"Quarantine"
by Angela Jade
Rated - NC17
e-mail - angela@yavin4.free-online.co.uk - constructive criticism and happy thoughts greatly appreciated ... please don't flame me.
Feel free to post this wherever, as long as it's got this spiel at the top.
Disclaimer - all these characters belong to Mr. Lucas (all hail) and Mr. Zahn (yay!). I write about them as a form of flattery - please don't sue. I am not making any money from this.
Okay, so this vicious plot bunny leaped up and grabbed me by the jugular while I was listening to the song "I Drove All Night" (the Cyndi Lauper version, if you must know). Lyrics are after the fic.
Written August 2000

"Quarantine" - set a few years after the Thrawn trilogy.

The Coruscant traffic was moving fast, but not fast enough for Mara Jade. She boosted the thrusters on her speeder and it rocketed into a gap in the lane above. Still not fast enough, but it would do. She swiped at the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand and glowered at the dashboard. How dare they! She was Mara Jade, ex-Emperor's Hand, Master Trader, Talon Karrde's second-in-command... They couldn't just claim she had Juxemia, then cart her off to a Contagious Diseases Unit for days on end! She was fine, and they knew it - probably some conspiracy to stop her doing her job. Damn the New Republic, damn their medics, and damn Karrde for not getting her out of quarantine when she asked him to!
She goosed the thrusters a little more until she was sitting on the tail of the speeder in front, and dialled down the temperature control another notch. Damn Coruscant! Too many people creating too much heat. Glancing down at the tiny NavComp, she shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. Where was she going? Didn't matter. Away was all that mattered. Away from that damn hospital.

All was quiet in the Solo residence; even the children were asleep. Quiet, that is, until the comlink in the master bedroom started beeping loudly. One arm snaked out from under the cover and searched blindly on the table, before grabbing the offending object and pulling it back under. "Solo."

"It's Karrde."

"It's the middle of the night, Karrde. This better be good," grumbled Han, flinging the covers off his head with one arm and sinking back into the pillows.

"Mara's missing."

"She's a grown woman, Karrde. She can go where she likes."

"She has Juxemia, Solo. Caught it on her last run out to the Corporate Sector. I've had her under guard in an isolation unit in the Parenis district, but she decided she didn't care too much for the hospitality."

"Juxemia? Never heard of it," said Han. "Anyway, what has all this got to do with me. She's your employee."

"She was guarded because one of the symptoms of Juxemia is homicidal tendencies. And we all know who she was intent on killing not that long ago. I figured you'd want to know, rather than me bring in NR security."

Now Han Solo was awake. Wide awake. "You think she might go after Luke? Does she know he's on Coruscant?"

"I knew. If she really wanted to find out, I'm sure she could have." Karrde sighed heavily. "She escaped about four hours ago and stole one of my speeders. I've got my people searching, but so far, nothing. I think you should warn Skywalker."

"Who is it, Han?"

Laying a hand on his wife's sleepy head, he gently stroked her hair. "Better wake up, honey. I think we have a problem."

According to the chrono on the dashboard, she'd been driving for hours, but to Mara it felt a lot less. Adrenalin was coursing through her veins, pumped by the heart pounding madly in her chest. There was something she wanted to do, something she had to do. Something she had been wanting to do for a long time. Her green eyes stared fixedly out of the front viewscreen; night had descended quickly, as she flew from the light side of the planet into the darkness. He was here. She could sense him. Not long now.

"I am not going to wake him, Han." Leia paced the bedroom in a long, white dressing-gown, stopping occasionally to wave a finger at her husband as he remained seated on the bed. "He landed six hours ago and he looked utterly exhausted. We don't even know that's where Mara was heading - she could be anywhere. Luke needs his rest, and I won't let anyone disturb him..."

"Okay, sweetheart, okay," interrupted Han. "We won't wake him. I'll have a guard posted on his door, and how about we go to this med center and find out what the hell is going on."

Leia stopped pacing, her shoulders drooping as she relaxed. "A guard? Good idea." A wry smile crossed her face. "But let's keep it subtle, shall we."

"Of course." Han winked at her. "It's me."

She'd been driving for more than six hours, but Mara felt like she could easily drive another six. Fortunately, it wasn't necessary; she had arrived.
Gazing up at the tall, dark apartment building, she adjusted the utility belt round her waist then walked in through the lobby. Checking no-one was there, she sprinted quickly across to the turbolifts, one of which opened as it detected her approach. Quickly, she keyed in his floor number. She knew everything about him; his apartment number, his comm number, the time he landed, the docking bay which stored his X-wing, the meetings he would attend this week ... everything. The computer onboard the speeder was small, but she'd had plenty of time on the journey over to coax as much information as she required from it.

The turbolift stopped abruptly, the built-in inertial compensator counteracting the mass of her body, and the door slid open. She moved silently as she stepped out of the lift and crept along the main corridor. Just as she was about to turn the last corner between herself and her goal, her danger sense tingled a warning. Flattening her body carefully against the wall, she peeped round. A Noghri! They'd put a Noghri on his door.
Swearing silently to herself, Mara inched back the way she had come, stepping soundlessly onto a nearby communal balcony. The thick wire she pulled from her belt ended in a three-pronged hook, and once she judged she had enough length, she threw it upwards. It met its mark first time, with a little nudge from the Force, and she tugged gently to check it was firmly attached to the ledge two stories above. She could see his balcony further along the wall; it was deserted.

Ignoring the Coruscant wind that blew her hair about her face, and the dizzying drop, she swung determinedly across the gap, easily catching the surrounding rail and vaulting over it. A movement caught her eye and she froze, relaxing only when she realised it was a piece of curtain that had escaped the window. She smiled, her green eyes narrowing. Her entry stood unlocked and open; how very convenient.

Leia Organa Solo stood in the middle of the isolation unit, her arms folded, her gaze steady on the two medics fidgeting nervously in front of her. "Exactly how contagious is this ... Juxemia?"

The smaller of the two physicians pushed his glasses up his nose and tried to smile. "Umm, it's only contagious to anyone she comes into close contact with," he replied. "Anyone meaning any carbon-based lifeforms."

"But she must come into very close contact," interrupted the second medic, a tall blonde human female. "We can't catch it by being in the same room she was kept in."

Leia nodded her understanding. "I believe one of the symptoms is an irrational desire to kill?"

The first medic momentarily frowned. "In about 40 percent of cases, yes. That's why sufferers are routinely put under armed guard. But there are other symptoms we must treat."

"And they are..." prompted Leia.

"Ahh," said the first medic, "they vary."

"She's been here three days. You must know what her symptoms are." By now Leia was hanging on to the last shreds of her patience.
"Umm, raised temperature and heart rate. Slight tunnel vision. Short- and probably long-term memory loss." The smaller medic counted off the symptoms on his pudgy fingers.

"And possible nymphomania," added his compatriot.

Leia turned slowly towards the female, her eyes wide. "Nymphomania? Are you serious?"

The blonde physician shrugged. "The majority of Juxemia sufferers are either homicidal or nymphomaniacal. We have no proof which category, if any, she falls into."

