of her and letting his thumb run over the soft skin over her
cheekbone. "Look, you know I won't ask anything of you that you can't give
me. But I can't return to a just friends status ... not anymore. I
want you in my life, whether it is on Yavin, or Coruscant or on a
Force-free planet. You are my one constant, can't you see that?"

I love you, Mara Jade he added silently, keeping his shields safely
in place.

"For almost sixteen years we have been enemies and then friends, Mara. It
is time for us to move on, to become more. I want us to be more. I want to
wake up in the mornings with you in my arms. I want you to return home to
me when you come back from one of your trade runs. And if you think I'm
going to fast then we can wait, but eventually I want you and you will have
me, body and soul ..."

The former Emperor's Hand swallowed hard and stared at the Jedi Master with
disbelieving eyes. This wonderful man offered her so much. Much more than
she had ever dared to dream about.

But I need time, she told herself. I have to think it all
through.

"You are crazy, Farmboy, do you know that?" Mara asked and tried to swallow
around the tight knot that had formed in her throat. With a shivering hand
she cupped his face, then smiled.

"Well, it is not an adjective I would use on myself, but, yes, I must be
crazy," Luke retorted and winked at her. "Totally crazy because I love the
most enigmatic, mysterious, deadly woman in the whole galaxy." There he had
said it! Luke held his breath while he searched Mara's face. Inwardly, he
steeled himself for a sharp barb, but it never came.

Letting out the breath he had not been aware he was holding, he drew Mara
closer, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "You can have all the time you
need, but one thing I promise you. You won't get rid of me, Jade. I'll
always be there for you."

The tension had left both of them and for long moments they just sat there,
holding each other tight, their lips resting against each other's skins.
Neither spoke while both were being enwrapped into the presence of each
other. Luke had lowered his shields and now a strong wave of love washed
over Mara and she soaked it up like a Calamarian Caytinnie sponge.

Images of the Force vision from last night flashed before Luke again and
for a moment he stiffened slightly. Their bond was so strong, so intimate
that it would have been easy to probe the woman in his arms further, to
make sure if the future was already in motion but like last night, he
decided against it and if it was the Force' wish, he and Mara would
eventually have children.

He grinned at that. I would love to have children with her, Mara would
make a wonderful mother, even if she doesn't think so.

Although Mara had not picked up on all his thoughts, some of the great
emotion that the thoughts evoked in him clearly came across their mutual
bond. They put her mind in turmoil, but she knew Luke Skywalker long enough
to know that he had meant every word he had said.

Slowly raising her head, she gazed deeply into the blue pools of his eyes.
"This is my promise, Farmboy. When I'm ready, I will find you ..."

*You have to, Mara,* Luke sent her and smiled when she raised an
eyebrow at him. "I still your saber, and you might like a good, trustworthy
weapon."

Mara smirked, then nodded her head. "Yes, I'd like that very much," she
said and caressed his cheeks. "That saber is like a symbol for what we
have... both deadly and soothing and double-edged. So if I ever request my
saber back then you'll know I was us to happen as well."

The Jedi nodded to that solemnly and after a quick kiss it was almost time
to pull out of hyperspace as the nav-droid gave off a series of beeps and
whistles. They had reached their destination.
+++++
Three weeks later
The gas giant was rising slowly over the moon of Yavin IV as Master
Skywalker ran through the still awakening jungle of his homestead. Luke
enjoyed these early morning runs when the
dew covered plants and trees dripped in the first rays of the sun and the
heavy scent of the exotic flowers of the jungle filled his senses.

The chirp of the birds was overly loud when the sun rose over the horizon
as if all living beings on the moon greeted the sun, and for a short moment
Luke stopped his race through the forest and watched the beauty of the
sunrise in awe.

Golden-red light streaked across the Forest floors, setting the deep
greens and yellows of the leaves into a frenzy of rich colour. At moments
like this Luke felt more like the Farmboy than the Jedi Master as he
watched silently, reverently, his breath forcing great mouthfuls into his
lungs. His tank top was drenched with sweat and when sun light hit the spot
where the Jedi Master stood, light glistened off his glistening skin,
slanting shadows and highlights on his muscles.

Squinting in the light of the new day, Luke Skywalker resumed his jog
through the forest and enjoyed the feeling of the Force and all life beings
surrounding him. But not only the perfection of this new dawn made him feel
elated, he also knew that today Mara Jade was expected for a visit. He
smiled to himself.

Three weeks, five days and thirteen hours, he counted to himself.
Almost a complete standard month since I last saw her. He just
couldn't wipe the silly grin of his face ever since he had received her
holo message. Even now after almost twelve hours he felt as if he could
embrace the whole galaxy. Luke had never felt like this before. Not even
for Callista. But then again I was already in love with Mara when
Callista happened, the Jedi Master told himself and for the first time
he admitted the truth. He had not loved Callista. Of course, I felt
affection for her but not real love, not like what I'm experiencing now.

Laughter rose in his throat when he replayed the conversation he had with
Mara in his mind. It had been short and straight to the point. 
"Hello Farmboy," Mara had greeted him and he had felt that his heart
had missed a beat when he saw the beautiful woman smiling at him.. "I
thought to let you know I want my lightsaber back!"

"And she wants me, she wants us," the Jedi Master whispered under his
breath, trying to keep the images of their lovemaking at bay and safely
tucked away into the back of his mind where he had reserved a place just
for Mara. Beautiful, sexy, exasperating Mara, he thought and almost
tripped over a root.

Laughing loudly, Luke chided himself for his inattention and focused back
on the path before him. Two days ago Mara had commed and told him that she
had reached a decision, she wanted her saber back. He knew what it meant.
She wanted him back in her life and he felt grateful for this. Over the
last months they had slowly and painstakingly resurrected their friendship
again, after the fall-out of their brief if not tempestuous affair and they
had reached a comfortable closeness that was far more than just being
friends but still less than that of lovers, even though they had submitted
to their mutual attraction to each other on Cha Niem. Luke was determined
to change this during her stay on Yavin.

He remembered that last time they had made love. Back on the Force-free
planet of Cha Niem their lovemaking had been exceptional, astounding, sexy.
Luke grinned at the memory. I'd never thought such perfection would be
possible.

Closing his eyes, he felt for the Force flowing through him and he could
feel Mara, her barriers were up but her presence was something he could
feel with every breath he was taking, their permanent link now more
profound and stronger than anything he had ever experienced, even with his
twin sister. But ever since she had contacted him, her presence in the
Force had dimmed continuously, as if she was deliberately shielding
herself, and Luke had difficulties feeling her.

Oh well, Mara is up to her old tricks again, Luke thought and
accelerated his speed to return to the Temple.
+++++
Tionne watched the Jedi Master as he crashed through the underbrush of the
jungle onto the small clearing in front of the Massassi Temple that had
been converted from Rebel base to Jedi Academy. She had just finished her
Jedi Morning trance and prepared herself for the day ahead when the comm
unit beeped into life. Sighing, the elderly woman fastened the cloth belt
around her waist and moved quickly to the comm room just off her small office.

Rushing over, she suppressed the receive button and the holo imager came to
life. The drawn and tensed face of Talon Karrde appeared.

"Master Trader Karrde, what an unexpected pleasure," Tionne said but her
smile was forced. Try as she might, she did not particularly condone Master
Skywalker's choice of friends. All of them were either smugglers or
reckless pilots or both and she didn't think it was befitting the only
living Jedi Master to have such friends.

"Tionne," Talon Karrde nodded his greeting, then ran his hands over his
face and neck tiredly.
"I need to talk to Luke, is he there?"

"Master Skywalker is not here, Master Karrde, but I can leave him a
message," Tionne replied coldly, about to turn off the comm unit.

"Just tell him that I'm in orbit and arrive in about twenty minutes,"
Karrde pressed through gritted teeth and then the connection went dead.

Raising an eyebrow Tionne clicked her tongue. "By the love of....," the
woman broke off when she saw Skywalker passing the door.

"Good morning Tionne," Luke called out to her good-naturedly. "Who got onto
your wrong side so early this morning?"

"Master Skywalker, good morning to you too," Tionne answered, not bothering
to keep her flustered tone down. "Why this ex-smuggler Talon Karrde, he
demanded to tell you he is in orbit."

"Talon?" Luke stopped dead in his tracks and rubbed the sweat off his face
with the towel he had slung around his neck. "He wasn't scheduled ..."
Skywalker thanked Tionne and made his way over to his own small set of
rooms. He showered quickly and in under fifteen minutes he arrived at the
assigned landing platform where he watched the landing of the Wild
Karrde. As soon as the engines powered down, the ramp went down and
Talon Karrde appeared.

Smiling, Luke walked over to meet his friend but as soon as his eyes fell
upon the stricken face of the ex-smuggler, he knew something was wrong.

"Talon," Luke said when the other man took him into a close hug. "What's
wrong?"

"Luke ... I didn't want to tell you over the comm .... " Talon Karrde
squeezed his eyes shut for a moment and a wave of loss and despair washed
over Luke.

"What happened, Talon? Is it Coruscant, Leia, the kids ...." When Karrde
shook his head, an invisible fist gripped at the Jedi Master's heart.
"Mara?" he choked out and watched as if through a haze as Talon Karrde nodded.

"We found the Jade's Fire adrift, open to space about a standard day away
from Yavin. Laser fire has ripped a large part off the hull of the craft,"
Talon swallowed heavily. "Mara is dead."

The howl of anger, pain and frustration that escaped the Jedi Master's
throat carried far and wide and echoed off the mountains in the far distance.
+++++

Una

yep as you can see from the subject line, I have finished up a new chapter :)

If you haven't read the first six chapters, then please go to my site at
www.different-words.net and choose the Star Wars archive OR, of course, the
www.fanfiction.net . And as always feedback, death threats etc. are highly
appreciated :)

Rating: PG

Thanks go to Sherry, my relentless beta reader and friend. She uses the
whip if I slack and keeps me sane <G> Thank you my friend :)

-------------------

Chapter Seven - Serendipities Unfolded

Talon Karrde watched with anxiety as Luke Skywalker methodically filled his
flight bag with clothes and a few personal items. Ever since the Jedi
Master had greeted him outside on the landing pad, Talon had been surprised
to see Skywalker so deadly calm, his only reaction to the sad news he had
brought being the moon shattering cry earlier.

Karrde knew that the Jedi Master had to feel the loss twice as hard as he
did but this behaviour was frightening. Ever since that cry of pure agony
and despair, Luke Skywalker had turned inward, his cool demeanour only
betrayed by the tick of his jaw, when he had returned to his room.

Once there, the Jedi had started packing and had posed the question Talon
had feared. Will you join me in tracking down Mara's murderer?

"Luke," Talon addressed the black clad man and he noticed that the Jedi did
not even falter in his packing. "Luke!"

"What is it, Karrde?" Luke whirled around and the Master Trader sucked in
his breath audibly. This was no more the calm Jedi Master Luke Skywalker,
the man who was soft spoken and kind. An aura of menace surged around the
man that was almost visible and Karrde suspected that Skywalker was nearer
to the dark side of the Force than ever before, perhaps even nearer than he
was during his dark side episode. The normally blue clear eyes were
shadowed, haunted and showed a cold anger that surpassed anything Talon
Karrde had ever seen. Even in the eyes of Joruus C'Baoth, he had not seen
the dark whirling shadows that he now faced in the eyes of Luke Skywalker.
Talon swallowed and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

"You have to let go, Luke," he said slowly, willing himself to calm down.
"Mara wouldn't want you to ... to turn ... not after this ...And we don't
know if it was murder or not. After we have examined the Fire more
closely we'll know for certain. Perhaps it was a freak accident..."

Luke watched the man in front of him and for a moment he lowered the
shields he had held in place with a steely grip. He felt the anxiety and
care for himself and the deeply felt pain over the loss of Mara coming from
Talon and for a moment, his resolve wavered a bit before he clamped down
his defences again and turned his back on the Trader.

"I appreciate your concern, Talon, but I have to do this ... are you with
me or against me?"

Talon started at the coldness in the voice of Luke Skywalker and for a
moment he was tempted to just tell him to get lost. But Mara had been his
friend too, not as intimate as she had been to Luke Skywalker, but he had
known the beautiful trader even longer than the Jedi.

"I'm with you, Luke. But how will we know who is responsible for this? And
even if we find the culprit, it would be better if the NRI will deal with
it. We cannot go on a rampage of lynching!"

The Jedi turned around and eyed Talon closely. "Since when does the
ex-smuggler care about the government? And I doubt the NRI will put all
their resources into the investigation of Mara's death. She was after all
the ex-Emperor's Hand."

Talon swallowed. "I know that, but we should play by the rules. Mara ..."
he was cut off by Luke who had whirled around to face him again, in his
hands an oblong object that looked much like the saber Talon had given
Luke. Mara's saber, the very one that had once belonged to Anakin Skywalker.

"Mara!" he growled and pain was evident in Skywalker's voice. "Mara would
have wanted to track down the murderer. She wouldn't have stopped till she
had a name or the person responsible."
His voice was hard and for a moment Talon suspected that Luke wanted to
strike out with the saber in his hand but he was relieved when he saw Luke
hooking it up to his utility belt.

"So I ask you again, Talon, are you coming with me? I tell you now that I
won't stop till I have the bastard who did this to Mara." And to me!
Luke added silently and watched as Talon slowly nodded.

"I'm with you, Luke. We'll hunt that bastard down, together!" Talon
promised gravely, and from the look on the Jedi's face, he suspected that
at the end of this quest there would be more deaths littering their way.

+++++

Every one at the Academy, from the newest, inexperienced student to the
teachers that were just about to start their classes, had picked up on the
distraught and very dangerous thoughts of their Master. Kyp had blanched
when he felt Luke's deadly determination and for a moment, the young man
had thought that Luke had actually turned.

Jogging down the corridors of the former Rebel Base, he came to a
skittering halt in front of Skywalker's quarter where Streen and Tionne
were already waiting outside.

"Oh Kyp, please, someone has to do something. Ever since Master Karrde
arrived, our Master is like this," Tionne wrung her hands and shivered.

"Tionne, didn't you hear?" Kyp asked and both Streen and Tionne looked at
the young Jedi Knight with blank faces. "It is Mara Jade, she has been
found dead .. or better her craft is what Karrde has found ... she is gone ..."

"But," Tionne inhaled shakily. "But that can't be true, Kyp, I talked to
her only yesterday when she called the Master. She seemed fine ..."

"I don't know much details, but what Ghent told me, the Jade's Fire
has been found adrift in space and no trace of Jade. There must have been
an explosion and Mara sucked into space," all three lowered their heads at
that. "Not a nice way to go..."

Streen who had been silent all this long, shook his head. "She would have
become a very good Knight, if she just had tried," he whispered and Kyp
shook his head sadly. "May the Force be with you always, Mara Jade!"

"Do or do not there is no try," he reminded the older man softly. "...but
this is exactly what Mara Jade always said. I guess that is why she never
resumed her training."

The three Jedi started when the door to their Master's quarters was opened
and two very determined men strode out into the corridor. Tionne, not as
Force strong as the other two looked at Streen and Kyp in horror when the
two men gasped in unison. The Force signature of their Master had changed
considerably. There was a black aura around him and if they didn't know
better, they would have assumed he had turned. But the black aura was laced
with pain and despair and agony ... agony over the death of Mara Jade.

Kyp Durron watched his Master and for a moment he, too, felt the pain deep
inside of himself over the loss of Mara Jade. I never knew they were
that close, Kyp told himself silently. But then both of them are
very private people. I wish I could help him.

Durron closed his eyes for a short time, recalling the last time he had
seen Mara Jade which was over three years ago. She had been vivacious, full
of energy and Master Skywalker had been dragged out of his natural gloom he
had fallen into after that Jedi woman Callista had left him. Yes, he
thought. They were in love. If we had all cared to look we would have
seen it then. 
Kyp opened his eyes again and smiled sadly. I will miss her ... even if
I have only seen her a couple of times.

Good-byes and fare thee wells were exchanged quickly, Luke didn't want to
linger and he knew that Streen and Kyp were more than capable of taking the
share of classes, he normally held. He needed to know, needed to confirm
what his heart had trouble acknowledging ... Mara Jade was gone.

Skywalker followed Karrde to the Wild Karrde, the yard a brilliant
glow of glistening gold and greens as the sun shone brilliantly from a
flawless sky. For a moment, Luke Skywalker paused and turning his face
toward the Sun of Yavin, he closed his eyes and let the Force calm him. For
a fleeting moment he felt a light touch in his mind, as if someone tried to
reach him, but before he was able to grasp that presence it was gone but
the calm and soothing feeling remained. Sighing deeply, Luke resumed his
walk toward Talon's ship, walking toward what he saw as the final step to
his relationship with Mara.

+++++

Cha Niem
The holo com flickered as the connection was established.

"Was your little endeavour successful?" The image of the holo wavered
slightly and the man who was shown seemed to twist involuntarily.

"Yes, mission was accomplished. The goods are in one of our speeders and I
don't think the Smuggler's Alliance will suspect anything. We cleared
everything away. But we lost one ship which is beyond repair and just made
it barely to the planet. We also lost three men."

"File it away under collateral damage, Yenko. I will replace that ship and
more," the man on the holo com replied and a smile that didn't reach his
eyes spread upon his face. "When will you reach the Consortium's space
port? I'll give you clearance so that no one will bother you."