"I've met Mara Jade. I can give you an educated guess." Her mind instantly spiralled back to the day Mara told Leia she would kill her brother. Would she... Her reverie was interrupted by the reappearance of her husband, Talon Karrde at his side.

"I'm telling you, Han. It wasn't your fault," said Karrde. "She'd have escaped somehow."

Leia's burning brown eyes met Han Solo's sheepish grin. "What wasn't your fault?"

He shrugged. "The guard droid was fitted with a restraining bolt. Guess who showed her how to do it."

"Sounds like guilt to me, Solo," she replied.

"Hey! She asked and I told her. How was I to know she'd go crazy on us?"

Leia sighed and rubbed her temples with her fingertips. "Is there any sign of her yet?"

"No," replied Karrde. "Nothing."

"Have you checked with the guard on Luke's apartment door," she asked Han.

"Less than five minutes ago. Everything's quiet there."

"Then I suggest we go home and get some sleep; there's nothing else we can do here. I really don't think even Mara can get past a Noghri without waking up half the building. Luke can take care of himself: I'll call him in a couple of hours." She stifled a yawn and started walking towards the exit. "She's probably out cruising bars in the Corellian district."

"Cruising bars?" asked Han incredulously as he followed his wife. "Why would she be doing that?"

"I'll tell you later." She turned back to Karrde. "Call me when she shows up."

Mara slipped silently through the open balcony door, her breathing shallow, every muscle in her body ready to spring into action. She'd only been in Skywalker's apartment once before, but she instantly oriented herself. Doors leading off the main room stood slightly ajar: kitchen, 'fresher, spare room,... bedroom. Mara grinned and suppressed a shiver. She was so close to her prey. She could sense him sleeping.

Her brain was buzzing as she carefully removed her utility belt and placed it quietly on the floor. It was soon joined by her boots and jacket, before she tip-toed towards the bedroom door, pulling her hair out of the loose ponytail that held it. She pushed the door open, her right hand flicking to her left wrist and grabbing her hold-out blaster. Then she paused, glancing down at the weapon in her hand, a puzzled look on her face as she struggled with some inner demon. Looking up once more, her breath caught in her throat as she saw him asleep on his bed, his face in shadow. His presence screamed out to her to her like a ship's beckon call, drawing her towards him as if they were magnetized. The tiny blaster dropped from her slack fingers as she quietly stepped close to the bed, her bottom lip caught in her teeth, her eyes never leaving his face. When did he get so beautiful?
Slowly, she lay beside him, careful not to disturb him. Then she placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

Instantly, Luke was awake. "Lights!" Fast reflexes helped him grab his 'assailant's' arms, pinning her to the bed. His eyes focused in the dim lighting of the bedroom. "Mara? What are you doing here? Are you in some kind of trouble?"

She shook her head, not daring to speak lest she reveal what was truly on her mind. The proximity of his body took her breath away.

He realised he was still restraining her. "Oh, sorry." He released her arms and sat up, embarrassed as he remembered he was wearing only shorts. He pulled more of the white sheet he'd been lying under into his lap. "What's going on?"

She pushed herself up until she was sitting opposite him, her knee touching his. "I don't know, Luke."

He frowned at her use of his first name, and flinched as her hand came up to his face, but she only caressed his cheek. When she leaned forward and kissed him, he was so shocked that he didn't even pull away, at least until he felt her tongue trying to gain entry to his mouth. "Mara! What the hell..." She tried to silence him with another kiss, but this time he did jerk backwards. "What brought this on?" A tiny smile escaped his lips. "You're not a mad clone, are you?"

"No." His attempt at humor was completely lost on her as her gaze travelled slowly down his bare chest, then back up again to meet his eyes. "Haven't you felt it, Luke? Between us there is ... something. An attraction."

"There is? I mean, I'm not sure I've noticed..." This time when she kissed him, he decided to return the kiss, his mouth opening to hers as he felt the passion emanating from her in waves. Suddenly he found himself flat on his back, looking up at Mara smiling down at him as she straddled his hips. His eyes widened as she leisurely pulled down the zip on the front of her sleeveless jumpsuit, the black material gradually parting under the pressure of her breasts. Luke swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. "Mara, I'm not sure this is such a good idea."

Suddenly, her head dipped down and she licked a long line up the middle of his chest, completely sensitizing his body and purging his brain of all cohesive thought. Her eyes met his. "I am."

The lust in her eyes, the heat of her breath, the nearness of her body; Luke surrendered completely and pulled her close, kissing her frantically. His hands ran through her hair, then tugged impatiently at her clothing. He couldn't deny what he was feeling, couldn't deny his body's response to the beautiful woman lying on top of him.

His arms felt suddenly cold as she stood up; the time it took her to strip off her jumpsuit gave him the opportunity to remove his shorts. Then she was back in his arms, kissing, licking, nipping at his skin, as desperate for his touch as he was for hers. The contact between their bodies was electrifying, the contact between their minds, astounding.

Mara kissed her way down his neck and across his chest, pausing almost reverentially at his nipples. Her fingers trailed delicate patterns over his stomach and thigh, before gripping his erection and gently pumping. The low groan that escaped his lips forced her to stop, resting her forehead against his stomach, fighting her own climax. That was the sound she'd waited so long for, the sound she'd heard only in her dreams. Her subconscious self recognised the power they had over each other, even if her conscious self didn't.

When Luke felt her mouth surrounding that most sensitive organ, he groaned again and arched his back. Had it been so long since he'd shared this intimate act with a woman? Surely not. But this was no ordinary woman. This was Mara Jade, possibly the most compelling woman he knew, strong, intelligent, Force-sensitive and, apparently, well versed in the erotic arts. When her mouth finally left him, he moaned at the loss, barely noticing as she kissed her way back up his body.

She nipped gently at his neck, kissed the cleft in his chin, and met his eyes. "Do you know how long I've waited for this, Luke?" she asked huskily.
Her eyes were mesmerising. "No."

"Too long." She sank onto him, engulfing him in a soft, tight heat. Her hair fell forwards as her chin dropped to her chest and she started slowly rocking.

His hands crept up her thighs, followed the curves of her hips and waist, and settled on her breasts. "Oh, Mara."

She leaned down to kiss him, revelling in his taste, frantic to capture as much of him as she could. She felt his hands caressing her back, leaving a trail of goose-bumps in their wake. "I love you," she breathed.

The words were whispered so quietly, he barely heard them. "You do?" he whispered in reply. "But Mara, I..."

She bit her lip and threw back her head, tilting her hips so she could take him in as deeply as possible. "Can you feel it?"

"Feel it? Oh, yes, I can feel it." Luke squeezed his eyes shut, fiercely trying to contain the emotions building within himself. Her steady rocking, along with the rhythmic contractions of her muscles, were slowly driving him insane. Suddenly she sank onto him, her face buried in his neck; he quickly flipped her onto her back, finding her lips with his own as he began to pound into her. Her legs wrapping around him only made him move faster, whispering into her ear. "Mara, how did you know I felt like this? That I wanted you, needed you? I love you, Mara."

Her only response was to arch her back, letting out a low moan as her climax finally hit her, full force. Luke pushed into her once more before he joined her, collapsing in a shuddering heap.