"In two days, if we do not run across any more trouble."

"Do you expect trouble?" the question was simple enough, but the underlying
threat in the man's voice was clearly evident.

"No, sir, we won't," came the clipped reply.

"Just as I expected," the holo image flickered and died and Yenko rubbed
his unkempt beard deeply in thought.

+++++

Coruscant - the Solo apartment
Leia paced impatiently in her small office. Since the middle of the night
she had felt restless and sad. For a short fleeting moment during the night
she could have sworn to feel anguish coming through the Force bond she
shared with her twin, but when she had tried to reach out, she had not been
able to make the connection.

She had been too sleepy then and had gone back to sleep, and this very
morning she had tried the Jedi Academy but due to the gas giant
transmission was out for at least ten more standard minutes.

Sighing, Leia just knew something had happened and it incorporated Luke.
What she did not know was if he was in the center of it or if he was only
partially involved. The Senator hoped it was the latter.

+++++

The Wild Karrde - ten hours out of Yavin IV
The rec room of the Wild Karrde had always been a boisterous affair
but tonight the mood was subdued as the crewmen met for a drink, a game of
Sabacc and something to eat. Only two who had not known Mara Jade had
engaged in a game of Sabacc while Talon Karrde and Luke Skywalker sat apart
from the rest, sharing caf with Ghent.

"I still think it is a stupid idea that you want to board the Fire,"
Talon said and looked Skywalker straight in the eye. "You won't find
anything there. I told you she was open to space and any clue must have
been sucked into space..." the smuggler's voice trailed away as he realised
what kind of image he was creating.

All three men fell silent and Luke tried to breathe deeply and calmly,
trying to expel the image of Mara Jade being sucked into open space, dying
of asphyxiation and the intolerable vacuum of the black void. But he could
not get rid of the image and for a moment he thought that he could see her
eyes, deep green, pleading, begging with him...

"I will board the Jade's Fire," Luke stated firmly after a few more
minutes, then pushed himself to his feet. "If you excuse me now, I'll turn in."

Ghent and Karrde watched the stiff back of the Jedi Master as he weaved
through the crowd of crewmen and when he had exited the red room, Ghent
shook his head.

"Where will he sleep?" he asked and Talon moved uncomfortably in his seat.

"I have assigned Jade's cabin to him ... in fact he demanded it from me,"
Karrde replied with a frown. "I'm afraid I really didn't want to make him
more angry, not after what has happened these past days, but I don't think
it is such a good idea. Mara and Luke were lovers or something close to it
but I think it is too painful for him to be surrounded by her things. Even
I couldn't enter her old cabin without feeling nauseated."

"And you weren't even her lover, boss," Ghent said, trying to lighten up
the mood the two men were in.

"But not by not trying, Ghent," Talon grimaced and his face showed the
resemblance of a twisted smile. "But Mara made it quite clear. Either
business partner or lover... and while she emphasised that she'd rather be
a business partner, she had one of her blasters pointed at my more valuable
parts of my anatomy."

The Ex-smuggler chuckled as he recollected the scene. "Jade is ...," he
paused as he caught himself. "...was one hell of a woman. And somehow I
always knew that she and the Jedi Master would end up with each other. The
were orbiting each other like Yavin and that gas giant, circling closer and
farther away, but both held in thrall by this strange attraction they had
for each other."

"I always thought those two were quite similar," Ghent replied softly. "I
know a lot of people think the Jedi Master is a man of calm determination,
but I saw him once when Mara made him mad. I think he is the only man alive
that I can think of who never backed down from Mara when she was in one of
her moods."

"Yeah Luke has a fiery temper that matches Mara's if he has to ..." Talon
bent forward and rested his head in his hands. "Gods, Ghent, she is not
even dead for two days and I already miss her like she is gone for more
than that."

Both men fell silent after this confession from the hardened smuggler and
Ghent wondered if the Jedi Master in Jade's cabin did not feel the same ...
but a thousandfold more deeply.

+++++

He had never been inside the cabin ... Mara wouldn't have wanted it
even if he had asked. But then he had never stayed aboard the Wild
Karrde long enough to actually pose such a request. Luke sighed and
moved further into the small room, the hydraulic door sliding shut with a
hiss behind him.

Skywalker took in every detail of the cabin. It was on the small side,
Spartan and it held just enough warmth and private knick-knack as to not
make it too sterile and cold.
The walls were bare apart from a small holo-image that hung above Mara's
small, narrow bunk.
He knew the image ... it was a smaller exact copy of the one that still
hung in his spare room the one Mara had vacated so speedily over three
months ago after he had foolishly kissed her for the first time.

Had it only been a quarter of a standard year, that my emotions for her
had gotten the better of me? he thought and tried to suppress the
emotions her quarters instilled in him.
Perhaps if I hadn't acted upon the powerful images the Force had sent me
this day, she might be still alive. I should have known ... it is like a
death touch ... I always lose the ones I love...

Quickly, Skywalker stamped down on the thought. No, he told himself.
I will not desecrate her memory by ever thinking that. Our kisses, our
lovemaking was special, it was unique and I will never regret that it
happened ... just that I took so long to finally face my true feelings for
her.

For the first time since Karrde had arrived this morning, Luke let go of
the tight barriers he had erected around his emotions and now, staring at
the small picture, hot tears came forth and with a strangled sob, he
collapsed onto her bunk.

Everything around him reminded him of her ... his sense were filled with
Mara, her scent, her neatness, even the sleeping shift that lay beneath her
pillow ... all was so frighteningly real and bespoke of Mara, that Luke
could not think straight again any more. His control slipped away from him
and vanished quickly as if he had never had any power over it.

Burying his face into the sleeping shift, he breathed in the lingering
scent of Mara's unique fragrance. Deep painful sobs escaped his throat as
Luke Skywalker mourned for his lost love.

+++++

The Wild Karrde - the next morning 
Talon watched Luke from the corner of his eyes when his crew hauled the
decapitated ship into the store hold of the Wild Karrde. Ever since
their trip here and the resulting retrieval of the Jade's Fire,
Talon Karrde had thought that he had seen any emotion possible this side of
the galaxy but he had been wrong. Watching the Jedi Master closely, he had
it never thought possible that a human being could radiate so much calm and
suppressed anger as this man.

It is as if it is Darth Vader reborn all over again, Talon told
himself silently. This must have driven Luke's father to the dark side.
If not something similar what else?

Sighing inwardly, Talon followed Luke up to the ramp and when his friend
paused, staring into the innards of the ship that were darkened, Karrde put
a heavy hand onto the Jedi Master's shoulder.

"You don't have to do this, Luke ..." he said softly but forcefully. Luke's
head snapped into his direction and Talon could feel the man tensing under
his touch.

"I want to know what happened, Karrde. I have to know what happened.
I owe it to Mara ..." Luke Skywalker replied softly and shrugged off the
hand of his friend.

"Then don't go in there alone, Luke. I'll keep in the background, but you
don't have to face this alone!"

It seemed as if the Jedi Master wanted to shake his head but then after a
moment's pause he nodded and Talon let go of him. He watched as the young
Jedi walked slowly up the ramp and after a few seconds, the smuggler followed.

+++++
Luke Skywalker stood in the small cockpit of the Fire, his eyes
unfocused as they stared at nothing in particular. The Force around him was
like a living being, swirling, heavy, painful with the despair that
lingered here. The young Jedi Master shivered as he stretched out, his
unseeing eyes slowly closing, and he let himself being drawn into the
living Force.

The pain, despair, hopelessness was evident even without full-fledged
Force-senses, but Luke got past that. He skimmed the walls of the cockpit,
closing in on any residue of Mara's presence. He was momentarily shocked
and his breathing caught in his throat when he felt that still so much of
the woman who had owned this ship lingered in the ship. It seemed as if the
Fire was part of her, of him and for a moment he basked in the
presence of the fiery red-head. But this feeling was only for a fleeting
moment, then the pain overwhelmed him.

Flashes of light seemed to engulf the cockpit as Luke experienced the last
moments of his lover. Choking on the sobs that spilled forth he kept a
close reign on his Force images that came crashing down on him. Skywalker
groaned when he felt what had happened here ... the Force albeit benevolent
showing him with brutal accuracy the last moments of Mara Jade.

He could feel Mara, saw the event through her eyes as she tried to overcome
the two vessels that had engaged her in a space battle. Her grim
determination was his as she set the automatic canons while her mind
methodically calculated the situation. A surge of pride swept through him,
mingling with her residual presence, as he got first hand knowledge on how
skilled she really was as a fighter pilot.

She rivalled him in piloting and sharpshooter skills, her quick wittedness
in such a tight and serious situation caught him in awe. He relived the
impact on the ship through her eyes. Felt as she stripped herself into the
pilot's seat and tried to veer the Fire away from the fray, for the
first time trying to get away instead of making a stand. He felt her
reaching out with the Force, only to momentarily pause as awareness crashed
down on her and on him.

Suddenly, Skywalker felt her thoughts jumble, emotions - deep and painful -
went through him though he suspected that she had experienced them even
more intensely. Regret surged through him as Mara Jade had experienced it
and with s sob, Luke tried to reach out to her, wanted to caress her but he
knew that it was all in vain.

Another Force presence, small and vulnerable was with her ... still not
fully fledged but strong like its nurturer. Realisation hit Skywalker with
the full force of the knowledge of what exactly he had lost here. The
little flicker of light bearing the signature of Mara and himself and yet
amazingly new and unique.

Then all went black and for a moment Skywalker was unable to breathe.
Nothing ... a deep black void was all he felt. Buckling over, his arms
clenched around his midriff, dry sobs wrecked his body as he lost the
connection.

"No, gods, no!" The Jedi Master managed to choke out and he fell to his
side, the cold floor of the durasteel boards beneath his cheek. As the full
meaning of his Force vision as well as the knowledge he had just acquired
had hit him, all strength mentally and physically left him. Drawing himself
into a foetal position, Luke let all his anger and sorrow seep through him,
out of him as a new vigorous intention grasped his mind.

I will revenge my family's murder.
-------------------

Suggestions, feedback, death threats more than welcome :)

Una

here is the next chapter ... very short as it was giving me a major pain in
the eema :s Suggestions, death threats welcome :)

Summary: Mara is dead ... and now Luke Skywalker has to deal not only with
her death but also with the consequences .. Can he and his friends find the
murderer, and not turn to the dark side?

Rating: PG major angst

Thanks go to Sherry, my relentless beta reader and friend.
Thank you my friend to keep up with my constant bickering and changing and
all of it :))

And also great thanks to Rockne S. O'Bannon to give me J/A porn to keep me
MAJORLY distracted <lol>

---------------

Chapter Eight - Invisible Enemies

Coruscant - Solo residence
The beep of the com was loud in the silent room and Leia Organa-Solo
flinched from the sound. Rushing over to the com unit, she answered the
incoming transmission before she had even seated herself.

"Organa-Solo," she replied automatically and gasped when she saw Kyp
Durron's face appearing on the holo imager.

"Ma'am," Kyp greeted and from the evident distress in the man's face, Leia
knew her earlier restless feeling had been right.

"Luke?" she asked, a feeling of dread creeping into her heart. "Kyp, what
happened?

Kyp cast his eyes down, trying to find the strength to tell his Master's
twin what happened.

"Mara Jade is dead," he blurted out and tried to face the Senator. "I'm
sorry, I ... I tried to stop him, but his Force signature... it felt so
strange ... like the time I ..." He fell silent and for a moment Leia felt
sympathy for the young man.

"Like the time you turned?" she asked softly, trying to register all the
information she had just acquired. Mara dead? it screamed into her
head. Mara? It can't be!

She almost missed the other man's nod and Leia clamed herself with a Jedi
technique. You have to be strong for Luke now, she admonished
herself and straightening visibly, she raised her chin up a notch.

"How did it happen? Was Luke with her?" she asked and saw that Kyp shook
his head.

"She was en route to Yavin when she was brought up by pirates or some
others. The Jade's Fire was left abandoned and highly damaged in
space," Durron answered. "We don't know more details until the Master comes
back..."

Leia frowned at that. "Where is he, Kyp?"

"He went away with Talon Karrde. He asked Streen and me to take over his
classes. He was quite determined and ... and ..."

"And he walked dangerously close to the dark side," Organa-Solo resumed for
him.

"Yes ... Streen and I, we were afraid ... I never had seen him like this
... and his Force-signature," Kyp shook his head and gnawed at his lower
lip. "I had never suspected that the Master and Trader Jade were this
close. But thinking about it ... it was only feasible ... their
Force-senses are unique and stronger than any of us."

"I know, Kyp. And yes Luke and Mara were close to each other ... perhaps
closer than we all thought," Leia replied softly. Her subconscious
registered the soft hiss of the door and when she felt Han's hands on her
shoulders, she smiled at Kyp and nodded her head.

"Thank you, Kyp, for letting us know. I will try to contact Luke."

"Thank you, Madame Senator," the image of Kyp Durron said before it
flickered out as the transmission was cut off.

Silence stretched in the small office room and Leia leant back, resting her
head against her husband's stomach as he gazed down on her.
<p
"You know?" he asked softly and when she nodded, he exhaled softly.

"Yes I know ..." Leia replied softly and turned around to face him while
she stood up. "Bad news travels fast."

"Yes," Han nodded at that. "It is already all over Coruscant that Mara Jade
is missing and supposedly dead. There are impromptu celebrations staged
even as we speak." He added sarcastically.
<img src="ce15.jpg" ALIGN=LEFT>Han Solo caressed his wife's cheek softly.
Even without the Jedi sense, he knew Leia was afraid and he knew he had to
ease the tension that was almost visible in her small soft body.

"Luke needs us now, or we will loose him forever," Han said softly, bending
his head as to brush his lips over Leia's mouth. With a sob Leia buried her
face at the crook of his neck.

"Oh Han, I felt him ... I felt his despair when he got the news. It was as
if he had removed himself from the Force."

"Shhhhh, wife of mine, we will sort out this mess. And we will find those
responsible, believe me. Luke has enough friends who will support him. No
one meddles with the Skywalker-Solo family like this."

Leia was amazed how quickly her husband always took a liking or a dislike
to persons. And I should have known that he liked Mara., she thought
with a sad smile as she buried her head in his chest and wished that the
information of Mara's death was wrong.

When Han had made sure that Leia was sleeping peacefully the ex-smuggler's
mind went into overload. He knew his brother-in-law needed his help ... in
fact he needed all of his friend's if Luke had to come clean from this ordeal.

Using his clearance codes as General of the New Republic, Han slid down
onto the chair in front of the com unit and was determined to rouse the old
gang to help the Jedi Master through this ordeal. But first he had to make
sure if they were dealing with an accident or in fact a case of murder.

+++++

Onboard the Jade's Fire 
Talon Karrde felt at a loss. As promised, he had kept in the background, he
had even not accompanied Luke into the cockpit but had instead leant
against the cold durasteel walls of the corridor leading to the cockpit of
the Jade's Fire. When he had heard the Jedi Master's whispered
words, his gut clenched and despite his apprehension to go into the very
room where his friend had obviously met her fate, he forced himself to push
away from the wall and walked slowly, like an old man, into the cockpit.

As soon as he saw the young Jedi lying on the floor, he rushed forward and
knelt beside him. Strong hands clenched around the Jedi Master's shoulders
and brought him into an upright sitting position. But Luke strained against
the older man's grasp. Caught in his own living nightmare, the young Jedi
Master did not know who was friend or foe anymore.

With a surge of energy he tried to rush to his feet, pushing Talon out of
his way by doing so, but the ex-smuggler held on tight. He ignored the
flailing arms of the Jedi Master and winced more than ones when a strong
fist connected with his ribs. Both of them fell back onto their knees,
scuffling around on the floor as Luke blindly lashed out at Talon as if to
fend off unseen enemies.

But Talon Karrde had not survived many of his adventures for nothing and so
he was dealing out as many blows as he was receiving from the Jedi Master.
He groaned when Luke's head connected with his stomach and for a moment, he
felt all air knocked out of him.

"Luke!" Talon gasped and ducked a vicious blow to his head. Growling like a
mad Rancor, Talon twisted an arm around Skywalker's neck and yanked him
around into a deadly chokehold. "Now listen to me you stupid, stubborn
headed Bantha, I'm not your enemy!"

Skywalker struggled against the hold of the smuggler as he was yanked to
his feet from behind and momentarily he even considered to use the Force
but a brush of something or someone inside his mind made him pause.
*Luke!*

Blinking, Luke exhaled softly. "Mara??" he asked in surprise and tried to
reach out with the Force, but the familiar presence was nowhere to be felt
or sensed. Slumping to his knees, taking Talon almost with him, Skywalker
let out a tear-jerking sob.

"Mara, no ... please ... stay..." he whispered and forced huge mouthfuls of
air into his burning lungs. Talon had sat back on his haunches and dragged
air into his lungs as well, his head hanging between his shoulders, and
when he heard Luke's whispered words, he reached out and put a hand on the
younger man's shoulder carefully.

"Come," Talon simply said and they moved out of the middle of the room
towards one of the walls off the entrance. For the first time in a long,
long time Talon felt not embarrassed by another man's emotion and tears and
in silence they settled against the bulkhead, sharing the silence and their
loss.