Eventually, he slipped off to one side, propping himself up on one elbow and gently stroking the damp hair off her face. Her green eyes met his, and he leaned in for a soft kiss. "I have no idea what made you come here tonight, Mara, but I'm glad you did."

She smiled enigmatically, running a finger along his jawline. Then her eyes slowly slid shut and she drifted into a dreamless sleep.

Luke watched her for a long time, his blue eyes never leaving her face as she slept. He was just about to doze off himself, when the comm in the main room started beeping insistently. Heaving a sigh, he slipped out of bed and pulled on a robe, before closing the door gently behind him and dropping into the comm chair. Letters scrolled across the top of the screen; it was Leia, calling from home. He flipped a switch and his sister's worried face sprang up on the monitor.

"Luke! Is Mara at your place?"

He tried to keep the shock from his face; what did Leia know? Seconds previously he'd decided not to tell anyone about his and Mara's 'relationship', at least until he'd discussed it with Mara. Now he had Leia acting as if she knew, or at least suspected, an affair. He could sense Mara in the bedroom, still unconscious; better not to say anything just yet. "No, she's not. Should she be?"

Leia sighed and smiled weakly. "She's got Juxemia, Luke. She escaped from a secure isolation unit in the Parenis district about nine hours ago, and we're still trying to find her."

"Juxemia?" asked Luke quietly.

"It's okay, it's not life-threatening," replied Leia, "just contagious. One of the symptoms can be an irrational desire to kill, and we were worried she'd come after you again." She frowned, peering at her brother. "Luke, are you alright? You look very pale. Did you get enough sleep?"

"Me? Yes, I'm fine. I ... I've only just woken up, that's all." He glanced away from the screen for a moment, then met his sister's gaze once more. "Leia, I have to go. Can I call you later?"

"Sure, Luke. Sorry I woke you."

When she'd broken the connection, he quickly called up the medical data-files on the computer. He read the information on Juxemia with his chin resting in his hand, then sat back in the chair, completely dejected. Nymphomania and memory loss. She'd come to him not because she loved him, but because he was someone who could physically provide her with what her body craved. When she woke up, she'd probably have forgotten that she'd initiated it all, and homicidal tendencies or not, she'd kill him for sure if she thought he'd taken advantage of her while she was 'defenseless'. How was he going to get out of this situation?

Finally he stood and walked back into the bedroom. Mara was still sound asleep in his bed; now that he looked at her, Luke realised she was very deeply asleep, unnaturally so. He pulled a blanket out from a cupboard and carefully wrapped her in it, before carrying her through to the apartment's extra bedroom and laying her gently on the bed. She didn't stir once. He gathered her clothes, wondering only for a moment why her hold-out blaster was lying on the floor of his bedroom, and dropped them by her feet. Sitting on the edge of the bed, he stroked her hair one last time, revelling in its color and texture as it slipped through his fingers. Then he gently shook her shoulder. "Mara. Wake up, Mara."

Her eyes opened slowly at first, widening as she recognised him. "Skywalker! What the hell are you doing here?" She moved to sit up, only realising at the last moment that she was nude under the blanket. "What is going on?"

"Actually, I was going to ask you the same thing." He peered closely at her. "Don't you remember anything?"

"Remember what? Where am I?" She pulled the blanket tighter, edging away from Luke.

"You're in my apartment on Coruscant. I just got a call from Leia saying you've been ill and had gone missing from a medical center. She wanted to know if you were here." He watched her carefully, but saw no recognition in her eyes. "I decided to check my spare room, and found you asleep."

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Why am I naked under this?"

"You are?" Luke tried to sound suitably shocked. "I have no idea."

Her brows furrowed in concentration. "I don't remember."

"How are you feeling?"

"Horrendous. I'm hot and I ache all over. My head is killing me." She glanced at her belongings on the bottom of the bed. "I think I'd like to get dressed now."

Luke stood up, feigning embarrassment. "I'll ... um ... go call Leia and let her know you're okay."

"Thanks."

Closing the door behind him, he sank into the chair in front of the comm unit once more, keying in his sister's code.

"Luke?"

"She's here, Leia. I just found her asleep in my spare room."

Leia blew out a sigh. "Thank the Force. I'll send Karrde over to collect her. She didn't try to attack you?"

"Nope. I only just found her." Luke hoped his sister couldn't see through his deception.

"Great." A tiny smile quirked up the corners of her mouth. "Maybe you could come to the hospital with her. We should have you tested for Juxemia, just in case."

"Me?"

She nodded, grinning. "I'm sure you'll be okay, Luke; you need to be in close contact to catch it. But a homicidal Jedi Master with memory loss is probably something the galaxy is not quite ready to deal with yet. We'd better not take any chances." She glanced over her shoulder, then turned back. "I've got to go, Luke. I'll contact Karrde straight away."

The screen went blank, but Luke continued staring at his reflection. "Sithspit!"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"I Drove All Night" (B. Steinberg/ T. Kelly)
I had to escape
The city was sticky and cruel
Maybe I should have called you first
But I was dying to get to you
I was dreaming while I drove
The long straight road ahead
Could taste your sweet kisses
Your arms open wide
This fever for you is just burning me up inside
I drove all night to get to you
Is that alright
I drove all night
Crept in your room
Woke you from your sleep
To make love to you
Is that alright
I drove all night

Return to Quarantine

*sigh* The original was a one-off: really, it was. The plot bunny bit me, I wrote it down, it left me alone. That's how it works. Then people started asking for a sequel. *sighs again* Normally I'd say 'nah!' and leave it at that, but other people's interest in a sequel made the bunnies return, so now I've gone and written this. Not inspired by any song, only by some nice people who reviewed or emailed me. This is for you...

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Han?" asked Leia, her forehead resting on the cool glass of the observation window. Her brother lay in a bed against the opposite wall, apparently asleep; Leia wondered if he was in a Jedi healing trance.

"Is what a good idea? Visiting Luke?"

"No. Keeping him in this building." She turned to face her husband, a worried expression on her face. "In the same building as Mara Jade."

Han put an arm around his wife and hugged her close. "He'll be fine. Mara's on the other side of the complex, and the medics say she'll soon be free of the Juxemia. They're letting her go in a few days."

"They are? Good."

Han smiled at his wife's reply, not sure whether she was more pleased that Mara was well on the way to recovery, or that she would soon be far away from Luke. "Besides, the experts are here. You want him to have the best care, don't you?"

"Yes, of course I do," replied Leia. She sighed. "I'm just worried that she'll attack him."

Han Solo squeezed his wife's shoulder again. "She didn't attack him last time, did she."

"No, but she could have. She got past the guard and into his apartment."

"But she didn't attack him, just climbed into his spare bed and fell asleep. She was probably so disorientated, she didn't even know where she was." He smirked, knowingly. "Besides, she'd have to get past her own guards, as well as Luke's. And they're all NR Security, no droids."

Leia sighed, blowing out her frustration. "I know. Logic tells me he'll be okay. But I still have a bad feeling about this."

Han rolled his eyes ceilingwards. "Why did you have to say that? Bad feelings are the curse of this family." He started to steer her away from the window, towards the exit. "What I want to know, is how he caught it in the first place..."