+++++

Cha Raaba System
Corran Horn watched the data pad wearily. He hated this inaction, waiting
was the main characteristic of a secret agent but he had never grown
accustomed to the fact that being a special agent meant one had to sit and
wait. Sighing, Corran placed his legs onto the console before him and tried
to return to the information on the data disk, but it was no use. This
waiting really ground down on his nerves

Throwing the data pad onto the console in front of him, he stretched his
arms above his head and counted to ten loudly. He could have used a Jedi
relaxation technique but he decided against it. I can do without it, I
just have to try myself! he thought grimly

Corran was still angry that the pirates had been able to make a run a
couple of days back. They had been on the space station after weeks and
weeks of back to back patrols. Antilles and Horn both were frustrated that
they hadn't seen it coming. The pirates had been too silent and inactive
and both should have known it wouldn't last any longer.

He started when the holo com flickered to life and he was glad to see Han Solo.

"Hey, General Solo," Corran greeted him cheerfully but sobered instantly
when he saw the worry-lines on the ex-smuggler's face.

"Horn," Han Solo said solemnly and Corran's danger sense flared up.

"What is it?" he asked, a queasy feeling settling into the pit of his stomach.

"Mara ... she is dead," Han replied softly and was appalled to see the
other man's face on the holo image falter, then drain of if natural tan.

"How? .. She can't be dead .. I .. we saw her only a couple of weeks ago
..." Corran Horn squeezed his eyes shut.

"We don't know any particulars but Luke is already on to it with Karrde. I
need you and Wedge here, forget about those pirates. We need to find out
who is responsible for this ..." his voice trailed away and the unspoken
words came through just as loudly. Luke needs his friends ...

"Yes, of course .. so you are cancelling our mission, General?" Horn asked
and Solo nodded.

"Consider the mission null and void. I'll fire up the Falcon and I meet you
on Yavin, from there we can plan what we'll do."

Horn thanked Solo and cut the connection. Deeply in his thoughts, he almost
missed the flicker of light that caught his eye. When he investigated it,
he saw the proximity alert was on. Rushing to his feet, he yelled for
Wedge. Tracking the small ship that accelerated from the planet's surface.

"Antilles!" Corran shouted again as the smaller man entered the cockpit.
"Get here, we have company."

Antilles slipped into the pilot's seat and switched on the tracker.

"Ship's not heavily armed ... seems to be a skipray of the newer XP series,
hyperspace capability," Wedge murmured as he watched the ascend of the craft.

"I don't care if this is the new Imperial Star Cruiser, Wedge, I want to
know what they are up to!" Corran growled. "Last time they sneaked in we
couldn't follow them."

"What do you ask me for? I'm not a Jedi!" Wedge snapped back. "They will be
able to hyper jump in ten standard seconds," Wedge said and threw Corran an
exasperated look. "Come on Corran, we need to get after them!"

"No we don't!" Corran cut in and Antilles raised an eyebrow at him.

"Our mission operative was clear, Horn," Wedge reminded him but the Jedi
turned his head.

"The operative has changed. Solo wants us on Yavin .. we have to
investigate a murder ..:"

"A murder?" Antilles asked with a lump in his throat. "On Yavin? Is it ...
Luke?"

Corran shook his head then took a deep breath. "We need to find the
murderer of Mara Jade."

+++++

Skywalker felt numb. All he could think of was what he had lost and that he
had almost lost another friend as he tried to kill Talon in his blind rage.

Makers, what have I done? he asked himself and shot Talon a sideways
glance. The left eye of the older man was swelling already and various cuts
and abrasions were visible on Talon's cheeks and hands. I could have
killed him easily, and he is my friend. Luke shook his head.

Gods, I need to calm myself or I'm quicker on the dark side than I
thought, he told himself and remembered something his old Master Yoda
had told him almost twelve years ago. The Dark Side - forever will it
dominate your destiny.

Luke had to admit that Yoda had been right ... this past day he had never
felt as close to the dark side as this and he knew that he had to work hard
to root himself deeply in the light side of the Force again.

But it's hard, Luke thought silently. Without Mara what is there
to my life? He closed his eyes and imagined his life when all this was
over. The monotony and loneliness of his Jedi life stretched out before
him, long days of teaching and tedious dealings with NR officials, then
long nights solitary and lonely. That's not what I want ... not
anymore, he told himself and deep down he knew he could not continue
with this life. Not without Mara's help, her fiery temper and her constant
reminder of the oh so not so great farmboy and Jedi. She kept him
rooted, she was the reason why he still kept on going, even when his heart
was not set on the Jedi Academy anymore.

After he had drawn in several breaths, he felt remotely calm enough to face
his friend.

"I'm sorry, Talon ... I didn't ...," Luke hung his head and inhaled deeply.
"I was out of line ... I ..."

Karrde shook his head and rubbed his bruised knuckles. "You are hurting,
Skywalker, you needed to clear your head," He exhaled sharply when he felt
a bump on the back of head. "And probably I needed mine straightened out,
too," he added with a grimace.

"I'm sorry, Talon," Luke offered again and Karrde just waved his hand at
him dismissively.

"It's okay, Luke," the ex-smuggler said and stretched his legs out in front
of him. "But tell me what got you to stop? It surely wasn't me..."

"I felt her ..." Luke said slowly, his voice broken like that of a man
utterly defeated. "She ... did you know she was pregnant?"

"What?" Talon's head snapped up and watched the Jedi Master in horror mixed
with disbelief. "How do you ... I mean ... how ... that is not possible
..." he trailed off, trying to control his jumbled thoughts. After several
moments he opened his lips again. "How?"

A strange calm had come over Luke and for a moment he shrugged his head and
flashed Talon a crooked smile.

"I think that the How is quite obvious, isn't it?" Luke asked and
Talon blushed slightly.

Aye, Mara and Luke are quite similar, Ghent was right. They have the
same sense of humour, Talon thought and exhaled softly.

"I meant How do you know she was pregnant?" The Trader demanded
softly, watching the Jedi Master as he tipped his head against the dark
durasteel board behind him.

Closing his eyes, Luke mulled over the question. How do I know? he
asked himself silently. The ways of the Force are strange and how can I
make him believe that I felt it just like Mara did when she reached out
with the Force only to be pulled back into herself and finding that little
presence in her womb.

"The Force showed Mara ... when she ... before she," Luke's voice was heavy
with unshed tears as he tried to tell Talon how he knew. "A Jedi Knight can
feel other Force-sensitives and that is how Mara and I found out. But," and
here he looked at Talon out of dark blue eyes. "I knew. I had a Force
vision when we returned from Cha Niem. I saw my daughter ... Mara's and my
daughter..."

Talon stared at the young man with a mixture of both understanding and
terror. "But why should the Force show you and Mara ... I don't understand
...I always thought the Force is benevolent."

"It is, Talon," Luke reached out to the man and put a soothing hand on his
shoulder. "But the future is always in motion, we cannot stop or change the
events as we want them to be."

"If you ask me, that sucks like a Twilek dancer in front of a Rancor,"
Karrde murmured and shook his head. "Bantha Bollocks, that is downright
cruel. Did ... did Mara die knowing ..."

Instead of giving him a verbose reply, Luke only nodded his head and this
plunged both men into a long silence again.

"What do you want to do now?" Talon asked after a long time.

Luke mused over it ... he felt as if all his strength had left him ever
since he had realised how much this had cost him. "I'll track down those
responsible ..." he simply stated, deadly determination evident in his voice.

Talon started at the sound of it and his head snapped up, staring intently
into the younger man's face.

"Luke ... Mara and your child ... if what you say is true ... and I have
seen a lot that you and Mara have done with the Force, then you should ...
not ... I mean you are a Jedi Master and ..." he fell silent and creased
his brow.

"I will not turn, Talon. I know that now, don't worry. If I let the dark
side draw me into its clutches I forfeit my only chance to meet Mara some
day again," he gave Karrde a crooked smile. "Besides, if Mara ever appears
as a Force presence in my visions or dreams she'll give me a good clout
over the head so to speak if she finds out I turned."

Both men chuckled despite themselves. Some of the tension left them and for
a moment the chuckles turned into full-fledged laughter that died down as
quickly as it had appeared.

"I miss her," Talon mumbled and rubbed his eyes awkwardly. "I never thought
she would be gone like this ... perhaps I always ... I'm older than she is
and I have seen a lot of action in my days ... I always expected to die
before her."

Luke mused over this. He had to admit that he never had such thoughts.
No that is not true, I have, way back on Wayland before our Force bond
had been fully established between ourselves. After that I always have
thought ....

"I always thought we would die together," Luke murmured aloud. "I never ...
it never occurred to me that she could die without me." Skywalker let his
eyes roam over the interior of the cockpit until his eyes caught on some
glinting of red and gold. Pushing himself to his feet he quickly moved over
to it and when he examined the glint, he realised that some strands of
Mara's hair had been caught in the harness of her pilot's seat.

Reaching out with his left hand, he gently pried the glittering strands out
of the snagged metal device. He was so intent on what he was doing that his
mind almost missed to register what he was seeing.

Pausing momentarily, he remembered the Force vision. Mara had strapped
herself into the seat ... Luke gasped and Talon was immediately at his side.

"What is it?" he asked concerned when he came to rest beside the smaller man.

Without words he held up one of the harness straps into the light. The
unmistakable signs of a smooth vibro-blade cut evident to both of them in
the soft but strong material.

--------------------

Hi All,
yep, you are not mistaken ... CD chapter 9 is finally here :)

Summary: Mara is dead and Luke seems to be on a rampage to seek out the
murderer of his lover, friend and mother of his child.
His friends and family fear that he will turn to the dark side ...

Rating: G

Thanks go to Sherry, thank you for being such a good friend and beta reader
and idea bouncer :) And also for holding my hand when I've hit writer's
block again.

------------------- To TalynJohn and Aerryn

Chapter Nine - Loss

It took both Talon and Luke several minutes to calm down after what they
had found out, passing the time with Luke healing Talon's bumped head and
the abrasions that he had inflicted on his friend.

"Should we tell the others?" Talon finally asked but Luke shook his head.

"We still do not know if that cut was done by Mara or whoever attacked her.
They might have cut the strap to dispose of ... her," Skywalker still could
not bring himself to refer as Mara as the body.

"Both scenarios are possible," Karrde commented and rubbed his knuckles
that didn't show the signs of their recent abuse anymore. "That Jedi
healing is handy."

Both men smiled weakly then Luke hung his head in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry for striking out at you, Karrde," he murmured and felt Karrde
squeezing his shoulder.

"You grieved for your loss, Luke. It takes a real man to stop where you did
and not let anger overcome you completely," Talon said and grinned at his
own insightful comment. "What we have to do now is to determine who is
behind all this. We need to access Jade's astromech and retrace her most
recent trade runs. If that draws a blank we, then we'll move further back.
I'll put Ghent onto it."

"Good, and I'll compile a list of people and places where Mara made enemies
on missions we were on," Luke replied, nodding.

"You better add individuals who are your enemies as well, Luke. The last
time you and Mara showed up at a public event, there was a lot of animosity
afterwards..." Talon Karrde commented and Luke's gaze clearly showed that
he did not understand. "You might not have heard it but after you and Mara
kissed at the Briem treaty festivity, the holo net went haywire with
rumours and threats. Also, it was rumoured that you or Mara or both of you
were responsible for one of the Briem's sudden departure. Some people,
especially Borsk, were mentioned you should be removed from any
official celebrations."

"We were," Luke answered quietly and met Talon's surprised look with a
calm, steady stare of his own. "Briem representative Tovar tried to pull a
stunt on Mara, but she swarted that."

"Briem?" Karrde creased his brow. "I got a request from a trading
organisation on Briem ... they especially asked for Mara ..."

Luke rubbed his lips with his thumb and mused over this bit of information.
"We should be open to all possibilities, Karrde. I just want to know what
sense it would make to kill or kidnap Mara."

"Well some Ex-Imperials would love to get their hands on her," Karrde
commented. "She was after all the Emperor's Hand."

Luke nodded to that and creased his brow. In his mind he was going through
lists and lists of names, but something was tugging at his mind, something
... someone...

"I will give you a list of possible suspects," Skywalker said and stood.
Helping his older friend to his feet as well, he looked around the disabled
cockpit again. The sense of despair and hopelessness still lingered in the
confines of the cockpit and for a moment Luke closed his eyes.

I have to know, he thought and his determination increased. I
have to know why she died!

After Talon Karrde had left, Luke wandered the empty corridors of the
Jade's Fire. He was still amazed how small the craft was as it sat
in the hangar of the Wild Karrde. It had been a tight fit but
nonetheless Mara's pride was sitting securely in the hangar.

Skywalker knew that he was straining the thin thread of his sanity and that
the longer he stayed aboard the Fire, surrounded by Mara's things,
he was sure to let the thin line snap any minute.

Sighing, Luke walked back to Mara's cabin and after rummaging through her
things, he found a data pad with an unused data card. Sitting down on her
bunk, he drew his legs up and started the list he had promised Talon Karrde.
++++++
"Princess, you are not coming with me, this is man's business," Han said
again and threw his wife a scowl that was meant to deter her, but he knew
he had lost the moment she had appeared on the landing pad of the Falcon a
few minutes ago.

After she had told him that the children were safe with Winter and had
decided to accompany him, Han knew it had been a bad idea to let her in on
his plan to help Luke. Although there was not much he could do, he was
determined to find the ones responsible for Mara Jade's death. But
apparently his wife had the same idea.

Leia Organa-Solo was dressed in a tight-fitting flightsuit that hugged her
still slim figure softly. At any other day Han would have just taken his
wife for a spin in the old lady and had some fun but not today.

"Ha!" Leia retorted for the second time in as many seconds and advanced
towards the ramp of the Falcon.

"Honey, please!" Han started again but was cut off by Chewie who made
several sounds that sounded much like chuckles.

"What do you mean, I'm getting soft?" Han asked, his voice rising. "I'm NOT
getting soft!"

Chewbacca growled again and followed Leia up the ramp and Han shook his head.

"I'm NOT getting soft," he mumbled again to himself as he boarded his
craft. "This is just ridiculous."

He started when he entered the cockpit, Chewie was sitting in the
co-pilot's seat while his wife was occupying the pilot's seat, his
seat. Now this is going too far, the ex-smuggler told himself and
walked over to his wife in a determined gait.

"Okay, Princess, I give ... you can accompany us, but you are not taking
the lead. I'm in charge here," Han growled and stopped when Leia turned
around to give him her most seductive smile.

Oh those eyes, those lips, Han thought and groaned inwardly.

"But of course, husband of mine," Leia said and stood up. She squeezed
herself around the seat and sidled up to her husband and smiled innocently,
when she heard her husband gasp. "You are in charge, smuggler-boy."

"Yeah ..." Han nodded and swallowed hard. Sliding into his seat he tried to
suppress the tightness that was increasing in his pants. "And don't you
forget it ..."

Chewbacca who felt the dramatic change in his friend from Leia's charms
made a sound that again sounded like a chuckle and Han's head snapped up.

"This is not funny, Chewie!" Han snarled which elicited another set of
growls from his furry friend. "No, I'm not a hen-pecked husband. She is
just ... very persuasive."
++++++
The bridge of the Wild Karrde was deserted and only Aves was on
duty. He started when the proximity alert went off, but before he could
check, the commlink whistled to life and the bearded face of Corran Horn
appeared on the holo projector.

"Horn," Aves acknowledged coolly, not in the least surprised to see the
CorSec. After recent events, Aves thought. I wouldn't be
surprised to see the Princess and Solo arriving here as well.

"Aves," Corran replied just as coolly. The two men seized each other up
silently, until Aves broke the silence.

"I better inform Karrde that you are coming aboard, Horn. Who is with you?
Antilles, Janson? Klivian?"

"Antilles," Wedge's head appeared at the side of the holo projector. "Good
to see you, Aves. How is he holding up?"

All three knew who he was and Aves shook his head. "Skywalker and
Karrde are on the Jade's Fire. We are still determining who is
responsible for all this."

"Well, then, we are offering our services ... from one smuggler to the
other." Corran said and for the first time since the communication had been
established the tension eased.

"You are welcome aboard the Wild Karrde." Aves said and cut the
commlink.

Wedge frowned when the projector went black and turned around to Horn.
"What was this all about?" he asked.

Corran horn shrugged his shoulders. "Old habits never die. Despite what he
wants the NRI to believe, Karrde is still a smuggler at heart. He and his
men are careful and it is a good thing. The organisation wouldn't have
survived this long, if they hadn't been careful."

"Sounds much like the Rogues, with this code of honour and all," Wedge
mused and Corran had to grin.

"In a way Karrde's organisation is like Rogue Squadron. They both have good
leader and second in command."

Both men smirked at that and started to prepare the ship to dock alongside
the Wild Karrde.
++++++
Talon watched his image in the mirror and was still dumbstruck at how
easily the Jedi Master had healed him. He had seen it innumerous times, but
to experience it himself still left him in awe.

Aves had commed him just before to inform him the Rogues were coming. Talon
smirked at that. Of course, he had known that Antilles and Horn would come
to Luke's aid. There was still a lot of friendship and loyalty between the
old Rogue members. And if I'm not mistaken, we'll soon see Her Royal
Highness and Solo tagging along as well, Talon thought and chuckled.