Luke waited until he felt his sister's presence retreat down the corridor, then he cautiously opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He was alone. Alone, that is, apart from the virus invading his body, invading his mind. He had fought it at first, using his power in the Force to resist its effect on him. Then someone had had the bright idea of bringing in some ysalamiri, to counteract any homicidal feelings he might have. His resistance had plummeted, his body and mind quickly succumbing to the raging virus. Within an hour, he had gone completely berserk, smashing up the room they had been keeping him in and threatening the staff. They had immediately moved him to an ysalamiri-free room, but he could sense the blank spaces in the corridor beyond, where the creatures were hanging from nutrient poles fixed to the ceiling.

Sitting up slowly, he looked towards the door and the guard that stood just beyond it; a malicious smile crossed his face. They wouldn't prevent him reaching his goal. They could try, but they would never triumph over a Jedi Master.

Slipping out of the high bed, he stopped as he caught sight of his reflection in a mirror. Was that really him? Wearing only a long pair of sleep pants, his torso and face gleamed with sweat, his hair plastered to his head. Icy blue eyes no longer looked gentle; dark and hooded, they stared back at him, willing him on in the task he had set himself.

Glancing around, he spotted a sleeveless shirt lying on a chair; he quickly pulled it on, ignoring the discomfort as the material clung to his damp skin. Then he moved silently round the perimeter of the room, stopping just as he reached the door. Time to make his move. One side of his mouth quirked up; he was going to enjoy this.

Reaching out with the Force, he gradually touched the guard's mind, carefully implanting a suggestion. After a long moment he frowned, wondering if his powers were so weak that he could not even accomplish this simple exercise. Then he smiled as he sensed the guard's acquiescence and the door swished open to reveal his warder, a human male not much older than himself, his eyes glazed over. Luke bit his lip to stop himself from laughing out loud. So easy.

At Luke's mental suggestion, the guard turned smartly on his heel and headed down the short corridor to the right of the door; Luke slipped through the open door and followed him, flicking a hand towards the solitary camera and turning it off. The guard stopped suddenly, his nose centimeters from a wall. Another Force-hint made him step smartly sideways, allowing Luke access to the locked safe that was embedded in the wall. The safe door was perfectly smooth, marred only by a tiny handle at its right-hand side. Luke grasped the handle in his prosthetic hand, closed his eyes, and called on the Force. The sound of rending metal filled the corridor as he slowly pulled the door off its steel hinges. Reaching into the dark gap his demolition had created, he pulled out two cylindrical objects. Lightsabers. He quickly slipped his own into one of the deep pockets of his sleep pants, then peered closely at the other. It had belonged to his father. Anakin Skywalker. Darth Vader. He smiled as he dropped the saber into his remaining pocket.

Reaching out with his left hand, he gently touched the guard's temple, barely noticing when the unfortunate man slid to the floor, unconscious. As an afterthought he pulled the guard's blaster from its holster, before returning to the door of his room and setting off determinedly down the main corridor.

In an almost identical room on the far side of the medical complex, Mara Jade tossed and turned in her sleep, her breathing rapid, her eyes shifting beneath closed lids. She gasped as she awoke from her dream, quickly sitting up and clutching a hand to her chest as she tried to slow her racing pulse. Her mouth hung open as she fought for oxygen and her eyes swept the room nervously. Finally she collapsed back onto her pillow; that had been the most vivid dream she'd had since Wayland. And, like her dreams back then, this one also featured Luke Skywalker. Only this time she wasn't trying to kill him. Mara frowned; the dream had seemed so real, so familiar, yet she struggled to remember any details. A night-time flight through the streets of Coruscant. A turbolift. A balcony. Skywalker's apartment. A triumphant grin crossed her face as she finally figured out the setting of the dream; the grin slipped from her face as she recalled the rest of the dream in a series of fleeting images. His bedroom. The blaster in her hand. The feel of his lips on hers. The part where she... "Sith!"

Mara sat up once more and swung her legs out of the high bed. The floor felt cold on her bare feet as she made her way over to the tiny sink in the corner of the room. She washed her face in cold water, then looked up at her own reflection in the mirror. Erotic dreams about Skywalker? This was a new symptom; she wondered what other illusions the Juxemia would produce. Palpatine resurrected? Or maybe peace with the Imperial Remnant? Either were about as likely as her sharing a bed with the Exalted Grand Master Jedi himself. Briefly, she considered requesting a psychoanalytic droid; the dream had seemed very real, and she didn't want a return to the hallucinatory state she'd been in previously. But she rejected the idea just as quickly. Droid or no, she would tell no-one of this particular dream, especially when she was so close to being discharged from medical care. They would surely declare her incompetent and lock her up for as long as they thought they could get away with. Grimacing at herself one last time, she turned away and stripped off her sweat-soaked nightshirt, replacing it with a clean one from a nearby closet. Then she climbed back into her bed and pulled the thin cover over herself; her body told her she needed to rest, even if her mind disagreed.

The first ysalamiri Force-bubble hit him like a bucket of iced water. Teeth clenched, he lifted the appropriated blaster, took careful aim and pulled the trigger. A silent blue bolt quickly enveloped the creature, knocking it unconscious and unable to project. With a calm purpose that belied his inner torment, he strode down the corridor, stunning every ysalamiri he came across.

The late hour ensured that the building was quiet, most of the staff having gone home. But as he approached the central reception area of the med centre, Luke could sense several beings congregated there. Sliding his back along the wall, he crept towards the brightly lit space, senses alert for any hint that his approach might have been detected.

Peeping round the corner, he could see a young, blonde, human female sat behind a tall desk, her chin resting on her entwined fingers as she gazed at the handsome black humanoid in front of her. He flashed her an encouraging smile as he brushed an imaginary piece of fluff from his security uniform. A second security guard lounged against the opposite wall, right next to the corridor opening Luke was hoping to take. As he pressed his body back against the wall once more, Luke's hand drifted into his pocket and settled on his lightsaber. Only three of them. So easy, it was barely worth the effort. He pulled the Jedi weapon out of his pocket, his fingers closing about the familiar handgrip. But even as his thumb hovered over the activation switch, the persistent fog clouding his mind seemed to clear for a moment and something struck him as not quite right. Wiping the sweat out of his eyes, he peered closer at the saber. Something was nagging at the back of his mind, something elusive. Finally, he came to a decision; he couldn't use his lightsaber. Dropping it back in his pocket, he held the blaster against his chest, took a deep breath, then jumped out into the reception area, sending a stun-blast square into the center of each of his victims. He was so fast, they didn't even have time to react to his presence. Vaulting over the desk, he shoved the unconscious woman to one side and checked the console. So far, it appeared that no-one had been alerted to his escape, but that was unlikely to last. Luke jumped back over the desk and set off determinedly towards the corridor that would lead him to his goal. To Mara Jade.

The corridor was dark, eerily so. No ysalamiri this time, and only one camera to turn off. Luke crept on in the silence, his bare feet making no sound, his focus solely on the occupant of the room at the far end. He struggled not to hyperventilate as he neared his destination.
The two guards standing to attention by her door, their minds wandering as the night grew longer, were easy targets. Standing over their unconscious forms, Luke Skywalker tightened his grip on his blaster and slowly raised his head, his eyes dangerously dark. Nothing could stop him now.