The Skywalker help gene ... I guess it extends beyond the blood ties.
With a sigh, Karrde turned away from the mirror and entered the corridor to
the bridge. He was sure to find the two Rogues around Aves, even if his
officer didn't like it.

Turning around a bend just in front of the bridge, Karrde had to chuckle
when he heard Aves' voice.

"No, Antilles, this is NOT an old smuggler's code. Now leave your paws off!"

"Aves, you know those Rogues are always inquisitive," Talon commented and
three heads turned away from the comm console and stared at him.

"Karrde," Horn and Antilles nodded into the direction of the smuggler.

"So will you leave my temporary second in command alone and tell me what
brings you here?" Talon answered casually and watched as the two men came
over to him.

"We are here to help Luke...," Corran started and watched the worry lines
in Talon Karrde's face. "Solo contacted us, we want to help find Mara's
murderer."

"We still have to determine if she was murdered," Talon said, his voice
hesitant. "The damage on the Fire is extensive, and before we
haven't assessed all we cannot determine whether it was murder or not."

Wedge Antilles shook his head and snorted. "If I were you, I would put my
whole crew onto the Fire to determine what went wrong."

Talon's intense gaze bore into the Rogues' commander's eyes. "Luke is on
the Fire ... he needs to be close to Mara and ..." his voice trailed
away and he shook his head.

Corran inhaled sharply when he picked up on the emotions coming from Karrde
and for a moment both men stared at each other.

"Mara was pregnant?" Corran asked in shock and Antilles' head snapped up.

"Now wait a minute ..Jade and pregnant? We saw her only a couple of weeks
... ago," Wedge's voice trailed away. "Gods, no!"

Aves' breath exited his throat in a sharp hiss. Mara was pregnant?
he thought. Now I know why Skywalker behaves the way he does.

"How do you know, Karrde?" Aves muttered. "Did Mara ..."

Talon shook his head. "Luke found out .. he did .. did a Jedi thing on the
Fire. So it is a double loss ..."

All four men fell silent, all of them deeply engrossed in their own
thoughts, but all mourning not only the death of the beautiful trader but
also the loss that Luke Skywalker had yet again received.
++++++
The data pad lay discarded beside Skywalker's slumped form on the bunk.
After he had put down all the names he could think of, he had put his head
against the bulkhead and closed his eyes.

Now in the silence of the room, he let his mind wander. Again and again he
replayed the Force vision he had earlier, focusing his mind on certain
details here and there. Silently, he relived the events, saw Mara racing to
fire her pulse canons, relived her despair when the realisation dawned on
her that she was about to die.

Luke gasped and clutched his chest as he relived the oxygen lack Mara had
experienced. Moments stretched into minutes as he lay on the bunk, his
limbs thrashing.

"Gods, no!" Skywalker gasped. "Please, not again ... Mara!"

Suddenly, the vision shifted and another vision replaced the one he was
experiencing. He saw Mara floating into space, her hands outstretched and
her beautiful eyes looking straight into his own. Pleading, tear-filled.

*Luke!* he heard her call out. *Luke, don't leave me ... My love
... I'm scared ...*

"MARA!" Luke gasped as he was jolted out of the vision painfully. His arms
and legs hurt and tears were streaming in abandon down his face. Gasping,
forcing great mouthfuls of air into his lungs, Luke Skywalker shivered,
clutching Mara's sleeping shift to his chest.

Ignoring the sounds coming from outside the cabin door, Luke stretched out
his Force senses towards the fading image of his lover. Painfully gathering
the Force around him, his mind raced after her, ceaselessly trying to grasp
the bond that had been established so long ago between them.

*Luke,* Mara's voice was now clearly inside his head and for a
moment a soft smile curled the Jedi Master's lips.

*Mara, my love, where are you?* he asked and suddenly his vision
cleared and Mara was standing before him. Or so he thought. In fact in his
vision she was floating, and so was he.

It felt calm and peaceful, their surroundings a soft hue of greens and
browns, like the sands of Tatooine and the deepest forests of Yavin.

Floating slowly towards each other, Mara smiled when her eyes met with
Luke's and hands immediately intertwined when they had reached each other.

*Luke, I'm here,* Mara's lips weren't moving but he could hear her
voice clearly inside her head. *I missed you ... am I ... am I ...
dead? I don't feel like I'm dead.*

*NO!* Luke called out and pulled her closer, drawing her against his
chest. The shock of her incorporeal body touching his was imminent.
*No*, Luke said again this time concentrating on keeping his and
Mara's body materialised long enough, he drew her slowly back into his arms
and hugged her close.

*No, Mara, you are not. You are alive,* he whispered into her ear,
the memory of her hair tickling his nose making him feel as if the wispy
strands of her floating hair were doing just that.

They floated there, just hugging each other until Mara raised her head and
looked deeply into the intense blue eyes of her lover.

*I miss you, Luke*, she whispered, imagined breath fanning his face.
*I don't know if I can take care of our child like this ... I need you
...*

*I'm here with you, Mara, I'll never leave you ... ever,* Skywalker
responded, drinking in the sight of her. For the first time he noticed she
was wearing Jedi robes and he was wearing the soft brown robe of the Jedi
order as well.

A fleeting thought came over him ... Are we both dead? he asked
himself silently, almost loosing touch of the vision when his concentration
wavered.

*No, Farmboy, you are as real as me,* came the soft response.

Clinging to Mara's image, he gasped when he felt her soft touch, her
fingers slowly tracing his face, first stroking his brows, her thumb
rubbing over the rich texture of the small hair, then lower, over his nose
and the scars that had been inflicted upon him by the Wampa on Hoth.

He closed his eyes and drank up the feeling of peacefulness that settled
over him as Mara continued her ministrations, gentle touches flitting over
his skin as she caressed his cheeks, the corners of his mouth, the chip in
his chin. Touches as soft as the butterflies of the gardens on Kuat danced
over his skin as Mara caressed him and for a moment he let himself drown in
the feeling.

*I love you, Luke Skywalker,* Mara whispered softly and a shudder of
happiness and despair ran through Luke's whole being. His eyes snapped
open, seeing her image wavering slightly.

Cupping her face with his hands and leaning closer, their lips met. Force
lightning sizzling slightly as mouths opened, lips and tongues teased until
they were only one being, one mind, one soul.

And then she was gone.
++++++
The room was only dimly lit with indirect light coming from some hidden
fixtures that seemed to grow out of the walls. But the man standing at the
window, had his back turned towards the room and stared out the window. A
few minutes ago he had received the call that his associates were in orbit.

And bringing the goods, the man thought and rubbed his clean shaven
cheek unconsciously. Ever since he had returned from Coruscant, he had made
plans, and when he had them all thought out, he had put those plans in
motion. It had taken him three standard months to gather all the
information he needed and he knew that in order to succeed in this plans he
had to get rid of the Jedi Master.

Too bad, those dung-filled Mynocks let him and Jade escape, the man
thought and before his mind's eye flashed a short image of what exactly he
would inflict on that business associate of his.

But then again, I have what I wanted, and not even the Jedi Master will
look for her, he grinned slyly. Ever since the Cha Raaba pirates had
sent him the holo projection of how exactly they had taken over the
Fire he felt ecstatic.

They had done what he had planned, with almost little to no collateral
damage. Of course, the pirates had been adamant in taking the complete ship
but in order to his plan to pan out, he had needed the Fire left in
space heavily damaged.

Rubbing his hands together gleefully, he paced the room. Soon, he
thought. Soon!
++++++
Talon, Corran and Wedge had heard the muffled sounds coming from beyond the
cabin door and for a moment they hesitated, until Corran exhaled sharply.
In one fluid movement he buttoned the door open and rushed in, closely
followed by Karrde and Antilles.

Luke lay on his side, a garment of Mara's clutched to his chest and he was
breathing in great gasps. Corran was right by his site, putting a hand on
the young man's shoulder and after he had sent forth a tendril of the Force
towards the Jedi Master to check upon him, he gave a sigh of relief.

"He is alright," Corran explained to his friends and looked around the
room. Even with his fledgling Force abilities he could feel the strong aura
of the woman who had once inhabited the ship and this every room, but what
surprised him even more was the feeling as if she was right there with them.

The Jedi Master stirred beneath his hand and Corran helped him up as Luke
scrambled into a sitting position. Focusing his eyes, he watched his
friends one by one and felt his cheeks heat up.

"How ... how long have you been here?" he croaked out and rubbed his eyes
tiredly. The use of the Force had left him feeling completely drained.

"Not long, we just came in to check on you," Talon replied and suppressed a
shudder. He had felt as if Mara had been in the room just before the door
had opened and he was still shaken from the experience.

"What happened, Luke?" Wedge asked and sat down on the other side of the
Jedi Master and his former Commander.

Luke watched his friend and saw the worry plainly inscribed all over his
friend's face.

"I ... I met Mara in a vision ...," he explained slowly and his head turned
to look at Horn. "I felt her, held her ... it was amazing."

Corran frowned slightly, as everyone else in the room apart from Skywalker.

"Luke," Talon started and pulled a chair near the bed before he settled
into it. "I cannot imagine what you are going through ... but ... we have
to face the truth, Mara is gone."

Luke shook his head, his whole countenance like that of a stubborn child.
"She is not, Talon, I felt her. The vision was quite strong, other than
what I have experienced with Ben and Yoda after they had died. Mara is not
dead!"
++++++
Mara woke up on the cold floor and when she came back to consciousness, for
a moment her mind reeled. The dream had been so real that she could still
feel Luke's hands on her face, or so she thought.

She raised her hands to her cheeks, mimicking the gesture that Luke had
done in her dream and she immediately bit her lips when she moved. Her body
hurt like hell. Every sinew, every muscle screamed as she moved herself
into a sitting position, as she tried to open her eyes.

Darkness engulfed her. She was not even sure if she had opened her eyes or
not so she felt her way towards her face. With a groan she realised she was
either blinded or the room she was in was pitch black. Moving slightly,
pain shot through her lower abdomen and up her spine. She felt dizzy and
nausea threatened to choke her up.

Stilling all movement, she slumped against a wall behind her. Desperately
she tried to catch her breath and gain control over her mutinous body but
try as she might, her body hurt as if she had had several turns with a Rancor.

And the retching ... nausea washed over her and Mara toppled over, her
throat hurting from the gagging as her stomach wanted to turn itself upside
down.

"Sith," Mara gasped when her stomach had rid itself of what little she had
still inside after a while. "Death is better than feeling like this," she
murmured and clutched her stomach and lower abdomen when another wave of
pain shot through her.

For a week now she had felt sick in the mornings, but she had dismissed it.
After all, she was Mara Jade, Ex-Emperor's Hand. A mere upset stomach
didn't impair her in any way, she had gone through tougher illnesses than
that. But the sickness had continued, starting in the morning shortly after
getting up and then lasted till mid day.

Groping around in the darkness, Jade tried to push herself to her feet. Her
head bumped into the ceiling and when she rose her hands to her head she
felt the smooth, cold feel of durasteel plates beneath her fingertips.
After she had inspected her surroundings in the dark, she realised she must
be in some sort of detention cell, similar to the ones the Emperor had had
on his star cruisers.

Two by one meters, Mara recalled. More of a coffin than a
cell. Slumping back into a sitting position, she drew her knees up to
her chest and buried her head in her hands.

"Great, Jade, just great," she murmured and tried to remember how she had
ended up here.

Reaching out with the Force, she immediately discovered that Ysalamiri had
been placed nearby. From the void she resumed that they had been placed all
around her detention cell and she cursed beneath her breath.

"Just what I need," she muttered and her head slumped back against the cold
durasteel plate behind her. "Well, you really managed to get into the
Rancor's pit just nicely."

Rubbing her stomach, the unconscious movement brought back the last memory
before she had blacked out. The baby! Groaning, Mara's eyes snapped
open only to stare into the blackness. But it can't be true ... the
Emperor ordered to have that operation on me. I can't be pregnant.

But then again you have all the signs of a recent pregnancy, Mara
Jade, the little voice inside her mind nagged. You have morning
sickness and the Force told you to protect the child.

Closing her eyes again, Mara Jade tried to filter through recent events and
when she was honest to herself all made sense now in a way. She replayed
some of the more intimate events on Cha Niem, like the time in the cave
where Luke had removed the little device that had been revealed when she
had been shot, their frantic and ardent lovemaking afterwards. Luke's hot
kisses and lovemaking, his seed spilling ... Mara closed her eyes with a groan.

"Oh Sithspit!" Mara growled and her fists connected painfully with the
steelplates of the floor. " Skywalker, I will kill you! How can you do this
to me? You should have used ... we should have ... oh gods ..." Mara's
temper subsided uncommonly quickly and tiredly she hung her head.

Rubbing her eyes tiredly, trying to force more clarity to her memories, she
pursed her lips.

"I can't be pregnant, the Force must be wrong. I have the scar from when
the Emperor made sure I couldn't bear children," she reasoned with herself.
"I underwent the operation, I know I can't get any children. I just can't
... if I do, then I would have been pregnant long ago ..." She remembered
the night with the Farmboy on Tatooine, that had been Luke as well. "The
Force must be wrong!"

But shortly before she had been captured, she had felt the truth, had felt
the flickering little spark of life that was safely nestled away in her
abdomen.

Unconsciously she hugged herself, her right hand stroking over the spot
where almost a month ago Luke had removed the tracker. Frowning, she
twisted her arm to inspect the small scar that had healed just nicely.

"The device!" Mara exclaimed, her own voice sounding dull and metallic to
her ears in the small confinement.

The device wasn't a tracker at all, she mused. But what ...?

"Skywalker!" she exclaimed aloud and her anger was back. "That
bantha-brained Nerf herder!" She had heard about long-term implants to
prevent pregnancies but she had never thought about them. She never needed
them as the Emperor had made her believe that she was infertile.

I bet that bastard of an Emperor never intended on me finding out that
the med droids had placed a long term prevention implant into my arm,
she thought angrily. He let me believe I could never have children of my
own, that spawn of a Sith bastard. But why to go to all those lengths? Why
deceiving me?

Because he was devious and basked in the knowledge to wield such power
over you.

Shaking her head, Jade unconsciously traced the small scar underneath her
tunic. It was small, almost invisible to a casual gaze. It ran just beneath
her right hipbone and reminded her of a scar Talon sported. When Mara had
started out in Karrde's organisation, he had fallen ill all of sudden and
when he had been rushed to the med center, the med droids there had to
remove his appendix. Mara's thoughts jarred to an abrupt halt.

"I'll be Kesseled!" Mara exclaimed and bit down on a sarcastic laugh that
threatened to rise in her throat. "That bastard had those droids remove my
appendix while I thought I was infertile!"

Anger at her former master threatened to overwhelm her and with what little
strength she had left, she tried to calm those feelings. Anger is of the
dark side, she reminded herself, as her fist clutched together. But she
was angry, so angry it almost choked her.

"You vile son of a Sith!" Mara choked out, hurting her fists while she
unleashed her anger against the durasteel plates of her confinement. "You
mean, ruthless son of a Sith!"

Hugging herself, she fought another wave of pain shooting through her and
for a moment she shivered.

"Shush little one, we'll get out of here," she whispered soothingly,
smirking slightly when she realised how easily it came over her lips.

A Baby! the thought raced through her mind but the expected shock
never came. Luke and mine ... the thought actually calmed her.
Hadn't she always thought about how it would be to have a child? But not
like this ...not with Skywalker ..., Mara thought. How could I have
been so careless?? I should have checked if I was indeed infertile as the
Emperor had claimed. But ever since the first day she had made love to
Skywalker, it had never crossed her mind. She was safe, or so she thought
and now she had not only lost her heart to the Farmboy all over again but
also bore the child of him beneath her heart.

"Stupid, Jade, really, really stupid!" Mare whispered to herself. "How did
I end up like this?"

Because you love him, you love the Farmboy turned Jedi Master, a
small nagging voice added and Mara knew it was true.

Forcing herself to breathe more deeply and letting her exhaustion take
over, Mara Jade slipped into a light sleep that was immediately disturbed
when the door to her cell swung open and glaring light flooded her small
refuge.

"Well, what a surprise," a male voice said and ducked his head to step
inside the small space. "The great Mara Jade. I trust you are comfortable?"

Mara lay back on one elbow and held her other hand up to her face to shield
her eyes from the bright light. All she could see was the shadow of the man.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Jade croaked out, trying to hide the
fear well that crept up in her. She mentally chided herself. Mara Jade
does not feel fear! but she knew that this was only partially true ...
now she had to take care of the baby that was growing inside of her and she
felt fear, not for her but for the child.

She heard the man chuckle and something in his voice reminded her of
someone but she could not place the voice.

"Isn't it a bit late for the Imperials to take revenge on me?" Mara gritted
out, frustrated to no end. If she only had herself to consider, she would
have long jumped to her feet and beat the crap out of her captor, but now
she had to bide her time.

"Imperials? My dear Mara, I'm not an Imperial, far from it. I just wish to
enjoy your wonderful company and perhaps more when you seem to be more
willing."

"Willing?" Mara yelled and drew her knees up to push herself into a
half-crouch. "You abducted me, placed me in a coffin with Ysalamiri nearby
and you think I'll be willing??? You must be a greater fool than I thought!"

The man clucked his tongue and took a step forward. "I told you once and I
will tell you again(.) Mara Jade, you will be the mother of my children and
as soon as we get over your unfortunate resentment towards me, I'm sure
we'll be happy together, especially as that Jedi Master of yours is not
helping you with his magic tricks."