Mara had finally managed to drift off to sleep again, although dreams continued to plague her rest. Dreams of the past, and of the present. But mostly, dreams of Luke Skywalker. She remembered threatening to kill him. She remembered him saving her life. And in complete, exquisite detail, she remembered making love to him as if her life depended on it.

She awoke with a start, the cold barrel of a blaster pressed to her right temple. Years of experience meant that she didn't open her eyes or even flinch.

"Don't move, Jade."

The voice was a barely recognisable growl, but she knew who it was nonetheless. "Luke?"

The blaster jabbed into the side of her head. "I said, don't move. That includes talking."

Mara felt the bed shift slightly, then his weight settled over her hips. The blaster moved and she opened her eyes to find herself staring straight down the barrel. Swallowing hard, she tore her gaze away from it to focus on the owner of the finger that was pressed against the trigger.

His face was almost unrecognisable, twisted into a grimace of hate, his dark eyes burrowing into hers. "Well, here's a switch. Me wanting to kill you."

The venom in his tone of voice made her cringe inside, but she remained silent. She could feel the heat of his body, could see his chest heaving as he struggled for oxygen. She had heard he was ill, but only now did it dawn on her that he'd caught Juxemia. From her?

The blaster moved again, this time pressing firmly against her left temple as Luke leaned forward. "I had to listen to you, over and over again, threatening to kill me. You boasted about it to other people ... you even told my sister that you would take my life in the name of your beloved Emperor." He leaned close, until she could feel his hot breath on her face. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't just shoot you now and do the galaxy a favor."

Mara Jade prided herself on her ability to think under extreme duress, but her innate talent had deserted her. And it wasn't the blaster pressed to her head that muddled her thoughts; she'd been in that situation many times before, and had always been able to talk or fight her way out of it. No, the reason she could no longer think straight was that the object of her (albeit unconscious) desires was straddling her body, his eyes so close to hers that she felt as if she could see into his very soul.

No; logical thought was definitely not an option. She could only react. Lifting her head, she closed the gap between them and pressed her lips to his.
Her kiss hit him like a laser bolt. It was as if a switch had been thrown in his brain; the hatred he felt for the woman in front of him was instantly converted into passion, a wild, unbridled passion he was incapable of controlling. The blaster dropped noisily to the floor as he took her in his arms and kissed her fiercely, his body craving her touch, his mind reaching out for hers.

Mara's arms automatically wrapped around his neck and shoulders as her emotions sky-rocketed and she lost herself in his kiss. As she felt her back being pressed into the bed, a tiny tendril of logic fought to make itself heard; Luke was ill, he didn't know what he was doing, she shouldn't take advantage of him like this.

But even as her brain was saying "stop", her body was saying "don't stop; whatever you do, don't stop", and at that moment her body was in command. Her most recent dream saw to that. Her back arched as his hands crept under her nightshirt, caressing her stomach before quickly settling on her breasts as his lips found hers once more. When he sat back to peel off his t-shirt, she quickly struggled out of her nightshirt, determined to feel his skin against her own. Tossing it to one side, her gaze travelled up his chest, the taut muscles straining with the effort of breathing. When her eyes met his, she realised he was also contemplating her body, his gaze drifting gently over her. He half-smiled, but remained silent as he slowly lowered himself on top of her, kissing her face, her neck, her shoulders... She moaned gently when his mouth found a nipple, moaned louder as his hand made contact with a thigh, and bit back a scream as he caressed her clit.

He quickly removed his sleep pants and they fell to the floor with a muffled 'thunk'. Then his knees firmly pushed apart her legs, his eyes never leaving hers. The intensity of the lust in his eyes made Mara want to look away, but somehow she couldn't. It was as if it were a challenge, a challenge she knew she must not fail. Her gaze never left his, not even for a second, as he slowly entered her. He paused, his breath harsh on her face, his blue eyes delving into her soul. With a soft grunt through clenched teeth, he pushed the rest of the way into her.

Mara couldn't help it. Her neck arched and her eyes squeezed shut at the feelings he was generating in her body. As he began to thrust steadily, she forced her eyes open again; as soon as her gaze met his, his lips descended to hers, kissing her, tasting her, almost suffocating her. She dug her fingers into his back, her legs hooking behind him to draw him in deeper. He was hers and she would never let him go.

"Gods, Mara, I need you." His voice still sounded unnaturally deep, but this time it was the result of passion, not anger. "I want you so much."

The urgency in his voice captured her attention and she pushed at his shoulders until he looked at her. Between ragged breaths, she managed to whisper, "Luke, you just tried to kill me."

His eyes momentarily widened and his rhythm faltered for a split-second. Had he? "No. I love you. Always."

"You ... you do?"

He nodded briefly, before his eyes drifted closed and his mouth settled on her neck. "I've loved you since you came to me, since you told me you loved me."

She could hear his words and could feel him whispering against her skin, but all she could contemplate was that her dream had been true. It was true that she had sought him out and had seduced him. Was it true that she loved him? Her eyes closed tightly once more as her brain was assaulted by the powerful emotions he projected, and her body reacted to a faster pace. One hand slipped to the nape of his neck, the other to the small of his back as they both pushed to the inevitable climax of their coupling.

He couldn't hold it back. Just couldn't. She was the most fabulous woman in the whole galaxy and he loved her with a passion that would eclipse supernovas. He threw himself over the edge, burying his face in her neck and keening her name.

His plaintive cry reached her very soul, tearing her heart apart. She came with a violence that terrified her.

They both fainted.

She could barely breath. Opening her eyes, she realized that the weight pinning down her body was, in fact, Luke Skywalker, unconscious Jedi Master. With a grunt of effort, she shoved him carefully to one side and took a couple of deep breaths to replenish her oxygen levels, before turning to face him.

He lay on his back, his sweat-soaked body hot to the touch. Carefully, Mara brushed his hair from his face, her fingers trailing down over his cheek and jaw. She struggled to remember the exact course of events; whether it was the diminishing effects of Juxemia, or the aftermath of sex that affected her memory, she couldn't be sure. But the look on his face as he made love to her would be permanently etched onto her brain, of that she was positive. She couldn't forget it if she tried.

Water. She needed water.

Slipping out of the bed, she stumbled over his sleep pants and suddenly remembered the unexpected noise they had made as they hit the floor. Picking them up, Mara realised the heavy objects in the pockets were lightsabers; reaching into one pocket, she pulled out her own saber. The one Luke had given her, the one that had been his father's. She absentmindedly dropped the garment on the bed and wandered towards the sink, carefully turning the weapon over in her hand. It reminded her so much of Luke; innocuous enough until you turned it on. Then unbelievably powerful.

Laying the saber beside the sink, she slipped on yet another clean nightshirt before pouring herself a glass of water and gulping it down greedily. Leaning against the sink, she regarded herself in the mirror solemnly. What was she going to do? He had said he loved her; Sith, he'd shown her that he loved her. But their lives were so complicated; would he even be interested in taking the relationship any further? Did she want to continue it? Mara's green eyes met their reflection. The big question was, did she truly love him?

The sound of a lightsaber being activated made her instinctively grab her saber and spin round.

"Mara Jade! What the hell are you doing in my room?" He stood beside the bed in only sleep pants, his shirt still a rumpled heap on the floor. The malevolent look in his eyes and the lit saber in his hands told her all she needed to know. The assassin had returned.

Keeping her own saber unlit but ready, she lifted her chin and met his angry gaze, her heart aching from the hatred she could now feel emanating from him. "I'm not in your room, Skywalker. You're in mine. I suggest you leave before Security get here." Her voice was quiet but firm; she didn't want to antagonize him, but she doubted that her tone of voice would make much difference. It was obvious from his body language that he was back in 'homicidal' mode.

His head cocked to one side and his eyes narrowed. "You're dead, Jade!" Then he lunged at her, bringing the shining green blade of his lightsaber down towards her head.

Instinctively, Mara activated her own saber and swung it up to parry his blow, gritting her teeth against the power of his strike. He swung towards her legs and she deflected that strike also, stepping backwards to take up a stronger defensive position. He continued to rain blows upon her, forcing her to take another step backwards, and Mara began to feel the anger rise like a fire within her. How dare he break into her room, threaten her, have sex with her, then attack her again. Damn Jedi thought he could do what the hell he wanted; well, she'd show him a thing or two! Her defensive block sparked off his lightsaber as she pushed at him with all her strength and then swung towards his shoulder. His eyes widened momentarily, before he renewed his vicious assault, driving her further back as she was forced, once again, to defend herself.

Dominic Vartez was not a happy man. Woken from his sleep in the dead of the night, he had been summoned to the medical facility where he was Chief of Security, only to discover three of his team in medical bays, unconscious. The ysalamiri he had so stridently argued against as a complete waste of time, were also unconscious. A trail of destruction led from Jedi Master Skywalker's room to the center of the complex, but the man himself had not yet been found.

Vartez snorted in derision as he listened to his junior officer's report, then he barked a sharp "Follow me!" as his long strides took him down one of the corridors. He knew exactly where Skywalker would be. He'd listened to Organa Solo's warnings of how Jade had wanted to kill the Jedi, and in his experience, hatred of that magnitude usually ran both ways. Why they had decided to keep the two in the same building, he would never understand. Probably just to make his job more difficult.

His steps slowed and faltered as he approached Mara Jade's room; he'd only seen lightsabers on the holovids, but the noise they made in combat was unmistakable. Two unconscious guards by the door only confirmed his suspicions. Drawing both of his blasters and checking their settings, he turned towards the subordinate creeping up behind him. "Weapons to stun, and cover me." Without waiting for a response, he stepped silently to the door of the room and peeped through the tiny window. A full-scale battle was taking place; no injuries, so far as he could tell, but Jade was slowly being beaten back against the far wall. Rolling his eyes and silently cursing all Jedi that had ever lived, Vartez flipped the door over-ride, brought up his blasters, and fired two stun bolts simultaneously. The two patients fell instantly, their weapons deactivating before they even hit the floor.

Leia Organa Solo blew out a frustrated sigh as yet again she found herself watching her brother sleep. He lay just beyond the transparisteel window, surrounded by machinery and medics. Leia's eyes drifted slowly to the opposite side of the room; Mara Jade lay in an identical bed, also unconscious and similarly attended by medics. And in a neat circle around the circumference of the room, eight armed security guards stood to attention.

"Madame Organa Solo."

Leia turned to the source of the voice, a gentle middle-aged woman who was, at present, the most senior medic in the building. "When will he wake up?"

"Difficult to say," replied the doctor. "They both have remarkably high resistance to sedatives. We've had to give them enough mel'kan to knock out a full-grown bantha."

"Is that dangerous?"

"No more than letting them attack each other." She tried to smile reassuringly. "We'll monitor them both carefully, and as soon as Captain Jade is stable enough to be moved, we'll lower the sedative dosage and let Master Skywalker regain consciousness. But until they're in separate buildings, they both stay under sedation." She laid a gentle hand on Leia's shoulder. "It's for the best, for everybody."

"I know." Leia nodded as she turned back to watch her brother. "I just can't believe he attacked her like that. It's so unlike him."

"Juxemia will make a person do things that are totally against their nature," replied the medic. "If it's any consolation, Madame Solo, he's had so much sedative that he may not remember anything."

"I do hope so. He doesn't need any more guilt right now." Leia smiled. "Can you promise me he won't remember?"

"This is medicine," said the doctor. "We don't do promises."

THE END?
NAH!

Resolution

The glowrod cast an eerie light over the cave walls, accentuating shadows and contours, simulating movement where there was none.
"I've come to a conclusion," said Mara, her voice echoing round the empty cavern, "I really don't like this place."

Luke shook his head and grinned to himself. "Do you mean Nirauan, or these caves in particular?"

"Both. All of it. You know what I mean, Skywalker."

They trudged on in silence, mechanically putting one foot in front of the other as they fought off fatigue brought on by monotony. According to the Qom Jha, the trek to the fortress would take several days at the rate they were travelling. Luke had sent them back to help Artoo catch up.
"In fact," muttered Mara, "I think I actually hate it. With a vengeance."

"Would you like to stop, Mara?"

"Yes. I'm dead on my feet."

"Me, too." He swung the glowrod round, illuminating the expanse of uncomfortable-looking rock. "What I wouldn't give for my bed at the Academy," he said mournfully.

"Feeling old, Skywalker?" Mara said with a grin, setting down her pack and bedroll. "I'm sure you must have slept in rougher places than this."
Luke dropped his pack beside hers and yanked out his bedroll with a flourish. "Never by choice, Mara." He sat on the bedroll and struggled not to smile as he looked up at her. "I usually had someone holding a blaster to my head."

"Ah, Myrkr," said Mara as she unrolled her own bed. "Those were the days."

"You sound almost nostalgic."

She sat down, crossing her legs in front of her. "Those were the days when I could make an uppity Jedi do what he was told."
"I knew you wouldn't kill me," he said quietly.

"Really?" Her hand flashed to her wrist, grabbing her hold-out blaster and pointing it steadily in Luke's direction. "Still sure?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Stop messing around, Mara, and put your toy away."

"Aw, don't I scare you anymore?" pouted Mara, replacing the blaster in its holster. "You're no fun."

"And what exactly do you mean by that?"

"I mean that you're so busy saving the New Republic in general, and the Jedi Knights in particular, that you're no fun any more," she replied, her gaze daring him to contradict.

"Yes, I am!" he replied indignantly.

"Name one occasion when you did something that was fun," said Mara.

Blue eyes burrowed into green as he considered his reply. "There was the celebratory dance after we kicked Thrawn into the next galaxy. That was fun."

"Only because you kept getting pounced on by that gorgeous Corellian Senator. I didn't have much fun."

He blew out a sigh. "What about the time we got drunk and you persuaded me to help you decorate the hull of the 'Wild Karrde' with Hutt swear-words?"

"Doesn't count," she replied, shaking her head. "That was my idea."