Mara's head reeled. Who by the Emperor's dark soul is he? she
thought and tried to think. Suddenly, something clicked into place.

"Tovar?" she croaked out as realisation washed over her in a cold wave. The
image of the vicious looking Tal-tch'iym blade still imbedded in her mind.

--------------------------------------

Death threats, suggestions and feedback very welcome :)

Una

Hi All,

this is a filler chapter ... and as it is one the story expanded to
12 chapters now <lol>

Disclaimer: The characters and situations of 'Star Wars' depicted in
this story are legal property of George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd. and
Timothy Zahn, and have been used without permission. No copyright
infringement intended.

Summary: Mara is alive and has found out who exactly detained her ...
Tovar, the guy who had tried to impregnate her in the gym on
Coruscant with his ritualistic blade. With the sure knowledge that
Mara is alive, Luke's and her friends gather around the Jedi
Master .. in short the scooby gang meets up <loL>

Rating: G

And many many thanks go to Sherry, never despairing when I use
homophones or just simply the wrong words :) Thank you for being such
a good understanding friend. {{{{{{{{{{Sherry}}}}}}}}}}

Okay on with the story ...

To John Crichton .. human, astroNUT and natural born looser, I feel
for you, man

Chapter Ten - Things To Come

One time Briem representative Tovar smiled when recognition lit up
Mara Jade's face. Of course she would remember, he told himself but
never the less he felt elated that he had obviously made as big an
impression on her as she had had on him.

"But, yes, my dear Mara, it is me, Tovar," he said and squatted down
beside her. Mara tried not to jerk when he reached out a hand and
caressed her cheek lightly but she could not avoid the slight flinch.
She chided herself for showing such weakness but something told her
that this man was dangerous. Mara had seen a flicker of madness in
his eyes the last time they had encountered each other and that made
her nervous.

"You are mistaken if you think you can keep me here," Mara said,
putting as much strength into her voice as she could muster. "You
once failed in detaining me and you will again!"

"Now, now, my dear Mara, who said anything from detaining?" Tovar
chided her softly and ran a crooked finger along her left arm. "I'm
sure you will stay with me of your free will once you have realised
that our children also need their mother ..."

"Children?" Mara shouted as something cold uncoiled in her
stomach. "Tovar, you must be out of your mind. I told you the last
time we met that I'm not interested."

Tovar's countenance changed when she reminded him of his not too
successful attempt in a gym on Coruscant. "Listen to me Jade, you
will be the mother of my children ... with your Force strength and my
organisation of pirates, our children will become a strength to be
reckoned with. You will be a force to be reckoned with ..."

Mara gawked at him then shook her head. "You are mad, Tovar. You
cannot possibly believe I would ..."

"...marry me?" Tovar laughed. "Jade, if you marry me you will have
everything you ever dreamed of. Riches, influence, power ... you
could even gather dark Jedi around you if you'd like."

Jade shook her head and resisted the urge to laugh. This can't be
true! she thought. Everything I ever wanted ... HA!

"Tovar, do you honestly believe I crave for riches and influence?"

"But of course you do, my dear Mara. You, after all, are associated
with Skywalker ... you know he won't marry you, considering your
background, but that doesn't keep you from being with him, perhaps
even playing his whore to have as much influence as you once had as
the Emperor's Hand."

"Craving influence I once had as the Emperor's Hand???" Now Mara did
laugh out loud. "Tovar, I never had any influence as Emperor's Hand.
I was one among many and not even his first. Do you really think I
want to revert to this kind of mental and physical prison? As for
Skywalker, even if there was never a chance to be with him, I'd
stay ... for more reasons than you could ever imagine ..."

Too late Mara noticed she had said too much. With a viciousness that
surprised and sobered her at the same time, Tovar backhanded her
across the face and she slumped backwards, the impetus of the slap
slamming her into the durasteel plates behind her. Blackness once
again engulfed her as Mara's head connected painfully with the wall.

++++++++++++

As Karrde had suspected, only three standard hours after the two
Rogues had arrived, the Millennium Falcon entered the system and Han
Solo himself asked to come aboard with his wife and his friend
Chewbacca.

They were now sitting in the comfortable lounge of the Karrde
and if the reason for this reunion hadn't been so dire, he would have
actually enjoyed the company of his friends.
Lately, Karrde had time to think about that .. friends, family,
loyalty, and he had to admit that in his long life as a smuggler and
information trader, he had never encountered such a motley crew of
people who - in dire situations - stuck together like Tanama glue,
inseparable.
And he was glad that he was part of it.

Karrde started slightly, when a hand was put on his arm and looking
up he looked into the mysterious eyes of Shada D'Ukal, the ex-Mistril
officer. She had been with Karrde and his crew for only a standard
year now, but like Mara, Talon was trusting her with his life,
perhaps even more so. She, too, had gravitated closer and closer to
Luke Skywalker's circle of friends, just like all of them present in
the room, and Talon had to wonder at that.

"Credit for your thoughts, Boss," Shada asked in a low voice, giving
it a husky whisper.

"I was wondering about the mechanics of friendship," Talon answered
and rubbed his moustache. "You know ... we all know each other way
back from the Rebellion and I'm wondering if we would have all become
friends if not for Luke and Mara. It is strange that Rebels, NRI
officials at that, and smugglers mingle so easily."

"Skywalker is a very special being," Shada commented, watching the
young Jedi from afar as he sat with Aves and Solo. "And Mara too. I
have never understood what binds them together, but there is what the
Mistryl call bhi'chesh that is very strong between them."

"Vichish?" Talon asked, of course getting the intonation
wrong. He still had difficulties to grab the speciality of Mistril
dialect.

Shada gave him one of her half smiles, a turn of her lips with her
grey-blue eyes full of laughter. "Bhi'chesh," she
corrected. "One could translate it as the Force, but it is so much
more, it encompasses everything, love, hate, compassion, and in Mara
and Skywalker, it is very strong."

Talon nodded to that.

"Yes, it is very strong. I just wish that we would know where Mara is
being held, all this waiting around drives me crazy."

Shada nodded to that and Talon was grateful that this mysterious
woman, in her own strange way was giving him strength. He just wished
that they would find Mara and soon.

At the other end of the lounge, Skywalker had picked up on Karrde's
thoughts and he whole-heartedly agreed. As much as he liked his close
friends to be around him, he wanted to find Mara. The last vision had
shaken him to the roots of his being and although he knew that the
future was always in motion, the urgency of the vision still lingered
within him.

He brought his thoughts back to Leia, who had stepped closer to her
husband and was now both hugging her brother and Solo.

"Hey," Luke said when she searched his face with her huge brown eyes.

"You alright, Luke?" Leia asked, a comforting hand resting on her
twin's shoulder. She had been appalled to see her brother's drawn
face, but when she had told him he should get a rest, Luke had only
shook his head and his determined 'no' had not left any room for
discussion.

"I would like to go into a trance later, Leia, and it would be good
if you could supervise me," Luke requested, full knowing that he did
not need her supervision. But he had picked up on her worry for him
and in order to appease her he requested her help.

"Of course, Luke, just tell me when you are ready," Leia's smile and
her soft sigh was answer enough and Luke squeezed her hand quickly.

"Thanks, sis," Luke answered and turned back to the conversation with
Aves and Han. The men exchanged a few more words before Skywalker
stood up and both twins left the lounge.

*So how do you want me to supervise, Luke?* Leia asked through
their bond.

Luke was a little bit startled to hear a voice other than Mara's
through the Force, but he immediately felt the difference. Whereas
Mara's voice had always been strong, sounding like his own thoughts,
Leia's Force voice was muted as if coming from a great distance.

They had reached the hangar and boarded the Jade's Fire. Off to the
bridge both could hear the voices of Karrde's men going over the
entire bridge with the proverbial toothbrush, so Luke led his sister
to Mara's private quarters.

"Are you sure, this is a good place to meditate?" Leia asked after
she had taken in her surroundings.

"Yes, I feel more connected to Mara this way, Leia," Luke answered
and patted the small bunk where he had seated himself. "You'll see
what I mean."

Their eyes locked for a moment before Leia sat down beside Luke with
a sigh. Making herself comfortable, she swung her legs onto the small
bunk and sat cross-legged. When Luke sat in front of her in the same
fashion, their hands intertwined.

"Just go with the flow, sis, take in everything you see, and
afterwards you can ask questions, okay?" Luke required seriously and
Leia nodded. She had never seen her brother so determined and
independent. Of course, she had seen him as Jedi Master when he had
taught his pupils but this was different. He had a complete new air
of confidence around him that surprised her. Additionally, she felt a
new sense of maleness around him, something she had only felt in Han
but never in her baby brother.

Mara has affected him on more levels than I realised, Leia
thought as she opened up her mind to her brother.

Gently, Luke led Leia through his mind, wrapping her up in a secure
bond, until he was certain her breathing was timed with his own.
Slowly, he showed her the Force visions he had, beginning with the
one he had back on the Corellian freighter, then his attempt to reach
Mara and the vision of her, assuring Leia that Mara was alive.

Leia gasped when she learnt about the baby, and for a moment her
Force presence in Luke's mind wavered, then it grew stronger again.

*I'm happy for you, brother,* Leia sent him and squeezed his
hands shortly.

Going deeper into the Jedi trance, both twins submerged deeply into
the Force. Their free spirits flying and soaring as the Force swelled
around them. Luke felt a calm coming over him, not as comforting and
deep as when he had joined with Mara, but it was soothing
nevertheless. He knew that Leia could not tell the difference, but he
knew. Mara was his soul mate, the other half of him, and Force-strong
or not, he knew that even without the Force, he and Mara were meant
to be. He smiled at that thought and concentrated more on Mara's
image, as his breathing grew shallower and his mind was deeply
immersed in the Force.

++++++++++++

The soft glow of light from the wall fixtures lit the room and the
unconscious woman lying on a med bed. With a groan, Mara Jade's eyes
snapped open and after a few more seconds, where she assessed her
physical condition, she slowly raised onto one elbow.

The increasing beeps of a medical monitor greeted the movement and
Mara carefully tried to calm her quickened heart rate. She was alone,
not even a TwoOneBee in sight and Mara was grateful for that. From
the dizziness in her head, she knew she had been sedated and after
she had focused her tired eyes toward the IV that entered her arm,
she carefully removed it.

Tentatively, the young woman reached out with the Force, and apart
from two small patches of non-Force, she could feel how the Force
swirled around her, sustaining her. With a sigh, Mara laid back and
closed her eyes briefly, relishing the invigorating effect of the
Force.

So he gets careless, Mara thought with a hint of satisfaction
and tried to reach out with her senses beyond the closed durasteel
door of the med unit. Mara, think, you can use this to your
advantage, she reminded herself and using the Force, she reached
out with her mind further, roaming the corridors and levels that lay
beyond the door.

The sharp pain in her stomach reminded her that she had not eaten
anything for more than two days if not more, and slowly she swung her
legs off the medical bed and looked around. Not a morsel of a ration
bar was in sight and with an expletive underneath her breath, Mara
rubbed her hurting arm where the IV had been.

"Okay," she muttered. "Get food, get a recon on your surroundings,
find a way out, acquire a vehicle," she meticulously ticked off the
points with her fingers. "Piece of cake!" She grimaced when she felt
her stomach cramping again and resting a hand onto the spot, she drew
the Force more closely around herself.

A soft flicker in the Force let her smile. It was still a faint Force
signature but that already was both unique and quite familiar to her.

"Hi, Little One," Mara whispered softly. "I know you are as tired as
I am to be a guest of Tovar but we have to wait. First of all, we
need to get our bearings on this place."

++++++++++++

Back on the Jade's Fire, Luke redoubled his efforts to reach
out for Mara Jade. Drawing the Force more strongly around himself, he
soon had a firm grasp on her Force signature, and forgetting Leia
completely, his mind reached out to his lover in the only one way he
could think of to reassure himself that Mara was alive.

*Mara, my love*, Luke's Force-self said while his arms
encircled her small form. Friendship and love rolled between them
like a living being as Mara opened her mind to Luke's presence and
basked in the loving caress of the Jedi Master.

*About time, Farmboy,* He could hear Mara's voice clearly now
and before his mind's eye, he could see the tired and drawn face of
Mara's and despite her testiness, Luke could clearly feel how
relieved she was.

*Shhh, it's alright, we will get you out of where ever you are
being held,* Luke told her and he could feel Mara's small
trademark snort.

*You better be, Skywalker,* she growled back but the caress
through their Force bond was gentle and full of love.

*Do you know who captured you?* Skywalker inquired and instead
of telling him, Mara opened her mind to him even more, showing him
all that had transpired since her capture.

Luke could feel her concern for the baby, also her confusion on how
she gotten pregnant. He was tempted to ask her why she had not told
him that she thought herself infertile, but up till now he knew that
their relationship had not been that close or grounded as it had been
now with the Force visions.

When Mara showed him who her captor was, his jaw clenched and his
fists closed more deftly around Leia's hands.

*Did he touch you?* Luke asked Mara, his voice in her mind
having a definite edge to it. Only after Mara's hesitant negative
answer did he release the grip on Leia's hands when he realised that
his sister was wincing.

*Mara, Leia is with me,* he softly warned and shielded himself
and Mara from Leia for a moment while he shifted his concentration
slightly. He could feel Mara's slight ribbing and then her smile.

*Fretting over you again, Skywalker?*

*Yes,* the young Jedi had to grin at that. *You know how
she is*.

*I know,* came the curt reply. *You have become quite
efficient with shielding yourself, Farmboy.*
Luke grimaced when he felt Mara's fatigue and weariness coming
strongly through their bond.

*I had a good teacher, my love,* he replied, sending her some
of his strength.
Then he opened his link to his sister again.

*Leia?* he inquired and could feel his sister sending him her
love. Again he couldn't help but wonder how different her Force
presence felt compared to Mara's. Whereas Mara's was strong and
vibrant even in her weakened state, Leia's was far more muted and
although she was his twin, it had never really been as strong as his
with Mara's.

Leia felt some of his thoughts, but after what she had felt coming
from both her twin brother and Mara Jade, she knew better than to
comment.

She had not thought it possible, that the beautiful trader was still
alive. But trust the Force, she is, Leia thought and smiled
briefly. Turning her thoughts back towards her brother she listened
in on the soft conversation, the images Mara sent them and Leia, in
her cool diplomatic mind, turned them over and over in her head.

After a while Mara's strength weakened even more and although Leia
could not feel the physical pain, Luke had picked up on Mara's
discomfort. Renewing his bond with her, he soothed the pain, dulling
it efficiently, before he cut the bond. But not before he had send
her all his love for her.

++++++++++++

Leia kept her eyes closed a little bit longer after Luke had wakened
them out of the trance. Much ha transpired between herself, her
brother and Mara Jade, and event though she had been an onlooker, she
felt honoured that her brother and especially Mara Jade trusted her
enough to share their deep feelings for each other.

Slowly, the extent of what she had come to know seeped through her
conscious being and a surge of happiness swept through the former
Princess.

I'll be an aunt, she thought and had to smile at that. Who
would have thought that Mara Jade of all women would make Luke the
happiest man in the galaxy? But then she had to admit that there
always had been something between them. The ease with which they
could converse even over such a great distance as this both held her
in awe and frightened her.

f course, I have always known that Luke is strong in the Force,
but this ... ?! Didn't Mara once say that she could hear the Emperor
from great distances as well? Is Luke even stronger than the Emperor
ever had been? For a short moment fear gripped Leia Organa-Solo
and she thanked the Force and all the gods in the galaxy that Luke
had not turned the two times it had been offered to him. If the
Emperor had succeeded, she knew that the galaxy would have been in
dire need of help.

*Leia?* Luke's voice was strong in her mind and for a moment,
she shuddered in fear.

Luke felt her brief flash of fear and he sighed sadly.

*I'm sorry, Leia, I thought it a good idea to have you with me,
but now I see it was not,* he sent her and eased out of her mind
as quickly as possible.

"I'm sorry, brother mine," Leia said aloud, opening her eyes at last.
Her brother looked tired and more worry lines showed in his face. "It
was just a silly feeling, of course, I know you are not the
Emperor ..." Her voice trailed away and she inhaled deeply.

"So is it always like this? Your bond between you and Mara? This
strong?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.

Skywalker rubbed his face with his hands wearily and rolled his
shoulders. It was a good question, he had come so accustomed to his
and Mara's Force bond that he had never questioned just how strong it
had become during the last couple of months.

"Not always, only after recent events ... we can reach each other
over great distances. The first time after we ..." he blushed
slightly when he remembered that day but shaking the feeling of
embarrassment, he looked up and grinned. "Before that, we were able
to talk to each other, but normally only when we were in the same
facility together. It has helped us a great deal on missions. The
distance thing we noticed the first time after we kissed." He
shrugged his shoulders indifferently but the way he cocked his head
and battled the deep flush that was creeping up his neck and into his
cheeks, Leia could see that he wasn't so indifferent after all.

"And then? What happened?" the former Princess asked and noticed
Luke's ever increasing facial colour.

"Umm ... you saw it, sis ... I mean ... the light and all. When we
haven't met for quite a while there is this Force exchange. It
started around the time shortly after Callista left. I felt it the
first time when I came to in the med center and Mara was there. It
isn't uncomfortable, rather the opposite, but it frightened the
living daylights out of us." The young man grinned at the memory. "I
guess ever since our first love making the bond between us has
steadily increased ... it is as if we are connected here," he tapped
his skull, then moved his hand towards his chest. "And here. I have
to ask Cilghal for some of the information she looked up for me. It
reminds me of something I have skimmed over but disregarded after
Callista had left me."

Leia watched her brother. She too had come across Jedi Bonds in her
studies and what Luke had described to her, it reminded her of
something she had read a long time ago.

"Do you think it is a Jedi bond? For life?" she asked softly.

Luke had to smile at that. He had suspected as much, especially after
his talk to Cilghal about three months ago in the medical center on
Coruscant.

"I don't think, I know, Leia," he turned and gently caught her hands
in his. "Mara and I already have connected as deeply as two human
beings possibly can, and I suspect that we unwittingly bonded on a
higher level as well. Mara might deny it, but she is Jedi and somehow
we bonded without knowing."

They both grinned at each other and Leia touched his cheek lightly.

"Trust you to bond with the enemy," she teased him light-heartedly
but immediately sobered, when Luke squeezed her hand.

"Mara was never my enemy, or that of the Republic, Leia. She was used
in the most vile way and she is still suffering from it," Luke said
sternly. "If we ever find out how she came to be the Emperor's Hand
we might find out the whole disgusting extent of what the Emperor did
to her and innumerous others."

Leia's brown eyes rounded at that speech. She had always suspected
that Mara Jade had been forced to join the Imps but to what extend
she did not know.
She watched silently, as Luke stood up, some of his bones popping in
his shoulders as he stretched.

"Let's get to Karrde and Han, we might have the clue now where to
look for Mara," he said and extended his hand to help her to her feet.
--------------
Una
death threats, suggestions, praise and stuff welcome :)

yes, at last here is the chapter that had me suspended for almost two months :s

Author's notes: Special thanks go to Sherry for cheering me on and Anna for
bouncing ideas off :) Thank you girls :)
Also many great thanks go to Jackie ... partner in crime and fellow
Aeryn/Claudia admireress :) and beta'ing for me on such short notice -
Thank you pard'ner :)

Rating: R-rating for implied brutality and rape attempt.

Summary: ever since Mara is supposed to be dead, Luke has dangerously
walked close to the dark side. But thanks to the Fore he has seen visions
of Mara and he knows she is alive but in the clutches of Tovar.
Now the gang prepare themselves to rescue Mara for a change.

"Why does it always have to end in tears?!"

---------------------------
Chapter Eleven - Incendiary

The extensive use of the Force had weakened Mara to no end, but the last
exchange between her and Luke left her with a soft glowing, warm feeling
deep inside. Some of the pain in her legs and lower abdomen had left and
for a moment, Mara drew inside herself and caressed the small glimmer of
the Force that radiated from deep within her womb.

Stretching experimentally, she slipped off the medical bunk and searched
the room for a possible weapon. But as much as she searched, she had to
realise that someone had the piece of mind to remove all the things that
she could have used as a possible weapon, she did not find anything.

Cautiously, she moved over to the door but found it locked. Brushing over
the controls, Mara reached out with the Force and for the umpteenth time
she silently taunted Tovar for being so careless as to forget to place
Ysalamiri around her.

Sweat beads built on her forehead as she concentrated, feeling her way
through to the controls behind the deck plate and finding the opening
device. With a soft whooshing sound the door slid open and Mara, gasping,
slumped against the wall.

+++++++

Luke moved relentlessly forward, Wedge and Talon by his side, their
blasters drawn. At first, Luke had only deflected any incoming shots with
his lightsaber, but after a while, when the aggression they had met had
culminated, he had drawn his blaster as well. Aves had come up with special
com links that kept their hands free and while Luke had trouble adjusting
the headpieces, his friend Wedge had taken it in stride. Hiding behind
durasteel boards, Antilles switched on his com link to check in on the others.

"Hey, Solo, you there?" Antilles grinned when he heard Han's gruff reply
and both the Jedi Master and the general had to chuckle.

"Don't startle me like that, Antilles," Han's voice wavered through their
headpieces. "We have encountered slight resistance, but other than that, we
came up with zilch. We found the detention cell though. Nasty piece."

"Did Horn pick anything up?" Luke asked knowing that Corran was with Han
and Chewie while Leia was accompanying Shada and Aves.

"Nope, only that Mara was still alive when she stayed there."

"Understood," was the clipped reply and the Jedi and the General moved on.
Ever since the friends had entered the secret part of the base, Luke's mind
raced. Immediately, the klaxons had alerted the pirates and Tovar and he
desperately hoped that Mara was still alive and well somewhere.

"We will find her," Wedge's voice was near his ear as both men crouched
behind a bend of the corridor.

Luke nodded in reply and looked over his shoulder. His friend was giving
him an assuring smile. Ever since he had told him and the others that Mara
was pregnant, they had hovered over him as if they were afraid that he
would do something stupid.

Like turning to the dark side if I don't find Mara, Luke told
himself silently and even though his soul was deeply emerged in the light
side of the Force, he knew that a blow like this, not only losing the woman
he loved but also their child would easily turn him to the dark side,
either consciously or unconsciously.

Luke leant forward and searched the corridors beyond the bend with the
Force. Nothing, he thought and for a moment he squeezed his eyes
shut. All of a sudden he felt a flicker, a soft mingling with his Force
sense and his eyes opened in surprise.

"Mara!" he exclaimed and Wedge, who had been hunkering behind the Jedi
Master, jerked involuntarily.

"Have you found her?" the general asked.

Skywalker nodded. "Three corridors from here, two levels down. She is in pain."

"Then let's go and get her," Antilles said and after he had given Mara's
position to the rest of the rescuers, he and Luke hurriedly made their way
down.

+++++++

Tovar watched the frightened woman in front of him. He had never thought
he would detect fear in Mara Jade's eyes, but if he was correct, the uneasy
flicker in her emerald eyes was just that - Mara Jade, Ex-Emperor's Hand
felt fear.

"Going somewhere, my dear?" Tovar asked and stepped further into the room.

"If you don't mind, I'm leaving, Tovar," Mara croaked out and tried to
straighten up but the pain in her stomach and lower regions increased.
Suppressing a groan, Jade clutched her abdomen and slumped against the
wall. "Please, by the stars, let me go!"

Mara Jade felt hands lifting her up and through her haze she immediately
felt that those hands did not support her but continued roaming over her
body. Drawing the Force around her, she straightened herself, dulling the
pain as she fed on the Force.

"I can't let you go, Mara, you know that. I want you to be my wife, the
mother of my children. You have a fire in you that will incite the whole
galaxy. Our children will have my cleverness and your Jedi abilities. We
will create the biggest smuggling organisation this site of the galaxy..."
Tovar breathed into her ear as his hands travelled down her arms and over
her hips, up over her breasts.

Bile rose in Jade's throat but she bravely swallowed it and squeezing her
eyes shut for a moment, she tried to ignore those hands. Tovar grunted
above her as his actions grew bolder and Mara was too sore and hurting to
ward him off.

Tovar grinned when he noticed the quiet submission of his prisoner and
lowered his head to her neck, biting the tender flesh, sucking on it while
his hands gripped her breasts painfully hard.

Through the fog of pain, Mara heard fabric tearing and she realised that if
she did not act immediately, Tovar would get what he wanted and with a last
effort, she drew more Force around and into herself. Then her whole body
burst into activity.

Shoving him away she tried to reach the door, but her head was yanked
painfully as Tovar got hold of her braid. With a groan Jade found herself
lying prostrate on the floor, dazed momentarily as the back of her head had
connected painfully with the cold steelplates.

"No!" she cried out when she felt Tovar's weight on her body, and with a
last surge of energy she rolled away from him, jumping to her feet shakily.

I'm Mara Jade, Emperor's Hand! she urged herself. And no one
takes the Hand against her will! With a sharp jab of her arm she
twisted Tovar's arm around his neck and away from him.

"If you ever touch me again, Tovar, you'll pay for it. Now MOVE!" Mara
shoved the taller man in front of her, trying to keep her grip on him. But
for a slight moment she let her concentration slip when another wave of
nausea and dizziness overcame her and Tovar, sensing her slip, regained the
upper hand again.

"Now, now, Mara, is this a way to treat your future husband?" he asked and
grinned before raising his hand and his fist came crashing down into her
face. Mara had expected the blow but nevertheless her head jerked back and
she stumbled. She tried to keep her vision clear, but the red haze was
almost too overwhelming. Readying herself into a fighting stance she
attacked, only to be slammed into the jamb of the door.

"You want it rough, Jade, you can have rough. I bet Skywalker never saw
that side of yours!" Tovar growled and dragged her out of the room and down
the corridor.

+++++++

Keeping a tight grip on his unwilling woman, Tovar pulled her along the
hallway, stopping only when reaching the intersection in front of his
private quarters and seeing a Jedi Master quickly advancing towards him.

Mara groaned when she was jerked to a halt and when she looked up through
the red haze of pain that clouded her mind, all she could see was
Skywalker, clad in black, lightsaber ignited at the ready.

"Luke ..." she managed to croak out only to be yanked back by her hair.

"You better keep quiet, Jade," Tovar hissed. "Do you think I went to such
length to get my hands on you just to hand you over to the Jedi? You
escaped me twice, but not a third time."

"What do you mean twice?" Mara asked breathlessly.

"On Coruscant and on Techim ... but you escaped twice."

Mara's mind reeled. Techim? she thought. On Techim I retrieved
the Jedi artefacts when I .... It all came crashing down on her then.
The time when she had tried to sever the bond with Luke when she was using
the Ysalamiri essence. She had come back to Coruscant badly injured and she
had almost lost her arm.

"You son of a stinking witch!" Mara growled and tried to yank free from his
grasp but she only managed to cause Tovar to lose a small blaster, her blaster.

Digging the handle of the un-ignited Tal-tch'iym blade painfully into her
ribs, Tovar straightened and turned towards the advancing Jedi Master.
"Looking for someone in particular, Jedi Master?" he snarled and held Mara
in a chokehold, effectively shielding his body with her own.

"Let go of her, Tovar," Luke answered calmly. Ever since he had encountered
the couple, a sense of calm had come over him. He could feel the Force
sizzling like a living being in and around him and when he was only a few
feet away, he stopped.

Far behind Mara and Tovar he saw Leia and Shada advancing on them so Luke
sent his sister a warning. This was between Tovar and himself.

"And why should I do that, Skywalker?" Tovar replied, hugging Mara closer
to himself. "She doesn't want to come with you, Jedi, she stays with me!"

Never leaving his eyes from Mara's face, Luke shook his head and slowly
lowered his gloved hand with the saber. With a sizzle the blade of light
died out and Luke relaxed into a more non-menacing stance.

"I'd rather hear that from Mara," Skywalker said confidently. "In fact you
can't have her, she's mine, Tovar, thanks to you."

Tovar narrowed his eyes, and sneered at Luke.

"Not likely. She's all mine ... likes her men rough and ready, does this
one ... very rough."
As he spoke, Tovar dug the butt of his weapon harder into Mara's ribs,
causing her to feel more nauseous by the minute.

Luke watched the man, seemingly not bothered by his bluster or his actions.
This only served to drive Tovar further into his edgy anger.

"What? Not one of your smart retorts, Jedi?" Tovar snapped and laughed
loudly. "Well, Jedi, go out of the way, she's my woman and she stays mine!"

"I don't think so," Luke said calmly and his lightsaber ignited with the
customary snap-hiss.

"You are stupid, Jedi Master," Tovar grinned and moved Mara to his side
while he ignited the Tal-tch'iym blade.

Both men advanced slowly, but Mara knew Luke did not stand a chance against
the blade. She had barely avoided the thing when Tovar had sparred with her
all those months back and although the immediate threat of the Ysalamiri
was removed, she felt too weak to help him through the intricate moves to
avoid the twisting Tal-tch'iym blade.

Tearing her eyes off Luke, she inched closer to Tovar, flexing her muscles
in her hands as she drew on the Force. Luke, who had still his eyes trained
on her felt her determination through their Force bond. Before he was able
to stop her, he watched in horror as Mara gripped Tovar's arm that was
holding the blade and twisted him around.

"Mara! NO!" Luke Skywalker forced himself into a run but it was too late.
Helplessly, he watched as the vicious blade twisted and turned at the
uncoordinated struggle both opponents had engaged in.

Mara's determination to stop Tovar gave her more strength and temporarily
forgetting her pain she wrenched the blade out of the man's grip but not
before its blade of light connected painfully with her midsection.
Swallowing the cry of pain that rose almost unstoppable in her throat, she
stumbled backwards, never realising that she could soften her fall.

Mara Jade stared into the nuzzle of the blaster after her fall and despite
her cramping stomach and lower abdomen she reached out with the Force to
protect her child. Instantly, she became aware that something was wrong and
when her mind got past the rush of adrenaline that had been released into
her system she knew that the wound from the blade had hurt her and the
child, very badly.

She shook her head and pulled herself into a more upright position. When
she pushed herself into a half crouch, her fingers touched cold metal, and
closing around the form she realised that it was her pocket blaster that
Tovar had lost earlier.

Willing her fingers to close on the small weapon, Jade ignored the
increasing pain in her gut region and readied herself to attack. Slowly,
she raised the small blaster and aimed it point blank on Tovar's chest.

"You had better run, Tovar," Mara bit out but the insanity in the man's
eyes told her that all words were lost on him. When he tried to make
another move on her, she just pulled the trigger and the world exploded
around her.

+++++++

Forcing great mouthfuls into his lungs, Luke had crossed the distance
between himself and Mara in record time. Crouching down beside the slumped
form of his lover, he tried to assess the damage she had taken from Tovar's
attack. Ever since he had seen the blaster fire of both Mara's blaster and
Han's who had been rushing into the corridor from the far side, he had
feared the worst.

Mara's face was deathly pale and she was haemorrhaging badly. Blood, dark
and sticky, was pooling and already coagulating beneath her. Luke's gore
slicked hands slipped over her body as he grasped her into his arms.

"Mara ...," he whispered. "Mara, don't leave me!"

"Luke," her voice was but a whisper. "I'm so cold ..."

"Hush, my love, don't speak," Skywalker answered as he cradled her into his
arms, heartbeat against heartbeat.

When Luke sent out a tendril of the Force towards her, he could feel almost
physically how weak she was and how quickly life was fading away from her.

He felt two other Force presences nearby and when he looked up he saw the
concerned faces of his sister and Corran Horn who had reached the couple
and were now squatting beside him.

"Luke," Leia said softly and touched his shoulder. "We need to get her to a
med center."

*She won't make it to a med center, Leia,* he sent her and broke the
connection when he felt Mara reaching out to him. Focusing his Force sense
solely on her, he opened up to her weak touch, giving her as much strength
as possible.

Corran had guessed more than he had sense Luke's doing so he stood up and
placed his hands on Leia's shoulders.

"He knows what's best to do, Your Highness. Let's clear this mess a bit and
call Cilghal." Horn said gruffly and managed to draw Leia to her feet. When
the others arrived, staring expressionlessly at Luke and Mara, he ushered
them away.

+++++++

Mara had opened her eyes as soon as she had felt Luke's arms around her and
now staring up into the intense blue, she felt strangely light-headed. She
could feel him opening up to her and she basked in his warm Force presence,
even as she realised that her own was quickly diminishing.

*I never told you ...* her voice was soft and almost inaudible in
Luke's mind.

*Never told me what, Mara?* Luke sent her and caressed her cheek
with a bloodied hand.

*I ... love you, ... you stubborn ... Jedi,* Mara drew in a painful
deep breath, her complete body heaving and shaking in his arms.

"No, Mara, stay with me ... I love you too!" Luke blurted out and cradled
her even closer than humanly possible. "I need you, Mara, I can't just lose
you now that we both know what we mean to each other."

The young woman smiled at that and with effort she raised one hand slowly
and first stroked his brow and then his cheek and slowly travelling down to
his lips, just like she had done in the vision Luke had experienced only
days ago.

"I'll never leave you, Luke ... I'll be with you .... always," another
painful shiver wrecked her body. "I'm so ... cold ..." she whispered, her
bloodless, deadly white lips trembling.

The Jedi Master knew he had to react, he had to do something before life
completely had left Mara. Hugging, her to himself, he groped his mind for a
way to stop the bleeding. At his first quick check, when Mara had reached
out for him had told him clearly what kind of bleeding she had. He knew
that saving the life they had created together was impossible but he had to
save Mara.

And there was only one option.

She'll grill me if she finds out, Luke thought, carefully shielding
these thoughts from her. She never trusted me enough to let me enter her
mind guarded, let alone unguarded. But I have no choice ... I cannot, must
not, loose her!

Sighing, he gently cupped her face, forcing her to look into his face.

"I want you to do something for me, Mara, and it is important, okay?"

He felt her nodding her head and for a moment his resolve faltered. "I will
put you into a hibernation trance. I dare not put you into a healing
trance, because it takes up too much of your own Force strength as well.
You have to trust me, Mara, I will heal you but you have to let me in..."

Mara's mind was revolted by what Luke was suggesting. Should I really
let Luke get into my head without me there to keep him at bay? But deep
down inside her she knew that it was vital to let him just do that and so,
after a moment's consideration, she nodded her consent.