He lapsed into silence, thinking hard. Twice, he opened his mouth to make a suggestion, but decided neither occasion would be 'fun' enough for Mara, and so he said nothing. Determined to prove to his friend that he wasn't as boring and dull as she and most of the galaxy seemed to imagine, he searched his memories thoroughly. Finally he spoke. "Mara, there's something wrong."

"With your capacity to have a good time? I figured that one out a long time ago, Skywalker."

"No, it's not that," he replied, frowning. "There's a gap in my memory. I've never noticed it before."

"Exalted Jedi Master has forgotten something?" Mara held her hand against her forehead melodramatically. "Who will save the New Republic now?"
"It's not funny, Mara," said Luke seriously as he replayed his memories with the help of the Force. "Nearly four years after Thrawn's death, there's a space of about two Coruscant months. I can't remember a thing."

"Well, I never forget anything," Mara muttered.

"So you tell me what I did, then."

"No problem." She sat up a little straighter and closed her eyes. Her powers of recall had always been one of her stronger traits. She was perfectly still for a long time.

"Well?" asked Luke. "Do you know what was going on?"

"I don't believe it," she whispered. "I do not believe it."

"Why? What happened?"

Mara's eyes opened slowly. "I have no idea. There's a gap in my memories, too. Round about the same time, I'd say."

"I have a bad feeling about this."

"Bad feeling?" said Mara. "I'm so ticked off, I think I want to kill something. If someone's been messing about with my head..." She let the threat hang in the air between them.

Luke sighed. "We could try to figure out what happened, Mara. If you want to."

She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Exactly how do you propose to do that?"

He shrugged. "There are techniques for helping lost memories to resurface. I'm sure I've mentioned them before."

"Is this an excuse to read my mind, Skywalker?"

A hurt expression crossed his face. "Of course not. I wouldn't do that, to you or to anyone else."

Inwardly, she struggled between the need to know why there was a gap in her memories, and the determination that no-one, not even Luke Skywalker, would have any kind of power over her again. Curiosity won out. "Fine. Let's do it."

He nodded and slowly moved to kneel in front of her, beckoning her to mirror his pose, before taking her hands and placing them on his temples and settling his own fingers on either side of her head. "Relax. Breathe. Sink down into that place inside you where the Force is strongest, where it helps define who you are and your place in the galaxy."

His quiet voice banished her reservations and she allowed him to guide her, to lead her through her own mind. Slowly, her awareness of her surroundings, of the bedroll beneath her knees, even of his touch on her head, faded into nothingness. She was aware only of his voice and the well of power within herself.

"Find the blank space in your memory. Reach out to me with your mind and show me. Push at the barriers blocking your way..."

Following his words, she did as he suggested, a calm determination filling her mind as she tried to access her own memories. Then suddenly, she could see, could touch and feel - the events sprung out of nowhere with a strength all of their own. It had started with a contagion...

Their bodies stiffened and they sucked in a sharp, simultaneous breath as they were abruptly assaulted by powerful emotions.

He remembered waking up to find her in his bed. Exhausted and a little disoriented, his initial shock had quickly dissipated as she'd kissed him senseless, and he could almost taste her mouth on his.

She remembered the feeling of wanting him, of needing him, of straddling his thighs as she gazed down on him, his blue eyes full of wonder and a passion he couldn't control.

He could feel her smooth, hot skin under his hands as he caressed her body, even as she made love to him. She had whispered "I love you," and he'd thought his heart would burst.

She shuddered as she remembered the moment of her first climax, satisfying an animalistic need that she normally held under tight control. His declaration of love had meant little at the time, but she could still recall the huskiness of his voice, every nuance of his speech.

He remembered lying on top of her, her thighs bracketing his as he thrust his way towards completion, the completion of an act that had joined their souls together forever.

She remembered a medical facility. Long days and nights without him, her body screaming for his presence, yet her memories rapidly fading no matter how hard she tried to cling on to them. When he had finally appeared in her room, weeks later, he'd held a blaster to her head.

He had never been closer to the dark side as he had been that night. Not before or since. He remembered the feeling of cold, hard, ruthless hate, of wanting to kill her. Then she had kissed him, filling his mind with sheer, unadulterated lust. The evil creature he had sought to murder had morphed into the most beautiful woman in the galaxy, someone he loved more than life itself.

Oh, Gods, she loved him! His touch had been gentle but firm, electrifying her body, paralyzing her mind. They'd made love as if there would be no tomorrow.

A lightsaber duel, then ... nothing.

Her mind-contact left his, and Mara jerked her hands away as if the touch of his skin burned her. She quickly shuffled away from him, sitting at the far end of the bedroll with her knees pulled to her chest as she trembled in shock. Slowly, she forced herself to look at the man who had just turned her world upside down.

He had fallen forward on all fours, his chest heaving as he gulped in air. When he finally lifted his gaze to meet hers, dilated pupils made his eyes almost black. "What happened, Mara?"

She looked away, unable to meet his eyes. "I think it's obvious what happened, Skywalker." She had slept with him, not once, but twice. She had exposed her body and her soul to him, touched him, tasted him, lost control...

He'd never seen her look so frightened and vulnerable as she huddled away from him. Carefully, he sat back, drawing up his own knees in comfort. "Juxemia?"

"Apparently." Eventually she managed to look at him, filling her eyes with as much loathing as she could muster. "I was ill, Luke. Why did you do it?"

Her tone of voice roused his indignation. "I didn't know you were ill. I just reacted to something that you initiated." Reacted? Even Luke had to admit it had been more than an automatic response. Mara Jade had appeared in his bed and he'd thought all his birthdays had come at once.

"And you thought my behavior was normal?" she snapped back. "Showing up in your apartment in the dead of night, in your bedroom..." She looked away again, swallowing the emotions that threatened to engulf her once more.

His voice was quiet. "Of course, I'm so hideous and offensive that no one would ever try to seduce me because they liked me."

"I didn't say that."

"You implied it."

The silence stretched between them, filling the air with unspoken thoughts and accusations.

"I'm sorry, Mara," whispered Luke eventually. "You're right - I should have realized something was wrong and I shouldn't have taken advantage of you that night. It's just that..." He swallowed, struggling to put his feelings into words, trying to ignore the memory-induced fires that burned inside him. "I was tired and stressed and you showed up in my bed... I guess I thought I was dreaming again. I'm sorry."

Her incredulous face turned towards his. "You dream about me?"

"I said I was sorry. It's not something I can control." Oh, Gods, what had he done now? He knew she was mad at him for something that had happened years ago, and now he had to open his big mouth and admit he'd had erotic dreams about her! Did he have a death-wish? He rested his forehead against his arms and closed his eyes. If she was going to shoot him, let her get it over with.

The silence stretched on interminably as each calmed down enough to examine their 'new' memories and consider the consequences of their actions.
"Luke."

He looked up, surprised at the gentleness of her tone. There was no anger on her face as she watched him, her eyes glittering in the dim lighting.
"You're not the only one who has dreams, you know." She carefully swallowed her doubts and her pride - he needed to know. And she needed to tell him. "When I lay in that med-center afterwards, you were all I could think of. I relived our one night together over and over in my dreams until the memories slipped away." Her head dropped as embarrassment brought a flush to her face. "Sometimes I ... I still dream of you." She brought her head up sharply again. "But it's not deliberate. It's not like I go to sleep thinking of you, or anything."