"I trust ... you," Mara whispered almost inaudibly, but meaning every word
of it. With great effort she raised her head and put her lips against his,
then with a sigh she closed her eyes.

"I love you, Luke," she whispered again softly.

"NO!" Luke's voice was pain-filled as her head rolled back and her body
went limp in his arms.

+++++++

Comments, death threats welcome

Una

here is the one before last chapter :)
Please note that due to Sherry being sick (Get well soon, chica!!) this
part is unbeta'ed .. so all mistakes are mine, only mine :)

Chapter Twelve - Pain

Karrde, Horn and Antilles, with Solo and Leia standing off to the side,
watched the Jedi couple through the med bay observation window. A droid had
removed the tattered flightsuit from Mara's limbs and now she was covered
with a white sheet that clung to her small form like a second skin. Luke
was still wearing the blood stained tunic though on the black fabric the
even darker blood stains were almost invisible. Leia had insisted that he
get himself freshened up but with a look so void of any emotion he had just
declined her offer. With seeing the agony on her brother's face at Mara's
condition, Leia feared that whatever happened, she had lost Luke. She had
been replaced as the most important thing in his life.

On their way back to Coruscant, the Princess was appalled to hear that
again her brother had experienced another loss and she felt his pain almost
as deep as if it were her own. When she had come face to face with her
twin, she was almost frightened to see how deeply he and Mara had been
emerged in the Force and how deeply their love ran for each other. Cradling
the unconscious and hibernating Mara to his chest, he had barely
acknowledged her and when she had sent out a tendril with the Force, she
had only experienced slammed down barriers but with a distinct touch of
Mara woven in between.

Now she was watching the two Jedi with tears in her eyes. Part of her was
sad at the distance between her twin and herself but another part was
exceedingly happy that Luke had found happiness in a woman at last, even if
it looked that this happiness was short-lived.

"A credit for your thoughts, Princess," Han's voice was soft and for a
moment, Leia felt as if her husband's voice enwrapped her whole being and
she wondered fleetingly if that was what Luke and Mara felt for each other.

Without an utterance, Leia turned and buried her face in the strong chest
of Han Solo and sobbed. She remembered another time when they had waited
upon Luke and his injured friend, had waited for word of Mara recuperating,
but this time she felt it twice as hard to keep up hope. Now that she knew
how high a price her twin had paid again to be with his lover.

"Have you asked yourself if the child had been a boy or a girl?" Leia
whispered softly, and Han had to strain his ears to hear the soft words.
Hugging her closer, he dipped his head against hers and brushed his lips
over her ear.

"That is only for Luke and Mara to answer, Leia, my love," he whispered.
"We need to help them getting over it, not putting more questions and
doubts onto them with possible what ifs..."

Leia's head snapped up and for a long time her brown eyes drunk deeply from
his hazel ones.

"When did I marry such a sensitive and insightful man?" she asked with a
small smile. The pain that had pressed into her like a transparisteel ring
around her chest, was loosening up and for the first time since they had
met up with Karrde and the others, she felt a small flicker of hope.

"Since the time I happen to meet a Princess and rescued her," Han answered
with a roguish smile on his lips.
+++++++
It had grown dark beyond the transparisteel windows of the med center and
only the monitors of the life support system gave off a faint glimmer of
light. Luke Skywalker sat slumped in a chair, his hand intertwined with
Mara's still life-less fingers. Ever since the OneBeeTwo droid had
stabilised Mara's condition, he had joined his mind with hers again. The
extensive use of the Force had tired him but sleep was not an option.

The fear of loosing Mara as well was making him irrational. He knew this
but could not fend off the thoughts that if he fell asleep he would loose
her forever, just like their child. Luke shook his head wearily.

If I continue thinking like that Mara will pick up on it through the
Force, he thought and with his mechanical hand he rubbed his eyes wearily.

*Come on, love, you have to fight,* he sent her but the soft light
that was her Force signature still hid from him in the Force.

Skywalker heard the soft thud of the door and bleary eyed he looked up. Han
was standing just inside the pool of light and watched his friend with sad
eyes.

"Leia and I thought you might need a caf and a rest, kid," Han said and, a
cup of steaming caf in hand, came slowly over, resting a hand on his
friend's shoulder after he had reached him.

The Jedi Master shook his head. "I can't, Han, she might ... I might loose
her if I sleep."

Han bit down on the sharp retort he was about to issue and drew a chair
over to his friend's side. Seating himself he handed over the caf and
watched until Luke had taken a couple of tentative sips.

"Look, you cannot do anything right now and it won't help Mara if you wear
yourself out. She needs you to be strong when she comes to, and not in a
coma. You need sleep and I'm sure Mara will appreciate it as well if you
are there to care for her instead of floating in a bacta tank," Han said
and gently pulled Luke to his feet.

"Go on, you need sleep," he urged. Before Luke knew what was happening, Han
had deftly opened the fastening of the Jedi Master's tunic and had pulled
it over his head. Then he shoved him none too gently towards Mara's bed and
while Luke gave him a begrudging look, nevertheless the Jedi Master removed
his boots.

"Sleep!" Han ordered and tucked both Jedi in. When the Corellian was
satisfied the Jedi Master would stay put, he turned out the lights and
walked over to the door. Turning again, brown eyes met blue and Luke nodded
in thanks.

"Anytime, Kid," came Han's gruff reply before the ex-smuggler left him alone.
+++++++
Mara felt warm and safe and when her consciousness battled the last threads
of sleep, she finally opened her eyes. She lay on her side, two arms
securely wrapped around her midriff, protecting her and her baby.

She tiredly sent out a tendril with the Force, but the child was gone. Mara
gasped and closed her eyes in pain when memories washed over her. She had
lost the baby, had lost it because some mad man had thought she should be
his wife. A groan escaped her lips and for a moment, Mara Jade felt the
void that was left behind.

"Shhhhh," the voice was near her ear and instinctively she knew that Luke
was spooning her, holding her tightly.

Mara closed her eyes and slammed her barriers shut. How can he be so
understanding? it screamed inside her head and all she could feel was
the pain of the loss.

Of course, Skywalker always had wished for a little family of his own and
while the loss of the child had been a hard blow to him, he still knew that
if he had also lost Mara, he would have never gotten over the despair. She
was his guiding light and he doubted he could ever raise a child without her.

"Shhhhh, love, it is alright," Skywalker whispered again, carefully drawing
her nearer towards his chest. "We will get through this together."

"How?" Mara spat out the words, the lump in her throat almost choking her.
"How can you still ..." she drew in a shuddering breath. "I lost the child
... our child ..."

Luke felt her withdrawing both physically and mentally but he would have
none of it. He knew that moving was painful to her and he held on to her
both through the Force and physically.

"We lost the child," he emphasised and put a soft kiss onto her
cheek. "But first we have to get you back on your feet again."

Mara shook her head silently and turned away. Drawing in a shuddering
breath, she prepared herself for what she was about to do.

"Go away, Skywalker," she whispered, shrugging off his comforting hands.
"Go away, and just don't come back! It was a mistake and we pay for it. I
pay for it!"

Luke watched her dumbfounded then sat up.

"What do you mean?" He croaked out.

Jade squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remain calm when all she wanted to
do was to rave and rant. She had never thought she would feel so strongly
about a baby that by all means would have changed her life completely.

"It was a mistake, Jedi. This whole thing. We are not made for each other,
the Force showed this in more than a hinting way. So now, Skywalker, get
yourself up off my bed and the hell out of here. Go find yourself another
more fitting woman, someone who is wife and mother material. I'm neither."

"What are you talking about?" Luke asked and tried to turn Mara around to
face him. "One of the reasons we are together is the Force, we've bonded
ever since Tatooine ... I don't understand ..."

"Don't be so mentally obese, Jedi!" Mara growled and despite her
physical pain she whirled around, heeding the need to make her mental pain
vocal. "The Force doesn't want us together, otherwise it wouldn't have let
the child be killed. I'm not the right mother to your child nor, gods
forbid, the wife of a Jedi Master. I never thought that having a child
could be fulfilling. I know who I am and what I have done in the past, this
is my way to pay for it. You can't imagine how much it hurts, you are not
me, you never have met the child for more than a few minutes. I knew
him! Now go, leave me alone."

Skywalker stared at her in disbelief, part of him wanted to believe her.
The very part that grieved for the child he had only known briefly through
the Force, but the part of him that had gently let go of his child, had
eased the pain of loosing him, was riling him up.

Grabbing her by her arms, he came almost short of shaking some sense into her.

"You are not the only one hurting, Mara!" He spat out and took a deep
breath. "I hurt too. You know how much I long for a family but if I have to
choose between a child without a mother and you, it will always be you, do
you understand??"

In the brief pause, all Mara could do was stare at her lover open-mouthed.
She had never felt this mixture of fear and happiness with overwhelming
grief in the Jedi Master before.

"I hurt, too. I wanted the child as much as you do and I thank the Force
that we could at least know him for such a brief while. But if you think
you can leave me alone in my grief, you can think again. We are in this
together and I make you understand that nothing we did or did not do has
anything to do with us loosing our child!"

Luke took a deep breath and tried to choke down on the tears that
threatened to well up inside of him.

How dare she think she can monopolise the mourning for the child? he
asked himself angrily, but deep down he knew that this was a way for Mara
to deal with the loss of their child, but he wanted to be a part of it, he
needed to be a part of it.

"Don't you ever tell me, that I don't know how much you hurt. I know and
even if I haven't felt him stirring inside myself, I had a connection with
him too. He was my child as well ..." Now he couldn't stop the tears from
streaming down his face and letting go of Mara's arms, he turned away and
hid his face behind his hands.

"I wanted ... him, Mara ..." he whispered. "Just as much as I want you in
my life ..."

Mara Jade watched and for a moment it seemed as if she too would start to
cry, but she angrily wiped the tears away with a shivering hand. She tried
to stay furious tried to stay angry with him to have gotten her into such a
situation.

If it hadn't been for him I would never have gotten pregnant in the
first place, the small angry voice in the back of her mind whispered.

She just could not make herself forgive him, nor herself.
+++++++
The next couple of days were strenuous for all of them. Mara who was
recovering physically with all possible speed removed herself mentally and
no one could jerk her out of her self-confinement.

Luke Skywalker sat near her on the other side of the room. Only a few
minutes ago they had quarrelled again, Mara spitting venom and telling him
for the umpteenth time that he should leave her.

Four days, he thought as he watched Mara's rigid back as she sat in
a comfortable chair facing the window. Four days, and she's still
walling me off. Closing his eyes he probed her gently, just brushing
her mind to see if she had cooled off or if she saw reason.

They were both raw with pain and Luke knew that without a breakthrough
their fragile relationship would not survive the ordeal. Sighing he opened
his eyes, appalled by the strength of Mara's barriers. Where he had been
able to pickup on her thoughts so easily in the past, now the walls around
her mind were so strong, even if he wanted to he would not be able to
penetrate them easily.
+++++++
Talon Karrde was staring through the small transparisteel window and
watched the two Jedi silently. He had come with the determination to drag
Mara Jade out of her self-imposed pity party but he had not counted on two
moping around Jedi.

The Master trader looked up when he noticed someone stepping up beside him.

"How are they doing?" Han Solo asked.

"Same as before," Talon almost growled, frustration evident in his voice.
"There must be a way to make them see reason. They are as stubborn as Banthas."

"Perhaps if we butt their heads together?" Han suggested and both men,
after exchanging a look, chuckled softly.

"You know that isn't such a bad idea, let's keep that in mind if words
don't help." Resting his hand against the door controls, Talon threw Solo
another look. "Ready to face the Rancors?"

"After you, Karrde!"
+++++++
Sitting back in his chair Luke resumed watching Mara. The longing and pain
evident in his eyes, he no longer bothered to hide it from her or from the
others. The door opened with a soft whoosh, and without bothering to look
he knew that Talon and Han had entered.

With a nod he acknowledged the visitors but resumed his staring.

"Hello Mara, Luke," Talon said as he walked over to the window, placing
himself beside Mara's chair and staring out of the window.

"What do you want, Karrde?" Mara growled, not taking her eyes off the
stream of speeders that were trafficking beyond the window.

"Just musing over Coruscant traffic, Jade. Or do you really think I'm here
to talk sense into you and that Jedi boy over there?"

Mara's head jerked up and green eyes sparkling with cold fire bored into
Talon's steady gaze.

"Just take Jedi boy and leave, Karrde," Mara snapped and resumed her staring.

"Now, don't you think it is impolite to talk about someone who is present
in this room as if he wasn't here?" Talon admonished softly, although his
whole demeanour was that of someone who didn't have a care in the whole
galaxy, he was tense. One wrong word and only the Emperor knew what would
happen if Mara blew up.

"Hey, Luke, don't you think it is impolite of Jade here?" he yelled over to
where Han and Luke were sitting. He caught Han's weary eye, but he winked
at him. "Hey, Luke, one would think after all she has been through the
great Mara Jade would be a bit more appreciative about her friends risking
their necks getting her out of .... OOFFFF!"

Talon Karrde landed with a loud thud on the floor. Mara was standing over
him and shook out one of her fists while her other hand clutched the still
healing scar of the operation.

"MARA!" Luke and Han cried out in unison.

"What?" Mara spat back and whirled around. "Do you want a go, Solo? Or you
Skywalker?" she challenged and when both men shook their heads, she leant
against the back of the chair, breathing out in shallow pants. "I thought
so, now get out of my room."

She squeezed her eyes shut, and when she felt Luke's inquisitive brush on
her mind she slammed her barriers shut. Pain still surged through her but
it wasn't so much physical pain. It was true she still felt shaky and she
had not regained her normal physical state, but what pained her more was
the mental pain. She had thought that she was not mother material, had even
told Skywalker so but deep down it felt as if something was missing. The
short time she had been aware of the little child growing inside of her,
she had grown accustomed and protective of it and now it felt as if she was
missing a whole part of her persona. The was not whole anymore, perhaps had
never been.

Ignoring the thud of the door she drew in a shaky breath, suppressing the
tears that threatened to spill forth, but she could not hold them back any
longer. Painful sobs raked her body as she slumped against the chair on her
knees.

Gentle hands caressed her back and her arms, soothing her pain as Mara Jade
let go of her pain and sobbed.

"Ssshhhhh, Mara, it's alright. Let it all out," Luke's voice was near her
ear, unshed tears evident in his own voice as well. Skywalker held the
woman tightly in his arms while she wept.

After a while, the woman in his arms grew still and Luke stiffened
momentarily when he felt her change of breathing. He had desperately willed
this break down to happen but now he was not so sure if they could
resurrect their friendship, their relationship ... their love.

Luke looked down when Mara stirred in his arms and a gentle hand brushed
back the sweaty strands away from her face. Green eyes still bright with
tears met with blue ones and for a moment they just stared at each other.

"Why are you doing this?" Mara asked gently, her voice raw from the crying.

"Because we are in this together, Mara," Luke answered, not sure if he
should tell her about his love, this impossible, all encompassing love he
felt for her.

"How can you still ..." Jade broke off and with trembling lips she looked
away. She knew this talk was inevitable, and she knew Luke had been waiting
for long painful days for this to happen but she was not sure, if she could
face this. She still felt too hurt, too cheated out of something she had
only unwillingly accepted in the first place.

"How can I still be here? With you?" Luke helped her and raised her face
towards him softly with a hand beneath her chin. Blue eyes, dark with love,
care and sorrow, searched her face.
When she nodded, he continued.

"Because I love you, Mara Jade. I hurt too, I wanted this child, I loved it
as much as I love you because it was a part of you ... and me. I don't want
you to eat yourself up. If you are angry, then be angry at me for not
taking care of you as I should have ..."

Mara almost gaped at him. He is taking the blame for me getting hurt or
does he regret getting me pregnant? she thought and immediately felt
the answer as his mind touched hers.

"You are not to blame, Luke," Mara answered softly, unconsciously her
fingers searched and found the spot on her left arm where the suppress med
device had been. "How could you know what the device was. We were both
careless ..."

"But I should have protected you, Mara. I'm sorry I had been so careless
and caused you so much pain. I know it must have been a shock to find out
you were pregnant..." He searched her face, not daring to probe her with
the Force.

"I ... was ...," Mara acknowledged softly, leaning her head against his
chest. "I was frightened and angry and I thought I'd kill you once I could
get hold of you ... but then ..." she bit her lower lip and looked up. "All
I wanted to do was kill the Emperor over and over again. He did this to me,
if he hadn't told me I was infertile I wouldn't be so careless and then ...
then there was the child ..." Her voice broke and she looked away.

"I had a vision of our child in transit back to Coruscant, when we returned
from Cha Niem," Luke confided slowly. "She was beautiful ..."

Mara's head jerked up and for long moments they gazed at each other.

"But it wasn't a girl," Mara blurted out. "I knew it was male, even if it
was too early to determine the gender by any medical means."

"I know, I felt him too. That's why I was so surprised to feel a boy, after
the vision with the girl ..." Luke croaked out and for a moment squeezed
his eyes shut.

*The future is always in motion, young Skywalker,* Yoda's voice was
so strong that both were jolted out of their reverie.

"Did you just hear that?" Mara asked and when Luke nodded, she cuddled
deeper into his arms. "Yoda knows more than we do ..."

"The Force knows more than we do," Luke chided her softly and hugged her
close. "I wish I could have known our son better, Mara, I really wish I do."