He realised his mouth was actually hanging open in shock and quickly closed it, reminding himself to breathe. Her unexpected admission had exploded a torpedo of emotions inside him and rendered him almost speechless. Almost. "Mara, are we still friends?"

She was silent for a long moment, watching him carefully. "I guess so. Why?"

"Because I'm having a terrible day and I could really use a friend right now," he replied, inching slightly towards her.
Her arms tightened round her knees. "Are you saying memories of having sex with me are terrible?"

"No. Quite the opposite." He smiled tentatively. "Your reaction was terrible."

She watched him as he crept a little closer but made no move herself. "Every time I think I know you, Skywalker, every time I think I know us, something happens to send the whole thing into chaos."

"I know." He was close enough that he could reach out and touch her, and yet he didn't, even though her proximity screamed out to his mind and his body. "Mara, please don't run off and abandon me because of this."

She pointedly looked around at the rock walls and ceilings that enclosed them. "Doesn't look like I have a lot of choice right now." When her gaze met his again, a hesitant smile crept across her face. Something had changed between them, something momentous. It was as if her new-found memories of two short nights of passion had opened the flood-gates to years of repressed emotions. She could be as angry as she wanted about the circumstances of their coupling, but that didn't change the fact that the memories still burned bright in her brain, heating her whole body. For ten years she had looked at him through a self-imposed, protective shield, not daring to see him as anything other than a Jedi, a teacher, a pilot, and an occasional friend. But now she could remember him as a lover, his eyes dark with passion, his lips leaving a burning trail over her skin, his body moving rhythmically with hers as their hearts beat in unison... She sucked in a deep breath as the heated memories raced unbidden across her mind once more, before reaching out and brushing his hand with hers. "I'm sorry, Luke. It wasn't your fault."

He smiled, his eyes twinkling as he caught her hand and laced his fingers carefully through hers. "Makes a pleasant change, I guess." The sensation of her hand in his induced powerful feelings, emotions that came straight from his heart. He edged closer, covering the last few centimeters that lay between them. "I wonder why you chose me that night?"

"I don't know. You certainly weren't the closest - it took me hours to get to you."

He squeezed her hand gently. "We could find out. We could try to access the memories again..."

Her steely glare cut him off in mid-sentence. "No way, Skywalker. Never again."

"Well, maybe it was your subconscious speaking, controlling your actions. You did say you'd felt an attraction between us."

"When did I ever say that?" asked Mara indignantly, even though she already knew the answer.

"That first night, when you came to me." He brushed her cheek with a finger. "You asked me if I felt it, too."

His touch left her reeling, unaccountably desperate for more. "I guess I did, didn't I."

He sat as close as he could get to her, the left side of his body pressed against her left, and he lost himself in her eyes. Could he do this? He couldn't back down now - her whole body was screaming to him, pulling him in like a mynock to a power cable. His body hadn't cooled down since he'd discovered their hidden memories, and he suddenly realised that the thing he wanted most in the galaxy was to have her in his arms again. He caressed her cheek once more then slipped his hand to her neck, slowly pulling her towards him.

By the Force, he was actually going to try to kiss her! Mara's instincts screamed at her to pull away, to preserve what little dignity she had left, but she ruthlessly suppressed that notion. It felt a little odd, dangerous even, to kiss the man she had regarded as a friend for ten years, but she had to know the truth. She had to find out if the emotions she had felt in her memories were purely Juxemia-induced or if there was something more...
Their lips met and the world beneath them fell away, time and space irrelevant as the passion they had so recently re-experienced exploded once more, filling them both with a desperate desire, a need for each other. He pulled her closer, losing himself in her kiss, unable to even contemplate that she might back away. If she did, he didn't think he would survive.

But Mara couldn't have pulled away even if she'd wanted to. She sank gratefully into his embrace, her hands sliding round his back as she pressed her body to his, deepening their kiss. There was no self-control. There was only ... him.

He held her tightly, as if he could absorb her body into his. The taste of her mouth, a recently rediscovered memory, became a delightful reality. Fingers fumbled with unfamiliar fastenings as pent-up sexual frustrations finally burst out of their confinements. Somehow they managed to struggle out of uncooperative clothing without pulling out of their embrace.

She yanked him down onto her bedroll, her mouth quickly finding his as her mind and body ached for him, yelling her desire in his brain. The Force around them was filled with lust, with a hunger for each other that had to be satisfied. His hands roamed over her body, refamiliarizing themselves with the contours and textures he had discovered years before. Dipping his head, he kissed her collarbone and suckled at her breasts, revelling in her moans of pleasure and wincing as her fingernails pressed into his back.

She held him tightly, her muscles tensing as he moved over her, leaving a trail of fire with his mouth. She longed to have him inside her, craved his touch, desperate to reach the pinnacle of feelings that were rapidly spiralling out of control. Then he was above her once more and she gazed into his eyes, seeing both the farmboy and the Jedi Master, her friend and her lover. His mouth descended on hers as he plunged into her, one arm slipping under her as she arched up against him.

They moved in perfect synchronization, two people merging into one, claiming their own pleasure at the same time as pleasuring the other. Their sighs and moans echoed around the cave, as passion echoed through their minds, lifting each other higher and higher, threatening to overwhelm them with its power.

Unstoppable.

Incomparable.

Destiny.

They cried out at the moment of orgasm, their minds subsumed by the intensity of their physical and mental contact. Clinging to each other, they rode the waves of emotion that crashed over them. Bodies drenched in sweat, hearts pounding wildly, lungs heaving in oxygen, they slowly regained the powers of speech...

He kissed her, gently, sweetly. "Gods, Mara, that was..."

"Incredible?" She pushed sweat-soaked hair from his forehead, running her fingertips over the contours of his face. "Amazing?"

"Unbelievable. What in Kessel happened?"

"I think we've been through that already, Skywalker," said Mara with a smile. "I seduced you, you seduced me..."

"I can't believe we did that all those years ago and completely forgot about it," he replied.

"I can't believe you tried to kill me, Skywalker," she replied, her eyes narrowing to laser-beam intensity.

He grinned lop-sidedly. "I guess that makes us even, Jade." Leaning down to nuzzle her neck, he whispered close to her ear. "Told you I knew how to have fun."

"Luke?" she whispered, smiling.

"Mmm?"

"Shut up and kiss me."

*****

Artoo-Detoo knew he was an incredibly complicated piece of machinery. Due to a lack of memory-wipes, his already-sophisticated foundational programming had evolved into something approaching true sentience. Yet he saw his role as a simple one - supporting and protecting his owner. So when he turned a corner of the Nirauan cave system and saw his master apparently wrestling for his life with the human that had previously threatened to kill him, Artoo's logic circuits went into overdrive.

They were naked, a fact Artoo filed away as inconsequential. The ex-Emperor's Hand rolled on top of Master Skywalker - Artoo wasn't sure if she was trying to suffocate him or strangle him, but he was groaning in pain. The little droid decided he had to intervene to save his master.
He rolled slowly forward, his arc welder extended in front of him...

THE END