Our son, Mara thought. It was so easy and yet so complicated.
But if she was honest with herself she had to admit that she liked the way
it sounded, liked the way it implied more than she had ever thought
possible for her life.

They fell silent both afraid of the words that had to be spoken out loud.
After a while Luke shifted uncomfortably his legs, they had both forgotten
that they were still half squatting, half lying on the cold floor of the
med center room and when Mara picked up on his discomfort, she shakily got
up to her feet.

Skywalker looked up at her, unsure if he should stay or if Mara wanted him
gone and a surge of relief coursed through him, when she extended a
trembling hand towards him. He drew himself up on his knees and followed
her to the bed, sitting down beside her.

Mara watched silently, opening herself up to the grief that she and Luke
both felt and she understood that his mourning for their child just ran as
deeply as her own. She had been selfish to think only she knew how much it
hurt to loose the child. Even though Luke had not bore the child for the
last month, he had already established a deep connection with him and he
felt the void in the Force just as deeply as she did.

Moving cautiously, she snaked an arm around his shoulders, drawing him
towards her and as if by a silent accord, they lay back, hugging and
sobbing at the same time.
Both drawing and giving comfort in the long night of mourning for a child
that they would never really know in flesh but had been so deeply connected
to already, that anything else waned in comparison.
+++++++

Una

here is the last chapter folks, I hope you enjoy this as much as I did when
I wrote it <BG>

Again all mistakes, spelling errors and grammar quirks are all mine. Sherry
has nothing to do with it, she is still sick.
Quick thanks to Anna for *not doing the grammar thing* thank yae, lass :)

Rating: NC 17 ..so if you don't like it, don't read it.

Chapter Thirteen - Union

Three months later
Luke watched Mara as she sat on the large boulder. During the past weeks
she had spent on Yavin IV her skin had gotten a soft shimmer of gold as her
freckles had become more prominent. He loved the way she looked, it was as
if the sun itself had tinged her with golden rays.

For a moment he just stood still, savouring the moment as he watched Mara
stretching out on the boulder. She was beautiful, a towel draped around her
slim waist while her breasts were covered by what once had been one of her
crop tops, but she had cut off a fair amount of fabric. Thus her breasts,
even modestly covered were clearly visible through the fabric and pertly
pointing towards the sun. Luke sighed and tried to suppress the shudder of
need coursing through his body.

They had now lived for over two months in the seclusion of the Northern
hemisphere of Yavin IV. They shared the bed at nights, holding each other
tightly, but both had never crossed the line where comfort had turned into
passion. Then, a couple of days ago, Mara had asked him about a
possibility to get rid of her conditioning by the Emperor.

Luke had been weary but had agreed and two nights ago, they had prepared
for a Jedi Trance.
The Jedi Master remembered as their Force senses had mingled as they'd
opened up to each other and a momentary stab of fear had been exchanged
between them. Luke remembered how he had sent her all his love, kissing her
deeply while he had established a shield around themselves.

Her Force sense had been deeply intermingled with his own, had felt Mara
opening up to him more than she ever had. He felt grateful that she trusted
him this much and carefully he crafted on the bond that was between them
while Mara sat cross-legged in front of him and cupped his hands with her own.

The Jedi had not been able to determine where Mara's thoughts ended and his
started, and he had not cared anymore. Soon he had located the part of her
memories that still haunted her and weaving the cocoon of safety around
them, he shut them out effectively.

One by one he had bound the memories, destroying them with his and Mara's
Force strength.

Luke tried to retrieve his breath, he had not known he had used so much
Force, but now as he lay panting in Mara's arms, he felt his strength
weakening. When he finally opened his eyes, he was surprised that they lay
sprawled across the floor, holding each other tightly. But what surprised
him even more was the intense green gaze that rested upon him.

"I'm sorry, Mara," he whispered and drew himself up on his elbows. Even in
his weakened state, the passion for this woman had not subsided and for a
moment he battled the tightening that was starting in his groins.

*I love you, Luke,* he had heard Mara's weak voice through their
bond and Luke was glad, she had not picked up on his sudden arousal.

He had gathered her in his arms and carried her back to the bed. Her close
encounter leaving him with a need to hold her, kiss her, smother her with
his love.

Jerking himself out of the reverie, Skywalker smirked at that. Even though
he had lived celibate before, it proved to be increasingly difficult to
keep his distance toward Mara, but he was not sure how she would react.
After all, she had miscarried their child and Tovar had tried to rape her.
It was still too soon, and perhaps they might never share any intimacy ever
again.

Slowly, he walked over to the edge of the lake and took off his trousers.
As they were alone here on the Northern hemisphere of the moon, they had
both taken to wear as little clothes as possible due to the heat of the
Yavin summer. Mara had called it going tribal and after he had
gotten over his initial shyness, he actually enjoyed it very much. So after
he had gotten rid of the pants he crashed into the water, relishing the
cold on his naked form.

Mara heard the crash into the water and she watched lazily as Luke made his
way to the opposite bank of the lake. She had felt Luke watching her and
although he had shielded his feelings from her, she had felt him being
aroused by her sight.

She smiled sadly at that and sighed. She had felt Skywalker's apprehension
and she asked herself if Luke felt embarrassed or even disgusted by her.
She too still felt embarrassed thinking about the day Luke and Talon had
found her. It had been messy, so much blood, she thought and closed
her eyes, battling down the images that her memories tried to push to the
foreground of her mind.

Sitting up on the warm boulder, she closed her eyes as she tilted her head
towards the sun and like a Calamarian sponge, she soaked up the warmth of
the sun. Mara listened to the soft splashes of water and tentatively she
stretched out her Force sense only to meet with the soothing presence of
Luke as he swam and jumped in the water, the joy clearly evident in his
Force signature.

*I love you*, she sent and felt him smile.

*I love you too, Mara,* Luke replied silently and she felt his
presence coming nearer.
Squinting against the glare of the sun, she watched as Luke approached her.
Admiring the play of the muscles beneath his sun tanned skin, she asked
herself again how someone who had been raised on a dustball of a planet was
such an avid swimmer.

"Hey," Luke said as his head appeared in front of her feet, his blonde
streaked hair plastered to his head.

"Hey," Mara replied and playfully splashed water into his direction with
one foot. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Yes, it is refreshing. Want to join me?" he asked as he stood in front of
her in the waist deep water.

"Naw, Farmboy," Mara's green eyes sparkled in the bright light. "I'll pass."

"Aww, come on, Mara," Luke grinned and hoisted himself up, each strong arm
on either side of Mara's shapely legs. "It'll be fun, you'll like it to
train those lazy muscles of yours."

"Ohhh training, huh?" she teased and bent forward. "Last time I saw you,
you were frolicking like a young pup in the water, but training ... I doubt
it."

She shrieked when Skywalker pulled her to him and further down into the
water. To avoid herself getting wet, she encircled his waist with her legs
and kept herself suspended. Both groaned when realisation hit them of just
how intimately parts of their bodies touched.

"Luke," Mara gasped when she felt his manhood pressing insistently against
her secret core through what little garments she was wearing. Their gazes
met, green jewels drowned into blue depths and for a moment time stood
still for the both of them.

Luke was the first to recover, and slowly, he caressed her legs before
gently prying them off his waist. "I'm sorry, Mara," he breathed, sounding
as if he had just finished a long run through the jungles. "I didn't think.
I'm sorry."

Mara felt her throat tightening and without thinking, she strengthened her
hold on his waist, drawing him nearer.

"Why should you be sorry, Luke?" she asked softly while their heads,
already close to each other, came slowly together in unison. Her lips
brushed barely over his mouth as she spoke, "Why are you sorry, Luke? Don't
you want me?"

Her words almost pierced through his heart and for a moment, his whole body
shuddered. She was so close, too close, and Luke was not sure if he could
win the battle of not making love to her there and then.

"Mara, I don't ... want to hurt you," he whispered, shuddering again when
he felt her breath on his face. "I want you too much ... I don't think I
can stop ..." he admitted breathlessly.

"Why would you stop, Farmboy?" Her voice was barely a whisper as her hands
started to roam over his chest, her whole body sliding closer to him till
skin met skin.

"You're still recuperating," Skywalker ground out through gritted teeth. "I
... I ..." he stopped when he felt the soft lick of her tongue brush across
his lips.

One kiss, he pleaded with himself. Just let me taste her this
once! Like a drowning man, he clutched her to himself, his hands
cupping her beloved face while his tongue plundered her sweet mouth. Both
groaned as passion and the Force ignited between them, soft blue light
eliciting tingles of electricity on their skin.

"Oh gods, Mara, I want you so much," Luke groaned between kisses, while
their tongues fought a relentless duel for dominance in each other's mouths.

"I want you too, Luke," Mara panted, her hands roaming desperately over the
heated skin of his shoulders and chest while she re-acquainted herself with
the hard hollows and angles of his body. "I need you ..."

Time stood still. Only these three words mattered to them as their bodies
reacted. With a groan Luke hoisted himself out of the water, lying Mara
down on the boulder again as he stretched out on top of her. With a
gentleness he didn't really feel, he showered her face, her neck and her
whole body with open-mouthed kisses, licking, tasting, marking her skin.

Mara groaned softly under his ministrations and her arms and legs rubbed
restlessly against his skin, over muscles that bulged from sheer
desperation to pleasure her. One hand snaked down between their bodies and
she gently cupped him, enjoying the groans that escaped his lips as she
started to caress his erection.

Suddenly Luke stopped and Mara looked at him in surprise, her chest
heaving. She felt a twinge of regret and anger surging through her, but
that quickly subsided and was replaced by sadness. Turning her head away,
she did not see Luke's desperate struggle for control.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, and squeezed her eyes shut, suppressing the
tears that threatened to spill out. Suddenly, she felt feather-like kisses
on her brow, on her nose, trailing softly down her cheek to her jaw.

*Why are you sorry, my love?* she heard Luke's voice and her eyes
snapped open.

*You stopped ... I thought ... you don't want me ... after what
happened...*

"Oh gods, Mara ..." Luke groaned out loud and kissed her deeply. "I stopped
because I don't want to make love to you here ... you deserve a soft bed
and ...," he grinned sheepishly when Mara stared at him with an expression
of utter surprise on her face. "I seem to recall the last time we made
love, you complained about wanting to make love in a bed for a change, not
on the floor or propped up against a wall or somewhere else."

At that, Mara laughed and she hugged him to her tightly. "And I thought you
didn't want me ... that you ..."

"Shhhh," Luke whispered gently and pecked her lips lightly. "You are the
most wonderful woman in the galaxy. But I want you to be comfortable when
we first make love again after ..." He fell silent and both knew what he meant.

*I'm sorry, Luke,* Mara sent him, feeling his own despair about the
loss of their child like her own. *I really fought to keep him, I really
did.*

"Shhhhh, Mara, it wasn't your fault," Luke reassured her. "Things like this
happen and perhaps it was the Force telling us that we weren't ready to be
parents yet. We will have other children, my beloved, but not just yet."

Skywalker disentangled himself from Jade's grasp and pushed himself to his
feet. In one languid movement, he pulled her to her feet and before she
could complain, his right hand snaked beneath her knees and he pulled her
up into his arms. Carefully he picked his way across the boulders with his
precious burden in his arms and made his way to the small cabin.

Once inside, he hurriedly entered the bedroom where he laid down Mara in an
almost referential way. During their little tryst on the boulder, Mara had
lost the towel that had hugged her waist, and Luke quickly shed the rest of
her clothing, while she helped him with shaking fingers. As she lay before
him completely nude, his passion was ignited anew, even more so. Joining
her on the bed, he lay on his side, drinking in the sight of the woman he
loved.

"I love you, Mara," he said again and wiped his eyes awkwardly. Mara looked
up at him lovingly, caressing his face, wiping away the tears that slowly
made their way down his cheeks.

"And I love you, Farmboy. Never doubt it," she whispered and drew his head
down to her. This time their kiss was sweet and lazy. Their tongues tasted
each other, languidly teasing as their bodies drew closer. Hands that had
long forgotten how to caress re-acquainted themselves with each other's
bodies.

The tension building up inside urged Luke on but with the help of the
Force, he quenched the passion to a bearable level. He needed Mara, wanted
her as he had never wanted anyone else in his life, but this time he needed
to be gentle, needed to slow down as not to hurt her.

He listened to her soft moans as his callused hand ran over her breasts,
gently massaging the pert mound until its nipple was hard and swollen.
Latching his mouth onto it, he suckled on the nub, teasing it with his
tongue while his other hand massaged and caressed her second breast.

He groaned against her soft skin, when her hands found his erection,
squeezing, rubbing him in an age-old rhythm. Slowly, they aroused each
other, teasing and playing as they kissed and caressed. All the while the
Force grew stronger around them, soft blue light enshrouding them, as they
kissed, licked and caressed.

Slowly, as if to savour every second, they moved in unison, Mara opening
herself up to greet Luke and when he entered her, their groans mingled,
their Force senses intertwined and in a soft cocoon of blue light, they
joined their bodies in perfect unison.

*I love you,* Mara sent him and for a moment, Luke stilled all
movement, almost drowning in her presence in the Force and also in her
physical warmth.

Their eyes locked and their Force senses intertwined even more deeply,
almost drowning them as emotion of how much they felt for each other
overwhelmed them.

*I love you, Mara,* Luke sent her back, brushing her mind with a
soft mental caress while his hands slowly gripped her hips as he eased
deeply into her. Skywalker groaned when he felt her gripping him like a
vise, fluid heat encased him with a tightness that was almost painful.

Their kisses grew more frantic as their bodies moved to further their
passion. Arms and legs gripped, caressed and stroked as they fell into a
comfortable but urging rhythm.

+++++++

Several hours later, after much more love making, hot, dirty and soft, two
bodies lay within tangled sheets, both trying to calm the drumming heart
beats as the two Jedi lay on the wide bed.

"Are you alright?" Skywalker asked as he drew the sheet over them and
pulled Mara closer onto his right side, his hand hugging her around her
waist. Now, in the aftermath of their frantic lovemaking, he was afraid he
had caused her pain so soon after the miscarriage, and he turned slightly
to look into her face. What he saw both amazed and assured him, Mara's eyes
were closed but her lips were curved into the most beautiful smile.

"Couldn't be better ... and you?" Jade murmured and her lips found the
ridges of a scar she knew was on his shoulder. A scar she herself had
inflicted on him eight years ago.

Her tongue flicked out and Luke gasped when he felt the tip of her tongue
tracing the rigged scar and a tingle of passion, albeit heavy and
half-sated, shot through him. "What ... are you doing, Jade?" he breathed
heavily and he could feel the woman's smiling lips against his heated skin.

"Just fulfilling a dream," she smiled wickedly as in a lithe movement she
moved on top of him, straddling him with her thighs just beneath his hips.
Her lips had found another scar on his chest, and with butterfly kisses she
traced that one as well.

"A dream, huh?" Luke asked and held her tightly as she bent forward again,
latching her lips on a nasty scar just beneath his breastbone. He
remembered the day he received it as if it had been yesterday, and he knew
Mara had similar scars on her back ... the scars of a Force-whip. His hands
found the scars on her back and with every lick she administered, he traced
her own with his fingertips, eliciting shivers and low moans from her.

"Interesting," Luke murmured and hugging her closer, they both laughed.

"From my perspective it's always interesting," she continued giving him
nibbling kisses as she worked her way up to his throat, sucking gently on
his pulse point. "I've always wanted to do this," she whispered as she
worked on giving him a love bite. "I've always wanted to mark you right
here." A slender finger caressed the recently abused flesh.

"Always?" Luke teased her and for a moment, Mara stopped what she was doing
and deep green eyes met those baby blue ones of the Jedi Master. "Even way
back on Myrkr? I still remember how you devoured me with your eyes when you
gave me that bath..."

"Yes," the woman murmured and smiled. "Even way back on Myrkr, and I
remember that certain parts of your anatomy grew considerably when I gave
you the bath, Jedi Master!"

"Do you now?" Skywalker whispered, his eyes danced with blue fire, as he
slowly traced the scars on her back with his fingertips. "And I never
thought you had those kind of feelings for me ... You should have acted
upon them, Miss Jade," His voice was like a caress, slow, deep and
incredibly sexy, sending shivers down Mara's spine.

Jade felt her face heat up and she hid it in the crook of his neck and Luke
wondered why they had not acted upon the strong attraction that had been
between them since the first day they had met.

*But we have, Luke,* he heard Mara's voice in his mind. *We
exactly did that, back on Tatooine.*

He smiled at that. *You are right, Jade. We were more sensible then than
we were in between.*

"More sensible?" Mara asked aloud and raised her head to look down on him.
"I was perfectly sensible in the years in between!"

Mirroring her cocked eyebrow, he rose one of his own at her. "Were you?" he
teased her and raised his hands to cup her face. "Perhaps we both were not
so sensible, we both were fighting hands and feet against what we felt. But
no more, Mara. From now on the only sensible thing I will do is love you to
bits."

"Is that a promise?" Mara asked and smiled.

"No, Jade, this is not a promise, it's a fact," and with this he drew her
down onto his chest and kissed her with all the passion that he had felt
since he had first seen her in the glaring suns of his home planet all
these many years ago.

The End

To be continued in Seeds Of Time Book Six of the Denial Series.
Sometime later this year.
++++++

Una